[ASK] The Best in Bespin

[Nor'baal]

''We have you at bay 5, repeat bay 5, continue on your present course.'' came the voice over the communication unit from the neighboring Bespin Sky-car. Yur'baal shook his head, before activating the comms unit and saying in a sickeningly polite voice ''Thank you so much! Really, worth the credits we paid.'' before steering the shuttle down onto the waiting landing platform, and hailing his brother.

---

Location: Holiday Towers - Cloud City

There was a certain beauty at being in the hotel once owned by Jabba himself. Nor'baal marveled at its squat elegance, Hutt Architecture, all the way out here on Bespin. He was not sure who owned it now, but it could be worth him finding out, he thought to himself. Of course, that was not why he and his Brother had arrived today, he shuddered at the thought.

The door behind them opened, revealing the cause for the Youngers dread. A vast figure entered, one he had not seen in the flesh for nearly a deade, Nor'baal Vesajiilic Diori, the Elder. His Father, the Hutt they had been cutting in on every deal since birth. His father ignored him, and went to Yur'baal instead, embracing him and offering greetings, before turning to the Younger.

<Try not to cock this up boy.> he said in Huttese. Some frakking greeting.. the younger thought to himself, merely nodding in agreement.

They stood, talking amougst themselves, as they waited for their contact in the 'Rebellion' to arrive, and cement the agreement they had been working on for months. Behind them, the retinue of guards and hangers on that usually accompanied them stood, ready to be dismissed the moment business talks started.

The Vesajilics waited for the Rebel representative to arrive, then, the real business could begin.

 

[Galavant]

"Wait here," Enfali said to the other Rebels that had come with her to the meeting on Bespin. There were just four of them, one from every part of the Rebellion. A trooper from the Statera, a trooper from the Rebel Dawn, a Mandalorian, and...well she didn't really know what it was that the woman from the Civilian Resistance did, but the point was that she was there. But only she'd be actually entering the room for negotiating. The four would wait outside, and enter if anything went wrong, but Enfali didn't think they'd have to. From what she'd been told this would be a fairly straight forward meeting, setting up trade of gas, and all that. She actually didn't know much about economics, it wasn't her department, but even a single credit more for the Rebellion was more than it had right now.

Entering the room where the meeting was to take place, unarmed...well as unarmed as a Force-user could be, she flipped on her comm, and turned on a translator app. The app would translate whatever the Hutts said in their native tongue, into an ear piece attachment, that was discrete enough. She wasn't bothering with a translator droid, or any of that nonsense. She didn't know how these Hutts did business, but she certainly hoped that she didn't offend them right off the bat.

"Esteemed Lords, how might I and my associates be service to you," She said to the Hutts upon entering. She wanted to get down to business. They were to sign an agreement of some sorts, and she didn't see much point in dawdling too long, and wasting everyone's time. She stood opposite them, dressed in her usual garb. She doubted the Hutts much cared about that though.

Now let's see what it is they want, she thought.

 

[Nor'baal]

<Ho Ho Ho. We could always work her into the contract!> chuckled Yur'baal to his brother in Huttese, before a scowl from his father silenced him. Nor'baal the Elder was not pleased his children allowed themselves to get distracted in this way, it was unprofessional.

Ignoring it, he moved forwards and spoke <Welcome! The Kajadic Vesajilic welcomes you on behalf of Kajadic Desajilic!> he said by way of introduction, before waving a hand - summoning a slave bearing a holo-slate. He looked at the slate and spoke again.

<Simply put, we have a vast smuggling and shipping network. You have Tibanna Gas. In return for a brokerage fee or say 30%, we shall ship all the Tibanna Gas you produce across our space, and through our network, vastly increasing your sales and profit.>

 

[Galavant]

Enfali had to stop herself from making a face at the contract comment. She wasn't exactly thrilled to be striking a deal with slaveholders in the first place, and them saying things like that didn't help her opinion of the whole thing.

