Drex was walking up to the craft dressed in his new clothing. He was now wearing light brown pantaloons with dark brown Nerf-leather boots. About his waist was a black sash tied neatly on his left side, and garbing his torso was a loose fitting light blue tunic with gold thread sewn into the cuffs and collar. Over the outfit he wore a dark gray long-coat made of thick synthetic materials.
Drex shrugged in his new attire, still getting used to the feel and that slightly chemical “new” smell of it. “It’s what we could find,” he shrugged.
“I heard that the Duros girl and Mrae Urka got into a spat in the street last night.” Samedy went on walking across the roof-top platform. Only the pair of them were out on its stone deck now. “I heard it was quite amusing.”
“That’s not the word I would choose,” Drex sighed. “I haven’t seen you since yesterday, did you run into Lyaia or Mrae?”
“Nope,” Samedy shrugged.
“Where did you hear about the fight?” Drex was curious. “That’s the bad part,” Samedy went on, “I heard about it down at the bar downstairs. I’m willing to bet that Kirdah is giving Mrae a once-over even as we speak.”
“What makes you say that?” Drex asked, and then held up his hand. “Stupid question. I know why.”
“You can’t be someone like her and have your identity spread around town indiscriminately. It’s bad for business, and bad for her employer. That little incident probably cost her some points with the big slug.”
“Big slug?”
“Durgo the Hutt,” Samedy chuckled, “never seen a Hutt before have you? They look like big slugs.”
“Ah,” Drex nodded as a stiff wind kicked up. “How long until the Nindas’ ship is ready?”
“Kirdah tells me it’ll be about another two days or so,” Samedy shrugged. “It was pretty badly messed up. They’re lucky Kirdah’s so well connected, and apparently there are compatible parts around Nar Dundo. A ship that old, well, that’s rare.”
Drex nodded. “I’d say we should go if we’re ready, but I can’t bring myself to leave behind those kids without any help.”
“Kirdah could watch them while their ship is repaired, then I guess they’d be taking off anyway right?” Samedy inquired.
“Maybe, I hadn’t thought to ask them.”
“Maybe you should?” Samedy shrugged.
“Maybe,” Drex agreed nodding. “Hey, Samedy,” he began cautiously, “can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” Samedy shrugged, “though it’s strange that you’re asking my permission to ask something. Kinda defeats the purpose doesn’t it?” Samedy chuckled.
Drex chuckled as well. “I never thought of it that way. I guess you’re right. Um, anyway, I was wondering what your angle was in this? Why are you helping me?”
Samedy smiled, “didn’t we cover this while you were bed-ridden?”
“Not really,” Drex shrugged. “But I was wondering why you in particular wanted to help me?”
Samedy inhaled deeply and let the air out slow, coughing somewhat on the pollutants within it. “Blasted air they have here,” he muttered. Abruptly he turned to face Drex.
“Four years ago I met Trek Starbourne on a planet called Ragadoon,” Samedy began, “I was self-centered, full of dumb ideas, and ready to get myself killed on some Force-forsaken planet deep in the Unknown Regions if you catch my drift. Trek found that man in the middle of the bar-fight of his life, stabbed by a vibroblade and bleeding his soul out onto the floor. He took that man, whom he didn’t know from a piece of nerf-pudu, and stood over him fending off everyone who came near him with a hostile eye.
“Since I had nothing to do but bleed and think, I thought. That was when I realized two things: One, if I was going to continue my lifestyle I was going to wind up dead on some Force-forsaken world deep in the Unknown Regions, and that wasn’t really something I was prepared for, and Two, that this man who was standing over me protecting my worthless carcass was probably someone I should hang around and learn about why he did that for me.”
“Why did he?” Drex asked slowly while gazing intently at the other man on the platform.
“Stick around and learn,” Samedy said with a smile, “you’ll figure it out.”
“Ah,” Drex nodded slowly, allowing himself to be put off the question.
The wind kicked up, whipping more of the dreaded stench from the city across their noses.
“Ugh, I’ll never get used to that,” Drex coughed.
