Rising from the bed, Aurine Ornilla felt a shiver run down her spine as the cool air hit the beads of sweat on her back. She straightened up a bit and let out a slow exhale. Tiptoeing across the floor, she found her discarded dress, a puddle of silk on the floor. As she picked it up, she ran the fabric between her fingers, appreciating the smoothness of the texture, before stepping into the dress. Taking her long, dark blue hair in one hand, she pulled it up and away from her neck so she could tie the straps behind her head. The dress wasn't much comfort for the chill in the air; it fell open in the back all the way to her waist, leaving her sensitive skin exposed. But it was still better than nothing. Besides, it reminded Aurine of the man who gifted it to her: a young prince who offered her all the gold in his kingdom if she would be his wife. But a Zeltron is not so easily claimed.

"Are you leaving?" came a gentle voice from the bed that Aurine had just vacated. This one was also young, though certainly not a prince. Still, he had a youthful charm, and Aurine found herself drawn to his sincerity. What he lacked in confidence or experience, he made up for in eagerness and manner. As he sat up to get a better look across the room, Aurine saw the earnestness in his eyes.

She could not help but smile at him. "Of course not," she answered softly, striding back across the room. She reached out a pink hand and ran her fingers through his short crop of sandy-colored hair. The boy relaxed and closed his eyes. As she massaged his scalp, she assured him, "I am here for as long as you'll have me."

The boy sighed contentedly. Even as Aurine brushed her fingers down the curve of his jaw, he did not reach out to touch her. He is too nervous, she thought to herself. I am the first woman he has ever been with. After a moment, he opened his eyes again and drank in the sight of her. "Would that I could have you longer," he remarked, the playful tone underwritten by genuine longing. A thought occurred to him, and he smirked as he asked, "What would it cost to make you wait for me? To be with no one else until I returned?"

Aurine gave a quiet laugh. "More than an Imperial cadet could afford, I assure you."

His brow furrowed, not in anger but in surprise. He sat up a little straighter, leaning back on his hands as the sheets pooled around his legs and waist. "How did you know I was an Imperial cadet?"

"I wouldn't be very good at my job if I couldn't read people," Aurine answered somewhat evasively. Seeing that the boy wanted a more concrete answer, she shifted her weight as her hand found her hip. Biting her lip, she began, "Your hair, for one. Freshly cut, standard Imperial regulation." To emphasize her point, she tousled his hair playfully. "Other little things. Your accent, the way you carry yourself, things like that. So, when do you ship out?" This drew another surprised look, which Aurine waved off. "You came all the way down to 3030 to visit a brothel because you wanted to be with a woman before you left, yes?"

The boy began to blush and turned his eyes away.

"I'm not offended," Aurine laughed. "Flattered, if anything."

"I leave tomorrow," he admitted after another moment. He raised his eyes to meet Aurine's once more. "All my life, I've wondered what the stars look like up close. Tomorrow, I find out."

That brought a genuine smile to Aurine's face. She knew there was a reason she felt drawn to this one. Enough boys like hers, and Aurine might start to give the Empire the benefit of the doubt; though she knew all too well that it's easy to be idealistic when you haven't seen the universe for what it really is. For the sake of this boy -- for the sake of this galaxy -- she found herself praying that this young man might hold onto that idealism. The Maker knows the universe could use more who felt that way. "Take a moment to appreciate them for me," Aurine said. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on the boy's forehead. "I want to hear all about it when you return."



Later, Aurine found herself in the common area of Zam's. All told, it had been a quiet night. Business had been scared off by the altercation with the Blackened Stars, she supposed. Aurine had been in her room with a client when most of it went down, but she heard the harrowing tale from some of her sisters; surely exaggerated coming from their lips, but no less serious. The Stars were not to be taken lightly. Embittered by their inferiority to the Hutts, they were far more liable to pursue rash courses of action in the pursuit of dominance. For as long as Zam had run this establishment, it was seen as neutral territory in 3030. Aurine hated the thought of being dragged into the petty in-fighting amongst 3030's players. If anything were to happen to Zam or the brothel... well, Aurine didn't know quite what she'd do.

