The Vertical City, Nar Shaddaa. They call it the Smuggler's Moon—an apt description based on the myriad of sentients shuffling back and forth with their illegal wares and hidden weapons. The narrow streets below criss-cross endlessly, soaring miles above the planet's surface. Exposed and uncovered, the streets offer a nearly perfect setting for someone with some skills with ranged weapons. A vantage point on the ledge of a towering structure of glass and steel offers a dizzying view of the cityscape.

Simple shops and merchants peddle both legitimate and illegitimate wares. Storefronts are just as plentiful as open-market pop-up tents, and the cantina's adapt the same lowlife air as the rest of the Smuggler's Moon. Enemies could be hidden in plain sight, whether one of the Hutts’ gangsters or mercenaries-for-hire looking to earn some credits. The streets are plagued with violent gangs and the general riff raff of the poor and destitute. They may be an ideal place for blasters, but the winding streets are difficult to disappear from. An opponent would be easily boxed in and simple to finish with a few quick slashes of a lightsaber. The moon is dangerous—even for one gifted in the Force.

I hate it here.

That was Zujenia's first thought as she paced down the dark and foreboding streets of Nar Shaddaa. It was times like this that the half Ryn thanked the Force for her Near-Human lineage as it allowed her to seamlessly blend in among the crowds of various races inhabiting the scum-infested alleyways, though her tail swinging behind her was a dead giveaway to the contrary.

She placed one hand onto her mother's old bandana and rubbed her fingers along the soft fabric. The feeling gave her a sense of comfort among the stench of alcohol and body odour surrounding her. Soon enough she touched the wedding ring the bandana was attached to. She clutched the metal object in her hand and steeled herself, letting the determination it gave her fill within her core.

I won't let you down. I promise, she internally swore. Every few steps she took, she took several deep breaths to calm and centre herself, all the while glancing down different pathways and exits should she need to make a quick escape. Nar Shaddaa was known as the "Smuggler's Moon" for a reason. Ne'er Do Wells and thieves of all kinds made their homes and businesses here looking to sell a myriad of both legal and illegal wares and carrying a firearm to defend oneself wasn't just recommended, it was required. The young woman honestly lost track of how many times the ringing sound of blaster fire pierced her ears from would-be scoundrels and bandits looking to make quick credits on poor unsuspecting victims. Despite this, she knew Nar Shaddaa was one of the few places she could get what she was looking for.

A brand new Kyber Crystal for her former master's lightsaber. The weapon was melted and destroyed when she died and Zujenia was painstakingly trying to rebuild it in her memory.

But as she stopped to peek in at yet another of the nearby market stalls selling what appeared to be an exuberant collection of grenades and explosives, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. As she looked around she failed to notice anything distinctly out of place until her amber eyes took in the sight of the R3 astromech unit standing motionless a few metres away from her. Normally, the sight of a single droid wouldn't be any cause for alarm, but this one was painted a darker shade of grey with a symbol in brilliant white painted on its front.

Being the former Rollmaster for Clan Arcona, Zujenia recognised that symbol immediately. it was the mark of Clan Vizsla, a mercenary style clan of the Brotherhood that formed before the recent war in the Lyra System. She felt her heart thud in her chest and her shoulders tense. She hadn't expected to find another Brotherhood member here of all places. Two questions raced through her head: who was it, and why were they here?

The Defender tapped into the power of the Force to sense her surroundings. She could feel the proximity, presence and feelings of those around her but the sheer number of people around nearby made it somewhat more difficult to pinpoint anyone specific but after a moment or two, she picked up a trace of one individual with a unique Force signature amongst the crowd of non Force Users. Though it remained still, like it too was watching her.

An uneasy feeling formed in the pit of her gut and she followed her instinct to try and get away, but as she moved she was acutely aware that the little droid was following her. She increased her pace through the crowd of people, bumping into them as she hurried but as she increased her own speed she felt the Force User she detected earlier following her.

Very quickly she realised there was no point in running. She stopped where she was and turned to face the direction in which she came. The astromech appeared in front of her moments later.

"Why are you following me!?" she suddenly snapped, causing the Droid to halt in place. Her tone had suddenly gathered the attention of the nearby crowds as onlookers gazed at her.

Suddenly, she felt the Force whisper its warning to her as she could feel the imminent danger she was in.

