Ask Coruscant Should've Said No

[Jesper Trevil]

Coruscant. Population: over one trillion. The Queen of the Core Worlds and, according to some legends, the birthplace of the human species. In political circles, the planet was time and again regarded as the most important world in the galaxy. A socio-economic, cultural, and intellectual nexus, it wasn't difficult to see the reasoning behind the claim.

Growing up on an Outer Rim planet with a population of around ten thousand, Jesper was not accustomed to an urban setting. The jungles of Yavin IV, his current residency, was even less populated than his home planet of Kessel. Outside of the Jedi Academy, animal life was the only company to be found amongst the planet's lush and flourishing jungles.

On Coruscant, however, you could hardly take three steps forward without bumping into somebody. It was overwhelming, especially at first, but it was definitely an experience. An experience Jesper wanted to drink in, now more than ever. Now that he'd met a girl. Within the span of only a few hours, this red-headed beauty had turned his dull Padawan field trip to the Galactic Museum into an exciting rendezvous.

Whatever it was girls possessed, it was far more powerful and potent than the force. Of that he was sure.

If the Academy was smart, they would allow their Jedi-in-training a little more free time rather than confining them to forsaken libraries with fifty year's worth of collective dust. Out here on the streets of Coruscant, Jesper could really learn about life. Book knowledge only went so far.

Standing in front of the peak of Umate, Jesper shoved his hands into his pockets, withdrawing a crumbled up note.

Meet me in Monument Plaza, 8:00 in front of the Umate. Can't wait to see you again.

—Maura​

Maura. It meant destiny, and Jesper was convinced that it was destiny that had brought them together. Or at least, that's what he had told her when they'd met in the Galactic Museum earlier today. Maybe he wasn't as bad at flirting as he thought, because she'd blushed and insisted they go out tonight.

Sneaking away from the rest of the group had been easy. Almost as easy as taking candy from a baby. It would be morning until the Jedi realized he was gone. Now all he had to do was wait. Jesper checked the time and straightened his collar. Any minute now.

@Song

 

[Kasimir Reyes]

Kasimir had met Maura at his favorite cantina, the Hutt’s Flaps, one night while drinking. They had competed in a ridiculous drinking game, fighting to see who’d down as much scotch as their stomach could possibly contain, without passing out. The wager? The loser had to do whatever the winner wanted. Kas thought he’d had it in the bag, but considering he was a lightweight and an idiot, he was out by the seventh shot of scotch.

Maura had won quite handily, and while he’d half-expected her to commit to some risky dare, instead she asked him out. On a date.

Was it destiny? Or something too good to be true? He didn’t know, but neither did he care. He would honor their little bet, and with the information she’d written down for him, he’d follow her note to the letter. Although it wasn’t like he expected more beyond tonight. She wasn’t his type and committed relationships just weren’t Kas’ thing. One night stands, though? Oh, yes.

So, with Maura’s note in hand, he took a bus to Monument Plaza, jumping from his seat like a giddy school girl once he reached his destination.

Now, he sashayed through the square, his eye catching the mountain peak ahead. He never understood why people cared so much about a fucking rock. All these tourists, open-air restaurants and memorials, and for what? In worship to a pile of stone? Sure, it was the highest mountain on the planet, but there was no real mountain view, just a boulder surrounded by way too many poorly dressed civilians. Still, he had to respect the wager.

Of course, Maura had also promised to buy him a four-course dinner at a luxury restaurant nearby, and at the prospect of food, how could he possibly say no?

Sporting a bomber jacket and a pair of military-grade boots, he eventually stopped before the peak and began searching for his girl. Lots of drinking had made the memory of her face rather hazy, but fortunately not many other people were waiting directly in front of Umate, so he found her easily enough.

“Maura?” he said, grabbing what he thought was his date by the shoulder. They looked about the same height and build, and since they were alone, it had to be. But when Kas got a closer look at their face, confusion set in and he cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, I know I was drunk when you told me to meet you here, but I don’t remember you being so ugly. Well, I don’t remember you being a man either, but that’s not the issue here.”

“Wait,” he said, thinking maybe he’d got the wrong person. “You are Maura, right?”

@llamallove

 

[Jesper Trevil]

Jesper had been staring at a giant piece of rock at the center of Monument Plaza for half an hour straight. It was absolutely pitiful. He felt like an idiot.

Apparently, it was the only natural land formation accessible to the public on the ecumenopolis of Coruscant. It might have drawn thousands of tourists every year and served as a local novelty for Coruscant residents that had never stepped foot off of their durasteel streets, but it was nothing special in comparison to a beautiful redhead.

He glanced at the time again. Half an hour. Had he been stood up? Of course he'd been stood up.

Or maybe she'd gotten caught in traffic? a small, hopeful voice in the back of his mind suggested. Robbed? Taken a wrong turn? Not likely. He'd give her another fifteen minutes, and if she didn't show he'd make his way to that noodle shop across the street. He refused to allow the evening to be a complete waste of time, and he was starting to get hungry.

Ah, well. Maybe it was for the best. He was practically broke.

