Kuat

[Smash Daisaku]

A small ship approached the Drive Yards, with a familiar trihedral foil design, but different than a standard Lamdba class shuttle. It was apparently Lambda class, and it was certainly a shuttle, but it was finer, and richer. It's wings, which were folding up as the craft slowed, were plated in gold. But this was not just any gold! It was slave gold. This gold, which was extracted at the sweat and tears of a tired race, wrapped around this particular ship, in a luxurious and unnecessary fashion, showing to all who saw, that wealth was more important than anything.

 

Within this ship, Lord Sir Smash Daisaku, elegant and fierce as any king or magistrate, sat upon a cushy chair, which was stuffed for comfort with galactic credits and small jewels from random worlds. A dark skinned man, in a frivolous white serving outfit, was playing a musical instrument for the lord's entertainment until suddenly Daisaku threw a silver cup at the musician's forehead, slitting it open with a large gash.

 

”œWhat was that?!?! I don't pay you to think! I pay you to play Nar Shaddaa Drug-Jazz, and that certainly wasn't Nar Shaddaa Drug-Jazz.”

[Dagon]

"Smash Daisaku, Lord of vice. They said that you couldn't be found, that you were living the high life on some private rock, but you I, we are the same. We are sharks, if we stop moving, we die."

 

There had been a generational gap, so to speak, between Daisaku and Dagon's time as crime lords, each man having been the supreme overlord of crime during their reign. With Black Sun floundering the way it was, Daisaku was probably the only one left who could restore it to profitability. Dagon held out a snifter of fine corellian brandy, a now rare beverage after the destruction of the Corellian system, for Daisaku to partake from.

 

"As you probably surmised from my comm, the situation at Black Sun is dire, too many hounds, no masters to direct them. It's time to restore the crime world to its former glory."

[Smash Daisaku]

Two dark skinned servants received Dagon's sifter, and quietly handed it to their Lord. These two men had very dark skin, which was precisely why they were chosen for these low-paying serving positions.

 

”œYou can't judge a book by its cover, but”¦ you can judge a man by his color,”

[Piccolo]

Piccolo landed on Kuat, eager to see if the information he had received was accurate. It did not take the bounty hunter's keen senses long to surmise that Smash Daisaku, the Black Sun's greatest leader, was indeed back to reign once more. Besides, the hunter had been monitoring the Holonet carefully. The crime rate on Kuat was tripling every minute. Only Smash could have that effect. He waited within his ship. If Smash wished to see Piccolo he would call him.

[Dagon]

"It seems that your hound has caught your scent. With this information, we can cement your return by eliminating any holdouts who would oppose you."

[Smash Daisaku]

Smash Daisaku reached into his expensive cloak and pulled out a huge wad of paper money, none of which was printed by a legitimate mint. But it looked real and the paper matched correctly.

 

”œEach counterfeit bill in this stack was printed by an increasingly wanted criminal, each of whom I have sheltered from the authorities time and time again.”

[Piccolo]

Piccolo replied to Mr. Daisaku's message.

 

"Silas was awaiting my orders at the ruins of Black X-1. I instructed all the Black Sun members to follow me here, I'm not sure what's holding them back. But I am prepared to hunt whenever you are, sir."

[Smash Daisaku]

Smash Daisaku nodded.

 

”œExcellent. A hostile takeover is just what the doctor ordered.”

[Luthis Vandren]

It was a fast journey, nothing to say the least. Luthis looked at the sky, wondering at first at the magnificent beauty that his eyes beheld. The day was young, but yet the malicious look of the sun made the surroundings look old; run down, much like the body of a Black Sun agent over time.

 

Vandren was beginning to feel the side effects of the constant fighting, obviously the daily adrenaline shots weren't working; damn droids.

 

As time had slowly passed, Luthis began to rely more so on his body, rather than his suit, he, well actually the only reason he relied on his body was because his suit had fallen apart.

 

He remembered the first day he placed it on his body, the Space Pirates, Ronin Wartide. It was a remarkable day for them, even though they were obliterated and completely and almost figuratively raped up the ass. It didn't matter, he, and his old pal Moon Knight had made it out of there alive, as they did a few times, and that was all that mattered.

 

Moving from the bow of his ship, he slowly exited from the descending ramp, snapping back from his reminiscence to the fact that Black Sun was back again, and they needed as many people as they could get.

 

Moving from left to right, he couldn't really place his footing; the ale that he had left over on his ship really did go to good use. Stutter stepping, and moving in a slow, but methodical pace he closed in on Piccolo, an old, but lifelong friend.

 

"Peace be with you?" Luthis smiled, it was about time to get back to kicking ass.

 

"So what is it, one Hutt or two?"

[Tirius Giovanni]

Coming up from the surface of Kuat was a nice, luxury-style transport commonly used by the middle- and upper-classes of Kuat businessmen. Its transponder showed it to be the property of a certain Kuati engineer named Thelonius Kast, a man whose money came from a background in defense design, to those that inquired.

 

According to his credentials, he had worked directly for Kuat Drive Yards for some time before being transfered to a higher position on another world, and had worked there up until some security problems had violated his post. Having been temporarily displaced, he had been given a brief leave of absence, only now called back into duty.

 

He was headed back up to Kuat Drive Yards with business on his mind--and orders from a man high up in the Darkwatch chain of command on hand. He sent a transmission to the orbital shipyards requesting permission to land, and his ID transponder checked out perfectly.

 

Kast took his transport down to the prescribed hangar bay, just going in for another day of work.

[Tirius Giovanni]

((Alright, it's been three days, so I'll just do what I came to do.))

 

Having no problem checking in, Kast moved deeper into the shipyards towards the research and design networks and the vast shipyards data center. There was a lot of research that went into a shipyard's abilities to produce vessels, and Kast's job had always been a part of the design process that made him an engineer.

 

His credentials got him right to the data center, where he was faced with the first inconvenience of his visit--he wasn't really Thelonius Kast. In fact, Thelonius Kast didn't necessarily exist, so although the credentials were real enough to get him deep into the shipyards, he didn't really have the passwords he needed to access the information therein.

 

But it was merely an inconvenience. He approached the head engineer in the department. "I'm having some trouble at my console," he said. "Can you help me?" He led the way back to the terminal, which was a little bit out of the way. He made sure his voice was low enough to avoid detection, but it wasn't really necessary, since he had activated a small sound-dampening matrix he carried in his briefcase, along with the rest of his mostly illegal gear.

