"Thank you for seeing us," Obi-Wan said.
"The Jedi helped my home world of Eeyyon," Thacker said. "I pledged to help whenever I could."
"How do you find yourself on Korriban?" Siri asked.
"Just lucky I guess," Thacker groaned. "I angered my boss. Such a little thing, but she was so touchy. So I didn't check references and the deal went bad. What's a few million credits? The next thing I know, I get handed an assignment to open an office on Korriban." Thacker shuddered. "I haven't slept through the night since."
Obi-Wan signaled to the bartender to bring a round of drinks. In such a place, it was better to place an order, even though he wouldn't touch anything they were pouring. He waited until the bartender slammed down a pot of grog that slopped over the rim, then dropped a pile of not-too clean mugs onto the table.
Thacker leaned over and whispered. "I wouldn't drink that if I were you."
"Thanks for the tip," Siri said. "What can you tell us about the two beings we're pursuing?"
"Only that they are here," Thacker said. "A human man and woman have been seen. They match the descriptions perfectly. I checked the one hotel and several guest houses, and they aren't registered."
"They wouldn't use their real names," Obi-Wan said. "Did you give descriptions?"
"Well, I said a man and a woman, traveling together," Thacker said.
"Did you try anything else? Is there a database for arrivals and departures?"
Thacker shook his head. "Nobody really keeps track."
"Have you looked into whether any businesses here are a cover for Omega's enterprises?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Well, no," Thacker said. "Naturally I want to help the Jedi. But it is not wise to ask too many questions on Korriban."
"Why?" This question came from Ry-Gaul, and it stopped Thacker in his tracks.
"Uh, because." Thacker shrugged. "Because that's what everyone says."
Obi-Wan exchanged an exasperated glance with Siri. It was clear that Thacker wasn't going to be much help. He was too intimidated by even the rumor of possible problems.
"I should warn you about something. You know that the Commerce Guild has its own army? Well, there's a division here," Thacker said. "They say it's out of necessity, to protect the business workers from petty crime.
But spider and surveillance droids are everywhere. If Omega and Zan Arbor have any contacts in the Commerce Guild, they could have access to all the surveillance information. Which means they could see everything."
At last, a piece of information they could use. But what else could Thacker tell them? Obi-Wan didn't want to leave the cafc without a solid lead. Then a thought occurred to him.
"Zan Arbor has expensive tastes," he said. "She is most likely not too thrilled to be here. There doesn't seem to be much luxury in Dreshdae."
"It's a stinking rot," Thacker agreed.
"Yet there are business executives here, creatures used to having the best of everything," Obi-Wan said. "There must be something for them. If you're looking to buy special items, where would you go?"
"There's a loose kind of black market," Thacker told them. "Run by thieves, of course. Supplies are low, there are no stores, and it's hard to even find essentials, like blankets or thermal capes, even though this dump of a rotting death-hole freezes your bones. They rob when they can — from the better buildings, the offices. No hotel room in the spaceport is safe.
They've made some hits on ships coming in with supplies for the Commerce Guild executives."
"So how do you get in touch with this black market?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It's on the outskirts, in a plaza that's in ruins — that is, if you can tell ruins from the rest of these crumbling, cracked-up excuses for buildings." Thacker's darting gaze flicked to the ceiling. "I can give you the coordinates. If you want something, go at dusk. Ask for Auben. She's the best of a bad lot — she won't cheat you and she knows everything that's going on. I've bought a few things from her myself. But watch out for the army — the executives in the Commerce Guild are tired of buying back their own items. They want to smash the black market."
The Jedi stood.
"One more thing," Thacker said. "The army isn't your only concern.
Auben might be less than cooperative. She won't trust you. And she's heavily armed."
"That won't be a problem," Obi-Wan assured him.
Chapter Seven
Dusk on Korriban lasted for hours, beginning in midafternoon as the weak sun slowly made its descent. The shadows cast by the buildings on Dreshdae seemed thick and full of menace. There had been an attempt to install glow lights on the streets, but they were staggered in odd patterns. As the Jedi walked toward the plaza, they moved from light to shadow. They knew it was dusk only because the light was failing. There was so much cloud cover that they could not see the sun. The clouds just deepened to a dark red.
"I have a suggestion, Master," Anakin said. "This Auben might feel less threatened if she's approached by one person. Especially someone young."
Obi-Wan nodded. "That's not a bad idea."
"We can't surround her, we'll spook her for sure," Siri said. "Why don't Anakin and Ferus go?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "You can say that you're brothers, and you've been stranded here. Sounds plausible."
Brothers! Anakin swallowed his groan. Being teamed with Ferus was bad enough.
They approached the plaza. It was surrounded by pillars that had once held up some sort of roof over the plaza. Part of the roof still hung over the space. Behind the pillars were the ruins of a building. There were plenty of places to hide, which was no doubt why it was chosen as the spot to conduct illegal business.
"We'll stay here," Obi-Wan said, stopping a good distance away from the plaza. "Whatever you do, don't reveal that you are Jedi. That's information that can be sold. We know Omega is expecting us, but he doesn't know when we'll arrive."
Anakin and Ferus took off for the marketplace in silence. The tension hadn't lessened between them. Anakin had hoped to gain information about Omega before Ferus did. He wished he were meeting Auben alone. It wasn't that he would jeopardize the mission in any way, but he wouldn't mind being one half-step ahead.
They didn't say a word as they walked. They didn't make a plan. Anakin wanted to complete the assignment as quickly as possible and return to the others.
They cruised once around the plaza. They could see a few beings in the shadows. It wasn't until they'd made one circuit of the area that they were approached.
A young woman dressed in a tight-fitting gray tunic and leggings came to them. She wore a leather headpiece that fitted snugly over her ears, and she carried an enormous satchel on her back without strain.
"Looking for something, friends?"
"Are you Auben?" Anakin asked.
Her eyes flicked over them. "Who wants to know?"
"Thacker sent us. He said you had things for sale."