Nar Shaddaa…
Moon to the home planet of one of the most dangerous and despicable beings in any part of the Galaxy, the sprawling ecumenopolitan planetoid floated on the dark side of her parent world, dimming the light of an already dark and depressing hell hole. The bright neon lights on the tops of the massive skyscrapers shined brightly, however, in contrast to the dark, damp streets below.
Amidst the rising skyline of the planet, hundreds, maybe thousands of sky-cars and transports and ships flew in and out. Some entered the buildings or landed upon external pads to drop off their passengers and cargo. Surplus Z-95 Starfighters patrolled the skies and vetted the transports moving through the place, guiding them to landing sites or, in extreme cases, escorting them to be 'dealt with'.
The ship that Ahsoka and Zak had taken glided in toward a designated landing site and, on board her, Ahsoka donned a cape and cloak, before handing one to Zak. The young man's eyes shot open, to which the Jedi told him, "Rebel uniform's not gonna do you any favors now that we're in Hutt territory. All it takes is one bad apple to turn you in…"
He sighed, then asked, "Guess I got no choice, huh?"
"Nope… C'mon. R7 will land the ship," She replied, to which he nodded, sliding back in his seat and turning it around before standing up. He put on the cloak and made sure it was nice and tight to hide his blaster and uniform, before he looked once more outside the ship's main viewing port. As they descended into the lower levels, the little natural light they had from the Stars had been replaced by the glimmering, multicolor kaleidoscope of Neon advertisements in both Huttese and Aurebesh-written Galactic Basic.
When the ship touched down, the two walked over to the hatch and descended onto the landing pad. A fat, somewhat humanoid creature with flapping wings, a thick, wrinkled trunk-like nose and thin weak limbs approached them, speaking in a terrifyingly thick accent, "Ey, who told you you could land he-" only to freeze as he saw Ahsoka. He stuttered, "L-Lady Ahsoka. I didn't think we'd see you again after-"
"Relax, Oppa," The girl spoke before pulling a few Credits out of her pocket and handing them to him. She said, "We'll just be in and out… Gotta go talk to the Boss about something," just as the whirring of a Droid's servos reached them. The chirps of R7's voice modulator told them he was coming with, which made Zak smile.
"Who's the guy?" Oppa whispered to Ahsoka, glaring at Zak with distrust.
She looked back at the Toydarian and replied snidely, "He's the guy who needs a favor from your Boss," before patting him on the shoulder and calling out, "C'mon, Zak. We gotta hope we'll catch him free…" as she began to walk away. Zak hummed, then nodded and ran to join her side while Oppa paused, seeing the faintest hint of a camouflage pattern before scratching his chin and grinning as he looked at the Credits in his hand.
As the young man slowed to match Ahsoka's pace, he asked, "Didn't expect you to know the Toydarian working this dock… How?"
She frowned for a moment as her mind seemed to think back to some old, painful memories, before her facial expression shifted to a somewhat sad smile. She explained, "Had to disappear from the face of the Galaxy somehow… I called in one of the favors I had with a local Hutt lord. And it looks like I'm gonna have to call in my last one to get you home."
"... Oh," He blinked, "Holy Hell, you have a Hutt who owes you favors?" before casting a glance back as he saw something move in the shadows behind them…
"They're old," She chuckled, waving it off, then added, "But the little Hutt's nothing if not a slug of his word," and she scanned their surroundings. They blended in with the crowd, marching down one of the many dirty paths of the Nar Shaddaa undercity in step like your average Core Worlds Civvie going to work for the day. Other hooded figures walked among the crowds, though they were moving in either the opposite direction, or away.
Zak, meanwhile, gawked at the sheer variation of species. From the wrinkle-faced Weequay with their top-knot hair and love for mercenary work and piracy, to Zabrak men and women alike, the horned humanoids famed for their cannibalistic tendencies and single-mindedness and to the reptilian Rodians, also incredibly proficient Bounty Hunters, clad in tight suits of many colors and carrying blasters.
There were other familiar species, like the Ithorians, a peaceful group of mammalian humanoid aliens with hunched backs, really thin arms and legs that were thick as stumps, as well as heads that arced up with two forward-facing eyes making the shape of a T, or the Ugnaughts, short, stout and tech-savvy mammals with pink skin and snouts.
It was a true tapestry of alien life with few Humans or humanoid aliens, like Twi'Leks and other Togruta, sprinkled in among them, even if something felt like it didn't belong. Ahsoka spoke, "Stay close," and looked back at him, her deep blue eyes locking onto his as she told him, "You're about as likely to be pickpocketed here as you are to be shot or stabbed for looking wrong at someone. And the local hospitals aren't pleasant enough to warrant a visit."
"... How far are we from your Hutt friend?" He asked quietly, getting a little bit closer to her while keeping a hand on his blaster and another on his credit pouch. Water splashed on his cloak from a puddle on the road and a few drops landed on his pants, causing him to shiver a little. Yeah, the City Life wasn't for him.
Ahsoka replied, "Not far…" while leading him toward one of the entrances to the most advertisement-heavy building in the district. A perfect microcosm of the planet as a whole stood around this building, with advertisements to expensive products plastered in glowing colored lights just above the dozens of beggars of both human and alien origin alike.
Entering the Lobby, they were greeted by a strange sense of Opulence. With guards in actual uniforms posted at every corner of this strange establishment, watching over the patrons and holding very visible blaster rifles, Zak soon realized they had walked into a casino. A sprawling casino with dozens of levels and amenities ranging from bars to even a small lounge area where soft music played.
Zak had never witnessed such lavish spaces, nor such strange sights as the life on an Ecumenopolis world. He had read of Coruscant before, the seat of Galactic Power, home to the Senate and the Emperor now, Chancellor previously. It was the seat of Galactic Power regardless of whose flag flew over its highest point.
This, though… This kind of squalor mixing in with lavishness, was horrifying.
Many of the workers around them, Twi'Leks, were slaves dressed in fancy dresses to entertain the patrons of the place. Some even stopped and cast fake smiles at the young man, trying to urge him to one of the many gambling stations, while others offered fancy food and alcoholic drinks as they passed. He shook his head and thanked them politely, then moved closer to Ahsoka.
