Chapter Four: Sewers and The Under City

Note: Well we start to split up the group. I'm still wondering about who goes where because I'm not sure yet. I'm looking at a few things but I'm not sure so we will just see where this adventure takes us.

The next day Mission, Canderous, and Qinn'Tarra were able to fight their way to the sewers thanks to Mission's directions. When they got through the sewers their plan was to break into the Vulkar Base to look for Bastila, and then they would trek back to Davik with a peace offering from the Vulkar base.

As the small group was walking they came upon a wet area that had several bodies and skeletons lying around the sides of the room. "Have at em' kid," Canderous told Qinn'Tarra patting her on the back. Canderous had to chuckle at his daughter's giddiness at pillaging the dead as happily as she did. He had gotten to know his daughter again and loved the life he saw in her. She was not a Jedi, not a Sith, not a mercenary, not an officer; she is just, herself, his daughter. That is what Canderous loved about her, she was an individual who wanted to help people, but help people in her own way, not with stogy rules and regulations.

When Qinn'Tarra finished she had gathered a second pad depicting coordinates to a place called "The Promised Land" which that old goat back at the Outcast Village would love to get his hands on. Unfortunately the old man had a hint of Force sensitivity which really annoyed her at his age, and naturally Jedi-like ability to preach about destiny. She also loved the sixty credits and old fashioned grenade she had obtained from the four corpses which would get her a medpack and some stimulates to use later on in the journey.

When the group of three moved on and gotten to the door they had their attention brought back to them by a loud splash that came from the room they had just began to vacate. When they turned back around they saw a man in golden body armor, long brown hair, and a green cape lying face first in the sewage. When Mission and Qinn'Tarra saw this they ran to his side and drug him up to the dry area at the side of the room. Qinn'Tarra saw that he wasn't breathing and decided to do what she did best, pillage the dead.

When she was about to pull out one of the man's blasters his eyes shot open and grabbed her hand in a way that wasn't violent but…loving? When the man saw her, his eyes widened in shock, however Qinn'Tarra saw something else in his eyes…emptiness, an eternal sadness caused by losing loved ones; a feeling she knew all too well. "T-Tarra?" The man asked Qinn'Tarra causing her to give him a confused look that dampened the man's sudden happiness.

"Oh, another alternate dimension," The man said with a clear hint of depression and sadness in his voice.

The man then looked around seeing Mission and Canderous before realizing where he was. "I guess it's for the best. Let me guess, Taris, Jedi Civil War, 3,919 Before The Great Resynchronization." The man said to himself while digesting his predicament and causing no end of confusion to the other three people in the room.

"My estimate we have twenty-six hours give or take a few minutes before Malak bombards this planet into dust so I suggest we get that princess from the Vulkars and then kill Davik. I'll kill Brejik and get Bastila. You guys work on getting the Exchange to accept you. If it is alright I would like for Mission to accompany me to the Vulkar Base to find the princess," The man told the group as he began stretching out his aching muscles.

"Ummm, could you give us your name before we trust you?" Qinn'Tarra asked him as she nervously fiddled with her hands.

"My name is Joseph Dickson. I was on my way to help my former apprentice Kevin Sugimori against a hostile race known as the Borg Collective when my trip got rerouted. This was most likely due to the Borg's trans-warp drive since it has adverse affects on dimensional travel. Considering I'm soaked in Gamorrian shit I guess I should get to the Vulkar base and get a shower while I'm there," Dickson said shaking his hands, and letting water fall from them.

He couldn't help but to grin at the look Qinn'Tarra gave him, it was a large toothy smile that he had grown to love back home, and one he would most likely never see again. He knew she had heard about his antics throughout the Jedi Order in the time of her sister's exile, he was the man who stole her sister's light saber back from Atris and knew she would be more than willing to trust him if she knew his name.

"Well then Joseph, I agree on two conditions," Qinn'Tarra said in a tone that he would know she meant business. "One," She said grabbing her left index finger with her right one. "When this is over I want my sister's saber," Qinn'Tarra began with a tone and look that said produce or else.

