[Ollekael]

And excerpt from the Memoirs of the Jedi scribe and archivist Master Laureatt.

[…] how the holocron came to be in the possession of this particular merchant, I could not say. He was selling the tome alongside cheap trinkets, decrepit motivators and assorted droid parts. His stock looked like garbage, but like many Jawa merchants, he was selling a few rare gems.

The Tome of Achivaris was a collection of rituals and incantations that was first identified by the Jedi Order during the time of the Hundred Year Darkness. Whether the book was written during this time is not known and the Order has never had a chance to study the book properly, instead its history is a muddled mess of rumors and allegory.

What is known is that the book never seems to stay with one owner very long and attempts to duplicate the book have failed. Sometimes the copies made are destroyed with their owners in rather dramatic fashion, if the records are to be believed. Other times more banal things seem to destroy the copies. One such copy, made by a Jedi who infiltrated the archives on Koriban, rest his life, fell victim to a read error that slowly but surely destroyed all of the data on the copy.

The Tome was believed to have been destroyed three centuries before I found it by the Mad Knight Emphalis Tork’tonug who jumped a Sith cruiser into the heart of a star, killing himself and all souls on board in order to destroy holocron. Sadly, it seems, he failed.

While I instantly recognized the Tome as a Dark Side artifact by its rather strange presence in the Force, it was not until I boarded my ship that I identified which artifact it actually was. I contacted the Council and I set course for the Temple on Coruscant immediately.

We were set upon by pirates before we could jump. Indeed, this was the same pirate attack where I lost both my arms. The pirates escaped with the Tome and, though I have searched, I have never heard of it since.

The mission on Tatooine was a success, ultimately, and the ambassador was returned safely to […]

[Karmic]

*scene at an Empire spaceport on Nar Shaddaa*

A handful of workmen sit on and around the crates they had been loading and unloading throughout the day, eating lunch and trading stories.

"You'll never guess what I saw here the other night!" A twi'lek male announces to the crew.

"Another call'girl servicin'er man?" a bulky human wearing a patch over one eye responded, snickering, resulting in grins from the rest.

"Naw - even better!  Couple'a Sith were escorting a prisoner to their ship - force-restraints and everything!  They were hot too!"

"The prisoner or the Sith?"  a third man spoke up, his interest peaked.

"All of em!" The twi'lek laughed.  "I know one of them was that Pureblood female, the one with the big tits and long hair.  Party girl..."

"Karmic?"  the third man responded.

"Yea! Her! I almost didn't recognize her - not use to seeing her in Sith black. She wasn't flashin'no'skin or nothing."

The bulky human laughed, "No wonder you didn't recognize her."

 The twi'lek nodded, "She pays well though - paid me double last week just for transferring some personal cargo from one of her ships to another...never do mind workin' for her..." his voice trailed off in a smirk.

"Yea I always try to show up to cantina's when I hear she's around - always covers drinks!"  This commented illicited several nods and laughs of agreement.

"Dammit! Who cares - finish what you were saying! What about the other Sith? Who was the prisoner?"  Another of the males yelled out.

"Sithspit I don't know!  The other Sith with Karmic was a pureblood female too, but she was bald.  Face all painted too, piercings up her neck and nose....  Not sure I've seen her before..."

The bulky human's one-eye got big, "That's the Lady Seselis! It...Moirae arrested another one!" He barked a laugh. "Poor bitch..."

The whole crew looked at the human.  He seemed to savor the moment before continuing, "Alls I know is they got special orders, straight from the Council as I hear it.  Arresting traitors.  Sith who betrayed to the Republic.  Suppose to teach'em a lesson.  They had one a couple months ago, heard they did a number on her before releasing her back."

"They release them?"  the twi'lek asked, looking a bit dumbfounded.

"So far yea, they have.  I imagine its scarier to see the results of the work of a few Sith than to just kill them."  The human shrugged, "In any case - if it was force restraints I bet they caught another one.  What did she look like?"

The twi'lek nodded as he listened, "She was blond.  Human.  Good lookin too.  Wierdest thing though...her eyes were orange.  I wouldn't have noticed but as I was starin' - you know - all covert like - the human in bonds said something about a guy named Deius.  And then the bald pureblood turned around and just slapped her across the face!"

