"However," he said, a moment later, "I can be reasonable. If it is important to you, you have my assurance that my people will do nothing untoward with her, or violate her in any way. So," he said with finality in his voice, "Yes, we have a deal." He went back to puffing from his hookah as he waved a hand authoritatively, not to Netan or to Kaylie, but to the guards in the lounge. "Escort Netan the Human outside," he said, "And Netan, my friend, do enjoy the night life on Sriluur. It's one of the finest in Hutt Space." He waved goodbye cordially, if somewhat condescendingly, and as the door slid shut behind him the Hutt's sardonic gaze came to rest on the girl.

"Kaylie, is it?" his voice boomed, made all the louder by the speakers in the lounge. "I look forward to meeting you in person," he said sardonically, glancing her over. "Poor girl, it must be dismal on Netan's grey little ship. I see he's not been providing for you," he noted, "He's not even provided you a change of clothes for, how long have you been his prisoner? This will not do. We'll have these clothes cleaned for you, and find something else for you to wear in the meantime. Ramble"—he gestured to the remaining guard in the room, a Togorian—"will show you to your quarters. See you soon, pateesa."

The screen faded once again, and Njon was nowhere to be seen. Despite the Togorian's name, Ramble didn't seem to be interested in talking as it advanced on Kaylie in a manner that suggested it would pick her up and carry her if she didn't go along willingly. However, her room, far from Netan's concerns, was rather comfortable and, after the Togorian left, private. It was not unlike the lounge insofar as it, too, had a number of couches, chairs, a coffee table and a holoscreen, only this room also had a closet and a refresher. The comforts, however, would not likely be of much comfort under the circumstances.

Njon hadn't so much as turned off the holoscreen as he had, rather, turned it to another channel, where Lim Hejin waited. "Njon, you old rogue!" Hejin said to him, "It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of your company. I was wondering if I could swing a vessel or two by your place at Sriluur for refueling. I'd be more than happy to pay the usual going rate."

The Hutt brightened somewhat as he saw the man. He had indeed been meaning to speak with him for some time, on a matter of some importance. That, and Hejin was one of the few humans for whom Njon had some, small degree of respect. Until recently, perhaps. He hadn't decided. "Gooddé da lodia, Lim," he said in greeting, some lingering vapors from his pipe escaping his large, grinning mouth as he did so. "Of course, a former associate is welcome at Sriluur, and perhaps, I hope, a future associate. Why is it that you no longer work for the Cartel?" he asked, conversationally. "I know it isn't for want of money, or spice, or women," he laughed.

"So, tell me, what does Atropos have to offer you that I do not?" He raised his brow and puffed on his pipe once more, watching the expression on the man's face when he learned that Njon did, in fact, know who the Ebon Fist was working for. No doubt, Hejin would wonder how he knew and, more importantly, how much he knew?

"Ah, but Lim, is it truly at your beck and call?" The Hutt left this question to dangle in the air for a moment, then laughed his deep, booming laugh. He waved his hand dismissively, and changed the subject before he could answer the question. It was, however, a question that would undoubtedly remain in Hejin's mind. "In any case," he said, cordially, "Please do enjoy Sriluur. I'll have the portmaster tell you where to find the finest drinks and the finest women. And, of course, your ships will be given fueling priority." He smiled. "Perhaps you will consider working for the Cartel again," the Hutt said, a moment before his gaze seemed to harden and his smile disappeared. "Regardless," he added, darkly, "I do suggest you should not consider ever fracking with my spice operations again, Hejin. When Atropos tells you to pull another Taris like a good little errand boy, remember that if you do, I might not receive you so kindly next time."

Once again, the Hutt was exhibiting information that not even New Republic Intelligence was privvy to. It begged the question, did he know about all of the Ebon Fist's errands for Atropos, including Corellia, Dantooine, and the others? Was there an informant inside the Ebon Fist? Or perhaps Njon knew nothing and was simply making lucky guesses? The violence in the Hutt's eyes would seem to suggest that he was quite sure of his information, however, and he wasn't the sort to make idle threats.

In fact, he knew less than Hejin might have wondered. The Ebon Fist's involvement at Taris had been simple to figure out; Hejin's organization was young at that time, and had made no effort to disguise its shuttle that escorted the stolen spice off of Taris (or attempted to). The shuttle had been seen employed by the Ebon Fist since that time. The fact that Hejin was at least marginally and probably wholly responsible for poisoning the spice it did manage to steal was apparent; the Hutt recognized his own supply when he saw it. As for Atropos, the purported Sith had appeared to Njon with a cryptic offer to work together, and threatened repercussions to his spice operations if he did not agree. Njon had not agreed, the poisoned spice turned up shortly thereafter. Ergo the connection to the Ebon Fist.

And, improbably, the Hutt had New Republic Intelligence to thank for the tip on Baltimn. Njon had noticed immediately when the NRI attempted to monitor his transmission with Atropos. In moments, the Cartel's slicers had managed to track the eavesdropping to a modified HLAF-500 starfighter, and brought it down. The pilot was nowhere to be found, but as it turned out, the fighter possessed sophisticated surveillance and holocommunications equipment, and it was from this that the other end of the transmission was ascertained—a StarViper-class vessel called Undying Vengeance, registered to Duke Drasek Cale of Baltimn.

This led to one of two conclusions; either Drasek Cale, a wealthy Duke and former Jedi, was allowing Atropos the use of his ship, or Cale himself was Atropos—a rich boy with a set of expensive toy armor. Either way, Cale had to be bankrolling Hejin for whatever reason. Or he had, that is, until the revolution on Baltimn ousted Cale from power there and, later, he seemed to have been rather gruesomely executed in a video widely disseminated on the holonet. Suddenly, the word on the street was that Hejin wanted to turn the Ebon Fist into a legitimate company, with legitimate profit. Coincidence? Njon didn't think so. In any case, the Hutt would come across as practically omniscient in this conversation, when in fact his statements thus far were left deliberately vague for Hejin to unwittingly confirm or deny.