A/N: Nothing much to say about this one, except I made one Pirates of the Caribbean reference, catch it if you can. Reccommended reading for this chapter is "The Spy" from the FF8 OST for the Lower City, and "Underneath the Rotting Pizza" from FF7 for the Undercity.
The elevator descended down into the dark, carrying another pair of Sith troopers for patrol into the Lower City. Or at least, that's what the Sith guard who had been at the elevator thought.
"I can't see a thing in this helmet," Kagi remarked, tapping the faceplate with his knuckles.
"Yeah, the helmets alone are a good reason for someone to come over to our side," Carth replied. "So what's the plan?"
"We get down here, we talk to these Hidden Beks, and find out what they know. Simple."
"No plan ever survives initial contact with the enemy," Carth said as the elevator ground to a halt. The elevator shook violently as it stopped, almost knocking the soldiers off their feet.
"Yeah, well, we improvise," Kagi replied, swaying in place to remain upright.
The door slid open, out onto a grungy street covered with trash and collecting pools of some sort of fetid liquid that neither Republic soldier wanted to know the make or origin of. A rancid smell, like rotting garbage dipped in starship fuel and then left out in the sun for a few days, assaulted their noses, even through the air filters in the helmet.
"For the record," Kagi added, "we're not staying down here long. And if we have to go any lower, I'm going to get violent."
"Me, too," Carth agreed.
Stepping out of the elevator, the two soldiers made their way toward the intersection a few meters in front of them. As they neared, the sounds of arguing and shouting in alien languages grew louder. Carth didn't understand most of it, but Kagi could make out every word.
"Beks are nothing but bantha fodder!" called out an alien that was running past the intersection from their right side. "The Vulkars are strongest!"
"We'll teach you who's strongest!" a Rodian voice replied.
That was apparently all the banter that either side was interested in, as fighting started immediately afterward. As the two soldiers watched, the 'Vulkar' alien stabbed the Rodian with a stun stick, who went down hard. That stun stick was apparently modified to have more lethal effects than not. Kagi and Carth watched the 'Vulkar' alien systemically take out all three of the 'Bek' combatants with the modified stun stick.
"Well, that ended well," Kagi commented off-hand.
"Yeah."
Suddenly, the 'Vulkar' aliens turned around, spotting the two Republic soldiers in Sith uniforms. "Sith aren't welcome here!" the leader called out, then lunged at Kagi, the stun stick sparking.
The SpecForces commando reacted instantly, slapping the alien's hand away with his left hand. As the momentum of the alien carried him past Kagi's right side, the soldier stepped behind him, levering his blaster rifle around and up under the chin of the alien. A little pressure, a hard squeeze, and the alien's neck snapped.
The other two aliens went straight for Carth. Calmly standing his ground, the pilot lined his blaster pistol up with one alien, then drew a second pistol in his other hand and aimed for the other alien. The two pistols rang out at the same time, sending the aliens crashing to the ground, smoking holes blasted into their chests.
After checking the bodies, Carth looked at the two different directions they could go. "So, which way?"
The soldier gestured to the aliens they had dispatched. "Well, these guys came from that way," he said, pointing to the right. He then pointed to the left. "So I say we go this way."
"Sounds good."
With that, the two marched on, following a gentle curve along the 'street.' To their left, they found a sealed door, with a Rodian standing guard in front of it. Kagi walked up to the Rodian.
"Hold on," the buglike alien said in Basic. "The Sith commanders have said I can't let any of you troopers into the cantina while you're on duty."
"Cantina," Carth said. "Not what we're looking for."
Nodding, Kagi turned away from the Rodian and continued down the street. Just a short way down, within sight of the cantina, was another door, with another guard standing outside. This guard was a human female, dark-skinned, and did nothing to conceal the vibroblade she carried.
"Sorry, but your kind aren't welcome in here," she said as the pair approached. "The Hidden Beks don't care much for you Sith."
"We're not Sith," Kagi answered, reaching up and removing his helmet. "We're Republic soldiers."
"Oh, Republics are you?" the guard retorted, scoffing. "That doesn't make you any better off to us. Go on, get out of here!"
