The meeting called the very next day had swelled into three or four times the original nine, if one counted the additional severe-looking bodyguards looming behind the principles. Karrde, two of his people squeezed in behind him, counted heads with unrevealed dread. The call for a special session had been made by Krusk, and the Bothan had been abrupt and demanding, broaching no argument. Perhaps it was logical that everyone came armed and ready for a fight, with backup to boost their odds.
Bregana was there, only one of his crew with him, and the older man shot a pointed look at Karrde from across the permacite table. The look was a clear question, framed in a gruff, almost demanding expression: What was this about so soon? All the younger man could do was shrug faintly in mute response. Considering the collection of crews around the table, the smuggler leaned back to murmur to both of his men behind him.
"If anyone starts shooting, we get out, not fire back," Karrde instructed, his voice low. He wouldn't put it past any of the others to fire a shot and use the ensuing massive gunbattle to try to decide this issue right here in the conference room. The two behind nodded silently, keeping their eyes roaming over the faces of the others assembled.
Finally, as the furtive murmuring threatened to force people to raise their voices to normal range to be heard, Krusk stood decisively, quickly followed from another spot around the table by the Trandoshan, Dukass, who seemed ready to take speaking rights with the blaster rifle he cradled in his arms. The Bothan took one look at this and stepped back, and the lizard creature took advantage of the hesitation immediately.
"There issss ssssomeone among ussss," Dukass hissed, lizard eyes narrowed to slits as he looked at each lieutenant in turn. "Who wissshes to sssstart eliminating ussss. By whatever meansss nesssesssary. By betrayal. I demand he sssstep forward. Now." The rifle swung up with precision to a ready position, and even as some of the beings seated moved to stand in indignation or protest, the last statement changed a lot of minds and everyone moving sunk back into their seats quickly.
The other brother, Wesk, straightened, as a compromise to standing and looking like he might be stepping forward in guilt. His fur was nearly white, a pale sort of tan, and completely motionless. Given the Bothan trait of rippling fur in response to their emotional state, and the highly charged state of all the beings in the room, Wesk had to be a genius among his race for keeping his hair flat now.
"Savmi Elrotti," the elder Bothan stated, his small eyes focused on the still-standing Trandoshan. "Was arrested three hours ago by Espo troopers of the Corporate Sector Authority, in violation of charges we have not been able to determine." The beady gaze swept the lieutenants as a dangerous murmur rippled through them at the news. "His crew reported the occurrence to both myself and Dukass, and said it was treachery. Elrotti was led into a trap, and it does not take much guesswork, given the situation that faces us, to say that the instigator is within this chamber."
The murmur became words, and angry ones, as many started to talk at once. No one wanted to stand, for fear that Durkass would see it as an admission of guilt, but the table level arguing was animated. Skykin and Reia talked openly between them, the man insisting on something while the Corellian woman calmly watched faces, replying to Paksh in counterargument. Rach'ta Komad, his Twi'lek headtails unbound and a good dozen beings of mixed race settled behind him, bared pointed teeth in growing argument with the cool Wesk, while the supporting guards behind the brothers, Bothans all, engaged the Twi'lek's crew with verbal barbs and protestations.
Karrde, for his part, shared more of Reia's model, though both of his men had scooted forward to either side of their boss. Even with most of them trapped into verbal engagement, it was difficult for the smuggler to see much from their reactions to the news. That Elrotti's crew came to Durkass with what had happened was not too surprising; anyone feeling outraged at the possibility that their boss had been set up would find a natural and very capable ally in the Trandoshan. But the Bothans? Karrde couldn't remember Elrotti being particularly close with the brothers, and certainly they didn't work together on the same jobs. That seemed to be the gist of the argument between Wesk and Komad, so the question was not so uncommon in the group assembled. Deadpan gaze roaming the table, Karrde met Reia's look for a moment. The human woman seemed to be studying him, even as Paksh rattled on beside her, his attention elsewhere in the room. A faintly raised eyebrow asked her a question, and got only a slow smile in answer, before Reia glanced away to watch the growing argument over by the Bothans.
"I'll give it to Durkass," one of Karrde's guards suddenly commented. "He's keeping everyone in their seats."
Before Karrde could agree, one of them stood, despite the rifle threat hanging over all their heads. Bergana, hauling his aged bulk up from his chair, gave the Trandoshan a nod. Skillfully, Durkass lifted the powerful weapon and fired a shot into the ceiling. The sound was deafening in the small chamber, and it silenced, with one discharge of energy, all conversation and movement in the room. The patter of bits of stone falling from the domed roof to the center of the table was the only thing to break the quiet.
