Vision of the future

Empire by outsiders was considered a deadly insult. 'No,' Leia said firmly, reaching out with the Force to turn the blaster muzzle aside. 'They saved our lives, and they've asked for sanctuary.'

'You may trust them as you choose, Councilor,' Barkhimkh said darkly. 'But I do not.' But nevertheless the blaster disappeared. 'There was an urgent transmission from Coruscant for you shortly after you departed Pakrik Major,' the Noghri said, waving a stand-down signal toward his partner in the circling shuttle. 'Did you receive it?'

'No,' Leia said, frowning. She hadn't realized the Noghri were able to tap into their private communications. 'It probably came in while we were being jammed. Did you get a copy?'

'Sakhisakh will bring it,' Barkhimkh said, nodding his head fractionally toward the shuttle now landing off to the side. 'We of course did not attempt to decrypt it.' Which didn't necessarily mean they couldn't do so if they'd wanted to. 'Have him bring it into the Falcon, please,' she instructed. 'I'll go get the decrypt ready. You wait here with Han and help Carib and the others get repairs organized.'

Ten minutes later, seated at the Falcon's game table as Sakhisakh stood watchful guard between her and the hatchway, she slid the datacard into her datapad.

The message was short, and very much to the point:

Leia, this is General Bel Iblis. I've just received some vital information and urgently need to talk to you. Please stay on Pakrik Minor; I'll be arriving there in three days and will meet you at the North Barris Spaceport. Please treat this communication with the utmost security. Leia frowned, the skin on the back of her neck tingling. What in the worlds could Bel Iblis have found that he would need to come all the way out here? And why her, of all people?

There was the clank of boots on metal, and she looked up to see Han stride in past Sakhisakh.

'Looks pretty straightforward, I guess,' he reported, sliding into the seat beside her. 'The head droid thinks they can have her back together in a couple of days. So what's this big important message?' Wordlessly, Leia handed over the datapad. Han read it, his forehead wrinkling as he did so. 'This is interesting,' he declared, setting down the datapad. 'How did Bel Iblis know we were here?'

'Gavrisom must have told him,' Leia said. 'He's the only one who knew we were coming to Pakrik Minor after the conference was over.'

'Yeah, well, those three Korliers knew it, too,' Han said pointedly, swiveling the datapad around to look at the message again. 'How sure are you that this is really from Bel Iblis?'

'About as sure as it's possible to be,' Leia said. 'It has his signature code, plus the bridgebreak confirmation.'

'That's, what, that crypt-embedded code trick Ghent came up with a couple of months ago?'

'That's the one,' Leia said. 'I don't think the Imperials even know the codes are in there, let alone have a way to access or duplicate them.'

'Unless Ghent was using the same trick back when he was still working for Karrde,' Han mused, rubbing his chin. 'Could be the Imperials picked up on it then.'

'No, Bel Iblis asked him that when he first proposed the technique,' Leia said. 'Ghent said it was something he'd just developed.'

'Mm.' Han read the message again. 'No idea what this is about?'

'None,' Leia said. 'I guess we'll find out in a couple of days.'

'Well, you'll find out, anyway,' Han said. 'Carib and I will be long gone by then.' Leia took a deep breath, the ache returning abruptly to her chest. 'Han—'

'No argument, hon,' Han said quietly, reaching over to take her hand. 'I don't like it, either. But if we don't get this stopped, everything's going to go up in smoke. You know that better than I do.'

'We don't know that,' Leia argued. 'We've got the New Republic government and Luke's Jedi students to help hold things together. If it comes to civil war, we can force the Bothans to pay whatever reparations are necessary, even if it winds up wrecking their economy.'

'You really think the Diamala will let Gavrisom force them into that kind of self-destruction?' Han countered. 'Not to mention the Mon Cals, the Sif'kries, and whoever else has lined up on the Bothans' side since yesterday? Come on, we didn't win the war with wishful thinking.'

'Well, then, what about Karrde?' Leia asked, trying one last time.

'What about him?' Han asked. 'Just because he's gone out looking for a copy of the Caamas Document doesn't mean he's going to find it. Matter of fact, he didn't seem too confident about it himself. If he had, he would have asked for half the payment up front.' Leia glared at him. 'I'm being serious.'