Public The Hunt for Big Magweer

[Inland Empire]

MANAAN - AHTO CITY

Kolto's going back on the market. The Ahto High Court has vowed to reverse Manaan's galactic irrelevance and stagnating economy - and they're going to do it by re-igniting production of their historic staple export. All those freaks of nature with bacta allergies can rest a little more easily.​

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There are some cynical parties who suggest this move is being made at the behest of the Commerce Guild, whose shadowy representatives are rumored to have engaged in off-the-books bribery and cajoling with more than a few of the High Court's justices.​

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It could be that those cynical parties have a point, since a very lucrative contract - sole kolto harvesting rights in the Hrakert Rift - was recently issued to the Commerce Guild. But, hey, who can know anything for sure, right?​

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There's just one problem for the Guild: one big, stupid fish.​

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A rueful and greatly enlarged descendant of the Progenitor stalks the Hrakert Rift. The thing's been making meals out of anyone trying to start a respectable operation since the 710s ABY. The selkath gave her a name: Big Magweer, or Mags for short.​

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Letting an overgrown shark dictate economic policy is not what most entrepreneurial folk would consider "good." What is "good" is building a heavily armed and armored submersible, custom-tailored for the sole purpose of finding Big Magweer and shooting her until she's dead… And getting a free pass from the local authorities to do it.​

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The kolto must flow. The kolto will flow. Docked at Ahto City, the Commerce Guild's war-submersible is still under construction, which means there's still time to stop them.​

O B J E C T I V E S
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The fate of Big Magweer is in the hands of dice. Public Support for murdering Big Magweer starts at 0. This number will be modified each time a d20 is rolled.​

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If public support is a positive number, Big Magweer will be killed. The Commerce Guild wins. Whoever contributed the most public support will be awarded an additional 30,000 Underworld Credits by the Commerce Guild.​

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If public support is a negative number, Big Magweer will be spared. Big Magweer wins, somehow. Whoever removed the most public support will be awarded an additional 30,000 Underworld Credits by the Ahto City Environmentalist Caucus.​

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All other participants will be paid 1,000 Underworld Credits per post.* ​

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If you identify yourself at OBJECTIVE 01: Hunt Big Magweer, your d20s will add public support. If Cool Jim rolls a d20 and gets a 15, public support will be modified by +15. Suggested activities include: protecting the submersible, breaking up protests, harassing Environmentalist Caucus Officials, etc.​

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If you identify yourself at OBJECTIVE 02: Save Big Magweer, your d20s will subtract public support. If Lame Susan rolls a d20 and gets a 15, public support will be modified by -15. Suggested activities are: staging protests, sabotaging the submersible, harassing High Court Officials, harassing Commerce Guild officials, etc.​

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Writers can post as many times per day as they like, but a d20 can only be rolled once per day. What exactly you do doesn't matter. Just remember to label your objective.​

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This link will take you to the tracker, which will be periodically updated with all current rolls and the current public opinion score. If you notice an incorrect value for a roll, send a private message to this account. Dice rolls will no longer be counted on April 1st at 11:59 PM EST. The final results will subsequently be posted.​

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*By the forum - which will be acting on behalf of the Commerce Guild or Ahto City Environmentalist Caucus, as most appropriate​

 

[Enzo Bancraft]

OBJECTIVE 1
HUNT BIG MAGWEER

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"You know, I always wanted to be a mariner."

"What?"

"Sail out amidst the waves... preferably with a harpoon and just hunt down some whales."

Alfonso the Rodian's expression was vacant in response to that. He was unsure what he did to earn another assignment with Viktor, but at the very least they were standing at the peer, so he could simply stare out into the ocean. There was no requirement to face his superior. Nor be particularly talkative either.

He thanked the stars that there weren't any protestors here.

Part of him was still scared by the way Brandt had behaved with the denizens of the mega-tower back on Denon.

"I... where would you... want to sail then?"

"Huh?"

"Well, what ocean? Which planet?"

Now it was Viktor's turn to be expressively vacant. It took a moment to process the question, before the grizzled war criminal chuckled. "Oh, no, I meant that metaphorically. I meant a mariner in space, sailing amidst the ethereal waves of the galaxy... harpooning... whales."

