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After a long wait amid the stage-door crowd, Han saw Xaverri emerge from her dressing room. The silver iris-enhancers were gone, and her eyes were now their natural dark brown. She wore a stylish street outfit instead of the silk costume. Smiling warmly, she scribed her signature and personalized messages to her fans, then thumbprinted them onto tiny holocubes as a memento. She was gracious and pleasant to her admirers.

Han deliberately hung back until everyone except her assistant, a surly Rodian, was gone.

Finally, he stepped forward, smiling his best, most charming smile. “Hi,” he said, looking her in the eye. Xaverri was nearly as tall as he was, and her high-heeled, elaborately decorated boots made them the same height. “Han Solo, Lady Xaverri. And my partner, Chewbacca. I wanted to tell you that I thought that was the most original and exciting magic act I’ve ever seen.”

Xaverri looked him and Chewbacca up and down assessingly, then smiled—a very different sort of smile, cold and cynical. “Greetings, Solo. Let me guess,” she said. “You’re selling something?”

Han shook his head. Very perceptive of her. But it’s been a long time since I’ve been a con man. These days I’m just a pilot … “Not at all, lady. I’m just a fan who admires stage magic. Also, I wanted to give Chewie a chance to see you and smell you so he’ll know you’re as human as I am. I’m afraid you more than impressed him. When you filled the air with those Kayven whistlers, it was like something out of a Wookiee night-flyer legend. He didn’t know whether to dig a hole in the floor or fight for his life.”

She glanced up at Chewbacca, then, slowly, slowly, her cynical smile faded, to be replaced by the real thing. “Pleased to meet you, Chewbacca. Sorry if I scared you,” she said, holding out her hand.

Chewie engulfed her hand in his two hairy paws and spouted Wookiee at her, which she seemed to understand perfectly. He told her that her show had amazed and terrified him, but that now it was over, he found that he’d really enjoyed himself.

“Why, thank you!” she exclaimed. “That’s the reaction a magician hopes to get!” Han was almost jealous to see how she and the Wookiee seemed to hit it off. Xaverri responded to Chewie’s open admiration with genuine warmth.

Before the moment could be lost, Han stepped forward and invited the illusionist to go out with them for a post-performance snack.

She eyed him, the caution back in her eyes. Han studied her, and suddenly realized that this was a human who had suffered a terrible loss in the past. It had made her cautious, protective. She’ll say no, he thought, disappointed. But, to his surprise, after a moment’s consideration, Xaverri agreed to accompany them.

Han took her to a little bistro in the Corellian sector where the food and drink were good and cheap, and a woman with a lute-pipe alternately strummed and sang softly.

It took a while, but Xaverri slowly relaxed, and even smiled at Han as well as Chewie. After they walked her back to her hotel, the magician took Han’s hand in both of hers and gazed at him earnestly. “Solo … thank you. I’ve really enjoyed meeting you and Chewbacca.” She looked over at the Wookiee, who gave her a pleased whine. “I find I’m sorry to have to say good-bye, and it’s been a long time since I could say that to anyone.”

Han smiled at her. “Then don’t say good-bye, Xaverri. Say, ‘I’ll be seeing you,’ because it’s true.”

She took a deep breath. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Solo …”

“I do,” Han said. “Trust me.”

Han was back at the stage door the next night, and the next. He and Xaverri got to know each other, little by cautious little. She was uncommunicative about her past, even more reticent than Han himself. By listening and asking roundabout questions, Han managed to discover a few things about her: she hated the Empire and Imperial officials with a single-minded quiet ferocity that he found disturbing, she was proud of her skills as a magician and couldn’t resist a challenge, and … she was lonely.