Ask The Spice Trade

[Thel Xeros]

Troiken

Troiken had long been home to spice mining operations. For many years, the spice on the planet had been solely controlled by the Pyke Syndicate. However, over the years, as the syndicate weakened, they had been forced to accept help from other criminals to manage their operation. The spice mines were now run by a group made up of Pykes, native Xextos and various other species. Bandits, pirates and other opportunists were a frequent problem for the spice mining operation. This was the situation that Thel sought to exploit.

He had managed to ingratiate himself with the syndicate’s head of security by performing a few small jobs. Nothing too notable, but enough to show that he was somewhat reliable. This secured him a meeting with the leadership. They supposedly were willing to offer a more substantial task. A task, that if successfully completed, could set him up as a regular contractor for the syndicate. The only catch was that they wanted another Sith as well. Thel had put out feelers, to see if there was interest. The Sith Pureblood Cyutadakyr accepted the offer. He had briefly met her on Mustafar, but it wasn’t necessary for them to know each other well in order to work together.

In the past, Thel would not have been interested in such a scheme. The precarious position the Sith Order found itself in had forced him to take a more active role in Sith affairs.

The meeting was to be at the syndicate’s headquarters on the planet. Thel and his fellow Sith were being driven, by speeder, to the location. Armed syndicate guards surrounded them on the back of the speeder. Styre, the head of security, would be waiting to greet them at the facility. Thel had chosen to wear his simple black robes, cloak and leather boots. His lightsaber was clipped to his belt.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Spice was a commodity in hot demand across the galaxy, both for the addicts that couldn't live another waking moment without a hit and those who mined and sold it to them. It was therefore the most profitable to be in control of the whole chain, from start to end and those organisations big enough to do so quickly find themselves with more credits than means to spend them.

Cyutadakyr hoped to find herself in the latter camp someday.

Therefore it made perfect sense to be accompanying her fellow Sith on this mission today. Dressed in a simple brown robe and armed with her new crimson lightsaber and dagger, she wondered just how fun Thel might be as she sat next to him on the speeder, awaiting news of their next objective.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

The speeder soon arrived at the facility. The facility was deteriorated and had clearly seen better days, but the building’s appearance obviously wasn’t of concern to the syndicate. Armed guards formed a welcoming committee at the facility entrance. Thel disembarked from the speeder, gesturing for his fellow Sith to follow. The group of guards was made up of a mixture of different species. Styre, who was the head of security and Thel’s contact, stood waiting. He was human. Stocky, fair-skinned and bald.

“Hey Xeros! How are you doing? Long time no see.” Styre was an outgoing type. Thel didn’t want to waste too much time and preferred to get down to business.

“Hello Styre. I’m fine, thank you.”

“Excellent!” He leaned towards Thel. “They’re all waiting for you upstairs. If you just follow me.”

Before he started to lead Thel upstairs, Styre turned to face Cyutadakyr. “Who is this?” He smiled. “Is this the other Sith you mentioned Xeros? If so, great to meet you. Follow me. Come on.”

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

An aura of confidence emanated from the pureblood as they hopped out of the speeder. Not just from her feeling about whether they would complete the mission but in that, if anything went wrong she would be able to carve a path out. Her cold, stern impression was unbroken by the guard's friendliness with Thel, and neither would she say anything in reply to their comment.

Cyutadakyr walked with a slow deliberate pace, glancing around and taking mental notes of their surroundings in case anything went wrong. Given Thel's familiarity with the contact it was less likely, but it always paid to be prepared after all.

It wasn't yet clear what her role in the task would be today, whether that was muscle, something fun like torture, or a pretty face among a wave of grumbling men. For the moment she would simply wait and see what her partner would do and whether he could handle the talking himself or if she would need to lean into the negotiations on the harsher lane.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel noticed that Cyutadakyr didn’t respond to Styre. He could sense that she was eager for action. Presumably she didn’t have much patience for needless formalities. Thel could sympathise to some extent. He found Styre’s outgoing manner to be somewhat grating.

Styre and the guards led the two Sith to a large meeting room in the facility. Sat behind a large rectangular table were two figures. A Pyke and a Xexto. “Sit, please,” the Pyke said. Thel took a seat, facing the Pkye and the Xexto. There was an empty seat next to Thel, for his fellow Sith.

“So, you are the Sith that Styre has been working with.”

“That’s right.”

“And this is your colleague,” he said, gesturing to Cyutadakyr. Thel would leave it for her to answer. The Pyke then continued.