As Aurine glanced around the room, she spotted Zam leaning over the balcony as she often did; only this time, she wasn't alone. The brothel's own personal security, the enigmatic Mandalorian, was standing stiffly at Zam's side. Aurine's sisters would often whisper about what the man must look like under all that armor, and Aurine had to confess that even she was a little curious. Unlike most people in Aurine's life, the Mandalorian was nigh impossible to read. Was he young and rugged? Old and scarred? Aurine didn't have the faintest clue, and perhaps that's what made the Mandalorian so intriguing to her. In a place like 3030, where most people were fairly transparent, it was fascinating to have an unknown variable around. All Aurine knew for sure is that he had the brothel's best interests at heart, and that was enough.

Feeling as though she could get caught staring at any moment, Aurine forced herself to look away from the Mandalorian. His mystery would have to be solved some other time. For the time being, she felt very much like having a tall, cold drink. Sauntering across the parlor, Aurine approached the aging Duros bartender and pulled up a stool.

Tir had both her datapad and the replacement disassembled on the floor of her apartment. Each part was laid out in a perfect, organized order based on how they all fit together. Unfortunately, she had encountered one obstacle in that the replacement screen’s connectors were too corroded to be useful, but that was something she could work around. Taking out her knife, she cut the wire leading to the connector on both screens, then paused briefly to gather what she would need to splice them back together from her reserve of parts.

Once the new connector was attached, Tir was able to reassemble her datapad with its new screen, then store away the remainder of the useful parts she had been working with for later use. Afterwards, she powered up the datapad, which, to her relief, powered up just as normal. The screen seemed to be in fine condition, though she could only guess when the next part would need replacing. Regardless, it could once more connect to the holonet, and of course the moment it did, she received multiple alerts of messages she had missed. The first was a message from the Stars, trying to recruit her into their gang as they always did after she returned a bounty to them. The next two were spam messages offering various bodily enhancements from questionably companies, while the last two were job offers from a contact she knew to be a member of the Sirens. In general, she did not accept jobs that were offered to her, and instead sought out bounties on her own. But, if the job was not something she found objectionable, she sometimes made exceptions. By 3030 standards, the Sirens were an organization she could consider acceptable, so it was possible she might take one of the offers. She would need time to think on the matter, since she was not exactly in need of credits at the moment.

After a glance down at the tools she still needed to put away, she looked to her prosthetic for a moment. She rotated its joints and flexed out the artificial muscles while listening closely at the faint sounds it produced. She was getting a small amount of resistance in the movements, so it was likely that its inner workings required another good cleaning. While it offered some advantages over a biological limb, it did require occasional maintenance. The present was as good of a time as any, so she collected her cleaning solution, deactivated the limb’s pain receptors, then set to work opening up its outer plating.

Welcome little one, this is your first day.

Del awoke with a start as he heard what sounded like a slug thrower going off nearby. Not moving from his sitting position with his back propped up against a wall he listened intently to the return of blaster fire, then a few more slug rounds being fired. Then it was silent, relatively speaking anyways. It sounded like the fighting had stopped and the victor declared, maybe a civil dispute or beef between two sun members, who knew. Del, moving the canvas covering his armor off of his blaster held in his lap then moving his hand towards his helmet, depressed a button underneath the chin and his helmet's lights began to spring to life. His helmet burned off the dew that had accumulated on his visor and began to initialize his shields and life support systems. While it never properly rained down in thirty-thirty it did have a habit of getting "wet", it usually meant that it had rained on the surface some days ago or they just decided to dump a bunch of waste water down the levels. Either way, Del was covered in droplets of water which quickly coagulated and slid off of him as he began shifting around.

Looking around Del found that he was still on the roof top he had set himself up on. He looked around to find that the cables he had run across the buildings adjacent to him had not been cut aswell. He stood up and felt his knees crack and his back give off a dull pain as he straightened out. His age was catching up to him recently, though it was really a guess how much longer he would live. Clones were rated best by at around age ten, he was 24 years old. He sometimes wondered if the Kaminoians had intended for them to hold together much longer than 15, or if they cared that they were sentencing them to clone madness either. He had only seen it once, but it was something he hoped he could stave off as long as he kept moving forward. Though he supposed there was nothing for him to do about it now. The clones were decommissioned from what he had heard, the Republic was dead, he probably should be too.

