Star Wars_ Shadows Of The Empire Part 11

The Dark Lord of the Sith stalked through the bowels of his castle to where his personal shuttle was kept. He could have taken the turbolift to the skyhook; most pa.s.sengers and cargo were moved to the giant orbiting satellites through their tethers to the surface of the Imperial Center; but he had not stayed alive this long by taking foolish chances. Skyhook lifts seldom malfunctioned, but they were vulnerable to attack, from within and without. No, better to be in control of his own armored craft, where the dark side could be unleashed - along with laser cannon-if need be.

As he walked through one of his spare hallways, Va-der considered another problem. For now, the Emperor did not want him to hunt for Luke Skywalker, at least not personally. While the Emperor had not yet spoken of it directly, the construction of the new and more powerful Death Star was behind schedule. Those in charge offered many excuses-material, workers, constantly changing plans-and the Emperor was growing impatient.

Vader was fairly certain that it would be only a matter of time before the Emperor sent him to oversee the lagging project. It was amazing how a general who would drag his feet while out of the Emperor's sight would suddenly learn how to run when paid a visit from one who could call upon the dark side. Those Imperial officers who scoffed at the Force did so out of ignorance.

Those who did not fear the power of Darth Vader were those who had never stood face-to-face with him.

Vader did not agree that the Death Star was the in-vincible and omnipotent weapon its designers had promised the Emperor. He had heard that tale before, and the ill-equipped Rebel forces had shown just how wrong that was with the first Death Star.

No, that was not strictly true. It had been Luke Skywalker who had struck the deadly blow, proving to Vader's satisfaction that the Force was more powerful than the most sophisticated and deadliest technology. But-the Emperor did not agree, and there was nothing to be done about it. Nor was there anything to be done about being made to wait here. What the Emperor willed was so.

Vader reached the shuttle's bay. A guard stood at the door.

"Is my shuttle ready to launch?"

"It is, Lord Vader."

"Good." The example he'd made of the technicians in charge the one time it had not been ready when he wished to use it had thus far been sufficient to keep that from happening again.

Vader swept past and marched toward his vessel.

Very well. He could not seek Luke out in person, but he could arrange for others to do so. Those wheels had already been put in motion. A very large reward and the grat.i.tude of Darth Vader had been offered for whoever brought Skywalker to him alive. That would have to do for now.

Why me?" Luke said.

They were next to the Falcon. Support techs from Rogue Squadron moved in and out of the s.h.i.+p, repairing damage done during the failed attempt on Boba Fett's s.h.i.+p. The big makes.h.i.+ft building hadn't gotten any warmer since they'd arrived.

Leia said, "Because it's your homeworld and you're the most familiar with it. Somebody needs to be there to keep an eye out for Boba Fett. You need to practice your Jedi skills, and you need a quiet place to do it. You're the logical choice."

Luke shook his head. He didn't like it. And he didn't think Leia was being completely frank with him.

"Can't your Alliance business wait?" he asked.

"No. Take Artoo and go back to Ben's house. Lando and Chewie and Threepio and I will meet you there as soon as I am done." Luke sighed. She was probably right, but that didn't make it any easier. "All right. But you be careful."

After Luke had taken off in his X-wing with Artoo - it was a long trip and they'd packed food and water for him, though he'd be ready for a shower when he got there-Leia spoke to Dash Rendar.

"Are you available for a job?" she asked him. "Sweetie, I'm always available-if the money is right."

"I want you to go to Tatooine and keep an eye on Luke." Dash raised an eyebrow. "Bodyguard? Sure, I can do that. Kid won't like it if he finds out."

"So stay out of sight," Leia said. "Somebody tried to kill him, and I think they'll try again. How much?"

Dash named a figure.

Lando whistled. "Man, you are a bandit, aren't you?"

"The best don't come cheap, Lando. In advance, Princess."

Leia smiled. "You think so little of me, Dash? Do I look that stupid?

One-third in advance, two-thirds when we arrive-if he's still alive."

"I can't guarantee that."

"I thought you were the best."

Dash grinned. "I am. Half up front, half when you get there."

"All right."

After she'd paid Dash and he was gone, Leia turned to Lando. "All right. Let me pose a hypothetical question."

