In space, 150,000 kilometers away from Belgaroth, a black finished vessel emerged from hyperspace. Almost instantly the exhaust nozzle banks at the rear surged to life and emitted a blue white hue. The 275 meter long ship slowly accelerated through space, while banking very gently to port as it closed on the planet. This maneuver took the modified Corona Class Frigate on a curved trajectory, ensuring that it passed between the two moons that orbited Belgaroth.

The trajectory was slowly altered to take the frigate as close as possible to Tregan, one of the moons that rotated around the planet. Within moments the two objects would seem to merge into one on any sensor displays that followed them and only the moon could be detected after. With the darkness of the moon's dark side surrounding the Corona and blended with the dark color of the vessel's hull. On sensor boards it would be as if nothing excited in that region of space.

After the passing of a single hour, a lone shuttle appeared on the opposite side of the moon. With its back to the moon and its front to the mustard-brown colored planet below, it would be all but invisible to sensors located out in space. The gray shuttle quickly touched the edge of the planet's atmosphere and passed through it easily, descending down towards one of the larger land masses.

This piece of land was situated over two hundred kilometers southwest from the main inhabited continent. It had been used, like the rest of the planet, as a junk yard for many decades. Thousands of ships and other forms of equipment called Belgaroth their resting place after years of use. Being close to the heavily populated core systems of the galaxy made the planet a convenient garbage dump for those systems. Countless pieces of useless or broken machinery had been sent to Belgaroth so that they wouldn't need to be dealt with on the other planets. Now the whole planet was covered with scrap and junk. It was this unmonitored dumping that had turned the planet's water supplies into seas of pollution.

However, what was one man's junk, was another man's treasure. Rob Stellar such a treasure hunter and had named Belgaroth to be the home of a massive recycling operation. There was enough scrap metal on the planet's surface to support a sizable construction operation, be it ships or countless other electronics that Stellar Enterprises sold around the galaxy. The metallic scrap that covered the whole planet would become its resource, one that was far cheaper to extract and process than raw materials.

Within three standard months Stellar Enterprises had established a foothold on the planet. It had one fully operational processing and smelting facility, which was already breaking down scrap metal located all around it and forming that scrap into a variety of new metallic sheets. Sheets that could taken to other planets and cut or stamped for desired applications. It was planed to move some of those capabilities to Belgaroth and have the planet, through Stellar Enterprises, export these new metals to the Core Systems for their construction needs.

As the shuttle descended towards it, Rob Stellar looked out of the viewport and studied the gray colored land below him. Occasionally spots or lines of redish brown broke the dull gray background and offered some visual contrast. During the time spent studying his companies piece of the planet, Rob was thinking about how to better expand the operations on Belgaroth and perhaps even bring the planet into the sphere of influence of Stellar Enterprises, much like he had with Mustafar. They could both profit together and establish many facilities all around the planet that would turn the scrap and junk into credits. At the same time the clearing away of these materials would make it possible to start depolluting the planet, much in the same way as was being accomplished on Anoath. Perhaps one day people living here would be able to swim in the massive oceans of the planet.

As these thoughts ran through his head, others formed between them. He did not know why at the moment, but he wished to see Cierra again. For some reason she was in his head more and more these days. There was something about her that reminded him of his late wife. A feeling he had not felt in a long time. Rob knew that Cierra had somewhat betrayed him earlier, but also knew that it had not been personal. Perhaps the woman was actually sorry as she had told him earlier.

Lost in thought, Rob sat back in his seat as the shuttle cleared the clouded and began to slow down as it neared the ground below. Close to the center of the land mass, a large hatch slid open and the shuttle passed through it. It traveled some distance down and than sideways before finally touching a solid surface.

They had arrived at the underground facility that had been designed to refit ship for parties that required secrecy. It was here in this new facility, in one of the many rooms, that Ishara's ships were being readied. Here he would wait till Cierra's and perhaps Ishara's arrival.

The private transport cleared hyperspace and entered orbit of Belgaroth. The pilot sognalled the surface.

"Arashi Incorporated private transport requesting permission to land. We have two guests on board."

The signal came back from the surface permitting the landing and also requested they engage the navigation computer to let the surface team pilot the craft down.

"Engaging autopilot now."

