Loose ends

"I'm here to see Miss Reeouurra."

The receptionist looked up to the old man.

"She's kinda busy. Do you have an appointment?"

"No."

The girl at the desk clicked her nails on the wood.

"You need to make an appointment in advance to see Miss Reeouurra."

The old man smiled.

"My apologies. You see, I too am busy."

The receptionist made an unimpressed face. The old man continued.

"I can respect your boss's work ethic. Indeed, it is a virtue we both share. Can you deliver a package to her, at least?"

The girl shrugged.

"I guess so. Whatcha got?"

Dan hefted a blood-soaked bag, and placed it atop the girl's paperwork. At the sight of the blood, the girl shrieked, standing up from her seat.

"What the frell is that???!!"

Dan smiled.

"It's something that Miss Reeouurra would like to see. Be sure that she gets it. No doubt, she will wish to speak with me when she does."

The girl's horrified eyes remained transfixed on the bag.

"Who do I say it's from?"

The old man smiled, wiping at a bit of blood that managed to get on the girl's desk.

"Tell her it's from Dan."

He then turned and walked away.

"You have yourself a fine day, now."

On the girl's desk, Dan had left the severed head of none other than the Mon Calamari Ielik Argka, one of the twelve infamous Vigos of Black Sun.

Dan doubted that Sasseeri would miss him.

"Dan?" She'd never heard of him. But something told her that more research would have to be done. The unblinking gaze of the dead vigo (all the more baleful because of his species) stared at the ceiling from where it rested. "Take that...thjing away. jIeljik Arrrgka was a bumbljing jidjiot at best, and cerrrtajinly doesn't make a verrry good coffee table centerrrpjiece."

Olorin gathered up the blood soaked bag and the severed Mon Cal head, and left the study. "And fjind me thjis Dan!" She shouted at his back, and then as the door closed she comm'ed through to her secretary, "jIf he comes back to the frrront desk, have securrrjity apprrrehend hjim. And not just the Rrrangerrr Securrrjity, send some bjig dogs."

She would get to the bottom of this. If someone was taking the heads of the Vigos (albeit the weak ones) she wanted to know about it. She needed to make sure her own neck wasn't on such a successful list.

Against the logic of anyone who was escaping Vigo Reeouurra's notice, Dan decided to spend his time at a pub, across the street from the Sector Ranger's building. If she wanted him, after all, why make it difficult for her to find him?

'Dan' had turned out to be someone who'd been a part of Black Sun for several years now. Sasseeri threw the datapad containing his file across the room, narrowly missing Kal, who'd stepped into the office to report. She sat back in her chair, practically purring as he came cautiously towards the desk. "Kal, jis therrre any sjign of hjim?"

"Actually, yes, he's across the street, drinking in the bar. After we located his file with the help of the front desk and the security cams, it didn't take long. He's being brought in now." Kal ran a hand through his thick dark hair.

"Good. Brrrjing hjim to me as soon as possjible." Sasseeri watched Olorin leave, and drummed her long fingers on the table. Dan seemed to be the upwardly mobile type, although his job of doing wet work for the organization hardly afforded him enough notoriety to advance as far as he wanted too. It seemed his career with Black Sun had reached a stand still. Until now.

If she could convince him to kill the other Vigos... and if he was successful, she would become the most powerful female in the galaxy, much more powerful than the Pride Mother herself. And he could be at her side, second to the only Vigo of Black Sun.

Ah, but there were bridges to be crossed before that would happen. She waited for the man to arrive.

"I take it you got my message."

Dan entered the room, flanked by two of Sasseeri's guards, who seemed unsure of whether to escort him or shoot him.

He was an older man, soft-spoken, with a weathered face and shoulder-length, grey hair. He was dressed in a nice suit, and two objects could be seen protruding from either side of his jacket, hanging at his torso. They were ivory and gold, and if Sasseeri had to guess, they looked like ornate hilts for blaster pistols.

She made a motion with her hand, glaring at the guards who had not relieved Dan of his weapons. Only her security guards and trusted personnel were allowed to carry blasters inside the office. Dan was not.

The guard opn the right blanched, and asked Dan to hand over his weapons.

With slow, deliberate movement, Dan removed his blasters from their holsters, easing them toward the guard, grip-first. Each was a stunning sight, trimmed in gold and bantha ivory, they gleamed with a regal touch that was missing in most weapons. Each was as much a work of art as it was a killing tool. With a reassuring nod, Dan let Sasseeri's henchman take temporary possession of his sidearms.

"Vigo Reeouurra, there would be no point for bloodshed at this meeting. The only two possibilities before you are that I am either a shrewd businessman, or a barbaric psychopath."

