A New Job (open)

[Silvo]

A man sat in a dark corner of a bar, tapping a coin on the table and darting his look around as if he was looking for someone. He suddenly stopped looking and stared at a man entering the bar and handing in a bag. He casually walked around and sat in the chair at the man's table and said,

"Now what do you want? I 'm wasting valuable time here."

The man answered, "Were you followed? Are you alone?"

"Oh just shut up and tell me."

"Alright, Silvo. I need you to do a job for me. There's a guy who's been buyin some ship parts who has been hustling me for lower prices. I can't lower them-"

"Naturally. Just get on with it. You have any pictures of this guy? Where he hangs out?"

Silvo mostly hated the people he worked for. He believed that the only way for a person to prove themself, they have to at least handle some of their problems. He was sick of running errands for some of the employers.

"Alright. Here's a picture of him. He always walks to the Blue Wompa for a drink later. You can get him before or after he leaves the bar. Just make sure he sees you kill him. I want some proof of the job too."

"Right, right. Just don't start giving me advice."

Silvo stood and walked off. He didn't listen to the man after he got the picture and where to get him. He stepped out of the bar and walked home, preparing for the upcoming job.

[Dan the Man]

<center>At the Blue Wampa...</center>

Dan stepped into the bar, nodding politely to the doorman, as he pulled his overcoat open to reveal his sidearms, a pair of ornate blaster pistols with silver death's heads on the grips. The doorman took pause, admiring the magnificent weapons before the older gentleman drew them slowly from the holsters and extended them towards the guard, grips facing outwards.

"I take it you'll want to hang onto these?"

The doorman nodded, and took possession of them, but not before taking another moment to look at the uniquely-beautiful shooters. Dan smiled, an interesting expression on his age-weathered face.

"Merely for show, I assure you." He lied, false modesty spreading evenly through his calm voice.

Walking to the bar, Dan took a seat down a few spaces from other patrons.

"Bartender, Mos Espa Reposado Gold, if you will."

At ten credits a shot, it was top even amongst top shelf. Yet be that as it may, a mere drop in the bucket for the old snake to afford. The bartender nodded, and retrieved both the bottle and a shot glass. Dan smiled peculiarly again.

"Leave the bottle. I'll be here for a while."

Dan handed the man a 300 credit chit, which more than paid for the monumentally expensive tequila.

'Thank you, sir." The bartender graciously accepted Dan's money, and went back to his business.

Dan filled his glass, and gulped it down, taking a moment to get acclimated to his favored local establishment. Of course, tonight like all nights was both business and pleasure.

It was possible to combine both, and Dan did such with the skill of an old devil. There had been trouble with some of his local competition, which had been beneath his concern until now.

[Silvo]

Silvo sat in an alley as the man entered the bar. He had decided that he would allow the man a last drink before he took him out. He slipped deeper into the shadows with a black jumpsuit which contained no jingling items to make noise. Revealing a black long bag, he slowly pulled out a shorter length vibroblade. He smirked as he took out a small tube and smeared a substance on the blade from its tip to midsection. Leaning his back against a wall, he unholstered a small blaster pistol; just in case. He did not enjoy killing a man face to face, he had a bit more mercy than other bounty hunters. Reholstering the weapon, he sat and awaited his prey, which he was prepared to attack with stealth and speed.

[Dan the Man]

Dan was in no rush at all.

He enjoyed his drinks, spoke with various patrons around him, and took his time. He had all the time in the world. Especially so, when one has the habit of attracting enemies who wish to kill you.

Casually, the Vigo removed a comm device and activated it.

"Mister Ensgar, please."

While he waited, Dan took another drink. A few moments later, another voice was on the line.

"Mister Ensgar, this is Dan. I've been thinking about your offer and, well, I think it does indeed bear reconsideration. Would you care to meet me for a drink?"

The hesitation in Ensgar's voice was minute, but certain. Dan arched an eyebrow.

"That's too bad. Perhaps we can discuss it later this week."

As he spoke, Dan removed a datapad from his jacket, and a stylus, and began to scribble out a text communication.

"Maybe we'll do lunch."

Finishing his writing, Dan double-tapped the transmit key on the pad, sending his message as he spoke to Ensgar.

"Alright then. You have yourself a good evening."

Shutting down the commlink, Dan smiled slightly. With a slow hand, he brushed back a strand of his long hair, and looked to the bartender.

"I think I'll start up a tab on top of this, if you don't mind."

