The Ballad of Billiard the Kid [ATTN: Ashelotte Saybin]

[Hannibal Oryen]

OPEN SPACE, LICTOR-CLASS DUNGEON SHIP

[[ Don't post unless tagged here. ]]​

@[member="Jared Ovmar"] | @[member="Lucrezia"] | @[member="Kitt Solo"] | @[member="Ashin Varanin"] | @[member="Spencer Jacobs"] | @[member="Ashelotte Saybin"]

The bounty hunter's name had been Billiard, which Hannibal thought was a pretty stupid name. However, Billiard was an exceptionally skilled bounty hunter whose operations in the Outer Rim had given him a decent enough reputation that it was worth stealing. The actual Billiard the Kid was presently nude and unconscious in a refresher on the third floor of the Lictor-Class, a ship by the name of Wheeling. It was Hannibal who had donned his get-up and strange, faux-western accent. The disguise was necessary since he had been seen by Ashelotte before and it was highly unlikely Hannibal would get what he wanted if the insufferable mutant knew who she would be giving it to.

And so, Billiard the Kid had volunteered to lend his identity. Volunteered here meaning that Hannibal approached him one dark night with a cudgel and smacked him over the head with it. He'd recover.

On the bridge of Wheeling, Hannibal switched on the camera droid. The repulsorlift flared to life, the droid flying from Hannibal's hands and immediately started filming him. The footage would subsequently be transmitted to whatever location Ashelotte had indicated in her bounty posting.

"Well, howdy, pardner." Billiard greeted, giving a lighthearted salute. He turned and exited the bridge, leading the droid deeper into the evil, evil bowls of the dungeon ship.

"I reckon you got a mighty fine bounty on a couple of nice, little ladies. Just so happens ol' Billiard the Kid 'ere got the jump on 'em."

Billiard found his way over to an imposing set of blast doors, which creaked ominously as they slid open. Just as advertised, both Ashin Varanin and Spencer Jacobs were held within. Their accommodations consisted of possible the most uncomfortable looking devices in the known Galaxy. The two of them were suspended over a small chasm by the devices. Their heads were locked into something that looked akin to a pilot's helmet, only it was savagely airtight and could only be seen through from the outside. Their arms were locked and completely immobilized in heavy durasteel bracers. Their legs were also locked in a similar manner, and an assortment of rings made sure that movement of any kind was next to impossible.

"You can see the tubes goin' in. Well, that's pumpin' in some nasty chemicals. Keeps 'em docile 'n whatnot. Take a closer look, you'll see it's them all right."

The camera droid fluttered over for a closer look. True to his word, it was, in fact, Ashin Varanin and Spencer Jacobs who had been contained in here. This was no ploy nor ruse. No clones, no human replica droids, no force phantoms, no white current riff-raff, nothing. These two were the real deal, all nice and locked up on the Wheeling.

"Everybody kept makin' a big 'ol deal about 'em. I just waited 'till they got karkfaced at a party 'n hijacked their cab. Anywho, I'll be waitin' yer return transmission. Set us up a nice lil' rendezvous. I'll be expectin' my payment befor' I hand ya the keys t' the ship. Y'know, standard protocol."

With that, the transmission cut and Hannibal would wait for the response.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

This was...a phenomenally inconvenient sensation. Then again, she'd always wanted to ride in a dungeon ship.

She was helpless. There was no getting out of this.

And because she was pretty much stuck, well, there wasn't much more to be said.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Panic.

Spencer couldn't focus on anything, nothing was move able and she was in the most awkward of positions. It seems the machine was created for something larger and she was being constricted because for some reason the machine couldn't tell that something was there. So tight clamps and the lack of good vision, Spencer did her best to regulate her breathing, but she failed and whined a little.

 

[Nyxie]