“Very good. My name is Sym Pyke. This is Morgano,” he said, pointing at the Xexto. “Now, I believe you are already familiar with the situation we find ourselves in. So, I’ll get straight to the most pressing matter; which is why you’re here. We are having a great deal of trouble with a group of bandits. They’ve attacked our shipments and our facilities. Our security forces have been unable to deal with them.” The Pyke shot a scathing look at Styre. “We believe you are the ones to deal with them. If you are able to do so, we can then discuss further work.”

“That sounds good. If you could just clarify how much we’ll be paid for this, before we proceed.”

“10,000. Between you both.” Thel’s eyebrows raised at the price.

“I was assured that it would be a much higher figure. That’s a pitiful amount.” The Xexto suddenly spoke up.

“I agree. What are you trying to pull Sym? We agreed that we would pay them much more than that.” The Pyke and the Xexto began to bicker with each other. Interesting. Maybe something to exploit.

“If I may interrupt. We are not merely bounty hunters. We are Sith. It isn’t wise to deceive us. Cyutadakyr, why don’t you explain, in detail, what you would do to someone who reneged on a promise.”

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyutadakyr watched and waited until she was gestured toward and again she stayed silent as the dead and likewise chose to remain standing behind her partner. The pureblood was in no mood for niceties with the likes of these wannabe gangsters, choosing to hold back for Thel's sake or perhaps the mission.

It seemed like her instinct not to trust Sym had been proven right faster than even she expected, as he promptly tried to short them on the job before they had even started. Worse still, it wasn't even an organized attempt to betray them, with only half being in on it. At last, Thel decided to speak her language and a wicked smile crept along her face at his invitation.

"Did you know that there are approximately two-hundred pain receptors per square centimetre of skin, fifteen to sense pressure, six for cold and one for warmth?" Cyu had gotten their attention by now, as she slid a finger across her neck. "While each are fun in their own way, I do wonder just how fun it would be if all of these receptors were firing simultaneously. The hard part would be keeping you conscious, of course."

Playing with her fingers, sparks appeared to streak between them as she maliciously smiled. "We wouldn't want you dying on us, at least not until the fun was over." She hoped that they would need a demonstration, but the cowards would probably fold, she thought.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

The Pyke shifted uncomfortably in his seat as Cyutadakyr described, in quite vivid detail, how she could inflict pain on their hosts. Thel sat stone-faced as she spoke. She seemed to be well versed in making threats. Good that I brought her along.

The Pyke quickly backed down. “Maybe I was too hasty. 50,000 each. How does that sound?”

“Better.”

“Good,” the Pyke said, visibly relieved. “We will make sure the credits are ready for you upon successful completion of the job.”

“I should hope they are.”

“Right. So, I’ll let Styre prepare you both. I think its best you get started straight away.”

-

(Troiken – Forest)

Styre explained to the two Sith that the bandits would strike and then retreat into the dense forests on the planet. It was suspected that they utilised underground tunnels that linked to the nearby mountainous region. Styre and his security believed they had worked out the general area of forest that the bandits’ activity seemed to centre around. The security forces had been unable to successfully hunt them down. That’s what Thel and Cyutadakyr would need to do. Styre dropped them off near the edge of the forest.

“Good luck, you will need it,” he shouted back to them as his speeder sped away. The Sith were left on their own. “So, would you like to take the lead?” His fellow Sith seemed eager for action, so maybe it was best to let her go looking for it.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The negotiations moved along much more swiftly and favorably after the pureblood's display, although frustratingly without getting to show them directly. Still, she was happy enough to frighten them into compliance and soon followed Thel out the door, mission in hand.

The bandits had the advantage of fighting on home turf but while they were decent fighters and clearly more than a match for what the gang had been throwing at them, a pair of Sith was certainly not something they could have prepared for. Once the other man had left them alone, Cyu turned to Thel with a curious glance. "Naturally, but first explain why we run errands for a second-rate spice operation." Thel likely had his reasons, but she was interested to know more about his plan now that they were alone.

After a short conversation, the brush and thicket started to thicken, indicating that they were heading in the right direction. In short order, they would run into the first group of bandits patrolling the forest's edge. Cyutadakyr stopped in place and her hand shot up to stop Thel as they spotted five armed bandits heading their way. With the way the brush lay, it would be simple enough to hide behind and avoid being detected by the primitive hostiles, none of which were able to detect them with force.