"Look out!"

Before she could react herself, her head was forced downward by a long arm that wrapped around her shoulders and forced her down onto her knees. The click of a BAW E-5s Sniper Rifle penetrated the area half a second later. The deadly bolt skimmed over the head of Zujenia and impacted into a Bothan shopkeeper behind her. He dropped down as his blood spilled out onto the street below them.

Chaos ensued as citizens and scumbags alike screamed and attempted to vacate the immediate vicinity, some trying to take whatever valuables they could on the way out. She gazed up in the general direction of the shot and caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure descending from one of the nearby rooftops into the market area beginning to approach them. This figure was young, pale-skinned and with a heart that was as black as the latex she adorned all over her body. She possessed short brown hair and yellow eyes that reeked of pure corruption to the Dark Side of the Force.

Upon looking at the man who forced her to duck under the deadly blaster bolt moments prior, she noticed he appeared to be wearing blood red Jedi armor, but that was not what stood out to Zujenia most; upon his armor laid three symbols, two of which she was unaware of, but the Clan Vizsla emblem was unmistakable. His blue eyes gazed back hard as molten rock at the woman approaching them.

The R3 unit beeped and danced on the spot next to the pair of Force Users.

"Yes, Lawrence, I know we are in trouble!" the man responded back to the R3 unit, garnering Zujenia's attention again.

"Who are you?" the Defender asked.

"My name is Appius Wight, your husband hired me to protect you," he answered back, drawing his lightsaber as a green blade erupted out of the hilt.

Kord… she mused, though was quickly brought back to her senses by the Force once again placing its warning to her. The latex-clad woman discarded her rifle and drew upon two cylindrical golden hilts. Violet danced out of the hilts and moments later an ear-destroying shriek emanated from the woman as she launched herself into the air and twirled like a cyclone towards them. Thankfully, Zujenia was also skilled in the Force and called upon it to protect both herself and Appius. Violet crashed violently into what seemed like an invisible wall just inches in front of them. Seeing his opportunity, Appius attempted to call upon the Force to strike the woman. Electricity crackled between his fingertips but he was moments too late, for the Darksided woman had felt it coming as she called upon the Force herself and sent what felt like a cross punch into the Vizsla member's chest. The impact sent the Sorcerer careening into a nearby market stall. The small wooden structure collapsed on top of him.

"Appius!" Zujenia called out. She gritted her teeth and withdrew her AB-75 Bo-rifle from behind her back. She activated the Electromagnetic Pulse Generator and attempted to swing it at the woman, as her life was in danger and now was not the time for restraint. Her attack was deflected by violet blades as the two women stood with their weapons locked together.

"Why are you doing this!?" the former Arcona Rollmaster called out.

"I am Quin Costella, lead assassin for Clan Plagueis." Quin responded, her voice seething with venom as she did so. She paused for a moment to let the next words she spoke deliver their full impact. "And they want you dead."

Dust and splinters shed from Appius’ short brown hair as he shifted within what was formerly a holo-magazine stall. Half-formed actresses and Twi'lek dancers twitched and warped above their crushed and malfunctioning devices around him. Shaking his head with a groan, the Human fought to his feet in the rubble. His dark blue eyes locked with a slack-jaw Rodian in an apron staring at him and the flickering wreckage. Blue-green antennas swiveled back as the shopkeeper tensed up and approached. Appius looked about for his saber, reaching out with the Force and drawing it to his open hand. He quickly reached into his pocket and drew out a credit chip, wasn’t much but perhaps it could help. The Knight tossed it to the Rodian, who froze at the sight of the emerald blade activated in front of him.

Zujenia, Appius recalled, turning to catch the crackle of purple electricity and plasma locking together. The assassin’s taller height seemed to give her more leverage on the half-Ryn. Without thinking, he extended his arm towards the broken boards behind him. Using the Force as an extension of his limb, he launched three planar projectiles towards the duo. “Duck!”

Unable to afford to look behind her right now, Zujenia weaved the Force within her muscles. She heaved into her bo-rifle staff, knocking Quin’s sabers off, and rolled to her right with a tuck of her shoulder. The yellow-eyed assassin barely had time to focus on the boards careening towards her. Forced to disengage and evade, she dodged and weaved. Yet even with power-imbued reflexes, the jagged edge of one of the boards embedded into her thigh, breaking a long sliver off as it shot by.

