Hotline Bling [TKO S+R - All Welcome]

[Judah Dashiell]

His living room had turned into indoor camping central. There was even a real tent pitched on the floor! It was amazing how two kids could turn a normal space into a war zone. Toys littered the area. Open candy bags. A pizza box remained in the tent. His son and [member="Myra Elspeth"] lay on their stomachs at the tent entrance, staring at the holovision. Surveying the damage, Judah had to hand it to himself it wasn't worse. Not bad for his first time watching two kids alone AND hosting a sleepover for said child.


Impressive Dashiell. Most impressive.


"Listen up guys, I've got to go up and get on a call....You going to be okay down here?"


Makai's eyes stayed glued to Kung Fu Nerf : The Movie. Scale speckled legs swung in the air, a slight sign of life.


" 'Kay Dad..."


Myra seemed a bit more attentive, glued to Makai's side, she took her eyes off the holovision to give a small, timid nod. At least one of them was paying attention.


"You'll keep Makai in line, right? I know I can count on you."


A bigger, more eager nod and a small, shy smile flashed in his direction. The young girl was still mute but she seemed to be able to communicate half-way decently in her own way.


"Alright, come get me if anything changes."


Soon enough he found himself connecting to the TKO Holoconference in his office. It seemed easier to meet this way, as the Search + Rescue team was scattered in their travels. Judah wasn't quite a part of the team, a potential benefactor and backer of their work instead.


[member="Matthew Robinson"] and [member="Bryce Bantam"] would be joining in, expressing the most interest in the project. Judah was fairly certain the Bantam guy started and ran the entire Search/Rescue sub-organization.


Hopefully their call wouldn't be a repeat of the meeting. That had been amusing and interesting all at once.

 

[Bryce Bantam]

A loud ring caused BB to spring forward and slam his head into a nearby bulkhead. His vision went white for a second before he was able to open his eyes and look around his cabin. In route to Yvara aboard his ship the Shinning Starr, he had fallen asleep looking over a book on the Tapas force skill and was not startled by the comm ringing.

"Feth that hurt," BB said as he turned on the lights and answered the call.

"Bantam here..."

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Judah Dashiell"] [member="Bryce Bantam"]

Matt's face was red but his surroundings when he joined the comm-call were quite beautiful and slightly terrifying. It was clear he was climbing a remote trail somewhere. High elevation. Very high-up.

His breath came out in cold-puffs.

Shifting the heavy pac on his back, he finally adjusted the relay so he could keep climbing without holding up the comm. It adjusted from his pac in a sort of selfie-stick.

"Matt here. Good to hear you Bryce. Judah, thanks for setting this up."

Being a medic in the Kathol Outback was no joke and not a job for slackers. But luckily, red hair wasn't a requirement.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Bryce Bantam"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]


Leaning back in his office chair, Judah looked over the latest figures for Salacia Consolidated on a second screen ; notes from a meeting about expansion into the Outback. There were already facilities on Karideph and Tantra. Subterrel had potential. Pitann was a possibility. Both were on the short list. Both would be crucial to the idea forming in his head.


Bantam connected and Judah focused back on the main screen on his desk. A curse could be heard from the other connection.


"Hey Bantam, glad you could join. You alright?"


It didn't take long for Matt to show up afterwards, hiking in some remote location. He wasn't sure if it was for pleasure, work or a mix of both.


"Welcome aboard Matt....Just to be clear, I think a few folks might hop in on this holoconference a bit later. Galactic time zones are a bit tricky..."


"Bantam, I'm going to yield the floor to you, this is your thing."

 

[Bryce Bantam]

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just has an argument with a bulkhead it seems, oh one second"

BB walks away from the holo-camera and you can hear mumbling in the background, then it grows louder.

"Sady, stop your arguing and get me some eggs, no I don't care about the damn secondary dampeners are two weeks overdue for their inspections, I want breakfast..."

BB returns to the holo-camera and continues.

"Yes so the basic idea is simple, lets hide in plan site. Everyone knows this area is troubled, even before the Black Rose tried to take it over. So lets show we want to help, not in some over baring military way but opening up stuff that really matters. Hospitals, schools, rescue stations. All that kinda stuff. I can tell you that Angelsgate Station has already made a huge difference, and on top the recreation area I help manage is helping us keep the coffers from running dry too."

