Chp-20: Indimidation
Freefaller
Getting sticky.
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Chp-20: Intimidation?
Kel Loyu
Minda System, Ugea, Accordia, Imperial Island, Imperial Tower
She was nervous. The most nervous that she had been in a long time. An Imperial Governor was asking to see them? Bad news.
The only reason she was there was because some guards had shown up to escort them. They had taken a transport, and while she was confident that they could have fought their way out, two things stopped her.
The first was the AA guns that she could see out the window. While their design was different than she was used to, there was no doubt that an attempted escape would result in their deaths.
The second was that they had been called for a job offer. A lucrative job offer. The kind that could set you up for a long time. Kay and Kai had been amenable to it, the former more than the latter. Kay wanted a big bang of a job, while Kai, cautious as he was, knew that denying a governor would mean that the cash cow that was Minda would be forever closed to them.
Of course, they did have an escape plan. They each had hidden weapons on them at all times, enclosed in specially made internal pockets that could resist most scanners. If push came to shove, they had the power to fight back.
Now, they were standing in the waiting room, as the receptionist, a sharp eyed teal skinned Twi'lek checked their ID and appointment status. A few seconds later, they were ushered through.
The first thing Kel noticed about the office was it's size. It's walls were covered with filing cabinets, and the floors were bereft of any carpets. There were no paintings, statues, or any kind of extravagance. The closest was a small side table with what looked like a coffee machine, but the scent was far sweeter. Most likely that local chocolate drink that Kay liked so much.
Behind the desk was a tall structure covered in a carpet of sorts, like the one on the Basilisk Hound's. It looked not unlike a tree, with platforms attached at odd intervals.
The desk itself was a simple thing. White with gray accents, it held a terminal, cup of cocoa, and a small miniature replica of an Imperial Star Destroyer.
It was what was behind the desk that was important. Governor Las Mola. A man of about 5'11, pale skin, brown hair and eyes, early twenties. He did not hold himself as if he held power. The way he sat conveyed a distinct fatigue, and yet it was not his stance that conveyed his power. It was the whole ensemble.
The simple room accentuated nothing but the large window behind him, showing off not just the entire city, but the horizon peaking in the gap between the surrounding mountains. Just below was the entire Imperial Island, holding on it the Garrison, Imperial Spaceport, Milita Academy, Guild HQ, and more. Combined with the four guards flanking the sides of the room in their strange yet familiar armor, carrying large weapons, it was a subliminal statement of his power and control. That, no matter what, the Loyu family was in his territory, and there was nothing they could do about it.
So, when he spoke, she nearly flinched despite his tired yet polite tone.
"Ah, hello there. You are the…"he checks his terminal for a second, and she feels sweat break out across her face "Loyu family, yes? Mercenary tag is 'Starforged Wardens?'
They tensely nod.
He nods back. "Good name." Internal sighs of relief.
"Now, I feel like I have to broach this subject before we continue, so I'll just say it. We're offering an acknowledgement program for beskar. Do good work for us, and we don't take it, and you get a Remit that allows you to own your beskar officially. The Empire has enough already, so we can get away with leaving yours alone. In the Minda system, that is. Can't guarantee anything outside of the system."
As soon as he said beskar, the three of them started to move, their hands about to fly towards the hidden weapons in their jackets. It would be tough, but they could get out of this, though they would be worse off for sure.
But their hands never moved more than half an inch. Before even the exosuited guards noticed their movements, a creature walked around from behind the desk. While it seemed completely nonchalant, simply hopping up on it's little recreational tree, the three siblings knew.
They couldn't move. As it started at them with one eye half open, they were physically incapable of moving. No matter how much Kel's muscles screamed, she couldn't budge.
And the governor spoke on, as if nothing was happening, Kel understood. The entire setup was to make them understand that this was a deal they could not refuse. And so, she relaxed, and as her siblings followed her lead with scared and confused eyes, the creature closed it's own, and she felt the control slip.
"We'll do it" she said as soon as she could physically speak.
The governor blinked in obviously feigned confusion. "I…didn't even finish the offer. Before you jump the gun, let me explain it, please."
