(Continued from Truth or Dare: Restoration)

Hyperspace

Aboard the freighter Black Knight

"...tell me again what happened...?"

The man, a tall figure in a pale grey suit asked, staring out the viewport at the swirling stars as they shot past them.

"...he was killed, as per your orders..."

The second responded, his own eyes travelling across the small room on the freighter.

"...but...?"

The first man prompted.

"...but... the target, one Seti Ashar, escpaed... his organization launched a rescue attempt that cost us the complex and a dozen enforcers..."

The man swore.

"...and why wasn't I informed of this ...occurence... earlier?..."

He demanded, rising and stretching his lanky figure to full height.

"...the boss didn't consider important, I guess... figured he could get Ashar before I made it back to you..."

"...I am the boss here... understand...?"

He swore again loudly and jammed his fist down on the table. Then, still shaking he sighed.

"...see that Bror Hatta is... dealt with..."

He said softly, regaining his composure and sitting. The second man nodded.

"...it will be done, sir..."

A bleating alarm alerted the two men to the fact that the freighter was coming out of hyperspace, and the first man stood again and made his way to the cockpit.

"...we're entering Sluis Van now, sir... we've got permission to dock at one of their obiting stations and we'll have to take a shuttle from there to the surface..."

The crime boss' eyes narrowed and he looked down at the com board.

"...why are we stopping on a station, Captain...?"

He asked, almost casualy.

"...I thought we had clearence to land on the surface..."

The pilot nodded.

"...we did, sir... but apparently the Sluis Van authorities have it on good word that there were, or are, some unfriendlies in the area who want to either blow something up down there, and smuggle something in to blow up later..."

The boss turned, eying the second man up.

"...we didn't plan to blow anything up, did we...?"

He asked.

"...no, sir... nothing I know, anyway..."

The crime boss turned back to the viewports and frowned. Most unusual...

Authority presence did seem remarkably stepped up as they entered the system, however. A pair of Carrack Cruisers guarded what appeared to be a bottleneck of an entrace into the compound.

"...damn... something must of spooked them good..."

The pilot commenting, bringing the shuttle into the back of the que. From what could be seen, zero-g troopers and droids were doing a secondary, thurough scanning of each vessel, and the suspicious ones were being pulled aside and searched. The pair of Carrack cruisers flanking them left any idea of tring to run out of the question; even if one of these freighters could threaten a ship of the line like that, there was another standing by. And TIE patrols were zipping up and down the line seemingly at random.

The crime boss immediatly noticed that half the guns on the que were tracking the overflying starfighters. Perhaps Sluis Van wasn't the only one being paranoid...

Without wanring, a voice crackled across the com unit. It was a private channel... directed only to the single freighter.

"...freighter Black Knight... this is Sluis Van Space Control... you have immediate clearence to land in docking bay thirty-seven-b, dirt side... and have a good day..."

The crime boss smiled broadly, cracking his knuckles as the freighter began to move.

"...looks like they finally grew a brain stem..."

He muttered to himself. The second man smirked and said softly,

"...more like they bought one..."

Eriadu

Industrial Pacic Hotel

"...have you found out anything new...?"

Seti asked, towelling his hair and speaking from across the room into the intercom. Colonel Ross, sitting patiently in the other room for his boss to emerge, sounded surprised.

"...a few items of interest, sir..."

He said. He was, Seti mused, probably grabbing for his datapad about now. Not that he didn't know the information, he simply had an obsession for details that would impress even a 3PO protocal droid.

"...go on..."

The Colonel cleared his throat and began.

"...uh, first thing... we've had word of a half a dozen freighters and transports that were under watch by Eriadu Port Authority leave the planet rather unexpectedly..."

Seti stopped him there, pulling on a robe and tying the belt around his waste.

"...how 'unexpected' were these depatures...?"

He asked, scanning the room for a tray.

"...the ships were booked to stay another two months in their berths... today the berths were emptied and the lease opened... they gave about three hours notice before they blasted off..."

The Corporate Executive nodded, finding the tray and pouring a cup of tea from the ornate teapot thereon.

"...any indication of where they were going...?"

The Colonel was silent for a second, then answered slowly.

"...the freighter Etherway was tracked as being on route to Coruscant - Imperial Centre..."

He said.

"...Standard was headed for Ord Mantell..."

Seti tasted the tea and grumbled something irritantly. Ross, not hearing, went on to say that the Black Knight had been tracked, indeed had already arrived on, Sluis Van.

"...wait...!"

Seti half-shouted, a grim smile coming to his face.

