Anakin once visited Coruscant’s underbelly, as an escort for Supreme Chancellor Palpatine’s secret visit. Festering within the 2685th level of Coruscant, it is a feeding ground to the best and worst criminals—bureaucrats among them. Slaves and contraband are bought and sold on the hour, while others gamble with their lives or ill-gotten gains on the roll of a chance cube.

Others are content to seek entertainment, watching holographic projections of exotic dancers in various states of undress—the likes of which will no doubt be traded as slaves in exchange for credits or other services. Games of chance are often obscured under the sheer volume of patrons gathered around the game tables. Smaller round tables serve for social or business gatherings, with more discreet booths tucked into alcoves along the walls.

Having undergone unfinished renovations at some point, the ceiling has been raised to resemble that of a warehouse. Smoke gathers among the durasteel supports, making a buffer for the intense red and violet beams lighting the cesspit below. Zeltron perfumes are among the most common smells in the establishment, while the rolling of dice cubes make for the most recognizable sound above the music. Fights don’t often break out, and violence is often dissuaded at the sight of armoured bouncers several heads taller than most humanoids

Lumyi threw down their Sabacc cards, losing another hundred credits to the armored Human next to them.

"No way. Not again. You can't be serious!" a male Twi'lek exclaimed.

"Well, the Force is with me, like the Jedi say," Darrio said, leaning back on his chair and gazing longingly at a bar's display.

"If the Force is with you then we're all damned," Lumyi whispered, crossing their arms.

"Oh, come on! I'm just having fun!" the Reaver cried out, throwing his hands up.

"I'd be more careful if I were you, sir. Winning too much will get you kicked out," a finely dressed Human croupier explained.

A large man in a formal suit appeared next to the Weapons Specialist, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir. We've gotten complaints about your... playing methods. We'll have to conduct a quick search, just to make sure you're playing fairly," the bodyguard stated. The Reaver stood up and pushed away the large man's hand.

"A quick search? I don't think that'll be necessary, buddy," the Mercenary threatened, putting his left hand on one of his grenades. The large man immediately tackled Darrio to the ground and started pressing buttons on his comlink, a few cards falling from the Reaver’s armored sleeve.

“CODE BLACK! I REPEAT, CODE BLACK!” the bodyguard yelled into his comlink. As soon as he said that, alarms started glaring and people started running towards the exits, the other gambler and employee at the Sabacc table hurrying to get out.

“You take all of our money and now you’re getting the place evacuated,” Lumyi stated, still sitting at the Sabacc table. Noticing the bundle of cards next to Darrio, they stood up and grabbed them. “And this… is the same card I had. These aren’t the house’s cards. Cheating my money out of me, really?”

The Human shot a poisoned dart from his vambraces into the guard’s back and punched him in the head as hard as he could, knocking him away. The guard was quickly incapacitated, the poison working its way in his system. Darrio stood up, looking at the Kel Dor that was holding his cards.

“Give those back,” the Human asked with a low voice, staring at the Force Disciple.

“You steal my money and you think I’ll let you go, just like that?” they said, throwing the cards into the air and taking a fighting stance with their hands up to their chest.

“You don’t wanna fight me, kid,” the Mercenary threatened, pointing at his weaponry.

“Oh, I guess I won’t-” Lumyi interrupted themself as they threw a punch with the strength of the Force to Darrio’s gut. He was pushed back, still feeling the hit through his armor.

“Oof!” the Mercenary cried out. “Just take the loss and go home, kid. If you go gambling, you better be sure you can take the losses.” Darrio put his right hand on his blaster pistol, threatening the Juggernaut.

“I came here to have fun. Like you said. And you got my money, so make this good.” Lumyi put their left foot in front of their body, looking at the Human in his eyes through his helmet. The Mercenary grabbed his blaster pistol and fired at the Force Disciple from his hip, nearly taking their head off if they hadn’t twisted it a moment sooner, instead destroying a fine bottle from the bar’s display. They stepped forward, only for Darrio to take a shot at their right foot with the darts in his vambraces. The Juggernaut jumped away, the Force warning them as the projectile whirred away. The Mercenary put more distance between himself and the Mystic, keeping them from launching more strikes.

