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Mako waited until they were out of the way before he started in again. “Okay, folks. First thing we need is for everyone with some battle experience to come on down here to the front. I’m not talkin’ about winging a pirate who got too close, I’m talkin’ real combat experience in space, specially against the Imperials. C’mon down here.”

Over the next several minutes about forty sentients, most of them humanoid, made their way down front. “Okay, guys,” Mako said. “The first thing we need here in planning a counteroffensive is a leader. Anyone wanna volunteer?”

One of the humanoids, a Bothan, pointed up at the senior smuggler. “You, Mako! You be our leader!” he shouted.

The crowd reacted enthusiastically to this suggestion, and soon a swelling chant was heard. “Ma-ko! Ma-ko! Ma-ko!! MA-KO!”

The chanting went on, gaining in volume, until Han wanted to put his hands over his ears. Mako waved his arms, and silence descended. “Okay! Okay!” he said, his teeth flashing in a wide grin. “I’m real flattered, folks. And I swear to you that I’ll do my best for you. I swear it!”

Thunderous cheers erupted again.

“Okay, one more thing, then I’m gonna dismiss you for now,” Mako said. “I want you to meet my right-hand man, folks. A lot of you know him as a smuggler with a cranky ship and a big, furry sidekick. Han Solo, c’mon out here!”

Han walked out. He and Mako had basically figured that the senior smuggler would get tapped to lead the Nar Shaddaa forces. Things were going just as the two of them had figured they would.

More thunderous cheers, and a chant of “Ma-ko! Han! Mako! Han!” sprang up.

Han waved at the crowd, feeling his cheeks grow warm. He’d never before had thousands of people cheering just for him before. When he’d been Xaverri’s assistant, he’d shared the spotlight, but it wasn’t the same as this. Hearing all these people applauding him was a weird—but pleasant—experience.

“Okay, folks,” Mako said, waving again for quiet. “I’m gonna ask my combat veterans down there”—he indicated the little crowd—“to stay in close touch and check in here at The Chance Castle each morning. We’ll post notice of meetings or drills outside the auditorium, okay? Now let’s have a round of applause for our brave volunteers here!”

Cheers resounded. It was obvious that the crowd of sentients felt tremendously better, just knowing they were going to do something, instead of tamely waiting to be slaughtered.

Once the main crowd had left, Mako addressed the combat veterans. “Okay, Han and me are gonna put together a plan for our defense over the next day or so, and then we’ll brief you on it, and begin battle drills. By the time those Imps get here, everyone is going to know just what to do, and that’s a promise. If you folks know any other sentients with combat experience, bring ’em along to the briefing. Got that?”

The veterans all indicated that they did. “Good,” Mako said. “Over the next couple of days, get your ships in prime fighting condition. Shields fully charged, armor reinforced, all lasers charged … you know the drill. We need all our ships working at full capacity. So let’s get started, right?”

“Right!” they shouted.

After Mako dismissed the combat veterans, he and Han headed for one of the meeting rooms in the back of the casino, where they were joined by the rest of the smuggler “High Command”—as Mako and Han had jokingly dubbed their group. Chewbacca, Roa, Shug Ninx, Salla Zend, Lando Calrissian, Rik Duel, and Sinewy Ana Blue made up Mako’s elite group of experienced smugglers.

Mako and Han didn’t plan to tell anyone but the High Command that they were in possession of the Imperial battle plan. They figured that might make the smugglers overconfident, and that would be disastrous for their side. Also, some smugglers would sell their grandmothers for enough credits, and they couldn’t afford a security leak.

As Han sat beside him, Mako called up a holographic schematic on his datapad, and projected it above the table-top. All those present leaned