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“A bit like a Carnovian eel-pup, but with just a hint of the resistance one expects from the finest nala-tree frogs supplied by Fhnark and Company,” she said, as only a gourmand could. “All in all, on a par with some of the classic droch appetizers fashioned by Zubindi Ebsuk.” She turned her gaze on Nom Anor. “How did you come by these, Pedric Cuf? On which world can they be found?”

“None in this galaxy.” Nom Anor smiled pleasantly. “They are bioengineered.”

The Hutt glanced at Malik Carr. “He created them?”

“Not personally. A Yuuzhan Vong shaper did so.”

“And this … this shaper could replicate the product?”

“I’m certain he could.” Nom Anor stood and gestured respectfully to Malik Carr. “Borga, permit me to introduce Commander Malik Carr, who will be overseeing this sector of space.”

The Hutt blinked. “Overseeing?”

Head canted slightly to one side, Malik Carr regarded her for what seemed an eternity. “You speak for all of your kind?” he asked in passable Huttese.

Borga’s blubbery body stiffened proudly. “I do. And I have been vested with the power to negotiate with your species.”

“By whom have you been vested?”

“By the leaders of the voting kajidics, as well as the Grand Council.”

“Kajidics?” Malik Carr said to Nom Anor.

“Criminal syndicates,” Nom Anor told him in their own tongue.

Malik Carr continued to appraise Borga openly. “Yours is the ruling kajidic, then?”

“I am Borga Besadii Diori, cousin of Durga Besadii Tai, son of Aruk the Great, brother of Zavval. Wealthiest and most powerful of the Besadii kajidic, I lord over the Desilijic, the Trinivii, the Ramesh, Shell, and all other clans. All the three billion of this world pay obei—”

“You are male or female?” Malik Carr cut her off.

Borga blinked. “Just now I am with child.” She indicated a pouch, low in her bulging abdomen.

“You birth live offspring?” Malik Carr said in obvious astonishment. When Borga nodded, the commander’s jaw dropped ever so slightly. “Like one of our lowliest caste women,” he remarked to Nom Anor.

Borga’s broad forehead wrinkled in uncertainty.

“Let us talk business,” Malik Carr said abruptly. “As … Pedric Cuf has undoubtedly apprised you, the Yuuzhan Vong have need of some of your worlds—for purposes of resource gathering. To effect this, we may be required to remove entire populations, and in some cases remake those worlds we select.”

“Yes, so Pedric Cuf has explained,” Borga said after a long moment. “In fact, we Hutts know a good deal about remaking worlds. When we arrived here from Varl, for example, Glorious Jewel was not the paradise you see now, but a primitive world of dense forests and untamed seas. There was even an indigenous species called the Evocii, who we were obliged to relocate on Glorious Jewel’s moon, where the pitiful creatures gradually died out. By then, of course, we had replaced all Evocii structures with proper palaces and shrines …”

Malik Carr glanced at Nom Anor while Borga prattled on. “She looks like something our shapers might have cooked up.”

Nom Anor laughed shortly. “It’s true. I thought the same thing when I first laid eyes on her.”

Borga had stopped talking and was eyeing Malik Carr with misgiving. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Commander,” she said, with cheerful servility. “While I’ve made some progress in the tutorials Pedric Cuf supplied, I’m not yet fully conversant with your language.”

Nom Anor cleared his throat. “The commander was just saying that he loves what you’ve done with the place.”

Borga managed a dubious smile. “In that case, let us return to talking business, as you say.”

Malik Carr nodded politely.

“In exchange for granting you the use of certain worlds—one of which we have already provided, as a demonstration of good faith—we Hutts are obliged to ask the Yuuzhan Vong to keep clear of Rimward Hutt space in general, as well as to avoid the worlds Rodia, Ryloth, Tatooine, Kessel, and certain planets in the Si’klaata Cluster and Kathol sector.”

Borga raised her voice in anticipation of objections. “I’m well aware that