Bab 60: ED : Chapter 58: Into the Viper's Den II
Be aware unacceptable deviation from these parameters will result in stiff fines being assessed by the office of the landing director. Otherwise, you are cleared to begin your descent.
Profitable trading and risk-free dealing." The voice of one of the officers aboard the security platform announced over the comm. Finishing with the traditional Neimoidian farewell.
...
Other than acknowledging receipt of corridor parameters and landing coordinates, no reply was required on my end. I simply took the vessel down, and said a silent prayer to the Force for the fact Neimoidians were as miserly as they were acquisitve.
I knew it was likely to be the only freebie we'd receive during this mission, but I was more than willing to take what we could get.
It wasn't until the gentle bump of the landing struts deployment announced the fact we'd landed that the Senators reappeared. Padme was softly laughing at some jest her companion had just made, and once again, Clovis had his hand on her forearm in a subtly possessive manner.
I was already out of the cockpit and waiting to report to my ostensible superior, so I both saw the covetous glint in the man's dark eyes when he glanced her way, and felt the acquisitive desire which swirled in the Baron of Scipio's aura.
The less one said about his actual thoughts with regards to his beautiful companion, the better. Surprisingly, he felt a significant amount of protectiveness for his intended conquest-to-be, but I wasn't inclined to give the aristocrat any points for that.
Not while he was simultaneously fantasizing about doing some truly decadent things to Padme, and envisioning ensconcing her as his future trophy-wife on Scipio. He accepted it as a matter of course that all this altruistic, politically idealistic "nonsense" would stop once their relationship had progressed to a certain point.
Padme's commitment to justice and the common good simply weren't compatible with his own plans for the future, so the core motivations of her life were just errant bits of fat which would need to be trimmed away. All in service to her future function as an ornamental satellite to his own ambitions.
It made me want to grit my teeth, but we were in enemy territory now. Meaning my personal feelings meant less than nothing. I gave up my resentment and outrage to the Force. Allowing it's serene song to fill me with peace and clarity. Smiling, I bowed once more to the pair, then reported in my most courteous manner.
"No deviation from our assigned descent-corridor, Senator Amidala. I had time to complete the maintenance and modifications you wanted seen to before we departed. Is there any other way I can be of service, ma'am?"
This part was a scripted response we'd come up with, but Padme carried it off as the most natural exchange possible.
"No, that will be everything, Anayk. Captain Typho will of course be accompanying us, but since we'll be staying overnight, you're at liberty to continue pursuing your project for the Royal College.
The approval for your usual stipend came in from them last night. It's already been added to your data-chip."
I caught the flash of irritated exasperation directed my way in her aura, but saw no hint of it in her expression.
Momentarily confused over what she was talking about with regards to the Royal College, I spotted Clovis checking his wrist chronometer with a surprised expression, then realization flooded over me as to the real source of Artoo's distress as Padme turned with a smile to the man beside her and beautifully improvised a half-truth to cover my inadvertent misstep.
"Anayk's one of those exceptionally gifted navigators which crop up from time to time. That's part of why I hired him as my pilot, and why we arrived several hours earlier than anticipated.
It's my common practice to give him his head with regards to navigation due to the savings on engine maintenance, but I neglected to inform him he should adhere to a more conventional calculation given the nature of our visit.
I hope that won't be a problem, Rush?" Her delivery was a perfect rendition of the indulgent employer caught out by habit, but it didn't entirely soothe away the sudden distrust spiking in the man's aura as his attention suddenly fixed on me more sharply than at any point so far.
Eyes calculating, his voice was neutral as he looked me over. "I don't mean to tell you your business, 'Mae, but you should be careful about getting mixed up with anything so...difficult to quantify. This sounds an awful lot like Jedi mysticism to me.
My people are much more comfortable with that which can be readily observed and assessed. This is exactly the sort of outlier which complicates otherwise straightforward deals."
Padme's laugh cut through the man's suspicious swirl of ever-darker thoughts. Growing to the closest thing to an outright guffaw a lady of her training would ever indulge in.
The sound continued for several seconds, as Rush turned to look at her with a confused question clear in his expression.
"I, I'm sorry Rush, but Anayk a Force-sensitive? Half his income comes from borrowing my astromech droid to create refined nav-calculations.
The Royal College may not be up to Scipio's exacting standards for mathematical calculations just yet, but I'm sure my people understand the need to remove all undefined variables from calculations they intend to pass on to our merchants."
Turning to me, she arched an eyebrow with an amused smile which was complete artifice and inquired "How many times did they test you before even provisionally accepting your participation in the program, Anayk?"
"Seven, ma'am. Not counting the standard battery of medical tests when I applied for residency on Naboo" I immediately supplied with a deferential bob of my head.
"My midichlorian count is a little higher than the galactic median for humans, but nowhere close to being considered Force-sensitive" I offered in a submissive tone. Applying the least little push to the words I directed Clovis's way.
I felt Clovis's mind shift as he considered what he'd been told. If he'd had more to go on, or even the flimsiest of reasons to believe Padme might be lying to him about me, I doubt my push would have been enough to allay his suspicions.
