Hello everyone! So, I'm finishing up school - I'm a college student - this week, so, over the summer, I should have more free time for writing and, hopefully, I'll be able to produce some higher quality chapters in the next few weeks. I realize that some of the recent chapters across this and Duchesse d'Anjou have probably seemed a bit rushed and emotionless, and that's just because I've been busy between this and school stuff. The next few months should be better.
Secrets of The Outer Rim.
Act III.
The Hunters and The Hunted.
Chapter XXIX.
The Last Trip to Nar Shaddaa.
"Darth Imperius lived here once, you know." Phanza told Schweva and I as we reentered the main room of the penthouse, having just restored power to the whole building. I have to admit, I was a bit confused as to why restoring functionality to this particular residential building was of so high priority to Phanza, but, considering what she's just told us, it kinda makes more sense now. This isn't just a random Sith apartment building on Dromund Kaas topped with a penthouse, this was a place where Darth Imperius lived, this place was part of the history of the Line of Kallig. This is part of Phanza's own history, as Darth Imperius, the red-skinned Twi'lek slave turned Dark Councilor of the Sith Empire, is a woman who Lady Attam has very much modeled herself after, even wearing the same ancient Twi'lek slave tattoos as her ancient idol. Maybe we could argue about whether or not this should have been as high priority as it was, but I understand why Phanza wanted this, and I understood why it was the three of us specifically who restored functionality to this building.
"This is the apartment she bought while only an apprentice?" Schweva asked, evidently educated in all of this in school. I suppose that made sense, I mean, the ancient Sith, and this Darth Imperius in particular, seemed to almost be like the folk lore of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. The tale of Darth Imperius, in varying levels of detail, was probably know to everyone in the Grand Duchy, especially the Sith. Schweva, being a Sith apprentice, being an intelligent young woman, and now aspiring to be the heir of the Line of Kallig, took a particular interest in her. I had to admit, that left me feeling a bit out of the loop, this was someone who Phanza idolized, who even Schweva seemed to know so much about, and I barely knew who this Twi'lek was. I was trying not to be jealous of Schweva, not anymore anyway, we were at war with a much greater enemy and we couldn't afford to be distracted with petty rivalries right now. That being said, I had to admit that it bothered me that Schweva knew more about this topic than I did, especially considering this seemed to be very, very important to Phanza.
"Yes, Darth Imperius adopted this as her home while apprentice to Lord Zash at the very beginning of the Galactic War. As the war grew and Darth Imperius began rising through the ranks, she had this place refurbished and expanded a number of times, serving as her main compound for a time, and even after that it remained her residence on Dromund Kaas." Phanza explained. From what I gathered, this place was very important at the very beginning of Darth Imperius' career and, while she eventually did seem to outgrow this place, she continued to own this place all the way through her career, keeping it as a place to live on Dromund Kaas. It may have started as a humble apartment on Dromund Kaas, but, eventually, it evolved into a whole penthouse compound and a place where Darth Imperius reigned supreme, even on the ancient Sith capital itself.
This place also seemed like one of the taller building in Kaas City, shorter than the Citadel, of course, but it seemed taller than most of the rest of the city. In that respect, it almost reminded me of Taaszon's capital city, where Castle Attam was perched on top of the mountain, the second tallest building on the world, dwarfed only by the monolithic Citadel of that world. Thus, two different planets, two different setups for their ruling citadel, and two different buildings linked to the Line of Kallig, but, despite all of that, the same themes seemed to be reflected across them. I had to imagine that this was intentional, Taaszon was a new Sith capital, and it only fits that it would be evocative of the last Sith capital. As for the towering, monolithic citadel on Taaszon, that was likely a way of reasserting Sith authority after being forced into exodus: the Grand Duchy needed to show that it was still powerful, at what better way to do that than an incredibly tall tower than could be seen far above any horizon on Taaszon. I suppose then, when the Empire blew up the citadel of Taaszon, it wasn't just Voytana who fell, but it was a whole symbol of Sith authority, a link to the ancient past cut by the Empire, to be replaced with the ubiquitous image of a sky filled with their gray, uniform star destroyers.
