The Rebel Faction

Nal Hutta
Palace of Plurga the Hutt

Plurga the Lesser despised visiting his uncle's palace.

Not because he disliked his uncle, quite the contrary, his relations with his uncle were very good. It was because being summoned to his uncle's palace usually meant that Plurga was about to hear some bad news, or he was going to be given an unenviable assignment. Ever since being appointed Head of Security for Nal Hutta, his trips to his uncle's palace had been less than pleasant.

The grand throne room where Plurga (the Uncle) resided was in the fashion of all Hutts opulent and grandiose. However, the throne room felt even larger than usual as Plurga (the lesser) entered because it was nearly empty. A few weequay, nikto and klatoonian guards were visible on the periphery of the room, carrying a lethal assortment of weapons; but beside Plurga's majordomo, a pale Quaren, the room was empty. Plurga moved with deference toward his uncle, and the majordomo quickly moved forward, meeting him a few feet in front of the Head of Desilijic Kadijic. He spoke out in slightly accented Huttese.

"Announcing Plurga the Lesser, Head of Security of Nal Hutta."

His uncle smiled broadly, and gestured for Plurga to move forward. The quaren retreated to the elder Plurga's side. His uncle began talking in Huttese.

"Ah. My favorite nephew. I am always pleased when you visit."

Plurga returned the courtesy, though he was much happier when his Uncle came to visit him, not vice versa.

"It is an honor to visit your glorious home, Uncle."

"Always so polite. Your manners never cease to impress me.... though they are no doubt why you remain my favorite nephew."

"I have done my best to imitate your greatness, Uncle."

The elder Plurga smiled, the rules of Huttese etiquette fulfilled. Plurga the Lesser had shown his deference to his Uncle with his humble demeanor and compliments. Business could now begin.

"I have a few things I wish to discuss with you concerning your post."

Plurga had expected nothing else.

"How may I serve, Uncle?"

"There are slight complications that may soon. Complications that may become very serious."

Plurga sat silent and listened.

"The Galactic Empire has recently made incursions into parts of our territory. A coordinated military effort has been made, and they have captured Toydaria, Saki and Nimban. The fools in Besadii have made caused the situation to spiral out of control."

Hutt space was a much looser confederation than many galactic organizations. This was compounded by the fact that the two Hutt Kadjics, or family clans, were almost constantly warring with each other for dominance of the Hutt Empire. Plurga's deal with the Union had allowed the Desilijic clan to gain the upper hand and rule some of the Hutt's more lucrative areas, but it didn't mean that they were in total control of Hutt Space.

"They foolishly tried to resist the Imperials with mercenary forces and obsolescent weapons purchased from a contact with the former GDI."

Plurga was not familiar with the Galactic Defense Initiative, other than it had at one point fought unsuccessfully against the Empire. It made sense that GDI technology would be ineffective against the Imperials today.

"I have contacted the Union. Their intelligence confirms what our own has surmised. The Empire is afraid of the Black Dragons, or at least wary of them. They are attempting to secure their borders."

BDE's massive expansion so close to Hutt space had made some Hutts wary, but the Dragons had never shown much interest in Hutt Space. Plurga knew they were a threat... but he had felt confident they would not attack the Hutts.

"If the Besadii ingrates had not already made a hash of the situation then I would not be calling you. However, there incompetence has made it necessary that I do. I want you to begin securing Nal Hutta for a possible Imperial attack. I have recalled numerous of our allies and made all our forces available to you. In addition, the Union has agreed to provide assistance if the Glorious Jewel is threatened."

Plurga forced himself to speak, though his mind was racing as he heard his Uncle's words.

"I will uphold the duties of my station, Uncle."

His Uncle's face became serious.

"In the best case, you will not have to. I think I will be able to persuade the Imperials that a war with the Hutts... even those Besadii fools... is not worth the energy and resources they will be forced to spend. However, I give you your assignment in case of the worst scenario."

Plurga mumbled a quick compliment and acceptance of his duty. Then professing he needed to get to work immediately, excused himself from his Uncle's palace.


It had been the worst visit yet.

