Open Crossroads

[Selene Trakand]

The Viktorious Vixen, Tirsa​

OOC: Open to all 5S members.​

When Selene had booked this trip to Tirsa things had been simple, the Galaxy was screwed, the Jedi were fucked, the Sith were confused about their own malignancy, and the politicians were doing whatever they did to line their pockets and ignore everything else. Perfect conditions for those in her line of work to continue earning credits and enjoying life at the expense of others. But by the time she arrived in the Corporate Sector things had change. A broadcast on the holonet had changed everything. Now there was a big ol' target painted on all their backs, and she for one did not like that at all. And that wasn't all of it, the contact she was here to meet, a low level executive from a small pharmaceutical firm, had cancelled their meeting and made it clear that he had no intention of working with her.

So she had made her way to a local cantina, one her contacts had told her was somewhat safe for Syndicate members to be present at. Given current circumstances she thought it best to keep a low profile till she got back to Ylesia.

"Bourbon, neat." She asked the bartender as she slipped into a seat at the bar. "You know what, make it a double." Looking up, she spotted a holoscreen hanging from the roof where a couple of Troig commentators were discussion the Zaa Feen boss' declaration.

"Thanks," she said as she picked up the drink the bartender placed in front of her, taking a sip before gesturing up towards the screen, "that can't be good for business. Any pushback here because of your...affiliations?"

 

[23006]

It was almost as if she slept at the Quick-draw Cantina these days. With Marissa still absent, Kara had been in charge of the day-to-day operations on Coruscant and Gareth hadn't exactly made that job easier for her by painting a big ole target on all of their backs. Every local ganger knew who really controlled these levels and only one of them needed to snitch it to someone with a chip on their shoulder. The KnowOnes had been tasked to monitor the subnets, but Kara feared not all of them were still that loyal anymore either. It was one thing to follow Kara and Scratch, peers in the trade, and by extension the orders of Marissa Zaa Fenn herself. But when the White Lion started shouting from rooftops and Marissa was nowhere to be found to offer any assurances then... well, she was probably safer in the backrooms of the quick-draw than at home in her lower level penthouse.

TC-SC 23006's disguise matrix had been enabled to make it look and sound exactly like Kara Lok. She was supposed to go to the Corporate Sector and meet with Julia Hipori, with whom she had extensive business dealings, but the bounties on Gareth, especially the amounts being ten times that on the head of the Sith Empress, derailed the planning and it had been deemed wiser to default to encrypted messages in another way. Kara could've send the droid back home for its memory wipe, but her intel also said Selene was nearby on a similar business meeting and the proprietor of the Viktorious Vixen hadn't yet aligned herself with any of the syndicates. Perhaps the trip up the Corporate Sector didn't need to be for nothing...

The droid entered and would no doubt get recognized as a ringleader of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family and that was exactly the reason she didn't dare go out to offplanet meetings in person. The droid walked over to Selene (@Wit) at the bar and sat down with a sigh and a motion towards the bartender that it wanted the same.

Meanwhile it's encrypted communicator opened a comline with its owner, prompting Kara to accept the call, put on a headset and watch her screen. She could see through the droid's eyes and talk through its vocabulator. "Selene, that drink doesn't look like you're celebrating."

 

[Xol Zaa Fenn]

Xol wasn't sure what to think of Zaa Fenn's "White Lion". Now it made business even harder for the Tognath's work with the Guild. There were too many people that could rat out several names of the Zaa Fenn family that Xol felt he needed to silence quickly. Luckily, his status with the Guild kept him mostly safe, but he wasn't sure how long he would be in their good graces before someone ratted him out.

So, Xol decided to think and plan with a few drinks to lower his anxiety and rage. Over his shoulder he spotted a droid he recognized, but he wasn't sure if it was because of the droid model he'd read about in a comic book or the fact that he might have actually seen the droid before. It called a bar patron by name that had been listening to the recent upsetting broadcast.

