enter the palace

The starry Tatooine night gives way to replete darkness as you enter the gaping maw of the giant door in front of you. You pass into a void, following the sound of the grunting guards and pattering footsteps on the damp ground. You weave your way through a maze, and once you're completely lost, you hear a sound in front of you accompanied by a dim light. As the narrow walls of the passageway begin to take shape, you notice flashing lights and music.

As you turn the final corner, you pass through a beaded curtain and find yourself in a raucous party. Fortuna leads you along with the guards behind you, pushing you towards the center of the room.

There, center stage, on a massive dais, is a giant, hulking, slimy green monstrosity: a hutt. Suddenly this all makes sense. Fortuna works for Jabba the Hutt: you recognize the twisted nose and reptillian eyes. You'd hope to avoid meeting this loathsome creature, but you are here to accomplish this mission and get your credits by any means necessary. If it means negotiating with the quadrant's cruelest gangster, so be it.

The music continues to blast, and dancers and musicians of all types scatter throughout the room. Servants provide drinks to those in attendance, and many thugs and other good-for-nothings loiter around, drinking, smoking, and laughing. You notice the movement of bodies in the corner which suggests two people are really going at it. It's too dark to see exactly who or what is happening.

Jabba takes a hit of his hookah and reels from the blast. You smirk a little, negotiating with a ****-addled criminal was sure to be to your advantage. Fortuna, a look of concern clearly written across his face, approaches the Hutt and tries to get his attention. It takes a few moments, as Fortuna speaks louder and louder over the music, until he finally pats Jabba very firmly. The Hutt jerks suddenly and turns towards Fortuna with sudden attention, angry at being disturbed. He mutters something in an alien language before looking at you.

His eyes narrow, but his pupils remain dilated. As he turns, you notice a red twi'lek with beautiful tattoos massaging his belly and... well... lower. She is skimpily dressed and covered in the Hutt's slime. You wince, you know what her role is.

Jabba looks at you, and then down at your package. He chortles with joy and rocks in such a way you're worried he'll tumble over. The red twi'lek servant beneath him appears frightened.

"Ahhhhhhghhhh..." Jabba gurgles with an almost purring noise. "You have brought me my device, very good..." He reaches out to grab it from you, though he is much too far away to reach it. Again, he almost spills forward.

Fortuna realizes he will have to do the negotiations tonight.

"Master Jabba offers you 5000 credits for your services," he says with a smirk, trying to use his confidence to distract you from the embarrassment his Master is being.

"5000 is half of what you offered me, space trash," you say with venom before realizing you're being rather intense. You've had a long day and want to go home.

"5000 is what we can offer at such a delayed time," Fortuna repeats his offer. You expected this kind of scummy behavior, but a 50% cut is ****.

You're hoping to walk out of here with a little more cash than that.