Hyperspace had always granted Karel a certain comfort. Here, where the laws of space and time did not apply, the gentle hum of the hyperdrive reverberated through the metal walls as a comforting lullaby. A sense of tranquility washed over him as he sat at the pilot's chair, while his gaze remained fixated on the blue tunnel ahead of him. In the brief interlude between battles, the confines of the Gray Hawk were one of a handful places where he felt comfortable enough to remove a part of his iron shell, and his helmet lay forgotten on the control panel. New battle marks merged with the old ones as the muddy trenches of Duvren became the latest part in the centuries-long story behind his armor.
Lost in the sight before him, a groan of frustration coming from the co-pilot's cabin just behind the starboard escape pod caught him off guard, and he turned to its source as Chiru was meditating inside the small quarters. His feelings of relief and tranquility were gone as his thoughts drifted towards the Pantoran. Concerned, he walked to the small galley of the ship, leaving his helmet behind.
He quietly reheated some donuts Dex gave him in the hypersonic oven as the automatic brewer made a cup of caf. Once ready, he took the snacks and stood in front of the cabin's door, hesitating for a moment before entering the nexu's den. That nexu was sitting cross-legged on the floor, deep in meditation as she faced the door and with her eyes closed, while her master's holocron hovered before her. The door hissed open, and the artifact fell to the floor with a clatter. Chiru glared at Jansek as he stood unfazed at the doorway.
"At least knock before you-" she began, but stopped abruptly as their eyes met.
Used to seeing her reflection on his visor every time she looked at him, she forgot what she was about to say as his hazel eyes fixed at her, filled with concern for her well-being. Until now he only took his helmet off when they were in the battalion headquarters, and her heart skipped a beat as he knelt so they were at eye level and placed the food in front of her.
"You haven't left your quarters since we left Duvren, and you need to eat." He slid the small meal closer to her, shifting to maintain his balance as he straightened his back. "But as much as I like having peace in my ship, you haven't been the same since you spoke to General Windu."
"I'm fine," she responded, rolling her eyes.
She looked down at the peace offering he had brought her, and a small smile appeared on her face as she took a sip from the cup of caf. She noticed it was lytor caf, much better than the one included in the GAR rations, and prepared just the way she liked it. But Karel was as stubborn as she was, and he scoffed as the Pantoran ate her meal.
"Krayt spit," he said bluntly. "Try again, and be honest this time."
"It's just…" she trailed off, averting his gaze. She was too exhausted to keep up appearances, and she felt she could trust the Mandalorian with her problems even if he didn't open up as easily to her. Their bond only grew stronger with every mission, and after a moment of tense silence she whispered, "It's not right."
"What isn't right?" he asked, firm but understanding as his gaze never left her.
"This! All of this!" she snapped, flailing her arms in the air. She hugged her legs, finding comfort in the gesture as she rested her chin on her knees. "How am I supposed to turn a blind eye to what the Hutts are doing? That's not what my master taught me."
Karel breathed deeply once more, having just received word of the destruction of Admiral Dao's fleet over Ryloth, and that impenetrable barrier around his presence in the Force was raised once more as he looked down, avoiding the Pantoran's gaze. Chiru took note of this and she bit her lip at his silence, sensing his hesitation to speak.
She furrowed her brow, looking down at her master's holocron. Concern grew inside her as the gravity of the situation began dawning on her, but she didn't have more time to dwell on her thoughts as an alarm came from the cockpit.
Karel stood up and walked back to the cockpit, then sat at the controls and said, "Fuel is running low so we'll have to make a quick stop."
She followed him and sat in the gunner's chair at the bow, which gave her a better view of the laser cannons. The Pantoran looked back at him and asked, "Where are we stopping?"
The answer to her question appeared in front of her as they exited hyperspace and she turned to face the transparisteel canopy. The blue tunnel turned into streaks, then to stars as a green planet appeared before her. Orbiting the planet was a single moon, an ecumenopolis like Coruscant, while a large ring adorned the planet's equator. Regardless of, or perhaps because of their appearance, both celestial bodies emanated an aura of darkness and evil in the Force, which repulsed the Jedi Knight. Searching for answers, she turned to Karel as the Gray Hawk entered the atmosphere of the planet.
Now wearing his helmet, most of the Mandalorian's emotions were concealed, but the mischievousness in his voice was clear as he flicked a pair of switches above him and said, "Nal Hutta. It's the homeworld of the Hutts, and the seat of power of their criminal empire. While you were wallowing away and wasting your time, I decided to contact the Levaki Syndicate for answers. They shot me down the moment I mentioned the Bloodclaw, but we can just take the matter up with their masters and see what they have to say."
