Take Over Of Metellos

The Immolator class cruiser Baal jumps out of hyperspace near the planet named Metellos, an urban planet that had many opportunities for business, but most of all dark business that is usually better to keep secret. Once the planet had noticeable smuggling operations running trough it and it was so obvious to the law keepers, but there never was evidence and all the raids went wrong because the smugglers got away, but mostly they never knew their boss. Someone always just called them with a fake name to protect himself and nothing was left behind, first many eyes turned to the Hutts, but they were mostly on the other side of the galaxy so they had to look closer. Many suspicions turned towards Fresia and its many companies, which battled from land to build and were in constant competition. Suddenly the smugglings stopped and the police had to give up with wasting 6 years of tracking them, but one of the polices was so devoted that he moved to Fresia and continued the investigations. The man had many theories and small hints towards a small weapons manufacturer Rac Fegal, many times Rac was gotten into bad situations and almost caught, but there was never enough evidence to bring Rac down and also corruption ate Fresia`s community from inside. Rac was saved many times and many people disappeared, but the police never gave up until the day came that they had no authority anymore because Fegal owned the planet.

Rac looked out towards Metellos and could still remember the place, but nothing had changed and he was sure of that. Perhaps few new crime bosses and politicians, but Rac still had deep roots in this planets power play all tough hadn’t yet stepped in and showed his cards. The planet was filled with webs of betrayal, lies and greed, but it would soon be time to snap them all and create one strong string. This string would be Fegal`s power and perhaps few small ones would be attached to it. The planet was full of corruption, which affected all, the law enforcement, the politicians, crime lords, thiefs and most of all simple people. Rac turned away from the window and looked at captain Sedra who was clearing a docking area for his shuttle. Rac had a simple plan to take the leashes in his hands; first he would meet the crime lords and see what had to be done, next the law and finally the politicians. All played important roles on the planet and as long as he held all the strings no one would deny his rule over the streets all tough it would seem that the government was independent, but that it had lost many years ago under the money they were offered to do what the master told them and money was never a problem for Fegal companies. Rac floated to the bridge controls where the captain was giving orders and mostly telling his people to rest because this might be a long visit. In that Sedra would be absolutely right all tough he thought that he was merely on a trip to sell weapons, but it would reveal to him after he would hear what privileges Fegal would have gained on Metellos.

“Is my shuttle ready captain? I have no intention to stay here and rot while business await from below---” Rac informed impatiently

Sedra turned to Rac with a normal face and nods, Rac had noticed Sedra doing this very often as if Sedra always didn’t want to show what he felt about Rac´ s doings.

“Yes sir, but might I ask you where are you taking all those 50 droids on that transport? surely you don’t need to be noticed like that?”

Rac snorted wawing his hand as he left.

“Captain if a client is to buy some then they must see them for their selves in action say perhaps against another droid? You are a captain and I am a businessman, which means you will never understand me unless you do business, but business in this galaxy is unpredictable… ”

Rac left the bridge with his droids maing his way towards the turbo lift, he checked all the messages and reports that he had received to his computer lately. Few ordinary reports, FK was project was doing fine and then something disturbing came up in his mind. It was no because of the messages, but because if he would assume control over Metellos then he would have his first border neighbour, which could prove to be a useful trade partner or a deadly enemy one day when it wants more systems. The New Order was just on his doorstep and soon knocking at his door probably, the market would have more competition soon enough as if it didn’t have it already and Rac had to deal with politics. He was a businessman man not a politician; he should get someone else to do those things for him because captain Sedra took care of fighting and protecting. Lately Fegal companies had bough destroyers and few cruisers to bolster its fleet among carriers and fighters, space pirates had been a pain to Rac lately because they made notice of him.

