STARBOX: Episode One: Welcome to Brack Sector/Minos Cluster

[kipper]

While discussing the prices of goods, Clark asks if there have been any recent problems. Specifically, he's looking for any anti-Imperial factions amongst the miners, but he's not going to just ask that bluntly out of the blue, he'll try to get there sideways by asking about supply problems at the mines, etc.

[Rex]

Kit

Kit orders something to eat and tries to just listen in on what conversations are going on around her.

[Starbeard]

Vale responds to the drunken miner a little distractedly, "Er, perhaps, my friend. I suppose it depends on who else has shown up today. Who is this Nino Rikazzian fellow, has he been here long?" The young jedi waits for the singer to finish then quietly tries to join him for a drink and initiate a conversation about himself in that quaint, unassuming and mysterious way he saw his Jedi Master do occasionally.

[Starbeard]

Knowing what we know about the average costs of these items, Vale will admonish the crew before we disembark. "Remember, food and entertainment must be prized cargo on an asteroid mining facility such as this. Let's not waste the opportunity to scrounge up a few good credits for the Rebellion."

OOC: The entertainment at least ought to be in high demand, and maybe the food too. Maybe we can set our prices high, say 2100 and 6500, just to see how close to that we can get. i don't know about anyone else, but for my part I think I'd rather default to not ever using any Force points on the trading, we usually need as many as we can spare when the lasers start flying.

[kipper]

OOC: The entertainment at least ought to be in high demand, and maybe the food too. Maybe we can set our prices high, say 2100 and 6500, just to see how close to that we can get. i don't know about anyone else, but for my part I think I'd rather default to not ever using any Force points on the trading, we usually need as many as we can spare when the lasers start flying.

OOC: I agree, I Allysin is deliberately lowballing us as part of her sales tactics. I also agree about Force points, trading is just our background cover not our main mission!

[max_vale]

Aboard Outpost 1138; Minos Cluster


While haggling with Alysin over the price of goods and also attempting to get a good 'feel' of how the miners feel about the Empire, Professor Clark along with the scarily charming (literally!) Zuul and Cal manage to get a decent return on their delivery of Entertainment goods while taking a slight loss on their foodstuffs*....

With the cost of refueling and Hangar fees dealt with, they also agree to take on a shipment of 40 tons of Metals and 30 tons of Minerals while learning the miners of the Minos Cluster have VERY little love for the Empire and are only rarely bothered by the occasional Imperial Ship looking for 'taxes' and searching for 'Rebel Alliance Terrorists'. The semi-retired Alliance Agents also quickly learn that most of the Miners care little for the Alliance either; viewing them as 'troublemakers OUT THERE' and of little concern to their day-to-day lives....

Clark, Zuul and Tak Dornan soon take their leave of the pretty-but-vicious-in-buisness Alysin and make their way to the Entertainment lounge and their companions....


In the Entertainment Lounge, Kit was enjoying a drink while Vale did his best to get the attention of the singer Nino Rikassian when he finishes his set and Jackson deals with a drunken miner asking if they were the crew of the newly arrived ship to the Outpost....

Vale was indeed able to get the attention of the young singer and though he was cautious at first, soon the two of them were enjoying a good conversation while sipping drinks. It turns out that Nino was from the world of Adarlon; a former Alderaanian colony and a world full of artists and kind hearted people, to hear Nino tell it. The young Jedi student certainly didn't get any feelings of duplicity from the young singer, but he DID get the feeling the young man was harboring some kind of anger or feelings of injustice deep inside; perhaps towards the Empire, though it was hard to be sure....

As Starcloud engaged in pleasant conversation, Jackson at first thought he was going to be in for an awkward and perhaps violent conversation with a loud, sloppy drunk miner who introduced himself as Ereskin. After Crodowski confirmed he was indeed a member of the crew of the newly arrived Freighter, Ereskin suddenly turned focused eyes on Crodowski and in a quiet voice that didn't have a TRACE of drunkenness in it, whispered, "Hey....if you want to make some EASY credits.....meet me at Storage Bay 4 in a couple of hours....I have a few crates that if you delivered them to the Gesaril system it'd be VERY profitable for you.....think it over." He then 'turned the drunkenness' back on and staggered out of the room....

