5.

FAT SNOWFLAKES FELL in skirting patterns of white against white. There was ice and snow as far as the eye could see on the frozen mountains of Coruscant's polar ice caps. Jaina's exhaled breath produced small puffs of fog in front of her face. Her nose and throat tingled with cold as she inhaled, reveling in the feeling.

The crisp air was fresh and clean and delicious.

The tauntaun beneath her, however, smelled bad. The creature was supposed to be well behaved, but Jaina didn't think the Bothan stable manager at the polar corrals spent any more time training the wild arctic animals than he did bathing them.

The tauntaun was a white-furred reptile with curved horns jutting from its head. It ran on muscular three-toed hind legs designed to crunch across the snow at high speed. The animals were native to the ice world of Hoth, where the Rebel Alliance had long ago established a secret base. In recent years, though, an enterprising stable manager had transported a few of the beasts to Coruscant's ice caps, intending to offer tauntaun riding as an activity for winter sports enthusiasts who came to the north pole.

But the tauntauns had become surly and stubborn after being transplanted from their home, and Jaina couldn't see how riding one was supposed to be fun. Her tauntaun fought the bit in its mouth as she tried to make it keep pace with Jacen and his mount. Anakin stayed closer to their father, who hung back next to Leia. Han Solo had claimed to be an expert rider of the uncooperative tauntauns, but Jaina giggled as she watched her father experience plenty of difficulty as they raced across the snows.

The part Jaina enjoyed most was just being able to spend a few hours away from the bustling city with her family, so they could be kids and their parents could be parents-if only for a little while.

Lowie had already made plans with his uncle Chewbacca, and See-Threepio had offered to spend the day showing Tenel Ka the finest obstacle courses and training facilities that Coruscant had to offer. Before long, she and Jacen and their friends would have to return to the Jedi academy to continue their training, and Han and Leia would get back to their work building the New Republic.

For now, though, they were on vacation.

"Race you," Jacen called, hunching over his tauntaun.

Jaina took up the challenge instantly. "Well then, what are we waiting for?" She leaned forward and jabbed her heels into the side of the snow lizard.

But just as Jacen whooped his own challenge, his tauntaun stopped dead in its tracks and refused to go a centimeter farther.

Jaina's mount lurched forward at full speed, but she wasn't able to gloat over her victory in the race, because she had as much trouble getting her tauntaun to stop as Jacen had getting his to move.

"More soup?" Leia asked, huddling next to the thermal container on the snow.

Jaina shook her head. "Don't think I could eat another bite, Mom."

"Hey, I'd love some more," Jacen said.

"Me too," Anakin chimed in.

"Make that three hungry Solo men," Han Solo added with a lopsided grin, handing his soup cup to Leia. "Never could resist one of your packed lunches."

"Yeah, I can push food-prep b.u.t.tons better than anyone you know," Leia said wryly.

Jaina sighed with contentment, glad just to relax. After the tauntaun riding, they had spent hours turbo-skiing, having s...o...b..ll fights, and building cities in the snow. Now, seated on a thick slab of heat-reflective insulfoam, Jaina spread her arms wide, catching snowflakes on her gloved hands. "I wish we could do this more often," she said.

"Maybe we should," her mother replied.

Anakin slurped the last of his soup. "I'll be coming to the Jedi academy again soon," he said. "We can have more meals together then."

"Oh, that reminds me," Leia said. "Don't forget, I'm hosting a very important banquet tonight for the new amba.s.sador from Karnak Alpha."

"Where's Karnak Alpha?" Jacen asked. "I don't think I've ever heard of it."

"Out beyond the Hapes Cl.u.s.ter near the Core Systems," his mother answered.

"Aren't there still some Imperial strongholds in the Core Systems?" asked Jaina.

"Sure are," Han Solo replied. "That's why your mother thinks this dinner is so important. You'll have to be on your best behavior."

Jacen groaned. "If it's so important, how come we have to be there?"

Leia smiled warmly. "I'd like you to meet the amba.s.sador. Children play a very special part in the society of Karnak Alpha. They are seen as great treasures that grow richer every day. In Karnak society, the more children you have, the more status and honor you gain. Their government even has a children's council."

"Blaster bolts!" Jacen said. "I almost forgot. We invited Zekk over for evening meal tonight."

