Star Wars_ Rebel Force 2_ Hostage - Alex Wheeler [29]
"He's sure," Leia snapped.
Leia had put out the word that the Rebel recruiting meeting had been rescheduled, and would take place in one of the T'iil Blossom Homes. But when the attendees arrived, they would find only Luke and Han, ready to confiscate their comlinks and lead them to the reallocation. Kiro and Leia would be waiting.
"At least let me send Chewie with you," Han said, sounding tense. Luke wondered if he was worried, too.
Kiro shook his head. A thin rivulet of sweat trickled down his neck. "The Wookiee would draw attention. But if you don't trust me to protect you, Your Highness, perhaps you would feel more secure if one of your friends accompanied us."
"No," Leia said fiercely. "How many times do I need to tell you all that I can protect myself."
"I know that," Luke said. "But…
"But what?"
Luke just shook his head in frustration. They'd argued all night long, and Leia hadn't budged. She was holding this meeting, no matter what. And she wanted Kiro Chen by her side when it happened. "He's one of us," she'd told Luke, Han, and Elad.
The unspoken meaning was clear: He's one of us. You're not.
"Don't worry," Kiro assured Luke. "Everything's going to go as planned. Easy as skinning a nerf."
Luke looked at him for a long moment, once again seized by the certainty that he'd met Kiro somewhere before. The answer dangled almost within reach—and then was gone.
Han, Luke, and Chewbacca traipsed silently through the Delayan streets. They were nearly empty this time of morning, giving the city a sad air of abandonment. A few times, passing a dark window or shadowed entryway, Luke thought he caught a pair of eyes watching him. But whenever he turned to look, they were gone.
"I'll be glad to get off this rock," Han grumbled. Chewbacca barked his agreement.
"So why'd you stick around in the first place?" Luke asked.
Han shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya, kid. It just felt wrong to leave her here alone—"
"She's not alone," Luke said indignantly. "I'm here."
"Yeah, and so's that blasted protocol droid of yours, but when the trouble starts, he's not exactly the guy you want in your corner."
"I can protect her just as well as you can," Luke protested. "Better, even."
"Whatever you say, kid." Han shook his head. "Besides, it's not like she wants either one of us to protect her."
"What makes you think we'll have anything to protect her from?" Luke asked. "It's a good plan." But he could feel it, too. Something dark, hovering at the fringes of his mind.
Han groaned. "Where've you been, kid? Something always goes wrong." He rolled his eyes. "But listen to that Kiro character and you'd think we were taking a trip to the Galactic Fair. 'Easy as skinning a nerf.' Right."
Luke stopped walking so abruptly that Chewbacca slammed into him, nearly knocking him to the ground. Han caught his arm and yanked him upright.
"Say that again," Luke said, as the darkness he'd been sensing began to take shape.
"Say what again? 'Easy as skinning a nerf?'"
Luke gasped. "It's him!"
"Him who?"
Chewbacca roared in confusion.
"I don't know what he's talking about," Han snapped. "That's what I'm trying to find out!"
But there wasn't time to explain. Leia was in danger. He took off running back toward the hotel. "It's Kiro Chen!" he shouted over his shoulder, as Han and Chewbacca raced after him. "He's not who he says he is."
Easy as skinning a nerf.
Now he knew why Kiro had seemed familiar. It wasn't his face—it was his voice. The same voice he'd heard outside J'er Nahj's lean-to the first day they'd met, arguing with Halle Dray about whether the young boy should have to apologize to Luke.
Kiro had claimed he didn't know Halle, or Nahj. He'd lied. Who knew what else he'd lied about—or what else he wanted?
And now he was alone with Leia. Exactly as he'd planned.
Han spotted them first, arguing on a street corner. Kiro was tugging at Leia's arm, but she'd planted her feet firmly and crossed her arms. Finally, her stubbornness was coming in handy.
Han pulled Luke to a stop, pointing toward the princess.