Port Ol'val is a shadowport existing within a hollowed-out asteroid, which orbits the far reaches of the Dajorra System. Founded by the Corellian Pirate Jerem Mal in 22 BBY as his retirement location, the port has grown to become the home of several criminal syndicates, including Mal Company, Fly On The Wall and the remnants of the Besadii Hutt clan. It is also home to the main operations base of House Qel-Droma.
The Shadow Port has operated for decades before Clan Arcona came to inhabit the system, and the Force Users were unaware of its existence until it was found by Marick Arconae and Dralin Fortea. After their small party took out a minor Black Sun group on a personal mission, Marick and Dralin were made the new Summit of House Qel-Droma and chose to occupy the small vacuum of power left by the defeated Black Suns.
History
Foundation
Jerem Mal was a Corellian pirate who was active from 46 BBY to 22 BBY. Regarded as something of a folk hero among the Corellian diaspora, Mal was renowned for his charm, sense of honor, and complete neutrality. In addition to the regular merchant boardings, Mal had a penchant for boarding slaver ships, killing the slavers, and giving the ships to the former slaves to do with as they pleased. His loathing for slavers also extended to bounty hunters, whom he saw as beings who had given up their freedom to act as they saw fit in exchange for quick credits.
After twenty-four years of active piracy, Jerem Mal took his amassed fortune and found a secluded system in which to settle. The system, later known as Dajorra, has many active asteroids and comets orbiting it, and so he chose one and proceeded to hollow it out, outfitting the resulting cavern with artificial gravity, lighting, and an atmosphere, all chosen to imitate Corellia.
For years Mal ran the port, which he named ‘Ol'val’ (the Olys Corellisi word for "hello/goodbye") with a firm hand. What began as a simple base for him and the crew of his modest flotilla drew the attention of the other fringe elements of Galactic society, and soon they began to arrive in twos and threes. The simple cavern that Mal had dug became a system of shelves and tunnels, workers were brought in to create a series of mining tunnels. A ramshackle community grew, and before Captain Mal knew it, he was in charge of a burgeoning city.
Death of the Captain
The illegal port ran successfully under Jerem Mal up until his death in 13 ABY. Without the guiding hand of the Captain and his code of honor, the criminal elements that were attracted to Port Ol'val and began pushing for more control. For a little over a decade, the situation was under control by Mal Company, the association of mercenaries and pirates that had grown out of Jerem Mal's original crews and their descendants. While the economy of the port shifted toward the drug trade and more contract killing, slavery was still outlawed.
In 26 ABY, however, the Hutts of the Besadii Clan were ousted from their home on Nal Hutta and scattered, with some of the crime lords finding residency in Port Ol'val. The Hutts, experienced as they were and accompanied by their retinues of Niktos and Klatooinians, quickly integrated themselves within the economy of their new home and brought with them the drugs, prostitutes, and slaves for which they were known to traffic. Arriving in force as they did, Mal Company was powerless to stop them.
The resulting influx of illegal goods and services caused Port Ol'val to become even more successful, and the credits generated by the unsavory business of the Hutts gave rise to a technological group known as Fly On The Wall (FOTW). While none truly knew how many members the group could claim, FOTW dominated in the burgeoning electronic security field; their utility and combat droids were in high demand. Once the economy stabilized, the dust cleared to find that the Hutts and FOTW were an even match for Mal Company in their own right, and something needed to be done in order to ensure that business continued as usual.
The Triumvirate
A meeting was held between Mal Company's Captains, the highest-ranking Besadii Hutts, and the droid-projected holograms of FOTW. In the interest of the continued prosperity of Port Ol'val, and the continued survival of each of the three groups, they became what would be known as the Triumvirate. With Mal Company's private army, the Besadii's credits, and FOTW's technological prowess, the Triumvirate would be able to stay above the minor criminal syndicates and control the interests of Port Ol'val. While the veneer of cordiality worked well to make others think them a solid whole, the parties within the Triumvirate nevertheless continued to vie for dominance.
By the time Qel-Droman forces arrived on Ol'val, the Triumvirate was stable. However, with the shadowy presence of the House came abrupt disruptions to their proceedings. As the port began to shift into the hands of the Arconans, Mal, FOTW, and the Hutts were all uncertain as to how to stop the transition.
Trials of Loyalty
In 30 ABY the combined forces of the Triumvirate, with help from a member of Oblivion Brigade, took over the vast majority of House Qel-Droma's safe houses and fronts on Port Ol'val. This act was immediately ascertained by the Summit of Clan Arcona and they sent in the entire Clan to combat this situation. During the ensuing violence many business were damaged, but the biggest consequence was the bombing and subsequent destruction of the Je'blank Paradise casino in the Besadii Entertainment District. Soon after the casino's destruction in the Kas Tunnel, Port Ol'val's primary entry point, was also damaged and closed for several days. The Triumvirate domination was short lived, only a few days after taking control of the Port the forces of Clan Arcona reasserted their authority and rule, whilst remaining in the shadows.
