Ask Tatooine The Commission

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

THEME​

The Belching Frog Saloon was closed for the night. A special private event was taking place. Preef Callo's own enforcers guarded the outside and everyone in Mos Espa knew that the saloon -and the entire street- was under his personal protection. So, too, did the invitees.

Haro Mothkari of the Mothkari Crime Family was more cyborg than human. Once, a few hundred years ago when he originally came to power, he was simply the heir-apparent of the family. Now his ties with the Droid Gotra and the deals he made in the past from his stronghold on Hollastin had made him one of the most powerful crimelords in the Crymorah Syndicate.

Leo Xaa Hafven of the Xaa Hafven Crime Family stood at the beginning of such an illustrious career. His family had been reduced to only a handful operators in the war with the Zaa Fenn Crime Family, one which they ultimately lost and saw their enemy rise to become the leader of the Commission, or rather the 'Crymorah'. Leo was a young Twi'lek who ran a spice racket on Ryloth and was the first to openly use the Xaa Hafven name.

Then there was Kara Zaa Fenn of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family. Twenty years ago they rose from destitution to become the most powerful crime family in the galaxy. Names like Marissa and Preef Zaa Fenn were synonomous with scoundrels who had made it, who had become too big to fail. They rose too high and became celebrities, with Preef even becoming the leader of The Collective, the governing body of all Five Syndicates, until the galaxy decided to stump them down to the underworld where they belonged. Kara was a young human, but she had apprenticed under Marissa and was now being mentored by the old rodian himself. Her adoption in the Zaa Fenn signalled a new beginning.

The empty seat at the table was reserved -mockingly- for Shane Covax of Tenloss Interstellar. An outsider who occassionaly worked for the Zaa Fenn Crime Family, Covax had used his access to the family's headquarters on Coruscant to betray the then Vanguard of the Crymorah, Gareth Zaa Fenn, and claim control over the syndicate's spice distribution network with an enormous line of credit. No one believed a mere merc could accomplish something like that and most notably he was never adopted, thus by crymorah law not a member of this body. Yet, the fear for his benefactor and the seemingly endless supply of credits and spice had, for a time, secured the syndicate's allegiance.

Word spread quickly in the underworld, however, and that news was that Shane Covax had been put on carbonite by the Supreme Mogul of the Hutt Cartel. Not only that, he had come with a Sith Lord in an attempt to murder the leader of the cartel in an ill-thoughtout and badly planned coup. Luckily, neither Nor'baal the Hutt nor Preef Zaa Fenn were fools to allow such a thing a second time.

"Dear members of this esteemed body-" Kara began, ignoring for the moment the large empty space at the head of their circular table, "-of the Crymorah."

Haro Mothkari was motionless. Perhaps due to his many implants making it difficult for him to convey any kind of emotion or facial expression. Leo Xaa Hafven was notably thrilled, finally getting the recognition he craved.

"I welcome Boss Mothkari-" she nodded towards the Crimelord of the Mothkari, "-and Boss Xaa Hafven," her nod Leo as she recognized him as the Crimelord of the Xaa Hafven was a more tense one, for their families had a bloody history.

It was Haro Mothkari who took over as the oldest and most powerful family in the Crymorah Syndicate, "and we-" he spoke for Leo Xaa Hafven, too, although the latter had no real choice in the matter, "-recognize Boss Zaa Fenn," and for lack of facial expressions he motioned towards Kara, who blushed slightly at finally seeing her dream become a reality. "And thank Preef Zaa Fenn-" the former head of the Crymorah, "-for hosting and his protection here on Tatooine." Kara smiled a thank you in return. She would tell the old rodian later that Haro paid his respects to the former syndicate leader. She knew -everyone knew- that she was only able to replace Marissa as the Zaa Fenn representative at this table because of Preef. His power and influence within the Crymorah, despite his age, was unsurpassed.

"Before we begin," Kara sighed slightly as she gestured towards the large empty place at their table, "we will be joined by the Supreme Mogul of the Hutt Cartel." Haro Mothkari had agreed to this, beholden as he was to the Hutt, thus giving the Hutt's presence here a majority vote in its favor.

The doors would then open to allow the Hutt and his retinue to enter.

