Vertical Mobility

The following day, Shomwe woke as she typically did. She slapped the beeping clock beside her bed, showered with water that was warm for almost a full minute before turning cold, and dressed in her work attire of a shirt, cargo pants, boots, a jacket, and a loose-worn scarf. She looked at her newly acquired fashion piece. As much as she wanted to show it off, it just was not appropriate for work. Too many opportunities for it to be dirtied, or ripped, or the likes. She did not eat anything before leaving her flat. There was usually food at the den.

Shomwe made her way to the edge of the town where its other stronghold sat – a Hutt compound. It featured what was probably the single largest building in Shinca apart from the starport. She may have heard something about it being a magnate’s estate before a Hutt came along and took a liking to it. Now it was a base of operations for legally-inadvisable activities. With all the blaster-toting guards around, it may have been even more secure than the local Republic base across town.

Recognizing her, the gatekeepers admitted her without challenge. She traversed the courtyard, once again appreciating the way the foliage and its shade complimented the artificial character of the architecture. As planned, she stopped by the canteen for her morning meal. From there, she walked the halls toward the chamber where grunts like herself were given their assignments for the day.

A queue trailed up to a desk, behind which, an aged Besalisk man passed out holopads containing jobs. As the henchmen received their tasks and stepped out of line, there were soft cheers at enviable assignments, and sighs of disappointment at less desirable ones. More often the latter.

Come Shomwe’s turn, the Besalisk gave her nothing. “Uh-uh,” he shook his head. “I heard that today you’re supposed to go to the boss himself.”

She adopted a smug expression. “Well, well. Looks like someone’s moving up in the world, wouldn’t you say?” She elbowed the human behind her in line for approval.

“I don’t know you,” was all he gave her.

With pep in her step, Shomwe made for the hosting chamber – the place where Wusheg Lex the Hutt conducted business during the day. Wusheg did not rank high in Hutt hierarchy, but he was still a Hutt, so he was nigh omnipotent in this town and everywhere else in his domain. Shomwe had never spoken directly with him before, but to be given an assignment directly from him was definitely something to be excited about.

Maybe he'll have me go undercover - spy on a rival gang perhaps. Or maybe there's some minion with loose lips that needs to be silenced. Ooh! Or maybe some important agent has been captured by the Republic and I'm being chosen to lead a daring rescue! Just like in the holovids!

Shomwe’s head was still boiling over with possibilities when she arrived. Reading the room, she waited in the wings for the previous business to wrap up before engaging the Hutt. Wusheg sat on his dais, as always. Beside him stood a protocol droid for interpreting on behalf of any guest that did not speak Huttese.

But who doesn’t speak Huttese?

Before the Hutt, an unsettled-looking bounty hunter wrung his hands. “Your eminence, there was no other way for it to play out. It was a heat-of-the-moment situation. It was so close quarters… I barely got out alive myself!”

“<You are attempting to complicate the outcome of a blunder – your blunder! Plain and simple,>” Wusheg said. “<Your only instructions were to bring him back alive. Alive!>”

“Please, Your Greatness. I just need one chance to make it up to you.”

“<I cannot afford such mistakes. I have a business to run!>” Wusheg faced his guards. “<Get him out of here! I don’t want him to so much as set foot on this world again!>”

Prodding the hunter with their weapons, the guards drove him toward the exit.

Taking that as her cue, Shomwe swaggered up to the Hutt. “Reporting for duty, Your Exaltedness.” She gave a sloppy salute.

“<Who is she?>” the Hutt asked impatiently. Understandably, he was still in a sour mood after the previous exchange.

A lieutenant stepped forward, holding up a holopad and tapping the screen for Wusheg to see. “She’s your, erm, special appointment.”

“Hm,” Shomwe stroked her chin. “I hope that’s not a code name. I’ve got some better ideas. How about… Scourge of Dantooine? Hm, maybe that’s too much. Green Menace? No, that’s kind of broad… and race-y.”

“<Ah, Shomwe…>” Wusheg remembered now. “<You are a dealer, are you not?>”

“And – not to brag, but – one of the better ones as I understand,” she bragged.

“<Do the better ones cheat?>”

“Beg pardon?” For the first time, Shomwe was thrown from her groove.

“<I have been informed that you have been holding out on me.>” The Hutt’s tone was grim. “<You’ve been taking a portion of sales for yourself instead of submitting all income to receive your appropriate cut. You raised prices on your buyers so I wouldn’t notice a decline in your profits.>”

“Isn’t that… my prerogative?” Shomwe muttered defensively.

“<I don’t appreciate being cheated, girl. I was generous enough to set you up with steady employment, and you betray my trust? Unacceptable.>”

Shomwe could feel the tension in the room rising. Everyone knew something was coming. The guards were ready, grasping their quarterstaffs, polearms, pikes, or whatever they were equipped with.

“This is hardly a betrayal. You were still getting exactly as much as you expected.” Shomwe remained confident. “The real betrayal here was someone tattling on me to you… So who was it?”

“Tattling?” one Nikto guard spoke up. “Don’t you get a big part of your income from reporting fugitives to the Republic?”

“Well, yeah, but I never report affiliates of the Hutts.” Shomwe folded her arms and pouted. “So it’s not like they’re friends of ours or anything.”

“<Irrelevant!>” Wusheg was eager to get the conversation back on track. “<Nobody gets away with scamming a Hutt!>” He motioned to a pair of guards. “<Take her to the dungeon for reconditioning.>”

As the duo closed in on her, Shomwe answered the situation the way she best knew; boldly, and rashly. From under her jacket, she drew a hand blaster. She levelled it at the Hutt and everyone in the room seemed to gasp. Just when they thought things could not escalate further…

“There will be none of that,” she declared. “Wusheg, I’ve given you years of my life in exchange for the pittance you call fair.”

“<How DARE you point that at me?!>”

“Oh, I dare alright. And I dare to do more than point it.” Shomwe squeezed the trigger. A blast rang out. The bolt found its way between the Hutt’s eyes. He gave one choked gasp, then slouched in place.

Time was halted in the chamber. All around attendants and guards stared agasp at the murdered crime boss. Eyes bulged and lungs sat still. All except for Shomwe who wore a look of pleasant surprise.

“Woah… I was aiming for his chest, but that’s a lot more impressive, eh?” She lowered the weapon. “Ahem. Now, with him out of the way, I will be assuming command here, and let me say, there’s a lot that I’m going to change. For starters, we’ll be dusting this place weekly instead of annually…”

She was winded by a strike she did not see coming.