Diplomacy Acid Rain (Nar Shaddaa - HSC | SJC)

[Mr Black]

Zeppa District: Goldhand Route: Mneros Lounge.

An upmarket lounge, with areas that were designed for their occupants, Mneros mimicked desire, clever holo-technology shaping areas to appear unique to their guests tastes. People carried drinks and light food to each table of guests but this was a high end lounge, a rarer sight on this particular planet than most others with wealth. Certainly there were many here flaunting their wealth like the Hutts but even the Hutts here had come for a taste of something different. It cost a lot to get in the lounge and just being here was a bragging right in itself.

Against a holo backdrop of corporate seclusion in an otherwise gang ridden paradise sat Mr Black at a grey table. Clean and tidy, professional. There were a dozen Apex corporate security around of course and the woman that sat with him was not just arm candy. The red dress she wore, as dangerous to the eyes as she was to their lives.

Around him the hologram made it appear they were in a corporate office, down to the smallest details, when in fact they were in a building he hoped to purchase for both its location and purpose. It was as far away from any competitor on this moon as he could get for one.

In his synthweave suit sipping stimcaf, he exchanged looks with his beautiful blonde assistant, as the Twi'lek opposite offered them the details of the purchase. Black was rarely seen out of his office and so security here was very tight. He had wanted a first hand view of events.

The infamous black briefcase came out and it unfolded automatically to produce a small foldout desk in front of him, tailored made to his needs. The droid inside the now arranged desk responded with a greeting and a request for input across its display screen.

Passing observers might hear sounds like ideal location, no competitors nearby, room with a view which meant ALOT more than it sounded like. The location was near a company specializing in a particular brand of equipment. Monitoring Droids. Secrets to hear for the right ears, or missed opportunities for those not quick enough to catch the future before it happened.

 

[Aalto Jien]

Zavaras District
Enaron City,
Club Red 11: The Highway to hell.

Falling over the vision inside was a smoky mist, pierced with purple neon. Smoke and mirrored lighting adding to ambience. A low beat filled the senses, steady and relaxed. The club swelled with legal highs and drinks to blow your mind, especially your common sense. Deals were done in booths blocked from view, with more than one guard at the tables making sure they were not overheard.

Deals that put you on a path or what we call the highway. Next stop maybe Red 12, Hobsons Hell offering no choice as to the next destination, or even Red 15, known as Fifteen Days to Pay. Funny thing was this was all legal, it was done planet by planet within the laws, moving you on until you hit one that cost you your freedom. When you got to Red 11, what might have started with a contract dispute or missed payment was already getting serious.

An intricate network that Goros the Hutt and Lady Blue had feuded over for a decade. To funnel the unfortunate along a highway that always ended up the same at each stop lose, lose, lose, then lose it all.

For tonight seeking a piece of the action. There were a dozen Pyke Mercenaries here, there were more of Tadietti Tann's own Twi'lek entourage that looked as beautiful as they did lethal. Finally the exchange had a few representatives vying for their own business. It was a sure fire thing that the veiled twi'lek known as Blue was armed and armored, but you couldn't see how from in her seat. It might even be one of the body doubles that she was known to use, that was what Aalto was trying to observe. His competition and how he could crack it open. An opportunity for any Jedi if they sensed his true motive here, the disunity between vipers looking to bite each others prey.

Watching from his booth with five Exchange Enforcers sitting with him. He had a basic black armorplast suit, which looked professional but not particularly expensive. It was light enough to move in and could pass as club wear. A sonic blaster, as well as a regular holdout blasters hidden away with stun grenades and a variety of kit designed to take his new employees back with him. You could see he was armed, not over the top because it was played down, subtle.

Gear:
Basic Armorplast Suit | 2 x Holdout Blaster (Hidden in suit) | 2x Stun Grenades (Hidden in suit) | Sonic Concussive Blaster (Left Hip) | Lifeform Scanner (Belt) | Personal Energy Shield (Belt) | Shock Whip (Right Hip) | Basic Medkit (Belt) | 1x Stun Cuffs (Belt)

NPCs: 5 x Exchange Enforcers

 

[Madison Starr]

Sector 78 Corporate Hotel Bar

They'd both finished their drinks in awkward silence. Just like the emptiness of this city too. It all felt wasted in the end.

