Bathe In The Neon Light [Aston]

[Abaigeal E'ron]

Level 1313

This time it was personal.

There was only really one way to tell if night had fallen on Coruscant from the lower levels, the gapping hole that allowed ships to pass down into the depths was dark, and from it spewed rivers of water cascading down like waterfalls and flooding the first surface of the 1313. It was a place to avoid when this happened, there was no joy in the rains, no sense of renewal that they bring on other planets, all it did was make things dirtier, more toxic and wet.

Passed it, and further into the darkness was the red-light district, one of the most thriving places in the lower levels and of course that is where most of the credits are made. Other businesses succeeded off this ‘profession’, bars and clubs, restaurants and shops, drug dealers peddle their goods which patrons used before their ‘main event’. All for the sake of a good night out.

She held no particular attitude toward people that worked down in this district, nor the people that went there, everyone needed to make a living the best way they knew how or to have a good time but there was one thing she did mind and that was why she was here, and awaiting the arrival of a good friend.

In the red-light district was a small orphanage that homed the children of the workers, whether they were a product of accident, or planned it mattered little really, but this place was their home. Was …

The Soup Kitchen would help them out as best they could, providing supplies of food and bedding to help the children. It was all done with no connection to the Kitchen, no one could have made the connection either, so this brutal act was for other purposes.

It seemed that someone or maybe it was one of the gangs, had taken an acceptation to it, or it was retaliation for what they perceived to be a wrong doing, but Geal cared nothing for their reasons, only for the result of it. The orphanage had been destroyed and burned to the ground, and everyone inside killed. All the children, the care takers and nothing was left.

She was here to find out who had done this, and when she did, they would be hunted and killed.

[member="Aston Jacobs"]​

 

[Aston Jacobs]

Aston had traveled to many places and had seen many things in his life, and this place was something that was entirely different.

Than anything he had ever dealt with before. But it was something he was prepared for, and it hardened him more than his ventures anywhere else. During his first trip here he had a run in with a extraordinary woman whom at the time he didn't know she would become a great friend to him. Someone he would consider family. He had aided Aba and a few others whom he had come to know as friends during his ventures down here in this lower sector, that had a different atmosphere. Potentially something worse than Nar Shaddaa.

His journey back was nothing of coincidence, but more so a quest for revenge. It didn't take him long to return to the lower levels after he learned of what transpired down here. Aston had been there a few times, in just those few times he had grown an attachment to those in the lower levels, especially those that were left to fend for themselves. The children...

Aston wasn't sure what to think, just felt disgusted and angry. He could only imagine how Aba felt about this, and he knew it wasn't good. She would want retribution, and it was perfectly vested. Aston wasn't here to stop here, but to help her. No matter what the cost.

The dark cloaked individual stepped out of the shadows and appeared from the alleyway while he made his way through the sin filled walkways and such to get to his destination.

Aston reached her as he uncovered his hood and revealed himself to her, while he knew that she could probably sense him already.

"Shall we get started?" Aston inquired with a determined look in his eyes.

[member="Abaigeal E'ron"]

 

[Abaigeal E'ron]

“Yes, but first”, she said as she moved over to a wall in the shadows, “Only use your saber if there are no more options”, she lifted back the fold of her cloak to reveal blasters, one was for Aston. “Killing with sabers attracts unwanted attention”. Force users are not welcome with the CIC in government, and the Coruscant Security Forces only answer to them, if there is a death in the lower levels with saber holes in them, questions will be asked, and a status of alert will be placed here. That is not what they want, if they can help it.

“Good of you to come, I am going need your help”. A small smile pulled at her lips, regardless of the circumstances. This was a big ask of her and she knew it, it was dangerous to them both and they had to keep the Soup Kitchen out of this, if the worst was to happen and they were caught.

“There is a pleasure house, opposite to the orphanage ruins, we should start there first, maybe someone saw something”, or maybe they know something. “It’s called the Small House”, stupid name for such a thing in her mind, and it wasn’t very small in fact it was one of the larger establishments of this type.

Once Aston was prepared, they would set out along the street bathed in neon light of all colours, flashing and inviting to those looking for fun. The sign of the Small House was up ahead, high above the rest of them, and even now the destruction of the orphanage was apparent, taped off and with so form of security on guard. That was not their destination though, they would not need to look at it, they only required names.

It was busy, on the streets were potential clientele, street walkers and food vendors, it was a steaming mess of people, smell and noise. Beckoning fingers of the street walkers were designed to attract the pair as they walked but Abaigeal kept her head down, eyes fixed on the crowd gathering at the door of the Small House. It was popular, for many reasons, and there was a thriving nightclub scene to add to its attraction.

“How do you want to play this?”.

[member="Aston Jacobs"]​

 

[Aston Jacobs]

They seemed to be in a precarious situation. If something was slipped and it led back to the Soup Kitchen, it would spell doom for a many number of people. Aston understood the importance of it, receiving the blaster pistol from Aba as he attached the side of his belt opposite his lightsaber. The ruins of the orphanage they passed, Aston didn't look in that direction as they were heading towards the pleasure house. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear the voices of the children that no longer drew breath. He could hear the small laughter that was about the place as they tried to find some sort of semblance of a life with themselves and with others.

Aston would get with Aba about setting up perhaps a small memorial for them. But first they would take care of business.

The man ignored the beckons that came there way as they came at countless others that had passed. This was business here and everyone had their gimmick and their own role to play.

"Someone here must've seen something." Aston whispered as he cast a glare towards the front of the Small House. "A little bit of seduction and deception might be in order. If you know what I mean." There were many ways to get someone to talk, money talked as well as other things did.

[member="Abaigeal E'ron"]

 

[Abaigeal E'ron]

It was a long shot, the fact remained that who ever did this to the orphanage, could actually be anyone. From the Tears to retaliation of a scorned lover. But one way or another, they would find out, by any means necessary, Aston was right money talked, as well as other things he alluded to, and so does violence or the threat of it. They might have to employ all three methods by the end of the night.

“Best place to start is the bar”, more specifically the bar tender, they always seem to know what is going on. But first they had to get inside.

As they approached the security at the door, which now seemed to be thicker than usual and no doubt because of what happened across the broad street. The line to enter was moving slowly, the security check everyone for weapons and taking them before allowing anyone in. Damn.

When it was their turn, she approached the security guard with a smile, and before he could ‘search’ her, Abaigeal handed him her blaster with a subtle gesture with intent. “You don’t need to search us”, she said softly, “They are cleared”, the eyes of the guard glazed over so slightly, his mind ease enough to trick.

“I don’t need to search you, you are cleared”, he said and Geal moved passed him placing her blaster under the fold of her jacket and entered the establishment.

The place was busy, wall to wall people in the night club area and music loud enough to drown any conversation. It seemed the recent events of the Orphanage did not deter people from coming out and enjoying themselves, it just reminded her just how indifferent people can be. From where she stood the bar was packed with four rows of people wanting to order drinks and the staff run off their feet.

“I have an idea”, she leaned close to Aston’s ear. They would need to get to the back rooms, behind the bar and find uniforms, tonight they could pass off as staff and she doubted any of them would question their presence, not in among all this sea of bodies.

[member="Aston Jacobs"]​