Project Ghostrunner

[Karros Zaruiel]

Project Ghostrunner

Creation Date: Nov 26, 2020
Completion Date: Dec 23, 2021
Pages: 163 (201 including reference material)
WC: 97,728

Security Clearance Level: Yellow 1

WRITTEN BEFORE THE SPLIT, TO BE CONSIDERED NON-CANON

“Kaas City Nights”
<Closed RP>
<Collaborative One-shot>

In collaboration with and appearances by:
Catherine Carter - Lady Noxia, Beloved Imperial Hecate
Raymond Obrien - Lord Xxys
Christian Oxford - Lord Kain, Beloved Prince of Stars
Mireya Ochoa - Darth Thana, Beloved Ursa
Denisa Ravdan - Apprentice Amaya Masslat
Billy Powers - Knight Mir
David Claybrooke - Darth Joker
James Howerton - Lord Voidwalker
Jacob Gruis - Apprentice Terrogate
Ryan Pankhurst - Knight Omrock Slogg
Avery Dingus - Apprentice Titus Valantir
Wesley Teague - Knight Crimson
Lee Conners - Apprentice Reatith Blodraald
Sim Jia Xian - Knight Aaric Tritum
Victoria Quinn - Apprentice Keres Dymos
Kara Volshe - Empress Volshe
Tina Mae - Apprentice Tinca
Jonas Pierce - Apprentice Ky’skara

With Raymond Obrien and Christian Oxford as editors

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Concept/inspiration vid -

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Karros stood at the edge of the cantina rooftop, looking out over Kaas City. His rehab had just recently been completed. His newly acquired, cybernetic left forearm now felt more natural than his lost original. After eighteen weeks of non-stop, intense self-rehabilitation therapy, he was ready to stretch his limbs. Karros wanted to try something he had not done for a long, long time. A city-wide parkour run. His Master, the Beloved Ursa, had given him leave to do so. And tonight was a special night. Whispers from the peons in the cantina spoke of a concert tonight and of a pending inter-studio dance competition. The most remarkable aspect of the concert would be the dance group performing. Rumors swirled around them. They had risen to meteoric fame in a matter of days throughout the Empire. Some said they had recently earned their freedom from one of the Lords for exceptional service. Other rumors said they held the favor of a Lady who was responsible for their rise to fame. Karros had not been able to determine names or even if these rumors were of any substance. Karros decided that this concert would be the end goal of tonight’s run.

He did a three hundred sixty degree turn to survey the city. He had spent some time during lulls in the cantina’s activity to study maps of the city. The cantina stood in the Imperial Sector, in the center of Kaas City. The concert was going to be held in the Kaas City Arena in the Theater Sector, directly adjacent to the Imperial Sector. Within the Imperial Sector lay the Residential and Commerce District, the Gala District and the Imperial Gardens. Karros pulled out his datapad and drew up the holomaps of the city to better plan his scenic route around the city leading to the Kaas City Arena at the very end.

Perusing through the map Karros plotted his route. He would start by going through the glittering towers of the Gala District, where the higher Ranks of the Sith dwelled and held their grand gatherings. Then it was through the shops and suites of the Residential and Commerce District, where the majority of the city lived their day-to-day lives. From there it was through the Imperial Garden District. There were no buildings to parkour over, so instead it would be a parkour run overland or through the trees if they were large enough. Through the Garden District he would then traverse the massive Industrial Sector with the assistance of the numerous tram lines that ran though it like veins that he had seen on the maps. The route he would take would lead him past the city’s military garrison stationed there. Stopping off at the abandoned housing complex he had used for the final stage of his rehabilitation Karros would enter the Slum Quarter. From there Karros would make a run through the Quarter to the Jungle Outskirts on the south-western edge of Kaas City. Taking a north-west curve through the jungle Karros would cut through to the Theater Sector, landing on the edge of its Pleasure District. He chuckled to himself at the thought. After exiting the Pleasure Distinct and entering the tamer portion of the sector Karros would pass through the Performing Arts Quarter, where the performers and general artists of the Empire resided. Then at last he would reach the Kaas City Arena for the performance by this new group.

Taking a few moments to memorize his route Karros then stowed away his datapad. Checking and securing his belongings on his person Karros took one last gaze upon the city from his beloved cantina perch. He then stepped to the very edge of the roof until his toes hung out from over the edge. Karros spread his arms out slightly to the side, then leaned his body forward into a fall off the cantina roof.

The wind whistled past his ears as he fell. Karros took in the exhilaration of his fall for a few moments. The rush of the emotions that filled him. Then he snapped out of his reverie to take control. He threw out his arms in a spread-eagle position to catch as much air resistance as possible. Karros looked around himself. The ground, though stories and stories below him, was rapidly rushing up to greet him. He had not gone very far from the wall of the cantina building. Far to his left Karros spotted one of the roof drainage pipes running down the side of the building. The pipe in question ran clear from the top of the cantina down along the building wall all the way to the ground some thirty-five thousand feet below. Constructed from steel and as thick as his thigh it jutted out slightly from the wall itself. Angling his body like a kite Karros began to maneuver himself towards the pipe. While this did not succeed in getting him much closer to the pipe, it did succeed in getting his feet to touch the cantina wall again.

As soon as his toes began scraping against the building Karros immediately righted his body. His feet now pointed downwards toward the ground like the wedges of airfoils. As he righted himself Karros also turned his body so his left side was facing the wall as he fell. He reached out with his durasteel, cybernetic left hand and gently grasped the side of the duramentium wall with his fingertips, lightly dragging it across the wall as he fell. The sound of scuffing metal filled the roiling wind around Karros’ ears. By virtue of being cybernetic, Karros felt none of the sting he would have felt with his natural hand. His rehabilitation sessions had taught him how to use this non-feeling to his advantage. Though the pressure between his hand and the wall was light, the friction generated by the speed of his fall caused his body to naturally angle towards the side of the building. Using the friction generated by the wall and his fingertips as an anchor Karros touched the soles of his feet to the wall and began to run down the side of the cantina building towards the drainage pipe.

Within moments he swept over the pipe, using his cybernetic hand that he had been dragging over the wall to catch it. The momentum of the fall was still carrying him forward, so his body swung in a small arc over the pipe when he caught it. Stretching out his right leg Karros mitigated the force of the impact against the wall by taking the brunt of it through his right foot. It felt like landing hard against the pavement after an eight foot jump. Coming to an almost jarringly sudden stop Karros pulled himself against the pipe, grabbing it with both hands and squeezing it while planting the heels of both of his feet against the building wall. Then one foot after the other Karros braced both feet against the pipe itself. Securing the grasp of his cybernetic hand on the pipe he let his right hand go off the pipe, allowing his body to swing to his right so he was facing out across the city again. Clamping his heels and the inside curve of his feet against the pipe while slightly loosening his grip with his cybernetic hand, Karros slid down the drain pipe like it was a fireman’s pole. His rehab had enabled his self-mastery enough that he had perfect control of his descent down the pipe, even when moving at such speeds that were comparable to free-fall. Now the ease of executing such maneuvers had become almost second nature. He rapidly slid down the pipe, racing down towards the altitude of the surrounding rooftops. When the nearest rooftop was within fifteen feet of him and closing fast, Karros simultaneously let go of the pipe and shoved off from the wall with his feet, aiming at the closing rooftop. His hands held up in preparation for his landing, Karros pointed his feet at the spot on the roof where he aimed to land, keeping his knees slightly bent to better absorb the shock of impact.

He hit the roof heels first, bending his legs to absorb the impact while his hands hit the rooftop as he tumbled forward into a four-point landing that smoothly transitioned into a familiar, controlled roll to dissipate the energy of his impact. The Concierge rolled several yards as he allowed the momentum to carry him forward. When his feet were beneath him and his soles were firmly planted on the ground Karros righted himself, pushing himself into an upright standing position by extending his legs that seamlessly became a forward running stance. Without missing a beat he used the still present momentum to carry him forward into a swift, easy run. The Concierge ran towards the end of the long roof. Then upon reaching its end leapt off the rooftop.

He flew through the air, landing on the edge of a small balcony some 20 feet below him. Karros landed with the same four-point landing that transitioned into a roll as he had used before, bringing his momentum back under his control. As he rolled Karros redirected his momentum to launch himself off the edge of the balcony, sending him sailing over the side of the widening city gorge and a shuttle platform some 30 feet below.

~Lord Xxys IC~

Lord Xxys exited the lift as the doors opened and stepped into the night air.
He was on his way to a Council meeting and his shuttle was late.

No matter.

The air was clear and he was enjoying the night sky when his assassin's eye caught the hint of movement on the rooftop just to his right, and a few stories above his position.
His hand went instinctively to his sidearm, and it cleared the holster just as the vaulting figure lept from one rooftop to the side of a small balcony overhanging a nearly thousand meter drop. Then with fluidity and grace, the traveler redirected his momentum and launched over the chasm, it's body twisting in the night air like a phantom.

Xxys had drawn bead on the traveler, his lead was perfect, and the shot would strike the runner at the apex of their jump. His finger widened the trigger, but at the last second he hesitated... he noted no noticeable weapons on the lithe creature. Indeed the traveler was wearing not a stealth suit, but instead some form of athletic ensemble.

The form landed easily on the next roof and Xxys had seen a mask as the body had hurtled over the shining cityscape, but no sign of any weapons.

He holstered his sidearm and watched as the traveler made another fantastic leap over the nearly half mile drop to land with precision on the railing of another landing platform. Xxys could see the runner's breathing was rapid, but paced, and his physique was that of a trained athlete. With a quick setting of his feet the traveler turned and sprinted to the very end of the rail, as sure-footed as if they ran on solid ground, and at the end, planted their right foot and vaulted over the edge and into this night just as a few patters of light rain began to fall.

Xxys lifted his hood over his head to shield himself from the steadily increasing rain. Just in time his shuttle arrived and as he stepped into the cabin he glimpsed the figure as it disappeared over the next rooftop.
~End Lord Xxys IC~

As Karros flew through the air he rotated his body so that his feet once more pointed at where he planned to land, keeping his legs extended but slightly bent so as to better absorb the shock of impact. After sailing over the chasm he landed with a gymnast’s precision on the industrial metal of a landing platform guard rail. The Concierge crouched as he landed, slowing the speed and force of his impact. As he did Karros brought his hands down and grabbed the rail between his feet, pulling up against it with his hands while pushing against it at the same time with his feet, securing his position. He took a moment to exhale and level out his breathing from the whirlwind exhilaration of his jumps. A few lilliputian drops of rain began to fall on the back of his head and shoulders.

Then he rose to his feet, standing tall while keeping perfect balance on the guard rail. Karros smiled to himself. Just like a balance beam. He then turned and ran along the top of the railing, his speed and footing unhindered by the narrowness of his path and perilousness of his position. He was a master of balance. And at such heights was where he felt most at home. As he ran Karros heard the whir of starship engines approaching. He looked up from his run to see an Imperial shuttle approaching from above to make a landing run. Karros sped up, not wishing to be spotted. With a hard shove off the railing using his right foot Karros leaped off the end of the railing and the platform towards an adjacent rooftop with water tower tanks. As he flew through the air the shuttle passed overhead, close enough that the Concierge could feel the displacement of air from its frame ripple through the space between them. As he hit the adjacent rooftop Karros landed in a roll, then slipped behind the water tanks, dodging the passing beam of the shuttle’s spotlights. Once safely behind the water tank the Concierge passed his back against the side of it and took a moment to catch his breath. He then peered around the edge of the tank to watch the shuttle land on the platform he had leaped over far below in the chasm. A tall, cloaked figure stood patiently at its edge as the shuttle landed in front of it. The Concierge observed the cloaked figure lift its hood over its head as the shuttle lowered its landing ramp before it. Had he been spotted? Karros would not linger to find out. Ducking back behind the water tank Karros resumed his run, taking his route around the rear of the water tank. He briefly caught sight of the platform and the shuttle preparing to take off before it was cut off from his line of sight as he leaped off his current rooftop and flew behind the wall of an adjacent one.

As he put distance behind him and the shuttle the rain began to come down harder. Karros sped his run, hoping to outrun the edge of the storm front. He reveled silently in his freedom. The night wind rushed around his body as he ran. His movements were completely unrestricted. He leaped and vaulted over the rooftops and the ventilation shafts that criss crossed them. Karros in fits of impulse would launch into drills of front handsprings whenever he had a stretch of uninterrupted rooftop. And to reach higher or more distant rooftops he would wall run up or across adjacent walls to reach his goals.

He traveled northward through the heart of Kaas City, the Administrative District, making his way towards the towerings spires of the Imperial Citadel. The Citadel was easily the largest and tallest of all the buildings in the city, able to be seen from any part of the skyline. The quickest way through would be to traverse the sprawling complex that surrounded the Citadel proper. For that, Karros would need to start climbing. The Administrative District had the highest elevation in the entire city after all. And Karros was trying to stay off the ground.

The Concierge began free solo climbing and leaping up to higher buildings, using drainage pipes, ventilation shafts and decorative grooves on the sides of buildings as hand- and foot-holds to make his ascent. His cybernetic hand had a much stronger grasp then his natural hand as it did not experience the fatigue his right hand felt. The inability to feel with his cybernetic limb proved to truly be an advantage. The Concierge scaled up the sides of the skyscrapers with the ease and speed of a spider. It helped that no matter how sheer the building, there were always handholds he could use.

Karros shimmied up one of the drainage pipes that ran down the side of one of the buildings that formed the Citadel complex. On his right to the northeast the Citadel tower rose across the chasm that divided them. The Concierge climbed by planting his feet against the wall while grasping the pipe with his hands, pushing with his feet and pulling with his hands to secure himself. With this method he was able to “run” up the pipe at relatively quick speeds. The building he was climbing, though not nearly as tall as the Citadel, was however taller than most of the surrounding complex. Thus affording Karros a greater view the higher he climbed. As he neared the top of his climb Karros could make out the triangle of sections that formed the base of the Citadel. The Mandolorian Enclave. The Headquarters of Imperial Intelligence. And the Sith Sanctum.

The Sanctum was the closest of the three to Karros’ position. The skyscraper that he was climbing seemed to be some sort of government bureaucracy building. He was able to tell by looking through the increasing number of skylight windows he passed as he went up. Within the Concierge could see uniformed staff walking about with papers and datapads in hand. He could tell that none of them were Sith or Force-sensitive. How? Not even an acolyte would conform to a uniform dress code like that. The Sith valued their individuality far too much.

As he reached the top of the building Karros was about to pull himself up over the ledge when he heard the sound of metal doors grating open come from across the chasm. He froze and looked over to the source. Some 60 feet below him in elevation a white haired figure stepped into view from beneath a doorway on the Sith Sanctum’s roof. The figure wore a white frock with a high collar and armored boots. While still hanging onto the ledge with his fingers Karros flattened himself against the side of the building, shrinking his silhouette as he continued to observe the figure.

~Knight Aaric Tritum IC, written by Karros Zaruiel with approval~

Aaric stepped out of the sliding doors of the Sith Sanctum and onto its roof. It was a rare night when he could catch a break from his work. He had recently been promoted to Imperial High Command and had just finished moving his belongings into his office within the Sanctum. The last week had been a whirlwind of activity and Aaric had finally found a good stopping point to rest for a bit. He was still adjusting to his new environment. A moment of fresh air would do him some good from the pleasant madness of adjusting. Aaric stopped just underneath the eaves of the doorway as the doors softly slid shut behind him. The night wind gently billowed in the hem of his frock. Before him the skyline of the city rose before his view. Though he was taking a break from his work, his mind continued to turn. Newly appointed as he was, Aaric was eager to take his first command in the field leading the Empress’ troops. Visions of glory and victory played over and over in his mind’s eye. He smiled to himself like a schoolboy. A quiet chuckle escaped him.

Still he knew the downfalls of overeagerness. Aaric’s smiling lips deadened into a straight line. He thought about how to best be a leader. A commander. It was one thing to wield the immense powers of the Force. It was quite another to direct the lives and minds of those under his command. His forces had thoughts and lives of their own. Motivations and fears that likely were far different from his. How then to command them to his Empress’ will? Leadership was never easy, even to those seasoned in its field.

The Tempest of Tapani swept his gaze from one end of the roof to the other. His eyes followed the skyline of Kaas City. He faced eastward. Before him the glitter of the Gala District and the cosmopolitan colors of the Residential District stood gleaming in the night. Further to the south the Imperial Gardens lay shrouded in shadow. Not by any malevolent means, but by the virtue that there were simply fewer lights and few people at this time. The Knight took a deep breath through his nostrils. He wondered where he would be deployed. Would it be to a garrison on a planet like this? In a city like this? Would it be to the front lines to engage in battle on a distant planet? What would his company be like? Who would his lieutenants be? Would they be attuned to the Force like he was? Or would he be the lone Sith among his men? So many things to consider. And each would play a part in either his victory or defeat.

Aaaric took another deep breath. Then with deliberate footsteps he walked to the edge of the roof. He did not look down but instead continued to gaze upon the city before him. The lights and colors of the nightscape city danced before his eyes like stars in a nebula. And each one represented a life. No, a hundred lives. All of whom lived or died at his whim. And if he was deployed to a city such as this, their lives would be his to defend. A heavy sense of responsibility settled on him like a mantle. He remembered something he had once heard over the civilian comm channels during the Kaggath. “A true leader not only rules their people, but uplifts, teaches, guides and empowers them.” He struggled to remember who said it but could not recall. The words, dormant until now, rung with profundity. He was a leader now. Are these words what he should live by? The words of another? Or should he rely on his own guiding compass to lead him forward, as it always has?

Aaric pondered these words. What kind of leader did he wish to be? What traits did he want to ingrain with his position and thus his identity? He thought of the leadership he saw displayed daily in his own House Vassago and the example of leadership that his master had shown him. A smile returned to his face. He need not worry. The Knight already had so many to guide him, both in example and in council. And by virtue of his Knighthood he had already proven he was capable. An acolyte had also caught Aaric’s attention. A prospective apprentice perhaps. Perhaps it was time to become his master’s equal by taking on an apprentice. Another ripple of wind caused the hem of his frock and collar to flutter in the night breeze. Aaric looked northward. The skies foretold of a stormfront heading south. But it looked like most of it would miss the Administrative District. Good. He could remain up here for a little while longer. Aaric looked back across the city with a relaxed, almost cheerful expression. He would enjoy the night cityscape’s light show a little bit longer before returning to his work.

~End Knight Aaric IC~

Details of the figure became more distinct as it walked towards the edge of the Sanctum roof and closer to Karros. The figure was male. Karros could make out the purple coloring of his collar trim, some of the patterns on his frock and the black lining within. As the figure reached the edge of the Sanctum roof Karros realized who it was; Knight Aaric Tritum. The Knight looked about with a relaxed, almost unguarded expression. Karros followed Knight Aaric’s gaze as it swept back and forth across the cityscape. After several sweeps and no change in the Knight’s expression it seemed to Karros that he had not been noticed. Knight Aaric seemed to have an almost smiling expression on his face. As though he was having a good night or simply lost in pleasant thoughts. The Concierge would not intrude on the Knight’s reverie.

As stealthily as he could he moved sideways along the ledge, still hanging by his fingers and keeping himself as flat against the wall as possible. Karros moved away from Knight Aaric and towards one of the large, five foot diameter, circular skylights nearby. Upon reaching it he let go of the ledge with his right hand, letting the unfeeling strength of his cybernetic left hand keep him hanging onto the ledge. His natural right hand now free Karros began quietly searching for a way to open it. At the bottom of the skylight window he found a simple crossbar latch keeping the window shut. Karros could only presume it was only opened whenever they were doing cleaning or maintenance. Stretching out his right hand the Concierge used Force Pull to slide the bolt downwards from the window frame clear until it was completely free of the metal restriction.

Now unlocked Karros gently pushed the window open. The window opened inwards, held by an industrial hinge at the top of the circular frame. Using his right hand and then his foot Karros pushed the window open until the gap was wide enough for him to slip inside. The Concierge took one last look at Knight Aaric to confirm he had not been seen. The Knight continued to look around the skyline. His relaxed expression and the way he continued to sweep his gaze back and forth across the city indicated that he was still unaware of Karros’ presence. With a few subtle, controlled, back-and-forth swings of his legs to build momentum, the Concierge let go of the ledge with his cybernetic left hand and slipped through the frame of the skylight window into the skyscraper.

Inside Karros landed into a crouch onto a narrow stone ledge just inside the window. The ledge in question ran all the way down along the wall. Stepping around the skylight’s pane Karros lowered it back to the closed position and slid the bolt back in place. Turning around while remaining in a crouch Karros looked about himself to gather his bearings. For a moment he thought he had stumbled upon a cathedral chapel. The impossibly high vaulted ceilings. The gorgeous pointed arches and columns that supported balconies that ran beneath him. Karros had a brief moment of confusion when he saw what he thought were people levitating in the air over the thousand-some foot atrium. It was only after a moment of readjusting his position that with the lighting, and a bit of mental reconfiguration, the Concierge realized that it was not air the people were walking on, but a transparent floor. A floor so transparent that it had been invisible upon first glance. Karros was impressed that a civilian building would be afforded such a feature.

As he continued to look down he saw the floors beneath the transparent one. Onward and downward they disappeared out of view like a geometric abyss. So vast was this building that Karros could not even see the bottom. Drawing his view back the Concierge saw that the floors nearest to him had the highest level of decoration. Majestic statues of figures and individuals from ages past stood beneath each archway. At the far end of the chamber the largest and most beautiful of all the statues stood within the shelter of a grand alcove. Flanked by the towering statues of twin sentinels stood the larger than life image of Her Majesty the Empress, carved from milky white ivory and plated in gold leaf.

It dawned upon him that the lighting within the building was...different. From each window luminance like sunlight poured in. But it was nighttime. Perplexed, Karros unbolted the window he had just passed through and opened it to peer outside. It was indeed nighttime. The line of storm clouds that were coming from the north were beginning to pass overhead, bringing with them the pattering of rain. Why then were the windows displaying sunlight? Karros closed and bolted the window again before taking a closer look at the pane. It seemed that some technology beyond him allowed the pane to act as a lamp as well as a window. For he could see through the pane as if it were a normal window, but it also emitted light. As he looked back around the Concierge saw that every window was the same as this one; each providing a continuous source of day-like light. To Karros this was a stroke of genius. By providing continuous false daylight, it would disrupt the staff’s circadian rhythm’s light-dark cycle, thereby discouraging the natural inclination to sleep and boost activity and productivity levels. Impressive.

After taking another moment to marvel at the complexity and beauty of the structure Karros silently moved on. Remaining in his crouch position he followed the ledge down to where it met the first rib of the vaulted ceiling. It occupied the entire width of the ledge and spilled over its edge so there was no going around it. Karros took a moment to examine it. Although covered in decorative paintings and engravings, it offered nothing that would allow a safe hand- or foot-hold to allow him to climb it. The Concierge looked down over the ledge. The balcony below him was about thirty feet away. Karros did a quick scan of the area to see if anyone was around or could see what he was about to do next. Finding himself alone and out of sight the Concierge turned around so that he was facing away from the edge. Flattening his palms against the ledge he hopped backwards off the ledge using the balls of his feet. As he fell off he caught the edge of the shelf with his fingers, leaving him in a dead hang. Just like a pull-up. He did another quick scan around himself to check in case someone might have seen him. A six foot two inch frame in a black bodysuit tended to stand out in a bright environment like this. Finding himself still alone Karros let go of the ledge. As he fell he directed the Force through his legs and out through his feet, using Force Push to soften the impact of his landing and to help muffle the sound.

With practiced technique the Concierge landed on the glossy granite balcony in a safety tap. First the balls of his feet touched down. Then the rest of his body came down into another crouch. Bending his knees and allowing gravity to act on him Karros touched the tips of his fingers to the ground beside himself. His Force Push acted as a buffer for the energy of his impact. As a result he landed as softly and as deftly as a cat. Once he came to a full stop Karros quickly dove against the side of the nearest parapet for cover. He looked around again. Thankfully there was still no one around. He was grateful his timing coincided with whatever this building’s after hours were. In front of him and going down the balcony corridor in either direction were the glass walls of private offices with the intermittent granite pillar between them. Inside Karros could see the contents of each individual office. Holoterminals, desks lined neatly or occasionally haphazardly with paperwork. Some had personalized decorations like plants or still holoimages of family and friends. Furtively the Concierge began traveling along the side of the parapet, always remaining in a crouch and keeping his head beneath the top of the low wall. 6 offices spaces down he found a boardroom that had a ventilation grate installed into the floor in the corner. One large enough it seemed that he could slip in. Another quick glance around him to check for watchful eyes. Then Karros silently ducked in through the glass door into the boardroom.

It was a luxuriously furnished boardroom. High end office chairs with a large greel wood table in the center. Keeping low Karros made his way over to the ventilation grate. After a moment of inspection he found that it was a drop-in grate a square yard in size. Which meant he could pull it out with ease without needing to resort to more physical measures to remove it. The sound of voices caught his attention from outside the office. His head snapped upwards in alert. They were coming from down the hall. Distant, but quickly approaching. Two women, one older, the other younger, casually chatting about what to do after work. Quickly but quietly Karros pulled the grate out from its slot in the floor and hopped inside the ventilation shaft. Thankfully it did not go down vertically, as he had feared, but instead went horizontally underneath the floor of the boardroom. Once inside the ventilation shaft Karros grabbed the ventilation grate and pulled it back into its slot over top of him. His haste caused a slight grating sound by dragging the vent across the ground to its slot. In the insulated quiet of the boardroom the grating sounded loud and reverberated through the duct. Karros listened as the voices of the two office women continued past his position. Their voices carried on their conversation oblivious to the infiltrator that lay hidden not a stone’s throw away from their path. The Concierge remained still until the sound of their voices had faded away. Then when all was silent Karros began moving on all fours down the ventilation shaft.

It was not a tight space. But it was rather restrictive. Thankfully the construction and the material of the duct was sturdy enough that the metal did not make much noise when he moved across it. Still he had to be mindful of his movements. A careless motion and he would certainly make noise by banging against the sheet metal of the duct, giving away his position. He moved in a position somewhere between a crouch and a crawl. For at least a hundred yards he moved forward along the ventilation shaft in his crouch-crawl. And as he went he passed other ventilation grates through which he could see the other parts of the building. Most were empty offices or boardrooms. Occasionally he would pass one with an employee still working. Other rare occasions he would find himself looking through the ventilation grate to see the corridor or to gaze out upon the atrium. Many times the vent would change directions. Sometimes to the left or to the right. Sometimes up and sometimes down. And each time Karros would have to awkwardly contort himself to be able to continue. He must have changed floors at least 3 or 4 times by now. And every few feet a smaller ventilation duct branched off from his, always too small for him to travel through.

The Concierge was passing over another ventilation grate when he saw something that made him pause to take another look. In the room below him he saw the same Courier he had hired to deliver a message to the cantina concerning the status of his rehabilitation. She sat at her desk, a vintage typewriter before her where she diligently typed out a letter. Her metal, cybernetic fingers tapped gracefully and fluidly over the keys as the typebar steadily moved left, then at regular intervals would suddenly slide back to the far right as she reached the next line. Karros gazed down at her from the ceiling. From his angle the Concierge could see her face. Her expression was focused, her eyes and attention completely engrossed in the task before her. The Courier’s dress, by all standards antiquated in appearance, seemed to match her setting and profession well. It framed her slender, almost doll-like frame with an air of grace and professionalism. An emerald brooch hung over her throat pinning a ribbon necktie. Her golden hair was arranged in a braided bun and tied off with a scarlet ribbon. The language of the typewriter’s keys was not Basic nor was it any language Karros was familiar with. But beside the typewriter was a sheet of paper that in handwritten characters was Basic. The Courier’s eyes would often switch between when she was typing and what was written on the sheet of paper, never losing any of that dignified, graceful focus. Craning his neck Karros could make out some of what was written on the paper.

“...miss you. The hours are long and the nights here are lonely. I find myself looking out from my window at the storm clouds of Dromund Kaas and wishing I could see the clear skies of your eyes... won’t be long before we see each other again...His Lordship will be approving my transfer papers soon. Then I’ll be on my way back home...Do you remember our tryst in the palace garden and dodging the castle guards? That night was magical to me...our time on the beaches. The sunlight on your skin. I remember it all. Your gift to me...our child, our son, grows bigger everyday. I feel him kicking my ribs in my sleep. He misses his father as much as I do...very soon acushla, I promise we'll be together again…the stars were written for us...our destiny is together...Zedanna”

Next to the typewriter a planetary passport lay at the edge of the desk. The royal stamp of Naboo in gold leaf was embossed on the cover. Looking back down to the Courier’s face Karros detected the faintest glimmer of emotion in her eyes. Was it empathy that stirred in her blue eyes? Was it longing? Karros could not be sure. Not from his angle of view.

The Concierge wished to send a message to the Courier. He glanced around the room as much as the ventilation grate would allow. Behind the Courier’s seat against the opposite wall was a shelf. Upon it were books and most notably a cup full of pens and two stacks of clean sheet paper. Carefully timing the pauses between the loud clacks of the typewriter keys Karros reached out to grab one of the pens with the Force. With Force Pull the Concierge sent one of the pens zooming upwards to the ceiling ventilation grate. It stuck the grate at the same time as one of the Courier’s typewriter keys made its loud clack against the bar. Maintaining Force Pull with his right hand to keep it against the grate Karros reached through the spaces in the ventilation grate to pull the pen through. Once it was safely through Karros turned back to the shelf again. Again he carefully timed the pauses between typewriter clacks. Again he reached out with Force Pull. This time he used the Force to grab a clean sheet of paper. With a soft rustle the sheet of paper flew towards the vent. It landed with a quiet smack against the grate, again in time with the clack of typewriter keys. Maintaining Force Pull to keep it against the vent Karros reached through the spaces in the grate and pulled the sheet of paper through. Once it was through the Concierge began to write using the bottom of the ventilation shaft as a table.

“You have fulfilled your commission excellently. I am pleased with your work. Please accept this token payment as a bonus for your services. I look forward to employing you again.”
~Karros Zaruiel, Death’s Concierge

Reaching into his belt pouch Karros then withdrew a 50 credit chip. Neatly folding his note around the chip he slid the note-enfolded chip into the pen clip. Making sure it was secure Karros slipped the pen back through the spaces in the ventilation grate and let it fall to hit the Courier’s office floor with a soft but distinct sound. The Courier started at the sudden noise in her quiet reverie. She instantly looked over to where the pen and note had landed on the floor. With wariness and caution she rose from her seat and walked to the pen and note. Picking it up she separated the note from the pen clip and unfolded it. Taking the credit chip and reading the note the Courier instantly recalled the image of the one who had hired her. She partially smiled to herself in amusement. The Courier had been hired in the first place using similar methods. Perhaps this would be a trademark of this client. She looked up to the ventilation grate above her, the only place that could have delivered the note in the closed room. Through the slits in the grate Karros saw her expression of gratitude. Though she could not see it, the Concierge nodded at her. Then he was on the move again. Moments later he could hear the faint sound of typewriter keys clacking in quickstep tempo behind him.

For another hour Karros traveled through the ventilation. The duct was gradually growing larger and larger as he went while also taking a gradual, consistent slope downwards. It eventually became so large he was able to walk upright without impediment. Branch-offs and other ventilation grates became fewer and fewer in frequency as a light began to grow at the end of the shaft. Karros also began to hear a rhythmic whooshing sound coming from the end of the shaft as well. With every step he took the sound grew louder and more distinct. As he went, the light at the end of the tunnel also became brighter and stronger with each step. The previously inert air around him began to billow past Karros in a steadily growing current. Soon the light became so bright it was like walking into a spotlight. The air current became stronger and stronger, graduating from gentle breeze to steady gust until it was like walking headlong up a windtunnel. And the rhythmic whooshing had become a deafening roar. Karros bent his back and shoulders into the onrushing wind. It was a struggle just to keep upright and move forward at the same time. In the end he had to lean on the wall of the duct in order to keep going; standing upright without support was no longer possible.

At last he saw, silhouetted against the light, the source of the wind and the roaring noise. An industrial ventilation fan, at least ten feet in height, spun at the entrance to the ventilation shaft. A pair of massive ten by ten foot safety grates framed either side of the fan keeping debris from accidentally being swept into the rapidly spinning blades. However a square space, three by three foot, in the bottom corner of both grates allowed passage through for maintenance. His head bowed against the wind Karros looked up to the fan. Just outside of the fan’s safety cage on the interior wall of the duct was the red lever of a circuit breaker switch. Bracing himself against the ventilation wall Karros pushed against the wind as he made his way to the lever.

Here the winds were the strongest. More often than not he had to stop or else risk being blown off his feet. After several arduous minutes he reached the breaker panel. Grasping the lever with both hands the Concierge pulled the switch down into the “off” position. The lever, having been neglected and left in its “on'' position for so long, required the force of his entire body to push down. But when it went down, it went down with a loud metallic snap that resounded like a thunderclap. There was a brief flash of sparks around the fan’s motor where the blades met each other on the rotor. Immediately Karros could feel a decrease in wind speed. The rotation of the fan blades began to slow. As the winds died down Karros stepped away from the lever, no longer at risk of being blown away. It took several minutes for the fan to completely expend the momentum and for the fan blades to come to a complete stop. When the fan finally ground to a halt Karros ducked underneath the space in the corner of the grates and exited to the other side of the ventilation shaft.

What he found on the other side was awe-inspiring. Before him a massive cavern lay stretched in what could only be miles of space. It extended so far up and so far down Karros could neither see the top nor bottom of the space. All around him the lights of buildings and vehicles blinked and winked at him like a gallery of artificial gemstones. The dark metallic color of infrastructure covered every inch of the cavern. Speeder piers stretched out invitingly into the open space awaiting the arrival of the next transport. The air was filled with sounds of transports as they whizzed by his position, speeding along to the various depths of the city. And in the center of this great cavern floated an enormous pillar covered with the lights of balconies and dotted with speeder docks. Karros could see windows on the pillar, revealing control rooms and operating technicians within.

From his position Karros stood on an eight foot ledge between the fan’s cage and where the edge of the ventilation shaft ended in midair. The shaft itself had taken the shape of a ten foot by ten foot metal square, creating a large nook at the end of the ventilation duct while giving a gorgeous view of Kaas City’s subterranean levels. Karros took a moment to stand at the edge of the ventilation pipe and take in the breath-taking view. He knew a good viewpoint when he saw one and wasn't going to pass this one by without enjoying it. The Concierge liked it so much that he decided that he would come back to visit it again. Drawing his lightsaber and igniting it Karros walked over to the ventilation shaft’s wall on his left. With his saber Karros slashed two overlapping X’s on the wall to mark it before drawing an O to encompass the entire thing. Extinguishing and holstering his saber the Concierge then sat down with his back against the side of the vent and one leg dangling off the edge into midair. He was in no rush and wanted to enjoy the view a little longer.

Sadly it was not to last. It had only been a few minutes before Karros heard the high pitched whines of security sirens. In the distance he could see the red and blue lights of a police speeder approaching his position from the above left area of the cavern. It seemed that using his lightsaber to mark this spot had drawn attention to himself. Reluctantly getting to his feet Karros retreated just out of sight behind the wall of the duct. The Concierge slipped underneath the draping shadows cast by the walls of the ventilation shaft before slumping down on the ground beside the wall again. He let his head loll to one side and threw his arm out in a drunken-seeming angle. He would surprise the driver of the speeder by playing the part of drunk or vagabond to steal his speeder. After all, aside from a jump to uncertain depths, Karros had no way of leaving this spot besides the way he came. And the approaching speeder was perfect for his departure. He listened as the hum of the speeder engines drew closer and closer. The sound came to a quivering stop as the speeder parked itself at the edge of the ventilation ducts threshold. There was a hiss of a cockpit hatch unsealing. The footsteps of heavy boots soon followed as the officer stepped out and onto the ledge of the duct. A human. Male, middle aged. Somewhat overweight. Not even any form of protection besides his uniform. Even his blaster seemed substandard. Karros watched the officer’s approach while the Concierge’s face was hidden behind his mask. The officer would be unable to even tell if he was conscious or not.

“Hey!” the officer shouted at him as he approached. Karros did not stir or respond. “Hey!” the officer shouted again, this time closer. His voice echoed through the metal walls of the ventilation. Karros feigned a drunken or perhaps wounded sounding groan. “Hey buddy!” the officer said for the third time as he stood over the Concierge, “You’re not allowed to be up here! This is a maintenance personnel only restricted zone.” Karros simply gave another faux groan in reply. “Buddy you got two options: Either you come with me to the station on your feet willingly or I can bring you in cuffed.” The officer’s voice was impatient and brash. Angry even. Good. That meant an opportunity to strike was quickly approaching. Karros simply continued to lay in his apparent stupor, waiting for that golden moment to present itself. “You know what,” the officer said with his last shred of non-existent patience, “Let’s go.” He reached down and grabbed Karros by his left bicep. Bingo.

With the speed of a striking viper Karros used his cybernetic hand to grab the officer’s offending forearm. Seizing it and clamping down on it with his unfeeling fingers Karros squeezed it like a vise. As the officer recoiled in shock Karros swept out his legs and knocked the officer’s feet out from under him. Unbalanced, the officer was sent tumbling backward onto the ground. Still holding his arm in his vise-like grip Karros was pulled simultaneously to his feet before the officer. And as Karros was pulled back to his feet the officer hit the back of his head and shoulders against the ventilation shaft’s metal floor with a resounding bang. The officer cried out in surprise and pain from the impact. A mild concussion like that would disorient him for a moment. Karros moved in quickly. His Master had not given him leave to kill yet. Karros did not yet have that right. But he did not need to kill to dispense of this pathetic excuse for a public service officer.

Striding over he kicked him in the officer’s right side, striking him just below the ribcage in a calculated liver shot. The officer screamed in agony and curled up into a ball sobbing. Karros’ kick was not enough to permanently injure the officer. Though incapacitated from the agonizing pain, he would live. Karros knew his Master would be most displeased if he killed without her express leave. But the officer would be down for several minutes, leaving Karros free to take his patrol speeder. Without a second glance Karros walked over to the speeder’s open cockpit, hopped inside and closed the canopy over himself. Taking the controls the Concierge flew away from the entrance to the ventilation shaft and officer with it.

Karros flew upwards, flying past the pillar and heading up towards the light at the top of the cavern. Even at coasting speeds it took a couple minutes to reach the top. But when he reached it, Karros burst forth out of the cavern like a missile. All around him the unmistakable sapphire-colored lights of the Gala District glittered around him. Letting the speeder right itself to its proper, horizontal position in the air Karros let the vehicle glide forward while he looked around. It was beautiful. The towers of Gala, though not nearly as tall as those of the Administrative District, each gleamed and glittered with ten thousand lights, bathing in cobalt auroras cast by their lights as well as spotlights from above and below. Golden radiance emanated from the streets below like veins of the metal of the same luster. And all around him cruised the finest and most expensive speeders of the Empire’s elite. Their metallic sheen reflected the lights of the district onto his with the mirror polish of their chrome speeders. The glowing pulses of neon-color lit veins of district shuttles. And the exotic wings of sky chariots lazily drifting across the sky. It was like floating through a living sea of lapis lazuli.

Once more his reverie was broken by the sound of police sirens. Karros glanced at his rear-view mirror. Quickly approaching from behind was a trio of speeders. Airspeeders specifically. An aircar flanked by two airbikes on either side. From what he could tell the airbikes were piloted by security droids. Though they were at least a hundred yards away from him, they were quickly closing that distance. Karros let out a quiet groan. He could hardly enjoy the rest of his run with city security on his tail. How to lose them as quickly as possible was now the question. The Concierge quickly sped up hoping to lose them that way. To little avail. True, he gained some distance on them, but not much. Using the same vehicles with the same specs was hardly the way to shake off a team of pursuers. He weaved in and out of the skylanes to the surprise and distress of the other speeders he passed. Still nothing. The police speeders remained at the same distance behind him. Not once did Karros let up his speed. No matter what maneuvers he pulled he could not shake them. He needed a different tack.

Setting the throttle to max, Karros pulled up the nose of his speeder, climbing in altitude towards the tallest set of towers of the district. While he climbed he began setting the cruise controls. Karros would be ditching his ride as soon as he broke the line of sight with his pursuers. Ahead an octet of massive skyscrapers were grouped together in a semi-circle in the center of a “valley” created by the other surrounding skyscrapers. Karros was hurtling towards the one at the edge of the circle closest to him, intending to veer hard around the base of its spire. As he raced towards it Karros unlocked the speeder canopy but did not open it. He intended to leap out very, very soon. The spire was approaching at break-neck speed. His pursuers, not letting up in the slightest, pressed the Concierge inch for inch. As he passed the base of the skyscraper’s spire Karros banked hard around the corner. He cornered so hard he must have pulled at least a “G”. While the speeder arced around the corner Karros smashed the cruise control button “on” with his fist and threw open the cockpit canopy. Like a coiled spring he launched himself out of the cockpit at the passing spire. The driverless speeder continued to hurtle forward through space as Karros flew head-first like a javelin or a ballistic missile through the air. The Concierge clamped his arms against his sides, keeping his legs together and straight and his head aligned with his spine in an effort to minimize drag and maximize his flight distance as he careened towards the spire.

Lining the base of the spire were dozens of gargoyle water spouts jutting perpendicularly from the building out at evenly spaced ten foot intervals, covered in some sort of lustrous sheen. Karros couldn’t tell from the speed he was going. His trajectory would send him just below the water spout on the very end of the row nearest his current position. Curling his spine and bringing his knees to his chest Karros rotated over in mid-air, turning so that his feet pointed at the incoming spout. He threw his hands outward over his body, intending to catch the spout as he passed under it. Karros caught the stone and steel spout with both hands. The momentum from his launch continued to carry him forward. Now fully extending his legs, like a circus acrobat Karros redirected his momentum into a two hundred seventy degree arc, launching him eight feet back up into the air. Curling his knees back into his chest the Concierge completed a double backflip in midair to dispense the momentum, then straightened his body as he came back down towards the next water spout. Stretching his limbs he caught the next spout with both hands. Using his remaining momentum Karros redirected his arc to swing onto the base of the spire. Planting his feet on the skyscraper’s infrastructure Karros swiftly rolled onto his belly and flattened himself against the stonework rooftop, minimizing his profile as much as possible. He looked up just in time to see his abandoned speeder crash into the neighboring skyscraper. A cloud of smoke and a flare of orange fire erupted from the point of collision. The sound and shockwave of the explosion rippled all the way to his position. Fractions of a second later his pursuers raced past him towards the crash. Karros kept low as he watched the trio of speeders circle the smoking and flaming hole in the side of the high-rise building. They made several laps around the distant building as emergency vehicles arrived on the scene to put out the fire. With their attention focused on his apparent demise Karros stealthily got up into a low crouch and slipped away out of sight around the corner of the spire.

Now with a moment of peace to examine his surroundings Karros looked around. The entire area was bathed in the blue aura from the surrounding lights. Thankfully it was dim enough and indistinct enough that if he flattened himself against the rooftop the black of his bodysuit would help conceal him. And the rooftop was massive. Each side of the pyramidal building was at least a hundred yards if not more. The towering spire at the center of the rooftop was just as massive. At least two hundred fifty feet in height the perimeter of where the spire met the skyscraper proper was at least eighty yards on this side alone. And the spire itself was tetrahedral in shape, mirroring the building upon which it sat. The spire itself was constructed entirely from a reflective metal, creating the illusion that a perfectly geometrically shaped crystal shard had been dropped onto the roof of the building. Karros looked over to the rows of gargoyle water spouts that extended from the roof’s edges. Upon inspection he found that they were made from steelstone. The gargoyles that formed the water spouts jutting from the edge of the roof were painted with a glossy indigo lacquer. Though each one of two foot spouts was constructed from steelstone, each was unique in their design. Some were monstrous beings with cruel eyes and snarling mouths for spouts. Others were graceful and angelic figures with the water spouting from outstretched vases wrought into their hands.

Now Karros had to figure out how to get down. The Concierge looked around once more. Though it seemed the heaviest of activity had ceased, vehicles, emergency and otherwise, were still congregating around the crash site. Soon there would be so many that Karros would inevitably be noticed. Far at the end of the roof he noticed a square panel in the floor of the infrastructure. Surreptitiously he made his way over to the square while keeping his profile as low as possible. Once there Karros began inspecting the square panel. Illuminated by the haze of blue light surrounding him the Concierge discovered that he was crouching over a maintenance hatch. In the dim light he saw the hatch’s release lever set into the trapdoor’s structure. Grasping the lever with both hands Karros pulled it to its unlock position and opened the hatch. There was the hiss of equalizing air pressure. Then Karros was looking down at a sleek black granite floor.

He stuck his head through the open hatch. Around him was a large, empty room, clearly spanning the entire space beneath the rooftop. At the far end of the room opposite his position he could see the landing of a staircase. Instead of walls, twelve foot windows made from single panes of glasteel formed the borders of the room, allowing a completely unobstructed, three hundred sixty degree view. In each “wall” was a doorway leading to a steel balcony. Everything an observation deck would have. So that’s what this room was. In the center of the floor was a circular indentation, a pit, in the form of five rings of stairs. Instead of granite like the rest of the floor the risers were made of crystasteel which allowed sight down into the floor below. Indeed from his angle Karros could see bright, pearlly scenery lit by warm light coming up from between the transparent risers. From below he could hear the faint murmur of what seemed to be a large gathering.

Though not a single person was on the observation deck Karros took another moment to scan for security cameras. To his surprise there were none. Only the cockiest of elite private residences did that. Hmph. Their arrogance would be what allowed Karros an undetected entry. He took another moment to listen for any nearby footsteps. Listening to the vague white noise of distant voices from the floor below Karros deemed the coast clear for his entry. Grabbing the interior handle of the trapdoor the Concierge hopped inside the hatch. As he fell into the building he closed the trapdoor at the same time. For a moment Karros hung there from the ceiling, still holding onto the trapdoor’s lever. Twisting his body Karros turned the lever back into its “locked” position before letting go. A short fall like that was second nature to him. Karros landed with a silent safety tap. Then straightening and rising to his feet Karros noiselessly walked over to the pit in the center of the room. Kneeling the Concierge peered through the windows of the risers to see what was going on below.

~Empress Volshe, Lady Noxia, Lord Voidwalker, Knight Crimson IC~

Crimson looked around the ballroom from his seat at the bar located in the center of the massive room. It was like any other, except for how extravagant it was. The large vaulted ceilings seemed to stretch to the heavens, the anti-grav systems in the gold chandeliers kept the three massive constructs floating within the empty space, bobbing up and down as if they were sitting on the surface of some invisible river. The walls were lined with equally massive columns, with each space between them crossed by silken drapes that hung surprisingly low. Along the wooden walls, massive floor to ceiling windows made Kaas City look like a sea reflecting the night sky above.

Crimson had arrived at the party fairly early. Due to an invite from an old friend of his. He was slightly annoyed that she just popped up at his home the day before, letting herself in as if she still had the run of the place. Their conversation had been far more interesting than he expected, and his study was no longer a private place when she decided another visit would be in short order. However, looking at the crowd that had gathered as more people streamed in, Crimson realized why he didn't make time for nor associated with these people. Nobles who were unbefitting of the title wandered around to lick the boots of any high ranking member of the Empire's government, vying for favors or special attention. But Tanya was different, even if she annoyed him to no end.

All around the room, everyone was dressed in bright and colorful robes, suits, or dresses. His fitted suit was a stark contrast to everyone else, completely black from his tie to his shoes. It made Crimson stand out like a sore thumb and his metallic hands were no better as he set them down on the bar, his fingers clinking against the glass top. With his glass empty he waved the barman down for a refill. At least Tanya said she would cover any expense he made tonight, so he sat at the bar and tried to drink the night away while keeping away from those that tried to speak to him. Crimson very rarely came to Gala District but was promised a surprise if he attended Tanya's little function tonight.

*She better not have lied to me.* Crimson thought to himself with a heavy sigh. He turned around and leaned against the bar to scan the room as the barman poured him another glass. He was still captivated by the chandeliers, in all their jeweled extravagance and the servant droids that walked or puttered around. Their shells were shined to a luminous glow, the metal like mirrors covering their bodies. Even the servants were dressed in black tie attire; the males in suits and females in skirts. He was reminded of how much nobles disgusted him when more than a few confused him with a servant, demanding he get them a drink and to step away from the bar. Crimson either gave a rude, one handed gesture or completely ignored them.

Crimson turned back to the bar to pick his drink up when, as if summoned by his thoughts, Tanya appeared by his side giggling like a school girl.

"Crimson, don't tell me this is where you've decided to spend your night." She said, raising her hand to order a drink. Crimson took a sip from his glass without answering her. "I know an elegant gentleman such as yourself hates spending the night alone. Why not find someone to spend that time with?"

"As if any of the rabble here is worth the effort." Crimson said, throwing her a sideways glance with a smile. "You've already seen some of them treat me like some commoner who got lost. Do you honestly think they will believe me when I tell them I'm a Sith Knight?"

"I said it once, and I'll say it again." Tanya said, laying her left hand gently against his shoulder. "You're here to have fun, end of discussion. I know that you'll..."

Tanya trailed off as a commotion near the entrance caught her attention. Crimson looked at Tanya before following her eyes to see what was happening. Crimson's eyes widened in surprise as the Empress entered the party room with Lord Sallacine, Lady Noxia, and Lord Voidwalker. Crimson spun around to hide his face as he hadn't expected to run into anyone from the Academy here, let alone Empress Volshe.

"Oh my." Tanya said, the shock in her voice was clear. "Crimson, is that who I think it is?"

"Yes." Crimson said, still hiding his face. Tanya tapped his shoulder and pointed towards Empress Volshe and Lady Noxia. Their dresses were simply radiant. The Empress's dress looked as if the threads had been made of pure gold, shining just as bright, if not brighter than, the chandeliers. Lady Noxia's looked as though several tiny Emeralds had been strung together to make the fabric and feathers. It glittered in the light, almost as if it was shining from within the fabric itself.

"Aren't they just fabulous?" Tanya asked, more of a rhetorical question than anything, but then she noticed Crimson still hiding his face. "What is it, Crimson?"

"Firstly, it's the Empress. I'm more than a little nervous to be in the same room as her." Crimson said, turning back to watch them as they walked through the crowd. "Secondly, Lady Noxia is an enigma that's as dangerous as it is beautiful."

"Am I sensing some sort of connection there?" Tanya asked, shooting a sly look in his direction. She elbowed Crimson and laughed as he nearly sucked his drink into his lungs, gasping in surprise from what she said.

"Not the way you think." Crimson said after he finished coughing. He looked around and noticed the stairs they were getting. "We've been bonded through blood."

"Well, why don't you go say hi?" Tayna suggested, then she grabbed her glass and walked away, her navy blue dress disappearing into the crowd of color. Crimson thought about it for a moment then shook his head.

With his choice made, Crimson shot back his drink and stood up from his bar stool. He pushed his way through the crowd, making a beeline straight for the group. The people parted as the Empress and her entourage made their way through the crowd. Crimson continued to push his way through the crowd, his heartbeat speeding up as his mind screamed for him to turn back. He pushed the thought from his mind, as it was far too late to turn back and would be more than disrespectful to hide after seeing them.

As the group made their way through the parting crowd, Crimson appeared before them and fell to a knee, his metal fists hitting the marble loudly as he bowed his head before the Empress and her party. His throat was dry, and his nerves had strangled his throat. Crimson spoke up and pushed the words out clearly with the same elegance he normally would, even if it was a little more forced.

"Hail Empress Volshe, Lady Noxia, and Lord Voidwalker." Crimson said, his heart rate spiking as he called attention to himself. "I apologise for interrupting you tonight, my Empress, but if permitted I would like to make one small request."

The Dark Lady felt a familiar presence and turned to see the Undying Knight kneeling before them, the iridescent green feathers at the base of her emerald dress sliding against the stone. Of course she recognized Crimson, but was surprised to see him there. As he addressed the Empress, she waited, curious as to what he sought.

The Empress’ attention was pulled from her companion, a smile crossing her face, and then a soft laugh leaving her lips a moment later. She appreciated his respect. It was rather endearing. But perhaps the man was a bit...too bold. It amused her, at least.

"What is it you seek, Knight?" She asked, her golden gown shushed against the floor as she turned to face him entirely.

"If permitted from both parties, may I have Lady Noxia for a moment?" Crimson asked. He could feel his skin tighten, he was feeling hot, and his heart continued to hammer away within his chest as the Empress spoke.

“My dear, I do not own her. Why do you not ask her yourself?” She responded. After answering, she flitted away with Erastus in tow, simultaneously pulling a cigarra from her small jeweled case with lithe fingers. Her other hand rose and fingertips flicked forward, motioning for Lord Voidwalker to follow them to the outdoor terrace.

"Well in that case, Lady Noxia?" Crimson asked, lowering his head even more to hide his embarrassment. "No disrespect was to be implied my Lady, but I didn't think it would be right of me to ask you away from the Empress’ company."

He felt hotter under his collar now, even more so than before. Was he really that embarrassed? Had he made a right fool of himself? He wasn't sure what was going on in the Lady's mind, let alone how long his life was going to last at this moment. The people around them were shocked, but began to move again as they didn't want to be caught in what might be this man's final night in the galaxy.

