Private When you owe someone…

[Arken Dobson]

Construction on the new base on the planet below was not anywhere near completed, so Arken was on board his business ship, the Silent Profit. He was going over reports as they were successfully siphoning resources off the teet of the Elysium Empire for their own projects. It was totally legal, of course, as Arken still had sway in the council. But the Dobsons would need their own fortress soon if they were to continue protecting The Empire properly.

But enough of that. As his ship orbited the world, he sat at his desk and considered his family. Some members could be trusted. Some could not. And some were neglected. One such neglected member of his family was the young rising star Reggie Dobson with his own law firm and humble beginnings. Humble for a Dobson, anyways. Arken had never taken Reggie seriously before, always choosing to focus on Dorthea and Severus more than the others. But Reggie was beginning to show promise as a man of motivation and ambition. Perhaps a coward, he had some strength to offer. He needed to see is boy and look him in the eye. It was time to evaluate him closely…

He keyed his comm, “Mortimer Mercal, please send a summon to Reggie Dobson . I’d like to have him meet me in person. Tell him that delaying this meeting will not be acceptable, and that he is to come at once.”

Let’s see what this particular son is capable of. Severus needs a rival, and Reggie might be a hidden gem if I’m lucky…​

 

[Reggie Dobson]

It was 11 in the morning and the Dobson had only just woken up a few hours ago. it was his own fault, he wasn't doing too good. Of course, as far as income came, Reggie could always do odd jobs. No, not yet, he still had a few options left before he did that.

The diner's door slid open as the young man walked in, looking a bit more disheveled than usual. Not many patrons paid him any mind, he was rather uninteresting in the grand scheme. He slid into one of the free stools, the cook eyeing him uneasily. "Hey, Victor." Reggie flashed a smile at the old cook.

"Reginald." He muttered in response.

"How you been?" Reggie pressed.

Victor walked over to Reggie, looking down on him with disdain, ignoring the question. "You shouldn't be here, it's bad for business."

Reggie gave a hurt look. "Me? How am I bad for business!?"

Victor rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... after all that foreclosure with the bank, and the apparent illegal activity, I can't risk it."

Reggie tilted his head, giving him a frank stare. "Victor, that stuff was," He paused, "necessary, you know that right? If I didn't the office would've closed and I wouldn't be able to help people."

"I-" Victor was still on the fence.

"Do you remember what happened with your son? The speeder bike incident?" He whispered to the cook. "I just want a bagel, you owe me that much."

Victor shrugged and nodded along. "Okay, sure." Going into the back for a few minutes, he came back with a bagel, handing it to Reggie. "Don't come back." he warned.

The tax evader was already halfway through the door, when he turned around, flashed a smile, and gave a salute. I won't.

Finding a nice bench outside the diner, Reginald Dobson began enjoying his bagel and reflected as he often did. He didn't have much of a game plan right now, he was almost flat broke, and that was the third client he'd guilt-tripped that week. He was losing focus. He took a bite of the bagel, enjoying it to the best of his ability. He was starving, in all honesty.

Well, he could always ask dad for help. He shivered. Sure, ask the heartless crime boss for help. Right now, father-dearest was the last person he wanted to see. Then, like the old bastard was reading his thoughts across planets themselves, he received a notification on his mobile holopad.

His widened, this wasn't happening, it couldn't. Then again, it wasn't the worst scenario.

"Well, looks like I'm going to visit... dad." He scruffed down the rest of the bagel.

Before he knew it, he was on a transport to the Silent Profit, and before he even knew that, the transport had docked with his father's ship.


Arken Dobson

 

[Arken Dobson]

An extremely well dressed, clean-shaven young human man with glasses and short stylish hair greeted Reggie Dobson as he exited the ship. "Hello, Reggie" his voice almost seemed to sing as he spoke, "my name is Mortimer Mercal. I am Arken Dobson's personal assistant. I trust your trip went well?" He didn't even wait for an answer to his question as he spun on his heels and began walking towards Arken's office. "Follow me, please" he spoke over his shoulder. He voice was melodic and pleasant, but there was a strange edge to it that suggested that disobedience was not an option.

