A Deal Dressed In Blood

[Vrak Nashar]

Ziost
[member="Maleagant"]

Revenge was always the sweetest dish.

Vrak had tasted it more than once, and he would again in the future. His fingers slowly tightened around his saber-staff, the weapon yearning for blood as much as he did. Slowly the Sith stretched, his gaze falling towards the ruins below. "Do not kill him."

He told the hulking Massassi before him.

The creature growled for a moment.

"I need him alive." For the time being. "He needs to be taught a lesson."

The Massassi growled once more, but slowly nodded its head. The creature turned and headed towards the it's gathered kin, twelve of the hulking beasts standing in a semi-circle as they prepared themselves. The strike would be quick, faster than a blink really. He had been preparing for this ever since his escape. It was one of the few things that he had to see though, one of the few things that he was willing to spend resources on even at this critical hour.

Vengeance always took precedent.

He smiled slightly, and then signaled the beasts.

Each of them nodded in turn, and slowly they began to descend towards the ruins.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Whether or not [member="Jamie Pyne"] bothered to send her own dispatch to Maleagant, word reached him soon enough that there had been an escape on Naboo. Covering up the inconceivable jailbreak simply wasn't feasible when states of emergency ended up declared. Sufficiently alarmed, the Shi'ido doubled his efforts to unravel the secrets of the Sith. Departing for remote worlds in the Stygian Caldera to survey ruins, alone, might have seemed counterproductive, but Maleagant had envisioned he would be able to delay a confrontation by remaining on the move. Imagine how surprised he was to find his studies interrupted when a dozen angry brutes entered the temple intent on killing him.

He knew what Massassi were. They were supposed to be dead. Like Purebloods. Since their historic home worlds were noticeably bereft of them, they could have come from anywhere. He instead focused his cleverness and token combat ability on fighting them off in the narrow halls of the temple. Valiant, but ultimately futile. There was only so much guerrilla warfare one comparatively fragile acolyte could dish out before an inevitable capture. About forty-five minutes to an hour passed before the remaining Massassi dragged an unconscious Maleagant before Nashar. Both Maleagant's disruptor pistol and his lightsaber had been stripped off him and left in the ruins, along with the ash piles or bisected remains of several Massassi.

What could be said? He gave it the old college try.

Maleagant's wounds did not look to be extensive. Just a broken nose and a bruised face. Maleagant had been punched square in the face once, lost consciousness, and now he was here. Shortly after he was rudely deposited on the ground in front of Vrak, his eyes started to open. Once they focused on Vrak, Maleagant was able to overcome his dazed state to utter one singular comment.

"Kark."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

"Massassi are an interesting breed, aren't they?" Vrak said as he slowly squatted down in front of the now broken Crime Lord, no small amount of smugness dripping from his voice as he spoke. The amount of self satisfaction pouring from him in that moment was nearly unbearable. "Not much more intelligent than your thugs really, but they are fierce beyond any measure."

Vrak turned away from the Criminal for a moment, standing up and straightening his back before turning once more.

"I'm glad that we got to see each other again." He told the man, looking down at him like the worm that he was. Vrak's lips thinned as he took another step closer to the man, the Massassi that were flanking him growling slightly as the Pureblood approached. They were fierce warriors, had lost brothers, and now they knew they weren't going to get their kill. It would irritate them to no end, and Vrak would have to ensure that they got to wet their appetites before he returned home.

Suddenly his boot lashed out as Vrak kicked Malegeant in the face.

"I want to be very clear." He kicked again. "You caused me a great deal of inconvenience."

The Purebloods boot came down finally, though it crunched onto the Criminals hand, crushing his fingers. "That blonde schhutta had me locked up for Sixth months, and when I escaped I was barely skin and bones."

The pressure of his boot increased.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Maleagant had never understood the need for bloviating over a fallen enemy. Then again, he wasn't much of a talker, nor had he ever been in a position of incredibly disproportionate power over his most hated enemies. If he had the chance, would he have pontificated over, say, the limp form of one of the Zambrano monarchs? Difficult to say. On one hand, there was a lot of things that Maleagant needed to get out of his system by yelling at them with. On the other, he didn't think he could stand to let either of them live more than a second than was absolutely necessary.

