The New Kings

[Galavant]

Vero was gone, dead, and his dreams of Hutt Empire along with him.

Borga was gone, again, missing. The Hutt had returned briefly, to restore order, only to disappear again. Whatever machinations he'd cooked up gone along with him

Jack was missing, and likewise whatever games he'd been playing were gone with him.

And now Dogi was gone. Shipped off to imprisonment in the Deoro Lesersis on Barab.

The first of these had led the Cartel to begin to fracture, as the clans sought to regain their dominance without Vero or his precious source of Bacta present to keep them all sated.

The second of these had only led to to fracture further. Borga's reign had been marked more by inactivity, save for the completion of Rothana.

The third of these had effect still unknown. Tamblyn had been a major player in the Cartel, and without a doubt their most skilled negotiator. The deals he'd conducted since the days of the Retrade has allowed the Cartel to rise in the first place, without him there who knew which one could come back to bite them.

But the last one...that might end up being more helpful than it was disruptive.

Might.

For now it was still plenty of disruptive.

When Borga had returned to see the Council fighting some months earlier, he'd declared it to be in shambles.

That meeting had nothing on this one. Only Petar and Gaja were actually present, the other three Kajidii had opted not to visit Nal Hutta for the meeting after the latest unpleasantness had lead to great deal of suspicion. Instead Elara, Feena, and Backes were all attending via Holonet, and their holograms sat in the appropriate places rather than their actual persons.

"They should be put to death for their treachery," Elara said calmly amid all the shouting. She didn't really care much about the guards who'd betrayed Dogi, in all honesty. They were a bargaining chip, one she had to use to keep up the appearance of Besadii being strong.

"Why because they made you the Kajidii of Besadii?" Feena replied with a snicker. The Hutt could see right through the other's bluff. Weak. That was all Besadii was these days, and Feena had every intention of proving it before too long. "They should be promoted, not executed."

Elara didn't rise to the bait. She wasn't nearly as foolish as Dogi had been, the previous Hutt Lord would have been charging the other Hutt's hologram at a crack like that, for all the good it would have done him. But Feena wasn't wrong either. Elara couldn't say she was terribly dissapointed by the turn of events. After all, she was here now. And thus she had no serious investment in seeing the guards dead.

"Really Feena? So if I pay some guards to kill you, and put your least favorite cousin in your place instead should those guards then be promoted?" Backes asked cheerfully. He couldn't resist an opportunity to give the Velora brute a sarcastic quip. Part of that was also him setting up sides. It was as plain as day that Velora was hungering after Besadii. If that were the case, Backes had every reason to aid Besadii. He didn't particularly care much for Elara, but at least she was civilized. And not a Velora.

"Why are you even here Backes, did your human let you off your chain?" Feena sneered back. As if Kormtha hadn't been disgusting enough without that.

Unlike Elara, Backes was much more willing to take the bait. He loved a good verbal sparring, especially since he knew he could outwit the Velora Lorda.

And the arguing continued.

 

[The Kyzer]

Petar Anjiliac Aquila reclined slightly on his sled and took a long pull from his electric-vaporizer. The spice inside helped to calm his nerves, which seemed to be getting worse and worse with each passing day. He lazily looked over to Elara and the slightest of upward curls appeared at the corners of his mouth for a moment before disappearing. Elara was clearly in over her head which meant that his plan had worked. Besadii had been tempered and was less of a threat to his future endeavors. No more wild anger from Dogi causing him daily consternation. Well, Petar said his but it was all his confidante's ideas. He was still Lorda, though, and would continue to take credit as such.

"Would both of you stop acting like Huttlets for one moment?"

Though still considered the youngest of the Lordas, Petar's presence had always been one deserving of respect though now it also carried a hint of intimidation. Well, that could be useful to a Hutt as well.

"We have a much more dire situation at hand. Borga is missing."

 

[Galavant]

Gaja looked over at this one time ally, Petar. But he didn't say anything. The meeting on the whole wasn't of much interest to him, and he didn't particularly care for the politic drama playing out between the three different clans. Except for watching the new Besadii leader squirm, that was entertaining. But he would have much rather been at race, not dealing wit these things at all.

He kept his gaze on Petar, but still didn't say anything. Rumors were starting to filter in that an Anjiliac mining operation had been destroyed...and that the culprit was assumed to be his own Kajidic. That, unfortunately worried him. He knew he had no hand in the mine's destruction, but would Petar assume that? He certainly hoped not, but wasn't about to pretend that everything was going to be as chummy between the two of them as it was before. If he were in Petar's position, he certainly wouldn't believe him. Now that Besadii had been taken down a couple notches it was the perfect time to turn on Anjliac, and make sure they didn't do the same to Desilijic. It was actually a far more devious plan than Gaja would have thought up.

He just wanted to keep expanding his racing empire, and didn't really care one way or another about the other clans. But unfortunately they seemed to care a whole lot about him.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to the squabbling dolts.

---

Damia threw open the door to the meeting so her boss could enter.

Except she didn't really throw the door open. There were buttons for that sort of thing in this day and age.

And she wasn't really sure Addipos was her new boss. She'd been tied very heavily to Borga after Sevarcos, and very heavily to Jack after he'd vouched for her. But now that both were gone, the currents of the Cartel were moving fast, and she'd been swept up by the elderly Hutt for security on his Rothana projects in their absence. And now for security as he entered the meeting room on his massive repulsorsled. From what she'd gathered, there had been a bit of a scuffle the last time one of these meetings had happened. And that was counting the recent mess with Dogi.

