Star Wars_ The Han Solo Trilogy 02_ The Hutt Gambit - A. C. Crispin [138]
Han wasn’t sure how they actually mined the gas, but he knew that tibanna gas was very valuable, so the miners must be doing well. Before it was discovered in Bespin’s atmosphere, tibanna gas had usually been found in stellar chromospheres and nebular clusters—which made harvesting it hazardous, to say the least. Then somebody had stumbled across the fact that Bespin’s atmosphere was loaded with it.
Picking up a sudden burst of electrical activity on his sensors, Han hastily changed course. “Hey—what’s that?” He pointed at the viewscreen. To their right now, was a monstrous, half-seen shape, drifting amid those incredible aurulent clouds. The thing was so large that it would have dwarfed many small Corellian cities.
Jadonna leaned forward. “That’s a beldon!” she exclaimed. “They’re really rare. In all the years I’ve been flying through these clouds, I’ve never seen one.”
Han squinted at the mammoth creature as the Girl streaked by it. The beldon resembled some of the gelatinous ocean creatures he’d seen on some worlds, with a huge, dome-like top, and many small feeding tentacles hanging down beneath it.
Han checked his landing vector. “Right on the credits, Captain,” he said. Behind them, the leviathan faded into the distance. Han saw another, smaller shape ahead of them that almost resembled an upside-down beldon, and realized it was Cloud City.
It hung in the clouds like some kind of exotic wineglass, topped with a jeweled crown of rounded towers, domed buildings, communication spires, and refinery stacks. In the last wash of sunset, it glowed like a corusca gem.
Staying on their approach vector, Han sent them skimming over the domed buildings of the cityscape in the clouds. Moments later, he brought the Girl down in a perfect landing on their assigned spot.
After receiving his pay, and saying farewell to Captain Veloz, Han went looking for a robo-hack to take him to the posh Yarith Bespin hotel, where the sabacc tournament was being held.
Moments later he was punching in his destination on a keypad, sending the little robo-hack zipping through the city streets, up and down levels, traveling at a pace that would have made most humans dizzy—especially when the little vehicle “hopped” low-lying buildings, giving Han a glimpse of the clouds surrounding them and the yawning depths below them. It was almost full night now, and the city sparkled like a lady’s open jewel box.
Minutes later the robo-hack pulled up before the Yarith Bespin. Han waved the luggage droid aside and walked through the massive entrance. He’d been in posh hotels before, while touring with his magician friend, Xaverri, so the opulent interior with its spidery, crisscrossing glidewalks that spanned the stories-high atrium didn’t phase him. He saw a sign reading “Tournament Registration” in at least 20 languages, and followed the arrow up the glide-lift to the mezzanine.
When he stepped off the floating walkway, he headed purposefully toward the large tables. The place was thronged with gamblers of all species, sizes and descriptions. Han registered, checked his blaster (all weapons had to be checked), received an ID badge, and a voucher that he’d cash in as he needed betting chips. The first game would start tomorrow at midday.
Just as he turned away from the registration area, chip voucher tucked securely into a pocket inside his shirt, next to his skin, Han heard a familiar voice.
“Han! Hey, Han! Over here!”
He turned and saw Lando Calrissian waving to him from across the mezzanine. Waving to show he’d heard, Han jogged over to the glidewalk and hopped aboard, even as Lando leaped aboard the one coming toward Han’s side of the enormous room.
When he’d last seen Lando, the gambler was heading off for action in the Oseon system. But he’d been talking about this tournament for months, so Han had been expecting to run into him here.
“Hey, Han!” Lando’s dark