Asset or Accomplice? [Aldo Zarkot]

[Barrett Haskins]

Nar Shaddaa had been a good enough home to the rapscallion these last few months; he had met a lot of interesting people and received a good amount of business. No matter how up things seemed to be going for Barrett he constantly found himself looking for the next big break, knowing it was right around the corner. That continuous spark of hope had helped him get out of a lot of bad situations, referring to it as ‘smuggler’s luck’ more than once. It was also that hope that landed him a personal interview with the CEO of Zarkot Industries, a well-known arms and armor dealer, making Mr. Zarkot the richest man Barrett had met to date.

Dressed in his finest suit, playing the role of the debonair tradesman caught up in hard times and willing to make an extra buck where possible, though he was actually flat out broke and needed a way out of debt with the crime lords whose presence he had been avoiding by hiding out with the Hutts, not even the Avian Vice gang lords messed with Hutt space after the takeover, it had turned out to be a good hiding spot for the rogue.

Brown boots made from the finest leathers (or at least crafted to look that way) matched well with the grey suit he was wearing, even styling his hair to look more professional than the messy birds nest it usually was, he was attempting to appear hireable. They were very vague as to what the job was however, when Barrett looked them up on the HoloNet, they came up clean of too many scandals meaning they were very good at keeping what they did very quiet, a good career move for Haskins. The chipper smuggler was getting closer to the towering business building taller than most of thebooming Nar Shaddaa skyline.

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“I have an appointment with Mr. Zarkot, my name is Barrett Haskins.” He waited for the receptionist to check her files, she was a very pretty girl, though too young for Barrett, she had soft blue eyes and crimson hair, fiery wisps to match the fiery mischief that twinkled in her eyes. She finally pressed a green button that opened a special elevator to the left of the desk, probably reserved for special guests, and probably the only way to the top floor where Barrett was headed. This was all a new feeling to him, he had become accustomed to sneaking his way in and stealing the metaphorical diamond before taking off into the night. Haskins scurried off to the elevator trying not to make a fool of himself in front of the young receptionist, he started feeling very nervous for the first time in a long time with the meeting getting closer and closer.

Up the elevator went, scaling the levels of Nar Shaddaa very quickly, faster than any elevator Barrett had been on planetside. Scrolling through the city-planet that fast was like watching a quick peek through how the people on the planet really lived, you started out in a middle class section and the higher you traveled the fancier it got, and finally you broke through and the sunlight was peeking out, meaning whoever he was meeting with had one of the tallest buildings this side of the planet which was a promising sign for Barrett.

The sunlight that broke through the clouds and over the metal high-rises kissed the smuggler’s skin for the first time in far too long, having decided to stay in the cockpit of a freighter or below where the last rays of sunlight reach in order to avoid detection by the odd bounty hunter who recognizes him. It felt nice to be able to show his face in the open airs again without fear of getting shot. On his ascent up the gigantic building only two thoughts raced through his usually sporadic mind, ‘Wow this guy is rich!’ and ‘I hope that means he has good whiskey.’

Finally the elevator reached the top floor with a resounding ding! The metallic doors started sliding open, soon Barrett would be seated in the office of one of the major player of galactic arms trade, a feat most smugglers aspire for but never achieve. "Hello, Mr. Zarkot!" He offered with a handshake as he walked out of the elevator.

 

[Aldo Zarkot]

"Creators log, beta test number one twenty-seven, D-1 Prototype Armor, flight test."

Aldo felt unusually powerful while he was inside of the suit, though it was big and bulky, he quite enjoyed the feeling of power he had while inside of it. Not a big man, Aldo was never one to go looking for a fight, but in a suit like this he felt damn near unstoppable. Well, he would have, if he could actually get the suit to work properly without anything going wrong. So far his tests had proved rather unsuccessful, but he hoped to change that today, he felt like he was going to have a breakthrough. If he could get this suit fully functional, he would have created something great, the next big step when it came to a armor/weapon hybrid. The amount of money he could make from mass producing these bad boys would give him more money than he could handle. Even though he already had plenty, what was the point of giving up if he could make more?