“If taking your money isn’t enough for you, I’ll take your life.” Darrio lobbed a thermal detonator at Lumyi’s feet and started wildly firing his blaster pistol at them as fast as he could. The Juggernaut couldn’t deal with the barrage of blasts and the grenade at the same time, instead choosing to take a few glancing hits in order to kick it away then raising his hand to conjure an invisible wall. The explosive completely destroyed the table it landed near, leaving nothing but ash there as the two kept fighting.

The Weapons Specialist pointed at the Force Disciple with his blaster pistol, holding its trigger while still firing his vambraces' built-in blasters as the Juggernaut got closer. Upon releasing the trigger, a much brighter, faster bolt barreled out towards the Kel Dor, who barely dodged it, blasting a hole in their robes and melting a considerable hole in a gambling table. Lumyi launched themself forward, swinging their left fist at Darrio’s liver, who blocked it with his right arm.

“Agh-alright then! If this is how you wanna fight, then be prepared for pain!” The Reaver placed his blaster pistol back on his hip and activated his shockboxing gloves, taking a ready stance with his fists raised to his chin.

“We’ll see who’s better.” The Mystic put their fists under their chin, staring directly at the Mercenary with a burning passion in their eyes.

Darrio struck with a left, and then a right, hitting nothing but air as Lumyi tilted his head to evade. Darrio was like a hungry Loth Wolf. He had his prey on the defensive. So what if he cheated? Life wasn't always fair, and if he had to teach this di'kut a lesson the hard way, then so be it!

Yet, no matter how hard he tried, Darrio struggled to land a solid blow to his opponent. A fire built within Darrio, rising higher and higher with each miss and parry. Lumyi must have known what his gloves were, and was taking measures to actively avoid them.

Finally, Darrio had him backed up against one of the Club's gambling tables, a feral grin stretching across his face.

"Gotcha!"

He threw a hard right, intending to target the mask on the Kel'Dor's face. Lumyi was better than Darrio gave him credit for, and ducked underneath the strike. Lumyi then countered with hard jabs to the Human's gut. One hit, then two, then three, and four. Darrio spat saliva, pain coursing tbroygh hi abdomen as he staggered back. His opponent resumed their stance, hands under their chin, clenching his fists.

Darrio had no idea what was going on. His heart beat harder in his chest, sweat dripping from his forehead. He could taste the familiar iron-like sensation in his mouth. Those punches hurt. Lumyi was as fast as he was strong, which wouldn't have been much of an issue if he didn't have the skill to back it up. The only person Darrio had ever encountered that was able to evade him like this was Appius, and that was only because he was…

'Force-Sensitive…' Darrio thought. His eyes widened at the realisation as Lumyi closed the gap between them. Either Lumyi was extremely skilled at hand-to-hand combat, or he had the Force warning him.

Darrio had a plan to find out which it was.

He lunged at Lumyi, who prepared to dodge again, but as Darrio went for a left hook, he feigned and instead struck him with his right.

Direct hit.

The shock caused a harsh groan of pain to come from the Kel'Dor's mouth, courtesy of Darrio's shockgloves. He staggered back, but then approached again after getting his bearings. He must have assumed it was a lucky hit.

There was no luck involved.

Darrio knew how to fight Force-users. Sometimes, all it took was a dose of misdirection to throw off their senses. Jet'ii were painfully simple when you understood them.

He struck Lumyi again, and again, and again. The shockgloves provided added extra oomph behind the blows that connected, and Lumyi, once again, found himself on the defensive, trying his best to fight the light shocks that tbrew him off-balance. He leapt over the nearby bar counter to create some distance for himself.

"Big mistake, kid!" Darrio yelled.