"...Sluis Van... do a record check on that freighter... I want to know if that's our man..."

He put the tea down and headed for the closet. It may yet turn out to be an interesting day...

<font color=gray>Eriadu

Red Light District...

The dark shape glanced both ways before leaping from his hiding place and dashing across the darkened street, zigzagging between passing speeders. In this part of town, such occurence was common, even expected, and this figure araised no concern among the hundreds of beings walking the Red Light District.

This man, not unlike most of the others, was dressed in a long black trench coat, made of a stiff leather derived from some native of Tatooine, cheap stuff, but very tough. It still bore marks from the time he had almost been shot to pieces on a botched assignment...

The man who had sent him out there that night was dead now... he had found a blaster in his mouth just before his morning meal.

Avoiding the crowds, the dark figure entered on the dozens of seedy porno theatres and, hunching over a lit cigar, made his way to the balcony. The film was some plotless piece of garbage where two Twi'lek girls who couldn't be more than twelve pleasured a man who must have been forty.

The figure spat on the seat next to him as he sat down; a man of (some) morals, he was against the explotation of children. He had even killed a couple of people for directing trash like this... without pay, even!

The target, as it had been established, snuck out of his high-security apartment at 11:00 every night and made his way... here. Always the same theatre, always the same seat. It was only to easy for the assassin to make his way in and sit behind the target, then slip the thin cord from his waste and reach over the seat in front.

The man was dead in a heartbeat, his last heartbeat dying just as the man on screen moaned in pleasure. Sickened more by what was on screen than the murder he had just comitted, the assassin turned and left the theatre...

Eriadu

Red Light District... the following morning

That nights murder had not been released in the morning edition of the holonews. Indeed, it had yet to be reported at all. In the hour following the murder, which no one had seen save the murderer himself, the prono theatre was engulfed in flames that brought the roof down on nearly a hundred distracted patrons. All those were missing, presumed dead. Following the blast which started the fire, what could only be described as explosives (which were, indeed, C4 packets placed around the support beams) were detonated, utterly destroying the place.

The fact was relayed across the city that night on the live holonews, and a dozen other seedier porno houses were evacuated, some only by force of the local police force. The attack, however, was singular, and as the day wore on and the authorities picked away at the charred remains of the building, patrons slowly began to slink back into their watering holes, wary now for increased authorities and observers who may be watching.

Industrial Pacific Hotel...

"...what does it imply...?"

Seti asked, staring almost blankly at the holo set showing images of the levelled porno theatre.

"...either we have someone who really, really, doesn't like the Red Light District..."

Colonel Ross said, pacing between the door and window, his hands clasped behind his back.

"...hard to imagine..."

"...or it's a cover for a violent crime... most likely a murder..."

Seti nodded.

"...it wouldn't the first time a hundred people died to cover one murder..."

Ross stopped to look out the windows and shrugged. In the distance, smoke was still rising from the destroyed porno house.

"...and we certainly know someone who is willing to kill innocent people to get at once person..."

Seti continued, sipping from the mug he held thoughtfully. The caf was bitter - unusual, he noticed, for the Industrial Pacific Hotel.

Maybe we already drank all the premium stuff...

"...but who could they be going after... I don't see any way blowing up a porno theatre would help them get at Seti Ashar...?"

Ross was back to pacing, walking the same line between the doors and windows. Seti reached up and grabbed his arm.

"...stop, Colonel... you'll wear a strip out of the carpet if you keep this up... sit down..."

He did, and Seti set the mug down on the table beside him and frowned deeply.

"...maybe it's a sign... like, We're still out here... come and get us......"

"...maybe, sir... maybe..."

Seti rose suddenly and walked to the windows, staring out at the smoke that was lifting from the site of the destroyed building. Other than that cloud of black, it was a clear day. The sky was blue, with only a few, fat, slow moving clouds in site. Already hundreds of speeders were moving away from the city, towards the beaches and sunspots on the nearby ocean.

Seti smiled.

"...they're still out there, Colonel... and I suspect we'll have to find them..."

He said, not turning from the windows.

"...on Sluis Van...?"

Seti turned away from the window now and nodded.

"...on Sluis Van..."

He confirmed.

Sluis Van

The Docking Bay Hotel...

The lobby smelled of smoke and booze. Not entirely unusual for a place frequented by smugglers and pirates... and some of the more 'respectable' pilots. Many of the legitimate companies banned alcohal on their ships, and with good reason, and most of the civilian transport ships outlawed smoking of any kind unless one wished to do so in the airlock. Hot the wisest choice one could make...

