Vision of the future

'Yes,' Carib said. 'He sent the droid probe off on vector forty-three by fifteen.' Behind Han, the bridge door opened. 'Is that Devist?' Lando asked.

'Yeah,' Han said as he punched up a chart. 'You sure this is the vector to Bastion?'

'It's the direction the probe went,' Carib said. 'I'm sending you a copy of the recording.'

'What I meant was are you sure he was sending it to Bastion,' Han said as a beep from the board acknowledged receipt of the transmission.

'He didn't say anything one way or the other,' Carib said. 'But from the shining vision of promotion in his eyes, I can't see where else he would have sent it.'

'How about to the main Ubiqtorate base at Yaga Minor?' Lando countered. 'Isn't that his proper chain of command?'

'Usually, yes,' Carib said. 'But matters of immediate military importance go directly to the high command. Your unknown alien ship should come under that heading.'

'We hope,' Lando muttered.

'Besides which, there are military politics involved,' Carib added. 'Anyone stuck out on a contact station like this is here because the upper echelons have basically written him off. The only way to get out is to impress someone higher up in the military. Again, that means sending it straight to Bastion.' Han lifted his eyebrows at Lando. 'Sounds reasonable to me.'

'I suppose,' Lando said suspiciously, peering with narrowed eyes at the freighter hanging in space outside the Lady Luck's viewport. 'So Baron Fel was pretty good with military politics, was he?' Han winced. Whatever Lando's feelings about clones might be, there was no reason to go out of his way to antagonize Carib. Especially when the man was trying to help them. Even more especially when they were sitting at the edge of Imperial space within spitting distance of a Ubiqtorate station. 'Carib—'

'It's all right, Solo,' Carib said, his voice studiously neutral. 'Maybe you'll agree now I was right when I talked about this back on Pakrik Minor.'

Han winced again. Carib's contention that there was still heavy prejudice against clones in the New Republic... 'Yeah. Sorry.'

'It's all right,' Carib repeated. 'My part's done; I'm heading home. Good luck to you.' The freighter curved away over the Lady Luck and flickered with pseudomotion as it made the jump to lightspeed. 'He's sure in a hurry to get away,' Lando growled.

'He's heading home,' Han reminded him, turning his attention back to the chart. A course of forty-three by fifteen from the Ubiqtorate station would put it...

'Looks like the Sartinaynian system,' Lando said, looking over his shoulder.

'Yeah, it does,' Han agreed, nodding.

'Funny place to put an Imperial capital,' Lando said, an edge of suspicion still coloring his tone.

'Oh, I don't know,' Han said, skimming down the data the Lady Luck's computer had on the place. 'It was a sector capital once, so they're probably used to having a bureaucracy underfoot.'

'Still a long way from the glittering towers of Coruscant, though,' Lando said.

'Isn't everything?' Han countered. 'Come on, we're wasting time.' Shaking his head, Lando dropped into the pilot's seat. 'Sure. Let's just walk into the middle of the Imperial capital. Why not?'

'Lando, look—'

'No, it's all right, Han,' Lando said with a tired sigh. 'I said I'd do it, and I will. I just wish I didn't have to.' He reached over and keyed the nav computer. 'But wishes don't bring you the cards you want. Give Lobot and Moegid a call, will you, and tell them to strap in.'

'Sure,' Han said, reaching for his own restraints with one hand and going for the comm switch with the other. 'Hey, don't worry. It's going to work out fine.'

'Yeah,' Lando said. 'Sure.'

* * *

'No!' Ishori Senator Ghic Dx'ono snarled, slamming a horny-tipped fist down on the table for emphasis. 'It is