Open Terrain

*Kirus merely shrugged his shoulders.*

"Officially the prison never existed... How would the citizens on coruscant feel if they new that the galaxy's deadliest criminals were all gathered on their 'peaceful' planet? They'd be outraged i'd bet..."

IC: "Are you sure? I seem to remember passing a terminal on our way here that says different..."*

*Kirus waved away Hrókr's fears.*

"Worry not... By the time they'll have confirmed you're not among the dead, we'll both be long gone, and you'll be beneath their radar of their intelligence network. Now..."

*Kirus rummaged through the storage compartment in the fighter for a few minutes, before turning back round with a data pad. Handing it to Hrókr, it would show the picture of a male yellow zabrak, along with information on the man.*

"You'll want to start with this man. His name is Gurlod Varbass. Officially he's simple accountant who works in the Bank of Coruscant, however he also works for the ravens as a money launderer and fabricates accounts with shell companies to hide them... Find him, and you'll get your foot on the first rung of the ladder to the top."

IC: "Money is power, and by taking their money their power becomes mine."*

*Hrókr would never admit it, nor show it in his expressions, but he was somewhat impressed with the availability of this information, and that Kirus would so readily give it to him. It was time for the prey to become the predator.*

IC: "Will you be joining me?"*

*Softly shaking his head, Kirus stood up, stretching a little, getting ready to depart.*

"Not at the moment. While you're keeping them distracted with your movements, I'll be gathering more information... However I will join you on the final battle... I'd love to see their faces when they realise how powerless they truly are..."

*Hrókr now knew where to start, and at least that was something that he didn't have before. For this he was grateful, but for now he figured on getting a change of close to disguise his appearance.*

IC: "Thank you. Until we meet again."*

*Steadily the fighter rose into the air and idled for but a moment for Hrókr to take in his surroundings before it blasted off into the unknown of the future that awaited him...*

The date is Saturday, March 21, 5473 BBY. I├óÔé¼Ôäóm sitting in a booth with my oldest friend Ambrannas in a Cantina, I├óÔé¼Ôäóm not sure what type of breed of Zabrak he is, but I don├óÔé¼Ôäót think it really matters.

├óÔé¼┼ôKorcen, why do you even have that stupid datapad?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas asked
├óÔé¼┼ôI told you already.├óÔé¼┬Ø I said
├óÔé¼┼ôWe won├óÔé¼Ôäót be able to find them, you know that.├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas said.
├óÔé¼┼ôHow many times have I told you? Yes we will.├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
├óÔé¼┼ôTypical human.├óÔé¼┬Ø He said.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou mean Jedi.├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, I mean ex-jedi?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWill you just shut up? Who cares that I left the order.├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôMost Jedi, if they leave the order, are far more older than seventeen.├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas said. ├óÔé¼┼ôShall we speak of more resent events?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôAlright, fine. So if we were going to find them, which we won├óÔé¼Ôäót, wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót you have a lead already?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe force will give us the answers we need.├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
├óÔé¼┼ôFine.├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas said.

A few seconds later he felt something.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was what?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou didn't feel it? I felt something hit the ground, hard.├óÔé¼┬Ø He said.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós not unusual here.├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, I know. But I didn├óÔé¼Ôäót feel it as an impact, I felt it through the force.├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe force works through all of us, even more so to force sensitives. If you felt it, why wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót I have?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm not sure? But I still think I should check it out.├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas said.
├óÔé¼┼ôIf only you felt it, and I didn├óÔé¼Ôäót that├óÔé¼Ôäós a bad sign. It usually means someone├óÔé¼Ôäós trying to draw you out.├óÔé¼┬Ø I explained.
├óÔé¼┼ôWouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót that be a good thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, yes and no. Either someone├óÔé¼Ôäós trying to find you or someone├óÔé¼Ôäós trying to capture or kill you, and I├óÔé¼Ôäóm betting their going to lure you in wherever, start a fight, then wrap you up to whoever, dead.├óÔé¼┬Ø ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I├óÔé¼Ôäóm still going to find who or what is calling me.├óÔé¼┬Ø He got out of his seat and was starting to walk away when I grabbed his forearm.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut when you realize that it├óÔé¼Ôäós a trap, your to late.├óÔé¼┬Ø I cautioned.
He yanked his arm away,
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks for the word of warning, but I don├óÔé¼Ôäót need any.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Ambrannas raced out of the Cantina
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he thinks I├óÔé¼Ôäóm typical.├óÔé¼┬Ø

I sat back down into my seat, then sensed someone suspicious nearby. I put my datapad away and decided to order a drink, a minute later the waiter gave me my Juma Juice. I took a sip but didn├óÔé¼Ôäót swallow, it was not bad for something that had knockout powder in it. I spit it back into my cup, then used the force to make my body seem unconscious then fell flat onto the table.

