Ranchers of the Storm

[Darth Osano]

UKIO
BLACKWELL RANCH

Few things could tug the heartstrings of Pollux. The tragedy unfolding on Blackwell Ranch was not one of them, but it gave a novel try. Alas, poor [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] , whose humble Nerf ranch had fallen on hard times. Hard times thanks to his rivals, bigger ranchers who relied on dirtier tactics. Fulcrum Cattle Company, to name one, which consisted of the loose union between several cattle baron families: the Ridgefields, the Geddings, and the Francwells. They were too well off to be approached. Blackwell, meanwhile, was being run out of business by those cattle tycoons. Money spent on security had turned out to be a bad deal and Blackwell was in the whole for quite a few credits. The cattle barons had kicked up their feet and laughed, but now that debt had been purchased by the Helix Syndicate.

A large speeder truck pulled up to the main structure that comprised the Blackwell Ranch, where Vulgrim no doubt lived. The back doors opened up, and out stepped Pollux, followed by two Helix Syndicate Enforcers. They were only lightly armed, blaster pistols only. It wouldn't do well to carry anything heavier. By appearance, Pollux carried only a datapad. The three made their way down the footpath and up the steps to the porch. After a nod from Pollux, one of the Enforcers knocked on the door- an awful, commanding pounding. As if the person inside wasn't a nine-foot tall demon who could tear out their arms and beat them all to death with them.

And yet the Fulcrum Cattle Company was getting the better of him regardless.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Pollux"]

It was often assumed that the nerf herders were a dirty bunch. Yet, this was a simple overstated exaggeration more often than not. The true patrons of nerfs, herding and ranches were the Barons of Agriculture. Who earned top credits by supplying the Core Worlds and other territories with fresh crop and adjacent edible commodities.

Vulgrim Blackwell was many things.

A demon? Quite certainly. Tall and physically imposing? Oh yes. Capable of tearing down an entire building just by singing quite loudly? Sure thing. But a cheat? Never. He had always endeavored to be fair in his dealings, feeling that with a natural evolutionary advantage it would only pay to not hold it over the heads over those less blessed by nature.

Alas, it seemed that some were less inclined to give their competitors a fair deal.

His mistake, truly, but it mattered little now, Vulgrim mused to himself while moving through his estate and towards the front door.

It was a large door. Made specifically for his stature and as such, when the door swung open, Vulgrim positively filled the doorway with his presence. He looked down at Pollux and his men, who seemed to be prepared for all our war by the looks of their imposing armor.

Still, Blackwell was a Maelibus and he looked the part, even the dignified suit did little to dispel the sheer aura of intimidation washing away from him.

"Yes?" The aspiring Nerf Baron finally asked politely, once the silence became unbearable for all individuals involved. "How may I help you?"

 

[Darth Osano]

Pollux looked up at Vulgrim, something the Givin was not used to doing. Typically Pollux always had leverage in these sorts of encounters, so he could afford to say whatever he wanted. Either he intimidated people on his own, or he did it with guns, or with more manpower. This was one of those situations where none of those things would work. Unless Pollux bought a TA2 Battle Droid and marched it right up onto this porch (no easy feat considering the fragility of wood and the weight of super battle droids), there was nothing to match this demonic goatee'd colossus. Then again, Pollux could have adjusted his height if he really wanted to, for what little it would do him. But he didn't want to. He only wanted to remain somewhat consistent. Pollux prized himself on consistency. The Enforcers with him were nervous men, and when they went back to the barracks, they would tell their friends that their boss was a karking crazy person, talking to a Maelibus like he did.

"[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]." Pollux said, hollow eyes never leaving the Maelibus. "Your debt has been purchased by the Helix Syndicate."

He held out the datapad for Vulgrim to take. It was the same one he had shown [member="Narbo"] not terribly long ago. The Aqualish had barely looked at it, electing to just take the Givin's word for it. After he tried to threaten the Givin, anyway. It had not worked because Pollux was Pollux and there had been a Guavian with a CZ-838 shotgun chambered with explosive shells less than five feet behind him. But now Pollux, the comparatively tiny Givin whose exoskeleton was not nearly as strong as it needed to be to handle a right-hook from Vulgrim "Man Hands" Blackwell, had no such leverage. So he refrained from his usual follow up line, which was "you work for me now" in favor of allowing Vulgrim to review the documents.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

"Ah." Blackwell responded after a moment of brief consideration. His eyes went to the datapad being offered to him and he carefully, very carefully took the expensive piece of equipment between his index and thumb claw. It caused some minor scratching, which prompted the Maelibus to send a conciliatory glance back at Pollux, before he started to actually read the contents of the datapad itself.

