Trouble at the Shaak - Ne'tra Kar'ta

Voqueech's Datapad 14 BTC

These are excerpts from the journal of Voqueech

25th Selona, 14 BTC

The worst has happened. I received news from Valenthyne Vandetta, a twi'lek associate in the syndicate, fatality had befallen my family. Someone had killed my brother, Zaqueech, in the Swollen Shaak cantina. Valenthyne reported that Pegrand Telis was responsible, and I wanted him caught. I knew where the Republic would have taken the body. I headed to the morgue near the cantina.

En route to the morgue, the Republic forces informed me of what I already knew. I don't understand why they bothered to tell me. As if my first means of intelligence is the pack of dogs commissioned to witness my every step. They didn't know who did it, but my source and his reports say it was Pegrand Telis. Some lowly mercenary thug, I'd never even heard of. Well, we'll know each other soon, more intimately than he hopes to imagine.

Walking towards the morgue--Brok, Graiz and Tork in tow--I couldn't help but look around at the sods that littered this world, any world. They all walked about their evenings as if it was any other day. And, realistically, it was just another day, just another murder in just another slaghole, like so many I had orchestrated before. But personally, emotionally, metaphorically and fatally it was a night unlike any other I was likely to face.

I had only felt this way once before. The day my father was killed. But that was years ago, and it I didn't have the same emotions this time. Then, there was grief and sadness to be sure, but that was alleviated by my ambitious, golden lust for power. When my father died he left the Syndicate to the two of us. And between Zaqueech and I, I always became the leader. My father and Zaqueech were the only family I had ever had. I never knew who my mother was, one of the myriad of cheap schuttas in the core, I never much cared. But losing my brother was the worst of all. Not only was he family. Not only was he a business partner. But he was my best friend, and my only tangible connection to this galaxy. My credcards, my various indenticards, my ships and my speeders, everyone who followed my command, they were all but fickle temptations, ephemeral, trivial novelties whose existence or lack thereof wouldn't even phase me.

I still didn't understand how Zaqueech was naive and amateur enough to fall for the set up. He was invited by Fuza 'Fuze' Macoy, a successful smuggler and merchant of some repute known amongst the spacers for his ability to elude whichever authority was looking for him, to a sit-down at the Swollen Shaak to negotiate a trade agreement of sorts. I don't know for certain whether Fuza actually went to meeting and, if so, I don't know his culpability to the crime. He may well have only been used as a ruse to lure my brother out of safety.

After my identity was verified and I entered the morgue, I saw him. It wasn't the messiest of deaths I'd ever seen but it definitely wasn't the most honorable end. Two blaster shots to the head. I hadn't seen the crime scene yet but this seemed exactly like any other hired hit, some penny-a-pistol coward without the courage or honor to face his victim. I wasn't going to let that Mandalorian get away with it.

26th Selona, 14 BTC

I went to the crime scene. I already knew what I was going to do, I just wasn't sure how I was going to do it and who I was going to do it to. I believed that it was Pegrand Telis, but the twi'lek who presented the evidence to me wasn't particularly trustworthy, like any informant or consort, and I wanted to hear the testimony directly from the source. So I went to the Swollen Shaak to find some answers.

Nearing the Cantina, all I could think of was this Pegrand Telis. I had never seen him or heard him speak, but I knew he was a Mandalorian and that gave me an accurate depiction of the object of my ignominy. And then I sought to envision the slug who hired this thug to plague my family and my business with bereavement, there were so many candidates, too many to even conjure in my mind.

"Waoo wwoos oarahacwo rawwr srooharanwo."

The gargantuan black wookiee at the door howled at me, telling us not to cause any trouble. I believe it was directed at my Gamorrean escorts, but it certainly wouldn't affect any of their decisions. We weren't there to cause trouble though, someone in the cantina had information regarding my brother and I was going to find out who.

If I hadn't known better, I would have had no idea that an assassination occurred in this slumhole only a day ago. The bar was infested with despots. The kind of people that even an illegitimate entrepreneur such as myself would refrain from hiring. A bunch of two-bit slythemongers, brigands and smugglers, the only semblance of staff that I could see was the service droid working at the bar.

"Where is your owner? The owner of this cantina."