Then, clearing his throat, Bregana addressed the startled group.
"Now, we all know and feel how tense things are with Car'das being gone," the man rumbled sternly. "And we all know how far we're willing to go to protect ourselves. I urge, every one of ye, not to jump on this as a sign of impending personal threat. Most of us know that Elrotti had something bad going on in the Sector, way before any of this was a thought in our minds. I suggest, therefore, that we keep our heads and wits about us, and investigate what it was and how this happened, to our various satisfactions, so we can avoid bloodshed over something as ridiculous as one man making a mistake and getting himself arrested for something he was already long guilty of." Bregana paused, before adding, "And you know I went through Booster's arrest, discussed afterward right here in this same conference room. And I'm making the same plea here now before yeh that I did before, and back then, it saved lives, it saved credits and it saved this organization.
"You all know my history, back when Booster left us," the man went on, projecting more calm conversation than the energy needed to quell tempers. "I'm not seeking to grab anything from any of you now. But we're all rational beings here, and no one wants to escalate this into something we don't want to deal with." He stopped a moment, looking about the chamber. Indeed, some semblance of order had resumed; even Dukass had retaken his seat, though the trandoshan still kept his rifle propped on his thigh like a standard without a flag. Even the bothans had stopped muttering to each other to listen, albeit with fur rippling in doubt. It was a relative calm, then. Bregana continued, seating himself also with the air of business.
"Wesk," he said, looking to the placid elder bothan. "Could you give us all a rundown of what Elrotti's people said happened?"
Nodding and with only a brief glance to Durkass, Wesk stood. "As we all know, Elrotti was meticulous, and this time was no different," the furred creature began, speaking with the quiet, deliberate tone he used when all eyes were on him. "Given the situation touched upon earlier, he had let all of his trusted beings know where he was going, and had brought half a dozen of his personal guard with him. It seemed he was bringing a large amount of credits also, though my sources say it was not unusual for him to with certain transactions.
"I have cross-checked the logs he left," Wesk continued, beady eyes studying each of the principle faces about the table. "His destination was Nar Shaddaa. The purpose was to complete a business transaction initiated a standard week ago by one of his trusted people. The nature of the business seemed not to be anything to hide from his people either, given the logs and interview with his pilot on the journey; wartime helix star gems. Elrotti had agreed to make a deal smuggling raw helix stars out of the planet system and credits and finished stones back in. One can draw their own conclusions about the need, given that system's long war and insurgent funding."
There were a number of nods about the table, though more than a few surprised and greedy looks. Karrde understood why, watching the expressions himself. The planet system had been embroiled in a long campaign against a rebel force throughout the system's habitable planet and moons, though it was widely believed that the situation was little more than an occasional persistent but minor uprising that cropped up on the newsfeeds occasionally. That there was a lucrative trade involved in the brilliant precious stones known as helix stars was a bit of a surprise. The planet was known for the luminescent gems, and it didn't take a particularly cunning mind to guess that the expensive baubles were funding one or both sides of the war.
As the bothan made a dramatic pause to allow a small wave of murmuring to rise and fall, bringing with it questions for the group, Karrde's thoughtful gaze snagged on an unusual expression on an unlikely face. Reia sat tapping a long-nailed finger on the tabletop, staring across the table at nothing Karrde could see. She looked more worried than interested in the occasional audible speculation arising now from the group, and as Paksh made a snide comment beside her, the woman blinked out of her reverie to look Karrde's way. The return look was not the one of interest of before; this one now was questioning on a whole other level.
Hesitating, the goateed man held the look, carefully keeping his own expression deadpan. It suddenly struck him that he shared some tidbit of knowledge not known to others in the room, if the exchange of looks and focus now said anything. He knew about the trade in gems, though had never managed to get in on the business himself. Reia Tavel, however, had not only managed it, but made it one of her cornerstones of business.
Did she think it such a closely guarded secret, Karrde mused internally, that she would use it as a lure to take out Elrotti herself, secure in the fact that the lure couldn't be traced to her? Karrde only knew about the woman's involvement through a mutual associate and his own attempts to gain a contract smuggling the jewels himself. The person who had beat him to the punch on reliability, reputation, and more contacts in the illegal gem finishing end of things had been, he finally discovered a while ago, no one other than Reia. At the time, Karrde had consoled himself that it was at least kept within the family, so to speak.
But now, he could see that if Reia didn't know he knew, she at least suspected. And even if the fact that her nice little business was blown into the open, the other additional injury was the potential for being framed and strung up by that family. So to speak.
