New City, New Rules

[Just Matt Now]

Palace of the Granee Lorda
Grand City
Teth​

What a City!
Borga could not have been more pleased. Becoming Granee Lorda had been one of the greatest, and most stressful things of his life. It was times like these, when the Hutt could sit back, relax, and enjoy his own accomplishments where it all paid off. Borga sat in his own soaking room, not in the water but just outside with a towel over his shoulders and a datapad in his hand enjoying another thing he loved, gladiator bouts. The Hutt made it his goal to stay in touch with the things that not only brought him his fame, but granted him the capital to do so. Watching fights across the galaxy, matching up his own fighters to those of other ludus'. He was the Granee Lorda, but that didnt give him an advantage on the sands. Off his open balcony, he could hear the clanging of swords made from a fight going on outside, in his most marvelous and modern arena to date.

Guards littered his palace, and yet he could still be completely alone. He was the most protected being in the entire galaxy, and he felt this protection. There would be little that could distract him from his current sublime, and he wouldnt let anything take it either. The Hutt slid across the room, setting the datapad down. Confident he had chosen the next best ludus to fight his men in his own arena, already being christened with blood. He hung over the balcony to watch the fight ensue. Icarus was the main event, and he could hear the crowd pump the Kushari's blood with ferocity and passion. He loved watching his most prized fighter in action.

 

[Cassanova]

The guards of Borga's palace were good, but none of them challenged Jack as he approached the Granee Lorda's quarters. Not being spoken to alerted Jack that his path through to Borga was permitted, but possibly even welcome. Jack, of course, marvelled at the architecture and impressive construction of the new city. It was similar to Jack's own properties in many ways - different styling - but everything was immaculate, flawless in construction, and purposefully built down to the most simple of details.

The door to the chamber opened silently, but Jack was aware that the leader of the Cartel would know that he was there, if not coming. The Corellian took no time to arriving at the side of Borga, silently announcing himself speaking in fluent, if accented Huttese,"Afternoon, Borga." Jack had quickly lost the pomp and circumstance of the Council Chambers. He had respect for Borga, but Jack wasn't about to polish the Hutt's tail. The Corellian nodded to the arena from the balcony, "Is this Icarus' fight? I've got twenty thousand on him to win in four minutes."

Jack betting so specifically was the only way it was worth doing, of course. Icarus was going to win, for certain, but how long it took would be the real money maker. "I trust you're well, Borga," he smiled, "Enjoying your new station, I presume?"

 

[Just Matt Now]

The Hutt peered over his shoulder, noting Jacks arrival, then looked back onto the sands. He would hate to miss an instant of Icarus, it was akin to watching a greysor chase its prey in the natural landscape of Naboo. Still, Borga did not turn away. He owed Jack a lot, but promoting him to Con Lorda certainly made up for it. The Hutt would be known in history if not for anything else. Yet that would not happen.

<"You may just make some money."> The bout was nearing the two minute marker and Icarus had already managed to cut his foes thigh.

<"What do you think of my city, Jack? I like to think of it as the start of my legacy. One that will be around way longer than I."> Borga was fully aware of how long he could live, insinuating it even.

<"I spoke with Backes. He should not be a problem. I know how you get. I'm sure there must have been some tension between you two the other day. Believe me, it was not my intention for you to have seen that. You must understand. There has never been a non-Hutt Con Lorda before. So there are things you are going to have to let slide. Backes is still a respected member of Kormthe kajidi despite his hypocritical rants and tangents he can go off on. He is more of a loner, thinks everyone owes him only because of work he had done ages ago.">

The fight outside ensued, well passed the three minute marker.

<"I would say that any debt we have between us is well paid off. And now we must focus forward."> The Hutt flinched, the fight below had ended in a violent yet satisfying display, mere seconds under four minutes.

<"Seems like I just got you some more."> The Hutt said while turning around to finally face Jack. At that moment a splash was made in the pool next to him. Two beautiful women, a Human and a Twilek entered after dropping their towel.

<"So what thoughts do you have, as the new Con Lorda, in moving forward?">

 

[Cassanova]

Jack nodded as he responded, "The city is grand, befitting of only the Grand Lord of the Cartel." Jack shrugged, "I confess, not necessarily my style, but I can appreciate fine taste regardless. It's a real testament to what you have, and will build here. Collossal power from the bare bones of legend." With a smile, Jack turned to Borga. "Almost poetic, really."

The statement rang truer than ever with both Jack and Borga having once each had nothing, and using what was there, their own wiles and ultimately a bit of brute force, the pair had risen to being two of the most wealthy and influential people in the galaxy. Regardless of who they worked for, or where their loyalties stood - it was impressive.

