The Good Stuff (Merkatua/Chiss)

[Viggy]

In an abandoned industrial building on Daalang, drug-addled workers of the Cartel laboured in a fervor, knowing they would be denied their fix if they did not meet their quota. Spice was produced here by the crate-load, narcotics ranging all the way from giggledust to glitterstim, all cooked up on makeshift apparatuses with only the finest ingredients smuggled in from Kessel. The planet's location on the Gamor Run hyperspace route made it perfect for shipping the product out all over the Galactic Alliance's space, and the proximity to Hutt Space also helped Merkatua to directly compete with their biggest rivals in the black markets.

As the Cartel's 'Lead Designer', Aiden Kantos was often here, consulting with trained or semi-trained illegal chemists as they came up with wild new hybrid drugs. As a giggledust addict himself, he was one of the first to sample many new kinds of spice, that is of course after the guinea pigs had made sure it wasn't going to kill him after just one hit. Stuff like that wouldn't get them many repeat customers, anyway. It was all about finding the perfect balance between potency, addictiveness and minimal safety, and Aiden was more then willing to do his part.

Today, however, he was not here to tinker in the lab or sit around and shoot up. A new ally of the Cartel, a very important ally, was going to meet him here and discuss a unique addition to certain variants of the product, as outlined in the deal they had made with the boss. The young man in his bright clothes would be sitting in his office, a spacious but slightly musty room that had once been some kind of conference area before this place was abandoned. Two mercenaries stood behind him, and another two patrolled outside the door, but those thugs were just an insurance policy. Aiden kept most of his muscle 'motivating' the workers in the lab. He doubted there would be any trouble here, after all Iban had already made the deal with these blue-skinned guys and the Cartel was keeping its end of the bargain.

 

[Matt]

''A blight on the galaxy these places, truly they are''

He strolled through the abandoned building looking out on the broken down buildings and general make up of the area. This was why the Chiss were better then the rest of the galaxy, they had order and everyone knew there place, whereas the rest of the galaxy seemed to be nothing but a random series of events that came together for misery and death.

Well move on, time to stay focused and not to let his mind wonder, remember who you are and what you represent. He came through the final door with his two Commandos on either side along with him to see his man.

''Aiden Kantos I presume?''

 

[Viggy]

Rising from his seat, he nodded politely and smiled to the Chiss officer.

"Yes, and you must be Grand Marshall Chaf'tomg'Nuruodo. Welcome to Daalang. Mr. Salid sent word, he tells me you have something new for our wares. I'm eager to hear about it."

He sank back into his seat, leaning forward slightly with his elbows in his lap and his long, pale fingers interlaced. A silent, visibly nervous young Twi'lek girl entered the room, set a bottle of fine Corellian whiskey along with two crystal glasses and a pack of cigars on the table, then promptly left. Aiden took a glass, poured a drink for himself from the bottle, and gestured vaguely to indicate that his guest was free to help himself as well.

"So," he lights his cigar and puffs, "what's the secret ingredient, my friend?"

 

[Matt]

He held up his hand to abstain from the drink, he didn't let his body loose on such base things. He gave the room a long hard look, taking in the
dank walls and such. Soldiering became more complicated the higher up one became.


''Conventional warfare very rarely wins wars on it's own I'm sad to say. I myself am a simple soldier of the Ascendancy but even I can see that when this war comes it will not be won by sheer marshall might but by intelligence and sometimes underhanded tactics. I plan on using this spice to make a drain on the Alliance's resources, to be something that can eat away at it.

He paused for a moment looking at his fingers while he composed the thoughts in his head, the things he had going through his mind could be considered evil, and barbaric but was it not more evil to not protect his people? There way of life from those that would seek to weaken them.

''How do you propose using spice in such a way would work, I see only one conclusion and am curious if others will also''

 

[Viggy]

"Mmm... Drain Alliance resources..." Aiden pondered that for a moment, puffing away on his cigar, eyes looking from one place to another in the room as he thinks. Finally they meet the red gaze of the Chiss again. "I'm only an amateur chemist, but I'm sure you have the personnel and technology for some fancier tricks then I could use. If I had the tech and the know-how, and I really wanted to be a pain in the ass for Coruscant, I'd plant an infectious disease in some of our spice shipments to crowded Alliance planets. If you did that I'd need to go through a discreet middleman, so the Cartel doesn't get a bad rep off this, but that wouldn't be a problem."

