“Yeah,” Han said. “On the other hand, not exactly a weapon someone would just happen to be carrying around, either.”
“True,” Barkhimkh agreed. “Whatever it was that began this confrontation, there is no doubt it was Imperial agents who turned it into a riot.”
“The problem being how to prove that,” Han said, hefting what was left of the gadget in the palm of his hand. “I don’t suppose this would be enough on its own.”
The Noghri shook his head. “The device is a single-shot weapon, designed to disintegrate upon use. I know what it was solely from your description of what occurred.”
And because Noghri assassination teams bad used the gadgets themselves on occasion? Probably, but there wasn’t any point in bringing that up. Even now, ten years after learning the truth and switching sides, the Noghri were still touchy about their long service to the Empire. “Well, at least we know about it,” he said, “Who’s in charge of the Imperial Fleet right now, anyway? I’ve kind of lost track.”
“The Supreme Commander is Admiral Pellaeon,” Barkimkh said. “He commands the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera.”
Han felt his lip twist, “One of Thrawn’s people, right?”
“Pellaeon served directly under the Grand Admiral,” the Noghri confirmed. “Many considered him Thrawn’s primary protégé during those months.”
“He sure seems to have picked up the tricks of the trade pretty well,” Han growled. “We’ll have to find a way to make him pay for that.”
He handed the device back. “Here-try to keep what’s left of it in one piece until we can get it back to the ship. And don’t mention it to the Bothans, either.”
“I obey, Han clan Solo,” the Noghri said, bowing his head briefly as he slipped the device into a side pouch. “Will you be able to use this information?”
“Oh, we’ll use it all right,” Han assured him, brushing the soot from his hands. Nearly sixty humans and aliens dead or injured; the New Republic in general and he in particular being blamed for it; and Supreme Commander Pellaeon and Imperial agents at the bottom of it. “Trust me, we’ll use it.”
The dark Noghri eyes gazed at his face. “How?”
Han shook his head. “I have no idea.”
CHAPTER
14
The starlines faded into stars, and they were there. Wherever in space “there” was.
“Reading three planets in the inner system,” Faughn said, the last syllable half swallowed as she stifled a yawn. The normal crew rotation had put her off-duty when they were due to reach the Nirauan system, but she’d insisted on being awakened for the end of their trip.
Gazing out at the dim red star, Mara wondered whether it had been worth it.
“Second planet looks habitable,” Torve reported. “It’s got atmosphere-temperature seems okay-“
“We’ve got movement,” Elkin snapped. “Bearing fifty-three by seventeen.”
Mara threw a quick look at the instruments. As per her orders, the Starry Ice had come out of hyperspace in full sensor-stealth mode, and there was no indication of the kind of serious high-focus probe that should be necessary to penetrate that protection. Still, given they were dealing with alien technology, that might not mean anything. “Where’s he headed?” she asked Elkin.
“Second planet for sure,” Elkin said, keying his board. “Hang on-let’s see if I can bracket his endpoint.”
“Is it the same kind of ship that buzzed Terrik’s Star Destroyer?” Faughn asked.
“The profile looks right,” Torve said. “Can’t tell for sure without doing a sensor focus.”
“Endpoint coming up now,” Elkin reported. “It’s a spot in the northern hemisphere, lower latitudes.”
“Anything around it?” Faughn asked.
“Nothing obvious,” Tone said. “At least, nothing putting out a readable energy spectrum.”
“This whole place makes me nervous,” Elkin growled, drumming his fingertips restlessly on the edge of his control panel. “Why isn’t there anything on either the planet or system in the datafiles? It’s got a name&mdashsomeone must have been here once,”
“Oh, someone was here, all right,” Faughn agreed. “But probably not for very long. For a while back in the Old Republic you could basically just come into an unknown system, do a quick life-forms scan, and file for development rights-the name it, claim it’ law, they called it. You had systems all over the Outer Rim put on maps and asset lists without anyone having the slightest idea what was actually there.”