Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 09_ Edge of Victory 02_ Rebirth - J. Gregory Keyes [26]
“Why am I not surprised?” he asked.
“Welcome to my humble home away from home,” Lando said. “Not up to my usual standards, I’ll admit, but it’s comfortable enough.”
The chamber beyond might have been imported from one of Lando’s casinos or luxury barges. The stone of the asteroid had been annealed, etched, and planished to resemble Naboo tile, and the floor was of finest polished Kashyyyk wood. The appointments were all old Coruscant—pre-Empire—comfortable, decadently upholstered in philfiber brocades.
“Have a seat. The droid will bring our drinks.”
A shiny new SE-6 domestic sidled up and took their orders.
“Stimcaf,” Leia said. “If I have to discuss anything, I want to be at least half awake.”
“I have another theory on that,” Han said. “I know you, Lando. Surely you have some Corellian whiskey around this dump.”
“Only the best, Han, though the best isn’t as good as it used to be.”
“What is?”
“Besides us?” Lando said. “Not much.”
Jacen ordered mineral water.
“Another sober fellow,” Lando remarked. “But I think I’ll join Han.” He leveled his intelligent gaze at Jacen. “And you, young Jedi. How are things with you?”
“Very well, thanks,” Jacen said politely.
“You’ve got a lot of your mother in you. Fortunate choice your genes made.” He paused. “I understand you’re hot property these days. I think you’ve even outdone the old man when it comes to the bounty you’d fetch.”
“That’s not funny, Lando,” Han said.
Lando raised his eyebrows mildly. “I didn’t say it was. Just making an observation. As you said, you know me.”
“Only too well.”
Lando made a wounded face, then brightened. “Ah, here are our drinks.” He took his glass and raised it. “To the old times, and to better ones.”
They drank. Han grimaced. “Boy, you weren’t kidding. Whyren’s Reserve this ain’t.”
“There have been better years, I’ll grant you that.” Lando’s voice softened and became more serious. “I’m sorry I didn’t make the funeral, Han. Some of my people got trapped near Obroa-skai when the Vong took it. I couldn’t leave them hanging.”
“I know,” Han said, taking another drink. “I heard. That’s what he would have wanted you to do.”
“And you, Lando,” Leia said. “How are things with you and Tendra?”
“Hey, we’re making do. Losing Dubrillion wasn’t a lot of fun, but I’ve managed to spread my assets out over the years. I’ve still got the operation on Kessel, though it’s attracted some attention lately.”
“Yuuzhan Vong?”
“Nah, just pirates and profiteers. And I’ve been approached by the Peace Brigade.”
That got Han’s attention. “Really?”
“I sent them packing. They didn’t have the clout to back up their demands, and they knew it.”
“Yes, but what did they want?” Leia asked.
Lando chuckled. “The usual. Help hunting down Jedi, though they must have known who they were dealing with. Mostly I think they wanted guards for one of their convoys.”
“What sort of convoy?”
“It seems that the Brigade has expanded. They’re not just in the business of hunting Jedi anymore—they’ve taken over the trade routes in Vong-occupied territory.”
“They’re supplying them?”
“And their subject populations. Sure. Somebody has to.”
“Of all the vile …” Leia couldn’t even finish, she was so disgusted.
They shifted to small talk. The whiskey was warming, and Han felt his shoulders relax a little.
“Well,” Lando said, when their glasses were dry. “Our allies, such as they are, are waiting. We’re probably as fashionably late as we can afford to be.”
“Lead the way,” Han replied.
Three beings awaited them in a conference room that evinced none of the luxury of Lando’s suite—it was clinically spare. The most striking of the trio was a young Hutt, reclining with a bored expression and an impatient twitch in his thickly muscled tail. Next to him sat a human woman in her mid-thirties. Her skin was almost as dark as Lando’s, her hair