The Essential Novels

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The Essential Novels Page 332

by James Luceno


  Any hope Theron had of catching his assailant by surprise with the weapons in his customized bracers vanished as he unclipped the metal bands from his forearms and let them fall at his feet.

  The fact that his assailant had marked the bracers as potential weapons also meant this wasn’t some run-of-the-mill mugger. An Imperial operative would probably recognize the bracers, but it didn’t make sense for any of them to be targeting Theron on a Hutt-controlled world … especially now that Imperial Intelligence had been officially disbanded. That left only one other likely—and unsettling—option: a bounty hunter or assassin working for Morbo the Hutt.

  “Now turn around, real slow.”

  The pressure of the blade eased as the ambusher took a step back. Theron turned to see a violet-skinned Houk towering over him, his heavyset torso and thick, muscular limbs seeming to fill the entire width of the narrow alley. His froglike features were set in a grim scowl, his eyes fixed intently on his victim.

  He was pretty sure the Houk didn’t have any backup—he would have noticed if there was more than one person following him. But even if he was acting alone, Theron was no match for the massive brute’s raw muscle. Under normal conditions he could make up what he lacked in strength with speed, but in the tight confines of the narrow alley avoiding the deadly vibroblade might be difficult … especially if the Houk was trained in close-quarters fighting. Given his choice of weapon, Theron had to assume he was facing a capable and deadly opponent.

  “What’s your interest in Morbo?” the Houk demanded.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Theron said, his earlier hypothesis about his ambusher working for the Hutt seemingly confirmed.

  “I’ve seen you scoping out Morbo’s place for the past three days,” the Houk snarled. “Lie to me again, and I won’t ask nicely next time,” he added, waving the vibroblade back and forth for emphasis.

  The threat didn’t bother Theron nearly as much as the realization that he’d been made during his recon trips to Morbo’s club.

  “Never saw you at Morbo’s,” Theron admitted. “Didn’t think anybody saw me, either.”

  “I’ve been trained to know what to look for,” the Houk answered.

  Trained? Theron wondered. By whom? Imperial Intelligence?

  As if echoing his own thoughts, the Houk asked, “Who are you working for?”

  Theron wasn’t about to reveal his connection to SIS, and he suspected another evasive answer would be met with violence.

  “Take the shot!” Theron shouted, as if calling out to an unseen accomplice.

  The Houk’s head turned just a fraction as he reacted to Theron’s bluff.

  Seizing on the distraction, Theron lashed out with a quick kick to the Houk’s midsection. The impact caused no real damage, but it momentarily knocked the big alien off balance, given Theron more room to operate.

  He was already backpedaling in anticipation of the counterattack; even so he barely avoided the expected lunge of his opponent. As he feared, the Houk wasn’t just some clumsy brawler—he was quicker than he seemed.

  As the Houk moved in, Theron tried to disarm him with a wrist lock, reaching out for the hand that held the blade. The Houk countered by twisting his body and throwing his opposite shoulder into Theron, sending him stumbling back.

  Unable to set his feet, Theron was forced on the defensive. The alley was too narrow to dodge from side to side, so his only option was full-scale retreat, backpedaling rapidly as the Houk charged forward, the blade slicing and stabbing the empty air centimeters from Theron’s chest. Theron suddenly stopped short and dropped to the ground, rolling into the thick legs of his advancing foe. The move caught the Houk by surprise; he tripped over Theron and tumbled to the ground, the fall knocking the vibroblade from his grasp.

  One of the Houk’s knobby knees caught Theron in the chin as he fell over him, splitting his lip and making him see stars. Woozy, Theron ignored the pain and leapt to his feet, and with his first step he staggered sideways into the side of the alley before crashing back down to the ground.

  A massive hand closed around his ankle as the still-prone Houk tried to drag Theron close enough to finish him off. Theron lashed out with his free leg, smashing his foot twice into the Houk’s corpulent face. The viselike grip slipped just enough for Theron to free himself with a twisting roll, and he scrambled on hands and knees toward where his blaster and bracers lay on the ground.

