Faction Midnight Mass | Open to all HSC

[Aktur Seii]

KWENN STATION
SECURED FUNCTION HALL​

To say that things had gone badly for the Consortium was an understatement.

In a galaxy-spinning series of unfortunate events, a number of investments, deals and alliances were hit with numerous occurrences (seemingly) at once. Rival syndicates claimed several key territories before the Hutt Space Consortium could, the Galactic Alliance shutdown a spice operation with deadly efficiency, some large payout bounties were called in by anonymous threats and some middling leadership were killed, along with some shaky allegiances coming to the fore...

It all seemed to coalesce into a rolling, out-of-control Bantha that caused Hutt Space Consortium considerable loss and stature and credits.

Now, it seemed Gorba planned to do something about it, and address the setbacks personally to the Consortium.

Anyone who was anyone in the Hutt Space Consortium would likely attend, it would prove to be an important meeting, one that would very likely determine a lot of futures. As it was, the event had been planned for Kwenn Station, in a secure and private function hall of the mysterious and dangerous locale. No doubt it cost a fair price, but the showing was important, and to show weakness of any sort in the underworld was opportunity for others.

Aktur stood to one side of the hall, dressed in his neat black suit, as he waited.

The gathering was not unexpected.

"Gorba does love Kwenn Station," Aktur muttered to himself, as he took a tall glass from a serving droid that offered a drink. "So having it here seems fitting."

Aktur's dark eyes saw movement from the entry with heavy doors.

"More are arriving... this should be interesting."

The serving droid wheeled toward the arrivals, doing its due-diligence to host, even as the wafts of cooking food filled the hall amid the increased clamor and low voices...

Gorba the Hutt | A'ti | Pyrrah Tae | Xyoz Maji | The Madclaw | Varm Nul | Sal Katarn | Kingsley | OPEN TO HSC​

 

[Xyoz Maji]

Well this wasn't good.

Xyoz fixed the sleeves of his designer suit as he walked through the heavy front doors. For him, business had been thriving. His little jobs here and there slinging his giggledust wasn't such a little operation anymore. Planets now, planets were helping to sell his spice in the high rises of places. But now there were problems with the Consortium. His hands off approach with doing business was being threatened. Things were falling apart.

Now he had to get his hands into the mix. The Shistavanen let out a sigh as he meandered towards the bar. What a day to wish he could actually get drunk.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Tee, tee, tee, haku woy jeejee gee wata? Wa pauapka see heae se pateessa, yeee?" «Spoken in Huttese: Well, well, well, what do we have here? A gathering of so many friends, eh?»

Gorba slithered toward the front of the hall. The massive conference room sprawled out before Gorba. The carpeting was a questionable green-gold affair, but Gorba doubted many of those gathered were focused on the carpets. The Bareesh Kajidic had gone through great lengths to ensure that the event did not show a dip in fortunes. Tables sat throughout the enormous conference room, bedecked with exotic foods. Lavish-looking droids with gem-encrusted carapaces operated free bars at every corner of the room.

The unity of the syndicates had brought them this wealth and Gorba would not simply let it slip through his fingers. He turned to A'ti .

"Tah pantahlea hatkocanh nem dah. Jee hatkocanh woy fa nem dah." «Spoken in Huttese: This consortium will live on. I will make it live on. »

He had worked too hard to let it go to waste all because of some minor setbacks. How many assassination attempts had he survived over his hundreds of years? How many enterprises had he seen dissolve?

Yet here he remained, at the heart of the Mirrsteel Heights district in Kwenn Station, all the way at the top of one of those spires that crowned the station like the antennae of a giant crab. He endured. That was what he did.

 

[Varm Nul]

KWENN SPACE STATION
FUNCTION HALL

Over the years, Varm Nul had worked up a reputation as a reliable bounty hunter, especially working for the Consortium.

While the Duros wasn't necessarily part of the larger picture, he figured others felt him suitable enough to be present for whatever Gorba was planning, though Varm Nul had also doubled down with a contract. His blasters were on hire, he was to be at the meeting - irrespective of his opinion of his presence or not - and a good number of credits were waiting at the end of it all.