I'm sure Taaszon looks very much like that right now, the ruins of a long-lasting civilization, with the grayed out, Venator-class star destroyers filling the sky, themselves a symbol of how the Republic has been transformed into this dark, colorless husk of an Empire. I suppose Palpatine must have a thing for symbolism, because, in retrospect, this transformation was long in the making. Compare the ships and architecture of the Republic in my childhood to the Republic of the Clone Wars. Sleek, idealistic, shiny ships of a peaceful, prosperous Republic, slowly to be replaced with the blocky, mass-produced, uniform ships of Palpatine's totalitarian system, where design was seemingly secondary to function and to industrial demands. That was far from the truth though, because every one of Palpatine's decisions was deliberate, each one meant to serve as a symbol of his new galactic order. Squashing the idealism and the freedom of design was very, very purposeful, as it was meant to serve as a reminder to any would-be rebels that Palpatine's control was everywhere. Not only that, but it was to convey the theme of a helpless, depressing, gray universe, one where idealism and hope was hard to come by, and easy to destroy if and when it was found.
"Come with me," Phanza told us, snapping me out of my largely negative line of thinking, which I was grateful for. It was very easy to get lost in how hopeless our situation seemed, especially on paper. We were outnumbered, on the run, and forced to try and make a living on an abandoned world with only a percentage of our original population, up against the combined might of the Republic and the separatists under the guiding hand of a totalitarian with little to no regards about destroying us in the most brutal way possible. It was easy to think the situation was hopeless when Taaszon's most powerful Force user was practically vaporized at the very beginning of the battle, before any Imperial clone troopers were really engaged in the fight. It was easy to think the situation was hopeless when we lost our chance to kill Darth Vader on Taaszon, meaning that the Empire had both of its main Sith Lords, the Inquisitors, and the entire clone army to fight against us, while we lost many, many men and were still in the progress of really figuring out our new Dark Council and chain of command. Everything around us made it easy to see the worst of our circumstances, especially the cold, gray, unwelcoming world of Dromund Kaas, but I couldn't let that happen. Feeling hopeless and defeated was exactly what Palpatine wanted us to feel like. Therefore, I was glad when Phanza snapped me out of it.
The three of us climbed up to the second floor and exited out into an exterior terrace, triangular in shape, and topped with a relatively small landing pad. There were a few elevated garden plots out here, rectangular in shape, which were likely installed to put a little bit of greenery and use to what would otherwise be a uniform, dark metal space outside of the apartment. The intention was likely good, but, after thousands of years, the greenery was overgrown, and it combined with the long, green vines hanging off of the top of the building. It almost seemed like, overtime, this building would be consumed by the deep, dark jungle of Dromund Kaas, to be lost to history. Perhaps we would be enough to prevent that, or at least delay it for some time. I turned my attention to the landing pad now, and I wondered what kind of ships may have landed here, and how similar they are to the modern star navy of Taaszon. A different thought went through the back of my head, and that is, knowing that Palpatine came from these ancient Sith as well, how similar they might have been to the Republic vessels I served on. I realize now that the similarity didn't come from Taaszon committing espionage - though that likely still happened, though more for the sake of being aware of Republic innovations than outright copying - rather, both design philosophies simply evolved from the same source.
"Darth Imperius stood here one day, young, uncertain, and left to work with the unlikeliest of companions. Kallig traveled with a Dashade assassin, thought to be extinct, with a human ex-pirate, an Imperial archaeologist, and her two apprentices. Together, they must have stood here, overlooking Dromund Kaas, seeing all the plotting Sith Lords, the slavery, and the Dark Side experiments committed on anyone the Sith wished to use as their test subjects. Kallig and her companions saw this and wanted something better than the Sith Empire that was, but something different from the grandiose, out-of-touch, limp-wristed Jedi Order. Kallig envisioned a functional, organized, centralized society with the will to do what they must, but with the morality and the sense of justice to curb the excesses of their power. This is the standard that eventually gave birth to the Line of Kallig and the Grand Duchy of Taaszon. Now, here we are, standing in the footsteps of our ancestors...it would almost be grand if not for the loss and the failures that brought us here." Phanza reflected.
A number of things struck me with her statement. First of all, there was the eccentric cast of characters that Darth Imperius traveled with, her companions, and it was not lost to me how Phanza's initial band of allies reflected that. Phanza had come to Coruscant with a heavily armed party to show that she meant business, that she was capable of causing carnage if we crossed her, but she was deliberately refraining from it. She and her party, consisting of a Sith, two bodyguards, a Mandalorian warrior, and an elite, bespoke assassin droid. Now, even with Ceyla, Ruumshi, and Avoine gone, Phanza has added Schweva and I to her entourage as her apprentices, and there is always a spot available for Yevenna if she wants it. Then there was the sense of failure that brought us here, no doubt referring to the mistakes and the infighting that led to Operator Rahlkann being exposed on Manaan, giving Palpatine the wayfinder he finally needed to target Taaszon itself. Palpatine knew all about the outlying worlds and, despite our misadventures on Loukhamii, we didn't even put a dent into his overwhelming invasion fleet. All of that likely means that Palpatine could have attacked the Grand Duchy of Taaszon at the very beginning, he simply chose not to because he knew that the capital was the real prize, so, he bid his time and waited until we made a mistake. Could Rahlkann have done better and not gotten caught on Manaan? Absolutely, but I think that the invasion of Taaszon would have happened sooner rather than later. Nothing would have kept a wayfinder out of Palpatine's hands forever.
