Common Opportunity

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Fedrig"]

The Underground. Although Kay had done her best to stifle the illegal economies on Commenor and the worlds within it's expanding territory, there was need for improvement. Stealth had been one of the tactics used by some of the criminals to avoid her policing network. The port authorities did a great job of catching some of the illegal goods coming into it's ports, but not all. There was still room for improvement.

Using the vast resources of the holonet and word of mouth, she had stumbled across an individual that could suit her needs. Fedrig. He was a bit rough around the edges, but who wasn't these days? The chaos in other parts of the Galaxy nearly demanded it. War was constant in certain areas, Commenor's allies fighting among themselves over who can have the bigger piece of the pie. Disappointing really, but who was she to tell other governments what to do? Only those that wished to fly her banner were under her sway. All others only came to her when they needed something, usually credits and trade deals. Thankfully that was all that they ever asked for.

Kay sent word to have Fedrig join her in Chasin City at a small cafe. Directions and address were given. Did he know that he was going to have an audience with the Queen? No. She used her mother's name of Loreena at the end of the message that he would receive. It wasn't to say that she'd be lying to him, she just didn't want him to have any preconceived notion as to what kind of job she was wanting to hire him for.

 

[Fedrig]

Fedrig was sober for once. Well sober was a bit optimistic, it was better to say that he was hungover. It wasn't the worst hangover that he suffered in his life but it still wasn't pleasant. He popped two pain relief pills and drank some slightly dodgy looking water. He was in the underground slums on some planet. He wasn't entirely sure, this was the most alert he had been for roughly a month. It was all too common to find himself hungover on a planet with no memory of arriving yet alone where he had come from. He checked his messages and saw a long list of angry hate and debt due bills. Most of which he deleted. If they wanted their money so badly then he just cover a job or two for them. He wasn't too bothered by it all.

One message called out to him, some woman he did not recognise. Detailing that he should meet them at such a date on a planet's underground area. He checked the planet and found that he had landed himself in the planet and in the area. Drunk Fedrig seemed to be on the ball to get him to the planet. However, he was cutting it close for time. He wasn't dressed and the meeting was held in an hour roughly. Fedrig rushed to his feet, before sitting himself back down and attempted to settle his queasy stomach. It took another few minutes before he could start dressing. By the time he was wearing his basic armour, something he always wore when heading to a meeting with a client. It looked good to show up in armour and prepared.

He was ten minutes late by the time he arrived at the location, he saw the woman and race over to her. He paused and took a deep breath, running in his armour was tiring. Especially when hungover, his headache was still pounding and the neon signs made him squint slightly. He raised a hand over his eyes, not wearing his helmet, he found it better to show his face to clients. Better for people to see his face than an expressionless metal helm. If they wanted that then they tended to hire droids.

He... H... Hi, sorry... Ah. Had difficulty finding this place. Fedrig, believe you sent me a message about a mission? He was slightly bent forward taking in deep breaths. His dark hair was ruffled mess, his piercing blue/grey eyes had the unpleasant bloodshot vessels surrounding them.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

To say that [member="Fedrig"] looked a bit worse for wear was an understatement. The tardiness of his arrival, the look of his eyes, the smell coming from him, it told her volumes. He was a drunk. How or why he got that way, she didn't know. But it wasn't quite disappointing either. From what information she had gathered for her, this was something that she had expected. So she had taken the liberty of ordering him some caf of which she pushed the cup towards him.

"Morning. And yes, I did. Please sit down. I ordered you a caf. It'll help clear your mind." Kay picked up her own cup of tea and had a sip, wondering if there was any hint of recognition. Now seeing her, did he not know who she was? Well it wasn't all that surprising if he didn't. She wasn't that well known outside of her sector. Just a nondescript ruler of a small little planet. But with her influence, Commenor's territory was widening. Whether or not that was a part of some other's plan remained to be seen.

"I need someone that can fit into the Underground well, blend in as it were, and get me information on what's going on. We are expanding our Rule and not all planets are lacking in destitution like Commenor, so I need to find out more about what's going on in each. Are there slave rings? Illegal gambling? Spice markets? Illegal weapons? I need to know which type of boots that I need on the ground. You'll be fully compensated of course, free room and board, travel expenses." She tilted her head to the side a bit. "Interested?"

 

[Fedrig]

He looked at her and took a seat. He accepted the caf, there was little choice not to. He was desperate for a drink, hydration was the key and while caffeine wouldn't offer that it would help his head. Looking her over he was curious, she was clearly not the type to visit this kind of place. There was an air of nobility, not looking down on others but a use to a certain way of life. A life who would not find in undergrounds and crime rings. He gulped a bit of his coffee as he listened to her offer.

Fedrig thought on the offer, it was interesting to say the least. He would have a steady pay, but it wasn't mercenary work. He would be more a spy it seemed. He leaned forward and looked at her closely. Right. We know that I'm a drunk, first paycheck I get I'm going to get drunk. Now, while your offer might seem tempting there's a problem. You require a spy, someone who can sneak in, blend in and report back. Unless you plan on strapping a camera to my chest while I work, I'm not going to remember much and not blend into the background.

I'm a merc, I shoot guys. I capture people. I send a message if needs be. I ain't stealthy and I ain't quiet. I do the mission then I get drunk on the paycheck. So, unless you think you can get me sober to do this spying stuff. I'm sorry, probably not your guy. Now, send me in and wreck these underground rings, I can do that but finding them I can't.

