Transmission 34-E: Technician Contact (Ruukil and Duncan)

[Incubi Priest]

Belial Embi sighed to himself as he walked around the docks in Coruscant. Thrown out of political office, mutinied by his former employees, and for all intents and purposes a beggar, the Umbarran could only depend on memories of his past glory for comfort. At least he had an occupation though. The Shadow Broker had made him one of his agents, and why he had, Belial did not know. The Broker seemed to know things that only the Gods could know. However, contemplating the Broker's intentions was not his mission. No, he was getting paid to contact what his informant, (for all agents had several other agents they had to go through to receive the Broker's orders), referred to as "the best damned engineers in the galaxy."

And it was for this reason that Belial had arrived in the tumultuous docks. Mechanics of all species ran helter skelter to find parts, fix machinery, or smuggle illegal machinery to their vessels. Checking the holoimage he had printed out earlier, Belial nodded when he realized he had found a match.

The Umbarran walked over casually to the dark skinned male and tapped on his shoulder lightly,

"Excuse me...are you a Mr. Teodoro Costa?"

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

Teodoro Costa watched as men scurried around in search of the cheap stuff. Many poorer tinkerers and repair shop owners searched the piles of discarded parts for something usable. He saw familiar faces all around, there were a few he'd never seen before.

One such unfamiliar face tapped him on the shoulder and asked his name. He turned to face the man, "And what is it to you?" The man was obviously nothing close to the usual characters he saw on the docks.

 

[Incubi Priest]

Belial smiled calmly. While he had been out of commission for several years, his skills were anything but rusty. His entire life had been one based on his skills as an orator, and they weren't about to fail him now.

"I was sent to find you by my employer, Mr. Costa. You and another engineer that is. To put it bluntly, I came to recruit the two best engineers in the Galaxy. Your name was on the list. I take it you are very familiar with ships, that much is obvious, can you pilot one?"

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

"I consider myself a very capable pilot." Teo crossed his arms, he was being offered a job, but he had to remain in control of the situation. "What's the job?"

 

[Incubi Priest]

"My employer needs to captain a ship. But as a whole, you and Mr. Trawler are the only two crewman. The rest are passengers, though I am sure they will help you out as much as possible. You will be paid one hundred credits for every hour spent on the mission, as will Mr. Trawler, due to the stress and danger that are involved.

The specifics are naught but basic piloting and repairs, at least that is what I have been told. You are going to be escorting very precious cargo of the sentient nature, Mr. Costa. There will be times when you must forsake the protection and comfort of your vessel. If the payment is not enough, be sure that benefits are also available."

Belial was told to offer the men whatever was necessary in order to recruit them. This was one benefit of working for the Shadow Broker. The mysterious man seemed to be all powerful, promising everything under the sun, and actually providing it.

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

"You're getting Dak Trawler? Oh **** is this gonna be a load of-" His words trailed off into a nearly unintelligible mix of basic and various other languages. He calmed down after more raving and extended his left hand to shake. "I want One-ten an hour and we're solid."

 

[Incubi Priest]

"Why, what quarrel do you have against Mr. Trawler? From the statistics, you two are the best engineers in the galaxy. My employer would certainly enjoy if you two could work together in harmony."

Sticking his hand out, he smiled,

"You get one fifty an hour due to...apparent strife with your new coworker."

 

[jediduncan]

One of the many reasons Teodoro would not want to work with Mr. Trawler would soon become apparent to Belial, just as it was now becoming apparent to all the patrons of The Rancor's Den, the local bar that serviced the Coruscanti dock workers. Dak was currently busy loudly spewing insults at three very large Gammorreans for the entire bar to hear. The profanity from his mouth would make a Mandalorian cry, it was so repulsive. The Gammorreans stood completely still, utterly stupefied as to whether to attack Dak because he was insulting them or to attack Dak because they couldn't understand what he was saying. Gammorreans are never a very smart bunch.

"--and your dad, too! That's why I'd never come near any of you filthy inbred pig-men! Besides the smell, that is! And another thing--"

Dak's blue streak was cut short by one of the bouncers who so unceremoniously dumped him out of the bar and into the streets. Well, that was that. What to do next was the question. Fortunately, the Coruscanti docks were always a place where one could find something to do...

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

"We have a deal then. Where are we off to next?" He whistled and a young man in his twenties came over. "Jon, go tell the guys at the shop I'm gonna be gone for a little wile. Tell them not to break my shit." The young man ran off and Teo turned back to the recruiter of sorts.

"I assume you want me to meet you somewhere? Or should we get going, the guy over there behind the trashed hyperdrive has been giving you a dirty look. Oh there he is," Teo pointed at the somewhat drunk and loud man that had been thrown from the closest bar. Teo was reminded of the mans love for alcohol. "I was under the impression he was in jail."

