Star Wars the Truce at Bakura - Kathy Tyers [55]
“How’d you escape?” Grinning like an old war-horse eager to swap stories, Senator Belden leaned closer.
“It was chaos on the Death Star after Palpatine’s death. It was under attack. I got to a shuttle bay.” He glanced aside at Gaeriel. She buzzed with revulsion and awe and the effort to resolve them.
Prime Minister Captison tipped his chair over as he sprang up. “Then there will be no help from the Empire?”
Governor Nereus stared over the table at Luke. For once, Luke sensed no deceit. Despite his external composure, the man was frightened half to death.
“I think,” said Luke, “that the Imperial Fleet is too busy patching ships back together to send troops out to Rim worlds.”
“Which is one reason we came in the first place,” said Leia.
“We tromped ’em,” Han crowed. Hostility seethed up and down the table. Even Leia glared. A servant righted Cap-tison’s chair, and he sat back down.
But Governor Nereus shook his head. “Princess Leia,” he said, standing up at his place, “if your troops are willing to cooperate with mine, under truce, we need your help.”
Leia’s shoulders straightened. “An official truce, Your Excellency?”
“As official as I can make it.”
That sounded evasive to Luke, but evidently it satisfied Leia. She stood and extended her hand. The massive bracelet shimmered on her wrist; it seemed to add the weight of many star systems to her handclasp. This was a long stretch for both sides, literally and figuratively. For the first time—ever—Rebels and Imperials would fight a common enemy together.
Nereus engulfed her small hand in his gloved, meaty one. Then he lifted his goblet. “To strange alliances.”
Leia raised her glass. Belden and Captison followed her. Luke braced himself and got a firm grip on his goblet. “Driving off the Ssi-ruuk won’t be easy,” he said. Neither would sipping that stuff again. “It will take all our forces in total cooperation.”
“Right,” Han rejoined. “Otherwise, we’ll all end up motivating Ssi-ruuvi droids. Together.”
Gaeriel shuddered and touched her glass to Luke’s. The milliliter he tasted burned all the way down.
Around the table, people started farewell exchanges with their dinner partners. Reluctant to leave, Luke took a deep breath of Gaeriel’s presence. Worried? “What’s wrong?” he asked. Surely she didn’t wish he could stay longer. That was too much to hope.
Staring at the centerpiece, she whispered, “If Governor Nereus can’t count on a Death Star any more, he’ll have to rely on threats closer to home.”
A more realistic menace. Luke rubbed his chin. “If it weren’t for the Ssi-ruuk, you’d be in for purges?”
Gaeriel’s cheeks faded. “How do you know …” She didn’t finish the sentence.
She didn’t have to. “Standard Imperial procedure. We’ve seen it on several worlds.”
Gaeriel seemed to withdraw momentarily. Across the table, Han and Leia sprang up and walked in opposite directions. Neither looked happy.
Just another tiff. “Are you sure you believe in the Empire?” Luke murmured.
She frowned. She blinked her mismatched eyes. She swallowed a last sip of namana nectar, and then stood up with him. “It’s a balance. All things contain darkness and light. Even Jedi, I suppose.”
“Yes,” he whispered. If only the evening could last for a week. Ask to see her again!—Was the suggestion Ben’s, or just his own impulsiveness? “Could we finish this conversation tomorrow?”
“I doubt there’ll be time.” Looking gracious but relieved, she offered her hand.
Hadn’t he seen that Imperial officer kiss Leia’s hand? Was that the proper gesture here?
Gambling, he raised it toward his face. She didn’t snatch it away. It smelled like namana candy. Hurrying before his nerve failed him, he mashed her knuckles with his lips. He felt like a clod, but he didn’t dare try it again.
She tightened her fingers on his hand, then pulled loose and walked toward Senior Senator Belden. Luke stood still, rubbing his hand and trying to visualize Gaeri as a part of his future.
By the Force,