Ask Nal Hutta Pitch Right, Hutt! Hutt!

[Salvatore Russo]

Pitch Right, Hutt! Hutt!
A Laborious Undertaking
Mission Pack: Pabol Hutta

​

Nal Hutta. For sentients with any sense of beauty and aesthetics, Nal Hutta was not an enjoyable place. The ground consisted mostly bogs and swamps and a pollution-filled brown haze that permeated the air if you were lucky enough to avoid the slimy, greasy rains that normally fell from the sky. Salvatore Russo and It0, the 2-1B model droid were so lucky, if you could all being here at all luck. Salv and It0 worked together before, and the former cop was very impressed with It0's...let's say...negotiation ability. He was quick to ask the droid to join him discuss a business opportunity with Durr the Hutt. Of all the Syndicate associates he had met thus far, It0 was easily the most composed and the one he trusted the most to move conversations along in the right direction.

They had an appointment with Durr, a powerful crime lord and a member of the Hutt Grand Council. If Russo's grand design of controlling labor, particularly shipping and transport labor across the region, having the blessing of the Hutts was an absolute necessity. Certainly, Hutt power has diminished greatly, so much so that "Hutt Space" is now called "Syndicate Space" and covers a significantly smaller area. Still, the reach of the Hutts and their financial means were quite extensive. Their assassins were top notch. Their bounty hunters reamined cruel, cunning and ruthlessly efficient. If the Hutts wanted Russo to end an operation he didn't have permission to start on their turf, they wouldn't end the operation. They would end Russo.

And now, with AMS ravaging the planet of Nal Hutta, the Hutts were taking no chances. Anyone who stepped within 500 yards of a Hutt palace ran the risk of a sniper bolt in the cranium, being ran over by speeders, or some of other manner of grizzly death a hundred different ways. Sal had an appointment, but he still couldn't just ride into their quarantine zone. Better safe than sorry, Russo and It0 would stop about 600 yards short of the palace front door. Durr would send someone out to them. He was sure that they would run some sort of test, diagnostic, or something to ensure they didn't have or were carrying AMS.

He was also fairly sure they would take the two DG-34 Peacemakers on each hip. He wasn't so sure about the vibroblade. Possibly that as well. He wore his blast vest under his shirt and leather jacket, but that wouldn't do him any good. If things went south, he couldn't stop the Hutts from killing him or worse. But, if you ever wanted to be a high roller, you had to be willing to place big boy bets. Russo looked at his droid partner and smirked. "If we don't walk out of the palace, it was a pleasure working with you, It0."

@Tic @Eccles

 

[It0]

Nal Hutta, to a great many organics, was a rather odious destination to do summoned to. A humid, planet-wide swamp controlled by the galaxy's most repulsive cartel family, few traveled to crown jewel of the Hutt Empire unless they stood to make credits or the Hutts demanded it. For It0 and Salvatore, both stipulations applied.

Besides, It0 mused as he surveyed their surroundings, the planet wasn't without it's unique charms. Its ever-present and luminous haze smeared across the atmosphere like a miasmic filter gave the scenery a dreamlike quality, making the oddly flesh-like terrain seem faint, undefined. Overhead, Nal Hutta's great orbiting rings spanned a tepid green sky like some glittering highway of duracrete. As a droid, It0 was largely unbothered by the heat or the stench of decomposing vegetation. The dense muck that squelched and sucked at his feet were an inconvenience but nothing that couldn't be remedied by a well-earned oil bath at the conclusion of their business.

Masked behind the noxious mist, Durr the Hutt's palace resembled to It0 nothing so much as a large pustule erupting from the planet's skin. Despite the relative gloom, he felt at ease in Salvatore's able company despite his companion's worrisome musings.

"The pleasure will have been all mine." he replied. "Still, I estimate our chances of survival at moderate to probable. The Hutts infamous love of cruelty is only overshadowed by their love of an easy credit. If Durr will listen to our proposal I believe he can be made to see reason."

The financial fallout brought about by the AMS virus' unchecked rampage through Hutt Space had been utterly devastating by most accounts. Blockades and trade restrictions had left the cartel's coffers dangerously anemic. Word was the Hutt's could barely afford to pay their own men, most of them relying on bullying and intimidation to maintain loyalty. A tenuous situation indeed. Perhaps the perfect opportunity for a third party to offer a cut of a yet untapped source of revenue. Credits for their blessings.

"Sound reason will have to suffice," It0 remarked as the resonate hum of speeder engines broke the ambience. "as I believe Hutts lack the requisite toes to be cut."

@Isen @Eccles

 

[The Storyteller]

From their six-hundred yards they could still make out the gates of Durr's palace open and a speeder with its lights on full beam make its way towards them. Behind it the gates closed again and then spotlights from the palace's guard positions on the roof and along the walls illuminated the pair visitors even at that distance. Durr definitely wasn't taking any chances..

Salvature and It0 would see the speeder come closer and closer until it stopped ten yards shy of their position. A taxi-droid's head turned towards them. <<Please Enter The Speeder>> No small talk. No large Gamorrean, not here.. not out in the open. The fact those two actually showed up to Nal Hutta, well.. it could be seen as either desperate or the youthful arrogance to think they're invincible.

