Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [119]
Smugglers who spent a lot of time in the Run built ships perfect for the asteroid belt. They were small, narrow vehicles that didn’t carry a lot of cargo, but helped smugglers move from place to place. The ships could land on any surface, including mud, and could take off in most conditions, even the constant swirling rock storms around Skip 52.
Blue’s ship had been specially modified for her personal needs. It had a wider cargo bay than most, and larger crew quarters. Still, it was a landspeeder compared to the Falcon. Chewie had to bend double just to fit inside.
The fit was tight for all of them. Han had brought Zeen, Kid, Wynni, and Chewie. Blue came, she said, because she had hated giving Lando to those Reks. Han had to badger Zeen and Kid (at blaster point) into remembering how much they owed Lando. (Including all the new furnishings in their personal rooms. Lando could fight to refit the Lady Luck if and when he returned from his rendezvous with Nandreeson.) Wynni came because Chewie was along. Chewbacca had complained about that, but Han warned him to put up with it. Rescuing Lando came first. Dealing with unwanted romance was second.
Still, as Han was pressed against the unfinished metal wall of Blue’s Skipper, he wondered if he had made the right decision. He couldn’t breathe through the two pelts of Wookiee fur in front of him, and he couldn’t see over Wynni’s back. The crew quarters, about the size of the Falcon’s head, stank of sweaty humans and excited Wookiee. The heat was intolerable.
Blue had landed the Skipper delicately in the mud swamp. It wouldn’t have mattered if she had landed hard. They were packed in so tight that nothing short of an explosion would free them. To make matters worse, it took her a long time to open the crew door.
Zeen and Kid staggered out, but Wynni was holding Chewbacca back. He was trying to shake her off.
“Wynni,” Han said in his driest voice. “You might want to wait for some privacy.”
Her fur stood instantly on end, the Wookiee version of a blush. She let go of Chewie’s arm and he ran out of the room as fast as a doubled-over Wookiee could move.
Wynni roared at Han, and he shrugged. “I’m not trying to interfere with romance, Wyn,” he said. “But Chewie has a mate, and I just want to get Lando out in one piece.”
Wynni growled about the likelihood of that. Han ignored her assessment. Wynni had never liked Lando much, but she was an artist with a bowcaster, and bowcasters seemed to have a wonderful effect on Glottalphibs.
Han had been here once before, in an encounter with Nandreeson that he had done his best to forget. This had been before the Rebellion, even before Chewie. As he and Blue had poured over a map of Skip 6 it had become clear that the Skip hadn’t changed.
There were tunnels leading to Nandreeson’s lair, but he would have those guarded. The only other entrances were mud slides. Chewie had already lodged his complaint about those: Wookiee fur would get matted, and when it dried, it would limit his movements. Wynni had brought special suits for both of them, but she wouldn’t let Chewie get his until he agreed to let her help him remove it. He had given Han a trapped look. Han had grinned, and Chewie had growled at him. But he had agreed.
Han later promised that he would help Chewie get out of the agreement, although he wasn’t sure how.
Yet.
The Wookiees were in the cargo bay, putting on the suits. Han wished he had one too. He went to the door. The rest of the crew was already there, peering at the hole that led into the slide. Warm, wet mud bubbled around the opening. Steam rose from the sides.
“You want us to go through that?” Zeen asked.
“You’d rather face the Reks?” Han asked.
“I’d rather wait for you here.”
“There’s no guarantee Calrissian survived,” Kid said.
“Lando made Nandreeson mad for years,” Han said.