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Bastila Shan awakened with a groan, her muscles flexing with an aching pain. Her seat belt was awkwardly digging into her chest and gut, making movement difficult without first stretching forth to undo the straps. For moments Bastila merely sat as a lump in her seat, blinking out tired eyes and cleansing out the disorientation that clouded her mind until she could think straight.

That vision I just had. Could it be...? Bastila recalled the vision clearly, running it over and over like a holo-vid. Yes, Revan was there, standing on the bridge. There was a short-lived battle before Malak's ship fired and the ceiling caved in... Bastila moaned in defeat and buried her heavy head in her hands. She let her hair get tangled between her fingers in an unsightly manner, and reveled in the pain that shot down her roots as she dragged her hands down. So she really did have a vision about the confrontation.

Jolting upright, Bastila gasped, eyes widening. But that meant-!

She shook herself, climbed out of her damaged seat and inspected the damage on her escape pod. It was very dim inside, lit only by some faint fires that lay outside. She squinted her eyes, trying to stagger around in the cramped space. Most of the pod was intact, providing a small shelter that protected her from the very same fires flickering outside. The entrance hatch was still securely locked, but it was deathly cold in the pod, reducing Bastila to slight shivers.

With a pounding headache, Bastila made her way to the small communications panel at the back of the escape pod and began to type as furiously and quickly as she could with her numb fingers. She had to try and signal for help, even if no one was within the transmitting range. As she distractedly input numbers and pressed buttons, her mind wandered elsewhere - to very worrying matters more so than the fate of her own life.

That vision she had. It was from the perspective of Revan, and the scenes that were shown were accurate down to the very last speck of detail of the real event. So there was a chance - a very high chance - that Revan's memories were at last resurfacing. And that also meant the search for the Star Forge would finally begin - for real.

"It's time," Bastila muttered in a coarse whisper, her finger hovering over the control that would send her transmission. She let the finger fall, and waited with the pending connection. Oh how torturously slow it the progress bar was moving.

Bastila hoped that someone, anyone, would receive her signal for help. More specifically, that that 'someone' would be Revan. Now that his memories were returning, she had to keep an eye on him and discretely extract the missing pieces to the Star Map - the key to the Star Forge. Master Zhar had taught Bastila all there was to know on how to perform this extraction without arousing suspicion. Though, Revan was certainly not one to be easily fooled.

Aedyn Varn and Revan were one of the same, a man who was one of the greatest leaders, strategists and tacticians to date, a man confused on which side he stood for. Bastila would tread lightly around him, and gently ease into his mind little by little. Only by such a way may she extract the necessary memories without directly alerting Revan of his former life. Of course, he would regain them all eventually. She only hoped time would be on the Council's side.

Bastila checked back on the communications panel, pleased with the transmission she sent. Surely it must have reached someone within the range of fifteen kilometres on ground level. She had connected the escape pod's channel to her own comlink. Theoretically, if the receiver of her transmission sent a return call, she would receive it on her own portable device. Bastila smirked, satisfied that she had taken that extra Computers course during her Jedi training back on Dantooine.

And all that everyone else was ever interested in was negotiations and lightsaber forms.

Now. It was foolish to stay inside the escaped pod and fall prey to any menacing Sith or wild animals. Bastila needed to find a place to hide and stay without attracting any attention - at least until she received a reply to her transmission. Shaking herself and springing up with a 'huff', Bastila searched for a medkit and some emergency rations. After much lip-biting and thought, she also snatched a supply of toiletries.

To finish off her departure, Bastila summoned her lightsaber to her hand, igniting it's yellow beams. She carefully sliced through the panels lining the back of her escape pod with a satisfying display of sparks and intense crackling; it was best to be sure that no scavengers could uncover any military information. Bastila clipped her lightsaber to her hip and drew a shaky breath, placing a cold hand on the wheel that would open the pod's hatch. She sucked in a breath and turned the wheel. The hatch slowly lifted open with a hiss.

