"These are all valid questions and concerns," Jeren agreesafter a moment's thought. "I will have to leave you for a while. In order to find out more I have to move about a bit. Hopefully it will not take more than a few hours."

As he rises from his seat, he seems to think of something else. "Unless the Hutt in charge of things here does not like my questions and, instead of providing answers, decides having me imprisoned as well or killed would be simpler." He shrugs. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I suppose."

With that the Jedi exits the room, his task clear in his mind.

Since he could not know such things beforehand, Jeren would need to leave and ask around. The GM has kindly provided me with the necessary info, but in order to obtain them Jeren would need to go away and then come back. Thus, there will be a second post with the relevant information, although that will be slightly later (not much, mind you) so the GM can interject and you can talk amongst yourselves? Or I could simply fast-forward a few hours and I post again now?

"If it's option 1, then yes, he might decide to get rid of you. But I don't think he would, since you were sent here as a negotiator. Killing you in cold blood will get the Jedi Order directly involved, and a Hutt-Sith partnership wouldn't want that just yet. They would want the Republic to be clearly in the wrong, and the Hutts will claim they are merely adminstering justice. Killing you simply for asking questions would be too suspicious.

"And yes, Ashrym, as I said before the Hutts do not play particularly well with each other. There is certainly no collective in play here, probably just a single powerful and ambitious Hutt with a lot of influence. The Plan b I referred to above involves figuring out who the enemies and rivals are of the Hutt who's setting us up, and soliciting their help on the grounds it'll help them take one of their competitors down a notch."

Several hours later

"Well, barring a couple of threats that were only to be expected, my time away from you gentlemen proved fruitful enough," Jeren begins.

"As far as the Imperial prisoners are concerned, the people in that base of operations will not in fact be mistreated, despite the unauthorised nature of that building," he continues, tackling first the matter of the Imperials. "They are in this very same prison actually, but it will not be easy to talk with them. They are being treated well enough though, probably to avoid any diplomatic unpleasantness; they are after all foreign citizens. Still, the Empire has not commented on the matter. Hardly a surprise really."

"Now, on to the local Hutt overlord," he moves on, changing the subject somewhat. "His name is Karokk and is of the mind that as long as taxes -hefty ones- and protection money keep coming his way, there is little to no reason to involve himself in the goings-on in his district. That pretty much explains why the Imperials themselves were left alone, by the way." Clearing his throat a little, the Jedi continues. "Even so, the whole arrest and subsequent trial thing is under the authority of the Hutt Council, so he cannot actually influence things."

Jeren smiles. "This would be the part that the threats began. Such as throwing me in his pen of wild vornskrs -temperamental beasts that they are, who knew they could be kept as pets- for even suggesting the Council could be corrupt or working for someone else."

"Incidentally, the Constable is called Vorna. I picked up his name amidst the aforementioned threats."

Taking a moment to think, he offers, "Perhaps this Vorna would be willing to share some information with me? Who tipped them off, what they knew of the Imperial base, that sort of thing? From what you have told me, he seemed reasonable during your arrest. For a Hutt at the very least."

Well, we have the extenuating circumstances Rast has already mentioned. Plus the information regarding Karokk and maybe we can get some stuff from this Vorna dude. Once we know a bit more about trial procedures and such (I believe it has been asked/discussed in the OOC thread) and keeping in mind that bribery seems to be out, we could form some sort of defense or at the very least offer our services in return for leniency/dropping of the charges?

"If the Judge has arrived, then we're out of time," Rion said. "I still say we claim a Sith hired us to screw up a political rival's plans. We've no proof to back it up, but at least its plausible, somewhat entertaining, throws the Imperials into a tizzy and possibly gums up and sows mistrust in any Imperial-Hutt partnership. Besides, if we're just mercenaries, executing us to send a message has little point, and maybe they'll decide to make use of us instead of throwing us away. I'm not sure claiming we're servants to this Hutt the Republic has in its pocket will help us much, since it doesn't seem like he'd have much respect here since he couldn't cut it in Hutt space, and even if they did buy it the stronger Hutts might do something gruesome to us to send the insignificant upstart a message."