"We need Gadon's help," he said. "We were told to see him."
"A lot of people want to go see Gadon," she replied. "But the days of the Hidden Beks' open door policy are gone. Between the Sith conquest and the gang war with the Black Vulkars, Gadon has more enemies than he used to. We're being careful about who we let in now, and that certainly doesn't apply to letting in a couple of Republics like yourselves."
"Think about it," Carth said, taking his helmet off too. "We're Republic soldiers. We're at war with the Sith. Don't you think we could help you out against your enemies?"
The guard considered that, then nodded slowly. "We do need all the help we can get, and we know you Republics got no love for the Sith. Besides, it's not like you can do anything to harm Gadon in the heart of his own base. Not with Zaerdra watching his back."
"So you'll let us in?" Kagi asked.
Reaching back her free hand, the guard keyed open the entryway. "Go in and speak to Gadon if you want. Just remember to be on your best behavior. The Hidden Beks are watching you…"
Nodding, holding his helmet under his right arm with his blaster rifle slung over his shoulder, Kagi led Carth into the base. As they entered the inner door, the occupants of the base turned to stare at them, but made no openly-hostile moves. Kagi figured that was because their weapons were put away, and they weren't wearing helmets.
In the back of the room, Kagi saw a man sitting behind a makeshift desk consisting of a piece of durasteel laid across two crates, and a Twi'lek standing next to him. The soldier gestured to him, then approached.
"Hold it right there, Sith scum," the Twi'lek female called out in Basic. "What is your business with Gadon?"
"Calm down, Zaerdra," the dark-skinned man replied, obviously Gadon. "Nobody's going to try anything here in the middle of our own base. It'd be a suicide mission."
"You're too trusting, Gadon," Zaerdra replied. "These are Sith, for Hutt's sake."
"Do you want us to start attacking strangers on sight, Zaerdra?" Gadon snapped. "I will never let it come to that. Now step aside and let them pass."
"As you wish," she muttered, then turned to the Republic soldiers, venom lacing her voice. "You can speak to Gadon if you want, but I've got my eye on you. You try anything and you'll be vaporized before you can say 'Revan's black bones.'"
Raising an eyebrow, Kagi stepped up to the desk, on the other side of which Gadon sat, smiling lightly. It was then that Kagi noticed that Gadon's eyes were not a natural color, as though he had mechanical replacements for his eyes. He decided not to question that.
"You'll have to forgive Zaerdra," Gadon said. "Ever since Brejik and the Vulkars began this war against us, she's been a little overzealous in her security duties. The problems with the Sith haven't helped things. Zaerdra seems to forget that I know how to look after myself. So, what can I help you with?"
"I notice you said problems with the Sith," Carth said, "not you Sith. How do you know we're not with the Sith?"
Gadon smiled humorlessly. "Don't go to think me stupid now, young fellow. Our lookouts wouldn't let any Sith into the base. Besides, if you were Sith, you'd be beating down our doors with an army, not just two soldiers."
"Observant," Kagi praised. "Just what we need. Do you know anything about the Republic escape pods that crashed into the Undercity?"
"Yes, yes, I do," Gadon said. "But before we get into that, where are my manners? Pull up a cargo crate and sit down."
The two Republic soldiers shrugged, then moved off to retrieve some empty cargo containers, planting them on the floor in front of Gadon's desk before sitting down on them.
"Now, about those escape pods," Gadon said. "I heard the Sith have been asking around the Upper City about them as well, but we've already gone over why you're not Sith. Me, I'd just as soon assume that you're Republics."
"Very observant," Carth commented.
"It's not like telling you what I know would do any harm to me or my gang," Gadon continued. "It might cause problems for the Vulkars, though, and believe me, I've got no problems with that. The Vulkars stripped those pods clean within hours after they landed. It's too bad we didn't get there first, considering what my spies reported the Vulkars found."
"Commander Shan," Carth said.
The gang leader nodded. "Female Republic officer, Bastila Shan, as is reported to me. We Beks don't believe in intergalactic slavery, but the Vulkars aren't so picky. They took her prisoner."
