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Unless a cure was found.

Home, thought Daala. We all want it, and so few of us really seem to find it, be it a physical place, or with someone we love.

“I understand,” she said, and she did. “You want to go home. I’m sure you know, however, that finding a cure for this nanovirus cannot be a top priority, at least not right away. I’ve got to claim all this power and make sure my position is, as you put it, safe and solid, before I’ll have the funds and talent pool to turn toward that.”

“I know. Not right away,” he agreed, “but soon. Very soon.” The helmeted head turned toward her. “I trust we understand each other.”

She nodded. As favors went, this one wasn’t unappealing. She might have even done it had he simply asked, without his having to have gone to the effort of rescuing her.

But she was glad he had.

“And it’s more than a wish to go home,” Fett continued. “It’s about revenge. I imagine you’ve got an inkling of how I must feel.”

She smiled, a smile as frosty as his voice had been. “I do indeed, Fett. I do indeed.”

“Good. On occasion it’s nice to mix business with pleasure.”

“Yes, it is,” Daala mused. “I need your comm again, I’m afraid. There’s an old enemy-turned-friend who would appreciate an update on this situation as much as I do.”

WATERFRONT DISTRICT, VARLO, ROONADAN

If she allowed herself, Leia could almost believe that they were indeed just a family on vacation.

The day was sunny, the sky a lovely blue. The artificial river that wound its way through this part of the capital city of Varlo was clean and made pleasant burbling sounds. Trees in sturdy duracrete pots provided just enough shade at the small café table where she, Han, and Allana sat perusing the menu.

They’d already ordered drinks. Allana was happily sipping a creamy concoction made from frozen blue milk. Han had ordered a Corellian ale, and Leia was drinking iced tea. The breeze was cooling and so were the beverages.

Several tables away sat Zekk and Taryn Zel. Zekk wore protective sun visors that, very conveniently, covered much of his face. Taryn, her distinctive red hair dyed a subtler auburn, wore one of the large floppy hats considered fashionable outerwear by the females on this world. Both seemingly had their noses buried in their own menus, but Leia knew that their eyes were on the Solo family. They were here, close but unobtrusive, to guard Allana should anything go wrong. The Solos had wanted to give their granddaughter as much of a normal life as possible, but in the end this button-nosed little girl would become ruler of her world, and perhaps much more. So they had struck a compromise that pleased all involved. Well, except Allana, but as she knew nothing of the arrangement, she couldn’t protest it. Zekk, a Jedi Knight, and Taryn Zel, cousin to Tenel Ka, were the best possible bodyguards Leia could imagine for a Chume’da thought dead.

The waitdroid hummed over and hovered. Many droids designed to serve in such a capacity were humanoid. This squat droid more resembled R2-D2 than C-3PO. Barely a meter tall and rather narrow, with a head that opened to extend a serving tray, it was clearly designed for the sole task of waiting tables, and Leia doubted it was terribly expensive.

“May I take your orders?” it inquired in a pleasant, if droning, voice.

“We’re still looking.” Leia offered a smile, more for the benefit of any onlookers than for the droid itself. “A few more minutes.”

“Of course, ma’am.” It buzzed off and repeated the inquiry at another table.

“I think we should order something,” Han said. “I’m starving.”

“Me, too,” Allana said. She took another gulp of her blue milk shake and her straw made a loud sucking sound. She looked embarrassed. “Excuse me.”

“You just drank that whole thing?” Leia shook her head. “That concoction has enough calories to feed a Hutt for two days. We should drop you somewhere and you should live off it for a while.”

Allana giggled. Leia turned back to Han. “I don’t want to order anything and then just leave when they comm us,” she said.