No one in the clan had expected InterGalactic to contact them before Eriadu.
A leather-faced Weequay, Nort Toom himself accepted the holotransmission from Caba’Zan, head of security for InterGalactic Ore. The clan was mostly made up of far-from-home Weequay and Nikto humanoids, but Aqualish, Abyssin, Barabels, and Gamorreans also numbered among the mix. “I want to discuss the most recent offer you tendered,” Caba’Zan’s holopresence began. He was a near-human Falleen, burly and green complexioned.
“Our most recent offer,” Nort Toom said carefully.
“About destroying Lommite Limited’s ships at Eriadu.”
Toom’s deep-set eyes darted between the holoprojector and one of his Weequay confederates, who was standing nearby. “Oh, that offer. We have so many operations in the works, it’s sometimes hard to keep track.”
“I’m glad to hear that business is good,” Caba’Zan said disingenuously. “I’ve a feeling it’s about to get even better.”
The Falleen came directly to the point. “We’re willing to pay one hundred thousand Republic credits.”
Toom tried to keep from celebrating. The offer was twice what Patch Bruit had paid. “You’ll have to go to two hundred thousand.”
Caba’Zan shook his hairless head. “We can go as high as one fiftyif you can guarantee results.”
“Done,” Toom said. “When we see that the credits have been transferred, we’ll make the necessary arrangements.” Caba’Zan looked dubious. “You’re certain about the reentry coordinates for LL’s ships, and the time of their decanting at Eriadu?”
“Maybe we should go over that one more time,” Toom said.
“You said Rimma 18, at 1300 Eriadu localunless something has changed.”
“Only for the better,” Toom said reassuringly. “Only for the better.”
“And you’ll make it look like an accident.” “That’s probably the best way of handling it, don’t you think?”
“We don’t want InterGalactic implicated.” “We’ll make certain.”
Toom deactivated the holoprojector and sat back, clamping his huge hands behind his head.
“Do you think they know about LL’s hiring us?” his confederate asked in obvious incredulity. “It didn’t sound that way to me.”
“InterGalactic is offering three times as much as Lommite. Are we going to return Bruit’s money?”
Toom sat forward with determination. “I don’t see any reason for that. We just have to make sure we can execute both contracts.” He grinned broadly. “I have to admit that this appeals to my sense of unfair play.”
“You mean”
“Exactly. We sabotage everyone’s ships.”
Eriadu was an up-and-coming world in the outlying star systems. Situated close to the intersection of the Rimma Trade Route and the Hydian Way, Eriadu demonstrated a fierce devotion to industry, in the hope of achieving its goal of becoming the most important planet in the sector. To that end Eriadu had even developed a small shipbuilding enterprise, owned and operated by distant cousins of Supreme Chancellor Valorum, who chaired the Galactic Senate on Coruscant.
Eriadu’s orbital facilities paled in comparison to similar ones at Corellia and Kuat, but among the smaller shipyards, Eriadu’s were second only to those at Sluis Van, rimward and just off the principal trade routes.
Eriadu’s lieutenant governor had done much to facilitate the burgeoning partnership between Eriadu and Dorvalla, emphasizing the senselessness of Eriadu’s importing lommite from the Inner Rim when Dorvalla was practically a celestial neighbor. The quantities of ore required by Eriadu Manufacturing and Valorum Shipping were such that neither LL nor InterGal could have filled the orders on their own, but Lieutenant Governor Tarkin saw no dilemma in that. He insisted that he hadn’t set things up as a contest, but there was no denying that it was anything but. Tarkin was even on record as saying that the company awarded the lucrative contract would probably be able to effect a financial takeover of the loser.
Tarkin had arranged for one of Eriadu’s orbital habitats to host a ceremony to endorse the potential partnership, with all the cardinal players present: Jurnel Arrant and his counterpart at InterGalactic, the executive officers of Eriadu Manufacturing and Valorum Shipping, a plethora of business personnel who stood to gain from the new partnership, and, of course, Tarkin himself, representing Eriadu’s political interests. Sporting the finest in robes and tunics, everyone was gathered on the esplanade level of the orbital facility, awaiting the arrival of the ore barges LL and InterGal had dispatched. The separate flotillas were scheduled to arrive within an hour of each other, local time.