Visitation

[Ballen-Ist]

"I would also like to seek him out, does he happen to be on-world?" the Pureblood questioned, somewhat interested in a night on the town. For the all the time he had spent on Hok, Ballen-Ist had never truly explored the planet and what it had in store. All he was interested in was power, the main reason he stood in the palace of [member="Kelan The Hutt"] at the very moment. Soon they would multiply their influence exponentially, once all of the legal work was done and out of the way.

"I will forward all of the necessary documentation to your... Legal team," the Sith paused before continuing, "and then we can get down to business," with a grin he bowed slightly to the Hutt, before directing his attention to Marken. "My friend, why don't you show me around the palace, put me in contact with that Ugoro fellow." Ballen-Ist was eager to leave, not a fan of being surrounded by those who could gain from ending him there and now.

The Knight liked to think he had played his hand well, having had a taste for cunning and deception for quite some time. Not that he planned anything extremely detrimental to his business partner, but he would be prepared if anything were to happen. For now, all he wanted to do was discuss things with the Hutt's adviser.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Kelan gave a quick laugh towards [member="Ballen-Ist"] before making a comment. "Legal team; you are a funny guy." Before answering the initial question presented by the Sith, he called over a ragged individual with beading eyes and exchanged a few words with him. After the short conversation, Kelan turned back to his accomplice. He usually set a few of his gang to gather information of those within his territory. Paranoia was certainly one of his weaknesses that has slowly developed as his time in charge went on. It helped him in circumstances like these, as he had the knowledge of where his Tusken friend was. Likely to the Sith's contentment, Ugoroo happened to be fairly nearby.

The underling advanced towards Marken, handing the Siniteen a small slip of paper before retreating back into a corner of the room. "Marken, you are free to assist the Sith through whatever means are needed." Marken bowed to Kelan before leading Ballen-Ist outside of the room in order to once again call upon the Tusken. He wasn't necessarily fond of Ugoroo, but anyone that proved to be valuable to the gang was okay to him.

Leading the Sith through the hallways of the palace, Marken sent out orders through his holocomm to a few typical grunts. "I appreciate you entrusting me as the face of your company, but let us focus on the business at hand. Convenient enough, the Tusken Raider lives in a smaller town nearby. I've sent for him to be picked up and it shouldn't be too long before his arrival." While only the Sith knew of the plans, he didn't ask for any specifics of the "opportunity" that was mentioned before. A briefing could have waited until they were all gathered, where all would present to provide ideas and thoughts.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The humor found in Ballen-Ist's words caused the Knight to slightly smirk, aware of how criminal [member="Kelan The Hutt"]'s activities truly were. The fact did not bother the Pureblood, for anyone who operated outside of set limitations would make a fine tool for any Sith. The same could be said for the opposite, but Ballen-Ist found that sometimes the less complicated things were, the better.

As they left the throne room, the Sith turned to Marken, listening to what the man had to say. "Belay those orders. We will go to him," Ballen-Ist stated, appearing to be rather duracrete about his decision. While Hok wasn't totally corrupted by the Hutts, it had its fair share of dangers, especially when traveling alone. At least they were not within the dark side of the planet, where shadows were all that the eye could see.

"I hope you understand the potential consequences of your assignment, Marken. If anything goes wrong, you will be to blame," the Sith continued, wanting to make sure that everything was crystal clear. Besides, he would be working behind the scenes to make sure that nothing went wrong. As long as things went smoothly, Marken would fall into wealth that he had never even dreamed of. "Where is this village?"

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

With the orders only initially being sent out moments ago, Marken was able to easily edit the original message to prepare vehicles instead. Although he had faith that the escort would be able to deal with any possible conflict, it was understandable why [member="Ballen-Ist"] preferred to be there himself. The territory may have been in the possession of Kelan, but many of the criminals there still held no allegiance and were prone to causing chaos. Some had monetary reasons while others simply had an impulse. With a Sith defending them as they picked up the Tusken, the risk of possible conflict would be minimized.

As they walked towards the garage where their modes of transport awaited, Marken listened intently to the warning posed by the Sith. "I am aware of the possible repercussions that could occur. If I wasn't ready to face conflicts that could arise, I would have never accepted the job role." With Holowan Laboratories focusing on primary construction of weapons and droids, it would be insane to believe that the company could be blamed for any misdeeds performed by those products. Marken knew for a fact that Kelan would most likely use Holowan Mechanicals for his own use, producing weaponry and droids to amp up the gang. Even if the Hutt didn't realize it at first, he soon would use it for purposes other than money.

