Ask Unusual Contraband

[Kliedden Raxx]

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This is beneath me... Klied thought with an exhausted groan as he entered the bar. For the past week he and a hundred other hunters had been working tirelessly in an attempt to exterminate an infestation of gizka that had rendered the Kuat Drive Yards near inoperable. As it turned out the little creatures had a taste for electrical wiring. And on a planet spanning space station that could become a very big problem very quickly. It was why the Kuati government was offering a fortune for their heads at the moment. Klied knew it was a lost cause. The little creatures repopulated far too quickly, and on a space station like this with a million places to hide they would never be able to track down all of them. Their best bet was to temporarily evacuate the station and just vent all the oxygen. That was the only way the hunter could imagine them getting control of the situation again. But to do that the Drive Yards would need to shut down all production for several days, and he knew they wouldn't do that, not unless they had no other choice. Not only would it cost them much more than just hiring the hunters, it would be a galactic embarrassment.

"Dorian Quill, double." The hunter said to the bartender as he took a seat at the bar, setting his cycler rifle down beside him. Even though mercenary types like himself had become a much more common sight in the recent weeks his wild appearance still somewhat unsettled the prim and proper core worlders that inhabited the station, not that Klied cared. Privately he wondered if this was some kind of sabotage. Perhaps a rival ship manufacturer had smuggled the gizka onto to station in an attempt to cripple their opponent. It would actually be quite an ingenious plot if they could pull it off, and it seemed to be very effective thus far. It sounded to Klied like something the Corellians might do.

None of it really mattered to the hunter though. For a time he'd stay here, kill some easy prey and make some easy money. And the moment he got an offer for a good bounty he'd leave this place immediately. Let the stuffed shirts sort their own problems out. He turned around in his seat so he was leaning back against the bar and looking out at the various patrons of the establishment. He took a sip of his drink as he scanned over the customers. Mainly workers and their foremen enjoying the dancers. A few executives in expensive suits in a cordoned off private area. Some paid hunters like himself. Ultimately nothing of interest.

@Padmé

 

[Süss Ewig]

It took a lot to convince the CTN News journalist to travel to Kuati. “It’s not that bad, beside there’s a big story to break about the Kuati government.” George Forge, the shrewd manager declared. Without as mich as missing a beat, Süss Ewig replied “Lies!” While pulling out her datapad, Süss continued “the Kuati government is offering a large sum of credit for the persons who quote ‘released the gizka’ now tell me what sort of intelligent body of leaders would release such a self incriminating statement?” Süss concluded knowing full well that Forge was merely trying to rope her into investigating the force-forsaken planet.

“An infestation of this magnitude would require a mandatory shutdown to properly get raid of the gizka. The government did it to cripple the economy.” Ewig added while rustling through a set of document on her desk. “The latter is a reason for me to investigate, but you already knew that. Didn’t you?” Ewig said with a hint of sarcasm.

Two days after the office verbal banter, Ewig and Forge landed on the orbital ring. It’s no secret that Kuat is guarded by a significant ground-based garrison. Getting through security was no easy feat. “Hey Forge, wonder how such a strong impenetrable orbital ring got a gizka problem?” Ewig quipped to the older man. “Joke’s on the government.” The woman thought silently to herself as she formulated a potential interview questions.

“Our contact is waiting at the bar.” George uttered in a humbling voice. He knew bars, particularly, public ones were not the preferred working environment for Ewig. “He insisted on meeting at this particular one.” Scolding George wouldn’t change anything at the moment, this Ewig merely uttered a heavy sigh and followed behind George.

Upon entering the bar, Süss couldn’t help but notice a man alone at a table with a cycler rifle next to him. The open firearm wasn’t the only thing that caught her eyes, his leather attire and general appearance captivated Ewig. “This way, ma’am.” A voice behind Ewig made her snap back into reality. A gentle touch to her hidden pistol gave her a sense of assurance as she turned to face the strange voice summoning her

 

[Kliedden Raxx]

Klied took notice of the two newcomers to the bar, not locals, but still core worlders from the looks of them. They weren't executives though from as far as he could tell. He wondered what their purpose here was. Maybe just travelers looking to get drunk. As the woman locked eyes with him for a moment he offered her a good natured grin before returning his attention to his glass. Probably better not to involve himself in whatever they were doing. All kinds of shady stuff went on in a station like this and he wanted no part of it.

Ewig and George would find the person calling on them to be a beautiful young woman in a fine and very expensive looking suit, her posture perfect and hands folded neatly behind her back. She immediately exuded a sense of professionalism. She smiled at the two journalists as she looked between them. "Mr. Forge? Ms. Ewig? Mr. Varos will see you now." Dairen Varos was the contact George had mentioned, their man inside Kuat Drive Yards that was willing to offer them an interview on the current situation. From what Ewig would have been told though he was a company man, and likely wouldn't give them any more information than what his superiors told him he was allowed to say. If she was going to get to the real truth of the matter she would need to dig deeper than that.

The woman led them to the cordoned off private section of the bar, this area looking noticeably more high class than the rest of the establishment. Varos was sitting back in his own booth enjoying a drink when they approached. Immediately he sat up and gave them a friendly smile. He was dressed sharply too, with black slicked back hair, piercing silver eyes and a self-important presence about him. Pretty much exactly what to expect from a Kuati businessman.

"George! I'm so glad you could make it!" He greeted them boisterously, spreading his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. He looked towards Ewig with obvious interest. "Come on, take a seat, introduce me to this ravishing woman you've brought with you..." Yeah, this guy was definitely here to prevent a PR disaster and nothing else.

@Padmé