Delusions of Grandeur Read online

  He continued waiting. Another hour dragged by.

  Boba Fett did not enter the cantina until the light had begun to fade

  during the first of Tatooine's twin sunsets.

  The band stopped playing, and most of the background noise in the bar

  dwindled to murmurs.

  The masked bounty hunter paused in the dimness, swiveling his head back

  and forth, exuding confidence.

  Zekk could feel Fett's gaze burning through the black slit in his

  Mandalorian helmet.

  The bounty hunter saw Zekk and froze, suspicious.

  The moment of silence ended, and the band began playing again.

  Through his peripheral vision Zekk noticed several patrons wince at the

  resumption of the noise. The two sea-urChin aliens on the dance floor

  continued tumbling about; they had not stopped even during the brief

  silence.

  The bounty hunter strode up to the bar beside Zekk. Zekk momentarily

  wondered if the Wookiee bartender would require Fett to buy a drink as

  well, but Chalmun pointedly remained at the other side of the bar,

  serving customers who watched the masked hunter with unconcealed

  anxiety.

  Zekk could feel the power, the spring-tight rage and dark energy in this

  man. Fett had killed an uncounted number of enemies, served no cause,

  and had at one time worn Wookiee scalps at his belt.

  Zekk could imagine no glimmer of friendship from this vicious man--but

  Boba Fett was one of the best bounty hunters in existence.

  And Zekk needed to learn from him.

  Zekk turned, but the bounty hunter spoke first.

  "What do you want from me? And what do you offer in exchange?"

  The young man gathered his courage. "I need advice. If I'm going to be

  the best bounty hunter, I had better ask questions of the best."

  "Advice?" Fett said dubiously, scornfully. "Nothing is free."

  Zekk sat up straighter. "I have information that may help you find

  Bornan Thul." He certainly wouldn't give away the knowledge of his

  scheduled rendezvous on Borgo Prime . . . but he had less-important

  details to offer. He let the words hang in the air, then added, "I know

  where another bounty hunter was searching for him. It may give you a

  clue."

  Boba Fett said, "Many are searChing for Thul.

  Most of them are fools. The value of your information depends on how

  much I can trust this lead."

  "It's Dengar," Zekk said, then squared his shoulders.

  "I know where Dengat went looking for Bornan Thul."

  Fett paused, as silent as a statue. "Dengar is . . .

  not a fool." The bandage-wrapped hunter had rescued a grievously injured

  Boba Fett after he blasted his way free from the sarlacc in the Pit of

  Carkoon.

  "What do you need?"

  "Listen to this problem," Zekk said. "I'm new to being a bounty hunter,

  and this is a hypothetical situation that any of us might run into."

  Fett waited. The alien musicians croaked an announcement that they were

  taking a break but would be back with more music before long.

  Only a few inebriated patrons clapped.

  "Suppose I accept an assignment--say, to find a

  lost treasure or a missing document--and in the course of my hunt I

  stumble upon completely unrelated information that reveals the location

  of a much larger bounty."

  Fett said, "Then secure both. Keep your honor and make a greater

  profit."

  Zekk arched his eyebrows. "But what if chasing after the second bounty

  puts my first employer at risk? In fact, if I find the larger bounty,

  my original employer will certainly come to great harm." He paused,

  hoping he wasn't giving too much away.

  The bounty hunter pondered in silence. "You must not betray your

  employer. That is one of the worst crimes a bounty hunter can commit."

  "So I just have to give up the second bounty?"

  Zekk said, somewhat disheartened, though a bit relieved.

  "No," Fett said. "Deliver the first bounty, take payment, and terminate

  your service with that employer. Then pursue the second bounty with a

  clear conscience, since you no longer work for the employer who might be

  harmed."

  Zekk mulled over this answer. He had already discharged half of his

  assignment by sending the coded message to the Bornaryn merchant fleet.

  Now, if he could just find Tyko Thul, he would be under no further

  obligation." From that point on, Zekk would be free to do as he pleased.

  Zekk had no idea what Thul had done to warrant

  such a manhunt or why Nolaa Tarkona wanted him so desperately--but it

  was clear she primarily wanted his cargo, some mysterious navicomputer

  module.

  Zekk smiled. He could do it. He could do both.

  "Now," Boba Fett said, "tell me where you saw Dengar."

  Zekk told him about Ziost, but gave few other details. Then the two of

  them hurried away from the Mos Eisley cantina, parting without any word

  of farewell to return to their respective ships.

  TWO CRACKLING STUN-RODS crashed against each other in a shower of

  sparks. Jacen descended a few steps on the temple's rugged stairway and

  went on the attack. Below him, Raynar backed down two stairs as he

  deflected the next several blows with his own stun-rod.

