[4 BBY]

['Imperial Quarters', 'Pleasure Palace' Deck, Xizor Transport Systems refitted Venture-class Star Destroyer (C-model) Reflections of Perfection, Flagship Cinnamon Wind Song Trade Caravan, on approach Ord Mantell, Bright Jewel Sector, Mid Rim Territories, (de jure) Galactic Republic Territories]

"My Prince" Xizor, of House Sizhran, Of the Royal Green Blood of Falleen glanced at the small holographic display of his 'Pleasure Yacht's' captain "As Ordered: I report we have emerged from hyperspace and are on approach to Ord Mantell spaceport. As projected, we will be docking within the hour"

"Excellent Captain Yeslen" he replied with a dismissive wave, lounging upon his gold and gem couch as two human female slaves fanned his robed form on either side "Secure connection is prepared?"

"Yes my prince"

"Good, I will connect in a moment. Ensure docking occurs without delay" he answered, ending the holo-call, and then pressing the silencing function on the two subordinate females hoods, rendering them blind and deaf for now as the eye covers turned black and earplugs shifted to white noise. Neither reacted of course, continuing to fan him as if nothing had changed;- they were well-trained despite being hot-blood human females prone to lack of control unlike his own, noble, species, or the human looking female-shaped Guri that stood obediently behind him. She, and her equally ridiculously expensive twin, Shuri, were exquisite in the droid nature, yet flesh form, in their absolute obedience to himself, as well as deadly combat capacity. Such was why only they were allowed to hear his more private talks as he entered a specific code and waiting a few moments for a familiar hutt-body to appear on holo-display.

"Prince Xizor"

Xizor inclined his head in a brief nod "Lord Zier, overruns were within acceptable limits, I hope? Secure and coherent galactic comms are proving ever more problematic with each passing year"

Or, rather, it was more a matter of secure systems, which Ord Mantell was for the Black Nebula faction of the now defunct Black Sun, to transmit and receive from. Intelligence services were growing ever more competent and aggressive since the end of both the Republic and Confederate Civil Wars, especially since those wars hadn't really ended in many ways. Blowing up, or simply data-mining, hyper-relays was far too common when things got bad, and Xizor and his associates had been forced to establish their own, expensive, hidden relays and courier pickets to ensure some measure of business could be restored; - both legitimate and not. As such Ord Mantell had become a vital hub for both such businesses, and featured a state-of-the-art communications array, one with heavy space defences.

"It is acceptable" the holo-hutt replied "Your voyage to Coruscant proved less than successful then you had wish I believe?"

Xizor merely nodded, waving one had dismissively. It was grating, but defeat had been expected…and had turned out to be true in regards the vast structure he had intended to be his 'summer palace' as his father referred to it "Yes, but to be expected, and while legal was on my side…"

He sighed, taking his wine in hand and sighing "The workers unions and their less than legal methods would involve a conflict we can ill-afford with Coruscant's current state"

A rather large fortune had gone into his Coruscanti Palace, even before the depths of the Clone Wars, and despite the building site surviving both the Atomic Bombings AND the Battle of Coruscant intact…it was unacceptable to the increasingly human and near-human viewing capital world. It had been a disaster world regardless, and his own efforts had been stymied during the years of rebuilding (and Rak-ghoul extermination) post the Battle of Coruscant nearly wrecking it. With the return of the Senate to its rebuilt district he'd hoped otherwise, but the gang wars he'd sponsored had largely been lost as the Coruscanti Workers Union, backed by the Restorationist Party, had now consolidated control of the world's underworld. Selling for half of its worth to New Republic Intelligence was all Xizor could do to salvage pride from the disastrous affair.

"A wise choice" and it seemed the Hutt would be looking for something, as he was being pleasant about the affair, rather than daring some vaguely backhanded response "Profitable operations within the New Republic are proving less and less achievable….do you see your sale aiding New Republic Intelligence?"

"Hmm" Xizor held his wine goblet up, pretending to study the golden-red liquid within "Merely in delaying Naval Intelligence's more outright hostile activities. NRI do remember favours, very much so for backers such as ourselves, but NRNI are growing increasingly bold in recent months I believe? What has it been? Two Resistance attacks on our caravans in under a month, yes?"

"It is a growing concern, yes" the hutt agreed, his holographic avatar smoking a pipe "You will ensure the Sector Fleet provides increased security? Or, perhaps, you too will be attacked upon your next voyage?"

