reluctantly allowed her to push him away, but continued to scowl back over his shoulder. Leia returned her attention to Kenth and waited in silence. She had learned a long time ago never to apologize for Han … especially when he wasn’t the one at fault. Besides, maybe a few sharp words from a hothead smuggler were just what Kenth needed to help him regain control of his temper.
But it wasn’t to be so. When Kenth finally spoke, his voice was as sharp as ever. “Jedi Solo, are you
trying
to get the Order disbanded?”
Leia cocked her brow, then calmly said, “I’m sure you know better than that, Master Hamner.”
“Then why the
kriff
would you ignore a GAS arrest warrant, and do it on a live holocam?” He was nearly shouting. “Daala herself has been on the comm telling me that she can’t allow this kind of public defiance, and I’m starting to agree with her. You know how bad our image is right now, and live feeds of you and Han ignoring a valid warrant only add to our problems.”
Leia remained silent until she was certain he had finished, then allowed a little durasteel to come to her own voice. “And what would you have preferred we do? Serve Bazel and Yaqeel up to be frozen in carbonite?”
“Yes, if that’s what the law demands,” Kenth retorted. “The Jedi aren’t going to survive, not if we keep trying to hold ourselves above the government—and above the
beings
—that we claim to serve.”
Leia shook her head sadly, wondering how such a principled man could be so blind to what was right. “Kenth, I know you’re in a tough spot, but think about what you’re saying. Law
isn’t
justice. We can’t start turning young Jedi Knights over to Daala just because they’ve fallen ill—especially not when her solution is to freeze them in carbonite.”
The flash of pain in Kenth’s eyes suggested that Leia had hit a nerve, but he was not ready to yield. “
That
, Jedi Solo, is not a Jedi Knight’s decision to make.” He pointed up the access tunnel, then said, “If we’re lucky, Captain Atar and his squad are still—”
Leia was saved by the
ding-swoosh
of the arriving turbolift, and this time it
was
Master Cilghal and Tekli who stepped out. The Mon Calamari took one look at Bazel’s shuddering form and gave a medication order to her assistant, then came over to stand with Leia and Kenth.
“I came as soon as I heard,” she said to Leia. “
Both
of them?”
Leia took a calming breath, then nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Cilghal raised a finned hand. “No, don’t be afraid,” she said. “Now we have learned something.”
“Learned
what
?” Han asked, returning with the stool Leia had requested. “You know what’s wrong with them?”
“Not yet.” Cilghal waved a hand vaguely toward Bazel, who already had Tekli’s medication dart protruding from his throat. “Butwith Bazel and Yaqeel both ill, we can begin to draw some conclusions.”
“Such as?” Kenth asked. While not sounding relieved, he at least sounded hopeful. “The Jedi could really use some good news about now.”
“I said
begin
, Master Hamner.” Cilghal turned to Han and Leia. “Captain Solo, if you’ll assist Tekli with Yaqeel, Jedi Solo and I can handle Bazel.”
Han looked to Kenth, indicating that the acting Grand Master had other ideas about how to handle the situation.
Cilghal rolled a huge eye toward Kenth. “Do you have an objection?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” Kenth said. “There’s a GAS squad outside with a warrant for their arrest.”
Cilghal dropped her gaze, and a sense of guilt began to fill the Force. “I see.” She turned to Leia. “How many did they hurt?”
It was Han who answered. “
Hurt?
No one. We tranqed ’em right outside. GAS is only after them because the commotion got caught on holocam.”
Cilghal’s mouth fell open. “Then why would GAS want to arrest them?”
“Public endangerment,” Leia supplied. “And even that is overstating it. We had them
But it wasn’t to be so. When Kenth finally spoke, his voice was as sharp as ever. “Jedi Solo, are you
trying
to get the Order disbanded?”
Leia cocked her brow, then calmly said, “I’m sure you know better than that, Master Hamner.”
“Then why the
kriff
would you ignore a GAS arrest warrant, and do it on a live holocam?” He was nearly shouting. “Daala herself has been on the comm telling me that she can’t allow this kind of public defiance, and I’m starting to agree with her. You know how bad our image is right now, and live feeds of you and Han ignoring a valid warrant only add to our problems.”
Leia remained silent until she was certain he had finished, then allowed a little durasteel to come to her own voice. “And what would you have preferred we do? Serve Bazel and Yaqeel up to be frozen in carbonite?”
“Yes, if that’s what the law demands,” Kenth retorted. “The Jedi aren’t going to survive, not if we keep trying to hold ourselves above the government—and above the
beings
—that we claim to serve.”
Leia shook her head sadly, wondering how such a principled man could be so blind to what was right. “Kenth, I know you’re in a tough spot, but think about what you’re saying. Law
isn’t
justice. We can’t start turning young Jedi Knights over to Daala just because they’ve fallen ill—especially not when her solution is to freeze them in carbonite.”
The flash of pain in Kenth’s eyes suggested that Leia had hit a nerve, but he was not ready to yield. “
That
, Jedi Solo, is not a Jedi Knight’s decision to make.” He pointed up the access tunnel, then said, “If we’re lucky, Captain Atar and his squad are still—”
Leia was saved by the
ding-swoosh
of the arriving turbolift, and this time it
was
Master Cilghal and Tekli who stepped out. The Mon Calamari took one look at Bazel’s shuddering form and gave a medication order to her assistant, then came over to stand with Leia and Kenth.
“I came as soon as I heard,” she said to Leia. “
Both
of them?”
Leia took a calming breath, then nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
Cilghal raised a finned hand. “No, don’t be afraid,” she said. “Now we have learned something.”
“Learned
what
?” Han asked, returning with the stool Leia had requested. “You know what’s wrong with them?”
“Not yet.” Cilghal waved a hand vaguely toward Bazel, who already had Tekli’s medication dart protruding from his throat. “Butwith Bazel and Yaqeel both ill, we can begin to draw some conclusions.”
“Such as?” Kenth asked. While not sounding relieved, he at least sounded hopeful. “The Jedi could really use some good news about now.”
“I said
begin
, Master Hamner.” Cilghal turned to Han and Leia. “Captain Solo, if you’ll assist Tekli with Yaqeel, Jedi Solo and I can handle Bazel.”
Han looked to Kenth, indicating that the acting Grand Master had other ideas about how to handle the situation.
Cilghal rolled a huge eye toward Kenth. “Do you have an objection?”
“As a matter of fact, yes,” Kenth said. “There’s a GAS squad outside with a warrant for their arrest.”
Cilghal dropped her gaze, and a sense of guilt began to fill the Force. “I see.” She turned to Leia. “How many did they hurt?”
It was Han who answered. “
Hurt?
No one. We tranqed ’em right outside. GAS is only after them because the commotion got caught on holocam.”
Cilghal’s mouth fell open. “Then why would GAS want to arrest them?”
“Public endangerment,” Leia supplied. “And even that is overstating it. We had them
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