I'm Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse (Captain Larraq)

[Popo]

With the war raging constantly and the casualties rising, Popo knew that something had to change. The fleet was being rebuilt, but slowly. They had plenty of smaller ships at hand, but the larger ships were still in production. They needed an edge. An equalizer, of sorts.

He thought he knew what would help.

Popo, Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, wasn't always a politician. At least, not a legitimate one. Before joining the cause of the Republic and, ultimately, leading the government he worked within, Popo ran a different kind of government. He'd left that old life and started here, in Democracy, to change things more... openly. For the better.

He still had contacts, though. Individuals he still trusted within the Cartel and other crime syndicates. Individuals that still tossed him tidbits on occasion. A few tidbits had come to his desk lately that gave him what he was looking for. He just had to make a comm call.

Popo dialed the number and waited for the comm to ring through. As soon as he heard a voice, he spoke.

"Hello, [member="Captain Larraq"]," he said politely. "This is Popo."

 

[Captain Larraq]

Rygel Larraq had been enjoying his vacation. So much so, that he had all but refused to leave the warm and sandy beach were he currently found himself. Blue and yellow flower-print swim trunks were the only article of clothing that stood between Larraq and the warm sun. The beach chair under him and the cooler of cold, alcoholic beverages by his side were his only companions on the beach. Though he was absently enjoying the view of several young, bikini-clad women playing a sport involving a ball, a net, and a great deal of bouncing.

Quiet music came from his datapad as it rested next to an open bottle on top of the cooler. The wind, the waves, the giggling women, and the relaxing music were the only noises to grace him for several minutes now. Not even the chirp of a seabird dared to break Larraq's peace and quiet.

That is, until a loud and obnoxious tone blared from his datapad.

Larraq slowly turned his head and glared at the offending machine. He had turned off that feature. And disabled the ability to receive calls at all...
Larraq made no move to answer the machine. In stead, his mind slowly churned over the merits of simply throwing the datapad into the ocean waves. That is, until the datapad answered itself.

"Hello, [member="Captain Larraq"]," he said politely. "This is Popo."

Larraq's eyes narrowed into a death glare at the machine. "I don't give a damn if you're the Mand'alor the First reborn, I'm on vacation." Larraq said flatly at the datapad.

 

[Popo]

"I know," Popo said with a shrug. Vacations were nice, at least until your home was burning down around you. "I'll be quick. I'm sending you a data file on what I need from your company. I don't need many of your frigates, just enough. A limited supply, in essence. I'll need it as soon as possible."

The Hutt tapped a few controls on his computer and sent the file as he spoke. Larraq would get the data file in a few seconds. From there, it was a simple matter of solidifying the deal and getting the funds allocated.

[member="Captain Larraq"]

 

[Captain Larraq]

"What now? How man Ulur'uur Frigates are you after?" Larraq groaned as he leaned over and picked up the datapad and the beer. A brief glance at the datapad, however, and he dropped his beer into the sands. "I... There seems to be some sort of mistake here. Mandal Hypernautics does not make a frigate by that designation. In fact, I can't recall anyone that does." Larraq lied as he struggled to comprehend how the Supreme Chanciler of the Republic managed to hear about a top secret ship that had yet to see service in the UCoM Territories.


[member="Popo"]

 

[Popo]

"Really? Mandal Hypernautics doesn't make the..." Popo paused as he reread the files once more. "Ja'haatir frigate? My information tells me otherwise, Captain."

The Hutt scanned through the files once more. The data was incomplete, but from what little he had, he knew it was the key to what the Republic needed.

"How much are they, Captain."

[member="Captain Larraq"]

 

[Captain Larraq]

"I seriously don't know what you're talking about, Mr @Popo. I've never heard of a Ja'hatter Frigate before." Larraq said, doing his best to sound sincere. Someone, somewhere, had committed a very serious breach of security and would likely be executed for it once Larraq could pinpoint the culprit. "Though I'd be more than happy to take your money." Larraq added to continue the ruse. "Actually... that reminds me, are you still paying your taxes for the Wheel? That has to be quite the awkward dual citizenship situation."