  With the sleeve of his jumpsuit, Jacen blotted away the sweat running

  into his eyes, then swept the training weapon in a counterstrike. The

  sun that beat down outside the Great Temple already seemed unbearably

  hot for this time of morning.

  He pressed downward another step, raising his glowing pewter-colored

  staff. Raynar spun out of the way and danced along the wide stone

  ledge, dodging some scaffolding that had been erected by the repair

  crew, then rapped the stun-rod against Jacen's wrist.

  Jacen howled at the sudden tingling zap. "Ow!"

  he said, then, "Nice move, Raynat!" He hopped down to the ledge and

  continued the sparring match, bringing up his own staff. The pewter

  rods clashed again. "Pretty soon you'll be ready to fight against a

  real lightsaber."

  Raynat's sweat-soaked training robe clung to him but did not hamper his

  movements. "Thanks," he said, catching the next blow against his

  stun-rod.

  "That's why I asked for your help during practice.

  You're one of the best here at the academy."

  Jacen fell back a step. "Jaina's as good as I am."

  Raynar swung low, and Jacen blocked again.

  "She takes it too easy on me," Raynat panted.

  "Feels sorry for me, I guess."

  Jacen gave a wicked grin. "How about Tenel Ka, then?" He nodded toward

  the base of the ancient pyramid to where the warrior girl and Lusa were

  setting out for a morning run. The two exercised together because no

  one else could keep up with them.

  Raynat shook his head, and droplets of sweat flew from side to side.

  "Just the opposite--no mercy whatsoever." He turned to stare at the two

  runners with great interest. "Can we take a breather for a minute?"

  "Sure," Jacen said, ready for a break himself.

  Powering down the stun-rod, Raynat. sank to the ledge and dangled his

  feet over the side. Jacen

  followed suit, and the two watched Lusa and
Tenel Ka race each other

  across the landing field, cinnamon mane and red-gold braids streaming

  out behind them.

  "Amazing, isn't she?" Raynar said, still breathless from their workout.

  Jacen watched Tenel Ka's easy long-legged strides with admiration.

  He felt a brief flash of jealousy at Raynar's comment, but it was gone

  as quickly as it came. "I've always thought so," he said. "You mean

  you just noticed her?"

  "I, uh . . . not exactly." Raynar blushed a deep red. "I thought so

  from the moment we met, but I've only known her for a few days."

  Jacen suddenly realized that Raynar was talking about the sleek Centaur

  girl, not Tenel Ka. A slow smile spread across his face.

  "Yeah," he said. "I know just what you mean."

  Holding a pair of delicate wires with two fingers, Jaina stuck her other

  hand out from beneath the Rock Dragon's sensor array panel.

  "Could you hand me that circuit fuser please?"

  An electronic sigh answered her. "I should very much like to

  accommodate your request, Mistress Jaina," Em Teedee said morosely, "but

  I'm afraid I'm completely useless to you in that respect--useless in

  almost every respect at the moment, I should say. I can't move about on

  my own, I am no longer needed for my translation functions--" Jaina

  groaned and dropped the wires. For a second she had forgotten that

  Lowie was not here working beside her, and now she had hurt the

  miniaturized translating droid's feelings. She scrambled out from under

  the control panel and grabbed the circuit fuser herself. "Sorry, Em

  Teedee, I didn't mean--"

  "Oh, it's quite all right, Mistress ]aina," the little droid said. "I'm

  resigned to the possibility that being wired to a diagnostic panel may

  be my only beneficial purpose. And even that is nonessential, since you

  have such an excellent ability to diagnose malfunctions on your own." He

  gave an electronic moan. "Why, I shouldn't be at all surprised if one

  morning I reactivated from my shutdown cycle only to find myself in one

  of those electronics bins in your chambers, ready to be disassembled for

  Spare parts."

  Now it was Jaina's turn to sigh. She closed the access panel under the

  sensor array she'd been adjusting and then heaved herself up into the

  copilot's seat. Lowbacca's former seat. "I miss Lowie, too, you know."

  "I'm certain Master Lowbacca misses all of his friends here at the

  academy as well." Em Teedee's electronic voice quavered. "I'm the only

  one he hasn't any use for anymore."

  Jaina reached out and disconnected the silvery

  droid's leads from the Rock Dragon's diagnostic panels and tucked them

  back into his case. Carrying Em Teedee under one arm, Jaina went to the

  rear compartment where she stored maintenance supplies.

  "You know, Em Teedee," she said, "you'll feel much better after a

  lubricant bath. Then I'm going to do that waterproofing I promised

  you."

