Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 07_ Shards of Alderaan - Kevin J. Anderson [9]
Find Boman Thul. I must have that cargo.
She leaned forward, her mouth opened in a smile that showed off her jagged teeth.
"When Darth Vader hired you to find Han Solo, the bounty was quite substantial. I will pay you twice that if you find Boman Thul and bring me my cargo. A few other bounty hunters will be searching as wellbut you are the best, Boba Fett. I expect results from you."
Inside his cramped cockpit, Boba Fett switched off the holoprojector and swept his gloved hands through the dissolving sparkles of color as the three-dimensional image faded. 'You will have results," he muttered, his voice loud and raspy in the oppressively silent ship....
Approaching another solar system in which there were no catalogued planets capable of supporting life, Fett dropped out of hyperspace to continue his search. His navicomputer had a map of all star systems in the sector where the trade negotiator had vanished. His data banks were crammed with unusual information and reports, any bit of which might give him a clue that would lead to the discovery of his prey.
Boman Thul had flown alone in his ship, refusing the standard diplomatic escort to which he was entitled. Secretly checking through New Republic flight records, Fett saw that this was quite an unusual request for Thul.
The former Alderaan noble, a fair pilot at best, preferred large escorts and excessive pomp and ceremony. Flying off alone in a supply cruiser seemed highly uncharacteristic for this man.
Fett wondered if Thul had discovered something unusual about the nature of his cargo, or its importance to the Twi'lek political leader's movement. Boba Fett himself did not know what information the cargo contained. He had only to find it and return it to Nolaa Tarkona.
Fett approached the bleak, uninhabited system-a small double star with three frozen gas planets in distant orbits and two rocky inner planets.
After a few moments of scanning, the Slave IV's sophisticated sensors detected processed metal, faint lubricants, traces of stardrive fuel, and spin-sealed Tibanna gas-a strong enough reading to indicate a whole ship.
The source seemed to be located inside the ragged strands of a rocky ring that surrounded the outermost gas planet.
Boba Fett nodded in respect. A good place to hide, and a good system in which to remain hidden. With a bright flare of its sublight engines, the Slave IV horned in on the sensor signal.
Fett had studied the history and family of Bornan Thul, hoping for clues.
Understanding his prey was the best way to catch it. The Alderaan noble had a wife, Aryn, who remained under heavy security on her own fleet of trade ships.
.. a brother, @ko, who kept himself heavily guarded in his administration facilities on the droid-manufacturing world of Mechis III... and one heir, his son.
The young man, Raynar, had attended the best schools, studied under the most efficient tutors, and was now enrolled in Skywalker's Jedi academy.
Obviously, Bornan Thul doted on his son and gave the boy everything he desired, with the result that he had worked for nothing in his life.
In fact, Raynar Thul might make a good hostage-if it came to that.
But perhaps it would all end here at this out-of-the-way planet.
Most of Fett's detector readings were indistinct and scattered due to ionization and outgassing from the broken rocks and ice chunks in the planetary ring. Thul's ship might have crashed into some ring debris, scattering wreckage in a broad swath. A low, growling sound came from deep within Boba Fett's throat. The bounty would be cut in half if he found nothing but the wreckage of Thul's ship. The Twi'lek woman cared only about recovering