Earlier...

Ambrannas left the Cantina unaware of the tracking device I attached to his forearm. He walked about fifteen miles before he reached the source of the disturbance. It was an old office building, shut down though. Not in any condition to open again

├óÔé¼┼ôTypical, an old abandoned building. I├óÔé¼Ôäóm surprised it├óÔé¼Ôäós still here, usually the Senate tears down these buildings and put in new ones the week after they├óÔé¼Ôäóre abandoned,├óÔé¼┬Ø
He picked up some of the rubble
├óÔé¼┼ôThis place has been here at least... thirty years almost. Someone must have a lot of credits to keep it up. Somethings wrong here, I don├óÔé¼Ôäót like it. I think Korcen was right, this is a trap. But who, and why?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ambrannas heard the sprinting sound of feet to get inside. He turned and saw a door close about forty yards away. He sensed someone behind him, and turned around.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? You?!?├óÔé¼┬Ø
A familiar silhouette figure pointed and fired a tranquilizer dart gun at him, Ambrannas fell back unconscious.
├óÔé¼┼ôHumph, why yes it is me Ambrannas. Or should I call you fool.├óÔé¼┬Ø

Back to Business...

When I woke up, I thought I would be in a force cage or something. But no, just a regular bed, that├óÔé¼Ôäós not the most average kidnappers move. Come to think of it, I know only one person who does this. ├óÔé¼┼ôSayjar.├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell done, I was for sure you would be stumped. But I guess not all Jedi are you, oh and you were right. It is a trap.├óÔé¼┬Ø Sayjar said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót anyone listen to me? and how did you know it was a trap?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou could say I├óÔé¼Ôäóve been eavesdropping. A couple of people were talking about killing Ambrannas because he killed their friend, Jaymel or something?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôKayrel, Kayrel Cumay. Ambrannas didn├óÔé¼Ôäót kill him... I did.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? Did he attack you or something?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sayjar asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, no he was unarmed.├óÔé¼┬Ø ├óÔé¼┼ôThen why?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to talk about it, but that├óÔé¼Ôäós one of the reasons why I left the order. But let├óÔé¼Ôäós get back to business, shall we?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo just how do you plan on rescuing him?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI already have it in motion.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat in motion?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI planted a small tracking device on Ambrannas├óÔé¼Ôäó forearm. And I have his position, about forty-five miles north.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôforty-five miles north? That├óÔé¼Ôäós where the old office building is, perfect, obvious place for a trap.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø ├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós old and abandoned, where else would an obvious trap be?├óÔé¼┬Ø ├óÔé¼┼ôHmm, if it├óÔé¼Ôäós obvious, then it must be a public killing, I sense... something else will happen, when we arrive.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm guessing, another trap?├óÔé¼┬Ø He put on his helmet. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething like that I suppose... let├óÔé¼Ôäós go.├óÔé¼┬Ø

*A black airspeeder pulled up to the University of Coruscant, stopping the speeder in a temporary parking mode. Four men dressed in grey military fatigues, patrol caps, black combat vests, boots, and sunglasses emerge from the vehicle and walk into the University. A few glares and the students and the secretary behind the desk decided not to ask questions as they looked at the directory. Upon discovering Daniel's office, the four men headed up to it.

As the four men walked into the office, they encountered Daniel's assistant, Zooey. At first, the confrontation was difficult. She didn't believe the men when they said that Daniel wanted his materials moved to a new location, and that she was not included in this relocation. But after presenting a short video recording (which had it's location edited out) she reluctantly let three of the men pack up the notes and materials while the fourth explained to Zooey why she wasn't being brought along. After everything was packed up, the four men left Zooey to sit frustrated and confused in the partially empty office. They loaded up into the airspeeder minutes later and headed for the Galactic Museum.