[Silvo]

Silvo had a great deal of patience. Being a sniper, he was used to waiting for hours for a target to show up. Smirking, he pictured the man in the bar getting wasted. He thought to himself,

'Good. Let him get drunk. That just makes my job easier.'

Growing a bit bored, he pulled his blaster out and disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled it in the dark. Unsheathing his vibroblade, he felt the blade, on which the goo he smeared on before was stuck and gave the blade a dull, dark blue hue. Glacing over to the door, he saw a man stumble out and collapse onto his face. It wasn't his man, but he couldnt help but let out a slight chuckle at the fool. He thought to himself,

'Thats why I don't drink. And people think that it's wierd.'

[DarthHERA]

Hera was in a bar across town when the incoming message alert vibrated against her hip.

Her night had gone from good to better and the interuption was not a welcome one.

The earlier delivery of a pirated weapons cargo originally intended for the NR forces in the Fey Dann conflict was much appreciated by the Hapso rebels who had received them instead. They had paid handsomely for such bounty and Hera had made herself some new appreciative friends.

She had come to the bar looking to celebrate and the devastatingly handsome man drinking her health was definitely in the mood to accommodate her.

In fact, they had been getting ready to leave when the communicator at her hip had hummed.

Recognizing immediately who it was from, Hera wasted no time on polite excuses. In a dramatic shift of mood that left the good-time-Charley speechless, Hera announced they would have to do this "some other time," tossed some credits on the bar to pay for the drinks and left immediately.

Within 30 minutes, the Sith Master stepped quietly through the doors of the Blue Wampa and scanned the crowd for Dan.

[Dan the Man]

Dan had migrated to a table by this time. He sat with his back to the front door with his golden-hued Reposado, and looked across to an empty seat and a bottle of dark rum.

Taking a long drink from his tall shot glass, Dan set it aside, and kept his eyes towards the back of the bar.

"I've come to admire your punctuality, Hera Drenkast."

His cool inflection and gravelly voice seemed to fit into the bar's ambiance.

"I hope I can only repay in some small way the company you have left behind. That is, if you don't mind knocking a few back with an old snake like me."

[DarthHERA]

"Repay? I doubt it" she replied dryly, remembering the chisled features and broad shoulders of her companion of half an hour ago.

She sat across from Dan and her eyes lit appreciatively on the expensive rum ready waiting her.

"But then again, I may have spoken prematurely"

She helped herself.

"So, what's so urgent that I get to sleep alone again tonight?"

[Dan the Man]

"I suppose you could call me complicated, but there's more to me at times than the murdering bastard that you know and love."

Dan half smiled, brushing a lock of his long hair back.

"In my infinite wisdom, I have apparently made enemies in the business world."

It was an amusing concept to Dan, and he half laughed as he took another shot.

"Enemies with...irreconcilable differences in opinion."

[DarthHERA]

She sipped her rum with obvious relish.

"Ohhh, thats good"

She sniffed the aroma of it.

"Few things in life as satisfying as good rum"

For a breif moment, it was as if Hera had not heard Dan. But the Black Sun Vigo knew better. Very little escaped her.

Hera lifted her eyes to meet Dan's own, which were still dancing slightly with amusement, but retained that steeliness to them nonetheless.

"Anyone I know?"

[Dan the Man]

"Not likely. Just another soul with a chip on his shoulder and enough gumption to do something about it."

Dan poured himself up another.

"I appreciate that. There's nothing quite so immasculating as impotent fury. At any rate, I am reasonably sure this gentleman wishes to end my life tonight, and possibly at this very spot."

A strange twinkle seemed to appear in Dan's eye as he reached for another shot.

"Quite Shakespearian, I suppose."

[DarthHERA]

Hera visibly bristled.

She instantly scanned the room over the rim of her glass seeking out any would be assassin.

Coming quickly to the conclusion that a crowded bar was not the most advantageous way to take somebody out, being as the margin of anonymity and escape shrank the more populated with witnesses the place was. More people to get in the way. More variables for things to go wrong.

No, the most likely scenario would be to take Dan out as he exited the premises or accessed his transport. It was what she would do.

Returning her gaze to Dan, he remained quite unaffected by this revelation. He seemed far from concerned. In fact - it appeared to Hera he was quite amused by it all. She should not be surprised. He was an old snake, to use his own words. There was good reason he had survived so long.

"Assuming you have a plan, where do I come into it?"

[Dan the Man]

"Well, you assume correctly for starters.

I don't dodge guilt, Miss DrenKast. I don't weasel out of my comeuppances, either. If this gent wants to settle this in bloodsport, I fully intend on giving him the golden opportunity. I don't doubt I deserve it, and then some. It won't be the first time I've deserved to die, and I'll wager it won't be the last."

