Ahead of the Wheel

[Darth Osano]

BESCANE
CONDEMNED WAREHOUSE, COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

The cuffs on the suit Maleagant wore irritated him to no end. Too tight. He ignored it for the most part, hunched over a holographic map displaying one of Bescane's more perilous mountain ranges. Bescane was a heavily industrialized planet, choked with cities and industrial plants. Nothing like Coruscant, though. While Bescane was one of the most densely populated planets in the region, it came nowhere near the size of a proper ecumenopolis world. Parts of the planet, usually deserts, arctic wastes, and hazardous mountain ranges were still untouched by urbanization.

Massive populations lead to massive problems in governance, especially for an independent world. Bescane was still considered a fortress world due to its difficulty in assaulting, but was thoroughly incapable of policing itself. Pirates had set themselves up in the mountain range Maleagant was presently viewing, assaulting merchants and damaging the local economy. Bescane was getting desperate, enough so that they were willing to pay the Helix Syndicate an exorbitant amount of money to root them out. That, and the Syndicate would be given property rights on the pirate's mountain base to do with as they pleased.

Maleagant already has a splendid idea of what to do with it.

First, however, the pirates would need to be dealt with. An independent Sithling, [member="Vrak Nashar"], had been hanging around the galaxy and was in the market for some networking. The Helix Syndicate would be more than happy to provide Nashar with the contacts he needed, provided he was willing to help them with the dead pirates that the Syndicate needed... And one other thing, but that was unimportant for the time being. If Nashar had any interest in the arrangement, he would be welcome to join Maleagant at this warehouse- currently serving as their primary base of operations. The building was crawling with Helix Syndicate Enforcers and Specialists, but they knew to expect the Pureblood and let him inside once he arrived.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

Ordinarily Vrak would never lower himself to what essentially boiled down to mercenary work. Slaughtering a handful of pirates just so some criminal scum could have...whatever they wanted was beneath him in all senses of the word, but just this once he considered it worth it.

His advisers had made it clear that his work back home simply would not cut it. Though he had made great strides forward in his own personal wealth and power base it was only on his homeworld. In the end that would count for nothing in the greater galaxy, not when there were a hundred, a thousand worlds that would stand against him. Vrak knew he needed allies, or at least pawn that would do his bidding when the time came, if killing a couple of lowlifes would gain him that, then he could suffer through such pain.

The Pureblood stalked forward through the darkened alleyways, checking his chrono briefly to ensure that he was on time.

Eventually he began to notice several men standing atop a roof in the distance, each of them holding weapons of some sort.

He narrowed his eyes for but a moment, frowning, and then continued forth. Within a few minutes he encountered the building, two men standing at the door. They watched him as he approached, one of them raising his rifle just slightly as he tensed at the Sith's approach. A small smile touched Vrak's lips. "You master is expecting me."

The guard hesitated for a moment, looking the Pureblood up and down as if in inspection. After another moment of delay he pressed a small key in a panel behind himself and opened the door for Vrak to step inside.

 

[Darth Osano]

The doors to the warehouse opened, and Maleagant turned his head to see that it was, in fact, [member="Vrak Nashar"] who entered. Right on time. Purebloods were a dependable race, despite their apparent population issues. Maleagant straightened himself, facing Vrak as he entered. It was dark in the warehouse, but Maleagant still recognized Vrak for who he was. It appeared he had come alone. That was good, extra mercenaries would only make it more difficult to coordinate. Maleagant had no visions of a massive assault on the pirate base, just a small, tactical team clearing out the leadership. The other pirates would panic and flee. They tended to do that.

Ever alert, the various personnel inside paused what they were doing to size up the newcomer before returning to their duties. The two Specialists stationed on either side of the interior door, however, seemed not to move.

"Lord Nashar." Maleagant greeted. Was he really a Lord? Probably not. Purebloods tended to appreciate that kind of lip service, however. The Acolyte extended his hand for a shake as the Pureblood approached. "I am pleased you decided to come."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

Well, at leas the man knew how to speak with respect. Vrak took the mans hand, shaking it for half a second before breaking contact.

"The Pleasure is all mine." Purebloods were narcissists to the end, but there was no need to be rude. The whole point of this exercise was to gather himself allies, that wouldn't be accomplished if he told the man what a lowly worm he was. Tact was often lost on his kind, but Vrak had learned well over the last few months, including how to properly act around beings that came from the rest of the galaxy. "I see you're well prepared."

