Star Wars_ The Han Solo Trilogy 01_ The Paradise Snare - A. C. Crispin [93]
Muuurgh disappeared, and Han concentrated on flying a slow circuit of the Colony. Bria peered out the viewscreen. “I see them!” she said excitedly. “There’s a big crowd assembling at the Altar!”
“Good,” Han said abstractedly.
Muuurgh reappeared. “Yes, we have a wire. There is a harness that can be attached to it.”
“Okay, pal. Here’s what we’ll do. I’m going to bring this crate down over the amphitheater, real slow. Then I’m gonna set her to hover on her repulsorlifts. Mrrov has no reason to know who we are, so she’s gonna have to get a look at you in order to run over to the ship, right?”
“Yesssss.”
“You’re gonna have to go down in the harness and let Mrrov see you. Bria, you control the wire, okay?”
“All right … Han,” she said.
“Both of you stay sharp. There may be shooting. The ship’s deflectors should protect us against small-arms, but once you’re outside, that won’t count, Muuurgh.”
“I understand.”
“If the guards get too aggressive, I can give ’em a burst from the ship’s light laser cannon,” Han said. “I’ll aim over their heads, so I won’t hit the pilgrims, but that should make the point.”
“Muuurgh is ready, Han.”
“Okay. Here goes.”
Carefully Han brought the Talisman in over the amphitheater, wishing he’d had more time to get used to the “feel” of these controls. He circled the amphitheater, belly holocams on, so he could get a good look at the layout. Han was conscious of all the pilgrims looking up and pointing, as he dropped lower and lower with each pass. Finally, he was close enough to engage the repulsorlifts and hover, about twelve or thirteen meters above the permacrete.
Han could see several priests and a bevy of guards behind the milling crowd of pilgrims. He knew the Sacredots must be wondering why the High Priest’s personal yacht was being used to ferry pilgrims to the Kessel slave ship.
“That’s as low as I can get and hover safely!” Han yelled. “Lower Muuurgh!”
He kept a finger poised over the controls that would lower the light laser cannon, but he didn’t want to make an aggressive move first. Han could hear Bria and Muuurgh talking, their voices muffled by distance. He glanced over at the belly holocam screen just in time to see Muuurgh descending, his blaster still holstered.
The cam didn’t provide audio, but he watched as Muuurgh’s mouth opened, and knew he must be calling to Mrrov.
Guards milled, still uncertain, but clearly uneasy. This whole scenario was highly irregular, and they were getting suspicious. One of the guards shoved his way through the crowd of pilgrims. When the human guard reached the forefront of the crowd, he had his blaster drawn and was clearly calling to Muuurgh to identify himself and state what he was doing.
“Bria,” Han yelled, turning his head, careful not to jostle the controls on the hovering vessel, “stand by! Looks like they’re gonna—”
Two things happened simultaneously: a tall figure in a pilgrim’s robe suddenly broke and raced toward Muuurgh’s dangling figure—and the guard aimed his blaster.
Han had only a glimpse of orange stripes on white fur and knew the running figure must be Mrrov. He saw a spurt of blaster fire from the guard’s weapon, and it was answered twice in rapid succession, by Bria and Muuurgh.
Two more guards drew their weapons and fired. The crowd of pilgrims panicked and scattered, trampling each other and the guards.
Han lowered the light laser cannon, grateful for the pirate attacks that had made Teroenza decide to beef up the ship’s shielding and weapons capability. He fired a burst, careful to aim over the heads of the running, screaming crowd.
More fire from the guards—and Han heard a faint yowl of pain! Checking the screen, he saw Muuurgh sag in his harness, clutching his side, though he still gripped his weapon. Mrrov reached him a second later and leaped tc wrap her arms and legs around her mate, anchoring her tc him.
Bria was firing steadily now, and Han saw a Gamorrean go down.