Location: Royal's Fortune Casino on Rebuilt Nar Shaddaa.
"Wait a second!" Scoffed the tall, long nosed man that represented GET. "This operation must have taken months to plan. Why didn't you share your suspicions months ago Kratebor?"
"It's General Kratebor! and I didn't make that rank by keeping my cards on table!" The General took a deep breath and continued in a more controlled manner: "The thing is... We didn't know what to expect when we set up this little scam. His recent actions have sparked change galaxy wide, and that change has made space a lot less pirate friendly so we needed more intel on what we we're dealing with."
The Rodian pointed a long green finger at the General, and said in an accusing tone: "If you would have pointed a turbo laser at him instead of a surveillance cam, the problem would have been solved"
"Don't count on it Bug Boy" said Boba. He then continued: " Yes! He seems vulnerable, but looks can be deceiving. Plus...you saw those Jedi! They share his power. Whose to say they can't conjure up a singularity of their own to eat your turbo blasts; your whole ship, for that matter!
Gardulla agreed. Her protocol droid listened to her complete her sentence in Huttese, and then translated: "Her eternalness highly doubts that the GA and the Jedi have neglected to put tabs on their new trophy boy. Somehow, they also will protect him!"
"So we're does that leave us?" Asked the falleen in a voice that was now more annoyed then flirtatious.
"Well... do the math sweetheart." The General replied while holding up a finger
"Number one! Skywalker is compelled to save whole worlds from destruction, but he doesn't seem interested or capable of stopping small scale skirmishes."
He the produced a second finger. "Number two! While he seems invincible when it comes to protecting others, he himself appears to be vulnerable."
Number three! He probably has the Jedi, the Empire, and the GA watching his back."
He allowed his list to marinate in the minds of his cohorts.
Then, he brought the point home: "We need to keep the GA and Jedi so busy that they won't have the time to hover over him like an overbearing Toydarian mother. We also need someone that knows how Skywalker thinks. And it wouldn't hurt to have some special teach."
While the General was spiting out lists and facts, a portrait began to form in Fett's mind. One man checked all the right boxes. The only question was:
Would he do it? Would he join their cause?
"Lando" said Boba, with the emotion of a tree.
"Calrissian?" Mr. Long nose all but hissed. "Absolutely Not!" He continued. "We all know he killed Judge Salcron and Senator VoxHayly... The man is out to destroy us!"
"Well then..." said the Falleen in response. "It's sounds like he would fit in with the present company quite nicely."
This perfectly timed comment triggered a round of laugher around the table and a nod of "touché" from Fett.
Long nose wouldn't give up. "You've seen what Calrissian is capable of in the last six months!"
The General gave a slight shake of the head in frustration. "We have seen what he's be up to the last six month! That's what makes him perfect for our plans. Can't you get that through your thick skull?"
Lando had indeed, been on the radar lately! First with his deadly missile attack on Kesh (How long had he been hiding that one in his storehouse of toys?). Then with the aforementioned retribution he had unleashed on the corrupt Senator.
The Man had used a mining charge to disintegrate the top floors of is own building! Unlike the identical charge that had killed Tendra and Chance, this one had activated properly, leaving behind absolutely no evidence of a crime. That said, everyone knew Lando had done it.
Lando's relationship with the Alliance had gone downhill from there. Frustrated at his unwillingness to come back to Coruscant to answer questions, the GA started to apply pressure on his mining operations in the form increased taxes and levies. He ignored the harassment, until GA Security arrived at one of his asteroid mines, to seize the property.
It was around that time, that Calrissian started his own Holo-cast. Every week viewers from around the galaxy could tune into a broken and angry man spouting hatred and bitterness. The target of his anger? It alternated between The Galactic Alliance, and the Jedi.
The show was also rife with conspiracy theories, and dramatic declarations that resonated with many of the disenfranchised beings of the universe.
At Lando's suggestion some individuals began to use the title: Free Galactic Citizen. Free from oppressive laws imposed by oppressive government. Free of Jedi judgement.
The next time the GA came, Lando had been ready. Even though he wasn't present at his Kessel operation when a GAS heavy cruiser entered the system with all sorts of orders and demands, he was tapped in live via the holonet.
The Captain of the Crusier laid out his demands. Lando had declared himself a Free Citizen and warned the Captain that he would use deadly force to protected his Free Sovereign Land. This particular Captain didn't take him seriously; future ones would. When they ignore his warning Lando activated a back door update link on all of the cruisers Security droids. All of them where manufactured by Tendrando Arms. They stormed throughout the ship destroying all the main systems: Engines, Computers, and Weapons systems. Any crew members that tried to stop them, paid with their life. The disabled Cruiser and her crew had to be towed back to the nearest GA base.
