Ask Rolling The Wheel

[Gor'Jarr Desilijic]

At the fringes of Outer Rim space sat The Wheel, a pleasure station renowned for some of the latest aftermarket tech, luxury spas, and expensive casinos. Far from an underworld, the loose regulations of the Wheel brought the depravity typically reserved for the slums of Nar Shadda to an expensive clientele, which came from far and wide to experience the pleasures of the senses that the planet afforded. Such hedonism was disgusting to Gor'Jarr. Perhaps it was how Jabba ruled, through sexual manipulation of the flesh. But, as Jabba's ignoble death demonstrated, it was no way to run an empire.

Still, it was so clearly valuable that the possessive Hutts had to have it. So, here the Scion of Gamorr had come. Gor'Jarr rarely left his pleasure yacht, docked in the station's hangar, as clients came to pay tribute to the Hutts. But there was a feeling of unease among the planet's security when his cruiser docked at the station - the rightful fear that the Hutts had something in store that they were too weak to stop. Perhaps it was because Perla the Hutt had already landed on the station.

Escorted by three of his best-trained Gamorreans and his trusty security droid, Gor'Jarr's skiff made its way towards the Crown Jewels, a mid-rate casino that the Hutts had a very loose connection to. It was high time to firm up that connection. Two hutts outside of Hutt Space was an unusual sight. It would heighten the nerves of everyone around them. Good. They should be afraid.

He made his way to the designated meeting place, a VIP lounge in the casino's thumping club and bar. Tables and chairs were cleared out to make room for the massive girth of two Hutts. He puffed on Marcan hookah as he waited for Perla to approach.

@Die Shize

 

[Perla the Hutt]

Spoiler: Music IC

They say that the Wheel is a monument to pleasure, risk and greed. They say a lot of things, whoever the karklefark ‘they’ are anyway. ‘She’ said the same of her ship, the Sable Chariot, a pleasure barge and a casino barge and a place to go play the way crime pays.

This space station? Okay, granted, the Chariot had wheels but didn’t have as many as the Wheel. So what better way to explore it than to exploit it? There was an opportunity for profit and expansion, for conquest, and it didn’t take an idiot to know that someone of Perla the Hutt’s experience would be posted in the casino to begin with.

She had been carried here in her palanquin by Shistavanen, promising to free them of their crown jewels if they dropped her on the way to the Crown Jewels. They didn’t. Fortunately for them, but they were absent at present.

It was just the Hutt who entered the lounge, proud if not loud, slithering her rather fat ass across the floor, her girth finding purchase on a giant black cushion. Kymmm. Contrasts rather well with this bitch’s complexion, yes.

Music permeated the interior, clubby, bubbly, and Hutts are chubby. Oh, was there somebody else in the room? Right. That might explain the hookah pipe. Perla had none of her own. But she did sip on a delicious mojito.

“Gambling.” She licked her lips before her companion without looking at him. “To play with chance, to take risks, for credits, or...something.” She shifted the ice in her beverage. “I figure if we’re going to get a foothold in here then this casino is prime pickings. I am a bit of an affiliate already. Kymmm…”

Trailing off, Perla looked at her fingers and the long pink manicured nails upon them. “Take over operations? Convince the owner it’s in his best interest to give us munneh and information for a bigger target?” A musing query, maybe.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Gor'Jarr Desilijic]

Gor'Jarr puffed his hookah as Perla spoke. There were many ways to skin a bantha here. But how they acquired this world would have to speak to our longer-term goals. Tendrils of smoke emanated as he spoke. <This station is strategically situated. It could be the perfect hub between our holdings and the lands of the false 'Empire.'> The Eastern reaches of the Empire sat duly towards the galactic north. No matter which way the contested peace talks went, the Hutts could use this world as a launching ground for their campaigns.

<We need this station, the entire thing. The casinos are a source of revenue, sure. But the Wheel itself could become the newest jewel of our Kadjic.> Gor'Jarr was hungry to distinuish himself in the chaos of the war that surrounded him. <But to do that smoothly, we will need pawns.> Perhaps that was where current ownership fit in best. They could be well-paid lackeys in the extensive Hutt machine.

<Call in the owners. It's time to meet.> Gor'Jarr commanded one of the Gammorrean guards, keeping an even tone. He tried to contain his excitement at the prospect of controlling this space station, which had so defiantly remained un-Hutted for years. After a few moments, the guard returned with a dapper Toydarian. He was clad in a velour, white business suit, with a bright pink shirt, and covered in jewels. It was ostentatiousness that would make Nor'Baal weep.

