The Rebel Faction

Zonama Sekot.

Lt. Cmdr. Kix Davin and Zem Renneyn stood before General Grevious, Supreme Administrator Sully Anre, and a compliment of Dameun priests. This was a moment of glory that both had dreamed about ever since they had been recruited into the Black Dragon Empire. Since their joining, the world within the Imperium had been, to all extents and purposes, their only world. During those months they had prevailed in their takeovers, had mastered weapon and bare-hand forms, had learned to pilot ships and fighters, and-- in many ways the most difficult task of all-- had learned to assume command of their own teams and had succeeded in the most dangerous missions.

Now they stood in the topmost chamber of the spire in the castle of General Grevious, with its spectacular view of Zonama Sekot spreading away in all directions to the far horizon. Seated in several chairs around the perimeter of the rotunda were the Dameun priests. Though the pair had seen them but rarely during their months in the Imperium-- indeed, this was the third time they had seen these holy ones-- they knew who they were and their origins were on the holy planet of Dameo.

"Lt. Commander. Kix Davin and Zem Renneyn."

General Grevious was speaking to them. The cyborg leader's mellifluous voice was mechanically pitched, yet its power seemed to fill the large room. They both took a deep breath, reaching inside to calm and steady themselves. Now was definetely not the time to appear nervous.

The droid General wasted no time in pleasantries. "For your efforts in expanding our Imperium and showing no fear to our enemies, the Dameun council, along with the leadership of the Black Tion Cluster, has granted your promotions to Commander. Both of you will now command armies of your own. I have faith that you will not fail the glory of our Empire."

Zem was afire with eagerness to exercise this new position, but she knew it would be unseemly to show it. She bowed slightly, as did Kix Davin. "I am honored, General Grevious. I shall not fail." Evidently she was not entirely successful in maintaining her equanimity, because she saw a slight smile tug at Kix's lips. Well, so be it-- being too enthusiastic was certainly not a crime. The General raised his clawed, mechanical hand in a gesture of dismissal as they rose up. Commander Renneyn turned and exited the rotunda, followed by Commander Davin.

As the doors slid noiselessly shut behind them, Supreme Administrator Anre faced the cyborg Supreme Commander. "General Grevious, Grelos the Hutt has arrived on Zonama Sekot this morning. He insists that he has information that is most beneficial to our Imperium. He wishes to see you in order to arrange an agreement between the BDE and the Hutts."

"The Hutts are always making plans within plans," the General countered, "but I will see him. If this Grelos took the time to travel to our hidden destination in the Tion Cluster, then this information must be important. Have him await in the visitor's chamber. I will be there soon."

Sully nodded to one of his aides, who quickly rushed out from the rotunda.

Minutes later.

Grelos waited in the visitors' chamber as he floated on a dais installed with repulsorlifts. General Grevious entered with a pair of Drhazi Dameuns and looked at the Hutt. Such gross and ugly creatures they were, but no less useful for that.

"Chobasso, Grevious," Grelos said, in Huttese.

"Speak Basic," the General spat through his pale-masked countenace.

"As you wish."

"How goes your business, Grelos? Are things well in your sector?"

"They could be better. Revenues are up, generally. Of course, the cost of Imperial bribes has also risen. As have shipping and salaries. But one does what one must."

"I understand you have information that is beneficial to our Imperium?"

Grelos looked quizzical. As quizzical as Hutts could look.

"You wish to make an agreement with the Black Dragon Empire?"

"Ah, yes, General. I recently engaged several bounty hunters to, ah, attempt to collect a bounty of mine. I was informed recently they have all failed except one. This one transmitted this person's location before he was eliminated. I hear this person we seek is important to the Black Dragon Empire."

"You are speaking of Jade Doment."

It was not a question, and it was meant to remind Grelos that the BDE had more than a few sources of intelligence themselves. This was a tricky game, and it had to be balanced precisely. Grevious needed information, but he could not reveal what it was and thus must circle around it. He also had to let the Hutt know who was in charge, and showing him he knew trivial things was part of that.

He saw Grelos get it.

"Yes, General, I am speaking of her," Grelos emphasized. "She is wanted by the Hutts, but has evaded us for some time. When we realized the Black Dragon Empire is seeking her, we thought it would be in our interest to present this information to you."