"If you don't mind a hypothetical answer, go ahead."

"What would be the best way to contact somebody high up in Black Sun?"

Lando stared at her as if she'd just told him she could fly by waving her arms. He shook his head. "The best way? Don't."

"Come on, Lando. This is important."

"Princess, Black Sun is bad news. You don't want to get into bed with them."

"I'm not planning on getting into bed with them. I just want to rummage through their wardrobe chest."

"What?"

Leia said, "Somebody just tried to kill Luke. Maybe it was Vader. Maybe not. Black Sun has a vast spynet of its own, older, maybe even wider than the Alliance's.

They can find out who is responsible." Chewie half grunted, half moaned something. "I'm with you, pal," Lando said. He exchanged glances with Chewie. "This is a big mistake." Leia continued. "But you have the connections and can put me in touch with them, right?"

"It's still a bad idea."

"Lando..."

"Yeah, yeah. I know a few people." She smiled. "Good. Where do we find them?"

11.

The Emperor's skyhook was half again as large as Xizor's and far more opulent. The Dark Prince preferred to keep his best treasures on the ground; he felt they would be safer there. Not that there was any real danger of a skyhook dropping out of the sky-it had happened on Coruscant but once in a hundred years, and that had been a freakish combination of a power failure, a solar storm, and a freighter collision.

Then again, the Emperor had a lot more treasures than anybody else in the galaxy, and the loss even of a city-size skyhook would be but a small pail subtracted from his vast sea.

Xizor stood on a high, wide terrace overlooking the central park of the huge s.p.a.ce habitat. His bodyguards, now at travel strength of an even dozen, formed a semicircle from the balcony's edge with Xizor alone inside it. Here he stared out at full-size evergreen and deciduous trees, some of which topped thirty meters. A section of the park immediately below him was planted and climate-controlled into a fecund jungle, a riot of colorful flowers, electric reds, bright blues, phosph.o.r.escent oranges among the verdant hues, those ranging from the palest of greens to a broad-leafed vine whose waxy leaves were almost black.

Xizor did not care much for botany, but he knew good work when he saw it.

Perhaps he could entice the Emperor's gardener away for his own skyhook?

He felt Vader approach before he heard or saw him. The man did have a presence, no doubt about that. Xizor turned and offered a small bow.

"Lord Vader."

"Prince Xizor. You had something to discuss?"

No polite small talk, no social niceties from Vader. Almost refres.h.i.+ng, given some of the toadies Xizor encountered. Almost.

"Yes. The location of a secret Rebel base has come to my attention. I a.s.sumed you would want to know of this."

Vader was silent save for his measured, mechanical breathing, which suddenly seemed quite loud. Xizor could almost see Vader's brain working, measuring, calculating. Wondering: What was the head of Black Sun up to?

Xizor kept his face carefully neutral for the recording holocams he knew were watching. His, the Emperor's, Vader's-and whoever else might be good enough to get past the Emperor's security to be spying on them.

"Of course," Vader finally said. "Where is this base?"

"In the Baji Sector, out on the Rim. The Lybeya System, hidden on one of the larger Vergesso Asteroids. It is my understanding that there is a s.h.i.+pyard full of vessels undergoing repair. Scores, perhaps hundreds, of Rebel s.h.i.+ps, ranging from fighters to troop carriers."

Vader said nothing. "Destruction of such a base would no doubt greatly cripple the Alliance," Xizor continued. A bland understatement, offered as if ice would not melt upon his tongue.

Again, a protracted silence. Then: "I'll have my agents check it out,"

Vader said. "If it is as you say, then the Empire will be... indebted to you."

Oh, that must have hurt, to have to say that. Xizor gave Vader a courteous nod. "Merely my duty, Lord Vader. No thanks are necessary."

He could almost feel Vader squirming. To have to owe Xizor must have rankled. But what could he do? If this report was true-and certainly it was-it was a succulent and ripe offering. The Rebels didn't have so many s.h.i.+ps that they could afford to lose any, much less an entire yard full of them. This truly was a service to the Empire.

