Pulling at her ragged, black cloak in an attempt to hide her white blonde hair from sight, Sareen walked along the building, wishing she could meld into the long shadows cast across the desolate sandy streets of Daooline. She blinked the sand out of her dark violet eyes, scanning the street for storm troopers, but there were none. They were all at the speech, guarding the people from rebel attacks, and thankfully that meant out of her hair.
Picking up her pace, she wove through street after street, only paying enough attention to the sand battering against her skin to pull up her face mask over her mouth and nose. The streets darkened rapidly the further she got, the multistoried sand buildings and awnings shading the sentient who hid in the shadows. Ignoring the looks a few aliens threw at her, she followed the sound of music on the sandy wind.
As her boot hit the threshold, everything stopped. Dozens of eyes following her, she snapped into dignitary mode, walking confidently to the bar with her head held high. Gracefully sitting on the ragged and torn bar stool, she wiped dust off her cloak and ordered the first drink that caught her eye. As the bar tender, a three eyed shifty looking Malastarian, made her drink in a filthy glass, everyone went back to their business and the music started back up. She put a few coins on the bar and took the drink, nodding her head slightly in thanks even though she had no intentions of drinking it.
She turned to watch the band, but her mind was elsewhere. She sat there watching the flash of the metal instruments in the dim light as they went up and down, the musicians captive to the beat. Eventually the door flew open, but no one paid any attention to the tall, cloaked man. The bartender gave him a small nod and began making a drink, the man nodding slightly back, shaggy long black hair falling out of his hood. He took his drink, putting down payment before making his way to the tables hidden in the shadows on the other side.
Sareen pulled down her hood and mask, subconsciously running a hand over the small braids on either side of her head to make sure she looked presentable. A screen above the bartender caught her eye as it flashed on, blue holographic words flowing across it. A picture of her father appeared above the message. She frowned and looked away. She had escaped here for a reason, to not think about her family, and yet they still found her…
Everyone began turning their attention to the hologram, her father's sharp, clear voice echoing off the grubby walls. A drunk voice slurred insults and threw a glass at the projector, his table laughing as the picture strobed a few last breaths and began to smoke. For once Sareen was thankful she wasn't allowed to attend her father's press conferences, or else her picture would be up there and she would be the recipient. She went back to watching the band, letting herself be swallowed up by her thoughts.
It had only been thirty minutes at the most until a group of five tough-looking aliens entered the bar. Everyone seemed… scared, frantic mummers filling the dive. The bartender started scrambling around, dropping a glass with a loud shatter, and wherever the head of the group, a fierce looking, red skinned Klatoonian, looked, people fell silent and avoided his eyes. Unfortunately, Sareen didn't quite get the memo, and when their eyes met, she kept his gaze.
He smirked an ugly smile as he approached, the teeth he still had blindly white against his filthy skin. Sareen was intrigued to say the least, her curiosity overpowering the fear she should possess. He moved closer until she could smell his rancid breath.
"My seat." The gravelly voice that fell from his mouth spoke.
Sareen cringed, covering her nose with a gloved hand. "You stink."
The fury that flooded his eyes was, exciting. She knew it wasn't right, but it gave her an adrenaline rush and she couldn't help the smile that began to creep up her face.
He grabbed her chin too tight, yanking her head up as he leaned over her. She didn't look away, a slight smirk crossing her lips. She knew intimidation was a game, and she wouldn't lose. Then his eyes flitted down, and all hell broke loose.