Chapter 44; The Black Surrender
Kadaeux
Delta Imperator
- Location
- Vortice between realities
Chapter 44;
The Black Surrender
Nal Hutta was surrounded by the storms of radiation that now wracked its surface. Evacuating ships from Nar Shadaa did not flee towards the planet, and none lifted from the side of the moon that had received the wrath of two Nova Cannon. For almost two weeks ships descended onto, and then lifted from Nar Shadaa with refugees, and most of them were free to flee, but occasionally the people of Nar Shadaa would wail in terror as the terrible vessels that remained above them opened fire on one ship or another. No vessel bearing a Hutt was allowed to depart the moon alive.
In the depths, where poverty dictated the daily life those enslaved by debt or the simple poor fortunes of birth tried to climb towards the top of the city where samaritan vessels would pluck them from the world. And those that made it carried stories of kill teams deep in the city hunting out the dens of criminals, the hideaways and coverts of the Hutt Criminal Empire and putting them to the sword. And all who gave those teams information that successfully lead to one of their targets was safely taken from the planet. Nal Hutta, while its capital, was however but one world in Hutt Space. And that made the surviving Hutts braver for a time.
But only a time. The two ships with the monstrous cannons under their noses began to travel as a pair, guarding their Flagship, seeking out each world in Hutt Space. And at each world, the agricultural centres were targeted for bombardment from orbit. At each world, time was given to depart said centres.
On one of these worlds Luminara Unduli had travelled with the 41st Elite Corps when the trio of vessels slammed out of hyperspace into orbit. Klatooine hovered there as the vessels simply adjusted their courses into an equatorial orbit and the typical demand was issued. "Activate communications." Luminara said, "We will see if we can negotiate with..."
"Their flagship is jamming all frequ... wait one." One of the Clones said. "A channel just cleared for us."
"This is Jedi Master Luminara Unduli of the Grand Army of the Republic to the Rapturous Glory of Profit for the Throne of Man." She had to read from the screen that Barriss held up for her. "I wish to negotiate on behalf of the world below. It is my belief that you have well made your point."
There was time to think before an answer came and she was worried that they would view her interference badly. Finally however the vessel did return her transmission.
"This is the Rogue Trader Arthurius Hydraxius. You are permitted to approach within ten thousand kilometres. Once you are there. Please lower shields and prepare for my arrival." With that, the channel was shut down and the jamming resumed.
"Can we tell anything about their weapon status?" She asked.
"No Master Jedi, the primary batteries of their flagship appears to be a kinetic weapon that uses gravity accelerators for its projectiles. Based on the past three events, I would assume that they are once more loaded with thermonuclear warheads." Came the response. And that did nothing much to comfort her.
"All fleet elements, approach to within ten thousand kilometres, I want an emergency hyperspace jump plotted for our course. When we get in range. Lower the shields on this ship only." She said, very very worried.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Haloed by the red light and bolt of energy those present on the bridge of the Venator covered their eyes and looked away as the unlight of the teleportarium flare faded away leaving only a reasonably small group present. Though nobody present failed to notice that the majority of their visitors were clad in powered armour, the generators on their backs making teeth vibrate irritatingly. Luminara also did not fail to notice that the Rogue Trader himself was armed. "Permission to come aboard Captain?" He asked turning to the only non-clone on the bridge who didn't wear Jedi robes.
"Granted Captain Hydraxius." Came the grudging answer. "Do I have permission to raise the shields, or is that going to provoke a negative response?" He asked plainly.
"You have no need to have your shields raised, we are not going to engage in hostilities with the Republic, if I may ask Jedi Master Unduli, what is it that brings you to offer to intercede on behalf of this world?" The words were plainspoke as the Rogue Trader moved over to study the holotable showing space immediately around the planet. "I cannot imagine it is any great love of the Hutts."
She smiled forcefully, an act that made the Captain cock his head slightly as he studied her, "I was tasked with investigating and attempting to negotiate a compromise with the Hutts and yourself. In your response, according to the intelligence I have, almost six billion were killed on Nal Hutta, over fifty billion died in the strike on Nar Shadaa, and another four and a half billion at the prior two worlds you have acted against."
