Star Wars - The Han Solo Trilogy - Hutt Gambit, page 18
When Hah knew for sure that the youth had lied to him, he considered sending the kid packing, but by that time, hed gotten used to having him around. The youth hung on his every word, tagging along whenever Han would let him. The worshipful attention was flattering. And, after all, Han rationalized, it wasnt as though he himself had never told a lie to get his foot in the door . . .
Jarik proved to be a fast learner. Han taught him to man the Brias portside gun turret, and he proved to have excel-lent reflexes and aim. Since pirate activity in Hutt space had been up lately, Hah wound up taking the kid on most of their runs. After discussing the matter with Chewbacca, Hah decided not to tell the youngster that they knew his name wasnt Solo. It was Chewie who pointed out that it obviously meant a lot to Jarik to finally have a surname. Wookiees were very family-oriented, and Chewie felt sorry for file boy.
Soon after Han and Salla started their relationship, the Bria was spaceworthy. Shugs modifications had increased her speed until she was a very respectable little vessel. But she was still, as Jarik put it, one unpredictable lady.
One rnn the Bria would perform perfectly, but the next . . . there seemed no end to the grief she gave Hah, Chewie, and Jarik out in the spacelanes. Han learned a whole new vocabulary of Wookiee swear words while he and Chewie sweated to fix their recalcitrant craft.
Once the sublight motivator burned out as they were skimming past the black-hole clusters o[ tlle Maw. That was interesting. For a while, Han didnt believe they were ever going to make it back to Nar Shaddaa. If it hadnt been fi)r Chewies quick repair work and Itans piloting expertise, the freighter would have been sucked into a black hole.
Han found them a new apartment, a bigger one, in a better part of the Corellian section. He was frequently not at home, stang over at Sallas place, so he allowed Jarik to spend the night so Chewbacca would have company.
Life, Hah reflected (when lie had time to reflect, which wasnt often), was good. It had been at least two months since any bounty hunters had surfaced, and there hadnt been anv sightings of Boba Fett. He and Chewie were earning a decent living, and they had a ship of their own. He had friends, and somebody special in his life, somebody who could talk the language of smugglers. ttan was as con-tent as hed ever been . . .
Deep in a remote area of space, between systems, two Hurt ships rendezvoused at a set of highly secret coordi-nates. Both ships belonged to members of the Desilijic kajidic, though neither ship was piloted by Hah Solo. One ship was Jabbas yacht, Star Jewel, and the other was Jiliacs yacht, Dragon Pead.
Under the urnrig of their pilots, who goosed tile ships toward each other with little taps on their maneuvering thrusters, the two ships edged closer and closer, until they were in docking range. An umbilical tube extended from the airlock of Star Jewel, until it touched and anchored itself against the airlock of Dragon Pearl. The Hutt yachts hung in space, attached to each other by the tube.
Jabba and Jiliae were aboard Star Jewel. Comfortably ensconced in the yachts luxurious salon, Jfiiae cradled her young offspring in her arms. As the ships instruments indi-cated that the two ships were successfully connected, Jiliae put her tiny, unformed grub of a baby Huttlet down near her pouch-slit, and allowed tile little creature to crawl in-side. Infant Hutts survived mostly inside their mothers pouch for the first year or so of their young lives.
As the two Hutts waited expectantly, they heard several sets of footsteps coming down the corridor. The door opened, and Teroenza, High Priest of Ylesia, entered.
The huge horned being was almost dwarfed by the enor-mous sluglike Hutts, but Teroenza didnt seem particularly overawed, Jiliae noted. She gestured graciously to a tlanda Til resting sling shed had specially installed. Welcome, Teroenza. Please make yourself at home. I trust you were able to camouflage your absence from your world?
My time is limited, Teroenza said. I set off in a land-skimmer this morning, with a Gamorrean pilot, ostensibly to make a personal inspection of the Colony Eight con-struction. Halfway there, in the deepest jungle, I knocked the guard out, then set the skimmer to crash into a jungle giant. Then I tossed a thermal detonator into the wreckage, and when it was burning well, I tossed the guard in. Your ship was waiting precisely where you guaranteed it would be. Tomorrow it can set me back in that area, and I shall suitably batter and dirty myself, then come staggering out of the jungle in time to meet one of the search parties. Aruk will suspect nothing.