He drew his rifle configured into a sniper from underneath his cloak and powered it on and looked through the scope just to make sure it was still working. He walked over to the edge of the building and looked down into the "street" several stories beneath him. There were maybe a dozen people (mostly suns) talking in groups and the occasional hooded figure moving quickly along the side of the street trying to mind their own business. He had gotten there a few hours earlier via single man speeder that was parked on the roof behind him covered in a gray cloth attempting to blend in with the rather drab roof top. He hadn't seen much in the way of potential victims for this suns guy to abduct as most that he had seen were either members or already slaves of some kind being ferried between houses. The few he had seen not fitting that bill were in groups moving tightly together in hopes of appearing threatening enough to the suns members so they wouldn't be bothered. By the force the most interesting thing that had happened so far was a guy selling fruit from some planet he had never heard of coming by. He was big hit with the gang members and was surprisingly not shot and robbed even though he was raking in cash from them. Del had to assume the Rodian doing the selling had permission to be there, well that was the only thing that really made sense anyways.

But just when Del was wondering if maybe he should move his operation somewhere else he spotted a hooded figure with white things hanging out of the bottom of the hood. The build was smallish and possibly a togruta, highly likely female. Del raised one corner of his mouth in mild appreciation of the fact that he finally had bait. He had been hoping something like this would happen so the suns he was looking for would show. It was obvious it wasn't a standing order as the gang members he had seen milling about earlier continued doing so, not so much as batting an eye at the togruta. Del got up from his peerch and traced out in his head where he figured she was heading and he began to make his way over to the next building adjacent to him. He put his right foot on the thin wire connecting the buildings and pushed the idea of being off balance and falling out of his head. He breathed in and put his full weight onto his right foot and quickly moved his left one directly infront of it. He moved quickly across the line to the next building and hoped off the wire careful not to make noise. He check down on the street again and he saw the female still moving in the same direction. Looks like we have a customer.

All went silent in Zam's brothel for a moment as the front doors were loudly opened. It was not the noise that cause the momentary silence, it was who exactly had slammed the doors. Blackened Stars, no doubt about it. First five of them entered in a line, each a different race. Twi'lek, wookie, devaronian, human and zabrak. All five clad in imposing armors, powerful blasters visible on each of their forms. Then came two more figures, first the troublesome rodian from before, then Jondevo, self proclaimed king of 3030.

Few had actually seen him in person, yet many in the room instantly recognized him. The human's face had been planted in forms of graffiti and street art by his loyal followers, his face having graced the extranet many times. A large scar resided near his left ear, a mark of confrontation. He wore a long, sturdy jacket of some of the finest leather credits could buy. As he entered his entourage of gang members spread out, allowing him to stand in the center where he glanced around, hands rested on his hips, scowl on his face.

"I demand to see the owner of this establishment, as well as the Mandalorian. I simply wish to speak, for now." Jondevo stated loudly and clearly, his words more of an order than anything. If the two he demanded didn't appear before him then he'd find them regardless, albeit with a much less calm mood.

---

Three humans entered Teema's diner, each the suspicious kind. Tattoos on all three, two women, one male, their haircuts in the shape that troublesome youth would have. The leader amongst them was a woman, two piercings on her lip, three on her ear, a mohawk on her head. Each of them also were packing heat, blaster pistols holstered on each one. There was a very distinct possibility they were Pure Hands. But, everyone had blasters on 3030.

"We're looking for someone, that DJ on the radio, heard that he frequents this joint. We have a business offer for him. Would you know where he is at?" The woman asked as she approached the counter. The possibility of them being Pures was now a bit higher at the mention of business, of course they could just have been drug dealers or something.

---

"Another drink would be fine, dear." The Twi'lek replied with a smile. She was about to pose a question to Tanya when she noticed three suspicious figures step through the front doors of the Pit. Two gamorreans and a duros, the large pig like beings were clad in armor, the duros in more casual wear. They made a beeline towards the door Mar had disappeared through.

