Disrupted Supply

[Sial Ghent]

------------ continued from here: http://www.thestarwarsrp.com/forum/index.php?threads/fistful-of-credits.71231/


Ghrikk let out a long-drawn deep bubbling sound when he deflated his waddle.

“Yes, Ghrikk?”

“I think I heard something. Not sure though.” Ghrikk mused. He used his lower hands to scratch the sizeable belly that stretched his dingy shirt. It seemed like Ghrikk could do noting fast.

“How much to make you sure again?”

“Nothing outrageous Sial. Just the usual three percent broker fee.”

“Alright. If you sell me a lemon you will be my next pair of boots.”

Ghrikk shook his head like the thought alone would hurt him. Like he had gotten the job here if he were that sensitive.

“No lemon. There´s a guy in one of the backrooms who is hiring muscles and blasters for a search and ass-kicking mission. From what I heard something important got lost and he want it back plus the heads of the guys who took it.”

"You show me the guy and you got your contract and your brokers fee. Otherwise…”

Sial padded the barrel of her beat-up rifle.

Ghrikk grunted something that was supposed to sound insulted. He turned around and waved with his left pair of arms for Sial to follow him while one of the Gamorrean appeared to take care of Baraki.

“A pleasure to meet you gentlemen but now I have to attend to some new business.”

@all

 

[Swaglord]

Shar stooped over a table in the back room of the dirty cantina. He was examining a holomap of the current target, the docks of the main space station of the ORE mining operation in the Ylesian System asteroid belt. A rather valuable freigher full of supplies had gone missing and the Hutts ,that Shar now worked for, suspected it to be the work of one of the local gangs on the station. He had been assigned to go to the docks and find out what happened to the cargo freighter by any means necessary.

The Mando stood up and sighed openly. He understood the reason for being here working for the slugs, didn't mean he had to like it. Though as far as Shar could tell this was he best option for survival at the moment. The Hutts would be able to provide him with steady work and contracts, that the now clanless Mandalorian would have difficulty finding otherwise. Though he hated that his extensive talents were about to used to hunt down some karking food and booze. He knew it would start this way, so here he sat in this dingy cantina on Nar Shaddaa waiting. He had let slip to locals he was looking for assistance in a mission commissioned by the Hutts and if he knew anything about Nar Shaddaa not many would pass on the opportunity to score some notoriety with the Hutts.

He'd now been waiting for about an half and hour when a young woman stepped into the back room. Shar had to admit he liked the look of her. Despite her young age he could see the telltale signs of experience about her. She was a survivor. Shar simply gave her a half hearted nod and tossed her a datapad that had the full mission briefing on it.

"Names Shar, if you're interested we leave withing the hour. If you're not interested you know where the doors at"

The time limit was more to see if anyone else would be joining them as Shar was honestly ready leave then and their.

 

[Sial Ghent]

When you entered the lower levels of the brothel the glamour quickly faded tobe replaced by greasy tiled floors mortared walls and the occasional drunk you had to step over. No entertainment down here unless you counted shady deals as a night show. The quarters of the live-in staff were down here, the storages and something called a social room. Sial had taken off her helmet and slung it over her arm before entering the cantina. When applying for a job she liked to see the reaction of others to her youth.

Some were downright shocked by it, others stopped taking her seriously. They both paid double one way or the other.

Shar as the man called himself belonged to neither category. He acted like a pro and he carried around the scars to prove it. He wasn´t a big talker either. Good.

Sial caught the datapad and studied it.

So someone had intercepted a Hutt shipment in the Ylesian system. A very stupid idea, especially for some local punks. Sure there were always idiots around who begged to end up as Rancor fodder but still…

“Do the locals know whom the ship belonged to? And yes, I´m interested. My name´s Sial Ghent, bounty hunter and stone-cold mercenary. You get what you pay for. Not paying is a really bad idea. “

She turned her attention back to the data.

“Someone who knows he´s taking something from a Hutt family is either very dumb, very desperate or has a really big gun hidden under the table. The dumb ones are target practice; the other kinds can be trouble.”

