The Spinghar: Chapter 2 [Kjlljk Protectorate Mission]

[LordOfShadows]

A great yawn ascended from the mouth of the former pirate Mal'goth. The Kjlljk's Picketing Class Corvette moved in toward the large asteroid known as The Spinghar. He had only come across the asteroid a few times he could remember. One of his old crew mates had purchased a specially made vibroblade a few years ago from here. The asteroid was interesting to say the least. Many things could be found here that other worlds just lacked. It could have been the artisan culture that made up the community.

Mal'goth wasn't here to sight see and loiter. He had a set of objectives to complete. Mal'goth wasn't generally one for social calls and this was a bit of a change of pace for him. He knew he would have to come up with a good reason to convert the Spinghar Security Force to the Kjlljk's side. Most of what he was going to say had already been thought through. Though, he wouldn't be doing this alone and he wasn't sure if he should just use violent force instead.

He felt like the mission would be successful, but these kinds of things could turn for the worse. This mission was important and they would need to be careful on how they approached this. This didn't need to become a bloodbath. Mal'goth wouldn't care either way if it did or not. Though, the Grand Counselor would probably exile him or even worse. He didn't care to think of the details. Mal'goth had released himself from the external docking point on the corvette and landed on a landing pad on the asteroid. He exited his ship and waited for his partner as he fiddled with his utility belt. Mal'goth's hood covered his head as he was ready to begin the mission.

@Soup

 

[Soup]

Another fun day for the Kjlljk Protectorate. Getting the police force on the side of the Protectorate was bound to get have some positive effects on the rest of the Spinghar. Xel was wrapping up an "incident" with somebody trying to steal his ship. Luckily they were ridiculously easy to handle because the thief was incapable of finding the bridge. A perk of having such a large ship. He was now on his way to the Spinghar to help Mal'goth bring the police force to liking the Protectorate. Hopefully the mission would a be a smooth one. Should be easy enough. All they needed to do was spread some positive words around. Saying like that made it seem like a cake walk. However Xel knew it would most certainly not be all that simple.

Xel's PCHF-3 freighter finally came out of hyperspace and approached the Spinghar. He came down and then landed on one of the landing pads by the Picketing Class Corvette he saw. He knew it was most likely his partner who was on or by that ship. Once his enornous freighter landed, Xel made the trek down to the main entrance and exit. He pressed a button on a panel neae the door and it opened, allowing a ramp to descend onto the landing pad floor. When he walked off of the ramp, the door closed behind him. He was wearing his typical attire; a black, long-sleeved turtle neck, black cargo pants, and black boots. All matching his black hair that was done up in the usual ponytail and bangs. His FRAB blaster rifle was slung on his back, and his BP01 blaster pistol was in his right cargo pant pocket. Xel approached the corvette and saw a hooded figure messing with their belt and assumed it must be Mal'goth. He gave a small wave in Mal'goth's direction, hoping to catch his attention.

 

[LordOfShadows]

Mal'goth saw looked up from messing with his belt to see someone wave in his direction. It was assumed to him that it was more than likely his associate. He walked over from his ship toward the human in black. Before speaking, he glanced around the area around them. Mal'goth's expression showed a lack of relief. He took a deep breath followed up trying not to be too rude.

“It's Mal'goth. The time seems to have come to start upon this mission. You are?” he asked leaving a brief pause for the individual to respond.

His eyes wandered over the area as he noticed about three law enforcement officers standing together. Mal'goth was a bit unsure on where to begin. They could have easily taken hostages and caused a lot of chaos, but that probably also would have got them killed. A flood of thoughts started rushing through his mind as he took another breath. The dark side began to tempt him so effortlessly, but he resisted. Mal'goth was a warrior and anything else would come second. Though, he did remember that Kjlljk forces were ready to come in and help the "conversion" process if they were successful.

“I'm not sure how to go about this, but if push comes to shove we convert them through fear. We will need to speak to their higher ups. You can lead the way if you so desire,” he said in a dire tone while motioning to the group of officers that were huddled up together.

