Mergers and Acquistions
by Susan Zahn
art by Kristin Brown and Kate
PART 2
PART 6 PART 7 PART 8 PART 9 PART 10
Leia didn't know whether to be shocked, insulted, or inspired by her friend's proposal; the concept was too much to contemplate at the moment. "Just what I needed: The Kristin Aldritch Guide to Incorrigible Men. Hasn't it occurred to you that I'm allowing Captain Solo to accompany me for reasons other than seduction--his ormine?"
"Sure it has. Briefly." Kristin shrugged. "Let's face it, he can't be sticking around here for the pay or stimulating conversation. He's probably waiting for you to give the right signal."
"'The right signal,'" Leia echoed, trying not to laugh at the notion. "Well, in that case he can keep on waiting. I'm not allowing any such nonsense to interfere with my mission. This means too much to me."
A dark tapestry of stars hung unmoving outside the Millennium Falcon'scockpit canopy. Sitting motionless in the deep nothingness of space, her engines were quiet but powered up and ready for immediate firing if necessary. At her controls sat her owner and captain, equally primed for an instant ignition.
Han Solo glanced once again at the glowing chrono display in his dashboard. "They're late," he mumbled to no one in particular.
Chewbacca, being the only other person present at the moment, shrugged and growled, "Not as late as we were early. We needn't have rushed."
"Try telling that to the princess," he growled. Until a few moments ago he hadbeen in a hurry, but now something--a bad feeling--kept teasing his sixth sense. He'd been looking forward to this little mission as a chance to escape Argus and the constant hounding from Rieekan and Dodonna about officially joining up. Even the princess had eased up on her recruitment efforts, seeming to accept his hired help for what it was. The generals had other plans, however, and had upped the stakes to the standing offer of a commander's rank. Why couldn't they understand that he wasn't interested in a field promotion and let him do what he did best?
There was another reason for his impatience, though. This mission presented an unexpected opportunity to work under ideal conditions--unchaperoned and paid for--with Princess Leia Organa. He'd wanted this chance so badly, in fact, that he'd compromised his already questionable image of detachment in order to escort her. Now was a fine time to have second thoughts.
Han heard the hatch of the cockpit whooshopen at that moment, followed immediately by an alto voice. "Have they arrived yet?"
"Not yet." Han pivoted on his hip to glance back at her, then froze mid-motion. He almost didn't recognize the woman standing in the rear of the cockpit. Leia was dressed in a burgundy tunic of brushed shimmersilk, cinched at her trim waist by a golden mail belt. Her black skintight slacks were tucked into shiny black boots that reached to just below her knees. Her sable hair, almost always restrained by tightly wound braids, now hung down over her shoulder in a single, thick, loose braid that touched her belt. Subtle touches of gold jewelry glittered in the dim lights of the cockpit. The clothing looked comfortable and casual, yet she brought a regal elegance to the ensemble that he admired in more ways than one. Maybe you've got nothing to worry about after all,he reconsidered.
Taking a seat in the communications station behind Chewbacca, Leia paused to get a closer look at Han. She frowned. "You're not wearing that,are you?"
Erase that last thought,Han amended. The stunning transformation in her appearance hadn't affected her mouth. "Keep taking showers like that and we'll have to double up to conserve water."
Rather than address Han's diverting remark--she indulged in using the Falcon'sreal water shower whenever she could find an excuse--Leia shot the smuggler a dirty look, then leaned forward and rested a hand on Chewbacca's shoulder. "Chewie, you're sure you'll be all right here alone? I still think it might be safer to take the Falconback to base until our return rendezvous. What if Imperials or pirates drop by?"
The Wookiee started to growl an answer, but Han cut him off. They'd gone over this before. "We're far enough off the trade routes to go unnoticed, and Chewie knows the routine if he gets any unexpected company. Besides, flying and landing this bird solo is riskier than just sitting here."
Chewbacca interrupted with a sharp bark, making an emphatic diving and banking gesture with one hairy hand.
Han shrugged, irritated that he'd been corrected in front of the princess. "Of course you can fly it alone if you have to, but it's an unnecessary risk. Anyway, I'll be carrying a deep-space rescue beacon in case we run into problems. The beeper won't do any good if you're sitting on your furry ass on Argus."
Evidently put off by Han's curt tone, Leia shook her head. "Now you're starting to sound like Dodonna. I don't foresee any problems. Ord Mantell's arguably the safest place in the Central Core--"
"That's not saying much."
