Naezathi

Summary
Naezathi, a criminal hideout on the planet Uush'tuore in the Seswenna sector, is one of those locales which manages to attain an almost legendary status among the dregs of the galaxy. Few know of its existence (including some of its visitors), and a tiny handful know its location. This secrecy is the end result of the cleverness of Naezathi's master, a Black Sun Vigo named Lonay. The elaborate facade which so effectively hides Naezathi from the universe was Lonay's idea, and is one of his more fondly remembered accomplishments.

Uush'tuore
Uush'tuore is an insignificant agricultural colony on the very edge of the Seswenna sector. The slightly warm planet is far from any major hyperspace lanes, and in fact isn't listed on most navigation charts obtained outside the Seswenna sector.

Most of Uush'tuore's surface is dominated by oceans, and the three continents predominantly consist of gently rolling plains, punctuated in spots by small mountain ranges. Uush'tuore's only jungle is situated in the equatorial region of the middle-sized continent, Dipheist, and is avoided by all sensible Uush'tuorians due to its savage ecosystem.

The history of Uush'tuore (the name of which comes from the old Corellian for "marginally pleasant") is brief and uninteresting, the first farm colonies having been established mere decades ago. Its inhabitants are for the most part the hardy, simple type; not one of them are aware of the importance their world holds for Black Sun.

Uush'tuore
Type: Terrestrial
Temperature: Temperate
Atmosphere: Type I (breathable)
Hydrosphere: Moist
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Plains, mountains, jungles
Length of Day: 19 standard hours
Length of Year: 391 local days
Sapient Species: Various (mostly Humans)
Starport: Limited services
Population: 2.1 million
Planet Function: Agriculture
Government: Farming guild
Tech Level: Space
System: Uush'tuore

The Uush'tuore "Sarlacc"
Less than a quarter of the Uush'tuorians are aware of the existence of a Sarlacc monster near the heart of the jungle -- and very few of the farmers have dared venture near enough to see it for themselves. Those who do know of its presence assume it developed from a Sarlacci spore over the course of several centuries. Little do they know that the creature's twisting tentacles and cavernous maw are all a hoax.

In his early years as a Vigo, Lonay, the loyal servant of Prince Xizor, was charged with the task of creating a safehouse for members of Black Sun. Such hideouts were not uncommon to the organization, but Xizor specifically requested "100% security." Lonay's subsequent brainstorming and design resulted in Naezathi.

The mouth of Uush'tuore's "Sarlacc" is in fact an elaborate mock-up designed to fool even the most enterprising -- and daring -- xenobiologist. Consisting of fluid droid-controlled tentacles, a massive mechanical beak, and rows of realistic but harmless inner teeth, the mouth of the Sarlacc is the only entrance or exit from the Naezathi base. As an added precaution against short-range lifeform scanners, Lonay arranged for the mouthparts to consist of a layer of "synthedermis," a rubbery plant-like lifeform specially engineered for such purposes. Thus far it has not proven necessary -- no one has gotten close enough to investigate.

Visitors who are cleared (through Lonay personally) to stay at Naezathi are dropped through the mouth as if they were enemies being cruelly punished. When local jungle wildlife (and, rarely, curious local farmers) snoop near the pit, a set of low-grade sensors alerts the mouth's controller. This individual grabs the intruder and drops him/her/it into the mouth, after which the intruder is dealt with accordingly.

Beneath the mouth is a long, pitch-black shaft which eventually opens into what Naezathi's staff refer to as "the Vestibule." The gymnasium-sized room consists primarily of a wide pool of water designed to catch individuals who fall through the mouth. When the visitors are welcome, they are fished out and shown to their quarters. When the visitors are unwelcome, they are generally harpooned and incinerated. (Naezathi's administrators reason that anyone or anything last seen heading for the Sarlacc wouldn't be expected to return anyway.)

The thick walls of the inner structure are magnetically shielded to reduce escaping traces of energy from Naezathi's small reactor. The outer layer of the walls is also covered in the same biological coating as the mouth, so that even the most tightly-focused orbital scans will register one big lifeform containing several smaller lifeforms -- like any other Sarlacc.

Being essentially a big safehouse, Naezathi has no anti-vehicle weaponry or shields; it relies on its virtual undiscoverability to protect it. The bulk of the inner structure of the base -- which is fairly small -- consists of living areas and storage, with some space reserved for offices, meeting rooms, rudimentary medical facilities, and a small brig (just in case). The construction of Naezathi was long, difficult, and expensive, but Lonay's vision proved rewarding: Xizor gave Lonay a tropical continent in the Expansion Region in recognition of his successful efforts.

Odor Among Thieves

Thiar awoke in the oppressive darkness, yanked out of placid dreams of Kidron by the vessel's apparent reversion to realspace. The foul stench of impending doom instantly cured him of his homesick reverie, and he remembered that he was going to die.

