[Han Solo] - 03(89)

“So,” said Han. “What did you think of Commander Tharen?”

“For a human, she seems quite intelligent and competent,” Jabba said. “Jiliac declined her proposition, but I found it of interest.”

“As I said, I haven’t seen her in years,” Han said. “How’d she look?”

Jabba chortled, licking his lips. “I would hire her to dance for me any day, my boy.”

Han grimaced, but was careful not to let Jabba see. “Uh, yeah …

well, she might have somethin’ to say about that. You don’t get to be a commander just on good looks.”

Jabba sobered. “I was impressed with her. I believe her proposition may be feasible.”

“What was she proposing, exactly?” Han asked.

Jabba outlined the basics of the Corellian Resistance’s plan. Han shrugged. “They’d need some good pilots to get through that atmosphere,” he said. “Wonder how Bria’s plannin’ to handle that?”

“I do not know,” Jabba said. “Tell me, Han, approximately how many guards did each Ylesian colony have when you were there?”

“Oh, it ranged from maybe a hundred to a couple hundred per colony, depending on how many slaves they had working the factories,” Han said.

“Lotta Gamorreans, Jabba. I know you Hutts like ‘em because they’re strong and they’ll take orders, but, let’s face it, as a modern fighting force, they’re pretty pathetic. Most of the males are too obsessed with using those antique weapons of theirs on each other.

Their clan battles spill over into their jobs. The sows are better, smarter, clearer-thinking, but they don’t hire out as mercs.”

“So you believe that a modern force of Rebels would have no trouble capturing those colonies.”

Han shook his head. “It would be a piece of cake, Jabba.”

The Hutt lord blinked his bulbous eyes. “Hmmmmm, as usual, Han my boy, you have been valuable to me. I have a load of spice that is ready to ship.

Are you and your ship ready to go back to work?”

Han, recognizing the implicit dismissal, stood up. He could feel the oily residue from Jabba’s skin on the seat of his pants. Great, I suppose I’ll have to write this pair off, he thought. I’ll never get the stink out of ‘em ….

“Sure we are,” he said. “Chewie and me are ready. The Falcon is faster than ever.”

“Good, good, my boy,” Jabba boomed. “I’ll have someone contact you about the pickup this evening. Han… good to have you back.”

Han smiled. “Jabba, it’s good to be back …. ” Kibbick the Hutt stared at his cousin’s holo-image in consternation. “What do you mean the t’landa Til have brought their mates here?” he asked.

“Nobody told me.”

Durga, leader of Besadii clan, glared. “Kibbick, you wouldn’t notice if there was a t’landa Til female perched on your tail! They covered their tracks well, and it was nearly a week before I found out they were gone!

Do you realize what this means?”

Kibbick thought hard. “It means that the t’landa Til priests will be happier, more content?” he ventured, finally.

Durga waved his little arms in frustration and groaned aloud. “Of course they’ll be happier!” he shouted. “But what does this mean to us? To Besadii? For once in your life, think, Kibbick!”

Kibbick ruminated. “This means we’ll have to ship more food in for them?” he asked, finally.

“No! Kibbick, you idiot!” Durga was in such a rage that gobbets of green goo spattered on the holovid pickup, making “holes” appear in his three dimensional image. “It means that we have lost our most important hold over the t’landa Til, my retarded cousin! Now that we no longer have their mates here on Nal Hutta, Teroenza and his Priests could cut all ties to Besadii and Nal Hutta! That’s what it means!”

Kibbick drew himself up. “Uncle Aruk never spoke to me like that,” he said, greatly offended. “He was always polite. He was a better leader than you will ever be, Cousin.”

Durga managed to contain himself with an effort. “Forgive my rash words, Cousin,” he said, with a palpable effort. “I am a trifle …

overworked … these days. I am waiting for some important news regarding my parent’s demise.”

“Oh.” Kibbick thought about making more of an issue of it, but as long as Durga had stopped yelling, he was so relieved that he didn’t.

“Well, Cousin, I can see how that would be bad. What shall we do?”

“You’ll have to have all the female t’landa Til brought to Colony One and then ship them home to Nal Hutta,” Durga said. “See to it personally, Kibbick. I want you to be able to report to me that you watched them get aboard the ship and leave. I want you to use your best, most trusted pilot for the task. Send a contingent of guards, so there will be no trouble from the females on the voyage.”