Dan fished a silver case out of his coat, affixed with the same grimacing Death's Head as his ornate weapons. Flipping it open, he pulled out a slim cigar, and bit the end off of it.

"However, that being said, there are consequences of trying to get the jump on an old hand like me, and I damn well intend to make sure he undestands that his bloody satisfaction damn well sure ain't free."

The flame from a match bathed Dan's contours in an evil light.

"My nemesis has, to my knowledge, a large and happy family. Whether I live or die tonight, I want that to change for the worse for him, and I want him to see it happen."

Exhaling a wreath of smoke, Dan smiled at his mistress.

"Consider it a burnt offering on your altar."

[DarthHERA]

A grim smile curled Hera's lips. It made her look cruel. Ugly. Dangerous.

"All I need is a name" she said simply.

[Dan the Man]

"Jander Ensgar."

Dan took another shot.

"And if you can, leave him be. His family will be enough. If his man gets my number tonight, you can reconsider that one on your own terms. I'm cruel, but I'm fair."

[Silvo]

Silvo began to become very alert. The cafe was beggining to empty a bit more because of the time, and he kept a sharp eye for the target. Pulling out a dark, dull knife, he began to skillfully spin it on his hand to keep himself occupied. He pulled out his short vibroblade again and prepared to come out of hiding when the man exited.

[DarthHERA]

She made a mental note of the name Dan gave her and was confident she would have no problem locating him. If he was in the business, he was findable.

Hera helped herself to one more drink of rum and then got up.

"Try not to get killed tonight, Daniel. Im starting to find you interesting"

[Dan the Man]

"Oh, I suppose I'll give it the old college try."

Dan glanced at the bottom of his empty shot glass, and set it aside reluctantly.

"It may not be your style, but I'd recommend the Reposado."

Stuffing the cork back onto the neck of the bottle, Dan stood up, and brushed his grey hair back with a hand. He then adjusted his shirt collar with great care, and went on to do the same with his lapels and cuffs, before retrieving his death's head pistols, and depositing them in their brown leather holsters. Straightening his coat, Dan paused at the door, glancing back at Hera.

"How do I look?"

[DarthHERA]

She smiled darkly

"Like a man about to kill somebody"

[Dan the Man]

"That's the idea."

Dan smiled wistfully, and nodded to his master in a genteel fashion.

"See you later, Miss DrenKast."

And with that, Dan calmly walked out the front door, and toward the certain peril that awaited him. He was more than ready for it as well.

[Silvo]

Silvo's man had finally arrived. He looked of normal build, and he carried with him two pistols. Silvo thought a moment and did not move out. He sheathed hsi dagger and kept his vibroblade out, the blade now a flat, unshiny shade. He recreated into the shadows and moved silently through an alley beside the road where the man was. He glanced over to a makeshift ladder with his light amplification sungalsses and climbed it without making a sound. Upon reaching the top of the building , crawled to the edge where a long bag was laid out.

Silvo was still shouded in darkness as he assembled his rifle from the bag. He kept the scope off for the shot, it was too close-range for a scope anyway. Clicking a button, he took the safety off. Then placing the butt of the rifle on his shoulder, he gazed down the ironsights at the man's left hip. Taking great aim, he made sure that the shot could not miss. He inhaled, held his breath, and applied a pressure to the trigger.

[Dan the Man]

Dan's pistols were out before the trigger pull broke. He pivoted on his toes toward Silvo's position, firing one of his blasters from the hip. His killbolt amazingly intersected the path of Silvo's incoming shot, causing both shots to careen away from the older man.

Dan looked to the roof, his eyes squinting to make out Silvo's form.

"You should've tried the headshot, I think."

[Silvo]

Silvo did not hear what the man said, since the distance was too far. He quickly switched a button on his rifle and keeping the man in his sights, he began to fire his rifle towards the man's chest in a semi-automatic rate of fire.

[Dan the Man]

As if what had previously occurred was expected, what happened next was remarkable even still. Dan moved quickly, pivoting, dodging, and otherwise making himself the most difficult of targets. What shots he wasn't able to dodge with unnatural agility were met with his own shots as before, causing the bolts to be deflected away. It was as if he was able to anticipate the trajectory of each incoming bolt. At every window of opportunity, Dan used one of his death's head pistols to send a shot at his assassin. Eerily, his pistol shots were disturbingly accurate, causing masonry within inches of Silvo to shatter in puffs of smoke and sparks. One killbolt struck the stock of the assassin's rifle, singing the synthetic support and throwing off the next successive shots with the force of impact.