By the time the wide-brim hat wearing hunter arrived, several others were milling about as well, which caused Varm Nul to glance around with his big red eyes. Dressed as usual, in his long coat, with an assortment of weapons on him, the bounty hunter kept to the walls and stepped inside the hall. Not one to make a grand entrance, after all, often he found the less noticed path to be more useful...

"Wonder how the Hutt's gettin' outta the fire this time?"

Varm Nul leaned against the metal wall, as he reached up and put a toothpick between his lips. His glance caught the individual who had hired him - the businessman with the neat hair and dark eyes - and offered a subtle nod. Then Varm Nul turned his attention back to the room, as Gorba and A'ti appeared...

Aktur Seii | Xyoz Maji | Gorba the Hutt | A'ti​

 

[The Madclaw]

A hulking wookiee loomed in the back of the room, his fresh ash colored fur giving him the resemblance of a watching ghost. Golden eyes roved the crowd like a half-slumbering krayt dragon, a hint of sudden violence beneath a faux lethargy. He crossed his arms and waited in grim silence. Others in the gathering steered clear of him.

Everyone knew it was unwise to upset a wookiee. Especially one referred to by his own kind as "the Madclaw."

 

[Azar Kortun]

Sith grasped and clawed at ways to extend their power, wealth, and lives. Azar had never quite understood why. But then, he was not one of the short-lived prey species that filled the galaxy. No, he was more philosophical. All things ended- it was an inevitable fact of life. He had ended many lives, and in time, his life, too, would end.

But not yet.

No, there was much to do still. The traitorous Jedi of a nephew still besmirched his family name, and the reputation of his clan and guild was sullied by that fact. Honor would be restored before he relinquished his grip on life to join his ancestors in the skies above Anzat. They would be proud of him for his accomplishments when he rejoined them.

First, there was the Consortium to deal with. A useful ally, although he feared their use was coming to an end. Gorba and the Hutts, he supposed, could still live long enough to be valuable to him. But the rest were not likely to be worth his time or attention.

He amended that thought, his cane clicking on the station's deck as he strolled into the meeting room, pausing to give the carpets a disappointed look. For their love of luxury, nothing could provide Hutts a sense of aesthetic taste, except for what looked expensive. He sniffed delicately and then moved further into the room, meeting eyes with the others as they entered, or he passed them.

 

[A'ti]

​

Location: Kwenn Station
Tag: Gorba the Hutt Varm Nul Azar Kortun The Madclaw Xyoz Maji

---

A'ti was wearing her usual style of a purple dress, as she had been seen numerous times before. Her hands were elegantly placed before her lap as she stood at the Hutt's side. When he spoke to her she bowed her head and responded in Huttese "<Only a fool would doubt your resolve, Mighty Gorba.>" A'ti personally thought that the rest of the Consortium was only made up of fools. Idle, lecherous, and conniving. The Bareesh were strong. The strongest in the Consortium in her opinion. Held back by the weight of petty pirates, thieves, and junkies.

A'ti was wearing a new bracelet, it was rather more like a filigree gauntlet of sorts. Plated or dipped in Aurodium for that much extra glamor. Being the Majordomo of Gorba came with credits to spare so it wasn't too out of the ordinary despite the luxury. A'ti looked towards Varm Nul for a brief moment. Her gaze lingered strangely on the bounty hunter. After a few moments of awkward stares she gave him a respectful bow of her head from across the chamber. A'ti had never had any issues with Varm. He was a professional and reliable. Never had he questioned her offers. As far as business partners went Varm was one of the most trustworthy in an industry built off paranoia.

Two twi'leks came up to A'ti and as she whispered to them, probably about staff matters, they departed and a Rodian came forward towards her and handed her a large bowl full of grub like creatures "<Very good.>" she spoke again in her hushed tone to the servant and then turned with the bowl to Gorba "<Refreshments, Great One?>" she inquired lightly.

 

[Parvati]

A lone specter haunted one of the back bars, occasionally sipping from her whiskey glass while her cold brown eyes darted across the crowd. She blended into the shadows around her, keeping herself from being noticed by those surrounding her. She liked it this way, in her normal life she was a socialite, someone who would be spotted from a mile away- however in the criminal world, she was able to blend in with the background. If anyone had noticed her, however, they would notice she was still styled in her signature black leather suit with her famous haircut. She liked being anonymous, but to those in power she needed to appear as herself. She had decided tonight was the night she would take the first step in creating an alliance with The Hutt Consortium.