Well done, Jiliac said. But, as you note, our time is limited. Let us get right down to business. Aruk has be-come a . . . nuisance. A nuisance we would like to dis-pense with.
Teroenza snorted. No matter how high production is, he is dissatisfied. I have not seen my mate in over a year. He forbids me to take even a short visit home. And he has reduced the bounty on Han Solo, and altered it to a kill on sight, disintegrations okay bounty! He forbade me to raise it, even if I paid with my own credits. Said I was obsessed with Solo! When he did that, I could no longer support him. Contemplating the slow death of that Corellian space tramp has been my only pleasure for months. When I re-member how he . . . the High Priest went on with his litany of grievances against Han Solo.
Jabba and Jiliac looked at each other during Teroenzas tirade. Jiliac knew that Jabba had made some arrangement with Boba Fett so Solo could continue to work for them without fear of bounty hunters. However, that was not in-formation Teroenza ever needed to know.
Seconds later Teroenza ran down. He bowed. My apol-ogies, Excellencies. As you said . . . to business.
First, we need to determine a price for your . . . as-sistance, TeroenTt, Jabba pointed out. The tlanda Til named a sum. Jabba and Jiliac glanced at each other. Neither spoke. After a couple of minutes, Teroenza named a second, significantly lower sum. This one, while high, was not un-reasonable. Jiliac took a small crustacean from a tray near her resting dais, and contemplated it for several seconds. Done, she said, then popped the treat into her mouth. I want no one to suspect murder, she said matterof-factiy. It must be subtle . . .
Subtle... Teroenza murmured, absently stroking his horn, which already looked as though it had been freshly oiled. Not an armed attack, then.
Far from it, Jiliac said. Besadii security is second only to our own. Our troops would have to blast their way in, and the whole of Nal Hutta would know who started it. No armed attacks.
An accident? Jabba wondered aloud. Perhaps with his river barge? I understand Aruk enjoys his afternoon excursions. He often entertains on the river.
Possible, Jiliac said. But such an accident is difficult to control. It might destroy Durga, to(), and I do not want Durga killed.
Why, Aunt? Durga is clever. He could be a possible threat to us, Jabba pointed out.
Before Jiliac could respond, Teroenza did. Settling deeper into his resting sling, the High Priest picked a pick-led ruff-roach off a plate and sampled it. Because, the tlanda Til said thoughtfidly, Durga will have trouble con-trolling Besadii. There are many in the kajidic who feel he is not fit to rule because of his birthmark. They say he is ill-marked, and tiNus ill-fated. Do away with Durga, and the kajidic may well unite much more strongly behind the new leader.
Jiliac inclined her head to Teroenza. You reason like a Hutt, Priest, she said.
Teroenza was gratified. Thank you, Your Excellency.
No assault, no accident, Jabba nmttered. What, then?
I have a possible plan, Jiliac said. A substance that Aruk can ingest. It has the advantage of being ahnost unde teetable in the tissues. And Mille it is working, it slows and dulls the tiNinking processes, so that the victim makes poor decisions. For Aruk to make poor decisions is to our bene-fit.
Agreed, Aunt, Jabba said. But... poison? We Hutts are extremely resistant to poisons. For one of us, even an old one like Aruk, to ingest enough poison to kill us would surely be noticed and remarked upon.
Jiliac shook her massive head, a mannerism shed picked up from humans. Not the way I am thinking of it, Nephew. This substance, when introduced into the body, gradually poisons the victim. It concentrates in the brain tissues of higher life-forms. Over a long period of ingestion, the victim becomes actually addicted to the poison, to the point where sudden cessation of the substance will cause withdrawal symptoms so severe, they will result in either death or such massive brain damage that Aruk will be of no further harm to any of us.
And you can get supplies of this substance? Teroenza asked excitedly.
It is extremely expensive and rare, Jiliac said. But . . yes. I can procure sufficient quantities. But how do we get him to take it? Jabba asked. Your Excellencies, I can manage that! Teroenza was bouncing up and down in his sling, like a youngster in a game. The nala-tree frogs! Surely they would work! Explain, Priest, Jiliac commanded.