 

[Soup]

"I'm Xel, and I'm glad to finally be able to get this done."

Xel replied eagerly to his companion for the mission. He was pleased to see that Mal'goth spoke the way he did. He sounded pretty well-mannered and intellignet. Xel hoped the security personel that they were going to talk to found it to be impressive as well. Xel realized that was an odd thing to think about, but he cared little. Mal'goth didn't seem all that excited for the mission they needed to complete, but he was here and was ready to go, which was enough for Xel.

Xel was then offered to start up the operation, but he was clueless as to how they needed to approach this. He knew nothing about what the average person on the Spinghar thought about anything on a galactic scale. He knew a few nice places to buy things, but that was about all he knew about the Spinghar. After running through ideas in his mind he finally thought of something that was bit crude, but it had some possibility of working. "I'm honestly not too sure about how to do this. Perhaps if we just ask about whether or not they know about the Kjlljk Protectorate, and then say some good things about it without letting anyone know we're part of the Protectorate."

 

[LordOfShadows]

Mal'goth made a mental note of Xel's name. He quickly milled over Xel's suggestion and thought that it was a better plan than what he had. A deep hum came from the Triannii's throat. As he turned away from Xel and back to him. The brief ship passing overhead disrupted Mal'goth's thought process before he was fully comprehend what to do after they throwing out the Kjlljk's name.

"Sounds like a plan, Xel. Let's just swing it," Mal'goth stated as he began to walk toward the group officers.

The large alien walked up to the officers slowly trying not to seem like a threat. There was nothing like too shadowy figures walking up to the law. Especially, with at least one of them had been an alleged pirate in the past. He despised dealing with the law, but it was almost a necessary evil. Luckily, he wasn't directly responsible for any of the law and order stuff within the Protectorate. That would have probably given him a headache if he had to deal with those things day to day.

"Hello...officers. I was curious if you heard anything concerning the Kjlljk Protectorate. I heard that they are building fast and are heavily recruiting," Mal'goth pitched.

A couple of the officers glimpsed over at the newcomer's appearance and were a bit suspicious at first, but brushed off their suspicions once they thought about what he said.

"Yeah, we heard about them. Probably something that's most needed around here. Especially, with pirates and other groups causing havoc in the outer rim," one responded.

"Sounds like something I could get into," another said, "It would be good to make a difference outside of this comic."

Malgoth's face sort of lit up as he faced Xel. He kind of hoped that Xel would say something before he did anything else. He thought that this couldn't have gotten any better. It would better to talk someone in command of these individuals. He knew exactly what to do if they refused. Pulling any information wouldn't be too hard, especially when you had access to the dark side.

 

[Soup]

Xel nodded in agreement to Mal'goth's agreement to Xel's plan.((Not weird to say at all...))) Xel followed his partner towards the law enforcment with a slight, casual smile printed on his face. Xel had hidden from law enforcement for ten years now, he was adept as seeming casual, despite the fact that he looked ready to assasinate someone with his choice of clothing. Xel allowed Mal'goth to lead in the small operation. He smiled much wider on the inside when the officers spoke well about the Protectorate, but kept his casual face on to not seem suspicious in any way. When Mal'goth turned back to Xel, he quickly thought of something he deemed appropriate to say at the given moment.

"Yeah, they seem like an alright group. And from what I've heard they're pretty organized too. They supposedly have an entire planet dedicated to acting as a base of operations. I wouldn't being employed under the Kjlljk Protectorate, it seems like a little galactic defense force."

 

[LordOfShadows]

"I wonder who else may be interested in joining the Kjlljk Protectorate," Mal'goth said while rubbing his snout.

"Rumor's been going around that the chief wanted to recruit some mercenaries to help..." one started to say.

"Hey private! You can't just tell civ's that kind of information!" another retorted.

Mal'goth chuckled a bit before he asked, "Where do you think one or two civ's can meet the chief? Offering some help to a problem."

The group were a bit hesitant and didn't respond right away. Mal'goth thought he may have said something wrong, but it seemed to him that him and his associate didn't seem like the "helpful" type of people. His own clothes give him the look of a bounty hunter or a spy then an officer in a sizable upcoming organization. Though, he knew he would have to be cautious.

