From each according to his ability... (V)

Karrde reviewed the message from the New Republic's intelligence agency, mulling over its implications.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Aves asked, anxiously watching as Karrde, often called "Claw," stared thoughtfully at the ceiling of his modest residence on the planet Rishi.

The dwelling was small and unassuming, just a few blocks from a cluster of warehouses holding unsold goods awaiting buyers. But Karrde was confident they would find one.

"Unlikely," Karrde replied after five minutes of contemplative silence. "If they intended to trap us, they would have done so in the Dufilvian sector."

"How?" Aves inquired, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "We had 'clean' identification codes on those freighters..."

Aves, loyal and proactive, was smart—yet he was no Mara Jade.

"The New Republic knows me by sight," Karrde reminded him.

"Where?" Aves' eyes widened. "We only sent a message to the New Republic's intelligence with information for General Cracken under your name. No holocard with your appearance was attached."

"Have you forgotten that I assisted them on Thyferra with the Booster Terrik situation? I'm sure General Cracken, along with the entire New Republic intelligence, knows my face better than I do," Talon explained. "No, they want to negotiate."

"But we already informed them about the Imperials gathering asteroids," Aves said, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval—after all, they hadn't received a single credit for that gesture of goodwill.

"That was merely bait," Karrde clarified. "They want more, which is why they're proposing a meeting. They want to see if they can get more information for free, and if not, to determine how much they'll have to pay."

"Are you planning to offload military junk on them again?" Aves speculated.

Talon chuckled, running a hand through his beard.

"If they had the credits, they would have bought everything in our warehouses by now," he said with a good-natured laugh. "No, Aves. I'm sure they want to find out who exactly defeated them in the Dufilvian sector."

"Do you think it was our friend with red eyes, blue skin, in a snow-white uniform and polished boots?" Aves asked with a smirk.

"Do you have another candidate in mind?" Karrde inquired.

"Well..." Aves hesitated. "The Imperial Remnants still have plenty of military personnel. Maybe one of them got a little too ambitious and ended up with a show trial. Kaine, for instance—he's got a Super Star Destroyer, the only one in the entire Empire."

"Grand Moff Ardus Kaine doesn't care much about the New Republic," Karrde said. "Or the Empire as a whole. He has his beloved Pentastar Alignment, and he's content with that. He hasn't taken large-scale action for five years and is simply biding his time. If it were him, he'd focus on territories closer to the Alignment. No, this is our old friend, the Grand Admiral. If the destroyers had identification codes, we could be sure, but..."

"The Imperials aren't exactly gallant anymore," Aves chuckled.

"It's not about gallantry," Talon pointed out. "They don't have enough Star Destroyers to allow the New Republic to count them by identification codes. By turning off the transponders, the Imperials are trying to keep their ships unidentified, hoping some will mistakenly believe that Imperial Space has more Star Destroyers than it actually does."

Aves scratched his stubble, slightly embarrassed. He might have fallen for such a trick himself.

"So, shall we sell the name of the Grand Admiral to the New Republic?" he suggested. "For a couple of million credits?"

"No way," Talon shook his head. "The New Republic believes it has eliminated all twelve Grand Admirals. The name of someone they think is long gone is worth far more than they can offer."

"Then why would the Hutts want us to meet with them?" Aves asked, perplexed. "Surely they know the Empire attacked—the Imperial ships scattered them across the sector. You're not planning to sell the name of the Imperial commander..."

"Definitely not yet," Talon clarified. "But I'll let them know I have the information. Let them dig through their vaults, maybe break open a few 'little boxes'—I don't care where they find the money. But I won't sell them the Grand Admiral's name for less than ten million credits. Even if they offer me an exclusive contract for transportation throughout the New Republic."

"You've really set your sights high," Aves laughed.

