Road to the Unknown

[Faith Organa]

One cannot toss ambassadors back like bad fish," said Eugenides. "You treat them with care, or you'll find you've committed an act of war." - Megan Whalen Turner, A Conspiracy of Kings​

Faith had finally gone home to Alderaan and gotten much needed rest, and time with her husband. These next two trips however the children and Blu would not be allowed on she hated leaving them behind but the truth was these next two stops offered too much risk and she couldn't put them in danger.

Draco and the Alderaan Royal Guard, and Clan Vereen worked on security not only for the trip but for the twins. Faith's heart was sinking as they headed for the ship, she looked back again and again hating every moment.

She was clearly distracted. Her heart ached already, she reached for Draco's hand seeking his strength they were headed to meet [member="Flannigan Mcnash"] it was told that he had something to do with the Hutt Cartel. Faith's last encounter with the Hutt's had been...interesting.

But was he with the Hutts, was he planning on robbing them holding them hostage or some other plan.

"I'm nervous about this meeting." She squeezed his hand. She walked up the ramp into the ship turning to take one last look to see where the Nanny had already left with the guards and Blu. She swallowed the lump in her throat, she had never been away from them ever.

Was she leading them all into a trap by accepting this invitation, she just didn't know and part of her said she should say no, but what if they were on the up and up.

Was there a place for an Embassy for Alderaan that would be a sanctuary, place of refuge, a place where Alderaanians could reconnect with family that had to flee during the Sith occupation. With all of this as possibilities she just couldn't find a way to say no.

[member="Draco Vereen"]

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"Sriluur is the source of every foul wind that blows through the galaxy."​

―Common smuggler's expression​

​

Sriluur, sat there like intergalactic road kill waiting for some space gods to turn over and reveal the corruption beneath, the riving skin pocked with the touch of decay and making home and highway for parasites of all kind and to give it a few good pokes with a divine stick, cause god has a morbid sense of humour.

​

"All clear Ambassador." called a voice from the open airways, coming across through the open channels. "You may land." the landing pad sat there waiting for [member="Faith Organa"], Weequay honour guards gathered at its edges, their spears pointed skywards the billowing flag of the cartel ruffling in the wind, long had gone the time of the Hutt Empire, but these planets had never got the memo.

---​

​

"How do I look?" he adjusted the folds of coat, the folds are dark red satin climbed down his shoulders like a great water fall that hovered a fraction from the ground suspended by the clever threads of a seamstress, his metallic finger's ran their length feeling at the cartel's symbol at his shoulder, their sharp points pricking the fabric fraying it slightly. "Good." He was met with a steely image that of a giant metal construct, its heavy head plastered with a skeleton's grin, the thick metal hide shining dully in the low light. He touched the mirror. "Its not the same." in the instance between breath and thought his arm reeled back his hand clutched into a fist and smashed up against the mirror with a loud 'CRASH'.

He stepped out onto the landing pad, his form illuminated by the gold trim of his coat, the sheen of metal that was him. "Ah, it is good to see you in the flesh ambassador." he spoke into the comlink, the small device nothing in his large hand. "Please, once you land we'll get you out of the elements, the harsh Surillian, sun can do nasty things to the skin." he emphasised the word 'skin' making it stretch and span with emphasis, and he meant it in all its clever little implications. "The Hutts, await you inside."

So sorry about the late reply, been very sick felt like I was gonna sh-it out a lung.​

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco had never really been to Sriluur or cared to. In fact, other than his short stint as Foreman of the Techno Union, all he had done in relation with the Hutts was deny them a few planets and set up a factory on Nal Hutta. His dealings with Popo had always been benevolent, and Rekali the Hutt was a friend, mostly because he was a Rekali and the two clans were close allies.

Faith squeezed his hand and Draco smiled, holding his buy'ce in the crook of his other arm. "There is nothing to be nervous about, ner runi. This will go fine." Or else was left off the sentence, but the Mandalorians were sitting around with quite a bit of pent up aggression and angst, it would be a shame for them to find an outlet because of a botched talk about an embassy. Draco pulled the collar of his beskar'kandar to adjust it slightly. He reached out to the Force and pulled on it slightly, drawing it in, wrapping himself in its embrace just in case there was need of it quickly, and steeled himself to be ready at a moment's notice.