One problem at a time, she reminded herself. The Sith were the real threat after all. Was slavery a horrible practice? Sure, Enfali would have loved nothing more to try to start stamping it out immediately. But as bad she thought the Hutts were, they weren't going around laying waste to planets and massacring people for no kriffing reason whatsoever. The Sith, given the chance would end up destroying the galaxy. The more "civilized" ones that thought themselves above such things wouldn't be around forever, and if the Empress's latest killing spree was any indication they wouldn't even be around next month. The Hutts if given the chance, would simply profit off the galaxy. Despicable but at least there'd still be one left standing.

"Thirty percent is acceptable so long as we know all that is going to the Desajilic's and as long as it stays thirty percent," Enfali replied, agreeing to the terms. It was a warning that the Rebels weren't going to be very happy if the deal ended up being screwed because one of the Hutts, or someone else in their enterprise got a little greedy. Not that Enfali trusted the Desajilic's much more in this regard, which was why she also added the comment about locking that percentage in. She didn't think it'd be a huge deal though, percentages were more flexible than a set credit price. If they made more on the whole from the venture, it meant the Desajilic's also made more.

"But in return for agreeing to such a generous ratio we would ask a couple of non-monetary favors," Enfali continued. This would be the real issue, she wondered how the Hutts would respond. "We would ask that those who affiliate with us and require emergency or discrete transportation be allowed to make use of this network. Nothing regular you understand, just for emergency situations where it might be more prudent than other options available to us. And we would also ask for one of those specially modified GR-75's that the Cartel makes use of. We can guarantee that it will not be used in a way that leads back to the Desajilic."

Not that it's exactly easy to trace a GR-75, she thought. It wasn't exactly a ship exclusively used by the Cartel, and indeed had been used by others in similar roles before. Not to mention that by the time they were done with it odds were there wouldn't be any parts big enough to trace back to the Cartel in the first place. And even if all that still didn't prove enough, they always had plausible deniability. Those nasty Rebels were nothing more than pack of brigands and thieves after all, they must have stolen it!

Any which way, the ship was something that would be useful for an upcoming operation in the works. If they didn't get it, it was no great loss. But if they did, it would be a nice addition.

 

[Nor'baal]

Bargaining was an interesting concept, especially with a Hutt. In theory, the Hutts would be creaming off 30% from the sales price of every unit of Tibanna Gas sold on Bespin, and by extent would control a vast section of the Gas Market, a highly lucrative deal. In return they simply had to move the gas through pre-existing networks for a fixed rate that they paid to smugglers, and possibly give the rebels a ship. Of course, the Hutts where known for being total scum, and these three would be no exception.

<There is one other item we would add to the list of terms, for allowing another to use our smugglers vessels in times of even dire need is no small thing.> said Nor'baal the Elder with caution in his voice. <We would need a base of operations on Bespin, so that we could arrange the gas deals and meet with our smugglers.>

Nor'baal the Elder made a point to look at the Huttish Hotel in which they stood <This, this would be ideal for me. And in return, you may have this ship, and you may use our smugglers, furthermore, we shall fill the ship with weapons for your men to discover at their convenience.>

 

[Galavant]

"I think that can be arranged," Enfali replied. She wasn't quite sure however, that was something that would really need to be decided by someone higher up on the food chain. "I'll need to talk with my CEO to clear it however."


Other than that...

"I believe that concludes our business for now?" She asked, in a way that implied she'd be taking of if it were the case. Unless something would sideways, she was pretty sure the deal was concluded, pending her talking to her bosses, and undoubtedly the Hutt's talking to theirs. She was pretty satisfied with the deal overall. Got the ship, got the network, got the movement of gas, all without having to fiddle about with the percentage too much. And who said Hutts were horrible, greedy bastards? She certainly wasn't about to when they were willing to take just 30%.

 

[Nor'baal]

The Hutts contained their glee at having agreed the deal. 30% of the Profits of all of the Gas Trade on Bespin was a goldmine as far as they would be concerned. The Vesajilics had just become very wealthy.

Nor'baal moved forwards, and nodded in agreement. <A pleasure doing business with you.> he said before turning to leave.