Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [90]
“None taken. Your friend Calrissian would have done better to have shown the same restraint.”
Chewie had inserted two more claws into the area.
“Nandreeson’s still holding a grudge against Lando?” Han asked.
“A grudge is perhaps the wrong word,” Iisner said. “A debt marker would be more accurate. They have a score to settle.”
“I’m sure they do,” Han said. “But tell your boss it has nothing to do with me.” He nodded at Chewie, who tugged with all his Wookiee strength. Iisner looked up. The door to the cargo space fell on him. Flame blew out of his mouth. Chewie dodged to the left, Davis to the right, and Seluss cringed. The flames scorched the wall and the top of Seluss’s head. Davis slammed into Han and they both went rolling down the corridor.
Flames roared from under the door, heating the metal, burning Han’s already-damaged skin.
He swore and grabbed the wall rungs, pulling himself off the metal. Davis ran, cursing, all the way into the cockpit. Chewie stepped on top of the cargo door, crushing Iisner. Seluss was cluttering and pounding his smoking head against the wall.
Chewie reached down and pulled Seluss against him, crushing the Sullustan’s burns against Chewie’s furry chest. The metal flooring was glowing bright red, and the air smelled of burning flesh and seared Glottalphib.
The flames faded, and then went out. Han climbed across the wall using the rungs, careful to keep his boots off the metal floor. When he reached Chewie, he stopped, leaned down, and took the blaster out of Iisner’s motionless hand. The handle of the blaster was hot.
“Solo?” Iisner’s voice sounded from below. “Make your friend get off me.”
More flames licked out from under the door.
“Get off him, Chewie.”
Chewie shook his head and roared. Han trained the blaster on Iisner.
“I’ll be all right,” Han said. “Take Seluss to the storage lockers and see if you can find the medical kit. We need to put something on those burns.”
Chewie roared in protest.
“Go!”
Chewie wrapped one shaggy arm around Seluss, and gripped the wall rungs with the other arm. Then he moved across the wall, just as Han was doing.
Iisner crawled out from under the cargo door. Webbed burn marks matching the pattern on the metal floor crisscrossed his chest and arms. His gray scales were flaking off his back. He looked weak and dizzy.
“Tell me what Nandreeson wants with me,” Han said. “The truth.”
Iisner climbed onto the door, and leaned against the wall. Smoke floated out of his nostrils. He looked beaten. “He wanted to use you to get to Calrissian.”
“Lando?”
Iisner nodded. “He figured if you were here, Calrissian wasn’t far behind.”
“Sometimes Nandreeson lives in the past,” Han said. “Lando and I are rarely in the same place at the same time.”
More scales flaked off Iisner’s skin. “I need a water bath.”
“One more question,” Han said, “then you can go to your own people. Who’s behind all the credits that have come into the Run?”
“Not Nandreeson,” Iisner said. His voice was weak. Small flames burned through his teeth, as if he couldn’t control them. “Nandreeson hates this.”
“So why doesn’t he stop it?”
“It’s too big to stop.” Iisner raised a small hand. “I need care, Solo.”
“All right,” Han said, motioning to the door with his blaster. “Get out of here.”
Iisner made his way cautiously across the cooling floor. When he reached the door, Han shoved the blaster against his back. “You forgot to name the credit source.”
“You won’t believe it, Solo.”
“Try me.”
Iisner whirled his big head and opened his long mouth. Flame started beneath the teeth, and then a blaster bolt hit Iisner in the throat. Iisner fell back, eyes open, clearly dead.
Han turned.
Davis was standing in the hall, wearing a pair of protected mining boots, and still holding his blaster.
“What the hell were you doing?” Han asked.
“He was going to kill you.”
“He was going to talk to me.”
Davis shook his head. “Glottalphibs