The Mandalorian grabbed his blaster, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Several shots soared towards Lumyi, who twisted his body, again, to narrowly avoid being hit. The shots shattered even more bottles of alcohol behind him as they spilt onto the floor.

That confirmed it. That mother-frakker was Force-sensitive! He had to be!

"I knew it!" Darrio pointed a finger at him. "You're a Forcie, aren't you?"

"Whether or not I'm Force-sensitive is inconsequential," Lumyi stated. "You cheated, took my money, and then attacked the guards and me."

"You started it," Darrio said.

"You started it by cheating," Lumyi answered back.

Darrio chuckled to himself. "Kid, trust me. If you had any idea the kind of stuff I'd done… This is tame in comparison. The only reason I manage to get away with it half the time is that my brother is the Taldryan big-wig."

Lumyi lowered his head for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. His head shot back, and he made eye contact with Darrio.

"You are Darrio Klars," Lumyi said.

Darrio rolled his eyes. "Congratulations, detective. You're a master of deduction."

"You have a price on your head," Lumyi continued.

"Who doesn't these days?" Darrio scoffed.

"You were responsible for gravely injuring a member of House Deathwatch on board Sundari Station," Lumyi cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to bring you in."

The credit dropped. Darrio realised quickly that the situation had become more intense. He thought of Sulla and Ellisyn. How could he face the rest of his life knowing that he'd never get to see them again? If he fell here, he knew that was a reality. Clan Vizsla wanted his head, and they'd stop at nothing to have it.

"Fine," Darrio said. "Have it your way!"

He reached for a large, cylindrical object. It was another one of his explosives, a thermal imploder. He threw it towards the bar area where Lumyi still stood. Seven seconds. That was all the Kel'Dor had to get away from the incoming blast.

The Juggernaut looked around for the explosive Darrio had just thrown, but they couldn’t find it with just a glance. Six seconds remained. The Mercenary started blasting Lumyi, keeping them on the defensive. Their muscles wanted to dodge by themselves, but the Kel Dor couldn’t risk losing time. They jumped as far back as they could, getting a view of the bar they were just in. Four seconds. The barrage of blasts wouldn’t stop, but the Mystic noticed the imploder. They didn’t have enough time to escape the blast, so they had a better idea. They imbued their body with as much power as they could and launched towards the grenade, kicking it away in the process. The Human could barely keep up with the Force Disciple’s unnatural speed, but he still could get a few shots in. Lumyi had a few new holes blasted in their right hand, but they managed to kick the explosive away.

Two seconds remained. Darrio knew how powerful the imploder was, so he took a few steps back. The Kel Dor focused back on the Human, unaware of the explosion about to happen.

“What do you know about grenades, adiik?” the Weapons Specialist asked with a confident tone.

“Me’ven?” The Force Disciple was thrown closer to the grenade due to its implosion, then they were blown away by the explosion that followed, being sent straight into the wall next to Darrio. A big part of the club was just blown up and even more furniture was destroyed, shaking up the entire building. The Kel Dor’s robes were burned on the right side and they were bleeding from half of their face, but they were still standing.

“Hah, so you know Mando’a?” the Mercenary scoffed. “What are you Vizsla beroya even made of? Just stand down, kid. You’re gonna die anyway.”

“Are you… underestimating me? I’ve… had worse,” the Kel Dor claimed with difficulty in their voice, taking a fighting stance.

“Hah! Fine, I’ll give you a death to remember,” the Human said, putting his blaster back on his right hip and raising his fists. Lumyi stared at Darrio with determination in their eyes, the Force helping them ignore the damage they had just received. The wounds were already slowly closing and the pain was gone, so they charged at the Mercenary. Darrio charged back, his gloves glowing with electricity. He aimed a strike at their solar plexus, his punch getting hit back by the Juggernaut’s own strike. They were stronger than him, and being in the heat of the battle brought them a surge of energy, pushing back the Weapons Specialist’s arm.

