
Think, Han told himself. Work it out. Why would Thracken want him alive? Wait a second. Why were
any of them alive? It was obvious that the Human League had deliberately timed its phony uprising to
coincide with the trade summit, when lots of off-planet movers and shakers would be on Corellia. And all
of those brass were staying in the Governor-General's residence, Corona House. If the League had
wanted to, it could have blown the building to smithereens, killing everyone inside, decapitating the
planetary government at a stroke, and killing theNewRepublic 's Chief of State as well.
But they had done no such thing. Han had been at Corona House when the assault came. In his best
judgment, it had been a clumsily executed surgical strike, not a bungled decapitation attempt. It was clear
that the League had intended to bottle up the Governor-General and Leia and the rest of the higher-ups
in Coronet House by sealing off all the exits and burying them in rubble. That Han had managed to
escape was a testament to their incompetence, not their intent.
It was hard to escape the notion that Thracken wanted Leia and the others for use as bargaining chips,
hostages. Suddenly Han understood.
His cousin was keeping him alive in hopes of using him to ensure Leia’s cooperation in whatever plots
he was hatching. But if he needed something from Leia, that meant Thracken Sal-Solo was not the
master of all he surveyed, all bluster to the contrary. Han grinned, and this time he wasn't trying to
pretend. "There's no reason at all to keep me alive," Han said. "None whatsoever. At least there isn't if
you don't care how upset the Chief of State gets. And if she tends to get real angry when members of her
family are murdered in cold blood." Thracken was suddenly angry. "I don't need your Chief of State," he
snapped.
"Then why did you work so hard to capture her?" Han demanded. "Why was the revolt timed for the
beginning of the trade summit?"
"Quiet!" Thracken half shouted. "I'll ask the questions around here. One more word out of you about
your wife and I swear I'll kill you myself, here and now, no matter how much I need you alive."
Han said nothing, but simply smiled, knowing that he had won and that Thracken knew it. Han had
called his bluff. Thracken glared at him and drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "I had forgotten
just how much you used to drive me crazy," he said. "But I think I can at least remind you that it is not
wise to try and score points off me. Besides," he said, gesturing to the men lining the two sides of the
room, "my officers have been working very hard and they deserve some recreation."
Thracken smiled again, and, if anything, it was an even more unpleasant expression than it had been the
last time. "Honor detail may stand at ease," Thracken said, keeping his eyes squarely on Han.
The thugs-in-uniform relaxed, shifted their feet, and smiled at each other with a certain nasty
eagerness. "Captain Falco, instruct the keepers to send the other prisoner in."
One of the greasier-looking officers saluted and said, "Yes, sir." He pulled a comlink out of his pocket
and spoke into it. "Send it in Sergeant."
There was a moment of pause, one that Han did not enjoy at all. Then, faintly at first, but gradually
getting louder, Han could hear muffled footsteps coming from behind him, from beyond the door he had
come through. Han turned to face the door, and backed away from it. Doing so put Thracken directly
behind him, but it seemed to Han that, all things considered, his cousin was dangerous no matter where
he was. He was, at any rate, the danger Han knew. Best to concentrate on the danger he didn't know.