Free Ylesia by Walter Jon Williams Page B

Dagga were forced to move to one side as the two craft settled onto their repulsorlifts. Thrackan spoke under cover of the engine whine.
    â€œYou’ve got a hold-out, right?”
    â€œSure. I always carry a weapon that’ll get past a scanner.”
    The engines whined to a halt, and the cockpits lifted. A ginger-haired Wookiee stood in the cockpit of the nearest and lowered himself to the ground. “Good,” Thrackan said, lowering his voice. “It’s a Wookiee. They’re not very bright, you know. What happens now is that you clip the Wookiee, then we both hop in the fighter and rocket out of here.”
    Dagga raised an eyebrow. “You can fly an X-wing?”
    â€œI can fly anything Incom makes.”
    â€œWon’t it be a little crowded?”
    â€œIt’ll be uncomfortable, yes. But it won’t be nearly as uncomfortable as prison.” He gave her a significant look. “You can take my word on that last part.”
    And if the cockpit seemed to be too small for them both, Thrackan thought, he’d just leave Dagga behind. No problem.
    Dagga gave the matter some thought, then nodded. “It’s worth a try.”
    She turned to examine the situation more closely just as the second pilot stepped around the Wookiee’s craft. Thrackan saw the slim, dark-haired form and felt all the color drain from his face. He turned away abruptly, but it was too late.
    â€œHi, Cousin Thrackan,” Jaina Solo called. “However did you know we’ve been looking for you?”

    â€œI wonder if you can remember when
you
held
me
prisoner,” Jaina said cheerfully.
    Thrackan Sal-Solo tried to fashion a smile. “That was all a misunderstanding. And long ago.”
    â€œYou know . . .” Jaina cocked her head and pretended to study him. “I think you look younger without the beard.”
    General Tigran Jamiro, the commander of the landing force, whirred up in his command vehicle, rose from his seat, and gave Thrackan a careful look. “You say this is the Peace Brigade President?” he asked.
    â€œThat’s Thrackan all right.” Jaina looked at the black-haired woman who had been with Thrackan. “I don’t know who this is. His girlfriend, maybe.”
    Thrackan seemed a little indignant. “This is the stenographer the government assigned me.”
    Jaina looked at the woman and her cold eyes and bright white teeth, and thought that clerical assistants were certainly looking carnivorous these days.
    Thrackan approached the general and adopted a pained tone. “You know, there’s a family vendetta going on here.” He pointed at Jaina. “She’s got it in for me over something that happened
years
ago.”
    General Jamiro gave Thrackan a cold look. “So you
aren’t
the Peace Brigade President?”
    Thrackan threw out his hands. “I didn’t
volunteer
for the job! I was kidnapped! The Vong were getting even with me for killing so many of them at Fondor!”
    Lowbacca, who had been listening, gave a complex series of moans and howls, and Jaina translated. “He says, ‘They got revenge by making you
President
? If you killed more of them, they’d make you
emperor
?’ ”
    â€œThey’re
diabolical
,” Thrackan said. “It’s a
very elaborate piece of revenge
!” He jabbed a finger toward the small of his back. “They destroyed my kidney! It’s still bruised—you want to see?” He began pulling up his shirt.
    Jaina turned to the commander. “General,” she said, “I’d put Thrackan on the first landspeeder into town. He can guide us to our objectives.” She turned to her cousin and winked. “You’ll want to help us, right? Since you’re not Peace Brigade after all.”
    â€œI’m a citizen of Corellia!” Thrackan insisted. “I demand protection from my government!”
    â€œActually you’re
not
a