by Brian Daley
Han Solo Adventure Trilogy
Han Solo At Stars End 2
Chapter 1
ITS a warship all fight. Damn!
Instrument panels in the Millennium Falcons cock-pit were alive with trouble lights, warning flashers, and the beeps and hoots of the sensor package. Read-out screens were feeding combat-information displays at high speed.
Han Solo, crouched forward in the pilots seat, coolly flicking his eyes from instrument to screen, hast-fly assessed his situation. His lean, youthful face creased in a frown of concern. Beyond the cockpit canopy, the surface of the planet Duroon drew stead-fly nearer. Somewhere below and astern, a heavily armed vessel had detected the Falcons presence and was now homing in to challenge her. That the warship had, in fact, picked up the Millennium Falcon first was a matter of no small worry to Hah; the ability to come and go without attracting notice, especially of. ficial notice, was vital to a smuggler.
He began relaying fire-control data to the ships weapons systems. Charge main batteries, Chewie, he said, not taking his eyes from his part of the con-sole, and shields-all. Were in prohibited space; cant let era take us or identify the ship. Particularly, he added to himself, with the cargo were hauling.
To his right, Chewbacca the Wooldee made a sound halfway between a grunt and a bark, his furry fingers darting to his controls with sure dexterity, his large, hairy form hunched in the oversized coptlots seat. Wooldee-style, he showed his fierce fighting teeth as he rapidly surrounded the starship wth layers of de-fensive energy. At the same time, he brought the Fal-cons offensive weaponry up to its maximum charge.
Bracing his ship for battle, Han berated himseN for ever having taken on this job. Hed known full well it could take him into conflict with the Corporate Sector Authority, in the middle of a steer-clear area.
The Authority ships approach left Han and Chew-bacca just seconds for a clutch decision abort the mission and head for parts unknown, or try to pull off their delivery anyway. Hah surveyed his console, hop-ing for a clue, or a hit off the Cosmic Deck.
The other ship wasnt gaining. In fact, the Falcon was pulling away. Sensors gauged the mass, arma-ments, and thrust of their pursuer and Hah made his best guess. Chewie, I dont think thats a ship of the line; looks more like a bul job, with augmentative weapons. She mustve just lifted off when she got wind of us. Hell, dont those guys have anythin8 better to do? But it figured; the one major Authorit installa-tion on Duroon, the only one with a full-dress port layout, was on the far side of the globe, where the dawn line would just be lightening gray sky. Han had planned his landing for a spot as far away from the port as possible, in the middle of the night-side.
We take her down, he decided. If the Falcon could shake her follower, Hah and Chewbacca could make their drop and, with the luck of the draw, es-cape.
The Wookiee gave a grumpy growl, black nostrils flaring, tongue curling. Han glared at him. You got a better idea? Its a little late to part company, isnt it? He took the converted freighter into a steep dive, throwing away altitude in return for increased veloc-ity, heading deeper into Duroons umbra.
The Authority vessel, conversely, slowed even more, cllmbing through the planets atmosphere, trad-ing speed for altitude in an attempt to keep the MiUennium Falcon under sensor surveillance. Han ig-nored the Authoritys broadcast order to halt; tele-spenders that should have automatically given his starships identity in response to official inquiry had been disconnected long ago.
Hold deflector shields at full capacity, he ordered. Im taking her down to the deck; we dont want our skins cooked off. The Wookiee complied, to shed thermal energy generated by the Falcons rapid pas-sage through the atmosphere. The starships controls trembled as she began to buck the denser air. Han worked to put the planet between himseft and the Authority vessel.
This he soon accomplished, as indicators registered increased heat from the friction of the freighters dive. Between watching sensors and looking through the canopy, Han quickly found his first landmark, a vol-canically active crevasse that ran on an east-west axis, like a stupendous, burning scar on the flesh of Duroon. He brought the Falcon out of her swoop, her control systems rebelling against the immense strain. He lev-eled off only meters above the planets surface.