Bastila welcomed the unpleasant gust of cold wind that swept across her pale face.

She pulled and hoisted herself up, her eyes flickering from corner to corner. Bastila couldn't see, nor sense any enemies lurking behind the small, cold fires. Her sigh of relief transformed into a shudder as another gust of wind touched her fragile body. I must move quickly.

Bastila, with the aid of the Force, leapt out of the pod with her possessions, landing far beyond the fires and breaking into a run. From what she could see, the area was underground and abandoned. And dark. Very dark. But she didn't dare to strike a match and alert her presence to the dark world. Surrounding her were endless walls of earth that, in the dim light and cold, gave the impression of a dingy dungeon.

A loud, sudden gurgling cry brought Bastila to a falter. She paid little heed however, and continued to pound her feet on the ground one foot after the other. Two, no, three more distant cries joined in the ghostly chorus, sending chills down her spine. What creatures do those cries belong to? Force forbid that she fight anything with fists in this darkness and cold. Worse yet, that she'd have to resort to her lightsaber and expose her true identity as a Jedi. Alone as she may be, Bastila just couldn't risk it.

As she ignored the strange cries and went on her way, she silently wailed in despair. Where in the galaxy was she going to find a place to hide? Ideally, Bastila would prefer an abandoned apartment of some sort, but there was such place and no such no way of exit in this desolate - and rather smelly - land. There wasn't even a small cave or trench in sight! She wrinkled her nose, halting only to heave over a rack of choked coughs. Bastila thought she wouldn't be surprised if this underground wasteland was directly linked to Taris' sewerage system. She closed her eyes with a moan and slumped against a giant boulder she happened upon. Bastila's nose followed the path of the awful stench clouding her senses and the urge to vomit aroused within her. The sewer must be close.

Wait. Bastila's grey eyes sparked. Wait a minute. Any of the disgusting, smelly sewers that link into this dark plain could be my way out! Sewers were underground connections from place to place, after all. It guaranteed Bastila a quick way to the surface and a safe place free of revolting smells. Surely.

Bastila quirked an eyebrow, eyeing the old, rustic sewer entrance hammered into the ground. It lay just meters away. Well, that was easy. She edged closer, raising the palm of her cold hand to cover her mouth. Then again, i shouldn't have expected anything other in a place covered with this stench.


It certainly smelt and looked much worse on the inside than it did on the out.

Bastila sighed, her mind becoming confounded with the overwhelming stench of waste and sweat. Her worn boots clicked and clacked on the metal walkway that twisted and winded in a never-ending fashion. Below she could hear the rushing of dirty sewage water that passed through the connected tunnels.

And so here Bastila was, strolling merrily along the walkway, when a red blaster bolt happened to suddenly whiz past. She sensed the attack and barely dodged in time, curling her body to twist into the clear. Bastila heard the numerous loud, heavy breaths - there must be an immensely large group of thugs, all armed and ready for blood. Another blaster bolt came with a delay time of nanoseconds, and Bastila's eyes set. Her hand wandered towards her hip...

No!

Bastila sharply drew her hand away like it had been stung, and cried out with pain when the blaster fire hit her leg. The leg promptly gave way, leaving Bastila to fall and smash onto the cold, wet walkway. Her bag of supplies flew out of her grasp, it's contents spilling over the railing and into the flow of sewerage. Blinding, stabbing pain shot up her injured leg with her attempts to right it and Bastila muffled her groans through her gritted teeth. But she let the pain consume her, for fear of revealing her identity as a Jedi. Bastila couldn't risk activating her lightsaber with this number of hostiles beginning to surround her. Even though it would aid her in a fight, one of the thugs was sure to get away and spread word. So Bastila took the pain, and sank to clench her eyes shut and to quiver on the walkway.

One of the thugs stepped forth to approach her, laughing haughtily."What's this? A woman? Pretty one, too." He bent over Bastila, carelessly nudging her injured leg with his dirty boot. "It's useless now, this limb," the smiling thug said. "But i'm sure someone would find an interest in the rest of you."