The two exchanged strikes, but through Darrio’s armor and Lumyi’s sheer power they both felt like hitting durasteel walls. The Force Disciple’s robes absorbed the shock that the Mercenary’s gloves struck with, and their training was equal when it came to martial arts. The Reaver struck more often than not, but when he got hit his armor couldn’t take the entirety of the strike.

“That armor of yours, it’s beskar isn’t it?” Lumyi rhetorically asked while exchanging punches with Darrio. “And you’re so keen on using your gloves too. You’re fighting with Core, but this isn’t normal training, is it?”

“Does it matter? You’re not getting through armor this heavy with just your fists.”

“So if I take your armor away, you’re nothing but a bag of meat.” The Force Disciple was looking for an exact way to hit the Mercenary, but with his training and armor, they’d have to be very precise. “You rely too much on your armor. Just like your brother.”

“Wha’ the hell do you even know about my brother?” Darrio yelled, raising his tone. He threw a right hook at the Kel Dor’s face, who was waiting for that attack. They imbued their right fist with the strength of the Force and launched a sudden jab at the Human’s solar plexus, ducking under his attack. He felt the hit through his armor and was launched backwards a few meters, hitting a barstool and falling to the ground.

“I know more about your brother than he’d think. He wasn’t always the Prime Chancellor or whatever,” the Juggernaut explained, approaching the Mercenary.

“Ugh, so what, you beat him?”

“Ah, no. I think I almost did once, but no I haven’t. Now give me your credits.”

“What?!”

“Payment. First, a fine for cheating. And second, for not handing you to Vizsla. As much as I’d love to, Appius would probably have me thrown into a star.”

“Kid, I’m gonna beat you so hard-” Darrio said before being cut off by a punch to the helmet. The visor was overwhelmed by unnatural strength, shattering and letting the strike hit his nose, breaking it and leaving blood all over his face. “Ow, what the hell?!”

“K’atini! Your face is too bloody for Vizsla to recognize you. So I’ll be taking those credits now.”

“Like hell you are!” The Weapons Specialist grabbed the Juggernaut’s leg, trying to get a hold of himself. The Kel Dor grabbed his hand and kept their grip tight on it while they used their other hand to look through the Human’s pockets.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Now go cheat someone else out of their credits,” Lumyi said with their pockets a bit heavier than before. They threw Darrio’s arm away and took off to the exit, hearing sirens blaring in the distance. They glanced back at the Human before closing the doors behind them, leaving the recently ruined club to the mercy of Coruscant.

The explosive soared closer to its intended target.

Six.

Darrio leapt back over one of the Club's tables, using it as a makeshift shield.

Five.

Lumyi focused his mind on the incoming object.

Four.

He thrust forward his one organic hand, summoning his strength in the Force to repel the explosive away from him.

Three.

The explosive soared back in the opposite direction towards Darrio.

Two.

The device clanged across the ground, rolling to a stop beside Darrio's feet.

One.

Darrio's eyes widened. "SITHSPIT!"

He leapt over the table, scrambling away for dear life as fast as he could. The area heated up around him, and he felt the implosion come first before the force of the sudden, thunderous explosion sent him careening towards the Club's stage area.

The explosion was nothing short of terrifying and impressive, like lava melting steel. Darrio used the stage to pull himself to his feet, his legs wobbling beneath him. He glanced back at the wanton destruction he had caused. He could barely recognise the area that the explosive struck. Fires started to spread, and the furniture was torn to shreds.

Darrio stretched his back. "Well, that didn't go to plan…"

His throat was grabbed, and he was then slammed against the stage by the mighty grip of Lumyi.

Darrio punched him once, then twice, but Lumyi did not react in the slightest. Darrio activated his shockgloves, but Lumyi held back Darrio's hands with superior strength.

They tightened his grip on Darrio's throat, and the Mandalorian squirmed in his grip. "What the Hell is wrong with you!? Are you trying to kill us both!?"

Darrio gasped for breath. "Not… both. Just… you!"

