Ask The Wheel of Fortune

[Nox Solus]

Nox had finally returned to Mandalore but unbeknownst to him, only for a brief period. Ever since Lothal, he had constantly been on the move, pressing forward every chance he could without any sign of falter. The cost of that progress had been months of campaigning and fighting, his muscles spent, bones aching, and his mind ragged. While it was a cost that was easily bearable to him, his body didn't agree with the fire that fueled him with step despite resistance.

As a result, he spent a few days at the citadel to decompress the best he could. He dedicated a portion of his time to his albino badger, Red Eyes, as an apology to her to make up for the fact he didn't bring her along to accompany him. After that had been done, Nox spent the rest of his time helping consolidate their new acquisitions. It was one of the first times he was dipping his foot into the task of administrating and after a few hours, his head would be spinning from new problems, solutions, opportunities, and threats presented to him from different sources. To say the Solus was having a fun time would be a lie but someone had to do it.

Thankfully, after what felt like hours, Zuus would eventually enter the room as he gave Nox an upward nod to get his attention. The Alor would part from the table after a few words before heading over. When he was close, Zuus would speak, "We caught a ship approaching on sensor. It appears to be the woman that the merchant on Prime said you would be interested in." It would at least be a break from the constant talk of supply routes and trade routes.

Nox would smack his forearm against Zuus' before saying, "Thanks." He would take leave from the room and make his way to the great hall, intending to see exactly why this proposition was supposed to be enticing. By the time Astria was given approval and able to land, Nox would be seated in the Alor's chair at the end of the room, Red eyes laying on her stomach at the base of it but with her head raised, one of his hands scratching the top of her head.

@Logan

 

[Astria Jerriko]

There were times in life where you needed to take calculated risks. Where doing what you normally did, making the safe play, wasn’t what was going to propel you forward. Complacency was a disease that could infect anyone and it was just as fatal as getting shot in the face.

As her ship dipped into the Mandalorian atmosphere and headed for Fortress Solus, Astria didn’t feel nervousness or trepidation like one might expect from someone walking into the jaws of a krayt dragon. She felt only determination. It had been one of those calculated risk times and she was not going to shy away from it.


The transportation codes she’d been given had worked, thankfully. Her ship was lead to a landing pad and she quickly departed. In a rare occurrence, Astria left her personal attendant droid aboard her ship. She didn’t need to give the Mandalorians any additional reasons to be jumpy.

Helmet clad Mandalorian guards silently lead her to a large great hall and she couldn’t help but be a little impressed by the place overall. It was a commendable fortress fitting for someone like Nox, at least if you believed the stories you heard.

Approaching Nox as he sat perched in his authoritative throne, Astria nodded her head solemnly in greeting, willing to show the Alor the respect he deserved.

Su cuy’gar. She said, her Mando’a nearly perfect. Astria had dealt with her fair share of Mandalorians over the many years she’d been alive. Eventually, she’d figured knowing their language would come in handy. At the very least just to know if they were talking shit in front of her face.

<Your hospitality is appreciated,> Astria's tone was cordial but professional. She was not here to make friends, only in the hopes of a potential business partner. <I’ll get straight to the point. There’s a space station known as The Wheel in the Mid-Rim. In days past, it was a massive commercial hub. More recently, it’s controller has let it wane and fall into disrepair. Including its defenses.>

Astria would pause for a moment, her gaze turning from Nox for the first time and flicking to the animal on the floor. It was pretty. Astria appreciated the beauty in nature’s killing machines.

<Even in its weakened state, it’s not something I can conquer on my own. That’s where you come in.> Taking out her phone, Astria pressed a few buttons to bring up a holoprojection of The Wheel. <Warmachines need cash flow, every one knows that. The Wheel can be a massive source of income for you, but it needs someone to run its internal machinations. The tedium, the books, administrative nightmares that come with the territory. And that’s where I come in.>

The smallest of smirks creased Astria’s lips before she finished.

<So my proposal is simple. You provide the firepower to take over the station, I provide the administrative expertise to run it. We split the profits fifty-fifty.>

There were likely numerous more details to discuss, but for now Astria would leave it at that and await Nox’s reply.

@Orbit

 

[Nox Solus]

Seconds ticked by until the doors to the hall finally opened and a woman strode through, purpose to her step. It had been years since an outsider had entered the fortress and Nox had to respect her bravery for wanting to meet on his turf. It also pronounced the importance of whatever they would discuss and made him curious about what she planned to offer.

After her nod, Nox would return one too but still remained silent and waited for her to speak first. When she finally did, he hadn't been expecting Mand'oa at all. It was rare for anyone outside the clan to know the language and he wondered what circumstance made her pick it up. The scratches along the top of Red Eye's head would stop, the Solus fully focusing his attention on Astria after hearing her first words. In truth, it got under his skin when outsiders spoke his people's language and did not live by their ways but he understood her intention behind it.

Thankfully, she got straight to the point and revealed the reason for her visit being the Wheel. The name caught his interest as he had been looking at it as a potential target for his people. As Astria pointed out, the number of credits it provided when at full capacity would be incredibly beneficial to the Mandalorians. The station also held strategic importance and earned Nox's gaze because of that.

A few seconds after her proposition was given with his visor boring into her, he pushed from the chair and stood to his full height. Red eyes got to all fours as well, truly showing off her size as she reached Nox's knees without even trying. He walked down the short amount of steps to stand in front of Astria as he gazed down upon her. "And why should I entrust you with this responsibility instead of someone I can just put there myself? What's the catch that you need to come to us for help?" This was the first time he had seen or heard of Astria and he was cautious about a non-Mandalorian being so heavily tied into one of their potential streams of revenue.

"And if I was interested in your deal, do you have a way inside? We'd both hate for the station to be damaged in an all-out assault." While Nox was interested and he admired the fire within her, he needed to know what worth she could provide and if she was reliable.

@Logan