Star Wars_ The Han Solo Adventures - Brian Daley [38]
“Please begin as soon as you’re ready,” Rekkon bade Max, and took a seat again between Han and Chewbacca. “He’ll have to sift through an enormous amount of data,” he told the two partners, “even though he can use the system itself to help him at his work. There are numerous security blocks; it will take even Blue Max awhile to find the right windows.”
The Wookiee growled. Both humans understood the expression of Chewbacca’s doubt that the information Rekkon wanted would actually be found in the network.
“The location as such won’t be there, Chewbacca,” Rekkon responded. “What Max will have to do is find it indirectly, just as you must sometimes turn your eyes away to locate a dim star, finding it out of the corner of your eye. Max will analyze logistical records, supply and patrol ship routings, communications flow patterns and navigational logs, plus a number of other things. We’ll know where Authority ships have been stopping, and where coded traffic has been heaviest, and how many employees are on payrolls at various installations, and what their job categories are. In time, we’ll find out where the Authority is keeping the members of what it has come to believe is a far-flung plot against it.”
Rekkon got up again to pace the room briskly, clapping his hands with sounds like solid-projectile rifle shots. “These fools, these execs and their underlings, with their enemies’ lists and Espo informers, they’re creating just the sort of climate to make their worst fears come real. The prophecy fulfills itself; if we weren’t talking about life and death here, it would make a grand joke!”
Han was reclining against the wall, watching Rekkon with a cynical smile. Had the scholar actually thought that people were any different from the Authority execs? Well, anybody who let his guard drop or wasted his time on ideals was in for just the same sort of rude shock Rekkon had gotten, Han thought. And that was why Han Solo had gone and would always go free among the stars.
He yawned elaborately. “Sure, Rekkon, the Authority better watch out. After all, what’s it got going for it except a whole Sector’s worth of ships, money, manpower, weapons, and equipment? What chance does it have against righteous thoughts and clean hands?”
Rekkon turned his hearty smile on Han. “But look at yourself, Captain. Jessa’s communication mentioned a little about you. Just by living your life the way you chose, you’ve already committed deadly offenses against the Corporate Sector Authority. Oh, I don’t look for you to wave a banner of freedom or to mouth platitudes. But if you think the Authority’s the winning side, why aren’t you playing its game? The Authority won’t meet with disaster because it abuses naive schoolboys and idealistic old scholars. But as it increasingly hampers intractable, hardheaded individualists such as yourself, it will find its real opposition.”
Han sighed. “Rekkon, you’d better take it easy; you’ve got me and Chewie confused with somebody else. We’re just driving the bus. We’re not the Jedi Knights, or Freedom’s Sons.”
What Rekkon’s rejoinder would have been became academic. The door-lock buzzed just then, and a man’s voice at the intercom demanded: “Rekkon! Open this door!”
With a cold feeling in his stomach, Han caught the blaster Chewbacca tossed to him as the Wookiee leveled his bowcaster at the door.
VI
REKKON interposed himself between Han and Chewbacca and the door. “Kindly put your weapons up, Captain. That is Torm, one of my group. Even if it weren’t, would it not have been wiser to find out what was happening before preparing to shoot?”
Han made a sour face. “I happen to like to shoot first, Rekkon. As opposed to shooting second.” But he lowered his weapon, and Chewbacca did the same with the bowcaster. Rekkon worked the door controls.
The panel snapped up, revealing a man of about Han’s height, but bulkier through the torso, with brawny arms and wide, blunt