Arm the forces!

[GhostOfProtocol]

Drawing, accounting, reading and searching. It had become a life, it had taken over the life of the bounty hunting. The Hutt Cartel paid him good money for these ships he made, but it wasn't worth losing out on the fun over.

So it was this day that Xander had set up some really decent shooting range down the back of The Half Angel shipyards. He was basically just taking pot shots, bored out of his mind. Well, he should get ready because he knew Sempra and a few others were coming to see the new ships. Three ships, each being mass produced out of the spaceyards. Two frigate classes mass produced and a cruiser class, three of these were being made. Of course, The Hutt Cartel got these handed to them but the Frigates would bring in money so, in the end it was worth it.

He shook his head, ready to meet a Hutt.

Nope.

[member="Sempra the Hutt"]

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

Sempras shuttle arrived to the shipyard in orbit over Sriluur. As usual his entourage spread out assuring the hutts prescence was that of comfort as well as secured.

He slithered forth into the shipyard and was greeted by the chief engineer of half industry.

"Show me to major Domo [member="Xander Black"]." was all he said, and allowed himself to be led further into the complex.

He had a surprise for his lieutenant. A well earned one.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He watched as the Hutt slithered into the room, and he nodded slowly. He watched as two workers dragged a sheet of dented Durasteel towards the hammers. Bang the dinks then get it on the ship, motto of the day. "My esteemed Hutt. I called you here to show you something" he told Sempra, nodding yet again.

Slowly he slid the three designs over, typing a few things into a computer. "I have three ships in production. One Cruiser for The Hutts and two Frigates for Open Market. I have room for one or two more ships if needed" he told Sempra. "I can probably get these out within the next few months."

[member="Sempra the Hutt"]

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

Sempra watched the man known as the "cowboy"

Most assumed him unpredictable, dangerous and just outright bothersome. But when [member="Xander Black"] had first appeared at Sempra he had sensed that the man held much more potential then most acknowledged. He had used, pushed and for all that mattered pushed this human to great length.
In truth, he had sometimes doubted if it had been a wise coice, appointing him major domo of the cartel. Some had argued against it but Sempra had invested faith in him. And the cowboy had come out on top.

Not only had he managed and endured the task given to him, to oversee the production of ships and ship materials, he had stayed loyal. Sempra was not fooling himself, the cowboy was no desk clerk, but Sempra had wanted to make sure he would do his bidding despite it was against xanderss nature.
He had.

"Major Domo," he began. "It is good to hear of your progress. Well done." The large hutt slithered forth to the window of the office.

"I wish to commend you for your hard work here. But I am actually here to let you know that I now wish to use your capabilities where they belong, and it is not behind a desk in a factory such as this." Sempra growled and took a short break appreciating how Xander reacted.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

The shadow of a smile made it's way across the stressed out face of the Cowboy. The Hutt had something for him, anything but sitting behind a desk crunching numbers or welding scraps of metal together or building really cool engines. Xander heard as some guys carried some more metal past his door towards one of the new ships, but he sort of let it slip by.

He stared towards Sempra for a moment, nodding. "What is your bidding, my esteemed Hutt?" he asked. The noticeable excitement in his voice made him jump, like a young child on Christmas after Space Santa had come and dropped them a new toy blaster or a new toy ship or something. A new toy ship, man he missed being a child.

[member="Sempra the Hutt"]

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

Sempra smiled, recognising the eagerness, the greed and anxiety in his young lieutenants voice.

"You have stood by me for some time now [member="Xander Black"]." Sempra began and stroked his chest as if patting an illusionary shirt.

"I know you have had doubts about this recent assignment mr Black. To administrate the foundtion of my fleet." Sempra felt good as he worded the goal that had become reality. He was now defacto in charge of a fleet prepared for war. Still not a great fleet but enough to summon respect and awe. The rise of the cartel had begun.

"But you stayed true to my wish, major domo. And for that I will reward you. Do you remember mr Black. You stood at my side before I retook the white palace, before I rose as the ruler of Sriluur. You have seen my rise to power and you have prospered with it. I promised that all loyal to me would be rewarded. You are no exception to that mr Black." sempra turned and faced Xander.

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"I promised that all loyal to me would be rewarded." As if on cue, there was the shuffle of cybernetics and the clank of metal, his approach could be heard miles coming and when his frame brushed past that of the door's, he left curving crescent marks where his hand had brushed past, he acklowedged [member="Sempra the Hutt"], first and than [member="Xander Black"]. "You've done well for yourself Major Black, the ships you've given the Cartel have proven to be no small part in our rise to power. And there is no ship that I'd rather raid in."

There was a small subtle movement to the round pointed digits, they moved with predetermined logic and length only a machine could accomplish, they splayed apart his coat the bands of stitches and colour rippling with the movement as he withdrew a light-sabre hilt. "A gift Major Black, I retrieved this from a raid some time ago." he said pushing it towards him so he might grab it or let it fall.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Black shook his head for a moment, trying to peace together why they were handing him a lightsaber, and actually who would teach him to use said lightsaber. Well, the second one was easy, it was a male by the name of Jardo Snow. As for why, he wasn't quite sure. All he knew was he heard a worker yell after he dropped something, and then Xander took the lightsaber.

