_Murtrand Kel's breath hung before him in a white cloud. The small-time crime boss came to Port Ol'val from Nal Hutta, fleeing some massive debts he had accumulated from his gambling days. He had lived in the shadowport for the past ten years, accumulating a reputation in the "security" field, hiring out thugs for protection to newcomers of the comet base, and wasn't above using extortion to pad his own pockets. Before long, Kel had become someone to whom others owed money, and he appreciated being on the stronger side of that particular conflict for once. He shivered as he took in his surroundings; the meeting place decided upon by this mysterious Blindman was, in fact, a walk-in freezer, and Kel wasn't wearing any protective layers of clothing. The controlled climate of the comet's interior never required it. The freezer appeared to be empty, save for a simple metal table, two metal chairs on opposite sides of the table, and a large, frosted-over mirror built into one of the walls.

On the other side of the mirror, unbeknownst to Kel, stood three dark Jedi, watching Kel as he nervously eyed one of the chairs.

"Where is Dralin?" asked Solus Gar, the newly appointed head of Shadow Gate. "I didn't really think the guy would miss his own meeting."

"Oh, he's in there," replied Marick, Quaestor of House Qel-Droma. He smirked as he gestured toward an apparently empty corner of the freezer. "He's showing off."

Solus squinted, and then chuckled when he pierced the illusion that the Aedile had thrown up to confuse Kel.

"Well, I don't see him," quipped a female voice, confident to the core. At Marick's shoulder stood Amber, his fiance and a member of Shadow Gate, and her Hapan upbringing still showed through in her casual disdain for most men. "I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't show up." When a red-haired man in a suit suddenly appeared within one of the chairs, she grumbled to herself, annoyed at being proven wrong.

"Murtrand Kel," Dralin said with a sneer, his cybernetic eyes glowing as he appraised his "guest." Kel jumped, but did his best not to shout in surprise; Amber stifled a laugh as the proud man squeaked. The Aedile gestured to the chair opposite him. "Please, sit."

"I still don't see why he agreed to meet this guy in a freezer," Solus said to Marick. "Wouldn't it have been more impressive to meet him in an estate somewhere?"

Marick shook his head. "This keeps Kel off balance. We're a small faction compared to the guys that have been around for a while, and Dralin needs every trick he can think of to appear at an advantage." The three Qel-Dromans watched as Kel shivered violently, while Dralin appeared comfortable in the freezing temperatures. This wasn't an illusion he was projecting, but a different application of the Force known as tapas.

"Y-you're Blindman?" Kel stammered. He wanted to leave, but he knew that Blindman's guards were outside. Dralin, known in some circles within Port Ol'val as Blindman, played the part of a newly-arrived crime lord, with the rest of the House falling into step as members of a fictitious crime syndicate. Marick liked the plan; Dralin took heat as the public persona of their little group within the shadowport, while he remained hidden and protected.

"Yes, I am Blindman," Dralin replied, as if he were explaining something to a particularly dense child. "And I am to understand that you owe some friends of mine some money."

Kel gritted his teeth. "You think you can just show up and start threatening me? Do you have any idea who I am?"

Dralin narrowed his eyes dangerously and stood up, slowly pacing around to the other side of the table. Kel could tell that Blindman was powerfully built, and he suddenly regretted his tone.

"I mean, you c-can see where I'm coming from, right?" Kel's teeth chattered, as he stared at Dralin. "This is my home. You can't just show up and threaten people in their home."

Dralin lifted his hand, and Marick watched as he wondered what his Aedile was going to do. He hadn't seen much of him in action, other than a couple of isolated combat missions. Dralin's hand darted forward, and, rather than he howl of pain Marick had expected, Kel merely let out of mild "ouch." The Quaestor chuckled as Dralin flicked Kel in the eye again.

"You see," Dralin began, "I am in a unique position here." He watched as Kel attempted to raise from his chair, and took enjoyment from seeing his eyes widen in terror when he realized he couldn't move. The Corsucanti man was holding him down with the Force, telekinetically pinning him to his seat. "We could be friends, you and I. Or, I could put the word out that you're here, sitting on a nice pile of money." Dralin flicked Kel in the eye again, and that time it drew a sharp gasp; the repeated hits were taking their toll, and before long Kel's eye would be aching.

"W-what do you want?" Kel cried out. He knew that this Blindman was toying with him. He didn't know how, but he couldn't move. Was it a contact poison? Some sort of barrier?

"I want you in my pocket," Dralin replied with a smirk. He knew Kel would cave easily at the threat of the unknown. Kel was the type of man who cultivated power and control because he was terrified of what would happen without those things. "I can find you. The fact that I called you here is proof of that. If you think you can simply wipe me out, well...just remember this moment." With a snarl, Dralin gripped Kel's face with one powerful hand, and forced the freezing criminal to stare into his cybernetics. "You will remember who spared you. If you think you can kill me, I will be there to remind you that there are some things worse than death. And after I'm done with you, I'll send you to the Hutts."

The Aedile released his telekinetic hold on Kel at the same moment he pushed him back, and he watched as Kel fell to the ground and scrambled to regain his footing. The extortionist was out the freezer door as fast as he could run, and Dralin turned to grin at his compatriots on the other side of the mirror. He knew that some questioned his intentions on gaining a hold over some of the local crime lords, but he knew that he had to project strength now, and keep cultivating his reputation for being hidden and ruthlessly competent. The House would have to hold its own while its most talented members were gone.

Tarentum and Arcona needed them._

Introductions

Hello, and welcome to the first House Qel-Droma Aedile report!

For those who don't know me, I'm Dralin. I transferred here from Tarentum, and once we reclanned, I was offered this position, for which I am very grateful. I will do my best to help you guys get the most out of your DB experience, and if you ever have any questions, feel free to email me at [Log in to view e-mail addresses].

Additionally, we had a line-up change! Originally, Talos Erinos, the Rhyming Mando hismelf, was slated to be the BTL of Shadow Gate, but was called to a higher line of duty to Arcona as Aedile of Galeres. We're sad to see him go, but he will do Arcona as a whole more good in that position. Replacing him is Solus Gar, a veteran with some great ideas that I think you'll all love!

Our Home

Now, the project I've had going for a while is the finalization of our House's location, Port Ol'val. This would be finished with a nice wiki page to go with it, but Anubis broke the wiki (I know he really didn't, but since he's the Wiki Tribune, I like to blame him).

Essentially, Port Ol'val is a shadowport. It exists solely to generate a profit for its criminal enterprises, and a stability of sorts of provided by its top three syndicates. Once the wiki is up and running, we'll have a whole page detailing this for your perusal. The lowdown: Port Ol'val exists inside a hollowed-out comet orbiting the Dajorra System, with an artificial atmosphere and artificial gravity providing the means to live there. Let me know how it sounds!

Tarcona Event: Into the Underworld

As has been recently announced, Arcona and our long-time ally Tarentum are engaging in a series of competitions together! You know what that means, folks: multiple DB units = higher awards. You can see the actual competition listings here.

The fictional goings-on of Into the Underworld actually has me excited, because it's similar to what our House is all about! If you want to see the kind of dealings we'll be having with the locals of Port Ol'val, I strongly recommend participating. The fictional backstory can be found here

Cliffnotes

• House Qel-Droma fictional setting: Port Ol'val
• Talos left; Solus is SG BTL
• Wiki's down; blame Anubis
• Tarcona competitons: compete or die!