38 hours

[Danger Arceneau]

She gave a deliberate pause, as if mulling the truth of his words. Tilting her head up far enough for Alric to see the filtered free of her eyes and heart shaped face from beyond the lace half veil, she gave him the widest of grins.

A pointed look would survey him from his shoes, up past the slightly wrinkled dress shirt within the confines of his jacket. Past the breadth of his wide shoulders, the thick scruff of his jaw, and finally into the bright blue of his eyes.

"Reckon you're right," she'd start off with a drawl, continuing with mock inspection of his current attire. "You'll be the talk of Worst Dressed CEO's, such a fashion faux pas."

With that she spun on the ball of her heel, sauntering off through the door, calling out behind her.

"For that you'll need to pick up the tab too."

Her hat gave a flounce as if to say, public be damned!

 

[Alric Kuhn]

"I'm sure I'll survive." Perhaps they had both outgrown the eyes of the public.

It didn't seem to matter that much anymore, it didn't seem to matter at all in fact. Life would continue on no matter what. The restaurants downstairs were more than ready to serve him no matter what attire he wore, and it was unlikely that anyone would ask him any questions about why he looked the way he did.

He smiled slightly as Danger walked passed him and out the door, his hand falling off the handle and letting the heavy wood fall closed behind him. A slight chuckle escaped his throat as he realized something.

"You came to the wrong facility." He mused out loud. "There's almost nothing impressive to see here, Danger. This tower is eighty percent office space, ten percent hangar, and the rest is a mix of cafeterias and a single laboratory."

It amused him that he had just thought of that. The headquarters on Byblos was really nothing more than a token. It had been the same way with Titan, the headquarters was really just for show. Everything else was where the real action was. Had they been on Jaemus or the Codian Moon it would have been different, but all the work done here on Byblos was about maintaining Vanir Technologies itself, and the only research done in the laboratories below pertained to the tensile strength of certain construction materials. "Should've caught me at Kiris, then at least you could've seen the ships."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"I'll make a note of that," she'd say ruefully, right foot stepping in front of the left in a slow amble of full hips. The turbo lift would be before them, glass doors sans Mr Serious Chiss.

"So much for the grand five credit tour," she'd tease, waving the keycard over the sensor for the turbo lift doors to open. "I demand a refund, " came her joking quip, glancing back up at Alric just as the hiss of the turbolift doors would allow them entry.

Moving inside, she would cross until she reached the far end of it. Choosing to lean against the interior railing and letting him play tour guide, she asked her first question.

"A laboratory? What kind?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Slowly Alric dug around his coat pockets, as if he was checking that he had everything.

"It's a testing lab." He said absent minded, finding the small bulge in his inner coat pocket that signaled his wallet was in place. "They test materials that are researched and created in other facilities that Vanir has. Mostly its a token laboratory that allows the building to be licensed as a research facility rather than an office building."

He smiled at that. "Saves on taxes."

That was a mark of a business really, cutting costs as often and as effectively as was possible. Alric had a team of lawyers that analyzed and studied the laws of every single world that he did business on. Their entire job was finding loopholes and tax cuts which would allow Vanir Technologies to save as much money as possible.

He suspected that Danger did much the same.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Watching him fiddle with his coat pockets make her smile grow wider. She took the time to observe him, watching the way the dark forelocks of his hair fell over his brow. There were still some dark crescents under his eyes, but he didn't have that wretched appearance of a dead man walking. A little worse for the wear, but there was still an appeal there.

Likely the reason why Miz Chanti was so miffed at his most recent feminine companionship. Were Danger to know the cause of her ire, she'd relay that there was nothing to fear from her in that department. She was well aware where she stood back then; and in the now, well the years had taught her that somethings you just had to let go.

She just wanted her friend back.

The turbolift gave a soft shudder, then the descent began. "Makes sense, Pharma Tech does the same down in the Coreworlds -- out in the Outer Rim, don't have to worry much about taxes."

A pause and then she would cant her head to the right, "Heard you went to visit Rydonni Prime," she mentioned, soft whiz of several floors went skimming on by behind her.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

"For some reason Byblos charges outrageous amounts of money for maintaining offices." He guessed it was because of the corporate presence that was held here, thus they figured they could charge more. "Either way, the laboratory is more for show than anything else. Most of the tests they do here are redundant."

Most everything was actually done on Jaemus or in the other locations.

It simply made more economical sense to have a headquarters on Byblos, if only just for show. Alric thought about that as the turbo-lift shot down the side of the building, flashes of sunlight creeping in as they crawled passed several floors with more open halls than that of his office. He smiled at Danger, watching her for a moment more until they came to a slowed stop.