“Your respect for decorum is noted,” the Dark Lady said, nodding. “What is it you need?” She asked, holding out her hand, bedecked with gold and gems. It was a gesture that was as much a test as an invitation. The two were familiar to an extent. They shared a bond of blood and Noxia could sense his intentions. Even if the bond had not been present, his restlessness was palpable.

"A dance, my Lady." Crimson said, looking up to her and finding her hand stretched out to him. He stood up and took her hand.

“Let us walk,” she said, turning back towards the entrance to the ballroom. Her dress rose and fell with her movements as it had a mind of its own. Her grip on Crimson's head was light and the metal was cool to the touch.

"Nothing more, as I don't want to draw you away from the Empress' company for too long." Crimson finished as an odd feeling began to creep inside him from being led around by the hand. His heart continued to race, but had settled to a more reasonable level. He was worried she could read his hesitation in his actions. Crimson tried to remain calm and collected, but it proved a challenge as they moved through the crowd. People looked on, surprised to see the Dark Lady leading what they believed to be a lowly servant around while holding his hand. With the ballroom packed to the brim with nobles, Crimson didn't like drawing their attention. But at the moment, his focus was on the Togruta pulling him along behind her.

A soft chuckle escaped the Dark Lady’s lips. She was reminded of her own time as a knight. Would she have been as shy as Knight Crimson was? Even after the battlelord ritual on Wayland, he was still apprehensive; not that she had expected him to be cavalier.

“I think you need a drink first to calm yourself. You do not want to forget the steps now.” Her tone was playful and care-free as she led the way to the bar, calling for two glasses of firewhiskey and taking a couple credits from her bag to tip the bartender while hiding something within her slim hand. What she disguised was the tiny black vial she also took from the bag.

"Of course not my Lady." He said following her to the bar. "Also, no need to pay for me tonight my Lady, I'm running up a friend's tab."

He wondered what was going through her mind as he looked around the room. He tried to find something that would keep his mind preoccupied until the drinks came. He didn't notice as Noxia poured half the contents, a colorless and odorless substance, into both drinks. When he turned around, Noxia was handing him one of the glasses of amber liquid to Crimson and took up the other, clinking it against his and drinking it in one swallow. Crimson followed suit, not wanting to be out done.

The amber liquid burned as it splashed its way down his throat. He felt the familiar tingling sensation as it warmed him from his mouth to his chest. He set the glass down and tapped for another. This was what, his third? He wasn't sure anymore with his mind racing the way it had. When the barman returned he nodded and knocked back the second.

A smirk crossed the Togruta’s lips at the mention of the knight running up a friend’s tab, watching him drink like they had during their game in the cantina.

“How generous of your friend,” she said facetiously. Noxia placed her fingers on the glass after he had drained the contents. Her fingertips brushed his own. “You might want to slow down a bit if you still want that dance.” She chuckled, gently taking the glass from his grasp and setting it on the bar.

Their eyes connected for only a moment before her eyes drifted towards the dance floor, the swirling colors and textures of ball gowns and suits came into view. She raised the hem of her own gown and turned her attention back to Crimson. Everyone’s metabolism was different, but the drugs would kick in soon, best to get that dance in now.

Crimson took the hint as Noxia's hand brushed his and looked towards the dance floor. Feeling wasn't the same since the replacement surgery, but the Force allowed him the sense of touch. Without thinking it through, he took the Dark Lady's hand and stood facing her as he did. With a low bow, and a bit of courage to flatten his voice, Crimson spoke with his normal grace and elegance as a smile crossed his lips and his eyes softened.

"In that case, my Lady, may I lead you to the dance floor now?" He asked. He looked up, locking her beautiful eyes with his. "I can see how eager you are to begin, and I would be a fool to make you wait any longer."

Nodding, the Tribune allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. A wry smile crossed Noxia’s lips as the two stepped out with the other guests and began the waltz, adding their own colorful attire to the swirling assembly of dancers. When was the last time they danced like this? When was the last time with an audience?

Crimson held the Dark Lady as close to himself as he dared while they moved through the crowd, swaying to the music with grace. The other patrons began to move out of their way as they strode across the floor and watched on, almost as if in awe of their movements. Noxia's dress swirled with each turn, fanning out like a bird's tail in flight. He was mesmerized, a smile brushed against his face as they locked eyes now and again. However, Crimson's head began to feel light, and his body began to numb as they danced. Did he drink more than he realized, or was it something else?

"Forgive me my Lady," Crimson said, tipping Noxia over in his arms. He pulled her back up closer than before. "but it seems I lack the fortitude that I had during our previous drinking session. If my moves become too erratic for you please let me know."

Noxia smirked as Her back arched gracefully into the dip. When she returned steadily to both feet, she chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry, dear. It’s just the drugs.” The smirk radiated into a mischievous smile. She looked forward to his reaction at this new information and looked into his eyes before pulling away into a spin and then meeting his gaze once again.

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry. It’s only a mild hallucinogenic….well, moderate maybe.” she chuckled. “You should experience it’s full effects within the hour. I have been curious about this one, though I have only been able to test it in a limited capacity. The plant is known casually as Moonflower. Effects can vary widely between individuals. Delirium and inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy are common. The last human I administered it to thought she was a rakghoul...poor thing. You, However, have a much higher constitution. You are more sound of mind, and force sensitive. I’m curious to see how you will weather the experience. You are contributing to important scientific research, after all.” Noxia paused to gauge his reaction.

Crimson arched an eyebrow as Noxia told him what she had done. The effects of the drug may have already started to take hold as Noxia came back to face him. His grin became sly at the thought of her drugging him, and as she spun away green and red sparks seemed to fly off of her. He was in awe of her presence, like usual, and felt his heart start to race once again.

"I must say, my Lady, I don't see how they could make me be any more in awe of your beauty." He said, before thinking it through. He locked eyes with her once again as he pulled her back in, realizing all too late that he had spoken aloud the thoughts that moved through his mind. The beauty of her eyes held his attention, but his heart must have been loud enough for her to hear. He pulled away, still holding her hand, and bowed. "Please forgive me Lady Noxia, that was out of line."

Crimson felt it was time for them to finish this dance, and quickly. It wouldn't be long before he was seeing nothing but her. He didn't think his heart could take it. As he looked back up to her, his eyes glittered from the lights as if they had captured a part of the night sky within them. He showed no expression and waited for her response. There was a faint light radiating from behind her, making the rest of the hall dim and shift out of focus while Noxia remained as sharp as ever.

“Relax, Jax. Formalities get tiresome.” She enjoyed throwing his name out time and time again. She knew full well his sense of propriety barred him from using her own birth name…and his will to live, for that matter. The power dynamic was staunchly apparent but it was fun to also drop reminders. “How’s your head?” She asked. She hadn’t ever used this particular blend on a human before and wasn’t precisely sure how long it would be for it to fully take effect.

Noxia could tell already that it was time to distance him from the dense crowd. As the two of them exited the dance floor, she looked back several times to make sure he could still walk. Scanning the area in front of her, she found a plush black bench with velvet pillows for the two of them to sit. Sitting might be best for the Knight at this point. She knew he had a high constitution from the other times she had tested various concoctions on him, but it was best to be safe.

Crimson's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then slowly went back to normal as a sly smile played across his lips. He kept quiet as Noxia spoke, her voice trailing from her lips like a song. He just nodded as the drug was coming into full effect, and everything else seemed to blur around them. He followed her away from the crowd and to the back part of the ball room. The bench sat inside one of the numerous nooks that sat between some of the arches around the ball room's walls. They sat down, hand in hand, though the sustained contact caused the Togruta to shift in her seat. Crimson leaned forward. Was she…..uncomfortable? He got close to Noxia's ear and whispered something, keeping his voice low so no one else would hear. Noxia's eye widened and she briefly gave Crimson a reproachful look. She, looked away towards the bar, blushing for a moment before regaining her composure as the Knight backed away. The flair she was giving him made Crimson chuckle a little, even though he knew he deserved it.

"What a beautiful night." Crimson sighed finally, after sitting in silence for a moment or two, watching the crowds blur together and comparing it to the sharpness in which he saw the Dark Lady.

~End Empress Volshe, Lady Noxia, Lord Voidwalker, Knight Crimson IC~

Pulling his masked face back from the riser window Karros smoothly straightened to his feet. Time to go. Turning he headed over to the nearest balcony door. Pushing the door open he walked out onto the mirrsteel balcony. Karros looked over his shoulder. Through the “walls'' of the observation deck on the other side of the skyscraper Karros could see that the speeder fire had been extinguished. The cloud of spectating vehicles had cleared out. Good. Far fewer people now to possibly witness his exit. He looked around himself. The structure of the skyscraper was laid out like a tall, steep pyramid. The outer walls had a vertiginous seventy-five degree slope. But it was not a sheer drop. Karros could make use of this slope. He studied the walls. From top to bottom they were a smooth, flat plane of glasteel, clear of any obstructions. Nothing that might stop him on the way down. Perfect. But first to enjoy the view.

The Concierge walked over to the chest high parapet. Here he looked eastward towards the Residential District. Though not as glamorous or radiant as the Gala District, it was still filled with color and vibrance. Perhaps more so than the Gala District. While the Gala District played home to the city’s elite, the Residential District contained most of the city’s shops and population. Making it far more cosmopolitan. In the distance the lights of the Residential District, though slightly dimmer, held a kaleidoscope’s worth more color then the glitter of the Gala District

After a few moments of taking in the view Karros stepped back from the parapet. He then walked over to the corner of the balcony where the platform and parapet railing was mounted into the glasteel wall. With an easy jump he leaped up onto the railing. Karros stood there for a moment, perfectly balanced near the top of a skyscraper with nothing to support him. Just him and his gymnast’s nerve and balance. The Concierge took a deep breath through his nostrils. Then putting his right foot forward into empty air he stepped off the railing.

He freefell for only a moment before his feet touched the steep, sloping side of the polished skyscraper. Angling himself as the rest of his body touched the wall Karros smoothly transitioned his fall into a slide down the side of the building. Rotating his body so that he was facing out towards the city Karros curled the fingers of his cybernetic hand into a claw. Turning slightly onto his left hip he extended his cybernetic arm behind him above his head. Pressing his unfeeling fingertips against the glasteel plane Karros began dragging them against the wall as he slid to generate traction. At the same time he let the left side of his rear and hips make contact with the wall as he slid. Thankfully the glasteel was so smooth as to offer little resistance against his bodysuit. In fact it was very much like a metal slide at a neighborhood playground. To steer Karros had bent his knees at right angles and planted the soles of his feet against the skyscraper wall. Using his heels he was able to direct where he was going. And whenever he felt like he was slipping off the surface of the metal wall, Karros would channel Force Pull on himself to bring himself back against the wall again.

The wind rushed past him as he descended down the side of the skyscraper. It took all of his concentration to maintain his course and, most importantly, stay against the metal wall. Below the ground rushed to meet him. Though the skyscraper was staggeringly tall, Karros was descending dozens of feet with every second, even with his traction and control. Every few seconds he would pass another layer of skylane traffic. And he was running out of skyscraper with each passing moment. Beneath him the details of the ground became more and more distinct as he drew closer. He could start making out the silhouette of each person on the street. The minutiae of the plaza buildings were becoming clearer. High in the air over the plaza Karros could make out three long lines running parallel to each other that stretched clear across the square to either end. Within a split second of seeing them he realized what they were: tram rails. No other structure would hang over the street in open air like that. And those tram lines would be where he landed.

The Concierge quickly began doing rough calculations in his head. Figuring out where and when he would need to launch off from the skyscraper wall, Karros then straightened and pressed his legs together. Placing them lightly against the rushing surface of the skyscraper wall he then brought both of his hands into his center, crossing his wrists over his chest. Karros leaned back and let his shoulders and spine slide along the glastel surface. By narrowing his profile to a mummy pose he intended to reduce as much of his natural drag as possible, increasing his acceleration down the slope. He would need it in order to cross the great gap between the wall and the nearest tram rail. Karros shot down the wall like a bullet. The only thing keeping him from flying off was the barest amount of traction his bodysuit generated against the steep, metal slope and the intermittent pulse of Force Pull maintaining himself against the wall.

When he reached the launch point Karros sprang into action. His entire body was in motion as he executed several things at once. He lifted up his legs, bent his knees, and planted the soles of both his feet against the wall. At the same time he uncrossed his wrists, extended his arms out, brought his hands to shoulder level by completely bending his elbows, then rotated them and slapped his palms against the wall at his sides. Simultaneously Karros pushed off from the wall using the coiled energy from the muscles of his arms and legs, augmented by the velocity of his fall, with his hands and feet as the focal points.

In appearance Karros leaped forward like a frog but shot with the speed of a rushing aircar. Arcing once more through the air like an arrow he threw out his arms over his head to catch the oncoming rails. With his trajectory he would pass right underneath the nearest one. Flying in a sweeping downward arc Karros crossed the hundred and fifty foot distance between his point of launch and the rail some ten stories below. Coming in like a swooping acrobat Karros caught the edge of the railing with his hands. However the railing was not a gymnast’s bar. It was a wide, rectangular beam, tapered in its edges. Five feet wide and two feet thick at its most tapered point, Karros was not going to be able to swing around it like it was another monkey bar. Instead as he swung around the edge the Concierge pulled his knees to his chest as he prepared to hit the underside of the rail with his feet.

Focusing Force Push into the soles of his feet Karros slammed his heels into the underside of the railing. The velocity of his flight still carried into his impact over but his Force Push had provided enough of a buffer that the force of contact merely jarred his legs and caused his soles to sting. Far better than actually injuring them. As his legs came back down underneath him Karros used his remaining momentum to pull himself on top of the railing. Hauling himself onto the metal beam Karros rotated his body as he did so, pulling himself into a seated position with his legs hanging off the edge. Now with a moment to rest Karros looked up at the skyscraper he had just departed from. The gleaming octagonal pyramid seemed even more beautiful and majestic from below. From here Karros could truly grasp how large the structure really was. At its base the wall he had slid down was at least two hundred yards long.

But before he was able to observe any further details on the pyramid Karros felt a vibration rumble through the tram rail beneath him. It was a steady vibration and steadily growing stronger with each moment. The tremoring seemed to be approaching from his left side. Looking down the rail in that direction the Concierge saw the head of a train of railcars approaching. They hung on the underside of the tram rail, connected to it by a long, flat, dorsal “fin” that the rail ran through. Twenty feet wide and at a guess fifty feet long they were speeding rapidly towards Karros’ position. Though his feet still stung, Karros rose from his seat, lest the oncoming railcar’s “fin” violently knock him from his new perch. With an easy gait Karros began jogging down the tram rail away from the oncoming railcars. His jog quickly became a steady run. But his smarting feet would not permit a full sprint. And on top of that the distance between him and the next tram rail was too far for him to jump onto. Behind him the railcar was rapidly catching up. The flat dorsal “fin” would soon sweep his feet out from under him and send Karros falling to the ground some three hundred feet below. Karros could not outrun the tram. So instead he intended to hitch a ride on it.

As he heard and felt the tram car creep up just behind him Karros leaped forward off the rail a little off to the side. While he went up the first railcar swept forward under him. Coming back down Karros landed with a safety tap onto the roof of the railcar. Safely on top of the tram he took a moment in his crouch to adjust to the smooth, forward momentum of the tram. Remaining in a crouch the Concierge went over to the side of the railcar’s “fin”. Taking a seat beside it Karros stretched out his legs over the roof of the tram car while leaning his shoulders and spine against the side of the “fin”. The gentle vibrations of the tram car massaged his shoulders. The “fin” made for a surprisingly comfortable backrest. As Karros took a moment to recuperate on his free ride he watched the city go by as the tram traveled along the edges of the glittering Gala District into the bustling, colorfilled Residential District.

It was a subtle and at the same time not-so-subtle transition between districts. The crystalline walls and softly glistening lights that resembled gemstones gradually were replaced. In their stead massive holoscreens displaying advertisements and bright, flashing colors of shops and apartments began springing up. The streets below were becoming more and more populated with pedestrians. Something the Gala District noticeably lacked, both streets and pedestrians. The soft, almost noiseless ambiance of the Gala District had been exchanged by the hubbub of the night crowds. Voices, almost distinct, made their way up to him in snippets of conversation before the tram whipped him away, preventing Karros from making anything out. Songs emanated from the vast holoscreens and from the open doorways of different shops below, contributing to the wondrous cacophony of the night.

Karros suddenly felt a hard shiver run down his spine. It felt like a winter chill had suddenly enveloped him. He was not cold. Nor did it have anything to do with the wind that steadily rushed past him. No, this was something else. This was the unmistakable aura of a powerful Sith. The Concierge quickly looked around himself in an attempt to locate the source of the aura. As the tram moved through a valley created by two towering, flanking walls of buildings Karros noticed a crouched figure high above him on one of the neighboring rooftops. The figure was cloaked in shadow so he could not make out any details. Before Karros could look any closer the tram had already sped past the shadowy figure. All he could do was look back at the small silhouette as he sped away from it, wondering who, or what, it was.

~Vizer’s Playground~
IC: Joker
Setting: Kaas City, Residential Area
Background Music: (

)

The Dark Vizer crouched on the edge of a building focused on searching for something. His normally hidden aura was released, and those that could sense it could feel the immensely chaotic evil, and sadistic tormentor that he truly was. His eyes looked as if emerald bolts of lightning continuously kept flashing wildly. Suddenly the prey was found, and he was off.

Launching off the rooftop, the Vizer would flip twice and grab hold of a lightpost. Swinging from the light post he would pirouette onto the side of a building, digging his hand into the wall to steady himself. He stayed there momentarily as he watched his prey turn a corner, and then once more launched himself onto a rooftop above them.

Using telepathy, he convinced the man to take a detour down the next alleyway. Halfway down however, the Vizer would bakflip off the building in front of him and stare him down. Meeting the Anzat’s stare was his last mistake as he was paralyzed only able to move as he shook with fear. His proboscis slithered from his cheek pockets as he approached, a demented grin on his face as he chuckled. The “soup” was now his.

Deciding to play with his food a little more, the Vizer pinned the man against the wall, allowing his proboscis to slither across the man’s face before entering his nasal cavity. It was time to feed, and feed hr would. He devoured what little connectivity the man had to the force. He devoured his spirit, and soul. He devoured the man’s memories. He devoured his very life force itself. And then he finished off by consuming the man’s brain itself.

As the proboscis returned to his cheek pockets he began to cackle at a thought that had crossed his mind. What would someone think if they had seen his actions tonight. And with that he disappeared from view from any possible voyeurs, both cloaking himself with the Force and concealing his essence from possible force sensitives.

~End Dark Vizer IC~

Karros briefly saw the rapidly shrinking silhouette leap off the rooftop with expert precision before the tram turned a slight corner. Vanishing behind the edge of a row of apartment buildings so too did the cold aura as the tram continued to put distance between him and it. His threat alertness levels decreasing Karros settled back into his seat against the railcar’s dorsal “fin”. Leaning his back against the side of the “fin” the Concierge checked the state of his feet. They no longer stung from the previous impact. In fact they felt perfectly fine now. Still, it would be wise to give them a bit more time to recover before resuming his run. Truthfully he was just looking for an excuse to enjoy the view he had for a little longer. Lifting his left leg so that it was bent with only the foot touching the ground Karros propped his left arm on his raised knee. Casually sprawling his right leg out in front of him so that it pointed towards the edge of the railcar he rested his right hand in his lap. Karros then leaned back so that the back of his head and shoulders rested against the dorsal “fin”. A most uncharacteristically relaxed and carefree moment for the normally serious and professional assassin.

As the tram rumbled over the wide chasm that formed the definitive border between the Gala and Residential Districts, Karros heard a strange noise screeching towards his position. Sitting up Karros leaned forward slightly to peer over at the chasm below him. In the distance he could see the headlights of several ground level hovercars racing towards him along the channel some fifty yards beneath the tram rail.

~Apprentice Reatith Blodraald IC~

The machines rocketed toward the City of Kaas at breakneck speed. Each one was mostly hand built and designed by the pilot themselves. Where some had a classic pod racer shape of multiple exposed engines strapped together with power couplings and cable, others were small speeders with a single thruster with a seat on top, but every single one was unique and built from scratch. There wasn't a production vehicle in sight. Those that could afford such things were either too slow or too terrified for this type of race.

This was no racetrack, but a raw street race. No laws, no rules, just one winner and a bunch of losers. Glass would shatter, public property damaged, surprises around every corner and no guarantee of survival. They all had a predetermined route set up in each of their cockpits that were monitored and recorded by the rest of the racers to avoid any cheating. They were starting right on the edge of the slums where most of the pilots were from. Some were old war veterans, others were just passionate about the sport, but they all shared one goal. Winning. The end of the race was the gates of the city's capitol and the crown jewel of Kass City. The winner's pot was meager compared to the wealth in the city, but it was just enough to pay off an old debt or bills for a few months.

The sound that blasted from the line of unstable experiments could only be heard after they passed over and around the unsuspecting civilians. It buffeted and shook every pane of glass, threatening to shatter them to pieces along with the eardrums of anyone unlucky enough to be crossing the path of racers.

Among them was a burnt orange pod shaped vehicle with four articulating turbo thrusters attached to all four corners of the pod. Each thruster had thin polished manual pistons that were controlled directly by the hands of the pilot. A sight that was uncommon anywhere but here at this race. Underneath the minimal plating in front of the cockpit was a large engine that ran all of the auxiliary systems, few as they were. It would also assist the polished drivers and pistons that moved the turbo thrusters while also stopping and restarting them where needed.

The pilot wore a black safety suit that had been stitched back together and patched in a few different places, most likely from a previous crash or two. His face was hidden behind a full faced black helmet with a heads up display that glowed red in the clear glass barely illuminating his eyes. He laid down on his stomach on a small, but comfortable seat that wrapped around the sides of his body like an extra layer of armor. All of the controls were within easy reach of his hands. The interior of the pod was completely stripped of everything that was unnecessary. Small gaps in the paneling and body work showed through to the passing street below as the chassis creaked and rattled violently under the extreme speed and flex of the powerful engines.

The pilots eyes were fixed on the path ahead, his eyes began to glow red the more he concentrated. The passing buildings got bigger, cleaner and more lavish the closer they got to the wealthy district. He blinked multiple times, forcing himself to resist the urge to use the Force. If he was going to win it would be under his own power. None of the other racers knew who, or what, he was. These races were meant to help him get his mind off of his tasks and responsibilities as a Sith Apprentice of Lord Solus. If anyone knew, it would spoil the fun, so Reatith kept his helmet on, mouth shut and let his speeder and his skills speak for him.

The speeders bumped into each other as they fought for placement, but Reatith hung back just a little waiting for his chance to overtake the front line. The first turn was up ahead, and it was one of the most deadly. Between the massive amount of traffic, the 112° left turn and the public rail systems that all diverged in that one spot, right after the longest stretch of the race, where most could reach the top speed of their machines, it proved to be where some of the best racers were separated from those who were driven by insanity and suicidal tendencies and were truly born to race.

A few began to slow down as they approached the turn, he marked a lone column on the monorail at the apex of the turn with his HUD. The distance appeared in large numbers in the top middle of his display. 500m. Three newbies dropped back behind the Sith Apprentice. He dodged and weaved with grace, barely letting them know that they had been passed until it was too late. 300m to go.Two of them were still up ahead playing chicken. He glanced at the distance again, 200m. The tension between could be felt through the durasteel as they swapped paint on the sides of their speeders as they slammed into one another, trying to force eachother to lose control. The distance began to flash at him, 150m.

They both slammed their accelerators in reverse at the same time just as Reatith passed over the top of both of them. The flashing sped up and his earpiece lit up with the sound of a siren, [100m]. He grinned from ear to ear as he saw the look of surprise from one of them through an open hole in the floor.

His HUD lit up, everything blinking red and a large 'WARNING' flashed as the distance closed to [90m], 'NOT YET!' He thought. His heart pounded as time seemed to slow.

BOOM, BOOM. BOOM, BOOM.

80m. For a split second, the euphoria of adrenaline left him feeling sheer joy. No tasks, no Empire, no past, no future, just this one moment in time.

75m. "NOW!!!" He screamed. He wrenched on the controls, flipping the turbo thrusters almost completely backwards as the metal around him screeched in protest. For a split second he could have sworn he saw the figure of Karros Zaruiel landing on top of the roof of the tram car as it passed. Distractions aside he gritted his teeth tight and flexed his stomach muscles as hard as he could as his vision began to turn black. He hurtled toward a large beam of the monorail track and pulled harder on the controls to avoid it. The front right diffuser clipped the beam and flew off as the heat from the engines filled the cockpit making the temperature almost unbearable. The superheated flames from the rear right engine torched the beam causing it to glow red hot. Reatith kept his eyes open as his tunnel vision got smaller and smaller from both the blistering heat and the g-force that pushed the blood to his head. His speeder moaned as the stress threatened to break it in half. It swept through the turn sideways, barely able to control the ridiculous amount of speed that hurtled through the air. To any bystander it was merely a sideways blur of dark orange that left few without their ears ringing as it swept around the tight corner. Sparks flew and the engines burned white hot against the night. A few blurry shapes zipped past his vision as he barely maneuvered out of the way. As if by pure muscle memory he slammed the controls forward just as his vision went completely black and he snapped back to reality, straight as an arrow on the street, and most importantly, in first place, far ahead of the others.

~End Apprentice Reatith Blodraald IC~

As the hovercars shot underneath the tram line Karros scrambled to his knees to look over the railcar’s dorsal “fin” to watch their tail lights race out of sight down the trench. Wondering what in the world that was about Karros settled back into his seat against the railcar’s “fin”. The city’s nightlife certainly held the promise of excitement. He continued to watch the colors of the Residential District fly past him. After several minutes he felt a jolt run through the railcar. The tram began to noticeably slow down. Looking down the rail Karros saw the boarding platforms of the tram station approaching from up ahead. So it was time to disembark. Shifting into a crouch with one leg under him Karros took a look around him. The platform was open air. And obviously the neighboring buildings were too tall and too far away to leap atop of. Much as he preferred to travel by rooftop, it seemed he would be going overland for a little while. Time to practice blending in the crowd.

As the tram slowed and pulled up to the station platform Karros leaped off the railcar roof. Crossing the eight foot distance from roof to platform with deft ease he landed into a safety tap. However he remained in a crouch for a moment before slowly straightening for dramatic effect. The crowd below, surprised by the black-clad figure jumping into their midst, stumbled backwards in alarm, clearing a semi-circle around him. Some of those closest to where he landed toppled backward onto their rears in their haste. A murmur of alarm and irritation rippled through the crowd as they looked on at the interloper in their midst. Karros looked sternly at them as his gaze swept back and forth over the throng of people. Wordlessly he placed his hand over the hilt of one of his lightsabers on his belt, moving in such a way everyone could see the motion to his weapon. The murmurs were instantly silenced. Karros smiled beneath his mask. So these peons were intelligent enough to recognise a Sith when they saw one. Keeping his hand on his saber Karros strode forward towards the crowd. First they backed away from him, then parted down the middle to let him pass. The Concierge simply continued walking without a word. Behind him the crowd merged again, murmuring in hushed voices as they hurriedly made their way onto the tram and away from the Sith.

Karros strode through the station crowd like a wolf stalking through a field of tall grasses. Here he was the grey man. Seen but unseen. He was tall for a human. And combined with his black bodysuit and macabre mask Karros would normally stand out to an onlooker. But here in the sea of people, each caught up in their own routine and affairs, he was just another nameless, faceless figure in the crowd. Hundreds of people, each with their own combination of clothing, physicalities, colors and sizes across dozens of races and species, thronged the concourse. A Wookiee was arguing with a Weequay in front of a shop. A trio of Chiss, two men and a woman in fine clothing, were huddled in a circle speaking in subdued voices. Two Zabrak men, brothers perhaps, walked parallel to Karros on the opposite side of the avenue in loud, boisterous voices. Ahead of him a Sith Pureblood in armor walked with his head held proudly. To his left a family of Twi’leks with a pair of young children, a boy and a girl, walked by laughing and smiling. A Togrutan couple walked by on his right, arm in arm on what was clearly a date. Down an alleyway a Bith was talking to a Devaronian in what appeared to be an exchange in illicit goods. A Nikto walked a few feet behind the Concierge, constantly looking around as if lost. The Nikto carelessly walked into a Chagrian, causing both to fall to the ground. Karros kept walking as he heard the makings of brawl form behind him.

The Concierge wove his way through the crowd like a snake. Weaving in and out of the pairs and small groups that formed the chaotic multitude. His inky black bodysuit and bone-white of his mask were but specks on the kaleidoscopic color canvas that was the Residential District plaza. None knew him. In the teeming walkway his figure flickered in and out of view behind and around the frames of others. To each potential onlooker he only came into sight for a few seconds at most. Each appearance was brief and silent, like the glimpsing of a phantom. And just as quickly as he appeared Karros would vanish into the crowd. As he disappeared from view the memory of his very presence would disappear like a dream upon waking up. Blending into the crowd Karros was a grey man. A spector in the throng. As an apprentice his aura in the Force was diminutive. Only a Force-sensitive would be able to pick him out from the masses.

The Concierge wove his way through the plaza into a heavily packed shopping arcade. The density of bodies did not let up in the slightest. Even at this hour the nightlife was alive and thriving. Moving with the current of bodies Karros strode through corridors filled with department stores. Walls of windows dedicated to displaying beauty boutiques, tailoring shops, jewelry stores, the occasional art gallery, anything and everything one could imagine. Carried by the river of people Karros stepped into a massive indoor food court ringed with stalls and restaurants. The alluring aroma of cooking meat and exotic fruits wafted like an invisible mist around him. The sound of frying dishes and grilling hibachis filled the air. The clamor of people ordering dishes and cooks announcing their completion echoed throughout the area. All around the massive octogonal food court were assemblies of tables and benches upon which the masses sat to eat. Families, couples, the lone individual or two. Most were engaged in conversation with their partners. Others were engrossed in the holos of personal devices as they looked up entertainment channels or the Imperial New Network. The chamber that contained the food court was outlandishly large. From one end to the other it must have been four hundred feet at least. And ringing the edges of the space Karros saw the parapets of other floors. Looking up Karros realized that the food court was merely the ground level of an enormous atrium that stretched for dozens of floors overhead.

Pausing to look around Karros spotted wide sets of stairs stationed at each side of the food court’s octagonal perimeter. Threading his way through the streams of bodies Karros made his way to the nearest one. Each step was constructed with marble tile. And the depth of each one was strikingly shallow. Karros imagined this was to accommodate the many species that called Kass City home. Quickly ascending the fifty steps the Concierge found himself standing in a noticeably more subdued area than the food court below. Around him were department stores dedicated to household items like appliances, office supplies, and family entertainment systems lined along the walls of another shopping corridor. Things meant to add little pleasures to day-to-day living. Here too the density of bodies was less, allowing a bit more freedom of space.

Karros began walking down the center of the corridor, no longer as crowded as he was before. He had more room to maneuver. Still there were the frequent couples and clusters of people that he had to weave past. But it was no longer as much as a tactical game to him. The crowd was thinner and so he had less cover to blend into. Thus he stood out more. Not enough to garner anyone’s attention any more than before, but still enough that someone could remember seeing him if they were paying attention.

He continued his walk while continuously scanning the area with his eyes. Though he did not move his head much or frequently, behind the concealing plate of his mask Karros’ eyes swept back and forth across the corridor and into the wide display windows of passing shops. The Concierge surveyed every detail with the attention of a reconnaissance unit. Not once did he let down his guard. Not even in a civilian setting such as this. As he passed by the window of a bookstore Karros saw the outline of a familiar figure within.

~Knight Mir IC, written by Karros Zaruiel with approval~

Mir walked slowly up and down the shelves of the bookshop. He perused each aisle with deliberate pacing while carefully scanning over each spine and title of the books he passed. The Dragirian often came to this shop. It had a rather straightforward name; Meena’s Vintage Books and Document Restoration. While it held vintage documents for purchase the bookstore also had services for restoring and repairing said documents. Invaluable for attending to aging books. Especially when he occasionally kept his purchases near him in his forge. The books he purchased oftentimes were forgotten smithing techniques that he referred to while practicing the methods described within his forge. Sometimes the ashes or oil would end up staining the pages. Hence his use of the services offered here.

But today he was not interested in document repairs. Mir was looking for a new book. The Soldier of Venom was seeking something on the arcane. He had become quite confident in his skills as a “normal” smith, forging weapons and armor without any sort of enchantments. Now he wanted to try his hand at enchanted forgecraft. Which was something he had never done before. He wanted to expand his repertoire. Business at the forge would increase that way. The Knight of Syn browsed the shelves, looking for anything that seemed relevant or that caught his eye.

It was striking how little material he could find. Even then what he did find held only figments at best on enchanted forgecraft. Sometimes it was an entry on a notable weapon or armor set used by the mighty Sith of old. Other times they described legends. Nothing that described what he was seeking. Blueprints, schematics, notes on metals and materials. That’s what he was looking for. As he perused the shelves Mir did find a few weathered tomes on forging Toydarian knives and Utapaun armor. Even one describing a blueprint for a Mon Calamarian armored rebreather.

Still he had spent the better part of 3 hours combing the shelves for something substantial. It was getting late for him. The Soldier of Venom was about to head home when he spotted an archaic script running down the spine of a tome stashed away in the corner. There, nestled on the bottom shelf in a secluded spot at the perimeter of the shop, was a book dark in aura and appearance. Almost sinister in fact. Mir cautiously walked towards it. There was something palpably different about this book and he hadn’t even opened it yet. Setting the other tomes he had already collected on an adjacent shelf the Knight reached down and plucked the sinister tome from the shelf.

Opening the weathered, leather covers Mir began to read. The words were hand-written in a scrawling script, barely discernible. Described within was the journal of...a Dathomirian Nightsister! Excitement coursed through the Knight of Syn as he began devouring the book with his eyes. The Nightsister described what seemed to be rituals and spells used in the creation of talismans. Throughout the journal pictures of the talismans were drawn with words scrawled around them describing the symbolic and ritualistic meaning of each part.

It was as if liquid energy had been injected into him. Mir could hardly contain his excitement with his discovery. Nightsister talismans. This could open up whole new avenues for his forge. Closing the journal and collecting the other books from the shelf the Knight headed to the checkout counter at the front of the shop. There the protocol droid awaited him at the counter beside the front window. “Hello Knight Mir,” it said politely, “Taking another set home today?” “Hello Zee-Lee” Mir replied, “Meena in today? I want to ask her about this book.” He held up the journal. “She is in the back office at the moment” the protocol droid named Zee-Lee answered, “I can get her for you if you’d like?” “Yes, thank you” Mir said, “ I would appreciate-” The Soldier of Venom stopped mid-sentence as something familiar flickered in the corner of his vision outside the store window. Snapping his head to look out Mir only saw the usual night crowd passing by the glasteel. He stared out with his eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the passers-by. He could have sworn he saw the figure of...someone...or something...that he had seen before just walk by before he could focus on it. Someone or something familiar. Had he hallucinated it? Was it a figment of his imagination? He glanced down at the Dathomirian journal in his hand. Was this a part of the Dathomirian magicks?

“Sir?” Zee-Lee asked with the programmed tone of concern at Knight Mir’s sudden derailment of thought. Mir snapped back to reality. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yes, I would like to see Meena, thank you.” As the protocol droid wheeled away behind the door Mir resumed his watch out the window as he waited, wondering what, if he even had, seen.

~End Knight Mir IC~

It was only for an instant that Karros spotted him. Briefly the Concierge was able to recognize the figure as Knight Mir. Then the outline of the Knight vanished behind the window’s border formed by the wall between shops as quickly as he had come into view. Karros did not stop nor pause his stride to greet him. He did not wish to intrude upon his shopping. The Concierge followed the corridor all the way to the end where it led to a set of stairs leading upwards. At the top of the landing an auxiliary exit stood behind a wide pair of sliding glass doors. Walking through the doors Karros once again found himself outside in the night air. He stood at an entrance to another open plaza. Before him the throngs of people drifted like a tide in renewed numbers. Here was the sea in which Karros could once again blend in. Smiling Karros stepped forward. He vanished from view as the crowd swallowed him up. Like a snake in the tall grasses.

Once more he resumed his little game of weaving in and out of the clusters in the multitude. The shops and stores continued to appear. Supermarkets, high-end fashion stores, fully fledged restaurants, hover vehicle dealerships. Soon the avenue he was traversing diverged into a “T” as it met a ground level hoverlane filled with speeders, cars and bikes. With the heavy traffic, both street and pedestrian, the movement of the vehicles were at a practical standstill. Karros moved with the throng as they used the crosswalk to travel across the lane. As he walked with the current Karros made note of the vehicles he passed on his left. Some were rather high end, though nothing like what he had seen in the airlines of the Gala District. Most were civilian level vehicles. A little weathered but still fresh and taken care of. Convertible speeders cars with couples on dates or paired double-rider on speeder bikes. Vans filled with families and children on their way home from a night out.

On his right the walls of shop windows continued. He slowed his walk slightly to admire the window of a fashion shop. Mannequins adorned with amethyst jewelry and emerald-satin dresses. A circlet fashioned with rubies and topaz to resemble a halo of fire. Stiletto heels of such polished black they looked like sculpted pieces of darkness. Rings and bejeweled bracers of gold decked with sapphires and diamonds. Things that he could easily imagine the Beloved Uras, the Imperial Hecate or Her Majesty wearing. Of all the women in the Empire, they were one he knew best for fashion flair. And often his thoughts went in seeking ways to exalt them further. Karros turned away from the window. He logged the stores' location in his mind. Next time perhaps.

The Concierge continued walking along the avenue parallel to the hoverlane. Glancing around he spotted a familiar figure on the opposite side of the street.

~Apprentice Amaya Masslat IC, written by Karros Zaruiel with approval~

Amaya walked along the sidewalk, tracing her hand along the wall of windows at its edge as she went all. She had a free evening tonight and she had decided to spend it exploring the city. She had been hopping from district to district on her ship. It was a fairly small vessel - just a starfighter - but it gave all the freedom she needed. Amaya had not yet thought of a name for it but she loved it all the same.

Her thoughts had been on a similar ramble all night. After several intense back-to-back sessions of studying she just wanted to let her mind wander where it willed. Walking past the window of a jewelry and clothing store she paused to gaze longingly at the gems. Within were partial mannikins bearing necklaces adorned with rubies, bracers of onyx and amethyst and dresses seeming woven out of silver threads. Pausing in her stride she posed so that her reflection in the window and the display matched so that it appeared she was wearing one of the necklaces. She held up her hand to pose so that the opal-encrusted bracelet appeared to adorn her wrist. After a moment she put her hand down with a forlorn sigh. She couldn’t afford it. No point in dreaming about it.

Turning away from the window Amaya continued walking down the sidewalk. The sidewalk, which had previously been given a small reprieve from the nightly multitude, was sudden;y filled with a new throng of people. Her eyes naturally roved over the swell of bodies that surrounded her. It amazed, excited and made her nervous all at once verytime how so many people doing so many different things and from so many walks of life could be gathered all in one place. It wasn’t that she disliked crowds, it was that she disliked being in them. Too many people. Too close. It was like a mild version of sensory overload. And it made her uncomfortable. With both hands she reached back and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and sped up her pace.

To block out the overwhelming sensation of all the people she focused on the cool air that the night brought with it. The brisk temperatures of the evening were soothing to her. She kept to the edges of the crowd as best she could near the wall of windows where she could continue window shopping. Her eyes roved aimlessly, looking for a new weapon to add to her arsonal or perhaps an accessory to add to her wardrobe. Through one such window she spotted an electronics store. On the display shelf was the newest model of a brand of holocamera she had been keeping an eye on. And it was on sale. Intrigued, she stepped through the door. The doorbell gave a soft electric chime as she entered.

“Welcome” said a man at the counter as Amaya walked past him. With a subtle tilt of her head in acknowledgement she walked straight to the holocamera on display in the window.

“How much for this?” Amaya asked, pointing to the camera.

“Ahh, the HC-12 Skyeye. Excellent choice ma’am” the man. “That model’s on sale. Able to record for seventy two hours straight and with a hundred and thirty magnification factor, you can zoom with perfect clarity up to two hundred and fifty feet away. It comes with the built-in long-range comms bundle, all at the low price of three thousand credits after discount.”

“Hmm...do you have payment plans?” asked Amaya.

“We do,” said the man as he reached under the counter and drew out a datapad. “Would you like the three month, six month, nine month or twelve month plan?”

Amaya paused in thought for a moment. “...actually can I have one reserved?” she asked, “I need to speak with my master before confirming anything.”

“Of course. Who is your master?” the man asked.

“Lord Xxys”

The man’s eyes widened for a moment before recovering his composure with a light cough. “Certainly” he said, his voice now holding a barely perceivable tremor. “If I could ask you for your contact information so we can reach you?” He held out the datapad towards Amaya. Smiling, she took it and typed in the public access number for her holocomm.

“There you go” she said as she handed it back to the salesman before heading for the door.

“We look forward to seeing you again soon!” the man called after her. Amaya flashed him a coy wink over her shoulder before she stepped through the door and back out into the street.

Weaving through the crowd she meandered along the pavement, aimlessly looking around something else to catch her eye. The delicious smell of food wafted from the street vendors and from the open doors of cafes. Her stomach growled. Placing a hand over her stomach in a gesture to quiet it Amaya looked around. A nearby vendor at a street cart was selling fried nuna drumsticks. No money, no food. Or that’s what a normal person would think. Blending in with the crowd as best she could Amaya drew closer to the cart. She walked right up to it as if she was going to buy a drumstick.

“Have a good evening!” waved off the vendor to the little boy as he and his mother left with drumsticks in hand. The vendor turned to Amaya as she stepped up to his cart. “Good evening miss. Can I interest you in a drumstick or two? Freshly cooked and hot off the pan!” He made a sweeping gesture with his arms to the surface of his cart.

Amaya looked down at what he had to offer. In the center of the cart was a large, shallow cavity where within she could see the still-cooking wings and drumsticks hissing as they fried in the pool of bubbling oil. It seemed the cart had a built-in skillet. A basket of a dozen or so finished wings and drumsticks lay in the corner on top of the cart, steaming hot and arranged in a way that highlighted their beautiful color. Her stomach growled again as the scent wafted up to her nostrils. The vendor, hearing her audible hunger, looked up at her as politely as he could through a combination of amusement and hopefulness at a sale.

“Yes” Amaya said with a small cough of recomposure, “but before I do, where did you get your ingredients?”

“Ahh, my stock was taken from the farms on Batuu,” explained the vendor, “And my breading ingredients come from Lothal.”

“Uh huh” said Amaya, putting on an air of disdain, “So how do you explain this?” She pointed down into the cart at the still-cooking nuna. The vendor looked down at the pool of bubbling oil to see what she was pointing to.

As soon as his head dipped down and his gaze was off her Amaya let loose a stream of her Force Lightning from her pointed fingertip. Not much, she wasn’t that powerful yet, but more than enough of a spark to ignite the oil. Indeed as soon as the spark of her Lightning touched the oil the entirety of the cart’s in-built skillet lit up in a towering grease fire. As the vendor and everyone else around leapt back in surprise and horror, Amaya snatched the basket of nuna drumsticks from the cart and bolted through the crowd before anyone could react. Laughing she could hear the vendor yelling at her in anger but she didn’t care. There was no way for him to catch up to her even if he did give chase.

Darting through the crowd, basket of nuna under her arm, Amaya ducked down an alleyway where she caught her breath. Glancing around to make sure she was alone she sat down and began to greedily wolf down a drumstick. As no one was around, she did not care that her manners resembled that of a street urchin’s. To her credit, she was able to reign in her hunger after the first two drumsticks. After that she was able to take her time and savour the sweetness of her food and the rich spices that adorned it.

She had begun her sixth piece of nuna when she felt a formless shadow pass over her hiding spot. Amaya froze like a hare under the gaze of a hawk as she glanced around. Moving only her eyes she searched for the cause of the passing shadow. With slow, almost imperceivable movements of her head she scanned the alley to see if anyone else was there. The backstreet was empty, save for her and the occasional dumpster beside one of the buildings’ side entrances. She remained still, waiting for movement to catch her eye, ears perked to pick up the slightest scurry of noise. After a moment she heard a rustle behind the dumpster to her left. Dropping the basket onto the ground, with a single fluid movement she leaped to her feet, simultaneously drawing and igniting her lightsabers as she did so. Whirling around the corner of the dumpster Amaya pointed the tip of one saber at where the source of the sound. In its red light a Muunilinst lizard cowered in the corner, trapped against the walls of dumpster and alley. Amaya quietly exhaled a breath of relief as she lowered her saber before extinguishing both of them. The creature only stopped trembling slightly in the absence of her weapons.

“Want a drumstick?” Amaya asked the lizard. She turned with a gesturing motion to the basket on the ground. Half of the nuna meat was left, having only been jostled slightly in the basket’s fall and remained in its basin. The creature seemed to understand her offer, or at least her gesture of non-hostility, and perked up its head.

“Come on,” Amaya said encouragingly. She walked back to the basket, holding out a hand to the lizard the entire time, picked it up and kneeling offered one of the remaining drumsticks to the creature. The lizard cautiously approached her, took a couple wary sniffs at the drumstick, then sntached it out of her hand and began to greedily devour it. Amaya gave an amused giggle as she watched the creature eat just like she had a few minutes before. Sitting back down she left the basket between the two of them, allowing the lizard free access to the food as she began eating a wing. The two of them made short work of the basket of food. When they had finished Amaya rose to her feet and brushed the breading crumbs off her lap. As she made to leave she heard a small sound at her feet that resembled a cross between a squeak and a purr. Looking down she saw the lizard rubbing itself against her ankle like a cat. She smiled down at it.

“Sorry” she said, “No more food.”

The Muunilinst lizard continued to rub itself against her happily. Amaya began walking away, back onto the main street which had settled from the previous commotion she had started. The lizard followed at her heels like a puppy. There was an awkward pause as she stopped on the threshold of the alleyway to turn to the lizard.

“I don’t have any more food, sorry” she said with a tone of impatient irritance creeping into her voice.

The Muunilinst lizard continued to rub itself affectionately against her ankle, heedless of her words. Amaya shook her ankle to get it off her.

“I don’t have any more” Amaya said, her voice rising with louder irritation, “Go away.”

Either the lizard didn’t understand her or it was ignoring her because it continued to rub against her ankle.

“Look, I told you I don’t have any more food” she said as she turned fully to the lizard at her feet.
The irritation in her voice was quickly becoming anger. “Get-”

Her statement was cut short when someone collided hard against her from the side. Lurching sideways from the impact, Amaya was nearly knocked to the ground. Straightening she screamed angrily at the rapidly vanishing figure who had knocked into her. “Watch where you’re going!” she yelled. Amaya reached down to rub her side at the point of impact. As she ran her hand over her hips she realized with horror that the lightsaber she had holstered there was gone. Looking back at the figure she spotted her missing lightsaber in the figure’s hand. Breaking into a full-on sprint she gave chase after the figure.

“GET BACK HERE!!” she screamed after the figure. The figure, hooded in dark clothing, didn’t slow down in the slightest. Instead it continued barreling through the crowd and knocking over any who didn’t get out of the way in time. “SOMEONE GET HIM!” Amaya yelled at the top of her lungs as no one in the crowd did anything to stop the thief. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a streak of red dart between the ankles of the crowd. Like a bolt of orange-red lightning the Muunilinst lizard raced through the crowd towards the thief. Leaping up like a mongoose the lizard struck the thief in the back of the head where it latched on with its little claws and proceeded to gnaw and scratch at him. Fumbling in surprise against the new assailant the thief flailed about in his stride, tripping over his own feet and with a spin, pitched backwards onto the pavement as the creature leaped off to safety at the last possible moment.

Landing flat on his back in a sprawl the thief lay gasping and winded on the ground. The thief was only dazed for a moment before he made to get up. Before they could get to their feet the lizard darted onto their face like a rabid ferret, biting and clawing at them. The thief screamed with a young male voice in shock and pain as he rolled around on the sidewalk, allowing Amaya precious seconds to catch up.

Running up beside the thief the lizard scampered off him as Amaya drew and ignited her remaining lightsaber in one smooth motion. Leaping into the air, saber held in reverse grip over her head, she body-slammed him, stabbing him in the neck as she came down on top of him. The thief convulsed once as the saber blade pieces his spinal cord, then went still. Taking back her saber and holstering both back on her belt Amaya straightened before spitting in the thief’s face. “That’s for taking my stuff” she declared with a furious huff.

As she calmed herself down Amaya realized the entire crowd was staring at her in horror. A circular clearing had formed around her with everyone keeping a safe distance as if she was a wild animal. Warily glancing around, her hands hovering over her lightsabers preparing to draw them at any moment, she heard a commotion in the distance beyond the border of the clearing.

“This is security” she heard proclaimed in a robotic voice, “Remain where you are”

Amaya was definitely not staying where she was. Without a second glance back she bolted back into the crowd. Knocking aside people who did get out of her way fast enough she barreled through the dense forest of people. All around her were the yelps and shouts of anger and surprise as she darted through them, all the while behind her she could hear the robotic shouting of the security droid telling her to stop. She felt something continually brushing her ankles as she ran but she didn’t bother to look down. She just kept running.

After several minutes of furious pursuit down streets and alleys Amaya ducked down a sidestreet and pressed her back against its wall. Panting she listened intently for the sound of pursuit. In the distance she could hear the sounds of commotion slowly fading until it gradually receded into the hubbub of the night that it had been before. Letting out the breath she hadn't realized she’d been holding Amaya sank to the ground in relief. As she recovered her wind she felt a familiar sensation rub against her ankles. Looking down Amaya saw the same Muunilinst lizard nuzzling her feet. She blinked slowly in thought. Then just as slowly she extended a hand to it. Like a cat the lizard began nuzzling the back of her fingers, even arching its back in happiness at the sensation. This creature had helped her get her saber back. Surely that was enough to warrant a reward of sorts.

“...well I guess you’ve not so bad after all” she said quietly as her thoughts escaped into words. While the lizard showered her with affection Amaya thought over what she was going to do with it. She wasn’t going to shoo it away, not after it had helped her like that. Her thoughts linked from one idea to the next. Perhaps she could keep it. Train it as a pet. If it could act as her partner as it had tonight, untrained, then how much better of a combat pet would it be with training. She smiled to herself at the thought.

Rising to her feet she lowered a hand towards the lizard in invitation. “C’mon” she said encouragingly. The Muunilinst lizard, apparently reading the cue, clambered up onto her arm and onto her shoulder where it perched like a bird. Amaya giggled softly as it nuzzled her cheek with its own. Her moment of levity was cut short when she felt a shadow pass over her hiding spot. Not a physical shadow, but a sensation that she was being watched. That someone was nearby observing her.

“Let’s get going” she said quietly to the lizard. The creature crooned happily in response, seeming too happy to comprehend the undercurrent of worry in Amaya’s voice.

Following the sidestreet to its opposite end Amaya stepped onto one of the main avenues. She could still hear the sounds of security droids in the distance searching for her, asking passersby if they had seen her. Slipping in with the bustling crowd she quietly pulled up her hood. It was time to leave the district. Pulling out her datapad as she walked Amaya checked her map of the city. Her ship wasn’t too far from where she was. Just a few blocks away. She just needed to keep a low profile until she got there. Putting away her datapad she did her best to blend in with the crowd. She couldn’t say she did terribly well nor terribly bad; most people ignored her or just outright did know she existed until they saw the lizard happily purring on her shoulder, at which point they quietly but hurriedly put distance between themselves and her. As her heartrate settled Amaya noticed the distinct stench emanating from the lizard. Presumably from it foraging in all that trash in order to scavenge.

“We’ll have to get you a proper bath when we get home” Amaya said quietly to the creature.

It took another half hour of traversing through the city blocks before they arrived at the residential ship garage where she had docked her ship. Heading for the rooftop level where she had docked her ship she walked over to it and ran her hand over the side of her vessel. It wasn’t anything big - just a starfighter with minimum armaments - but she loved it all the same. Unlocking the canopy she climbed into the cockpit. Closing the canopy over her she started up the starfighter as the lizard crawled down from her shoulder to begin investigating its new surroundings. As the instrument panel lit up Amaya drew up the holomap of the city via the panel. A holographic, miniature model of the city bloomed into being, spooking the lizard who retreated back to her shoulder. With a quiet chuckle Amaya zoomed through the holomodel map like it was a turntable.

“Where should we go next?” she asked the lizard. The creature chittered cautiously as it slowly crept back down her arm to the hologram. Amaya gave the projector a light spin so that the entire hologram began to slowly rotate like a turntable. Apprehension turned into curiosity as the creature tried to grab the hologram, mistaking it for a solid structure. Curiosity turned into playfulness as the lizard roved around the projected, batting at the hologram like a cat at a toy.

“So where do you think we should go next?” Amaya said with an amused smile as she watched her pet play around the hologram like a child seeing snow for the first time. The lizard batted at a sky-blue section of the city with holograms of fields and trees.

“You want to go to the Gardens?” Amaya asked the lizard. The creature looked up at her and grakked happily in reply; a response that she could only take as “yes”.