The one who was called private decided to open his mouth again, to what look like disdain for one of the others. "There's the recruiting office not too far from here. The chief is usually hanging around in there for recruits. It's a straight shot just follow the signs."

Mal'goth did a slight bow before moving away from the gentlemen, "I appreciate your service officers and keep up the good work. I'll be glad to help take up the cause for Spinghar's protection."

One of the officers began to say something, but figured that he would keep his words to himself. Mal'goth began to make his retreat toward one of the tunnels that led into the inner comic. He then checked to see if Xel followed. Mal'goth felt a bit relieved that they didn't have to wade through blood to get the information they needed. Then again, he was also a bit disappointed that they didn't. He continued to walk until he noticed a sign that said "Security Recruitment & Administration" and pointed forward. He wasn't sure if he should strike up a conversation with Xel. Mal'goth was still a bit untrustworthy of him. At the same time, he didn't want to seem too distant.

"Xel. How did you come to join with the Kjlljk Protectorate? If you don't mind me asking..." Mal'goth inquired while trying to pass the time as they walked.

 

[Soup]

Xel started at Mal'goth as he spoke, nodding here and there. He also did his best to observe the officers out of the corner of his eye. It seemed that the fact that Mal'goth and Xel were Protectorate members was something the group of officers would have never dreamed of. That was good. Laying low in an operation like this one was quite helpful. Hopefully everything else would go as smoothly as this did. If so, the Spinghar would be on the Protectorate's side in no time...


Xel gave a small wave after Mal'goth thanked the law enforcement for providing directions to the chief. He followed Mal'goth diligently. Xel was certainly unsure if his companion was taking the lead just for he hell of it, or if Xel seemed to be quite useless at the moment. Other than the simple plane he had thought up, Xel wasn't doing much. Then Mal'goth asked about how Xel joined the Kjlljk Protectorate. It was always a fun story to tell.

"I don't mind at all, I quite like the story. Well it all started when I went down to some swamp planet to refuel my old freighter. That thing was nothing compared to the one I have now. Anyways, I ended up going to the backwater cantina that was there, and ended up talking to Kae'Tl. You see, I had two crates of crystals in my ship, and I saw that she was looking at them. I was trying to sell those crystals, so I asked if she wanted any. She wanted this big purple one I had, so I sold it to her for the FRAB I have on my back, amd two others that are on my ship. However, in between the barter, she recieved a shipment of droids. She killed the people that brought them, and a huge cantina fight started. I told her to meet a parsec or two to the Galactic South for the tradw. Kae'Tl got in her ship and started blowing the cantina to pieces. We killed some people, my ship got wrecked by a chunk of cantina, and then I ran over to the ship that the droid delivery Rodians had landed in and boarded it. They had left the main door open, so I ran up to the bridge and blasted off to space. We then completed the trade, and I also gave her one of the Opulence 2000's that was on the freighter I... borrowed. She had asked if I was interested in joining the Protectorate beforehand in the cantina, but I later accpeted during the trade out in space. So then I became a member, though I mostly just do relief runs and cargo transports."

 

[LordOfShadows]

"Interesting," Mal'goth responded.

The story amused him a bit. It reminded him of how he met one of his old associates, but that had been years ago. He nodded his head as he let the story roll over through his mind like it was an action film. Mal'goth rubbed his chin before saying anything else. It would have been a bit disrespectful for him not to share his story, but he wasn't one for respecting others.

"I actually met Kae'Ti in a cantina at Koda Station if I remember correctly. I was a bit tipsy and don't remember much. We joined up with a little dog man and ran with him for awhile. At a certain time, I separated myself right after we joined together. A short time after I ended up getting in contact with Kae'Ti and was offered a bridge officer position. I was running low on funds and the band I was running with needed work. We ended up giving our allegiance to the Protectorate. It's different from what we were used to. I spent a good bit as a pirate, so the change was a bit difficult," he replied trying to remember all the details.

