Authors: Jennifer Heddle

Star Wars - Constant Spirit (2 page)

BOOK: Star Wars - Constant Spirit

5.46Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

The Mon Calamari pressed a few keys. “It doesn’t appear to be, no.”

“Rafe,” Leia said with a gasp. “It has to be. But what is he doing? Turning himself in?”

A moment later, the pod came into view, headed directly for the Imperial ship — more specifically, the
Gatekeeper
’s bridge — and as they waited, the pod made no indication of changing course.

“I don’t believe it. He’s going to ram them,” Minna said breathlessly.

“Can you open up a comm channel to the pod?” Leia asked.

“I’m trying, but he isn’t responding,” Youk informed her.

Leia moaned. How would she ever explain this to her father?

“It’s as crazy a plan as I’ve ever seen, but if it works, he just might save our skins,” she heard Gorhan say.

Everyone in the cockpit seemed to be holding their breath as they watched the pod make its way toward the larger ship. The
Gatekeeper
, presumably intent on finishing off its more important quarry, didn’t take action against the pod until it was too late. The ship began to turn and fired its main gun, but both last-ditch efforts failed. Rafe’s pod found its target well enough, ramming into the bridge in a spectacular conflagration.

A death bier
, Leia thought.

Completely disabled, the
Gatekeeper
listed to one side aimlessly, looking almost pitiful as it floated in space like a ghost ship. But there was only one lost soul for which Leia grieved.

Gorhan appeared in the cockpit opening, his bulk blocking out all light behind him. “Whoever’s left onboard is going to have bigger problems than us to deal with now. We owe Rafe a debt.”

“Yes,” Leia said, her voice rough. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. She couldn’t let her crew see her that way, like a lost little girl.

After a long moment, Minna cleared her throat. “What are your orders, Senator?”

“Take us to the closest non-occupied planet,” Leia said wearily. “We’ll arrange for either repairs or transport.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The crew of the
Constant Spirit
was quiet for the remainder of the trip.

Leia told her father about it when she returned to Alderaan, wanting to deliver the news in person. She sat in his plush, expansive office, where she had spent so many hours while she was growing up, and haltingly explained what had happened. She expected Bail Organa to be angry, or frustrated, but instead he was just sad.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, not for the first time since she’d sat down. “I can’t help but feel that this is my fault.”

“Rafe knew the risks of his mission,” her father said. He stood in front of the picture window, his back to her as he stared out at rolling green hills and a bright blue lake that twinkled in the sunlight. “He was prepared to die for the Alliance, and he did. As a hero. There are worse ways for a man to die.”

“But he didn’t
have
to,” Leia said stubbornly, wincing at how young she sounded even to her own ears.

“He didn’t?” He turned to look at her. “What could have gone differently?” he asked, more gently than she expected. “What would have saved both the intelligence we needed and the rest of your crew?”

“I don’t know,” she said, bowing her head. “But there must have been something. I didn’t think fast enough…”

“You can’t save everyone, Leia,” Bail said. He sat down next to her on the couch and took her hand in his. “Your feelings do you credit, but war requires sacrifice. A sacrifice we all must be willing to make.” He squeezed her hand. “You can’t save everyone,” he repeated.

She squeezed back, glad he was there, taking comfort in the familiar warmth of his skin. But his words nagged at her. “Maybe I can’t always save everyone,” she conceded. “That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try.” She raised her chin defiantly.

His dark eyes showed his doubts, but he smiled at her anyway. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t,” he said.

They sat together until a servant called them to dinner, heralding the end of another day. There was always tomorrow.