 

[Popo]

"Yes, that's taken care of automatically, if I remember right," Popo said politely. "It goes through the banking clans regularly. As for the Ja'haatir frigate, perhaps I am mistaken. Perhaps it is MandalMotors or Mandal Tech that designs it. I'll give them a call shortly. I was looking to sign a contract for mining on Roche. If they make the frigate, I'm sure they'll be happy to sign a contract or two. Good day, Captain."

Popo made to turn off the comm and end the call. It was a bluff and both of them knew it, but it was one the Hutt knew [member="Captain Larraq"] couldn't pass up. He'd hinted at a deal that would bait the Mandalorian. It was, quite simply, an offer in the works that the Mandalorian CEO couldn't refuse.

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq's face twitched and spasmed as a string of silent profanity spewed from his lips. Silently, he grabbed a nearby empty bottle and chucked it as hard as he could at a low-flying sea bird, string of profanity still silently and wordlessly slipping from between his lips.

He was being played. He knew he was being played. But Roche was prime real estate and he would be a fool to not ask for more details. "Now that you mention it." Larraq said, hating himself for saying it. These were top of the line warships packed with the most advanced technology in the galaxy. They were to be the secret weapon of the Mandalorian arsenal in whatever war found its way to their doorstep next. They were not to be sold to a fat, smelly, slimy hutt that had one of the largest military's in the galaxy at his beck and call.

But that was a lot of potential Phrik. And with Concordance Mining Barges parked in the asteroid field, the possibilities were nearly endless.

"I think I could have seen something about a prototype frigate pass through my desk lately. Why don't you tell me a bit more about this Roche contract of yours while I try to jar a few details loose for you."


[member="Popo"]

 

[Popo]

"I thought that might jar your memory a bit," the Hutt stated blandly. "In essence, a supply contract. For as long a limited supply of the frigates are provided to the Republic, you'll have a mining contract on Roche. Outside of basic taxes, which you'll find anywhere, you'll have mining rights within the Roche asteroids. Obviously, there are other mining firms there, but you will have the same access that they do."

It was a good deal and the Hutt knew that Larraq would jump on it. The question was, what needed to be tweaked for the finality of the agreement to go through.

[member="Captain Larraq"]

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between the fingers of his right hand as he watched a cloud of feathers slowly drift down onto the scalding sands. "I can't just sell you these frigates @Popo. We could negotiat annexing the whole damned asteroid field to the Clans, and I still couldn't sell you these frigates." Larraq said as he watched the wounded bird flapping about on the ground. Part of him felt bad for the bird... Part of him had bigger concerns to deal with. "But I think I can get away with loaning you a few... With some hefty restrictions worked into the contract... for insurance sake."

 

[Popo]

"Loaning can work," he stated with a nod. "A limited supply of the frigates. I know enough of your business policies that you'll want a non-disclosure agreement as well as a non-compete clause. Copyright infringement agreements as well. We can do a year to year lease on the Roche mining rights with the payment being the loan of the frigates, plus the standard taxes I mentioned before. No way around those, sadly. I've tried in the past with no luck. I'll even toss in that either side can end the contract at any time with a two month notice. The minor details we can have our liaisons work out. Will that work for you?"

[member="Captain Larraq"]

 

[Captain Larraq]

Larraq continued pinching the bridge of his nose as he watched a large crap crawl out of the ocean waters and begin making its way onto land. "Yeah. That should work. I'm also going to need some restrictions on where the frigates can be deployed to though. Lets say... Nothing east of Kuat." Larraq said as he watched the crab approach and grab hold of the flailing bird between its powerful claws. "Draft up a contract and send it to my datapad. I'll sign it and send it to the current Interim CEO to make the final arrangements."

Larraq released his nose and leaned back into his beach chair. Quietly, he opened his cooler and pulled out another beer. "How'd you even get this number though?" Larraq asked as he passively watched the crab drag the injured bird back towards the ocean.

 

[Popo]

"I can't agree to a deployment area, but I can agree and add onto the contract that the Mandalorians won't be facing them. Or anyone but the Sith, really," Popo said with another shrug. "I'll send a contract out in a few minutes."

Popo thought about the last comment Larraq had given before answering.

"Ni kar'tayl birov kibise."

With that, Popo ended the call and sent the contract out. With luck, he'd have the first few loaned ships very, very soon.

[member="Captain Larraq"]