Chapter Three - Taris 2
Disclaimer: Don't own it, and I'm not making any money from this fic
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Callista and Carth made their way into the Upper City South, and Callista stopped a protocol droid. "Do you know anything about the gangs in the Lower City?" she asked.
"The Taris Tourism Board has issued a strong warning to all visitors to avoid the Lower City," the protocol droid replied. "It is a violent and dangerous place you would do well to avoid. May I be of any further service to you?"
"Not right now," Callista answered. "Then, if you will excuse me, I must continue my appointed rounds," the droid said. And it wandered off again.
"Well, that wasn't a lot of help," Carth commented. "It just told us what we basically already knew."
Moving on a little way, Callista and Carth found a couple of bounty hunters harassing an old merchant.
"Davik says you missed your last payment," the human bounty hunter said.
"Davik doesn't like you missing payments!" the alien bounty hunter said in his own language.
"Here - I've got fifty credits!" the merchant cried. "A down payment. That should buy me some time, right?"
"Sorry, you're out of time," the human bounty hunter said. "Now it's all or nothing. Davik can't have people not paying his debts!"
"But I don't have that much!" the merchant protested. "How can I give you credits I don't have?"
"That's too bad," the alien bounty hunter said. "Davik's going to want to make an example of you! You're coming with us."
"No - help!" the merchant cried. "Somebody help! They're going to kill me!"
Carth turned to Callista, and whispered, ""I know we have to be careful about drawing attention to ourselves, but are we just going to let them drag this guy off?"
"Hold on a second," the human bounty hunter snapped. "Looks like we got ourselves a witness here!"
"Davik doesn't like witnesses," the alien bounty hunter commented.
"Leave this man alone, or you'll have to deal with me!" Callista exclaimed. She couldn't leave this man to be killed.
"Guess we have to teach you to mind your own business!" the human bounty hunter sneered. And then, the two bounty hunters attacked.
"Thank you - I owe you my life!" the merchant exclaimed once the bounty hunters were killed. "Those bounty hunters were going to take me away and kill me! My wife warned me not to take a loan from Davik. Now I can't pay him back. It's not good to owe a crime lord money. He'll just keep sending more bounty hunters after me until I'm dead!"
"Maybe I can help you?" Callista suggested.
"You already helped me by saving me from those bounty hunters," the merchant replied. "So unless you have a spare 100 credits to give me so I can pay off Davik, there's nothing else you can do."
"I'm just glad I could help," Callista said.
"I'm getting out of here before more of Davik's goons show up," the merchant said. "You should do the same." And, with those words, he ran off.
As they continued on, Callista turned to Carth. "Is this a good time to ask you some more questions?" she wanted to know.
"I'm all ears, beautiful," Carth replied.
"Beautiful?" Callista repeated, frowning slightly. "Isn't that a little inappropriate?"
"Is there something else you'd prefer I called you?" Carth asked.
Callista thought for a moment, and then a mischievous look came into her eyes. "How about 'gorgeous'?" she suggested. "I like that better."
"I might consider it," Carth replied. "What are you going to call me in return?"
"How about 'handsome thug'?" Callista teased.
"I like the first part of that," Carth replied. "I'm a little more partial to 'the most handsome pilot in the galaxy'. What do you think?"
"I'll think about it," Callista said.
"Well, then, I guess 'gorgeous' will just have to do till then, won't it?" Carth said. "Kidding aside, I bet you're not about to give up on these questions of yours. Are they really necessary?"
"I would just like to know you better," Callista answered, surprising herself a little.
"Oh," Carth replied. "Well, if it's an interrogation you wanted, why didn't you say so?"
Callista blinked. "This isn't an interrogation," she said. "I never said that."
"No, I was just joking," Carth assured her. "Though you do seem to be full of questions. It's rather refreshing, to be honest. Let me ask you something first, though. I've been going through the battle aboard the Endar Spire over and over since we crashed. Some things just don't add up for me. Maybe you could tell me what happened... from your perspective."
"I wasn't really in a position to know what was going on," Callista replied.
"Neither was I, to tell the truth," Carth said. "I was onboard as an advisor for the most part. The battle began so fast, it's anyone's guess as to what actually happened. We lost the ship and a lot of good people... And for what? On the hope that Jedi powers would save us, somehow. Not that Bastila had much of an opportunity to act. We didn't choose that battle, anyway. It got forced on us. Hell, I'm just surprised that any of us are alive to talk about it. Come to think of it, it's more than a little surprising that you happen to be here, isn't it? Just what is your position with the Republic fleet, anyway?"
"Why?" Callista asked. "Are you accusing me of something?"
"Not at all," Carth answered. "I just think it's a bit odd that someone who got added to the crew roster at the last minute just happens to be one of the survivors."
"You'd rather I wasn't?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Carth replied. "You've more than proved yourself since the crash... we wouldn't have made it this far without you. But still..."