  She placed a small bucket on the floor and opened the valve above it,

  letting an iridescent blue liquid flow into the pail.

  "But, Mistress Jaina," Em Teedee protested, "unlike my predecessor,

  See-Threepio, I have almost no moving parts. My continuous function

  does not rely on lubricant baths. Why, I've never even experienced

  one--"

  "There's a first time for everything," Jaina said, shutting off the

  lubricant valve. She held Em Teedee above the full bucket and gave him

  a little pat.

  "Enjoy it. You'd be surprised what a good bath can do to change your

  outlook on things." She lowered the little droid into the iridescent

  fluid.

  Em Teedee had just enough time to say, "Indeed?"

  before his speaker grille was completely submerged.

  Walking along beside Lusa after the midday meal, Raynar clasped his

  hands behind his back to keep himself from fidgeting. He had hardly

  expected the Centaur girl to agree when he'd offered to show her his

  favorite waterfall.

  Well, she hadn't actually agreed. Upon overhearing Lusa shyly turn down

  Raynar's invitation, Master Skywalker had stepped in and encouraged her

  to reconsider. The Jedi teacher quietly reminded Lusa that as part of

  her healing she needed to learn to make new human friends. With obvious

  trepidation, Lusa had relented.

  Now, alone with the cinnamon-maned Centaur girl, Raynar came to a

  belated realization. He had never really learned to make conversation

  with people whom he did not know, since people usually came to him to

  talk. Raynar had begun to learn negotiation techniques from his

  father--Bornan Thul could wield words much as Master Skywalker wielded

  his lightsaber--but he had unfortunately learned most of his

  conversational skills from his uncle Tyko's proud boasts and blunt

  observations.

  Though his mother possessed grace and social skills in abundance, she

  had not yet managed to pass them on to her son.

  Frantically trying to remember what Aryn had taught him about polite

  conversation, RaYnar walked faster along the jungle path. A

  multicolored swarm of button beetles buzzed up from a nebula orchid

  where they had been feeding. Lusa let out a small gasp of delight at

  the shower of colon

  Raynar held aside a branch that had grown across

  the path so that Lusa could pass without being scratched. He wondered

  whether his action would be seen as kind or merely insulting.

  She edged past him, nodding to Raynar in silent thanks. The tips of her

  crystal horns sparkled, and the tense rippling muscles in her cinnamon

  flanks seemed to relax a bit.

  Encouraged, Raynar asked her a question. "What do you admire in .

  . ." He searched for a suitably neutral word. "I mean--what is it you

  look for in a friend, exactly?" He hoped that her answer would not be

  something simple and abrupt like, "I look for nonhumans as friends."

  He didn't want to remind her of the Diversity Alliance. Then again, he

  thought, perhaps he should consider it progress if she answered him at

  all.

  At first Lusa said nothing. They continued in silence through a thicket

  of blueleaf until they emerged beside a chattering stream in a small

  clearing. Raynar turned and headed upstream.

  Lusa finally answered him. "Loyalty. Commitment.

  Deep beliefs and a willingness to act on those beliefs. I look for an

  openness to finding new solutions to old problems." She paused.

  "I guess those are some of the things that drew me to the Diversity

  Alliance."

  Raynar tensed at her mention of the political group. Before Lusa, he'd

  never been aware that he could be hated--not because he was proud and

  boastful, or because of the tough trading deals his family negotiated .

  . . but for no other reason than his species.

  "Um, the waterfall's just a little farther that way."

  He raised his arm to point higher along their route and accidentally

  brushed against Lusa. She instinctively recoiled from him and took off

  at a gallop upstream.

  Startled, Raynar ran after her. He caught up with the Centaur girl

  beside the sparkling green pool at the base of the waterfa
ll. She stood

  on the bank with her front hooves in the water, staring at her own

  reflection and shuddering.

  "I . . . I'm really sorry," Raynar blurted. "I didn't mean to--"

  "No," she answered. "You did nothing wrong.

  Master Skywalker was correct: I let the Diversity Alliance poison my

  mind against humans, and now I must unlearn the hate they taught."

  She tossed her head and sent him an apologetic smile. "Please be

  patient. It may take me a while." She looked longingly at the

  waterfall, then back at Raynar.

  "Would you mind if I went in?"

  Feeling humiliated that a brush of his arm had been so revolting to the

  beautiful girl, Raynar decided they could both use time to collect

  themselves.

  He climbed up onto a round boulder beside the stream. "Go ahead," he

  said. 'Tll wait for you here."

  Lusa plunged into the pool and made straight for the deeper water

  beneath the surging waterfall.

  Watching the silvery liquid cascade over her, Ray-nat wondered if she