Star Wars: Legacy of the Force [03] - Tempest by Troy Denning

Author:Troy Denning [Denning, Troy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780345477521
Google: YILhsgEACAAJ
Amazon: 0345477529
Barnesnoble: 0345477529
Goodreads: 12984
Publisher: LucasBooks
Published: 2006-11-27T19:00:00+00:00

chapter fourteen

With dim blue lighting and the sweet taint of rekka smoke in the air, Telkur Station Cantina was the kind of place where smart customers kept their backs to as many walls as possible. Its only ceiling was a disorganized web of ventilation ducts suspended in the murk above, and there was a half-concealed entrance somewhere along every one of its eight walls. The patrons were clustered in groups of three and four, sitting around corroded steel tables and openly studying Han and his companions.

“What are we waiting for?” Nashtah demanded from behind Han. “I’m thirsty.”

“Just being sure,” Han said. The cantina’s clients were exclusively human and near-human, with no droids, and roughly balanced between handsome men with scroungy three-day beards and beautiful Hapan women dressed to look tough but available. C-3PO and the Noghri were back in the Falcon, so Han thought he and his two female companions would fit right in—unless someone recognized him or Leia from an old HoloNews broadcast. “I can’t believe Hapan Security wouldn’t cover this place.”

“They will—but there won’t be many.” Nashtah pushed past Han and started toward the bar. “If they cause us any trouble, we’ll kill them.”

“Yeah, that’s a great plan,” Han retorted. “We wouldn’t want to cause a scene or anything.”

But Nashtah was already halfway to the bar, no doubt far more aware of the gazes furtively following her progress than she let on. Having rebuffed Leia’s suggestion that they all wear disguises—claiming her contact would not show up unless both she and the Solos were easily recognizable—she now seemed determined to draw the entire station’s attention.

“I don’t like it,” Han said to Leia. “She’s testing us.”

“Clearly,” Leia said. “But she’s our only lead. What are we going to do?”

“How about not going along?” Han took Leia’s arm and turned toward the grimy access corridor. “We’ll head back to the Falcon and let her come to us.”

Leia pulled him back into the cantina entrance. “And take the chance that she’d just disappear?” She freed herself from his grasp. “We can’t. Too much depends on her.”

Leia started after their companion. Han cursed under his breath, then reluctantly followed the pair toward the bar. The cantina was almost certainly being watched by Hapan Security, and Nashtah was deliberately exposing the Solos to see what happened. If someone tried to kill or capture them, she would probably accept their story and let them fly her the rest of the way to her employers. On the other hand, if nothing happened—or if the capture efforts appeared insincere—she would either slip away quietly or try to kill them herself. Han was betting on kill.

At the bar, an aproned bartender with a cleft chin and dark eyes came over to take their orders. Han was immediately suspicious of the fellow’s athletic build and clean-shaven face, but if he was a Hapan agent, he was a well-prepared one. He fixed Leia’s Fogblaster and even Nashtah’s Red Cloud without having to consult the datapad behind the bar for a drink recipe.

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