"What happened to following orders?" she asked teasingly, slightly taken aback by what the Master Chief was doing.
"I don't take orders from Jedi," he replied firmly. She chuckled at his reply, annoyed that he got away with doing something he would have scolded her for severely if she did it.
He breathed once again as he considered what they were doing. Senator Amidala's treaty explicitly forbade the Republic from interfering in the affairs of the Hutt clans, so they had to be careful lest they withdraw from the treaty and cut off supply lines by blocking access to their hyperlanes.
"Listen, I know my people aren't known for being the good guys of history." She scoffed at his comment, which he ignored. "But you're dead wrong if you think I want a turf war with civilians caught in the crossfire. We have a chance to stop this war before it begins, and last I checked a monk playing general couldn't tell me what I can and can't do."
As the ship cut through the upper atmosphere of Nal Hutta, Karel caught himself staring at Chiru, her gaze fixed on the viewport. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, Karel shook his head as she turned to face him with a smile on her lips.
"I hope you know what you're doing, because you just kidnapped a Jedi," she remarked with a laugh.
"Kidnapping implies you didn't want to come," he noted, and the playful banter between them helped to lighten up the mood. "Of course, I could just drop you off at the nearest Republic outpost, but we both know you want to be here."
The Mandalorian patrol craft soared gracefully through the hazy skies of Nal Hutta, heading west as they flew just a few hundred meters over the swampy surface of the planet. Soon enough they reached the city of Bilbousa, and Chiru looked down to see a world of vice and corruption that was the physical embodiment of the Hutts' criminal empire. It was a sprawling mess of squat buildings, and the streets were filled with petty criminals and other lowlifes in service to the Hutts. They were the law here, and the only ones above it. That had been the way of life on Nal Hutta, and indeed in most of Hutt Space, for thousands of years.
As they left the city behind, the landscape transitioned into a vast expanse of swamp, stretching as far as the eye could see. Amidst the natural desolation and harsh ecosystem, a formation of rugged rock spires rose majestically in the distance. Among these rocky formations, Chiru could see the distinct architecture of a Hutt palace, rising defiantly from the landscape. Three towers spiraled upwards, their light brown hues blending seamlessly with the surrounding rock, with two of them connected to each other by a single bridge and their design similar to that of other Hutt buildings on Teth and Tatooine. The detached tower appeared to be an observation post judging by its position somewhat away from the other two, of which one was larger in diameter than the other.
As the ship approached the palace, a hail came over the comms, the voice sounding wary and impatient as it spoke in Huttese. " Di es paakajidik di Besadii. Ah'chu apenkee? Hi chuba da naga? "
" Achuta. Mah pee kasa Karel Jansek. Bosco ma lorda Arok ," the Mandalorian replied, fluently transitioning to speak in Huttese.
His reply appeared to satisfy the being on the other end of the transmission, and their tone shifted to one of cautious relief. " Ah… chow baso. Be cotma. "
The transmission ended, leaving Chiru intrigued by the exchange she couldn't understand. The ship's descent was smooth, and soon the Gray Hawk landed gracefully on a small clearing in front of the palace's main tower, the landing skids sinking slightly into the muddy ground. With its boarding ramp at the back of the ship, it was positioned facing away from the palace and ready for a quick getaway in case negotiations didn't go as planned.
The Mandalorian stood from his seat and walked to the boarding ramp at the aft, with the Pantoran by his side as he spoke out loud.
"Listen, I grew up surrounded by these people so I know how to deal with them. They are the worst scum in the galaxy, but they'll stay out of our face if we stay out of theirs." As they entered the cargo hold of the ship its sentry mode activated, and a blaster cannon emerged from the underside of the hull to deter any curious guards. Jansek halted as they reached the boarding ramp and he turned to face the Jedi Knight. "You, on the other hand, are the last person they want to see. So while we're there you'll have to behave and do exactly what I say. That means don't talk to anyone, don't look at anyone, and don't fight anyone. Got it?"
His orders elicited a huff of frustration from the Pantoran, but she acquiesced to his demands with a stiff nod. Now that they were on the same page, Karel turned back to the boarding ramp, but was stopped as she caught his arm. Immediately he tensed at the contact, but didn't try to release himself as they stood in silence for a few seconds, their gazes fixed at one another.