Teroenza went on to explain about the Besadii Irds predilection for the nala-tree frogs. Ever since he went home, two weeks ago, he has demanded an aquarium of live nala-tree frogs with every shipment of processed spice we send home to Nal Hutta! The tlanda Til rubbed his tiny, almost delicate hands together excitedly. And how would we use them?
The nala-tree frogs are far from being higher life-forms. They have almost no brain to speak of. I doubt expo-sure to your poison would kill them.
From what I know of this substance, that would be so, Jiliac said. Continue, please.
I could raise the nala-tree frogs in water to which I have added your poison, Teroenza said. From the time they are small wigglers, they would be swimming through water containing concentrations of your substance. The nala-tree frogs tissues would be riddied with the poison- and Aruk will consume them greedily! As the months go t I illcrease the eoncentration of the poison in the water, and Amk gradually consumes more and more of the poison. Over time, he becomes addicted to it. Then, when hes thoroughly dependent on the substance- He made a quick yanking-away gesture. No more poison! Clean frogs!
And he will die in agony, Jiliac said. Or suffer perma-nent brain damage. Either of which will serve our needs.
Jabba leaned forward. I say we do it. Jiliacs scheme fits all our requirements.
I will transmit the first of your payments, Jiliac said.
You must tell me where you want the credits sent.
Teroenzas bulging eyes took on a crafty gleam. Rather than credits, 1 would mostly like items for my collection. That way I can hide the payments. When I need credits, I can sell off a piece, and no one will be the wiser.
Ve well, Jiliac said. You must provide us a list of acceptable items. If we cannot find them, we shall deposit credits instead. But we will try for the pieces for the collec-tion.
Excellent, said Teroenza. We have a deal. A toast, cried Jabba. To our alliance, and to Amks end.
A toast! echoed Teroenza, raising an ornate cup. My first use of my new wealth will be to place such a high bounty on Hah Solos head that eve boun hunter in the galaxy will be looking for him!
To the death of Aruk! Jiliac said, raising her cup.
The death of Arnk! Jabba exclaimed.
Teroenza hesitated for barely an instant, then said, with great resolution, The death of Aruk . . . and of Solo.
Together, they drank
After Teroenza had left, to be spirited back to Ylesia aboard the Dragon Pearl, Jabba and Jiliac began planning their strategy. When Aruk was gone, they would gradually take over the Ylesian operation. One by one, they would eliminate key Besadii, until the decimated clan would fall into penury and obscurity.
The thought made them extremely cheerful.
Their good mood was broken, however, by Lobb Ger-ido, who appeared, wringing his hands. Your Excellencies . . one of your operatives on Regolith Prime has just for-warded a vid-cast to us. Most disturbing news from Impe-rial Center! The pilot has recorded it. If Your Excellencies will turn on your holo-projector . . .
Concerned, Jiliac did so. The three-dimensional scene built before them, and the Hutts recognized their local Moff, Sam Shild. This was obviously a formal press confer-ence setting. Behind Shild, they could see the familiar sky-line of Imperial Center, the planet that used to be called Coruscant.
Citizens of the Inner and Outer Rim Territories, he said, his pale features beneath waxy dark hair set in grim lines, our exalted and wise Emperor has been forced to put down yet another insurrection in Imperial space. Vi-cious rebels, using weapons that have been traced to our sector, attacked an Imperial emplacement on Rampa II, wounding and slaying a number of Imperial troops.
The Emperors reprisal has been immediate, and the rebels have been routed and captured. Many civilian lives were lost when the rebel butchers turned their weapons on innocent citizens. This outrage cannot be allowed to con-tinue!
Our Emperor has called upon all of his loyal sectors to aid him in cutting off the trafficking in illegal weaponry. I am proud to say that I am responding to the Emperors call in the most immediate and visceral terms. We all know that the source of much of the illegal gunrunning and drug traf-ficking emanates from Hutt space. To this end, I am calling on all citizens of our sector to support me as I shut down the Hutt scourge! It is my intention to wipe out the smug-gling trade, and bring the Hutt crime lords to their knees! Shild paused, as if suddenly recalling that Hutts did not have knees. Um. . . figuratively speaking, of course.