"Doesn't matter" she said, shaking her head "We'll do it."
"...Ok…I'm still going to explain it."
He pulled something up on his terminal while muttering, probably planning his next steps. He then turned the terminals screen towards them and gestured for them to approach.
They did so, each step feeling to Kel as if she was stepping closer and closer to the open maw of a Krayt dragon.
Pointing to the images on the screen, he continued. "These are three of the lieutenants of The Crowns, the pirate gang that's terrorizing the sector. They have the largest outstanding bounties of the entire documented gang, with all the bounties coming from outside the sector. Your job will be to capture these three alive for interrogation. Upon capture, you will be rewarded with all three bounties, alongside an extra rewardd and the Remits. Total value overall with come up to about 900,000 credits."
He then passed her a data shard, which she took with the utmost care. "This contains our networks most recent movement data for your targets. Are there any questions."
None of them dared speak, so they just shook their heads, a tense, almost robotic motion.
"Ah, great. Happy hunting, folks. Try not to die, and all that."
With that, they turned around and left, escorted by the four massive guards to the elevator, after which they were escorted by Stormtroopers until the spaceport.
Only once they were back on their ship, and flying out of the atmosphere, did the three share a sigh of relief.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the door closed behind the Mando's, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had been quite scared that entire time. Who wouldn't? Three Mandalorians, even without their armor and weapons, are a terrifying foe. I'm just glad they didn't notice the exosuit my guards were wearing are prototypes, and nowhere near ready for actual combat. They were there solely for the intimidation factor so they wouldn't gut me like a fish the second I said 'beskar'.
Speaking of intimidation, I'm confused on what went so well. I mean, even with the armor and all, they, at best, should have been discouraged from starting something. But they were stiff. As if I was holding a knife to their children's throats or something. It was odd. Very odd.
Ultimately, it was useless to think about, because I had bigger plans. The Crown's base is old. And big. Old and big enough that there's no way that they would know how to service that whole thing on their own. That meant that there had to be engineers coming in from the Consortium. And, given the whole royalty motif, I doubt the leaders of The Crowns like being at the mercy of the Consortium.
That means an opportunity for deeper infiltrators. Once our current team gets more rep with The Crowns, we can plant a second team. The first team will introduce the second as some criminal engineers looking for work. The Crowns will accept them because they want to rely less on their backers and gain more freedom. And, therefore, given some time, we gain access to The Duet's Dominion's deepest internal systems. Making it far easier to capture or destroy. Hard to run if your thrusters don't work and the hangar bay doors won't open.
But that was for the future. Right now, the infiltration team was laying low, not drawing attention inside the gang with big jobs or hauls. Waiting for the right moment that our second engineer team is trained and prepped for the job.
Looking over the list of lieutenants I sent the mercs to hunt, I can only hope that they can get the job done. I mean, their mando's so probably, but still. Make no mistake, there were better options. Or, one option. Cad Bane was spotted in the southern end of the sector for some other job, so I probably could've had my people catch up to him and make an offer. Thing is, for all that I could've offered him, I couldn't afford to get in a bidding war. And that's the thing with Bane, he doesn't keep his word as a merc. If the enemy offers more, and I can't compete, he's switching sides faster then Mugwuffin runs when I say BBQ.
She perks up from her napping spot, and I sigh. Fucking space cats.
Regardless, Bane isn't trustworthy, and kinda the worst. Boba Fett is more likely to keep his side of the agreement, but he's in Hutt space last I checked, and I want nothing to do with that. So, random Mando merc family it is. They look competent enough, at least.
Turning back to my terminal, I switch over to the newest set of plans being put into place. Even with the pirate menace hurting trade, business is still booming. As more and more Imperial Mining Facilities are set up, so did the capacity for more industry. And out here, there was a perfect industry to target that could benefit Minda and make a profit off of every other governor.
TIE fighters.
They were cheap, weak, and all but useless for most things other than swarm tactics. Except, out here, pilots aren't as easy to come by.
So, the plan was to start up a TIE factory for a modified TIE variant with a hyperdrive, shielding, life support, and the works. Wouldn't be as fast or cheap as a standard TIE, but it would be survivable and still affordable enough to outfit the few Gozanti crews that usually defended most near barren colonies around these parts.