That didn't make it any easier for Phanza though, after all, the woman saw her master die, her homeworld get invaded, and she lost countless people she knew and valued in that attack. I didn't like what I saw, and I don't have the lifetime of connections and knowledge of Taaszon that Phanza does, all I know is what she has shown me thus far, so I can't even begin to imagine how she must feel right now, having lost all of that. I watched the Nautolan watching the city, looking out at the rebuilding efforts, knowing that the fate of the Grand Duchy of Taaszon was now on her shoulders, and she knew that the odds were very much against her. Lady Attam, Dark Councilor, keeper of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge, and heiress of Grand Duchess Voytana, the woman with an infinite amount of pressure on her shoulders, to fill the shoes of Voytana, to continue her own significant efforts in the Grand Duchy, to train two apprentices, and, while doing all of that, to live up to the mantle of the Line of Kallig. Everything was being thrown into Phanza's face right now, because she was in charge of the rebuilding efforts, she had to coordinate the new Dark Council to fill Voytana's face, she still had us to deal with, and, right now, she was looking out on a broken world from the balcony which once belonged to Kallig herself. I rest my red hand on Phanza's shoulder and watched the Nautolan sink into herself a little bit, a small reminder that she wasn't alone. Phanza had help, while she did have to help and train us, we could also help her, fight for her, and take on tasks for her. We were her responsibility, but we were also her support network.
Over time, the Citadel became the capital building of the Grand Duchy and Darth Imperius' apartment became a sort of residence and sanctuary for the three of us. This included the Ultimate and the Chancellery being moved into this apartment. The Ultimate sat on the outside landing pad, its body hanging over the small pad, but its landing gear and boarding ramp just barely fitting on its surface. The Chancellery, meanwhile, was hidden inside of the first floor hangar between the stairs, a clandestine home for a clandestine ship. The ships weren't being used much, considering we were still establishing ourselves on Dromund Kaas, however, as it turns out, we were going to travel off-world sooner than I may have expected. It all started when Phanza entered my room - the right side second floor room of Darth Imperius' apartment, with Phanza's room in the center, and Schweva on the left, all three rooms exited out to the second floor main room, which overlooked the balcony and had the stairs on either side - with a new set of clothes and the blaster pistols I used while in disguise.
"What's this?" I asked, referring to the new clothes. I could figure out that, considering the blaster pistols, we were probably going out for a mission off-world, most likely a mission where she would be Zapnha Tamat and I would be Vyvienne Alzicia, but why the new clothes? If she is worried about our cover identities being exposed, then it's going to take a lot more than new clothes to fix that. That being said, being worried about our cover identities was certainly valid, especially given that Darth Vader has seen Phanza and I both undercover on Nar Shaddaa and as ourselves on Taaszon. I very much doubt Vader will forget about the time he was foiled by a sharp-tongued Nautolan or thrown off an overpass by, ostensibly, a Zeltron.
"I'm worried about the fate of the Star Cluster now that Vader has seen us," Phanza explained, referring to the casino where we first encountered Vader. Phanza had the same concerns that I did, and it seemed like the reason we were going to be donning disguises and going to Nar Shaddaa was to deal with the Star Cluster situation before Vader and the Empire could intervene. Phanza continued, explaining her plan "So, what we are going to do, as Zapnha Tamat and Vyvienne Alzicia, is journey to Nar Shaddaa with the deed to the casino and we are going to sell it to a business associate of mine, but one with no confirmed links to Taaszon or the Grand Duchy. Not only that, but to further distance ourselves from the casino, I have a day-to-day manager picked out. A trusted young operative who has proven herself as a member of the Revanite enclave on Nar Shaddaa. Unknown to the Empire, loyal to me, and with a capable head on her shoulders, I trust her to take on the role and to act as a capable barrier between the Empire, the alleged owner, and us."
