Hired Gun = Fun

[Werah Unon]

Lirra, Outpost 1

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Times were hard for the union. The recent raid on the capital itself had destroyed Werah's home there, where he had trained and worked for the past 6 months. Luckily his base here on Lirra was intact, a safe refuge from the war raging across the galaxy. The Main Complex was packed with TU refugees, civilians who had lost their homes thanks to the fighting. "No more...", Werah said to himself, as he checked the time. The Paladin Consortium were going to meet them here, and discuss a contract to ensure the protection of the TU's worlds. He put on his antiox mask, and left his private residence, walking towards the spaceport. The wide area provided ample space to land, though it's simplicity struck Werah, as he couldn't help but compare it to the huge spaceports of Roon. Suddenly, his communicator beeped, informing him of the arrival of the Consortium. He prepared to meet the approaching ship...

[member="Janus"]

 

[Rhodes]

Lirra, Outpost 1​

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A single transport ship would begin to land outside of the Techno Union base on Lirra surrounded by security gunships. The gunships would land, forming a protective circle around the lonely transport. The ship's ramp would lower, and a dozen Paladin Knights would march out. As soon as they formed a perimeter, a single man would step out.​

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He wore a white mask concealing his identity, though that's not all that hid his identity. He was dressed from head to toe in black, not an inch of skin being left exposed. He wore a black cape across his back, with the red cross symbol of the Paladins shown proudly across it.​

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His black boots squished in response to the mud flats around them, the moist earth causing small puddles to form in his footprints. The Paladins advanced with him, always keeping a vigilant eye out for danger.​

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They would move up to the base's front gate, waiting to be admitted entry to the Techno Union sanctuary.​

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[member="Werah Unon"]​

 

[Werah Unon]

"Let them in", Werah ordered, and soon enough the main entrance opened, letting the Paladins enter. Werah donned a long brown robe, and tunic, missing his Obsidian Armour that had been damaged during the rebellion on Russan. He called for his ghost squad to accompany him, as he prepared to meet the Consortium at the Guest Complex. The squad of Paladins soon came into the meeting area, flanking a caped figure. Using his mimic mask to disguise his voice, and amplify it, he spoke, "Welcome, Welcome! I am Werah Unon, and you are...?"
Werah directed the question at the masked figure, ignoring the others.

[member="Janus"]

 

[Rhodes]

The party entered the compound as soon as the gates swung open. As they entered, it became apparent the Techno Union was indeed in a tight spot.​

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The base had become a refugee camp. It was obvious the area was meant to be more a militaristic complex. Now, civilians lined the walls with looks of self-pity in their eyes. Ghosts of integrity remained, but it would not be so for much longer if they kept getting hit hard by attacks like the one they had befallen at the hands of the Sith Triumvirate.​

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Janus saw a Kel Dor waiting for them, undoubtedly the alien that had contracted them. Werah Unon, it was. His words confirmed the Paladin CEO's suspicions a moment later.​

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The white-masked man continued to advance into where their parlay was to be held, the security force holding back for the time being to give them some degree of privacy. He would walk up until he was several feet in front of the brown-robed official. A voice changer attached to his own mask, the executive's voice would have a heavy imperial accent to it for the time being. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Unon. I am Janus, Chief Executive of the Paladin Consortium. We have much to discuss!"​

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[member="Werah Unon"]​

 

[Werah Unon]

"That we do..", replied Werah, "So, can your organisation provide protection for the TU, over an extended period of time?" Werah's mind started drifting as he said it, thinking of the murder of his friend, Sutran Keo. He quickly blocked the errant thoughts though, and focuses back on their discussion, waiting for a reply.
[member="Janus"]

 

[Rhodes]

Janus pondered the question. Could the Consortium provide what this man asked for? Yes, yes they could. However, if they would was another matter entirely. Janus had personal plans to initiate negotiations with the Sith Triumvirate to hopefully acquire a certain Sith artifact, and such a contract would interfere with what the Union representative was proposing. However, there might be a way he could make them both work.​

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"Before I give you a definate answer, Mr. Unon, I need more specifications. What area cloud would this agreement cover? How long would it last? How many men would it require? How many attacks would such a bargain cover? What is the pay? All are such question that must be covered before we reach an agreement."​

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[member="Werah Unon"]​

 

[Werah Unon]

Werah considered the man's questions carefully, before answering. "The area covered would be all of TU space." "I know it's a large area, but we're willing to pay." The timescale was a trickier question, but Werah soon decided a solution. "Well, we will need protection until either the attacks stop, or the TU regains some of its former power." Werah took a breath of Helium from his antiox mask, and continued. "I understand that you need a specific time though, so I would hope a period of 5months would not be too problematic? If we still need protection after that, we can simply extend the contract."

How many men would it take? Thinking of their current situation, Werah knew the number would be high. "We would need large numbers of fighters to defend against rebellions, and invasions, but raids and the like would require less troops. We would also need a permanent force on each planet, but this would only need to be around 20 per planet." Werah glanced over too his advisor's face, on the other side of his wrist com.

