Han opened the inner pocket of his vest and took out a much folded, aging piece of flimsy. Opening it, he read the first line: Dearest Han, You don't deserve for this to happen, and all I can say is, I'm sorry. I love you, but I can't stay ....

Han's mouth twisted, then he folded the flimsy again and shoved it back into his pocket. Until last year, just before the Battle of Nar Shaddaa, he'd thought that Bria must have gone crawling back to the Ylesians, un-able to live without the Exultation.

And then he'd encountered her, gorgeously gowned and coiffed, in Moff Sam Shild~ fancy penthouse on Coruscant. She'd called Shild "darling" and there had been every indication that she'd been the Moff's concu-bine. Han had done his best to despise her ever since. The idea that Bria might have actually loved the Moff never entered his head... he knew who she still loved. When she'd first seen him she'd gone pale, and it was still there, in her eyes, though she'd tried to disguise it ....

Moff Shild had committed suicide shortly after the Battle of Nar Shaddaa. The news-vids had been full of it. Vids of his memoriM service (and Han had watched them deliberately) had shown no glimpse of Bria, though.

And now... to find out that she ~ some kind of Rebel agent for CoreUia... Hah thought. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered whether that was what Bria had been doing in Moff Shild~ house-hold. Had she been a Rebel intelligence operative, as-signed to spy on the Moff, and, through him, the Empire?

It made sense. Han didn't like it, but he found that he had more respect for Bria if she'd been sleeping with the Moff to gain information, than if she'd just been what she appeared to be-a spoiled, gorgeous plaything.

He wondered what she was doing, now that the Moff was dead. Visiting planets and helping their under-ground Rebel movements get organized, obviously.

Also... Hah had heard that a year or so ago, a group of human Rebels had hit Ylesia, attacking Colony Three and rescuing about a hundred slaves. Could Bria have been involved with that?

The way Katarra and the other Wookiees talked about her, she was some kind of warrior saint, risking her life to bring them arms and ammo from the Corel-lian rebels. And Kashyyyk was an Imperial slave world.

Han remembered how betrayed she'd been when she'd realized that the Ylesian religion was a hokey bunch of fake mumbo-jumbo. She'd been furious and bitter. She'd hated the fact that, in the s.p.a.ce of a sec-ond, she'd been altered from Pilgrim to slave. In the years since that horrifying realization; had she taken that fury and translated it into action against the Yle-sians and the Empire's slavers?

Han Solo hadn't lacked for female company since Bria, by any means. Back on Nar Shaddaa, Hah and Salla Zend had been an item for more than two years now. Salla was a spirited, exciting woman, an expert tech and mechanic as well as a skilled pilot and smug-gler. She and Hah had so many things in common-and one of the foremost things that characterized their af-fair was that neither of them was interested in anything but having a good time-while it lasted.

Han's relationship with Salla was something that he could count on, without it getting in the way. They'd never made any promises to each other about anything, and that was the way they both liked it.

Han had often wondered whether he really loved Salla-or she him. He knew he cared for her, would do almost anything for her, but love? It was safe to say that he'd never felt about her or any woman the way he'd felt about Bria.

But I was a kid then, he reminded himself. Just a reckless kid, who didn't know any better than to faU like a ton ofneutronium. Now I'm a lot smarter....

As he sat musing in his corner, Kallabow, Chew-bacca's sister, who had been rushing back and forth with platters for the coming wedding feast, suddenly stopped, hands on hips, and glared at him. Then she beckoned to him, exclaiming indignantly. Han got to his feet. "Hey, of course I ain't hiding," he said, in re-sponse. "I was just tryin' to stay outta the way. Is every-thing ready?"

Kallabow agreed emphatically that everything was ready, and Han should come now.

Han followed Chewie's sister out into the sunlight amid the rustling treetops. As he walked, Jarik fell into step with him. The kid had stayed pretty close by Han~ side, since he didn't understand Wookiee, and, unless Han was around, could only speak to Ralrra. "So, this is it?" he asked Han.

"This is apparently it, kid," Han said. "Chewie~ mo-ments of freedom are numbered."