He smiled and turned his head, "Does this concur with our own numbers Samuel?" He asked the man next to him.
"Including Xenos, yes sir. Perhaps a little low." He answered and Luminara shuddered at the word xenos, the man simply phrased it like any other, but the force seemed to quaver at the meaning these people put behind the word.
Lord Hydraxius nodded and turned back to her. "I take it you understand the circumstances that lead to our declaration and actions?" She nodded, allowing him to continue, "Good, then I am willing to negotiate, and I will initiate communications with the last surviving member of the Hutt Council. If you wish to serve as an intermediary."
Suspicion flared brightly in her mind, well supported by reason and logic.
"I will consent to filling that role, as it is what was asked of me."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One button press by the man and broadcast that was blanketing all the communications channels stopped abruptly. So abruptly that the silence seemed deafening, even though she had done little more than hear its faint echoes from the command pits. They departed the bridge and headed for a more appropriate chamber, and she studied them with her instincts as well as her own eyes, the Barriss Offee's own feelings radiated out from her. "Be mindful of your feelings my Padawan."
"But they have killed billions! For some tainted farmland." She said, a little too loudly. And the Rogue Trader turned and beheld her.
"Come here girl." He said in a kindly voice that surprised them both. And with Luminara's nod, she approached closer. The Rogue Trader held up a device and two planets appeared as holograms above it. "This world," He indicated the first, "was called Bombastus Primus, the other is Tanakred, between them they have a total population of three hundred and sixteen point four billion people. These worlds are reliant on food and water imports from the worlds of Naesong and Bloodstone, not partially, completely, neither world has a viable biosphere to grow anything and so feeding the population belongs to the Agri-worlds, and the macro-recycling plants. Bloodstone, the world the Hutts attacked has lost over ten percent of its production capacity, and it produced two thirds of our requirements. It feed fractionaly over two hundred billion on its own. With the Hutts attack, that is twenty billion people that cannot be fed. Twenty billion starving, rioting, people. People die in riots, and the Hutts attack was almost certainly not intended to stop where it had."
He put away the device and continued to walk. "We all like to assess the immediate impacts of a war, and the inexperience of the people in this galaxy has perhaps left them less well prepared for the eventualities of starvation, disease, or even terrorism as apologists are turned into foreign assests. I do not have time to treat the Hutts to a gentle expression of influence, I have twenty billion people to feed."
"And how did it feel to kill so many over your anger at their attack." Barriss asked before Luminara could stop her normally cool apprentices' tongue.
Arthurius turned and sighed sadly. "I didn't feel anything young lady..." A cloud of something dark crossed his face for a moment and Luminara suddenly felt very sad, "I never do anymore." He said the last, almost as an afterthought, as if he hadn't meant to speak the words.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thirty-nine hours... the negotiations had been stop and start for thirty nine hours and Barriss and Luminala were both feeling the exhaustion setting in. And surprisingly, the biggest point of contention seemed to be that Jabba had no desire or intention in taking over the entirety of Hutt Space to declare himself King of the Hutts and ... be responsible for the surrender.
And the unwillingness to fill those shoes seemed to be driving home a point of irritation for the Rogue Trader. "I think it would be best if we took a more pronounced break to consider the points of view and..."
"Jabba. We have engaged in some trade and diplomacy before. And you turned against your Council and defied their wishes to attack me. And so I will phrase this clearly. There is only one acceptable choice for taking control of the Hutt Council and Hutt Space. You. Or else, I will simply continue my current course until there is no more Hutt Space, or Hutts." That made Jabba turned from his feigned disinterest. "If you will not listen to reason and diplomacy, then I must treat in terms that you might understand more clearly. I desire trade and profit."
The droid translated for the Hutt. "And what do you demand of our Surrender."
"Four worlds with high agricultural value, subject to approval, and fifty million tonnes of ore annually." He answered.
"For how long?" Came the answer.
