Trade Comes to Ardalon! (ORC/Open)

[RC 212]

Ardalon System

[member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]

Hala was at the helm of her small fleet. Three Jast Reclaimer 1's and a an extra three Jast 3's. All in all a decent little hauling fleet. What they were hauling was the first stage of her major project. To enrich ORC space. Jorus and crew had allowed her to live and operate in their territory for so long, that it was only right.

Behind them on tow cables and tractor beams they'd hauled a Jast Trade Station through Hyperspace and then out of Hyperspace and into real space to navigate nebulae, asteroids and all manner of horrible obstacles. What was next was the installation of the station, and then a bit of staffing.

"Hail Ardalon, let em now we're coming in Wilkes."

"Aye Cap'n."

She grinned, beholding the massive 4000 meter station lumbering behind their little flotilla.

"Hit up Sor too. See if the little bugger wants a date on the station with me."

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

D E M O N S G A T E​

Purgatory • The Speak Easy Cantina​

​

The smoke hung thick in the air.

The gamblers assembled around the illuminated table was an assortment of the galaxy's lowest lifeforms. Smugglers. Spacers. Wanderers. Fringers.

And a tow-headed boy who might have been ten years old on his next birthday.

With a flourish, the small child flipped his card-chips down on the table. "Oh yeah. Twenty-one," the youngling chirped, standing on his knees in the seat as he looked over the battlefield of discarded playing cards and credit cubes with the self-satisfied smirk of a would-be king. "Drop. The. Com," the boy chimed playfully as he reached for the sabaac pot.

A Lethan Twi'lek whipped the back of the boy's hand faster than grandma's wooden spoon standing guard over the cookie batter.

Snapping his hand back, the boy rubbed the back of his hand protectively as the Twi'lek unveiled his own hand. An Idiot's Array.

With an exaggerated sigh, the youngling just seemed to collapse back into the chair that was two times too large for him. "What the kark," the boy murmured, his head gazing up at the ceiling as though to curse the gods. Flopping forward, the child gazed over the winning hand as the dealer droid swept the card-chips away to be re-dealt. A jerk of his head flipped an errant strand of hair out of his eyes. "That is sooooooo poodoo."

Several players got up from the table, folding for the last time. New players would cycle in, especially as the Twi'lek took his money and decided to bow out before the next round. A wise move. Sooner or later the house was going to take note of his winnings, and the house always wanted its cut.

Pouting, the youngling just rested his chin on the table as he waited for the players to ante up and for the cards to be dealt. Which was when the HoloLink around his wrist started vibrating. Leaning back, the still pouting child brought his arms up to check the message. A quick swipe of his finger and the SMS bubble popped up as a holographic icon.

The Aurabesh on the display seemed like it was mocking him. Tilting his head to one side, the boy made a face as he read the message a second and third time, trying to comprehend what it was trying to say. "A... what?"

Date. It said date.

He didn't know what [member="Hala Jast"] had gotten herself into, but apparently it was something on Ardalon. And there was a trade station.

Wait, trade station? What trade station.

With a huff, the boy gathered up what remained of his credit chips. Tossing a tip over to the dealer droid, the youngling got up from the table and started to make his way through the seedy underbelly of Purgatory - a wretched hive of nightclubs, discotheques, with the odd Yum Bunnies restaurant on the lower level. Tapping the wristlink the boy held his arm up closer to his face as he said, "Bee-Four, get the Queen ready for take-off."

Ardalon was the gateway to ORC space along the Rimma Trade Route. Once the Alderaan Queen set out from Demonsgate, it ought to be a quick trip. Travel up the known hyperlane would allow him to let out the Lucerne Labs hyperdrive. Assuming, of course, that it was cooperating with the Rekali navi-computer.

With a Corellian ship, one took nothing for granted.

 

[Erick Louie]

[DELETED]