"Either way, I think they're more than happy to have us here." He ushered Danger out ahead of himself again, urging her to go first.

It was the gentleman in him, his fathers upbringing still tugging at every motion.

When she asked about Rydonni he simply smiled and nodded. "I did. Her Majesty and I had quite the conversation."

 

[Danger Arceneau]

'Color me intrigued." she sang, striding past him at his beckoning. She would step out into the familiar spartan and and efficiency chic foyer anew and into the bustle of the day to day traffic of the white collar worker. A half twist would bring her attention back to Alric.

"Outrages taxes for offices?" well that was something to consider if she was keen on opening her own Tower for Arceneau Trade on Byblos. A slight frown would mar her brow. "What about for trade?"

Every sector and planet had their own taxes and regulations when it came to trade. No one knew better than Danger at that. She had specialists make sure to run her books like a well oiled machine, and the more venues and areas she opened up to her trade network, the more administration would be required for it.

"Hrm," she'd mull that to herself. Something to think about. "Even with the shipyards?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

They walked towards the lobby of the building, Alric thinking for a moment before answering her.

"Trade?" That was of course what she would ask about. The truth was he didn't really look into trade much, it wasn't his area of expertise. Of course he knew some of the import and export tithes, that was only natural, but beyond that he knew very little. "You'd have to look into that yourself."

Of course the Shipyards were a completely different story. That wasn't trade, that was construction. When founding Vanir he had looked into the purchase of some of Byblos' shipyards, he had probed and tried to grab a piece of them, but the expense had been so immense that he could have bought an entire planet for the cost. "Santhe and other companies control most of that, made it too expensive to buy, or at least against any logic."

He shrugged.

There were simply cheaper and better options than the Byblos shipyards. Of course perhaps that would change in the future as the government came to realize that it wasn't what it once was.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"I just might," she would answer, moving with an easy stroll beside him. He had such long legs that she'd have to take two steps to keep up; however, she was in no rush. A few pairs of eyes would drift over to their direction, watching the duo make casual conversation. One Miz Chanti was among the spectators, and her pink lips would tense in growing tension.

Neither of the two would pick up on it at first; and if it was on purpose or by accident it was anyone's guess. It was clear, however, that neither were too concerned about any attention drawn to them.

"Reckon if Santhe and the like are involved, then perhaps it might be good to poke around a bit," Danger said more to herself as she would muse aloud. With her ties with Santhe as their main transport service, it made sense to work closely with worlds that would service her clients.

A pause, then she would drift back to Alric, and she gave a sudden upward curve of her lips as they would near the exit.

"You're not going to melt under the sun are you?" she would tease.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

"I think I'll be okay. I recently visited a world with two suns, you know." He smiled at her, then walked out the door. The air of Byblos greeted him well, though there was a thick smell of industry that clung to the oxygen here. It wasn't the smell of heavy smog like the works on Coruscant, nor was it the clean air of Lianna. It was a scent all its own, one that wasn't easily identified. Alric might have said it smelled of a planet trying to be progressive, though really anyone was to guess.

He had always thought that every world smelled different. Had be been a blind man he might have discovered there was some truth to that, though identifying a world by planet must surely have been some sort of sideshow.

Slowly Alric offered Danger an arm for her to hang on to.

The restaurant they were heading to was not far from here, in fact it was only a short walk. There was no point in getting a speeder or another transport, and a small walk alongisde the people of Byblos would hurt neither of them. There was already enough publicity by the two of them simply eating together, a short walk wouldn't make it any worse.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Without worse for wear it seems," she'd chuckle out, easily taking his arm as her's would snake around his own. It was a rather warm day, but breezy. The scent of industry would linger right at the edge of the senses, just a tang of enterprise. The crowd would thicken outside, the busy bodies of various sentients going to and fro.

Theirs would be a casual stroll; not hurried nor rushed. There were thirty-eight hours to the day and Danger figured that spending a few of those outside of the office might do Alric some good. There wasn't much natural fauna to brag about on Byblos, but at the very least there were a measure of natural trees around. Perhaps that was the reason why it wasn't as smoggy or polluted as the rest of the Core Worlds prone to industry. In a way, it reflected the Corellian roots Byblos had.

"A little fresh air never killed nobody," Danger would murmur, simply enjoying the stroll. There was something calming and soothing about it. Perhaps it was the company. Maybe it was just the sense that there was another to have a conversation with. Or maybe... it was nice to simply take a walk with Alric for the first time.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He smiled.

It was a calm day, the sun wasn't too hot, nor was it too cool, or at least it felt that way to Alric. The world around them seemed to be going at a steady pace, people walked, speeders flew, droids shambled down the street heading one place or another. Everything seemed calm, okay, as though the galaxy were simply turning.