Usually they attacked, but got beaten in the end and the most annoying thing was that they slowed Rac`s delivery’s down. Fortunately many of Metellos crime bosses knew these pirates so the attacks could be minimized easily and the business could go on with one weight taken away from Rac`s mind. The elevator doors opened and Rac stormed inside with his chair, but luckily no one was in the way and soon the elevator going down. The elevator stopped and Rac exited while some officers went in and the elevator shot itself up, Rac hated the elevator because it usually went too fast up and his chair was always thrown off balance. Rac floated into a waiting shuttle and put the chair in the back as he sat in the cockpit behind the pilots, next to the shuttle was a transport that kept battle and assassination droids. The shuttle received permission and left Baal` s hangar with the transport right behind it, the shuttle made it towards the planet covered with city everywhere just like Corusant, which was the imperial capital and actually the closest system to Metellos, which wouldn’t make the imperials feel any better because they would have a neighbour just next to their capital. Why they hadn’t taken over the surrounding planets was a mystery, but that didn’t really concern him because there would be no war or hostilities as long as no one started insulting or attacking the other. Rac smiled because the imperials had no idea that they would have the union as their neighbour in a way, Metellos would be probably used as the main base of actions for the Union on the inner rim because it would be the biggest and it would be one of the few planets that Union had contacts with on the inner rim.

The shuttle arrived to the atmosphere and Rac could see the planet clearly with its gasses, huge buildings that touched the clouds, the sounds of the traffic and the cars themselves waiting in the lights to move forwards. Rac could remember the dirt and the people of the streets as he had once walked them, poor beggars in the allies, thugs mugging those who didn’t pay their loan back and the sky filled with rich people vehicles. The rich people lived up in their careless homes when below the poor tried to make a living, Rac` s shuttle headed towards a building that had at least 5 landing pads and Rac had rented two of them, the meeting would take place in a bar on top of the building where all the crime bosses might meet each others and talk about business or some threatening issues. Rac knew many of them and knew that they would have their hired thugs with them and some men behind doors to protect them. Sedra truly was a fool to think that these droids would show some buyers their fighting abilities, the true reason was leverage in this meeting, but Rac wouldn’t show his cards yet. The shuttle landed with the transport, which stayed and waited for further orders from Rac as he left his shuttle towards the doors, Rac opened the doors arriving to a big cantina where the bartender cleaned some glasses and some people hanged around the bar desk. The bartender was an older chiss who cleaned the bar desk with a rag as if he hadn’t got anything better to do, actually all of this was just an act and he knew that Rac was coming b, Rac decided to play along. Rac floated in front of the chiss.

“How have you been Jegg?” Rac asked with a smile on his face because couldn’t hide his joy on meeting his long time friend and source of information.

“Well well...if it isn’t the small smuggler master…how have I been? Well you know sending you information, running the bar and receiving fat piles of credits, but I must forget few police raids, which in the end were a mistake for the police…”

Rac snorted “Hah that means business as usual eh? Hey I`ve been out of Yardle for sometime because the latest delivery was unfortunately lost in an attack of pirates”

Jegg took a bottle and a small glass pouring the liquid to the glass, Rac took the glass and took it all down. Rac blinked his eyes for a while because he never got used to the stuff all tough liked it, which made Jegg smile.

“You haven’t yet gotten used to it Rac…” Jegg shaked his head in disappointment

Rac looked at Jegg slightly scratching his jaw skin“Well Jegg you know me, but do you even know anyone who has gotten to it?”

Jegg smiled nodding. “Yea few have, but they are mostly some many livered aliens or something….”

Rac leaned on the desk and looked around. “So…. are they coming here?or are they already in the back room?”

Jegg changed his tone and nodded slightly. “Waiting for the smuggler rat to appear and use the term duggy about you all the time, but not to forget shorty” Jegg allowed a small smile creep to his lips.

Rac smiled an joyless smile and left the desk towards a door on the far back wall in the bar with the droids behind him, he entered the room with a smile on his face and looked at the leading crime bosses of Metellos. Rac looked around and raised his hands.

“Well gentlemen how are we doing today?” Rac spoke with a smile on his face because the fools had no idea what was waiting for them.

Rac looked at the absolutely highest dirt bags that he had met in his whole life, few new and most of them were old "friends" and this would be where their "friendship" would be put to the test. In front of him sat the best what this planet had to offer, smoking and drinking, Rac wasn’t really impressed. Rac would walk out of this room as a winner one way or another because he held the element of surprise because these criminal’s didn’t expect an attack on their own territory, but few well placed credits could even buy loyalty from their men. Not those who were guarding them of course, but those who were the second men in a crime league or a gang could easily be persuaded with promises of fortune and power. Rac was suddenly interrupted as his com link began beeping and he had to raise his hand to the men before him.

"Excuse me, but I’ll be dallied for a while from this meeting, but please don’t mind me and continue your good time" Rac spoke with an apologizing tone and smiled after he got out of the room.

