I don't own Star Wars, this is a fan fiction only.

Truth be told I was expecting a much nicer greeting but then again the person who greeted us was more shocked to hear we actually had the part. Zaedra looked down right furious since she looked at me.

She kepts saying things in a weird version of her specie's native language that was apparently not easy for my ear to translate. I had to ask Mission to tell me I guess I just have to understand my own limits.

"Mission do you know what Zaedra been muttering since she saw me? For some reason my ear can't seem to translate it at all." She looked at me and blushed a little while she decided to tell me."

She tried to sound calm, but the blush on her face made me worry. "John the reason your implant can't translate it us because it is mostly what my people consider the equivalent to foul language. She was saying that she hoped you didn't make it out of the Bulker base alive. But then she said how dare you make her worry like that!"

"Personally I think she is still in love with you, but also is angry about you rejecting her every time she asked you out on a date." I guess that was going to make leaving this planet that much more easier.

I walked up to Gadon and he was very happy of what I had accomplished. "John you really out did yourself. Not only did you get over half of the Vulkers to defect and join my gang, but also got our accelerator back and rescued my granddaughter. You know since we got it back so quickly and in such good condition we might be able to enter you into the race."

I haven't driven a swoop bike in my entire life, well I did drive a motorcycle to deliver supplies during my boot camp days, but a bike that floats and can fly never. I just had to voice my concerns.

"Gadon while I appreciate your faith in my nonexistent racing talents. I need to point out a few points that could use for some clarification before we continue. First I am not a member of the Hidden Becks, this race is for swoop gang members only. Second why would you trust me to race in a race that pretty much determines all of your gang's future?"

I said it because somehow I knew Zaedra was thinking this exact same thing, how did I know? A gut feeling that I got by looking into her glaring eyes.

"Actually you been a Hidden Beck for a long time. The help you provided for us in many occasions proved that you are both trustworthy and loyal, much more so than my idiot son. As for racing it really is not that hard. I mean if the Vulkers who are listening to my son are complete idiots, and they can race why can't you who is infinitely more skilled, educated and smart?"

Both me and Zaedra found ourselves speechless, we just stared at each other with out mouths hanging open.

"And as for people opposing you racing that is ridiculous. Every member would gladly grab a blaster rifle and risk their lives to save you. Why you are almost as appreciated and liked as I am. Zaedra we had to practically tie her down to keep her from rushing the main gate of the Vulker base just because she was afraid that you might be grievously injured. She can deny it, but she still loves you very much."

"At least try a few runs in our practice race track before you make up your mind. We got three days thanks to you finding this part so quickly."

I saw no reason to deny that I was always curious about how it felt to race on swoop bike. I still think it looks weird, and that was even after I knew how it works good enough to repair one.

After my first practice run I knew one thing for certain. I frigging loved the feeling of riding the weird bike and the way it made my heart beat with excitement as I evaded all the things on the tracks.

I felt the excitement I felt when I first piloted by first fighter jet back on my military unit. I would even dare that I had better control of the weird looking bike than I did on my old plane, and I loved that bucket of bolts. I guess that is why I had them use it as a model for the experimental ship that got me where I was.

"You just broke the time record for our best rider and he gas raced for years. Now I ask you who among you don't want him racing under our banner. Cause if you think he shouldn't race for us I might decided to sponsor him myself and keep the winning between the two of us!"

After that nobody would dream of objecting and they even decided to let me in on the accelerator looking like a garbage compactor part. It looked that way because it was. He did the entire accelerator scheme to find traitors loyal to Brejik still within his gang.

"To be head of a swoop gang you need to learn to cover all the angles, and never leave yourself open for a surprise unless it serves a purpose. I might have lost my vision in that bike accident, but Brejik is also blind but unlike him no surgery could help him see like these ocular implants did for me."

It was decided that me and Athena would enter the race. Brejik was a real bastard from the looks of it. As I understood it we couldn't bring weapons with us. Good thing Zaedra was more than willing to come with us and take care of that problem. As racers we couldn't take weapons, but the rules never said she couldn't.

I will say this again, racing gave me a chance to feel something I haven't felt in a very long time. As Athena and I did our runs it was pretty obvious that we would come out on top and Brejik wasn't looking too happy to realize that.

Bastilla was pretty much guarded by a thug. Had I been allowed to carry my rifle I could quite easily killed him, Brejik and the other Vulkers. I guess the idea of dragging Gadon and his group's name through the proverbial mud made me rethink doing that or maybe it was the adrenaline from racing.

