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Chapter Thirty Five Slowly
gliding into the landing area of the remote base, The Burn fires off its
repulsor jets and positions itself above the assigned platform.
In an unusual move, Toman Higaeri has gone up to meet his newest arrival
at hidden facility. Seeing
the canopy open and the young woman jumping out of the cockpit surprises Toman,
who never expected Reklaw to be far from his own ship.
“Meesahran, my child, you have certainly developed into quite the
persuasive creature. Or did you
finally beat the Corellian in Sabacc and take him for all he was worth.”
Upon reaching the young woman and the ship, Toman puts his arms around
Meesahran as he speaks. “Naw,
I just told him I needed to see you alone, and he bought it.
After all, I did study under your instruction for a great many years.
Some of that silver tongue devilishness of yours was bound to rub off.”
Returning his embrace, Meesahran also returns his playful behavior. Pointing
to a door, just off of the platform, “Perhaps, we should adjourn the remainder
of this discussion to my office?” Meesahran
takes his lead and follows him into the doorway. “Mees,
I’ve already put into motion all of the things that the Mystic had asked for.
The Commander and I have settled our differences and have been working
closely on this operation.” Toman pours a dark-colored liquor from the
decanter on his desk into two glasses. “I’ve
hired a very reputable contractor to handle the job, and his loyalties to a
member of your group will keep him honest.”
Handing the young woman one of the glasses, he then sits back in his
chair. “Someone
in my group? What are you talking
about, Toman?” Holding onto the
glass until she receives her answer. “Why
Reklaw, of course. . . He was once partnered with the man of whom I speak, back in
Jaquillen’s organization.” Raising
his glass in a gesture of toasting. “May
all of our endeavors proceed with safety and prosperity.”
Waiting for the young woman to mirror his movements, and upon her raising
the glass he utters the final word, “Slavana!”
No self respecting Chandrillan would toast without giving onus to the
world of their birth. “Slavana!”
Meesahran takes a drink from her glass, savoring the crisp taste of the
whiskey, she gives Toman a nod. “Excellent
choice. I believe that one day,
Whyrren’s Reserve will be the toast of Corellian culture.
Master Whyrren has such a talent for good whiskey.”
She drains the last of the liquor from her glass, “But on to business.
Reklaw is no longer part of the equation. He’s an investigator, not an idealist. What we have to do is just not in his nature…”
Staring into the now empty glass, Meesahran grows very quiet. “You
sound disappointed, my child. Had
hopes that he would give up his ridiculous quest and join you and the Mystic on
noble adventures across the galaxy, did you?”
Reaching over to refill the young woman’s glass, but finding her hand
over the top instead. “No
thanks, Toman, talking with you requires a clear head…
Now as for the other matter, we have discovered some very interesting
facts concerning these attacks…” Sensing that any further delay might cause
Toman Higaeri to explode with anticipation, Messahran continues.
“Have you done something to tick off the Kuati’s lately?
Or should I say, something more than normal?” “Not
that I can recall, but we always seem to have tousles with the Kuati Shipping
League. However, doing business
with Tryashoenu guarantees that particular problem.
Do you think they have something to do with this mess?”
Toman sits back in his chair, trying to mull over the possibilities. “They’re
involved, but they can’t be the source.”
Meesahran hands over the datacard containing the findings from her
investigation, “I smell a vrelt in the aviary, and an awfully well connected
vrelt to boot. Bounty hunters,
hidden tech advancements, slicers (top-notch slicers), equipment, personnel,
timing and financing coming together for the Kuati’s alone; I just don’t see
it that way. I’ve tracked some
slicer activity to Coronet City, but then it gets so lost in the randomizer that
I can’t find my way past that block. It’s
obvious that someone in the Corellian Sector has their fingers in the rhyscate
batter. And it has to be someone
that can make some serious connections work with the Kuati Elite. . . I have traced some bounty hunters straight to her iciness,
Mistress Valyr Shesh.” Meesahran
pauses following her revelation to Toman in order to let her words sink into the
mind of her former mentor. “Yes,
and who more than the Kuati’s would like to see shipping into and out of
Chandrila destroyed, or at least crippled.”
Rubbing his hand across his bearded chin, “Hey, you said something
about hiding advanced tech stuff? What’s that about?” Mees
chuckles a bit to herself and then pulls out a small satchel from her tattered
jacket, “I knew you’d catch on to that one in a hurry.”
Tossing him the small flat satchel, “Here, give this to your techs.
I’m sure they’ll find it terribly useful on some of those Kuati
vessels you got in operation. And
if they’re worth what you’re paying ‘em, they’ll use the same principles
to improve the hyperdrives on the rest of your fleet.” Toman
immediately opens the satchel and leafs through the schematics.
A devilish smile quickly begins to spread across his broad face,
“Meesahran, as always, delivering not only what I ask, but some additional
surprises as well… These will be most helpful.” “Good,
I want you to get your fleet retrofitted to those specs right away.
I have the strangest feeling that the entire Core is about to be split
wide open, and fast ships are gonna to be the only way to finagle out of the
mess that is definitely on the horizon.” Getting
up from her seat, Meesahran moves towards the door, “Oh, and just so you
don’t get any delusions of grandeur, Commander Orian is getting those
schematics AND the mechanic who wrote them up in the first place.” Toman
frowns and responds, “Please Mees, we’re friends now, I would never try to
use this against my dear friend Silvas.”
His wink is met with a laugh from the young woman as she strides out the
door. Seeing
the fighter craft rise from the landing platform, Toman Higaeri thinks about the
information that the young woman has just handed him.
Someone or someones are making a power play.
And I wonder who that could be? “Stay
safe, my girl. I wouldn’t want
any of those people meeting up with you anytime soon.
Far too many possibilities.” Bringing
his hand up to his chin once more, Toman triggers the comlink in his hand,
“Get Traygar and the slicer, and have them meet me in Coronet City.
We’ve got some work to do… Oh yeah, and get me the head tech here on
Echo Station, I have a job for him.” A
smirk comes to Toman’s face, “And have my ship ready to depart as soon as I
am done with the tech.” “Got
it chief.” Turning
back towards the base, Toman nearly skips into his office with all of the
excitement going on around him, he just knows that there is money to made
somewhere. There is always money
to made in the right kind of information.
Creator: PtrsonsZOO (Jennifer)
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