The smell, nor indeed the less-than-standard cantina-style lighting and intermingling sounds of three hundred plus patrons, bothered the trio of men as they entered the doors and walked the dozen steps into the basement/lobby.

A band was playing music from somewhere in the Core in one corner, and a group of various humanoid races were dancing on the floor with some interest. Most of the others were simply sitting at darkened tables, nursing drinks and cigarettes. The reception desk, for what is was worth, stretched across one end of the room and was, at the moment, empty. Those that frequented the hotel never bothered to return their keys, and the manegment either didn't care or was to lazy to puruse retreiving those keys.

"...it was done, then...?"

The first figure asked, removing the dark glasses that covered his eyes and looking around.

"...yes... Bror Hatta was been... dealt with... as per your request..."

The first man nodded and pulled a cigar from his coat pocket.

"...very good... and the agent...?"

The second man pulled off his hat and coat and waved one of the server's over, sticking a thin cigarette between his own lips and lighting it.

"...the agent is on his way back now..."

The first figure smiled, revealing a mouth full of crooked teeth with a single shiny gold on on the bottom.

"...and the evidence...?"

Number two laughed.

"...the place was torched... the authorities will be convinced it was a terrorist act..."

The first man took a long drag from his cigar.

"...excellent..."

Hyperspace

Aboard the Arch Angel

"...they've been saying that Sluis Van has stepped up their inner system patrols pretty heavily..."

Looking to the chart stretched across the table.

"...which makes sense, considering the fiasco at the Christi Hall and yesterday's Red Light District attack..."

Seti Ashar looked into the bottom of his empty glass and nodded absently.

"...do you think that this... Bror Hatta... is on Sluis Van...?"

He asked, snapping his head up and peering at Colonel Ross.

"...it's difficult to say, sir... but I suspect as much... Sluis Van has many of the elements that the man seems to like... and its proximitey to Eriadu must be appealing..."

Seti nodded and walked over to sit on one of the chairs facing the forward viewports.

"...and until now, it had been a relitively easy world to get onto... no questions asked..."

Ross laughed.

"...I'm sure it still is... if you're able to put your money where your mouth is..."

Seti nodded.

"...that's always the way, Colonel... bribery is an age old tradition, I'm afraid..."

"...yes, sir..."

He paused.

"...the Sluis Van government shouldn't give us to much trouble... should they...?"

"...a highly respected galactic businessman like myself...?"

Seti said jokingly.

"...I should hope not... 'else I might have to... sterlize them... seriously, though... I do not anticipate any trouble from the government... they should know that we are not coming to cause trouble..."

"...even though we will be..."

Seti nodded.

"...I hope not... but it is probable..."

Sluis Van

The Docking Bay Hotel

"...interesting news, boss..."

The crime boss nearly jumped at the voice. Dragon, the assasin who had killed Wes Yono and Bror Hatta, had an uncanny ability to sneak up behind people.

Probably why he found work as a hitman... The boss mused for a second. Then he swore and turned to the man.

"...I told you never to do that again..."

He seethed, glaring at the man. Dragon, however, simply blinked and nodded.

He doesn't care... Perhaps I should teach him to repesct his employer... but later, I think...

"...yes, sir..."

The assassin said, unable to restrain a tight-lipped smile.

"...get on with it, then... you said you have news...!"

The man nodded, the smile vanishing.

"...I do... it seems that our friends have arrived on the planet..."

The boss looked at him for a second, searching for a clue, before realization dawned on him.

"...the same 'friends' who destroyed the operation at the Christi Hall...?"

Dragon nodded a silent acknowledgment, the smile reappearing, more sinister now.

"...the very same... Seti Ashar, and his little entourage of Corporate Lackies..."

The crime boss smiled, a sinister smile similar to the assassin's. It was time to repay an old debt.

"...see that he is... dealt with... if the chance presents itself..."

"...of course, sir..."

The assassin left, no doubt to begin the immediate planning of an unfortunate 'accident' to silence Seti Ashar. The crime boss, checking his chrono and swearing softly, walked over to the bar and poured a glass of rye.

Settling into the chair by the holoset, he closed his eyes and sipped the drink gladly. Dragon had never failed before, he knew... the man was the best in the business, and he had cost the crime lord a bundle to bring into his private employ. Still, the idea of knowing that the best of the best was not out to kill him made him feel better... and Dragon had thwarted no less than eleven attempts to kill the criminal mastermind. He had recieved nice bonus' for that.

Perhaps on the twelfth, he will find something special...