The transport was guided down to the surface where a hatch opened. The ship was then lead beneath the surface and touched down.

Cierra stood up as did Kyra. The two headed for the ramp and began to walk down to where Stellar was standing. Cierra then spoke.

"Hello again Mister Stellar, it's good to see you again."

The shuttle had actually been reported to Stellar Enterprises and guidance of it had transfered to an private automated system put in place by the company. As it descended down towards the Stellar Enterprises owned land mass a hatch slid open, much like before to admit the shuttle inside. This hatch, however, was situated kilometers away from the actually underground compound. This was a security measure so that anyone tracking the shuttle's movement would assume it had landed near the facility.

Once inside the large hanger area, the hatch quickly closed up again. A strong current traveled through the hatch as soon as it locked into place. This current actually moved through the whole ceiling and every centimeter of the walls that surrounded the underground facility. It was designed to prevent electronic transmissions from escaping the facility. No transmitter or comm link frequency would work inside and all sensor readings from the outside would be scrambled. To the outside world and galaxy, this facility did not exist.

Rob stood outside the shuttle with his hands behind his back and watched it touch down smoothly. As always, guards stood around him, two combat droids. He felt safe in this high tech hanger, however. The floors had been fitted with gravity projectors so that anyone that caused trouble could quickly be detained and a containment field generator could also be brought on line instantly if needed.

As Cierra moved down the ramp Rob smiled and looked at her. She looked as beautiful as the first time they had met. He also noticed a second female descending the ramp, a female that was not Ishara, but reminded him somewhat of her. If he guessed, Rob would say they were related in some way. Rob knew the answer as to who she was would come soon enough as already security personal were analyzing the girl's facial features and comparing them to a law enforcement galactic database.

Rob reached out and took Cierra's hand as he bow towards her. "It's good to see you again Miss Dawn, however, once again, call me Rob."

Rob laughed a little and smiled, turning towards Kyra. "Greetings, I'm Rob Stellar."

He bowed slightly to her as well and than said to both, "Welcome to the Stellar Enterprises Belgaroth Refitment Facility."

Once that was accomplished Rob smile and stepped aside to point towards the far end of the hanger, where a hover train was floated at the read. "Please follow me, it's just a short trip to the Main Facility. I have to tell you that everything you see here is to be kept between you both and Ishara, no one else could be told. Is that clear?"

With that he walked towards the train with the two female and along with the droid guard they all boarded. Inside the train car was very plush with comfortable couches and tables. Transparent plastic material covered the whole car and allowed all to see out without obstruction. Once all were seated, the train quickly accelerated away from the hanger.

Cierra returned a smile as Rob pointed to the far end of the hangar.

"Please follow me, it's just a short trip to the Main Facility. I have to tell you that everything you see here is to be kept between you both and Ishara, no one else could be told. Is that clear?"

"Rob, I think both sides will be quit goo at keeping secrets here. Besides, I'd hate for the authorities to get a spot on description of our new ships."

The two laughed and Kyra kept quiet following Cierra's lead as Ishara had instructed her to as the group entered a very comfortable train car.

"I like your style Rob. A whole world underground without detection. Above, an impressive junk yard. Reminds me of an impressive office hidden behind a certain strip club!."

Again there was laughter between the two. Again, Kyra kept silent. She was studying Rob. Noting his body language and posture. Kyra then looked away from the two and muttered something under her breath.

"Maybe if you looked at her eyes as you spoke to her instead of her chest you'd concentrate better."

Cierra interupted loudly to get Rob's attention back and pointed away from Kyra.

"Very impressive Rob, what is that over there?"

Cierra thought to herself that Kyra has that same brash attitude her sister Ishara does and it really shows from time to time. Kyra wanted to follow everything Ishara told her and took it upon herself to pick up a great deal of her personality along the way.

Besides, to her it was funny. Cierra had noticed Rob's eyes drift just a bit but figured she'd owed the man that much after the last time they saw each other.

Cierra then went back to business.

"So Rob, how are the ships coming along?"

Rob knew he could trust Cierra, but he didn't know the girl she had brought with her. He conceded, however, that anyone Cierra brought had the confidence of the woman and also Ishara behind them.