An operator from the delivery and transport location received an incoming transmission and began patching it through to Taskmaster, who played it for Ashelotte. It was from some odd third-wing dungeon vessel by a hunter named Billiard. She wasn't personally familiar with the name, but she couldn't help but feel a distinct similarity in the man's subliminal way of speech as his voice began relaying through the projectors.
"No worries, I'm not here to question how you accomplished the job."
Admittedly, it did seem a bit farfetched. One could say, too good to be true. It was also not a concern of hers. How they got in their restraints and if they went willingly or not was of little concern, for the woman had every intention of having quite the bit of fun with the lot once turned over to her custody, and their trickery would mean little to her. It was almost... predictable.
"You are to deliver the vessel to Mnencheiasus in the Ri'essi Sector of the Unknown region. Further directions will be given upon your arrival. I hope you don't mind parting with that ship, though I cannot promise you payment before the job is complete. The contract was payment upon alive delivery. If you were to simply take the money and run, I would be at a loss. I'm not completely unwilling to cooperate, however, so I'll leave you with twenty five million in advance with the rest wired to your account and bonuses delivered to your planet of choice immediately after. Do we have a deal?"
The reply transmission closed shut. Lady Ashelotte began wiring the money through her datapad and into the man's account, as promised. Of course, how Hannibal chose to go about getting that good faith investment out of Billiard's account was a completely separate subject and far beyond her care or knowledge. no doubt, he had probably 'borrowed' that from the other hunter's person as well.

@[member="Hannibal Oryen"]​

 

[Hannibal Oryen]

@[member="Ashelotte Saybin"]

In Hannibal's back pocket, Billiard's datapad started buzzing. Cha-ching, cha-ching. Who said an antiquated drawl didn't charm anyone any more? He'd work on transferring his new financial windfall on the hyperspace jump to Mnencheiasus. How the mutant already had Billiard's account information given that Billiard was, in fact, an alias that no sane parent would ever legally bestow upon their child,was completely beyond Hannibal's knowledge. This wasn't a primary concern of the Fondorian given that he now had twenty-five million more things to think about.

The camera droid started transmitting again, displaying Billiard on the bridge of the Wheeling. "Sure thing, pardner. I'll key in the coordinates now, we'll jump in five."

Billiard nodded in thanks before cutting the feed. "Ya'll come back now."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The cell didn't exactly nullify her or cut her off from the Force -- not enough to be harmful to @[member="Spencer Jacobs"] -- but it did a pretty decent job all the same, over and above the restraints.

She continued to wait and meditate, pondering the teachings of Lady Lumiya, Darth Vectivus -- her forebears and, to some extent, her exemplars.

 

[Kitt Solo]

@[member="Hannibal Oryen"]

Dutifully, the lackey put in the coordinates, comming her boss on the ship’s main communication systems.

“Holy kriff sticks, boss. Remind me never to get on your bad side. This ship is something else.” Preparing the ship to make the jump, she ignored how uncomfortable Ashin and Spencer’s presence was in the back. Even locked-up, they were formidable foes.

This was business, not personal. She was sure all involved parties would understand that. Right?

 

[Hannibal Oryen]

@[member="Kitt Solo"] | @[member="Jared Ovmar"] | @[member="Lucrezia"]

"It's a rental." Hannibal replied to Kitt over the comm. Now that business was all settled, where the hell was the broad who had also tagged along? Also, the other Fringe guy. Ovmar or something. It was important he kept a low profile while they were making this delivery, otherwise he might get recognized. Hopefully he brought a get-up or something. Whatever the case, it was time for everyone to get their ducks in a row.

Hannibal punched the ship-wide intercom, calling the lot of them to the bridge for a pep-talk and briefing. "Staff meetin', folks. Get ya assets up 'ere."

 

[Lucrezia]

@[member="Hannibal Oryen"]

Lucrezia looked up from her seat while the armor slid off of her face at the mention of a staff meeting and standing up as she held the biot rifle the vong shaped Atrisian stood up. One of the bladder flashs on her hip squirming as the sparkbee's produced honey... Oh delicious honey to eat and unlike most of the vongs she had been dealing with it didn't make her armor catch fire and melt. "What is it boss?"

 

[Nyxie]

Of course 'billiard' was not on the account. A known figure in the industry had a known name and account, getting it wasn't hard at all. How else does a man earn his money?
Mnencheiasus wasn't much unlike it was on any other given day of the month; it has still been the same peachy-glowing rock in space with the same naval spaceports and the same castle city of a capital on the moon. Half of the military assets were now vacated ever since the merge under the Republic, but there was still more than enough to fight a small war. Formally, the Royal Navy and Corps had been disbanded and many of its occupants converted to Republic army. That didn't mean it didn't have assets.
When the Wheeling would arrive at the humble little planet, it would have to pass a few such assets to reach the point of exchange. All the hunters had to do was drop the ship off and leave. All of the remaining credits would be transferred into the same account once the deed was done, and it sufficed to say no one was willing to die for a fortune; the area was not high on the list of Galaxy's Best Places to Cheat Your Employer. As for the transportation of the two criminals, that wouldn't ever have to be their problem once they were given their promised pay and leave.
Ashelotte began sending out the necessary transmissions to her associates while she humbly awaited the announced arrival of the @[member="Hannibal Oryen"].