His wings stopped flapping as he fell to a knee. "Most Honorable, Most Magnificent Hutts. How can I help such loyal customers?" His voice was tinged with the appropriate amount of nervousness.

@Die Shize

 

[Perla the Hutt]

Spoiler: Music IC

A foothold to begin with, a Hutt mentioned, a mere means to an end for a much larger goal. She was pleased to see that her companion could dream just as big and then some.

One pleasing thing that the Wheel had going for it was being otherwise neutral territory for either Cartel and Empire buttcheek and the crack in between within this crazy galaxy.

As Gor’Jarr spoke, he merely echoed Perla’s thoughts, for if her interest was merely in a casino then she would need only herself to strike the blow. No, her, their, endeavor was greater than a gambler’s.

Kajidic, went the expression, as Perla sipped. Her contemporary wasn’t mistaken. But he didn’t fully know he was dealing with a bit of a misfit within the Hutt syndicate.

“Somebody’s got to have it. Why not us?” To get it, they would need pawns. “CALL IN THE— Oh.” Gor had already spoken.

Queue the dumbo Gamorreans and the Toydarian. Ewww. What a TACKY outfit. If Perla had a pickle for every time she was addressed as Most Honorable and Most Magnificent then she’d personally serve Nor’baal a feast of cucumber sandwiches and burgers or…something.

“You can file my nails, for one thing.” Perla teased.

“I…” The Toydarian blinked. “Will do what pleases my partner…my Most Illustrious and Luminous—”

“Shut it.” Perla waved her fake fingernails. “Your Crown Jewels and my Sable Chariot have had prosperous business, but your competition, the Caliente Casino, has you by the tail.”

A bigger, richer competitor, the Caliente was upstairs, a greater player in Wheel politics, and a gateway to gaining a gambling monopoly or…something.

“Let the Hutts help you,” Perla sucked on an ice cube. “With our power, granting us a majority partnership—”

“HE TOOK MY WIFE” The Toydarian cried. “I lost her in a racing bet! I’ll never be the same again! Damn the Caliente and its Ortolan!”

Spoiler: Dice Roll Result

Convincing the Toydarian: 3/20

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Gor'Jarr Desilijic]

Was this Toydarian...crying? And right in the middle of a business meeting. Gor'Jarr leaned over and spit a thick, slimy loogie into the shag carpet beneath them to punctuate his disgust. But he offered a

<It appears we have a common enemy. The Caliente is your rival, and it stands in the way of our long-term plans.> He licked his lips as a plan formulated, siphoned from the misery of this little dive's owner. <Let's say, Ortolan was out of the way. No longer an adversary. Would you be more inclined to listen to a business proposal then?> Gor'Jarr's eyes narrowed in on the meek Toydarian before them, waiting for him to stop sobbing.

After a few moments more of wailing, the owner. "You would do that for me? Wowee, the kindness of the Hutts knows no bounds!" He began to rub his hands together greedily, as a sinister smirk formed on his place. "Ruin that bastard's day!"

Gor'Jarr let out a loud laugh as he slapped his belly. <A deal has been made! What is your name, little man? Bring us your finest bottle of Star Vine to celebrate.> The Toydarian mumbled a stupid name like 'Buzz Blowback' or 'Boz Beeman' or something like that. Gor'Jarr truly couldn't be bothered to remember. After Buzz floated away, Gor'Jarr's attention refocused on Perla.

<It seems we have created an opening. Did you bring any Gamorreans in your entourage? We could send the little pigs over to the Caliente to send our regards.> Gamorreans always knew how to send a message. And Gor'Jarr could hardly be bothered to go there himself. <Or we could...handle this personally.> That felt beneath their grand statue, but perhaps it would send a clear message to the little creatures of the Wheel. The choice was Perla's.

@Die Shize

 

[Perla the Hutt]

Spoiler: Music IC

The music shifted again, viewscreen overhead of some obligatory choreography dancing. As the Toydarian bitch began to break down, Perla just cocked a brow at him like ‘What the kriff?’ Queue her companion’s spit and the licking of his lips as the other Hutt contemplated a few ways to flay an Ortolan.

It took a few moments for the preposterous balling to stop. Revenge. The sweetest dish. Kyeh. Gor’jarr guffawed as Perla shifted her nonexistent tits. She had the fingernails fit for a female, didn’t have the lipstick this instant, but her flab felt lacking in the breast. Even Jabba had bigger boobs than I do. SHIT.

Business proposal. Take out the competition. Granted, fulfilling the Toydarian’s wishes merely meant taking over both casinos’ operations, one of which would connect to conquest. It was a good feeling, being devious. Truly, the kindness of the Hutt knew no bounds. Loud and proud.

