Planning is everything...

[Brask]

Planning is everything thought Admar Brask as he sat in the back of his private shuttle. And I had not planned to make this trip.

Four weeks ago, Brask had been aboard his ship in the Hapes Cluster, trying to find something, something very important. He had not planned to return to Imperial space for sometime. Now, however, he had changed those plans.

Felth had promised him, assured him, of the timings. Told him that everything would be ready. But they were not.

The shuttle touched down on the landing pad outside an office block. Brask went down the ramp and was greeted by a human female- a secretary of somekind. She hesitated as if assessing Brask.

There was little to give away his Imperial background. His greying hair was neatly cropped, and he wore an expensive suit of blue. It's cut was vaguely military but not overly so. The only give away was the boots. Years of military service had made Brask uncomfortable out of boots.

After a moment the secretary invited himto follow her and they set off down a corridor. She did not speak to him, leaving brask to his thoughts.

Using substansial amounts of money, gathered in a number of hidden accounts to purchase several thousand droids wasn't exactly easy. It had to be done with care. Take a little here, a little there, funnel it to Felth. Have him take the money and use it. It should have taken a year to get it all prepared.

And Roamers weren't exactly hard to make. Admittedly they had to be put together secretly, but in themselves they weren't hard to make. Once you had enough of them, send them out and let them do their job. Of course Felth did not know what roamers did but Felth had messed up. Now the plans would have to be changed.

Then there was the other problem. Those bank accounts were not illegal, but Brask had many of them. He must have two dozen false ID's on both sides of the border. There were New Republic agents sniffing around one of his Coruscant accounts. There was another one which was being looked into on Kuat. Brask would need to do something about that as well.

The secretary showed Brask to a seat and left to tell Felth that he had a visitor. Brask waited to see how his associate would react to this unexpected visit.

[Garrett Felth]

"Get a droid up here with some refreshments please, Clarice."

Brask. Felth hadn't been paying much attention to the operations concerning Brask in recent weeks. His main priority had been the relocation of his mining operation since the New Republic authorities had started snooping around. Felth didn't like giving out more than he had to. Not anymore. He didn't like the idea of taxes when he was the one who had to pay them. Regardless, Brask was outside and he wasn't the type of person who made casual visits. Something was up. Clarice opened the door, gestured for Brask to enter and closed the door once he was inside.

"Admar. This is a pleasant surprise. Refreshments should be along shortly. Please, have a seat. What can I do for you?"

[Brask]

It did not take long for Felth to react. After a few brief moments the secretary was showing Brask into a large, well appointed office. Felth was sat behind a desk at the far end of the room, infront of a window which showed the cityscape well.

"Admar. This is a pleasant surprise. Refreshments should be along shortly. Please, have a seat. What can I do for you?" he did not offer his hand but remained seated.Trying to be in control are we?

Brask did not sit but strode over to a picture on the wall, and looked at it. He wasn't much of an art lover but Brask could see that the painting was quite good.

"Nice piece, Garrett old boy. Very nice indeed," he kept his back to Felth as he spoke, "Must have cost you a bit." Or rather me quite a bit.

Felth did not respond.

Brask turned back to his associate and smiled, "I was wondering about my Roamers- you did recieve the money?"

[Garrett Felth]

Felth stood up and walked around his desk. He leant against it, looking down at his shadow which extended from his feet. It was a spectacularly bright and pleasant day outside. He made a mental note to go out for lunch - which wasn't too long to go.

"Yes, we did. The transfer came through last month. But the factories started production over three months ago. At the current rate of output on that assembly line I expect we've made over five thousand units. If we had a dedicated droidworks then I suspect it would be triple that. And according to the last quarter's report, you received the second shipment of 2000 units at the end of last month."

Felth smiled briefly. There was a knock at the door. He was sure it was the protocol droid with the refreshments, but that could wait a minute or two.

"I hope everything was satisfactory with the droids."

[Brask]

"I didn't get them, Garrett." said Barsk calmly

[Garrett Felth]

Felth's eyes widened suddenly. This was bad. And something would have to be done immediately. He buzzed Clarice on the intercom.

"Clarice, send Beta Plant's foreman up to my office immediately please."

He took his finger off the button and turned back to Brask, who was now facing his way.

"Admar, I don't know what to say. I've no idea how this has happened. I signed the shipment export papers myself. Somebody's screwed up down the line and I'm going to find out who it is this instant. Hold on a minute..."

He returned to his leather chair and flicked a switch on his desk. A wooden panel slid to one side, revealing a monitor screen. After flicking several channels, the monitor displayed a man sitting at a desk in an office with windows. It was inside one of the factory plants. But something was very very wrong.

"That's not Colin! I've never seen that man before in my life and I personally hire all administrative staff!"

Then, Clarice's voice could be heard over the intercom in the office displaye don the monitor...

"Colin. Mr. Felth would like to see you right away."

The man jumped up abruptly. He looked rather worried. Not good at all. For both Felth and the man. Gathering a leather briefcase from under the desk, the man darted out the door. Felth then switched to the security channel on the intercom.

"Attention security. Secure all exits to the Park. We have a mole. Repeat - we have a mole. Do not let him escape. I'm sending an image now."

The mans face was captured from the vodeo feed and enhanced. It was then send to all security checkpoints to let the guards know who they were looking for. Felth then selected the intercom again.

"Clarice, get me the file on Colin please."

She acknowledged politely, and Felth closed the panel and stood up again.

"I think I know what may have happened to that shipment Admar! And I may know a way to get it back."

[Brask]

A mole? A mole! What in the worlds... Brask looked at Felth, feeling his irritation growing once more.

