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THE HUTT GAMBI(115)

By:A C Crispin


Now Han looked at Xaverri, who had once more assumed her colorful, stylish clothes, and shook his head. “I hate good-byes,” he said miserably. “I can never think of anything to say, and this is worse than usualˇ How can I find words to thank you, Xaverri? Your illusion saved us. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

She smiled at him, her dark eyes full of affection. “Hey, Solo …

I wouldn’t have missed it for all the credits in the galaxy. I just wish I’d been on the bridge of a few of those Imperial ships to see their reaction.”

Han laughed. “They had to have been surprised, that’s for sure.”

Impulsively he reached out and took her hands, then found himself hugging her fiercely. “I’m gonna miss you,” he said, his voice muffled by her hair. “Just when I thought I’d gotten used to living without you, here I have to do it all over again. It ain’t fair, Xaverri.”

When he pulled back a bit, she reached up and kissed him firmly on the mouth. “Don’t worry,” she said with a smile, “Salla won’t mind. She’s a classy lady.”

“She is,” he agreed. “We think a lot alike.”

Xaverri nodded. “I hope you two are happy, Solo. You take care of each other, okay?”

Han nodded. “You, too.”

“I will, Solo. Don’t forget me …”

“Never,” he said, his throat tight. “I could never forget you, Xaverri.”

Xaverri pulled away, and he let her go. She ran up the ramp, into her ship, and did not look back …

Three days after the Battle of Nar Shaddaa (as it was coming to be known), Han, Chewie, Salla, and Lando attended Roa’s wedding. The aging smuggler was nearly healed, thanks to a prolonged dunk in a bacta tank, and Lwyll looked radiant in an elegant gown.

It was generally known that the four smugglers had been instrumental in turning the tide of battle in Nar Shaddaa’s favor. Han and his friends were the toast of the party. They wandered around, sipping drinks, scarfing appetizers, shaking hands, and being congratulated by all and sundry.

Lando came up to Roa, threw an arm around the smuggler’s shoulders, and said, “I understand that getting out of the smuggling business is one of the conditions to this wedding, Roa.”

“That’s right.”

“Well, you’re going to need honest employment, then. Would you like to work for me?”

“Doing what?”

Lando laughed. “Don’t look so suspicious! Managing my used spaceship lot.

I’m going on an extended trip back to the Centrality, and I need someone reliable to look after the business.”

Roa looked very thoughtful. “Well … sure! I think I’d like that.

Thanks, Lando. So… why are you heading out? Got something planned?”

“Vuffi Raa and I are heading back to the Centrality because I’ve got a hunch I could make a quick fortune running cargo to those backward planets. And”—Lando smiled and stroked his fledgling mustache—”if that doesn’t work, there are always the casinos in the Oseon system.

It’ll do me good to polish up my sabacc game. When you don’t play, you get rusty.

The games here on Nar Shaddaa are pretty small, credit-ante. I need some real highstakes action to get ready for the real action.”

Han, who had been wandering past, stopped when he heard Lando’s speech.

“Sabacc game? Real action? What’s going on? Whose sabacc game needs polish?”

Lando laughed. “Mine does. If I can raise the stake, I’m going to get myself into the big sabacc game that’s being held on Bespin in six months.

Ante’s ten thousand credits.”

“Ten thousand credits!” Han whistled softly. “That’s a big game, all right.”

Lando smiled at his friend. “Hey, you’re a pretty decent sabacc player, Han. You ought to consider getting together your own stake.”

Han shook his head. “No way!” “Why not?”

“Too rich for my blood!” Han said. “If I could manage to scrounge up ten thousand credits, I’d put it toward a ship of my own.”

“Yeah, but you might win enough to buy one,” Lando pointed out. “I’m not that lucky,” Han said.

“Oh, c’mon, Han,” Lando urged, “you could raise the credits.” He looked over at Chewbacca. “Chewie would loan ‘em to you, wouldn’t you, Chewbacca?

He’s your best friend, right?”

Chewbacca gave an eloquent growl, then shook his head emphatically.

Han laughed. “Not a good enough friend to risk ten thousand credits, Lando!”