The revelation to Silvo should have been clear enough. His target was no ordinary mark. He was adept in the Force, and had a most peculiar style of fighting.

[Silvo]

Silvo was impressed by the man's skill. The first shot was meant to disable him, but the next ones were to throw him off and tire him out. The man seemed to take the shots like they were nothing.

Silvo continuously fired off bolts until one shot struck the end of his rifle, destroying it for the time being. Cursing under his breath, he crawled backwards so that the man could not hit him. He raised himself to a crawl and quickly slid down the ladder. Revealing the short vibroblade, he moved unseen through the shadows and down the alley. Coming to one of the exits of the alley, he fired off a few shots with his blaster pistol and dispersed quickly. He then waited behind the alley wall for a moment and peeked out of the corner of his eye out into the street.

[Dan the Man]

There was a break in the fight, then some fire from ground level that Dan was able to fend off.

Then...silence.

Dan stood in the street, pistols leveled at his hips. He squinted his eyes as he looked toward the alley's exit.

"I reckon this is what you might call a standoff. You want me to chase you down, and at the moment, I have no intention of doing so."

From the last position of the fired shots, his assassin could no-doubt hear him.

"Do I get the pleasure of knowing my killer's name?"

[Silvo]

Silvo glanced down at the man, figuring that it would do no harm.

"Silvo, if you must know. Who are you and why does my employer want you dead?"

[Dan the Man]

"Name's Dan. I would've thought your employer would've given that much."

The old snake shrugged a bit.

"I suppose Mr. Ensgar is the kind of man to shoot a fellow when he cheats at cards, if that gives you any insight as to why you're here."

[Silvo]

"You cheated at cards? I need some proof of this."


He was becoming angry that his employer would want him to kill someone over this. He was close to bursting, having just been thinking about how his jobs were all for stupid reasons lately.

[Dan the Man]

Dan laughed softly.

"Figure of speech."

Scratching his temple with the barrel of one of his guns, he continued.

"I've bankrupted his company. He tried to compete against me, and I took him under."

The old man smiled, returning both pistols to where they'd been previously.

"Some fellas don't take kindly to a good shellacking."

[Silvo]

"So you're saying he has lost everything? How could he possibly pay me then?"

He slightly glanced over and pointed his blaster pistol at his chest, in case the fighting started back up.

[Dan the Man]

"I imagine he cut his stake in the business and sold it off for chit cash. Either that or he pulled it from a slush fund. Either way, I'm not his accountant. That's his business."

[Silvo]

Silvo had enough of talking. Firing off 3 more shots, he dove across the opening, alost invisible in the darkness. He dove against the wall and pointed his blaster out again, firing off 2 more shots.

He ran around a building and ran into the street, making sure that if the man fired, he would have a thing to dive behind. He revealed the blue vibroblade and began to run towards the man.

[Dan the Man]

Dan pressed himself flush against the wall, letting the initial three shots pass in front of him. As Silvo dove for the opposite side, Dan was waiting to deflect the shots. One was deflected clean. The other glanced off one of his pistol's hand grips, throwing the weapon from his grasp.

"Damn!"

As Dan recovered, he saw Silvo running towards him, vibroblade in hand. While he admired gumption and tenacity, Dan could only guess what Silvo was thinking now.

"Don't tell me you're the kind of fellow to bring a knife to a gunfight?"

Dan fired a snap shot, the killbolt hitting the blade fully, causing it to fly from Silvo's grasp.

[Silvo]

Silvo's blade flew from his hands, but he continued foward and tackled towards Dan's waist to knock him down. He figured that his strength could give him the upper hand in that situation. He cursed, however, that he did not have his vibroblade anymore.

[Dan the Man]

"Ungh!"

Dan fell to the ground hard, with Silvo following on top. In close quarters, the younger man definitely had the advantage.

The only problem was that Dan still had his pistol.

As Silvo gained separation from the initial impact to deliver a pummeling to him, Dan found enough clearance between the ground and Silvo to pivot his gun, pressing it against Silvo's side.

He fired.

[Silvo]

Wrestling with Dan for a moment, he was unable to keep the blaster away from him. The end pressed to his side, and he fired.

Silvo's face turned to a look of fear and anger. He felt the burning from the blaster, and the pain caused him to lose all strength and fall on top of Dan, who was laying on the ground. He was not unconcious, but the wound was bleeding badly and he curled over in pain.