"So." Madison breached the distance between them with a faint smile, "I guess this is goodbye then?"

"Yeah." The handsome man nodded. Leaving it at that.

"Well. ...Then?" She took a deep breath and pushed her tea aside. Pursing her lips and shrugging to herself, "I guess this is it then?"

"Yeah." He nodded. Not much more to say really.

"Um. Okay. Guess I'll take my leave and leave you to it."

She took another deep breath and reached for her helm. Then stood up from the booth. She was going to say something else when he shuffled to interrupt her.

"Starr. Wait."

She turned. Surprised at his sudden haste.

"Don't do this one." He sighed. Half defeated. Half struggling to fight harder. To find the right words.

"Don't go through with tonight. Is what I'm trying say."

"I heard you the first time." She looked away and turned her helm over to find the straps. Hesitating for just a moment, before covering her face again. Then she looked back at him. Frowning.

He cut her off, "Look just talk to Nixie before you go any further with this Jedi Shadow thing, okay. Because, trust me. It's over for this place. For all of Hutt Space. Hell, for all of the old Bryn worlds too. You'd just be killing your spy career before it ever got started. And remember. You don't want to be last one holding the reins on this thing when some political oversight committee comes calling from the Council. You know what happens when the public gets word of this kinda stuff. The Black Files. All of it. Even for the Jedi. It gets ugly. Really fast."

Madison frowned harder and slipped back on her helm. Yes. There was truth to his words. Remarkably so. But why? Why now? Just when she was so close to making a change. A change she thought she really, really wanted.

"You don't." He pushed. "Trust me. You don't want this life. Not now. Not in Silver Space. Not anymore."

She sighed. Damn. Maybe he really could read her mind sometimes. Kark.

So she paused.

Then turned her golden helm to face him. One last time.

"...okay." She said. Feeling half defeated herself.

Mads immediately deflated. Almost immediately overcome with joy and relief.

"Yeah. Okay." He said.

She stood there in silence once more. Waiting for him to finally let it all sink in. And it did. Eventually.

So, slowly. He moved to stand. Grabbing his helmet and pushing himself away from the booth. Starr pulled out a few credits and threw them on the table. She'd pay. He was retiring after all. Had to watch his budget now. No more Silver Spymaster expense reports to cover you. Heh.

"Can I walk you to your ship?" She offered.

"Yeah. Always." He nodded.

They moved to leave the bar. Reentered the rainy market streets. Then headed for the nearby spaceport. Looking rugged and criminal as they walked through the neon dark.

"You'll still come and visit. Right?" Mads laughed. Feeling like his old self again.

"Pfft. You wish." She smiled. Then punched him the arm.

"Ow! Ha!"

They both laughed. And they both agreed.

Retirement sucks.

Aww. Oh well? Time to find a new job, I guess.

. . .


Madison Starr never showed up for the planetary vote assignment. By the time the Consortium had made their move. She was already half way to Kashyyyk in her blue X-Wing Starfighter. Remembering back to what Mads had said to her in the beginning of this job with a smile.

It was all just, Macro Economics.

. . .

*fin

 

[Hayde Torve]

Allies: SJC
Enemies: Sal Katarn | Argos of the East | Kingsley


She wandered around the space port, peering through windows and other openings - typically absolutely horrible behavior for any sort of professional intelligence gatherer. It was entirely obvious and suspicious, and given the type of people on Nar Shaddaa, it'd almost guarantee a barrage of dirty looks and very likely a fight. But she could play those to her advantages too. The saving grace of appearing so entirely nosy is that very few people would think she was a legitimate intelligence agent or even a rival criminal.

A gamorrean shooed her away from a stall after she looked at it too long, giving her grunts which she guessed were a threat to cave in her skull. She guessed he probably could too - if he could actually get ahold of her. The whine of nearby repulsorlift caught her attention - taking note of moving objects in your surroundings was an obvious life-saving practice in this line of work - and caused her to turn back to see speeder glide a halt in front of the loading dock. A humanoid with a prosthetic arm stepped out, which while mildly interesting, was less interesting than him drinking alcohol in public. Probably relatively common if technically illegal on the world. But who came to him was even more interesting than that: an arkanian.