But there was the problem of starting a fight in a dense forest, if they were not able to take out all the hostiles in one swoop they would likely be able to reach cover and become a thorn in their side as the pair advanced. Worse yet, they could call for backup and turn this little operation into a much longer and more painful one than they had planned for.

Therefore a mischievous smile crossed the pureblood's face as she found a more natural way to neutralize them. Pointing upwards, the pair would see a vast branch of wood, large and heavy enough to smush the bandits without a second glance, and more importantly, it would not sound out of place for a branch falling in a forest now would it?

Together with Thel, Cyu would pool the force around herself and lash against the massive branch with the intent to snap it down on top of the bandits without them even knowing it was coming. Then with them out of the way, it would be much easier to slip through the crack in their perimeter and breach their base camp wherever that may have been.

@DMCK

Spoiler

Rolls:
Number of bandits: 5
Catching them by surprise: nat 20

 

[Thel Xeros]

“Financially, their operation is not second-rate. The credits we make from working with them can be of great help to the Sith cause. Admittedly, they have allowed inefficiencies to creep into their organisation. However, with new leadership and clearer direction, the spice operation here could be greater than those on Kessel.” Thel hoped she understood what he was hinting at, when he spoke of new leadership and a new direction.

Thel followed Cyutadakyr’s lead as the forest grew denser. He stopped when she raised her hand. Looking up at what she pointed towards, he spotted the heavy branch. Making sure he coordinated with his fellow Sith, he clenched his right hand, as if he were grasping hold of the force, and thrust his arm in the direction of the branch. The branch broke off and plummeted towards the ground. The bandits didn’t even have a chance to react as the branch landed on top of them, crushing them underneath. Simple, but effective.

The two Sith eventually made their way towards what looked like a small clearing. A group of three bandits were gathered around what looked like shrubbery and a pile of leaves. “Let’s see what they do,” Thel whispered to Cyutadakyr. Thel watched as the bandits pulled the leaves and other plant life aside to reveal a small hatch. A tunnel entrance. “So, they are using tunnels.” He looked over to his fellow Sith. “Your choice how you want to proceed.”

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Thel's explanation of the spice operation soothed any concerns she might have had about their task at hand. There was only a small pest problem to take care of standing between the Sith and a bucket load of credits, Cyu could only hope that any friendships he may have forged with the group wouldn't cause him hesitation when it came time to finish it.

Now approaching the small clearing Cyutadakyr likewise spotted the trio of bandits revealing the secret entrance to their base. It would be dangerous to enter without knowing the full extent of the tunnel nor knowing how large of a welcoming party could await their arrival. But the risk of getting caught walking around looking for a better entrance or intel was simply too great and would throw away their best advantage, surprise.

"We follow, check it out, and then take it down from the inside. You ready?" The pureblood waited for Thel's response before quickly jetting off after the same pile of leaves they saw the bandits enter. However, upon arriving, she noticed that the entrance itself was booby-trapped and would require a particular series of motions in order to avoid setting it off.

With a whisper, she motioned for him to take cover. "Watch my back, I'll have this open then you go in and check its clear as I put it back together. " If they pulled that off, the bandits would have absolutely no reason to suspect that someone had snuck into their base and therefore she would be extremely careful for this task.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

“Yes, whenever you’re ready.” Thel rapidly followed her, as she approached the entrance. Unfortunately, the entrance was set up with a trap.

“Yes, I’ll keep watch. Try not to get yourself killed in the process of opening it,” he commented, trying to inject some levity into the situation. He moved back into cover behind the trees. Things seemed to be going ok, but there was something bothering him; a nagging feeling. He ducked down quickly as a blaster bolt flew just over his head. Spinning around, he ignited his lightsaber just in time to block another shot. Bandits emerged from the trees, opening fire on him. He backed off, moving his saber swiftly to block the shots. One blaster bolt was sent straight back into the head of the bandit who had fired it.

“I don’t want to rush you, but please try to hurry,” he shouted back to his fellow Sith. The number of bandits increased, as more moved out from behind trees. He wasn’t sure how he and Cyutadakyr had been spotted, but they obviously had been.

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The pureblood set to work pulling and moving the various wires and components that were set across the door. Without the master key, which the bandits would have had, each part had to be done in the proper order to avoid having it blow up in their faces. Naturally, it wouldn't be as easy as that, as Thel hurriedly explained that they had company arriving.

"I need more time, almost there!!" She angrily scowled. If rushed, they could end up with a very short mission with each of them crippled in some way, or worse. He'd just have to hold them off and deflect any shots they might take while she looped through the final mechanisms and stuck the last of the traps in place.

