Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 07_ Conviction - Aaron Allston [111]
“Maybe.” Leia let a little irritation creep into her voice. “I’ll write the invitation.”
Padnel shook his head. “We will. You can review the language and recommend improvements.”
Reni checked her chrono and stood. “Is it not time for the midday meal?”
Later, as the negotiators retired to respective tents and transports for a postmeal torpor, Leia and Han walked the encampment.
Han offered her a sympathetic smile. “Sorry you didn’t win on the Tenel Ka thing.”
“Oh, I did.”
“How so?”
“I’m thrilled she’s being invited. I desperately hope she’ll come. She’s likely to support our recommendations. And I’m sure we can contrive a little time for her to be together with Allana.”
“But you sounded adamant against her coming—” Han shut up for a moment. “You pretended to be against it so they’d fight harder for it. Later, you can use the fact that you gave in to their demands as a negotiating point.”
“You’re better at this thinking than you like to admit, Han.”
He snorted, amused. “It’s all sabacc, sweetheart. It’s just that you play it without any cards showing.”
JEDI TEMPLE, CORUSCANT
CORRAN WALKED INTO THE MASTERS’ COUNCIL CHAMBER WITH ITS circles of high-backed stone chairs. The screens over its exterior exits and viewports were closed, making the interior dimmer than usual. It was not dim so that a broadcast holocomm message could appear brighter and crisper, but because the chamber was nearly unoccupied. Only Saba waited there, standing, staring at the center as if expecting a hologram to appear and offer advice.
Corran waited until the door had slid shut behind him before he spoke. “Master Sebatyne?”
She didn’t turn to look at him. “You wished to speak to this one?”
“Yes. The Errant Venture is back in system. Mirax is going up to see her father. I wanted to make sure you could spare me for a few hours or a day. I want to go with her.”
“She still worries about your children?”
“Yes, of course.” Corran didn’t add a comment about his own worries. It was understood that he had them. It was also understood that he would stand apart from them when on matters of Jedi business.
“Yes. Go. This one will try not to call on you for at least a day.” Finally Saba did turn to look at him. “But this one will need you. With Jedi Solo gone to Klatooine, with Master Hamner dead, you have become invaluable. You understand more of human-dominated politicz than many Jedi. This one may need your analytical powerz.”
He offered her an expression of sympathy. “Your new duties are giving you grief?”
Saba uttered a hiss of vexation. “Not enough grief, perhapz.”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“Each day, this one visitz the office of the Chief of State for duties shared with Senator Treen and General Jaxton. Problemz are brought before us. The economy of Ushmin, a small world near the borderz with the Imperial Remnant, is faltering. The Senate is doing nothing—proposing few billz, voting on fewer. The Senate will do nothing about Ushmin.”
Corran nodded. “The Senate is going limp on you. A way of saying, Anything that goes wrong while you hold office is your own fault; we won’t help. Get out.”
“This one understandz that. But we find a way to solve the problem, we three. Jaxton sayz that he is evaluating sites for new bases. He could put Ushmin at the top of the list for the next base in that sector. Treen sayz she can bring Disbursementz in on that plan. She commz; others fall into line. In minutes, it is done. We move on to the next problem.”
Corran frowned, not certain he understood what he was hearing. “You’re bothered because the job isn’t harder?”
“Yes.”
“If you were to announce your objection in front of the Senate, you’d probably be assassinated.”
Saba sissed in mild amusement. “This one thought Jaxton