Kenth Berik
Disgraced Mercenary
Trouble in Paradise?
In the mercenary world a stalemate is bad for business. Employers don't achieve objectives and can be unwilling to pay. But a peaceful resolution can be even worse. History is written by the victors and if there are no victors then both sides are equally scrutinized and potentially punished. Leading a hired army Kenth had always imagined making a name of himself, it was rather romantic. Now though it was time to lay low, outside of Alliance space at least until the aftermath of the blockade quietened down.
Even though Kenth needed to lay low he still had mercenaries to lead and most importantly, he was an Imperial and that meant keeping things quiet wasn't exactly in his nature.
Over Ponemah Terminal's only settlement with a spaceport, the Adjudicator II loomed over. The planet was inhospitable but a few decades earlier settlers arrived to try and tame it. They had managed to make a meager living scrapping the many ships foolish enough to land in it's southern hemisphere as well as accommodating the smugglers and pirates who enjoyed using the planet as a safe haven, far from the prying eyes of the nearby galactic superpowers. Building and fortifying their home out of the skeletal remains of the Wrath they were relatively safe from the wild life and were far enough from the Sea of Sand to no feel its effects. Unfortunately for them Kenth had decided that the settlement would be the place the Adjudicators would lay low and its inhabitants, unwilling hosts.
After driving out the undesirables, the Imperials had made themselves right at home, sun bathing in the planets warm sun and 'commandeering' whatever they needed. In exchange they of course had brought security from the low lifes and sand worms that usually frequented or terrorized the settlement but life had not gotten much better. Areas were cordoned off for the Imperials, drunk and often rowdy mercenaries replaced the pirates and many local businesses were harassed or shut down at the discretion of junior officers. The disgruntled locals would now have to deal with the trouble with even less money coming in compared to before. Kenth and his top officers had also decided to enjoy the luxuries as well, taking over the former mayor's large compound after he was executed for being associated with pirates. Now they boozed and relaxed until either the heat died down or further orders from their shadowy employer came in. They didn't aim to improve the place much after all, only to kick back and have some fun. For the locals it was trouble in paradise although they didn't exactly live in a paradise.
Location: Equator, Ponemah Terminal
Objective: R&R
Tags: Open
Kenth sat at a long table, his officer uniform unbuttoned, exposing his bare chest and stomach to the sun, working up a nice tan. In one hand he held a deck of Sabaac and in the other an old cup filled with calamari xinphar. Around him sat many of the senior officers of the Adjudicator II, in similar states to Berik. The music that filled the office was suddenly interrupted by Kenth who placed down his cards. "Fleet." he said with a grin, a great sabaac hand. "Hand it over gentleman." he continued. A young warfare officer, Lieutenant Argyle let out a groan. "Surely taking back your soldier's credits as an officer is illegal." the engineering officer let out a chuckled. "It would be illegal if he had actually won." he said before laying down a pure sabaac, beating Kenth's own hands. Lieutenant Argyle burst out into laughter while Kenth sat there stunned. One of the guards sitting by the door shouted across the room. "Don't worry sir, you've got enough booze to drink the pain away. This stuff's not half bad either." and more laughter came from the other officers. Kenth shook his head and handed over the credits he was due before taking a big swig of his drink.
As the cards were reshuffled Kenth spoke up. "Right, any business we have to deal with?" One of the officers spoke up, Major Sion who commanded the infantry. "Some of the men are apparently getting bored sitting around guarding checkpoints all day. Say they want something to shoot at again." Kenth let out a sigh. The needs of the infantry. "Get them some speeders and high powered rifles. Heard the big game hunters liked to kill the sand worms when they stopped for fuel. They can take a local and pay 'em a few credits to be used as bait." he said before taking another sip of his drink. "These ungrateful low lifes will do anything for money." and some of the officers raised their glasses in cheers. Argyle spoke up. "What do you expect? Can't teach an old dog a new trick." Kenth shook his head before continuing. "Anything else?" the engineering spoke up once more. "Some merchants demanding compensation for some windows. Apparently a few drunk ratings threw bottles at his house for overcharging on what they described as, 'exotic rugs'." Kenth shook his head. "Not important." he replied while stretching out. "Right, anyone want to make their money back before the engineering department spends it on something other than booze." he said before handing out another hand of cards to everyone.
OOC Note: This thread takes place after the confrontation over Byss and is essentially Imperial mercenaries occupying a town for some R&R at the expense of the locals. I don't really mind where the thread goes and if you're an aspiring freedom fighter, disgruntled pirate or simply there for a reason of your own don't be afraid to jump in.
The thread is set after Fool Me Once but before The Shadow Hand Initiative
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