Slayers of the Old Republic

Book II: Taris

By Michael Weyer

The smell that assailed them as they exited the elevator was even worse than above. Also worse was the lighting. The Undercity seemed to be covered in darkness from above, the only lights dim and coming from the fires that raged around the small encampment just outside the elevators. There were tents constructed of everything from trash to starship parts and some artificial lamps had been put together as well. Surprisingly, there was a lack of actual trash on the ground, which put it a level above the Lower City. However, the group suspected the reason for that was that the people here couldn't spare anything to throw away.

The first thing they saw once their eyes adjusted were a pair of men in dirty and tattered rags glaring at them. "You there, up-worlder!" one cried out. "This is our elevator! You want to use it, you pay the toll! Five credits!"

Carth threw up his hands. "I don't believe this planet! Even the beggars are trying to shake us down!"

"Who are you?" Buffy said, trying to keep her disdain hidden.

"We are the Outcasts," the other man said. Banished here by those who live above. Forced to scrounge for scraps and beg for what we can in order to survive in this terrible place."

Having lived on the streets on two different worlds, Faith couldn't help but feel some sympathy for these wretches. She reached into her pocket and held out ten credits. "Here."

One man instantly grabbed them and squealed. "Credits! We have credits, brother!"

"Hush!" his companion hissed. "Not so loud! Someone may try to take them from us!"

"Hey, you two! Get out of here, don't bother those people!" A tall black man with a dark beard came up to the group. Despite the rags, he carried himself with a dignified manner and was obviously a man of authority. The two beggars scampered off, muttering to each other about their newfound fortune. The man sighed and shook his head to the group. "I apologize. We're not all like that down here. Most of us are good people."

"I'm sure you are," Carth diplomatically said. "Too bad your welcoming committee has to give people the wrong impression."

The man nodded. "Yes, they do give us a bad name. I apologize. I'm Gendar, the leader of the Undercity residents, as my father was before me and his father as well."

"Your family has been down here that long?" Vance asked in surprise.

Gendar's face became drawn. "Taris' laws are clear. Once exiled, you cannot return and that shame is passed down to your children. I do wish it was different. I can understand why Rukil still clings to his stories."

"Rukil?"

"The oldest man in the village, over a century but still spry. The children call him Rukil Wrinkle-Skin but he's a good man. I do think it's a bit much for him to keep going on about the Promised Land. But it's a story that makes the children happy so I suppose there's no harm."

Before Vance could ask about the 'Promised Land,' Carth cut in. "We're looking for some escape pods that might have crashed down here."

Gendar made a knowing smile. "I thought as much. You're not the first up-worlders to come down here in search of those pods. Gang members, men in armor…we rarely get people from above down here in these dark and sunless lands."

"I can't imagine why," Vance muttered under his breath, earning him an elbow in the side from Buffy.

"We're also looking for a Twi'lek, Mission Vao," Carth continued.

"Ah, yes," Gendar nodded. "She passed by here not long ago with her friend, that Wookie. Brave girl, she goes where few of us dare into rakghoul territory."

"So they do exist?"

"Yes. It's one of the reasons we gather behind this gated section, for protection. As well as the fact that we can share resources and band together. It's a hard life but we do our best."

"These rakghouls," Buffy began. "How bad are they?"

Gendar's face darkened. "A blight. A bite from them unleashes their venom and it's only a matter of time before the victims mutate into rakghouls themselves. The hardest part of being leader…is being forced to send people out through the gates before they can transform." He sobered as he looked to them. "If you go out, be prepared. I wish you all luck." He nodded to them before walking away.

The group walked through the camp, noting how the people had done their best to gather around heating vents and water pipes, everything they could to improve themselves. They were walking by one tent when a rasped voice croaked out. "You."

They stopped and turned to see an elderly man rising to his feet. His face was deeply marked with wrinkles, his body hunched with age but his eyes still twinkled with fierce fire as they focused on Buffy. "Yes…you are the one I have waited for. Is it the time of destiny then? Or…or another false hope? Is it a portent of salvation of my people? Or merely another false sign to mislead us from the true path? Are you the herald of prophecy? The beacon to guide us through the darkness? Or are you merely another harbinger of shattered dreams and unfulfilled promises?"

