The next morning Luke awoke with a dry mouth and wrinkled clothes. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked around the room, running through a few mental exercises to clear his foggy mind. Stifling a yawn, he stood up and stretched, letting his memories from the night before wash over him.
With a groan and a glance at the wall chrono, he decided to call the restaurant and make a reservation. Tres Envieux was such a popular establishment; it was next to impossible to make reservations less than a month in advance. He was going to have to play the 'hero' card. Normally, Luke hated the extra attention his part in the downfall of the Empire had given him, but in instances such as this, the perks seemed to outweigh the nuisances. He had no trouble at all in securing a table for that very evening.
After ending the call, he thought for a moment about dialing for Mara, but thought the better of it and settled for steaming mug of cocoa followed by a hot shower. Judging from the lack of her usual cat-like grace as she exited his apartment the night before, she was more than likely not having the best of mornings.
With a mild groan, Mara Jade pulled one of her pillows over her head to block the intrusive sunlight. Her wake-up alarm had long since come and gone, yet her body was unwilling to cooperate after the punishment it had taken the night before. She was planning to spend another few hours in bed nursing her hangover when the comm chimed.
Reaching to her nightstand, she keyed it to 'voice only' and answered the call, "Mmmmph."
"Mara?" Talon Karrde's voice came over clear and precise.
Mara pulled the pillow from her head and sat up painfully. Clearing her throat, she confirmed, "Yes, it's me."
Though he tried to hide it, she could hear the concern laced in his voice when he asked, "What happened last night? You didn't close the deal with the Prince."
Embarrassed, but unwilling to make excuses, Mara apologized, "I'm sorry, Karrde. There was a hiccup… it's going to take longer than I thought. Can you give me 'til the end of the week?"
"That's cutting it a bit close, don't you think?" Karrde's simple question caused Mara to grimace.
Every day they delayed was one day less they'd have to get Phialo's gas mine up and running before the plant on Uulio was shut down, cutting off nearly sixty percent of the galaxy's bera'lli gas resources. Of course there were only a handful of beings that knew this information, Karrde and Mara being two. They needed to convince the Prince to sell them his mine before the news broke and the price of the gas skyrocketed making acquiring the mine next to impossible.
The throbbing in Mara's head seemed to intensify at the thought of missing out on this deal, "I understand what's at stake here, I just had a minor setback."
Karrde waited two beats before replying crisply, "See to it that you suffer no more of them. We can't afford to lose this deal, Mara. I can't stress the importance of this enough: do whatever it takes."
Mara stifled a sigh, "Of course. I'll keep you updated."
"Right then. Karrde out."
With a click, the transmission ended and the young trader flopped back onto her pillows. A low groan escaped from her lips when she glanced at the bedside chrono. Hangover or not, she'd have to get herself cleaned up and make plans to see the Prince again. Best to do it without the dark circles under her eyes.
As Mara gingerly rolled out of her bed and headed for the fresher, she could tell this was going to be a long day.
In the presidential suite of the luxurious Coruscant Galactic Resort, Prince Phialo had been up and about for several hours already. The chambermaids had already tended to his bathing and dressing and had laid out a morning meal for him which still sat untouched in the dining area.
Ignoring the fact that the two scantily clad young maids were hovering in the doorway awaiting his dismissal, the Prince sighed and tossed his data pad to the desk. This gas mine had been in his family for generations and he couldn't wait to be rid of it. It had been profitable once, long ago, but recently it had simply been a drain on the Royal Family's resources. Why someone like Karrde would have any interest in it whatsoever was completely beyond comprehension. The Prince nearly had a mind to simply give it to the man, only… he could sense how badly the former smuggler wanted it, which made him pause. Talon Karrde wanted it bad enough to tempt him with beauty.
And tempted he was. Tempted and intrigued by the mysterious beauty of Mara Jade. The Prince wasn't a stupid man, to say the least, but he was used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it. Right now what he wanted was the smoldering redhead who was unimpressed with his wealth and power. Generally speaking, those were his traits that most females he'd bedded had been attracted to most. Of course it didn't hurt that he was undeniably handsome as well. But for some reason, none of this seemed to have any affect on the fiery trader, as she had been distracted all evening by a short blond man who had been watching them.
Obviously the two were lovers. No matter, he had overcome that sort of obstacle many times before. Besides, he had something she wanted. Soon he would find out how far she was willing to go to get it… and if she wasn't willing to go that far? Well, he had overcome that obstacle before as well.
Licking his lips in hungry anticipation, Phialo suddenly looked up at the two maids still waiting nervously in his doorway. With a wave of his hand, he signaled the two girls into the room and had them shut the door. He made a mental note to make dinner plans with Jade for that evening, but first he had needs to attend to.
One of the maids shivered as she caught the glint of lust in the Prince's eye and longed to be on the other side of the door as it closed ominously. She steeled herself as she and her companion made their way toward the Prince. From experience, she knew he was not a gentle lover.