The streets of Mali-Zenai rocked slowly with the movement of the ocean beneath. A night that seemed too early fell over the small planet as Ahsoka wandered away from Coran's warehouse, back in the direction Harena had left her ship. She had quickly realized she had nowhere else to go for the night until her ship to Mandalore set out.

The JumpMaster was parked right where it had been when they landed, though someone had wheeled in fuel canisters and crates worth of repair equipment, which were now forming small piles at the foot of the open gangplank. Whoever Harena had gone to, they certainly worked quickly. Ahsoka waited against several crates, hoping to catch sight of Harena. If anything, she felt she owed the bounty hunter an explanation. No doubt Coran would immediately report her insolence to his sister.

Are you sure you can afford to burn these bridges right now, her internal monologue chastised her. It would be bad enough without it being her master's voice. You're reckless, little one, it echoed a far-off memory that sent a pang through her heart. She tried to shake it off.

You don't get to talk to me. You're the one that wound up dead, she thought in response. She felt her own force energy darken as sadness flowed into her heart, mixing with the frustration that was already bubbling within. She was just so tired.

"Hey, no loitering," someone yelled from inside the ship. A squat Dug wearing goggles pointed at her with one of his foot-hands, a multitool shooting sparks in the other. "I got a lotta work t' do here, I don't have time for street rats trying to sell my tools."

"I'm here to see Harena," Ahsoka called back. "We flew in together."

"Harena's not here," the dug rubbed his head, smearing himself in even more grease. "She's been talking to Neelo for the past couple of hours. Probably trying to negotiate a way out of paying for all this," he muttered, looking around at the various parts he was working on.

"Where can I find Neelo?"

Neelo was a parts distributor to the east, working out of what looked to be a junkyard filled with old clone dropships and ancient trader vessels that may have been pulled out of the ocean they were so rusted. Ahsoka could hear a commotion from within as she approached – an argument, of course. She could see the blue of Harena's hands moving expressively on the inside of a hollowed-out AT-TE some hundred feet away. The entire side of the walker seemed to have been blown open by a rocket, creating an open-air interior that appeared to serve as Neelo's base of operations. Seated just beyond Harena was a lime-green and heavily scarred Nautolan that could only be Neelo, accompanied by a variety of hardened, heavily armed criminal types.

"Well, well, well," Neelo spread his webbed hands as Ahsoka approached, drawing everyone's attention to her. Ahsoka couldn't tell what Harena's expression was under her wraps, but she could feel something in the force. Disappointment? Fear? It was any number of conflicting feelings. "To what do we owe the pleasure, lady Tano?"

"I'm glad everyone knows my name on this planet, it really makes me feel protected," Ahsoka said sarcastically. "I take it you're the one who repaired –" she made air quotes – "the ship we came in on?"

"It would be more accurate to say I paid for the repairs to be made," Neelo shrugged in his seat, "but that's neither here nor there."

"You sure spared no expense," Ahsoka said dryly.

Harena ignored the quips being thrown and took a step towards the togruta. "What are you doing here?"

"My deal with Coran fell flat. I was hoping to find an alternative here," she said in a hushed tone.

"This is no place for a fugitive," Harena hissed. "Coran might have not been receptive, but this isn't worth it. Go back."

"Your friend is in quite a bit of trouble, miss Tano," Neelo said, stepping to her side. Harena seemed bothered by his proximity, but if he noticed it didn't stop him from going on, "I could get her out of it, but we still have old debts to square away before making new ones. Isn't that right, Harena?"

Ahsoka stepped in. "What kind of trouble?"

"The kind that makes you a target of the empire until the moment they put a blaster bolt in you," Neelo said casually. "It seems our mutual friend has been in league with the makings of a rebellion."

Ahsoka's head perked up.

"You know that's not true!" Harena protested.

"When the empire is involved, the truth is relative. Even if you aren't working with the resistance, perhaps this is the empire's way of saying your usefulness has waned," Neelo offered. "Or maybe you've made one or two wrong connections, or perhaps you really are the savior of the galaxy! It's none of my business. My business is knowing what the empire knows."

"Do you have a lot of contact with the empire from a junkyard in uncharted space?" Ahsoka asked, unimpressed. She had already heard one narcissist wax poetic about his noble career as a smuggler, she didn't need a second today.

"You say uncharted space, but I say strategically located. The Hydian Way to our north and the Perlemian Trade Route to our south, with Mandalore not even a parsec away? Not to mention Dathomir, The Gordian Reach, Ondoran, Kashyyyk, the pirates on Taanab – lady Tano, I hear everything,everything coming out of Coruscant and more," He motioned to the toppled AT-TE. "If the empire didn't want us to hear their conversations, maybe they shouldn't have left their toys here when the war ended."

Ahsoka looked closer at the structure. She had run many campaigns using the All Terrain Tactical Enforcers, but this one had clearly been abandoned for some time. She could see a heavily modded satellite she hadn't noticed before, a mess of metal built around one of the walker's legs that had been pointed upward when it was toppled. The consoles in the interior were churning with information. Ahsoka didn't like this guy any more than she had liked Coran, but she could appreciate his tactics.

"Harena, I like you. I respect you," Neelo continued, putting an arm around her shoulder and leading her back inside the destroyed transport. "You do right by me, we do good business. You get into trouble..." He inhaled through his teeth. "Well. It doesn't do any of us any good to have the empire poking around looking for rebels on our humble little home, now does it?"

Harena was swearing in Cheunh under her breath.

Ahsoka finished his train of thought. "You want to be paid off."

Neelo let out a full-on belly laugh, throwing his head back. The tentacles that served for his hair jiggled. "To the point I see, I can appreciate that. Not paid, but perhaps we can discuss a trade of services. You and I, let's talk," he motioned to a seat. Ahsoka remained standing. Neelo was unbothered, taking the reclining seat that served as his throne.

"The empire would love you get their hands on the both of you," Neelo continued. "I'd like to get some use out of you before they do. You do a little job for me, I'll settle Harena's debt. Fair and square. With your strength," Neelo smiled at Ahsoka, showing pointed canines, "I'm sure everything will go smoothly."

At least someone appreciates what I'm capable of, Ahsoka thought. The squirming cold of the dark side returned in the pit of her stomach. Pride,her master's voice responded. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, calming her mind. The warmth of the light returned slowly.

"Harena and I do one job, then we walk free. All debts settled."

Neelo nodded in confirmation.

"What's the job?"

Neelo leaned forward, folding his webbed hands. "I take it you already know Coran'res'halanveros is sending a transport to Mandalore at sunrise. I want you to destroy it, along with everyone inside."