'The Star Singer'
E Y E S⠀I N⠀T H E⠀A U D I E N C E
A Story of Song & Shadow
A Story of Song & Shadow
| N E E S A⠀ L O R O K A | The Blue Drift Lounge Coruscant |
The Blue Drift...
Not the type of venue she'd usually choose. The stage was too close to the floor, the lights too cold, and the glasses too cloudy to sparkle properly. Yet she had a particular fondness for the pianist- an older Twi'Lek lady with almost magical hands. She also liked the bartender, who never asked questions when she ordered odd or obscure drinks.
So she took the gig, a single night only, and a quiet crowd with an appreciation for her music. She felt a sense of familiarity with the venue; Fog generated by poor ventilation, the air filled with smoke from cigarras and the quiet chatter of patrons enjoying their hard liquor; It reminded her of when she began her career, how she used to look and how she used to act- a time before the columns, the galas and the producers.
She was halfway through her set, the crowd lingered onto her every word as she poured her soul into her performance- almost choking as a sense of nostalgia hit her. Her voice was low, warm and intimate- enough to make some of the crowd lean forward in their chairs. The Duros in the back stopped dealing cards, and the waitress paused mid-pour...
And with that, her set concluded in a mellow finale- applause abruptly followed as she took a bow and meandered backstage, almost relieved to be finished for the evening.
Then she saw it...
Her heart sank. A data card propped up against her mirror on the corner of her desk, asking to be opened as a flimsiplast sheet sat next to it with a single letter written upon it: 'M.'
Neesa's hand were shaking, he was here? In her dressing room? She froze- she didn't know whether to look at the contents or to once again contact the Coruscant Security Force- though they hadn't been much help previously, no matter how much money her family offered.
Her shaky hand picked up her glass of Tevraki whiskey, and she took a sip- which calmed her down for a moment. She slowly moved to activate the data card; A flickering blue hologram appeared... Pictures? Of her on a private, well-protected Epican estate? She flickered through multiple intrusive pictures, horrified as she did so.
Once she reached the end, a holographic text flickered on:
"You're not the target, Miss Loroka. You're the message..."
Terrified, she deactivated off the data card. A flicker of movement caught her eye in the mirror- a shadowy figure. "Wh-" she sprung up, turning around to see who it was. In her panic, she knocked over her glass of whiskey- the liquid spilling over the cheap data card, causing a spark. Her eyes filled with panic as she froze, watching as the figure slowly approached her from the shadows...
Saul Colsan