 

"Log in," he said. This was where it was nice that he wasn't really human. He was the holder of a particularly useful ability that all Anzati had to persuade other sentients telepathically. The Jedi said it was like a mind trick. He pulled a small hard drive out of his pocket which was capable of holding immense amounts of data, then positioned his body to inconspiciously block the view of the security camera he had spotted. "Download the code on this hard drive, then replace it with all the information you know exists concerning orbital defense craft and any technology dealing with the harnessing of energy. No need to delete anything from Kuat's information--I just need a copy."

 

The search took a little bit of time, but everything that engineers used consoles for did. The code that was on the hard drive was an extremely localized and inobtrusive program that made sure no one knew data was being withdrawn from the console. It was so localized that it had nothing to do with anything beyond the console in use, so it would be undetectable by the server's security. Even if it didn't work entirely correctly, the engineer the fake Kast had chosen would doubtlessly be authorized to withdraw information anyway.

 

When the data was collected, the fake Kast nodded. "Well done. In fact, so well done that I have a proposition for you. My organization is looking for men with your skills. If you come with me, we can double your salary."

 

The engineer (the real one) didn't even really need to think about it. He had no family and was always looking for extra funds. Besides, he didn't have that much of a choice, since the infiltrator's mental grasp on his thoughts kept him from trying anything funny. "This way," the fake Kast said.

 

Since nothing suspicious had transpired, the fake Kast left as easily as he had entered--just another man at work, going about his daily schedule, no questions asked. His nice Kuati transport pulled away from the shipyards, the head Kuat engineer on board, and made the jump into hyperspace, first towards a false destination to make sure he wouldn't be followed. Just in case.

[Kulan Tith]

An elderly man named Kulan Tith piloted his small craft to the Kuat Drive Yards. With a smooth landing, he came to a rest, and took a deep breath, eyeing his cargo once again, with a sickly smile that could freeze a snowstorm. Twenty-eight minutes later, he exited the ship. This particular craft wasn't too exceptional, by any means. It had average speed, average firepower, and it guzzled fuel at a particularly depressing rate. It was just a downgraded Lambda Shuttle, which he had stolen on Nar Shadda a few months back, and he didn't feel like dealing with an angry owner at some unforeseen point in the near future, so it was probably time for an upgrade.

 

Kulan exited his ship and walked towards the main facility, awaiting some customer service.

[Sol Kadav]

Sol flew his ship into Kuat Drive Yards, telling the voice that crackled over the intercom that he was picking up a few parts for his ship that he had ordered. The man on the other line seemed hesitant, but allowed Sol to proceed into the Yards. Sol hadn't ordered anything; he was hoping to find a spare navi-computer to install in his ship. The one that he had now was outdated. He knew that trying to find a recent navi-computer from one of the ships here would prove to be a challenge. What would be even more challenging, however, would be even if he found a navi-computer that he could use, he would need to find a way to take it from whatever ship he found it on and replace it with the one on his own craft without being detected.

 

"This is going to be difficult," he thought to himself, starting to have second thoughts about doing this. He shook his head, shaking all possibilities of getting caught out of his head.

 

He guided his ship further into the shipyards, soon finding a safe area to land. One of the hangars of the yard, as far as he could see, was abandoned. A single Corellian freighter was stationed within it, also abandoned. Sol figured that it had been forgotten long ago. It was an older freighter, though he was sure that the navi-computer within it would be more recent than the one he had in his ship.

 

He landed his ship in the hangar, the field protecting the hangar allowing him into it. It would protect him against the atmosphere of the shipyards as he worked.

 

He smiled to himself, before he set out to retrieve the navi-computer.

[Kulan Tith]

The crotchety old man, known as Kulan Tith was growing impatiently tired of waiting for service.

 

Who the hell was running this place?

 

Frustrated, he boarded his ship and left.

[Raynuk Montar]

Since he began developing his plan back on Mechis III, Quietus had gone through countless variations filled with innumerable subtle changes. But the one thing that had remained constant, the one thing that had always served as the linchpin to his plan, was the Kuat Drive Yards. Revered in years and decades past for its support of the Empire, and thus secretly the Sith behind them, and well known for the crafting of the iconic Star Destroyers. But as time passed, and wars ended, the glory of the Kuat Drive Yards became a casualty of peace. While by no terms near closing down, the sheer amount of work that the yards handled was miniscule in comparison. To some, it was the legacy alone that was keeping the Kuat Drive Yards active and at least somewhat profitable.

 

To Quietus, the drive yards was a hollow shell of its former glory. A glory that Quietus had all the intentions in the galaxy to return to Kuat. For the briefest of moments, Quietus simply took in the view of the massive, if somewhat aged, drive yards, as well as the Golan defense platforms that hovered around it, almost itching for a fight. But it was not a fight that Quietus would give them, at least not when at the helm of a single starfighter. No, the Sith Master was here on business, intent upon providing the Kuat Drive Yards with possibly their greatest project in recent memory. A project that would bring back the glory days when the entire shipyards would be filled with Star Destroyers in various stages of construction. Having found that the view had satisfied his curiosity at last, Quietus fired up his sublight engines and began his approach towards the Drive Yards. At the same time, he activated his comm, and beamed a message to the Drive Yards.

 

"KDY Control, this is the Ogariv II, approaching from vector three-seven-eight mark one-four. Requesting clearance to dock to discuss terms of a new contract..."

 

It would be a grand project indeed.

[Moon Knight]

The man handling KDY traffic control thought almost nothing was unusual about the request from the Ogariv. Ever since the end of the war, they had been getting a steady stream of business contracts, usually people asking for a line of personal ships to be put together as their company vehicles or the like. The incoming vessel was a StarViper, a notoriously expensive ship that matched what he would expect from a business executive looking to negotiate just such a contract.

 

"Permission granted. Proceed to hangar bay 117," he responded, assigning business clearance to the ship through his terminal interface. He then sent a request to management to find someone to do Kuat's side of the negotiations.

