A beautiful mind

by Mara-Amber

A threat in the Unknown Regions. One woman to deal with it, two geniuses trying to work together without killing each other, three conspirators behind the scenes. One of them is a traitor.

4. Chapter 3

Standard disclaimers apply, Star Wars and the Extended Universe is not mine.

Dear readers,

thank you very much for your reviews, it is very encouraging to read that you like this story, I hope you'll be satisfied with this chapter. I apologize for the long wait, but I wasn't pleased with the content of the chapter and rewrote it several times. I'm not satisfied yet, but it won't get any better. Anyway, on with the story:

A Beautiful Mind - Chapter Three

Much to my astonishment the remaining time on Varis passed faster than expected. In the privacy of my room Dierck, Mitth'raw'nuruodo and myself had the chance to discuss our line of action, to play Tromask against each other and to have a drink or two. Or three. Or four.

My suspicion was, that Mitth'raw'nuruodo took advantage of the situation and that he could take off his helmet. Since I had to admit very soon that I was no serious match against any of the two, Dierck and Mitth'raw'nuruodo ended up playing each other. And every evening I had the pleasure to kick them out when they were lost in a game of Tromask with a bottle of whiskey beside them. My patience wasn't tried for a long time.

Both, Dierck as well as Mitth'raw'nuruodo weren't able to reach the round of the last eight. Mitth'raw'nuruodo had been kicked out of the contest by the Twi'lek and Dierck lost against Chewbacca. To be honest, I felt a little satisfaction about it. If even he lost, I had done well against the bedside rug.

And soon enough I was sitting in my comfortable pilot's seat in my beloved ship, hanging in Varis orbit. Mitth'raw'nuruodo was right beside me on the co-pilot's seat and observing my moves closely.

Yes, this was my ship, I had the command and visibly he didn't feel comfortable with it. The cockpit was far to small to harbour my companions immense ego and presence. He had far more charisma in the tip of one finger than most of the people I knew. In addition to his arrogant and superior attitude, I was lucky that he left me some air to breathe.

We were waiting for Dierck to leave the planet with Mitth'raw'nuruodo's ship and vanish into the hyper space to Csilla. Once more the air-filters of my ship had done a perfect job and not a trace of Varian could be perceived. For the first time since my arrival in this system I breathed deeply.

There was another ship leaving Varis and I pointed on the screen, Mitth'raw'nuruodo nodded his confirmation upon checking the ID-number. It was his ship and it vanished into the endlessness of the hyper space shortly after. Dierck was on his way and now it was our turn to convince the Emperor that the Zumi were to be helped with one of his warships - and his alien Captain.

Relieved as I was to leave the stinking planet behind, I didn't grant Varis a farewell. Without looking back, I pushed the hyper drive under my blue-skinned companions interested stare. While we watched the stars turning into lines I couldn't wipe the content grin from my face. It didn't go unnoticed by my copilot and questioning he perked his eyebrows up.

"I didn't like it there." I explained my obvious delight.

"Most human like Varis' scenery, they consider it being romantic." His mocking undertone wasn't only a hint, it was a clear evidence of his derision for the human habit of watching sunsets and courting each other.

"Varian is the exact opposite of being appealing." Obviously he needed some serious clarification.

One of his very rare sardonic grins crossed his features and as soon as it had appeared, it disappeared. If I hadn't looked at him at this very moment I would have missed it. "Huffing?"

If he could tease me, I wouldn't hold back. "Swallowing." I hesitated, turned to him and made sure that he looked at me before I continued. "It is worth a try."

If he was one thing, he wasn't backing off from a challenge and he was standing my look. "I'll challenge your word."

It took several minutes before we broke the spell, we were both adult enough to know that a job like ours didn't agree with certain kinds of relationship. I let go the ship's control.

He got my intention and unstrapped himself. "How long will it take to Coruscant?"