Gritting her teeth, Quin growled in fury. She turned her burning gaze towards Appius, only to quickly arc her lightsaber to bat away the shallow slice of Appius’. His casual stance seemed to anger her more as the violet blades hammered into him. The mercenary sidestepped and backpedal, his saber parrying and slashing almost impulsively between the woman’s bullish assault.

He was beginning to piece together weaknesses between her strikes when her left arm failed to follow through her right’s attack. With a crackle of electricity, the bo-rifle had hooked about the Assassin’s blade and swiveling it back aggressively — leveraging it out of her grip. It clattered and rolled a couple of meters away near a crowd of panicked pedestrians, who were trying desperately to seek the safety of the storefronts and alleyways.

“Give it up! You’re outnumbered!” Appius commanded, his free hand gesturing to look around. Zujenia leveled the bo-rifle at Quin, ashen brow narrowed. His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the dark-cladded woman raised her now bruising, likely a broken finger or two, hand and gestured openly.

“You think I would come here alone?!” she spat, “Haha, no. And I’ve told him he can shoot through me if needed.”

A chill mirrored itself down Appius’ and Zujenia’s back. He whipped his head about to trace the yellow gaze to a rooftop a block away. Perfect angle to take out — Appius spun back to his protectee, “Get down!”

But she was already in motion, dropping her weapon and thrusting both arms forward to draw forth a translucent barrier before the three of them. With a wicked grin, the assassin pivoted and lashed out with her remaining saber. It sliced through the Half-Ryn’s vest, barely missing her flesh. Surprised by the undetected attack, her attention too focused on the potential shooter, Zujenia could all but reel backward. Her heel caught the discarded bo-rifle, tripping her to the ground on top of it and cutting her left hand on the bayonet blade as she twisted to catch herself. The hybrid sucked a breath through her teeth before adrenaline and the Force quickly numbed the pain. She spun about to the trill of the astromech meters away, only to freeze at the sight of a lightsaber raising to bare down on her.

“I got this, Lawrence! No one’s,” Appius pointed his emerald blade at Quin, light blue electricity snaked about his hand before jumping through his blade and leaping at the assailant, “going to die!”

The lightning struck squarely in the woman’s back and she let out an ear-splitting shriek, shaking as her muscles spasmed. Quin dropped to the ground, chest heaving. Appius rushed to the petrified Zujenia, her amber eyes wide at the close and seemingly all too familiar encounter. He grabbed her arm and started hosting her to her feet. “Come on, let’s go.”

She shook her head, snapping back to focus and grabbing her bo-rifle as he pulled her towards an alleyway. Something wasn’t right though, she could feel it. The half-Ryn resisted, pausing their movement, “Wait, Wight—”

Crack.

A slug embedded itself into the durasteel of the building behind them, right where Appius would have been in the path of. The crimson armored man gave a thankful glance to Zujenia, it was replaced quickly with caution. “The assassin wasn’t lying.”

Zujenia nodded and then moved past him, pulling him. “We might have a couple of seconds to get to cover.”

Appius could hear her counting under her breath, it was the last he heard before his muscles tensed and locked. He fell to the ground unable to move as if the Force had shackled him into a paralyzed stasis.

Zujenia skidded to a halt, her amber gaze moving from her newfound ally to the outstretched arm of a panting, haphazardly standing Quin. Without hesitation, she dipped into the Force about them and concentrated on creating a ball of void within. It pulsed forward and pulled the constraints from Appius, along with all other connections with the Force for a second before it crashed back into their senses.

The sensation was certainly odd for the young Sorcerer, one moment he found himself unable to move like the entire galaxy's weight was pressed upon him and then the next second everything went numb before he felt the power of the Living Force return to him like a flooding river. He didn't understand exactly what Zujenia just did, but it freed him from the shackles he was placed in and with Quin in a state of confusion he knew he had to act fast.

He leapt to his feet and spun around to face the Dark Sided woman. Her breathing ragged and heavy. Her skin scorched and stained the atmosphere around her.

