So named because it is located one thousand, three hundred, and thirteen levels from the core of Coruscant, Level 1313 is distanced from the politics of the upper levels. Overlooking the chasm burrowing further into Coruscant’s core, one can watch freighters transporting their illicit cargo between levels. One misstep would send the careless careening into the bottomless pit, or aid the local gangs in staging “accidents.”

Weathered duracrete forms the retainer along the chasm wall, built in concentric rings that descend down an untold height. Strengthened with solid durasteel braces, maintenance has not been needed this far into Coruscant for a long time. Nevertheless, droids pre-programmed to fill in the cracks and crevices that might form in the walls float on repulsorlifts without drawing attention from the criminal gangs; themselves, being focused on their next smuggling operation or struggle for control over Coruscant’s scum-filled underbelly.

Coruscant Level 1313

“Come on! I told you everything I know!”

The informant’s words fell on deaf ears as the sound of the busy Coruscant airways drowned out the man's pleas. Uji continued to approach the scurrying rat that was attempting to flee from him. The visage of Arcona’s Proconsul was illuminated in the brilliant glow of the light of his saber, its stark shine only serving to cast his features in a colder shade.

The informant - Gram was his name - slithered to the edge of the platform, stopping suddenly as his hand disappeared over the edge and he nearly lost his balance. Uji’s lips turned into a small smile as he saw the look in Gram’s eyes.

A quick glance out over the edge of the precipice told Gram that he had the comfort of falling thousands of feet into the chasm below. Unless, of course, he were lucky enough to die by impacting one of the numerous thoroughfares or vessels passing by.

“You! You promised when you contacted me I’d be safe! You said you would take me with you!” Gram pointed behind the approaching Seer. Uji stiffened immediately as he sensed, for the first time, the presence of another. Someone who was capable of shielding themselves in the Force. Turning to face the newcomer, Uji raised his blade to cut through the shadows of the Coruscant night and reveal the the other’s features.

A low growl escaped from the Arconan as recognition struck. The man approached close enough for Uji to make out the self-assured smile on his face, covered by several days worth of stubble. Bright green eyes reflected in the glow of the weapon held between them.

“Is that any way to greet me after so long? Sorry to interrupt the whole dramatic, bad-guy cliche you have happening here.” Turel Sorenn was careful not to mention names that could identify either of them.

Uji’s grip tightening around the handle of his saber. He reigned in his irritation as Turel looked past him and tipped his head to Gram. The comforting smile on the Jedi’s face caused the man to relax and grow still.

“While it is good to see you, now is not the time for games. I have orders to obtain what I need and remove any evidence of my presence here. It would be best for both of us if this meeting was never mentioned.” Uji knew he was nearly useless at manipulating those closest to him, but he had no intention of drawing Turel into why he was really here. Still, he felt the words bitter on his tongue as he always did when concealing the truth of things.

A soft sound of approval escaped Turel’s lips. “So you did miss me!” he cried, his lips splitting into a grin that made Uji grimace in return. Uji lowered his blade, relaxing as he bit back the first retort that came to mind. For his part, Turel didn’t press the issue, appearing to be consider for a few moments before giving a soft shrug of his shoulders.

“No real way around it, I need Gram here alive and well to give me information on how my people keep running into trouble with our dear friends back home,” the Jedi’s tone shifted as he looked at Gram, addressing the clearly frightened man with a firmer tone. “And you had better hope you have something worth telling me, because you’ve suddenly grown to be a lot more trouble than I expected.”

“My apologies, then. Had you arrived first that may have been acceptable for you to get what you need. However, I am out of time and I cannot risk him spreading word I was here.” Uji turned towards the informant intent on finishing what he had started.

His blade cut through the air, its gentle hum growing in intensity as it streaked towards his target. Gram gave a whimpering cry an instant before he shouted in surprise. The Arconan’s attack cut through where Gram had been an instant before, his eyes tracking the movement of the informant’s body as it slid forcefully across the duracrete to stop at Sorenn’s feet.

“I have a ride coming, only a few minutes away. Our friend won’t be talking to anyone other than me. You shouldn’t worry so much, handsome, it’ll wrinkle that pretty face.” As Gram attempted to rise, Turel’s boot landed firmly on his chest, holding the man in place to accentuate his point.