The techs even had some designs made in mere days! Apparently, like the projectile turret that was now actually functional as an AA weapon around Accordia, many of the techs, with all their government mandated off days, had been designing TIE variants for fun and competing with them in simulated AI battles.
I actually watched some of those, it was very fun. Like playing TABS back when I was on Earth. God I miss my PC. And my thousands of dollars of unplayed Steam games.
But, the techs had made some interesting designs. Some were silly, like the TIE mech, while others were actually viable, like the Demolisher, Mangler, and Supremacy. A couple weren't even fighters or bombers, just gunships and transports like the Stingray or the Vigilante.
Now, would this factory be done anytime soon, or the dozens of other factories needed to create an entire supply chain? No. Hell no. Do I want to even start this project? Also no, the paperwork will kill me. But the fact of the matter is that more and more attention is being brought to this system than ever before, regardless of my actions, and things are going to get worse before they get better.
With the long term project of an alternate, outer rim TIE project, at least I have a deep dark hole with which to funnel money and resources into, hopefully reducing the rate of expansion to something more manageable and less attention grabbing. Hopefully.
A TIE variant factory should be enough to satisfy Momma Mola, right? I check Las's memories real quick.
Fuck me, I have a lot of work to do.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there folks. Honestly, spent more time surfing ArtStation's bevy of TIE variant concepts than I did writing this chapter.
Really good stuff over there.
Also, before I go, this marks the 20th chapter of this series. As the Arc really starts to kick off after this, I want to ensure more quality. On top of that, my winter semester just ended and my spring semester kicks off next week. Therefore, I won't be posting daily for a week or two, both to get used to my new classes and schedule, and also to create longer, hopefully higher quality chapters. So, don't worry for my health if I don't update in a while. Honestly, I was really only updating daily because I liked seeing my username on the weekly polls SB and SV do for stories, but I've come to realize that not that many people look at those, so It's kinda irrelevant. Also, I don't want to burn out chasing the clout of internet strangers. Not worth it.
As always, feedback is appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
-Freefaller
Kel Loyu
Minda System, Ugea, Accordia, Imperial Island, Imperial Tower
She was nervous. The most nervous that she had been in a long time. An Imperial Governor was asking to see them? Bad news.
The only reason she was there was because some guards had shown up to escort them. They had taken a transport, and while she was confident that they could have fought their way out, two things stopped her.
The first was the AA guns that she could see out the window. While their design was different than she was used to, there was no doubt that an attempted escape would result in their deaths.
The second was that they had been called for a job offer. A lucrative job offer. The kind that could set you up for a long time. Kay and Kai had been amenable to it, the former more than the latter. Kay wanted a big bang of a job, while Kai, cautious as he was, knew that denying a governor would mean that the cash cow that was Minda would be forever closed to them.
Of course, they did have an escape plan. They each had hidden weapons on them at all times, enclosed in specially made internal pockets that could resist most scanners. If push came to shove, they had the power to fight back.
Now, they were standing in the waiting room, as the receptionist, a sharp eyed teal skinned Twi'lek checked their ID and appointment status. A few seconds later, they were ushered through.
The first thing Kel noticed about the office was it's size. It's walls were covered with filing cabinets, and the floors were bereft of any carpets. There were no paintings, statues, or any kind of extravagance. The closest was a small side table with what looked like a coffee machine, but the scent was far sweeter. Most likely that local chocolate drink that Kay liked so much.
Behind the desk was a tall structure covered in a carpet of sorts, like the one on the Basilisk Hound's. It looked not unlike a tree, with platforms attached at odd intervals.
The desk itself was a simple thing. White with gray accents, it held a terminal, cup of cocoa, and a small miniature replica of an Imperial Star Destroyer.
It was what was behind the desk that was important. Governor Las Mola. A man of about 5'11, pale skin, brown hair and eyes, early twenties. He did not hold himself as if he held power. The way he sat conveyed a distinct fatigue, and yet it was not his stance that conveyed his power. It was the whole ensemble.
