The Balmorran Incident

**Ran'leth Vell** · Independent Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 104

Balmorran Sector

As the stars in the cockpit virwport reverted to pinpoints, Ran'leth spun his chair around to quickly check the nav computer. He confirmed that the reversion coordinants were as they should be, and then turned back to the controlls. He flipped the auto pilot switch off and keyed the ships internal comm system, as he began to make course adjustments manually.

"Kaz, please remind me why we keep taking these mundane jobs for the super rich beurocrats of the gallaxy."

Kazek Saey, a Zabrak mercenary, copilot and general partner to Ran'leth Vell, was use to these types of questions from his captain. Mainly because he asked them almost every time they did one of these milk run transports. Kaz, as most people call him, is a patient and quiet man, so he takes his captains comments for what they are. General frustration over the need to keep working for other people. This isn't what they set out to do, but it is what they have to do.

"Because we need the cred's, and these politicians have deep pockets. Or have you forgotten that we have alot of dreams to pay for."

" No, I haven't forgotten. Just get up here, and stop messing with those droids. We are on final aproach to Balmorra, and we have planetary security starting to scan us." Kaz acknowledged, and made his way to the cockpit.

Ran' was sitting in the pilots seat thinking to himself that he needed to have a talk with his copilot, at some point, about his mouth. He was slightly startled by the comm chime that snapped him back to reallity. He refocused his gaze out the view port on the frigate growing larger in his view. Then a the voice of a young woman came over the cockpit speakers.

" Freighter Wayward Dream, this is Balmorran security frigate Assureance. State your origan, destination and purpose."

"Security, we are a courior out of Corellia, here on transport duty for Governer Pring. We are bringing some of his personal effects from his last visit at our embacy. Our destination is his private dock. Transmitting clearance codes for landing. Stand by."

A few moments passed and Ran' began to become a bit nervous. Kaz stepped through the door and sat down in the copilots seat and asked what was going on.

"I don't know, but I don't like it. They are taking to long for this to be a standard security check. Those clearance codes were given to me by the Govener himself. They should be full proof. Unless he is setting us up. And that would make very unhappy. Maybe he thinks he can get his black market delicacies for nothin.......

Ran'leth was cut off by the young officer, as she spoke with a mellow demeaner.

"Wayward Dream, we are going to have to hold you for a little while longer. There seems to be problem with your security status."

"What do you mean our security status. We have the proper access codes and....

"You may have the proper codes, but your ship isn't listed with the Corellian courier service. You will shut down your engine and prepare to be boarded. Any action contrary to my orders will be seen as noncompliance, and you will be fired upon."

"Dammit, Kaz, where did you get this transponder code. You said.."

"I know what I said, and it is a good code. Someone is playing us. We have to get out of here."

Just as Ran'leth and Kazek began to take action, the young woman's voice came over the comm again.

"Wayward Dream, this is Assurance again. I have to apologize, we have made a mistake. It now appears that you ship is listed with the courier service. I can't explain what happened. You have full clearance to land at your discresion. Assurance out."

Ran'leth looked at Kaz, and thought that he was looking at a mirror. They were both completely confused and at a total loss as to what was going on. In their line of work it is natural to be suspitious about such things, but this was very odd. It shouldn't have happened. The fact that it did told them that someone is pulling some strings somewhere. But no one knows who they really were, not even their employer. Or did he?

"What is going on Ran'"

"I don't know Kaz, but I can promise you, I plan to find out."
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**Shayna Ordo** · Independent Joined: 16 Mar 2008 Posts: 51

Shayna was impressed with Governor Pring's lavishness. His office was luxuriant to say the least. A little too luxuriant in the wake of the Yuuzhan Vong War. Either the governor had owned all this expensive stuff before the war and had somehow managed to keep it all safe, or it simply wasn't his and several people were missing their possessions. You just couldn't buy things this nice anymore. Even some of the ales at the minibar were worth more than the reward Pring had offered Shayna for this job.

"...and that's all. It's as simple as that!" The slightly overweight governor of Balmorra seemed almost jovial in his instructions. Pring hadn't seemed like he was hiding anything, but 'simple' was simply not a word used often in the bounty hunting world without its share of mental red flags. It was never 'as simple as that' if the employer had to say it was.