Kallabow, catching Han's words, gave the human males a scathing glance and an indignant, "Huuuuum-mmmpppppphhhhhhh!" that needed no translation. Han chuckled. "We better be careful, kid. She could break us both in two without half tryin'."

The Wookiee femme led them down one of the bough-roads that was as wide as a street on some worlds. They were headed away from the city, deeper into the treetop area where many Wookiees had built homes. Malla's house, Han had gathered, was one of the tree-house-type places, since she lived where she could be close to her work.

Within minutes, they branched off onto another trail, then another. "Wonder where we're going?" Jarik said, uneasily. "I'm lost. If she left us out here, I wouldn't have a clue as to how to get back to Rwookrrorro. Would you?"

Han nodded. "Remind me to brush you up on your navigation skills, kid," he said. "But if Kallabow walks us much farther, I'm gonna be too tired to party."

The little party turned onto yet another, smaller trail, and 'ahead of them, Han and Jarik could see many Wookiees gathered. They walked, then the trail came to an abrupt end.

The wroshyr branch that they were standing on had been sheared off in some manner, and plunged down to rest atop lower branches. With the ma.s.sive branch weighing the nearby treetops down, the effect was like looking out across a vast green va~ey-breathtaking. Rounded green hills rose in soft swells to the west. The yellow sun shone down, bright as a beacon, and every-where there were birds wheeling through the air. "Hey..." Hah said to Kallabow. "Nice view."

She nodded, and explained that this was a sacred place to Wookiees. Here, with this vista before them, they could truly appreciate the grandeur of their world.

The ceremony was ready to begin. There was no priest to officiate; Wookiee couples married themselves. Hah walked up to stand beside Chewbacca, then gave his friend, who appeared more than a bit nervous, a re-a.s.suring grin, and reached up to ruffle the Wookieeg head-fur. "C'mon, relax," he said. "You're gettin' a great girl, pal."

Chewie replied that he knew that quite well... he just hoped he could remember his lines!

As they stood at the end of the trail, with a crowd of Wookiees between them and the pathway leading back to Rwookrrorro, the crowd suddenly parted in the mid-dle. Mallatobuck paced down the trail toward them.

She was covered from head to foot in a sheer veil of silvery gray. The veil was so light, so translucent, it 'al-most appeared that she was clothed in some glimmer-ing energy field. But as she came up beside Chewie, Hah could tell that the veil-was actually some kind of knit or woven fabric, 'almost completely transparent. Han could see Mallag blue eyes clearly through her bridal veil.

Han listened intently as Chewie and Malla ex-changed vows. Yes, they loved each other beyond all other beings. Yes, each otherg honor was as dear to them as their own, Yes, they promised to be faithful to each other. Yes, death could part them, but could not end their love.

The life-power was with them, they said. The life-power would make their union strong, and they would be complete... together. The life-power would be with them ... always.

Hah felt a wave of unaccustomed solemnity wash over him. For a moment, he almost envied Chewie. He could see love shining in Mallatobuck~ eyes, and felt a pang. n.o.body had ever loved him that much. Except rrmybe Dewlanna, he thought, remembering the Wookiee widow who had raised him.

Bria... he'd used to think she loved him that much.

But she sure had a funny way of showing it ....

Now Chewie was raising Malla% veil, and clutching her to him. They rubbed their cheeks together tenderly. Then, with a huge, triumphant roar, Chewie picked her up and swung her around as though she were child-sized instead of a grown Wookiee only a little shorter than he was.

The crowd of Wookiees broke into a chorus of hoots, roars and howls of appreciation.

"Well," said Hah to Jarik, "guess that~ it!"

But the wedding celebration was far from over. The honored couple was escorted to tables in the treetops that groaned with every kind of Wookiee delicacy. Hah and Jarik moved among the tables, sampling cautiously, for Wookiees tended to serve most meats raw. Some were cooked, but even there humans had to be cau-tious. Wookiees enjoyed highly seasoned foods-and some were spicy and hot enough to damage a human gullet.

