Red reflected rays danced on the city planet as the sun sank down to the horizon for the night. It was still amazing to see how an entire planet could be a large metropolis buzzing with constant activity at all hours. As the center of all political and military activity in the galaxy, Corascant attracted all sorts of creatures with multiple agendas.

Rhiannon watched the last light fade as night fell. Pulling her hood up, she left her cheap rented room out into the night.

Walking on the open street, Rhiannon was in the lowliest part of Corascant. Only the dredges of life dwelled below the city. Many an evil plot has been hatched in these forgotten areas. Law seldom found its way to keep order in the streets. There were too many other things the peacekeepers and law enforcers had to do to be worried about drunks, prostitutes, and social rejects.

Thousands of vehicles raced above the street in the night sky. Engine noises drown out much of the voices of the gathered population of lower Corascant. Rhiannon noticed little of the creatures around her. They were of no importance.

There was only one thing that brought her to such a degrading area in the galaxy. Trouble was, she could only sense the slight pull through the Force. Years before she had felt the same presence, and then again recently.

She felt outward with the Force when she sensed it. Stopping suddenly she saw a hooded figure briefly fade into the crowd.

About to start after the figure, a strange, rank local grabbed her shoulder. She did not even have to look at the man to know he was a human in a desperate need of a cleaning. He leaned in and said, "Hey babycakes. How about showing me your wares?"

"No," she said quietly.

"I'd be crushed if you didn't show ol' Den a good time."

"So be it," whispered Rhiannon calmly. With a small gesture, the man's amused face turned to horror as he gasped for breath. He let her go and began grasping at his chest.

"I.....can't......breath......" He fought for air, but his lungs could not expand. Falling to his knees, he pleaded silently for air to releave his burning lungs. By this time, a small crowd began to gather around. In a few moments, the man lie dead on the street.

The crowd just stood for a moment in silence before returning to their activities. No need to mask her oresence in the minds of the witnesses. Most have forgotten the scene moments later.

Rhiannon smiled to herself as she walked away.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> But one was not despised so easily...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Quietly, subtlely, Leia Organa Solo drifted in the direction of the suspicious woman who had just caused the scene in the middle of the crowd.

On Coruscant for reasons that she would not so openly nor willingly divulge, Leia was dressed blandly: grey pants and shirt, over which was a faded green cloak. The cloak not only made her look like most of the other people on the streets, but also concealed the well worn gunbelt that hung low on her waist. All in all, Leia was quite inconspicuous, which was rather rare for one of her stature and place.

The woman was moving out of the crowd now... Leia followed.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> That woman was an adept Force user...

And she hadn't used her powers for good...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Curious, Leia had decided to follow this woman. If her growing suspicions were correct, wherever this woman went, trouble would follow in her wake...

John was dressed in his usual balck garment, wandering around the streets of Coruscant. He hated Coruscant, it was old, ugly, dirty, and you could never really get that imperial smell out of the air. He hadn't liked this planet since his first posting here, and the planet had done very little to redeem itself in the intervening years.

He was wandering around, minding his own business, trying to remember why he had come to this planet when the crowd started moving against him, kind of following someone around, and he was kind of cuaght in the swell, being pulled along. He found himself bumping into someone, a woman in a old green cloak. He smiled, kind of confused, but figured what the hell, this planet causes enough trouble....

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Rhiannon made her way through the crowded streets of Coruscant. Surrounded by numerous weakminded creatures made it easy to scan the area. But there were a few creatures not so easily read.

She sensed a ripple in the Force close by. It was as though someone was following her. Stopping, she turned and lowered the hood of her cowl revealing long straight black hair and pale skin. Her dark eyes scanned the crowd but saw no one particularly suscpicious.

Just to be sure, she turned off the main street onto a side alley. Surrounding herself in the darkside of the Force, she sheilded her presence. Only the armoured rats knew of her and made a path to avoid her.

Darkness enveloped the alley, but Rhiannon sensed each creature that dwelled there. Including a group of young gang mambers called The Raptors.....<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

The woman had dissapeared into the alley...

Leia casually walked past the alley entrance a few steps, then stopped and leaned against the wall of the building she now stood in front of.

The Force offered her a vague grasp on the layout of the alleyways, and the particular one that the woman had just dodged into had only one clear opening to it: the one Leia was stading right next to.

