The Emerald King - The Siege of Nul Hutta Part One. (Patreon)

Commander Dariana, Nar Shaddaa – Nul Hutta System.

“Situation report,” the commander ordered, seated in the command chair of the Nyx, the new stealth ship the Emperor had assigned her for the final assault on Nul Hutta.

That thought was still… unbelievable to Dariana: a stealth cruiser completely under her command, five hundred meters of the best Imperial technology available… second-generation runic shields, particle cannons for orbital siege operations, as well as twelve ultra-heavy turbolaser batteries, not to mention the two regiments of battle droids, prepared and ready to descend if necessary.

And soon they would be put to the test, the commander thought as she studied the latest preliminary reports. Word had arrived that the fleets had already left Hephaestus Prime and were heading toward Nul Hutta, so it was only a matter of time before the plan began.

“Stealth systems are active. We are in orbit over Nar Shaddaa, our particle cannons are charged and ready, the droid legion is prepared to descend, and Crimson and Cyan Squadrons are ready for infiltration,” said her First Officer, making Dariana nod silently as she carefully and somewhat warily observed every defense of the planet.

“More than five hundred ships are defending Nul Hutta,” her First Officer added cautiously. The hesitation on his face made Dariana frown at the implied doubt in the Emperor’s capabilities.

“They are no match for our fleet. The truly dangerous targets are the orbital platforms, but the Emperor and Lord Sirius will deal with them. Our mission is another matter. Are the ion torpedoes ready? The moment the fleet emerges, I want this moon completely blind,” Dariana ordered, studying the projection of the city once more.

Nar Shaddaa, the jewel of the Hutt Criminal Empire, filled with luxury, excess, and crime, infested with the worst the galaxy had to offer, a place that for a very long time had been nothing more than a symbol of Hutt impunity, depravity, and arrogance.

But today… today it would become a monument to all its sins.

“Hyperspace signatures detected, my Lady, aligned with Imperial ship parameters,” said the communications officer, while one by one the ships of the First Fleet began to emerge just outside the engagement range of the enemy fleet, and Dariana could not help but admire the imposing and terrifying sight of the Imperial Fleet.

Corvettes and frigates occupied the first reconnaissance line, spread out like an immense net designed to intercept any patrol that attempted to escape the system. The objective of those ships was simple: prevent small vessels from escaping. The Emperor’s orders had been equally simple: no survivors. Every enemy ship was to be destroyed.

Surrenders would not be accepted in this campaign.

Behind them remained the destroyers, larger than frigates but of lower tonnage than battlecruisers. They were organized into mutually supporting groups, with enough separation to prevent a single attack from compromising several ships at the same time, yet close enough to concentrate fire on any priority target. No doubt Sarina would focus the destroyers’ considerable firepower on the enemy cruisers.

Farther back, imposing and powerful, like chained beasts waiting to be unleashed, rested the battlecruisers. The massive particle cannons protruded from their hulls, aimed directly at the enemy cruisers, no doubt eager for the order to begin the attack.

And at the absolute center of that entire formation stood the flagship of the First Fleet, The Legacy of Terra, and the flagship of Fleet Mistress Sarina: two kilometers of pure destructive power, armed with ultra-heavy particle cannons capable of crystallizing entire planets.

The sensors of the Nyx flared to life once more, displaying the arrivals of the remaining fleets. The Wolves of Mandalore appeared near the northern hemisphere, while the Crimson Angels emerged from the south.

Curiously, there was still no sign of the Naboo Praetorians, or of the Marauder itself, but Dariana knew it was only a matter of time. The commander simply began issuing orders, preparing everything for the assault on the moon.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, the moment has arrived. Our brothers and sisters are about to begin the Siege of Nul Hutta, the final thrust that will rid the galaxy of Hutt corruption once and for all.”

At those words, everyone on the bridge erupted into cheers, something that honestly did not surprise the commander in the slightest. After all, every member of the Ravens came from the same place.

From the chains the Hutts had imposed across the Outer Rim. Every one of her brothers and sisters carried scars, humiliations, and years of resentment toward the foul creatures that now hid like rats on Nul Hutta.

Harold Potter had broken their chains. He had restored their dignity and given them the opportunity to fight not only for themselves, but for something greater, for an ideal.

For the Emerald Empire, Dariana thought with devotion, more than willing to die for the vision the Emperor was building.

Dariana looked at her First Officer and ordered,

“Launch every available droid. The bombers will destroy as many spaceports as possible, but we are taking control of these two. They are the closest to the moon’s Chamber of Wealth, where a large portion of the Hutt credits is concentrated. The idea is simple: let the droids become the distraction while Crimson and Cyan secure the vaults,” the commander said as she highlighted three points on the city’s holographic map.

It would be… a surgical operation, one that would require unmatched precision, but she trusted her people. She would provide them with every bit of support necessary from orbit.

And speaking of support…

“Commander, unknown gravitational waves detected. Radiation and energy are wreaking havoc among the enemy fleet. Sharing images recovered by the drones,” said the communications officer.