Jesper sucked a breath in, nearly jumping when someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned around with a smile, expecting to see Maura standing there, her long red hair blowing gently in the breeze. Instead, a man well over six feet tall stood there.

"Get your hands off me, creep," the teenager spat, rolling his shoulder out of the man's grasp. Gray eyes raked over the stranger, summing him up. No doubt just another lowlife, wandering the streets at night looking for an easy mark.

"Maura? Of course I'm not Maura. Maura is a girl, laserbrain." One eyebrow shot up, as if challenging him with this next question. "Do I look like a girl to you? Anyway, why do you want to know?"

@Song

 

[Kasimir Reyes]

Kas dropped his hand from the boy’s (girl’s?) shoulder. So, it was not Maura, after all. As he inspected the stranger more closely, it should have been obvious from the start. They weren’t even remotely as beautiful as she’d been that night in the bar, downing shots like it was oxygen. Neither did he look like the type to carry enough credits for a luxury restaurant. At best, he was probably carrying two chipped credits and a pocket full of lint. Although Kas couldn’t judge—that was what he was carrying, too.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “You could totally pass as a girl if you wanted. You’d just need a fuckton of makeup to cover up that face of yours. Maybe a lunch bag. But it’s going to take a lot more to hide that temper. Did your mom ever teach you to respect your elders?” He cocked an eyebrow. By the looks of it, the boy wasn’t much younger than he was, probably by a couple years, but that still made Kas older and so deserving of some respect.

“Whatever,” he continued. “Girl or not, you’re clearly not the person I’m looking for.” He folded his arms over his chest. “I happen to be on the hunt for a very lovely lady by the name of Maura. Porcelain skin, freckled cheeks, gorgeous red locks. About your weight and height—uh, maybe an inch taller, actually.” Kas sized him up and, comparing with his hand, measured the boy from the top of his head. “Damn, you are short.”

He resisted a chuckle. Kas couldn’t help teasing him, even though they’d only just met. He was always like this around strangers. Boisterous, crass, and a little stupid. Well, maybe a lot of stupid. He hadn’t a single filter between his brain and mouth, and frequently his thoughts spilled through like beans from a bag—if that made any sense.

Shut up and focus, Lazarus said in the back of his mind. You’re here for Maura, right? If she’s not here, maybe this guy might know.

“Ah, yes, of course,” Kas said. “Sorry, I get distracted easily. But if you’ve seen a redhead around here, it’d help a lot. She told me to meet her in front of this dumb ass mountain peak at eight tonight, but I guess I came late because I can’t find her anywhere.”

@llamallove

 

[Jesper Trevil]

Jesper stared up at the intrusive stranger, his posture stiff and his muscles rigid. The teenager had no intention of backing down from whatever this altercation was, but he did take a single step back, increasing the distance between the two of them. The stranger absolutely reeked of cheap alcohol, the foul odor pungent and pervasive.

"I'm not a girl," the Padawan said again, as if that fact bore repeating. Indignant, he tossed his hair back and squared his shoulders. "And elder? Really? Keep dreaming, buddy. I'd hardly consider you my elder. What are you? Nineteen? Twenty?"

The comment about his height did manage to strike a chord with the teenager, but he would try not to let it show. He didn't want to give this stranger the satisfaction. Even amongst his peers at the Jedi Academy he was shorter than many of his male counterparts. He certainly didn't need some rando on the streets of Coruscant to remind him of that little detail. No pun intended.

"I'm not that short," Jesper shot back, voice tense as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. In a more confidant voice he added, "I just haven't hit my growth spurt yet."

After all, I'm only sixteen, he reasoned with himself, an attempt to boost his own morale. It failed miserably.

"Look, pal. I don't know who you were supposed to meet here, but it certainly wasn't Maura. Maura arranged to meet me here tonight." Clearly, Maura had arranged to meet both of them here tonight, but Jesper didn't see the need to admit that. This evening had stripped enough of his dignity.

"You must have gotten your nights mixed up or something. Either way, it's obvious that Maura stood us up." He was happy to include the stranger in that. "So what do you say we go our separate ways and forget this ever happened?"

Jesper spun around on the heel of his sneakers. Over his shoulder, he couldn't help but remark, "And a word of advice? Next time you go out with a girl, you might try popping a breath neutralizer first."

The plaza was quiet. Eerily still. Even the sound of speeders rushing along Coruscant's skyways was distant and far away. Three or four plaza lamps were out, either broken intentionally or out of order from the daily wear and tear. That was nothing unusual. City maintenance probably had a thousand and one of them to fix in this sector alone. What was unusual was the uneasy feeling that settled in the pit of the Padawan's stomach as he walked away.

Someone or something was watching him, and it wasn't that high lunatic either. The hair on the back of the teenager's neck stood up, and his gaze swept up and down the plaza. The only sight that greeted his gray eyes were the neon lights that lined the shops, lazily blinking through the haze of the planet's pollution.

Seemingly out of nowhere, four figures appeared. Jesper stopped dead in his tracks, unsure what was going on but keenly aware that he was in danger. "Friends of yours?" he called to the stranger, assuming he'd been set up.

@Song