"An amateurs' job," said Grundo. "To attempt it with only two men? Utter stupidity."

The captain of Fardalla's security was a short, stocky Weequay. One of his eyes was covered with a leucoma. No way would he hit a shuttle from ten meters.

"Two men is all I saw," he told the Hutt. "There could've been more."

Fardalla clenched his small fists. "And they chose not to act because?"

"Because they saw it wasn't going to the plan."

"First this, and now the rioting." The Hutt grimaced. "We should have those idiots on the team whipped."

"They are not only rioting because of the loss," said Grundo. "The shootout did nothing to improve the situation."

Amasr growled. "Should I have let them kidnap the Pyke?"

"All I'm saying is it didn't help."

"It did," Fardalla cut him off. "Had they been successful, we'd be facing off against the Pykes. Do you think our clan would have bailed us out? This planet is a liability to them. All of them. They would have thrown us under the bus long ago, were it not for Aunt Borga. Ah… What have we done to deserve all this? Just when we made peace with the Empire…"

"Two local men dead," the captain continued after a pause. "At the hand of a stranger, no less. The city is boiling. All those leftover guns from the war are still there in the streets. We need to put down the riots as soon as possible."

"And have a bloody war in front of our guests? Is this your advice?"

"It will get much worse if we do nothing."

Modosh, until then silent, clacked his teeth. "You are not seeing the root of the problem."

Amasr tightened up. What was his brother getting at?

"Who do you think those kidnappers were?" Modosh went on. "Just some randos? No. Both the attempt and the riots are part of the same thing."

Fardalla glared at him. It was weird seeing a Hutt look so tired. "What thing is that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I've been telling you since the war was over that the Imperials won't leave it at that. Kunjagi's got eighteen moons. Eight of them are full of prothium. The war wasn't the last we saw of them, and this won't be either."

"The Empire trying to get back at us?" Fardalla slithered toward the window. "Our people would never accept their yoke. Not after the war."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," Modosh grinned.

"They don't have to know it's Imperial," Amasr said. "They could bribe only a few to go after Sumbakiri."

"Impossible." Fardalla shook his head. "We have cut the planet off the Imperial banking systems. Every ship that lands is thoroughly examined. It's impossible to sneak anything in."

"Men can be bribed with promises," Amasr said.

"We need to strike," said Grundo. "Whether at the rioters or the Imps, I do not care. Just give the order, Your Illustriousness."

Fardalla's expression was as bewildered as a giant slug's expression could be. "You are speaking madness! We cannot risk another war!"

"Of course not," Modosh said. "Killing or capturing our Imperial friends would be unwise. But we have to be prepared for whatever comes. We need to have them well within our reach if it really goes downhill."

The Hutt licked his lips. "What are you suggesting?"

"You should provide some extra security to the Deputy Overseer and his clique."

"So that we can pull the trigger on them if it comes to that?"

Modosh nodded.

"If they are working against us, they won't let our men near."

"Luckily, you have my brother."

Fardalla gave them both a long, long look. "No," he finally declared, "we won't have it. They won't. Amasr works for me now."

"They don't have to know that."

"If I send him, they will, won't they? Amasr will stay Sumbakiri's protector. End of story."

"My brother would be wasted doing that. Only a fool would strike at the Pyke a second time."

"And only a bigger fool would not prepare for that possibility."

Amasr agreed. "I will take care of the Pyke."

"And I will look into the kidnappers," said Modosh. "Captain, how is the identification going?"

"It's not Coruscant. It will take a while."

"Make sure it takes less than that. We need concrete proof of the Imperial involvement."

Outside the compound, his brother asked Amasr, "Feel stupid now?"

"Why? You do?"

"We would've made it with all this chaos. The universe itself was lending us a hand… but not you."

Amasr did not know what to say.

"But now," Modosh said, "we're stuck cleaning up the Hutt's shit. If we get in the crossfire, I'm blaming you."

The riots had not reached the downtown — yet — but shooting could be heard in the distance. Big guns. Amasr hoped it was Grundo's men.

He found the Pyke in one of the mansions where Fardalla accommodated his most esteemed guests. His guards were waiting outside — three Pykes and an old Imperial droid, most surely written off some distant base's inventory. It was less hot than the last evening.

"At least we'll be spared from another smashball match today," Sumbakiri said when Amasr got in. "There's always a silver lining."

"Remembered anything new?"

"No. I told you, there's nothing to remember. I met them yesterday, right there at Lighting Ring."

"Any idea whom they could be?"

"No more than I had yesterday."

"You seem very cool with it."

"You don't think it was the first time someone tried to kidnap me, now do you? If they were trying to kidnap me. If you ask me — which you didn't — this is just our glorious host's being very, very anal about his visitors' security."

"What do you mean?"

