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Dyyz Nataz groaned. “Why didn’t ya tell me that, Goa? I would have finished him. Now we got to worry about him hittin’ us for the credits we owe him!”

“Take it easy, Dyyz. Jodo Kast just told me Jabba gave Gorm the sweetest hit on the wanted list—fifty thousand credits to bring in Zardra.”

“You’re kiddin’. Zardra’s a bounty hunter. What’s Jabba got against her?”

The three were sitting in the smoky shadows of the Mos Eisley Cantina, sipping green Pica Thundercloud and watching the bounty hunters drift in from around the galaxy: Weequays, Aqualish, Arcona, Defels, Kauronians, Fneebs, Quill-heads, Bomodons, Alpheridians—and the inevitable Ganks. Greedo even saw a couple of Rodians. They nodded in his direction, but he didn’t return the greeting. He’d learned long ago that unknown Rodians could be dangerous.

A cocky Corellian and a big Wookiee entered and stood on the lobby steps for a minute, surveying the crowd. Greedo recognized the smugglers he’d come up against in Ninx’s repair barn on Nar Shaddaa. He felt hatred roil up inside him at the sight of the two.

Then the Corellian turned and left the cantina, and the Wookiee followed him. Dyyz Nataz snorted: “Right, Solo. You’re in the wrong place, buddy.”

“Han Solo? Is he here?” Warhog Goa swung around in his chair and looked around the room.

“Yeah. Solo and his Wookiee pal Chewbacca came in and looked around and left. Solo’s on Jabba’s list, ya know. If I was him, I’d make like a space frog and hop to some other galaxy!” Dyyz took a deep swallow of Thundercloud. “Now, what’s this about Zardra? What did she ever do to be worth fifty to ol’ Jabba?”

Goa turned back to his two companions and hoisted his glass. For a bone-dry planet, Tatooine sure brewed some of the best beverages in the galaxy—expensive, but very tasty. “Here’s to Zardra,” he said, and he drank, then wiped his mouth with his gloved hand.

“Zardra and Jodo Kast were on a hunt in the Stenness System, lookin’ for a pair o’ spicejackers named the Thig Brothers. The Thigs were armed to the gills with Imperial blasters they’d stole from a military supply depot. Jodo says to Zardra, ‘Why don’t we split up? I’ll put the word around the ports that I’m following the Thigs … and you stay out of sight. The Thigs will be itchin’ for a fight—I know those guys. They’ll come lookin’ for me, I’ll stage a little face-off, and you sting ’em from the shadows. Just stun ’em, you know. We’ll take ’em alive.’

“Jodo knew he could count on Zardra. She’s as fearless as they come—and a crack shot with a stun-laser.”

“Yeah. I’ve seen her in action. The best. So then what happened?”

All this time Greedo wasn’t saying anything. He was savoring Dyyz’s remark that Solo was on Jabba’s list. Half-formed images of revenge flickered through his mind. He was content to sit and listen to his friends and watch the crowd of bounty hunters. I’m one of them, he thought. I’m a bounty hunter. Spurch is going to take me to meet Jabba … Jabba needs good hunters right now … lots of ’em. Jabba needs me.

Just then Gorm the Dissolver stood up at his table and scanned the room with his electronic red eyes. Greedo ducked and shielded his face with his hand. Squinting between two suckered fingers, he watched the big bounty hunter turn and swagger toward the lobby.

“There goes Gorm,” said Greedo, alerting his friends.

“Oh … yeah? Good riddance, I say. He’ll be on his way to find Zardra. I hope she melts him ta slag!”

“Maybe we ought to warn her, Warhog.”

“Don’t worry, she knows. She’s got a lot of friends in our line of work. I’ll wager a good krayt steak Jodo’s already told her.”

“You’re probably right … So what’s the rest of the story? Why is Jabba the Hutt payin’ Gorm fifty thousand to kill Zardra?”

“Easy. She killed a Hutt, that’s why! When the Thig Brothers came lookin’ for Jodo, they found him waitin’ in the Red Shadow—that’s a bistro on Taboon, a slag heap of a planet where nobody but ’Nessies would ever live. Trouble was, a Hutt named Mageye was passin’ through, on his way ta cut a deal with ol’ BolBol,