Chapter 13: The Dealer
"You have my sincerest apologies, Mister Cooper, but…I'm afraid that there is nothing that we can do."
Jas Dar Bynn frowned. He shouldn't have been surprised, he knew going in that this would not be easy, but still…still…
It was not easy to hold his temper in check.
They were currently standing in the offices of one of the tec-dealers, a slenderly built human male with pasty pale skin and a suit worth more than most people on the smuggler's moon made in a year.
The type of man he was used to dealing with, but at the same time, such dealings always left him with a bad taste in his mouth…
…always.
It had not been hard to get an appointment, as the number two in the Cooper/Halcyon organization, the tec-dealers were more than willing to speak with him, once again, his identity as Jaster Cooper came in handy.
Sadly, not handy enough, he thought morosely.
The man was not willing to speak it seemed…
…not good.
This one…he specialized in the buying and selling of genetic modifications and technology related to such alterations, in short…he was the man that someone like Targo Sei would have to deal with if he was going to use the tec-dealers to sell Val.
And he says that he can do nothing, Jas thought…
…he says he can do nothing.
That was not what Jas had wanted to hear, no…it was not what he had wanted to hear at all.
The question was now, how far was he willing to go to get what they needed.
How far?
"You do know how this business is handled, I trust," the man continued, I can't divulge any information regarding any seller or buyer currently working with us, the giving out of such information is extremely bad for business.
Right, Jas thought.
Fortunately, he had other options when it came to making people talk…he could…
"Are you so certain, sir," Vess asked from her place at his side, the young queen had insisted that she be allowed to join him, she had as big as stake as he did in seeing Val brought home safely, he had allowed it, but at the same time, there had been something in her voice, something that suggested that she wouldn't have taken no for an answer if he had tried to block her.
Again, the tec-dealer looked at her, that humble smile on his face.
"I'm sorry, milady," he repeated, "But I'm afraid there is nothing I can do, we cannot reveal anything about our clients and those that seek to do business with them, it is simply…not done."
She frowned, her own temper spiking, but held in check, her resolve, and strength of will continued to impress Jas. Vess was not simply some spoiled young noble.
She was something…amazing.
Again, he sensed Vess' strength through the Force, that iron will he had first felt when they had met all those years ago, when she had been a child trapped in an alley, trapped and trying to protect someone she thought was her friend.
She certainly has come into her own, he had to admit that, all that she could have been, all that potential had been realized, he could feel it so strongly now, it was like light being generated by a star, and was just as undeniable.
No one could doubt she was a queen in the making, give her a high place from which to speak, and she would inspire others with her will and words, he was sure of it.
Val, if she were here, would have been very proud.
It was to Val that his thoughts turned, what she wanted, and hoped for in her young charge.
He would do what he could for her, make sure that she reached her home, and her crown, it is what Char Valenthyne would have wanted.
He just wanted to make sure that Val was at their side when they made that move, she deserved to be there.
She would be there.
IOI
He and Vess had been allowed in alone, the tec-dealers were not fools; Jas and his group had been flagged the moment they came within a hundred paces of this tower.
The group had entered the lobby to find a full battalion of combat droids backed up by auto-turrets on standby. The droid receptionist at the front desk had been polite, but it was clear that so many armed individuals would not be meeting with anyone of importance in the tower today.
Jas had played it safe, he introduced himself as Jaster Cooper of the Cooper/Halcyon organization, and asked to speak with someone about the purchase of military grade genetic mods, the kind of person that Targo would need to speak with if he was to put Val and her enhancements on the market.
The reception droid, a slender pink and white protocol model with a female voice arranged the meeting. As they waited Jas took stock of their surroundings, mainly the defenses that the dealers had brought out to meet them. The security seemed mainly focused on Fallenstar, the Whiphid, and the two Mandalorians, not surprising given their history. Fallenstar was a known commodity in bounty hunter circles, V'Lek's people were known for violence, and the history of the children of Mandalore spoke for itself.