The whole time Kit was able to enjoy her meal and drink and overheard both conversations. Shortly after the drunk left, she noticed Clark, Zuul and Cal coming back into the room and she waved them over.....


*In essence, the rolls were neutral.....you really didn't make anything, but you didn't really lose anything either. You've got some new cargo and the costs of docking here have been paid, etc.

[Starbeard]

Vale pours himself and Nino another drink as they chat, making sure they take a seat in a secluded part of the cantina. "Adarlon, you say? Isn't that an Alderaanian colony world? I can see why you would choose to ply your trade way out here. They must be very difficult memories for you… and from what I hear, there are many others like you in this sector, who have come to hide and vent their anger against the Empire. I myself am a refugee of sorts—though I didn't lose a whole planet of my culture to the Empire, just a very dear friend." He continues talking in this way to see if he can open Nino up more, ultimately hoping to find out if Nino has any connections or intel on rebel operatives in the Cluster, or if he doesn't, whether he seems like recruitment material for the cause.

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

The large reptilian enters the bar. "That wass fun. Did we make any money? He can't tell." While you can tell that Zuul actually enjoyed the bartering and negotiation, it's not clear how much he followed. His offer of a crate of chickens during the negotiations seemed out of place.

"Ah. Kit is stretching over there. Maybe she got too many drinkss."

[Rex]

Kit

Seeing Zuul wander in she loudly lets him know she is there.

"Grll..."

"Over here Zuul"

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

Zuul walks over to Kit and greets her. "What'ss going on? Anything good to eat?" Zuul looks around hungrily, which is his natural state.

"He thinkss we got a good deal on the stuff. Maybe." Zuul smiles his unsettling smile and shrugs.

[kipper]

Professor Clark goes and sits with Jackson, just as the drunkard was leaving. "Who was that?" he asks.

[ybn1197]

Professor Clark goes and sits with Jackson, just as the drunkard was leaving. "Who was that?" he asks.

Jackson, who is still looking in the direction of where the "drunk" left, says to Clark in a low voice, "Don't know. What I do know is he offered unsolicited work which always puts me on edge. Nothing comes without a price tag of some sort." He turns to look at the Professor. "In a VERY sober manner, he introduced himself as Ereskin, and made a offer of 'easy' credits. Says he has a few crates he would like delivered to the Gesaril system and it would be VERY profitable for us. If we're interested, we need to meet him at Storage Bay 4 in a couple of hours."

[kipper]

Jackson, who is still looking in the direction of where the "drunk" left, says to Clark in a low voice, "Don't know. What I do know is he offered unsolicited work which always puts me on edge. Nothing comes without a price tag of some sort." He turns to look at the Professor. "In a VERY sober manner, he introduced himself as Ereskin, and made a offer of 'easy' credits. Says he has a few crates he would like delivered to the Gesaril system and it would be VERY profitable for us. If we're interested, we need to meet him at Storage Bay 4 in a couple of hours."

"The Gesaril system? Hard to image anything profitable going on there, its pretty much a wasteland according to our records," Clark comments quietly. "Although there is also a lot of mystery about the system. If Ereskin can give us any information about it, it will be worth our time at least. I think we should meet up with him and see what he has to say."

[ybn1197]

Jackson nods his head. "Alright, lets go talk to the others and get their input. Vale looks a little busy so we'll fill him in when he's ready."

[Solo4114]

Cal murmurs, "'Wasteland system'? Not much going on there? Sounds like some smuggling to me. The Kestrel's up for the job, but we'll need to know what we're hauling and to whom we're giving it. And especially if the Imperials are involved."