In the train, Rob sat back in a chair that faced both Cierra and Kyra as they rode. While he talked with the woman, he studied her carefully and also glanced over at Kyra when he could. She seemed very aloof and silent, trying hard not to be herself perhaps, Rob thought. The girl seemed to be carrying out order and acting like she had been instructed, judging by her tense nature at the moment. Also the fact that she had not been introduced to Rob amounted to something. Cierra didn't feel like the girl should be acknowledged, which told Rob that she might be knew to the organization and was on a sort of training mission.

With her biomechanical ear implant, Rob could hear what most humans could not and could also adjust the wavelengths of the sound that he could hear and understand. When Kyra whispered her comment, Rob was taken aback and realized that maybe he had been staring a little too much at that portion of Cierra's body. He also knew that he had not looked for a long time and for the most part looking at Cierra's eyes. Rob was an experienced businessman and after so many years his conversation protocol had been highly honed and had become almost instinctual. It did not allow him to stare at Cierra's chest even though it wasn't a bad view at all. Kyra was just hypersensitive and he made a mental note of that as well.

He looked towards the region that Cierra was asking about and saw a fork in the track. One way continued forward, while another turned off to side and into the distance.

Rob smiled and turned back towards Cierra. "I'm sorry for staring Cierra." He bowed his head in apologies and turned towards the other girl. "I much apologies to you as well for my conduct. It was rude and I'm sorry."

With that said he turned back to Cierra. "As for your inquiry, that is the track leading to another facility many kilometers from here. There we are breaking down the scrap metal above us and forming it into new metals that can be used to build new things. Some of those new metals were actually used on that order of yours."

As he explained the processing facility, information was received through his ear implant. The security staff had found that the other girl had matched the Identity of a certain Kyra Sinclair, a girl that also had a missing persons report out on her from Naboo. Apparently the girl that run away from her parents and home. An attached file to the report indicated that she might have been seen at a Naboo spaceport boarding a flight to Coruscant.

When Rob heard this, he started to put the information together. Ishara had come from Coruscant and that was also the place her corporation had been registered there. Now the girl had showed up here, working for Ishara, meaning there was something between that. As Rob and Cierra kept up conversation, his ear implant once more became active and let him know that a computer had analyzed Ishara's features and had compared them to Kyra's. There was an 92.64% chance that the two were sisters.

Before he could answer Cierra's other question, the train car slowed and came to a halt beside a platform. It was well lit and the ceiling was designed with a slight curve. To anyone looking up it would seem like the noon sky, with a sun beaming down, as if through a sky light, to fill the platform with warm light. Everything was made from a whitish material and made the room seem larger than it was in reality. At the rear of the open space were three exits, leading to three different areas of the complex. One way was closed and had a red glowing sign, Restricted Access.

Rob stood up and offered both Cierra and Kyra a hand, however, neither took them and stood up on their own. They were both powerful women who liked to do things for themselves and Rob respected that. As they exited the car, Rob looked towards another of the exits, one with a yellow sign.

"Please this way. All your questions shall be answered soon." He waited for Cierra and start towards the door before Kyra followed her.

"Did your sister brief you on why you were here Kyra?" Rob said this to try and get a reaction from the girl.

He grinning at himself as the girl jumped a little and turned towards him before she could stop herself. Pleased with himself a little Rob straightened up and moved past Cierra to the locked door. He pushed his palm against a pad fixed to the wall and looked into a round scanner. Both scanned his palm and his retina before the door silently slide open and they entered the new hallway.

One Week Earlier

Edipus Tagge fidgeted slightly in the presence of the Chairman. It had been a while since he had spoken with the Union's true leader face to face but it was inevitable because he was always meeting with the others, handing out orders and odd jobs for them to do. Supplies, cash transfers, murder even all for the sake of the Union which had grown from a small time criminal empire into something nasty. It pervaded most societies now and if it didn't have a connection somewhere, it could find one. The Committee was more or less an advisory body to the Chairman though he allowed autonomy of all his little puppets as long as what they did was benefitting their group and the Union. Disappointing the Chairman was now wise, but Tagge tried not to let that get to him because he did what he was told and now there was this meeting.