Uji felt himself relax, sure that his friend’s words were true. “Perhaps you are rig-” he began, but then he felt it - the trickle of influence through the Force, his senses being muddled. Uji had served for a length as Turel’s Aedile, and he was familiar enough with the now-Proconsul’s methods to know when he was using his tricks to guide someone to agree with him.

“I warned your sister once what I would do to her if I found her using the Force to influence those close to me. You would try the same with me now? Get out of my way, Brother.” Lights from a nearby hovercraft flashed, and in that instant Sorenn kicked Gram out of the way, lifting his arm as Uji closed the distance the between them.

Uji’s lightsaber stopped an inch from his fellow Proconsul’s face. Sorenn’s first shot from the dart shooter at his wrist had intentionally missed, but the second was lined up perfectly with Uji’s throat just above the collar of his jacket.

“You know who I am here representing and the role I play now. Last warning. And you keep anesthetics in that cuff. They won’t even slow me.” The promised threat in Uji’s voice surprised the Odanite. There was a difference to the man before him from when they had served together before.

“You trying to pull rank on me? I’m insulted. After all, I got there first.” The Sentinel repositioned himself as he spoke, moving to ensure he kept himself between Uji and Gram who rose unsteadily behind the Sentinal. The Jedi’s wry tone dropped into something more serious. “You know I’m gonna do what I have to too.”

Turel said something to Gram, his words lost in the cacophony of nearby horns blowing, signalling the traffic above and below them. Whatever was spoken caused the informant to move in closer, keeping to the Jedi’s back. In a heartbeat, the former Obelisk’s training sensed the incoming attack, willing a translucent shield into existence, the dart meeting the nearly invisible exertion of willpower and being cast aside.

Uji lunged, his lightsaber missing Turel by inches, aimed instead for the man behind him. Only Turel’s quick thinking allowed him to shield Gram, his personal energy shield intercepting and knocking the saber aside. Without hesitation, the Sentinel took off running, dragging his charge with him. Uji broke into a sprint, closing quickly on the two men.

Nearly within range, Uji cursed as he watched his fellow Proconsul take hold of Gram and leap from the ledge they stood on, plummeting below into the rush of traffic and empty space. Uji stopped at the edge, looking down and cursing again as he watched Turel and Gram land safely some distance below on another crossing. The two regained their footing, Turel turning and shooting him a grin, the illusion of a broad hat appearing for him to tip.

Uji gathered himself, reaching into the Force and lunging from his perch, the amplified movement sending him hurtling towards his targets. Sorenn’s eyes raised and caught sight of his approach, and though Uji couldn’t hear the words spitting from the Odanite’s lips, he imagined they were not of the polite variety. Luck or the universe’s favor of fools kept him from being struck by the oncoming vehicles that passed him. The wind whipped around him, threatening to twist and throw him off course as it stung his eyes.

Moments before landing, he deactivated his saber, striking the crossing and rolling to his feet. He activated the weapon again just in time to be met by the violet glow of his opposition’s saber. The two locked together, seconds passing as neither gained the upper hand. Both of them pushed apart from one another as they sensed incoming danger, a low-flying vessel nearly taking them both over the edge of the narrow platform.

“All I have to do is hold you off for a few minutes. Really think you can get past me?” Turel’s cocksure attitude might have hidden his frustration and worry from another, but they called each other brothers for a reason. Uji knew him better than that. The man’s bluffing only got worse the more his peril grew, and he knew how dangerous Uji could be.

In response, Uji just looked to the informant, raised his left hand, and with a simple gesture spoke a single word enhanced by the Force to overcome even the sound of the city around them.

“Jump.”

A look of surprise covered Turel’s face as he turned to see Gram standing at the edge, tilting forward in a dive into the abyss below.

“Oh no you don’t!” Turel exclaimed as he made a grasping motion with his left hand while holding his saber in his right. Gram’s slow lean over the edge came to an abrupt halt as an invisible hand of the Jedi’s will made manifest grabbed him. For a moment he stood teetering over the precipice staring blankly at the lights of hovercars and transports below. Turel brought his free hand back toward him with a sharp motion and the Pantoran informat flew rearward in response, landing on his back. Gram shook his head, having been jarred out of Uji’s spell-like suggestion by the impact.

