Canto Bight Read online

  Star Wars: Canto Bight is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 by Lucasfilm Ltd. & ® or ™ where indicated. All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Del Rey, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  DEL REY and the HOUSE colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Hardback ISBN 9781524799533

  International edition ISBN 9780525480365

  Ebook ISBN 9781524799540

  randomhousebooks.com

  Book design by Elizabeth A. D. Eno, adapted for ebook

  Cover art: Matt Taylor

  Cover design: Scott Biel

  v5.1

  ep

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  The Del Rey Star Wars Timeline

  Epigraph

  Introduction

  Rules of the Game by Saladin Ahmed

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  The Wine in Dreams by Mira Grant

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing by Rae Carson

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  The Ride by John Jackson Miller

  The Grinder | 1

  The Trips | 2

  The Gutshot | 3

  The Bad Beat | 4

  The Sharp | 5

  The Bust Out | 6

  The Edge | 7

  The Buy-in | 8

  The Tell | 9

  The Stretch | 10

  The Turn | 11

  The Wire | 12

  The Breakdown | 13

  The Surrender | 14

  The Freeroll | 15

  The Showdown | 16

  The Kicker | 17

  The Rake | 18

  About the Authors

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

  War is returning to the galaxy. As the First Order prepares to unleash their power on an unsuspecting New Republic, the only true opposition is the Resistance. Safe places are growing scarce, except on Cantonica.

  Emerging from the endless sands is Canto Bight, a city of excess and indulgence. In this luxurious escape for the wealthy and unscrupulous, dreams are made reality and the prospect of war brings only the opportunity for profit.

  Even as the darkness grows, visitors chase their fortunes enthralled by the glamour and thrill of the casino city. The fate of the galaxy matters little amid the glittering brilliance of Canto Bight. For whatever happens, Canto Bight prospers….

  AS THE CANTONICAN DREAM DROPPED out of hyperspace, Kedpin Shoklop sneezed loudly and blew his nose-slits, then smiled apologetically, blinking his big single eye in what he hoped his seatmate would understand was a placating gesture.

  His seatmate, a well-dressed, broad-shouldered specimen of some fanged-and-horned species Kedpin didn’t recognize, growled. But Kedpin had plenty of experience dealing with grumpy customers. The key, he always told his co-workers, was a cheerful attitude.

  “So! Canto Bight!” Kedpin said to his seatmate, filling his voice with fellow-feeling. “Playground of the most glamorous beings in the galaxy! Big-money card games and high-stakes fathier races! The galaxy’s biggest artificial ocean! And the fanciest food this side of Coruscant. I can’t believe I won this trip!” Against all odds, Kedpin had been named VaporTech’s Salesbeing of the Year and received an all-expenses-paid two-standard-week getaway to Canto Bight! Everyone had been so shocked! When the admin-droid had read his name out loud, Kedpin had hardly believed it himself, though he’d imagined the moment ten thousand times over the decades. He’d won. He’d doubted the competition for years, wondered whether he was getting a fair shake. But Kedpin kept on following the rules and doing his best, like he’d always been taught. Like he’d done for a hundred years.

  And now he was on his way to claim his reward. The voyage had already been more luxurious than anything Kedpin had ever experienced. Such snacks they had! But that was nothing compared with what was coming. He would finally get to see the legendary Canto Casino, get a zero-g massage at Zord’s Spa and Bathhouse, and, most exciting of all, watch a live fathier race!

  “I can’t believe I’m really here!” Kedpin said again. His seatmate simply ignored him now, turning away rudely to stare out the viewport. But Kedpin was on his first vacation in a hundred years, and he wasn’t going to let anything bring him down.

  The captain of the Cantonican Dream announced that they were now in orbit around Cantonica. Kedpin’s seatmate had brusquely claimed the viewport seat when the trip began, but by twisting and craning Kedpin could get a decent view. What he saw made all three of his hearts race.

  Pink, blue, and green nebulae shimmered against the jet-black space-scape, which went on forever. Every bit of it was studded with sparkling stars. Closer—so close Kedpin felt he could reach out and touch them—Cantonica’s moons hung glowing in the darkness. Kedpin had been offworld a few times to meet with VaporTech clients or to attend conferences, but the company had always booked him in cramped, viewportless personnel transports. He’d never seen space like this. It was beautiful.

  Cantonica itself was a dull yellow-brown orb swirling with sand-colored clouds. As they began to descend, the bright lights of a massive city—Canto Bight itself, Kedpin realized!—formed a glowing patch on the planetscape. But one feature dominated the view: a great turquoise spot, unnaturally precise in its borders. The Sea of Cantonica.

  The viewport shutters lowered and Kedpin was instructed to sit back as the ship came in to land. A short while later, after a brief struggle with his luggage floater, Kedpin was herded into the line for Cantonican Planetary Controls. He was called to a booth staffed by a uniformed human male with a neat beard and an irritated expression.

