Shiva considered the reports laid before him, glancing at them several times before he was satisfied. One came from the Hoth System, where a number of shuttles were prospecting for valuable substances among the Hoth Asteroid Field. There was a very lucrative possibility there indeed, and so far, initial scans made it seem quite favorable. The second report spoke of a rather rich silver vein in the mountains some few hundred miles north of New Haven. The first load of several tons had already been sold along the Outer Rim, fetching a decent price. The best report spoke of several finds of nova crystals, an even more valuable resource that he could turn into cash. For now, Shiva intended to bolster his defenses, starting with the uninhabitable moon orbiting Rinn, and then move on to the purchase of vessels. Some credits, of course, could be diverted to the hiring of a mercenary band or some pirate group or other for defense and operations.
Added (24 Dec 2010, 10:15 Am)
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A bit of time had passed, a little under a week. Shiva's recruiters had come across a moderate band of rather despicable pirates who identified themselves as the 'Red Mynock,' a rather unassuming name for a group that prowled the Outer Rim and still struck at planets wounded by the Clone Wars. They'd brushed with the Empire a time or two as well and the fact they'd escaped and survived had been the deciding factor for Shiva.
On the surface of Rinn, time and effort had gone into meeting with more of the Tintinna. Their relatively primitive steam-driven culture had led some of them to believe Shiva and his men were gods; a thought that Shiva had wasted no time in stamping out. Oddly enough, the Tintinna elders of several tribes had been some of the few to see his true face. They could not judge by human standards, but they seemed slightly taken aback by the damage done to the man. He had been judged instead by his deeds and actions, which, considering how he treated some people, were quite good. Medical aid, assisted modernization, all of it went to helping the Tintinna.
