Log:Traders Union: Hydian Hijinks

Hydian Hijinks

Location: Etti IV
Participants: Idan Jensa, Liz'diot, Zul Gradnk, Traders Union

The planet Etti IV is one of the largest trade hubs by volume in the Outer Rim. The nexus of the Corporate Sector, ships of all makes come and go at all hours. Upon emerging from hyperspace, the Traders Union bulk freighter is promptly hailed, identified, and given private landing coordinates on the planet, below. Etti IV is a hot terrestrial world, with a sizable rainstorm cloaking the capital city of Mondder as the massive Union freighter descends slowly.

The designated landing zone is placed amidst the bulk warehouses, towering silver spires, blocky skyscrapers, and illuminated white rotundas of the wealthy city, yet the landing zone and immediate warehouses are fenced off from the larger starport. As the Bottom Line, with its freshly acquired fighter complement of one, and pair of newly installed quad laser turrets, settles to the ground, the comm system blinks with an incoming message.

Liz is at the engineering console, his mop head wig in place, it's white/grey strings pushes out of his face by weak and slim arms. "Herm... an incoming message..." and without permission. "ON MAIN SCREEN." He announces to whoever is on the bridge with him. mysty black eyes look to see who is hailing them.

Zul Gradnk runs into the cockpit, just having checked on her star fighter "So, where are we?" she asks, already all nervous "Are we landing? All well? Why didn't we get mercenaries?"

Idan Jensa answers evenly from the pilot's chair as Zul dashes onto the bridge, "We are landing on Etti IV to receive payment and take on cargo, and we hired no mercenaries because they demanded outrageous wages."

When Liz opens the comm, a jovial voice greets the members of the Traders Union from the rain-lashed landing field outside. <<Welcome to Etti, my friends, so good to see you all, again! As stipulated in your contract, I've been sent with your full payment, prior to cargo loading. Who wants to come meet me, hmm?>> Spaceport services and refueling machinery snake towards the Bottom Line promptly once the big ship has settled and powered down engines.

Zul Gradnk nods, seeming relaxed and leaning in the door, biting her lip "I am still worried." she mutters

"Imbeciles, the lot of them." Liz was as cheap as Idan was. Besides, there was no way he would be hurt. He was a fourth Dimensional Being and OMNISCIENT! He pays attention to the contact on the screen. HE stares after the dialog is finished before equally announcing in a jovial voice. "YAS, INDEED, MONNNNEY." He backs out of his station in his hover chair and zooms aftwards, the notors thhhhhhpppttting along.

Idan Jensa finished powering down the Line, and rises from his seat. Adjusting his hat, the Neimoidian composes his hands and steps to follow Liz, adding, "The contract was very precise and very profitable, Zul. Come along, let us collect our profits and cargo and be on our way. You will see," he assures. A short walk through the ship, and they arrive at the colossal loading hatch.

A familiar face (marked by a very memorable mustache) awaits under a grey overcoat donned against the rain, on the other side of the Bottom Line's boarding ramp. He holds a secured carrying case in one hand, as the scent of wet oil blows into the freighter on the hot wind. "Permission to come aboard?" Rys Terragonne requests with a jaunty wink, before hurrying up the ramp and out of the weather.

Liz makes his way to the bay, but even this crazy fool isn't disrepectful enough to give someone permission to board a ship he wasn't captain over. That was Idan's responsability and duty. "Greeting." He says simply.

Zul Gradnk raises an eyebrow, her hand hovering over her holster for a second "I am still.... suspicious of this contract." she growls, eyeing Rys curiously "Do we know him?" she asks, not in a very friendly way

Idan Jensa inclines his head to Zul, "Good, suspicion is healthy. This was our contact in securing this contract. The human was⦠quite taken with Netep, as I recall." As the hatch is opened and Rys asks to come aboard, the Neimoidian nods again. "You may."

Rys has split each side of his long mustache, with the upper ends waxed and curling toward his cheekbones, while the lower twirls are braided into a long chin beard. Yet, in place of his royal blue and red outfit from their prior meeting, this time he is dressed in shades of grey and beige, with a military style rank insignia on his coat's epaulettes. He gives a jaunty salute as he is invited aboard. "Who gets to count the money, hmm?" he wonders aloud, holding the case forward, looking among the traders.

Liz'diot says, "OH, me..." Liz says hovering forward and grabbing the case from his hand. He backs away slightly, putting the case on his lap and opens it."

Zul Gradnk is ready to reach for the case, but Liz is quicker. therefore, she prepares to look at Rys curiously "So, you like Netep, right?" she smirks "May I ask why you have ranks on your coat?" she says, with an icy gaze

Answering the Neimoidian with strained courtesy, Rys directs his words and restored smile to the others. Zul is greeted first, with a fancy bow and merry wink. "I don't think I've had the pleasure before, madam: Captain Rys Terragonne, at your service. And yes, I'd say Captain Muri and I got along rather well." Liz'diot is regarded next, "The Fifth dimensional Bith! The new haircut suits you, me friend." He seems to think the quip quite funny.

Inside the case, which opens with a two-tone beep, Liz'diot finds ten neat rows of credit chips sit in packing foam. Upon inspection, each of the ten vacuum sealed rolls contains ten thousand credits.