"32 standard-hours." What was two-thirds of the time an unmodified ship would need and if he was impressed he hid it well. I stood and we reached the door at the same time, it was too small to let two people pass and we ended up giving each other the advantage.

Being cooped up with another being on my ship was seldom a pleasant experience, but his presence might end up being interesting. In the confined passage, he was once again so close that I could feel his cold breath on the skin of my face and there was no way I could resist. I was only human and I loved to tease. "Excuse me."

I raised on my tiptoes to reach his shoulder and picked up a hair that had brazenly laid itself there. We didn't touch, but I could feel the coldness radiating from his body as well as he must perceive my warmth. I breathed deeply, he almost smelled of nothing, he wasn't using any detergents with perfume. The only faintest smell I perceived was he himself, a neatly male Chiss. With a brazen look I challenged him. His eyes shifted to a darker red, my presence affected him without any doubt. He was proud and stubborn as I was and I wondered which one of us would be bold enough to make the first move. The magical moment lasted only a second, and I stepped back before I was the one who would make the wrong move.

"Any diversion on board?" His eye colour had shifted to an even deeper red. Maybe I could get him to admit it first.

"Nothing out of the usual: Tromask, Dejarik, drinks, repairs." My mischief took over, it was a dangerous ground I was walking on. "Besides my delightful company."

His body shifted, deliberately accidentally brushing against mine as he let me pass. It was like a dance, only increasing the anticipation before the final. "Sounds like dawdling." It was high time to stop playing with the fire before it was unstoppable and obviously he shared my thoughts. "You need some information so that we can convince the Emperor together."

He was following me to my kitchen access and I nodded my agreement. "I was about to suggest that." We were both aware that we needed to tune our argumentation otherwise we wouldn't convince anyone not to mention to get a warship and fly it into the Unknown regions. When I turned to offer him to sit down, his eyes were back to their normal red colour.

I checked the economised content of my closet, hard drinks didn't went well with a briefing as well as spice. What left only two options. "Herbal extract or water?"

"What kind of herbal extract?"

"Sedative or" there was it again, I smiled smugly at him. "stimulating."

"Stimulating, please."

I nodded and started to prepare a large pot when my business holo pad beeped. With a quick glance I noticed that it was Cad. What could he want so soon? He knew that I couldn't have achieved anything in such a short time. Everything else was private and he knew the number of my private pad. I switched the holo on and his figure appeared. "Hi Cad. Anything you need?"

"Hi sweetie." He used his bedroom voice – a timbre darker than his already dark voice – and made an unmistakable gesture with his hand and hips. That bastard knew exactly that I wasn't alone and he knew perfectly well who was with me, his manner was too transparent. "You know what I need." This was getting absurd regarding our current stadium of relationship... unless he wanted to provoke me or my companion.

Mitth'raw'nuroudo stood and stepped behind me, into full view of the holo. Cad just tipped against his hat. "Captain Thrawn. How delightful to see you in Jule's company." He was checking on me! And how did it come that he knew Mitth'raw'nuruodo, that he knew his rank? In addition to his sudden interest in the Ascendency? I knew him for several years and never before he had asked for something in the Unknown regions. He knew that Mitth'raw'nuruodo was on board of my ship and had wanted to confirm it. Cad was after Mitth'raw'nuruodo and me! Who had charged him to investigate us? Or, the far more better lead: Who could afford to pay him? And, another important question: Why was he letting me know that he was after us? He knew perfectly well that I would count two and two together.

"Cad Bane. The bounty hunter. Your reputation precedes you." Mitth'raw'nuruodo interjected.

"I wish I could say the same about you." No, it was not easy to get precise and detailed information on Mitth'raw'nuruodo, he kept a low profile. And now Cad was hinting that he managed to get classified information about him, his sardonic grin was tell-tale. Was it a pot shot at me? Was it a warning? Was it a hint?

"Not everyone prefers to be in the spotlight."

