PROLOGUE
Ord Talavos, ten years ago
“Vostal is quite the beautiful city, I have to say.”
Xalren Mithric, Prince of Falleen and Underlord of Black Sun, stood on a balcony that oversaw the city in question. The architecture, archaic in design, felt both ancient and new at the same time. This was owed to the fact that the ancient city had been recently rebuilt after it had been devastated over a thousand years ago during a great war between the Jedi and the Sith. Who exactly had rebuilt and why was a mystery to the Falleen prince; a mystery that he was content with leaving unsolved.
“Indeed it is,” a voice said from behind him. “But you didn’t come here to see the sights, did you, Prince Xalren?”
Xalren turned to face the large dragon-like being sitting upon a throne situated across from the balcony. Drakmos the Despised, self-proclaimed ruler of Vostal, stared back at him with narrowed golden eyes.
“You are remarkably perceptive, Despised One,” Xalren replied, stepping away from the view. “If it suits you, then I will not waste your time any further and get straight to the point.”
“Please do,” Drakmos rumbled, folding his clawed hands in front of him.
The Falleen walked over to stand in front of the throne, meeting Drakmos’s eyes with his own. “Have you ever heard of an organization known as Black Sun?”
“I have heard rumors of such an entity,” Drakmos answered. “Word travels often from Takodana, which is not too far from here.”
“Ah yes, the pirate queen’s domain,” Xalren said, barely hiding the disdain in his tone. “Anyway, there was a time, less than three decades ago, that Black Sun was one of if not the most powerful crime syndicate in the galaxy, rivaling the power of both the Hutts and the Empire itself.”
“Lovely hyperbole.”
“It may sound that way to you, but it was the truth, at least as I remember it. After the loss of Prince Xizor, Black Sun failed to maintain its prominence in the wake of the New Republic’s rise and saw a pitiful end eight years ago while in the hands of an equally pitiful bounty hunter.”
Drakmos sank back in his seat, resting his head in his hand. “I hope there is a point to this story of yours, Prince, for I find it awfully boring so far.”
Xalren’s lips twisted into a humorless smirk. “My apologies for wasting your time, Despised One. I will cut it short then: I am seeking to rebuild Black Sun and restore it to its proper glory… and I would like to use your city as grounds for its restoration.”
Drakmos peeled his lips back in a sneer, revealing rows of sharpened fangs. “And why my city, as opposed to any other in the galaxy?”
“The location of Ord Talavos on the galactic grid is strategically viable. As you say, it is not far from Takodana, giving us a close connection to the criminal underworld and the opportunity to recruit agents. It is also outside of the Republic’s jurisdiction, allowing us to operate in peace and build our empire without disturbance.”
“All very good points,” Drakmos admitted. “But what do I get out of it?”
“Well, that depends entirely on what you want out of the deal.” Xalren splayed his arms out far and wide. “Name your desire and I will give it you.”
“Get out of my city and never return.”
Xalren chuckled, shaking his head. “Come, now. Be reasonable, Despised One. I am not lying when I say I will give you anything.”
“And what if I don’t want anything from you?” Drakmos retorted. “Perhaps I have everything I could ever need. I have an entire city to myself, after all. What could you possibly offer me?”
“How about a guarantee of security?” Xalren’s eyes narrowed. “After all, you wouldn’t want anyone threatening your city, would you?”
“Ord Talavos has not been on any galactic charts for over a millennium. I’m not worried about anyone with hostile intent finding us.”
“But I have. And if you will not allow Black Sun to set up operations here in Vostal… then what exactly is stopping us from letting word get out about Ord Talavos’s rediscovery?”
“Ah. So you are threatening me then.”
Xalren raised his hands up. “I am hardly in the position to do so, Despised One. That said, there are forces out there that would jump at the chance to seize Ord Talavos for themselves. Provide Black Sun with hospitality, and we will ensure that your secret never gets out. If you refuse….”
The Falleen trailed off, leaving the implied meaning of his words unsaid. Drakmos seemed to catch on, small clouds of smoke puffing out of his nostrils as he huffed in frustration.
“I believe you have made yourself clear, Prince,” Drakmos muttered. “Very well. You and your little criminal empire may set up operations here in Vostal. So long as you keep to yourselves and bring no attention to my planet, then I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”
Xalren grinned, revealing pearl white teeth. “I assure you, Despised One, that you will be grateful for making this decision.”
