Disclaimer: Anything you recognize isn't mine. Anything that makes you go "what's that?" I made up.

Kosiah: Glad you liked it. As for Revan's ancestry, I put it there because I find it somewhat unbelievable that the Jedi could have wiped out all the info concerning her and that she could not be recognized by anyone after she was captured(in the game), much less that she never fell into the Jedi's hands in my story. This is just my little explanation on it. Of course, I might add something about it later if I get slugged by inspiration or something. :)
snackfiend101: Meh, you won't know if you don't try! :P And thank you, I love my Revan very well too lol, since she's based on my Darkside.
Sith Lord Darth Revan: Thanks.
Data: I appreciate your comments and suggestions as usual... I will keep them in mind, if I can plug the holes in my memory! ;p I'm trying to make her more subtle and manipulative without seeming to be doing so, but it's not as easy as it looks.
Darth Arachne: Thank you.
thesnowman: I'm glad you reviewed. :) Thanks.
yeth: oooh. -cringes- Brokened compy. Glad you liked the chapters. Lol, it's the nefarious effect of Tarisian ale! :D He just said the owner of the robes were dead.

Arcana/Revan: -broods at the author's inability to get her into an interesting situation- Manipulation is fine... but I want to kill something while I'm at it!! -turns to readers- Please give her ideas since she doesn't want any of mine! -stomps off angrily-
Jen: Um.. -shrugs-

Chapter 7: Lower City

"It's too tight!" Carth complained as he struggled to put on the armor of the Sith uniform.

Revan snickered and said, "Well, it was the only one in your height." She walked around behind him, adjusting her own armor a bit. Then she reached over and yanked at Carth's armor, causing him to yelp a little. "It's not my fault you're fat." she said while tightening the clasps of the armor.

"I'm not fat!" Carth said in indignation. He shifted and rolled his shoulders, trying in vain to settle the armor.

"Well, at least you'll walk stiff enough." Revan laughed. "Let's go already. And remember, I'll do the talking."

"You? Why you?" Carth asked, picking up his weapons and holstering them awkwardly.

"You don't have that menacing air about you that Sith have." Revan told him. "You scream 'Republic!' over a mile away."

"Oh, and I suppose a young lady like you can?" Carth asked. The image of the old man sobbing on the ground came back strongly to him. He suddenly eyed her in suspicion.

Revan picked up on his suspicion but ignored it. "You'd be surprised at how menacing I can be." she answered him flippantly.

"As menacing as what?" Carth asked.

"Why, as menacing as-" Revan whirled on him, suddenly twisting her face grotesquely and snarled, "-Darth Revan!"

Carth jumped back and had his blaster out before he knew it. Blinking, he angrily replaced it. "Damn it, don't do that! I almost killed you!" he said, shaken. He was a little frightened at how easy and naturally she had done her 'act'.

Revan laughed at his discomfiture while picking up a blaster and her vibroblade and attaching them to her belt. "Well, let's get this show started." Putting on the helmet and shouldering a pack, Revan strode out of the apartment strutting like she owned the Galaxy.

Carth fumbled with his own pack and helmet, trying to match her stride as he hurried after her. He finally settled for a stalking-like gait, wishing that the armor didn't pinch so much.

###

"Another patrol heading to the Lower City?" the guard said in a bored voice as he activated the door. "Be careful down there. Those swoop gangs have no respect for authority. They shoot everyone on sight, even us." Revan nodded and walked into the elevator followed by Carth.

"That was easier than I expected." Revan noted as she stepped out. When she had been in control, such lax security had never been a problem.

"The easier, the better." Carth said. He started to remove his armor.

Revan shrugged, turned her back to him and removed her armor as well, careful to keep her lightsaber out of sight. She then put on her usual armor and put the Sith uniform in her pack. "Um, Arcana?" Carth's voice said behind her. "Some of the armor latches in my back seem to be stuck... Cou- could you please loosen it?" Revan turned and nearly burst out laughing. His head was in the armor, while one of his arms was sticking out half-way while the other was out already and twisted behind him tugging at a clasp. Snickering a bit Revan undid the clasps and helped pull the armor off him. "You should have loosened them first." Revan told him, stuffing the armor in his pack.

"Pardon me if I don't know how to dress like a Sith." Carth said as he put on his combat armor and repositioned his weapons comfortably.

