Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 20_ The Final Prophecy - J. Gregory Keyes [24]
“I made a promise,” Tahiri said.
“A promise? To what, a marsh spider?”
“No. To a Shamed One.”
“A Yuuzhan Vong?” His tone was incredulous, but then his face registered his mistake. Everyone was still getting used to exactly who she was now.
That didn’t mean she was going to let him off the hook. “I made a promise to a person,” she said. “Because it was the right thing to do.”
Han closed his eyes and looked momentarily very, very tired. “If I could name the times I’ve heard that right thing to do line … Tahiri, you’re too young for this. You’ve been through a lot. Can’t you just—just—take a rest?”
“Good advice,” Leia interposed, taking Tahiri by the shoulders. “Can’t you see how tired she is? Why don’t we talk about this after she’s been to the ’fresher and caught a nap? It can wait that long, can’t it, Tahiri?”
“Yes,” Tahiri said.
“But—” Han began, but Leia cut him off.
“My husband is just trying to tell you he was worried about you and he’s glad you’re home.”
“I know,” Tahiri said. “And I appreciate it.”
Han’s face softened, and then set into lines of reluctant acceptance. “Well, yeah. But I still think—”
“Why don’t you get cleaned up, Tahiri, and we’ll have a bit of dinner. We can talk more then.”
“It is good to have you back, Mistress Tahiri,” the golden droid assured her as she made her way toward the refresher.
“Thanks, Threepio,” she said. “It’s good to be back.”
She meant it. She’d grown up on Tatooine and in a Yuuzhan Vong creèche, she’d studied the ways of the Jedi on Yavin 4, but more and more the Millennium Falcon felt like home. It was a feeling both comfortable and unsettling, but from what she’d gathered, that was a large part of what home was all about.
“I hope you weren’t injured in your travels,” C-3PO went on.
“No, I’m just a little banged up. And tired.”
“Well, now you can rest. And, I must say, Onih k’leth mof’qey.”
That sent a little shock through her. “Don’t—” she began, but cut herself off. This was not an abomination—it was 3PO.
C-3PO caught the sudden anger in her tone, however. “I’m dreadfully sorry, Mistress Tahiri. I only wanted to—”
“Make me feel welcome,” she guessed, “both as a human and a Yuuzhan Vong.”
“Yes, mistress.”
“It’s okay, Threepio. I’m still working the bugs out of this. It’s just, hearing a droid speak that language—”
“Oh, yes. I understand how the Yuuzhan Vong feel about droids. In the future I shan’t—”
“No. Like I said, it’s okay. These are exactly the things I have to face.” And hope I can.
“Very well,” C-3PO said, with extravagant relief. “But, if I may ask, is the integration of your former personalities … complete?”
Tahiri smiled. “It’s complete. But it’s like—like being raised by parents who taught you one set of values, and then learning a different set of values in school. Which is right? There are conflicts in what most people feel and believe. I’m no different in that respect, maybe just a little more extreme. Do you understand?”
“I believe so.”
“Part of me was raised to believe that machines—especially thinking machines—are abominations. But that’s just something I learned. It’s not part of who I am. It’s not part of the Yuuzhan Vong on any intrinsic level, either—it’s just what the leaders and priests teach us as crèchelings. It’s something that can be unlearned, that must be unlearned, because it’s wrong. You’re my friend, Threepio, or at least I hope you are. And if, now and then, I have an unthinking reaction to you, I truly hope you can understand and forgive me.”
“Oh, very easily,” C-3PO said. “Thank you for explaining it to me.” His voice shifted back to consternation. “Oh, heavens, I’m holding you up when you should be resting. I’ll go now.”
“Wait, Threepio.”
“Is there something else?”
“Just this.” And she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug.
“Oh, my,” C-3PO said. But he sounded pleased.
She woke, not knowing