“Alright then” Amaya said. Settling into the seat she took the throttle and the control stick. Her ship eased up into the air with a soft whine of the engines. As the ships raised altitude Amaya frowned over the instrument panel. Her sensors were telling her that something was wrong with the starboard wing. Nothing internal; rather something was obstructing the aileron’s movement and that the repulsorlift vane on the underside of the starboard wing had a higher output than the others. She did a slight test wiggle of the aileron via her control stick, though not enough to disrupt her flight. There was a brief moment of resistance in the aileron’s movement. Then the flap was able to move freely as if whatever had been obstructing it had fallen off. Amaya looked quizzically at her instrument panel again. The output anomaly of her starboard wing’s repulsorlift vane had shifted to the tail-end of the keel. Frowning, she looked over the instrument panel again. It didn’t seem like it was anything serious. None of her instruments indicated anything of a problem. Maybe something had gotten caught in the landing gear? She checked her holomap of the city again. She needed to land so she could inspect her vessel. She was too far away from where she had taken off to just turn the ship around. Instead the nearest landing pad to her was in the Garden District. Gently turning the control stick she veered towards the Garden’s pad.

As quickly and as safely as she could with what limited knowledge she had on the situation, Amaya steered her ship across the Residential Distinct. She didn’t have time to nor the mindset to enjoy the lights of the district as it faded. Her eyes were on the instrument panel, constantly checking to see if the abnormality’s status changed, and an occasional glance up to the holomap and out of the cockpit canopy to make sure she was still on the right heading. She was not able to enjoy the changing landscape on the horizon where the towering buildings and sparkling lights shifted into a beautiful canopy of softly glowing, bioluminescent trees. No, Amaya’s eyes were on the lookout for that landing pad, which appeared a few, short minutes later in the form of a clearing in the glowing magenta canopy.

With a soft whine of the thrusters Amaya lighted down in the clearing’s landing pad. As the engine whirred to a slow Amaya popped open the cockpit canopy and hopped out. Lightly landing on the landing pad’s pavement she circled around her ship’s fuselage. Her eyes roved methodically over the hull, scanning for anything that might be wrong. After two laps around her ship with nothing out of the ordinary Amaya walked up to it for a closer inspection. Stepping up to the starboard wing she ran a hand over the top as she took a hard look at the aileron. Nothing seemed out of place. She took the panel in both hands and jiggled it a few times to make sure nothing was wrong with it. It moved just fine. Moving over to the stern she ducked underneath the tail fin of her ship. Again, everything looked just fine. Nothing seemed out of place and certainly nothing had been caught in the landing gear. Brow furrowed in confusion, Amaya emerged from the underside of her ship. Climbing back up into the cockpit she initiated a self-diagnostic from the control panel. While she was dialing through the panel the Muunilinst lizard looked over her arm, its head tilted curiously at the many lights across the dashboard.

Amaya was too consumed with initiating the diagnostic to notice the firefly that drifted across the open cockpit. The lizard, however, did notice the insect, its gaze following the lazy flits of the bug’s glowing rear. As the glowbug began floating away, down towards the path at the edge of the clearing, the lizard clambered out of the cockpit and began to chase after it like a puppy. Its tail flitted across Amaya’s cheek as it jumped out onto the pavement, causing her to look up.

“Hey!” she cried out, “Where do you think you are going?” Without even finishing the input to initial the diagnostic Amaya leapt out of the cockpit as well. She paused just long enough to close and secure the cockpit canopy before giving chase after her new pet down the path.

~End Apprentice Amaya Masslat IC~

Sliding silently off the thruster end of Apprentice Amaya’s ship, Karros dropped into the shadows underneath the starfighter. The Concierge watched and waited as Amaya ran after the strange lizard-creature. When she was far enough away he stealthily slipped away from the landing pad into the nearest set of bushes. Having spotted Amaya back on the street in the Residential District - and curious of what activities she might be doing - he had followed her through the street. There were a couple moments where he had thought she had discovered him; once when he had jumped over her hiding spot in the alley via the rooftops and again when she had come out to investigate her ship after landing. Karros made it a personal note to never stow away underneath a vehicle’s wing again. At the time the laser turrets made for such a comfortable foothold and the flaps on the interior edge of the wing and equally comfortable handhold - until she tried to turn the ship. Then to his great surprise the wing flaps started to move and he had to scramble to a new location underneath the thrusters to avoid falling off. Once they had landed he had to play hide-and-seek, silently scuttling about the side of the ship like a spider to avoid being seen by Amaya. Karros let out a quiet huff through his nostrils in mild exasperation. A bit much for a free ride. He’d remember not to hold onto a ship’s wings from now on.

Karros looked around to find his bearings. All around him were lush greenery and plant life. Exotic. Beautiful. A far cry from the glittering, shining technological beauty of the other parts of the city. And it was quiet. It was striking how a bit of distance can change so much of the soundscape. He waited until Apprentice Amaya had walked out of sight. Then he waited a little longer to allow her to put further distance between the two of them. After several minutes of hearing nothing but the whisper of wind swaying through the leaves Karros crept away through the bush. The Concierge timed his movements with the wind to mask the noise he made while still being as quiet as possible, making efforts to disturb the foliage as little as he could.

After having crept through the foliage for nearly a hundred yards without seeing anyone or hearing anything other than the wind-blown rustling of leaves, Karros stood upright. He looked around again. Despite it being night time and the lights of the city far from his position, it was not dim. In fact, in spite of the fact that there were no artificial lights, Karros could see perfectly fine. The greenery and plant life surrounding him glowed with purple and magenta hued bioluminescence, providing all the illumination he needed. The night was still dim, but it was enchanting or romantically dim instead of obstructing so. The Concierge could still see with little impediment. He listened to the sounds of insects and night birds in their nocturnal chorus. Trees clearly not native to the Kaas system flourished here in this artificial forest. Each one rose in height at least two dozen feet. Likewise exotic shrubbery formed little avenues and borders throughout the area. Their natural bioluminescence and the placement of shrubbery created rows of light like the approach lighting system of starcraft runways. Along the edges of one of these particular “runways” was a cobblestone path which then branched off into worn, dirt trails at irregular intervals.

Karros took a tactical examination of his surroundings. He wanted to enjoy the scenery without being out in the open, yet without needing to crouch through greenery the entire time. Several yards off the side of the main cobblestone path were a series of darkened areas where the light of the bioluminescence did not reach as well, leaving patches of shadow like puddles of rain that he could use for cover. These “pools”, though with gaps of soft magenta light between them, could be used to traverse the entire area while avoiding detection. The best part; the depth of shadow within each pool was enough that the blackness of his bodysuit would provide sufficient camouflage that Karros would naturally blend in. He didn’t need to crouch the entire time. Instead he merely needed to be mindful of the visibility of his bone-white mask. But that could easily be hidden behind the boughs of a tree branch or tall hedge thicket. As silently as he could Karros waded out of the foliage towards the nearest pool of darkness.

He stalked from pool of shadow to pool of shadow. Always utilizing the depth of the darkness to the best of his capability. Simultaneously he used the trees and foliage between each pool as cover to make up for what the darkness could not hide. In this way he was concealed while still having a mostly unimpeded view of his surroundings. Or hindered in the pace of his traversal. Thus he was able to enjoy the beauty of the gardens while remaining mostly hidden from view. And the view was beautiful. At times it felt like he was walking through a gallery of living auroras in the shape of plants. The metaphor of a wolf stalking through tall grasses had become far more applicable here; Karros moved like a hunter on the prowl. Even if his quarry was merely the far side of the Gardens. As he walked Karros noticed how peaceful it was. Not just from the setting, but the utter absence of people. He had yet to lay eyes on a single soul. The Concierge supposed that this was to be expected. It was late after all and the nightlife denizens of Kaas City had more exciting places to visit than the Gardens.

The cobblestone path eventually came upon a waterway that ran alongside the path opposite from Karros. Upon the gently lapping waves lanterns floated on the surface of the water. The soft sound of the water lapping at the shore, combined with the already present ambiance of the nocturnal chorus, created this serene, romantic atmosphere. The boughs of the trees that lined the shore were in blossom. The grass, lush and green, was populated by purple flowers whose petals opened up like lotuses. Keeping to the shadows the Concierge looked to the other side of the waterway. On the opposite shore Karros spotted a familiar figure, the instantly recognizable glow and hum of a lightsaber beam whirling around him.

~Apprentice Terrogate IC, written by Karros Zaruiel with approval~

Terrogate paced back and forth along the edge of the stream. His lightsaber glowed and hummed in his hand. The gravel softly crunched beneath the paws of his feet. The furred warrior let out a growl deep in his throat. His lips curled into a snarl. Gripping the hilt of his lightsaber with both hands, Terrogate leaped high into the air, raising his weapon over his head. With a roar he brought it down with a ferocious slash, vertically bisecting the imaginary foe in front of him. Leaving a deep gash in the gravel shore he continued his assault against his imaginary foe. A back-forth sweep bisected him twice more, this time across the waist. Not content with his attack Terrogate unleashed a flurry of punches, kicks, and swipes with his claws at his foe. All the while his eyes were locked in a deadly glare on his foe. His vision was so intense it was as if he was standing right in front of him; a human male, dressed up in that prissy military uniform with that damned, smug look on his face.

The gall this one had! Releasing his grip on his saber he formed a claw with his right hand, using his telekinesis to crush the imputant man’s skull. How dare he! This man, claiming to be from the Ministry of Imperial Expansion, just waltzes into his chambers, hands him a note signed by name he did not recognise and says that Cathar, which was rightfully his, was now under Ministry governance and that his services were no longer required?! On top of that he said that Cathar was a strategic position and that the Ministry had better uses for it than let it be wasted as a “love nest”. And when Terrogate protested and threatened him the little man just smiled and said that it was a sanctioned move. Any resistance would be seen as insubordination and the Terrogate was expected to “comply”. Terrogate’s nostrils flared at the very memory. Oh how he would have cut the man down on the spot if he wasn’t protected by the Ministry. Damned bureaucracy! He was Sith! He wasn’t going to be talked down to like some misbehaving kitten, he didn’t care who backed the Ministry!

With another roar he cut up the air like an asterisk, leaving three additional gashes in the stoney shore. Huffing with fury, Terrogate thought of the woman he loved. Her face blossomed in his mind’s eye. Her visage calmed his breathing somewhat. Lowering his lightsaber from his guard stance Terrogate closed his eyes and let his mind wander. The memories of her arms around him, her scent filling his nostrils during their night together and her lips on his as they shared their love in bed. Their bed. The bed that they were being evicted from. The home they had built together that they were being evicted from. To be turned into some heartless military installation.

Terrogate’s eyes flew open again with raging snarl. Why couldn’t they have picked a different planet?! How dare they just barge into his home and declare it theirs?! And how dare they insult his love?!! With another roar he threw his lightsaber like a spear at the water where it struck one of the floating lanterns that drifted on its surface. Calling his lightsaber back to his hand Terrogate also began pulling the lanterns out of the water to hurtle towards him. As each glowing cube flew towards him he cut down each one with almost reckless abandon. One after another he pulled then cut, pulled then cut until the water was nearly empty of any lantern.

With several heaving breaths Terrogate lowered his lightsaber to his side. He resumed pacing along the shoreline, practicing several sweeps and lunges accompanied by leaping strikes as he went. All the while he turned the matter over and over in his head. Raging here in the Gardens wasn’t going to solve his problem, nor was it going to keep him and his love from being evicted. Terrogate needed to form a plan. A proper plan. The Ministry was headed by the Dark Council. Surely he could appeal the decision. And perhaps his position could trump any peon’s. After all, he was a valued member of the Empire. Surely this was an oversight. Or simply some ambitious, ignorant member of the military who just stepped on the tail of the wrong Cathar. Oooh how he hoped it was the latter. Then he would rip the little man limb from limb. The thought brought a savage smile to his face. Yes. That’s what he would do. He took a deep breath through his nostrils. Channeling his anger into a razor point, focusing it through the length of his lightsaber, Terrogate resumed his lightsaber form, almost dancing now with sweeps and leaps. His whole body flowed with renewed energy, invigorated by the promise of sweet payback.

~End Apprentice Terrogate IC~

The Concierge slowed his pace for a moment to observe but did not stop. He maintained his silence and his silent movement as he went. Karros had no interest in disturbing Terrogate; the Catharian seemed firmly engrossed in...whatever was disturbing him tonight. It would be most impolite to disrupt such fury. Tempted as he was to call out and inquire what troubled his friend tonight, it might be best to wait until his fury had run its course. So with nary a sound he moved on.

Continuing to utilize the pools of shadows he kept moving beside the cobblestone path. Following it for another twenty minutes it led to a tall, arched building with windows for walls. A conservatory. It was not something Karros had expected to find in Kaas City. His curiosity was piqued. Stepping onto the path Karros walked up to the door and pushed it open. It was dark inside. From what little he could see, none of the plants within had the bioluminescence the planets outside it had. The Concierge’s curiosity was heightened further. For an ordinarily seeming selection of plantlife, sectioned away from the beautiful foliage he had been traversing, to warrant its own greenhouse...there must be something special inside. Letting the door quietly click close behind him, Karros stepped inside. With the closing of the door the purple and magenta bioluminescence dimmed dramatically. What little of it came through the windowed walls were barely enough to illuminate the area directly adjacent to the wall inside the greenhouse. Thankfully the path continued in a straight line going forward from the door through the conservatory. Using what little illumination he had Karros stepped just a few off the path into the thicket. Keeping the stone pavement in sight he resumed walking, traveling parallel to the path.

Though dim, the bioluminescence of the plant life had provided enough light that Karros could move with relative ease. Here inside the greenhouse he was deprived of that. The Concierge moved dramatically slower. Otherwise he would make an unacceptable amount of noise that would get him noticed. Or stumble blindly into a bush head first or fall flat on his face from stumbling over a root. For an agonizing half an hour he wandered in the dark. Above him the windowed ceiling revealed that the storm clouds had passed, leaving an extraordinarily rare clear night sky. The light from the moon and the stars glittered down upon him, providing the barest amount of illumination. But it was hardly a step up from complete darkness. And certainly not enough for him to navigate with. Fed up with his painfully slow and tedious progress Karros decided to provide himself some illumination of his own. He had already calculated the risks; in the dark he would very likely be seen. But given that during the entirety of his time in the Gardens Karros had only spotted one person, the likelihood of someone being there to spot him was very low.

Crouching down almost into a ball Karros brought his natural hand up to his face. Balling it into a fist he channeled the Force into his clenched palm. Slowly opening up his fingers the Concierge used his pyrokinesis to conjure up a small fireball in the palm of his hand. It was not a very big fireball; in fact it was little bigger than the size of his thumb. Part of the reason was his aptitude with the Force. He was still quite weak. The other reason was because the diminished size was deliberate; he did not want a large, bright flame to give his position away. Karros wanted just enough light to illuminate his way. He wished to avoid attracting any more attention to himself than necessary. Steadying the flame in his hand so that it shone with the consistency of candlelight, Karros rose to his feet. His fire provided illumination for perhaps only a few yards. But it was better than what he had before. Holding his hand palm-up in front of him at chest level Karros began moving forward again.

The fireball in his palm gave the same amount of illumination as a candlelight lantern. It gave him a rather rustic sensation. One of a provincial farmer going out at night to check on his fields. Karros moved at a somewhat slow, steady walk. There were a few reasons for the slow down of his speed; one was that he had to concentrate on both fueling the fireball with the Force in order to keep it lit. It was also to not let its fire go out caused by the wind from a burst of motion. He had to concentrate on where he was going as well; the fireball only illuminated his surroundings for so far. On top of all this Karros had to avoid igniting any of the nearby foliage by carelessly moving the fireball too close to a nearby branch. Still, the light provided by the fireball gave him enough illumination that he could navigate his immediate surroundings with little difficulty. He simply had to be mindful of what was closest to him.

During the half hour of wandering in the dark, the Concierge had lost his orientation. He no longer had any idea where the path was. Now he had to find it. Looking up to the towering glass walls that encompassed him Karros did a bit of quick thinking. He would head to the walls. Then using the glass perimeter as a guide, he would follow it out of the greenhouse. Carefully holding his fireball in front of him like a torch the Concierge began heading for the nearest wall.

The Concierge had only been traveling by firelight for a few minutes when he saw a glimmer of light out of the corner of his eye. Karros immediately ducked down low to the ground, extinguishing the fireball in his palm as he did so. His eyes scanned the area. For several long moments there was nothing. The air, the quiet greenhouse, all was still and silent. Then Karros saw it. A faint, glowing speck of light in the undergrowth. Karros slowed and softened his breathing until it was imperceivable. He remained perfectly still. Karros wanted to see what this light was. The soft light, in a weaving, meandering path through the air, drew closer to his position. As it drew closer the faint light became more and more distinct until the source finally came into view. A small moth with glowing, bioluminescent wings drifted out from the underbrush some dozen feet away from his position. Soft, tea green light emanated from it as the insect flew with a drunken gracefulness towards him. The corner of Karros’ mouth twisted upward as he straightened to his feet. So this was the cause of the light.

Extending his right hand palm up Karros again used his pyrokinesis. The fireball reappeared in the palm of his open hand. The luminescent moth immediately made a beeline for the flame. In a matter of moments the moth had crossed the distance between them and was circling the fireball like a starship looking for a place to land. After several passes the moth settled tentatively on the tip of his index finger. It lowered its wings so that they were spread out beside its body, revealing in detail the intricate patterns all over its body and wings. Karros almost chuckled at the sight and sensation. Out of the corners of his field of view more specks of soft light began to appear out of the vegetation. Looking around Karros saw what seemed like an army of bioluminescent moths appear out of the literal woodwork. All of them in different colors, in every imaginable hue of the visible spectrum. An eclipse of moths, numbering in at least the dozens and growing to the hundreds, began fluttering towards him in the gentlest swarming motion the Concierge had ever seen. A living kaleidoscope in slow, fluttering motion. The first dozens began settling on any free space over his hand, his arm and his shoulder. The rest began to mill around him in a slow moving vortex of bioluminescence with Karros’ flame in the center. Now Karros did laugh. One of surprise and amazement. He imagined that this greenhouse was specifically designed for these moths. Perhaps that was also why the vegetation here lacked the bioluminescence of the rest of the Gardens.

With the collective light from the moths enough that he could see all of his surroundings clearly, Karros looked around him. He stood just outside the edge of a circular clearing that was at least eighty feet across. Stepping out of the underbrush Karros walked to the center of the clearing. The vortex of moths followed him, their flight paths uninterrupted as they continued to circle seamlessly as the source of their memorization moved. The moths that decorated his body fluttered their wings as their perch shifted, but remained attached to his body and otherwise undisturbed. In a move motivated by both curiosity and amusement, the Concierge raised his fireball-laden palm over his head and moved in a wide, arcing circle above him. The entire eclipse followed the path the fireball took. The center of their vortex smoothly reoriented itself to the flame in real time. Another laugh escaped him. Karros spun around, the fireball in his palm outstretched like the hand of a clock. It was as though he had just spun the focusing lens of a kaleidoscope. The moths that had perched upon his body lifted off like wisps while the swirling eclipse suddenly broke out into hundreds of spiraling moths as they attempted to correct their flight paths to the rapidly moving fireball. This created a lightshow of hundreds of individual luminescent moths spiralling in the space around him.

Completing his three hundred sixty degree rotation Karros slowed to a stop to allow the eclipse to regroup back into their vortex formation. The swirling eclipse fell back into its slow vortex and individual moths once again began to settle on his body. Purely on a whim Karros began to dance. Using the fireball in his palm as the focus of his performance the Concierge began to use the familiar motions of his Niman forms. Only instead of utilizing his twin sabers it was the fireball that was his weapon. His slashes became hand-chops. Saber thrusts became palm strikes. His Niman form translated smoothly into a fire dancer’s routine. And with each motion the cloud of moths followed him. Karros stood in the center of a slow-moving, kaleidoscopic hurricane. The luminescent eclipse ducked and weaved with him, gracefully mimicking his every turn and motion.

Suddenly Karros heard a distant rustling in the undergrowth at the edge of the clearing to his right. The unmistakable sound of someone approaching. Karros immediately extinguished his fire and dove into the underbrush in front of him that formed the clearing’s border. Turning and stilling the disturbed boughs he watched and waited to see who, or what, was approaching. The rustling grew louder and closer. After several moments a man in a security uniform stepped into view. In his hand was a flashlight. The vortex of moths, still swirling loosely from their sudden loss of light, immediately started to swarm the guard’s flashlight. The guard tried to look around with the beam of his flashlight but was heavily impeded by the eclipse that swarmed both the flashlight’s beam and his field of view. In the dark all he could make out was the bioluminescence of the eclipse. After several minutes of vainly trying to shake off the moths and to see what was in the clearing the guard gave up. Turning he walked back the way he came. The moths trailed behind him like the cloud of exhaust off a locomotive engine. Karros waited a few moments. Then using the light from the cloud of moths he followed the guard. The Concierge would use him to find his way out of the greenhouse without needing to expose himself. He timed his movements with the movements of the guard so that what little noise he made would be in sync with the much noisier rustling of the guard through the foliage.

In a low crouch he trailed the guard for several minutes. Then the guard came out of the brush and made a hard turn to the right onto a clear path. Karros paused in his tracks. There was no other noise to cover his own now after all. But from here Karros could see the path. Once the guard had left the vegetation the cloud of moths began to dissipate. Like tendrils of smoke they wavered and vanished back into the cover of the foliage. The Concierge waited until the guard was far enough that he would not hear him move out of the brush to make his move. Before the last of the luminescent moths disappeared, and along with them the light that showed him the location of the path, Karros stepped out of the undergrowth and onto the paved trail. He looked around as the last of the luminescent moths disappeared. The coast was clear. In the distance the light from the guards' flashlight was a faint speck against the canvas of darkness. With one last glance around to check for any observers Karros began quickly walking after the flashlight’s glimmer.

He moved at a speed that was faster than a walker, but slower than a jog. The Concierge did not want to lose the light to the distance. He wanted to catch up. But neither did he want to give himself away by noisily sprinting to the security guard. Thankfully now that he had found the path it was easy to stay on it. The differences in hardness and texture between stone and grass was quite distinguishable beneath his feet. The stone beneath him began to climb in an upward inclination. The slope was subtle, hardly noticeable. But the path was long and the elevation was building overtime. Thankfully it never required stairs. That would have crimped his walk in the dark. Karros kept an eye on the bobbing speck of light in the distance while using the sensations of the ground under his feet to keep himself on the path. Karros also moved as stealthily as he could, flattening the bottom of his feet against the ground heel-to-toe with each step to minimize the sound he made. Up ahead he heard the metallic sound of a door opening. An instant later, the distant glimmer of the flashlight went out, leaving Karros in the dark. The Concierge simply kept walking. The guard had walked in a straight line. Now all Karros had to do was stay on the path. And that was quite easy, even in the dark.

Before long the purple and magenta bioluminescence once again appeared in his field of view. It was dim, faint and small. Like the light at the end of the tunnel. Or the end of the trail in this case. As Karros walked he began to make out the outline of the exit door. His pace sped up. Soon the light at the end of the trail, though dim, became sufficient enough to illuminate his path. He no longer needed to use the sensation of the ground to keep himself on the path. The Concierge slowed as he approached the glass doors of the exit. Coming to a stop before the doors he paused to slowly and noiselessly open them. Karros peeked out. He looked to his left and then to his right. The coast was clear. The security guard was nowhere in sight. Silently Karros stepped out of the greenhouse and just as silently closed the doors behind him. He would have to revisit this place again. Turning he looked around again. Here at the other end of the greenhouse the Concierge stood atop the summit of a tall hill that overlooked the rest of the Garden District. From here he could see the entire bioluminescent canopy of trees that formed the district like a beautifully glowing blanket of light. To the north he could see the spire of the Imperial Citadel rising from the center of the city. Behind it to the northwest the towers of the Gala District rose in glittering glory. And to the northeast the colors of the Residential District filled that quadrant of the horizon. Continuing his orienting turn Karros saw the pyramid-like structures of the Industrial Sector to the south. That’s where he wanted to go. The Concierge walked to the southern edge of the summit. Here the hill dropped off into a steep, grassy slope. Some four hundred feet below at the bottom of the slope the luminescent canopy of trees resumed their blanket over the Gardens. Karros knelt to touch the grass. It was soft. Each blade felt like a ribbed satin ribbon or the spine of a luxurious feather. The turf was smooth and lush. Perfect for what he had in mind. Straightening to his feet Karros walked backwards five feet. Then with a short running start he leaped off the edge of the summit.

The Concierge arced through the air for a brief moment before coming back down to land on the grassy slope. He hit the grass with the soles of his feet with the balance and grace of a practiced acrobat. In a smooth, pre-calculated transition Karros immediately began to slide down the slope. Not missing a beat, for he had already planned for this, Karros began to surf down the slope, using the grassy terrain as his medium. Turning to the side as he slid, Karros placed his left foot forward, keeping his toes pointed at the bottom of the hill while focusing the majority of ground contact on his heel. Keeping his right leg slightly bent and leaning back on it as his primary support, the Concierge maneuvered down the hill in a motion somewhere between parkour and skateboarding. He used his left foot to steer while his right foot supported and grounded him. And the slope was only at a fifty-five degree angle; practically child’s play after the sheer incline of the Gala skyscraper. With deft ease he surfed down the slope of the hill. With his confident posture and control he could have been mistaken for a seasoned surfer catching an ocean wave or a skater coasting down an urban street sidewalk with his hoverboard. Just for fun Karros would crouch down while he slid, low enough that he could touch the passing grass with his fingertips, and weave in “S” bends for no other reason than because he felt like it.

He crossed the four hundred-some distance in a matter of moments. Part of him wished it had been longer since that slide was so much fun. He wished it did not have to end so soon. But end it did. Karros came to the bottom of the hill where he smoothly transitioned his momentum into a forward walk. It took several steps to walk off the momentum before he could stop to take in his surroundings. The Concierge stood just within the edge of a large grove. Each tree was planted closely to the next, allowing at most only a few yards of space between each one. Their collective canopy blanketed the air above him, blotting out the sky and replacing it with a layer of blossoming boughs. Each bough had branches that drooped close to the ground like party streamers laden with softly glowing flower petals. Upon closer inspection Karros realized that he stood beneath the arms of a wisteria grove. Beneath his feet a carpet of lavender and nemophila bloomed which stretched out over the entire ground of the wisteria grove. The distance between the ground and the overhanging wisteria branches was at most only eight feet. Karros could easily reach up and touch the blossoms overhead. The concentration of tree trunks combined with the close distance of ground to bough created the illusion of an enclosed space. It felt like he was walking through a corridor whose borders were made out of blossoms and branches. And all of it shone with the soft bioluminescence he had become so familiar with.

Karros began walking southward towards the Industrial Sector. He tread with light footsteps so as to not damage the flowers beneath his feet. The carpet of flowers had the same consistency as walking atop a luxury mattress. With each step his feet would sink into the turf. And when he lifted his foot the grass and flowers would slowly rise back up again without any apparent harm done to them. Just like a mattress bed. He was oddly grateful that he wore his ballistic mesh bodysuit instead of possessing the form of armor that he often thought of obtaining one day. The armor he had in mind would have crushed the flowers underfoot; not to mention leave distinct footprints in their wake, giving away his trail. He would have to add this thought to the list of things he would need to consider when designing his armor.

The flowering turf beneath him and the blanket of wisteria blossoms created a soundproofing effect on the area; any sound he made was instantly muffled or silenced by the fact that Karros was traveling through an area made from natural insulation. In fact the only thing Karros could hear was the wind rustling the canopy high overhead. The air movement on the ground where he was moving was practically non-existent. All sound was heavily dampened. But on occasion there would be a stirring of air far overhead above the treetops that would cause them to shift and rustle. Then the drooping boughs and streamers would sway in an almost mystical motion. Like a ghost or apparition was passing through.

The Concierge walked with light feet and careful tread for nearly half an hour, always heading south. Between the trees he could start to make out a structure in the distance. As he closed the distance suddenly Karros was standing on the edge of a clearing. A stone gazebo stood in the center of the circular clearing, elegantly draped with vines and flowering vegetation. The clearing was empty with only the occasional whisper of rustling boughs overhead to keep him company. The sound was like a lover’s indistinct sweet nothings shared in pillowtalk. The setting certainly would be appropriate for a romantic outing. Stepping out from the line of trees Karros slowly walked towards the gazebo. The pavilion wasn’t that big. Just large enough to house maybe a dozen people if they squeezed together. But for the lone Karros it was just large enough to be considered cozy. Walking up the trio of steps into the bower’s shade the Concierge was encompassed by stone benches and pillars enshrouded in flowering vines.

Leisurely strolling into the center of the pavilion’s circular center he immediately spotted a pair of glossy black women’s stilettos neatly nested side-by-side next to an unopened bottle of champagne and a glass on the bench nearest the gazebo entrance. Cocking his head slightly to the side in curiosity Karros approached the stilettos. The black glossy reflected the soft ambient light of the glade like a burnished mirror, enough that the Concierge could practically make out his reflection in it. Gingerly picking up one of the heels Karros looked it over. Aside from the glossy lacquer it was simple and unadorned. He would have thought it brand new had he not spotted evidence of wear on the underside and on the stilleto’s tip. Moving to put the shoe back Karros spotted an envelope placed neatly underneath the champagne bottle. Taking the bottle and both heels and setting them to the side, Karros picked up the envelope. It was small and largely plain save for a wax seal emblazoned with the crest of a bird in flight holding the flap shut. On the front were letters in Aurebesh and what appeared to be High Galactic with the words “to the lonely woman with free time in the garden”.

Karros looked over the envelope several times, weighing whether or not he wanted to open it. After flipping it over between his fingers several times he decided not to. Setting down the envelope he carefully replaced everything back where it had been before his arrival. As the Concierge straightened a gust of wind blew over the canopy of the wisteria trees. The boughs rustled and swayed in response, causing a small flurry of flower petals to come softly showering down like gently falling snow. As the flower petals slowly drift past the open walls of the gazebo Karros reached out to them with his hand. Making a beckoning motion with his fingers as if to a pet he reached out with the Force to the wisteria petals. The nearest five suddenly changed direction and began floating towards him as if borne on an invisible current. Passing through the open wall they meandered down through the air to land on the heels; one on the toes of each respective heel and two on the envelope in the space between the toes - aliting on each other so that the two formed a heart shape - while the last petal landed neatly inside the hollow of the champagne glass. Karros quietly chuckled at the coincidence as he lowered his hand. Taking one last look at the view and the gift that had been left of the bench the Concierge then exited the pavilion and resumed his southward march, passing out of the clearing and back into the wisteria thicket like a phantom.

It was another twenty minutes before he saw the edge of the forest through the thinning rows of trees. Just before the forest’s edge a tram rail ran through the trees, leaving a distinct, very out-of-place row of steel on the forest floor. A quick check told him that there were no oncoming tram cars, so with quick movements the Concierge hurried across to the other side. When at last he came out of the forest Karros found himself standing on the edge of a wide, sheer cliff. The ground just dropped off in front of him. Quite frankly it was shocking how abruptly the grassy earth simply vanished. At most there was about a yard of space between the base of the nearest tree and the precipice’s edge. Walking to the very brink until the tips of his toes jutted out into the air Karros looked out. Before him a landscape of metal crisscrossed with lines of light like circuits rose before him. In the distance spires and pyramid-like towers rose along the horizon like mountains. Lights in the form of cargo trams line and security drones on patrol flickered and skittered in the distance. Below a flat plain lay spread out some thousand feet below him like a circuit board. Deep canyons and gorges ran between massive plates of metal, each the size of housing zones and cast in geometric shapes, which revealed fissures lined with more avenues of cargo trams and industrial levels that dove for miles into the planet’s surface. Lining the levels nearest him Karros could make out rows of droids and automations gathered around assembly lanes piecing together the parts for vehicles and infrastructure. The sounds of power hammers beating on molten metal, the sizzle and crackle of welding tools, the whir and rumble of passing cargo tram cars; all melded together in a symphony of steel and industry. The scent of iron wafted up to his perch. And all was cast in the steel grey shadow and techno-blue lights on the electric lines that ran like circuitry through the sector. A marvelous picture of technology and industry.

Karros found himself holding his breath at the awesome sight before him. Exhaling he looked at how he was going to cross it. Looking down he saw that the cliff beneath his feet was completely covered in smooth steelstone plates. In fact the cliff seemed to be made from a jigsaw of steelstone plates. At regular intervals at different levels hundreds of tram rails stretched out from entry tunnels dotting the cliff-face. And like clockwork, trains of cargo trams shuttled heavy materials and finished pieces in and out of the subway tunnel mouths. Approximately every fifty seconds a cargo train would come rumbling out of the cliff-face. The Concierge knelt down looking over the cliff’s edge. He spent several minutes studying the pattern and flow of each tram line. There were thirty levels of tram rails going down, each lined with dozens of tram tunnels at evenly spaced intervals that spanned the breadth of the cliff face. The entire cliff-face with the tram rails dotting it looked exactly like a massive grid. And each column of tunnels alternated between inbound and outbound trams. Sweeping his head back and forth Karros guessed there was about ten yards between each tunnel mouth. Getting up he walked over until he stood over a column of inbound tram rails. He waited for a tram train to appear out of the tunnel nearest him. After several minutes one did, a ten-car heavy cargo tram speeding out of the tunnel towards the heart of the Industrial Sector. The Concierge made note of its speed as it went. He waited for the next cargo train to appear. Exactly seven minutes later another train sped out of the tunnel at the exact same speed as the first, with ten cars just like the one before. Now Karros had his timetable and speed of the cargo trams.

Kneeling once more he waited six minutes for the third cargo tram. Then climbing down Karros hung off the edge of the cliff, hanging onto the ledge with his hands while bracing his feet, knees pulled up to chest level, against the cliff wall. There he waited for the final moments before the tram’s arrival. He could feel the vibrations of the approaching tram cars through the steelstone plates. Karros looked down, calculating. There was about thirty yards between him and the tram rail below. Karros would have to time this just right. The speed of the tram cars gave him a rather narrow window of opportunity. Too early and he would likely be hit by the oncoming tram. Too late and he would miss, resulting in Karros needing to deal with the next cargo train. When he felt the vibrations growing stronger and the window of opportunity nearing Karros let go off the ledge and allowed himself to slide down the steel-plated wall.

With only his fingertips and the balls of his feet touching the plated wall, Karros used them in tandem to generate traction as he slid down the cliffside. His feet he used to steer while he used his hands to maintain contact with the wall, occasionally using brief bursts of Force Pull to keep his body close to the steelstone plates. When he was about seven yards away from the tunnel entrance the head of the cargo tram burst forth from the shadowed archway. Karros quickly realized that if he continued to simply slide down the wall to the tunnel he would miss the tram. So bringing his body close to the wall, his hands and knees close to his chest, Karros shoved off from the plated cliff, launching into a full, midair backflip over the moving tram. Rotating head over heels in a backflip through the air he landed into the sand-filled cargo bay of an open hopper car, the second to last on the train. Hitting the black, coarse sand feet first Karros immediately pitched forward into an ungainly safety tap that he would have never accepted had it been in a controlled environment. But given the circumstances the Concierge allowed himself a bit of leniency. Still his timing was off, and Karros silently cursed himself for that. Taking a moment to adjust to the subtle back-and-forth shaking of the heavy tram car Karros remained on all fours to look about his surroundings. The car he was in was loaded to the brim with black volcanic sand. The moderately coarse sand had acted as a cushion for his landing.

Taking his hand and slowly grabbing a handful of it Karros lifted it up then let it run through his fingers before looking up around him. The open hopper car he was in was massive; industrial sized massive. A hundred feet long and fifteen feet wide, at a guess it had a load capacity likely into the hundreds of tons. Like a human spider the Concierge crawled over to the edge of the tram car. Looking down he saw the other tram rails below rushing beneath him at hoverlane speeds. The massive metal plate that served as the surface of the sector seemed so far away from him. Glancing at the side of the tram car saw the logo and label “Golan Construction Corp.” painted along the flank of the twenty foot high, durasteel wall. Leaning back over the sand-filled cargo bay Karros took another moment to adapt to the back-and-forth shifting of the moving cargo tram before standing up. Once acclimated to the motions of the tram he began walking confidently, almost nonchalantly, up the cargo bay to the front of the train.

He was glad that he had landed on the top-most rail. It afforded him the greatest view. The sand compressed beneath his feet like a firm, if rather rough-feeling, mattress bed. When he reached the car coupler at the front of the car it was an easy hop over to the next car. This new cargo tram car was nearly identical to the last one; same dimensions, same make and material, filled to the open cover brim just like the last car. However the cargo bay of this car was stocked with fine, reddish-orange sand like those one would find on the dunes of Tatootine. With each step his feet sunk slightly into the surface. Certainly not enough to impede his movements but it took him a split second to adjust to the new material underfoot. The sand grains were so fine and small they shifted like memory foam. Karros, though he traversed with ease, was unaccustomed to walking across such supple surfaces. He crossed the hundred feet length of the cargo tram’s open roof and did another easy hop to the next car, then crossed it to the next and the next. They were all the same in nearly every aspect except in color and consistency of sand. Some cars were filled with white sand so fine it was like walking on powder. Others were filled with coarse, almost gravelly sand that was brown in color and reminded him of the bottom of a riverbed. All the while the sleek, metal landscape rushed by him. After crossing all nine of the cargo trams Karros reached the bulky, almost square control car at the front. He walked calmly to the very front edge where the wind whipped around his body. It felt like standing on the edge of an ocean cliff on a stormy day. The Concierge simply folded his arms over his chest as he stood like the figurehead on the prow of a steel ship rushing through the night air. His bearing conveyed the quiet confidence of a gymnast that had been tested over many seasons. Not that anyone saw it.

In the time it had taken Karros to reach the control car the tram had sped over distance between the cliff wall and the nearest Sector plate. Now it was cruising into one of the passes that formed the entrance of one of the great fissures between the massive plates. The tram rail tilted downward as the track dove into the lower depths of the district. At first the change was so shallow that all Karros had to do to accommodate was lean back. But soon the direction change became so great he had to shift his right foot back behind him into a surfer stance in order to remain standing. The walls of the industrial gorge swallowed him up. Now he was flanked on either side by towering walls of vardium steel. The steel walls, lined with hundreds of visible layers of workshops and forges, rose for hundreds of feet even before the track began descending. Now they soared so far overhead that the sky had become a narrow band above him. When Karros held up his hand as if to reach out for it, it fit neatly within the width of his fingers. Lowering his hand the tram rail leveled out after descending some nine hundred yards. He was well below planetary surface elevation; possibly even below planetary sea level. As he looked around Karros was awed and surprised at what he saw.

He had partially expected for the fissure to continue downward in parallel walls into the earth. Instead the space around him opened up into a vast, vast open air cavern. The bases of each plate wall continued down as overhangs for the colossal underworld beneath. And what he saw took his breath away. Pillars thicker than the entireties of the towers of the Imperial Sector stood underneath the plates as support for their immense weight. And each massive tower was composed of hundreds of smaller towers, which in turn were supported by arrays of industrial flying buttresses. Thousands of repulsorlift drones whizzed through the subterranean space in a three dimensional grid of hoverlanes in horizontal lanes of vertical columns. By themselves or in teams they each worked to carry some form of cargo, be it a panel of sheet metal, the engine component of some larger piece of machinery, or raw material like pallets of ingots. Lights from ten thousand different sources, be it glowing power lines, drone sensors, lightings dotting the walls and ceiling, or from the countless nooks and crannies that covered seemingly every space in sight, bathed the landscape in techno blue light that was both soft and industrially harsh at the same time. It was like being immersed in a luminescent circuit on a circuit board. Or shrunk then inserted into the innards of a cutting-edge droid.

Now that he was closer to the levels Karros could hear the almost rhythmic pounding and hammering of metal plates and bolts so well he could practically feel the shockwaves of each strike ripple through his bones. It could almost be called musical. He could see now in detail the automatons that lined the assembly lanes. Heavy, bulky things that were mounted to the floor that more resemble stacks of boxes with arms. Their bodies were constructed of grey, matte steel with interlocking joints and blocks. Fifth degree automatons no doubt. Karros questioned whether or not to even consider them droids. The sparks that flared from the welding torches they held and the impact of industrial hammers along the lanes ignited like fireworks. And these flares lit up in synchronized waves, making the circuitry lines seem to pulse; bright cresting waves of light along veins of steady light. The Concierge could now see that these assembly lines were divided into countless different compartments and partitions that comprised the sector plates. Hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of symmetrical ridges and factory layers, each built upon the one before. Each compartment was lit by a central cone of light which illuminated it like a neon lamp. Upon closer inspection these cones were actually power plants fueling the various partitions and the light was simply an emission from the reactors. From these reactors the glowing power lines flowed through the surface of the Sector plates and then throughout the entire sector in bundles and formations, creating the sector’s glowing circuit lines.

Yet throughout the entirety of the layers, even as the tram continued to race along the track deeper into the sector, Karros saw no organic life. Everything was mechanical and automated. Everything contributing to a landscape of technology and industry. Sleek. Sterile. Graceful. Metal. Mechanical. A unique kind of beautiful. A kind of beauty Karros could certainly appreciate. In an aesthetic sense it seemed like the sister to the Gala District. Granted without any of the biological denizens of course. Not that Karros minded. The Industrial Sector held the same kind of hubbub that the other districts had, though one of production and technology instead of the lively madness of recreation or glittering refinement of status. Here he could be surrounded by the ambient din of the city and still be alone. Almost instinctive Karros began looking around for a passing ledge or rooftop that he could commandeer for a private lookout. It never hurt to have a form of haven stationed in as many places as he could. After all, after seeing the breath-taking view of the industrial underground, he wanted to return here again. The Concierge contemplated the idea of having a private lookout in each of the districts. And why not? Each had their own distinct beauty he wished to regularly view. And he wished to have a location in each that he could view in peace. A secluded location of his own. The city was wide and he was certain he would be able to find such places. The singular view from the roof of the cantina would wear out his view at times and it didn’t hurt to have a chance in scenery.

Before he could continue that train of thought Karros spotted in the distance a formation of six security drones flying patrol through the air. With their current flightpath they would fly right over the cargo tram. Turning Karros quickly strode to the rear of the control car then dropped down into the gap between the next car. Landing on the coupling that held the cars together the Concierge could see the tram rail rushing under him in a blurred line. Backing up against the wall of the control car Karros listened for the whine of the drones’ engines to pass overhead. He waited. Moments later he heard the whine of six engines, accompanied by the whooshing of air, zip past him overhead as the formation of drones flashed in then out of view from the narrow window of space above him. Karros waited a few moments to put distance between himself and the patrol. Then he looked down at the four feet of tram coupler he had to work with to get back up. It wasn’t much space; he would have to time his movements carefully if he wanted to get back up to the top of the control car.

Lifting each of his feet in turn Karros brushed any lingering grains of sand from their soles. He did not want anything that might lessen his traction. When his feet were clean of any sand grains Karros braced himself against the wall of the control car. Then he launched himself at the wall of the neighboring cargo tram while using his Force Speed to compensate for his lack of momentum. Hitting the wall of the cargo tram with his right foot, Karros pushed himself upwards and backwards towards the control car wall, augmenting his jump by focusing Force Push through his connecting foot in addition to his Force Speed. Leaping upwards back over the coupler he hit the control car wall with his foot. Before he could lose momentum Karros again kicked off from the control car wall, again focusing Force Push into his connecting foot as he leaped off. Again he hit the cargo tram wall with his foot, again he kicked off with Force Push back to the control car. All the while his Force Speed both amplified his momentum and slightly slowed down the perception of his surroundings. As the world slowed down around him the change in perception allowed him to make better judgements in his wallrun up. A shifting of his footing on the wall to secure traction; an increase in force when he launched off to ensure his next landing. Small things that accumulated to a smooth, flawless run.

Leaping back to the control car one final time, and having wallrun the twenty foot distance to the top, Karros grabbed the ledge of the control car roof. Securing his grip and bracing his feet against the side of the wall he was about to pull himself up when he felt a sudden drop in the tram’s speed. Peeking over the ledge the Concierge saw a tram approaching a terminal up ahead. Above said terminal were a series of monumental, clawed gantry cranes. Some were in motion, carrying other cargo freights from other cargo trams off to other locations. And one gantry crane with an empty claw was swinging towards the terminal where his tram was heading.

Karros remained low. Perhaps that was his ticket for getting off the tram undetected. The Concierge looked around. The terminal up ahead was one of many hundreds that lined the walls of the Sector plates. From each terminal a tram rail turntable was stationed nearby, from which a dozen different tracks ran from each turntable in every direction. And all around him the numerous tram tracks wove dizzyingly like the threads of a tapestry or a cocoon. As the empty gantry crane swung over the cargo tram directly behind him and began lowering its claw towards it. Karros quickly hauled himself up onto the control car roof. The claw, like the rest of the sector, was massive. Each of its four curved hooks that made up its talons were twenty-five feet long in a curved right angle and six feet wide and from the hum that emanated from the tips, magnetized as well. The claw opened its talons as it lowered onto the cargo car in front of Karros. Once lowered it closed its talons around the sides of the car, clamping down on the bottom edges. The Concierge heard an electric hum followed by four simultaneous metallic thuds as the magnetic talons activated.

As the claw began to lift the cargo tram off the rails Karros moved. He leaped from the top of the control car and onto the departing cargo tram. He landed on the white, fine grained sand that filled the car’s cargo bay. The grains compressed under his feet like the material of a mattress. Diving into the narrow space between the top of the sand and the claw’s “palm” the Concierge took cover behind the insides of one of the claws. He could feel his cybernetic forearm being tugged towards the bottom of the car. It wasn’t a strong pull. It was comparable to having a bag of groceries in that hand. But it was enough that he had to make a visible effort to resist the effects of the claw’s magnet. Settling into his position of cover behind the talon the claw slowly lifted the cargo tram some forty feet into the air, then began rotating its crane, pulling the container away from the tram entirely with Karros riding it like an elevator.

As the crane pulled away the Concierge began to make out where the crane was taking him. Below and drawing closer and closer were the great furnaces wherein steel was molded and forged. Molten metal not yet given form swirled and frothed like glowing, golden liquid at the top of the mountainous barrels that were lined up beside each other. On the roof of the furnace tall funnel stacks rose. Above the lip of each funnel a tram track ran over it carrying containers just like the one that was carrying Karros. Whenever a container would pass over a funnel it would come to a stop at its edge. Then a mechanical arm with a powered fork would lift up from the side of the funnel, pick the container off the track, and dump its contents into the funnel. The Concierge watched as whole containers of sand as well as chalk colored ore and other materials were poured into the numerous funnels like ingredients into a witch’s cauldron. Out from the furnace a molten river poured out from a wide, narrow gate at its bottom. The glowing liquid mixture of sand and ore flowed onto a pool of cool liquid metal, one that was grey in color. There the glowing molten mixture spread out over the surface of the cooler liquid like oil on water. It flowed, runny like oil, all over the surface of the pool until it completely covered it. Drones bearing enormous fans swarmed over the surface of the pool, blasting cooling air to expedit the cooling process. As the molten metal chilled its color turned from golden to clear. Raw transparisteel. That’s what furnaces were making.

Karros had just come to this revelation when he felt a hard jolt rattle through the body of the container he rode. He had stopped moving. The Concierge looked down over the edge and saw that the container had been placed on one of the tracks leading to one of the furnace funnels. The humming that had signalled the magnets being active suddenly stopped. The magnetic pull on his cybernetic arm ceased. Instantly he knew what was going to happen. As the claw released its grip on the sides of the container and began to lift away Karros shot to his feet and leaped up at the claw. With both arms he grabbed the base of one of the talons. Thankfully the base of the talon had shifted to a ninety degree angle so he had no worry of sliding off. Securing his grip Karros looked down to see the container being lifted up by the funnel’s arm and its contents poured into the mouth. He paused for only a moment before hauling himself atop the talon. Pulling himself up he then secured himself in a squatting perch. Karros crouched down on the balls of his feet with his heels touching each other. One hand touched the surface of the claw between his legs and the other the “wrist” of the claw for support. The Concierge resembled a gargoyle with his pose. Balancing himself with the movements of the crane he let himself be carried upward to its jib. After a few moments of steady reeling the claw was pulled back against the long operating arm with the talon hanging just a few feet beneath its truss. Standing up Karros grabbed the bottom-most beam of the truss and pulled himself up onto it with a simple pull-up. He climbed up the wide arm until he hauled himself on top of the jib. Righting himself the Concierge began walking down the beam, feet in single file, to the crane’s mast nearest the closest level’s ledge.

The crane’s jib was strikingly long. At least fifty yards in length. When he reached the end he turned around, lowered himself off the edge, and began climbing down the trusses like a ladder. He would have preferred to have slid down the side like a fireman’s pole but regular intervals of trusses joining the frame prevented him from doing so. Still he was able to climb down as quickly and as deftly as a spider would climb down a wall. Passing the massive weights and winch at the crane’s foundation Karros finally reached the bottom after several minutes of descent. He dismounted before looking back up at the way he came. The base, square in shape, rose to the height of his shoulder. He realized that the height of the tower was at least a dozen stories tall. Was everything in this sector gargantuan?

The sound of approaching patrol drones in the distance caught his ear. Karros quickly ducked down behind the crane foundation’s corner. Pressing his shoulder against the duracrete wall the Concierge traced the path of the patrol with his ear. He crouched stock still, listening hard over the rhythmic din of hammering metal and the hiss and roar of the furnaces below. Four pairs of mechanical whining. Four pairs of engines. Approaching from above and descending from further up the gorge. Moving at cruise speed. The whining of the engines grew louder and louder as they drew closer. After several long moments he heard the whining pitch peak as a patrol of four drones flew past him. As the patrol cruised away from his position Karros peered around the corner at their departing silhouettes. Their forms were sleek, T-shaped and with reflective silver bodies. Each was equipped with repulsorlift engines mounted on the tail while each wing had a searchlight accompanied by a blaster turret. It seemed that he was in a restricted zone. The Concierge waited until the sound of the patrol’s engines had faded away before standing up.

He took a look around himself. From above chutes descended from the ceiling some hundred feet overhead. They were arrayed in rows upon rows in a grid-like formation. Almost like soldiers in an army. Each chute, all large enough to fit a Hutt comfortably inside, extended down until they hung over a wide conveyor belt that ran down underneath each row. And out of each chute, cleaning loudly against the aluminum shaft, fell a piece of metal. Each conveyor belt carried a different variety of piece with a different variety of metal. Some were flawed plates of tin. Others carried contorted lumps of desh. Still other conveyor belts bore sheets of bondite. But the most populous metals were the many different types of steel; durasteel, plasteel and link-steel being chief among them. All were unfinished pieces that were noticeably flawed in some way. Useless for production. The constant din of metal dropping from great height onto the conveyor belts filled the air. Walking slowly down one of the aisles between the belts Karros watched the arrival of flawed and sub-quality parts rain down for a moment before picking up his pace. With long, deft strides the Concierge broke once more into an easy run following the path the aisle laid for him.

The aisle between the conveyor belts ran for several hundred yards. In a strange way it reminded Karros of running through a forest; the chutes as the trunks of trees, the aisles the paths available to him. Because the chutes were spaced at regular intervals they produced a hypnotic effect as he ran past them. The chutes closest to him would rush by in a blur while those in the distance moved more slowly, all while popping in and out of view behind the rows beside him. Suddenly the rows of chutes stopped as Karros came out of the formation. Beyond the forest of disposal ducts the conveyor belts began to split off from their uniform lanes; durasteel with durasteel, tin with tin and so on. Grouping together with like metals the lanes converged on large, circular pits in the floor. Following a lane carrying distorted doonium sheets Karros continued his run all the way to the pit at the end of its belt. There the gathering of conveyor belts ringed the pit and with mechanical nonchalance dumped their cargo within. Coming to a stop at the edge the Concierge looked down into the pit. Far, far below, at least another level down, the gaping maws of recycling furnaces where the scraps and flawed material were dumped to be made into the next batch. Even at this distance Karros could feel the heat from the fire rise up like the scalding breath of the desert wind.

After only a few short moments Karros pulled his head back from the edge before the heat became too uncomfortable to bear. Turning away from the pit the Concierge resumed his run. He wove between the pits, doing front handsprings and front tucks over any conveyor belts that lay in his path. Over lanes of consecutive belts Karros would launch into a flurry of flips, flic flacs as they were properly known, for yards at a time. And each time he landed with deft grace and precision. Both his pre-Sith training and his time spent in rehabilitation served him well. The exertion would leave him somewhat breathless but immensely satisfied with each successful execution.

As Karros ran he was continuously looking for a way out of the level. He needed to go up. His eyes constantly swept back and forth searching for some means to the level above. The Concierge ran deeper and deeper into the level, ceaselessly scanning his surroundings. He ran for over a mile, passing formations of more chutes and conveyor belts leading to melting furnaces, before he spotted his means of ascension. A series of freight elevator shafts bearing pallots of ingots in open lifts were being carried upwards from the levels below. Each elevator car was locked in formation with the ones surrounding it. Every few moments a formation of the lifts would rise up in unison. For a few seconds the lifts filled with steel pallets of ingots would float up then out of view into the ceiling above. Letting several of these formations float by Karros timed the passing of each one. They moved at a fairly speedy clip. As the next lift began approaching Karros simply stepped forward onto the pallet as it passed by, lifting him up with it.

