Razor's Edge: Star Wars (Empire and Rebellion) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Sarit’s?” Leia snapped, knowing she was being unfair. She wasn’t pleased with the idea that someone had apparently decided that an intervention was needed and that Han was the best one to approach the monster in its lair.
    â€œThe whole crew took a vote.” Han tossed and caught the data card. “I’ll get this sent as soon as we come out of hyperspace.”
    â€œThank the crew for me,” Leia said, trying to be cool and cutting but knowing she just sounded grumpy. “And Han, don’t mention to anyone else that Arnot Station is where we’re meeting Davit. Not yet. Just that it’s the nearest port we can reach.”
    Han frowned. “All right. Got a reason for that, or just paranoia?”
    â€œParanoia,” Leia admitted. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the less was said about the meeting with Davit, the better. And restricting as much information as possible might help her isolate the intel leak once they got back to the fleet.
    Han said, “Welcome to the club, Your Worship,” and sauntered away.
    Leia wanted to call a cutting remark after him, but her head hurt too much at the moment to let her think of a good one. She was even too disgruntled to watch the movement of Han’s hips as he walked away down the corridor. Not that she should be watching that at all, she reminded herself.
    She took a deep breath, composed her thoughts, and then, deliberately using the all-ship comm this time, gave the crew the update on the hyperdrive’s status and their intention to head for Arnot Station.
    â€œSolo.”
    â€œWhat?” Han was sitting on his heels on the floor of the main engineering bay, checking the sensor diagnostics for the alluvial dampers. He glanced up to see Kifar Itran looming over him.
    Han swore wearily under his breath and pushed to his feet.
    Itran was a big man with a strong build, so much so that he might have had ancestors from a world with higher-than-normal gravity. His facial features and heavy brow were equally strong, and his skin had a faint orange tint to it, echoed in streaks in his short shock of brown hair. “Was this your idea?” he asked belligerently.
    That kind of attitude was about all Han needed right now. He was tired, and he had gotten lightly singed when the energy pulse had lit up the laser cannon controls. He also didn’t like being cornered against the panel behind him. He took a step forward, making Itran fall back. Han stepped past him and leaned his hip against the workbench. “You want to argue about the dampers again? It’s working.”
    â€œNot about that. I know you went up to talk to Her Highness.”
    Han eyed him, trying to decide if the “Her Highness” was sarcasm or Itran’s idea of how one politely referred to Leia Organa. Han had no problem with sarcastically addressing Leia, but he preferred to do it to her face, when she could take a shot back at him. Itran kept his expression straight, so Han decided he didn’t have to take any precipitate action. He said, “So?”
    â€œWas it your idea to go on to this station? We should be staying put, calling for help from the fleet.”
    Han gestured pointedly around at the panels, some of which were still smoking. “Nice that you think we should stay put and give the Imperials a chance to find us, but the rest of us want to live.”
    Itran persisted, “Was it your idea?”
    â€œThe Princess doesn’t need me to get ideas. She knows what she’s doing.” Han had run into this kind of trouble off and on. He knew he had never matched the Alliance’s profile of a new recruit and that to them he looked an awful lot like somebody who would sell them all to the Empire for a quick credit. Telling them that it was just another job to him didn’t help. Telling himself it was just another job didn’t help, either.
    â€œFrom what I’ve heard, this whole mission was