She abruptly turned around and started making her way towards the pair, taking careful note of her surroundings, notably possible allies and opponents, along with potential hazards and escape routes. In a place like this, the sheer number of potential variables was high - any fight would be chaotic. Help would probably take a while to arrive if she called for back-up, but that help was a large number of well equipped troops that were recent veterans of the Bryn'adul War. She felt she could ultimately win any fight in the end, if she could just survive the initial minutes long enough. A smile creased her face as she approached the two humanoid males as she sized them up. She guessed that the cyborg was probably the more dangerous of the two, but her priority was the other. She looked the arkanian in the eye even as she made sure her ring trigger for her static blaster was properly in place for a quick draw.

"You both look like some people I really need to meet. I understand you know a thing or two about animals and local politicians...I've got some credits for a consultation fee if you have the time..."


Mission Equipment:

Spoiler

Cabarello-series Armored Clothes (street clothes appearance)
LPD-62 Firefist Compact Pistol
LPD-49 Astrapi Miniaturized Static Blaster (left wrist)
Myntor Personal Shield
LPD-35 Shadowcaster Gaseous Grenade (x1)
LPD-54 Neutroburst Radiation Grenade (x2)

 

[Argos of the East]

Argos furrowed his brow behind the out of place sunglasses he chose to wear at night. The frown on his face was expected, and the dirty look he'd offer the stranger approaching was entirely acceptable given the situation. Anyone ballsy enough to approach Argos like this was either a hunter, or someone with an ego.​

​

Both were dangerous.​

​

"This the part where I ask what you're interested in, doll?", Argos said flatly.​

​

"We play the back and forth, you play your fiddle and I pretend to get strung along? Maybe you see this ending with me in a Jedi court room confessing my sins - maybe this is death by stranger."​

​

He lit up a cigarette and sucked down a touch of smoke before letting his hand rest on the large hand cannon on his hip.​

​

"Give you two options. One, you walk away - remember to forget this ever happened. Two, you go the way of the glass I just tossed off the edge. Got a preference?"​

​

Sal Katarn // Kingsley // Hayde Torve​

 

[Sal Katarn]

Jeth looked between the two of them, an eyebrow raising as he grunted.

"Come on now, give the woman a break. Animals? I don't-"

The acklay inside the freighter screamed. Loudly.

Jeth sighed.

"Yeah. I know some animals. What are you interested in?"

Argos of the East | Hayde Torve

 

[Argos of the East]

Argos let his tough guy persona slip for the smallest moment as he glanced over to Sal Katarn . Instead of saying anything, he just tilted his head forward and mouthed; "You serious?"​

​

In his head, he thought he sounded cool.​

 

[Mr Black]

Zeppa District: Goldhand Route: Mneros Lounge.

In his pristine holographic version of reality. Where the world was all numbers and profit margins. Assets to be acquired and problems to removed. Black looked up from the droid run briefcase as the numbers were run. He checked with his assistant and she shook her head. Numbers of a different sort, calculations of survival.

Another beautiful dressed green Twi'lek server had handed out drinks to a nearby table, tipped more than most people would make in a year, so nobody here was hurting for credits. She swayed her way passed blacks assistant, Black didn't even look up, instead he leaned forward.

"Does your deal include the three Zann Consortium operatives at that table watching us."

Three operatives that were now face down from the poison they'd just consumed in their drinks. It wouldn't kill them, just give them a hell of a hangover tomorrow or whatever day they woke up.

"Because they would lower my price."

"But But But," the Twi'lek tried to answer. Now the thing was Black didn't care, it was all business. He made out like he cared, like he didn't expect the backstabbing. The assistant haggled, while he sipped a now red liquor. First tested by the scanner on his wrist for a similar poison he'd just used.