The garage neared, and a few vehicles with a few grunts already inside were ready to exit the palace. He was interested in what the Sith meant by opportunity, and it seems that the answer would soon be coming as they reach Ugoroo. He remembers the Tusken's job in obtaining the holocron; albeit he was much more foreign at that point. "Our agents have found the village to be fairly nearby to the palace, so the trip there will be short."

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"A shame," the Pureblood spoke, sounding disappointing by the news. He had hoped for a long journey, maybe even one that was on foot. That way, their chances of encountering something of a challenge would be greater than normal. Cruising along the sand would prove to be boring, but efficient nonetheless. There was still a chance of something exciting happening in the village. Ballen-Ist climbed on to one of the vehicles that had been prepared, a skiff, common for use when navigating desert planets such as Hok.

The fact they traveled with so many guards was almost insulting, if not for he ulterior motive he suspected to be behind it. Those that witnessed a Sith seemingly working under [member="Kelan The Hutt"] would learn to fear the slug. After thinking about it, the Pureblood had to admit he liked the idea. Once Marken was on board, Ballen-Ist would give a nod of approval, grasping a handrail firmly as he awaited their arrival.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Marken took a seat right next to a tough-looking grunt who he was sure could protect him if anything went wrong during the car ride. In the past, there have been reports where vehicles would be trailed and eventually attacked when the passengers' guards were down. Luckily, they had a good amount of security and were only traveling a shorter distance. Even so, Marken still kept his eye out for anything that stood out of the ordinary, which was pretty easy since practically everything was sand. Finally, he spotted a few buildings up ahead and eventually a full settlement popped into view.

The driver in the front vehicle took a quick look at the coordinates of the Tusken's supposed house when they all exited out of their transports. As they walked along the streets of the settlement, Marken noticed varying glances from ragged individuals. Despite it being in Kelan's territory on the planet, a small militia had never been present for any reason. Only an underling would come around every so often to collect payment or settle a deal. Many of them would be put at ease, but slowly returned to their normal duties as their group passed by. Eventually, the driver stopped at a singular door to a house and gave a quick nod to [member="Ballen-Ist"] and Marken. Like most houmes on Hok, it couldn't be classified as luxurious but wasn't necessarily run-down like many of the houses. A grunt gripped the almost-rusting handle and slowly turned it to open.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

The settlement was impressive for a planet like Hok. [member="Kelan The Hutt"] had control over the people that lived within his territory, as they knew better than to stand around while the Hutt's men gathered. Being seen as one of them was slightly degrading, but the Pureblood was able to rationalize it in his mind.

Besides, you could never really know what could happen among such lowlifes and villainy. Having gathered his equipment before leaving, the Sith made sure his saber hilt and sheathe were firmly attached to his belt, as he pulled his cloak close before hopping off the skiff. Ballen-Ist pushed passed the grunt, eyeing them with disgust in his burning yellow eyes, as he strode confidently into the confines of Ugoroo's home. Casting his gaze rapidly around interior, the Sith prepared for what was to come next.

At least, what he expected to come next. With any luck, he would welcome it with open arms, along with a glowing blade.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

While usually staying behind the armed guards within hostile environments, Marken followed right behind the Sith into the home of the Tusken. The interior design of the building wasn't the most decorative, showing either signs of abandonment or lack of care. The latter showed to be apparent as Marken heard a rustling sound in the room over, followed by a figure entering the room, a figure with a rifle pointed directly at his head. It seems they have found their Tusken.

"Ugoroo, the Hutt has need of your services once again, we are not here to steal from you." The Tusken lowered the rifle, but still kept his distance upon witnessing the Sith once again. He seemed to be in good condition, considering the location that they were in at the moment. He approached the two and simply stated "What am I needed for?" Now that they were all gathered, Marken hoped to get into the opportunity that [member="Ballen-Ist"] mentioned at the palace.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

From the way Ugoroo spoke, it sounded as if he had adapted to the use of galactic basic compared to when they had first met. Ballen-Ist had wanted to come here for one reason at first, but now he had thought it over, a few pathways were looking to be quite open. He always considered Ugoroo to a be a loose end, and killing him would surely put the Pureblood at ease. The Tusken was one of the four individuals who knew he possessed the holocron of Tulak Hord, having been the one to help the Sith to obtain it in the first place. He could have snapped the rifle with his mind, using one of the broken ends to impale the Tusken's neck within seconds.