He shook his head, placing the lightsaber on his desk. "I thank you both, I thank you both indeed" he told them, nodding. He wanted to see what color the lightsaber was, but he didn't want to seem like a child after getting what he wanted on Christmas Morning, it was more than a little insane really.

Spoiler

Flannigan, color of the lightsaber?

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]
[member="Sempra the Hutt"]

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"Don't bother trying to turn it on, I removed its innards beforehand." he said adjusting his standing position, there was a heavy thud as the plates that composed his upper abdomen slid down and over each other giving the cyborg new height. "Never carry live sabres on me, jedi will pull that straight from you. It's just a trophy, well in this case a gift."

[member="Xander Black"]

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

Sempra smiled at the meeting taking place. The three of them had alot of bussiness to handle and the gesture from [member="Flannigan Mcnash"] was a good one.

Sempra nodded to the Cyborg commander and turned to [member="Xander Black"].

"I will remove your heavy duties to oversee the construction of the fleet. Mr Black." He pointed at the window, toward the pitch black space. There was a short pause before suddenly a huge ship exited hyperspace. Its beak pointed at thestation at first it slowly started to turn to drift alongside the Half Engine shipyard.

"This is one of the first constructed Kossak Klass Destroyers. Part of our force to defend the space of the Cartel." the hutt looked rather pleased at the sight.

"I wish for you to captain this ship, to protect my interests as well as defend our borders." the hutts reptilian eyes shifted toward the cowboy.

"Naturally, I expect the Half engine Industry to maintain its production rate but I do not see any reason to keep wasting your true potential."

"Name her and she will be yours to command for as long as you serve the Cartels interests." Sempra smiled.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Xander nodded, smirking. He heard some idiot yell that the metal he'd just dropped had dented, and he heard as someone closed his door for him. He was running his own ship at last, that was always nice. Shame really that the lightsaber was a fake, that was a little upsetting. Maybe he'd ask Jardo if he could get it working and teach him how to use it. Just some of the perks of having a Sith who'd built a lightsaber for a best friend.

Slowly he nodded, staring at Sempra. "Thank you my dear friend. I promise she'll see plenty a war. I'll get to fitting her out my way once we finish with these ships we have going." he told him, nodding to Flannigan. "Last thing before I bid leave. You may notice you've both been earning a little extra money, Hutts and Jackels both. That's because of a little investment in a Black Market on Kelandra. You'll find the profits will be useful"

[member="Sempra the Hutt"]
[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

Sempra nodded to [member="Xander Black"]

"Excellent mr Black. Now do not abuse my trust. This beuty is worth far more then you can imagine and it will be a clear representation of the hutt cartel. With it comes the responsibility to safe guard hutt space and enforce my will in it."

He then turned his head toward [member="Flannigan Mcnash"].

"The jackals are officially an important part of the cartel commander. Would you do me the honor of hving a hutt destroyer act as your flag ship as well?"

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

He addressed [member="Sempra the Hutt"], there was a pivot of his core axis a movement of the upper and lower torso that spun directly to face the Hutt. "That I would, I'm planning to move Cadan up as fleet commander of the Jackals and take on my role as commander of the Hutt fleet full-time."

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

There was a shimmer outside. While the first destroyer had closed in and resumed an orbital flight space wapred and a second Kossak class destroyer exited hyperspace.

They were more or less identical, carrying with them crews of several hundred. Two predators slowly forming a pack, awaiting a prey.

"Then we are indeed facing a new era for the hutt fleet! I will whip my shipyards even further, these two destroyers are only the first steps gentlemen. But an important step. As for captain [member="Cadan Tazi"] - I shall order a ship for him as well. The jackals are and will remain a most vital part of our operation. I will not turn my back on them, nor forget its part in the cartels rise commander."

"I accept the both of you in your new roles, and will rejoice at your victories to come."

The hutt nodded at his own words. What had transpired here was a crucial change that would change things to the better for the cartel.

"Tell me, the both of you, what currently lacks in our fleet? "

[member="Xander Black"]
[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

Xander chuckled, he knew the answer to this easy enough, he'd built the thing from the ground up. Every last drop of Durasteel on the fleet Xander had made someone add. "Defense, Sempra. I built a fleet made to attack, not defend. Thus..." he stopped himself, motioning out of a secondary window overlooking one of the docks. The frame of a frigate sat, scraps of Durasteel slowly being added. He then turned, motioning from another window. Another frigate frame. Motioning from another window he motioned again, the frame of a cruiser this time. The perks of having an office in the center of the station. You can see everything.

He smirked, nodding lightly.

[member="Sempra the Hutt"]

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

Sempra watched in the directions that Xander pointed them.

"And these ships will fullfill that need in your oppinion mr Black?"

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]
[member="Xander Black"]