The recent tidal waves of bad luck that struck the Consortium also rocked the boats of those outside their sphere of influence. While Parvati usually liked to keep to herself when it came to business-she didn't like sharing- the recent chaos had forced her to change her style. She knew that with the way things were going, she would inevitably have to close down some of her clubs across the farther reaches of space, consolidate her assets, and burn most of her contacts starting over in a sense. If she were broke, the politicians she once had in her pocket would turn on her, no longer fearing whatever dirt she had on them. No one would believe a has-been. This was where the Hutts came in.

Parvati had dealt with the Hutts in the past- seeing as she had multiple clubs on their planets, it was impossible to not. They usually left her to her own devices as long as she didn't cross any of them publicly. They let her girls work freely, gathering the intel they did, however, if any information directly threatened the Hutts, Parvati would have to inform the Consortium. In return for these 'fees', Parvati was able to build her little empire. Now that it was threatened, however, she knew it was time to seek something more concrete with the Hutts, something beneficial for both of them.

That was how she found herself on Kwenn Station in the company of many other degenerates and villains. The room was decorated the only way one would expect a Hutt to decorate. There was no expense spared, knowing the Hutts, they didn't want to let on to the others just how bad the situation was turning out to be. This would be good for Parvati though, because she knew that would have a stockpile of her finest whiskey to serve, meaning a nice paycheck for her. She threw back the rest of her drink before turning to the bartender.

"Give me two fingers of Parvati Black neat." She locked eyes with the man serving her. He quickly averted eye contact with her before shaking his head yes and turning to grab the bottle from the top shelf, pouring it into a glass. It was not uncommon for men to be intimidated by Parvati and she liked it that way. She grabbed her glass and spun back toward the crowd, not before leaving a nice tip for the bartender.

 

[Hacks]

A thousand twinkling stars suddenly went out.

Hacks' mind swam in the Net more often than was safe for her cybernetics, but there was little else to do while held prisoner in a SIA facility. In recent weeks as her mind reached out across the Net she noticed something wrong. Old contacts had gone dark, syndicates were growing quiet. Then a wave of a hundred thousand whispers. All spoke of the same cartel on their lips. Consortium.

Their power was faltering, and what looked like an act of desperation to save face the mighty Gorba called a meeting. She could not attend in the flesh, or what little remained of her now, but she could attend in the virtual.

A burst of light shone from the rooms holoprojector, slowly forming into the vaguely familiar Hacks. She was taller than she had last been when seen in Hutt Space, where flesh had once been was now replaced by plates and wires and tubes. Plastic eyes surveyed the room, a frown creasing her brow. She was not here to show her own support, but to watch support for the Consortium waver, the smaller syndicates bicker and fight, smuggling cartels crumble away.

Two years the Consortium had left her to rot in an Alliance prison, at times it felt she was all but forgotten. Now she was here to gloat, some semblance of satisfaction and justice.

 

[Argos of the East]

Argos found his seat quickly enough, abandoning the twi'lek whore he had brought with him. A cigar in his mouth he leaned back in his seat and watched the gathering in its totality - from Hacks appearing, reminding him he forgot the nerd even existed, to the Sith Criminal Kortan and more. Together they were still a threat, but with the vast amount of failings from the Syndicate Council, it was no Consortium it had started out as.​

​

And with the growing strength of the Family, it was a matter of time before the aggressive nature of the underworld demanded they start encroaching on the others territory. A matter of time before blood was spilled in the name of credits - and if it went the way he expected, he'd rather just fuck off back to Besberra with the Sith. At least he could sell a man to the Inquisition to keep his head, didn't care much for the idea of sucking up to Shroud and her kin.​

​

"Well, lets get on with it.", he said between puffs.​

 

[Aktur Seii]

KWENN SPACE STATION
SECURED FUNCTION HALL​

More arrived, as prominent members of the Consortium made their presences known, as small groups of less recognized sentients also began to filter in, taking up meeting residence around the edges of the hall. It was an interesting assortment, from leadership to lieutenants and specialists and now some grunts. There were multiple syndicates and groups, as well, which meant Gorba would likely start the--

"I speak for the illustrious Hutt Clan leaders and have the deep honor of introducing their presence upon this gathering, as they each present their glorious attention as witnesses to these events!"

