Chapter 4. Cause and Effect
Cause:
The disturbance Plageuis felt was coming from the present day Viceroy of the Trade Federation Desav Sing. Gurn had retired early and suggested to Darth Plageuis' alter ego, that sing take the job. Like the trade federation Sing was growing in power and influence, but that power was going to his head. Sing had a growing number of clients along the outer rim and many of them were ready to join the Republic. One particular planet called Velor VI was on the verge of political upheaval. The trade federation held an illegal shipping contract with the ruling government. Republic law prohibited contracts with planets during a time of civil war. Sing was shipping medical supplies and construction droids to the planet, but this was front as he was also supplying the Velorian rebels with weapons to fight their war.
Sing sat in his command chair aboard his flagship the Kato named after his home world of Kato Neimodia. He was watching the holonews reports on the recent rebel victory over the tyrant government. "The rebels have completely washed away the old government here on Velor… The people are shouting Visa Ca Valor… Which translates Valor forever… Oh the new Chief Council is taking the podium…"
Sing stood up, "Good now Valor VI will become members of the republic… Lt open up a secure channel to Valor…"
"Yes sir…"
While the com officer sent the transmission, Sing's chief financial officer cleared his throat and said. "Viceroy perhaps we should wait for the smoke to clear before we speak of Velor joining the Republic… It would look suspicious if Valor joined so quickly…"
"Nonsense…" He turned and looked at the other Neimodian, "You loosing your nerve Gurn…" Gurn was a nephew to the former Viceroy.
He was about to speak when the Lt informed them that the Valorian rebel leader was online. A very charismatic human of great stature, Chance Dell had lead the Valoran rebels to many victories against the old government. Now he was Chief Council of all Valor. "Viceroy… what can I do for you…"
"First Chief Council congratulations to you and the rebels on your victory…" Sing paused to allow Dell a chance to respond, but he didn't. he looked at Gurn who just hunched his shoulders. "Well I am contacting you to find out when will you be sending an ambassadorial party to Coruscant?"
"Never…"
"Never?"
"You heard me viceroy… I wondered why would the viceroy of the trade federation risk his career to aid a bunch of rebels overturn their government…"
Sing tried to interrupt. "Now wait a minute…"
But Dell didn't give him a chance. "So I hired a clan of the bothan spy syndicate to do some digging… As I understand it… You approached the former chief council about joining the republic, but he refused… That was right around the time that you approached me with an offer of supplying us with weapons… I was also informed that the trade federation is prohibited from having contracts with planets who are engaged in civil war… You also have several outer rim worlds that you contract with… Now I ask myself why are all these planets customers of the trade federation signing up with the republic…"
Sing raised his voice, "You see shadows and conspiracy where there are none…"
"Or perhaps I see the truth… You are filling up the senate with senators from worlds who owe you favors… You want votes for some grand plan that has yet to be revealed… Well Valor will not be scammed by you are anyone else… and before you make threats against me I have recorded all our conversations… You don't want me to send a copy of them to the supreme chancellor or the Jedi Council…" Sing was angry, but he was too enraged to say anything. "I didn't think so… don't contact me again our dealings are done… You will receive the full price for the weapons you gave us via courier…"
With those last words the transmission was cut off. Everyone on the bridge exchanged looks with each other. No one had ever spoken to the viceroy of the trade federation that way. "That impudent, muck licking, schutta… No one speaks to me that way…"
"Viceroy…" Gurn pleaded, but he was ignored.
"I am going to show that space slug the true meaning of war… Lt get me Gardolla the Hutt…"
"Is that wise… perhaps we should contact the Chief Magister…"
"I don't want help from that pompous Muun…" They were speaking of Darth Plageuis' alter ego and none of them knew he was a sith lord. Gurn was Plageuis' eyes and ears inside the trade federation and he knew that everyone who crossed Tin'sar Dimask either wound up in prison or dead. "I have often wondered why your uncle didn't pay off the loans owed to Dimask holdings. An error I intend to rectify next quarter…"
Gurn shook his head disapprovingly, "I don't like Dimask either, but he has connections and perhaps we can find a diplomatic solution to the problem…"
"No…" Sing defiantly said. That is when a hologram of Gardolla the Hutt shimmered into resolution on the deck of the bridge. "Gardolla my dear… thank you for contacting me…"
She addressed him in her language of Huttese, "Viceroy what can I for you now…"
He spoke with her in basic, "A small favor… I had an arrangement with the rebels of Valor and they reneged on the deal… I would like to teach them a lesson in manners…"
"Is there someone you want assassinated?"