She must have been Syndicate Stuff, too- or at least Xol thought she was. His hunches were usually fifty/fifty, though, and wasn't going to be surprised if she wasn't. However, because of recent events, he wasn't going to parade around asking if rando strangers were Syndicates, let alone apart of the Family.

"<Damn this day...Tomorrow is going to be hell, I'm sure of it.>" He muttered to himself from his stool.

@Eccles @Wit

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

A gentle waft of cool air was just what the Hutt needed, and it was dutifully provided by Oola, a young Twi’lek male Nor’baal had given the honor of being his punkah. However, whilst the corrupt crime lord no doubt saw this as the honour of a lifetime, Oola disagreed. Not that he would ever dare indicate as much in the presence of his master - no, no, no; Oola did not have a death wish.

He was joined in the Hutts' retinue by a chromium-plated protocol unit, and a collection of swarthy Gamorreans, several of whom oinked and grunted as they struggled under the immense weight of their master's litter. For whatever reason, Nor’baal had decided to be carried today, some flighting fancy he had picked up whilst visiting the Hutt ‘Jewel Worlds’ last week. Bizarrely, his throne came equipped with hover technology, yet he had insisted his guards carry it.

The bizarre nature of the Hutts' fancies never ceased to amaze.

His group had arrived in the Corporate Sector a few days ago, primarily to discuss with other Syndicate members the ongoing issues facing their wider organisation. Nor’baal had, of course, taken the time to indulge in a little shopping whilst he was here, and had dedecked his throne, guards and punkah in jewels as a result.

Arriving at the cantina, Nor’baal waited for the larger of the doors to open before being carried inside with little fanfare. Once indoors, to the chagrin of his throne-bearers, he activated the thrones hover-tech, and glided to an allotted place near the bar. Taking a colossal drag on his hookah pipe, mindful of the small hold-out blaster he had stowed beneath it, he joined in the conversation.

<Wonkee hatkocanh la doth watka? Panbocn stoopa kaa um baw wah Zaa Fenn bai woy see veiee koneaha- Gareth gee jah koumhaptece bai kiuke bakanh bai bu kankahpantanka dee Benbepoka.> Nor’baal said, smoke curling out of his nostrils <Fa doth wa dhanpa basa che gahke, hocan Jee flunka bai neu haku gai fa bahia chakee canky wa gaukodiua dah mee woceuea bata.>

 

[Selene Trakand]

Selene was contemplating whether she wanted to drown the drink in one shot and repeat the process, or progressively drown her emotions with slow, deliberate sips when someone slipped into the seat besides her and spoke up.

The bartender, given and easy out from Selene's half-hearted attempt at conversation, drifted away to let the new arrival deal with her instead. Glancing to the side, Selene let her eyes rest on the woman seated besides her, singular eyebrow rising in surprised recognition as she matched the face with one of the Zaa Fenn ringleaders. It seemed like she was not the only one who had realized the potential for expansion in the Corporate Sector and the opportunities they presented given their recent induction into the Galactic Senate. Oddly enough that pissed her off, it meant those above her weren't the fools she had hoped they would be in the ideal path to her ascent to the top. Oh well, what fun would it be if it wasn't challenging.

"Kara Lok," she replied in a dry drawl as she picked up the drink and gently shook the glass to swirl the drink within. "in the flesh. Fancy that." She raised the glass in greeting before taking a sip and returning it to the counter, she had come expecting a slow night of contemplation, but found herself in the company of someone she had not expected to find. Opportunity was in the air, and it was best that she not be wasted in case it showed its face.

"Not all of us have your resources," she continued with a glance towards the screen, "this little stunt is going to fuck my...Lord Durga's business. We'll be lucky if we don't go broke. Yaay to that I guess!" She picked up the glass once more, taking another, slightly bigger swig.

That was when another voice cut into their conversation, and Selene glanced over her shoulder knowing full well what to expect. She had had enough dealings with Hutts to identify ones presence, not just by the way they spoke, but by their smell and aura. Anyone could speak huttese, but no one could imitate a Hutt speaking huttese. But even though she had been expecting a Hutt, she hadn't been expecting this one.