All I know is the minute we take that slave collar off Bastilla she is going to go berserk. Who would blame her after the thing they made her wear? I seen strippers with less revealing clothes than what they made her wear. Granted she did have a rather nice physique.

As the last run came to and end the person in charge of the standings, a Duros if a remember correctly stood up and announced the results. Athena won first place, I got second and a Vulker twi'lek got third. How in hell he got third after crashing so many times against the obstacles in the race track I got no clue, but he was pretty happy by the looks of it.

"People, hear me. Before we give the prize to the Beck racers you have to know something. The Beck Champion cheated! She is riding a swoop bike with an experimental accelerator. This gave her an unfair advantage over the other racers. Because of this I am withdrawing the Vulkers share of the prize!"

I knew the slime ball would never give us Bastilla or anyone other than himself. I saw the Duros in charge look pretty upset. "You can't do that Brejik. Once you placed something or someone as a prize you can't remove your prize after the race is finished! It's against our most sacred rules!"

He took a blaster pistol from his vest and aimed it at him. "Listen old fool you can take your rules and shove them for all I care. She is my property and I will do with her anything I want, even if I decide to use her as my sex slave or sell her to the Sith and you or anyone else can't stop me."

I guess I was wrong about one thing. As Brejik finished his little disrespectful monologue Bastilla decided that she had enough. She just pushed her hands forward and the cage door was sent flying right through the thug killing him. I guess this was what Canderous told me Jedi could do.

"I don't think so Brejik. First I am going to make you pay for making me wear this thing, then I am going to deal with your gang thugs here for looking at me as just as a piece of meat, then I will deal with you!" As I heard that last part she was pointing her finger at me. Like I said I was wrong she went berserk even before she was set free.

"Actually Brejik there never was such a part as an accelerator ever invented. In truth you stole a part I paid the Hidden Becks to make for me. You see I have an old trash compactor in my apartment, and my good friend Gadon told me he and his people could make the part I needed. You stole that part but some very nice people that were in your group took it back to Gadon. I got my part and my trash compactor is working as good as new."

"You really are one hell of an engineer Zaedra. The part you made really helped me out." This had the intended results. Brejik lost all credibility, backing and members he still had. Bastilla made good on her word and she used the force I would imagine to take back her lightsaber.

I thought to try and do the same with his blaster he held in his hand. I imagined my arm stretching and taking his blaster and much to my surprise it flew from out of his grip into mine. "Brejik you really have the weakest grip or are you really that clumsy?"

I used said blaster to shoot him in the family jewels. While he was screaming in pain, Bastilla cut him clearly in half from head to groin with her lightsaber.

As the other thugs saw this I figured they would try to avenge their dead leader. Instead they all jumped up and down cheering that he was dead. I almost thought of the scene in the Wizard of Oz. The wicked witch is dead song came to mind for some reason.

As they left they actually thanked us for killing him. It didn't take long for the three of us to find some place where we could talk about sensitive matters.

"I saw you on the roster of the Endar Spire. You are one of the soldiers from our crew. I think you are name Lonestar, Athena Lonestar if my memory serves me right. The question is who is the guy next to you and why do I get the distinct feeling I am going to regret meeting him?"

I decided to introduce myself since Athena didn't or didn't want to. "My name is John Walker. I been helping Athena and Carth first when they crash landed and then to help your rescue from Vulker captivity."

The second she heard Carth's name she seemed to breath easier. "You mean Carth Onasi is still alive! That is the first good news I heard since crashing on this planet. John I am sorry but I must bid you farewell since we have important Republic matters to deal with."

I risked my neck to rescue her and this is the thanks I get? Canderous told me Jedi were emotionless drones, or at least most acted like they been lobotomized at least in his opinion. I guess I will have to tell my friend to add ungrateful to the obvious list of Jedi character flaws.

Athena came between us and smiled at me. "Bastilla this man knows the situation on this planet and has made friends with people that can help us. He just needed one more fighter to invade the base the Sith are using. We need the codes or their automatic turrets on their fleet will turn us into ashes!"

As we walked towards the base of the Hidden Becks I decided to tell her our plan to leave the planet as soon as possible, but some parts didn't quite either seem honest or trustworthy. "So let me get this straight you were flying an experimental ship. Something goes wrong and you end up crashing on Taris. You fight through a whole bunch of rakghouls, but because you ran out of ammo some thugs mutilated you after they stole anything of value from the wreckage of your ship."

