2nd Chapter: The Dye is Cast.
Corran might have agreed with Mirax's view of her father, if he hadn't been so busy ranting about the superiority complex of women in general and his wife in particular.
Corran said parrot-style: "Men are so stupid. Men know nothing. Men are morons. Of course, when she says men, what she means is me."
"Very probably," Wedge said, grinning, while he poured out ales for both of them at the small bar table.
"You're not going to be able to stop Mirax from interfering," he said. "You know that, don't you?"
"I know it. Boy, do I know it. I don't even necessarily disagree that something should be done. I mean, I'm really tired seeing of those two scratching around each other. It's a pain. Though, of course, it's mostly Luke's fault."
"You think you could do better, do you?" Wedge said amiably.
"Sure."
"In what way?"
"Well, it wouldn't take *me* eight years, is all I can say."
"So what would you have done differently?" Wedge asked, suppressing a grin.
"Mara needs a good kick in the butt when she starts getting out of line. Luke shouldn't back off the way he does. He should been stronger, more dominant. He should give her the word."
Wedge scratched his eyebrow. "Think that would work, do you?" he asked.
"Of course it would work. I'm gonna tell him so, too."
"Um, Corran, I'm not sure that's a good idea. He might not appreciate it."
"I can be subtle," Corran assured him owlishly.
Wedge suppressed another grin. "I'm glad you think so."
"Oh, hell," Corran said, looking up.
"What's the matter?" Wedge asked.
"Father-in-law at four o'clock," Corran muttered into his ale.
"Wedge!" Booster Terrik's ham-shaped hand clapped Wedge on the back. "How are you?" Talon Karrde could be seen lurking behind Booster. "What are you doing, hanging around with this loser?"
Corran was too drunk to ignore this. He scowled.
"Won't you join us, Booster?" Wedge said quickly. "You, too, Karrde."
"Thanks!" Booster boomed, ignoring the sulking Corran, "Drink here regularly, do you?"
Corran cast a nasty look at Booster, and said, "We were playing sabacc with our marital units, until we had to flee for our lives."
"Why was that, Mirax come to her senses?" Booster said brightly.
Wedge intervened hastily. "Mirax and Iella were talking about Luke and Mara and they decided that they wanted to help them along. You know what I mean---matchmaking. Corran didn't think that it was a good idea."
Karrde looked at Corran sympathetically. "Good for you, Corran," he said.
Booster wasn't about to agree with Corran on anything. "Faint-hearted, are you, Karrde?"
"Faint-hearted has nothing to do with it, Booster," Karrde said. "Interfering with Mara's private life is a sure road to an instant, and very painful, death."
"You know her pretty well. Do you think she's interested in Luke?" Booster asked.
"One thing I can say," Karrde said, "You're never going to know what Mara's feelings are-always assuming she has any."
Booster snickered. "I heard that ever member of your organization, male and female, from you on down, has had a try at Mara, and she turned you all down. If she's not interested in Luke, just who *is* she interested in?"
Karrde bristled. "I don't make passes at my employees, Booster."
"Sure you don't, Karrde."
Wedge judged it a good time to intervene. "Then she wasn't interested in Lando?" he asked, certain this remark would scotch the incipient argument.
He was right. "That was just a cover for a job I asked them to do," Karrde said.
"He wishes!" Booster snorted disdainfully.
"Mirax thinks that Mara's scared of Luke," Wedge said. "Corran, on the other hand, thinks Luke's scared of Mara. You got to admit, those are diametrically opposed views of the problem. With diametrically opposed solutions."
Booster snorted. "Neither one of them is right, either."
"Of course not!" Corran said sarcastically. "Nothing's right if the great Booster doesn't think of it first!"
Almost casually, Booster's great fist reached out and grabbed Corran's collar. He shook his son-in-law like an errant puppy for a full minute and then flung him back down on his seat. Wedge and Karrde watched with mild interest as Corran slid slowly under the table.
Booster arched an eyebrow at them. "I hate guys who can't hold their liquor, don't you?"
"Shocking," Wedge said, with a grin.
"Okay, Wedge," Booster said sharply. "Wanna bet on it? Luke 'n Mara, I mean. Let's see who's right."
"How are we going to tell who's right?" Wedge asked.
"We'll all put our theories into practice," Booster said, "And see who can get results."
Wedge looked openly skeptical.
From under the table, Corran slurred, "Let's see who can get them over the hump--literally."
Booster gave Corran a sharp kick in the ribs, and Corran subsided.
"Crudely put," Booster said, "But to the point. We'll work in teams. Wedge, you and the undersized narc," he punctuated this by another kick to Corran's ribs, "will be one. Me and Karrde the second, and Mirax and Iella the third--- I'll tell the girls. We'll each put a hundred credits into the pot, and see who wins. Deal?"
He gave Wedge a rancor-sharp grin, and offered his hand. Wedge knew better than to refuse. "Deal," he said.
They solemnly shook hands on it. And so the dye was cast.