"They set up another damn security checkpoint."

"Another one? In the lower levels?"

"Yeah. They keep catching amateurs. Some kid got caught trying to smuggle death sticks out of the planet."

"So? They're putting thousands of credits into pointless security checkpoints because of a few rookies?"

"They found something else with the death sticks. A Wookie... With a lightsaber."

"Shit... Two of the Empire's favorite things... Doing our job is going to be a little bit more challenging."

"If you were good at what you do, then it wouldn't be... What do you think, Leigh?"

The smuggler looked up into the smoke-filled cantina. He had been lost in thought, barely listening to the two bicker. "Bin is right, Russ. If you're going to let a couple checkpoints get in your way of work, then you might as well turn yourself in now." Bin, the Twi'lek, smirked and looked over at Russ who rolled his eyes. "Out of all the years we've worked together, Roto, you've never given me the credit I deserve."

"Well that's because I don't work with you. I work with Bin. Bin is reliable, and won't crack under pressure. You're her annoying boyfriend that I have to deal with." Bin patted Russ' arm gently as her boyfriend glared at Leigh. The smuggler usually did missions by himself, but as he grew in his career, a lot of suspicion started to circulate around him. The last thing he needed was for people to know who he is--or what he was. Having someone like Bin has had its benefits. He knew she had his back, there was a sense of loyalty in the smuggler's code. Leigh was a good judge of character.

I won't stay long, though. I just need one more good gig. One more, and I can leave this place for good. You've been grounded for too long.

"He doesn't mean it, dear." She stole a glance at Leigh who seemed to agree sometimes. "You have any job offers, by the way?" She leaned back, taking a sip of her drink. "No... No, ever since that Cantina fight on level 8 I've been trying to lay low." It had been a few weeks, but the lower levels were still talking about that brawl.

No one knew who started it, but they knew who ended it. That girl had a good swing... "We'll get something soon." Russ assured them. "Come on, let's get some drinks, I think we can join in on the next sabacc game."

---------------------

Leigh had a little bit more credits than what he came in with. Somewhat satisfied, he pulled the collar up on his dark blue pilot jacket, and made his way through the smog filled streets of the lower levels of Coruscant. He had been down here for so long that he had forgotten what the sky looked like up above... He doubted that it would be what he had hoped. The streets were deserted, but after a while of walking to his apartment Leigh stopped in his tracks. Instead of acting like he had heard something, he went down to fix his boots, but managed to steal a glance from behind... Nothing.

A moment later he stood and started his walk once again. He found some hole in the wall to use as an apartment. Inside was nothing special, and he liked it that way. It reminded him of the bunkers he spent his whole childhood in. A simple bed, a small window, and a footlocker, with a small kitchen. With a sigh he tossed his jacket onto the bed, stretching, and walked towards the small fridge.

When he closed the fridge he held his blaster in his hand, pointing it at the figure that stood in the small archway. They were hooded, but he could tell the figure was at least male. "You have one minute to tell me why you've been following me."

"I'm sorry for the secrecy, Leigh Roto… I am here to hire you on behalf of my employer. We are in need of your specific skills." Leigh scoffed and shook his head, not lowering his weapon. "I'm not that special to be stalked. A simple approach in the street would have sufficed." It was the stranger's turn to shake their head. "No, too dangerous. They have eyes everywhere now. Mister Roto, I understand that you're capable of getting precious cargo off Coruscant."

Leigh laughed. "That would require credits. I don't have a lot of fuel to make a liftoff, especially from the lower sectors." "We are aware. The Atlas is a fine vessel. It's small, but strong... The ship design is--"

"Doesn't matter what it is, as long as it has its fuel. What exactly am I going to be taking off this planet?"

"In your words, it 'doesn't matter what it is.'" He couldn't see it, but the hooded figure was smiling. "Just know that it is very valuable. I will be honest. If you are caught, you will die... everyone associated with this will die." There was a moment of silence. "I won't get caught..." He lowered the gun, and for a second he asked a question he knew he shouldn't have. "This cargo... Does it mean a lot to you?"

The man chuckled, but there was no humor within it. He slowly took off his hood to reveal wounds he knew all too well that contorted his face. With a semi-toothless mouth, he gave a sad grin. "This cargo means everything to me." Leigh took in the face a bit longer before looking away and nodding. "I'll do it."

This was his chance to leave. Years ago he would have been more cautious about this deal, but there was something telling him that this was it. This was his chance of getting out of here. He couldn't turn this down. He was almost free.