The simple room accentuated nothing but the large window behind him, showing off not just the entire city, but the horizon peaking in the gap between the surrounding mountains. Just below was the entire Imperial Island, holding on it the Garrison, Imperial Spaceport, Milita Academy, Guild HQ, and more. Combined with the four guards flanking the sides of the room in their strange yet familiar armor, carrying large weapons, it was a subliminal statement of his power and control. That, no matter what, the Loyu family was in his territory, and there was nothing they could do about it.
So, when he spoke, she nearly flinched despite his tired yet polite tone.
"Ah, hello there. You are the…"he checks his terminal for a second, and she feels sweat break out across her face "Loyu family, yes? Mercenary tag is 'Starforged Wardens?'
They tensely nod.
He nods back. "Good name." Internal sighs of relief.
"Now, I feel like I have to broach this subject before we continue, so I'll just say it. We're offering an acknowledgement program for beskar. Do good work for us, and we don't take it, and you get a Remit that allows you to own your beskar officially. The Empire has enough already, so we can get away with leaving yours alone. In the Minda system, that is. Can't guarantee anything outside of the system."
As soon as he said beskar, the three of them started to move, their hands about to fly towards the hidden weapons in their jackets. It would be tough, but they could get out of this, though they would be worse off for sure.
But their hands never moved more than half an inch. Before even the exosuited guards noticed their movements, a creature walked around from behind the desk. While it seemed completely nonchalant, simply hopping up on it's little recreational tree, the three siblings knew.
They couldn't move. As it started at them with one eye half open, they were physically incapable of moving. No matter how much Kel's muscles screamed, she couldn't budge.
And the governor spoke on, as if nothing was happening, Kel understood. The entire setup was to make them understand that this was a deal they could not refuse. And so, she relaxed, and as her siblings followed her lead with scared and confused eyes, the creature closed it's own, and she felt the control slip.
"We'll do it" she said as soon as she could physically speak.
The governor blinked in obviously feigned confusion. "I…didn't even finish the offer. Before you jump the gun, let me explain it, please."
"Doesn't matter" she said, shaking her head "We'll do it."
"...Ok…I'm still going to explain it."
He pulled something up on his terminal while muttering, probably planning his next steps. He then turned the terminals screen towards them and gestured for them to approach.
They did so, each step feeling to Kel as if she was stepping closer and closer to the open maw of a Krayt dragon.
Pointing to the images on the screen, he continued. "These are three of the lieutenants of The Crowns, the pirate gang that's terrorizing the sector. They have the largest outstanding bounties of the entire documented gang, with all the bounties coming from outside the sector. Your job will be to capture these three alive for interrogation. Upon capture, you will be rewarded with all three bounties, alongside an extra rewardd and the Remits. Total value overall with come up to about 900,000 credits."
He then passed her a data shard, which she took with the utmost care. "This contains our networks most recent movement data for your targets. Are there any questions."
None of them dared speak, so they just shook their heads, a tense, almost robotic motion.
"Ah, great. Happy hunting, folks. Try not to die, and all that."
With that, they turned around and left, escorted by the four massive guards to the elevator, after which they were escorted by Stormtroopers until the spaceport.
Only once they were back on their ship, and flying out of the atmosphere, did the three share a sigh of relief.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the door closed behind the Mando's, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had been quite scared that entire time. Who wouldn't? Three Mandalorians, even without their armor and weapons, are a terrifying foe. I'm just glad they didn't notice the exosuit my guards were wearing are prototypes, and nowhere near ready for actual combat. They were there solely for the intimidation factor so they wouldn't gut me like a fish the second I said 'beskar'.
Speaking of intimidation, I'm confused on what went so well. I mean, even with the armor and all, they, at best, should have been discouraged from starting something. But they were stiff. As if I was holding a knife to their children's throats or something. It was odd. Very odd.
Ultimately, it was useless to think about, because I had bigger plans. The Crown's base is old. And big. Old and big enough that there's no way that they would know how to service that whole thing on their own. That meant that there had to be engineers coming in from the Consortium. And, given the whole royalty motif, I doubt the leaders of The Crowns like being at the mercy of the Consortium.