The complement was an easy one to pay given how true it was.

Back home Vrak had assembled his own small army, though they were mostly Massassi brutes. The Syndicate seemed to have done well with their forces, most of the men within the warehouse seemed well trained, none of them trigger happy thugs like he so often encountered on his journeys. "May I presume you have a plan for this little...incursion."

He doubted they needed much of one, it was only pirates after all.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"No." Maleagant said, his grip tightening. He did not release the Pureblood's hand. "It's mine."

If the cuffs of Maleagant's suit were tight, it was not because it was ill-fighting. No, it had more to do with the two ACS-208 Wrist Ion Beamers lodged under them. One of which, now pointed at Nashar's chest, fired its beam directly at him. The laser tore through the fabric of the suit's sleeve, singing it miserably, as it sped towards its distressingly close-range destination. Somewhere, across the vast gulf of space, Vulgrim Blackwell would be displeased with even the partial destruction of such a nice suit. But in the game of bounty hunting, sacrifices had to be made. In this case, the sacrifices would be one suit... And one Sith Pureblood.

Meanwhile, Nashar accepting Maleagant's handshake was the signal for some of the other personnel in the warehouse as well. Over by the door, the two Specialists had their signal. Guavian Stun Batons were unclipped from their belts and extended, cackling with energy. From separate sides of the warehouse, three more Enforcers also closed in on Nashar, brandishing similar stun batons. One could never be too sure, dealing with Sith.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

The smile was quickly wiped away, replaced with an expression that could only be dubbed a mix of anger and amusement. The stun bolt struck him, nearly enough to bring him to his knees. Sheer rage was all that kept him standing, the right grip on his hand presenting an opportunity for vengeance.

If only a mild form of it.

The Sith Pureblood gnashed his teeth, a hiss escaping his lips as he felt The paralytics of the ion weapon spreading through him. Before he collapsed completely he called upon the only true ally he had, the darkside. The force rushed through him through, a single powerful spike that channeled in an instant. The hand that was still being gripped by Maleagant would suddenly spark, and then a bright flash of purple Lightning would jump across their handshake from Vrak to criminal.

It was a petty thing.

But what could one expect from a Sith?

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

If the suit hadn't been ruined before, it was now. Maleagant had not considered the possibility that paralyzing Vrak while the Pureblood was still gripped to him could present some issues. Like the fact that it was now Maleagant held in place as Vrak's muscles locked up, leaving him exceedingly vulnerable to lightning. Maleagant had never utilized Lightning, much less been exposed to it himself. The painful screaming that leapt from his throat would be the stuff of gossip among the Syndicate for the next few weeks, at the very least. The suit was scarred and torn up some more from the electricity and it was only Maleagant's involuntary spasming that allowed him to be wrenched free, stumbling backwards and smacking his head on the holotable as he went down.

Well, whoever heard of a bounty with at least one hiccup?

The Specialists had initially meant to seize Nashar, but seeing their boss get electrocuted made them reconsider direct contact with him. They adjusted their strategy accordingly: wailing on the Pureblood with a flurry of stun baton blows, in consent with the Enforcers who had also sprung forward. Guavian Stun Batons were collapsible, but they packed a wallop nonetheless. All five men who had descended on the Sith had the foresight to turn the setting to the maximum. The result would be an ample amount of electrocution with each successive blow.

As a form of encouragement, Maleagant groaned something unintelligible from where he lay.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

Even Vrak couldn't stand against that many people. He attempted for half a second swat them away or draw his lightsaber, but one of the stun batons struck his wrist, another his forehead, then another across his spine. Within a few seconds the flurry of blows had simply been a bit too much for even him. The Pureblood tried one last desperate time to get away, half taking a step forward just as another one of the batons struck across his knee.

The Sith fell forward, collapsing into a sudden heap.

As he fell he thought of only one thing, vengeance. He had chased down a Jedi girl to the other edge of the galaxy, had murdered half an office worth of people, and had then tortured her. He was no fool and knew this was a result of that, the Bounty that she had placed on him. Why else would the Criminal betray him? There was nothing in it for him save that money, and he was just a lowly piece of scum after all. Vengeance had brought him here.