The ship landed and the pair prepared to meet with the Hutts. Draco's senses expanded, reaching out to test the minds of each individual he could sense, just a light touch so that he might anticipate their actions just a hair sooner than normal. Faith had a small personal energy shield projector on her belt for just that reason. Right now it might be off, but Draco could activate it on a moment's notice. The warrior was still smiling, well aware of his capabilities and those of his clansmen if need be.

The ramp dropped and extended for the pair to make their way inside, dust swirling around in the harsh wind of the planet. Hot dry air grazed them as they stood, making their way carefully down the ramp.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[Faith Organa]

She nodded and walked down the ramp immediately the conditions of the planet blew across the landing pad, she dipped her head to protect her eyes listening to the voice that greeted them warmly.

Gold trim, and metal gleamed as the light reached out highlighting the edges and form of the Hutt representative. "Thank you for arranging to meet with us. The Hutts are waiting excellent." She did not let go of Draco's hand she kept her fingers entwined with his as they walked.

The emphasis on flesh and skin unsettled Faith, were the Hutts going to try and take hers, or was their emissary the one obsessed with the natural covering of humans. They hastened their step to get inside Faith had no desire to lose her flesh to the winds of Sriluur. The doors opened and Faith crossed inside looking at the Emissary.

"Can you tell me how many Hutt's currently operate within the Cartel?" She asked out of curiosity. It was known that Hutt's were often involved with slave trade, gambling, weapons, well anything that made them credits. This mission to position an Embassy on one of their worlds, well, it was thought to be daft.

[member="Draco Vereen"] | [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"All of them." he moved next to [member="Faith Organa"], keeping pace the heavy footfall of his metallic heel sounded as if a bulldozer was cruising along next to the ambassador making small talk. "One way or another they're involved, some more than others. We have the three Supreme moguls, and if you know anything about Hutt politics you'd know the position is meant for only one, or was." the base of his hand flattening gesturing out with it, with ever sentence a small slight placating gesture of those pointed digits as if giving form to his word's. "In the time of Sempra the conqueror, the Hutt families felt sidelined and didn't get their entire say in, it cause fracturing. Now with these newly elected Hutts the position has been split into an elected position representing families, ideologies and pacts."

He adjusted his belt the long blade at his side jangling with the assortment of nick-nacks and gear. "You look nervous, don't be. We're serious about the embassy." and he moved off, his titanic form moving off into the main chamber placing himself by a stack of thugs.

---​

​

The three Hutts, regarded [member="Faith Organa"] with large open eye's, the slight film of slime giving it a reflective quality, they inclined their heads slightly more an issue of weight than a sign of respect, Orga The Hutt first to speak bristled to attention his jowls vibrated with the motion of speech. "kanbiusa du mee cuova an sayaye!" He turned to his fellow Hutts, each nodded in turn and clapped their hands together. The translator translated "The Supreme Moguls welcome you ambassador, and bid you a warm stay." a slave appeared out behind the Hutts, holding aloft a tray stacked with vice and debauchery, spice, alcohol, and a stack of cigars, the girl walked up to the duo. "Pray tell us, where do you see our future relationship going?"

 

[Laira Darkhold]

This was likely not the best place to take Draco on a humanitarian negotiation. Draco, who was enslaved by hutts and sent to the spice mines of Kessel. Draco who worked two years of his life away toiling for the hutts as hired muscle before they cast him into the deepest darkest pits in the galaxy. Draco who was a rather powerful Force User known to pick up some vehicles if the need arose. Behind stern features the warlord gritted his teeth, raising his mental defenses and finding his center of being.

Combat. Fire and Death.

To Draco these things were imminent, but he held back nonetheless. Really the only reason this place wasn't being leveled by Mandalorian warriors was because Faith had asked to come here on good will. Draco stood silent, watching and waiting for any sign of danger. Part of him wanted an excuse, part of him just didn't want to be on this planet anymore. A tiny fragment of his being wanted to nuke the whole planet into New Tattooine and salt the planet so that nothing would ever grow again and the Slugs would never slither around on it openly.

Draco gave Faith a look that said <Yes, tell us.> silently as he stood beside her.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[Faith Organa]

All of them ok she thought, "I didn't realize." She looked over at Draco with a small nervous smile. She however kept her head up and walked along.

