Mook For A Day

[Alric Kuhn]

Alric stood on the edge of a small Hangar bay looked down a slight right. The spaceport here on Khomm was at the edge of a cliff, an odd designed that was oddly reflective of Naboo's Theed Spaceport, though admittedly much less grand.

Still, it was something to look at.

Khomm was trademarked boring.

Seriously, the planet was the most lackluster, boring, and entirely un-fun planet that Alric had ever visited in his entire life. Which was why it would make the perfect location for a Titan Industries Terra-forming research facility. They had already set up a new Health and Sciences Division on Aruzan, and now that Fringe had given permission for a second facility, Alric had decided to place it here.

Of course both of the facilities were non-military oriented, and both the facilities were not at all meant to harm the Fringe, quite the opposite. The hope was by establishing these two Research Divisions here in Fringe space relations between Titan and the Fringe government would grow.

Though whether that would work out was difficult to discern.

Either way, Alric himself had come here to Khomm to scout out possible locations for the Titan Facility, a guide from the Fringe government was supposed to meet him, thinking that Alric was little more than an errand boy.

[member="Dak Canton"]

 

[Marcus Tritum]

He looked sleazy, like a used speeder salesman. Kriff those guys, am I right?

Oh, who am I talking about? The dude standing right in front of me, some location scout from Titan Industries. Big business type of guy. Real cutthroat, I bet. Not that I don't know a little about that, eh?

I wore casual attire, and when I say casual it's probably different than what you have in mind. My green-gray duster concealed enough weapons - guns and otherwise - to make the Fringe Civil Liberties Union have a collective heart attack. Ya' can never be too prepared, 'specially when meeting strange yuppies.

"You [member="Alric Kuhn"]?" I didn't beat around the bush. If I was gonna be this guy's goon I wanted everything out on the table... where I could keep an eye on 'em.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Dak Canton"]

Alric turned around to find the man he was supposed to be waiting for, he had been supplied with a picture a few hours ago.

The CEO of Titan looked at the mans attire, raising an eyebrow but not saying anything. He understood the want to dress casually, but it seemed rather...pedestrian. Then again, his clothes weren't actually clothes so maybe he shouldn't actually comment on it at all.

“Yes.” Alric said in confirmation. “I assume you're the man who is to lead me around this world?”

He already knew the answer to that of course.

There was no need to be rude or abrasive, as far as Alric knew this man would report everything back to the leaders of the Fringe, if Alric's supposed “minion” started an incident with their man, well it might cause problems.

 

[Marcus Tritum]

I took a deep breath and raised my eyebrows, glancing behind me at the unimpressive landscape of Khomm.

"Yep, that's me. "

Metal clinked against metal as I turned. Heh. I wasn't so heavily encumbered that I was about to fall over, you know. I just don't like surprises. I like shooting surprises. Nothing felt better than to put a few rounds in some fugly after getting a jump-scare. Fringe used to be way more infested with monsters. We killed a bunch. Not sure how many are left. But I keep getting this nagging feeling that the monsters might still be there, they just look a little different. More human. More like us.

I've done a lot of stuff that I'm not proud of.... I know, I know. Cliche. Well it's true and it kriffin' sucks. Sometimes I still have nightmares about dying Nautolans running around, bodies lit like candles.

Anyway, less brood, more talk.

"Dak Canton," I extended a hand toward Mc. Sleaze. "So, where to first?"

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Dak Canton"]

The less time he spent on this world the better.

Alric was eager to complete the construction of this facility, If only so that Titan could expand further. They were already situation on dozens of worlds throughout the galaxy, with more being added each and every day.

Aggressive expansion was important.

It helped spread out which facilities did what, aided in security, and most of all kept Titan more...aloof. They had a monopoly on the construction of creating arms, armor, ships, and vehicles for the One Sith, but Alric knew that eventually that one would go away. Though Titan met the One Sith at ever need, he was keenly aware that they wouldn't be around forever.

Hence the need for expansion.

“The most suitable site. I would rather get this over with quickly.” He was sure that the other man did as well.

 

[Marcus Tritum]

"You got it, bub."

