Han shrugged and agreed. He had his ten thousand credits, he’d checked his balance before he’d left Nar Shaddaa. So he was willing to do the Hutts’ bidding for a little while longer. Besides, in two hours, he’d be able to find Mako and pass along the warning to the older smuggler.
Mako was even more upset than Jiliac and Jabba when he heard the situation.
“Keep this quiet, Han,” he said softly, staring out across the awnings and walkways of Nar Shaddaa. They were standing on his little balcony outside his ramshackle flat. “If the citizens get wind of this, there’ll be mass panic. An Imp fleet ain’t nothing to mess with.”
“But with enough warning, maybe they could evacuate—” Han began, only to break off at Mako’s quick headshake.
“Not a chance, kid. Too many of ‘em don’t have anywhere else to go.
Take that Jarik Solo kid who’s been riding with you and Chewie. He’s a rat from the deep-down streets, born and ‘raised’—not that anyone likely raised him—here on Nar Shaddaa. There’s millions like him, Han. And if the Imps are out to teach Nar Shaddaa a lesson, then a whole lotta people are gonna die.”
Han was considerably sobered by his talk with Mako. He hadn’t thought of it in those terms before. He realized how lucky he and Chewbacca were, to be able to climb aboard their ship and fly away from the danger. He resolved that if it came to that, he’d take Jarik with him.
He’d grown to like the youth.
But what about all the other sentients who wouldn’t be able to get out?
Nar Shaddaa had shields, but they wouldn’t be able to stand for long against an Imperial bombardment. Han had a sudden, vivid vision of these crumbling towers in flames from Imperial turbolasers. People would be fleeing, filling the streets, screaming, cowering, clutching children against them.
Rodians, Sullustans, Twi’leks, Wookiees, Gamorreans, Bothans, Chadra-Fans … and more. Not to mention humans. Lots of humans.
The Corellian section was full of them …
Han reported back to Jiliac’s audience chamber in a very troubled frame of mind.
The Hutt leader fixed him with a somber gaze. “What you have said is true.
We checked our sources on Teth, and the Moff has indeed ordered his discretionary fleet to assemble there. Since some elements of the fleet have been out on patrol, it will take a week or possibly two for all the ships to converge on Teth, and then a minimum of several days to prepare for an assault on Nal Hutta. We are taking measures to ensure our safety on Nal Hutta.”
But what about Nar Shaddaa? Han wonderedˇ It was a pretty good bet that the self-centered Hutts would give the Smuggler’s Moon barely a thought, in comparison to protecting their safety, and that of their homeworld.
“We have discovered that Shild’s fleet is under the command of Admiral Winstel Greelanx. You used to be an Imperial officer, Captain. Do you know him?”
“No,” Han said. “Never heard of him. But it’s a big Navy.”
“True,” Jiliac said. “Our sources have assured us that Admiral Greelanx, while a competent officer, has, in the past, not been above furthering his own fortunes when the opportunity arises. He was in charge of several Imperial fleets doing customs patrol in the past, and we have confirmed that under the right circumstances he can be bribedˇ” Han nodded, not really surprised, much less shocked. The pay scale for an Imperial officer wasn’t that good. He’d heard of more than one Imp officer on the take.
“With that in mind, we want you to go and see him, Captain,” Jiliac continuedˇ “We want you to negotiate with him on our behalf.”
“Me?” The thought of just marching right into the middle of an Imperial fleet was not appealing. And offering a bribe to an Imperial officer carried the death penalty should he be caught. “But—” “You are our best choice, Captain Solo,” Jiliac said. “But—” “No buts, Han my boy,” Jabba said, in those overly friendly tones he’d adopted recently. “You can handle this assignment better than anyone else.
You were an Imperial officerˇ We will get you a uniform, forged orders, and a military ID. You can get in to speak with Greelanx, take him a small ‘gift’ from us. You speak his language, Han. You can talk to him in terms he will understand.”
“Credits are what he’ll understand,” Han said. “Lots of themˇ” “We have been delegated to act on behalf of all Nal Hutta,” Jiliac said.
“Money is no object to ensuring the Admiral’s … cooperation.”
“But …” Han was thinking fast, “you can’t expect him to not attack.