"I want the rebels wiped out… and a shadow government put in its place… a government that answers to me…"
"For that a warlord will have to be hired, spies, and such etc… All this will cost…"
"Its all about credits…"
Gardolla laughed, "Not all the time… The government of Malastare is paying me big credits to keep the pod racing track on Tattooine closed, then there is Jabba who has been trying to move in on my territory for years now… That pompous kath hound has been stealing my shipments of spice that run to the core worlds… I don't know how he is getting the intel on my runners, but his people always know where to be… I would appreciate it if your ships start giving my runners transportation on your ships…"
"I will remain silent no more…" Gurn yelled, "…We are not smugglers… If the senate finds out that we are handling spice for the Hutts… The Trade Federation will be dismantled… and I know a few Senators who would love to put an end to the trade federation… like Senators Palem, Neah Moth, and Rice Antillies to name a few…"
Sing looked at Gurn disapprovingly, "Please forgive my assistant for his brash tongue… your shipments will be handled Gardolla, but your runners are responsible for their own food and if they are caught on board my captains will claim that they were being forced to carry the cargo…"
Gardolla laughed, "Fair enough I just want my product to reach my clients… Jabba isn't fool enough to attack a trade federation star ship…"
"Very well Gardolla I will make the arrangements immediately… Destroy the military, but save the chief council alive I want to address him personally…"
Endor:
The planet Endor was under the protection of the republic's conservationist act. This meant that the planet could not be colonized and any government outside the republic would suffer the wrath of the senate if they tried. That aside Endor was the perfect system to conduct military exercises for a wanted warlord. General Khaz was a Trandosian warlord with a private army of two hundred thousand, a fleet of one hundred capital class warships, and a star fighter force of seventy-five thousand strong. He often did jobs for Gardolla who supplied him with the fusion fuel for his fleet.
The Trandosian stood on the bridge of his flagship the Praetor watching the mock battle. "General in coming transmission from Tattooine…"
He smiled showing his sharpened teeth, "Ah Gardolla, put it through…" A life size image of the obese Hutt was projected in front of Khaz. He switched to Huttese, "Gardolla my favorite Hutt… What can I do for you…"
"Khaz… I have a job for you. What is the status of your fleet?"
"We are assembled in small pocket of the galaxy for military exercises…"
"… the job is in the Valor system."
He raised an eyebrow, "I don't think the Valor rebels will be take kindly to my presence…
"Make them… I will set up the shadow government when you are done…"
When the transmission ended General Khaz turned his attention to his second in command. "Commander general quarters all ships are to stand down and assume battle formation beta… when battle formation is assumed have all ships make the jump to Degobah and from there we will micro-jump to Velor VI…"
The commander acknowledged the order and issued commands. It took one hour to assume battle formation and when they were assembled they jumped to Degobah where they could micro-jump to Valor. In order to pull the mission off Sing gave the general permission to use the pay off to get the job done.
A Veloran ship made rendezvous with a trade federation star ship to drop off the payment for the weapons Sing supplied them with. What the Velorans didn't know was that the federation star ship was carrying two hundred of Khaz's soldiers. When the Velorans boarded the federation ship they were killed and their uniforms taken. It took forty minutes to take control of the Veloran star ship. The recon unit flew the ship back to Velor VI and after they landed they proceeded to take over the central hub station for Velor. The station controlled planetary defenses, like shields and ground to air cannons. Once the defenses were down a signal was sent to the fleet.
"Has the courier ship returned?" Chief Council Dell asked.
"Yes sir… they returned several hours ago…"
They were interrupted by whistling sound that could only be made by a proton torpedo. The explosion threw both men to the floor and electrified the battle droids disabling them and all the computers. Chaos and pandemonium broke out as Khaz's army landed in the capital city. While star fighters targeted military buildings, the heavy cruisers took up stationary positions around the planet,
Before he was captured Dell sent a signal to the planet's ambassador who had been sent to Dantooine just in case something like this occurred. When he received the signal the ambassador and his retinue took off for Coruscant.
"Who are you…" Dell asked to Khaz when the battle was over. It took Khaz's regime five hours to secure the entire planet.
"I am General Khaz…"
"Why have you done this…"
Instead of answering Khaz had his men activate the holo-transponder that projected a hologram of Viceroy Sing. "Sing!"
"Yes I wanted to look into your eyes as you died… The price you pay for crossing me…" Sing turned his attention towards the general. "Khaz kill that schutta…" Sing watched in delight as Khaz removed his blaster from it's holster and shot Dell in the head. He sighed in disappointment when Dell didn't beg for his life.
Effect:
Coruscant office of Vice Chancellor:
The Vice Chancellor was an alien, an outcast Chiss by the name Athmen and he was on the payroll of Darth Plageuis' alter ego Tin'sar Demask. He was paid ten times his normal salary to spy on the chancellor with no clue that Tin'sar Demask was a Sith Lord. Athmen was in his office going over his schedule with his assistant.
