[Thrawn Trilogy] - 01(11)

Han gritted his teeth. “Just remember that anybody who gives us trouble is going to give you trouble, too.” He leveled a finger at the other. “And if you think the New Republic is hungry for cash, think of how hungry the Empire must be right now.”

“It’s certainly an adventure,” Dravis agreed easily, getting to his feet. “Well, it really was nice seeing you again, Solo, but I gotta go. Say hi to your princess for me.”

Han sighed. “Just give your people our offer, okay?”

“Oh, I will. Might even be some who’ll take you up on it. You never can tell.”

Han nodded. It was, really, all he could have expected out of this meeting. “One other thing, Dravis. Who exactly is the big fish in the pond now that Jabba’s gone?”

Dravis eyed him thoughtfully. “Well … I guess it’s not really a secret,” he decided. “Mind you, there aren’t any really official numbers. But if I were betting, I’d put my money on Talon Karrde.”

Han frowned. He’d heard of Karrde, of course, but never with any hint that his organization was even in the top ten, let alone the one on top. Either Dravis was wrong, or Karrde was the type who believed in keeping a low profile. “Where can I find him?”

Dravis smiled slyly. “You’d like to know that, wouldn’t you? Maybe someday I’ll tell you.”

“Dravis-“

“Gotta go. See you around, Chewie.”

He started to turn; paused. “Oh, by the way. You might tell your pal over there that he’s got to be the worst excuse for a backup man I’ve ever seen. Just thought you’d like to know.” With another grin, he turned again and headed back into the crowd.

Han grimaced as he watched him go. Still, at least Dravis had been willing to turn his back on them as he left. Some of the other smugglers he’d contacted hadn’t even trusted him that far. Progress, sort of.

Beside him, Chewbacca growled something derogatory. “Well, what do you expect with Admiral Ackbar sitting on the Council?” Han shrugged. “The Calamarians were death on smugglers even before the war, and everyone knows it. Don’t worry, they’ll come around. Some of them, anyway. Dravis can blather all he wants about profit and excitement; but you offer them secure maintenance facilities, no Jabba-style skimming, and no one shooting at them, and they’ll get interested. Come on, let’s get going.”

He slid out of the booth and headed for the bar and the exit just visible beyond it. Halfway across, he stopped at one of the other booths and looked down at its lone occupant. “I’ve got a message for you,” he announced. “I’m supposed to tell you that you’re the worst excuse for a backup man that Dravis has ever seen.”

Wedge Antilles grinned up at him as he slid out from behind the table. “I thought that was the whole idea,” he said, running his fingers through his black hair.

“Yes, but Dravis didn’t.” Though privately, Han would be the first to admit that Dravis had a point. As far as he was concerned, the only times Wedge didn’t stick out like a lump on plate glass was when he was sitting in the cockpit of an X-wing blasting TIE fighters into dust. “So where’s Page, anyway?” he asked, glancing around.

“Right here, sir,” a quiet voice said at his shoulder.

Han turned. Beside them had appeared a medium-height, medium-build, totally nondescript-looking man. The kind of man no one would really notice; the kind who could blend invisibly into almost any surroundings.

Which had, again, been the whole idea. “You see anything suspicious?” Han asked him.

Page shook his head. “No backup troops; no weapons other than his blaster. This guy must have genuinely trusted you.”

“Yeah. Progress.” Han took one last look around. “Let’s get going. We’re going to be late enough back to Coruscant as it is. And I want to swing through the Obroa-skai system on the way.”

“That missing Elomin task force?” Wedge asked.

“Yeah,” Han said grimly. “I want to see if they’ve figured out what happened to it yet. And if we’re lucky, maybe get some idea of who did it to them.”





Chapter 3


The fold-out table in his private office was set, the food was ready to serve, and Talon Karrde was just pouring the wine when the tap came on his door. As always, his timing was perfect. “Mara?” he called.

“Yes,” the young woman’s voice confirmed through the door. “You asked me to join you for dinner.”

“Yes. Please come in.”

The door slid open, and with her usual catlike grace Mara Jade walked into the room. “You didn’t say what-” her green eyes flicked to the elaborately set table “-this was all about,” she finished, her tone just noticeably different. The green eyes came back to him, cool and measuring.