 

[Incubi Priest]

Belial's train of thought was quickly interrupted as a man was thrown out of a bar into the streets. He landed rather closely to the two in conversation, and the Umbarran couldn't help but smile at his luck. The former politician didn't believe in the concept of fate, but luck was a force that he considered as ubiquitous as it was powerful.

"Mr. Trawler, I presume?"

 

[jediduncan]

"Eh?"

Dak looked up from the ground and saw two men standing over him. They knew his name. That was generally never a good sign. The scoundrel got up as quickly as he could and dusted himself off frantically. He cast a suspicious glare int heir direction and took a few steps back, preparing to flee if need be. You never knew with these mysterious types.

"Yeah, that's me. What's it to you?"

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

Teo nodded to Dak, "Hey Trawler." He wondered if Trawler was even needed for this, he might just whine the whole time. Or he might actually be productive, something Teo remembered Dak being when he first met him.

 

[Incubi Priest]

"Would you two like to accompany me to a cantina? There we may discuss the specifics of your assignment in a more relaxed setting. And, no offense, but I really don't fit in well here in the docks. I stand out like a Wookiee in a Gossam colony. I'll be buying our drinks, to be sure."

Belial smiled. At least now he had the two. That was the important part. All he needed to do now was pay them enough to get them on board.

 

[jediduncan]

"Oh! Hey... umm... you! How... uhh... how you doin'?"

Clearly Dak didn't remember Teo, most likely caused by his love of spice. Or maybe it was because Dak was already a little intoxicated. Or maybe he just didn't remember him. Regardless, Dak didn't wait for an answer from Teo once the other guy suggested they head to a bar.

"You're buying drinks, you weird little freak? I'm there."

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

"I'm up for a drink, sure they'll let him back in?"

Teo accompanied the two into the cantina where he ordered a drink and sat down with the rest of them. He recognized most of the people in the cantina. He'd helped one or two, boguth soem parts from another. Most were temporary partners or employees, but he didn't want to talk to any of them.

"So what are we doing?"

 

[Incubi Priest]

Belial disregarded the crude and insulting reference made towards him as the drunken words of a fool so as to conduct business the way he was paid to. After all, while the pay was handsome, failure meant death. Leading the way into the cantina, Belial sat opposite the two engineers and spoke in a tone so that only they could hear.

"Several people will be escorted across the galaxy to various locations for various reasons. Archaeologists, Jedi, fallen Jedi, mercenaries, and a Spice Lord will be on board, as well as others I'm sure. My employer needs the two greatest engineers in the galaxy to captain the vessels and make sure they stay operational. The pay is handsome and the job simple. However, as the full information of this mission has not been revealed to me, I am unable to disclose it to you. Thus, to make up for lack of full information, I am prepared to meet almost any demand you make."

 

[jediduncan]

"A bazillion credits!"

Dak nearly jumped out of his chair and his eyes popped out of his head. Now here was an opportunity!

"And a fleet of my own personal capital ships! And... and... a whole armada of slaves! Of all races! And spice! Oh yeah, lots and lots of spice!"

Dak resumed a normal posture and put his eyes back into his sockets. He then slunk down in his chair and folded his arms like a little kid.

"And not a penny less!"

 

[Incubi Priest]

Belial smiled. He already didn't like this Dak fellow, but he had strict orders. Of course, his orders were to recruit the two by any means necessary. While he wasn't about to resort to kidnapping, there were ways that were both subtle and illicit.

"Now those demands are a bit too much. However, keep in mind that my employer has the power to make sure you never find a job again. Two hundred credits per hour a piece should suffice. Mr. Trawler, since you strive to own slaves and spice, I will make arrangements with my superior, Mr. Beesko, who is a very wealthy slave owner. Twenty five slaves, whatever species you request and whatever age you request, all yours. I can provide you with your own vessel as well. However, on the matter of spice," Belial smiled and leaned in a bit closer, "one of the passengers is the most profitable and powerful Spice Lord in the galaxy: a Gossam by the name of Eul Tymn. Through sheer genius in chemistry and the integration of physics into spice making, he has produced more variations of spice in the past year than have been invented at all previously. I'm sure I can work out an arrangement with him for you."

 

[jediduncan]

All that spice, and it would be his! This was even better than he'd imagined!

"I don't care what the mission is, you've got yourself a deal!"

Dak grabbed Belials hand and shook it vigorously, giving the Umbaran no chance to respond . He burst up out of his chair and leaned over the table, giving Belial a stupid grin.

"Now when do we start?"

 

[Ru the Boatswain]

As Teo was forced to watch the events unfold in front of him, he sighed. Dak was an idiot, on spice he was a complete fool. It would be a wonder if he could read the diagnostics on the ship. It wasn't any matter, Teo could probably keep it going for the most part, pilot the ship and perform maintenance.

"What kind of ship are we piloting?"

Teo realized he could be flying a capitol ship for all he knew. And with only Dak, they'd go up in sparks after the first jump.