Fenald closed the office suite's door behind them, then followed Kuat toward the docking area." I've gotten as much advance information on the meeting as I could." Among his other duties, Fenald was in charge of surveillance-or in blunter terms, spying-upon the planet's ruling households." From all indications, it appears that the Knylenn Elder will be there. In person."
"That old fool?" Kuat shook his head as he walked. The Elder had always been his chief opponent in the households' deliberative council. Of all the families, the Knylenns had fought hardest-and over centuries and generations-against the Inheritance Exemption by which the Kuat line maintained its hold over Kuat Drive Yards." I'm surprised they managed to pry him out of his life-support systems."
"The younger members of the family are using the Elder as a front. So they had a new portable life-support system designed and built, just so the Elder could come to an emergency meeting like this." The security head raised an eyebrow." A very expensive system, too; it apparently has several redundant layers of first-degree droid intelligence built in, with constant real-time monitoring of all bodily functions. And get this: it even has cryo-storage of all-important organs, with total immune-reaction suppression at the cellular level, ready to go at any sign of cardiopulmonary or renal-hepatitic failure. The Elder could be getting a heart transplant as you were talking to him, and you wouldn't even know it except for the little blinking lights on the front of the unit."
"Charming," said Kuat." Of course, that presupposes that he started out with one inside him." He could see the docking area attendants up ahead, standing by the open hatchway of his personal transport." Who else is going to be there?"
"The usual cabal-all of the Knylenns, their tel-buns and their affiliates; the Kuhlvult clan and their
morganic allegiances; probably a good deal of the Kadnessi."
Kuat stopped in the middle of the corridor and looked at his security head." That's more than the usual."
The security head nodded in agreement." This is the big one, Technician. The Knylenns have been trying to overturn the Inheritance Exemption since before your grandfather ran this corporation. They've called in all the favors that any of the other ruling households might owe them-because they think they can do it now."
"Maybe they can." Kuat paused beside the transport's hatchway as the attendants drew back." Maybe I should let them. Then dealing with the Empire and all the rest would be someone else's problem." He pulled the formal robes tighter around himself to facilitate getting into the tight passenger space of the transport. He looked over at Fenald." What do you think?"
"That would be your decision to make." Standing with hands clasped behind his back, the other man gave a single nod." But it would be the end of Kuat Drive Yards as an independent corporation. No one else in the ruling families has the ability-or the courage-to stand up to Palpatine."
"I sometimes think," said Kuat," that courage is simply another name for foolhardiness." Gathering up the broad and inconvenient hem of the robes, he stepped into the transport." I'm old and tired-or at least that's the way I feel, so it might as well be true." He had to duck his head down to look back at the figure standing outside the hatchway." Perhaps instead of going and dealing with these tiresome creatures, I should pilot this ship straight to Coruscant. I could make a deal with Palpatine: if I give in now and just let him take over Kuat Drive Yards, I'd save him a lot of trouble. Perhaps in gratitude, he'd pension me off with enough credits to eke out a comfortable existence on some obscure planet."
"It's more likely, Technician, that once Emperor Palpatine has what he wants from you, that he would simply have you eliminated."
Kuat managed a grim half-smile." I believe you're right." He settled into the transport's two-person passenger area." So I don't have any choice then, do I, about going and dealing with the Knylenns and all the rest of the ruling households?"
"No," replied Fenald." You don't."
"Then," said Kuat," my duties and my actions are one and the same." He turned toward the transport again.
Fenald laid a restraining hand on Kuat's forearm." However, Technician, you are not obliged to face this particular duty by yourself."
Kuat looked back at his head of security." What do you mean?"
"It's madness for you to go there alone. The Knylenns and the others are obviously planning some unpleasant surprise for you. You'll need all the help you can get."
"Perhaps so. But that doesn't mean I can have it."
"I hope you'll forgive any rashness on my part, Technician. But I took the initiative of contacting the Master of Etiquette for the ruling households." Fenald gave a slight nod as he withdrew his hand from the sleeve of Kuat's formal robes." And he gave a different ruling on that point of protocol. Since the Knylenns are bringing their telbuns to this gathering, the normal restrictions do not apply. Under the ancestral household code, the telbuns are technically outsiders; not quite true family members. So to maintain strict reciprocity, the household of Kuat is thereby permitted to bring in an outsider as well."
"I see." Kuat mulled over the information." And your suggestion is that you should accompany me."
"More than a suggestion. It is, Technician, my most urgent advice."
Kuat peered closer at the security head." Why are you so concerned about coming to this gathering? The ruling households of Kuat are hardly an entertaining crowd."
"As I said before-they're up to something."
"And what is your evidence-your hard evidence-for that suspicion?"
Fenald was silent for a moment before answering." No evidence," he said quietly," other than what I feel in my gut."
The security head's reply disturbed Kuat. Fenald had never before been one to act upon anything except facts as cold and hard as the durasteel employed in the Kuat Drive Yards construction docks. But still. . .
"All right," said Kuat. He pointed toward the hatchway of the personal transport." We'd better be on our way. They'll be waiting for us."
A few Standard Time Parts later, the pilot of the personal transport was skimming the craft over the densely forested land masses of the planet Kuat. For Kuat of Kuat, looking out at the green organic material was less pleasing than contemplating the hard, cold shapes of laser-welded durasteel in the Kuat Drive Yards construction docks.
One of the junior members of the Kuhlvult clan, barely having achieved adult status, had come out to meet Kuat's personal transport." There are those among us," said Kodir of Kuhlvult," who will be glad to see you." Her movements in the formal robes, as she led the way to the ruling households' gathering
hall, were more graceful than Kuat's could ever have been." Not everyone is happy with the Knylenns'
agenda for this meeting."
"Really?" As he walked beside her, Kuat searched the young woman's face for some clue as to her intent." And why would that be?"
Kodir's smile was more sly than friendly." We know how the Kuat household runs Kuat Drive Yards; your family has kept this world one of the richest in the galaxy for generations. It did so under the old Republic, and it continues to do so under Emperor Palpatine. Such skill deserves its own reward; that was why the Inheritance Exemption was passed by the other households so long ago." She tilted her head, eyes lowered in respect." And that is why some of us would wish to keep it that way."
In silence, Kuat walked on beside the young woman; his head of security trailed a few steps behind. The Exemption, mused Kuat. That's what it all comes down to. It had, for a long time.
The wise among the ruling households, as Kodir of Kuhlvult had indicated, wished to keep the Inheritance Exemption. The ambitious, such as the Knylenns, wished to eliminate it; the Exemption was what kept them from achieving supremacy among all the ruling households, and from taking control of Kuat Drive Yards, this world's preeminent source of wealth.