New Chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.
Nikka POV
I let out a relaxed sigh as I docked at Port Nowhere. It was nice to be back.
Port Nowhere had pretty much been mine since I befriended Rogan the Butcher and defeated the Voidwolf. Rogan kept a permanent residence on the station and ran things on my behalf. You couldn't tell it by looking at him, considering age didn't show on his species like it did on humans, but he was well past retirement age. He seemed to like the idea of keeping busy during his retirement by running the station and I trusted him to do so. Though our relationship had been very rocky, at first, with the whole wanting me dead thing and both of us being played by the Empire, we became good friends once it was all sorted out.
I headed towards Rogan's office, getting the occasional nod from some of the regular visitors to the station. When I arrived, I found Rogan standing at his office door, talking with another smuggler. He saw me coming, dismissing the smuggler, who departed without question.
"Ah, Captain. Good to see you alive and well."
He entered the office and I followed, the door closing behind us.
"It's good to be seen. These days it's harder to stay alive and well. Our business has never been safe, but…"
Rogan chuckled. "...but these days, we're lucky to make even simple runs without getting our heads blown off."
I nodded. "How're things?" I sat down in a chair next to a small table and Rogan sat across from me. There was a bottle of red liquor on the table, a favorite of Rogan's species. He poured a glass for me, then one for himself.
Rogan shrugged, handing me a glass. "Same as always. We're still off Arcann's radar, though we're forced to move around more than I'd like. Business has actually picked up, but the runs aren't nearly as easy as they used to be and moving around isn't ideal. Fuel's not exactly cheap."
"And this station wasn't exactly meant to be moved as much as it has been over the last few years. Hopefully, things are about to happen that will change all that." I leaned back against my seat, taking a sip of my drink. The liquid was sweeter than I usually liked, but it was far more palatable than any of the mandalorian stuff I kept on my ship.
"So, you found him?"
I nodded. I had told Rogan about our plans to find my brother and Lana's belief that finding him was the key to ending the Eternal Empire. The Chagrian had his doubts, but he helped with our plans whenever I asked. I honestly thought he went along with the plan mainly because he had great faith in me, more than any true belief that one person could end an entire empire.
"Yep. As far as I know, he's alive and well. Hopefully, we can start getting some momentum going. We'll need a lot of support on the smuggler end, but Theron managed to get Hylo Visz to run things for our underground. She'll have her hands full, but she's good."
Rogan whistled. "Impressive. I had figured she'd try to disappear once she got off Belsavis."
"I think that's the whole reason she's working for us. Our little alliance is a good place to do some good, but still remain off the grid. She likes her work too much to retire. I certainly didn't want the job, but I'll help where I can."
Rogan finished his drink and placed the glass on the table in front of us. "Well, I've mentioned your little endeavor to a few of the independent captains. There's interest, that's for sure. The Eternal Empire is bad for business. Having more work isn't profitable when you have to use twice as much of your take to repair your ship or replace lost crew. I'll make sure to send interested parties your way, once you get everything up and running."
"That's appreciated, my friend. It might be awhile before I get back here, but I know the station is in good hands. Just let me know if you run into any problems. I'll do what I can."
"And you should be careful. You're settling down more than is safe for people like us."
I knew Rogan was talking about Theron. The ex-spy had accompanied me to the station a few times over the last few years, and though Theron hadn't done anything to warrant Rogan's suspicion, he was leery of him anyway. I had a feeling it was more a problem with Theron's profession, than anything else.
I scoffed. "I can handle myself, you know that."
"Perhaps, but spies have a way of needling in where they don't necessarily belong."
"Thanks for the advice, Dad. I'll keep it in mind."
Rogan put his hand up defensively. "I'm not trying to butt in, just don't say I didn't warn you."
"I'm duly warned. And I do appreciate the sentiment."
"Then consider the topic dropped." Rogan poured each of us another drink.
Once we passed the pleasantries, we wrapped up station business and I headed back to my ship. I planned to stay docked at Port Nowhere for a few more days, just until I was sure Rio had made it safely to Odessen. It would give me a chance to mentally and physically prepare. I didn't know for sure what was coming, but I knew that whatever it was, wasn't going to be easy.
To Be Continued...
