Reath’s shoulders sagged. Even Cohmac looked disappointed. “May I ask how long that customer’s journey will take?”

“Ask our passenger.” She pointed to the gangway, where Orla Jareni had just stepped out to collect the last of their things.

Orla grinned. “I’m sorry, Affie—did I not mention that the others would be coming with me?”

“No, you did not.” Affie did some quick calculations of risk in her head, but ultimately simply waved at the others in welcome.

Cohmac raised an eyebrow. “Were there any problems removing the idols?”

“Not one bit,” Orla said. “Everyone assumed I was taking them to a research facility. I just never happened to mention which one. As long as we research them a bit on the way, I say the Vessel’s as good a facility as any.”

After that, all three Jedi huddled together at the nearest docking arch in the spaceport, discussing their plans in hushed tones. Affie watched them from the cockpit, standing between Leox and Geode.

“Should we tell them we were going there anyway?” Affie asked. “And reduce their fee?”

Leox shook his head. “Man needs bread.”

Chapter Eighteen

The Vessel slipped away from Coruscant without incident, just one of the thousands of spacecraft leaving the planet every day. Sometimes, Leox mused, it was good to be just a single drop in the water, a single grain of sand on the shore.

Traveling back was easier than it had been the first time. The hyperspace lane, while still bumpy, was a whole lot clearer. Leox felt free to leave Affie and Geode in charge of the bridge. Besides, those two needed some catch-up time.

He meandered to the mess, hoping they’d picked up some more of that fancy caf—you really could tell the difference, with the good stuff—only to run into Orla Jareni looking madder than a Grindalid at noon.

“We need to have a talk,” she said, hands on her hips.

This does not sound favorable, Leox thought. “On what subject shall we converse?”

“I accidentally entered your port cargo bay instead of the starboard one you’d refitted as my cabin.” Her dark witchy eyes narrowed. “Which means, I know what you’re hauling.”

Granted, this was not how Leox had hoped the subject would be raised. In point of fact, he’d hoped it would never be raised at all. Still, if explanations were due, might as well get them over with. “Ma’am, I assure you, that spice is perfectly legal.”

“Legal, in that it’s actually legal?” Orla demanded. “Or legal as in, the laws of the Republic haven’t quite caught up to that sector yet?”

“Entirely legal. Absolutely. One hundred and one percent.”

“There’s no such thing as one hundred and one percent.”