Rion leaned back in his chair, chin in his hand. Marcellus's performance had been rock-solid--he had batted aside every one of the Sith's attacks and countered every one with aplomb. That worried him a little; even minor Sith Lords didn't earn their positions without crushing a few ambitious rivals along the way, which made it seem odd that she had showed up so ill-prepared. The all-out attack she had waged wasn't an effective strategy without some kind of evidence to back it up, yet she clearly had none. What was her plan? Surely she had a more cunning strategy than this?

Still, as Rion's people liked to say, even Kowakian monkey-lizards fall from trees. Maybe the Sith were caught off-guard by the Republic's sudden assault, and this Sith, one who'd had little experience in dealing with the Hutts, had been hastily dispatched to represent them in court. Maybe it was that simple. And if Rion's fears had been correct regarding a Sith-Hutt collusion, he doubted the judge would have let Marcellus walk all over her like that.

In retrospect, Marcellus, Rast and Khesh had been right to stick with the original plan. Rion had always believed that underestimating your opponent was a critical error, but now he wondered if he was guilty of over-estimating his foes, which might be just as bad...

And yet, he still had an uneasy feeling about this trial, which wasn't over yet. His father would have said it was the Force speaking to him--but unlike his father and sister, Rion had no talent for calling upon such power. It was one of the reasons he prided himself on his intellectual skills so much--he believed he could make up for his lack of Force-sensitivity via sharp critical thinking skills, manually putting the pieces together in his head while the Jedi relied upon the Force to give them the solution.

He wasn't sure it was working out for him today.

Ashrym softly suggested, "Just sum up the main points you've made and leave them fresh in the judge's mind."

He looked to Rion then, who had clearly given their capture, and many possibilities surrounding the capture more consideration than he and the others had, and asked, "Unless there's something else Marcellus should maybe stress to wrap things up for our side? It sounds like we only get this one shot and no rebuttal to whatever that Sith might conjure up afterwards."

Turning to Ashrym, Marcelus says "Thank you for your advice, Ashrym".

Encouragingly nodding to the others he adds: "Is there anything else important to add to our final statement? Should we offer our services to the Cartel? The prospect of profit for the Cartel could maybe improve our chances of survival."

"The judge said the defense gets to speak, and then the prosecution...if the Sith's got some kind of last minute surprise up her sleeve, that's when she'll spring it....

"If she had proof we were working for the Republic, she might save it for the end to catch us in a lie. She could also offer up a valuable piece of intel, likely regarding Republic spying on the Hutts, to legitimize the base. Or, in the worst case scenario, she might have proof our Hutt Master is a Republic puppet...but such evidence could always be manufactured, and the creditability of the Sith is already damaged by the existence of this base...a vast, data-gathering operation in the heart of Hutt space has got to be a blow to their pride. It depends on how solid this evidence is.

"But this is all guesswork on my part...though I have to admit I have a bad feeling about this. I feel she probably has something up her sleeve...

"Still, we're committed now, so it would be pointless and even counter-productive to suddenly change our strategy, though in the event she's got something that links us to the Republic, we might be able to counter-act that by claiming, that, yes, some of us were once Republic military--most mercenaries are former soldiers--but now we serve the Hutt, a more profitable venture than fighting in other people's wars. Of course, if she doesn't have anything on us like that, we'd be handing her a valuable argument--she could then claim, "See? They do have Republic links! You can't trust them!" It's a bit of a risk, but it will take the wind out of her sails if she is planning to spring that...

"I suppose the safest course of action would just be to double-down on the sinister nature of the base and the baseless allegations of the Sith, along with an offer of service to the Hutts by way of apology. But if she's got a surprise up her sleeve, some piece of evidence that blows a hole in our cover, it could devastate us...particularly if she adds it was this very base that uncovered such treachery."

"But since we have to speak first, we've no choice but to guess...how much of a bad feeling do you all have regarding what this Sith might pull out of her sleeve as a last-minute surprise?"

Rion leans back in his chair, thinking about all the weak points the Sith could take advantage of, and how to effectively counter them.

"If she's got the security tapes from our break-in, it won't matter because we didn't do anything that links us to the Republic. If she has proof our Hutt cover is a Republic puppet, then we're probably sunk and nothing we say will help us much. So the biggest threat is a credible claim on her part that we're former Republic personnel or that the base has gathered intel that is worthwhile to the Hutts.