"Until the last star in the last galaxy goes cold, or no Hutt lives to fulfil this obligation."
The Black Surrender
Nal Hutta was surrounded by the storms of radiation that now wracked its surface. Evacuating ships from Nar Shadaa did not flee towards the planet, and none lifted from the side of the moon that had received the wrath of two Nova Cannon. For almost two weeks ships descended onto, and then lifted from Nar Shadaa with refugees, and most of them were free to flee, but occasionally the people of Nar Shadaa would wail in terror as the terrible vessels that remained above them opened fire on one ship or another. No vessel bearing a Hutt was allowed to depart the moon alive.
In the depths, where poverty dictated the daily life those enslaved by debt or the simple poor fortunes of birth tried to climb towards the top of the city where samaritan vessels would pluck them from the world. And those that made it carried stories of kill teams deep in the city hunting out the dens of criminals, the hideaways and coverts of the Hutt Criminal Empire and putting them to the sword. And all who gave those teams information that successfully lead to one of their targets was safely taken from the planet. Nal Hutta, while its capital, was however but one world in Hutt Space. And that made the surviving Hutts braver for a time.
But only a time. The two ships with the monstrous cannons under their noses began to travel as a pair, guarding their Flagship, seeking out each world in Hutt Space. And at each world, the agricultural centres were targeted for bombardment from orbit. At each world, time was given to depart said centres.
On one of these worlds Luminara Unduli had travelled with the 41st Elite Corps when the trio of vessels slammed out of hyperspace into orbit. Klatooine hovered there as the vessels simply adjusted their courses into an equatorial orbit and the typical demand was issued. "Activate communications." Luminara said, "We will see if we can negotiate with..."
"Their flagship is jamming all frequ... wait one." One of the Clones said. "A channel just cleared for us."
"This is Jedi Master Luminara Unduli of the Grand Army of the Republic to the Rapturous Glory of Profit for the Throne of Man." She had to read from the screen that Barriss held up for her. "I wish to negotiate on behalf of the world below. It is my belief that you have well made your point."
There was time to think before an answer came and she was worried that they would view her interference badly. Finally however the vessel did return her transmission.
"This is the Rogue Trader Arthurius Hydraxius. You are permitted to approach within ten thousand kilometres. Once you are there. Please lower shields and prepare for my arrival." With that, the channel was shut down and the jamming resumed.
"Can we tell anything about their weapon status?" She asked.
"No Master Jedi, the primary batteries of their flagship appears to be a kinetic weapon that uses gravity accelerators for its projectiles. Based on the past three events, I would assume that they are once more loaded with thermonuclear warheads." Came the response. And that did nothing much to comfort her.
"All fleet elements, approach to within ten thousand kilometres, I want an emergency hyperspace jump plotted for our course. When we get in range. Lower the shields on this ship only." She said, very very worried.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Haloed by the red light and bolt of energy those present on the bridge of the Venator covered their eyes and looked away as the unlight of the teleportarium flare faded away leaving only a reasonably small group present. Though nobody present failed to notice that the majority of their visitors were clad in powered armour, the generators on their backs making teeth vibrate irritatingly. Luminara also did not fail to notice that the Rogue Trader himself was armed. "Permission to come aboard Captain?" He asked turning to the only non-clone on the bridge who didn't wear Jedi robes.
"Granted Captain Hydraxius." Came the grudging answer. "Do I have permission to raise the shields, or is that going to provoke a negative response?" He asked plainly.
"You have no need to have your shields raised, we are not going to engage in hostilities with the Republic, if I may ask Jedi Master Unduli, what is it that brings you to offer to intercede on behalf of this world?" The words were plainspoke as the Rogue Trader moved over to study the holotable showing space immediately around the planet. "I cannot imagine it is any great love of the Hutts."
She smiled forcefully, an act that made the Captain cock his head slightly as he studied her, "I was tasked with investigating and attempting to negotiate a compromise with the Hutts and yourself. In your response, according to the intelligence I have, almost six billion were killed on Nal Hutta, over fifty billion died in the strike on Nar Shadaa, and another four and a half billion at the prior two worlds you have acted against."