"That's it? She just slapped her." 

"Yup.  Just slapped her.  I was a bit surprised too - I was thinking I might get to see some real fighting.  But then I guess one of their agents' showed up to join them - get this - another woman of all things.  And they all boarded  the ship and left."

"Damn..wish I had worked that night. Would have liked to see the traitor woman who could mouth off to a Moirae and just get slapped for it."

The twi'lek shrugged and a whistle rang out signaling the end of the break.  The men scattered back to their work. 

[Karmic]

*overheard on the Imperial Fleet Cantina*

A robed male, his dress indicating the ranks of an Apprentice, approaches what appears to be several of his friends at the bar.  He scoops up the drink already waiting for him.

"Hey! Have you guys heard about the little scene here a few days ago!"

Another male, also in the robes of a Sith Apprentice, laughs at him, "Which scene? This is the Imperial Fleet...you're going to have to be more specific than that."

The first male rolls his eyes, "Oh you know - the one with the Darth and the cats!"

A third Sith, female this time, nods as she takes a drink.  "Are you kidding?!  Its all I've heard about every night I've been here since.  The Darth and the Manka's...walking through fleet.."

The second male looks between them, "What are you going on about? Cats?"

The first male nods, smirking.  "I was there! I saw it! Craziest thing.  This Darth Pureblood," he whistles, "..sexy thing too...anyway...she comes walking out of one of the spaceport doors with a huge, black, manka tusked cat...creature. I don't know what the hell it was.  But it was big, came up to the Darth's hip - thing looked like it was at least 100..150lbs...  Walking right beside her.  No leash neither! No collar!  Just walking with her, snarling at everyone as it went.  It stayed right in step with her the whole time too...freakiest thing..."

The female's eyes seem to light up with this gossip, "Oooh..I heard there were two!"  The clueless male in the middle just continued to look between them, waiting for the rest of the story.  Several other bar patrons looked over, clearly listening, a few nodding as if they had seen it too and were confirming the Apprentice's tale.

The first male nods, smiling as he takes a drink, clearly enjoying the attention of the female.

"There were.  But she was carrying the other one.  It was a little white kit. Fluffy, cute little thing.  She was carrying it in her arms.  Though I tell you, the look on that kit was just as fierce as on that big black beast."

The second Sith piped up again, "How close were you to tell that!"

"She walked right past me.  As I was saying, she came out of that spaceport gate...walked clear across the fleet with her little..entourage.  Took her time too. Almost a measured pace, seemed like.  It was awesome though...Darths parting left and right to open a path for her...I would have laughed at the sight of all that fear from a single female and two cats 'cept I'm not an idiot.  And I saw the look in that woman's eyes..."  The Apprentice gulped down the rest of the drink, going quiet a moment.

"What's wrong Raz..." the female purred, smirking at him.  "She get to you too..."

"You didn't see...feel...what I felt coming off of her as she passed me."  Raz's voice lowered.  "I'm not ashamed, like I said I'm no idiot.  Her eyes...they were glowing.  She radiated...darkness.  It was like nothing I've ever felt before.  When she passed by me...I could have sworn I felt an icy breeze pass with her, like the air around me froze a moment.  Full of just...emptiness."  The man blinked, pausing a second before continuing, "And then it was gone once she passed by.  I thought it musta been some trick, you know some Darth trick we don't know yet.  But as I looked around, I realized everyone was feeling the same thing.  Silence moved in her wake... it was...eerie.."

Even as he spoke, Raz's hair stood up on the back of his neck.  He didn't know who, or what, that Darth was upset about but he thanked the Force it wasn't him. In fact, regardless of how sexy she was from afar, he decided there and then he never wanted to meet that Darth again.

The Apprentice female stood looking at him a moment and reading some of what he was feeling.  "...And...and then what?" She spoke softly back at him, as if nervous herself.

"..And then she crossed back into another spaceport...and was gone.  The whole thing was just...bizarre."  Raz ordered another drink.

"Any idea who she was?"  The second male asked.

As Raz was shaking his head another bar patron next to them who had been listening piped up, "Darth Azathoth."

All three looked over, "Who?"

