Next chapter! Yay!

Hope you enjoy it.


**Rosalie Storm's POV**

We were crouching behind some old crates on one of the upper levels. Speeders zoomed by not far away and lining either side of the street was shop upon shop of food, clothing, and who knew what else. The members of the Purge were gathered around me, peering over the top of the crates at a booth loaded with strips of dried meat and piles of bright fruit. I didn't know why we seemed to be hiding. But I kept my mouth shut, they would let me know soon enough. I needed to keep my position in this gang, earn their trust. And maybe then I'd discover their dirty secrets. The Council would be pleased... and maybe then they'd let me stay at the Temple!

Zeke made his way toward me and hunkered down behind the crate. He smelled like he hadn't taken a bath in a while, but I ignored it and continued to look over at the busy streets.

"You see that fancy speeder parked in front of the gambling den?" Zeke asked, drawing my attention away from the flashing vehicles.

I nodded when I caught site of the expensive and way-out-of-place speeder. "Yeah, what about it?"

He slipped something in my hand. I looked down and my eyes widened in slight panic. It was a grenade.

"You're going to blow it up," he said.

I tried to mask my disbelief. "What has blowing up that speeder got to do with me buying the gang something to eat?"

He fixed me with a steely look, his dark eyes were threatening when he replied. "Do you want a place among the Purge or not, Shooter?"

I looked at him. His long dark hair was spilling into his face, making him appear even more dark. I was torn, he wanted me to break the law, maybe even hurt someone. But I was on a mission, and I had to complete it. I noticed Spider looking at me over Zeke's shoulder with an evil look on her face. She didn't want me to do it, I realized. She wanted me gone, out of her hair. Maybe even dead.

That decided it for me.

"I'll do it," I said. "And then can we eat after?" As if on queue my stomach growled.

Zeke's mouth twitched in a grin. "Of course. Meet us back at door B when you're done."

I turned my gaze back on the speeder and my gut clenched. I was going to blow that thing up. Okay. The Purge receded behind me, fanning out back into the shadows. I didn't know what was going on, didn't know if this was a test or just for laughs. But it didn't matter. I had to do it.

My hand squeezed the grenade. It was now or never. I stood up and drew the hood of my tunic low over my eyes and slipped into the crowd. There was a lot of people... how was I going to blow up the speeder without anyone getting hurt? My palms began to sweat. Shit. Then I noticed a clothing store not far off. That gave me an idea.

"HEY! DEEDEE'S FINE CLOTHES IS GIVING AWAY A FREE SUIT AND GOWN TO THE FIRST ONE THROUGH THE DOORS!"

The proclamation blasted from my mouth like a banshee call. I had yelled as loud as I could, even using the Force to amplify it. The crowd murmured in confusion for a moment. And then a cry went up, and then the masses began swarming toward the boutique. I thought I was going to be crushed as I fought the crowd toward the speeder. Well, at least it worked.

Not everyone was buying my outburst, but at least I got the majority of the masses out of the way.

I started sprinting. The speeder was coming up. I pulled off the grenade clip, threw it under the speeder, and took off in the opposite direction as fast as I could. The explosion sounded just second later and I was blown off my feet. Screams suddenly permeated the air and a sharp ringing filled my ears. My vision swam and I groaned, my body aching all over. People and aliens alike were fleeing, screaming, trampling one another underfoot as the speeder smoldered. Then, amongst the screaming, I heard laughing.

I stumbled to my feet and squinted out onto the street. I saw Zeke, and then Spider, Jumper... they were stealing the food from the booth! I felt angry, I had money for the food and they had made me blow up the speeder for no reason to steal it!

I clenched my fists together and whirled around, then ran to door B.

I was waiting when the gang returned.

They were laughing and punching the air in victory as they hauled in the food. Zeke was in front, smiling as he held an armful of dried meat as if it was pure gold. As they neared, I rounded on him.

"How could you?!" I shouted.