-------------------------

It had taken a week for everything to go through. Whoever these people were, they paid very handsomely for this job. They paid him enough to get the required paperwork and fuel to exit the lower levels. The rest of his payment will be pushed through as soon as the cargo was delivered to the Yavin sector. As the anonymous employers put the cargo in his ship, he packed everything from the apartment, and made it back to his ship. It had been a little while since he had stepped foot in her. It was like visiting an old friend.

He could still hear the echoes within the walls though... the screams of the past. He pressed his hand gently on the hidden compartment near the back of the entrance where his past was hidden. He hoped he didn't need to use it any time soon. "The cargo is secure... We added the coordinates to your nav center. The rest is on you, Mr. Roto. Good luck." It sounded like the mysterious voice wanted to say more, but didn't. "Don't worry. Consider the deal as good as done." Although his voice was confident, he felt a bit of worry.

He flipped some switches, pushed a couple buttons, and the engines of The Atlas roared to life with a healthy and satisfying purr. He waited in the infinite line of ships trying to get out of the lower sector, and as he got closer to the front, he could barely make out the sunlight that escaped through the walls of concrete and metal. He was so close, but he knew that the ascension upward would be the most difficult part yet.

The Galactic Empire was on high alert ever since the Wookie. He had never failed a job, but there was a first for everything. "Stay calm, Soldier. You can't break now, not when there's so much on the line." With one last sigh, he inched his way towards the platform to rise up, clearing his throat in preparation to talk to the Empire official on the surface above.

The start of a day on Coruscant was an interesting sight to be held. On the upper levels, the sun rose high in the sky, casting long shadows from the enormous structures that made up the planet's surface. Up on the surface, they all glittered like fine jewels. Amazing feats of architecture that were made to be marveled at, and to be admired. But down here on the lower levels, things were a bit different. There were over 5000 levels on this planet, and each one was darker, slummier, and flithier than the last. Oh, sure, the upper levels were pretty enough, but down here among the criminals and the artificial lights, it was hard to admire what used to be the centerpiece of the Republic.

Not to mention, it smelled like bantha fodder.

All around the city, the still-busy streets were starting to fill up even more. The night life was fading, only to be replaced by those who existed during the day. Speeders moved go and fro, each having somewhere to go, and all trying to get there quickly, and the artificial lights lit the roads and pathways on this lively, somewhat sketchy level of the planet. People talked and haggle prices in the marketplace, a few families made their way past, and in amongst all of the somewhat organized chaos, there was Maira.

Maira had lived in this particular area of Coruscant for several years now, and had managed to etch out a pretty good name for herself as a person who did odd jobs. Needed a crate safely transported to the next level up? She could do that! Need a waitress for the rush hour? Maira can do that too. If you needed a bodyguard, someone to run errands, clean, cook, or someone trustworthy to watch your things while you were off world, Maira was your gal, and everyone in this district knew it. A true jack of a all trades.

That particular day was a busy one for her. One of the local shop owners had hired her to run errands since his normal employee was out sick, and so she spent several hours running back and forth between different levels of the city. She delivered some items, picked some up, returned some others, helped clean the store, ran some more items, and an endless list of other miscellaneous tasks. All in all, it was a normal day. It may not have exactly been a career, but it made her enough money to get buy, and it kept her from getting noticed.

Maira always liked going to the local Cantina after a hard day's work. People typically left her alone there, save for the occasional greeting from one of her regular employers or drinking buddies. It wasn't the cleanest building, or the best quality liquor, but it was still one of her favorite spots. She could be around people, but still be left alone. Except for today, apparently. Somehow yelling got started. Maira didn't see who started the fight, but before she knew it there were a bunch of people all clamoring around, yelling and clawing at the nearest one. She had intended to stay out of the brawl. Until someone knocked into her table, taking her down with it.

A deep sigh escaped the woman. "Alright, that's it. I'm about to knock some heads together."

Within a few minutes, Maira had become very much involved with the brawl, and set to work in ending it as quickly as possible. It was all kind of a blur, but she distinctly remembered smashing a bottle over someone's head, and struggling a bit with a man before punching him. At some point she fired a gun and got everyone's attention, and said something along the lines of threatening to skin alive the next person who dealt a blow, and sternly instructed everyone to either shut up, or get out. There had been several angry mutters, but no one argued with her, and it settled down again.

Maira had managed to escape mostly unscathed. The was a small bruise on her side from where someone had elbowed her, but nothing serious, and the rest of the night passed by without another disaster.

---

Not long after these events had taken place, Maira began noticing some odd things happening. At first they were small. A missing keepsake from her apartment, finding something not where she left it, a stranger staring at her for a little too long, and other things that set off her alarm bells, but still weren't large enough to make her jump into action. Then people started following her home. And to work. And to the cantina. Then she came home and found her place rigged with explosives.