I need to get off this platform before we both end up as smudges on some transport’s hull.

The Sentinel turned his focus back toward his Arconan opponent and his surroundings. By this time the spectacle of two men fighting with lightsabers on a very exposed platform was beginning to attract attract some attention. That kind of attention wasn’t good for either of their missions. The Jedi’s attempt to subdue his adversary through non-lethal means had failed. He only had two darts remaining and his proverbial ace in the hole, his personal energy shield, had depleted its charge in the prior attack. Turel assessed that his best option was to move away from the chasm and try to lose Uji in the labyrinths of 1313. That would buy some time until his own shuttle could arrive.

Turel maneuvered himself so that he was between Uji and Gram with the wall of the chasm to his back. The Arconan Proconsul was a formidable saber duelist who knew how to leverage his agility and strength to probe for weaknesses in an adversary’s defenses. They had sparred enough times before for Turel to know he couldn’t hold Uji off indefinitely with his own defensive style. The ivory and amethyst blades continued to clash as Uji continued his relentless assault.

“You’ve been training with Sashar I see,” the Jedi quipped. “I might actually have to try this time.”

Uji remained unphased, retaining his deadly focus on the task at hand. He had learned that with Turel it was best to ignore the ex-gangster’s banter and any other distractions he conjured up. The Arconan continued using his dexterity advantage over the Odanite to catch him off guard and assault his flanks. The limited space on the platform left little room to maneuver so the duel settled into a stalemate.

Turel took precious seconds from the duel to yell “get up” over his shoulder. Gram didn’t need to be told twice, the Pantoran got to his feet and started to move away from the fighting while Turel blocked for him.

“What are you waiting for? Go!” The Jedi shouted between breaths.

Uji was starting to feel exasperated. “You’re wasting both our time, he can’t hide from me.”

“Is that so?” Turel inquired in a mocking tone.

The Jedi went on the offensive, catching one of the former Obelisk’s blows with a two-handed horizontal block that ran parallel with his jawline. Sparks flew from the resulting saber lock as both men struggled to push the other aside like two horned beasts struggling for dominance. Turel shifted all his weight forward forcing Uji to give some ground before leaping back and to the right himself. Now free of the saber lock, Turel slashed at a nearby coolant hose. The severed hose writhed on the ground like an angry serpent spreading liquid coolant and white fog all over the platform. Both men had to jump back to avoid getting splashed with the carbonite. Turel deactivated his saber, taking advantage of the impromptu hazard and smokescreen to make a break for the 1313 corridors. He quickly caught up with Gram and motioned for him to follow.

Undeterred, Uji called upon the Force to aid his eyes in cutting through the haze. The informant would not escape. Turel’s little trick did little to hinder the Arconan’s mission.

Turel glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Uji emerge from the coolant fog, saber still blazing. “Oh you have got to be kidding me!”

Gram panicked. “He’s going to kill us!”

“Not today.” Turel pulled Gram around a corner that led to a dead end. This would have normally caused some degree of despair in the Jedi had he not noticed a large sanitation grate at the end of the alley. He quickly slashed the grate open with his saber.

“Into the hole.”

“But that’s a sewer.”

“We don’t have time for this.” Turel shoved Gram into the open grate with no small amount of exasperation before following himself with a splash. The smell almost made him vomit as he stood knee high in refuse, but at least he bought some time.

Uji grimaced as he landed inside the sewer, the sewage and muck under him rising high enough to begin slipping into his boots. He forced down his body's reaction, the bile rising quickly before, with a concentrated effort, he forced it down. Controlling his breathing as he began racing forward, following the sounds of his prey's escape. The Arconan knew would be able to outpace the Jedi, especially slowed as he was by the non-Force user he escorted. Still, Uji kept his eyes and ears open, certain that Turel would again resort to tricks soon enough to try and distract him.

The tunnel around him streaked past as he ran, his eyes picking out small details as he went, looking to ensure that Turel didn’t throw him off. Each branching passage was marked to designate the section of sewer and where it ran, and his years growing up in Coruscant allowed him to begin piecing the information together of where he was, where the tunnels would lead. His mind raced to determine if he could find a way to cut Sorenn off.