He thought, taking another sip of the drink. It was, he mused, a good day to be alive. His empire, despite the setback at the Christi Hall, was still very much alive and prosperous. He was healthy, and that bumbling fool Bror Hatta was out of the way.

And Seti Ashar will soon be out of the picture as well...

He took one final swallow from the glass and set it on the table. Then, kicking off his shoes, he rose and walked towards the bedroom. There were some things a man just had to look his best for...

Sluis Van

Hotel Grand Royale

Seti Ashar stepped out of the turbolift and into the lobby of the Hotel Grand Royale. On either side, tall marble pillars did nothing to support the roof, but mantained the pretense that it was an old building. Behind those pillars was the restaurent, on the left side, and the games and smoking rooms, on the other.

He glanced to the left briefly, he turned right and entered the darkened games room silently. A pair of men were playing darts in one corner, but other than that is was desserted at this time. The bar, a sign proclaimed, was serving only caf, tea, and hot chocolate at this hour.

He smiled and headed that way. The others had yet to arrive, and he could use something to wake him up properly.

"...a hot mocha, please..."

He said, slipping a pair of cred coins onto the top of the bar. The bartender looked at him for a moment and repeated,

"...mocha...?"

Seti smiled and pushed the coins towards him.

"...fill it halfway to the top with hot chocolate... add some caf... and mix them together..."

He said happily. The bartender took the coins and, still looking dubious, did as Seti asked. He passed him the cup with a strange look on his face, and the businessman shrugged.

"...try it sometime... it's not bad..."

He said, turning away. Colonel Ross had arrived by now, along with a pair of aides who appeared to have overslept their wake up call. They all bought caf from the bartender (none asked for the mocha, having just heard of Seti's experiance with the bartender), and they sat around one of the games tables.

"...anything new from Commenor today, Mr. Ross..."

Seti asked. He had not checked his own mail yet, instead relying on the fact that the Colonel had checked his own for notices of important events.

"...there's always something new from home, sir..."

He said, sipping from his cup thoughtfully.

"...of importance today, however... you've been asked to attend a a high-level conference on Chandrilla, there is an invitation to a diplomatic dinner on Muunilist, and your secretary has been overloaded with requests to speak with you..."

Seti smiled.

"...the usual..."

"...the usual..."

Ross repeated.

"...is there anything here that needs attending to...?"

"...the senator has asked that you join her tonight for dinner to discuss certain trade issues on the table..."

Seti sighed.

"...of course..."

"...and there's a lunch meeting scheduled for the Prime Minister..."

"...don't we have diplomats for this kind of thing...?"

"...we do, unfortunately they're all on duty... and you're here now..."

"...some vacation..."

"...who said this is a vacation... I thought we were looking for terrorists..."

Seti laughed.

"...in theory, Colonel... in theory, comunism works..."

"...yes, sir..."

"...no, really...!"

Seti was aflame now.

"...the theory behind working comunism is sound... if somewhat unnatural..."

Ross coughed a fake cough that sounded something like "Corporate Whore".

Seti trailed off and eyed the Colonel thoughtfully.

"...make sure that those two are there for their meetings... if they don't show up, I'm not setting another one up..."

"...I'll tell them..."

The Colonel assured Seti, smiling and finishing his drink.

"...if you'll excuse me...?"

Seti nodded and rose.

"...go... I'll stay here awhile..."

The Colonel left, and Seti made his way to the blackjack table, where a lone man was playing against the droid dealer.

"...mind if I join in...?"

He asked, taking the seat next to the man. The droid lifted its head and said,

"...welcome to the Grand Hotel Royale Blackjack Game... I am your dealer, RJ886... the rules of the game are..."

Seti turned his head to the man.

"...they're all like this..."

He said.

"...RJ886, Command Override Royale Alpha one-one-six..."

The droid froze for a second, and then came alive again.

"...welcome... I am RJ886... let's play..."

Sluis Van

Downtown District...

The faint glow of dying glowlamps provided the only illumination on the street. The light was reflected in scattered waves from the water on the ground, water from the rainstorm that was pouring down around the man and soaking his body with cold.

He stopped suddenly, straining to hear above the pouring rain, the buzzing glowlamps, the occasional rumble of thunder.
There it was, again... a soft pattering of feet on pavement.

And again... He turned, drawing his blaster and looking around. A pair of feet smashing into his chest, knocking him backward into the street and sending the blaster clattering to the ground. The attacker stooped to pick it up and trained it on the man...

But he was gone, having jumped up and now ran at the man, slamming his shoulder into the attacker's stomach and sending him to the ground with a grunt. He kicked the blaster away into a dark alley, our of sight.