That was when Maira decided to disappear again. Somehow someone had found out that she was a Jedi, and now it was time for her to run away again and try to start a new life. But how did they find out? She had been so careful with making sure not to mention anything about the temple or her past, and she hardly ever used her powers anymore. Being force sensitive was so looked down upon anymore that even hinting you had powers would get you blacklisted instantly. Had she gotten drunk and slipped up somewhere? Had someone found her lightsaber and ratted her out? Whatever the reason, Maira gathered up her emergency supplies and set off to find help.

And that was how she ended up here, on a smugglers ship, hiding in one of the various nooks and crannies these things had in them. Everything would be fine as long as she stayed hidden. Maria didn't have much on her, only carrying her lightsaber, blaster, some rations, and a little bit of money. She didn't even bring a change of clothes with her. It was kind of tight where they had shoved her in, but until they reached where they were going, all Maira had to do was sit tight and wait.

"Checkpoint Alpha this is The Atlas requesting liftoff from the lower sector."

"Copy Atlas, standby..."

Leigh fell back in his seat, blowing out a heavy sigh, and staring at the slowly moving walls. He could practically fell the air get lighter and less smelly. Granted that the whole planet smelled of smog and pollution, but even a bantha fart would smell better than the lower levels of Coruscant. Leigh was on edge, but he didn't show it. He sat in the pilot's chair, completely still and as calm as he could. This was always the part he feared the most when he sunk low into the planet. Getting out was not easy, it never was. It was where some people went to die. He always planned on leaving but this was all too sudden. He didn't even say goodbye to Bin.

its better that way.

"Atlas, please state the business of your departure." The voice was different. The hairs on Leigh's back started to stand up. Very slowly he pressed the button on the comms, leaning in. "I was gained access to leave for work-related duties. I have a mechanic job in the Arkanis sector." Another pause that felt like it lasted a lifetime. "Atlas you have been selected for a random vessel inspection. Please stand by."

Leigh cursed slightly but bit his tongue. Instead he stood from his seat and immediately went to check on things. He knew that the Empire was good at spotting smuggling holes. He spent his entire career to make sure they could barely be seen... He went in to the area of the small compartment holding his past once again and inspected every part of it. Even as he placed his hand on the cold metal he could practically feel the energy it radiated from behind. He then moved towards the cargo bay where his faux hiding spots were, making sure they were hidden but easy for someone to find if they knew what they were looking for. You can't be committed of possibly smuggling in the future. Finally he went to the final smuggling spot in the hallway in between his kitchen and small sleeping quarters. He stood in front of it, and even himself had difficulty finding where the hidden latch was against the wall. Of course behind the wall was just another latch to open up the actual compartment. Leigh spent a lot of time making sure that what he did was solid. He couldn't have a fool like Russ ruin his income.

Suddenly Leigh felt the Atlas stop moving. The platform had stopped, and it was only a matter of time before he would be in the presence of the Empire. Leigh moved back to the entrance of his ship, and waited. When the doors opened, he once again felt the hairs on his body tingle. You've fought these men before, but a long time ago, and in different armor. The storm troopers started to walk in, and pushed Leigh aside. It didn't take long to find the leader of the group. The gray suited woman walked in and took a quick look around. "This will only take a moment, Mister Roto." She didn't seem to care about his patience. The more she looked, the more her expression was twisted. "Tell me, where did you buy this ship?" She asked.

Leigh looked at her but kept an eye on the troopers inspecting his ship. "Some junker."

"Hmmm." Was her only response. "This mechanic job... I'm assuming it's paying well?" She waved her hand around and gave a small grin, but nothing about this was humorous. "After all, you managed to buy a Mandalorian assault vessel..." A mental curse went through his mind. she knows something's not right. "Mandalorian?" Leigh looked at her with a quizzical look. "I bought it because of the design. The junker was desperate to get rid of it... I guess that's why." He pulled off the lie rather well, but he was sure the officer didn't buy it fully. "Nothing here, Ma'am." One of the troopers came back. Leigh hid the smirk on his face, and looked back at the officer. "So does that mean I can leave?"

Before anyone could answer, a chill entered the ship. All turned their attention, and everyone fell silent. A figure stood in all black armor, a giant glossy helmet covered its identity, and the dull red eyes scanned the area. A cape fell on one shoulder and went down to its legs, and on the other side of the body was a lightsaber. "Inquisitor Tu'ul…" The officer began to speak, but fell silent as a hand was raised. "I sense them..." Was all the figure said. inquisitor... Jedi Hunters. He had heard the stories of the legendary killers. They were a group of old jedis, force sensitive beings, anything that could connect to the force would join to hunt down and kill the remaining Jedi in the galaxy. Leigh was sure that all of them had been wiped out, but it seems that he was very, very wrong... What did he get himself in to?

