Alan Foster - The Approaching Storm

"What have you for me?" Though she recognized the voice immediately, the abruptness of it snapping unannounced out of the darkness startled her. "What of the meeting between the visitors and the representatives of the Unity?"

"It went all too well." She did not know the identity of the contact with whom she was speaking, much less his name. She could not even be sure it was a he. None of that mattered. What was important was that he paid handsomely, without delay, and in untraceable credits. "The delegation was mistrustful and skeptical at first. I did my personal best to sow confusion and dissent. But the Jedi are as clever with words as they are with the Force. I'm certain they have convinced that stupid Armalat to vote on their behalf. The others continue to vacillate." She proceeded to describe in detail the rest of the meeting.

"So the Jedi intend to try to persuade the Alwari to allow exploration and development on up to half the traditional nomad prairie lands?" Incredulous laughter echoed from the shadows. "That would be something! They have no chance of doing so, of course."

"I would have thought so, too," she whispered into the gloom, "until I met them for myself and saw how they operate. They are subtle, as well as shrewd."

The voice hesitated before responding. "You don't mean to say you believe they might actually secure such an agreement with the Alwari?"

"I mean to say that these are true Jedi, and I am not qualified to predict what they might or might not accomplish. I can say that I would not bet against them-in anything."

"Jedi are famed as fighters, not talkers," the voice muttered uneasily.

"Is that so?" Kandah recalled more details of the conference. "These Knights and their Padawans are suavity made solid. As for what you say, how many Jedi have you seen in action? Of any kind?"

"Never mind what I have seen or not seen." The voice's owner was clearly irritated, though not with his supplier of infor mation. "I must convey this information to my patron. He will know what to do."

Will he indeed? thought Kandah. Better him than me. All she had to do was deliver a report. She was glad her attempt to frustrate the Jedi's mission did not require that she go any farther.

"Your payment will be deposited in the usual manner." The voice spoke offhandedly, clearly preoccupied with all that the Unity delegate had told him. "As always, your good work is appreciated. When Ansion at last stands outside the Republic and free of its interference, you will receive your just reward. Your unfairly appropriated family estates in Korumdah will be restored to you."

"I am your humble servant," Kandah replied politely. Turning to leave, she hesitated. "What do you think your patron will do to try to stop these Jedi from succeeding in their task, now that the attempt at direct assassination has failed so ignobly?"

No reply was forthcoming from the darkness. Having swirled his dustcape securely around him, Ogomoor had already van ished into the night.

"So the Jedi intend to keep the Unity within the Republic by settling their differences with the Alwari. A bold plan." "Also a stupid one, Your Greatness."

"Is it?" Soergg glanced over from the lounge on which he was relaxing. Outside, one of Ansion's small moons waxed ivory.

"It hasn't a chance of succeeding."

"Hasn't it?"

Sensing that he was rapidly losing argumentative ground, Ogomoor decided to change tactics. "What would you have me do?" He considered. "I could try to bribe one or more of them."

Huge, slitted eyes rolled ceilingward. "Bribe a Jedi! You really are ignorant, aren't you, Ogomoor?"

Swallowing both his suggestion and his pride, the major-domo replied deferentially, "Yes. I would be grateful if you would enlighten your humble servant."

"I will." Generating a disgusting squinching sound, the Hutt rolled onto his right side, the better to regard his employee. "Know this: Jedi cannot be bribed, connived, broken, or swayed from what they believe to be the right and true course of the way. At least, such has been my experience." He spat to one side, and the custodial droid rushed from its resting place to clean up the repulsive gob. "This is a shame, but many truths often are. Therefore, we must deal with them elsewise. Come close, and I will tell you how."

Must I? Ogomoor thought. But there was no more escaping the Hutt's breath than there was his orders.

I am not, Ogomoor reflected as he stood bravely absorbing the full force of that noxious miasma, being paid enough for this.

One of the advantages of living and working on Coruscant was that there were innumerable places to meet, if one did not want to be located. So it was that the little group found themselves in a small drinking establishment of no special reputation in an unfashionable part of Quadrant H-46. In such places, there was less of an immediate need to preserve one's anonymity. In any event, none of them was recognized by the other patrons as they wandered in.

"This places stinks of the working classes," Nemrileo, who hailed from the powerful world of Tanjay, sniffed. "It will hide the smell of treason."

Senator Mousul had to smile. "You talk of committing treason against the treasoners. Don't get your loyalties confused, Nemrileo. Now is not the time."

"You don't have to tell me about time." The man hunched lower over the table. "But this Ansion business is beginning to worry me."

"It should not." Mousul exuded assurance-an easy thing, his questioner mused, since the interests supporting them had promised to back Mousul for the governorship of his entire sector once Ansion and its allies had withdrawn from the Republic. "I am confident that everything is proceeding as planned, and that within a very short time the dominant political force on my world, the Unity of cities and towns, will vote for full withdrawal from the Republic, thus setting in motion all that we hope for."

" 'Everything'?" said an alien female politician whose explo sion of straw-colored fur threatened to burst forth from within her tight-fitting camouflaging suit. "That's not what I hear."

Mousul gestured indifferently. "A minor glitch. Nothing to be concerned about."

"I admire your assurance," the alien female declared. "Not everyone would be so casual upon learning of the arrival on their homeworld of two Jedi, together with their Padawans, in the midst of the most delicate negotiations over secession."

"I told you." Mousul's tone turned darker. "It is being dealt with."

"It had better be," Tarn Uliss, a business associate from An sion, declared. "My people are growing impatient. They are ready to move, have been for some time, and dislike having to wait upon the decision of a bunch of minor sentients from a decidedly minor world."

"The president of the Commerce Guild would not like to hear such talk."

"That's why we called this meeting," muttered the alien fe male politician. "So we could discuss possibilities without her." Her yellow eyes burned into his. "And if you weren't similarly interested, you wouldn't be here now."

The Senator raised a cautioning hand. "I said I would come to listen, and to apprise you of our progress in the Ansion matter.

I make no judgments. But if Shu Mai says we should restrain our interests until Ansion has declared for secession, then I believe we should listen to her."

"Should we?" Another of the group showed by his expression as much as by his words that he felt otherwise. "Can Shu Mai and the Commerce Guild truly be trusted?"

"You haven't met her," Mousul replied. "Be assured that she can. She has all our best interests at heart."

"Does she really?" Nemrileo was not so sure. "From what I've heard, she doesn't have a heart."

"I trust her," announced the female politician seated next to the cynic. "I know her from her work in our quadrant. What I don't trust are my own constituents."