"Now then, with payment delivered, let's get this loading underway, hmm?" Drawing a comlink out of his gunbelt, Rys activates and speaks into it. "Ready to begin loading at your leisure, sir."

"It is all here, YAS." Liz says, looking to the fancy Captain Terragonne. "INDEED, TerraGOON. INDEED." He takes one last closer look at the breif case before moving to the side in his hover chair to inspect the boarding. His goggles comes down to assist him in this process. He sits there with the case in his lap, guarding it like a hungry nooba.

Zul Gradnk still regards him suspiciously, offering a smile which doesn't extend to her eyes "Nice to meet you, Captain Terragonne. I am Captain Zul Gradnk." she says "So, over to business, what exactly are we transporting and where to?"

No sooner is the message sent than the doors of the warehouses arrayed around the landing field begin to groan open, the movement of such massive doors audible from the freighter's hatch, even above the rain. The first glimpses of their mysterious cargo are certainly impressive as long ranks of troopers in brown and grey uniforms march in columns alongside the first of what will be twelve hovertanks. Artillery pieces, personnel speeders, and ultimately even the ominous, slow moving form of an old Imperial Walker shakes the ground with the weight of its approach.

Idan's eyes widen briefly as the armored walker appears. He says nothing when their contact snubs him. All he manages is a brief, "Ah. I..see."

Terragonne gives a broad smile to Zul at her query, answering with the theatrical sweep of one arm, "Why, the Grand Army of the Hydian League, madam."

"Ohhh. Moving armaments. I see. This is very exciting...." Liz says while zipping on up to Idan to whisper something to him. "And Also, Dangerous... you may want to... think about shelling out the cash for some pople to help defend this ship before we enter orbit." Liz may be able to install the ships defences but he is not familiar with targeting computers.

Zul Gradnk eyes the entering army with fear, sending a glare at Idan saying 'What did you get us into', before turning towards Terragonne "Hm, if we transport an army, I think a hundred thousand might be a bit low. How about a raise towards, say, 150 thousand?" she asks, tilting her head, but still seeming unwell. Still, raising the wage is the only thing she can do to hope to stop it, as she can hardly back ot now, as the army might shoot her if she tried to leave. And she can't ask just what is being played here, can she?

Idan Jensa whispers tersely back at Liz, "Who can I hire to protect us from.." he looks down as his datapad beeps with the full manifest, "...Three thousand troopers, twenty Light speeders, fourteen pieces of heavy artillery, twelve BN7 hovertanks, and an armored walker? Unless YOU wish to contribute your share toward hiring mercenaries??"

Rys gives a winning smile back to Zul, "I do wish I could raise your wage, madam, I truly do..but- woe and alas! The contract is signed and sealed. We provide the cargo, fuel, service, and escort in addition to your hundred thousand. In return, you carry us to Roonadan. Any alterations to the deal must be negotiated with my superior." He gestures toward the column of hovertanks.

Liz stares at Idan, narrowing what even constitutes lids for the Bith. "Right... NO." There is a look to Zul, one of astonishment. The Bith bites his tongue but Rys answers the question of some of his worries. "Oh. You are providing escourt. INDEED. My worries are quelled, HU-MON."

Zul Gradnk sighs "Are we meeting your superior at the destination?" she asks, raising an eyebrow, tilting her head "because as I said, it seemd.... low." she adds, shaking her head "Right. LEt's get this done. And then, let's go for enough drinks to kill a Bantha."

Rys blinks. "Ah, no he's- he's right there, with the tanks. I thought that was clear.  Ahem!" He adjusts his collar, and fiddles with his mustaches. Idan mumbles a flat, "I agree," on the subject of getting this done and then getting extremely drunk.

Swaggering up the ramp to the salutes of the troopers he passes is a stern, fair skinned human, in a Colonel's uniform, with a notable scar marring his right cheekbone. Greatcoat draped over his shoulders like a cloak, and trailed by a pair of troopers, the officer gives a sharp grunt upon noticing the military boarding array that the Bottom Line's prior owners had installed (and the current owners hadn't had the time or money to strip out). Rys adds a salute, greeting the other as, "Colonel Nim. Everything looks in order, sir."

Liz nods towards Idan, watching the troops and equipment board the old military transport. "Yas... Indeed. I shall spin up the engines." He turns in his hover chair and thhhhpppppttts his way towards the room where he can perform an inspection before bringing the ship live again.

Zul Gradnk tilts her head "Ah, Colonel." she says "I wanted to ask you whether we could get a higher paycheck." she says, eyeing Rys reaction with concern "I mean, 100 thousand seems a bit on the low side considering the.... sketchy nature of the task, and the number and nature of the load..."

Colonel Nim tosses off his rain slicked greatcoat with a shrug of his shoulders, the garment being deftly caught by one if the troopers behind him as Nim adjusts his uniform coat with a sharp pull. A hard eye is turned to the Twi'lek at her query and choice of words. "You'll get your contracted wage and not a credit more. The use of your Union and ship are a convenience to me, nothing more. Do not make yourself an inconvenience," he advises plainly. "Do your duty, and by dinner time you'll be on your way with your profit, and Roonadan will be conquered. Now-" he looks aside to Rys, "Send word to Commodore Toltek that boarding had begun. She may begin her diversion in an hour."