of each apprentice.
“If you’re never gonna get out, then yeah,
anything
is better,” he said. “Even dying. But Barv here isn’t going to die—not today.”
The feeling that came to their Force-auras was not exactly relief, but at least they seemed to understand. Leia confirmed their emotionsthrough the Force and waved the two apprentices back toward the hangar entrance, where an unconscious Yaqeel Saav’etu remained slumped against the back of the guard booth. Her hands were affixed to the collision bar above her head by a pair of plastifiber wrist restraints.
“Let’s have the patients ready to transport when Master Cilghal arrives,” she said. “You two see to Jedi Saav’etu. Han and I will—”
Leia was interrupted by the
ding-swoosh
of an arriving turbolift. Expecting to see Cilghal and Tekli, she turned toward the station. Instead Kenth Hamner stepped into the hangar. His dignified features were taut with alarm, and as he marched through the carnage toward the Solos, his reaction steadily changed to outrage.
Leia grabbed Han’s tunic sleeve and quickly led him toward Bazel Warv’s still-shuddering form. Judging by Kenth’s expression, this was not going to be a conversation they wanted apprentices to overhear.
Kenth intercepted them near the Ramoan’s giant round feet, then demanded, “What happened?”
“Somatoll reaction,” Han replied. Ready to spring away if Bazel lashed out, he squatted down and tried to find the pulse in the green guy’s big ankle. “Seems it affects Ramoan’s a little differently than most other species. Who knew?”
“I’m not asking about Jedi
Warv,
” Kenth snapped. “What happened with the GAS squad? They’re threatening to blast open the outer gate if we don’t surrender their prisoner. Don’t tell me you two actually removed Bazel from GAS custody?”
“ ’Course not,” Han said, glancing up at Kenth. “GAS never even
had
custody.”
Kenth barely spared Han a glance before turning to glare at Leia. “Why don’t
you
fill me in, Jedi Solo?”
“I’d be happy to.” Leia was careful to keep her voice warm and relaxed. It was hardly like Kenth to be sharp and uncivil, and she assumed that something must be very wrong to drive him to such behavior. “Han’s right. Captain Atar never had custody of either patient. We were able to subdue both of them ourselves—”
“Hold on,” Kenth said, raising a hand to stop her. “We’re losing them two at a time now?”
“I’m afraid so,” Leia said. She turned and pointed toward the guard booth, where Reeqo and Melari were carefully removing the restraints from Yaqeel’s wrists. “Jedi Saav’etu went first, and Bazel followed her.”
Kenth cursed loudly. “So it
is
contagious.”
“We don’t know that,” Leia said. “If it’s something dormant, it could have been triggered because they both encountered the same stimulus.”
Kenth’s glare returned. “I’m beginning to see where your daughter gets her stubborn streak, Jedi Solo,” he said. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t try to play me.”
“Hey, hold on a minute there,” Han said, rising. “Everyone knows that Jaina gets her stubborn streak from
me
.”
Kenth shot him a look that could have frozen a wampa. “You’re not helping matters, Captain Solo. Quite the opposite.”
Han’s eyes grew hard, and Leia knew she was perilously close to having
two
angry men on her hands. She slipped over to Han’s side and touched his arm, then nodded toward the control booth.
“Han, why don’t you see if you can find a stool or something to stick between Bazel’s teeth?” she asked. “With those tusks of his, he’s got to be chewing the inside of his mouth to ribbons.”
Han glanced at her briefly, then shifted his stare back to Kenth. “Okay,” he said. “But if this guy keeps talking to you like you’re some sort of—”
“Han!”
Leia turned him toward the control booth. “Please go. I have this.”
Han
“If you’re never gonna get out, then yeah,
anything
is better,” he said. “Even dying. But Barv here isn’t going to die—not today.”
The feeling that came to their Force-auras was not exactly relief, but at least they seemed to understand. Leia confirmed their emotionsthrough the Force and waved the two apprentices back toward the hangar entrance, where an unconscious Yaqeel Saav’etu remained slumped against the back of the guard booth. Her hands were affixed to the collision bar above her head by a pair of plastifiber wrist restraints.
“Let’s have the patients ready to transport when Master Cilghal arrives,” she said. “You two see to Jedi Saav’etu. Han and I will—”
Leia was interrupted by the
ding-swoosh
of an arriving turbolift. Expecting to see Cilghal and Tekli, she turned toward the station. Instead Kenth Hamner stepped into the hangar. His dignified features were taut with alarm, and as he marched through the carnage toward the Solos, his reaction steadily changed to outrage.
Leia grabbed Han’s tunic sleeve and quickly led him toward Bazel Warv’s still-shuddering form. Judging by Kenth’s expression, this was not going to be a conversation they wanted apprentices to overhear.
Kenth intercepted them near the Ramoan’s giant round feet, then demanded, “What happened?”
“Somatoll reaction,” Han replied. Ready to spring away if Bazel lashed out, he squatted down and tried to find the pulse in the green guy’s big ankle. “Seems it affects Ramoan’s a little differently than most other species. Who knew?”
“I’m not asking about Jedi
Warv,
” Kenth snapped. “What happened with the GAS squad? They’re threatening to blast open the outer gate if we don’t surrender their prisoner. Don’t tell me you two actually removed Bazel from GAS custody?”
“ ’Course not,” Han said, glancing up at Kenth. “GAS never even
had
custody.”
Kenth barely spared Han a glance before turning to glare at Leia. “Why don’t
you
fill me in, Jedi Solo?”
“I’d be happy to.” Leia was careful to keep her voice warm and relaxed. It was hardly like Kenth to be sharp and uncivil, and she assumed that something must be very wrong to drive him to such behavior. “Han’s right. Captain Atar never had custody of either patient. We were able to subdue both of them ourselves—”
“Hold on,” Kenth said, raising a hand to stop her. “We’re losing them two at a time now?”
“I’m afraid so,” Leia said. She turned and pointed toward the guard booth, where Reeqo and Melari were carefully removing the restraints from Yaqeel’s wrists. “Jedi Saav’etu went first, and Bazel followed her.”
Kenth cursed loudly. “So it
is
contagious.”
“We don’t know that,” Leia said. “If it’s something dormant, it could have been triggered because they both encountered the same stimulus.”
Kenth’s glare returned. “I’m beginning to see where your daughter gets her stubborn streak, Jedi Solo,” he said. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t try to play me.”
“Hey, hold on a minute there,” Han said, rising. “Everyone knows that Jaina gets her stubborn streak from
me
.”
Kenth shot him a look that could have frozen a wampa. “You’re not helping matters, Captain Solo. Quite the opposite.”
Han’s eyes grew hard, and Leia knew she was perilously close to having
two
angry men on her hands. She slipped over to Han’s side and touched his arm, then nodded toward the control booth.
“Han, why don’t you see if you can find a stool or something to stick between Bazel’s teeth?” she asked. “With those tusks of his, he’s got to be chewing the inside of his mouth to ribbons.”
Han glanced at her briefly, then shifted his stare back to Kenth. “Okay,” he said. “But if this guy keeps talking to you like you’re some sort of—”
“Han!”
Leia turned him toward the control booth. “Please go. I have this.”
Han
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