"Who is this owner?" I asked. Phanza made it pretty clear that the manager was somebody who I didn't know, one of her trusted Revanite agents on Nar Shaddaa - the New Order of Revan being something that I've already been exposed to, most clearly in our meeting on Manaan - but she skimmed over the actual owner of the casino rather quickly. Now, from how she's worded it, this person is an ally, someone well aware of Taaszon and Phanza's true nature, but also somebody not known to the Empire, at least not to the same degree as me and Phanza are. This means that the owner is somebody we can trust and communicate with on a regular basis, meaning that Phanza still has effective control over her casino, while also increasing our chances of flying under the Empire's radar. The manager further helps with that, obfuscating the actual ownership of the casino, and preventing the Empire from having easy access to the owner, meaning they won't be able to just confirm a link to Taaszon instantly. It was as good as a plan as any, and really the only hope for preserving this high profile operation within the known galaxy, but...a lot of this depended on who exactly this mysterious owner would be.
"That would be me, Zaranu'utthonna'aphillii." I turned to see Schweva standing in the doorway, herself dressed in a new outfit, a very flashy one at that. First there was the massive white overcoat, topped with a grand collar around her head, one that appeared to be fur, but it had this dark blue metallic sheen to it. This was over a relatively low-cut white shirt, white tights, a black belt, and knee high black boots topped with blue metallic knee-pads. The other interesting feature was a black choker around her thin blue neck, fronted with some some of blue Chiss pendant, a circle with this swirling pattern on it, almost serving like an optical illusion of a never-ending spiral. The outfit was definitely excessive, but that was the point, and it did two things really well: first of all, it did exactly what it was supposed to do, it made Schweva look wealthy and powerful, and, second of all, it made her look good. I don't know why it felt weird to admit this, but seeing those skintight pants, the low neckline, the thin neck, and the confidence she walked with in that outfit. I also noticed one more thing about Schweva, that her hair, which was tied into a single braid resting over her shoulder, also now had a blue tint to it. She put blue highlights into her hair to further separate herself from her real self and to match the outfit she was wearing. Yes, I had to admit, Zaranu'uthonna'aphillii looked like a different person than Schweva'aphere'enda.
"Indeed, Zaranutho will be buying the Star Cluster casino. The story will be that we sold it off to a Chiss consortium for funds with which to pay for weapons and supplies - making the Empire think we're desperate...I suppose we are, but the point is making us look more desperate and worse off than we actually are. Then, should the Empire come to investigate, they will find an installed manager and, if they continue their investigation, all signs will lead to a shell company in Zaranutho's name that I had covertly established on Copero. Everything will appear to be in order, no matter how deeply the Empire searches." Phanza explained, listing out the rest of her plan to me. Zaranu'uthonna'aphillii was only part of the plan to handle the Star Cluster casino from here on out, Phanza was really using her connections across the galaxy to accomplish this. A manager from Nar Shaddaa, an apprentice from Exavellos, and a shell company on Copero, all of which were combined to give the Empire a very, very circuitous investigation, one very likely to end in a dead end. Thus, all of this is likely to end in Palpatine accepting that the casino really was sold to a Chiss consortium - of which Zaranutho is only the representative - by a desperate enemy on the ropes. Palpatine may be a very smart, very devious, and very dangerous schemer, but so is Phanza, and Phanza is laying out quite a few layers of security.
"So...what about the new outfit?" I asked, wondering how my clothes played into this. I understood what we were doing and why we were going to Nar Shaddaa, even if I didn't fully understand all the finer details of the plan - I didn't know who this manager was going to be or what exactly the significance of Copero was - but I could infer enough from the context. The new outfit, meanwhile, I didn't really understand the point of that.
"Well, this might seem a bit odd considering your Jedi teachings, but most people in the galaxy have more than one outfit." Phanza explained with a quip targeting my Jedi heritage. I rolled my eyes, having worn a different pair of robes essentially every day since I've joined Phanza on Taaszon, but I was still getting mocked for the two identical sets of robes, as was the Jedi custom. We were supposed to live simply and not to excess, I didn't think that was particularly radical for what was, essentially, a monastic order devoted to peace...or at least, it should have been. In any case, I accepted the relatively simple and flippant explanation Phanza offered and prepared for our mission, because, soon enough, we would be onboard the Chancellery flying to Nar Shaddaa.
Zapnha Tamat's silver luxury yacht landed in a private hangar within a Huttese space sport near the Star Cluster casino, trying to keep her presence relatively low key, and making sure that we had enough time to make it appear like Zapnha and Zaranutho approached the casino from different places. I climbed out of the ship first, wearing the black thigh-high leather boots, the thigh-length tight red dress, a black leather jacket, and my hair straight down my back. I had both of my pistols on thigh holsters over my boots and, admittedly, I felt a bit uncomfortable wearing this outfit. It wasn't necessarily that the outfit showed a lot of skin, because it really didn't, not even when compared to some of the outfits Phanza and Schweva have worn before, but it had the idea of skin. The tightness of the dress, the little patch of red skin between the darker burgundy of the dress and the black of my shoes, and the confident sway I was supposed to throw into my hips to convey the theme of an experienced, hardened underworld bodyguard comfortable in her own skin. That was hard for me to do, considering I was a confused, quiet girl who was effectively a perpetual apprentice, never having had the chance to become a Jedi Knight and unwilling to become a fully-fledged Sith either.