With a grin, she turned back to Thel. "Got it, follow me." Next, she pulled up the door carefully just wide enough for the pair to slip in and onto a ladder leading down. Cyu slid down the ladder quickly to make room for her partner to join, taking a glance around and spying a short metal pole that would do just nicely.

"Stick this in the handle, it'll jam the door long enough to do what we gotta do." Well, hopefully, she thought.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel continued to desperately deflect away blaster fire as Cyutadakyr worked on opening the hatch. The bandits continued to close in. He moved the blade in front of him, just about able to hold off the barrage of blaster bolts coming at him. Please do hurry up. Fortunately, she called out not too long after.

Backing away from the bandits, once he was close to the entrance, he quickly ducked down and then entered. Gripping onto the ladder, he slammed the hatch closed and then climbed down swiftly. Upon reaching the bottom, he took the metal pole from his fellow Sith and used the force to fling it into the hatch’s handle. The pole wedged into the handle, which would help jam it shut. He took a deep breath, composing himself for a few seconds. “Nice to be greeted so warmly,” he remarked sarcastically, in reference to the bandits. He turned around; a dark tunnel was the only path forward.

Suddenly, a voice echoed around them. It sounded as if it was coming from some sort of a speaker system, though it was too difficult to work out the exact point of origin.

“You have made a mistake coming here. These tunnels will be your grave.”

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

With the hatch sealed shut, the only way to go was now forward. But any hope they had for sneaking around and murdering sleeping bandits was well lost, but that wasn't to say that they were complete without options. The cool, and calm pureblood poured around the room searching for anything of value, finding nothing immediately sticking out. Taking her lightsaber hilt in hand, she turned to Thel with a confident voice.

"Keep an eye out for cameras, they could use them to ambush us. It would take too long to clear room by room, we need a faster approach but we can't do standing around waiting for them to come to us." The loudspeaker confirmed her statement, venturing around to root out each of the lurking rats would be a dangerous endeavor and one that would take far too long and Cyu clearly had no patience for such things.

A wicked smile burnt across her face as an idea came to mind. "Help me find a janitor's closet and a map. Quickly!" It was highly likely that they would encounter a handful of stray bandits through the facility as they roamed, but the majority would likely be too cowardly to do so and would secure themselves away in small holes to ambush. Cyu's plan would ruin such ideas and take the base in one fell swoop, assuming she found what she wanted.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

The threat seemed rather dubious. However, it was still important to not underestimate their enemies. Thel watched as his fellow Sith searched the room and he nodded in response to her comments.

The two Sith moved through the dark tunnels, quickly dispatching of bandits in their path. The sounds of bandits moving echoed through the tunnel system. Eventually, the two Sith found themselves at a door. Thel could hear footsteps and hushed voices behind it. “I’ll go first,” he whispered to Cyutadakyr. He used the force to violently push the wooden door into the room, breaking it off its hinges. The door slammed into one of the bandits, knocking them unconscious. Stepping into the room, he used his lightsaber to deflect a shot straight back at the one who fired it. They collapsed to the ground, a burning hole through their chest. Before the other bandit could unholster their blaster, Thel threw his saber at them. The blade spun around and impaled the bandit’s chest. Using the force to pull his saber back, Thel then watched as the bandit’s body collapsed to the ground. The room was clear.

There were maps on the wall. They showed different things: the tunnel system; the forest; the mountains. The bandits had obviously taken a lot of time drawing them up. Presumably they helped when planning ambushes. Thel stepped away, allowing Cyutadakyr to look over the maps. As he stepped away, he noticed barrels in the corner. He went over to take a closer look. He raised an eyebrow when he realised what was in the barrels. “These are rhydonium barrels.”

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Thel was doing a good job dispatching bandits that Cyutadakyr found herself playing catch up. Staying outside as he entered the room to deal with its inhabitants, the pureblood walked further along the hallway coming to a closet that seemed empty at first glance. Entering it quickly, she spotted a handful of exciting chemicals and solvents into a large container she hastily grabbed before heading back toward Thel.

She arrived in the room as her companion located the mysterious cargo. The highly volatile fuel would be quite dangerous if it was spilled or worse, released by their gracious hosts. "I have an idea, but you'll have to trust me. Can you get that air intake open and close the other air vent."

The pureblood got to work on her own little science experiment, the individual items were not particularly dangerous nor were they risky to handle, but when combined? they would form a noxious chemically induced vapor that would render those exposed to it with a gruesome end. When Thel was ready, they would use force to combine the liquids and hold the container steady near the vent until its contents had sufficiently made its way through the air vents.