Although given the current situation the most likely scenario was that he would not live long enough to find out.

The Acolyte's head snapped back painfully with each successive kick. He saw spots, heard ringing in his ears. It got difficult hearing what Vrak was saying in that post-hit daze. But eventually Nashar must have realized this, because he started grinding Maleagant's fingers beneath his boot. Maleagant winced, spit out a little blood, and then gasped in pain when the pressure increased. Had it really been six months? Time flies when you're not... In jail. They should have booked this Pureblood in one of the Syndicate's carbonite prisons. Might have bought Maleagant an extra three months of living. Aside from the grunts of someone who was clearly in pain and gripped by building fear of death, Maleagant had nothing to say.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

If Vrak noticed the silence he gave no indication.

"When I hung there, from the force bonds that queen put me in, I thought a lot about what I would do." He didn't mind admitting that. Freeing himself from the suppression collar had been a tedious task, one that had allowed him for plenty of thought. "I thought about skinning you."

That hadn't lasted long. "Burning you."

Many people underestimated just how painful flames could actually be. When you felt your flesh sear off from your skin you generally began to see the world as a different place entirely. Vrak knew this because he had first hand experience. He frowned for a moment and looked at one of the Massassi. All of the talk of torture had made the creature even more bloodthirsty, and unfortunate fact if he was going to get through this with what he wanted.

"In the end though, about five months in." He trailed off for a moment. "I decided on something else entirely."

Slowly Vrak squatted down in front of the man, grasping his head and pushing it back so that he could look the man in the eye.

"Mercy is not a foreign concept to us Purebloods." It was rare enough, true, but they doled it out once in a while.

"I came to realize that you could be useful." As much as his pride had hurt, he knew that it hadn't been entirely on Malegeant. He had been foolish enough to fall into the trap, and whats more Jamie was the one who had created the Bounty in the first place. That meant she earned more of his ire than anyone else. "I thought, perhaps, I would be able to show you your place."

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

In that moment, listening to the various means by which Nashar had intended to torture him, Maleagant decided that he had been underpaid for this bounty. Anyone who had an entourage of Massassi and the capacity to break out of a maximum security prison was worth at least three hundred thousand, three hundred fifty. The mere one hundred, in hindsight, had been ludicrous. It had served its purpose, but it was not worth putting up with... Whatever this was. Apparently other things were in store for Maleagant beyond graphic torture and a gruesome death, though this only worried the Shi'ido.

He was barely in a state to resist Vrak wrenching his head around like he did. Maleagant stared back, red eyes betraying what his silence attempted to cover: fear and loathing.

"Conshider me shown." He croaked, speech a bit mangled from swelling and the blood pooling in his mouth. This was normally the part of the scene where the hapless captive would defiantly spit in the face of their captor and yield more torture. Maleagant had the feeling that this would be the case anyway, but there was no need to make it worse than it would already be.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

"Good." Vrak said as he released the mans head, his boot stepping off from his fingers.

Vrak, unlike many Sith, did not see the point in torture. One could argue of course that the last few moments had been rather counter-intuitive to that belief, but he'd needed at least a small bit of vengeance against the man. He'd been beaten rather harshly by the Criminal's thugs after all, and that treatment at least deserved equality. Now that it was done however, and Maleagant apparently decided there would be no further resistance there was no need to torture him.

"Pick him up." He waved to the Massassi. "Now."

The creatures growled, but as always did as they were commanded. Two massive hands would grasp at the Criminal's hands, pulling him up and dragging him to his feet, offering him no time to object. The Pureblood turned away from them for a moment, only glancing back once the man was standing.

Eventually he turned back around.

"The past few weeks has seen me earn many enemies. Some whose destruction will be much more fortuitous to me than yours." That was really what this was about. Power, strength, as with all Sith it was what Vrak craved, and Maleagant could help him get it.