She joked, "I'm not much for casinos either, but it's nice to see my buddy expanded the business…" before pausing in front of the red-carpet-covered marble stairs as two Guards stopped in front of them, blasters ready, but on safe. The young soldier's hand wrapped around the grip of his own blaster, but a small and almost unnoticeable wave of the hand from Ahsoka calmed him down.
One of them spoke with an edge to his voice, "Basic patrons are only allowed on the first floor of the Casino. Show an ID or pay the Credit fee if you want to pass…"
"I'm here to see boss Rotta," Ahsoka spoke, "Personal business."
"Heh. Here to get hired?" He joked, tilting his head toward the couple of Togruta and even several human servants handing out drinks to a table of Weequay in the far back, before stating, "Afraid the Boss doesn't do meet and greets with random Schuttas off the street, or their boyfriends," before he tapped his blaster and ordered, "Either stay and play, or leave…"
Ahsoka cracked a knowing smirk, then shook her head. She moved her hand out from underneath her cloak, revealing her blaster… And lifting said hand to show a signet of some sort. One that Zak barely recognized as a Hutt emblem of some kind, lined with the writings of the Crime Syndicate it belonged to.
The Mercenary blanked, took a step back and said, "Go on in. Boss is in the First Floor lounge," with a bit of concern in his voice. The girl smiled, then showed R7 and Zak to follow, with the droid chirping happily and the Rebel letting out a short laugh as they climbed the stairs. The Rebel, meanwhile, stared up at Ahsoka.
He asked her, "You got a Hutt clan signet?"
She replied, "I did more than a few favors for the Hutt we're going to see…" before mumbling, "Namely saving his life twice," as they climbed. Marching up to the second floor, where a whole new set of games like Magna-shuffle, Sabacc, Pazaak and even Denebian Holo-Chess tables where people were betting were placed around, each in a specific section.
A lot of odd jobs and Mercenaries eyed them as they passed by, some tapping the blasters in their holsters with their digits and appendages. Ahsoka gently pulled her cloak aside to reveal her own pistol, which made them turn away. Zak, however, paused when he saw four slaves, a Twi'lek, two Togruta and a young human girl respectively, standing face-to-face with a male patron. The Human male grabbed the young human girl by the wrist and started dragging her over.
She screamed and fought back, but one of the Slavers, a Zyggerian, a feline humanoid, hit a button and the slave collar she was wearing sent a rippling shock through her body. He handed the human male the button, then grinned as he simply watched the man drag her into a side room, the door closing behind them.
Zak turned, wanting to walk there, to stop them. He would've regardless of if it was a human or an alien, but he couldn't just stand by and let-he felt Ahsoka grab his hand. She stared at him, a frown on her face and narrowed lips, then shook her head and said, "No… As much as I want to help her, too… We can't do anything. This is how Nar Shaddaa is."
He yanked his hand out of hers and demanded angrily, "And what am I supposed to do? Let her-"
"If you do anything but head for Rota right now… We're gonna get shot or thrown out of here. And we're stuck," The girl replied, sighing. She watched the other three slaves get dragged away by the Zyggerrian and, though her own blood boiled, she admitted, "... I hate it, too. But I made you a promise I'm gonna get you to your buddies. And I intend to keep it…"
The young man sighed deeply, clenching his fists, then his shoulders sagged as he saw two Guards tense up nearby, hands hovering over their blaster pistols. He relaxed, then nodded to Ahsoka and showed her to lead the way, which she did. The biggest doors on the First Floor waited for them dead ahead, seemingly made of Cortosis-infused starship-grade steel. The Hutt emblem was, of course, inlaid with gold into the material.
She then lifted the signet and pressed it against a scanner built into the ornate, gold-trim wall next to the door. The locks began to hiss and open, the door sliding apart down the middle and opening to reveal a room with a massive panoramic transparisteel window that showed much of a different side of the lower levels, a large, familiarly hutt-ish bed in the center with a table and a holo-screen to the far right on which swoop races played.
Staring at the screen, back turned to the door and under the protection of two IG-88 mercenary droids, both of which had turned their optical sensors on the axes of their very thin heads to see who had come in, a fat, greenish-gray-skinned Hutt stared, clapping at the sight of his racer seemingly winning the lap. He spoke, "I knew I bet on that rat for a reason…"
He paused, however, as he heard a knock, then said, "Whoever you are, I'm a bit busy at the moment. My IG-88s will take your request or complaint up happily," before laughing a little as the droids visibly lifted their blasters and charged them. Zak tensed again, going for his gun, but Ahsoka yet again stopped his brashness from killing them.
Pulling down her hood, she asked with a teasing tone to her voice, "That really a way to treat an old friend, Stinky?"
The Hutt visibly stiffened and froze. He turned around slowly, slithering as his tail curled before two lizardlike slit eyes with orange irises met them, wide as saucers. The fat lips of the Hutt curled into an inhumanly large smile as he threw his hands up and said, "Ahsoka! It has positively been too long since I've seen you! Come here!" as he started happily slithering to her.
The girl cracked a smile, opened her arms and let herself be hugged by the giant slug as she spoke, "Sure has been, big guy…" only to watch him wave his hand toward the IGs. They nodded and began walking away, way too unnaturally robotic. The door then closed shut behind them, locks clicking multiple times.
The Hutt slid back a little, putting his hands together, then said, "Oh, this is so exciting! It's been years since Rendili! Can I offer you anything? Maybe some Abrax or Revnog! Oh, or maybe something to eat! The chef I hired makes some of the finest frog legs this side of the Rim!" and the bloody excitement the Hutt was showing was sort of strange, if not endearing to Zak.
Ahsoka smiled sadly, then sighed and said, "Afraid I'm not here just for curtsy or to catch up, Rotta…" before she grew serious, "... Something happened."
"I certainly figured as much," The Hutt let out a guttural sigh, before slithering forward a little as he said, "You would not have come out of hiding on Teth if nothing happened…" before casting a glance at the Rebel soldier and mumbling, "And I don't think it's going to be some sort of wedding I'm invited to… A Rebel soldier, this far from any of your bases?"
