Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [72]
Han fired back. The blasterfire went wildly, through the opening to the corridor, but hitting wide. Chewie’s padded feet were slipping on the sand covering. Han had to keep pushing. The Glottalphibs were getting way too close. Another roar of flame seared the wall next to him, burning off the coolant covers. The air was searing hot.
“This way!”
Han glanced up. One of the coolant covers had been pulled back. The long-haired blond man from the entry was peering out of it.
“Hurry up!” the man said. “We only have a moment.”
Chewie roared in protest.
More flames hit the wall beside them. The coolant covers stayed on this time, but radiated red with the intense heat. They would never make it up the corridor, not quickly enough to stay ahead of the flames and the swamp stunners. Han didn’t know who this guy was, but anything was better than being Glottalphib fricassee.
“Go, Chewie, go!”
Chewie protested again, and Han shoved him into the open coolant cover. The man pulled Chewie in, and Han crawled in after him, landing in a pile of fragrant Wookiee fur. They were in a narrow crevice, lined with sunstone and extremely bright. The man reached around Han and pulled on the coolant cover.
“Let’s get out of here before we get fried alive,” the man said.
“You’ll get no argument from us, pal,” Han said. Together they helped Chewie up. He couldn’t stand upright in the crevice. The man hurried through a nearby opening, and Han followed. Chewie crouched and slid in.
Then roared.
He was stuck.
The coolant cover suddenly glowed red. A blast of flame must have hit it. The heat magnified. Han’s throat was raw, and his shirt was soaking. He should have gone back for that water.
At least the coolant cover didn’t come off.
He put a hand out and pulled on Chewie’s furry arm.
“Let him go,” the man said. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
“All three of us go or none of us goes,” Han said, although he wasn’t sure how to make good on the threat. “Crouch lower, Chewie.”
Chewie roared again.
“Then tell him to shut up.”
“You shut up,” Han said to the blond man.
Chewie crouched, but his knees banged the crevice wall.
“Okay,” Han said. “I got it. Slide one leg out either side, crouch, and lever yourself out.”
Chewie muttered some select Wookiee curses, the graphic ones that Han always pretended to misunderstand, and then did as Han told him. His bowcaster hit the wall, and the sound of ripping fur filled the crevice. But he crouched and slid toward Han, and was suddenly free.
A mat of Wookiee hair stuck to the sunstone crevice walls. Chewie moaned again. A patch of fur was missing from his back.
“Your friend sure whines a lot,” the man said. He hadn’t moved from his post farther in the crevice.
Chewie growled.
“He’s a Wookiee, pal,” Han said, “and I wouldn’t make him mad.”
“I can handle Wookiees.”
Han grinned. “Anyone who’s said that has never met a Wookiee.”
“You want my help or not?” the man said.
“I don’t know,” Han said. “What do you get out of helping me?”
“Satisfaction, General. Now come on.” He slipped through another narrow opening and then ran down a wider hall before Han had a chance to answer. The man knew who Han was.
Had known it all along.
That made Han decidedly uneasy.
Han peered through the crevice. The hall looked nature-made, just like the crevice did. The sunstone was bright.
And hot.
“Think you can make it, Chewie?”
Chewbacca nodded.
“Think we should trust him?”
Chewie shook his head, then moaned.
“You’re right. It might take forever for those covers to cool. Then we’re here, in the heat. Nothing can be worse than that, right?”
Chewie shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe Han had said that. Han couldn’t believe it either.
“You go first, turbali. That way I can shove you if you get stuck.”
And fight off anyone who tried to enter from the coolant side. Han didn’t know