"So here is my offer." He stared at the man. "You will work for me when I require it. Pass me information, handle my more...sensitive matters in the galaxy."

He knew that his contacts in the Underworld were limited, this mans? Not so much. "In return I will allow you your domain. Smuggling, spice, hunting, slaves..."

Vrak waved his hand dismissively.

"All under your purview." He had no interest in such things. It didn't particularly matter to Vrak if one criminal underlord of the other ran those enterprises. They would always exist. Even upon the worlds that he would conquer he knew that they would be presence. It would be better if he kept it close, controlled.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

From where he lay, Maleagant noted that the items just listed as his "domain" were operations he had only a tentative connection with. The Syndicate had no part of growing or smuggling spice, just facilitating its sales. Debtor mines were hardly the same thing as slaves (or so he repeated every time those sentient rights lawyers started sending him holomail), nor did the Syndicate engage in any part of the commercial slave trade. The bounty hunting was partially true, although that was more of a hobby and a quick solution for needed money. Maleagant only went out of his way for bounties with six or seven digits to them, not that he would insult Vrak by saying that much.

Instinctively, the minute Nashar's boot came off his hand, Maleagant took it off the ground and took it into his other hand. That was going to smart. This was the only action Maleagant had time to complete before two of the Massassi grabbed him by the arms and hoisted him upward. Maleagant could feel the warmth of their rancid breath. Too close. Far too close, but he stifled a miserable whimper that rose in his throat. Had to focus on the good things, like the fact he would most likely get to leave here with his life.

"Most generoush of you, your lordshhip." Maleagant replied, eyes now tactically averted. "I am happy to acshept."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

"Yes. it is." He ignored Maleagant for a few seconds, still more focused on other matters.

Vrak new there was a potential for deceit of course. The man had already betrayed him once and The Pureblood wasn't foolish enough to think that it wouldn't happen again. His lips thinned a she turned towards the man, his expression blank, though a look of pure hatred in his eye.

His point needed to be make. "Do not mistake that for foolishness however."

Fingers curled at his side.

"Betray me again." The Pureblood began. "And I will break you."

A sneer pulled upon his lips. "Every bone in your body, your mind, every operation, every single thing you've touched. I will see it broken, set to flame, and ground into dust."

He rounded on the man.

"Every bit of my power will be devoted to destroying you." The Massassi behind Maleagant seemed to growl with an odd sort of delight.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Maleagant swallowed hard. The Helix Syndicate or his trusted lieutenants didn't have sentimental value to him, just value. The thought of its destruction made him anxious only because it conjured up the thought of him having to start over again. From scratch. The Helix Syndicate had been, what? His seventh attempt? And the first one to go right. Maybe he could do it again, but that would require the faculties of his mind and the integrity of his bones, both of which Vrak would likely take from him first. Then force the hollow shell to watch his work and his remaining family be burned to the ground.

Those were the thoughts that brought the fear back to clutch Maleagant's heart. Especially the impression Nashar would turn his ire on Kiber. Kiber did have sentimental value, even if it was only because he was the only other Dorn with a pulse and still capable of forming coherent thoughts. Cedric also, despite his state of mind. But it was more the kind of sentimental value one afforded to an untrained pet rancor. Better to keep your distance, caretake from far, far away.

The Shi'ido shivered to hear the Massassi growling in his ear, but persisted to muster a response. "I undershtand, fully."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

"Good." Vrak said simply, his gaze turning away from the man.

He had no doubt that in the future there would be trouble once more. No one within their world could stay in his position for long. Eventually he would find a better offer or be self assured enough to betray him, but it didn't matter. By then Vrak would have his Empire, he would have this throne and no one would be powerful enough to stand in his way. Certainly not some petty criminal. He frowned for just a moment and then motioned for the Massassi.

"Then we have an accord." From his pocket he pulled a communicator, tossing it towards the beaten man. "I will contact you when I need something."

The Pureblood stated plainly.

"Remember what I said." That was the end of it.

There were no more pieces of this bargain to discuss, no more information that needed to be shared.