Planet Taris
Two years ago

Red carpeting and blue tapestries decorate the lush meeting hall of Tagalo, where the Hutt rested on a reclining seat surrounded by screens listing business reports and projections. Having already memorized them, he could safely keep his full attention on the much larger Hutt in the repulsorsled before him. While both were surrounded by their retainers, Tagalo's wore business suits and datapads, with holocoms ready to take and give reports and orders at a moment's notice, while Esprinka's were hardly dressed at all. Aside from her bodyguards, they all looked broken and haunted, empty shells too far traumatized and scarred to be afraid anymore. The businessfolk gave her and hers a wide berth.

<"These rich brats playing at being nobility are so easy to manipulate, Auntie. You needn't concern yourself with my bottom line so long as I have them growing more paranoid and aggressive by the day. The revenue stream will only grow as their desperation for bigger and more devastating equipment turns them to my more expensive product lines."> Tagalo hid his own fear much better than his employees. The fact that he had employees was the very reason Esprinka had brought her star barge to this disgusting world in the first place.

<"Dear boy, you're still bringing in far less than your brothers. Auntie Sprinka is worried about you, keeping yourself beholden to those poxflies on the levels above. Their rules aren't our rules, remember. All it takes is a little push to get them under your grip, instead of you in theirs. Perhaps Donero could help, if you just gave him a little more responsibility. I'd hate to see the two of you pushed out of business, you are my favorites, after all."> Esprinka scooped up a chunk of the red stew she had at her side and popped it into her enormous mouth, maintaining eye contact with Tagalo. A chill went down his cartilage.

<"Of course, Auntie, you are wise as ever. The boy and I can expand our business here and make Taris understand who the real nobility is.">

---

The rest of Esprinka's visit seemed to go well, though Tagalo's tension never eased. Once she was safely offworld again, the Hutt took a private meeting with his nephew.

<"I know your father sent you here to learn, and I hope you have, because it's time for you to move on. This situation isn't going to improve as fast as Esprinka wants, and I am almost certainly a dead man unless I can deal with her first. You still have a chance to show what you are capable of, but it won't be on Taris. I'm having a transport prepared to bring you to Telos, where I have an associate who can help you. Your own empire will start there. Find a human named Kal Jorek, but perhaps don't ask the authorities, you know. They won't like that. Now get yourself ready to become your own Hutt, my boy."