Cad didn't bother to hide his bright smile, he was enjoying himself immensely. "No, but everyone has a price."

"Yes, everyone without pride and honour." My passenger countered.

Cad didn't take it personal and played with the controls on his arm while he casually commented. "A true masterpiece, unique in its realisation and artfully executed. And reserved for a few chosen ones. That is art on its climax, in perfection. Don't you feel the same, Captain?" His grin was wolfish at least, his choice of words got critical, his intonation clearly suggestive. If he wanted to piss me off, he had succeeded. It was high time to interfere.

"What do you want Cad?" There was no way that my so-called friend missed my not so friendly features. We did have enough arguments in the past that he knew that he crossed the line. And apparently that was what he had wanted to do.

"I just upped the stakes." With his last words he switched of his pad and the live less metal pad rested in my palm. He was dead. With my own hands I would kill him. Using more force than I had intended I smashed the pad on the table what earned me some raised eyebrows from my fellow.

"Just an old friend." I explained, never believing that he bought that Cad was 'just a friend' after the show he had put on stage. But it was worth a try.

"I see. You socialise only with the best." Was he referring to Cad and himself? He wasn't deficient in confidence once more. Surely it hadn't been difficult to find information about Cad since he had seen him leaving my hotel-room. With Cad's trademark appearance and reputation, it didn't require to dug deep to find out his identity. Among the bosses of the gangland he was someone to rely and to count on, among the others he was a legend.

We settled on opposite sites of my small table in my kitchen access. Being stuck with another person on such a small ship for a longer time usually meant confrontations and quarrels. Only a handful of the crews I knew endured it for several years in such confined living conditions, one had to get along extraordinary well, including the inevitable argumentation.

While we sat across each other, our legs brushed from time to time against each other, always accompanied by a speculative look from the one who had caused the contact, and I got the feeling that we could make such a pair if the circumstances allowed it. He was the one I could keep silent with, without feeling uncomfortable. It took several time, sipping on our hot tea, just looking at each other when our legs touched, before he spoke.

He started with a description of the Emperor's habits he had studied so far, about his likes and dislikes. From Mitth'raw'nuruodo's point of view the Emperor was easy to deal with. He had only one ambition: to rule the galaxy. One simple wish. And we had something to offer that he wouldn't refuse: influence and control in the Unknown regions.

We were about to discuss who would bring the Zumi and their incredible technology up into discussion when, without any warning, a shudder ran through the ship. I stopped right in the middle of my sentence and we both listened alertly to the ship's sounds. There were none, even the humming of the air supply was gone. It didn't took us more than a second to jump up.

"I take the cockpit." He didn't wait for my answer and rushed forward while I ran to the machine supply. It made sense for he knew too little of my modified ship to check the machines for a hidden manipulation. We wouldn't last long without the reprocessing plant for air.

I removed the cover of my power supply and instantly saw what was wrong. Someone had placed a power interrupter along with a timer between the main supply. It was easy to remove and soon we were back to power. But if it was this easy to incapacitate my ship, I'd be dead long ago. I had seven back-up lines, three of them deep within the machinery. Someone must have manipulated all of them and I started to check them. I was about to check back-up number four when Mitth'raw'nuruodo joined me.

"You found them?"

"Yes." I turned to him and showed him the three interrupters I already had dismantled. "We do have a problem."

"Indeed. The security of your ship is impenetrable."

"Almost. Someone managed to circumvent it." Though I didn't really believe it. Dierck had deactivated so many security systems himself that he knew how to construct a foolproof one. And I had an additional one from the team on Csilla. Who in this Galaxy besides Dierck and me had the required knowledge? Maybe Cad was sly enough. At least he had experience on his side and had learned some of Dierck's tricks from their occasional cooperation.

I pointed to the rear of the ship and he went over and removed the cover, disabling the interrupter hidden there. "It is impenetrable." He insisted. So he had tried to get inside but didn't succeed and he implied that it was done by someone with insider knowledge. Great. Just what I needed.

