[Han Solo] - 03(42)

Unless he sold that wretched collection of his …. Durga thought, but he knew that hadn’t happened. He kept close watch over all the shipping manifests going into and out of Ylesia, and Teroenza had, in fact, been adding to his collection for the past nine months.

The Besadii lord resolved to begin training a new t’landa Til that very week. He’d continue his investigations, and by the time the new High Priest was ready, he’d hire a bounty hunter to bring him Teroenza’s horn.

Durga envisioned the horn, mounted on the wall of his office, right next to Aruk’s holoportrait.

Teroenza might not be the only one who deserved to die on Ylesia.

Someone had had to capture the nala-tree frogs, put them into shipping containers, and load them onto ships. Durga resolved to investigate the situation from all angles before placing his bounty.

Of course the real murderer was the individual who had purchased the X-1 and masterminded the entire operation. Jiliac was his prime suspect. She had the credits, she had the motivation.

Durga had already begun searching for links between Jiliac and the Malkite Poisoners. Now he would also search for links between the Desilijic leader and Teroenza ….

Surely he’d find something … some record. Shipping records, deposits of credits, withdrawals, records of purchases.., somewhere there would be evidence that would link both Teroenza and Jiliac to Aruk’s death, and he, Durga, was going to find them.

He knew that the search would require both time and credits. His own personal credits, unfortunately. Durga didn’t dare jeopardize his admittedly precarious position as leader of Besadii by spending huge amounts of the kajidic’s money on what would be called a personal vendetta.

Zier and his other detractors were already watching him, just ready to pounce on unjustified expenses.

No, he’d have to pay for it himself … and it would strain his personal resources to do so.

Durga thought for a moment of Black Sun. A word to Prince Xizor, and he’d have all of Black Sun’s impressive resources at his command. But that would be opening the door to a Black Sun takeover of Besadii, and possibly all of Nal Hutta.

Durga shook his head. He couldn’t risk that. He didn’t want to wind up as one of Xizor’s vassals. He was a free and independent Hutt, and no Falleen Prince was going to give him his marching orders.

Durga left Aruk’s smashed office, and went to his own. He had a long session of work at his datapad before him. He couldn’t let his work for Besadii suffer, so most of his search would have to be done at night, while most Hutts were sleeping.

Grimly, Durga reached for his datapad, and began keying in requests for information.

He had found his parent’s murderers, he was sure of it. He knew the how, and the why. Now to gain the proof that would allow him to challenge Jiliac and demand personal satisfaction for a blood-debt.

Durga’s tiny fingers began racing over his datapad, and the greenish tip of his tongue protruded from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated ….

Teroenza paced slowly down the hallway in the Ylesian Administrative Center to meet with Kibbick. The Hutt “overlord” had requested his presence almost twenty minutes ago, but Teroenza had been busy. In the old days he’d never have dared to keep a Hutt lord waiting, but things on Ylesia were changing, slowly but surely.

He, Teroenza, was taking over. That idiot Kibbick was just too stupid to realize it.

Every day he was making plans, hiring the additional guards Durga had authorized, and fortifying the planet. Instead of hiring mostly Gamorrean guards, strong but even dumber than Kibbick—which was saying something!—Teroenza was carefully choosing toughened mercenary fighters.

They cost more, but they’d be worth it in battle.

And Teroenza knew there was going to be a battle …. The day would come when he’d have to openly declare his break with Nal Hutta.

Besadii would never take such a bid for independence lying down, but

Teroenza planned to be ready. He would direct his troops in battle, and victory would be theirs!

The High Priest was already making arrangements to bring the mates of the t’landa Til priests to Ylesia. His own mate, Tilenna, would be one of the first to arrive. Kibbick was such an idiot that he probably wouldn’t even notice for some time. The differences between male and female t’landa Til were most readily apparent to t’landa Til. To most other species, except for the male’s horn, they appeared virtually identical.

Teroenza was also planning on increasing the defenses, even if he had to sell off part of his collection to do it. He’d checked the price of a groundmounted turbolaser and been horrified, but perhaps Jiliac would help him out with the credits he needed. After all, he, Teroenza, was the only one who could implicate her in Aruk’s murder.