The chatter sizzled to a stop and they looked up at me with varying degrees of shock. Zeke's smile slid off his face and he looked at me with a stony expression. "What?" he asked threateningly.

"You made me risk hundreds of lives so you could steal some handfuls of gruel?! I had the damn money to buy it!"

Zeke dumped his loot into Hulk's arms and strode up to me. He thrust his face right up into mine so I could even count the number of nearly invisible freckles on his nose. "You did it because I told you to do it. Do you want a place in the Purge or not, Rylah?"

I sucked in air between my teeth, holding my ground at his imposing stance over me. Then I remembered the Jedi up top, of my mission. And especially the outcome if I failed. I wouldn't fail.

So instead, I lowered my eyes in submission (although it nearly killed me) and said, "Yes."

Zeke nodded smugly and pulled away. "Good. Now to show your good faith... give your credits to Spider."

My head snapped up. "What?!"

"I said," he repeated, slowly this time. "Give. Your. Credits. To. Spider."

I swallowed as Spider looked at me with a crafty gleam in her eye. I gulped and slowly pulled the bag out of my belt and stretched my hand out to her.

I wasn't going to fail.

She snatched the bag up and quickly stuffed it into her own belt, grinning at me like the cheshire cat the entire time.

Zeke smiled. "Good. Tomorrow we'll show you the job." He turned and started walking to the entrance to the lower levels. "Won't that be fun."

The gang chuckled and followed him. Then after a moment, I did too.

• • • •

Our day was far from over, and neither was the opportunities to prove myself to Zeke.

We traveled in single file back to wherever it was we were going. I had a vague idea that we were going to their camp or hideout. The under level slums where we were didn't make me feel any better about this supposed home they lived in. I doubted it was even a house. Probably just a cave in the wall.

Zeke was in front, I trailed along behind. I was still sensing the faint presence I had felt earlier that day. It was familiar, but there were billions of life forms on Coruscant so it was probably nothing. Maybe a merchant or a pickpocket I had encountered while on the streets with Aayla.

I suddenly realized Jumper was walking beside me. I turned and gave her a small smile in greeting. Her expression was stiff and emotionless, but her large eyes were kind.

"Don't worry about Zeke too much," she said. "He may seem violent and dangerous. But he's just trying to protect us... we've all become family. We're all each other has."

I nodded. "I respect that... and Zeke. I'm glad he accepted me into your group. I don't think Spider likes me much, though."

Jumper grimaced. "Spider is, uh, complicated. To say the least. She-"

"Jumper!"

The alien gave me an apologetic smile and ran up to Zeke. Even though I wasn't that close I could hear his order quite clearly, "Scout ahead. We don't want any unexpected run-ins with you-know-who."

Who's name did he not want me to know? I frowned, it wouldn't surprise me if these kids were in deep water with some big corporations. Drug rings? Black market weapons? Slave trading? In this galaxy, it could be anything.

Those thoughts reminded me what this mission was for. I was trying to expose this gang, who supposedly had been involved with crime bosses and murders. It was hard imagining exploiting their illegal activity and them being sent off to jail after being with them for a while. It had only been a day, and even though I knew they were not the best people in the galaxy, I realized that probably most of what they did was to just survive.

I watched Jumper take off ahead of us, leaping several yards high every time she pounced. She disappeared from view. And that's when I began to grow uneasy. That familiar warning prickle, which I had come to pay more attention to in this galaxy, began to spark along my arms. Something wasn't right up ahead.

I pushed ahead through the group, earning a withering glare from Spider, but I ignored her. "Zeke!"

He turned, his face a mask of annoyed boredom. "What is it, Rookie?"

"Something's not right. Jumper-"

That's when we heard the scream, and seven hulking figures appeared around the bend, guns in hand, and a struggling Jumper in their grasps.

Zeke pushed me behind him, taking an instinctive protective stance, I heard the rest of the gang pulling out their weapons behind us.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Purge."

