Ask This Cheque Don't Bounce

[Skelgok Desilijic]

The defense of Kessel had gone entirely to plan, with the Imperial's blasted away and the Hutt's forces not blasted away! The spice mines were well protected and, with some minor work, back to operating at full capacity. Skelgok had full confidence in the mercenaries he had hired for the job, as evidenced by his decision to begin unpacking the emergency luggage from his getaway emergency shuttle hidden within the palace.

Inside the throne room, hastily constructed victory banners were being assembled, as well as a small feast and a number of delightful dancers of a lush variety. A selection of local nobles would be in attendance to watch the proceedings and in a show of strength a line of 24 palace guards lined the walls leading up to the throne itself where Skelgok sat triumphantly. Among them were a number of tough looking Gamorrean with their nasty pikes, while others clutched blasters.

Of course, sitting before the throne were two large boxes on a raised pedestal, the bountiful reward for his honoured guests of the night. All they needed to do was arrive, stand on the marked spot before the throne, and await their reward.

As they entered, an eagerly excited doorman announced their entrance and name and title based on however they wished to be introduced as.

@Javier esschoolbus @Darasuum

 

[Pellios]

Spoiler: Music

Song

Pellios was not an egotistical individual but he still felt pride in his work. As an aging scoundrel, the captain was a skilled smuggler who knew to keep his head down. But success had a way of forcing someone into the spotlight. Fame was a double edge sword and the arms dealer knew better than to cut himself and generally steered on the side of caution. Most famous smugglers historically did to not last long in the galaxy.

There were beautiful parts of Kessel covered in trees and still seemingly untouched by industry. However Pellios knew better than to take the royal palace as the standard landscape. Following Pellios was his trusty redheaded co-pilot and first mate, Jann. Beside her was the reliable astromech droid Ruthless though they also had made some effort to clean up before coming to the party.

Pellios knew he had not conducted the appropriate steps of patronage, or maybe had and his memory was just failing him. Either way he knew if he wanted to conduct business and be considered a citizen he would need to pay tribute to the appropriate people. Pellios would wait his turn to present the gift to Skelgok, not wanting to step on any slug's toes, or rather their tail.

The arms dealer had cleaned up since his defense of the anti-air facilities and mines of the planet. Even dressed in a dapper manner Pellios was still outshined by some of the nobles in the palace. <"Captain of the Gackling Bandara, Pellios Reverence and his crew!"> His arrival announced in Huttese to the rest of the guests made him take in a deep breath and sigh. The man liked to get paid but he did not care for the attention. Still, this was all worth it by bringing the silver haired smuggler one step closer to retirement.

Pellios held his head high and swaggered towards his place as an honored guest. His crew pulled themselves to one side with the other guests. He placed a hand over his left pectoral and bowed his horned head to silently pay his respects to Skelgok. He looked at the gamorreans and other guards present, noting that some of his weapons sold had circulated their way into the hands of the warriors. It made the man happy to see his wares in the hands of his fellow scoundrels just as it intimidated him in equal measure. The grizzled starship captain did his best to look the appropriate amount of reverent.

@Xorism @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

Trael came walking in the Hutt's palace in military dress. The doorman greeted him courtly. "Name and title please?" Trael looked over to the man for a second thinking on what to give the man. As he walked into the throne room the doorman announced in Huttese, <"Trael Osso, heir of the Osso noble family from Naboo."> He had ignored his noble heritage his entire life. Yet his recent interactions with Azar has stirred some form of ambition of claiming his birthright.

As he walked down the aisle he couldn't help but take in the procession. Though he kept his head high his gaze swept across the room. As he made his way to the marked spot he couldn't help feel uneasy. Once he got to the spot he took off his helmet stowing it under his arm. He gave Skelgok a bow worthy of the Hutts station. As he stood up he scanned over the other man noting his dapper style.

@Xorism @Darasuum

 

[Skelgok Desilijic]

The forced cheering by the assembled crowd did nothing to reduce the satisfaction victory gave, and the Hutt intended to richly reward those responsible.

<"Welcome, victors, behold, your commission."> In the ornate boxes contained 75,000 credits for each of them. But the Daimyo wasn't done just yet.

<"You may also ask one favor of me, if I feel gracious enough to grant it."> If not, perhaps the rancor would.