"Is this guy merely senile? Or totally cracked?" Vance whispered to Faith.

"Careful," Carth whispered back at them. "He may be just crazy enough to be dangerous."

"Who are you?" Buffy asked, although she already suspected.

"I am Rukil. Rukil the Elder. Rukil the Mad. Rukil Wrinkle-Skin. What fate brought you to us?"

"Fate?"

The old man frowned. "You seem uncertain…perplexed…and so much has been hidden from you. Ah, but I become confused myself sometimes, after a hundred years of life. Nonetheless…I believe you are the ones I have waited for."

"Maybe you have us confused with someone else," Vance said, obviously baffled by the old man's behavior.

"I do not believe so, young Vance," Rukil said. "No…no, I recognize the mantle of destiny before you. Perhaps I know you better than you know yourself." He gazed at Buffy with that, which made the young Jedi nervous.

"Um, listen, buddy," Faith stated carefully. "No offense but maybe we should just go and…"

"You are to find the Promised Land."

"The what?"

Rukil leaned against his tent. "Long ago, when I was a child, the great city of Taris covered the entire globe. There is no land to grow crops. We relied on harvests from the sea but the oceans became poisoned. Famine and civil war swept the planet as the rich hoarded the food and let the poor starve."

"Doesn't look like much has changed," Faith muttered.

Rukil didn't seem to hear her. "In the Great War, the poor finally rose up to fight for their rights. Entire sections of the city were wiped out and had to be rebuilt and millions perished. In the end, the Rebellion was crushed and the jails overflowed with prisoners. So the rulers of above decided that the survivors and their families were to be exiled below. And thus the Undercity was born."

"Then what's this Promised Land?" Buffy asked.

"A base the Rebels had…hidden somewhere underground…a self-sufficient colony where robot servants could attend to our needs, where we could grow our own food and live in much better comfort than now."

Carth was dubious. "Sounds to me like a con, a story made up to give false hope to the people down here to keep from going mad."

"Or," Vance inserted. "To stop them from rising up against the Uppers again."

Rukil shook his head. "My father and his father before him, spent many years gathering clues indicating the Undercity was no myth. I followed their teachings as best I could, even after both had vanished. I believe they have journals with them, journals that contain the clues needed to find the Undercity. Up-worlders, I ask you, I beg you. Please find the journals. Bring them here so we may escape this horrific life!"

Buffy pursed her lips. "I…I can't promise anything."

Rukil smiled. "You will do your best, Jedi. You always do, I suspect." He backed into his tent. "I bid you farewell for now." He sat and turned away as the group exchanged baffled expressions.

"Okay, that was weird," Vance remarked. "So, what, we're supposed to go on some crazy treasure hunt for a mythical land?" He shook his head. "Maybe I should have charged double for this job."

Faith rubbed her chin. "I don't know…I think that guy may be onto something."

Carth snorted. "Please, he's just a crazy old man. What makes you think he could know anything?"

Faith glanced at him. "You recall introducing ourselves?"

Carth frowned. "No."

"Then how come he knew B was a Jedi? Or for that matter, how'd he know Vance's name?"

Carth couldn't up with an answer to that as the group made their way to the large gate at the end of the camp. As they came up, they saw a pretty young woman pleading hysterically to the man standing by the gate. "You have to open it!"

"It's too early!" the man snapped.

"He'll make it! I know he will!" The woman leaned on the gate, calling out. "Run, Hendar, run!"

On the other side of the gate, a man was running hard, lugging a small bag with him. Behind him was a creature that reminded the two Slayers of some of the lower-rung demons they used to battle. It was on all fours, running hard, its gray skin seeming to glow slightly. It was the size of two men, its head large and mouth rimmed with sharp teeth, the claws on its hands glistening as well.

"Open the gate!" the man yelled as he came up.

"Open it!" the woman echoed.

The guard hesitated and shook his head. "It's too close!"

The woman grabbed his shirt and shook him. "If you don't open it, it'll kill him!"

"And if it gets in here, Hester, it'll kill us all!"

"No! You can't let this happen!" the woman cried, tears in her eyes.