"I was working in her spaceport that night.  Giving The Serpent, her ship, the once over.  It hadn't been out of the docks for a few weeks now so we were checking her out.  Darth Azathoth," the man smirked, "or Karmic as she is more commonly known.  She walked into that spaceport with her two pets and onto her ship.  Never said a word to anyone, which, if you knew her, would know that to be odd behavior.  Saw it that night myself.  Though, wished I'd be hanging out outside those port doors - I would have loved to have seen her effect on everyone, sir."  The worker grinned at Raz.

"Darth Karmic...Azathoth?" Raz clarified and the worker nodded. "Now I know the name of the Darth I don't ever want to meet."  He snickered. 

The worker nodded at him, "No sir...you don't want to mess with her.  I heard she and her latest male broke it off.  That's why she was moving her pets.  It was his spaceport she was leaving when you saw her.  That's how I hear it anyway..."  the worker shrugged, returning to his drink.

The female snickered and nodded, "No wonder...I should have known a man was involved.  Only a few things could set a woman off like that..."

Raz gave an exaggerated shiver, "Just glad it wasn't me...you don't get that way do you?"  He grinned toothily at the female, who just laughed at him and ordered her next drink.

[Dorian]

Overheard at a cantina on Port Nowhere

A child covered in grease runs up a large man sitting at a table with a few other roguish types and starts to shout. "Pa! Another one has been hit!"

The large man looks at the child and arches his brow as he reaches his hand out to mess up the hair of the little boy, or was it a girl? "Calm down child. What has been hit?"

"Another of the Hutt Cartel's transport ships!" The child shouts.

The group looks around at each other before a woman sitting at the table speaks up. "I have heard this report too. Scuttlebutt has it that it is the work of some small time pirate crew. Only survivors were women I hear."

One of the men starts to laugh at this. "Yeah, you would say that they only spared the women."

The female glared at the man before the child spoke up again. "It is true. On the their last attack they spared the women and children. Oh did I tell you guys before they made their attack they sent in a holocall to the ships? One of the survivors was on the bridge and saw it! The image wasn't of any person but of a flag! It had a skull that was winking and had a large grin. Under the skull were too blaster rifles crossed over each other in an x shape!"

The child's father starts to laugh. "Now you are making things up little one. Run back to bed."

"But dad!" The child starts to pout before getting that look from their father before turning around and walking back to where they came from.

"It is true... that is their call sign I hear. They send that image along with their terms. If you don't agree they broadside you and board. One of the women that they let go said they sent in battle droids before a Mirialan with one eye came through the breech in the hull. The green skinned bastard was grinning like a demon they said as he watched the scene of slaughter. A female of his kind was with him along with some blue Twi'lek woman. " The female looked around as she spoke. "Once they took what they wanted from the transport they blew the ship up and left as fast as they appeared."

One of the men who was listening this whole time finally spoke up. "They be bloody fools to go up against the Hutt's or they have some sort of backing on their side that allows them to attack the Cartel with no fear. Either way if I ever get a message like that, I am jumping away. Kriffing pirates.."

[Kiive]

Overheard at a Cantina in Nar Shadaa

A group of smugglers, pilots, gang members, and other undesirables sit at a table, drinking and telling stories.

"Hey, ya hear about the woman making the rounds here a few days ago? Cybernetic eye and whatnot? Real firecracker, that one," One of them asks.

"I think I'd notice if a beautiful woman started askin' questions," another replied.

"Right. . .Anyway, ya remember that guy steppin' down from that freight company? Dawn Star or some such? It was all over the holo net for a bit. Girl's been askin' around for him for a good while now. Sounds like she's got a bone to pick with th'guy," He said, chuckling to himself.

"I'd go into hiding too," a third said, "Th'girl found me in the slippery slopes a few days ago. Promised me a pile o'credits for the first few minutes, then started threatenin' me. Sounds like she's his ex-wife or somethin', if I had to guess."

"Poor guy," a fourth said, "At least my ex-wife's not armed to th'teeth. Worst I can get from her is a fryin' pan to the back of the head."

The other three nodded their agreement, taking a drink in unified sympathy.

[Dorian]

Taken from the security feed of Coruscant Mutual Savings and Loans.

