Drew Karpyshyn - Darth Bane 3 - Dinasty of Evil

She wanted to say all this, but she couldn't. She was just a soldier; she wasn't any good with words.

Serra stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her in a long, gentle hug.

"When the king spoke of someone hiring an assassin to avenge Gerran's death, I thought it might be you," she whispered. "Thank you."

And Lucia knew she didn't have to tell the princess all the things she wanted to say. Her friend already knew.

"I think you should tell the king," Lucia said when the princess finally broke off her embrace.

"He'd have you arrested," Serra said with a firm shake of her head. "Or at the very least dismissed from your post. I can't have that. I need you at my side when I go to Coruscant."

"You still plan to speak with the Jedi?" she asked, mildly surprised. "What are you going to tell them?"

"Medd's death was an accident. The king was not involved. That is all they need to know."

Lucia had her doubts, but she knew the princess well enough to realize that arguing the point would be a waste of time. Serra had no intention of turning her in to either the king or the Jedi, But she couldn't just let it go at that.

"I never meant to cause any trouble for you. Or the king. I'm sorry."

"Don't ever apologize for this!" Serra shot back. "Gelba and her followers got exactly what they deserved. My only regret is that I wasn't there to see it myself."

The venom in her words-the raw anger and hatred-caught Lucia off guard. Instinctively, she took a step back, recoiling from her friend. But then Serra smiled, and the awkward moment was gone.

"We need to leave as soon as possible," the princess noted. "It won't do to keep the Council waiting."

"I'll make the arrangements," Lucia replied, though she knew it would be several days before their actual departure. As the princess, it wasn't easy for Serra to simply leave Doan-there were diplomatic protocols and bureaucratic procedures that had to be followed.

"This will all work out," Serra reassured her, coming over to place a comforting hand on Lucia's arm. "Gelba is dead. My husband is avenged. A quick meeting with one of the Jedi Masters and this whole incident will be behind us."

Lucia nodded, but she knew it wouldn't be that simple. This wasn't just going to go away. The death of the Jedi had set in motion a chain of events-one she feared might end very badly for both of them.

The cantina was almost empty at this time of day; the crowds wouldn't start arriving until the late evening. Which was exactly why Darth Bane had arranged this meeting for early afternoon.

His contact-a balding, slightly overweight man of about fifty named Argel Tenn-was already there, seated at a private booth in the back of the establishment. Nobody paid any special attention to the Dark Lord as he crossed the room; everyone here, including Argel, knew him only as Sepp Omek, one of the many wealthy merchants who lived on Ciutric.

Bane sat down in the seat across the table from the other man and summoned a waitress with a discreet wave of his hand. She came over and took their order, then slipped away to leave them to their business. On Ciutric it was common for merchants to make deals in the backs of bars and clubs, and the serving staff knew how to respect the confidentiality of their customers.

"How come we never meet at your estate?" Argel said by way of greeting. "I hear you have one of the best-stocked wine cellars on the planet."

"I'd rather not have my sister learn about our transactions," Bane replied.

Argel chuckled slightly. "I understand completely."

He stopped speaking while the waitress returned and set their drinks on the table, then continued in a quieter voice once she was gone.

"Many of my clients are reluctant to let friends and family know of their interest in the dark side."

Dealing with Argel always left a sour taste in Bane's mouth, but for this there was no one else he could turn to. The portly dealer was the sector's leading procurer of banned Sith manuscripts; he had built a small fortune by discreetly seeking them out, purchasing them, and delivering them in person to his clients while keeping their names from ever being linked to the transaction.

Of course most of his clients were nothing but collectors or Sith fetishists who simply longed to possess a work that had been officially banned by the Jedi Council. They had no real understanding of the dark side or its power. They bought and sold the manuscripts in blissful ignorance, unaware of what they were truly dealing with.

This, more than anything, was what brought the bile to Bane's throat each time he met with Argel. The man portrayed himself as an expert in the dark side. He bartered and traded the secrets of the ancient Sith like cheap rugs at an open-air bazaar. It galled Bane to think of what treasures had passed through his hands into the possession of those too weak and common to ever make use of them.

He had occasionally fantasized about revealing his true identity to Argel, just to see his terrified reaction. Bane wanted to watch him grovel, begging for mercy at the feet of a real Sith. But petty revenge against an insignificant speck of a man was beneath him. Argel was useful, and so Bane would continue to play the part of a Sith-obsessed merchant.

"I hope you were able to find what I was looking for," he muttered. "The details you provided were rather vague."

"I promise you this, Sepp," the other man replied with a cunning smile. "You will not be disappointed.

"But you have no idea how hard this was," Argel added, throwing in an exaggerated sigh. "What you're after is illegal. Banned by the Jedi Council."

"Everything you deal in is banned by the Jedi Council."

"This was different. I'd never even heard the name Darth Andeddu before. None of my suppliers had. I had to go outside the normal channels. But I came through, like I always do in the end."

Bane scowled. "I trust you were careful. I wouldn't want word of this to make its way back to the Jedi."

Argel laughed. "What's the matter, Sepp? Some of your business practices not quite on the up-and-up? Afraid the Council will come after you for cheating on your taxes?"

"Something like that."

"Don't worry, nobody will ever know you were involved. I only brought it up because I may have to renegotiate our original price."

"We had a deal."

"Now, now-you know my initial quote is only an estimate," Argel reminded him. "I had to outlay triple my normal expenses to track this particular item down.

"But I'm willing to give you a bargain and only charge you double my original offer."

Bane gritted his teeth, knowing his hopes of a quick end to their conversation would remain unfulfilled. He had the funds to simply pay, of course. But this would arouse suspicion. He had a role to play: that of a savvy merchant. If he didn't negotiate down to the last credit, it would seem strange.

"I'll give you a ten percent bonus. Nothing more."

For the next twenty minutes they haggled back and forth, finally settling on 40 percent above the starting price.

"A pleasure doing business with you, as always," Argel said once payment was agreed upon.

From inside his vest he produced a long, thin tube roughly thirty centimeters long. The tube was sealed at one end, and the other was capped with a tightly screwed-on lid.

"If the item proves unsatisfactory," he noted as he handed it over, "I will be happy to take it back and return your funds:less a reasonable commission of course."

"I highly doubt that will be necessary," Bane replied as he wrapped his fingers tightly around the tube.

With the transaction complete there was no point in staying at the cantina. Bane was eager to open his prize, but he resisted until he was safely back inside the privacy of the library annex on his personal estate. There, beneath the pale glow of the lonely overhead light, he carefully unscrewed the lid. He tipped the tube, allowing the single sheaf of paper rolled up inside to slide out.