Moving to the center of the neatly stacked pile of ingots Karros turned around and folded his arms over his chest. To him the lift was now no different from a passenger elevator one might find in the Residential district. He watched as each level, one after another, passed him by. Each one was different. Each was geared to a different purpose. Some were dedicated to the assembly of droids and were filled with assembly lanes. Others were allocated to automated forges where power hammers beat down on molten bars and shaped them on steel tables and anvils. Still others housed the ventilation boxes, from which clouds of steam and exhaust pour out, and cooling tanks filled with water for the quenching of metals. All this over perhaps fifty some levels of industrial infrastructure.

It was at the fifty-first level that Karros’ ride came to an end. An automated forklift, attached to a long mechanical arm, swung out as Karros’ pallet floated by and swept the pallet off the lift, carrying the Concierge with it. Karros didn’t need a second notice; he hopped off as soon as the arm was clear of the elevator shaft. This level was much cleaner and much sleeker than the previous levels. As the pallet was borne away the Concierge took a moment to glance around. He was surrounded by sorting terminals where pallets were scanned and sorted out onto more conveyor belts. From there the pallets were loaded onto heavy lift airspeeders that resembled cargo trams except this time with low walls and open tops. A gondola tram airspeeder perhaps? Putting naming conventions aside Karros scanned his surroundings for a ledger or manifest of some sort; he needed to find out where the airspeeders were going. Going by foot across the colossal sector would take forever. Instead he would hitch rides across it instead. He spotted a computer terminal against the wall a little ways away from his position. Heading towards the terminal he wove amidst the moving pallets, swinging arms and sliding conveyor belts. It was almost like a dance the way he moved. Ducking down and leaning back almost into a “C” when an arm or pallet swung over him, front tucks and back walkovers when crossing over a conveyor belt.

Reaching the terminal he began to search its files. What he found delighted him. The terminal was a log of all flight data and monitored speeder traffic coming in and out of the level. Speeder numbers, landing platforms, times of arrival and departure, everything he needed to know was listed. It even had a map layout denoting platforms and entry ports. Taking a moment to memorize the map Karros then began searching the logs for a flight that would take him to the edge of the sector. After a few minutes he found one. Flight 632, landing pad 8987, departing in seven minutes, headed to West Foundry 1225 bearing a shipment of copper ingots for the city’s military garrison there. Karros pulled out his datapad to check his map. The garrison was near the western edge of the sector where it met the Slum Quarter. Excellent. That would be his ticket through the Sector. Now to find it. Karros stowed away his datapad then stepped away from the terminal. The landing pad for his flight wasn’t too far from his position. If he hurried he could make it before take-off. In a seamless transition from stationary pose to runner’s gait Karros broke once more into a run.

It was a game of ducking and weaving under and over the obstacles of the level. Front flips over conveyor belts, slides underneath forklifts and forked arms. Occasionally a pirouette to dodge an incoming pallet. It was the kind of traversal game Karros loved; how to get from one point to the next with the quickest and most efficient route in a moving environment. Having already memorized the map the Concierge had already figured out the best route. Now it was weaving and dodging all that lay in his path. Up ahead the edge of the level in the form of an open wall became large and closer as he approached. Soon he saw his ride; an eighty foot long airspeeder loaded and being loaded with dozens of copper ingots docked on a wide, circular landing pad at the edge of the level. It looked identical to a flatbed cargo tram save for the shallow cargo bay with low walls and the repulsorlift engines mounted underneath it. At either end tall, streamline boxes formed the head and rear of the speeder, presumably housing the control hardware. Karros ducked behind a stack of pallets before peering out to scan his surroundings again. Arms of forklifts were loading the final pallets of ingots onto the nearly full tram. The repulsorlift engines hummed on idle. The craft would be leaving soon. After a few minutes when the last pallet was loaded all of the arms surrounding the airspeeder simultaneously retracted into a closed position clear of the landing pad. The speeder engines whined to life as it began to lift off the pad.

As it rotated towards the edge of the level Karros burst from his hiding spot. Sprinting full bore at the speeder as it began to depart he leapt onto its open cargo bay. Landing in a safety tap he remained low against the neatly lined pallets of ingots as the speeder flew slowly out into the open air of the sector canyon. Once out in open space the craft began to pick up speed. Despite the increase in acceleration the ingots remained perfectly still. The ride was smooth and effortless. It was only from the moving air and shifting surroundings that Karros could tell the speeder was flying. Slowly rising to his feet Karros walked to the control box at the front of the speeder. Each box, at their tapered height, stood a little over five feet tall. Almost like the merlon of a battlement. Walking up to the box it came just to his collarbone. Placing one hand on its ledge to give himself a bit of extra stability Karros stood right behind it as he watched the canyon go by.

The airspeeder gradually ascended out of the canyon. Flanked on all sides by automated speeder traffic, the different levels filled with assembly lanes and the sounds of industry, the craft seemed to almost float upwards. If the sector hadn’t been so large as to give the illusion of leisurely travel, Karros would have seen that he was moving at a surprising clip. The wind blew past his head in a pleasantly strong breeze. Though not nearly as fast as the tram he had come in on, after a few moments the Concierge breached the top of the canyon wall and back into open air. Before him in the far distance the spires of the sector loomed on the horizon. And unlike the industrial gorge below up here the air traffic was much, much thinner. Almost non-existent. No one and nothing to see him. Karros smiled to himself as he pulled himself on top of the control box. Once on top he settled down in a cross-legged seated position on top of the control box. Once more he was like the figurehead of a ship traveling through the sea that was the air.

He was approaching the spires when he heard the faint beeping coming from the cargo bay underneath him. Karros looked down over his shoulder behind him. A flashing red light blinked out from the control box wall inside the cargo bay. Turning in his seat Karros slid back down to the cargo back to investigate. Landing back on the ingots he knelt down to inspect the blinking light. Almost seamlessly blended and embedded into the wall of the box beside the light was the cover for some form of control panel. Taking his right hand Karros ran his fingers over the cover searching for its edges. Quickly finding them, and with the assistance of Telekinesis, he popped the cover out from the wall. Underneath was a small monitor screen surrounded by wires, knobs and buttons. On the screen was a flashing red message which read:

“Error Detected”
“Flight 632: Initiating assessment diagnostics”
“Frame integrity: Green”
“Load weight: Abnormal”
“Repulsorlift systems: Yellow”
“Engine temperature: Abnormal”
“Control systems: Normal”
“Sensory system: Normal”
“Emergency landing protocols initiated”
“Flight 632 to Control: Requesting landing authorization”
“Control to Flight 632: Authorization - Granted”
“TRD landing platform 353: cleared”

It seemed fairly clear to Karros that his presence onboard the airspeeder had caused a deviation from the flight schedule. Now it was going to land to inspect the reason for said deviation. His flight was going to have to be cut short. The Concierge felt a shift in the air as the speeder subtly began to descend. He could feel the surface upon which he knelt begin to tilt. Standing he looked over the top of the control box. Ever so slightly the speeder was now banking towards the nearest, and largest, of the sector’s spires.

The airspeeder’s speed had thankfully not changed. As it drew closer to the pyramid-like structure Karros began to realize, like the rest of the sector’s landmarks, how large it truly was. Before he had compared it to being as large as a mountain. In hindsight he realized how dramatic an understatement is was to call the structure “a mountain.” The area of the base alone could qualify as its own district. At its peak it rose well above cloud level into the upper reaches of the troposphere. Pulsing circuitry lines ran up and down its side like glowing veins emulating a cyberistic heartbeat. The Concierge already knew that these lines were channels of energy that powered the structure. If they were so clearly defined from such a distance, then they must be positively massive up close. The speeder seemed to be making its way towards the base of one of these circuitry lines. As the craft began drawing closer to the base of the gargantuan pyramid Karros could make out more of the structure’s foundation. Dozens upon dozens of industrial flying buttresses, each large enough to be considered a building on their own, composed the base. Massive metal beams, catwalks and interlocking plates formed the minutiae of the tower’s infrastructure. And all about it the lights of reactors, power conduits, and industrial lamps illuminated the area in a cybernetic blue glow. Swarms of glowing dots flying back and forth like the heart of a bee hive gave away the drones that flew about the pyramid’s base. It indeed felt like Karros was approaching the hub of a mechanical hive.

Nearing the base Karros could make out a circular spot in a gap between the plates that formed the walls of the foundation and the walls of the pyramid. It was flat. Clear of any occupants or obstacles. That had to be the airspeeder’s landing pad. The Concierge was examining his options of how to navigate once the speeder touched down when he saw a flick of movement out of the corner of his eye. A familiar ripple though the Force trickled to him. The presence of one who was close to him was nearby. He looked over to the source of the motion.

~Darth Thana IC~

Darth Thana had a few designs she had sketched out on a holopad. An evening of free time allowed the Master an opportunity to head down to the Industrial Sector to collect materials to craft one such design. The bustling feeling of Kaas City faded with the Industrial Sector. Mountains of metal lay around her and the buildings that surrounded her would soon allow a test run. The Zabrak wore her black cloak that clung just right to her body, her hood raised as she wanted the night to allow her to bring this idea to life.

The drawing she had brought along with her was of a set of majestic steel wings spanning 2.6 feet for a prototype matching the Master herself. Along with her she brought a strap jacket with a spine that would line along her back, intended to match a future customer's spine. It was made to be form-fitting and strong enough to hold the steel wings. The lights around her cast shadows that let her mind run with ideas. Scanning the area for metals to pull apart, piece after piece she lifted them into the air pulling a great deal of the metallic junk around her.

Thana dropped the junk into a pile near her, pulling one piece at a time into place. She held the metal and heated her hands to extreme temperatures, melting piece after piece into a large frame for the wings. The look of the long over two and a half feet of metal extended parts, once finished she moved on to the other side picking up more junk pieces to craft it. After the two skeleton frames for the wings were made she would attach them to the spine jacket made for her body. after removing it and laying it against the floor for support.

Next was time to make the feathers that would bring these into a more natural wing-like look and support the air that would pass through them. One by one she pulled pieces of metal to her hands and shaped them into a feather-like shape. Some bigger than others, keeping the general look, the pieces would be matched along the frame to fit perfect. Heat never bothered the Sith as she used it so often, the metal would edge on borderline liquefy as it was easy to shape. She was careful not to allow it to stick to her skin. It was easy as all her personal designs were crafted by her hands to give them a personal touch.

The wings had started to come together perfectly but it still needed more powerful assistance to work... she found some junk with wires and such from old droid parts and other things. This fit right with her knowledge to craft a makeshift jet pack; a pack that would need fuel soon enough. The wires were easy to re-purpose. She lined them up to help power the thrusters at the end. Thana gathered some fuel from her ship as she always had some for her vehicles. She tested the jet pack by shutting it on and off, making sure the wires and housing had no issues.

After attaching the jetpack to the wings enough to stay hidden, she held the wings up with Telekinesis so the Darth could fit it along her body. The wings would bend to fold up slightly to avoid such heavy looking appearance and make it easier to move about. Thana looked up at the building she would climb up and test the wings. They needed a full test run. The distance was quite a bit but nothing the Master couldn't handle. She made the wings slightly spring assisted which would trigger when she was ready. The jetpack was mounted onto the jacket to help her later. She got a running start and used the Force to help her up the wall, using Ataru to flip off the ledges she passed here and there. The weight behind the wings made her jump off base more than what she was used to but it still mostly worked. A fourth of the way up she stopped to catch her breath and instead used a calculated telekinetic push to allow it to assist her up. Her body flew like a rapid flash of metal through the air. Up and up she went using just spurts of the Force to lift her up farther and farther.

The Master made it up to the huge building finally and was ready to test her wings. Thana released the wings. They unfurled with great force, magnificent in look and gleaming from the careful craft. The jetpack was filled up with enough fuel, but the Zabrak was never scared to test any of her inventions. The fall would be deadly if it failed but worth a try.

~End IC Darth Thana~

Karros watched the figure of his Master leap up the side of the pyramid. She shrank and disappeared out of view as the distance between their positions became too much for his field of view. He bowed his head in deference. Even if she would not see it he would still pay honor to his Master in her presence. While his head was bowed the speeder slowed and turned as it lowered itself onto the landing pad. Very soon the inspection team would be arriving to examine the craft. Karros had to move if he wished to remain unseen. As soon as the airspeeder touched the ground the Concierge leaped off the top of the cargo bay and sprinted off to the side of the platform.

Running full bore across the open space to the platform’s edge, Karros then dove behind a refueling tank the size of a conference table. Once behind it he pressed his back against its side in a low crouch. Then he waited. He quieted his breath as he listened for the sounds of the approaching inspection team. Within moments the sound of droids accompanied by the faint hum a hovercart clamored over to the craft out of view from his left. The Concierge cautiously peeked one eye out from around the corner of the tank. A team of six maintenance droids and a pair of security droids surrounded the airspeeder. To the side a long, wide hovertable loaded with inspection and maintenance tools floated serenely just above the ground. The droids circled the speeder. The pair of security droids searched the narrow spaces in the cargo bay between the pallets. Meanwhile the maintenance droids were taking off protective panels on the side of the speeder and crawling underneath it to inspect the hardware and the repulsorlift generators.

The droids’ attention was focused solely on the craft. With this opening presented to him Karros quickly glanced over his shoulder behind him to plan his exit. A sleek, black floor lay beneath his feet. The reflectively glossy surface was patterned with glowing circuitry lines which were the same blue color as the power channels that ran up and down the exteriors of the sector. Each channel was the width of his forearm and acted as illumination as well as power conduits for the hangar. These circuitry lines led away from the platform toward a tall, arching doorway flanked by walls made from the same black, glossy material. And standing within the some thirty yards between him and the doorway was an obstacle course of maintenance crates and fuel tanks; each one was large enough to provide cover. It was clear what his course would be. Karros glanced back at the landing pad. The droids remain completely absorbed in inspecting the airspeeder. With a few more quick glances between the droids and the doorway to gauge his chances the Concierge slipped away on silent footsteps through the doorway.

He crossed the distance between the tank and the doorway in a matter of moments. Weaving his path around the corner of each obstacle Karros made use of the cover each crate and fuel tank provided. He kept his body close to the ground in a crouch. His footsteps were soft and deliberately placed with each step. Though he moved speedily for a crouched position, his awareness of his surroundings, his form and the noise the droids made aided him in moving unseen across the hangar. Making his way to the doorway he looked over his shoulder at the landing pad before crossing the threshold. The team of droids continued to pour over the speeder completely oblivious of his presence. He was less than a ghost to them. Allowing himself a brief smirk to himself Karros ducked through the threshold and out of sight of the droids.

Beyond the doorway was a wide, long corridor; built out of the same glossy black, reflective material as the hanger floor and walls. Like the hanger, circuitry lines running through the walls, floor and ceiling acted as both illumination and power channels. And every few seconds the lines would pulse in a wave of crystal-blue light that would run down the lines like a heartbeat. Crystal-blue circuitry veins that throbbed with an even brighter crystal-blue pulse down their length. It was what Karro imagined to be a technophile’s dream hallway. Give or take. There certainly was a cybernetic beauty to it. Clean and polished. Refined. If the lower levels were the aesthetic of manufacturing, then this was the aesthetic of technological advancement. At the same time there were no signs of security. No cameras. No security torrents. No guards or security droids. Nothing. Despite the beauty of the place Karros was suspicious of the lack of apparent defenses. Did the architects really think it unnecessary that this place not require any security details? It was that or the structure’s defenses were hidden out of sight and that he was being monitored at this very moment. Given that he had traveled this far without any sort of appearance by building security, either there really wasn’t any security watching him or he was being watched but not yet flagged as anything worth intervening on. Karros hoped that regardless of the reason his route would remain uneventful.

Karros traversed down the hall, keeping himself in a semi-crouch. As he went through the following maze of corridors a nagging thought persisted in his mind. Here he was in one of the tallest structures in the city, arguably as tall as or taller than the Citadel, and he didn’t plan on visiting the summit? The halls he passed were empty. Utterly devoid of life, though he passed many rooms and widowed walls that reveal automated experiments and monitoring chambers within. The silence, save for his breathing, his softly padding footsteps and the subtle hum of energy that emanated from the glowing power channels, intensified his thoughts. The technological beauty of this place made him want to explore more of it, to see more of it. As much as he wanted to pass through the structure as quickly and invisibly as possible, the temptation to explore was overwhelming. The skyline from the height of the tallest building in the Industrial Sector, possibly the second tallest in the city. What a view that would be...he shook his head. No, he had to concentrate on making his way through the maze of corridors and to the other side of the sprawling pyramid. But try as he might, Karros found himself unconsciously looking for stairs or turbolifts whenever he rounded a corner or passed through a new doorway. Anything that would grant him a means to travel up.

It was at the end of one corridor that he found one. Iit was a wall of a dozen turbolifts lined up neatly in a row at the end of the corridor. Clearly the only option left was to take one. Karros padded over to the one in the center and tapped the button to call the lift to him. The doors opened moments later to reveal a cylindrical chamber. Karros walked inside and turned to face the doors. Beside the reflectively sleek doors was a grid of buttons displaying the floors of the pyramid. The number of floors were numerous; Aeronautics Research and Development. Reactor Levels 1-14. Droid and Drone Repair and Modification. Sector Security Levels 1-6. Communication Servers 1500-3000. These were but a few of the labels that adorned the buttons. At the top right hand corner of the grid was a button labeled “Rooftop Observation Deck”. Karros stared at it for a few seconds. Then with a quick flick of his hand he tapped the button for the observation deck using the tip of his finger. The lift immediately jolted upward in a smooth, speedy ascent to the top of the pyramid.

Karros crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall of the turbolift. He did not know the layout of the pyramid and randomly choosing floors based on names was pointless. And the observation deck would grant him the largest field of view for orienting himself. From there he could plot his next route through the sector. Karros knew he was just making excuses to himself; he just wanted to see the view from up there. The Concierge smiled and silently laughed at himself at his own self-awareness. There was a sudden change in the wall opposite the repulsorlift door. Suddenly it was not the smooth, glossy, black surface it had been before. Now instead a transparisteel window had replaced that black reflective panel. Karros realized that the glossy balck he had seen before was not the wall of the lift interior, but instead the interior of the lift shaft. Through the window he could see a towering atrium that ran down the center of the pyramid. It was both wide and tall enough that one could easily fit one of the skyscrapers from the Residential District inside. Across the atrium space lining the far walls were other turbolift rails ascending upwards and downwards with lifts designed for both passengers and cargo. Broad, glowing, horizontal lines defined the layers that were the floors of the pyramid. And all of this was bathed in the cyber-blue light that emanated throughout the Industrial Sector. After a moment of looking over the atrium Karros realized that the entire space was actually one of the main circuit lines he had seen running up and down the structure when he was still riding the tram car. It was traveling on the inside of a lit tube of a neon light.

As he ascended Karros could feel a subtle, continuous change in the air pressure inside the lift. There was a soft hiss like that of the airlock aboard the Morrigan whenever he boarded or disembarked. The air pressure inside the lift was equalizing with the air pressure outside it. Just how high up was he going? Karros looked out the lift’s window. For several moments the floors of the building sped past one after another. Then the window was blacked out once again by the glossy, reflective wall of the turbolift shaft. After a few more seconds the Concierge could feel the lift decelerate. It slowed down for several more moments before coming to a complete stop. There was a soft chime and the doors opened with a hiss. Karros was immediately assailed by a rush of cold air. A blanket of white cloud swept in around his ankles. The wind, though not terribly strong, blew and curled around him like rope lightly coiling and encircling him. Tensing his core and steeling himself against the sudden cold Karros stepped out of the turbolift.

He walked out onto a wide platform set beneath a partially overcast night sky. Clouds swirled not just overhead, but around his ankles and knees as well. Bracing himself against the chill Karros looked around. The observation deck fully encompassed the top of the pyramid in a sweeping hexagonal ring. Narrow safety rails formed the border of the deck forming a thirty foot radius from edge to center. Before him the vast metal plains of plated land stretched out before him like a banner unfurled on a table. The web of glowing circuitry lines spread out over the entire sector like geological fault lines. Each one defined the boundary of each plate by creating a canyon wherein one could see into the depths of the industrial earth. Behind him the turbolift door was set into the wall of the building’s remaining height. The angled peak of the pyramid rose some 100 feet more into the air before terminating proudly in the sky. The peak, capped with a communications antenna, seemed unusually narrow. It took a second of staring at the summit before Karros realized that it, along with the rest of the structure, had narrowed somewhere on the way up, making the top of the building less like a pyramid and more like an obelisk. As he looked up at the antenna he realized the observation deck was not the true peak of the building; the top of the antenna was. Not wanting to have to settle for just the second highest spot in the sector, and not know when he would ever get such a chance again, Karros glanced around for a way to climb up to the true peak.

He walked around the edge of the platform, both looking out across the sector enjoying the view while glancing back at the obelisk, searching for a way up. Rounding the final corner he saw the rungs of a maintenance ladder engraved into the side of the obelisk. With an upturned quirk of the corner of his mouth Karros strode over to the engraved ladder and began to climb. He ascended with the deft speed of a spider. His gymnastic skills he had refreshed during his rehabilitation, paired with utter lack of fear of heights and his confidence in his balance, aided his climb. A climb up a ladder was exponentially easier than a free-climb up a rope. The higher he went the stronger the wind blew. Every so often a strong gust would rush past, forcing the Concierge to pause and re-establish his grip. A brief moment to shake off the chill and affirm his grasp and Karros would resume his climb at renewed speeds.

It took him only a few minutes to reach the base of the antenna. The antenna in question was a sturdy, reinforced beam that stood an additional eight feet from the obelisk’s peak, jutting into the sky like a thorn the size of a tree trunk. Smaller reception bars branched out from its side like the rungs of a ladder. Testily Karros reached up from the engraved rung to the antenna rung and gave it a pull. The antenna rung held firm and immovable. As it should. Anything up here needed to be safely secured. Still it never hurt to be cautious. Transitioning from one ladder to another the Concierge continued his climb. A few more moments. A few more rungs. Then he placed his right foot on the topmost rung, pulled his left foot onto the rounded peak of the antenna and mounted it like the summit of a mountain. He then lifted his right foot off the rung and carefully placed it beside his left on the antenna peak, deliberately centering the height of the peak beneath the arch of his feet. His footing secured Karros straightened his spine. Despite the wind he stood perfectly balanced atop the antenna. The cold however made him want to shiver. He clenched his fists, clenched his core muscles and tensed his arms in response. Shivering would throw off his balance. But one look around the panoramic landscape made him forget the cold completely.

A veil-thin blanket of cloud drifted beneath him. Overhead the sky was partially covered in cumulonimbus clouds from the passing storm. There were a few places where he could make out the dark night sky and the twinkle of stars. But those were few and far between. Karros was grateful that the storms of Dromund Kaas had abated for his climb; otherwise he would be a human-shaped lightning rod right now. The air, though thinner, was clearer, allowing him to see farther. Below the glowing web of lines stretched out over the steely blue plains. The sheer size and breadth was awe-inspiring. The entirety of the sector encompassed nearly everything in sight, sweeping almost to the curves of the horizon. But above the haze of industry Karros could now clearly see the horizon. Illuminating the curve of the planet to the north were the glittering sapphire and golden lights of the Gala District, the soft pink of cherry blossom trees tops in the Garden District, and the bright, prismatic colors of the Residential District. In the far distance the Citadel rose like a space elevator high into the sky. Beyond it the red hued lights of the Pleasure District dyed the horizon. Carefully shifting Karros rotated his body three hundred sixty degrees to take in the full panoramic view. To the east and the south the edge of the jungles of Dromund Kaas from the borders of the city.

Rotating further he saw to the west a particular concentration of lights focused at the junction of three of the glowing canyon lines. It was distant, roughly midway between the base of the pyramid and the western border of the sector. The lights, distinctly white against the cybernetic-blue of the sector, were centered around a circular depression that was ringed with tall, rectangular buildings. He could not make out the details but some form of activity was happening in that depression. Something independent of the automated motions of the rest of the sector. Lifting his view the Concierge looked beyond the western borders of the Industrial Sector. There he recognized the dilapidated shanty town of the Slum Quarter. He should know; he spent six weeks walking past it to get to the complex he used for the final third of his self-rehabilitation. Another moment of sweeping his gaze across the dim, flicker lights of the slums and he spotted the very abandoned housing complex he had utilized for said rehabilitation.

Karros smiled briefly to himself before looking once again at his position. He could climb down, try to navigate the maze-like interior of the pyramid and hopefully come out the other side in relatively good time. But that was just a hope. Most likely he would spend hours wandering the halls. As much as he would be delighted to spend such time exploring, tonight he wanted to see all of the city. He would explore these corridors another time. Karros remembered how back in the Gala District’s underground when he had ignited his lightsaber a security detail had almost immediately been dispatched to investigate. He wondered if he could invoke the same thing here and if he could exploit it. Karros unsheathed his lightsabers and ignited them in unison. Their crimson blades glowed in stark contrast with the cool cyber-blue that surrounded him. Taking a moment to collect his breath from the altitude’s thinner air Karros inhaled and then exhaled. He held his sabers at his side, blades pointed downwards and out at an angle as he composed himself. Lifting his chin the Concierge began flourishing both sabers in a dual senseless spin. He let his wrists roll with each flourish, adding extra spins to the beginnings and ends, rotating his sabers in alternating positions; both at waist level and shoulder level. He let each flourish smoothly transition into the next one, making all of his movements a seamless whole. The gyration of his spins actually steadied his balance. The back and forth created a rhythmic sway which steadied him. For several minutes Karros spun his sabers. He imagined that from the ground he resembled a glinting red light. Like a warning light for aircraft.

From the peak Karros could see several dots of light far, far below moving away from the cluster of white lights. From their motion the Concierge could tell it was flying as it both deviated from the canyon lines and seemed to climb in elevation. As it began to draw closer Karros realized that all the dots of light belonged to a single aircraft. One that was heading straight towards him. Karros smirked to himself. So it did work. Guess he might as well add air marshaller to his resume. Quickly extinguishing his sabers and holstering them the Concierge dismounted the antenna and began climbing down the obelisk as fast as he could. Descending the hundred-some feet he skipped the last ten feet by simply letting go of the engraved rung. Karros dropped into a safety tap. Then on silent feet he ran over to the railing on the opposite side of the approaching craft’s and launched himself over it feet first.

As he flew over the railing the Concierge turned and stretched out his hands to catch the top rail bar. Grabbing it with both hands his body pivoted with the rail now acting as an axle. He turned in the air back towards the platform. Bending his knees Karros braced his legs as he landed his feet against the side of the observation deck. Steadying himself from the impact he then climbed down the railing and swung underneath the deck floor. Running along the underside of the floor were rows of support beams that held the deck up. Like monkey bars. Well this brought back memories. And made things so much easier for him. Karros smiled to himself as he remembered the weeks in the final third of his rehabilitation doing monkey bars. With graceful ease he reached over to the first bar. With muscle memory almost automatically moving his limbs he swung over to the next and the next until he hung beside the wall of the pyramid. Then turning he pulled himself up towards the underside of the deck almost like a sideways pull up. Karros swung his feet back and forth in a quick motion to build momentum, then swung them up to the beam he was holding. Hooking his ankles around the beam he pulled himself close to the underside of the deck just as the hum of repulsor engines rose up from below on the other side. The beams of searchlights passed up over the lower edge of the deck. Karros stilled his breathing. He watched as the searchlights’ beams passed repeatedly over the top of the deck using when they shone out over the air over the sector. He listened as the hum of the engines did a slow circle over the deck.

Karros then heard the hum engines hover near his position. There was a hiss of air like that of an airlock. A heavy clunk and a metallic thud jutted through the deck. Two pairs of heavy footsteps then walked out onto the deck, each with slow, deliberate steps. As the footsteps walked about the deck Karros silently began to pull himself along the underside of the beam. Hand over hand he “crawled” down the beam heading towards the spot where the earlier thud had landed. His guess was that the thud was a landing ramp striking against the deck railing. Meaning that it was where the aircraft was. Crawling along the underbelly of the deck he poked his head out from the side. Instead of sky the shadow of a boarding ramp greeted him. The ramp led from the deck rail to a shuttle transporter that resembled a fifty foot long rectangle with angled wings on its flanks. Cautiously Karros slowly peeked up over the edge of the deck’s edge. Two figures in heavy tactical gear were sweeping the opposite end of the observation deck. Though details were hard to make out from the combined factors of distance and the dark, Karros could tell from their silhouettes that they were heavily armed. Each cradled a rifle in one arm and a flashlight in the opposite hand. But for the moment their attention was focused on the other side of the deck. Away from him. Their backs were turned to the Concierge as they slowly and cautiously swept the observation deck. Karros had to act before they finished their search and turned around.

As silently and quickly as possible Karros pulled himself onto the deck in a low crouch. Not once did he take his eyes off the two figures. He glanced over at the transport they had come on. To the side the distinctive profile of an Imperial Lambda shuttle rose next to the railing. Its landing ramp was indeed extended onto the rail of the deck. With one last glance at the two figures Karros then jumped off the deck, using the railing as an impromptu springboard, onto the roof of the shuttle. He landed in a four-point crouch beside the tall dorsal wing on the roof, using his Telekinesis to soften his landing and dampen any noise he made. As he landed Karros softly slid forward onto his belly until he lay flat against the top of the shuttle. It was a deliberate move to reduce his silhouette as much as possible. Once on his stomach he began crawling forward towards the cockpit. Staying as low as possible he used only his hands and elbows to pull himself forward until he reached the cleft between the cockpit and the shuttle’s body.

Hauling himself forward Karros softly rolled sideways onto the cleft of the shuttle’s neck. Staying on his stomach the Concierge heard the heavy footsteps of the two figures walk back towards the landing ramp. There was a change in the tone of the footsteps as they boarded the shuttle. Then there was the sound of hydraulics activating, the hiss of sealing air, then a jolt that ran through the entire craft followed by a smooth motion upwards. The shuttle rose into the air before banking into a U-turn. Lifting his head just above the edge of the cockpit roof Karros watched as the craft did a full turn in the air as it headed back to where it came from. As it flew the Concierge could feel the air pressure and the temperature begin to change with the descent in altitude. Ahead detail among the cluster of white started to become more and more distinct as the craft drew closer and closer towards it. Karros could now make out the details that surrounded them. He was approaching some sort of compound. The tall rectangular buildings, though not nearly as tall as the ones in any of the other districts, were each connected by high, reinforced walls of ferrocrete. This combination of walls and towers lined up to create a ring around a wide courtyard in their center. The white lights he had seen emanated from massive search lamps dotted along the walls, mounted atop the towers and arrayed within the courtyard itself. Drawing closer Karros realized that it was too small to be considered a courtyard. A plaza would be more accurate. And even then it might be too big to be considered as such. For within the walls platoons of soldiers marched in drills. Their unison stomps and footsteps, along with the shouts of the commanding officers, could be distinctly heard above the rushing wind. Lined along the walls of the plaza, rolling doors stood open, revealing starfighter craft lying within their hangers. Weapon emplacements were mounted along the ramparts of the walls and towers. Some of the ramparts had landing pads for shuttle craft like the one Karros rode. Each tower carried a smaller signal tower stabilized by a series of guy-wires capped with a communication dish. A series of wide, low buildings dotted the perimeter outside the plaza. The Concierge could see figures walking freely in and out of them. Perhaps these buildings were barracks or dormitories. As the shuttle came within the final stretch of its flight Karros could see patrols walking up and down the ramparts, standing beside the gun emplacements and casually talking with each other as snippets of their conversations drifted up to his ears

The shuttle was now making its way towards an empty landing pad atop one of the towers. Searchlight beams passed the shuttle as it made its way over the plaza, causing Karros to flatten himself against the shuttle neck to avoid being seen. As it neared the tower’s comm antenna Karros raised his body in a tensed crouch. When the shuttle came within jumping distance of the first guy-line Karros sprang off the shuttle like a frog. Arms outstretched he caught the guy-line in his hands. He swung in a full rotation around the cable to disperse the transitory energy. Then as he came around for the second rotation Karros swung one leg around the cable and hooked it behind his knee. Using the momentum generated he then did the same with the other leg. Crossing his ankles over each other he secured the grip he had with his hands and legs. Hanging from the underside of the cable the Concierge looked down at the tower below him.

The shuttle had landed and had extended its landing ramp. At its end three heavily armed men dressed in combat uniforms were being debriefed by another man, presumably an officer, dressed in more ornate tactical gear. Their voices were indistinct but Karros could tell by the tone of their words that they were confused. They did not appear to have detected him atop the pyramid or onboard the shuttle. The men talked for a few more moments before marching in step onto a turbolift, then descending out of sight.

The Concierge should descend as well. As elevated as he was, all it would take is one soldier to look up and he would be spotted. Doing a brief glance around him to make sure no one was around or looking up Karros slowly unhooked his legs from around the guy-line. Holding firmly onto the cable with both hands he let them hang underneath him with his knees slightly bent. Adjusting the position of his hands Karros then completely let go of the cable with his organic right hand and slightly loosened the grip of his cybernetic left hand. Immediately he began to slide down the angled length of the guy-line. The first few seconds were of calibration; the looser his grip, the faster he went. However it was at the expense of grasp and the combination of abrasion and speed would cause him to loosen his grip further, making him re-secure his grip once again out of reflex. However with a bit of on-the-fly experimenting Karros discovered that if he curled his knees up to his chest he could accelerate just as quickly without needing to loosen his grip nearly as much. All this within the span of perhaps ten seconds.

The Concierge ziplined down the cable at surprising speed. As the rooftop and the guy-line anchor came rushing up to him Karros readied himself to dismount. When the anchor came within a few yards of him Karros abruptly yanked himself towards the cable with a sudden bending of his elbow, curling his forearm to his bicep. At the same time as his shoulder passed the guy-line Karros released his hold on the cable and flew forward into space. Using his telekinesis to once again cushion his landing Karros hit the rooftop feet first and transitioned smoothly into a roll to break his fall. He rolled over once, twice, then on the third he threw out his hands and slapped them on the ground in a safety tap to break his roll. Coming to a stop the Concierge raised his head and looked around himself.

Karros knelt atop another tower beside a slowly rotating radar dish. At the edges of the tower light emanated from below. Quietly he crept over to the nearest side and peeked over the edge at the wall below. Instead of walls he saw tall windows in their place. Within the borders of the windows he saw a pair of uniformed men manning an air traffic control station. The holoterminal directly beneath him displayed a map of the compound with lettering floating by at its top.With a bit of mental adjusting to compensate for the upside-down lettering he read “K.C. GARRISON: TOWER 05.” Drawing his head back Karros squatted in a crouch at the edge of the tower’s roof and pulled out his datapad. He quickly pulled up his map of the city and zoomed in on the Industrial Sector. After a moment of searching he found his location. The place he was at was the city’s military garrison. He had to do a bit of rerouting from his original plan. His initial route would have taken him on a tram past the garrison. His detour to the top of the pyramid had caused him to arrive at the garrison instead. While he did not regret his detour, Karros would need to find a way to get back on track. Turning to the landscape west of the compound the Concierge held his map up to do a bit of light orienteering. The garrison was near the northwest corner of the sector though with a good distance between the two. Karros’ next waypoint was the abandoned housing complex he had used for his rehabilitation up in the sector’s northwest corner at the very edge of the border between the sector and the Slum Quarter. He checked his map. Then he compared it to the landscape before him. The garrison sat on a junction of multiple tram lines which would branch out and converge in bundles when leaving or approaching the compound respectively. One such bundle, through various divergences, would take him very close to the abandoned complex. Now the hard part was to find an outbound tram.

After memorizing his new route Karros stowed away his datapad. Then peering back over the garrison's perimeter he began looking for his exit vehicle. It didn’t take long. A tram rail extended from the compound’s western edge. Karros followed that rail with his eyes through a gate dedicated to it back into the compound. Just on the garrison’s edge a set of freight trams were undergoing what appeared to be their final inspection for departure. Karros would have to move quickly if he wanted to catch that train. He poked his head back over the edge to check on the air traffic control personnel. Each seemed heavily engaged in their own conversations over their respective comms. The Concierge crept over to the side of the tower that faced the outside of the compound. Poking his over the edge once again he saw a uniformed man manning a holoterminal facing the window. The man reached over to the terminal counter to grab a steaming hot cup of caff. As the man brought the cup to his lips Karros extended his hand and used Force Pull on the bottom of the cup. It was a quick jerk upwards, causing the hot caff to splash in the man’s face and eyes. The man screamed in agony, one that Karros could hear through the window, as he dropped his cup. The other personnel immediately dropped what they were doing as they scrambled to help their screaming companion. As the man clutched his face and curled over in pain every eye in the control tower was on him. Exactly what Karros wanted. As every flight controllers’ attention focused on the screaming man Karros simply let himself tumble forward off the roof. The men never saw the black shadow flicker past the south window.

Karros did a full rotation in the air before righting himself. Straightening he extended his hand and used Force Pull to bring himself closer to the wall of the control tower as he fell. In freefall this was completed quickly and easily. In a continuous Force Pull he brought himself to the tower wall where he touched against it with both hands and both feet. Planting both palms and soles flat against the smooth steel plate Karros was able to channel with greater control his Force Pull as he maneuvered his slide down the face of the wall. Gliding down the wall he came to an easy stop at the bottom as he landed on his feet atop the ferrocrete ground. With a quick glance around him to check for potential observers and finding none, Karros quietly began running along the edges of the wall, staying within the shadows as he headed towards the western tram gate.

After a minute or so of skirting the garrison’s wall he spotted the ray of white light contrasting against the sector’s cyber-blue in a gap in the wall’s structure. The gate. Slowing down he pressed his back to the wall as he sidled up to the sally port’s gate post. Peeking one eye around the corner of the post he saw an officer inputting data into a terminal built into the side of the final car of the tram train. With a gesture definitively signalling the completed entry he closed the terminal. As soon as it was closed the tram began to move towards Karros. The first car began passing through the gate and was gaining speed with each moment. Karros watched the officer observe the tram departure before turning away. As soon as the officer’s back was turned Karros made his move. Springing out from his hiding spot the Concierge leaped into the gap between cars as it passed by his position. Landing on the tram’s coupling he took a moment to steady himself and to adjust once again to the gentle rocking motions of the tram. Peeking around the edge of the freight tram he watched as the garrison began to shrink in the distance.

After several moments had passed Karros turned away. The boxcars he rode were not nearly as tall as the hopper cars he had used to ride into the sector; these were only twelve feet tall. With ladder rungs mounted into their sides as well. Not exactly a challenge to climb. Grabbing a rung the Concierge scaled the side of the tram car with swift, easy movements. Reaching the top and mounting it Karros straightened as he looked around. The tram ran along the surface of the sector plate, which in turn made the landscape feel like a vast, unending plain of metal crisscrossed with circuitry lines of electric blue light. On the horizon behind him the colossal spires and pyramids dominated the skyline once again. Turning away Karros started walking towards the front of the tram.

The boxcars were made durasteel, just like the freight cars he had rode in on, and the wide roofs were smooth and slightly arched without obstruction. Well, as wide as ten feet would allow. Not that it really mattered. Karros walked over roofs with the balance and confidence of a seasoned gymnast. Taking in the wind that rushed past his body he strode to the very front of the first boxcar. As he let his toes hang out over the edge he watched for the first tram rail that would converge alongside his. From what the map had told him this tram rail would meet up with several others to form a major thoroughfare consisting of several tram rails running in parallel to each other. He merely hoped that there would be enough trams running in time to help him get to the sector border.

He did not have to wait long. Less than a minute of standing and Karros spotted the first rail winding towards him from the starboard side. Like a snake it smoothly and slowly curved towards his rail until it ran parallel to his. Another minute and a second rail appeared on his left. Like the first it came right up beside his rail before steadying to run parallel. The third and fourth rails appeared, this time on his right. The fourth rail, the exterior most rail, bore with it an empty flatcar train running along its tracks. As he turned to face the flatcars he did mental calculations on how far the jump was. Glancing back to the front of his current tram rail he saw that up ahead it would dive back down into another of the sector’s canyons. He did not have much time. Karros backed up to the port side edge of the boxcar roof. Then grounding his feet and lowering himself into a runner’s ready stance, the Concierge sprinted full bore across the roof. Channeling Force Push into his final stomp at the starboard edge he leapt off the boxcar.

Sailing through the air between the speeding trams Karros stretched out his hands, reaching out with Force Pull to guide his trajectory to the flat car. Hitting the flatcar heels first he tumbled into a single safety roll. As he came forward from a full head-over-heels rotation he slammed his fists on the floor to brake his roll to a complete stop. And no sooner too, for even as he knelt his head jutted out over the side of the flatcar’s bed. Karros stared for a moment at the metal plate of the sector as if rushed past him in a blur beneath the tram rail. Slowly he pulled away from the edge as he rose to his feet. Looking behind him Karros saw that the train of boxcars had vanished. So had the rail that had borne it. Turning away he then looked to the front of his new train. Four more empty flarcars lay between him and the head of the tram. With long strides he made his way to the tram’s head. When he stood at the very bow of the train he let his toes hang off the edge once more as he watched for the appearance of the next rail.

Three more rails would appear on either side of his rail. One on his left bore a freight tram but Karros ignored it. That rail would turn south later on, away from his destination. The two rails on his right ran alongside him for a time before either merging with his or diverging off. In the distance the shadow of smokestacks and plumes of smoke began to appear on the horizon. They grew large and more distinct with each moment as the tram continued to speed towards them. Karros stood with his arms loosely crossed over his chest. The wind rushed and whirled around his figure. As he stood at the prow he reviewed his map in his head. There would be a branching of the rail up ahead; two rails, one continuing to head west and one that would turn north where he wanted to go. Whether or not he got off would depend on the switch alignment.

Indeed a few minutes later the branching of the rails appeared in the distance. In a divergence similar to a “Y” his rail split off in two; one rail to the west, the other to the north. Karros squinted through the rushing dark. The ambient lighting of the sector was not nearly as strong out here on its plated plains. As the fork drew closer Karros realized the switch was set to the west track. And there was no lever or mechanism in sight that suggested a means to change the switch by hand. Time to get off it seems. The Concierge slid one foot back behind him as he dropped into a low stance as he prepared to jump. Just as the tram hit the fork and began to turn Karros leaped off the flatcar. Instead of falling into a roll as he normally would Karros instead let his momentum carry him forward into his next move. Literally hitting the ground running Karros raced alongside the northbound track as the tram rumbled away behind him. Picking up his feet the Concierge straightened his spine into a comfortable position. He let his elbows bend at comfortable angles and his hands close into loose fists as he settled into a quick-paced marathon gait.

He ran like a gazelle. With the toe-off of each step he would push off with such energy that he would actually cause himself to become airborne for a couple of inches off the ground. While airborne he would fly through the air a couple feet with each stride. This caused him to converse slivers of energy that he could dedicate to the remainder of the night’s run. And his strides were augmented with his naturally long legs, the power of his muscles that he had rebuilt as a side-effect of his rehabilitation, and the practiced techniques he used to maximize speed and distance. As a traceur this was second nature to him. Easy and natural. But incredibly boring. Even when he augmented his run with Force Speed his marathon of three 5-minute miles were so tedious. To relieve the monotony Karros launched into a series of front handsprings capped with a front flip with a lateral twist.

As he was doing his flip the Concierge spotted the lights of a speeding tram approaching him from behind. Landing his final flip Karros continued to run but now with an eye over his shoulder. As the tram drew closer Karros tried to gauge the speed of the tram in order to synchronize with it. Details became clearer and clearer as the tram advanced on him. It was another boxcar train. These tram cars had their maintenance ladders mounted on the side. All Karros had to do was catch one. Increasing his pace to match the oncoming tram's, the first boxcar began to speed past him. When its ladder started to drift past his position the Concierge reached out one hand and grabbed it. With the sudden increase in speed now essentially dragging him along Karros’ feet stumbled and tripped along the ground. If not for his grip on the ladder’s side rail he would have fallen flat on his face. After a moment of struggling Karros reached out his other hand, grabbed the side rail and with a leap on what footing he had, hoisted himself onto the lowermost rung. Securing his grasp and his new footing Karros let one hand go off the rail and leaned out from the rail, catching the wind and watching the landscape race past him once more.

He hung off the rung for several more minutes before he began spotting familiar landmarks up ahead. The metal plates that covered the earth were no longer as flat and smooth as before. Instead scuff marks and scratches began to appear, first in small numbers then in larger ones, all the while growing in clearer distinction. On the horizon clouds billowed from the teeth of different factory smokestacks that grew against the skyline. Karros recognized the arrangement. There were the same funnels he had passed everyday for the final part of his rehabilitation. He was practically in familiar territory now. The corner of his mouth quicked upward. The Concierge continued to ride the boxcar to save him a few more miles. In that time the profiles of the factories became larger and larger with each passing second. Soon they completely dominated the horizon enough to become as a wall that filled his field of view. He could hear the unorganized din of industry over the ambient rumble and clankering of the tram he rode. Ahead the walls of a narrow cleft between two factories formed up on either side of the tram rail. Too narrow for him to hang off the side of the boxcar without colliding with the wall. Swinging his body back to the ladder he grasped the rung with both hands and quickly climbed to the top of the car.

Pulling himself onto the tram roof Karros started making his way to the front of the train. While he walked the tram sped forward into the ravine which caused a blast of air to rush past him. On either side the tall, steep steel walls formed a box around him. The narrowness of the pass combined with the blur of the walls streaking by made for a mesmerizing view with an almost claustrophobic itch. The walls were so close that Karros could reach out and touch them with ease. Less than a foot of space was between the borders of the tram and the wall. And even a glancing touch would result in injury. Possibly deadly. Keeping himself to the center of the tram roof Karros continued to walk towards the front. Pipes and drainage spouts began cropping amidst the blurring walls. Karros also began to notice a dip in elevation angle as he walked; ever so subtly he started needing to lean backwards on his ankles to compensate for the change in directional tilt. He was heading down into the earth. Likely underneath the factories themselves.

Reaching the front of the tram he saw up ahead the darkened arch of an underpass. From what he could tell at this distance the roof of the tram and the ceiling of the underpass would only have a few inches of clearance between them. Certainly not enough to let Karros pass, even if he was laying down. And unless he got off the tram his run would end in a comedic and painful collision with the underpass’ steel wall. Approaching from up ahead on his left the Concierge spotted a pipe running all the way to the top of the factory wall it was attached to. One that seemed sturdy enough to hold his weight given its size and thickness of its moorings. Karros glanced back and forth between the oncoming overpass wall and the approaching pipe. Taking several steps backwards Karros then took a running leap off the boxcar roof and into a wallrun. Letting his momentum carry him he sprinted along the side of the ravine. Extending out his left hand he caught the pipe as he ran over it. As soon as he caught it Karros pulled himself against it, grasping it with both hands and planting the soles of his feet on either side of it to secure himself.

The Concierge paused to watch the tram speed away into the underpass. Then looking upwards he began to climb. Hand over hand he pulled himself up the pipe. With his feet against the wall of the ravine he walked, no, almost ran up the side of the ravine. In mere moments he had scaled a hundred feet. Above the pipe curved back into the wall just underneath the shadow of a balcony. Climbing up to the very top of the pipe Karros then launched himself upwards and backwards off the wall while throwing his hands up in an arc. Catching the edge of the balcony floor he hauled himself up, grabbing then pulling himself over the safety railing. With only a brief glance back down the way he came Karros then turned to the facility door that lay on the other side of the balcony. With a deep breath to catch his wind the Concierge strode forward. The facility doors slid open with a soft mechanical whoosh. Stepping across the threshold Karros stood atop a railless catwalk that hung over open vats of molten metal. The heat from these vats roiled up to his position in oppressive waves. The air itself wavered from the sheer heat of the temperatures. Small gates at the bottom of the vats opened up onto a series of grooves in the ground where the molten liquid flowed away like glowing streams. The room he was in had no windows. Instead the only lighting he had was the glow from the molten metal below. Taking long strides Karros resumed his run. It was hard to breathe. The furnaces below the vats consumed much of the oxygen in the room to fuel their fires. The Concierge struggled to maintain his pace without needing to slow down to catch his breath.

Thankfully the room was not as large as he feared. Despite the dimness surrounding him he crossed the length of the catwalk quickly. Reaching the far side he found himself facing a wide door at the end of the catwalk. Karros opened it. Here he stood at the top landing of a staircase overlooking an assembly room floor. Conveyor belts lined with partially constructed airspeeder engines rolled along in columns that resembled those of an mustered army. On either side of each of the many lanes mechanical arms reached out to each unfinished engine that passed them. Blue sparks flew as the arms would touch their fingers to the frames, welding parts together. Other arms would bring in other components from other conveyor belts that ran overhead and lay them in place on the frame.

In a move expressive of the traceur within him Karros bypassed the stairs entirely. Grabbing the stair rail in front of him he hopped over it in a turn vault. Planting his feet against the exterior edge of the landing Karros then turned his body outwards towards the assembly room floor. Spotting a clear place to land at the head of the conveyor belts he launched himself off the side of the landing, hitting the floor in a safety roll. Coming out of the roll the Concierge gracefully transitioned back into his run. Loping down the avenue between two of the assembly lanes he ran past the engines and arms. At regular intervals he would fly through a shower of sparks. Occasionally an assembly arm would swing out over his path, causing him to drop down into a slide across the polished concrete floor beneath it before smoothing righting back into his run. On a whim he sometimes added a flourishing spin to when he righted from one of his slides.

Reaching the end of the assembly hall Karros burst through the double doors at its far wall. Here in this new room more assembly lanes welded additional parts onto more engines. Save for the model of engine, this room was the same as the previous one. Almost the same. There was an additional door on the wall to his left in addition to the one at the far end of the room. Given the current evolution stage of the speeder engines Karros guessed that these rooms were linked in a long continuous hallway. And he was not interested in seeing how far that hallway went. Skirting the edge of the room Karros made his way to the side door and opened it. The noticeably cool air of the outside swept around him and filled his lungs. The Concierge stood in an alleyway. Down one end he could see the main road through a narrow gap between the buildings. The other end vanished into darkness and clouds of exhaust. Slipping out from beneath the threshold he quietly closed the door behind him. With long strides and soft steps he then strode down to the main road. Coming out onto the road beneath the beam of a single overhead street light Karros looked around to gather his bearings. This street looked familiar. After a moment of glancing back and forth Karros realized where he was. This was the same path he had used to get to and forth the abandoned housing complex. The Concierge smiled to himself. This made things so much easier. With a flourish in his step Karros turned on his heel and resumed his run down the west end of the street.

Barely a minute later he came out onto the familiar ledge that overlooked the Slum Quarter. Here was the border between the slums and the Industrial Sector. Once again he looked over the shantytown that covered the lowland plain. The hovels and shacks that filled the plain were crammed so tightly together it looked like the interior of a garbage compactor after the walls had compressed the inside. Flickering lights wavered across the plain from gaps between the makeshift buildings like dying fireflies. The dull, wretched hubbub of the poor and the underclassed that populated the Quarter rose to his ears. It was the sound of the dreary, the beaten and the tired; the moanings and groanings of those whose only fate was to linger before vanishing into oblivion. The landscape was cast in a bleak, grey tone that was contrasted against the harsh lights that dotted it. Throughout the lowland unfinished structures rose from the plain. Their bare metal frames stood like giant, steel skeletons out of the mass of dingy shanties that clustered around their feet. Other structures stood out in the ghetto; structures with sturdier construct and buildings of higher quality material than the rubbish that consisted of most of the Quarter. Alas these buildings fared no better than the makeshift ones erected by the poor masses. Most, if not all, were in a state of incompleteness, having been abandoned before construction could be finished. These were the warehouses of future industries, of unfinished signal towers for the city’s communication services and incomplete dormitories for the city’s working class; all of these had been abandoned, either after completion or mid-way through it. And in the wake of the original owners’ cessation the rats and dregs of the city moved in, converting the abandoned and unfinished buildings into squalid living quarters for themselves. The Slum Quarter was such a glaring contrast to the rest of the city; while the other districts held an air of authority, of elegance, of vibrance, of natural beauty or of technological advancement, here everything seemed broken. The people. The buildings. It was an atmosphere of misery and hopelessness.

Karros walked over to the edge of the ledge and looked down. Some hundred feet below he could see the underclassed wandering the narrow streets and alleyways between the broken buildings. For the most decrepit place in Kaas City it was still quite heavily populated. Scanning the nearest rooftops Karros quickly ruled out jumping from the ledge. There was no way for him to remain undetected during that jump. Too many eyes. And the structural integrity of the buildings within range were questionable at best. It was far too much of a risk. Even if he somehow made the leap unseen his efforts would be rendered moot if he just fell through the roof. Which could then be made even worse by possible injury. After all, he had no idea what lay within each shanty house.

The Concierge turned to his right. There the abandoned housing complex he had used for his rehabilitation dominated the horizon. Feeling oddly nostalgic, Karros followed the ledge back into the complex. Stepping through a gap in the exterior wall plating he traced the old path he used to get to the level he had used for his rehabilitation. Like the rest of the buildings around the Quarter, construction on it was incomplete. Standing at five hundred tall it was a single building that spanned the length of several miles. Well, building was a generous term. The unfinished walls exposed the skeletal framework of support beams and lengths of forgotten construction cables that hung out like disemboweled intestines. The equally unfinished ventilation systems also lay exposed, revealing a network of shafts and derelict fans. Loose wiring and cables from the electrical network hung out from vents and wounds in the walls surrounding him. Housing units that had been intended as the groundwork for the complex lay stacked haphazardly like boxes in a warehouse. The exteriors of each showed the stains and wear of the environment from the rain that poured in through the open, unfinished rooftop above. Running down the length of the complex between the stacks of housing units were deep chasms that dropped into the depths of the structure. These chasms channeled that air that entered the complex, creating a constant artificial wind. Old, temporary rails for construction trams ran along the bottom of those depths. At different intervals construction ladders extended down, connecting the different levels. What lighting was present was dim and faltering from the both incomplete and compromised electrical system.