Dariana watched with intense attention and triumph as a kind of… Emerald Portal suddenly appeared directly behind the enemy lines. It was enormous, a size that felt strangely familiar to the commander, who had a slight suspicion of what was about to emerge from that bizarre phenomenon.

“Attention! Allied communications signal detected! It matches the Marauder’s parameters! Emerging… behind the enemy lines!” the officer shouted, stunned and exhilarated, as the hull of the ship that every Imperial citizen knew by heart began to emerge from the immense and terrifying portal.

Black metal, the golden Imperial phoenix, and the overwhelming bulk that everyone had learned to associate with the Marauder announced its presence on the battlefield, positioning itself behind the enemy fleet at a perfect attack angle.

“This is going to be a massacre,” her First Officer said, staring intently as the Marauder’s heavy plasma turrets, unique in their class, began tearing apart the rear of the fleet, spreading chaos among the enemy ships.

Dariana could not help but show a grimace of satisfaction as she watched pirate and slaver vessels being ripped apart by the Marauder’s powerful plasma fire. The attack had been so sudden that many ships did not even manage to break formation in an attempt to save themselves from the relentless assault.

At the same time, hundreds of boarding craft, undoubtedly loaded with Imperial legionaries and command droids, had been deployed.

And as if that were not enough…

“The First Fleet is advancing! The frigate packs are on the hunt!” said the communications officer as he watched Sarina give the order to begin the attack.

Imperial frigates were designed with powerful deflector shields and extremely light armor. Their role was not to absorb fire from capital ships, but to overwhelm enemy defenses with proton torpedoes and particle cannons before enemy turbolasers could lock onto them.

It was… a massacre. The Marauder and the First Fleet had trapped the enemy ships inside a total annihilation zone, and the Emperor, it seemed, would not show a single shred of mercy.

And while this was happening, hundreds of boarding craft launched from the Marauder, every one of them undoubtedly carrying dozens of legionaries and battle droids to seize as many defense stations as possible.

A few minutes later, both the orbital defense platforms and the Hutt Fleet began firing at the Marauder, but the damage had already been done. The boarding craft were already on their way, and at least twenty enemy cruisers had been destroyed or disabled.

“The gravitational anomaly has returned, Commander. It appears the Marauder is leaving the fight,” said the communications officer, showing the portal appearing once again, allowing the Emperor’s ship to withdraw from the battle practically untouched, but with the orbital platforms compromised and the Vagaari fleet thrown into complete chaos.

“This is going to be a walk in the park for Sarina,” the commander muttered to herself before shaking her head and beginning to issue orders.

“Good! The siege has begun, and our enemies know the Empire is here. Fortunately for us, the Nyx is still outside their sensors. Everyone to your stations—we’re descending into Hell!” the woman roared as the ship’s alarms shifted to maximum alert, warning the entire crew that the moment of truth was approaching.

“Approach vectors confirmed, my Lady,” said her First Officer, making Dariana nod and reply.

“Let plasma and iron rain down! Sixty seconds until the stealth device is deactivated. Let the Emperor’s Fury descend upon our enemies!”

At that order, the holographic displays across the command bridge began to glow, showing the status of the orbital particle cannons.

“Let the plasma rain” she whispered to herself, giving the order to commence.

The conquest of Nar Shaddaa had begun.

Gardulla the Elder, Hutta City – Nar Shaddaa.

“So, has it already begun?” the Hutt asked in a calm voice, using the private council communication channels.

Around her, the holograms of the worried council looked at her with unease. Oh, her fellow Hutts were trying to hide it, but it was more than obvious that they were scared out of their minds.

“The Emerald Emperor subdued Kintan faster than expected. It seems he prioritized the conquest of the planet over the lives of a large number of slaves. We made a miscalculation, and it cost us the loss of the Twins,” Gorga replied with a grimace of discomfort.

Oh, Gardulla knew perfectly well that the little tadpole was terrified. The entire Council was. Harold Potter had proven himself to be as ruthless as he was intelligent.

The incursion into Kintan had been a mortal blow to the Council, not because the loss of the Nikto, those vermin were significant and could be replace easily, the real problem was that, in the process, the Emerald Empire had uncovered the alliance with the elusive Vagaari, and judging by the sudden assault on Nul Hutta, it was evident that Harold Potter was aware of the Council’s plans.

Ziro, another member of the Council, was about to speak when a communications officer shouted, completely terrified.

“Platforms 1, 4, and 12 have been compromised, while 3, 6, 7, and 10 have been destroyed! The Marauder is doing something we’ve never seen before! It’s… jumping behind our defenses! We have no idea how it’s doing it!”

An instant after the insect had spoken those words, the entire Council watched the images recovered from the orbital platforms, left utterly stunned by what they were seeing.

“Shit…” Marka whispered, Marlo’s successor after his assassination, and even Gardulla was completely speechless at the sight before her.

“That isn’t hyperspace…” Gorga murmured, his monocle falling from his eye as he stared at the… portal? Appearing behind the fleet, allowing that damned Star Fortress to wreak havoc among the cruisers and platforms before disappearing again before it could take any damage.