A masked man can be seen walking into the building escorted by what look like six battle droids. The man looks around looks around before firing his pulse rifle into the air. "Alright now that I got your attention, I will be informing that lot of ya that this is a robbery. If ya didn't figure that out by now." On the masked man was wearing a long coat that had calling of a pirate group that has been coming up. The winking skull with a large grin and below the skull were two crossed blasters. The on the front of the man's jacket was a viridian colored talon that was surrounded by black flames.

"Okay, don't anyone be a here and we'll all be back in time for tea." The man would motion for the droids to go back and clear the credits from the vault and the registers behind the counter. Walking up to one of the counters, he would lean against it as he looked around before spotting a man near by who seemed on the verge of wetting himself.

"Don't hurt me sir... please I have a wife and kids." The masked man looked at the man then down to his wedding ring. "Married? Must mean you know something about women right?"

"I..I guess so?" The Human looked confused. The masked man just nods his head. "So I am trying to win over this woman... well she is kind of a Sith. What do you think would be the best way to do that?"

"What sort of bank robber asks something like that?" A Rodian asks.

The footage switches to another camera for a better angle of the masked man drawing a blaster pistol and shooting the Rodian in the leg. "Shut up I am talking."

Switching to another camera and zooming in as the Human, it is clear that he is panicking now that he saw someone get shot. "T..t..take her out to a place that she likes a...a..and get h..her  something that s..she likes!"

The masked man nods his head as he taps his blaster pistol against his head. A woman's voice can be heard in the background. "What kind of bloody fool falls for a Sith? She is just going kill you or worse eat y.." The masked man is seen switching something on his blaster before firing it before the woman could finish her sentence.

"That be a good idea but I don't know what to get me bonnie lass that she wouldn't already have. I mean I could wait around kill a bunch of ya sad excuses for cops before head back to space but don't know if she would like that. Perhaps the head of a Jedi?"

The Human is seen blinking as it looks like he is thinking about something. "H..how about getting her one of those... umm... ancient things that people say Jedi like. M..m.maybe Sith like those type of things too?"

"Now that be a better idea mate. Ya know what, you just earned ya self some of this here loot." A droid can be seen walking up to the masked man. The camera switches to another angle as it can be seen that he is pulling out a handful of credits and shoving them in to the front of the Human's shirt.

"Yall been wonderful... but I gots to be on me way before the law shows up." The masked man is seen pulling out something from his jacket before tossing it away. Smoke fills the bank and the sound of coughing his heard. 

The footage switches to outside of the bank as the droids and man get into large speeder. The man removes his mask and looks up at the security camera and winks. Folki leveled his weapon at the camera and fired.

Static plays for several seconds before the video ends.

...............................................................................................

Over the holonet police would put out this statement "Police in sector J-38 are offering a reward for any information on the Mirialan who was part of this robbery. Currently still on the run. He was last seen outside of the ruins of the Jedi temple. Consider the man armed and dangerous."

[Saberlain]

A video that could be found in the 'weird part of the holonet...' ((IE: weird part of youtube))

A human stands in front of a large green creature. An Acklay. The robed figure, head covered in greying brown hair, paces back and forth, examining the creature. In the background, a yellow Twi'lek male, covered in heavy armor, is clearly chained the wall of the dark room.

"You made quite the mistake... Coming after me." The human says to the Twi'lek, "Now, most would have just killed you by now, but I thought I'd give you a parting gift first... You get the rare pleasure of watching my work."

The Twi'lek, clearly afraid, responds in huttese, "Look man, it was just a job! I'm sorry, just let me go. I'll pa-"

"Silence!" He is cut off by a torrent of purple lightning. "I did not compell you to speak!"

The human cuts off the electricity, turning to the oddly calm Acklay. "Now come, gaze upon my creation!"

The human casts a buffet of dark energy at the giant crustacean, it screeches in rage and pain. The beast slowly begins to change, the crest on it's head growing longer, thicker, and covered in spikes. The creatures legs lengthen, and it's body grows larger and larger. The front two legs snap upward, bone being broken and reformed, until they resemble arms with hand-like appendages. The Acklay's teeth increase in number, it's mouth a jagged, shark-like maw. Finally, the green skin hardens, turning jet-black with bony spikes appearing here and there.