 

[Rev]

Each step got grimier than the last. Hell, each one seemed to have a tad more wear to it as well. It wasn't until he reached the bottom and looked around that he thought about turning around. He'd seen refugee camps on some pretty back galaxy worlds that had better set-ups than this cesspool. Allowing a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness he spotted the person he was 'tailing', Sial Ghent. He got close enough to hear the stranger's name, Shar. A Mandalorian, part of the smuggler wanted to get out of it now, those brutes had a way of either destroying everything, or dying before they get the chance to.

For Honor.

The thought brought a smirk to his face. Getting a gist of what was going on here he couldn't help but this time let out a short chuckle. Someone who was any of those three things was surely dumb; the other options were simply bonuses. His fingers would begin to stroke his chin, the grit of stubble almost scraping against his motion. Deciding to speak up he merely got to the point.

"Zekk Coron. What kinda pay we talking, Shar?"

 

[Swaglord]

Shar gave another quick nod as another joined them, a man named Zekk. This one had a shiftier look than Sial did, most likely a smuggler. Shar figured the man was a better talker than fighter, but considering they would need information from the locals the mando reasoned that could prove useful. He answered the man in regards to pay.

"50,000 creds split between whoever takes the job and I hear the Hutts have a long memory. You help in this and I'm sure more work'll come your way. If you're staying I'd say the three of us should be enough to get the job done. We leave now. I'll assume you each have your own ships. We'll rendezvous here in this market square. Let's get moving."

Shar assumed the allure of a 16k credit chip would be to good for the smuggler to pass up. He left the room and headed to his own ship, a DRV-!2 named Longshot. Ca'tra, his pet Corellian banshee bird, cooed softly from her perch next to the cockpit as he entered the ship. Shar would take his seat and take off into the Nar Shaddaa sky, inputting the coordinates to the staion. He would give Ca'tra a soft pat as the stars streaked into solid lines and the quite of hyperspace overtook the cabin.

 

[Sial Ghent]

Sial let out a vile curse as something struck the outer hull of the Dark Seeker hard . Then again. And again. She had dropped out of hyperspace a few light seconds too close to the Ylerian asteroid belt. Still cursing she pulled her ship starboard and down. Two more pieces of space debris hit home then she was out of the fringes of the asteroid field.

The Dark Seeker now hung underneath the swirling mass of stone fragments that made up the Ylerian asteroid belt.

She navigated inside again slowly approaching the exact coordinates of the mining station.

“Welcome to the splendor of a miners life.” she muttered sarcastically as her destination came into view.

From a distance the station looked like a huge steel bolt driven through a large round asteroid with the ends of the bolt sticking out approximately where the poles of the asteroid would have been. Sial approached the disk shaped construct on the lower end that housed the docking area.


This was surely a respectable joint. The Pau´an port master actually pretended for almost five minutes that he wanted to do a straight job. Then some creds changed hands and suddenly nobody cared anymore about the questionable history of her ship or the weaponry she carried around.

Most of the asteroid had been hollowed out. Around the central shaft of support beams and elevators all kinds of low life scurried around in the dim light creating what passed for a market around here.

An innocent traveler might have called the place exotic, teaming with alien life and the air filled with the sound of a hundred tongues and the smell of a dozen different cuisines, not counting the stench of overheated industrial oil and hot metal.

As far as Sial was concerned she couldn´t see, hear or smell anything that a thermal detonator wouldn´t have improved.

She noticed a group of squabbling Rodians, armed and dressed in dark uniforms. They looked like they were supposed to be some kind of security force but they were busy gambling. Next to them a Sullustan pick pocket went about his business and the security team didn´t even bat a nictitating membrane about it

But maybe the Sullustan had a license for what he was doing. Fortunately for him the little mouse-eared bastard didn´t go anywhere near Sila as she made her way to the meeting point.


@Rav@Swaglord

 

[Rev]

Zekk's own modified YG-300 series freighter would break hyperspace not long after the others. Relaxing into the cushion of the pilot's seat it was the sudden jolt of the ship adjusting speed that brought his attention to the asteroid belt lying in view. Looking to the astromech droid that was hard at work at finding a safe path to the station his own hands took the yoke and brought the ship into motion.

"Relax, buddy."

