ABANDONED FLORIST: AARU IV

Features

Abandoned. Though a variety of local squatters have frequented the old florist on the outskirts of the Mos Klarius plateau for some time, the building itself has been abandoned for years. Some citizens have reported that some kind of criminal gang—led by a quietly intimidating Trandoshan—have set up camp in the dilapidated former shop.

Overwhelmingly Hot. The Greenhouse gets its name from a large glass greenhouse—in ruins, with most of its glass smashed long ago—protruding from the rear of the building. Yet it remains appropriate, thanks to the oppressive heat and humidity which the trundling moisture vaporators on the exterior of the building continue to pump inside. For most non-reptilian citizens, this makes the place extremely uncomfortable.

The Tower. Above the building proper, a tower protrudes—just as crumbling as the rest of the edifice—which once acted as a means of storing water for the vaporators which have been built across the rooftop. The very peak of this tower, shaded from the sun, appears to have been converted into some kind of simple, cramped, but unusually neat domicile.

Insect Infestation. The place is renowned for being flyblown and infested with insects. The decaying vegetable matter—which its present occupants have left to rot, covered in dust and ripe with decay—attracts all manner of buzzing insects. While most of the original flowers and plants have long since decayed, some have persisted, and new hybrid assortments have begun to flourish, attracting yet more diversity in the insects which pollinate them. Further to this, the entire building has been covered with various vines, lichen and moulds, which thanks to the humidity in the building, are abundant within. This infestation has proven unable to survive long on the outside of the building, where the extreme heat, direct sun, and lack of moisture has stopped most of these plants—and their insect symbiotes—in their tracks.

Tech Bay. The Greenhouse has a messy, junk-filled rear area which is sometimes referred to as a “tech bay”, but is in reality little more than an accumulation of wiring, droid parts, scanner equipment, leads and cables, and sundry other ephemera which have been scavenged from the laboratories and technical stations which had discarded them. Originally, the space was probably used to prepare some of the smaller flower varieties for display in the front of the shop. Over time, it has accumulated detritus and fallen into its current state. Some kind of live creature is held here—whether reptilian, mammalian or a phytoid is unknown (perhaps even to the occupants of the building). The thing is kept in a state of suspended animation in a strange kind of vat.

Secret Front. The more conspiratorially-minded members of the local chattering class have surmised that the Greenhouse is now a secret front for some kind of organisation. Some think it the base of heavies in the employ of Industrial Automaton, to begin enforcing their will on a planet they can barely control. Others believe the residents are merely local mercenaries or criminal scum, working for one of the plethora of gangs in Mos Klarius. Still, the most common appraisal is that the Galactic Empire has taken an interest in Aaru IV, being unhappy with the nasteen supply provided by the corporation. These theorists believe the shabby exterior is in fact a cover for Imperial Security Bureau agents who have infiltrated the city.