Star Wars_ The Han Solo Trilogy 03_ Rebel Dawn - A. C. Crispin [118]
Han, remembering Bria’s mother, gave her a sympathetic glance. “I used to feel cheated that I’ll never know who my parents were. That is … until I met your mom, Bria,” he said. “There are worse things than being an orphan.”
She gave a shaky laugh. “You are right, Han.”
Many smugglers and privateers were very intrigued by Bria’s proposition, and they signed up droves of them. It didn’t hurt that Jabba was backing the enterprise and urging those who piloted for him to go. Many of the pilots who’d worked for him in some capacity were agreeing to be pilot guides.
All the while, the Rebel Alliance was assembling ships out in space so the captains and ground commanders could be drilled on the battle plan. After Bria and Han had recruited enough smuggler captains so they’d have at least one smuggler per group of Rebel assault ships, they took the Millennium Falcon to rendezvous at the Rebel deep space coordinates—a spot well off the regular shipping lanes, but within one easy hyperspace jump of Ylesia.
Bria was fascinated by the Falcon and suitably impressed by her speed and armament. Han enjoyed showing her around his ship, pointing out all his special modifications. In preparation for this ground assault, he’d finally gotten around to getting Shug and Chewie to help him install that belly gun he’d wanted for so long. Since this was a ground assault, there was a good chance that it would come in handy.
When the Falcon was on an approach vector to dock with the Retribution, Bria smiled at Han. “You showed me yours … now let me show you mine,” she said.
Han laughed, and it was the most relaxed moment they’d had since they’d met. “Beautiful ship,” he said, admiring the Marauder corvette’s clean, streamlined silhouette against the starfield.
They were greeted when they disembarked by the captain of the Retribution, Tedris Bjalin. Han regarded him in astonishment. “Tedris!” he exclaimed, staring at the tall, balding man in the Rebel uniform. “How in the galaxy did you get here?”
Bria looked from one to the other. “You know each other?”
“We sure do,” Han said, pumping Tedris’s hand, and exchanging backslaps. “Tedris and I graduated in the same class in the Academy.”
“It’s a long story,” Bjalin said. “After what you said to me that time aboard the Destiny, I couldn’t help thinking more and more about how the service was getting as corrupt as the Empire. And then …” his bony features twisted. “Han, I’m from Tyshapahl, remember?”
Han had forgotten. He stared at his old friend, realization slowly dawning. “Oh … Tedris … I’m sorry. Your family?” The Corellian had met Tedris’s family, during graduation.
“Killed during the massacre,” Tedris confirmed. “After that, I couldn’t stay. I knew I had to fight them, any way I could.”
Han nodded.
Bria took Han on a tour of her ship. He was seeing yet another side of her, and, as an ex-military man himself, was impressed by the discipline and alertness of her troops. The sentients of Red Hand Squadron obviously revered their commander. Han discovered that many of them were ex-slaves, people willing to give their lives to the mission of freeing those in bondage.
Bria took Han to meet with other Rebel Commanders, and they attended several planning sessions for the raid. The Bothans were providing security, and the Sullustans had sent ten ships and nearly two hundred troops. In the years since Han and Bria had left Ylesia, Sullust had lost many citizens who had gone to Ylesia to become Pilgrims.
In addition to many ships from the Corellian Resistance, there were troops from Alderaan (though much of the Alderaanian support was in the form of medical personnel, transport