And it would bring him back.

As another one of the batons struck across his back his fingers curled. Only one thought crossed his mind as his vision began to blacken and his head lightened. It didn't matter how long it would take, it didn't matter what he had to do.

He would have retribution, eventually.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"]

Many of the Helix Syndicate's personnel came from former law enforcement officials.

That would explain the familiarity of the way one of the Enforcers rolled Vrak onto his back, keeping a knee in his chest as his hands were forced behind him and uncomfortably cuffed. Another Enforcer produced the stereotypical black burlap bag, which went around Nashar's head. Maleagant had been under the superstition that the Pureblood would have a harder time executing mind tricks if he couldn't lock eyes with his targets. Nashar's lightsaber was yanked off of his belt, tossed to an Enforcer who had been waiting patiently on the outside of the melee. With the saber in hand, the Enforcer quickly and quietly exited the facility, transporting the weapon off-site. The more distance between a Sith and their lightsaber, the better. Finally, a second pair of restraints were slapped around his ankles. You just have to be sure about these things.

One would have suspected this was carefully rehearsed. And it had been, aside from the part where Maleagant got himself electrocuted. That was probably why there were no medical personnel waiting in the wings. Instead, one of the Enforcers went over to his employer. "Sir?"

Maleagant's eyes snapped out of their half-closed, dazed state. He lunged forward, pain wracking his body as he bolted to sit upright. The Enforcer nearly flinched, but remained crouching where he was. Maleagant's eyes remained transfixed just in front of him, watching as the gaggle of criminals hoisted the limp Pureblood to his feet. "Break his legs." Maleagant ordered sharply, one hand clutching the table as he hoisted himself up. Apparently he was still looking for maximum certainty in preventing an escape... Or he was just angry about the electrocution. It might have been both.

Whenever they finished maximizing the Pureblood's discomfort, Vrak was dragged over to a medical gurney. They were going to strap him in. How kind of them. But a hospital was not where they would be going.

Maleagant was still issuing orders. "Send a priority transmission to Naboo. Tell them we have their... Terrorist."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

Apparently whomever had trained the Syndicates soldiers hadn't done a perfect job, for the man who went to break his leg only managed to do so with one of them. The thug heard a loud crack as Vrak's bone splintered, a large bruises almost immediately forming beneath his crimson skin, the pain suddenly jolting him awake from his unconsciousness. He took in a deep rushing breath, the black bag over his head seemingly not bothering him.

He took in deep, pained breaths, the cornucopia of bruises and the broken leg being enough to nearly send him into shock. His fingers curled as he gripped his clothing, trying to fight back the pain. He felt himself being dragged across the floor, his head spinning from the pain. He focused himself, closing his eyes as he felt one of the thugs grip him just a bit harder.

The darkside flooded into him once again.

Perhaps the other man would feel it, perhaps not, it hardly mattered. All needed was a moment to stabilize himself, a second to gain back control. The pain drove him, pushed him enough to give him strength. His mind reached out with a technique he'd used a dozen times. He lashed out towards the man that practically threw him on the gurney, seizing his thoughts and actions for himself. Sith Battle Meditation the elders called it. Vrak hadn't perfected the skill, far from it, he could not command armies or even platoons, but one idiot criminal? Easy enough.

The thug stood stupidly beside shim for half a second, and then seemingly continued his work, save for one different. The thug dropped a small key below Vrak, allowing the Pureblood to scoop up a piece of his freedom just as he was pressed against the gurney and strapped in, his hands concealed by the fact that he was laying on them.

As soon as he had the key, Vrak released the Thug's mind.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

They were to transport him directly to the maximum security prison on Naboo.

Some people just couldn't be bothered to pick up their own luggage. Fine. Maleagant would charge them for the fuel. The Acolyte bitterly rolled up his sleeves so he could yank off the wrist blasters, which had heated up thanks to the lightning and left him with burned wrists. They'd been totalled as well. Karma for playing dirty, but so far it didn't look like his medical bills were going to top one hundred grand. Not to mention those blasters were still under warranty, so that was no problem either. He looked up to see that Nashar had been strapped to the gurney successfully. Freezing him in carbonite would have been a better option, but purchasing a gurney, two pairs of stun cuffs, and enough sedatives to kill a Bantha was the next best thing. He could not reasonably expected to transport an entire carbon freezing chamber everywhere he wanted to set up a trap.

