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Jag shook his head in astonishment. “Surely even a former queen is constrained by laws.”

“Of course, but Ta’a Chume is devious and vengeful. I can’t evoke Hapan law without risking repercussions against the refugees, and she knows I understand her well enough to realize this.” She blew out a sigh. “This is a delicate situation. Maybe Jaina would have a better read on things. She’s been living in the palace.”

“Unfortunately, she left Hapes very early this morning for Gallinore. I came to bring you word,” he added hastily, seeing the faint touch of sadness, or perhaps regret, that touched the woman’s eyes. Though this was as close to a lie as he ever intended to come, he hoped that Leia would assume her daughter had sent him to bring word of her departure.

Leia didn’t offer comment one way or another. “In that case, perhaps I should take Han offworld. The refugees are scattering, most of the Jedi have left, and there is little more for me to do here. Will you be in contact with Jaina?”

“Of course.”

The words came out before he considered their implication. Something flickered in Leia’s eyes—speculation, and then, to his surprise, a moment of profound relief.

The medical transport had arrived, and Jag tucked away the questions he could not ask and helped the droids shift the wounded man onto a repulsorsled.

As they left the tent, Leia turned to him. “You’ve done so much already, but may I ask you for one more thing? Go to the docking bays and ask for the Millennium Falcon. You’ll find a young Jedi named Zekk working on it. He looks a bit like a young Kyp Durron—dark hair and green eyes, similar height …” She trailed off and she studied Jag appraisingly.

For a moment Jag thought she might comment on the fact that this description could just as well have been applied to him. In his opinion, there were far too many dark-haired, green-eyed men in Jaina Solo’s orbit.

“Would you tell him to get the Falcon ready to fly? Tell him to round up any of the other Jedi who haven’t yet found transport.”

Jag promised to do as she asked, then walked with her beside the sled to the gate of the camp. As they prepared to part, he asked, “What shall I tell Jaina?”

“Tell her about her father. She should know about that. Tell her we’ve gone to join her uncle Luke. She’ll know where.” Leia hesitated, and again that far-seeing expression fell over her face. “Tell her—and this is important—that I trust her to find her way back.”

Jag frowned, uncertain that he’d decoded these seemingly contradictory instructions. “I’m not sure that I understand.”

“Neither will she,” Leia said as she moved off. “At least, not for a while.”

TWENTY-ONE

The Hapan light freighter glided smoothly into the darkness of hyperspace, and the four Jedi settled down for the trip to Gallinore. Although this fact-finding mission was taken at Jaina’s instigation, Kyp Durron had the pilot’s seat.

This puzzled him, for in his observation, it wasn’t in Jaina’s nature to defer. She seemed content enough with the copilot’s chair, and had spent much of the trip so far tossing cheerful comments back over her shoulder to Lowbacca and Tenel Ka. Try though he might, Kyp couldn’t get past the shields just under Jaina’s bright facade—a fact that intrigued him greatly. Few Jedi were his match for sheer force of will, yet this eighteen-year-old girl managed to keep him out.

Since the Force was of little assistance in breaking through Jaina’s shields, Kyp turned to other methods. “You cleared this trip with Colonel Fel, I assume.”

For the first time, he felt a ripple in Jaina’s composure. “I don’t need his permission.”

“Maybe not, but technically speaking, I do.”

“Why?” she retorted. “Since when have you answered to anyone but yourself?”

He sent her a sidelong glance. “Don’t hold back, Jaina. One of these days you’ve got to learn to speak your mind.”

Her response was a derisive sniff. “Jag Fel is an independent scout loosely affiliated with the Chiss. He needs pilots, and you agreed to fly with him. That’s all. Why should you answer