move.”
Bink turned around, craning her neck. The room’s light was on, with enough of a shifting shadow on the far wall to show that someone was over there opening the safe. She lifted the electrobinoculars to her eyes and focused in on the shadow.
Yes, it would work, she decided. She would have to be right up against the window to read the movements and decipher the keystrokes, but she was planning to be there anyway. The light and shadows shifted, marking the opening and closing of the safe door. The man back there emerged into view—
She stiffened. Only it wasn’t a man. The face that passed briefly through her field of view was green-scaled, with a mass of black hair tied and flowing down his back.
From somewhere in the area where Kell and Zerba were sitting came a sharp gasp. “Is that—”
“It’s a Falleen,” Eanjer confirmed, his voice grim. “What in the Empire is a Falleen doing here ?”
“Take it easy,” Solo advised. But he didn’t sound any more thrilled than Eanjer did.
Or any more thrilled than Bink felt, for that matter. There were Falleen all over the Empire, of course, just like there were Rodians and Duros and even Wookiees. But this close to Imperial Center, the odds were unpleasantly high that any given Falleen would be working for—
“Take it easy ?” Kell demanded. “Falleen mean Black Sun .”
“Not necessarily,” Winter said. Of all of them, she seemed to be maintaining the best semblance of calm. “Besides, Prince Xizor isn’t the only Falleen voice in the galaxy these days. Most of them have nothing to do with Black Sun. In fact, there are groups who are actively trying to restore honor to the Falleen name by bringing him down.”
Chewbacca rumbled.
“Well, sure, most of those groups are probably on Vader’s payroll,” Solo agreed. “Doesn’t mean they’re not out there.”
“And I’ll bet they’ve got Xizor really worried,” Kell muttered.
“You’re welcome to bail if you want,” Zerba offered.
Kell set his jaw. “No,” he said. “Thanks.”
“If it helps any, I think there’s just the one Falleen in the suite,” Rachele offered, peering at her datapad. “Looking at the room-service records, I see only a single order per mealtime that a Falleen would be likely to choose. The rest of the food is more suited to humans.”
“How many humans?” Lando asked. “What kind of numbers are we dealing with?”
Rachele’s lips moved as she did a silent count. “I’d say ten to twelve, plus our Falleen.”
“Maybe the Falleen isn’t the one in charge,” Tavia suggested.
“Don’t kid yourself,” Dozer said. “If it’s Black Sun, the Falleen is definitely in charge.”
“From what I’ve heard, Black Sun has plenty of humans in its ranks, too,” Eanjer pointed out. “So if it is Black Sun, what does that mean for our plan?”
“Right now, nothing,” Han said. “We still have to figure out what his connection is with Villachor, and for that we still need a look into that safe. Bink?”
“I’m game,” Bink assured him, standing up. “And now, you’re all invited to take yourselves and your conversation elsewhere.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Kell insisted.
“Oh, yes, you are,” Bink said firmly. “I need to lay out and test my equipment, and I don’t want a bunch of big nervous feet walking all over it.”
“Besides, we all have jobs of our own to do,” Solo added, getting to his feet. “Rachele, what’s the hotel’s security like?”
“Not too bad,” Rachele said, again manipulating her datapad. “Looks like all you need to get up from the lobby is a keycard. There don’t seem to be any security holocams except in the lobby and meeting areas, either.”
“That’s handy.” Solo looked at Zerba. “You think you can get us a keycard?”
Zerba puffed contemptuously. “With guests walking in and out all the time? In my sleep.”
“Good,” Solo said. “Rachele, I want you to go back to the suite
Bink turned around, craning her neck. The room’s light was on, with enough of a shifting shadow on the far wall to show that someone was over there opening the safe. She lifted the electrobinoculars to her eyes and focused in on the shadow.
Yes, it would work, she decided. She would have to be right up against the window to read the movements and decipher the keystrokes, but she was planning to be there anyway. The light and shadows shifted, marking the opening and closing of the safe door. The man back there emerged into view—
She stiffened. Only it wasn’t a man. The face that passed briefly through her field of view was green-scaled, with a mass of black hair tied and flowing down his back.
From somewhere in the area where Kell and Zerba were sitting came a sharp gasp. “Is that—”
“It’s a Falleen,” Eanjer confirmed, his voice grim. “What in the Empire is a Falleen doing here ?”
“Take it easy,” Solo advised. But he didn’t sound any more thrilled than Eanjer did.
Or any more thrilled than Bink felt, for that matter. There were Falleen all over the Empire, of course, just like there were Rodians and Duros and even Wookiees. But this close to Imperial Center, the odds were unpleasantly high that any given Falleen would be working for—
“Take it easy ?” Kell demanded. “Falleen mean Black Sun .”
“Not necessarily,” Winter said. Of all of them, she seemed to be maintaining the best semblance of calm. “Besides, Prince Xizor isn’t the only Falleen voice in the galaxy these days. Most of them have nothing to do with Black Sun. In fact, there are groups who are actively trying to restore honor to the Falleen name by bringing him down.”
Chewbacca rumbled.
“Well, sure, most of those groups are probably on Vader’s payroll,” Solo agreed. “Doesn’t mean they’re not out there.”
“And I’ll bet they’ve got Xizor really worried,” Kell muttered.
“You’re welcome to bail if you want,” Zerba offered.
Kell set his jaw. “No,” he said. “Thanks.”
“If it helps any, I think there’s just the one Falleen in the suite,” Rachele offered, peering at her datapad. “Looking at the room-service records, I see only a single order per mealtime that a Falleen would be likely to choose. The rest of the food is more suited to humans.”
“How many humans?” Lando asked. “What kind of numbers are we dealing with?”
Rachele’s lips moved as she did a silent count. “I’d say ten to twelve, plus our Falleen.”
“Maybe the Falleen isn’t the one in charge,” Tavia suggested.
“Don’t kid yourself,” Dozer said. “If it’s Black Sun, the Falleen is definitely in charge.”
“From what I’ve heard, Black Sun has plenty of humans in its ranks, too,” Eanjer pointed out. “So if it is Black Sun, what does that mean for our plan?”
“Right now, nothing,” Han said. “We still have to figure out what his connection is with Villachor, and for that we still need a look into that safe. Bink?”
“I’m game,” Bink assured him, standing up. “And now, you’re all invited to take yourselves and your conversation elsewhere.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Kell insisted.
“Oh, yes, you are,” Bink said firmly. “I need to lay out and test my equipment, and I don’t want a bunch of big nervous feet walking all over it.”
“Besides, we all have jobs of our own to do,” Solo added, getting to his feet. “Rachele, what’s the hotel’s security like?”
“Not too bad,” Rachele said, again manipulating her datapad. “Looks like all you need to get up from the lobby is a keycard. There don’t seem to be any security holocams except in the lobby and meeting areas, either.”
“That’s handy.” Solo looked at Zerba. “You think you can get us a keycard?”
Zerba puffed contemptuously. “With guests walking in and out all the time? In my sleep.”
“Good,” Solo said. “Rachele, I want you to go back to the suite
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