Rishi. Sandy beaches, warm sun, and all the cheap rum you could drink. It was paradise for most spacers. There was almost no law to speak of, a free world where men and women could do as they pleased. One could sit in the marketplace for an hour and overhear the details of a dozen different illegitimate business enterprises. If you were looking to overhear something specific, all it took was patience and a few coins to spread a drink or two around.

Calliope soon found herself in awe of this magical world, where the locals offered shelter and food to complete strangers, and men traded secrets as easily as they would exchange greeting. She spent several months among the pirates, taking the odd job here and there. She took the opportunity to learn as much as she could about their ways. She studied stealth and poisons, dueling and pickpocketing. In no time, she had made herself a legend among the dregs, and it came at no surprise to anyone when she soon acquired a ship of her own.

What did come as a surprise, however, was how quickly she disappeared afterwards.

On Belsavis, Kaikorero had learned at a very early age that it was in her best interest to always be aware of the sounds around her. Like all Togruta, her montrals gave her an excellent sense of echolocation, and even as a child she had used this sense to avoid the more savage and brutal prisoners trapped with her in the vaults. She depended on her hearing even more so than her eyesight, especially when navigating the dark vents and tunnels that dug deep beneath the surface.

Her new home on Nar Shaddaa was full of sound. The Halcyon clan used Tal'aran's floating platform as something of a boarding house, and thus they came and went at all hours of the day and night. Some, like Kaikorero, rented rooms out for prolonged use. Others would come and stay for a night or two and then leave again. Kai, or 'Kiki' as Tal'aran had taken to calling her, enjoyed spending her time in the lounge, sipping tea with her host and getting to know the other members of her clan as they hustled about. She secretly began keeping track of each member, how they related to each other. who they got along with, who they didn't. In particular, she noted each member's relation to Asmodeus, and whether or not they could be used to get closer to him.

She spent her evenings locked in her room, keeping track of all her gathered intel on her encrypted terminal. She had never carried out an assassination before, and she wanted to leave no room for error. She would not strike until she could be certain that the crime could not be tied back to her. What use was her freedom if she were to lose it again so soon? She would create a foolproof plan, and when the moment was right, she would strike. All she needed what a chance to be alone with him...

A knock at her door startled her. She had been so engrossed with her plans that she had neglected the very sense that kept her alive all those years in her childhood. Tal'aran's voice came through the door. "Kiki, dear. You have a visitor!"

Kaikorero quickly closed the terminal and slid it under her bed. She turned and quickly made her way to the door. "Yes, Mama? Who is-"

Her voice trailed off as the door opened. A massive Sith Lord stood before her, dwarfing her and causing her to take a step backwards. Asmodeus Halcyon himself had come for her. He must have discovered the secret plot and come to kill her with his own two hands. She trembled slightly. Did she stand a chance? Could she possibly activate the holdout blaster in her mechanical leg before he lopped her head off with his saber? Should she try to run?

Asmodeus bowed his head as he entered the room to avoid hitting it on the doorframe. "Kaikorero..."

She took another step backwards and briefly contemplated going for the blaster.

"Would you join me for dinner?"

For the second time she was caught off guard. "I'm...sorry?"

The large Sith bowed and extended his hand. "It would honor me greatly if you would accompany me out to dinner. I understand that you have not had much time to build up a wardrobe, so I took the liberty of having Tal'aran do some shopping on your behalf." Two soldiers in Imperial uniform wheeled in a large locker. They positioned it opposite of the bed, bowed, and left.

Kiki was speechless. She stammered. "I...didn't..."

Asmodeus turned and left the room. "I'll have a taxi pick you up in an hour."

Exactly one and a half hours later, Kaikorero and Asmodeus were seated opposite each other in a luxury dining room above the grand hall in the Star Cluster Casino. Asmodeus was wearing a very regal uniform with very large pauldrons that exaggerated his already considerable presence. Kaikorero wore a purple gown with exposed shoulders. She wished she had brought a sweater.

Asmodeus ordered for them both, making a bit of a show out of tipping the waiter. Kaikorero glanced around the dining room. It was not full, but several other tables had been seated. Just enough to provide a reasonable amount of witnesses should something happen. She sighed. Had she been making this too complicated? She had a blaster hidden away, she could easily take it and fire it directly into his head. He wasn't immortal, Sith still die when you shoot them. The contract would be complete and she could escape. There would be witnesses, sure, but she could run far enough where it would make no difference. Start over, a new life.

She frowned. There was no reason to wait. With a flick of the wrist, the holdout blaster concealed in her mechanical leg was now in her hand. She kept it hidden underneath the table, readying herself to take the shot.

"I have something for you, child." Asmodeus gestured to one of the wait staff, who began to head over. "I cannot imagine that Belsavis has much in the way of happy memories for you, but it is important that we remember where we come from."

Kiki paused. What was he doing?

Asmodeus took a small bag from the man and placed it on the table before her. "I have...memories of my own from Belsavis. Despite its unfortunate circumstance, there is a great deal of fascinating history to be discovered." When Kaikorero did not open the gift, he reached inside for her and withdrew a small stone idol.

Her gun hand began to tremble.

Asmodeus continued. "The last time I was there, I ended up crawling through a series of tunnels quite by accident. I happened upon what I can only imagine to be some sort of depository of the Rakata. I found a great many interesting things down there, but of all them, I prized this piece most of all." He turned the idol to face her. It had a wide stone base, and it depicted a humanoid woman kneeling in a garden. The craftsmanship was elegant, and there was a quiet beauty and sadness to the sculpture. Kaikorero looked upon and felt a twist of regret in her belly. Despite all she had agreed to do to escape, she felt hopelessly homesick.

Asmodeus leaned back into his seat. "I hope it brings you some measure of fortune. I know how hard it can be to be away from home."

Kaikorero felt tears in her eyes. She quietly replaced the blaster back into its holster, and smiled.

"Thank you."