She looked upon the three hutts, she felt herself shrink in size by comparison. The translator was smooth, she remembered her manners and who she was. "I thank you all for meeting with me." She tried to remember that these were not the same Hutts as Sempre, or maybe they were. Sempre had tried flattering her with friendship and then used her to gain influence fortunately she found out before too much damage had been done.

"I know very little about the Hutt Cartel as it is now. In order to know where this could go I believe we must know something about each other now"

She knew that Draco was using large amounts of control to be here to stand her. His track records with Hutts not so good.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"New?" called the translator, almost at the exact same time as if a great collective question mark hovered above the human and the three slugs that flanked him. "Cuova an sayaye, kanbiusa du." the three Hutts looked at each other there massive shoulder wobbling with the motion of a shrug. The translator did his job. "New leaders maybe, but the illustrious Hutt Cartel still serves the purpose of previous generations. We will not lie to you ambassador, you would find out sooner or later." he began to articulate his speech with brisk hand gestures, bringing all the gravity a small underfed translator could bring to his word's. "If you knew us before you know us now, we simply offer you you shelter and allies in these strange times."

"Du Sayaye." barked the furthest Hutt to the left, his flabby arms began to grip onto a chain, slowly by bit by bit he'd begin to reel in a length of metal, letting the chain wind itself up his arm dragging a female slave close to his pudgy form, forcing her to sprawl next to him. He licked his lip's before looking back up to [member="Faith Organa"], the spittle now riding down the ridges of his chin to hide in the folds of his fat. "Mee cuova an sayaye." the translator looked between them a moment his head almost spinning as he began to translate. "The most honourable Abura the Hutt, remarks that you look quite well this evening." he gulped as he waved his diplomatic hand's and swallowed hard as he gentrified the sentence of the Hutt, clipping and removing remarks and descriptions.

---​

​

"I agree." the robotic form swaggered out from his hiding spot, his leg's splayed apart his left arm waving back and forth with almost mock swagger cock attitude. "She looks most ravishing, but believe me when I say this ambassador. From one person to another who served the last edition of the cartel, we'll still slave, drug, pillage, loot, burn, plunder, burgle, break, smash, and kill." He put emphasis on the last word making it ring on his cybernetic lip's, which weren't there. "We're just offering you the opportunity to make your place safe, and if interested buy into our stock and trade. I'm sure any good government could use a good thousand slaves."

[member="Draco Vereen"]​

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco didn't like Hutts. That much was certain. What he liked less was bloviated Hutts with a massive misunderstanding for their relevance and importance in the Galaxy. Even Popo, who had been the former Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, was a more respected, more intimidating Criminal overlord than these three.

"I'm sorry, what?" Draco asked after hearing the robot speak. "Sounds like you are saying you won't try to enslave Alderaan in exchange for our cooperation?" It was actually hard for the Mandalorian warlord to keep from laughing at the thought of Hutt slave ships getting shredded by Feth Off cannons as they dropped out of hyperspace, after giving the Alderaanian forces ample time to prepare.

He looked at Faith for a moment, "What is it you would like from this arrangement dear?" He asked, maintaining his straight face as best as he could. Perhaps she could turn this into something she could use, or perhaps she would decide to leave. Up to her really.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"Enslave?" he began to laugh a wheezing metallic chuckle, the kind of release of sound and sudden rush of air as if from a boiler ready to burst. "You misunderstand my armoured friend, one too many knocks to the head." he regarded [member="Draco Vereen"], with steely eyes the luminescent quality casting a slight glow thin lines of shadow across his face, making them pool and swell under ridges of face. "Have you ever heard the phrase 'if we're gonna have crime it might as well be organised' It means one of a few things, you can talk with us you can't talk with a million little gangs, crime will always be with us. We can be talked to, we can be bargained with we can be threatened if you feel inclined.”

He removed a decanter of wine from a neighbouring slave, it's flask like head open to the world its small crystalised patterns shining in the dim light, as he poured himself a glass. “What we’re offering is trade restrictions of our drugs, weapons, slaves, to your planet or unless you want them? We’re not the Hutt Empire, we don’t conquer we just give enough rope for people to hang themselves.” he swirled the wine around it its cup the heavy liquid sloshing around speckling the rim in bright red ribbons. “What I am saying is what do you want?” and he let the pregnant silence sit.