@Javier esschoolbus @Darasuum

 

[Pellios]

The bounty the Gackling Bandara crew had earned was great indeed. The credits were generous but the favor was even greater. <"You are very generous your excellency."> He bowed his head again before continuing. <"My one favor is that you allow me to work for you as a Ringleader. I am a fantastic arms dealer, negotiator and leader. I would be of great use to you."> It would also allow his crew and him to get far more money along with the protection to match. With Skelgok Desilijic as their boss fewer people would mess with them and greater profits would be come in for all parties involved.

@Javier esschoolbus @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

Trael remained bowing before the Hutt. "Thank you for your generosity. I would request one a pair of Rancor hide boots and the ability to return home unharmed so we may have future business deals."

@Xorism

 

[Skelgok Desilijic]

Glancing down from his throne, Skelgok enjoyed the proper etiquette and customs presented by his favoured guests, the crowd grew silent as they began to answer.

With a hearty grin, the great Hutt stared down Pellios as he made his request, nodding as if the idea was his originally. "Marvellous, Captain. Welcome to the last job you will ever need." Service under Skelgok was highly profitable, highly dangerous, and highly likely for life.

His attention now turned to the Naboon noble, grin also in tow. <"You shall have it both, now leave me."> He raised his arm to dismiss the boy, who for some reason gave up the exceptional opportunity to serve in the Hutt's palace like the older mercenary.

As Trael would leave, he would find the door blocked and a dozen blasters pointed his way from the numerous guards around the room.

<"I would hate to hear a heir of an important family such as yourself was harmed on the way home, allow me to keep you here, safe, until one of your house can secure your safety."> Resistance would be met by a hail of stun blaster fire, otherwise he would be quickly disarmed, cuffed and placed in a dark cell alongside an elderly lizard. The same would keep him company, explaining the diverse nature of a Wookiee pelt economy.

@Javier esschoolbus @Darasuum

 

[Pellios]

<"Thank you, your excellency."> Once again Pellios Reverence lowerd his horned head topped with silver locks in a display of respect. He waited a moment and listened to the exchange between Skelgok and the apparent Naboo noble. Pellios was from humble beginnings as he was the son of a single father which had raised four kids including Pellios on Cato Nemoidia. So the recently promoted offshoot felt like a blue collar worker rubbing elbows with royalty. It was a feeling he would probably have for the rest of his life. The tense feeling in the air was not lost on the smuggler and his sense of survival told him to be careful with how he act and reacted.

The tensions eased as Skelgok seemingly granted Trael Osso's favor. But it was a mislead. The devaronian offshoot stepped to the side with his reward and joined the crowd. It would be better to be considered a member of the audience than to be mistaken as an associate of the unfortunate noble. He would watch the proceedings and wait until the hostiles were put aside before re-approaching Skelgok with a gift of his own. It might improve the Hutt's mood after all and bring Pellios into even greater favor.

His mind wandered to his siblings briefly. I wonder how they're doing. I should call them after this...if they'll speak to me. One had passed in recent years but the other two were estranged. Pellios's life of crime and numerous near death experiences tended to keep him from getting close to his "legitimate" family.


@Javier esschoolbus @Xorism

 

[Trael Osso-Drast]

Trael believed he had successfully navigated this encounter with a Hutt as he turned to leave with his chest at the Hutts behest. But as he reached the door and tried to open it he was held up by the dozen guards in the room. At first he thought to try and fight his way out but he didn’t want to put himself as a Sith. So he surrendered and allowed himself to be thrown into the cell with the annoying lizard.

A goon if Skelgoks would come down to the cell after a few hours. “Hey where we sending these boots to? The boss wants to make sure it makes it to your father.” Trael looked up to the gamorrean and his brain hatched a plan. “Send it to Azar Osso at the Umbara city council for defense.”

Azar(@Sreeya) would be in his classroom when the Sith mailman who collected packages and letters from a designated location in the city came in. “Master Kressh, there’s a package here addressed to you but by a different last name. Osso it says.” He would set the package down and walk out of the room. The package would be addressed to an Azar Osso. Inside was a pair of exquisite Rancor hide boots, certification of authenticity, and a note. The note read, ‘We have the heir to your household Trael Osso held captive. If you wish to see him again bring the specified number of credits to Kessel or next will be a token of your beloved son.'

@Xorism

 

[Darth Arcanos]

Azar was in the middle of telling Dalon to go do homework for a class he wasn’t in when the mailman arrived. The Pureblood found this curious, the parcel clearly from the Outer Rim based on all the stamps. Azar told the Zabrak Champion to fuck off before he opened the box after doing a cursory check for explosives. His eyes went wide when he saw the name Azar Osso. What? He audibly gasped at the sight of the boots, not having thought Trael actually capable of delivering on such a request. His heart was full and he smiled fondly at the boots, wondering why Trael didn’t deliver these himself.