As for the office itself, it was brightly lit and clean to the point of being sterile, it certainly didn't look like the other structures here on Nar Shadda. Such offices would be common place in the core worlds, places like Corellia and Coruscant.
But that was part of the veneer that the tec-dealers needed to maintain, the people that they worked with were highly placed, and in need of what they were selling; most of these clients weren't criminals, but scientists and businessmen looking for an edge over their competition. Seeing a place like this, going here and buying and selling in a place like this hid the fact that they were working with forces which were…not exactly on the fully legal side of the fence.
Jas understood that completely, he and Coop had needed to maintain a similar veneer when working with the rich and powerful.
Criminals with a small "C" as he often referred to himself and his organization, it made it easier for the wealthy to feel no shame in working with them…
…for those who worried about such things. There were those in power that didn't care who they dealt with, places like Nar Shadda served them better than others.
Before taking off for their meeting, Jas had pulled Fallenstar aside, the two of them discussed what would happen next.
"No funny business," Jas ordered, "Keep the others calm until we get back. We'll signal you if you're needed."
"What type of signal?" Miri asked.
"You won't be able to miss it," he replied.
Fallenstar grinned, that slightly unhinged smile that worried him sometimes.
You can trust her, he reminded himself, and if things do go sideways, you will need her to be a little unhinged.
He tried to take comfort in that thought, it was a small comfort, but…what else could he do?
The die was cast, now they had to deal with the consequences.
Another reception droid approached from a turbo-lift, waving Jas and Vess forward, the two had needed to pass through two weapons scanners before being allowed in, and they had both been required to turn over their blasters.
Neither Jas nor Vess said anything about it, it was the tec-dealers' place and therefore, their rules. He did note however that the weapon scanner didn't pick up his lightsaber, the weapon remained sheathed in his wrist-holster.
Interesting, he thought, he didn't bother to correct the situation.
The weapon might come in handy later.
The droid said nothing as they entered the lift, it clicked and whirred softly to itself, paying the two guests no mind.
Vess pulled down her scarf, revealing some of her hidden features.
"Do you think that Val is here?" she asked, "Do you think these people have her?"
Jas reached out with the Force, trying to get a sense of what they might expect.
He sensed nothing of Val, not even a whisper of her presence; even if she was still in stasis, he should have felt something, at least, he thought he would.
He shook his head no.
"Val is not here," he murmured, "If the tec-dealers have her, they may have moved her to a secondary location, or they might simply be acting as go-betweens on this deal, Targo Sei might simply be in contact with them."
Vess' expression remained guarded, but he could feel her worry, and her anger, anger at Targo Sei, the tec-dealers, and perhaps the entire galaxy.
Jas gave her a concerned look.
Vessaria had been through so much, it would not be hard to imagine her becoming jaded by all that she had experienced, any sense of joy she found in life turning to bitterness and hate.
He wouldn't let that happen, not if he could help it.
He owed Val that much.
"We will find her," he promised the young queen, "I won't stop until we bring her home safe."
Vess blinked and looked at him, her blue eyes both warm, but at the same time…questioning.
"You care a lot about Val, don't you, Mister Jas?"
"We both do," he replied.
She nodded and fell silent again, but he felt…something.
A twinge of…possessiveness, bordering on jealousy; both of those emotions directed at Val.
Jas wasn't sure how to respond to that, he was not even sure if he should.
Vess…he…
He shook his head.
They didn't have time for this now.
There was no competition going on between the two, he wished that Vess could see that.
Val had suggested once that he seek to properly court Vess. She believed him the best possible suitor for the young girl. Despite almost a seven-year age difference, Char Valenthyne believed that he would be a good match, not only for her queen, but also for their world as well.
Jas was not sure if he agreed.
He had spent enough time around Vess to know that he cared about her, she wasn't the little girl he had met all those years ago. She had grown into a woman, a woman with her own wants and desires.
