Part 19 (2/2)
The computer was the size of a small carrying case. It was black and nearly featureless, save for a control panel along one edge. Koth Melan held the thing easily on his palms.
They were on board the Outrider in the s.h.i.+p's lounge. Dash sprawled on a built-in chair, staring at the wall, not saying anything. He was stunned at his failure to stop the missile that had taken out four of the Ywings. As much as Luke had wanted to see Dash taken down a notch, that was not how he would have seen it done. Dash was disappointed that he wasn't as good as he'd thought he was, but at least he was alive - more than he could say about half his attack unit.
Luke also stared, but at the small computer. Once again, he hoped whatever was in it was worth the lives of a dozen Bothans.
”Can you access the program?” Melan shook his head. ”No. It will be encrypted and protected by an automatic destruct device. Only an expert can circ.u.mvent the wards. Our best team is on Kothlis, a Bothan colony world a few light-years from here. We'll transport it there and find out what we've got.”
”I'd like to go along,” Luke said.
”Of course. I'll give you coordinates; you can reach it easily in your X-wing.”
”Dash?” The man didn't answer but continued to stare at nothing. This had really hit him hard. Luke even felt sorry for him.
”Dash,” he said again.
Dash blinked, as if coming out of a trance. ”Huh?”
Luke had seen it before. Battle shock.
To Melan, Luke said, ”Are we apt to run into any Imperial problems on the way to Kothlis?” Melan shrugged. ”Who can say? It is possible.”
”Would it be possible for your organization to locate Princess Leia?”
”As of yesterday, she was at Avaro Sookcool's casino in the gambling complex on Rodia.”
Luke shook his head. These guys were good. He looked at Dash. He couldn't bring him along, not the way he was now. He was too rattled.
”Dash...”
”I had it in my sights,” Dash said. ”No way I could have missed.”
”Das.h.!.+”
”Huh? What?”
”Go to Rodia. Find Princess Leia and tell her about the computer and the secret plans. You got it?”
”I should go with you.”
”No, it's more important that you find the princess.” Luke felt as if he were talking to a child.
Dash blinked. Stared at Luke. ”All right. Rodia. Plans. Got it.”
”We'll meet later,” Luke said. ”Okay?”
”Meet you later, uh-huh.”
”You going to be all right?”
”Yeah.”
Luke turned back to Melan, who looked sympathetic. ”It is war,” Melan said. ”Bad things happen.” Luke nodded. One more thing the Empire had to answer for.
Whatever she had been expecting, Leia thought, Guri was not it.
The woman from Black Sun was gorgeous, strikingly beautiful, with long, blond hair and a trim figure. She wore a short black cloak over black thinskins and calf boots, with a belt of pebbly red leather slung low over her hips. If she had a weapon Leia couldn't spot it. She moved with the grace of a professional dancer.
She sat across from Leia and smiled. When she spoke, Guri's voice was cool and even: ”How may we serve you, Princess?”
Leia repressed a smile. Direct and to the point, this woman. But Leia had been too long a diplomat to blurt out what she wanted to a stranger.
There needed to be some ritual circling, a few feints, a bit of misdirection. One did not leap from a high cliff into unknown waters; there could be dangerous things lurking just under the surface. It was a good idea to probe carefully first. She didn't know anything about this icy blonde, what her status was in her organization, what their goals were, what they wanted from those they dealt with. While the Alliance would not enter into a partners.h.i.+p with criminals, Leia was not above using whatever eyes and ears she needed to keep Luke alive, and she did not represent the Alliance in this meeting-though she would keep that to herself.
”I understand that Black Sun has a first-rate intelli-gence-gathering capability,” she said. Guri flashed a smile. ”We hear things from time to time.”
”Care for some refreshment?” Leia nodded toward the bar and Threepio.
Guri looked that way. ”Tea, if it is not too much trouble. Hot.”
Leia looked at Threepio. ”And the same for me, please.”
”At once,” Threepio said. He began making the tea.
”Your flight was pleasant?” Leia said.
Guri smiled. ”Very. I trust that Avaro has made your wait here equally pleasant?”
Well, at least she knew how to play this game. It had been a while since Leia had occasion to sit and chat with another woman, being around all these men and males lately. They would have tea, they would dance their diplomatic dance, and eventually work their way to matters of substance.
Like Lando's card game, it was wiser to keep your hand hidden until you had some knowledge of the other players.
The tea came and went; the conversation stayed bland, and while there was nothing upon which Leia could put a ringer, something was wrong. Guri didn't feel right, somehow. She was polite, well-mannered, willing to follow Leia's lead in the game they played, and despite all that, Leia wanted to be rid of her visitor.
What was it?
So far, they hadn't come anywhere near the subject of Luke, and eventually she'd have to work her way to that, but not yet. Not until she could get some handle on what was bothering her about the woman from Black Sun.
”We are more than willing to accommodate the Alliance,” Guri said, leaning back in her chair. She looked so relaxed. Much more so than Leia felt herself. ”We would not be unhappy if the Empire were to lose this war and the Alliance were to ascend to power.”
”The Alliance might be worse than the Empire, as far as criminal organizations are concerned,” Leia said.”
Let's see how she handles that.
Guri shrugged. ”The truth is, Black Sun is less andless interested in illegal activities. Most of our revenuethese days comes from investments in legitimate indus-? tries and strictly legal operations. There are many in our organization who would have it become completely aboveboard, nothing under the table. Such a thing is difficult under the weight of the Empire. Perhaps under the Alliance the transition might be better effected.”
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