"The amount of attacks covered would probably be around 20, over the 6 months. Still, it may be more than that - or less. War is hard to predict - it adapts."

The final question, was of course, the hardest. The payment. Werah sent a message to the council, and read the immediate reply. It gave Werah a good estimate of the price, and he turned back to [member="Janus"] . "As for payment, well, I would hope ..........cr would do nicely. Of course, we can throw in a couple of favours from the TU too, and ... shipments of droids.

 

[Rhodes]

Janus whistled. All of Techno Union space? That was quite a large area, and the resources necessary to fill it would be even larger. Still, the Techno Union was quite a wealthy entity, he had no doubts they could cover the likely extravagant costs of such an expenditure.​

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He would think carefully before replying to the charismatic Kel Dor. "I am not going to lie to you, such a contract would be very expensive, you are asking for no small amount of protection. However, I will do my best to reduce the actual credit cost on your part. One service you could render to reduce the price of something like this is to give me an executive position within the Union. I understand you have had more than a few vacancies open up as of late. Also, what kind of items or resources could you provide besides credits?" Though Janus did like credits, he didn't want to drive the Techno Union out of business. That would be no good for anyone. He'd try his best to offer less costly options that'd reduce the grand total on the Kel Dor's bill.​

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[member="Werah Unon"]​

 

[Werah Unon]

Werah was almost surprised that the person wanted to make things cheaper for them. Werah sighed inside, realising he'd been spending too much time bartering with greedy hutts. He noted the person's request for a position within the TU. Normally, such a placing was priceless, the result of a life's work. Now, with so many council members dead, and many rising politicians having fled, Werah knew far too well about the "vacancies" available. He rememberd Sutran Keo, the executive secretary, murdered at the hands of the invaders. He also thought of Alky, his greatest friend in the order, now missing after the bombing of the temples. Werah couldn't let this happen to the other worlds of the TU. The deal he was making now with the consortium was extremely vital. "Well, I'm sure a position on the council can be arranged for you.", said Werah, as he thought about the other items the TU owned. It wasn't much, to say the least. They had sold large amounts of their products to sustain themselves, but there wasn't much left to sell anymore. Still, the TU stores weren't empty yet. "We have a large amount of ships, and vehicles, we could add them to the payment.", Werah suggested.

[member="Janus"]

 

[Rhodes]

Janus let a small smile play across his face beneath his mask. He was glad Werah was open to getting him a position on the TU executive council. Not only would this be a big step for both Janus and the company, but it would also help out the Union by keeping more money in their pockets. He was also intrigued by the idea of bolstering the Consortium's armory with resources from the Union. He press a few buttons on his wrist-mounted datapad, sending a message to his computer people to draw up a list of known TU resources in relation to ships and other such supplies.​

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He would then look up to Werah, speaking once again. "Very good, I'm glad we could agree that an executive seat for me could be beneficial for us both. Now.. the Union is renowned for its corporate might. Are there any loose companies under the Union that are open to a possible new CEO? Also, is the Spynet still under the Union?" Janus was actually a former member of the Spynet, and the possibility to become re-affiliated with it was an intriguing prospect for him.​

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[member="Werah Unon"]​

 

[Werah Unon]

"The current status of Spynet is...", Werah paused, unsure of how to proceed, "classified". "As for other corporations, there are many that could do with some new leadership." Werah neglected to state the state of disrepair most of these old companies had fallen into - that would be Janus's concern, not his. Werah sighed inside, wondering if the TU would survive these attacks. Even with the consortium, the public had begun to lose faith in the TU. If trends continued on their current path, Werah doubted that there would be a happy ending for the TU, whether this deal was successful or not...

[member="Janus"]

 

[Rhodes]

[member="Werah Unon"]​

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Janus nodded. It seemed Werah was in a tough spot, something he could relate to. The businessman knew an executive spot wouldn't cost the Kel Dor anything, and he knew the Techno Union still had an obscene amount of credits. He would play to Werah's strengths, as the masked man did not seek to cripple the Kel Dor's assets.​

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"Very well. This is my proposal. I am guaranteed a spot on the Union's council. And yes, I am aware of your current state and that the position is not as valuable as it once was. Also knowing the Union has quite a lot of wealth and that it doesn't have all that much to spend it on, I would in addition ask for a large amount of credits. In return, the Consortium will defend the settlement containing your refugees for two years. Contract open for renewal, of course."​

 

[Werah Unon]

"That sounds reasonable", replied Werah, "We can transfer the credits to the consortium right away, and your seat on the council will be arranged shortly". Werah was glad that this deal would not break their banks - they had precious little left anyways. "Good to do business with you, Janus. My Miltary Commander Jake over there", Werah gestured to a middle aged man in combat armour. "Will give you a overview of where your troops are needed most." With that, Werah stood up and walked out, leaving the Guest Complex behind him. He could not help but ponder on the state of the union, and how this deal would affect it...

[member="Janus"]