Star Wars: New Jedi Order: Ylesia by Walter Jon Williams

Author:Walter Jon Williams [Williams, Walter Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Star Wars
Published: 2011-12-25T03:28:58+00:00

“I wonder if you can remember when you held me prisoner,” Jaina said cheerfully.

Thrackan Sal-Solo tried to fashion a smile. “That was all a misunderstanding. And long ago.”

“You know . . .” Jaina cocked her head and pretended to study him. “I think you look younger without the beard.”

General Tigran Jamiro, the commander of the landing force, whirred up in his command vehicle, rose from his seat, and gave Thrackan a careful look. “You say this is the Peace Brigade President?” he asked.

“That’s Thrackan all right.” Jaina looked at the black-haired woman who had been with Thrackan. “I don’t know who this is. His girlfriend, maybe.”

Thrackan seemed a little indignant. “This is the stenographer the government assigned me.”

Jaina looked at the woman and her cold eyes and bright white teeth, and thought that clerical assistants were certainly looking carnivorous these days.

Thrackan approached the general and adopted a pained tone. “You know, there’s a family vendetta going on here.” He pointed at Jaina. “She’s got it in for me over something that happened years ago.”

General Jamiro gave Thrackan a cold look. “So you aren’t the Peace Brigade President?”

Thrackan threw out his hands. “I didn’t volunteer for the job! I was kidnapped! The Vong were getting even with me for killing so many of them at Fondor!”

Lowbacca, who had been listening, gave a complex series of moans and howls, and Jaina translated. “He says, ‘They got revenge by making you President? If you killed more of them, they’d make you emperor?’ ”

“They’re diabolical,” Thrackan said. “It’s a very elaborate piece of revenge!” He jabbed a finger toward the small of his back. “They destroyed my kidney! It’s still bruised—you want to see?” He began pulling up his shirt.

Jaina turned to the commander. “General,” she said, “I’d put Thrackan on the first landspeeder into town. He can guide us to our objectives.” She turned to her cousin and winked. “You’ll want to help us, right? Since you’re not Peace Brigade after all.”

“I’m a citizen of Corellia!” Thrackan insisted. “I demand protection from my government!”

“Actually you’re not a citizen anymore,” Jaina said. “When the Centerpoint Party heard you’d defected, they expelled you and sentenced you in absentia and confiscated your property and—“

“But I didn’t defect! I—“

“Right,” General Jamiro said. “On the first landspeeder he goes.” He looked at Thrackan’s companion. “What do we do with the woman?”

Jaina looked at her again, cogitated for a moment, and moved. In a couple of seconds she had the woman’s wrist locked and had relieved her of her holdout blaster.

“I’d put stun cuffs on her,” Jaina said, and handed the blaster to General Jamiro.

“How did you know she was armed?”

Jaina looked at Dagga Marl and thought about why she’d made her decision. “Because she was standing like a woman who had a blaster on her,” she decided.

Dagga, her wrist locked and her elbow hoisted above her head, snarled at Jaina from under her arm. Troopers came to cuff her and put her under guard.

“Let’s get moving,” Jamiro said.

Jaina marched Thrackan to the first landspeeder and sat him in front, next to the driver.

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