Part 2 (1/2)

CHAPTER FOUR.

Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca gaped at the dead Glymphid.

Luke cleared his throat nervously. ”You don't think...I mean, there's no way a holorecording could...”

”Coincidence,” Han said, watching the holoplayer like it was going to bite him. ”Had to be.”

Chewbacca growled in agreement.

”I've heard of delayed-release poisons,” Leia said. ”Maybe activating the holoplayer triggered something?”

”Maybe we should leave before it triggers something else else,” Han suggested.

Luke stared at the coordinates that the hooded man had given them. ”This is halfway across the galaxy,” he said. ”Even if we leave right now, we might not make it there in time.”

”That's a.s.suming we go at all,” Han said. ”You want to walk straight into a trap?”

”I'm not going to just leave those people to die!” Luke said indignantly.

”And I'm not looking to die with them,” Han shot back. ”Self-sacrifice isn't in my vocabulary, kid.”

”Then I'll go without you,” Luke said.

”Oh, yeah?” Han grinned. ”In what s.h.i.+p?”

Luke glared at him, furious. Whenever he let himself believe that Han cared about anyone but himself, something like this would happen.

”Let's slow down,” Leia said. ”We should contact the Rebel base, let them know what happened, see what they-”

”No!” Luke exclaimed. ”Didn't you hear Soresh? If we disobey him and tell anyone what's happening-”

”It's a bluff, kid,” Han said. ”No one's watching.”

”How do you you know?” Luke asked. He glanced at the dead alien. ”I bet know?” Luke asked. He glanced at the dead alien. ”I bet he he didn't think anyone was watching, either, And now look at him. I'm not going to let anyone else die because of me.” didn't think anyone was watching, either, And now look at him. I'm not going to let anyone else die because of me.”

”This is not not your fault,” Leia insisted. ”And if anything happens to those hostages, that's not your fault, either. You can't control what some maniac decided to do.” your fault,” Leia insisted. ”And if anything happens to those hostages, that's not your fault, either. You can't control what some maniac decided to do.”

”Maybe I can't control it,” Luke agreed. ”But I can stop it. And I'm going to.” None of them understood, maybe because it hadn't been their their name on the holovid. This was all happening because of him. Because for whatever reason, this insane Imperial wanted Luke Skywalker, and was willing to kill. name on the holovid. This was all happening because of him. Because for whatever reason, this insane Imperial wanted Luke Skywalker, and was willing to kill. Enough people have died to protect me Enough people have died to protect me, Luke thought.

Images of his aunt's and uncle's smoldering bodies, of Darth Vader's lightsaber slicing through Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi, flashed through his mind.

Enough.

”Fine,” Leia said. ”But you're not doing it alone.”

Chewbacca hooted with enthusiasm. He was always eager for battle. Which left only one.

Leia fixed Han with a steely glare. Stubbornly, he met her gaze. Then he sighed.

”Your wish is my command, Princess,” Han said wearily. ”But if we do this, we do it my way. We're not just delivering the kid up to the slaughter. We've got to be smart.”

”Smart?” Leia raised her eyebrows. ”I thought you said you wanted to do this your way.”

Han lowered the Millennium Falcon Millennium Falcon into the atmosphere, surveying the moon's features. into the atmosphere, surveying the moon's features.

There weren't any.

People talked about ”the middle of nowhere,” but Han realized that he'd never actually been there-until now. Soresh's coordinates had led them to the Sixela system, a forgotten wasteland deep in the Outer Rim. The moon of the third planet around the blue giant star was habitable but uninhabited, and Han could see why. There was nothing on the ground but rocks and dust. The instruments indicated only one concentration of life, a small outpost at the moon's equator. Han projected the image on the viewscreen. It was a cl.u.s.ter of small, fortress-like buildings surrounded by the electrified pens they'd seen on the holovid. Large laser cannon installations surrounded the pens, aimed at the prisoners.

But there was no indication of any other weapons systems or planetary defense.

Han grinned. Whoever this Soresh was, he clearly didn't know how to lay an ambush.

This was going to be a piece of puff cake.

”Pardon me, Captain Solo?” Luke's golden protocol droid walked stiffly into the c.o.c.kpit. His astromech counterpart wheeled in beside him. ”Are you absolutely sure you wish to take such a rash course of action?” C-3PO asked, for the hundredth time. ”Perhaps if you would let me negotiate with the Imperial Commander? After all, I am a protocol droid, well versed in forty-seven forms of hostage negotiation-”

”You don't negotiate when someone's got a blaster to your head,” Han said impatiently. ”You use a bigger blaster.”

The astromech droid, R2-D2, beeped and whirred.

”Yes, Artoo, I'm sure Captain Solo does does know what he's doing. I simply wanted-” know what he's doing. I simply wanted-”

R2-D2 issued a high whistle.

”Oh, really?” C-3PO said. ”And when exactly is the last time you you used a blaster?” used a blaster?”

The astromech droid beeped a response.

”I most certainly will not not,” C-3PO said huffily. ”Why don't you you jam a restraining bolt in your-” jam a restraining bolt in your-”

”Enough!” Han shouted. ”I can't think with you two yammering in my ear.”

”Certainly, Captain Solo,” C-3PO said, offended but obsequious. ”We'll leave it to you.”

”Good,” Han growled. He prepared the s.h.i.+p for landing. The laser cannons were armed and ready, and his blaster, as always, was by his side. ”I've got some negotiating to do.”

Han set the Falcon Falcon down on the moon, about half a klick from the hostages. A solitary figure stood in the red sand, waiting. down on the moon, about half a klick from the hostages. A solitary figure stood in the red sand, waiting.

”Stay here and stay out of trouble,” Han instructed the droids. Then he and Chewbacca disembarked. The air was thin and choked with dust, but breathable. The man standing before him wore a hood over his face and carried an ancient triple blaster. It hung loosely at his side.

”Greetings, Captain Solo,” he said. ”Welcome to my kingdom.”

”So you're Soresh?” Han said.

The man nodded. He took a few steps toward the Falcon Falcon.