"I wasn't aware it was possible to buy debt." It was delivered in something akin to a light, conversational tone, yet, the heavy grind of his voice sounded like a volcano rumbling right before the explosion.

He didn't mean it that way, but what could a gentlebeing do about his biology?

"It sounds quite lucrative, mister... [member="Pollux"], I see, if slightly violent."

After a few minutes of reading through the surface contents, Pollux would actually see Vulgrim diving into the 'Terms and Conditions'-section of the digital print. Nobody read that, except apparently this literate Maelibus.

"Well, then." He finally responded, giving back the datapad just as carefully as he had taken it in the first place. "All seems in order. Would you fine gentlemen follow me? We may discuss this further in my study."

 

[Darth Osano]

Usually those who held debt would only sell it off if they believed they couldn't afford to collect it from the debtor or the debtor was incapable of paying. The individuals who held the debt owed by [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] were not of either of those opinions. Pollux had simply visited them a few days ago and "persuaded" them to sell Vulgrim's debt to him. A sixty-seven thousand credit debt purchased for six hundred credits. The negotiations had taken quite some time and the holders left the meeting sans a few digits they had entered with, but it all panned out in the end and everyone left happy. Mostly. Sort of. Not at all. But that was business. Pollux's business.

"It's a living." Pollux stated flatly. He waved the Guavians off, indicating that they would wait outside while the grown-ups spoke. Or, rather, the grown-up Demonspawn and the flimsy skele-nerd spoke.

Pollux eyed the interior of the estate as he entered. This building and all this land could probably cancel out Vulgrim's debt if he elected to just give it all up. That, however, was a prospect neither of them would be interested in. Vulgrim knew this trade and the land better than he did. They were going to need one another if Blackwell Ranch was going to be turned into a productive enterprise.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

"Would you like some tea or coffee, while we chat, mister [member="Pollux"]?" The Maelibus asked curiously over his shoulders while they walked from the front door through the hallways towards the study. It was a fine house, all things considered. The decorations were adorned woodwork hailing from Kashyyyk mixed with paintings from the Tionese school.

"Or perhaps some fine wine? We have a fine vintage from Derellium, quite the treat."

It took them a few minutes, because the house was quite large -- build specifically for Vulgrim's size and specifications, which prolonged the hallways and made them grander in size. In truth, if someone was of average height or even slightly behind it, they might even feel themselves quite small because of it.

Like the inverse of visiting a Hobbit hole, perhaps.

"Ah, there we are." Big doors, once again decorated with expensive Wroshyr wood, were pushed open to reveal a comfortable study within. Bookcases were filled with obscure and old tomes and scrolls, but it was the table that drew most eyes.

Quite large a table.

"Please, do sit. We have much to discuss apparently."

 

[Darth Osano]

Pollux, well known to be prone to bouts of long-winded speech, gave his usual bombastic reply. "No." Truly a specimen of many words and a master of rhetoric in his own right.

This entire house made him feel uncomfortable. Everything was three sizes larger than it should have been. Especially the study, which was packed to the brim with books and scrolls. The old, ancient stuff, too. No flimsiplast. That was real paper. It had the musty scent of a museum in here, which almost distracted Pollux from the fact that he was going to feel like a baby in a high-chair the moment he hoisted himself up onto one of those gigantic chairs. No matter. Furniture based intimidation or not, Pollux was the one with the keys to Vulgrim's debt.

"We do." Pollux agreed, seating himeslf across from [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"]. "The Fulcrum Cattle Company seems to dislike you. Why?"

Pollux had never been one for protracted small-talk or pleasantries. Doubtless because no one else felt the need to extend them to him, owing to the fact that he looked like a spooky skeleton and people typically wanted to end their conversation with him as quickly as possible. It did little good for his etiquette.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

That made Vulgrim frown.

If possible the redness in his eyes intensified for one moment, it was mostly like staring into the mouth of a not-so-dormant volcano about to blow. At least for a moment, before the Maelibus calmed down again. Not surprising, though. At the end of the day it mattered little how much grooming and education had gone into him, he was still a predator at heart.

Nurture could only do so much, before nature took its course and made a mess out of everything.

"I am quite old, mister [member="Pollux"]." Vulgrim finally responded with a shrug, before settling himself down in his seat. It was a comfortable chair, made out of terentatek leather and decorated with jakobeast fur. It was quite expensive and entirely too comfortable by half, but that was how he liked it.

