Suddenly Chewie whirled. "Rrrrrhhhhh!"

It5 a trap/Han realized at the same moment.

The Corellian~ hand dropped to his weapon, but be-fore he could draw, he heard an all-too-familiar voice. "Freeze, Solo. Drop the blaster. And tell the Wook that if he moves, you're both dead meat. I'd like another Wook scalp for my collection."

"Chewie? Han spoke sharply to the snarling Wook-iee. "Don't move!" Slowly, Han drew his blaster, let it drop from his fingers into the dusty 'alley. "Both of you turn around. Slowly." The Corellian and the Wookiee obeyed.

Boba Fett stood there, in the dim recesses of the backstreet. Hah knew that he was a dead man. Jabba must've decided to hire a real bounty hunter to make sure the job got done right. Han tensed, but Fett didn't fire. Instead his artificially filtered voice reached the Corellian. "Relax, Solo. I'm not here for a bounty." Hah didn't relax, only watched in wonderment as Fett tossed Kabe a credit. The urchin scampered for-ward and caught it, then vanished into the dimness, chittering happily.

"You're not here for a bounty?" Han said.

"Hhhhhuuuhhhh?" echoed Chewie, as amazed as his partner.

"Jabba told Greedo there was a bounty on you," Fett said. "But he~ just using that idiot to keep you on your toes. A reminder that he~ serious about you paying up. If Jabba really wanted you dead, you know who he'd hire."

"Yeah," Han said. "YOU got a point." He hesitated.

"So... why are you here?"

"I landed an hour ago," Fett said. "I made someone a promise, and I always keep my word."

Han frowned. "What are you talking about, Fett?" "She~ dead," Boba Fett said. "I promised her a while back that if she died, I'd tell her father, so he wouldn't spend his life wondering what had happened to her. But she never got around to telling me his name. So I de-cided to tell you, so you can send Tharen a message." "Dead?" Han whispered, through stiff lips. "Bria?"

"Yes."

Hah felt as though he'd been gut-punched. Chewie made a soft sound of sympathy, and put a hairy hand on his friend~ shoulder. Hah stood there for a long mo-ment, trying to deal with all the conflicting emotions. Grief was uppermost in his mind. Grief and regret ....

"Dead," he repeated, dully. "How did you find out?" "I have access to Imperial datanets. Bria Tharen died thirty-six hours ago. The Imperials have a confirmed ID on her body. Her squadron was playing rear guard dur-ing some intelligence operation."

Han swallowed. Don't tell me she died rier nothing/ "Did they attain their objective?"

"I don't know," the mechanical voice said. "Someone has to tell her father, Solo. I gave her my word... and I always keep my word."

Han nodded dully. "I'll do it," he said. "Renn Tharen knows me." This is gonna hit him hard .... He swal-lowed, and it hurt his chest. Chewie whined softly.

"Good," Fett said, and the bounty hunter took a step back into the shadows. A moment later, Hall and Chexvie were alone. Slowly, the Corellian reached down and retrieved his blaster. Memories of Bria a.s.sailed him ....

Did you think of me, honey? he wondered. I hope it was quick and painless ....

Hang steps came slowly as he and Chewbacca turned and walked to the mouth of the alley, and then turned onto the street. He had to find someone who'd let him use a comm unit... he had a very important message to send ....

The next day, Han made his way through the baking streets of Mos Eisley s.p.a.ceport, wishing he'd worn a short-sleeved shirt instead of his grimy white one with his battered old black pilot~ vest. Within ten min-utes of being out on the street, he had three different sentients come up to him, each with a warning that Greedo was out looking for him.

Hah nodded, thanked each of the informants, flipped each of them a decicred. I[ never hurt to have good contacts ....

The midday glare was painful to human eyes, and Han squinted as he walked. There are a lot of Imp stormtroopers out, he thought, watching several squads trot by. Wonder why?

The sight of the blaster rifles they carried made him think of Fett and last night. After leaving the bounty hunter, Han had found a bar owner who'd 'allowed the Corellian to use his comm unit, in return for a couple of credits.

The Corellian had carefully recorded a message to Renn Tharen. It had been hard to know what to say. In the end, he'd settled for: "Sir, this is Han Solo. I know you remember me. I have some bad news for you, sir. Bria is dead. She died bravely, though. You can be proud of her. She didn't want you to always wonder, so she asked someone to give you the message. Sir, I'm sorry.... I know she loved you. Hah Solo out .... "

Han took a deep breath, and said his own, silent, farewell to Bria Tharen. Rest in peace, Bria, he thought. Goodbye, babe ....

He reminded himself that Bria was part of the past. There was no use dwelling on painful memories. I have to concentrate on the present ....

Today he needed to see Jabba, that was for sure. And he had to find some work, Any work ....

He knew that Chewie was probably over at Chal-mun's Cantina. Chalmun was some kind of distant rela-tive of Chewie's, 'along with half of Kashyyyk ....

Han headed over to Chalmun's. Even at this midday hour, Chalmun~ was bound to be jumping. Han could hear the j.i.z.z band tootling away as he approached the entrance.

Inside, it was dim, and comparatively cool. Han took a deep breath, scenting intoxicants from a dozen worlds. He walked down the steps, nodding at Wuher, the sour, ugly bartender. Wuher jerked his head to his right, and Han reflexively looked over that way. Chew-bacca was heading purposefully toward him.

The Wookiee was plainly excited and pleased about something. He stopped Han by the entrance and con-ferred with his partner in low-voiced grunts and moans.

Han tilted his head sideways, and peered past the Wookiee at two humans who were standing at the bar. "A charter?" he said. "Well, hey, that% better than noth-ing! Good work, Chewie! Is that them? That old guy in the Jawa robe, and that kid in the moisture farmer~ outfit?"

Chewie nodded, commenting that even though the old man looked harmless, he'd dealt effectively with Doctor Evazan and Ponda Baba just moments before-and used a most unusual weapon to do it.

Hah frowned, impressed. "Pulled a lightsaber, you say? Huh. I didn't know anyone still had them. Okay, I'll work out the details with the old guy and the kid. You take 'em over to that empty booth and I'll join you in a second."

Han paused for a moment to check out Chalmun% as Chewbacca ushered their prospective customers over to the corner table. Good. No sign of Greedo ....

Then he started across the crowded cantina, where Chewie, the old man, and the boy sat waiting ....

THE BEGINNING...