In that moment there were no great galactic wars, there were no battles to be fought. There were no dead wives or long lost lovers, there was simply the peace and calm of Byblos.

It was relaxing, calming, and for the first time in what seemed like an age Alric felt himself relax. The two of them walked, and although it was a short walk Alric felt as though it could have lasted a century and a half. His face held a small, but perpetual smile. It tugged at his lips and stayed, simply holding there as they wandered through the streets of Byblos. A few times someone did a double take, a few times Alric even heard whispers, but it never mattered.

"There." Alric said pointing at a small corner restaurant across the street from where he and Danger stood.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

"Quaint."

Danger said with curious charm. And it was. There was something cheery about it. Uplifting. While it certainly was no five star location, the air about it from the open air seating, to the red and white awling, and finally to the carefully hand written daily chef's special gave it a rather welcoming and homey feel.

"I like it," she'd confess, already moving to dislodge the wide brim black hat she wore. Such a silly large thing, but there was something about it that made her buy it. "Take it you've enjoyed the menu before?" she asked him, hair starting to lightly fly in all directions as if rejoicing at their freedom. The short walk across the street would draw them in to the sights and sounds of a full restaurant. The scent and aroma of fresh cooked meals and light murmur of conversation from the patrons delighting the senses.
Waiters and waitresses would shuffle back and forth, along with the rare serving droid as it would take orders. While it was a corner restaurant, upon closer inspection one would find it to be three stories in actuality, with a full open balcony on one side for those who would prefer to eat al fresco.

One or two pairs of eyes would glance at the new guests only to give a slight double take. Were they that recognizable? Or was that just Alric?

Could just be the hat.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

"Once or twice." Alric replied quietly as they stood at the very front of the restaurant. They waited for half a heartbeat before a young lady appeared to stand before them.

She gave him one look, a perked eyebrow, then drew two menus out from the small stand besides the entrance.

It wasn't long before Danger and Alric were being escorted to the back of the restaurant and into a flight of stairs. The stairwell was almost comical in size, really only large enough for one person at a time. It looped and spiraled against the back of the building, reaching up and cutting through the floors before turning back on itself and moving towards the top of the building. Alric urged Danger on first, placing a hand on the small of her back and pushing her to follow the hostess.

As they ascended, he could feel several eyes within the restaurant fall on him, following him as he went up the stairs and disappeared. A small shiver ran up his spine, though he quickly ignored it.

A minute later Alric found himself standing on the mostly empty third floor of the building. There were a few tables dotting the room, though they all lay bare save for silverware, and of course wine glasses. The hostess walked between tables and placed the two menus down on opposite sides of a table located directly in front of a massive pane glass window that ran the length of the restaurant. Alric smiled and walked passed Danger pulling the chair out for her to sit upon.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Danger sat down, murmuring a word of thanks as he would gently push the seat in. It was strange, surreal really if she was honest to herself. Most would consider going out to eat a mundane affair, really nothing to pinpoint it as anything particularly telling or mindblowing. Yet, considering their past, how the majority of their interactions were in private, how they had kept their friendship secret from the entire 'Verse by being extraordinarily careful, it was a defining moment.

Certainly one Danger would cherish.

As the waitress excused herself, Danger did not miss the curious look the waitress had on her face, but she did appreciate her discretion. Setting her hat off to the side, Danger would perk her own brows in mild amusement.

"What was it you said about seeing how people reacted to you?" she'd remind him ruefully, running one hand through the thick mane of her hair to try and smooth down the flyaways. There she sat, the perfect picture of what anyone would consider to be old money. If only those curious eyes knew the truth.

Her hands would pick up the menu, lowering her lids to skim over it. She had not lied, she had a hankering for nerf steak and she would not be disappointed. A selection of rare and premium cuts would be available of her choosing. Still a meat and potatoes kind of girl, it was no surprise that her choice of sides would include the latter. Her decision did not make her blind to the other choices, and she was curious what Alric had a hankering for.

Lifting her lids over the menu, she would ask, "What will you be getting?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Food. It was why they were here, yet as Alric stared at the menu he couldn't really pinpoint anything that he wanted. Perhaps he wasn't hungry, or perhaps dining out at a restaurant just seemed...so odd to him. He had done it recently of course, heck he had done it at this very establishment, but those had been business meetings, none of them had been for fun. For a moment he simply sat, considering how peculiar it felt to be here with Danger.

He looked up over the menu, catching a glimpse of Danger for a moment and smiling.