Lets see them track us now, he said, self-satisfied. Chewbacca snorted The meaning of the snort was clearmthis was temporary cover only. There was little danger of being detected either optically or by instrument over this seam in Duroons surface, for the Falcon would be lost against a background of fer-rons slag, infernal heat, and radioactive discord. But neither could she remain there for long.
In the vivid orange light of the fissure that illumi-nated the cockpit, Hah conceded that fact. At best, hed broken trail so the Authority ship would be una-ble to spot the Falcon should the pursuer gain enough altitude to bring her back into sensor range. He poured on as much airspeed as he dared in an effort to keep Duroons mass between him.gelf and the vessel hunting him while he sought his landing site. He cursed the fact that there were no proper navigational beacons; this was seat-of-the-pants flying, and no chance of leaning out the cockpit and stopping a pass-erby for directions.
In minutes the ship had neared the western end of the fissure. Han was compelled to dump some veloc-ity; it was time to look for road signs. He reviewed the instructions given him; instructions hed committed to memory alone. Off to the south a gigantic mountain range loomed. He banked the Falcon sharply to port, slapped a pair of switches, and bore straight for the mountains.
The ships special Terrain Following Sensors came on. Han kept the freighters bow close above a surface of cooled lava and occasional active rifts, minor off-spring of the great fissure. For whatever small edge it might give against detection, he trimmed the Falcon off at virtual landing altitude, screaming over eddied volcanic fiatlands. Anybody down there better duck, he advised, keeping one eye pinned to the Terrain Following Sensors. They bleeped, having located the mountain pass for which hed been searching. He ad-justed course.
Funny. His information said the break in the moun-tains was plenty wide for the Falcon, but it looked mighty narrow on the TFS. For a second he debated going for altitude fast, hurdling the high peaks, but that just might put him back onto the Authoritys scopes. He was too close to his delivery point, and a payday, to risk having to cut and run. The moment of option passed. He shed more airspeed, committed now to taking the pass at low level.
Sweat collected on his forehead and dampened his shirt and vest. Chewbacca uttered his low rumble of utmost concentration as both partners synched to the running of the Millennium Falcon. The image of the pass on the TFS grew no more encouraging.
Han tightened his grip on the controls, feeling the press of his flying gloves against them. Pass, nothing ---that things a slot! Hold your breath, Chewie; well have to skin through.
He threw himself into a grim battle with his ship. Chewbacca caterwauled his dislike for all unconven-tional maneuvers as he cut in braking thrusters, but even those would not be enough to avert disaster. The slot began to take on shape, a slightly lighter area of sky lit by bright stars and one of Duroons three moons, set off by the silhouette of the mountains. It was, just barely, too narrow.
The starship took some altitude, and her speed slackened. Those extra seconds gave Han time to pi-lot for his life, calling on razor-edge reflexes and in-stincfive skills that had seen him through scrapes all across the galaxy. He killed all shields, since theyd have struck rock and overloaded, and wrenched his controls, standing the Millennium Falcon on her port-side. Sheer crags closed in on either side, so that the roar of t
he freighters engines rebounded from the cliffs. He made minute corrections, staring at rock walls that seemed to be coming at him through the canopy, and rattled off a string of expletives having nothing whatsoever to do with piloting.
There was a slight jar, and the shriek of metal torn away as easily as paper. The long-range sensors winked out; the dish had been ripped off the upper hull by a protrusion of rock. Then the needles eye was threaded sideways, and the Falcon was through the mountains.
Perspiration beading his face, dampening his light
brown hair, Hah pounded Chewbacca. Whatd I tell
you? Inspirations my specialtyV
The starship soared over the thick jungle that be-gan beyond the mountains. Han leveled off, wiping a gloved hand across his brow. Chewbacca emitted a sustained growl. I agree, Han replied soberly in the wake of his elation. That was a stupid place to put a mountain. He took up scanning for the next land-mark and spied it almost at once a winding river. The Falcon skimmed in low over the watery coils as the Wookiee lowered the ships landing gear.
