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

snackfiend101: Hehe...Revan has been practicing on everyone since she was a kid lol.
ether-fanfic: Thanks. I always thought 'That armor looks awfully uncomfortable' everytime I see it. And yes, it's very fun tormenting Carth. Don't know about Bendak reappearing.. but you never know!
Sith Lord Darth Revan: lol but insane people make interesting stories! ;P Glad you like my story, but it wasn't lack of ideas that hindered me, it was lack of will... like some days when you just stare at the compy screen not doing anything.
yeth: I hope your compy's fixed by now.. I sure took enough time lol. And thanx for your concern. :)
Dark Lord Daishi: Wow. When I opened my e-mail and saw all your reviews I nearly had a heart attack lol. Thanx for taking the time to review each chapter! I'm glad you like my evil Revan. :)
Douglas Fett: Thanx Doug.
Underpaid Critic: Thank you for reviewing! I always try to think things through and research before I put something in. I've encountered enough stories like that to be cautious lol. And rambling's fine, I can ramble alot too. :D
Eliatra Sabre: Thanx Eli. I love making her snappy.

Jen: Sorry for the delay. My muse went into hiding, but Revan managed to find her and drag her back.
Revan: -evil grin-

"Alien language"
"Basic"

A/N: There might be some things missing, butchered, or otherwise garbled.... this is supposed to be an UPgrade?? -cries- I want the old stuff back...

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Chapter 8: Kids and Wookies

As they walked out of the apartments, Carth asked, "Are you going to stick your nose in to every nook and cranny we encounter?"

"If it's possible I will." Revan said. "You'd be surprised what can pop up somewhere." Like the Star Maps. Revan thought.

"No doubt. But there is also the possibility that what will surprise you will be a blaster shot to your head." Carth returned.

Revan shrugged. "Where's the fun without some risk?" Before Carth could answer, Revan pointed. "That must be Javyar's Cantina. Let's go see."

As they came up, the Rodian at the entrance opened the door for them, entreating them to try and keep their hands off their blasters. It was clear from his resigned and weary tone that nobody listened to him. When they were inside they were treated to a sight of three Vulkars trying to impress a short man standing in a corner.

"Hey look. It's the big man Calo Nord!" one of the thugs exclaimed. Revan felt her eyebrow rise. This was Calo Nord, one of the deadliest bounty hunters? She watched him closely without seeming to, both visually and in the Force, trying to find a weakness. You never know when such information will come in handy.

"Go. Away." Calo said in a deceptively calm voice.

"Hey what with you? We just want to say hello to big bad bounty hunter Calo Nord!" the second thug said.

"Nah. This runt can't be Calo Nord!" the third thug sneered.

"One." Calo said patiently.

"One? You trying to be funny big guy? We part of the Black Vulkars! You show us respect!" the second said.

"Two." Calo continued.

"Me don't get. One? Two? What he trying to count? How many against him?" the first asked, confused.

"It's three against one Calo! What you think of that?" the third said confidently. Revan could barely keep from laughing. Wasn't it obvious he was warning them off?

"Three." Calo said with a finality in his voice. He immediately threw a fist sized grenade that emitted a blinding light, in that instance three distinct shots were heard. When everyone regained their sight, the thugs were dead on the floor. Holstering his blasters, he walked out.

When he was gone, Revan couldn't hold back a smirk. She knew that the flash grenade was unnecessary, Calo had only used it to hide what he had been doing. Interesting. He just wasted a grenade on these lowlifes. Either he's rich and doesn't care or he's very, very cautious. Maybe both. Revan thought.

Carth had twitched a little as Calo walked by. Taris was getting better by the minute. "Let's find this Zax and get out of here." Carth finally said.

Revan shrugged and asked a random person where was the bounty office. After she was hit on a couple of times, to her irritation and Carth's amusement, they were directed to a room on the left. Upon entering it Revan caught sight of the Hutt's unmistakable bulk at the other end of the room, surrounded by a few bounty hunters and servants.

Walking up to the Hutt, Revan said without preamble, "I wish to collect on a bounty." She controlled her disgust as Zax fixed his eyes on her body and lolled out his tongue at her.

"A bounty, eh?" he asked in Huttese. "Whose?"

"Matrik." Revan informed him. "I'm sure you heard the explosion." She knew he would have sent his people to investigate.