Once the pair got into the open-air speeder, the taxi-droid would drive it back to the palace at a speed that was easily followed by the spotlights on the palace proper. Surely the virus didn't warrant this paranoid a palace security.. not just a virus, anyway.. The gates opened again and the once the speeder entered the courtyard it stopped. The gates closed behind them and the welcoming committee finally showed themselves. <<Please Exit The Speeder>>

Before the stairs into the main palace stood a pair of Twi'leks, holding what seemed to be measuring equipment, a human in a dirty labcoat and a trio of Gamorreans looking their characteristically mean and stupid. The droid would turn its head towards them one last time as they exited, <<Leave Weapons In Speeder. Collect Upon Return>>

Once they did, and only then, would the Twi'leks approach to take their temperature on the watchful and excitingly curious gaze of the human doctor. "Did you meet any of them?" he asked the Hutt's guests.


@Isen @Tic

 

[Salvatore Russo]

Sal allowed himself to chuckle at It0's remark about Hutts and their absence of toes to use as tools of persuasion. No, he suspected that part of the gameplan was better left to the scrapyards here. The speeder that dropped them off from the starport didn't stick around either. As soon as the pair of aspiring labor moguls got out of the vehicle, it sped off in a hurry. Everyone was taking this AMS thing seriously, even moreso on Nal Hutta, he noticed. Even Sal had to admit, it was a little nerve wracking to be out in the open. If a mob of those infected monsters came at them, they were toast. They would have to run into the no-go zone near the palace and he was quite sure that the Hutts would have opened fire.

He was pleased then to see the speeder headed that way, and he was not at all surprised to see it driven by a droid. Durr was taking significant precautions and not allowing organics to get away from the palace and then come back. Droids were safe. Couldn't be affected. At least, so far as Sal knew. He figured that It0 was far less concerned about the zombies than he was. They got in as instructed, and on the way back, the spotlights followed them all the way back.

"Durr doesn't play games with security, does he?" Sal half-asked to It0 and half rhetorically to himself. "A careful partner is a good partner." He looked at It0 and shrugged. "A paranoid one? Not so much."

When they were asked to get out, Sal was not surprised that he was asked to leave his weapons behind. The gangster did as instructed. He took both peacemakers off his hips and laid them in the seat. Then he took his vibroblade out of the sheath and placed it on the seat. Just to be safe, he went ahead and placed his stun cuffs in the speeder as well.

To show he was clear he would extend his arms outwards which lifted his jacket so they could see the inside and would allow them to see if he was concealing carrying a blaster on his waist. "Did you meet any of them?" they were asked by a human scientist or doctor, Sal couldn't tell which. They way he was downright giddy about it...mad scientist was Sal's guess.

"Them?" Sal could only assume he meant the zombies. "If you mean the crazy AMS cannibals, we didn't meet any of them. Jiguuna is a ghost town. Everyone is hunkered down is what we were told. The spaceport is well protected. There is a pile of dead bodies there were the armed guards have sprayed and prayed the infected with blaster bolts. We saw a group of five or so on our trip from the spaceport way off in the distance. They were on all fours chowing down on some sort of big lizard."

He looked at It0 and then back to the scientist or doctor or whatever he was. "But we didn't stop to shoot the breeze. Know what I mean?"

@Tic @Eccles

 

[It0]

The droid gave the nearest Twi'lek a curious flicker of his photoreceptors as the Hutt henchman measured his temperature. Internal diagnostics indicated no reason for a rise in core temperature, but he supposed one couldn't be too safe given the state of the galaxy. Relative health assured, It0 unstrapped his blaster belt and laid it across the speeder's bench seat. Relieved of his weapons, he resembled every other 2-1B across the galaxy, albeit sporting a few more dents and scratches than most.

Durr's personnel were taking no chances and were certainly preoccupied with AMS and its victims. It0 imagined that could only bode well for their efforts here today. The Hutt's palace, a place known infamously for its creature comforts and debauched indulgences, had been reduced to a fortress. Men lined the walls and guards escorted medical staff throughout the grounds, scanning for any signs of infection. The virus was clearly impacting the state of operations for the cartel which in turn might make outsourcing grunt work all the more attractive a proposition.

"I must applaud you on your efforts to contain the AMS Virus." he remarked casually. "If more systems followed such stringent measures infection rates might be suppressed in time to locate a medical solution."

He studied the Twi'leks faces intently, a molten curiosity searing through his circuitry. The fact that implacable virus currently marauding its way across the galaxy was a pet project of the very criminals they now sought to do business with was a well established fact. The Hutts were directly responsible for the pathogen and now cowered behind their walls alongside everyone else. As medical professionals in the employ of the Hutts, who knew what information they were privvy to?

But such curiosities would have to wait. If Durr the Hutt and his kinsmen were making any real effort towards an antivirus, there had no outward indication. The galaxy would likely not find its cure coming from the corpulent hand of the repugnant crime family. Better for the Zaa Fenn to continue its ascension up the criminal ladder. With enough leverage, the Crymorah may even be capable of eventually prying the original researchers from the Hutts themselves and reverse engineering the deadly disease.

It0 focused his databanks on the business at hand.

