Chapter One
The slow drip of the hydro pumps were beginning to find a rhythm in Omek Carrs' ears. He sat waiting in a dark corner on level 1420 of Coruscants entertainment district. Across the street and to his left he could see the Hide-Out. It's neon signs were flickering. Omek had heard of this bar before. It was known as a very shady and dangerous bar for any human to be in, especially at night. Which is why Omek was waiting across the street in a dark corner, hoping to avoid attracting any attention from any would-be muggers, thugs, or drunken bafoons looking to test their grit against a tall, thin, and vaguely tanned human.
Unless born down here, humans didn't travel to the undercity. Only if they were crazy, bounty hunters, or Jedi. Omek was neither, just a poor and desperate man. He had lived his whole life in the undercity. Only seeing actual star light once when he was but a boy. His grandmother had used up a years pay of cleaning hotel rooms and doing odd jobs to take Omek and his sister to the surface world. Sometimes he still dreamed of that Air taxi they road in. Feeling the wind whip past him and the warm light of Coruscant Prime. Omek grinned as he reminisced on looking at the star and the pain and burning in his eyes. That was a lifetime ago, it seemed.
The ping of his P-4 wrist comlink almost blended in with the ever dripping water of the many hydro pumps running through the undercity. Omek moved his wrist to his mouth and spoke, "Go ahead".
"Aye still no sign of this Zabby.. not very crowded in here either Mek, maybe you come in and have drink with me?" Omek chuckled at his twi'lek partner, Thay-Len. He was always up for a round of drinks and Pazzak.
"Well the Gamorrean bouncer doesn't look like he would be welcoming of a being such as me" replied Omek.
"Well you tell him you meet a friend here and see what happens?" Thay-Len said, half suggesting, and half pleading. He wanted company, Omek was sure of it.
"Actually old friend I think I'll continue waiting out here in this cozy little corner of mine, at least for a little while longer. Keep your head on a swivel and ding me if this Zabrak shows up... and go easy on the booze mate."
"Aye, your the boss, Mek" replied Thay-Len.
Omek could hear the tension in his friends voice. A couple of drinks would probably help him blend in and feel more at ease. Omek pulled out his rusty and archaic data pad and turned the screens brightness to the lowest setting, lest he draw any unwanted attention.
The last message he received from this Zabarak, who asked to be referred to only as "H", was supposed to meet him at the Hide-Out on Primeday at roughly 2200 hours. It was almost an hour past the meet time, thought Omek. His stomach was turning beginning to rumble with the usual feelings of hunger. A feeling that most undercity denizens were very accustomed to. Omek let out a long sigh and continued watching his surrounding and the entrance to the bar. Deciding to wait only one more hour before scrubbing this night and heading back to his current abode on level 2157.
"One more hour", whispered Omek.
Chapter Two
Urah Haas kept her eyes on her feet as much as possible. Doing her best to avoid eye contact with any street dwellers or beings out and about this time of night. Almost an hour late, she thought to herself. I doubt this human even came down here to begin with. Urah was running late due to her better safe than sorry frame of mind. She was determined not to be followed. The Data disk she had stolen from her Exchange client was worth more credits than she would ever see in her life time. She could sell it to some bounty hunter and be more than comfortable for the rest of her days, and maybe enjoy some Correlian ale on the surface once a year. However, trust was a hard thing to find on this planet. A bounty hunter would just as quickly put a blaster to her head before paying her for the disk.
Her aunt told her of Omek Carr. A fellow street urchin that grew up in the undercity. Doing what needed to be done in order to survive and provide for himself and his family. From what Urah understood his family was all but dead, and her aunt assured her that he could be trusted.
Urah rounded the corner and quickly glanced up. There it is, the Hide-Out. Urah shuddered as she thought about what the inhabitants looked like. She decided to survey the surrounding for a few minutes before going in. Better safe than sorry, or dead in a dark corner. That's when she made out the faint silhouette of tall figure in a dark corner across the street from the bar. Urah felt her stomach turn to knots. It's a set up. The bastard sold me out. Urah cursed under her breath and pulled her hood up over her head, hiding the three horns protruding from her scalp. She turned and began to walk away as casually as she possibly could. She quickened her pace after turning the corner into a alley, stealing a glance over her shoulder. Cursing to her self again when her eyes fell on the tall figure from the corner. She reached into her pocket and gripped the dagger her father had left her before he passed. Always be prepared, but never enjoy it's use, she told her self. Her father's words while handing it to her. Her fast walk turned into a jog and then a run. She could hear the long strides of her pursuer. She was almost at the end of the alley way, a dead end, she cursed herself. She stopped at the duracrete wall and turned to face her attacker. The figure was casually walking up to her, Urah imagined a sick grin on his face. She pulled the knife out and opened her mouth to yell at him to stop, but he was on her in a flash. She jabbed the knife, he side stepped and grabbed her wrist while pushing her elbow in to turn the knife back on her. To die by my own father's blade, she thought.
"H?" the figure asked.
"y-y-yes. It's me H, please Omek don't kill me!"
She heard a quiet chuckle before she felt her arm being released.
"I wasn't going to kill you, maybe rough you up really good, but only because you pulled a dagger on me." Omek stated matter of factly. "Why in the universe did you want me to meet you all the way down here and at the Hide-Out of all places? Didn't Yahna tell you I was human?"
"yes.. She did.. it was the only place I could think of that wouldn't be crowded on Primeday.. and the quicker I get rid of this disk, the better" said Urah quietly as she looked down at her boots, feeling embarrassed.
"Alright well, let's get out of here before we have compa-" but Omek was cut off by the sound of a howl followed by laughter from behind him. Turning around he saw four figures standing in the way. Alien in figure, definitely not human, the darkness hiding their features.
"Well well well, what do we have here? A human and Zabrak, on 1420? They must be lost." said one of the figures in a high pitched voice.
"Or they're just stupid", said another one. More laughter ensued.
"H, give me that dagger, now" commanded Omek.
No don't, it could be a trap, I'll be defenseless, thought Urah. She hesitated.
"Len, I need help, where are you", said Omek in to his wrist, but there was no reply. Urah heard Omek curse under his breath. "H, your knife, now" Omek said through gritted teeth.