Part 6 (1/2)

The blaster was a Merr-Sonn J-I Happy Surprise hold-out model, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, useless at distances of more than three meters. Deadly at point-blank range. A pale, stubby finger was itching to pull the trigger. And attached to it, the hand, the arm, the shoulder, the face of a man Han hadn't seen in years. A man whose last words to Han had been, ”Next time I see you, you're dead.”

Han grinned.

Chewbacca roared in frustration, knowing that the wrong move could get Han killed.

”Would you shut that Wookiee up!” the man yelled, pressing the blaster to Han's forehead. A few of the other gamblers looked over, then shrugged and turned back to their gaming tables. In a place like this, you didn't pay too much attention to what anyone else was doing. Not if you wanted to walk out in one piece.

”Easy, Chewie,” Han said, hoping that the Wookiee wouldn't do anything rash. ”Lore isn't going to shoot me, are you, Lore?”

Chewbacca barked a question.

”Yeah, Lore and I go way way back,” Han said, winking at his a.s.sailant. ”Long time no see, Lore. How's it going?” back,” Han said, winking at his a.s.sailant. ”Long time no see, Lore. How's it going?”

”Better, now.” Avik Lore-failed musician, failed gambler, failed cantina owner, successful smuggler-snarled at Han.

”Don't tell me you're still mad about that little incident back on Dubrillon,” Han said wearily.

Lore's eyes widened. ” Incident? Incident? You shot me!” You shot me!”

Han shrugged. ”Not on purpose,” he pointed out. ”Besides, it was just a flesh wound. Don't be such a baby.”

”I couldn't sit down for a month!”

Chewbacca let loose a hiccupy gurgle that Han knew was suppressed Wookiee laughter. Lore shot him a sharp glance. Chewbacca pounded his chest in a good imitation of a Wookiee not at all amused.

”How was I supposed to know it was you behind that door?” Han wheedled. ”I though it was the G'looth Brothers!”

”You could have asked asked,” Lore said. ”You could have knocked. Or you could have opened the door and taken a peek before you let loose with your blaster.

You could have done a million things.”

”Could have,” Han said. ”Didn't.”

Lore sighed. ”I know, I know, rule number one-”

”Always shoot first,” Han finished with him. ”And I always do. Best way to keep breathing.”

”Not when you're the one who gets shot,” Lore growled.

Han was getting tired of staring down the barrel of a blaster just because Lore was a little grouchy about some flesh wound from a hundred years ago.

Slowly, Lore's blaster tracing his every move, Han rose to his feet. ”Look, friend, fun as this little reunion has been-”

”Who said you could stand up?”

”Well now, I don't know,” Han mused, raising his left hand as if to scratch his chin in thought. ”Who said that?” Ever so slowly, he let his fingers creep toward his forehead, toward the muzzle of the blaster, until- ”Hey!” Lore shouted, as Han wrapped a hand around the muzzle. ”You think I won't shoot you?”

”No...” While Lore was distracted by the tussle over his weapon, Han's right hand darted to his holster and whipped out his DL-44 heavy blaster, optimized for quickdraw capabilities. ”Not if I fire first,” he said, grinning, his blaster held steady, inches from Lore's face.

Lore's blaster didn't wobble.

”You think you're faster on the trigger than me?” Lore challenged.

Han grinned. ”Either I can prove it to you, or you can lower your blaster, and I'll lower my blaster, and you can buy me a bottle of lum.”

Lore squinted, knitting his eyebrows together like two wriggling hagworms.

” You're You're buying,” he said finally. buying,” he said finally.

”Done,” Han said. ”On three?” They counted down together.

”One... ”

”Two...”

”Three!” On three, each man blasted a hole in the wall, just behind the other's head.

”Just a warning,” they said, in sync, then burst into laughter.

Han slapped his old friend on the back. ”Always good to see you, Lore. So how about that lum you're buying me?”

” You're You're buying,” Lore said, sliding comfortably into a seat next to Chewbacca. buying,” Lore said, sliding comfortably into a seat next to Chewbacca.

The Wookiee glared suspiciously and grumbled under his breath.

”Don't mind Chewie,” Han said, waving over a serving droid and ordering a round of drinks and a bowl of won-wons for the Wookiee. ”He doesn't like it when people try to shoot me.”

”I know how he feels,” Lore said ruefully, rubbing the site of his old blaster wound.

Chewbacca took a large gulp of won-wons and growled.

”Long before your time,” Han replied. ”Lore and I met when I saved him from an angry nexu.”

”He was only angry because you blew up his cave!” Lore reminded Han, launching into the story of the carnivorous beast.

Han laughed as the memories came flooding back. It felt good to talk about old times, times before he'd met Luke or Leia, before he'd gotten all tangled up with the Rebel Alliance. Back then his only worry had been when the next job would come in, and his only cause had been himself.

”Hey, Lore, you got anything going on?” he asked suddenly, the beginnings of an idea taking shape.

”Got a routine run to Siskeen for a s.h.i.+pment of rock wart eggs,” Lore said.

”Could do it in my sleep.”

”What if I had something more...interesting?” Han asked, leaning forward and lowering his voice. Chewbacca issued a warning growl, but Han ignored him. Sure, Lore was a little rough around the edges, but that was part of his charm. ”I've got a job coming up,” Han confided, ”a big one. And I could use a little of your brand of help.”

Chewbacca growled louder.