Whispers in the Dark

By Arriss

 Chapter VII – Meeting of the Minds

 The closer the pair came to the entertainment sector, the more they could discern the unending revelry stemming from the Festival of Fools.

 

Cela observed some nearby people who were obviously inebriated. “Is this place always so…”

 

“Rambunctious?” Mara interrupted, finishing the sentence. “I don’t know, nor do I really care,” she commented with a shrug. “C’mon, we need to find those brothers.”

 

Cela glanced again at the people she had been watching and shook her head. Mara had continued on and Cela found herself jogging to catch up to her mistress.

 

Mara suddenly stopped in front of a cantina and read the sign that hung above her head. “Red Door,” she uttered with a smirk and then said, “Let’s go in here.”

 

They walked inside and found nothing but overturned chairs and liquid covering the duracrete floor. The few windows within were stained and no clear view of the outside could be seen. The cantina itself reeked of some foul odor neither of them could decipher, nor wished too. Mara glanced around the empty bar, her nose barely tolerating the smell and then turned to leave abruptly.

 

“Lookin’ fer a job?” a man with a rotund belly and a filthy shirt asked.

 

“Not on your life,” Mara stated.

 

“Then get out – we’re closed.”

 

“No need to tell us twice,” Mara quipped and started to leave.

 

The hefty man grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Seems like ya might need a lesson in manners, wench,” he said flatly.

 

Mara slowly turned her head toward the man and said in a calm, almost deathlike voice, “Remove that disgusting hand from my arm.”

 

“Oh, really?” He sneered, tightening his grip. “An what’re you gonna do about it if I don’t?”

 

Mara gave the man a sarcastic glance and reached for her blaster. “Eliminate it,” she said in an icy tone.

 

He watched her draw her weapon. “You think you know how to use that? Wouldn’t want ya ta hurt yerself now.”

 

A single blaster shot suddenly erupted, along with a muffled scream, as Mara replied, “Hmm, I guess I do.” Flicking the lifeless hand from her arm, she holstered her weapon and added, “I’d just as soon split you like the fat pig you are but I have business to attend to.” Without further adieu, the two women left the bar leaving the man holding what was now a stump where his hand had been.

 

Once they were back outside, Mara and Cela continued their stroll down the street. Talon Karrde had provided her with a time and place to meet her contacts, but she had hoped to find them sooner and get this transaction over with early – these two brothers weren’t exactly on her social list to mingle with.

 

“There,” Mara pointed at the sign a few meters away, “that’s where we’re meeting – the Clipper Tavern.”

 

“Do you want to go in and look?” Cela asked.

 

Mara glanced at the girl. “Very good, you’re learning. C’mon.”

 

__________________________________*****__________________________________

 

The duo walked into the establishment and found themselves amazed at how opposite it was from their last stop. The décor was simple, yet tasteful, and a pleasant aroma permeated the air. Cela breathed in deeply the scent of enticing spices used in cooking, her mouth nearly watering from the wondrous smell. Ignoring not only her slave, but the aroma as well, Mara took in their surroundings, carefully choosing where she would like their discussion to take place. It was then that she saw her quarry seated at a table in the far corner. From such a vantage point one could see anyone coming in the door.

 

“From the looks of it I don’t think he knows we’re here,” Mara commented dryly.

 

 

Yurrn Uyllt was indeed too preoccupied to see Mara Jade enter the tavern, for he was too busy watching a Twi’lek do a dance for him. He found himself mesmerized by the blue skinned beauty and refused to take his eyes from her. Even the plate of food before him was left untouched. His throat grew parched as Leeanzah danced so he reached for his drink. Groping for the mug that should have been on the table and wasn’t, Yurrn turned his attention away from the dancer and he found himself looking at the fiery haired woman on the opposite side of the table.

 

“Yurrn Uyllt, I presume?” Mara asked with an amused smirk.

 

“Aye, you must be Mara.”

 

“I am. Where’s your brother?”

 

Yurrn retrieved his mug from in front of Mara’s arms that lay folded on the table. “Upstairs. We didn’t expect you until later.”

 

“I’m not exactly predictable. Shall we get this over with?”

 

“Who’s the little wench?” Yurrn pointed to Cela.

 

Mara flashed him an angry glare. “The ‘little wench’ is not your concern. Mind your tongue before you lose it.”

 

Yurrn leaned back in his chair, acting as if Mara’s comment meant little to him. “Yeah, well, this is a private deal – outsiders aren’t allowed.”

 

“Fine.” Mara stated as she got up.

 

“Where you goin’?” he asked shocked.

 

“Oh, I’m leaving,” Mara stated frankly.

 

“WHAT?”

 

“If you want in Talon’s organization then you trust who is with me, for they wouldn’t be with me otherwise. I have better things to do than waste my time.”

 

Yurrn hated what he had to say but knew it must be done. “I…apologize.”