Glancing towards Marken, the Pureblood could tell how eager the man was, excited to hear about whatever opportunity Ballen-Ist had alluded to. The Sith himself could not even remember what he had been talking about, for the deal he had offered [member="Kelan The Hutt"] was more than enough to occupy his mind. "I suggest you pack any valuables you have here." Ballen-Ist replied, looking over the room that was simply a mess.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Marken developed an uneasiness when he first entered the home, and that was no different upon the introduction of the Tusken Raider into the room. That security soon returned to him as his Sith companion mentioned packing needed items. He wasn't sure what plans were in store for Ugoroo, but the idea of packing valuables brought curiosity. While Ugoroo stuffed various of his "valuables" into a satchel, he couldn't help but notice that almost every single one of them was some form of weaponry. The Tusken certainly invested much of his life into the so-called art of bounty hunting.

As Marken came to learn, Kelan loved hiring specialists to perform tasks that he didn't wish to waste troops on. Ugoroo didn't charge much in comparison to those on a more professional level, and was nearby most days. Once Ugoroo seemed satisfied with what he had, Marken exited the building, happy to be out of the dusty house. He turned to face [member="Ballen-Ist"] and wondered what the setup was leading to. "I shall give a quick call to the mighty Kelan to report on our progress; it will only take a minute."

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Waving a hand dismissively through the air, Ballen-Ist passed Marken, allowing him to make a call to [member="Kelan The Hutt"] while he left. The security that had began to enter stood in the Sith's path, prompting the Pureblood to violently push them aside. "Out of my way," Ballen-Ist growled, stepping out of the door way and back onto the skiff that was parked nearby. "It has been some time, hasn't it Ugoroo," the Sith mused, not even looking towards the Tusken as he continued to speak. The Tusken was not like any other he had encountered before, and so it was possible that the offer he was about to propose would be accepted.

"Once Marken becomes CEO, he will need allies other than myself. That's why I want to appoint you as head of security on Halowan. It will be better than living on this rock." Ballen-Ist commented, laughing a bit afterwards. He didn't mean to insult Kelan's planet, but it really did need more variety in landscape. It was also likely that Ugoroo had no idea what he was talking about, and so they would have to clear that up, once they left for Halowan that is.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Ugoroo had only seen Marken every so often when he would visit Kelan's palace for a new job, but even then he would only engage in conversation with Marken a few times. That's why he initially thought of the group to be a threat, as he would rarely get visitors. Even more interesting, the same Sith who he fought with when he was first hired by Kelan was there as well, so he that he was to serve some sort of purpose. When he he heard about Marken being the CEO of something and was offered to be the head of security on something called Halowan, he was perplexed to say the least.

Throughout his life, he only knew about few planets that he needed to commit jobs on and had never heard of a Halowan. Still, the word security spoke to him and he always would love to find opportunities to fight some people causing trouble. "I am unsure of where Halowan is, but I am glad to offer my power." Ugoroo still had no idea what [member="Ballen-Ist"] was necessarily tasking him to do, but he hoped that there would be plenty of action in comparison to a simple fight every few weeks. For now, he was all done with bounty hunting and they would soon begin to leave as Marken returned.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Everything will become clear in time," the Pureblood spoke to Ugoroo, knowing how clueless he must have been. That was exactly how he wanted it to, for Marken would need allies, but not ones that would pose a threat to Ballen-Ist himself. It wasn't that he did not trust [member="Kelan The Hutt"] and associates, more the simple fact that they were non-Pureblood.

Regardless of that they were ex-members of the Hutt Cartel, so the Sith could not be too sure what they were capable of. "Let us head back to the palace, Marken. We will leave for Halowan immediately." Ballen-Ist announced, already able to imagine what their arrival at the headquarters would result in. It would be marvelous.

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Marken arrived back with the group to hear that their plans were to depart for Halowan. Whether it was simply to familiarize themselves with the businesses of Halowan Laboratories and Halowan Mechanicals, he did not know. While that was the most likely option, conflict always happened to pop up around the gang. It wouldn't be a big surprise if more would happen than what would be planned. He still had chills walking through the settlement to their vehicles, even if he was walking beside a Sith, a now ex-Bounty Hunter, and a group of aggressive thugs.