"A Mandalorian took you to a clinic and paid for you to be healed even paid for your implants. You worked with this guy till you both decided for a lack of a better term decided to look for greener pastures. You rescued Athena and Carth and have been helping them since then."

I just kept walking towards the base, I saw Carth standing by the entrance. I never figured how did Zaedra make it back before us. I just guessed she simply knows the way better or had to deliver the bad news.

"Look Jedi you don't believe Athena, there is Carth Onasi over there. You can talk to him and see if I am lying. Now if you will excuse me I have to talk with the twi'lek next to him. I have to tell her to send her leader a message from me."

I walked towards Zaerdra she tossed me an angry glare. "Just when I think you couldn't disappoint me more, you do that! I wanted to be the one to kill Brejik. As for Gadon don't worry he is not angry at you at all, a little sad because his son is dead but not mad. He told me to thank you but he was a little busy with the peace negotiations between us and ten other swoop gangs."

I walked towards Carth and with a smile on my face I put my arms around him and gave him a sympathetic hug. As I ended the hug I decided to tell him what I was thinking. "Carth you wanted your Jedi Commanding Officer and there she is, safe and sound. I would call this mission accomplished."

"Just give a chance to talk with my good friend and get a drink before we head back to the apartment. She needs to talk with you about somethings. I used to think you had a chip on your shoulder, to that I am sorry. I just met her and she made me realize you are an absolute joy to be in your company. Trust me, talk with her for a few minutes and you will see why I think that."

I decided to go to my favorite bar and sure enough Canderous is having his usual beer. I walked in not saying a word and sat down next to him. I looked at my friend and then at the bartender. "Give me a double Tarisian Ale, and don't bother with the ice. Yes Canderous I actually ordered an alcoholic drink. That should tell you how my day was."

The owner of the bar gave me my drink and without waiting for a second I picked it up and finished it in a single gulp. That told Canderous that something was really bothering me. I never drink any alcoholic beverage except when I am really upset or we celebrate something extra good.

"What is the matter John? You know you can talk me or her we are your friends." I truly appreciated the supportive words from my good Mandalorian friend at this moment of my life more than ever.

I decided to say something that could make my feelings quite clear. "I just finished rescuing the commanding officer the Sith were looking for, after sending less than ten minutes with her. I can honestly say if her kind are like her I can't stand these ungrateful, egotistical, rude, discriminating Jetti! Defenders of the galaxy my ass."

I saw Canderous smiling at me and I couldn't help but to shake my head. "Like I told you. Revan was the only Jedi my people respected. Glad to hear that at least someone realizes that they aren't as saintly as some people think of them."

"So tell me do you think that Jedi will help us with the transit codes from the Sith? I for one never trusted them to begin with. Only Revan showed the proper girt as far as I am concerned."

I heard someone move close to our table. "Well I never trusted your kind either Mandalorian. I guess that makes us pretty much even. Carth told me everything John did, and I asked him to guide me where I could find him."

She sat right next to me, between us. "I have to apologize John. You did nothing to earn my distrust, I apologize for the way I treated you. It was unbecoming of a Jedi. As far as the Sith base I have no problem in helping you. The entrance to the place will be difficult but with a properly skilled slicer or a high end astromech droid we should have no problem."

"The problem is that without a ship those codes are useless." I decided to let Canderous tell her that part of the plan.

"That part we have it pretty much covered Jetti Princess. As soon as you and John get the codes I will introduce you to Davik Kang and we will pretend to take you there as a potential recruit."

" Good help is hard to come by and he will most definitely want to meet the current swoop racing champion. I can't go with you to the base since I be recognized immediately. John has quite a few friends in the Sith ground forces so he might even make things easier for you."

Carth was looking at me with his paranoid look, and Canderous noticed that in an instant. "Relax Republic, John is not one to betray friends. If he wanted to betray you, even if he could, he would have done it as soon as you entered the apartment. I know I missed having him with me, so the fact that he was willing for us to work apart to help you should show you he considers you both his friends."

My friend the owner of the bar decided to say something I never expected. "This guy is as sweet as the most delicious candy to his friends, but a real fiend to his enemies. If I could I would love to have him as the bouncer for my place, but he would never leave Canderous out on his own. You can go around this level of the under city and you would find hundreds of people he has helped, me included."