"So, I recommend in your closing statement that you reiterate that a) our Master doesn't deign to explain his actions fully to us, but in his service we have worn many guises and targeted many factions, some Republic, some Imperial; b) this base, no matter what the Sith claims, is extremely suspicious, and almost certainly was placed here mostly to spy on Hutts, which angered our Master by threatening to expose his dealings; c) we understand that although our Master did not in any way, shape or form seek to challenge the powers-that-be in Hutt space, we have created a disturbance, and would certainly offer our services by way of apology--and our effective strike upon a heavily-armed Imperial base testifies to our competence; d) the Sith has made nothing but baseless accusations against our Hutt Master, which shows the lack of respect her kind have for the glorious Hutts, and, last but not least, e) the Sith has already changed her story since she first walked in here, claiming the base was the work of a rogue Moff, and then insisting it was completely legal based on treaties, and then making the preposterous claim it needed to be here, right in this Hutt neighborhood, as a relay...because apparently space is too small for it to fit somewhere else...?? She has zero creditability, it isn't clear she really represents her Sith Masters given these tales of rogue Moffs, and her claims defy logic and shift around at a moment's notice.

"If she has evidence strong enough to defy all that, then we're probably doomed no matter what we say, so there's little point in attempting to counter it, and if she doesn't this should serve as a potent rebuttal. Show the Hutts the proper respect by being apologetic, hammer the Sith mercilessly, and do so with enough humor and wit to entertain the judges to earn their favor...something the Sith seems completely incapable of, I might add. That's the best play, I think."

Marcelus rises once more and steps forward to speak:

"Mighty Hutts of the Cartel, wise Judges, your esteemed Honour. I and my associates stand here accused of raiding an Imperial facility. This is true, we do not deny it. But we had every reason to do so.

We are mercenaries who only do their master’s biddings as it is right and just. In what a world would we live in if servants would question their master’s orders? – Only in utter chaos. We were tasked with destroying this outpost which we did without using more violence than absolutely necessary. We asked the Imperials to surrender and treated our prisoners fair and just. We are no mindless murderers and killers.

Furthermore, our glorious master had every right to order this raid. The aforementioned facility is an illegal Imperial listening outpost, used to spy on the all-powerful Cartel and our Hutt master in particular and erected without the Cartels knowledge or permission. This upstart Empire of Sith broke every treaty with the Cartel and humiliated every Hutt Lord with the erection of this base. Our master my merry men only wanted to put an end to this abnormality to restore the mighty Hutts’ honour and reputation. No righteous Hutt could have slept well as long as the Imperials were spying on the Cartel’s and its members communications.

Yes, our master’s base of operations is outside of Hutt space. This does make neither him nor us lackeys of the Republic as this Sith claims. He is still a Hutt and we are his servants, therefore his and our only allegiance is to our master’s clan and the Cartel. Every Hutt has the right to operate wherever he wants on his quest for glory and fortune as long as he does not breach the Cartel’s orders. As far as I know, the Cartel never outlawed business operations within Republic space. We have presented evidence of our allegiances to this high court.

Speaking of evidence, where is the evidence of our prosecutor? Every accusation she brought in front of this court is untenable, without any coherence or even a shred of evidende and a lie. This so-called Lord of the Sith defiled these holy halls of truth and justice with every word and sentence. In her first tall tale, the facility was a listening outpost illegally erected by a rogue Moff without the Empires knowledge. So far I have seen no proof of the existence of this alleged Moff. When I confronted this liar in front of this court she suddenly switched her story and told another tale. She suddenly claimed that the base was lawfully erected and maintained by the Empire as a communications array for the Imperial fleet and as an embassy but that the documents proofing her claims were “unfortunately lost” during our raid. Why would the Empire need a communications array in the middle of Hutt space, right on Nar Shadaa and conveniently located right next to the Hutts’ homeworld Nal Hutta? When we raided the base, we found no evidence for an embassy – no reception rooms, no ambassadors. We only found military personnel and computers.

The only logical reason to maintain this base would be its access to the Holonet and the Cartel’s communications. Therefore we must assume that this facility was a listening outpost used to spy on the Hutts’ operations. The Sith was unable to disprove this notion.

We are only guilty of one transgression: Neither we nor our masters asked for the Cartel’s permission to raid this illegal facility. I am deeply sorry for that. Your Honour, my only excuse is that we had to act quickly to limit the damage already done by the outpost’s operations. Furthermore there was the risk that the Imperials would have been warned as they observed the Cartel’s communications.

I and my associates ask for forgiveness for this presumptuousness. As compensation, we offer our services to the mighty Cartel and its glorious members. The effectiveness of our raid stands as testimony for our ability.”

Edit: Adapted the letters' size

The Sith steps up, sleek and catlike in her aspect, and you can almost feel the gleam of hatred in her eyes, hidden as they are under the mask.

