Money Who: Darth Bel’lah What: Preparing for a New Age Where: Scipio When: After her meeting with Kylo Ren
Having left Korriban behind to pursue her future with the First Order, Bel’lah knew that her first need would be credits. Money had never held much significance to her, especially in her time as Wrath, when her very name would open doors otherwise closed. But she was no fool. The Empire had funded her well, and she’d had enough foresight to siphon some of her stipend into a separate account, held in her birth name, out of sight from the Emperor and the Dark Council.
The InterGalactic Banking Clan had been the most stable financial institution of her era, and so it was there that she had established her account. She had been pleased to see that the powerful consortium had survived all this time, and still kept its headquarters on icy Scipio. As her Fury pulled away from Korriban’s orbit, she instructed 2V-R8 to set course, making the jump to hyperspace.
She was pleased that her arrival on Scipio didn’t seem to set off any alerts. After declaring her intent to the controller, she was directed to a landing platform reserved for customers with only a minimal escort. While she had sensed some skepticism in the controller’s voice when she gave him her account number and the name under which she’d established it, there were no armed guards waiting to greet her as she walked slowly down the ramp, dressed in her more formal robes for the occasion. The garments were discreetly armored and still allowed her freedom of movement, but gave a more ceremonial appearance than her preferred environmental suit.
As she reached the edge of the landing platform, the doors ahead of her slid open, a squadron of Iotran guards jogged out. Ah, the belated welcoming party, she thought, an almost amused look crossing her scarlet face. From behind their formation, an ornately dressed Muun strode confidently out into the sunlight, hands clasped firmly behind his back. The guards looked itchy with their fingers on the triggers, although it was hardly a matter of concern. Bel’lah could sense the lack of organization and apprehension radiating off of the guards, which disappointed her. She had rather been looking forward to a challenge.
“Lady Suttajontu, I presume,” the Muun greeted her, suspicion and contempt dripping from every word.
“You must be one of the esteemed Bankers,” Bel’lah replied, her voice carrying a formal and detached tone. “I'm flattered by all the attention.”
“It's not every day we’re visited by personal account holders,” the Banker answered. “Especially not those claiming to be long-dead nobility of the ancient Sith Empire.”
Bel’lah tut-tutted, shaking her head in disappointment. “Claiming? How sadly mistaken you are,” she sighed, walking slowly toward the anxious group.
“Not another step,” the Banker warned, tensing into a step back, the guards following suit. “Or my men will open fire.”
“Is that so?”
With a polite smile, Bel'lah stopped, sensing relief wash over the Banker and his guards. She let them rest easy a moment more, before shattering the false peace they found. With the Force as her ally, she launched herself into the middle of the squad, the force of her impact throwing many to the ground. Those who made the mistake of getting up again found themselves in the path of her golden-orange blade, the lightsaber making quick work of the guards and their blasters. The Banker tried to run back to the safety of the building, but found himself caught, his feet scrambling for purchase on a surface now a few feet below him as his hands clawed at his throat to release the unseen noose.
“It’s unfortunate, really,” Bel’lah drawled as she paced slowly toward him, rotating him back to face her again, her lightsaber still ignited as she held it out from her side. “You could have avoided all this pointless loss by simply bringing a biometric scanner with you.”
Without even a glance over her shoulder, she snapped her lightsaber up with a deft flick of her wrist, deflecting a blaster bolt from one of the guards still alive. A grim smile crossed her lips as she heard the tell-tale groan, knowing the bolt had returned to her intended target. She let the Banker fall to the ground, his elongated form sprawling in his tangle of robes, and watched as he pulled a handheld scanner out with shaking hands.
“Ah, so you thought you could intimidate me,” she said, coming to a stop. “Now why would you want to do something so foolish?”
The Banker managed to stand himself up again, although one hand kept rubbing at his neck. “Interest,” he managed to gasp out. “Not enough funds –”
“Yes, I suppose I could bankrupt you with three and a half millennia’s worth of compounding interest,” she yawned. “But I’m not unreasonable, nor am I stupid. I’m happy to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
She released her choke hold on him, letting him fall back to the ground. When he managed to stand again, she held out her saber, the tip humming just under the Banker’s chin. He swallowed hard.
“Although I think it safe to say I have the upper hand in the negotiations.”
There was disdain in the Banker’s eyes, his long face contorting into an almost-snarl before settling into something much more submissive. With a heavy sigh, he bowed his head, at least as much as he could without impaling himself.
“As you say, my lady.”
“Lord,” she corrected shortly. “I am Darth Bel’lah – the Empire’s Wrath, Lord of the Sith – and you will address me as such.”
She could almost hear the Banker’s knees knocking together, the scent of his fear bringing a fond smile to her lips. Oh, how she had missed the pure intimidation her titles could bring.
“Y-yes, my lord.”
“Good man.” She shut off her lightsaber, clipping it back to her hip. “Now, would you like to use that little scanner of yours to verify that I am who I say I am? I’d hate to think your security had become so lax as to allow just anyone to access my accounts with an unsubstantiated identity.”
The Banker scrambled forward, holding the scanner up first to her face, then her eye, and finally – with a reverent apology – to her fingertip for a DNA sample. Bel’lah took it all in stride, waiting patiently for the scanner to affirm what he most feared: the woman standing before him was, in fact, the Sith in whose name the account had been held for three and a half millennia. Another Sith might have simply stormed the bank and been done with it all, but she much preferred to let terrifying truths do the heavy lifting when she could.
“But – but how…?” the Banker stammered, his eyes darting from the scanner to her face and back again, over and over as he tried to make sense of it. He’d heard rumors of people mysteriously appearing further in toward the Core Worlds, sometimes returned from the dead, sometimes seemingly from a different existence entirely. But he’d thought it all just rumors until now.
“Carbonite,” Bel’lah told him plainly. “Well, carbonite, a treacherous prince, a loyal crew…” She let her voice trail off with a dismissive hand gesture as they entered the banking complex.
“I’m sure it is quite a tale, my lord,” the Banker replied, stowing the scanner back in his robes with one last amazed look.
“Oh, I've a feeling that it's only the beginning,” she murmured, striding past him through the ornate doors. “I’ve still a lot to do in this galaxy.”