"...It's just you an me, fella... get up"

He said, smiling wickedly and waiting for the man to rise.

"...I said get up...!"

He yelled, aiming a kick at the man's chest. The figure on the ground grunted and doubled over. The speaker pulled his foot back to kick him again. But the figure grabbed his foot and yanked it towards him, brining the figure down hard on his back and shattering his elbow against the pavement.

He swore and jumped up, but the other man beat him. They stood there, the two of them, looking at each other between the curtains of relentless rain. The attacker, blood streaming from his nose, the first man, his elbows torn and bloody.

They said nothing, each man now to immersed in the combat to waste time with simple threats. Both of them knew that this fight was to the death; it was the unspoken challenge. The loser would die tonight.

The first man raised a hand and waved the attacker forward, crouching and balancing himself on his back leg. Rather than charge forward, as the first man had done earlier, the other came around and rammed himself into the first's side. But the man was ready, and he gave way as the attacker hit him and rolled, throwing the man down to the ground again. That man grunted and spared a look up to his attacker. The blood from his nose was smeared across his face, and his wet hair was plastered to his face. He smiled a grin of broken teeth and spat on the pavement beside him, and got up on his hands and knees.

He spat on the man and extended a hand, which the attacker used to bring him to the ground. The first man swung around and slashed his fist into the man's head, feeling bones snap as he made contact. He rose, and the two men regarded each other again.

The rain poured down around them, and as the attacker charged forward again the first figure extended the blade of the virboblade he'd held the entire time and swung it in a wide arc.

The attacker stopped short, his body falling. But the momentum of his run kept his head flying, and it landed on the pavement at the knife-bearer's feet.

"...I thought you had missed..."

The voice came from the right, where there was only a brick wall. Dragon smiled and pulled the helmet from his head, grabbing a towel to mop away the sweat.

"...I never miss..."

He replied, only half joking. The other man leaned against the doorframe and shrugged.

"...I'm sure you never do..."

Dragon dropped the towel on the chair beside him and stepped into the refresher.

"...what do you want...?"

He asked, turning on the water.

"...the boss wants to see you in the main room in a half hour... new mission..."

Dragon smiled.

"...I'll be there..."

Sluis Van

Port Authority Complex...

"...tell me again what we're doing here..."

Colonel Ross asked, glancing around the cold gray room for the third of forth time. It was, of course, empty, and devoid of any furniture save for a small desk and some chairs.

Seti smiled slightly and shrugged.

"...maybe they know something about the increase in security..."

"...and where does that get us...?"

"...if they increased the security, it means they know something is up... and if they know that something is up, it it might mean they know what..."

"...and you expect them to tell us..."

The CEO laughed and nodded.

"...well... of course..."

The Colonel just shook his head and placed both hands palm down on the table.

"...your sense of humour never ceases to amaze me, sir..."

"...nor does it cease to amaze me, Colonel... it's a gift, truly..."

"...yes, sir..."

Any further conversation was forstalled as the door at the far end of the room opened and three men entered. The leader, slightly ahead of the other two, wore the bars of a Major on the blue uniform of the Sluis Van Port Authority. The other two were evidently aides or lower officers, it was hard to tell which.

"...Mr. Ashar.... Mr. Ross..."

He said. His voice conveyed the sneer that he hid so well from his smiling face.

"...a pleasure, I'm sure..."

Seti offered a smile and stood. Ross did likewise, and the CEo shook the Major's hand.

"...evidently you already know who we are... but I'm quite afraid the opposite is not true..."

The officer looked at him a moment before taking his hand and said,

"...Major Davidson... I'm in charge of operations here, Mr. Ashar..."

Seti nodded.

"...of course... we just had some questions... as a company wishing to increase our business in this sector..."

"...of course..."

The major agreed. Seti winked at Ross and smiled again. He had learned from a long time in negotiating that letting the fact slip that you were looking to do business often loosened the other guy up enough to make him let something slip.

"...I noticed on the way in that the fleets are on alert... or more active than they used to be, anyway... can you tell me why...?"

the Major said nothing, and Seti detected nothing on the faces of the two aides.

"...it would b useful information for my pilots if they knew what to expect when coming into the system..."

He continued, prompting a response from the other man.

"...yes... yes... we've heard reports... rumours... of pirate and terrorist activity nearby... the government wants us to step up operations..."

Seti nodded.

"...naturally... do you have an idea of who...?"

The major shrugged.

"...who knows... there are lots of terrorists and pirates out there..."

"...of course... I just thought..."

"...we don't know... now if you'll excuse me, I have much to attend to..."