Leaning against the damp hull of the Rock Dragon, she watched with mixed feelings as Jacen prepared to board the Shadow Chaser with Raynar and Master Skywalker.
She knew Jacen would have preferred to fly beside her and she was proud of him for sacrificing his personal preferences to help Raynar, who needed the support of a friend right now. Tenel Ka understood the inner torment of being constantly in danger, constantly on guard. She could have requested to be included on the Shadow Chaser, but because the Rock Dragon was her ship, Tenel Ka felt duty-bound to remain with her crew—“Captain” Jaina, copilot Lowie, and backup navigator Em Teedee.
Still, Tenel Ka would miss her friend during the trip to the rendezvous point with Raynar’s family. She had come to rely on Jacen in an odd sort of way. Somehow, his clowning and joking reassured her that all was well with the galaxy … even when all was not well.
Tenel Ka shook her head to clear it. Allowing her thoughts to dwell on such sentimentalism was unlike her.
Jaina and Lowie chose that moment to emerge from the Rock Dragon behind her.
Jaina, serious in her duties as captain of the ship, gave an immediate report. “Internal preflight checks are complete—inside’s all ready to go. You done with the externals yet?”
Tenel Ka gave a guilty start. She had allowed herself to become distracted! They were heading into a potentially dangerous situation, and she could not afford to let her mind wander. Wiping a sheen of rain from her forehead, she vowed not to let it happen again. “Ten more minutes.”
Jaina nodded, then a look of perplexity stole over her face. She bit her lower lip. “Am I forgetting anything?”
Lowie pointed a ginger-furred arm toward the Shadow Chaser and gave a short bark.
“Coordinates. Right,” Jaina said. “We have to get the coordinates for our hyperspace jump from Uncle Luke and Raynar. Information came in about an hour ago by tight-beam encrypted transmission. Unregistered proprietary encryption. Raynar was the only one who knew how to decode it.”
Tenel Ka was surprised. Such precautions were commonly employed in communications between members of the Hapan royal family, but they were almost unheard of in the New Republic.
While Lowie and Jaina went to consult with Master Skywalker and Raynar, Tenel Ka returned to her preflight check. Chiding herself for her temporary lack of diligence, she examined the rain-slick hull of the Rock Dragon as carefully as if she were preparing for a space battle—which, for all she knew, might just be the case.
When Jacen poked his head around the side of the ship to see if she needed any help, Tenel Ka accepted gladly. She didn’t actually require assistance, of course, but she welcomed his companionship.
After they’d finished, Jacen said, “I, um … I put a little extra sealant on that blast scar Boba Fett gave us in the Alderaan system.” He ran a hand through his damp hair. “It looked a bit weak, and I didn’t want you to take any chances.” Jacen shrugged, perhaps embarrassed at showing his concern for her. “Hey, you can never tell when you’re going to bump into another bounty hunter, you know?”
Tenel Ka’s cool gray eyes locked onto his.
The Shadow Chaser’s quantum armor would keep its passengers safe if they came under attack. Jacen knew he would be well protected, but he had no similar guarantee for his friends in the Rock Dragon. She did her best to reassure him.
“Jacen, my friend, I am used to dealing with traitors, kidnappers, and assassins. The Hapan court is filled with them.” One corner of her mouth quirked upward. “In fact, some of the most skilled ones are my relatives. I will not allow the Rock Dragon or anyone in her to come to harm.”
He nodded, then shrugged again. “I just like to know everyone’s safe. I even made Tionne promise to take care of my gort egg while we’re gone.” Then, as if chagrined at having been caught worrying, Jacen said, “Hey, wanna hear a joke?”
On the pretext of examining a stabilizer fin Tenel Ka ducked her head to hide her pleasure. If Jacen ever suspected that she actually enjoyed his jokes, he would really worry. When she had composed herself again, she looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. “Only if you do not require me to laugh.”
“Buzz buzz,” he said, then waited expectantly.
After a moment, she realized the response he wanted. “Ah—who is there?”
“Dismay.”
“Dismay who?”
“Dismay not seem funny to you, but I’m hoping you’ll at least smile.”
Tenel Ka nodded judiciously. “Perhaps I will laugh later, my friend Jacen.” The absurdity of his humor amazed her. Even more amazing was the fact that the joke had put her at ease again. She closed her eyes, let out a slow breath, and savored the refreshing mist falling from above.
“Hey, you two,” Jaina yelled from around the side of the ship, “Coordinates are in. Uncle Luke is locking Artoo down in the astromech station. What are we waiting for?”
Tenel Ka opened her eyes. Jacen gave her hand a brief squeeze.
“See you at the rendezvous point,” he said.
“This is a fact,” Tenel Ka agreed, and Jacen dashed across the damp grass to the Shadow Chaser.
For once, compared with the other passenger, Jacen felt more than competent to serve as copilot of a starship. Leaning forward from his seat behind them in the cockpit, Raynar hovered anxiously between Jacen and Master Skywalker, eyeing the control panels as if to ensure that Jacen wouldn’t make a mistake.
Jacen tried to calm the young man. He even sent subtle, soothing thoughts, as he might to a frightened animal. But once they left Yavin 4, Raynar’s agitation in, creased minute by minute. By the time the Shadow Chaser made its jump to hyperspace, Jacen felt edgy himself.
Even the normally patient Master Sky walker turned with a strained smile and said, “I can take it from here, Jacen. Why don’t you two go in the back and practice a few Jedi relaxation exercises? I’ll call you when we’re ready to make our rendezvous with the fleet.”
“I’m not sure I can relax,” Raynar said.
But when Jacen unbuckled his crash webbing and headed back toward the crew compartment, the other young man obediently followed.
Before Jacen could leave the cockpit, however, Raynar turned back. “Master Skywalker, are you sure you have the coordinates right?”
“I programmed them in myself from your notes when you decoded the transmission,” Luke said, and when Raynar seemed about to ask for more details, he added, “Jaina and Lowbacca confirmed coordinates for both the Shadow Chaser and the Rock Dragon. We’re fine.”
The answer appeared to satisfy Raynar, who finally let Jacen lead him into the back. Jacen took a deep breath, held it for a few heartbeats, and slowly released it.
Then, to break the tension, he said, “I guess you’re pretty scared.”
Raynar sat down, shoulders hunched over, and stared at the deckplates. “How would you feel if somebody in your family was missing and maybe even dead?”
From the astromech station, Artoo-Detoo whistled a mournful note.
Jacen gave a humorless laugh. “Believe it or not, that situation isn’t completely uncommon in my family. I know how you feel.”
Raynar looked up at Jacen. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth! “Yeah, I guess you do at that.”
An hour later when Luke called them back to the cockpit, both boys were more relaxed. Raynar even attempted a joke or two. Jacen already knew the punch lines, but he laughed anyway because it was so funny to hear the normally pompous boy working so hard to use humor. The kid wasn’t too bad, Jacen decided, but he needed a little. work on his timing and delivery.