The monstrocity is released from the energy, turning to the Twi'lek. As it charges, the Sith yells, "WITNESS THE POWER... OF SEVERINUS!!!"

The Sith-spawn reaches the chained bounty hunter, picking him up with it's new arms. Both Twi'lek and Acklay scream as flesh, bone, and armor alike are shredded.

In the background, sick cackling is faintly audible.

[Karmic]

Holoterminals, video screens, of all types of devices - all over the Empire (as well as a across several mainstream Republic Channels) simultaneously project a holonet feed that starts with an upper-body shot of Darth Karmic Draga'zathoth.  She's standing in partial profile, clothed in deep red - though her face is fully staring into the camera.

"Evening...everyone." She smiles slightly. "Pardon this interruption of your regularly scheduled programming, but I'm offering a large sum of credits to anyone who can help me.  I was recently attacked by a pirate, who ransacked my ship and stole. my. stuff." She punctuated each of the last three words distinctly.

"His name..is Folki.  As is clearly shown in this video here, along with some of my stuff he took." As her words finish, she presses a button offscreen and another holovideo starts.  This one, obviously, is the video her ship's cam took the night of the event.

~~
The angle is of a wide view of the main living area of Karmic's ship.  The ship looks nothing like a standard issue Fury; however, for there are very few metal surfaces still left exposed.  Dark, wood paneling, and heavy, draped curtains adorn the walls along with what appear to be large paintings of various beautiful vistas from around the galaxy.  The floor is covered in multiple thick rugs, overlapping each other.  The furnishings are equally plush and warm - with the couch looking inviting in its rich looking fabrics and overstuffed pillows.  Clearly, this ship is decorated to be someone's haven. An escape from harshness. A place to relax and forget the rest of the galaxy.
 
Karmic is standing at one of the few standard-issue looking pieces of the room, the ship's main holoterminal, when the sound of a shot being fired on her ship breaks through the quiet; followed by the image of a Jolly Roger flag popping up above the terminal, waving in a breeze.

A distorted voice comes over the com, "After this message all communication will be cut...we are going to attack and take all that you have. You can surrender and make it easy. Noone ever does that...so prepare to be boarded."  The message cuts out and the sounds of it opening fire with an ion cannon commences.

Karmic stands there blinking a moment, as if in total shock to what she's seeing and hearing, and then begins cursing in what sounds like archaic Sith.  She reaches for another panel on the terminal to do something, when the ion cannons start up - the electrical surges rolling through the ship and shorting out various systems.  Suddenly, her body starts to jerk for a few seconds before she collapses to the floor; apparently knocked out by one of those huge power surges. 

A half-grown, solid black, tusk cat comes running out of one of the rooms and stops, standing over Karmic's prone body.  He starts snarling softly.  He's quickly followed by an all white, tundra kitten (about the size of a house-cat) who follows in his lead, clearly thinking it too looks fierce and threatening.

Several moments later, a man who is clearly Folki walks onto the deck of Karmic's ship.  He pauses a moment in the doorway as he sees Karmic's body laying next to the holoterminal.  "Well..Kriff me...well, doesn't change the plan."  Three battle droids emerge from behind him and he directs them to various parts of the ship, "Get to work lads - take things that look of value."  Folki starts to move over towards Karmic, but as he gets closer, the large cat growls and takes a swipe at him.  The video seems to be detecting some sort of intereference from around Karmic, as the air appears to crackle around her; even as she is unconscious.  Folki stops just out of swipe range of the larger cat and runs a bioscan on Karmic. "Alright..she be fine...we'll just borrow her stuff for a spell...then hold on to it for a spell..."

Folki moves off from Karmic as the two cats remain vigilant over her.  He looks over at the droids, who are smashing into things and shoveling contents into bags.  He on the other hand takes his time opening things, removing whatever he saw that he felt he could sell for a good chunk of credits.  Once he was satisfied he had what he wanted, he waved the droids back around him again. "Okay, off we go... don't want to be too greedy."