"Sir we have received word that the chancellor has decided to extend his tour of the outer rim…"
He looked at the Twi'lek, "I am not surprised…"
"The Geonosians have decided not to join the republic…"
He grunted, "If they did they would have to shut down their droid and weapons factories…"
The Twi'lek took the papers he signed, "Oh I almost forgot… the ambassador from Valor VI is here…"
Athmen was shocked and thought to himself, ("So soon…") "Show him in…" When the ambassador entered the office they shook hands and then Athmen told his assistant to leave. "Ambassador what can I do for you…"
"I need to speak with the supreme chancellor…"
"The chancellor is away from Coruscant… but I am more than capable of helping you…"
"There are secrets I am going to tell you and they must be kept off the record…"
Athmen smiled and turned off the recording devices, "You may speak freely…"
The ambassador took a sip from the glass that had been offered to him before speaking, "Valor VI is under siege…" The ambassador explained to Athmen about their deal with the trade federation. "For reasons of our own Dell wanted nothing to do with the trade federation as they are probably building up votes for power move in the senate… Anyway our spies intercepted a transmission between Gardolla the Hutt and the Viceroy Sing… We weren't able to decode it but a week after the transmission General Khaz's army attacked Valor…"
The Ambassador left out the part about Valor hiring a clan of the Bothan spy syndicate to investigate Sing. While he had been talking Athmen pretended to be shocked by the things he had just heard. He was offended that Sing wouldn't contact Demask after Dell refused to keep his end of the bargain. ("Sing has betrayed the chief magister…") Athmen thought to himself.
"I swear to you Ambassador that Sing will pay… wait here while I contact the Supreme Chancellor…"
Before he left the ambassador alone he had his assistant give him refreshment. Athmen went to his private study where he used a private transmitter that bounced signals off of other satellites. It had been established by the sith many years ago to keep in contact with sith agents and spies and there were very few people who knew it existed.
"What do you want?" A human by the name of Farmer asked. Farmer was Darth Plagueis' right hand man, he handled all of Plagueis' business affairs as a sith lord and Tin'sar Demask.
The two of them disliked each other with vengeance, "I need to speak with Magister Demask…" Farmer gave him a wary look, "…Its an emergency…"
"Hold on one minute…" The hologram flickered in static for the next fifteen minutes before Farmer's image was replaced by a life size hologram of Tin'sar Demask.
Mygeeto Darth Plegueis' fortress:
Plagueis was in his private study with his apprentice Darth Mantus standing out of range of the holo-projector. He made a fist and his mood changed while his body generated a heat that would melt steel. His anger rose up as he listened to Athmen tell him about Sing's betrayal.
"I was shocked when the ambassador showed up… but I was able to confirm everything he told me about Valor…" Plagueis sighed as he looked towards Mantus. "What do you want me to do… The ambassador is insistant on speaking with the chancellor…"
Plagueis made a fist cracking his knuckles, ("Dam I will have to accelerate my plans…") Plagueis thought to himself. "For now stall the ambassador when I contact you… tell him that Sing has been under investigation for some time now, but if he reveals to the supreme chancellor anything about the deal that it will tip him off… give one hour I will handle this personally…"
Farmer had been listening the whole time, "Is that wise my lord? I could handle this…"
"No I want you to go to the mansion on Muunilist, but first get me Jabba the Hutt and transfer the signal here…"
"As you say my lord…" the hologram flickered as the orders were carried out. "Mantus prepare my ship we are going to Kato Neimodia… and wear your captain's uniform…"
"At once master…"
The projector chimed and a hologram of Jabba the Hutt shimmered into resolution. "Tin'sar Demask to what do I owe the honor…"
Plagueis addressed Jabba in Huttese, "Jabba… I need a favor but first the reward… How would you like to own the Detrium loan corporation at lets say forty percent of what it is worth…"
"The banking clan will never approve it…"
"I have a friend who can represent your business entrance in the company… The circle of nine will never know…"
"A friend who will spy on my deals…"
"You can pay his salary and he will never have to answer to me… More importantly you will control the company Gardolla the Hutt owes credits too… She owes a very large amount… If you called in her loans she will go bankrupt… You could force her off Tatooine and I would give you the credits to reopen the race track…"
"I see and what is the favor…"
"General Khaz is working for Gardolla, his army is stationed on Valor make her give you the confirmation codes… Then I want you to set up a shadow government that answers to me…"
Jabba laughed in his booming voice, "We have a deal…"
"Excellent… I look forward to your next transmission…"
It took Plagueis thirty minutes to pack and assumed his alter ego Tin'sar Demask. He took a long range star ship to Kato Neimodia, where he met with the head of the Gunry family. Barto Gunry. The Gunry family had little standing among the families of Neimodia, but that was about to change.