Some odd pressure exerted itself on Leia's mind. Something was about to happen in that alleyway. She had no idea of knowing what, but she knew enough to be prepared for anything.

Looking up above her, Leia spotted a high ledge on the building she was leaning against. If she could get up there, she could maintain a better watch on the surroundings, and be in a better position to act should she be forced to.

A Force jump would easily carry her up to the ledge. Yet it would reveal her to be a Jedi, and she was not ready to let that little secret out into the open yet. Simply scaling the wall with a pair of climbing claws would similary draw too much attentions towards herself, also undesireable.

Finding no other alternative for the moment, Leia continued to lean against the building, only a few feet away from the alleyway. Her senses, both physical and Force attuned, were all turned with full attention towards the alleyway, watching, listening, and waiting. She could feel the movement of presences within the alley.

From what she had seen of this woman, Leia figured she wouldn't have to wait long for something to do...

She felt the gang members clearly in the Force. Three of them were in front of her as two more came from behind. They were a seedy group of humanoids with numerous body peircings and tatoos.

One in particular with Purple long hair, obviously the leader, was a male in his prime. "So, you showed up." The members looked at each other in amusement.

Rhiannon smiled to herself. Such arrogance. She reached out with the Force and sensed their plans to deceive her. Did they think they could get away with it and live?

Rhiannon nodded at the leader. "Yes. I warn you, any trick on your part will prove fatal."

"Yeah, right. What can one lone woman do against all of us? We outnumber you, sweetheart."

Rhiannon cocked her eyebrow and continued, "Do you have the book?"

Through her contacts she learned a Book of Sorcery was obtained by the Raptors. Rhiannon was able to arrange a meeting to obtain to book through those contacts.

"Yeah, sure, we got it. You got the credits?" Purple hair laughed as he looked at his fellow Raptors.

Rhiannon could sense their lies. Stupid. "I have the credits, now tell me, where is the Book?"

"The price has gone up to 100,000 credits. Do you have that much?"

"Show me the Book."

They all laughed again. "Show us your money first."

Anger built in Rhiannon. She grew tiresome of their games for money. "I give you one last chance, where is the Book? Tell me and I will spare your life."

Her demand was only met with laughter. It cut her last shread of patience. With a wave of a hand, she used the darkside to persuade the leader.

He began to choke as the invisible grip tightened about his chest.

"I find my patience has come to an end. Now tell me."

One of the other gang members started to come up behand her. In a flash, her saber was in hand boiling forth to its full length.

The distinctive crash and hum of an igniting lightsaber was unmistakeable to Leia's ear. Unwilling to simply step out into the open and possibly make more trouble than was necessary, Leia stayed put, but her hand instinctively moved over to rest on her hip, where her lightsaber hung concealed within.

The presences she felt within the alleyway jostled a bit. She felt fear, anticipation... there was going to be a struggle.

But who was the good guy? Who was the bad?

The Purple haired leader was gasping for air. He fell to the ground as he tried to inhale and ease his suffering. Rhiannon refused to give up her hold on the leader until he was ready to give her the information. He was almost willing to give up.

Then one of the gang members drew his blaster and RHiannon sensed the others silent plans to jump her by physical force. Stupid, thought Rhiannon.

Her crimson blade was in hand and she quickly made short work of the blaster stunning the boy. She then Force pushed back the youth several meters back.

"O.....K......I'll.......tttt...tell ...you."

Rhiannon sensed the truth and relinquished her hold. He gasped for several breaths before he called off the other gang members.

Her eyebrow shot up as she waited.

He searched through his pocket and got out a keycard. "This is to the lockhold where the next clue to Book is. The lockhold is marked on the keycard."

Rhiannon looked closely at the card and all it said was "Coruscant Hyatt 94".

"What do you mean, the next clue?"

He smirked. "We never said we <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> had<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> the book."

Rhiannon looked at Purple hair and then laughed to herself. What a cunning boy he was......and daring. "I suggest a line of work in politics should be in your future. You have a knack for stretching the truth."

SHe began to walk away when she heard them shuffle behind her. Turning to the small group, she tossed a bagful of credits to them. "For the keycard and information."

The4y scrambled for the bag and when they looked up after her, Rhiannon was gone.