"I'm sorry, sirs, Daxx is currently preoccupied with a business associate. Please, have a drink, enjoy yourself. He will be made aware of your presence. Thank you."

This droid was congenial enough, a recent model of service droids, but it wasn't of much use right now. I took a seat at the nearest open table, Brok, Graiz and Tork stayed standing, ready and waiting for Daxx to join us. A man in black suit of mandalorian armor came over to the table; the Gamorreans readied their weapons.

"Excuse me, Voqueech, I have information about your brother's murder. I'm Aruetii, I doubt you remember me, I worked for you and your father about a decade or so ago."

As I was racking my brain trying to remember this mandalorian, he spoke Mando'a into his commlink.

"Ne'tra, k'olar. Voqueech'cuy olar."

"Yes, I think I remember you, a Mandalorian with no friends among the mandalorians. A traitor--"

I was interrupted by the dark black wookiee from the entrance to the cantina, who came and stood over Aruetii, threatening me with his two and a half meters of brawn. "Ccr wwraccwo acc Ranraoaor Acworars. Acs acc rroooowa soo ccwowos rooha, Hooohawowooaac."

"So, Black Heart, Aruetii, what can you tell me about my brother's death?"

"We're certain that it was Pegrand Telis's doing."

"How do you know?"

"Rarchuwoaoahah craoh acahsc. Ah craoh acahsc rawhwa oaacracwowa wwoorc rarhoohuao ra scahanwo. Acwo cacooao scwo aoacrcwowo aoahscwoc rawhwa aoacwowh acrawa aooo craoarcahwwahoawo acahc rcahwwanwo ahwh oorcwaworc aooo scraorwo rawh wocoaraakwo. Toacwo Ahwhhowocaoahrrraaooorcc aoooooor ahao ahwhaooo wohoahwawowhoawo--" Black Heart explained what happened, gesticulating towards the fresh blaster wounds on his stomach and his left arm's biceps.

The wookiee was interrupted by a secret room being revealed behind where I was sitting. Four humans poured out, followed by an Advosze who stopped at our table. "Ah, Voqueech, we've been awaiting your arrival."

"Obviously not a priority though, Daxx."

"Well, we don't need introductions, then. Have Aruetii and Ne'tra filled you in on the story thus far?"

"Yes, they have, but what I don't understand is how any of you allowed this tragedy to take place in front of eyes."

For whatever reason, Daxx didn't answer the question immediately and Aruetii offered his own experienced answer.

"This cantina has a significant security flaw, the entrance is predominantly not visible from the bar and seating area. When Pegrand was taking cover we had no way of noticing him until after he committed the crime. Ne'tra Kar'ta and I know where Pegrand is and we would be more than happy to avenge your brother, very slowly and very painfully, but our services come with a price."

I didn't like being extorted like this. But vengeance healed the wound of my fallen father. It would heal the wound of my fallen brother.

"You have the job, under three conditions, when you find him you must torture him until there's nothing left, you must make him relinquish his employer's name, and I must see it all."

31st Selona, 14 BTC

Aruetii and Ne'tra Kar'ta finally found him.

I'm not sure exactly where or how they found him. But I heard reports of a lot key mercenaries in town being pressed on by the Butchers. There was also--and I'm not sure if this is related--a team of Mandalorians whose hangar was infiltrated, leaving behind ten dead Mandalorians and a pool of blood. My sources didn't know what was the fate of the Mandalorians' ship.

The duo brought me a holovid and said they would be back after I had watched to collect their payment. They were very efficient.



[Enclosed is the final holovid of Pegrand Telis' Interrogation]



Restricted and restrained in the passenger seat of a ship, Pegrand Telis is seated, battered and bruised but harboring no life threatening wounds. Standing over the unarmored Mandalorian is Aruetii and Ne'tra Kar'ta, the Black Butchers.

"Oacr waacwa rooha oracanan Ufraohawowooaac, Aworrrrawwwa?" The massive Wookiee roared, pummeling his prisoner in the stomach and face, his head often too high to appear in the frame.

Cool and collected, Aruetii translated his companion's cacophony, "Why did you kill Zaqueech, Pegrand?"

"I didn't do it!" The bound brigand maintained.

"We know that's not true, Pegrand, we saw you, don't act like you don't remember." Aruetii reminded his culprit.

