The streets of Nar Shaddaa, crowds full of people so full of life and enjoyment you’d be surprised to find that they were mostly criminals and killers making a living through ill repute. Smiles adorning their faces, alcohol filling the air, but the most important thing you could hear was the laughter around every corner. Despite all the cruelty in the galaxy, here today, things felt pleasant. With a minute left, heads turned towards the various holo screens that shattered the skyscrapers and venues all over the metropolis.
On each, a live feed of the Promenade’s central square began to play, a huge concert coming to a short break from it's all star lineup. All across the galaxy, singers and bands brought their talent for the masses, with even a notable celebrity from the First Order making a short appearance. An announcer came out to the mainstage and spotlights began to flare dramatically upwards to a massive ball in the sky; it was a moon, jokingly enough, and modeled well after Nar Shaddaa itself. Rotating on its axis, a holographic number appeared in its semi-transparent center, starting at thirty.
The voice below began to speak, drawing the attention aware for only a moment;
“Thank you, to everyone who could make it out to this celebration. With the biggest turn out in over a century, I’m glad to welcome you all to the greatest Nar Shaddaa New Year of the age! Put your hands together!”, a charismatic spokeswoman blasted out.
As if by command, the crowd erupted in contagious joy. Even outside this central corral, places like The Romping Rugger and beyond would fall in line with extraordinary cheers and various noise machines. All at once the planet had erupted in celebration; a good foot to step into the near year with, celebrations at hand and a life to be had.
“Let's bring in the New Year with some more noise! Ten…”, she cried out.
In unison, the crowd joined with her; every bar and concert across the planet too. Households full of children and spacers on their ships laid back with a drink all began to follow in suite, the gracious beauty that comes with happiness in unison treading deep in their hearts. It was hard to get so many hardened criminals to soften up, even for a little.
“Nine…”
Some began to step out on their balconies, watching the crowds below. Children tugged on mothers clothes to point out this or that; proud of their people watching discoveries. To them it would be just a memory, but one they’d likely never forget. For their parents, another year to enjoy their family.
“Eight…”
Fireworks began to set themselves off, premature but alluring in detail. Some made shapes of Huts or messages for loved ones; even the not-so-casual ‘Will You Marry Me?’ showed up, drawing out a few more cheers from the crowds. It’d be nice to know if she said, but their was simply too much going on to focus on the finer details, wherever they were.
“Seven…”
Nar Shaddaa seemed flooded in more booze and drugs than it ever had before; likely leading to the fact so many had avoided the usual yearly fights for the sake of enjoyment. It was hard for such people to trust one another, yet here they stood, shoulder to shoulder and hand to hand welcoming in a year designed for them, for their families, for their friends.
“Six…”
Yet, a darkness seemed to rise in the passive cheers. At six, hooded figures began to move perpendicular to the masses, some distant goal in mind for traversing them. Time seemed so slow, both from the cheering, and this foreboding itch that grew in the back of the minds of those more sensitive to such subtle features.
“Five…”
Engines began to whir as speeders began to whir, and lights began to light up. A certainly peculiarity began to rise as they started their journey, far too low for the usual traffic that surrounded the massive city.
“Four…”
Men in bars began to seclude themselves to the edges, almost all of them with the same iconic dragon tattoo somewhere on them. They watched from the edges, watched the celebrations take place, but never partook.
“Three…”
A single man, high above all the hustle and bustle, stood a single man with no face, no true identity. All he wore was a black hood, and a white smile; grinning wildly as he watched the crowds celebrate.
“Two…”
The ball high above the crowds moved lower, holographic number counting down. At two, the crowds began to slowly erupt in unified cheers of joy and exasperation; jubilance rolling through their jumping and chanting. Only the unseen glances of unknown men stirred trouble.
“One…”
A single radio message spread across the planet. Two tones that signified the beginning of exodus for the people of Nar Shaddaa, left to the crusaders of a nameless organization to carry out the deeds. With the finale of fireworks set off, and the crowds beginning to cheer as loudly and wildly as they ever had; this command would travel between the units spread far and wide. While one group celebrated, the other prepared to enact a plan of hatred.
In the crowd displayed on nearly every monitor on the galaxy, various explosions began to erupt. Cheering turned to screams as the men who ran through the crowd began to set off vests lined with thermal detonators; each creating a massive explosion in themselves. Bodies flew, people fell, and the endless horror that was a massacre began to make its effects known. This was the last image anyone saw before the screen went dark.
The Romping Rugger was no different, as electricity began to falter and the men on the edges of the crowd pulled various holdouts out and shot wildly into the crowd. They were indiscriminate of their killings, simply firing for effect in as much of an area as possible. Entire crowds began to run for the main doorway, but those who did were either trampled from being pushed to the ground, or simply crushed against the door that would not offer enough people the chance to walk through at once. This was eventually made impossible as too many fell in its access.
For [member="Arken Lussk"], [member="Tan'yill"], [member="Noatyr Moldmerr"], and The [member="Bareesh Kajidic"], the damage would be no different. The bar where they stood was one of the first primary targets to be taken; as it was packed with those trying to watch the new year celebration. Short range blasters made quick work of those on the outside, while inner targets had a few moments to prepare; though escape would be difficult.
Others, like [member="Katya Shorn"] were passed over with much less scrutiny. The fact simply less people stood where she had was enough to make it relatively safer in terms of such a shooting. However, small man in general, with a bandana around his neck and a wild look to his eye, seemed to target her in particular. Hellfire rained from his blaster as he let out an almost inaudible screech over the others, though it was enough to bring death to her doorstep.
[member="Adiara Drelas"] would be less fortunate. The two he had approached both pulled handguns at the same moment, though the one that told him to ‘bugger off’ was the only one that aimed towards him. The contemporary began to fire a single shot at the so named ‘Jarzak’ in the booth, killing him instantly; though he seemed to drown himself in the killing for a moment before turning to another group of booths and firing.
All at once the bar had erupted into gunfire, with nearly fourteen shooters scattered in various portions of the floorplan. It was premeditated, that much was obvious, but to what degree? Through all the blood, screams, and fear it was hard to sense what damage was going on outside; only that where they stood now had become the killing floor for a group of psychopaths with similar aesthetic. Each in the room needed to think fast before they too were gunned down; with only a half moment to spare before the other more preoccupied guns turned to their direction.