Plurga Desilijic Tiure shifted uneasily within his chambers, slithering along them and yelling at his minions at the top of his voice as the Imperials put the Glorious Jewel at gunpoint. This was an absolute outrage, no Imperial had ever entered into Hutt space in such hostility in who knows how long if ever. The Hutts had always been left to their own devices, left to run their little criminal empires, more or less giving the Empire an excuse and purpose to be so oppressive to the rest of the known galaxy. This act of ungraciousness was apalling, if not terrifying, Plurga kept from panicing by bellowing orders to his lackeys and getting what little defenses the Glorious Jewel had to defend itself againt Imperial forces if the worst should happen. Plurga turned and stopped as a black and silver clad figure stepped quietly out of the shadows, his face hidden by an orange and black face mask. Plurga swelled with fury at seeing Omega Thrax here, which is quite a sight with an immense slug, since this masked man was the Union's only mode of communication with Plurga when the Committee wasn't in session on the Midas. With another bellow of orders, it was soon only him and Omega Thrax left in his chambers.

"Where is your precious Union! Where are they to defend me against this!" Plurga bellowed angrily, aiming a stubby finger at a hologram of the Imperial force.

"Be calm, Plurga, the Union is doing what it can to give you aid, that is why I am here," Omega Thrax replied cooly.

"You!?! You can do nothing! The Empire is already here!"

"You doubt our power?" Thrax asked, his single visible eye flashing dangerously.

"No....its....well....the Empire....they'll burn our world or conquer it, I'm sure..." Plurga said, stuttering

The Hutt regarded the figure of Omega Thrax, a man so emotionally detached you wondered whether he was even really alive. He moved throughout the Union, they said, doing the Chairman's bidding unquestioningly and he was notoriously hard to kill. No one was certain why the strange man was so hard to terminate, even after being thought of being caught in several well placed assassin bombs, he always reappeared. He was like a damn ghost, and he was the Union's ghost, some even calling him the Voice, because when Thrax spoke, he spoke with the authority of the Union behind his voice and all within the Union knew it. They would listen and obey or suffer the wrath of the Chairman. After e few moments Plurga looked away from Thrax's endless, piercing gaze.

"We shall see what can be done to convince the Empire otherwise," Thrax said calmly. "For now I must speak with your nephew, inform him I shall be arriving shortly to discuss the situation."

Plurga turned back to find Omega Thrax had vanished just as quietly and suddenly as he had appeared causing Plurga to tremble slighlty; not even Tir Esias was that unnerving. Plurga then shifted and opened a channel to his favorite nephew to inform him who was coming and why. Obviously the Union was taking the situation seriously now...

The bridge of a Star Destroyer – any Star Destroyer, regardless of class – was an ideal place to conduct battle, to view the panorama of the field and direct the actions of those vessels sent to pursue victory. The bridge was not the best place for an Admiral to command forces arrayed to blockade, making Baron Desaria absence from the Suvarov’s command deck a welcome change for so many officers who toiled nervously under the watchful gaze of a Grand Admiral. Now was the time when jumpsuited technicians and scanner officers of another division felt their necks glow.


Built into the heart of the command tower, the CIC was windowless: it was little more than a chamber of consoles and monitors around a large holographic plot-table. Typically, the CIC relayed data to the bridge and kept constant records of fleet dispositions and enemy movements: the very holographic displays they created every second were those fed to the bridge officers. Grand Admiral Desaria felt quite at home in it and cared not that his guest did not. Probing his subconscious, he wondered if that is why he had hasted to the CIC instead of meeting the Inquisitor in his spacious office aft of the bridge. Realizing the analysis was wasting time, the Admiral returned to his duties.


“ Sir, we have another request from the 4th Gunboat Flotilla. They are requesting permission to commence boarding actions.”


“ Commander, you may inform the gunboats they will de dispatched accordingly. You may, however, send forward the assault shuttles. As planned: one squadron of Defenders to every two shuttles. Concentrate of the medium sized vessels – the larger ships can be inspected when the barges are fully loaded.”


“ Admiral – the High Inquisitor requests a moment.”