Meanwhile at the Galactic Museum...

Two men in trimmed officer uniforms had arrived twenty minutes earlier and had met with the curator. The three had been discussing the information that had been presented by Daniel, and the future of the expedition. While the curator was skeptical at first, the two officers ensured that they would be offering their support as well, and that the findings would still go to Daniel and his archeological team. The curator showed the two men to the supplies that they would need to bring. Thanking the curator, the two men took the grav-sleds and brought the equipment around back to the loading dock.

As the two men with grav-sleds brought the equipment to the back, the unmarked black airspeeder pulled up at the loading dock. The soldiers stepped out and began unloading the personal belongings and notes of Daniel Logan. As they did an AIAT/i pulled out of the basic traffic patterns and landed on the platform. Several men stepped down the ramp and began helping the officers and the soldiers load their stuff aboard their transport. Once everything was loaded, the officers got into the transport and took off with all of the supplies. The other soldiers returned to the black airspeeder and headed off into the city.*

*The refugees were shuffled forward through the shoots into the seething mass and stink of the capital world slowly. Jess found herself pressed in close quarters with at least a dozen aliens displaced from across the galaxy. Droids circled like carrion birds awaiting their moment to pounce as each individual was processed through the line.

Jess could barely contain the sob rising in her throat. Glee Anselm was gone, along with her family and hundreds of other species. She was still in shock, unsure of what had happened. Now she was being pushed and prodded forward with little sympathy.

At the head of the line, stood a rather prim looking human female, flanked by a score of armored guards. Jess stared blankly at the cadre, her opalescent eyes swirling with unasked questions. The uniformed woman sneered at the sight of the Nautolan.

Droids grabbed Jess roughly on either side to drag her forward for the processing. They shoved her left hand into a crude looking machine that bit sharply into her skin. Jess yelped, but was cuffed hard across the temple by one of the guards. The Nautolan whimpered through the procedure, then was shuffled past the processing check point to mill with other cowed aliens.

Each had a stamp burned into the back of their left hand, fresh and pink. Like droid designations. Jess looked at her hand: UB-40. Behind her UB-41 joined her, followed by UB-42 and on and on. There was little other recognition other than that set of letters and numbers. Her identity had been stripped away and replaced with a serial number, just as her world had been swept away in a brilliant jet of light.

She felt herself grow faint, falling into a black nothingness that was easier to understand. A dazed Devaronian female wrapped her furry arms around the falling Nautolan as she fell. Together they came to rest against a wall, the Devaronian crouched and grasping onto Jess as if she were the only thing she had left that made sense in a senseless world. None of these people had anything left in all the universe but each other.*

*She thought being here would conjure up memories, trigger horrible episodes. She thought coming back would've been hell on earth trying to discern what was reality and what was memory. But as Adelle walked down the boarding ramp, she was struck by how ordinary things felt. Her mind didn't so much as twitch, despite her anxiety. Her rubber soled boots made very little noise as she walked down the boarding ramp. While she hated wearing them, she wasn't about to be caught dead on Coruscant barefoot.

Rubber met duracrete as she stepped off the ramp. The flow of Force currents around her shifted instantly, a few threads tugging her along. Adelle frowned but followed, at first slowly then at a brisk pace. The multitude of scents that assaulted her nose went ignored as she weft through the crowd, following the pull of the Force. Adelle muttered a rushed apology to a striking noble dressed in rich purple as she brushed past, coming to stand at the edge in the middle of a wide bridge. She looked over the edge at the levels that dropped dizzyingly away. Vertigo began pulling at her... No wait! The Force led her this way. In her fractured memories, she didn't see gleaming skyscrapers or transparisteel buildings. She had to go down.*

*Danger sense. Adelle spun to absorb the blaster bolt and pinpoint the shooters location. But there was no bolt. Something had pricked her hand though. She turned to look at her palm and the dart sticking out of it. Black nibbled the edges of her vision as she fell to her knees and tumbled over the edge.*

*She'd fallen. And if she had survived falling from there before...*

"Do you trust me?" *She turned to Jago and Lita behind her.* "Because you're going to have to follow me down. That or find your own way."

