Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 12_ Return to Ord Mantell - Kevin J. Anderson [25]
Velser. At first, Anja had hated the nickname Czethros gave her after taking her under his wing and training hell - to be his tool, his weapon.
But then Anja had learned that velsers-:re fearsome, fastflying predatory creatures from Bespin. They were sleek, deadly attackers.
She could think of worse things to be called.
"I learned quite a bit. I met Han Solo," she said. "I told you those old space mines you set as a trap wouldn't fool him for an instant.
Now he's on his guard. I hate the man, but I respect his abilities.
His children have excellent skills as well-I watched them fight." She tossed her streaked hair back, adjusted her headband, and raised her chin. "Not as good as me, of course, even though they're using Jedi skills. They don't have quite the... enthusiasm." Czethros laughed.
"Enthusiasm? You go into a berserker rage when you've had too much."
"It's useful sometimes," Anja said. "And I managed to drive back most of those clumsy chameleon attackers. Your work, I presume?"
"Did they get away with the evidence?"
"Easily. I hope you didn't mind losing a few of them. We had to kill about seven."
Czethros shrugged. "They're cheap. I can always buy more."
"Now it'll be harder to kill Solo," Anja said. "The one thing I'm after.
You might have screwed up my chances."
Czethros laughed, though his pale, sickly-looking face showed no humor at all. He ran one hand over his moss green hair. "Solo is cocky.
His easy escape from the space mines, and your resounding defeat of the chameleon creatures, will probably only make him more willing to jump into peril, not less. He doesn't know how to be careful. And his children seem to have even greater potential for getting into trouble than he does."
"Well, I've planted the suggestion in his mind," Anja said, getting down to business. "I taunted Solo with the desperate situation on Anobis. If he rises to the bait and blunders happily into the war there, he's doomed."
"Excellent," Czethros said. "That way my overall plan can proceed without his interference. He's one of the few people in the galaxy who can expose the enterprises we're trying to build through Black Sun."
"And, if you help me get rid of him, there can be no greater payback for me than to avenge my mother and father."
"Be patient, Anja. The time will come," Czethros said. "You've waited this long. Let's do it right."
She bit her lip and nodded. She tapped her fingers on the metal surface of the nearest table, stood up and fidgeted, looked around. "I... may need to go with Solo, in order to nudge a few things along." She hesitated.
Czethros watched her with his cybernetic red laser eye, waiting.
The cruel streak was coming out in him. He had to know what she wanted, but he twisted the screws, making her ask for it. For what she needed.
She drew herself up again, trying not to look weak. "But in order to be at my peak performance, as this mission requires, I'll need..
She trailed off. He knew what she meant.
Czethros continued watching her. "Yes?"
Anja felt a flash of anger, and pounded her fist on the metal wall with a dull clang. "I need my supply! I used my last dose of spice in order to fight your clumsy henchmen."
Czethros laughed and then made a taking sound. "You seem so desperate.
Don't worry, little velser. You can count on me." From his pocket he withdrew a sealed black case and held it aloft, just far enough away that she would have to step forward and reach out to take it from him.
He tried to toy with her, pulling it back, but Anja moved too quickly.
Still in the aftereffects of her hypersensitivity, she snatched the case before he could play his little trick. Czethros covered his surprise at the speed of her reactions.
"There's your supply of andris spice," he said. "You're taking too much of it, you know. I can't keep up this rate of payment without further results. "
"You'll get results," Anja said, checking the contents of the tiny carbon-freeze