Bastila stifled a scream, biting hard on her tongue. Tears pricked her eyes from pain...and anger. These imbeciles, she cursed. Bastila would've taken care of these thugs easily if there didn't run a risk of the Sith catching wind of her appearance.

Another thug came into view - a dark skinned man with hard eyes. The way he held himself, and the way the other cronies quietened when he appeared...was this man their leader? Bastila's eyes flickered to the lightsaber now lying across the walkway from her, having fallen off her belt when she landed. Her blood turned cold, rushing heavily through her veins, the rapid thumping of her heart filling her ears. Will he make the connection?

The one who approached Bastila first stepped back. "Brejik, what should we do with this one? Sell her on the next market? I bet she's one of the Republic soldiers in the escape pods that crashed down here. She'd fetch a hefty pri-"

"Shut your mouth," snapped the man called Brejik. "And bind her up!" Two thugs approached with stun cuffs, rendering Bastila useless without even the ability to stand. Brejik slowly raised and placed the cold nozzle of his blaster against Bastila's sweaty forehead.

Bastila's eyes widened. Were they to kill her now? She'd have no choice but to fight for her life and expose her true identity if that was to be the case. Bastila couldn't afford to join the flow of Force just yet. Brejik's finger had yet to pull the trigger, though. He - They - were waiting for something. Somewhat out of curiosity and somewhat out of defiance, Bastila forced a smile at the threatening man. "Are you going to kill me here?" she said mockingly. "Right here, right now? Is that really the right course of action?" Bastila received a stinging slap to her cheek in answer, only adding onto the sharp pain throbbing from her bad leg. She gasped sharply, wincing. To her relief however, the blaster was promptly lowered and returned to its snug holster. So I am not to die today, after all.

Thank you.

Brejik chuckled and stood, eyeing down upon Bastila's defeated frame. "You're one feisty woman, alright. I'll let you in on a few of the details. We know you came from the escape pods, and we know you're a Republic soldier - an officer, too, judging by that prestigious-looking badge you have pinned on. And," Brejik continued, pulling out a very familiar-looking lightsaber hilt, "we also know that you're a Jedi."

Frack. One of the thugs must have noticed it and had the brains to pick it up. "I'm no Jedi," Bastila lied. "That lightsaber belonged to my bodyguard, who died in the crash."

"It's no use, woman." Brejik tossed Bastila's lightsaber from hand to hand, as if taunting her for the victory she could have had if she had been willing to take a risk. It glinted in the green glow of the sewers. "Even if you're not a Jedi, this lightsaber would be proof enough to anyone else who laid their eyes on you." Brejik raised his voice to his cronies. "Hear that, men? We'll put this lady up for grabs, and see which gang is worthy of claiming her!" They replied with a roar of approval, beginning to boast and jeer.

Bastila spat, "You're crazy. if you let out word that I was a Jedi, let alone a Republic officer, the Sith will catch wind and come right straight for you and the rest of the underworld gangs. My life is valuable to them - they'll annihilate any who stands in their way. You're better off distributing me nice and quietly, or letting me run off."

"I don't think so, woman," Brejik smirked maliciously so, that Bastila cringed. "I'll be waiting for the Sith to arrive gladly with open arms." He snorted, "Of course, the Black Vulkars would have already left the scene by then with you in chains, and we'd be off to sell you to whatever bounty comes. Sound like a plan, men?" Another conspicuous roar sounded.

"Wait, you mean that you intend to have-"

"Intend to have the Sith take out all the other gangs? Of course! Why the frack wouldn't I? This is too good an opportunity to miss! The Black Vulkars will become the rulers of the Underworld, and there will be no one left to stop us. All we have to do is put you up in an advert, and let the other gangs take the bait. Before we spirit you away and let the Sith do all the dirty work. A swoop race would be the perfect type of gathering..."