*Without another word, Adelle flipped backwards off the edge.*

*The hum of the turbines cooled. Though the trip had not been considerably long, it had been filled with tension, and Lita pressed her hands against the back of her neck to work the sore muscles of her shoulders. Though she had left the cockpit several times to check on Adelle, most of the journey had been spent in that seat, and all three of them were feeling the same sense of trepidation.

Adelle's mind still had not opened.

She exchanged a glance with Jago before leaving the cockpit and finding the loading ramp having already been lowered. Outside, she found Adelle moving quickly away. Purposeful. Pulled. She called out to her, but it was as though the Jedi woman could not hear her. She kept her eyes on her, making certain she did not lose sight of her before Jago joined her side.

She jerked her head towards the pedestrian bridge, indicating to Jago where the other Jedi had gone, then moved at a decidedly more cautious pace, keeping her senses aware and her mind open to the Force. There, Adelle was standing at the edge of the bridge, staring transfixed at something below. No. Not transfixed. More like a trance. Even from this angle, Lita could see that her eyes were not seeing what was there. Her mind had gone somewhere else.

When she spoke, and turned to face Jago and herself, Lita wasn't entirely certain that Adelle was in fact speaking to them, or even fully aware that they were there. But her multi-colored eyes, unfocused as they were, was locked on theirs before she leaned back and was suddenly...gone.

She hissed sharply through her teeth.*

"Adelle-!"

*She gripped Jago's arm, but she already knew he was going to jump. She knew his mind as well as she knew her own. There was no way he was not going to leap after Adelle. She growled even as her powerful legs propelled her towards the edge, her leather coat billowing behind her.*

"I must be out of my mind to trust a Jedi."

*The oceanless world of industrial steel spun in her vision as she gripped the edge of the bridge, ignoring the cries of the confused witnesses as she leapt over it. Into a freefall.*

~ Coruscant.

How odd it felt to be back here.

He moved almost like Adelle through the streets, merely following Lita without actually paying attention to his steps. He could still see it all. Hear it all.

The memories.

A small, frail woman with near alabaster skin and hair as rich as night. They danced along rooftops and shared their succulent delight for many nights. Then, one day, she was gone. Just walked out on him.

And then, just as suddenly as she had left, she had returned. Not as his lover, not as the beauty he remembered, but as a murderer. The personification of everything he had fought against in the past decade. She was in his hands, in chains, and slipped away.

Did she actually escape?

Or did he let her go ..?

And where, now, did she roam? Was she coming for him? Did she plan on the fact that, sooner or later, he would hunt for her?

Sinistra, she had called herself. Is that all she ever really was? Just a sinister dream, the sweetest thoughts corrupted?

He was pulled out of his thoughts just as Adelle leaped from the edge, his eyes snapping back into reality. This was where she needed to go? Down Coruscant's lights, to the depths below?

Well. So be it, then. He had a sense of adventure about him: should be fun, he mused.

" I must be out of my mind to trust a Jedi."

Jago could only chuckle as he made for the ledge and, in one, deft motion, got his foot onto the rail.

" You trust me, don't you?"

The playfulness was back into his tone as he catapulted into the sky; back into the one, true home he had ever had.

The wind through his hair, his arms spread to embrace the air around him ... The bad memories were gone.

There was only a smile.~

*Cries of terror and confusion drew attention to the bridge. Onlookers stopped and stared as three people jumped over the edge of the bridge. Gold eyes beneath a deep amethyst cowl stared at their shrinking forms until the shadows of the lower levels swallowed them whole. Without a word, she turned from the site, having had her fill of curiosity. Rings of various precious stones and metals glinted in the light as she straightened on of her elegant earrings and discreetly activating the hidden comlink.*

"She's here," *she muttered.* "With company. Zabrak female and human male, Tetan by his features."

:: How delightful. Shall I entertain them for you? ::

"The Zabrak certainly. I never much cared for their kind. But the human... Leave him to me. He's out of your league."

:: Pity. I do have some rather delightful games I'd love to play with him. ::

"You will get your chance. But remember├óÔé¼ÔÇØ"

:: Of course. No loose ends, as agreed. And the girl? ::

"Irrecoverable. Cut your losses. You can find another pet. Ensure that she is put down."