"--and my name won't appear on any records," Leia continued. "Lacostia's in just as much danger as I am, so I'm positive they're taking every precaution to keep this secret. You're being paranoid."
With good reason,Han thought morbidly, not bothering to voice his opinion. She wasn't going to listen. Good thing I'm coming along on this trip after all.He stood up and turned to her. "I may be paranoid, but I'm still alive, which is a damned sight better than most of my competition." Without waiting for the inevitable retort, he stepped through the cockpit hatchway and headed for his cabin.
The shuttle ride to Ord Mantell was proving uneventful. Although the only passengers in the spacious cabin, Leia and Han kept conversation to a minimum. The tacit agreement was under the guise of security, but there was also a palpable awareness of their being alone together for the next few days. The quiet, relaxing atmosphere and the plush seating arrangements didn't help Leia's efforts to remain focused on her upcoming meeting. Glancing across the low table at the equally relaxed figure of her companion, Leia could see that Han was struggling to remain alert as he gazed out the viewport to their side. There wasn't much to see out there, either, except the swirling purple-black of hyperspace. He was obviously more used to doing the flying; it gave him something to do.
Han had managed to change attire moments before their shuttle arrived. At the time she'd had little opportunity for more than a glance, but now that they'd settled into their trip and the smuggler's attention had drifted, Leia risked a longer look. Not bad at all. He cleans up nicely.
His dark brown trousers, without the militaristic piping down the outer seams, were tucked into polished boots, one now resting nonchalantly across the opposite knee. Without the ever-present holster rig he looked..."symmetrical" was the first word that popped into Leia's mind. He wore a tailored silk shirt of forest green that opened at the neck to reveal an appealing glimpse of tanned chest and curly hair. The rich color highlighted his eyes and hair. If she hadn't already known him, she might've mistaken the semi-reclined and fully comfortable figure for a native to the posh environment; he blended well with the hedonistic atmosphere.
He looks as if he's on vacation,she thought to herself, feeling a mixture of emotions: envy at his apparent ability to relax; annoyance at his beingso relaxed; and just a smidgen of pride to be escorted by such a dashing man. If only wewere on vacation...
Leia shifted in her padded acceleration chair, disturbed by the tangent her thoughts had taken. Theirs was a business relationship. Their situations precluded anything more. She wished that part of her mind so fascinated by Han Solo would just drop the subject. "When were you last on Ord Mantell?" she asked as much out of curiosity as a desire to break their unnatural silence.
"Hmmm?" Han pulled his eyes away from the black view outside the portal to look at her. "It's been a few years now. Right around the time the ISC took over."
"The Imperial Shipping Coalition?"
"Yeah. When I was a member of the Spacers Guild, I would occasionally haul some of the luxury items. You know, gems, spices, and so on. It wasn't so necessary to have enormous holds for that sort of stuff. I was making a nice profit, too, since the space station was neutral and the Empire had no legal way of taxing what was going in and coming out. Sure, they could've moved in at any time and just taken over, but then--"
"Too many corrupt and influential Imperials are customers," Leia completed with a little grin of understanding. "Even they need neutral territory now and then and they're not about to lose their favorite vacation spot."
Han nodded. "The best way for the Imps to get around that problem was by dissolving the guild and reorganizing shipping under the ISC. Then they could hit you with additional union dues, docking fees, tonnage taxes, customs charges, and luxury sales tax. And if you didn't like it, you either picked another career or you started shipping illegally."
Charmed by his uncharacteristic openness, Leia offered a genuine smile. "That's when you started smuggling?"
Han shrugged, as if his decision had been made for him. "The Ord Mantellian administration had to fly a straight course after that if they still wanted to stay independent. They knew they could only push the Empire so far without it clamping down on them. I ran one or two more shipments for them, then they stopped chartering me. The Falconstuck out like a bantha whenever I docked and I guess they thought I was bringing in too much heat from the Imps." Han shrugged again, his bitterness palpable about the loss of a truly profitable job.
"That was a long time ago," she stated quietly.
Han sharpened his look at her, now obvious in his wariness of her motivations for digging into his past. "Don't worry, sister. I still know more than most about Ord Mantell. It hasn't changed that much."
Leia hadn't intended to put the pilot on the defensive. She frowned and looked away, the spell broken. "Never mind, that's not what I meant."
Han's tone softened. "Okay, give. When's the last time youwere there?"