Wesk called on Komad for the first of the orderly questions, and Karrde flicked his gaze away from the mutual study to settle back and pay attention to the general crowd now. Considering a moment, he leaned further back and was met by an attentive guard.
"Take turns keeping an eye on Tavel," Karrde murmured low. "I can't for the moment, but I want as complete a report on her reactions and lack thereof to what goes on here." When he got a mute nod in response, Karrde gave his full attention to the proceedings.
The twi'lek drew himself out of his chair, apparently taking Wesk's cue on the solemnity of the occasion. The being was thin and severe for his race, headtails of pale blue hanging down his back and a sharp, angular face of untold hardships held up like the prow of some water-faring warship.
"My first question might be obvious," Komad rasped. "But the Smuggler's Moon is far from Corporate Sector space. Espos would have to have had made a deal with whomever controlled where the meeting with Elrotti took place. Do we know where the meeting was and whose turf it is?"
Obvious indeed, as many nods attested, and Wesk shook his head, fur rippling faintly to go with the irritation in his voice. "A good question, but while the planet and even the landing place there was well known to his people, Elrotti kept the actual location of the meet a secret, or, perhaps, only told it to his guards. They were, unfortunately, all taken in the sweep. A very thorough operation that took planning in advance."
"And no one operating on the Moon has heard a thing?" Paksh spoke up, keeping his seat and displaying his indignation at the answer. "Rumors fly around there, and it doesn't take much credits to hear 'em."
Wesk turned slightly to face Karrde, who was shaking his head firmly at this. "You have something to add to this, yes, Karrde?"
"I maintain some contacts on the Moon and am somewhat familiar with the culture there," Karrde admitted with a nod, looking to Paksh. "If someone wanted Elrotti badly enough to allow that many law enforcement troopers in to arrest someone completely outside their own jurisdiction, it's too hot to make information about what happened cheap on Nar Shaddaa." He smiled thinly, looking about the table. "It's enough to make anyone keep their head down until more is known or things calm down. And, considering everyone knows who Elrotti works for, they might be waiting on us to deal with it before sticking their heads out again. There's too many small time outfits on that Moon that could get shredded in something potentially of this scale."
"Why would thessssse beings care?" Dukass snorted, resettling his rifle on his thigh. "Everyone knowssss the rissssks, the treachery."
"Indeed," Karrde agreed with a nod to the trandoshan. "But on the Moon, it's unusual for one party to so blatantly sell out another, especially someone from an outfit as big as we are. We've all kept Car'das' absence fairly quiet and operations normalized. Why would anyone have reason to think we were vulnerable enough to hit like this now? If it was a setup, it's a big enough hit to strike back, start a real war over. Someone is risking that, and the smaller groups operating on the Moon will want to clear out of the way before they're caught in crossfire or their own enemies take advantage of the situation."
"Asss I ssssaid," Durkass hissed angrily, almost rising again. "Treachery. Ssssomeone hasss made usss look weak enough to hit! They told! One of ussss, perhaps!" The creature's rifle barrel wobbled in his hands, as though waiting to be aimed. Bregana hastily spoke up as there was a stir and a number of rolled eyes.
"That is one possibility out of many, my good Durkass," the big man said, pushing respect and a little humor into his booming voice. "One thing we 'aven't considered is the Sector angle. The CSA's been gunning for Elrotti for years, it looks like. He's a big catch, I can see why they would make a deal to get him like this. But I can also see them not giving a gundark's left foot about respecting a deal made with beings they see as scum. Anyone heard anything from their news about the arrest?"
There was a uniform movement of head shakes in the negative. "Their newsbeings are some of the most rabid around," Bregana said dryly with a nod. "They wouldn't miss this, and maybe they'll uncover something useful to us. A trial, a story, something. Might drop who they worked with to get him."
"And then there is this business itself," Wesk added low. "It drew him there in the first place. Whomever set up the meeting had to have known about the setup."
"Or was merely careless about when and where it was," Karrde commented with a light shrug. "There are plenty of beings just waiting for an opportunity." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Reia give him a look. Better to wait for the report than give any impressions of support or otherwise now, he thought. Karrde's attention remained on the rest of the group.
Bregana, who was nodding silently at his own thoughts, slapped the table with his open palm. "Well, then looks like we have a little bit more of a productive plan now," he said. "Not that I would even try to deprive our friend Durkass his opportunity for righteous vengeance." There was a ripple of chuckles, though the trandoshan in question didn't move. "But let's make it informed vengeance, and on the right people. Got a number of things to look into, any volunteers? Speak up if you don't agree with who wants the task, we're all adults here, we'll do it all in the open."