The level that Karros had used was about midway up. He had used this path everyday for eight straight weeks so the route had become ingrained in his memory. He could probably walk it blindfolded without any trouble. The Concierge took a moment to meander about the level looking over the things he had improvised his rehab with. The exposed bars in the ceiling. The stack of unused support beams in the corner. The safety railing of the nearby construction ladder. Of all the places in the Slum Quarter, this place had remained empty. So far as he knew anyway. Through all eight weeks of rehab he had never encountered anyone while he was here. A true location of desolation. The Concierge walked over to the level’s balcony. From above hung the heavy rubber cable that fell from the very top of the complex roof. He had used it for the rope climbing portion of his rehab. But he was not going up today. He was going in the opposite direction. Peering over the edge of the balcony railing he spotted a bundle of heavy cables extending out from the wall of the level directly below him. From what he could tell those cables fell clear to the bottom. Or at least very close to it. A shortcut he could use. Glancing back and forth between the balcony and where the cables began he did some quick calculations. Then hopping up onto the balcony’s safety railing he took a deep breath, then jumped off towards the bundle of cables.

As he fell the short distance he extended his arms towards the cables. Using Force Pull to draw himself towards the cables during his freefall Karros pulled himself across the remaining space between him and the bundle. Catching the first cable with both hands the Concierge began free rappelling down the cable. Though with how he treated the cable it would be more accurate to call it a vertical zipline or a fireman pole. Lightly squeezing the cable in his hands Karros controlled his swift descent to the bottom. Upon reaching the housing complex’s ground floor the Concierge did an easy swing and hop off the cable to land gracefully on his feet. Straightening he glanced around. He stood at the bottom of the chasm. A strong breeze constantly flowed from a tall gap in the base of the wall that Karros could only assume had been meant to be the entrance. A construction tram rail ran from it though the bottom of the ravine, affirming his suspicions. Turning he followed the rail through the complex’s entryway.

As he walked through the long entrance hall Karros could hear the muffled crunch of his footsteps on the gravel rail ballast. The walls were partially completed with steel plates covering the lower half. The upper half however had no such covering, leaving the support beams and internal wiring exposed. After a minute or two of walking he spotted the faltering lights of the shantytown up ahead. Slowing his pace the Concierge approached the entrance as quietly as possible. He could hear the bitter grumblings and the hushed murmuring of voices emanating from outside. He could even make out the shrill wails of a baby nearby.

At last Karros stepped beyond the threshold and into the Slum Quarter proper. Like the Residential District, the Quarter was packed with people. But unlike the Residential District, filled with vibrant life and color, the slums here were filthy and utterly depressed. If there was ever a manifestation of squalor and misery and decay, it was here. The narrow passes and alleyways between the various shacks and shanties were littered with refuse. Their walls and borders were painted and etched with graffiti. The makeshift drains that ran out from the shantys were clogged to the brim with sewage that leaked out into the alleys. Karros questioned if there was even any working plumbing present. The Quarter was surprisingly crowded with people, though less likely from a high population count and more likely because of the compressed nature of the ghetto. The underclass swirled around him, heads hanging low to the ground or otherwise clustered around flaming metal barrels that served as fire pits. They reeked of disease and stank of sweat, grime and sewage. The tattered rags they wore were blotchy and discolored with years worth of stains. Some of them had a thuggish look to them, as if they were ready to rob the first person with their guard down, while others had a look of fear and tension in their demeanor. But in all of them was this air of hopelessness.

The Concierge looked around warily. While he felt he could handle himself in a streetfight, there was his Master’s no-kill command. Which he absolutely would not violate. After all, there were non-lethal ways to take down someone. Still in the interest of time he’d rather not get into a scuffle. Scanning the area with a subtle sweep of his eyes Karros then discreetly ducked down an alleyway to the side. He followed it west. Or as west as he could. The alleyway wound like a canyon crevice made of rubbish. Square holes and cutouts in the walls of the alley acted as windows into the hovels on either side of him. Within he could see the wretched and miserable inhabitants huddled around more makeshift fire pits, rags drawn about them like blankets as they shivered in the wet cold. Squeaks and the sound of tiny skittering feet could be heard emanating from the walls. More than once the small, furry silhouette of a rat scurried out into the Concierge’s line of sight, either at the edges of the alley walkway or clinging to its walls. Other alleyways branched out from his at frequent intervals, creating a haphazard maze built of ramshackle walls and broken buildings.

The Concierge wove his way through the maze, always keeping to the north-western most path possible. He had walked for perhaps ten minutes before Karros became aware he was being followed. In the ambient din he heard a pair of footsteps syncopating his own. With a furtive glance of his shoulder Karros spotted a humanoid figure with a large head and pink skin trailing him some thirty yards behind him. The figure stood about the same height as him, maybe a little taller, and was wrapped in a dark, moderately clean cloak. A Qiraash. The large head and pink skin gave it away. Karros sighed with disgust. This was why he hated traveling overland. Returning his gaze forward again he broke into a run, augmenting his stride with his Force Speed. Darting down the remaining length of alleyway the Concierge zipped around the corner out of sight of his pursuer. Karros found himself behind the rear exterior of an abandoned warehouse. Shipping containers lay stacked one on top of the other against the warehouse wall. Running down to the far end where the shadows pooled Karros dove around the corner of the stacked containers and pressed his back against the container wall where the shadows were deepest. Utilizing Force Illusion he projected a shroud of darkness around himself like a veil over his position. The blackness of his illusion added to the already present darkness. The illusionary shroud complemented and accentuated the shadows until he completely blended in with their gloom. His black bodysuit melded in completely with the dark. Black within black, he was a shade within a shade. Stilling his breath he waited for his pursuer.

He didn’t have to wait long. The sound of running footsteps rapidly approached his position. The Qiraash appeared from around the corner of the warehouse, head swiveling back and forth in search of the Concierge. Karros remained perfectly still. From the way the Qiraash looked around, the Concierge’s illusion was working. Karros also noted little things about his pursuer; his stance was unsteady. A good kick in the back of the knee would send him toppling to the floor. His posture was absurdly poor. Did he think he looked more threatening with his shoulder hunched over like that? It was abundantly clear that this figure had never been in a proper fight. As the Qiraash turned again Karros spotted what looked like a shiv stowed on the inside of the waistband of his pants. Without any sort of sheath or protective material. How stupid was this fool? Karros gave a subtle shake of incredulity with his head. With a gesture of his hand the Concierge used the Force to pull the shiv down past the waist band and into the would-be mugger’s pants. The Qiraash gave a yelp of surprise and...pain? It sounded like the shiv had nicked him on its way down. As the Qiraash turned his back to him as it leaped about trying to kick the weapon out of his pant leg, Karros sprang from the shadows.

Wrapping his left arm under the would-be mugger’s chin and around his neck the Concierge simultaneously grabbed the back of the Qiraash’s head with his right hand. Clutching his right bicep with his left hand and locking his grip, Karros squeezed the side of Qiraash’s throat with the inside of his elbow while using his right hand to push the would-be mugger’s head forward. With calculated precision and trained technique Karros brought the Qiraash into a sleeper hold. A Force Choke would have fulfilled the same purpose but the Concierge didn’t want to risk a botched attempt and the would-be mugger’s escape. This method had a far greater guarantee of success. Applying and steadily increasing the pressure of his choke hold, at the same Karros used his Telekinesis to clamp the Qiraash’s mouth shut. The would-be mugger’s muffled screams faintly wafted from his sealed lips as he struggled to escape. He performed an awkward sort of dance in his attempts to wriggle free. Karros simply clamped down harder. The Qiraash flailed his arms trying to reach behind him at the Concierge, but Karros’ elbows pinned down his shoulder, keeping him from making any meaningful movements. With each passing moment the Qiraash’s movements became weaker and more desperate. Finally his flailing arms stopped moving and his whole body went limp. Karros held his chokehold for a few more seconds to make sure the Qiraash was down before relaxing his grip.

He did a quick check on the would-be mugger’s pulse. The fool lived. Unceremoniously allowing the body to fall to the ground Karros suddenly felt a violent shudder run down his spine. Not one of cold though. This was different. Something, or someone, who was extraordinarily powerful in the force was very close. The Concierge looked at the warehouse wall beside him. Something...unnatural...had appeared inside.

~IC: Darth Kain~

It was near. He had spent hours searching these revolting streets, following its trail of disaster. Men driven mad, assumed by their fellows to simply be having a bad trip on spice. Women murdered, disregarded as anything unusual in this part of the city. Children missing, forgotten by their absent parents and discarded. It was no wonder that it chose the slums as its new home. What was there not to like? Easy prey in bountiful plenty, with lack of care from both its own citizens and especially with those that reside above. None of the Sith on Dromund Kaas would care if a few worthless peons went missing, not normally.

Perhaps it was unfortunate circumstance, then, that Darth Kain had arrived. He had come by for a quick stop to the Kaas City Cantina, eager to have a few drinks and watch the acolytes suffer before returning back home to Vitae. But he had sensed it, the thing that lingered in the shadows of the ghetto. It was not quite unlike what he was during his hiatus on Kashyyyk; a ruthless and cunning animal, feeding upon the lesser lifeforms in its new habitat. He understood the appeal of such a lifestyle. It was simple, and perhaps even rewarding in the short term. The power one felt during such circumstances was intoxicating, to know that you are the most powerful creature in the world with no challenge.

But a challenge had come for the creature that dared to reside in such close proximity to the Sith of the Empire. Lord Kain would not allow a predator to roam the streets of any Sith-owned world, unless it bore the mark of the Empire and wielded a lightsaber, anyway.

He entered the warehouse, stepping through the carved hole in the wall made when thieves broke into the place three months before. The company that owned the warehouse had no way to afford repairs with all of their merchandise stolen, so they had to sell the building and hope to at least come out of the sale with some credits to survive on. No one had been stupid enough to buy, however, leaving this place a desolate wreck that was typically home to more than a few squatters. Rumor had it that not even the homeless attempted to live inside these days, however, and once Kain saw it, he could tell why.

Light from the broken skylight above gave him a clear view of the thing in all of its horrific glory. It looked like more of a gelatinous pile of decay rather than a living thing. Tentacles protruded from its main body-mass, attaching to the walls and ceiling like a spider’s web of oozing flesh, dripping with toxic liquid that seemed to corrode everything it touched. There were no eyes, no teeth, nothing at all that seemed to make it a sentient thing; able to see, speak, and reason.

But it certainly did.

“You have come to kill me,” it said, the words rattling within Kain’s skull like a ricocheting slug round.
“I have,” Kain replied.
“Why?”
“You and I are both the spawn of those that came before. Our power comes from the same well. With fewer drawing from the well, the more I have to myself.”
“The Sith have corrupted your young mind.”
Kain grinned. “Greed is my sin. Gluttony is yours.” He took a step backward. “And, in the end, all shall burn for their sins.”

The unholy fire of Darth Kain bore down upon the thing, scorching its revolting flesh with a flame that would not die until it did. An inaudible cry from the creature sent goosebumps across the flesh of the Beloved Prince of the Stars, but he did not yield. The warehouse too began to ignite, the walls set aflame and the foundations nearing collapse. Kain was in no danger. It would not survive. Such was the fate of all that came across the path of the Seed of Chaos.

~End Lord Kain IC~

Fire and smoke erupted from the roof of the abandoned warehouse. The leaping flames illuminated the entire area, bathing it in heat and orange light. Hot ash and sparks flew up from the burning warehouse to land onto the nearby buildings. The hovels and shanties surrounding the warehouse ignited like matchboxes. The rubbish that both filled and formed the make-shift buildings was now serving as tinder. Tinder that was now being torched. Karros needed no further cue; it was time to go. Without looking back he sprinted as fast as he could down the nearest alley, sprinting away from the warehouse. Behind him the fiery blaze jumped from building to building like it was some sentient creature bent on devouring the Quarter. The entire ghetto was rapidly becoming one massive bonfire. As Karros ran screams and cries of panic rose up through the night. Within moments the alley he was running down became flooded with fleeing peons, all running in every direction. People called out for each other in the building chaos as the inferno grew. The ground at his feet was covered in swarms of tiny furry bodies like a river of fur. The rats were fleeing en masse. While the peons ran about every which way in confusion, the rats were all moving in the same direction.

Karros followed the stream of rodents, dodging the peons that got in his path. More than once the Concierge stepped on something, threatening to unbalance his stride. More than once he was certain he had just crushed a rat underfoot. But he did not care. Karros weaved up the tide of panicking peons while following the undercurrent of rats in a chaotic dance. The bonfire behind him continued to grow. No matter how far he ran, the intensity of the heat and the light never diminished. However the density of the shanties that formed the wall of the alleyway was thinning the further he ran. Ahead on the horizon he could see the dark shapes of trees over the tops of the hovel roofs. After a few minutes the Concierge could see the end of the alleyway exiting against the edge of the Dromund Kaas jungle. Putting his Force Speed into this final stretch of run Karros burst forth out of the alleyway and into the underbrush of the jungle.

Crouched in the undergrowth and clustered behind the cover of trees were the few peons who had made it out. The rats scattered and disappeared into the brush. Karros flew past them as he slowed his run to a stop. Taking a moment to regain his breath and composure the Concierge looked over his shoulder. The dancing flames of the inferno rose high above the skyline of the ghetto as if trying to lick the sky. Smoke covered the heavens in a smothering blanket. It seemed that all the Slum Quarter was alight. The underclass around him were panting in exhaustion or fear or quietly weeping into their hands. Karros watched the Quarter burn for several minutes. It did not seem like the city’s emergency service was coming to put out the fire. This was the ghetto after all. At best the Concierge imagined that the firefighting droids would only be deployed to keep the flames from spreading into the other districts. The slums were on their own. Turning his gaze from the inferno back to the path before him Karros stalked away where he disappeared into the shadows of the jungle.

The light from the fire still shone here amidst the trees. Winding through the brush between the trees the Concierge could make out a dirt path semi-concealed underneath the vegetation. Following the trail he made his way through the jungle. As he walked he wondered why a path was even present in the first place. Who would have use for a path in the jungle from here? Who would have made it? Still it made his progress easier. The sound of wildlife filled the silence of the night. There was a wild ambiance to it that held an edge of danger at the same time. Fauna on Dromund Kaas were still dangerous no matter how close they might be to the city. His hands were never far from his lightsabers. The trees here were far more densely packed then the jungles at the main gate of the city. The vegetation was so close that it was almost claustrophobic. Older too. Each tree trunk he passed was at least the same thickness as the shoulder-width of a fully grown man. Most were far, far thicker. More like the sizes of small houses. As the light from behind him began to dim Karros spotted a small orange light from up ahead between the narrow, flitting gaps between the trees. It flickered and danced like the flame of a candle. Karros eyed it suspiciously. What was this? Aside from its quivering dance the light did not move. At least not from its position. With wary steps the Concierge followed the dirt path closer and closer to this new light. It grew in size as he drew nearer to it. Details became clearer and clearer with each step. Tiny profiles circled the base of the light, causing pillars of shadow to dance in a sunburst pattern. He could make out the sound of voices raised in song and the noise of musical instruments. It was another mile by his reckoning before Karros made out what was going on.

Through the trees a roaring bonfire burned in the center of a wide clearing. Logs as long as the Concierge was tall leaned against each other in a tipi-like structure upon which the flames danced and blazed. The fiery tongues themselves leaped several feet above the peak of the tipi. People danced in two rings, one within the other, clad in little more than foliage and what seemed to be carefully torn strips of cloth. They were barely a step up from being completely naked. Their skin was covered in black and red body paint made from the dyed ashes of the bonfire. Some wore the pelts of animals while others wore animal skulls as headdresses or pendants. The two rings ran in opposite directions. As each person ran they danced and sang in some strange pagan tongue that Karros was unfamiliar with. Musicians playing strange instruments ran among them, playing a weirdly entrancing melody while they beat on handheld drums. The song they sang was raucous and melodious at the same time. Hypnotic, yet wild and heathen. The pagan folks leaped and turned in their dance, howling and laughing in their revelry. Women swayed suggestively and wiggle their rears to the men while the men let their hands wander unimpeded over the bodies of the women.

Karros stayed to the trees, well outside the clearing, enough that the shadows still enveloped him in their shroud. The pagans’ dress suggested some sort of ritual but their behavior belied a festival of some sort. Perhaps a prelude to an orgy even. As amusing as it would be to spy on a bacchanal, he had other places to be tonight. And besides, he had already participated in one such revelry before. This one was a paltry comparison. As he turned to leave he spotted two familiar figures on the far side of the clearing, obscured by the leaping flames of the bonfire.

~Lord Voidwalker, Apprentice Tinca IC~

Tince leaned against one of the trees ringing the clearing. She kept her arms folded over her chest and her ankles crossed. It was as much a position of comfort as it was one of necessity; the leaf apron was the only thing she was wearing. And it didn’t cover much. Tince groaned inside. The things she did to get the scoop she needed.

*All part of the undercover gig girl* she reminded herself for the six hundredth time. Tinca glanced around at the crowd surrounding her. They were dressed in similar apparel; nude like savages with nothing but foliage for scant clothing. Though from the way they were behaving it certainly didn’t seem to be bothering them any. The men and women were prancing around the fire, humping and groping each other like heathens in a heathen orgy. To the side of the clearing a makeshift table had been set up using a fallen log where pitchers and wooden goblets filled with a pink colored drink were lined alongside a banquet of sumptuous dishes. Though those around her were eating out each other as much as they were the food. Laughing raucously they would feed each other with the worst possible table manners and intentionally spill their drinks over each other to promptly lick it off their bodies. Ugh.

Perhaps it was her upbringing accompanied by her particular set of surroundings in the palace halls but Tinca could not help but disdain those around her. It further didn’t help that she was naturally at what was essentially waist height compared to everyone around her. Meaning wherever someone decided to get too close when shaking their rump at another, she ended up getting mooned.

Not that it was...unpleasant. She was still a woman after all. She could appreciate a good ass. Just the way they went about was so...uncivilized. Tinca sighed to herself. Shifting discreetly so that the leaf apron still covered her secrets, she scratched the mane that ran down her back. Once again she reminded herself why she was here; she was looking into a rumor about a new drug ring that had been infiltrating the city’s underbelly. Her master had given her leave to investigate this rumor, deeming it both a test of her skills and something that merited looking into. Her leads had led her here, where it was rumored that the organizer of these gatherings had connections to the drug ring. Though Tinca had no idea what this organizer looked like or even if he would show. Going on a limb and a bit of guesswork here. She scanned the crowd again and searched through the Force, combing through each person who passed her by with her Force Sense, searching for anything that might give her another lead to this apparent dead end. The only things she found were the lustful and carnal impulses of each person. Nothing that was useful. Tinca sighed again.

“Looking for a partner my dear?” came a voice from beside her.

Tinca looked over to see Lord Voidwalker appear next to her. She immediately bowed into a deep curtsy, hands smoothing over her apron so she didn’t expose herself as she dipped.

“My Lord” she said politely with her head bowed.

“Tinca” Lord Voidwalker replied with an almost amused tone in his voice. He leaned his shoulder against the same tree as hers. With his stature he towered over her, almost hovering over her shoulder like a flirtatious school senior.

“Why so formal my dear?” he asked teasingly, “That night in the pavilion hasn’t gotten to you has it?”

Tinca’s face turned a deeper shade of red underneath her magenta complexion. She hadn’t so soon forgotten that secret encounter with Lord Voidwalker.

“Not at all my Lord” she answered politely as she tried to maintain the illusion of perfect composure; she prayed that his talent in perception wouldn’t pierce through her social veil. Or worse, that he might use telepathy to sift through the naughty memories of that night that rose unbidden to the surface of her mind. For all her pretense of decorum and propriety, she still had those carnal instincts.

“Then may I ask why you are standing over here” Lord Voidwalker gestured, smiling boyishly, to their position, “when the party's over there?” He held his arm out in a grand sweeping motion towards the rings of dancing people around the fire.

Tinca deadened the smile she found creeping across her face at his playful charm. “I am waiting for a man who’s rumored to have connections to a drug ring in the city. For the moment I am waiting to see if he will show.”

“Oho?” said Lord Voidwalker, leaning in closer to her. “And what is this man like?”

Tinca coyly shied away from his gaze like a schoolgirl. “Oh that would be telling my Lord” she said teasingly. She, of course, had no idea what her quarry was like. But she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to engage Lord Voidwalker in a bit of verbal play. And there was something in his tone that suggested he knew more than he was letting on. The fact that he was here implied he might know something about the ring.

“Come now my dear” Lord Voidwalker said with a sensual growl, “Surely you wouldn’t be keeping secrets from me?” He sent out a tendril of his telepathic thoughts into hers to find out her secrets.

Tinca merely threw up a mental barrier consisting of images of the evening; men and women frolicking together in leaf aprons around the bonfire. It’s all she had seen tonight so it provided an easy mental barrier. “Don’t you know my Lord?” she said flirtatiously, putting on her best air of promiscuity. “Never ask a woman her secrets.” Tinca began settling into her persona of the flirtatious courtesan, one she used when she wanted to seduce a target into a false sense of security.

“Do you really wish to deny me?” Lord Voidwalker said with a boyish grin and a twinkle in his eye. He leaned down to her, grasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger to tilt her head upward to look at him.

Tinca pursed her lips at him in feigned obstinence. She had nothing to deny him in the first place but Tinca wanted to see how far she could push this little game. “Now now my Lord” she said as she slipped out of his grasp, “If every woman offered up their deepest, steamiest secrets up front, there would be no fun in the chase now would there?”

“Hmm, you have a point,” replied Lord Voidwalker. He straightened and leaned against the tree beside her, though in a way that kept him hovering over her shoulder. “What if it was the other way around?”

“What do you mean my Lord?” Tina tilted her head to look up at him quizzically.

“I mean what if it was the woman chasing the man?” answered Lord Voidwalker. “What if it was the woman trying to find out his secrets instead? What if, for example, I told you that there was a hidden purpose for this little get-together?”

Tinca’s ears perked up at this, though she did her best to hide it. “Oh?” she said, feigning indifference as she played with a lock of her hair. “What might this ‘secret’ purpose for this party be?”

“Ah ah ah” Lord Voidwalker taunted with a waggle of his finger, “What was that about the fun in the chase?” He chuckled at the peeved look on her face. “Still, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to drop a few tidbits to whet that curiosity.” Lord Voidwalker pointed to a woman riding cowgirl astride a man twice her age beside the fire pit. “That woman there is a handmaiden to Darth Lucrezia. You actually may have seen her in the Citadel. But she always keeps that veil on so it’s hard to tell.” He then pointed to a young man humping a masked girl from behind. “That gent over there is a scientist at the local Imperial Pharmaceuticals branch. And over there,” Lord Voidwalker pointed to a couple making out with each other as they removed their foliage aprons, “Those two work as secretaries in the Citadel. Now tell me, what do they all have in common?”

Tinca glanced at each person. “They’re all copulating?”

Lord Voidwalker roared with laughter. “Yes but what else?” he asked after he had finished laughing.

She shrugged in a combination of indifference and defeat. “You apparently know each of them?” Tinca kept up the appearance of politeness but she wasn’t interested in the daily nonsense of those beneath her. But for the sake of politeness she humored the lord.

“Getting warmer” Lord Voidwalker, leaning in with a knowing smile. “They all certainly know me. I’m just that famous, even among the plebians. Surely your master taught you that?” He grinned at her like a school boy. “Now, for what reason what might a handmaid, a scientist, a pair of imperial secretaries and a famous, handsome lord be doing at a campfire dance where a man supposedly connected to a rumored drug ring may appear?”

“That sounds almost like the set up to a joke my Lord” Tinca replied with an amused thread to her voice.

“Oh?” Lord Voidwalker’s smile widened into a full-on Cheshire-cat grin. “Humor me.”

Tinca’s look of amusement briefly turned into a girlish pout before she returned her gaze to the figures the lord had pointed out. She ran over the similarities before it dawned on her.

“...they all serve in positions of power or influence” she said slowly.

“You’re catching on,” Lord Voidwalker said with a satisfied smirk. “Now what might this tell you about your supposed ‘drug ring leader’?”

“That if he’s attending a gathering with this widespread a collection of persons of influence then he might be a person of influence himself. Or at least have very substantial connections to those in power…” mused Tinca aloud. The feeling that perhaps her target was more powerful then she first imagined began creeping up in the back of her mind.

“Aaannd?” egged Lord Voidwalker. He leaned in so close he could practically kiss her on the cheek.

“...that I might be over my head…” Tinca said quietly.

Lord Voidwalker threw back his head in a loud, echoing guffaw. “I see your master taught you a few lessons in perception!” he declared, “I’ll let you in on another little secret; worrying about small fry will wrinkle your pretty face.”

“You tease my Lord,” Tinca said with an unamused smile.

“But it’s a fact” declared Lord Voidwalker, “And you are at a party! Lighten up! At least have a drink with me.”

“Very well” Tinca conceded, “For you.”

“Excellent.” Lord Voidwalker gestured over to the table. A cup filled to the brim with the pink liquid zoomed into his outstretched hand. With a single, fluid motion he slipped it into Tinca’s palm. “To your health.”

Tinca raised her glass at his words then took a shallow sip. Her eyes opened slightly in pleasant surprise. The drink, while quite strong, was also indescribably sweet. Before she realized it she was staring at the bottom of a newly drained goblet. And her tastebuds craved more. A pleasant sense of heat crept across her cheeks and rose underneath her skin all over her body like bubbles rising to the surface of a carbonated drink. Glancing across the clearing the whole place suddenly seemed brighter. Sparklier. A pleasant haze began to settle over her mind like a pink fog. And the sounds of moaning and flesh slapping seemed so much more...alluring. She glanced at her empty glass.

“...I think I’ll be needing another drink…” she said somewhat absently.

“That can be arranged,” Lord Voidwalker said with a grin. Gesturing for her to follow with a tilt of his head he began walking towards the table. Unwrapping her legs Tinca made to follow but promptly tripped over a root. Or was it her feet? Either way she pitched forward to land on her face and would have had not Lord Voidwalker suddenly appeared at her side, catching her midfall with a strong arm around her waist.

“Lightweight?” he asked with a chuckle.

“No not normally” replied Tinca as he helped her back to her feet. No sooner had he let go of her did Tinca promptly stagger sideways, causing Lord Voidwalker to catch her once more.

“That must have been a hell of a good drink” said Tince with a lilting laugh.

“Only the best,” replied Lord Voidwalker. “Can you walk?”

“I might need a bit of help,” Tinca answered light-heartedly. Was one drink all it took to get her spirits up?

“Right, uppsie then.” Before Tinca could react Lord Voidwalker had picked all two feet of her person up off the ground and began carrying her against his hip like she was a child.

“Is this how you treat all your women my Lord?” she asked giggling. He flashed her a grin in reply.

“Only the small ones” he answered as he made his way towards the table with her in tow. As they passed another copulating couple a question formed in the pink haze of her mind. Turning to Lord Voidwalker, Tinca asked

“How did you know I was looking for the leader?”

~End Lord Voidwalker, Apprentice Tinca IC~

With a final glance at the wild revelry Karros turned and walked away from the clearing. When he was far enough away that the light wouldn’t be seen he pulled out his datapad. Pulling up his satellite map the Concierge took a moment to orient himself. He wasn’t that deep into the Jungle Outskirts outside of the city. In fact his position was just several miles south of the Pleasure District’s border. Karros peered upwards towards the canopy of trees. This would be so much easier from above. Stowing away his datapad the Concierge strode over to the largest nearby tree. Crouching down he then jumped up towards the nearest branch, augmenting his leap with a telekinetic boost from the Force. Grabbing, then hoisting himself atop the bough the Concierge brought himself to a standing position. Steadying himself with one hand against the trunk for support Karros looked over at his right shoulder. Focusing on a spot in the air just above the curve of his shoulder he channeled his pyrokinesis into that spot. A small fireball, no bigger than the size of his fist, burst into being in that spot, hovering just above his shoulder. Just large enough to illuminate his way. Stabilizing a continuous stream of energy into the fireball the Concierge turned back his perch. Before him was a web of tree branches, each large enough and sturdy enough to support his weight. Karros smiled to himself. To him this was little more than an irregular, aerial obstacle course. Bending his knees the Concierge launched himself forward onto the nearest breach

Leaping from tree branch to tree branch Karros engaged once more in his parkour run. Although the surface he ran upon was certainly different from what he was normally accustomed to. The branches were like monkey bars, both to run across and to swing from when they were above him. The leaves and boughs would softly rustle and whisper as he flew by and when he placed a foot on, or removed it from, a branch in his passing. When he came to a tree trunk that blocked his path he swung around it by grabbing it with his arms and throwing his feet out in an arc around it before planting himself on a branch on the opposite side. Heading towards the top of the canopy Karros leaped upwards across the branches like he was ascending a staircase. While he traveled he tried his best to keep to a northward course.

Breaching the top of the jungle canopy the Concierge found himself gazing upon a rolling expanse of treetop foliage. Above the sky had cleared revealing a rare glimpse of both of Dromund Kaas’ moons; one full, the other waxing gibbous. Both provided a substantial amount of light. Enough for the Concierge to traverse without needing his torch. Extinguishing the fireball floating over his shoulder Karros surveyed his surroundings. To the north the strobing lights of the Pleasure District blinked and danced as they dyed the horizon in sultry reds and crystal blue hues. The faint echoes of bass floated through air where they became a rhythmic whisper in Karros ear. To his left a long break in the trees wound its way towards the district about half a mile from his position. A river for the city’s water supply if Karros remembered his map right. The river would be his guide. Resuming his run the Concierge began making his way across the canopy roof towards the river.

After about fifteen or so minutes he arrived at the open space above the river. The water coursed and churned in frothing waves some thirty feet below his branch. The riverbed was wide. Nearly half a mile in width. Its floodplain was engorged with water from the recent rain leaving thin slivers to reveal a rocky bank. Turning Karros continued his tree parkour, following the river upstream back towards the city. The light from the moons, coupled with their shine reflected on the water’s surface, provided sufficient illumination for him to travel without much trouble. He simply needed to watch his step. The Concierge had traveled perhaps half a mile when he noticed movement on the riverbank below. Stopping to perch on the fork between a split in the main trunk of an old tree Karros paused to look down at the movement in greater detail. Through the tree’s foliage he spotted a familiar red-skinned figure making his way into the waters on long coiling tentacles.

~Apprentice Ky’skara IC, written by Karros Zaruiel with approval~

Ky’skara rolled across the jungle floor using synchronized rolls of the tentacles that made up his lower body. Aside from the soft, wet slithering noise they made as they rolled over each other, his approach was silent. Ky’skara was hunting tonight. Well, fishing with a bit of flair actually. The cantina’s fish stores were running low and Karros had informed him that the next delivery wouldn’t arrive for at least several more days. The head bartender has promised a bonus to Ky’skara’s pay for every five pounds of fish he brought back. To this end Ky’skara had brought with him a heavy-weave pack basket slung over one shoulder. One large enough to carry up to fifty pounds. In the crook of his free arm he carried a wheel of cheese for bait. Ky’skara smiled to himself as he thought of the bonus. Money was always good. Plus with his strength he could carry more than that.

Reaching the water’s edge he set the pack basket down on the rocky shoreline. Then he removed his light armor chestplate, his quad set of vibroblades and his lightsaber and set them beside the basket. Ky’skara wanted the most mobility possible and he didn’t expect he would be needing armor for a simple fishing trip. As for his lightsaber, he hadn’t water-proofed it yet. Neither had he water-proofed his vibroblades. Ky’skara certainly didn’t want to damage them and again, he doubted he would need them. With his belongings safely placed away from the river’s edge Ky’skara waded into the water holding the wheel of cheese in his hands. His skin rippled as it changed color from red to a dark blue hue to blend in with the waters. It would help him in his little hunt. An advantage of being part octopus. He waded until the waters came up to his neck. The current was fairly strong. Enough that he actively needed to exert energy to remain upright, but not enough that it was tiring. Spreading out his arms and tentacles over the river and stilling his body, Ky’skara lowered himself up to his chin into the water and faced downstream. Submerging the cheese wheel just beneath the river’s surface Ky’skara waited.

It wasn’t long before the first fish swam up to him. Several minnows wiggled up the water to nibble at the wheel. Not even enough for a bite. Ky’skara let them nibble. Their tiny mouths would hardly take anything off the wheel anyway. Soon larger fish were arriving. Bass and trout approached to feed on either the cheese wheel or on the other fish who came for the wheel. Each time he would use his Beast Tame ability to calm the fish while utilizing his tentacles to catch them. Wrapping his tentacles around the tail of each calmed fish he would then fling the fish across the river to land in the basket with pin-point accuracy. Occasionally a catfish would swim up from below to nibble at the tips of his tentacles mistaking them for a worm. They would receive the same treatment before being flung likewise into the basket.

He was making a killing. It hadn’t even been ten minutes and he had already caught over two dozen fish. Ky’skara was enjoying his constant stream of catches when he heard a low growl coming from the shore. Looking over he saw the hulking figure of a jurgoran hunched over the fish basket. Loud slobbering and gulping noises came from it as it rummaged through the basket's contents with its head. It was stealing his fish!

“HEY!” Ky’skara shouted without thinking. The jurgoran raised its head to look at Ky’skara. Its eyes glowed in the dark as a bloody fish tail hung from the corner of its mouth. Ky’skara paused. The beast stood significantly taller than him. Its arms were muscular from years of surviving the jungles of Dromund Kaas and its hands, each large enough to hold his head like an apple, were equipped with claws as sharp as nails. Ky’skara glanced from the creature to his weapons beside its feet. In an attempt to pacify it long enough to get to his weapons Ky’skara focused his Beast Tame on the jurgoran. The creature stared at him for a long moment as if in a mild stupor. Then shaking its head like trying to throw off a buzzing fly it threw back its head and let out a vicious roar. Lowering it head again and glaring at Ky’skara it charged at him.

Dropping the wheel of cheese into the river current Ky’skara threw out his hand in an attempt to Force Pull his lightsaber to himself. But the jurgoran was upon him before he was even able to try. The creature rushed through the water like a knife and crossed the distance between the two of them in what seemed less than a second. Grabbing his shoulders and sinking its claws into his shoulder, the jurgoran dragged him underneath the surface of the water. Ky’skara gasped in the river water instead of air. He breathed with his gills insteads of his lungs now. Lashing in the current’s tug Ky’skara beat at the jurgoran with his hands and his tentacles. He struck at its legs, its face, its chest. He struggled to pry its claws off of himself. The creature only squeezed down harder. Flailing his tentacles Ky’skara struck the beast in its gills on its ribs. With a roar of pain muffled by the water the creature released Ky’skara from its iron grip. Ky’skara shot to the surface of the river, spraying out dark ink from the funnels on his waist to cover his escape. Breaching the water’s surface he swam towards the shore. He needed his weapons. But before he could get very far a sudden yank on the end of one of his tentacles dragged him back under. Looking down he saw that the jurgoran gripping the end of one of his tentacles in its claws. With a snarl of fury Ky’skara dove back down towards the jurgoran, using a series of Force Pushes like telekinetic punches to its head. The Force Pushes connected with the creature’s skull, stunning it for a moment. Circling behind it Ky’skara hooked his arms under the jurgoran’s armpits and around the back of its head in a full nelson. Gripping it hard he used his tentacles and shoved them tip-first into the creature’s gills like swords. Muffled howls erupted from the beast as it thrashed in agony. Not content with merely causing the creature pain Ky’skara hooked the tips of his tentacles around the gills’ arches. Securing his grasp on the arches with his suckers he began tearing them out from the jugoran’s sides one by one. Blood filled the river as the creature thrashed and flailed. Ky’skara held his grip tight for dear life. One by one he tore out the beast’s means to breathe underwater. Staying beneath the surface of the water the jurgoran’s movements slowed before coming to a complete stop.

When its movements had stilled Ky’skara began swimming back to shore, dragging the jurgorna’s corpse in tow. Hauling it onto the shore he took a moment to recover his strength. That fight had drained him. And the blood that now filled the river water was less likely to attract edible fish and more likely to attract more predators. Still he was not leaving here empty-handed. Taking heavy breaths he looked at the carcass beside him. With an off-hand Force Pull he summoned one of his vibroblades to him. Catching it in midair he began to skin and slice up the jurgoran into manageable chunks, dropping the pieces into the basket alongside what fish had been spared. The head he kept as a trophy. Beheading the creature and placing the head atop the mound of meat in the basket Ky’skara heaved the pack onto his shoulder. He winced. His shoulders had eight neatly lined up holes in them. He’d have to have those taken looked at. But tonight not only had he earned his bonus, he had a story to tell the cantina and the trophy to prove it. He smiled with grimace as he slithered back towards the city, his load and prize on his back.

~End IC Apprentice Ky’skara~

Karros watched as Ky’skara disappeared into the darkness of the forest. He was impressed. More than a simple monetary bonus was in order. With an unseen nod of acknowledgement to Ky’s feat Karros continued his route upstream, following the edge of the river.

Ahead he could make out the lights of the Pleasure District through the boughs and foliage. The noise became more distinct as well, accompanied by a noticeable thrumming of an electric bass. Karros climbed higher and higher through the branches, steadily making his way towards the lights and the noise. The river curved and wound like a slithering snake. As Karros turned the corner around the riverbend he saw it. Further downstream the jungle ended at the edge of a thick ferrocrete wall which rose nearly to the height of the bough of the nearest trees. This wall stretched perpendicular from the banks of the river and out of sight behind the trees. Behind the wall rose the almost garish opulence of the Pleasure District. Clusters of starscrapers and superstructures loomed in the distance, dominating the horizon while a plain of conventionally sized buildings swept around their bases. The lights from the buildings dyed the landscape in sultry reds and cool crystal blues. Veins of magenta ran in great swaths across the district, over the rooftop signs and the sides of buildings. Nearly blinding strobe lights of white gold flashed from the peaks of the superstructures, some of which were shaped like pyramids. A homage to Sith architecture no doubt. The reverberating beat of bass in time with provocative music emanated across the district to Karros’ position where the very suggestive lyrics rang clear in the Concierge’s ears. The river he was following made a wide, sweeping arc in direction, changing from roughly north and turning to the east after it passed the wall into the district. Bridges spanned the width of the waters at multiple intervals along the river connecting the shores. The lights of speeders flashed as they crossed the bridges into the district while more speeders floated in skylanes overhead between the buildings.

Just on the other side of the wall on the shore Karros spotted a pair of piers lined with riverboats of varying designs and colors. Some had the telltale equipment of fishing vessels. Others were decorated in the glitter and shine of luxury yachts. Still others had the sleek, streamlined forms of speedboats. One of which caught his eye. A black, glossy speedboat with narrow frame and low cockpit that seemed more like a shadowy depression in the dorsal side of the craft. It almost looked like a needle made from solidified ink. The corner of Karros’ mouth quirked upward. Resuming his run the Concierge parkoured through the tree branches until he reached the wall. Dismounting from his branch he dropped onto the top of the wall. Sliding his feet off the edge Karros transitioned into a smooth turn vault before dismounting from the wall and dropping onto the wooden planks of the pier. Landing on his feet he then briskly turned and strode over to the black needle speedboat.

Casting off the mooring lines and dropping into the cockpit he glanced around the space. There were seats for two with a sleek dashboard adorned with dimmed lights and small monitoring screens. On the starboard side an equally sleek steering wheel jutted out from the dashboard with a throttle level beside the steering column. In the center of the dashboard near the top was a circular button that was labeled “Engine Start”. Settling into the pilot’s seat Karros pressed the ignition button with the pad of his thumb. Instantly the lights and monitors across the dashboard lit up. However the engine did not start. Beside the steering column just next to the throttle a small monitor lit up. A digital crawl read “Please enter passcode”. A second larger touchscreen below the first lit up with a number keypad laid out over it. At the top of the touchscreen seven dashes signifying character spaces blinked as they awaited entry. Karros sighed through his nostrils. How was he to figure out the passcode? There were no clues and he wasn’t exactly a slicer.

Then he noticed something odd about the touchscreen. The screen looked perfectly pristine. Except for the spot above where the number seven appeared on the keypad. A subtle yet weathered blemish appeared over the number seven key as if from repeated taps. Suspiciously, nowhere else on the keypad had any such discoloration. With a tentative look the Concierge tapped the “seven” key seven times. The monitor above the touchscreen blinked. Then a new message crawled across its screen. “Passcode accepted”. Karros leaned back against the seat and almost laughed as the boat engine hummed with life. A weak passcode coupled with a dirty keypad equaled opportunity for the Concierge. Placing one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the throttle Karros smoothly pushed the throttle lever forward. With a soft rumble the speedboat sailed away from the pier. Increasing the speed and taking full control of the craft Karros steered it upriver into the heart of the Pleasure District.

The boat flew more than skimmed over the surface of the water. Bringing his speed to forty knots Karros basked in the wind as it whipped over the low windshield past his head and shoulders. The craft’s needle-like frame cut through the water like a knife, leaving only the subtlest of ripples in its wake. On either side of him the sandy shores of the river were lined with piers with more luxury boats docked at each. Each craft was more opulently decorated and technologically advanced than the last. On the banks couples, or more likely escorts with clients, lounged or walked arm-in-arm. The Concierge sped past party yachts hosting raucous festivities on the water. River traffic steadily increased the further he sailed. Soon he was doing “S” weaves amongst the other watercraft. Likewise the sandy shores were replaced with high embankments of stone. People still walked upon promenades at the base of the walls where they met the water. The river wound eastward for several miles before taking a sharp turn back to the northwest. Karros mentally sighed as he banked around another boat. He had hoped the river would have continued eastward a little longer. He was enjoying his river joyride. Nevertheless it seemed he would have to be disembarking very soon.

Ahead Karros spotted a wharf on the eastern bank of the river just as it turned north. Bringing the boat alongside it and slowing it down to an unmoored stop, Karros hopped out of the cockpit and onto the shore. The berth was empty save for a lone couple at the far end who seemed far too absorbed in each other to notice his arrival. A man pressed a woman against the wall while passionately locking lips with her. Their hands roved over each other. Karros didn’t need to watch to know what was going to happen next. Turning away from them the Concierge spotted a stone staircase built into the side of the wall that led to the top of the embankment. Karros heard a soft moan accompanied by a quiet grunt from behind him. Without turning around he walked over to and up the stone steps.

Reaching the top the Concierge was assailed with a barrage upon his senses. All around him the street was filled with men and women, escorts and clientele alike. The escorts, both male and female, were clothed in various states of undress, revealing ample stretches of supple flesh. The men wore open shirts or shunned shirts entirely to display muscled chests, broad toned shoulders and chiseled abs. The women were draped in alluring clothes that Karros questioned could even be considered as such from how little it covered them. Dresses with such diving cleavage that dove clear to their navel seemed to cling to their skin purely on perhaps air-tight vacuums or friction alone. Sheer sarongs hugged bare hips, displaying tantalizingly toned stomachs and naked legs. Robes draped so loosely on bare shoulders that the Concierge could clearly see that there was nothing underneath. And those were the more modest of the street attire. Others were little more than lingerie. Most were less than that.

And each person clad in their attire flaunted it with sensuous gestures and smoldering glances. Their poses and gestures were both devilishly seductive and angelically innocent, catering to every fetish one could think of. Above a glowing sign for a love hotel cast the street in hues of lusty crimson. A hologram of a Twi’lek woman swinging from a dance pole. The sound of sultry laughter and soft sighs wafted through the street while the bass and music from the surrounding buildings reverberated in his bones. Chatter from each and every person surrounding him was that of wooing and seduction. In the air hung the fragrant musk of perfumes, both natural and manufactured. Their scents teased of desire and intoxication of the senses. Temptation in all its carnal forms. Ten thousand delights in a venereal paradise.

Karros glanced around. He did not allow his eyes to linger on any of the women. The Concierge didn’t need to be distracted by any of the temptations here. Steeling himself with a deep breath through his nostrils Karros strode forward into the sea of bodies. He wove through the crowd like a blade in a sea of grass just as he did in the Residential District. This time however he did not go unnoticed. Aside from the models clad in full-body spandex suits dancing in cages over the doors of S&M clubs, Karros was the most dressed person in sight. He hadn’t taken into account how much he would stand out in a crowd where nearly everyone else was part way naked. Every few feet a woman, and occasionally a man, would call out to him, asking if he would like to have a bit of fun tonight. Karros was absurdly grateful for his mask keeping his face concealed. Not only was he thankful no one could see his ruined face, no one could see where his eyes were wandering either. Despite his consummate professionalism, his eyes were roaming over the women and assessing them. And each time he had to consciously reel himself back. The Concierge was not here for a romp. What he needed was a way to get up.

Tearing his eyes from the enticing figures in the crowd Karros refocused his attention to the buildings surrounding him. On every side he was flanked by night clubs and love hotels. Each was cast in hypnotic hues and lights. Red and pink lights that were warm and soft. Extremely suggestive images were projected onto their walls as advertisements. Usually some variant of exotic dancer or feminine body part on display accompanied by similarly suggestive sound emanating from speakers. The Concierge was amazed he could hear the erotic moans and sighs coming from the speakers over the deafeningly loud music that came from the night clubs. Karros examined the buildings as he wove through the crowd. Even if by some miracle nobody noticed him climbing, there was no way to scale the buildings.

The Concierge kept a constant lookout for something like an alleyway or a nook he could duck into. Anything he could use as cover. Somewhere secluded so he could start finding a way to climb up. He could go inside one of the night clubs or love hotels. But that was an invitation for trouble. He preferred to climb without being distracted. Or being seen. Karros preferred to keep his discretion intact if he could help it. For nearly an hour he wandered the avenues of the Pleasure District searching for a side street to duck into. While it wasn’t an unpleasant search, it was...distracting. Trying to dodge the advances of courtesans and gigolos while searching for a sequestered location required more mental juggling than he had anticipated.

At last he found an alley between two nightclubs. Quickly dipping down the narrow backstreet he followed it until it reached an intersection between five other divergent alleyways. He was about to dive down the one nearest his right when he heard a woman’s loud moan on his left. Karros froze. The moan was followed by an immodest sigh and a male grunt. Very slowly Karros turned and peeked around the corner at the alleyway on his left. A man, with his pants down clear to the ground, had pinned a woman up against the wall while holding one of her legs up in the crook of his arm. Likewise Karros could see the woman’s panty crumbled on the ground with only one ankle threaded through the leg hole. The couple was humping each other like animals in heat. The Concierge clawed his natural hand in chagrin. How tempting it would be to just send a bolt of Force Lightning at them to see what would happen. But given that they were in the passionate throes of lovemaking, he doubted it would do anything except give them a new kink. With a growl of irritation deep in his throat Karros turned and stalked away.

With long, pauseless, almost angry strides Karros walked until he was well out of earshot of the couple. All the while he kept looking upwards for drainage pipes. Anything he could use to climb. He passed what seemed to be over a dozen branching intersections of alleyways in this labyrinth of backstreets. The Concierge searched for what felt like hours. Nothing. The penumbral light from the signs overhead still cast their red illumination down into the alley, allowing Karros more than sufficient vision to travel but with dim enough shadows to feel obscured by them.

The layout of the backstreets was dizzying and Karros was fairly certain at this point he was lost. The tall walls had offered nothing in the way of purchase he could take hold of to climb. He certainly was losing his patience to find one. Karros glanced up. At most these buildings were ten stories tall. Certainly not the superstructures he had seen from afar. Karros glanced back down to the ground. He paced from the wall on one side of the alley to the other. About six feet. The Concierge glanced back up at the tops of the buildings and the thin line of sky above. A moment of calculation. Then he backed up against one of the walls until his spine and shoulders were flush against it. He took a deep breath through his nostrils. Then with a burst of Force Speed he sprinted across the very short distance to the opposite wall. Augmenting his run with Force Jump he launched himself upward into a vertical wall run just as he reached the wall. Just as he reached the height of his wall run Karros kicked off from the wall again, this time towards the opposite wall, while enhancing his kick with a telekinetic boost. When he reached the opposite wall he would kick upwards again in another vertical wall run, again enhanced with a telekinetic boost. At the height of that run he would Force kick off the wall again to bounce to the opposite wall. The Concierge did this all the way up the buildings; bouncing back and forth between the walls using his skill as a traceur and the Force.

When at last he reached the rooftop he grabbed the ledge and hauled himself up. Breathing heavily Karros took a moment to regain his wind. Steadying himself he looked around. Karros stood atop the roof of another night club. Heavy bass and rhythmic music emanated from beneath his feet. Across the street a massive hologram of a Twi’lek woman twerked in skin-tight shorts and only her lekku as cover for her breasts as advertisement for the brothel over there. Several blocks of rooftops to the east of his position one of the superstructures rose from the expanse of the conventionally sized buildings. Images of pazaak cards, dice and martini glasses lit up across its side announced that it was a casino. One of many that dotted the district. The Concierge wanted a vantage point. With a place as coruscating as the Pleasure District he wanted to see it from the top.

He began making his way towards the casino superstructure. However he did not run. At least not like he had done in the other parts of the city. Karros wanted to enjoy the sights of the Pleasure District. The Concierge strode along the edges of the roof, threading the very brink of the roof with an almost casual stride. His pace was similarly almost casual. It was certainly faster than a stroll but not quite enough to qualify as a speedwalk. Karros allowed his eyes to roam as he went. From the suggestive advertisements on the side of nightclubs to within the windows of brothels where he could see the silhouettes of romping couples to the escorts and clientele in the street below. As he drew closer to the downtown of the district and the casino building itself Karros began to see the beams of spotlights waving through the air. The music and the bass somehow became even stronger the further he went. Ahead massive billboard letters in Basic rose from the edge of the rooftop, reading “Valkae’s Adult Entertainment and Toys” as it advertised the shop underneath his feet.

Approaching the letters the Concierge did a flourishing pivot on one foot as he slipped behind the column of the first letter, dodging the beam of a spotlight that rose up over the edge. Both from the opposite side of the street and from below the spotlight beams were waving in sync with each other, creating a “wave” as they rolled in harmony. Between each one Karros would spin into the shadows behind the cover of the billboard letters. With each dodge he would add an artistic whirl in his step. As he stepped out from behind the last letter a blur accompanied by the screaming of starship engines zoomed past him from behind. Karros briefly caught sight of a ship that resembled a U-wing shoot past him. The Concierge had to throw up one hand to shield himself from the blast of air that resulted from the speeding craft while he dived back behind the giant billboard letter. In a blink it had flown past him, leaving behind only the roar of its engines and the explosive displacement of air in its wake. Karros peered around the edge of the last billboard letter to watch it disappear down the street. Below cries of amazement and alarm went up as the people also looked up at the speeding craft as it flew overhead between the buildings.

As it disappeared around the corner Karros turned back to his route. Moving forward he broke once more into a run. Bounding across the roofs he would kong vault over low obstacles like drain pipes and ventilation shafts. Whenever a spotlight’s beam would near his position he would drop into a long slide with one leg extended in front of him, flattening himself against the ground to lower his profile against the rooftop’s edge. When the beam had passed he would launch himself up by shoving his hands against the gravel-cover roof at his sides while projecting Force Push through his hands at the same time. Springing to his feet Karros then would take that momentum and seamlessly transition it into another run. The Concierge leaped and bounced from rooftop to rooftop, jumping across the alleyways that separated the buildings using the energy from his run to propel each jump.

He was steadily moving upward at the same time. If he wasn’t leaping over a gap to a new rooftop, he was wallrunning up to one. The gradual increase in altitude gave him an even better view of the casino as it loomed over the other buildings. He started to make out the layered rows of windows along the sides of the superstructures that outlined the different floors. Karros could also begin to hear a new song play as he drew nearer to the casino. One that came from the casino itself. While still bearing an amplified volume and bass, the tone and lyrics, though still just as sexual and suggestive in undertone, gave voice to an atmosphere of excitement and risk. Subconsciously Karros began landing each step to the beat of the new song.

It wasn’t long before he arrived at the casino. Or at least the side of it. The plain of rooftops he had been traversing ran right up to the side of the casino building where it seemed to merge with it. As he pulled himself up from another vertical wall run from below Karros was met with the sight of the towering side of the casino. Sheer, polished plates of duramentium ran clear up the flank of the building. Hauling himself to his feet the Concierge walked over to the wall, all the while looking up and down it. There was an utter absence of ventilation shafts or drainage pipes. Absolutely nothing he could use as a handhold to climb with. Karros began walking along the duramentium wall, keeping it within arm’s reach on his right as he followed its edge where it merged with the rooftop he stood on.

After several long minutes of walking he could see light and hear noise coming from up ahead around the curved corner of the casino building. Several more minutes and Karros found himself standing at the edge of the rooftop overlooking the entrance plaza of the casino. Below a massive pool of water with a triple tier fountain in its middle sat in the center of the square. Along its banks couples congregated on benches that surrounded it, sitting beside or dipping their feet in its waters while a steady stream of landspeeders drove up to the front steps of the casino entrance. Blissful, indistinct chatter wafted up to his position from the people below. The wide doors of the casino lined the entire width of the steps. Golden light poured out of the doors while droves wandered in and out. Over the doors in glowing, blinking Aurebesh were the words “The Kaasian Kiax”.