"I have owned the deed for this land for a long time. And as you may have noticed we are positively surrounded by Fulcrum-owned land." A shrug followed. "A few years ago I came back to Ukio, just in time to halt their attempts to try and legally take over this land, claiming I was no longer among the living."

Blackwell grinned then.

"I suppose they did not like that much."

 

[Darth Osano]

Pollux nodded. It was almost sympathetic, in an abstract sense of the word. "Admirable."

Perhaps some would consider Vulgrim's persistence in owning his land to be foolish, especially given how fruitless his endeavors to maintain its prosperity had thus far been. Pollux, however, found it... Endearing. It indicated that [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] was the sort of gentledemon that did not quite or sell out easily. Whether it was out of spite towards the FCC or his own sense of inflated pride was irrelevant. As long as Blackwell could be counted on to continue fighting the good fight without having someone constantly watching over his shoulder (impossible as it might sound in the literal sense), then Pollux had little qualms bailing him out, so to speak.

The Givin allowed himself to get comfortable in his posh, oversized chair.

"I believe Blackwell Ranch can still be made profitable, perhaps even surpassing and absorbing Fulcrum, with the proper investment. I am ready to make that investment in manpower and credits if you are ready to accept it."

There was, of course, the alternative of saying no and simply waiting for the Helix Syndicate to come back and find some way to evict such a monstrous creature off the property. Then repairing the damage and selling the land to the Fulcrum Cattle Company, of course.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

His first instinct was to question the seriousness of that statement.

Because even through his stubbornness Vulgrim saw the difficulty of his situation. It would be quite the feat, if they managed to pull it off. But that was the thing that made him retract his mental questions. It was what he saw in [member="Pollux"] in that very moment. The skeleton-like alien in front of him could be many things.

Unsavory in his dealings, perhaps. Quite opportunistic.

But he wouldn't invest his own money in an establishment just for the fun of it.

Pollux saw an opportunity and he seized it. The real question, then, what the prize would be of such an engagement. He had little illusions about his own position in this situation.

"Mister Pollux, as I see it right now, you have all the cards on the table." His claws went up, to tick off the various points he started to mention. "You have the manpower and the coin. You legally own my debt, so technically you could simply seize all of my land, at least until an expert comes in to judge the offset of my debt and my current possessions."

His head cocked.

"It seems to me that I could either give up on my enterprise here or accept your assistance." Now the demon smirked and his claws went down again. "I do not give up easily."

"I imagine that with a sizeable investment, you will wish dividends in return, yes?"

 

[Darth Osano]

[member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] was certainly more intelligent than the other debtors he bought under his hold. Most of them, like [member="Narbo"] , only seemed to have a tenuous grasp of what was going on and waltzed through life without the foggiest idea of what would be expected of them later. Simpletons. Brutes without a single original thought between the lot of them. "I won't expect returns until progress has been made." Pollux said. His generosity was, truly, a pragmatic one. It was awful hard to make people happy to work for you when you were simultaneously wringing them dry for every last deci-credit.

That didn't come until later.

For now, there were bigger fish to fry and larger nerfs to herd. "How many Nerfs have been stolen since their operations against you?"

The Overliege of Ukio could never be bothered to turn his attention to this region. And for that reason, monopolies like the Fulcrum Cattle Company were free to form and bully smaller operations like Blackwell. More than bully, actually. They were not unlike the Helix Syndicate in these regards, using blackmail, extortion, sabotage, and thievery to drive their competitors into the dirt. The main difference was that the Helix Syndicate were professionals in these matters. The FCC saw these actions as means to an end, Pollux regarded them as art.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Vulgrim nodded curtly.

It was only pragmatic to wait, before taking his dividends. It was like the plucking of a goose that held golden eggs, if you killed it, it wouldn't produce anything for you and in return you would have the dubious pleasure of a single meal. No, better to wait, until it had formed a few relevant and worthwhile products for you, before taking your due.

The Maelibus mentally noted to himself to carefully take note of all the investments [member="Pollux"] made into his company. To compare the coin going in and out, to ensure that when the piper came calling, that he wouldn't be left with zero.

"Let me check, please." His claws brushed past the flimsiplast, before settling on one particular report. "350 and the problems started about a month and a half ago."

He rubbed his goatee in thought, before shrugging heavily.

"I noticed that when I am on the field they are far less likely to attempt these acts, but I cannot be in every place at once sadly and I have other business to attend usually."

