The conditions worsened with every block they passed. Makeshift shelters constructed from scrap metal and salvaged materials lined the streets. Families huddled in doorways, children with hollow eyes watching the armed groups pass. The stench of unwashed bodies and open sewage was overwhelming.
"This is what the Hutts left us," the Twi'lek said. "They called these the 'free zones,' but they were just dumping grounds for anyone they couldn't profit from anymore. The sick, the elderly, the children they hadn't gotten around to selling yet."
They arrived at what appeared to be a former warehouse, its walls covered with battle marks. Guards stood at the entrance, their weapons a mix of outdated models and hand crafted weapons. The tensed up at the sight of Maxim in his armor but relaxed when the Twi'lek woman gave them a reassuring nod.
Inside, the warehouse had been converted into something resembling a command center. Maps covered the walls, marked with territorial boundaries and supply routes. A central table held a holographic projector displaying Nar Shaddaa's districts, though the image flickered constantly from poor power supply.
At the table stood a tall human man, his face weathered and scarred. He looked up as they entered, his eyes immediately fixing on Maxim and his escorts with a sense of wariness.
"Korven," the Twi'lek woman said, "this one claims to represent the Emperor. Says he wants to talk about our future."
Korven straightened, crossing his arms. "Does he now. And what does the Emperor want with a bunch of escaped slaves barely holding together?"
Maxim stepped forward, meeting the man's gaze directly. "Emperor Daimon has secured Nal Hutta and is in the process of liberating all Hutt-controlled space. He offers you a choice: join the Imperium in establishing order on Nar Shaddaa or face the chaos alone when the other factions inevitably overwhelm you."
"Order," Korven repeated, his voice filled with skepticism. "That's what the Hutts promised too. Order through enslavement."
"The Imperium does not practice slavery," Maxim said firmly. "In fact, it is forbidden throughout Imperial space. Those who were enslaved under Hutt rule will be granted full citizenship rights."
One of Korven's lieutenants, a scarred Nikto, spoke up. "And what's the catch? Nobody offers freedom without expecting something in return."
"The Emperor expects loyalty and adherence to Imperial law," Maxim replied. "In exchange, you receive protection, resources, education, and the opportunity to build a real civilization instead of this." He gestured to the decrepit warehouse around them.
Korven studied Maxim for a long moment, then walked to the holographic display. "We've held these districts for a month. Lost hundreds doing it. The Iron Fang wants to enslave us again. The Crimson Syndicate wants to conscript us into their gang wars. And now you show up offering salvation." He turned back to face Maxim. "Why should we trust you more than them?"
"Because I saved your people an hour ago when I didn't have to," Maxim replied. "And because the Emperor has already begun implementing reforms on Nal Hutta. Former slaves are receiving medical care, education, and training for legitimate occupations. The slave markets have been demolished. The Hutts who survived the initial invasion are being tried for their crimes."
"Tried?" The Twi'lek woman sounded surprised. "Not just executed?"
"Justice, not vengeance," Maxim said. "Though I suspect most will face execution regardless, given the extent of their crimes. The point is that there is a process, laws being established, not just one tyrant replacing another."
Korven exchanged glances with his lieutenants. The Nikto spoke again. "What about weapons? Training? If we're going to hold territory against the other gangs, we need more than good intentions."
"The Emperor anticipated this," Maxim said. "If you agree to work with Imperial forces, you'll receive military training, proper weapons and armor, and tactical support. Your fighters will be organized into a provisional security force under the Imperial command structure."
"Under Imperial command," Korven repeated slowly. "So, we'd be taking orders from you."
"Yes, that is the price one must pay when negotiating with a higher power. Only in this case, we are not just demanding these things from you without giving anything in return. We offer training, equipment, protection, and a future beyond simply surviving day to day."
Korven walked back to the table, his fingers tracing the flickering holographic map. The silence continued as he weighed his options. Finally, after a while he spoke. "I need to consult with the other district leaders. We're not a unified force, each zone has its own command structure, its own priorities."
"How long?" Maxim asked.
"Give us three days. I'll call a meeting of all the zone commanders who'll listen. Some won't come, they're too proud or too stupid to see that we need help." Korven's expression hardened. "But those who do come will make the decision together. That's how we've survived this long."