A chill ran up Kagi's spine as he listened to Gadon's information. "What will they do with her?"
"Under normal circumstances, the Vulkars would sell a captured slave for a nice profit to Davik or an off-world slaver," Gadon replied. "But a Republic officer is no ordinary find."
Carth leaned in close to Kagi, lowering his voice so no one else would hear. "They still think Commander Shan is just an officer," he whispered. "This could work to our advantage. She may even figure a way to escape from the Vulkar base on her own."
Obviously, Carth had not spoken as quietly as he'd intended. "She's too valuable to leave with the scum at the Vulkar base," Gadon said, letting the first part of his statement slide, for now. "Brejik's probably got your Republic friend hidden away somewhere until the big swoop race. You'll never find her."
Kagi raised an eyebrow. "Swoop race?"
"Your commander has become a pawn in Brejik's ploy to take over the Lower City," Gadon replied, shrugging helplessly. "He's offered her up as Vulkar's share of the prize in the annual swoop gang race."
A stab of anger at these Vulkars shot through Kagi at that comment, and the SpecForces commando had no idea why.
"By putting up such a valuable prize," Gadon continued, "Brejik hopes to win the loyalty of some of the smaller gangs. Their numbers will finally allow him to destroy me and my followers."
"So how do you propose we go about rescuing Commander Shan anyway?" Carth asked. "We can't fight all the gangs."
I don't know, it might be fun… Kagi mused, left eyebrow raised.
"The only hope you have of rescuing your commander is to win the big season opener of the swoop race," Gadon replied.
"Can you help us with that, Gadon?" Kagi asked.
"I might be able to help you with this," the gang leader said, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "if you'd be willing to help us. We both have something to gain here, and much to lose."
"Name your terms, Mister Thek," the soldier said without hesitation.
"The swoop race is for the lower city gangs only. I could sponsor you as a rider for the Hidden Beks this year. If you win, you win your commander's freedom. But first you have to do something for me. My mechanics have developed an accelerator for a swoop engine. A bike with the accelerator installed can beat any other swoop out there."
"The Vulkars stole it, didn't they?" Kagi asked.
Gadon nodded. "They plan to use it to guarantee victory in this year's swoop race. I need you to break into their base and steal it back."
"Done and done," the soldier said. "Details?"
"Getting into their base won't be easy; the front doors are locked tight. But I know someone who might be able to get you in the back way. Mission Vao."
"Mission?" Zaerdra sneered. "Gadon, you can't be serious. She's just a kid! How is she supposed to help them with this?"
"Mission's explored every step of every back alley in the Lower City," Gadon replied irritably. "Plus, she knows the Undercity sewers better than anyone. If anyone can get inside the Vulkar base, it's her."
"Where do I find her?" Kagi intervened, stepping in before violence occurred.
Gadon took a moment to compose himself, then turned back to his guests. "She and her Wookie friend Zaalbar are always looking to stir up a little excitement. They like to go exploring in the Undercity, despite the dangers. Your best bet is to look for her in the Undercity, but you'll need some way past the Sith guard at the elevator."
Kagi rapped his knuckles against the appropriated Sith armor he wore. "We've got it covered."
Gadon shook his head. "A simple disguise might have worked on the Upper City guard, but down here the security is much tougher. You'll need the proper papers to get past them." Just as the soldier looked as though he was about to swear a blue streak, Gadon lifted his hand placatingly. "Luckily, my gang ambushed one of the Sith patrols headed down to the Undercity. They never made it, and their security papers fell into my hands. Since we're working together now, I suppose I could give them to you in exchange for your uniforms. With the papers, you won't need a disguise anyway."
"Consider it done," Kagi said, already stripping off pieces of the stolen armor. Carth did likewise, and within a few moments, two complete suits of armor were packed neatly into the cargo crates they had been sitting on.
"Good choice," Gadon said, handing the soldier a folded envelope with the Sith Empire seal upon it. "Thanks for the uniforms. Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"No, I don't think so," Kagi said, putting the envelope inside his combat jacket. "We'll be back when we've got that engine for you."
"I suggest you hurry," the gang leader replied. "The race is coming up, and we want you to have time to practice first."