"... Y-Yeah…" He nodded, then bowed, "Oh, great Rotta the Hutt-"
"Don't, don't, don't," The Hutt waved it off, "Are you a friend of Ahsoka's?"
"I guess you could say that?" Zak replied awkwardly, smiling.
The Hutt put his hands together and replied to that with, "Then you are a friend of mine. What's your name?"
"Zak…"
"Well, Zak," Rotta opened his arms, greeting the young man warmly with, "Welcome to the Red Wrangler. My little piece of heaven, as gifted by Father. He had to pull many strings with the rest of the kajidics on Nal Hutta and here to allow me to run this place… A little test of my skills as a businessman."
"Huh," Zak replied, a bit miffed, but trying not to show it to not upset Rotta, "Thank you for welcoming me in…" before he looked at Ahsoka and tilted his head.
She replied, "Right… Rotta, I need to cash in that last favor right now to get Zak here back to the nearest Rebel base," only to hear him gasp in surprise. She told him, "Yeah, the situation's bad enough that I'm considering going to them to talk… The Imperials poked something they shouldn't have over Teth. After they destroyed Zak's fleet, I mean."
"Oh?" The Alien raised a brow. He motioned to the couch that lined the wall where the panoramic window was, before slithering over toward the bed and climbing within it. The two walked over and sat down in front of him, with R7 beeping as it followed not far behind. Rotta asked them next, "What happened? Spare no details."
The Jedi leaned into the couch and sighed deeply, stating, "... Some sort of new fleet appeared out of Hyperspace overhead. From what little we could tell, anyway. The Empire must've pissed them off somehow, because by the time I met Zak here, the Imps were fighting an orbital battle and their search teams on Teth were engaged by the newcomers…"
"Very weird-looking people, armed with energy weapons, too…" Zak continued, scratching his cheek, "One of them even had some sort of microwave gun… Boiled an Imperial Stormtrooper in his suit in one blast. Popped him like a wart," and he shivered, remembering the gruesome sight and the screaming…
Ahsoka put a hand on his shoulder, then sighed as she saw Rotta crack a small smile, before telling him, "By the time we got into orbit, whatever Imperial Fleet had come to reinforce the Star Destroyer that wiped out the Rebel task group was gone… Wrecks ranging from TIEs to Arquitens and Imperators… It was insane. And in the middle of it all, ships that looked like…"
"Like Cathedrals," The Rebel spoke, then sighed and rubbed his face, "They had enough firepower to wipe out an entire Imperial Fleet in there," before leaning forward and stating, "At least they seem to be willing to talk, taking into account that one guy we captured by sheer luck. And they let us go, so there might be something to them…"
"... Anyone who employs the kinds of weapons you just described does not sound too friendly," Rotta mumbled, before crossing his arms and asking, "And Cathedrals? It almost sounds as if the Pius Dea, those religious madmen from ancient history, returned…" and he rubbed his fat chin as he considered the issue. He sighed and asked, "And you want a new ship to get to the Rebels? Listening to my advice, eh?"
"Better not risk anything," Ahsoka admitted, "How long will it take?"
"Two days at most, but I will be leaving you with a good, fast ship," Rotta replied, then added, "Disappointingly enough, I will not be here to see you off… I will be visiting father on Tatooine to discuss a business strategy in the next few hours. I was trying to make a little more money through the Swoop Race bets in the meanwhile," and he jabbed a thumb back toward the Holoscreen, which luckily displayed his favored as the winner. He grinned wryly…
"We'll take it…" Ahsoka nodded, "Meanwhile the old ship's all yours. Or Oppa's, if you wanna give it to that nerf-herder," and she smiled.
"You can rest here while you wait for your ship," He told them, smiling, "I'll make sure to send someone to retrieve you when it's ready."
The door opened again, with a Twi'lek male servant clad in a suit bowing as he entered. The man had an emblem on his shoulder which denoted he was a pilot. He spoke, "Boss Rotta. The Charon is fueled and ready to depart to Tatooine. Your father has requested your presence on matters of importance to the Tiure family…"
"Thought you said the next few hours," Ahsoka chuckled.
Rotta snorted, "Family calls early, it seems. Enjoy the accommodations! They're free for friends of the family! And safe trip to both of you back to Zak's friends!" and he slithered off with a smile on his face. As the door shut behind the Hutt, Zak couldn't help but stare with the most dumbfounded expression in the world. The girl looked at him.
"What?" She asked, nonchalant.
"... A Hutt just acted nice to us," The young man finally managed to utter, causing the young former Jedi to snort. He asked warily, "What the Kriff kind of alternate reality are we in?" while leaning back into his seat. Ahsoka burst into laughter at that, then shook her head. She leaned over the couch and dimmed the windows, turning them opaque, before standing up and walking over to another corner of the place where she could rest.
Well… Zak figured he'd be on watch duty.
… Something still irked him. Like something was watching them…
On a nearby rooftop…
"Contacts acquired. Large xeno lifeform has departed the room," Spoke a voice so flat, it might as well have been that of a robot. On one knee, his comically massive rifle aimed down range, sensor suites within the scope peering through the opaque glass of the window and bathing the two contacts in the white of their thermal signatures, an Assassin of the Clade of the Vindicare kept tabs on the unknowing Xeno and human allies of the Imperium.
"Well," Spoke a more sultry, familiar voice which leaned against the air conditioning unit behind the assassin as she twirled a power blade by the circular pommel, "That makes things a little easier…" and she approached the Vindicare's side. Clad in a tight suit meant to allow her to mimic any being, alien or human, male or female, another Assassin of the Callidus Clade took a knee beside the man. She asked, "How many patrons and Guards?"
"One thousand seven hundred twenty-three Xenos inside. Approximately three hundred guards. Divided between levels," The Vindicare replied, shifting his aim to scan the entire building. He lowered his rifle and looked up at the Callidus Assassin, asking her, "Can you get in there, Samara? Contacting those two may be imperative…"
"All I have to do is pick a target to change into," She replied with a smile that was visible behind the skintight mask, "No need to worry your pretty little head about it, CILX," before she sheathed the Power Blade and checked her own pistol, "For now, though… We observe. Lord Horus's fleet will only arrive within two days, after all."