Grand Admiral Desaria turned to see his red tuniced acquaintance maneuver down the steps towards the plot table. The younger man’s blond hair and emerald eyes were one of the few differences that set them apart. Far too many times had Desaria heard similarities mentioned – he was sickened to think he had anything in common with one of the mot evil men he had ever known. His is a necessary evil, I acknowledge this. But that does not mean I have to like him, nor does it stop me from having my fun.


Motioning to a small office reserved for the watch commander, Desaria and the equally tall Corellian closed themselves off to the rest of the galaxy. “ Welcome to the Suvarov.”


The Viscount del Forza ignored the gibe and gave Desaria a look implying he had made good use of his hour aboard. “ Thank you. You have an interesting problem here, don’t you Admiral? You have a task you need to accomplish but you don’t want to dirty the hands of your precious Guard.”


I can see we are not pulling any punches. So be it. Desaria reclined in the chair provided, forcing the Inquisitoriate man to rest on a metal chair that was doubtless not the most comfortable item in the room. “ You are correct on more points than you know. I have you here and I don’t have the time to arrest you.”


The Viscount barked a laugh. “ Is that so? Well let me call my men, they do carry a pair of binders each.”


“ Please do and save mine the trouble – you have already saved me a trip to Ylesia.We have encountered in this campaign a great number of older weapons, which is to be expected. What was not expected was that they came from stocks captured after the GDI capitulated. Only one force in the galaxy defeated that lot - -us. GDI weapons lay under Imperial control on Imperial worlds. So how did they wind up here? They were sold. And since the ISB – which answers to you – controls those storehouses, it is a logical conclusion that you have been selling arms to the enemy.”


Del Forza remained impassive. He had been surprised once that week, but this turn of events was wholly expected. Hate as he might, the Inquisitor could not deny the Grand Admiral his credit as an intellectual.


“ And so what? You will haul me before the Emperor in chains?”


Desaria smiled and stood. “ Not at all. I have lost three warships to your devices, you will replace those ships immediately. You will compensate the families of my dead men from this campaign and most important of all, you will order your men to the surface to eliminate the Hutts. You are quite right, I don’t plan to dirty the Guard’s hands. Yours are dirty enough that a little more blood won’t hurt. In return, you will not be hauled before the Emperor in chains, however much I might enjoy seeing that. Good day, Inquisitor.”

Omega Thrax stepped casually into the chamber, regarding Plurga the Lesser with his usual piercing gaze, his single visible eye seeming to pry into the very recesses of the mind of anyone it was set upon. He then looked around the chamber and spoke very calmly as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Send away your lackeys, we have much to discuss."

Thrax's gaze shifted around the room to the majordomo who paled at his gaze being set upon him. Thrax merely went on taking in the chamber and considering the situation thoroughly in his mind. The Empire was here and they would move soon, but not before the Hutts tried to approach them, to ply them from their thoughts of conquest and destruction. If that failed, Thrax would be forced to interfere and perhaps involve Union forces, an undesireable action but soon likely very necessary. He looked down at his wrist, regarding his gauntlet, three lights blinked affirmatively, his pods were hidden still and active. Thrax gave a mental nod, if necessary he would make the sacrifice but only if the Empire forced his hand here.

Thrax noted the Hutt's irritation and would have chuckled if he'd had a sense of humor. Unfortunatley, Omega Thrax did not have a sense of humor and as the chamber was sealed shut, leaving them alone, he merely continued to gaze upon Plurga as he spoke, his speech remaining calm and smooth.

"The Union is most upset about this situation."

Thrax paused, letting it sink into the Hutt's psyche just as to who he was dealing with.

"We have certain... items set aside should the Empire attack, but only if negotiation fails. You are to contact them, try to make a deal. If that fails, I will speak with them and make it very clear that there are other powers that will not permit their presence here. And if I fail? Well, then we shall have to punish them."

Thrax turned and began to slowly circle the Hutt like, his walk smooth and calm as his voice.

"Have I perhaps enlightened you as to what I want?" Thrax asked cool, stopping in front of the Hutt again and setting his gaze upon him.