Performing the proper arm movements, the controls to the jetpack shot out, and he firmly grasped them while taking a deep breath. Pressing down on the button, he felt the warmness from the jetpack lighting up his backside, and he slowly lifted into the air. So far, so good, at least this time he did not fly headfirst into the ceiling. That had been fun. Slowly he lifted himself into the air, and once he was at the peak of his flight, he chuckled to himself. Flying was so damn cool. But, as soon as he felt some semblance of joy, everything went to hell. A loud creaking noise, followed by the jetpack giving out, resulting in Aldo falling to the floor with a loud crash and a yell. The impact did not hurt too much, it was still an inconvenience, seemed as if the suit was going to need more work.

"It seems as if the jetpack is malfunctioning, sir."

Aldo yanked the helmet off his head and chucked it across the room. "Gee, what gave you that idea, G-7?" Aldo grimaced and quickly pulled himself out of the suit. G-7 was the droid he had created when he was only eight years old, they had been together for years now, and Aldo was hating him more and more every day. Useless thing, but Aldo wouldn't trade him for the world, despite his uncompromising sarcasm and inability to not point out everything he did wrong. Wearing nothing more than a sweaty t-shirt and a pair of jeans, Aldo walked to the bar in his lab, and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"That's your fourth glass today, sir, isn't it rather early?"

"Can it G-7, I am a grown man, I can make my own decisions." Aldo finished half the glass in one swig, the familiar burn lighting up his throat, he let out a loud sigh and then sat the glass down. He was right, it was too early for how much he had been drinking, but the stress from trying to get this suit together was almost too much for him. He needed something more, a more lightweight metal, and if everything went according to plan he would get his hands on some soon enough. It was not going to be easy, but that was why he was trying to get a smuggler on board, someone good who could get him things without screwing up. As if G-7 could read his mind, he spoke up.

"Sir, Barret Haskins has arrived for his appointment, he is on his way to your office now."

"That's today?"

"Yes sir, you scheduled it, did you forget already?"

Aldo rolled his eyes and he finished off his whiskey before walking out of the lab and into the dressing room. He lifted his arms, spread his legs, and the droid arms stripped him off his clothing and put on one of his business suits. Once he felt he was presentable, he walked to the keypad, inputted the code, and the door slid open to his office. It was a little more lavish than needed to be, but what was the point in having all of this money if he wasn't going to spend it? The office was huge, a very large window that overlooked all of Nar Shaddaa circled the entire room. At the edge of the room, across from the doorway, was his desk that had a very large and comfortable chair on one side and two chairs on the opposite end. A few book cases with books dedicated to physics and droid management filled the room as well as a mini bar in the corner that was filled with various types of alcohol from across the Galaxy.

He had heard good things about this Barret Haskins fellow, he was a good smuggler, but he was in with some of the wrong people and had some debts. Luckily Aldo was in good with the Hutts and he had come recommended from them. Maybe it was because they knew Aldo would pay him well and they would end up getting their money, either way, he needed a good smuggler. A man he could trust to get the job done, and if all things worked out, then maybe he would hire him on full time. Plopping down behind his desk, Aldo pulled open his desk drawer and pulled out a holo pad, looking over the mans records. He was in quite a hole with the Hutts, but Aldo would pay him well, maybe that would buy some loyalty. And they said that was something you couldn't buy, none sense, there was no such thing as something you couldn't buy.

The doors to his office opened, and in came a man who was well dressed, impressive. Most smugglers he met were the scum of the Galaxy, never caring to dress up nice for any occasion, maybe the Hutts were right after all. "Please, call me Aldo, I get called sir or Mr. Zarkot enough as it is around here." Aldo stood up to shake the mans hand. Coming around the desk, Aldo walked directly over to the mini bar, he was already feeling quite tipsy but not enough to get him through the rest of the day. "You drink, I hope? There is an old adage that says "Never trust a man who doesn't drink"," Aldo poured himself a small glass of whiskey and downed it quickly. "I don't know if it is true or not, but I have never met a man I trusted who doesn't drink." Smiling, Aldo poured a much fuller glass for himself and also a glass for Barret.

Walking back to his desk, he sat down the drink in front of Barret, before walking back around and sitting in his chair. "Aged Correllian whiskey, some of the best, bought it before this whole Omni threat started happening. You can't get that stuff right now, so enjoy it." It was true, he had not been able to get into contact with anyone from Correllia, which was disheartening, he received large shipments of weapons from there and his profits had taken quite a hit due to it. "I don't like to have my time wasted, and I am sure you don't either, so I will cut right to the chase. You're in bad with the Hutts, how do I know? Well, I am in good with the Hutts, and boy do they love to gossip. From what I hear you're on thin ice, rinky dink ship, not enough jobs to get by on. Now that's no way to live, especially since I have heard you're one of the best smugglers the Galaxy has to offer. Being one of the best in my own field, I hate to see such potential wasted, so I have called you hear today to offer you a way out."