Mal'goth had spent a lot of time drinking during that time and often had lapses during his memories. Luckily, he sobered up before he took on serious missions. He didn't want to go into too much detail about his past. Well, the past prior to meeting Kae'Ti as he roamed the outer rim looking for a purpose. The past was filled with dark twisted memories of death, slavery, and betrayal. One couldn't always run from his past and he didn't really try to or so he thought. His past, though dark, fueled him and his passion to see the Protectorate thrive.

He continued to walk and finally came to what seemed to be a small outpost that had "Security Recruitment & Administration" written on a large sign. Before moving too close, he tried to observe how the security handled themselves. They held themselves a bit different than the ones at the dock. These seemed more professional in appearance and didn't seem lax to him. Mal'goth took a deep breath as he walked toward the opening of the building.

"Halt!" an officer called out, "State your business, cat."

"My companion and I are seeking employment within your wonderful security force. We hail for the recruiting office."

"Carry on then," the officer stated while he would let the two through without much problem.

Mal'goth stretched his back side to side as he would then move into the front desk where a female Togruta sat and eyed him.

He quickly cleared his throat before speaking, "We seek a meeting with the Chief. We have some information he may be interested in."

"I'm sorry sir. Do you have an appointment?" the woman replied

"Well, we just need to speak to him for about five to ten minutes. It's urgent," Mal'goth said with a concerned tone trying to be convincing as possible.

The female Togruta looked confused as if she wasn't sure what to do. Mal'goth thought that he could attempt to see the Chief without raising an alarm. He also didn't want to do anything too drastic and quickly glimpsed toward Xel hoping he would add some input.

 

[Soup]

Xel listened happily to Mal'goth's own story as they walked. It was certainly interesting, but Xel thought his was more entertaining. Xel was beginning to wonder about Mal'goth's past compared to him now. He was a pirate once, but now he was trying to spread peace and protection across the galaxy. It was a pretty drastic change. Xel was a smuggler before he joined the Protectorate. However that didn't change, and the Dathomirian Kjlljk Protectorate leader seemed okay with that.

When they finally arrived at their destination, Xel looked at the guards and was unsure whether or not they would let some random people in. However they did, a bit rudely, but they did. The Togruta that was working at the front desk seemed unwilling to allow them to visit the Chief. Xel noticed the glance that was given to him by his Protectorate partner and spoke in a serious voice to the Togruta woman.

"The safety of the Spinghar relies on us visiting the Chief. I'm sure they would like to know about what we need to tell them. So if you could please allow us to speak with them, just for a moment. We can wait if the Chief busy, but we need to talk to them at the earliest possible time..."

 

[LordOfShadows]

"You can be sent into the recruitment waiting area or you can be escorted out by security," the Togruta stated

The Togruta female being uncooperative displeased Mal'goth and he was becoming impatient. If this had been about ten years ago, he would have easily cut her down where she sat. A bloodbath wasn't necessary and they definitely needed to get through to the Chief. Mal'goth took a deep breath before he did something he regretted. This wasn't the way he thought this would have gone, but it definitely was a potential option he should have considered. The Triannii then looked around the area as it seemed to not be many around watching.

Waving his hand in front of the woman's face while tapping into the dark side, "You will let us know where and how to reach the Chief."

"I will let you all know where and how to reach the Chief," the woman responded, "You can reach the Chief's office by going toward the elevator on your right and going to the fifth floor below us."

Mal'goth smirked before waving his hand in front of the woman's face a last time, "You will forget that we were here."

"You forget that we were here," the woman repeated.

Mal'goth chuckled as he started to move toward the elevator. He pressed the the elevator call button for the door to open. Two guards stepped out as he and hopefully his associate would get on. The bipedal cat then pressed the selected the appropriate floor to the Chief's office. Looking toward Xel, he sighed before speaking as the elevator began to descend.

"That may have seemed a bit too easy," Mal'goth stated as the elevator reached his destination.

The doors opened as the Chief had his back turned having just ended a holocall. Mal'goth stepped out of the elevator as the chief turned around to see the intruders. Two guards stationed at his desk glanced at each other before they instantly checked their weapons as a warning. The Chief's face held great disdain as he looked toward the elevator.

