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By Root 419 0

standard years, Jax had heard—the big gastropod had nevertheless managed to carve out a profitable niche downlevel. Outside the black market, Rokko’s main sources of income were the sleazy virtual environment holoparlors that lined Tangor Square and other streets downlevel in the Slums. By utilizing a combination of hologram images, subtle olfactory stimulation, hypersound, and tractor/pressor tactile manipulation, just about any desire, no matter how bizarre, could be satisfied for just about any life-form. The parlors enjoyed a steady and thriving trade, and the credits came tumbling down, straight into Rokko’s coffers—so much so that, since most of his business was conducted downlevel, the gangster had decided to show a perverse pride in his underworld position. Thus he lived in a spacious, well-appointed conapt fifty meters below the surface.

Jax and Laranth rode down in a turbolift. There was only one problem with approaching the Hutt, Jax had told her, explaining how he’d dealt with Rokko’s bullyboys. Laranth had been impressed, but not exactly in the way that Jax might have hoped.

“So we’re just going to stroll into his place?”

“I thought I’d knock first. Manners are important in a civilized society.”

“Rokko’s about as civilized as a starving reek,” Laranth said as the turbolift deposited them in the large, ferrocrete tunnel that was the entrance to the Hutt’s abode.

“Trust me. Have I ever gotten you killed before?”

The entrance to Rokko’s conapt was guarded by an Aegis-7 battle droid. This one was a later model, humanoid, but with swiveling repulsorlift plates instead of legs that provided speed and maximum maneuverability. It was said that an Aegis-7 could catch a speeder bike going at full throttle. And if it couldn’t catch the speeder, it could blow it to flinders with a phased pulse cannon burst, riddle it with slugs, or stop it in any of a dozen other deadly ways.

Jax had no doubt that Rokko had had numerous modifications made on the droid to render it even more powerful and versatile. He stopped, hands by his sides and conspicuously empty. Laranth came to a stop beside him, also keeping her hands well away from her blasters.

The droid ran a quick laser scan over them. “May I help you?” Its vocabulator was well modulated and courteous, but Jax knew that any sudden move at this point would result in both him and Laranth being instantly killed.

“Please announce Jedi Jax Pavan and Paladin Laranth Tarak,” he said. Though he was looking straight ahead, he could feel her wariness. He touched her mind subtly with the Force, reassuring her without words.

The nervous thrashing of her Force threads calmed somewhat. Jax appreciated the major effort she was making; he knew that, since the destruction of the Temple, Laranth found it difficult to trust anyone. And now someone she’d met only a few times had just identified her to a remorseless gangster. True, Jax was a Jedi—but Jedi had been known to go bad before.

He was counting on Rokko being aware of that fact.

The droid did not move, but a flickering diode on its chest plate indicated that it was in contact with its superiors, possibly even Rokko himself. After a tense moment, which lasted long enough for Jax to wonder if he’d made the right decision, the droid spoke again, this time in Rokko’s guttural voice.

“Jax,” the Hutt cooed. “You’ve been keeping secrets from me. I hold no rancor in my heart, however. Please—enter, and bring your lovely friend.”

The battle droid confiscated their blasters and vibroknives while Rokko’s voice continued: “We have a firm no-weapons policy here, for reasons I’m sure you can understand.” Laranth swore under her breath as the door opened.

The first chamber of Rokko’s domicile was large and palatial, in a Huttese fashion; the walls and floor were depressing shades of dun and ocher, and the snarling heads of fierce animals—acklays, rancors, nexus—were mounted around the large central chamber. Glyphs were carved in bas-relief over curtained archways, and exotic crystalline sculptures and friezes seemed to be everywhere Jax