Sirius carefully arranged the last flower, making the whole work of art look impeccable and put it away then, ready for pickup. Not that the Hutts would notice, but their current guests were keen on their flowers and the meanings they entailed to them. This had to be perfect, and things had to go smooth or he would get kicked of the space station before he could even say “but”.
His family might be the big players in the core, but here in the Outer Rim, his name didn't even cause a scoff. Here the Hutts had everything pinned down, which was exactly why he stayed in the first place.
That, and the adventure, of course. Locating rare plants and find a way to make them transportable was why he kept this shop open in the first place – and how it still paid, after that other guy came along.
Speaking of the devil, there he was, just strolling into Sirius' shop. He didn't waste time with greeting that man, just clipped coldly: “What do you want this time?”
“Your help,” the guy scarred and yet somehow less jarred than Sirius answered quietly.
“My help?” After turning up one day, just opening another shop, and stealing half the revenue, more maybe, given how good he was with the old ladies, even the Hutt ones? “I think not.”
“Hear me out.”
“Why? I already know I won't like it.” This guy was either the best actor Sirius had ever seen or completely clueless. People got killed around here for less, and yet he expected... being civil?
“I'll give you a cut. Thirty.”
“Eighty.”
“Are you mad?”
Sirius smirked, eyes cold. He hated working with other people, they had disappointed too often, trying to collect the bounty still on his head. “You are desperate or you wouldn't be here. So... what do you need?”
“A bonsai Myrkr tree. A client has a starving Ysalamir.” He looked genuinely in trouble.
“That's all? Should have come to me in the first place.”
“They said, and I cite: 'too dangerous'. They explicitly came to me... because of you.” It was water on Sirius' mills, but he just couldn't pass the chance to be slightly petty.
“That's what you get from opening a 'flower shop' in the Outer Rim.” He thought about it, though. If this was really just the mild-mannered florist and lover of flowers... why fight? If they had to share the revenue anyway, he could do all the... domestic work, and Sirius the exciting stuff. Now he only had to convince him.
Time to brush up his charm.