  “Good morning and welcome to Cantonica,” the man said, though he didn’t at all sound as if he meant it. He took Kedpin’s datapad. “Name?”

  “Kedpin Shoklop.” Turn their growl into a grin, Kedpin repeated to himself silently. He smiled at the annoyed-looking officer and added, putting extra nectar into his words, “But call me Ked! All my friends do!”

  “No,” the man in the uniform said. “Species?”

  “Wermal.”

  “Homeworld?”

  “Werma Lesser.”

  “Sponsoring agent?”

  “VaporTech! I won this trip, you see. I’m the VaporTech Vaporator Salesbeing of the Year!”

  For the first time the man really looked up from his terminal, and Kedpin wished he hadn’t. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” He looked as if Kedpin were a pest he wanted to squash! “Is it your intent to act as an active agent of any political, parapolitical, military, or paramilitary organization while on Cantonica?” he asked finally.

  Kedpin blinked his eye. He didn’t quite know what he was being asked. He blinked again.
<
br />   “He wants to know if you’re a spy for the First Order or the Resistance,” someone in the line behind Kedpin said.

  “Ha! Ha!” Kedpin laughed. “A spy?” There was no fighting on his homeworld—not yet. But Kedpin had heard unbelievable stories from VaporTech salesbeings who’d been caught in the battles. It all sounded perfectly terrible, and Kedpin wanted nothing to do with any of it. “No, no of course not!”

  The man looked at his datapad. “You work for VaporTech, huh?”

  “Yes, sir! One hundred and two years selling vaporators! Cut me and I bleed VaporTech processed moisture!” Kedpin laughed a small laugh. “That’s just a little joke I make.”

  “Uh-huh,” the officer said. “Well, you’re missing your sponsorship chip.”

  “My what?”

  The man ran his thick hand through his thick beard and sighed, even more annoyed for some reason Kedpin didn’t understand. “Come with me, sir.”

  Kedpin was taken out of one line and moved to another. The beings in this line didn’t look like tourists. They looked different. Scarier. They looked to Kedpin like the sort that caused trouble. Kedpin didn’t know why he was being placed in this line, but he knew there had to be a reason. Canto Bight was a classy operation. There were rules.

  Kedpin was placed in line behind a tall, gaunt, silver-skinned being covered in sharp, bony spurs. It looked like an angry woman made out of knives. When the guard walked away, the creature began to rattle its “knives” at Kedpin, who yelped.

  A friendly tale is half the sale was another of Kedpin’s favorite Salesbeing’s Sayings. “So! How was everyone’s flight over? Are you folks tourists, too?” he said to no one in particular. No one in particular answered him.

  “Sharpie don’t like the way yuh smell,” said the knife-woman suddenly in a high-pitched voice. “Sharpie might have to cut the smell outta yuh.” She began to rattle her blades again. She’s some sort of miscreant trying to frighten me, Kedpin told himself. The authorities won’t let her harm me. There are rules!

  Sure enough, at that moment another human in a different uniform—an old woman with a cybernetic arm—approached, taking Kedpin’s data card and scanning it in a reader. Something on her device made an unpleasant pinging noise. “Ah, Karabast,” she muttered. “Hey, Ohlos!” she shouted across the big hall to the bearded man who’d first seen Kedpin. “Why didn’t you say this guy was on a sponsored visa? Do you know he’s missing his sponsorship chip?”

  “Of course I know he’s missing his chip, Lorala!” the bearded human shouted back, even though he was now walking over. “That’s why he’s in the police line instead of in my line! He’s your problem now.”

  The old woman shook her head at Kedpin’s datapad. “Yeah, well if we file this, the datawork is gonna take both of us all day,” she said to the bearded man. She looked around and lowered her voice. “What do you say we let him go, Ohlos? He’s clearly just an idiot tourist. And I want to get home sometime this cycle.”

  Idiot? Kedpin blinked his eye rapidly. Had he heard correctly? This woman was a duly appointed officer representing one of the most sophisticated planets in the galaxy. But she was nothing like the smiling officials who greeted visitors in the holovids Kedpin had seen. I’m sure she’s just tired, Kedpin told himself. Humans can be very grumpy when they’re tired.

  The man with the beard shrugged. “I don’t know nothin’ about this. You get caught skipping forms by the brass, you’re the one who’s bantha fodder.” He walked away muttering.

  The old woman handed Kedpin his datapad and pointed to the hall’s huge exit doors. “All right, sir. You’re free to get your bags and go. Don’t cause any trouble and there won’t be any trouble. Enjoy yourself, but remember: Canto Bight PD is watching.”

