All Quiet on Bakura-6:

[Heveticus Maw]

Heveticus managed to expand his company's productivity immensely since its creation. He had been kept busy for some time. After a quiet spot of business, Heveticus decided he wished to investigate his first major client, who Maw Construction Group had built a research base for. Heveticus went through all the correct channels and procedures to begin communication with his first client, Mr Achilleus Erebian, but with no success.

Heveticus had had desires to acquire the hidden research base on Bakura-6. Maw Construction Group has research and development facilities in its offices, but they suffer from local laws and regulations. Heveticus desires to use the secure facilities for future development of products. At the time of its construction, Maw Construction Group did not have the foundation or the capital to pay for such a facility. Heveticus felt both concern about the state of the facility, and desire to get his hands on it, after the failure to secure communications. Heveticus wanted to go to the facility personally and was easily able to now that his business has competent enough staff who can manage his company the way Heveticus desires for more than a month. Heveticus made sure to keep his intentions hidden when he hired a mercenary retinue to accompany him.

Research Facility

 

[Heveticus Maw]

Heveticus believed that most of the mercenaries available on the market were too high-profile, so he looked for ex-soldiers who were still skilled, but no longer have veteran benefits and who are out of work. He managed to gather 7 men and bolstered his retinue with 3 prototype combat droids that were still under development at Maw Construction Group.
Maw Construction Group's presence on Bakura allowed Heveticus to cut a long trip short and prevent being intercepted by pirates and bandits.

"Mr Maw, we are prepared and have stocked your shuttle with all that you asked, with extra winter equipment. We are ready to leave on your order," the lead mercenary, Jyjax Morthon said.

"Announce our departure to the port authorities, then fly on the usual lanes and break away suddenly. We do not want to be followed."

A short and uneventful journey it was, no one was following them. Not a sound was heard, but that is to be expected in space. No ships beyond what were moving into and out of the orbit of Bakura were shown on the sensors. Entering the planet was dangerous and difficult for the pilot of the shuttle. The landing area was currently suffering from a snow storm.

"Pilot, land in the ruins of the colony. I don't believe we will have been detected yet and I would prefer to stay that way for now."

The ruins were caused a long time ago. Levelled in the waning days of the Galactic Empire after an attack by the Ssi-Ruuk. Not even the residents of Bakura have wanted to re-colonise Bakura-6 since then.

 

[Heveticus Maw]

Heveticus attempted to use the ship's comms to send a message to the owner of Satis Frigidum. It did not succeed. Few new about the facility, fewer knew that terms of ownership.

"Pilot, I am leaving you with one of the droids. If something goes wrong, send messages only to my personal communicator."

Heveticus moved to a cold weather environment suit and started to put it on.

"The rest of you, put your environment suits on, I think we will all need them."

He heard people say they were ready as he powered on the droids. He made sure the droids were programmed to shoot to stun and to follow his orders only. He left orders for the droid staying behind to shoot any unidentified target.

"Pilot open the shuttle in 10 seconds. The rest of you, let's go."

The party walked straight into the snowstorm and started the arduous trek to the research base. Without the environment suits, they would certainly be dead. Heveticus almost forgot about the defences outside the facility, he hoped that the turrets were unmanned, he frowned, because of the ease of entry it allowed, he made a mental note to install automated turrets outside, rather than just the in facilities' corridors.

"Jyjax, can you see anyone with your thermal sensor?"

"None."

"Let's go, the frontal defences are abandoned. Be prepared for sentry turrets on the interior. I placed a security redundancy in the entry door that leads to the common room."

Heveticus noticed a frozen body wearing a scientists uniform. He rolled the body over and read the nametag as Head Scientist Fefferin.

"Strange, I wonder why they are outside? I need to find the Administrator of the facility... I will send the droids in first"

Heveticus opened the door, immediately the droids ran through and checked the common room. Heveticus heard weapons fire as Jyjax and two other mercenaries entered. Heveticus looked in to see scientists on the ground, stunned by his party. He looked more closely at them. Their ID tags showed them as Special Weapons development.

"Mr Maw, there is a pile of bodies over here," a mercenary said. "They are dead. Their ID tags show them as security for Special Weapons Dev."

"Secure the unconscious scientists. As far as I am aware, this facility is under lock-down. We should go straight to administration, the elevator is the third door on the left."