He cleared his throat. To reach this goal, I am autho-rized to utilize deadly force. The Hurts will learn that they cannot flout Imperial law with impunity. He raised a fist in a sweeping military gesture. Law and order will prevail once more in our Territories!
The holo faded out on Shilds ringing last words. Both Hutts looked at each other for a long moment. This is not good, Aunt, Jabba said, finally.
Not good at all, Nephew, Jiliac agreed. She cursed softly. How can Shild have found the courage to go against US?
Obviously, he is now more afraid of Palpatine than he is of us, Jabba said.
We shall have to teach him his error, Jiliac said slowly. We cannot allow Nal Hutta to be governed by the Em-peror and his wretched minions.
Indeed not, Jabba agreed.
Jiliac considered for a moment. However, as a compro-mise . . .
Yes, Aunt?
Perhaps we can reason with Shild. Buy him off. Let him have Nar Shaddaa and the smugglers. We can always find more smugglers . . .
Jabba licked his tongue over the edges of his lipless mouth, as though hed tasted something particularly sweet. Aunt, I like the way you think.
We must send Shild a message, Jiliac decided. And gifts . . . expensive ones, so he will pay attention. You know how greedy he is. Surely he will . . . see reason.
Surely, Jabba agreed. But who will carry the mes-sage?
Jfliae thought for a moment, then the corners of her huge, wide mouth turned up. I know just the sen-tient . . .
Han Solo stood before Jiliacs dais, eyes wide. His mouth dropped open. You want me to what?
Careful, Captain Solo, Jabba cautioned. You must address the Lady Jiliac with respect.
Han ignored the Hutt Lord. But . . . but . . . he sputtered, thats crazy! Thats like asking me to point a gun at my own head and pull the trigger! We all heard Shild, how he was cracking down on smugglers. In case its es-caped your notice, Your Ladyship, Im a smuggler-he jerked his thumb at his own chest and if I walk into Sam Shilds place to give him your gifts and your message, thatll be the last free walk I ever take! No! I aint doing it! Inwardly he was a little surprised at his own temerity in speaking to the powerful Hutt leaders in such a manner, but Jiliacs calm request had roused his temper. Just who did the Hutts think they were, anyhow?
Captain Solo. Jiliac did not take umbrage at Hans words or tone. Calm yourself. We will provide you with new clothing, the best of faked IDs, and one of our own courier vessels. No one will know you are Han Solo, smug-gler. All they will know is that you are a diplomatic envoy from Nal Hutta, duly authorized and designated to deliver our message and our gifts.
Han took a deep breath. Under those circumstances, maybe . . .
What is it worth to you, to get your message deliv-ered? he asked, finally.
Ten thousand credits, Jiliac said, without batting an eye.
Hah gasped. That much! For just flying to Coruscant and back!
He stared at the Hutt leaders for a moment, then turned to Chewbacca What do you think, pal?
Chewie was plainly as torn as he was. The big Wookiee grumbled and rumbled, then finally commented that with that kind of money, they could start saving for a ship they could buy. But it was Han whod be risking his skin, he added, so the final decision should be Hans.
The Corellian thought for another moment, then turned
back to Jfiiac and Jabba. All right, he said. Ill do it for
ten thousand. All of it in advance.
Jabba began to protest, but Jiliac shushed him with a gesture. Very well, Captain. Ten thousand in advance. When can you leave?
If you can get me the IDs and vessel today, Hah said grimly, well leave tomorrow morning.
It shall be done, Jiliac said.
The Hutt leader was as good as her word. By the next morning, Hah had received excellent faked IDs, identifying him as one Jobekk Jonn, official Hutt diplomatic envoy. The ship was a speedy little Corellian courier vessel named Quicksilver. Hah was given a suit of clothing better than anything hed ever even touched before-a tomuon-wool jacket and trousers, cut in the very latest style.
At Chewies suggestion, Hah cultivated a short beard during the time it took them to fly to Cornscant. When they docked at one of Coruscants many spacedocks, he slicked his hair straight back from his brow, and was amazed at how different he looked. The spiffy gray suit made him look like a bureaucrat, completely erasing all traces of the smug-gler.
I feel naked without my blaster, Han grumbled. But they restrict weapons here on Cornscant . . . I mean, Im-perial Center. Besides... I guess diplomatic envoys dont wear guns.