--suddenly from the large entryway, a green-colored C-3PO unit walked into the assembly, voice modulator loud.

Aktur turned to regard the local Hutt clans - and cartel leaders, naturally - that moved in behind the droid. They were of various shapes and sizes and moved on large hover sleds, as each lined up and claimed a unified position opposite Gorba in the hall. There were four in all, and the green droid paused a moment before it spoke again:

"I introduce the mighty Zirrbo Desilijic Tiron, Eminence of Rorak. The magnificent Cirkeed Anjiliac Nem'ro, Eminence of Teth. The glorious Ooddlun Besadii Plonn, Eminence of Nar Kaaga. And last, but certainly most prominently of all, the majestic Drorborm Vedo Grode, Eminence of Kwenn!

They will each preside as witnesses to events, following the influential stumble of the Hutt Space Consortium... and being held in high regard within Hutt Space, will determine what mercy should be afforded to Gorba Bareesh Laglan following his address. If any."

The arrival of local cartel leaders, in unison and as a united front, spoke some volumes as to their position regarding Gorba and the state of the Consortium. There was little doubt in Aktur's mind that this would become the coup it appeared to be. Especially when some Hutt loyal goons followed their leadership into the hall, and took up positions around the sleds, though in comparison to the Consortium's members they didn't look too menacing...

"The clan leaders are now prepared to hear Gorba Bareesh Laglan's plea."

With a scoff to himself, the suit-wearing sentient began to circle the assembly, to put some space between the newly arrived Hutt leaders and their little procession of power on display. As he did so, Aktur noticed a newer face in the throng, Parvati , a humanoid female by the look of it. There was a degree of comfortability and confidence, which caught the former's attention.

"Interesting."

Gorba the Hutt | A'ti | Xyoz Maji | Pyrrah Tae | Varm Nul | The Madclaw | Azar Kortun | Parvati | Hacks | Argos of the East
OPEN TO HSC​

 

[Pyrrah Tae]

KWENN STATION
Function Hall | Open
​

It was an interesting time for the galaxy.

Within a matter of days, influential groups from all corners of space lost their grip on the planets they once ruled. No one was quite sure how it happened. Civil war from within splinter groups, technological attacks on key servers, or something more sinister. It did not matter what it was though, because now was the perfect time for massive deals to be made. There were resources up from grabs, and now was the time to pounce.

Strolling calmy into the event, Captain Tae was flanked by two Exchange Enforcers. With everything that has happened recently, no one could be too safe. This is also why he kept a charged blaster pistol tucked away with his jacket, along with his golden lightsaber. Today was not going to be his fall, that was something he was sure of.

A lot of familiar faces surrounded him in the hall. Some were crime lords with the Consortium, such as himself. Others were bosses who ran their own syndicates, yet still worked deals with the Hutts. A small portion though were the criminals themselves: bounty hunters, slicers, and brutes. All here seeking answers on what the next move would be.

That is why he was here after all. Mr. Gorba the Hutt was hopefully going to address the situation to then lay out a plan on where to go from here. A power vacuum opened up across the galaxy, and someone had to fill it.

________________

​

Before Pyrrah went to mingle around and converse with his fellow crime lords, a robotic voice from a green protocol droid boomed throughout the room. Behind him trudged along four Hutt clan leaders, all of different builds. Continuing his introduction, the droid called out Gorba the Hutt to appear in front of the leaders to plead for mercy. His failure with the Consortium was obviously disgraceful to the rest of the Hutt families. No wonder they wanted him to pay.

Motioning towards his two enforcers, the trio slowly backed away from the entry door. Goons that worked for the Hutt leaders slowly made there way into the room as well, their weapons charged and ready to fire.

"Stay alert. I want to see where this goes."