To Darc Xavior Talus

Spoiler

Hello Talus,

Our business agreements in the past have been good. I have another job for you, and I couldn't think of a better person to ask. It's pretty simple, but your subtlety will be required.

To Alachei Mnemenos

Spoiler

Greetings Your Grace,

As discussed, the two criminals are en route to the kingdom's capital. Your hospitality to us this far has been greatly appreciated. When they arrive at their cells, I will contact you once more.

Oh, and thank you for your generous donation to the capture of these two insidious individuals. The galaxy will be a much safer place, indeed.

While the royal treasury left to collect dust since the joining into the ever expansive Galactic Republic would be quick to recover - having invested some billions in war assets and civil construction, Ashelotte would probably feel the effects of the financial gut punch of placing that bounty for months or years. Yet it would be worth it in the end to see their faces as she tortured them, and watch them face justice.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

OOC/ My inbox has been chock full of constant passive-aggressive drama since this thread started, and it's exceeded my recommended daily intake. Got too much else to do.

IC/ @[member="Hannibal Oryen"] would have to be satisfied with a mere twenty-five million. Hearing Spencer in discomfort wasn't worth bankrupting these idiots. And, ultimately, pretty much every person in the bounty crew was a Fringer, and pretty much every ally of Ashelotte's was a better ally of Ashin's -- apart from the Jedi-in-name-only. Predictable or not, the ploy had netted twenty-five mil -- probably just about everything the Mnencheiasus treasury could spare, if not more -- as well as the location of the planet where Ashelotte was operating. Fun as bankrupting Mnencheiasus would have been, well, there were other things worth doing, and this was taking too long.

Besides. She'd always wanted to see if she could do this.

The ancient Universal Energy Cage was a marvel of engineering, but those cages were small out of necessity. These particular full-immobilization cells didn't quite nullify Force use to the same degree. Cautiously, but with effort, she focused on a certain part of the assembly -- a hinge pin. It popped free and embedded itself in the inside of the cell. Another came out, then rivets pinged.

She stepped free, and let huge hunks of durasteel fall away. The cell powered down. And she ripped everything off Spencer without leaving a scratch.

Hannibal Oryen, @[member="Kitt Solo"], @[member="Lucrezia"] and company were treated to the sight of their fake prisoners coming in to join them. "Gig's up," said Ashin. "Turn us around. What you've got will have to do; bankrupting these jokers will have to wait for another day."

 

[Hannibal Oryen]

@[member="Ashin Varanin"] | @[member="Spencer Jacobs"] | @[member="Kitt Solo"] | @[member="Jared Ovmar"] | @[member="Lucrezia"]

Hannibal opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. One did not simply override the wishes of the Nopetopus when it powered its Nopedrives to maximum Nope. Besides, Ashin had a point. Twenty-five million for sticking two people in a cage and declaing intent to turn them in? Good enough. More than enough, really. Besides, Tier two companies could never afford a bounty of five hundred million credits. That's not something that would be up for debate. That's just simple fact. There was no reason to go any further, not when all Hannibal would get is a mouthful of credit fraud.

"You's the boss, boss." Hannibal admitted, ordering the ship to drop out of hyperspace prematurely.

The navcomputer indicated they had dropped out somewhere between Metalorn and the Roche asteroids. Didn't matter. The ship jerked up something fierce as it swung around to go back the way it came. Hannibal busied himself transferring the twenty-five into places it would not easily be reclaimed.

/thread

 

[Nyxie]

When word never came of the Wheeling and the ship never arrived, Ashelotte's suspicions were met. Since she knew where the money went, it wouldn't be hard to find out how the money was proxied and where it was dragged to. Nothing in life magically disappeared, one just had to know where to dig. With her expectations that it would not be that easy met, work went underway while she continued to sip rum on the beaches of Corellia. Taskmaster was her relay, after all.
Perhaps a tier two company on the brink of an upgrade could not afford such a thing alone without bankruptcy... but they were the second lowest contributor in the arrangement. The upside was that not a single soul on the outside would ever know who sat on a couple billion credits, where, or in what forms. They'd all simply continue on, ignorant and naive of the truth and quite a lot less richer.
Who knows, maybe Ashelotte would cut her loss and forget about it in light of all of greater sums of credits she had the possibility of leveraging from the queen.

/potato