Star Wars: Fate Of The Jedi: Omen Part 22

"What?" Han exploded.

"One of the cubs. Radd Minker said you could tame them if you found a good trainer for them. We took their mother away. We should take care of at least one of them. It's the right thing to do. It's justice."

Han gave Leia a what-the-stang-do-we-do-now look. Leia suspected she had a similar expression on her own face. But she was also unspeakably proud of their granddaughter. Her instincts, her moral compa.s.s-they were dead-on. She was an amazing little girl, and would grow into a remarkable woman.

"You're right, honey. It is the right thing to do."

Han's eyebrows shot up. "I thought we were getting her a nice little kybuck," he said. "You know ... gentle, small, no mouthfuls of sharp teeth."

"We might not be able to keep one for ourselves," Leia continued as if she had not heard Han at all, "but we can certainly make sure they all go to good and loving homes."

"Or how about a tauntaun?" Han said, desperation creeping into his voice. "Threepio can give it a bath every other day."

"Can we try to keep one?" Allana asked, slightly wistful, also ignoring Han.

"We'll see," Leia said.

TAHIRI SAT ALONE IN HER APARTMENT, MECHANICALLY FORKING WHAT pa.s.sed for dinner into her mouth, chewing and swallowing. It was technically eating, but she paid no attention to the process. Her mind was elsewhere.

She wondered how Jaina Solo was doing. Several days had pa.s.sed since that reporter Javis Tyrr had done his "expose" on the evils of the Jedi. As part of the team that had been responsible for nabbing Seff h.e.l.lin, Tahiri was relieved that Daala had agreed not to extradite him or Natua Wan. But it was clear that the Chief of State was smarting, and had decided to do everything she could to humiliate the Jedi if she couldn't have her prize.

The interview with Jaina was painful to watch. Knowing the other woman as well as she did, Tahiri could feel Jaina straining to utter acerbic responses to the utterly inane questions Tyrr was asking. Or-which would probably please the Solo daughter even better-pop the reporter one. She was sorry, too, for Cilghal and Tekli, although both came off well. The former's quiet dignity and composure made Javis Tyrr look tawdry, and the latter's obvious distress and extreme cuteness were certain to make any viewer root for her.

The only reason Tahiri was not on holocam with them was that she was no longer officially a Jedi, and therefore Jaina Solo had not been ordered to give her name. For that, Tahiri was intensely glad. There were days when her decision to keep apart from the Order completely felt like the right one. And others when it felt utterly and completely wrong.

She put down the fork, stared at the half-eaten food, and rested her face in her hands for a long moment. She thought back to the words Seff h.e.l.lin had hurled at her, thinking she was a doppelgnger: Murderess, traitor, pathetic slave to her emotions-that's what she is.

They'd hurt. They'd hurt more than she would ever have expected. They'd hurt because they were true. She had been all those things ... and perhaps still was the latter. She had told Jaina she was trying to figure things out, and she was. Jaina had responded at the time with a hug, and later showed faith in Tahiri by asking her to partic.i.p.ate in the Darkmeld conspiracy. Maybe there was a way back from this after all.

The door chime sounded. Tahiri sighed, shoved aside the half-full plate of food, and padded to the door on bare feet.

Three GA officers stood outside. Two had weapons. The third was dressed in a suit and carried a datapad atop which was folded a small card.

"Tahiri Veila, you are under arrest on the charges of obstruction of justice, complicity in the murder of Admiral Gilad Pellaeon, and treason."

end.