"Indeed I did. My people reported your friend purchasing a permacrete detonator." Zax looked at Carth then gave a rumbling laugh. "Matrik was reported to be in that area, and my people found a personal item near the place. I believe you speak the truth. Perhaps now people will think twice about testifying against the Exchange. The usual payoff is 300 credits." he concluded.

Paltry. Revan smiled sweetly and purred, "Only 300? Could I persuade you to add to it?" she reached into the Hutt's mind and after some coaxing got him to raise it to 400 credits.

"You are brave to bargain with a Hutt. 400 it is." He gestured to a servant hovering next him, who counted out the money and handed it to Revan. "Next time, Human, use a blaster. It's much less messier than explosives."

Revan inclined her head in acknowledgment. "May I ask for other information?" she asked. When in need of information head to the nearest crime boss, since Davik wasn't available Zax would have to do.

"I am an information broker as well. My network is one of the most extensive on Taris. My information doesn't come free however. 100 credits." he rumbled.

Revan scoffed. "I'm looking for basic information, not Davik's deepest secrets! 50." Again she reached out to his mind, the second time was easier now that she had an idea how his mind patterns worked.

Zax gave another of his laughs. "Very brave. Very well, 50 credits."

Revan wordlessly gave it to his servant. "Tell me about those Republic escape pods that crashed in the Undercity." Revan let slip an undertone of greed as she said it. She knew Zax would pick up on it and think she was after profit, not persons.

"No one without papers can pass the guard down to the Undercity, and besides, the swoop gangs , Davik's men, and the Sith have probably already stripped them clean. More likely the Vulkars got there first."

"I see." Revan said thoughtfully. "Tell me about these swoop gangs."

"There are only two of note at the moment. The Black Vulkars and the Hidden Beks. Before, the Hidden Beks were the ones in power. Gadon kept them in line and was relatively peaceful down here. After Brejik took over the Vulkars he has turned the Lower City into a war zone against the Beks." Zax said. "I advise you to stay away from the Vulkars. They think that they are better than everyone else. They are even beginning to defy Davik!"

Revan nodded her understanding. "Are there any more bounties up?" The Lower City was ideal for criminals to disappear into. If she ran into someone she wanted to be able to recognize them. Revan doubted the wanted being would blithely tell her of the bounty on their head.

"You already have Matrik's. There are 4 more. Two government contracts, one for Bendak Starkiller, and an assassin by the name of Selven." Zax informed her. He gestured and his servant held out a palm holoprojector, activating it there was an image of Bendak and a blond woman with cold features.

"I don't see anything wrong with those since they're criminals." Carth said, with special emphasis on the last word.

He must still be sore about Bendak. Revan thought amusedly. "And the other two?" she asked.

"They are private contracts." Zax said delicately. He wasn't sure how they would react, though he was sure the female wouldn't mind. "One for a businessman named Largo, he owes Davik several thousand credits. Another is for a woman named Dia, a waitress who used to work here." The servant flashed two holos, a middle aged man and a familiar young female. Revan frowned slightly at the last holo. Clearing her mind briefly, she used a Jedi memory recall technique. Ah, she noticed that woman running back to the apartment next to their 'base', frightened out of her wits. Revan had dismissed her as harmless.

Revan raised an eyebrow. "A waitress?" Why would someone put a bounty on a useless person?

"Dia attacked one of Davik's men, Holdan." Zax rumbled. "Davik has a reputation to maintain, he can't let just anybody harm his men, even if they were off duty."

Davik and the Exchange, eh? "Off duty? Was he drunk?" Revan asked suspiciously.

"Perhaps." Zax said vaguely. "I just put up the bounty. I don't get myself involved in the motivation for it."

"Ah." Revan said, "And where is this Holdan?" This could be interesting, Revan was getting bored wandering around here anyway.

"I believe he is still here, he came by asking if anyone fulfilled the bounty." Zax answered.

Revan nodded. Reaching out to the Force, she delicately erased his memory of her asking about Holdan. "Thank you for the information Zax." She turned and walked out.

"You aren't actually considering taking those contracts, are you?" Carth whispered fiercely from behind her.

Revan shrugged non-committedly. "It depends on how bored I am. Wait there." she said, gesturing to a table as she went to the bar. She ordered two drinks and some sweet koukwa nuts from the bartender. Pocketing the nuts she went to their table and gave a drink to Carth, she told him, "Stay here." Leaving behind a bemused Carth, Revan went off in search of Holdan. She found him easily enough, oogling at some Twi'lek dancers.

