They exited from a similar loop, and there was a similar enormous platform, another drifter
They again asked his name and then let him go. Vyzen turned the butterfly towards a dwarf planet fourth from the star Yu-7002.
Hellion silently cursed his fate until he finally asked in a betrayed voice," How m-much are they paying you?"
After some seconds, Vyzen said," You better not know."
"Will you let me go if I ask nicely?" Hellion did something between a laugh and a sob.
"No"
Hellion fell silent, and Butterfly neared the planet. There were hundreds of spacecraft orbiting it.
As Vyzen lowered the spacecraft, a message popped up on his control panel.
"Welcome! Visitor, Thanks for visiting The hunter's demise. We hope you have a good business."
Fortunately, Butterfly was small enough to land on the planet,
Butterfly landed in a parking area for spacecraft, an open field filled with small surfer-types similar to Butterfly itself.
Adjacent to it was a City, with streets bustling with people chit-chatting in various languages. Even interpreters malfunctioned here.
"We have arrived, so long Dorredus," Vyzen pierces Aurelion's skin with a syringe.
"NO! LET ME-." He struggled for a few moments before slumping back in his seat.
Vyzen walked towards the city. No building taller than three storeis, contrasting with the skyscrapers of Rantharaz. People cheered, shouting, and the aroma of delicacies filled the air, smoke coming out of restaurants. At first, they do seem like one, but it was a rendezvous point for clients and their hunter
. Shady alleys branched on from the main road. Vyzen turned in one such. Different species populated this place. He notices some slave traders, thieves who probably lost their way, but most of them were hunters. The surrounding star systems and this one were the hub of bounty hunters. B.H.M.A.(Bounty Hunters Management Association) controlled them, which itself was another shadow business of the Osaires Trade Union.
Vyzen stopped in front of an Inn. It read:
Sarvana's Keep
Inside, the lights were dim, people were sitting on tables, eating, drinking, and whispering secrets. A Holovision was telecasting a documentary on a planet in the mining region.
As Vyzen entered, a flood of hushes filled the tavern. The ground floor was a restaurant and bar, while the rooms were on the floor above.
Vyzen snatched a seat at the bar counter, The waiter arrived, A Braxan like most of the workers there. Braxan had big eyes, softer skin than other species, way unusual for their work as technicians, and their signature white light antennas. Another eye-catching feature was their height, the taller ones reached up to 5 feet.
"Where's Sarvana?"
The waiter didn't respond, checking out the Vyzen's appearance, a run-down Jacket, A grim helm dripped in crimson, cyan pulsing on the visor as Vyzen spoke. He froze as his eyes fixated on the Xeloyatras strapped to the hunter's belt.
Vyzen sighed, following the gaze of the waiter.
"New?"
The waiter nodded,
"Arthora, that's my name. I am a hunter, now bring him here," Vyzen said
.
"Y-Y-Yes," He stammered as he rushed into the staff room through a small door.
After a few moments, a stout Braxan, no taller than four feet, with big eyes blinking and squinting at seeing Arthora.
"HA HA, is that my mean boy? You returned!" He exclaimed, climbing up on a stool behind the counter to match Vyzen's eye level.
He struggled but finally climbed up.
"Cut the crap, Dali"
"What did you do to the boy? His face went pale, he came to me stuttering haha," He said, coughing.
"I did nothing, you should let your new workers know about me, they often mistake me for an Official." Vyzen shrugged off nonchalantly.
"Well, it's not their fault, Vyzen, you don't see a commoner dangling Xeloyatras around every day, haha."
"Don't use that name at work." Vyzen hissed through his helmet.
He waved his hand dismissing Vyzen's tone,
"My boy got angry, haha, well, whaddo you wanna drink, I have something new, something hard? You know, Dali Sarvana special." Dali winked.
"I never drink."
"Ah~ you are no fun"
"You wanna talk business or should I walk out?"
"Ah! But we met after so long, well, did you get the goods?"
Vyzen nodded, "It is in my ship, a little damaged but working. Send your men to retrieve it, you know my ship, right?"
"Consider it done, lad. The one with wide black wings,I got it. So, the payment…hm"
He took out a holo tab from one of his drawers after some calculations.
"1.2 million Derlus, transferring now to your account."
"You should have checked the goods first," Vyzen said.
"Don't worry, lad. I have known you since you started this. You are not the type." He said with a smug face.
"I don't see Taali. Shouldn't he be the one running the shop?"
"Oh? He didn't tell ya, did he? He has gone to Gardon's Debris, in the Yu-6521 star system, to attend a meeting of the Dark Trade Union."
"Smuggling? He has some queer interests." Vyzen scoffs."Like father, like son."
"I know he's an idiot, but let him try, let him try. Maybe who knows, He might have learned something from me. haha". He erupted in contented laughter at his joke.
"Any new goods you want transferred or disposed of?" Vyzen said without caring about his joke.
He stopped laughing abruptly. "You did enough, lad. Don't you have enough money? Why don't you rest, Arthora? For a year or two."
"Hunter's Demise years or Standard cosmic years," Vyzen said in a neutral tone.
Sarvana started laughing again," Haha, lad, you still have some humor left in you."
Vyzen didn't laugh.
"You know, old man I don't do this stuff for money, so just give me a damn straight answer"
Dali furrowed and then took out his hologram tab and put it on a table, swiping."Uhhmm, see, there are a few, but not worth it, small fishes. Not even a million Delarus, there's this old Va'sharan, then some Meshari slaves that escaped,"
He continues after a pause.
"Some whisper that the Resistance is on the move, so that could be the reason B.H.M.A. ain't releasing good bounties; these scaredy cats do not want to involve themselves between of Government and the rebellion. But who knows?" He sighed.
Vyzen nodded, but his eyes caught something on the tab, only a name, no hologram, no attributes.
"What's this?" Vyzen jabbed his finger at the tab.
"That, well, that is a planet in the outer arm of the galaxy, whispers say that Arbiterium has launched a convoy there, I don't get why they would wanna go to a planet at the edge of the galaxy," he said, swiping to its profile to show Vyzen.
"Aqski?" Vyzen murmured the name under his breath."Aqski...….It means 'land of eternal dream' in the godstongue".
"What are you saying, lad? There were only two species that even used Godstongue before it was banned, one was Va'Sharans and the other..."Sarvana paused.
"Humans," Vyzen said with an exhale.
Vyzen straightened his back. "An ancient word, isn't it? , hardly used after the exodus."
Dali's face sweated, "Don't you always avoid the arbiterium? Why take such a risk? "
"Well then, you don't even know how much a human costs nowadays, Old Sarvana."