o:o:o
Having invoked the correct name of Borga, the slavers showed the Jedi every little piece of their operation, including allowing them to see the slave pens where dozens of species were kept in small durasteel cages awaiting purchase. After nearly an hour of stalling and trying to work out a plan to catch them, Phaelon could tell Carth Freelancer and his cronies were getting edgy – wanting to get their money and get out quickly.
She smiled sweetly. "Well, Mr. Freelancer," she said, "I am sure we can work out a deal for the Klatoonians and Vodrans with several Nikto tossed in. How about we start with a dozen each and see where it goes from there?"
He nodded. "I am sure we'll be the best of friends. Two of each now, and I can have the rest for you in one standard week. But friends or not, I do require a small deposit."
"Of course. How is fifty thousand small denomination credits sound?"
"That would make a sizable down-payment," he admitted.
She smirked. "Then permit me to go back to my ship and retrieve it. It's dangerous to carry large sums of money on my person, even on a planet such as this." She made a gesture to emphasize the lack of space in the too-small flightsuit.
"Understandable." He nodded and led them back to the surface.
o:o:o
Zak exploded as soon as they were back aboard. "Are you nuts!" he demanded. "You're actually making a deal with them?"
"Think of it as earning their trust," Phaelon returned nonchalantly, "besides, why'd I waste a fifty thousand credits on slaves I don't need?"
He thought for a moment. "Ah. I get it. Now we go back and grab 'em, right?"
She smiled. "Right. I'll go keep him busy in their ship, while you go deal with the other two."
"How come I get the hard part?" he complained.
"Because you told me to come up with the plan," she returned quickly. "Anyway, we want Freelancer alive. The other two don't really matter, but I'd prefer alive if at all possible."
He sighed reluctantly. "Sounds easy enough. What could go wrong?"
Phaelon glared at him, stuffed the credit vouchers in the pocket of her flightsuit and headed out of the cockpit.
o:o:o