He smiled and turned his head, "Does this concur with our own numbers Samuel?" He asked the man next to him.
"Including Xenos, yes sir. Perhaps a little low." He answered and Luminara shuddered at the word xenos, the man simply phrased it like any other, but the force seemed to quaver at the meaning these people put behind the word.
Lord Hydraxius nodded and turned back to her. "I take it you understand the circumstances that lead to our declaration and actions?" She nodded, allowing him to continue, "Good, then I am willing to negotiate, and I will initiate communications with the last surviving member of the Hutt Council. If you wish to serve as an intermediary."
Suspicion flared brightly in her mind, well supported by reason and logic.
"I will consent to filling that role, as it is what was asked of me."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One button press by the man and broadcast that was blanketing all the communications channels stopped abruptly. So abruptly that the silence seemed deafening, even though she had done little more than hear its faint echoes from the command pits. They departed the bridge and headed for a more appropriate chamber, and she studied them with her instincts as well as her own eyes, the Barriss Offee's own feelings radiated out from her. "Be mindful of your feelings my Padawan."
"But they have killed billions! For some tainted farmland." She said, a little too loudly. And the Rogue Trader turned and beheld her.
"Come here girl." He said in a kindly voice that surprised them both. And with Luminara's nod, she approached closer. The Rogue Trader held up a device and two planets appeared as holograms above it. "This world," He indicated the first, "was called Bombastus Primus, the other is Tanakred, between them they have a total population of three hundred and sixteen point four billion people. These worlds are reliant on food and water imports from the worlds of Naesong and Bloodstone, not partially, completely, neither world has a viable biosphere to grow anything and so feeding the population belongs to the Agri-worlds, and the macro-recycling plants. Bloodstone, the world the Hutts attacked has lost over ten percent of its production capacity, and it produced two thirds of our requirements. It feed fractionaly over two hundred billion on its own. With the Hutts attack, that is twenty billion people that cannot be fed. Twenty billion starving, rioting, people. People die in riots, and the Hutts attack was almost certainly not intended to stop where it had."
He put away the device and continued to walk. "We all like to assess the immediate impacts of a war, and the inexperience of the people in this galaxy has perhaps left them less well prepared for the eventualities of starvation, disease, or even terrorism as apologists are turned into foreign assests. I do not have time to treat the Hutts to a gentle expression of influence, I have twenty billion people to feed."
"And how did it feel to kill so many over your anger at their attack." Barriss asked before Luminara could stop her normally cool apprentices' tongue.
Arthurius turned and sighed sadly. "I didn't feel anything young lady..." A cloud of something dark crossed his face for a moment and Luminara suddenly felt very sad, "I never do anymore." He said the last, almost as an afterthought, as if he hadn't meant to speak the words.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thirty-nine hours... the negotiations had been stop and start for thirty nine hours and Barriss and Luminala were both feeling the exhaustion setting in. And surprisingly, the biggest point of contention seemed to be that Jabba had no desire or intention in taking over the entirety of Hutt Space to declare himself King of the Hutts and ... be responsible for the surrender.
And the unwillingness to fill those shoes seemed to be driving home a point of irritation for the Rogue Trader. "I think it would be best if we took a more pronounced break to consider the points of view and..."
"Jabba. We have engaged in some trade and diplomacy before. And you turned against your Council and defied their wishes to attack me. And so I will phrase this clearly. There is only one acceptable choice for taking control of the Hutt Council and Hutt Space. You. Or else, I will simply continue my current course until there is no more Hutt Space, or Hutts." That made Jabba turned from his feigned disinterest. "If you will not listen to reason and diplomacy, then I must treat in terms that you might understand more clearly. I desire trade and profit."
The droid translated for the Hutt. "And what do you demand of our Surrender."
"Four worlds with high agricultural value, subject to approval, and fifty million tonnes of ore annually." He answered.
"For how long?" Came the answer.
"Until the last star in the last galaxy goes cold, or no Hutt lives to fulfil this obligation."