“Nor will I,” Samedy returned while crinkling the bridge of his nose. “Come on, let’s get in out of this foul wind.” He began to walk towards the lift.
“Sounds good to me,” Drex muttered and followed.
As they drew up on the turbolift the doors opened to reveal that inside stood Mr. Starbourne and R3D9. “I was just coming to see you,” Mr. Starbourne began, allowing them to pile into the lift.
“What about?” Samedy asked casually.
“It would seem that our host’s son did indeed get our host into a bit of trouble last night,” Mr. Starbourne began. “I was just coming up to fetch you two. I think we should all go down to Durgo’s office and put in a good word about our intentions.”
“What?” Drex said as a half-whisper.
“It would be the least we could do for our gracious hostess,” Mr. Starbourne reaffirmed.
“Wherever you lead,” Samedy nodded.
“Go before a Hutt?” Drex asked incredulously. “Are you sure you want to do that? From all I’ve heard the Hutts are murderous gangsters who wouldn’t listen to anybody but their own pockets.”
“The entire species can’t possibly be like that,” Mr. Starbourne responded, “some humans have the same reputation, but we’re not all the same.”
“There’s a reason why they call this Hutt Space,” Drex returned, “and why their homeworld sits in the middle of the largest and most powerful cartels in the galaxy.”
“Ah,” Starbourne nodded, “so you deduced that they’re all the same from that.”
Drex started to respond, but paused. “I’ve just never heard anything different about Hutts. I’ll concede that maybe you’re right, but the bad Hutts must outweigh the good ones for them to have such a reputation.”
“Must they?” Mr. Starbourne questioned in a tone which seemed to hint that he would not change his position.
Drex decided to let it go.
The lift began moving down. They dropped from the rooftop landing pad to the level below, and the doors opened up into a large office with a spectacular view of the city. Directly in front of them was a set of double-doors with a mynock attatched to and wrapped around a planet in gold and silver, the symbol of Durgo the Hutt, across the center of them. To the right of the door sat a duraplast desk of silver with a single black line framing the top of it. Behind that desk sat Durgo’s secretary, a bright red and busty Twi’lek woman with short lekku dressed in a white halter top and a string-bikini style bottom. Various bracelets of gold decorated her arm, and she had a brand above her left breast bearing the mark of Durgo the Hutt.
Mr. Starbourne strode out of the lift first, followed by R3D9 rolling onto the soft purple carpet. The office was well lit, and had white walls without features, Drex noticed as he stepped out next. Samedy followed Drex, his eyes never leaving the secretary’s cleavage.
“We are here to see Durgo the Hutt,” Mr. Starbourne said with a warm smile.
The Twi’lek woman responded in a language that Drex did not know. Her voice was melodic with depth that made every alien word from her sound dirty.
“That is why we are here, we know he is in that meeting. It would be prudent to let us join it as it concerns us.” Mr. Starbourne’s smile never faded.
“What is she saying?” Drex asked Samedy as they watched Mr. Starbourne in action.
“I have no idea,” Samedy shrugged, “I don’t speak Huttese.”
“Oh,” Drex nodded, surprised. Somehow he thought both of the alleged merchants would be able to speak the same languages. He made a note to not make that assumption again.
“Maybe you should reconsider,” Starbourne said to something the secretary had told him. Drex was about to give up on this venture, which he hadn’t wanted to go on in the first place, when he noticed Starbourne do something odd.
The robed man raised his hand slightly and twisted his wrist while saying, “you will at least let Durgo know we’re here.”
“I will at least let Durgo know you’re here,” the secretary repeated in Basic, and then pressed a button on her desk and spoke again in Huttese.
“What the?” Drex whispered. Samedy only smiled.
The secretary said something and waved them on. The double doors leading deeper into the office split and began to move.
“What?” Drex asked no one in particular.
“You’ll get used to it,” Samedy smiled walking past him. R3 rolled on as well, leaving Drex to catch up.
He glanced at the secretary once on the way past, noting that she was sitting now staring out the window with a puzzled look on her face.
