Xern shot a look of disbelief toward him—
And in that instant Shada moved.
Her left hand, resting casually near her mug, snatched it up and with a quick flick of her forearm she hurled the contents across the table squarely into Xern's face. He bellowed, throwing up his forearm, too late, to try to block the wave of liquid. A convulsive jerk the other direction, and Shada had hurled the mug itself with crushing force into the throat of one of the other thugs. She started to leap up, yelping under her breath as Karrde grabbed her arm and held her firmly in her seat. There was the sputter of blaster fire and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor —
'Lower your weapon, Xern,' Karrde said quietly. Even to his own ears his voice seemed a startling intrusion into the sudden taut silence filling the tapcafe. 'Very slowly; very carefully.' Xern gave his eyes one last swipe with his sleeve and blinked them open... and for the second time in half a minute he appeared to be struck speechless as he stared at the scene around him in stunned disbelief. Disbelief at Karrde and Shada sitting unhurt at the table; disbelief at the crumpled bodies of his men lying around him on the floor, wisps of noxious smoke rising from the blaster wounds riddling their bodies.
And disbelief at the four crosh-hide-clad men at various tables scattered around the tapcafe pointing blasters at him.
'Your blaster, Xern,' Karrde prompted again as the thug continued to gape, drops of Shada's drink dripping rhythmically off his chin. Shada stirred; but before she could move H'sishi had stepped to Xern's side and engulfed the barrel of his blaster in one massive hand. He started, almost as if seeing the Togorian for the first time, as she twisted the weapon to point harmlessly at the ceiling. She raised her other hand and dug a claw delicately into the back of his wrist, and this time he finally let go.
'Well done, everyone,' Karrde said, getting to his feet as H'sishi stepped back, the blaster now reversed ready in her hand. 'Dankin?'
'Here,' the familiar voice came from a distinctly unfamiliar face as the other stood up at his table.
'Go give the bartender something to compensate for the mess,' Karrde instructed him. 'It's somewhat traditional in these cases,' he added to Xern as Dankin crossed toward the bar, digging into his pocket. 'Griv, stand by the door; Chal, Balig, go frontguard the way back to the ship.'
'Right.'
The other three headed for the door. 'You're cute,' Xern spat viciously. 'Real cute. But if you think this is gonna get you out from under Rei'Kas's hammer, you're crazy.'
'If I were you, I'd worry more about what Rei'Kas will do to you for losing your mob this way,' Karrde countered. 'I'd also worry about getting out of here before H'sishi decides you're too dangerous to leave alive.'
'Oh, I'll leave,' Xern said darkly. 'But you'll see me again, Karrde. Just before you die.' With one final glare, he turned and stomped out of the tapcafe.
'Well,' Karrde said, turning back to Shada and holding out a hand to her. She didn't move. 'So you had backups in place all along,' she said, looking up at him. There was something distinctly discomfiting in her voice and face. 'I thought you said you wouldn't take that as an insult,' Karrde reminded her carefully.
'They're in disguise,' she said.
Slowly, Karrde lowered his hand to his side. 'They were all seen by the local inspectors who searched the ship earlier,' he explained. 'I had to assume some of the group were spies for the pirates, and would be able to recognize them.'
'And the crosh-hide outfits?'
'Mara brought them back from her trip here,' Karrde said, starting to feel sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Shada rose to her feet. 'And you didn't think,' she said quietly, 'that I could be trusted with it.' For a second Karrde couldn't find his voice. The deep ache that had been in Shada's voice was so completely unexpected. 'No, that's not it,' he said. 'I didn't—' But it was too late. She had already turned her back on him, and was striding toward the door where Griv stood guard. 'Are the repairs finished yet?' she asked. Griv shot a quick look over her shoulder at Karrde. 'Close enough,' he said cautiously.
'Good,' she said, stepping past him and pulling the door open. 'Looks clear,' she announced.
'Let's get back to the ship.'
Griv looked questioningly at Karrde again. 'Yes,' he murmured, heading toward the door. The walk back to the
* * *