"How many more?" He asked.

"Two. Over there."

The last two interrupters were hidden so well inside the machinery that I needed his help to remove them for my arms were too short, even with tools I was unable to reach them. When he turned to hand them to me, his eyes were cold as stone. "Who is able to get into your ship?"

We both knew very well that this was a serious warning. But for what? For flying to Coruscant and deal with the Emperor? For flying to Nirauan? Someone who didn't favour the whole plan of bringing Mitth'raw'nuruodo back? Forcing my troubling thoughts back, I concentrated on the options. "Dierck Chaf. Cad Bane. The maintenance team on Csilla."

While I summarised my conclusions, he laid his fingertips together, closed his eyes and rested his mouth on his forefingers. The gesture was so familiar that I frowned. Who was it? Who had the same gesture when concentrating? All of a sudden, interrupting my train of thoughts, he opened his eyes and stared at me. "Csilla."

"Damn it." I pushed him aside and ran into my kitchen, instantly getting my supplies out of the rack and placing them on the table. Mitth'raw'nuruodo had followed me closely and already picked up the herbs we had drunken and examined them while I checked the ration bars. The ration bars appeared to be those I had purchased and they seemed untouched.

He had finished my herbal extracts and placed them back on the table, shaking his head. What left the water supply, the alcoholic beverages and the spice. The water was my first choice since it was inevitable that one needed it during a longer flight. Obviously he had followed the same train of thought because we both reached for the water tap when a traitorous waft of a sour smell – Hajo - reached my nose. We looked at each other, our eyes widened in realisation, but the effect was too fast for my system.

I managed to stutter "Tracking device." and pointed to the cockpit and all I felt was my back head thudding against the edge of the table before I hit the ground and everything went black.

One side of my head ached and I touched it to see what was wrong. There was something wet in my hair. I forced my eyes open to look at my hand, it was red. Blood. Where was I? I looked around, I was still in my kitchen, an emptied syringe was lying right beside me. Holding my aching head, I sat up and sniffed, the smell was gone. There couldn't have been much of Hajo within the air supply, otherwise I would be dead.

I managed to pull myself up and stumbled to the cockpit. All I could do was to hope that Mitth'raw'nuruodo had found and deactivated the tracking device within the few moments he had before he lost consciousness. He had had time to give me an antidote, so much was sure. I reached the cockpit and there he was, lying on the ground, the deactivated device in one hand, a second emptied syringe in the other.

Leaving him where he was, I jumped into the pilot's seat and activated the quick starting sequence, there was no time for a complete check-up. We wouldn't have much time left, trundling powerless and defenceless in space before someone found us. Though I would have loved to wait and see who would appear from hyper space to gather us up, utterly helpless as we were supposed to be.

My console beeped, my ship was ready and without giving the surroundings a closer look I made a cold start with the hyper drive. It was hazardous but far less risky then waiting in a well-prepared trap, set-up with a tad more insider knowledge to make me feel comfortable.

We were already far away from our starting point when a rustling of cloth behind me informed me that Mitth'raw'nuruodo had woken up, too. "How do you feel?"

"I feel better." He needed to support himself on the consoles, he was as shaky as I had been after waking up and without any doubt his headache was as immense as mine had been. It was the typical after-effect of too much hajo.

"Here." I threw the tranquillizer to him, he missed to catch it, still uncoordinated from the spice.

"Thanks." He wasn't too proud to accept it and took the double of the usual dose, obviously he had taken the antidote a lot later than me and had adsorbed a lot more of the drug. "Did you make any jumps?"

"No, being as well informed as they appear to be, they know that we head for Coruscant anyway. Since they tried to stop us before we reach our destination, I think it is safe there. I am heading to Coruscant the fastest and shortest way possible."

Once more he laid his fingertips against each other and thought for a short while in silence before he nodded his agreement. "And if any Chiss will show up there, we'll be informed immediately."

