Star Wars_ The Han Solo Adventures - Brian Daley [86]
He glared at her, hoping she’d wither from his gaze. She didn’t. He spun on his toe and headed for the Falcon’s ramp with long strides. “You win! Women, hah! I’ve got the whole galaxy, sweetheart, the whole galaxy. Who needs this?”
She caught up, whirled him around. Jessa looked good even in cold-weather gear. “Numbskull! What’s wrong with striking another deal?”
His brow furrowed. I am somehow slipping into some thing tricky here, he thought, but I can’t quite see what “What kind of deal?”
She considered it, looking him over. “What are your plans? Are you going to join this campaign against the Authority? Or clear out of this part of space?”
He looked up, sighing. “You should know better than that. Rob ’em blind, that’s my kind of revenge.”
Jessa leaned around him and called up into the ship: “Hey, Chewie, how’d you like an all-new guidance system? And a complete overhaul?”
The Wookiee’s delighted honks, preceding his appearance at the ramp, sounded like a happy foghorn. Jessa finished cheerily, “And to show you what a sport I am, boys, I’ll throw in some body work, repair all minor hull damage. I’ll reroute the ducting in the cockpit, too; get all those conduits and other head-knockers out of your way.”
Chewbacca was close to tears of joy. He threw his hairy arm around the Falcon’s landing gear and gave it a wet Wookiee kiss.
Jessa said, “See, Solo? It’s easy when you’re the boss’s daughter.”
He was flummoxed. “Jess, what am I supposed to offer?”
She slipped her arm through his, grinning slyly. “What’ve you got, Han?” She led him away, ignoring his objections. His outbursts became fewer as the pair walked across the landing field toward the distant buildings. Halfway there, Chewbacca saw, Han held his greatcoat open so that she could slip into it, safe from the bitter winds of Urdur, though her own suit was quite well insulated.
Leaning casually on the Falcon, the Wookiee watched them go, and thought about what he and Han Solo could do with a ship milled and tuned fine by the full resources of the outlaw-techs. His muzzle wrinkled back from his fangs. He was glad for the breather they’d have here on Urdur.
But after that, everybody had best hang on to his cash with both hands.
HAN SOLO’S REVENGE
For Cargo-master-apprentice Dane Thorson, Chief Scout Adam Reith, Jason dinAlt, Jame Retief of the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne and all others of that rare stripe
And who are they anyway, these so-called free traders and independent spacers? Rogues, scoundrels, and worse! The common slangtalk term “freighter bums” is more applicable, surely. Beware to the shipper who would entrust them with cargo; woe to the being who books passage with them!
At best, they are feckless ruffians whose unconscionable social values allow them to undercut the fee rates of established, reliable companies. More often, they’re con artists, frauds, tariff-dodgers and, yes, even smugglers!
Is any rascal with a spacecraft to be entrusted with your livelihood? Overhead, administrative apparatus, and managerial proprieties—these are the best guaranties of a dependable business arrangement!
(Excerpted from Public Service Message #122267-50,
sponsored by the Corporate Sector Authority)
I
“CHEWIE, hey, I’ve got it!”
Han Solo’s happy shout surprised Chewbacca so much that the towering Wookiee straightened involuntarily. Since he’d been hunkered down under the belly of the starship Millennium Falcon welding her hull with a plasma torch, he bumped his shaggy head against her with a resounding gong.
Snapping off the torch and letting its superheated field die, the Wookiee tore off his welding mask and threw it at his friend. Han, knowing Chewbacca’s temper, skidded to a stop and ducked with the reflexes of a seasoned star pilot as the heavy mask zipped by overhead. He took a step backward as Chewbacca stalked out from under the grounded Falcon into the brilliant light of Kamar’s white sun. Making temporary repairs on