Rac took out his COM link and Sedra had obviously problems or news about his latest business.

Sedra took looked serious and spoke with a serious tone" Sir we had just reports that our new Talon carriers couldn’t make it due to the delay on this months fuel delivery, secondly we have been asked of our business here by the government and they are quite unrest when a cruiser is just next to their planet not forget that it is well armed for combat, but then comes the truly troubling news... your latest delivery to the hutt space has been stopped by the imperials... at the moment 2 Talon carriers, many freighters and 3 destroyers are stuck..." Sedra sighed with a heavy tone in his voice.

Rac hit his hand in anger against the chairs arm part; he began nervously to rub his loose skin and cursed to himself.

"Your orders sir" Sedra asked.

Rac snorted" The talon’s fuel is no problem or the dallied fuel delivery; we will have patience to wait for them. Tell the government that we are on a business trip and simply need few services, we will leave then and if they want to they can put us under guard."

Rac still couldn’t believe the events and cursed, but continued with a deep threatening voice.

"For the imperials....we will have to turn back and set new coordinates for Metellos, when they arrive we shall refuel them and return to hutt space learn more about this, if we my connections won’t find enough. After this I will personally see to it that we get clear with the imperials about stopping my ships when they are delivering goods...”

Sedra interrupted him suddenly and looked worried.

“Sir, the ships cannot get out unless they want to be fired by the imperials and they have demanded to research the ships…”

“Very well then… I’ll be back in few hours after I have done with my business here and then we take course towards Nal Hutta to solve this conflict…”

“Yes sir” Sedra responded and Rac closed his com link.

“Well it was wise to stop smuggling after all…”

Rac spoke to himself and floated back into the room where the crime lords waited for his arrival, but most importantly they wanted to learn more about this deal that Rac had spoken of when inviting them there. Rac floated in the head of the table and landed it on a small place just fit for it, he looked around and saw many humans, a quarren wearing expensive robes, a fat and ugly hutt, which was actually from another clan that the Union supported and finally perhaps the weirdest option for a crime boss was an Utapaun. This tall figure sat near Rac wearing red robes and had a cane to support his walking; this utapau was peaceful like the rest of his people but worked intelligently in the crime webs of Metellos. Rac looked around once more and began talking with a calm voice.

"Well well... it seems that we have few new and old faces around here, I welcome you to my bar that I have had for a long time, but it`s officially back in the business like I on this planet."

Rac smiled by few reactions and nodded.

"Yes Rac Fegal is officially back and is no small business rat, but it’s going to be a big bam when I unleash my acts on this planet and takeover few properties, why you are here gentlemen is a favour for me. I’ve seen you rise in the crime and I have delivered all that you needed, weapons, food, rare artefacts you name it. Now it’s time to payback..."

The crime bosses began arguing with Rac instantly.

One short brown haired human got up, whose name was Ectal and he had been around almost the longest of the crime lords

”We aren’t paying you a one lousy credit duggy! We paid you to get us those items and with them you have created a nice place for yourself in the galaxy so in a way we should be getting a payment from you as an investment...If you are threatening us or trying to compete with us you are going down because would unite against you rather than let you take a part of this planet’s share."

Others nodded and smiled clapping their hands, but few remained quiet and Rac noticed letting a small smile creep on his face.

"Oh no you must have misunderstood me, I meant that I am asking your co operation in the business as partners and we could all profit from it. Yes maybe I got up because of you, but that was you decision to pay me not mine and I thank you for your investments, I could pay back because my market have been increasing nicely and they will as soon as I take a foot hold on this planet."

Suddenly the Utapaun started talking with a low voice.

"What would we be having from that? Money? That we can have and we have it enough already..."

Rac smiled and clicked a button in the table before him opening a hologram, which showed Metellos and had few spots marked red on it, there were plans around it.

"No dear gentlemen what I offer with even more money is Metellos itself as your personal play ground, I am taking over and what I meant was this hole planet!"

Shocked crime lords began talking loudly and some accused Rac for being a fool, some wanted to kill him for such proposition and treachery, Rac raised his hands and calmed everyone down.

"You under estimate me gentlemen and that truly hurts my feelings, what do you think happened on Fresia when I took over?"

A deep silence is cast over everyone.