Rounding a corner they were treated to a sight of a group of Hidden Beks and Black Vulkars squaring off against each other.

"You Beks bantha fodder! Brejik will kills Gadon and take Lower City! Black Vulkar will rule!" The leader of the Vulkars snarled in what he believed to be a threatening way. Unfortunately his lack of grammar made it somewhat comical to Revan.

"Gadon's not dead yet! Brejik and Vulkars too stupid to find a way to kill Gadon!" the Rodian Bek said proudly in slightly better grammar. The Black Vulkar snarled in rage and drew his weapon.

"I don't think we should get involved." Carth whispered to Revan.

The Beks may have been more educated than the Vulkars, but they were no match for their brute strength and viciousness.

The Vulkar leader said in satisfaction, "That teach you to not mess with Black Vulkars!" He looked up and spotted Carth and Revan. "What? Strangers? This Black Vulkar territory now! Get them!" ordered the rest of his gang mates.

"So much for not getting involved." Carth said as he quickly drew his blasters. Revan didn't respond as she was to busy dodging blaster bolts. Snapping out her own blaster, Revan shot a Vulkar rushing towards her while Carth took down the rest.

"That was fun." Revan remarked. She wondered if every Vulkar they would meet would act the same. Considering her luck, it would be.

"This must be the gang war Kebla told me about. The Black Vulkars and Hidden Beks are swoop gangs that are in a war for control of the Lower City." Carth said in a helpful voice.

"Kebla?" Revan asked with a slight tilt to an eyebrow.

"She runs an equipment shop in the Upper City. She told me about them." Carth explained.

"And when were you going to share this piece of information with me?" Revan asked.

"It, uh, slipped my mind." Carth said, embarrassed. He had been occupied about finding the Republic soldiers and the old man on the street.

Revan just shook her head slightly. Apparently if she needed information, she was better off getting it herself. "C'mon. I want to explore a bit." she said, heading for the nearest doorway.

###

It turned out the doorway was was an entrance to an apartment complex similar to the Upper City. The only difference is that it stank worse. Must be because of the proximity to the Undercity. Revan thought. She suddenly sensed somebody that piqued her curiosity. She started walking around and looking into various places. As she was slicing into another apartment, the Force warned her to duck, just as a blaster bolt slammed where her head had been.

Throwing herself into a roll, Revan drew her vibroblade when she came out of it. Carth was already firing at the set of Vulkars at the other end of the corridor. Revan rushed them, cutting them down.

"I think we should leave now." Carth said. "We're wasting time."

"Where's you're sense of curiosity Mr. Onasi?" Revan asked playfully. She could sense the person she felt in here was full of fear. Taris practically reeked of fear, but this one seemed slightly different. Revan couldn't resist finding this person, for the fear was tinged with righteousness.

"My common sense is overriding it." Carth said, annoyed. "It's not smart to go around riling up a gang war when you're supposed to keep a low profile." Not to mention the potential to get seriously hurt.

Revan shrugged. "You can leave if you want, there's a Cantina if you turn right. I'll meet you there, I can handle myself." she told him.

"A Cantina? How do you know that?" Carth asked.

"Do you remember the guy in Mandalorian armor by the entrance in the Upper Cantina?" Carth nodded. "His name is Bendak Starkiller, and there's a bounty out for him. When I asked if there were other bounties, he told me there was a bounty office here, run by a Hutt named Zax at Javyar's Cantina, and that I should go ask him." Revan told him. She was enjoying Carth's dumbfounded look. Bendak Starkiller was well known for his bloodthirsty ways.

"Y-you discussed with a known felon about the bounty on his head?!" Carth couldn't believe what he was hearing. Who was this Jamisa Itiri?

Revan merely shrugged. "He brought it up while commenting on my dueling skills." She actually liked Bendak, even if he was arrogant, they had hit it off discussing various 'techniques' in dealing with an 'opponent', quietly of course.

"That must have pleased you, being complimented by a cold-blooded killer." Carth said, eyeing her.

"Oh, yes. Very much." Revan answered, smiling slightly at the confusion, uncertainty, and finally suspicion her answer generated. "So are you going, or are you staying?" she asked. Personally, she preferred he left and be murdered by a passing gang member.

