((Collab between Letter Bee and Perpenheimer))

[b][i]Space Outside Kintan[/i][/b]

Raj Vizsla would say to Leonard as the businessman and Ken were playing dejarik at the former's quarters, "Single ship zooming in from hyperspace; transponder says Hutt Cartel. Further information says it's a Courier bearing a message to us. Should we shoot him down?"

Leonard's answer as he ended the game was: "No, if we shoot every messenger, then there would be no concept of communication. Get the torture equipment ready though, just in case." A pause, and the businessman said, laughing, "I kid, I kid!"

He then said to Ken, "Let's go meet this Courier." And with that, the two then prepared to go down to the Venator-class' hangar, where Darton Fanx's ship had been impounded if it docked, and Darton himself was being searched by a few mercenaries and droids.

***

Darton shut the comms and transponder down and let the Venator's tractor beam take him in. Luckily, they hadn't shot at him, but he didn't expect a warm welcome either. The Buzzard set down roughly in the hangar with a clunk, as Darton finished the Z-95's shut-down sequence, and the bay doors closed overhead. 

Darton removed his helmet and began unbuckling. He looked up through the canopy; there were a few figures - thugs of some kind, and droids - that were approaching. Not the warmest of welcomes he'd had, but it was to be expected. He figured they's probably confiscate his personal effects, so he decided to leave them in the ship, tucking them under his seat. 

Best not to seem threatening with this bunch.

He hit both the cargo door release and the canopy release, feeling the cool air of the hangar come rushing into his cockpit as it hissssed open. Smoothing his hair back, Darton put his helmet by his feet and got up, standing on the seat.

He halfhazardly raised his hands, elbows by his sides, calling down to the approaching mercenaries. "Hey, fellas!"

"Let me see your hands!"

Darton wiggled his already-raised hands. "Yer lookin' at 'em!"

They aimed their weapons at him, then bobbed them towards the hangar deck. "Get down here!"

"You're the boss, boss." The Courier lowered his hands and began to climb down, conscious of the muzzles of the blasters at his back, but keeping his cool as he turned around to face the squad.

"Step forward," said the apparent squad leader, and Darton did so, hands now raised again. "Search him," he commanded the others.

Darton was pretty glad he didn't say 'fire,' but he was happier that they wouldn't get anything out of him. Nothing better to annoy your captors by having nothing to offer them than to lose your stuff.

Except, well, he did have something. Just not on him.

Still being patted down by the mercs and scanned by the droids, Darton noticed a couple of finely-dressed men approaching.

Ah, the paymasters. Better late than never.

To the figure in the stylish cloak, adorning the gait of wealth, he said, "You must be the businessman I've heard so little about."

Leonard nodded suavely, and extended his hand. "My name is Leonard L. Scipio. I am sorry for the inconvinience caused by the search."

Ken and Raj were now on either side of Leonard, looking to see if there was any hostile move from Darton. Leonard, once the Courier had shaken his hand, would then say: "So, you come with threats from the Hutts? What cliche are they living up to now?"

Darton shrugged. "Listen, I don't know very much. I just deliver the mail, and I've got a special delivery for ya. Hell, I don't even know what it is."

A blink from Leonard. "Show me the delivery, then. Hopefully it is not too outrageous."

"You got it, bossman," he said to Leonard, before turning to the merc squad leader and giving him a sly smile and a sideways wink. He strode back up to the side of his Z-95, before pausing and turning back to the assembled group.

"Would you all mind... turning around for this one?" he said, making a circular motion with his finger.

Leonard spoke; "All right, but if anything happens to us, we'll be blowing you and your ship up." 

He, Ken, and even Raj turned around, as well as the guards. The droids, however, kept watching; Leonard was not totally letting down his guard.

"Perfection," he quipped, before darting under his ship and snatching the package. "Special delivery, for, uh, whoever you are."

Leonard and his party turned back around; the businessman was impatient for this charade to be over. Darton handed the package over to the businessman.

When the package was opened, Leonard would see a single sabaac card. On turning over the card he would notice that it was the death card.

Leonard turned to Darton, saying: "So the Hutts are outraged beyond all reason at my onslaught. Guess it won't matter if I commit an act of war, then."

Raj took out a blaster and Ken drew his vibroblades. Leonard just smiled; he was toying with Darton.

"Ah ah ah," Darton chided, waggling a finger. "War isn't what the Hutts want. You can bring the Hutts out here, in all their rage; or you can let me go, and think about it for a day or two. Besides-"

He pulled a spare beckon call from his sleeve, retrieved from his cargo bay. The Z-95 powered up and aimed its blaster cannons at the assembled group.

"-I'm leaving anyway."

Looking nonplussed, Leonard would say, "Now, now, don't be hasty. A gift from the Hutts deserves a gift back, wouldn't you say?" Smiling sinisterly, Leonard ordered a floating droid tray to come over; said droid tray carried a platinum crown studded with brighly colored gems the color of blood. "Give this to your employer; tell him that I had this crafted myself as a gift for his Queen."

Ken looked at his boyfriend; what was he planning? Raj, meanwhile, saw the not-so-subtle signal implied by the gems' red color.

Darton smiled, knowingly. "I would love to accept this gift on behalf of the Hutts, but I must politely refuse. Timana insisted I return having delivered the package - no more, no less," he lied. This was going to get him killed, one way or another. He still had the upper hand. "I will, however, be sure to inform the Queen of the gift you offered."

A nod to signal non-hostilty. "If you can communicate with the Queen instead of just Timana, then you must be more important than I think. So tell them this; I seek chaos, the sort of chaos that is good for business. But I don't particularly [i]care[/i] from which quarter the chaos comes from." Leonard's eyes sparkeled with mischief. "So tell Timana this; that I know all beings chafe when under a superior [i]they[/i] find unworthy. As for the Queen, tell her she has my due respect for keeping her subordinates cowering in cowardice under her."

Darton looked around, listening for anything else. After a few beats of hearing nothing, he grinned, clapping his hands together, making the merc leader cringe as he was still holding the beckon call. "Okay! Guess that just about wraps it up, then!"

The Courier hopped up and began mounting his Z-95. "Seeya later folks!"

As the Z-95 flew off, Ken said to Leonard, almost laughing: "Did you just hint that you were willing to help Timana take out his Queen? If this works, we'd have plunged a dagger into the heart of the Hutt Council!"

Raj turned to Ken, "Or Timana might refuse and we'll instead get a gigantic fleet attacking Kintan. Either way, prepare for the biggest battle in your life so far."

Leonard acknowledged Raj's points with his next words; "We'll get a fleet assault by the Hutts anyway. I am not leaving Kintan unfought; I plan on keeping my promise to my Believer clients. The only difference is if the Hutts will stay united afterwards..."

[@Sep]