After Beez Blowboss left the scene, Perla finished her drink, ready for that Star Vine that was promised. “Mmm, I brought Gamorreans, Shistavanens, and a naughty Nautolan who butters my bunions…kyeheheheee...” Whatever that meant?

The Hutts had options. Obviously. They were Hutts. However, Perla had already plopped her bottom on this cushion and had no means of getting up. “Let the Wheel feel our power without having to lift our own fingers. More oomph that way, I say.”

Handling this unfortunate business by themselves would be just as well but also give them too much publicity too soon. No, better to let the henchmen do it for them.

“GUAAAAAAAAARDS”

In came a pair of Shistavanen. “What is it, my Most Wonderful, Most Wondrous, Most Wondering—”

Perla threw her empty glass at him. “Send in the PIIIIIIIIIIG”

In came another figure, the perfect henchman for the mission, a Gamorrean, with crossed arms: Blarf.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Blarf]

Blarf crossed his arms as he stood in between the other two guards. Idiots, those Shistavanen, amid the presence of this Gamorrean. He had come as was summoned, did as bidden, standing in his armor, with his blaster and his hammer on his person.

“How may I serve you, Your Grace?” Simple enough thing to say. Perla tended to get angry after suffering so many flowery forms of address. He had learned that the hard way.

As he posed his question, he looked to his right, his left. The Shistavanen left, but was Blarf the only Gamorrean for this mission?

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Braprag]

Following Blarf's entrance, Braprag came in. Adorned in a heavy trench coat and wide brimmed hat, Braprag fingered the blaster rifle beneath his coat at all times. He started, impassively, at his Hutt lords as he received his orders. "Oink." He lit a cigarra in a tusked mouth as he listened to their instructions.

Find the rival casino's owner. Deliver him to the Hutts. A simple enough job. He nodded sagely as he began to leave the room alongside Blarf. When they hit the streets of the Wheel, lights and sound covered every artificial inch of the space station. The problem was, Braprag had never been here before, and had no idea where they were going. He figured, just to be safe, they could just visit every casino they saw until they found it. <I think I see something ahead.> He gestured to glowing, neon lights that indicated a spinning wheel, a universe sign of games of chance and fortune.

Tragically, he couldn't read well enough to realize this building was not Caliente's. Yet, he approached it, blaster in pocket as he did so. They were about to cause a scene!

@Die Shize

 

[Blarf]

Spoiler: Music IC

A simple man for a simple plan, a simple plan for a simple man, a simpler— well, you get the picture. The pair of Gamorreans were on a mission and not even the dark side of Darth Palpatine's backside could stop them from finding their quarry.

Except where their hands had no map? Hadn’t the Hutts given their servants a direction and destination? Most likely, yes, but, unfortunately, Blarf didn’t speak Basic, despite appearances, and could read no better or worse than his compatriot.

“Oink,” he agreed simply. “Oink oink oink oink oink oink oink oink?” He asked his companion.

Satisfied at Braprag’s response, or lack thereof, Blarf didn’t delay in stepping up. He entered the fancy casino with its patrons and their fancy pants and the Humies with their red dresses and the naked Wookiee dancing with a Patitite which was suspicious but whatever—

“Excuse me, sirs?” Offered a Herglic bouncer in a striped bowtie. “Do you have…invitation?”

Blarf looked right, looked left. Had his Henchman Armor on his person, his electrohammer on his back, his blaster carbine with it, his Peacemaker pistol on one thigh, his vibroknife on the other—

“We are inspectors of the Casino Critic Columnists.”

“Ah. Splendid! You are Gamorreans?”

“Yes.”

“Oh...so how the fuck do you speak Basic?”

“Uhhhh…” Blarf looked left, looked right, at a loss for a voice. “Oink?”

At that, the Herglic raised his blaster, and maybe his partner might do the same, but Blarg resorted for a jump-and-headbutt to the bouncer's face to send him on his merry way.

It was no peaceful entrance by any means, despite the Herglic's newfound silence, and would have caught the attention of other guards or patrons, but all anyone would see was two Gamorreans.

No one knew they were sent by the Hutts. Not yet, at least, and Blarf would make sure that their competition's owners would not forget it when the occasion called for it as he stepped into the thick of it.

Spoiler: Dice Roll Result

Peacefully convincing their way into the main area of the establishment: 4/20

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Braprag]

Braprag needed no words. Once the Herglic initiated with violence, Braprag would respond with violence. He withdrew his heavy blaster pistol and fired a shot into the Herglic. The blaster hissed with heat, as his partner took aim against Braprag. The Gamorrean followed his comrade Blarf's lead, though, and head butted his way into the casino itself. Once inside, chaos broke out - the sound of blaster fire, combined with the heavy thud of a Herglic corpse, scared the drunk and spiced-up crowd into an absolute panic. Braprag kicked his left boot into the ground - revealing a concealed blade - and kicked it into the shin of the bouncer as he tried to stand again. His blood spilled onto the ground.

