Star Wars by James Luceno

Author:James Luceno [Luceno, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2016-11-17T00:00:00+00:00

16

UNEXPECTED VALUE

THE WANTON WELLSPRING wasn’t the sort of bar where patrons, regulars especially, were expected to make grand entrances, so Has—arriving for another meeting with Matese—was surprised when the two hulking, snuffling, snout-faced Gamorreans working the door allowed him to cut the line and all but ushered him inside. Maybe it had something to do with his new clothes or the way he was carrying himself that singled him out from the usual pikers looking for pickup work. For indeed everyone in the place, from the daunting Woana, who was coaxing drinks from customers at the bar, to a couple of Twi’lek musicians on break, turned to regard him as he stepped into the main room. Even his competitors took notice. But what should have been a kind of crowning moment was undermined by the looks they ultimately showed him, which were closer to circumspect than congratulatory. Whether stalked or skull-embedded or just spots on a carapace, optical organs followed him as he made his way to the corner table Matese had reserved. The atmosphere was charged with caution, and the few greetings he received were tentative.

Matese had yet to show up, so Has collapsed into a chair, ordered a drink, and tried to make sense of the sidelong glances and the hushed conversations that were so obviously about him they nearly got his ears ringing.

Before the drink arrived, a smuggler he knew only as Molo—a brawny old hand notoriously rumored to have sabotaged more than his share of rivals and currently as down on his luck as any of them—advanced on the table.

“You don’t mind if I sit.”

Since it wasn’t exactly a question, Has simply slid his chair to where he could sit directly opposite the dangerous human in case anything violent went down.

“Happy for the company.”

The logo etched into Molo’s new ear identified it as the product of a corporation that manufactured cheap replacement organs for war veterans who couldn’t afford bacta treatments or synthskin prostheses. Molo’s original ear had been given freely in a gesture of deference to a crime syndicate he had inadvertently crossed.

“Spotted your ship at one of the Western Reaches choke points a couple of months back,” Molo said. “When you made the big run.”

“The big run?”

Molo glanced around. “The rest of your crew out celebrating?”

Okay, Has thought, so word of the Samovar op had spread, which in itself wasn’t unusual. Still … “Everybody’s luck changes at some point.”

“That’s the way it’s supposed to go. But what a lot of us are wondering is how you managed to get in and out without a hitch. I mean, you talk about perfect timing. It’s almost like you were tipped off.”

Has slid his chair a bit farther out of range of Molo’s big fist. “It was just a drop and departure.”

“So you weren’t warned.”

“Warned of what?”

Molo sat back, appraising him openly. “You haven’t heard what went down at Samovar?”

Has spread his hands in ignorance. “I’ve been out of touch.”

It was true. Fearing Imperial reprisals following the run, he and the crew had decided to scatter and avoid contact with one another.

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