"I think your father is getting some visitors. Maybe not the friendly type from the look of the gamorrean duo. You ever see a nice gamorrean before?" Sienn asked the girl as she noticed that the duros had knocked loudly on the door, and spoke to the figure inside of it.

"Open up, we heard about new ownership. See, we had a deal with the previous proprietor. We were hoping to strengthen that."

Looking back over his shoulders a Besalisk sped into a room where the bandages where still present scattered about one of the chairs. He had gotten here by dashing into an unguarded service corridor, A glance over his shoulders then had revealed three Blackened Stars methodically searching the crowd.

Mar turned as someone entered the room, he obviously didn't know him but he looked like he had been through a fight at the very least. Either that or a grinder, he wasn't quite sure which but whatever it was it wasn't good and he didn't really want to be part of it. That reminded him, if people were just going to wander in he'd need to get someone to take away the bacta patches. Signs of weakness and what not, not that he was exactly weak right now but he didn't want to let anyone think they had a chance.

"Do you mind? The refreshers the next door on your right. This is my office."

The Besalisk looked back at Mar, slightly startled but recovering quickly. Krenn needed a good few moments of safety to clear this mess. Talk at the Pit was that they just had a new owner, it explained the serving girl's reaction to him at the least. So Krenn went for the hunch he had.

"Hey boss, mind if I stay here a moment trouble came trough the door, word is they are looking for one of my kind. Wouldn't want to get confused for that bugger, ey?

He ended the sentence with a proposition and a smile, hoping to play on the emphathy of the Mandalorian sitting before him. He didn't know if it was a smart play.

Mar just chuckled. "No trouble is coming through that door, and if they start trouble they can fight me. There's some new rules here, and thats them." He shrugged as he stood up. "There's nothing important in this room anyway if you're really not wanting to face them. Though I reckon you're not as innocent as you say you are." Mar walked over to the alien, who was a lot larger than him and looked him in the eyes.

"Now you tell me, are you planning on bringing trouble here? Cause if you are you are going to have to face me for it."

Krenn Gulped, the Mandalorians had a reputation and he knew it. "I-. Well I meant to escape trouble here but as things are going today...."The Besalisk sighed, his shoulders slouching. "Just a couple of minutes till those Blackened Stars clear out okay?"

Mar pointed towards the bar. "There, go buy a drink. If you want to hide, go hide in the refresher."

Krenn looked over his shoulder, the glance was enough to see one Blackened Star speaking to a bartender who was cleaning a glas and slowly nodding to whatever the gangmember had to say, pointing his thumb over his shoulder, towards the office.
"They'll check the refresher-"
The Besalisks four hands went over a few pockets, three of them producing the spare credits for about 3 drinks. Tucking most of his body behind the doorpost again to avoid detection.
"Give me a few minutes here and ill buy plenty of drinks." desperation started to creep in his voice as the problems he had endured since this day had started crept up on him. In an attempt to salvage some dignity he tried a large smile.
"I'll even share, huh?"

"If you want to share that's your move, bars that way. I don't care why they're looking for you, but you can at least know that if they start something in here I'll have your back stranger and they'll get a lesson in how to be more polite to their host." He pulled his helmet over his head, there was a hiss as it sealed and the hud powered on.

He clicked the helmet mic before speaking. "Off we go then."

Krenn clenched his jaw while trying to maintain the smile. Looking back towards the bar lacking the Mandalorian's eagernessbut still following him. He had only made a few steps when one of the Blackened Stars noticed him and shouted a few indistinct words while pointing.
"Great... You have some of that armor left?"
Krenn added sarcastically while instincts took over, he raised his top two arms in a 'don't shoot' gesture while the bottom two grabbed for two of the heavy blaster pistols under his trenchcoat. He slowly backed away as from several directions the 3 Blackened stars approached.

"No, you have by no means earned a piece of armour. You also don't need those blasters in here, keep your hands out where I can see them." As the gang members approached Mar stepped forward. Krenn gave the Mandalorian a nervous look but moved his hands away from the blasters.

"It's him alright." One of the gangmembers said with a anguished look at the Mandalorian standing beside the Besalisk. "Look, the fellow is coming with us."