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]​

​

Faith had to listen to the words, the issue with some words they could mean more than one thing, more than one action. Faith stood quietly watching she gave Draco a knowing smile, and then looked upon the envoy, the interpreter.

"So that I am clear you are saying that a treaty with you, will keep crime away from Alderaan, well at least crime that you are associated with, is this correct?" Let's be certain Faith thought and then let's be clear about what Alderaan wanted in return.

Her brown eyes gazed steadily upon him the voice of the Hutts. She knew there was a language out there that she needed to practice, at one time she could speak Hutt but time and change had stiffened her tongue and now the words choked her rather than came freely. Then there was Draco to consider, he would likely have a hard time listening to her speak Huttese.

"And also as for what I want. There is no slavery on Alderaan, there will never be slavery as long as House Organa reigns. I would like to keep spice off Alderaan as well, but I don't think you have total control of that market, so whatever you do control I don't want it on Alderaan. Crime on Alderaan is minimal I intend to keep it that way. However"

She took a soft breath she needed to make sure she spoke clearly, "I would not mind establishing an Embassy where citizens of Alderaan who have left Alderaan when it was vong formed could go and check on their families, additionally an embassy that would remain a neutral place where the Hutt Cartel could meet with the Ambassador that is appointed. Open communications, no hostilities, that is what I want."

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco rolled his eyes behind his mask at the robot. In his lifetime he had repeatedly assisted in the destruction of Hutt Cartel assets alongside the Techno Union, the Witch Masters, and the One Sith in due to his past. In truth, having good relations with the Cartel was merely away for Alderaan to have good relations with the much more dangerous criminal organizations they associated with.

Draco knew the phrase, but the Cartel was foolish if they thought that Alderaan would invite them to take over what little crime there was on Alderaan. It was a peaceful planet, primarily made up of refuges or others that had lost, and the proud history of the planet had resulted in what survivors existed had come together and rebuilt after the terror of the One Sith and the oppression of Lasedri's Republic.

He sighed, but remained silent. The only reason he was here was if the Hutt Cartel decided they wanted a war with the Mandalorian Clans and to go from fairly unnoticed by the clans to the top of the 'To be Crusaded' list. He let Faith go about her business quietly, waiting for the trip home. Longing for it even.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"You'd have a deal." he paused moving about the hall, moving to look the assembled gaggle of criminal, mercaniary alike giving them a nod before turning to look back at [member="Faith Organa"]. "What do you offer us? Its a two way street, and it'll be costly for us to simply pull people and buy out contracts for the area." he said his respiratory system blowing out a breath of pale silvery smoke that danced above his head like halo, it stayed there for a second, and than another becoming translucent and insubstantial before finally vanishing.

"Do you have any sway with company or stock, maybe contracts? Oh well, I'm sure we'll figure something out. Lets call it a favour for the future, as for your embassy something will be made available and you'll have choice of site, how's barren desert suit you?" he didn't wait for a reply. "Good, now that's just fantastic." he gestured wayward with a sweep of his arm towards two secured doors and they swung open, a group of slaves moved a large tablet in, it was made in brass but with twining pictogram and depictions of crude scenes of violence and debauchery, in the centre the hutts. "A gift to show you how much we're thinking about you."

[member="Draco Vereen"]​

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith had not agreed verbally yet to anything, she gave a glare over to them all. "I have no influence anyone of contract only of my own home world. Perhaps we don't offer anything of value to you. An Embassy actually isn't anything of value to anyone except to those that need it, its just a small place that represents a larger place somewhere else."

She stepped back from the brass picture, she had seen worse, and better and then there were some equal some of Ra, and Isley that were in Draco's man cave were on the same par in her mind. This if it made it near the ship was headed for storage...deep storage. Where all the great gifts from the great emissaries from across the galaxy had gone.

"Perhaps a study of how much crime is actually on Alderaan is needed." She smiled. She looked at those gathered before her she was suddenly greatly uncomfortably as she watched the slaves. She tried very hard not look at Draco she knew he had once been a slave and for him to see this, this had to be a horrid reminder of a terrible past.

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"] [member="Draco Vereen"]