 

--------------

 

Foreman Kal Shesh wasn't the guy who usually negotiated small-time contracts, but it just so happened that things were running so smoothly at the moment that he could devote some time with a guest. He had been trying to get a little more face-time with the clientele, given that he was the head overseer of KDY operations and all production was client-ordered at this point. He missed the days when they could crank out Star Destroyers, and much of the streamlined business process that had been so carefully put in place was now going to waste, but ultimately, KDY was doing surprisingly well since the war had ended. They were surviving, anyway, largely due to his efforts.

 

Anyway, Shesh decided he would handle this set of negotiations himself, especially since there were so few StarVipers in the galaxy that he wouldn't mind meeting someone who owned one. Most of the craft that MandalMotors cranked out these days were brutish and low-tech, extremely distasteful to any civilized Kuati, but somehow they had managed to put together one ship that was so marvellous it almost made up for it.

 

So when the Ogariv docked, Shesh was already at the hangar door.

[Raynuk Montar]

by the time that the Ogariv II had landed in hanger bay 117, Quietus had managed to get his hands on a complete set of maps and technical specs of the Kuat Drive Yards, both public and private versions. Whether he would end up needing them was questionable, but the Sith would rather not have to rely on getting the information later if things did not go according to plan. Tucking the datapad with the information into its pouch, he rose from the cockpit and made his way towards the exit to the ship. There he found Vex'aedr waiting for him, pacing expectantly. With all things considered, the tuk'ata had handled its first space flight fairy well, but it was clear that he was ready to get off the ship once again. Whether the drive yards would be an improvement however, would remain to be seen.

 

---------

 

Whatever or whoever foreman Kal Shesh expected to come out of the decidedly well kept StarViper, those expectations were shattered as the ramp of the ship hit the decking of the docking bay. Before the ramp had come to a complete stop, the massive, two meter tall white tuk'ata came bounding down it, taking a small jump at the end of the ramp, landing with a muffled thud that came from the sound of its massive padded paws hitting the deck with all that mass bearing down ontop of them. Instantly the tuk'ata was taking in its surroundings as fast as possible, its head swiveling on its massive neck as low growls and snarls came rumbling from within. It was the perfect image of destructive chaos and hatred, a pure creation of negitve emotion. On the contrary, Darth Quietus walked down the ramp of his ship in an almost regal manner. His gauntleted hands were clasped behind his back and his face was rather calm and stoic. He too looked around and took in the surroundings, but his gaze was more calculated, calm, and studious; especially compared to the reaction of his pet.

 

By the time that Quietus had crossed the docking bay to meet Shesh, Vex'aedr had scared a few of the workers in the docking bay nearly to death, and sent a few others running just with its sudden appearance and presence. The tuk'ata was in the middle of sniffing a pile of shipping crates off to one side, curiously interested in both the contents as well as the worker who had decided to hide and cower behind them, when Quietus summoned the Vex'aedr back to him with a simple silent gesture. The tuk'ata reluctantly came padding over to stand beside its master and was greeted with a hand on its massive back as he finally regarded Shesh with a wicked sounding growl, clearly having thoughts that would not bode well for the Foreman if they came to pass.

 

But thankfully for those involved, it was Quietus who was in the position to dictate the outcome. He glanced at his tuk'ata with a wry smile before turning back to Shesh.

 

"I am Darth Quietus, and I, have a proposal for you and your drive yards. I do hope we can come to an... agreement. I would hate to leave here without a deal and take my business elsewhere. I do so have my hopes set upon the Kuat Drive Yards."

 

He complimented his greeting with a smile that could only have come from a Sith, his entire being exuding an air of confidence and cunning.

[Moon Knight]

Shesh was as alarmed by the large pale beast as the rest of the workers were, but he did something of a better job at hiding it. Once he saw the man descending the boarding ramp, he immediately recognized a regal bearing that commonly was accompanied by tremendous wealth or power. The way he walked, combined with his self-absorbed desire to make everyone sweat with his disruptive pet, hinted at the truth that was soon revealed to him--this was a Sith Lord. Shesh was decidedly a bit nervous. The Sith were decidedly at odds with the Galactic Alliance, and CoreSec had recently kicked them off Coruscant by assaulting one of their temples and deporting all its inhabitants to an enormous prison in the Outer Rim. And it was CoreSec officers that patrolled the halls of Kuat Drive Yards.

 

That said, the Sith had technically been pardoned at the peace treaty. While this man was potentially a mass-murderer and psychopath, it was also possible that he was not an outlaw at all but instead merely a tremendously influential and affluent person who had indeed come to strike a business deal. And wasn't making a ton of credits worth a little risk anyway?

 

"Welcome, Lord Quietus," Shesh said. Lord was the right title, wasn't it? He hoped so. "I am certain that these drive yards will be more than capable of handling any contract you might wish to see fulfilled. Would you like me to show you around the yards, or shall we head to my office and cut right to business?"

[Raynuk Montar]

"Oh I am quite counting on your drive yards to be more than just capable Foreman, I am counting on them being exceptional in all aspects of handleing what I wish."

 

There was a subtle yet detectable amount of a threat in his words, but that was to be expected from a Sith. It was however, a calculated aspect of his speech; it would better serve to hide and misdirect from the true meaning behind them. Quietus only hesitated a second more as Shesh offered to give him a tour of the drive yards, a fact which brought a smile to the Sith's face. Having the maps and technical readouts were helpful, but actually seeing the drive yards himself, while still under the auspicion of being a customer would be incredibly useful, especially when combined with what he already had. This trip was turning out to work out even better than he had planned.

 

"A tour sounds quite exquisite Foreman, I am sure that I will not be disappointed in the slightest. The nature of my contract can wait a little while longer."

 

Quietus capped it off with another of his sly yet evil smiles, and gestured for Shesh to lead the way before following the foreman, with Vex'aedr, now quite passive, falling in line shadowing its master, but not before shooting the nearest worker a piercing glance and snarl that would be enough to make the worker soil himself in fear. It seemed the tuk'ata took just as much enjoyment in sewing fear and soiled clothing through the galaxy as its master did.

[Moon Knight]

"Certainly, sir," the foreman replied, relaxing somewhat even as the Tuk'ata did. He didn't know what the Sith Lord had in mind as far as a contract went, but a tour was something he could give. He had done it many times, and hopefully by conversing with the man he could get a better feel for what he wanted. Sales wasn't his absolute strongest point, but he knew well enough that assuming a relaxed aire and attempting to relate to Quietus--if such a thing was possible--might enable him to make an even bigger sale than the Sith had in mind.

