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Greetings listeners and welcome to the inaugural episode of Haunt and Slay, Uncovering the Dark Tales of the Republic.
I'm your host, Tens.
On today's episode we bring you a dark tale from the bowels of Coruscant. Level zero can at best be described as uninhabitable and at worst... the stuff of nightmares. For some unfortunate souls it is the place of their demise. It’s as far away from light as you can get on this rock and the air is thinner than the rehydrated carbohydrates served on Kamino.
Yes, dear listeners, it is a place where nobody wants to go… unless they’re trying to hide from something… or someone. Which brings us to our first tale.
Scuff was a dutiful vod. He’d been assigned to the Guard since almost the beginning and quickly adopted an attitude where nothing phased him. He didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and often volunteered for the jobs that nobody else wanted. He said working these kinds of jobs was quiet and he enjoyed his solitude.
So, when the Guard started receiving reports of ominous sounds emanating from Level Zero that could be heard even a hundred levels up, Scuff didn’t even need to be asked to volunteer. He donned his customized kit which he had made by merging the regular Guard armor with a discarded SCUBA set. It allowed him to carry air tanks on his back and go about his business.
The squad who rode in the transport to the platform reported that Scuff was as jovial and unbothered that day as he was for any other job. Once on the platform he boarded his speeder and began his descent.
This is where the details get murky, my friends.
A patrol on Level One-Zero-Two saw Scuff’s descent. They waved in greeting and received one in response. Even at Level One-Zero-Two, the air is thin and the criminals are rampant, so they were unable to keep their eye on him, but they contacted the patrol on the lowest level any Guard was allowed to patrol - Level Eighty-Nine - and let them know to be on the lookout.
The patrol on Level Eighty-nine was in the middle of fighting off an escaped Rathtar so they didn’t see nor hear Scuff’s speeder.
But they heard a deafening roar no more than a quarter of a rotation later, followed by a scream.
Then silence.
The patrol on Level One-Zero-Two were the last beings to see Scuff alive. There have, however, been multiple sightings on levels Zero through Five of a clone in armor that barely clings to his bloody form. Except, if you approach the clone he disappears like a puff of smoke.
Did Scuff get attacked by a monster lurking on Level Zero and end up a ghastly vision that makes even the criminals nervous?
Did he go awol… deciding that the void of Level Zero was preferable to life under the Republic?
Or did he make it back to base and spin this tale himself?
That’s for you to decide.
Thank you for listening and don’t forget to tune in next week for another episode of
Haunt and Slay, Uncovering the Dark Tales of the Republic