Rion shrugs. "That's all I've got on such short notice."

"I fear that claiming to be Sith mercenaries, would be a terrible idea, Master Artayu. I agree that the cover story of being the servants of a disgruntled Hutt is not the best one possible, but it is at least consistent with what we told the Imperials. And consistency is the one thing we need the most. Our primary goal is not to get out of this trial, but to hide the Republic's involvement at all cost. The Hutts have to believe our story. The question whether this cover story is helpful for us or not has only secondary priority, I fear.

On top of that I sincerely believe that claiming to be Sith hirelings would even worsen our chances of success.

If we manage to pass ourselves off as Hutt mercenaries, this whole affair is nothing more than an internal struggle between different factions, a gang fight if you want - perfectly normal for Nar Shadaa. I hope as well that the Hutt judge will look more kindly on us as servants of an individual of his own species. I have heard that the Hutts have a very high opinion of their own species.

On the other hand, should we claim to be Sith mercenaries, we would pose as a foreign, invading force executing a raid deep in Cartel territory. I would expect no mercy from any judge in such a situation."

"Furthermore, I think it would be for the best to assume new names. It would be to easy to track our real names back into Republic space.

I will call myself Vandin Brooks from now on as long as we have to deal in Hutt space - I already mentioned that name to the Imperials."

You hear, far down the hall, the clanking of keys and the grinding of a durasteel door on old hinges. Someone's coming, and you've only got a short time left now.

"Better get ready, lads!"

"The Hutts are more than capable of treating each other even worse than they do outsiders. And pride and status are everything to them--a lower-ranked Hutt who tries to challenge his betters will drive said betters into a rage, because they fear the loss of face that would occur should the upstart be seen as having achieved something. And a once-powerful Hutt who suddenly loses face...well, that's like ringing the dinner bell to all the hungry predators in Hutt space who'd also like a piece..."

"Sorry, Marcelus, but your notion that posing as servants to another Hutt will get this dismissed as a 'gang war' is just naive...the Hutts don't have 'gang wars'; they engage in decades-long schemes against each other, and they fear and hate their rivals more than they ever will any non-Hutt, who they've been taught since birth to look down on as inferior species. If we claim to be participating in the actions of a rival bent on bringing the local boss down a notch, you'll rapidly discover the Hutt's most murderous side."

"Foreign mercenaries serving a Sith for pay--not 'Sith mercenaries,' Marcelus--are just an annoyance by comparison. Their interests are only short-term and small in scope compared to those of the Hutts. And if we say the whole thing was orchestrated to take down a rival Sith, then not only is it plausible and something Hutts would understand, it isn't a threat to them...that's the key point, Marcelus."

"You're playing with fire if you want to claim we're part of a Hutt plot..one in which we'll end up getting burned. And we're out of time...which plan are we going with?"

What do the others think about that? Should we follow Rion's or Marcelus's plan?

"I just don't see it, Rion," Rast said. "Sorry. The Sith-hired mercenary story is too convoluted, and I don't think we've had enough time to properly prepare our cover stories. Plus that, it sounds like we've already been charged with disobeying this Hutt Master. It wouldn't make sense to change our cover story at this point.

"The Republic got us into this mess; I say let them get us out of it."

Ashrym nods and says, "I think I am going to have to go along with Rast on this one. The only identities and background that we have that will stand up to any scrutiny is what's been provided for us. I think that we have to stay with the Hutt story on this one. We have to trust that our superiors have thought things through more than we're able to do on short notice."

"You do realize that if this goes bad, the Hutts are going to make a statement by throwing us into a rancor pit, correct? And if that happens, the Republic is not going to send in the cavalry to save us?"

"Furthermore, we won't get a second chance...if the Hutts act as I fear and decide to make an example out of us, we won't get a chance to implement a plan B."

"Do you really want to interject yourselves into a Hutt blood-feud? And while your faith in the Republic is admirable, Rast, they only know what's going on from a distance, and they're not the ones with a sword dangling over their heads by a thread."

"Established backgrounds and identities don't mean a thing if all they do is convince the Hutts that yes, we are part of a plan to harm the interests of one of their powerful members."

"This is really what you want to do?"