The Senate went ballistic, and within a week all Tendrando arms droids owned by the Government were scrapped. This only fuelled Lando's resentment and anger. It was a spiral that was getting darker and deadlier.
But "Long Nose" would hear none of it. His organization's attack on Lando's family had awakened this monster and he wanted nothing to do with the consequences of those actions.
"Let me be clear! Lando is a landmine! He can't be allowed into our fold."
Boba's response was as cold and curt as usual: "He's in if we say he's in."
"Over my dead bo..." His challenge was cut short as the man was burned down by a single yet powerful blaster bolt. Across the table, the Rodian sat with a blaster in hand, the barrel still smoking.
The room erupted with applause and snickers. "Over my dead body" was simply not said in the midst of killers. A message would have to be sent to GET informing them that they were in need of another disposable leader.
Gardulla's droid translated for her: "The Great Gardulla agrees with the newly deceased. Lando is a double edged dagger. The last thing we need is an enemy like Calrissian. We must approach him with caution."
There was a moment of silence, before Boba spoke up: "I'll go! Calrissian and me... Well, let's say we've had some mutual transactions recently. I think I can convince him to join the cause.
"Make sure you do!" Said the General, with all seriousness! "If he turns you down..."
Boba finished his sentence "Then I'll have to take him out so he doesn't come back to crash the party; I've been at this for a while General."
Again silence fell over the table until the Falleen asked: "So, We are really doing this? We are going to kill Skywalker?"
"That's the plan." Answered Fett. Again, the words echoed from his helmet so easily. Again, he couldn't help like feeling he was betraying the cosmos somehow. Nevertheless, they had a plan. Not really a plan yet. More like a direction. The details would be filled in later. They had plans to meet by holo conference in one week, whether or not Lando agreed to join them.
So they all made their exit and left the room empty. Empty, except for the "Comfort Women" that had been left to tidy up the place.
Sea'Awna, a lime-green skinned Twi'Lek, was among them. She had been groped, pinched, and playfully smacked on her bottom the entire evening. The biggest culprit had the been that gross Rodian. She thought it her particular misfortune in life that she seemed to mostly arouse Smelly Bug Boys.
But on the scale of bad nights, this one didn't even make it on the radar. At least, she was beaten or... worse. Being a life long slave of Gardulla, the best she could hope for in life was to be ignored while carrying out her duties. Or that had been her goal up till a few minutes ago. She did, after all, have eyes, ears, and even a functioning brain. Through those faculties she had uncovered serveral facts of unimaginable value to the downtrodden.
First was the incident that happened in the Sriluur system. No one would ever know what happened except for the crews involved and the beings at this meeting. What she had seen on the displays was... a miracle! Skywalker and his followers had just stepped in and saved a whole race from prescribed annihilation. It had taken a great toll on Luke, and what she saw touched her and made her feel alive for the first time in her life. Unbeknownst to Sea'Yawna, Dena Yus had beautiful described the effect Luke's actions had on others, several month before when she had told him:
"That is how it is for all of us thousands of Dena's out there in the galaxy. We are all just stuck in a hole so deep, there is no hope of getting out. Luke Skywalker is hope.. He breaks all limitations and boundaries, and... and if someone is fortunate to have her life grazed by his it's enough to break free.
Sea'Yawna knew only one thing at that moment:
This story would have to be told; carefully of course, but told it would be nonetheless.
The second great revelation of the evening occurred only a few minutes after the first.
She had been refilling the General's tumbler when she had to use every ounce of self control to contain the shock at learning about Skywalker's origins: His Father had been a slave? She had grown up believing that slaves were worthless, slaves were inferior, slaves where forever frozen in role and status. But the revelation of Luke's pedigree shattered that belief.
The great slave revolt may not have made its way to Hutt space yet, But there was hope! The most powerful man in the Galaxy was the Son of a slave. Anything and everything was now possible!
The third shock of Sea'Awna's life came when she heard of the plot to have the Galaxy's only hope killed. Luke's action's at Kesh had sparked an era of change. A change that, she dared hope, would one day see the end of all evil, like the servitude she endured. But if Skywalker was killed...
She had to sound the alarm! She would tell her fellow slaves, they would in turn tell others, and slowly but surely the word would get out. It wasn't much but it was all she could do.
Luke Skywalker must not die!