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

"The Empire is making its presence felt more and more out here in the Rim," Jiliac said. "There was that massacre on that humanoid-inhabited world .... "
"Mantooine in the Atrivis Sector," Jabba said. "Since then there has been another, aunt. Two weeks ago citi-zens of Tyshapahl staged a peaceful demonstration against the Empire and its taxation. The Sector Moff sent ships from the nearby Imperial garrison. The hn-perial vessels hovered over the crowd with their ships on repulsors while the commander demanded that they disperse. When they did not, he signaled his ships, and each vessel activated their engines. Most of tile crowd was summarily incinerated."
Jiliac shook her massive head. "Palpatine's forces could use a few lessons in subtlety from our people, Nephew. Such a waste of resources! Far better to have landed, then herded them all into ships to be sold as slaves. That way the Empire could have rid themselves of the dissidents, and made a profit at the same time."
"The Emperor should bring you to Imperial Center to advise him, Aunt," Jabba said, half-joking, but it oc-curred to him that he'd get a lot more done if he didn't have to deal with and around Jiliac each day. The baby Hutt wriggled over in front of him, and he glared at it. The mindless little creature gurgled at him, burped, then spit up.
Revolting! Jabba thought, recoiling from the noxious pool of spreading liquid.
Jiliac summoned a cleaning droid and wiped the in-fant's mouth. "Don't even suggest such a thing, Jabba," she said, sounding faintly horrified. "You know how Pal-patinc treats non-humans. His aversion to non-humans is so strong that he does not even recognize Hutts as a superior species!"
"True," Jabba said. "Shortsighted of him. But he is in authority, and we must deal with that. So far we have been able to buy protection from too close scrutiny by the Empire. It is expensive, but worth it."
"Agreed," Jiliac said. "The only reason he left us ‘alone ‘after the battle of Nar Shaddaa was that the Council voted to voluntarily double the amount of taxes we pay to the Empire. Nal Hutta has fifty times the wealth of most planets, and our wealth buys us a certain amount of protection. Not to mention the bribes we pay to the new Moff, and to some of the Imperial Senators and high-ranking officers."
The cleaning droid had finished its efforts, and the floor gleamed again. Hutts kept their floors scrupu-lously clean and, if they were uncarpeted, highly pol-ished. It was easier to glide around on them that way.
"They say that the renegade Senator, Mon Mothma, has convinced three large resistance groups to ally. They signed a document they're calling the Corellian Treaty," Jabba said. "It is possible that a widespread re-bellion may be in the offing. And Aunt," Jabba waved his datapad, "in war, there is profit to be made. We might be able to recoup our losses."
"Those so-called Rebels have no chance against the might of the Empire," Jiliac scoffed. "It would be fool-ish for us to take sides."
"Oh, I was not suggesting that, Aunt," Jabba said hastily, scandalized by the suggestion. "But there are times when profits could be made from aiding one side against the other. No permanent alliance, of course."
"Better to stay out of galactic politics altogether, mark my words, Jabba." Jiliac was holding her baby, bouncing it fondly. Good way to make it upchuck again, Jabba thought cynically.
Sure enough, the baby Hutt did just that. Fortu-nately, the cleaning droid was still within call.
"Aunt..." Jabba said, hesitantly, "since times are be-coming so... complicated, perhaps you might consider sending tile baby to the communal nursery for each day? Then it would be easier to concentrate on our business. The child is well able to spend long periods outside your pouch. Besides, they have surrogate pouch-mothers at the nursery."
Jiliac reared up, tail twitching, her expression one of shocked indignation. "Nephew! I am surprised that you would even suggest such a thing! In a year, perhaps, I might consider that, but now, my little one .needs me continually."
"It was just a suggestion," Jabba said, in as concilia-tory a manner as tie could manage. "In order to bring Desilijicg finances back to the level they were before Moff Shildg destructive raid on Nar Shaddaa, a great deal more time and effort will be needed. I am putting in copious amounts of time these days."
"Ho-HO!" Jiliac hooted. "And just yesterday you spent half the afternoon watching that new slave-girl cavort all over your throne room, while your new band ofjizz-wailers played for you!"
"How did you-" Jabba began, stung, then he sub-sided into silence. So what if he'd taken a few hours off to amuse himself? He'd been up at dawn, working with the clerical droids and scribes on Desilijicg financial records, getting them in order so he could prepare a complete report on the implications of the new Besadii price hikes.
"I have my ways, Nephew," Jiliac said. "But of course I don't begrudge you your leisure time. All work and no amusement makes for a dull Hutt indeed, However, in turn, I expect you to respect my need to be with my baby."
"Yes, Aunt. I do. Of course I do," Jabba said, seething inwardly. Hastily, he changed the subject. "I believe Besadii should be called to account for these increases in the cost of their spice. It is possible that we may be able to rouse the other clans against them." "To what purpose?"
