[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Battle-group Army of Light, In Orbit Kashyyk, Kashyyk System, Mytaranor Sector, Mid Rim]

"The Randon Run?" Hanna queried as the three of us; myself, her, and Shesagora, sat in the secure meeting room and I brought up the star maps with our planned route "Unusually obvious?"

Shesagora grinned, resting back in her chair "Eh, we're daring the Separatists to attack us, aren't we Daron?"

I sighed "No...yes, not really...look, we've got a ceasefire, and there's limited ways we can do what what've we've been asked to do and get into Hutt space. This is one of the few non-interdicted routes in Republic hands, or at least open enough, so we're as well moving through with a full convoy and dare them to attack us rather than trying to sneak through Confederate territory. At least that way we can't be accused of breaching said ceasefire and violating our orders. Something we have to be very careful of since our enemies are clearly on the move against us"

"Yeah, look Hanna..." Shesagora continued for me, letting out a sigh and gesturing at the glowing hologram of stars and projected routes "...all those routes are risky, but we'll be moving as fast as we can, in full combat order, so we're as ready as we can. Kriff, moving through Hutt Space will be as, or more, dangerous, especially when Daron here splits off for Nal Hutta"

"Emm, less so for you than me Shesagora, you'll have an entire battle-group, I'll have a squadron" I half-groused, shaking my head. Not something I was overly enthusiastic about, but the Hutts were certainly not letting a Republic Fleet fly above their homeworld, and we certainly weren't going to allow the Army of Light to sit still in Hutt space. Movement was life in enemy territory as we'd learned, and while the Hutts were, technically, not enemies the simple truth was you couldn't trust them very much, so minimising risk was the name of the game right now.

"True, true, but somebody has to negotiate as per our contract"

I nodded in response to Shesagora "I know, and I'm the Force user, best able deal with any mental influences if the Hutts have this Ghost Sith-Lord still in play so I drew the short straw here. Or, the immediately dangerous one, you two get to brief the others and Yanthis and his Ailon Nova Guard fellows after all, and, oh, the Tarkins"

Hanna gave me an unhappy look "Yes, such easy things Daron, easy things that had my apartment on Coruscant blown up, along a warehouse filled with very expensive wine"

I spread my hands apart in a helpless gesture "What can you do Hanna? That's the business, risks and rewards, oh, and grand galactic conspiracies that we blundered upon too. Would you rather not know about the whole secret cabal trying to overthrow the Republic?"

She sighed, rubbing at her forehead "As much I wish to say yes...No, no, it's always best to know the competition as being in the dark merely makes it easier to get the knife in the back. Least the Jedi are paying for this ransoming operation, even if they won't be getting back their captured members. How do you plan to handle that?"

"Briefing them, and then confining them if need be..." I responded with a shrug "...I happen to agree with Stass's request, as the more Jedi that return to Coruscant the more that'll be dead in my opinion. That the more pragmatic reason of ensuring we're paid while they're my...guests, very important guests let's say. On that note; movement of funds?"

Hanna waved her hand back and forth "Good and bad, we're actually doing pretty well in terms of the past quarter, and our liquid reserves aren't a problem getting out to the Outer Rim, but we've a lot of contracts tied up in the Core and Colonies Daron...because that's where we're buying ships from, or getting hulls salvaged or refitted. I've started moving everything we can over to loans, but that's going to raise flags, and after everything of late it's pretty clear we're being watched like a bunch of Wookies at a nudist beach"

I sighed, Shesagora rolling her eyes as well "Are you still on about that? There was a battle planet-side only a month ago...and galactic domination conspiracy trying to kill us, you recently? Oh, and I've given a fully modelled suite for you few days here...with a simulated beach"

"Hmph, yes, yes, very kind Daron. It's just not the same though, haahhh..." she muttered sadly "...the Chancellor deserves to die just for that alone!"

"Aren't Wookies basically naked all the time anyway?"