Port Ol’val’s Layout
Kas Tunnel
An incoming pilot's introduction to Port Ol'val begins with Kas Tunnel. "Kas" is the Olys Corellisi word for ‘chaos’, and the tunnel is aptly named as it winds in a corkscrew pattern into the asteroid.
Equipped with magnetic shielding to keep in the artificial atmosphere, Kas Tunnel proves a challenge to unwary or inexperienced pilots. Wrecked ships are regularly cleaned out of the tunnel by droids and salvage crews.
The Docks
A large part of the enormous cavern is taken up by the Docks, a system of shelves lining the interior of the asteroid just outside of the Kas Tunnel. The shelves are of many sizes, capable of housing anything from a snubfighter to a Corellian Corvette.
Connecting the shelves to Port Ol'val proper are tunnels, know as the Ducts, all of which lead to Jerem Plaza. Prices for docking a ship are figured out according to how far away from Jerem Plaza the dock in question sits. All fees are put towards the maintenance of the Docks, aside from the costs of refueling.
Malikie’s Repairs & Upgrades
Housed in a corner of the Ol'val Docks with an additional hangar carved directly into the wall behind it is the shop known as Malikie’s Repairs & Upgrades. Originally set up as a front by Revs, this small landing pad also acted as a shop for pirates and smugglers to bring their ships to be repaired.
Having bugged the ducts and Kas Tunnel with sensors and microphones, Qel-Droman agents are able to gain information on any ship or persons coming into or leaving the Port. The secret tunnels leading to it also act as a way for Shadow Gate to smuggle supplies into the Port completely undetected. This shop is still open, the funds not used for the upkeep of the shop sent towards House Qel-Droma’s coffers.
The Ducts
A series of winding tunnels, varying in width from four meters to ten, connect the Docks to Jerem Plaza. At irregular intervals, the tunnels open up to larger rooms, in which rough-and-tumble bars are often established. Because of the way the Ducts lead exclusively to Jerem Plaza, the Mal Company supposedly control who comes into the Port and who leaves. Rumor has it that FOTW maintains their headquarters somewhere within the Ducts.
A traditional Cell in Bulkhead
Jerem Plaza
Jerem Plaza was the original site of Port Ol'val, as founded by Jerem Mal. Mal Company makes their home there, and it is from the Plaza that combined patrols of Mal soldiers and FOTW security droids originate. Constituting a large portion of the shadowport, the Plaza contains most of the more reputable cantinas and temporary living accommodations for visitors.
This section of Port Ol'val is noted to be one of the safer districts.
Ol’val Herbal Exchange
Officially called "The Ol'val Herbal Exchange" and affectionately nicknamed "Steep Trouble", this tea and caf shop is subtly tucked away in a quieter corner of Jerem Plaza.
The Arconan Adem Bol’era serves as proprietor when he visits Ol'val, allowing his droid partner Keeper to tend to customers. The Exchange develops and collects dozens of tea blends from across the galaxy, and claims to hold at least a dozen recipes for any species that walks through the door.
The shop's true purpose is trade of information, as well as subtle shipments of small items between Arcona and its allies. Such shipments are often marked by atypical naming schemes, such as nonexistent tea "colors" and flavors arriving at the shop. Tea drinking is obscure enough in galactic popular culture that the shop can get away with the deception technique, provided the trades take place behind closed doors.
Arconan's fondness of tea or caf sometimes slip into the out-of-the-way shop for inconspicuous rendezvous, business related or otherwise.
Ruby’s Tavern
Ruby’s Tavern, a much more relaxed establishment than either the Lucky Lekku or Thanatophilia, can be found on the outskirts of the Jerem Plaza. The building itself is a mere two story building. Whilst the basement storage level and upper level are off-limits to those few the Proprietor of the establishment lets through, the ground level has a decent amount of space. The Kaleesh owner also serves as the head bartender of an impressive array of options. The bar itself takes over three-quarters of the length of the far wall from the entrance, with a kitchen behind the bar for those that decide to have something to eat with their drinks.
A small, elevated stage to the side is just large enough for a live musical act. On the opposite side of the building is an elevated seating area, dedicated to various card games. Though the gambling frequently does get heated, any violent outbreak will be swiftly dealt with by one of the employees grabbing a shattergun from beneath the bar, fully loaded with non-lethal rounds meant to end rioting. The rest of the floor area is mostly taken up by tables and chairs so anyone entering the bar has a spot to sit and relax.