I sucked in a breath, it was the same type of lizard alien I had run into with Hayden so long ago. Even now, with my skills now amplified, the aliens still sent shivers racing up my spine. Was the Purge working for Zaltor? My heartbeat quickened, I guess I would learn soon enough.

"What do you want, Xaio?" Zeke growled.

"The Boss is getting impatient. He wants the goods tomorrow before sundown... you don't want to keep him waiting."

The alien threw Jumper at us and she sprawled at our feet. I pushed past Zeke and helped her up.

"Seems like you snared yourself a new recruit," the alien chuckled, eyeing me. "She's a fine looking one, eh, Zeke? I'd have fun with her if I were you." The alien's started laughing, something weird and hissing like.

I felt heat flame my cheeks and I jumped to my feet, ready to give them a good tongue lashing but Zeke stopped me by holding a hand in front of me. The insults burned on my tongue by I kept my mouth shut at Zeke's stern look.

"Yes, I'm always in the need for new help." Then he turned and strode down a passage to our left. I followed, still seething while helping a shaking Jumper.

"That's why we can't waste money on food," he hissed at me as he passed, putting his blaster back in its holster. I looked at the blaster, and it suddenly dawned on me. Guns. They needed more laser clips so they could survive this hell-hole. We walked for a little while more, each of us stewing in our brooding thoughts.

Suddenly Zeke rounded on me. "You knew something bad was about to happen, didn't you."

It wasn't a question. "Yes," I whispered.

He continued walking, I nearly had to jog to keep up. Hulk had Korkie on his shoulders and Tiny scuttled along beside Spider.

"She might turn out even more helpful than I originally thought."

I wasn't supposed to hear it, but I did anyway and a smile spread across my face. I was in, for real now.

**Hayden Cade Wolfsbane's POV**

They'd blindfolded Rosalie before leading her the rest of the way to their camp. Apparently they didn't completely trust her... yet.

It took a long time for them to arrive at their hideout. The Lower Levels were a maze of passages and caves, dead ends and gorges. But finally, they made it and the young Twi'lek, apparently called Korkie, clambered up onto a crate and ripped the rag of Rosalie's eyes with a flourish.

She blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings.

There actually wasn't much to see, and what little there was seemed to surround the fire pit in the middle of the camp. It all revolved around that fire pit; the pile of bedrolls, a weapon's rack, a few crates stacked up against the wall, something that resembled a refrigerator hummed in the corner by the crates.

I wasn't impressed. I knew the Council had practically invented the mission for her, but really, it was pathetic. For all I knew it looked like a couple of homeless kids trying to scrape out a living. Where were the murder suspects, the black market dealers? Besides those aliens from earlier it didn't seem like anything was really happening. They looked like members of Zoltar's gang, but that scum-back had melted into the cracks long ago. It would be suicide for any of his lot to come back. They must have just been under-the-table drug or weapons dealers. Still dangerous, but not enough to send a Temple person on a mission.

I snorted under my breath, if she was smart, the Earthling would figure out the scam soon... she'd probably even try to start helping them.

I looked at her eyes, such a deep, dark brown. She surveyed her surroundings, taking in the camp, watching as the members of the Purge deposited their larger weapons onto the rack. And then, I knew she knew. Knew that this was simply a test, that the Council wanted to see how she handled the situation.

But then, there was something else too. It crept up out of the inky folds of darkness and uncertainty. I felt it, and I could sense that she felt it too. Despite my quick accusations a moment before, I now felt there was something else going on... Whether it was here amongst the kids, or something about to happen somewhere else, I didn't know. The Lower Levels was a big place, and this was where the scum of Coruscant gathered. Of course something malicious was happening. But whether it effected Rosalie's mission or not...?

I made myself comfortable in the shadows, drawing my robe about me to sit, watch, and wait. But that nagging thought, it bit at my conciseness. I remained aware of it, but also settled down to watch my charge, it would present itself soon enough.


REVIEW?! Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Btw, I'm going to be sharing the first chapter of the revised edition on my next update.

Cheers!

~fantasyfreak133