Star Wars_ Millennium Falcon - James Luceno [105]
“I find it circumstantial,” Oxic said. “What's more, hasn't Solo had that particular YT forever?”
“No, he hasn't. He and his family are looking into the origins of the ship. That's why they visited Aurora—to ask Parlay Thorp if she knew who had owned it previously. Is it so hard to accept that Captain Jadak was one of the former owners?”
Oxic considered it briefly. “You're making a case that while Jadak has been searching for the ship forward in time, Han Solo has been searching into the past?”
Sompa shook his head tresses in exasperation. “Exactly.”
“There is an appealing symmetry to it,” Quire said.
“Here's another thing for you to consider, counselor,” Sompa said. “Jadak was a professional swoop racer. Any freighter he piloted would have been a fast one, and the Millennium Falcon is known to be one of the fastest ships of its kind in the galaxy.”
“Appealing and somewhat convincing,” Quire said.
Oxic muted the audio once more. “Do we have a clue as to Jadak's present whereabouts?”
“Not a whiff of a clue. If he contacted Rej Taunt, he did so by comm.”
“Have we checked incoming and outgoing communications?”
Quire laughed. “You can't be serious. Check Rej Taunt's communications?”
Oxic made a dismissive motion. “Forget I asked.” Audio reactivated, he turned to the three-quarter holoimage of Sompa. “Was Dr. Thorp able to provide Solo with any useful information?”
“Of possible use. She was executing one of her mercy missions on Vaced when she was given the ship by a human named Quip Fargil.”
“Vaced?” Oxic said, looking at Quire.
“Out past Bilbringi, I think.” She frowned in thought. “I'll have to check.”
“That, in any case, is where the Solos are headed,” Sompa said.
“Thank you, Lial.”
Oxic deactivated the holoprojector. Pressing the tips of his fingers together, he brought them to his lips. “How astronomical would the odds be?”
“That the Stellar Envoy and the Millennium Falcon are the same ship, or that Jadak and his partner are bound for Vaced?”
“Take your pick.”
Quire shrugged. “If they are the same ship, then just about anything is possible.”
“Let's suppose for the sake of argument that the ships are one and the same. If we could get our hands on the Millennium Falcon before Jadak does …”
Quire nodded. “Then Jadak would be forced to come to us to get what he needs from the ship.”
He watched Quire closely. “At worst all we'll have done is steal the wrong ship. Or would that be a problem for you?”
She thought for a moment. “I've always thought of the Falcon as Han Solo's ship. But he happens to be married to the woman who in some sense rescued my species. Were it not for Leia Organa, my people might still be drifting among the stars in stasis or enslaved on some remote world.”
Oxic narrowed his eyes. “If I knew your real name, I could compel you to help me.”
Quire gave him a look he hadn't seen before. “That's not even funny, Lestra.”
“I'm sorry. I'm simply trying to find a way to make this palatable.” He blew out his breath. “I wasn't suggesting that you and I carry out the theft personally.”
“That much was obvious. But that doesn't alter the fact your employees simply aren't up to this, Lestra. Not against a former general and a Jedi Knight. Four of them couldn't handle Jadak, and the rest of us failed to keep even one Colicoid in custody.”
“Perhaps it's more a matter of our being on hand to supervise them, Koi.”
“On Vaced.”
“Or nearby.”
“SOMETIMES I FORGET THAT PRIMITIVE PLACES LIKE THIS STILL EXIST,” Leia said.
“I know what you mean, but I'm glad they do,” Han said.
She looked at him askance. “You're starting to sound like Lando.”
“Every once in a while Lando makes a good choice. Worlds like this make me wonder why we keep circling the Core when there are plenty of other ways to live.”
They were meandering through the Vaced's principal spaceport settlement, which could have been the Mos Eisley