"Objectives are:Scout Xeno planet, find targets of interest, mark for fleet and invasion forces," The Vindicare recited almost mechanically. His Callidus comrade let out a low chuckle, then shrugged, which made the Sniper visibly tense. He looked back through the scope and reported, "... Contacts are currently inactive. Sleeping."
The Callidus then watched the vessel the two had come in on leave the landing pad, its tracker still active, followed by another starship departing from higher up in the tower. It was joined by two of their strange, flat-winged fighters as it transitioned from ground to orbit. Samara then stood up and spoke, "And that's the slug gone…" before putting her hand up to her ear and commenting, "Voxcast channel secured by Encryption Theta. Connection accepted and routed through the Lord Vanion… Scout Squad Primus to Secundus. Anything to report?"
"Enslavement of human and abhuman beings alike is prevalent across this Moon. We've spotted approximately four separate slave markets selling Humans and Humanoid beings. Team Tertius is on the Moon's home planet and is reporting similar sightings among the bogs. Large palaces, ruled over by these slug creatures and filled with Slaves and Xeno Mercenaries," A different Callidus, this one a male with a thicker voice, replied over the Vox.
Samara hummed, then added, "Proceed to find targets of interest. We're tracking the two Contacts that brought us here. Sloop Lord Vanion, did you receive the reports?"
"Affirmative, Primus. Continue observation and find any targets of opportunity you can. We're relaying your reports to the Vengeful Spirit as we speak," The Captain of the vessel, a health-harried hag on her tenth rejuvenation treatment, replied with a creaky voice. The Callidus gave one affirmative tap on her ear and shut off the communication signal.
"Guess it's back to scouting…" Samara murmured, before looking at CILX and telling him, "Keep them in your sights. I'll go find Secundus and join them in painting targets," before walking past the Shooter and giving him a pat on the shoulder. He merely gave a very, very light nod of confirmation, the eyes behind his red goggles still locked down the advanced scope of his Exitus rifle.
The Callidus woman descended from their perch, landing amidst a dark alley where nothing but vermin and human homeless resided. Though said homeless stared at her, they said nothing as they watched the blade that flickered emerald emerging from her gauntlet. She zeroed in on one of the Xeno mercenaries as he was passing by the alley, utilizing the darkness to shield herself and hide.
When the Xeno turned the corner, walking out of the crowd and into the alley, he did not walk for much farther regardless of whatever he planned to do here. A headless corpse stumbled forward, dropping dead in front of the homeless aliens. They scrambled and moved away, not making much noise beside a few screams muffled by whatever psychotropic drugs they had ingested.
Kneeling and activating her own 'drug', the Polymorphine Callidus assassins were so well-known for, she took the shape of the dead alien. As her body changed, bones restructuring and realigning, skin and genetic make up modifying on the spot to take the form of this strange, human-looking alien, the woman slowly donned his uniform, including his blue shirt, brown vest, pants and boots.
Sliding the pistol he had with him in its holster, the Callidus Assassin stood up. She, or he, now, picked up the corpse and dumped it and the head into an overflowing trash container before throwing a few more bags onto it to hide it properly, before dropping the lid. She paused, hearing another set of footsteps approaching, then heard a rough voice call out to her, "Mowag, let's move. Boss Rotta may be gone for the week, but we've still got work."
"I'm coming," The Callidus-disguised-as-this-alien replied, marching out from the darkness to reveal herself in the perfect form and impersonation of the strange Alien humanoid, one of the 'Weequay', as she'd heard they were called. The now-amber eyes of her disguise were locked onto the alien male ahead, who cradled one of their plasma rifles close to his chest.
The other Alien tugged at his own collar, stating, "Good to see you got those human Lowlives to move away…" before pausing as he saw just how stiff his buddy was. He asked, "You doing well? You look a little pale."
"Must've been that slight bit of exercise I got kicking those vermin out," The disguised Assassin replied, though those words left a bitter aftertaste, "What's our patrol route?"
Confusion played across the other alien's face as he replied slowly, "... The fuel depots first… Then the docking area for the fighter squadron and back to the casino," before looking him over and asking, "Did one of those little Bantha herders hit you before they scrammed? Boss doesn't take kindly to people who aren't at a hundred percent."
"I'm fine," The Callidus-Weequay scoffed, "Let's just get moving…"
They moved back onto the patrol route again, marching through the crowds of human and alien alike. Samara cracked a smirk that she hid from her temporary partner, then rifled through her pockets for the tracker beacons she'd been given to place upon hostile targets. When she got to the Casino, she'd probably warn the Alien and her human compatriot to leave the planet before long… Although observation could still go on a couple days…
… Exactly a day and a half later, Samara stood, still clad in the form of the Weequay she'd killed, 'Mowag', while looking around at the opulent alien Casino. She was getting odd stares from her disguise's former comrades, but she didn't care. Right now, she simply stared at the room where she knew their pair of unwitting Allies was.
"Mowag!" One of the other Weequay, the one she'd patrolled with while placing those targeting beacons, called out to her. She turned to face him and raised a brow, to which he told her, "Boss Rotta just sent word the ship for our VIPs is ready. Get'em moving out of the Lounge to landing pad four," and got a nod in return.
She cracked a smirk, walking up the stairwell to the first floor, past patrons, both drunk and sober, alien and human, before approaching the door and utilizing the Signet Ring she'd stolen with the uniform to enter the place. She found the female alien watching a Hololyth screen and the male human fast asleep, covered by a blanket. She saw the alien visibly perk up, then turn toward them, surprising her.
At first, she stared with a deadpan, maybe just slightly confused. Before long, however, she furrowed her brows and stood up, tensely gripping her plasma pistol with one hand and stating, "... You can drop the disguise now, whoever, or whatever you are…" just as the Human male stirred awake and looked up, still bleary-eyed.