Ord Talavos, two years later
“This was not part of our deal!” Drakmos bellowed at the Arkanian male standing before his throne.
Sal Tyrius, Vigo of Black Sun and Prince Xalren’s chief lieutenant, maintained a calm and even composure even in the face of the Despised One’s wrath. “What wasn’t part of our deal?”
“This!” Drakmos gestured out the open balcony that gave them both a view of the city outside. Freighters and starships were flying to and from the city, dropping off all sorts of unsavory characters… and not all of them associated with Black Sun. “Your Underlord promised to keep Ord Talavos hidden, but now look! People from all over the galaxy are now roaming in my city! They know its location!”
“I assure you that Black Sun has not disclosed Ord Talavos’s coordinates to anyone—”
“You might not, but what of the people out there who aren’t associated with either Black Sun or with me? What’s stopping them from leaking the planet’s location, if they haven’t already?”
Tyrius shrugged his shoulders, displaying little concern. “I’m afraid that’s outside of our control. We have done our part to keep a lid on things, but things inevitably fall through the cracks.”
“Do you expect me to believe that?” Drakmos snarled. “Your irreverence shows that you clearly do not care about honoring your word. And here I thought Prince Xalren was a respectable man….”
“Any issues you have with the Underlord should be dealt with between the two of you personally,” Tyrius said. He paused, bringing a finger to his lips as he seemed to mull something over in his head. “Has Prince Xalren ever offered you a position in Black Sun’s ranks?” the Arkanian then asked.
“He has approached me on more than one occasion,” Drakmos muttered. “I have refused him each and every time.”
“Then you have no interest in joining a criminal organization?”
“What would I possibly have to gain from that? I already had everything I could possibly need long before you and your ilk came to my planet.”
“Clearly things have changed,” Tyrius said wryly. “If you want total control of your city back, you would have to go through Xalren and the rest of Black Sun. Pardon me, but I strongly doubt that you would come out of that encounter unscathed, let alone with your life.”
Drakmos glared at the Vigo, baring his fangs. “Watch yourself, Arkanian. I am this close to flirting with such a prospect.”
“But you must acknowledge the fact that if you truly had the strength to overthrow Xalren and drive Black Sun off your planet, you would have done so by now. Wouldn’t you?”
Drakmos leaned forward in his throne, nearly rising from it. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that if you want to challenge Xalren, you need to play him at his own game. You need a criminal empire of your own, one that will match Black Sun in strength. Not only then will you be able to rid yourselves of us, but you would also send a message to anyone else who happens to stumble across Ord Talavos. In time, the system will fade back into obscurity and you will be able to return to the life you had before we came along.”
The dragon lord’s eyes narrowed into slits, regarding Tyrius carefully. “Why are you even telling me all this? Aren’t you Xalren’s chief lieutenant?”
“Yes, but that hardly means I’m loyal to him,” Tyrius said. “It just means I have more money than any of the other Vigos. It makes no difference to me whether his attempt at reviving Black Suns succeeds or fails; I will end up all the richer regardless.”
Drakmos leaned back in his throne, folding his hands together as he continued to eye the Arkanian warily. “Even if I were to follow your advice, where would I even find the means of accumulating such a power base? I won’t find it here in Vostal; my people are hardly the criminal type and the ones you have brought here are mostly loyal to Xalren.”
Tyrius smirked. “I have my connections. Do you think Xalren is the only crime lord I have made an association with?”
“Truly, he was wise to put his faith in you.” Drakmos snorted, puffing out more clouds of smoke from his snout. “Fine. I will humor you. Could you get me in touch with one of these associates of yours? Preferably without Xalren knowing.”
Tyrius grinned, his teeth shining just as brightly as Xalren’s had when he spoke to the Despised One two years ago. “Why, certainly. There is one crime lord in particular who has been making quite the name for himself out on the Outer Rim lately. Even the Hutts aren’t willing to cross him.”
“I’ll believe the stories once I’ve met him myself,” Drakmos said, waving his hand flippantly. “What is his name?”
“He calls himself Malvis.”
STAR WARS: VERGENCE
Book IV: There Be Dragons
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