Alex Reese and Saal'Ku meeting on Haea after Otheis' alleged capture of Kathra. A meeting frought with complications, namely that Alex, supposedly stopping by to deliver a friendly message, is really about to ambush Saal'Ku alongside the hidden Kami and Kathra, and Saal'Ku, supposedly believing Alex's lie and flirting with him, is really waiting for Otheis to arrive and get her out of the trap. Little does Reese know that Saal'Ku knows his plan he's about to set in motion. The entire Haea scandals and chases get a bit muddled, but in a place full of backstabbing thieves and dealers one can hardly expect any better, even of the relatively noble merchants and mercenaries like Reese. Involve people like Saal'Ku and things start getting really dirty. Anyway, despite the amiable look on Saal'Ku's face, she's just thinking about how much she's going to enjoy giving Reese a good beating. Her philosophy of Saal'Ku gets what Saal'Ku wants is one Reese is all too familiar with and he knows how much danger he's in letting her get that close to him.