"Ah, for…" Buffy marched forward and slammed the button to open the gate. Before the two Undercity residents could react, she had her lightsaber up and swinging. She was a bit surprised when her first blow only seemed to slow the creature down. Its hide was much tougher than she had anticipated. Luckily, Vance was there, bringing his own sword to slice over the beast's back. Buffy slammed her saber into its chest to finally bring it down.

The Outcasts stared in amazement at the sight. "You'd risk your life for a stranger's?" the guard asked. "I did not think there were up-worlders who felt as you do."

"Thank you," Hendar breathed. "If I had anything but the rags on my back, I'd reward you."

"You'll always have me, dear husband," Hester said as she embraced him. The two headed back into the village as Carth and Faith joined with Buffy and Vance.

"Ah, always good to have a happy turn-out," Buffy remarked as she put her saber away.

The guard nodded to them. "You'd best have your weapons out if you're going in. There are more of these monsters out there…and some of them don't give you as much warning." He backed up and slid the gates shut with an ominous clanking sound.

The true horrors of the Undercity were clear as the four walked along. There was little trash as most things had been stripped away but it was clear that there were none of the signs of maintaining the environment as there had been with the Outcast village.

They had only gone a little ways when they heard a voice calling out to them. "Help! You have to help!" From the darkness, a small but familiar form came running toward them. "Nobody else is going to help him! Even the Beks won't help him! But I can't just leave him there, he's my friend! You have to help him!"

"Whoa, whoa, Mission, hold up!" Faith yelled, holding up her hands to slow the Twi'lek down, literally. "What's going on?"

Mission took a deep breath. "It's Zaalbar…they took him! We were exploring, poking around, looking for adventure like usual. But then these ugly Gammoreans went after us! Big Z tore at them, told me to run. I…I thought he was right behind me but…there were too many of them! They're going to sell him to a slaver, I know it! You have to help us."

"Okay, okay, we'll help," Faith said.

"Hold on," Vance broke in. "What about a way into the Vulkar base?"

"I'll do whatever you ask, just help me get Big Z back!" Mission cried out.

"All right, we're in," Faith stated.

Mission grinned. "Oh, thank you so much!" She gave Faith a quick hug and backed up. "They brought him into the sewers. I guess the smell reminds them of home. That's also where I can show you a way into the Vulkar base."

"Lead the way."

They spent a few minutes wandering the Undercity, Vance pausing to examine a dead body. "Hmmm…interesting," he muttered as he lifted up a datapad. "This mentions something about the Promised Land."

"You're kidding," Carth said. "That thing's for real?"

"It looks like," Vance confirmed. "Hmm…looks like this only has pieces of it however. It's like a map but it's incomplete without some other parts."

"We'll keep an eye out," Buffy said. "How far to the sewers?"

"This way," Mission said as she led them over. As they walked, she glanced to Carth. "So, you're with the Republic, huh? You've been all over the galaxy I bet, right? So tell me, how would you rate Taris compared to other worlds you've seen?"

Carth hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'll be honest Mission, Taris would rate pretty low. The prejudice, the rich spoiling themselves while the poor are crushed beneath them – not a pretty picture."

"Yeah, but that's only since the Sith occupation." Mission claimed. "Before that…" She paused and wrinkled her brow. "Well, I guess it wasn't all that different, really. Hmm… maybe Taris ain´t as great as I thought, you know?"

"Trust me, Mission," Carth stated. "There are a lot of worlds better than Taris. There are worse, too. But Taris is no place for a kid to live on her own – even a kid who´s got a Wookiee to look out for her."

It was obvious to everyone else that he hit a nerve with that one. "Hey, I ain´t no kid!" Mission snapped. "And I look out for Zaalbar as much as he looks out for me. Big Z´s my friend, not my babysitter! Geez, I come ask you a question and I give you a lecture!"

"Don´t you snap at me, missy!" Carth snapped right back. "You want a lecture? How's this: only bratty little children fly off the handle because of a simple comment!"

"I don't need this, Carth! You ain't my father! Although you're sure old enough to be! I don't need this!"