Nodding, the two Republic soldiers turned and left the gang's base. Outside, they paused, wondering which direction the elevator would be. "Any idea?" Carth asked.
The soldier shook his head, then turned to the guard standing outside the door. "'Scuse me, would you happen to know which way to the Undercity elevator?"
"Yeah, just follow this road around until you get to the dead end," the guard replied, pointing further down the road past the Beks' base.
"Thanks," Kagi said, then turned and walked in the given direction.
As they turned a corner, they saw a pair of Vulkar thugs conversing with a human. They approached slowly, not wanting to get drawn into a fight.
"…with your payments," the human said, not intimidated by them at all. "What, do you think just because you're in some gang that you don't have to give Davik his cut?"
"I don't see Davik doing anything for his share," one of the aliens snapped back. "We do all the work. Davik claims he's part of the exchange, so let him prove it."
"Yeah, let's see the big crime lord come and get his money from the Vulkars," the other said.
"Ah, so you want to play this the hard way, eh?" the human asked calmly, chuckling. "If you insist."
He turned to his right, pursed his lips together, and whistled shrilly.
From behind a pillar stepped a man who had the look of a hardened soldier about him. Kagi could tell right away he was a Mandalorian; he recognized the man's clan tattoo on his left arm, as well as the heavy armored boots that he wore. Too, the heavy repeating blaster cannon he cradled in his hands was a living example of the Mandalorian motto, "The bigger the gun, the better."
"Oh, he-hey, Canderous…" the alien who had spoken first said, his voice trembling. "We didn't know you was working for Davik now."
"Yeah, we were just goofin' around here," the other said. "We don't want no trouble with a Mandalorian." That alien fished a number of credits out of his pocket, which he handed to the human. "Here's Davik's cut!"
"I knew you boys would see reason," the human replied, counting them carefully. "Now get out of here."
"Too bad," the Mandalorian said. "I was looking forward to cracking some heads."
"Maybe next time, Canderous," the human replied. "I better get this over to Davik. I'll call you if anyone else gets behind on their payments."
The Mandalorian muttered something in his own language, doubtless obscene, as the other human walked away.
Kagi shrugged toward Carth, glad they didn't need to get caught up in that little confrontation. As they moved past the Mandalorian, Kagi nodded tensely at him. The Mandalorian returned it.
Down the road a ways, with the elevator now in sight, they passed a wrecked swoop bike with a Twi'lek corpse near it. The corpse was wearing the colors that they were coming to recognize as belonging to the Vulkars. They ignored it.
As they neared the door, the Sith trooper held up his hand. "Hold on there, civilian," he said. "Only those with official Sith business are allowed into the Undercity."
Shifting his blaster rifle into his left hand, Kagi reached into his jacket and produced the papers that Gadon had given him. "No need to worry yourself, trooper," he said confidently. "I've got my clearance right here."
"Let me see that," the trooper said suspiciously, snatching the papers from his hand. He shuffled through them for a few moments. "Hmm… Yeah, these look to be in order." He handed them back. "Okay, you can go down if you want. Can't say I envy you, though. The Undercity is crawling with mutants. Rakghouls, they call 'em. If you see anything moving down there, shoot first and ask questions later."
Kagi nodded, returning the papers to his jacket. "Thanks for the tip, trooper."
---
The smell only got worse as the elevator descended down into the darkness, and this time, they didn't have the benefit of the Sith armor and its filtration devices.
"…bantha in mating season," Kagi finished off a crude comment as the doors slid open, into the depths of the Undercity.
The two soldiers stepped out of the elevator, looking around the Spartan complex. Most of the dwellings were tent-like structures, likely built with the refuse that fell from above. A few salvaged glowlamps provided meager lighting for the encampment.
"You there!" a greasy, dirty, nattily-clothed man called out as he and a fellow approached them. "Up-worlder! Anyone using this elevator has to pay the toll!"
"Yeah, this is our elevator," the other man said. "If you use it, you've gotta give us something."
"I don't believe this planet," Carth said, a hint of humor in his voice. "Even the beggars are trying to shake us down."
