Hoth: Blood and Ice

During the shock of their involuntary landing and reliving some deeply buried trauma, it was easy to forget that Hoth was a planet that was inhabited by more than just wampas and tauntauns. It was a planet with a few settlements that were scattered about the world with some established life necessities, no matter how rough or rudimentary they might be.

With the blizzard gone now, Aurilie ventured into the icy wastes, bundled in insulated clothing and a thermal cloak. What was a survey turned out to be more than that as she continued on to get a full lay of the land and what might be waiting for them in the local wilderness. It wasn't long until she happened upon the settlement of Junk Town. Peculiar that a patch of civilization could be found so close to Echo Base. However, she quickly got the sense that this place wasn't going to be a safe haven for anyone. She bundled her face and walked on with her rifle at her side, looking like a visitor who was just passing by.

The guards at the gate use a loudspeaker to say, "Welcome to Junktown, do you bring suitable tribute?"

Aurilie looked up at the speaker and glanced around to see if she could get a sense of where it might be coming from, a tower, window, or a camera. Despite being a bit nonplussed by the situation, she maintained her cool demeanor. "I've been to many settlements on Hoth. Different places, different rules. What are you looking for as a tribute here?"

"Something shiny, worth stuff... you know the normal stuff, creds work too," they responded.

"Otherwise you can petition the Queen."

Credits were an easily disposable asset for the prince and likely best used to keep a low profile, fewer questions are asked when are used. However, this mention of a 'Queen' had her pique. Surely not anyone of legitimate royalty but she couldn't be entirely sure around here. "Is that so? And what does this petitioning involve exactly? I didn't bureaucracy was a custom in any place on this world."

"You meet the Queen and speak your case, then she decides if you get fed to the wampa, or you have value," they responded.

That was an interesting proposition and an opportunity. "Look, I'm not looking to save my credits, especially after putting all of the effort to walk all the way here. However, I would be willing to meet this...queen. I'm confident that we can broker some sort of understanding for aid and information."

[screen wipe]

The guards bring her into the settlement, she sees a group of chained slaves being led to the mines, or some working area. She is brought to a central area of the settlement where a group of White Maw pirates have gathered to watch some kind of gladiatorial combat.

She arrived just as a woman is kicked into a pit to face off against a wampa.

A woman took a seat on something approaching a throne and they bring Aurilie before her. The woman smiled and then said, “So you came to pay me tribute?”

Hacha peeks from behind Aurelie. He extends a hand.

"Well, I am Miss...Queen...Boss. Not sure what she wants. I understand that you want tribute. Do you want a flat fee per day, or for a week, or do you prefer cuts of whatever is haul we manage to get from scrapping? "

Hacha Tsuko wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:10 pm

Hacha peeks from behind Aurelie. He extends a hand.

"Well, I am Miss...Queen...Boss. Not sure what she wants. I understand that you want tribute. Do you want a flat fee per day, or for a week, or do you prefer cuts of whatever is haul we manage to get from scrapping? "

"I don't touch filth, who are you and what can you do for me?" she responded.

"Hacha Tsuko, mechanic at large. A friend of mine had heard about work in the area, and I my living diving through filth to find treasure. Well, not literal treasure, more of the "parts I can use" and less literal filth and more...no, literal filth is there too. That's w fair knock."

"My point being, if credit payment for tribute is due, I'll pay it now."

Two pirates open a metal chest at the foot of her throne. She turned her gaze back to the other supplicants as the woman fought with the wampa below.

Hacha pulls out a pile of credits, fans them to show the count, and steps up to place them in the chest.

"A pleasure doing business with you. I'll be sure to send any like minded folks your way. I'll see your man about the particulars?"

Following the guards, she was taken to where she would be granted an audience with the queen. While she was a bit unsure what this place was about, the slaves were the first red alarm that she might have found herself with the wrong sort of people. These were not good people, to say the least.

She couldn't help but cast a glance at the wampa before regarding the supposed queen. "Yes..."