When Barto received word that Magister Demask wanted to meet with him, he had his servants make preparations for a distinguished guest as the Chief Magister of the Banking Clan. At present the Gunry family lived a low end middle class lifestyle. This was due to a family split that happened a hundred years ago. A Neimodian named Ferth took most of the family's wealth and formed the Gurn family. So technically the Gurns and Gunry's are related but legally they weren't.
"Welcome to my home Chief Magister Demask… You honor me with your presence…"
"This is Captain Kau the head of my bodyguards the sun guard…" There were ten guards, four with Mantus and another six waiting by the ship. The bodyguards were Echani warriors all loyal to Demask. Darth Mantus wore gold armor with a helmet that covered his face. The helmet had a crest on it. His lightsaber was stored in special made gauntlet, he was also armed with a short vibro-blade, and two blasters.
They all sat down after Barto introduced his wife and five children, "Would like some refreshment magister?" Barto's wife asked.
He waved her off, "No I have a lot of business to conduct and I'm afraid pleasentries will have to wait…"
"To business then…"
"As you know my company is responsible for the existence of the trade federation and it has come to my attention that Viceroy Sing… Well lets just say I no longer have faith in his abilities as Viceroy… So I am looking for someone to take his place and I thought of you…"
Barto exchanged glances with his family, "Me sir… but… my family has very little influence in the senate… There are far more powerful Neimodians with influence in the senate…"
"Come now Barto… I am sure you want a better life for yourself and family… and don't worry about your standing among the other Neimodians… You have me as a friend now and I have powerful friends in the senate… Your nomination as Viceroy is guaranteed… All I ask that you keep an open line of communication with me in your business dealings…"
"What about Sing he is a very powerful Neimodian…"
"His days are numbered in more ways than one… will you say yes…"
"What about the Gurn family… It is a well known fact that you associate with them and that you placed Nar Gurn as the first viceroy…"
Barto looked at his son disapprovingly, "Apologies Chief Master my son speaks out of turn…"
"None is needed… Yes I placed Gurn as the first viceroy… the Gurn family plays an important role in the operation of the trade federation, but my friendship with Nar Gurn is expendable… Now will you accept…" When he saw Barto hesitate he continued to say, "…What if I said to you that I can guarantee your placement as viceroy…"
"I would say that all things have a price… so what is it you want…"
"I already told you… I want to be in the loop on all deals done by the trade federation… If that isn't good enough how about this to boost your career… For years the senate has been trying to convince the Geonosians to join the republic… what if you were the one to convince them…"
"The Geonosians would never go for it…"
"If you convince them to dismantle their weapons and droid factories and move them to their home world…"
"That would be illegal.." Said Barto's son.
"Only if one gets caught and the Geonosians won't… Do this Barto and your career will sky rocket…" Barto looked at his wife and he could see it in her eyes. Take the deal, his son had a look of disapproval. Demask sighed and stood up, "Well I have had my say the offer stands open think about it I have other matters to attend too…"
When Demask started to move Barto jumped up, "I accept…"
His announcement shocked Darth Mantus, "Very good then, give me two hours then make a public announcement…"
Barto hunched his shoulders, "I am afraid not many people will attend my announcement…"
Demask smiled as he was typing on his holo-pad, "I have taken care of that…"
The more time Darth Mantus spent learning from Plagueis the more he was impressed by him. His master's power touched many aspects in life, both seen and unseen. He watched Plagueis as Tin'sar Demask out maneuver Senators many considered untouchable. He witnessed the true extent of his master's wealth and from what Plagueis told him, only the surface had been scratched.
As they sat in the private shuttle Mantus eyed the Muun as he meditated lusting after all his power and influence. "Are you wondering how you can defeat me or admiring my power over others…"
"Both…" Mantus answered.
"If you head my training then one day you will have the power to overthrow me…" Mantus didn't answer and Plagueis could tell he was thinking on his words. "So my apprentice what do you think of Barto Gunr…"
"I think you chose him because he is easy to manipulate…" Plagueis nodded in approval.
That is when he received a transmission from Jabba the Hutt, "Jabba…"
"It has been taken care of… The shadow government will be up and running soon…"
"And what of Gardolla…"
Jabba laughed, "Tattooine is mine… And since I own the Detrium loan corporation your credits won't be necessary…"
Plagueis hunched his shoulders, "As you say Jabba…"
Plagueis ended the transmission feeling very smug. He was about to repay Sing for his betrayal and place the Gunry family into a position of power. His shuttle was making its way to Coruscant as Plagueis wanted to see Sing's face after he was arrested.