The corridor beyond the doors was short, and the same color as the office before it. At its end was another set of identical double doors. Drex noted the security sensors and ports along the walls that were, no doubt, intrusion countermeasures. Drex hoped that they would not be used in his presence.
Through the second set of double doors the group found itself in Durgo’s main audience chamber. It was a large room, even bigger than the outer office which could’ve almost fit Drex’s Z-95 within its walls. The room was decorated, unlike the others before it, with elegant tapestries from at least ten different cultures. The carpeting here was deep and darker than that outside. There were braziers burning incense which smelled poignant to the human nose, but not unpleasant, placed sporadically throughout the room. Pillows matching the carpet, but with gold trim, were scattered everywhere, and upon them were Twi’lek males and females wearing next to nothing, and all branded with Durgo’s symbol. The lighting in here was dim, and set to glow as though made by the embers of a fire instead of by artificial means. It took a moment for Drex’s eyes to adjust to the new lighting.
In the center of the room, against the far wall was a dais upon which lounged a four and a half meter long slug of slimy green and brown flesh with eyes, a flattened nose which looked smeared across its face, and a huge mouth. Golden starburst eyes gazed out at the intruders as they approached through the sea of decadent flesh between the door and the master of this planet. Before the dais Drex saw Kirdah and Mrae standing at attention, with Lyaia and Oz at their side.
“What are the children doing here?” Drex asked, a hint of anger had seeped into his voice.
“Peace,” Starbourne responded without missing a beat in his stride. “This is no time for anger.”
Drex frowned, but walked on in silence. He glanced about him, noting the obvious and repulsive slavery, his stomach knotting.
The large slug-creature bellowed out some sort of greeting, or so Drex assumed.
Starbourne drew up beside the Urkas and bowed deeply. “We are honored to be in your presence great lord. I am Trek Starbourne, and these are my friends Samedy Dusk, Drex Odagon, and R3D9.” The droid beeped as its name was spoken.
“We come here to apologize for last night’s indiscretion, and give you our assurances that it will not happen again.”
The Hutt chuckled, it was an unnerving sound. “I know human.” Its response in Basic shocked Drex, and he had to consciously close his mouth. He didn’t think that any Hutt would speak Basic.
“What are you doing Mr. Starbourne?” Kirdah said under her breath. Drex couldn’t hear his response, but her fur changed the way it was rippling a moment later.
“I trust that Ms. Urka is not in any kind of trouble then?” Starbourne was bold, Drex had to give the man that.
“My agent,” the Hutt gestured at Kirdah, “has been requisitioning certain assets of mine to repair these young-things’ ship. I was just asking her how she would pay.”
“And I was just telling the mighty Durgo that it would come from my own assets,” Kirdah interjected quickly. “So there is really no need for you to be here.”
“Why are the children here?” Starbourne asked calmly.
“His highness wished to see them,” Kirdah explained.
“You are a curious human,” Durgo bellowed. He sounded amused. “I allowed you in so that I might see who my agent is associating with. I am also curious, and wish to know why I have a warship above my head.”
Starbourne smiled and bowed his head slightly. “We apologize for that, it is our fault that there is a warship here now.”
Drex’s face flashed brief surprise before he masked it carefully. “I apologize lord,” he said, seizing the opportunity that Starbourne had created, “the warship is my burden, not that of these people.”
“I beg to differ, but continue,” Starbourne slipped in.
Drex gave him a look, and then continued. “I am Drex Odagon of Austeron. I am also an employee of the Wheyga Mining and Processing Corporation. We are currently in a conflict with the Detari Shipwright Association, and the warship is theirs. I believe that when I am gone it shall follow.”
“As long as it knows you are gone,” Durgo commented.
“Yes,” Drex nodded.
“And you will not tell it when you do leave, so it is now my problem.” The tone of amusement hadn’t left Durgo’s voice. “I warn you that I worry about my problems, and my worry is expensive.”
Drex swallowed hard despite his desire to remain composed. He was beginning to see where all of the stories about Hutts he’d heard were coming from.
“We have money to spare,” Starbourne said, unwavering in his calm. “That need not be an issue.”