"What is the meaning of this...intrusion?! Who are you?!" the Chief demanded while reaching for his own holstered sidearm.

 

[Soup]

Xel began to feel worried when the woman working at the desk started getting a bit displeased. Killing those working at an enforcement office was certainly not the best idea, but it was an option. Xel was thinking about reaching for his BP01, but instead he watched as Mal'goth found an alternate solution. Xel was unaware that his partner could use the Force. This also meant he likely had a lightsaber, which could come in handy if things went south.

Xel followed Mal'goth to the elevator and wiped his face with his sleeve to wipe away anything that he would prefer to not be there. He wanted to look somewhat presentable to the Chief. This feeling vanished as soon as the elevator door opened. Xel raised his arms as a sign of peace and stepped forward out of the elevator slowly. His facial expression showed no sign of nervousness, but he certainly felt uneasy on the inside. He spoke in a tone that matched his face.

"We mean you no harm, sir. We simply came to talk. Not about a ransom or a bargain or anything, we're no criminals."

 

[LordOfShadows]

"Like my associate said we're not criminals, but we are here to offer you help," Mal'goth said while looking at his claws, "There's no need to get carried away just calm down."

"What kind of help do you intend on giving? I'm already up to my neck with issues," the Chief responded, "You too need to leave before I call reinforcements."

Mal'goth took a deep breath before going into more detail, "We are from the Kjlljk Protectorate and are offering our services to help the status of Spinghar. There are things that we should talk about and the first is your security of this building."

The Chief looked at the two trespassers and moved his hand away from his weapon. He then motioned for his guards to regress to a less offensive stance. The Chief removed his helmet to reveal his Zabrak horns. The Chief sat down at his desk and motioned the two to come closer. His face was stern and watchful. It showed pain and anguish with the hints of confusion. Mal'goth walked closer, but remained about eight feet away trying to keep his eye on the guards. The Zabrak sighed as he before he did anything else.

"Cathar, say your piece," the Chief commanded.

"I'm a Triannii!!!" Mal'goth expelled in almost like a roar which caused the guards to stir a bit, "We...the Protectorate are offering to give you boots on the ground. The only thing we would need is for you to join the Kjlljk Protectorate's cause. By doing this, your forces will be absorbed into ours and we will take control of Spinghar's defense and security."

"What?! You want me to just hand over the force I held together for the last twelve years? I like your ideals, but I can't just do that." the Chief harshly responded.

Mal'goth refused to break eye contact with the Chief to not show weakness before crossing his arms, "It's better than the alternative. Two strangers easily walked into your building and it didn't even causing much of a security concern. That's a big problem. It's obvious that you're struggling to hold things together just by your facial expression alone. You can't protect yourselves from pirates, raiders, or any other type of foreign force that may come any day now and invade. That's not including gangs that are already here. We heard from your own men that they would gladly take on a role with the Protectorate. Is sacrificing your men really something you can afford? If a large faction of pirates were to attack Spinghar, your men would be the first to die. Then they would probably call for backup if they can reach them in time and then they die as well. Then, you'll have the citizens lose their lively hood because you were being selfish. By giving us control of your force, we'll make sure your men and women are well taking care of. That's what we can do for you and your force."

"Sir, he does have a point," on of the guards stated.

"Yeah, we're siting ducks if we're attacked. We're also spread thin, too. We really could make a difference in the Outer Rim, sir," the other guard stated.

 

[Soup]

Xel watched intently, ready to shoot from his mouth or his blaster if need be. Thankfully neither was necessary. He followed Mal'goth up closer to the Zabrak. He did seem a bit off, even for a law enforcement Chief. Xel was glad that tension had lowered, but Mal'goth sudden rage caught Xel well of guard. Xel didn't flinch or move at all because he had been in much scarier situations, he likely wasn't the only one. Xel didn't know why Mal'goth seemed offended by being mistaken for a Cathar, but he did not want to ask about it. Not when the two had just met.