@Nor'baal

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Nor’baal was enjoying his new found influence over some of the other members of his rival Syndicate. With many of them operating across Hutt Space, they had done next to nothing to counteract the increase in power of the Hutts, and more specifically, of the Desilijic Clan. He had their ‘boss of bosses’ in captivity, quite literally frozen in time, and the other members of the Commission would now be looking to find a new leader.

The Hutt had no desire to see them pick anyone other than him.

As he entered the meeting place, he did so in a manner that projected nothing but strength. Accompanied by an eye-watering amount of guards, Nor’baal himself entered with over two dozen Gamorreans, who positioned themselves around the room. Outside, his sail barge rested, hundreds of Gamorreans in ranks before it. A cluster of some five Skorpenek Droids covered the Cantina itself, scanning the streets for any sign of betrayal.

Nor’baal did not like to take risks these days.

He positioned himself at the head of the table and spoke to them in Huttese.

<Bu Yoskah doth du wa dotmheca see dhiau. Hocan wata, du Yih Bmola, jeejee gee gahkesa bu yuna panbeva hhe pea bai woy yanee. Bu nanan gee doth puohe doi tee bohw ganky, cog kankay bu woceuea gee doth kopuaheth, an whemana douacanh hea nauit maniaht bu douonla see ahban chespo yatuka mee. Bonee wagan maee, bu Yih gee kosoyan mee bu douonla, maban bu danko biw bai juju tokiy dotmheca see dotkola. Cymorrah jiu wa talatau cohka dee pheciua pahma, joday cay bu Lanka, bu Pykes an baua, bai gahkesa tee heee see nem, an tee chaweka, doth chakaph an phata. Cay bu kouwaueve keana koi see bo see mee ticay, uba gee wa dayan bai saleu dah wa tam heee nudd. Jee saconba uba ateema, bai woy mee douaph puohe.>

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

To say Kara disliked the Hutt's entrance would be a massive understatement and she wasn't alone in thinking it. That much was clear as she looked at both Haro and Leo. Apparently the Supreme Mogul didn't trust the protection as guaranteed by the Preef Callo and had decided to barge into the private event with an army of Gamorreans. Whatever sham was about to be played, curtsies and tributes, seemed off the table. The Hutt Cartel was only after one thing and that was the Crymorah's submission. Seeing the actions of the man that would normally have been sitting in the empty seat, Shane Covax, that on itself seemed to make sense.

Aggravate and insult the leader of the Desilijic Clan multiple times and see how far his influence and power truly spreads. Covax was a fool to think the majority of crymorah business didn't take place within Nor'baal's spheres of influence.

It was however not Kara who had the first vote among their assembly. Haro Mothkari seemed displeased by the angry tone his robotic vocabulator took, "The Crymorah recognizes the presence of Supreme Mogul Nor'baal Desiljic Fa'athra, leader of the cartel." Unfortunately for him, his vote had already been decided beforehand when he pledged his support for the Hutt in return for not having to back-pay his champakh tributes. If he went agains the Hutt now there would not be much left of his -powerful- crime family by the time he returned to Hollastin.

Leo Xaa Hafven seemed most perplexed by all of this. Sure he had heard the rumors and this assembly had all but confirmed them, but he operated on Ryloth and had been assured that both Covax and his operations were legal under the banner of the Independent Systems Consortium. He was foolish to speak up for anything else but to voice his support, "My spice mine is legal under Consortium law," he looked puzzled first at Haro, then Kara and last the Supreme Mogul. "The Xaa Hafven do no business in Hutt Space"

Kara looked down to hide her frustration with the ambitious Twi'lek. Had he expected they would rule the Crymorah like they had in the old days of Gori and Preef, when the commission made the decisions and the so-called leader was merely a representative towards The Collective? No wonder he had agreed to work under Covax. "The Zaa Fenn operate out of Hutt Space and we thank the Supreme Mogul, the omnipotent and all-knowing Nor'baal Desilijic Fa'athra, for getting rid of Covax." It was a hint towards the Twi'lek that he should thank the Hutt instead of challenging him, but the ambitious crimelord of the Xaa Hafven did not seem inclined to do so.

@Nor'baal

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Nor'baal nodded his thanks as Kara and Haro reaffirmed their support for the Clans. He focused his malignance on the holdout, the Xaa Havfen. Of course, the criminal was quite correct, their outfit had little to no operation in Hutt Space, yet he was making the same mistake many others had done in recent years.

The influence of the Cartel wasn't geographically restricted or defined.