As if this would actually happen. It was more likely that they ambushed us on our way to Nirauan and I bet he knew it as well as I did. I settled back, there was no way I would leave the controls, there was still the possibility that something unexpected happened again. "You were about to tell me about the Emperor."

His face was back from thoughtful to business as one could speak of expressions in his case. "Yes."

And he spoke long. Telling me the Emperor's preferences, his liking to manipulate the people around him and also about his dislikes. It gave me a clear picture how to behave and argument, from time to time I asked a few points that were unclear or needed to be discussed, but in the end, after two standard-hours, my concentration left me. The after-effects of the spice, the antidote and the tranquillizer didn't went well with each other, I felt my eyes shut, I couldn't recall the last sentence he had told me. "I need a break."

"Go ahead, I'll take the watch." There was no trace of a doubt left that a male Chiss could take more of the cocktail that we had had than mine, he would have to rest later.

Without any further discussion I went to the back of the ship where my one and only plank bed was. I dropped myself on it and was fast in a deep, dreamless sleep, I was physically exhausted.

He was caressing my hair so softly and tenderly, that I leaned in to the loving touch and in response his icy hand moved to my cheek. His long, slender thumb continued to caress my cheek, so careful, so gentle as if I was a delicate, fragile masterpiece that would shatter if treated differently. The touch contained so much emotion, so much love that I almost cried. Why could he feel so deeply for me, the infamous art-dealer? And there was so much I could give back. The caress got more demanding and I turned my head up to him, his winter lips, cold as stone, brushed against mine, his other hand explored my waist, this was too much to take. I returned the kiss, more fierce fully and he claimed my mouth, claimed entrance which I granted with delight. His frigid hand slid beneath my dress, leaving no doubt about his intention.

"Jule." My name whispered by his husky voice only heightened my excitement.

There were only the two of us, in my ship, his deep, velvety, alluring voice cast a spell on me. Forcing me to moan, to press my body against his, to feel the proof that he was as aroused as I was.

"Jule, wake up."

Indeed he was and in an reflex I licked my lips. I wouldn't let him take control.

"Jule, wake up."

Wake up? That was odd. Why should I wake up? I was awake and we were in the middle of something good! His hands rested on my shoulders and he was shaking me. Slightly admittedly, but shaking and not caressing.

"Wake up!"

Slowly, but surely it dawned on me that I had been sleeping and dreaming. In my ship. The one and only place I felt safe enough to fall into a deep, usually seemingly dreamless sleep. But then I wasn't woken up so carefully, Usually, the brutal loud sound of the hyper space alarm did the job. Slowly I opened my eyes, I was looking right into his face and his wild feral stare. His gleaming, dark red eyes were proof of his excitement. and I growled "I am awake."

"Now." Unmoved, he bid defiance to me. Had he caressed me and kissed me slightly while I had been asleep? The touch had seemed so real and I eyed him closely. "We need to continue our briefing."

I took a closer look at him, he looked utterly relaxed what alarmed me. "Have you slept already?"

"I fell asleep in the cockpit." He admitted. "It was uncomfortable enough to wake me in time. Ready to continue?"

I nodded and we settled in the cockpit, not to miss any vital information, but nothing happened. In the same manner as before we repeated our brainstorming and in the end we felt half-ways sure. We would repeat it once more when we were in his quarters and one last time right before our audience with the Emperor.

Before our arrival on Coruscant we had some time left and we decided to kill the remaining time with a match of the good old Tromask. We were in the middle of the game when the hyper space alarm interrupted our concentration and after saving the game we went to the cockpit.

Mitth'raw'nuruodo managed the registration with the flight control and organised a landing pod near his quarters while I had all hands full to navigate us without an accident through Coruscants crowded airspace. It was no problem in the regulated upper parts, but the lower parts, where the residents of the so defined aliens were, it was a problem. Without any noteworthy incidents and some x-rated verbalisms from me, we reached our destination.