Grevious nodded. "Some refreshment, Grelos?"

"Thank you. Something crunchy?"

The General waved a mechanical hand and a serving droid appeared almost instantly, bearing a tray of insectoids and some vile liquid Hutts were known to favor.

"Ah, thank you, General." He picked up one of the wriggling things and ate it.

General Grevious leaned forward, as if to convey a sense of closeness. "Her location is most important for us to know," he said. "We have wiped out the Jedi order that was the Tholatin Protectorate. Jade Doment was the companion to Kamon Vondiranach, who now rots in the spice mines of Kessel. We wish to see her and her Red Dragon Empire scattered to the winds as well."

As if remembering a small and insignificant fact, Grelos said, "Then this being the case, I believe an agreement is in order."

"What do you wish?" The General leaned back again and folded his mechanical arms inside his pale cloak.

"Anonymity." Grelos replied. "The Hutts wish anonymity from the Black Dragon Empire. We know the borders of Farfalen lay close to Hutt space and we have seen their patrols linger closer and closer into our territory from Kessel. We wish the Imperium to disregard us from invasion."

"I see what I can arrange. Now the information."

Grelos laughed, a deep rumble that echoed from his huge bulk. "I see this arrangement was simpler than I thought," he said when he'd finished laughing. "The information will be provided to you once the agreement is acknowledged."

"Very well. You have my word." Grevious said, then narrowed his organic eyes into slits. "This information is most confidential. If Jade Doment hears word that our armada is coming to destroy her, by any of your informants, then our agreement is void. Hutt space will be the next target of our expansion."

"You have my word, Grevious." Grelos promised, blinking frantically in nervousness. "The information is being transmitted to your comm center now."

"Then this business is concluded. Enjoy your meal. Your ship will be readied for depature as soon as you are finished." General Grevious nodded and took his leave.

Sully Anre awaited the General in the adjacent room. "So what is the word?"

"Inform your fleets and armies we go to war. We are going to bring down the Red Dragon Empire and kill Jade Doment..."

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<B>Luclin</b>

"Your ship is primed for takeoff," the tech said over Saulo's wristlink. "Took a while to negotiate a deal with the dockmaster on the parts needed, but I gave him an extra hundred creds to soften him up."

"You should have paid him fifty, it was all that's needed to soften him," Saulo replied, gazing into the depths of his glass, swirling the remaining blue-green Johrian whiskey that had recently filled it. "I really need to teach you to better haggle."

"Well, I thought I did good. He certainly was happy when I gave it to him," his tech said.

The contact was sitting at the bar near the back of the <I>The Devil's Playground</i> not far from one end of the docking bays of Luclin. He was a regular patron, despite the sign at the entrance that proclaimed <i>NO RIFF RAFF ALLOWED</i> in Basic and several other languages. It gave him an excuse to be alone and it forced his tech to tend to his duties on the freighter.

And so he waited inside, comtemplating his last goodbyes to this planet. He couldn't think of any.

Saulo grunted and signaled for another refill. "I'm sure the bastard was happy about it," he told his tech over the wristlink.

The bartender, a Bothan, glanced at Saulo and filled his drink, then moved on down the bar. Saulo noticed the rest of the nighclub's patrons were rather pointedly ignoring his presence, then his tech's sudden exclamation came over the link.

"Saulo, better get down here. We have trouble." The link cut off abruptly.

<I>Frak...</I> He quickly pulled off the barstool and aimed for the direction of the door. Outside, the air was chill, and Saulo could feel a small amount of sobriety returning as he quickened his pace to the docking bays. He passed sidewalk vendors offering bootleg holos, glitterstim, and other illegal items for sale. Beggars of various species, wrapped in tattered cloaks, pawed at him for creds. He entered the nearest kiosk entrance to the bays which ended in a winding corridor. The contact unclasped the blaster strap from his holster and he approached the numbered docking bay where his ship was stationed.

At long last, after what felt like an endless, arduous trek through the Luclin underworld, he made his way to the crudely constructed landing bay, where he found both his tech and several armored soldiers waiting for him. A pair of dead humans, their throats cleanly slashed, were laying on the soot-stained floor near the soldier's feet. The boarding ramp was open, the loaded supplies still clearly seen inside. Next to the ramp was an assortment of crates of various sizes, with <I>LIVESTOCK</i> stamped across each one.

