- Joined
- Dec 13, 2012
- Messages
- 605
- Reaction score
- 68
This is not quite how Mavrak Phel would've imagined the life of being a crime lord. The carcasses of Tusken raiders laid in a pile just outside of his stronghold, where they burned into smoke in the air. It wasn't a pleasant smell.
It was true that Tatooine was a harsh place. Phel had underestimated its environment, but he wasn't ready to give up. This was only the first attack. Still, he barely managed to defend the fortress, even with his droids. And they had been damaged in the fighting. He had one of his slaves working on them in the main chamber of the stronghold. Another was sent out in the Jundland Wastes scout for any movements being made by the sand people. Phel had yet to hear from the latter, and the former, an Arconan, seemed to be making little progress, much to his master's vexation. The Arconan jumped back as a spark jumped off the droid's fusebox and pinched his finger. He looked worriedly to his approaching master desperately.
"Master," pleaded the slave, "I...I no good mechanic."
"Oh," Mavrak said, seemingly sympathic, "Are you not? Well, that's too bad."
His gaze of sympathy suddenly turned to a grimace. With the band of his hand, he struck the alien, causing him to fall onto the ground.
"Useless! Perhaps I will simply give you to the Tuskens as a token of appeasement next time they come to kill us!"
The Arconan quickly shielded himself with his hands. "Forgive me, master!"
Phel almost stomped on him, but the timely entrance of a Rodian slave saved the Arconan from a grisly beating.
"I'm busy."
"Master, Yosga has returned."
His grimace suddenly turned to a look of satisfaction. Following the Rodian out to the gate, they met the green Twi'lek Yosga just as she walked up the hill. She was recovered in dust and dirt, but was otherwise unharmed.
"What did you discover?"
"I see no sand people, master," she began sheepishly, "But I did find big sandcrawler."
"Sandcrawlers?" Mavrak asked, intrigued. The Twi'lek nodded in confirmation. Sandcrawlers were the primaries vehicles for miners from Anchorhead, the only settlement on the planet. It definitely lifted Mavrak's spirits in the face of difficulties. Why, though? What was so significant about these sandcrawlers?
The foremost reason was that they were guarded by security droids. Czerka refused to sell him the models, both because of their short supply in the region and because they feared of what he might use it for. In truth, they were right to fear him, for Mavrak had ambition. He would hardly stop with this castle in the desert. But they couldn't halt his ambition by restricting him: he would simply take what he wished.
"I need to make a call. Do not disturb me."
"Yes master," the two slaves said, almost in unison.
Phel issued a contract on the HoloNet asking for the assistance of mercenaries. He had a small fortune he "inherited" from Megru, a portion of which he could use to pay the hunters, though he had to be conservative (even if Czerka wouldn't sell to him). The contract's offer was modest enough: 3000 credits per individual. It wouldn't set them for life, but it would be sufficient for a small-timer looking for buy his next meal.