"Purrgils?" Alfonso cursed himself for asking, but by now there was some grotesque fascination with the man next to him, which kept him from being smart. Instead pushing him onward in this cursed line of questioning. "No, no. Rich whales, you know? The banking types that transport their gold and diamonds across hyperlanes."

The Rodian sighed and rubbed his face ridges.

"Isn't that just piracy?"

"Oh, no, no. I'd be operating with a license. I'd also have a very nice harpoon that skewers their-"

"Okay, okay. I get it. But isn't that just... piracy with... extra steps?"

Victor grew thoughtful at that. Maybe Alfonso was onto something.

 

[Azimuth Industries]

OBJECTIVE 1
HUNT BIG MAGWEER

"Tkch, whale hunting," said a bulky Mustafarian in full pressurized armor sitting across from the Rodian and the psychopath. He spoke in clicks and buzzing noises, his long snout twitching below his compound eyes. A translator somewhere in the neckline of his suit translated. "Space whales be easy prey. You wanting a real hunt, you go after the Fireworms of Eol Sha."

He held his helmet in his hands and looked down at it, lost in the memories.

"They live in lava calderas, you see. Giant serpents waiting to strike. Eating whatever comes by. They've got them crystal scales, hard as any diamond. Can't be pierced by any vibrospear. And their throats are armored too. They'll suck in forty liters of bubbling magma and spit it back at you."

The Mustafarian looked up at the Rodian.

"You ever seen a friend sprayed with lava before? It's like sticky goo. They can't rub it off, no matter how hard they try. Doesn't matter anyway, cause it's 1500 centigrade. Catches all their hair and clothes on fire and they die screaming."

There came a rapid series of clicking that the vocoder did not translate.

"You kill one of those snakes and live to tell the tale? That's a real hunt."

 

[Auteme]

Save Big Magweer | Coruscant​

"Senator Denko-Durren, can you comment on the situation on Manaan?"

Through the myriad of reporters swarming her on her way to the Senate Chamber, that question cut through. Not that it was said with any particular force or that it was a pressing issue -- quite the opposite. Auteme had no idea what was happening on Manaan. That was enough to give her pause.

She turned, looking to the thin Duros reporter who'd asked. "No comment. But, I'm keeping myself appraised of the situation," she said coolly, before stepping away.

Her AvPhone Plus was already in hand by the time she'd entered her pod in the Senate. It wasn't a surprise she'd missed it, given Manaan was Concord territory, and this wasn't a major issue. Still, she wouldn't be doing her job if she didn't oppose corruption and corporate overreach -- those things didn't just happen in the Alliance. It was a galactic issue.

So, she took a minute to hammer out a post on social media, sending it out as the session started.

 

[Enzo Bancraft]

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OBJECTIVE 1
HUNT BIG MAGWEER

Viktor's commlink went off.

"Buddy, I told you," Absently to Mustafarian. "It isn't a real whale I am after. I just want a rich big lad on my harpoon, so I can shake real hard and start collecting the credit chits coming out of its pockets."

His commentary was lost to both Azimuth Industries as well as his Rodian companion. It was impossible to gage the Mustafarian's expression with that armored get-up. The Rodian? Well, he was a Rodian. They always looked permanently shocked by everything going on around them. Because of those big beady eyes, get it?

"Anyway-"

The commlink went off again and again. "Ah, what the kriff is going on?" Viktor brought it up and looked at his notifications. It seemed that #SaveBigMagweer was trending....

Viktor cursed again.

Their bosses certainly wouldn't be happy about that. You know the saying 'there ain't such a thing as bad publicity'? Well, that was a load of bantha poodoo. There certainly was and this was a prime example of it. Apparently some goody two-shoes Auteme had set up a thread and it was aggressively loaded against the Commerce Guild.

Viktor began to type furiously with two thumbs.

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And then slammed 'submit' without letting anyone screen his tweet.

He was awfully pleased about it.

