Roger observed the new Crime Boss sit down, and knew that he was using cardamine to some degree. Probably an addiction. Roger had been careful to avoid the stuff and an inevitable addiction. It would've cut into his wallet pretty deeply, and made him too reliant on the Outcasts. But when you organise the smuggling operation of the drug into a large area, you would probably get addicted yourself.
Roger put his age at late-thirties or early forties, but he wasn't exactly well-known when it came to guessing the age of people. Roger guessed he carried at least two guns on his person, like any Crime Boss worth his life. A knife, possibly. Maybe some other things, like brass knuckles. Everybody was different when it came to a choice in weaponry.
'Glad to 'ear that tha Artificial Sunset's gonna get a new pilot. It's a good ship, but with tha WRF in their Wraiths 'n' shield runnin', they woulda just picked at 'er until she was gone. She'll be better off fightin' tha LNS swarms.
'Now, 'bout ma proposal. I told that littl' rat Clif 'bout it, told 'im to tell Sylpheed. 'e was pro'ably gonna pass it off as 'is own idea, but whatever. But I'm sure that it'd make us both a great deal o' cash.
'If ya 'aven't 'eard, I've been 'avin' some great successes in tha minin' areas o' Omega-7, Dublin 'n' Tau-23. Tha minas gotta make thirty millions a run, 'n' then if ya charge 'em four millions for tha entire day, then it gives 'em tha time to make 'undreds o' millions. Some o' 'em even complain that it's too much! They get a Snack in their 'egemons for sayin' that crap.
'But recently... there 'ave been more problems. More minas resist for a starter. Or more form groups. But tha real problem is tha rise in lawful activity. They get organised so they got a pretty much guaranteed victory 'gainst me. I'm talkin' 'bout gankin', which I know tha guys on tha lanes pro'ably get worse than me.
'I make so much money with this thing. I musta made over 'alf a billion creds since I started, 'n' I'm just one guy in a Roc. So... 'ow much would be made if we 'ad a proper operation for this?' He paused and took a swig from his Sidewinder Fang.
'What I'm offerin' is an expansion o' ya piratin' operations, without 'avin' to tell any o' ya allies or even acknowledgin' our existence. Or even announcin' ya don't support us 'n' want us killed or somethin'. Ya got plenty o' great pilots in Cassini when 'ow often do any 'ostile ships ever attack that system? Rarely. I was in tha Cassini Guard for twenty years 'n' I saw very littl' action. We just entertained ourselves on patrol with our singin'. I sung tha Frank Sinatra stuff, but that ain't tha point.
'A guy from tha Cassini Guard 'as already come down 'n' 'as now joined me in 'elpin' out. 'e 'as a Roc like me, 'n' I'm tellin' ya we'd be able to take on four times tha force that I coulda taken on ma own. 'n' if we pirate individually instead o' in a group, then we get four millions each. 'n' if tha lawfuls arrives, we Snack 'em together. 'ow effective would that be if there were five Rocs?' Another swig.
'One goes 'n' pirates tha minas, then tha next, then tha next, then tha next, until ya got tha minas payin' twenty millions to five different pirates. 'n' if they refuse after tha first two or somethin'? Then tha third guy blows 'im up 'n' a transport comes in to pick up tha ore. Then sell it to tha other minas.
'If ya got any pity for tha minas, ya should just think 'bout tha fact that they shouldn't've been greedy enough not to 'ire security. They're rich 'n' greedy, so we should exploit that.' A third swig, this time emptying the cup. He put it back on the table in slight frustration and stared at it, as if wishing for a refill. Eventually he stopped and looked back at Dervin.
'So, ya get some volunteers together 'n' we 'ead out o' Liberty to tax tha minas. We could even try 'ittin' 'em when they're actually goin' to tha place they sell tha ore, which could be easier. But if ya 'it tha field, ya ain't gotta wait on a lane while ya 'air turns grey.
'Ya can say whatever ya want 'bout us. A bunch o' quitters came 'n' joined me, or ya sent 'em 'cos ya wanna make extra money by usin' me, I don't really care. I just like 'avin' some wingmen. Then we send a part o' tha profits to tha Rogues 'n' ya back 'ome. I'm still a Rogue in tha 'eart, so o' course I wanna 'elp ma people. Even if they wouldn't wanna 'elp me.'
He paused, waiting for a response from Dervin. He had talked for long enough, probably the longest he had ever talked without somebody talking back. So he wanted to hear what the new Crime Boss had to say about his little scheme.
[17:45:39] Wolfs Ghost (Murphy): Tom, you have problems. Go kill yourself.
[19:25:12] Johnny (Jam): Tomtom, I will beat you with a spoon.
[14:22:56] Prarabdh Thakur: KILL HIM WITH A SHEEP.
[17:40:48] Eagle (Junes): Tom should be slapped with a spoon.
[11:32:18] Warspite: Thank you for being so awesome Tom. <3
[18:17:36] Metano: I love you tomtom
[20:06:24] Warspite: I will seriously give you epic head.
' Wrote:Edit: also, Tomtomrawr, fappin' like a boss.