She looked upon him with favor, but at the same time, he was not sure how much of that was an idolized version of him, and how much she really knew about him. If she truly understood what type of man he was.
He doubted his worthiness, but it was more than that.
Vess …she had her whole life ahead of her, he would always be pulled this way and that by the will of the Force, he may not have been a full Jedi, but he understood the code.
He wasn't sure how he could overcome that. Plus, he didn't like that he inspired jealousy between Val and Vess, he cared for both, just…he was not sure exactly what final form that caring would take.
Had he been smart, he would have stepped away from this, left Val and Vess to the will of the Force, let them find mates that would be able to be with them, love them as they deserved to be loved.
He had a place in this galaxy, and it didn't include him taking up the role of lover, husband, or father…
He knew that much, it was too…complicated, much like the will of the Force itself.
He knew he should have left the whole thing alone, but at the same time, he couldn't shake the vision he had had on Alderaan, him as a husband and a father, a possible future that remained…possible.
Attachment…it wasn't the Jedi way, but he couldn't escape the fact that he felt it, and he regretted that he felt it.
He feared that he would ruin the lives of two women, two women he cared a great deal for.
Yet, he saw no good way out of it.
Overhead the turbolifts dinged, and the doors slid open, reveal the large and spacious office of their host, the tec-dealer that had agreed to speak with them.
The two entered.
The office was wide open, and as large as a shock ball court. It contained no furniture, only the desk and chair where their host sat. Considering how crowded and cluttered the streets were below, the sight struck Jas as being both excessive and at the same time…extravagant; a fact likely not lost on the tec dealers, another example of their wealth and power.
Space is a commodity here, to show it so openly, suggests just how much power the dealers wield.
They would need to be careful in their dealings here; he, and Vess, both.
Their host rose as they entered, a smile of greetings on his face.
"Welcome gentle beings," the small human called out, "please approach."
Vess stopped them for a moment with her hand, blocking their advance, pausing. Jas might have been wrong, but she seemed to be counting under her breath, he wasn't sure why, but…
Finally, the girl smiled and gestured him forward.
Jas wasn't sure why, but he found out quickly.
It started the moment that the man refused to tell them anything about Val and Targo, anything they might know about the two, and any deal that may have been struck.
It started when Vess pulled a small holdout blaster out of her sleeve and put it to the head of the tec-dealer. She had moved so quickly that even he had been caught off guard.
Jas had been surprised to say the least.
The tec-dealer even more so.
Vessaria smiled coldly at him.
"Now," she said in a silky cruel voice.
"Let's talk business."
IOI
The tec dealer's eyes widened, he had thought himself safe, he had thought he had nothing to worry about.
He was…wrong.
"Milady," he stammered, "I…I don't…how?"
Jas said nothing, he could have ordered her to put the blaster away, but he found himself as curious as their host at that moment.
They had passed through a weapons scanner after all. Vess shouldn't have been able to do that. Getting a blaster unnoticed into this office…impressive.
The only questions was…
…How?
"Keep your hands on the desk," Vess ordered, "No sudden moves, please."
The dealer obeyed…wisely.
"There is no reason for this, milady. I'm simply a humble business man."
"Really," Vess replied, she glanced up at the ceiling, nodding slightly as she noticed several large cylinders mounted above them. Jas recognized what they were, and so did Vess.
The girl never lost her cold smile.
"I suppose you are wondering right now why your auto-turrets haven't switched on yet, and likely wondering how I managed to arrive so armed?"
The girl shrugged.
"You would be surprised what you learn when you were raised as I was."
"Vess," Jas said in a slightly warning tone, "What are you doing?"
"Getting answers."
"You sure this is the right call?"
"He isn't trying to dismiss us now, is he?"
Jas frowned, he…he was still trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing.
He had sensed no hostility in Vess. He hadn't even known she had been able to beat the weapons scanners.
