Port Ol'val

Port Ol'val
Astrographical
Region:	Outer Rim Territories
Sector:	Calaron Sector
System:	Dajorra System
Suns:	Dajorra
Distance from Core:	~20 AU
Rotation period:	25 standard hours (artificial)
Physical
Class:	Asteroid
Diameter:	560 km
Atmosphere:	Type 1 (artificial)
Gravity:	Standard (artificial)
Points of interest:	Kas Tunnel The Docks The Ducts Jerem Plaza The Pride of Corellia The Blind Spot The Minefield Bulkhead Phantom Complex
Societal
Native species:	Human
Immigrated species:	Duros, Hutt, assorted others
Primary language(s):	Basic Bocce Huttese
Population:	~4,000
Affiliation:	House Qel-Droma Clan Arcona
[ Source ]

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 Tyris and Dralin Fortea 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 Blind Spot. Soon after the casino's destruction, 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.

Revenge of the Hutt

In 36 ABY Besadii forces led by Whallatta the Hutt staged a surprise attack on Qel-Droma’s holdings on Ol’val. The initial strike was carried out as a bombing of the Phantom Complex and a space assault which also claimed the Nighthawk. The ensuing chaos levelled much of Ol’val, driving out merchants and pushing countless into squalid ruins, before Qel-Droma was able to stage an effective counter-attack and regain control.

As a result of their treachery, the remnants of the Besadii clan effectively lost all power they’d once had and were reduced to mere pawns for the surviving criminal syndicates. The Blind Man, House Qel-Droma’s front in the criminal underworld, assumed much of the Besadii turf and businesses, solidifying its rule over Ol’val. The most potent sign of this was the renaming of the Besadii Entertainment District to the Blind Spot, a symbolic act which further hammered home the Hutts’ defeat. Despite their victory, however, the chaos and street fighting, and the destruction of their HQ, left the House dangerously unprepared for what was to come.

The Rising Dawn

The shadowport was in shambles after the war with the Besadii, and the reconstruction of Ol’val still ongoing when a new challenger emerged. The Dawn Conclave, a galactic criminal syndicate, had infiltrated Ol’val and attempted to wrestle total control of the shadowport for their own uses. A failed assassination in the Docks against Aedile Lucine Vasano sat off the events in late 36 ABY, with further attempts against key Qel-Droman agents following in 37 ABY, including the stabbing of Tali Sroka and sniping of Lucine Vasano in her offices.

What followed was a drawn-out running battle between the Blind Man and the Dawn Conclave that lasted until 38 ABY when the final vestiges of the Dawn Conclave’s holdings were destroyed and their last lieutenant killed, in no small part due to the heroic actions of Sera Kaern.

Port Ol’val’s Layout

Kas Tunnel

The main entryway to Port Ol’Val is a winding corkscrew like tunnel, also known as Kas Tunnel. "Kas" is the Olys Corellisi word for ‘chaos’, which is still apt due to the flurry of traffic that is a hallmark of the docks.

The tunnel is equipped with magnetic shielding to keep in the artificial atmosphere. Several concealed ion turrets line the entrance to protect against unwanted entry and by the end of the tunnel, there lies a checkpoint which controls who enters the Port.

After the conflict with the Dawn Conclave in ‘‘‘37 ABY’’’, the Kas Tunnel was straightened and widened to help facilitate commercial traffic and reinforced with durasteel plates on the ceiling to prevent debris from falling on incoming ships. Such measures were adopted to attract a wider range of merchants that, prior to this addition, were hesitant to risk the precarious approach.

The Docks

Once out of the Kas Tunnel, a massive dugout on the asteroid is where the Docks are situated. Initially built with isolated large shelves that allowed a ship to be parked and loaded easily, the Docks have expanded to accommodate a large variety of ships from a snubfighter to a Consular class cruiser like the Voidbreaker.