As Mal'goth went on with a long and impressive speech, Xel was sure that the Chief would be swayed to join the Protectorate. The two guards that spoke up as well only helped their chances.

"For the safety of the Spinghar, we urge you to consider joining the Kjlljk Protectorate. We can asure that peace and order is kept on the Spinghar. Even your men agree."

 

[Wayrider]

From the debriefing report submitted by Mal'goth Jacien knew that he had left 75 troops behind to assist with the security of the Spinghar when he left with his Corvette. Jacien was not surprised to find one of them working the security desk when she entered The Port Authority the soldier immediately came to attention upon seeing and recognizing her. She quickly advised that she would be accompaning Jicelli to her meeting. "When we are done I would like 20 minutes of your time so make sure you can find someone to relieve you." Said Jacien as Jicelli entered the lobby. "Yes mam," said the soldier Who then pushed a button on the console in front of him and said "Sir the Protectorate representatives are here to see you." Entering the office with just sell they found a human who identified himself as Captian Rammesses

 

[Kibbles]

Despite the rapid business having to be done, Jicelli was capable of sustaining herself. At least the previous negotiations by Mal'goth and Xel set up a solid groundwork for future talks. With the positive thought in mind she'd step forth into the lobby, immediately taking note of Jacien at the security desk. Making sure everything was squared away on person, Jicelli went to the designated office once cleared to do so.

Upon entering the office, Jicelli awaited for the host to introduce himself as expected. She'd clasp her hands in front of her, giving a respectful nod as she returns as introduction for both herself and her partner.

"Good evening, Captain Rammesses. I am Jicelli Masin and this is Jacien Icerider. We are, as you know already, representatives of the Kjlljk Protectorate and are grateful you took the time to meet with us. It's my understanding you already are knowledgeable on the nature of this meeting?"

 

[Wayrider]

Jacien liked the way Jicelli immediately got to business at this meeting. Looking at the captain Jacien said," before we get into the protectorate business we have some personal business that we would like to discuss first One of our friends is missing, Xel driving a Centaur class super freighter with these transponder numbers can you check your system to determine when his ship left." Finished Jacien handing the Captain a data pad with the numbers already opened up. Typing in the numbers are kept and eventually looked up from his own screen and said, "that ship the parted six weeks five days ago with 12 passengers on board no significant amount of cargo carried or at least declared"
Looking at Jicelli Jacien sighed and closed her eyes while sending the thought.""" At least we know he was safe when he left here."""

 

[Kibbles]

While it was somewhat good news to her Jicelli kinda wished it was done a bit later. With a sigh and a moment to clear her mind, she'd go to get things on a different track. All they really needed regarding Xel's departure was a logging of where he was heading, if even possible. However she didn't want to think of it at the moment, trying to set up a more streamlined set of priorities for the sake of being able to focus.

"We appreciate the help provided in that matter, and can work to possibly obtain more information later. For now, I'd like to politely request we discuss some of the more pressing topics that involve you and your people here. Unless it is preferred we settle this topic first, however that may be."

 

[Wayrider]

"The only thing that I show in addition is that he was heading to Malastare." Concluded the Captain.
After a few moments Jacien finally switched gears and asked, " I can see that our soldiers have made a great difference, how many more do you feel you need to make everything run perfectly?" After a few moments the captain said,"to be honest if I had another 20 people and they don't necessarily all need to be soldiers I think I could have things running here nearly perfectly." Sighing the captain said' "you know we've always been kind of short laborers and non-skilled workers on Spinghar, we have plenty of living Quarters available just not many people to take up residence there. Oh we could use more skilled workers as well but one of our biggest deficits are in our non-skilled labor pool." Finished the Captain. "Hmmm," began Jacien, "I believe the Protectorate maybe capable of finding a solution to that problem ."

 

[Kibbles]

Malastare? Interesting. Jicelli was curious but realized there was little more information to gain at this point. Though, a reason would have been nice to know.

"I'm fully confident that the Protectorate can solve the problem. It shouldn't be a difficult task to bolster your labor force here, along with other things. Are there any other major needs your people have in the meanwhile?"