"Those were just some guys. They didn't do anything until you started shooting."

"Except take you out from the club."

"No, you fried them before they could do that, even if they wanted to. And even if they did, so what? I'm a fun guy. I'm a useful guy to know."

"You're a useful guy to kidnap."

"Good that I have you at my side, then."

"I won't be the only one at your side from now on. Your friends outside? They're coming with us."

"Oh, come on." Sumbakiri scratched his long leg. "As if one babysitter wasn't enough!"

"Yesterday, it almost wasn't."

"I didn't take you for the humble type."

"Then call it realistic. There could've been more than two. There probably were."

"And what would these louts do? They are all nepotism hires."

"Strength's in numbers. Besides, the droid looks like it can handle a gun."

"Which is exactly why we are not giving him one. He used to be a cop on one of the Core worlds. Who knows what code back from the Republic days there still is in his head."

Sumbakiri wanted to go see pit fights up on the southern slope, but Amasr wouldn't let him. After yesterday, the Pyke seemed to have found some appreciation for his advice. Amasr wondered how long it would last.

The day after was spent likewise, playing pazaak against Teso's retinue. Amasr hoped they were half as good with weapons as they were with cards.

Grundo visited them in the evening.

"The riots've been quashed," he reported. "But we still have to be careful. One spark, and they will burn again."

This planet could use a good spark, Amasr thought.

"What's going on with the Imperials?" he asked.

"Fardalla managed to convince them to stay. Just in case we need hostages."

If it came to that, Amasr doubted the deputy overseer would do much to stay the Empire's hand.

"The games will resume tomorrow," Grundo said.

Amasr looked through the mansion's open door. "Does he need to go?"

"It is expected. To show everyone the situation's under our control."

"And if it's not? One wrong move, and you'll have the Pykes after you."

"That's a risk. But Fardalla's willing to take it. He puts great hopes into you."

"Have you found out anything about the attackers?"

"We promised a reward to whoever can identify them. You can imagine how many frauds we have to sieve through."

"That the only way you can identify them?"

"This isn't Coruscant. We don't have cameras everywhere and droids that can trace your life back to your birth. It'll take time."

"What's my brother up to?"

Grundo gave him a queer look. "He's been helping. Fardalla listens to his words."

But not to Grundo's, the tone seemed to imply.

"Fine," Amasr said. "So tomorrow we are going to another match."

"I will give you a detail of guards. Another two cars."

So the spark was likelier than the captain had initially said.

Next day, the two cars were waiting in front of the mansion, each coming with four guards. Amasr gave them an inspection and was not pleased with what he saw. They were the Hutt Space standard fair — scum that got a bit luckier than the rest and entered a Hutt's service.

At least, he supposed, anyone attacking them would be even worse.

He put one of Sumbakiri's Pykes behind the wheel, the droid in the gunnery seat, while he himself took the backseat together with Teso. One car was driving in front of them and another one in the rearguard.

It became apparent immediately as they were out of the mansion's outer wall that they drew more attention than was warranted. This progress was too much for the narrow, winding streets that started not even a hundred meters away from the mansion. What also became apparent was that Captain Grundo had lied.

The riots were far from quashed. Everywhere rubble littered the streets — more rubble than usual. Some buildings bore black marks where lasers had hit them — some disgustingly huge.

And most telling of all, there was no sound of smashballs.

Amasr hadn't realized it at first. It was hard to notice its absence — but when you did, you could think about nothing else. As if the swelter of Kunjagi I had dissipated. Had Grundo's grunts managed to scare everyone off the streets? Somehow, Amasr didn't believe it.

"No one is out, but it only makes the city livelier," Sumbakiri said. "Isn't it curious?"

"What an awful place," his bodyguard said, turning his helmed head to the backseat. "It's a shame the Imperials didn't burn it all down."

Amasr didn't like his attitude. "Eyes front."

"Maybe they will," said Sumbakiri. "Or, failing that, the star surely is going to."

"Yeah," the other Pyke chuckled, this time looking at the road, though, "the heat is killing me."

"Isn't it killing all of us? A horrible place to live. The Hutts have a real gift settling in such places."

Amasr had been to Oba Diah a few times and had a few things to say on that. He said none. He was liking the atmosphere inside the landspeeder no more than that of Kunjagi I.

But there was no stopping the Pykes.

"You don't say, Teso. Did I tell you about that time I went to Nar Shaddaa?"

"Way too many times."

"Well, I mean, it's… the Hutts, you know. Just—"

"A real gift, I'm telling you. And it just keeps on giving. To live in a crater, what decision wiser on this planet? Of course it dries you up in seconds — all the warm air rushing downward. What was it, I wonder, that led our noble host to this decision? Was he following a falling star, perhaps?"