"Five credits!" the first man crowed. "That's what it costs to use our elevator. Five credits!"
"I can't believe I'm going along with this," Kagi muttered, reaching into his pocket for a five-credit chip, which he flipped to the beggar. "There, now go on. Get out of here."
"Go on, you two, get out of here!" a female voice called.
The two Republic soldiers turned to their right to see a young woman running up, her own state of hygiene no different than that of the beggars. Her expression was irritable as she ran up to shoo the beggars off, then she sighed, put on a more optimistic expression, and turned to the newcomers.
"I'm sorry about that," she said. "Those two beggars give everyone in the village a bad name. We aren't all like that, you know. Most of us are good people."
"I'm sure you are, miss," Carth replied, his expression and tone of voice indicating he didn't believe a word she said. "It's just too bad your little welcome committee is there to give people a bad first impression."
Kagi glanced over at the pilot, an expression that said cool down, then turned back to the girl. "Name's Vayun, Kagi Vayun. Captain Angst over there is Carth Onasi."
"My name is Shaleena," the girl replied, smiling pleasantly. "You're from the upworld, aren't you? I've…never seen it. I was born down here in the Undercity. Is it as nice as they say it is?"
The SpecForces commando shrugged. "It's nothing special."
"Not to you, I suppose," Shaleena said sadly. "But you're probably used to its beauty. Gendar, the leader of our village, tells me I should spend more time trying to improve things down here and less time dreaming about something I can never have. Maybe he's right."
"Can I ask you a few questions?" Kagi asked.
"You'd probably get more information from Gendar, but I'll tell you whatever I can."
"Do you know anything about the escape pods that crashed down here?"
She shook her head, then offered up a 'what-can-you-do' smile. "Sorry, I don't know anything about that. Maybe Gendar can help you?"
"Where can I find him?"
"He'll be somewhere in the village, doing what he can to make the lives of the villagers better. I can't really say."
Kagi nodded. "Thanks. I'll be on my way now."
She nodded in return, smiling pleasantly. "If you ever want to talk, just come back to see me. I don't get to talk to upworlders often."
As she turned and walked away, Carth fell into step beside Kagi. "Do we need to talk to their village leader?" he asked. "We're down here to find this Mission Vao and get into the Vulkar base; we already know Bastila won't be in any of the escape pods."
Kagi nodded. "That's a good point. We'll just roll on out of here then." The soldier looked around the immediate vicinity, then pointed straight across the compound. "That looks like a gate out over there. Let's go."
Drawing his blaster pistols, Carth nodded and followed in the soldier's wake. As they moved through the camp, villagers cleared them a wide berth, and stared enviously at their relatively-clean clothes and good hygiene.
As they reached the gate, some kind of commotion became obvious.
"Hurry, Hendar, hurry!" a woman pleaded from their side of the gate. "I can hear it coming!"
"He'll never make it," answered a man standing next to the gate control. His tone was helpless. "He's doomed. I told him he was a fool to leave the village."
"He will make it," the woman hissed, then raised her voice and shouted through the gate, "Run, Hendar, run!"
Through the grates, Kagi could see a man running toward them, as fast as he possibly could. And following the man was some kind of creature, with pale grey skin that stood out against the darkness. He couldn't make out any other features.
"Open the gate!" the man cried as he ran. "There isn't much time!"
"I can't!" the gate guard replied. "The rakghouls are too close!"
"The mutants will kill him if you don't open the gate!" the woman pleaded.
"And if I open the gate they'll kill us all!" the guard replied.
Kagi chose this time to stride forward, charging his blaster rifle. "Open that gate!" he ordered, using his drill sergeant voice. "I'll deal with these rakghouls."
"You would risk your life for a stranger?" the guard said, astonished. "You are brave, up-worlder."
"Less talk, more mutant death," Kagi said. "Open that gate!"
The guard nodded, triggering the lever to slide the gate into the ground. The two Republic soldiers charged out, their blasters spitting hot light. Kagi could get a good look at the creature now; it was humanoid in form, with long arms that dangled to the ground, tipped with broken claws. It moved in a hunched over half-run, and its powerful leg muscles looked like they could send it leaping a half dozen meters. The monster had no visible eyes, nose or ears, but it did have a huge mouth studded with broken, bacterially-infected fangs.
