Indeed in the following few days there was a crucial Union executive meeting. And Dave had been drinking for the previous days. In fact he even had a few beers the evening before against his wife's advice. 'How can you concentrate on some of those complex matters if you've had beer inside you?' But Dave had simply smiled thinking that she was a pleasant enough Woman, but a bit of a nag.

But as it happened his wife was correct as usual. Dave didn't think he was feeling bad that evening, but he woke up the next morning, or didn't wake up the next morning unable to get up due to his drinking. Mugwort had arrived at his home to accompany him to the meeting to meet his wife.

'What do you mean he can't come, this could be crucial. Those who want to return to work might just swing the vote today. Yet if you keep this up for only a little longer you will be on the verge of making crucial concessions. I've seen the Imperial finance figures, they're in trouble too. Can't you turn up as proxy?'

Judi sighed, 'Afraid not. They wouldn't allow it. There was some controversy once about doing that. He has to turn up in person!'

'Well, I'll see what I can do,' was Mugwort's reply.

So, in the meeting, and tight it was as Mugwort thought, the vote of Dave, as it would seem was a crucial factor. Not that the person played much of a significant role up to his vote. Indeed he didn't say a word. Despite the fact that it could well signal a return to work. Arthur, the Turbosteelers leader glanced the odd concerned glance towards him. But at the crucial moment, the Delegate did manage to say 'yes,' which kept the strike going.

But at the end of the meeting one of the opponents took a good look at him. 'Hold on, your not Dave are you? Your... Mugwort. I've seen you before. How could you fool us to thinking you where Dave?'

Mugwort had been rumbled. 'Ah, yes,' said he with an embarrassed smile.

'You mean to tell me, you had us all thinking you where Dave? I demand a recount!'

said one of the opponents of the strike action.

'Not possible, I'm afraid. This meeting was ended and all it's implementations are in place. There's not another such for a month.' replied Arthur a little smugly.

This was true. Starting Exec meetings was a difficult business. Which the Strike's opponents knew. But one snarled at Mugwort, 'Fair enough, you have us this time. But now we know you, next time you can't pull this one off.'

Another true statement. Mugwort was a master of illusion, but there where only a limited to whence he could do it. 'I'm really going to have to get Dave off his Beer,' thought he!

In the meantime on Nimbus 3 someone else was having a hard time. Gram was now losing heavily at Sabacc. He had only in the end just about broken even with his venture into Nottingham. He and Matt where doing fine, until one of the Police Water-Cannons had fired into his stall, breaking some of it's crucial components.

And with cards he was out of luck. It was Han that was on a winning streak. Ignoring glances urging caution from his partner Matt, Gram unwisely forced Han to call. On a hand which beat anything which Gram could produce. Out of credits, Gram could only sheepishly withdraw from the table. To taunts such as, 'Nice to have the amateurs pull-out,' or

'If you want a loan, you can always call me,' from Han to general laughter.

Gram did not wish to put himself into further debt. Although despite his tough manner, Han was serious. Han Solo was not a bad young man as any that knew him could testify. He just gave a good disguise as been a bad man as in some of the company he kept some kind of bravado was necessary. Also, Han didn't want to do all of Gram's work for him. If Gram wanted a way out of the mess he was in, that was really Gram's business, Han wasn't going to mollycoddle him.

But Gram was a bit out of friends in this situation. Sarah wasn't about for the moment, the shock of nearly been arrested by Vader had caused her to have 2 weeks off, Mugwort was off trying to sort things out with Dave, Mr.N was asleep with a hard day ahead. Any union official he saw was sympathetic, but without knowing him where not prepared to let Gram have any special deals. Things could be quite hard for other people the Union where supporting.

Gram did think he had the solution. 'I'm going to do a run for the Hutts,' he told Matt. 'I only need to do one, then all my money problems should be solved for the time been,'

'But that's so risky. I've heard of people dying frequently during one of their jobs. Are you sure this is necessary?'

'For me it is, yes. Besides, it would be nice to finally have a rumble with these Imperials, I fancy. I'll do this alone. I'm not asking anyone else to come with me!'

Matt sighed, 'Yes, of course I'll come with you. We're partners. What goes with you, goes with me. Plus you're right. I'm sure we'll beat those Imperial slugs.

Neela was about, but Gram and her where not as close as once they where. For a start Neela was developing more of an independent spirit, and Gram wasn't sure he liked that, plus she was now a little older and Gram prefered young women.

So the next day, Gram could work fast sometimes when he wanted to, he, Matt, E-1234 where trying to dodge the Imperial blockade by smuggling counterbrand. As it happened there was nothing particularly harmful about what they where where smuggling it was just tax-free and supported by the Hutts. But they did have to pick up some goods from a wild and remote planet and travel across the wilds of space and just hope that the authorities didn't pick them up.

'Though of course we can outwit any of those Imperials,' laughed Matt, which was probably, but only probably and they where beginning to foget this, true. 'I remember that trick which Mugwort taught you, the one centuries old which people foget, but in his case happened in his lifetime, might come in useful!'

'We could try that. Useful person to know, Mugwort, sometimes,'

'Oh, the man's a hero. He has no thoughts for himself, is only concerned for the good of the Galaxy! What an example to the rest of us!'

'Matt, for all the fact that I like you, you can be exceptionally naive sometimes. Yes, Mugwort's a good guy, but remember there is some self interest in the way he behaves. In some ways, the only reason why he opposes the Empire is because he sees through them. He understands what the Emperor is ultimately about, which many of power in the Galaxy do not. Also, such thinking caused him to fall out with Palpatine in his early days of power, even before he declared himself Empire. Mugwort knows his head is, if not instantly, but one day, one the chopping block as much as anyone else!'

With the Imperial blockade around Nimbus 3 pretty much in place, this manuevor had to be taken. It was simple as much as it was effective. Their little smuggling ship was disguised, very simply as a meteor. It wouldn't have fooled anyone who looked close at it, but if the ship travelled at breakneck speed any watching official would have just seen it as a meteor. But then in order to avoid crashing, Gram had to slow down before he arrived at the surface, so it was touch and go.

It was also a fairly risky maneuver. All went well until there was an explosion in the engine room which was a polarity neutron flow, reverse blowback. Nasty.

The upshot been that Matt was forced to stop the vessel. In full view of one the Imperial Borderships. It was actually Baldrick who was looking onto this and for once in his life made a correct decision to contact his superior. A certain Lieutenant Pellaeon. 'Shall I run a data check on it?' Baldrick asked.

'Yes, but there is something odd about that. I just don't like it. Make sure you run a data analyisis rather than just a check.' Pellaeon ordered.

'Are you sure? If we run a data analysis on every suspicious thing we see it will take us all day!'

'Yes, sailor, I know. But just do it on this one. It will only take a few minutes rather than a few moments.' Well, that procedure turned up trumps. The results showed the vessel to be that of Gram Only one of the top wanted people in the Empire. 'Aha, shows I was right he was one that Captain Whitesnake told us we wanted. Engage tractor beem. Pull it in.'

'Tractor beem, pulling us in,' Matt yelled to Gram.

'Make that trying to pull us in, we might be slower, but we can still avoid that,' replied Gram to his partner.

They did manage to pull out of the tractor beam, but seeing that his prey where escaping, Pelleon decided to destroy them rather than let them do that. Blaster fire erupted from the Star Destroyer's cannons, one raybolt hitting Gram's ship. Even now, Gram and Matt had a chance of escape had they just turned and ran at full pelt their swifter ship with a head-start might well have gotten away.

But been hit now just made the two of them madly angry.