and watch Villachor’s compound. Let us know when the Falleen and his convoy arrive and when they leave.”
“Sounds like I get the boring duty,” Rachele said.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got another job that should keep you busy,” Solo assured her. “Winter, Eanjer, you go with her. Chewie, you and Lando stay here with Bink and Tavia. Zerba, Kell, Dozer—you’re with me.”
“I’d like to stay here instead of going with Rachele, if I may,” Winter spoke up.
“Any particular reason?” Solo asked.
“As I said earlier, I know a fair amount about security systems.” Winter inclined her head toward Bink. “Not as much as Bink and Tavia do, of course. But three sets of eyes are better than two, and I might spot something they missed.”
Solo looked at Bink and raised his eyebrows in silent question.
“It’s fine with me,” Bink said, eyeing Winter. The white-haired woman was right about the correlation between success and the number of knowledgeable eyes on the scene.
Besides, Bink didn’t like working with enigmatic people. Keeping Winter here might give her an opportunity to get a better feel for her.
“Okay, then,” Solo said. “Chewie, Lando—keep an eye out for trouble. Everyone else, we’ve got places to go. Let’s get to them.”
T he sky had darkened to full night, though the streets and buildings of Iltarr City were as bright as ever.
Which, Winter thought as she stood well back from the window, could be a problem.
Not that Bink in full camo gear was particularly easy to see. In fact, even knowing where she was, Winter had a hard time keeping track of her position. Most of the time she was pressed close to one of the tall trees out there, the outfit she’d chosen blending almost perfectly with the spots and shadows of the city’s lighting. It was only when she was swinging between the trees that she was really noticeable, and those moments passed quickly.
But the moments were still there. And there was something about the brightness of city lights combined with the instinctive fear of the night that made that combination particularly dangerous.
“Seems to be doing all right,” Tavia murmured from her side.
Winter nodded. Outwardly Tavia was as cool as Bink had been as she slipped out the window and began her trek around the edges of the park. But beneath the calm exterior, Tavia was worried about her sister. Winter could see it in the other woman’s anxious glances out the window, in the silent drumming of her fingers, and in her slight back-and-forth rocking even when she was trying to stand still.
The others could see it, too. Across the room, Chewie rumbled soothingly, and Lando looked up from his datapad. “She’ll be fine,” he assured Tavia. “She’s done this a thousand times.”
“I know,” Tavia said tightly. “But usually I’m right there with her. Not with her, but—you know what I mean. Wired in and watching to make sure it goes all right.” She shook her head. “I feel helpless just watching. Helpless and useless.”
“You two been doing this long?” Winter asked.
“Since we were ten,” Tavia said. “Not the ghost burglar stuff, not at first. But the whole life-on-the-fringe thing.” She looked sideways at Winter. “We didn’t have a choice,” she added, a defensive edge in her voice. “Our father was killed in the Clone Wars, and Mom died a few years later. We had no other relatives and no friends. It was this or starve to death.”
“Luckily, Bink proved to have some hidden talents in the field,” Lando murmured.
Winter eyed Tavia, noting the tightness around her mouth. “And she also discovered she liked it?”
Tavia lowered her gaze. “Why shouldn’t she?” she said. “Everyone likes doing the things they’re good at.” She smiled wanly at Winter. “I’m sure you do, too.”
“I suppose,” Winter said, looking back toward the window. There was a flicker of movement, and Bink had made it one more tree toward her
“Sounds like I get the boring duty,” Rachele said.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got another job that should keep you busy,” Solo assured her. “Winter, Eanjer, you go with her. Chewie, you and Lando stay here with Bink and Tavia. Zerba, Kell, Dozer—you’re with me.”
“I’d like to stay here instead of going with Rachele, if I may,” Winter spoke up.
“Any particular reason?” Solo asked.
“As I said earlier, I know a fair amount about security systems.” Winter inclined her head toward Bink. “Not as much as Bink and Tavia do, of course. But three sets of eyes are better than two, and I might spot something they missed.”
Solo looked at Bink and raised his eyebrows in silent question.
“It’s fine with me,” Bink said, eyeing Winter. The white-haired woman was right about the correlation between success and the number of knowledgeable eyes on the scene.
Besides, Bink didn’t like working with enigmatic people. Keeping Winter here might give her an opportunity to get a better feel for her.
“Okay, then,” Solo said. “Chewie, Lando—keep an eye out for trouble. Everyone else, we’ve got places to go. Let’s get to them.”
T he sky had darkened to full night, though the streets and buildings of Iltarr City were as bright as ever.
Which, Winter thought as she stood well back from the window, could be a problem.
Not that Bink in full camo gear was particularly easy to see. In fact, even knowing where she was, Winter had a hard time keeping track of her position. Most of the time she was pressed close to one of the tall trees out there, the outfit she’d chosen blending almost perfectly with the spots and shadows of the city’s lighting. It was only when she was swinging between the trees that she was really noticeable, and those moments passed quickly.
But the moments were still there. And there was something about the brightness of city lights combined with the instinctive fear of the night that made that combination particularly dangerous.
“Seems to be doing all right,” Tavia murmured from her side.
Winter nodded. Outwardly Tavia was as cool as Bink had been as she slipped out the window and began her trek around the edges of the park. But beneath the calm exterior, Tavia was worried about her sister. Winter could see it in the other woman’s anxious glances out the window, in the silent drumming of her fingers, and in her slight back-and-forth rocking even when she was trying to stand still.
The others could see it, too. Across the room, Chewie rumbled soothingly, and Lando looked up from his datapad. “She’ll be fine,” he assured Tavia. “She’s done this a thousand times.”
“I know,” Tavia said tightly. “But usually I’m right there with her. Not with her, but—you know what I mean. Wired in and watching to make sure it goes all right.” She shook her head. “I feel helpless just watching. Helpless and useless.”
“You two been doing this long?” Winter asked.
“Since we were ten,” Tavia said. “Not the ghost burglar stuff, not at first. But the whole life-on-the-fringe thing.” She looked sideways at Winter. “We didn’t have a choice,” she added, a defensive edge in her voice. “Our father was killed in the Clone Wars, and Mom died a few years later. We had no other relatives and no friends. It was this or starve to death.”
“Luckily, Bink proved to have some hidden talents in the field,” Lando murmured.
Winter eyed Tavia, noting the tightness around her mouth. “And she also discovered she liked it?”
Tavia lowered her gaze. “Why shouldn’t she?” she said. “Everyone likes doing the things they’re good at.” She smiled wanly at Winter. “I’m sure you do, too.”
“I suppose,” Winter said, looking back toward the window. There was a flicker of movement, and Bink had made it one more tree toward her
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