"Wait for us to leave the exit the hangar five minutes later. Take a taxi speeder and have them fly around the promenade before going to the casino, feigning like you're a tourist. Vyvienne and I will be taking a rented speeder directly to the Star Cluster. The meeting will take place in my office, a staff member has been instructed to meet you at the speeder dock and take us there. The briefcase is loaded with Huttese credits, so act accordingly, but also walk confidently. I didn't have the chance to arrange bodyguards for you, so walk like you don't need them. Understood? Good. Good luck, my apprentice." Phanza whispered to Schweva on the ramp above me, giving the Chiss woman detailed instructions, ones which the Chiss woman nodded to. Phanza looked her apprentice in the eyes, glossy black eyes into solid red ones, and then she nodded too before turning to me, instantly changing her accent and sinking into the role of Zapnha Tamat "Alright Vyv, lets go, out the hangar and to the left. We're going to head up the stairs to the second floor. The Hutts have a luxury lounge for us up there, where we'll wait in the hospitality of Bajeeto the Hutt while a private speeder is prepared for us."
Zapnha Tamat and I followed her path while Zaranutho waited in the hangar until it was her time. Phanza herself was fully in disguise, black tattoos covered in red makeup, her body dressed in a floor length, sleeveless glittery purple dress, and a half-length embellished black and white cape covered her left arm. Phanza didn't bring her lightsaber this time, not wanting to take the risk again, instead, she had a long, ornate black and gold...well, I suppose its technically a blaster pistol, but the weapon had a two foot long barrel and its holster looked more like a scabbard. My assumption is that this massive magnum blaster only holds a handful of shots, but only needs one for every target. In the event that wasn't enough, Zapnha Tamat had a dagger-like vibroblade hidden beneath her half-cape and,well, I was here too, her bodyguard, armed with two blaster pistols and a bad attitude, well, I was supposed to act like that anyway. There was two more things that we had with us though - one, I was carrying a briefcase containing the ancient deed of the casino, and the other thing was a fashionable cane Zapnha was walking with - or at least, that's what it appeared to be.
It was a dark purple, almost black, but also metallic, meaning the purple shined through in the right lightning, with some gold detailing that shined through regardless. By all appearances, it was an ordinary cane, but, upon close examination, I saw the small trigger hidden in Phanza's grasp, and I felt through the Force that most of the cane was hollow...then I realized it was a barrel. This was another ornate, hidden blaster, much like the one in her holster. Phanza may not have been able to bring her lightsaber with her - too risky considering everything the Empire has seen since our last visit to Nar Shaddaa - but she was compensating for that with a very impressive, very deadly arsenal, always making sure that the odds were tipped in her favor. As we arrived on the second floor, true to her word, there was a luxury lounge up there, with a currently empty throne for a Hutt - meaning that this Bajeeto likely held court here, at least some of the time - and a golden protocol droid who was rushing to meet us, likely a representative of Bajeeto the Hutt.
"Lady Zapnha Tamat, his excellency, Bajeeto the Hutt, welcomes you to his space port and to Nar Shaddaa. The great Bajeeto apologizes that he could not be here today, he is preoccupied with business on Nal Hutta, but, rest assured, all his services are available to you. Including a private speeder, which shall be prepared for you soon. Please, you and your bodyguard may enjoy this lounge free of charge, and sincerely, I apologize for any inconvenience." the droid groveled, which was no doubt the function assigned to him by Bajeeto and the other Hutts, but it was still very obvious. In any case, it was impressive the kind of reverence he was showing Zapnha Tamat, and that was without knowing that she was secretly a Sith Lord...or did they know that? Perhaps it was an open secret that Zapnha Tamat was really a Sith Lord amongst the Nar Shaddaa underworld, and perhaps that it why she was able to pull such a stunt as crashing a Hutt meeting last time we were here. Then again, if she was a Sith, surely the scum of the underworld would have ratted her out to the Empire, and, if that were the case, there is no way we would have gotten this far on Nar Shaddaa. If the Empire wouldn't have caught and arrested us immediately, the Hutts would have, if for no other reason than ransoming us off to the Empire. I doubted that Bajeeto the Hutt was above that, even with his apparent obligations on the world this city-moon orbits.