Dan spread his hands apart, still standing.

"I would like to believe that I have absolved myself of your suspicion."

"And, jif you werrre a barrrbarrrjic psychopath, jI would alrrready be dead because of the jineptness of my staff." Sasseeri waved away the two guards, who left to stand outside the door, still holding Dan's weapons.

"Yes, jI got yourrr message, Dan. And jI'm jintrrrjigued." She steepled her fingers beneath her chin, and looked across the enormous desk at where he was still standing.

"And you wonder whether or not you can trust such a violent usurper?"

Dan's sharp eyes glinted a bit, and he smiled, taking the edge off his question.

"For what it's worth, I give you my word on this. You can trust me as much as you trust anyone else within this organization."

Of course, this assurance was merely a play on words. Sasseeri could trust nobody. Trust in this business was a commodity more rare than jewels. That didn't mean that cooperation was impossible. It only meant there was a certain context and an understanding both had to share.

"I seek to fill the vacuum that Argka's demise has created. Whatever differences of opinion that might exist, I feel my time served under the organization more than merits my self-promotion."

This would no doubt seem brazen and reckless to Sasseeri. Dan raised a hand before she could counter.

"Where Ielik Argka opposed you, I am sure you will no-doubt find me more agreeable. I am fully aware of those who backed Argka, but I am confident that my reputation will speak for their objection."

It seemed a fairly risky gamble. On one hand, Sasseeri could emerge with a stronger support base amongst the Vigos. On the other hand, it could result in a feud amongst the crime lords, and a civil war. Perhaps Dan was a madman after all.

She drummed her fingers on the desktop, manicured nails clicking on the polished wood. She'd wanted a bloodwood desk, but it probably would have made her hungry all the time. Plus the mess on the floor -

Sasseerri hadn't looked away from Dan's eyes, studying him carefully. "What jis yourrr opjinjion on Vjigo Wednesdaydale?"

"Shoe Stone is a sadist. He doesn't have the pocketbook you have, so fear greases his wheels. He's as ruthless as I am, but perhaps for the wrong reasons."

"Then tell me, Dan, what arrre yourrr rrreasons forrr bejing rrruthless?" Sasseeri shuffled some papers around, being nonchalant, and yet testing this wannabe Vigo's patience by pretending to be uninterested. "You want a bjiggerrr pjiece of the pjie, jI can underrrstand that, but jit takes morrre than that to surrrvjive at the top. Forrr one thjing, you have to have people under you. Arrre you just plannjing on takjing overrr Arrrgka's posjitjion, no matterrr what hjis underljings say?"

No, of courrrse not, that's what you need me forrr. The half breed Cizerack returned her gaze to the former hitman.

"I'm interested in knowing that, myself." Dan replied, a bit distant as he spoke.

"I've spent my time in Black Sun's service as a means to someone else's end. I am good at what I do, and I am paid well to do it, but the why has eluded me."

He made eye contact with her again.

"I am ambitious because it gives me more options. I doubt our reasons are exactly similar, but on the surface we're one in the same. As for Argka's men...well he ain't exactly the last man I'll put into the cold ground, Miss Reeouurra, but I'm not exactly aiming to cull the whole damn family."

He smiled thinly.

"This kind of bloodletting is a healthy thing, in moderation. We just gotta find out where the scalpel stops."

"Wherrre jindeed... wjith Arrrjka's seconds? Orrr perrrhaps wjith anotherrr Vjigo? You'rrre a dangerrrous jindjivjidual who jisn't afrrrajid to take what he wants... and that makes jyou dangerrrous to me, Dan." She looked at him languidly through half-lidded eyes.

"What do you offerrr me that makes you worrrth my whjile, and my trrrust?"

"I have nothing to make me worthy of your trust." Dan replied simply.

"That is an understanding that has to be met. In our profession, there can be no trust."

He then shifted his weight in his seat slightly.

"However, I have no quarrel with you. That being said, I value peace with you more than war. There is an inherent practicality of both, but I'm a reasonable man. I'm willing to pay for the privilege."

Dan palmed a credit chit, and tossed it to Sasseeri.

"That's two and a half million credits, or Argka's backpay, if you will. Let that be a token of my goodwill."

The skin at the corners of his eyes wrinkled a little.

She caught the chit deftly, and placed it on the desk in front of her. "jI beljieve yourrr goodwjill about as much as you beljive jin mjine. But, as that may be, thjis buys you my supporrrt to help you convjince Arrrgka's seconds to accept you. But jif you move agajinst me, orrr jif jI thjink yourrr movjing agajinst me, jI wjill have you squashed ljike a grrranjite slug."