His blonde assistant curled up in his lap. Eventually Black nodded when he'd got his way, twenty five percent off the price. It wasn't the money, it was the understanding that double dealing could leave corpses. That was the important message to this Twi'lek's employers and the consortium itself.

Public displays were distasteful but recently the Zann Consortium had left him little option than to state the point clearly. "Ahhhh." He dabbed his lips with a silver napkin that probably cost as much as a meal.

"I think we'd like to order now."

 

[Aalto Jien]

Zavaras District
Enaron City,
Club Red 11: The Highway to hell.

Thankfully it seemed a quiet night, nobody had made a move or changed anything. Not thankfully for him as he'd like to have seen some disruption to his competitors. Aalto was far too cautious to do anything this public. Pulling up a cloth collar from his armor he sunk back into his smoky booth with the exchange enforcers to talk business.

"You heard about the Brood moving on the Zann Consortium?" One asked.

"Just talk." Another grunted. "Always some Bantha spew acting tough."

Aalto watched and waited. The exchange he worked with was calmer than most of those around here, they got on with the brood most of the time. Mechanical, cyborgs weren't prone to acts of emotion, which helped make them easier to deal with. The Zann Consortium though, not much better than a bunch of pirates on stims

Then he caught sight of it, a raised blaster. So did the Twi'leks entourage, as they moved quicker than he could see. A second later there was a scream and a shot. The music kept playing, the shooter was down on the ground, held by the arms, and twisted into a knot. The hutts weren't playing around there, probably just one more gang trying to make their bones taking out the big cheese. They'd missed their chance.

Aalto turned back to the group. "Another bounty contract for the taking. Go check it out." One of the enforcers left the table to see what opportunity lay ahead.

 

[Kingsley]

"Rrraawwwk! So, the lady has a thing for animals."

Kingsley leaned against his stolen airspeeder. Angry bha'lir paws swiped through cage bars for the smuggler's beak but he didn't even notice. Instead, he swaggered toward Hayde Torve with lustful eyes.

"Hey there, dollface. Just so happens I'm an exotic creature tamer."

He waggled his eyebrows to really drive the entendre home. Glancing over at Argos of the East and Sal Katarn , Kingsley puffed out his chest to show bird dominance.

"Don't waste your time on these sleemos."

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Eh?" Gorba looked up from his datapad as Xyoz Maji entered his office high rise. He looked the Togorian up and down, then leaned back and set the data pad down.

"Bargain? What sort of bargain?"

If he was not interested in a good bargain, could he even call himself a Hutt?

 

[Xyoz Maji]

​

The Shistavanen lugged up the case onto the table, humming as he popped the lid. Inside, compressed pack of what was clearly Spice. He flashed a grin, patting the supplies. "Giggledust. Best kind of spice this side of the galaxy. I'm not a big time dealer of it or anything, but I got my sources n' such. And you're moving in, right? So here's what I offer. You let me keep selling and making a name for myself under ya, and you keep all the profits. Money ain't something I need. Just the fame."

He took out one of the cases, holding it out. "Here, try a sample."

Gorba the Hutt

 

[Mr Black]

Zeppa District: Goldhand Route: Mneros Lounge.

Property sales and Zann Consortium business behind him, Black was enjoying the meal. A specifically purified blackfish and almond delicacy from Naboo, arranged to his exacting tastes. He looked up at the briefcase reports, like another might read the paper. Checking the latest holonet financials. "Galactic Medical is down again, GNN up." His assistant tried to remain interested but she was enjoying her food too much, even if this sterile corporate backdrop wasn't exactly thrilling. Black took the hint, his briefcase droid refolded itself back to his side. He'd have to request a combat model upgrade from R&D for next time they visited.

While his assistant and he had shared some knowing glances much their meal, most of his attention had been on the new HRD droid that was sitting at his table. Mechanical and lacking some social graces the HRD was nevertheless attired professionally. He had wanted a few new upgrades to the security team, so tonight they had been testing its social response.

"And if I were to harm you?" He asked the HRD between mouthfuls.

"I would contact technical support remotely. Operational Parameters do not allow me to harm senior Apex Corporate Staff." The voice came back, hardly a convincing human.