"There will be no trouble. Thank Bajeeto for his hospitality. You may leave us for now, just send an alert to my datapad once the speeder is ready." Zapnha replied, slipping effortless into her part and sitting herself down on the couch, becoming an elegant picture in the scenery. The galactic socialite in her dress and expensive cape, looking perfectly at home in the luxury suite of an elite Hutt. Bajeeto the Hutt was down there, on Nal Hutta, the mysterious and polluted homeworld of the Hutt Cartel, and I wondered if Phanza has ever been to Nal Hutta itself. Likely not, given that Nar Shaddaa is essentially supposed to act as the face of the Hutt Cartel and all their crime to the rest of the galaxy - despite the efforts of the Exchange and countless other gangs to make this world their own - keeping the common rabble off of Hutta itself, which was reserved for the decadent slugs. On the other hand, I know that, at one point, Master Kenobi and the eccentric Master Vos journeyed to Nal Hutta itself and, if they did, I would be surprised if Phanza hadn't been there at any point. This is the woman who had spy networks on Coruscant right beneath the Republic's nose, only falling when Vader himself was assigned to take them down, I very much doubt the Hutts managed to keep many secrets from her. No, I think that if Phanza wanted to know something, she would do everything in her power to figure it out.
I've seen Phanza go to great depths to get information, including keeping up the tense relationship with the Intelligentsia - which ended in tragedy when Operator Rahlkann was caught by the Empire and killed on Manaan - and sacrificing some of her own secrets. The cybernetics facility on Manaan, something that, if utilized correctly and found to be economically viable despite the rather outdated technology underpinning it, could vastly help troops in the field and reduce their injuries. Sure, between bigger, more pressing concerns, the cost, the remoteness of the facility, and the fact that Kolto, as a healing substance, has been basically rendered obsolete by Bacta technology, all combined to Phanza not really doing anything with the technology, but, because Rahlkann and the Intelligentsia had to play power dynamics against Phanza, all of that is lost. Best case scenario, the Empire didn't find the facility and its simply lying abandoned until the war is over and Phanza can, hopefully, recover the facility. Worse case scenario, the whole place is lost to the Empire, giving them yet another advantage. Infighting and internal grudges are absolutely destructive for a country already on the back foot against the Empire, and that's why I hope that Darth Mesiphis and her political allies will come to be accept this new Dark Council arrangement under Lady Attam.
"Be careful what you say here. I trust Bajeeto as far as I can throw him." Zapnha eventually spoke, drawing me out of my head and back to the real world. Phanza was whispering, but still speaking in her "Republic" accent, which, when combined with her words, cued me in to a number of things. First of all, Phanza figured that this place was bugged by Bajeeto the Hutt to collect blackmail on his guests. Second of all, because of this, Phanza wanted us to keep up our disguises and to avoid saying anything that could potentially be compromising. Finally, Zapnha seemed to know Bajeeto, know him well enough that she was both an honored guest in his spaceport with a private hangar, and know him well enough to openly accuse him of spying on her. This hardly seemed out of character for the Hutts, to be fair, and I think that Bajeeto would probably laugh off the accusation, amused that Zapnha caught him and comfortable in the knowledge that she couldn't do anything about it. I suppose this is just how business with the Hutts worked.
"You two have history?" I asked, trying to do my best to sound like a rather aloof underworld bodyguard trying to kill time, careful not to sound too interested in the question or like I was asking too many question. I imagined that Vyvienne, or at least someone in Vyvienne's position, would at least be streetwise when it came to the criminal underworld, knowing the Hutts and the Exchange well enough to have an idea of who was a big player. Therefore, I think that Vyvienne should be well aware that the Hutts would spy on people - my personal experiences with Dalenda the Hutt don't exactly go a long way to paint them as honorable or in any way trustworthy - and, therefore, shouldn't be particularly fazed by this news. I can't see someone with that kind of attitude legitimately asking about the hierarchy of the criminal world, no, I think Vyvienne would be more the type to keep her mouth shut and survive while in presence of such powerful figures. That being said, that doesn't mean she's scared, quite the opposite, she'll fight to protect her clients, it just means that, to her, it's only business.
"Who on Nar Shaddaa doesn't have history? You know how it is..." Zapnha replied, painting it all as rather usual given the crime and corruption typical of this world, annoyances, petty feuds, and conflicting egos. I imagined this stuff included every petty Hutt world wanting a cut of a deal that was going on what was allegedly their turf, a lot of moronic two-bit gangsters trying to extort the Star Cluster casino, and stealing underworld supplies and deals off of each other, always trying to gain an advantage for yourself and undercut the opposition. Yes, I didn't have to be an underworld bodyguard to get an idea for how despicable the Nar Shaddaa criminal underground can be. This underground, unfortunately, is something that Phanza has to operate in, to get information, technologies, and advantages only the lowest of the low could provide. It was a necessity for a small state to compete against the great powers of the galaxy - it was necessary when Taaszon had to exist alongside the Republic and the separatists, and it's more than necessary now that Taaszon needs to compete with the Empire. I mentally sighed as Phanza got an alert on her datapad, one she checked before turning back to me "Come on, the speeder is ready."