He yawned and asked, "What's the attitude, Ahsoka…?" while straightening up and gently tugging at his own cloak to straighten it out. He was obviously still waking up, having caught a good night's rest despite the accommodation being more fit for that giant alien slug, whatever it was.
"... That's not a normal Weequay, for one," The girl replied, voice just a hint sharper and angrier, "So… You one of the people who've been watching us?"
… To Zak's waking brain, Ahsoka was talking nonsense. That was a Weequay bodyguard belonging to their friend, Rotta. Although the way Ahsoka glared at the man caused his own brain to immediately flip to alert mode. He stood up, hand hovering over his pistol, but the Weequay spoke, "I wouldn't do that…" before its voice distorted, switching to a chillingly cold female one, "If I were you…"
The gruesome shifting of flesh and bone that followed caused Zak to blank as the alien form shifted, turned and crackled, skin boiling away and dripping to the floor to reveal the frame of a human female clad in a jet-black suit, bearing a gauntlet with a flickering energy blade. She spoke with amusement in her voice, "How fun~. You must be quite the strong Psyker to feel what is under my disguise…"
"Just really good at spotting fakes," Ahsoka replied, still tense, "What do you want?"
"Simply to tell you your ship is ready…" She said, sheathing her blades and flicking a bit of remaining fleshbits off her shoulder. As she saw the female alien move to draw her pistol, she stated, "My companion has had a bead on both of you for the past day and a half, my dear Xeno female. I wouldn't recommend drawing… Exitus rifles hurt."
The former Jedi growled, then lowered her hand. She asked, "How'd you follow us?"
"Simple, really… A small bug on your ship," She replied calmly, crossing her arms, "Smart of you to change it," and the horrified look in both their eyes spoke volumes. She chuckled and said, "Worry not. You're not our intended target, nor considered enemies yet. In fact, Lord Horus wants to thank you for leading us to this Cesspit…"
"Oh, Force," Ahsoka whispered, "What are you gonna do?"
"Something you shouldn't worry your pretty little three-tailed head about," The Callidus assassin replied, then turned and hit the button to open the door, telling them, "Landing pad four. Safe travels~!" as she disappeared into the shadows. The Jedi scoffed, grabbed Zak by the arm and dragged him out of the place.
In Orbit…
Though they arrived twelve hours earlier than expected, Horus's fleet was prepared. The very heavens seemed to split at the seams as the Empyrean tore open portals to give way to the thousand-strong Crusade Fleet, revealing realspace and the strange beauty of the system they found themselves in. Vox and communication traffic began to filter through the consoles of the ship, one of the crew reporting, "We've cleared temporal distortions. Realspace re-entry successful. Gellar fields disengaged…"
Horus stared at the two planets before them. Or, more accurately, he gazed upon a Hive-World Moon and a world of swamps and xenofauna waiting for them to make landfall. The large planet, known as Nal Hutta to the locals, showed little signs of habitation despite its supposed role as the capital of a species of despicable xeno slugs.
He spoke, "A Hive World and a world of swamps… Fitting first conquests," to himself, before asking, "Status on the planetary defense fleets?"
"They have detected us, my liege," The Auspex operator reported, "Currently cautious, but entering very loose battle formations," before letting out a light laugh and stating, "Pirate skiffs and vessels that look like they're meant to sail on the high seas are all that has come to greet us, my lord!" all while the Hololyth in the middle showed them.
Indeed, the vessels resembled naval craft of the ancient days, roaming across the ancient seas of the great many Terra-like planets that now made up the Imperium as a whole, instead of proper spacefaring vessels. They even had their plasma weapons mounted on the sides, poking out of portholes like some old Pirate tales.
Horus hummed, then ordered, "Have all combat vessels prepared to engage. Initiate System-wide voxcast. Time to see if these slugs are as smart as they are repulsive," his voice calm and steady, as expected of the Warmaster of the Imperium. His Mournival stood not that far behind him, staring at the two jewels, the two planets they would take to start the conquest of this Galaxy.
When the go-ahead was given by the Voxcast officer, Horus cleared his throat and began speaking, his voice booming with a combination of Psychic might and the will of every man, woman and child in this Fleet, "... This is Horus Lupercal. Warmaster of the Imperium of Man and commander of the Crusade Fleet of the Sixteenth Legion, speaking to you from the Flagship, Vengeful Spirit. By my side are a thousand of the finest vessels of the Imperium and legions of her greatest soldiers. Needless bloodshed can be avoided, as all we ask of you is to surrender and accept the light of the Imperial Truth.
"Consider this choice carefully. You will not be given it again…" He then warned, his voice growing a hint colder. The Voxcaster removed his hand from the transmission button while they watched the dozens of skiffs and small craft ahead finish taking their formations. The entire Imperial Crusade Force waited with bated breaths to here the Xenos' response.
… Horus was not keen on those who enslaved his fellow humans. The only ways for the aliens in charge of these planets to repent would be through either servitude of the same kind they forced upon Humanity, or death, he thought to himself. The likeliest outcome, as always, would certainly come to be the second one. Let none say, however, that Lupercal didn't try to offer them bloodless repentance.
The com system of the ship boomed with some foul alien language, the voice of the speaker, one of the Hutts, filled with ire and hatred. The com shut off and the Auspex operator reported, "Enemy ships have powered their energy shields and have charged weapons. We have firing solutions for their entire defense force."
The first emerald bolts lit the night, travelling the void between the two Fleets and striking the void shields of the Sloops, Corvettes and Frigates of Horus's fleet. The man let out a deep sigh, then ordered, "Battle formation Theta. Have the Screening Ships sweep the enemy's fleet aside and prepare for planetstrike on both worlds. Urban warfare kits."
He looked back at the Mournival and said, "Torgaddon… Take your Company, a force from our Solar Auxilia and three Regiments of Imperial Army Troopers down to the Hives of that Moon. Sweep the planet and rescue the Humans and Abhumans you can find… Everything else is to be destroyed at your discretion."
His Son slammed his armored fist to his chest, then walked away while the others looked on. Horus then ordered, "Ezekyle, you are to take 'Nal Hutta' from the grip of these Slugs. Spare none. These worlds will be the stepping stone to seizing this Galaxy," as he looked upon Abaddon. The Transhuman officer of his First Company cracked a proud grin, then bowed his head and walked off.