"Rion," Ashrym begins, "we're all afraid of the consequences of this and none of us want to die."

He pauses, takes a breath and slowly lets it out, trying to calm his own nerves before continuing, "With that said, we all took oaths to serve and protect the Republic. Using what they gave us does that. That's the mission. That's the priority. If we don't use the fake identities, which will hold up under scrutiny and instead we try to invent something else, which will not hold up under any scrutiny, we then become subject to genetic testing. That testing is going to immediately peg us as all originating from Republic worlds. That will jeopardize the Republic. It will give some concrete evidence that implicates the Republic, not the Empire, and not the Hutts, as being complicit in our actions. We -cannot- allow that to happen."

Edit: Added a missing quotation mark.

"We don't have time to beat this dead rancor. We need to take a vote, now, and we need to go in there unified. Show of hands for siding with the Republic's story?"

Ashrym makes the literal show of giving a hand-raise at Rast's prompting. Verbally, he adds, "I'm obviously in favor of staying with the Republic's story."

Rion fixes Ashrym with a steady look. "We all have our roles to play," he says, his gaze never wavering. "Some of us protect the group through force of arms, some heal our wounds, some specialize in data retreval. As for myself, I am a spy and a saboteur. I collect and analyze intelligence for the Republic, and in particular I look for weak points to exploit. This can be done offensively and defensively. I know a lot about criminal networks, including the Hutts, and it is for those reasons that I was probably assigned to this mission. The Republic can only do so much from afar--they expect us to make do and take the initiative. When I point out the serious flaws in your analysis, it does not make me disloyal. I'll thank you in advance, Ashrym, never to patronize me or accuse me of cowardice or disloyalty again."

"You have already forgotten the point Marcus raised earlier which I developed for you--the Hutt's appearance was no coincidence. They set a trap, probably one specifically designed to trap the Republic. The Republic didn't know that or they wouldn't have sent us. The Hutts already know we work for the Republic, and given the response our Jedi friend got from his meeting with the local Hutt, we're probably being set up as part of a gambit designed to discredit the Republic. A bunch of assumed identities and a Hutt sycophant in our pocket won't change the outcome in this case."

"Furthermore, even if this isn't true, what's our plan again? Use these identities to prove we work for a Hutt who is starting a turf war here in Hutt space? What do you think the judge is going to do-- chuckle, say, "Oh, you little scamps, blowing up a base in a rival's territory...well, boys will be boys! Off you go, and don't cause any more trouble on the way out!" If your story holds, you've just admitted to being a footsoldier in an effort to make the local Hutt boss look weak. He'll probably decide to send our Hutt upstart friend a message to never try that again, likely by sending us in pieces back to him. I fail to see how getting ourselves killed helps the Republic, but that's not particularly relevant since it wasn't a coincidence the Hutts were waiting for us. The outcome will be designed to hurt the Republic, and by simply walking into it we're making that more likely to happen. That isn't cowardice on my part, it's my doing my job."

"If we're being set up, we have to approach this like a game of dejarik, always thinking three steps ahead. That's what I'm trying to do, take the initiative and thwart our opponents. You are simply reacting. When you do that, your opponent will always have the advantage over you."

Rion holds his hands up in surrender. "But that's all I'm going to say. It is clear I cannot perform my role in this group, as you seem dead set on opposing me no matter what points I raise. I'm not raising my hand in support of this plan, Rast, but for what it's worth I give you my word I'll not utter a word during the trial, meaning I won't oppose your efforts in any way."

Marcelus raises his hands as well.

"Rion, it could be that I was wrong. It looks like the Hutts haven't allied themselves with the Empire. Maybe the Hutts weren't there for us but for the Imps. Think about it - they sent multiple ships, sharp shooters, a Hutt with a grenade launcher - that's quite a lot to deal with a few mercenaries. But it sounds like a normal sized force to deal with an illegal foreign outpost. We probably just called attention to the facility with our firefight and the Hutts moved in to arrest everyone on the spot. After all, the Imperials have been arrested as well.

If the Hutts believe that we are just some other Hutt's employees, they may be more inclined to lessen the sentence in exchange for some kind of contribution like for example our services."