Heveticus commanded one droid to watch the bodies and stun them whenever they regained consciousness, and the other to follow him into the elevator. The party stripped themselves of their environment suits, as they are too unwieldy for tight spaces.

"I imagine one of you is a capable slicer. Activate this lift."

 

[Heveticus Maw]

The elevator took them higher and higher into the facility. The opposite direction meant no natural light, no natural air. Living here for too long could drive some to insanity. The only hangar in the facility was located in the administration level and was constructed to be entirely concealed when desired. Besides the ground door, it is the only way in or out. The party exited the elevator into the reception, with the administrator office directly ahead and the way to the hangar on the right. The room's furniture was scattered and there were several bodies strewn across the room. There were living security staff, who jumped in surprise and aimed their weapons at the group.
Blaster fire erupted around them and one of the mercenaries was killed instantly and one getting grazed. The mercenaries destroyed the turrets as soon as they could, fortunately, several of the turrets were already disabled by the previous conflict in the room. Weapons fire was exchanged. The mercenaries were very capable and worth their cost, with ruthless efficiency they took down the hostiles. A quick glance showed that the dead bodies in the reception shared the job of Special Weapons Development, the same that the scientists in the previous room had.

Heveticus managed to avoid blaster fire and ran straight for the administrator room, with his droid close behind.

 

[Heveticus Maw]

Heveticus activated the droids verbal memorising protocol.

"ARGH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? HOW DID YOU GET IN?" Achilleus Erebian, the facility administrator and independant owner said. "Are you here to kill me too? Why does that droid look so threatening? Who paid you to kill me?"

"I am pleased to see you are running this facility so well," Heveticus said sarcastically. "My purpose here was to follow up on the facility. What has caused this lock-down?"
Heveticus questioned.

"Damn that company. They couldn't be trusted! They were building weapons to kill me! That nerve gas got most of them. Why didn't you just put canisters in the rest of the facility?"

"Do you have proof that they were breaking your contract?" Heveticus noticed used auto-injectors on a desk.

"I have recordings! Yes. They couldn't plot anymore after they were dead though." Achilleus started to fiddle under his desk.

"Lock-down is under effect, does anyone know what you've done?"

"NOPE!" Achilleus said as he pulled out his blaster and fired at Heveticus. The shot would have collided, had the Administrator been of a sound mind.


"End encoding. Attack Hostile, Lethal force."

The droid extended its flamethrower attachment and spewed fire over the administrator, igniting him, then killing him.

 

[Heveticus Maw]

Heveticus checked the facility systems.

*Locked*

"Droid, modulate my voice so it mimics the now dead Administrator's."

"End lock-down, Override code 12345"

*Voice Recognised. Access Granted*

*Lock-down ended*

"New Administrator, name: Heveticus Maw."

"Delete User: Achilleus Erebian."

"End voice modulation."

Heveticus wondered how long Achilleus had been abusing substances. A smart person would have changed the override code and installed a multi-person override. Heveticus re-started the facilities comms and said,

"I am Heveticus Maw, the new administrator. Your previous administrator has been forcibly removed on the grounds of murdering countless innocent staff."

He waited several minutes for the Head Staff from each research area to come to administration, which he had had tidied of the bodies.

"The contract on the Galactic business register shows that I am now the new owner of this facility. You may keep your positions as long as you continue to follow the contract you signed on employment. Unlike your previous employer, I do not have a spice abuse problem. As a gesture of goodwill, your salaries will increase by 10% across the board."

"The dead in the hired research area will be disposed of. There will be controlled release stating they died in a mining accident. It is not my intention to deceive, however, it never looks good to release information that over one hundred people have died in a chemical attack. I hope you find your employment under Maw Construction Group and the future subsidiary of said company, H&M, satisfactory."

 

[Heveticus Maw]

The money seemed to be the reason his new staff didn't leave straight away. If he had planned the situation better, he might have been able to inspire better loyalty. Regardless, his arrival at the facility could not have been better timed for Heveticus. He gained a research facility and a new base of operations. He had already started moving his own research staff into the facility, switching the staff already in the facility. He believed they might like him better if that had some paid leave.

Heveticus Maw put high priority on his new construction foreman/engineer droid, as he was hoping to finish that soon. He would personally stay as the facility administrator until he felt that they could run sufficiently on their own.