Rac`s pride and will to live began a battle inside him, his pride denied to giving into these demands presented by the sith scum, but his will to live said that it was the only way out. In thigh spots Rac was a being of compromises and that were what happened now, a compromised was created and both would be satisfied, but not truly happy. Rac sighed and shrugged.

"Very well then mister Zarith.... "

Rac pressed few buttons and the droids backed down as few droids activated beginning to carry the crates to Zarith`s ship, but something stirred Rac in this all. If they weren’t going to duel then was Silus just going to Zarith leave with the artifacts and take the victory today? Well at least Rac had a plan so that he would make a compromise for all of them; everyone would be happy, but not satisfied. Rac turned to Zarith.

"When the crates have been removed to your ship... then you will remove the lightsaber from my throat and leave on your ship to where you came from, clear? We will all be happy and alive that way..."

Rac waited for Zarith to back down as the artifacts were shipped on Zarith`s ship.

Zarith was slightly pleased at Rac's first very small steps to complying with what he wanted. He didn't let this pleasure express itself on his face or through his body language. If anything Zarith only looked more angry and annoyed. Fegal still thought he was a fool. It was obvious he was a slow learner, but Zarith still had some patience left in him, although it grew thinner with each passing moment.

"So you expect me to just let you go and hop in my ship and going on my merry way my Dug friend? Do you take me for a fool? I seem to recall that you have a fairly substantial vessel in orbit, one that would have no problem destroying me and my ship. What assurance do I have that you won't simply attempt to kill me once I have let you go?" Zarith spoke in a calm and polite tone, but there was an endge to it. Things would either go his way, or someone would have to die.

Rac hadn’t forgotten that either, but wanted to stall them as long as he could and wouldn’t really wish the to let Zarith take his profits. Rac sighed and pushed few buttons opening a channel to Baal up on the orbit.

"Sedra.... get the ship to Fresia and come pick me up in 6 hours because it seems that this is going to take longer that I have expected besides the ship needs refuel and maintenance so it should be enough time for you to at least perform that someway..."

Rac listened to the answer as he looked up to Zarith.

"I hadn’t forgotten that and I take you for a fool, but I take everything slowly so there is no mess up and now please... your ship is soon loaded and the cruiser is leaving the orbit right now towards Fresia..."

Rac looked at Zarith waiting for him to remove the saber off his throat and leave with his ship...

Zarith smiled slightly at Rac. "There, you see, cooperating wasn't so hard now was it? If you had done that in the first place, you could have saved us all a lot of trouble."

Zarith turned to look at the Jedi, still braced for combat. "Well Jedi, what about you? Are we to fight to the death over these artifacts, will you simply let me have them, or do we have some other alternative that you can think up?"

Zarith was not really certain how to proceed. He still didn't trust the Dug, as was indicated by him still holding his blade to him. At the very least he wasn't going to let him get away until he was sure his ship was gone. He could engage the Jedi in combat, but that would let the Dug run free. He also had no firm idea how powerful this Jedi was. His choice of saber colors indicated at least some study of the Sith. Perhaps he was a former apprentice who had fallen to the light side? It wasn't impossible. Either way, he may be experienced in fighting a Sith, and he was certainly more than some simple Padawan. The fact that he was not eager to fight him did show he had a certain sensibility about him. Perhaps they could come to some sort of equitable agreement, although Zarith did not have very high hopes of that happening. He let out a small sigh. He was almost ready to just have the artifacts destroyed and leave the miserable little world and the miserable little Dug far behind him.

"I certainly hope it won't have to come to fighting. I do, however, have an alternative..."

The words were meaningless, a small attempt to buy time. Invisible tendrils of the Force slithered away from Silus like a serpant, ready to strike out at the mercenaries near them.

You're being a fool. The message arrived in Zarith's head.

"I could take the holocrons. Keep the rest; the Jedi would have no use for them. But those holocrons, those are important to us. Our last links to our dead. Of no use to the Sith."

Think, Sith, Silus said through the Force, Rac is a businessman. A man of greed. You're taking his profits, and he gets nothing out of it. I doubt he likes the idea of that.