The landing place was in one of the more come down parts of the city, obviously the Emperor stuck to his xenophobic conviction and didn't grant one of his Alien officers an appropriate quarter. Mitth'raw'nuruodo appeared to be oblivious to such minor details as long as he could serve and raise within the ranks to subserve his real interests.

Once more I had a neat touch down and once more I was more than thankful that Dierck had taken care of the security system of my ship as well as the crew on Csilla. We had spent some time modifying the system and I felt that no one would enter the ship while we were on Coruscant.

After the landing, I showed Mitth'raw'nnuruodo the boxes containing the artifacts the Aristocra had given me for him and we took care of them together.

With care we placed the boxes with the artifacts on the hovering sack truck I kept handy in my ship. One could never be sure of the equipment of the planet one landed on and my goods were too delicate and matchless to let a droid carry them. For once I had a company who understood my pernickety handling. It took us several time to secure the boxes properly on the truck and then we left the landing bay for his quarters.

His eyebrows contracted while he slid his ID-card into his door-lock and typed the security code. Something was off and I reached for my blaster, but he stopped me by holding my arm and shaking his head. "This won't be necessary."

I glared at him and kept my blaster ready, it was never unnecessary to have a weapon handy if something was off with the security lock. When the door opened, he quickly entered in front of me and I half-expected someone to clobber him in the dark entrance area. A little annoyed that he had been right I pushed the hovering trunk inside, I wasn't willing to take the risk that some coincidental passerby took the chance to get rich. This wasn't exactly the first address on Coruscant.

He waited to proceed until the door closed behind me and I had taken my boots of, a habit common on Csilla I had adopted. Only then he proceeded and I left the truck where it was. I wasn't his delivery boy. We entered his living room – or better what you used to call living room in apartments that were designed like this one. It was completely black and empty except for a gigantic armchair right in the middle with the back facing us, several little spots on the ceiling illuminated the room. It was the perfect scenery for meditation and projections. I had only a second to make my observations then Mitth'raw'nuruodo stepped in front of me blocking my sight. "What do you want?" He was not only blocking the sight of me, he was also blocking the sight on me and I heard the chair swiveling around, my blaster was ready again.

"I heard that you would come back and thought you might appreciate some company." The voice was melodious and sensuous, the timbre sensual, she must be very convinced of her sexual appearance impact.

"Then you are mistaken." He stepped forward and I came into her view and her smile left her pretty heart-shaped face. She was one of the most seductive Twi'leks I had ever seen and the sexbomb stood to walk the few steps to Mitth'raw'nuruodo and wrap herself around him to make sure I didn't interpret the situation wrong.

Huh. It might be good for his ego, but the last thing I needed was a catfight. Jealousy was for the weak and lame, lacking self-confidence. I placed one of my warm smiles on my face. "I am Jule Mitth. I'm delighted to meet you."

She ignored me completely, tracing with her fingers over his chest, opening with skillful fingers his buttons. "I thought that we might celebrate your arrival."

"I told you already that you are mistaken, your service is not required tonight."

She wasn't dislodged so easily and I assumed that he was one of her better customers regarding the treatment. Not every officer was a Chiss who didn't take pleasure in hurting someone.

"I have the whole night." With an open display of haughtiness she eyed me up and down, obviously assessing why he gave his preference to me. Well, my dear, the answer was obvious: I had a life besides serving Imperial officers in the bedroom and I kept my warm smile for her.

"I get the boxes." I said with a glance at Thrawn who nodded consenting and the female tightened her hold of him.

From the corner of my eyes I noticed that her eyes started to shimmer suspiciously "Boxes? Why? What have I done wrong?" and I gained ground. One of the last things I wanted to witness was, how a drama queen was turned down.