In seconds theyd reached the landing area near a spectacular waterfall that dropped two hundred meters to the river in a flume like a blue-white, ghostly scrim under stars and moonlight. Han, reading the TFS, found a clearing in the heavy cover of vegetation and settled the ship slowly. The broad disks of the landing gear sank a bit in soft humus; then the hydrolics sighed briefly as the Millennium Falcon made herself comfortable.
Han and Chewbacca sat at their controls for a mo-ment, too drained to do more. Outside the cockpit canopy, the jungle was an irregular darkness, tangles of indefatigable growth topped by a roof of fernlike plants that stretched up twenty meters and more. Gauzy grou nd fog rolled through the undergrowth and clearing.
The Wookiee gave a long, gusty, bass-register ex-halation. I couldnt have said it better, Han con-curred. Lets get at it. Both removed headsets and left their seats. Chewbacca picked up his crossbow weapon and a bandolier of metal ammo containers, which also supported a floppy carryall pouch at his hip. Han already wore his side arm, a custom-model blaster with rear-fitted macroscope, its front sight blade filed off to facilitate the speed draw. His hol-ster was worn low, tied down at the thigh, cut so that it exposed the weapons trigger and trigger guard.
According to directories, Duroons atmosphere would support humanoid life without respirators. The two smugglers moved directly to the ships ramp. The hatch rolled up and the ramp lowered silently, letting in smells of plant growth, of rotting vegetation, of hot, humid night and animal danger. The jungle was filled with sounds, calls, clacks, and cries of prey and pred-ator, and, over all, with the monumental spillage of the waterfall.
Now its up to them to find us, Han said. Check-ing the jungle, he saw no sign of life. Not surprising. The freighters landing had probably frightened most wildlife out of the area. He turned to his shaggy first mate/copilot/partner. Ill wait for them. Turn off sensors, shut down the engines, the works; kill all sys-tems so the Authority cant spot us. Then see how much structural damage she suffered topside when she got her back scratched.
Chewbacca barked acknowledgment and shambled off. Han stripped off his flying gloves, tucked them in his belt, and stepped down the ramp, which stretched down and out from the ships starboard side, astern the cockpit. He thumbed his guns sights to set it for night shooting, then glanced around. A lean young man dressed in spacemans high boots, dark uniform trousers with red piping, and civilian shirt and vest, Han had cast aside his uniform tunic, stripped of its rank and insignia, years ago.
He ran a quick check of the Falcons underside, as-suring him.self that she had taken no damage there and that the landing gear had come to rest properly. He also made certain that the interrupter-templates had automatically slid into place along the servo-guides for the belly turret, so that the quad-mounted guns wouldnt accidentally blow away the landing gear or ramp if he had to fire them while the ship was grounded.
Satisfied, he wsnt back to the foot of the ramp. He gazed up at the empty sky and the stars beyond, thinking Let the Authority look for me; this whole part o! Duroons spotted with hot springs, thermal vents, heavy-metal magma seepages, and radiation anomalies. ltd take them a month to find me, and in an hour or three, Ill be gone like a cool breeze.
He sat at the end of the ramp, wishing for a mo-ment that hed brought along something to drink; there was a flask of ancient, vacuum-distilled jet juice un-der the cockpit console. But he didnt feel like going for it. Besides, he still had business to conduct.
Duroons nocturnal life forms began reappearing in the mossy clearing. Lacy white things swam through the air with ripples of their thin bodies, resembling flying doilies, while nearby fern-trees held creatures that looked like bundles of straw, making their slow way along the wide fronds. Han kept an eye on them but doubted theyd approach the alien mass of his starship.
As he watched, a smallish green sphere sailed out of the undergrowth in a high arc, landing with a boink. It appeared perfecfiy smooth at first, but then extruded an eyelike bump that studied the Falcon with jerky motions. But when it noticed the pilot, it flinched. The eye-bump disappeared, and the sphere things underside compressed. With another boink the thing bounced away into the jungle.
Han returned to his musing as he listened to Chew-baeca tramping around on the ships upper hull. The unfamiliar constellations here were how many light-years from the planet of Hafts birth? He couldnt even make a close guess.