"I… thank you, for doing this," she whispered, unsure of what else to say. But that was enough to convey her gratitude, and she suddenly realized the position she had put herself in. He titled his head in acknowledgment, and the tension between them disappeared in an instant. She smiled softly at him, before the pair then walked confidently down the boarding ramp.
Even before she set foot on the ground the humid air of Nal Hutta hit her like a wave, and she was unprepared for the repugnant smell of the planet's atmosphere. On the other hand, the Mandalorian was unfazed by the sudden change in the atmosphere around him and comfortable inside his armor's environmental control systems, although the weight of the armor made him sink slightly into the mud. At the entrance to the palace were a pair of Klatooinian guards, both of which looked at the Jedi Knight with disdain.
Karel walked past her and up the small set of stairs leading to the main gate. He halted as he reached the top of the stairs and the two guards grunted at him.
"We bring news from the Republic for the Besadii," he said firmly, but the guards were not convinced. One of them pointed at Chiru's lightsaber, making it clear that she was the problem. Without thinking it twice, Karel extended his arm to Chiru and spoke out loud. "Give me your weapon."
"What?" she asked in disbelief, and she instinctively reached for the weapon.
"Just give me your lightsaber or we're not getting in. Your call."
She sighed, but relented after a moment and handed him her weapon. All lightsabers were unique in their own way, but a crossguard lightsaber was even rarer, especially during a time when the Guardian Protocols meant most lightsabers lacked the artistry seen in those built during times of peace.
"I want that back," she hissed as he stuck the lightsaber to his belt using the magnetic plate inside the hilt.
With the Jedi Knight now disarmed in the eyes of the simple-minded Klatooinians, the enormous gates opened in front of the pair. They stayed close to each other as they took an elevator to the upper levels of the palace, then began walking through a wide, dark hallway. They passed a multitude of species from all types of criminal occupations, from petty thieves to deadly assassins, and the Jedi Knight didn't have to use the Force to know they were less than pleased by her presence. She moved closer to Karel, who was seemingly unbothered by the stares and whispered conversations around them.
"I have a bad feeling about this," she whispered, leaning closer to him.
A Nikto, whose appearance reminded her of an infuriated Master Di, walked past them and muttered a phrase in Huttese, the meaning of which she suspected was an insult of some kind directed at her.
"Quiet, we're here now," Karel replied.
As they rounded a corner, they arrived at a large throne room. On one side of the room was a multitude of bounty hunters, mercenaries and other outlaws gathered to feast and drink to their lord's name, who was sitting on the opposite side of the throne room. He was a Hutt of average build for his kind, and his blue-yellow skin made him slightly less repulsive than most members of his species. With his unique Hookah pipe by his side and the symbol of the Besadii tattooed on his left shoulder, Arok the Hutt stood out as one of the most powerful and ruthless Hutt crime lords of his time.
As soon as they appeared, the conversations ceased and a tense silence descended on the room. Arok inhaled the smoke from his pipe once again, before turning his attention to his new guests.
" Jansek! Peedunkee, caba dee unko! " the crime lord exclaimed as soon as he laid eyes on the Mandalorian. His enthusiasm was just the latest surprise this day had brought Chiru, and something told her it wouldn't be the last.
To the right of Arok's throne stood an RA-7 protocol droid, painted brown with black photoreceptors. It began translating for its master, speaking in a calm, masculine voice. "Grand Arok welcomes you into his palace."
The Hutt, however, ordered his droid to stay quiet upon recognizing Chiru as a Jedi, much to her disappointment as she now only understood the conversation taking place in front of her by studying the Hutt's behavior and Karel's answers.
"It's been a while, Arok. I see you redecorated since the last time I was here." Jansek looked around himself, recognizing a few faces in the Hutt's court.
The Mandalorian smirked under his helmet as he was welcomed with open arms by the crime lord. He moved closer to the Hutt, closer than any one of his minions would be allowed. Surprise crossed Chiru's face once more as she realized the Mandalorian had a past history with the Hutt, and a long one at that.
Arok, however, did not appear too pleased at Karel's new loyalties, and his tone shifted to a more cautious one as he looked at the lightsaber hanging from his belt and the Pantoran by his side.
" Kava na yuna wa paroo, Jansek. …" the Hutt mumbled, before inhaling once again from his pipe. "Hobuna purvuna… Jedi."
"Contract requirements. The Jedi serve the Republic and the Republic hired me. That's all there is to it," Karel lied, nodding at the Pantoran.
She knew he was just lying, but the ease with which he did made her wonder if there was some truth behind his words, and the thought of their friendship being just a game for him made her look away to avoid revealing any emotions.
