The Helping Hand

[Arekk]

NAR SHADDAA​

The Throne Room, Bareesh Kajidic Pleasure Palaces​

​

[member="Gorba the Hutt"] was a known uprising crime lord in Nar Shaddaa and because of such reputation, he was prone to being assassinated by the competence. A group of Mandalorians had arrived to Bareesh's Pleasure Palace in an attempt to arrange an undisclosed type of deal, however things went south after a short exchange of words between the leader of the Mandalorians and the Hutt himself. With Gorba locking himself behind a protective shield and the death squad trying to fight off Gorba's guards, Ar'ekk found himself in the middle of a gunfight.

The young Jedi was a floor below the throne room, in the Blue Quarter checking out the latest technology available for purchase. After the gunfight errupted loudly, Ar'ekk took the nearest elevator and headed towards the source in which he had to fight off a bounty hunter and the Mandalorian opposition trying to kill the crime lord. The fight did last too long as the Jedi launched his attack towards the squad of deadly outlaws, who intelligently enough decided to back off and fight for another day.

A room full of corpses was the only thing left behind. He sat there waiting for someone to show up and finally tell him what had occured for such a big scale shootout to happen in the blink of an eye.

Would the crime lord show face again despite having a close brush with death or was he too scared to come out?

Regardless, Ar'ekk had given the Hutt a helping hand without expecting much in exchange. After all, it's what a Jedi would do even if the person being rescued was a scummy criminal.

 

[Mammut]

The floor looked like it had just rained blood. Puddles everywhere - and most of it Gorba's retainers. The Hutt was, understandably, supremely angry.

"Take those Mandalorian bodies to Anastasia Kalashnikov to I.D.," he rumbled to the nearest still living retainer. He was pretty sure Vermilic had sent the hit squad, but he wanted to be certain before presenting the evidence to Nagoon.

Ugh, Nagoon. The Shell Hutt was absolutely livid. Offending Gorba was one thing, he was only a few hundred years old, but Nagoon was ancient. He had taken the assault on the palace personally, thinking that it was actually him the Mandalorians had been after. He supposed it did make a kind of sense. In the grand scheme of things Nagoon was high above him in the hierarchy. Surviving in Hutt space for over 600 years lent a certain air of... importance.

One of the Mandalorians in bright red armor shifted on the ground. The T-visor was cracked. Gorba thought he remembered a Hook hitting the Mando in the face with a shock baton. A prisoner then, excellent.

"Seize him."

The Mandalorian feebly tried to resist as a pair of bloodied Houks stomped over and dragged the mercenary away, which left only -

Ah.

The Jeedai. Hmph. He supposed the lightsaber wielding maniac was looking for some sort of reward. Gorba frowned. That reminded him. Koda was not getting paid.

His one good eye narrowed on the humanoid hero and he beckoned him closer with one hand. "Jeedai, bo shuda. Hi chuba da naga? Moulee-rah?"

Hopefully the human understood Huttese. Gorba was pretty sure all the translators were dead. And he hated Basic.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

He was aware of Hutts hating to speak Basic as it was beneath them but thankfully his understanding of Huttese was more than decent to understand Gorba's words. As he walked through many of the corpses laying on the cold floor and stepped over them, the young Jedi made his way towards the Hutt.

A Mandalorian had been taken prisoner and that seemed to please the crime lord, answers would come out eventually to know who was behind this assassination attempt.

Shortly, a deep voice could be heard addressing the young Jedi who bowed as a sign of respect to his addressee.

"Greetings, my lord. I suppose whoever was behind this will suffer for the eternity to come." he taunted, refering to the early bloodshed and the prisoner now in the Hutt's grasp.

Ar'ekk took off his mask to have an easier conversation with [member="Gorba the Hutt"], allowing him to listen without any issues whatsoever. The reveal was more than gruesome as half of his face presented some pretty nasty scarrings like he was burned severely. His wounds were already healed up but still seemed to have a pretty vicious look.

Silence overtook the room briefly. It felt cold.

 

[Mammut]

Hmph. The Jeedai showed a measure of respect, interesting. And those scars, they reminded Gorba of his own. His tongue lolled out and traced the ugly gash across his lips.

The smell of burnt flesh mingled with the scent of fresh defecation from the corpses. Oddly enough, Gorba preferred the cigarra smoke, spice, and pheromones that had clouded the room prior to a karking band of Mandalorian marauders rolling in, guns blazing. He swore by the ever-burning Godsheart he would get to the bottom of this and those that were responsible would wish they were roasting alive in the fires of Boboqueequee.

Hmph.

"Not eternity. Just for the next several days," he rumbled in Basic. "You. Give that Jedi five thousand credits."

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

The Hutt displayed a very unique personality for someone of his kind and the Jedi appreciated that his actions were rewarded properly. Being provided a substantial amount of credits became something very seducing for Ar'ekk and he felt the need for some more, in case the crime lord decided to offer something more for saving his life.