Han examined the tables and introduced Jarik to many "safe" WooBee delicacies: Xachibik broth, a thick meat, herb and spice combination... Vrortik "c.o.c.ktail," a layered dish that combined various meats and layers of wroshyr leaves that had been soaked in potent grakkyn nectar for weeks . . . Factryn meat pie, frozen Gorrnar, chyntuck rings, and fried Klak ....

There were 'also salads and flatbreads, plus forest-honey cakes and a.s.sorted chilled fruit delicacies.

Han advised Jarik against partaking of the various types of spirits being pa.s.sed around. The Corellian knew from painful experience how potent Wookiee liquor could be. There were many kinds: accarragm, cortyg, garrmorl, grakkyn and Thikkiian brandy, to name a few.

"Take my advice, kid," Han said. "Wookiees know how to make homebrew that will put a human on the floor in minutes. I'm sticking to gorimn wine and Gralinyn juice."

"But the children drink Gralinyn juice," Jarik protested. "And this other stuff..."

"Jaar," Han said. "Sweetened alcoari milk and vineberry extract. Itb too sweet for my taste, but you might like it."

Jarik was looking longingly at a huge flask of Thikki-Jan brandy. Hah shook his head warningly. "Kid . . . don't. I ain't takin' care of you if you wind up sick as a poisoned mulack-pup."

The youth made a face, but then picked up a cup of the gorimn wine. "Okay, I guess you know what you're talkin' about."

Han smiled and they clinked their gla.s.ses. "Trust me." A few minutes later, as Han stood off by himself, holding a plate of barbecued trakkrrrn ribs and a spicy salad garnished with rilllrrnnn seeds, a dark-brown Wookiee who seemed vaguely familiar-though the Corellian was sure he'd never met him before-walked up to him. The Wookiee stood there, studying Han, and then introduced himself.

Han nearly dropped his plate. "You're Dewlan-namapiab son?" he cried. "Hey? Putting his plate and cup down hastily, he grabbed the Wookiee male in an excited hug. "Hey, guy, I'm so glad to meet you! Whatb your name?"

The Wookiee returned ttanb embrace, replying that he was called Utchakkaloeh. Hah stood back, looking at him, and found that his eyes were stinging. Chakk (or so he asked to be called), seemed equally moved, as he told Hah that he had hoped to meet him, partly because he hoped the human could tell him how his mother had died.

Hah swallowed. "Chakk, your morn died a hero," he said. "I wouldn't be a~ve today it if wasn't for her. She was one brave Wookiee. She died a warrior's death, fighting. A guy named Garris Shrike shot and killed her, but... he~ dead, too."

Chakk wanted to know whether Hah had killed Shrike in order to avenge his motherb death. "Not ex-actly," Hah said. "Someone else got him first. But I put a good hurtin' on him, before he bought it."

Chakk rumbled his approval. He told Han that he felt Han was an adopted brother, since they had shared the same mother. All of his motherb communications during her days aboard Trader} Luck had been full of anecdotes about the little human boy who loved her wastril bread, and who wanted so much to become a pilot.

"Well, Chakk," Hah said, "Dewlanna never lived to see it, but I am a pilot today. And my best friend in all the universe is a Wookiee .... "

Chakk guffawed, and then told Han that he and Chewbacca were distantly related through a second cousin three times removed who had emigrated to Rwookrrorro and married Chewbacca's great-auntb niece. Han blinked. "Distant... uh, yeah. Well, thatg great. Just one big happy family."

Hah led Chakk over to the bridegroom and intro-duced him to Chewie, explaining the situation. Chew-bacca roared his welcome of Hang "adopted brother" and thumped Chakk soundly on the back.

The celebration continued far into the night. Wook-ices danced, sang, and played wooden instruments that had been handed down in their families for generations. Hah and Jarik celebrated with them, until the humans were so exhausted, and so tipsy, that they wound up curling up beneath one of the ma.s.sive tables and falling asleep.

When Hah awoke in the morning, the celebration was over, and Chewie and Malla, he was informed, had gone off into the woods for that time of privacy that was the Wookiee equiv',dent of a honeymoon. Hah was sorry . . . in a couple of days his negotiations with Katarra would be concluded, the Falcon would be re-loaded with her new cargo, and he'd be leaving Kashyyyk. He wouldn't get to tell Chewie goodbye.