Braprag displayed his steel gauntlets to the crowd, and ignited the flamethrower on his right hand. Searing flames roared to life, catching tables, drinks, and unlucky patrons in its path. This only spread the chaos further. People scattered, across the bar, breaking through windows and exits to escape. Some looted winnings. Some looted bottles. Most just fled for their life. Their mission had been a success - disrupt operations here.

From within the casino's vault, heavier security forces began to appear. A presence that would, likely, be too much for two gammoreans to tackle alone. Eight heavily-armed mercenaries of different species, united in their burning desire to kill these gammorreans. But Braprag was no coward. Though their initial mission had been only to send a message, Braprag was ready to up the ante to wanton destruction and murder. He assumed that was why the Hutt's used Gammoreans at all - to unleash them like a bomb upon whoever they decided.

He took cover behind an overturned card table and waited for his opportunity to strike.

@Die Shize

 

[Blarf]

Spoiler: Music IC

One bouncer down. A few others still around town. As Braprag spilled his flamethrower, his partner opened up his blaster carbine and sent bolts flying into their attackers. The latter only had pistols, unable to do much with them as death struck them in the chest and head.

Amid the mayhem, Blarf shoved hapless patrons out of his way. An Ortolan panicked in front of his face as if in a jig and promptly got shot for it. The Gamorrean didn’t know if it was his own blaster that did the trick or another’s but whatever.

Past an interrupted blurrg race and a game of roulette with half-naked Twi’leks fleeing for their lives came the reinforcements. Great. Blarf confessed as he stood behind a wide pillar. MORE HEADS TO TAKE.

A barrage of bolts smacked into the other side of the metallic pillar. The cover provided good protection but would not last forever as the security team began to flank the intruders.

“OINK OINK OIIIIINNNNKKKK!!” Blarf called to Braprag, spotting four assailants on the left. Blarf would claim their attention, spraying his blaster at them as they moved in the open.

“Oink?” A grenade came his way. A great device for getting someone in cover or out of it. So Blarf dove behind a merchandise counter as a small explosion erupted behind him. This was no thermal detonator designed to wipe out the casino. “Oinky-oink!?” He spotted a broken helmet. Weird souvenir for this establishment.

Spoiler: Dice Roll Result

Effectiveness against the reinforcements: 6/20

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Braprag]

Eventually, the owner spilled out from all the carnage, and raised his hands in surrender. Braprag oinked gleefully as he dragged the owner out into the streets, back to the Hutt owners. Minutes turned to hours turned to days as Braprag rested without orders on the Wheel, as it transformed around him. Together, Gor'Jarr and Perla began a series of "investments" into the Wheel. The sudden influx of cash and goons on the street signaled quickly that a new order was beginning on the world: One where the Hutt investments would guard the trajectory of destiny.

Eventually, a new complement of Gamorreans was ordered to the world. Heavy boots and heavier guns ran through the streets to protect Hutts as they traveled through. This new complement of guards would help secure the Wheel, once and for all. Braprag and a new ally reported to Gor'Jarr for a new set of instructions.

@Darasuum

 

[Pellios]

This was a first for Pellios. Not in terms of conquest or even visiting the Wheel. But this was the first time he had come to the Wheel as a destination unto itself. The silver haired ship captain had only ever stopped in to lose a few credits during a trip.

No less than a thousand mercenaries were brought to the Wheel in the second wave. Pellios's personal ship, the Gackling Bandara had a maximum capacity of one hundred on its own. Normally designed for carrying slaves, it could carry many uncomfortable soldiers of fortune fairly quickly. But the real contributor to transporting such numbers was the Subjugator, a frigate that the devaronian offshoot stood commanded for this mission.

The Subjugator and its escort of a corvettes and corsairs moved into the Wheel and bolstered the Cartel presence there. The starships also carried weapons and equipment. Supplies both desired and needed by the Hutts forces were replenished to ensure they were always prepared and rationed even when the rest of the station might not be.

Pellios came with gifts that would make even the Hutts think it was Life Day. The mercenaries and guards already came armed but there were new weapons to add to the existing forces. RSKF-44 heavy blaster pistols , BM-548 rifles, Heavy blaster rifles, FWMB-10. light repeaters, and more were distributed.

@Fine Dining Set