Chapter 5.

BRUEKAL

Bruck-Call

Uklak the Hutt slithered back and forth in agitation, in his three hundred years, he had never put out such a risky bounty. His mother was going to feed him to his own Krayt dragon. Or worse have him slow roasted and eat him herself. 350,000 credits on one lowly Twi’lek. He must be losing his mind! But just the chance of squeezing into a better position on Coruscant was worth considerable risk. the seat of the galactic government was not the best place to set up a thriving bounty hunter business. He had a hunch that in the budding galactic alliance there was money to be made in bounties and assassinations.

He slithered back and forth along the cage rapping it with his metal scepter. The dragon roared at the noise and sprang at the bars. 5 meters of angry lizard tried to rend him, a phlegm soaked chuckle burbled out of his thick neck. The risks nearly outweighed the possible benefits. But it never hurt to please a contact within a recently overthrown government, just in case the old empire become the new rebels. One thing he knew from his short life was that governments never lasted long. Chuckling wetly he slithered over back to his apartment. The door slid open and the slave girls he had chained to the walls recoiled, the door closed behind him as he slithered in eagerly.

In the common area below, Uklak’s bounty hunters enjoyed all he had to offer them for entertainment. A full bar covered one whole side of the large room and a line of cages displayed the captives that had been brought in. the lighting was kept to a minimum and smoke choked the air. The cages were filled with every type of being from across the universe most simply sat, heads hung in defeat. A few prowled the confines off their cages. At the end of the line, a larger reinforced cage held a single Wookie.

He raged against his cage, howling and crashing against the bars. Uklak owned the whole complex so no one who heard him would care. All 248 floors. The tower stretched all the way down to the crust of the planet, it was an initiation rite among the new bounty hunters to see how far down they dared go. Some of them never made it back. It was rumored that Uklak had stocked some of the floors with creatures from all over the universe and some kind of treasure was at the very bottom level, many had disappeared trying to make their fortune.

Uklak had been given control of the building as his share of the inheritance when the last monarch of his family had died. It was worth more than some outer rim planets and was the capital of the underground slave trade on all of Coruscant. Slavery on Coruscant was much different than most of the galaxy.

Most who ended up in slavery did so willing, selling themselves for their families, or selling years of servitude, few ended up in slavery unwillingly. Uklak thought as he slithered towards the common rooms below his penthouse suite.

The Wookie was practically raining blood, on everyone around him. His hands and fists were slashed and bruised from his near-constant pounding on the bars. Blood covered his bare skin.

Bruekal’s anger obliterated any capacity for thought as he pounded mindlessly at his prison. The bounty hunter who had dishonored him was just out of arms reach. It talked and joked calmly with his scum friends. Bruekal roared in frustration and lunged as hard as he could against the bars, they bowed slightly and the caged actually rocked forward ripping one of the bolts out of the floor. His vision went from blood red to white burst of pain as his shoulders hit the Durasteel. He was flung back and landed in a heap. His bare skin shredded against the rough floor of the cage. He was stunned unable to move, thoughts fought their way to the surface of his mind through the haze of pain and rage. The bounty hunter would pay! That filthy Nikto had lied to him and drugged his drink. Bruekal grimaced showing his impressive fangs as he struggled to crouch on the cage floor. He had managed to crush the bastards hand before he had fallen unconscious. But it had not been worth the indignity of waking up with all of his perfect fur shaved off! Exposing his lightly tanned skin, only tufts around his feet, hands, and face had been left on to mock him. Revenge. The word cemented itself in his thoughts as pain swamped him again the Nikto threw a hunk of raw nerf steak into the cage with him and laughed. Bruekal simply growled low in his throat and glared.

“That beast is gonna murder you Morgesst.” a Trandoshan said quietly, as he watched the antics of his captor. Morgesst, now he had a name, soon it would be Morgesst’s turn to suffer, Bruekal thought grimly, settling down, he prepared to wait.

Uklak came down to the common room to survey his employees haul for the week. 14 political prisoners, 4 criminals, and 2 private bounties, not a bad week. His mood soured abruptly as one of the bounty hunters threw a glass at a naked shaved Wookie. It was almost enough to lift his black mood. That bounty had cost him more than he was ever going to get now.

“Moorg! stoop toorrmenting that thing!” Uklak said angrily. he slithered over as fast as he could to the Nikto.

“Just having some fun boss,” Morgesst said looking offended. “I got it back here in time, speaking of which, where is my money?” Uklak turned a slightly darker shade of green and black started to appear in blotches. he struggled against his first impulse to kill the fool. sighing he gave in, he ignored the rest of the Nikto’s chatter. he glanced at his most trusted hunter, the Trandoshan nodded. he lashed out with a leg and sent Morgesst stumbling back.

Bruekal reached a hand through the bars quick as a striking snake. He grabbed Morgesst in one giant clawed hand, he wrapped his other hand around his struggling throat. Morgesst was a professional, he didn’t cry out he, just struggled as hard as he could against the titanic strength of the enraged Wookie. to no avail, Bruekal simply drugs him closer to the bars and wrapped both hands around Morgesst’s throat. Corded muscles up and down Bruekal’s arms bunched. with a wrench of his wrists, he snapped the Nikto’s neck just before he managed to get his blaster clear of its holster. with an almost casual show of strength, Bruekal threw the body halfway across the silent room. Uklak smiled and addressed the Wookie in common.

“Thank yoou foor that, yooung Wooookie.” Uklak had trouble with common, it was such simple language, with nearly no inflection, he always drew out the Os. Just to give it to somebody. “It seems that yoou are extremely lucky. The party whoo signed yoour boounty has died suddenly. yoou are free to goo, but befoore yoou doo. I woould like too ooffer yoou a joob, as yoou can see we have an oopening.” he chuckled wetly and the crowd of bounty hunters joined his mirthless laughter.