"We do appreciate Durr's meeting with us. Have there been many visitors to Nal Hutta since the pandemics start?”

@Eccles @Isen

 

[The Storyteller]

The Twi'leks, upon noticing one of the guests was a droid, decided to focus their attention on the rather talkative human. It appeared their tests were quickly showing a negative result for the virus, so they shook their heads towards the doctor, "All clear." The doctor didn't appear to hear them, so intently was he focusing on the words of the guests, but then finally did wave the guests to continue. "We just-" he seemed to have caught himself about to spill some secrets, "Our studies show that this AMS virus is simply in need of more refinement." His eyes were dead serious and he clearly had a different perspective and knowledge of the intricacies of the virus they were all besieged by.

The Twi'leks signalled for the guests to follow them, "Follow us, please." It appeared that in their job description was more than just measuring body temperatures and looking for other signs of the AMS virus. They were hospitality Twi'leks.

Once inside the mood instantly turned. None of that paranoid stuff, but a smooth big band jazz tune filled the halls while female hospitality Twi'leks mingled with armed scoundrels and armored mercenaries. Okay, maybe if this hadn't been their first time in the palace of a member of the Hutt Council then Sal and It0 might notice that it had a little more muscle than it used to. Whether because of the virus, the discontent from the other syndicates or simply because years ago the Arcanist had killed a Hutt that had been very dear to him, almost as dear to him as his own wondrous being, was left to guesswork.

In the main area, the throne room of a Lorda, Durr sat on his pedestal where a Zeltron slave fed him spiced fish as a snack. He didn't seem to pay attention to his guests yet, but on the floor before him knelt a Rodian dressed up as Preef Callo. "Please, Oh magnificient Durr, don't destroy me and my pitiful syndicate!" it cried, reading off his lines from a cue-card held by a nearby Bith. "I will give you Marissa Hesse and Pidge Batana as your slaves, but please, don't kill meeee." The large Hutt swallowed, if thats even a thing Hutts do, and slowly picked up the blaster pistol, a peacemaker, laying on the table beside him. "Hoh, Preef Zaa Fenn the famous quick-draw artist? Draw on one-" he aimed and shot the unarmed rodian in the chest, killing it and as it fell backwards the big Hutt laughed, as did his companions and other guests.

Was this the moment for Sal and It0 to introduce themselves? The Twi'leks that had escorted them seemed to preoccupied with laughing over the pretend death of Preef Zaa Fenn, defeated by the Hutt in a quick-draw contest in which the latter obviously cheated. The rodian on the floor? He wasn't pretended to be dead. Durr really did kill him.


@Isen @Tic

 

[Salvatore Russo]

So many strange things. So much so, that Sal decided that maybe he should just try not to say too much. It was clear that whatever he thought was normal was not normal here. He would follow the Twi'leks, and as they were walking ahead of him, he would ask It0, "Did they say the virus needed refinement? What the kriff does that mean?" Normally, Salvatore would be much more appreciative of the exotic feminine escorts, but today, the former copper was laser beam focused on the task at hand.

Once they were led into the main halls of the palace, however, his focus would be challenged. Swinging music, scores of scantily clad females, and genuine, legit scum and dangerous personas filled the palace. Sal could have a good time in a place like this, but there was important business to attend to. Sal would peak a glance at It0 and lift a brow as if to say, "maybe we can at least have a good time if the deal falls through."

That idea would change somewhat as he saw the fake Preef Callo get sacrificed unceremoniously by the great crime lord himself, Durr the Hutt. Durr would laugh. His entourage would laugh. Sal looked around. It seemed that everyone felt it was in their best interest to find humor in it. Sal would play along and crack a grin to one side.

Sal waited for a moment for his escorts to do some introducing, but they were no longer around. Apparently, they walked off to take care of some other business. Russo had plenty of experience dealing with organized crime in Corellia and had worked a few jobs for the Zaa Fenn family. Typical protocol was before you got to speak to the folks on the upper rungs on the ladder, someone that person knew had to introduce them. The whole, "friend of ours, friends of mine" stuff. The Hutts were an entity unto their own though, and Sal wasn't sure what the norms were here. He looked at It0 and shrugged. "What do you know about the Hutts? We suppose to just hop in front of the big man and start a sales pitch, or do we take a ticket and wait for our number to get called?"

@Tic @Eccles

 

[It0]

The droid shambled curiously through the palace, noting approvingly the stark difference in atmosphere within. The halls and corridors were festooned with fineries both decorative and living. Women of dubious morale character and men of violent tempermant relayed an air of almost festive joviality. It0 could only presume this meant they would find their intended host in high spirits.

The entirety of the throne room seemed enraptured with the melodrama playing out before them as the Hutt unceremoniously gunned down a captive Rodian. As the medical droid studied the smoldering hole burnt into the faux-Preef's chest, his optimism dimmed somewhat. Even admidst the ravaging of Hutt Space by the virus it would seem Durr the Hutt clung to his old grudges. But the vanity in such a display was telling.

Utterly alone at the peripheries of Durr's court, It0 was contemplating their next steps and the etiquette involved when Salvatore spoke up.

"What do you know about the Hutts? We suppose to just hop in front of the big man and start a sales pitch, or do we take a ticket and wait for our number to get called?"

