Dave Wolverton - Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia

Rave reviews for previous Star Wars adventures:

HEIR TO THE EMPIRE

MOVES WITH A SPEED-OF-LIGHT PACE THAT CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF THE MOVIE TRILOGY SO WELL, YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR JOHN WILLIAMSS SOUNDTRACK.

The Providence Sunday Journal

A SPLENDIDLY EXCITING NOVEL READ AND ENJOY, THE MAGIC IS BACK.

Nashville Banner

CHOCK FULL OF ALL THE GOOD STUFF YOUVE COME TO EXPECT FROM A BATTLE OF GOOD AGAINST EVIL.

New York, Daily News

DARK FORCE RISING

CONTINUES [ZAHNS] REMARKABLE EXTRAPOLATION FROM GEORGE LUCASS TRILOGY.

Chicago Sun-Times

ZAHN HAS PERFECTLY CAPTURED THE PACE AND FLAVOR OF THE STAR WARS MOVIES. THIS IS SPACE OPERA AT ITS BEST.

Sunday Oklahoman

THE LAST COMMAND

INTELLIGENT, FAST-PACED FUN, A WORTHY CONCLUSION TO THE TRILOGY.

Chicago Sun-Times

FILLED WITH CHARACTERISTIC STAR WARS TECHNOLOGY AND COSMIC BATTLES THE DETAIL AND PLOT DEVELOPMENT FAR EXCEED WHAT ARE POSSIBLE IN A TWO-HOUR MOVIE.

The Indianapolis Star

ZAHN HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO THE REGULAR CHARACTERS, CAPTURING THE NUANCES OF THEIR PERSONALITIES TO THE POINT THAT READING THE BOOKS IS LIKE WATCHING THE MOVIES AGAIN AND AGAIN. SIT BACK WITH THIS BOOK AND SAVOR THE FUN AND EXCITEMENT. IT MOVES AT THE PACE OF A STAR DESTROYER IN HYPERSPACE.

The Flint Journal

This edition contains the complete text
of the original hardcover edition.
NOT ONE WORD HAS BEEN OMITTED.

STAR WARS: THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA
A Bantam Spectra Book

PUBLISHING HISTORY
Bantam hardcover edition published May 1994
Bantam paperback edition / May 1995

SPECTRA and the portrayal of a boxed s are trademarks of
Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
All rights reserved.

, TM & 1994 by Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used
Under Authorization.
Cover art by Drew Struzan 1995 by Lucasfilm Ltd.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

For information address: Bantam Books.

eISBN: 978-0-307-79628-8

Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words Bantam Books and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Bantam Books, 1745 Broadway, New York, New York 10019.

v3.1

G eneral Han Solo stood at the command console viewport of the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Mon Remonda. Warning sounds tinkled like wind chimes as the ship prepared to drop out of hyperspace at the New Republics capital on Coruscant. It had been so long since Han had last seen Leia: five months, five months hunting the warlord Zsinjs Super Star Destroyer, Iron Fist. Five months ago, the New Republic had seemed so secure, so in control. Maybe now, with the Iron Fist gone, warlord Zsinj would be crippled and things would go smoother. Han longed to get off the humid Calamarian ship, longed even more for the taste of Leias kisses, the caress of her hand on his brow. Hed seen too much darkness lately.

The white starfield on the screen resolved as the hyperdrive engines cut, and Chewbacca roared in alarm: across the blue velvet of space where the city night lights of Coruscant blazed from a dark world were dozens of enormous, saucer-shaped starships that Han recognized immediately as Hapan Battle Dragons. Among them were dozens of slate gray Imperial Star Destroyers.

Get us out of here! Han shouted. Hed seen a Hapan Battle Dragon only once before, but it had been enough. Full shields! Evasive action!

He watched the three dorsal ion guns of the nearest Dragon, expecting them to knock him from the sky. The blaster turrets on the saucers rim all swiveled toward him.

The Mon Remonda twisted and dove planetward, toward the lights of Coruscant. Hans stomach wrenched. His Mon Calamari pilot was well schooled, and knowing that they could not run before setting a new course, he surged into the thick of the Hapan warships so that they could not fire without the risk of hitting one another.

Like all the technology on the Mon Calamari ship, the viewport was exceptional, a work of art, so that as they hurtled past the command port of a Hapan Battle Dragon, Han could make out the startled faces of three Hapan officers, the silver name tags sewn into their collars. Han had never seen a Hapan. Their star sector was renowned for its wealth, and the Hapans guarded their borders jealously. Hed known that they were humanfor humans had scattered like weeds across the galaxybut he was surprised to discover that without exception, all three of the female officers were astonishingly beautifullike fragile, living ornaments.

Cease evasive action! shouted Captain Onoma, a salmon-colored Calamarian officer who sat at a control console, monitoring sensors.

What? Han shouted, surprised that the lower-ranked Calamarian would reverse his orders.

The Hapans are not firing, and they are broadcasting as friendlies, Onoma answered, swiveling a large golden eye at Han. The Calamarian cruiser ceased its crazy headlong dive and slowed.

Friendlies? Han asked. Theyre Hapans! Hapans are never friendly!

Nevertheless, theyve apparently come to negotiate a treaty of some sort with the New Republic. The accompanying Star Destroyers are theirs, captured from the Imperials. As you can see, our planetary defense forces are still intact. Captain Onoma nodded up toward a Star Destroyer in another quadrant, and Han recognized its markings. Leias flagship, the Rebel Dream. It had seemed so huge, so vast when theyd captured it from the Imperials, but here beside this Hapan fleet, it looked small, insignificant. Huddled around the Rebel Dream, he saw a dozen smaller Republic Dreadnaughts, their hulls still painted with the markings of the old Rebel Alliance.

The first time Han had seen a Hapan warship, he had been smuggling guns with a small convoy fleet under the command of Captain Rula. Since the Hapans hadnt yet fallen to the Empire, the smugglers had been using an outpost in neutral territory near the borders of the Hapan star cluster, hoping that their proximity to the Hapans would keep the Empire off their back. But one day they came out of hyperspace and found a Hapan Battle Dragon hovering in their path. Even though they were in neutral territory, even though they made no aggressive moves, only three of the twenty smuggler ships managed to survive the Hapan attack.

A communications officer said, General Solo, were receiving a call from Ambassador Leia Organa.

Ill go to my quarters and pick it up there, Han said, and he hurried to punch up the call. Leias image appeared on the small screen.

Leia was smiling, euphoric, and her dark eyes had a dreamy look to them. Oh, Han, she said in a breath, her voice mellifluous. Im so glad youre here. She wore the pure white uniform of an Alderaanian ambassador, and her hair was down. In the past months it had grown longer than Han had ever seen it. In her hair she wore the combs he had given her, made from silver and opal mined on Alderaan before Grand Moff Tarkin blasted the planet to cinders with the first Death Star.