Like Spinning Plates (Victer)

[Salem Ave]

Iziz City, dusk.

The journey to Onderon had been a long one, but there was still a burning sliver of the Japrael, the sun, was just visible on the horizon as Salem Ave climbed the sky-ramp towards the royal palace of Onderon. He saw few guards in the city streets and the men and women who manned the palace gates were laughing and talking with one another as Salem approached. There was an air of stillness about the city, without the undercurrent of tension that had once bubbled beneath the surface.

One of the guards nodded to Salem as he approached. It had been some time since he had carried the title of Prime Minister, but his was a face that people did not easily forget. “Mr. Ave.”

The gates parted before him, as easily as they had always done. Long strides carried Salem towards the palace proper, gravel crunching under foot.

It wasn't long before he found the man he was looking for.

“Victer.”

[Victer Dejan]

Victer's progress had... slowed. It wasn't because he had made any mistakes or miscalculated, but his ventures had shifted to safer investments with steady values. He pulled a bottle from a small wine cooler behind his heavy desk. It was made of dark, local wood and wasn’t ornate, but overbuilt. It was an obelisk of a piece of furniture. Victer pulled an appropriate wine glass for the slightly tart red and poured.

His eyes narrowed at various figures. His projections were still ahead of what he had stated earlier this year, but they were now matching the steady monetary growth rate instead of the aggressive one achieved by cornering the bacta market.

There was a... haze. Victer’s ability to see patterns and infer future value was uncanny, and apparently guided by the Force, but Victer didn’t know how his gift worked, or why exactly things that seemed clear a month ago were hidden in fog.

He absentmindedly swirled a glass of wine and made the last trade of the day when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Salem walked through the door a moment later.

“Mister Ave.” Victer paused, acknowledging the... powerful, unnerving presence of Salem. He chewed on this next question.

“How may I help you?”

[Salem Ave]

Salem almost smiled. He had barely set foot in Victer Dejan's office and already he was being offered help; the man was well trained. The fact that he had dispensed with any false pleasantries was good. Ave's time was at more of a premium than ever now. It was practically a luxury that he had come to Iziz City at all, but there were some messages that had to be delivered in person.

Foregoing any offer to take a seat, Salem got right to it.

“I need you to leave Onderon.”

[Victer Dejan]

Victer held his poker face well. This was both unexpected and... inconvenient. He knew that Salem ran the show, and that he didn't appreciate frivolity. Both were direct men when allowed to be, and excelled at their respective jobs. It was one of the reasons they had a good working relationship.

He'd do it, of course. It meant being further from Adraudia, which was not ideal.

"Oh? When?" He expected the second question answered, but not the first, which was why and where. He'd dig into the details if Salem would permit, which was as large a question mark as the man himself.

[Salem Ave]

There wasn't a flicker of a reaction in Victer's expression. Good, Salem thought.

“Today,” he continued. “Or tomorrow, at the latest. I understand that you may have some business to conclude before leaving. I have a.. narrow window of opportunity for a venture that I require your assistance with.”

[Victer Dejan]

Victer's face now moved into a frown. He was already prepared for such an eventuality. It came from being part of a military family and background.

"I assume that you only require my assistance, and that I should inform Rish of my pending absence." Victer ran through mental math in his head. He would be finished with work in roughly one hour, and then would enjoy a meal with Audraudia 30 minutes after that. Just enough time to freshen up.

"Do I have time for dinner?" With the Queen, of course. He could forgo that, if absolutely needed. Given Salem's timetable, he figured it was probable.