The upper floor is off-limits to select few. It is split into the private office of the owner with the other part serving is an apartment, with an unknown level of security required to gain entry. The basement area, however, serves mostly as a storage space for the stock of alcohol and food products. Unknown to most employees is the fact that a wall within the cold storage room will swing open, serving as one of the entrances and exits to the variety of tunnels beneath the ground level of the majority of Port Ol’val. These tunnels lead through a labyrinth to several safehouses for Shadow Gate, one secret entrance to the Phantom Complex and to the headquarters of the recently established Guild of Thieves.
The Pride of Corellia
The Pride of Corellia, often shortened to ‘The Pride’, is the living space for a majority of the beings who call Port Ol'val home. The miners, the employees of the Besadii, those of Mal Company with families, and many others live here within the apartments built into the large artificial stalagmites and stalactites of the district and the wall of the asteroid. This area originally served as the home of the Corellian diaspora who flocked to Jerem Mal's private fiefdom, and its name comes from a speech in which he referred to the Corellians as such. Since his death, however, the Pride has become a home to many different species, and one never knows what one will find there.
Apothic Memorial Clinic
Located on a side street of the The Pride on the ground level of a tenement, the Apothic Memorial Clinic is frequented by mercenaries, street thugs and junkies alike.
While the clinic does pro bono work, it’s primary clientele come from the various gangs when they need to get patched up without arousing suspicion. Said gangs consider the clinic neutral ground, but the clinic keeps a strong security presence just in case.
Besadii Entertainment District
When the Hutts arrived at Port Ol'val, they had this area dug out on the other side of Jerem Plaza and the Minefield from the Pride, as if they wanted to ensure that the rabble would not bother them. The Besadii Entertainment District is lit up at all hours, and it makes for expensive lodging and games of chance appeal to the crime lord with some credits to burn. The Besadii employ a good deal of beings from the Pride, and they offer everything from drugs, prostitutes, weapons, and slaves for sale to visitors. Even the locals have difficulty resisting the temptation to spend their hard-earned credits in the casinos or the red-light district. Only the wealthiest criminals reside within the district, where they maintain an imitation of high society, complete with galas and high-stakes games.
The Lucky Lekku
The Lucky Lekku Bar and Strip club is a nightclub located on the main strip of the Besadii Entertainment District, though the club itself can be found in the massive basement beneath an old hotel that has clearly seen better days. The hotel has been in this state of disrepair for so long that no one is certain of what it was once called. It mainly serves as a fetish club run by an androgynous Zeltron by the name of Galaxia, though the second VIP room is always reserved, as a hidden panel within it leads directly to the Phantom Complex.
Talzin’s Den
Talzin’s Den is a small corner shop found close to Thanatophilia, most pass this shop by and pay little attention to it, however, it is frequented by some of the more paranoid of the Port. The place is a well known spot for those whom wish for good fortune among other things, such as a secure meeting location.
Primarily it is used as a place for one to have their fortune’s read by the current shop assistant, a young Dathomiri female that goes by the name of Zalem. None know of her true name and those that have been brave enough to attempt to find out have left the premises close to breaking point and some have ended as tools for the next unknowing customer.
Thanatophilia
Thanatophilia is a bar and nightclub in Port Ol’val secretly controlled by House Qel-Droma. Locally famous for its death-themed decorations, the business front is currently under the reluctant supervision of Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae. The location is a popular hangout for various different types of people that call Port Ol’val home, seen as a neutral space by even the gangs that frequent the establishment lest their corpses be the replacement props contained within the vacuum-sealed tables.
The Minefield
The original source of income for Port Ol'val, the Minefield is a system of mine shafts that pull ores from the surrounding rock. The mine is owned by Mal Company, ostensibly, and operated by beings from the Pride. Ever since the Hutts moved in and stole workers looking for what they believed would be easier work, the miners have been assisted by mining droids from FOTW.
Bulkhead
Bulkhead
Underneath the mines of Port Ol'val lies the secret Maximum Security Prison of House Qel-Droma, named Bulkhead. This prison is only accessible from a long, bare durasteel corridor carved directly from the very ore that the shadowport was made from. And the corridor itself is only available through the former headquarters and front of Oblivion Brigade, Naruba Investments. It is here that Qel-Droma's most notorious prisoners reside.
The current headquarters of House Qel-Droma after the destruction of their former temple at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong, this sprawling complex was an extension of the Black Sun holdout that was discovered by Marick Arconae and Dralin Fortea. This base of operations is unique amongst the structures of Ol'val for many reasons, the chief among them being that it is a complete secret from the general populace. It is also self-sustaining and has direct access to every region within the asteroid by a series of concealed mag-car tunnels.