"Can he come to the banquet too, Mom?" Jaina asked.

Leia looked fl.u.s.tered, an expression Jaina did not often see on her mother's face. "Zekk? Your young friend from the streets?"

"Aren't you always saying that everyone is valuable, no matter what their background is?" Jaina put in, a little defensively.

"Yeeeesss......... Leia said, drawing the word out.

"Please? If you say yes, I'll even let you braid my hair," Jaina offered hopefully. She glanced at her brothers, looking for support, and saw Anakin's face take on that peculiar measuring look it always did when he was solving a problem.

"If they value children so much, won't the amba.s.sador be happy to have another kid join us?" Anakin said.

Leia's face cleared. "Yes, of course-that's right. Your friend Zekk is more than welcome to come. In fact, we'll invite Lowie and Tenel Ka too."

Jaina laughed with relief. "Great! I'll let them know as soon as we get back."

Jacen finished his soup and stood up. "Do we have to leave right away?"

Han consulted his chronometer. "No, we've got an hour or two yet."

"Well, in that case," Jacen said, "I'll race you all to those hills!"

Everyone laughed and dove for their turboskis.

6.

AT THE APPOINTED hour that evening, Zekk arrived at the enormous palace and was ushered inside. New Republic guards checked his name against the approved-visitor list and let him proceed into the elegant corridors, with their high vaulted ceilings. Although he knew his way to Jacen and Jaina's quarters, the uniformed soldiers insisted on "escorting" him, which Zekk found somewhat intimidating.

His new formal clothes were stiff and exceedingly uncomfortable, but he knew that this dinner was an important occasion. He silently vowed not to embarra.s.s anyone. He especially didn't want to disappoint the twins.

Before old Peckhum had departed for his lonely mirror-station duties, he'd helped Zekk select a few items of formal clothing, and - the young man had also gone out trading, bartering some of his best trinkets and artifacts for a particularly slick jacket. Now he felt like a dandy as he rode the turbolift up to the higher levels and wound his way through the maze of corridors to the Chief of State's quarters.

The protocol droid See-Threepio met Zekk at the doorway and hustled him inside, dismissing the soldier escort. "Ah, there you are, young Master Zekk. We must hurry-you're late! We have preparations to make."

Zekk tugged at his uncomfortable formal suit. "What do you mean, 'preparations'? I'm all ready, I'm dressed... what more could you want?"

Threepio tsked through his mouth speaker and brushed the front of Zekk's shirt. "Dear me. These clothes are indeed fine and they are most...

interesting. According to my files they were quite fashionable some decades ago. Quite an historical find, I should say."

Zekk felt a stab of disappointment. He had worked so hard, doing his absolute best to prepare for this special event-and in the s.p.a.ce of a few seconds the prissy droid had dismissed all of his efforts.

Leia Organa Solo hurried out of the back room, her dark eyes widening as she saw him. "Oh... uh, h.e.l.lo Zekk. Glad you could make it." Her gaze seemed to dissect Zekk; he clenched his teeth and tried not to show any embarra.s.sment, though he was sure his cheeks were flushed crimson. His fine suit now seemed as ridiculous to him as a clown's costume.

"I hope I'm not being too much of bother," he stammered. "I didn't mean for Jaina and Jacen to invite me-"

"Don't worry about it," Leia said quickly and smiled. "The amba.s.sador from Karnak Alpha has brought her own brood of children. So please relax.

Just do the best you can."

Threepio returned with a kit of grooming implements. "First, we'll comb your hair, young Master Zekk. Everything must be presentable. This is a matter of diplomatic pride for the New Republic, though I do wish I could have located those old files about the customs on Karnak Alpha. The place seems to have been forgotten by my protocol programmers." He fussed over Zekk's hair. "Dear me, you could certainly use a trim! Hmmmm, I wonder if we have time..."

Jaina and Jacen came out to greet their friend as he stood soundlessly enduring the golden droid's over-attentive ministrations. Jacen's hair seemed awkwardly straight, his face scrubbed so clean that Zekk barely recognized the boy.

"h.e.l.lo, Zekk!" Jaina cried with sincere delight, but when she noticed his outfit she covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. He felt his cheeks burning with fresh shame.

