[Dark Nest] - 3(31)

“Know them? If I’d ever met a puker, I’d remember.” Han was referring to the Fefze habit of regurgitating food paste whenever they

grew frightened. “You’re sure about this? I don’t want to spend the rest of the trip in a stinky-“

“Han, their presences are familiar.” Leia reached past him and depressed the lift control. “Let them in.”

The lift had barely touched down before the Fefze scrambled over the safety rail and began gesturing for it to be raised again. Han glanced at Leia uncertainly, then-when she nodded-brought the two insects up. The pair’s antennae had barely risen above floor level when one of them began jabbering in muffled Ewokese.

C-3P0 shot something back in the same language, then turned to Han.

“You were quite justified in your reluctance to let them aboard, Captain Solo. I haven’t been spoken to quite so rudely since the last time we had dealings with that dreadful Ewok.”

“Ewok?” Han went over to the lift. “I think I’d rather have the bug.”

The Fefze jumped onto the deck of the hold, then reared up on its rear legs and began to flail its forelegs about haphazardly. A moment later, its head popped off and fell to the floor, revealing another head inside-this one black and furry, with large dark eyes and little round ears.

“Tarfang!” Leia exclaimed, coming to Han’s side. “What are you doing here?”

Tarfang began to chitter rapidly, waving his remaining Fefze legs excitedly.

“Oh, dear,” C-3P0 said. “He says if he tells you, he will have to kill you.”

The Ewok added two more syllables.

“Your choice,” C-3P0 translated.

“That’s okay,” Han said. The last time they had seen Tarfang, Admiral Bwua’tu had just offered him and Jae Juun positions as military intelligence affiliates. “We can guess.”

The second Fefze joined them and began to flail its arms around, as had Tarfang. Han reached over and twisted the head off, exposing a bug-eyed face with grayish, dew-lapped cheeks.

“Juun!” Han slapped the Sullustan on the back of his costume. “I’m glad you’re still alive, old buddy-and a little surprised, too!”

“Yes, all of our missions are very dangerous,” Juun said, beaming. “Admiral Bwua’tu always sends Tarfang and me when the mission is likely to be fatal.”

“You certainly appear to be beating the odds,” Leia said. “How can we help?”

Tarfang pattered something impatient.

“He says they’re here to help us,” C-3P0 translated. “The Squibs have put a death mark on your heads,”

Juun explained. “Over a thousand credits-each.”

“What?” Han scowled. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Tarfang twattled a sharp reply.

“That’s hardly fair,” C-3P0 replied. “It’s been nearly two decades since Captain Solo had a death mark on him. He has every right to be frightened.”

“I’m not scared,” Han said. “I just don’t believe it. We have a deal with the Squibs.”

“And they have a deal with Tito and Yugi,” Juun said. “Tito said we could eat your brains if we helped.”

“Did they say why the Squibs want us killed?” Leia asked.

Juun shook his head. “Only that it wouldn’t be much of a job, because you’d never see it coming.”

The Sullustan pulled his Fefze head back on, then turned toward Tarfang, who had noticed the two Noghri in their Ewok disguises and gone over to glare at them.

“Tarfang, let’s go,” Juun said. “The Flakax are already on their way.”

Instead of retrieving the head of his own disguise, Tarfang let out an angry yap and shoved Meewalh. She reacted instantly, dropping the Ewok to the deck with a foot sweep and landing atop him in a full straddle-lock that left him completely immobilized.

“Tarfang!” Juun snapped. “What are you doing? We have to leave before the stingers arrive.”

Tarfang burbled an angry reply, purposely spraying saliva into the face of Meewalh’s costume.

“I don’t care if it is an insult,” Juun replied. “We don’t have time for this. If we blow our cover, Admiral Pellaeon will never know where this division is going.”

Han’s brow shot up. “Pellaeon asked for this mission?”

“Uh, er, I’m really not at liberty to-“

“Yeah, sure,” Han said. “What I don’t get is why the GA’s Supreme Commander would he that interested in a bug division headed for Chiss space.”

“I do,” Leia said. “If Pellaeon can tell the Chiss where these Killiks are headed, he just might convince them that the Galactic Alliance isn’t siding with the Colony. It’s a long shot, but it’s probably the galaxy’s best chance to avoid a three-way war.”