Star Wars_ The Han Solo Trilogy 01_ The Paradise Snare - A. C. Crispin [28]
He handed the cube over. “So … Vykk Draygo here and I’m applying for this job. I’m Corellian, and I fit al your qualifications. I just … well, I wanted to say that I’m sorry about crashing the Dream. Your ship’s a different model than any I ever piloted, but a couple of hours on a simulator will fix that. And I’m afraid that your atmospheric currents came as a surprise.”
The being scanned the cube, then placed it on the table The corners of the massive, lipless mouth turned upward slightly. “I see. Mr. Draygo, I am the Most Exalted High Priest of Ylesia, Teroenza. Welcome to our colony. I am impressed at your initiative, young human. Traveling aboard a robot ship in order to answer our ad so quickly speaks well for you.”
Han frowned, wishing his head didn’t hurt quite so much. “Well … thanks.”
“I am impressed that you managed to control and land a robot craft. Few human pilots have been able to react quickly enough to deal with this world’s challenging weather patterns. The damage to our ship is not serious, and repairs are already under way. You landed on soft ground, which was fortunate.”
“Does that mean I get the job?” Han asked eagerly. Great! They’re not mad!
“Would you be willing to sign a year’s contract?” Teroenza asked.
“Maybe,” Han said, leaning back and relaxing, hands behind his head. “How much?”
The High Priest named a sum that made Han smile inwardly. Even though it was more money than he’d hoped for, he was too much of a trader not to automatically bargain.
“Well, I dunno …” he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I made more than that in my previous position …”
A lie, but not one they’d be able to disprove. Vykk Draygo had indeed made more than that—Han had paid well to make sure his alter ego’s job record showed that he could command the highest wages. It had taken all of Han’s savings, plus the proceeds from two dangerous heists that Garris Shrike hadn’t known anything about, to finance those alterations in his alter ego’s job record—but Han had wanted Vykk Draygo to be able to command a high salary.
Teroenza pondered that information, then said, “Very well, I can offer you thirty thousand for the year, with a bonus of ten at the end of the first six months, providing you make every assigned flight on schedule.”
“Bonus of fifteen,” Han said automatically. “And you provide the training sims.”
“Twelve,” countered Teroenza. “And you pay for the sims.”
“Thirteen,” Han said. “You supply the sims.”
“Twelve and a half, and we provide the sims,” the High Priest said. “Final offer.”
“Okay,” Han said, “you got yourself a pilot.”
“Excellent!” Teroenza actually chuckled, a deep, booming, oddly melodious sound.
Quickly the contracts were produced, and Han signed them, then allowed a retinal scan as proof of his identity. Hope they’re like everyone else, he thought, and just do a general, system-wide check of my retinal patterns. If the priests ordered a comprehensive—and very expensive—all-systems search to determine whether “Vykk Draygo’s” retinal scan was unique, they’d eventually discover that it wasn’t. Vykk Draygo, Jenos Idanian, Tallus Bryne, Janil Andrus, and Keil d’Tana all shared the exact same retinal patterns—which wasn’t surprising, as all of those individuals were, in fact, Han Solo.
Before Han left Trader’s Luck, he’d taken the precaution of stashing a small hoard of credits and complete ID sets in two lockboxes on Corellia, in case he ever needed a quick change of identity. Garris Shrike had provided the boy with different sets of ID for each scam Han participated in, and Han had kept each set and updated them as necessary.
The Corellian knew, however, that none of his forged IDs would stand up to Imperial scanners. Before he’d be able to take the Academy entrance exams, Han was well aware that he’d have to pay out a small fortune in bribes on Coruscant to gain ID documentation so genuine that it would pass an Imperial security clearance