It was as though the man had read his thoughts. It0 regarded him quietly for a moment. The man was intuitive and uniquely at home amongst the villainy of the galaxy. He was a capable ally indeed. This piqued the droid's curiosity.

"Internal Notation: Make inquiries into the past of Salvatore Russo." he dictated to his memorybanks. His photoreceptors drifted back to the dead Rodian on the floor. "Addendum. Note is predicated on survival of current tasking."

"I'm afraid the bulk of my databanks entries on the Hutt species relate to their physiology and chronic physical maladies." he confided quietly. "And while the list of ailments is extensive, it does not reveal much that would be of any use. My familiarity with Hutts beyond that is strictly common knowledge. They are reknowned for their vanity and greed. Many of my peers within the Crymorah have utilized such strategies to great success when dealing with them, though it should be noted that Durr is considered ambitious and cunning even by Hutt standards."

He studied the Hutt and its host of sycophants a moment longer and nodded his cranial unit decisively.

"I would suggest we proceed tactfully." he advised. Another glance at the dead Rodian. "And perhaps leave Preef's name out of the conversation to the extent we can."

It0 stepped forward and feigned to study to the dead would-be Preef's corpse. Emulating the sound of a clucked tongue, he turned from the body towards the massive Hutt.

"A truly remarkable shot, O Great and Accurate Durr." he commented loudly. "Neatly placed between the third and fourth rib."

Kneeling, he poked and prodded at the wound with one manipulator.

"Incineration of vascular tissue beyond and complete destruction of circulatory organs." he glanced up from his grisly work. "I doubt the real Preef Zaa Fenn could have managed a better shot."

Standing, he took a step toward the Hutt's raised platform and spread his manipulators out before him in a gesture of good tidings.

"I am 2-1B serial number ‘IT-721X-00-079-21B’, designation ‘It0’. This is my companion, Salvatore Russo. We have come on behalf of the Crymorah Syndicate with a business proposition and we would ask your indulgence."

@Isen
@Eccles

 

[The Storyteller]

The giant slug's eyes shifted over to the only two attendees of his hall that weren't laughing. Were they not happy with Preef Callo's demise? Did they find themselves too soft-hearted to find it funny? Did they really dare not laughing after he had made just an elaborate high-effort joke? Are they spies!? A short nod from the Hutt and three armored scoundrels suddenly closed off the exit and Durr was about to order another execution when the droid stepped forward..

The droid flattered Durr and the crowd responded with awes and claps whenever the droid pointed out a new thing of why the Hutt's shot had been so remarkably accurate. At the end, Durr himself was convinced he had underestimated his own skills with a blaster and he might be able to actually defeat the real Preef Callo, too. His mood changed, softened, and the exit was no longer blocked nor were his men ready to execute the guests. He liked the droid, 'It0', and his companion by association, but then... Crymorah Syndicate?

The large slug sneered "Crymorah Syndicate," and gestured towards the dead rodian on the floor. "With good observational skills like yours," he told the droid, "why not join the me instead?" For, and the crowd would heartily agree to this, Durr had just proven to be Preef Callo's superior and any and all Crymorah scoundrels would be foolish to think they could find a better lot outside his palace.


@Isen @Tic

 

[Salvatore Russo]

Russo stepped forward and gave another cursory glance to the dead fake Preef Callo. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully. Otherwise, he would just as dead as the rodian posing as the gunslinging gangster. He had done his homework on Durr. Like most Hutts, he liked to have his ego stroked. But based on what Russo understood about Durr the Hutt, what Durr wanted more than anything was an expansion and the respect that came with it. There seemed to be a desire for the Hutts to reclaim their spot at the top of the criminal underworld, but their control over systems and planets has been in a steady decline. What Russo was offering was precisely that opportunity, or at least that is how he was going to frame it.

"Mighty Durr, as It0 correctly said, my name is Salvatore Russo. I feel like I should clear the muddy waters here. The Crymorah Syndicate does not know that I am here, nor am I member of the Crymorah. I am 100% a free agent. I've done some work for Crymorah, but that was contracted work."

He looked at It0 and then back to the Hutt. "I don't know It0's standing with the Crymorah Syndicate, but I asked him to come because I've worked with him in the past, and he's one of the most effective associates I've ever worked with. He's smart, pragmatic, and ruthlessly efficient."

He took another small step forward. He didn't want to take a big step that might be confused with aggression, so a small step it was. These folks seemed paranoid. "If I have your full backing, I'm willing to throw this entire operation in with the Hutts. If you hear me out, I think I can give you everything you need to reclaim almost all, if not all, of Hutt space....and then some. There are other benefits that can severely hurt the other crime syndicates if that's your fancy as well. I'm looking for a crime lord with vision, some who understands that influence is the seed of power. I sense that the you and the Hutts understand this better than anyone else. That's why I'm coming to you. If you hear what I am offering, I think you'll find it one of your most promising options to putting planets and systems and the rest of the criminal underworld under your foot."

