Alkor Centaris
Son of Liberty
Sullust was a defensible world for myriad reasons. The barely breathable atmosphere made it an unlikely target for settlement, and the major cities that did crop up around it usually did so beneath the surface. There were exceptions to every rule though, as there were several gargantuan spires that jutted heavenward. The surface city that he saw was encapsulated beneath a dome, which made it possible to regulate its biome through artificial means. That made sense enough.
Alkor brought his XJ7 low, far enough away from anywhere that seemed to matter. That would not stop scanners from picking him up, nor would it discourage any curiosity about who he was or what he was doing. What it would do was buy him time. His sleek snubfighter skated through air toward one of the smaller, subterranean colonies of the native Sullustans. Whatever charters they had with the Alliance allowed for free trade and discourse with people on the outside, which was why it made the most sense to go there. That was where his contact told him they ought to meet.
He alighted on the platform after a brief stint among stalactites and a tiff with an electrical storm, but his ship was by and large still intact. The Corellian took stock of his surroundings as the canopy slowly rose. "Great," he mused. "I leave one chit-hole and land on another." He wore the less than elegant black cloak of a spacer and fatigues that denoted him as little more than a mercenary. With some effort, he skewed his presence in the Force and dulled himself down to look like little more than a common spacer.
This would get him close enough to do the job, hopefully.
"You're late," the voice croaked mechanically through some strange translation device. When Alkor turned, he noted immediately that the man was Sullustan, but his features were hardly normal. Strange scarring and burn marks flecked his face. "Come with me. Quickly."
They walked for several minutes before his contact turned and closed the door behind him. "Don't say anything," he commanded, "I'll talk, you listen. There are guards posted even here, so we have to be careful. If we draw to much attention to you, they'll put you on a watch list and you'll never get close enough to do anything. Understand?"
He nodded, but kept his mouth shut.
"Good. Your target is the planetary governor, and he's kept safe in the pocket of the Hounds. Normally, you'd never get into the compound without a clearance and a lot of trust. That's where the mining guild comes in." He made a gesture toward the darker part of the room, and Alkor made out the figures of several other Sullustans. Their eyes watched him carefully. "About the time that the Alliance took up residence on Sullust, the Mining Guild had power. Things were going our way, and the money was great. Then, they occupied and subsidized the business. Once we were off the market, they started placing tariffs and no one wanted to trade with us."
Alkor grunted. Business talk again? He could have stayed on Balmorra for this.
"Long story short," the stout alien poked Alkor in the chest, which brought the Dark Jedi's eyes back to him. "They forced us to streamline everything and mine solely for them. That wouldn't be a problem, but we have limited resources and the taxes they take out make it impossible to cut a profit."
"So why do you want me to take out the Planetary Governor?" his interest remained vague, but assassination was what Alkor did best. It was important to know these things because they gave you an edge over your target. If you could get close enough, you didn't even have to break a sweat. "And what makes you think I'll get close?"
"Because you're an envoy from the Guild," he chirped. Alkor smirked. "We have scheduled a meeting time with him and cleared you for exactly one hour. During that time, he will have only his guard contingent stationed outside and you will be alone with him. The hard part comes..."
"In escaping the dome," Alkor guessed.
"Of course, once you manage it, you'll be several hundred thousand credits richer. After that, we can use the turmoil to elect our own governor and vote to force the Alliance out of pow-"
"The politics do not interest me," the Jen'jidai cut in. "I am doing this for my own reasons, and that is all."
"Well enough," the Sullustan bowed. "May the Force be with you, Master Centaris."
He headed out of the room toward another platform, indicated on his datapad by the Mining Guild. Once there, he boarded and took his seat, and they headed for the Planetary Capital, where the Governor of Sullust awaited.
[member="Ryan Korr"]
Alkor brought his XJ7 low, far enough away from anywhere that seemed to matter. That would not stop scanners from picking him up, nor would it discourage any curiosity about who he was or what he was doing. What it would do was buy him time. His sleek snubfighter skated through air toward one of the smaller, subterranean colonies of the native Sullustans. Whatever charters they had with the Alliance allowed for free trade and discourse with people on the outside, which was why it made the most sense to go there. That was where his contact told him they ought to meet.
He alighted on the platform after a brief stint among stalactites and a tiff with an electrical storm, but his ship was by and large still intact. The Corellian took stock of his surroundings as the canopy slowly rose. "Great," he mused. "I leave one chit-hole and land on another." He wore the less than elegant black cloak of a spacer and fatigues that denoted him as little more than a mercenary. With some effort, he skewed his presence in the Force and dulled himself down to look like little more than a common spacer.
This would get him close enough to do the job, hopefully.
"You're late," the voice croaked mechanically through some strange translation device. When Alkor turned, he noted immediately that the man was Sullustan, but his features were hardly normal. Strange scarring and burn marks flecked his face. "Come with me. Quickly."
They walked for several minutes before his contact turned and closed the door behind him. "Don't say anything," he commanded, "I'll talk, you listen. There are guards posted even here, so we have to be careful. If we draw to much attention to you, they'll put you on a watch list and you'll never get close enough to do anything. Understand?"
He nodded, but kept his mouth shut.
"Good. Your target is the planetary governor, and he's kept safe in the pocket of the Hounds. Normally, you'd never get into the compound without a clearance and a lot of trust. That's where the mining guild comes in." He made a gesture toward the darker part of the room, and Alkor made out the figures of several other Sullustans. Their eyes watched him carefully. "About the time that the Alliance took up residence on Sullust, the Mining Guild had power. Things were going our way, and the money was great. Then, they occupied and subsidized the business. Once we were off the market, they started placing tariffs and no one wanted to trade with us."
Alkor grunted. Business talk again? He could have stayed on Balmorra for this.
"Long story short," the stout alien poked Alkor in the chest, which brought the Dark Jedi's eyes back to him. "They forced us to streamline everything and mine solely for them. That wouldn't be a problem, but we have limited resources and the taxes they take out make it impossible to cut a profit."
"So why do you want me to take out the Planetary Governor?" his interest remained vague, but assassination was what Alkor did best. It was important to know these things because they gave you an edge over your target. If you could get close enough, you didn't even have to break a sweat. "And what makes you think I'll get close?"
"Because you're an envoy from the Guild," he chirped. Alkor smirked. "We have scheduled a meeting time with him and cleared you for exactly one hour. During that time, he will have only his guard contingent stationed outside and you will be alone with him. The hard part comes..."
"In escaping the dome," Alkor guessed.
"Of course, once you manage it, you'll be several hundred thousand credits richer. After that, we can use the turmoil to elect our own governor and vote to force the Alliance out of pow-"
"The politics do not interest me," the Jen'jidai cut in. "I am doing this for my own reasons, and that is all."
"Well enough," the Sullustan bowed. "May the Force be with you, Master Centaris."
He headed out of the room toward another platform, indicated on his datapad by the Mining Guild. Once there, he boarded and took his seat, and they headed for the Planetary Capital, where the Governor of Sullust awaited.
[member="Ryan Korr"]