Several fast-forwarded minutes later, Karmic's prone form stirs and the cats move off from over top of her.  Her eyes open and she sits up rapidly, looking around frantically as she figures out why she woke up on the floor.  And that she's been robbed. Her hand suddenly moves up to the golden hairpin in her hair (still), and she starts to rise - as the holovid cuts off.
~~~

The picture returns to 'present day' Karmic.

"I'm putting the word out now, to anyone who might deal with this pirate, know him, or of his current whereabouts. I'm offering a reward of 75,000 credits to anyone who brings him to me ALIVE," she accentuates that word, indicating she was very serious about that part, "Or 25,000 credits to anyone who gives me information that leads me directly to him, again...alive.  This former friend of the Empire has crossed a line, and I'm claiming First Rights to exacting the punishment for someone stupid enough to attack, and rob, a Darth. And I won't be happy with anyone who takes that away from me."

"To anyone caught reselling my stuff, there will be no reward - you will pay instead. If, however, you happen, by whatever means necessary, return any of my things to me I shall reimburse you whatever cost was incurred in doing so, along with an additional 3 to 5,000 credits as a reward for each piece."

Her eyes glow softly as she continues, her voice lowers, threateningly.  "I want my stuff back. And I want the pirate Folki. Alive. So that I may have my vengeance."

She nods her head at the camera, "Thank you for time and attention.  May the Force be with you."

The feed cuts out, and whatever it was that her broadcast interrupted, returns to all screens.

[Alumar]

...."How many did you say? Hunter's don't come cheap, you know."

"I know."

...."You got bank to cover this I mean... it's a tall or-"

"All of them. I said, all of them."

....."Right.. right ma'am. I'll get every last one of my boys online tonight. You realize.. even with all of my boys-"

"Just send them. Make sure they know he has guard sith."

....."Hooo..... alright. You know there's an extra fee if you get 'em killed right?"

"I read the fine print."

....."Alright. Your coin, an ain't like my boys'll turn down a challenge. You know where to send the creds?"

"The money will be in your account by morning."

....."Right. Well... pleasure doin business with you Ma'am. You're sure on that message now? 'Courtesy of Darth Ph-"

"Absolutely. Have each of them state it before he dies."

....."Right. Just... usually when I'm sendin messages courtesy of a Darth they hire-"

"I'm not paying you to ask questions. Just get it done."

....."Yess'm. As you wish." -click-

-click- "Mother, I hope you're proud."

[Orell]

WARNING: Some disguised spoilers for Act 1 Class Story content below.


"Ray, you get my comm? Can you help me out here?"

"Cap, this sort of thing is not my bailiwick. Resurrection and that sort of crap goes to the Jedi."

"He wasn't a force user. Not resurrection. Need to find out if the guy's the sort to be in person to gloat, or to hedge his bets."

"Or if it is actually resurrection."

"...I shot him personal. Then his body was on a ship that got dumped in a black hole. You don't come back from that."

"Really? Do you have any idea the crap that goes on out there?"

"...yeah, I've seen some pretty-"

"Last few months, I've seen reports about a thought-dead Jedi actually go evil and start mind controlling his former friends."

"Okay, bu-"

"Then there's the crime-lord-princess-lackey-to-a-small-time-thief."

"...lotta hyphens there."

"Also this one Sith that somehow managed to get a half-dozen Jedi to go bad with a few words."

"...okay, that's just kath-cr-"

"Not to mention the insanity of what I've been hearing coming from Delta-Kilo."

"...ain't that normal for them?"

"No, I mean insane even for them. You really want to bet on rezzing not being possible here, Captain?"

"...you've got a point. Think you can check on the non-resurrection bits, though?"

"Sure, maybe I'll get a good one-upper next time Elaine starts talking about 'Darth Tiffany' again..."

"Do I want to know?"

"Not an actual Darth. Just a young woman who thinks she's a ten year old girl, but is scary-strong in the Force."

"...yeah, I didn't. Thanks, Ray."

"Say hi to your nightmares for me."

"Asshole."

[Semah]

Your holonet broadcast breaks for commercial. Exciting music plays and the screen shows a tense overhead scene from this year's Hutt Bowl. As the winning goal is carried to the endzone, the field and players morph into holonet avatars. A man's voice breaks in:

"Are you ready for some Huttbaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~ll?"

You recognize the voice. It's Jorn Maddorb, coach for the five-time galactic league champion Frogdogs! His voice fades and the logo of a successful Nar Shadda gaming corporation flashes in.