I hadn't dared use a level of compulsion rising to the level of actual Force Persuasion for fear of his being strong-willed enough to throw it off, but I would the instant I sensed his suspicion begin to crystallize as a last resort.
A long moment passed, then I felt his mind relax as his desire not to risk souring the seduction attempt underway decided the matter for him. He'd never suspected me of anything concrete, after all. Merely having worried such an unanticipated factor might somehow draw Jedi attention his way.
Between Padme's assertions I had actually been checked out by authorities with a commercial interest in determining the truth of the matter, my nudging, and his own desires clouding his judgment, the man's focus finally shifted back to Padme.
Smiling warmly at the woman at his side, he remarked "It's all to the good. One of our associates actually considers being early to any important function a sign of deep respect, so I suppose I should thank you for your taste in employees, 'Mae."
Offering her his arm the instant he took his hand from her own, Clovis turned them about and swept the pair out of the shuttle without a backward glance. Gregar following along closely in their wake, but not without shooting me the briefest of sidelong glares as he passed.
Artoo rolled up to me once the group was well out of the ship and on their way. His triple-beep and whir sounding a great deal like an "I tried to tell you, idiot" as he waited for me to make a move.
I didn't get three hundred meters from this ship before a pair of Neimoidian guards accosted me. The bigger of the two demanding to know my reason for leaving my vessel.
I knew for a fact my position as the pilot-of-record for what had been flagged as a diplomatic mission to orbital control gave me seventy-two hours right-of-movement so long as I didn't try to enter the restricted areas I was definitely planning to enter, but that wasn't what this was about.
"My mistress allows me the use of her astromech unit to aid in the nav-calculations I make during my off-duty hours. It's a service I receive as part of my contract-wages" I repeated Padme's lie smoothly. Having asked the computer for bits of Neimoidian law which might be useful to a non-resident.
The two guards immediately shifted from as close to brazen as a Neimoidian ever got, to a more nervous and apprehensive mindset each did a good enough job of concealing I wouldn't have noticed without my facility for sensing emotions. With good reason, because on a Neimoidian world, wages were sacred.
The act of interfering with the collection of contracted-for wages, or activities leading to the collection of such wages, was a serious felony. Unless you were of substantially higher rank, or you could show cause how your interference benefited a more powerful business interest.
The guards didn't know who exactly my mistress was, and without that information, they couldn't determine what my rank was relative to their own. If they interfered with my supposed job, then couldn't demonstrate how their interference was a necessary part of their duties, they could be sold into slavery.
If, that is, my mistress proved to be someone important enough. The odds of a random off-worlder having a non-Neimoidian employer with a rank high enough to doom them was astronomically low, but Neimoidians were one of the more risk-averse species in the galaxy.
Still, no self-respecting member of the species let an opportunity for material gain pass if they could help it. The bigger guard leaned forward and made a surprisingly astute observation.
"If your mistress was someone important, you would have lead with her name. If she even exists, and you aren't simply a smuggler working an angle." He waited expectantly for my answer afterward.
Allowing the muzzle of his blaster-rifle to drift in my direction without quite covering me. It was so smooth a pairing of comment and action, I immediately recognized this as something he practiced permutations of in pursuit of shakedown-credits.
"I'm just a pilot doing a job, sir. One who was beginning to consider where to find an early afternoon meal. If you could recommend somewhere catering to a mid-range clientele, I would be happy to provide an honorarium. I think a hundred credits would be fine."
My Force-presence bloomed outward for a moment to encompass both guards, as my voice took on a calm impassivity which was infused with the Force. It was strange, because while the smaller of the pair was both stupid and weak-willed, his larger compatriot's intellect was obviously quite sharp.
I was accustomed to associating a significant amount of intelligence with willpower of at least average strength, but for all his perceptiveness, the taller, heavier Neimoidian's will wasn't perceptibly stronger than that of the near-imbecile beside him.
Their wills utterly swamped by mine, the bigger legionnaire dully answered "There's Katzi-Ama's one street on from the east end of the landing complex, and one street north. Big sign in basic over the bright red doors, you can't miss it. A hundred credits will be fine."
Passing the green-skinned, bug-eyed figure a credit-chip when he woodenly held out a sallow three-fingered hand. I watched as his thumb immediately pressed down tight across the chip as if by reflex.
After a moment's consideration, I supposed it was entirely possible Neimoidians did possess entirely physiological reactions to money, and shook my head as the pair continued to stare off into space.
"You need to go on about your duties now" I calmly murmured to both Defense Legion recruits. Not using even a fifth as much push as last time.
"Enjoy your meal, pilot. We need to go on about our duties now" Bigger Legionnaire parroted back to me. Managing to tack on a bit of remembered information as his mind neatly began to accommodate my suggestion. He prodded his smaller companion into motion, then the pair were tromping off to the west.
"Come on Artoo, we need to find an approach for tonight" I murmured once Big and Dumb were well on their way.
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