Star Wars_ Rebel Force 01_ Target - Alex Wheeler [11]
Han, leaning against the Falcon' s aft hull, offered them a jaunty wave.
"What are you still doing here?" Leia asked sourly.
"Waiting for my passengers." Han flashed that incredibly annoying smirk of his. "Don't worry, once Chewie finishes tweaking the hyperdrive, he'll lay out a banquet fit for a princess. I know how you royal folks like to travel in luxury."
Chewie let out a long, warbling whine.
Han rolled his eyes. "I know food service isn't part of your job description, you furry oaf." He leaned toward Leia and lowered his voice to a loud whisper. "That's the problem with Wookiees—can't take a joke."
As Chewie roared in protest, Leia forced herself not to smile. She knew Han was just trying to get a reaction out of her, and she wasn't about to comply. "What makes you think I'm going anywhere with you?"
Han shrugged. "No one's forcing you, Highness. If you changed your mind about going to Muunilinst, that's your business."
Luke's eyes widened. " You're our transportation to Muunilinst?"
Han gave him a mock salute. "At your service."
"Thanks but no thanks, flyboy." Leia shook her head. "This isn't your fight, remember?
I'm sure you have better things to do—on the other side of the galaxy."
For a second, Han looked wounded. Leia felt guilty. She didn't mean to say things like that to him—they just popped out whenever he was around. If only he wasn't so infuriating. There was just something about him. She often wished she'd never met him—
but deep down, a rebellious part of her didn't want him out of her sight.
Han scowled. "Look, Your Worship, you know this bird's the fastest and fiercest in the galaxy. You want to get somewhere, the Millennium Falcon's the way to go."
"And what's in it for you?" Leia asked suspiciously.
"Nothing," Han said.
Chewbacca yowled, and Han shot him an annoyed glare. "Okay, fine, so there's a little something in it for me, but it's barely enough to pay for the fuel. Then I'll drop you two on Delaya, and you never have to see me again."
"I knew it!" Luke said, sounding overjoyed. "You can talk all you want about walking away from the Rebellion, but when it comes right down to it, you're on our side."
"Hey, slow down," Han protested. "I'm just flying you from point A to point B. Trust me, it's not because I'm joining your nutso Rebellion."
Luke shook his head. "Say what you want, but I know you believe in this fight and want to help."
Leia looked at Luke in amazement. He sounded so sure. Like he could look straight through Han and see the truth of his soul. Leia wondered what it would be like to be so certain about people—to look at them without doubt or suspicion. Some might call Luke naïve, but there was something bold in his willingness to trust his instincts.
Even when they were wrong.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, but you've got me figured all wrong," Han said, sounding almost sorry.
"I'm not wrong." There was an unusually steely note in Luke's voice, different from his usual young, questioning tone. "I know you, Han. I can see the good in you, even if you can't."
"Not everyone has a good side, kid. Not everyone's like you." Han glanced at Leia.
They were alike in this, she realized—both of them saw the danger in Luke's willingness to trust. And maybe both of them envied it. "The sooner you figure that out, the longer you stay alive."
CHAPTER SIX
He would begin with Leia.
X-7 had no doubts about his plan. Princess Leia Organa was the public face of the Rebellion, but the Empire's informants suggested she was more than that. She was a key decision-maker, a diplomat, a leader—she would know the name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star. And she would have access to him.
As the Preybird hurtled toward the Rebel Base, X-7 skimmed the datapad, soaking in every piece of information that existed on Leia Organa. His training had given him the ability to read and memorize information