"If you have a problem with him, you deal with it with your fists in the ring, or sit and wait outside for him to come out. If you want to start trouble, you start it with me. You probably haven't heard yet but the Pit is under new management, my management."

The Blackened Star grew a little more courage as his other two accomplices joined in, standing around the 2 in a half circle.
"Look, were not looking for trouble, if that fat fuck just comes with us, he went into your establishment with a tail, you just hand him to us. Any trouble made is on the Besalisk." A second gangmember said, his face smug though not without a hint of readyness, only enforced by the hand he held near his holster.

"It's not good business to hand out paying customers to the first people that come along looking for them. I don't see a ring on his fingers so he's not a married man and I'm under no obligation to give him to you for any reason. So if you're not going to buy a drink or watch a fight, we're done here. Unless your foolish enough to draw against a Mandalorian. I know you've probably not seen one before though our reputation generally precedes us."our reputation generally precedes us."our reputation generally precedes us."

Krenn nodded in stark agreement. His grinn growing wider. "You heard the boss, go wait outside." It gained him the icey gaze from the gangmember who had just been speaking.

"If you are willing to fight for your boyfriend Mando, well be waiting to see if hes a keeper." The gangmember said with a hatefull smile barking over his shoulder to one of the other gangmembers: "Get us a drink Varok, this place doesn't have lodgings, we have some time to kill."

Krenn gulped as the trio started to walk away, smiling nervously at the Mandalorian. "Seems like I need to forge myself a reputation as well."

"It's not wise to taunt those that are considering violence." Mar called over to them. Gang members. So used to calling the shots that they felt they could take on anyone that they wanted to without any consequences. Well he owed nothing to the Besalisk but he wasn't about to have his rules broken not long after he had it put in place.

He turned to the Besalisk. "See, no trouble. Now go have that drink then get the hell out. If you're really worried go find a mercenary to watch your back."

Krenn gave a wide laugh at that, mimicking dissapointment. "And here I thought I had found one." He gave a glance to the pit, eyes slightly squinted.
"Say, Mandalorian, besides my gratitude, what if I gave you a mutually benificial offer?" Krenn would open up all four arms as a sign of 'honest business'.
"I can't very well go out there tonight, those blokes will be waiting, and I know their hostility won't last. What about I provide some entertainment down there in trade for a few nights of sanctuary?" He thumbed towards the pit. "First I'd buy you a drink ofcourse. Name is Krenn by the way, Krenn Prong." Sticking out his top right hand in anticipation.

Mar just crossed his arms. "The name isn't Mandalorian, I am a Mandalorian. The names Mar. If you want to go fight in the pit, be my guest. If you don't want to leave, that's your business. Though we don't have beds and paying customers only. Besides, I'm here on business and you don't have what I need, so our business is concluded so long as you behave yourself."

Though dissapointed with the lack of hangiving, Krenn let out a heavy laugh while following the Mandalorian with the regular looks over his shoulder. "I know youre not named Mandalorian. You guys got a reputation the size of a moon." Krenn scratched his chin sack a bit. "If only Besalisks could say the same... Wouldn't have to put up with thei- On that business. How would a guy like me earn a quick buck down here. Let's say- uh... a spaceship, maybe just a ride on one of this rock? I might not look the part but I actually have a half decent draw, besides, aim doesn't matter much when you have four of these babies shooting"
Krenn revealed his lower 2 blasters by pulling his coat back with his lower hands, then hinting at a second set when he opened his coat with his upper hand as well, revealing a blaster holstered under his armpit.
"How about some assistance on that business? Covering fire gets a whole new meaning with me around. Let me tell you about that time on Ord Mantell, we had a set of Black Suns after us-

"No weapons in the pit to start." Mar turned around and crossed his arms looking at the Besalisk. He raised his finger and pointed it at Krenn. "Second of all, if you're as good as you say you are there are people all over looking for a gun for hire. Some of them the guys that are chasing you actually. Zam may have work for you, I've not been there yet on this visit but with tensions rising I'm sure she could do with some more hands. Also this business, is mine and my daughters. We'll be able to handle it. You want offworld? Sure there'll be some form of smuggler trading work for safe passage if you can get up a couple of levels."

