Black Guards have Death .... Dame Death

Interviews were in full flow, applications now steadily coming in.

Nashh had arranged for an office in the Black Guards main hangar in Dal. It was heavily improvised but it sufficed for its current purpose.

The enormous hangar was littered with unpacked containers and ships still wrapped in protective plastics.

Hangar-staff scurried around organizing the shipments still being ferried in every 2 hours. Slowly but surely it started to look like something proper...

Inside the make-shift office Nashh sat behind a table serving as his desk. On his left Alexia Morgan sat studying the files of the next applicant. On his right sat Acute Dragonis, a newly appointed director of the Black Guards.

Acute looked tired, it had been a long day. He was not studying notes; he was resting one foot on the desk, balancing his chair on the back two legs.

A few applicants had been rejected, some redirected to OUCH university and some were still under consideration.

In front of the desk sat Anabaric. Nashh smiled while glancing over at the kill statistics Anabaric provided. Nashh had rejected Ana's application to the Bastards two years prior due to inexperience.

'How things have changed since last we met Ana...'

Yeah, I had some practice’ the applicant smiled awkwardly.

Nashh sat back in his chair and looked over at Acute.

Acute simply nodded, then sipped the coffee from his plastic cup.

Alexia didn't look up but showed her approval by briefly sticking up a thumb.

Nashh looked back across the desk and grinned; 'welcome aboard!'

'Excellent! I'll make my preparations and start getting my stuff moved in'.

Anabaric stood up and stretched out to shake hands with the Black Guard board of directors. Both Alexia an Acute ignored it.

Nashh shook the new recruits hand and apologized for the other directors, explaining it had indeed been a long day.

'Next!' Acute shouted, before Anabaric had even left.

'Who is next Alexia?' Nashh quizzed.

'Astral Stargazer' Alexia responded, 'but... he did say he might be late'.

'Ok, well let’s move on, what about this guy, Zaknapan, is he here?'

A loud bang interrupted the conversation. Both Nashh and Alexia looked over at Acute who hastily picked himself up from the floor.

'What the fuck are you...?'

Acute whilst wiping coffee off his jacket, nodded in the direction of the door.

Nashh sprung up from his seat.

'Dame...?'

Eliza Mariska leant up against the inside post of the door. On her forehead a frown formed.

'Eliza I mean...what er... What can I do for you?' Nashh asked, somewhat perplexed.

Dame 'Eliza Mariska' Death strolled into the office, slowly looking around.

'Nice digs mate...'

'We are working on it' Nashh smiled.

'I need a place to hold up for a few months.' Eliza picked up a plastic cup from the table in the corner and poured herself a cup of coffee from a can. She lifted the plastic cup up but before it reached her lips she put it down again. It was cold.

'it's old, sorry' Acute explained.

Eliza glanced over at the Black Guard and smiled briefly before speaking directly at Nashh.

'I will not be living in Dal, I'll be around when I am around and I will not have anybody boss me about.'

Eliza regarded the three in front of her, nobody spoke.

'And I want a director position'

Alexia and acute looked from Dame to Nashh and back.

'er.. Ok? Nashh managed to squeeze in.

'Good' she continued, 'I’ll be signing up next week'.

'Ok..' Nashh muttered. 'Any questions?'

'No Nashh, I know everything, but tell Venom I said hi'... She smiled before turning around and making her way out.

Alexia looked at the two men next to her, 'you can sit down now, if you like...'

'Was this an interview?' Acute asked to nobody in particular.

‘This was rape’ Alexia muttered.

'Dame doesn't need an interview; she takes what she wants, when she wants.'

Nashh sat down and smiled. 'We just gained Dame Death...'

'Sweet...'