"The New Rebellion (Kristine Rusch)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

"Like Jarril's visit." He nodded.
"Winter says the base at Anoth has been rebuilt. Maybe we should send
them there with her." "A visit to their babyhood homes?" He got off his
haunches and stood. "Can you do without them, Leia? I'll be gone, and they'll
be gone, and then you'll have the political crisis to deal with." She took a
deep breath. He could see the struggle in her face. He knew how much she
relied on her family, how important it all was to her.
"I'll work better if I know everyone is safe," she said. "That's why you
want me to stay, isn't it?" She didn't look at him. He pulled her hair back
and kissed the nape of her neck.
"I can take care of myself, Princess." "I know," she said, still not
looking at him.
"You're the one in the greatest danger. Maybe you should go with Winter
and the children to Anoth." She lifted her head, finally looking at him. "I
can't do that. I have duties here. I have to take the same risks as the rest
of the government." He knew. He had to take risks too. Protecting him and
forcing him to remain on Coruscant would be as bad as making Leia go to Anoth.
He waited, watched the realization dawn on her face as she understood
what he had done.
"You've manipulated me," she said.
He nodded.
She stood and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. In the last
few days, she had lost weight. She felt thin and fragile. He held her tightly,
knowing that more strength lay within her slender form than he would ever
have. He had to trust in her abilities, just as she had to trust in his.
"Don't you wish that, just once, we could live calmly and comfortably
like normal people?" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.
"No," he said. He stepped back just far enough so that he could see her
face. "Because if we had been normal people, we would never have met. Your
Highness-ness." She laughed, and he kissed her. Deeply. Passionately.
As if he would never be able to kiss her again.


TEN

Jarril's ship was a treasure trove of unusual junk. Lando had towed
the Spicy Lady to Kessel, and had spent half a day exploring his old
colleague's cargo. The body remained in the cockpit. Lando wasn't certain yet
what to do with Jarril. He supposed he'd have to go through the records,
looking for next of kin.
He wanted to save that until last.
Jarril hadn't been carrying any cargo when he was killed. Or so it
seemed. But someone could have cleaned out the cargo while the ship listed in
space.
Still, Lando found numerous abandoned items. Taken separately, they were
explicable. But together, they were inexplicable.
He found a blaster handle, a single stormtrooper glove, a laser cannon,
and pieces of a Carbanti signal-augmented sensor jammer. He found power cells
and the schematics for cannons designed for the all-terrain armored
transports. He found bolts for a repulsorlift, and, most disturbing of all, a