With their traveling back to the palace, Marken made sure to get ahead and have a ship be set up for the three of them and a pilot. He would usually be a cautious person regarding security when traveling off-world, but he was sure that [member="Ballen-Ist"] and Ugoroo would suffice. Besides, he had a small blaster pistol tucked in his boot if anything were to arise. He hoped he would never have to use it, but it was a last resort method if he was on his own. To occupy time on the ride, he made conversation with the Sith besides him. "How has Halowan Laboratories fared so far? I am sure that a company of this big interest must have some stories." Once they arrived, they would just need to head towards the hangar bay and make their way to Halowan.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Leaning against the railing of the skiff, Ballen-Ist slowly turned to glance at Marken, who was addressing him. The question was loaded, but unfortunately the Pureblood did not have a lot of stories to tell. He had facilitated Holowan Laboratories revival, recruiting trusted personnel who were better suited for the inner operations of the company. "We mainly work within the Fakir sector, among neighboring planets," the Sith explained, sure that Marken would want to know more.

"Holowan Laboratories provides security to several systems, while a small fleet guards Halowan itself," Ballen-Ist spoke, wanting Marken to be up to speed about the company and its daily routines. He would be briefed soon enough, however. "If you must know, a prototype recently escaped. Nothing as severe as the Holowan Massacre, but something you two will need to solve nonetheless." There was a story for the man, one that was true as well.

A prototype MagnaGuard had managed to kill the team working on it, fleeing the headquarters and wrecking havoc among Halowan's industrial sector. The skiff soon began to slow, coming to a halt before the palace before being granted entrance. "Prepare a shuttle, we will dock with the fleet and leave immediately." Looking to Marken, the Sith began to make his way towards the nearest landing pad or hangar bay, also beckoning Ugoroo along to follow.

[member="Kelan The Hutt"]

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Marken listened to the words from [member="Ballen-Ist"], growing nervous upon hearing the mention of a rampant droid prototype. He hadn't anticipated their introduction to Halowan being followed by a hunt of a dangerous and likely intelligent being. "I can't say that I've heard of a Halowan Massacre, but I'm sure it wasn't pleasant." The idea of having to hunt down the droid wasn't in his interest, but if it would have earned him more trust from the Sith and stop the company from taking hits, then he bare the discomfort. In the end, he was sure that he himself wouldn't be faced with combat and would handle more of the behind-the-scenes. Hopefully the Sith was aware of this, because frankly be could hardly fight besides basic use of a blaster.

As they arrived back at the palace, Marken headed up to the few operatives that were on shift for the unofficial traffic control while Ugoroo went off with the Sith. Once alone, he wondered as to why their help was required in the first place. He didn't expect a mediocre bounty hunter to provide much assistance to a Sith Knight in combat, although he was never one for questioning the inner-motives of others. Enough concerns were already presented to the Sith in one day. Once he was informed of a ship being set-up, he headed down to the hangar bay and waved his two companions over. The regret of not bringing some extra muscle began in his mind, but it seemed too late at that point.

 

[Ballen-Ist]

"Really?" Ballen-Ist responded, trying to at least seem like he was interested in conversing. He supposed he owed Marken that much. "It's quite a popular legend on the planet. Apparently an Assassin Droid killed everyone within the Holowan facility, fleeing to later become a bounty hunter," the Sith spoke, honestly not finding much truth in the story himself. It seemed somewhat far-fetched, that a droid capable of such destruction would opt to simple bounty hunting.

After hopping off the skiff, the Pureblood watched Marken leave, no doubt making preparations for their departure. Stepping into the hangar bay, he looked to Ugoroo who walked beside him, a brief smirk on his face before he spoke. "We won't have to hunt down any rogue assassination droids. Yet." he stated, aware that the Sand People were a proud warrior race. Ugoroo most likely saw a challenge, where Marken saw nothing but trouble. Ballen-Ist could sense the alien's worry, especially as they made their way onto the shuttle.

The craft powered up and began to hover, shooting out of the hangar bay and up towards the sky. Soon they had left the atmosphere, revealing the dark expanse before them, along with a new escort party. Most of the fleet had assembled, a seven hundred meter long assault frigate sending out a hail to the shuttle craft as it approached. Entering an identification code upon the console within the cockpit, Ballen-Ist made sure they were recognized, and cleared for docking. They would attach with the fleet's capital ship, entering through one of the many airlocks and finally stepping on board.