As Revan approached him, she wrapped herself in the Force, projecting the aura of a harmless, unremarkable female to everyone except Holdan. Anyone who looked at her will see nothing worth looking at and would forget her after they looked away. It was an excellent way of making herself nearly invisible in large crowds, the aura was a little hard to maintain over long periods however, particularly when moving. Revan didn't need to deal with surveillance since there were none.

"Are you Holdan?" Revan asked putting on a friendly smile.

He turned and raked his eyes over her like she was a piece of meat. Revan hated him already. "Yes'm, I'm Holdan. And what can I do for you sweet thing? I really prefer my own kind as to aliens." he said, gesturing to the dancers.

"I just want to ask why did you put a bounty on Dia." Revan said, putting distress in her voice.

"Oh, you a friend of Dia? She attacked me for nothing!" Holdan said indignantly.

"You didn't try to make advances on her? " Revan asked widening her eyes innocently.

"Hell no! I just said she was beautiful. Like you." He started edging closer. His lie was evident in the Force.

"What do you do?" Revan asked him, pretending to be interested.

"I work for Davik and the Exchange," he said grinning slyly at her,"as a runner. He trusts me enough for the job!" he said grandly, puffing his chest out.

Revan looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh! I see." Revan ate some nuts and pretended to smile nervously. "I have to go now, would you like some koukwa nuts?" Revan handed some to him and before he could say something she left. Ducking into an alcove, Revan watched him chuckle then eye the nuts and shrug, popping them into his mouth. Immediately Revan reached out to the Force and shoved the nuts in his mouth down his throat and held them there, at the same time constricting his breathing.

Revan watched with fascination as he turned bright red and started to violently cough and choke, clawing at his throat. She also found it very funny that nobody moved to help him. Within a few minutes he was slumped over dead. Satisfied, she released the Force aura around herself and made her way back to Carth.

Walking up to their table Revan noticed a very young female Twi'lek facing off against two Rodian Vulkar thugs. Revan had already run into many of them to recognize the gang markings. "Who's the tough kid?" she asked Carth, who had been obviously watching the exchange along with everybody else in hearing range. Carth just shrugged.

"Little kid needs lesson in manners!" one thug sneered.

"Hey, I ain't no kid bantha breath!" the girl exclaimed. She looked over to the side. "Hey Big Z? A little help here, I need you to bust up some bug-eyed creeps."

A growling came from somewhere out of Revan's field of vision. "They just brought my food Mission!" Shyriiwook? Revan felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. A Wookie? On Taris?

"Come on Zalbaar! You can finish later." Mission said impatiently. Growling softly under his breath, the Wookie got up from the table he was sitting at and approached the scene.

"We got no trouble with wookie! Only little girl!" the other thug said.

"Hey, you mess with me, you mess with Big Z!" Mission said proudly. "So unless you want to take on my friend here, I suggest you hop on outta here!"

"Little kid lucky she got big wookie to hide behind!" the first thug gestured to the other and they started to leave.

Mission bristled slightly at the implication that she was a coward. She was distracted by the two off to the side watching her. Mission had never seen them before in the Cantina. Looking at their clothing, Mission concluded maybe they had alot of credits on them. If they're new maybe one of them would like a game of Pazaak? Mission thought brightly. Everyone was wary to play her, she was a more than good card shark.

Skipping slightly, she went over to them. "Hi!" she greeted brightly. "You must be new here, I know pretty much everyone in this part of the Lower City and I've never seen you before. I guess that makes me and Big Z your official welcoming committee!"

"You mean, only you. Your friend seems more interested in his plate." Revan smiled slightly and nodded to Zalbaar, who had sat back at his table and resumed eating. "You may call me Arcana, this guy here with the horrible jacket is Carth." Revan said in amusement.

Carth glared at Revan and tugged at his jacket self-consciously. "You showed a lot of guts dealing with those Vulkars, kid. You got a name?" Carth asked with a smile.

"My name's Mission Vao, and my wookie friend stuffing himself over there is Zalbaar, my best friend." Mission smiled fondly. Revan suppressed the urge to fidget. The pure innocence radiating in Mission's aura was disgusting and making her highly uncomfortable. "I'd offer to give you a tour, but the streets aren't safe anymore thanks to those Vulkars. But if you need anything else..?" she asked with a note of helpful inquiry.

Though Revan wanted nothing better than to get away from Mission's aura, she was not one to pass up an opportunity to benefit her. "Do you have any useful information?"

