Half an hour later, Jali and Xhen left an airtaxi and walked for a few blocks. They had left Eastport and were in the harsher environs of one Coruscant's industrial sectors.
Jali could feel the heat on his face as they walked, several times he wiped his brow free of sweat and he could feel more running down the back of his neck and down his spine. Was he doing the right thing? Handing himself over like this? It was what Nuada would have wanted, wasn't it? Jali knew he was either being very brave or very foolish by doing this.
One thing was for sure, this wasn't about Lucen Vertey's killer anymore. He'd done that, Xhen was a murderer, but he had been forced into his role in a similar way that Tira had been. Nuada had played on their weaknesses, making them act out of sheer desperation.
And it wasn't even about Antiene's investigation about the illegal weapons anymore, as that was only one thread of many that led to the centre. And that, Jali hoped, was where he was going right now, the centre of everything to stop things like this from happening.
Just as they passed an electrical grid a long black airspeeder slowed to a stop next to them. The doors opened and out jumped two burly Klatooinians, the seized Jali and forced him into the speeder. A third figure, an eyeless human in a dark suit, emerged and spoke with Xhen.
"You've done better than I thought you would," Nuada Vekstar said to him. "You can go now, we'll be in touch."
"But, I thought you…" Xhen faltered.
"You can go now," Nuada repeated.
Xhen didn't protest twice.
Soon enough, Jali was sitting between the two thugs with Nuada sitting across from him. The speeder raced through the deserted streets before taking to the air.
"Did you really have to come all this way just to pick me up, Nuada?" Jali asked impatiently.
The Miralukan made an impatient gesture. "Good to see you still have manners, Dawler." He smiled. "There's something I've been waiting to give you."
He signalled to the Klatooinians. The first one punched Jali in the groin, the second hit him in the stomach. As Jali collapsed in pain, Nuada continued talking. "Now, I know what it is that you're doing," he said calmly. "And seeing as you won't stop, I thought it was time we had a talk." He paused for a few minutes. "You never stop, do you Dawler? It doesn't matter who tells you."
"It's not like that," Jali groaned, "but you're not going to make me."
Nuada leaned forward and grabbed Jali's collar. "Whatever your course is, the plots you put there go right in my direction!" he shouted. "You think I like talking to scum like you? Bah!"
"Perhaps it makes you feel more comfortable," rasped Jali, his air rapidly running out through Nuada's grip.
The Miralukan threw Jali back, Jali collapsed in his seat and gasped for air. "So," Nuada continued, "since you won't listen to what's good for you, I'll take you to meet some friends of mine."
"Aurek?" This was what Jali had been hoping for.
Nuada laughed out loud. "Someone sure keeps you up to speed, Dawler," he sneered. "You probably won't get to see Aurek, not unless you're very lucky." He took out a black cigarette case and opened it. He lit one for himself then offered the case to Jali.
Jali shook his head. "You take the first draw," he said.
Nuada smiled again, removed the cigarette from his mouth and lit another. After a quick inhale he passed it on to Jali. "You know, Dawler," he said casually as he put his own cigarette back in his mouth, "I reckon you're smarter than I gave you credit for." He inhaled deeply. "And that's not a compliment."
--
The windows were tinted, so Jali couldn't be sure where they were going. And even if they weren't, the Klatooinians wouldn't let him move. Before long the speeder was in darkness, as if they had gone into a tunnel. The speeder then slowed and came to a stop. Someone outside opened the door and Nuada got out first, there was a moment's conversation and then the Klatooinians pulled Jali out. Jali hung between his two captors, unable to move.
Nuada waved over a Weequay wearing a battered red helmet. "Search him," he parked, pointing to Jali.
The Weequay relieved Jali of his blaster, wallet, datapad and comlink; the last two were smashed against a metal column to render them inoperable. The broken comlink didn't matter so much now to Jali as he was sure to have been tracked this far.
Now, it was up to him to find out what he could, and stay alive.
But a moment later, Nuada pointed a blaster in Jali's face. He stared up the barrel into Nuada's eyeless visage. Perhaps, he had been wrong. Perhaps he had underestimated Nuada and this was where it all ended.
Nuada seemed to recognise the expression. "No, not that, not yet." He adjusted the setting and fired.