Through the walls, Maleagant could hear the roar of one of the Syndicate's Dupre-Class Shuttles landing outside. Several of his Guavians were still milling around the subdued Nashar, getting ready to wheel him outside. Maleagant limped over to inspect the prisoner and, upon noting it was secure, held his hand out to one of the Enforcers, a Sergeant. "Give me the key." He would not trust the restraint of a Sith prisoner to

The Sergeant reached into his breast pocket to retrieve it, but came up empty. "But I just had it..." He proceeded to check his other pockets, then started looking around. "I must have dropped it..."

This one was going to be shuffling around in the unemployment line if he didn't find that key. Whatever. It didn't matter, the Naboo could cut him out of his restraints if they felt the need to. Frankly, Maleagant would have been content to just kill the Pureblood, but the people of the Alliance had soft hearts and foolish minds. They could deal with it how they saw fit, it was no skin off Maleagant's nose... Unless, of course, he escaped. The doors to the warehouse opened again, and in strode Deglarch with a pair of KX-Series Security Droids. Deglarch appeared to be holding a collar of some kind.

"You had better find that key before Deglarch takes him." He hissed at the Sergeant. "Have the prisoner sedated. I want him quiet for the shuttle ride out."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"]

Vrak didn't object or struggle any further. He knew when it was time to fight and when it was time to just sit and wait. The Elders back home had taught him well that patience paid off just as much as rage.

He was angry, that was obvious, but that rage wouldn't get him anywhere now. He couldn't simply break free of his restraints and even if he could his leg was shattered. Walking would be difficult, running impossible. There was no way he could get out of here, at least not yet. So he would wait. The key that he had palmed would slowly be tucked away into a small pocket on the inside of his robes, hidden beneath the hem of his pants so they would not find it unless they stripped and searched the garments individually.

Besides that odd bit of struggling that the others would likely just take for another bit of resistance, Vrak did nothing.

He didn't complain when they pressed the needle into his skin, just said one simple thing to the thug that held the sedative.

The man's face seemed to pale somewhat, Vrak smiling slightly beneath the blackness of the hood. He practically felt the mans fear from where he lay, the force still reaching out to him for another few seconds. His fingers tightened beneath him.

Whatever came next it didn't matter. Vrak knew that he would escape this, knew that he would come back to this Crime Lord and slaughter everything held dear. That thought alone pleased him. That thought alone was enough to keep him from breaking out into an uncontrollable rage.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Maleagant had looked away for no longer than a moment. When he looked back over at Nashar and the Guavian who had administered the sedative, the Guavian had dropped the syringe and had curled up into a whimpering ball on the ground. A few other Enforcers stood nearby, dumbfounded. Maleagant was equally taken aback, but far more annoyed. His clothes were ruined, he was burned, and now one of his employees was slacking on the job. His eye twitched. "Would someone get him up?" Maleagant barked.

While another pair of Enforcers dragged off their horror-struck comrade, Deglarch had closed the distance. Wherever the former Morgukai had been, it had been violent. Either that or he had not bothered to have his armor cleaned since the last engagement. The Nikto sniffed derisively, then roughly affixed the suppression collar to Vrak. Since the fall of the Empire, these collars had become readily available through the right black market channels. A few crates had been acquired during the Helix Syndicate's last skirmish with one of its competitors in this sector.

Not that anyone particularly cared.

With most of the fuss finally over, Maleagant limped after Deglarch and the two droids as they wheeled Vrak onto the waiting shuttle. For the duration of the flight, Vrak would be kept under the careful supervision of Deglarch and the two KX droids. Maleagant would be elsewhere, repairing his clothes as best he could and treating his wounds with bacta patches. If their cargo were less dangerous, he would have made a pit stop for a change of attire. As it were, he would just use his disheveled and bloodied appearance to try and persuade the authorities on Naboo for a little extra money. It was the least they could do...

---​

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Ma'am, we've received a communication from starport authority. It would appear that the reward posted for the recent attacks, and your abduction caught the eye of some bounty hunters." The voice of Jamie's steward called from the large double doors that were pushed ajar, enough so that the slender body of the man could fit himself between for the duration of the brief conversation. "They are reporting that a ship is inbound with your Sith suspect in custody, requesting permission to land."