He didn't make any sudden moves, Vess seemed in control, but he thought it safe not to test that theory.
He would rather the girl not become a murderer, he doubted that Val would approve.
For his part, the tec dealer wasn't panicking, at least not visibly.
"Killing me will gain you nothing, milady," he said in cool and even voice, "All you will do is make an enemy of my company and our allies.
"Maybe," she replied, "But you won't be alive to see it, so it will be no comfort at all, not for you anyway."
She dug the blaster deeper into his temple.
"Vess," Jas warned.
"Please let me handle this, Mister Jas," she said.
"If I'm killed, you will not get out of this office alive," their host informed them, "by now security has been alerted to what is going on, we have holo-cams in every office and…"
Vess sat a small device on the dealer's desk, a small red light flashed on and off on its end.
Seeing it, the dealer fell silent.
Vess never stopped smiling.
"You recognize it, don't you?"
The man nodded.
"What is it?" Jas asked her.
"A recording unit," she informed him, "I had it running when we entered, recorded us speaking civilly, this device locks onto any holo signals in fifty-foot radius, locks on, and overrides any other signal nearby. It has been broadcasting since we entered, anyone, or any droid, watching those cams simply sees a looped image of us talking."
She leaned in closer.
"If I kill you, no one will know, not until after we've downloaded all your computer files and we are safely gone."
Jas pursed his lips.
He knew such things existed but…
Where in the name of the Force had Vess got her hands on such a device?
"So," she said, addressing the tec-dealer again, "We both know that I can kill you. Please note that I don't want to. I simply want to know about any deals you might have made involving selling a sworn protector of Bantoon."
The girl's gaze turned colder.
"On Bantoon, stealing from a noble is a capital offense, the courts drown people for that, them and any who aid them. I don't have time to see you drowned, so a blaster bolt will serve just as well."
If the dealer was frightened, he kept it under control, but Jas could sense a slight shift in the man, a sense of panic at the edge of calm, it had not taken hold, yet, but it was there.
Again, he tried to talk his way out of this.
"Our clients depend on our discretion, milady," the dealer said, he was sweating, but had not resulted to crying or begging.
Jas suspected that this was not the first time he had been threatened by a weapon.
"To break such discretion, it is bad for business," he added, "I'm sure you understand."
"Oh, I do," she hissed, her finger tightening on the firing stud.
She was there, Jas realized, she was ready to kill and…
He stepped forward.
"This is about business," he said quickly, "So let us negotiate, you can't give us any details, fine, let us discuss what you can tell us."
Both the dealer and Vess paused.
The man smiled.
"I'm willing to speak if the young lady is willing to listen."
Jas glanced at Vess, he was not sure he would be able to save the man's life if it came to him needing to, the blaster was too close, and he doubted that Vess' will was weak enough for him to order her to stand down using the Force.
"I'm listening," she said, her blaster shifting, now drifting lower and to the left; now it was aimed at the base of the man's skull.
"Has anyone tried to sell a sworn protector of Bantoon to you?" Jas asked.
"For a direct sale, no," the dealer answered.
"Yet, you were contacted?" Jas added.
The man nodded.
"We were asked to act as a go-between. A seller contacted us, asked if we could find a buyer for some merchandise containing advanced Bantoon military mods."
"The seller's name?" Vess demanded.
"No name," the dealer answered, "all contact was done through one of our drop points, it is safer that way, one can't be betrayed if one does not know who has the merchandise or where it might be stored."
Jas listened, and nodded.
He sensed no deception; the man was not lying.
"Did you find a buyer?" Jas asked.
"A client was interested in what we had posted. Again, no names were exchanged; all communications were handled through one of our drop sites. We sent the information package to the seller, how they could contact the buyer, and we were paid for our services, that was the end of our involvement."
The dealer sighed.
It was a shame really, there are many in the galaxy curious about Bantoon military mods, we have heard many things, curious things."