"You had a mole in the middle of your organiseation? Garrett how did this happen?"

Felth was too busy ordering his security to hunt the man down to respond. A spy, right where there shouldn't be one. Felth was notorious for his security arrangments, and yet a spy had got past him! This was bad.

"I think I know what may have happened to that shipment Admar! And I may know a way to get it back." Felth was saying, looking up at him from behind the desk.

"I certainly hope you do, old boy. I certainly hope so because this has jepordised everything." He jabbed a finger at Felth, "You allowed a spy to get inside your organisation. A spy right in the middle of the Roamer Project, Felth you're the one who screwed up!"

Clarice, the secretary, was hurrying in with the file. Felth grabbed it whilst Brask stood glowering at his partner.

"Well?" growled Brask through gritted teeth. He was already trying to adjust the plan to compensate and he need the info.

[Garrett Felth]

Scanning the last few pages, Felth saw straight away.

"This has got NRSF written all over it! My staff don't file reports like this!"

Apparently, the real Colin had been missing for some weeks now, as the file was in disarray for several pages. That means the mole had been on the case for about three months, give or take a week. The last time he'd dealt with the NRSF, it finished up with a shoot-out and a speeder chase on Nar Shaddaa - not the best place to race about chaotically. Luckily for Felth, he was the better pilot.

"I need to pay an old friend a visit in person."

Once again, Felth turned to the intercom.

"Clarice, prepare my private shuttle. No pilot, just prep it. Thank you."

He turned back to Brask. He wasn't too pleased. Neither was Felth for that matter.

"I'm off to Carratos this evening if you care to join me. Or you could leave it all to me!?"

He knew Admar's confidence in him was waning - that's why he let a smile escape. Mistakes occur. That's when we start learning. The best well-laid plan can always go pear-shaped.

[Brask]

Brask's mind raced. How best to correct the situation?

"This is all well good. But there is something else we need to discuss before we make whatever trip you intend," he began to pace. "Even without this mistake, you would never have reached the number of droids I need.

"Garrett, I need more than the few thousand you have produced. I need hundreds of thousands! When I placed the order this I made that clear.” Brask felt irritation well up inside him: irritation he had to suppress. "It needs that many to work, or all the reasearch and all the money will have been wasted. Do you want that?" Felth shook his head.

"I thought not. It's your credits as well as mine," he stopped pacing, and turned to his partner, "I think I know what we need- a droidworks..."

[Garrett Felth]

"Certainly, just give me a minute won't you?"

Trusty old intercom again. What would he do without it? Though this time, he faked pressing the button...

"Yes, Industrial Automaton? Yes, Garrett Felth here and Felth Inc. I was wondering if I could purchase a Droidworks from you. Can you deliver it today? Yes? Fantastic, see you later!"

He turned to Admar a little annoyed at him.

"Oh, we need a droidworks do we. Do you have any idea how much a droidworkds COSTS!? Better yet, how long do you think it takes to build one? You can't just pick it up off the shelf and pay for it at the checkout!"

He gestured towards an imaginary checkout operator.

"Yes, I'd like the extended warranty please, and the ten-day money-back guarantee."

He glared at Admar this time, but it subsided quickly.

"Sorry. I'm just a little annoyed that this has happened. Still, a droidworks is a very large and expensive undertaking. What other options are there? I mean, you can't just go and borrow a droidworks from somewhere..."

His eyes drifted towards the painting on the wall. Then he smiled cheekily, and looked back at Admar.

[Brask]

Brask smiled at his friend's sarcastic reaction. So often you forget how serious I can be.

"Oh but we can." said Brask in his most patronising voice.

Felth looked at Brask as if he was viewing some insane convict. Brask smiled at his friend and continued.

"On Kuat there is a droidworks which we can use. The manager is a complete fool he will believe whatever we tell him. Plus he thinks I'm some rich noble with powerful friends. I think we should pay him a visit, after we've been to Carrattos."

As far as Brask was concerned the spy had to be the priority. They could not afford to have their opperation compromised before it started. And he could not leave Felth to do it all on his own, no he had to help him.

"Shall we get going old boy? Or are we just going to sit around until the NRSF catch up with us!"

[Brask]

The sun was shining, the birds were singing. High up on a hill a small boy was siting, his hands clasped around his knees. He basked in the sunlight, in the beauty of the scene, so absorbed that he did not hear the sound of a repulsor engine in the distance.

The whine of that engine drew closer. It came closer, closer still. A voice sounded "Admar!"

With a start Brask awoke, his mind torn forcibly from his dream. Felth was standing beside his seat, a hand on Brask's shoulder.

"Admar..."

[Garrett Felth]

"...we're here."

Carratos was where 'here' was. An industrial cesspool of dirt, smog, crime and deprivation. It was also home to one of the most refined mercenaries in the entire galaxy. Kal Jericho. His parents were senators. They still worked for the New Republic, even during the Empire's tyrannical reign. Obviously they didn't approve of their sons profession of choice, but they still loved hm and would never stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Hypocrits! The shuttle descended into Carratos' atmosphere gracefully. They landed in - of all places - the landing bay! Not exactly plastered with the lush features of the Corellia Planetary Spaceport, but it was enough. They were'nt staying long anyway. The security team descended the ramp and secured the ship, whilst the spaceport security came to meet the well-known businessman. Inside the shuttle, Felth combed his hair quickly as he waited for Admar.

"Did you get enough beauty sleep?"

[Brask]

"I wouldn't need so much sleep if you hadn't dragged me half way across the galaxy because you can't build a few droids." growled Brask as he pulled on his jacket, "Is this man trust worthy?"