Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [58]
He still pulled them free. Then he made Chewie hand him the other three. Chewie mimed stomping on them, but Han shook his head.
He took the devices into the hallway, and threw them into the next room. That way, the devices would get some ambient sound, and Han wouldn’t have to search through the ooze again before they left.
He washed his hands in the well down the hall, paying particular attention to his fingernails.
As he went back to the room, he was startled to see the door still open. He pulled his blaster before going inside.
There, Chewie had his bowcaster pointed at Seluss. The little Sullustan had his gloved hands in the air. He was quiet. His wide eyes were shiny with fear, and his big ears were bent forward in defensive position.
“Nice work,” Han said to Chewie as he came in and closed the door. “You know, Seluss, it’s easier to assassinate someone after he’s fallen asleep.”
Seluss chittered pathetically.
“Yeah, right. I’ll believe you’re on a peaceful mission when my butt stops hurting.” Han kept his gaze on Seluss, and leaned against the door. “Want to tell us why you’re here?”
Seluss nodded. His chittering was rapid, and Han hadn’t had much use for Sullust since the Battle of Endor. He glanced at Chewie and saw that Chewie wasn’t getting it all either.
“I’m not going to kill you until you’re finished,” Han said. “It’s in your best interest to slow down.”
The folded flesh above Seluss’s mouth wiggled. His lower lip protruded. He continued to speak, but much slower.
Much slower.
This time, Han caught it. Or he thought he did. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “Jarril told you to shoot me when I arrived so that everyone would think we’re enemies? That way, no one would follow you, and no one would notice that you were talking to me? Do you buy this, Chewie?”
Chewie growled for some time.
“The language is a bit harsh, but his meaning is clear, I think.” Han nodded. “It was a stupid idea. Try again, Seluss.”
Seluss took a step forward, chittering as he moved. Han’s blaster whipped into place, his finger very tempted against the trigger.
“Stay where you are, pal. I’m short-tempered today.”
Seluss froze, then raised his hands again. He chittered—slowly—and Han began to listen.
I’m in too deep, Han. Way too deep, Jarril had said.
Seluss was confirming that, in his own panicked way.
“What did you say they’re smuggling? Imperial equipment? That ruined junk that the Jawas gathered on Tatooine?” Han frowned. That made no sense, certainly not at the prices Seluss was quoting him. “I don’t understand why you and Jarril are complaining when it’s making you rich.”
Seluss glanced at Chewie.
Chewie shrugged.
“Okay, I agree,” Han said. “Not even that kind of money is worth dying for. But how do you know the deaths are connected?”
Seluss chittered fast, then chopped his arm in the air three times. And then he moaned.
“All three of the dead guys had spoken out about this? They didn’t have anything else in common?”
Seluss half-growled, a puny sound when compared with Chewie’s growl, but a threat nonetheless. Chewie moved in closer, but Han waved him back.
“I’d hope you’d be this worried about me if I didn’t come back from that kind of mission, Chewie.” Han righted his blaster, made sure his aim was still on Seluss. “I need to think about this.”
Seluss had essentially confirmed Jarril’s story, but he had added some details. Most of the folks on Smuggler’s Run were selling junked-out Imperial equipment at outrageous prices. And, both Jarril and Seluss claimed, some were dying because of it. Han still didn’t know how that tied into the bombing on Coruscant, but he knew it did. Somehow.
The fact that Jarril hadn’t returned added some veracity too. As well as the stupid plan Seluss had made. Jarril was always doing things like that to mislead others. Seluss had attacked Han so that everyone would think they were enemies, and wouldn’t realize they were talking together. It did make