 

With all of this in mind, he started by showing Quietus a well-organized sales line of personal ships of varying capabilities and sometimes armaments. He figured that a Sith would want something armed, so he tended to draw emphasis to the more combat-ready line--as long as someone had the right licenses, even military-grade interceptors weren't illegal even though there were stringent government regulations on overall armament and size. KDY couldn't produce fleets, and what constituted a fleet was subject to careful scrutiny.

 

From there he asked if Quietus had any questions regarding specific models before suggesting they head back to tour some of the production lines so that he could see the tight efficiency of KDY's streamlined assembly process.

 

-------------------

 

"Sith Lord Darth Quietus," CoreSec officer Jan Lars confirmed, giving the security monitor a good look. "Positive ID. Suspected involvement in the assassination of the Naboo royal family and the destruction of Cloud City, according to our records. This man is very dangerous, Captain Miller."

 

Miller was a grisled former stormtrooper who had found himself working for CoreSec once the war had ended. He had almost been a proponent of keeping the peace and seeing justice done on the criminal underworld, and as a stormtrooper he had been able to do that through tours of duty away from the front of the war. Now being stationed on still-rather-Imperial Kuat was a perfect fit. He had real combat experience, but had never fought a Jedi or Sith. "I'm honestly not sure what the best course of action is here, Lieutenant."

 

"Sir, we can't let such a dangerous man escape. We should take him into custody," Lars said immediately. She sounded shocked that there could be any other conclusion.

 

"Lars, this is a Sith Master. Let's say that he was there on Naboo and that he murdered the Royal Family. Do you think the Queen's royal guard just let him do it? How many officers and guardsmen do you think he cut through to get to the Queen? How many men sacrificed themselves to protect her, only to fail?" he asked.

 

Lars was silent for a moment.

 

"I agree that this man should be taken into custody," Miller said. "I'm just not sure that we have the resources to take him if he objects."

 

"Well, we do have destroyer droids," she began.

 

Miller nodded. Although somewhat dated tech, destroyer droids were part of standard CoreSec security, mass-produced by the organization largely for their famed effectiveness against Force users. The handbook said that they were the first line of defense against Sith. "Let's see what he wants first. If we can resolve this peacefully, no one has to die. But you should probably get the droids ready, just in case."

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus followed along behind Shesh, quietly musing to himself at all of the things that the foreman was showing him on the tour. The personal ships that the Kuat Drive Yards had been reduced to in light of the Galactic Alliance and their ban on fleets were neither remarkable nor pathetic; they had found a happy medium from what Quietus could tell. The fact that he could feel the Foreman making guesses as to what it was that Quietus was here for, and in the process ending up completely off base, which only served to further the Sith's quiet amusement. He was also not blind to the fact that the security cameras had seemed to take an interest in him, but chose to keep up whatever illusion the security forces had come up with rather than openly acknowledge his presence. No, he would let the security teams make the first, and most likely very bad, move.

 

Finally the foreman stopped near the end of the sales line, the hope that was in the man's mind quite clear. Hope that Quietus had seen something that he liked and that the contract could proceed. Unfortunately for the Foreman, he was wrong on both counts. Quietus waved a hand dismissively towards the foreman, having barely even given the ships on display more than a cursory glance.

 

"No Foreman, I am afraid you are thinking entirely too small for my liking with these ships... Im in the market for something much more... majestic and grand."

 

With little more than a grin spreading across his face, Quietus produced his datapad, taping a few keys and replacing it before producing a small, handheld holo emitter in the palm of his hand. He activated it after only a few heartbeats, and held it up to the Foreman to see. It blinked to life, and displayed a Vindicator-class heavy cruiser hull built in what appeared to be an Interdictor configuration. The display was small, and thus lacking on many discernible details, but the reaction from the Foreman was just as surprised as Quietus had expected, he allowed the ship to rotate a few more times in silence before shutting it down and replacing the emitter, and retrieving the datapad once more.

 

"As I said, I have grand tastes Foreman. Come, let us continue the tour. I believe you offered to demonstrate the efficiency of the Kuat Drive Yards production lines? I shall explain my vision along the way."

 

He handed the datapad to the foreman, a datapad which now was displaying the full blueprints and notes for the custom Vindicator heavy cruiser that the Sith was envisioning. As the pair continued to walk, Quietus began the long process of explaining and pointing out what he was searching for in terms of this project.

 

((Ian, I am going to PM you on HoT what Im envisioning. Dont worry, its not as bad as you may be thinking ))

[Emily]

A sleek Nubian cruiser appeared out of hyperspace in the Kuat system. The pilot leaned back in her chair, taking in the sight of the shining planet that was in itself unremarkable, encircled completely by the false rings of the KDY shipyards. Soon enough, however, her comm system pinged with the docking control and security of the shipyards asking for her flight plan and registration.

 

She leaned forward and answered it. "KDY Control, this is the Shimmer Scale, requesting clearance to dock at the Kuat Drive Yards. I am a representative of the Link, pursuing a contract for a new personal ship for Director Thalin."

 

She had done her homework on the trip here; now it was time to see that everything went smoothly. It'd be a shame for things to escalate if they didn't have to.

[Moon Knight]

Shesh's jaw nearly dropped as he reviewed the schematics. For a moment, he was completely drawn into the plans, to the point where he seemed to forget that there was a Sith Master. Perhaps a minute later, he sort of came to his senses. "This... is considerably more grand than I had anticipated," he said at last. He let a careful smile show on his face. "I can see you wish to spare no expense, and I can assure you that Kuat is more than equal to this task and will deliver the highest quality of what you have in mind."

 

He was quite impressed to say the least, and KDY's shareholders would be quite pleased to see something of this scale finding its way into the shipyards. Kal himself was ecstatic to get to fire up the dusty processes for making ships of this scale again. "I mean, there are some government compliance challenges with something of this scale, but you seem to have done your research, Darth Quietus. The armaments and technology needed to pull this off seem to fit within regulations."

 

Shesh scratched his head. "We're looking at a project that will cost billions of credits. I can get some people working on the figures right away, but--if you don't mind me asking--how are you planning to finance something like this? I mean, the casino alone might be able to come up with close to those numbers given enough time, but this kind of expense is the kind that governments typically undertake."