[max_vale]

Aboard Outpost 1138; Minos Cluster

The semi-retired Alliance Agents/Free Traders eat some food, have some drinks and continue discussing where to go from here....

The young Jedi Vale Starcloud continued his pleasant conversation with Nino, noting that the singer seemed to be a strange combination of fearful/hopeful/secretive and wrestling with a decision. Finally, he asked Vale; "So....would you be willing to take me to Adarlon? I can pay you 1,500 credits know and the same once I arrive there. I have some.....friends.....that may want to talk about a possibility of booking passage with you as well....though I'm not sure if their....situation....has changed since I was last in contact with them." Vale can tell he's not telling him everything, but he senses no deception or ill-intent from the man....

Kit and Zuul enjoy a nice meal, perhaps scaring some nearby other patrons with their.....'healthy'....love of devouring meat with scary fangs.....

Meanwhile, Jackson, Clark and Cal decide to meet up with Ereskin and his offer of 'Easy Credits' to be had at Storage Bay 4....

The Storage Bay is vey dark and set off a ways from the rest of the Storage Bays in the Station. Most of the crates down here are either covered in dust or have recently been opened, emptied and haphazardly tossed around. The security holo-cams were obviously non-functioning....this was CLEARLY the 'designated place for shady deals' at Outpost 1138. All three men made sure their Blasters were ready to be drawn at a moment's notice and were on high alert....

A couple of minutes late, Ereskin swaggered into the Bay, no signs of inebriation could be seen. Behind him, a large human male and a strong, corpulent Gamorrean (i.e. the 'pig faced' Guards from Jabba's palace in ROTJ) each hauled a heavy crate. Sidling over to the Rebels, Ereskin said; "I'm happy to see you came! Okay, here's the deal....I've gotta couple crates of....well, let's just say......'contraband'....that need to be delivered to some.....associates....in the Gesaril System in a couple of days. 5,000 credits now; 5 more upon delivery. Whaddya say?"

[kipper]

"Who's in the Gesaril system, I thought it was supposed to be a wasteland?" Clark asks Ereskin. "Specifically, are they going to be able to provide the 5000 credits on delivery? And are we to expect any... resistance... to the delivery?"

[max_vale]

Ereskin smiles in a way that seems to tell the good Professor-turned-Rebel-turned-Free Trader that this is a man who probably HAS swindled his own mother. "Of COURSE they'll be able to pay you the 5K on delivery....and because these items-", here he nods to the crates, "-are contraband, that's why my associates are meeting you in such a.....off-the-beaten-path place. They'll be in a ship and don't worry about any....resistance. The only thing in the system is that 'secret' prison the Impies have on one of the rocks in the system, but because they don't want nobody to know it's there, they won't bother anybody making a deal".

[ybn1197]

"Just how close to this rock are we going to be?" Jackson asks. "I can't believe the imps take too kindly to ships entering the area of one of your secret prisons."

[Starbeard]

Vale makes a show of thinking about Nino's offer, then nods. "I can't promise anything, but I will take you to meet my fellow shipmates and vouch for you. I don't sense any dishonesty in you, but I also don't think you're quite telling me everything. Come, we can talk more about just who these 'friends' of yours are, along the way."

The young Jedi offers to take Nino back to find the rest of the party. As they walk, Vale asks him pointed but non-threatening questions about Nino's associates: how many are there, what is their business here and how does Nino know them, are they in trouble, have they had any run-ins with the local law or the Imperials, that sort of thing. "You have nothing to fear from me, friend. I just need to know whether or not to expect any Imperial entanglements," he says kindly if Nino ever seems hesitant.

When he finds someone he introduces Nino. "This is a fine young man from Adarlon, the Alderaanian colony world in this sector. He and some friends would like to book passage back to their planet. I think we should take him up on the offer; the Adarlonians seem to have strong… ties… to their ancestral homeworld of Alderaan, and we might find some very special and lucrative… trade… connections there."