Jas nodded, again, he sensed no deception.
The man had told them nothing, but had also told them much, unless another sworn protector had been kidnapped, it was a lead that they could not ignore."
"How much did you earn on this deal?" Vess asked.
The man quoted a number. It was high, but not what Jas would have expected for setting up such a deal.
"Was this paid by the buyer or the seller?"
"An added-up sum of both, as I said, we were mere go-betweens in this deal."
Vess nodded, she didn't move her blaster, but she did shift it slightly away.
"How would you like to make double that, with a small bonus provided we like what you have to sell?"
"Are you trying to bribe me, milady?" the dealer asked.
"Merely offer a donation," she answered, "For any trouble we might have caused you today. Point us where we need to go, and we will be generous, no details, no names, just a simple sharing of general knowledge."
"Nothing that your clients need to be concerned with," Jas added, though he was not sure how Vess intended to pay the man.
She could contact House Rist he supposed, but still…
The dealer, despite still having a weapon to his head, seemed to be considering the offer.
"I will need to inform the client of this breach," he said, "It is expected of us."
"Of course," Jas said, "We have no desire to hurt your business, inform away, but we would ask for you to…wait before making that call; a few hours at least.
"That…may be possible," the dealer replied.
Vess stepped back her weapon no longer centered on the man's skull.
"The bonus I mentioned, it will be released after the agreed upon hours, into your private account, if you desire, payment for any trouble, or inconvenience, we have caused you during this meeting."
The tension in the dealer's back faded, now that he no longer had a blaster pointed at his skull, the man seemed to be settling back into his role as a businessman.
The shift surprised Jas.
He had to admit, he assumed the man a mere office jockey, that was clearly not the case.
The man did have some toughness.
The dealer rubbed the back of his head, as he admired the device that Vess had used to break his security. His expression was hungry.
"I don't suppose you would be willing to sell the schematics for that?" he asked Vess.
"Sorry, family secret."
"Very well," the man said, accessing his computer. "I guess our slicing department will need to look into it later."
He entered a few commands, downloading information to his data-pad. He looked up at his two guests.
"I can give you the location of our drop point, and the date that the negotiations took place, for ones so skilled, you should be able to find what you are looking for quickly. I will give you five hours, that is the best that I can do, given our reputation, I hope you understand?"
Vess glanced at Jas, who nodded.
It should be enough, given the people, and skill they had with them.
He handed Vess a data-pad.
"This is the account that will need to be credited, once that is done, I will provide you with the location of the drop box, from there, you should be able trace the buyer. I can't say if the deal has been settled yet, but…"
"It will be enough," Jas said with a nod.
"Thank you," Vess added, her blaster once again vanished inside her cloak, she transferred the funds as the dealer, requested, and helped him set up the bonus she had offered, payable provided that no one knew about this arrangement before the given time.
The man could pass the data on through other channels, Jas supposed, but he didn't think the man would do it.
The money that Vess was paying was more than the dealers could get from either their buyer or their seller. Plus, if they informed on them, they would have to explain to their clients what had happened.
The dealers would not want that.
Jas suspected that their discretion was more valuable right now than any credits they might make from such a betrayal.
"We shall be leaving now," Jas said with a slight bow, "Thank you for your time, sir."
"Yes," Vess added, "Thank you for being…agreeable."
The dealer smiled and settled back in his chair, relaxed again, or perhaps simply pleased by the numbers that had recently been added to their accounts.
"Thank you for doing business," he said warmly, "Remember, when it comes to your technical needs, we are always here to provide what is needed."
Jas nodded.
That was clear, he thought as he ushered Vess out of the office, not looking forward to the conversation they would have later about how she had chosen to handle this. Why had she not let him in on what she had planned to do; It had worked but…
Jas sighed.
Vess was not the little girl he had known anymore. She was something else…something far less innocent…
He was not sure how he felt about that.
No, he was not sure at all.