 

----------------------------

 

"Looks like we won't need the droids after all, Lieutenant," Miller said, somewhat relieved.

 

"You're really planning on just letting him go?" Lars asked. "I mean, he's one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy."

 

Miller shrugged. "Sort of. Judging from Shesh's response, he's here on legitimate business which will be good for Kuat. A project that big, including a casino, sounds like a more or less legitimate enterprise," he explained. "That doesn't mean we're just letting him go, Jan, but we'll play the long game."

 

Jan considered. "I think I know what you mean, sir," she said at last. "Shall I order the droids the stand down?"

 

"Not just yet. Sith tend to be fickle and easily offended. They can stand down once Quietus is off the station."

 

 

----------------------------

 

Emily was quickly given permission to land. KDY and the Link had always enjoyed a strong business relationship.

[Emily]

She got a quick permission, and thanked the man at the end of the line professionally. She then brought her ship in for a quick neat landing, luckily getting the bay right next to where the Ogariv II was docked. There was a snuffle behind her. "Sorry, Roe'gall, but you'll have to stay on board. There nothing that says 'Sith' like a mutated tuk'ata." She patted him affectionately. "Stay here and guard the ship. Don't let anyone onboard except myself, Quietus, or Vex'aedr."

 

She knew he understood, so she scratched him under the chin and rose. Post-flight checks were complete. It was time to do this.

 

She grabbed a datapad, took a minute to compose herself, then strode down the ramp. The minute her feet touched the decking, she felt him. The sensation of being near to him again brought a smile to her face, and she greeted the representative that met her warmly. "Good afternoon. I'm Emily Antilles with the Link. Given that we've always maintained strong positive links between our two businesses, I've been sent by Director Thalin to investigate the possibility of a new personal ship. However, Ms. Thalin also wanted to take this opportunity to get a full report on your building processes. Could I possibly get a tour?"

 

She smiled winningly the whole time. She could be quite charming when she wanted to.

[Raynuk Montar]

As Shesh studied the schematics with palpable awe, Quietus was in turn, studying the foreman and his surroundings. The fact that he was being watched on the security cameras was not lost on the Sith, and silently he began to wonder just who it was that had taken such an interest in him. He would have been surprised if he had not been identified instantly upon his arrival, and mused slightly as he wondered if the galaxy still thought him dead before now. When Shesh had finally pulled himself away from the schematics and found his voice once more, Quietus regarded him carefully, his hand idlely stroking the back of Vex'aedr.

 

"If Kuat is equal to this task remains to be seen Foreman, but I have little doubt in your quality of work. As for the government compliance challenges... They are of no concern to me."

 

He dismissed the notion of complying with the government with a wave of his hand. If there was one thing that Quietus didnt particuarly give a damn about, it was complying with the government of the galaxy, but at this point there was little point in fighting the system. He would work within the bounds of it for now, until the right opportunity was made present. it was during that brief moment that a presence was felt by Quietus, just a passing glance of feeling that caught Quietus offguard slightly. His eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments, his hand falling back to its place at his side. He paused then, for barely a few seconds, suddenly lost within his own thoughts.

 

But... how...

 

He glanced at Vex'aedr as if to confirm his suspicions, and found that the tuk'ata had sensed it as well, for it had turned its massive head to Quietus, silently asking a question. And wherever she goes... It is not far removed... He brushed the thought aside with the faintest of smiles, instantly snapping back to where he was and what he was doing. That was all that Quietus allowed himself to consider on the matter for the moment; he would deal with that development when the time came. He had come here for a reason, and had to see it through fully. He turned back to the Foreman, the briefest flashes of anger darting across his face as the question of credits came up.

 

"As a matter of fact, I do mind you asking Foreman. I hardly consider where my funds come from to be any of your concern. As long as the project is completed, it will be paid for. I came to the Kuat Drive Yards because of its long history of superb service to the Empire. I designed the ship as it is because of the level of familiarity that your workers have with these designs. Unless you would prefer I take this contract somewhere else? Perhaps to one of your competitors? Perhaps CelCon would know better than to question where the credits for a project like this came from..."

 

His words were as pointed yet polite as the Sith could make them, knowing full well that the Foreman would have to be a fool to hold firm on such a trivial issue. He would back down, Quietus ventured. He would back down or risk losing the contract and possibly evoking the wrath of the Sith standing before him. As Quietus watched Shesh out of the corner of his eye, he decided to take another gamble and to play another hunch. While the foreman mulled over his limited options, Quietus' gaze came to rest fully upon one of the security cameras. He was gazing, not at the camera, but through it. Fixing whoever was on the other end of the monitor with a steady but icy stare. He held it for only a few seconds, making his unspoken message as crystal clear as possible before speaking again to Shesh, his head turning to now fully engulf the foreman in his view.

 

"Now then Foreman, if you have no more questions, I would very much like to see your security station. This project is of a very sensitive nature, and I want there to be no chance at all of knowledge of this undertaking escaping to those who count themselves as enemies of myself and the Sith as a whole. I want to be absolutely sure that the Kuat Drive Yards are capable of keeping this ship secret and safe during its construction. I would feel much more secure in knowing exactly what measures are being taken to protect my investment, and I am afraid that will be the only way I will be satisfied. Because mark my words Foreman Shesh; If anything goes wrong, losing the contract will be the least of your problems."

 

Whether it was a threat or a promise, Quietus had no intentions of letting very many people, least of all the Jedi or their vaunted allies, know what was being built over Kuat, nor that there was even something of this scale being built at all. He barely even trusted letting Shesh and his workers know, but knew that it was a necessary risk. The ship could not be built by Quietus or the Sith alone, and he knew that. No one among the Sith even knew that Quietus was here, and he aimed to keep the number of people who knew of his plans low enough to be counted on one hand.

[Moon Knight]

Kal Shesh shrunk a little bit. "Of course, my Lord," he replied. He decided not the press the matter. Even Sith Lords were subject to credit checks, and an investment like this was not undertaken by any corporation without some assurance that it would be paid for. There was no way Kuat was going to go a billion credits in the hole because someone thought he was above having to pay for his projects. But that wasn't necessarily something that needed to be discussed now, especially given that an offended Sith was a force to be reckoned with.