Krenn Nodded slowly. "Then the only thing that rests is a thank you, Mar." He paused for a second, letting his coat fall back in place and bowing slightly while inclining his head.
"Thank you." He knew better this time to extend one of his hands. "If you still care for that drink I'll be here, playing the patience game with those buggers."

---

Tanya just shrugged. "We're Mandalorians, and have spent the better part of my life bounty hunting and he was doing that years before I came along. So I'm sure it'll be fine."

---

Mar sighed as he turned to the door that he had just literally closed. Walking upto it he hit the keypad as it slid open. "You know, in some cultures a closed door means something. Though please, be my guests-" He said as he raised his arm inviting them in. He then went round behind 'his' desk. If he knew that this place was going to be this much karking trouble he would have let the stinking Gotal keep the joint. "-Now I assure you fine gentlemen. You are still free to recruit whatever lowlifes go in the pit, once they leave the establishment. I'm not taking sides in your little turf war. In terms of house rules, same as Zams. Enjoy the entertainment but don't damage the property."

"We're glad to hear that, Gorro will be delighted that you wish to continue with the partnership. The previous owner declined a further extension of that agreement, perhaps you would be interested in at least considering it." The duros replied, his two companions standing at each side of him silent. He paused for a moment before he continued speaking.

"If the past has shown anything, it's that 3030 is full of unpredictability. The Pures are always rumored to be planning something foul, the Stars grow bolder with their desperation to be noticed. We propose that the Cartel receives a small cut of monthly credit gross, 10%, nothing to a thriving place such as this. If that proposal is accepted, then any scenario that plays out where your establishment becomes a hotbed for the filth of the level the Cartel will ensure the Pit is protected. The monthly payment is nothing for the bonus of that promise." The duros added. The way he worded it sounded more like he wished to push to neutrality of the Pit to the point where it couldn't be considered fully neutral.

---

"You're a bounty hunter? Don't often see someone so young in that line of business. It's a terrifying one at that, I've seen too many bounty hunters come to 3030 and drop dead days later." Sienn replied before she rose out of her seat. She placed her hand on Tanya's, then looked her in the eyes.

"You should remain careful here, moreso than before now that your father now owns this dive bar. Even Mandolorians have died on this level," Sienn said, then removed her hand from the girl's. "Us girls have got to look out for each other, so many of our gender are abused and beaten down in this filthy undercity. Maybe I'll see you later."

With another smile towards Tanya, Sienn walked away from her. Going to find her friend who she figured was still somewhere in the Pit.

The brothel owner, Zam appeared before the vile man. Jondevo locked eyes with her, his impatience growing with every passing moment. The older woman let out a sigh, not exactly delighted to be dealing with such a horrible person, his reputation spoke for itself. But before she could say a word she felt her the brothel’s foundations shake, the air literally ignited in flames as the walls started to come down. An explosion had detonated within the neutral establishment. Some of the patrons were crushed by falling debris, others literally burnt alive by the fires as the bomb ignited.

Jondevo was launched backwards, sent out the very door he had just come through, the force of the explosion being what saved him from certain death. His hands instantly went to cover his head as he saw debris falling towards him, by an ounce of godly luck death did not come to him this way. Twice now he had avoided it, his men not so lucky. They perished in the blast range of the bomb, the ones that set it not known, though it was certainly not the Blackened Stars.

The explosion ended almostas quickly as it had come, the king of the Stars letting out a deep breath as he regained consciousness. He could feel the pain which was the only thing that let him know that he had survived. His body internally screaming, Jondevo pushed rubble which covered him awaywith broken fingers. He rolled into the open, barely alive, but indeed alive. Another scar now sat just below his hairline, blood slowly leaking from it. A few of his teeth were broken inside of his mouth, with a beaten mouth he let out another deep breath.

The human tried to pull himself to his feet but he couldn’t even do that. His left leg was badly hurt, shattered up and down, his left arm was no better, four of the five fingers broken. Those were just some of the injuries he had come away from the explosion with. Jondevo gave a glance towards Zam’s brothel, or where it used to be. There was now only wreckage, indistinguishable from just a few minutes ago when it stood tall, a beacon of safety and neutrality within the unforgiving undercity. Now it was just another wreck.