Gorba the Hutt | Aktur Seii | Xyoz Maji | Varm Nul | The Madclaw | Azar Kortun | A'ti | Parvati | Hacks | Argos of the East ​

 

[A'ti]

​

Location: Kwenn Station
Tag: Gorba the Hutt Varm Nul Azar Kortun The Madclaw Xyoz Maji Parvati Hacks Argos of the East

---

A'ti attended Gorba as the others within the chamber continued to mingle, that was until the protocol droid made an announcement which she had long awaited. The blue Twi'lek paid them little mind until the other Cartel leaders made their accusations and their pompous demagoguery towards the Bareesh leader.

As the Hutts ceded the floor to allow Gorba to defend himself against the sham proceedings, A'ti, placed the bowl of grubs down on the stone slab that he lounged before turning towards the assembled cartel leadership. A'ti stepped towards them once, then twice, with deliberate footfalls "<The Magnanimous Gorba does not trade gold for bantha shit, much less his words for yours.>" her breach of protocol caused many of the Hutts to boil in silent indignancy, stunned that a mere Majordomo would dare insult them in such a manner "<Your treachery and inaction.>" she turned her attention towards the assembled scum within the chamber, visibly including them in her verbal attack, and then turned back to the Hutts "<Have left the Consortium in shambles. Such potential - >" she hissed in frustration and rage unseen in the normally serene Twi'lek "<Squandered! And for what? Nothing! You,>" she motioned with intense disdain in the motions towards the Hutts "<Sit there and fill your brain with Spice. Rising on the prizes and profits of business that you have been dragged through, incompetence! Too weak to squirm your way to a single credit.>" by this point one of the Hutt guards had heard enough and raised his blaster pistol to strike down the out-of-line Twi'lek. A red blaster bolt soared through the air.. and dissipated against a blue ripple as A'ti had activated her concealed personal shield generator within the ornate bracelet.

A'ti flinched at having been shot at, despite knowing the result, then quickly regained her composure "<Enough!>" her voice was a strained whispering command "<You have failed the Consortium. But I will not fail the Bareesh!>" A'ti motioned towards a few Regulators who had been standing vigil within the chamber to enforce order. They ran towards her with blasters drawn... then turned away from A'ti and leveled their weapons at the protective detail of the Hutts - even Drorborm Vedo Grode

"<Kill them.>" she muttered while taking several steps backwards behind the Regulators.

Spoiler

Flashes of light erupted between the Regulators and the position of the adversarial Hutt leaders. The sounds of blaster fire pierced the room. A'ti looked between the groups of fighting henchmen with a mix of surprise and fascination. She had never seen anything quite like it. The momentous occasion she had planned so carefully for was at hand! A'ti turned to Gorba and clasped her hands together before him eagerly "<We've done it... You've done it.>" it was all she could think of to say. The Bareesh would reign.. or so she thought.

The fighting spilled out from raised area and into the rest of the room as the remaining Regulators turned their blasters at the assembled criminals and bounty hunters.

BOOM!

The doors of the chamber were blown off by a violent explosion that sent the durasteel slabs careening into the crowed and slamming into the raised stage area. Many perished immediately as dust filled the whole of the chamber. A'ti was knocked to her side, to the floor, as Regulators poured in from the blasted doorway. Shooting into those gathered... though initially the killing seemed random, perhaps there was a method.

Afterall, A'ti still drew breath, and many in the crowd were seemingly being ignored.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Haku ne?" «Spoken in Huttese: What is this?»

The Kajidii's good eye bulged with incredulity as he watched the Hutts before him riddled with superheated plasma. As their corpses dropped, steam rising from charr-blackened torsos and superheated flesh, Gorba turned toward his majordomo.

"Haku gee uba woy?" «Spoken in Huttese: What have you done?»

For a Hutt to kill another Hutt was one matter, but for these ants to harm the sacred personages of fellow kajidic lordas was unthinkable. Outrageous. Fury blossomed in Gorba's belly, only to flip into fear as one of the doors to the conference room blew inward and figures armored in riot gear and wielding heavy blaster carbines boiled into the room in a cacophony of shouting and violence.

"INTERSTELLAR REGULATORS, YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST!

"DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!"

