High Law and Low Justice, Part 5

[Maerdwyn]

Tjoyia brightens perceptibly with Ruzz'koff's change in tone. "Well if that's what you're worried about, I can help you some. Short answer to you question is that we'll use good folks to their strengths out there. There's a lot to do, and you can bet you'll be asked to do whatever your capable of. Now if I was buying a ship for this, I wouln't buy a subbie [ooc: a 1J, 1G subsidized merchant with no armament to speak of] and I wouldn't get a dreadnaught - not the kind of image we're looking to project over there, if you take my meaning, and not exactly efficient on the trading side of things. I'd recognize that I am going to have to move some boxes, but the bonuses you get from setting up a trade route will help make up for the fact that you won't necessarily be exploiting that route to its fullest yourselves by lugging 5000 tons of goods everyone where I go - though you could certainly do that if you want to. On the trading side of this, we want you to show locals the possibilities - entice them with samples of what their neighbors can provide, show them how increased trade could benefit their worlds, so that they start trading - preferably with Imperials - on their own. As for guns, I think I can say you'll never get a direct mission that relies mostly on your use of your ships' guns, but I can't say you'll be sorry for having the ability to bloody a corsair's nose all to hell.

"As for buying it, we can pull some strings behind the scenes to make sure your mortgage gets approved, but that's about it. You'll be what they call in the corporate world 'independant contractors' [*frowns slightly*]...it's just that you won't be able to talk about the 'contract' to very many people. We, unfortunately can't have Imperial money involved directly in this just yet...[*she looks slightly apologetic*]"

 

[Seonaid]

Ktarle brightens at the answer Tjoyia provides. Public relations, but helpful, she thinks hopefully. When she finishes, Ktarle asks, "We won't be officially representing the Imperials then? Who will we be representing, or how will we spread the word of the Imperium if we can't use the name?"

 

[Maerdwyn]

Tjoyia answers, Ktarle thinks, carefully, as if making sure she doesn't say the wrong thing, or say too much. "In most cases [barest pause, implying there's probably more to this], you will be representing yourselves, and making the Imperium look good by doing so. You will not be sent by the Imperium, but you will be of the Imperium, if you see the difference. You will show, by example, the benefits of trading with and cooperating with other Imperial worlds nearby. We want you to profit from your ventures, and we want the local to profit too, or at least the very least to see the great potential for profit."

 

[Seonaid]

Ktarle bares her teeth faintly. "I think I understand you, ma'am."

 

[DrZombie]

DrZ:

[Sblock]
"Now like I said, this can't get out before the Emperor announces it - don't tell them unless you need to. But hopefully there's more than a little patriotism running through that group, so if you need to, do it. Anyquestions before you go?"[/sblock]

[sblock]
"yeah, well, I'll be needing info on contacts and safe places out there in the wilds, and some suggestions of what to trade, if possible. Mmmh, and if we know some people over there work for the Nellses, just let me know. You know, trading companies that work for him, the usual. Just put it ona big file and get it to me. I'll upload the rest from the Scout Database, but the orange and red files that are relevant, well, they could be nice to have, if you now what I mean." He smiles his impish grin.
" So, wish me luck, I'm off babysitting some merchants."
[/sblock]

 

[Maerdwyn]

DrZ:
[sblock] ooc: Sorry - I made an edit to the post you replied to as you were posting. Doesn't change anything, but there is just a bit of extra info. (look under the bit on clients who've left the Imperium.)

ic: "Well as for the Nellsian corp's, let's just say you won't have too much to worry about on that score," She says with a little amusement but without elaboration."The Khuur League are going to be your main competition " ("Well, except for the other groups I sent out, but they're the good guys, right?" she interjects in the middle of her own thought.) "Anyway, the Khuur are the established suppliers on most of the outlying worlds. They're good, but they're Sydites - not too imaginative, not too subtle. I think you'll be able out maneuver them. What you really need to do is out-compete the Hivers[she sees your slightly puzzled reaction]. Yeah, weird huh? The Hivers have moved into your old neighborhood. Don't know what they're doing in the region, but, well, it can't be in our best interest, can it? We even got some reports of K'kree ships - outside of Imerial space, sure, but any news is bad news when it involves K'kree. I'll see what more specifcs I can get for you, but may not be much. Sorry."
[/sblock]

 

[Maerdwyn]

Ms. Theoklitos continues. "All right then, if that's everything for now, I'll have my man there tomorrow. He has use of a shuttle to take you up to the Highport when you are ready to put things in motion. If you do choose to do this, I'd like you to consider getting going in the next couple weeks - I sent out first team out last month, and others have either already gotten underway or are already in the process of geting ready. It's not that there's a firm deadline to begin, of course, but it's always more profitable to get an early start, right? Good luck to you all - send me word when you make a firm decision."

 

[Maerdwyn]

DrZombie:
[sblock]You pilot the shuttle to the coordinates given to you by Tjoyia, a smallish island on the otherside of the world from the capital city, and land at a port not from form the address of the safehouse where these merchants are staying. When you approach the house, you are stopped by two large men (a Vilani and an Aslan) who demand identification, your weapons, and that Tommy stays outside with them (if you brought them/him along, that is. When you comply, more or less, you are admitted into the house. [/sblock]



All:

The next morning, the lawyer shows a man into the living chambers.

You see a tall, muscled man of Vilani stock. His long black hair starts to show a hint of gray and is tied behind his back in a small braid. The right side of his face and neck is tattood in a swirling pattern and his ear is pierced in several places, sporting silver jewelry with the same design.
He wears sturdy boots, a skirt made out of coloured and woven wool, and a shirt of white cotton. Over this he wears a leather flack jacket wich proudly shows a few Imperial Scout buttons and an emblem of a mercenary group.

"Gwydion Letharen, of the Imperial Scout Service," the lawyer says, a little dubiously.

 

[Wilphe]

"Thank you Curtis," Ruzz'koff dismisses the Laywer and proffers a hand to the newcomer, "The Honorable Captain Ruzz'koff, formerly of his Imperial Majesty's Navy,"

(A slightly built Vargr with unusual dusky grey fur. At the moment he is wearing a knee length bottle green jacket without any immediate markings, orange breeches, knee length leater boots and carrying a light and delicate foil at his side.)

 

[DrZombie]

"Gwydion, Imperial Scouts." The man says with a vague accent as he shakes ruzz'koffs hand with a firm handshake. His hands are callused and rough, with the honest, uncleanable grime that comes from hard work with oiled machinery.
"Recovered from your recent ordeals? Good, because we've got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it. If you can get your merry band of crewmembers together I'll try and explain what the scouts, and the empire, would like us to do, how to get rich doing it, and as a bonus, kick you-know-who in the pills a few times. That is, if you're still interested."

He sits down and looks around the place.


"Oh yes, could you get your goon to release my pet please? He likes to meet new people, and he wouldn't hurt a fly."