"I would not put such foolishness beyond our friends in the New Republic, but it would be something they would severely regret" Xizor pointed out "Both from retaliation, and from the fact part of our delivery are warships for our friends and associates here and elsewhere"

Officially…technically….Ord Mantell was still the OverSector Headquarters of the Galactic Republic's Grand Army Eight Sector Army…

Of course, the Galactic Republic that it had been Grand Army of did not exist anymore, the New Republic's claims otherwise aside, and in truth what remained of the Eight Army (and Fleet) was now a blocking force for both Republican and Confederate forces. Not that much had come out of the Core since the Battle of Coruscant and the three-way truce, turning armistice and treaty, between Alsakan, Corellia, and Kuat. But it something that the Black Nebula feared would change soon, just as many others, from individual systems to the larger successor states such as the Empire and rump CIS, were wary of. It was something that he and his associates would rather avoid now that they had both a strong influence on the Mid and Outer Rim in the 'galactic north', and that matters had started to stabilise. Till 'The Resistance' had appeared in the last two years with its suspiciously advanced starfighters and trained pilots at least.

"Such as your own starship"

"Mine is a mere…pleasure vessel" he replied with amusement to the Hutt "Just as the three other large vessels are mere refitted civilian hulls. Auxiliaries for the Ord Mantell Defence Fleet"

All of which was technically true of course, albeit a complete lie as well. The four Venture-class 'Large Haulage Transports' were the, so-called,(C)ivilian-model of the Imperial V-series Star Destroyer range. The stripped down, no-state secrets, export model that allowed those damned Imperials side-fund their replacement and expansion of their fleets. It was a copying of the Trade Federation's own strategy with the Lucrehulk-class just prior to the outbreak of the Fall of the Republic Wars, but Xizor and his associates had acquired a handful through their Hutt connections. Still stripped down, with civilian-grade systems…till they'd gotten them to Hutt and then the CIS yards where all four he'd brought had been refitted. One as his own personal vessel, and the other three to being true modern warships that would allow patrol expansion in this OverSector by his organisations coopted Republic Fleet officers.

The hutt nodded "Projected timeline?"

"Five to six months" Xizor replied sipping his wine "Crews have been training on them since Nar Shadda, and they'll train the full crew compliments. Pilots, skilled ones, will take a little longer, but we had acquired various trainers to ensure adequate standards to deal with professionals as we expect they might face"

"Mercenary contracts would speed that up"

"They are also more vulnerable to NRNI, and therefore Resistance, infiltration, let alone efforts by ISA, CISI, or any number of agencies. The delay time is oft to ensure sufficient vetting be done"

The hutt, unsurprisingly, accepted that response as his Clan superiors were just as picky as Xizor had to be, even down to both 'serving girls' currently on either side. Twin sisters, one a widow, whose daughter was receiving a high calibre education on Xizor's recommendation and under his security, with no other family or genetic links that he was unaware of. Humans were a 'popular' run of slaves of late, but that meant potential infiltration from the dangerously fanatical groups starting to emerge within the Core especially. Such matters extended then to patrol and military forces supported within the 'free zones' that were still technically under the Republic or Confederate aegis, but were, de jure, independent.

It was still a limbo region, as both the Confederacy and the New Republic retained claims to the vast, quasi-lawless, 'galactic north', but the wilder and freer nature had allowed great profits to be reaped by Xizor and his associates. And with the way the Core was turning as the months passed….well, it was merely good sense to ensure that the current geopolitical situation remained in place. Something that was increasingly difficult with the violent terrorists and pirates that the New Republic was supporting despite the best efforts of the New Republic government itself. All those bribes given had proven successful…till the degenerates that were the citizenry at large had started to resist the commands of their betters. Disgusting really, and for a Falleen such as himself it was, once again, why the system of nobility, vassals, and thralls was required for a sane and stable society rather than passionate and primitive savagery of warm-blooded species.

His associate puffed smoke out of his pipe on the display "The situation in Bilbringi?"

Xizor shook his goblet gently, side to side "Shipyards are in full production, as are the breaker lines, but they are being shockingly recalcitrant to our offers. It would, normally, warrant more active measures, but I suspect that would only open up inroads for NRNI or its puppets as the local management are not only recalcitrant to our efforts, but are actively rebuffing New Republic efforts"

"A problematic situation" Ziel agreed unhappily "The production capacity would be most beneficial in the current market environment"

The fallen shook head "Not unless we are willing to invest significantly more resources…which would place us in a bidding war, either legitimate, or a war of mercenaries and assassins that is best avoided for now, or, perhaps, at all. For it would be as likely to draw active responses as a successful replacement of shipyard and planetary management"

'That and it would likely offend our supporters amongst the Confederates and the Imperials' Xisor did not acknowledge as he sipped his wine, emitting a stronger pulse of pheromones to continue training of his two unaware subordinates 'And then we would have no more access to warships to sell at high margin to our associates in the independent systems such as Ord Mantell here'

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