Tales from the New Republic by Peter Schweighofer

Author:Peter Schweighofer [Schweighofer, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, SciFi, Star Wars, New Republic
ISBN: 0553578820
Publisher: Bantam Spectra

“All right,” Shada said, easing the holo tube into the player. The scan had showed it was a normal holo tube, with no surprises attached. But that didn’t mean she entirely trusted it. “Here we go.”

A two-meter-tall likeness of Fenig Nabon appeared. “Hello again, Shada,” the figure said. “Since you’re watching this, I presume Ghitsa and I are gone. Hopefully still alive, though you’re now probably regretting that you didn’t send us out the airlock without the benefit of vac suits.”

Dunc grumbled in her throat, but said nothing.

“Ghitsa has maintained that you would want to deliver us to the Hutts for their own peculiar punishments,” Fen continued. “If this went down right, she’ll be selling to Durga the Hutt a datacard with detailed information on the ship responsible for the theft of his dancers. A competent slicer will trace that information back to the Indenture and the Karazak Slaving Cooperative.”

The image grinned, a little shamefacedly. “I’m sure you’ve also noticed that The Fury’s ID is reading as the Indenture. That was my own touch, in case someone on Nal Hutta spotted you. The overlay program is buried in your backup comm system. You’ll probably have to go in through the battle game I was playing to get to it—that’s how I got in—but it shouldn’t be any real trick to disable.”

She sobered. “On the more serious side, you can probably predict what will happen when Durga reaches the conclusion that the KSC stole his dancers.”

“Gang war,” Dunc murmured.

“Ghitsa thinks that in the resulting turmoil both the KSC and the Hutts will leave Ryloth alone for a while. Durga’s slicer should also find certain inconvenient payments the KSC has made to Brin’shak. This will likely be the last Twi’lek acquisition Brin’shak will make for the Hutts.”

The image shifted, foot to foot. A little embarrassed, perhaps? “We’ve told the dancers that you’ll return them to Kala’uun on Ryloth. The Dira Clan is expecting them and can be trusted. The Shak Clan may howl about it, but you shouldn’t get anything but noise from them. They were discredited two years ago in Kala’uun after trying to scam the New Republic over some ryll kor and are generally trying to lay low.

“Finally, assuming you haven’t killed us, Ghitsa will transfer twenty thousand into your account, as agreed. I know you’re expecting thirty-two, but if you play it right with the Dira Clan, they may pay you some ryll kor for bringing the dancers back.” The image smiled, a little smugly. “Ghitsa urges you to sell quickly, as she believes the market will top out soon.”

Fen raised her head, looking out into nothing. “Jett always really admired the Mistryl, Shada. But sometimes he was uncomfortable with what you would do for money. Poverty makes people desperate, he would say. But sometimes, it’s better to be poor. Ghitsa, of course, disagrees.”

The image of Fenig Nabon flickered out.

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