But, no. Too much was left to interpretation. His basic understanding of the system wouldn’t allow him to extrapolate when or where the two men would turn. He could just as easily get lost, his experience in navigating the city-wide planet was nearly a two decades old.

I should study these systems. It may become useful when I come back to finish my business, Uji thought to himself as he cursed, stopping at a three-way intersection. He heard the sound of footfalls splashing down each corridor. Did they split up? The Proconsul considered for a moment, listening intently. Turel had made a mistake, Uji realized, as he discerned footsteps going down all three corridors — he only pursued two men.

Every second mattered as they got further away. Steeling himself for a moment, he closed his eyes as he sought to dispel the Odanite’s influence. His focus shattered the auditory illusion, and once again heard movement from the passage to his left. Uji turned to start after the pair yet again, but stopped short as he remembered something Turel had said.

“‘I have a ride coming, only a few minutes away.’” Turel’s words echoed in his mind. It took only a few moments for the Arconan to determine that the Odan-Urr Proconsul was likely attempting to lead him far enough away to double back to his transport.

Uji began retreating the way they had come, an idea forming in his mind.

---

Turel pulled his head through the manhole cover, his concern growing at how they had seemingly lost the other Seeker so easily. He knew Uji should have been thrown off, but he’d expected a far more dogged pursuit from the determined Dark Jedi. Below him, Gram muttered and jumped at every shadow they passed, certain that they were finished.

“Would you shut up!” the Jedi hissed. He could still sense Uji’s thoughts if he concentrated, and it worried him how comfortable the Arconan was. If Uji had lost them, he would be furious. The last time the two had fought each other, they’d damn near destroyed the Citadel’s cantina.

The two sort of shared a habit of not backing down, and it worried him more than he wanted to admit. He felt he was being played, something he was unused to being on the receiving end of.

The Jedi hoisted himself out of the sewer, turning back to reach down and pull Gram up. His lightsaber was clipped to his belt, and the moment the Pantoran cleared the exit, he snapped out the .48 enforcer inside his jacket. Turel held it low as they made their way down the small hallway that lead out to the landing platform where his transport was waiting to pick them up.

Peering out around the corner, he found the Gallofree light transport waiting. The ramp was lowered, but his men were nowhere to be seen. He felt Gram try to move past him, and his free hand slapped the informant back against the wall.

Something is wrong

“What in the blazes are we waiting for!? It’s right there! Let's go!” Gram pushed against him, his tone nearly pleading as he looked back to the sewer, expecting any moment for the nightmare chasing them to come erupting out to claim them both.

The Odanite feared the worst, though. He concentrated, and tendrils of his consciousness reached out to the crew of the Gallofree transport. He found the small group unconscious except for one approaching them, and he growled as he felt the presence of his dear friend and former Aedile with the man.

---

Uji held the Odan-Urr officer in front of him as they exited the back of the transport to wait, his lightsaber having been enough of a warning to the Corporal that trying anything would prove entirely foolish. His prisoner tensed as they stepped out onto the ramp and spotted Turel waiting for them, having finally caught up. Uji waited as the two exchanged a barely perceptible gesture between themselves.

The officer relaxed, the signal to stand down clear enough. Uji had suspected that the Proconsul wouldn’t risk one of his own.

“Thought I’d given you the slip. Jeez, you’re a stubborn prick.” The Jedi’s voice betrayed his anger, Uji’s only saving grace being that Sorenn would know his crew was alive. Gram stood beside the Odanite, shivering as he realized what was about to happen.

“I have tolerated your interference because of our friendship. My patience is at an end.” Uji was surprised by his own resolution. Not long ago, he would never have considered this course. His time as Proconsul of Arcona was beginning to harden him. He knew the men inside the ship had no involvement in this, simply obeying Turel’s orders to take him off-world and to wherever the Jedi were hiding. Still, he knew without hesitation he’d cut the man down if he had to.

“So what? I turn him over and you let my people go? You really think that’s how this is gonna work?” Turel asked incredulously. They both knew that if Uji killed his prisoner, it would mean a true conflict between them and their clans.