That the s.h.i.+pyard was, unknown to either the Rebels or the Empire, owned by Ororo Transportation, the same company that had dared tread on Black Sun's spice operations in that sector-well, so much the better. Here was another way to skewer two eels with one. spear: Ororo would be much damaged, and the Emperor's trust in Xizor would be greatly enhanced at the same time.

It truly was an ill wave that washed no good ash.o.r.e.

Vader turned and left, black cape flagging behind him. Xizor's bodyguards prudently stepped well aside to allow him to pa.s.s.

Vader would have to verify the report. The Emperor would send forces to attend to the base. With any luck at all, Vader would be the one dispatched, given the Emperor's well-known disposition regarding such things: You found it, you take care of it. That would get Vader out of the way and allow Xizor a bit more freedom to continue the unfolding of his plan.

He turned and looked down at the miniature jungle below. Schemes were like plants in many ways. You put them where you wanted them, fed and watered them, pruned them as needed, and they grew as you expected. By and large.

He waved one of his bodyguards over.

"My lord?"

"Find out who is in charge of this." He waved at the park. "Offer him twice the credits he is being paid to come to work on my skyhook."

"My lord." The bodyguard bowed and hurried away.

Xizor took a deep breath and inhaled the oxy-rich and jungle-scented air.

It smelled very alive. Like wet mushrooms and leaf mold and fresh gra.s.ses all mixed into a fine odor. Very alive, and he never felt more so himself than when he was manipulating things to his satisfaction.

Luke covered the X-wing with the camo-netting and stood back next to Artoo. "There. That ought to do it." From the air, the s.h.i.+p should be invisible, and with all its power systems shut down and offline, a flyby wouldn't pick it up on a quick sensor scan. Not that he was particularly scared after the incident with the crew chief; it just made good sense not to let pa.s.sersby know there was an Alliance s.h.i.+p parked here.

Heat rose from the ground in s.h.i.+mmery waves, and the suns seethed and offered yet more light and warmth than the desert could absorb. The reflections from the sand were actinic and bright, and Luke had to squint against the hard light. He didn't worry too much about somebody just happening to pa.s.s by-n.o.body came out here without a really good reason.

He walked back to the house-he still thought of it as Ben's-with Artoo rolling along the b.u.mpy ground behind him. The short droid chirped and whistled at him. He sounded concerned, and Luke guessed he was talking about Leia and the others.

"Yeah, I know, I worry about them, too. But they'll be all right."

He hoped.

Inside, Luke touched a control, and a panel of synstone on the curved roof slid back and exposed the solar panels hidden underneath. The house had been running in reduced mode on battery power while he'd been gone, and it was not much cooler inside than out. With the panels suddenly feeding the system more power than it could use, the air conditioner kicked on and a welcome cool breeze blew through the small house.

Luke felt grubby from his flight. He stripped and took a long shower.

Fortunately, the water condensers had filled the underground tanks while he was away, and he had enough water to lather and rinse twice. When he was done, he felt a lot better. It was a long hop from Gall, and he was looking forward to stretching out and sleeping in a bed for a change.

But maybe he would just finish the facets on the lightsaber jewel first.

He had a lot to think about, and he didn't think he would be able to take a nap just yet; too many things buzzing around in his head. Might as well do something useful.

He put on a robe and moved to the worktable.

Rodia?" Leia said.

"Rodia," Lando said.

They were in the Falcon, moving through hypers.p.a.ce. Chewie was asleep in the bunk behind the lounge-the only one long enough to hold him stretched out-and Threepio had powered down. So it was just the two of them in the c.o.c.kpit.

"Why Rodia? That's a long way from here, halfway to Coruscant."

"I know, but that's where my contact is. Name is Avaro; he owns a small casino in the gambling complex in Equator City. The complex is run by Black Sun. Avaro will know who to contact."

"Okay."

"Might be a little tricky, though."

"Why is that?"

Lando shook his head. "Well, before Vader showed up on Cloud City and gave him to Boba Fett, there were other bounty hunters looking for Han. I found out when we were poking around in Mos Eisley that a Rodian thug named Greedo caught up with Han in one of the cantinas there. Greedo was going to blast him for the reward. There was a shootout. Han walked away.

Greedo didn't."

"So?"