[Short Stories] - [Insider] - The Trouble With Squibs (Troy Denning), Star Wars - Books And Short Stories
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Star WarsStar Wars InsiderN 67The Trouble with Squibsby Troy Denning###############################################################################Beyond the end of the concourse shimmered the lights of Pavo Prime, a twinkling reef of undersea glitz that lured gamblers and fish-watchers alike to the jewel-blue waters of the galaxy's most dazzling casino world. A school of golden moonmoufhs was kissing their way along the exterior of the viewing wall, oblivious to the toothy culkuda grinning at them from beneath a blinkboard vaunting high payoffs at the StarUrchin. Of the hundreds of beings riding the slidewalk, no more than a handful would recognize the irony in what they were seeing, Pavo Prime was one giant feeding shoal, and the favorite prey did not breathe water.Han Solo was one of the few who understood exactly what he saw-and he loved ii. A trip to Pavo Prime could be like taking all the exciting parts of life and compressing them into a few short days of chance and glitter. It made him feel alive in the same way that running an Imperial blockade did, except that it was a lot easier to walk away when things went bad-not that he expected anything to go bad on {his trip. With the prettiest ambassador in the galaxy at his side and ten thousand spare credits in his pocket, how could it?The slidewalk entered a noisy transit terminal packed with a hundred different species of tourists. Most were tugging large repulsorlift luggage sleds and more interested in the moonmouths outside than in the touts and pickpockets quietly sizing them up. Han took Leia by the arm and angled for a holographic banner that read PRIVATE LUXSUB. Because they were trying to keep a low profile, Chewbacca and C-3PO were following with three luggage sleds twenty paces behind, far enough away that they would not draw attention to the Solos.Han and Leia were halfway to the holobanner when a beak-mouthed Ishi Tib fixed her eyestalks on them. Though Leia wore a pair of false white eyebrows, white contact lenses, and a stylish mirrcloth veil, Han was not all that surprised when the Ishi Tib continued to stare. Leia's eyes were among the most beautiful in the galaxy, and it would take more than a change of color and a pair of synthetic brows to change that.The Ishi Tib started toward them. "Say, aren't you-"No." Leia swung her small shoulder satchel between them. "You're mistaking me for someone else. It happens all the time."The Ishi Tib crinkled her leathery face. "You're sure? Your voice sounds-""I'm sure." Leia grabbed Han by the arm and started in the opposite direction, then whispered, 'Tell me again why we couldn't use a private berth?""Because private berths are for high rollers, and we don't happen to have a million credits in flash money." Han's disguise was simpler than Leia's, a false goatee and a dapper prow-hat that so far had not drawn a second glance. "And even if we did, hitting the sabacc tables with that kind of bank wouldn't put this Ludlo Lebauer in a very charitable mood. Casino bosses hate to lose big."Leia raised a false eyebrow. "Pretty sure of yourself, Flyboy,""I'm banned in half the casinos on Pavo Prime," Han said proudly. "Ask Chewie about the time I broke the bank at the Seahorse.""The Seahorse? There Isn't any Seahorse Casino." Han smiled. 'That's my point,""If you say so." Leia rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Please don't break Lebauer's casino until after he gives me the boasas." 'That depends," Han said. "On what?""On how nicely you ask,"As much as Han was looking forward to their holiday on Pavo Prime, it had been Leia who suggested the trip. New Republic Intelligence-NRI-had stumbled across a set of ten Alderaanian boasa statues that had been off world when the Death Star blasted the planet into so much dust, and Leia was fiercely determined to preserve the boasas for future generations of Alderaanians. Given that the statues were currently owned by a casino boss-and that Leia had nothing lo bargain with but her quick wit-Han put their chances at somewhere between tiny and nonexistent. Still, he would not have bet against her-he had seen Leia do the impossible too often to ever count her out. Besides, he was glad lo be on a mission that did not involve saving the New Republic, Han was as. happy as the next guy to do his pan, but once in a while it was nice to go on a simple, ordinary business trip.The crowd of tourists began to thicken, slowing progress through the terminal to a crawl. Worried that they would grow too far separated from their companions, Han turned to wave Chewbacca forward and saw a pair of meter-high rodents slipping toward him through the forest of legs. With pointed muzzles, tufted ears, arid deep brown eyes, they were almost as cute as baby Wookiees-and