Mortimer lead Reggie down a number of passages before they reached a large door. Mortimer did not open the door, but gestured gently for Reggie to go inside as he himself stepped aside. Inside the door, Arken was sitting at a massive expensive wooden desk, with his hands folded, looking straight at Reggie. His face was hard and wrinkled, and his eyes were piercing and judgmental. He simply said nothing to the younger man. He just stared, waiting.

 

[Reggie Dobson]

He sighed, drawing up his lips tight.

Look at you. Time certainly hasn't been the nicest to you, all old and spotted. I can't believe it, 15 years and you don't have anything to say. Why am I here, huh? Are you going to berate me? Tell me the importance of family? No, you'd never do that. Just say something. Say something, you old bastard!

Reggie smiled, a twinkle in his eye. "Hey, dad." Stumbling at first, he walked further into the room. He looked the room over, mulling over his thoughts as he did. "Nice office, really complements your... tone." It took him a while to think of the right word.

Reggie looked at his father and the chair across from him. He settled himself, Reggie knew better than to relax in the lion's den. He met Arken Dobson 's gaze, hardening stare.

What was the point in trying to get on his good side? Just meet his eyes and ask him why you're here.

"So, what do you want from me, Arken?"

 

[Arken Dobson]

Arken scoffed softly at his son. Reggie was quickly rattled but at least he recovered quickly enough. Arken had seen worse from some of his progeny, but Reggie would need some work. "Sit down, boy" was his response.

He then put something akin to a Dobson's version of a warm smile on his face, "Now what kind of father would I be if I brought you all this way just to make demands of you? You are my son. That means something. And I keep an eye on all my children."

He keyed a panel on his desk and a holodisplay of Reggie's finances appeared before them both. Everything was red.

"I know that you are in trouble. It hurts me greatly that my own children don't ask for help when they need it. We are a family first, and I am here as a father. I hope that you are here as my son."

Then, Arken lifted his datapad from his lap and flicked the screen. Immediately, a massive sum of credits transferred electronically straight into Reggie Dobson 's account. It was exactly the amount needed to end Reggie's problems.

 

[Reggie Dobson]

His eye twitched as his father brought up his financials. It twitched even more as the electronic ding sounded, signifying that his problems had ended. Still, the smile never left his face. Reggie knew better, he knew his father, he knew the kind of man he was. He chuckled, shrugging.

"Oh, dad, you didn't have to do that," He tilted his head slightly, "I mean it, you really shouldn't put yourself out there for me. Besides, that was just a little downtime, I would've been back on my feet in no time." He still did not sit.

"Business," He muttered, "Dad, don't feel bad that I didn't come to you." He folded his arms over one another. He took a few stationary steps. He didn't blink, not once, at his father.

"That's just part of being a man, going out there, making something of yourself. After all, isn't that what you did? You had the family, sure, but you're pretty much a self-made man." It wasn't noticeable to most, but Arken Dobson would notice it without a doubt. Reggie was insulting him now.

There was a long moment of silence, then the boy laughed. "Enough business though, how Dorthy and Sev?"

 

[Arken Dobson]

Arken didn’t even register anything emotionally as the younger man’s passive insults passed right through him. He and he alone knew better than anyone what went into making this family as powerful as it was. He didn’t owe Reggie an explanation for that. If anything, he was a little bit pleased that Reggie Dobson hadn’t jumped to make a big display of gratitude towards Arken for solving all of his financial problems, nor did he burst into a fit of rebellion by smashing his datapad before the funds could be registered by a hyper com relay. His son was showing incredible controlled and calculating behaviour. He’s not the sensitive child that he used to be. Interesting…

At last, Arken was seeing what he needed to see. With Dorthea fighting for the other team, Severus Dobson had no rivals. He lacked the ability to grow his abilities properly and become the head of the family that he was supposed to be. Arken was beginning to think that all his work in grooming Severus had been wasted if Severus could not be properly motivated. Reggie could be that motivation…

Arken ceased his contemplations and began to speak, “Oh this is how the business is run my boy. The family comes first, and as long as we have that, we are strong. Unbreakable. As long as we all put the needs of our kin first” he smirked meaningfully at Reggie, hinting at his own hidden message, “we will never be destroyed by the fools that oppose us.”

Arken then burned his eyes into Reggie’s and intertwined his fingers in front of his face, “We will discuss your siblings in a bit. Now. Sit. And tell me. Do you know how this company came to be so rich?”​