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As for the Hunter’s Creed, no bounty hunter ever betrayed another unless the other hunter strayed first from Creed regulations; but Bossk had fabricated Creed violations before, and felt the Storekeeper smile on him. She loved clever betrayal. “Now,” he said, “where are they headed?”

“We would prefer finding a private place to talk.”

“There is no time for that.” He kept his voice low and menacing. He wanted them to think he was trying to scare them off. “The other Hunters are already heading for their ships.”

“Then we’ll talk here.” Tinian peered up the corridor. A human Imperial lackey wearing khaki fatigues dashed toward them. His heavy boots pounded the polished metal decking. Bossk steadied his blast rifle.

The lackey careened around a corner and vanished up another too-bright passage. Bossk watched Tinian track the human with her eyes. He smelled her alarm at his approach—and her relief when he passed. Evidently Imperials made her nervous.

She didn’t need to watch the corridors for her most dangerous enemy. He stood before her.

• • •

The Executor thrummed around Chenlambec like a giant beast. He would be glad to leave its bowels, and he pitied the Imperial worms who spent their lives scurrying and scuttling in these passages.

He spoke, then listened as Tinian translated into Basic. “Wookiee sources,” she explained—and he liked the condescension that she faked—“have evidently spotted Solo’s ship on course for the Lomabu system. A renegade group of Wookiees is setting up another safe world there. We’ve heard that you blew the whistle on one such world earlier in your career.”

“Yes,” Bossk snapped. At Gandolo IV, Bossk had hunted down several dozen escaped Wookiee slaves trying to establish a safe haven. Bossk had been on the verge of skinning the lot—including the famous Chewbacca, who was assisting with setup—when Captain Solo returned unannounced. Seeing the situation in progress, Solo had strafed the bounty hunter and his crew. They’d retreated into their larger, better armed craft. Solo had landed the Millennium Falcon directly on top of it, collapsing its landing gear. Steam clouds had shot out of its hydraulics. Internal explosions had hinted at grave engine damage.

Solo and Chewbacca had left Bossk alive but trapped onboard, humiliated … or so the story went. Chenlambec’s brother had related the tale first-hand. He had stood near Chewbacca, watching the desperate Wookiees’ plight become hopeful, then hilarious.

Chen imagined he could feel Bossk writhe at the memory. He spoke again, reminding Tinian of several details of their cover story. They’d concocted it before docking with the Executor.

She nodded soberly, then turned back to the big, ugly lizard. “We think that the Rebel Alliance hopes to set up a base near the Wookiee haven in the Lomabu system, now that they’ve been chased off Hoth. That would explain our report that Solo has taken the Falcon there, carrying several Rebel leaders. We could slip in before the Rebel fleet arrives, tag our quarry, and sky out before the Imperials catch on. We’ll take our prisoners directly to Lord Vader.”

Bossk nodded. “I have not heard of the Lomabu system. Where is it from here?”

“Well … we’re near Anoat. Lomabu is …”

Chen watched Bossk closely. Now she would dangle the bait.

“We’re not exactly sure,” she admitted.

Bossk glared at Tinian, then Chen, then at Tinian again. He growled several words of Trandoshan deep in his throat, then choke-gargled in Basic again. “Your information is worthless. You are worthless. I should—”

Chen barked angrily.

“Easy, you two,” exclaimed Tinian. “We don’t know where it is, but we know where to find out. We have to check a waypost along the Wookiee network.”

And that, as far as Chen knew, was a vital bit of truth they had spun into their cover story to sweeten the bait. Surely Bossk wanted—

“Network,” Bossk repeated slowly. His tongue flicked.

Excellent. He did.

“It’s dangerous,” Tinian stressed. “Especially for you and me, Bossk. The Wookiees will be serious about silencing any non-Wookiee that shows