Letting his words sink in, Aldo took a large swig from his glass, before setting it down in front of him and pulling out a holo pad. He slid the the pad across his desk so that Barret could read it. "Since this Omni invasion happened, I have been having a much harder time getting what I want. Republic checks have been getting more and more strict and plenty of items have been labeled as necessary to their war cause. Obviously this does not sit well with my investors as they don't care about war, they only care about money, so when my stuff stops being sent to me I lose money. If I lose money, I lose investors, and if I lose investors, I will eventually lose my business. Now as you can see, I spend a lot of money, so this business is quite special to me and I kind of need it. Not wanting to lose my money, I need someone who can get their hands on the items I need. Blasters, armor, metals, I need all of that or I cannot produce my goods. That's where you come in. Balmora is home to one of my largest weapon suppliers. But, seeing as how they are in Republic territory, getting what I need is a no go. I think you see where this is going, no? I have contacts in Balmora who you will meet with, get the goods, bring them to me. Simple enough, right?"

 

[Barrett Haskins]

The beautiful Nar Shaddaa skyline poured in the open windows, flooding the office with different forms of natural and artificial light. Scattered amongst the office were tall bookshelves devoted to the sciences, books ranging in size from what looked to be manuals to full out textbooks sat perfectly aligned along the ledges. What caught the smuggler’s eye quicker than either was the bar which was filled with alcohol from across the vast expanses of space. It had everything from Nubian wines to pristine bottles of Corellian whiskey filling its intricate shelves, Barrett could feel his mouth start to water, but this was not the time to gawk at the alcohol, not at a job interview.

After shaking Aldo’s hand and taking a seat at the table Barrett was immediately greeted with the a glass of real Corellian whiskey, the exact thing he had been hoping for since he saw the beautiful arches and exotic fauna gracefully placed around the massive structure indicating Zarkot had good taste. “Wiser words have never been spoken.” His eager hands picked the whiskey up to taste it, the oaky [SIZE=10pt]aroma[/SIZE] tickling his nostrils; it was real Corellian whiskey that was for sure. “Beautiful.” He commented after his first sip. The sharp sting on his throat was the perfect finish to the rapscallion who had drunk his fair share of watered down swill recently, especially on Nar Shaddaa. It calmed his nerves enough to be able to transition the talk into business smoothly without him getting more nervous.

It was true, Barrett had been in bad with the Hutts recently, having to take out a nice sized loan from the slugs in order to get a new ship (which was already not running well) after his last one had terrible wiring problems and wouldn’t run. The Hutts had allotted him a sizable amount of time to pay back the loan, however Barrett missed his first and second payments and the crime lords were starting to get angry. Haskins nodded his head in understanding while his potential employer laid the cards out on the table for him, not wanting to jump into something too soon and get lost in another corrupt man’s debt. “Credits are simple enough; they are what we both run on, we both know I can get what you want, but what do I get? You mentioned my rinky-dink ship and my trouble with the Hutts, how will that be addressed?” It was better to be upfront about business, especially when dealing with people who hired people like Barrett; they always tried to find loopholes.

 

[Aldo Zarkot]

Aldo watched as Barrett tasted his Whiskey and he was pleased with himself that he was enjoying his collection. Aldo was proud of his alcohol collection and to sit with someone who appreciated it as much as he did was a nice change of pace. What with everyone who was close to him always badgering him about his "drinking" problem he was never able to fully enjoy it. Aldo quickly finished off his glass, poured another, and slid the bottle across the table so that Barrett could pour himself another glass if he so chose. His head was beginning to spin with the all too familiar feeling of being tipsy, it was slowly progressing into being drunk, and he felt normal again. It was not good the fact that he felt most normal while being drunk, but it was what it was.

"I can offer you a ship of your choosing. Whether it be from my personal collection, to something you wish to buy, let me know and it is yours. Of course I will take that out of your first cut, but there is plenty more money to be made if you prove yourself a great asset." Taking another drink, Aldo readjusted himself in his chair, letting the alcohol do its work and comfort him. "I treat anyone who works for me very well, that much I can promise you, so you will have anything you need at a moments notice. As for your trouble with the Hutts, I will take care of that for you, successfully complete this first job and consider your debt repaid. But, if I do this, I will ask that you be available to work for me any time I need you. I am sure you can understand I am putting forth a great deal of effort to secure you and I cannot afford any of my shipments to be late."

