Chapter 2: Big rescues
"Hey, Big Z, are you still eating? I want to get to the sewers before bedtime," said the Twi'lek.
"I'm still hungry," the big Wookiee roared.
"Come on. This is like your fifth dish. I think you had enough. Let's get going already."
The Wookiee looked at his food with a longing stare then got up to join his young, impatient friend.
"Finally. I thought you were going to sit there forever," said the young Twi'lek.
"I wasn't the one who got up late today," the Wookiee roared back.
"Okay, okay. You got a point," she said. "I just hope all the good stuff haven't been taken yet." She was talking about the Republic escape pods of course. That was the only exciting news to hit Taris since the Sith quarantine and she had been itching for an adventure. The quarantine basically brought the planet to a halt. The air everywhere was so thick with despair you could cut it with a vibrosword.
After a few hours of searching the sewers they decided to take a little break.
"Oh, Big Z, you need a shower bad."
"No, Mission. You know Wookiees do not take showers," commented Zaalbar.
She frowned and scooted upwind of him. "I don't see why not. It doesn't hurt or anything."
"It's just not our way," he said and left it at that.
"Pfft, yuck Big Z. You need a bath big time. You're smelling worse than usual. I can't even breathe near you anymore," she said holding her nose and facing away from him.
"It's not me," he whined. "Something is coming this way."
"Huh?" she looked up and around.
Suddenly four ugly Gammoreans showed up with blasters in hand. They began shouting and waving their weapons and before Mission could do anything Big Z threw himself on top of two of them.
"Run!" he roared to Mission who was still stunned. Couple of shots fired but most of them hit the sewer walls. Mission started running and didn't stop for a long while.
With the help of Gadon we made it to the Undercity and now we were in the sewers sloshing around trying to find a young Twi'lek and her Wookiee friend.
"This smells worse than bantha fodder," I remarked trying to breathe every other breath.
"Obviously you've never smelled bantha fodder, otherwise you wouldn't be saying that. This is pleasant compared to—"
"You've got to be kidding me! I can't imagine anything worse than this," I said looking around at the damp, stinky place. "Are you sure?" I questioned.
"Yup. Next time we run into one I'll be sure to point it out for you to smell," he said jokingly.
"I'll pass, thanks."
The light conversation stalled as we went through one pipe into another possibly getting ourselves lost. I imagined being stuck down here for weeks with nothing to eat but rats and rakghouls, maybe even turning into a rakghoul ourselves. I gave him an evil eye while he was not looking making a mental note to myself to eat him first before he eats me if that scenario ever happened.
I was almost ready to give up when we ran into a Twi'lek.
"You have to help me. My friend, he was captured by some Gammoreans and I'm afraid they're going to sell him to slavery. Please will you help me rescue him?" she asked.
I looked over at Carth. He shrugged.
"We really need to hurry if we're going to rescue Bastila, but it's up to you," he said.
"That name sounds familiar. Hey, she doesn't have anything to do with those Republic space pods does she? I think the Black Vulkars found someone from the wreckage and now they're holding her hostage inside their base. Look, if you help me find my friend I'll get you inside their base. I know a back way in," she said.
I thought about it for a minute and then agreed. It'd be better to try to sneak her out then to make a big incident out of it.
Her friend wasn't that far away as it turned out and the Gammoreans were no match for the three of us and our blasters.
"Big Z! I'm so glad you're okay! How are you doing? Did they hurt you?" asked Mission.
"I'm fine. Who are the people with you?" he roared.
"They helped me get you out," she explained.
"Thank you. I owe you my life," said the Wookie.
"No problem," I said back in his language then switched to Basic. "Now let's get out of here. Take us to the Vulkar Base then you can go wherever you want."
"All right. You know how to speak the language. I've never met anyone like you before that could do that. That's pretty cool," said the little Twi'lek.
I shrugged. I knew many languages. The Wookie was surprised also.
"Looks like you've got yourself a couple of fans," remarked Carth. I rolled my eyes at him.
Finally we were on our way. Mission was pretty handy when it came to breaking security codes. Where a kid learned to do that I could only imagine. I wondered why she was down here, why she was on this planet with just a Wookie by her side. Where were her parents? Did she even have any? But those questions would have to wait until after we rescue the Jedi and get ourselves off this planet.