Estro Sabrino sat in front of him at his desk, they were in his office at the Forge, miles below the surface of the dead world. Sabrino, as always, wore a white, military style suit that made him look like a grand admiral though no one was sure if that was the intention or simply the chairman's taste in attire. He was an enigma of a man, some nobody vice admiral from the old Jutraalian Empire which had been smashed and scattered by the Galactic Empire though Sabrino showed no rage at that, no grudge. He'd instead focused all his bile and ill will towards building this criminal empire that held sway over governments and corporations.

"Tell me, Edipus, what do you make of Belgaroth?" Sabrino inquired calmly as he called up files on his screen and looked at them rather than Edipus.

"Its a junk world, one that could turn a rather useful profit if someone sets up facilities to gather and smelt all the scrap down there. Who knows how many different kinds of metal you could get out of it. I actually have intentions of going to inspect it soon, it would make a rather useful addition to the Tagge Company's holdings. Afterall, we are a large company but we are always in need of resources," Edipus replied as his gaze shifted to the papers in front of him on Belgaroth that he had brought with him.

"Yes...well certain sources have been kind enough to inform me that someone is beating you to the punch. Stellar Enterprises. They seem to have set up camp there," Sabrino replied offhandedly as if this was very old news.

"What? But I've had mineral scouts sweeping the place for weeks! They have a facility up?" Edipus looked through his papers

"Indeed, though this could be turned to your advantage. You have a link to them via Biotech Industries. I'm sure Stellar Enterprises would enjoy the friendly embrace of the Tagge Company as business partners," Sabrino replied with a cold smile. "That's all I wished to say, you may go."

Edipus blinked, surprised he wasn't getting orders but instead being given advice. He stood and turned to leave nearing the door just as the Chairman spoke up again.

"Oh, and take Thrax with you. I want a report on this world," Sabrino ordered rather calmly.

Edipus merely nodded and headed out the door, not wanting to be in the presence of the Chairman more than he had to. The man scared him to death, that nasty calm exterior which hid a monster underneath. The Chairman had no care for life and killed Committee members when if they did something wrong, such as betray the Union in some manner or try to break off. Independence was not an option. Once you were in, you stayed in until you died and your organization would stay with the Union until it died which didn't seem very likely. Sabrino was grooming a replacement in case something happened, that nasty Xim charater who wore black too much. Either wayy, Edipus had business to attend to.

Present

An Imperial-class Star Destroyer slipped out of hyperspace near Belgaroth. It was an old vessel by galactic standards though this one was brimming with the most up to date technology money could buy. It bore on its top and bottom huge emblems proclaiming it property of the Tagge Company. It cruised in towards the planet scanning the area lightly simply because one could never be too careful with junk world. It soon enough settled into orbit.

Edipus Tagge looked down at the world calmly from his office aboard the Tagge Company flagship Merchant. It was funny but he'd had the Star Destroyer heavily stripped and refitted, turning it more into a mobile business center than a warship. It carried defensive weaponry mainly now as well as had its hold size heaviliy increased for occasions like this when TaggeCo was setting up stakes on a new world.

"Captain Huuko, please give the planet a light scan just to make sure Stellar Enterprises knows we're hear. I don't want it to come as too much of a shock," Tagge ordered calmly as he looked at the world.

More construction ships would be brought in once some deal could be struck since Stellar already had links to TaggeCo, it likely wouldn't want to sever them. That meant both companies could get something out of this miserable little world that the core enjoyed dumping its garbage on. For now though, Tagge would wait and see if he would be contacted. If not, he'd proceed with phase one of establishing Tagge Company presence by erecting a makeshift spaceport that TaggeCo vessels could land at to deliver the supplies needed to begin fullscale constrution as well as actual expansion of the spaceport. The Tagge Company had come to stay.

Stellar looked to Kyra.

"Did your sister brief you on why you were here Kyra?"

Kyra was taken a bit off guard but would offer nothing. She did give Stellar a rather mean look as her eyes tightened slightly. Kyra had been with the organization for several months now and had met associates before and always seemed to have an attitude about her. So far, she was still not impressed with Stellar.

They entered another hallway as Stellar was granted access. Cierra then looked to Stellar.

"Her name IS Kyra. The rest is..."

Cierra looked at Kyra and smiled as she turned back to Stellar.

"...none of your business."

Kyra remained silent as they walked down the hallway. Suddenly she was bumped from behind by a purple R5-H6 astromech droid which seemed to give it's pattern of beeps and chirps in apology.