 

[Darth Osano]

Three hundred and fifty Nerfs had been stolen? Over the course of forty-five days? Fulcrum Cattle Company was many things, and apparently bold was one of them. Dedicated to the crime as well. Judging from his earlier reconnaissance of [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] , that left him with about a hundred Nerfs left, give or take. At the current rate of thievery, there wouldn't be much left. At the very least it would be easier for Vulgrim to keep the hustlers away from his remaining herd since there were less cattle for him to monitor. Or it would be, if Pollux had any intention of allowing Vulgrim to stop the next raid.

"You won't need to be." Pollux eventually said. "You will be absent from the field the next time part of your herd goes out to graze."

Despite his terse behavior, Pollux was a fan of communication: he loved to send messages. Not anything so bland as a text message but more... Symbolic. Something along the lines of ambushing Fulcrum's cattle rustlers in the act and capturing them. There would be another step to that plan, but Pollux hadn't quite decided what he would do with the captured rustlers. It would be nice and poetic, though. Very brutal. It would either scare Fulcrum into submission or enrage them to the point where they started making mistakes.

The Givin stood up. "My men will move some speeder bikes into the barn under the cover of night. When Fulcrum makes their next raid, we will capture them."

 

[Jairus Starvald]

"I see." Vulgrim responded after a moment as well. This moment was spend in silent contemplation and also effort to rein in his own temper about the whole ordeal he was in right now. It wasn't so much the failure of his own enterprise that infuriated him or even the attempts of Fulcrum to subvert his own interests. No, it was the lack of respect displayed by Fulcrum while doing it.

There was a certain level of class one needed to project, if they wished to play in the big leagues.

At least as far as the Maelibus concerned.

Fulcrum lacked all of this class. They were a bunch of hooligans with very large shovels and guns, who were only good at bullying to get their way. Nothing more and nothing less.

"And what will we... do with them, once captured?" This was a tense situation, they were in right now, and it would be prudent to be careful about the next few moves they made. In truth Vulgrim knew little about [member="Pollux"] and his enterprises, yet, something told him he wasn't one of the big players either. If he was, he wouldn't have bothered with a small fish like him... nor been here personally for that matter.

So, if Fulcrum caught wind of their new attempts to fight against them? It could be over before it even started.

 

[Darth Osano]

Capture was just some generous phrasing on Pollux's part. The Givin fully expected that none of the cattle hustlers would be leaving their next raid with their lives. Maybe the ones who surrendered would be interrogated before being strung up by a tree somewhere on Fulcrum land. If any of them were important enough to the Fulcrum Cattle Company to warrant an especially brutal death... Well, Pollux or Eugene would think of something when it came down to it. Better to cross that bridge once they got to it. Anything else was fantasizing about violence, something that was beneath Pollux. He was not, after all, a Zambrano. A privilege Pollux was thankful for each and every day.

"Extract what we need and then dispose of them," was Pollux's final, vague answer. "Unless you would prefer more... Humane treatment...?"

Pollux had a hard time believing that [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] would want anything less than to skip rope with the entrails of the rustlers in full view of his rivals ifrom Fulcrum. It sounded demonic enough, after all. Then again, he had been surprised before. Like when he first learned that a Maelibus, a literal Nerf herder, was on Ukio being bullied by a cattle company.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Vulgrim nodded slowly, before shrugging those great shoulders.

"I think we can both agree, Mister [member="Pollux"], that my preferences have been less than adequate in dealing with this situation. No, it is your money and personnel you are investing, so we shall do this your way." He cocked his head slightly. "I'd prefer if it was done with some manner of class though."

That clawed hand gently cut through the air, like he was waving away an issue.

"A swift death once you have what you wish for and if possible we simply incinerate the bodies. We are many things, mister Pollux, animals is not one of them."

He raised himself from his seat, which probably did little to offset the height disparity. It was almost as if the Maelibus was drifting, instead of walking, as he passed his new associate towards the bookshelves.

"They may have no respect or dignity, but I do."

 

[Darth Osano]

Vulgrim's talon'd hand cut through the air, an intentionally dismissive gesture, but somehow Pollux still found it unsettling. He couldn't stop thinking about those same talons arcing through the air, only with more purposeful force behind them. What sort of damage could they do to a human face? Enough to send a message, or plenty of messages. [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] probably could have settled this problem one way or another months ago if he cared for getting his hands dirty. But he didn't, and now Pollux was inevitably going to become richer for it.