Horus sighed, then looked ahead as their screening ships' energy lances fired their first volleys, cracking asunder several of the makeshift vessels, skiffs and presumed Refitted Cargo Vessels while their interceptors screamed out of their hangars to engage the enemy's monowing fighters in close quarter combat. He watched a single speck fly out from the planet into the distance, then wink off into their FTL, Hyperspace.
"Scout Unit Primus reports our unwitting Allies have escaped. Their ship is not being tracked," The Voxcaster stated, "Should we send a Sloop again?"
"Without a tracker, it would be useless… Let one or two of the Hutts' ships slip their moorings, but do what you did to the freighter the Human and his Xeno friend used to escape Teth," Horus stated, "Then, we deploy scouts…" and he stared ahead. Their Fleets swept aside the enemy defenses in three volleys, including the planetary defense platforms hovering over both the Moon and Nal Hutta. Their Planetstrike craft left the hangar bays of the thousand ships.
… On the moon of Nar Shaddaa, there was pandemonium.
Alarms like those of air raids wailed overhead as Civilians and Slaves were being directed by the myriad of Mercenaries belonging to the Hutt Cartels to whatever safety they could find. In the planetside defense hangars, the Z95 Starfighters' pilots boarded their craft and powered their engines as one engineer noticed a glimmering dot in the back of the hangar.
When the Ughnaught picked it up and looked at it, letting out a few noises of confusion akin to porcine oinks, he froze and felt a chill shoot up his spine as the roar of engines filled the hold of the Hangar. Through the open doors leading to the outside, the Ugnaught saw the sky light ablaze, the smog burning dark-greens and reds as turbolaser defense battery shots traced arcs in the sky.
Through the clouds next emerged a rain of artificial meteoroids, burning with the heat of re-entry and adjusting their courses to dodge the fire of Nar Shaddaa's defensive turrets. As the Starfighters powered their ion engines, the source of the growing roar made itself known:A blocky craft, laden with heavy weapons all across its wings, hovered into place ahead of the main door to the hangar. It had S-Foils like most modern InCom craft, angled low and attached to the main wings. In a casemate on the top, it had a massive main cannon fo some kind, that the Ugnaught could see right down the rifled barrel of.
Painted a stark, greyish white with red accents, it had an emblem emblazoned on its forward door, that of a black wolf placed against a crescent moon, its amber eyes glaring vilely at them as if it was a true beast of the night. A Dropship the likes of which none had seen until now, its body marred by the scorching heat of re-entry through black burn marks.
Neither the alien staff servicing the fighters, nor the pilots who were about to take off and engage in battle managed to let out a scream before the Thunderhawk gunship of the Luna Wolves' Second Company let loose with its full complement of heavy artillery. Twin-linked heavy bolters, Las-cannons, heavy missiles and the central spinal cannon ripped into the hangar, causing a rippling chain detonation that ripped through the hangar.
Long tongues of fire sprouted out from the superstructure of the Hangar and the building beneath it, shattering windows outward as fuel and gas lines detonated. The Thunderhawk's pilot and gunner ceased fire before gently moving the craft away. The building exploded outward and crumpled, taking shards of the streets and substreets with it, collapsing deep below.
The first of the Dropships belonging to the Imperial Army and Auxillia landed on the streets as blasters and turbolasers shot up at them, striking the hulls of the craft and heating them at points. When the first Auxilia craft made landfall, its maw opened, spewing out a wave of the black-and-red-clad Cthonian Headhunters while, beside them, lighter, box-like dropships disgorged battle-dress uniform clad Regulars of the Army.
Lasgun bolts met the blasters of the Pirates and Slavers that turned to fight. The bolts pierced through men and aliens alike, well-aimed shots by the Headhunters as they descended from their drop-ships onto the Planet. A platoon of Regular Infantry took cover as their drop-ship lifted off back toward the fleet, firing its complement of weapons at enemy Anti-Air emplacements.
One of the soldiers spoke, "Hell of a drop!" as he shouldered his Lasgun and snap-fired a bolt toward a running Weequay mercenary. The round punctured the alien's spine and superheated its skin, blowing its chest out. The corpse dropped to the floor, a hole the size of a man's head cut clean through its chest while its buddies were watching.
"Pirates, slavers and raiders! It's gonna be a Turkey Shoot, Tom!" His female comrade replied as she zeroed in on and fired at one of the enemies coordinating the fighting, ripping his arm off. She ducked back into cover as three scarlet blaster bolts hit right where she'd been, then added, "'Course, some of'em can actually shoot worth a bloody damn!"
"I can tell, Kara!" Tom replied as he shot in reply.
They watched a trio of Cthonian Headhunters surge forward, one of them toting a Volkite Caliver. Blaster bolts struck their armor as the enemy Mercenaries set up behind makeshift cover. Sky-cars overhead, armed, surged forward to try and meet the enemy, the E-WEB batteries mounted on their rear beds blasting away down at the formations of Imperial Troops below.
One of the Headhunters stopped, shouldered his las-rifle and aimed up at one of the trucks, then squeezed. The brilliant beam of light-energy surged through the air, boiling away the polluted particles of the atmosphere and causing a snap, like the crack of a whip, to echo through the air. The shot nailed the underbelly of the craft and punched clean through, splitting the gunner in half.
The Cthonian's two companions followed up by aiming their weapons at the line of enemy troops. Tom watched a fellow Imperial Rifleman drop dead, filled with blaster bolts while the Auxillia troopers remained steadfast. The Caliver screamed as the Cthonian charged it, then, when he squeezed the trigger, the Trumpets of Jericho sang aloud.
The beam of the weapon struck several aliens, all of them out of armor, all of them trying to gun down the Auxillia Troops. All of them fell, screaming before they exploded into showers of blood and gore as their core particles were superheated to beyond the point of stability. Blood now pooled behind the defensive position.