He rested his head on his wrists and huddled against the corner. I should have listened when they told me not to leave, Thiar thought. If he'd never gone to the High City of Refuge, none of this would have happened. Instead, he became a burglar, gotten mixed up in organization after organization, and was eventually given the assignment that ruined him.

If only, Thiar began to repeat in his mind in a conscious endeavor to expunge the smell of his own fear and accumulated filth. If only he'd taken the five extra seconds to attach the drop-wire; if only he'd listened to the little voice in his head that said "that room's not empty!"; if only he'd ducked behind the ammo crate a moment later . . .

But it was too late for that now. Long before Elrood's miserably perfect security goons could have responded, the two large, well-dressed aliens -- whom Thiar assumed were in the cockpit right now -- escorted him to their freighter "for a little ride."

That "little ride" had taken four days (as near as he could tell), and now, as the ship began to shudder through the upper atmosphere, Thiar allowed himself his last moments of peaceful reflection before his corpse was to be dumped on some backwater world. In his mind's olfactory lobe he smelled the sweet kril meat his mother used to make; the old "Kothlis Sunrise" scent-mask his friends used to tease him about; the perfect eyebrows of his first love . . .

The freighter stopped, though its repulsors seemed to be running constant. I wish I knew a little more about space travel, Thiar lamented. He detected the fetid bodily odors of his captors several seconds before they entered the tiny closet and dragged him, shaking and hungry, into the cargo bay.

The shorter of the two immense thugs pulled a lever on the wall, and a wide hatch in the floor opened to reveal the floor of a jungle below. For a fleeting instant Thiar's heart leapt at the possibility that he was back at Kidron, but the massive creature directly below him, its tentacles twisting and its birdlike beak slowly opening, quelled the fantasy in a microsecond.

By the three gods of death! It's a Sarlacc!

"Say goodbye to sunlight for a while," the thug carrying Thiar joked. He kicked and struggled, but to no avail; moments later the immense tongue of the Sarlacc was rushing towards him. He plummeted through the blackness beyond it, down through chilly, odd-smelling air, screaming helplessly all the while. The faintest light became apparent to him a second before Thiar plunged deep into frigid water. Again he screamed, then struggled to reach the surface. Hands grasped his arms and pulled him up, out of the water and onto a cold stone floor.

Gasping and choking, Thiar squinted at the dim space around him. Far from the digestive surroundings he'd expected, Thiar saw a computer terminal, several cleanly-dressed aliens, and pale leathery walls. One of the individuals standing over him, a Human bearing a towel, approached.

"Sorry for the drop, Mr. Thiar," it said with what Thiar suspected was a smirk. "Welcome to Naezathi."

A new, exuberant scent wafted into Thiar's mind: the scent of freedom.

Life in Naezathi
Being cleared for delivery to Naezathi is no easy task; often, the choice is made not by the visitor but by his employers (or Lonay himself). Insertion into the base is accomplished in a fairly simple fashion: the delivery ship enters Uush'tuore's atmosphere (free of harassment from starport control, which is entirely in Black Sun's pay), hovers over the pit, and flies away after dropping the visitor and any additional baggage or supplies.

Naezathi's staff and residents live in small dormitory-style rooms which can accomodate anywhere from one to six individuals, depending on the resident's species, status, and preference. (The standard number of residents per room is three; the entire facility is designed to house around 270 beings, though currently has less than 200 residents.) Decoration of rooms is permitted and encouraged, provided shared rooms aren't dominated by one resident's knick-knacks.

The climate in Naezathi is somewhat cold, owing not only to the base's subterranean construction but also to the need for the lowest possible energy emissions. Members of species who require sunlight or frequent warmth are seldom approved for delivery to Naezathi.

Mealtime is taken in shifts, as on a warship, though the menu is far superior to military-grade food. While still designed to last for decades, the foodpacks shipped regularly to Naezathi are meant for both nutrition and appeal. "Black Sun takes care of the loyal," incredulous Naezathi newcomers are often told over a plate of boiled virpau-root or a bowl of garnished gornt stew.

Fights are extremely rare in Naezathi -- its denizens realize and value their good fortune, and a true community spirit (however rough-around-the-edges) blossoms as a result. A modest security contingent of wary Esoomians provide an added safeguard against internal strife.

Leaving Naezathi is considerably more difficult than arriving. Due to the high need for security (which inhibits communication with the galaxy considerably), Lonay is generally loath to allow a visiting ship to hover long enough to extract an individual from the Vestibule. When this procedure is necessary, arrangements are made to extract as many individuals as possible at the same time, in order to minimize the number of times extractions must be made. A resident who wishes to leave must sign up on the Extraction Waiting List and will often have to wait years before a ship takes the chance of getting caught pulling people out of a "Sarlacc," which would look odd to anyone. To help reduce the need for this moderately risky undertaking, many Naezathi denizens are retirees or other permanent residents.