"Are you implying that I had something to do with the crash?" Callista demanded with narrowed eyes.
"No, well... maybe. Don't get me wrong, it just seems odd that someone Bastila's party specifically requested to transfer aboard just happened to survive."
Callista frowned. "Why would Bastila request my transfer?" she wanted to know.
"The Jedi requested numerous things when they came on board," Carth answered. "Hell, they practically took over the ship, as far as I could tell. Considering your connection to Bastila and the Jedi, whether you know it or not... your presence here seems a little convenient. I'm probably wrong and this is probably nothing, I know. However, I learned a long time ago not to take things at face value. And I hate surprises."
"What do you mean by surprises?" Callista frowned.
"I mean I have to expect the unexpected," Carth explained. "Just to be safe."
"You do know we're on the same side, right?" Callista asked.
"Look... it has nothing to do with you, personally," Carth replied. "I don't trust anyone, and I have my reasons. And, no, I'm not going to discuss them. So can we just keep our mind on more important things?"
"I consider this important," Callista said.
"All right, all right!" Carth said. "You must be the most damned persistent woman I've ever met! We'll talk about it... but later. Right now, I just want to get going."
Callista sighed, and started looking around for some kind of cantina.
Callista and Carth found a medical facility, and entered it. Callista walked up to the man there.
"I see from your appearance that you are an off-worlder," the man commented, looking at Callista with a professional eye. "Still, you are welcome here. I'll not have it said that Zelka Forn refused to help somebody just because they weren't a citizen of Taris. Do you require healing or medical supplies? I can treat almost any injury or ailment right here at the medical facility, except the rakghoul disease, of course."
"Rakghoul disease?" Callista frowned. "What's that?"
"The terrible affliction that has plagued Taris for many generations," Zelka Forn explained. "It is spread by the rakghouls, horrible monsters that live in the Undercity below Taris' great skyscrapers. Prolonged exposure to the Undercity breeds the disease, and those infected will eventually mutate into rakghouls themselves, becoming mindless beasts that feed on the flesh of others."
"Is there no cure?" Callista asked.
"There is no antidote for the disease," Zelka Forn answered. "Though I heard the Republic scientists at the military base here on Taris were close to perfecting a cure. Then the Sith arrived.
"They overran the military base and now they refuse to allow anyone access to the laboratories inside. The Sith are keeping all the serum for the patrols they send into the Undercity. If I could just get my hands on a sample of that serum, the rakghoul disease could be wiped from the face of Taris forever. But I don't see how that's going to happen."
"Maybe I could find a way to get my hands on that serum for you?" Callista suggested.
"I don't see how anyone could get their hands on the serum," Zelka Forn replied. "The military base is crawling with Sith guards. Breaking in there would be a suicide mission. I suppose the Sith patrols in the Undercity might have a sample of the serum on them, if they haven't already used it because of a rakghoul infection. But I doubt a patrol would just hand the serum over. And nobody's stupid enough to attack one of the Sith patrols, even in the Undercity."
"Hm," Callista said thoughtfully. "I'll be going now, then."
As Callista started to leave the medical facility, she was stopped by a man standing just inside the door:
"Psst. You there! Wait a minute. I need to talk to you about the rakghoul serum. I've got an offer for you that you might be interested in."
"What are you talking about?" Callista asked.
"There's someone who will pay dearly for the rakghoul serum," the man answered. "His name's Davik."
"I'll think about it," Callista replied. Though she was pretty sure that she wouldn't take the man up on his offer.
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Inside the Upper City cantina, Callista got talking to a Sith soldier who was off-duty. They got along pretty well, and Yun Genda invited Callista to a party before he left.
"Well, I guess that went well," Carth commented acidly.
"Oh, don't be so moody," Callista replied with a sigh. "We could well find out some valuable information."
"From going to a Sith party?" Carth sneered.
Callista shrugged, and turned to go, but was stopped by an obviously rich kid. "Where did you get those clothes?" she asked. "A trash compactor in the Lower City? And where are those drinks we ordered?"
"Sorry, I'm not your waiter," Callista replied.
"Careful what you say," Carth whispered. "I get the feeling this spoiled brat could cause us more trouble than she's worth."
"Why is the help here so incompetent?" the girl demanded. "One word from Daddy and I could get you fired!"
"I don't even work here!" Callista protested. "How dare you speak to me like that!" the girl snapped. "Daddy's going to hear about this!" And she ran out of the cantina.
"Oh, great," Callista sighed as she and Carth also left the cantina.
As they left, they discovered a couple of thugs waiting for them.
"You need a lesson on how to treat your betters!" the girl announced as the thugs attacked them.
Carth and Callista easily beat them, and the girl ran off, crying, "Daddy!"
"I think that we should go back to the apartment and rest before going to this party," Callista commented.
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