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“Perfect. I can get some vaguely legit business set up on Commenor in that time.” Mirax smiled happily. “It’ll just be you and me on a girls’ night out.”

“So you’re not going to tell Corran?”

“Wedge and squadron business are what he’s focusing on at the moment. I see no reason to distract him.”

“He’s your husband.”

Mirax laughed. “He was your partner. Would you handle him differently?”

“Hmmmm, good point.” Iella fed a datacard into her datapad. “I’ll prep a report and entrust it to Whistler here. If anything goes amiss with us, he can turn it over to Corran.”

“It’s a plan.”

“And a workable one, I think.” Iella raised her mug of caf in a salute. “If we can confirm that we’re being played, we stand a chance of turning the tables on our enemy, and that’s definitely a position I want us to be in.”

11

Corran Horn looked over from his conversation with the Issori pilot, Khe-Jeen Slee, and smiled at Gavin Darklighter, who stood next to the table’s open seat. “Sure, Gavin, sit down. We’re just telling stories.”

The Issori’s dark green scaled flesh lightened slightly in hue as Gavin off-loaded his tray. “We are pleased to have you join me and Corran.”

“I don’t want to interrupt, but I did have a question for Corran.”

Khe-Jeen waved a hand toward Corran. “Please, ask it.”

Corran looked at Gavin and rolled his eyes. “Sure, what is it?”

Gavin glanced down at his food and his voice barely rose above the din in the crowded base commissary. “Have you ever wanted to be a father?”

The question rocked Corran back in his chair and he noted that Khe-Jeen watched his reaction with the pure intent of a predator tracking prey. “I haven’t thought that much about it. Mirax has said we should talk about it, but we’ve been kind of busy with Thrawn and all. Is this something you’re thinking about?”

The younger pilot smiled and nodded. “You met my family back on Tatooine.”

“Right, lots of brothers, sisters, cousins, and all.” Corran fingered a round brown biscuit, spinning it as he ran his finger along the edge. “Are you getting the itch to have a family?”

“I think so, yes.”

Corran frowned. “Ah, not meaning to pry here, but are you and Asyr, um, capable of doing that? I mean, I thought Bothan-human matings didn’t work.”

Gavin gave him a goofy grin. “Well, the parts line up fine as far as I’m concerned, but things don’t connect that well on a cellular level, I guess. We want to get married, then we’re going to adopt. We’ve filled out the preliminary datafiles and we need to gather all the other stuff they’ll want—the officials, I mean.”

“That’s great, Gavin.” Corran slapped him on the arm. “You’ll make a great father. You’re compassionate and intelligent. You have a great sense of humor, and you’re pretty good at feeling out the moods folks are in.”

“Thanks, Corran, that means a lot.”

Khe-Jeen Slee sucked the meat off a small bone, then began to crunch cartilage. “We are pleased for you, Gavin, and your willingness to accept responsibility for younglings not your own. We have noted a nobility about you which is impressive.” The Issori swallowed hard and a big bulge started to work its way down his throat. “On Issor, you would never face the choices you do here.”

Gavin looked up, a brown, gooey bean mixture dripping from the spoon he’d raised halfway to his mouth. “You don’t allow adoptions on Issor?”

“There is no need for them.” Khe-Jeen nibbled the end off the bone and crushed it between his teeth. “We Issori are oviparous. The females of the species produce eggs which are tended and hatch, provided they have been fertilized. The males produce a packet of the fertilizing agent …” The Issori unzipped his sleeveless flight suit and began to slip a clawed hand down toward his abdomen.

Corran reached out and grabbed his arm. “We’ll take your word for it, you don’t have to show us.”

A clear membrane flashed up over Khe-Jeen’s amber eyes. He slowly withdrew his hand, bringing with it a sheaf of holographs. He wordlessly selected one, then handed it to Corran. “Perhaps