"Not at all," Karrde said coldly. "Han Solo has already tried to engage the smugglers for legal transportation. They politely suggested he take that proposal straight to Coruscant, but they gave him my name as a contact. Now, taking advantage of this, Mrs. Leia Organa-Solo, almost the New Republic's top diplomat, is flying to negotiate with us. And not aboard a Mon Calamari star cruiser—oh no. The supply and humanitarian aid convoy moves separately, while the Millennium Falcon and Rogue Squadron move separately. It's interesting. Han Solo wants to bridge the gap between smugglers operating cargo lines in the New Republic—and he needs our organization to do that. Leia Organa-Solo plans to discuss 'previously reported information about the events in the Dufilvian sector,'" Talon recited from memory a part of the message sent by General Cracken. "And they're bringing an elite squadron as an escort. The commander of which is Wedge Antilles, a protégé of Booster Terrik, my... acquaintance. Corran Horn, a sub-Jedi married to Terrik's daughter, also serves in the same squadron."

"You made quite a bit of money at Horn and Terrik's daughter's wedding," Aves recalled an old dispute with Terrik Sr.

"I'm sure Booster isn't holding a grudge anymore," Talon chuckled. "At least the bet was fair. It's a curious group... It's starting to look like the New Republic has gathered everyone who might appeal to me, hoping to get something for free."

"Isn't Terrik himself coming?" Aves asked.

"Booster doesn't involve himself in Republic affairs unless they directly affect the safety of Antilles, Horn, or his daughter," Karrde noted. "Especially during such turbulent times, when the Empire is broadcasting across the shadowy HoloNet that it's willing to pay a lot for combat starships."

"By the way," Aves said hesitantly, "it's a good opportunity. Maybe we should consider it? The risk is low, and the profit could be substantial."

"Let someone like Niles Ferrier or that scarred pirate handle the thefts," Karrde said with a trace of irritation. "Yazuo Vayne. I remember his name. No, ship theft isn't our line of work."

"Are you sure?" Aves pressed. Talon didn't hesitate, nodding silently. "I heard the Corellians lost a DP-20 frigate..."

"So what?" Talon asked. "Ships disappear all over the galaxy. Some people lose, others find."

"That's true," Aves agreed. "But as your first mate, I have to stay informed... So, just yesterday, it was reported that two CR90 corvettes were stolen from Corellia."

"Let me guess," Karrde narrowed his eyes. "The ships had just completed repairs, but due to some emergency signals, the crews were forced to abandon the vessels, after which they were taken?"

"Yeah," Aves nodded. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking that Ferrier made a lot of money from his heists and his 'fail-safe' hijacking scheme, then yes, I'm thinking about it," Karrde replied.

"I just figured it out," the first mate said. "Why 'Sniff' has been so aggressively stealing ships lately. And not just any ships, but those that were freshly repaired. He used to steal even those that were falling apart. There's always a buyer..."

"I think in this case too, Sniff has found a solvent client," Karrde answered dryly.

"Thrawn?" Aves asked. Karrde, or "Claw," nodded silently.

"Our Grand Admiral is doing everything he can to assemble a fleet," the smuggler said thoughtfully. "As escort ships, these vessels have proven their worth in the service of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic. High speed, good turbolaser armament... I recall that the warlord Zsinj used several of these ships, heavily modified, as light carriers. If desired, an entire squadron of fighters or interceptors could be housed on the hull or in the hold..."

"Claw, don't you think all this Imperial activity could backfire on us?" Aves asked. "If this guy amasses enough light ships, it won't cost him anything to revisit old debts and start inspecting any freighters..."

"We've always known how to negotiate with the Imperials," Karrde reminded him. "Even now, we have good contacts within Imperial Space. If he starts hunting us or interfering in our operations, we'll find a way to rid ourselves of his unwanted attention. In the meantime... I think we need new freighters."

"For what?" Aves asked, puzzled.

"I want to create a shell company that isn't directly connected to me," Karrde explained. "The Solo family will likely try to involve us in transportation across the galaxy. We won't do it directly—it's too high-profile. Trading with the Imperial Remnants is more lucrative than with the New Republic. No, let a third-party handle that. Find ships and capable crews."

"So," Aves said, still confused, "if legal transport doesn't bring us much profit, why invest in it?"

"Information," Karrde sighed. "The Empire will pay handsomely for details about how specific planets' defenses are arranged in different sectors of the New Republic. Grand Moff Ardus Kaine occasionally shows interest in such things—and pays well for them. At the meeting, we'll gauge how deep the New Republic's pockets are and decide whether to provide similar details about the Empire."