"I'll get it after Taris; it is at my base back home. I'll have to wait until we get off this rock so it doesn't get lost or stolen, but I swear on my daughter you will get it," Dickson told her with a nod as he finally got up.

"Agreed, and two, if you smell like that when we meet back up you stay here," She said with a mock glair.

"Well the smell doesn't bother me because I don't have to breathe, but I feel like the shit I landed in. However if you let me shower after we get back to your hideout I promise I will stand beside Bastila the entire way back to the surface." When Dickson saw the grin on Qinn'Tarra's face it brought a warmth to his heart as well as an aching pain as to what happened to someone he loved so much.

Qinn'Tarra noticed this and quickly agreed as to let Joseph and Mission get to work finding Bastila.

--

When the four of them finally parted ways and Mission let down the force-field leading to the Vulkar Base, Mission and Dickson ended up in maze of tunnels centered around one big room. They had to fight plenty of mutant freaks called Rakghuols and some ugly Gamorrean pigs along the way. Those enemies weren't a problem due to the blaster Dickson gave Mission to go along with his two powerful hand blasters. Mission's new blaster was similar to a Mandalorian Rifle only it had five different power settings which ranged from deadly to explosive. It also had a switch that turned it into a repeating blaster with an automatic level two auto setting during the time it is set to repeat.

On their way to the base Dickson and Mission came upon an arm in the hall that was holding a data-pad and a bottle of liquid. Dickson took the pad and tossed it to Mission while he kept walking toward the open area before Mission grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Do you know what's in there?" Mission whispered harshly as her death grip on Dickson's arm tightened.

Dickson just gave her a confused look before speaking. "A two story tall mega-breeding gizka mother." he told his younger companion.

Missions face was filled with shock over the answer Dickson had given her. Dickson just lost it, breaking down into hysterics as Mission looked horrified at the thought of a gizka that big.

"OH…OH GOD!" Dickson choked out between laughs. "Your…face!" He choked out again between laughs and coughs.

"IT'S A GIANT RANCOR YOU NERF!" Mission yelled exasperated at the man's actions.

Dickson finally pulled himself together before getting up and putting a hand on Mission's shoulder.

Mission crossed her arms over her chest before retorting. "Besides that red beard is scruffy," she said looking insulted while Dickson just gave her a small smile.

"Hun I have fought reality's greatest evil, these weapons were designed with them in mind, their hides are thick and they need to be blown up or their brains compromised to kill them." Dickson said to her pulling out one of his blasters and firing it into the nearby wall and watching the wall explode.

"Black Knights model 250 Hand Blaster. I have two 125's in my ankle holsters." He told Mission as she stood there with her mouth hanging open at the weapons power.

"The hand guns have no settings." Dickson said as he bent down and unstrapped his ankle holster and pulling out an HK-125 hand blaster. "Here, this is for you. A gift between friends, later I will train you to fight in ways that have never been taught here and have rarely been taught outside of Shadow Force. It takes a being of great strength to complete the training, I will teach you as much as I can in our short time together then I will come back to finish your training." he told her.

Mission was not sure what to think about anything the man was offering but decided it couldn't be worse than a planet that was about to get blown up. "Sure. Why not." she told him.

"What training would you like to go through?" asked the young twi'lek as she stood there taking the gun.

"Well, I guess I'm good with a stealth generator, and I'm pretty good with a blade and a rifle. I'm great with demolitions, computers, and things like that," Mission said while she admired the pistol that was about the size of Carth's blaster that Dickson had given her.

"You would be best as a Shadow Assassin or a Shadow Saboteur. Your skills in stealth and computers will be most invaluable to anyone you choose to work for. However those weapons you are holding can never be duplicated, these weapons are created to kill in one shot and can get very messy if not used properly. Also remember that the weapon is nothing compared to the person that wields it." Dickson told the young twi'lek girl as he began showing her all the settings of her new weapons functions.

