Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 11_ Dark Journey - Elaine Cunningham [30]
“She is an infidel!”
“And we are not,” the priest said pointedly. “Because of our devotion, we should understand how powerful and potent a trickster can be.”
The warrior’s gaze snapped to Harrar’s face. “Surely you do not equate this human with Yun-Harla!”
“That would be blasphemy,” the priest agreed. “I am merely reminding you that Yun-Harla teaches us that all is never quite as it seems. As befits a Trickster, the goddess sends her lessons when they are least expected, and in the most unlikely of circumstances.”
As Harrar spoke, a shiver of premonition tingled through him. Fortunately the warrior seemed not to notice his unease.
“Unlikely indeed!” Khalee Lah agreed. “Nevertheless, only fools underestimate their enemies.”
He bowed and strode from the chamber, leaving Harrar to contemplate the heresy he had just denied.
It was whispered that the Jeedai had more in common with the Yuuzhan Vong gods than the warrior caste wished to admit. Rumors spoke softly of a heresy that originated on Yavin 4, where some of the Shamed Ones looked to the Jeedai for deliverance.
Harrar wandered over to the viewport and gazed with unseeing eyes at the stars beyond, at the countless worlds awaiting shape and purity. He considered his words to Khalee Lah, and measured his own devotion to the goddess against the warrior’s unwavering faith. And he wondered, as he often did, how one could worship without reservation a goddess who could never be trusted.
A lifetime of travel had spawned in him the longing for a homeworld. Perhaps a little heresy would bring another note of constancy to his life. And after all these many years as a priest, it might be a great relief to be able to believe in something.
EIGHT
The lights on the pilot console of the Millennium Falcon blinked sporadically, like the solar glowsign on a low-rent cantina after a few days of cloudy weather. Han Solo scowled at the controls, then balled his fist and slammed a much-dented section of the console. The sensors flickered back to life. He sent a sidelong glance and a smug little smile toward his copilot.
Leia shook her head, her brown eyes fixed on a small screen. “No good. The readouts from Artoo show we need more sophisticated repairs. And soon.”
He leaned over and studied the technical data. “Yeah,” he admitted after a few moments. “The problem is finding a quiet place.”
“The Hapes Cluster,” she suggested evenly, raising her eyes to her husband’s face.
His eyes went cautious. “Last I heard, the Hapans weren’t real fond of visitors.”
“True enough. Not long ago, though, Teneniel Djo sent a message to the senate suggesting that she might open Hapes to refugees. I understand your hesitation,” Leia said, referring to their unorthodox courtship and Han’s residual distrust for his former rival, Isolder, now Teneniel Djo’s husband. “But I made my choice, and so far, I haven’t regretted it. Too much.”
She didn’t mention her last encounter with the former queen mother of Hapes, Prince Isolder’s mother, Ta’a Chume. She had made a point of mentioning her son’s marital troubles, and her wish that Isolder had chosen Princess Leia as his wife rather than Teneniel Djo, a warrior woman from remote Dathomir. Leia knew how manipulative Ta’a Chume could be, and she certainly didn’t want to add to a volatile situation. But at the moment, other considerations superseded these concerns.
“Tenel Ka was a member of the Jedi strike force,” Leia reminded him. “That makes it possible, and perhaps likely, that Jaina will put the Yuuzhan Vong ship down on Hapes.”
Han’s eyes lit up. “Makes sense. She’s a sensible kid, so you’re probably right.” The matter settled to his satisfaction, he began setting course for the Hapes Cluster.
“Should we get Luke and Mara’s opinion?”
“When it’s their ship we’re flying, sure.” He smiled briefly to take any possible sting from the words, then