"It's not for the Wookies Shesa dear, though a nice one would be a nice distraction I suppose, but the resorts down there are perfect and unspoiled"

I shook my head "Before the war they were Hanna, now their either fortress kill-zones or covered in mines and droid wreckage. Probably where a chunk of the scrap we're buying from them is coming from. Now, back to the star-route and various contingencies, we'll only be here two more days to buy parts and pick up a few recruits so we need get this right..."

--

[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Battle-group Army of Light, Moving Sub-light edge of Kween System, Kastolar Sector, Border Mid Rim – Hutt Space]

Karis, daughter of Tellyn, watched the lightsaber...

"Ahhhhhhh!" watched but moved too slowly it seemed as pain flooded through her right side, then a crushingly powerful hand gripped the wrist holding her own blade and she was slammed face downward. That ended her shriek of pain as the breath was driven from her lungs, her weapon taken from her hand as if she was an errant youngling. Indeed all she could do was groan in defeat when she was asked to surrender her, laying on the training floor her strength gone.

"Oh, get up you weakling..." Asajj muttered unsympathetically, coming over and kicking Karis butt, shoving her unto her back "...quit playing about"

"Ughhhh...playing?" she complained back honestly as her body ached after the 'training' session that felt like a vicious gladiatorial arena where 'beat up Karis' was the primary objective. An armoured hand came down, and she allowed it to clasp hers, some small amount of strength flow into her as the Stormcrow pulled her to her feet with a grunt from her. Best warrior in the clan she was, best warrior in the clan she'd believed...and then Asajj and the Stormcrow went about beating that idea out of her and Naa'leth with irritating ease.

"Thank you Mas...Captain-General..." she started to say, brain kicking into gear as she went to came to stand, then rest hands on knees sucking in a breath. It was unnerving; the green skinned warlord was younger than herself, Naa'leth, and Asajj and yet still unnerved her and Naa'leth in the way Old Daka did somehow. Or the urge to want to follow him off to war, to revel in the fight, to take power offered "...ugh, you hit hard"

He was in full combat armour now, not the lighter stuff she and Naa'leth had chosen, and with the helmet on she couldn't see his facial expression, or tone from synthesised voice "That's the point, we don't have much time left, and I am not on the level of Darth Imperius based on historical records, and taking two Knights and two Masters recently. We all need to be beyond our best when on Nal Hutta, should the need arise"

"Humble as ever, showing weakness?" Naa'leth chuckled from where she sat cross-legged on the floor nearby, though the chuckle was clearly directed at Karis's own misery. Karis glared back at her sister as she allowed their collective employer to slide and arm around her waist and 'walk' {help limp was more honest part of mind unhelpfully provided} over to Naa'leth as Asajj shook her head in annoyed amusement. The others ignored her groan as she was dumped down to sit beside Naa'leth as the Stormcrow's machine voice answered; maybe shrugging, it was hard to tell with the armour.

"No, being practical. There's always someone better at something that you, a foe superior in certain skills, and getting arrogant gets you killed with such, so we work on the outcomes. Things go wrong we fight our way out, and then plot revenge after we've escaped, not before. Based on your detailing of your attempt on Dooku on Serreno Mother Talzin seems to hold similar views"

'She does, it why she wants to know all she does on you Shadow Sorcerer' Karis thought wincing as she adjusted her position into a sitting position while Asajj stated something about the Sith Code. There were only certain ways a young Force User could build up such knowledge so quickly Mother Talzin had told them, and his behaviour seeking out Nightsister knowledge indicated some of those possible roads. Between finding the location of, and hiding from the Jedi, that ancient Jedi Library, knowing of this 'Malachor' place, and then travelling to, and surviving, the Sith homeworld...well, Old Daka had offered opinions on that.

It was a test, on both sides Karis suspected, to see if the Republic's possible Sith warlord would honour his side of the bargain on teaching Asajj. On his side that they gave all they knew too she suspected; and this 'Geas' he knew was a surprise, and interesting to their Tribe, oh yes. A binding agreement by blood, magic, and in the Force? It was close to certain old Nightsister rituals, or those of their more irritating and puritanical witch tribes back on Dathomir, and possibly something of his homeworld Karis wondered. Whatever it was she, and Naa'leth were truly enjoying this current life of adventurer while serving the Tribe and Mother Talzin; the practical skills appealed to her more than Sith nonsense Asajj wanted so.

