Star Wars_ Darksaber - Kevin J. Anderson [92]
The computer cores would need extensive modifications and upgrading, but Lemelisk was up to the task. The Darksaber had only a thousandth of the systems the original Death Star had required, without surface defenses or living quarters for a million personnel. The Darksaber only needed to move itself and to fire its weapon—that was all. Even those two tasks might prove daunting for such prehistoric computer cores, but perhaps Lemelisk could make it work.
As he studied the equipment, the lowlifes behind him suddenly stood at attention. The Gamorrean guards grunted and turned around.
“Hoo-hoo, will they function, Engineer Lemelisk?” Durga the Hutt asked, emerging from the shadows on his repulsorsled.
Startled, Lemelisk brushed packing material off of himself and tried to compose his response. “Lord Durga, this is a surprise! I didn’t know you’d be here personally.”
“Will they work?” Durga repeated.
Lemelisk answered cautiously. “They can be made to work. I don’t know what Sulamar told you, but these are bottom-of-the-line junk. I believe they can be sufficiently upgraded, though. I’ll give it my highest priority.”
“Good,” Durga said. “I have made my excuses to the New Republic’s Chief of State and called our diplomatic meeting to an end. I’m anxious to get back and see what progress you have made on my superweapon.”
“I think you’ll be pleased, Lord Durga,” Lemelisk said.
“I had better be,” Durga answered. “We will take my own ship back to the asteroid belt,” he said. “I want to be where I can watch my Darksaber.”
Lemelisk nodded in full agreement. “I’ll be happy to get away from Nar Shaddaa,” he said, leaning over and whispering conspiratorially to the bloated Hutt. “There are too many unsavory types here!”
CHAPTER 31
Piloting the Millennium Falcon with only the assistance of Artoo-Detoo, Chewbacca brought the modified light freighter out of hyperspace as close to the Nal Hutta System as he dared. With the bank of sublight engines flaring white behind them, Chewbacca cruised toward the Smugglers’ Moon.
He had no trouble flying the ship by himself. He had logged enough hours on the Falcon to make most space pilots envious of his experience. But he still felt alone without Han Solo. Long ago Chewbacca had sworn a life debt to the human, and though his obligations had certainly been discharged by now, the Wookiee still considered Han’s life to be in his care.
He had visited Nar Shaddaa with Han more than once, and they had nearly lost their lives. Right now Han was in the Hutt System as well, engaged in one of the inexplicable diplomatic rituals that Leia performed, so Chewbacca had accepted his assignment with good grace, eager to poke around and learn what he could about Durga’s underhanded activities.
As Artoo kept track of the in-system traffic, Chewbacca slipped into the flow of other unmarked vessels approaching Nar Shaddaa. The New Republic war-gaming fleet showed up conspicuously on the sensors: large battleships engaged in mock attacks, shooting low-powered turbolasers at fake targets. Chewbacca watched the blips on the screen. Han was either aboard one of those warships, or down on the big, bruised-looking planet below.
Artoo warbled in alarm, and Chewbacca snapped his attention back to the piloting controls, avoiding a collision with a large ore freighter that had lumbered into the system.
Chewbacca couldn’t risk contacting Han to inform him that they had arrived. He and Artoo had to remain completely invisible, slipping in as just another anonymous visitor to Nar Shaddaa. They had to find out the real story of the Hutt secret weapon—not the diplomatic lie Durga would likely tell Leia.
Chewbacca landed the Falcon in one of the astronomically priced docking bays in the grimy heavy-traffic sectors. As Artoo trundled down the boarding