Then why do you feel so guilty, sister?

In his most private of chambers, Xizor sat alone on a pad in the otherwise bare room, eyes closed, fingers interlaced in his lap. His breathing was deep and regular, his mind clear. He began to concentrate as he called upon his special hormonal abilities.

The attractants in him built, began to seep from his pores. His pheromones came forth, colorless, odorless, save to receptors carried by humanoid females. To the bearer of those small organelles hidden and nearly invisible inside the olfactory channels, the attractants would be overwhelming; they would carry a compulsion stronger than a hypnotic command.

There was no way to stop the color of his skin from shading into the red.

No matter. She wouldn't care what color he was, once she felt him call to her.

He had given her but a taste of them before. Now he would set before her a banquet. One she could not refuse.

He took a deep breath, let it out. Almost ready. The coldness was there, but soon, soon-soon the pa.s.sion would be set free.

He smiled.

Artoo and Threepio held a quiet conversation in the lounge. Luke, on his way to the galley to fix the meal he'd never gotten to, paused and looked at the droids.

"Something up?"

Threepio said, "Artoo is a bit worried about Princess Leia. I told him that she is quite resourceful," Threepio said. "I'm sure she's all right."

Luke shrugged. He went into the galley. In that moment, he had the feeling that Leia, wherever she was, was in great danger.

His hunger vanished. He didn't feel like eating anymore. Maybe he'd better go and have that talk with Lando. Now.

In the c.o.c.kpit, Lando said, "Sorry, buddy, but I'm not supposed to tell you."

"What?"

"The princess wants you on Tatooine, and she said when you asked, to tell you she took care of herself before she met you and she can take care of herself now."

Luke glowered.

"Besides, she's got Chewie with her. He won't let anything happen to her, you know that."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Look, she'll probably get to Tatooine before we do. And she's in charge, remember?" Luke nodded. But he didn't like it. Something felt wrong.

When the door to Xizor's sanctum opened, Leia almost gasped. The crime lord now wore a long, flowing robe done in shades of red that seemed to reflect that color onto his uncovered skin. The clothing could have been made by the same designer who had done her dress. And he wasn't wearing a bodysuit under it. He was big under the thin cloth, hard and muscular, and if there were any visible anatomical differences between him and basic stock humans, she couldn't see them.

He smiled. "Do come in, Princess."

Behind her, Chewie said something. Xizor must have understood it because his smile dropped for an instant before he recovered it. "Perhaps your friend would care to take this time to dine while we conduct our negotiations?"

From Chewie's tone, he would not care for that at all.

Leia had forgotten to tell him that in her room, so defensive had she been about her clothes. Now she said, "Chewie, wait outside."

He really didn't like that.

She turned to face the Wookiee. "Han would trust me here. You should, too."

Chewie wasn't sure, but he shut up. Took a step backward and nearly knocked Howzmin over.

"I'll be fine."

The door slid closed between them.

When she turned back around, Xizor had moved to a small bar behind the leather couch. "Something to drink? Luranian brandy? Green champagne?"

"Tea would be fine, Your Highness." No way she was going to drink anything potent around him. "Call me Xizor, please. We can dispense with t.i.tles, now that we are alone."

Leia watched as Xizor poured her tea. He seemed almost to... glow, and she felt dizzy watching him. She moved to the couch, sat on one end.

Tried to relax but felt a strange tension grip her.

When he rounded the couch to bring her the tea, his hip brushed against the back of her head.

It sent a shock through her, a rush that was kin to dropping in free fall, a stomach-full-of-moths kind of sensation. Whoa!

Xizor handed her the teacup and moved to the other end of the couch and sat. Leia felt a brief pang of disappointment that he hadn't sat closer to her. And a sudden stab of worry at that thought. What was she doing?

She tried to bring an image of Han to mind. But all of a moment, she couldn't see his face. It was as if she had somehow forgotten what he looked like...

Stop this!

Xizor said, "So, the Alliance might be interested in doing business with Black Sun?" He sipped at whatever it was he was drinking.

Leia thought he looked absolutely fascinating as he drank.

She scrambled to collect her thoughts. "Uh, yes, we, that is to say, the Alliance, we have been considering such an alliance."

Alliance considering an alliance? What is the matter with you, Leia? Have you lost your wits?

Xizor seemed to take no notice of her poor choice of language.

"Well, certainly there are advantages to such a... liaison," he said.

Leia felt hot all of a sudden. She wished she hadn't worn the bodysuit.

She had an urge to excuse herself, find a 'fresher, and take the undergarment off. The cloth of the dress would feel so good against her bare skin.

And what would Xizor's hand feel like against her bare skin-?