"...the line Through Strength, I Gain Power doesn't necessarily mean turning into an unstoppable raging berserker, or that Power is the same thing to all of us. I'll have a combat squadron in orbit, that's Power of sorts, and the fact the Republic would HAVE to respond to an attack upon us. Nor does it mean others cannot have, or build, their own Strength and Power. Struggling to overcome our limitations, that without overcome strife or challenge we cannot advance, merely stagnate. The Sith Code needs to be put in framework of history, and arising in response to the Jedi Code, so both..."

"Their talking philosophy again" she whisper-complained to Naa'leth who nodded as they watched Asajj, relatively calmly these days, argue back and question the Stormcrow's argument while moving to the training circle. Around them the droids watched and stood silently, the training ones and the far more dangerous ones that training against...well, the Sith-ness of their current Lord was indicated in his training when pressed. That and apparently managing to hide such from the Jedi who'd trained him...then again Jedi were much better than a Nightsister with a lightsaber Karis had found to her distaste. Understandable since she'd only hastlily trained with black-market ones held by the Tribe for truly desperate off-world missions, but it still grated...

"Yeah, watching him beat you around the floor like an idiot nightbrother was much more entertaining"

Karis glared at Naa'leth, redoubling it as her sister chuckled heartily "Shut it, s'not like you did much better!"

"Ah, but I did Little Sister Lays-About!" Naa'leth teased her, face going stoic before sighing voice low as a whisper as the debate beyond continued "But he speaks true, even Asajj sees the wisdom in those words much as loathes too. We barely survived against Dooku, and we have much more to learn. Mother Talzin ordered us to obey him, and we obey. Especially in this; we serve as guards, we ransom the Jedi filth, and hopefully get to mock them a time, and leave as quickly as we came. I have no desire to die to the hands of some filthy Hutt sister, or worse, end up serving them"

Karis huffed, nodding "Yes sister I know, damned but I am enjoying learning"

Naa'leth gave a snort "Not so much a few moments ago"

"Hunts were seldom fun either when we were but idiot younglings getting hurt either" Karis retorted "I wish to be the best again, and I hate this...weakness"

"And like the comfortable beds and fine foods?"

Karis nodded firmly "Oh yes, those as well. Do I look like Asajj? Complaining of such pleasant things? No, first thing we tell Mother Talzin is that we recommend getting such a vessel, with perhaps a few Nightbrothers for entertainment, and use it for planetary defence...and training, yes, let's call it recreation and training ship along with defending home in space..."

--

[19 BBY]

[The Palace of Gardulla the Hutt, Bilbousa, Nal Hutta, Y'Toub System, Hutt Space]

"Hmmm, fair landing considering...I'd give a seven out of ten on the beginning negotiations arrival scale. Lack of music or explosions losses him some points sadly. Good armour, Marr would have liked it, and..." Jedi Master Shaak Ti found controlling her emotion particularly difficult at this current moment as she stood watching the arrival of the Republic shuttle and its escort fighters below. Winds flashed about, blowing at the cloak and at her mostly bare skin underneath. Come to buy hers, and her captured colleagues, freedom after the initial humiliation, and then much longer lasting pain and shame that followed as they were paraded before the Hutts Council, then the galaxy she suspected, after their capture. Even if that wasn't exactly what would happen now.

There had been surprisingly little torture in fact, indeed the sensory deprivation, electro-staves, and then the implanting of slave-chips into them seemed to have been a reaction of fear as well as greed amongst the Hutts at having captured four Jedi. Once they were confident they were 'safe' as slaves...and that grated deeply, oh so deeply...thanks to the words of Sith Ghost possessing the Darksider Artel Darc, Milzra Kallig, or Darth Imperious as he called himself. Their treatment had improved dramatically once he had 'taken responsibility' for 'training' them till they were {eventually, as the eternity of humiliating dances and sitting at the base of thrones lasted an eternity} ransomed back by the Republic.