"That's one hell of a coincidence you're basing your belief off of...but I see no point in arguing this any further. You're obviously committed to this course of action. I'm not going to stand in your way."

The door to the meeting room grinds open, and you are confronted by a dozen guards. In a familiar routine, you are each hoisted up by your armpits and dragged out into the hall. You are practically running just to keep up with your guards. You are dragged through many almost-identical hallways, up and down very similar staircases, and through nigh-nostalgic doorways until you reach one hallway that is much more ornate than the rest. You are dragged up a final staircase into a room where you are released of your guards, though not your binders. With just a single guard at your head now, you are led out into a vast courtroom.

You are on the ground floor, where there are two hoverpads, each round and surrounded by an ornate brass rail. You are led towards one; the other remains suspiciously empty. Above you rises the other parts of the court: you are in a pit, almost like a colisseum; behind you, occupying fully half of the circumference of the room and extending back to ceiling height, is a vast tower of tiered seating for the audience; before you sits a high podium for a judge, and to his left a long balcony for the jury; both are presently empty.

The room, which had been a hubbub of conversation, suddenly silences, so much so that you can clearly behind you the approaching boots. A single pair, metal shod, they clang on the deck. To your right appears a figure garbed in black robes, wearing the black iron mask of a Sith, whose minimal ornateness suggests that she is a lower rank of Sith Lord. As she steps onto her podium, both rise from the floor until they are level with the lowest tier of seating, though still below the level of judge and jury. The jury appears first, as the hatches behind their two-tiered balcony open up and disgorge a dozen Hutts of varying status on repulsor plates. They are followed by the judge - who is a good ten metres above you - appearing on his balcony. He is a vast creature, the periwig atop his head forcing you to suppress laughter at the sheer ridiculousness of it.

"Welcome, welcome," it says. "These individuals stand accused of murder, theft and invasion. Let us hear first how they would protest their innocence."

Unsurprised to see the Sith, Rion studies her carefully. A lower-ranked Sith Lord...hmmm...could be a good thing, he reasons, an opportunity to shift he focus of the trial...or maybe not, assuming his darker suspicions were correct. He'd have to wait and see.

Not that it would stop him from planning out how to go after the Sith and flatter the Hutts in a way they would find entertaining, of course. The wheels in Rion's mind never stopped turning.

"Who's speaking?" he murmurs to the others.

"Probably be best if it weren't me. I was never all that great at public speaking," admits Ashrym. His eyes slowly passed over the others as he tried to recall their known service records.

"I think it would be best if the official representative of our glorious master speaks first." He nudges Jeren forward: "Go on, the floor is yours."

{edit:}"I'll take over after the introduction, if you want."

Jeren sighs ever so softly at his circumstances and steals a glance at his darker-clothed Imperial counterpart before taking a step forward. Taking a deep breath, he starts to address the court in general and the judge in particular, his voice even and his tone respectful, making sure that his eyes do not meet the Hutt judge's. 'We would not want you to consider me impudent, would we now? In your mind we are hardly equals after all,' he reasons in thought alone.

"Your esteemed Honor, I am Jedi Knight Jeren Vallin," he introduces himself, "and I am here to represent these fine and capable men. In an effort to waste neither the time nor the patience of yourself and the rest of the great Hutts that now attend this magnificent court, I shall be brief before relinquishing the stand to the de facto leader of this group of faithful servants, for he would be vastly more suited than I to truly tell you of what happened in that Imperial listening post. For that is what it truly was," the Jedi begins. "And yes, I called them 'faithful servants', for that is what they are. They serve an illustrious Hutt and they do so without question, skillfully and efficiently. When their better gives them an order and a task, they carry it out without asking why, for it is not their place to doubt the wishes of their Master." He takes a moment to raise his eyes briefly, his gaze moving to encompass all the Hutts present. "And is that not the definition of the proper servant to one such as yourselves?"

"But let this man here take the stand and speak and all will be clear, among them the service this group has done you all in the name of their Master," he concludes.

"All glory be upon the Hutts!" blurts out Tee-Nine, in a gesture that is likely lost on the members of the court unable to interpret binary.