Star Wars the Truce at Bakura - Kathy Tyers [29]
“Another?” asked Luke. “What happened?”
“Later.” Leia tapped her thumbs over clasped fingers. “What about the impression we’ll create, landing in … well, think what the Falcon looks like if you don’t know her.”
Thanks a lot, Your Highness. “That’s camouflage.”
She spread her hands. “This will be the Bakuran Imperials’ first impression of our group, Han. We want them as allies. Think in the long term.”
“First we have to survive the short term.”
Luke cleared his throat. “The Falcon won’t fit in the Flurry’s hangar bay. It’s full.”
Leia glanced at the immaculate control panel, then over at one bulkhead wired together with leftover circuitry. She gave him a long, somber stare. At last she said, “Okay, Luke. Come on over. We’ll land in the Falcon … but only if everybody dresses up.”
Han clenched a fist on one hip. “Well, I’m not—”
“Except you, Captain.” Her voice sounded sweet, but he saw an evil gleam in her eye. “It’s your bucket. You’d better look the part.”
Some time later, Leia stared out the viewport at cloud patterns on a stunning azure world. Chewie examined the boards and then stood, looking satisfied, to head up the corridor.
Luke appeared with damp, tousled hair. He’d taken her account of events at Planet 6 calmly, then said something about scrubbing down. “Feel better?” she asked.
“You bet.” He plunked down in the oversize copilot’s chair. “Let’s see if we can raise Commander Thanas again.”
“I still say it smells like a trap.” Han slid back into the pilot’s seat. “Maybe Thanas thinks he’s being a nice guy, offering to let us into that defense web. But if we split our forces, we’ve got half tied up for some Imperial desk jockey and only half on alert where they ought to be.”
Luke tapped a pattern onto the console. “Their ships are going to need longer repair breaks than ours. What I saw had been shot up pretty badly.”
“And we still don’t know what those aliens are up to,” Leia said. She glanced sidelong at Luke. She could swear that he knew more than he was telling. “I have a very bad feeling about it.”
“It’s our necks in the noose, now,” Han joined in, “along with the Bakurans.”
“That was the idea,” Leia agreed. “To prove we’re with them by sharing their danger.”
“Alliance Forces?” rumbled Commander Thanas’s voice from the speaker.
Leia leaned over Luke’s shoulder. Nearly dry already, his hair caught dim cabin lights like an aureole. “On frequency, Commander Thanas,” Luke answered.
“I’ve cleared Alliance ships to join the defense web in the positions you requested, while your party conducts negotiations at Salis D’aar. I look forward to meeting you in person.”
“It’s mutual. Alliance out.” Luke paused for a second after switching from the Imperial frequency to another. “Got all that?”
“Locked into the BAC,” Captain Manchisco answered through the speaker. “Have fun down there.” Luke blew out a long breath.
“You’re going to have to tell the Imperials who you are sooner or later, Luke.” Han made a wry face.
Leia started. No you’re not!
“I’d rather do it face to face,” Luke said calmly.
Oh. They only meant revealing his name, not his ancestry. She hurried to agree. “He’s got better control, better … discernment in person, Han. He can feel if they’re covering up.”
Han snorted softly. “It still smells like a trap. I don’t like it.” But he reached for the control panel. Luke relinquished Chewie’s seat and took one in back.
“And Luke’s a Jedi,” Leia reminded him.
Luke nodded at her. “We’ll keep our eyes open.”
The Falcon vectored out of position in parking orbit toward an approach for the Bakuran capital city, Salis D’aar. Passing through the defense web, Leia spotted a huge repair station: saucer-shaped, not spherical, thank goodness. They’d had enough Death Stars. Han made a tight descent, all dive and no sightseeing. Leia peered between Han and Chewie’s seats at the scanner display.
Between the twin rivers, an enormous outcrop of pure white rock sparkled in low-angle light. It dazzled her eyes.
Blinking, Han punched