With a long exacting look toward a security staff member standing by the wall. Black was clearly not impressed and his assistant could see it. "He needs work." A few notes were hurriedly made in a datapad by the staff member, and the company communication systems soon reflected this. That would mean someone's career was in trouble to say the least.

The droid did better when not asked about its mission or purpose directly, it seemed to blend in to the social situation with more ease. After an uneventful rest of the meal. The trio rose from their booth, and black arm in arm with his beautiful assistant, exited the lounge, front and back guarded by over a dozen Apex Security members. They didn't pay, because they'd just bought the building.

A large Pink Hutt was waiting to discuss business, how the times had changed to have him waiting outside in the cold by the limousine.

Fin for Black

 

[Aalto Jien]

Zavaras District
Enaron City,
Club Red 11: The Highway to hell.

After a few wagers on arena fights, podracing results, and more Calypso-synth music, the group were rejoined by the enforcer. All heads looked up expecting good news or a potential payday.

"Yeah he was either from the Khagnate, or a disgruntled customer, maybe a local gang we haven't heard of, independent branching out on their own," The enforcer declared with a shrug.

"So we have no idea." Aalto commented dryly.

"Well they sort of shot him so it was hard to tell." The enforcer replied matter-of-factly, getting back to the business of drinking with the rest of them.

Aalto tugged on his collar again, but then his calculating mind kicked in. The wheels of a plan were turning. "Blame the Crymorah Syndicate, set them up for a gut punch, and get us some financing while paying someone half to settle that score" No blowback because they'd just be a middleman. As usual just where he liked to be, not at the top as a target, or the bottom as expendable. It would just take spreading the word with the right people.

The enforcers looked at each other, then back at Aalto. "Not bad," one said. The SJC had been kicking the syndicate for who knows how long now, couldn't hurt to turn the heat up a bit. Besides Aalto hated the Crymorah taking bites out of his extortion schemes more then anything. He'd lost two handlers in a month because of the rivalry.

 

[Hayde Torve]

Allies: SJC
Enemies: Sal Katarn | Argos of the East | Kingsley

In less than five minutes, she had been told three different things by three different people, none of which were really compatible with other. Two of them were perfectly good reasons to start a street fight, which was almost tempted to do - these clearly weren't the most reputable people she met, but fighting them would only delay her mission. She eyed the group with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment, but with a tinge of fear. She was outnumbered, but she was also the only who had a finger on a trigger, though the others probably weren't aware of concealed wrist blaster...yet.

Her eyes turned from Argos of the East to Kingsley and back again, "I don't know you two, and from the sounds of it, I don't want to. My business is with the arkanian here. Unless you guys want to get entangled into something big that possibly involves the Jedi and the feds, leave me out of it."

Her eyes bored into Sal Katarn , "I'm interested in a political animal, so to speak. One that's been doing some talking about voting for the Corellia District. Might you know anything about that? Or someone who does?"


Mission Equipment:

Spoiler

Cabarello-series Armored Clothes (street clothes appearance)
LPD-62 Firefist Compact Pistol
LPD-49 Astrapi Miniaturized Static Blaster (left wrist)
Myntor Personal Shield
LPD-35 Shadowcaster Gaseous Grenade (x1)
LPD-54 Neutroburst Radiation Grenade (x2)

 

[Argos of the East]

"You aren't really about to sell information to someone who isn't vetted, are you?", Argos said with a glance to Sal Katarn .​

​

"Let's get this show on the road - plenty of finer looking space women where we're going. Probably cost you alot less in the long run even if they gave you a bug that won't quit either...", he said with a grimace.​

​

Kingsley // Hayde Torve​

 

[Sal Katarn]

The Arkanian grunted, then started fishing in the flap of his cargo pocket. White, pupilless eyes looked over at the bird, then back to the other two. His fingers came out holding a pack of smokes. He pulled one out and stuck it between his lips.

"Anybody really vetted these days?" he mumbled as his fingers dove back in for the lighter after offering one to Argos. "Run a scan while I light one if that's how you feel. Birdbrain here don't seem bothered."