He nodded in agreement. Pollux was never one to torture others simply for the fun or pleasure of it. If the Givin's incessant stoicism was any indication, it would seem that nothing he did was ever for fun or pleasure. The business of running the Helix Syndicate was his only driving force. People who indulged in those sorts of sadistic pleasures, who relished in it, were not welcome in the Helix Syndicate. This was a professional outfit. True, it was difficult to screen out those who liked the high of power, the ones who liked enforcing debts and bagging debtors a bit too much... But they were easier to deal with than those who got some sort of ecstasy from murder.

Mongrels of that low caliber were better suited for the Coratanni Cartel.

"Agreed." Said Pollux. "We'll be back in three days."

With this flatly announced, Pollux departed in a similarly flat manner. He did not wait to be shown out... Mostly because the scale of this house was starting to make his head ache.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Three days later.

As expected the herd of nerfs from the Vulgrim ranch were sent out into the fields. This time the intimidating presence of Vulgrim was not present to preside over the herd, as agreed previously with [member="Pollux"]. Instead simple nerf hands were helping along, herding the herd along as best as they could. Which wasn't nearly as well as Blackwell himself would have done it.
But what can you do?

You can teach a bunch of thugs and enforcers only so much in half a day of explanations.

"Oh, dear, this is quite exciting, isn't it?" The Maelibus mumbled to himself as he saw figures appearing from around the hill. They weren't even wearing blackened colors anymore, just the livery of Fulcrum and a whole bunch of weapons. A lot of weapons, actually. More than usually?

That was confusing, but maybe they had been planning on finally taking the fight to the demon himself.

Still, this worried Vulgrim, because while he did not doubt the competence of Pollux's man... it still seemed like he had to do something.

It was luck, then, that he was already wearing his lucky and favorite suit. It was the perfect occasion to extend a hand of diplomacy, perhaps they could get out of this before things went too far.

 

[Darth Osano]

It wasn't long before the Helix Syndicate showed up in force. There were fifteen Enforcers in addition to Pollux and Eugene, all decked out on speeder bikes. They almost looked like a swoop gang, but the fact that these were military speeder bikes outfitted with anti-personnel laser cannons and the Guavians manning them were armed with equally military-grade CZ-line slugthrowers put them in stark contrast. Especially to the rabble Fulcrum was sending out to bully their competitors. Pollux moved his goggles off his eyes and dismounted, approaching the house. It was better to inform [member="Vulgrim Blackwell"] personally that the cavalry had arrived. Pollux knocked on the heavy doors.

"Blackwell."

No response.

He knocked again.

"Blackwell."

Eugene, who had been staring at something far out in the field through his macrobinoculars, spoke up instead. "Uh, Pollux?" Pollux turned around slowly to regard his first lieutenant. "How tall did you say this guy was?"

In a few furious steps, Pollux had crossed the distance between the entrance to Blackwell's house and over to Eugene. The Givin snatched the macrobinoculars and settled on what Eugene had been looking at. There he was. Vulgrim Blackwell, far out in the field among his own Nerfs. What was he doing? Gesticulating with those massive man-hands of his, of course. He was talking to the Fulcrum cattle rustlers, although it didn't look like they were taking him particularly seriously. The rustlers were all mounted on swoop bikes of their own and only one of them stopped to humor Vulgrim: a Sullustan with an eye-patch and a wakizashi. The others were circling the herd, preparing to drive them off.

This was up high on Pollux's list of things he didn't want to happen. "Go." Pollux hissed, tossing the macrobinoculars back to Eugene, already pulling his goggles back down and head for his speeder. "Go now."

Engines roared to life. At this distance, however, Pollux doubted he would get there in time before someone did something stupid.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

There were many a stride between him and the ruffians, but his steps were large and before Vulgrim knew it... there he was.

They seemed to size him up, they seemed to ponder and wonder, before finally all but one rounded around him to study his prized nerfs, but this did not concern him overly. They wouldn't mess with them, while he was here, would they? No. That was completely out of the question.

"See, my friend, as I was saying-"

There was suddenly cold fire burning in his lower stomach region. The Maelibus looked down and saw a little sword sticking from out of him, which made him quite annoyed.

"That was my favorite suit, you nerf herding-" Another shot sounded behind him, but this time no mild ache. Vulgrim turned on his feet and saw his favorite nerf, Bertha -- she even had little flowers ringed across her fur and her eyes... beautiful eyes, so gentle yet intelligent, were now empty.

A roar. Claws scrapping. Bodies started flying and more shots fired. The herd of nerfs were getting agitated, but Vulgrim was too far gone, mixed and merged into his subconscious animistic side.

[member="Pollux"]