Star Wars_ Darksaber - Kevin J. Anderson [70]
Han nodded gravely, and Leia continued, as if giving an impassioned speech to the Senate. “The first Death Star was meant to be the ultimate doomsday weapon in the hands of the Empire. Now the Hurts will become galactic bullies with a big stick—and what’s to stop them from selling those plans to any other small-time dictator who wants to get his own way? We cannot let the Death Star proliferate. The galaxy will be a shambles. If anyone with enough credits can buy the plans and go around blowing up planets, then no one will be safe. We must stop this at all costs.”
One of the New Republic guards came in. “Excuse me, Madam President,” he said, “but your dropshuttle is ready. We can take you down to Nal Hutta at your convenience.”
“My convenience,” Leia said ironically. “I’m so looking forward to this.” She felt as if she were dropping into the open jaws of some slavering beast.
Along with Threepio and their honor guard, Leia and Han went to the Corvette’s drop ship bay and climbed aboard the small diplomatic shuttle. “You ready for this?” Han asked.
Leia looked at him, pondering her answer. “No,” she said honestly. “But we have to do it anyway. Let’s go visit the Hutts.”
CHAPTER 24
Nal Hutta was a bog, flat and sunken like a sewage-reclamation reservoir, with standing puddles and sickly-looking marsh grasses—a landscape the Hutts somehow found attractive. Leia realized she should have expected as much.
A Hutt sailbarge coasted toward them as the diplomatic shuttle settled on a landing pad near Durga the Hutt’s holdings. When she saw the sluggish luxury ship cruise along, its directional sails billowing in the foul-smelling breeze, Leia’s skin crawled with the memory of her last fateful trip with Jabba out to the Great Pit of Carkoon.
She, Han, and Threepio stepped away from the diplomatic ship, accompanied by their New Republic escort, and waited for the sailbarge to receive them. Above, the sky was draped with shadowy gray clouds. As Leia and Han stood in their formal attire, a greasy rain began pelting down, cold droplets clotted with residue from massive strip-mining operations in industrial sectors far from the showy palaces of the Hutt crime lords.
“This certainly is a gloomy place, isn’t it?” Threepio commented. “If we don’t find shelter from this dreadful rain, I shouldn’t be at all surprised if my new gold plating gets corroded.” He turned his glowing yellow optical sensors toward the runnels of water trickling down his arms. “I do wish you had left me on Coruscant, Mistress Leia. I’m sure I would have done a much better job taking care of the children.”
“Didn’t we tell you, Threepio?” Han said mischievously. “As a matter of state necessity, we’re going to present you to Durga the Hutt. He’ll be your new master.”
“What?” Threepio cried, raising his arms in sudden shock. “Oh, no! You must be joking. I’m doomed! Please, I urge you to reconsider this, Mistress Leia.”
Leia elbowed Han in the ribs. “That’s mean, Han!”
“Just kidding, Goldenrod,” he said and slapped the protocol droid on one hard metal shoulder.
“Kidding?” Threepio made a flustered sound. “Why, that wasn’t at all funny!”
Across from the Nal Hutta spaceport, Durga’s palace rose tall. Despite the brown haze of pollution and atmospheric sludge, its walls gleamed white and clean. When Leia squinted her brown eyes, she could make out the tiny forms of slaves climbing up and down the sculptured facades in the slippery drizzle, scouring the gargoyles and crenelations.
The sailbarge hovered over them. Guards stood on deck, scowling in all directions. A thin Hutt slithered along the top deck, moving under its own power rather than on a repulsorsled; Leia recognized the narrow, emaciated face of the creature she had argued with over the comm system. He was alarmingly different from any Hutt she had seen previously—scrawny as a ribbon of mottled green leather that hung on a flexible spinal column. He did not look well.
“Greetings, Chief of State Leia