Leia hesitated, wishing she hadn't opened up this conversation in the first place. She hated revealing anything about herself, no doubt for the same reasons that he tended to keep quiet about his own past--why present a possible weapon to a potential enemy? The better someone knew you, the better they knew how to hurt you. It was a tough but necessary lesson her adoptive father had taught her in preparation for a life in politics and the public eye.
Bail Organa had also taught her never to accept someone on their word alone. That was the one constant law in the universe when it came to Han Solo. He repeatedly proclaimed one belief, but then did the exact opposite. To this day she still felt unsure of his motives or ambitions. How serious could his interest in her personal life be?
"I was here shortly before I was elected to the Senate," she supplied.
"Hmm, so you were--what--sixteen? Seventeen? Must've been pretty fun."
Leia blinked at him. "Fun?" she echoed as if it were a foreign word. "I was here on business, assisting with a lobbying effort my father began to gain funds for a famine-stricken planet in the Outer Rim. We weren't here for a vacation."
One corner of his mobile mouth twitched up into a mirthless smile. "Sounds to me like you could usea nice vacation, then."
Leia's expression and tone were serious. "We'd better get one thing straight right here and now, Captain. Despite your evident opinions to the contrary, we aren't on this little field exercise for R and R. This mission's very important to me, as well as the future of the entire galaxy. I won't allow you--or anyone--to jeopardize it by regarding it as anything less. Do we have an understanding?"
Han returned her intense stare, clearly peeved by her patronizing tone. "Why does everything with you have to be on a grand scale? Don't you ever do anything for yourself?"
Stung by his counterattack, she looked away. "By helping the galaxy, I amhelping myself. Maybe someday you'll understand that concept."
Before Han could respond, a voice came over the shuttle's public address system announcing their imminent arrival. They both glanced at the viewport to watch the stars shift back into their fixed positions as the shuttle returned to sublight speed.
As the ship began to maneuver closer to the docking bay, the gigantic mass of Ord Mantell rose into view. It was perhaps only two-thirds the size of the late Death Star and not nearly as neat and orderly of construction, but its resemblance was enough to cause an uncomfortable chill to climb up Leia's spine. Far from smooth and uniform, this space station was made up of very individualistic structures that interconnected towards the center. Unhindered by gravity, the layers had grown upward and outward over the years as each building grew in size and extravagance, expressing the whims and styles of their wealthy owners. Inside, it was a huge mass of both private and public residences, casinos, shops, and restaurants.
It hadbeen a long time since she'd visited the satellite world. She didn't recognize many of the latest additions to the resort's ever-changing surface. She could still pick out one or two landmarks, in particular the towering Veterans of the Imperial Services headquarters, the only symbol of Imperial presence on the entire station. Its seamless and smooth face of opaque transparasteel gave it the look of an enormous blue steel needle, with about the same personality and warmth. 
Leia risked a glance to get Solo's reaction to their view and had to hide a smile. He appeared surprised by some of the manufactured landscape. "Some people are sacrificing more than others in the civil war," she said.
"War's always been that way, Princess," Han responded quietly. "You either suffer from it or you profit off others' suffering. There's no in-between." As their shuttle dove into the canyon adjoining one of the closest structures, still under construction, he shifted in his seat to get a better look. They could see the bright flashes of light from various macrofusers, and the droids and space-suited workers that moved about within the skeletal framework.
Leia didn't reply; she felt no desire to argue the point. His statement was ugly but true. She also noted how this philosophy of no middle ground conflicted with his usual insistence on maintaining his neutrality and staying uninvolved. What a bundle of contradictions you are, Han Solo. What's the common thread holding all of you together?
Moments later the shuttle entered a narrow ravine between the foundations of buildings so towering that they seemed to touch the stars beyond. The docking bay they were approaching was one of the many that bisected the space station along its equatorial belt. The shuttle banked and slowed as it entered the gaping entrance, then settled into an empty spot on a deck crowded with a fleet of similar craft. Parking space was such a princely commodity that only the truly rich were allowed private docking privileges; their ships were carefully lined up along the edges. For those slightly less privileged, arranging deep space pickups with the satellite fleet was standard procedure. The moment he felt the landing pads of the shuttle touch down, Han began undoing his acceleration straps, and Leia followed suit. They gathered their few belongings, two identical metal-shelled travel cases, and headed for the exit. Han flashed her a quick smile. "Here's to a new adventure," he muttered under his breath. "Let's hope this one's better than the usual."