The T4 unit would ring out a series of beeps in frustration before a long whine would echo out through the ship; its feet rocking if only to grab attention. Zekk would give his would-be companion a glance before putting his focus on the asteroid belt. Ducking and dodging The Resurgence came out with minimal sound effects, only a handful of minor rock dinging off the hull at any time. Directing the ship to the docking bay he'd send the appropriate documentation over to the incoming officials. Getting the okay he'd dock and unload only a few spots down from Sial.

"I need a dri-.."

Looking to his wrist attachment for the meeting location he smiled at it being the nearest cantina. It was still a bit of a walk to its location, but at least he could get what he was hoping for there. The Mandalorian knew how to pick a meeting place. Heading in its direction he began to wonder if he'd be the first or last one to arrive.

 

[Swaglord]

The Longshot would come out of hyperspace just before the asteroid belt and he would navigate between the many asteroids to reach the station. Luckily with his ships tight maneuverability he was able to avoid the larger stones, only hearing the occasional dull thump as some of the smaller rocks rebounded off his hull. He would give Ca'tra a rub down her back as he brought the ship down on the closest landing pad. The attendant was already expecting the enforcers arrival and payment had already been handle. Working for the Hutts did have some benefits. He particularly liked the fear it seemed to instill in many people.

He would head for the rendezvous point a small cantina named the Swaying Reek. He enter to see a typical cantina set up, bar in the back, various tables and booths, and rough looking beings all trying to take a load off. He'd grab a booth in the corner and wait for the others to arrive. He look up to first see Sial and then Zekk a few minutes later after Sial. Once the pair sat down he'd go over his initial thoughts.

"Now that we're all here let's begin. Way I see it only somebody very stupid or very well equipped would dare taking anything from the slugs. So I say or best option is to gather intel on the gangs on station that or the best funded and supplied. I doubt that on a station this size, too many organizations would fit that bill. If you've got something to add do it now, or we head out."

 

[Sial Ghent]

“Let´s move it then.”

Sial got up from her chair. It was not like she planned to spend too much time in this place in the armpit of the galaxy so now was a good time to get over with it.

She stopped at the entrance to the cantina, looking around for a good place to start. Since the actual station was more or less a shaft drilled through the asteroid and encased in solid rock the place was too cramped for swoop gangs. They just didn´t have enough room to ride their rods here. So Sial looked for other status symbols of the lowlife.

She didn´t have to look far. As always the rich scum didn´t want to mingle with the poor scum so the dregs of the Ylerian society – as much of a society as it was – occupied only a few levels of the station.

Turned out that instead of souped-up swoops they were into weaponry around here…

Droogu spit out the cigara stump. Slowly, making a big show out of it the Dug drew his blaster from the tied to his right arm.

“Now this is a heavy blaster from Merr-Sonn Munitions “ he began his lecture on the other gangers who had gathered around `the man´ to pick up some real badass vibes , “ I had it plated with durasteel so that it would still work in tough conditions. See the scope? I kept that from my very first blaster that I did my first kill with. Look closely there is a notch in it for every kill I made.”

“Did you count the womp rats in too?”

Droogu turned around his snout curled up in a sneer. He had never liked humans and he didn´t like that female either the moment he saw her.

“Funny. Real funny hu-mon. Wanna die perhaps?”

“it´s a good weapon.” Sial shrugged. Her rifle was trained at the Dug which was the main reason that kept him from opening fire. , “Pretty expensive too. How does a snitch like you get the creds for that?”

“Like you need to know. I do work. Expensive work.”

“So do I. But I think I´m better than you. How about we find out?”

 

[Swaglord]

(OCC: Hey @Rev hasn't responded so I'm gonna continue with just the 2 of us @Sial Ghent. If he comes back he can work his way back in)

Shar went down the opposite street planning to take a bit more of an indirect approach. The people on station themselves had to deal with these gangs on a daily basis. They would know something. He comes to the residential area of the station and walks calmly down the cramped street. He comes to a small park like area, with kids and beings of all races gathered enjoying their brief time off. Shar pulls his pistol and fires a shot into the air. Screams are heard all around and Shar aims and shots a shot right next to the head of a father before he can grab his daughter.

"Don't panic you pathetic fools. I only want information. Once I have it you're free to go back to your miserable existence."