Naezathi and the Galaxy
Naezathi, while (necessarily) not renowned for its clever facade, is legendary among criminal organizations -- and especially Black Sun -- as a perfectly safe, almost mythical haven, incapable of being compromised. That reputation has only served to irritate agencies like CorSec and the ISB, who have dispatched agents for the express purpose of finding Naezathi, a mission so many have failed so often that many law enforcement officials (and some of the more pessimistic criminals) claim Naezathi doesn't even exist.

The few who actually go to Naezathi know better. Though not the hedonistic paradise some inflated stories purport it to be, the base is a comfortable, quiet retreat for those for whom fringe life has become temporarily (or permanently) hazardous or impossible. Virtually everyone in Naezathi is an affiliate of Black Sun, although Lonay's other underworld connections allow him to slip in beings from other organizations.

Clane Stebrikson
The current in-house administrator of Naezathi is former smuggler Clane Stebrikson. The middle-aged, good-natured Corellian takes his orders directly from Lonay and knows every single denizen of Naezathi personally. Clane inherited the administratorship from Lonay's cousin Grolnay upon his retirement. Lonay initially had misgivings about installing a Human to preside over several persecuted non-Humans, but eventually became convinced of Clane's honor and open-mindedness.

Clane values cleanliness and order, and does his best to keep his small Ugnaught staff busy with the public areas of Naezathi. Residents' rooms are their responsibility, and Clane tolerates all but the most chaotic living arrangements. He often compares his job to that of a hotel manager or a university resident assistant, though never grudgingly: Clane covets his position and intends to oversee Naezathi until he dies.

Clane Stebrikson
Type: Naezathi Administrator
DEXTERITY 3D
Blaster 5D, blaster: blaster rifle 4D, brawling parry 5D+1, dodge 6D, melee combat 4D, melee parry 3D+1, running 4D
KNOWLEDGE 2D+2
Alien species 6D+2, bureaucracy 5D, business 3D+2, business: smugglers 4D+1, cultures 5D, intimidation 6D, languages 4D, law enforcement 4D+2, planetary systems 6D+1, streetwise 6D, streetwise: Black Sun 6D+2, survival 4D, value 3D+2, willpower 6D
MECHANICAL 3D+1
Astrogation 6D, communications 5D, ground vehicle operation 4D, repulsorlift operation 5D+1, sensors 5D+1, space transports 5D+2, space transports: Ghtroc freighters 6D+2, starfighter piloting 4D, starship gunnery 5D, starship shields 4D+1, swoop operation 3D+2
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Bargain 5D, command 6D+1, con 6D+1, forgery 4D, gambling 6D+1, hide 6D, persuasion 6D, search 5D, sneak 4D+1
STRENGTH 3D
Brawling 5D, climbing/jumping 4D+1, lifting 5D, stamina 5D+2
TECHNICAL 2D+1
Blaster repair 3D+2, computer programming 5D, computer repair 3D, droid programming 4D, droid repair 2D+2, security 7D, space transports repair 4D, space transports repair: Ghtroc freighter 4D+2
Character Points: 10
Move: 10
Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), comlink, datapad.


Gelninukk
Type: Industrial espionage agent
DEXTERITY 2D+1
Blaster 3D, dodge 2D+2
KNOWLEDGE 3D+1
Alien species 4D, bureaucracy 5D+1, business 5D, intimidation 4D, languages 4D+1, planetary systems 4D, streetwise 5D, streetwise: Black Sun 6D, willpower 3D+2
MECHANICAL 3D
Communications 4D, repulsorlift operation 3D+2
PERCEPTION 3D+2
Bargain 6D, command 4D+1, con 7D+1, forgery 5D+2, gambling 4D, hide 5D+1, investigation 6D, persuasion 5D+2, search 5D, sneak 4D+1
STRENGTH 2D+2
Brawling 3D+2, lifting 5D, stamina 4D+1
TECHNICAL 3D
Computer programming 6D, computer repair 5D, droid programming 6D, droid repair 4D+1, security 7D
Character Points: 7
Move: 6
Equipment: Hold-out blaster (3D), comlink, datapad, motion tracking sensor.
Capsule: Gelninukk is a 190-year-old Berrite and a recently retired industrial espionage agent in the employ of Black Sun. After a trap was sprung on her on Nar Shaddaa, ruining a job and nearly killing her, Gelninukk found herself en route to Naezathi; Lonay had heard of her otherwise exemplary career and decided to reward the agent. Since her arrival, Gelninukk has made fast friends among the more intellectual, less violent residents of Naezathi. She is known for being almost as gregarious as the three Sullustans with whom she is learning to gamble.

Settings for Naezathi
Though the information presented here is set in the Classic Star Wars era, Naezathi can be used by gamemasters in the post-Return of the Jedi timeframe as part of Black Nebula, or later still as part of Lonay's own fragment organization. The information can also easily be adapted to a Tales of the Jedi- or Prequel-era campaign, as long as the criminal organization behind the base has sufficient resources to construct and maintain it.

Naezathi Diagrams with Key (Note: Several large images -- may load slowly!)


Copyright © 2000 by Mike Lynch. mikelynch@mindless.com

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