Maybe three of the Aliens' comrades, human traitors who'd taken up arms to fight them, now stared at the pools of ash and blood with wide, fearful eyes, their pallid faces stained by their alien cohorts' blood. The third Cthonian, however, would deal with that easily, drawing his Power Ax and plasma pistol and jumping in.
Limbs flew, severed by the masterfully-wielded weapon's micron sharpened, power-field enhanced edge. Before long, the barricade ahead had been cleared of enemies. Tom stood up, his dark eyes wide as saucers, while his friend, Kara, a blonde beauty, grinned and said, "And that's one of the reasons I wanna be a Cthonian… C'mon…"
Infantry platoons of the Headhunters and the Imperial Army advanced while gunships rained fire down on enemy positions or on the massive skyscrapers to suppress enemy anti-air positions. Meanwhile, in the heavens of the world, Imperial Lightning Fighters, the lightest variant of aerospace fighter craft available to the Imperium, dueled with whatever ships the enemy could muster from their remaining hangars.
In another part of the planetary city, near the same Casino Ahsoka and Zak had taken a rest in, three Drop Pods of the Luna Wolves made landfall, slamming into buildings or the concrete below, gusts of dust and smoke rising high to form clouds that obscured vision.. Their doors opened like blooming flower petals, bolts of blaster fire zipping through the smoke and stopping as they struck either flesh or armor while the return fire of Cthonian and Imperial Army lasguns replied, though their beams distorted in the smoke.
Some of the Bounty Hunters that'd been hired to defend this planet, many of which were part of the personal armies of several Hutt lords of high standing among their clans, all stared at the shadows as their blasters and heavier weapons laid into whatever came. One of the officers, a Rodian bounty hunter, waved a cease fire as he aimed his blaster rifle, watching the bulky figure disappear as the lights of the firefight dimmed.
He narrowed his large, amphibian lids, trying to gauge whatever that was and figure it out. The thumping footsteps that followed, however, caused him to reconsider wanting to know what it was. He switched his carbine to full auto and opened up, bolts of plasma striking armor plate with resounding clangs, but doing no visible damage, nor slowing the hulking behemoth down.
The footsteps stopped at the same time as the Gunfire. The Rodian and his compatriots, whatever was left of them, both human and alien, stared worriedly.
And a pair of scarlet eyes shined through the smoke at first. Then another. Then another. Then three more. They couldn't react in time as six heavy weapons roared to life. Slugthrowers, going by the bark and rapport and the thunder echoing throughout the streets. Though, as they impacted, they seemed to not pierce, so much as they exploded.
The mist was soon marred by clouds of red liquid. One Alien, a Weequay, lost its torso. Another, a three-eyed, horse-headed Gran, lost its legs and fell, dead. A human exploded into a cloud of gore and viscera next as the heavy guns continued firing. Those that weren't hit by the first volley due to having cover soon found themselves without it and dying as the explosive slugs ripped it all apart.
And, just like that, silence fell upon this sector of the battlefield. Only the distant din of other battles echoed this far. The smoke began to dissipate and the figures resolved. Clad in white armor impenetrable to any weapon and armed with massive slug-throwing weapons bearing large bores, muzzle breaks and hefty bayonets, majestic as their native World and strengthened by the Gene Engineering of the Emperor, the Astartes of the Luna Wolves Legion, Knights of Terra, stood tall, their Boltguns' patterns still smoldering.
Their leader, clad in the Colors of the Luna Wolves, but bearing several markings denoting his rank, including a Power Gladius clipped to his belt and a loincloth bearing the Eye of Horus emblem in its center, gazed upon the battlefield ahead. The road had been cratered and debris from damaged buildings spread as far as ten blocks ahead.
He gazed upon the opulent Casino to his left, bearing craters in its facade, its neon signs in disrepair and windows shattered. Its front entrance had collapsed in on itself, leaving naught but debris and an open way into a place that had housed the worst decadence of both humans and aliens. The Captain of the Second Company, Tarik Torgaddon, clad in the panoply of his force and bearing the red crest atop his helmet, spoke, "With me… We clear that building…"
Even as the human infantry and Auxillia pushed forward, now joined by Vehicles being deployed by the Fleet, the thunder of each step taken by the Captain of the Astartes Legion muffled all sounds of battle. He crouched a little underneath the broken door frame so as not to bump his helmet on it, before marching forward through the place. His brothers followed, spreading out as they entered the remains of the palatial building.
Imperial Infantry followed them within, las rifles drawn. An entire platoon of them fanned out across the ground floor, forty plus infantrymen moving through rows of slot machines, overturned gambling tables and broken glass on fancy carpets. One of the other Luna Wolves present, one Varhaul, commented, "Truly a Hive City's upper levels. Even the stench of alcohol and degeneracy makes itself felt…"
"Indeed," Tarik replied as his Armor's in-built auspex suite scanned for contacts, for heartbeats, for anything hostile. Fallen credit chits crunched under their armored boots, shattering under the five hundred kilograms of armor plate and transhuman flesh and sinew. Some rounds from the gunships and aircraft that had strafed this place had clearly penetrated the walls and windows. Torgaddon counted dozens of impacts from high-explosive munitions in just about every corner of this place, not to mention destroyed machines.
Yet his armor's advanced sensors picked up no other life here or in the next dozen or so floors either ascending or descending from this 'Ground Floor'. Or, at least, he would have thought they wouldn't. Two pings appeared very close, human heartbeats. One of them was firing off like a Heavy Stubber. There were maybe a dozen more on the Second Floor.
He looked at his brothers again and lifted his left hand and opened it up into a palm, before giving a slight motion like a chop toward the stairwell. One of his Brothers quickly tested it to make sure it could bear the weight, then marched up it with his boltgun lifted to his shoulder pauldron. The six Space Marines marched up the stairs, each of their steps shaking the structure of broken marble and some form of ferrocrete.
As they drew closer, marching past the destroyed doors to the lounge in which their unwitting pawns had hidden in just before the Invasion, they saw the place had been destroyed. One destroyed machine lay among the wreckage within, a massive hole to the outside, through which wind rushed, left by the gunships after bombarding the site.
