Star Wars_ Millennium Falcon - James Luceno [98]
“She's not back to her old self,” Leia continued. “But at least she's back to being excited about our adventure.”
“You don't think she's taking this ‘adventure’ a bit too seriously?”
Leia frowned. “Not in an unhealthy way. Why, you're not taking this seriously?”
“No, I am. I'm having a great time—well, except for Taris.”
“I think the trip has brought the three of us closer.”
A smile formed slowly on Han's face. “Back to better days.”
“That was the idea, wasn't it?”
Sudden conversation in the corridor drew their attention to a smartly attired gray-haired woman who was approaching them with a determined stride, smiling broadly and extending her thin right hand before she even reached them.
“Princess Leia—or is it Chief of State Organa? I'm afraid I don't know how to refer to you. I'm Parlay Thorp.”
“Leia will be fine.”
“Leia, then,” Thorp said, shaking hands and turning to Han. “Captain Solo. What a pleasure to meet you.”
Han was surprised by the strength of her grip. “Dr. Thorp.”
“And this must be Amelia.”
Allana shook her hand, as well. “Look outside, there's the Millennium Falcon.”
Thorp allowed herself to be led to the windows.
“My goodness. I've seen the ship countless times on the HoloNet, of course, but to see her in person after all these years …” She turned slightly to face Han and Leia. “What memories she stirs.”
Han joined her at the window. “She was already called Millennium Falcon when you got her?”
Thorp nodded. “I couldn't come up with a name like that.”
“Dax Doogun said something about her having been a medical ship.”
“Yes. But even with her white hull spruced up and stenciled with symbols, the Falcon never really looked the part. Not with that dorsal-mounted cannon.”
“The laser battery was already installed?”
Thorp nodded. “It didn't have the lower cannon.”
“I was, uh, forced to make some upgrades.”
“So I've heard. Otherwise she looks very much the way I remember her. I liked that she was decades old and still limber.” She turned to Han again. “And I respect the fact that you haven't restored her. The dents and rust spots give her character—like age lines in a face. Not that you'll see many of those at Aurora,” she added in a conspiratorial tone.
“We've noticed,” Leia said.
Thorp sighed elaborately. “Yes, we specialize in restoring youth to the envelope and doing what we can to keep the contents in good working order. I like to say that our clients literally buy time for themselves. But even with organ and hormone replacement, we have yet to significantly extend the life spans of most species. For exorbitant sums of money, we can prolong life in humans by twenty-five, fifty, sometimes as much as seventy-five years. But the fact remains that, as a species, we are biologically programmed to decline early on, and that programming appears to be unalterable.” She glanced at Allana. “Boring grown-up stuff, right?”
“Sort of,” she said.
Thorp laughed. “Honesty can be so refreshing. In any case, my area is research. I leave the actual hands-on rejuvenation procedures to Aurora's more gifted professionals.”
“Doogun mentioned that some of your research was conducted in the Outer Rim.”
“In the Tingel Arm, yes, and with the Millennium Falcon to thank for some of my discoveries.”
A door slid open behind them, and a Ho'Din physician stepped into the room.
“I'm sorry for intruding—”
“You're hardly intruding, Dr. Sompa,” Thorp was quick to say. “Allow me to present Han Solo, Leia Organa Solo, and their daughter Amelia.”
Sompa inclined his tressed head in a courteous bow. “I'm charmed and humbled. I must say, however, that I'm somewhat surprised to see you here. Frankly, both of you look wonderful for your ages.”
“Lial,” Thorp started to say when Leia interrupted.
“You don't think my husband could use some … restoration, Dr. Sompa?”
Sompa trained his eyes on Han. “Well, I suppose