"Governor." She greeted the Hutt, ignoring his comments about Gareth Gin's actions, it was one thing to complain about the impact it would have on her business, another altogether to openly agree with someone calling a family leader's actions stupid. Even if she did agree.

She glanced back at Kara, eyes drifting from her to the Hutt, to another patron who sat at the bar, wondering if she had somehow stumbled upon a meeting she wasn't supposed to know about. "A Zaa Fenn ringleader, and a Hutt Clan leader in one place. If I didn't know better I'd say you're up to something."

@Eccles @Charles @Nor'baal

 

[23006]

The droid, or rather, Kara, smiled upon hearing Selene's complaint. "Don't worry about business," she said and she meant it, sort of. "Politicians and corporations always need things done off the books. Spice needs to be shipped and sold, the latter is not something-" she turned to look at the large Hutt that entered and butted into the conversation, "-he can do. Slumming it up with the addicts on the sewer-levels of cityworlds isn't something Governors do." Though that didn't mean Kara didn't worry about the turn of events and the sudden all-encompassing focus on wiping the Zaa Fenn Crime Family from the map.

So back in her office at the quick-draw cantina on Coruscant, Kara made sure she downloaded all important info the family and its affiliates had gathered over the years onto a separate datapad. This data included dataplagues belonging to the KnowOnes and synthetic-spice recipes acquired in the days of Preef Callo. Just to make sure that alongside her own lists of contacts and private wealth, she'd have all the resources to ensure she didn't ever have to resort back to petty jobs on Byblos.

It was Selene's last words that seemed to trigger the ringleader, "Maybe you forgot about the Council of Five?" Kara reminded her, "Crymorah and the Hutts have set aside their differences with both Preef and Durr dead." Which meant that there wasn't necessarily anything standing in the way for the Five Syndicates to once again unite to form a single front, although judging from past dealings and the aftermath of the first Kessel War, it would involve the Crymorah Syndicate paying the other four a significant amount of credits. "Governments always seem to think that putting a figurehead like Gareth behind an energy shield in some prison is going to eradicate crime" she laughed and turned to Nor'baal, "But what is it the Hutts say? Something about the long con?"

Besides. Kara had herself orchestrated the rescue of two Sith Lords from a top secret ranger prison. She could do that again, but for Gareth this time. Imagine the bad press for those governments if they were unable to keep an ordinary criminal in prison.

@Wit @Nor'baal

 

[Xol Zaa Fenn]

Woah, now things were spicing up. Xol decided to listen in haphazardly as the Hutt the Tognath was working for entered in the scene. This just got hella awkward. He forgot to mention to Kara Lok about his little scheme to stab the Hutt but at least the Hutt himself didn't know, right? Or anyone for that matter. Xol grumbled to himself about business and communicating to work associates before taking the last sip of his Whiskey with a straw.

While only being maybe two or three chairs away from the ongoing conversation anyway, so he decided to chip in. <"Gareth is family. The Family is biiiig. I'm not worried about Gareth ending up in prison- he'd probably get the inmates to worship him within the week."> Xol chuckled. <No...I'm worried about someone connected to someone connected to Gareth ratting all of us out. Someone we forgot to keep tabs on. A skin-bag Crymorah got complacent about- and you know what I always say...Idle Hands are the Devil's Playground. I bet you all the money on Gareth's head that there's someone out there giving out names like blowing a dandelion."> Xol barked angrily.

<"All it takes is for one little boy to cry wolf and the whole damn town starts searching. Next thing you know...that little boy cries, 'Kara Lok'."> Xol spoke in a tone that reflected both immense worry and serious irritation at the same time.

<"Damn, I'm paranoid...">

@Nor'baal @Eccles @Wit

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

<Ms. Jaa doth hih pahapke, wa cahtana see mah chatkeha wohot tee bahiesa du bu duapa- pheca dee Zaa Fenn.> came the rumbling reply of the Hutt. The Hutts droid translated with practiced ease, unsure as to whether his master intended for the reply to be an insult to the rival clan. His master had a way with words that tended to keep people on edge; was he being pragmatic, arrogant or just plain offensive?