Docking fees vary from mainly two aspects, width of the tunnel it is served by and whether or not it is a single shelf or a more secure dock, closer to the bigger tunnels. The smaller, single shelves are served by small to medium access tunnels and stand farther away from the main transportation system. The bigger docks stand on a more standardized dockyard and are served by loader droids, dedicated mechanic droids and easy access to the transportation system. All fees are put towards the maintenance of the Docks, aside from the costs of refueling.

The Dark Armory

The ‘‘‘Dark Armory’’’ is a hidden warehouse within one of the Docks’ many secret carve outs, unknown to most. It is very well protected and has reinforced thick walls that can withstand the largest of blasts.

The Dark Armory holds House Qel-Droma’s main supply of armament within the system, hidden from plain view. It is open for those who possess clearance by the House leadership, mainly high ranked officers and militia commanders. The Armory holds numerous racks of ranged weaponry used for combat within Port Ol’Val. This armament is carefully kept organized and in perfect condition by 3 PK-series worker droids.

The Ducts

The Ducts is the name given to the transport network built to connect all of Ol’Val. Initially built as a cheap and easy way to connect the docks to the asteroid core, the Ducts have been under serious renovation.

The Ducts tunnels can range from just a meter wide to several dozens, such as the main tunnels that connect Ol’val’s major districts. These tunnels have been reinforced with durasteel panels to increase stability and improve mobility, allowing the use of small personal craft such as speeder bikes or transport skiffs.

A transportation system via railway was implemented during reconstruction on ‘‘37 ABY’’ to facilitate larger cargo transportation and also people. This transport system works on the larger and medium tunnels. The smaller tunnels, generally farther away from the main ones, require walking and manual labor to transport cargo.

The Shadow Box

by ‘‘Marick Tyris’’

The Shadow Box is a safehouse located in the Ducts. It is close to the docks and is connected via a secret tunnel to the Dark Armory. The Shadow Box is only know to Qel-Dromans and is the meeting point for its members, should the Shadow Complex be compromised.

Accessible only through a secure spiral staircase, agents of House Qel-Droma are first welcomed by the familiar face of Iggy the Bartender. Moving into the lobby, a series of couches and holo displays are available for members to take advantage of. A uni-sex refresher flanks a full kitchen stocked with essential foodstuffs and appliances. The next room is configured with workstations that each have a secure private terminal. There are workbenches for tinkering, and some seating for independent research. There is an archive link that connects to both the Shadow Academy Database on Arx, and can pull in public data from the Advanced Inquisitorius Network (AIN). Finally, a briefing room with a wide format high definition projector is set up with a long conference table with cushioned chairs. This can be used for secure briefings, but also helps with debrief and strategy meetings. It has been designated a "Skitter Free Zone".

Iggy the Bartender

by ‘‘Marick Tyris’’

Iggy, a reprogrammed IG-86 Sentinel Droid, is quite blunt and dry with guests that are new, but has warmed up to the more regular and veteran members. He is "retired" from his days as a bounty droid, but still acts as a first line of defense against any intruders that might try to force their way into the Operations Lounge. He is assisted by a Medical droid that is also able to help mend House Qel-Droman agents that might have had a scrape or minor injury that did not warrant a trip to the med-bay.

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.

Blind Spot

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 Blind Spot was a place of expensive lodging and games of chance that appealed to the crime lord with some credits to burn. Since Whallatta’s betrayal, the surviving Besadii’s control over the district has fallen and the organized crime they used to enforce has crumbled. Nonetheless, the casinos and whorehouses are still open for business, now under new management by the Blind Man. 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 Blind Spot, 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.

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.

Phantom Complex

The current House Qel-Droma headquarters is located within a previously hidden tunnel cluster at the fringes of the Blind Spot of Port Ol'val. The new headquarters was built during the reconstruction effort following Whallatta the Hutt’s attempted coup of the Shadowport, and the ensuing shadow war with the Dawn Conclave, during which the old Phantom Complex was compromised and ultimately destroyed.

Original concept by:

• Marick Tyris, #10214