We managed to sneak into the base. It seemed most of the gang members were partying in another room. We snuck up to the cell rooms unnoticed. Bastila was inside but she was trapped behind an energy field.
"I got that," said Mission as she hacked into their computer system. Soon the field was deactivated. Now introductions were in order.
"Carth! I'm glad to see you alive. And who are your companions?" she asked in a snooty accent. Well I thought her accent sounded snooty at any rate.
"I'm Mission and this big guy here is Zaalbar," she said.
"My name is Criann Skye. I was on the Endar Spire," I said but for some reason I felt funny doing so.
"Oh, right. You must be the new transfer. Well, I'm glad you survived also. If we're done here I think it's time we headed out of here before they realize what happened," said Bastila and she proceeded to take the lead. The group followed silently.
By the time we reached our hideout it was decided that Mission and Zaalbar would travel with us at least as far as getting off this planet. What they would do after that I didn't know and didn't ask.
"So what's the plan for getting off this planet?" asked Bastila putting her hand on her hip.
"We don't have any. Our first priority was rescuing you," I said although with that attitude of hers I wouldn't have minded just leaving her trapped down there.
She let out a haughty sigh. "I suppose I will have to figure it out myself."
"Watch the attitude there," I blurted out, sick of her poor manners.
"Excuse me? How dare you talk to me that way? I'm the commanding officer here unless you're forgetting. I give out the orders, is that understood?" she said proudly.
"Calm down you two," interjected Carth. "Bastila, you are not showing good leadership here. A good leader does not berate her troops. Let's just drop the titles and work together to figure out a way off of Taris. Please?"
"I suppose you're right. I'm sorry. I can be a little headstrong sometimes," she said although it didn't sound like much of an apology to me.
"A little?" I muttered under my breath.
"Watch it," Carth whispered to me. "Now that is settled, let's get back to business," he said in a normal voice.
We hit the local cantinas again. Before we could start investigating someone approached us. He introduced himself as Canderous Ordo.
"I saw you in the dueling ring. It was impressive," he remarked. I had entered the duels before rescuing Bastila to earn us some credits. Carth had advised against it but I couldn't see any other way to make a quick buck. It seemed it worked out better for us in the end than I ever thought.
"I think you're just the person to help me...with a little problem," he began in a gruff voice. By the scars on his face you could tell he'd been in many battles and won them all. "I know a way off this blasted planet. Davik has a ship called the Ebon Hawk. Fastest ship on this side of the galaxy. We could easily outrun those Sith troopers."
"It seems you have all your bases covered. What do you need us for?" I asked.
"Should we really be talking to this guy? I mean how do we know we can trust him?" asked Carth, suspicious as usual. His tone seemed more hostile than normal.
"Hey, I'm not talking to you Republic. I was talking to your pretty friend here," he said.
I think I blushed a little when he said that. I wasn't used to compliments at all. Carth remained unusually silent. "He has a point though. How do we know this isn't a trap," I said.
"Hey, I said I knew a way out of here. I never said it was going to be easy," he explained. Apparently this Exchange member had top-notch security around his beloved ship. He needed us to be the extra firepower to overtake the guards.
"And what's to prevent you from turning around and shooting back at us?" asked Carth. I could see his hand fiddling with his blaster.
"Because I said so. It's a little thing called honor, something you know nothing about it seems. I admire you," he said turning back to me. "You're a great warrior. You'd be even greater had you been born a Mandalorian but no one can be perfect. You look like you've seen a few battles and I bet there's not too many alive who can talk back at you, am I right? After we get off this planet I wouldn't mind hanging around you. I've been itching for a battle and I think you can I could be good for each other. What do you say?"
"I don't trust him," Carth said in my ear. But I disagreed. Something about him told me I could trust him. I don't know if it was some sixth sense but I felt inside that he was telling the truth.
"I think we should find our own way out of here," said Bastila adding her two cents in. I ignored her the best I could.
"You got a deal," I accepted his offer and he gave me a big smile.
"Then what are we doing hanging around this run-down joint. Let's go," he ordered and we followed. Even Bastila seemed rather quiet about this whole incident. She seemed preoccupied with something. I wasn't about to ask her what though because talking to her felt like rubbing up against a ronto's skin.
A/N: This is just a rough draft. I plan to go back and refine the story so feedback is greatly appreciated :)