p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Entering the swoop shop, Nile scanned the area with the Force. Thoughts about her deal drifted to her. So did the darkness she felt earlier. She turned in the direction of the more pleasant emotions —/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"A man dressed as a shop salesman walked into Nile's path./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Hello, and welcome!" the overly enthusiastic salesman began. "How can we help you today?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Just browsing, thanks," Nile said in her somber tone. She moved to pass the salesman, but he casually continued to block her path./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""We have a great selection of refurbished swoops," he continued. "Or are you looking for particular parts? A racer, perhaps? You look like you could —"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Nile reached out with the Force, using it to help her influence the salesman. "There are several customers outside who could use your assistance," she suggested./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The salesman thought for a moment. He slowly nodded his head. "Yes, you're probably right."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Nile watched the salesman walk toward the exit. He stopped to activate a protective hovering platform by the door. As he got it working, Nile saw the Gran from her Force sensing enter the shop./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The a style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: #1e73be; text-decoration-line: underline;" href=" wiki/Imperial_Security_Bureau"Imperial Security Bureau/a agent was with him. Two ISB security men in light armor accompanied him, their hands on their (as of now) holstered blaster pistols./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The a style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: #1e73be; text-decoration-line: underline;" href=" wiki/Gran"Gran/a scanned the room, then thrust one of his fingers to point at a man sitting at one of the shop's sales desks. He was dressed as a salesman but individualized his uniform with a red ribbon on his lapel./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Nile recognized it as the mark that would identify the merchant's contact./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"While the Gran remained at the door, the three ISB men approached the contact./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The Jedi quickly used the Force to press against the ISB agent, holding him in place. His security men continued but stopped halfway to the contact when they realized their superior wasn't with them. They looked curiously at him as he struggled to move but could not./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Nile took advantage of their confusion and approached the contact herself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""I wish to purchase a swoop, but the Empire has seized my assets," Nile told the contact./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"He looked at her, taking in her drenched robes, her earnest expression. She could see a level of heightened excitement causing a glow in his eyes. "What bank holds your assets?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""The Bank of Alderaan," she replied. It was the established call and response for Alliance contact; both she and the contact had passed the test. Nile continued by saying, "Unfortunately, we don't have time for lengthy discussion."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Nile turned slightly so that the contact could see the ISB agents behind her. The security men had returned to their superior. Nile had released him from her Force binding. He shook his head, unsure of what had happened to him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"When he looked up, Nile could see the ISB agent was angrier than before./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Turning back to the contact, Nile said, "I suggest you show me a refurbished model outside."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The contact's excitement waned under a wave of anxiety. "How'd they get here so fast?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Nile moved closer to the man. "They don't know anything yet," she said. "Remain calm. Let the Force guide you."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The man paused, took a breath. His anxiety leveled off, thanks in part to Nile's sharing of the Force. The contact nodded his head. "Yes, I'm ready."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Then let's get out of here," Nile said. "But act casual. A salesman leading a potential buyer to a sale."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rising from his chair, the contact nodded in agreement. "We have several, from the Mobquet Zephyr-G to the Flare-S." He started walking, being careful to take a path around the ISB men./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Unfortunately, they had already spotted him, and now Nile./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"They started on an intercept path./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Corana and Piani followed Cragen and his a style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: #1e73be; text-decoration-line: underline;" href=" wiki/Zygerrian"Zygerrian/a to one of the enclosed hangar bays at the Peroon starport. This particular bay held births for five ships. Three of them were occupied./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The alien smugglers recognized one of the occupying ships as Cragen's YV-560 light freighter, the em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Princess's Claw/em./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Cragen and his man headed toward their ship. Two more of Cragen's slavers, both of them humans, waited at the lowered gangplank./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"There was another man in a suit waiting with the slavers. Youthful and well groomed, he looked like a high-credit corporate errand boy. He fidgeted as if he was uncomfortable with his present company./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Corana and Piani snuck behind a refueling station near the front of the hangar bay and watched the scene unfold. They were too far away to hear anything, but actions spoke volumes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"When Cragen joined the men at the ship, he exchanged some unintelligible words with first his men, then the suit. They continued with what Corana and Piani assumed was a business exchange./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Corana suggested they move to a closer spot to better hear the conversation. Piani smiled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""I know that smile," Corana began. "You're going to do something stupid."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Why sneak when one can join the conversation?" Piani replied./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Stepping from behind their hiding spot, Piani brazenly approached Cragen and his men. They saw her coming. The three slavers drew blaster pistols and trained them on Piani. She immediately threw up her hands in deference to them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Easy, boys," she said, turning on all her formidable Twi'lek charm. It had taken her many years after being a slave to work up the ability, a direct result of the newfound confidence Corana had helped her develop./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"In the early days at the colony, Corana had been very supportive of Piani, like an older, gruffer sister. Piani hoped she wouldn't get her Pantoran friend killed with stunts like this. Of course, Corana had done worse./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Don't want a squad of security droids on us," Piani continued. "I'm just here to talk."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Like you did back on Ord Mantel?" Cragen growled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Now standing a few meters from Cragen and the others, Piani replied, "Bet you won't try to steal our cargo again, will you?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Cragen snorted. "And where is that blue bitch friend of yours?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Left her back in the bar," Piani replied. "One too many. You know how she throws them back."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Cragen looked around the hangar. Piani followed his gaze, spotting a crew working on one of the other ships, some maintenance droids wandered the area./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The slaver captain even looked directly in the spot where Corana hid, but he didn't detect anything. His gaze deliberately returned to Piani./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""We're a bit busy now, a style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: #1e73be; text-decoration-line: underline;" href=" wiki/Twi'lek"Twi'lek/a," Cragen said. "Go back to your partner, and I'm sure we'll have a chat later."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""I'd rather chat with your friend in the suit," Piani said. "Does he know you tend to rat out your scores to the Empire?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"To be continued…/em/p