"May I present Addipos the Great. Renewer of Rothana, and eldest of the Hutts," Damia announced in her best Huttese, stepping out of the way as Addipos pushed forward.

And a kriffing pain in the ass to work for, she thought. To say that out loud in the midst of all the Hutt Lords though, wouldn't have been good for. Hell saying it outloud in front of one of the Hutt Lords probably wouldn't have been good for her. But at least she was making a ton of credits, just standing around.

"Fools!" The elderly Hutt shouted, coughing a little afterwards.

"All of you fools," He continued, casting his gaze on all of them, even his protégé. Petar had certainly done well in creating an opportunity for him to move in, by removing Dogi. But he'd done it a way that wasn't to Addipos' liking. The elderly Hutt would never have challenged the Besadii ruler in public like that. Yes he was gone, but that created problems, and it meant that he had to chastise Petar publicly, and distance himself from a little if he wanted to gain what he'd arrived here to get.

"You were a fool for luring Dogi into a trap like that. In public where our enemies might observe our disharmony," He said to Petar.

"Dogi was a fool to show up at all," He said, turning then to Elara. While that part was certainly true, it also didn't change the stupidity of Petar's action. Anyone with eyes could see that the whole thing had been a sham. Addipos didn't really care one way or another about ancient laws or any of that crap. He cared because others might think they could accomplish the same thing.

"And all of you were fools for trusting kung with your lives," He went on. "You wish to execute them for not showing loyalty when you knew they weren't loyal to you in the first place. What did you expect would happen you so broadly tried to expand your reach that you'd recruit any punk off the streets into your Kajidic, give him a gun, and tell him to defend your life?"

 

[The Kyzer]

Petar merely grimaced at the rebukes but knew better than to press it. Addipos had always been a tough teacher, but he seemed a bit more riled up than usual. The Kajidii of Anjiliac had always had a particular skill when it came to understanding his mentor's various moods and how to deal with them.

"So Wonky Addipos, would would you propose we do now? We are leaderless and quickly falling to strife."

Of course, Petar already knew what the old Hutt wanted. It was the very thing Addipos had turned down nearly ten years ago but now it seemed it was necessary for him to take now (or at least he thought it was necessary). Addipos wanted to be Grand Lord.

Well, Petar wasn't going to be the one to put the idea forward. He'd already done his part in the putting the idea in the minds of the other Lordas.

 

[Galavant]

And with Petar's words, Backes saw opportunity.

"<Indeed, if you are so wise that you may see the faults that have developed from your venerable position, why don't you take up the mantle of Granee Lorda? It would only be fitting for a Hutt of such experience, who has done so much to see us elevated to our current position>" Backes said. Sure he'd piled on the platitudes, but they were about as empty as the Mandalore sector. All he really cared about was that Addipos was an old fool, who'd spent his timed holed on a frigid iceball playing with ships, while the Kajidics had been doing things. Leaderless things were only too likely to escalate, as Petar had ironically pointed out. A weak leader though...that was something that could be manipulated.

Of course that presumed that Backes was right about the old Hutt. He certainly thought so, and Addipos gave no sign of reaction.

If he could without giving away his thoughts though, the old Hutt would be grinning as widely as possible. The idiots had taken the bait. Unlike many other beings in the galaxy, Addipos knew the value of waiting until just the right time to strike. He was a patient Hutt, and he'd waited a very long time for this. It wasn't actually a title he'd ever craved, but the galaxy was ripe for exploitation.

Grand Lord of the Hutt Cartel? Addipos had far bigger plans than that.

"<I move that Addipos, the great and venerable, be made Grand Lord of this council>" Backes finished, he was curious as to how the others would vote. Rarely had the council been united of late, but this might be the issue to bring them back together. Or it could be the one that saw them turn on each other like a pack of rabid animals.

"<I support Addipos for Grand Lord>" Elara quickly answered. She didn't much care, or think much of the old Hutt, but in Besadii's position, they couldn't very well afford to back a loser. Addipos was anything but that. Besides it wasn't like there was another candidate for the position.

"<I do as well>" Gaja answered. He certainly wasn't going to go against a member of his Kajidic being Grand Lord.

"<As do I>" Petar replied, at what he considered to be the best time to make it look less obvious like this had been something that had been his idea in the first place.

"<The Velora would not be opposed to Addipos>" Feena answered last. She didn't want to sound too much like she was supporting something that Besadii and Kormtha were, but she also didn't want to go against the new boss given that he'd already had four votes in his favor.

"<Then it is decided>" Backes concluded, undramatically.

"<Well then my Lorda, let us get to work>" Addipos answered, moving his sled into the position that had once been occupied by Borga, and Vero. Unlike those two, Addipos wasn't about to waste a second on vanity projects, or worrying about far flung balls of rock.

There were Empires to break, Mandalorians to sellout, Rebels to quietly back, Jedi to hunt, and businesses to aid or cripple. Since the end of their control over Thyferra, the Hutts been a nonentity in the galaxy at large. They were just there, they didn't really matter. With Rothana restored, production at shipyards kicking into high gear, and chaos being sowed everywhere, that wasn't going to be the case for much longer.

"<Let us first discuss those worlds to our galactic south...>"