  The Houk struggled back to his feet, but by the time he was upright Theron had seized one of the bracers, slapped it onto his right forearm, and taken aim.

  “Toxicity seven,” he muttered, squeezing his hand into a tight fist.

  A small dart launched from a thin barrel built into the bracer and buried itself in the Houk’s chest. The mighty alien went rigid as a powerful electrical charge surged through him. He convulsed for several seconds, and then dropped to the ground, twitching slightly from the aftereffects.

  Theron considered what to do with the immobilized but still-conscious Houk as he quickly gathered his gear. It wouldn’t take long for the effects of the electrical blast to wear off, but for the next few minutes the Houk was basically helpless. Theron wasn’t about to execute a helpless opponent … but he wasn’t above interrogating him. “Toxicity two,” he whispered, firing another dart into the Houk’s thigh from point-blank range.

  He waited thirty seconds for the mind-clouding drug to take effect before he started asking questions.

  “How did you spot me?” he asked. “You said you were trained. By whom?”

  The Houk shook his head groggily, struggling to resist the chemicals coursing through his system. In a few minutes they would render him unconscious—Theron needed to get answers before that happened.

  “Hey!” Theron snapped, slapping the Houk’s meaty cheek. “Who trained you?”

  “Republic SIS,” the Houk mumbled.

  “Republic SIS?” Theron repeated, his mind struggling to accept what he’d just heard.

  “Covert surveillance,” the groggy Houk confirmed, his tongue loosened by Theron’s truth serum. “Watching Morbo. Part of Operation Transom.”

  SIS has eyes on Morbo. No wonder the Director knew I was here.

  Theron had never heard of Transom, but that wasn’t unusual. SIS had ongoing missions all across the galaxy, and only the Director and the agents involved would be aware of the details.

  Just my luck to stumble into an active SIS mission.

  “What are you going to do with me?” the Houk asked, slurring his words and struggling to keep his eyes open as sleep slowly dragged him down.

  “Relax, big guy,” Theron said. “We’re on the same side.”

  The Director had ordered Theron off Nar Shaddaa; obviously he was worried about him interfering with Transom, whatever it might be. But Teff’ith’s life was at stake, and Theron wasn’t about to abandon her, even if it meant defying a direct order.

  The Houk began to snore loudly, ending any hope Theron had of asking him for more details about Operation Transom.

  It has to be in the early stages, Theron reasoned. They’re still just observing the target. If I get in and out quickly, it shouldn’t have any significant impact on the mission.

  He knew the Director would never buy that argument as justification for what he was about to do. But it was always easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

  Grabbing hold of the Houk’s arms, he dragged the sleeping alien into a corner of the alley, hiding him behind several trash bins. He’d wake up in a couple of hours with a pounding headache, but otherwise unharmed. Plenty of time for Theron to meet with Morbo and bargain for Teff’ith’s life.

  He set off down the alley at a brisk trot, trying not to think about the fact that he was putting his entire career in jeopardy.

  The STAR WARS Novels Timeline

  OLD REPUBLIC 5000–33 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Lost Tribe of the Sith*

  Precipice

  Skybo
rn

  Paragon

  Savior

  Purgatory

  Sentinel

  3954 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  The Old Republic: Revan

  3650 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  The Old Republic: Deceived

  Lost Tribe of the Sith*

  Pantheon

  Secrets

  Red Harvest

  The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance

  The Old Republic: Annihilation

  2975 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Lost Tribe of the Sith*

  Pandemonium

  1032 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Knight Errant

  Darth Bane: Path of Destruction

  Darth Bane: Rule of Two

  Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil

  RISE OF THE EMPIRE 67–0 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  67 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Darth Plagueis

  33 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Darth Maul: Saboteur*

  Cloak of Deception

  Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter

  32 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  STAR WARS: EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace

  Rogue Planet

  Outbound Flight

  The Approaching Storm

  22 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  STAR WARS: EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones

