Star Wars the Truce at Bakura - Kathy Tyers [53]
Finally—a response. Curious, he swirled the goblet. The liquid clung to the glass like syrup.
“Go ahead.” She raised an eyebrow. “It’s not toxic. Our finest local product. You’re insulting Bakura if you refuse.” She poured herself an equal portion and drank it down.
He sipped. Liquid turned to fire and burned his mouth and throat. Then he caught its flavor, like intoxicating jungle flowers mingled with the sweetest fruit he’d ever tasted.
Her eyes sparkled. Obviously, she hadn’t missed a nuance of his reaction. “What is it?” he whispered. He cooled his mouth with a sip of water.
“Namana nectar. One of our chief exports.”
“I can understand why.”
“More?” She reached for the carafe again.
“Thanks.” He grinned. “But no. That’s a little strong for my taste.”
Gaeriel laughed and filled his goblet anyway. “There’s likely to be a toast soon.”
If Governor Nereus didn’t pick a fight. “I hope so.”
She passed him a transparent dish of yellow-orange candies. “Maybe you’d prefer tasting namana fruit this way.”
He dropped one onto his tongue. Without the nectar’s fire, its exotic flavor flowed smoothly down his throat. Tropical flowers … a hint of spice … he shut his eyes and studied the sensations it caused—
His eyes flew open.
“That was quick,” she said, smiling. “Namana fruit, once processed, induces a faint sense of pleasure. Most people don’t notice immediately. They just feel good without knowing why.”
“Habit forming?”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “All the best sweets in the galaxy are habit forming. Be careful.”
He decided to leave the candies alone—and he hoped his cheeks didn’t look as warm as they suddenly felt. Still, Gaeriel seemed to have opened up. “I’m not … supposed to ask you about rumors,” she said softly, bending her head closer, “but we’ve had no response from His Imperial Highness since we sent to him for aid, and what you said this morning went out over the media. Are you certain he is dead?”
Abrupt hostility grated at Luke from Gaeriel’s right. Luke peered beyond her and saw Governor Nereus staring at him. Jealous? he wondered. Could Nereus have designs on Gaeriel?
He spoke quietly. “The Emperor was strong in the Force. For one thing, I felt his death.” That was true, so far as it went.
To his surprise, she blanched deeply. “I hadn’t … known that about His Majesty.”
Governor Nereus turned aside toward Chewbacca. Luke relaxed his guard. “It’s not just Jedi?” he murmured to Gaeriel. “Your religion condemns anyone with a strong Force ability?” What would she say if she knew how the Emperor had nearly killed him? Later, he told himself firmly. Alone. He imagined himself vindicating the Jedi and pointing the accusing finger squarely at her honored Emperor.
“Now, just a minute.” Han’s voice rose above the polite hum of dinner conversation.
Governor Nereus pressed his forearms to the table and said, “I am not accustomed to dining with aliens, General. Your Highness—Senator Organa—I question your good taste, bringing a Wookiee to table tonight when Bakura is fighting for its very existence against aliens.”
Luke tensed.
Leia flushed. “If you—” she started.
“Do you think only humans—” Han began, but Chewie’s interrupting series of bellows and howls stilled both of them. Luke relaxed, seeing Chewie’s temper under control. The Wookiee could’ve upended the laden table, just to warm up. “Excuse me,” Han said in a decidedly unrepentant voice. “My copilot doesn’t want me to argue for his sake. But he said something you should all hear. It’s humans your Ssi-ruuk are after, you know. So even if they invade, Chewie is at less risk than the rest of us.” Han stirred the air with his spoon to take in the gathering. Chewie barked while Han paused, and Han grinned. “Yeah. The worst they could do to him is kill him, since they don’t want Wookiees for their droid batteries.”
Chewie growl-barked one more time. “He says,” translated Han, “that if you needed somebody to carry messages out