Once the crowd calmed down Shar began to ask his questions. Focusing on the gangs of the station. Turns out there 2 major contenders for their target. The Core Hounds, or The 8th Street Quasars. Shar was also told about a local fence that worked with both these gangs that would possible know more. The Mando set out immedietly to confront the man.

 

[Sial Ghent]

Nothing could scatter a crowd of intoxicated criminal scum faster than the prospect of a blaster duel. If you made our living on the wrong side of the law, chances were you had seen what a blaster could do to living tissue. No one wanted to get hit by a stray blaster bolt so the thieves and con men behind Droogu and Sial scurried away as fast as they could to watch the show from where they were reasonably safe.

The Dug did what his people did best, he sneered and postured.

“You want a fight but keep your rifle aimed at me. IS that fair hu-mon?”

Sial snorted.

“Like Dugs are experts in fair play. But I tell you what handsome. We both place our guns on the bar and grab them from there.That´s a fair chance for each of us.”

“And if I don´t like that chance?”

“Then wait until I get bored and blow you away where you stand. Did I mention I have a very short attention span?

Slowly Droogu reached out with his hand/foot and placed his heavy blaster on the bar, watching the hu-mon like bat-hawk as Sial did the same with her rifle.

Of course he tried to cheat.

Droogu never really let go of his blaster and quickly pulled it back for a deadly shot when he thought he had fooled Sial.

Bad mistake.

Sial´s first blaster bolt burned Droggu´s foot that held the blaster to a crisp. Her second and third bolt passed through the joints of his arms leaving the Dug crippled on the dirty floor.

Sial looked around.

“Now tell the people who have the expensive jobs to offer that they need a new contractor. That Dug´s next job is learning how to walk again.”

@Swaglord@Rev

 

[Swaglord]

Most on the street gave Shar a wide birth after his display in the park. Good. The last thing the merc needed was for some bleeding heart to step up to him. The directions Shar was given lead him even deeper into the twisting living area of the station. He finally came to his destination; a filthy little junk shop called Honest Hullit's. Shar doubted the man was anything near honest, but he'd make the man talk.

As he stepped into the store the mando would see heaps of various machinery, droid parts, and dismantled weapons laid out haphazardly on dirty tables. If anyone could see Shar's face they'd see him scoff at the sight. He'd push past the scrap piles and approach a sleazy looking Gran. One the shop keeps 3 eyes would turn his way, the other 2 still on the holovid he was watching.

"Hey, welcome to shop of humble Hullit. Please helpself to selection. I tell you price once you find something you want."

The being seemed to barely even care if he had a potential customer.


"Not here for the worthless crap you call product. I want information. Something was stolen from my employers. Something not very easy to take. Now I hear you've got dealings with some of the fools that may have taken it. Now you're gonna tell me which of the pathetic gangs here took it, or you're going to be very sorry."

Shar then produced one of his hunting knives and placed it on the desk. Hullit now looked at him with all three eyes.

"Woah, woah look friend, Hullit have no idea what you go on about! Hullit only simple scrap dealer, he swears on mother's life!"

Shar took another good look around the place, just barely he spotted something on a shelf in the back room that was almost out of eyesight.

"Hmmm, no dealings with them eh. I spy a bottle of Toydarian brandy on the shelf there. I'd say that kinda booze is a bit out of the price range of a simple 'scrap dealer' wouldn't you say. Now I've got little patience friend so where'd you get it."

The Gran was now visibly trembling and suddenly shouted; his accent and broken basic magically gone.

"Suva, Yor'dal come and take care of this guy, he's on to me!"

From the back 2 Nikto thugs came running each armed with a stun baton. Before they had fully cleared the door from the back the leading thug stumbled and fell, Shar's hunting knife lodged in his chest. The second thug roared and charged over his friend at Shar. The merc ducked under a wide swing from the thugs right side, as the mando stood and pulled his second knife. A quick surge of his legs brought Shar back to a stand and he plunged the knife into the second thug's neck. The Nikto fell to the side and Shar drew his blaster pistol and clipped the cowering Hullit in the left shoulder.

"Now I'm annoyed. The next one goes into your right knee, then your left, then your right shoulder, and I think you can see where this is going."