"I will visit the Corporate Sector," Komad announced. "I have some contacts in their media."
Karrde nodded, then stirred enough to sit up. "I can head to Nar Shaddaa, see what the situation is there and try to find out where the meeting was. Joron, I could use the help to cover more ground." Bregana nodded his acceptance.
"Sounds like you're the best positioned for that, Karrde," Reia said, smoothly, before Wesk could get wound up enough to protest. The number of assenting nods about the table was enough to smooth the bothan's fur, and he sat down with only a brief, intense look in Karrde's direction.
"Krusk and I will continue speaking with Elrotti's crew," the bothan said instead. "Durkass can help, he is very good at getting all we can out of them."
"Reia and I will continue on with business, and keep an eye on our usual foes," Paksh stated with a brisk nod. "I don't really like the idea of someone knowing how far afield so many of us are going, with Car'das gone and one of our number in prison."
This was meet with some even looks, for Paksh was the new one at the table. But then, no one seemed to think his sideline role in the investigation was a bad idea.
Bregana surveyed the silence a moment, before saying, "Alright, everyone keep things above board to the rest of us, unless you see a real need not to. It's going to be difficult, but if someone out there is trying to make us jump to conclusions and then at each other's throat, this seems like a good way. Remember, don't be played, get the facts straight and then we'll mete out justice to those who deserve it." He stood, tugging on his vest in a final motion.
The loud stirring of beings finally standing from their seats was less chaotic than they had been when the meeting started, and although the conversations were still low, the air of threat had lifted a little. For now.
"You sure you don't want the job?" Karrde remarked to Bregana, weaving through the departing throng of bodyguards and henchmen to reach his old friend's side. "That was a nice bit of peacemaking."
The big man chuckled, giving the other a bemused look. "Very sure. This way, instead of pulling off the taming of a pack of Nek battle dogs once or twice a day, I only have to do it once a year. Not a bad deal." The unspoken counter-question was left in his sharp gaze, and the two followed the rest out, trailing their pittance of personal guards.
"How long are you going to need before we head out?" Karrde asked, once they were clear of the mob.
Bregana shrugged. "Hour or so. I want to arrange for some backup before we go."
"Pretty much what I had in mind as well," Karrde said with a smile. "Alright, meet you in hangar forty-five in two hours? I thought we'd take the Dozen Pay."
"You and your strange names…" the older man murmured, before laughing. "See you then."
Smirking, Karrde stood and watched the man and his guard disappear down a corridor, before turning and leading his own crew down another. The easy smirk was at the other's comment, but it didn't last in the face of the man's more serious thoughts.
There were too many questions up in the air, too many possibilities ahead to avoid a nagging worry. Karrde was used to risks, but he was also rather used to depending on others to work as a team and get through those risks. With the fragmentation of Car'das' little council, if in spirit and not yet in body, the beings he could once call on to better the organization were now people he had to guard against. Perhaps even some of his own crew sympathized with someone else, or lacked the nerve for what lay ahead. Karrde didn't have the bond of blood to bring in allies as the bothan brothers did, nor did he hire beings with enough of a death wish to do anything, as Komad tended to do. Instead he had a good crew, solid in many tough times, but still there was the nagging worry it wasn't enough for this.
Even without the older, more seasoned spacer there, Karrde could hear what Bregana would say. It's lonely at the top, get used to it. Observation and experience might prove the man right, but Karrde's mental response was ready. The ones at the top didn't last very long before they were replaced, and then what good was the adage? Was the accepted way of things the only way? Sure there were outfits that had held together for a good while, but Car'das was one of the few that had gone so long, and that was only… well, because the man was uncannily and frighteningly powerful in so many ways.
Karrde shook off a frown at the thought, Joron's question before he left his office yesterday still fresh in his mind. How did Car'das rule him: fear or respect? It was, fortunately, a question he could put off until after this crisis.
"Karrde?" a soft voice called to one side, and the man thus addressed stopped, his two guards stepping up to either side.
Out of a narrow accessway lined with pipes, Reia Tavel partially emerged. Her manner was as relaxed as her easy regard, and the woman gave the two toughs a polite nod. "Can we speak business for a moment?" she asked their boss.
Karrde didn't say anything, studying her, before he answered delicately, "Can it wait until after I return? I need to get a ship ready."
"It's about some jewelry," Reia added, a little more pointedly.
Glancing at one guard, then the other, Karrde shrugged and stepped toward her. "If you don't mind Joelis and Hugh doing the needful if only one comes out of that passageway," he said without humor. "I can find a few minutes."
