La Kosa Nostra
Elegance in Perpetuity.
This was the legacy of the famed Hydians Auction House.
For nearly 850 years, the planet Epica has played host to this Institution, drawing the rich & famous from across the Galaxy to its doorstep. Once located on the planet Chandrila, deeper within the Core, the Hydians relocated to Epica due to the planet’s remote nature - believed at the time to be much too remote for the Yuuzhan Vong to have any interest in attacking it. For centuries, this timeless enterprise has remained in Epica City, Epica’s largest settlement; expanding in size & scope to encompass multiple city blocks.
The largest auction house in the Galaxy, the Hydians is a monument to history. Multiple show-rooms spanned a half-dozen levels and the building itself is immense. The main entrance consisted of large wooden doors tall enough to accomodate a Rancor - opening up into a vestibule with hallways of onyx & marble stone. No matter the weather outside, within the Hydians, it is always perfectly temperate (to preserve so many artifacts within). The building’s “archives” are held below; protected by state-of-the-art engineering of the finest degree to keep the water table from breaking through & flooding nearly two square kilometers of secure compartmentalized storage of everything from unique works of art & ancient weapons to actual books and precious jewelry. Access is tightly controlled, and the building’s security is top-notch - with everything tagged, tracked, sorted, and curated by a select few.
The immense building is known to traffic in nearly any commodity except the sale of slaves. Entire planets, private parties & governments alike have (at one time or another) attended the various auctions. Today, however, the Hydians Auction House has advertised something a little closer to home…
Some of Epica’s wealthiest, most respected, and most powerful landowners are present in this monument to Epica’s High Society. Parcels of land, great & small, are already changing hands - traded like any other commodity to the highest bidder.
In attendance on such a grand occasion are well-known faces; such as Tylien Lagan’ia, Baron of the Trieste Region, Omar Primakov, Boss of the Primakov Family, and Archbeacon Antonio Borgias, leader of the Ashlan Church on Epica. Lords & Ladies of Nobility intermingle amongst seekers of fortune from wealthy planets across the Galaxy - sharing hors d'oeuvres & sipping expensive champagne - while tracks of land across the planet change hands.
Of the 10 Noble Families with the most power on the planet, The Malkuth Clan are among the weakest. For three years, the group of financiers & land-owners have dwindled in power; The Family’s Intelligence Networks have uncovered significant debts, the occasional verbal dispute and a number of recent violent altercations between The Malkuths & other members of the High Council. In order to pay off some of their outstanding debts, significant portions of unoccupied land in rural areas of Epica’s largest continent are being sold.
The Coruscanti Mafia, known within the darkest depths of the underworld as “The Family”, has come to Epica with great plans in mind, and enough financial power to draw the attention of this insular society.
Mythici, the bright star at the very center of the Epica System, had just begun to dip below the horizon. The afternoon had been warm & humid, but as the sun set, the air became cool & windy with a gentle breeze rolling off the ocean. The air smelled of salt & sea-spray, and the distant call of seabirds mingled with musical tones which drifted through Epica City like a siren’s call.
Epica’s capitol twinkled like a gem as lights from a thousand homes rose brightly to greet the night. Elsewhere, outside the city walls, many of the planet’s citizens were preparing for an early night; destined to awake upon Mythici’s rise; but within Epica City, the night’s festivities had only just begun.
Welcome To Epica
Objective 1
“Change of Ownership”
A one-of-a-kind event is taking place this evening at the Hydians Auction House, near the very center of Epica City. Join The Donna for an evening amidst High Society, and prepare yourself for some intrigue. Interested parties from across the planet have gathered to bid on plots of land large & small, and the “Who’s Who” of Epica’s Government are in attendance. Dress to impress, and come ready to wheel & deal - you may find yourself offering a bid of your own!
The Donna desires a specific patch of land owned by The Malkuth Clan, and intends to bid on this plot. Anyone who joins her is free to bid (with their own credits) on anything else at the Auction!
Objective 2
“Manifest Destination”
Epica’s largest Spaceport sees millions of tons of freight pass through its secure facilities on a daily basis. The Spaceport’s staff are all on the payroll of the Council and corruption runs rampant. Epica’s location on the Corellian Trade Spine ensures it is often the first or last stop for any ship, large or small, entering or leaving the Core - that means it is on almost every smuggler’s routine.
The Donna desires information on all trade passing through the system; there are bound to be records held securely somewhere in the Starport’s data banks, and possibly even valuable cargo awaiting clearance through Customs. Without raising any alarms, infiltrate the Starport’s secure facilities & acquire any information you can.
Objective 3
“A Clean Slate”
Somewhere in the untamed wilderness, members of Omar Primakov’s Criminal Syndicate have taken hold of a particular plot of land; the very same land that The Donna hopes to purchase at Auction. Intelligence Reports indicate their strength to be anywhere from 15 - 35 armed individuals & and a fly-over of the region revealed the presence of a number of wheeled transports, temporary shelters, a cooking facility, and evidence which suggests these men intend to stay for an extended period of time. The Malkuth Clan appears unable (or unwilling) to resolve this situation, and is likely selling the land without disclosing this fact.
A strike force consisting of Enforcers & Soldiers will travel by air to this large swath of land, ascertain the disposition of these forces and kill them if necessary, or chase them off. The area is heavily wooded, with a mountainous region surrounded by a meandering river.
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