• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

"First off," the wolfman said, speaking in a sharp voice, as-if trying to bite off each word as it emerged from his mouth, "we have a pledge from a self-appointed United Council of Bith Musicians. They have sworn to play patriotic songs that espouse the goals of the Diversity Alliance while they tour the planets of the galaxy."

"Songs?" Nolaa said, allowing a frown to crease her forehead.

"We need soldiers and fighters willing to die for our cause--not minstrels. "

"If I might point out, Esteemed Tarkona, the potential payoffs of dispersing propaganda.

One song to the right audience in the right cantina in the right town could result in riots.... even the overthrow of a long-established human government. At - the very least, it will increase awareness of what the Diversity Alliance stands for."

"Very well," Nolaa said, "just so long as these musicians don't demand excessive payment. What else?"

We'Ve received a messenger from a sub-hive of the Bartokk species.

They are renowned killers, assassins who travel together sharing a single mind. This sub-hive has sworn allegiance to the Diversity Alliance--and as you know, when one of them agrees, they all agree."

Nolaa Tarkona tapped her daws together.

"That's much better news. So, does this mean the entire Bartokk homeworld is ours? Is this sub-hive the legitimate government there?"

"No, Esteemed Tarkona, but they will carry our message far and wide. In fact, as I understand their species, if this sub-hive assassinated key members in other sub-hives, they could absorb all those minds into an even larger swarm. Given a little time and a little ingenuity, our one sub-hive could subsume all other Bartokks and incorporate them into one giant fighting force that would be completely loyal to US."

Now the Twflek woman smiled, showing her pointed teeth. "Very good, indeed. Governments operate by the will of the populace. We make our own legitimacy."

"Yes," Hovrak snarled, "legitimacy. Payback time. By rights the galaxy should be ours."

"Now, don't get greedy," Nolaa said. "At least not so soon. A few sectors at a time should be enough... for the moment."

She twitched her head-tail, feeling.a tingle of sensation. "I just received word that a ship has docked at our underground facility.

I believe it is Boba Fett, returned to us.

Go and Bring him here. I wish to see what our bounty hunter has retrieved for me."

Hovrak bared his teeth again, then spun about and padded out of the grotto.

Putting her nervous energy to use, Nolaa reached out and selected a sharp durasteel file from the small obsidian pedestal beside her.

She inserted the tool into her mouth and briskly filed her front teeth to maintain their pointed tips and razor-sharp edges. She received a delicious, forbidden thrill in doing so. Twi'lek female slaves traditionally had their teeth sanded flat to keep them from biting their masters. and only the vicious males had been allowed to flaunt their fangs.

Until now.

The degraded females found themselves powerless and sold into slavery, forced to serve or dance--mere objects to be beaten and sacrificed at the whim of their masters.

Nolaa knew this all too well: her own half-sister had paid the ultimate price. But she had vowed to change all that. And, as she had proven many times before, Nolaa Tarkona was always true to her word....

When the helmeted Boba Fett marched alone into the grotto, Nolaa sat up with a stab of disappointment. Had he dared to come back to her empty-handed?

Beside the bounty hunter, daws extended, Hovrak walked like a security escort. But Boba Fett exuded such self-confidence, even through his Mandalorian armor, that any idea of his following anyone was ludicrous.

Nolaa admired him for that self-assurance and enigmatic charisma.

Fett, however, did not concern himself with power or politics.

Why he kept to him-self--hiring out only as a bounty hunter, when he could have been a great leader--was a mystery to her. Ah, well, she thought, every creature has different goals.

"Where is Bornan Thul?" she demanded.