Prologue.
The glimmering lights of the neon signs were almost maddening. In every direction a different sign tried to advertise its product or location to you. The lower levels of Coruscant were seedy places. The further down you went the more dangerous it was, more crime, more fumes, more hazards. Each building tightly packed together for the most "efficient" use of space. The people living on these lower levels were either poor nobodies, or deadly criminals. The lower levels, Keye Lunelle had decided, were where the Jedi were truly needed. Here is where the Jedi can truly make a difference, protecting the innocents that the Coruscant police were too busy or too corrupt to help. The human weaved his way through the streets of Coruscant's underworld, trying his best to keep a good pace but not appear as if he was in a hurry. His eyes darted from one place to the next, looking for the place his contact had asked him to meet at. Then, as he turned the corner, he spotted it.
The Wounded Womp Rat was like any other cantina this low down. Small, dingy, dark and filled with people either looking to lay low or forget their troubles. Keye scanned the room until his eyes fell upon a rather fetching looking woman. He grinned and walked over, sitting down at her table. She was a thin woman, with short cut black hair. Her eyes were a dull green, but paradoxically they were bright and full of life.
"Callista Kovani, I assume?" Keye said. He had never actually met the woman before, but she was a dead-ringer for the holo that Master Ghohorna had shown him. In truth he had been told very little about his mission here other than that he was to meet with this woman and find out what she knows about the disappearance of Aleena Roye.
"Yes," she chirped sweetly "and I take it you're the Jedi I'm supposed to meet?"
"Yes, I am Keye Lunelle, Jedi Padawan to Master Ghohorna" he outstretched his hand, but Callista didn't take it. He awkwardly retracted it and used it to brush his hair as if that was the intended action. "Err… I'm here to ask you a few questions about a missing Jedi named Aleena Roye." Callista smiled at the mention of the name, which perplexed the young Jedi. Why was that he reaction?
"I think its better if I just show you what happened to her." She said, a saccharine sweetness in her words, which again seemed to make little sense. Then, Keye felt a strange fuzziness in his mind, finding it difficult to focus on what was happening in front of him. "You're going to follow me outside, to the alleyway." Callista said. And for whatever reason, Keye repeated what she said.
"I'm going to follow you outside, to the alleyway." The two then proceeded to stand up and begin to exit the cantina. Every step seemed difficult for Keye. But he knew that following whatever Callista ordered would help him. He knew that if h just did what she said, things would be clear. Still his mind was fogged as he stepped out into the cool Coruscant streets. It was a short distance to the alleyway, here nobody could see or hear them talk, which Keye thought was good. He thought Callista was good. Then, he snapped out of his daze, suddenly realising the danger he had found himself in. Was that some kind of hypnosis? Mind control? Perhaps even a Jedi mind trick? It had certainly felt like one. Not hesitating, Keye reached down to his belt and ignited his lightsaber.
"What did you just do to me?" he barked, Pointing the brilliant blue blade at Callista's back. She paused, and slowly turned around to face him.
"Drop it" she commanded, but this time Keye was able to fight off the haziness in his mind.
"Who are you? A fallen Jedi?" he snapped, keeping his lightsaber pointed at her, ready to defend himself at a moments notice. Reaching out with the force he tried to read her emotions, but to his surprise he felt nothing. It wasn't that she had no emotions, no, it was if she simply wasn't there, totally invisible to the force. As Keye tried to figure out what this meant he felt a sharp pain in his leg as a blaster bolt was fired into the back of his knee. He crumpled to the floor in pain, letting out a loud shriek. Somehow, a second person had snuck up on him, and like Callista, he was totally invisible to the force. A second bolt hit his other leg, rendering him totally immobile. The two figures stood above him, grinning devilishly at him. Once again Keye reached out to the force and tried to push his assailants away. To his utter shock they were unaffected by his attack.
"Its useless Jedi." The man said. His voice was deep and sophisticated. Keye could hardly make out any of his features in the dark alleyway. "Callista, you may feed." He motioned to Keye on the floor. Two tendrils erupted from Callista's cheeks. They were long and flesh coloured. They stretched down and attached themselves to either side of Keye's neck. Keye felt himself getting weaker and weaker as the tendrils were seemingly absorbing his essence. His vision faded out, and he lost consciousness there on the Coruscant streets.