Star Wars_ Boba Fett 06_ Pursuit - Elizabeth Hand [18]
"Of course," said Boba. Behind his helmet he smiled unpleasantly.
"The Sign of the Tri-Forked Tongue, in one hour. I'll see you there."
Hat Lo's round face blipped from view. For a few minutes Boba sat alone in his room.
"Mace's lightsaber assaults are legendary," he said, brooding.
"He's taller than me, too, though not by much. I have my blades, but I'll need a blaster. And a saberdart would be really good for backup...."
Boba nodded excitedly at the thought of the poisonous Kamino weapon. That would really do the job! Not even a Jedi Master could withstand the venom of a saberdart! Now let's just hope Hat Lo can put his grimy little hands on one for me.
He hurried off to meet the Coruscant lowlife's airspeeder.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN,
The bright-red airspeeder was waiting near Slave I on the landing dock. With a pang, Boba immediately recognized the humanoid alien piloting it.
"Oh no!" he groaned. "Not Elan Sleazebaggano!"
"Elan's the name," the obnoxious young con man announced as Boba jumped into the seat beside him. His long antennae wriggled with pride.
"Flying's my game! Unless, of course, I could interest you in some Polordion smootdust?"
Elan whipped out a shimmering green parcel and waved it enticingly in Boba's face. "One hundred percent pure, satisfaction guaranteed - "
Boba grabbed Elan's shoulder. "I'm not interested in your cheap contraband, Sleazebaggano!" he said. "Take me to the Sign of the TriForked Tongue - fast!"
Elan nodded eagerly. "Sure, sure!" The shimmering green packet disappeared. Elan punched at the control panels. The airspeeder swooped away from the docking platform.
"You look like a discerning bounty hunter," Elan went on, almost without drawing a breath. "Maybe you're more interested in a pair of tortapo-shell shades! One-hundred-percent natural, guaranteed to block out dangerous infradig rays - "
"Fast, and silent!" ordered Boba. He tightened his grip on Elan's shoulder.
"Sure, sure!" gulped Elan. His long fleshy antennae
twitched nervously. "I live to please. But maybe you'd consider - "
Boba groaned. Elan was relentless!
Where's my blaster when I need it?
"This better be a short trip," Boba said menacingly. "Otherwise..."
"Sure, sure!"
The airspeeder raced away from the Jedi Temple. Around them the skyrise caverns of Coruscant shone and glittered. This was where the galaxy's most wealthy residents lived. Senators, ambassadors, diplomats, guild leaders, merchants - all in those glimmering towers. That was who rode in those sleek speeder limos. That was who ate in those fantastically expensive restaurant terraces, and slept in bedrooms bigger than a Caridan training arena.
Boba tried not to look impressed by it all.
But as they approached the gigantic building that housed the Galactic Senate, he couldn't help it. His eyes widened slightly, and he edged closer to the side of the airspeeder to get a better look.
"So that's it," he murmured. The domed building was immense - it looked as though it could be half the size of the moon where he'd met Anakin. "That's where Chancellor Palpatine holds court. And tomorrow..."
He couldn't voice the rest of his thought out loud. Tomorrow, Mace Windu would be dead. Boba would be long gone from here. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine would be addressing the Senate in an urgent emergency meeting to share with them the secret that Boba had shared with him - that Dooku and Tyranus were the same person.
One who wanted the Republic to fall.
"The Senate Building, that's right," said Elan. He barely gave the huge domed edifice a second look. "That's where all the galaxy's most important official business takes place. But where we're going - "
The airspeeder gave a sudden lurch. Without warning it dived straight down between kilometer-high buildings, as though it was