 

Mara sat back down. “There, that wasn’t so hard now was it?”

 

Yurrn thought to himself, This wench needs to be taken down a peg or two. “Off with you, Leeanzah, I’ve business to take care of.”

 

The Twi’lek glared at Mara and Cela, but reluctantly left.

 

“What about your brother?” Mara inquired.

 

Yurrn’s eyes shifted toward the nearby stairs. “He’s occupied. I’ll fill him in on the details later.”

 

“No.”

 

“No?” Yurrn asked surprised.

 

“I don’t need you relaying something not in our deal and making a mockery of it. Go get him.”

 

Yurrn gave her a challenging look, which Mara ignored. Wordlessly, Yurrn thrust himself away from the table, walked across the tavern, and stomped up the stairs.

 

Cela couldn’t help chuckling as she stood behind her mistress.

 

“Never let a man tell you what to do. Servitude is not in my vocabulary.”

 

“Aye, Mistress Mara,” Cela nodded.

 

__________________________________*****__________________________________

 

A short time later, Yurrn returned with an irritated Irgan in tow and they sat down at the table. Irgan’s features mirrored his brother to include his dark hair, although it was longer and held in place by a ponytail. His left shoulder was speckled by a white dander and he reeked of cheap cologne, the stench of which nearly made both women want to retch. It wasn’t until he began to speak that they nearly did so from his foul breath.

 

And he was with a woman upstairs? Poor thing. Cela thought as the meeting began.

 

“Let me begin with a simple message.” Mara scowled with indifference. “Talon doesn’t need anyone with foreign entities floating on their person.”

 

“Huh?” Irgan appeared puzzled.

 

Yurrn elbowed his brother and said, “She means you have to clean up.”

 

“More precisely,” Mara added, “we have numerous customers and a variety of cargo. Our customers would be displeased, to say the least, if we had tainted their shipment by our own neglect.”

 

“Ohh,” Irgan mumbled with a nod of his head as Yurrn whisked away the dander on his brother’s shoulder.

 

“Now, tell me exactly what it is you have,” Mara stated as she leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest.

 

Yurrn looked around the empty establishment before he began to speak. Satisfied they were alone, he informed Mara Jade of the goods in their possession.

 

 

“So you have these sculptures you want to sell…why not sell them yourselves? What do you need Talon for?”

 

Yurrn glanced at Irgan before answering Mara’s question. “No one will buy from an unknown, they want established organizations.”

 

“So you want to gain the respect of your clients by going through Karrde?”

 

“Yes,” Yurrn replied.

 

“I’ll need to see the shipment to verify its worth.” Mara’s statement left no room for argument.

 

Expecting such a demand, Yurrn nodded and said, “We can take you to it now.”

 

“I have other business to attend to first. Let’s meet in two hours.”

 

Yurrn eyed Mara suspiciously. “You don’t want to see it now?”

 

“No, I can wait.”

 

Yurrn and Irgan exchanged glances.

 

“Is there a problem with that?” Mara inquired.

 

“N-no, not at all. Meet us on the south side of the main beach.”

 

“Are you planning on going swimming?” she asked.

 

No, but you are if I have my way. Yurrn kept his thoughts to himself. “Not at all. It’s just convenient.”

 

Mara eyed them sternly, “Thanks, but we’ll meet back here and then you can take me to it.”

 

“…Very well.” Yurrn conceded, irritated and disappointed.

 

 

 

After Mara and Cela had left, Irgan turned toward his brother. “Weren’t we gonna off her once we got into Karrde’s organization?”

 

“Yeah, but she hasn’t let us in yet. I know we have to sign something.”

 

A sly grin came across Irgan’s face. “Garen’ll have fun with her, huh?”

 

“Yeah, he will… But we can’t let him have all the fun now can we?”

 

__________________________________*****__________________________________

 

“I don’t trust them.” Cela spoke up as she and Mara walked down the street.

 

“Neither do I. They’re hiding something, that’s for certain. What, I don’t know, but we’ll have to keep on the alert when we meet up with them.”

 

“Are you hungry?” Cela asked.

 

“Famished. I wanted to eat and let my stomach settle before meeting up with them again. Irgan’s stench was unbelievable.”

 

“Perhaps we should bring masks to the next meeting,” Cela commented with a chuckle. It was rare times like this when she actually felt Mara wasn’t so cruel.

 

“Remind me of that after dinner.”

 

__________________________________*****__________________________________

 

The brothers’ faces still bore scowls some minutes after Mara and Cela had left.

 

“She leaves a sour taste in my mouth,” Irgan spat.

 

“Yeah, well, more in mine. She’s a chilly one, that’s fer sure. Let’s go check on our goods.” Yurrn said with a sneer.

 

“Aye,” Irgan replied as he rubbed his grubby hands together.

 

“We have to make sure everything is in place for Miss Mara,” Yurrn commented venomously as he got up from his seat.

 

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