"Ann Crispin "Han Solo. Rebel Dawn"" - читать интересную книгу автора

"Has it occurred to you, my dear cousin, that the forensic specialist you hired might be wrong in his conclusions?"
"He and his team are the best to be had," Durga said. "Their references were excellent. They have per-formed investigations for the Emperor's top military aides ... even Governor Tarkin."
Zier nodded. "A good recommendation," he admit-ted. "From what I hear, the governor is not an official to disappoint if one wishes to live." "That is what they say."
"Still, cousin . . . is it possible that you have de-manded of this team that they find evidence of murder, and so they have? Whether or not it is true?"
Durga considered that for a moment. "I do not be-lieve that," he said, finally. "The evidence is there. I have seen the lab reports."
"Lab reports can be faked, cousin. Also . . . in your obsession, you have spent a great many credits. These scientists are earning much from Besadii. It is possible that they do not wish this stream of credits to end."
Durga faced his cousin. "I am certain that the team has reported their findings accurately. As to the cost... Aruk was the head of all Besadii. Isn't it proper to find out what really happened? Lest others think we can be killed with impunity?"
Zier's pointed tongue ran slowly across the lower part of his mouth as he thought. "Perhaps you are right, cousin. However... I would suggest that in order for you to not be regarded as a reckless spendthrift, you be-gin paying for this investigation out of your own per-sonal funds, rather than Besadii operating capital. If you agree to this, no more will be said. If you do not... well, there is a clan meeting approaching. As a consci-entious clan leader, it is my duty to comment on our fi-nancial report."
Durga glared at his cousin.
Zier glared back. "And... cousin... if any accidents befall me, it will go the worse for you. I have filed copies of the financial reports in places you have no way of discovering. They will be produced should I die-no matter how much it might seem that I perished of natu-ral causes."
The younger Hutt resisted the urge to order his guards to shoot Zier. Hutts were notoriously hard to kill, and another death might well cause all of Besadii to rise up against him.
Durga drew a deep breath. "Perhaps you are right, cousin," he said, finally. "From this day forward, I will personally finance the investigation."
"Good," Zier said. "And... Durga. In your parent% ab-sence I feel I must give you the benefit of my experience."
If Durga had possessed teeth, he would have ground them together in rage. "Go on," he said.
"Black Sun, Durga. It is an open secret that you used their resources to consolidate your power. I caution you against doing so again. One cannot just employ Black Sun and then walk away. Their services are... expensive."
"They have been fully compensated for their ser-vices," Durga said tightly. "I am not such a fool as you think, Zier."
"Good," the other Hutt Lord said. "I am glad to hear that. I was worried about you, dear cousin. Any Hutt who would rid himself of such a chef-on a whim-is suspect."
Seething, Durga undulated off in search of another staff member to interrogate.
Jabba the Hutt and his aunt Jiliac were lounging to-gether in their palatial receiving room in Jiliacg palace on Nal Hutta, watching Jiliacg baby inch its way around the room. The infant Hutt was now old enough to spend almost an hour outside Jiliacg pouch. At this stage of its life, the little creature resembled a huge, chubby grub or insect larva more than a Hurt. Its arms were nothing more than vestigial stubs, and would not develop or grow digits until the baby Hutt had left the maternal pouch for good. The only way in which the baby Hutt resembled the adult members of its species was its pop-eyed, vertical-pupiled stare.
Hutt babies were born almost mindless, and Hutt youngsters did not reach the age of accountability until they were about a century old. Before that, they were looked upon as creatures who needed good care and feeding, and not much else.
As he watched the baby wriggle along the polished stone floor, Jabba wished they were back on Nar Shad-daa, where he could get more done. It was difficult to oversee the Desilijic smuggling empire f?om Nal Hutta. Jabba had suggested more than once that he and his aunt go back to Nar Shaddaa, but Jiliac adamantly re-fused, insisting that the polluted atmosphere of Nar Shaddaa would be unhealthy for her baby.
Jabba thus spent much of his time shuttling back and forth between Nal Hutta and Nar Shaddaa. His hold-ings on Tatooine were suffering by his absence. Ephant Mon, the non-humanoid Chevin, was looking after Jabba's interests, and doing it well, but it just wasn't the same as being there himself.
Jabba had shared many adventures in the past with Mon, and the ugly sentient from Vinsoth was the only being in the universe that Jabba really trusted. For some reason (even Jabba wasn't sure why), Ephant Mon was completely loyal to Jabba, and always had been. Jabba knew that the Cheviu had turned down multiple offers to betray him for fabulous profit. Yet... Ephant Mon had never turned, no matter how much he was offered.
Jabba appreciated his friendg loyalty and repaid it by keeping only minor tabs on Ephant Mong actions. He didn't expect Mon to betray him, not after all these years... but it was well to be prepared for anything.
"Aunt," Jabba said, "I have read the newest report from our source in the Besadii accounting office, and their profits are impressive. Even the dissension over Durga's leadership has not slowed them. Ylesia contin-ues to produce more processed spice with every month that passes. Shiploads of Pilgrims are arriving nearly every week. It is depressing."
Jiliac turned her massive head to regard her nephew. "Durga has done better than I ever gave him credit for, Jabba. I did not think he could hold onto the leader-ship. By now I envisioned that Besadii would be ripe for our takeover-but, even though there is muttering and discontent with Durga's leadership, his outspoken op-ponents are dead, and no one has surfaced to replace them within the clan."