"Yeah, that's real smart, Teso—"

"Or was it his boner for destruction and death, some ur-mortido? Did you know Hutts do get boners?"

"What, for themselves?"

"It's complicated. I—"

Though the driver was looking at the road ahead, he couldn't stop in time. Amasr was violently thrown forward before his seatbelt caught him and brought him back.

"Damn it," the driver swore, feeling his mask for cracks, "why are you stopping, you moron?"

The car in front of them was not moving. Amasr looked back. The third driver proved more attentive and did not rear-end them.

"What the hell," Amasr growled. "Can you drive around them?"

He knew they could not. The street was too narrow for even one car — for which they were a living proof.

Amasr planned on preserving the "living" part.

The front door of the speeder before them glided open. The driver got out, a Vodran, tall for his species — almost reaching Amasr's jaw if they stood next to each other. He looked around with such a leisurely countenance Amasr had to keep himself from stepping out and shooting the bastard. Then he walked to their car.

"Damn barricades," he said into the lowered side glass. "I thought we've cleared them, but must've been idiots did it here. We got a stone in our radiator. A miracle it only happened now."

"Move the car to the side," Amasr told him.

The other reptilian sought a better angle to look at him. "No sides here. Besides, the car's fucked. If anyone's moving, it's gotta be Bori over there."

"Go tell him to reverse out of the street," the Pyke driver said.

"Will do. There's one more thing: we ain't staying here alone, and we won't be walking back home, neither. You gotta make room."

"No, you are walking," Amasr told him. By now, his hand lay firmly on the handle of the blaster.

"If you're so fearless, let you walk. I'll take your place alright. I know this city, friend. And it knows me. No way I'm walking."

"It's either that or not walking ever again."

"Okay!" Sumbakiri shouted. "Let's get it over with. The last thing I need is sitting here in the open for another hour while you argue. You have three minutes to decide—"

But in truth, they had none.

The Vodran fell before anyone could hear the shots. Then they heard them. Drumming on the landspeeder's frame like a thousand tiny smashballs.

Sumbakiri tried to open his door, but Amasr held him tight. The Hutt had provided them with armored cars — and for now, they held.

"Drive!"

The driver did not react. Now his helmet was done for — and everything underneath. The smell of burnt flesh was filling the car.

"The control panel is damaged," the droid informed Amasr.

"How bad?"

"The landspeeder is inoperable."

It was hard to see anything outside the car in the constant flashing of laser bolts. The rear car was burning — that Amasr could see.

"Shoot back at them!"

He looked at the Pyke. "They're up in the buildings. See where the rays are coming from?"

"I don't care! Do something!"

Amasr had an idea of what to do, but that wouldn't help. He really should've taken Modosh's offer, shouldn't he?

"The assailants are using heavy weaponry," said the droid. "At least three beam rifles, if I had to guess."

That was enough to make even Kunjagi I feel colder.

"The car won't hold much longer," Amasr said.

"What the fuck do you mean?"

Instead of answering, he pressed himself to the window again. Now it was hot, hotter than it had any right to be.

"Listen to me," he said, turning back to Sumbakiri. "We've got to run."

"You crazy?"

"I said listen to me. They'll come down to check on us. They may."

"What do you mean, they may?! And if not?"

"Then we're dead."

The small face behind the glass of the helmet became even smaller.

"They'll stop shooting," Amasr told him. "They'll want to take at least something."

"Those are likely to be the local rioters." The droid's torso sported two black holes with orange, slowly cooling down edges, but the damn thing still talked. "Terror tactics are not out of question with them. When I served in the CSF—"

Amasr slapped Teso on the shoulder — lightly. "They'll stop shooting. They'll come down to see what they can take from the cars. Then we run. You got what I'm saying?"

Amazingly, Teso nodded. Amasr wasn't sure he'd run, but this was a victory.

"Alright," he said. "Listen! They're slowing down."

"They probably do not have a lot of ammo for this sort of guns," ever helpful, the droid chimed in. "Despite the recent war and the abundance of weaponry and—"

"Droid," Amasr said, fighting the urge to shoot something, "can you walk?"

"For a limited amount of time and distance. I—"

Amasr turned to the Pyke. "You'll have to climb into the front seat. Follow the droid."

"For a limited fucking distance?! That's your plan?!"

"There." Teso's neck felt brittle; a wonder the helmet hadn't crushed it under its weight. "See? There's a back alley. That's where we go. You hide behind the droid as long as you can. I cover you."

"The barrage is dying down," said the droid. "It seems your assessment was right, Master Amasr."

"Get ready," Amasr breathed out.

When the door started crawling up in front of him, he forgot about everything. Sumbakiri, the droid, everything. Even his brother. The only thing left to him was the thrill. The hunt.

He may have been the prey now… but did it really matter?