"Play the latest in hologaming entertainment from Holographic Crafts: Maddorb's Hutt Bowl MMMCCIX."

***

A second commercial plays. A muscular zabrak man appears and begins to roar:

"Yeah! I'm Goe Montoon, ball carrier for the Rotworms -- the best kriffing team in history! Taking the big throws into the score zone means strength and speed, and do you know what I like best in the morning? Brask's Trandoshani Flatcakes, that's what! I eat two every morning before my daily huttball pickup game with Wookiee orphans, then I hit the gym."

More exciting music plays amidst money-shots of Goe eating a flatcake and then force-pushing a Frogdog defender into the fire. The announcer concludes with: "Brask's Trandoshani Flatcakes: they put the balls in Huttball (tm)."

***

Clearly, it's Huttball season again.

[Dorian]

Inside of the Nal Hutta orbital station,  group of workers are heard talking as they linger around the middle of the station.

"Did y'all hear about them bounty hunters that blew up that pirate ship?" Asks one of the workers to his fellows.

One man nods his head. "Yeah, heard from a buddy of mine that works for Cartel Security that it be that Mirialan pirate and his crew that got done in. Found bits of their bodies floating around the wreckage that ended up matching to the genetic record they got 'em."

"Well, one less pirate scumbag in the galaxy." A near by passer by chimes in on his way down to the shuttle to Hutta.

"Sad thing, I hear that found the body of a child floating around up there in the wreckage. No child should go out like that. Just hope them bounty hunters are happy with their reward."

The workers just nod their heads before their boss yells at them to get back to work.

[Iznora]

The Slopes Cantina was bustling as usual, and over the roar of the accustomed chat, a story tangled in the air. A man who had one too many drinks grabbed at one of the pretty Twi'leks serving booze.

"Watch it!" She yelped as she caught the drinks before they toppled over. The man leaned close to her, looking at her with his drunken eyes.

"Ya work last night, girl?" He asked her, his eyes shifting around the Cantina as if a ghost could haunt him.

"Sure, I work every night. What of it?" She asked him, annoyed with his interference of her tips.

"Ya see a Chiss girl in here? Name by..." He paused, pulling out his datapad and looking at the name that had obviously been saved on his screen. "Faylatter? Iz, or somethin'?"

The Twi'lek scrunched her nose. "I don't usually ask for people's names. People don't give them out either, 'sides I don't serve many Chiss girls." She turned to walk away but the man grabbed her again.

"I tracked her down to around this location last night before her bounty went haywire, ya hear? She was deceased before I could even get a sight 'a her. Anythin- Anythin' weird happen here?" He asked, looking at her as seriously as he could.

"What, you some kind of bounty hunter or somethin'?" The Twi'lek asked and in return the drunken man nodded his head furiously.

"Yeah, and I wanna know the kriffer that killed my target before I got to her!" He said a little loudly and the Twi'lek girl took a step away, eyes a little wide. A dancer joined the conversation then, a Mirilan with a long braid.

"I remember the girl," she piped in, leaning on the table of the drunk and waving off the server with a flick of her wrist. "A few Chiss ladies came through here last night, but this one was here in the early evenin' with a big posse. I suppose a girl like that would have a bounty."

The man nodded, his eyes wandering over the girl's half naked body for a moment. "Yeah, and..?"

"Dunno. They all left, the girl looked pretty freaked, like she knew she was gonna be killed. Blubbering and lookin' around. Few hours later one of the bouncers told me she collapsed dead in the walkway just outside."

"Dropped dead? People dun' just drop-" The drunken bounty hunter protested, "Gotta be another son'a bitch that took me hit!"

"Heard it was poison." The dancer said, looking over her nails. "Horace said he saw her collapse, bleeding from the lips and coughing up a lung. She was with a Sith and a few others with guns. He said it looked like they were ready for war, and she just...died there. On the floor of the promenade."

The drunken bounty hunter looked at his datapad, letting out a groan as the numbers seemed to mock him. He could have made a fortune off this girl...

"What was the bounty for?" The dancer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"ISS. That's all it said." The man groaned, leaning back in his seat.

"Well, she's dead now. Wanna dance?" The girl asked with a smirk, "It'll make ya feel better, ya know.."

[Dorian]