"So help me, Han, if you--"
She was cut short by the loud hiss of airlocks releasing and hydraulics in action as the boarding ramp lowered. Han gallantly gestured for her to proceed him, then followed her down the ramp. She'd just set foot on the deck when a single figure, a sharply dressed young man, appeared from the closest hanger exit and headed toward them. Han reached to touch Leia's arm to gain her attention. She glanced at him and he indicated their surroundings with a slight nod. "The place is empty," he pointed out. "Princess Organa?" the young man asked in a confident tone as he drew close. He stretched out a hand to shake hers in greeting. "Welcome to Ord Mantell. My name is Tod Rees, and I'll be your contact with Lacostia Consolidated during your stay here."
"It's very nice to meet you, Tod," Leia said with a warm smile. She turned to introduce her companion. "This is Captain Solo. He's volunteered to accompany me during our conference."
He shook Han's hand. "Captain Solo, welcome to Ord Mantell." Before Han could voice his earlier concern, Tod went on to explain, "As you may have noticed, we've taken the precaution of removing all docking bay personnel prior to your arrival to reduce the possibility of your presence being linked to our business at hand."
Han nodded, apparently accepting this explanation.
"I'd like to explain a little more about the arrangements we've made for your stay here," Tod continued. "We're unable to accommodate you in our own complex due to the security risks of such an association, but we have covertly arranged exceptional accommodations in the best public hotel on the station. I've no doubt that you'll find the rooms to your liking."
"I'm sure they'll be perfect," Leia reassured.
"Now, if it's convenient for you, the gentlebeings from Lacostia would like to meet with you at seventeen-hundred hours today. That would give you plenty of time to freshen up following your trip, make yourselves comfortable, and get something to eat."
"That will be fine," Leia agreed with a nod.
"Very good. I'll pass along your confirmation. Here's the address of the place where you'll be meeting, as well as the location of the hotel where you'll be staying." Tod handed each of them small plastichips with the address codes, including written instructions on how to find the spots if they chose to walk rather than use the preprogrammed transport codes. "And finally, please use these credit chips for any additional expenses during your stay. They're acceptable anywhere on Ord Mantell, with the exception of the gambling casinos where there's a modest credit ceiling." With a friendly grin, Tod handed the valuable chips to each. "We only ask that you refrain from exploring the space station until after our business is completed to avoid any unanticipated complications. And again, welcome."
"It's our pleasure to meet you and do business with Lacostia." Princess Leia took the initiative this time and reached out to shake hands with the young representative once again.
Tod clasped his other hand over their joined ones and for a moment he seemed to lose his professional gloss. "May the Force be with you, Your Highness."
"Thank you," Leia responded, a little surprised by the sudden flow of emotion that emanated from the man.
Tod shook hands once more with Han, then motioned in the direction of a different docking bay exit than the one he'd used. "That exit will take you to the junction of several mainstream transit systems, and from there you'll be able to reach your hotel in a few moments. Enjoy your stay."
Leia glanced at Han and they turned and headed toward the closed shield doors. As soon as they were out of earshot, he ducked his head to whisper in her ear. "Now that'sefficiency!"
"You know as well as I do that they're taking an incredible risk. They aren't leaving anything to chance."
His chuckle bordered on evil. "Except our expense account."
She gave him a sidelong glance, recognizing that mercenary taint in his voice. "You can forget your dreams of refitting the Falcon'shyperdrive, flyboy. This is for necessary expenses only. We're not going to take undue advantage of their generosity--got it?"
He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yes, Your Holier-Than-Thou-ness."
She looked sharply at him, insulted. She was about to retort with another admonition, then realized that his response was probably appropriate in view of the chastising tone she'd taken with him. Exercising restraint, she kept her response to herself. It was going to be a long mission.
"And who said anything about volunteering?" he continued, his voice a little louder now as they reached the door. "I still expect to be well paid for this little trip."
It was Leia's turn to be amused and the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her enjoyment. "I don't recall ever discussing a price. You should've thought of that before we left base. Besides, be grateful you're on this mission--it'll be the easiest free meal you'll ever get."
Han squinted at her, his own expression an equal mixture of annoyance and amusement. "Don't be so sure of that, Princess. Keeping you out of trouble's never been a piece of jeelcake." He punched the palm plate that triggered the shield door, then strode first over the threshold.
PART 6 PART 7 PART 8 PART 9 PART 10