Broken, beaten and burnt corpses laid all over, many still in flames. He would not forget the scent of it as long as he lived. Human flesh burning was a smell no one should ever have to endure, it even disturbed the twisted crime lord. Then he felt two pairs of hands grasp him, Jondevo weakly looked up to find two of his subordinate Stars there. They had been told to wait outside for his return, neither expected to find their fearless leader like this. They had just saved the man they practically worshipped.

Quickly, the trio moved away from the carnage, Jondevo literally being dragged to safety. They had transport back to their territory; the best medical care anyone could afford awaited the leader. As they disappeared from the scene, crowds arrived to it. Nearby civilians stared at the flames as they burnt, some cried as friends worked in the brothel, others just stared in awe. None of them thought they’d ever see the near hallowed establishment burn to the ground. Towards the back of the gathered crowd a hooded human male watched, a crooked smile formed on his face before he disappeared down a nearby alleyway like a ghost.

---

The sound of the explosion had rocketed throughout the undercity, even in the darkest corners of the borders one would still have heard it. Those near enough to the brothel would have seen it go up In flames, the shaking from the ferocity of it comparable to a small earthquake. Talk of the event echoed through the radio, by the end of the day everyone would have known what had just occurred.

The explosion could be heard over the booming music echoing within the Pit. Tables had shaken, glasses broke. Some of the patrons had sprinted outside to find out what happened. For a moment the DJ had stopped the music as he received word, then spoke into the microphone, his words with a somber, depressing tone to them.

“Zam’s Brothel was just bombed, no known survivors…No idea who did it.” He then left his stand, resuming the music as he did so. A few of the intoxicated or drugged patrons resumed dancing, while others exited the bar. Some just stood in surprise, not sure what to do. Others joined the dancers, they were used to terrible things occurring, a bombing was not a shock to them.

Once Tir’s arm was cleaned and reassembled, she simply laid back on her couch and grabbed her freshly repaired datapad to pass the time. Even in the lowest pits of level 3030, there was always no shortage of entertainment of any type, as long as one could access the holonet. Through it, information from the farthest corners of the Empire could make its way to Coruscant, though regardless, Tir still kept an eye on local news and events. Granted, there was not a great variety of media produced in such an impoverished area, and anything that was usually was produced by one of the gangs. There was some independently produced media, like “DJ Dyno’s” station, but it was rare, and still often had its own agenda. However, for the event Tir was reading about now, all sources agreed on one basic fact: Zam’s brothel had been bombed.

With this development, even Tir was surprised, which was not an easy thing to accomplish. A combination of her strong instincts, and familiarity with the brutality of level 3030, meant that many of the tragedies she witnessed were almost expected. This, however, seemed to come out of nowhere. Zam’s brothel was neutral ground, and up to this point, none of the gangs had shown signs of infringing on that neutrality. Of course, this was assuming that one of the gangs was responsible. Such large scale acts of violence required resources that the gangs had, and were more than willing to use. If there was a new group with those resources, then it would be a disturbing development indeed.

For Tir, there was no measure of hesitation within her mind on how to react to the news. Immediately, she put away her datapad, gathered up her tool belt, pouches, and weapons, then rushed out of the door. She practically sprinted on the way from her apartment building to her speeder, and was in no less of a hurry on the way to the brothel itself. It was not as if there was any law enforcement to fine her for piloting recklessly.

Tir landed her speeder as close as was safe to the brothel, or what was left of it. Many of the reports she had read were conflicting in their details, so she had not expected that the brothel would have been reduced entirely to rubble. Granted, the building had not been the most structurally sound on Coruscant, but it still would have taken a high-yield explosion to cause such destruction. There were small crowds of onlookers grouped together nearby, talking amongst themselves, in addition to others who were combing through the rubble; likely friends or family of the brothel’s employees or patrons. With this kind of devastation, the chances of finding survivors was low, but that was not going to stop Tir from making the attempt.