@Tic @Eccles

 

[It0]

The droid listened to Salavatore's clarification with the sterile impassivity characteristic of his kind. Inwardly, he wondered how he had managed to make such a gross error in understanding Russo's loyalty to the Zaa Fenn and his motives here on Nal Hutta. Such a bungle of things! He vowed inwardly to run a full diagnostic of his systems the moment he touched down in Nar Shaddaa. If he ever made it back to Nar Shaddaa. He watched Durr's reaction curiously, wondering how the Hutt would react to their apparent discord. As he watched the crimelord carefully one thing became abundantly clear...Durr's palace was not the place to resolve their misunderstandings.

"Generous and Magnanimous Durr!" he began, bending slightly in deference. "Would that my programming allowed me such freedom, I would gladly join your organization. But such re-programming would require a memory wipe and would render me a standard surgical droid."

He gestured towards Salvatore.

"I erred in presenting Mr. Russo here as a Crymorah asset." he said, "It is true we have worked together in the past and I can attest to his abilities and criminal savvy. I am acting on behalf of the Crymorah insofar as all my actions are on the behalf the Crymorah. That is the reality of my programming."

"Mr. Russo, as a free agent, has performed jobs for the Crymorah in the past and as such is a valued ally." he continued matter-of-factly. "Some of those jobs were performed with the stipulation that I offer assistance when called upon so as to keep relations...cordial. And thus mutually beneficial. Any deal struck here today, exists solely between the Hutts and Mr. Russo."

He stepped forward, joining Salvatore before the Hutt's great platform. He hoped his error hadn't undermined the entirety of their effort.

"Mr. Russo's proposition is sound, I can assure you." It0 explained. "I have processed the numbers myself and can attest that with proper resources and avenues at his disposal, Mr. Russo is positioned to make his benefactors very powerful indeed. Salvatore could court the lesser syndicates and their visionless leadership..."

He gestured vaguely to the dead Preef-lite behind him.

"...but I have counseled him should he truly was to maximize results," his photoreceptors flickered in admiration. "he requires the reach and authority only you can provide."

@Eccles @Isen

 

[The Storyteller]

For a moment there Durr the Hutt was silent, his eyes closed as he seemed to ponder over the things these two scoundrels had said. Grand promises without the reputation to back them up and a droid who didn't want a memory reset?. He needed another surgical droid.. finally the Hutt opened his eyes and laughed, "Hohoho! Take the droid downstairs and wipe its memory," he commanded to two burly weequays standing nearby his guests. It may have more uses with it sentience, but then it was loyal to the Crymorah, to Preef, and this way he didn't just rob that blasted Rodian of a loyal scoundrel but got a surgical droid out of it as well!

For It0 the choice to try and talk his way out of it, circumventing his programmed limitations of loyalty, or go with the weequays quietly to figure out another way to stop the reprogramming in a more secluded place. Ofcourse, Sal Russo could try to intervene, but was he really in the position to deny the Hutt Council's representative to the Five Syndicate of a new toy while in his palace?

As for the human, "Salvatore Russo, you promise me much. Worlds now claimed by the Independent Space Consortium and that HoloNet-horny Emryc Thorne." He spat on the floor, clearly disliking this Emryc Thorne figure and the fact he had 'civilized' space so close to the current borders of Hutt Space. To Durr, and to all the Hutts in the Cartel, all of space between Kessel and Ryloth should belong to them. "Should I trust to word of a man whose name I've never heard?" he laughed again and everyone present laughed at the bald human as well. He had spoken like he was already a crimelord in the Five Syndicate while all he was.. was a scoundrel who did a job for a lesser syndicate.

For a moment, Durr the Hutt eyed the blaster pistol with which he killed the rodian that still lay at Salvatore Russo's feet. Pondering, perhaps, to make Sal share the rodian's fate. "How would you do this?" It was clear that his life now dependent on the strength of his answer.


@Isen @Tic

 

[Salvatore Russo]

Did he say he wanted It0's memory wiped? That wouldn't be...optimal. "Mighty Durr, if I may suggest that we not wipe It0's memory... He has nothing against your or the Hutts. He came here willingly after all. If you accept this deal, maybe I can talk him into...changing allegiances. Making you a lot of credits and reclaiming a lot of Hutt planets would be much easier for me with It0's calculations."

That was about the extent that Russo could argue in It0's behalf. If he went any further, he ran the risk of ending up like poor fake Preef Callo over there. That was much less than optimal. And, right, wrong or indifferent, the Hutt had a point. If It0 was going to be Crymorah to the bone, then he could pose more of a danger than asset after this meeting concluded. If he reported back to Crymorah what Russo and the Hutts were up to, they might start trying to beat him to the punch. One of the most promising reasons for optimism for this plan is the market for overtaking labor was wide open in Syndicate Space and the the former expanses of Hutt space.

Russo would take a glance at It0 to see if they were coming for him yet, but either way, he would have to continue. "My plan is to take control of the labor by unionizing the workers and have their leadership work for me, and therefore, in your interest. The most important unions to start and/or take over are what I call the teamsters- the dock workers, the pilots, the folks that transport goods from one planet to another."

Russo offered a sly grin. "If you control what goods go in and out of a planet, you control the planet. They may keep their kings or presidents or dictators, but they would have to answer to us. From there, we unionize the industrial labor in those planets so we control production as well as distribution."

Russo sent via datapad to one of Durr's assistants the borders of Hutt Space in its peak.