<In ting Jee doth tee puohe.> the Hutt was bored of people trying to position themselves as 'other' to try and imply that they where somehow outside of his reach, outside of the control the Clans exerted and would exert over the lesser organisations in the underworld. <Mee pankpa noa-a paknee ata, mee bidwata dacda, mee hhenpaee sakhee an mee yae dopyapih. Fa doth ata mah chakaph da caiot douuot bankop tah doi apoya. Jee hatkocanh kouoe bai neu tah apoya bai uba, bai neu mee woceuea yahabola sewapka, an dayan bai doth pantkhee mee cay kaee cuee, jahke.> the Gamorrean behind Leo took a step forward, just in case the man got any funny ideas.

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

Leo Xaa Hafven dry-swallowed as he heard the Hutt's words and felt the Gammorrean step closer. It's foul breath reaching the Twi'lek's tendrils and sending a shudder down his spine. Kara looked at him with worry. She had no love for the Xaa Hafven and how could she, by becoming the boss of the Zaa Fenn she had inherited all the bad blood between the two crime families. Still, she didn't want to see the ambitious Twi'lek get decapitated either. Rumor had it he had a young child who was the first in a decade to be born Xaa Hafven.

It was Haro Mothkari who spoke up first. The Mothkari Crime Family was infamous for the political ties and were -despite the frightening appearance of their boss- skilled diplomats. "The Mothkari have news that would interest you, Supreme Mogul-" he began to give the Twi'lek some time, "-our sources say the Crimson Dawn is selling Sith Artefacts. We have reason to believe they have infiltrated the upper Imperial ranks." If anything a bombshell like that, which was based around the sudden emergence of bled kyber crystals on the black market and the prestigious auction they're holding on Omega Station, would give Leo the time he needed and Kara guess that he..

"My apologies, Supreme Mogul and omnipotent and magnanimous Nor'baal Desilijic Fa'athra," The Twi'lek, who had shrunk in the meantime, slowly rose up to his normal height again, "The Xaa Hafven, like the Zaa Fenn and the Mothkari, choose to walk their path forward with you, your eminence." Kara was glad that Leo managed to see reason and had not shortened his lifespan considerably, like to ten seconds later.

The rumor about the Crimson Dawn interested her, though, for she had met with Administrator Lanris on Omega Station before and by giving her KnowOnes had hoped to have established some kind of mutual beneficial relationship. She was surprised to learn that the Crimson Dawn was making moves this big while they had been unwilling to challenge Covax, someone the Hutt Cartel had made short work of. What did they know, or rather who did they know, that they could beat the cartel to the proverbial punch?

@Nor'baal

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

As the holdout caved, Nor'baal afforded himself a feeling of pride, looking over the heads of the families as their patron once again. Of course, the news about the Crimson Dawn did not concern him too much; he already had heard rumours of their movements. The Hutt had always found the Dawn, an interesting bunch. He'd never really understood what they did - aside from selling stolen Sith artefacts. From what he understood of them, they appeared to have come from nowhere, a slicer collective that moved into Spice through political machinations.

Regardless, their recent moves were ones worth watching. What was their end game if the Dawn was up to something, partnering with the Empire, as it had done with the Consortium? <Jeejee doth bla see twa tam yatuka, um fa tanee kouikei bai gee cuee kanwahca bai kon. Boukecoh, whao bu Hoseha bidkana du twa bkhokah, hee la cha wompa mi; hocan, whao la cahteth du twa can bai pacwahh fet bu Kacmahea, peee la gee cay bu Pantahlea, hee la caiot kaza cuee see wa pantebaha um baw wah Pohka bai hanei.>

He looked around the table. Perhaps one of them could be of greater use to the Clans? Perhaps he could pit them against the Dawn, and then take out whichever of them was still standing after that contest reached its end? <In ting bu Cymorrah caiot doth see boya wata? Woy wa bargon cay bu Hoseha? Jee gee wa donba see Kohhodeth, coo doth bahva joday. In ting la caiot boonowa fa sehianbet dowaahliettah Hoseha banba, an bu Cymorrah caiot tasag che tah hhosaba sehianbet dowaahliettah caheaba bai wen?>

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

This Hutt. This Hutt had balls.

