Coruscant's luminescent sky glowed brightly in the night sky of the ecumenopolis, the result of millennia of development of the planet, permanently polluting the once soothing night sky with light. Luxury and heavy haulers, along with the ever looming presence of the Star Destroyers were among the innumerable streams of vehicles that weaved in and out of the skyscrapers that sat far above the planet's original surface.
The Spacer's Den roared with life, hosting another night of adult entertainment for its patrons, a beacon that sat within one of the Undercity's multitude of Red Light Districts, the Urscu district was famed for its seedy activity. Specialising in attracting the finest and most exotic women into its roster, the strip club rarely saw a night on Coruscant without a packed out audience. A variety of projected holograms displayed the services within, with a particularly buxom Zeltron writhing with a seductive smile, inviting customers inside. From the shadiest of slice dealers, to the most out of place Imperial aristocrats, men seemed to flock to the district just to catch a glimpse of the club. Even in shadow of Imperial control, lust still ruled.
A disguised Leia Organa poked her head around the corner or a narrow alleyway, just facing the club from the other side of the street. A lightweight travelling cloak obscured her face as she stood beneath a flickering lamp, she wore a set of unassuming clothes, perfect for blending in with the denizens of the Urscu Entertainment District, though it did little to hide her enviable figure.
The Princess of Alderaan had been scouting The Spacer's Den for a number of days, usually during the periods between her time working as an Apprentice Legislator in the very heart of the Imperial Senate, sneaking away aboard civilian transporters to avoid detection; from both Imperial eyes and her father's. Since discovering her parents involvement in the ever growing, though well hidden, rebellion Leia had sought out ways of assisting them in any capacity that wouldn't put them at direct risk of facing the unyielding wrath of Emperor Palpatine.
Despite her eagerness, her father remained adamant that she should remain neutral. Bail knew the Empire needed to be brought to its end, and was very aware of his daughter's desire to play some part in it, but he couldn't bring himself to put her in direct peril, both out of love and with the words of Master Yoda on his mind. That didn't stop Leia from finding her own means of assisting, using untraceable channels to communicate with rebel spy networks, utilising her position on Coruscant to gather the sort of intelligence that suspected rebel cells couldn't.
As important as Leia knew her work was, she couldn't deny that there was a certain feeling of exhilaration that came with it, a princess hiding amongst slavers and spice dealers, dealing small blows to the Imperial machine week by week. Usually, her covert operations were contained to simple acts, listening in on conversations between Imperial officers, pocketing data files containing tactical information relating to Imperial fleet patrol routes, giving the rebel cells enough time to escape before being enclosed in a pincer.
But her successes only caused Leia to grow bolder, to venture beyond the Senate to the parts of the planet unfit for a young princess. Every daring escapade only spurred her on, the need to continually fulfil her ever growing excitement only increased, causing her to take risks that could impact her directly. It was what brought her to such a salacious establishment, spying on one man in particular.
Admiral Kars Maklin was a less than respectable member of the Imperial Navy from what Leia could gather, having gained his position using the connections of his family, an aristocratic collective dating back to the days of the High Republic. He was indicative of how the Empire was operated, the bureaucratic process catered to those who had influence, the ability to pay their way into an officer's position rather than showing their worth in battle.
Maklin was a loudmouthed brute, prone to making boastful tirades about his over exaggerated capabilities, occasionally letting sensitive pieces of intelligence slip when he became intoxicated, something Leia had picked up during some of the Emperor's lavish balls. A recent ball hosted in the Imperial Palace was one of his more recent slip ups, drunkenly revealing the Imperial Navy's awareness of a rebel cell, one containing a number of personal friends to Bail and Breha, along with a plot to destroy the rebels entirely. With this in mind, Leia set her sights on him, believing that if she could get him in just the right position she could squeeze pieces of highly sensitive information from the man. Her parents could only do so much, restrained by their need to appear loyal to the Emperor on the surface.
Whenever the opportunity became available, Leia followed the admiral as best as she could, trying to find out where he would go after departing from the Imperial Palace, where he would spend his free time. Out of all the locations he visited, Leia was surprised to discover just how frequently the aristocrat would visit the Spacer's Den. He certainly had the money to afford the very best call girls Coruscant had to offer, all from the security of his penthouse. Regardless of his motives, Leia knew she had her hook, she just needed to find out whether she had the resolve to cast it out.
The strip club offered a weekly spot for new girls to try out, putting on a live performance for the chance to find permanent employment within The Spacer's Den. Whether Leia liked it or not, it was the best chance she had of getting close enough to the admiral, though she felt the electric spark of excitement hit her far more than it had ever done. With a quick reminder of the good her actions would do for the budding rebellion, Leia left the alley and crossed over, walking past a scantily clad human prostitute -- who Leia assumed was close to the same age as herself -- as she hopped into a beat up speeder.
The Princess had always read about the prevalence of prostitution on Coruscant, both its higher class and far poorer equivalent. So many unfortunate women fell into its snare, whatever hopes and dreams they had on the planet were quickly rendered irrelevant as the girls were assimilated into the various rings of the sex trade. It was Leia's first time seeing such a transaction take place in person, as revolting as the process should have been, she couldn't help but find some allure in the concept of selling her body to a complete stranger, to be reduced to a commodity.
Shaking her head clear, she walked over to a wide alley just next to the club, taking cautious strides as she stood before the side entrance only used by the staff. She leaned over and tapped her hand against the rusting door, eyes darting from one side of the alley to the other, waiting for a response. Within seconds the door was wrenched open, revealing a short, aged Twi'lek male, his eyes instantly gave Leia a once over as a Corellian cigar smoulderd between his fingers.
"Lost are we?" the Twi'lek asked gruffly, taking a short drag from his cigar. "I'd recommend you get yourself the first air taxi back up to whatever part of the wealthy upper levels you came from. Lots of people down here would pay a pretty credit to get their hands on you."
Leia bristled as he tried to shut the door on her, sticking her foot out to wedge it open. "What is that supposed to mean? How could you possibly know where I have come from, or what I'm doing here?"
The Twi'lek groaned in frustration and opened the door once again, suddenly aware that the human before him had intended to arrive at his club. "Girl, I've been running clubs like this for decades, from here all the way to the most cut throat planets in the Hutt's territories. First, you carry yourself differently, more regal like compared to the desperate sorts we get here. Second, that jumpsuit of yours cost more than a crate of passable spice, though I'll admit that it shows off that exquisite body of yours enough to get me goin'. Third, you opened your mouth and that Core accent of yours slipped out. Now, what do you want?"
Leia was taken aback, to be dressed down by such a questionable character. Regardless, she still had a task and the opportunity would only fade with every wasted moment. "Fine, you're right, I am from the upper levels. I would like the chance to perform, this is the night you allow auditions, isn't it?"
