*Prologue*

They were little more than children when they discovered their own mortality. The lower levels of Coruscant were not unfamiliar with tragedy, the poor and downtrodden often found themselves victim to unseemly ends down here. Growing up on the streets, you had to fear starvation and disease as much as you did any gang member with a blaster. Children who found themselves without the protection of parents often banded together to survive. Such fellowships rarely lasted long on the streets. The ones who tried to escape to the upper floors often found themselves in indentured servitude, working the freighter docks or drafted into the Republic military. The ones that chose to make the lower slums their homes usually ended up joining the gangs, where your life ended in a cell or an alley.

One such group of children, however, persisted. Over time, its numbers dwindled, but four hungry children grew into four very hungry teenagers, and it was only a matter of time before they turned to a life of crime to fill their bellies. Cruising the streets on their swoop bikes shoddily assembled from junk and trash, the gang of teens calling themselves the Hellfathers were known to take small jobs outside the confines of the law, if the pay was right. If you needed some place trashed, or something stolen, and didn't have any requirements in regards to finesse, you knew which swoop gang to call on.

Over time, the Hellfathers became something of local heroes to the small neighborhood underneath the Duros sector. Even the larger, more dangerous gangs stayed out of their area, though this was probably born more out of amusement than actual fear or respect. Regardless of the motives, those that claimed residence near the boys were all grateful for the protection they provided. And their names were never forgotten.

There was Otso, the portly redhaired boy who never backed away from a fight. Bersk, the youngest of the group, a clean-cut Mirialan who most believed would be the first from their lower floor to break into the more civilized society of the upper levels. Lothärius, whose brash and impatient personality had incited a dozen street brawls and broken another dozen hearts. And Kuno, the leader of the Hellfathers, who was quiet and reflective. He kept the group tied down and focused, and was always the level-headed voice of reason that balanced out Lothärius and Otso's more rowdy personalities.

These four spent their days drinking and revelling, enjoying the freedom their lifestyle provided. At night, their deeds consisted mostly of extortion and racketeering for the larger criminal gangs. They were fairly small time, until one day they were approached by the leader of a Duros gang, who offered them the largest payout any of them have ever seen to run several packages to the Nikto sector a few levels down. With the money offered, they could do what they had never dared to dream of in the past: leave the lower levels. Kuno was hesitant, fearing that whatever heat might be on this packages would be too great. Ultimately it was Lothärius who convinced the group that this was their ticket out of the slums.

A few hours later, the four Hellfathers were riding their swoops, loaded up with the crates, farther down in the lower levels than any of them had ever dared to go. It was going well, and Kuno began to relax and dream of what he would do with his share of the credits. He was lost in thought when a blaster bolt sheared off the front fin of his swoop and sent him spiraling into a trash heap. He barely managed to abandon his doomed swoop before it crashed into the trash receptacles and exploded.

"Kuno!" Otso's voice sounded through the flames. The other three quickly pulled back and retrieved their friend and leader. This turned out to be a tactical misstep, for as soon as all four of them were confined to the small space behind the dumpsters, a hail of blaster bolts rained down upon them.

Lothärius quickly shoved the receptacles in place, forming a makeshift barricade for them to hide behind. Bersk was attempting to treat Kuno's badly burned leg. Otso had pulled his blaster and was firing blind over the barricade, shouting obscenities. "Who is firing at us?" Loth called to Otso.

The portly man attempted to peer over the barricade to get a glimpse at their attackers, but a near-miss blaster bolt sprayed shrapnel into his face. He howled and fell backwards. Lothärius began to panic.

Kuno, ignoring the damage to his leg, pulled from the wreckage of his swoop one of the packages the Duros had given them. He quickly pried it open to reveal several high caliber assault blasters stamped with a familiar insignia.

"Mandos." Kuno sneered through his teeth. "That damn Duros stole blasters from Mandos and sent us out to mule'em."

"What the hell are Mandos doing on Coruscant?" Bersk shouted over the blaster fire. He was not prepared for this kind of combat, and tears were forming in his eyes.

"Hold on, I'll ask 'em." Otso wiped soot from his eyes and grabbed one of the assault blasters. He hefted it over the barricade and opened fire, roaring.

Loth looked at Kuno's leg. "We are down a swoop, you are injured, and we are pinned down by Mando mercs. I...I dont know what to do here."

Kuno leaned his head back against the wall. "There's only one way any of us walk out of here, Loth. Load the packages on Berk's swoop. I'll hop on and tear out of here along the trade route. You three blast out of here the other way as soon as those Mandos follow me."

"Kuno, we can't do that. They'll kill you!"

Kuno grabbed Lothärius and pulled him close. "Loth, you have to get these two out of here. Otso is going to get himself killed, and Bersk, man, look at him. He's just a kid. You've got to take care of them now. That's YOUR job now, you hear me?"

Lothärius could offer no retort. He knew that Kuno's plan was the tactically sound one. He also knew that the Mandalorians would kill him the moment they caught him. And they would catch him. The extra weight of the weapons would slow him down significantly. He pushed away the tears from his eyes, and grabbed his friend by the back of his neck, pushing their foreheads together. "Nobody gets to live forever."

"As you say." Kuno agreed.

A few moments later, Kuno was speeding away. The Mandalorians quickly pursued him, ignoring the other three and going after their stolen cargo. Bersk held tightly to Lothärius, choking back sobs. Otso quickly sped off down the nearest vent shaft leading to higher levels. Lothärius watched the Mandalorians until they were out of sight. After a few minutes, with the blaster fire resumed, he turned his head and followed Otso out.

Unfortunately, they did not make it far. Coruscant Security quickly apprehended the boys on charges of gunrunning. They were brought before the courts, who gave them a simple choice. Enlist, or rot in prison. All three chose the first option.

Forty years later, Lothärius still sleeps uneasily, dreaming of blaster fire, and the sacrifice that spared his life.