A beacon of civilisation with unrivalled economic activity and the political centre of the galaxy, Coruscant inspired innovation, order, and the sense of being part of something greater. Perhaps for the lucky few in the higher surface levels, that was true. In the canopy below, people just tried to get by as best they could.
   Sitting behind her counter that doubled as a work station, Kai was focused on repairing a techstaff. It had been damaged when a cantina owner had tried to throw out an angry Trandoshan. Known for their fierce strength and skills in battle, it would be an impressive accomplishment to stand up to one of the tall reptilians with a techstaff. Kai sighed, imagining the scene. Like most natives of the city-planet, Kai was human, and she could personally relate to trying to go up against a far larger and more powerful adversary. She could also understand the owner for trying to defend his small piece of the galaxy, in case the alien had started taking it out on the equipment instead of whoever he had been angry with.
   Similar to most small businesses at this level, Kai’s shop was narrow, cramped, and also served as living quarters. The top floor housed a room and other essentials, leaving the ground floor as her place of business. There, the walls were covered with different tools and machinery that she had designed and built, from a conversion module with an optimised cooling system and a disk-sized repulsor pack, to a number of translators in a selection of shapes and sizes. The shop had a raw industrial feel and was fixed-up with a variety of lamps that added some warmth to the space. If nothing else, they provided Kai with enough light to do her work, which she wouldn’t be getting much of from outside. Even on a bright sunny day, she had to go to one of the large open streets to feel its presence.
   After fusing the last of the energy cells to the techstaff, she stood up straight and stretched, having spent most of the day bent over the repairs. The thing had been almost in pieces when it was brought in, though she couldn’t complain. Customers were scarce, and having any work made it a good day. Kai had even made some additional durasteel upgrades so that the weapon would stand a better chance against its future opponent. One happy client could go a long way in spreading the word and cantina owners talked a lot, and to everyone.
   Kai gave a quick glance at the time, only then realising how late it was. Swinging her jacket on and grabbing the finished techstaff, she headed out. The streets were busy, as they almost always were regardless of the hour. She passed a hand through her short chestnut hair, appreciating the open air. Actively making her way along the familiar route, she reached an open crossroad and as was becoming tradition, stopped. Kai looked up, her eyes tracing the soaring buildings all the way up until she could almost see the night sky. The galaxy always seemed to pause right at this moment. With a determined smile on her face, she kept going, hustling by a group of teenagers blasting music before reaching her favourite street food peddler.
    “Comin’ in late tonight, ain’t ya?” greeted Prav as she sat down on one of his five bar stools, at this time all empty. “I saved ya your favourite,” the old Toydarian added.
   “You’re a dream,” Kai said as Prav hovered up to grab a bowl on one of the higher shelves.
   A tight fit among the other food stands in the area, he had expanded upwards, allowing more storage space for fresh ingredients and exotic treats, making his the best meals in the sector. As a small winged alien, it was easy for Prav to navigate in the restricted space. Placing the bowl on the counter, Parv skilfully poured the broth and added noodles, bean sprouts, a few other ingredients, and topped it off with fried shallots. Kai's mouth started to water at the sight. Parv placed the dish in front of her and she dug in, relishing in the savoury richness of the broth and sweetness of the shallots. Parv looked at her and gave a snort as she devoured the dish, barely taking the time to come up for air. Not long after, Kai gave a deep, satisfied sigh.
         “As good as ever." Kai said as she wiped her month. "Time for the Stand Stories of the day?” she asked, anticipation now spreading across her face. She’d come to Prav’s stand nearly every evening for five years, helping him whenever a pipe cracked or his stove broke down in exchange for an occasional free meal. Amusing customer anecdotes were also a key element to their friendly arrangement, though Prav usually had far more to share than she had.    
   “Will ya stop callin’ em that? People are goin’ think I can’t hold my tongue and that’s bad for business,” Prav shot at her.
   Kai chuckled. “It’s too late for anyone to care. Spit it out.”
   Prav grunted under his breath but leaned towards her anyway. “I had two guys come by around mid-day talkin’ about some bill that’s goin’ be voted tomorrow.”
   “That sounds promising,” Kai interjected sarcastically.
   “That ain’t all,” Prav countered. “They were talkin’ about some scam to make sure it wouldn’t pass.”
   “Nothing new there.”
   “Will ya stop interruptin’ me?” snapped Prav. “The strange thing about it is that those guys didn’t seem from around here, ya know, like they were just brought in for a job.”
   After a moment of silence, Kai ventured,“not interrupting?” Prav gave her a dark look.
   “I still don’t see what’s so interesting about this one,” she said. “Politics are the same everywhere. Some people want something, other people don’t want that thing and do everything they can to stop it, and the others sit in the middle without ever lifting a finger, happy to stick with what they know. Everyone hates change.”
   “Ha. Speak for yaself,” Prav said. “I’ve tinkered almost every season to make this beauty into what ya see today,” he boasted waving an arm up at the stand rising above them. “I’m tellin’ ya, Kai, there’s somethin’ about these ones that caught ma eye. Not the usual strange ya get around here.”
   Kai considered his words for a moment. There were definitely odd characters on Coruscant, whatever the level, coming from all over the galaxy and for the strangest of reasons. She didn’t see why this particular group would be anything special. That being said, Prav didn’t often get alarmed, especially not for anything remotely close to politics.    
   “It’s late, Prav, and maybe it’s time for you to close up,” Kai suggested with a good-natured sneer. “Besides, I need to go get payed.” Setting some coins on the counter and grabbing the techstaff she had set down next to her, she waved goodbye and made her way to the cantina.
   After dropping off the weapon and receiving both a decent amount of money and appreciation for the upgrades, Kai made her way back towards her shop to call it a day.

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