Sady rolled into scene carrying a tray of scrambled eggs, toast and juice all native to Biitu. BB had used his farming cooperative to help provide food for the area and for himself as well. Taking a big bite of good he continued.

*Yumm, *munch, that lucrehulk, we still need to do something with it, I don' know how deep those pockets go Judah but it would make a damn fine floating hospital and resource station. Damn powerful symbol too of how committed we are to the people here, any thought to helping retrofit it?"

[member="Judah Dashiell"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Bryce Bantam"][member="Judah Dashiell"]

Stopping and wiping his brow with a gloved-hand, Matt wheezed. Knacker these high alts. Buggar that.

"I....think Bryce hit it. A solid moving medical facility would be brilliant. Maybe we can start a program to train the locales to help with our understaffed problem. Help them get some income too. The question is, how deep do you want to pull cred from your pockets, Judah?"

Matt was many things but not a business man. He had always been on the ground. And still paying off med school loans. So he had no tact. Just bedside manner.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"] | [member="Bryce Bantam"]


"Okay, we can do that."


Unblinking, Judah agreed to pay for a complete Lucrehulk overhaul. Hand reached up and he scratched his beard, quiet for a long moment as he thought. Credits weren't really an issue. Rich business types, powerful shakers lived to go to charity events. Galas. Silent auctions. Fancy raffles. Dinners and parties. Years ago he would have never believed it.


"I prefer to use locals to rehaul the vessel, we will have to find a shipyard with capable workers."


A slight tilt of his head.


"Matt makes a good point, one I've already thought of. I've been toying with reviving the Trition Trade Route. It will help myself tremendously, not to mention the Outback."


"On that trade route and planets along its ring I'd like to build a type of modular building. Zero defenses. The Outback shouldn't be sending the wrong message. The building would serve as a medical station, school, outpost and communications relay all in one. A community center so to speak, just with the Outback's brand on it."


"Locals would build it of course....we'd have to show them we're here to help. Employment is one those types of assistance. Locals would staff it....take the load off the S+R while bringing those folks into the fold."


"I hear there's an Agriworld somewhere in the Trade Route area as well.....Maybe we could persuade some locals to grow plants we'll need for treatments. Maybe not bacta...but there are alternatives....It'll be cheaper, our supply would be more secure, it would be local and faster."


"Way I see it the challenge is winning over the locals. Black Rose treated them like trash. Moross just wanted them to worship bloated Forcers. Vong had been in the area beforehand."


"We'll be working uphill to prove our worth. This is the one chance to start on the right foot."

 

[Bryce Bantam]

"Well, now that you have broken open the piggy bank Judah I guess the question is who do we start courting first?"

If we are looking for a shipyard then Dayark seems like the way to go. Home planet of the Kathol republic I'm sure they would love all the coin rebuilding a cruiser would bring in, but it is mostly an agro-world... No, wait, that will still work. They got a mining planet in the same system, raw resources galore just very limited right now. Kark this could work, we give them a job big enough to warrant them improving the infrastructure. We win with the retrofit, they win with more jobs and such... "

BB paused for a moment as something Judah said was now processing.

"As for the Trition Trade Route I just recently had an incident on Gandle Ott, a disaster of unusual design caused by an outside force. Helped stave off a slaver attack as well. If we are looking for a friendly partner I got us an in there. Plus after the attack, I'm sure they would love to be able to deliver some good news to the populace."

[member="Judah Dashiell"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Bryce Bantam"][member="Judah Dashiell"]

Holy feth chits. Did Judah just agree to ALL that? High altitude must be getting to him.

"Brilliant," he breathed. "All of it. My background's as an herbalist. Grew up on a colony ship and my mum showed me everything. How to work with limited resources, so I've got some ideas for bacta replacement that I want to develop."

"Bryce, I'm close to Dayark, so I could check it out after this run." A cackle of kid voices could be heard off-screen, growing louder.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Matthew Robinson"] | [member="Bryce Bantam"]


"Dayark would make the most sense for your Lucrehulk retrofit. Their infrastructure will be older but I am confident with the credits being poured into the job they'll deliver a fine result. You'll need to figure out other products ahead of time though, considering transit times to the Kathol. If you're going to need something from the Core best order it now, plus an extra for breakdown purposes."


Judah stretched back in his chair, watching as Matt explained his background as a herbalist. There were enough agriworlds and agricultural centers to sustain the Outback, even with their influx of new citizens. There had to be a few farmers out there looking to make a higher credit return on medical products.


