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“Unless the navicomputer agrees with me about this being a crazy mission, we should be seeing it soon,” Han said.

Leia pointed out the wraparound bay. “There.”

Han sighted down her finger, far to starboard, to a gibbous green planet.

“Well, it’s sure no moon.”

“Or Death Star,” Leia said.

With a squeaking of joints, C-3PO entered the cockpit. “Excuse me, Princess Leia and Captain Solo, but I wondered if I might view with my own photoreceptors our destination.” He motioned behind him. “Mistress Cilghal would also like to see the living planet.”

The Mon Calamari healer wasn’t the only Jedi on board. Kenth Hamner, Waxarn Kel, Markre Medjev, and several others were in the forward compartment. Still other Jedi were due to arrive at Zonama Sekot aboard Errant Venture. Jaina, Kyp, Lowbacca, Alema Rar, and the Wild Knights had come by starfighter.

“We should probably let Luke know we’re here,” Han said.

Leia turned to the comm board.

“Jade Shadow, this is Millennium Falcon,” she said. “Just wanted to let you know that we’re in the neighborhood.”

Luke’s voice issued from the cockpit annunciators. “Leia! Welcome to Zonama Sekot.”

“Luke, Han here. I’m not imagining this, right? I mean, that’s really a planet I’m seeing, and not the aftereffects of being bitten by an amphistaff?”

“Zonama Sekot is every bit as real as the Falcon, Han.”

“It’s beautiful,” Leia said.

Luke laughed lightly. “I wish you could have seen it before all the hyperspace jumps we’ve been forced to make.”

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” Han said. “How ’bout giving us some landing instructions?”

Luke fell briefly silent. “Han, I’m afraid you’re going to have to leave the Falcon in synchronous orbit.”

Han showed Leia a puzzled look and muted the mike. “The pollen must be affecting him.” He reactivated the mike. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m dead serious,” Luke said. “Booster’s going to have to do the same.”

“Luke, a Star Destroyer I can understand,” Han said. “But if this is about suitable landing platforms, I’ve parked the Falcon inside asteroids.”

“It has nothing to do with that. Sekot refuses to allow warships on the surface.”

“But we’re a freighter!”

“Sorry, Han.”

Han worked his jaw in annoyance. “I don’t like it, but I’ll do it if I have to. Who’s this Sekot, anyway? The governor or something?”

“Sekot is the planetary consciousness.”

Han blinked. “Say again, Jade Shadow? I thought I heard you say planetary consciousness.”

“Han, I told you I’ll explain everything when you’re planetside.”

“Luke, in case Sekot hasn’t noticed,” Leia interjected, “the Yuuzhan Vong armada is so close we can practically touch it. They also have battle groups orbiting Muscave, Stentat, Improcco, and The Covey.”

“Sekot has parried the Yuuzhan Vong before,” Luke said. “I’m guessing that Shimrra knows this. That’s why the armada is staying put for the moment.”

“It’s been a while since they met,” Han said. “Maybe the Vong have forgotten.”

“Not as long as you think, Han. Besides, Zonama Sekot can go to lightspeed if it has to.”

“Yeah, well, you’d better tell this Sekot to keep the hyperdrives idling, ’cause after what almost happened at Mon Calamari, I don’t know that anything can stop the Yuuzhan Vong now.” He fell silent briefly, then muttered: “Well, there is one thing—”

“We may know a way,” Luke cut in.

Han blew out his breath. “I hope you’re right, Luke. But how’re we supposed to get planetside from stationary orbit? We can’t just jam everyone into the escape pods.”

“You won’t have to. In fact, your transport should be visible to the Falcon’s scanners just about now.”

Leia and Han watched the display screen. Shortly a vessel that might almost have been Yuuzhan Vong grown came into view. The ship’s lobed, faintly luminescent hull was made up of six oval modules, smooth as skipping stones and seamlessly joined. Knife-sharp, the leading edges of the modules glowed with what appeared to be organiform circuitry.

Han whistled in amazement. “The waiting list for those things must be a kilometer long!”

“The