Star Wars_ Millennium Falcon - James Luceno [117]
Han was already halfway to the door. “Whoever took her won't get far!”
“He's right about that,” Poste muttered to Jadak as Leia and Allana were hurrying off.
Han had asked local enforcement agents to meet him at the Falcon's landing bay. By the time he, Leia, and Allana arrived at the spaceport, three agents were climbing out of an old landspeeder with a faulty repulsorlift, and the Millennium Falcon was just returning of her own volition from a short jaunt into Vaced's upper atmosphere. The human marshal—Climm—looked as if he spent most of his off hours bellied up to the Eatery's all-you-could-stomach buffet bar. His Bothan deputies were more interested in capturing comlink cam images of themselves with Han and the Falcon than anything else.
Pacing the bay's duracrete floor, Han was preparing to storm up the boarding ramp the moment it lowered when Marshal Climm ordered his two deputies to block the way.
“Your ship's a crime scene, Captain Solo. No one boards until evidence has been gathered and the scene cleared.”
“I'll show you a crime scene,” Han said, glowering at him.
Leia thought it prudent to intervene. Letting go of Allana's hand, she touched Han on the shoulder. “We do want to respect the local laws, don't we, sweetheart?”
Han scowled but acknowledged the sense of it.
It wasn't the first time the Falcon had gone missing while Han was off on a treasure hunt. There'd been that time on Dellalt when he and Chewie had agreed to search for the Queen of Ranroon, the legendary treasure ship of Xim the Despot. But this was different; this time it was personal.
Settling onto her landing gear, the Falcon loosed a series of hydraulic hisses and mechanical clicks. The boarding ramp extended from beneath the starboard docking arm, and two large beings—a human and a Nautolan—descended, hands raised and looking downcast and embarrassed.
Climm and the deputies had their blasters out.
“You boys are under arrest,” the marshal announced.
Han took a menacing step forward. “The Falcon had better be exactly as you found her. And how'd you get past our security system and droid, anyway?”
“Yeah. What'd you do to Threepio?” Allana barked.
“I've already advised my clients to remain silent,” someone said from the entrance to the bay.
Looking over his shoulder, Han saw a well-dressed, abnormally tall human hurrying toward them. Accompanying him and toting an expensive-looking carry case was a woman of such ethereal beauty, Han did a double take.
“Counselor Oxic,” Leia said in astonishment.
Oxic nodded his narrow head. “Princess Leia.”
Han looked back and forth between them.
Leia gestured to the now stun-cuffed ship thieves. “These two are your clients? You can't be serious.”
“They have retained me as their lawyer.”
Leia refused to buy it. “You traveled all the way here from Epica, or you just happened to be in the neighborhood?”
“In fact, I was wrapping up some business on Lesser Vaced when they contacted me from the Millennium Falcon.”
Again Leia gestured to the thieves. “You expect me to believe that these two can afford to retain the legal services one of the most highly paid defense attorneys in the galaxy?”
Oxic lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “Looks can be deceiving.” Indicating the woman, he added: “My personal assistant, Koi Quire. Koi, Princess Leia Organa Solo.”
Leia's eye lighted up in astonishment. “You're Firrerreo.”
Koi Quire smiled and inclined her head in a bow. “I was aboard the sleeper ship you discovered so long ago. I'm honored to be able to thank you in person all these years later.”
“Counselor,” Climm said, “we're about to charge these boys with grand theft starship.”
“Add breaking and entering,” Han snapped. “This ship is practically our home.”
“You've given up the conapt on Coruscant?” Oxic asked Leia.
“No. But—”
“Then I'm afraid you'll have a hard time making a case for breaking and entering. More important, my clients returned the ship to precisely where they found it.”
“They didn't do that,” Han shouted. “The Falcon did that.”
“That may also prove difficult