"Zujenia, stay behind me!" He cried out. He pulled both his arms back and gathered as much of the Force within himself as he could. Willing it into both hands. It took several moments but he could feel it rush through him like a dam ready to burst. He gazed into the yellow eyes of the barely conscious Quin. Her legs trembled and her face froze itself into a permanent scowl directed right at him. Defiant even in the face of certain doom.

He thrust both his hands forward and instantly the Clan Plagueis assassin felt like she was hit by a runaway speeder. Her ribs and abdomen buckled under the intense pressure being thrust upon them by some form of invisible sledgehammer as she was flung backwards directly across into a nearby building. Her spine cracked and the back of her head hit the stone structure she collided into with such force her blood was ever present as she slid down the surface. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and the trauma done to her body was simply too much for her to keep clinging to life. she took her last breath moments later.

Appius dropped to his hands and knees and struggled for air. What he had just done required all the strength the Vizsla Knight could muster through the Force. Citizens gathered around Quin's body and some gasped at the shock and horror that was displayed, some even trying to get some quick loot of her. Suddenly, Appius' eyes shot open as the Force alerted him to the danger his life was in. But the fatigue throughout his body prevented him from reacting as he would like too.

Crack

A deadly shot rang out across the Nar Shaddaa building tops, intending to penetrate the Sorcerer's skull and end his life prematurely. But just like before, the slug was stopped before it could reach his flesh and bone by what could only be described as an invisible shield in front of him once again.

"Wight!" Zujenia cried as she ran out and grabbed him by the scruff of his arm, she flung it around her shoulders and ran back into the relative safety of the narrow alleyway.

She pressed him up against the wall and the young Vizsla Clan member tried his best to steady his breathing.

"Thank you." He said in-between panting breaths. He knew Zujenia was the one who saved him from certain death. He owed her his life a good number of times now.

"Your welcome." She said with a slight smile. Though she was honestly slightly perturbed by the act in which her fellow Light Sided Force Disciple had committed, now was not the time to concern herself with the matter whilst their lives were still in danger.

"Any idea how we are going to get out of this?" Appius asked hoping that maybe she might have had some kind of plan in mind. Zujenia tilted her head slightly and her gaze met up once again with Lawrence, Appius' R3 Astromech unit. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in her head.

"Did he see where the shot came from?" She asked hurriedly. It took a moment but Appius finally clicked on to what she was thinking.

"Lawrence?" Appius asked his little astromech, to which the mechanical being whirled and spun in place, making a complete series of Binary noises.

"North East, approximately one hundred and twenty five metres away." Appius relayed the information as clearly as he presented it. Zujenia closed her eyes and felt for a distinguishable presence through the Force. With adrenaline running through her body and her heart pounding inside her chest it took her a few moments to hone her senses but eventually she found him. A male slowly making his way across the rooftops.

"I found him." She said almost triumphantly. Appius closed his eyes and tried to focus on the direction that Lawrence pointed them too. It took him a few extra moments due to his current state of tiredness but soon enough he found him too.

"Ok, he's making his way towards us. Stay here… I'll go deal with him." He said as he grabbed his lightsaber from his waist.

"No." Zujenia said defiantly.

"Zujenia, my job is to protect you…" he tried to reason with her but was cut off before he could finish what he was saying.

"I don't give a damn what your job is. Your tired, hurt and in case you haven't noticed I'm not a damsel in distress."

Appius felt his face momentarily, cuts and splinters had imbedded themselves into the flesh of his face. The blood that trickled down from his cuts had dried up and his red Jedi armor was scratched and ripped in places from his collision with the magazine stall from earlier. Zujenia had already begun examining him, like a mother doting after her child. Her skills in basic first aid proving useful in this instance. After a moment Appius decided to speak.

"I never said…"

"Then stop treating me like one."

Silence dropped between the two. Zujenia watched as a whirlwind of expressions entered on the Sorcerer's face. His nose twitched, his eyes darted from her, to the floor and the nearby wall. He shuffled his feet and rubbed his fingertips together nervously until finally he sighed and slumped his shoulders defeatedly.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. Zujenia placed a hand on his arm reassuringly and smiled softly at him.

"It's ok." She said with a warmth that picked up Appius' spirits somewhat.

Appius took a deep breath. "Do you have a plan?" He asked as he watched her grab hold of a small bag at her waist.

---

Absolute utter madness.