Maxim considered this, then nodded. "Three days. In the meantime, my forces will maintain a defensive perimeter around your positions. Consider it a gesture of good faith."
Korven nodded as the Twi'lek woman escorted Maxim back to the front.
As they walked back through the refugee zones, the Twi'lek woman spoke directly to Maxim, her voice quieter than before. "You really believe this Emperor of yours is different?"
Maxim glanced at her. "I have served Emperor Daimon for over three centuries. I have watched him build a civilization from scattered nomads into one of the most powerful empires in the galaxy. I have seen him abolish practices that others considered acceptable. I have witnessed him elevate entire species that others would have exterminated." He paused. "So yes, I believe he is different."
"Three centuries?" She looked at him with surprise. "How old are you?"
"Old enough to know the difference between a tyrant and a leader who actually cares about his people."
They reached the perimeter where the Empyrean Guards had established defensive positions. The Iron Fang Consortium had retreated completely, leaving behind destroyed vehicles and abandoned weapons. Several Liberation Front fighters were already scavenging the equipment to reuse in their future battles.
———
On the Hutt world of Sleheyron, Imperial ground forces had arrived on the planet a few days earlier and have been fighting against an overwhelming number of enemy forces since their arrival.
The fighting was brutal, street-to-street combat through industrial complexes that stretched for kilometers. Sleheyron was a volcanic world, its surface dotted with massive foundries and processing plants where the Hutts had forced millions of slaves to work in conditions that killed thousands annually.
General Vex Korian, commanding the ground forces, stood in a makeshift command post established in a captured factory complex. Holographic displays showed the disposition of Imperial forces across three major industrial zones.
"Status report," Korian demanded, his voice cutting through the noise of incoming artillery fire.
His second-in-command, a scarred Gen'Dai named Thorak, gestured to the tactical display. "We've secured the northern industrial sector, but casualties are mounting. The local gangs have better knowledge of the terrain, and they're using the foundry complexes as force multipliers. Every corridor is a potential ambush site."
"What about the slave populations?"
"Mixed results," Thorak admitted. "Some have risen up to help us, providing intelligence and sabotaging gang positions. Others are too terrified to move, and a few have actually fought against us, believing we're just another faction here to enslave them."
Korian grimaced. The psychological damage inflicted by centuries of Hutt rule ran deep. Trust would not be easily earned.
"Deploy the War Droids to the central sector," he ordered.
"I want them to establish a secure corridor between our positions and the refugee camps. Once we have that secured, we can begin evacuating civilians from the combat zones."
"General, we're receiving reports of Republic fleet movements," a communications officer called out.
"Imperial Command report three large formations entering the outer edge of former Hutt space. We are ordered to avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary. However, if we are attacked then we are instructed to use all means necessary to defeat the enemy."
Korian studied the incoming data, his expression hardening. "The Republic. Of course, they'd show up now that we've done the hard work." He turned to Thorak. "Accelerate the evacuation schedule. I want every civilian we can reach moved to secure zones in case the Republic forces arrive. If they're here, this situation becomes exponentially more complicated."
"What if they try to claim the worlds we've already secured?" Thorak asked.
"Then we'll have a problem," Korian replied grimly. "But those are decisions above my authority. For now, we focus on our mission: secure Sleheyron, protect the civilians, and establish Imperial authority before anyone else can claim it."
Across the planet's surface, Imperial forces pushed deeper into gang-controlled territory. The War Droids proved devastatingly effective in the close-quarters urban combat, their targeting systems able to distinguish between combatants and civilians.
In the refugee camps, Imperial medical teams worked around the clock treating injuries and diseases that had gone untreated for years under Hutt rule. Many former slaves wept openly when they received their first proper medical care in decades, unable to comprehend that it was being offered freely rather than as another form of exploitation.
On Nal Hutta, Daimon was planning a retaliation against the Republic who kept being a thorn in his side for the past century. For a long time now, they have subtly tried to oppose anything the Imperium did whether it was through trade sanctions, political maneuvering, or military posturing along their shared borders.
If the Republic wasn't a necessary pain in his ass for the future, then he would have gotten rid of them a long time ago. But the truth was, the future revolved around their continued existence. That didn't mean he couldn't do his own things here and there, he just couldn't get rid of them at this moment in time.