Star Wars_ The New Jedi Order 05_ Agents of Chaos 02_ Jedi Eclipse - James Luceno [54]
She didn’t think she could feel more disheartened, until they arrived back at the Ryn encampment to find two human males waiting for them, no doubt to drive home the hopeless nature of their predicament and to sell them again on the wisdom of signing on with Salliche Ag.
And yet there was something about the pair that gave her pause. For starters, they were too seedy even for representatives of Salliche Ag. The taller one was gangly and bearded, and his long fingers were t’bac stained. He wore utility coveralls that were a size too small, and his boots were more suited to spaceport work than a desk job. The other man was equally unkempt, with grease under his fingernails and grime on his forehead. Black hair curtained his pale pointed face and fell lanky and unwashed to his shoulders.
“Lush as it is, Ruan’s a rock like any other when you’d rather be elsewhere,” the tall one said to Gaph as he approached.
“But every rock has its secret exits,” the other chimed in, “even Ruan.”
Gaph smiled pleasantly. “Yes, and every one of those clandestine egresses requires a toll we can’t afford to pay.”
Tall seemed to take the reply as a good sign. “Then maybe you’d like to earn the toll.”
Gaph waved the men to a couple of chairs R’vanna had cobbled together. At the same time, he asked someone to bring tea and food.
“We represent a concern that provides private transportation to other worlds,” Tall explained.
“For thousands of credits per passenger,” Gaph said.
The man nodded. “But believe it or not, there are folks here with more than that to spend.”
“The problem is,” the short man took over, “they lack official permits to travel. Now normally their credits would buy them documentation, as well, but Salliche Ag is making it difficult because they have their own reasons for wanting to keep everyone onworld.”
R’vanna sighed. “We’re aware of those reasons.”
“Well, then, here’s the thing,” the first man said. “The business concern we represent has official authority to transport a shipload of paying clients to Abregado-rae, which is accepting exiles.”
“Abregado-rae,” R’vanna said in delight. “A much happier alternative than any of the Core worlds. Positively flush with opportunities.”
Tall nodded. “No camps, no labor contracts, no fine print. Everyone gets off to a fresh start. But unless we can show our clients’ names on official permits of transit, all the credits in the universe won’t get any of them off Ruan.”
Gaph mulled it over. “Then you need a good slicer to enter those names in the database.”
Short shook his head. “Salliche Ag is on the lookout for slicers. Everything has to be done by durasheet and official seal.”
Gaph and R’vanna traded knowing looks. “Go on,” Gaph said.
The humans also traded looks. “It’s no secret that you people are good at forging permits and such,” Tall said.
“Yeah, like the ones you forged allowing you to emigrate to the Corporate Sector way back when.”
“Unsubstantiated rumors,” R’vanna said.
Tall smiled. “Even so …”
Gaph cut him off. “Do you have an example of the seal you want copied?”
Short opened a case and handed Gaph a square of durasheet bearing an elaborate official seal. “This comes straight from Coruscant. Each letter of transit can list up to one hundred names, so we’d need five of them.”
Gaph and R’vanna conferred for a moment. “This seal and the calligraphy are intentionally antiquated,” Gaph said at last. “We’d need the proper tools, along with the inks and such.”
Tall shrugged. “Whatever you need.”
“What’s in this for us?” Melisma asked before anyone else could.
The same man shrugged. “That’s entirely up to you. Clothing, food, furniture, you name it.”
She gazed at him. “How about transport off Ruan?”
Again, the two men traded glances. “How many are you?” the first asked.
“Thirty-seven—including an infant.”
Tall deliberated, nodding his head slowly. “We just might be able to arrange that.”
“Only to Abregado-rae, you understand,” his