But you couldn't expect a guy to remember his best friend on his wedding night, Hah mused, with a hint of regret. Besides, he fully intended to come back to Kashyyyk again, so it wasn't as though he'd said good-bye to Chewie forever....

Safe in the privacy of his office on Nal Hutta, Durga the Hutt wriggled closer to Myk Bidlorg holo-image as it solidified. His bulbous, slit-pupiled eyes protruded even further in his eagerness as he demanded, "You have news about the autopsy results? You have identi-fied the substance?"

"Your Excellency, this substance was so rare that we could not at first identify it, or be certain as to its ef-fects," the senior forensic specialist looked tired and harried-as though he really had been working night and day, as he claimed. "But our tests on that substance, and our tracing of it, is now conclusive. Yes, the sub-stance is a poison. We have traced its origin to the planet Malkii."

"The Malkite poisoners!" Durga exclaimed. "Of course! Secret a.s.sa.s.sins who specialize in exotic and al-most undetectable poisons... who else could come up with a substance that would prove fatal to a Hutt? My people are very difficult to poison .... "

"I am aware of that, Your Excellency," Myk Bidlor said. "And this substance-so rare that we have been unable to find a name for it-is one of their crowning achievements in toxins. We call it X-1 for want of a bet-ter name."

"And X-1 does not occur in nature anywhere on Nal Hutta," Durga said, wanting to make absolutely sure. "This could not possibly have been an accident."

"No, Your Excellency. X-1 must have been deliber-ately administered to Lord Aruk." "Administered? How?"

"We cannot be certain, but ingestion seems the most likely method."

"Someone fed my parent a fatal dose of poison," Durga said, his voice going cold and deadly with rage. "Someone is going to pay... and pay... and pay."

"Uh... not exactly, Your Excellency." The special-ist licked his lips nervously. "The scheme was not nearly so... obvious . . . as that. It was actually... rather ingenious."

If it was that clever, it must certainly have been a Hutt, Durga thought. He glared at the scientist. "What, then?"

"The substance is deadly in large quant.i.ties, Lord Durga. But in small quant.i.ties, it would not kill. Instead, it would concentrate in the brain tissues, causing the victim to experience a progressive deterioration of the thought processes. And the substance is 'also highly addictive. Once the victim grew accustomed to ingesting it in high enough doses, the abrupt withdrawal of the substance would cause the symptoms you described wracking pain, convulsions, and death." He took a breath. "And that, Lord Durga, is why your parent died. Not from the X-1 in his ~stem... but from its abrupt withdrawal."

"How long," Durga said, gritting the words out, "would this substance have to have been given to my parent for him to become addicted to it?"

"I would suspect a period of a few months, Lord Durga, but I cannot say for certain. Weeks, at mini-mum. It would take time to build up the dosage until the withdrawal would prove quickly fatal." The special-ist hesitated. "Lord Durga, our investigations also re-vealed that X-1 is very expensive. It is produced from the stamens of a type of plant that grows only on one world in the galaxy-and the location of that world is a sworn secret held by the Malkite Poisoners. So only a person or persons of great wealth could have purchased enough of it to kill your parent."

"I see," Durga said, after a moment. "Continue with any tests that may shed further light on the subject, Bidlor. And send me all of your data. I intend to find out just where that X-1 came from."

Bidlor bobbed in a nervous bow. "Certainly, Your Excellency. But . . . sir . . . these investigations are not... inexpensive."

"Price is no object!" Durga snarled. "I must know, and I will pay what it takes to find the truth! I will find the source of that X-l, and I will trace it to whomever fed it to my parent! Besadiig resources are my re-sources! Do you understand, Bidlor?"

The scientist bowed again, more deeply. "Yes, Your Excellency. We will continue to investigate." "See that you do."

Durga broke the connection and then undutated back and forth across his office, fuming. Aruk was mur-dered! I knew it all along! Wealth enough to buy X-1. It has be Desilijic-Jiliac . . . or perhaps Jabba. I will find the one respor~sible fi;r this, and I will kill him or her with my own hands! I swear it to my dead parent-I will have vengeance ....

