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It was midday on Harnaidan, capital city of the planet Muunilinst. Far away from the wealth and grandeur of the city's central regions, a passenger star cruiser was touching down at a landing pad in a bustling space port. The fringes of the city was home to those who lived outside the grandiose wealth of the Banking Clans, the forgotten masses that silently went about their lives keeping society running for the mercantile elite ruling from their towering spires.
The space port was dingy, dirty, and smelled strongly of hydraulic fluid and corroding metal. As Zylah stepped foot off the landing ramp she received a strong whiff of the scent. It reminded her of home. Not her 'home' back on Exogol within the Eternal Temple. No, her original home deep in Coruscant's Undercity. The smell of grime, filth, and poverty. A smell she'd likely never escape.
The Legionnaire Assassin had been assigned to her task at hand by her Dark Masters, and was only here in compliance with their will. She had opted to remain incognito, bringing with her few possessions and even deigning to fly her own ship. Such was the cost of secrecy. The Sith Eternal had given her clear instructions, to observe and report on the actions of the ruling head of one of the Banking Clans. There were clandestine supporters of the Eternal all across the Galaxy, those willing to funnel money and resources in the hopes of political power or influence.
However, unlike the First Order, the Sith Eternal did not have the 'legitimacy' of being the Empire's successor state to fall back on. That meant old Imperial loyalists had no reason to aid them, and in turn they were forced to keep a more active watch over their backers. Which led back to Zylah. The young woman had little more with her than the clothes on her back and the satchel swung over one shoulder as she quietly walked through the busy space port. All around her other passengers were shuffling about their own business. Freight was being loaded and offloaded off freighters, and droids of all make and model hurried about the noisy space going about their tasks.
Zylah wore a black cloak around her curvaceous body, looking to mask her wanton figure. Beneath she had a simple spacer's attire, with baggy pants worm through at knees and a simple grey top. She wore no jewelry, or anything distinguishing; partly out of a desire not to invoke the attention of pickpockets. That was one nuisance she'd rather not deal with. Lastly, the young woman's long mane of silver hair was tied up into a lengthy ponytail that hung down to the small of her back. If anyone bothered to ask, she was a 'ship rat', a low ranking technician on a large starship. Someone forced to climb through the many narrow corridors and access points to make difficult repairs.
Harnaidan was known for many things, most of them related to wealth. But, one interesting facet of the Muun capital was a massive and sprawling marketplace that dominated the city outskirts. Known simply as the Conglomerate, it was a place for people from across the sector to hawk their wares and look for rare goods. The more prestigious vendors had legitimate shops, with stores packed densely along the narrow streets. Those less reputable had makeshift stalls using tents or other impromptu shelters, and the least reputable sold shady goods in the back alleys far away from prying eyes.
It was said you could find anything in the Conglomerate, from cutting edge parts salvaged from wrecks, to ancient Pre-Empire technology dating back to the Clone Wars and beyond. Zylah was always looking for better Lightsaber components, which even damaged ones were rare enough as is. But functioning sabers were rare, quality parts were rarer, and master crafted components were rarer still. Regardless, as with assassination, sometimes the hunt was more enjoyable than the kill. Zylah enjoyed window shopping, if only because it entertained the possibility of a good deal or a rare find.
So she hailed a speeder, paying the driver and telling him to take her to the Conglomerate. She had an hour to kill before her target was in position, she could afford to indulge herself with a little 'window shopping'. They arrived some ten minutes later, and before her she saw what seemed to be an endlessly sprawling bazaar living in the shadows of the great skyscrapers beyond. Thousands of merchants from across hundreds of worlds, each and every one of them just trying to earn a few credits. She didn't know where to even begin to shop... but as she took the first steps forward she didn't care. The Dark Side of the Force would guide her way, as it always did.
@Magnus Waysun
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