Star Wars_ The Han Solo Trilogy 03_ Rebel Dawn - A. C. Crispin [119]
All of the Rebel ships from the Outer Rim had been detailed to the raid. Han surveyed the gathering fleet, and conceded that maybe they did have a chance. He wound up giving a number of briefings to the Rebel pilots who’d be flying the Rebel assault landing shuttles into the Ylesian atmosphere.
During his first such briefing, Han ran into yet another old friend. “Jalus!” he exclaimed, as the small, droopy-jowled Sullustan trooped into the Retribution’s briefing area. “What the heck are you doin’ here?”
Jalus Nebl pointed to his ragtag Rebel uniform. “What does it look like?” he squeaked. “The Ylesian Dream is now Dream of Freedom, and she’s served the Rebellion well for several years now.”
Han introduced Bria to the Sullustan, and she was pleased to at last meet the brave pilot who had saved them from Helot’s Shackle. The three reminisced about the past, and their daring escape from the slave planet. Both Jalus Nebl and Han were impressed to hear that Bria’s group had taken Helot’s Shackle, now renamed Retribution.
The reconditioned Retribution would be flying with the Resistance on this raid, carrying assault shuttles and backup troops under the command of another Rebel Commander.
As Bria watched Han interact with the Rebel Commanders and other mission personnel, she realized that she had never been happier. Han seemed to enjoy the chance to return to the old military lifestyle, eating meals in the galley, joking and talking with her troops. They were respectful of his knowledge and his military background as an Imperial officer—especially after Tedris Bjalin recounted some of “Slick’s” wilder escapades during their Academy days.
She found herself hoping that Han would realize that the Resistance was where he belonged—with the Resistance, and with her. Every moment they were together was like coming home, she thought—though she was careful to keep her “just business” distance.
All the while, she wondered what Han was thinking about her.…
At the end of their second day with the gathering Rebel fleet in their deep-space rendezvous, Bria received a message that she was needed to meet with some potential allies from the Resistance on Ord Mantell. Han offered to take her there in the Falcon, proud of the chance to show off his ship’s speed—though the first time he tried to jump into hyperspace, the cranky Falcon refused to cooperate. When two elbow-whacks failed to work, Han had to spend several sweaty and embarrassed minutes with a hydrospanner to get his ship to cooperate.
Once they were in hyperspace, Bria sat in the copilot’s seat, watching Han handle his ship, admiring his sureness. “She’s a wonderful ship, Han,” she said. “I watched you win her, you know.”
Han turned to her, surprised. “What? You were there?”
Bria explained about her trip to Bespin during the big sabacc tournament. “I was rooting for you,” she said. “When you won, I wanted to—” she recalled herself, blushed, and fell silent.
“Wanted to what?” Han asked, his eyes very intent.
“Oh … I just wished I could break cover and congratulate you,” she said. “By the way, whatever did you do to that Barabel to make her so mad?”
Han looked at her, then his mouth twitched and he burst out laughing. “You met Shallamar?”
“Not formally,” Bria said, dryly, “but I wound up standing beside her during some of the play after she’d been eliminated. That was one cranky reptiloid, let me tell you.”
Han chuckled, then explained about how he and Shallamar had had a run-in back on Devaron five years ago. “She told me she was going to bite my head off,” Han said. “And she’d have done it, too, if it hadn’t been for Chewie.”
“Devaron? Oh, yes, I remember—” Bria said, and then, at Han’s look, fell silent again.
She bit her lip before the