Which was where her fellow Jedi Master Adi Gallia currently knelt, flanked by Knights Secura and Swan, in a show of strength to the arriving General Stormcrow who marched down the ramp of his shuttle. Beside Asajj Ventress Shaak Ti's mind supplied, and two others who hummed of the Dark Side she suspected. Though she couldn't know for sure with her Force abilities muted currently thanks to the control devices on her neck, ankles, and wrists and the Force suppressing drugs the Hutts insisted on. Even at her full strength she doubted she could escape; the first three days after the Hutts released them into Darth Imperious's 'care' had consisted of being repeatedly beaten in four versus one duels with soul crushing ease.

"Hmm, seems somebody's been giving you bad reports Shaak dear..." the armoured, and quasi-skull masked, Sith muttered one hand up against chin, other under his elbow in a 'thinking' pose as he called it "...or this era's Jedi continue my observed pattern of terrible management skills, inability to understand the Force, and general observation skills. Look it'em there, Mr. Not-A-Jedi-Master and his three Dark Side minions..." raised his hand to Weequay nearby "...so inform the Mighty Clan Leaders best not try kriff around these nice, heavily armed people and their droid killing machines Hiyoku my fine fellow. Professional opinion is they're high on the 'will murder everyone present if they have to' scale, just like Mighty Jabba expected"

"Yes Sir, as you say Sir"

"Good man Hiyoku, keep up the good work!" the black and silver armoured Sith replied to the Hutt Guard Captain with a friendly and pleasant air that continued to confuse Shaak Ti as the guard disappeared inside the building with something the Sith handed him. He continued to study the distant figures, as did Shaak Ti, as she watched the lead one glance up in their direction before marching forward towards the Palace entrance from the landing pad. The Sith nodded as the Republic delegation marched inside, almost to himself, before putting a hand on her cloak covered shoulder.

"Now Master Ti, do I have your word of honour, as a Jedi Master, that you'll behave yourself?"

"Yes, you have"

A voiced distorted sigh came back as the hand patted her shoulder "Tsk, tsk, manners Shaak, manners"

She sighed herself, bowing her head "Yes I shall behave myself...Master. You will deliver upon your promises?"

He actually seemed offended by that, shaking his head "Who do I look like Darth Traditions? Of course I will, I've already part paid for your three friends freedom, so they'll go free unless your friends rightly kriff up...which is unlikely since their already friends with Jabba and a few of the Hutts already. And yes, the Hutts information, financial and smugglers intel, is all on the table. Aren't I such I friend and ally to the Republic?"

She gave him an irritated look, he, to her shock, only punished active resistance or threats, not mere distaste to him and his kind "As you say Master"

"Uh-huh, responsible I am. Your friends go free and you get to come with me on my exciting adventure to get my body back and ensure certain weapons caches are, in fact, destroyed and not waiting for some idiots to open them up and kill my shiny new galaxy. Artel really wants a body, I want a body...everybody wins!"

Shaak Ti glared "Except me...Master!"

"Yes, but you don't count because you tried to kill me and kriffed up in the effort. Another few months in service, a year and a bit at most, is suitable punishment in my, humble, opinion!"

She shook her head "When this war ends, perhaps before, the Council will hunt you down for this"

He snorted, apparently amused "Your Council will apparently hunt me down when the grand total of my plans consisted of drinking expensive alcohols, meeting pretty ladies, and figuring out to win at the casinos without giving away my Force abilities. You'll be my little insurance policy till I get back on my feet so to speak. Hey, you might even be able to redeem me back to the Light ya'know!"

Shaak Ti glared back at the Sith as he removed her cloak and led her back inside past the guards. She would almost prefer the torture to the next few months she suspected. One could only hope the Council would be able to mount a rescue for her several months faster than she believed would be the case...

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