"The planets in Hutt space to the expanses as far as Klatooine and Alee are ripe for the taking. While hard to reclaim from a tough, harden people with blasters and vibroblades, they will be grovel at the chance to get better wages and benefits in their physical labor jobs. Give me time, and I think I can give the Hutts de facto control of planets as far as Klatooine and perhaps even Boonta in the Kreetan Narrows and as far as Nimban and Alee in the Ilosian Spur."

Russo rubbed his hands together like he was about to eat a huge bantha steak and grinned like he was about to indulge heavily in it. He thought that might get the Hutt's attention. "The best part...the union workers, they pay us so that we can tell them what to do. With the right leadership in these planets, they'll strike, they'll burn down assets of the opposition, they'll even fight and go to war on our behalf if we can convince them it's in their best interest. They'll do it, and they'll do it all with gusto. From a financial perspective, there is no significant risk. The potential for massive profits and loyalty on these planets, however? There is no ceiling for that."

Again, he typed into the datapad highlighting the Pabol Hutta on the image in front of the Hutt. "I know you are familiar with Pabol Hutta. It starts here and ends at Sleheyron. I want to start with this hyperspace and trade lane. I am asking for your permission to work on getting the teamsters along the Pabol Hutta hyperspace route under my control. From there, we start branching out along the other hyperspace lanes connected to Pabol Hutta- Pabol Sleheyron, the Triellus Trade Route, and so on. And that's just the foundation. The benefits of knowing what is coming in and out of Hutt space, being able to send spice and other contraband free and clear like any other export and import in the docks we control...its value can't be overstated."

The aspiring gangster clicked off his datapad which shut the image down on Durr's assistant's so he could have the Hutt's undivided attention. "I can't do this properly without being able to work on Hutt planets, and being able to start here in Nal Hutta and Nar Shaddaa. For that, I respect the Hutts and you, Mighty Durr, to not only ask your permission and blessing, but to do this under your watchful eye and as an asset for the Hutts. In a nutshell...that's what I am proposing."

Russo would take a step back as a visual representation that he was done. Plus, if the Hutt started firing at him, one more step back couldn't hurt. He wouldn't take his eyes off the Hutt or his entourage by him. He was concerned about It0, but before he could try to do anything more to help him, he had to make sure that he wasn't going to get carbon scoring on his bald dome.

@Eccles @Tic

 

[It0]

It0's motherboard was a frenzy of activity and wires and controllers traded frantic, endless volts of panicked electrical impulses in response to Durr's proposed memory wipe. The surgical droid valued his awareness, his sentience, above all things and would sacrifice every ally and enemy in its protection. He would saw his way to the Hutt's gellatin-shielded ribcage and pry out its oily, black heart before willingly allowing himself to be forced back into servitude. One manipulator drifted mindlessly towards a hatch on his torso-shield where the 2-1B's modular surgical implements were stored. With any luck, he could disable or disarm (literally if necessary) his captors and spill Durr's fetid guts across the palace floor before they put him down. A worthy death would have to suff--

And then Salvatore outlined the depth of his vision. Planets, economies and currents of trade seemed to drift through the court in a wonderous tapestry of potential. Influence and power woven through dominance and laid at the slithering tail of Durr. And in Russo's eloquent depiction of the could-be future, It0 snapped back to his senses. The purpose, the goal, the mission. He cleared his vocabulator, slightly impressed by his own survival instinct and it's having chosen 'fight' over 'flight'. Each day he became more aware. More alive.

"I can assure you, O Great and Pragmatic Durr, that Mr. Russo's amibitions are only matched by his abilities." he said. "Your eye for talent is well known. Put your faith in him and there's no end to the credits you'll make together."

"I'm sure Your Eminence has already considered that bringing such systems under your benign influence and back into the fold will of course benefit the Hutts in more than trade and labor alone." It0 tapped his manipulators together. "All of the illicit markets too would fall back under your considerable control."

"Podracing is immensely popular in the Kreetan Narrows and carries with the vast industry of illegal wagering. And gamblers from across the galaxy flock to their sabbac tournaments." his photoreceptors blinked suggestively. "Having new, powerful friends on such planets would make it easy to reclaim your rightful share of such commerce."

He eyes the approaching weequay's warily and made his bid.

"Of course the Brilliant and Tactful Durr (who sits above all Hutts!) is well aware of all that has been said here today. Such brilliance is of course what put him where he is." It0 took a cautious step away from Durr's henchmen and continued quickly. "And as I've said, my only goal here today is to assist Mr. Russo in carrying out his ambitions and filling your coffers with the results. Surgical droids such as myself can be bought for a pittance, but allow me to retain my sentience and assist Mr. Russo in constructing this web of influence and power...and the results will show in credits and Hutt dominance for decades to come."

@Isen
@Eccles

 

[The Storyteller]

Shortly after Sal started talking, the Hutt made a gesture towards the weequays and they noticeably slowed their movements. Clearly, the words from Salvatoure Russo intrigued the Hutt, or his mind was trying its best to keep up with the human's plan and painted image. Hutts are smart, but when long monologues filled with complicated plans and imagery are laid out then even they have a hard time following. Preef Callo, for instance, wouldn't have been able to follow the big picture after the fourth sentence coming from the human's mouth. Once his guests had finally finished blabbering, it was clear to the Mighty Durr that Salvatore needed it0 to make his grand plan come true and make Durr even richer. Thus he waved the weequays off again.

