"My most honourable and generous masters of Besberra" "
Her body curled into an elegant bow, hands splayed up as if presenting the crime lords with invisible offerings.
"I stand befoire you in good faith, unarmed, alone, in peace." She spoke gravely "I have come to you to discuss new agreements of trade for our mutual benefit." "For the trade of information, flesh and spice for against protection, materials and weapons. Among other agreements."
One of the Besberra Five, a crocodilian in flexible armour, nodded and grunted.
"
We are glad to hear of the Sith's willingness to work with trusted partners."
His colleague, a cyborg more droid than human, flexed her mechanical arms, embroidered in chrome and faded paint, added bluntly:
"
Do not expect us to discuss from a position of weakness. We can be partners, not slaves."
Giloen did not catch Ophidia's silent reply, though the Duros beside him snickered softly, turning the executive's head:
"
Load of good her word is worth when it comes to this lot," he muttered, his eyes never taken off calculator in his hands as he tapped something into it.
Against his better judgement, Giloen quietly asked the Duros what he meant, his words drowned out by the chattering that followed the lifting of the hushed silence after the Five's tacit hospitality. Someone called the meeting to order and one of the Five began to start the discussion about something important, but Giloen's attention was on the Duros:
"
Oh nothing, just that syndicates are as syndicates will. Those Five have as much of fear from below as above, or, as they prefer to say, alongside, if you catch my meaning," he whispered back.
Giloen thought he did, and nodded with a blank half-smile before returning to the meeting at hand. They had moved on to something else by now.
"
-and an a flat rate on the transit of indentured, to pay for docking facilities."
"
If I may, Commandant Blud, why is your Syndicate concerned with the movement of such goods? Is not your organisation more known for its trade of protection, and the Trader's Association for its trade of flesh?"
Giloen was surprised to see it was the Duros who needled Blud. The heavily-armoured mountain of a Syndicate leader turned his visor's impenetrable gaze at the Duros. He seemed rankled by the interruption and veiled question, despite his faceless mask.
"
We will settle the arrangements on our side, as you do yours. We do not poke around asking questions of the Three Heads of the Sith."
A deadly hush cut through the air again. How much did they know of the Sith Order's.... division? And what did Blud mean by that?
The Syndicate leader seemed to realise what he'd done almost immediately, and he leaned back into his chair, palms facing up.
"
-or any other rumours that float on the Shadowfeeds."
"
It is still strange... that a flat rate would be your request. Would that not affect the arbitrage of the Association, Madame Ketle? Or the Terminal Pack's residuals in the case of recruitment? I only ask because we do not wish to add fuel on the fire of any possible misunderstandings amongst yourselves, I'm sure you understand," the Duros ended with a sickening smile.
The crocodilian Pack leader seemed to frown as he watched the cyborg Ketle's reaction, though it was hard for Giloen to tell if he was frowning and not just blinking hard. Did the Duros just reveal some sort of intrigue and power plays within the Five?
Another of the Five, silent until now, spoke up from under her diamond-studded veil, her voice soft and mellifluous, and yet it set Giloen's hair on end:
"
As the Commandant hath said, we settle our arrangements amongst ourselves. Worry not on to whom thy obligations fall, for this union of Five had endured for a century and will endure longer. It is in each group's interest that if one has a shortfall on an obligation to your ancient Order, the other four will squeeze it out of them or cover the difference ourselves, so as not to jeopardise our working relationship with thee."
That seemed to satisfy the Duros, who nodded and seemed to sink back into his chair.
Giloen was no high-powered executive, sure, but he was no small-time businessman either. He could smell something was up. Either on their end, or between both sides, or solely on the Sith side. Was the Duros picking apart the Five at Ophidia's instructions? Was this just a scare, telling the Five in so many words that the Sith knew their house was not in order, and to fix it before the Sith made any commitments? Was he trying to angle his own Lord (whoever that may be) into a position of troubleshooter for any unmet obligations by indirectly reminding Ophidia that the Five were at best unstable partners? Or was he working against-
No. Preposterous. But never out of the question. Giloen dared not glance at the Duros again as the conversation between the main negotiators resumed, with more tension in the air now.
Ordan Vosk
money for the fight. Gorba knew his kind often undervalued loyalty. Gorba made no such mistake.