 

[Matt]

''Wonderful, it seems that you understand me to the fullest extent but I also wish to elaborate on our agreement and introduce you to the man who will make it possible. You see I plan on making your organisation the very top Spice smuggling cartel in the galaxy and to do that I will eliminate your rivals.

He paused a moment and looked at his communicator, good his man was here already for the task at hand.

''You will find him most skilled in all areas relevant in this area, all he needs is names and he will break through any system, find targets for my Commandos and destroy them''

 

[jpchewy01]

The man in question was Prard'ora'nuruodo. He smoothly walked into the room and took his place next to the Grand Marshall. The commando's gave a nod and he nodded back. He detested this dirty place and longed to be away from these inferior beings, but the task at hand required his presence on this dirty rock. He looked at the prominent non-Chiss and guessed that he was the cartel leader, "Greetings, my name is Prard'ora'nuruodo. I do believe that my abilities have already been introduced by my superior."

 

[Viggy]

Looking just a little smug about his own intuition when it comes to the Chiss plans for the spice, Aiden grinned at his guest and sipped his whiskey, a brow arching in obvious intrigue as he heard the Grand Marshall's ambitious intentions for this partnership. Top smuggling ring in the Galaxy... It was a hell of a nice dream to chase. The drug lab's Lead Designer nodded courteously to Prard'ora'nuruodo as he joined the meeting.

"Welcome. Yes, the Grand Marshall has described your special skills, heh... I can think of one name that Mr. Salid would love not having to hear anymore. The boss hates Hutts, and who can blame him right? One slug in particular is getting too big: the name is Durggorra the Hutt, uh, 'His Great Obesity'... I can't make this shit up, that's what he calls himself. He heads up the Vesajilic Clan, whose Kajidic crime syndicate is some of our most stubborn competition. If you want to help Merkatua get to the top of the pile, whacking Durggorra would be a great start."

 

[Matt]

He nodded in agreement, plans started running through his head as to how he would organise the operation, the men he would give to his man and various forms of communications and weaponry but he was getting ahead of himself.

''Well in the spirit of cooperation then my man here will do eliminate him. All we need is his location, but before we leave I'd like to know some timeline's for when we can expect the first shipments of the new and improved spice to begin shipping out into the core worlds?''

 

[Viggy]

"To find Durggorra, your best bet is Vesajilic Fortress, on the Hutt homeworld Nal Hutta... The Fortress has always been his clan's prize estate. The slug has also been seen out and about that planet on his personal sail barge, and when he is, that might be the best time to strike. Merkatua would be happy to assist with the hunt, of course. In the meantime, I'll put aside, let's say... twenty tonnes of glitterstim, eighty tonnes of ryll, and let your men lace both? After that's done we could move the product to the Core within a standard week."

 

[Matt]

''The men and chemicals will be here tommorow, I believe we are done here unless there is anything else you wish to discuss?

This was progressing well and how he expected. He remembered looking over the intelligence on the numerous nefarious groups throughout the galaxy and in choosing a smaller one was a stroke of genius as they were desperate to progress and more willing to work to his timetable.

 

[Viggy]

"Mm... no, I think that wraps it up nicely. Do keep in touch, especially about Durggorra."

He smiled and rose his glass in cheers, before pouring its remaining contents down his throat, a pleasant little shudder running through him as the whiskey's burning sensation trickled down. He was very pleased with how the meeting had gone. If things kept going as smoothly as they had been so far, this alliance with the Chiss could turn out to be Merkatua's ace in the hole. They were already packing heavy Csillian weaponry to one-up their competition's muscle and the law. Now on top of that, plans to take out their number one rival were underway, and there could be no doubt that these military men were capable of removing the Hutt. Indeed, Merkatua was set to get ahead at a fast pace... And if they had to spread a deadly pandemic to several planets in the process, well, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs! The opportunity here was irresistible.