"Anyhow, money is money, ain't like we need to lit a shuck out right now." The mercenary shrugged, cupping a hand over his mouth to shield the smoke as he lit it and sucked in a lungful, then blew it out in a cloud.

"So maybe I do know," he said, looking directly at Hayde, "maybe I don't. Maybe I know someone else who does." He glanced sidelong at Argos.

"All depends on what you're willin' to pay."

 

[Sable Mur]

Sometimes, honestly most of the time, she wondered if Lok Xiangu understood how hiring people worked. Typically, almost always, it required not knocking someone's boss off - this wasn't a movie, and they weren't taking over a literal fiefdom. "Just.." She sighed almost the moment the word left her lips, wetting them with her tongue before she bit her upper lip in silent frustration. She had to take it slowly sometimes, particularly when it came to anything social that didn't involve putting a fist through a door or a blaster against someone's chin - talking was her wheelhouse, even if she was a little rough around the edges when it came to sympathizing with the poors. She glanced around, trying to find something to momentarily occupy her mind so she wouldn't have to deal with a literal headache as well as a figurative one, and came up empty.

"Remember when I was a very nice lady and tried to pay you to leave me alone, maybe threw out some really big numbers at you that I am now realizing you didn't comp- I mean, that you thought I was worth more?" She asked, rather pedantically. If it wasn't clear that she was metaphorically waving credits in his face then she wasn't sure what she'd have to do to get him to understand why she was so fussy about things like the cleanliness of his apartment. "I'll buy.. invest in a bunch of businesses in lower income spots around Denon's dirtier parts, silent owner and all that, and we can use those places as a front to smuggle our stuff through."

"Shipping yards, packaging plants, the whole thing." Sable added, probably anticipating a question relating her suggestion to the relevance of his question. "Then we use connections that I am certain you are going to steer me into making for us to supply ourselves with this illegal tech." In all honesty the whole system this sort of smuggling business operated on was rather easy to understand, at least in her mind - it wasn't like modeling and art, sometimes both at the same time, weren't sometimes fronts for money laundering and drug smuggling anyway.

"Now if we start getting pressure from anyone locally.. well, you know what you'll do then."

 

[Aalto Jien]

Zavaras District
Enaron City,
Club Red 11: The Highway to hell

Out of nowhere, a Defel made itself known right next to the table, half the enforcers flinched one spilling his drink everywhere, it made Aalto scratch above his eye, chewing on some spaceweed. "Why do you insist on doing that." Always appearing out of nowhere by bending the light.

"Its what we do. I'll make it up ta'ya. Have I got a deal for you!" The furry Defel stated, far too enthusiastically for this table. Nobody seemed very impressed but they were here, and in this booth, so they listened. Duros spaceweed was chewed.

"Listen listen, it's like this, when the Hutts setup in Nar Shadda proper, we say we're part of the government see, here to welcome them." Their Defel 'friend' continued.

More spaceweed was chewed.

"Lay it on real thick, be all official-like, take some bribes and maybe get on the Hutts payroll as local officials see." He seemed into this plan, really thinking it through.

Eventually someone interrupted. "Nar Shaddaa official." One looked at another, and then there was a smirk. The two of them burst out laughing. "Moon official. I like it, we'll get a badge." The other joked, "call ourselves a new sheriff in town."

An evermore large amount of Spaceweed was chewed, making a furious chewing pace for the Duros broker. The night had been full of half-glasses and no good drink Aalto reminded himself. "Just stop and sit." Nar Shadda officials, along with the five hundred other gang 'officials' and syndicates that called this place home. He needed something more serious to sink his teeth into not a half bounty, and a fairytale.

 

[Kingsley]

"Rrrrawk! I like a girl who plays hard to get."

Kingsley glanced between Hayde Torve and Sal Katarn before realizing that obviously this was some kind of test of his machismo. He needed to demonstrate value before she would consider him a worthy suitor.

"All depends on what you're willin' to pay."

"How about you tell the pretty lady," the smuggler squawked, "what she needs to know?"

He threw an awkward haymaker at the bounty hunter which threatened to clip Argos of the East on its way. Kingsley couldn't really fight but swung as hard as a wookiee.