Jabba blinked at his aunt, and a spark of hope awak-ened. That speech sounded ahnost like the old, pre-motherhood Jiliac! "Do you know why they are dead, Aunt?"
"Because Durga was foolish enough to deal with Black Sun," Jiliac said. "The deaths of his opponents were too blatant to be Hutt doing. Only Black Sun has that many resources. Only Prince Xizor would be so coldly daring as to assassinate them ‘all within days of each other."
Jabba was getting excited, now. Is she coming out of her maternal mental haze? he wondered.
"Prince Xizor is indeed someone to be reckoned with," he said. "That is why I have done him favors from time to time. I would prefer to stay on his good side... just in case I ever need a favor in return. As I did that one time on Tatooine. He helped me then, and asked nothing in return, because I have done him favors in the past."
Jiliac was shaking her head slowly back and forth, a mannerism she'd picked up from humans. "Jabba, you know my thinking on this, I have told you many times. Prince Xizor is not one to be trifled with. Best to stay far away from him, and to have nothing to do with Black Sun. Open the door to them just once, and you risk be-coming his vassal."
"I am cautious, Aunt, I assure you. I would never do as Durga has done."
"Good. Durga will soon discover that he has opened a door that cannot easily be closed. If he steps through it... he will no longer be his own master."
"So should we hope he does that, Aunt?"
Jiliac's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hardly, Nephew. Xi-zor is not aloe I wish to contend with. He has evidently set his sights on Besadii, but he would willingly take Desilijic, too, of that I have no doubt."
Jabba silently agreed. Xizor would move in on the whole of Nal Hutta if given the opportunity. "Speaking of Besadii, Aunt," he said, "what of these Ylesian profits I was reporting on? What can we do to stop Besadii? They now have nine colonies on Ylesia. They are pre-paring to start another colony on Nyrvona, the other habitable world in the system."
Jiliac thought for a moment. "Perhaps it is time to utilize Teroenza again," she said. "Durga apparently has no suspicion that he was responsible for Arukg death." "Utilize him how?"
"I don't know yet ...."Jiliac said. "Perhaps we can encourage Teroenza to declare his independence from Durga. If they fought, Besadii profits would be bound to plummet. And then... we could pick up the pieces." ‘Very good, Aunt!" Jabba was happy to hear the old, scheming Jiliac acting like herself again. "Now, if I can just report on these figures here, and get your input on reducing our costs in-" "Ahhhhhhhh!"
Jabba broke off, interrupted by Jiliac% deep, mater-nal coo of affection, and saw the baby Hutt wriggling up to its mother, tiny vestigial arms held up, its bulbous eyes fixed on Jiliacg Face intently. The babyg mouth opened, and it chirrnped inquiringly.
"Look, Nephew!" Jiliacg voice was warm, indulgent.
"My little one knows mama, yes, doesn't he, precious?" Jabba rolled his eyes until they nearly emerged from their sockets and splatted onto the floor. Witness the demise of one of the greatest criminal mind's of this mil-lennium, he thought, bleakly.
Then, as Jiliac scooped up the baby Hutt and guided it back into her pouch, Jabba glared at the little creature with an expression very close to outright hatred ....
Han spent the next couple of days with the members of the Woollee underground, finalizing their deal. The time came when he opened up the Falcon, and he and Jarik unloaded the explosive quarrels from the secret compartments. Katarra, Kichiir and Motamba clus-tered around the boxes, exclaiming excitedly over their new toys.
Meanwhile, other Woollees from the underground movement made a steady stream inside the ship, load-ing it with stormtrooper armor. Han was able to pack nearly forty complete suits and ten helmets into the Falcon. If the armor fetched the market price, he'd doubled his investment on the trip. Not a bad bit of bargaining!
By the time all the armor was stowed away enough so that the Falcon's crew could move about, night was falling. Han decided that he wanted to wait for dawn for his tricky exit of the cave and straight-up flight through the trees. He and Jarik said farewell to their hosts and stretched out on the pilot's seats to sleep.
Han was awakened before sunrise the next morning by a loud-and familiar! Woollee roar. The Corellian. opened his eyes and jumped up, nearly tripping over the sleepy Jarik. Activating the ramp, he raced down it. "Chewie!"
Han was so glad to see the big furball that he didn't even complain when the Wooldee grabbed him, swnng him around, and ruffled his hair until it stood on end. All the while, Chewbacca was whining out a steady stream of complaints. What had Han been thinking of, preparing to leave him behind? Didn't he know any better? What could you expect from a human!
When the Wookiee finally released him, Han looked up at Chewie, completely confused. "Huh? Whaddaya mean, I was gonna leave you behind? I'm goin' back to Nar Shaddaa, pal, and, in case it's slipped your atten-tion, Chewie, you're a married guy now. Your place is here, on Kashyyyk, with Malla."
Chewie shook his head, uttering protesting hoots and remonstrations. "Life debt? Pal, I know you've sworn a life debt, but let's be realistic here! You belong with your wife, on your own planet, now! Not dodgin' Imp cruisers with me."
The Woollee had just started in again when a loud, angry roar from behind Han made him jump and dodge. A large, hairy hand grabbed his shoulder, and Han was swung around as though he weighed no more than a scrap of flimsy. He looked up to see Mallatobuck towering over him. Chewie's wife was furious, teeth bared, blue eyes narrowed. Han put up both hands, and shrank back against his friend's hairy chest. "Hey, Mallal Take it easy, now!"