That means an opportunity for deeper infiltrators. Once our current team gets more rep with The Crowns, we can plant a second team. The first team will introduce the second as some criminal engineers looking for work. The Crowns will accept them because they want to rely less on their backers and gain more freedom. And, therefore, given some time, we gain access to The Duet's Dominion's deepest internal systems. Making it far easier to capture or destroy. Hard to run if your thrusters don't work and the hangar bay doors won't open.
But that was for the future. Right now, the infiltration team was laying low, not drawing attention inside the gang with big jobs or hauls. Waiting for the right moment that our second engineer team is trained and prepped for the job.
Looking over the list of lieutenants I sent the mercs to hunt, I can only hope that they can get the job done. I mean, their mando's so probably, but still. Make no mistake, there were better options. Or, one option. Cad Bane was spotted in the southern end of the sector for some other job, so I probably could've had my people catch up to him and make an offer. Thing is, for all that I could've offered him, I couldn't afford to get in a bidding war. And that's the thing with Bane, he doesn't keep his word as a merc. If the enemy offers more, and I can't compete, he's switching sides faster then Mugwuffin runs when I say BBQ.
She perks up from her napping spot, and I sigh. Fucking space cats.
Regardless, Bane isn't trustworthy, and kinda the worst. Boba Fett is more likely to keep his side of the agreement, but he's in Hutt space last I checked, and I want nothing to do with that. So, random Mando merc family it is. They look competent enough, at least.
Turning back to my terminal, I switch over to the newest set of plans being put into place. Even with the pirate menace hurting trade, business is still booming. As more and more Imperial Mining Facilities are set up, so did the capacity for more industry. And out here, there was a perfect industry to target that could benefit Minda and make a profit off of every other governor.
TIE fighters.
They were cheap, weak, and all but useless for most things other than swarm tactics. Except, out here, pilots aren't as easy to come by.
So, the plan was to start up a TIE factory for a modified TIE variant with a hyperdrive, shielding, life support, and the works. Wouldn't be as fast or cheap as a standard TIE, but it would be survivable and still affordable enough to outfit the few Gozanti crews that usually defended most near barren colonies around these parts.
The techs even had some designs made in mere days! Apparently, like the projectile turret that was now actually functional as an AA weapon around Accordia, many of the techs, with all their government mandated off days, had been designing TIE variants for fun and competing with them in simulated AI battles.
I actually watched some of those, it was very fun. Like playing TABS back when I was on Earth. God I miss my PC. And my thousands of dollars of unplayed Steam games.
But, the techs had made some interesting designs. Some were silly, like the TIE mech, while others were actually viable, like the Demolisher, Mangler, and Supremacy. A couple weren't even fighters or bombers, just gunships and transports like the Stingray or the Vigilante.
Now, would this factory be done anytime soon, or the dozens of other factories needed to create an entire supply chain? No. Hell no. Do I want to even start this project? Also no, the paperwork will kill me. But the fact of the matter is that more and more attention is being brought to this system than ever before, regardless of my actions, and things are going to get worse before they get better.
With the long term project of an alternate, outer rim TIE project, at least I have a deep dark hole with which to funnel money and resources into, hopefully reducing the rate of expansion to something more manageable and less attention grabbing. Hopefully.
A TIE variant factory should be enough to satisfy Momma Mola, right? I check Las's memories real quick.
Fuck me, I have a lot of work to do.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi there folks. Honestly, spent more time surfing ArtStation's bevy of TIE variant concepts than I did writing this chapter.
Really good stuff over there.
Also, before I go, this marks the 20th chapter of this series. As the Arc really starts to kick off after this, I want to ensure more quality. On top of that, my winter semester just ended and my spring semester kicks off next week. Therefore, I won't be posting daily for a week or two, both to get used to my new classes and schedule, and also to create longer, hopefully higher quality chapters. So, don't worry for my health if I don't update in a while. Honestly, I was really only updating daily because I liked seeing my username on the weekly polls SB and SV do for stories, but I've come to realize that not that many people look at those, so It's kinda irrelevant. Also, I don't want to burn out chasing the clout of internet strangers. Not worth it.
As always, feedback is appreciated.
Thanks for reading!
-Freefaller