twice as much trouble. The instant they saw Han watching them, they flashed toothy white grins and raised their small hands in greeting.Han spun in the opposite direction, pulling Leia after him, and began to shoulder through the crowd, "Don't look now," he muttered, "but we've got trouble."Leia did not look. "What is it? Bounty hunters? Assassins?" Her hand dropped toward the holdout blaster hidden in her dress pocket. "Old buddies?""Worse," Han said. "Squibs," Leia's fingers dug into Han's arm, "Not-""Afraid so." Ignoring the trail of indignant protests they were leaving in their wake, Han pulled Leia pasta pair of blue-skinned Duros and saw the luxsub booking counter ahead. "Sligh and Emala.""What about Grees?""Didn't see him,""Oh," Leia said. "That's bad. Very bad.""Yeah." They had met Grees, Sligh, and Emala on Tatooine a few months earlier, on a trip to recover another of Alderaanian's surviving masterpieces. The debacle that followed had not been entirely the fault of the Squibs, but their "help" had certainly complicated the situation. The last thing Han-or Leia-wanted was another entanglement with those three. The trip to Pavo Prime was, after all, supposed to be more pleasure than business.Han angled toward the only empty service post where a silver vending droid with darkened photoreceptors stood beside a closed access gate. Overhead, a gold holobanner flashed, JAIJAY LUXSUBS, SORRY-ALL CRAFT BOOKED.Han banged his palm on the counter. "Wake up, pal."The droid's photoreceptors brightened. "Good day, sir. I'm afraid-""I can read," Han said, eyeing the hatch behind the counter, "You have a private docking salon?""Of course," the droid said. "But all of our craft are out on hour-hires. It's quite impossible to say when one might be available."Han glanced over his shoulder and saw that the Squibs were coming up fast, still grinning and waving, and taking full advantage of their size to dodge toward him. A few paces behind, Chewbacca's furry form towered above the crowd, his eyes fixed on the JaiJay holobanner and his head cocked in puzzlement. Obviously, he had not yet seen the Squibs.Han slapped a credit-chip on the counter and turned back to the droid. "Subcontract with another line, We'll pay double."The droid glanced at the adjacent queues, which, though long, were moving quickly. "But ii would be more economical-"He said to subcontract," Leia insisted. "We'd like to go through JaiJay; you're noted for your excellent customer service.""I wasn't aware of that." The droid read the credit-chip, then the access gate opened. "But we are Improving, JaiJay wishes you the best of luck during your stay."Han pointed toward Chewbacca and instructed the droid to admit only the Wookiee and his droid companion, then retrieved his credit-chip and followed Leia through the access gate.The interior of the docking salon was roomy and well appointed, with a double row of bodyform chairs, a vidwall advertising Pavo Prime's many different attractions, and-next to the boarding hatch-an observation bubble with a view of the underwater city that went down easily a full kilometer. Although casino lights glimmered all the way to the bottom, submarines could be seen only in the top two hundred meters; beyond that depth, running lights attracted too many big predators.Barely giving the scene a second glance, Leia stared at the hatch through which they had come."What are the Squibs doing on Pavo Prime?""Do you really want to know?" Han countered, "No," Leia said. "But we didn't just bump Into them. The galaxy isn't that small."They must have done pretty well after we left Tatooine," Han suggested. "Maybe they're Just here to spend some money," Leia looked at him doubtfully. "Squibs?""Or maybe they heard a bout the boasa statues," Han admitted. Of all the art pieces that had been off world at the time of Alderaan's destruction, the boasa statues were the oldest and most mysterious, for they had been created by the mysterious Killiks who inhabited Alderaan long before humans arrived. "Maybe they're here to buy the boasas,""And which do you think makes more sense?"Before Han could answer, the hatch opened and Chewbacca and C-3PO arrived with the luggage sleds. Chewbacca scowled out the observation bubble and, seeing rio luxsub waiting to pick them up, turned to Han and groaned."Of course I saw the sign," Han glanced through the open hatch and, finding no sign of Emala or Sligh, turned back to Chewbacca. "I Just wanted to lose the Squibs."The fur rose along Chewbacca's spine, and C-3PO asked, "Squibs? Here?""So you didn't see them?" Leia addressed this to Chewbacca.The Wookiee shook his head."Well, that's something. Maybe we lost them." Leia checked her chronometer and turned to Han. "We need to find a way to the Pearl Island Casino. Lebauer is expecting us in thirty minutes, and it won't help our cause to be late.""I see no r...
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