 

[Barrett Haskins]

Haskins happily obliged to the offer of another glass, his lips numb from the fast pace he drank his first. The beautiful aged whiskey was a long standing traditional drink favored by nearly every Corellian, Barrett included. However comforting the whiskey and the pleasantries were, Barrett was talking business so he made sure he was paying attention to everything happening and not letting his guard down, only those as rich as Aldo could afford to do that. Haskins topped the glass off just under where Aldo had, not wanting to outpour his host, even smugglers had manners. He had started to feel a warm sensation in his stomach, hopefully he could keep face in the interview, not wanting to come across as a drunk on their first interaction.

The deal sounded good enough, a ship upgrade would be nice and he needed the speed if he was going to be working with an establishment as prestigious and professional as Zarkot industries. “Synergy is the key; if you can provide me with a fast enough ship I can outrun any…entanglements and bring you back all the weapons you want, on time too.” He had tested the theory before with slower ships and had his fair share of close calls. “No need to break the bank though, I don’t need any crazy blasters or super shields, just give me something that can get me in and out fast enough to avoid such unnecessary accessories and I’ll get you what you need.” Corellians were typically sensible and simple people, choosing efficiency and productivity over shiny and powerful. “I can get whatever you need on Balmora easily enough in the ship I have now, but after that I need something more…reliable.” Thinking back to the multiple ships he had owned due to selling them off when the job market dried up or that had different problems that kept them from flying.

 

[Aldo Zarkot]

Aldo smiled, he was going to enjoy this man. He was sensible, confident, enjoyed a fine drink, and did not seem to be above work. Good help was hard to find, especially these days, and trusting people to work for him was not something easily done. Aldo had trust issues to begin with, he had a select group of people in his life who he considered trustworthy, and he had often wondered if he was going to be able to find a reliable smuggler. Barrett had seemingly answered his prayers, but he had yet to prove himself, if he got the shipment back on time then Aldo would give him more work than he could handle. He would make him a rich man, something most smugglers aspired to be, he would set himself above the competition if he stuck with Aldo.

"When you work for me, money is never an option, when you are on the job simply spend the credits you need and bring back proof of purchase to the receptionist." Aldo was serious, he had plenty of income, and anything the man needed he was welcome to have. With the amount of money he would be bringing in inside of the shipments, there was no way he could spend more than he was bringing in for Aldo. Aldo pulled up a screen in front of him and he began typing a few things in quick succession. "Everything you need to know is being loaded into that holopad I just gave you. Insert it into your ship and you will have access to a secure banking account, a direct line to me, and the location of your first job. I must implore, though, if you are ever caught or in a bind, you need to destroy the files. There is a self corrupting virus on the files that will erase any and all information you have stored or transmitted. Your ship will not be compromised in the destruction of files, so do not worry there." Finishing up the download, Aldo loaded it all into the holopad, before he pulled his holo screen down.

"It's settled. Get me my supplies by the end of the week, find a ship with any and all modifications you will be needing, and then I will give you your next job." Aldo nodded, stood up, and walked over to the mini bar. "Tomorrow, begin work, tonight I wish to celebrate the hiring of my newest employee. Stay in my building if you wish, Sandury will give you a access card to the best room in the entire building, if you wish to join me I will be attending a small party this evening. You would be my guest of honor, come, live like a rich man for a night." Smirking, Aldo pulled out another bottle of Corellian whiskey and set it down in front of Barrett. "Consider it a signing bonus."

( We can end the thread after this, unless you wish to continue, we can RP going to the party. Up to you my man. )

 

[Barrett Haskins]

Barrett’s eyes lit up with excitement at the idea of finally having a job he could enjoy instead of having to answer to whatever crime lord he owed money to, running spice and other nefarious things across the cold expanses of space for a measly pay that he then had to turn around and give back to the crime lord or use it to pay back another crime lord, or the occasional drug lord, and the vicious cycle had gone on long enough for Barrett.

The Corellian whiskey was the icing on the cake for him, tonight he would play with the big dogs he’d show them that’s exactly where he fit in. “I’d never turn down a party.” He offered a cheers in the air before finishing the rest of the whiskey in his glass and standing up, he was ready.

(Yeah if you wanna PM me and we can talk about how we're gonna do the job thread that's cool)