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Star Wars_ The Han Solo Trilogy 03_ Rebel Dawn - A. C. Crispin [138]

By Root 1153 0
eye had been.

Han stared wildly, wondering if he’d gone mad and was imagining all this. What’s going on?

Beside him, Bria gasped.

Han watched as Boba Fett stepped out of a dim corner of the room, his blaster rifle held in his arms.

Oh, great! he thought. Now Fett will just kill us all!

The bounty hunter kept them all covered as he walked to Teroenza’s huge form, and then knelt on one knee. Keeping them covered with the blaster rifle with one hand, Fett used a vibro-saw with the other. The little instrument whirred, slicing easily through flesh and bone as Fett carefully cut off Teroenza’s horn.

Han’s head was whirling with shock.

Finally the bounty hunter rose to his feet again, and then began backing slowly away, the grisly trophy tucked under his arm.

Han couldn’t help it. “You’re leaving?” he blurted.

Did Boba Fett’s mechanical voice hold a slight undercurrent of amusement? Han couldn’t decide if he was imagining it. “That’s right,” the bounty hunter said. “The Priest is a Priority bounty. I’m not here for you.”

And, having reached the opening in the wall, Boba Fett backed through it and vanished as suddenly as he’d appeared.

Han’s mouth dropped open, and he felt light-headed with relief. “Bria!” he yelled, and grabbed her again.

The three shouted and celebrated for a long moment, in the deserted Treasure Room.

Han headed off to the Falcon to get the repulsor dolly. When he returned, they spent several minutes organizing the boxes for efficient loading.

Suddenly a Rebel assault shuttle settled down on the permacrete beside the Falcon. Han stared at it in surprise as Jace Paol and a squad of Rebels disembarked. “Bria …” he said, “hey, what’s going on? This is our treasure. We’re taking it, and we’re going away in the Falcon … right? Together … right?”

He looked at her, and she stared back at him. She bit her lip and didn’t answer. Han felt a cold knot settle into his stomach. “Bria … honey … remember, you promised? We’d be together, right? Always?” He swallowed. “Bria …”

Chewie roared with anger and frustration, and suddenly Bria’s blaster was there, in her hand, covering them both.

“Han,” she said quietly, “we need to talk.”

Han stared at Bria’s drawn blaster, poleaxed. “Honey, what are you doing?”

“I need it all, Han,” she said. “Not for me, but for the Resistance.” She waved to the Rebels and they came in, took Han’s repulsor-lift dolly, and began stacking boxes on it.

Han stared in disbelief as the first load of treasure went out the door. “Bria …” he said hoarsely, “you can’t do this. This ain’t happening. You’re … you’re just tryin’ to kid me, right?”

“I’m sorry, Han,” she said. “I have to take it all. Everything my teams could salvage off this wretched world. All the processed spice, all the weapons, all the treasure. I know it’s not fair, but I can’t help that.”

“Did the other Rebel commanders do this, Bria?” Han asked.

“Not as far as I know,” she said. “But I was the one that got the communication last night, Han. Intelligence has discovered that the Empire has some kind of big project underway. Really big. So big that the fate of entire worlds could depend upon it. We have to find out what they’re up to, and that will take credits … lots of them. For bribes, surveillance, troops … you name it. I just hope what we’ve gotten here on Ylesia will be enough.”

Han wet his lips. “I thought you loved me. You said you did.”

Another load went out the door. Han stared at it, wanting to moan aloud. Chewie did moan aloud.

Bria sighed and shook her head. “Yes, I love you,” she said, softly. “I want us to always be together. Come with me, Han. You can’t go back to Nar Shaddaa now. Come with me and we’ll fight the Empire together. You, me and Chewie. We’ll make a great team. We all have to make sacrifices, and we’ll have made ours in giving up the treasure. You don’t think I’m keeping any of this for myself, do you?”

Han shook his head, and his voice was very bitter. “No, I don’t think that, Bria. Not for a moment.” He took a deep, ragged breath. “Bria … I loved you.”

Her face twisted in anguish

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