Star Wars_ Fate of the Jedi 08_ Ascension - Christie Golden [54]
She smiled up at him, her eyelids already beginning to droop slightly. “What are my others?”
“Hey, I’m not laying all my cards on the table, missy,” he said, planting a loud smooch on her forehead. Beside the girl, Anji gave him a feline smile, eyes half closed as she lazily started gnawing the eopie. “Sleep tight, kiddo.”
“I will, Grandpa. Is Grandma coming in, too?”
“She’s got something she needs to take care of, but she’ll be in soon.”
“But I’ll be asleep by then!”
“This from the girl who was so adamant that she wasn’t tired?”
“Well … maybe I am. A little,” Allana admitted.
“Well, a grandma’s kiss is just as good whether you’re awake or asleep,” Han promised her.
“I guess you’re right. Good night, Grandpa.”
“ ’Night, sweetheart,” Han said softly. He activated the pale blue hologram of a moon, stars, and clouds that always seemed to give Allana such peaceful dreams, then pressed a button and the door hissed shut. He walked down the hall to what served as their office in the safe house and poked his head in.
“What is so fascinating that you have to miss kissing our granddaughter good night?” he asked. He wasn’t angry, just curious; Leia hardly ever missed tucking Allana in.
Leia glanced up, and there was worry in her brown eyes. “This.” She pointed to a message flashing on the screen.
INFORMATION YOU WILL WANT TO HAVE.
SAFETY FOR YOUR FAMILY GUARANTEED.
REPLY FOR MORE.
“Short and completely mysterious,” Han mused, frowning a little.
“It came in on my private channel.”
“The one only about six people and two droids have access to?”
“That would be the one.”
Han’s frown became a full-fledged scowl. “So unless Artoo-Detoo has been reprogrammed or Ben is playing a prank, you’ve been hacked.”
Leia nodded. “I’m afraid so. The question now is, do we want to reply or have Artoo start a trace for the hacker?”
“Oh come on, where’s your sense of adventure?” Han said. “Look at it this way—if they contacted you legitimately, everything’s fine. If they hacked in, they’ve already got what they came for.”
Leia made a sour face. “That’s not at all reassuring.” But her own curiosity got the better of her.
She leaned forward and typed in, Replying. Tell me more.
A few seconds later, more blue letters crawled across the screen.
OLD FRIENDS MAKE THE BEST BARGAINS.
Han felt a chill. Whoever it was, they claimed to know Leia, at least. “So this old friend wants to sell us information.”
“Han … does something about this ring a bell for you?”
“Someone trying to sell information?” He shook his head. “Everybody wants something. Some people are just honest about the fact that they want credits.” He grinned suddenly. “Like me.”
She gave him a mock shove, then sobered. “I know, but there’s … this seems very familiar. I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Maybe they are old friends.”
“No,” Leia said with certainty. “Old friends would say who they were at the outset. And we have more old enemies than old friends.” She tapped in another message: What is the nature of this information?
There was a long pause, and she wondered if perhaps she had scared them off. Then:
OLD FRIENDS KNOW WHERE DAALA HAS GONE. WILL
MAKE PARTNERS A FINE OFFER.
And then she knew. “Just when I thought things were looking up,” Leia murmured.
“What am I missing? You know who this—oh no,” Han said, as realization crashed over him. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said. “Not—”
“You bet,” said Leia drily.
OFFICES OF THE CHIEF OF STATE, CORUSCANT
“Jedi Solo,” came Dorvan’s bland voice. “This is an unexpected surprise. I hope it’s a pleasant one.”
She turned toward him, smiling. “Possibly not, but I promise it’s not a disaster, either.”
“That is more assurance than I get most mornings,” he said. He removed Pocket from his coat and placed her in her small nest on his desk. Leia reached out a finger and patted the little creature, who sniffed at