Uji shook his head. He could see the worry on the opposing pairs’ faces as he thought things through for a moment.

“No, you misunderstand. You will kill him, and I will let you and yours leave.”

“You karking Sleemo! You’re out of your damn mind!”

The brilliant white of Uji’s blade appeared beside the officer’s throat, hovering close enough that the fabric of the man's collar began to burn. A look of discomfort crossing the Human’s features. To his credit, he remained still.

Heartbeats passed as the two Proconsuls locked eyes with one another. Their friendship was cast aside, the two of them no longer allies, no longer old friends — in that moment they represented only their own interests. Uji knew the Jedi considered each alternative; he also knew the Sentinel wouldn’t risk taking a shot, no matter how good he was.

Uji watched as Turel gave a frustrated sigh and holstered his pistol, turned to Gram, and made his apologies. The informant turned to run, only making it a few steps before two darts took him in the back. The paralytics they contained only took a few seconds to spread before Gram hit the rough duracrete, unable to force his limbs to move any further.

Deactivating his lightsaber, Uji walked down the ramp, leaving the officer where he was as he made to move past the Odanite. He felt Turel’s hand on his arm, yanking him to a stop as the other man leaned in towards him.

“Atyiru is going to hear about this, clear? I don’t know what you’re on about, but no way your being here has anything to do with Arcona. Does it?” he challenged. The Jedi’s voice held an edge, both fury and mild confusion.

“Don’t pry into business that doesn’t concern you, Turel.” Uji pushed past, breaking the hold on his arm, and approached the unconscious Pantoran.

“Yeah? Wonder what Satsi’ll have to say about you being back here.” Turel’s words hung in the air for a moment before the Jedi made his departure, walking up the transport’s ramp and signalling his pilot to take off.

Uji hesitated for a moment at the mention of his companion. He knew Turel wouldn’t seek retribution against him by using her — the Jedi would settle this with Uji the next time they met. Still, the mention of her name was enough to remind Uji why it was he had to ensure that Gram didn’t get the chance to talk. The Proconsul knelt beside the informant’s body and reached down, taking hold of the man's head.

A single, sharp twist resulted in the satisfying snap of his neck.

Uji grunted in exasperation as he rounded the corner to the dead end alley. What had started as tying up a loose end quickly spiraled into a dangerous and troublesome affair. Turel’s interference had a much larger impact than he likely realized. All the more reason why he had to be intercepted quickly and quietly. Though, “quietly” was relative after their spectacle on the platform.

The Arconan’s eyes darted from side to side as he scanned the alleyway for signs of where the fleeing pair had gone. There were no indicators of forced entry in any of the alley doors, no fire escape or other means of egress above. Then, he noticed the still glowing remnants of a large sewer grate with a man-sized hole in it.

If Turel thinks I won’t follow him into a sewer, he’s sadly mistaken.

Uji paused, closed his eyes and delved deep into the flowing currents of the Force. The obvious open sewer grate could have been a ruse. He knew his Odanite adversary’s tactics well enough to never trust what his eyes were telling him where Turel was concerned. The Jedi had formidable skill at obscuring his presence in the Force, but he wasn’t skilled enough to cover Gram’s.

“Gotcha!”

Once he had Gram’s location he narrowed his focus to pierce Turel’s veil. They were moving through the sewer lines below him. The Shadow Scion lept into the hole, making no effort to conceal his presence. The murky, putrid river he landed into soiled his robes and assaulted his senses. Uji suppressed his urge to vomit through sheer force of will enhanced by the Force itself. His eyes adjusted to the dim underpass and he noticed a faint lavender glow coming from one side of a pipe junction roughly ten meters ahead.

Turel must have been truly desperate to make no effort to conceal his signature Jedi weapon in such a dark place. Uji used the sounds of flowing refuse to cover his own approach as he sloshed through the waste with dilberate speed. The Arconan rounded the corner just in time to witness Turel ushering Gram up a ladder.

“Can you move any faster? Pretty soon a little poodoo smell will be the least of your worries.” The Jedi turned around to face Uji, twirling his saber in a tight orbit around his torso before settling into a two handed low ready position. “I honestly didn’t think you’d come down here, you’re always so fussy about your robes. You’ll never get the smell out of them you know.”