"Gandle Ott sounds great, let me know when we've got the green light. I couldn't think of a better place to try out our first center.....Matt seems to be interested in the herb idea, but I'll let you decide Bantam if you want him to hot Dayark after his trip."


"Your kids Matt? Boy, you've been a busy man if all those are yours."

 

[Bryce Bantam]

It was like a kiddy party around Matt before long. The seemed to be on some type of nature hike as far as BB could tell but if that's what Matt liked then more power to him.

"Well as far as the "hulk" goes we were able to get the plans for it from Naboo before we left. Most of the mechanical stuff can be replicated in a decently advanced factory and I think the ones in the area should or can be upgraded to handle the work. It would be good to build up the production lines there also, should we want or need to repair more ships then we will have that already set up. All we would really need are the medical equipment and supplies. Luckily, one of out better allies in the area is the Uukaabian MedCorp and they would flip over an offer to supply the stuff needed to retrofit our new "Medahulk".

As for our first center, it might not be a bad idea to keep everything local for now. You know work out the kinks and all in a controlled and friendly area before branching out. It will allow us to not be spread out to thin. As for the folks on Gandle Ott I already have the Medical Frigate "Nadd Gitt" in route with whatever med supplies we could gather to help with the recovery there. That should keep the good will going till we can set up our next station."

[member="Judah Dashiell"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Bryce Bantam"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]


"Gandle Ott it is then.....You say Uukaabian MedCorp is an ally? Perhaps we can reach out to them for Gandle Ott as well. Ideally it would be great if we could have a little surplus of supplies while we figure out our shipping times and work out hiccups. I would hate to run out in the middle of our inaugural run."


"You're right though....with the local goodwill it will give us enough momentum for the short term while we continue to organize and build other med centers or retrofit more ships."


"What other things did you want Bryce?"

 

[Bryce Bantam]

"Most of the supplies the Gitt is carrying are from the Uukaabian MedCorp so as far as asking for more that seems a bit rude... but, since your asking what else we may need they would jump at the chance to see us some I'm sure. If your willing i'll place the call once we are done here and place a new order."

Their was silence as BB drank from a plastoid cup before he spoke again.

"Speaking of help wanted to let you know I've been in contact with [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] also. She is also eager to help, even offering us ships from the reserve fleet of RimSAR organization, we will need to fix them up of course, as well as use of their training facilities will ours are build on Karideph. Not sure how read you are into the Point Zero project but I would recommend we get command and control up along with the test outpost, can check them both together."

"Other than that I.... Oh wait [member="Sor-Jan Xantha"] 's offer for the Sat - relays, instant communication would be a real boon out here. We should probably place an order for a mess of those too."

"Matt you got anything else?"

[member="Judah Dashiell"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]

 

[Matthew Robinson]

[member="Judah Dashiell"] [member="Bryce Bantam"]

"Math, Math, Math!!!!" A bunch of little palms interrupted the camera screen as Matt's name was spoken with the local accent. "Did you bring candy mints?"

Matt refocused on the business conversation. Hard to, finally at the village for some free med check-ups. "Blimey mates, just hang on." Reaching into his pocket, he drew out some ginger-mint roots and started passing them out to the kids. Good thing was that it cleaned their teeth while they chewed. Dentists didn't exist out here.

"Sorry 'bout that. Got it. Cleanin' up some ships. Getting more med supplies and we've got the financial backing to make it all happen. I'll go wherever you need me, Bryce. Judah," a sloppy grin plastered his face, "what can I say? I don't faff around."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Bryce Bantam"] | [member="Matthew Robinson"]


"A bit rude? I'm not proposing we just ask for the supplies...I fully intend we pay for them. Perhaps try to work in some percentage discount....but no, credits will be exchanged for our surplus of supplies."


Leaning back in his office chair, his eyes gazed over the screens in front of him. A message popped up, needing his attention so he began to type as the other two men talked. A pack of kids still seemed to be attacking Matt, begging for bits of candy.


"Merrill's kid? If she is that eager to help we're going to let her. Take the ships and run with them. Same for Xantha, Corellian Digital can afford to give us some of their communication equipment. I can't begin to tell you how many credits my kid has spent on their games..."


Matt was speaking in some slang he didn't understand. Faff around? Something new the kids must be saying.


"Uh, sure." Another pause. "Anything else on the agenda?"