I pretended to busy myself with the boxes until a sniffing Twi'lek passed me while staring hateful at me. If there was a chance to slam the door into my face, she would have done it, but it closed soundlessly behind her and Mitth'raw'nuruodo stepped beside me, removing his gloves. One finger after the other was freed from the barrier to the outside world. He had the most sensitive hands I had ever seen. What might he be able to perform with these fingers, if even a spoiled Twi'lek left his apartment being shaken about the end of the affair? She surely had one admirer on every finger.

"What did you do?"

"I dismissed her from my service."

"It must have been a good one."

"I am good in anything I am doing. But she got too attached, it was better to send her off now." So, my dear. She got too attached.

He wouldn't pretend to feel something and removed the gloves from his hands completely. The idea that these bared hands touched nothing else besides me, all the time protected by gloves when he left his room, was electrifying. My smell would linger and anytime he drank or ate he would be reminded of me. There would come a time he would do exactly that.

We placed the boxes, one beside the other in his living room and I started opening the first one. Since I had packed them, I knew how to handle the unpacking without damaging the content. Soon enough I held the first artwork in my hands, it was the Vaagri-piece. I let my hand wander over the impressive sculpture, the only word that came to my mind was amazing. Tough it was made of a cold, hard stone it was smooth. While caressing the bodies one had the impression of a warm fur, a pulsating body, it was moving. I opened my eyes that I had unconsciously closed and looked at the immovable statute. How could this be possible? My look wandered over to Mitth'raw'nuruodo who had followed my moves and expressions closely.

"Vaagri." Was all he stated.

"Indeed. The true spirit of the piece can only be conceived when it is touched."

"These resemble the skins they use to wear."

"Yes. And as well as the skins this is not what it appears to be."

He reached out and touched the work. He did what I had done: touched it, caressed it, closed his eyes and was lost in the sensation. When he opened his eyes, he was looking differently at the work. "Truly amazing."

While he had examined the Vaagri-artifact, I had opened the next box and taken out the smeral pot made by him several years ago. "The Aristocra thought you might need some money. You might want to sell your piece."

He threw a quick glance in my direction and looked at the smeral pot I was balancing on my fingers, nodding his agreement. He was still busy with the Vaagri-piece and I set the pot beside the box, immediately opening the third box. Within the third box was a variety of artifacts the Aristocra had given me to ensure Mitth'raw'nuruodo's wellbeing. From time to time he could sell the pieces to raise funds for the master plan behind the whole staging. It was a huge box and there were a lot of artifacts in it. We had chosen most of them for the valuable used material, the artistic value was debatable and a matter of taste. Some of them were plainly vulgar and lacked finesse. Nevertheless, I treated them with care, some – like the Hutts – would pay a little fortune for them.

"Are they all for keeping?" he interrupted my work, a derisive twist around his mouth while he eyed the pile warily and I couldn't wipe the grin out of my face. Obviously he didn't appreciate artists who worked only for the profit and the mainstream.

"No, only two are." I pointed to the one he was admiring in his hands and the closed forth box. The relief in his features was evident.

He set the Vaagri-statute aside on the floor due to the lack of any furniture beside the command chair. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Yes, thanks." I answered through clenched teeth while being busy with the forth box. I had packed the Vong artefact a tad too good, I had problems opening the cover without using too much force. I tried another spot and finally the cover softened and with a crack the box was open.

"Here, cheers."

"Thanks." Without looking at it, I took the glass from his hands and nipped. It was hot. It burned my throat. I had to cough. What kind of poison was this? I checked the content of the glass, it was the Csillian variant of whiskey, recognisable on the metallic taste and the blue colour. There had been one bottle among the presents from Csilla. With effort I suppressed the next cough, I had a few moments before the full effect would hit me.

"Excellent quality." I managed to say and visibly he was of the same opinion for he sat on the ground and leaned with closed eyes against the wall. Yes, his system would deal with the side-effects much better than mine.

And indeed, I fell asleep on the spot as soon as I had emptied the beaker.