Karros heard a door open from just below accompanied by the voices of two women. He quickly dropped flat onto his stomach to hide. Peeking over the edge and looking down he saw a balcony extending out from the side of the floor twelve feet beneath him, running from the border of the casino wall and following along the edge of the building he lay on. Golden light escaped from a doorway in the casino’s wall at the balcony’s end. Two women, both human, one blonde with hair tied up in a high ponytail braid and the other dark haired with hers wavey and elbow-length, walked into view from under the doorway’s threshold. Both were dressed in white button-up shirts underneath a red suit with short, dark plaid skirts and pantyhose. Ribbons acted as neckties underneath the collars of their shirts. Around their necks identification cards hung on pretty chain lanyards that bounced over their chests when they walked, though Karros could not make out the inscriptions from his position. Both were strikingly young; neither could be older than twenty. Each possessed a lithe, curvaceous figure accompanied what he could only call sultry features. Intense, smokey eyes and full lips framed on heart-shaped faces. These women could have easily been mistaken for fashion models. The women moved with a swaying strut as they let their hips swing as the two walked out onto the balcony. The two of them talked as they walked before finding a spot that was almost directly underneath him and leaning against the balustrade to continue their conversation. Karros, being only a few yards away from them with only the distance and the edge of the rooftop separating him from them, could hear with perfect detail their conversation.

“Did you see the look on that boy’s face when he was booted out?” said the blonde woman to the other with a lilting laugh.

“I did,” answered the dark haired woman with a smirk, “What did he expect making those comments about having run of the place as a 'Sith’?”

“I know!” exclaimed the blonde woman, “And the face he made when the security droid threw him out with one hand was positively adorable!” She punctuated the end of her statement with a giggle.

“I doubt he was actually Sith” the dark haired woman said with an amused tone, “I’ve seen Sith. They don’t lose a game of dice. They also would be able to keep themselves together. That boy started cracking after the second round. A real Sith would have the stamina to last longer than just two games.”

“Oh you would know a thing or two about stamina!” quipped the blonde woman. The dark haired woman flashed her a cat-like smile.

“Got to keep the boss happy somehow” the dark haired woman replied sweetly. “Speaking of which, stay away from the manager’s office for now.”

“Why?” the blonde haired woman said with a sudden tone of concern, “He didn’t find out about the schedule changes did he?”

“No it's not that,” the dark haired woman said as she looked down over the entrance plaza, “The company owner holorang the boss this morning while we were still in bed. He had to get dressed real quick and stand so he was blocking me from view of the holocom. Lord Danar said he’s going to change the expansion format for next year. Told the boss to be prepared for his arrival in the next day or so. Lord Danar wants to oversee the adjustments personally.”

“Yeesh” said the blonde woman. “That must have put a crimp in his pants. No wonder we haven’t seen him all day.”

“Yeah he’s busy trying to prep for the owner’s arrival. Been cooped up in the office ever since getting that call. The boss is trying to- what?” The dark haired woman stopped mid sentence as the blonde leaned in close to her face, close enough to kiss. The blonde squinted at the dark haired woman before pulling back with a surprised look of delight.

“You changed your eyeshadow!” the blonde woman cried with excitement. “I can’t believe it took me so long to notice!”

“Yeah” the dark haired woman said with a pleased expression, “I thought it was time for a change. Violet was getting old. Red is the new shade. I went with garnet. You like?” She fluttered her eyelashes at her companion coquettishly while flashing her a sultry smile.

“Totally” said the blonde woman in affirmation, “It matches your eyes. I should try to mix up my eyeshadow as well. Been using sky blue for too long. I wanted it to match my eyes.” She fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly in turn at her companion, returning that sultry look.

“You just wanted to play the blue-eyed, blonde bimbo so you can surprise your pick-ups” laughed the dark haired woman. The blonde gasped.

“Iana!” the blonde exclaimed while lightly slapping her companion’s shoulder. The dark haired woman named Iana flinched away from her friend’s strike with a giggle and a smile.

“What? It’s true” said Iana as she recovered her poise, “It’s not like they call you ‘Civeile the Golden Whip’ for nothing.”

“You have your toys and I have mine” the blonde woman named Civeile quipped back with her own smirk, “Mine just happens to be longer. Lasts longer than just one night too, ‘Iana of the Red Maw.’” She said the moniker as if taunting her companion.

“Being able to tie cherry stems into double knots with only my tongue is more than a bar trick” Iana answered with a smug smile. She casually did a flip of her hair with one hand as if to demonstrate her nonchalant confidence.

The golden light that poured out from the doorway at the end of the balcony was suddenly blotted out by the silhouette of another woman. “Iana! Civeile! We need help on the tables'' called the silhouette. “Looks like break time's over” said Civeile as she and Iana began walking back to the doorway. As they crossed the threshold and tugged the door closed behind them Karros raised one hand. With the Force the Concierge used his telekinesis to press the latch bolt into its retracted position. Holding his Telekinesis down on the bolt even after the women had closed the door, Karros used his telekinetic grip to gently and slowly pull the door back open. It could barely be called open. The door was only ajar by a hair. But it was enough that the latch was free of the frame. Releasing his telekinetic grip Karros slid his legs forward from underneath himself and over the edge. Sliding forward he dropped onto the balcony in a silent safety tap.

Before rising he looked over to his side. On his right was a row of narrow window slits running all along the floor of the balcony. Within he saw the telltales signs of a dormitory. Rows of bunk beds were neatly lined up with one another. Each bunk was characterized with a different style to reflect its occupant. Some were tidily made, sheets and pillows folded away neatly. Others were messy and haphazardly cluttered with make-up utilities and various articles of clothing. On the opposite side of the dormitory a single, long vanity table with a single mirror acting as its wall filled the far end of the room. Similarly its seats seemed to have been customized by each’s more frequent occupants. Lipsticks and mascara bottles lined the edges of the table with pictures and holoportraits of boys accompanying each seat. Rising to his feet Karros strode to the casino door and quietly slipped inside.

He found himself in a curved hallway whose pink coloring reminded him of flesh. Ahead he could still hear the voices of Iana and Civeile from around the bend. Following their voices he softly padded his way along the hall. Pictures of accomplished dealers and staff lined the walls. Their names were listed on plaques underneath each picture along with the years they served. It was surprisingly empty. He could hear muted, almost gaudily lively music through the walls. Karros kept following the voices of the two women for perhaps a minute or two before he heard the swinging of another door. As it opened for a brief moment the Concierge heard the music with perfect clarity along with the noisy clamoring of voices. Cornering the bend he caught the fleeting glimpse of the backs of the two women before they were blocked from view by a pair of red swinging doors. A circular viewport at the top of each door did allow him to see, albeit limitedly, the upper half of a casino floor. Dropping into a semi-crouch Karros walked up to the doors. Straightening he peered out the viewport as covertly as he could.

Beyond the doors lay a glittering red and gold casino floor packed with finely dressed men and women. More often than not if they were not gathered around one of the gambling tables they were walking with an escort or two, cheering raucously or groaning bitterly or drinking the night away. Rows of lugjack machines were lined up like soldiers in a muster. The staff, with an unusual frequency of being female, were all dressed the same as Iana and Civeile; button-up shirts underneath a stylish red suit, plaid shirts for the women or slacks for the men, ribbons as neckties or simply actual, plain black neckties for the men, and identifications that hung from chain lanyards around their necks. Each was strikingly young and strikingly attractive; again, none of the staff could have been older than twenty. Though the youngest he could spot could have been thirteen. Like Iana and Civeile, every one of them held the poise and beauty to make it in the fashion industry. Despite their ages, the staff maneuvered with an air of confidence that bordered on smugness. Dealers stood at the heads of elaborate Jubilee Wheel tables and pits for sabacc, zinbiddle and hintaro, each tossing their dice or shuffling their decks of cards with decorative flourish. The tables were crowded with the gentry of the city. Karros recognised some of the color schemes of their glittering outfits to instantly tell they were from the Gala District. Only one or two had clothes that indicated they were from the Residential District; their clothes, not nearly as refined as the others, gave them away near instantly. The noise of revelry roared continuously from the gambling crowd, only slightly muffled by the thickness of the doors. And above it all Karros could hear the garishly energetic music of a live band play at the far end of the hall. A singer in a similarly garish red evening dress sang into a microphone with lyrics that were suggestive and lurid, punctuating each stanza with a naughty gasp or moan while constantly swaying her body like a dancer as she grasped the mic stand like a stripper pole.

https://youtu.be/27vwjrbKFZo

The Concierge waited for a moment where no one was looking in the direction of the doors. When that moment came he quickly slipped through them and onto the casino floor. The noise and the music, now unfiltered, washed over Karros like a wave. He was immediately swallowed up by the crowd. Karros felt horribly out of place. His outfit, a black ballistic mesh bodysuit, was suited more for his everyday wear. Not lavish places like this. Thankfully nobody paid him any heed. Perhaps they dismissed him as one of the lesser classes who had gambled their way onto the floor. Regardless Karros was thankful for the lack of interaction. He was in no mood to be delayed by an inquisitive peon. Weaving his way through throngs he kept his eye out along the walls. One wall consisted completely of transparisteel window panes that reached from floor to ceiling. Beyond he could see the cityscape of the Pleasure District. Roving beams of spotlight wave across the sky while glowing signs and advertisements featuring giant, dancing holograms of women enticed the eye to the locations of nightclubs and bordellos. But he was not as interested in the view as he was in finding another door. One that led up. There were, of course, doors to be seen; wide ones that were filled with people going in and out and flanked on either side by security droids and personnel armed with blasters and stun batons. These personnel looked nearly identical to the rest of the casino staff in youth and attractiveness. Really the only thing that distinguished them from the other staff members were the weapons they bore on their belts and the color of their suits. Black instead of red. The doors they guarded obviously led to the lower floors. Not where he wanted to go. He was looking for doors into staff hallways. Corridors with access to the roof. Though he somehow had doubts about a gambling establishment having such a ready escape route available to the public.

The Concierge did his best to keep close to the edge of the room though he was not always afforded the luxury. The crowd often forced him to weave closer to the center of the hall either because of a particularly tightly packed cluster of people or because of a gambling table laying in his path. Still he kept his eye out. Through the concourse he spotted a cluster of casino staff standing around a pair of red doors not unlike the ones he had entered through. A group of five; three young men and two young women were huddled closely together. One young man and one young woman bore the weapons and black suits of security. Keening his ears towards them he could make out their conversation.

“I heard there will be reforms coming from the top soon,” said one young man in a red suit.

“You think it will affect us?” said the young woman in the black suit.

“I doubt it. Even if it’s a Sith Lord calling the shots, it almost never changes how we do things. We are beneath their notice after all.” the young man in the security black suit remarked dismissively.

“True, but I heard it was going to be a structural reform.” the girl in a red suit said with a hint of worry in her voice.

“Even so, Sith edicts are normally aimed at other Sith. They don’t care how we do things down here as long as it doesn’t interfere with their affairs up there” said one of the other boys in red. “Since when was the last time Sith cared how we operated down here?”

“Sith politics is beyond us” said the last boy in red who was clearly the oldest of the group, “So long as we keep doing well and as we’re told, there is little reason these supposed reforms will affect us in any way. The Kaasian Kiax has been one of the most profitable casinos in the sector for years and I doubt the Lords would want to jeopardize profit. If anything, this alleged reform will improve our gains.”

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a simultaneous flurry of activity from all around the hall. Peons suddenly began flocking to a game table near the center of the hall with voices of excitement and eagerness. While the group of five looked on at the surge in collective movement another group of four casino staff, two black suits and two red, all young men, burst out of the doors behind the first group. “C’mon” a red suited boy from the second group said excitedly to the first as his fellows hurried towards the cause of the ruckus, “Yumeko’s at it again.” As soon as the words left his mouth all nine staff members dropped all previous thought and hurried along to the center of the commotion. His curiosity piqued Karros followed the crowd.

Winding his way through the fluttering masses the Concierge spotted the source of the excitement. Through the crowd he could see everyone gathered around the largest table in the hall which naturally sat in its center. The table in question hosted a Jubilee Wheel that was distinctly different from the others in the hall. Instead of a digital dial it was a fully fledged, classic roulette wheel with the hundred numbers evenly split between two rings within. At the end of the table a sign was propped up which read:

RULES -
MINIMUM BET INSIDE 100C
MINIMUM BET OUTSIDE 100C
MINIMUM CHIP VAL. 20C

MAXIMUMS
10,000C EVEN MONEY
5,000C 2 TO 1
500C ANY WAY INSIDE

FORCE USAGE STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY OWNER. INFRACTIONS PUNISHABLE AS SEEN FIT BY STAFF.

Three people gathered around the table while the rest of the crowd formed a wider circle around them; A man in his twenties with gelled back brunette hair in a military suit so colorful and decorated it was tacky sat on one side. His cheeks were somewhat flushed. Beside his hand was a glass of golden liquid that Karros instantly recognized as Merenzane Gold. The head bartender had spent enough time passing it on the cantina shelves to have memorized its distinct color. Beside him was a mound of what seemed like hundreds of tan colored chips that mirrored his complexion. The man clearly had been winning tonight. To his right sat a blonde woman, also in her twenties, with red highlights in her bob cut hair. A pair of aurodium hoop earrings hung from her ears and her form-fitting, full-length sapphire blue evening gown shimmered when the light hit it at the right angle. The equally deep blue of her lipstick emphasized the shape of her mouth and somehow complimented the color of her dress. The strapless gown revealed the curve of her shoulders and the elegant column of her throat and neck. She sat with her spine straight and her arms poised to support her body on the table's edge with what seemed the natural grace and elegance of nobility. Her lips were pursed and her eyes slightly narrowed in piqued contemplation. Several significantly smaller stacks of emerald green chips sat in front of her.

And at the head of the table stood, not sat, the third member of the gambling party: the dealer. The croupier was a young woman, human, no older than sixteen. Her straight black hair fell past her hips, framing her almost delicate features but highlighting the ruby-red color of her eyes. She wore the same uniform as the rest of her co-workers; a white button-up shirt underneath a stylish red blazer with back trim on the cuffs and collar, a plaid skirt and an identification card that hung from a pretty chain lanyard around her neck. Karros for once was able to read the identification card of this girl; her name was Yumeko, the same name that the boy from before had uttered. The Concierge quickly noticed that her dress was subtly different from the other staff. Unlike the other girls who wore thigh-high stockings, she wore dark pantyhose, which only served to accentuate the curves of her long, shapely legs. Her skirt was shorter than the other girls’. A sufficient enough sway of her hips and she would practically be flashing everyone. And the top couple buttons of her shirt were undone, likely to accommodate her full chest, with only her ribbon tie holding the shirt closed, allowing fleeting glimpses of her cleavage and the creamy white of her flesh underneath her shirt. There was a glint of danger and raw sexuality in her eye, though her sweet, almost playful demeanor to the guests at her table made it seem more a trick of the light. But Karros had seen similar looks in the eyes of the Sith. His interest heightened, Karros found himself a spot in the crowd some distance away from the table to watch.

The three seemed to be almost through their latest gamble. Yumeko was picking up the clear crystal marker shaped like a horse's head off the roulette grid as the man roared with laughter while the blonde looked over at him with a mix of irritation and envy. With demure grace the dealer swept the green chips from off the roulette grid. Then with equal grace and practiced precision she paid out the man with another mound of tan colored chips. Scooping up his payout into his already substantial hill of chips the man took another swig of his drink.

“Damn, look at how rich I am!” bragged the man loudly, “I practically own this place!”

“You should stick to your normal drink,” said the woman sullenly. She turned her head to one side and muttered something Karros could not hear but he lip-read her whisper “I hate it when he starts drinking.”

“Aww, what’s the matter sweetie? Hate to lose?” the man reached over and grabbed her by the chin and turned her to face him. “Wanna bet a winner’s kiss next?”

The woman pulled out his grasp with a look of disgust. Rising from her seat she turned to Yumeko. “I’ll take my winnings now” she said curtly. Without another word or even a second look back she stalked off into the crowd.

Yumeko smiled an almost calt-like smile at her while typing with one hand into a data screen embedded into the table. “Ry-gin, will you see to her please?” she said sweetly without taking her eyes off her remaining guest. In the back of the crowd Karros spotted one of the casino’s staff, a young man perhaps of eighteen, head after the woman.

The tackily dressed man at the table gauffed loudly, enough that it could be heard across the entire hall. “Guess she couldn’t take a real man!” he exclaimed before downing another swig of his drink.

“Would you like to place another bet sir?” Yumeko said with her sweet, cat-like smile.

“Oh yeah sweetheart! I’m a blasted Sith and there is no way I can lose! The Force is on my side!” boasted the man.

“Then how about we raise the stakes?” There was that glint of sensual danger is Yumeko’s eye as she said those words.

“Ha! Sure! Whadduya wanna bet sweetheart? Your body?” the man said smugly with a lecherous glance over Yumeko’s figure.

Yumeko smiled and wagged her finger back and forth playfully as if scolding a schoolboy. “Now now” she said, “What are you going to put up to ante for me?”

The man laughed again then pulled out his datapad. After a moment of tapping on the keys he drew up a hologram of himself and a woman beside him.

“My wife” the man declared, “And an additional 50,000 creds. Old girl’s good but it’s time I got a little extra warmth in bed.” He smirked with a drunken confidence that Karros could only call ludicrous.

There was a ripple of excitement through the crowd. Murmurs of shock and disgust accompanied by questions of sobriety rose from the mass of people. The man looked around at those surrounding him with an expression of disdain.

“What, you think I can’t win?” he said loudly, his voice rising nearly into a full on shout, “I’ll double it! 100,000 creds! No, 200,000! And all of my holdings! I’m going to win this entire establishment! Nothing can stop me!” He looked over at Yumeko and pointed at her. “You...” he said, pointing a drunken finger at her and gesturing to the rest of the casino staff, “...are going to be mine. This whole place is going to be mine. I’m going to own this entire kriffing city.”

Yumeko’s smile widened into a dangerously wicked grin. The glint of danger and excitement blossomed into a fire in her ruby eyes. Her cheeks were flushing more akin to arousal. Karros almost took a step back. He had seen that expression before too on the faces of the Sith; that was the face of a predator. Even then, their faces had never borne an expression of such hunger, such...lust. He glanced over his shoulder at the doors from before. The ones that the four young men had burst out of at the onset of the excitement. While he wanted to watch this wager play out, Karros also needed to plan out his exit. He turned back to the table in time to see the dealer clasp her hands together in delight and place them beside her cheek as she leaned her face into them.

“Very well then!” Yumeko said with barely restrained glee. “I suppose I shouldn’t hold back either.” She reached into her cleavage and with two fingers pulled out a prismatic, golden colored banking card. Placing the card on the table she then took off her lanyard and laid it beside the card. With a shake of her head and a small flip of her hair to clear it from the lanyard chain she spoke.

“I wager myself and all of my personal assets. One million credits.”

Her voice was one of unshakable confidence. There was a tone of finality in her words. And a thread of carnal passion running underneath all of it like a worm beneath the surface of the earth. There was another ripple of excitement through the crowd. More murmurs, this time almost purely of shock, came from the patrons and guests. The other staff however...Karros, having just now looked around at the beautiful young men and women of the casino staff, noticed that they too shared similar expressions as Yumeko did. Ones filled with almost carnal anticipation and predatory hunger. Their eyes were almost leeringly ravenous and their lips were twisted in voracious smiles. Suddenly Karros felt like he was standing in the middle of a pack of wolves, watching as they prepared to pounce on their prey. As if they were eagerly watching a well prepared trap closing in on the man. Looking back to the table Karros watched as the man dumbly stared at Yumeko’s wager. The drunken look on his face seemed a cross between shock and drunken confusion as if he had not heard her correctly.

“What’s wrong?” said Yumeko in a tone that was far too sweet and polite to be genuine, “Can’t handle a woman worth more than you?”

The man’s head snapped up to look at her. His eyes came into focus on her, narrowing into slits of contempt.

“I am Sith. And no woman is better than me.” He took off his signet ring and placed it on the table in front of him. “I bet myself as well. A single drop of Sith blood is worth more than a million, million credits.”

“Ooh, then this calls for a special game of roulette!” Yumeko squealed with delight. She then pulled out a drawer hidden in the side of the table and withdrew out a second crystal marker, this time shaped like a crown, and a tri-colored, twelve-sided die with the colors red, green and blue on its facets. Placing the die and maker on the table beside the first maker she made a flourishing gesture to them with one hand.

“A game of my own making” the dealer explained, “The rules are simple: we roll the die on the wheel, like in Jubilee, and we bet on the color that turns up and the number it lands on. We each use the grid to place our bet number just like in Jubilee, but we each can only pick one spot. Someone wins when they correctly call out the color and number.” She slid the horse-head shaped maker over to the man. “Go ahead and place your bet sir.”

The man glared at her before snatching up his marker and slamming it down on the “1 to 50” square in the outside bet portion of the grid. The maker hit the table with such ferocity that when the man withdrew his hand Karros was surprised it wasn’t embedded in its surface.

“Red” the man said definitively. Beneath the arrogant cockiness of his tone the Concierge could hear a thread of anger in his voice. The man leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest, pointing his chin at Yumeko so he was effectively looking down his nose at her.

Yumeko, on the other hand, maintained her eerily sweet smile. Without taking her eyes off her opponent she picked up the crown-shaped marker as if it were a delicate flower stem and placed it on the “Black” square in the outside bet portion of the grid.

“Blue” she said simply. There was a sense of omnipotence in her one word. An assurity that Karros could not fathom in the slightest.

She then reached over and gave the roulette wheel a healthy spin. As the disk whirled round and round and its numbered slots became a blur, Yumeko picked up the tri-colored die. Holding it in her hand she simply let it tumble out of her palm onto the wheel. With a skittering sound it clattered and rolled across the spinning wheel, becoming a tri-colored blur against the red and black stripes of the roulette wheel. The man scowled at the die as it rolled. The drunken confidence he had displayed earlier was now mixed with hints of anger and uncertainty. Yumeko continued to gaze unwaveringly at the man with her serene, too-sweet smile. For several seconds the die kept its clattering roll before slowing down and settling into the red slot labeled “78”. Coming to a complete stop it landed with a green side facing up.

“Hmph” grunted the man.

“Where’s that ‘Sith luck’ you were bragging about?” said a woman’s voice from the side. The man looked over to see the blonde woman with red highlights in her hair from before, now arm in arm with a young man in the red casino blazer, standing at the edge of the circle, smirking at him.

“Shaddap” snapped the man before turning back to the dealer. “Again. Same bet.”

“Of course,” Yumeko replied. She picked up the die, moved her marker to the “Black” section of the roulette grid, then gave the wheel another healthy spin before letting the die tumble out of her palm. “Green.”

After several moments of spinning and skittering the die came to rest on the black slot labelled “33” with the blue side facing up. There was a shadow of a smirk on Yumeko’s face. On the man’s temple Karros could see a bead of sweat forming. He raised his glass and drained the last of his drink. Gulping the last drop he slammed the glass back down onto the table.

“Again! Same bet!” he practically yelled.

Gracefully the dealer plucked the die from the wheel. She gave the wheel another spin with a sweep of her arm. Taking her maker she moved it to the “75-100” square of the grid. Yumeko then gave the die a few gentle bounces in the palm of her hand before letting it slide into the whirling wheel once more.

“Red” she stated with a honey-laden tone. The man narrowed his eyes at her.

“You tryin’ to copy me?” he growled.

“Not at all” Yumeko said innocently, “Just felt like trying something else.”

The man responded with another angry growl as he leaned back into his seat. Several more seconds of skittering and clattering passed before the die came to a stop in a black slot labeled “23” with a blue side facing up. The man’s scowl was replaced with a grin. Looking up he leered at Yumeko.

“See that!” he declared, “I almost won!”

Yumkeo chuckled sensuously, touching her fingertips to her lips.

“You haven’t won yet dear” she said with almost smug confidence. She reached over and plucked the die from its slot, then held it out to the man, cradling it like an offered gemstone in the palm of her hand.

“Shall we go again?”

The man stared at the die for a moment as if confused by her gesture. With the speed of an impatient child he leaped up from his seat and snatched the die out of the dealer’s hand. Virtually all of the black suited staff made to pounce on the man but stopped midmotion when Yumeko calmly raised her hand, motioning them to stand down. They did so but with visible unease as they continued to eye the man like hawks. The man seemingly did not notice the near dog-pile he barely missed being involved in. Instead he reached over to the roulette wheel and violently spun it with such force it caused the air around it to rotate like a wind turbine. Throwing the die into the whirling disk he dropped back down into his seat with a renewed grin of confidence. His cheeks were noticeably redder than when he had first begun. His expression was also discernibly lopsided. The die did an odd bounce off the wheel at an arcing angle before falling back into the ring where it continued to do little jumps up and down like a kernel of popcorn.

“Beat that” the man declared before reaching out for his empty glass. He brought it to his lips and tipped it backwards. It took a moment before he realized it was empty. Peering up at the lingering froth at the cup’s bottom he slammed it back down onto the table. “Hey! Get me a refill!” he shouted to no one in the crowd. Yumeko simply smiled her too-sweet smile at him. While his head was turned she picked up her marker and placed it beside his in the “1 to 50” square of the grid.

“Red” the dealer stated simply. The patrons murmured about the legitimacy of making the same bet while the looks on the other staff became almost wolfish. The man, still so absorbed in obtaining a refill, did not seem to notice.

As the man continued to rail for someone to fill his glass Karros was glancing back at the door from before and doing mental calculations. He was wondering how much longer this wager would continue. The Concierge wanted to be back on his way. And the doors were only nominally being guarded. Karros glanced around. Most of the security staff were circled around the table. He needed something to lure away the guard so he could make it through the doors unseen. Looking back to the table Karros saw that the man was greedily gulping down his refilled glass. Yumeko cradled her cheek in the palm of one hand, biting down on the tip of her pinky. Her face was flushed and her expression was one closer to arousal than anticipation. The dealer’s breathing was noticeably heavier. Though partially hidden behind the edge of the table, Karros could see that she had clenched the hem of her skirt with her free hand in a fist and now clamped that fist between her thighs. Karros was slightly taken aback by her posture. He certainly did not expect that sort of response from a wager. Especially one where her freedom was on the line.

And it wasn’t just Yumeko; every member of the surrounding staff seemed to be having similar responses. Every one of them had noticeably heavier breathing. Their faces were flushed as well and their expressions were one of arousal. The girls clung to each other in suggestive manners, practically groping themselves, arms wrapped around waists with hands intertwining as they licked their lips like hungry panthers. The boys had loosened their neckties and unbuttoned the tops of their shirts, allowing glimpses of muscled and sculpted flesh beneath and the light sheen of sweat on skin. The whole room was tense. All ambient chatter had been silenced. Even the band and the singer had gone silent. A sense of anticipation permeated the very air. Though quietly becoming alarmed Karros also began forming a plan in his mind. The entire hall was tensed like a bear trap. All that was needed was to trip it. The ensuing commotion would act as his cover.

Finishing his glass with a loud gasp he slammed the mug down like a hammer. The force of his slam reverberated through the table, causing the die to bounce up out of the wheel in a high arc over toward the edge of the ring. As it began to fall back toward the green velvet covering of the table Karros made a subtle jerk with his head, directing his telekinesis with his motion. Just as the man raised his hand as if to catch the die suddenly swerved in midair as if bouncing off an invisible wall. Like a sparrow turning in midair it did a half loop in an arc to land back in the roulette wheel where it continued to skitter and clatter. The man sort of froze in stupor with his hand reaching out in the air. He glanced over at Yumeko and visibly shrank back from the sight of her aroused smile. Looking down on the grid he realized where she had moved her marker. There was a noticeable twitch in his eye. He glanced up at her smiling face then over to the slowing roulette wheel. With an expression between irritation and unsettlement he snatched up his maker and planted it on the “Black” square.

“Green!” he declared defiantly like a child trying to annoy its older sibling by copying them.

Slowing down further and further the die finally came to a stop in the red slot labeled “4” with the red side facing up. Yumeko’s body suddenly stiffened as she let out a quiet gasp. Then just as quickly she relaxed as she released a soft sigh into her palm. Withdrawing her left hand from between her legs Karros could see it glistened with a soft, wet sheen in the casino light. The man stared dumbly at the die as the wheel came to a full stop. Karros began backing away through the crowd towards the doors as discreetly as he could. Yumeko reached over and plucked the man’s signet ring and held it up in the light as she examined it.

“I’ve always wanted a puppy” she said softly to herself. The ring and her fingers shimmered in the light.

With a furious roar the man swept his entire hill of chips off the table. The small tan disks went flying everywhere like confetti. The patrons scattered. The staff closed in like a wall around the man. This time it was they who were smirking and leering. Every boy and girl in a red or black suit around the hall converged on the table. Whirling around at the closing wall of red and black the man reached for a lightsaber on his belt. Before he could draw from his belt four of the security staff had dogpiled him on top of the table. Four simultaneous sounds of buzzing and crackling filled the air followed by the man’s loud screams as the security guards stabbed him with their stun batons. It took several more strikes before the man went limp. Those few seconds were filled with the man’s agonized bellows. When he was pulled up from the bottom of the dogpile he was wearing stun cuffs with his hands bound behind his back. A heavy chain from the cuffs ran up to a shock collar around his neck. Even so the man continued to struggle. His efforts were rewarded with violent jolts from the cuffs and collar. As he seized up he fell forward onto the table. Twitching he glared furiously up at Yumeko whose smile was now a dark, almost maliciously victorious grin as he was pinned down from behind by the guards.

“You kriffing whore!” he screamed, “You cheated! I am Sith! I am invincible!”

The man continued spouting obscenities for several more seconds before trying to wriggle across the table like a worm to the dealer. His efforts earned him another violent shock, causing him to scream while his body convulsed like a flailing fish. The man gave Yumeko another death glare.

“You just wait! I am Sith! I know people! I’ll have connections to the most powerful- AAUGH!!” He paused his rant as another shock ran through him. Panting he looked up at the dealer, face crimson red. “I am a knight of the-”

“And we are the Children of Khamuul'' Yumeko said coolly as she cut him off. “We serve as the Blessed of Dathria. We are his brood. And this is our domain that we tend to in His name. You are nothing here.” The dealer leaned in close to cup the man’s face in her hands, bringing his closer to hers as if he were merely a troublesome schoolboy. Her smile, predatory and ravenous, looked absolutely terrifying. The man, now caught in her unescapable gaze, froze like a hare under the gaze of a hawk. Yumeko’s voice softened to a sweet, deadly whisper as she continued.

“Even if you did win, your wager was forfeit the moment you used the Force on the die.” She tilted her head towards the sign on the table without taking her eyes off the man. His eyes widened and his mouth opened to protest but Yumeko cut off his retort by grabbing his ear hard. Hard enough to make him scream. She made a tsking sound with her tongue as if disciplining a child.

“Now now, pets should be obedient to their masters. I guess we’ll have to break you in.” Yumeko leaned in to give a long, slow lick of her tongue up the man’s cheek. Pulling back to take in the man’s indignation with a sadistic smile she whispered.

“We’re going to have lots of playtime together.”

Leaning back and straightening she gestured with a jerk of her head to the security staff. With a curt nod the guards yanked the man to his feet by his hair. As his mouth opened to scream in agony a girl in a red blazer strode up and shoved a bundled up handkerchief into his mouth. The man continued to scream and protect through the cloth gag but everyone simply laughed. Yumeko picked up his nearly forgotten datapad with the hologram of his wife still being displayed. She looked over at another boy in red who nodded and mouthed the words “Already transferred.” She nodded back her gratitude and turned back to the still struggling man. She held up his datapad and the hologram of his wife.

“You have such a cute wife” Yumeko said with a smug sense of finality, “She will make an adorable kitten.”

The man’s eyes widened somehow even further but before he could make any protest one of the guards supporting him bashed the butt of their baton on the top of his head. The man went stiff and his eyes rolled back before he went into the limpness of unconsciousness. As the guards dragged him away through the main doors Yumeko held up the hologram like a trophy.

“I wonder if she likes to play Strip Sabacc?” she wondered out loud to the staff. The crowd roared with laughter as if this was some sort of inside joke. None of them noticed the doors of the staff hallway quietly swing shut as the Concierge slipped away.

Karros could hear the raucous laughter through the doors. Now to put distance between himself and the casino floor before any of the staff came down the hall. He kept himself low in a crouched walk as he hurried down the corridor. The walls and floor were covered in deep red wallpaper and carpet. A far cry and a far more carnal comparison to the fleshy pink of the previous hallway. This hallway reminded him of lipstick prints and red dresses of dancers. Doorways lined the walls on either side of him with small windows in each door. Glancing inside he could see storeroom shelves lined with boxes. Some rooms were dedicated to things such as uniforms and gambling supplies like chips and cards decks. Others were offices with desks and holoterminals. As he went Karros kept an eye out for something that would allow him to the next floor. A turbolift or staircase. Sure enough after a minute or so of prowling he came across a pair of reflective, steel turbolift doors on either side of the hallway facing each other. Tapping the call button the doors of one lift opened and Karros stepped inside.

Within the lift car a panel of over a hundred buttons was displayed beside the door. Each button was labelled with a number going all the way to 250 with each button signifying a different floor. Above the door was a screen with a floor number that read “137”. The back wall was a clear pane of transparisteel which acted as a large window to the district on the other side. Examining the button panel Karros noted that there was a separate, darkened keypad beside it along with a swipe card reader. Looking over the buttons the Concierge tapped the one in the top right corner labelled “250”. The button lit up and the screen above the door suddenly began to blink as the numbers began to change. The lift gently lurched upwards into a smooth ascent. Karros leaned back against the wall of the lift as he looked out of the windowed wall. The lights and colors of the Pleasure District beyond glittered and winked at him from across the distance. The beams of spotlight waved amongst the neon colors that adorned the district. Other colossal superstructures dotted the cityscape obscuring the horizon while below the more conventionally sized buildings continued to crowd the district floor.

Karros had only been admiring the view for a few moments when he noticed a new light on the buttons panel in the window's reflection. Turning with a frown the Concierge saw that the button labelled “240” had lit up as well. Karros glanced up at the screen above the door. The blinking number had just turned to “155”. And every second it would blink again, each time with the next highest number. Sensing someone else was coming aboard. The Concierge quickly looked around. In the car’s ceiling was the distinct outline of an escape hatch. A narrow groove was cut out along one side as if to allow for fingers to grasp that particular area. Lowering into a slight crouch Karros sprang up and hooked his fingers into the groove. Hanging from the ceiling with one hand he gave the hatch a hard yank downward. It didn’t budge. He glanced back at the number above the doors. 179. Karros scanned the ceiling for anything that might resemble a released switch. Nothing. Aside from the outline the ceiling was perfectly smooth. He glanced at the floor number again. 192. Reaching up and slipping the fingers of both hands into the groove Karros pulled his face close to the edge of the hatch. In the sliver of a gap between the hatch and the ceiling he could see the metal gleam of the door latch holding the hatch shut. Allowing himself to hang from the hatch groove using only his unfeeling, cybernetic fingers, with his now free right hand he focused the Force through it. Channeling his telekinesis on the latch and visualizing it as a hand Karros wrenched the latch clear of the door. The hatch swung down into the lift space with Karros, losing his handhold to angle and gravity, landing awkwardly on his feet. A torrent of wind began streaming down from the open hatch. Through it Karros could see the stars in the night sky.

Glancing up one more time at the floor number the Concierge saw it blink to “131”. Looking up to the square of open sky Karros leaped up, grabbed the edge of the square and hauled himself up. The wind from the still moving lift beat down on him, making his efforts to pull himself up over the ledge more difficult than usual. Thankfully the lift roof was flat though the dimensions were fairly small. No sooner than he had pulled his feet clear of the hatch the lift slowed to a stop. Peering back inside the car he saw that the floor number had stopped blinking and read “240”. As fast as he could he reached back in, grabbed the escape hatch by the exterior latch and quickly closed it shut.

On the other side he could hear the lift doors slide open followed by footsteps. Slowly the Concierge opened the hatch back up just a hair. Just enough to look inside. Below he saw a man with jet black hair in a silver suit with his back to him. With gloved hands he reached into his blazer and pulled out a card. In a single swift, fluid motion he swiped the card across the card reader beside the button panel. As he stowed his card away the keypad lit up. The man’s fingers danced across the pad as he typed in a code. The screen above the door blinked again before the words “STAFF GARAGE A-1”. Then Karros nearly tumbled face-first into the lift’s roof as the car lurched upward once again. Steadying and bracing himself into the car’s motion and the renewed torrent of wind he looked up. The top of the superstructure was rapidly approaching. Just as quickly as it had sped up, the lift began slowing down. The car gradually accelerated before coming to a complete stop at a wall-less floor. Peering over the side of the lift Karros could see airspeeders parked neatly in formation within.

He glanced back at the wall. Until before, where there had been a groove in the wall indicating that the lift could ascend there. Now there was only a smooth duramentium plane in front of him. Karros scanned the wall in front of him, looking up and down for a route he could take. For over fifty feet there was nothing. No foot- or handholds to use. And he was so close to the top. But apparently this was as far as he was going this way.

Karros heard the lift doors open. Peeking through the slit in the open hatch the Concierge watched the man stride out of the lift. As the doors began to close behind the man Karros dropped down into the lift. Before the doors could completely shut Karros thrust his cybernetic hand through the gap. The doors’ bumper edge closed on his unfeeling, durasteel limb. Sensing an obstruction the safety protocols activated and the doors opened back up. As soon as the pressure on his hand lifted Karros dropped back into a crouch. Stylish airspeeders, both company and personal, were lined up in rows on either side of him. Even when parked they remained a couple feet off the ground. Still, the speeders’ sleek profiles did not offer much in the way of cover. And though he may crouch down beside one to hide, Karros’ feet could still be easily spotted. The man stood at a kiosk in a pillar a stone’s throw away from the Concierge with his back to him. Karros silently dropped down under the nearest speeder.

Crawling like a spider into the space between the garage floor and the speeder underside he rotated so that he was facing the craft’s gridiron-like keel. Reaching up he grabbed the bars in the grid, pulled himself against the speeder’s underside before completely pulling himself off the floor by hooking his feet into the bars as well. Flattening himself as much as he could against the speeder’s keel, Karros looked over to the man. He watched for a few brief moments, the man’s legs and feet simply standing by the pillar. The garage lights reflected dully off the gloss of his black derby shoes. Then the man turned on his heel while in the background Karros could see a portion of the wall open up to the city skyline as a garage door disappeared from view. The man’s shoes clicked on the ferrocrete floor with each step as he walked, to Karros’ alarm, towards the speeder the Concierge was hiding under. Closer and closer the man’s feet drew until he stood right next to Karros’ speeder. The feet abruptly disappeared up out of sight while simultaneously the speeder dipped slightly closer to the ground as it took on new weight. There was a rumble and a shiver through the craft as the engines fired up. Then before Karros had the chance to let go the speeder zoomed out of the garage and flew into the sky.

The dull grey of the garage floor was suddenly replaced with open air above the glowing lights of the Pleasure District. The wind whistled and gusted past Karros as he tightened his grip. Well over a thousand feet of empty air was all that stood between him and the ground. Securing his footholds and the grasp he had with his cybernetic hand Karros let his body drop slightly from the speeder’s keel before letting his natural hand go of the keel grid. Turning his body the Concierge let it hang below him like a monkey hanging from a tree branch as he looked down upon the district. He was thankful he had rolled underneath the speeder with his feet pointing toward the front of the craft. His head was in the slipstream of his feet where he could take in the view instead of being battered headlong by the rushing winds. There was an upturned quirk on the corner of his lips. This wasn’t the view he had hoped for. Instead it was much better. Below the streets looked like pulsing arteries of red light crisscrossing the district. The buildings and superstructures, adorned with suggestive holoimages of men and women, rose up like pillars and monuments to deities of revelry. And even up here some thousands of feet in the air Karros could still feel the reverberations of the bass pumping from the clubs below. The rhythmic music could still be heard above the wind.

Then, much closer, Karros heard the distinctive dialing of a holocomm coming from the speeder cockpit. It rang for several moments before he heard a woman’s sensually cool voice.

“You have reached the Chantry of the Flowering Garden. How may I be of service?”

“I need to meet with Mother Sehshowyn. Tell her it’s Zayin and tell her it’s urgent” came the man’s voice. Karros could hear the qwelled anxiety in his words.

“The Blessed Mother has many children who partake of her sacrament. It may take a while for her to ease your troubles” the woman’s voice replied.

Karros heard the man make an almost angry “tsk” sound. Looking ahead the Concierge saw that they were approaching another superstructure. This one looked like a cross between a techno supercathedral, an enormous high-rise love hotel, a sprawling castle and a garden. A massive garden. Luminescent trees covered with glowing pink and red blossoms filled the grounds surrounding the main building and the courtyard within. Towers rose up along the outer walls ringing the cathedral keep with smaller towers rising from the keep itself. Dotting all along the sides of the towers were soft red and gold lights flickering as they emanated out of windows and balconies. On the courtyard gatehouse’s facade was an enormous stained glass window dyed similarly in hue of pinks and reds. Across the window was the stylized image of a beautiful, naked woman with her body rendered in startling detail. She reclined in the center of a rose with the pedals encompassing her like a halo. Her hair spread out over and around her in a pattern of sunburst rays extending all around her, drawing the eye towards her image. She smiled sensually out across the plaza in front of her where more couples and clusters of people swirled around like a slow moving ocean eddy.

Though there was what appeared to be a parking lot beside the plaza, Karros saw landing pads dotting the ramparts of the cathedral. Most of which were already filled. The speeder was zooming past towers and weaving around spires as it searched for a landing spot. As the speeder began to make another pass over the spire of the largest tower of the keep Karros simultaneously unhooked his feet from the underside of the speeder, let go of the gridiron and began to plummet towards the spire like a ballistic missile once more. He angled his body as he fell so that the wind caused him to yaw just slightly to the right of the fleche. As he was about to pass the spike the Concierge stretched out his cybernetic hand and caught it. The momentum from the fall caused him to whirl around the spike like a centrifuge. Clamping down with his unfeeling hand Karros grabbed the spike with his natural hand. His grasp secure, he allowed himself to rotate a few more times before planting his feet on the spire to come to a stop. Karros squated there for a moment, one hand still holding the spike while the other touched the roof under his feet for support, while looking out over the supercathedral.

The architecture certainly had the trappings of a spiritual place. But upon closer inspection Karros could see the vein-like grooves and indistinct shapes of naked, writhing bodies that adorned the steelstone walls of the supercathedral. Instead of the beat of bass and rhythmic pulse of club music the sigh-like song of a female choir permeated from the keep below. But it was not some angelic hymn. It seemed more like soft nothings whispered during lovemaking. There were still rhythmic beats of music. Though the instruments were exotic and sensual instead of the heavy synth emanating from the rest of the district.

Letting go of the spire steeple Karros gently began sliding down its slope just as he did in the Gala District. Thankfully the distance was not nearly as far as his previous slide. He only went a few hundred feet. The steep angle gradually began to level out as he came further and further towards the bottom. It was also a much bumpier slide across the steelstone roof shingles. But he kept contact with the spire to his cybernetic hand and his feet. Like before he used them to control his descent. His durasteel hand made loud scraping sounds when he pressed too hard to control his slide. That factor made his descent much slower than he would have liked. When he reached the bottom of the roof the angle had almost completely leveled out. Coming to a stop at the verge Karros peered over the edge. The slow, sweeping curve of the tower wall fell for another four hundred feet before meeting the roof of the keep’s main body. All along the way down in spiraling lines, balconies extended from the wall. Each seemed to indicate a different floor of the tower.

Rising to his feet the Concierge began walking along the edge of the roof. He was looking for the nearest floor’s balcony. He could simply swing down from the roof overhang, hit the tower wall and gripfall like before. But the descent would be too risky. If the tower walls were made of steelstone, which from their coloration Karros bet they were, his gripfall would be scuffing and screeching the entire way down. Unlike in the Gala district, everyone nearby would hear him. Not to mention the curved iconography all over the wall. A smooth plane was the best medium for a gripfall. At least with what he had now. All the bumps and grooves would throw him off the wall. No, what Karros planned to do was jump down from floor to floor using the balconies as platforms. The balconies seemed to be spiraling in a clockwise direction. So Karros paced to his right, always looking down for a balcony.

The circumference of the roof was surprisingly wide. It took a couple minutes before Karros spotted his balcony. Lowering himself he placed his hands on the edge of the roof before executing a turn dismount so that he was hanging over the left side of the balcony balustrade. Releasing his grip on the roof the Concierge landed like a cat on the wide stone railing. No sooner had his hands touched the railing in his safety tap did he hear a soft feminine moan from beyond the wide, open doorway in the balcony wall. Quickly dismounting the balustrade Karros scrambled over and pressed his back against the wall for cover. He waited a moment for the sound of approaching footsteps as he instinctively placed one hand over his lightsaber. There was only more of the soft feminine moans accompanied by male grunts, the shifting of sheets, a woman’s light laughter and the subdued sound of flesh slapping on flesh.

Karros cautiously peeked an eye around the edge of the doorway. A pair of sheer veils acting as curtained “doors” to the room within were drawn and parted to either side, allowing the Concierge an unimpeded line of sight into the spacious bedchamber within. Glowing lanterns floating near the ceiling provided warm hues of pink colored illumination using feather soft lights. Sweetly scented smoke wafted up from a brass incense burner in a corner alcove. Gilded marble statues of men and women lined the circular edge of the chamber. Their naked forms were captured in painstaking detail. Enough that for a split second Karros mistook them as people covered in golden body paint. Each was captured in a pose of carnal ecstasy. Some were very suggestive in their poses. Most were outright explicit. A luxurious vanity made of laroon wood with a tall, wide mirror stood on the direct opposite of the bedchamber, allowing Karros to see his own reflection in the mirror as well as the other side of the threesome. Images of flowing men and women coupling together were carved into the trim. On it was a small stack of what appeared to be business cards. Next to the vanity stood a large wardrobe also made from luxurious laroon wood. A staircase was cut into the floor on the side of the chamber. Scattered over the floor were a pair of military uniforms along with black slacks and men’s underwear. One was adorned with a blue and silver crest while the other bore a badge of purple and gold.

In the center of the chamber was a massive round bed covered in ruby red silk sheets. Two men sat cross-legged facing each other with a woman bouncing up and down between them. The men in question, one a blonde and the other dark haired, were completely naked and barely into their twenties. It seemed more likely they were still in their teens. The woman was somewhere in her late twenties to mid thirties. Her beauty gave her appearance a far more mature allure than the other, younger women Karros had seen around the district. The woman was tall. Six foot at least. Nearly seven counting her horns. Unlike her male companions she was clothed but the articles she wore could hardly be considered clothing. A white lingerie gown with square, sode-style sleeves were draped over her arms as she held onto the shoulders of the boy in front of her. Long black hair cascaded down from her head like a waterfall onto the bed. The boy behind her buried his face in her tresses as he clung onto her with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. The numerous cut-out in the “gown” revealed the alabaster skin of her shoulders and sides and her captivatingly long legs. There was just enough material to cover her full breasts which threatened to spill out from behind the cloth with each successive bounce. Over her legs were sheer pink stockings held up by an equally pink lace garter belt. A pair of crotchless panties decorated more than covered her womanhood through which the two boys humped their cocks as the woman ground down on their double lotus. Karros could see the body art decorating her torso; a pink, stylized flower tattoo shaped like a rose adorned her mound. A circle in a darker shade of pink flanked by two wings was drawn on her sternum. And three dots, lined up neatly in a column, decorated her forehead. What was particularly remarkable about the woman was the pair of massive horns that curved upwards from the sides of her head. They reminded him of an Iktotchi’s except theirs curved downward. Hers curved skyward. Dark purple and pink swirls covered her horns. Golden tassels hung from rings from the horns and a priestess’ veil obscured where exactly where they attached to her head.

The woman rode the double lotus of her lovers, moaning and sighing as she ground her hips into theirs while they bucked rhythmically into hers. Karros could see the folds of her crotchless panties parted to the sides as the boys' cocks penetrated her from both front and back. Her tassels would swing as she rocked back and forth with a look of ecstasy on her face. The boys’ skin was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Their breathing was hard and ragged. Hers on the other hand was sprinkled with soft laughs and little gasps of pleasure. The woman threw back her head to let out a long moan, displaying the pale column of her throat. Reaching behind her with one hand the woman pulled the dark-haired boy towards her into an open-mouthed kiss. With her other hand she slipped it around the back of the blonde’s scalp and pulled him into her chest. The blonde buried his head in her breasts, rubbing his face back and forth in the valley between them. The woman moaned into her kiss before breaking it off. Karros could see the wet gleam of the spit trail between their lips as they parted. Upon release the dark haired boy gasped as if his lungs had been drained of air. His expression was one of utter exhaustion. Turning to the blonde she ran her fingers through his hair. Then she cupped his face up to hers and gave him an open-mouthed tongue kiss. The boy weakly kissed her back as if his energy was nearly spent.

Karros glanced from the scene on the bed to the other side of the balcony. There was at least fifteen feet of open space that he had to traverse. Without any means of cover. The Concierge contemplated his options. He could climb back up onto the roof. Or shimmy along the outside edge of the balcony behind the wall. Before he could either he felt what he could only be described as the warmth and softness of a woman’s touch on his hand. He glanced down. There was nothing over his hand. Which was gloved by his bodysuit no less. In confusion Karros glanced with one eye back into the room to check if he had been detected. Still locked in her kiss the woman was gazing right at him. Not just staring in his direction. Perfect eye contact. Karros could see the gold of her irises. Before he could duck behind the corner he felt the sensations of more hands run over his legs, chest and arms. The sensation spread all over his body like snakes. It didn’t feel like arms grabbing him as much as embracing him. Like a dozen invisible women had surrounded him and were binding him in loving caresses all over. Karros found himself unable to move. Unable to even look away from the woman’s gaze. The woman continued to lock eyes with him even as she seemed to smile into her devouring kiss. Her sultry gaze appeared to say “stay and watch”.

Returning her full attention to her lover the woman broke off her kiss. A glistening spit trail hung between their lips. Pulling back slightly she held his face with both hands. Leaning close to his face as she continued to grind her hips she spoke to him in a low, sensually seductive voice.

“Come with me. Be mine” she crooned to him.

“Yes” the boy gasped out breathlessly.

“Tell me you’re mine” she sighed in his ear. The woman leaned back and reached over her shoulder to caress the cheek of the boy behind her. “Say that you love me.”

“I love you. I’m yours” the boys murmured into her neck and breasts.

“Tell me you belong to me” the woman breathed as she let her head loll back.

“I belong to you” the boys murmured together. The woman smiled sensually. Their grinding and bucking was starting to become more frantic.

“Please be loyal to me. Love only me. Serve only me. Please. Be mine” she purred softly.

“Yes. Yes!” said the boys as their movements whipped into a frenzy of bucking flesh, “We swear ourselves to you. You and only you!”

“Good boy” the woman whispered lovingly, “Good boy.”

The woman suddenly sped up her movements. She bounced up and down like a jackhammer while grinding her hips into the boys’ when she pressed down like a pestle into the mortar bowl. The boys gasped and groaned loudly while the woman let out a moan of pleasure. They bucked and ground, buck and ground against each other until the dark haired boy abruptly threw his arms around her waist and pulled her close as he let out something between a shout and a groan. A split second later the blonde did the same by grabbing the woman’s hips and pulling himself against her as he let out a loud grunt. The woman let out a loud gasp of delight as she clung onto the redhead. The three of them clutched each other as they climaxed. Their bodies spasmed and shuddered in unison. After a moment of trembling the two boys collapsed back onto the bed. The woman remained upright in their laps. She gave a coquettish giggle at their spent bodies. Lifting herself off her lovers with a luxurious sigh she slid off the bed.

Setting her feet on the red velvet carpet she gave a knowing sideways glance towards Karros. With one finger she beckoned him to come to her. The Concierge remained frozen around the corner with one eye peering out at her. The sensations of dozens of soft hands roving over his body had become like snakes of feminine flesh constricting him. His body refused to obey his instinct to take cover. A viscous cloud lay over his thoughts like a waterfall of warm honey. The cloud was accompanied by the woman’s voice in his head, soft and seductive, whispering soft, wordless invitations to join her. Struggle as he might the Concierge’s own Mind Shield seemed useless in keeping her out of his head. It took all of Karros' willpower to simply remain motionless in the sensation of coils and not succumb to her temptations.

The woman feigned a wounded pout when Karros did not move out from behind the balcony corner. It was quickly replaced by a seductive smile. She turned her back to the Concierge and slowly walked over to her wardrobe, letting her hips sway as she went. Reaching out with her elegantly long fingers she opened the wardrobe doors to reveal a nun’s habit. Positioning herself so that Karros could see her front could be seen in the vanity mirror he saw her meet his gaze in the mirror. She smiled sultrily at him as she reached up to the shoulder straps of her gown. With almost careless ease she slid the straps off her shoulders. The gown crumpled into a pile at her feet. Tracing her hands over her breasts down her taut stomach the woman placed them on her hips. Teasingly she ran the string of her tie-up panties between her fingers if it were a pet snake. Then with slow, deliberate motions she tugged at the sting until the knot fell apart. The right side of her panties fell off her hip. Sliding the panties off her leg the woman held it up beside her as she smirked at Karros in the mirror before casually tossing them away with a flick of her wrist. She slid her hands back up her body to cup her breasts as she gazed seductively at Karros in the mirror and arching her back.