The mention of Backes, however, forced Jack to remind himself to remain calm and not have people killed. The Hutt was a goddamn idiot, an utter failure, and an egomaniacal moron with an intelligence quota well below that of the bacteria that feed on the faecal matter of mentally deficient livestock - and that was Jack being polite about the matter. Beyond that, Jack appreciated the lengths to which Borga had gone to level the debt between them and how much personal risk he had invested in doing so. In earnest, Jack offered his thanks, "The slate between Backes and I is clean. He hampers my business ventures, or attempts to assert himself over me again, there'll be a problem." Jack nodded to Borga. "I respect your kind's view towards humanity, and can even agree with it to an extent. But when it comes to Backes and I, the balance is not in the favour of the Hutt." Jack continued before Borga could scold him for his choice of words, "As I said. As long as the money keeps coming and he minds his affairs, then we're all fine."

The cheers erupted from the stadium and Jack did a mental calculation, "Your boy just won me thirty grand. Half, by rights, is yours. I'll have it transferred to your account." Fifteen grand, for Borga or Jack was pittance. But the gesture itself was the key. Borga's man, Jack's money. Split the profits. It worked out well. It was, after all, good business.

The questions of the future brought Jack's mind back to the 'real world' and the responsibilities that he had been placed with. "I suppose I should give you a brief rundown of the holdings." Jack adjusted his stance, leaning over the balcony a little more. A lesser businessman may have needed to read from a datapad, but Jack had committed the entire summary of the Cartel's finances to memory. "Profits are up four percent this month, key performers are, as usual low end gun sales, and unsurprisingly Bohemian's Knight armour is currently our top seller. Interest on loans and credit draws are unsurprisingly at a solid six percent return. Biggest profit margins come from the Casinos; Calrissian hall took a bit of a dive with the Paradise opening, but Paradise is pulling nearly five times what Calrissian did in its peak times, so its definitely making its money back." Jack summarised as quickly as possible. "Entertainment profits amounted to something like two hundred billion last week - a slight down, most likely due to the slump between the Hunt and the new branding of the Circuit." Jack shrugged off the rest of the figures - the message was clear. Money was flying in.

"Intel," Jack nodded and turned to face the Hutt, "Now that is a more fruitful report."

"I can tell you that, with one hundred percent certainty, we have two Jedi spies and a Jedi financier among our ranks, At least two incognito Sith, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Rebels had grown a brain and tried to infiltrate as well." Jack trailed off. Everything about the mannerism was that it was nothing to be concerned about - and truthfully it wasn't. They were all doing exactly what they needed to do, and exactly what was expected; generating opportunities for profit.

 

[Just Matt Now]

The Hutt was more than pleased with the numbers of Jack's affiliated businesses, but that was not what he wanted from the Human right now. Jack's primary attribute, and reason why the Hutt made him Con Lorda, was his communication skills. The man was simply well-known and well-liked, by nearly all facets of the galactic spectrum. From the high ranking officers behind Imperial desks to the money seeking Kung that came through the Cartels door, Jack could find the intel. And while the man pressed onwards to reveal the spies, Borga was not fully surprised. One of the very few times Borga was seen cursing Veros name under his breath, the former Granee Lorda had unfortunately let this atmosphere breed throughout the Cartel.

<"Jack I'm going to be straight. When it comes to spies I have zero patience, and it is no secret of how this came about. The loss of Thyferra showed a clear weakness, one that many took advantage of. And now we play the fool...I do not like to be played with. Tell me, who are these infiltrators and I want to know what you recommend we do about them.">

The Hutt was curious to see what Jack had to say, and how he felt on the matter. Borga had recently received a message from the Grandmaster herself, which then revealed more truths about Elohim and his affiliation. Although his position was less of a spy and more of an entrepreneur. Borga had knowledge of another Jedi, the Weapons Master herself. Although "spy" may not be the right word. It was more like "frustration" aimed at the Jedi. And the Hutt had his suspicions about the newly awarded Grand Hunt winner, and runner up as well. His own gladiator revealing important information of the two appearing for special classes while he was staying with Delun and the Commonwealth. The Hutt gathered his own information, but clearly there was more.

<"This is a matter we must handle delicately. Especially with our new arrangement with the Empire. Though spying is an act of mal intent, aggression, wouldnt you agree? ">

 

[Cassanova]

Jack nodded in agreement, and responded in Basic as he was better able to convey the tone and conviction with which he believed what he was saying it, "First and foremost, we've got a prospect, Amy Me'kor. Now I don't have absolute evidence, but I suspect - based on the information we gathered from the Coruscant heist a few years ago, that she's Arrika Mar, Jedi Master. Secondly, and I expect you might be mildly put out by this;" Jack frowned and continued, not really caring about the outcome. "Elohim Aeon. Our rising star of a Captain." The Corellian's head turned to watch Borga's reaction, "His name is Jedi Master Arkantos Rajax. He's been playing us for a long time."

Spies were a part of the game, and Jack practically wrote the rule book, so he knew which way was up at all times. "As far as the Sith are concerned; we've got a middling Crusader and her apprentice utilising the Cartel as a base of operations for hunting Jedi in Independent space. Nothing to be concerned about."