The Inquisitor turned to Leigh. "This is your ship?" The voice asked. The man nodded. It looked away, and suddenly it was on the move. Soon Leigh was being escorted into the same area that hid the special cargo. The Inquisitor stood in front of the wall, staring at it for quite some time before he heard the voice called again. "Open it." All heads turned to Leigh. "What?" The figure turned and faced him. "Your compartment. Open it now."

Leigh stared at the two glowing eyes for a few moments. Even that act was stupid in its own right, but years of battle made him afraid of very little. Although he wasn't afraid... he wasn't stupid either. Leigh slowly stepped forward to the wall, running his fingers gently against the smooth metal before he pushed in, an audible click erupted. He then used his other hand to reach lower on the wall, and smacked hard on the surface, and the wall gave way... to nothing.

The smuggler was pulled back and the inquisitor moved to take a look inside. The figure stepped back, turned back to Leigh and with a grunt of frustration, it raised its hand and swung it, using the force to tear apart the secret compartment, revealing the cargo that he hadn't seen until now... and it was a woman?

Not just any woman, someone he's seen before. But where? He couldn't let those questions confuse him. His instincts kicked in. Leigh knelt down and gave a quick jab at a trooper's stomach, grabbing his rifle and using the butt end to smack him across the helmet. He had just become a fugitive, and he hoped that the woman that was now exposed knew how to fight for both of their sakes.

The feeling of the ship beginning to move was of some comfort to Maira. Moving meant they' were on their way to being off this blasted rock, and that meant soon she would be safe from whoever was hunting her... Until they found her again. Maira knew that there was really nowhere in the galaxy that she could hide forever. One day they would find her, and the process would just keep repeating over, and over, and over again until the day she died. She was doomed to live her entire life running away like a coward, constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering when the big bad monsters were going to get her. A fine example of the Jedi indeed. She scoffed a little at her own situation, but there wasn't much use in dwelling on depressing, nerve wracking thoughts. Right now, she was just hoping that they made it out of the atmosphere and got properly on their way before anyone noticed she'd disappeared. There was a knot forming in her stomach, but she was trying to ignore it. It was just nerves. Nothing was going to happen, she was just nervous.

No sooner had those thoughts crossed her mind, the ship started slowing down. And then it stopped. The knot in her stomach was getting harder to ignore, and only grew worse when muffled voices started talking outside of the compartment they'd stashed her in. No one sounded overly hostile at the moment, thankfully, but there were distinct sounds of people stomping around. No doubt there were stormtroopers going on a "random" search of the vessel. Because why wouldn't they? Bloody perfect.

Maira could sense their movements and knew that they had missed the compartment. She started to get hopeful that maybe they wouldn't find her and would just move on. But of course, as the universe would have it, she wouldn't be so lucky. A new presence entered the vessel, one which instantly sent a feeling like shards of ice racing up Maira's spine. She had a very, very bad feeling about this. Whoever this new person was, they were a force user. The air around her started to reek of a very particular aura that could only belong to someone affiliated with the dark side. It's stench was unmistakable, and it made her recoil a bit as if the air itself could cause harm.

There was also something else to this new presence. It was warped, wicked, and it was impossible not to be aware of the brutal intent radiating from it, but it was also familiar. Somewhere under the layers of ice and darkness, the presence whispered to Maira that they had met before. Then it started approaching at an alarming rate, coming straight towards the compartment where she was hidden, and she rested a hand on her lightsaber.

Whoever they were, they knew she was here.

There was the sound of a panel opening, and then a few moments later the wall separating her from the rest of the ship contorted and whined, then was ripped away, leaving her completely visible to all who stood there.

Time seemed to stand still as Maira locked gazes with the black figure of the inquisitor, staring them down as if she were trying to see into their very soul. Which, she was. Maira knew this person, whoever they were, and frankly it was driving her insane. She had half a mind to think of something sarcastic to say, but before her mouth could open, the pilot of the ship attacked one of the stormtroopers and time resumed. Tings were going to get messy.

The lightsaber in her hand blazed to life, glowing a pale green, and she quickly dashed to get herself into a position that left her less cornered and vulnerable. As long as she stayed in that compartment, she was practically a sitting duck waiting to be chopped in half. As soon as she was standing fully upright, Maira turned to face the inquisitor. Her lightsaber was held in a defensive posture.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ll just… Leave and pretend this never happened?”