Jamie looked up, half puzzled. The bounty had been posted only a very short while. Either the hunters were exceptional at their trade, or Vrak was simply an imbecile. Either one she thought was just as likely as the other. A small, devious smirk sneaked across her lips. "Very well." Her hand raised from the desk as her eyes met the man's. "Tell SPA to grant the bounty hunters authorization to land. Tell them to exercise extreme caution when dealing with both Sith and the bounty hunters. Ensure there are additional security personnel to greet them at the landing pad."

She set the datapad down, her voice shifted to a much more serious than chirpy tone.

"Have them escorted to the detainment wing. Place Vrak in an isolation cell and inform them that I will meet them there shortly. Nobody is to have contact with him until I arrive."

[member="Maleagant"] | [member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Maleagant"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"]

The collar proved to be the most annoying of this situation. He had the keys for his shackles, and in truth he had wanted to use them on the trip, but an opportunity never arose. It was an unfortunate fact but Vrak enjoyed life too much to simply throw it away on some small chance that he might escape. For once, he allowed patience to get the better of him, concentrating his power instead on simple waiting and biding his time. When they drew out of hyperspace he couldn't help but gnash his teeth slightly.

The thugs had mentioned Naboo more than once now, something that had only confirmed his suspicions.

The Bounty had been a nuisance that had always needed taken care of, he had intended to do so in some months, but the Syndicates trickery had apparently gotten the better of him. Perhaps that was because of his lack of experience in the rest of the galaxy, but no matter, it would not happen again. Vrak knew that pitiful mess of a Jedi wouldn't harm him, and with a little bit of patience he would once again be free. He frowned slightly as he felt the jolt of a shuttle landing.

He frowned slightly.

The Criminal scum would have to be paid, and then Vrak would meet his captor once again.

How fun that would be.

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"]

The shuttle landed uneventfully. Maleagant had upgraded from looking terrible to just looking awful. The redness had gone from his eyes by means of a truly remarkable Shi'ido mechanism known only as "because that's what he wanted." Without the red eyes, Maleagant looked barely any different from any other Rattataki. Perhaps a bit more ashen in complexion, but otherwise, perfectly unremarkable. He exited his room on the shuttle, surveying Deglarch and the droids, who had remained vigilant in their watch over the captive. No one had found the key back in the warehouse, so Maleagant could only assume that it was somewhere on Nashar's person. How, why, or where he could only guess.

With the collar and the straps on the gurney, however, the Pureblood wouldn't be able to do much with it. So Maleagant decided to feign ignorance of the fact instead. "You'll be happy to know the pirates situation was resolved." He muttered. The proceeds from Vrak's bounty would go towards paying off the mercenaries Maleagant had hired for the operation and the initial stages of the prison he intended to construct there. The droids gripped the gurney by either end and proceeded to wheel Vrak out of the shuttle as the boarding ramp descended. "Your assistance was vital."

Deglarch accompanied them down the ramp, Maleagant trailed after.

From the sheer amount of security present, one would have thought that the Naboo were expecting some kind of attack. They would be relieved, no doubt, to see that Maleagant was in no condition to engage in a firefight with these people. He was burnt and his suit was still a torn-up, singed mess. "Where do you want him?" Maleagant asked an approaching guardsman, eyeing his two colleagues warily.

"We'll take him from here." The guardsman said, gesturing for his peers to take over the gurney. "He's in for an isolation cell."

Neither droid moved.

Let the flatfoots walk the lightning-flinging, vengeful Pureblood to his isolation cell? So he could break out off-screen, slaughter everyone around, and then have Maleagant get blamed for it? Not a chance. Maleagant liked to see his little projects through to completion. In this case, Maleagant would see Vrak flung into his cell himself.

"Allow us." Maleagant tersely replied. "Three of my men are dead thanks to him." There seemed to be a slight... Weight in his words. Not counting the complete fabrication.

The guard hesitated, then waved the others off. "Alright then. Fine."

The Syndicate procession, under the escort of Naboo guards, proceeded to the detainment wing. This entire structure did not strike Maleagant as even a little bit secure. Hopefully these isolation cells of their suspended their prisoners by their limbs several feet in the air. Not a lot of ways to break out of that. Then again, if they would just kill him...

