Outbound Flight

"I see," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "I appreciate your honesty, Jorj Car'das."

"You can just call me Car'das," Car'das said. "In our culture, the first name is reserved for use by friends."

"You don't consider me a friend?"

"Do you considerme one?" Car'das countered.

He regretted the words the instant they were out of his mouth. Sarcasm was hardly the option of choice in a confrontation like this.

But Mitth'raw'nuruodo merely lifted an eyebrow. "No, not yet," he agreed calmly. "Perhaps someday. You intrigue me, Car'das. Here you sit, captured by unfamiliar beings a long way from home. Yet instead of wrapping yourself within a blanket of fear or anger, you instead stretch outside yourself with curiosity."

Car'das frowned. "Curiosity?"

"You studied my warriors as you were brought aboard," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "I could see it in your eyes and face as you observed and thought and evaluated. You did the same as you were taken to your quarters, and again as you were brought here just now."

"I was just looking around," Car'das assured him, his heart beating a little faster. Did spies rank above or below smugglers on Mitth'raw'nuruodo's list of undesirables? "I didn't mean anything by it."

"Calm yourself," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said, some amusement creeping into his voice. "I'm not accusing you of spying. I, too, have the gift of curiosity, and therefore prize it in others. Tell me, who is to receive the hidden gemstones?"

Car'das jerked. "You found-? I mean. . in that case, why did you ask me about it?"

"As I said, I appreciate honesty," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "Who is the intended recipient?"

"A group of Hutts operating out of the Comra system," Car'das told him, giving up. "Rivals to the ones you-the ones who were attacking us." He hesitated. "Youdid know they weren't just random pirates, didn't you? That they were hunting us specifically?"

"We monitored your transmissions as we positioned ourselves to intervene," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "Though the conversation was of course unintelligible to us, I remembered hearing the phonemesDubrak Qe

A shiver ran up Car'das's back. A conversation in an alien language, and yet Mitth'raw'nuruodo had been able to memorize enough of it to extract Qe

"Is the possession of these gems illegal, then?"

"No, but the customs fees are ridiculously high," Car'das said, forcing his mind back to the interrogation. "Smugglers are often used to avoid having to pay them." He hesitated. "Actually, considering the people we got this batch from, they may also have been stolen. But don't tell Maris that."

"Oh?"

Car'das winced. There he was again, talking without thinking. If Mitth'raw'nuruodo didn't kill him before this was over, Qe

"Captain Qe

"Captain Qe

"He claims to care about her, yet lies to her?"

"I don't know what he claims," Car'das said. "Though I suppose you could say that idealists like Maris do a lot of lying to themselves. The truth is there in front of her if she wanted to see it." He took another look at those glowing red eyes. "Though of course that doesn't excuse our part in it," he added.

"No, it doesn't," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "What would be the consequences if you didn't deliver the gemstones?"

Car'das felt his throat tighten. So much for the honorable Commander Mitth'raw'nuruodo. Firegems must be valuable out here, too. "They'd kill us," he said bluntly. "Probably in some hugely entertaining way, like watching us get eaten by some combination of large animals."

"And if the delivery is merely late?"

Car'das frowned, trying to read the other's expression in the flickering hyperspace glow. "What exactly do you want from me, Commander Mitthrawnuruodo?"

"Nothing too burdensome," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "I merely wish your company for a time."

"Why?"

"Partly to learn about your people," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "But primarily so that you may teach me your language."

Car'das blinked. "Ourlanguage? You mean Basic?"

"Thatis the chief language of your Republic, is it not?"

"Yes, but. ." Car'das hesitated, wondering if there was a delicate way to ask a question like this.

Mitth'raw'nuruodo might have been reading his mind. Or, more likely, his eyes and face. "I'm not pla

"Well, you certainly don't have to worry about any attacks fromus," Car'das said quickly "We've got too many internal troubles of our own right now to go bother anyone else."

"Then we have nothing to fear from each other," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said. "It would be merely an indulgence of my curiosity."

"I see," Car'das said cautiously. Qe

Still, he could try. "And what wouldwe get out of it?" he asked.

"For you, there would be an equal satisfaction of your own curiosity." Mitth'raw'nuruodo lifted his eyebrows. "Youdo wish to know more about my people, don't you?"

"Very much," Car'das said. "But I can't see that appealing to Captain Qe

"Perhaps a few extra valuables added to his cargo, then," Mitth'raw'nuruodo suggested. "That might also help mollify your clients."

"Yes, they'll definitely need some mollifying," Car'das agreed grimly. "A little extra loot would go a long way toward that."

"Then it's agreed," Mitth'raw'nuruodo said, standing up.

"One more thing," Car'das said, scrambling to his feet. "I'll be happy to teach you Basic, but I'd also like some language lessons myself. Would you be willing in turn to teach me the Chiss language, or to have one of your people do so?"