Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies by Christie Golden

Author:Christie Golden
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science-Fiction:Star Wars
ISBN: 9780345509147
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 2010-05-25T05:31:04.633416+00:00

ABOARD THE ROCKHOUND

“What do you mean, the rest have gone?”

Lando Calrissian was seated in a mobile levchair at the pilot’s station of the antique vessel, the Rockhound. He was glaring at one of the drop-down display screens that currently showed the head and shoulders of the purple Sith woman who had introduced herself as Captain Leeha Faal.

She smiled. It was not a pleasant smile, but it did not detract from her attractiveness. Sith.

“Your Master Skywalker was most insistent,” she said. “He felt that it would be better to have the fleet assembled and ready to proceed closer to the Maw itself. He left the Winged Dagger and the Starstalker behind in his stead. We are allies, Captain Calrissian.”

Allies, right. Sith flying around in frigates. “Of course, Luke told me he was working with you.” He was proud of himself. His smooth voice had lost none of its charm, even when he uttered words that unsettled—even disgusted—him. He gave her one of his best smiles, lifted his arms, and winked. “Well, here I am. Are you ready, Captain Faal?”

“We shall be momentarily,” she said, her voice soothing and easy on the ears. “The Starstalker should be here shortly. We will conduct our preflight check, and then we shall hasten to join our comrades outside the Maw.”

“That sounds fine,” Lando said. “Let me know when you’re good to go. Calrissian out.”

He clicked an old-fashioned, shiny button. Faal’s pretty face was replaced by a blank screen. His smile disappeared as if it were a glow rod he had switched off.

Though he was the only living being on the ship, Lando was not alone. There was a full crew complement; it was simply one composed entirely of droids. He turned in the levchair to regard the one with whom he had the most interaction, the bridge droid Cybot Galactica Model RN8.

“Bust my rear getting you droids and this ship functional, and Luke hightails it out of here without me. Nice of him to leave such an attractive welcoming committee though.”

Ornate straightened and turned her head globe to regard him with her three blue photoreceptors. The transparent globe was alive with the sparkles of her processing unit, and her bronze body casing was decorated with comets and stars. She was extremely old, functioning well, and as lovely as any piece of art. “I am not programmed to evaluate human standards of attractiveness,” Ornate said in a deep, purring voice.

“I am,” Lando said cheerily. Ornate merely turned her globe head back to the navigation console. Lando grinned a little and swung the chair back around just in time to see a white flash indicating someone dropping out of hyperdrive.

Four vessels suddenly appeared, bristling with weapons, their forms bulky and threatening. Lando’s gut twisted, his humor gone.

“Oh great,” he muttered. “Just what we needed. Hutts.” He waited, sweat gathering at his hairline, to see if he would be hailed, but the Hutts were apparently here on other business. After less than a minute, they dived as one for the atmosphere.

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