The Gran now gave up all the information he had. It turned out it wasn't one of the gangs, it was both. The Core Hounds and 8th Street Quasars had put aside their old rivalry to go after the score with their combined might. The bottle of brandy was only a taste to get Hullit interested in fencing the large amount of goods. What Hullit didn't know was were the goods where being held, only that the freighter was on one of the larger asteroids near by. Shar was sure he had gotten everything out of the Gran as he left the shop, having left Hullit with smoking holes in his knees and shoulders. He'd have to hope that Sial had gotten a location as the prospect of searching every nearby rock didn't appeal to the mando.

 

[Swaglord]

@Sial Ghent

 

[Sial Ghent]

Sial had no trouble finding an empty table in the crowded cantina. There she waited over a glass of spring water. She never drank anything stronger when working.

They arrived not long after the Dug and his blood had been wiped off the floor. There were five of them and they looked tough.

It was the second-rate, armpit-of-the-galaxy kind of tough. They were provincial punks who passed as members of a street gang out here. On this rock in space they were the enforcers of the Core Hounds. In Mos Eisley they would have been Wampa meat.

Maybe they would be Wampa meat anyway soon.

Two of them were humans and the one who looked like he could actually read and write spoke to Sial.

“You hurt or friend Droogu.”

Now how quaint was that. And yes, the durasteel blaster pistol lying on the table next to her left hand was a good clue to reach that conclusion. Sial had always believed in taking the spoils of war.

“It´s more like I crippled him for the rest of his sorry life. But I left him with one good foot to wipe his butt so he should not complain. You better find yourself a new friend.”

“We could kill you for that.”

“Or you could die trying. Droogu is sort of a celebrity around here, right? The tough guy you all looked up to.”

One of the six was a Dug too, a female as far as Sial could tell. She looked straight into her? eyes.

“I bet you even tried to move like him.”

She smirked at the Dug´s shocked and sullen expression. Her guess had been right on target.


“Now your tough guy was an easy mark. I could have blown him away with my eyes closed. So now you either leave me alone, start to talk business or pull those blasters. Doesn´t really make a difference to me.”

The seconds passed, then some seconds more.

Sial watched the talkative guy lick his lips. The other human chewed his lower lip instead. The Dug shuffled her arms nervously. The Kel Dor hissed heavily into his breathing mask. The last one belonged to a hairless pale species Sial had never encountered before but he looked uncomfortable enough in his pasty skin too.

Sial used what she called her mind trick on them. She stared each one right in the eyes, scaring the wits out of them with a smirk and an arched eyebrow. It wasn´t a stunt she could have pulled on a really dangerous opponent but these here what Droogu had been – easy marks.

Sial had silently counted to nine when the Core Hounds cracked. Their speaker raised his hand in a calming gesture, deliberately away from the blaster belt.

“We could use someone like you perhaps.”

“Yes I think you could really use someone like me. What´s the job and how well is it paid?”

“Our boss will tell you.”

“Fine. Bring your boss here.”

“Yes, not here. On another asteroid. We take you there.”

“You mean you give me the coordinates and I come there on my own once I´m sure I´m not walking into a trap.”

“Doesn´t work that way. Our base is secret.”

“Oh really? Let me put it that way. After I killed your buddies, stripped you naked and started to burn the flesh off your bones with Droogu´s blaster you tell me anything I want to know. Since I will get what I want anyway, make it easy on you and give me the coordinates. That way you stay alive and can claim the credit of bringing the fastest blaster who ever visit this rock into the folds of your gang.”

Sial played her mind trick again this time on the leader of the group alone. She could feel his resistance crumble under her quizzical gaze. Maybe that guy was as dumb as the tail end of a Bantha but he knew she meant exactly what she said.

Two minutes later she had the coordinates.

“What´s your name?" she asked the ganger who had been doing the talking.

“Pek. And yours?”

“Thanks Pek. You are sweet.”

Sial got up. Before Pek knew what happened to him she had one arm wrapped across his throat and neck and Droogu´s blaster was pressed against the back of his head.

“I´m leaving now. You stay here nice and calm and have a round of drinks. I release Pek here once I´m outside. Understood? Good. Then relax and we all stay friends.”

“Nothing personal handsome.” Sial whispered into Pek´s ear as she dragged him towards the exit, walking backwards, “I´m just don´t like being shot in the back. Stay loose and in a few minutes you can have a drink as well.”

