Savior Self

Taris part four.

Rated PG13

Disclaimer: is your mother

Savior Self

They followed the apartment complex ring for a while, stealing from abandoned and occupied hotel rooms, until they came across a man who yelped and screamed, backing away.

"Please… please don't hurt me! You don't have to kill me – I'll have Davik's money if he… if he just gives me a little more time! Please, I don't want to die! Here – I've got 50 credits on me. That's all I've got. It's yours –just don't tell Davik where I'm hiding, okay? I'm begging you."

Cortessa smiled gently. "Don't worry – I'm not going to hurt you." Carth nodded, giving the man an encouraging smile.

The man looked stunned. "You mean you're not here to kill me? But… I thought you were one of Davik's bounty hunters. If you're not here to kill me… what do you want?"

"I'm just looking around," Cortessa told him.

The man looked as if he had been scared to death. He spoke in a relieved, shaking voice. "Just looking around? Oh… okay. Go ahead, look around. Just don't tell Davik I'm here, okay?"

"Sure," Cortessa said, and rummaged around in a footlocker nearby. Nothing of interest. She returned to the man in the middle of the room.

He jumped at her touch. "What… what do you want now? You're not going to tell Davik's bounty hunters where I'm hiding, are you?"

Carth was amazed when Cortessa offered to help him with his problem with Davik.

The man shook his head sadly. "I don't think anyone can help me. I owe Davik money, and I was late with the payment. So he went to Zax in the bounty office and put a price on my head! I've been hiding here ever since, but sooner or later, someone will find me. Unless I somehow come up with another 200 credits, I'm a dead man."

Cortessa patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry – I won't tell anyone you're hiding here."

His eyes shone with tears. "Thank you – you've saved my life. At least until one of Davik's bounty hunters finds me."

Cortessa left and slipped back into the Upper City walkway. They walked in silence, but were stopped by a small group of drunks.

"What is this planet coming to, huh? Slummies just walking around the Upper City!" roared one.

"Shouldn't you go back to the Lower City were you belong, slummie?" growled a second.

Carth rolled his eyes. "Well this is rich."

"Yeah!" said another. "Like he said! These streets are for Upper City citizens! You better get out of our way if you know what's good for you!"

Cortessa stuck her thumbs in her pockets and put on a loud, friendly voice. "Hey, guys, we can all be friends here! Let me buy you a drink, eh?"

This pleased the drunks. They looked at each other with glee and clapped.

"A drink? Hey – for a slummie you ain't so bad! Come on, boys – this slummie's buying the next round!"

One of them seemed to be more sober than the rest. "No way!" he mumbled. "Forget it! No more drinks! We're late enough as it is."

The others shrugged. "Yeah… I guess you're right." One turned to Cortessa. "Maybe next time, slummie. Come on fellas, let's go."

They wandered off. Cortessa rolled her eyes and spat on the ground, as if speaking to them had sullied her tongue, before she continued on. Carth followed behind, ignoring the mocking sway in her hips. He turned his eyes to the horizon, where the sun was almost gone. They would need to return to their apartment soon.

They poked their head into a droid shop, and there was a Twi'lek owner, but there was nothing they needed there so they moved on.

Just as night had begun to set, they approached an elevator, where a Sith guard was standing.

"Excuse me," Cortessa said sweetly, approaching.

He didn't look twice at her before he began speaking, emphasizing every other word. "This elevator is off limits. Only Sith patrols and those with proper authorization papers are allowed into the Lower City. It's obvious from the way you're dressed that you're not one of the Sith patrols, so unless you have the authorization papers you must move along!"

Cortessa stepped away and continued on, back to their apartments. "This place is crap," she told Carth that night as she slipped into bed.

Carth smiled. "What gave you that idea?"

She sat up and looked at him, eyebrows raised.

Carth sighed, rolling his eyes. "It was a joke."

------

They woke up early the next morning to get a start on their activities. Carth pulled on his orange jacket and his pants and waited for Cortessa to step out from the bathroom, but when she appeared she was dressed in her regular clothing.

"What about the uniform?" he asked unhappily.

"I'm not going to wear it," she said, blinking. "It's too big for me."

Carth groaned. "So you're going to force me into it?"

"Damn right, flyboy."

"Well, at least you aren't calling me 'doll,'" Carth muttered, grabbing the uniform. He pulled it on and she wrapped him on his new metal chest once he was finished.

"Let's get a move on," she said, dancing out the door and out of sight, and he cringed when he heard her call back, "doll!"

------

"I want to know more about you," Carth said as they walked back to the elevator that led to the Lower City.

Cortessa shrugged. "There's not much to know," she replied, glancing back. "Slugger city kid grew up n' joined the army. Wasn't no good at fighting – had great reflexes with melee weapons, though. Put me on scout detail. I smuggled goods from planet to planet… Republic goods, so don't look at me like that." (Carth had cocked an eyebrow in disbelief.) "Was working some trade goods to Manaan when I was pulled out at a station. Got transferred onto the Endar Spire and now here we are."