  Minutes later Kedpin found himself standing outside the massive main building of the Canto Bight spaceport, his luggage floater beside him. For a few long moments he could only stare. He couldn’t help himself. The fancifully landscaped greenery, the musical fountains, the soothing scent-clouds that roiled around—it was all so much more vivid than it had been in the holovid! But the crowd was what really made Kedpin stare. There were at least a dozen species represented, many of which Kedpin had never seen before. All of them looked immaculate and were luxuriously dressed, with no sign of having traveled half the galaxy to get here. And it was as if their outfits were in some competition with one another for grace and elegance. Walking among them, Kedpin felt clumsy and out of place.

  Kedpin pushed his luggage floater along down a tree-lined walkway, following the signs for transit. The broad path passed under a huge arch of red stone that glinted in the midmorning sun. He remembered seeing this landmark in the holovids—the Great Arch was a remnant of Old City, preserved to teach visitors about the history of Canto Bight. As Kedpin passed under the arch, a being with a datapad and some sort of indistinguishable badge approached him.

  “Luggage pass, sir?” The blue, tentacled being, obviously an official of some sort, was another species Kedpin had never seen. But they had a friendly face. The sort of potential customer who came as a blessing after a string of hard sales.

  “Luggage pass?” Kedpin repeated.

  The being scanned Kedpin with their datapad then looked at Kedpin’s face, their blue tentacle-fingers twitching. “Kedpin Shoklop?” they asked in a kindly voice.

  “My friends call me Ked!” Kedpin said, smiling widely.

  “Well, I’m the acting gate agent here, Ked.” They flashed their badge quickly, though Kedpin still had no idea what the badge said. “Where’s your luggage pass, my friend?”

  “Luggage pass?” Kedpin asked. No one had said anything about this to him. He hadn’t seen anyone else get a luggage pass. Others seemed to be passing through the arch without one.

  The gate agent’s eight yellow eyes widened in unison. “You mean they didn’t sell you a luggage pass?” they said, outraged.

  “Do I need one?” Kedpin asked.

  All eight of the gate agent’s eyes expressed regret. “Yes, Ked. As a first-time visitor, you can’t bring your bags into Canto Bight proper without a luggage pass. The standard fee is one hundred credits or equivalent assessed currency.”

  “B-but I was told this was an all-expenses-paid trip!” He blew his nose-slits. The air here was irritating his breath-cavities.

  The gate agent wrung their blue tentacles. “I’m not sure about that, Ked. You’d have to file a claim with the awarding agent. In the meantime, though, we’d have to hold your bags at the spaceport.”

  “But…but I need my things!” Kedpin insisted. Wermals like Kedpin needed moisture. There was no way he would be able to enjoy his vacation without his collection of personal vaporators, humidifiers, and moisturizers. Not to mention his eye wipes!

  The gate agent looked around. “Well, Ked, this seems like an honest mistake on your part. I could file an exemption claim for you. If you’re able to settle the fee with me now, I can even include the luggage transit fee. That way you don’t need to push that floater halfway across town.”

  Make the buy as easy as you can, and soon they’ll put money in your hand. It was one of Kedpin’s sayings, and he could see it at work here. This gate agent clearly made a nice business of charging an outsized “fee” to tourists. But it seemed that was how things were done here.

  The fee took him way past his budget for the day, but it didn’t seem like he had much choice. There were rules, after all. And his bags would be waiting at the hotel when he got there!

  A few minutes later, with the help of his new friend the gate agent, Kedpin’s belongings were loaded onto a cargo speeder headed for the Canto Casino Hotel. And Kedpin himself was scooting along in a shiny limospeeder, as excited as he could possibly be to begin the vacation of his dreams.

  ANGLANG LEHET STOOD AT THE northwest corner of Piazza Canto Bight, towering over most other beings around him and soaking in the heat of Cantonica’s late sun through the leathery crest of his oblong head.
Unlike the furred and feathered beings of the galaxy, Caskadags like Anglang needed heat. Anglang had been a company man for a century. He had learned to adapt when, over his 102 years of grim work for the Syndicate, professional requirements had called for him to travel to some near-sunless world or some ice-sheathed moon to steal or kill. But Anglang had been born on a desert world, and, whatever the planet, few things made him happier than basking in the desert sun.

  The delicious sunlight aside, however, credit-grubbing despoilers had mostly ruined this desert. Over the decades, Cantonica had been warped and twisted. Once it had been a quiet, dusty world dotted with ancient, half-buried cities. A world of sand mynocks and smugglers’ hideouts. A desert with desperate people living among the ruins of some civilization no one remembered. Once Cantonica had been the sort of place the Right Kind of People could use to lie low or ply a quiet side hustle—a place where the hard and the clever survived. Now the planet had become home to Canto Bight, the most glamorous casino city in the galaxy. Quiet crooks’ bars gave way to luxury stim-mist parlors. Impossibly expensive yachts full of the galaxy’s most important people sailed an ocean that had appeared out of nowhere. Cantonica had become an embroidered pillow beneath which the wealthy hid from conflict as they got even richer off it. A playground for spoiled beings whose crimes were above even the Syndicate’s scale. So the Syndicate had moved on to other worlds.