Flashbangs were lobbed heedlessly through the room, bursting in deafening thunderclaps of heat, sound, and light that caused Gorba to hunker down, hands reaching to shield his eyes.

People started to comply, raising their hands over their heads. Which was when Gorba spotted the Regulator at the back. He wore a human smile, cruel and cold beneath his glittering blue eyes and shock of dark black hair. But he was no Regulator. Even as Gorba watched, the man squeezed the trigger of his blaster and executed a kneeling Pyke.

The other Regulators followed suit, gunning down those nearby in a spray of blaster bolts. Those weren't Regulators at all. That man.

That man was...

 

[The Madclaw]

From the back of the room, Silverback watched with cold detachment as the "Regulators" thundered in, flowing past him as if he didn't exist to gun down nearby Pykes and Hutt syndicate crime lords.

For someone who had been in and out of galactic maximum security prisons for nearly one hundred years, this kind of abrupt violence was nothing new. But the Madclaw knew the method behind the madness. He knew the plan at work.

His gaze turned toward Aktur Seii and his lips lifted in a laughing sneer, baring his fangs. Waiting for the signal. His taloned fingers reached within the folds of his robe and gripped a cylinder.

 

[Argos of the East]

Argos had watched on in silence as the gathering moved from a discussion to complaints, accusations, and then suddenly it had turned into a firefight. Someone snitched, and the regulators were here for violence - and of course he didn't have the Sith assigned guards to back him up here. Swearing under his breath he flipped the table, pulled his hand cannon, and began to fire over it towards the gathering police.​

​

He wouldn't go down without a fight - that much was obvious. It'd been years since he'd spent any amount of time in the pen, and he'd sooner die than let them take him back. What could he say, he enjoyed his smokes and women just a touch too much. Firing the pistol, he shattered the helmet and brain of two men as his cyborg arm automatically aimed between the target rich enviroment.​

​

Hell, maybe he'd even become the next hutt boss at this rate.​

​

One round slammed into his shoulder, dropping him to the ground as he breathed through his teeth. Couldn't fight with a wound like that. He slammed a combat stim he kept on his person into his thigh and felt the pain disappear - but it replaced it with an adrenaline fuel super rage. He cried out as he stood, walked around the table and shot at another two - watched them fall at they were hit in a small gap in their armor of their neck.​

​

But the next shot that reached him wasn't the shoulder, the leg, or the chest. Argos in his fine suit took a shot to the head - blistering his skin, breaking his skull, and forcing his hold body into a spasmatic limpness that forced him to topple forward. For all the flair and criminal aptitude he had in life, his death was unromantic.​

​

Gore fell around the ground as a regulator stepped over his body and moved on to the others.​

 

[Varm Nul]

KWENN SPACE STATION
FUNCTION HALL

The appearance of the local Hutt lords, and their goons, caused Varm Nul to straighten against the wall.

"Here we go..."

The Duros muttered as he slowly reached into his long coat, where his thin fingers found the grips of his blaster pistols. The verbal exchange was direct, the local Hutts seemed to want to make moves on a weakened Gorba, but they probably hadn't considered the full weight of their opponents - the Consortium were no slouches in a scrap.

Then the blue-skinned Twi'lek, A'ti, stepped back on the Hutt lords and Varm Nul's eye ridge raised in mild surprise--

"Huh."

--he had not expected that from her. Yet, the die was cast, the stand off was set, and the first shot was fired. Then the Kwenn Station militia, the Regulators, were inside and through the doors. Varm Nul grimaced as he drew his pistols, then watched as the scene descended into utter chaos - but the Duros wasn't overly concerned, as he glanced to Silverback and saw the Wookiee poised as well.

Seeing an opportunity, Varm Nul palmed a small detonator, before he tossed it at a nearby Hutt sled.

Boom!

The sled repulsors lurched, as the blaster-riddled Hutt screamed and toppled to one side, to crunch onto the ground and die under its own weight. That was when more Regulators began to storm the place. Different Regulators, ones in heavier black riot armor, but they weren't targeting just anyone - they were shooting at the other groups in the Consortium, especially the Pykes and low-level soldiers...