 

It was also highly unusual for a client to ask to see the security station. However, most clients weren't going to provide the shipyards with a multi-billion-credit contract. He would be accomodating. "We can head there now," he said, then led the way. "I can, of course, assure you that knowledge of this project will remain strictly within Kuat Drive Yards' security network. Having been vital in the creation of several Imperial superweapons during the Galactic Civil War, we have systems in place for obtaining all required materials without tipping off our suppliers or anyone else concerning how they're going to be used."

 

-----------------------------

 

Miller raised an eyebrow. "Quietus is coming here," he said.

 

Lars frowned. "That's unusual, isn't it?"

 

He nodded. "You heard Shesh though. He probably thinks it's worth keeping on the good side of anyone paying KDY that much. I'm inclined to agree with him, but..."

 

"...But if Quietus doesn't know that CoreSec is in charge of KDY security, and if he considers CoreSec to be an enemy of the Sith Order, this could go badly," Jan finished. "We do consider the Sith Order to be an enemy of CoreSec, don't we?"

 

Miller shrugged. "Be sure those droids are standing by and close, but make sure Quietus doesn't see them. Otherwise, we'll play it casual when he comes in. This is a core system anyway, so I can't imagine he doesn't know that CoreSec is in charge here," the ex-stormtrooper speculated. "We won't start anything, though. The Sith in general aren't our enemies, Lieutenant, only the ones that cause trouble."

 

-----------------------------

 

A couple minutes later, Shesh reached the security room, swiped his badge and entered. It was a sophisticated room with monitors covering cameras all over the drive yards. There were computer terminals and about two dozen uniformed CoreSec officers manning them. Standing in the middle, in a sort of ops-center area, was a tall, well-built man in a captain's uniform and close by a slight woman. There were a couple of guards standing at intervals as well, ready-teams to be dispatched if something went wrong. They and the captain were the only ones armed.

 

The captain turned when Shesh and Quietus entered. "Welcome, Foreman, Lord Quietus," he said.

 

"Captain Miller," Shesh greeted the man back. "As you can see, Lord Quietus, the station is quite secure and our secrets are safe. Is there something specific you wanted to see?"

[Raynuk Montar]

With the question of his credit being pushed aside, and Shesh firmly reminded of his place in the galaxy, Quietus nodded, accepting the other conceding. He would have hated to exterminate such a dutiful man that could be of use later, and that is exactly what Shesh was to Quietus at the moment; an asset. Whether the foreman knew it or not, made no difference to the Sith. He possessed enough gall to question Quietus in the first place, but yet contained enough common sense to know not to press it too far. He imagined that in due time, Shesh would come to learn just how far he could push Quietus to the edge. But such trials were a ways off, and for now the foreman had agreed, almost hesitantly, to grant Quietus' request at seeing the security station, whether he knew it was a terrible idea or not.

 

Quietus nodded again and fell in to walk behind the foreman, with Vex'aedr padding along just flanking Quietus. Shesh was regurgitating the standard assurances about the security of the Kuat Drive Yards, all of which Quietus was already fully aware of. It was part of why he had chosen KDY in the first place. The Sith produced the datapad silently once more, tapping a few keys before allowing his eyes to wander, looking all around at things as they passed, with his hand still tapping away as he did so. All along the way Quietus nodded approvingly every so often before switching his eyes to something else, acting almost casual and nonchalant in his actions. But with every step closer to the security center, Quietus was getting even more prepared for a potential conflict.

 

He was reasonably sure what would be waiting for him once he arrived, and his mental preparations were not lost on Vex'aedr. The tuk'ata picked up on it almost instantly, its own anticipation and focus heightening with every fall of its massive paws. By the time that they all arrived at the station, Quietus was as mentally aware and prepared as he could be, and Vex'aedr was simply chomping at the bit, staying just within the confines of being passive. It would take a simple nudge to push the beast into an all out frenzy, and Quietus would have had it no other way. As Shesh swiped his badge at the door, Quietus finished typing on his datapad and replaced it before clasping his hands behind his back, and entering the security station with a visible amount of curiosity.

 

If Quietus had not been a Sith, the various CoreSec officers might have even considered him to be of a friendly disposition. His eyes looked around the center, catching a few of the officers eyes and nodding to them silently. When he had completed his overlook of the outer section, he turned to the captain, standing in the middle of the security station - no, standing in the middle of his security station Quietus noted with more than a little amusement - and bowed slightly as the captain greeted him. His eyes turned to Shesh for just a moment as the foreman spoke, seemingly attempting to dismiss Quietus from the room just as quickly as they had entered. He chose to ignore the question for the moment, instead turning back to the captain. And in an instant, the illusion of a friendly disposition was gone.

 

"Captain Miller..." Quietus repeated, "I suppose you are the one who's eyes I have felt upon me since I first arrived at your drive yards? I imagine you identified me almost before I even stepped foot out of the docking bay. At least I hope so. It would be quite sad if CoreSec was unable to identify me so quickly after all that I have done to weed out the weak soldiers from your ranks."

 

There was a barely visible flash of alarm, but it instead came from the woman standing just to the side of Captain Miller; a Lieutenant by her uniform. It was a distinction that Quietus noted; the woman was the more caustic of the two; the more likely to jump when prodded. This trip was turning out to be more fun than he had anticipated. Quietus' eyes focused on her for just a moment, a smile barely creeping to his face.

 

Oh yes little one, I was fully aware of CoreSec's presence here. In fact, I was counting on it. Does that... scare you?

 

The voice of Quietus pounded into Jan's mind, blasting the words into her thoughts with intensity, yet still seemingly like little more than a whisper in her ear. Meanwhile the amusement within Quietus' mind continued as he suddenly felt the waves of confusion, fear and dread that passed over a number of the officers as the massive white tuk'ata managed to force himself through the doorway and into the security station. Still visibly almost chomping at the bit, the tuk'ata was still quite curious despite it, and Quietus made no attempts to curb that curiosity. The fact that Vex'aedr was curious only served to enforce the feelings of confusion and fear that the officers were hiding, as it began padding around the room to a number of the computer terminals, taking the time to investigate and sniff both terminal and the officers who appeared to go rigid at the proximity of Vex'aedr. A few of them were even so 'lucky' to have received a lick from the tuk'ata. Of course, whether it was a lick of affection, or the lick of a hunter tasting his prey was a matter of debate. His gaze shifted back to the Captain, and he continued.