He kicked Lumyi between his legs, eliciting a whimper out of the Kel'Dor. Lumyi released Darrio from his grasp and staggered back, hunching over.

Darrio took a deep intake of air, thankful for the relief it provided. He charged forward, tackling Lumyi into one of the still-standing tables in the club. They crashed to the floor, and Darrio seized his chance to pin the Kel'Dor to the ground.

Darrio's pupils dilated, his teeth bare to see as he unloaded punch after punch into any exposed part of Lumyi's body. Thoughts of Ellisyn, and Sulla entered his mind with each punch, hardened with the desire to see his family again. "I won't let you take me away from them!"

Lumyi, to his credit, mitigated most of Darrio's strikes. They brought his forearms up to block most of the attacks. Lumyi was as stubborn as he had been since the fight started. If Darrio was going to win, he was going to have to play dirty.

Which was fine by him.

He reached down towards Lumyi's mask, though the Kel'Dor fought back against it. Darrio's fingertips grazed the apparatus. He was so close, and yet so far. In the end, it didn't even matter.

Lumyi was starting to overpower him, and he shifted the Mandalorian off of them. Darrio's arms angled towards Lumyi's knees, and he activated the blaster within his left vambrace. The shot collided with Lumyi's knees, and they let out a deep, haunting growl.

Darrio was not the type to look a gift wampa in the mouth when he saw one. He leap back on top of Lumyi like a shark that smelt blood in the water. He grabbed hold of the mask, and pulled it off Lumyi's head. Darrio rolled to the side, rose to his feet and held the mask high in the air. This was his trophy for the battle.

He could hear the raspy attempts at breaths coming from the Kel'Dor. Darrio held the mask closer to them as Lumyi's hand inched closer and closer to it. At the last second, Darrio pulled it away from him, wagging his finger with a triumphant smile on his face.

"Like hell I'm giving this back to you," Darrio leaned in closer until he was at eye level with Lumyi. "You brought this on yourself. You can burn in Hell with the rest of this place."

Triumphant, Darrio was about to leave before the place burned to the ground, but something held him in place, and it wasn't Lumyi.

Elli…

She never liked it when he killed people. Never had, and probably never would. She understood, of course, that sometimes, there was no other option, just like right now.

There was no other option, right?

He looked back at Lumyi, who was choking on the ground and at the edge of unconsciousness. He looked towards the exit, then back at Lumyi, and then back at the exit again. His instincts screamed at him to leave the Vizsla member to his demise and get as far away from the Club as possible. The news would spread, and he didn't want to be seen in the area anymore than he had been.

That was the problem. Ellisyn knew he was here. She'd know Darrio would have been involved somehow. Then there was Lychee. That little bastard would twist the situation in any way he could to win her from him.

He couldn't allow that.

He wouldn't allow that.

Against his better judgement, Darrio quickly approached Lumyi and placed the mask back over their face.

Lumyi seemed surprised for half a moment, but clutched the mask to their mouth, inhaling deep breaths like it was the elixir of life.

Darrio grabbed hold of Lumyi's spare arm, hoisting it over his shoulder. He slowly lifted the Kel'Dor to his feet. "Damn it, how heavy are you!?"

Lumyi gave no response as the pair left the building. Once outside, Darrio pulled him into an adjacent alley and dropped them against a wall.

"There," Darrio wiped his hands clean off him. "You'll be safe here. They'll find you eventually."

"You can't run forever," Lumyi gazed at Darrio. Not a hint of thankfulness in his voice. "Eventually, your actions will catch up with you. Someone will take you down. If not me, then someone."

Darrio hung his head low and murmured a response. "I already lost everything once. I don't intend to lose everything again."

He left Lumyi in the alleyway as sirens blared in the distance. Darrio activated his jetpack and soared to the rooftops above the club. He'd make his grand escape, and hopefully, Ellisyn wouldn't be too mad at him when she found out what happened.

Hopefully…