"I don't either!" the soldier fired back. "I've got better things to do than-----" The rest of his tirade was cut off as a rakghoul charged out of the shadows and tackled him down. Carth yelled in pain as the creature bit down, tearing through his armor and into flesh. Faith moved at blinding speed, her rage pushing her on as she kicked the creature off Carth. Buffy moved to his side to check his wound as Faith pulled out her sword and jammed it into the creature's head. Despite having several inches of metal piercing its single eye, the ghoul still managed to thrash about for several moments before Vance sliced his blade across its neck.

Buffy was channeling the Force as she held her hands over Carth's wound. "Ah, damn…not good…not good…"

"It's in me, right?" Carth rasped. "The venom…Oh, damn…I'm gonna become…one of those things…"

"Shut up," Buffy snapped. "We'll figure out something. Maybe my healing can slow it down…."

"But not cure it, right?" Carth said. He closed his eyes and took a breath. "Dammit…you should kill me first…before I change…you should…"

"We're not doing that," Vance said as he wiped off his sword. "There's gotta be something we can do!"

"Um, actually," Mission said as she rummaged through her pockets. "I think this may help." She held up a set of vials that were filled with green liquid.

Buffy peered. "Are those what I think they are?"

"Rakghoul serum," Mission said. "I got it off the body of a Sith who got canceled a bit back. I was gonna bring it over to the village when Z and I got jumped."

Buffy took the vials and examined them, then handed them to Faith. "Okay, Faith, get Carth up top to that medical facility. Forn will be able to figure out how to use these."

"You got it," Faith said as she helped Carth up. "Come on, flyboy."

Carth winced as he rubbed his shoulder. "Are you sure…this will work?"

"One way to find out," Buffy said as she nodded to Faith. "Me and Vance will help Mission and get this accelerator back."

"Good luck, B," Faith stated as she helped Carth away.

Vance looked to Buffy and raised an eyebrow. "So just you and me, huh?"

Buffy gave him a flat look. "One word to whatever it is you're thinking: Jedi."

Vance had a flat smile of his own. "Oh, you'd be surprised how much I know about the Jedi, Buffy."

"Um, hate to interrupt, but can we get going?" Mission impatiently asked. "We've got a lot of sewer and a lot of Gammoreans to go through."

Buffy resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she once more wondered why nothing in her life was ever easy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Forn looked up as he saw Faith and Carth enter the shop. "Hello again. What can I…" He broke off as he saw Carth favoring his back and moved to help him sit on a table. He looked at the wound and paled. "Damn…rakghoul bite." He shook his head and backed up. "I'm sorry…there's nothing I can do. In fact, you'd better get him back down to the Undercity. If he transforms up here…"

"I've got something that can help," Faith said as she lifted up the vials.

Forn's eyes widened as he took them. "This…this can't be…the rakghoul serum! How did-----" He shook his head. "No, no I don't want to know. I think…yes, I can have an antidote for this created soon!"

"How soon?" Faith asked. "I mean, I gave him a shot before we came up but I don't know how well it'll work."

"Don't worry," Forn smiled. "I've been studying it long enough that I only need less than an hour to get it together. In fact, I could create enough for almost everyone in the Undercity!"

"Get hopping then," Faith said and Forn quickly moved to his lab. Faith turned to face Carth, smiling. "There ya go. You'll be right as rain in no time."

Carth just nodded and Faith's smile faded. "Okay, what's your problem? I'm saving your life and I think a little gratitude is called for!"

Carth glared up at her. "Let's get this straight, Faith. We may be working together, but that doesn't mean you get to interrogate me!"

"Why are you getting so upset?"

"Blast it! You've got to be the most frustrating woman to talk to! Go bother someone else for a while."

She nodded and turned away. "If that's what you want…"

"No, damn it! Don't...don't go, Faith." Carth sighed heavily. "I keep seeming to shove my foot in my mouth when it comes to you."

"Got that right," Faith remarked. "Listen, Carth, I may be accused of having a chip on my shoulder a lot but I really don't want to argue with you."

"And I don't want to be arguing with you, either." He looked out the window into something only he could see. "You're sincere enough...I guess..."

"Well, gee, thanks a bunch."

"I'm sorry," Carth said, looking back at her. "I know it's not your fault, it's just…I think of all the people I've put trust into and how many of them ended up betraying me…"

"Like Revan and Malak?"

The man nodded. "Five years ago, Revan and Malak were heroes. The Mandalorians were on the run...I was proud to serve in their fleet."