This was supposed to be a simple mission. Find the Ryn half breed, kill her, return to Clan Plagueis for a fat load of credits and spend the rest of his life in luxury. Sipping on Jawa juice in the company of several exotic women of various races.

But no, nothing was ever that simple was it? He was paired up with Quin Costella, one of Plagueis' lead assassins and now she was lying dead in a pool of her own blood.

He was Marcus Shinzo. A mercenary sharpshooter. He considered himself one of the very best of his craft but even he was stunned to have not hit his target. The laws of physics determined he should have hit his target. But just because of some ancient wizardry sithspit his target remained alive and his assigned ally was dead.

God, I hate the Force.

Nonetheless she wouldn't be the first Force sensitive he killed and she won't be the last. Granted, he never expected her to have backup. But he was wounded and fatigued. Marcus was confident he could handle them both.

He reached the building to which the side alley his target was located in. He carefully peered out over the edge to see a human male, an R3 astromech and indeed, his intended victim, Zujenia, the half Ryn staring back at him.

Found them!

His excitement was cut short however when the human male held out his right hand. Suddenly, Marcus felt himself pulled off the edge of the building by what felt like a hard magnet attracting him to the ground. The young human male landed on his back with a hard thud.

Ow…

Suddenly, he was acutely aware of the trouble he was in and the young sharpshooter spun to his feet and gripped hold of his Bantha Cycler Rifle as his brown eyes met Zujenia's, only to receive a face full of blinding dust from the Defender as a result.

"Gah! What the Frack!" Markus exclaimed as he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. Trying to get rid of whatever the offending substance was scratching at his eyeballs. He was them met by a stiff and aggressive kick from a Force empowered Zujenia to Markus' solar plexus. He fell back onto Lawrence and his back arched painfully over the astromech.

"Now, Lawrence!" Appius commanded and the little astromech wasted no time in activating his electronic defence grid. Electrical energy coursed through Markus' body until he rolled off onto the ground. Lawrence shut down having needing time to reboot but the damage was done. Markus lay on the ground by their feet. His flesh singed from Lawrence's defense mechanism.

An emerald blade flared into existence as Appius stood over Markus' near motionless body. Concern ran through Zujenia's body. She remembered what he did to Quin only a few minutes ago.

"Appius, wait." She pleaded but she was already too late as the blade was already in motion. But it never cut into flesh and bone. Instead, it sliced into the Bantha Cycler Rifle. Splitting the dangerous weapon into two separate pieces, thus ensuring it can never be used again.

"There. Now he's no threat to anyone." The Sorcerer said with a smile as he deactivated Redeemer and placed the hilt back on his waist.

---

Nar Shaddaa

Some time later

"So what will you do now?" Zujenia asked the Sorcerer outside of one of Clan Arcona's VT-49 Decimators. The crew of which had arrived to escort her home.

He shrugged.

"My job is done. Your safe so I'll probably head back to Zsoldos. No doubt they have another assignment waiting for me." Appius replied casually.

"Maybe they'll give you a break?"

"I doubt that."

Silence dropped between the two of them for the briefest of moments before the two of them burst into spontaneous laughter. It lasted for a few seconds before they managed to calm themselves down.

"So I guess this is goodbye then?" The Defender asked, surprised when Appius shook his head.

"Not goodbye, just farewell for now." He responded with a curved cheeky smile on his face.

Zujenia began to make her way up the ramp to the ship.

"Zujenia, did you ever find that Kyber Crystal you were looking for?" Appius called out. This time it was Zujenia's turn to shake her head. She had failed. Her master's lightsaber would have to wait unfortunately…

Or at least that was what she thought.

Appius held out his right hand and instantly a shining violet crystal floated in the air into the palm of her hand.

"This is from…"

"Quin's lightsaber. Well, one of them. I'm not sure what happened to the other one." Appius rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Thank you." She said sincerely.

"Your welcome."

Appius stuck around as the wind picked up and the ship took off from the surface of Nar Shaddaa into the sky above.

"Come on, Lawrence. Let's get out of here." The Sorcerer turned on his heel and made his way back to his own ship. Wondering what the future held for him. Suddenly. His comm unit flared to life to present Declan Roark, the Clan Vizsla Consul.

"Appius, I have another assignment for you." He spoke.

Oh well, no rest for the wicked.