Muunraker/Chapter 3

Muunraker

Chapter 3 Meeting Drax

The Sky Skimmer was traveling in Dantooine's airspace and was rapidly approaching Jordo Drax's estate. Europa Kapanen and Jace Bont spotted it miles away. Drax's estate was an oasis among the dry plains of Dantooine. There were large gardens and pools of water with fountains surrounding a huge mansion. There was even a personal landing platform on the opposite side of the estate.

Bont maneuvered the ship around and set it down on the platform. An Ugnaught was there to greet them as they disembarked. The diminutive humanoid approached them. In broken Basic, he said, "Welcome, friends. My name is Ingan Zoman. I'm here to take you to Master Drax."

Bont looked around. There was no one else except this Ugnaught. "Quite a welcoming party," he commented. Europa elbowed him in the gut.

They followed the Ugnaught off the landing platform and across a large grassy area. They entered through a large arched doorway and into the mansion. After traveling through a short corridor, they came to a large atrium. Bont looked up at the vaulted ceilings. The large skylights let in so much sunlight that he had to shade his eyes as he looked up at them.

Looking back at eye-level, he blinked a few times to get his eyes adjusted again. Ahead of them was a couch and a few chairs. On one of the extravagant chairs sat Jordo Drax. With him was a pair of scantily-clad pink-skinned female Zeltrons, one sitting on each arm rest. Bont noticed that they were identical twins. They appeared to be pretty young, maybe around 20 years of age. They were incredibly attractive, but young.

"Master Drax, sir?" the Ugnaught said, addressing his master. "Your visitors are here."

Drax began to stand up as they approached, forcing the two Zeltrons off the chair as well. "Yes, welcome," the slightly chubby Drax said. He handed one of the Zeltrons the drink he was holding. "You'll have to pardon my friends here," he said in a slow and boring monotone voice, motioning to the Zeltron twins. The twins quietly stepped out of the way and stood behind Drax, along with Ingan Zoman. Bont was able to catch a quick glance at the Zeltrons' youthful backsides as they walked.

Without extending a hand to shake, Drax said, "I am Jordo Drax."

"The name's Bont. Jace Bont. This is my assistant Miss Kapanen."

Europa nodded and smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

Bont continued, "As you know, we're from the HoloNet here to interview you for a future installment of Credits Weekly."

"Yes, yes," Drax said. "That weekly HoloNet report on the wealthiest beings in the galaxy."

Bont said, "So, uh..." He looked up at the ceiling again and waved an arm in a sweeping motion, trying to encompass the whole atrium. "Quite a place you've got here."

"Magnificent, isn't it," Drax commented calmly.

"I suppose being part owner of the shipyards on Fondor really pays off," Bont commented.

"Indeed," Drax responded. "I've done alright for myself."

"A rich and powerful individual like you could own a lot more than just the shipyards, I imagine. Did this entire estate come from just the credits from the shipyards?"

"Mostly, yes." Drax glanced at Europa. He could see she was taking notes on her datapad.

"What else do you do?" Bont questioned. "If it's not all from owning the shipyards, where does the rest come from?" Bont smiled. "What is it? Gambling?" he joked. "I, myself, have a weakness for gambling."

Drax didn't smile. He just kept that straight face. "I'm not a gambling man."

"Come on, what is it?" Bont asked again. "Do you own a sports team? Agricultural stuff? Banking?" He paused for a quick moment, then, probing Drax a bit, said, "Weapons?"

There was a brief silence between them.

Europa looked at Bont, then Drax, and back to Bont.

Keeping his emotionless face, Drax said, "No. I don't like weapons. The only ones I have any connection with are those that are fitted on to the ships being built on Fondor."

Europa keyed that into her datapad, keeping up her cover as Bont's assistant.

"The galaxy is a very dangerous place," Drax added.

"Yes," Bont responded, remembering the ankle injury he suffered while chasing Jaws. "I know."

"Actually, Mr. Bont, aside from the shipyards, I also deal with animals."

"Animals?" Bont repeated, a bit confused.

Drax stepped back and turned to look behind the extravagant chairs. Both Bont and Europa walked around them to see what it was. There, at the feet of the Ugnaught and twin Zeltrons, lay two full-grown vornskrs. Their tails were still completely intact, which meant they still had that hunting, killing instinct.

Bont froze and Europa gasped nearly dropping her datapad. There they stood, only a few meters from these vicious animals. Bont was trying to say the word "vornskr" but it just wouldn't come out. The vornskrs just laid there looking up at the new visitors.

"Do not be alarmed. I have complete control over them," Drax assured them.

"How... How can that be?" Bont asked. "Their tails haven't been cut off."

"I have special ways of training them."

"And then you sell them to someone as their guard animal?"

"Precisely," Drax said.

Nodding, not taking his eyes off the vornskrs, Bont said, "I guess beings would pay quite a bit of money for something like that."

Drax turned to face Bont and his assistant again and said, "I'm terribly sorry but I've got a meeting later for which I must prepare. You may stay in the guest rooms for tonight and we can continue this interview much more in-depth tomorrow."

"Oh, of course," Bont said.

Drax said, "Ingan will show you to your quarters and give you a tour of the estate if you'd like."

"Thank you," Bont responded.

The Ugnaught stepped forward and began escorting them out of the room. As the MI5 operatives exited the atrium, the twin Zeltrons approached Drax and handed him his drink.

Drax took the drink. He knew that Bont and Kapanen weren't who they said they were. "Look after Mr. Bont," he said to the twins. "See that some harm comes to him."

He took a sip.

Chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Epilogue