 

"Or perhaps your records thought I was dead and gone? Never to plague your precious Core Worlds ever again. I would be quite disappointed if that were the case Captain. CoreSec has always held themselves in such high regard with such things. Tell me Captain, I cant imagine you would allow me to come here to your security station without having prepared for the possibility that I was hostile. I wonder what sort of nasty surprise you have up that sleeve of yours... I imagine a number of your soldiers are a little disappointed in not having me be the bloodthirsty monster that your superiors have taught them to expect."

 

A smirk appeared on the face of Quietus as his gaze remained on the Captain. He was enjoying his time at the Kuat Drive Yards immensely, and saw no reason to not continue having as much fun here as he could. Between watching Vex'aedr sew unease through the soldiers, all of whom Quietus had to admit were hiding their terror quite professionally, and securing the contract with Shesh, he was quite pleased. Before Miller could answer however, Quietus turned to Shesh, finally acknowledging the foreman again, and produced a data spike, handing it to the foreman.

 

"You may withdraw the necessary credits for my contract from these accounts. I trust you will find them to your satisfaction with regards to your credit checks and their 'capacity'. As for your earlier question..."

 

He turned then back to Miller, first locking him in his gaze for a moment, then turning and doing the same to Jan for even longer before his eyes darted to Vex'aedr. The tuk'ata was now standing behind and to the left of the Lieutenant, its attention on its Master, as if waiting for a command.

 

"...I have found the Kuat Drive Yards to be quite satisfactory, and am renewed with confidence in the fact that knowledge of my contract and my presence here will never be known by anyone outside of this shipyard."

 

There was a particular edge in his voice with the last comment, one that would probably not be placed correctly until it was too late.

 

"I am sure Captain Miller is up to the task. Perhaps we should celebrate our impending business with a meal Foreman Shesh? I have traveled quite far to secure this deal."

[Emily]

While Emily was treated very graciously and respectfully during her entire tour, she could tell that the staff were on edge. That told her that she was exactly right in her assumption that Quietus would be here as himself. It also made her glad she had decided to not do so. Finally, she decided to address the topic herself. "No, this isn't quite what Ms. Thalin is looking for," she said, shaking her head over a schematic. "Actually, I'm looking for something more along the lines of the ship that was docked next to where I landed the Shimmer Scale. Who does that ship belong to? Perhaps I can speak with him or her and obtain a copy of the schematics of that ship."

 

"Yes, she sure is an impressive ship," her Codru-Ji guide chatted. "That was the Ogariv II, the personal ship of Sith Master Quietus himself. Lord Quietus is here with what I hear is a very large proj--" The man suddenly paled and touched the earpiece in his ear. With a quick application of the Force, Emily enhanced her own hearing to pick up on what the man was listening to.

 

"Repeat--Darth Quietus' presence here falls under Regulation Esk. The client has made it clear that any failure to keep his order under the strictest secrecy will be met with a response from him. Repeat: Regulation Esk in effect."

 

"Er," the Codru-Ji stuttered, "Will you excuse me for a moment?"

 

"Of course," Emily replied politely. As she watched him go, however, her face grew sad. It was a shame really. Now her charming guide would have to die, simply for doing his best to make a sale. But if Quietus really wanted to keep this secret, she knew that this man's willingness to talk about it now would signal to him that he'd be willing to talk about it to others.

 

Well, it was either he die--most likely horribly--at Quietus' hands, or with some dignity at hers. Reaching into her jacket, she palmed one of the toxic darts she had carried with her since her assassin training on Spite Station. The toxin in it was a delayed killer, one that would cause the being to sicken and die over the course of two days. It was ideal for situations where it was necessary to kill without suspicion and not have to worry about hiding a body. She hated to have to end this man's life, but in this particular instance, he was dead already. Emily was simply granting him a little extra time.

 

***

 

The Codru-Ji, meanwhile was frantically reporting to the security center that he had just spoken of Quietus' presence to the visiting representative of the Link. "What's he going to do to me?" the man quaked. "And what will he do to her? If he kills her it will ruin our partnership with the Link..."

 

The CoreSec security officer in the center was trying to calm him down, but his eyes kept being drawn to the menacing Sith and his terrifying white beast. Visions of the beast ripping apart the Link woman and the Codru-Ji danced in his mind. "We can't let Quietus know," he said as softly as he could, turning away, hoping that the Sith wouldn't hear him. "Play it off. Tell the rep anything, but get her off the station as quickly as possible."

[Moon Knight]

Miller held his ground as the Sith Lord spoke. He had never fought a Force user before, but he had interacted with Sith before. Personally, he had always thought them to be a necessary evil, often very bad for the Empire but sometimes the only solution to Jedi. Now he knew simply to exude professionalism and not allow anything the man said to rile him or evoke an emotional response. Lars wasn't handling it quite as well, and appeared a little flustered, but she kept sending nervous glances Miller's way and when she saw how collected he was, she did her best to appear the same way.

 

"Yes, my Lord, it will be so," Miller finally said when Quietus finished speaking. He focused on the words themselves, an almost-automatic response. Again, he knew what it meant to deal with a dark sider.

 

The Tu'kata, of course, cause some nervousness and discomfort, and the guards gripped their blaster rifles when it came by them, but in all the operations room was filled with some of the best on the station, mostly ex-Imperials who knew how to hold their ground and had a well-developed sense of professional pride.

 

Finally when Quietus turned back to Shesh, the foreman had to fight not to show his discomfort. Spending even more time dining with a man like this was far from what he wanted to do. The Sith frankly unnerved him, and he could only imagine the uncomfortable conversation they were going to hold. Still, he would let the credits drive him to do even something like this, and he took solace in the fact that in a few hours, he could still go home for the day and not have to think about Quietus again for a time. He would make it through. "Certainly, Lord Quietus. The drive yards are much more than just a factory, and I know a few places that serve meals that are simply exquisite. If you'll follow me..."