He had some brains after all. He didn´t try anything stupid.

Outside the cantina Sial released her hostage, taking Pek´s gun and throwing it away before she vanished in the crowd.

Now Pek had a story to impress his friends with and Sial had an appointment to keep.

First however, she would add someone else to the guest list.

@Swaglord@Rev

 

[Rev]

"Interesting..."

Zekk continued to sift through the wrist attachment on his left forearm as smoke exhaled from his lips. His right hand swiping various directions as his eyes searched the screen. Sial had rushed out before anyone else and Shar wasn't far behind; the young spacer had meanwhile remained in his seat and simply gathered information the best way he knew how: splicing. None of the thugs on this particular rock had much wisdom about them, most of their datapads had lacked any real security. Once he found the first Core Hound it didn't take long to climb the ladder. That's when he came across... The 8th St Quasars. The best part was knowing the lower ranks knew nothing of their leaderships alliance to the enemy. Connecting his comlink to Shar he'd reach out to the man who set up the mission moments after the Mandalorian would have discovered the information himself.

"The gangs are working together... Well the rooks don't have a clue."

It was the next name that came up on his wrist attachment that caught his eye: Lieutenant Astro Valenti. Zekk couldn't help but let out a chuckle at what he had read; his name alone said he was full of himself. The nonsense he was writing to a friend was almost enough to get Zekk to cast it aside, but it was a series of numbers that kept him from doing so. Using the number as coordinates he was able to find the location of a nearby asteroid that was otherwise unknown to anyone. He said he'd be there for a few days to watch over something. Reaching out to Shar once more this time the Mandalorian's datapad would buzz with the same coordinates.

"Think we found our ship."

Connecting to Sial he'd unfortunately get the same result as he'd got with Shar. Moments after her own information gathering she'd see the same coordinates reveal itself on her datapad accompanied by a long buzz. Zekk would get up from his seat and slam down the rest of the sweet liquor and head for the door. He had a Lieutenant to meet.

 

[Swaglord]

Shar's comms would pick up Zekk's voice telling him of the coordinates. Well he was glad the smuggler had come through on his end. Checking his own datapad he'd see that their combined efforts had been fruitful indeed. They had the who, the where, and why. Now it was time to strike. The mando qued his comms....

"Alright it's time to hit them and hit them hard. Take your own ships and we go in full force. Kill anything in your way. Hutts wanted to make an example of the Di'kuts who did this."

With that Shar would head for the Longshot and head out waiting for the others to get to their ships. Once they had formed up he'd go full throttle to the target, weaving through the asteroid field. It would only take a few minutes for their target to come into view. The freighter would come into view as the large asteroid it was docked to slowly rotated as it drifter through space. The ship seemed to be docked to a small abandoned looking mining outpost. The group now knew differently.

As they drew closer Shar's proximity alarms started to blare. His radar showed multiple contacts coming from behind them; must have been hiding on the nearby asteroids. Before Shar could make a move to engage an open call comes through his ships comms.

"Hey you there! We were told to expect only one person from the station. Explain now!"

Shar almost chuckled. It seemed Sial had left enough of an impression to warrant a call to the home base itself. He opened a private channel to Sial and Zekk.

"Well this is a bit interesting. Sial I'll let you decide how we play this since you got us this in."

 

[Sial Ghent]

Sial allowed herself a satisfied grin as she heard Shar´s voice over the comm.. Those who had dealt with her in the past –mostly those sucking the muzzle of her blaster at one point or another – agreed that she was cold enough to freeze a sun.

While that was true Sial could still enjoy a job well done.

She activated an open channel.

“Here is the newsflash for all armed nerf herders out there. Listen you idiots. I did not come here to walk into some hinterlander death trap. I didn´t come here to play games with children either. I came here for business and it is my own gang that I brought along. Did you realy think I would ask for your permission after I´ve seen the losers that work for you? And me and my gang we want to talk to someone who can think big and further than his next warm meal. Eitehr that or we go back to the mining facility and I use your brothers there for target practice until I get bored of blowing off arms and legs."


Let me know if you want me to repeat that slowly.”

She leaned back in the pilot´s chair, waiting what would happen next.


@Swaglord, @Rev