He had no idea why the Silvers were dragging him into this one.
Then again, he really didn't understand the relationship between the Hutts and the Silvers to begin with. Ever since the decision to move to Kashyyyk, the Silver Jedi Concord had been flirting with Hutt space -- courting worlds that historically stood for slavery and exploitation, encouraging their economic development and then turning them back over to gangsters.
Or just cutting deals with the gangsters themselves.
On a purely business or financial level, Sor-Jan could appreciate the simplistic notion of
the cost of doing business. But as a company president and corporate shareholder, his fiduciary duty was to the profit margin, not to any moral code of conduct.
The Jedi, on the other hand, moral codes of conduct were
supposed to be their entire deal.
And he knew. He'd lived under the yoke of those expectations before anyone alive today had been born, save for Valery Noble of the Galactic Alliance. That he knew of, anyway.
Cutting a deal with the Hutts was
dangerous. They'd betray the deal the moment it seemed advantageous to do so. And probably already had a plan for skirting around whatever requirements the Silvers might try to attach to the bargain.
So he was a skeptic, but he'd try to keep an open mind for
Wu Yeoh-Mei
's sake.
The message had indicated that
Caltin Vanagor
would also be joining them. That was good, because the Anzat would be curious what the Big Guy thought about all of this as well.
After their discussion on Coruscant, he had the notion in his mind that he and Caltin might be more aligned than he'd realized.
Still, if the Silvers wanted the deal to go through, then Sor-Jan wouldn't stand in their way. That wasn't his role -- even though he wasn't quite certain what that role was supposed to be. Advisor? If they wanted his advice, they'd get the hell out of Hutt space and then institute a neutral zone to buffer between them and Nal Hutta. Preferably with a trade embargo or blockade to try and keep the mafia and its spice-laiden flesh markets contained in the cesspool where it came from.
...but that probably wasn't realistic.
"Increase security. And launch a combat aerospace patrol around the ship once we've exited hyperspace," the boy remarked, speaking to the man who served as the vessel's master.
He wouldn't raise shields the moment they dropped out of hyperspace, but he was still operating on the assumption that the Hutts would double cross them.
Better to be pleasantly surprised if it didn't happen, rather than be caught off-guard when it did.
Through the large windows of the bridge, the mottled light of hyperspace gave way to the familiar backdrop of stars as the ship appeared in the Circumtore system.
After a moment, the boy turned to give a nod toward a communications droid to hail
Gorba the Hutt
's armada.
"This is Sor-Jan Xantha of the Corellia Digital Corporation," the young Anzat announced.
"I've been invited to partake in these talks at the behest of the Concord."
As much as he was happy for his friend
Matsu Ike
, he was starting to
miss the days when he and the Concord ignored one another. This was the second time he'd been called upon since the Atrisian had elevated to the position of Grandmaster.
If this continued, he was definitely going to start billing her.
"If a meeting space is required, the parties are welcome to meet in the Interstellar room aboard the Intervention," Sor-Jan remarked, as the message he'd received had not indicated an agreed upon location for the negotiations.
"If your Excellency agrees, please transmit any dietary requirements you may have and it will be our honor to host you."
The bile was biting into the back of his throat as he spoke.
But he'd been playing the business game for long enough to keep his morals in check.