Kara smiled and looked at Haro, whose face was motionless, then at Leo, who looked confused and fearful. Then, unable to hold it back, she began laughing. "Ha-ha-ha!" her laughter cut the silence of the room and aside from a snort from one of the Gammorreans who didn't laugh, but did almost choke on some of his own snot that he had tried to swallow down.

Haro's vocabulator hissed as he turned to Kara, but the younger human was focused solely on the Hutt. "His eminence lives up to his reputation!" She knew deep inside why Haro wanted to warn her. What she was doing, or rather what she seemed unable to contain, could end up costing her her life. "Slap them down with his right and then support them with his left. The best schemer in the known galaxy, that is Nor'baal Desilijic Fa'athra." and the very reason Preef Callo once lead the movement to eradicate the Hutt species from the Outer Rim. The Hutt would just as easily tell the Crimson Dawn that it was the Crymorah that lead the raids against them and have the two syndicates weaken eachother while he looked on as a seemingly neutral party. Yet, the way Kara saw it, they didn't even have a choice in the matter. Either the Hutt treated them as his playthings or he would absolutely crush and exterminate them. Oh how the turntables..

"The Zaa Fenn Family will do what you ask of us," she said with the corners of her mouth still up and a tear forming in her right eye.

@Nor'baal

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Kara certainly knew how to heap on the flattery, and perhaps that was a good thing - after all, Nor'baal was prone to having folks who didn't do so, thrown into the beast pens. But, on this occasion, his considerable intellectual prowess was, perhaps, worthy of the praise she afforded him. If the pirates could get into position and do some damage, Dawn would have little to no choice but to come to the table and negotiate for the mercy and protection of the Clans.

<Uba woy Cymorrah phabeka Kara. Jee lwaa pankoph tee pateessa, an yoieu tah koona don kam.> he remarked, signalling for his droid to send a message to the pirates (@Olwin @Scoobert etc) to get the mission underway. Finally, he turned back to Kara and the others, speaking in basic "Is there anything else we need to cover?"

 

[Kara Zaa Fenn]

THEME​

A compliment from the Supreme Mogul of the cartel. If her situation wasn't completely fucked, then this would be the highlight of any criminal's career. She noticed the envious eyes of Leo Xaa Hafven, who had recovered from his initial confusion and now regretted he hadn't spoken first to steal the limelight of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family. The only one who truly knew better in all of this was Haro Mothkari. The centuries old human cyborg was too smart and too experienced to see this as anything other than what it truly was. The Hutt treated them and their short lifespans as his disposable playthings. Lives he could ruin, centuries old crime families he could eradicate at his whim and a syndicate that while once most powerful in the galaxy was by inaction and poor leadership diminished to the mere slave of a Hutt that once cowered and ran from it.

Oh how the mighty Crymorah Syndicate had fallen.

And how easily Haro had just lost the leading position among the families. With Kara having the Hutt's favor, she had the honor of voicing the reply. Was the Zaa Fenn again the first among equals? No, not in power at least, but when it came to the favor of Nor'baal the Hutt? Perhaps..

"Dinner, your eminence." the Boss of the Zaa Fenn Crime Family replied with a gesture to the decked out table. "We've made sure to import all you favorites," which wasn't an easy nor cheap thing to do. Nor'baal had an expensive taste and getting all the creatures and chefs and delicacies to the desert world of Tatooine wasn't something one did overnight.

She clapped twice and as served droid appeared from the kitchen, bumping its way through a pair of Gammorreans with was looked like purple Tarisian champagne. "With a drink to celebrate joining your cartel."

@Nor'baal

 

[Nor'baal Desilijic]

Nor'baals gaze never left Leo, the duplicitous Cymorrah no doubt already plotting to wriggle his way out from under the thumb of the Cartel. Yet it would be of little consequence. Nor'baal was already devising a way in which to remove Leo from his path, a subtle plan which would involve the slow but consistent application of an addictive substance to the man's favourite delicacy, which after a few months would then be withdrawn - Nor'baal estimated the sudden removal of the addictive would cause the man to react adversely, and thereafter promptly pass away.

"A toast to future success and to the removal of rivals." he raised a flute of the exotic-looking champagne, looking at Leo with finality as he mentally committed to ensuring that someone else sat in the Xaa Havfen seat the next time this gathering met. "Profit!" he glugged back his drink, only briefly wondering if he should have it checked for poison first.

Realising he was still alive, the Hutt smile.

He had a feeling things where about to get interesting.

/endthread