Mother of Pearl
Name: Igor’s Tapani PalaceImage Source: Justpictures.es, edited poorly by me
Classification: Restaurant/safe house
Location: Nar Shaddaa, Corellian Sector
Affiliation: Heartbeat House
Description:
On the fringes of the Corellian Sector on Nar Shaddaa, there is a dingy little building. The paint is peeling, most of the lights in the sign don’t work, and it looks as if the windows haven’t been cleaned in ages. Inside, the lobby is smaller than you’d think and just as dirty—grease stains on the floor, dust and dirt gathering in the corners of the room and…was that a rat that just scurried by? Either way, welcome to Igor’s Tapani Palace, Nar Shaddaa’s finest source of authentic watered down Tapani cuisine. If you’d like to speak to Igor about the dismal state of his restaurant or the hair you just found in your food, you’ll have to wait seeing as he’s not here at present.
While Igor’s Tapani Palace may look disgusting, the cheap takeout is a carefully (ahem) crafted front to disguise the delicate operations of something even bigger. Down below the surface, the tiny shop expands to accommodate much more than greasy, overpriced food. With the capacity to comfortably accommodate two hundred bodies, Igor’s serves as a safe house for rescue slaves or those who otherwise face abuse. Though it is owned by Heartbeat House, you won’t find much to link the Dance Studio and Boutique to the restaurant, and you’ll find nary a shimmy or a sparkle.
In the front of the above ground store, you’ll find a gruff looking human male at the counter, who clearly has better things to do than take your order. In the back behind a dirty curtain, you can hear a few Mrlssti converse loudly as the run back and forth whilst preparing your food. In the back of the kitchen, there is an entrance that leads underground, often covered with boxes and crates and only accessible via keycard. Through the underground entrance, one would find a dark, winding tunnel leading underground with covert surveillance cameras placed all throughout. The tunnel twists and turns, and there are several decoy tunnels spiraling from the main one aimed to confuse anyone who shouldn’t be there. Shock filaments are embedded into the ground of the dead ends. A shock field protects the actual entrance and can be deactivated through the use of a keycard. Finally, through the shield doors, is the main underground structure.
Igor’s isn’t meant to be a permanent solution for those freed from slavery or escaping abusive circumstances, but more of a halfway point. Victims are given shelter and medical care, and are eventually relocated to a safer area dependent on their individual circumstances. Igor’s also helps with financial stability by seeking out employment opportunities for rescued rescues.
Concerning housing, there are 20 four person rooms 5 two person rooms and 2 private rooms for both rescues and staff. Rescues typically occupy the four person rooms, while the two person and private rooms are usually reserved for staff. Each of the four person rooms has a pair of bunk beds, modest furniture and space for personal belongings, and a small refresher. There are also two communal refreshers located near the dormitories. Men and women are not permitted to room together unless under familial circumstances. Under special circumstances, rescues may be housed in a two person or even private room, both of which come with beds (two for the two person room, one for a private room), modest furniture and a refresher. A dining area is located across from the dormitories that can sit ~70 people.
Perhaps the most defining feature of Igor’s is the clinic. It is here where a rescue’s journey begins, as they are first taken for a physical examination and treated for their ailments—most often bruises, lacerations and STDs. Beyond that, rescues receive psychological help and can attend regular therapy sessions as needed. Rescues are evaluated psychologically for two reasons: First, to find out what the rescue has been through and assess their mental state, but also to weed out any potential spies. Housing slaves can be dangerous, and in the case that an angry slaver were to find out about Igor’s location, Zeltron clinicians are employed to gauge whether the rescue is legitimately in need of help or lying. The Zeltrons, trained by Joza Perl, are natural empaths who have advanced use of their racial skill. While not entirely foolproof, they are highly skilled in reading emotions and subtle cue and can discern whether a rescue is harmless or dangerous. Those who are determined to be volatile or unsafe are housed in a special containment area while undergoing treatment and eventual re-evaluation.
Many rescues can find immediate employment at Igor’s, either working in the kitchen or serving as aides, secretaries and the like in the clinic. When it comes time for a rescue to leave, they are often covertly relocated to a safer area into a safer life that has been secured by Igor’s. Rescues can received financial assistance for a period, but are typically set up with jobs and housing upon leaving.History:
A former slave herself, Joza Perl was fortunate in that she had a safe place to go and people to help her after she’d escaped bondage. Unfortuantely, many slaves are not as lucky and are often discouraged from leaving abusive scenarios because they have nowhere else to go. Sheltering rescue slaves in her dance studio started off as a small impromptu project, and after doing this for a while Joza decided to expand her operations, this time on the metaphorical frontlines of slavery and abuse. Purchasing a run-down takeout restaurant in the Corellian Sector of Nar Shaddaa, Joza decided to not change much in the way of the building’s appearance and function, allowing it to keep its grimy greasy front to appear as unassuming as possible. While quite a few business in the neighborhood have back door operations smuggling and selling illegal wares, it came as no surprise that the building had a decent underground storage area akin to a bunker. Joza expanded on that, adding more tunnels and upgrading the overall technology and security of the area.
Many of Joza’s carefully placed dancers the clubs of Nar Shaddaa are instructed to keep a lookout for anyone who looks beaten, abused, or is wearing a slave collar. Through a series of coordinated efforts which include seduction, flirtation and perhaps drugs, the slaves are whisked away to the underground safe house. However, things don’t always run smoothly—if the situation is too dangerous or the slave seems extremely reluctant or volatile, the attempted rescue could be abandoned.
Intent: To create a halfway house for escaped slaves.
Links: N/A
