Eras used Grax's comlink and was led to a speeder bike close by. Punching in the relayed coordinates, he fired up the engines and hit the thrusters. Careful not to draw attention, Eras made his way directly to the secret location.
He found himself standing in front of an abandoned market of the Silo, yet there was a feeling of energy and liveliness that was unmistakable. Scanning the area with his helmet, he located a narrow passageway adjacent to what must have been the central warehouse. Two sentries stood guard in front of a solid durasteel door at the end of the passage.
"You are late, Grax.", growled one of the guards.
"Be careful. The Boss is in one of his moods.", warned the other.
Eras nodded and was allowed through. Even with the filtration system in his helmet, Eras's senses became alert by the intoxicating scent of havao t'bac laced with sansanna spice. The corridor opened up to a large room with a massive table at its center. It was surrounded by gang members, some of which Eras recognized.
The room was clouded in a haze from the smoke of their cigarras. Seeing the Emente bartender motioning him to a chair beside him, Eras took a seat. There was a large chair at the head of the table which Eras could only guess belonged to "the Boss", as its occupant faced silently away from the rest of the members present.
Two underlings were arguing. "Our allegiance to the White Worm is not the issue. We cannot continue to expand our operations until we solve the dilemma of the Bondman's Guild!", one man shouted across the table.
"More excuses! Just have them taken care of as we have always done. That is what the last Boss did.", responded the other.
All descended into pandemonium as accusations and insults flew. The deafening blast from a disruptor, accompanied by the second man's partially-vapourized carcass crashing down onto the table in a flurry of smoldering tissue, silenced the room. Eras froze as his eyes moved from the smoking barrel of the "Boss's" weapon, to the face of the dead man's executioner.
It was Rab. He glared at each member individually. Eras stared fiercely as the gang leader's eyes focused on him momentarily and moved on to the next. "There is a very good reason the last Boss is no longer with us…", he said in a way that dared them to give him a reason to use his blaster again. "...The Empire has begun sending more and more 'hired guns' to get rid of any resistance, as well as bring operations like ours to heel. Simply killing each bounty hunter that comes after us will not suffice anymore. The Empire's endless funds can keep the Bondman's Guild in business long after we have exhausted our own resources. We need a new strategy…and I think I have just the thing."
The gang members exchanged uneasy glances. "Bring him!", commanded Rab to the guards standing at the back of the room. They walked towards the gang leader, dragging an old bounty hunter behind them. The hunter's anguished groans reverberated off the walls, casting a haunting echo that sent a shiver down the spines of all present. Rab's twisted grin stretched across his face, a malevolent expression reminiscent of the same cruel satisfaction he had shown while ordering Eras's merciless beating.
"We have to be smarter if we are to deal with the Bondman's Guild. We need to infiltrate their network, weaken their ties, and exploit their vulnerabilities. Grax, would you join us?", the gang leader asked with a sinister tone.
Eras froze in his chair. Panic began to build within as all eyes centered on him. He slowly stood up and walked to the head of the table.
"Pay attention, everyone," Rab barked, his voice laden with malice. "I am going to let you all in on a little secret. Grax here is a Shi'ido with an exceptional talent…He is a Changeling." He motioned toward the disguised Eras, his eyes gleaming. "My plan is simple. Suppose Grax were to assume the form of one of the Guild's key operatives and gain access to their inner circle…", Rab paused to see if his cohorts understood where he was going with this line of thinking. "...We COULD cripple them from within, OR…we could use Grax's talents to our benefit. Imagine using the Guild's intel and resources provided by the Empire to destabilize and eliminate our rivals. Corellia could be ours."
Eras had to hand it to Rab. The plan was bold, if not insane. A raspy chuckle came from the floor. The bounty hunter, with his eyes almost swollen shut from the intense torture he had endured, smiled in amusement.
"You have more information to divulge?", sneered Rab.
"It will never work.", the prisoner wheezed. Barely hanging onto consciousness, he struggled to speak, "I was only hired…to find you. The Guild...knows you are here."
The bounty hunter began to laugh as he turned his head to the side, revealing a tiny tracker hidden behind his ear. Rab's eyes widened in realization, a mixture of rage and terror crossing his face. "They have been tracking us!"
Before anyone could react, the warehouse doors blew apart with a thunderous explosion. Several bounty hunters stormed in, blaster rifles raised. Chaos erupted as the gang members scrambled for cover, shouts and blaster fire echoing through the room.
Rab barked orders at his cohorts, "Defend the perimeter! Don't let them corner us!"
The bounty hunters advanced relentlessly, firing upon the gang members who fought back fiercely, their blasters lighting up the room with vibrant energy bolts. At some point, an explosive device thrown in the fray detonated, sending shockwaves through the warehouse. Debris flew in all directions, engulfing the area in smoke and flames…