When Zekk struggled against the buzzing device, Threepio said sternly, "I am a protocol droid, you know, fully trained in grooming techniques."

Zekk didn't argue, but winced as Threepio cleared a snag in his dark hair.

"I'm not sure this is such a good idea," Zekk said. "I don't know anything about diplomacy. I don't know any manners or etiquette."

Jaina laughed. "That is not important. Just use your common sense and watch what the rest of us do. It's a big diplomatic banquet, and you have to follow all sorts of boring ceremonies, but the food's good. You'll enjoy it."

Zekk didn't point out that it was easy for Jaina to say such things, since she had been brought up in this high political society and trained in the proper responses for so many years that such actions were second nature to her. Zekk, though, had no such instruction. This whole dinner was going to be a disaster, he just knew it.

See-Threepio finally gave up on his attempts to comb out Zekk's hair and shook his gleaming head in exasperation. "Oh, dear. I have a bad feeling about this," he sighed. Zekk couldn't argue with him.

Tenel Ka followed the group as they filed toward the formal dining chamber, conscious of her every movement. This was an important diplomatic function, and she had been well tutored by her harsh grandmother in the plush courts of the Hapes Cl.u.s.ter. Tenel Ka was a royal princess, after all, the heir apparent to an entire cl.u.s.ter; but she avoided such nonsense and spent as much as time as possible training instead on her mother's austere world of Dathomir. Tenel Ka's Hapan grandmother strongly disapproved of the path that the princess had chosen to follow, but Tenel Ka had a mind of her own-as she frequently demonstrated.

Now she strode behind Jacen, Jaina, and Zekk, walking next to Lowbacca and the silent younger boy Anakin, as they hurried to the dining chamber.

She wore a short, tight-fitting sheath of colorful reptilian hides, freshly oiled and polished so that they gleamed with her every movement.

Her muscular arms and legs were bare, but she wore a flowing cape of deep forest green over her shoulders.

Tenel Ka had spent many months at the Jedi academy in the primitive jungles of Yavin 4, and before that she had lived in the cliff cities of the Singing Mountain Clan. It had been a long time since she'd been spoiled with luxuries, but she viewed the formal evening meal with the Karnak amba.s.sador as another challenge to face.

Lowbacca had been shampooed and dyed, his fur neatly combed so that he seemed much thinner than usual without his swirling hair sticking out in all directions. The black streak that swept back above his eyebrow had been slicked down, giving him a dashing appearance... for a Wookiee.

See-Threepio strutted ahead of Leia and Han as if he were an escort. New Republic guards stood beside the entrance to the great dining hall and swung the doors wide as they approached. Clasping Han Solo's arm, Leia walked in, regal in her fine white robes. Though small of stature, the Chief of State seemed full of energy and confidence, like a battery overcharged with power. Tenel Ka admired her.

Their timing was exactly right. As they pa.s.sed into the dining hall from one end, the opposite entrance opened, and the amba.s.sador from Karnak Alpha entered, followed by her train of eight children.

The amba.s.sador was a haystack of tan hair, a mound of fur that grew so long that it obscured every other feature of her body. Not even the amba.s.sador's eyes were visible peeping out from between the strands, as she scuttled forward on feet also hidden by her flowing tresses. The amba.s.sador took her place at the head of the table beside the seat reserved for the Chief of State. Leia sat down, with her husband next to her.

The amba.s.sador's children, all eight of them, were miniature versions of her, heaps of hair that bustled to their seats. The girls' fur was knotted into colorful ribbons, while the boys jingled with bells tied to strands of hair. All of them seemed well-groomed and impeccably behaved as they took their seats along one side of the table.

Tenel Ka was glad she had thought to braid colorful ribbons into her own red-gold hair. She had seen natives of Karnak Alpha during her time at the royal court of Hapes. The hairy creatures were shy and had some unusual customs, but they were relatively easygoing.

Tenel Ka sat beside Lowbacca, while Jacen and Jaina took their dark-haired friend Zekk to the front end of the long polished table. Their little brother Anakin, with his eerie ice-blue eyes, seemed content to sit anywhere they directed him, quietly waiting for his place between Lowbacca and Jacen.

