We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat (White Palace, Hutt Cartel)

[Velok the Younger]

White Palace​

Sriluur​

​

Kash inhaled. The air tasted like desert dust, torture chambers, and sabacc tables. Among other things. "I'm here to see Lord Sempra Besadii Dhakun."

The mechanical eyeball at the door gave her a long slow blink. "Ah'chu apenkee?"

"My name is Zhol Kash Dinora. I'm a Sith Lord. I'm here to see if His Magnificence has any ships for sale." It was, on balance, best to be open and straightforward with Hutts and their underlings. In most circumstances, anyway. Hutts loved surprises, but only the edible kind, and that category tended to get wider when surprises were involved.

The door -- a blast shield as thick as her forearm was long -- ground aside, grit rasping in its tracks. Kash entered the east dome of the White Palace. Broad corridors held the standard milieu of hangers-on, mainly Weequays since this was Sriluur. She weathered their eyes, just walked straight ahead, battered old prosthetics clicking gently. Her right arm and left leg were robotic, and they'd been expensive once, ivory-inlaid. She carried no weapon, and between that and the quasi-tribal clothing she preferred, she knew instinctively that she didn't have their respect.

Some people would have had a problem with that. Felt unsettled or a little defiant. She felt nothing except a touch of amusement, a hint of curiosity, and not a little hunger. Maybe she could score a meal.

The room opened before her -- dancers, battle droids, and [member="Sempra the Hutt"] on his throne. She offered exactly the right kind of bow. "Lord Sempra, my name is Zhol Kash Dinora."

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

As [member="Zhol Kash Dinora"] entered the throne room Sempra straightened his stance and nodded in response to her bow. Clearly the rooms security was tight with armed guards lining the sides of the room, their stiffness revealing that this was a rather confusing moment for many of them. Why would there be heightened security around this fragile looking human female?

Sempra hummed and snapped with his right fist. In response a slave with a tray crawled closer to Kosh, upon the tray rested a cup of red wine along a small pile of high quality spice.

Regardless if Kosh accepted the refreshments Sempra started to speak in slow deep words, and as he did, an albino slave carrying long white flowing robes stepped forward and started to translate into basic.

"The great Sempra Besadii Dhakun bids you welcome to this ancient hutt ground. We have not had many had sith lords visiting as of yet and it pleases his highness to see one such as yourself in these halls." the albino slave bowed deeply. In the background Sempra continued and lifted a glass of wine himself.

"Sempra assures you that in these halls you are his guest and as such have nothing to fear. He wishes to toast to that."

Sempra tasted the wine and then left his glass to a waiting slave.

"Now lord Dinora, you are seeking a ship? Can you be more specific?"

Sempra placed his hands upon his belly and watched Kash carefully.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Sempra the Hutt"]

She eyed the wine and the spice. Choices, implications, risk of offense versus risk of sending the wrong impression about herself. But it had been a long time since she took counsel from her fears. She drank the wine and left the spice. Huttese had no direct translation for 'thank you.' To business, then.

"H'chu apenkee, Lorda Sempra. Jee oto bedwana pankpa, azalus um yuna puna." Greetings, Lord Sempra. I wish to/I will purchase a ship that is both dangerous and of quality. "But more importantly," she added, switching to Basic, "I came to you because I'm looking for a ship with personality. A ship that has seen use. I find I have no taste for the Core Worlds' aesthetics. My suspicion is that the vessels your cartel owns may include something unique."

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

Sempra chuckled with delight.

"It is truly a blessing to hear that the Hutteese language is still known to a select few. I find basic a too rough and crude for my own taste. Sempra burst and applauded Kaah

"This even makes my decission feel more adequate." he continued as his head leaned slightly forward, a cunning flash striking his eyes.

"I believe I have just the ship for you. But it would require you to join a small expedition of sorts."

"All I require im exchange is a future favour. Nothing to worry about at this time." the large Hutt leaned back into his high backed chair.

"Would you be prepared to work for your ship?"

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

The sound of wrapping and tapping can be heard on a grated floor, stepping into the view the mechanical aberration greeted [member="Sempra the Hutt"], with a slight bow. The metallic 'pop' and the subsequent tightening of his hand, there was a smile that only touched his eye's, a look that emitted arrogance and malice and it was directed towards [member="Zhol Kash Dinora"]. Plates whirled like an out of control octopus, hammering down on the black ribbon components like so much hail in a storm. There was a ding as each piston convulsed and he began to move towards [member="Sempra the Hutt"]. "Are you sure it is so wise to deal with a Sith, you know their pension and disregard for criminal affairs, trouble."

He despised the Sith, their meddling in his business had cost him both credit and men some of which he knew quite well and liked. There was no hesitation to cause this one trouble even as minor as it may be, it would be a start. "How do we even know this is a Sith let alone a lord, should there not be some test. Last week did we not have a nerf herder come in here addressing himself as the Emperor, a test is in order."

| [member="Sempra the Hutt"] | [member="Zhol Kash Dinora"] |​

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Sempra the Hutt"] got another bow, though her attention focused at least partially on [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]. "I have worked for everything I have ever accomplished, Lorda Sempra, and have no intention of stopping now. Name the task and it will be accomplished."

