Wheeling and Dealing

Posted on Sun Oct 7th, 2012 @ 9:34am by Kip Hoddai & Grogga the Hutt
Edited on on Fri Jul 24th, 2015 @ 12:34am

584 words; about a 3 minute read

Chapter: Chapter I: Web of Fate
Location: Grogga's Bunker, Nar Shadda

Kip and Grogga were in a small room together, Kip standing over a holotable and Grogga sitting back. He was impressed by the Dev, a professional certainly and more than a little cool when haggling over credits for what his intel was worth. Grooga even chose to speak Basic with the Dev instead of making him respond to Huttese, which he already knew the Dev was fluent in.

Grogga, as a Hutt, was old and to be an old Hutt one had to be successful. Grogga’s method to reach this stage was to know others, to understand the motivations and to learn what the coin was that interested his clients and, of course, his employees. For the typical grunt it was credits and certainly, the Dev took credits and used them. He developed and drove an information network that pulled information that Grogga could usually verify outright and suspect, certainly.

The Alliance between Axion and Zorba hadn’t been a surprise but the timetable had been. And the Dev had proven himself extremely useful in monitoring the development and advancing relationships between them, as well as things Axion’s group was doing on the sly. Such as some weapons and spice trade Grogga had made sure to send their way to test them with.

The Dev, Kip, had proven rather sadistic in his love of gumming up the Cult’s works.

Grogga had found some of the coin of the Dev but what really motivated Kip, Grogga hadn’t yet winnowed out. But he suspected the Dev knew it intimately and Grogga had it, even if he didn’t know exactly what it was. If Kip could keep Grogga in business and alive, the Hutt might give him a taste of what he actually wanted.

For a Hutt, Grogga wasn’t a bad sort, really. He understood that sometimes generosity did more to ensure loyalty than driving the hardest bargain, if only to be used as leverage later. Grogga was subtle, a lesson learned early that let him grow and get old and a little canny.

“I believe they’ll attack these points,” Kip explained motioning with his fingers in sweeping lines, “and I propose we allow it.”

“Why?” Grogga asked with no preamble.

“Because it’ll cost you less in men and credits,” Kip replied pointedly. “Less property damage, less recovery time, less impact to business.”

“You know what they’re after,” Grogga stated flatly, looking the Dev in the eye.

“I believe they’re after the crystals,” Kip replied blithely, as if it was common knowledge Grogga had them. In fact, it was, if you knew about them and if you were a collector or had a well-developed information network and dabbled in rare artifacts.

Grogga paused and stared at Kip for a moment and then asked simply, “Can you save us?”

Kip nodded, “Axion’s only making the alliance with Zorba to hit your place and get the crystals because he couldn’t do it by himself and Zorba,” he shook his head and chuckled.

“I agree with that assessment,” Grogga leered. “What am I offered?”

“Your life,” Kip pointed out, “aaannnd… Zorba’s holdings?”

“I like that deal,” Grogga said. “And if this is going to keep happening, rather you have the headache and all that comes with it.”

“Grogga,” Kip smiled broadly, “I like you. Not just because you’re my boss.”

“Oh stop,” Grogga waved a hand at the Dev, “I might hack up a small humanoid.”

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