"Possibly official censure and a fine. I have heard enough grumbling among the other clans to suggest that they are suffering from this price increase nearly as much as Desilijic. It is worth a try. Aunt, can you re-quest that the Hutt Grand Council call a meeting of the kajidie leaders?"
Jiliac nodded, evidently wishing to be conciliatory, too. "Very well, Jabba. I will request such a meeting be-fore the end of the week."
Jiliac was as good as her word, and three days later,
Jabba, along with the Desilijie bodyguards, undulated
into the huge Hutt Grand Council chamber. All repre-sentatives or leaders of the Hntt crime syndicates, or kajidies, as they Were called, passed through multiple scanning and security devices in order to be ‘allowed to enter, as did their bodyguards. Nothing that could be deemed a weapon was permitted inside. Hutts were not trusting sentients ....
Jabba took his place in the location ‘allotted to the Desilijie members, and cautioned the other represen-tatives to ‘allow him to do the talking. As Jiliae's top lieutenant, he had that right, and they readily agreed.
Jabba noted that even his parent, Zorba, had sent a rep-
resentative. The two of them were not close, but it was
comforting to know that Desilijic was well-represented,
and that all of the Clan families had taken Jiliac% sum-
mons seriously.'s
When the representatives of all the kajidics were present, the Executive Secretary of the Grand Council, a recent appointee named Grejic, called the meeting to order.
"Comrades-in-power, siblings-in-profit, I have con-vened you today to discuss concerns raised by Desilijic. I ask Jabba, Desilijic% representative, to speak."
Jabba wriggled out in front of Grejic% dais and lifted his arms for quiet. Wben the other Hutts continued to whisper to each other, he raised his tail and brought it down against the stone floor with a loud WHAP! Silence ensued.
"Fellow Hutts, I come to you today with some seri-ous allegations of wrongdoing on the part of Besadii ka-jidic. Over the past year, their actions have grown more and more reprehensible. It all started with the Battle of Nar Shaddaa. All of us suffered because of that attack- except Besadii. We lost ships, pilots, cargoes, part of the Moon% shield-not to mention how much trade we lost! And then there was the aftermath of the battle. The loss of part of Nar Shaddaa's shield caused the de-struction of several blocks of buildings from the crash of the Peacekeeper. Cleanup and reconstruction is still go-ing on. And who has paid for it? Each clan lost property and credits-except Besadii. And they alone-they who suffered no loss, who could most ‘afford it-they have paid nothing! We have all suffered and lost- except Besadii!"
The other Hutts murmured to each other when Jabba paused. He looked over at the section of floor re-served for Besadii, and saw that Durga had not deigned to appear. Instead he had sent Zier and several lesser members of the kajidic as his representatives.
"And what did Besadii do while Nal Hutta was threatened? They sold slaves to the very Empire that was attacking their homeworld! All of the clans cooper-ated in paying the credits for the exorbitant bribe of Ad-miral Greelanx-which proved to be the only thing that saved our world from a devastating embargo. All of the clans, that is... except Besadii."
The other Hutts murmured muted ‘affirmatives. Jabba was proud of the way his speech was going. He was verging on true eloquence, he thought, and even Jiliac, acknowledged orator that she was, could not have done better. He was actually glad that Jiliac had been too occupied with her baby to appear today. She wasn't as versed in ‘all of this as he was, and things didn't ‘affect her these days the way they used to ....
"And in the months since that battle, fellow Hutts, what has Besadii done? Helped us rebuild? Offered to recompense the other clans for their share of the bribe? Sent a single work crew of slaves to help with the re-building?" Jabba let his voice scale up to a near-shout. "No! Fellow Hutts, what they have done is to raise the prices on their spice to the point where the profits of every kajidic are compromised-at the worst possible time! Some may say this is just good business, just the urge for profit but I say, No.t Besadii is trying to take over! To put us ‘all out of business! Besadii wishes that there was no Hutt clan on ‘all of Nal Hutta-except Besadii?
Jabba's voice had risen to a thundering pitch. He
slapped his tail for emphasis, hard. The echoes fled around the cavernous hall.
"I demand that Besadii be censured! I demand that the Grand Council take a vote to censure them now, and levy a fine, to be distributed 'samong those they have wronged! I demand this in the name of all Hutts everywhere!!"
The hall erupted into pandemonium. Tails slammed, voices cried out with indignation. Some Hurts turned on the Besadii contingent with threatening tail-waves, shouting insults and curses.
Zier looked around wildly, and saw no friendliness in the hall. He raised his arms and voice, shouting in turn, but his voice was drowned out by the combined fury of the other Hurts.
Finally the furor began to die down. Grejic slapped his tail for quiet, and finally got it.
"By custom, Zier, as the ranking member of Besadii, has the right to answer his accuser. What have you to say to all this, Zier?"
Zier cleared his massive throat, swallowed. "Fellow
Hutts, how can you condemn Besadii? Making profit is
to be lauded, not denigrated! Jabba and Jiliac lost the