"Thank you. If there's anything else I can do for you, I will be glad to assist." he bowed again to show his respect as he held the credit chip in his open palm.

A horrifying scent came from the decomposing bodies laying around the Throne Room, a putrified hodor that the young Jedi Padawan had not smelled in years. Disgusting to be sure but slaying them in a merciless manner for a generous amount of credits was always worth it. This conduct was not of an ordinary Jedi although Ar'ekk did not abide by the dogmatic views of the Order when it could benefit him in a personal manner. Regardless, he would be slaying criminals after all but in exchange of money so there would be no harm in his actions but they must have to remain a secret otherwise it would have major consequences.

[member="Gorba the Hutt"]

 

[Mammut]

Oh? A Jedi offering assistance to a Hutt. Suspicion reared its ugly head, breaking the surface of Gorba's thoughts like some giant sea monster. Things like this simply did not happen. The ulterior motive could be anything. Simple greed? Possible. But the Jedi's arrival seemed entirely too convenient. Gorba did not believe in coincidences. If the Jedi sought to spy on him, then he would play along with their little game.

After all, a man who knew how to swing a lightsaber could be useful in this line of work. Very useful.

Hmph.

"What is your name?" Gorba settled in, plopping down his bulk on the dais and resting. Two slaves strolled in with a mop and a bucket and started to clean the floor.

"Tell me your story."

Seldom did the Hutt ask such things, especially of a human, but if he didn't have something to distract him he would think about what had just happened to his throne room and that would make him supremely angry.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

The oversized Hutt and his goons walking around the young Jedi made him feel at unease, as if he had become a mouse and the Throne Room the mousetrap. This wasn't an uncommon feeling in Nar Shaddaa after all, right? Even so, if the crime lord wanted the Jedi yet he would've gone for it already when he had the chance earlier with the Mandalorian death squad and the rest of the mercenaries present.

He walked around the throne room in a short-paced walk as he replied back to his eminence addressing him,

"The name is Ar'ekk. I will not bore you with specific details, my lord. However, I can say I am a man of many ambitions. Someone who will never reject any generous income. Have come to learned that for a few years now, made sacrifices for others and ended up getting scrap in return."

His words sounded harsh and full of anger, as if occurances of the past were still hurting vibrantly. And he had all the right to be furious, ever since he lost everything he cared for in the years to come. Despite being a Jedi and following a dogmatic code, Ar'ekk had spent many years an independent person after the Galactic Republic's fall and knew how the underworld worked at some extent when he lived in the slums of Coruscant and living under constant harassment of local criminals.

[member="Gorba the Hutt"]

 

[Mammut]

What a short story. Disappointing. Still, ambition? Ambition was good. Gorba could work with ambition. Did he hear bitterness too? Excellent. Most excellent. Those were foundations on which this jeedai could be turned into an asset. Assuming the jeedai wasn't lying through his teeth. It would take time, but Gorba was patient.

The Hutt gave a supremely smug smirk.

"I see. Erek," he rumbled, garbling the name and noticing not at all, "I could use someone with your... talents helping to solve my problems from time to time. The pay will be substantial. And- hmph."

Gorba paused to turn o a Vodran lackey, "You. Bring some cheeka youngees out at once for our new friend."

"But, Great Gorba, the corpses on the floor-"

The Hutt's eye dilated with fury, nostrils flaring. The Vodran wilted and scurried away.

A few moments later, two Twi'leks, wearing nothing much to mention but everything to write home about, sauntered in and with coy expression approached the Jeedai.

[member="Ar'ekk"]

 

[Arekk]

He appreciated the grand gesture offered by the Hutt, although his name was slaughtered in the process. Ar'ekk demonstrated a true bitterness and honesty in his words when talking to the crime lord himself. Whatever moved the Jedi to participate in the underworld were mere personal reasons. After all, who didn't like to get paid generously?

"Thank you, your Eminence." He bowed once again in respect as he wrapped his arms around the Twi'lek's, walking along with them to a more secretive area of the Palace.

An hour later or so and with all the corpses removed from the Throne Room, the young Jedi returned to the same place as before to continue his conversation with Gorba.

"Your Twi'leks didn't disappoint at all. I appreciate this gesture." the man said briefly, a satisfied smile revealed underneath his mask yet not visible.

The room seemed to have lightened up slightly, the neon lights from outside reflecting within the interior brightly. The Hutt sat in his throne like a king in his own.

"I would be honored to provide my services to you, should you need them."

An actual job would prove Ar'ekk's loyalty and seriousness in this matter, should he really want to become part of the Bareesh Kajidic. Money attracted him no matter what, the Hutt had the means to pay and it was the perfect opportunity to become something greater.

He was ready.

[member="Gorba the Hutt"]