"Oh mighty Hutt, right to the end these Republic scum seek to trick you. Though they hide behind their claims of identity cards and false masters, they serve the very government that condemns your great personages and seeks to hinder your profit-making powers. They claim to serve a Hutt, but that Hutt has no more free will than the Republic grants him. They claim to be no more than doing the work of the Hutts, yet they have attacked a legally established base and brought violence to the streets of Nar Shaddaa, in defiance of the laws of your noble people. This cannot stand, and cannot go unpunished.

"They claim the innocence of their master, but is not the fact that he has fled to Republic space a sign that he is hardly likely to be anything like respectable in the eyes of the mighty Hutts. His clan has disowned him, the Cartel no longer trusts him; and yet these people serve him? If it is true, is it not a sign that they cannot be trusted?"

"Even now they try to spin lies and turn my words to their own cause. Though they have hidden the truth well, seeking to misdirect and hinder the efforts of your mightynesses. They seek to redirect my words, to confuse your great minds, yet truly you cannot be swayed from seeking out the truth. They demand 'evidence' in the form of official Imperial records, and state that we changed our story. The only reason our proof was taken was because they are hiding it, concealing evidence from this court - for who else could have taken the records from our computers, if not them. Of course if they were to hand over these hidden records we could prove that no use was made to spy on the mighty Cartel."

"And last, these traitors admit themselves that they had no permission to break the peace and raid the facility. This is inexcusable. Your honours, I ask that these Republic filth be found guilty of their crimes and sentenced to death."

The Hutt jury considers these words, settling back onto their vast tails in consideration. Their deliberation seems to stretch on, before one of them leans forward and presses a holographic rune in front of him. A red sigil flashes up, the message of the angry red icon obvious - guilty. Then another flashes up. There is a pause, then three green 'innocent' runes in quick succession, with two more guilties following. Both numbers climb up and up, until they are tied with a single uncast vote remaining. The Hutt adjusts its monocle as it leans out to peruse you, before shrugging and pressing an icon.

A giant innocence rune flashes up above the podium, and the chamber erupts into a hubbub of noise as people debate. The Sith noticeably flinches, but seems to regain her composure soon enough. The Hutt judge levers himself up on his hindquarters.

"You have proved your innocence. You may leave this place now. Your possessions will be returned to you on exiting this building - which it is advised that you do soon."

Ashrym bows deeply before the eminent Hutts. He, perhaps wisely, keeps his mouth shut, wary that any word he might utter be misspoken or misconstrued and somehow cost this band of merry men. He's silently counting his blessings while at the same time waiting for the other shoe to drop. The Sith Lord has surely marked all of them for her personnel vendetta.

Marcelus bows deeply as well, addressing the Judges on last time: "I thank you, most gracious masters."

Then he turns, murmuring to his squad: "Well, that went better than I expected. It would probably be wise to heed the Judge's advice and exit these halls quite fast."

"Indeed," Rion assents. "And, by the way, well done, Marcelus."

"Well, the good news is there obviously is no Sith-Imperial alliance of any significance at work here. The bad news is that our Sith friend is now going to do her utmost to make sure we never make it back to Republic space alive. I second the motion for haste, as wasting time only gives her opportunity to array her forces against us."

"Teenine's circuits almost overloaded with anticipation." Squeaks out the droid, rolling down from their platform and towards the exit.

"That was quite impressive, gentlemen," Jeren remarks, accompanying the rest of them out of the courtroom, also adding, "and gentledroid, of course." He smiles, turning to Marcelus. "And you have quite the way with words. A most sensible decision to let you do the talking." His smile actualy widens a little. "You probably would not have wanted me to do the talking."

Looking back at nothing in particular, his smile diminishes. "The Sith in general and that one in particular, they will remember this. And I am fairly certain they will not wait too long to act on that memory, unpleasant as it is to them."

"Indeed, I doubt it will take long at all," the Sith follows you out, her tall elegant figure striding from the courtroom. She speaks with an odd accent, the haughty refinement of the Dromund Kaasi forced on a more familiar Rim world drawl. "The Hutts may think you are innocent, but the Empire knows otherwise. Do not expect your lives to become any easier from this setback," she strides away, boots clicking on the tiled floor and passing by a man coming to meet you with blatant disgust.

"Lovely people, these Sith," says the man, who is wrapped in the traditional poncho and robes of a Cartel freelancer. He lowers his voice: "Ensign Tobi Daskell, Republic cruiser Rendili Star. I've been sent to pick up you and your possessions and escort you aboard. We weigh anchor tonight. Our destination, Ord Hekate. Any questions?"

"None, for now," Rion says, watching the Sith stride away. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

For not the first time, he pictured in his mind going toe-to-toe with the Sith, his staff against her blade. He also briefly imagined himself wielding a lightsaber staff instead of the cortosis one he carried.