"You've come to the right person if you want information!" Mission said enthusiastically. Revan could sense it never occurred to her to be suspicious of them. "If you want info on Lower Taris I'm the one to talk to! Davik, the Lower City gangs... even that bounty hunter Calo Nord!"

"Davik? Tell me about him first then.." Revan smiled indulgently. What sort of info could a kid have on a crime lord? she thought contemptuously.

"Well, he's part of the intergalactic crime syndicate, but everyone knows that." Mission thought moment. "But I hear he's got a new ship for his smuggling operations. The Ebon Hawk."

Revan's smile vanished from her face. "The Ebon Hawk? Are you sure?" she regarded the blue Twi'lek keenly. She underestimated the kid. Revan cursed herself silently. Never underestimate somebody! she thought viciously to herself. Next thing she knew she'd start underestimating her enemies! I'm getting slack. she thought. She never had that problem before, when she was a Jedi, she had many enemies in the underworld, courtesy of her profession. Then when she was the Sith Lord the Jedi and her underlings had been a potential threat.

Mission nodded. "I don't know alot about space travel, but I hear that the Hawk's fast enough to break the Sith blockade." she said. "Of course, it's all second hand rumor..."

Revan shook her head, "That's no rumor. If it is really the Ebon Hawk." She remembered her frustration at trying to capture that ship in her campaign to stamp out the Exchange.

Carth asked, "Where would he keep it, do you know?" Arcana sounded like she had a run in with this 'Ebon Hawk' to speak so sure of it's speed and capabilities.

Mission thought about it. "If he does have such a valuable ship, he'd keep it locked up in his estate. Nobody gets in there, except the people working for Davik and the Exchange." Revan smiled to herself. I'll see about that.

"How about the swoop gangs? Got any hush hush info on them?" Carth asked.

"Well, the only two gangs you have to worry about right now are the Vulkars and Hidden Beks. But the Beks aren't ruthless killers like the Vulkars, shooting everyone on sight. If you leave them alone, they won't bother you." Mission smiled. "Sometimes me and Zalbaar hang out in the Bek base. The Beks are led by Gadon Thek. He's a good guy, lost his sight in a swoop accident a few years ago, but he's still a great leader. Not like that traitor Brejik!" she said angrily.

"Traitor?" Revan asked curiously. This was the first time somebody called Brejik a traitor.

"Yeah. Before he became a Vulkar, Brejik was a Bek!" Mission continued, "Gadon considered that ungrateful space slug slime his adopted son!"

"Why did he leave the Beks?" Revan asked.

"When Gadon went blind everyone thought he'd step down and make Brejik the new leader. But Gadon didn't think Brejik was ready to lead yet and wanted him to wait a few years. But Brejik didn't want to wait, so he left for the Vulkars. Ever since then he's been waging a war against Gadon and the Beks to wipe them from the face of Taris!"

"Brejik sounds like a small child throwing a tantrum when he couldn't get what he wanted." Revan remarked.

"Yeah... This whole gang war in the Lower City is totally the Vulkars fault!" Mission declared hotly. "They're the ones killing everything that moves out in the street! It's like they've all gone insane!"

Revan nodded sympathetically. "Most beings who want power have a tendency to lose their rationality in pursuit of it. Look at Darth Malak. Got rid of his best friend and killing billions of people just for fun..."

"I wouldn't call Revan Malak's 'best friend'." Carth said.

"But they were!" Revan snapped.

"I don't know about you, but I wouldn't attack my friends when they needed help!" Carth shot back.

Mission sighed sadly. "I feel sorry for that female Republic officer the Vulkars caught..."

Revan and Carth immediately looked at Mission, their argument forgotten. "Female Republic officer? Who?" Revan asked.

"Some woman named Bast something. She's one of the people who crashed in an escape pod in the Undercity..." Mission explained. She watched as the other two exchanged glances. "What? Do you know her?"

"Actually, we do." Carth said. "Do you know where she is being held?"

"I think she's in the Vulkar Base, but I heard Brejik was planning to put her up as a prize in the Annual Swoop Race Season Opener." Seeing their blank looks, Mission explained. "The Vulkars don't care about enslaving people. A Republic officer is very valuable. So she might be moved real soon." Mission said, excited. She knew that they were going to try and rescue the officer. Maybe she'd finally get some real action around here!

"We've got to rescue her!" Carth said, agitated.

"Calm down. We can't just barge in there..." Revan looked to Mission. "I don't suppose you know a way into the Vulkar base?"

