Part 16 (1/2)
”Good,” Han said, starting to get up. ”Nice and easy.”
”Wait a second,” Luke objected. ”We're going to run?”
”From a bank robbery?” Han countered. ”You bet.” ”But we have to help.”
”Which side?” Han retorted. ”Robbers against a big corporation? Big choice.”
”That's not fair,” Luke objected.
”He's right, kid,” Porter put in nervously. ”Besides, we're trying to keep a low profile, remember?”
Luke grimaced. His words to Ben on Tatooine whispered through his mind: I can't get involved. Yet if he hadn't, Tarkin and the Death Star would have won, and Leia and Rieekan and hundreds of others would now be dead.
”Fine-you keep your low profile,” he said. ”I'll do it myself.”
Across the table Chewbacca rumbled a protest, his ma.s.sive paw batting at Han's arm.
”Oh, for-” Han broke off, glaring up at his partner. ”Chewie-oh, all right. You two stay put-Chewie and me'll handle it.”
”Solo-” Porter began.
”Or go ahead and run,” Han cut him off. ”I don't care which.”
”But I want to help,” Luke objected.
”Then find a way to distract them,” Han said, standing. ”Come on, Chewie.
Let's get it over with.”
”There they go,” Grave murmured as the Corellian and Wookiee stood and headed unconcernedly toward the door. ”Think they're with whoever's outside?”
”Could be,” LaRone said, watching the kid. He and the farmer were still sitting at the table, the boy fingering something inside his runic.
Getting ready to draw a blaster? The Corellian and Wookiee walked past the trio at the table, the Corellian's hand dropping casually toward his holstered blaster.
And then from the street outside came the sound of a m.u.f.fled explosion.
The murmur of conversation in the tapcafe abruptly cut off as everyone froze, listening.
Everyone, that was, except the threesome at the table. Even as a second blast rumbled, all three abruptly stood, one of the humans pointing a large blaster at LaRone and Grave, the other targeting the two tables of security men at the back, the Rodian turning to cover the Corellian and Wookiee. ”So much for taking them by surprise,” Grave muttered.
”Right,” LaRone murmured back. The would-be ambushers had turned to face the Rodian now, the Corellian with feigned bewilderment on his face, the Wookiee just looking dangerous. Out of the corner of his eye LaRone saw the kid stand up beside his table and raise his arm over his head.
And with a sizzling snap-hiss a blue-edged blade blazed into existence.
The distinctive sound of a lightsaber probably hadn't been heard on Drunost since the Clone Wars. But it wasn't an easy sound to forget.
Instantly, magically, every eye in the tapcafe turned to look at the lightsaber the kid was holding over his head like a war banner. Even the Rodian half turned before he remembered he was supposed to be on guard and spun back.
But that half second of inattention was all it took. The Corellian took a long step forward and grabbed the end of the Rodian's blaster, twisting it to point toward the ceiling as he yanked out his own weapon. The Wookiee's approach was even more straightforward: grabbing the front of the Rodian's s.h.i.+rt, he lifted the alien straight off his feet and hurled him over the table into his two companions. All three went down, cras.h.i.+ng into both their own table and the one next to them and disappearing from LaRone's view into a confused snarl of arms and legs.
The Rodian was quick. Even as LaRone drew his hold -out blaster the alien roiled back up into view, chattering curses at everyone within range.
Dragging his blaster out of the tangle, he lifted it toward his attackers.
LaRone was lining up his blaster on the Rodian's back when the Corellian fired a single shot. This time the Rodian went down for good.
And then the security men from the back tables were there, three of them swarming over the two men on the floor with binders at the ready, the rest brus.h.i.+ng past the Corellian and the Wookiee. The security man in front threw open the door, paused there a moment to a.s.sess the situation, then charged through with the others close behind. As the door swung closed again LaRone could hear the sounds of blasterfire beginning to fill the street.
The Corellian and Wookiee didn't follow. Their job apparently done, they turned and headed back to their table. The kid with the lightsaber closed it down and tucked it away as their farmer friend got to his feet, and all four of them made for a curtained door beside the bar. As the others pa.s.sed through the curtain and a hidden door behind it, the kid with the lightsaber paused and turned around.
And looked directly at LaRone and Grave.
For a moment he held that pose. Then, turning back, he disappeared through the door with the others.
”Well, that was different,” Grave commented, fingering his hold-out blaster as he stood up. ”We joining the party?”
”I don't know,” LaRone said, getting out his comlink. There had been something in the kid's look that had set his skin tingling. ”Quiller?”
”On our way,” the other's voice came back. ”ETA, about ninety seconds.”
”Does Consolidated have anything in the air yet?”
”Oh, they've got everything in the air,” Quiller said. ”Patrol boats, high-cover skimmers, even a couple of small gunboats. Give them full points for preparedness.”
LaRone looked back toward the curtained back door. ”In that case, break off and swing up and over the line of buildings east of the repository. I want you to find and track a group of four people: three humans and a Wookiee.”
”Hang on.”
The comlink went silent. ”You thinking maybe our farmer may be mixed up in something a little more complicated than dirt scratching?” Grave asked.
”Dirt scratching is complicated enough,” LaRone told him. ”But yes, I was wondering that. If he was a loot-sniffer on that swooper raid, it could be he and his three friends are a.s.sociated with the BloodScars.”
”Who wanted to prevent the bank robbery and why?” Grave asked.
”Maybe the raiders are from a rival gang,” LaRone said. ”I just think they're worth keeping an eye on.”
”Got 'em,” Quiller's voice announced. ”Two different landspeeders-one with one of the humans, the other with the other two and the Wookiee ...
the singleton's splitting off.”
LaRone made a fast decision. ”Stay with the threesome.”
”Acknowledged,” Quiller said. ”Looks like they're heading for one of the service yards.”
Did that mean their mission was over? ”We'll pick up the trail behind them,” LaRone said, standing up and gesturing Grave toward the back door.
”Let me know when they mark their s.h.i.+p. And set up a track-we're going to want to follow them.”
”We are?” Grave asked. ”Why?”