"Ac acrahwo wwoos ahaananwowa oohas ccr oaanraoc rwos." The Wookiee declared.

"Don't make him take out his claws, Pegrand, that won't end well for you. Now, one more time, why did you kill Zaqueech?" The Mandalorian fully clad in black armor asked, still completely calm.

"I can't say why." Lamented the captive.

"You have to, Pegrand, or you will die a slow, merciless, pitiful death."

"Raanan waworasacc rarwo aacsacwwhaan, Aworrrrawwwa, waworasac acc waworasac, acs oowwanr ccrassworc acooo araacwwwwhaan sacwo wowwwa acc." The Wookie somberly noted.

"No, a death in combat is honorable. Give me my chance to fight and I will have a chance. And if I fail, at least I'll die with dignity."

"Alright, Pegrand, tell us who hired you to kill Zaqueech, and we will give you that chance. Or..."

Ne'tra extended his claws, eyeing and trifling their blood stained facade.

"No? Well alright, proceed, Black Heart." Aruetii allowed.

Ne'tra took Pegrand's trigger finger, starting to break the individual phalanges and metacarpal bones. Pegrand screamed, but refused to divulge his employer.

"You do understand that whatever we will do to you is a hundred times worse than whatever your employer will do."

"It's the honor of the matter! The principle! You Butchers know nothing of honor or principles!" The convict crowed.

Aruetii nodded at his partner and Ne'tra proceeded to slowly cut through the mercenary's right thumb at the carpometacarpal joint.

While Ne'tra was severing Pegrand's thumb with his claw, Aruetii suggested, "Tell us who hired you and we will give you your chance in combat."

"What kind of chance will I have without the use of my fingers?!" The constrained Mandalorian implored. Aruetii and Ne'tra Kar'ta simply laughed.

"Oh, Pegrand, we're just getting started." Aruetii scoffed, leaving the range of the camera.

"Acwo oacanan rwo rraoaor. Rwo arasacwowws. Sacworwo acc cchaoaac ccoorwo soo oaooccwo rwowwoorwo sacacc wowwwac." Warned the Wookiee sociopath.

Taking out one of the Ryyk blades from their place on his back, Ne'tra bellowed, "Ac oacanan rwo ccworoaacwwhaan wwoor ra racs, wwooo." And continued laughing as he grabbed on to Aruetii's left hand, proceeding to cut the hand in half through the middle of the metacarpal bones, just above the thumb. Blood poured from the wound, all the while Pegrand howled in agony.

Aruetii returned from the back of the ship with two cables attached to the ship's hydrospanner and power cell. "I see we've made some progress" Barely audible over Pegrand's screams. "Now, my friend, are you ready to talk, or do we have more work to do?"

Finishing attaching the cables to Pegrand's shoulder, Aruetii was interrupted by Pegrand. "It was Vorta! Vorta the Hutt, he hired me. It was just a job!"

"Very good. Ne'tra, start the engines. Sorry, Pegrand, it's just a job."

After electricity visibly flows through Pegrand Telis for several minutes. Aruetii approaches the holocam, "Rest in peace, Zaqueech."



[End of holovid]



To the impartial eye, I'm sure that video is disgusting and despicable but, to me, it offers solace. When the Black Butchers returned to receive their premium, I gave them a little extra for producing the results I sought so efficiently.

Now that only leaves Vorta...

The Unedited Holovid of Pegrand Telisp



[Enclosed is the original holovid of Pegrand Telis' interrogation]



The holocam is set-up and engaged revealing, restricted and restrained in the passenger seat of a ship, Pegrand Telis, battered and bruised but harboring no life threatening wounds. Standing over the unarmored Mandalorian is a wookie, only the lower half visible.

Another voice is heard from behind the holocam, "Ne'tra, let's go, there's still a few things we need from Haar Jare."

"Ooorrar." Ne'tra replied, walking out of the view of the holocam.

Pegrand took his chance, "I won't have much time. If anyone sees this. They set me up! They came into my apartment early in the morning on the 25th. We fought and that fur-ball got the better of me. They drugged me and kept me in a cage on their ship. They want me to say that I killed Zaqueech. That it was just a job. They want me to say that it was Vorta! Vorta the Hutt! That kriffing slug. They framed me, those dreaded traitors, Aruetii and Ne'tra Kar'ta. They've always had it in for me. They took my armor and my rifle. I don't know how they did it, but they set me up! And I can't say why. But don't believe it! Don't believe them! They--" Pegrand was interrupted by Aruetii and Ne'tra Kar'ta coming back into the frame.

