Part 4 (2/2)

Han said.

Chewbacca growled again, and Han rolled his eyes.

”No, it's got nothing to do with the fact that it's an Imperial Imperial station,” Han said. station,” Han said.

”I told you, I don't care what Leia and the rest of them think of me.”

Chewbacca issued a low moan.

”Well of course course we'll let them know if we find out something that can help,” we'll let them know if we find out something that can help,”

Han said irritably. ”But that's not why I'm doing it. This is just a job, that's it.”

”And Han Solo never never lies down on the job,” a familiar voice growled from behind him. ”Ain't that right?” lies down on the job,” a familiar voice growled from behind him. ”Ain't that right?”

Han reached for his weapon-then froze as he felt the cold muzzle of a blaster press against the back of his neck.

The Balosar crept into the dim alley behind the gambling club, his palm extended. The man in the tattered gray robe was waiting, his face still shrouded by a heavy hood.

”He says he needs to think it over,” Griggs Pe'et said. ”But if I know Solo, he'll take the job. You got my payment?”

The man slipped a credit chip out of his utility belt. ”You'll find an additional ten thousand, to cover your silence,” he said. ”You'll get the rest when Captain Solo accepts the job. And, as agreed, if Solo is successful, you can keep the s.h.i.+pment.”

The Balosar shoved the chip into a fold in his loose-fitting robe. ”I still don't get it. You hire me me to hire to hire Solo Solo, to steal a s.h.i.+pment that you don't even want?

Doesn't make any sense.”

”It doesn't have to make sense. Not to you,” the man said. ”You just have to give Solo the coordinates of the Imperial station and then forget you ever met me.”

”Met who?” the Balosar asked, and slipped away into the darkness.

The man waited a moment, tipping his face up, as if breathing in the night.

Only once he'd a.s.sured himself that he was truly alone, did he speak. ”It is done.”

CHAPTER SIX.

Jaxson slammed his gla.s.s down on the table. He narrowed his eyes and leaned across the table toward Luke. ”I said said, the Rebellion is full of traitors,” he repeated. ”So if Biggs was a Rebel, then he was a traitor, too.”

Luke stood up. ”That's enough!”

”Oh yeah?” Jaxson asked, rising to his feet. He stood several centimeters taller than Luke, and his arms were broad and muscled from long days working on his family's moisture farm. ”You gonna stop me, Wormie?”

”Maybe I am,” Luke said, balling his fists.

”Guys, take it easy,” Windy said.

”Luke, just let it go,” Leia advised.

”Yeah, Luke,” Jaxson simpered, in a parody of Leia's voice. ”Be a good little boy and let it go.”

Luke knew he should listen to Leia.

But.

Han wouldn't let it go, he thought to himself. And after all, he'd told all his friends he was a pilot now, a smuggler, a tough and dangerous guy. Shouldn't he act the part?

Shouldn't he defend Biggs's honor, the only way a tough and dangerous smuggler would know how?

”Biggs was a hero,” Luke said. And then he punched Jaxson in the stomach.

” Oooof! Oooof! ” Jaxson wheezed, doubling over. But in an instant, he was upright again, fists swinging wildly. He lunged at Luke. Windy jumped into the fight, trying to separate the two. Jaxson swung, Luke ducked, and Windy took the blow on his chin. He wheeled backward, slamming into Fixer, who toppled over in his chair. ” Jaxson wheezed, doubling over. But in an instant, he was upright again, fists swinging wildly. He lunged at Luke. Windy jumped into the fight, trying to separate the two. Jaxson swung, Luke ducked, and Windy took the blow on his chin. He wheeled backward, slamming into Fixer, who toppled over in his chair.

”Watch it!” Fixer shouted, climbing to his feet and las.h.i.+ng out at Windy.

The station was still mostly empty, but there were a few stragglers loitering around the table who'd been waiting too long for a good fight. In Anchorhead, not much else ever broke the monotony of the day. Soon they were all on their feet, cheering and stomping and throwing punches and kicks at random.

A slim, rat-faced Ranat went sailing through the air and crashed through a window, spraying the station with a shower of transparisteel, There were a few cries of ”traitor!” and ”Imperial slime!” but it was obvious that most people didn't know what the fight was about nor did they care. Tosche Station was filling up, as pa.s.sersby heard the commotion and hurried in to join the fun. A stocky, muscled woman slung a punch at a bedraggled Ryn, who broke a chair over the head of a scruffy human with a patch across his left eye. Leia pressed herself into a corner, rolling her eyes at a trio of Dugs, who were taking turns stomping on each others' heads.

But in the center of the chaos, Luke hadn't forgotten what was at stake.

Jaxson wrapped an arm around his neck and twisted him into a choke hold. Luke gasped for breath. ”This is what we do to traitors!” Jaxson growled.

Luke stomped down hard on Jaxson's instep, then dug an elbow sharply into his stomach. Jaxson flinched and his grip loosened, only for a moment, enough time for Luke to wriggle out of his grasp. Jaxson swung his fists, but Luke darted out of the way, and none of the blows landed. Luke ducked behind Jaxson and wrapped his arms around the larger man's waist, twisting him off balance and kicking his legs out from under him. Jaxson toppled to the ground with a thump and clatter. With a roar, he s.n.a.t.c.hed Luke's ankle and yanked with all his strength. Luke went flying.

The thunderous crack of laserfire hitting the ceiling made everyone pause and look up: A large man emerged from the back room, hoisting a blaster. The first shot had gone straight up. But now he had the muzzle aimed out at the crowd. Merl Tosche spent as little time at the power station as he could afford to do. But when he was at work, he hated to be disturbed. ”Enough!” he roared.

With a shrug and a grin, the fighters dusted themselves off, shook hands, and slunk out of the station. That was the thing about most fights on Tatooine-it didn't take much to get them started, but it took even less to end them.

Most, but not all. Luke wasn't ready to give up. Neither was Jaxson.

Windy grabbed Luke by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet. Jaxson lunged forward, but Deak grabbed his s.h.i.+rt and dragged him backward. The two glared at each other.

”You children done playing?” Leia asked dryly, gazing at the debris strewn across the station. A rickety JR-8 maintenance droid was already sweeping away the worst of it, sucking shattered fuel cells and puddles of spilled ruby bliel into its hollow durasteel belly.

”This isn't a game,” Luke said.

”No, it's not,” Jaxson agreed.

Windy forced a grin and slapped Luke awkwardly on the back. ”Let's forget the whole thing,” he suggested. ”Empire, Rebellion, who cares? What's that got to do with us?”

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