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The escort of guards led Maleagant and his men through a series of corridors and wings until they arrived in isolation. A single large durasteel door with thick cylinder locks separated the two rooms. It was hardly intended for Force users, however for the interim it would suffice to hold the Sith until he could be relocated to the maximum security prison to await trial.

"Hold here please." One of the men directed those in tow. "You two, escort the prisoner inside for temporary incarceration."

Two of the guard began to release the locks on the door and take charge of the prisoner, while the head of security continued to speak with Maleagant.

"Lady Pyne will meet you in the processing office down the hall for the distribution of your payment. Please follow me."

By meet them there, what he really meant was that they would end up waiting about ten minutes for the girl to actually arrive, given the number of times she was interrupted while trying to leave her own office in the palace to reach the detainment center. The woman was eager to pay the bounty hunters for their completion of the contract, while at the same time getting them off world. Mercenaries for hire made her uncomfortable, as they held no true allegiance, save for credits. Two hours from then they could be paid to reverse exactly what she had just paid them for, after all.

Sure enough, ten minutes later the girl arrived, datapad in hand to greet the man. "Apologies for keeping you waiting, Mr?" She offered her hand to shake while inquiring as to his name, out of standard procedure.

[member="Maleagant"] | [member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"]

Maleagant watched with no small measure of satisfaction as Vrak was locked away in an isolation cell, left to an ambiguous fate. "A word of advice," he warned. "You may want to search him again." Broken legs and nullification collar or not, if someone wandered into that room expecting Vrak to still be bound and wound up ambushed by him instead, there would be problems. Maleagant was not keen on taking the blame for such things. Whether or not they heeded him was up to them. Ball was in their court and all that. Deglarch and the two droids returned to the ship, leaving Maleagant to meet Lady Pyne by himself. He smoothed out his jacket in preparation, for what little good it did his overall appearance.

He still looked like he had just wandered through a lightning storm.

Once she arrived, he shook her hand with due reverence. "Maleagant, your grace." There should have been a last name in there somewhere, but that was a can of worms better left unopened. For now, at least. Everyone could be sure it would make for a mediocre reveal at some other point. "Apologies for my appearance. Nashar's handiwork." He gestured to himself briefly and clasped his hands behind his back. He was not looking her in the eye. A Tionese custom.

"I suspect we will both see more of it."

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Your grace? Jamie had been given a number of titles throughout her brief time in the galaxy, but never referred to as your grace. That was generally reserved for the monarch of Naboo, or other kings and queens across the galaxy that she had met with at one time or another. "It's a real pleasure to meet you, Maleagant." That was an honest truth. He might have looked like he had walked through a warzone, may have not looked like a prince charming, but he had brought Vrak to her. And that was what she was paying him for, after all.

"No need to apologize. I'm intimately familiar with Vrak's work. My hope is that this will be the end of it."

The woman offered her client a seat as she placed a datapad down on the table. "If you wouldn't mind simply signing the few documents with your name, credits account information, and date, I will begin the transfer of the funds."

[member="Vrak Nashar"] | [member="Maleagant"]

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vrak Nashar"] | [member="Jamie Pyne"]

"The pleasure is mine." His skin itched and burned. An actual pleasure would have been a bacta tank for the next four hours and then a nap for the next twelve.

He seated himself as instructed, examining the paperwork before filling it out. One of the Syndicate's dummy accounts would be used to receive the money before it was sent elsewhere through more secure, difficult to trace channels. Maleagant had tracked more than his fair share of targets through their paper trails and so had become remarkably consistent in covering up his own. The details of how and by who this bounty had been collected would remain between the Syndicate and Naboo. Aside from the Specialists involved, none of Maleagant's employees had been aware of the situation. The Enforcers had assumed Vrak was just some sort of debtor and was probably dead by now.

Speaking of which. "Purebloods are not without their servants. Someone may come after him."

Once he had finished signing the datapad, he reached into his interior pocket and retrieved a similarly charred, but thankfully still legible, business card. It was unadorned, save for a commlink number printed on both sides. It could, no doubt, be used to reach him directly. He handed it to Jamie along with the datapad. "If it pleases, I would like to be updated on his status as it... Changes."

This was probably a more polite way of saying "give me a ring when he's dead" or "if he escapes, please let me know, I am definitely on his bad side now."

"As well, if you require anything further from myself."