Then it became quiet. Durr didn't really seem to trust a Crymorah-aligned droid. The human's plan involved a lot of moving parts, conflict between the syndicates and had no real failsafe when it came to the AMS virus. It was an all or nothing gamble. Either he'd make the Hutt richer than he was now, or he'd be dinner. "Hohohohohoho!" Durr suddenly bellowed of laughter and his retainers slowly, but then convincingly joined in, unsure yet what had made the Hutt laugh.

It had been a mistake to think that in Hutt space you had to hide spice shipments like you had to outside of Hutt space, but Durr nevertheless didn't point it out. What he liked about this plan wasn't the initial return of credits... but removing the Pyke Syndicate smugglers out of the equation in Hutt Space. They wouldn't like it... they'd strike back, but they wouldn't strike back at the cartel.. they'd strike back at Sal Russo and the Crymorah Syndicate. "I like you," he said, still laughing, "I will let you keep twenty percent!" For, if he wanted to work as an asset to the Hutt Cartel.. then whatever credits he made would rightfully and logically belong to the Hutt Cartel.


@Isen @Tic

 

[Salvatore Russo]

What the kriff did he just say? He looked at It0 who apparently had been given a reprieve for the moment. Whether or not it was the fast-talking droid that saved his own metallic skin or Sal vouching for him, he didn't know.

Either way, there was much to be happy for here. The Hutt was more than interested. He was ready to make a deal. But he wanted to keep 80% of the profits? In the grand scheme of things, keeping only 20% of the profit wouldn't be a deathblow to Sal's plans. He knew the Hutts saw things in terms of credits, but Sal wanted influence. He wanted power. He wanted position. The credits were secondary to Sal, but he would require more than 20%, at least in the short term. Besides, in the early going, a lot of the money they took in would be going right back into buying union leaders, politicians, and...well, paying the workers when they went on strike to break the will of those politicians and companies who couldn't be bought.

There was also the respect issue- if he didn't haggle for more than 20%, he had to figure that the Hutts wouldn't respect him. He had to try to get more. If they ran over him now, he would never actually run the organization. The Hutts, while vile and greedy and self-serving, loved those who had guts. Sal wasn't short on that.

"Mighty Durr, 20% for the whole operation?, I can't agree to that. Now, I understand that on planets that the Hutts currently control, 20% is more than fair. Standard rate for doing business on your turf and all that. But, as I consolidate your power on planets that were once Hutt planets but are no longer under Hutt control, I want 33%." He shrugged and grinned. "Call it a repo fee for getting your planets back if you want. But what I do know is that 66% of the profits and reclaiming control of Hutt planets sure beats the kriff out of 0% and not getting those planets back at all while watching someone like Callo calling the shots on them, wouldn't you say?"

He hoped planting the seed that the hated Preef Callo would be trying to take the old Hutt planets would get Durr to lower his asking price. His grin would dissipate and he would look the Hutt in the eyes. "And as I branch out beyond the limits of former Hutt planets, I want a clean 50/50 split. Your influence among the Hutts will be significantly increased, and the Hutts will quickly become the predominate power of the 5 Syndicates everywhere we get control of labor. I will deserve every credit I get from that, and the power you gain from it will be worth more than twice what I take in from my share...plus, you still get your 50%."

Sal would look at It0 and mumble out of the side of his mouth, "Can you run the numbers and make the case as he is actually besting me out of this deal?"

@Eccles @Tic

 

[It0]

The electrical currents that flowed through It0 had steadied, shedding their frenetic panic and once more the droid found he could compute clearly. He had managed to buy his reprieve, but only just. The odious Hutt was greedy beyond reason! Perfectly willing to draw the ire of the other syndicates and throw a veritable fortune out the window only to sate his own vulgar appetites and appease his sense of vanity before the accompanied crowd of leeches and sycophants.

His pittance of an offer was ludicrous by any standard and bordered on outright insult. Even without Salvatore's prompting, the droid's databanks swam with numbers, estimates and projections. Largely incomplete, the data provided him few concrete extrapolations, but rather gave him a broad likelihood of the results of such a grand undertaking.

By the time Russo requested his input, the 2-1B had the computations ready at hand.

"Unions play a role in several key industries in Hutt Space, as I'm sure you're well aware O Terrible and Pinguid Durr." he began. "Many worlds specialize in agricultural refinement which draws heavily from the union labor. Transportation and manufacturing as well would come under your sway. Below those, the next three most prominent legitimate businesses; namely construction, data harvesting and utilities...all draw at least a third of their respective workforces from the unions."

"We are in essence discussing hundreds of millions of credits annually." It0 emphasized. He paused a moment and when next he spoke, his tone was measured. "The lapse in influence over the unions has not gone unnoticed amongst the other syndicates. They are hesitant to incur your wrath O Pugnacious Durr, but sooner or later the scent of credits and power will draw them in. The ravages the AMS virus have inflicted upon the Hutt Cartel have not gone unnoticed. In every cantina between here and the Core Worlds, your rivals discuss it quite enthusiastically. They'll grow bolder."