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus was almost surprised at how well the troopers in the security station handled his presence and that of Vex'aedr. There were but a few nervous movements from the troopers, and even with being prodded quite harshly, the Lieutenant had kept her resolve next to Miller. But in the end there was no tangible response or actions taken that Quietus could feed off of, and so he had allowed the situation to defuse until another juncture. Silently he gestured to Vex'aedr, who took one last long look the Lieutenant's back before grumbling and conceding that it was time to leave, padding across the room to rejoin its master in what could only be described as a air of disappointment. The tuk'ata quite simply had been expecting - and looking forward to - attacking and possibly eating one or more of the people in the room.

 

As he turned to leave, he caught the brief insight into the mood of the Foreman, who in that moment seemed quite uncomfortable. Perhaps Quietus' little speech here had finally broken through the layers of professionalism that the foreman had displayed since the Sith's arrival; or perhaps now that the deal was done the Foreman just didnt care anymore. Neither option did anything to reduce Quietus' own disappointment in the man, disappointment that was sprinkled with rage at the possibility that the foreman no longer respected Quietus position now that the contract was secured. He thought it to only be fair then, to continue and increase the discomfort that the foreman felt, and a nice, prolonged duty of dining with the Sith would serve as a perfect opportunity to do just that.

 

But as Quietus, Vex'aedr and the Foreman made to exit the room, the Sith picked up on the fact that two people near the door, one of them a Codru-Ji, were whispering frantically and shooting Quietus nervous glances. Curiosity got the better of the SIth, and he instantly felt the panic of the Codru-Ji as soon as he stretched out with the Force. Something was indeed wrong, and before Quietus could even conjecture about what it was, he heard the words that the security officer said through the Codru-Ji's own mind.

 

We can't let Quietus know... Play it off. Tell the rep anything, but get her off the station as quickly as possible.

 

That was all it took. That one sentence possessed the exact implications that would allow Quietus to act. In barely more than a blink of an eye, Quietus was upon the pair, having taken two large strides to close the gap. His hands stretched out to each of them, each hand finding the necks of the pair and pushing them back to pin them to the wall. The amount of surprise and shock that came from not just the pair, but from the Foreman and the nearest of the troopers in the security station was palpable, but Quietus was too focused to concern himself with it. He held the two there for a few seconds, looking back and forth between them before speaking.

 

"Cant let me know what exactly gentlemen?"

 

His words were like ice filled with fire, filled with all the veiled anger that Quietus could contain. He continued to look back and forth between them both, waiting rather impatiently for one of them to speak through their gasping breaths and squirming. When neither spoke anything other than gasps, Quietus' face twisted with anger and tightened his grip on their necks. So many Sith favored using the Force to choke their targets, but for Quietus, physically doing it with his hands always seemed to be more intense, more personal. Both men gasped even more at the increase in pressure, and to Quietus' hidden delight, the Codru-Ji's eyes bugged out a little as he emited a gurgle and then - finally - gave in and attempted to speak.

 

"Wa...it!"

 

The word came out as a mixture of a gasp and a whisper, but Quietus heard it, snapping his head back from watching the security officer fight for air to stare into the eyes of the Codru-Ji, relaxing the grip on his neck to allow him to speak.

 

"Forgive me... Lord Quietus..." The Codru-Ji gasped, thankful for any breath he was given, "I didnt... know! There is a... representative... from the Link... here as well. She asked about... your personal ship. Was looking for... something similar... for her boss. I let it slip... that you were here... with a contract..."

 

The Codru-Ji's eyes bugged out once more as Quietus' grip intensified once more, cutting off any further attempts at words. Despite CoreSec's efforts to the contrary, Quietus was now fully enraged beneath the surface. He had come here to the shipyards alone, purely so that he could hide the knowledge that he was alive, let alone contracting a large ship to be built, from the rest of the galaxy. As it was, only Aryian, Emily, Rose and Qaela even knew that Quietus was alive again. And even that was too many in Quietus' mind. But now everyone in this room, plus a representative of the Link knew that he was both alive, and that he had commissioned a ship. Things were rapidly spiraling out of his control, and he did not enjoy that one bit. Quietus had to think quickly, and that is exactly what he did. His head spun back to the rest of the security station, particularly to Miller and Lars.

 

"Well Captain, it seems my trust in your ability to keep my affairs quiet was misplaced. Now a representitive of the Link, by no means an ally of the Sith, is aware of me and my being here. That causes QUITE a problem for me. I do believe the Link would be none to happy to find out what I have asked to be built here. You clearly have lost control of this situation Captain. I will regain that control here and now."

 

Quietus did not even give the Captain a chance to speak, let alone a choice. Turning back to the two humanoids still being held firmly in his grasp. He regarded each of them in turn, burning them under his stare. He stopped his gaze on the Codru-Ji, saying nothing for a few agonizing seconds. Then without warning, the hand that was so firmly grasping the neck of the security officer tightened even further. A low but distinct crack was heard, and a moment later the security officer fell limp in the Sith's grasp. Quietus didnt even look at the man who was now dead in his hand, instead tossing him carelessly towards the Captain amid a chorus of startled gasps from the other CoreSec officers. He then without further words, let the Codru-Ji go from his grasp, turning to sweep his eyes over the rest of the room to ensure that there werent now dozens of blasters aimed at him, before completing the circle and turning back to the Codru-Ji, who had fallen to a knee, two hand gently rubbing its neck, while the other two were splayed on the floor to balance him. Quietus waited in silence until the alien looked up at the Sith, speaking in a tone of voice that was deadly calm.

 

"Your confession has bought your life added time, unlike your... friend here who chose instead to attempt to hide from me..." He gestured to the slain security officer, who was now being thoroughly 'investigated' by Vex'aedr, "But you will now make amends for your error to me. You will bring this representative of the Link to me personally, and I will deal with her personally to ensure her silence on the matter."

 

He then turned to Miller, fully regarding the Captain again, the anger and rage still clearly present behind his eyes.

 

"In the meantime Captain, I would demand that you block all attempts to communicate outside of the Drive Yards until this matter is settled, I want no chance of this knowledge escaping. It is possible that this woman has already sent out a message regarding my presence here... Pray that that has not occurred. Enough of your people have already paid the price for their failures and attempts to hide the truth from me. I would hate for you and your men to join them."

 

Quietus then turned to the Foreman, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Vex'aedr was now using the slain security officer as a plaything, and seemed quite content.

 

"It seems our dining will have to wait Foreman Shesh. I am sure you are quite disappointed."

 

The devilish grin that flashed across his face then did nothing but completely discredit his words to the Foreman.