“Reverend Mother?” came another woman’s voice from out of view below.

Both Karros and the woman turned towards the direction of the voice. Another woman stepped into view from the staircase in the floor. She wore a nun’s habit though it was far plainer and simpler than the one in the wardrobe. Her habit was far too form-fitting to be a religious garment. The Concierge could see every curve of her body. The high slit of her skirt revealed brief glimpses of her calf and thigh. The new woman seemed younger than the one she addressed as Reverend Mother, though only by a few years at most. Beneath the cap of her coif Karros could see dark tresses of her hair. Black eyeliner surrounded her eyes, making them pop against her pale skin. The effect drew Karros’ gaze towards them and away from the small yet distractingly noticeable scar on the lower part of her face. The way it was formed the scar seemed more a product of a ritual instead of an injury.

As the gaze of the two women met, the new arrival’s face suddenly went red. She quickly looked down at the ground and folded her hands in the front of her apron.

“Forgive me Reverend Mother” she said nervously, “I didn’t know you were still with the initiates.”

The Reverend Mother smiled at her.

“Sister Seiri, since when have you been shy about seeing me naked?” the horned woman asked sweetly. The sister simply continued to stare at the floor, blushing in response. The Reverend Mother slinked over to Sister Seiri. Including her horns the Reverend Mother stood nearly a foot and a half taller than the sister. The horned woman raised her hand to cup the sister’s cheek. Pulling the sister’s face to look up at hers, the horned woman slid her palm along her jawline until she held the sister’s chin between the crook of her index finger and the pad of her thumb. The Reverend Mother lightly ran the pad of her thumb over the sister’s ritual scar.

“Remember when I gave you this on your initiation?” the horned woman murmured.

Sister Seiri nodded breathlessly. Her cheeks, though less red, were still flushed.

“‘To worship and love you. To please and to pledge myself to you’” said Sister Seiri as if reciting the words.

“Would you please your Reverend Mother now?” the horn woman whispered seductively leaning into Sister Seiri’s. Her face was so close to the sister’s she was practically whispering them into her mouth. Sister Seiri nodded. Gripping the sister’s chin between her thumb and forefinger while sliding her other hand around the back of her head, the horned woman pulled Sister Seiri into a forceful kiss. It was not a romantic kiss. It was a hard, desperate kiss. Karros could see their tongues dueling together in open mouths as they mashed their lips together. Gasping and moaning they ran their hands over each others’ bodies. The Reverend Mother glanced up at Karros without breaking her kiss. Her eyes had the same unspoken message as before. “Watch” she seemed to say with her gaze.

Frantically running her hands over the horned woman’s body Sister Seiri half stumbled forward, half pushed, the Reverend Mother against the vanity. The Reverend Mother in turn pulled the sister against her by the back of her head, keeping a fist in the veil of her lover’s coif as she maintained their kiss. After a few moments of struggling to maintain a grip the wimple fell off entirely. As it did the sister’s dark tresses cascaded over her shoulders and back as the Reverend Mother’s fingers found a new grip in her hair instead. They continued to devour each other before the Reverend Mother roughly pulled the sister back. Wordlessly the horned woman abruptly forced Sister Seiri to her knees in front of her as the Reverend Mother hopped backwards onto the edge of the vanity. She then spread her legs wide to reveal her slit with white ooze still leaking out and dribbling down the inside of her thigh.

“Clean it up” the horned woman said to Sister Seiri with an erotic mewl.

The sister crawled over to the Reverend Mother. Placing her hands on the inside of her thighs, Sister Seiri buried her face to the horned woman’s crotch. The Reverend Mother threw back her head with a look of pleasure on her face. The back of the sister’s head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. The horned woman lowered her head to resume her sultry gaze at a frozen Karros. With her free hand she ran her fingers through Sister Seiri’s hair. Pressing the sister’s head against her crotch hard enough that Karros heard Seiri’s muffled sound of surprise, the horned woman began bucking her hips against the sister’s face. In turn Sister Seiri began grinding her face in time with her bucking lover. Their movements became faster and faster, harder and more frantic, until the Reverend Mother suddenly stiffened. She threw her head back as she arched her spine. The horned woman fisted her hand in the sister’s hair as she pressed down even harder, smothering her lover’s face for several seconds as the Reverend Mother rode out the spasms that shook her body.

As quickly as it happened the horned woman’s entire body went lax. Released from her lover’s grip, Sister Seiri tumbled backwards onto her rear. Her face glistened with a wet sheen. The sister’s chest heaved with her heavy breathing. Looking down with a smile the Reverend Mother leaned down, grabbed her lover by the back of her head again and pulled her into another kiss. The Reverend Mother locked eyes with him as she smothered Sister Seiri with her mouth before breaking the kiss. Straightening and leaning back on her hands she turned her attention to the sister.

“I assume you had something to tell me when you came in?” the horned woman asked the sister.

Sister Seiri sat up on her knees like a schoolgirl at attention.

“Yes Reverend Mother” she said, “Brother Zayin is requesting to see you. He says it’s urgent.”

“Ah Zayin'' the horned woman said with a light laugh, “Always asking for help. Very well. I’ll see him. But first.” The Reverend Mother pointed her foot in Sister Seiri’s face. “Would you help your Reverend Mother get dressed?”

The sister leaped to her feet. She reached up and unclipped the horned woman’s stockings before sliding them off the Reverend Mother’s legs. The Reverend Mother slid off the vanity to allow the sister to take her veil off her head. Folding the veil and stockings in her arms, Sister Seiri hurried over to the open wardrobe. Stowing away the stocking and veil she took the parts of the nun’s habit before returning to the horned woman. The Reverend Mother stuck out her foot and held her leg out straight. Kneeling the sister slid a white stocking over her foot and up her leg before clipping it to the garter belt. Lowering the leg and lifting the other the horned woman allowed the sister to do the same for her other leg. Slipping off the vanity onto the velvet floor the Reverend Mother held her arms out awaiting in a “T” pose. Hurrying around her with adept speed Sister Seiri helped her don the tunic over her front and secured it with the sound of a zipper at the back. A high leg slit in the flank of the tunic’s skirt gave full view of the horned woman’s legs, flashing Karros when she rotated her hips to twirl it. Reaching up the Reverend Mother ran her hands over her horns. Miraculously the horns vanished into thin air as her hands passed over them. As if they never existed. Standing behind the now hornless woman Sister Seiri placed the nun’s coif and veil over the Reverend Mother’s head. After a few minor tweaks the Reverend Mother looked almost like a proper nun herself. Save for the slit in her skirt, the hungry gleam in her eye and what Karros had seen, the Concierge would have been convinced. Waving away the sister’s final ministrations the Revered Mother pointed to the sister’s coif on the floor. Sister Seiri hastily picked it up and secured it on her head.

“Go tell Zayin to meet me in the blue room. I will be with him shortly.” The Reverend Mother smiled sweetly. “And tell Sister Lucrisa and Sister Bienae to help you clean up here.” She gestured to the two torpid boys on the bed. Sister Seiri bowed.

“At once Reverend Mother” said the sister. She quickly bowed again before heading down the stairs.

As soon as she was out of sight the Reverend Mother glanced again at Karros’ direction. With a soft, sweet expression she turned to the vanity. Pulling a pen from one of the drawers and a card from the stack she proceeded to scribble something on it. Setting the pen aside she turned so that the Concierge had an unimpeded view of her profile. Pressing the card to her lips in a long kiss the Reverend Mother flicked the card across the room. Like an arrow the card flew in a perfectly straight line over the bed and out the balcony doorway before making a hard left to insert itself neatly in the front of Karros’ belt. Touching the tips of her fingers to her lips the Reverend Mother blew Karros a kiss. Giving the Concierge a sweetly inviting smile she then turned and vanished down the stairs herself.

No sooner had she disappeared the sensation of snakes of feminine flesh binding him vanished. The smothering fog of sweet honey lifted from his mind. Karros sank against the wall onto the ground. He was drained. The Concierge had been fighting to break free as soon as he had been discovered. The struggle was exhausting. Taking a moment to recover his energy he plucked the business card from his belt. Inspecting it he saw the detailed image of a naked woman reclining in the center of a blooming rose on a flesh-color paper. Just like the window on the cathedral facade. In the center were the words:

Mother Sehshowyn, Lady of the Flowering Garden
Chantry of the Flowering Garden

To one side was the distinct, dark pink mark of lipstick print the Reverend Mother had kissed onto the card. Beside it in flowery handwriting she had written “I look forward to seeing you next time my son.” She punctuated the end of her statement with a heart. Karros stared at the card for a moment. Unsure of what to do with it he simply stowed it away in the pouch where he kept his datapad. Taking a few more moments to regain his verve Karros rose to his feet. He glanced back into the musk-smelling room. Both boys were still passed out. The Concierge had been delayed long enough. Quickly crossing to the other side of the wide balcony he mounted the balustrade. Looking down he saw that the next balcony was about fourteen feet down. Thankfully it only moved a few feet clockwise along the wall. The middle of the balcony was almost directly beneath him. All Karros needed to do was hop down. The faint sound of voices wafted up from the stairs. He had to move. Now.

Dropping down Karros gripped the edge of the balustrade. He then slid his feet off the edge so that he held onto the ledge in a dead hang. Looking down to check his position the Concierge let go. His brief moment of freefall was abruptly ended with a safety tap on the new balcony floor. Thankfully this doorway was “closed” by red velvet curtains drawn over the breadth. He could hear the sounds of a couple’s lovemaking on the other side. Karros didn’t even bother to turn his head towards the noise. He’d already had his fill of carnal excitement for the night. Instead he made straight for the right side of the balcony. Building up speed into a run Karros did a turn vault over the edge. Planting his feet against the side of the balcony he looked down to see the next balcony in the same spiraling position as the last time he jumped. In fact a quick glance further down told him all of the balconies were lined up in the same spiraling curve down the tower. Good. This made things easier. Letting go of his grip on the balustrade Karros landed on his feet on the balcony below, using his telekinesis to cushion his fall. Running over to the right side of the balcony he did it again. Turn vault, drop, telekinetic cushion, run to the right side, repeat. He did this over and over down the spiral of balconies. Most of the rooms he passed had their curtains drawn closed. Some were open and empty. There were a few that had the curtains pulled open with occupants within. Karros paid them no heed, not even turning to see if he had been noticed. He didn’t want to potentially be caught again in another honey trap.

Down the spiral Karros fell. There was a contradictory sensation of monotonous exhilaration in repeating his motions. Exhilaration in the movement and the fall. Monotony in having to repeat it over and over again. He had gone down over two dozen stories, twenty-eight in fact, when on his final drop he landed not on a balcony but the roof of the main building. His feet hit the steelstone shingles with a muffled clatter. Remaining crouched in his safety tap the Concierge glanced around. From the way it was shaped, and that the sounds of the female choir seemed to be coming from directly underneath him, Karros guessed he was atop the chapel. Or whatever carnal rendition of a chapel they had. To his left the roof continued for another two hundred some yards before dropping off into a section of the castle gardens. On the other side of the gardens Karros could see the outer wall of the castle grounds and the lights of the Pleasure District beyond. Five of the luminescent trees rose high into the air within the garden. Their trunks and boughs were thick, signaling their age, as their glowing foliage and flowering branches provided soft magenta illumination. Rising Karros walked to the edge of the roof where the trees were. Peering over the side he saw couples walking around the base of the trees some five stories below. Looking back to the trees the Concierge could not help but notice how sturdy the branches appeared to be. Each was large enough to walk along like a street sidewalk. Collectively they formed a web branching out across the air between the chapel and the outer wall. And the nearest was only a few yards away.

An idea forming in his head Karros took several steps backwards. Grounding his stance he then bolted across the roof and launched himself into the air at the nearest branch. With a gymnast’s grace he landed on the bough. The limb barely stirred under the new weight. Karros cast a glance down below to see if anyone had spotted him. None of the couples seemed to notice. Returning his gaze to the web of branches in front of him Karros parkoured through the boughs, weaving through them like they were glowing wooden beams of a jungle gym. He moved part like a traceur, part like a monkey. It couldn’t be helped. Tree branches were a wholly different variety of terrain then architecture. Thankfully the illumination made his tree-top parkour much, much easier then when he ran in the trees in the jungle. He could see with ease. And with the size of the trees the branches didn’t even stir as he passed over them. Less like a monkey swinging and leaping through the boughs and more like a crow branching through them.

Leaping off the last bough of the final tree Karros landed on the rampart of the castle’s outer wall. A wide walkway built from mortar and actual stone, wide enough that ten men could walk shoulder to shoulder along it, the curtain wall acted as the perimeter of the castle. Beyond the merlons he could see the next rooftop several yards below the crenel edge. The Concierge cast one last glance over his shoulder at the cathedral tower before returning his attention to the next rooftop. A quiet jump later off the merlon and he was gone.

Eastward he ran across the roofs. Karros relished in the familiar sensation. The familiar freedom of a simple run. He vaulted over low ventilation shafts and long jumped over alleyways between buildings. Despite his initial perception after leaving the cathedral behind, Karros realized he was still very high above the ground. The carpet of conventionally sized buildings were several hundred stories below every time he jumped through the air. The Concierge took a route that steadily dipped lower and lower in altitude. Not that he could help it. The buildings were shrinking the further east he went. Though the structures he was traversing were by no means small. They still towered over the carpet of buildings below. It was like descending a multi-summit mountain.

Ahead was possibly the last superstructure before his route began running across the conventionally sized buildings. The superstructure resembled a giant oval cylinder. Running in bands along its side were rings of strobing lights. A massive holoimage of a beautiful woman dancing in a bedlah outfit illuminated the side of the superstructure, backlit by the rings of light. Underneath her dancing feet in equally massive, glowing letters was the word “Hippolyta”. Unlike the dancer, the letters were actually physical, lit up signs mounted onto the side of the superstructure. Speeding across the roof Karros leaped off the edge, reaching out his arms as he flew through the air. Passing just under the holoimage’s projector the Concierge caught the top of the “O” in “Hippolyta” with his hands. Not that he held on for very long. The curved line of the “O” was large enough that it extended from the tip of his outstretched hands clear to his waist. Instead Karros let the momentum of his fall swing his legs forward through the hole until they pointed at the inside of the bottom curve. At which point he did let go.

He fell several feet before landing lightly on the inner curve of the bottom of the “O”. Stopping in a crouch the Concierge took a moment to roll his shoulders and rub his chest. For that brief moment of catching and swinging his legs, without a proper bar to rotate off it felt more like a collision. The abrupt stop with limited direction for the momentum to go made it feel like he had almost torn his arms out of his sockets. After a moment of rubbing the impact spots on his torso and the soreness out of his shoulders Karros looked behind him. The sight was strikingly beautiful. On the other side of the ravine he had leapt from he could see the tall, narrow windows where within he could make out figures running in and out of view. Some three hundred feet below his position a busy skylane rushed by filled with speeders. And of course, far, far below him he could see the roofs of the conventionally sized buildings, though now with moderately greater detail.

It was, for all intents and purposes, quiet here and secluded. And the view was rather lovely. Deciding to take a rest here while he had a moment to take in the scenery, and to recuperate from that very awkward swing, Karros sat down on the inside of the “O”’s curvature. Leaning his back against the side of the inner curve and popping his arms up on his knees, the Concierge relaxed for a minute while watching the speeder traffic zoom by underneath him. Turning to his left he found himself staring at one of the wide bands of colored light. Oddly he could see his reflection in the band. Reaching out across the space he touched the wall of light. Even with his unfeeling hand, Karros could tell it was slick and smooth, like a glass pane. Upon closer inspection he realized he was looking at a glowing window similar to the ones back in the Administrative District. Through the opaque pane past the cyan light he could see the dancefloor of a night club on the other side of the pane. At the far end of the room he saw the doors of a turbo lift open and a familiar figure step into view.

~Apprentice Titus IC, written by Karros Zaruiel with approval~

Titus walked out of the turbolift doors onto the floor of the Nightclub Hippolyta. He had been given a break from his studies for the night and he had been given a special recommendation from his friend Karros Zaruiel in the cantina. Titus had been pouring out his woes to the head bartender about his continuing troubles with women. His friend Karros had recommended a trip to the Pleasure District, where he had assured the young Sith he would both learn how to interact with women and not be in any risk of repercussion should he make a misstep. Titus was surprised with this recommendation but accepted it. The Concierge had yet to steer him wrong. Karros had even given him the name of one club that, according to him, was an excellent gateway club to the rest of the Pleasure District, but warned him not to lose his head in the excitement. As Titus walked through the club he could feel the bass of the music reverberate through his body. The other denizens of the Empire were huddled around tables or the bar having drinks, or grouped around platforms upon which scantily-clad dancers swayed suggestively to the beat of the music. The best dancers had tips of credits thrown at their feet as they performed.

Titus looked around with an expression of both awkwardness and suspicion. He felt horribly out of his comfort zone. And even though he trusted the head bartender, he still was very wary of everyone around him. As he looked around wondering what to do next, he heard a low, sultry voice call out to him.

“First time here?”

Titus whirled over to look at the source of the voice. His jaw went slack. An absolutely gorgeous, tall, olive-complexioned woman came sauntering over to him. It did not help in the slightest that her clothes could barely be classified as such. Her ultra-sheer pants revealed every curve of her voluptuous legs. A long strip of cloth was bound around her luscious breasts, barely resembling a top. And a long, golden chain hung from a choker around her neck, falling underneath the wrap into the valley between her breasts to connect to her pants at her swaying hips, drawing his gaze from top to bottom to up again. Titus stared. As she approached Titus realized just how much taller she was than him; she towered at least a full foot over him. And to add to further danger, with her height his head was just about the same altitude as her chest. She stopped in front of him, hands on her hip as she leaned her chest forward into his face. Try as he might to look her in the eye Titus’ gaze kept being pulled by gravity into the well of her cleavage. She smirked when she saw where his gaze went.

“Like what you see?” Before he could break from his reverie in time the woman had slipped her hand around the back of Titus’ head and pulled his face into her chest. As he struggled to pull out of her grasp he was assailed by the fragrance of her perfume and her sweet, natural scent. *She smells so nice* he thought to himself. No no no. He was Sith. He had to take control. But it was hard to speak when his mouth was buried in such enticing flesh. He tried to break free but was amazed at how strong she was and how weakened he had been just from her scent alone.

“Aww, so innocent.” The woman cooed as Titus struggled in her arms. “Relax baby boy, Mommy will take care of you tonight.” Before he could react the woman was practically dragging him against her chest over to one of the empty booths. Whoops and excited cheers erupted from the crowd as she passed. “Onna’s back!” they cried, “Onna’s got another one!”.

“Got another one Onna?” asked the female bartender as the woman named Onna passed the counter with her prey.

“The blue bottle,” Onna told her as she passed with a smirk as if she had done this before, “With the red sugar.”

The bartender smirked right back at her before reaching underneath the counter and withdrawing a small, clear vial of glittering red grains that resembled sugar granules labeled “K’s Estrus”. Reaching the empty booth Onna practically tossed him into the seat. As he scrambled to sit up, Onna sensuously climbed up on top of the table in front of him, slinking towards him with seasoned motions and a hungry look in her eye. Like a she-wolf with a lamb in her sights. She slid on all fours across the table to Titus, tilting her head slightly to the side as she smiled seductively at him. She reared back to sit on her knees, tracing her palms over her breasts, her sides, the smooth plane of her stomach down into the valley between her thighs. The music seemed to resonate with her movements and she with the beat. Onna lifted herself to sit back on her haunches before rising to her full height on the table. Slowly she traced her hands back up her body, throwing her head back slightly into a soft roll and closing her eyes with her mouth slightly parted. She arched her spine in line with her neck, pushing her breast forward into the air to display. When she had brought her hands to her neck Onna lifted her elbows up to either side of her and began to sway from side to side, first her hips, then rolling her shoulders, followed by making circles with her rear, all in time to the beat of the music. The crowd had gone silent as they watched the mistress of Hippolyta work her magic. Titus watched, eyes and mouth wide open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoWxv2yZXLQ

While all eyes were on Onna’s performance the bartender had taken a clear bottle of blue liquid, opened the top, and poured the vial of the red granules inside. The granules were a highly concentrated aphrodisiac, a yohimbine compound that had been refined, then sold on the black market. A “gift” from Onna to her first timers to ensure they would keep coming back. The bartender smiled wickedly to herself. The newcomer would need it for his first night with the mistress of Hippolyta. She shook then flipped the bottle, tossing and casually catching it in the air with a bartender’s finesse, dissolving the red grains into the liquid until they disappeared.

Back on the table Onna majestically flipped her hair behind her with both hands before she opened her eyes and smiled oh so sweetly at him. Stepping down from the table and planting each foot on either side of Titus, Onna knelt until she was almost straddling him. Almost. For all their closeness, they did not touch. The mistress of Hippolyta continued her slow, mesmerizing sway, now rolling her head faster and faster so that her long hair whirled around the two of them like a curtain. Her scent surrounded Titus. Her movements teased and tantalized him. It was intoxicating.

Suddenly she grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him so he lay face up on the table. As Titus lay blinking in surprise Onna crawled on all fours and planted her hips over his in a true straddle. “Leena!” She called over to the female bartender. The bartender named Leena tossed over to her a clear glass cup and the clear bottle of blue liquid, now with the red granules completely dissolved within. Onna caught both in each hand with seasoned ease. Using her teeth Onna opened the bottle. Placing the cup flush against her chest just beneath her cleavage she slowly began pouring the blue wine down between the valley of her breasts. The crowd roared with excitement. The blue liquid flowed like a river down the valley of flesh, soaking her top and draining into the cup. Setting the bottle aside Onna dipped the tip of her finger into the cup, soaking it in the aqua liquor. She drew out her finger and began to suck on it, then withdrew her finger and leaned forward over Titus, her long hair spilling over him. She began tracing the outline of his lips with the finger she had just sucked on. Titus just lay there looking up at her hypnotized.

Then Onna leaned back and brought the cup to her lips. She poured its contents into her mouth but did not swallow. Instead Onna leaned in again until she was practically laying on top of him. She pressed her lips to his in a full kiss, using her tongue to open his mouth. The liquid aphrodisiac spilled from her mouth into his. With his lips sealed by hers Titus had no choice but to swallow. As Onna’s tongue filled and explored his mouth Titus’ body suddenly became warm and ultra-sensitive to her every touch. His nerves ignited with every sensation. His mind became hazed in a fog of lust as blood rushed to his loins.

Onna suddenly broke off and withdrew from their kiss, leaving Titus panting and breathless. She licked their shared spittle from her lips with a hungry look in her eyes while she gazed into his. Placing her face beside his head she whispered in his ear in a low, seductive voice. “Welcome to Hippolyta baby boy.” To punctuate her welcome she traced the tip of her tongue along the edge of his ear, causing shivers to run up Titus’ spine.

Suddenly she sat up, dismounted Titus and walked off the table. Titus sat up, in disappointment as well as surprise again. “That was your free welcome, baby boy,” Onna said sweetly. “But if you want to join me for tonight, Mommy will take care of you all night long.” She walked backwards towards a curtained room, all the while making a come-hither gesture with her finger to Titus and smiling seductively. Titus shot to his feet and tore his shirt over his head, flinging it off to the side as he rushed to join her. The two of them disappeared behind the curtain while the entire club cheered and roared with delight.

~End Apprentice Titus IC~

Karros quietly chuckled to himself. He hadn’t expected to see that tonight. The Concierge had warned Titus. Now it looked like his friend was in for a long night. He just hoped that Titus would remember to pick up his shirt before he returned home.

Rising to his feet Karros thought to himself that he should be on his way. He looked down at the skylane below. In the distance a luxury speeder bus was making its way along the lane where it would pass directly underneath him. Taking a moment to calculate the speed and distance Karros stepped off his perch. The familiar exhilaration of freefall overtook him as he plummeted through the air. Spreading out his limbs like a kite the Concierge caught as much air resistance as possible as he angled his fall towards the approaching bus. As he drew closer Karros re-angled his body so that his body pointed feet-first towards the roof of the speeder craft. Channeling the Force into a telekinetic cushion through the soles of his feet Karros struck the middle of the bus’ roof like a stone, leaving a solid dent at the point of impact. Tumbling forward into a barely controlled roll the Concierge almost went off the end of the lurching speeder craft. He would have had he not executed a pivot on his elbow as his tumble brought his forearm against the bus roof. Instead of continuing his roll with his shoulders hitting the roof next Karros swung his legs out to his side like a break dance sweep. Treating the bus almost like a pommel horse he whirled his legs out over the empty air in a full three-sixty degree arc. At the same time his feet arced in open space he transitioned from his elbows into a full-on handstand. Breaking into a windmill with his legs whirling overhead and his whole weight focused on his hands, Karros spun like a tornado back up the length of the bus.

He was grateful that the bus wasn’t moving very fast. Thus he did not have to compensate as much for the additional motion. Once he had reached the center of the bus he arched his back and legs forward before smoothly transitioning into a front walkover. Righting his posture Karros took a moment to steady himself. Underneath his feet he could hear the excited murmurs of the passengers. Not that they could see him or even do anything about him. With confident, almost nonchalant steps Karros walked to the front of the bus. Standing tall he folded his arms across his chest as he watched the scenery pass him by. The bus was descending. Exiting the pass between the superstructures the speeder craft was now cruising over the plain of conventionally sized buildings. Structures that were measured in hundreds of feet instead of by the thousands. Poised like a darkly sculpted figurehead Karros stood at the head of the bus. The skylane the speeder craft followed dipped down into another chasm, this time between two rows of fifty story buildings. Unfolding his arms Karros strode over to the starboard side. For several minutes he waited as the bus flew lower and closer towards the nearest roof. When it was close enough Karros backed up a few steps, then with a running start launched himself off the bus. Limbs relaxed and outstretched, feet pointing to his landing spot, the Concierge hit the building’s roof with an easy roll. With seamless transition he was running again, bounding and leaping across the roof.

His path was illuminated by the glow from nearby signs advertising clubs and bars. Hues of neon green and electric yellows mixed with the district's ambient shade of blues and reds. Whenever he vaulted over an alleyway he often caught glimpses of the people inside through the buildings’ windows. Within he spotted dancers and clubbers swaying together or groups clustered around a bar drinking and laughing.

Karros had just leapt over another alley when he caught a glimpse of something at its bottom that made him turn around to take a second glance. Peering over the edge he saw a starfighter discreetly hidden away amongst the dumpsters. It was shaped like a miniature U-wing, though from what he could tell it was more heavily armed in comparison. Before he had a chance to take a closer inspection the Concierge heard the sound of a metal door open. Ducking back behind the ledge Karros cautiously peered over the edge with as small an exposed profile as possible. Into view stepped another familiar figure, one as much machine as man.

~Knight Crimson IC~

Theme: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=X7R2Vl_hcCA&feature=share

Crimson looked out over the club from where he sat at the bar. He was leaning back against the surface as he watched the commoners dance and drink their worries away. It gave him pause for a moment, their carefree attitude seemed almost laughable until he realized that the Sith Order made it possible for them to treat themselves this way. He took a sip of the drink in his hand, still coming down from his time at the Gala party. The difference between the two classes was refreshing as he snuck in through the back door from the alleyway he had landed in earlier.

The "Golden Krayt" was like any other club, in both layout and commotion. The center of the room was the dance floor, sunk into the ground to keep it clear of foot traffic, while the DJ platform sat in a corner next to the stage at the rear of the main room. The lights flashed with blues and reds, mixed in with yellows and greens, with the occasional white flashes and laser beams cutting across his field of view through the light fog that was being pumped in through the overhead ventilation systems. Crimson smiled at a girl as she slid past him, brushing herself against him as she did so and throwing him a sly smile. It was nice to see, even if he did brush it off completely after she left to rejoin her friends.

The dance floor was edged by a long table with sections open so people could wander onto and off of the dance floor as the night progressed, while the tables were filled to the brim with people. Most of the patrons were human but there were a few aliens dotting the crowd, though his eyes were drawn to a couple of them. A group of seven humans had gathered close to where he was sitting, throwing their hands up and clapping as they went shot for shot with each other. On the complete other side were three Rodians, suckling at their drinks with great enthusiasm. Crimson thought they looked like mutated flies and chuckled at the thought of what their ancestors must have looked like. He even noticed a couple of Calamarians sitting at the bar to his right with a bowl of what looked like fish between them.

He finished off his drink and turned around, rapping his knuckles on the bar for another. The bartender, a male Twi'lek with dark green skin, immediately set upon his glass with a bottle of Mandalorian whiskey. As Crimson turned back to face the bar again, four platforms began to descend from the high ceiling over each corner of the rectangular dance floor. The music changed and the ambient light came on in a deep red as the dancers came into view. Female Twi'leks with blood red skin could be seen standing on the platforms as they lowered, coming to rest a foot above the crowd. The speakers began sending out a song with deep bass, as the girls began to move. Their dance was fluid, unshackled from all worries and concerns, yet was rigid and controlled.

Crimson pondered why the dance seemed familiar as he pushed himself up from the bar, throwing his drink back and setting the glass down on the bar top before walking towards the back door he had entered through earlier. He bumped into a guy from the group he spotted earlier, pulling his hands up to make sure they were both steady. He nodded to the guy and patted him on the shoulder as he walked past him and continued on his way. He weaved his way through the throng of people that had formed at the bar since his arrival, brushing past scantily clad women and desperate men. He broke a few couples apart, noticing the discomfort from the one on the receiving end, and allowed them a few moments to find their friends before moving on. As he reached the employees door, he pushed past the Gamorian guard who had tried to stop him from entering earlier.

"And just who do you think you are?" The guard asked, grabbing Crimson by the arm as he made his way down the hall.

"Someone who can kill you and everyone here without so much as a slap on the hand." Crimson responded looking back at him with a dead venomous look in his eyes. He jerked his arm out of the Gamorian's grip and wiped his sleeve where he had been grabbed, as if he was wiping dirt from it. "So I suggest you head back to your post, unless you want to explain to your boss why the place is under new management."

Crimson then turned and walked away, leaving the Gamorian to ponder what he just said. As he reached the alley exit, he noticed a stack of beer crates sitting near it in the wide hallway. A few young Twi'leks were grabbing them and moving them into the refrigerated store room as he walked up and grabbed a crate for himself. Using his back, Crimson pushed the door open and stepped out into the cool night air. He took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with oxygen and his nose with the disgusting hints of what lay about.

The alley was like any other, dirty and filled with random bits of trash or gunk. Crimson had landed his fighter, the Blacklight, here so it would be tucked away and out of sight. He had been surprised that the alley way was just wide enough that he was able to land here, even with the disposal bins and heaps of trash from the various night clubs in the area. The overhead lights made everything clear in the white washed glow of their bulbs. If it hadn't been for them Crimson might not have noticed the two men near a bin. He could hear them, one gagging on his own poor decisions and the other telling him it would be alright. The Rodian was of no help to the human, but it didn't stop him from trying to help his friend. Crimson caught the human saying something under his breath in between his gasps for air that he couldn't understand the alien. He chuckled at the thought as he set the case down on one of the Blacklight's wings. He pulled a bottle out and popped the top as he wandered behind a bin to be alone for a moment.

The man he had bumped into was making his way out of the exit with his entourage as Crimson stepped behind his ship. All they saw was the trash, the ship, and the case of beer. The seven men stepped out into the alley, splitting apart and moving in front of their boss, and began scanning the area. He had given them his description, and the dumb pig and pointed them in this direction, but that guy was nowhere to be seen. They began to spread out when they heard a bottle smash against the ground and someone curse out loud from behind the ship.

Crimson walked out from the other side of his ship with a cigarette in his lips and a scowl across his face. He noticed the men, but didn't say anything as he pulled another bottle from the case and popped it open. He took a big swig from the bottle before leaning against his ship and waving it to them for introductions. He took a drag from his cigarette as he waited, still peeved at dropping the bottle earlier.

"He the one boss?" Asked the largest of the seven men as he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles while approaching the Knight. He smirked as Crimson remained where he was seated, the height difference was staggering. He stood well over six feet tall, while Crimson was barely reaching six foot. "He don't look like much, so I'll take care of em’ for ya boss."

Crimson looked past the mountain of a man at the ones behind him. They all shared the same excited smile. They were waiting for him to attack Crimson, they were waiting for blood. Unfortunately they picked the wrong target. With his blood boiling, his skin taut with excitement, Crimson raised an eyebrow to the leader, as if he expected introductions before the fight started. His demeanour remained cool even though his mind and body were ready for the fight.

"Hey, eyes forward." The man in front of him said as he grabbed Crimson's cigarette from his mouth and took a long drag. He gave a hateful smirk as he slipped the cigarette into the mouth of Crimson's open bottle then blew the smoke into his face.

"Was that worth it?" Crimson asked looking up at the man as he slowly stood up.

"Worth what, little man?" He asked. He didn't have to wait long before Crimson had him by the jaw, his crushgaunts only at half power as he clasped the man by the mouth. He lashed out with the swift right kick to the man's left knee. There was a soft pop as the joint was dislocated causing him to lose his balance and fall on it. His muffled screams tried to free themselves from behind Crimson's metal palm, but it was no use.

"Was it worth this?" Crimson asked again as he tilted the man's head back and held up the beer bottle, swirling it's contents around within the glass. He forced the man's mouth open as he cried from the intense pain and held him in place as he placed the bottle to his lips as he poured the mixture into his mouth. "Now drink."

"He took down Krayt." One of the guys said, just loud enough for Crimson to hear the twist of emotions forming within their voices. He held the man named Krayt until the bottle was empty. Then let go of him and let go of the neck of the bottle only to catch it by the body.

"See Krayt, that wasn't so bad." Crimson said looking down the mouth of the bottle with a smile. He saw that the remains of the cigarette were missing, which meant Krayt had swallowed it as well. "Well, almost."

When Krayt looked back up, the smile was gone. Crimson brought the bottle to his head with full force, smashing it against Krayt's skull. Crimson's movements were as fluid water as he dropped his weight and brought his left fist back up. Krayt twisted to his right from the blow of the bottle, only to meet Crimson's fist as it slammed into his face between his bottom lip and nose. Crimson felt the bone give way, while the other men could hear it as the roof of Krayt's mouth shattered against the blow.

"He took out Gidden." One man said as he backed away, fear and uncertainty cutting through the calm demeanour he had displayed earlier. Their collective gasps were a mix of surprise and fear, but it wasn't uncommon when the toughest in a group like this fell to their opponent.

"Gidden 'Krayt' Trost." The leader said as he stepped forward, pulling a knife from his pocket as he did so. "He was my father's third best lieutenant. Who are you to take him down so casually?"

"And who are you?" Crimson asked as he pulled his cigarette case from his jacket once again. He lit another cigarette as the men began to get angry and talk amongst themselves while yelling at him periodically. But their boss raised his hand and they all got quiet. He was smiling, as if he found the whole situation amusing, it was when he tilted his head and eyed Crimson's fighter that he realized what would make up for the 'accident' he caused earlier.

"Name's Grimm. Though, I'm sure a commoner like you wouldn't know that name." He said with a laugh. "But I tell you what, since you seem to be from off planet I'll cut you a deal. Give me that pretty little ship and I'll let you go."

Crimson's eye twitched, a small movement that wasn't caught by any of the men looking at him. But he smiled, playing along for a moment. He felt an extra set of eyes on him, watching and waiting for him to make his move.

"Grimm?" He asked with a hint of surprise on his face. He kept his anger hidden behind the smile and soft eyes, he didn't want to lose his cool just yet. "Well, just so happens I'm hunting them all down. Which one are you?"

The question stopped the false Grimm in his tracks. He didn't know what to say, it was nothing more than a facade he had put on to gain fame. But his men didn't seem to care at that moment. They pulled switchblades and vibrodaggers from their belts and began to advance on the danger before them. He couldn't speak to stop them. His fear blocked all sound that tried to escape.

The first to reach Crimson lifted his blade up and pointed in the Knight's face. Crimson tilted his head at him, as if he was questioning the thug's mental capacity. The blade inched closer and closer Crimson's face until the tip was barely touching his cheek.

"Think you're tough boy?" He asked, pulling the blade away as Crimson arched an eyebrow at him. "I've killed hundreds of guys with this knife. What can you do?"

Crimson didn't respond. He just stepped into the man's guard and landed his first blow right below his rib cage, hitting his diaphragm. The blade scraped across Crimson's face as he moved in, keeping it clear of his ear as he tilted his body down, bringing his left hand up at the same time. As the air left his lungs from the hit, a left hook caught his cheek and spun his face to meet a right jab in the same location. He stumbled back as the third man rushed forward.

Crimson had taken a rather basic hand to hand stance. Legs shoulder length apart, staggered, knees bent to allow a fluid range of movement, all while his arms were up in a loose guard. His face was covered, arms close together, elbows loose for quick precious strikes. The man lunged forward, slashing at him as the first stumbled around holding his face and chest. The blade made contact with Crimson's right arm, the sound of metal striking metal rang out as the edge hit his arm while cutting through the leather of his jacket. There was a moment of shock as the man realized it had done nothing to the Knight as he stepped forward and launched a left jab into his face. His hand moved like a snake, striking and recoiling back into position.

The third man took this chance to attack, coming in from Crimson's left as he reset his stance. It did no good as Crimson stepped back further than he anticipated. Crimson brought his right arm up, then cut straight down with his elbow into the crook of the third man's arm. There was another soft pop as his elbow joint dislocated with the blow. He stumbled for a moment before another left jab caught his jaw. There was a loud crunch as Crimson's knuckles connected with the corner of the third man's jaw. His mouth fell open as he began to scream in pain. Crimson spun with the momentum and brought his right leg up, driving his right heel into his temple. Another sickening crack sounded out as his limp body fell to the ground and blood streamed from

He moved back up to the second man and stabbed his hand forward, using the second row of knuckles on his fingers from his right hand to crush his trachea. As the second fell to the ground choking, the first was on the move again. He lunged at Crimson, only to find his arm trapped. Crimson allowed the blade to pass by his side, slashing his jacket a second time as it passed by, then used his elbow to pin the man's arm into his side. He used the newly acquired height advantage to deliver the next blow to the man's neck with his free hand. As the pain coursed through his shoulder and head, Crimson landed another blow to his temple, his ear, his cheek, and a final harder blow to his jaw. With each hit, the man's skin split upon impact from Crimson's metal fists. He let the man go, only to grab him by the head, locking his fingers behind the base of his skull, and brought his knee up.

Crimson didn't want to make the fight too unfair, but he also wanted to make a point. He pulled the Force into the muscles of his legs, strengthening them as he drove his knee into the man's nose. The soft wet sounds of his face caving in was disturbing to the other two guards as they began stepping back. There was a good 13 to 14 feet between them and Crimson as he dropped the body of the first man. Four men down, only three left.

The iris of Crimson's eyes had begun to turn orange, making two small suns sitting within the endless void of his scala. The heat of his anger was almost as hot as the midday sun, threatening to burn hotter until the three men before him melted into nothing. He took a step in their direction, causing all three to flinch. The reaction brought a smile to his lips as he took another step. He could see their hands shaking as he took yet another. His next step caused them to scramble a little, dropping their knives and daggers as they tried pulling their blaster pistols out. Crimson stopped and began laughing again as they stood there in fear.

"Don't know why you're laughin’." Grimm said, his voice shaking as he tried to maintain his composure. Even though he had regained control of himself, he was still gripped by fear of the monster before him. "Now we got you out gunned, you can't do nothing!"

At that moment, a figure emerged from the shadows. The first guard took a right hook to the side of the skull, causing his eardrum to rupture, dropping him instantly in pain. The second turned, his blaster arm was knocked skyward as he pulled the trigger that sent a bolt screaming into the sky. His fear had taken over as the figure slammed the heel of his left hand into the guard's chin, cracking his teeth as his tongue was cut off from the force.

Crimson continued to laugh, but calmed himself down enough to finally respond to the appearance of the man before him. Lord Voidwalker straightened himself out, placing his hands on his hips to help stretch out his back as he did so. He looked over to the slightly tipsy Knight on his left and chuckled as Crimson regained his composure.

"Been having a good night so far Knight Crimson?" He asked, a small chuckle escaping his lips as the Knight shifted his weight. "I'm surprised you're still standing, to be completely honest. The way you stumbled out of the party earlier, I thought for sure you would be heading home."

"Hail, Lord Voidwalker, it's been a night to remember for sure." Crimson said moving forward, not wasting a moment of the opening the Dark Lord's entrance granted him. "Unfortunately, the drug Lady Noxia slipped me wore off rather quickly, still unsure as to how but decided to keep the party going. More on a personal, comfortable, level than some party put on by the Empire's nobility."

"I can see that." Voidwalker said with a another chuckle, seeing the nearby crate. "I would join you, however I was just passing through when I saw this little scuffle. Wanted to see how it ended. Blasters in a street fight, I'd wager that's bad form from the losing side. Don't you think so Jax Grimm?"

The leader's eyes widened in horror as Crimson walked past the Dark Lord, approaching the man with a demented smirk on his lips and his eyes ablaze with anger. The sounds of groaning drew Viodwalker's attention back to the men laying at his feet. As the first man pushed himself up to all fours, Voidwalker threw his leg back, landing yet another blow to the other side of his head. The force he placed behind it caused the man's neck to twist violently, ripping his vertebrae apart and killing him instantly. With his leg still in motion, Voidwalker brought it back forward and caught the second man by the chin again, this time with the heel of his foot. As he went down, a crack could be heard as his head slammed back down into the pavement below. But Voidwalker didn't stop there, he drove his now raised leg straight down into the man's cheek.


"Too true my Lord." Crimson said, now standing chest to chest with the imposter. "Though it seems my family has some extended relations I need to dispose of first."

He reached out and took the blaster into his left hand, cupping Grimm's hand along with it, and drove his crushgaunts to full power. The sound of metal grinding against metal and bone was drowned out by the screams of pain that ripped their way through the imposter's throat. Crimson grabbed his jaw and squeezed, snapping it along the center and dislocating the joints, then placed his right hand against the leader's stomach with his palm flat.

"If you care for a drink, I have a case standing by over there," Crimson said, nodding his head behind him towards his ship. He twitched his hand, sending a loud bang echoing through the alley as the .45 caliber slug tore through the man's stomach. More screams of pain followed the new wound. "I have more than enough, but I'm a little busy at the moment so I can't join you."

Crimson turned back to find Lord Voidwalker had already left, just as quickly and quietly as he had arrived. Crimson chuckled as he grabbed the false Grimm by the sides of his head. He began to squeeze, lowering the power output of his crushgaunts so it would take as long as possible. The ungodly sounds of bone scraping metal finally stopped as Crimson dropped the body.

"Seems I need to clean up now." He said as he shook his hands off. Drops of blood speckled the area around the leader as he did this. "Now gentlemen, I hope you learned your lesson. Don't just attack anyone you meet in the street. Especially not carrying that name."

And with that he turned back to his ship and leaned against, pulling another bottle out. He popped the top off and drank the contents in a few big gulps. Crimson sighed as he looked up into the sky, debating whether or not to return inside. He was still hungry for a party, and things had become quite interesting inside. He chuckled as he pulled another bottle out of the crate and popped the top off. Maybe after this crate was finished.

~End Knight Crimson IC~

Karros quietly crept away from the edge. Not everyday one saw a double team. The excitement never ceased. When he was far enough away he turned, rose to his feet again and resumed his run. After putting several city blocks’ worth of distance behind him Karros stopped for a moment beneath the bell of a water tower. Striding to the edge of the roof he looked eastward. The wind gently caressed him as he looked out over the district. In the distance, almost like a faint line in the sand, he could see a change in the buildings’ lighting colors as the Pleasure District transitioned into the Performing Art District. The reds and blues were joined by a whole spectrum of colors. Brilliant and vibrant, it resembled the Residential District in palette, but brighter in both color and life. If the Residential District was a kaleidoscope, then the Performing Arts District shined like a glowing, faceted opal. The carpet of buildings thinned out more and more the closer they came to the divide between districts. Beyond the Performing Arts District’s buildings were fewer in number and density, but their aesthetics were sleek and festively futuristic compared to the suggestive glamour of the Pleasure District. The Performing Arts District almost seemed like a fusion of the Residential, Garden, Industrial and Pleasure Districts; taking the best of each and combining them into one.

But first he had to get there. If he remembered correctly he still had several more klicks to go before he reached the Kaas City Arena. Karros pulled out his datapad to check his progress. Drawing up his map the Concierge looked over his route. There were still a few more blocks to traverse. Some were compounds for particularly large buildings, though none on the scale of the superstructures. He would have those blocks before entering the urban parkland between the two districts before entering the Performing Arts District proper. Though from where he stood it blended in perfectly with the city skyline. Traversal by rooftop would be harder by virtue of dispersed buildings once he crossed the district line. Best enjoy it while he could. Stowing away his datapad Karros renewed his run.

The traceur bounded and vaulted over the roofs. The alleys he leaped over began converging towards a central avenue like the threads of a spiderweb. Before long he reached the edge of that avenue; a wide pedestrian highway with a skylane running above it. It ran eastward like a shallow canyon running through the plain of buildings. Below he could see the crowds thronging the concourse like a river of people swirling at the bottom of the artificial canyon, all dyed in the magenta and azule of the district. Karros didn’t even have to change his course. He just followed the edge of the canyon wall. The Concierge ran along the very brink of the roof as if he was running down the beam of a high bar. He threaded his every step perfectly along that precarious line. Just beside each step the sheer brink of the canyon wall dropped two hundred feet down to the street below. Above the skylane, filled with its speeders, rushed overhead like a stream of migrating birds. The visual sensation of two rivers, the speeders above and the people below, that flowed in tandem with him, coupled with the slight blur of the world because of his speed, conjured a truly exhilarating sensation in him.

Up ahead was the final block of the Pleasure District before it met the parkland that straddled the border; a compound for the last of the larger buildings Karros would have to pass. On its side was the lit up logo consisting of the silhouette of a woman reclining playfully inside a martini glass with the letters V.I.P. boldly printed along its side. Beneath the large sign in equally large, flowery font were the words “Void’s Infinite Pleasure House”. The building more resembled a five storey mansion than a club. Not unlike the other compounds Karros had passed. A dome capped the apex of the roof while marble balconies and walkways protruded all along the equally white walls. Surrounding it were smaller buildings with glass ceilings like green houses. On the side nearest his approach there was what appeared to be a paradise garden. Within the windows and open doors he could make out the red of carpet and wallpaper.

Leaping over one more alley the Concierge landed in a crouch on the shingled rooftop of the tall garden wall. A twin tier fountain lay in the center of the garden space with a lip large enough to double as a bench. Flowering bushes lined the edges with blossoming trees standing at even intervals along the border. A couple sat on the fountain bench completely engrossed in a passionate kiss. He wouldn’t need to worry as much about them spotting him. Keeping low Karros followed the curved edge of the garden wall until it met the side of the mansion. Nearby was one of the third floor balconies. The glass doors to its room were open. Red curtain fluttered in and out of view in the doorway. Within he could hear multiple voices. Having just encountered a back-to-back lovemaking session Karros was reluctant to be caught up in another. But across the balcony was the fastest way forward. There was no other way to progress without either going over ground or backtracking and going around the entire compound. Neither of which he wanted the hassle of dealing with. Just stay hidden and he would be fine.

Grounding his stance Karros jumped forward against the wall. Hitting the red and white marble facade as he broke into a wallrun, the Concierge dashed across the twenty foot some distance. As soon as his foot hit the balcony rail Karros bounced off it upward to expend his momentum. Coming back down the Concierge let himself fall past it, instead catching the parapet ledge to hang off the side of the balcony. Steadying the swing of his body Karros climbed down so he held onto the very floor of the balcony through the pillars of the parapet. He held his body in an “L” with his legs straight and feet pointed underneath the floor of the balcony as to reduce the size of his profile. Karros half-smiled to himself. What he was doing was just like aerobic exercise. Shimmying sideways he began moving along the bottom of the balcony. He could now clearly hear the sounds of multiple women laughing and sighing. Karros was halfway across when he heard the unmistakable sound of a pig’s squeal. Karros froze in disbelief. What in the world was going on in there? Against his better judgement the Concierge pulled his head just above the balcony floor to look through the doorway inside the room.

~Knight Omrock, Lord Voidwalker IC, written by Karros Zaruiel with approval~

Omrock lounged on a loveseat couch in the center of a wide, round room. Surrounding him were seven gorgeous women. All dressed up in bunny suits no less. All for him. Their smiles and giggles, not to mention their jaw-dropping figures, had him completely smitten. After a moment of dazed staring he realized he was drooling. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he gave the nearest girl his best, most charming grin. Every variety of flavor was here; Chocolate. Vanilla. Strawberry. Caramel! Even as his grin widened across his face a dribble of drool escaped the corner of his mouth.

The women giggled and laughed as if the Boar were a schoolboy. The one with her blackberry-colored hair tied up in a ponytail leaned in with a handkerchief, sliding onto his knee as she wiped away his spittle.

“Now now,” she cooed affectionately, “Don’t get too excited dearie. We haven’t even brought out the main course yet.”

“That’s right” said the bunny girl with honey-brown hair and gorgeous jugs as she sauntered over to his side. The bunny with honey-brown hair plopped herself on the sofa beside Omrock, sidling up close to him and wrapping her arms around his so his bicep was nestled comfortably between the warm globes of her melons. “This is just the appetizer big boy. We have so much in store tonight. All. For. You.” she crooned coquettishly.

Omrock was unable to contain his happy squeal when the honey-haired bunny’s boobs swallowed up his bicep. So soft...for a minute he lost himself in the unbelievable sensation. His head fell back and, to his jarring surprise, banged against the wooden frame of the sofa headrest. Omrock growled irritatedly as a sharp sting erupted across the back of his head. Stupid sofa. It was meant for punier people. They should have made it bigger.

“I’m so sorry sweetie. Did that hurt?” asked the caramel-complexioned bunny as she rushed forward. “Here, let me help.” She slipped behind the sofa. With her incredibly soft hands Omrock felt her lift up his head and lean it back against a warm new headrest that hadn’t been there before. The warm, unbelievably soft sensation of boobie flesh enveloped the back of his head as he sank up to his ears into this new pillow. Around him wafted the sweet scent of the caramel bunny’s perfume. Glancing up from his cleavage cushion Omrock saw the caramel-complexioned bunny looking down at him with a sweetly reassuring smile. “That feel better big boy?”

The Gamorrean gave her a goofy smile with a dazed laugh. His chuckle was cut off by a grunt of surprise when a hand bearing a strawberry extended out in front of him from the side. He looked over to see the bunny with bob-cut, grape-colored hair holding the red fruit in front of his snout expectantly from beside her caramel-complexioned companion.

“Say ‘ahh’” said the bunny with grape-colored hair playfully.

“Waahhh…” Omrock said, opening his mouth wide and extending his tongue out as far as he could. The bunny with grape-colored hair giggled as she placed the strawberry on his tongue. Bringing the berry into his mouth Omrock began to chew happily.

In front of him on the other side of a coffee table the three other bunnies danced. One with long hair the color of milk chocolate, and two others; one with her omelette-yellow hair flowing down to her hips and one with her lemon cream colored hair tied up in a bun. In a line the trio of bunnies danced for Omrock with little spins and hops as he was handfed more strawberries. They would turn and shake their little tails before rotating to jiggle their jugs for him. Omrock sighed happily, causing an unintended rumble to ripple through his body which in turn made his belly tremble like a bowl of jello. The bunnies giggled and laughed as they continued to pamper him, lovingly stroking his said belly and arm and caressing his cheek.

Taking the center position of the trio the bunny with omelette-blonde hair pushed her chest out to Omrock, giving him full view of the jiggle of her jello boobs. To either side of her the bunnies pulled out a bottle of champagne and funny looking martini glass with a long stem and a teardrop knob instead of a flat base at its end. The bunny with milk chocolate hair inserted the martini glass handle first into the omelette-blonde bunny’s cleavage like a straw until only the bowl stood out between her boobies. At the same time the bunny with lemon cream hair shook up the champagne bottle. Popping the cork she let the froth and golden liquor pour out over the omelette-blonde bunny’s boobs into the martini glass. The sparkling liquid, bubbles and all, splashed up over the edges of the cups onto the omelette-blonde bunny’s breasts. She gasped at the sensation of fizzing bubbles on her soft skin. The omelette-blonde bunny trailed the tip of her finger across the top of her breasts in the champagne before bringing the liquor-soaked tip to her lips. Omrock sat up in his seat, his body erect. The omelette-blonde bunny made smoldering bedroom eyes up at him as she sucked suggestively on her fingertip.

Pulling the length of her finger away from her mouth the omelette-blonde bunny stepped up onto the coffee table with nary a drop spilling from the glass between her jiggling boobs. Popping one foot up in the air she did a slow pirouette like a music box ballerina. She made sure to pump out her boob and her butt wherever she turned toward her guest. Omrock unintentionally let out an appreciative moan. The bunnies giggled and laughed as they wiped another trail of drool that escaped the corner of his mouth.