A stone-faced look of determination is all Turel got for a reply. Uji was very familiar with his opponent’s tendenacy to obsufcate a situation with idle chatter. A taunt here, a verbal jab there, anything to get his opponent off balance. It would take more than that to dissuade the Shadow Scion from his goal.

“Sorry about this brother.”

Uji could feel the Force shift as Turel gathered it to him. He braced himself for the attack that was sure to come. The Jedi switched to a one hand saber grip and extended his free left hand while closing his eyes. Here it comes, the Arconan thought as he plotted out his defense and counter attack courses of action.

No direct assault came. Instead the flow of the sewer water seemed to surge in front of Turel, as if an invisible dam was blocking the flow. Then with a push gesture the Jedi willed the now waist high wave of waste toward his opponent. Uji had nowhere to go, he instinctively through up the defense he had prepared. Foul liquid splashed against a translucent wall of Force energy and flowed around in. The Arconan had to leverage his full strength to keep from being knocked over. He was now covered from the shoulder down in filth. Turel would pay dearly for this.

Uji didn’t have time to savor his anger before noticing his quarry darting up the ladder.

“Have fun down there,” he quipped before sliding the manhole cover back into place.

---

Turel found himself in the boiler room of some sort of buisiness. A laundry droid labored on the far side of the room, transferring a load of white towels from one machine to another.

“May I help you gentlemen?” The droid inquired.

Gram glanced at Turel. “Did we lose him?”

“Nope,” the Jedi replied nonchalantly before turning to the droid. “Which way to the street level?”

The droid pointed to a pair of metal doors. “Through there, though you will need to become a member if you wish to ultilize the facilities.”

“Facilities?” Turel inquired as he chased after Gram who had already taken off toward the exit.

“Yes, this is Baron Klepko’s member’s only bathhouse.”

The pair exited the boiler room just as Uji’s saber pieced the manhole cover.

That’s overly dramatic, he could have just pushed it out of the way. Turel thought as he left the room.

---

Uji burst through the metal doors and up a small flight of stairs with barely controlled anger. His robes were still dripping sewage. He had clipped his saber to his belt to avoid attracting further attention. The ornately decorated hallway he found himself in was obscured by steam eminating from the adjoining rooms on either side. There were six total steam rooms in this hallway. His anger at Turel clouded his focus, making it difficult to pinpoint Gram through the Force. There was no telling where the Odanite was lurking or what he was up to. Uji could only tell that Gram was still in the building and Turel’s barely disguised presence was nearby.

The Arconan threw open the first door he came to only to find a very nude Barabel with what appeared to be two Twi’lek slave boys under each arm. One of the Twi’lek boys was feeding his patron some meaty appetizers. All three looked at the Human with shock and disgust. Uji left without saying a word, that image would haunt him every time he saw Zakath from here on, even though this was clearly a different Barabel.

Uji was about to try the next door when a male Zeltron wearing only a purple lioncloth held in place by a gold chain briskly approached.

“Oh myyyy,” the crimson skinned and scantly clad man commented with a heavy lisp. “You’ve been a very dirty boy haven’t you.” He bit his lip suggestively before continuing. “Let’s strip those filthy robes off and get those rippling muscles of yours some much needed attention.”

There was something oddly familiar about the way that Zeltron was undressing Uji with his eyes. Then the Arconan notice the stranger position himself to block the door he was about to enter. He focused on the stranger and for a fleeting second the illusion fell apart. Before Turel could realize his ruse had failed, Uji had grabbed both his hands, pulled his shoulders downward and headbutted him right on the bridge of the nose. The Jedi collapsed in a groan of pain.

Wasting no time, Uji burst through the door to find Gram cowering on the sauna bench. The Pantoran didn’t even have time to whimper before Uji was on him with a hidden blade jammed into his throat. The informant collasped on the floor, gurgling for his final breaths as his blood squirt onto the walls.

His mission complete, Uji calmly walked back into the hallway. There was no reason to continue the fight. They still needed each other as allies and Turel still had Uji’s wife and unborn child in his care with the rest of the Odanites. Still, he kicked the Jedi in the stomach for good measure as he left.

“That was for my robes."