"And they became Sith."

"It was completely unexpected when they turned on us, invading while we were still weak from those pirates. No one knew what to think, least of all me. They were our heroes - in every sense. If you can't trust the best of the Jedi - well, who can you?"

He huffed. "But that's not the hard part. You want hard? I never knew Revan or Malak, not personally. But there were others: good, solid men who joined their cause and betrayed the Republic." His voice became bitter, and he was struggling not to yell. "Malak, Revan, the Sith...they deserve to die...all of them. The traitors deserve worse. They deserve no mercy - none."

Faith was taken aback. "Whoa. You say that with such...such hatred."

Carth seemed to think for a moment before making a decision. "I know you'll pry it from me sooner or later. Here it goes..." He looked up. "When I think about traitors, I see a face...I have a name. The traitor that sticks out among them was the man I respected the most - Saul Karath."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "Sorry, not up on Republic directory. Who's he?"

"That son-of-a-Hutt is commanding Malak's fleet - the highest-ranking Republic admiral to go over to the Sith. He's half the reason Malak's done so well at this war." Carth's face was tight, as was his voice, tight with barely restrained rage. "He was my commanding officer, my mentor...my...my friend. Taught me everything about being a soldier, and I looked up to him."

"And he turned," Faith realized. "He defected to the other side, I get it."

"No. You don't." Carth took a deep breath, trying to rein himself in. "Before he left, Saul approached me. He told me the Republic was on the losing side, how I should start thinking of my survival. I know now that he was trying to recruit me into the Sith, but back then...well, I just couldn't conceive of it. Saul led the Republic to so many victories against the Mandalorians - even when things looked the worst."

"You couldn't see him turning traitor." It wasn't a question.

"I argued with him. He left. I never saw him again. Not only did that bastard turn to the Sith, he gave them the codes to bypass our scanners. I woke up to Saul's fleet bombing Telos...seeing our ships on the ground wiped out before my eyes. I knew right away what happened." He closed his eyes. "I could have stopped it, Faith. I could have stopped it all."

"You can't know that," Faith tried to reassure him.

"I…I don't know. I might have killed him, or he might have killed me. I've followed his trail since it happened, hoping for the chance...I catch up to him, and he is going to regret what he's done."

Faith blew a strand of hair from her face. "Okay. So your buddy sold you and the Republic out. I get that. You hated him for it, all right. But you just said there were lots of guys who did the same thing. Just what got this Saul up your ass?"

"You wanna know why?" Carth yelled as he shot to his feet and got in Faith's face. "To prove his loyalty…as a….a test…Revan and Malak had Saul bomb Telos. He took out the bases and then he moved into the civilian population! People who had nothing to do with the war, blasted to pieces without even realizing what was happening!"

"Carth, take it-------"

"Telos was my home."

Faith's mouth opened in shock as Carth went on. "We barely got any defense at all…it was lucky that any soldiers got out. I raced to my home as best as I good, yelling for my wife and son. I saw the city I grew up in going up in flames, saw the bodies of people I'd known since childhood spread all around. My son, Dustil…I never found him, I don't know if he's alive or dead but I'm pretty sure it's the latter. My wife…I found her lying in the ruins of our house…I held her tight, telling her it would be all right…I was holding her when she…" He fell back on the bed, spent, tears running down his face.

Faith slowly worked her jaw up and down as she tried to gather herself. "Carth…Carth, I…I'm….I'm sorry. I'm sorry for saying…Oh, God…"

Carth wiped at his face. "It's…it's ok. I guess I've been holding all that in for too long. It's better to just…get it out now." He took a deep breath to try and steel himself, letting his soldier persona drop back down. "One thing that's kept me going…maybe the only thing…is knowing that someday I'll find Saul. And when I do…I'll kill him."

Faith bit her lip. "There's an old saying where I'm from. Before you go on a trip of revenge, dig yourself two graves."

Carth glared at her. "I don't care how you feel about it. I will kill him. Maybe then…maybe then, I can finally be at peace with myself." He looked away from her. "You couldn't understand."

Faith just stared at him before softly replying. "You'd be surprised, Carth."

The hum of Forn's lab was the only sound in the facility for a long time.