The group crossed the clearing to where Karrde and Leia were waiting. To Leia’s complete lack of surprise, the Devaronian got in the first word, “I vehemently protest this treatment,” he bit out, his eyes and horns glistening with anger. “I have committed no crime that would permit you, Councilor Organa Solo, to open fire on me and to cause damage to my ship. Rest assured that I will be lodging formal complaints with the New Republic High Council and Senate, the Ojoster Sector Assembly, the Corellian Merchants’ Guild-“
“And your employer, Talon Karrde?” Karrde suggested mildly.
“Certainly: and Talon Karrde,” Lak Jit agreed. “I demand the immediate return of my property-“
He broke off, his eyes focusing on Karrde for the first time. Leia stretched out with the Force, and caught the sudden startled burst of recognition. “You are-?”
“Yes,” Karrde confirmed, his voice suddenly cold. He held out a hand, and Mara put the datacard into it. “Tell me, where were you taking this?”
“I was going to bring it to you, of course,” Lak Jit said.
Leia looked at Mara, standing a little behind the Devaronian, her hand resting casually on the lightsaber attached to her belt. The other woman returned Leia’s look, a knowing and slightly cynical half smile on her face. Clearly, both of them had caught the quaver in Lak Jit’s thoughts. Mara shifted her eyes back to Karrde, tilted her head fractionally to the left. “That’s lie number one, Lak Jit,” Karrde told the Devaronian, lifting a finger. “One more, and I’ll inform the Corellian Merchants’ Guild you’re illegally using their name.” The temperature of his voice dropped still lower. “Third lie puts you in trouble with me. Now. Where were you going?”
The Devaronian seemed to shrink. “To sell the datacard,” he muttered. “To those who would pay the most.” He looked furtively at Leia. “Much better than she would have.”
“And who are these generous people?” Karrde asked.
Lak Jit twitched his horns left, then right: the Devaronian equivalent of a shrug. “You’ll know as soon as you read it. Be careful when you do-I nearly destroyed my datapad trying. It’s extremely dirty.”
“Yes, I noticed.” Karrde looked at Mara. “You’ve checked his entire ship?”
“The Noghri are still poking around, but this is definitely the card,” Mara said.
“All right.” Karrde looked back at the Devaronian. “As soon as they’re finished, you can leave. Depending on what we find in the datacard, you may or may not still be associated with my organization. Your usual contact will let you know.”
Lak Jit bowed elaborately. “As always, a most generous master,” he said, not quite enough sarcasm in his tone to take offense at. He looked at Leia. “There was, I believe, mention of five hundred in earnest money?”
Leia and Karrde exchanged incredulous glances. “I think you forfeited any claims to that when you threw the smoke grenade at my children,” she told the Devaronian. “We’ll still pay you whatever we decide these datacards are worth, but now you’ll have to wait.
“They may pay you ,” Karrde amended. “I may consider taking any such payment as my fee for helping keep you here.”
Lak Jit smiled thinly. “As I said, a most generous master.”
“Just be thankful you didn’t try this on a Hutt,” Karrde countered. “Get going.”
The Devaronian bowed again and headed back toward his ship, the three Noghri trailing along with him. “Yours, I believe,” Karrde said, handing Leia the datacard. “We have facilities for cleaning it aboard the Wild Karrde, if you’d care to avail yourself of them.”
“Which would allow you a chance to read it over my shoulder?” Leia suggested dryly.
Karrde smiled. “We could consider it my fee. Unless you don’t think we’ve earned it?”
Leia shook her head in mock-resignation. “Sometimes I forget what dealing with you is like, Karrde. Lead on.”
***
The last readable page scrolled a second time across the display, giving way to the randomly scattered bits and blanks of the ruined sections of the datacard. Carefully, Leia set the datapad down on a corner of Karrde’s desk, feeling her heart pounding in her throat. Suddenly the private office, which had seemed so snug and warm only minutes ago, felt very cold.
A movement caught her eye as she stared into the distance: Karrde, now seated in the high-backed chair on the other side of the desk, reaching over to the datapad. Well,” he said soberly as he swiveled the device around to face him. “At least we now know why our Bothan friend Fey’lya was so anxious that Mount Tantiss be thoroughly destroyed.”