Over the next ten days, Durga had all the servants in the palace interrogated ruthlessly-especially the cooks. Though several died during questioning, there was no evidence to indicate that any of them had been tampering with Aruk's meals.

The young Hutt Lord neglected his other duties ms he attended each interrogation session. His rival, Zier, came to visit him toward the end of the sessions, and arrived just as droids were bearing away the limp corpse of a t'landa Til female who had served as a minor ad-ministrative clerk for Besadii.

The elder Hurt looked disdainfully at the huge, four-legged body as it was borne out by the droids. "How many does that make?" he asked, with more than a touch of sarcasm.

Durga glared at Zier. He'd have loved to have linked the other Besadii to Arukg death, but Zier had been on Nar Hekka overseeing Besadii interests until a few months ago, when he'd been recalled home after Arukg death. When he'd first turned up, Durga had had Zier investigated thoroughly, but there was not even the smallest hint of a link between him and Arukg murder. For one thing, Zier, though well-off, did not possess nearly the financial resources to purchase large quanti-ties of X-1. And there had been no unusual withdrawals from his accounts.

"Four," the young Hutt snapped. "They do not have our strength, cousin. It is no wonder the lesser races bow to us... they arefar inferior physically, as well as mentally."

Zier sighed. "I must say I will miss that Twi'lek chef of yours," he said. "He prepared filets of mulblatt larvae in fregon-blood sauce superbly." He sighed again.

Durga's huge mouth turned down. "Chefs can be re-placed," he said shortly.

"Has it occurred to you, my dear cousin, that the forensic specialist you hired might be wrong in his conclusions?"

"He and his team are the best to be had," Durga said. "Their references were excellent. They have per-formed investigations for the Emperor's top military aides ... even Governor Tarkin."

Zier nodded. "A good recommendation," he admit-ted. "From what I hear, the governor is not an official to disappoint if one wishes to live." "That is what they say."

"Still, cousin . . . is it possible that you have de-manded of this team that they find evidence of murder, and so they have? Whether or not it is true?"

Durga considered that for a moment. "I do not be-lieve that," he said, finally. "The evidence is there. I have seen the lab reports."

"Lab reports can be faked, cousin. Also . . . in your obsession, you have spent a great many credits. These scientists are earning much from Besadii. It is possible that they do not wish this stream of credits to end."

Durga faced his cousin. "I am certain that the team has reported their findings accurately. As to the cost... Aruk was the head of all Besadii. Isn't it proper to find out what really happened? Lest others think we can be killed with impunity?"

Zier's pointed tongue ran slowly across the lower part of his mouth as he thought. "Perhaps you are right, cousin. However... I would suggest that in order for you to not be regarded as a reckless spendthrift, you be-gin paying for this investigation out of your own per-sonal funds, rather than Besadii operating capital. If you agree to this, no more will be said. If you do not... well, there is a clan meeting approaching. As a consci-entious clan leader, it is my duty to comment on our fi-nancial report."

Durga glared at his cousin.

Zier glared back. "And... cousin... if any accidents befall me, it will go the worse for you. I have filed copies of the financial reports in places you have no way of discovering. They will be produced should I die-no matter how much it might seem that I perished of natu-ral causes."

The younger Hutt resisted the urge to order his guards to shoot Zier. Hutts were notoriously hard to kill, and another death might well cause all of Besadii to rise up against him.

Durga drew a deep breath. "Perhaps you are right, cousin," he said, finally. "From this day forward, I will personally finance the investigation."

"Good," Zier said. "And... Durga. In your parent% ab-sence I feel I must give you the benefit of my experience."

If Durga had possessed teeth, he would have ground them together in rage. "Go on," he said.

"Black Sun, Durga. It is an open secret that you used their resources to consolidate your power. I caution you against doing so again. One cannot just employ Black Sun and then walk away. Their services are... expensive."

"They have been fully compensated for their ser-vices," Durga said tightly. "I am not such a fool as you think, Zier."

"Good," the other Hutt Lord said. "I am glad to hear that. I was worried about you, dear cousin. Any Hutt who would rid himself of such a chef-on a whim-is suspect."