Her voice got louder, stronger. It filled the throne room. "And as for a test, I believe I can provide proof that no other Sith Lord could provide."

A long career in alchemy, twisting the fabric of reality and the laws of physics, had led her to a specialization in what Darth Plagueis the Wise had called aperion. Aperion, in Plagueis' cladistics, was the part of the Force that controlled electricity, magnetism...

And gravity.

The floor trembled under her, but she kept her feet. Anyone who'd walked into a man-trap, or flown a starfighter with inertial dampeners dialed down, would know the feeling instantly. Gravity was increasing, throughout the entire throne room -- increasing by a factor of two, three, four, all in a matter of seconds. Guards staggered or tripped; droids adjusted their balance in frantic spurts of mechanized movement. Drinking vessels fell or broke under the weight of their own contents. Sempra's throne shuddered. Kash alone was unaffected.

"For you, Lorda Sempra, a gift: the experience of being the grandest and largest of all Hutts. And for those who doubt...well, knee replacements are a gift as well."

The increased gravity peaked and then vanished, leaving everyone in the room lightheaded, feeling as if they were floating. That was only normal gravity reasserting itself. A pair of tough Weequays fainted. There were weapons pointed at her; regardless she held eye contact with Sempra despite the fatigue that rolled through her. Affecting gravity on such a scale was not easy, even for a specialist of her age. Most Sith Masters wouldn't even have known where to begin.

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

As [member="Flannigan Mcnash"] had entered Sempra had clearly allowed his questioning. Quitly watching the two, the spark that he loved between two creations - the tension and very life - that essence necessary to keep the wheel turning.

But then it all shifted. Lord [member="Zhol Kash Dinora"] display caught him of guard. His eyes widened at the sensation and he gasped at the entire scene. As the turmoil stopped Sempra was shaken but quickly roared an order to everyone pointing weapons at the sith.

"Hold your fire!" his face turned threatening as he glared across the room, sentry guns dropping from the roof was retracted and the gamorean rushing forth with his vibro axe halted, with a bewildred groint. Other guards kept an eye on her but all kept their relative calm.

"Remember sith!" Sempra resonated, his deep voice causing tremors on its own. "You are standing on ancient Hutt ground, because I allow it."

The large hutt moved his hand across the air calming the throne rooms inhabitans. A portion of them did so. A few more proffessionals were even more cautious now. Never the less the room settled into somewhat more casual murmurs.

"Lord Dinora, allow me to introduce Commander Mcnash, a close friend and associate of mine. He did right to question your appearance." Sempra nodded and motioned for them both to approach the throne.

As they did Sempra leaned forward, looking down on them.

"As it is an alchemist is exactly what I need. Besides commander, we do need a force user to properly investigate the S'ar Kni rumor, dont we?" Sempra added grinning. "I have the location, all we need now is to breach it." he said trying to persuade Flannigan mcnash.

"Lord Dinora, you are asking for a ship and we are about to fetch you one. What I want in return is some simple aid in product development. But as I said, let us worry about that at a later time."

"So now, you lord of the sith must stay here as a guest until we have prepared the expedition properly. Do say that you agree to my most generous terms."

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

The sudden shift and weight and gravity the cyborg stumbled, catching himself the pronged toes of his feet splayed apart for a better grip, and adjusting himself to the new weight he would stand straight raising himself to his full height in an effort to assert dominance over [member="Zhol Kash Dinora"], even if said dominance was flawed at best. "The Sith proves herself." it was wet and tangible the breath he took, steam and vaporise air formed rivulets on the cyborg plates as it was expelled from his automated voice-box. "And the rumours are just that, spawned of idle minds. But I'll attend to the matter if you wish it, and if the Sith spawn must come along so be it."

| [member="Zhol Kash Dinora"] | [member="Sempra the Hutt"] |​

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

"Good," the hutt hummed. "Do you accept as well lord [member="Zhol Kash Dinora"] ?" he asked.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Sempra the Hutt"] [member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

For a third and final time, Kash bowed slightly. "Tagwa, Lorda Sempra." Yes, milord.

And, under her breath: "Pushee wumpah, sweets," at the cyborg. Watch it, sweetie.

She took a long step back, then found a place by the wall as a temporary but no less real part of the Hutt's retinue of hangers-on. The spot she chose gave her a view of the door, kept anyone from coming up behind her, and kept her out of the most obvious lines of fire. A Weequay thought she was aiming for his slouchy chair. He vacated it quickly, and she decided not to disabuse him of the notion. A small clear radius grew around her as she sat down to await the Hutt's directives. Besides - her knees were bothering her.

 

[Sempra the Hutt]

The hutt turned his attention to other matters but soon enough his plans for the sith would be revealed.

(Thread ending, creating seperate rp thread)