"Exactly gentlemen, I bombed the whole government and no body survived including the bombers themselves who were assassinated by my droids, speaking of them. You must have seen my personal army? Of course not, but I assure you that I have enough of everything to keep this planet safe and it`s people happy. Now the question is...are you with me? Those who are may stand up now and leave the room because I want to share few words with the others who refused my offer."

Rac looked around and the Utapau got up getting out of the door where Jegg ordered him to sit and wait, Rac raised an eyebrow and only one more got the message. The quarren left the room with one of the newest human crime bosses, finally when they were gone a racket began outside like a huge group of people were running somewhere. Soon the doors spread out and ten’s of battle droids flooded in butchering the guards while Rac`s bodyguard’s activated their shields and began shooting with Rac behind them. The guards were dead in seconds and the lords were in shock to be attacked on their own planet. Now they had blasters aimed directly at their heads and Rac`s bodyguards eased, Rac returned to his place and looked around with a smile. The lords looked at Rac with furious eyes, but didn’t dare to move a muscle except their mouth to answer.

Rac smiled and began pushing button in his computer for further orders.

"As you see gentlemen failing to co-operate will be the wrong choice and the price you pay is death, but don’t you worry about your area’s or influence on this planet. I will take good care of them and takeover everything, after few hours the government will be taken care of and my forces shall guarantee the peace of the planet."

Rac couldn’t help noticing how they were frightened, but still trying to hang onto hope and relying on their final cards in this game.

"Just like on Fresia, but no one will have evidence against me and life will go on better for all of us, well except you will be dead. Then the streets shall have a new message that Fegal is the new and rightful ruler, of course those three outside will become very important part of my rule here because they will serve as lieutenants. They shall have money, but most of all influence on the planet and your foolish pride has given you peace. Now...any final words or wishes before your execution?"

Ectal opened his mouth quickly revealing the rest of his cards, Rac wasn’t impressed at all and had already prepared for such a cheap trick, they thought they were dealing with the same old smuggler, but this time their pride got the best of them. Rac had learned of everything in business, diplomacy and war all thanks to the Union, which was his always final ace in the hole. Rac had in fact only revealed two of his cards and he had won, the smell of success was in the air.

"Rac you can’t assume control that easily you dirty rat, we have our own lieutenants and when they hear about this they will be outrageous and attack you with everything they’ve got. Your control will never be total as long as they survive so let us go now and leave so you won’t have to deal with them."

Rac began laughing all the sudden and smiled at them all with a certain cunning glance in his eyes.

"Ectal as much as you fools relied on that card, I had the power to neutralize it and your lieutenants are now my sergeants, they will look over each of their turf as the lieutenants will look over them and I shall look over them. Your pride has blinded and betrayed you gentlemen, you though you were facing the smuggler with a new ship, two droids and a flying chair, but how wrong could you be...."

Rac pushed a button in his chair before they could talk back in their shock.

"Kill them..."

Blaster fire shot out and killed every single crime lord, the droids picked up the bodies and a cleaning droid took care of the mess. Rac came out with a smile on his face and looked at his three new lieutenants, the human was quite young and inexperienced, but every dog could be trained to be efficient. The quarren and the Utapaun were highly intelligent, they could handle themselves and the human could be the brutal one of his lieutenants.

"Gentlemen...our business here is concluded and you shall have your new area’s soon enough when I have done something, for now get up to the shuttle and rise up to Baal where you shall have a place to rest. Then when I’m done you can return and begin taking care of business...."

The three nodded and left for their shuttle, Rac smiled throwing Jegg a small pouch full of credits and blinked an eye in which Jegg responded with a wide smile. Rac left the bar for his shuttle to take care of politics and Jegg decided to rename his bar as the Bloody Top because of the recent events and the place of the bar.

Rac floated aboard the shuttle, which would take him to the next place of action and then he could leave the planet to solve a near conflict that was going on the hutt space especially now around Nal Hutta, which was one of Rac`s main sell places, but if Nal Hutta was under blockade then The Union would take part in the events and Rac intended to be far away as he could. His ships were well armed because of pirates, those damned thief’s tried to steal his shipments by attacking the freighters, but these last times they were left in peace except for few small attacks that only were slight stings. Nothing was lost, but still the fear of it remained and Rac suspected that these pirates were perhaps gathering forces to attack one of his shipments. The shuttle softly took of as it`s landing hook were released and the engines began working, the shuttle headed towards a huge round building in the centre of the city. The government was gathering and Rac was determined to witness the events of destruction to the planet’s government just like in Fresia panic would spread and his troops would maintain order, which would turn out as trust for the Fegal companies.