Zaa Fenn was under attack from all sides, and Nor’baal had ensured to profit in his own way from their decline, as was only natural. However, like most criminal organisations, this one was made up of many groups and factions, meaning Zaa Fenn itself was unlikely to simply vanish from the galactic crime scene, or indeed, to be absorbed by a rival in its entirety. What interested the Hutt the most was seeing how the Zaa Fenn split and reformed in the wake of Gareths activities.

Kara Lok was bound to be one of the major players in the families ‘reimagining’. She was far more switched on to the ways of the galactic underworld than some thought. Arresting Gareth, or executing him, would not just ‘stop’ the criminal activities the Zaa Fenn controlled. As Kara had noticed, Nor’baal played the long game.

Zaa Fenn would regroup in time, perhaps in a way none of those gathered in the cantina had even dreamed off. It would pay long-term dividends for the Hutt to snatch what he could from them now, and forge alliances on the sly with the new power-players in the family as well.

The Tognath on the other hand, was far too obsessed with the mantra of ‘family’. As far as the Hutt was concerned, the Zaa Fenn lacked the strong familial ties of the Hutt Cartels, steeped in millenia of criminal tradition that kept the Hutt power structure strong. Far to many of these new families where focused around the ebb and flow of specific trades, or specific individuals - a foolish approach, in his considered opinion.

<See pacmhanaduee camai doth dwana Gareth doptkee. Kae caheaba see cobaya tee noa-a manpanh cay heee bahva bai bankobaaney twa bekiola, mo pha twa chamy t'chuta.> Nor'baal remarked <Fa doth bai doth bakanu. Jeejee lwaa hocan, setkenu haku doth bai doth woy dah cohka dee k'wanna woceuea. Heoi pee dee chalata see Gareth, tee bu hih Zaa Fenn, Jee koee bauban, dotkot cuee bahvoba dah ten ai vee bankop. Whao jeejee banag bai bahia bankop tee heee see nem janse- hahcena, jeejee katka koose ba wen bai tah kouwahe keueka-ou cay bu Banbamanu Danko Pantahlea, nobata?>

It was a well known fact that Nor'baal served as a Governor within the ISC. Indeed, it was one of the many hats he wore - foremost as a Crime Lord of numerous world's for the Desilijic, and secondly as a Governor for Kessel. What could not be denied however, was that the Syndicate could not compete with the standing armies of the ISC should it come to open invasion.

 

[Xol Zaa Fenn]

Xol knew exactly what the Hutt was up to and he didn't like it one bit. Norbs was discreetly trying to absorb all of the Syndicates under his fat and pudgy thumbs by offering to 'work' with the other Syndicates in solving their current predicament. But the Tognath knew all to well what the 'work' really was. That Nor'baal did have a way with words, but Xol wasn't letting no Hutt slowly subsume his family. However, for the time being at least, the Bounty Hunter was going to lay it easy off the Hutt and pretend to be interested in his business offer.

<"I've got good connections with the Guild. I can make a few of us disappear from the bounty boards for a bit- but no one significant or it wouldn't go unnoticed. On the contrary, I can add bounties to give some of our more uncompliant associates a run for their literal money to buy us more time and send a message from the Hutts and Crymorah both, as well."> Xol explained begrudgingly. <"That message being, 'Stay in check or we'll bring you something worse than death'. We've got tabs on a few senators, and if the other Syndicates see this as an opportunity to reel in the other Syndicates, I can flip the cards on them to keep them off our backs. Exalted One, if you'll be kind enough to consider my offer to serve you as a personal...uh, bodyguard or head of security, I can help act against the ISC as well.">

Xol gazed back at the Hutt who loathed, but right now Nor'baal wasn't important. As the Hutt stated, the Syndicates' way of life had been threatened entirely, and Xol wasn't going to lay down and let the galaxy walk all over them. No matter how much the Tognath hated the Hutt, Xol knew Nor'baal was probably one of the better options for a good solution right now.

@Nor'baal @Wit (I'm gonna tag @Eccles just in case)