We went straightaway to two speeder bikes that were waiting near the exit of the space port. From there it was a quick trip down the cliff and into the middle of Force-damn nowhere. I'm talking empty plains that stretched for miles and miles and miles. A herd of Khomm striders loped past us.

After a bit I put on the brakes and stepped off, staring off into a vast grass sea of emptiness. There were black specks growing on the horizon. I didn't like that.

"Best bet is here. But, uh, there are a few problems you should know about."

My fingers started twitching. I scratched my stomach.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Dak Canton"]

He raised an eyebrow. “Problems?”

What possible problems could exist in a place like this? Pirates? Raiders? No. That was nearly impossible on this world, the most boring world in the entire galaxy. It had to be something more drab and dreary than that, perhaps protestors, no, again that was too exciting. He frowned slightly, then turned to the man somewhat perplexed.

“What possible problems could arise here?” Looking the land before him. “Mud?”

It really was the perfect site.

Minus these 'problems'.

 

[Marcus Tritum]

"Uh," I said stupidly, eyes on the horizon.

Those little black dots had grown a lot bigger now. In fact, they looked less like black dots and more like speeder bikes. People on speeder bikes. With guns.

"The Anti-Change Radical Conservative Khommite Party."

Totally straight faced. I promise.

"Also known as ARCK."

I produced a fully automatic BTI Ripper pistol from beneath the folds of my coat and grabbed the fore grip. Hadn't packed anything long-ranged. This was strictly CQB stuff. And this was about as non-CQB as it got. Didn't have any grenades either. In short, we were absolutely kriffed.... unless this guy turned out to be some bio-engineered super soldier, which honestly wouldn't surprise me all that much.

"We should probably bug out."

But I tended to not do things that I should probably do. Mostly cause I was stupid. Also because something fast moving and dark zipped out from one of the swiftly approaching speeder bikes and hit my bike.

Boom.

Fire and dirt everywhere. Everything else after was ringing ears, smoke and hacking up a lung.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Dak Canton"]

If Alric was at all concerned by the biker gang heading towards them, he didn't show it.

When the blast erupted and pieces of metal flew around he simply hit the decking. The clothing on his back squirmed slightly as metallic pieces jammed into it, but he himself wasn't harmed in the slightest. As soon as the speeder was done exploding Alric jumped to his feet. There was an odd sort of calm to him, far more than any business man had any right to have in this situation.

That calm came from an education.

Alric Kuhn had recently taken a sojourn to Tatooine, and on the worthless desert rock Alric had experienced more panicked situation than any normal person had any right to.

Compared to that, this mean very little.

“I suggest running.” Alric said, no, he yelled. There was a powerful ringing in his ears, and as he watched the approaching swoop gang he realized that running very likely wasn't going to be an option.

So much for boring.

 

[Marcus Tritum]

Running from a swoop gang on speeder bikes that could travel hundreds of kilometers an hour? I'm no math expert, but I don't think the odds were in Mc. Sleaze's flavor. Sorry, favor. See, sleaze gets me thinking of grease and grease makes me think of some nice grilled nerfburgers and- oh right, angry extremists shooting at us.

"YOU FIRST!"

I shouted from where I lay on the ground, then I started rolling away from the site of the explosion. Tall slightly yellowed grass rustled as I stop drop and rolled right into the thick of it. The stuff covered these open plains. It wouldn't provide amazing camouflage, but it would serve to hide us for a little bit.

"HIDE IN THE GRASS!"

The radicals would probably stop to inspect the wreckage. Maybe capture us and conduct some holovised torture for an increase in rep. They didn't play nice. The rest of the planet didn't really support them. Khommites ain't much into radicalism. They think everything should stay the same. Still, there were enough people supporting these Khommies that they could pack a bit of a punch. Enough to take out a surveyor and his bodyguard, at least.

Begged the question about how they knew about us. Probably had a spy at the spaceport waiting for the Titan rep. Frak this. I don't want to die for some corporation. Gameplan, Dak. Gameplan. Survive the next thirty seconds, kill the political junkies, and then get the hell out.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]