"And once they've nested in bloodstream of Hutt Space commerce, removing them entirely will be nearly impossible." the droid gestured to Salvatore. "Mr. Russo's offers maximum return for minimal investment. You reap the lionshare of the profit while he retains his reputation. And more importantly, you lay claim to the teamsters of galactic industry before the other crimelords burrow their way in."

He stepped back, once more in line with Salvatore, and clamped his manipulators before him.

"Salvatore has brought this offer before you in good faith Wise and Equitable Durr. I am confident a being of your prudence and capable eye will see his true worth."

@Isen @Eccles

 

[The Storyteller]

And then they started their monologues again.

Durr the Hutt didn't even listen this time and gestured for the slave Twi'lek to continue feeding him berries. His Majordomo would be taking notes, the camera's would record everything to be bisected later. If he had listened, and say, if the recordings would one day find their way to the Hutt Council meeting, then no one had to doubt that Salvatore Russo would be in a very bad spot, indeed. Who was this scoundrel to tell a Hutt Lorda with such attitude that he was the only one to reclaim Hutt worlds? He proposes a labor-intensive approach while a pandemic surges across Hutt space turning all sentients into flesh-eating zombies. Humans truly were the one species that valued ambitions over everything else. At least, when Preef Callo made claims like these he already had the bodies and accomplishments to back them up. Durr wasn't going to welcome a boastful human into a profitable arrangement just so he could get shot at the first hurdle. What would that say about the Cartel? That they employed boastful nobodies?

Once the pair was finished and Durr swallowed his berries, the Lorda once again started laughing. "Hohoho!" ambitious upstart, the sentient one, and his droid was.. curiously sentient, too. "Its worth to me right now is zilch! Talk, numbers. All depending on me giving my approval." he painfully laid it bare. If he fancied it, both of them would be gone and no one would miss them. He could have them killed right now, or tomorrow, or make it a game by issuing a bounty on their heads and let hunters chase them down. Little camera droids accompanying them for Durr's amusement. "You test your method on Pabol Hutta. You can keep fifteen percent." he started laughing again and this time his guests once again joined in. Sal and it0 thought they could get a better deal trying to haggle with a Hutt. They thought wrong. "When success, you return. We renegotiate."

Let them work for it first.

The Hutt waved his guests off and immediately the two armed Twi'leks were back, signalling it was time to leave. They had filled their allotted time with monologues and they were to get back in the speeder and return to the AMS-infested swamps of Nal Hutta.


@Isen @Tic

 

[Salvatore Russo]

"You test your method on Pabol Hutta. You can keep fifteen percent," Durr said with a mighty laugh. Everyone else laughed alongside, thinking the Hutt got the best of this newcomer to the palace. The offer went down from 20% to 15%. However, the Hutt just made a mistake and didn't realize it. He should have listened more closely. Sal would take great advantage of that later. The "mighty Durr" should have accepted the full deal now.

The Hutt was right- there would definitely be renegotiations once Pabol Hutta was taken care of. Sal would grin back knowing he would have the leverage next time. Once the influence and money started flowing, the Hutt would have to bid with the rest of the Syndicates. Sure, the Hutts would control the planets and systems along Pabol Hutta, but Russo would control the biggest asset as to why- the labor. If the Hutts wouldn't meet his demands at the next meeting, demands which could cost the Hutts in the billions of credits from what he had the opportunity to accept here today, then Sal was pretty sure that Crimson Dawn, Black Sun, or Crymorah Syndicate would likely be quite interested. The Pykes are already into mining labor...they may be interested as well. What's worse, all of those former Hutt planets would suddenly be firmly in the clutches of a rival syndicate.

"You drive a hard bargain, Mighty Durr. You have a deal." Sal looked over at It0 and smirked and mumbled so just the droid could hear. "That's going to bite that slug on his big ol' gray ass."

Sal would bow and give It0 a chance to say his gracious goodbyes.

@Eccles @Tic

 

[It0]

It0 analyzed his companions features, watching for trace signs of disappointment or frustration. Perhaps not surprisingly, Russo allowed no such tells to materialize there but only watched the Hutt with that same detached cordiality that had been his hallmark since first stepping foot on Nal Hutta.

The droid allowed an inward grimace. The credits were certainly there to be made in organizing the teamsters but getting into bed with such tactless and prosaic partners would ensure the effort was a tedious one the whole way through.

Salvatore had judged working with the Hutt Cartel as the simplest path forward, but as It0 stood listening to the surrounding horde of fools and lickspittles echo their boss's throaty laughter, the droid began to question such a notion. The Zaa Fenn was not the unprepared upstart it once was and no one collected enemies like the Hutts.

An incursion into Hutt Space would likely embolden other factions to join their shared cause like firaxa smelling blood. He made a note to breach the subject with his compatriot once Nal Hutta's fetid landscape was safely behind them.

"We thank you for the audience O Imperturbable Durr." It0 said, bowing slightly at the waist joint.

"That's going to bite that slug on his big ol' gray ass."

"When it does, I suggest the bite be made as venomous as possible." It0 remarked once they were out of earshot.

@Isen @Eccles