Stepping to the bottom of the ladder, we found ourselves at a short tunnel with a door at the end. Watching Reven step forward, I grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Mine." I said, stopping her before she could speak up. Walking up to the mine, I knelt down and disarmed it, taking it as well.
"Oh, Mine, not mine." Rika said as she walked up to the door and opened it. Beyond the door was a small room with four rakghouls in the corner. Taking aim with my blaster, I shot one of them down before they could start the fight. Carth then followed my example, shooting another down before it could attack. Rika cut one of them down as it jumped at her, where she then moved out of the way as the last one slashed at her. Seeing it turning, I turned towards it and gunned it down before it could jump, killing it.
Moving to the door to the east, we opened it to find a force field of some kind to our left. Looking to the left of the next door, we saw bones scattered about. Walking up to it, I knelt down and saw that it was a corpse. I gave them a quick pray, because he wasnt killed by the creatures, but by a weapon.
Stepping through the door, we found another short tunnel with a door to the east. We saw three Gamorrean's walking about until they looked at us. The biggest Gamorrean charged as we drew our weapons, with it back handing me away from both Carth and Rika. The next one ran forward and grabbed Carth in bear hug, squeezing him. Taking aim, I shot the one who had grabbed Carth, killing it. Rika then slashed at the bigger Gamorrean, cutting its arm off. Carth then took aim and shot its knees out before shooting it in the head, killing it. The last one finally reached us and went to hit Rika, but she moved out of the way and cut up on its back, getting a scream of pain from it, where I shot it in the chest, killing it.
Walking down the tunnel, we reached a door and opened it, leading to another tunnel that turned towards the east. Making out way to the door, we stepped in and found a chamber with water cascading into the middle of it, and a walkway around its perimeter with four Gamorreans on its east side.
Taking aim, I shot down one of the Gamorreans before it could run towards us, with it falling into the water below. Another Gamorrean tossed it ax towards us, with Rika grabbing me and jumping towards the ground as it was aimed at me. Carth had done the same as another had done the same. Taking the ax, Rika tossed it towards the Gamorrean who tossed his first, hitting him in the head and knocking him back. Carth then stood up and shot down the one who had thrown his at him. The last one reached us and slashed at Carth, who moved out of the way, where I gunned him down.
Moving over to the northwest entrance, we opened the door to see to Gamorreans coming this way. Rika charged forward and slid under them, where she turned and cut one of their heads off as it turned to face her. The other one got ready to toss its ax at us, but I had gunned it down before it could toss it forwards.
Walking to the end of the tunnel, we reached another door. Walking, we turned to our right and opened another door, where we saw three Gamorreans in each of the corners. Before we could react, the one to my right slashed at me, but Rika pounced on me, pushing us to the ground. Carth was fast enough to take out his gun and take out the one to his left before he could get hit. The other one slashed down at both Rika and I but missed as I rolled us around. Rika, being on top now, tossed her sword at the Gamorrean, killing it. Being on bottom, I shot down the one who attacked us, killing them.
"Hmmm… look at this." Mission said as she walked around us, with me looking at her as she was finally doing something. "This is one of those old-style manual locks. No computer codes or nothing. The sewers are the only place you'll see one of these on Taris." Mission said as she turned to look at us, with me looking at Rika as she was straddling me without a care in the world. "You can't use conventional security spikes on these old locks, but don't worry. I've come across them before. I've rigged up a little device that should do the trick." Mission said as she pulled out a tool and started working on it.
At that time, I placed my hands on Rika's hips, getting her attention, and rolled us over. "I'm more of a top than bottom." I said, winking at her as I stood up, pulling her along with me.
Hearing the door open, I looked over at the Wookie as he walked out of the room her was held in. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Mission." The Wookie spoke in his tongue, looking at Mission.
"I'm glad to see you too, Big Z!" Mission said as she hugged her friend. "You didn't think I'd forget about you – Mission and Zaalbar, together forever!" She said with a smile on her face.