"We can both leave this planet happy, return to our lives. Even if we are enemies, it doesn't mean we can't reach a compromise."

We are surrounded by mercenaries, droids. More are coming. There is a Star Destroyer in orbit, probably ready to fire on your ship this very moment. And you already know the artifacts or the crates holding them contain explosives.

A muscle tensed itself in Silus's arm. The red blade of his lightsaber hummed greedily.

He has a trap... and you're walking right into it.

Zarith smiled politely at the Jedi, his saber still at the throat of the Dug. "An interesting proposition Jedi."

Zarith reached out through the force, reaching out to the mind of the Jedi, and replied in the same telepathic manner.

Of course I know it is a trap. I am not naive, Jedi.

"I am a bit hesitant, however, to simply take a portion of a share that I have yet to even see."

I do not plan on leaving until I am quite sure that the vessel in orbit is very much gone. I can also deal with the items in question and the bombs on them. In fact, now I have an opening to do so.

"Rac, my Dug friend, how about we have a look at these artifacts briefly. I believe the Jedi and I might barter over them a bit, like civilized people. As a businessman, I am sure you can understand that, right? And we can get those bombs off of them too, and whatever other devices you have attached to them. And do send away your mercenaries and guards. We won't need them, as we are all civilized gentleman here. As long as we all play nicely, no on needs to be hurt. Having all of these armed men around and... Well, accidnents do happen, and no one wants that to happen."

You, Jedi, are the wild card here. The question is not what will I do, but what will you do?

Rac sighed as the sith opened his mouth, they never knew what they were dealing with, but that was for the best and this all seemed like a game for the sith. Rac didn`t like force users at all, they had the habbit of getting in the way unlike being helpful, but that was how cruel life could turn out to be.

"Sure... the artifacts are loaded on your ship already as you might have discovered and the ship has left the orbit mr. Zarith, but do you think me as a fool expecting me to order my men to shoot when you have that... lightsaber on my throat? Please this way..."

Rac began moving forwards as when Zarith allowed it, he flew to the freighter entrance and entered, the droids had made a nice pile of them in order. He flew to one of them as Zarith allowed and opened it.

"I think that mr. Silus will have to remove these bombs after I have deactivated them... since you mr. Zarith don`t seem to want to move that lightsaber away from my throat..."

Rac slowly pressed few buttons opening a file and deactivated the bombs, he smiled at Zarith.

"Now they are ready to be removed..."

---

Meanwhile Nebael stood outside of the transport with a smile on his face, the jedi had cornered the dug, but the Jedi had to remember that they would be one enemy territory. They could either try to take the artifacts and leave alive, but Rac would sent ships after them, if possible and if they would kill Rac there would be a fight between them perhaps since it seemed that Silus would have blood of the innocent in his hand for allowing that.

This dug has an army of soldiers... mere hired mercenaries and droids, but we are still outnumbered. Frankly, I trust you more than I trust him, Silus replied to Zarith. We should work together. The two of us will have more chance of surviving than either alone.

The Jedi eyed the mercenaries near him, coiling those invisible ropes around them. The men were unaware of the trap waiting for them.

We can split up at the nearest inhabited planet; one that isn't occupied by a fool of a dug and his hired army.

Silus turned his gaze on Nebael, smiling mirthlessly behind the cloth mask covering the bottom of his face. A cautious movement in his leg was the only sign of the Jedi preparing to spring into attack if the worst came.

There no need for us to fight, Sith. I get what I want, you get what you want.

"I think that mr. Silus will have to remove these bombs after I have deactivated them... since you mr. Zarith don`t seem to want to move that lightsaber away from my throat..."

Silus grimaced. Coils retracted from the mercenaries, moving to the crates. The Jedi closed his eyes, focusing on the items contained inside. Tendrils found the bombs, grasping them and moving them carefully away from the artifacts. They hovered in the air for only a moment, and were set down slowly a distance away. Silus exhaled.

"There. I've done your dirty work for you."