Thus, Zapnha Tamat effortlessly lifted off the couch and led us out of the luxury lounge into a private garage, where a luxury speeder was waiting for us. Long, boxy, and with a design that was primarily faux wood broken up by purple sections, this gaudy, tasteless speeder is the kind of thing that could only be found on Nar Shaddaa, because only a Hutt would look at this and think it's acceptable. In any case, Zapnha simply sighed and got into the backseat while I went around and joined her, sitting down next to her and getting comfortable in the ridiculously roomy and comfortable purple interior as the droid took off. There were two sections of seats back her, both facing each other, meaning that, effectively, four people could sit back here and have a meeting. A divider wall then separated these two rear rows from the pilot seats, two of them, despite the fact that there was only one droid flying this speeder. It started heading to the Star Cluster without even asking, having evidently received all of the relevant information from Zapnha Tamat's datapad. Entirely automated, the speeder flew past the gaudy billboards, seedy districts, and obscene promotions of Nar Shaddaa to arrive at the Star Cluster casino, the Sith owned establishment that flew under the Jedi's noses for so long. Master Avdune and I were on Nar Shaddaa during the Clone Wars and we missed this, now, I was visiting it for the second time.
Now, it almost seemed hard to imagine this place without its connections to the Sith and Lady Attam. That being said, there was something new that I noticed this time upon entering the casino, or rather, something that hasn't left yet. There were still clone troopers here - less than the amount that came with Vader, but there were still many clones here, sending a clear message to both Zapnha Tamat and the patrons of the casino - nobody is above the law of the Empire. I glanced over to Phanza, seeing that she wasn't nearly as caught off-guard as I was, so, I asked her through our mental link.
"Yes, the Clones are still here. The Empire demanded a permanent presence her shortly after their invasion. I had my current day manager, a human male local - a member of a cult devoted to Darth Imperius, long story - accept their presence, not really having a choice. He now has the unenviable task of telling the Imperials that the casino is being sold." Phanza explained, answering my question. The current day-to-day manager was, apparently, a member of a cult devoted to Darth Imperius, one here on Nar Shaddaa. Naturally, that only raised further questions.
"You run two cults on Nar Shaddaa?" I asked, trying to convey an incredulous tone through the mental link. I don't know if it's even that surprising, of course Phanza is the type of person to run two obedient cults on Nar Shaddaa and of course she'll use both to her advantage, never mind the fact that it's redundant or that both cults would likely be outraged to learn what she really thinks about them. Phanza is not a religious woman, not at all, she doesn't even see the Force in a spiritual sense, let alone the ancient people these cults worship. She may model herself after Darth Imperius and she may hold a considerable amount of respect for Revan - perhaps seeing the fact that Revan was both Jedi and Sith as somehow mirroring her own, purple outlook of the Force - but she does not worship them, at least, not in the same way that these puppet cults do.
"Yes, consider them failsafes for one another." Phanza flippantly replied, still sticking to how this was useful to her. I was a bit disappointed to see that Phanza didn't seem overly concerned about the well being of her cult, stringing them along despite the fact that they actually believe in worshiping Revan or worshiping Darth Imperius in a way that Phanza simply does not. I mean, she may not want any harm to come to her cults or is knowingly sending them to their deaths or anything, but she is still using them for her own personal gain, lying to them and abusing their trust in the process. I decided to let it go, for now anyway, because it would do no good for any of us to be arguing while surrounded by Imperial clone troopers in a casino and separated from our ally, but I filed that away for later. Another example of how Phanza, despite her many, many good moments, is still fundamentally a Sith Lord first and foremost. In any case, we finally reached the elevator "Finally. We're going to meet Zaranutho on the office deck. I made it very clear that there are to be no Imperials there, with any luck, they'll have listened."
