Jacen slowed. “Tenel Ka…” He did not need to wonder exactly what she was asking; he could feel it in the Force. “I didn’t come here to… to become your paramour.”
“You won’t. Paramours are playthings.” She stopped in full view of the pond’s far bank and gave him a long, warm kiss. “And I would never play with you, Jacen Solo.”
Jacen was beginning to feel very carried along-and spending the night could only help his chances of getting the fleet. “Then I’ll stay,” he said. “But it can only be one night.”
“One night is fine,” Tenel Ka said. “One night will be very useful.”
TWENTY-FOUR
The observation deck was as stately, luxurious, and hushed as one would expect aboard the Bornaryn Trading Company’s mighty flagship, the Tradewyn. A curving wall of transparisteel enclosed the cabin on three sides, offering an expansive view of the vast cargo fleet waiting permission to descend into the thin atmosphere of a dusty orange planet. In the distance, a starfighter security screen was scratching a grid of blue ions across a star-flecked backdrop.
The luxurious cabin was the kind of place that always made Tesar drool with nervousness. He drew air through his fangs to dry them, then followed his human escort past a long beverage bar toward a woman and two men waiting at the front of the deck. It was a long trip made longer by the fact that they had all turned to watch his approach-and by his fear of depositing a glob of saliva on the expensive wroshyr-wood floor.
Now that he was actually here, twenty steps from the Thul family, Tesar could not understand what had possessed him to track down the Bornaryn merchant fleet. He had overheard Master Skywalker and several others discussing how much should be told to Raynar’s mother about her son’s fate. A few hours later, Tesar had felt compelled to find Aryn Thul himself, and a few hours after that he had sneaked off Ossus in a Jedi StealthX. It had not begun to seem like a bad idea until he had arrived outside the Tradewyn’s docking bay, taking the ship’s watch officer by surprise and causing the consternation that had scrambled the fleet’s starfighter screen.
Tesar’s escort stopped in front of the three humans and bowed to the woman. “Madame Thul, may I present Jedi Sebatyne - Tesar Sebatyne.”
Dressed in a blue shimmersilk gown, Madame Thul was gaunt and short, with long chestnut hair and a regal bearing. She wore a sash striped with scarlet, yellow, and purple.
“Tesar was one of the Jedi Knights who accompanied Raynar on the Mission.” The escort stressed the word Mission just enough to make clear that this was how they referred to Raynar’s disappearance. “He agreed to leave his weapons in a locker.”
“Thank you, Lonn.” Madame Thul lifted her chin and examined Tesar head-to-toe, lingering a moment on his brown Jedi robe and the empty lightsaber clasp on his utility belt. “I know the name.”
Suspecting he was expected to speak now, Tesar drew more air to dry his fangs-creating a small hiss that caused Madame Thul to flinch. The dark-haired man behind her fingered the hold-out blaster in his pocket and took a single step forward.
“Sorry. This one did not mean to scare you.” Tesar felt a drop running down his front fang and sucked air across his teeth again. “It is very warm in here.”
Madame Thul raised a carefully thinned brow. “Something to drink?”
“Yes, that would be good.”
Madame Thul waited a moment, then prompted, “Endorian port? Bespin sparkle? Talhovian ale?”
“Do you have nerf milk?” Milk always slowed the drool. “Which planet doesn’t matter.”
The shadow of a smile flicked across Madame Thul’s lips, then she turned to her servant. “Milk for Jedi Sebatyne, Lonn. We’ll have our usual. “
The servant bowed and departed to collect the drinks.
Madame Thul gestured to the blond man at her side. “This is my late husband’s brother, Tyko.” She did not bother to introduce the bodyguard. “Now, what can Bornaryn Trading do for the Jedi?”
“Nothing.” Sensing he should probably not just blurt out the news about Raynar to this frail woman, Tesar said, “This one is here with newz.”
“News?” Tyko asked.
“About Raynar.”
Tyko scowled and slipped half a step forward, moving to shield his sister-in-law. “Raynar died at Myrkr.”
“Yes,” Tesar said. “After a fashion.”
“After a fashion?” Madame Thul gasped. “You mean he’s alive?”
“After a fashion, yes,” Tesar said, happy he had broken the news gently. “That is what I-“