:: I still get to have my fun with her though, right? ::

*A smile twisted the noblewoman's red lips.* "But of course. You have sixty seconds to prepare yourself for their arrival."

:: Don't worry. By the time I'm done, they'll be tearing themselves apart from the inside out. ::

***

*Freefall. She knew she was actually falling but it felt so much like flying. The wind rushing up, the sheer adrenaline rush of having nothing stopping your body from slamming into the ground... What exactly compelled her to jump? What had worked back when she was first here might not still work. Had she just led them to their deaths?*

You are a weapon, but you are not the one holding the trigger.

*Had someone pulled the trigger just now? ... Too late for second thoughts now.

It felt like ages of them falling. Adelle, even with the wind burning in her eyes, could see the layers of cityscape change with every level they passed. The materials downgraded, became dingier, unlike the brightly gleaming spires above them. Everything closed in, became darker. And still, she fell. How had she survived this fall the first time?

Something changed. Adelle noticed the speed of her fall had reduced. More curious, she was still decelerating. She flipped herself over so she was falling feet first now. Below her, the ground was fast approaching them. But even as they neared, the speed of their fall continued to slow until they were practically hovering about five feet off the ground. Without warning, whatever force field had kept them aloft suddenly shut off. Adelle dropped to her feet, crouched in the middle of the street. Lights under the grate beneath her boots blinked a few times then darkened permanently. She stood slowly, taking a moment to think about the fall.

One: Modified repulsorlift.

Two: A fall spanning several hundreds of levels. In this precise spot. Without any obstructions.

It had been planned. She'd been targeted. But that answer raised new questions. Questions she intended to find the answers to. Adelle turned to Jago and Lita, suddenly feeling the rush of adrenaline leave her.* Kriff.

"You two alright?"

*For the first time in many decades, she cursed her shadow vision. The deepening darkness might have concealed the sight of the ground coming up to rush at her very fast. She tucked her legs and lowered her arms, preparing to direct a powerful telekinetic blast to counter the speed in which she was plummeting, to hopefully survive this suicide drop with ankles and knees intact, but before she could even gather the focus needed, the air rushing past her ears quieted, and her descent slowed.

Lita relaxed her hands. She could see Adelle below, making soft landfall. Jago, beside her, had also slowed. She folded her arms crossly against her chest, very disapproving of the entire affair. She didn't trust this. Not one bit. This had all the markings of a convoluted trap, and she should know. If there was one thing Lita knew better than traps, it was 'convoluted.'

Her left boot touched the ground, and she lowered her right one and stepped forward a pace, regaining her balance.*

"You two alright?"

"Dandy."

*She lifted her eyes skyward from the direction where they fell, the bright light of day not able to reach these lower levels. Her eyes shifted, her pupils enlarging as her shadow vision picked out every dark corner and crevice. Nothing immediately alarming, but she was working under the assumption that there was some sort of surveillance, here. Obviously something had been designed for humanoids to reach this place safely in the most unusual of ways. Thieves guild? Perhaps...

She returned her focus to Adelle.*

"What can you tell us about this?"

"Dandy."

*Sarcasm dripped from Lita's one-word response, eliciting as stony a stare as Adelle could muster. But her hands had begun to quiver and strength started fading from her legs so the stare was not held long.*

"What can you tell us about this?"

*Adelle knelt by the grate, trying to see the machine by what little light there was. Really the action was more out of a need to not collapse in front of them. The investigator in her wanted to answer Lita on a fact by fact basis, what she knew to be certain about this place. But she knew that's not what Lita was asking for.*

"This was where I fell," *she said simply.* "Up on the bridge... I remember feeling a sense of danger. Like the kind I get from blaster bolts. But it... wasn't a bolt."

*She closed her eyes, struggling to recall precisely what she had seen.* "A dart. Some sedative. I don't... remember. I just remember falling over the edge."

"From the looks of things, it had been planned that way. I'd been targeted." *Adelle stood up again, slowly. Damn, now she really did feel weak-kneed.* "From the looks of things, this machine's been here for a few years, for the purpose of my abduction or another, and it's been running ever since."

*Adelle crossed her arms over her chest to hide the shaking in her hands as she faced Lita again.* "That's what I can tell you."

~ A fall without death.

Exhilarating.