Karrde waved for her to precede him as, behind them, Joelis and Hugh drew blasters. The verbal cue was set, and the condition not a mere ceremony. But as the woman obliged and went ahead, the smuggler followed with a hand brushing the blaster at his side.
The access passageway was not deep, and, as Karrde was glad to note, it was deadended in an array of closed panels. The light was dim, but enough to see by. What the meeting place lacked was room; the smuggler had only a half a step to move to the side, just in case any firing from the two he left behind was needed. The light allowed him to see Reia turn toward him, her hands lifted and empty. Then she was rather too close for normal conversation, those hands lifting to pull his head into an unexpected kiss.
The smoothness of the move might have convinced Karrde that they'd both come all the way in here for something more social than business, if it hadn't been such a surprise. Caught by the wrenching shift in topic, the smuggler lacked for anything useful to do for a moment, before regaining his wits and settling down to business.
"Karrde?" Reia breathed against his lips, drawing back just enough to speak. "You aren't frisking me for weapons, are you?"
"Mmhmm," Karrde confirmed, one hand slipping the woman's blaster free of its holster and tossing the weapon aside with a flick of his wrist. "Keep your hands where I can see them, I know about the vibroknife just… here it is."
Sighing under her breath, the woman laced her fingers determinedly behind Karrde's neck as he added a knife and small palm blaster to the collection behind her. "Only you would spoil such a moment like this," she said, her smile now forced sweetness. "And you keep your hands where I can feel them."
"Oh, I don't know about being the only one," Karrde mused, finishing his quick search and resting his hands lightly on her waist. "What do you want, Reia?"
Resigning herself, the woman dropped pretense to speak low and seriously. "I got my answer, I think, though I knew part of it already. The helix star business Wesk said Elrotti was getting into, that's my turf. It has been for a while, not many know of the racket the rebels are running. I heard you tried to get a piece and it didn't work out."
Nodding carefully, Karrde said, "And I knew about it. Are you worried about turf ownership now?"
Her lips twisted in a bitter smirk. "You know what I'm worried about. I didn't set Elrotti up, you know that. I don't want to see everything go to hell any more than you do."
Karrde looked dubious, before remarking coolly, "No, Reia, I don't know that. And I don't think any of the others are going to know it any better than I, and I even trust you enough to agree to talk to you like this. Look," he continued, a tad less harsh as her nails began pressing into the back of his neck. "While we're talking about what we think the other knows, I hope you know that I don't have any reason to present anything short of the truth of what I find on Nar Shaddaa. If that works in your favor, good for you. If it isn't going to work in your favor, well… at least you have something not many of us get. Advance notice."
Green eyes studied his at their close range for a moment, before the woman nodded shortly. "It'll work in my favor," she asserted quietly. "And I guess out of the lot, I'm glad it's you and Joron checking into it. I'm just not too happy about feeling like someone's setting me up for a big fall here."
"I sympathize," Karrde replied neutrally. "But the stakes are rather high right now. You tend to see the best and the worst of beings at times like this."
Her short laugh was bitter again, and Reia tilted her head to the side to study him again. "You… sympathize. Make you a deal, Karrde. You find that things are in my favor in your investigations, let me know just that ahead of everyone else, and I'll help you out in this mess as best I can, for what it's worth. Deal?"
"As I know your help can be worth a lot, I don't see why we don't have a deal," Karrde replied with a faint smile. "But if things aren't your way, all I can do is wish you luck, you know."
Unlacing her fingers from behind his neck, Reia smiled, withdrawing her hands and showing them to still be empty. "I know, Karrde. When things get dirty, it's always you against the galaxy, and the only thing you can depend on is a good blaster. Speaking of…" Turning, she hunted for her weaponry in the poor lighting.
Frowning, Karrde found the similarity of the sentiment to his earlier musings proof he didn't need of that being the truth in the business. For all his suspicions and how badly the situation looked for her, Reia Tavel was still one of the best smugglers in the organization. Good enough, also, to have accepted this truism of life and death in the fringe of the galaxy.
"Just curious," Karrde commented as she straightened and tucked away the blasters and knife. "Why didn't you just ask?"
The look Reia gave him as she glanced up was sly and coy in the light, a curtain of dark hair covering half her face. "You'd be surprised, Mister Know-It-All, what you can learn about someone that way. Something you never did figure out." The visible, clear green eye winked, and then she brushed past him, adding, "Come on, so your friends out there don't render me into slag while you stand in here and ponder the unponderable."
Shaking his head, Karrde followed the woman out, leaving the unponderable for after the crisis, along with the other question he'd rather leave unanswered.