Being a smuggler and a flyer-for-hire had its dan-gers, and those he accepted with a philosophical shrug. But a run into a prohibited sector with a cargo that would earn him a summary execution if caught, those were different table stakes altogether.
The Corporate Sector was one wisp off one branch at the end of one arm of the galaxy, but that wisp contained tens of thousands of star systems, and not one native, intelligent species was to be found any-where. No one was sure why. Han had heard that neutrino research showed abnormalities in the solar convective layers of every sun hereabout, something that might have spread like a virus among the stars in this isolated sector.
In any case, the Corporate Sector Authority had been chartered to exploit-some called it plunder- the uncountable riches here. The Authority was owner, employer, landlord, government, and military. Its wealth and influence eclipsed that of all but the richest Imperial Regions, and the Authority spent much of its time and energy insulating itself from out-side interference. Competition, it had none; but that didnt make the Corporate Sector Authority any less jealous or vindictive. Any outside ship found off es-tablished trade corridors was fair game for the Au-thoritys warships, which were manned by its feared Security Police.
But what do you do, Han asked himself, when your backs to the wall? How could he have said no to a nice, lucrative run when usurious Ploovo Two-For-One described the riches that were to be had.
I could always hit the beach, he thought. Find a nice planet somewhere, go native. Its a big galaxy.
But he shook his head. No use fooling himself. If he were grounded, he might as well be dead. What could one planet, any planet, offer someone who had knocked around among the stars? The need for the boundless provinces of space was now a part of him.
And so when, broke and in debt, he and Chew-bacca had been approached for a run deep into Au-thority steer-clear territory, theyd jumped at the job. In spite of all the perils and uncertainties, the run still let them raise ship again and experience the freedom of star-travel. Risk of death or capture had been, in their eyes, the lesser of two evils.
But that brought up another point. The Authority ship had somehow picked up the Millennium Falcon before her own sensors had detected the other. No doubt the Security Police had something new in the way of detection equipment, thereby making Hans and Chewbaccas lives more complicated by an order of ten. This situation would require immediate future attention.
Han kept a close watch on the jungle around him wishing he could have left the ships floodlights on. So, when a
voice at his side announced, We are here, he twisted around with a yelp, his blaster ap-pearing in his fist as if conjured there.
A creature, barely out of anns reach, was calmly standing next to the ramp. It was almost Hans height, a biped, with a downy, globular torso and short arms and legs boasting more joints than a humans. Its head was small, but equipped with large, unblinking eyes. Its mouth and throat were a loose, pouchy affair; its scent was the scent of the jungle.
That, Han grumbled, recovering his composure and putting his blaster away, is a good way to get yourself roasted.
The creature ignored the sarcasm. You have brought what we need?
Ive got cargo for you. Beyond that, I know zero, which is the way I want it. If you came alone, youve got your work cut out for you.
The creature turned and made an eerie, piping noise. Figures seemed to grow up out of the ground, dozens of them, motionless, regarding the pilot and his ship with silent gazes. They held short objects of some sort, which he assumed to be weapons.
Then he heard a growl from above. Stepping for-ward, Han looked up and saw Chewbacca standing out on one of the ships bow mandibles, covering the newcomers with his bowcaster. Han gave a signal. His hairy first mate put up the bowcaster and headed back inboard.
Times wasting, Han told the creature. It moved toward the Falcon, taking its companions with it. Han stopped them with upheld hands. Not the whole choir, friend. Just you, for starters. The first one bur-bled to its fellows and came on alone.
Inside the ship, Chewbacca had turned up the blackout lights to a minimal glow in strategic parts of the interior. The towering Wooldee was already draw-ing cover plates off the hidden compartments, con-cealed and shielded to be undetectable, under the deck near the ramp. Into this space, where he and Han usually hid whatever contraband they were car-rying, Chewbacca lowered himself to stand with his waist at deck level. Releasing clamps and strapping, the Wooldee began lifting out heavy oblong cases, the huge muscles beneath his fur bulging with effort.