He had actually made many rumours of a terrorist group in the core worlds that had been determined to make demands to governments; if they refused they would pay the price. In a way that was true because Rac had made few demands to the government trough the politicians that were under his control and influence. Money is influence was his motto in every planet except for those who didn`t care for money like the jedi who wanted peace, order and balance to the galaxy. Such a mindless under taking was even too much for any jedi and Rac thanked emperor Palpatine in his heart, that he had crushed the republic because with a full powered jedi order around Rac would have been stopped at Fresia after its takeover. The shuttle slowly glided to the roof of one office of the Fegal companies and Rac stood there on the roof watching at the building, soon a huge explosion shaked the building, but didn’t destroy it completely. In the end the bombs did their job killing all inside, Rac had sent droids to secure that the doors were locked and no evidence would be found because the droids were ashes like the corpses inside. How Rac got bombs into such building was actually no problem, luckily the place had bought Rac`s utility droids to take care of the building. So the rest wasn’t too hard to program them to receive a bomb from another droid sent by Rac and place it in the right place in the building, this was the beauty of his droid products. No one could use them against him because every single droid had a certain core inside that obeyed only the Fegal companies.

If any Fegal company controller tried to control droids to kill Rac and betray him, Rac could pass the traitors rights and turn them to kill the betrayer, but of course killing Fegal Company people was against their behaviour core so Rac was safe one way or another. Rac saw the panic spread as a terrible flood wave among the citizen, the chaos was ready to begin and the law enforcements were helpless looking at the ruined building. His new sergeants could send some of their men to begin stealing and rioting inflicting more panic into the city, next they would disappear and let the Fegal forces protect the civilians. Perhaps few would take cover from Fegal to gather more mass with them because when one sees something as a good option the others will follow in order to achieve the same happiness as the first one with the idea. Rac smiled and turned away towards the shuttle as screams of fear broke out down below, the rioting had began and the law would lose control until Fegal would restore it. The spaceport above would be calmed by the incoming Fegal ships, the people needed as strong and example leader, the government was lost and soon enough Rac would step up once more as a figure for people to choose instead of the sloppy and helpless law enforcement. Like a thunder strike the peace would return as the thugs would return home to enjoy some well earned comforts. Rac floated aboard the shuttle and sat in the cockpit as the shuttle got up once more and headed for the waiting cruiser above, few ships were arriving from hyperspace soon with more troops to assume control and peace. Rac used actually some well trusted and experienced human’s and aliens in these kind of peace guaranteeing operations so that the people wouldn’t have to turn to cold metal voices. A calm and friendly voice would earn a person’s trust. The shuttle arrived at the hangar bay and Rac floated out of his small shuttle towards the elevator doors, the elevator shot itself up and Rac left it still cursing in to the deepest abyss. Rac arrived to a door, which he opened and floated inside seeing his three new lieutenants with very happy faces about the situation.

“I guess you liked my work?” Rac looked at them and smiled.

Each of them nodded.

“Now you must return to your posts and take care of business…your shuttles await you in the hangar”

Rac waved his hand and the three left the room with Rac floating on their heels. Many fools might wonder why did he trust them and why would he have trusted the others, if he had accepted his offer? These three knew Rac`s influence and were prepared for his coming unlike the others, they knew that if they betrayed Rac they would pay for it with their lives and they knew that they couldn’t beat Rac even in their wildest dreams. Rac floated to the bridge meeting captain Sedra that had earned more of Rac`s trust by beginning really understand Rac`s ways and Rac saw that Sedra had gotten rid off his sense of justice. Sedra was actually quiet and spoke with a normal voice. Either he had accepted the facts or hided his emotions, this had to be seen so Rac would put 24 surveillance on Sedra. Anyway Rac had better business attend to than Sedra.

“Take course for Nal Hutta captain...” Rac said and sat down in his familiar place on the bridge

“Yes Sir” Sedra answered.

Soon Baal flashed into hyperspace towards the “glorious jewel”.