  22-19 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  The Clone Wars

  The Clone Wars: Wild Space

  The Clone Wars: No Prisoners

  Clone Wars Gambit

  Stealth

  Siege

  Republic Commando

  Hard Contact

  Triple Zero

  True Colors

  Order 66

  Shatterpoint

  The Cestus Deception

  The Hive*

  MedStar I: Battle Surgeons

  MedStar II: Jedi Healer

  Jedi Trial

  Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

  Labyrinth of Evil

  19 YEARS BEFORE STAR WARS: A New Hope

  STAR WARS: EPISODE III: Revenge of the Sith

  Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader

  Imperial Commando

  501st

  Coruscant Nights

  Jedi Twilight

  Street of Shadows

  Patterns of Force

  The Han Solo Trilogy

  The Paradise Snare

  The Hutt Gambit

  Rebel Dawn

  The Adventures of Lando Calrissian

  The Force Unleashed

  The Han Solo Adventures

  Death Troopers

  The Force Unleashed II

  REBELLION 0–5 YEARS AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Death Star

  Shadow Games

  STAR WARS: EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE

  Scoundrels

  Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

  Tales from the Empire

  Tales from the New Republic

  Allegiance

  Choices of One

  Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine

  Splinter of the Mind’s Eye

  3 YEARS AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  STAR WARS: EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

  Tales of the Bounty Hunters

  Shadows of the Empire

  4 YEARS AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  STAR WARS: EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI

  Tales from Jabba’s Palace

  The Bounty Hunter Wars

  The Mandalorian Armor

  Slave Ship

  Hard Merchandise

  The Truce at Bakura

  Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

  NEW REPUBLIC 5–25 YEARS AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  X-Wing

  Rogue Squadron

  Wedge’s Gamble

  The Krytos Trap

  The Bacta War

  Wraith Squadron

  Iron Fist

  Solo Command

  The Courtship of Princess Leia

  A Forest Apart*

  Tatooine Ghost

  The Thrawn Trilogy

  Heir to the Empire

  Dark Force Rising

  The Last Command

  X-Wing: Isard’s Revenge

  The Jedi Academy Trilogy

  Jedi Search

  Dark Apprentice

  Champions of the Force

  I, Jedi

  Children of the Jedi

  Darksaber

  Planet of Twilight

  X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar

  The Crystal Star

  The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy

  Before the Storm

  Shield of Lies

  Tyrant’s Test

  The New Rebellion

  The Corellian Trilogy

  Ambush at Corellia

  Assault at Selonia

  Showdown at Centerpoint

  The Hand of Thrawn Duology

  Specter of the Past

  Vision of the Future

  Scourge

  Fool’s Bargain*

  Survivor’s Quest

  NEW JEDI ORDER 25–40 YEARS?AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Boba Fett: A Practical Man*

  The New Jedi Order

  Vector Prime

  Dark Tide I: Onslaught

  Dark Tide II: Ruin

  Agents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial

  Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse

  Balance Point

  Recovery*

  Edge of Victory I: Conquest

  Edge of Victory II: Rebirth

  Star by Star

  Dark Journey

  Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream

  Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand

  Traitor

  Destiny’s Way

  Ylesia*

  Force Heretic I: Remnant

  Force Heretic II: Refugee

  Force Heretic III: Reunion

  The Final Prophecy

  The Unifying Force

  35 YEARS AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  The Dark Nest Trilogy

  The Joiner King

  The Unseen Queen

  The Swarm War

  LEGACY 40+ YEARS AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Legacy of the Force

  Betrayal

  Bloodlines

  Tempest

  Exile

  Sacrifice

  Inferno

  Fury

  Revelation

  Invincible

  Crosscurrent

  Riptide

  Millennium Falcon

  43 YEARS AFTER STAR WARS: A New Hope

  Fate of the Jedi

  Outcast

  Omen

  Abyss

  Backlash

  Allies

  Vortex

  Conviction

  Ascension

  Apocalypse

  X-Wing: Mercy Kill

  *An eBook novella

 

 

 


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