Fedrig was honest, he wasn't going to lie to the woman. She was attractive but it wasn't that, he preferred not to lie. Honesty gave him a somewhat better clientele than most would expect from a drunken merc. There was mention of Commenor, it must be one of the many factions that were spread out in the galaxy. He was still a Republic soldier at heart, to not serve was the reason for his drinking, however, helping the Commenor seemed a decent task. He was no lover of undergrounds, at least when sober.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled. [member="Fedrig"] was honest. She listened to his reasons for declining the offer that she set out for him. She sipped her tea while she noted his mannerisms, all the while thinking of the real reason that he asked him here. Any normal person would accept such an 'easy' job, most especially one that wanted to spend all of their time drinking. It would've been simple just to make stuff up and take the pay. But no. He had better integrity than that.

She leaned forward, holding her cup in both hands. "You're perfect. And...you passed my test. You know what you're good at and what your limits are, and you're not afraid to say it. Even to a Queen." Kay smiled and sat back in her chair again. "Have you ever been to Sev Tok? It's near Yutan which was once the capital of the Republic. Commenor's expanding, more planets are wanting to fly our banner. The government of Sev Tok wishes to do so as well, yet there are slavers that aren't happy about it. They know my history of rescuing slaves and disrupting their auctions and trade. I need more people to disrupt it even further and more importantly, to help me get rid of it. There are pirates in the area, so no doubt you'll have to be careful. But your efforts will help to bring stability to the region. Do you think that you can do that?"

 

[Fedrig]

Fedrig was slightly taken back. He had been tested, it had been awhile since someone decided to see if he was for real. However, the real shock was finding out he was talking to a Queen, he had been guessing she was of a high born life. But Queen, a leader. Seemed that he was severely under dressed and his tardiness, appearance it all felt even worse. Although, she didn't seem put off by it. Likely a woman who had done her research and knew of his drunken lifestyle.

I haven't been to Sev Tok or Yutan but I can get there. Finding a ship to take him was never difficult. Point a gun at someone's face and they often do as they are told. Pirates ain't no trouble either, once they get a taste of my gun sure they'll back away. So anyone else being sent on this mission to Sev Tok or is it just a solo mission? I'll need a Z-6 rotary blaster cannon or any blaster cannon of a similar design. Lost my last one in a different large scale fight.

Fedrig talked with the knowledge of weapons and warfare still imprinted in his mind. No matter how much he drunk, war was in his blood. He had no love for it but being able to fight, fight well, was what the Cloners designed him to do. He took another swig of caf as he watched her closely.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay hid her smile behind her cup of tea as she sipped from it, seeing the shock on [member="Fedrig"] 's face when he found out that she was a Queen. Usually people figure it out beforehand, but it was nice to know that she wasn't that widely recognized. It could put her security personnel at ease a little. Maybe then they'd give her more freedom to do some things on her own.

She listened to his questions and his want for specific weaponry. "I'll be able to get you transport and weapons to Sev Tok. As I said, you'll get free room and board and travel. My Minister of Justice [member="Darlyn Excron"] will be heading over there, as well as some of my soldiers. So you won't be taking the slavers and pirates all by yourself. Shall we head to my Palace so that you can meet them and settle in a bit while you do some research and prepare for the mission?"

 

[Fedrig]

Fedrig finished his caf and nodded his head as he listened to the Queen. He gave her respect that she deserved, he was sober so it was easier for him to not be the foolish idiot he was known to be. He rose from his seat and binned the empty cup as he turned to the woman and studied her closely. And how much are you willing to pay me? A job of this size is not my usual contract, I normally offered something on the low end of the scale. So you tell me how much you are willing to pay and I'll see if that's a reasonable amount.

He knew that he would be willing to take the job for a lot lower than other mercs would. His addiction to alcohol meant that any amount that would allow him to last a month on a binge would be a substantial amount. However, this was his test. He was no fool sober, he wanted to see if she would go too low to see if he would demand more or if she would offer a fair price to start with. A good haggler would go lower and work to the amount they would be willing to pay, however, she might be desperate, especially if she was seeking out a drunk like himself and offer a large amount right off the bat.

Until we settle the price I ain't leaving this building. Better to sort it now then after the job. And, if you want me to do it right and do it well. Don't pay me till after the job is completed. He knew the withdrawal would set in after a couple of days, however, he wasn't going to go into an important job like this drunk. He needed his full wits about him, this was a serious job something he hadn't had in years.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked as [member="Fedrig"] asked about his salary. She wasn't paying him entirely for what he could do on the job, she was paying him in part on his strength of character. There was a reason that he was the way that he was, a reason as to why he drank so much. One of these days she'll have it figured out.

She set her cup down and folded her arms across her chest while he went on about haggling a price, and most especially as he threatened to stay until it was settled. It was quite apparent that he was used to dealing with an unsavoury crowd.

"Given that you don't have to worry about lodgings, travel and food, your salary will start at a thousand credits a month. A portion of that will be set aside and held for you, either for paying off any debts that you may have and/or for your retirement. The size of the portion depends on you and how long you can remain sober."

Of course she has the funds to go higher, but given that he was having plenty for free already, giving him too much would only cause him to drink it all away. Then he wouldn't be useful to anyone.