Inland Empire

 

[Azimuth Industries]

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OBJECTIVE 1
HUNT BIG MAGWEER

Skrrt looked over at the human across from him and started to buzz slightly. What was the human staring at on his data pad? Honestly, society was being ruined by the holonet. Pretty soon they would all be walking around talking to droids on the holo all day instead of real people.

The mustafarian vibrated, annoyed. Nobody valued honest work anymore. He pulled out his own holo and quickly saw what was going on. He typed up his own response.

MEANWHILE…

The public relations office at Azimuth Industries was burning down. Not literally, of course, just in every other way that mattered.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY’RE POSTING?” shrieked a Chadra-Fan who was literally foaming at the mouth with rage.

“Chief Brown, please remain calm.”

Xun of Throne himself struggled to stay serene, his green Falleen scales shading briefly toward red before he took a calming breath and spoke to a subordinate. Some nameless Duros who worked in the department.

“Please inform Mr. Brandt and Skrrt that if they do not cease their holonet posting at once we will be docking their pay for a week. And while you’re at it, please get Mr. Buckerzerg on the line. I want to discuss certain holonet usage policy violations with him.”

 

[Azimuth Industries]

Dice Roll

 

[Koda Fett]

MANAAN, AHTO CITY - OBJ 1, HUNT BIG MAGWEER

"You never mentioned this one was on Manaan," her shrill voice shuddered across their comms channel, "I can handle reckless, not suicidal. Jedi territories..." Maz breathed an exhausted one, a hand ran to catch her head from the confines of Kwenn Station. "I'll never find a better deal than this one," she mumbled, almost as if no one was meant to hear it.

The Mandalorian shifted between the crowds after the Spear III touched down in Ahto City. Even with the sounds of dense foot-traffic, his helmet's internal mic removed the extra chatter; "Seems we heard different information," Fett commented as he switched routes in order to avoid local authorities, "I'm told there was an effort to save the shark."

"Yes, our friend in the Senate." He answered her with a huff, "Auteme, that one. She boasts Selkath connections to the oceans, and that this is the decision of businesses, rather than the Selkath themselves, so... It's FAC all over, the norm for them. Commerce Guild needs their war-submerssible to kill it."

He wondered as to what reason he was hired on for this, then, another turn down another even darker hall.

"It says you're to be deterrent," Maz aswered his silence, "You're enemy number one, and people are afraid of that. So stand around, and I'll do what I have to from here on your behalf."

"On my behalf?"

"I say a few things in your name, send it out on the holonet. I've done it for years now."

Koda sighed over the comms.

 

[Inland Empire]

OBJECTIVE 01
HUNT BIG MAGWEER
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AHTO CITY EAST
CHECKPOINT GAMMA

ER-1794 watches the knots of selkath pass by. None of them approach the checkpoint into Ahto City East, where the Commerce Guild sinks its teeth into the city. Not one. Maybe the enviro-folks were gathering to protest at some other corridor. He hadn't heard anything over comms about it. Perhaps the mere presence of contractors like ER-1794 was enough to keep everyone in line. Yes. Silver stalwarts just like him. Peerless when it comes to keeping the peace.​

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He unfolds his arms and scratches his ass. It's not easy standing around for twelve hours. The cybernetics make it physically tolerable, but mentally, pure boredom. You can't even people-watch on Manaan. All these fucking selkath look the same.​

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There's an audible 'boom' behind him. A tiny, chiptune approximation of an explosion. ER-1794 glances back to see his partner, PD-9451, seated on a crate, mashing his thumbs urgently against the screen of his standard-issue smartlink.​

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"Jimmy, what the hell are you doing?"​

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"Huh?" PD-9451 snaps his head up, "Oh. Pinball. It's senate themed."​

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His device emits a sad, downbeat tune, followed by the harrowing sound of a simulated Chancellor Tithe's cruel, eight-bit laughter. "Shit, you threw off my groove, man."​

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"You put a game on your smartlink? Isn't that against policy?"​

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"I mean, it's not not against policy."​

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Usually if it involved fun or convenience, it was against Silver Shield policy. But since secure communications didn't take place over the smartlink, maybe there was some actual wiggle-room, for once.​

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ER-1794 slides his own smartlink off his utility belt, "Right. Where'd you download it from?"​

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