Jago was almost on the verge of grabbing the pistol at his side and attaching the piton to it. If he had straightened himself out he could've caught Adelle and Lita ... But that hadn't been necessary. How strange. A repulsor in the exact spot of the fall.

Listening to Adelle's explanation certainly impressed Jago. Gone was the quiet: she was thinking. Investigating. From what he could tell, her summation of what transpired seemed to be mostly accurate. Clever girl, that she was. He considered that if she kept that kind of deductive reasoning up for the rest of Coruscant he might have a job for her when the trip was done.

" If this had all been planned, you'd been targeted ..."

Jago stepped forward. Examined the lift. How curious.

" This machine wouldn't have been kept running all this time without purpose. The local power grid authorities would've cut it off years ago rather than continue the drain on energy. Unless someone else had said otherwise."

It was a bold assumption to make, but Jedi were a bold sort.

Whoever this is ... They had a feeling she'd come back. That she'd remember. Take this same path. Why would they think that?

" Question is, who's this 'someone'."

Jago finally stood up, dusting off his pants. He took the time to look around them: Coruscant was certainly darker here. Well ... there was still the artificial light. But the sun ...

The buildings seemed to stretch upwards forever, right towards heaven. To the people of the Upper City, paradise was a rather keen word for describing it.

Down here, though.

" Where exactly are we ..?"~

"Maybe there's a remote activation switch." Which would then put us in the middle of a trap. "Or perhaps a motion sensor somewhere in the levels above us that activates it. I'm no mechanic, I can't get at it to even hazard a guess at what turns it on and off."

*Kriff, she didn't feel so good. Sleep-deprivation, adrenaline crash, anxiety, everything started pounding in her head. She reached up to rub her forehead. Jago had mentioned local power grid authorities. They were so far down she didn't think there were authorities of any kind down here. Most likely, the power grids belonged to the various rings and syndicates ruling the territories.*

"Where exactly are we ..?"

*Adelle looked back up the way they had fallen, staring up at the sky even though she knew she wouldn't be able to see the sky. The shadows seemed to close in around her and so did despair.*

*A glimpse. All she ever wanted was to see one pinprick of light. She was tired of this. Tired of feeling like there was more to living than what she was stuck doing. Tired of feeling like a caged animal. Rain fell from the storm system this level had spontaneously produced, heavy and slick with chemicals. Damn, she'd have to ask permission for a shower again. A break in the clouds allowed her to stare back up through the levels, hoping for just a tiny ray of light.

But she never saw it.*

*Adelle's voice was hoarse when she answered Jago.* "Hell."

~ " Hell."

A more apt description Jago could not find. This was the Lower City of Coruscant: below all the glamour and the glitz. There was a truth in the maxim that some people had to be stepped on for others to reach the top. And yet, the people above carried on with their day with an almost carefree attitude.

Sure, they had their worries. Taking care of the kids, buying groceries, their jobs, bills. Normal life troubles.

Down here, they had worries too.

Would their belongings still be there when they returned from work? What about their families?

Would they have enough for food? Water? Medicine? What happened if they didn't? Who starved?

What happened when the various street gangs came around collecting again and they couldn't pay up?

Who did they turn to when the power went out? No heat, no lights?

Coruscant had once been described as a jewel. A precious gem that radiated outwards with pristine civilization and culture, a world that had been the head of nearly every major galactic body since the dawn of time.

If Coruscant was the jewel, here was the same stone without its sparkle. No shine to it. This was a place where Jedi were not often seen, and when they were it was only for short spans at a time. It was horrible, but it was truth: their numbers simply didn't allow them to be everywhere at once, not even in their own Home. Sure, maybe together they could all come as one and clean the filth out of the Lower City. Get rid of the gangs. Improve the lives of the billions that lived in such poor conditions.

And then the rest of The Galaxy would just turn the same way while they did. It was an unending paradox: wherever they helped, another place suffered. So it would always be.

Fate, he mused. How much he hated her.

" Well," Jago began finally after getting a feel for the area, prepping himself for the experiences he knew were ahead.

" We'll do no good just sitting around here. We've got to get a move on."

He turned towards the young Jedi Knight. A soft smile graced his sharp features.

" Do you remember where to next? Or anyone down on this level that can give us a sense of direction?"~