Chapter 3-The Upper City

I awoke to find Carth and Matt busying themselves in the small room I found myself in. I swung out of bed much as I had the day before, back in my universe…

Matt turned to face me with a dazzling smile on his face.

"Ah your finally up, good we can get going"

"Finally? How long was I out?"

This time Carth piped up to answer my question "about three days, we had to drag you out of the escape pod before the Sith turned up"

"Wow thanks guys, I really appreciate you not leaving me for the sith, how sweet of you" I said with an almost sarcastic drawl.

Matt obviously not getting the sarcasm, "You're very welcome, anyway whilst you were out me and Carth did some scouting around the planet and found out about some gang war that was going on. There are two sides, the hidden Beks and the Black Vulkars…"

I had heard this all before so I decided to zone out until I heard this,

"we've acquired some sith uniforms and we were waiting for you to wake up before we went to check it out, do you think your ready?"

I immediately snapped out of my stupor and answered "Umm well, I have no weapon?" or as I realised any sensible clothes, I was still in my jeans and t shirt from home. "I'm also gonna need to some new clothes.."

"that's fine we'll stop off at Kebla's before we head down."

Carth helped me out of bed and we wandered out of the apartment block and onto the main street of Taris. It looked just like it did in the game, but not pixely or animated. There at the very end of the long balustrade was the smoking wreckage of what I assumed to be our escape pod. A pair of Sith were guarding it and Carth whispered something to Matt under his breath which I couldn't quite make out. We walked past the two guards and into a small shop with a sign far too large for it hanging outside 'KEBLA YURT'S EQUIPMENT EMPORIUM'

I walked in first noticing the protocol droid cleaning and just accepting it as a day to day occurrence in this universe, Matt walked up to the shop owner and asked for a pair of vibro-swords and a combat suit, He pulled a load of what looked like computer chips out of his pocket and handed them over, I could only assume that these were credits, and he seemed to have quite a lot. Obviously you can still loot the bodies here…

Matt turned to me with that almost trademark smile on his face and handed me the armour,

"Put it on over those clothes, it'll be more comfortable"

I did as he said and already felt far more comfortable in these clothes than my normal home ones, He handed me one of the two vibro-swords whilst he clipped the other to his belt, I followed suit and I felt like I was ready to take on anything, apart from maybe a rabid kath hound, but we would cross that bridge when it came to it.

Carth muttered something along the lines of "you look good, ready for battle"

"What was that Carth, was that a compliment" I exclaimed with heavy sarcasm. Before realising that I didn't know this version of Carth and going bright red with embarrassment.

"What's that supposed to mean then!"

"I just meant, I mean, you know, Never mind" I said whilst moving me head as far away from both of them as possible. We jogged down to the entrance to the lower city, and right before turning the corner we ran into an alley just off the main street. Out of his pack Matt pulled out three sith uniforms and told us to put them on. Carth immediately grabbed it as if almost knowing what to do and pulled the bright silver breastplate on over his signature orange jacket, I was stumped for a while until Matt came over and helped me to put it on.

"New to this are you?"

"Yeh, I guess you could say that, could also say im almost from another universe!" I said with a jovial tone, Matt got the joke and laughed along politely.

"Well there's your armour on, we'd better get down there, Lots of Vulkars to kill. So little time."

We marched out of the alley this time, in perfect time with Carth at the head of the processions, we walked up to the all to familiar door to the Lower city and with a salute the guard turned and spoke into a small communicator on the wall before pressing a button and the door clicked open.

"Watch out down there, the gang war has consumed the lower city, they're shooting anyone who isn't wearing their colours"

"Noted" Matt replied before pacing onto the elevator followed by me and then finally Carth stumbled into the Tarisian elevator. Matt gestured at a button and I reached out and pressed it. With a whirring of gears and cogs the elevator slowly began its long decent into the Slums of Taris.