"Right, because we've been lucky lately." I responded with pessimism as we boarded the Empire, still not liking our chances against the Empire. We try and sell the casino to protect it from Imperial eyes, but it turns out that the Imperials never left, and I would be shocked if they haven't been snooping around ever since, trying to find anything and everything incriminating. As if the Empire really needs evidence to do what they want, they made up a reason to destroy the Jedi and they can just as easily make up a reason to destroy the Star Cluster casino and Zapnha Tamat if they so wish. I suppose that there is one bright side though, and that is, despite all the surveillance, intimidation, and time, they haven't actually moved against the Star Cluster yet. All they've done so far is stand around like a bunch of honor guards in a police state, which I suppose is exactly what they are here. In Hutt Space mind you, outside of the borders of either the former Republic or the separatists, not that it seems to be stopping Palpatine in the slightest. I'm sure a few token gestures and bribes have silenced any complaints for the ineffectual slugs running this planet and its illicit crime syndicates.
We exited the elevator and came out on the office deck, which revealed itself as a hallway at the very top of the casino. The hallway was a deep red, covered in lush carpet, divided by chrome bases and crowns separating the four panels of floor, wall, wall, and ceiling, and it was curved in a gentle half-circle. There were, however, two things which covered the middle parts of these walls on both sides. On either side of the door to what was, presumably, Zapnha Tamat's office, there were fish tanks of exotic sea creatures from throughout the galaxy - a sign of luxury, likely present here for both the aesthetics and because, well, Phanza was a Nautolan and, while she didn't exactly let it get in the way of her actions, she had a fondness for the water and the sea that she rarely got to express - framing her office. Opposite of these, there were windows looking out onto the terrace, but they were shuttered for now. I could imagine this was for two reasons, one: so as not to disturb Zapnha's expensive aquarium, and two: to provide an extra sense of privacy for this would-be sale.
"Lady Tamat, a pleasure." Schweva spoke, dropping her Taaszon accent and speaking with a strange one, more like the Republic accent ostensibly, but stilted in a way, and rather monotone. I soon realized that this was supposed to be a particularly Chiss way of speaking, further painting Schweva as Zaranu'utthonna'aphillii, agent of the Chiss Ascendancy and occasional business partner of Zapnha Tamat. The link between the two, who were present together on Manaan, adds another layer of authenticity to the deal. Phanza wouldn't sell such an asset to an unknown quantity, she would absolutely prefer to deal with a known quantity, and Zaranutho provided that. Thus, we met in the center of the hallway, the door to Phanza's office to our left, and the door to the exterior terrace on our right. Schweva's briefcase contained the Huttese credits that were being "used" in this transaction, while my briefcase contained the deed to the Star Cluster casino, a deed that, truly, was going to go back to Dromund Kaas with the three of us.
"Zaranu'utthonna'aphillii, hello. You know why we're here, I know why we're here, lets get on with it." Zapnha Tamat responded, getting straight down to business and began the deal. I think that there are two reasons for this, the in-character reason and the real reason. The in-character reason is that, quite frankly, Zapnha doesn't really like selling the casino, she much prefers the buying and reinvesting part of the arrangement, not so much the acquisition of vast sums of money. The real question meanwhile - not to say that the Zapnha part isn't also reflected in Phanza - is that Lady Attam wants to spend as little time as possible on Nar Shaddaa and get off of this problem as quickly as possible.
"Yes, of course. The credits." Zaranutho opened the briefcase and presented the Huttese credits at a distance, showing that she had the credits, but not yet setting them down or approaching us - Schweva was being intelligent in terms of presenting the deal. Schweva was showing that she knew and trusted Zapnha Tamat, but she wasn't stupid either, and she was going to conduct the deal in such a way which made sense. I glanced over to the red-skinned Nautolan, asking for permission, and, once Phanza nodded, I raised and presented the briefcase containing the deed.
"The deed." I presented, making sure Schweva saw the deed clearly and was ready to receive it. A beat passed before, as according to the performance, Schweva took a few steps forward towards the middle and put the briefcase down. I walked forward as well, joining her, and I put the briefcase with the deed down next to it. The two of us moved to grab each other's briefcases when, all of a sudden, the whole room was rocked. An explosion erupted from somewhere, the terrace perhaps, but I didn't exactly get much of a chance to see it, because Schweva and I, along with the briefcases, were thrown onto the ground on the left, with Phanza on the right, a collapsed piece of the ceiling dividing the two of us. I laid on the ground, trying to pull myself together and gather my senses. I turned onto my back, seeing the cracks on the aquarium, and the leak from which water was beginning to pool on the ground, then I saw the hole in the wall on the other side. Three men entered, two of which seemed to be clones in unique black and red armor, but the man in the center was built differently, wore a different helmet, and was heavily armed, most notably by the still smoking assault cannon he held in an underhand grip.
"My Emperor, targets neutralized." the man spoke into a holocommunicator, spelling out just how awful this situation was.
So...what did y'all think of the Bad Batch?