Black-Marketeering O'er Bothawui

[Tomon Salgar]

LOCATION - BOTHAWUI, BOTH SYSTEM
CURRENT OBJECTIVES:
- Establish contact with planet-side buyers.

• Transport all Class "Aurek" material.
• Await payment.
• Transport all Class "Besh" material.
• "Liquidate" extraneous personnel.

Equipment: None
​

---

The galaxy of black-marketeering is as saturated a market as Dac is with water. Every two-bit smuggler, dirty pirate, and snivelling executive that was part of the greater galactic black market made some part of the ecosystem, but they were minor proponents. Though they often transported and laundered black market goods, they were rarely the manufacturer. Company surpluses, stolen weapons from law enforcement officers, second-hand weapons looted from a battlefield: low-cost weapons of a low quality.

Tomon Salgar, Magnate of the titular Salgar Production Directory, was of a different opinion, however. Quality weapons - those comparable to or even surpassing the rank-and-file of galactic militaries - ensured not only repeat customers but surviving ones and Skakoans understood the necessity of a good quality product. His factory ship, a heavily modified Captor-class, served as the production facility for all weapons, munitions, and other goods sold by the SPD. However, it was rare - though less so in recent years - for the Skakoan to go directly to the buyers themselves. Indeed, he mostly sold to distributors and more local businesses - crime families and the likes. While that wasn't to say that Tomon lacked faith in the abilities of his men, far from it, the Magnate had little desire to put himself in the path of danger.

Bothawui was a different story, however. As a planet not in an active warzone while having a client that was buying a large stock of weapons was enough to push the Skakoan to make the trek himself. A classical Skakoan Xenophobe though he was, Tomon would suffer the furry menaces long enough to take their credits. It was perhaps a sign of his mild disdain towards Xenos that Tomon did not bother to learn to whom he was selling his weapons nor their political beliefs, but it would hardly matter if Tomon did know. Bothawui and the Bothan people were a planet and species of intrigue, after all, so what was arming one dissenting collection of terrorists and spies compared to two dozen others? So long as they paid, the matter was moot.

So, when the SPD ships arrived, the Machinist itself was among them, the ageing factory ship chugging along even as the production facilities in its depths worked tirelessly to keep up with expected demand. In the over-exposed bridge, Tomon Salgar himself looked over the system sans pressure suit. The bridge, and much of the upper decks, were entirely swamped in methane gas, as it was more than rare for a non-Skakoan to be wandering its hallways. The armoury, crew quarters, weapon decks, and engineering were all bathed as such, allowing the Skakoan crew the freedom so rare when they wandered the galaxy. The non-Skakoan crew - labourers and technicians and the likes - were relegated to the lower decks, the hangar bay, and the two cargo bays.

"Magnate," The helmsman announced over the gentle din of the bridge, "The Machinist and Stargazer have entered the system without issue."

"Very good," Tomon folded his arms behind his back, nodding towards the officer before continuing, "Come right to 30 degrees, pitch forwards by our prow to 7 degrees. Keep her so."

The helmsman repeated the order before turning the factory ship towards Bothawui Proper, or whichever name it went by nowadays. An unending swarm of craft scurried to and fro, all centred around Bothawui and its space stations. What was one more ship in the swarm, despite its cargo?

"Captain," The Skakoan in question, older than Tomon by many decades yet never letting the age cross his eyes or his voice, marched over to the Magnate's shoulder, "The command is yours. Dock us with the designated station and report when we have arrived."

"Yes, Magnate," The Skakoan responded with a bow. Tomon turned and left the bridge, marking a path to his room where he could put his pressure suit back on before making the trek down to the lower deck's conference room. There was an employee of convenience to meet, after all, and it would not do to annoy the... freelancer. The word caused a small amount of disdain in the businessman, as he disliked relying on outsiders, but Tadietti Tann could provide a specialist perspective where his simple guards or engineers could not.

Characters:

 

[Tadietti Tann]

Tag: Tomon Salgar
Lady Blue waited below in the conference lounge, That was the only alias anyone but her sister would ever know her by. Her business name. A conference room this twi'lek seemed to suit, sitting comfortably, almost becoming part of any offered seat. This twi'lek? There were three almost identical blue twi'leks sitting in the room as Tomon Salgar entered, all three of them veiled. One sat with confidence facing him ready for him to address her, one sat playfully on the right, like it was a game, and a third at the back was quiet and unassuming. All three? doppelgangers dressed in blue, all were armed similarly. In fact every twi'lek here had handheld guns and melee weapons as supplements. Armored of course, most in armorweave with a few shield generators and other toys on show. One or two snipers kept longer guns on their back, though importantly you couldn't see the last of their number at the very back.

A little game to see their host's personality before they even met. How would he approach this unusual scene, who would he talk to first if any? Learning those you worked with was worth more than any credits could ever buy you.

Since her ascension in the cartel, Blue never went anywhere without these twi'lek bodyguards. The names had changed, come and gone with a blaster bolt in the back, or a sip of poison as were the usual Hutt cartel methods. Goros's and Mr Black's agents forever trying to undermine her position. with newcomers also snapping at her heels.

At the very front bowing to Tomon Salagar was a large red male zeltron. A familiar sight, and who Tomon would have been in contact with, calling himself today Aglath as Tomon entered. All others present were Twi'leks that seemed lithe, fast and agile, playing to their strengths. About a dozen or so in total, and all of them shared one thing in common, they were cold blooded killers. Every single piece of Goros's influence over her had been eradicated. What was left around her, were those loyal to her, deadly enough to survive the Hutt Cartel's and the Triad's endless power games.

"We thank you for your hospitality," Aglath said politely, a very charismatic tone and manner about him. "What would you ask of us?" Setting the negotiation up in their favor of course.