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“In pieces?” Luke said. He closed his fist around the chips. The X-wing and Artoo had been flying together so long that their memories were linked. They had their own special language. The X-wing was as much of a person as a ship could be. “Who authorized this?”

“Why, I thought you did.”

“I authorized routine maintenance.” Luke stood. “This would have to happen the moment I need the X-wing. How bad is the damage?”

Threepio said, “There is no actual damage.”

Artoo beeped and squawked.

“Aside from the pieces,” Threepio said.

Luke’s grasp on the chips was tight. “It sounds more like they’re rebuilding the X-wing. Why else remove the memory chips?”

Artoo whistled an affirmative.

“I know nothing about technical matters, sir,” Threepio said. “It just seems to me that routine maintenance is routine maintenance, at least on Coruscant.”

“Which is why they imprisoned you?” Luke shook his head. “I don’t like the sound of any of this.”

“We didn’t exactly appreciate it either, Master Luke. Why, if I hadn’t told them that we belonged to you and Mistress Leia, we would still be in that closet. Or”—and Threepio’s golden body shook in an imitation shudder—“we’d have had our memories wiped and our bodies sold for scrap.”

Artoo moaned.

“Good thinking on your part, Threepio, and yours too, Artoo.” Luke gave the memory chips back to Artoo. “Keep these safe. I’ll see about the condition of the X-wing. We’ll get it back together in no time.”

But he wasn’t as sure as he sounded. Routine maintenance did not require the disassembly of the X-wing. He should have been more cautious in his instructions when he arrived. But he hadn’t thought there would be a threat to him, his droid, or his X-wing on Coruscant. Even with the bombing and the strange feelings he had had.

Someone was watching them. He glanced over his shoulder. They were alone on the street.

But someone was watching him. He had had that feeling since Yavin 4. Someone was watching, planning, and outguessing him.

It was time to regain control.

“Come on, Artoo,” Luke said. “Let’s get our X-wing.”

“With all due respect, sir,” Threepio said, “I would prefer not to return to that den of iniquity. I think it better if I return to my duties.”

Luke nodded. “Threepio, tell Leia about your adventure, and tell her about the X-wing. Tell her that—” Then he stopped. Better to tell her in person. In person he could communicate the depth of his unease. “Tell her that I will speak to her before I leave.”

“Very good, Master Luke,” Threepio said, and toddled off toward the Imperial Palace.

Luke disagreed. It wasn’t very good. But it was the best he could do.

For now.

Eleven

The Inner Council met in the Ambassadorial Dining Area. It was another large, gold-leafed room, filled with decorations that dated from the Emperor’s reign. Leia couldn’t wait for the investigations to end so that she could rebuild the Senate Hall. The temporary offices only reminded her how much she missed it.

The room had an antiseptic smell, probably from a recent cleaning. She had decided on this room as a meeting place at the last moment, and planned to continue random room choices until the murderers were caught and the Senate could return to normal business. She didn’t want anyone to have days to plan another attack.

Leia sat at the head of the table, and the other members of the Inner Council surrounded her. Three of her most valued friends had died in the attack. One had died in the medical center. She missed them. Han had been right about the gaps in her life. She had sent the children and Winter off that morning to Anoth. Han was gone, and she knew it would only be a matter of time before Luke left too. She could work well on her own, but with her family spreading to all corners of the galaxy, and with so many friends injured or dead, she felt as she had in those first few days after the destruction of Alderaan. All alone with only herself to rely on.

“The news has reached the Outer Rim,” Borsk Fey’lya said. His melodious voice contained his concern. The fur near his face was shorter