"Sid" - A peculiar woman who has shown to be a good pilot, and even better shot, than the previous pilot. Possible Imperial ties.
Latorna Savvn - Noted terrorist working for the Galactic Rebellion. Wanted by the Empire and multiple systems for multiple deaths in the name of "Freedom." Laying low on the Pretio, while also bleakly looking for any news that her brother, former Pretio pilot Tarrie Prolek, is still alive.
R2-H8(r) - A "new" astromech droid with significant anger issues and a Napoleon complex.
Welcome to Jingarlu
Still in search of a imprisoned son of an Imperial oligarch,
The crew of the Pretio have made contact with part
Of the nation of Jingarlu.
Confirming the country imprisoning the
Younger Sergei Oberlates was the authoritarian
Nation of Neevlethorn, Ne'vets Aharo continues to find
Some form a loophole to initiate the
Young man's release.
After confirming that Sergei Oberlates was imprisoned well within Neevlethorn boundaries, Ne'vets was decided to try out the local cuisine. Captain Dash Anker recommended Grobonik's, a steak house with a theme related holovid blockbusters popular in the Empire/Republic eighty years ago. The staff were happy to take Imperial credits and kept the drinks flowing.
A few drinks later, everyone made an interesting observation about the restaurant: Grobotnik's has a single large window to the outside world, the first for any of the 'underground' civilization. As the day progressed outside, the window tinting continued to automatically darken to a deeper and deeper shade of purple.
"The radiation levels are bad enough to keep us underground long-term, but they significantly elevate at sunset and sunrise," one of the busboys said, to address their obvious concern. "It's still not bad enough to contract illness due to short-term exposure, but everyone wants to see sunlight."
The restaurant was quite attentive to their needs, including plenty of local culture and history. They got a layman's opinion of the hostilities with Neevlethorn, as well the supposed inferior quality goods created by the Commerce Union, another nation on the planet.
After dinner, the crew wandered the capital, shopping for droid accessories, checking out hotels (with a complimentary Galactic breakfast), and any tradesmen and scrap dealers looking for parts to repair the gaping hole in the Pretio. Finding a quality hotel, they window shopped, and took a doggie bag back to Sid, who had stayed on the ship. Ne'vets searched for the astromech droid R2-H8(r) and found him still hiding on the escape pod.
Through the ship com, Ne'vets inquired about a list of parts Sid could get to repair the ship. R2 was not amused.
"I've had the list ready and on the ship's log since we landed. A big karkin' panel to cover the hole in the roof would be much better first. Don't let that kid Sid do anything to technical. She'll kill all of us."
"I think a memory wipe of the astromech is in order," Sid spoke, listening over Ne'vets shoulder.
"I don't think that's in order, Tarrie bought this droid new," Ne'vets argued.
Latorna was in the lounge of the Pretio, discretely listening in to the conversation. She was the first on the ship to make an interesting observation: If the astromech droid was brand new, why was it named R2-H8(r), where the "(r)" usually connotated "Refurbished." She didn't much think much past that, as the space microwave dinged with her Salisbury Steak dinner ready for a late night snack.
The following morning, Sid pulled R2's detailed part list off the logs, and accompanied Latorna to a scrap yard on the outskirts of town.
Ne'vets wandered to into town to look for info on Sergei's plight, and arrived at the offices of Korus, Destil, and Halcor, the barristers the Marc Oberlates initially hired for the release of his son.
The barristers got Ne'vets a cup of caf, and unloaded a pile of paper files, and even a small bulletin boards with... printed articles.
Sergei was a bit of a minor celebrity during his stay in Jingarlu, before he left for Neevlethorn. He actively tried to get employment in some of the mining operation, involving bribery and threats, and chased every native female for affection, including rumors of a few of them getting pregnant.
His quick departure but a damper on the accusations, and not credible evidence was found.
While his announced attention in Neevlethorn was to visit ancient ruins, he was somehow accused of punching a law enforcement officer. He was arrested, given a relatively fair trial by Neevlethorn standards, but signed a confession and was sentenced to twenty years hard labor in Mount Terruss Prison.
Ne'vets met up with Duk'k at lunch to go over details. Immediately they visited Captain Anker for details on the prison.
Like most building on planet, Mount Terruss was largely underground, but a few concrete bunkers and pill boxes dotted the forest. Little was known about the facility, but it was allegedly the "good" hard labor facility where the prisoners stayed underground, rather than other camps where work was above-ground and prisoners rarely made it a year or two into their sentences.
Meeting up with the group back at the hotel, Latorna asked if a frontal assault was feasible. Ne'vets shot that down.
"It looks pretty secure, and you know how I am in a tactical action."
