• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

That took Leia by surprise—she had been expecting the complainant to be Borsk Fey’lya. “Senator,” she said with a nod.

Krall Praget eyed her briefly before he began, his gaze measuring her, judging her, ultimately dismissing her. For the duration of his presentation, he looked down along the curving table from his seat at the right end, addressing himself to Beruss and the other Council members, virtually ignoring Leia.

Praget spoke for not quite an hour, then yielded back to Senator Beruss without asking Leia a single question. She could not tell whether he had decided he was unlikely to succeed in getting her to betray herself, or thought his case so strong that that was unnecessary.

In contrast, Senator Rattagagech had a long series of very specific questions, but they were far less accusatory in tone than Praget’s exposition, or even his glances. The Elomin was trying to reconstruct the calculus of Leia’s decisions in painstaking detail, and even Praget grew impatient with him.

“You either know what you stand for, or you don’t,” Praget said. “Relevance, Chairman, relevance—please instruct the Senator to be relevant or yield. The petition is offered on actions and results, not motives or intentions.”

Rattagagech drew back in surprise. “Senator Praget, your fourth charge, of incompetence, demands a thorough assessment of the President’s judgment—”

“Chairman, permission to amend the petition?”

Beruss nodded. “As you wish.”

“I strike and withdraw the fourth article in its entirety,” Praget said, then looked at Rattagagech. “Are you finished now?”

The Elomin showed a peevish expression. “In light of the amendment, Chairman, I have no further questions for Princess Leia.”

“Very well,” said Beruss. “Senator Fey’lya.”

All along Leia had been expecting the gloves-off assault, the killing blow, to come from Borsk Fey’lya. Praget’s obvious eagerness to give the Bothan the floor only confirmed that expectation. But Fey’lya changed direction abruptly, leaving their expectations falling to the floor as dust.

“President Organa Solo,” Fey’lya said, smiling politely. “I’m sorry we’ve had to take up so much of your time at such a critical juncture. I have just one question for you this morning. If you could revisit any of these decisions of the last several days, with no more knowledge than was available to you the first time, would you change any of them?”

Leia blinked in surprise—Fey’lya might as well have laid his coat across a puddle for her. Praget gaped, then fell into a coughing fit.

“No, Senator,” Leia said, unable to see a trap. “I believe we were right to demand that the Yevetha withdraw, and that I consulted properly with the Defense Council before doing so. I believe we were right to try to enforce the ultimatum with a blockade, and that I consulted properly with the Supreme Commander before doing so. I believe we were right to respond to the Yevethan ambush immediately with the forces available, and that General A’baht acted within his authority in doing so. The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but not for reasons we had any cause to anticipate.”

Praget snorted derisively at the last, but Fey’lya accepted her answer with a nod. “Thank you, Princess. Chairman Beruss?”

The balance of the discussion was brief and inconsequential, and they voted with Leia still present. The vote was two to five against, with only Rattagagech joining Praget.

“The petition fails,” said Beruss. “That being the only business before the Council, this session is adjourned.”

Jaw set and an ugly look in his eyes, Praget headed directly for Fey’lya. Buoyed by relief, Leia headed for the corridor. Before she reached it, Behn-kihl-nahm joined her, and they walked away from the chambers together.

“I thought it would be Fey’lya,” she said.

“It will be,” Behn-kihl-nahm said. “Krall Praget got there first.”

“Why?”

“Turf violation,” Behn-kihl-nahm said. “You didn’t consult with Praget before acting. And the intelligence you depended on didn’t come through him.”

“So why didn’t Fey’lya support him?