There was a heavy assortment of selections, but eventually Alric simply picked that which reminded him most of his childhood. "Perhaps some of the braised Bantha Tortilini."

Alric remembered his sisters attempting to make Tortilini, the stuffed pasta having been once of his favorites since as long as he could remember. Perhaps it was the stuffing, or perhaps it was the sauces that combined so well with the pasta itself. Either way, Alric was feeling nostalgic and another blast from the past was exactly what he wanted.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Maybe I'm not the only one who feels out of place?

That was the thought that went drifting through her mind as she caught the slight lost expression that went shifting across Alric's visage. As if he too was musing over their circumstances, what brought them here to the restaurant and why they were here, together, to begin with. A secondary worry drew to the fore that perhaps she might have pressed too far? Was this going too far off of their element?

The concern would shadow her eyes for a moment.

Less than a handful knew that while Danger Arceneau gave the impression of being a confident and independent woman, she was also severely wracked by insecurities, especially when it revolved around aspects that mattered to her. Like Alric.

Age had a way of smoothing away the edge of those concerns, much like the weariness at having to keep up appearances. But while she could personally not give a gorram bit about what may be whispered in the wake of their patronage, the thought that perhaps she had taken this a step too far with Alric certainly worried her.

Thankfully, the waitress would return to cast what thoughts would percolate like maggots in her mind. Setting down two tall glasses of iced water, she made her introduction.

"Welcome, my name is Eyena and I'll be your server for this afternoon. " Elyena was deliberately trying to not to stare, which bless her, only endeared her to Danger. The right corner of her mouth would perk upward.

"We have several specials if you are interested in trying...." Danger would listen with half an ear, giving a nod now and then and a thank you when she was done.

"I'll take an ice tea please," she would ask first. Strange perhaps, considering how much whiskey the woman normally drank.

"The nerf steak, medium rare. With roasted baby potatoes and the grilled Corellian vegetables."

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric smiled at the waitress.

He supposed to anyone from the outside this would have seemed odd. The Queen of Trade and the man that had come back from the dead. They had never asked him about that, the people within this restaurant. Whether it was because they were professional, or because they simply didn't have the guts. He always appreciated that, maybe because at heart he was a private man, a man that liked to keep his business to himself. He looked up at the waitress, bright blue eyes scanning her for any sort of curiosity.

"I'll have the braised Bantha Tortilini." Alric said closing the menu. "With just water, thank you."

Iced Tea didn't seem right to him for some reason, and alcohol wouldn't exactly help him either.

He handed his menu to the waitress who gave a curt nod and scribbled something on her pad. With another few lingering seconds the girl stayed, then ventured away when it was obvious that they wouldn't be asking any more of her. Alric turned his attention away from her, and back towards Danger, a small smile still on his face. "When was the last time you were out like this?"

 

[Danger Arceneau]

Without the menu or Viper to fiddle with, Danger's hands felt empty. She usually either had one vice at hand, be it her smokes or her liquor. The glass of water would have to do, as her gaze rose to meet Alric's own.

"At a restaurant?" She would ask a bit in a half wondering tone. Her brows went furrowing for a moment, as if mulling over the answer to his question. She suspected she meant going out to eat for pure enjoyment instead of a business meeting.

Perhaps that's why she gave a rather ironic half smile. "If you mean take the time to eat without it being part of the schedule.." Her voice would drift off, head panning to admire the vast view of Byblos commerce center. Beyond one could see the ridge kind of more towers.

"Reckon it's been a while." Nothing was done without purpose, the same could be said about her work ethic. All Danger knew was Arceneau Trade long before her daddy had singed it over. She had made it her life's blood. Every waking moment spent at expanding the Trade Empire she set out to make.

A smile drew to her lips. Well there was that time...

"Although my companion at the time was far younger than present company."

Makai Dashiell certainly was, but he made up for it in affection.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

He smiled at Danger. "Probably a lot less better looking too."

Of course he had no idea who Danger was talking about, but his ego demanded that was what he said. It didn't really matter anymore, none of it did. There was a profound happiness that sailed through him, something that he couldn't quite explain. The smile that tugged at his lips seemed to be permanent, the expression he held was one of contentedness. Everything seemed to be going right. The Company was growing, his daughters had settled somewhat, and his friendship with Danger was slowly returning.

Perhaps the universe was not as dark as it had seemed all those weeks ago.

Perhaps everything would turn out alright.

It was the first time he had had those thoughts since Silara's departure and subsequent death, the first time he had felt good about himself in a long while. Maybe it was because he was doing something again, maybe it was because he had found a purpose again. It was hard to tell, but Alric realized that he didn't care.

He was simply enjoying the lunch he was having with his friend.