Images from across the planet showed the Marauder appearing through those mysterious portals, destroying defensive fleets and vanishing once more.

There was no way to predict it or know where in the seven hells the ship would appear, and that was an overwhelming tactical advantage.

This battle… looked terrible for the Council. Everyone present knew it.

“Imagine if we could get our hands on this technology. To travel to any planet without worrying about hyperspace routes, blockades, or other nonsense…” Gorga whispered with obvious ambition in his eyes.

Gardulla simply snorted and replied.

“That is not what should concern us. The planet is lost. We must continue with our plans and find this mysterious station that our… benefactor has provided us. Much as I hate to admit it, we must disappear, at least for a while,” the Hutt said, growling in irritation as another cruiser was destroyed by the Imperial ships while the orbital defense platforms began ceasing fire on the enemy vessels.

This… was becoming a massacre. There was no other way to describe it, she thought, and although her body was still on Nar Shaddaa, her mind was already several parsecs away.

Curiously, the Council’s plan was to hide within the Republic. There were many crime-ridden worlds she could call home, and the farther they were from the damned Human Emperor, the better for everyone.

Gardulla sighed heavily before replying,

“I will move our assets to our trusted banks in the Republic. We will suffer a significant loss of power, but…”

Alas, fate did not seem to be on the Hutts’ side.

BOOOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion shook the entire building where she was, with such force that everything around her began to tremble uncontrollably, while alarms started blaring, indicating only one thing.

The Empire’s attack had begun.

“Situation report!” Gardulla roared at her subordinate, who was rapidly operating a nearby communications terminal.

“An Imperial ship! Unknown designation—it simply appeared in the sky above the city and began bombarding everything in its path! Drop pods and assault shuttles are landing all across the city! The ports are destroyed or being invaded! The city is under attack!” the terrified man shouted as he shared the images with the rest of the Council.

The ship was large, far larger than a stealth vessel had any right to be, at least half a kilometer long and armed to the teeth, judging by the immense power with which it was attacking the surface of the city.

There was not the slightest sign of mercy. Powerful plasma bolts struck the surface, shattering the glorious and luxurious buildings of Hutta City, sowing chaos among the criminals and scum who inhabited it.

And this is the power a single Imperial ship possesses, Gardulla thought with fear, sighing as she saw that communications with Nul Hutta had been interrupted, no doubt courtesy of the human vessel.

“Show me images of the city! Anything we have of the invaders!” the Hutt ordered, cursing as an entire regiment of droids, far more advanced and terrifying than anything she had ever seen, advanced from the pods into the streets, slaughtering indiscriminately everyone in their path.

A moment later, flashes of emerald light began exploding across the city’s sky, familiar flashes that had once been reported by Jabba when he was still alive, flashes that could mean only one thing…

The Emerald Fury was on Nar Shaddaa.

“RAISE THE PLANETARY SHIELDS—”

Alas, Gardulla’s words were cut short as she watched three emerald streaks descend from the rear of the Imperial ship with terrifying fury, striking the surface with the force of a million rancors and crystallizing everything in their path.

The power was so immense that transmissions with the Council were disrupted, undoubtedly the work of the cruiser in orbit, and Gardulla did not need to be a genius to understand what that meant.

“Ultra-heavy particle weapon detected, incompatible with any known weapons profile in the galaxy. We believe it is autonomous Imperial technology. The hangars containing the defensive fighters have been captured, and we have lost communication with the aerodromes. We are trapped.”

Gardulla could only watch as Hutta City, the jewel of the Hutt Cartel’s crown, collapsed in on itself. Buildings, luxuries, and pleasure districts were all buried beneath a thick layer of emerald crystal.

“They’re… crystallizing the moon,” her majordomo said with obvious terror on his pathetic face, though in this particular situation, Gardulla could not blame him.

This was… the end of the road. She knew it perfectly well.

Harold Potter had launched an overwhelming offensive against Nul Hutta, more than five hundred Imperial ships against a single planet… this was an execution, a message to the rest of the galaxy.

Gardulla, the Council, and the entire Hutt species would become nothing more than a victory song, a warning to the enemies of the Empire about what happens when you challenge the Emerald Empire.

“Mobilize all our troops to the bunker. Our last hope is to use my personal stealth ship. Have all the mercenaries buy us as much time as possible. Lie to them—tell them a transport is coming for us while we escape with all the Council’s resources,” Gardulla ordered before steering her levitation platform toward the elevator.

At those words, her majordomo looked at her in absolute shock.

“My Lady! But the Council—”

Only to be interrupted by Gardulla.

“The Council will not escape Nul Hutta, not with five hundred ships and Harold Potter hunting them like vermin. Do not question me and move. We have no time to waste,” Gardulla ordered with a warning in her voice, making the majordomo nod and follow her.

Unaware that by that moment, two Imperial Special Operations teams were already inside her facilities, and that they would make her pay dearly for every torment she had ever inflicted upon her countless slaves.

The crystallization of Nar Shaddaa had begun.