"I'll stay. It's not safe to wander around alone." Carth said. And he wanted to keep an eye on her.

"Oh, don't worry Carth. I'll protect you." Revan said solemnly in a slightly mocking way. Before he could answer, she turned and walked back to the apartment she had been about to open before she was interrupted.

Carth just stared after her a moment before following, he couldn't understand how she was able to get away with such comments before he could react. She must have had a lot of practice. he thought, amused. I wonder who was the unlucky person.

The apartment Revan inspected had a footlocker with a forcefield and six holoprojectors surrounding it. Designed to detonate when the incorrect stimuli is imputed. Revan concluded. Careful to avoid triggering anything, she rummaged a desk and found a datapad containing what she needed. Activating the projectors in order, Revan opened the locker, revealing an Echani fiber armor and some credits. Stuffing them in her pack, Revan went to the next apartment. This was where the unusual fear she sensed radiated from. Slicing the lock, Revan was confronted with a blaster held by a Twi'lek immediately after opening it.

"Who are you?! This is a private apartment!" the nervous but determined Twi'lek demanded. He was obviously lying.

"A private apartment? It looks more like a garbage disposal center." Revan commented. He was probably some thief who was running from authorities.

"Why are you here?" the Twi'lek asked. His lekku was twitching wildly.

"We were just looking around." Carth answered from Revan's side. "We're sorry if we startled you."

"You aren't here to kill me?" the Twi'lek asked warily. They might be just lulling him into lowering his defenses.

"Why would you think we were?" Revan asked curiously. She had a hunch it had something to do with his self-righteousness.

The Twi'lek's eyes darted around nervously a moment. "My name is Matrik." He watched them for any signs of recognition. Seeing none, he continued, "I testified against the Exchange, so Davik had a bounty put on my head."

Revan tilted her head to the side as she reappraised him. "That must have took a lot of guts." she reluctantly admitted. "Why don't you fake your death? I guarantee that it's a good way to escape your enemy's notice." Revan said with a slight knowing smile.

"I did have a plan for this, but Davik moved faster than I thought. I was not able to get a permacrete detonator from the Upper City." Matrik said in a miserable voice.

"A permacrete detonator? I think I bought one." Carth said. He started looking though his pack.

"What would we have needed a permacrete detonator for?" Revan asked in irritation and amusement. He probably just bought it because it's a powerful explosive. Men. Revan thought.

"Well, I just thought it would be handy if we needed to demolish something fast." Carth answered. "Here it is." he said, pulling out a flat, hand sized disk. Matrik practically snatched it form Carth, examining it carefully.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to buy that from us." Revan said, ignoring Carth's look. "How much did you spend on that thing Carth?"

"Fifty credits." Carth responded, still glaring.

"Of course!" Matrik rushed to a locker and came back with the money, handing it to Revan. "Now, I'll just set it. You two move back, this will make quite a large explosion." he warned.

Matrik went in while Revan and Carth moved to a safe distance. A minute later he came running out just as an explosion rocked the apartments.

"Thank you for your help." Matrik said sincerely. He reached into his jacket and removed a thin band of metal decorated with lovely designs then threw it at the edge of the collapsed doorway. "That was a gift from my wife, I do not wish to lose it, but it will serve as proof of my demise... hopefully." he shrugged in resignation.

Revan eyed him speculatively. "Will we still be able to collect the bounty? Since you're dead now." she added smoothly when she felt Matrix's fear shoot up and Carth's sudden anger.

Matrik relaxed. "Yes. In fact, I hope you will. It would make my 'death' more convincing. Now if you'll excuse me..." he took off for the exit.

"Rather greedy, aren't you?" Carth said, still somewhat angry at her.

"If you have an opportunity for something to benefit you, why not take it?" Revan retorted.

"Would you have really have killed him for the bounty then?" Carth asked Revan, studying her closely.

Revan smiled blandly. "Do you really want an answer?" she asked him, then turned and walked in the direction Matrik went.

How does she do that? Carth thought with a sigh. He didn't want to admit it, but her answer unnerved him more than a simple 'yes' would have.

(Author: I know, somewhat short. -sigh- I've been feeling a bit unmotivated and depressed lately... I'm also going insane if you didn't notice -points at her little 'exchange' with Arcana-)

-woeful puppy eyes- Please review??