How the Cartel responded to the presence of spies was greatly influenced by Borga, but it needed to be the calm, measured response that Jack would provide to keep the balance in check and the profit coming. "Our response? To do nothing. To not give away our awareness of their intentions. Aeon -- Rajax's intentions, I suspect, are to slowly guide the Cartel's hand around to be in favour of the Jedi and that hopeless excuse for a Rebellion. If we let him continue down the path he thinks he's on, it could be of great leverage when dealing in future negotiations with the Imperium."

Jack waved the thought off, ensuring that Borga was free to make his own mind up on the matter. "The Imperium's spies within our ranks have been there since before our treaty. I have it on good authority that they're attention is solely fixated on the Jedi and the Rebels. With that in mind, I've taken steps to keep them closer at hand, just to watch how the situation unfolds."

Remembering his other little infiltrator, Jack snapped his fingers. "Oh, and this one you know about. Juno Armstrong. Jedi Weapons Master. She recently transferred nearly thirty million credits to an E. Daw - I can only assume that being Ebberla, the Jedi Grandmaster," Jack looked to Borga seriously. "She's the one who can cause problems for us. Honest people cause problems. Honest people have nothing to lose, nothing to hide. She needs to go."

 

[Just Matt Now]

Interesting. Jack did not hide his favoritism towards the Sith side of this conundrum, although Borga could not blame him. With their treaty with the Sith, they were clearly getting more out of them then they were out of the Jedi. Though Borga did want to know the names of the Sith spies. He needed to know who he could trust and who he needed to look out for.

<"Those Imperial spies...who might they be exactly?"> Borga said in the middle of Jacks retort.

Jack might have been surprised to see Borgas little surprise to Elohim's position. And for Juno, her debt was paid. He could only assume where the money would go towards, but she did pay her debt. Though Jack seemed to be most concerned with her. She did pose the greatest threat to their treaty with the Sith.

<"And Elohim has come clean in his position. As he still remains upon the upper echelons of the Cartel. I believe we can trust him further. He does still have connection with the Jedi, but he is not like the other Masters. As for Amy...she has yet to pop on the radar. For now all we can do is keep close watches on each of them, although Elohim may be a waste of time. Juno...well, We'll just have to wait for her next move. I'm sure she'll come to me for her next idea. I will gauge her when that time comes."> The Hutt waited for Jacks response on the names of the Sith. And his response to the Hutts plan.

 

[Cassanova]

Jack kept his face level. "I'm not prepared to disclose the identities of the members of the Imperium amongst our ranks, Borga. I've got investments in them. Beyond that, I can assure you that they were members of the Cartel far earlier than they were working with the Imperium." It was a bold move to outright defy the Granee Lorda, but hell - what's life without a gamble?

"If you want me to operate the Intelligence network, I need to have full control over it," Jack prepared to face down a disagreement of Huttese proportions. "There's information to get and there's nothing to report on, as yet."

Pissing off Borga wasn't a problem. It would be a problem if Borga was seen to be playing to Jack's fiddle - which was why Jack laid out three Jedi for him; three Jedi Masters, no less. Awareness was ninety percent of the spy game. Information was the last ten. Jack wanted the last ten percent of information, and until he had it all - there was nothing to report on.

"But I agree entirely with your view on the Jedi. Waiting and watching is definitely the best option - for all three of them," Jack's faith in Elohim had faltered somewhat, but then again - Jack always had a well-hidden knife to grind with him. They were, quite literally, competing businessman a lot of the time. Tamblyn had taken that challenge and altered his approach, and now was cranking hundreds of millions more credits than Aeon was.

"But I do have one idea that you might be interested in." Jack garnered his cheeky, knowing smile to the Hutt, never coming empty handed to a meeting like this.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Withholding information was something no leader can ignore. It meant something, and whether that was good or bad Borga could not risk. He did trust Jack, but how could he trust anyone else now that he knows there are Imperial spies within their ranks. Control is one thing, but standing aside to watch your leader look like a fool was something this Hutt could not do.

"Listen..." He continued in Basic. "It is no assurance on me that they have been here since before our agreement with the Imperium. Actually it only worries me more. These spies could have gotten as far as Elohim has...and I dont think their primary mission is to be as abiding. Jackie boy...you got investments in them? How can I know for sure that all of my investments, galaxy-wide, are protected? I can see how strongly you want to hold this information, but as a testament to my decision in appointing you to the Hutt Council, I need to know who they are. And in return you have my promise that I will no do anything, nor disclose any information about them."

Borga didnt like secrets, and to effectively run this Cartel he had to know exactly who he can trust. It all lead up to Borga, no matter how large Jacks ego is and how important he is...Borga is more important. Moving on the his second bit.

He was happy to hear he shared a similar view on the Jedi, however. His highest concern was certainly Juno, although she hasnt offered any reason to doubt her. She could definitely cause the most damage, whatever that damage might be.

"And what might that be, Jack?"