She shook her head, trying to clear it. This was crazy! She didn't even know him! But he was so, so - so something.

"I-we-the Alliance, we feel that while Black Sun's aims are not the same as ours, the Empire is our mutual enemy."

"Yes, war does make strange bedfellows, doesn't it?" He smiled.

Bedfellows...

"Here, let me warm your tea," he said.

"No, it's fine..."

But he was already up. He bent, lifted her hand with one of his, took the cup from her.

His touch was electric; it sent a charge through heras if she had grabbed a live capacitor node. She gasped.

Again, he seemed to take no notice of what she said.

Time seemed mired in thick mud. Xizor moved away so slowly; sounds seemed muted; Leia felt the heat in her growing. Something was wrong here. She felt, well, she felt too good. As if being here were the best thing inthe universe. Well. Almost the best thing. Xizor needed to forget about that tea and come back; then the best thing would start...

Leia! What is the matter with you? Trouble, sister. Big trouble. You'd better leave. Fast.

But leaving was the last thing she felt like doing.

In hypers.p.a.ce, Vader considered his next move. He had arrived too late to collect Luke, but he had waved the Imperial flag and blown up a small s.p.a.ceport. Whether or not the port had anything to do with the Rebels didn't matter, only that they thought be thought it did, and thus reasoned that the computer they had stolen was important to the Empire.

Half his mission had been accomplished, though to his mind it was the lesser half.

He had no evidence against Xizor, only speculation and rumor. Thirdhand knowledge from a soon-to-beexecuted bounty hunter would hardly be enough to indict one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy. He was convinced, but the Emperor would not be so easily swayed. He needed more before he could move against the Dark Prince.

Well. If there was more to be had, he would have it. Now that he knew what he was looking for.

Xizor leaned over and kissed Leia. Lightly at first, a mere touch of his lips on hers.

Delicious. Amazing. She drank him in, enraptured by his touch.

He pressed harder.

Leia found herself responding to the kiss. Returning it...

She broke away. "No. This isn't right," she said. But she kept one hand on his shoulder. It was hard, powerful, that shoulder, warm under her fingers. No. This was wrong.

"I came... to talk about... Luke Skywalker!"

"In due course. We have more important things to do first." He leaned in and kissed her again. She felt the fire in him. Leia put both her arms around Xizor, returned his fire with her own. Would this be so bad? To let him continue? To save Luke?

Xizor moved his mouth from hers and put his lips on her neck, slid down her shoulder. The dress's strap fell off on that side.

Not just to save Luke. To enjoy this to the fullest, did she want to do that?

She did not. No.

But she did want it, at the same time.

His hands moved on her. Oh, yes...

28.

Xizor pressed his lips against Leia's bare shoulder and felt her shudder with pleasure. He had her now. She was his-if not in mind and spirit, then certainly her body belonged to him. He was a little disappointed in how easy it had been. Ah, well.

He reached for the closure of her dress...

There came a pounding at the door.

What-? Who dared?

Leia jumped, pulled away from him, straightened her rumpled dress. She was breathing fast, and her face was red. Somebody started braying outside. The pounding increased. That blasted Wookiee! Why was he here?

How had Howzmin allowed him to get here? Fl.u.s.tered, Leia said, "I-I'd better see what he wants."

"Stay. I'll get rid of him." Xizor started to rise.

"N-No, I'll do it."

Xizor smiled. Felt her want him. "As you wish."

He watched her get to her feet. She swayed a little as she walked to the door. This was only a temporary setback. She would shoo the Wookiee away and return to him. Once he put a woman under his spell she belonged to him forever.

Leia touched the door controls-Xizor had locked them-and the door slid wide.

The Wookiee gargled at her. Xizor's command of the tongue was imperfect, but he managed to catch the gist of what the tall, furry one said. He wanted Leia to come with him, now.

"I'm in the middle of-of a, a... delicate discussion here," she said.

"Can't it wait?"

Xizor smiled.

The Wookiee ranted some more. Maybe he was smarter than he looked; he knew something was going on that threatened her, if not precisely what. A human standing in the doorway would know by looking at Leia, at least a human with any brains.

Leia turned and glanced at Xizor. "He seems upset," she said. "Maybe I better go and see what he wants?"

Now that he had her under his control, Xizor could do as he wished with her. He toyed with the idea of commanding her to shut the door and to remove her clothes before she returned to the couch. But-no. Such was his belief in his power that he merely shrugged. "As you like. I'll be here."

He made a deliberate pause. "For a little while longer." Let her think that he might be gone if she did not hurry. A small cruelty but a demonstration of his authority. I might be gone, do you want to risk that?

"I-I will-" She stopped. Shook her head as if try-ing to shake off his influence.