<I>Frak!</I> he cursed again in his head. <I>What the hell happened?</I>

Saulo expelled a slow, exasperated breath as he approached the odd bunch. Clenching his fists at his sides, he turned to stare morosely into the soldier's face. "Who the hell are you? I hope you have some kind of explanation for this. It's bad enough I had a knife put to my throat earlier this week... now two murders?" The BDE death commando grinned slightly, then nodded at a shadow in the corner. The tech noticed and stepped back with hydrospanner in hand, as he visually scanned the area.

A voice called out from the darkness. "It was necessary. They would have known too much about our presence, so the dockmaster and his lackey had to be removed from the picture..."

<I>What the hell is going on?...</I> He turned his head slightly to see a figure-- a human? droid?-- emerge from the shadows...

"Hello, Saulo," the cyborg monster said, speaking Basic with a crisp mechanical flare.The figure stood calmly in front of the contact, his hands hidden behind the pale cloak that enveloped his body. The individual wore a pale mask that helmed his head with two eyes peering out of it. Gleaming metal armor protruded from where the cloak did not hide it.

"What is the meaning of this?" Saulo bit out. "We had a deal. Mikni made a deal for these crates and we settled a--"

"Your affairs do not concern me." General Grevious interrupted him. He stepped forward and met his gaze, challenging him. "The Black Dragon Empire has other concerns in mind, though."

"Piss off. You don't threaten me." Saulo retorted, pointing a finger at him. General Grevious nodded to one of the death commandos. The soldier raised his TC-7 and fired two shots into the tech. He slumped to the floor, dead. The contact swallowed hard in fear.

"We have things to discuss, you and I," Grevious said. The cyborg terror fanned his pointed mechanical fingers outward and the Force clamped around the man's throat.

"I am looking for someone. One of your contacts. Name is Jade Doment. Have you seen her?"

Caught in the power of the Force, the contact struggled to breathe. Grevious's right hand, raised before him, tightened into a mechanical fist, and the man's throat constricted even more.

"Ready to talk?" the General asked.

The man could not speak, but he managed to nod. His eyes had dilated slightly due to blood congestion.

Grevious relaxed his fist and his concentration. The contact named Saulo collapsed on the floor, wheezing as he tried to suck in a breath.

"Now, again. Jade Doment. Have you seen her?"

"She was here-- few days ago... wanted some information."

General Grevious sensed the truth of Saulo's words. This was good. All he had to do is kill the contact, then find Jade and kill her. And then this dreary chore would be at an end. He could return to his campaign finally.

"To where did she leave?"

"I don't know."

Grevious's hand clenched again. Saulo choked, gasping once more for air. The General released him.

"<I>Where did she leave?</i>"

"Was heading-- toward Kessel-- was going to save Kamon from prison." He signalled with his finger toward the sky.

Grevious smiled inwardly. He had all the information he needed. The BDE could probably get more details from Kessel and it should lead him closer to her.

"You have been most coorperative," he spoke without emotion. Saulo looked up from his supine position. There was an instant of hope in his eyes, but it died when he read his fate in Grevious's expression behind that mask.

The cyborg commander drew his lightsaber. "Time to die," he said.

"Wait!" The contact's voice was a bleat of fear. "That's all I know! Please--"

With his free hand he made a sharp upward gesture, and Saulo was lifted like a puppet on strings. He hung, helpless, in the Force's grasp.

"<I>Noooo--</I>"

General Grevious ignited the amber energy blade of his lightsaber and swung it laterally, cutting off the contact's final wail, along with his head. He then released the lines of Force that held the twitching body and watched it crumple.

"Upon your arrival Commander Davin, have Admiral Vaako assemble the fleet," he addressed the death commando at his side. "He is authorized to make the jump to RDE space and commence the attack on New Dameo." He turned to face him, eyes narrowing. "I will go to Kessel and rid the RDE's leader."

"Yes, General," he nodded in salute.

"Destroy this docking bay and everything in it," he ordered. "I want no evidence of our presence here."

The energy blade retracted back to its hilt. General Grevious pulled the cowl over his head and glanced at the doorway, then quickly exited.

His mission was priority. He eyed the nearby landing platform where the <I>Talon</i>-class assault shuttle was housed and made his way to it...

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(Okay Grevious, your turn to post)