--

After about thirty minutes Dickson had fully explained the weapons and Mission had agreed to use the sniper setting and gun down the Rancor.

"You're sure this will work? I mean if it doesn't…" Mission started before getting two fingers pressed against her lips.

"Mission, believe in yourself, in your ability to hit your target, and that your weapons will do its job. You are understanding your weapons, but that won't do you any good unless you understand your abilities and constantly work to improve them." Dickson told the girl in a calm sagely voice that gave her a substantial boost in confidence.

"Okay, let's do it." Mission said with a smile to the man who was quickly become a mentor to her.

"Now just turn on your stealth generator, hold the end of the rifle against the front of your shoulder, look through the peek hole, aim, and fire at the head," Dickson told mission as he gestured toward the door for Mission to go kill the giant beast.

Moments later Mission caught her breath, activated her stealth field generator and quietly entered the room holding the rancor. Mission slouched down behind the edge of the door careful not to make a sound before getting her shot off. She then put the rifle against her shoulder as she was shown and looked through the targeting scope waiting for her clear shot. When she had a clear shot Mission pulled the trigger sending a laser shot right through the head of the giant beast. When it hit the ground the entire area shook from the impact.

"Damn, that thing must have been big." Dickson said as he entered the room.

Dickson was pleased to see Mission almost done converting the rifle from sniper mode and back to regular blaster rifle mode when he finally looked at her. "Wow, you got the mechanics of that down pretty quick." he told her admiring the girls work from the side as he locked his hands behind his back.

"I'm a quick study," Mission replied smiling at the impressed look on Dickson's face.

"But there is still one question," Dickson told he while getting a quizzical look from Mission. He slowly turned around and looked at the beast and then back at Mission. "Light meat, or dark?" he asked her getting a chuckle out of Missions shocked and disgusted look.

"Are you sure you aren't high or something?" Mission finally asked after a few moments of registering everything.

"Neither, I am a recovered alcoholic, but I haven't dank in a few months so don't worry, I'm not tipsy." Dickson told her with a grin putting his arm around her neck and leading her to the Vulkar Base entrance.

--

At this time across the Under City after giving Rukil the three Promised Land Journals and sending the Outcasts on there way to find the mystical fairy land as Qinn'Tarra put it. Canderous and Qinn'Tarra were on their way back up to the Lower City talking about old times. "I can't express how relieved I was when I saw you Rev. After the reports of the Jedi killing you I was ready to go and kill the entire order myself," Canderous said to his daughter as they stood in the elevator patiently waiting to get to the top.

"Well Malak fired on my ship. The Jedi wanted me alive; they then tried to use the Force to wipe my memory. That of course failed because I am more powerful than Vrook is, and he is the one who led the ritual. Now if Master Vandar led the ritual it would have been hard to resist, but Vrook's arrogance makes him weak and he didn't use enough of the combined power of the masters. In other words Vrook screwed up…again." Qinn'Tarra told Canderous as her father's sneer got bigger and the grip on his blaster got tighter.

"And you're playing there game because it is the easiest way to get revenge on Malak." Canderous finished through his teeth with a hint of venom in his voice.

Qinn'Tarra looked agitated now as she kept talking. "Well the Sith need to be beaten now since the Jedi screwed everything up; like they always do. Before too much more is destroyed we need to stop the Sith, the threat is coming and the Republic isn't strong enough to fight it. However I need to play along until we get to the Star Forge so the council doesn't try again and I'm forced to kill them. I'm more powerful than everyone south of Vandar and if he gives it a go I'm fucked, and so is known space." Qinn'Tarra said as the pair reached the top leading back to the Lower City.

Seconds later they were on their way to find Davik and get him to let Qinn'Tarra join The Exchange.

Note: Well this was an interesting chapter with a hint of humor mixed in. Anyway the truth is out…to one person. I had fun writing it and I hope you had fun reading it. Just a treat I don't give often, a preview for you…

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"What is that awful stench?" Bastila asked making a face like a kinrath pup. "Oh, a Gamorrean shit on me, a few thousand Gamorreans actually."