“Money is always an issue,” Durgo returned. “You are naïve if you think otherwise.”
“Perhaps,” Starbourne smiled. “But there are things more important than money.”
The Hutt lapsed into a full minute of deep laughter which rumbled like thunder. “A comedian!” The Hutt declared, and laughed more.
Kirdah glanced at Starbourne again, and her fur rippled more rapidly. “As I was saying, his lordship need not worry about our issues. I will deal with it.”
“Oh?” Durgo bellowed out. “You will won’t you?” The Hutt chuckled again, “and I will keep these precious darlings as collateral until the warship is gone from my skies.” Durgo’s gaze fell upon the two Duros before him.
“What?!” Drex exclaimed. His lunge forward was halted by Samedy’s hand on his shoulder. He gave the man a dirty look.
“You don’t need the children,” Starbourne said stepping forward.
The Hutt seemed to freeze still a moment, and when it did begin to move again it was sluggish in its animation. “You don’t seem to under-“ it stopped mid sentence, and its eyes widened as they locked upon the trader before it. Slowly, the lids began to narrow.
“Durgo is not afraid of you human,” the Hutt said, but much to Drex’s surprise it did not sound convincing. The entire room sensed the sudden change in the Hutt’s mood, and Twi’lek slaves sat up from their pillows to stare.
“I never would imply such,” Starbourne responded. His hands slowly went from their folded position across his belly to rest just inside his robes around his belt level.
The Hutt responded by shuddering and growing even more fearful. It was now at the degree that Drex could see the change in its body language. He now knew that there was something going on here that was not seen nor spoken. Somehow Starbourne had some kind of power over this Hutt that Drex did not understand. He moved his eyes from the fat slug to the man standing in front of him, locking in on his brown and wheat mane which flowed low on the man’s back. An uncomfortable feeling crept over Drex then, and he wondered which being he should feel more afraid of; a murderous Hutt or this strange robed man?
“I humbly ask that his most-powerful lordship Durgo the Hutt grant us until these siblings’ ship is repaired and off-planet before alerting the warship that we are indeed gone. If you do this we need trouble you no more.” Starbourne’s voice was both respectful and threatening simultaneously. “You need not have the children as collateral, you have my word. You are old enough, I presume, to remember what that means?”
Durgo’s eyes hadn’t left Starbourne since his hands moved. “Yes,” Durgo said. Drex wasn’t sure, but he began to get the impression that the Hutt was somehow diminished, humbled.
“And no harm will befall Ms. Urka, or her son, or her status for our presence or actions, yes?”
“Yes,” Durgo sighed.
“Keep your word, or I will return,” Starbourne said, and then bowed deeply. “By your leave.” Durgo gestured, “you may go. All of you may leave now.”
“Come,” Starbourne said and headed for the door. Once again Drex was the last to follow.
For just a minute a thought snuck into his brain. He glanced back at the Hutt and saw the slug following Starbourne out with his eyes. Frowning to himself, Drex headed out with the others.
“We have to leave this planet as soon as possible,” Starbourne said once they were all in the lift and headed back to Kirdah’s apartment. “Durgo will not keep silent long.” The last comment was directed at Samedy.
“Understood,” Samedy nodded. “How much longer before their ship is ready?”
Kirdah flicked her eyes between Starbourne and Samedy. “A day, I can motivate my associates to finish in a day.”
“It would be appreciated,” Starbourne responded.
Mrae was staring thoughtfully at Starbourne. Beside him Lyaia and Oz simply looked confused and pensive.
A memory came to Drex. “Lyaia, when your ship is ready, I was wondering if you had any plans as to where you were going?”
Lyaia locked eyes with the red-haired human. “I-“ she stopped herself, “no.”
“It would be both an honor, and safer if you allowed us to take your ship out of system,” Starbourne said, “we have the space in our cargo bay.”
Lyaia thought a moment, and then exchanged words with Oz in what Drex assumed was their native language. “Thank you,” she said simply afterwards.
Starbourne nodded. “I’m glad you decided this path.”
The lift slowed to a stop, and the doors opened.