Michael Reaves - Shadow Games

Star Wars: Shadow Games is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.

Copyright 2011 by Lucasfilm Ltd. & or where indicated.
All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

Excerpt from Star Wars: Red Harvest 2010 by Lucasfilm Ltd. & or where indicated. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

Published in the United States by Del Rey, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

D EL R EY is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

eISBN: 978-0-345-53280-0

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Cover art and design: Scott Biel

v3.1

This ones for Gerry Conway
MR

For Stan Schmidt,
who bought my first-ever science fiction story
MKB

Id like to thank our inestimable editors, David Pomerico and Shelly Shapiro, who herded their cats with patience and good humor. (I especially appreciated Davids out-of-office messages.) Also thanks to Sue and Leland at Lucasfilm, Ltd. for their assistance with research and continuity, to Dan Wallace and Jason Fry for their very helpful resource manual, and to the team of researchers who put together the Star Wars Encyclopedia that now resides on my laptop. Also, kudos to the team of volunteers at Wookieepedia for helping me to find things. And a special shout-out to all the fans who have built beautiful Star Warsrelated websites as a labor of love. You guys are why we write these books in the first place.

MKB

Arno DVox; commander, Bannistar Station (human male)

Arruna Var; Javul Charns engineer (Twilek female)

Bran Finnick; first officer, Novas Heart (human male)

Dash Rendar; smuggler (human male)

Eaden Vrill; smuggler (Nautolan male)

Edge; assassin (Anomid male)

Han Solo; captain, Millennium Falcon (human male)

Hityamun Hitch Kris; Black Sun Vigo (human male)

Javul Charn; holostar (human female)

Kendara Spike Farlion; Javul Charns road manager (human female)

Leebo; repair droid (masculine droid)

Nik; cargo masters assistant (Sullustan male)

Oto; service droid (masculine droid)

Red Rishyk; security chief Bannistar Station (human male)

Serdor Marrak; captain, Novas Heart (Zabrak male)

Tereez Dzalar; Javul Charns costumier (Bothan female)

Yanus Melikan; Javul Charns cargo master (human male)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away .

T HIS IS IT , E ADEN . T HIS IS THE DAY WE ONE-UP S OLO .

Dash Rendar sat back in the pilots chair of the Outrider, feeling an almost palpable sense of satisfaction. It was a good feelingnearly tingly, in fact. And he expected to relive it every time he bragged about how fast hed done the Kessel Run. It was, after all, acknowledged to be the ultimate test of a pilots skill and propensity for risk taking. Every time you ran it, you risked your cargo, your life, and your reputation, but you got your goods where they were going faster than more cautious pilots and you could walk into any port with a swagger in your step. The faster your time, the bigger your swagger.

Hubris, said Eaden Vrill, his dark, liquid gaze on the tactical display. His voice was a low rumble, more suited for underwater communication than atmospheric, and his Basic took some getting used to, with its hard-edged fricatives and sibilants. Dash was used to it; he and the Nautolan had been partners for some time.

Confidence, Dash retorted, annoyed at being pulled out of his pleasant reverie. The Outrider is twice the ship the Falcon is. As far as he was concerned Solos boat was a scow compared with Dashs heavily modified YT-2400.

Eaden glanced at him. You confuse pride of possession with a distinct entity. The ship is not you, nor did you build it. Its speed

Is largely the result of my expert modifications.

Beg to differ, the Nautolan replied. The improvements are almost entirely the result of repairs carried out by LE-BO2D9. The rest is unarguably the result of my superior navigation skills.

Dash glanced at his navigator. Now whos overweening? Hubris, my

You imply that Im boasting. Im notbut feel free to correct me if Ive misinterpreted your colorful patois. I am concentrating. He hesitated, then added: Were entering the Pit.

Reason enough to concentrate, Dash knew. He rocked his seat forward, hitting the comm button on the pilots console as he did. Hey, Leebo, were headed into the Pit.

Imagine my excitement. The reply came back in the sarcastic voice of the repair droids previous owner, Kood Gareedaa stand-up comic who toured the Rim perpetually. Dash had seen Gareedas routine; he was wise to keep moving.

I guess Ill have to, he said in response.

Try not to break the shipagain, Leebo added. And try especially hard not to give me anything to shoot at.

Do my best. Dash took the steering yoke and turned off the autopilot. Course? he prompted Eaden.

The Nautolan navigator locked the course coordinates into the navicomp, and Dash watched them appear as a bright saffron arc on the tactical display. He frowned at the solid yellow line. Hey, this isnt a leisurely holiday tour.

You refer to the arc of our course?

Dash sighed and pointed at the navicomp monitor. Look at the blasted line. Do you see red?

Eaden looked. I see no red.

Thats because the course you set is safe.

And this is a problem because?

Because safe isnt gonna better Solos time.

Eaden Vrill blinked his extraordinarily large maroon eyes. Two of his fourteen tentacle-like tresses lifted their tips toward Dash. You wish me to recalculate?

What I wish is to beat Solos alleged record.

Im simply being careful. We have an expensive cargo that we have yet to be paid for.

All the more reason to get it to port quickly, Dash said. He gestured at the monitor. So reset the course, please. We have to skate as close to the Maw as Solo did. Closer, if possible.

Eaden made an almost subsonic rumble of disapproval and ran nimble fingers over the console. The arc of light on the tactical display shot forth again. The curve was more pronounced now, running closer to the Maw, where the color deepened from yellow to orange to a satisfying shade of crimson.