Kyra knelt down to the droid and for the first time since she arrived, smiled and showed some sense of emotion.

"It's ok little droid. What are you doing in such a hurry?"

The beeps and churps began again. Kyra had her hand on the droid.

"I'm sorry you're so busy. He's a cute little thing isn't he Cierra?"

Cierra smiled and looked back to Stellar.

"That's the first time she's really smiled in a while. Her parents died on Naboo a short time ago of a rare disease."

Cierra noticed Stellar's face go blank and she knodded her head.

"It wasn't that way Rob. Her parents had a rare disease for many years that caught up with them recently. Ever since then, Kyra has been pretty quiet."

In Orbit

When the Star Destroyer emerged from hyperspace the Stellar Enterprises Corona Class Frigate was in position to instantly detect its presence. It kept itself concealed for the time being and stayed within the moon's shadow, sending updates to the ground installation in short tight bursts that would go undetected.

The Captain on board the frigate was a patient man and did not over react. He also knew, though, that the moon was moving away from the stationary Star Destroyer and made the choice to launch a recon drone. The drone detached from a set of underside clamps and floated in space for a moment while the frigate and moon moved away. It was designed to enter hostile territory and analyze anything it could find. Its stealthy construction would keep it from being detected by most sensor systems. Small microthrusters fired for milliseconds at a time and reoriented the drone towards the other ship in orbit, but kept it pretty much stationary.

These were not the only data being transfered to the Stellar Enterprises facility. Belgaroth itself had obviously detected the ship coming out of hyperspace and had passed on that information. They were instructed to stall until Rob Stellar himself could take over talks with the new arrivals.

"Tagge Star Destroyer Merchant, this Belgaroth Space Control. I have a message relay from Stellar Enterprises. They ask as to the purpose of your visit and if you would be so kind as to join Mr.Stellar for talks."

Below Belgaroth, Stellar Enterprises Underground Facility

Rob watched Kyra and wondered what he had done or hadn't done that made the girl dislike him so much. He was usually good with people, but Kyra, for some reason resented him. Rob thought that maybe she did not like men. Perhaps something happened to her earlier that made her this way. He would try to give her space and let her come around on her own.

He turned to Cierra and nodded softly when she said it wasn't his business. "You are right it isn't, I must apologize. I didn't mean to pry, merely curiosity."

As he said that he heard Kyra get bumped into and turned around just in time to hear the R5 speak in its native electronic tongue. Rob laughed gently and genuinely as he looked down at the two interact. When Cierra commented about Kyra's parents, the smile on Rob's face went away. He looked down at Kyra more closely as he spoke to Cierra.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Rob said, he didn't know what else to say to that. Maybe that was the reason Kyra acted that way. "I know how hard that can be. I was young when I lost my parents too. It was more sudden than an illness, however."

Rob moved away from Cierra and knelt down beside Kyra and the R5. "Kyra, I want you to meet Jay here. Jay meet Kyra." He smiled and looked from one to the other.

"Jay here has been with us for many years now. He's other companion was lost a few months ago and Jay had been kind of lonely since then. Kyra...would you like to take Jay with you when you leave? He needs a companion and also the jobs he had been preforming are being taken over by other systems. I wouldn't want him to go just sit around and do nothing, that wouldn't be right. Perhaps you two could keep each other company? He seems to be fond of you, usually he's not that friendly, are you Jay?" Rob smiled and petted the droid's backside as the head turned a little side to side and emitted some happy sounding chirps and tweaks.

Rob knelt down next to Kyra.

"Jay here has been with us for many years now. He's other companion was lost a few months ago and Jay had been kind of lonely since then. Kyra...would you like to take Jay with you when you leave? He needs a companion and also the jobs he had been preforming are being taken over by other systems. I wouldn't want him to go just sit around and do nothing, that wouldn't be right. Perhaps you two could keep each other company? He seems to be fond of you, usually he's not that friendly, are you Jay?"

Kyra gave a small smile to Stellar and knodded.

"Yes."

It was a short but simple enough reply. Cierra smiled at the two and suddenly her face went serious and the business woman came back. Something hit her like blaster to the head. Cierra pulled Stellar's arm with a firm grasp to help lift him back to her level and looked him square in the eyes.

"Rob, does SE have an astromech droid facility and just how big is it if you do."