See-Threepio moved up and down the line, fussing over items and reveling in his position. This type of duty was, after all, what a protocol droid was programmed for-not for bravery or adventure, but for intricate diplomatic functions.

In front of each gleaming plate sat a crystalline vase containing a cl.u.s.ter of fresh, rich smelling greens, exotic plants taken from some of Coruscant's botanical gardens-interesting specimens that formed a lovely bouquet for each honored visitor.

Before the start of the meal, Leia gave a carefully rehea.r.s.ed speech, welcoming the amba.s.sador and expressing her wish for a long and fruitful relationship based on commerce, mutual respect, and support. She whispered to Threepio, and the droid disappeared into an alcove, only to reemerge a moment later carrying a small package. Tenel Ka immediately recognized an incubator sheath wrapped around a smooth ovoid object.

"Hey, that's the hawk-bat egg we rescued!" Jacen said, unable to stop himself.

Leia smiled and nodded. "Yes, and I suppose the amba.s.sador may appreciate the gift even more, now that she knows it was found by the very children she is dining with."

The Karnak amba.s.sador trembled with excitement, her long hair jiggling, as Lela explained. "Madam Amba.s.sador, we know very little about your culture-but we do know that you have a great love for unusual zoological specimens. We have heard reports of your magnificent holographic dioramas and huge alternate-environment zoos where the animals don't even realize they are in a cage. As a diplomatic gift to you and your people, we present to you this rare and precious hawk-bat egg, one of the most difficult-to-catch creatures native to Imperial City. Very few of them are in captivity."

Delighted, the Karnak Alpha amba.s.sador cooed. "This will surely be a wonderful addition to our rarities."

"But you have to take special care of it," Jacen chided. "I promised its mother personally!"

The hairy amba.s.sador didn't seem to find the comment at all strange. "I give you my solemn promise." Then the amba.s.sador responded with her own rehea.r.s.ed speech, her mouth moving somewhere between the strands of fur as she echoed the sentiments Leia had expressed.

Meanwhile, her children, little wriggling piles of hair, sat impatient and hungry for the meal, while Jacen, Jaina, and the other young Jedi Knights similarly felt their stomachs growling. Han Solo squirmed restlessly beside Leia in his formal clothes, as if chafing under his stiff collar and his medals of military service. Tenel Ka felt sympathy for him.

See-Threepio came into the room, strutting beside a trundle droid that carried a beaten silver tray of ornate plates piled high with scrumptious-looking cuisine, beautifully garnished and displayed. Out of normal political courtesy, the golden droid marched toward the head of the table while Leia and the Karnak amba.s.sador made the appropriate appreciative sounds, showing how impressed they were with the exquisite food.

Tenel Ka watched See-Threepio move directly toward the amba.s.sador, picking up one of the larger plates from the trundle droid's tray. She knew instantly that Threepio meant to offer the first meal to the amba.s.sador-which was a terribly rude thing to do, according to Karnak custom.

In one quick, fluid motion she sprang to her feet and called across the table. "Excuse me, See-Threepio," she said. "If you would allow me?" She hurried to one end of the table as the droid stopped, completely at a loss as to what to do. One by one, Tenel Ka removed the plates from the tray and reverently set them in front of each of the amba.s.sadors children, starting with the smallest-and presumably the youngest-furball.

Princess Leia looked at Tenel Ka, surprised but reserving judgment. The Karnak amba.s.sador made a motion that must have been a bow of her head.

"Why, thank you, young lady. You do us a great honor. This is an unexpected observance of our customs."

Tenel Ka nudged See-Threepio and moved him around to the other side of the table, where she tapped Anakin on the shoulder. She handed the boy a plate, then whispered into his ear.

Anakin-without argument or question-stood up, dutifully moved down the table, and presented the next plate of food to the Karnak amba.s.sador.

The amba.s.sador chirped with surprise. "I am most honored, Chief of State, " she said to Leia, "that you would choose your youngest to serve me."

"I-thank you," Leia said, uncertain of what else to say.

Tenel Ka stood behind Leia, nodding. Her braided red-gold hair fell forward. "Yes, Amba.s.sador," she said. "We wished to show you honor by respecting the customs of Karnak Alpha, that a young member of the household provides for the guest's children, before a child of the host family serves the most honored adult guest."