Bastila pleaded frantically. "The Sith are too powerful for the likes of you. They'll kill you all!" And I'll be thrown into the hands of Darth Malak.

"Unlike you useless Republic, the Black Vulkars ain't afraid to play dirty. The Sith won't even realise we'd left the conjunction."

"But-!" Bastila sprang forward in desperation, promptly earning herself a blow to the ribs. With a cry, she fell on her bad leg and waves of pain pulsed endlessly. She grit her teeth, cursing. "You don't even understand how grave this war is, do you? Unhand me!"

Brejik growled, roughly grabbing Bastila's collar and forcefully hoisting her to face him eye-to-eye. "Listen here, schutta. You're in no position to be giving orders, unlike in your pompous life back in the safe walls of the Republic. Here in the lower levels of Taris, every man's allegiance is to himself, and you do whatever you can to survive and grab hold of the reins. Now be quiet like a good little prisoner and play your part!"

Best I do stay quiet. Don't want to risk ending my life - again. Bastila sighed, pulling a defeated face. Brejik took it as a sign of compliance, smirking.

"Good, good," he said. Immediately he straightened and barked to his underlings. "Take her back to the base, and blindfold her!"

A dirty, ragged piece of make-shift cloth was drawn across her eyes and tied securely. Bastila felt a tug on the cuffs surrounding her wrists and collapsed on her bad leg when she was pulled to stand. After some struggle, a strong pair of arms suddenly swept Bastila off her feet with a yelp, and she felt herself lifted and being carried over someone's shoulder.

A voice - Brejik's - said, "Treat her wound when we get back to base. We want her to be functional for the buyers when we sell her off."

"Aw, Brejik, but that ain't fun," someone said. And the Black Vulkars proceeded to lug Bastila around as a fresh catch, back to their vile lair.

She thought she ought to be happy she'd be getting treatment, but all she could do was shudder at his voice and sway back and forth in the arms of her haulier, all the while her head pounding painfully.


It didn't take long for the Black Vulkars to arrive and regroup at their base, after which Bastila was promptly carried and laid down somewhere and un-blindfolded. Her tired grey eyes met the dull sight of confining metal walls, rusted medical equipment, and dim lights that barely provided any light. She must be in a medical bay, she concluded.

A deep, gruff voice said, "Don't move," as a needle sharply pierced the flesh of her wounded leg. It was painful, this one, and Bastila gasped sharply. The blaster wound was then bandaged tightly, and a glass of water was pushed into her bound hands. She drank it gladly - she was so thirsty. Then she was left alone and locked in the medical bay. That was good, she could use the peace and quiet to heal.

Bastila's senses were becoming clouded and dazed - conveying a mere blur of the world around her. What was clear, however, was the one question: 'What do I do now?'

The transmission she had sent earlier from her escape pod would have reached a signal by now, and hopefully met the ears of Republic survivors - of Revan. Assuming that someone had received the transmission, Bastila could expect a rescue attempt, or at least, a safehouse; a safe entity for her to fall back on. If so, the only thing she could do was wait patiently and do what she could to expose the Black Vulkars before she was sold off. Although ideally, Bastila would prefer to find a way out of the Black Vulkars' clutches herself and make escape - in such a way that she would be able to walk away safely and comfortably.

It was too soon though, much too soon for any chances.

The comlink hidden in her armguard gave a silent green blink, barely visible through the folds in the light armour. Bastila smiled, lying down to relax on her bed. So she had indeed received a reply to the transmission she had sent out earlier. Perfect. For now, she would wait and bid her precious time, knowing that something - someone - was there to back her up and catch her, should she fall.

Bastila braced herself for the hard days that were sure to follow under the shadow of her captors. Hopefully they are short-lived, she thought, before willing herself to rest.


if you had not been following my previous fanfiction since its pilot chapter, you've just experienced my epically slow writing skills :).

thanks for those who reviewed my first chapter - it's really motivating for me as i was writing! (it took me a month and a half instead of three months to update a story, yay!) keep posted.