The hospital in the Corellian Sector was oddly enough busier than normal. One of the nurses was tending to a man with a broken arm. "What happened to you sir?" She asked as she injected the man with kolto to help him his body heal faster.

"What happened?" He looks around to make sure that no one else was listening before he spoke in a hushed voice to the woman. "So was down in the Undercity, you know those pit fights they have down there?"

The nurse nods her head as she helps put the man's arm into a sling. "Yeah, I have heard about those. Dreadful things."

"Heh.. yeah. Well, was down there fighting last night. As the night progressed some strange man enter the ring. The fool was smiling and acting like a child. Man had luck on his side I swear, ended up falling and missing nearly half the blows from the people who he fought against."

The nurse tilts her head as she looks at the man. "You are saying some clumsy man did this to you?" She asked as she looked confused.

Shaking his head as he gave her a small grin. "Yeah.. but not how ya think. You see the man stumbled into me and ended up breaking my arm as he fell on top of me." He would laugh a little. "The death matches of the night ended up watching this man clumsily defeating opponent after opponent. The gang runnin' the matches the night just ended up givin' him the prize money because they made the people laugh."

She would shake her head as a soft smile appeared on her face. "You really shouldn't go do those type of things any more sir. Now, wait here and the doctor will see you before you head out."

The man gave her a grin as he would swing to slap the nurse on the rear as she left. Closing the door, she would walked over to one of her co-workers. "You wouldn't believe what the guy in there just told me."

The other woman looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "Something about some sort of bumbling fool besting him in one of those death matches?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" She asked as she looked rather surprised.

"Five others came in telling the same story. I kind of want meet this man." She said to the other nurse as she gave her a wink. "Well, let's get back to work yeah?"

Both women went about the rests of their days tending to the injured people of the Corellian Sector.

[Seraphie]

Servant quarters of House Wymarc, on Alderaan

A lone guard wanders the halls, peeking into rooms. As his head pokes into one, he's greeted with a shy smile from one of the young women, as the others giggle at her and whisper amongst themselves. He walks in, greeting her with a wink, "Almost done for the day?" She nods, looking down at the cloth she's folding, trying to hide the pink creeping up her cheeks. She takes the pile of folded clothes in front of her and whispers, without looking at him, "You could walk with me." The two head into the labyrinth of halls, speaking quietly.

"So, what's this about a prisoner transfer from House Organa?"

He chuckles, "Didn't seem much like prisoners once they got here. Two of them. A young woman, wearing one of those masks for those with no eyes, and a man, someone said Jedi, but he didn't look much like a Jedi to me. But as soon as they got here, Lord Wymarc ordered them unbound. He seemed to know them. They went upstairs with him, but not sure where. Sounds like they had something to do with all the trouble and blaster fire last night. Seems hard to believe. They both seemed so calm and... well.. friendly." He reaches around her waist with a hand, pulling her closer to him as they walk, smiling at the red creeping onto her face. "So, what are those you're carrying?"

She focuses on the floor ahead of her, trying to make the redness of her face disappear. "Diapers. Baby was born upstairs this afternoon."

He raises an eyebrow, "Baby? Here? A mistress of our lord? Does she look like a spacer?"

She gives him a short shove, his hand coming away from her waist, "Don't talk like that about Lord Wymarc! You should know better than to listen to nonsense like that! He's loyal to his fiancée!" She continues walking. "No, guests, a couple... they got here looking in rough shape late last night is what I heard. Lord Wymarc sent them straight away with the doctor." Her voice gets quieter, "They kind of look like that couple in the news this morning, at the shootout at House Organa yesterday... the two they said were armed and dangerous..."

He chuckles at her, "And do they look dangerous?" She shakes her head, "No, more like desperate. Which I suppose is sometimes the same thing. But right now they just look like exhausted, proud parents. First child I think. A girl, Aurore, one of the other girls said. Pretty name."

"Pretty like you," he winks, grinning as the red creeps into her cheeks again, as they come out of the servant section and head upstairs through the main hall.