[Dan the Man]

With a grunt, Dan worked Silvo's body off of his, rolling the stricken man onto his back. Rising to his feet, Dan recovered his damaged pistol, holstering it as he walked slowly to Silvo's injured body.

"Well, what can I say kid? You were good."

Reaching down, Dan pulled Silvo's blaster pistol free from its holster, and tossed it a good distance away.

"However, I was better. Them's the breaks, as they say."

Silvo was losing a lot of blood. Dan's brow furrowed.

"Take your left hand and press against that wound as hard as you can. It'll slow the bleeding."

[Silvo]

Silvo looked up and the world began to spin. He saw the man standing over him and expected him to blow his brains out, but instead he heard him tell him to place his hand on the wound and put pressure on it. He did this, and although the pain was even greater, the bleeding slowed.

[Dan the Man]

"Better?"

Dan reached in his jacket pocket, and procured a handkerchief, which he pressed between Silvo's hand and his wound.

[Silvo]

Silvo shakingly grabbed the handkerchief and pulled a bandage out of his back pocket. Placing the handcerchief between his hand and the wound, he wrapped the bandage around his waist and tied it off. Looking up at the man, he asked,

"Why didn't you just kill me?"

[Dan the Man]

Doubly quick, Dan's blaster was out of its holster again.

"What, do you want me to kill you?"

[Silvo]

Silvo looked down the barrel of the gun with a smirk on his face despite the pain from the wound.

"I have disgraced myself. And I do not fear death. I want to know why you haven't just killed me as a message to Ensgar."

[Dan the Man]

"Because I'll send Ensgar my message in my own time and manner."

Dan slowly returned his gun to its holster again.

"You're ironing his dirty laundry, and getting paid for it. Mercenaries aren't exactly the type to pursue bloody vengeance if it doesn't fatten their wallets. So, to answer your question. The only thing keeping me from killing you is that your death is meaningless to me.

I might be a cold-hearted bastard, and I sure as Hell won't shirk away my guilt for having put some other unlucky bastards in the cold hard ground. But I damn well do it when I do it for a reason. I take life and death seriously, Silvo, and I like to make sure I have all my ducks in a row when I put somebody's lights out."

Dan tapped the grip of his blaster with a finger.

"But if I've misjudged you, and you've got a penchant for fatalism, then by all means put the burden on me. Like I said, I got no qualms in doin it."

[Silvo]

"Noone wishes to die, but if I will, then my time has come. Do it if you wish."

He struggled to stand but the wound kept him down.

[Dan the Man]

"Heh."

Dan laughed a little, wiping Silvo's blood from his fingertips on the fallen man's shirt.

"I like the cut of your jib, gunfighter. You're one stoic son of a bitch. So, I suppose I'll leave your life in your own hands.

Just answer me one question, if you will. How much were you paid?"

[Silvo]

"30,000 credits."

Silvo looked at his pistol in Dan's hands, wishing he could grab it and defend himself. But he consented within himself to live and answer the man's questions.

[Dan the Man]

"I see."

Dan paused for a while, then rifled through his jacket pocket, pulling out a credit chit. He tabbed the chit's value to 15,000 and authorized it before dropping it on Silvo's chest.

"That amounts to half of your sum. Don't confuse it with generosity, lest you insult me. Its a fair shake. In my opinion, anybody who comes gunning for me and stays alive is worth their salt, and they should be paid like they're worth it. Nothing galls me more than somebody who tight-fists blood money, so I'm rectifying that situation."


Dan turned to leave, paused, and turned back around.

"One more thing. Between you and me, this is over. I've let you be with your life, and I've fattened your wallet.

As I can guarantee your employer's imminent passing from life, the contract will be void very soon. I suggest you mend your wounds and count your money. If there is a next time, I can assure you I will take it personally."

[Silvo]

The 15,000 credits landed him at about just what he started off with. The damage to his vibroblade and rifle would have to be fixed, and he lost his blaster. With mixed feelings, Silvo sat against the wall, smirking slightly and saying,

"If theres a next time, you wont have a chance to be personal."

[Dan the Man]

"Well, with glib comments like that, I will duly notify my mortician."

Dan smiled, nodded, and turned his back on Silvo, walking back to the bar.

"There is a hospital down three blocks and on the right. If you can't walk there yourself, call an ambulance."

[DarthHERA]

Hera was on her second glass of Reposado when Dan's familiar figure loomed in the doorway of the bar.

She grunted with satisfaction and placed the empty glass on the counter. Dan had been right - the tequilla was exceptional.

Paying her tab, she turned and exited the bar. Standing next to Dan, she looked about the street expectantly for a bloodied corpse.