With a clack of her heels the omelette-blonde bunny stepped down from the coffee table and knelt in front of Omrock between his legs. Placing her hands on his knees and the inside of his thighs the omelette-blonde bunny wiggled her boobies and bunny tail invitingly as she gazed sweetly up at him. The boar stiffened in a good way under her touch. The omelette-blonde bunny smiled knowingly as she reared up between his legs, leaning in close so that her boobs dragged over his chest. He could feel her boobie pebbles slide up his stomach as she stopped with the cusp of the martini glass hovering just in front of his snout, the small pops and bubbles splashing little droplets of champagne onto his lips.

“You thirsty big boy?” she asked as she wiggled her boobies invitingly against him.

Omrock let out an unintended squeal of excitement. The bunnies laughed and he smiled his best, super-duperiest charming smile back at them.

“Here. Take a sip of my champagne.” The omelette-blonde bunny leaned in even further until the lip of the martini glass was brushing his lips and her breasts cushioned his throat.

Omrock was about to take a sip when he heard a familiar voice at the doorway of the room.

“Enjoying yourself Knight Omrock?”

Omrock and all seven bunnies looked up to the source of the voice. In the doorway stood Lord Voidwalker, all dressed up in the fanciest suit. He looked like a businessman heading out to a party tonight. On his arm was a tall, smokin’ hot momma with hair the color of dark cherries. His eyes popped as they roved all over this new momma’s body. Dressed in merely a bodystocking under a black leather thong, police-style leather brassiere and a pink necktie dipping into her huge knockers, this momma had all the dressing of that oh, so naughty cop. To cap it all off she even had the police cap and a glowing police baton on her hip like a lightsaber.

“One of your Sith friends my Lord?” she asked in a sultry voice only a milf could pull off.

“Aye, and a valued friend” Lord Voidwalker replied before turning back to the Boar. “How are you finding-?” He stopped mid-query as he saw who was kneeling between Knight Omrock’s legs.

Lord Voidwalker opened his mouth to say something. Before he could say anything the omelette-blonde bunny leapt to her feet with a giggle, spilling champagne over Omrock’s face and chest as she skipped over to Lord Voidwalker. Placing a finger over his lips like a sensual muzzle she cut off his words with a glint in her eye accompanying her sweet smile.

“Shhh” she said to him. Pulling her finger back the omelette-blonde bunny lost the glint in her eye as she winked flirtatiously at him. Lord Voidwalker blinked in surprise. She had moved so fast he didn’t have time to even react. His companion glanced quizzically at the exchange with subtle hints of alarm in her eyes.

“This is Lola,” the police momma said quickly in a smooth manner to preemptively placate whatever might be going on. “She’s one of our part-timers. I don’t think you two have formally met yet.”

“...Good evening” said Lord Voidwalker awkwardly to the omelette-blonde bunny, “I haven’t seen you here before. Are you...new?”

“No” The omelette-blonde bunny said with a playful shake and tilt of her head, “Just been working odd hours. Madam Sehshowyn here has allowed me a very flexible schedule.” She gestured to the police momma.

“Please just call me Nana” said the police momma with a dark smile, “I don’t wish to be reminded of my connection with the Chantry.”

“Of course Nana” said the omelette-blonde bunny with a dip akin to a curtsy, “How can I make up for my...transgression?” Her flirtatious tone crept back into her voice as she asked her question to the police momma.

“Do what you do best” the police momma replied with a genuine smile this time, “I do enjoy it when you wear that lavender teddy and garter set.”

“That can be arranged,” said the omelette-blonde bunny with a sultry expression.

“My dear director,” cut in Lord Voidwalker. “We were on our way to my office to...discuss the renewal of your security contract? Perhaps we should let our friend attend to brave, strong Knight Omrock.” Lord Voidwalker glanced over at the couch at the Boar.

“Mmm” moaned the omelette-blonde bunny suggestively in her mouth, “Perhaps I’ll join the...discussions...later tonight.” She leaned in again, this time to place a full kiss on the mouth of the police momma. Almost eagerly the police momma opened her mouth to reciprocate the kiss where the two lingered with intertwining tongues. After a moment of heavy liplocking the two broke their kiss. Leaning back she then smiled sweetly at Lord Voidwalker.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep you involved in the...discussion” the omelette-blonde bunny said coquettishly. She leaned in until her entire body was pressed up against Lord Voidwalker. Raising one leg she wrapped it around Lord Voidwalker’s hip while planting feather-light kisses up the side of his neck and throat.

Knight Omrock growled jealously in his throat. “OI!” he roared at the omelette-blonde bunny, “I’M STILL THIRSTY!!”

The omelette-blonde bunny giggled as she unwrapped herself from around Lord Voidwalker. “Oh I’m coming big boy.” She pranced back around the coffee table and all but leapt into a straddle on Knight Omrock’s lap, shoving aside the bunny with a blackberry ponytail punctuated by a disapproving mewl from the former occupant.

“That better?” asked the omelette-blonde bunny with a wiggle of her boobies.

Omrock gave a deep, guttural sigh of contentment. Sinking back into the cushions of the sofa he relaxed as the omelette-blonde leaned back to allow the bunny with lemon-cream hair to refill the mostly empty martini glass between her boobs with champagne. Filling it to the brim she leaned forward again so that her warm melons squished against his chest. Sliding up his front the omelette-blonde bunny pressed the lip of the glass to the Boar’s lips.

“Drink up sweetie” she cooed.

Omrock’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. The pleasure as well as the combined warmth and softness of thigh and boobies pressed right up against him felt so gooooood. Letting his jaw drop Omrock allowed the omelette-blonde bunny to pour the bubbling wine into his mouth. Ahh this piggy felt like he had gone to heaven…

When the last drop of champagne had slipped onto Omrock’s tongue the omelette-blonde bunny abruptly straightened with an exclamation of surprise as she looked down between her legs. Where her hips met his, a noticeable bulge was growing underneath the Boar’s pants.

“Ooh” she said with a smirk, “You must be feeling good.” The bunny slid backwards until she knelt once more between his legs on the floor. As her hands reached up to the fastening of his pants Lord Voidwalker raised a hand in farewell.

“Have fun Omrock!” he called as he turned away with his companion. No sooner had he and the police momma disappeared from view did the omelette-blonde bunny finish undoing the fastenings of Omrock’s pants. All seven bunnies surrounding him suddenly let out awed gasps with lustful eyes as his massive pillar sprang into view.

~End Knight Omrock, Lord Voidwalker IC~

Karros slowly lowered his head back out of sight. He blinked several times in quick succession as if to wipe away what he saw from his mind. Of all the things he might have seen tonight, he had certainly not expected to see that.

Shaking his head hard Karros then resumed his sideways shimmy, picking up at a much faster speed than before. Reaching the other side of the balcony he pulled himself up onto the balustrade. From there it was another wall run to the next balcony. The Concierge dropped down again to hang from its bottom ledge before shimmying across it once more. Within the open doors of this balcony’s room he could hear the rustling of bed sheets and the laughter of two women. Karros didn’t bother to look. He had learned his lesson. Reaching the balcony’s end the Concierge hauled himself atop the parapet. Making another wall run he sprinted not to the next balcony but to one of the building’s downspouts. Catching the wide pipe with his arm Karros gripped it with both hands as he secured his feet against the wall. Like a spider he climbed up the pipe to the fourth floor. Just as he reached the base of the fifth floor he launched himself off the wall into a backflip. As Karros arced through the air he watched his point of landing, a support truss of the nearby greenhouse roof. Using the Force as a telekinetic cushion for the impact he hit the truss hands first. Letting his body bend with his momentum the Concierge seamlessly transitioned into a back handspring across the width of the roof. His hands and feet touched only the truss; a deliberate effort as to not put any weight on the surrounding glass. Handspringing across the truss Karros stuck his landing at the opposite edge of the roof with his arms up and the back of his heels touching the very brink.

Spinning on his heel Karros turned to look out over the edge. Beneath his feet was a forty foot drop down the side of the glass wall with another thirty feet of smooth cliffside rock that served as the foundation of the compound. The forty feet down the side of the building was sheer but the thirty of rock were angled at a curved slope that petered out to meet the grassy parkland ground below. He made a quick glance behind and beneath him to check if anyone had seen him. There were only empty pathways lined with greenery and blossoms in the greenhouse below and only the distant sounds of women sighing from behind him. Neither of which gave any indication his presence had been detected. With only a brief over the shoulder glance behind him Karros quietly stepped off the glass roof.

The Concierge fell past the wall of glass like a spear. Focusing his telekinetic cushion to his feet Karros hit the cliff-face heels first. Bending his body into a crouch with the impact he slid down the slope as if he were surfing over it. At the end of the slope he did a little hop off the stone to walk off the remaining momentum with several strides into the grass. Karros glanced around. He was alone, surrounded only by a field of grass with scattered trees, though said trees were decorated with lights in their boughs. Eastward in the distance he could see a string of lamps illuminating a pathway. There was the glow beyond the pathway, its source hidden out of view as if in a dip in the earth. From that same glow the noise of festive music emanated outwards to his position. Likewise he could hear the sounds of cheering and the clapping of a crowd. Curious, and with the noise conveniently in the same direction as his destination, Karros decided to take a look.

With long strides the Concierge walked through the semi-darkness that became brighter and brighter with each step until he stood upon the concrete path. Karros found himself standing at the apex of an amphitheater cut into the side of a hill. Down its grass covered slope were stands made from carved stone inserted into the very earth. Each stand was brimming to the point of overflowing with people, each person dancing in their seat. At the bottom of the hill was a stone stage upon which a band and dancers were performing. Four young women, a blonde, a brunette, a redhead and a woman with blue hair, all in flowing dresses, spun about, petticoats whirling, in front of a low platform atop the stage. Upon the platform five young men, each uniformly dressed in black, form-fitting leather pants and shirtless save for similarly form-fitting, black leather vests. One young man sat behind a drum rack tapping out a lively beat. Another stood with a techno guitar in his arms. The third sat opposite to the drum rack and the fourth sat between the two, both with an exotic looking instrument in their laps. The fifth young man stood at the front of the platform. His skin was the color of fertile earth. His blonde hair was cut in a close shave and an electric violin held close underneath his chin. In contrast to the others, who were looking back and forth from the crowd to the girls dancing to each other, this young man was completely absorbed in his performance. His eyes were closed. His skin glistened with a sheen of sweat under the spotlights as he swayed to the music he played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjpS1vYOm6o

The crowd clapped and stomped in time with the beat of the performance. With synchronized pirouettes the girls spun, reminding Karros of the petals of flower opening. Using a combination of high kicks and twirls their routines resembled a cross between step dancing and ballet. As the music heightened the violinist bent even more passionately into his song. His bow flew furiously over the strings as if it had a mind of its own. His expression was rapturous, eyes still closed as if caught up in a trance. As if without thinking the violinist stepped off the platform and almost as though he were sleep-walking began walking towards center stage. Though they didn’t stop or skip a beat the other musicians looked at each other. Their expressions asked each other if they should stop their companion. As the violinist walked into the girls’ spinning formation the dancers stopped. They looked at each other as he continued to play obviously. With a grin the blonde gestured to the other girls, pointing to the violinist then making a circling motion with her finger. The other girls’ expressions quickly lit up. Wordlessly the women took up a new formation, this time forming a ring around the violinist. As the women danced and wheeled in their rotating circle around the violinist the young man continued his furious performance as he swayed to a dance all his own, blissfully unaware he was now the center of attention. The young men behind him on the platform grinned as they renewed their efforts. The music rose to new levels of intensity as the crowd cheered, rising to their feet as they all but started dancing in the stands.

As the violinist bent forward almost into a bow in his trancelike dance the blonde spun over to his side and rolled over his back with her own, her skirts flying as her legs rotated in the air in a pair of high kicks. Straightening his eyes snapped open as he came out of his reverie. He looked over to the blonde as she whirled back into the ring around him, blowing him a kiss with flourish. Continuing to play he looked around as the women laughed and smiled as they danced. The violinist glanced over his shoulders at his companions who gave him the same eager smile accompanied by nods of encouragement. The drummer nodded and mouthed words at him the Karros could not make out from his position. The violinist grinned back at him. Throwing himself back into his performance with renewed vigor the violinist played like an impassioned lover. The dancers wheeled about him like faeries, their movement invigorated with the renewed energy of the music, and the entire amphitheater seemed to rock with the beat of the performance. For a brief moment everything was caught up in a surreally perfect moment of complete harmonization; music, dance and crowd.

Then the song came to its climax. The violinist’s bow flew up off its strings as it finished its final note. The drummer threw up his drum sticks as he struck his final resounding beat and the other two men threw up their hands as they hit their last notes. The women similarly stopped in four-point formation around the violinist, their arms out to frame the man as if in the center of a star. Every man and woman’s chest heaved as they paused to catch their breath. The crowd erupted into wild cheering and applauding. Karros didn’t know who started it but before he knew it the crowd was tossing credit chips and credicoins onto the stage where they fell like rain. The performers looked around with disbelief as money fell at their feet and onto their shoulders. Squealing like a schoolgirl the blonde rushed over to the violinist, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. The other young men and women laughed alongside the crowd as the violinist blushed and wrapped his arms around the dancer.

With an amused look Karros reached into his belt. Pulling out a 10c credit chip with two fingers he casually flicked towards the stage. With a slight nudge and a bit of guidance via the Force the chip flew through the air like a discus. Spinning it struck the violinist in the front of his shoulder where it bounced up into the air before falling down into his vest’s front pocket. Smirking as the couple exchanged surprised looks with each other the Concierge turned away from the amphitheater.

With long strides he walked along the path that ringed the top of the amphitheater hill. On either side of him lamp posts illuminated the cobblestone pavement. Breaking away from the hilltop curve the path continued eastward through a grove of trees. Couples and small clusters of people meandered up and down the trail alongside Karros. Once more he wove through them like a wolf in the tall grass. Their attention was, thankfully, not on him. Instead they were focused on each other's company. Dates and family outings. The Performing Arts District certainly seemed appropriate for such outings. While he was grateful that no one paid him any heed, Karros still moved along at a brisk pace. He did not want anyone to notice him enough to even know he had ever been there.

After a mile down the path the grass and trees of the parkland ended at the edge of a wider pedestrian street wherein both his path and it converged in a “T”. Here the crowd grew in size and number, though not nearly as populous a size as the Residential District. Still it made it easier to blend in. Karros passed seamlessly into the crowd like a blade into a pool of water. The vegetation of the parkland was replaced by buildings. Multistorey studios mostly, with shops for instruments and instrument repairs spattered here and there. Occasionally the Concierge would walk by a costuming store or tailoring shop. Though the design of the buildings seemed a blend of the Residential District and the Industrial Sector, their spacing was more suburban then the rest of the usually tightly packed districts. The high techno appearance merged with the liveliness of the civilian populace.

The street gradually widened more and more the further he went. Eventually it came to a massive plaza with a circular ground fountain of water spouting high in the air; white columns erupting from ground spouts in its center. Here the crowd was thickest, though only modestly resembling the ones in the streets of the Residential District. Flanking its sides, high rise studios framed the plaza in a square. The water spouts were illuminated from below by lights that changed colors every second. The high rise studios provided further illumination from lamps mounted on their walls like spotlights in addition to ambient lighting from the windows of their different floors. Street performers, dancers and musicians alike dotted the plaza, performing their pieces for whoever paused to watch. Dozens of different songs and patterns of music wove through the air, creating lively din not unlike the noise of a festival. The more successful ones had larger crowds around them. The less successful were ignored entirely. As a pair of women, a Twi’lek and a human, passed in front of him Karros caught a snippet of their conversation.

“Do you think your band will get the sponsorship?” asked the Twi’lek.

“I hope so” replied the human, “We got a second callback. The Darth seemed interested but they are so hard to read. We got to make this cut. We’re on our last creds.”

“I hear you” said the Twi’lek, “So many can’t find a patron and all know what happens when you don’t find one. Or worse.”

“Yeah I know. ‘Make it with the Sith and you can make it anywhere.’ They don’t mention what happens when you don’t make it with them. I wish the Committee didn’t place such approval on people with Sith backing” said the human with a sigh.

“Speaking of, what was your Darth’s name again…?” asked the Twi’lek.

Karros could not make out her companion’s answer as they had moved too far away to hear over the playful din of the square. Nor could he read her lips with their backs turned to him. He was about to follow them to find out the name of their prospective patron when a man standing right next to him began to sing. With a jump of surprise Karros leapt to the side to put distance between himself and the man. Taking no notice of the Concierge the man continued to sing. All around both him and Karros people in the crowd surrounding them began to harmonize. The crowd as a whole paused to look around, wondering what was happening. As the man finished singing a woman stepped forward from the throng, picking up where he left off as if continuing the man’s song. The sounds of drums and guitars suddenly picked up. Karros looked over to see that while his attention had been focused on the man, a line of musicians had taken position in a line in front of the ground fountain. More men and women were stepping forward from the crowd to join the first two, each adding their voice in a growing choir. Each new voice took up the solo lead as the singers swirled through the parting multitude to form a semi-circle formation in its center.

Karros moved with the crowd like a reed in the tide as he made his way to the edge of the singers’ expanding clearing. The crowd swayed to the heighting music as the Concierge discreetly wove his way to the outside of the crowd. While the final soloist’s verse came to an end and the voices of the chorus softened Karros sidestepped around the last peon to exit the densely packed crowd. Behind him he heard the cheers of the crowd as the song finished. Karros didn’t even turn around. He wanted to use this moment to slip away unnoticed while everyone else’s attention was still focused on the flashmob.

He ducked down the nearest alleyway, quickly putting as much distance as he could between him and the plaza. The lights from the flanking studio side doors illuminated his way. Though the way was clear, aside from an occasional dumpster pressed up against the side, the walls were sheer. No rain spouts. No ledges or handholds. And upon inspection Karros found that the metal that made up the walls were too slick and too far apart to effectively wall jump up. Climbing atop the dumpsters and lamp mountings was no good. Even combining those with a Force jump he would be able to reach the second floor at best. And with nothing to hold onto what was the point? Karros pulled out his datapad and drew up his map. Pinpointing his location he oriented himself. The quickest route to the Arena was beyond this complex maze of studio buildings all linked and clustered together. Karros sighed. He should have stayed on the rooftops. It would have been so much easier than having to navigate the labyrinth of alleyways. It would take so much more time. Time that he might not have. The Concierge wondered if he could circumvent the alleyways by going through the buildings themselves. Perhaps he could find a stairwell that went to the roof.

Stowing away his datapad he walked over to the nearest door. Given the plainness and mundane material used for it this door was used primarily for maintenance. A simple door lever made of steel with an equally simple lock embedded in it. Perhaps it was because it was so far out of the way that it did not share the same high tech appearance of the rest of the building. Finding the door latch through the sliver between door and frame Karros focused the Force on it through a gesture of his hand. A moment and a small telekinetic push later the latch was pressed free of the door frame. Silently the door slid open and just as silently Karros slipped inside.

The hallway within was clean and white. Almost clinically so. As quietly as he could Karros closed the door behind him. In contrast to the white of the hall the interior side of the door was bright red with the words “Fire Exit” written in its center. Ahead he could hear the muffled beat of music. With soft footsteps the Concierge walked down the hall. As expected at this time of night the halls were empty. On either side of him clear glass doors revealed spacious dance studios. Most were darkened and empty. A few had lingering dancers within them. Some were with the company of others. Others danced by themselves as they each practiced their routines. None were the source of the music. Karros kept walking, always making sure to stay out of sight.

The building was bigger than it initially appeared from the outside. The Concierge had contemplated traversing the ventilation ducts but every grate he had passed was far too small. He kept his eye out for a staircase. When he was in the alley the building seemed to house only five or six storeys so Karros thought a lift might not be as much of an option. To his surprise he was wrong. Either the building was growing in size the further he went or it was simply larger on the inside then the exterior implied. After a few minutes of walking down the empty hall his corridor met with a much, much larger one. Well it would be more accurate to call it a crossroads. More corridors like the one he walked converged on a large central corridor like an asterisk. To his side he saw one of six staircases leading up. Like a wolf on the hunt he padded up the staircase.

As if in a helix spiral Karros ascended one floor after the other. Six floors he passed, each structured in confluence like the first floor with converging corridors. The seventh floor was apparently the final floor as when Karros made his turn instead of the next staircase a wall greeted him. With a slight frown he looked around. The asterisk convergence of the corridors was still the same. Perhaps he might find an open window somewhere. Turning on his heel he strode down the central corridor. Ahead he could hear the muffled sound of music growing louder with each step. There was a hypnotic beat to the music, one that made him almost want to dance to it and certainly made him want to hear more. Perhaps that was why he kept walking towards it even when there were no doors or side passages to duck down the further he went.

Ahead the Concierge saw that the hall ended in a glass wall. The support beams stood out like teeth and the reflective sheen of the glass between each tooth gave it away even with the distance. Beyond the panes a large group was gathered inside an enormous dance studio. On the far side of the room a wall of mirrors which made the room seem doubly large. Most of the group stood or sat off to the edges of the room. In the center five young men, each ranging in age from their late teens to mid-twenties, all dressed in black shirts and pants, danced in perfect unison. As if with one mind they moved together, arms waving and striking the air with punches and knife strikes as if attacking an invisible enemy. Then they would whirl away on their heels and high kick their feet up in a small jump. Facing the mirror again they would drop down into a squat, never taking their eyes off it, before straightening, whirling their arms and shuffling their feet, all the while gesturing to the mirror as if taunting that invisible enemy. The crowd surrounding stood, watching them with rapt attention. The dancers’ movements sped and heightened with the subtly increasing tempo of the music. Karros had to admire the unity, the fluidity and the skill of each dancer. Their footwork was excellent. And the way they moved caused the eye to follow each limb. It was quite captivating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Usksafym40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Usksafym40

Noticing that the music was reaching its climax and the dancing was nearing a frenzied peak Karros quietly backed away the way he came. He wanted to be on his way without being noticed or waylaid again. He would be surprised if no one had already seen him in their massive mirror. As he walked away the Concierge found himself subconsciously moving as the dancers had to the song. Not much, just a shuffle of his feet as he went and little turns of his wrist like how they had whirled their arms. Karros paused his movements for a second then smiled to himself. Perhaps he would take proper dance lessons instead of sneaking a peek to mimic them one day. One day. But for now he had to move. Picking up his pace Karros heard the muffled music behind him suddenly stop before being replaced by cheers. Sounded like they were done. Hurrying down the hall as quickly and as quietly as he could Karros made it back to where the corridors converged. Slipping down the nearest divergent hallway he ducked into the first room he found. Dark and empty, it was another studio hall. And like every other studio, one wall consisted completely of mirrors. To Karros’ delight, the wall opposite the mirrors was lined with a row of windows, each one large enough to pass through. Crossing the breadth of the room he inspected them. He prayed that they were not sealed windows. To his relief they were not. Latches on the side of each frame put that concern to rest.

Unlocking the nearest window Karros pushed it open just enough to stick his head out. People continued to mill about in the plaza seven storeys below. Looking up he saw that the rooftop ledge was just a few feet overhead. Climbing up onto the sill he leaned backwards out the window, grabbed the ledge above him and pulled himself onto the roof. Straightening to his feet Karros looked around. To the east he could see the top of the wide domed walls of the Arena, flanked by tall square towers at its cardinal points. The beams of multiple spotlights waved through the air around it like banners of light reaching towards the sky. A blue aura emanated from the center of the dome accompanied by the faint sound of a cheering crowd. Karros smiled. Now he was back on track.

Setting off once more into a brisk run Karros raced across the compound roof. Interestingly these roofs were covered in skylights as much as ventilation boxes. Each time he passed over one Karros caught a glimpse into the room below. Most were more empty studio rooms, darkened within so that the night sky was reflected in the glass. But occasionally he would run by one that was lit up. These he would pause to kneel beside and look down into.

One such skylight revealed a group of four young women. They could barely be into their twenties. Each was dressed in some variant of cut off shorts, displaying their long legs and midriff baring shirts, showing their toned stomachs. Though in seemingly perfect sync with movements, they did not dance in a unison formation like the last dance crew did. Not entirely at least. Their dance reminded him more like the petals of a flower or the gears in a pocket watch. Each girl had their own routine, little leaps with whirls and waves, that was different from the others. Combined with perfect synchronization their dances added up to a moving work of art. There was a playful, flirtatious air to their moves. Small winks and smiles that Karros could see in the studio mirror which were accompanied by small hops and sweeping gestures with their arms. Hops that highlighted their shapely legs. Sweeps of the arm that drew the eye to their smiling faces or to frame the girl who danced at the point center of their ever shifting formation. And they were always in flux. The Concierge, unlike with the other dance crew, could not tell who was the leader. The point person was always changing so that each girl had an equal amount of time in the central spotlight. The music they danced to, like their routine, was light-hearted. A song of love, it encapsulated the playful, carefree nature of their routine. The way they moved it reminded him of schoolgirls collectively fantasizing about their crush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxksUfnuEbI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxksUfnuEbI

Another skylight revealed another studio filled with a dance crew. This time it looked more like a class than the drills of the previous crews. Consisting almost completely of women, the crew was dressed similarly to the previous one; revealing cut off shorts and midriff baring tops. Unlike the previous crew every woman wore some variety of stiletto heel, be it thigh high boots or pumps. In addition every woman’s hair reached shoulder length, though often it went clear to the small of the back. And these women were far from playful. At least in the attitude. Teasing and seductively suggestive were their movements more befitting the dancers in the brothels and clubs. One woman stood at the head of the formation. From her refined movements and the fact that she was the only one speaking it was clear she was the teacher. With enthusiastic shouts she directed the motions of all the other dancers. Interestingly they used the same music as the first crew for their routine. But in stark contrast to the cool, martial arts-esque movements the young men had employed, these women used every sensual motion they made to highlight their forms. High kicks and supermodel struts to show off their legs. Throwing themselves onto all fours on the floor before splaying their legs wide as they rose, rump first, arching their backs like cats. All while staring down their reflections in the studio mirror like huntresses on their prey. Every time they spun and leapt and stomped it never ceased to amaze Karros how well they stuck each landing in heels. The Concierge, as a seasoned acrobat, prided himself on his balance, but even he could appreciate the added difficulty of doing it in stilettos. And they did it so effortlessly. Either they were a truly practiced group, had enormous talent underneath those sharp moves or were taking pain medication to alleviate said moves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JYC-PEhPTM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JYC-PEhPTM

The final group he saw seemed almost like a culmination of the previous three. Boasting over twenty members on the dance floor it was the largest crew of the four Karros had seen tonight. Their clothing varied dramatically across each member but the theme of savvy, street-cool fashion persisted across each outfit. Tank tops with military-patterned pants and heeled boots. Jeweled chain bras worn over cut-off tees and shorts. Hoodies and button up shirts paired with cargo pants. And the synchronicity they moved with was dazzling. They switched from moving together in uniform like an army regiment, then seamlessly dropped into a coordinated chaos that resembled the colors of a whirling kaleidoscope; every person was doing something different, but each motion an integral part of the whole. Like the falling of autumn leaves in a forest. The rolling of shoulders and hips highlighted the fit, toned bodies of the dancers while kicks, punches and rhythmic waving and whirling of arms kept the eye in constant motion; always following them and falling under a moving hypnotic spell. And just like a kaleidoscope their formations would constantly be shifting. From vic to reverse vic, ringed circle to couples, the formations were like the waves of the ocean; crashing and colliding in harmonic disorder to rise up in a new form. Beat for beat their movements matched with the music, creating the illusion that their dance was playing the song. The intensity of their routine and the ferocity on each of their faces, as well as the flashing of colored strobe lights in the corners of the studio, made it very clear this was more than a mere rehearsal. Above the mirrors lining the wall was a long banner that read “KAAS CITY DANCE STUDIO DANCE OFF!!” with silhouettes of dancers adorning it and a crown like a halo circling over the letters. When they weren’t focused on staring down their reflections Karros would occasionally spot one glance up to the banner before returning their focus to their routine with renewed vigor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvy_o058T40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvy_o058T40

Though he consciously knew he couldn’t stay long, each routine was so spellbinding that Karros could not help but linger to watch them in their entireties. When the final dance crew finished their routine with a flourishing team pose the Concierge rose to his feet. Stepping away from the skylight he resumed heading eastward at an easy walking pace. Once he was safely out of view from the skylight Karros pulled out his datapad and drew up his map of the city. Zooming in on his location at the studio compound Karros bookmarked the spot onto the map’s coordinates. He was certainly going to be coming back here. Maybe he might even learn a few dance moves just by watching. The Concierge softly chuckled at the thought. Securely putting away the datapad Karros broke once more into the familiar gait of his run.

After several minutes of running past more darkened skylights and bounding over ventilation boxes Karros came at last to the edge of the roof. Standing so that his toes hung out in the air he looked around. Karros realized he had underestimated the size of the arena. Shaped like a conical pyramid with its peak cut off, the walls of the arena rose up from the ground like a mountain. The towers that stood at its cardinal corners were actually auxiliary buildings with skyways attaching them to the arena itself, joining midway up its wall where the arena suddenly became smaller in diameter than the lower half. This arena compound was easily the tallest set of structures in the district, towering over every other building in sight. A wide swath of open space surrounded both the arena and the towers wherein the masses thronged in swarms. And the masses swarmed like a teaming sea of bodies. Hundreds of thousands of people flocked up the steps en masse like a slowly drifting tide. This was the first time Karros had even seen such a concentration of people within the city. It amazed him enough that for a moment all he could do was gap at it. Though from an onlooker’s prospective it might merely appear that he was surveying the cityscape again for his next move.

Snapping himself out of his moment of awe Karros looked around for his route. He certainly wasn’t going to be dropping down into the crowd. No, the best views were from above. Instead of looking for a route down the side of the buildings, the Concierge looked over to the nearest auxiliary tower. Though its walls were sleek and smooth, a series of downpipes and ventilation ducts ran down its sides. Looks like it was going to be one long climb. Picking up again into a run Karros hastened across the roof of the compound towards the auxiliary tower. He still wasn’t sure if he had to descend from the rooftop first to begin his climb. He had to close the distance first to answer that question.

As he ran along the edge of the rooftop he could see more street performers displaying their craft down below. Though a few performed in the midst of the throng, most hugged the walls of the compound away from the steps of the arena. Some of the citizenry hung around to watch them dance or sing but most hurried along through the doors of the stadium. The tumultuous murmur of the crowd below clamored up to Karros’ ears with the louder, more distant rumble of an even larger crowd rolling like the rumblings of a volcano from the summit of the stadium.

To his relief the Concierge saw that though there was a gap between the compound wall and the nearest pipe running down the tower wall, the distance was short enough that he could make it with a fast enough running jump. From there he could make the long climb up the sixty some odd floors. He had climbed similar heights for the final part of his rehabilitation for his cybernetic arm. Well, sort of. This climb would be two hundred feet higher than that cable climb back in the Slum Quarter. Time for a refresher in endurance climbing it seemed.

Reaching the point of crossing he glanced down over the edge. Seven stories lay between him and the hard street below. Another thirty feet of empty air lay between him and the pipe. Exhaling through his nostrils Karros stepped back several yards. When he was far enough he got into a sprinter’s ready position. He inhaled, then exhaled. Then with a burst of speed he launched himself forward like a cheetah. Sprinting across the rooftop, springboarding off the edge with a telekinetic push through his feet, he leaped out into the open space. Legs extended, arms outstretched, Karros sailed through the air like a kite.

Falling as much as he was flying, the Concierge hit the tower wall feet first with the pipe directly beside him. His forearms, reflexively brought up to guard the front of his chest as soon as his toes made contact with the wall, were the next to strike the side of the tower. Just as his body collided with the smooth metal surface, Karros used the surface contact he had with his feet and forearms and deflected himself towards the pipe. Simultaneously he used his telekinesis to pull his body towards the wall and keep it from bouncing off. His rebound redirected the Concierge caught the pipe with the inside of his elbow as he flew past it. Karros slid down the pipe like a fireman’s pole for several yards before he was able to secure a proper, two-handed grip on it and plant his feet firmly against the wall to brake his descent. Once he was secure in his grip Karros took a moment to recover his wind and his wits. No matter how you looked at it he had just crashed into the wall. Though the force was less due to deflecting the brunt of the impact the collision had left him a little dazed. Shaking his head Karros looked up. He had a long climb ahead of him. Best get started.

Like a spider he climbed up the pipe hand over hand. With his feet Karros planted his soles hard against the wall, using the pressure to push himself upward. He ran up the pipe as much as he climbed it, ascending beside ventilation ducts and more waterspouts. It was as much a test of endurance as exertion; pushing against the wall with his feet while pulling both on and hauling himself up the pipe to simultaneously climb and maintain his position on it. At his altitude he could feel it when the winds picked up. More than once they buffeted him enough that he had to pause to resecure his grip. Occasionally he would pause in his climb just to hang off it, letting his right hand go so that he could rotate to look back down behind him. Once again Karros was grateful for the unfeeling strength of his cybernetic forearm. He did not need to worry about his grip tiring. The Concierge used those moments to rest his organic limbs from the exertion of the climb. Below he could see the illuminated line that signified the street filled with people and lights. Lifting his gaze to the horizon Karros could see the Imperial Citadel rising far, far in the distance to the south. Its spire reached towards the sky like the finger of a space elevator. It amazed Karros that even with so much distance between them the Citadel still loomed over the city. And all the lights, all the skyscrapers and buildings that made up the city skyline; it filled him with a sense of awe at the sight. When he was rested and had his fill of the view at the time Karros would turn back to his pipe and resume climbing.

It took the Concierge nearly another fifteen minutes before he reached the top of the tower. He had just wrapped his fingers over the ledge when he heard the sound of a woman burst into song. The Concierge instinctively flattened himself against the wall. Karros waited for any sign that he had been detected. When the woman continued to sing he cautiously peeked over the edge. There was indeed a lone woman standing on the far side of the roof. She stood with her back to him as she looked out over the summit of the stadium. The skirt of her dark dress billowed in the wind as did her long, fiery red hair. From her silhouette against the column of light that emanated from the stadium summit she was holding her hands over her chest. Black shoulder length opera gloves covered what he could see of her arms. There were no words to her song. Instead it was pure vocalization. A wordless, acapella aria, her voice wafted in the wind like the melody of a siren. The only word Karros could think to describe her voice was beautiful. Hauntingly and stirringly beautiful. Without a single syllable her song brought to mind the enchanting and lonely vista of mountain ranges and open oceans. For a long, yet hypnotically brief moment the Concierge forgot he was hanging from the edge of a skyscraper roof with nothing but his fingertips. All he could do or think of was to listen to the woman’s song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzRMgsXzLaQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzRMgsXzLaQ

He was shocked out of his reverie and nearly out of his grip when he heard the sound of a door panel sliding open. Likewise the woman abruptly cut short her song. Both she and Karros turned to the source of the noise; a ray of golden light emanating from what appeared to be a trapdoor in the floor of the roof with a shadowy silhouette cast in its beam.

“My Lady, the recording studio has finished setting up” came the voice of a young man from just out of sight within the trapdoor, “We are ready whenever you are.”

“Thank you Rai-jean. I’ll be down shortly” the woman replied.

The silhouette bowed then disappeared from the beam of golden light. The woman returned her gaze to the summit of the stadium. Though he could not see her face with her back turned to him Karros could sense the anticipation, the longing even, in her pose. Her profile reminded him of an image of a widow standing at the edge of a seaside cliff looking out over the sea. Except in this case the cliff was the roof of a skyscraper and the sea was the empty air overlooking the city. After a minute or so of gazing out over the arena the woman turned and walked over to the still open trap door. As she descended into the building Karros caught a brief glimpse of her crystal grey eyes filled with focus before she vanished out of view entirely.

The Concierge waited until both the sound of her footsteps faded and the beam of light vanished with the sound of the trap door closing. Once he heard the door panel softly slide shut he pulled himself onto the roof. The Concierge rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers, especially those of his right hand. Nearly ten minutes in what was essentially a dead hang with minimal support really did push his endurance. There had been times that he let go of his grip with his organic hand to dangle by only his cybernetic one so he could relax the muscles in his right hand. Again the gratitude for the unfeelingness of his cybernetic forearm rushed through him.

Massaging his shoulders and the muscles of his right arm and hand Karros walked over to the spot where the woman had stood. Looking down over the edge he saw the skyway bridging the tower and the stadium some thirty storeys below. Just beneath the lip of the tower rooftop was an enormous spotlight shaped like an eye or a rose window. The disk of the spotlight had to have been at least a hundred feet in diameter. Its beam of light pointed down at the concave summit of the arena. Making a sweeping gaze across the scene before him Karros saw that the other three towers had similar rose window-esque spotlights pointing down at the arena summit. From here he could see the stands filled with people inside the concave dip of the stadium.

Karros knelt down beside the edge of the roof. Normally he would have dismounted into another dead hang to prepare for a gripfall but something stopped him. With his right hand he touched the cold metal of the tower beneath his feet. Vardium steel, or so the cold and the blue color told him. But vardium steel wasn’t normally this particular shade of blue. At least not with his experience with it. The vardium of the tower was a closer shade to indigo or ultramarine than blue. Minor differences but enough that it caught the Concierge’s attention. He first ran his fingertips over the metal then did the same with the full palm of his hand. The metal was satin smooth. Almost glassy slick. Karros ran the fingertips of his cybernetic hand over the metal surface. He made several passes back and forth with his prosthetic hand, sometimes lightly touching the metal, other times pressing down hard with a frictional grip. Karros would have to take special care with this gripfall; this particular variety of the tower’s vardium steel was much slicker than the steels he had gripfalled previously on. But he calculated that with enough pressure he could generate the friction needed to safely gripfall down.

Securely grasping the edge of the rooftop he dismounted into a dead hang off the side of the tower. Karros hung there for a moment, doing little shifts in his position to make sure he was secure. With a deep breath through his nostrils he loosened his grip just enough that the tips of his fingers slipped from their grasp on the ledge. Karros plunged down the side of the tower. Both of his hands and both of his feet were planted almost flat against the side of the wall. But the metal slid underneath them as if they slicked with oil. Even using his telekinesis to press himself against the wall to generate friction Karros was practically in freefall. He had dramatically overestimated his ability to grip the tower wall. With the traction of his hands and feet assisted by telekinesis at best merely keeping his body close to the side of the tower, the Concierge plummeted down its side.

Karros glanced down below him. The angled top of the buttresses were rapidly approaching him. If he didn’t do something, and fast, either he would turn into human paste atop those buttresses or he would break his legs as he bounced off of them, then become human paste when he landed on top of the skyway. Karros had really been hoping to avoid committing vandalism on his run. But it was either that or die. Enhancing his movement with a burst of Force Speed, Karros quickly drew his lightsabers in reverse grip, pulled them back over head, and just as he ignited them stabbed both deep into the side of the wall. Twin trails of glowing lines made of molten metal instantly appeared, following his descent down the wall like a tail of an afterburner. Planting the soles of his feet with what little traction he had Karros buried the blades of his sabers almost to the prongs of the hilts, angling the blades at a sixty degree angle to maximize the resulting traction generated. The effects of his braking were slow at first; initially it seemed as if it had no effect and that he was slicing through the steel like butter. Under virtually any other circumstance of cutting with a lightsaber this would have been the desired effect. There was a moment of grave concern flickered across Karros’ mind. He was rapidly running out of wall as well as time to come up with another plan. But after a heart-stoppingly long moment the Concierge began to see and feel his descent begin to slow. The wall did not rush as fast beneath his feet. And the wind did not hurtle quite as fiercely past his head.

Below the slanted top of the buttress rose like a slow moving rocket to meet him. The Concierge had slowed down enough that he was sure he was no longer in danger. So long as he did this next move right. Shifting his feet so that only his toes pressed against the tower wall Karros lifted his heel in expectant impact with the angle of the buttress. Seconds later his heels and the soles of his feet hit the slope of the buttress. With nary a pause in transition his fall went from straight down to a downward sixty degree angle. With the change in direction his momentum slowed further, if only by a little. The Concierge slid for another twenty yards before the buttress dropped off into a slightly steeper slope for the rest of the fall. Sliding over the edge of the buttress’ peak Karros’ feet slipped out from under him with an unbalancing jolt. It was enough of a surprise upset that it caused the Concierge to accidentally deactivate his right saber.

As he resumed falling, this time down a seventy-five degree slope, the entire right side of his body pivoted so that Karros now faced the open air instead of the buttress wall. The speed of his descent accelerated again, though still far slower than before using his lightsabers at all. After briefly flailing with only his left saber providing an anchor to the wall Karros ignited his right saber and stabbed it into the wall. Slowing down once again the Concierge was able to plant his feet and press his back against the buttress wall. Now with so much more bodily surface generating traction Karros slowed down significantly more. His continual braking caused him to decelerate more and more the further down he went. By the time he reached the bottom of the buttress it looked like he had merely slid down a playground slide.

As his feet touched the roof of the skyway at last Karros stepped forward to walk off the last of the momentum. Extinguishing his sabers and securely holstering them he looked back the way he came. Perhaps it was because he was so close to them, perhaps it was because he knew where to look, but the long gashes he had made on the way down popped glaringly out from the wall all the way up its length. Taking a step back Karros noted that from a distance the gashes really didn’t seem that big. One had to be close enough to pick out the details of the trail of melted metal which had cooled off enough to resolidify. The Concierge merely hoped that his saber blades hadn’t punched clear through to the tower’s interior. If it did more than a few people would notice. But if it was only the exterior then he should be alright.

Turning from the tower Karros began walking along the top of the skyway. With long, if cautious strides, he headed towards the slope of the arena summit. Made from the same variant of glassy slick vardium steel as the tower, the bridge was as wide as one of plaza concourses back in the Residential District. A dozen fully grown men could have walked shoulder to shoulder down its length and there would still be room to spare. Still Karros kept to the center of the skyway roof. With the wind blowing him past him it was not unlike walking across a very wide mountain bridge. And whenever that wind blew past him it would always cause him to drift a little to the side. Normally such little breezes would have no effect on him but combined with the virtually slippery nature of the metal under his feet it was like walking over freshly waxed tiles. Each step was a conscious effort. It was a slow walk over the hundred-some yard bridge. Crouching slightly to lower his center of gravity Karros made his way over the floating metal avenue. Reaching the edge of the summit where the skyway met the stadium wall Karros glanced around. Here the summit abruptly shrank, leaving a ring around the edge of the arena wall halfway up as well as leaving the upper half of the arena markedly smaller. It was almost like the top half of the summit had been cleanly sliced off and replaced with a smaller, identical version. It reminded him of a serving of flan the way it had been cut like a conical frustum.

The ring upon which he stood went completely around the summit. Too wide to be called a mere ledge, the ring was wide enough to qualify as something closer to a hillside terrace. Two hundred feet of level plateau stretched out before the stadium slope rose again. At regular intervals lines of light formed lanes up the side of the slope. Running horizontally along the sides were additional rings made of additional glimmering lights within the metal wall itself. Walking up to its very base Karros began pacing along its edge. The metal was the same vardium steel that had made up the skyway and tower. Though the incline was deceptively shallow, a few test steps up the side quickly told the Concierge that it was too slippery and too steep to climb. Even attempting to bear crawl it helped none. But the lines of light embedded in the wall…

Walking up to the nearest line Karros crouched to examine it. Wide as a twin-sized bed the lines were made up of dozens of yard-long transparisteel panels, underneath which were brightly glowing lights. Running along the side of the long column of panels was a narrow groove between the transparisteel and the vardium steel. Taking a closer look Karros found that the groove was just wide enough to stick his fingers in and curl into a grip. Testily he pulled. After a moment of resistance the panel popped open. Within the Concierge could see, and access if he wanted to, the lights that illuminated the line. Karros closed the panel, making sure it was secure. Once it was closed he placed his foot on the panel. Though it took a moment of shifting the sole of his foot back and forth to find his footing, he discovered that there was definitely enough traction that he could climb up if he was careful.

Placing the fingers of both hands into the groove Karros tentatively planted his foot on the panel’s surface. Securing his footing and gripping the edge of the panel he pulled up with his hands while pushing down with his foot. Secured even more he placed his other foot on the panel beside the first. Steadied he began to climb up the column of light. Hand over hand, always pulling up with his hands, both up the column and as if to open the panel, while always maintaining downwards pressure with his feet at the same time. His feet often would tread the line between the dark and glowing metals. For a hundred yards Karros climbed up the slope. Beneath his feet he could feel the vibrations of the crowd within the arena. Their dull roar became louder and louder with each step upwards.

Reaching the top Karros pulled himself onto the lip of the stadium bowl. Flat, the lip was narrower than the ring below but still wide enough that he needed to walk across it. With its width and shape the lips reminded him of an athletic event’s running track. Walking across the rim he stood at the very brink of the stadium wall. A quick glance below immediately informed him that it was not the stadium wall that he was standing on but the eaves of the arena stands. Two hundred feet beneath him the seat-lined terraces of the arena lined the perimeter. Closest to him were the luxury boxes extending out high on the wall atop balconies. The rich and the high-born lined these balconies, dressed up in their finest clothing with glittering jewelry and lavish gowns and suits. Further down in the terraces and in the ground seating, neatly arranged in rows and columns, the bourgeoisie filled the stands At the head of the arena floor a great stage backed with holoscreens filled up the north end of the stadium. Great spotlights, strobing and with ever changing colors, shone down on the stage where a crew of fourteen dancers swayed. Though he was too far away to make out the details of each distant figure, the massive holoscreens made up for that distance.

In high-definition fourteen women danced to hypnotic rhythmic music, each dressed in skintight leather that reminded him of speeder gangsters. Each woman had her own unique design; one had a vest with a detachable sleeve. Another wore a midriff-baring jacket with a heavy, if shining, chain waist belt. Yet another wore a studded choker, leather as glossy and shiny as the rest of her ensemble. And yet one more had her blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail, contrasting with the let-down, shoulder length hair of her companions. Each dancer was remarkably beautiful; easily making for super models with their intense, smoky eyes, lithe figures and flawless skin with perhaps, by natural or artificial means, tastefully placed beauty marks beneath the eye, corner of their lips or adorning the side of their throat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnVN6UZl6bU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnVN6UZl6bU

Of all the dance crews Karros had seen tonight, these women were, beyond a doubt, the best. Moving in flawless sync, they would throw out their bodies in time with the music, always shifting in formation with each of them seamlessly switching places at the front point where they would take the limelight in turn. When each woman took point position they would stare down the floating camera droid with such sexual ferocity that the Concierge could not tear his eyes from their gaze on the screen. Every move they made highlighted their figures; from the way they posed and splayed their long legs in proud, shameless display to how they threw their arms, framing the curves of their torso and the seductive expressions on their faces. With tossed hair, arched back and hands running over their bodies like a lover’s caress, the women danced to the beat of an almost erotically rhythmic synth-pop song with an almost vintage twist to its tune. On closer inspection Karros saw that they were not only dancing to the song but simultaneously singing it as well. Karros did not know the language they were singing in but subtitles ran along the bottom of the holoscreen let him know exactly what they were saying. A diss track to pretenders and defiant taunt to haters, the lyrics sung of proud confidence and rebellious freedom of individuality. All encapsulated in almost adolescent spirited wording.

Lowering himself into a crouch at the edge of the arena eaves Karros relaxed into a seated position with his right arm resting on a raised knee. Settling in to watch the performance he let his gaze wander. It was almost by chance that when his eye roamed over the open-air luxury boxes directly beneath him that one of the audience members caught his attention. Her back was turned to him, but what he did see were the beautifully ornate hairpin in her elaborate hairdo. Clothed in a beaded white dress in equally elaborate golden embroidery she fanned herself with a white hand fan adorned with a design that Karros couldn’t make out from the distance. He couldn’t place it but he had seen her before. Her profile was so familiar it seemed the answer was just out of reach. It was only when she turned head to the side to look at something did Karros recognize her.

~Apprentice Keres Dymos IC~

The air is humid and thick, and even her VIP box is straining to filter and cool the air of a stadium packed to the brim with curious and elated spectators. Despite the speculations pinballing around the stadium, Keres is calm, leisurely waving a white silk fan, exquisitely embroidered with a pink peony. The round palace fan isn’t her usual fare, but it puts less strain on her wrist, and she’ll certainly need it tonight.

Despite her placid expression, excitement bubbled in Keres’ chest. She had been anticipating this show for weeks after she had acquired tickets. Well, poisoned someone and took their tickets, but no one was the wiser for it, and now she was here. This third tier box wasn’t the best, it was a little high up and to the side, difficult to see the performers faces and capture the full effect of sitting in the center, but she did not have the power yet to take that sort of VIP box without question.

For all its efforts, the VIP box was straining against the densely-packed crowd to keep her cool and comfortable. Honestly, it was the sort of environment Keres usually hated, surrounded by a horde of people, too-close and smelling of sweat and the atrocious drinks being sold. But she so did love live performances, and live dances, and there had been just so many rumors and so much speculation, that Keres had been unable to resist the urge to see it herself, to be able to say that she had seen their first performance.

A commotion drew her gaze, a knot of people near the open seating locked in a fight. She tilted her head curiously. It was close enough to the VIP seats that someone might have tried to sneak in, or someone might have tried to push someone out of their normal seat. Yes, a VIP box was a good choice.

Anticipation crackled over the stadium as people quieted, and Keres found herself leaning forward, waiting with bated breath as the spotlights began to move, directing attention to the center stage. The lights dimmed, making the stage a shining star, almost too bright to look at. A shimmer, and the dancers appeared, perfectly poised, at least a dozen of them. Each one had pale skin contrasting with slick black outfits. A beat. Two. In sudden synchronous movement, the dancers threw their heads back as the music built and the center six moved forward. In a moment, Keres was transported, delighted by the complex moves and music, eye’s flickering over each dancer, fan still in her hand. So delighted was she that she never even sensed her fellow apprentice sneaking in and spotting her.

~End Apprentice Keres IC~

Turning his gaze back to the stage Karros resumed watching the performance. As the number came to a close with deafening applause the Concierge’s holocomm began to beep. Drawing his holocomm and turning his body away from the arena slightly Karros held the comm in front of him. Blooming into view the image of a face shrouded appeared out of the circle of the holoprojector.

“‘How do you go into the good night?’” asked the shadowed figure cryptically.

“‘Nevermore’” Karros answered easily, “Good evening Ajax.”

“Evening” the figure replied with a now noticeably more relaxed voice than before. “Iskandar is summoning all members of the Hand for a meeting. In-person.”

“Did something happen?” Karros asked with a thread of concern in his voice.

“He didn’t say,” the figure responded. “He said that it was something big but not an emergency. He wants everyone to come as soon as they can but it's not a rush.”

“I can be there in a day or so,” Karros said, rising to his feet. “I’ll need to take care of a few things first though. Is he going to be at Sparta?”

The figure nodded in confirmation.

“Take route 15-D.” it said, “There’s been word of trouble with some of the hyperspace lanes. We don’t know what’s going on yet. The High Tower is figuring it out.”

“Got it,” said Karros, “Owl out.”

Ending the call Karros stowed his holocomm on his belt. He glanced over at the arena stage where the women were beginning to exit. Turning away he walked back to the outer slope of the stadium. With a light hop he leapt onto the slope where he began to slide down its side like a surfer. Crossing the distance in an exhilarating and agonizingly brief moment he came back down to the exterior terrace’s plateau. He paused for a moment after placing his feet on level ground to look back up at the way he came. Musing to himself that he just found a new place to practice ground surfing Karros returned his attention to his descent. Walking across the plateau he did the same thing, steppinging off the edge and surfing down the slope. This time he was able to properly enjoy his descent. The angle of descent was much steeper than the upper half of the stadium. Karros was forced to lean so far back his rear slid along the surface as much as his feet did, scraping the tips of his unfeeling hand along the metal in a semi-gripfall. It was almost like lugging down the side of a metal mountain. Though longer than last time, his descent took just under a minute to approach the bottom. And it was still several more minutes too short.

Below he could see the busy crowd milling about on a path that ringed the bottom of the arena. None ever bothered to look up. It was only when he was within ten yards of them did a young man approaching his landing point look up. Upon seeing the Concierge the young man leapt back to the surprise and annoyance of those nearest whom he practically collided into with himself. Karros smiled in amusement as the young man single-handedly cleared out his landing spot for him domino-style as he fell backwards onto his backside.

Deftly sliding onto the pavement Karros stared down at the young man before turning his gaze to the surrounding crowd with a sweeping turn of his head. The masses backed away from him in confusion, forming a small, almost perfectly circular clearing. Through the gaps in the ring the people behind them continued to walk forward, pouring through like water through a storm grate, ignorant of why the individuals had stopped in front of them or perhaps that they had stopped at all. Karros continued to stare down those who had stopped to gap at him as more began to walk between him and them. The hulking figure of Esoomian crossed in front of him, blocking the Concierge from view. When the Esoomian had passed Karros was nowhere in sight. Like he had vanished into thin air.

Several yards away, deep in the swirling crowd populating the arena concourse, Karros stowed away his datapad, having just plotted his route to his ship. The Morrigan lay docked at House Cruor’s bureau back in the Administrative District. Heading back to where he started it seemed. Like a fish diving into murky waters Karros strode forward into the bustling crowd, disappearing among the swirling bodies as the crowd swallowed him up. The sound and sights of the people soon erased all memory of his presence as they went about their evening on a weekend night in Kaas City.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fin.

 

[Karros Zaruiel]

Since there's a 20 pic limit to individual posts I had to do this in a separate post.