[P17 - Farstine - FZ] A Slicer, a Droidsmith and a Capo Walk into a Bar

On the surface of Farstine...

The pounding rhythm of industrial bass shook the alley hard enough to rattle the pipes overhead. Music thundered from hidden speakers bolted to the walls of nearby cantinas, mixing with the hiss of venting gas and the constant roar of the city beyond. Even standing face-to-face with his contacts, Carm could barely make out their distorted voices through the noise.

A handful of carefully placed credits had finally paid off. Farstine's underworld had led him to exactly the people he needed: a slicer and a droidsmith willing to operate far outside the law. That was assuming they survived long enough to finish the job.

"Why meet somewhere this loud?" Carm asked, resisting the urge to cover his ears beneath his rebreather. "Feels like I'm trying to negotiate inside an engine core."

The slicer turned slightly toward her companion. Between the visor and her respirator mask, her expression was impossible to read.

"Because manufacturing or modifying droids is a capital offense on Farstine," she replied flatly. Her voice carried the cold mechanical edge of someone who'd spent too long talking through vocoders and machine interfaces. "Ever since Industrial Automation established a factory here, local authorities have been very motivated to eliminate competition. Even with their retreat to the Core Worlds for their operations, the laws haven't changed."

Carm's stomach tightened. He instinctively scanned the alley for unwanted attention, but saw only the usual chaos of the lower districts: workers stumbling into smoke-filled bars, vendors shouting in Huttese, laborers haggling over scrap parts beneath flickering neon signs.

The droidsmith leaned forward. "Tell me about this datapad." His tone had changed and Carm could sense his curiosity.

"I still can’t believe you actually went into the old factory," he continued. "A lot of people tried scavenging that place. Most never came back."

Carm hesitated, then slowly produced the datapad from inside his jacket. Even through layers of cybernetics and breathing gear, he saw both of them react immediately. He knew he had them- interest and greed overpowering their concern.

The slicer took the datapad carefully, turning it over in her hands. "So the stories were true," she murmured. "The LOM-series behavioral fault..." She tilted toward him. "Why exactly do you want us building homicidal droids?"

Carm leaned in, his voice dropping beneath the pulse of the music. "I was told you were professionals," he said coldly. "You don’t need to know why. You just need to know I’m paying."

The droidsmith gave a low chuckle. "Fair enough."

"I need them operational quickly," Carm continued. "And if this arrangement works out, there'll be far more work waiting for both of you. Better pay than whatever repair scraps and slicework you're surviving on now."

The slicer exchanged a glance with her partner before slotting the datapad into a concealed pouch beneath her coat.

"We’ll need payment upfront," she said. "But if the data's intact... we can do it. A few weeks, maybe less." A pause. "And I admit- the long-term opportunity sounds promising. That is, if your syndicate can get the law off our backs as well..."

Carm nodded. "I'll see what I can do there."

The droidsmith spread his arms dramatically. "Then perhaps we should celebrate our new partnership with a drink before someone arrests us."

For the first time that evening, Carm allowed himself a faint smile. "Lead the way."

The three disappeared deeper into the crowded alley, swallowed by neon haze and drifting methane fog.

Not far above, hidden in a maze of rusted piping and humming generators, a lone figure remained motionless, watching them.

She paused for a moment, and then activated her commlink. "This is Agent Nym," she whispered.

A burst of static crackled through the line.

"Requesting immediate backup to my location. I believe I've just identified a confirmed enemy of the Empire."

A pause.

"The ghost of Barkesh is alive."

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Night

Day

As always, I welcome all comments, critiques and advice! This was... a challenging build. I learned a lot here, and mostly learned that it's best to leave great sightlines to take photos. I really wanted to build something inspired by Shinjuku in Japan, but the really tight streets/corridors didn't leave much room for my camera. It was also really fun to experiment with lighting!