More overturned tables and even corpses welcomed them, pools of various colors of blood staining the carpets below a much darker shade. A mix of aliens with missing limbs and even human workers that were collateral. A painful sight to behold, if not an expected one. The Soldiers marched with them up the stairs.
They arrived by a series of destroyed rooms. Overturned beds, broken tables, holes in the wall from bullets and debris spread along the floor. One single room remained somewhat intact, the one where the two living contacts were. Pushing forward, Torgaddon was the first to turn the corner, locking eyes with, much to his surprise, a bruised and scared little girl covered by ragged clothes.
She shook like a wet dog, holding a blaster pistol in her scrawny hands, keeping it pointed at the Captain of the 2nd Company as tears welled in her eyes. Her lips trembled and her legs were bent slightly, bruises running up and down the pale skin, much like on the arms. He would have shot her on the spot, but something had stopped his finger from pressing the trigger.
When his auspex adjusted and automatically zoomed in on her neck, he saw an electric shock collar tightly wound on her frail neck. Burns marked the skin underneath, which pulsed, red from the abuse. She whimpered, keeping the gun barely trained on him. At this range, she couldn't miss, what little good it would do to her to hit a Space Marine's ceramite.
And yet, Torgaddon lowered his bolter to his side. He saw one of the Imperial Regular troopers appear from the corner and aim his lasgun, and pushed the man's weapon down with his hands, causing him to stagger back. As his brothers moved in behind him, Tarik spoke, his voice booming through his helmet's speaker, though surprisingly as soft as a feather, "Drop the weapon, child… You are safe now…"
She still shook with fear, but even through it, even through those quakes, Torgaddon made out the slightest shake of her head. The collar beeped, with the girl yelping as she aimed the blaster at him. He could easily run to her and wrench the gun from her hand, but he felt the urge to speak this time, stating, "You needn't worry. We're all human here. Nobody can harm you…" as he tried to reach out to her, "Put the pistol on the floor…"
"Shoot him!" Growled a voice from behind the overturned bed. Tarik noticed red spatters on the sheets and felt his mind grow dark, his twin hearts' rates suddenly spiking with fury. He called out, "I SAID SHOOT THE BASTARD, YOU SCHUTTA!" and the girl screamed, her finger slipping on the trigger. A bolt struck the ceiling… His brothers and the troops around him tensed, but Tarik remained steadfast, not even twitching.
And a click echoed, almost like a pin in a storm. The electrical currents of the collar discharged into the girl's body as the alien man barked, "How could you miss someone the size of a WALL!?"
"Hiding behind a child, you coward…?" Tarik seethed, "Come out and perish with some dignity, at least…"
"No, thanks!" He growled back, "I just wanna get back to my ship and you're in my way! Shoot him, you stupid little Bantha Herder!" all while Tarik watched the girl lift the Blaster again. She fell to her knees, however, quietly weeping. Torgaddon sighed, gazing upon the innocent youngster, a slave to the animals here, then growled.
He breathed in as soon as he saw her twitch, yelping again, before breathing out to calm down. He then took his helmet off, revealing his face and kneeling in front of the young one. He put a hand on his chest, much to his brothers' surprise, then said, "I am Tarik. Tarik Torgaddon… I am as human as you, young one…" before he outstretched a hand. Taking something out of the Salamanders' manual when it came to civilian interactions like this helped.
The girl stared at it for a moment, shaking still, before she dropped the pistol and tried to reach out. She screamed in pain as the man barked, "YOU TRAITOROUS LITTLE-" pressing the button and letting the electrical current flow. In Tarik's mind, time seemed to slow. The wails of the girl became muted like the world around him.
Before long, his hand wrapped around the grip of the Gladius. He withdrew it with one fell swoop as the man, whom he soon realized was human, stood up with his own pistol drawn, hands stretched forward. The Space Marine captain sidestepped the young woman, all playing in slow motion as he drew his blade from its sheath and ignited its Power Field Generators.
That wasn't a man anymore. It was another Monster. Another one for Tarik to strike down…
One slash diagonally, from left to right, took both of the monster's hands off. He then turned the blade upside down mid-strike with the tip now pointing at the man's face and chest. Putting both hands onto the hilt, the Space Marine brought the blade down hard. And yet again, all went quiet, but played at normal speed.
Skin, sinew and bone sizzled against the Power Field of the weapon. Blood painted the floor, two hands having fallen to the floor. Torgaddon stared at the corpse at the end of his weapon, eyes wide and mouth agape, stuck in a forever grimace. With a flick of a switch, he shut off the Field generators and withdrew the blade, letting out a sickening squish and a crunch as the corpse fell to the floor.
He looked at the hand that held the trigger for the slave collar, then stomped on it, spraying blood and pulverizing bone and metal circuitry. The girl, who had wailed until now, stopped and slumped over. Tarik sheathed his sword and walked over to her, taking a knee and moving his hand toward her neck. Too weak to do anything but try to defend herself, she put her hands next to her throat.
Tarik gently moved them out of the way, grabbed onto the collar and, with a simple squeeze, he snapped it off and threw it aside. The little girl gasped, looking up at him and still tearing up. He lifted her onto his arms, staring down at her and offering as kind a smile as he could muster before he walked out to the sight of other Imperial troops.
Looking at all of them, he breathed, then called out, "Get me a Medicae!"
He felt her tug at his collar weakly, then looked down at her. She pointed at the Humanoid Xenos being filed out from what seemed to be a side room, before she whispered, "... Please…" weakly, her voice cracking.
He leaned forward and she whispered again, "The Twi'leks were nice… Please, spare them…"
Confusion streaked across his face before he looked upon the women with tails for hair. All were battered and bruised, apparent servants like the little girl. He looked at the Imperial Troops guarding them, then ordered, "Get them medical help as well. This little one says they were kind to her… The least we can do is return the favor."
"Yes, milord!" Spoke the troopers, scrambling to follow said orders. Varhaul looked at the dead man on the floor, crossed his arms and mumbled, "No better than the other filth on this planet… Well done, Captain. A true kill," before turning to face Tarik and patting him on the shoulder. The Space Marine handed the girl to the Medicae, then slid his helmet on.
They still had a lot of work ahead of them…