The creature leapt at the man they were trying to save, but a strong bash to the side of its head from the stock of Kagi's blaster rifle disabused it of the notion. The creature flailed to the ground, screeching in pain, as it struggled to right itself.
Kagi and Carth stepped right up to it, taking care to stay out of the range of its teeth or claws, and opened fire into its side. The stink of burning, rotten flesh filled the air, even overwhelming the ozone smell of the blasters discharging.
The monster twitched once, and did not move again.
"Now will you open the gate?" the man cried to the gate guard.
Without a word, the guard dropped the gate, and the three of them returned to the inside of the village.
"I can't thank you enough for saving me, up-worlder," Hendar said. "If I had anything but the rags on my back, they would be yours. But we have nothing."
"I still have you, Hendar," the woman said. "That's all I need."
The two ran back toward the center of the village. Kagi watched them a moment, and nodded. Then he turned back around.
"Thank you for saving Hendar," the gate guard said. "You are braver than I, up-worlder. Maybe we Outcasts have lived too long in selfish fear. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from your brave actions. But I have rambled on enough. Is there anything you need, up-worlder?"
Kagi jerked his left thumb at the gates. "I kinda do need to get out."
"Oh, absolutely," the guard said, triggering the gates open. "Goodbye, up-worlder."
Nodding, the two Republic soldiers exited the village, looking around cautiously. It was like an entirely different world out there. Carth pointed to their right.
"Look, Sith patrol."
"Screw 'em," Kagi replied. "Not our problem." He pointed right ahead of them, past a pile of rubble, to the corner of what looked like a drainage pipe. "I think we could get in over there, no problem."
Carth nodded, and turned to follow. They had only gone a few steps when they heard a voice call out from behind them.
"Please, you have to help me! Nobody else is going to help me! Even the Beks won't help me!"
The two soldiers turned to see a blue-skinned young Twi'lek girl running up to them, hysteria on her features. Her spacer's clothes were stained with sweat, as if she'd just run a marathon.
"But I can't just leave him there!" she continued, running up to them. "He's my friend! You'll help me, won't you?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kagi said, holding his hands up. "Calm down there, little missy. You wouldn't happen to be Mission Vao, would you?"
She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "What if I am?"
"Gadon Thek said you could help me," the soldier replied calmly.
"Gadon?" she wheezed, trying to catch her breath. "What? I… I don't know what you're talking about. Please, Zaalbar's in trouble. He needs help or they're going to sell him into slavery!"
"Who's going to sell him to slavery?" Kagi asked, confusion knitting his brow. "What happened?"
"Me and Zaalbar were just wandering around here in the Undercity," she replied, gulping in deep breaths. "You know, looking for stuff we can find, kind of exploring. We do it all the time."
"I guess with a Wookie at your side, you figure you can handle the odd rakghoul attack," Carth said, looking back at the monster they had killed.
The Twi'lek girl nodded at the pilot. "Only this time, they were waiting for us," she explained. "Gamorrean slave hunters. We didn't even have a chance to run. Big Z threw himself at him, and roared at me to run. I took off. I figured Zaalbar would be right behind me. But there were too many of them, he couldn't get away. They're going to sell him to a slaver, I just know it!"
"Where'd they take him?" Kagi asked, checking the charge in his blaster rifle. Poor thing hadn't gotten a rest since he'd woken up.
"I don't know for sure, but they like to hang out in the sewers," she replied. "I guess the stink reminds 'em of home or something."
"How about we help each other out? We'll help you find Zaalbar, you get us into the Black Vulkar base."
"Deal," she said. "As soon as we find Big Z, I'll show you the back entrance to the Vulkar base. Now let's go find him before they sell him to slavers, or worse!"
"Let's mosey," Kagi said, turning and resuming the original course beyond the pile of rubble. Once they were past it, the soldier spotted a gradient leading down to a sewer grate. He turned and smirked at Carth. "Told you."
The two soldiers wrestled the grate free of the opening, then Kagi lead the way inside…