With a sniff, Varm Nul pulled up a blaster and aimed for one of the first Regulators to arrive--

"Avoid the black-wearing riot Regulators? Got it."

--and pulled the trigger, as the standard Regulator was blasted clear through the neck.

Aktur Seii | Xyoz Maji | Gorba the Hutt | A'ti​

 

[Parvati]

After working her way toward the center of the room, Parvati took a seat at one of the open tables. She chose a table that was taken by some punk and his date for the night. They both were very drunk, practically chewing each other's faces off. Parvati sipped from her whiskey glass again, sat back a little, and surveyed the room from a new angle. She knew it wouldn't be long before things got started and she'd finally be able to make contact with the Hutts. The couple across from her asked her if she was having fun, but she ignored them. They scoffed at her and went back to their sloppy tongue wrestling. All the while, Parvati kept her cold, brown eyes forward. She had found a few people who were interesting enough to catch her attention.

One of those people was a large Wookiee who stalked one of the back walls. He didn't seem to be with any military attache, though he didn't carry himself as a bounty hunter or a grunt either. The other one she noticed seemed to be a specter like herself, someone clinging to the shadows of the hall and surveying what was transpiring. It took one to see one, and they would make eye contact a couple of times. She kept a mental tab on both of these individuals, they may have proven to be the most interesting part of the night.

Or at least that's what she thought.

Her gaze would be broken once again by the annoying couple in front of her, but this time it wasn't her they were scoffing at. They looked toward the large doors that had burst open to Parvati's back. She took her eyes off of the Wookiee to look behind her where she was met with the sight of what appeared to be a parade of Hutts. The Hutts were never known to be subtle, so this glaring power play was not something she hadn't seen coming.

It wouldn't be long until even that stunt had been outdone, however. The theatrics of these events themselves were not a shock to Parvati. The mistress was a fan of theater and a good play, however what happened next was something that was very real, and the stage felt a little too close for her tastes. As soon as the first treasonous shots were fired, Parvati saw her entire plan go up on flames. If the Hutts were killed or outed during such a tumultuous time in the underground's life, it could crumble right before their eyes. Even living under the Hutts was better than living in the chaos of a free market with no direct leadership.

There was practically no time to react to the chaos, and those who weren't quick enough got mowed down by crossfire. While Parvati was not a bad shot and could easily take down a few of the Regulators if necessary, she was also smart enough to know how this would all turn out. Instead of fighting right away, she ducked between overturned tables and other debris on her way toward one of the bars laid against the walls. It would be the best place for her to gain cover so she could properly assess the situation. She had some girls on standby from a nearby club she owned, so if needed, she could call for an extraction.

 

[Koda Fett]

​

The years were unkind with the lives of the worthy and worthless stolen in equal measure. The systems tossed beneath the steel foot and fist of crime barreled on until it had no more left to smash, to crush, to pound or tear. It turned on itself, with fist and foot forced to face wrist and ankle. The Mandalorian was in there somewhere, embroiled in their conflict with the lucrative promise of credits on either end. In the blink of an eye, members of the Hutt council fell as dead as the crime boss that found his head ventilated. The Kwenn Station militia rumbled in, two different uniforms over them.

From his position beside a pillar, Fett rose and let his blaster roar into the riot militia. One, two, three, a swift arm and swifter shot sent them to the floor. Time to leave, that's all it was now, unless that old slug had some mountain of credits left stockpiled for a saviour.

Varm Nul Aktur Seii Gorba the Hutt A'ti

 

[Hacks]

Distantly Hacks felt her body jerk in her cot, far away on Coruscant. The last she had expected was wholesale slaughter. Her mind darted between a half dozen security cameras, rudimentary scans analysing the persons involved. She briefly recognised the growing list of deceased, some names more familiar than others.

Bolts passed through her hologram to strike others behind her. Her holographic persona became rigid and her attention withdrawn, staring blankly at nothing and no one. Her mind raced through the Net, scrambling to assess just who was responsible. Pandemonium was breaking out. Argos lay dead, a detonator sent Hutt gore and guts spraying across the room. Then in a wink her hologram vanished, her mind peeled away from Kwenn Station.

Hacks awoke in her cell, panting and wondering, what the hell just happened?