"Very good. That was a cute try, kid. No one's ever going to see it. Well, not all of it." Pegrand muttered. "Have some fun with him, Ne."

"Oacr waacwa rooha oracanan Ufraohawowooaac, Aworrrrawwwa?" The massive Wookiee roared, pummeling his prisoner in the stomach and face, his head often too high to appear in the frame.

Cool and collected, Aruetii translated his companion's cacophony, "Why did you kill Zaqueech, Pegrand?"

"I didn't do it!" The bound brigand maintained.

"We know that's not true, Pegrand, we saw you, don't act like you don't remember." Aruetii reminded his culprit.

"No! You didn't! You're lying!" Pegrand screeched.

"Ac acrahwo wwoos ahaananwowa oohas ccr oaanraoc rwos." The Wookiee declared.

"Don't make him take out his claws, Pegrand, that won't end well for you. Now, one more time, why did you kill Zaqueech?" The Mandalorian fully clad in black armor asked, still completely calm.

"I don't want to die like this!" Lamented the captive.

"You have to, Pegrand, or you will die a slow, merciless, pitiful death."

"Raanan waworasacc rarwo aacsacwwhaan, Aworrrrawwwa, waworasac acc waworasac, acs oowwanr ccrassworc acooo araacwwwwhaan sacwo wowwwa acc." The Wookie somberly noted.

"No, a death in combat is honorable. Give me my chance to fight and I will have a chance. And if I fail, at least I'll die with dignity."

"Alright, Pegrand, tell us who hired you to kill Zaqueech, and we will give you that chance. Or..."

Ne'tra extended his claws, eyeing and trifling their blood stained facade.

"I won't play into your plot! You kriffing lunatics!"

"No? Well alright, proceed, Black Heart." Aruetii allowed.

Ne'tra took Pegrand's trigger finger, starting to break the individual phalanges and metacarpal bones. Pegrand screamed, but refused to divulge his employer.

"You do understand that whatever we will do to you is a hundred times worse than whatever your employer will do."

"I have no employer, I'm just a slick junkie trying survive in this awful awful galaxy!"

"Is it really worth your life just so that Vorta can keep his secrets?" Aruetii said, disregarding Pegrand's answer.

"That's not why I wouldn't ever admit who my employer was, they hire people believing that the task will be done without question and without admission. It's the honor of the matter! The principle! You Butchers know nothing of honor or principles!" The convict crowed.

Aruetii nodded at his partner and Ne'tra proceeded to slowly cut through the mercenary's right thumb at the carpometacarpal joint.

"''Di'kut''!! Stop this!

While Ne'tra was severing Pegrand's thumb with his claw, Aruetii suggested, "Tell us who hired you and we will give you your chance in combat."

"What kind of chance will I have without the use of my fingers?!" The constrained Mandalorian implored. Aruetii and Ne'tra Kar'ta simply laughed.

"Oh, Pegrand, we're just getting started." Aruetii scoffed, leaving the range of the camera.

"Acwo oacanan rwo rraoaor. Rwo arasacwowws. Sacworwo acc cchaoaac ccoorwo soo oaooccwo rwowwoorwo sacacc wowwwac." Warned the Wookiee sociopath.

Taking out one of the Ryyk blades from their place on his back, Ne'tra bellowed, "Ac oacanan rwo ccworoaacwwhaan wwoor ra racs, wwooo." And continued laughing as he grabbed on to Aruetii's left hand, proceeding to cut the hand in half through the middle of the metacarpal bones, just above the thumb. Blood poured from the wound, all the while Pegrand howled in agony.

Aruetii returned from the back of the ship with two cables attached to the ship's hydrospanner and power cell. "I see we've made some progress" Barely audible over Pegrand's screams. "Now, my friend, are you ready to talk, or do we have more work to do?"

"Ne'tra, start the engines. Sorry, Pegrand, it's just a job."

After electricity visibly flows through Pegrand Telis for several minutes. Aruetii approaches the holocam, "Rest in peace, Zaqueech."



[End of holovid]