The group was met strictly with a detachment of droids, a squad of the IG-SP models and a single IG-800 MagnaGuard. Though most the commanding officer of the vessel knew of Ballen-Ist's identity, not many others did, and he preferred to keep it that way. Strolling through the corridors with his guests and entourage, Ballen-Ist thought it appropriate to question Marken further. "Holowan is most influential within the Fakir sector. Just recently, we've made agreements with Doneer'so, in order to utilize their shipyard. What do you think Holowan Mechanicals should specialize in?" There were many routes to take, as they needn't be anchored down to the company tradition.

[member="Kelan The Hutt"]

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

Marken had to admit that the fleet was impressive, even though there had to have only been a small number of ships within it. He never realized just how wealthy and powerful Holowan Laboratories really was. Along the trip to Holowan, he took the liberty of reading up on Holowan and other members of the Halowan system. He was especially interested in how the company was responsible for the manufacture of its fleet. Although agreeing to become the figurehead of Holowan Laboratories and Kelan gaining charge of Holowan Mechanicals, the importance of them to the system added a new level of interest to them. With his awaiting position, there could always be opportunities to pull strings in order to benefit Kelan's gang even more.

Upon being greeted by the small group of droids, Marken recognized the design of the MagnaGuard that he mentioned to Kelan back on Hoth. It certainly looked more interesting and had more sentient-like movements than a good number of other droids, which made sense considering the purpose of close combat. Once again, Marken would pull out a Holocomm to report back to Kelan, whom he hadn't even told of their departure to the Halowan system. While the Hutt was slightly angered over not being given an update until it was late, Marken swiftly apologized and promised to report back soon.

As Marken was walking down the hall beside [member="Ballen-Ist"] with Ugoroo trailing behind, he listened to the question and scratched his head. The transferal proposal of Holowan Mechanicals had only happened earlier in the day, leaving a minimal amount of time to actually think about what they wanted. "I'm sure that the mighty Kelan will wish to focus primarily on weaponry and droids. I can only hope he doesn't ruin the company's reputation by supplying the gang in bulk." As loyal as he was, he knew more than anyone how short-sighted Kelan could be at times, not caring about the future. "Holowan Mechanicals did gain its fame from the production of droids, however. It would make sense for that to be the most financially successful route."

 

[Ballen-Ist]

As soon as the group was on board, the shuttle detached from the large frigate, returning to the surface while the fleet jumped into hyperspace. A gentle hum could be heard as the hyperdrive worked its magic, propelling the vessels at light speeds towards the planet Halowan. Ugoroo would be separated from the group, directed by a few droids to the chambers that had been assigned to the Tusken. He was free to explore the vessel, though under tight watch by the security officers upon the command bridge.

The Tusken was even encouraged to visit one of the simulation rooms, which would provide him with various Holowan droid models to test his mettle against. Ballen-Ist figured the warrior would be bored by talks of business, and instead wanted the man to be at the top of his game. Once they arrived on Halowan, all would be explained to Ugoroo, as he would be required to take some educative courses for his future job.

"As long as he doesn't go overboard, I don't care," the Sith responded to Marken's comment, aware that the greatest lure of all for [member="Kelan The Hutt"] would be the resources at his disposal. "Older droid models are fine to use, they were created on Geonosis for all we know," a rather vague statement, one that would be kept as such. The Galactic Empire had a factory on Geonosis, and it in fact manufactured ancient MagnaGuards. Ballen-Ist would have to do something about that sooner or later. "What about cybernetics, as well? Mighty Kelan could have a strike team of cyborg commandos, surely useful for a crime lord."

 

[Kelan The Hutt]

The Tusken went off to do his own thing and left the two in conversation about the companies. Marken even heard mention of a simulation that could have acted as some extra practice for him. They did in fact find him while he was simply resting in his home, so it was only a wild gamble as to the last time in which Ugoroo engaged in combat. [member="Ballen-Ist"] responded to his concerns regarding Kelan's possible misuse of Holowan Mechanicals, and he felt slightly more reassured than before. When given the chance, he would advise for Kelan to take a considerable amount of time in between personal production of droids and weaponry.

He took interest in the suggestion of cybernetics from the Sith. "In comparison to weaponry and droids, cybernetics are capable of having a more good-willed cover to them which is perfect for what you are suggesting." In addition to a bulk of technology for the gang, Kelan surely would appreciate some enforcers that he could send on more personal missions that required a little more intimidation. Finding willing volunteers to be shoved full of cybernetics shouldn't have been too much of a problem as well. "All grunts look for opportunities to gain more power and strength, I'm sure that finding members to become a 'cyborg commando' will only take a short time."