Karel continued unfazed, his voice even and firm. "Arok, I may be a mercenary but I'm a man of my word. I have evidence to prove there are great threats to your operations with the Levaki Syndicate, and they have been keeping the truth hidden from you."
"You lying scum!" a voice shouted from the crowd behind them.
A Barbadelan male, of middle age and dressed in an elegant dark purple robe made from shraa silk, stood at the center of the crowd, his hands and neck adorned with extravagant osmium jewelry. He pushed the other thugs out of his way as he came to stand at the front, disgust etched across his face.
Arok appeared to be slightly surprised by this piece of information the Mandalorian had brought him. The first rule of the crime world was never to trust anyone, but most beings were smart enough not to upset the Hutts. Arok's face turned to one of mild anger as he considered his options quietly, while everyone in the room waited anxiously for his response.
After a moment, the Hutt turned to the droid at his side and gave it a single order in Huttese. The protocol droid then turned towards the audience once more and said, "Grand Arok wishes to speak in private with the representatives from the Republic and the Levaki family."
The room quickly emptied of Arok's underlings. Karel motioned Chiru to stand at his side in front of the Hutt lord and she reluctantly did, avoiding their gazes. The Barbadelan ambassador moved to stand on Karel's left side, while Chiru stood on the opposite side and slightly away from the discussing parties. No sooner had the last thug left, the massive doors on either side of the room sealed shut as Arok returned his attention to his guests.
The Levaki representative turned to look at the Mandalorian, glaring daggers at him as Arok spoke once more, and this time his droid translated its master's words while he inhaled from his pipe again.
"Varcosin Levaki, these are serious accusations against your family. What do you have to say in your defense?" the droid asked the Barbadelan.
Caught off guard, the Levaki ambassador was visibly anxious as he spoke. However, he did his best to appear calm enough to sound convincing, but angered by the Mandalorian.
"We are honored to work with the Besadii. We have no desire to oppose you, my lord. Whatever threat he is talking about is nothing more than a plot from the Republic to divide us. Our loyalty belongs to you, Grand Arok."
"Is that why you blocked my attempts to learn more about the Bloodclaw Cartel when I contacted your headquarters less than an hour ago?" Karel asked sarcastically. Varcosin glared at him once more, averting Arok's gaze. "We raided an arms dealer on Kafrene supplying weapons to the Bloodclaw Cartel. Military-grade weapons. I have credible information that these weapons will be used to wage a war against the Hutt Cartel and its allies, starting with the Levaki."
"This is outrageous!" Varcosin replied, but it was clear he was unprepared for this situation. "The Bloodclaw are no more than common pirates. An example will be made of them! And of you!"
Unfazed by Varcosin's threat, Karel calmly turned to face the ambassador and asked, "Like it was made of the spice shipment lost two rotations ago near Ballum?"
" Epoma ko wona !" Arok shouted, fixing at Varcosin, who avoided his master's furious gaze.
Before the droid could translate or the Levaki ambassador could try to explain his failures, the Mandalorian took a resolute step forward. Looking up at the slug through his dark visor, Karel spoke in a low, serious voice once more.
"If they are bold enough to attack your vassals then it won't be long until they attack you. The Levaki Syndicate don't have the capability or the will to stop the Bloodclaw Cartel. Arok, not once did my father fail any task you gave him, no matter how dangerous they were, and his success brought a new golden age to the Besadii. And if you trust me half as much as you trusted him, you can be certain that I will succeed where the Levaki have failed. I can stop this nuisance before it becomes a threat."
To say Karel disliked taking advantage of his father's reputation would be an understatement, but he understood the need to be pragmatic. And while his statement was bold, it was truthful nonetheless. Arok knew this as he laughed, amused by the Mandalorian's words. The room then fell into a tense silence as he considered his options, mumbling to himself. Despite Chiru's best efforts she couldn't overcome the Hutt's natural immunity to her telepathic powers as he spoke in Huttese, which his droid translated to Basic.
" State your price, Mandalorian."
"The full cooperation of the Levaki Syndicate and a guarantee of safe passage through Hutt Space, just in case."
"And what about credits?"
"No credits. Consider this as a friend helping you with an… infestation."
Chiru and the Levaki ambassador waited anxiously for Arok's decision, but Karel smirked under his helmet as the lord of the Besadii announced his decision with a nod of approval to his droid.
"You are as devious as your father, Jansek. Grand Arok accepts your terms," the protocol droid said, then turned to address Varcosin. "You are to obey Jansek and the Jedi as you would obey your master. They are now under the protection of the Besadii."