Then Hacha spoke up first. That's right, he did come with her. She supposed he could have the honours of speaking up first if he was so eager. However, she put forward the same amount of credits when given the opportunity.

"...in the same spirit as my acquaintance here, I heard that you were looking for people of value. I could only assume that you have something that needs to be done around here and I was wondering if I could offer my services. I'm sure we could work out an agreement of sorts." She said before giving a glance at the slaves.

“I always need good people, but I need loyal people, I don’t like knives in my back or front,” she responded.

“If you want to work for me, I need loyalty and action. Then we brand you, and you get to join our crews. If you mean side work, I let my First Mate handle that.”

The crowd cheered at the action in the pit.

To Hacha she added, "Yeah."

Hacha tips the very warm hat that he has currently placed on his bulbous head. He moves back over to the gatekeeper who has ushered them in there and leans in to talk to the man in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, she has Boss energy. The kind that starts taking off body parts if you ask too many dumb questions. So, I gotta ask, just what did I tribute for here? Access? Permission to scrap those hulks and use the facilities? To take anything? Last thing I want to to make out well and then be told that I'm not living up to my end of the deal. I like it simple: do the job, get rewarded for the job, everyone walks away a little bit richer and happier."

The twi'lek said in Huttese to Hacha, "You can come and you can go, anything else is extra."

Hacha nods, and switches to Huttese, though his words are broken. "Seem fair enough. It you turf. If tribute pay, you take half I get any good?"

"Blah." Hacha rolls his tounge. "Tongue cramp.It's been a while, and languages aren't my specialty"

He mulled it over and nodded holding out his hand, "Hundred creds and you have a deal."

Hacha pauses. "Hundred credits, we split half, and that covers everything I can take while my tribute is still good? How long does that last by the way?"

Riyani Viro wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:46 pm

“I always need good people, but I need loyal people, I don’t like knives in my back or front,” she responded.

“If you want to work for me, I need loyalty and action. Then we brand you, and you get to join our crews. If you mean side work, I let my First Mate handle that.”

The crowd cheered at the action in the pit.

To Hacha she added, "Yeah."

That is absolutely not happening. The branding, I mean. "I completely understand the need for security but I was honestly thinking more of a business arrangement than anything. A trade of services and goods. I'm always interested in procuring some extra labour. With all of the ships raining down yesterday, I was sure you might have a surplus of it." She gave a shrug. "If that can be negotiated with your first mate, I won't take up any more of your time, your highness."

Hacha Tsuko wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:10 pm

Hacha pauses. "Hundred credits, we split half, and that covers everything I can take while my tribute is still good? How long does that last by the way?"

He replied pocketing the money, "Until the Queen says otherwise, keep her happy, and we are all good."

Aurilie Alde wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:13 pm

That is absolutely not happening. The branding, I mean. "I completely understand the need for security but I was honestly thinking more of a business arrangement than anything. A trade of services and goods. I'm always interested in procuring some extra labour. With all of the ships raining down yesterday, I was sure you might have a surplus of it." She gave a shrug. "If that can be negotiated with your first mate, I won't take up any more of your time, your highness."

She dismissed the woman focusing her attention on the spectacle in the pit.

Dapper Dog wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:47 pm

He replied pocketing the money, "Until the Queen says otherwise, keep her happy, and we are all good."

Hacha nods and bobs his head. "You know, I think I am going to like my stay here. Say, if you show me a good spot to start pulling scrap, the first round of drinks is on me...not to mention you'll have the half of what I find to present for the tribute for your investment."

Hacha Tsuko wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:53 pm

Hacha nods and bobs his head. "You know, I think I am going to like my stay here. Say, if you show me a good spot to start pulling scrap, the first round of drinks is on me...not to mention you'll have the half of what I find to present for the tribute for your investment."

The twi’lek smirked and said, “Find a dug, her names Fikol, tell her you got the scrabs, she works the yard. Best spot is in the Graveyard, she knows the good stuff.”