Duk'k seemed to look at non-combat actions, "How can we get into a country to talk to anybody?"
Ne'vets pondered out "The barristers said that a visa was required for even entry. They should approve it, for a good reason. I think a call to the Lisani Corporation was in order."
Duk'k was not sold on that idea, "Can't we just get into the country and H8(r) or one of us hack into the systems and schedule the kid's release?"
"You're as good with the computers as I am with weapons. Let's do corporate subterfuge first."
Over the next few were getting delivered for the Pretio, Ne'vets asked the barristers to set up the required visas, and initiated communications with his contacts at the Lisani Corporation.
It did take a few days, but a meeting was made over channels. Ne'vets explained the rich natural resources and the political issues of the planet. He requested authorization from Lisani to conduct based negotiations with the government. The Lisani rep asked for additional planetary information, and Ne'vets provided everything, save the Oberlates situation. The Lisani reps seemed oddly positive.
"We're still trying to clear up some ancillary issues with the Strell Corporation, but if you need physical credentials to act for us, we can arrange that."
After a day, a follow-up communication confirmed their new status, and scheduled a visit by a small Lisani cruiser for a face-to-face meeting with the required admins.
Two days later, they picked up the approved the visas to visit Neevlethorn.
Awaiting the Lisani ship to reach orbit, they would need to seal up the breach from the destroyed turret.
The appropriate metal finally arrived, and R2-H8(r) was finally coaxed out of the escape pod to help Evus start welding the piece to the top of the Pretio. Evus was an incompetent appreciate, with a penchant for dropping spanners down the breach and whacking crew members in the head, but he did not slow down the repairs.
As R2-H8(r) finished the last welds, a Lisani ship hailed them of their arrival in the system. Duk'k and Latorna ran outside to carry the astromech droid off the roof of the ship (his mini-thrusters were apt to malfunction).
As Sid prepped to take off, Ne'vets looked over at R2, coming up the ship's ramp.
"Is the ship space-worthy?"
H8(r) beeped incredulously, "Well, I'm not going into the escape pod anymore, but I don't have to breathe, meat-bag."
"Okay, let's rendezvous!"
The Pretio left the atmosphere of Ruie without incident and docked with the Lisani vessel, Annon-Nova.
Ne'vets and Duk'k disembarked down the ramp to be met with some basic Lisani security. They were escorted to a small board and left to their own devices. Ne'vets sat in a leather chair and put his feet up.
Many minutes later, a lone Lisani bureaucrat arrived in the conference room.
"Greeting and salutations, I Kennith Korgan of the Lisani in our Legal Division. I understand you want to be Independent Contractor Liasons for our Non-Core World Resource Acquisition Division. You've worked with us before, so everything checked out. You haven't been implicated on previous corporate war crimes, so we're good to go."
 |
| Kennith Korgan, legal counsel for the Lisani Corporation |
Kennth had Ne'vets review two datapads full of legal jargon and operating procedures as representatives of the corporation.
Lisani did note that the TDX Corporation had some sort of contact with Neevlethorn for "various contractual services" and "vermin removal". Nothing appeared to initiate a corporate war if the crew stepped on their toes.
Consenting to the agreement, Ne'vets was provided other datapads and Lisani swag to both play the role and give small meaningless gifts.
- Evus grabbed cup cozies, messenger bags perfect for grenades, and bright blue space-golf visors.
- Duk'k grabbed embossed cantina glasses, stock Lisani datapads, a few food coolers and awkwardly manufactured datasticks
- Ne'vets somehow got down for arena box seats at the area in Coruscant, an official Lisani beverage droid, and a wardrobe of Lisani-approved garb to wear while negotiating.
They were barely detached from the
Anon-Nova, and Duk'k was conniving with H8(r) to set up some simple commands to the Beverage Droid and amplify it a small signal.
Ne'vets ordered Sid to descend on Neevlethorn coordinates and confirmed the antiquated communication system this planet used was properly synced.
"The Neevlethorn Control Tower reached out to the Pretio to identify and state their business.
"We wish to discuss lucrative business arrangements for your natural resources. We represent the Lisani Corporation. We have the appropriate visas to enter your country.
Control gave out coordinates which led them to an airfield which did not appear to have been used in fifty years.
A line of six-wheeled vehicle came pouring out of the woodline, many pouring out a thick black smoke.
Most surrounded the vessel, armed only with slugthrowers, and dressed in decorative armor. A surplus and stripped down Imperial Troop Transport pulled up behind them, a handful of more competent soldiers, armed with primitive blaster technology. The rifle appeared attached to a backpack power source by a cord.
Ne'vets descended the ramp, Duk'k and Evus in tow, bedecked in Lisani garb, holding datapads as if they were assistants.
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