He pushed such thoughts from his mind. They would lead him nowhere productive.

Marcelus steps forward and shakes Tobis hand: "Pleased to meet you and thank you for your support. I have to support my collegue's advice. We should better not waste any precious time."

Hissing a barely hearable whisper, he adds: I fear that it is not safe to speak freely here. Would you be so kind as to refrain from spezifying any important names, destinations or affiliations until we have reached a bug-proof place?"

Ashrym nods his agreement with Rion, "Yeah, none for now," and again with Marcelus, "Once we're off planet seems the wisest course."

"I just want to get my gear and get off this miserable rock, the sooner, the better," he concludes.

His eyes continue to sweep their environs all the while, feeling quite exposed, a feeling that won't subside until they're at least on a Republic ship.

"You make a good point sir, I'll hold my tongue until we're halfway home. We've taken the liberty of collecting your gear and transporting it to your - uh - accommodation, so if you'd like to step this way we can leave these halls immediately."

"Thanks for taking the initiative, there--anything that facilitates our hasty departure is a good idea at this point." Rion immediately moves to follow.

But even so, he had a bad feeling about this...

"Very well, if that's all, we'll be moving along then. If you'd like to follow me sirs?" the Ensign turns and walks away, leaving you following in his wake.

Ashrym similarly follows in the wake of their current escort. Foremost in his thoughts, his eagerness to leave the Sith lady and the Cartels far behind.

"I'd appreciate that notion"

With these words, Marcelus follows the Ensign as well, his mind already on a hot bath, good and clean clothes and tea time with an excellent Chandrillan green tea...

Episode 3 - Imperial Entanglements

It is with the joyous prospect of a change of uniform, a long shower and a hot meal that you board the Republic transport Rendili Star. You come up the gangplank of the light cruiser, a Thranta-class vessel, and into its embarkation lounge, a spacious area configured for the assembly of troops that is now seeing use to accommodate the few passengers until their quarters are ready. As you cross the deck you notice one particular couple - a young man and woman; he broad and muscular, she short and slim; both dressed in drab brown robes that largely cover their forms - who stand out by nature of their very anonymity. You notice other the passengers - a band of entertainers including several musicians and a pair of Twi'lek dancers; an old man in formal robes; a void-suited figure of uncertain nature - as well as the deck officer, who strides across the room towards you.

"Ah, excellent, our final passengers!" She smiles, a thin attempt to cover her brusque nature. "Your luggage is already aboard and in your cabin. You've been invited to go up to the bridge where the captain will receive you as we make the jump to hyperspace. Please do proceed soon, we've waited on your favour long enough."

The indication seems to be that you should head up-ship to the bridge, but you've got a few moments. You notice that one of the couple you noticed - the woman - is pointedly looking around her companion towards you, and making a show of not looking at you in the process.

Marcelus smiles at her in gratitude. "Thank you, officer. Would you be so kind as to arrange a bath and fresh clothes for me and my group mates and afterwards a tea, Corellian blend grey, if you please, for me once we have talked to the captain?"

Noticing the odd looking couple, Marcelus walks towards the robed women and bows shortly. "Marcelus Vaerson, at your service. How do you do? I must apologize for my ragged appearance but I had to deal with some unpleasant complications on Nar Shadaa. I noticed your interest in my group of merry men. How can I help you?"

The woman nods almost imperceptibly to her companion, who turns, causing you to stiffen as you notice his appearance. A mat of grisly scar tissue covers the right-hand side of his face, extending from his hairline down to his jaw, and from the corner of his eye across to his ear. The wounds still seem fresh, in the manner of scar tissue that has not yet weathered in amongst the surrounding flesh but is instead livid against the unhealed skin. This man has obviously refused skin transplants, which seems a shame as he is undeniably attractive - tall, strong, handsome and possessed of a powerful spirit. The woman is just as distinctive - though short, she likewise seems to possess great strength though she is holding it in. Her regal, aquiline features are not unattractive but she holds an air of arrogance, seeming to hold herself above you. The man nods in greeting, while the woman speaks.

"Gentlemen," she says. "Welcome aboard. May I ask after your presence here? It was obviously a very..." she considers your ragged appearance and the smell of a Huttese dungeon still emanating from you. "...interesting experience."

"Legal and political affairs that got a little more complicated than we anticipated at first. I fear that I would only bore you with my tales, milady. But I'd be very interested to hear what businesses brought you here aboard a Republic cruiser," answers Marcelus smiling, the joy of simple small-talk and the relief of being in civilized company once more almost palpable on his face.