"So allow me to make certain I understand you," Shayna said, her voice sounding slightly digital as it came through her helmet's PA system. It was one of her favorite features of the helmet. If the PA system was turned off, her voice was completely shut off to those around her, allowing her to make private calls with no one else knowing about them or simply cut off people she didn't want to hear. "You want me to simply go kill your rival and take his personal data, just like that? And there's no bonus for bringing him in alive? Sounds more like the work of an assassin or mercenary your Honor. I'm a bounty hunter and I do have morals." Her sarcastic tone was highly patronizing, but it had a way of increasing the payoff before the job was even accepted.

Pring leaned back in his expensive and clearly Hapan-crafted chair. The fingers of his hands tented in front of his chin. "Strange... My sources say differently. Apparently you've killed plenty of innocent men who were merely guilty of being involved in a power struggle. I even hear you once killed an Imperial moff in cold-blood." The man smiled as if he knew he had cornered her with surprise info.

"Then I say your sources lie." Shayna's voice had a no-nonsense tone about it. "That moff tried to double-cross me more than once. He tried killing me before I could collect my payment and after he was unsuccessful in that attempt, he cut my reward down by a fairly large margin. Very unwise. When his rival usurped his power, I hunted the moff down on Felucia. When I finally caught up to him, he fainted. Soiled himself as well. It was pathetic. Of course I can be the scariest thing in the galaxy at times..." He voice trailed off as her right gauntlet's knuckle plate vibroblade shot out of its hiding place for a brief moment before retracting back in.

Governor Pring cleared his throat. "Listen... Miss Ordo... I know the contract specifies a set price, but I'm not an unreasonable man. You're not just any bounty hunter. I know with you on the job, I'm guaranteed the best results possible. No one will ever know I had a hand in this at all. I'm willing to pay you twice the amount specified in the contract."

"Twice?!?" The voice was inaudible to the governor, but it rang through loud and clear inside Shayna's helmet. It was the voice of her Keldabe-accented BattleLegionnaire droid BL-42. "That's far more than you were originally expecting m'Lady."

Shayna cut off her PA system, subtlety making seem as though she was thinking over the offer, which she was. "Can it Fortoo. I only left this conversation open to you so that you could check on his finances to make certain he was good for what he promised."

"Oh I can assure you of that Mistress Ordo. His funds are quite impressive. If this job plays out as easily as he says it should, I would highly recommend taking more jobs from Governor Pring in the near future."

"Thanks for the input Fortoo. Now see if you can track down more info about the poor soul Pring's got me hunting down."

"Right away Mistress!"

Shayna turned her helmet's PA back on. "Alright Governor. You've got yourself a deal." She offered an armored hand which Pring hesitated before shaking. Not surprising considering the crushgaunts she wore. "I want the amount specified in the contract changed to the agreed payment sum and notarized as soon as possible, understood? I don't like being cheated on my payoff and many people find a strong positive correlation between my unhappiness and the unhealthiness of those around me."

"Of course Miss Ordo! I can't tell you how honored I am to have you working on this job for me!" Pring gestured towards his door and Shayna quickly made her exit.

Not halfway down the hallway BL-42's voice chimed in with an update. "He certainly seems genuinely serious. Your contract has already been rewritten to the specified amount as well as notarized by both the local authorities and the GA's ambassadorial office."

She didn't say anything back in response. She was too focused. A hunt was in progress and her prefect record wasn't about to be tarnished now. She continued to think about the way she would execute this job as she made her way back to her ship. Fortoo's scan showed green for unwanted tag-along technology. Shayna climbed into the Twilight's cockpit. "Where to?"

Fortoo scrambled about, trying to collect as much data on Pring's political rival, Lord Gallison, as he could. "I believe Mistress, your best bet would be... Oh."

"What's the damage Fortoo?"

"Nothing serious Mistress, just a bit ironic. Nevoota, the planet this sector is named for... Your target is most likely located there."

"And the irony is...?"

"Well Mistress, Nevoota is a planet of significance in Mandalorian history. During the Neo-Crusader era, the Mandalorians invaded Nevoota and completely eradicated its indigenous species of sentient apoidea of the same name."

Shayna cocked an eyebrow. "So... A whole mess of Mandalorians killed a whole mess of bee-people on the same planet I, a Mandalorian myself, am traveling to in order to kill someone else completely unrelated to said bee-people? Fortoo, I'm removing your sense of irony the first chance I get." Setting a course for Nevoota, Shayna took off into space and engaged her hyperdrive.