And then he saw the note.

There was a ripple in the Force that simmered throughout the entire room, chairs shifting, desks skidding across the floor, faint cracks appearing on the walls. Dalon stuck his head back into the door and he was bodily flung clear out of the classroom without the Pureblood moving a muscle. Azar thought of many scenarios involving storming Kessel and igniting things or turning the Hutt into melted goop.

But he had seen Karys take that sort of approach enough times. Azar operated differently. He exhaled slowly, tempering the fire and pondering his next move.

Not too long after, Skelgok would have an incoming Holocall. Azar’s form would project on the Holo. He made a point of throwing his feet, with the rancor hide boots, up on the desk while casually leaning in a chair. Nothing about the projection revealed anything about his location or background. He clicked a small red button before he began to speak.

“Skelgok Desilijic,” His voice resounded, his yellow gaze gleaming, “I must say I am thoroughly disappointed in the courtesy of your house. You see,” He leaned slightly forward then, “I have close dealings with a certain…what do they call him these days? Emperor Nor’baal Desilijic who so very generously granted me a space station for my recent efforts in your little war,” Azar said. It was an out of the ordinary reward, and likely one Skelgok would have known about, “I am sure he will be less than pleased to learn that you have held a critical ally of the Sith hostage after we’ve so willingly aided your family in its efforts against the Empire,” The Pureblood’s face made it clear he was deadly serious and not in the mood for games, “In fact, I very well could have gone to Nor’baal himself. But I did not. I am a man of opportunity, you see,” Azar said with a smile, “You hand over the prisoner untouched and without anything missing and I promise to keep this our little secret and perhaps even deal with you in future ventures,” The smile grew devious, “After all, if I can score a space station out of Nor’baal, I am clearly a man that delivers.”

@Xorism

 

[Skelgok Desilijic]

Panic spread throughout the palace as the Hutt's servants scrambled to locate the Daimyo once the call came through. Unsurprisingly, he would be found playing fetch in the backyard with the ever increasingly growing rancor whelp. <"Don't they know I'm a busy Hutt!"> He groaned, sliding open and accepting the incoming call while the pup excitedly waited for him to throw the ball again.

Skelgok's eyes widened when he spotted the unfamiliar face wielding the quite familiar and expensive gift he had recently fashioned. Turning slowly, he dragged the holo view out of the pups peripheral to spare him of the nasty business.

"Azar Osso," He returned in basic, they fortunately knew each other's names, an important part of business. "Your son is safe, on my honour as a Desilijic." Although I can't really see the resemblance, he thought. Perhaps Trael took after his mother quite severely, or his father had been out in the sun far too long.

The situation did seem to be slightly outside his own favour at the moment, the revelation that the prisoner was not only a wealthy noble but a Sith to boot rather complicated things. Skelgok himself was in no real position to directly oppose the Mogul yet, and any such move would surely be quashed like a bug on a windshield.

But that didn't mean the Hutt couldn't take advantage of the situation to advance himself in other ways.

"I accept your terms, and offer you mine in return." Fumbling with his phone for a short while, before finding the information that he wanted, sending it to the other end and smiling. "I require a rather large shoring up of my sector's defence, and if you are half as good as you suggest, It should be of relative ease to deliver this to me for an appropriate payment for services."

One of two choices for blueprints to construct the vessel in question, which suffice, without care from where or how they were sourced. The spice mines of Kessel would afford a grand reward for such a heroic effort, should the offer be accepted. The Osso boy would be released at the conclusion of the call, regardless, and permitted to leave unharmed.

@Sreeya @Javier esschoolbus

 

[Pellios]

The form of patronage that Pellios had wanted to gift his new boss was perhaps humble but it would benefit Kessel's defenses in the long run. The container that he would present when the time came was a dozen turbocrawlers. One thing that was abnormal about these civilian ground vehicles were that they each sported a fearsome AZ-6 multi-rotary cannon. The benefits of their uses and strengths could be expanded upon at the Daimyo's request.

---​

Pellios's position was secured as Ringleader for Skelgok Desilijic. The recently promoted devaronian offshoot had new responsibilities which included delivering an interesting package to the supposed father of the Naboo noble. The man did his job quickly and without question. His own personal ship, the Gackling Bandara would traverse the stars back and forth with its class 1 hyperdrive acting as the messenger between the two parties.

@Sreeya @Xorism @Javier esschoolbus