From the inside the air filtration wouldn't be able to adequately handle the toxic fumes and with luck, they would reduce the number of enemies they'd have to deal with in one fell swoop.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

“Yes, I think I should be able to do that.” Thel set about following Cyutadakyr’s instructions. He had an inkling as to what she wanted to do. Rooting through the container his fellow Sith had found, he spotted a small gas mask at the bottom of it and put it on. Best to be careful.

After the chemicals were combined, the vapour that was formed then gradually began to filter through the tunnel system. The bandits had returned to the tunnels, intent upon hunting the two Sith down. They became victims of the toxic fumes. Thel stood waiting with Cyutadakyr, allowing time for the vapour to spread. “There will probably be stragglers. I have an idea about how to finish this place off once and for all though.”

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyu accepted the mask, equipping it as they got to the fun part of the little trick. They watched as the fumes poured out from the bucket and up into the air vents for some time. The recycled airways were great if the toxins were outside but a terrible idea if they were coming from inside as there would be no escape from their reach.

With a smile hidden underneath the mask, Cyu pointed her head towards the exit. "I'm listening," she said with an intrigued tone. The pureblood hoped that his idea was particularly horrible, and painful like hers had been. But at the end of the day, accomplishing the mission was far more important than the fun they could have down here as she kept being reminded.

Leaving the room and going back down the hallway they would find a trio of bandits struggling against the wall with the effects of the gas attack that left them helpless. With an amused smirk having now witnessed her handiwork firsthand, Cyu ran her lightsaber through each and every bandit they came across as they began to clear out the facility.

@DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel followed his fellow Sith out of the room. “The rhydonium barrels we found. If they keep more of them stored, we might be able to use them to cave in the tunnel system. That should prevent them from regrouping here once we’re gone. Any bandits left can be mopped up by the syndicate.” He watched as the first three bandits they stumbled upon were slaughtered by Cyutadakyr. The two Sith moved through the tunnels rapidly. I just need to find one who can still talk. As he turned a corner, a blaster bolt flew passed him and into the wall behind. A large figure, in a gas mask, charged towards him, firing their blaster. He easily deflected the shots with his saber and, when the bandit was close enough, sliced their blaster in half. They stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. He pointed his saber down at them.

“Rhydonium. Do you keep more of it stored here?”

“I’m not telling you anything,” the man growled. “You will,” Thel stated bluntly. He stretched out his hand and violently reached into the man’s mind with the force. The bandit tried to resist but, as their mind weakened, they began to scream.

The mind probe had only been brief. Enough to ascertain that there was a fairly large store of rhydonium kept there. The bandit was left unconscious on the floor. Thel moved through the tunnels to a storeroom. The room was filled with rhydonium barrels. “This will do. If you can find some explosives, and set them on a timer, we can put an end to this base.”

@Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The rhydonium made for an interesting twist to the mission, in part because it allowed them to literally and figuratively go out with a bang but also how the excessive destruction it would cause was music to her ears. A wicked smile coursed her mouth as they pressed on looking for the hidden material. It didn't take long for Thel to break the information out of one of the bandits, combined their might was impressive and the weight of their mental and physical strength brought to bear.

At last they found what they were looking for, stumbling upon the storeroom filled with the terrible barrels. The pureblood gazed over the massive potential energy stored within, just begging to be released upon the helpless and pathetic bandits.

Cyutadakyr wondered with a malicious smile just how sinister Thel might have thought she was, fully intending to exceed whatever metric he held by far. Slipping her hand into her belt, the pureblood withdrew a small thermal detonator and toyed with it in her fingers. "I have something far more..." Stealing a glance at the unconscious man before them. "..fun planned."

With a twist of her hips, she strolled towards the edge of the room and began searching through the cupboards for a few minutes before stealing a roll of electrical masking tape. Excellent, she mused. Turning back for her new acquaintance, Cyu dragged the man with the force from his prone spot into a more seated position next to the barrels before beginning to apply the tape quite liberally to ensure he'd not be able to move.

Next and perhaps most sinisterly, she held the man's jaw in one hand to allow her to place the now live detonator inside his mouth. Tying the trigger to another piece of tape, she carefully pressed it flat across his mouth and stood back to admire her handiwork. "Best we get going then huh?" Cyu purred with delight. It was natural instinct to help a compatriot in need and this is where her ruthless plan would bear fruit. By saving him, they would doom them all. How so very poetic, no?

@DMCK