"Who's that with you?" Zaalbar questioned as he broke the hug, looking at us.
"These are my new friends, Big Z. Without them I never could have got you out." Mission said as she held her hand out to us.
"Good to meet you Zaalbar. I'm Rika, this is Carth, and you already know Dakota." Rika said as she introduced all of us in Wookie.
"You know the language of my people? That is rare among your species; I am impressed." Zaalbar said, with me staring at Rika as she was becoming more interesting than before. "You have saved me from a life of servitude and slavery. There is only one way I can ever repay such an act: I will swear a lifedebt to you." He said, with me jerking my head in his direction as I didn't expect that from him.
"A lifedebt? Are you sure about that, Big Z? Think about it carefully. You better be sure about this." Mission warned, jerking her head to face her friend.
"I am sure, Mission. This is an issue of great importance to me. Because of our great physical strength, Wookiees are being used as slave labor on our own homeworld. They see us as brutes and animals to be exploited. Over the years slavers have taken many of my people; we must always be on guard against raids against our villages. When the Gamorreans captured me, I thought I was doomed to a life of servitude. I have been saved from such a fate, and the only way I can repay that is through a lifedebt." Zaalbar explained, with me feeling bad for his kind.
"Big Z swearing a Wookiee lifedebt to you. Wow – this is major. Do you realize what this means?" Mission said as she turned to face us.
"It's some kind of loyalty vow, isn't it?" I asked, with Mission nodding.
"A lifedebt is the most solemn vow a Wookiee can make. It means he'll stay by your side for the rest of your life – wherever you go, whatever you do, Zaalbar will be with you." Mission explained in more detail, where I knew that he would be a great asset to the team.
"In the presence of you all I swear my lifedebt. Forever after I will be by your side, Rika. May my vow be as strong as the roots of the great Wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk." Zaalbar swore, with me thinking about the Wroshyr trees and how big they got.
"I'm honored to accept your vow." Rika said as she held her hand out, taking Zaalbars and shaking it with a smile.
"I guess this means you're stuck with me too. Wherever Big Z goes, I'm going. I almost lost him once – it's not going to happen again." Mission said as she placed her hands on her hips with a large smile, like she had just won something.
"I'm glad to have you on board, Mission." Rika said, turning her smile over to the kid, where I rubbed my head in thought as to why we were building such a large group.
"So… I guess I still owe you one secret path into the Vulkar base. That was the deal, wasn't it? Don't worry, I know a backdoor into that scum den!" Mission said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"The sooner we get there the better." Rika said as she looked back at me, where I placed my hands behind my head as I didn't do anything.
"I better come with you – the Vulkars put up a force field to keep the sewer dwellers out. I'm one of the only non-Vulkars on Taris who can get you past it. We passed it earlier, so it shouldn't be hard to get there." Mission said as we started following her back the way we came. "I just hope the rancor monster isn't still there." Mission said, getting me excited for the rancor, while the others let out a groan.
"Rancor? Are you serious!" I asked in excitement.
"There used to be a rancor monster that made its nest in that part of the sewers. Pretty much eats anything it can get its claws on. That thing is huge!" Mission informed, with me getting even more hyped. Luckily rancor's aren't too bright. "I was able to sneak past it before, so I'm sure we'll figure something out. That is, unless you want to change your mind."
"That's not really an option. Let's go." Rika said as she looked at me like I had grown a second head.
"Okay then, off we go." Mission said as she led the charge.
Later, Force Field
"You won't be able to get that computer to lower the energy shield unless you know the proper codes. Lucky for you, I've got them. I picked them off the pocket of a Black Vulkar who had a little too much to drink in the cantina one night. Here, let me get that energy shield down for you." Mission said as she got onto the computer and started messing around with it. Once the force field lowered, we started making out way upwards, with all but one being upset about the rancor.
