morals, even, perhaps!”
Han refused to be baited. He just stood his ground.
Jiliac made a curt gesture to Han to stay where he was, then he and the younger Hutt wriggled toward each other. Watching them move, Han couldn’t decide whether they reminded him more of a snake or a slug.
They undulated along, using muscular contractions to move.
The two Hutts put their heads together and conferred. After a couple of minutes, they broke apart and turned back to Han and Chewie. “Very well, Captain Solo,” Jiliac boomed, “we will not assign you to transport slaves.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency,” Han said, feeling a wash of relief.
“Slaving is not a large part of our business,” Jabba said, with a touch of scorn in his voice. “We leave most of that trade to the Besadii kajidic that operates out of Ylesia.”
“Have you ever heard of Ylesia, Captain Solo?” Jiliac asked.
Han tensed, but kept it from showing. “Yes, I’ve heard of it, Your Excellency.”
“Our main shipment these days is ryll, Captain,” Jabba said. “We have just discovered a new source to trade with on Ryloth, the vi’lek world.
Have you been there?”
“Yes, Your Excellency, I have. I know the spacelanes in that area.”
“Good,” Jabba said. He studied Han closely with his huge, rarely blinking eyes. “Tell me, Captain, have you ever piloted a space yacht?”
Han had to stifle an ironic grin. The reason all these bounty hunters were after him was that in addition to swiping the cream of Teroenza’s treasure, he’d stolen Zavval and Teroenza’s personal space yacht.
“Yes, Your Excellency,” Han said. “I have.”
Jabba regarded Han thoughtfully. “I shall keep that in mind.”
Jiliac made a dismissive gesture. “We shall be in touch, Captain. At the moment, you have our leave to depart.”
Han bowed to the Hutts, and as he did so, he surreptitiously gave his Wookiee friend a poke. Chewbacca growled softly, but he, too, bobbed his upper body forward.
Han left the audience, feeling sweat trickling down between his shoulder blades. Slowly, carefully, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
This had better be worth it…
During the next three months, Han worked for Roa on and off, but he also flew many missions for the Hutts. He developed a reputation for being able to coax top speeds out of even inferior vessels, and for being willing to do whatever it took to get his smuggled cargo through to its destination.
He flew the Kessel Run so many times he lost count.
There were times when the Hutts didn’t need him for days or weeks at a time, and he took assignments from Mako, Roa, or other employers. But Jiliac and Jabba provided him with fairly steady work, and most of his income.
Both Jiliac and Jabba had personal space yachts. Han discovered that each of them had sizable holdings on other worlds than Nal Hutta—matter of fact, Jiliac was the de facto ruler of Dilbana, and Jabba was the top crime lord on a backwater world called Tatooine.
One day Han and Chewie were called upon to pilot Jabba’s personal yacht, the Star Jewel to Tatooine. Han would’ve rather hauled spice, frankly.
Jabba was temperamental and used to getting his own way, and made a demanding, irascible passenger. Han was glad that the Hutt had brought several of his personal servants along to tend to him, so that all he, Han, had to do was pilot the ship.
Foremost among Jabba’s entourage was a Twi’lek valet named Lobb Gerido.
Jabba treated Gerido terribly, ordering him around, snapping at him, and insulting him. Han was just glad that he didn’t have to put up with that sort of thing. Jabba’s entourage also included several humanoid dancing girls, a nalargon player nicknamed “Whizz-Bang” and Jabba’s and Jiliac’s chef from their residence on Nar Shaddaa, an Ishi Tib named Totoplat.
The purpose of Jabba’s voyage was to transport a “pet” he’d recently acquired to his palace on Tatooine. The thing was a nightmare—slashing claws, a huge suckerlike mouth, and an insatiable appetite. Han discovered it was called an Oskan blood eater. Han’s stomach turned over the one time he watched its keeper feed it. The entire hold area stank from the creature’s occupation. It was a messy eater, and its effluvia was enough to gag a Corellian corpsegrub.
The yacht was a big ship, a Ubrilddan cruiser. It was fast, powered by a pair of Ubrikkian N2 ion engines, with auxiliary power provided by three smaller Kuat T-c40 ion engines. It was also well shielded and heavily armed with six turbolasers. In its docking bay was space for six Z95
Headhunter fighters, as well as two small landing shuttles.
This trip, as happened frequently, Star Jewel was down to two Headhunters, with two pilots to crew them. The little fighters were tough, but they had no hyperdrive, and Jabba was known to order them deployed as a rear guard while he took off into hyperspace. Jabba was tough on Headhunters and their pilots.