CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The Morgukai member soon returned and signaled for the three of them to follow him.

Padmé gasped as they entered a large open room. Her senses were flooded with rich and vibrant colors of reds, russets and gold and the scent of rich spices. On the floor beneath her feet were exquisitely woven tapestries, the beauty and detail of which she had rarely seen on any other world.

At the far end of the room seated on thick pillows on the floor sat the apparent clan leaders. They were each smoking a pipe that was attached to a large cylindrical bowl in the middle of the floor. Padmé was intrigued to watch the exhaled smoke escape each of the six holes in the Niktolian's faces.

Upon their approach, the leader continued to puff on his pipe and motioned for them to sit. The spicy odor of the smoke put Padmé on her guard and she leaned over to Dormé to whisper a warning to her, but was quite shocked to see that Anakin had seated himself very close to Dormé and was leaning in toward her. What was he doing? Was he actually sniffing her?

"Dormé. Don't inhale too deeply."

"Tell Anakin to do the same!" Dormé once more attempted to swat him away, but he continued and murmured into her ear.

"I like your hairstyle that way. You should wear it like that more often. It shows off the graceful line of your neck."

Dormé shuddered as she felt the warm moistness of what was apparently Anakin's tongue creeping up along the side of her throat.

"Back off!" She hissed, turning to him. He grinned and backed away, but not very far.

The Morgukai leaders finally lowered their pipes to the floor and addressed their company. The largest one in the middle spoke first.

"Dormé?"

"He says he wants ten million credits transferred to Niktolian currency before he releases your Knight."

"Tell him the Republic doesn't make deals with criminals."

Dormé looked at her questioningly and after a strong glare from Padmé, she proceeded to relay the message in a series of what sounded like barks, growls and grunts.

The Morgukai leader did not look pleased and his eyes squinted at Padmé. His low and gruff voice continued.

Dormé interpreted. "He says if the Republic does not pay, the Jedi will die." She swallowed hard and slapped at Anakin's hand, which had roamed over to her leg and was caressing it slowly.

"Ask him who made these rugs."

"Mi'Lady?"

"Just ask him!"

Another conversation of growling barks and Dormé relayed the information. "He says they are made by Niktolian crafters here on Kintan, and that they are created with materials only from Kintan itself. Padmé noticed that the large Nikto looked proudly at her, although a bit smug.

Padmé held her head as high as she could and announced. "I am Senator Amidala of the Galactic Senate and it is within my power to offer your planet a chance of admittance to the Republic. In doing so, you would be able to legally trade with all the systems in the Republic. You cannot deny that this would profit you and your people."

The large Morgukai leader sat in silence for a few long moments upon hearing her interpreted words. He was no fool. He was aware of the benefits of a trade agreement with the Republic as it was actually the very reason he decided to take the Jedi Knight hostage. The Jedi was a powerful warrior, and they had difficulty subduing him, but he was no negotiator. All it seemed he was interested in was peace. What he did not understand was that there had been no peace on Kintan for a thousand years. They squabbled and fought amongst themselves from everything over property rights to education. The only way his people would see peace was with the help of a Republic Trade Agreement. It had been a dangerous decision to hold the Jedi Knight captive, but it was apparently going to pay off

Padmé sat patiently but anxiously as Dormé interpreted his reply.

"Dormé, tell him to release Jedi Master Kenobi into my custody, and I guarantee that on our safe return to Coruscant, a Republic ambassador will be contacting them." But that all depends upon the well-being of Obi-Wan, she thought. If they had done anything to harm him, the deal was off!