Somehow it didn't surprise Revan when Mission said "Yeah! I know how to get in by the back entrance. There was this Vulkar that had a little too much to drink, so I picked his pocket. He had the codes for the force field that blocks the entry way. I'll show you where it is!"

"What do you want in return?" Carth asked suspiciously. She was just going to help them?

Mission looked down for a moment. "You guys are going to leave the planet right?"

"That is supposed to be part of the plan, yes." Revan said dryly.

"Well, I was hoping that you could maybe take me and Zalbaar along?" she looked up at them. "You could just drop us off at the next planet you go to!" Mission added quickly.

"And what about Zalbaar? Maybe your Wookie friend doesn't want to leave." Carth pointed out.

"Well, if I'm leaving, then so will Big Z! We're a team! And he hates it here as much as I do." she added.

Revan looked at Carth. "We don't have any choice, the more time we take arguing, the more likely it is that Brejik will move Bastila." Sensing his doubt, Revan added, "And besides, the Lower City is no place for a kid."

"Hey! I ain't no kid!" Mission exclaimed.

"A young female then." Revan said, exasperated.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Carth acquiesced. "Where is this 'back entrance' Mission?"

"It's in the sewers." Mission told him.

"The sewers? You mean, in the Undercity?" Revan asked, surprised.

"Yeah! Oh, don't worry, Big Z and I know a way down. You don't need those dumb security papers." Mission reassured them. "Hey, Big Z!" she called out, "C'mere, I want you to meet some people!"

"But Mission! I'm not finished eating!" Zalbaar howled in compliant.

"Is that all you can think about? Your stomach? You can finish eating later! Now c'mon!" Mission said.

Grumbling to himself about energetic children, Zalbaar reluctantly left his plate and approached the trio. "Who are these people, Mission?" He growled to her. The child could be too trusting sometimes.

"I am called Arcana and this is Carth Onasi." Revan gestured to Carth.

"They need help Big Z. Their friend is a prisoner of Brejik. We have to show them the back entrance to their base so we can rescue her!" Mission said. She tried to be serious, but her natural enthusiasm was obvious.

"Mission! How could you agree to do this? The Vulkar Base is too dangerous!" Zalbaar howled in alarm.

"That isn't necessary, Zalbaar. We don't need you two to actually accompany us, just lead us to the back entrance." Revan quickly said. The other three just looked at her in surprise. It had finally dawned on them that she could understand Shyriiwook. Revan struggled with a smirk before finally giving in. "What?" she asked.

"You understand the language of my people? That is very rare for Humans." Zalbaar rumbled at her, impressed. It had taken several years for Mission to understand as much as she did.

"Yeah, that's amazing. You have no idea how long it took me to learn it!" Mission grinned good-naturedly at Revan.

"Learn what?" Carth asked, his annoyance was quite clear.

Revan smirked at him. "Shyriiwook. I have a quirk for languages." she merely said.

"We don't have time for this! Any minute now Brejik could move Bastila!" Carth said with some heat, "And I, for one, don't fancy Bastila becoming a slave!"

Zalbaar rumbled angrily. "Your friend is to be sold into slavery?!" he asked, distressed.

"Yeah. See Big Z? They need our help!" Mission said.

Zalbaar debated with himself. These people did not look like the normal denziens of the undercity, and he had Mission to look out for. Making his decision he told them, "Very well. We will take you to the Vulkar Base back entrance." Mission beamed at Zalbaar.

"Thank you." Revan said politely to Zalbaar. Seeing Carth's blank look, she said "Zalbaar has agreed to show us to the backdoor."

Carth let out a relieved breath. "Thank you." he said with pure sincerity to Zalbaar. "How soon can we leave?"

"We can go right now!" Mission said excitedly.

Zalbaar nodded in agreement. "She is right, we can leave now. In fact it would be best if we hurry." he told them.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Revan said, grinning in anticipation. She knew the Vulkars wouldn't give up Bastila without a fight. At least Revan hoped so. It had been a while since she last participated in an unrestrained wholesale slaughter. She turned away from them and started walking out of Javyar's Cantina, closely followed by the others. This will be easy. Revan thought.

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Jen: I'm in a bit of a bind. Should Zalbaar swear the life-debt or not? I always figured such stuff were life altering things, but Big Z in the game just acted as if it were nothing and just tagged along. So I'm thinking it's useless... but what do you guys think? Also, any ideas will be welcome! I always take anybody's ideas into consideration, no matter how improbable. Within limits of course, hehe. Anyway enough of my babbling.

Please review! :)