Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 04_ Agents of Chaos 01_ Hero's Trial - James Luceno [118]
Leia kept quiet.
Han narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Wookiees have an expression, that the real quarry of every hunt is the unexpected. But I guess you tend to forget that when you’ve been out of the game for a long while.”
Leia heard something different and troublesome in his tone. She indicated his travel pack. “That hasn’t left your side since you got back,” she said, as casually as she could. “Are you going to unpack or are you planning to have it stuffed and mounted?”
Han moved for the pack. “No use in unpacking just yet.”
Leia folded her arms under her breasts. “I guess I should have seen this coming. Then you’re not really home.”
“I’ve been home too much lately.” He grinned at her. “I figured you must be getting tired of seeing me hanging around.”
Leia didn’t move. “Don’t try to turn this around, Han.”
He gestured to himself. “Who’s trying to turn anything around? I’m only saying that I’ve got a few things that need doing.”
“Such as?”
“Such as finding Roa, for starters. And helping Droma locate his clanmates. He saved my skin, you know—twice.”
Leia launched a sardonic laugh to the sky. “Don’t tell me you owe Droma a life debt. This is too much, Han—even for you.”
His brow furrowed. “You can’t expect me to just forget about Roa or leave Droma hanging.”
She took a step toward him. “Do Wookiees have anything to say about taking senseless risks? Not a moment ago I stood here listening to you caution Anakin against doing anything foolish, and now you tell me you’re going off after Roa and Droma’s missing clanmates. Make up your mind which way you want it to be, Han.”
“What’s wrong with having it both ways?”
Leia snorted. “Relapse complete. Say hello to your former self, Han.”
“Relapse, nothing. This is the same me you married, sweetheart. Besides, you’re one to talk. While I was moping around here, you were on Dantooine, in Imperial Remnant space, all over the place, taking exactly the same kind of risks.”
“Are you saying that if I give up helping refugees, you’ll give up your fling with the past?”
“My fling?” he said. “What do you call what you’re doing?”
Leia started to say something but changed her mind and began again. “The New Republic is in a tough spot, Han. I could use your help.”
He held up his hands. “I’ve heard that before.”
“And you’ve usually listened.”
Han paced to the railing and back, avoiding her gaze. “In a way I’m already helping you out. I mean, with Droma’s family being refugees and all …”
Leia fell silent for a moment. As relieved as she was to see him finally emerging from grief, she couldn’t help but sense that he was intent on starting over, as he had done all his life—from abandoned kid to Imperial officer, and from smuggler to Rebel leader—always re-creating himself. From what little she knew of Droma from their few encounters, he seemed cut from the same cloth. For all Droma’s concerns about his scattered clanmates, he was a drifter and a rogue at heart, addicted to adventure.
Leia watched Han pace the edge of the balcony. “I don’t know how you’ve done it for so long,” she said finally.
He stopped to look at her. “Done what?”
“Raise a family. Walk so far from the edge.”
“That was just my ‘fling’ with stability.” He tried out his grin, but it didn’t work. “Look, I’m just leaving, okay? I’ve got obligations.”
“What about your obligations to us?”
“This has nothing to do with us.”
“Oh, no?” She advanced on him. “I learned a long time ago that you couldn’t be bound by anyone’s preconceived ideas of who you should be. And I’ll admit I love that about you. But keep one thing in mind: I’m not Malla, Han. I won’t have you dropping by here once a year, using our home as a base for your escapades.”
Han curled his upper lip. “You’re way off the mark.”
She smiled faintly. “I suppose we’ll just have to see about that.”
Han frowned sadly, then put his arms around her. “Trust me.