Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 06_ Balance Point - Kathy Tyers [115]
As they streamed past—human, Vor, Vuvrian, here and there a Gotal and a Snivvian—he ducked against the hay frame with Droma. Now that it was time to say good-bye, he didn’t want to do it.
Neither did Droma, evidently. “If we can break orbit, I’m going to head out the Trade Spine. Senex-Juvex might still be taking refugees.”
“You’ve changed,” Han said bluntly. “What happened to the loudmouth I met back at Ord Mantell?”
“Guess he died,” the Ryn said somberly. He pulled off his red and blue cap, knocked straw out of it, and replaced it at the usual angle. “With about half of his clan.”
“If I find any stragglers, I’ll put ’em on the Falcon.”
“Right,” Droma said. “You know,” he said wistfully, “I really wanted to meet Luke Skywalker.”
Han laughed shortly. “You did. On board the Queen of Empire—”
“Not to talk with him.”
Han shrugged. “I’ll send him along someday.” He backhanded the Ryn’s bristly upper arm. “Keep your scanners up.”
“You know, Solo, for such a mouthy human you’ve got a good heart.”
The line’s end passed them by. Droma fell in with the stragglers, hustling them along. They’d agreed he would wait for Han to signal when the Falcon was ready to run for open space. Han would escort him to the jump point, then head in his own direction—with Leia and the kids. He thumbed the comlink, but once again, none of them answered.
He was turning toward the tunnel when Droma came dashing back. “Comm unit’s dead,” he puffed. “Transmitter seems to be functioning, it’s just the voice pickup. Let me patch in your comlink.”
Han hesitated, then decided he could talk to the kids from the Falcon—and it was high time he got there. He handed Droma the link. “We were about even on that running rescue total,” he said. “I think you owe me, now.”
“Put it on my account,” Droma said.
Leia’s prison door opened wide enough for a clawed hand to reach down, leaving a pitcher of water and a bowl full of something that squirmed. Randa snored softly in his corner. She sniffed the water. It seemed all right. She took a cautious taste, rolling the sip over her tongue, listening hard for the infant danger sense that protected Luke and Mara so effectively. She sensed no warning, so she drank thirstily. Then she considered the bowl. No matter how hungry she got, she couldn’t face that.
She nudged Randa’s midsection with her foot. “Hey,” she said. “Dinner.”
He came awake quickly, blinking his huge black eyes.
“It’s something you’d like.” She shoved the bowl into his small hands.
“Oh,” he exclaimed. “It’s been so long.”
She turned away, repulsed by his appetites.
A faint pinging that had gone on for several seconds finally caught her attention. It seemed to be coming from the conduit.
She pressed closer. In blink code, she heard letters formed by long and short groups of pings. R-M-E. Pause. C-A-N-Y-O-U-H-E-A-R-M-E. Pause.
By this time, she’d found her pebble again. She pinged back, “W-H-O-I-S-T-H-I-S.”
“Jaina,” the answer came. “What floor you on?”
Exultant, Leia stretched out through the Force. There, indeed, was her daughter. From Jaina’s mind came images of Luke hiding shipboard, docked at Bburru, and of Mara speaking with the Duros military command—but nothing from Han. For secrecy’s sake, Jaina had switched off her comlink.
Laboriously, Leia spelled out the warmaster’s threefold threat as she formed explanatory images in her mind. The others must know about the incredible danger to the Duros cities, word for word, exactly as the warmaster threatened. Also the impending enslavement of refugees, and the promised strike on the Core.
“Warn Mara,” she concluded, sliding back into signaling mode. “Use GOCU transmitter. Hurry, then come back. Randa prisoner also.”
Jaina pinged back, “Get you