"You're not telling me much," Carth said. "You're being impersonal. I know that tactic, so don't try to fool me."

"I love candy and kissing in the rain."

Carth coughed, flushing a little. "Alright, then," he said, his voice a little bit high-pitched, and he continued on.

An old man had set up a stand on a major corner. Two men stood nearby, groaning and ordering him to stop, but the man kept screaming. Cortessa stepped up. "What's going on here?" she asked.

The man smiled. "Greetings, my Sith friends. Rest assured, I have all the proper permits to be here spreading my message."

A younger man cut in. "You Sith should shut this guy up! I think he's violently dangerous! Just listen to him!"

The old man continued. "Feel free to stay and listen if you wish. You'll find my message most enlightening."

Though Cortessa asked questions, the old man said nothing more. Sighing, she continued to the elevator. Carth walked on her heels, watching her braid swing as she looked from left to right, checking for possible danger.

He had summed her up. She was a playful, irrational, headstrong, and sarcastic woman. Though she didn't want to admit it, she was also very frightened of others and, apparently from what's she'd told him, she was a romantic tom-boy.

He actually decided he liked her then.

They came to the elevator. The Sith guard talked to them in a different air – a talkative one, instead of brisk. "Another patrol heading down to the Lower City, eh? Good luck… I've heard it's pretty rough down there. There's a big swoop gang war going on, you know. You'd better watch yourself; those gangs will take a shot at anyone – even us! It's too bad we don't have the manpower to just sweep those slums clean."

Carth forced a chuckle, urging Cortessa ahead.

"Hey, wait," said the guard, cocking his gun at Cortessa. "Who's that?"

Carth struggled. Cortessa batted her eyelashes, tilting her chest forward. "Sure you want t' know, darling?" she asked him in a swingy, soft, flirty accent.

The Sith guard shifted uneasily. "No, I suppose not," he said apprehensively, and looked away. Carth could hear the faint rattling of the man's armor as he shook. The Sith guard shook his head and tapped his gun nervously.

Carth pushed Cortessa inside the elevator and shot her a glare after her had slipped off his helmet. "What was that about?" he hissed.

She shrugged, grinning. "What can I say, doll?" she replied. She looked him up and down. "You can take that uniform off."

He spluttered. "What?"

She laughed, tilting her head back as she giggled. "You're an idiot! My gods! I wasn't implying anything, you sick, rutting Bantha! Look, the Lower City might accept us better if we're not burning with the Sith logo, alright?"

Carth thought about it, shaking off the sting of being called a rutting Bantha. "You're right," he said, and stripped off the uniform into his normal clothes. He folded it up and put it in their supply sack for later.

When they stepped out they were greeted by a small gang battle. Cortessa cut through them all, driving her vibroblades right inside their skulls and pulling it back out with a sickening lurch. Carth felt himself convulse as she actually touched the blood on her weapon.

"We need to keep moving," she said, and led him down to a cantina in the Lower City. A Rodian bouncer didn't look twice at them as he mischievously played with his head stalks.

They stepped inside in time to watch a small group of aliens pop up and start harassing a short man in foreign robes. Cortessa strode right between them to talk with a citizen, but Carth watched with interest. Beneath those strange robes Carth could see the dark glint of mesh overlay. This man had more than what first met the eye.

As promised, the man blew the aliens to bit after warning them thrice. Cortessa wasted no time in picking their corpses. Carth continued on to find a Twi'lek girl having a heated argument with a Rodian. This wasn't an adult Twi'lek, either. He estimated an age between thirteen and sixteen.

"… Just a sec, boys. Zaalbar, a little help here? I need you to rip the legs off some insects."

Carth's ears perked up as he heard a guttural, growling reply. A Wookiee here on Taris? They were just getting all kinds of sorts, weren't they?

" Mission – I'm busy. They just brought my food!"

"Quit complaining… you can finish eating later. Besides, you need the exercise, so get over here!"

The Rodian blanched and waved his arms. "We no want trouble with Wookiee. Our problem with you, little girl!"

The Twi'lek tossed her head, grinning. Carth was reminded strongly of Cortessa's cheeky attitude. "You got a problem with me, then you got a problem with Big Z. So unless you want to take on my furry friend, I suggest you greenies hop on out of here."

The Rodian was seething. "Little girl lucky she has big friend," he growled, and stalked off.

Cortessa came up behind Carth and rested her hands on his shoulders. He started but calmed down when he heard her familiar voice in his ear.

"Let's talk to her, doll."

He groaned. "Stop calling me 'doll.' And do we have to talk to everyone we meet?"

"I can call you 'doll' as much as I damn well please, doll. And if we want to find Bastila, yes, we do have to talk to everyone."

"Oh!" Carth gasped. He had forgotten about Bastila! Of course! He stepped aside, letting Cortessa speak.

"Hello there," she said, looking up at the big Wookiee. He stared back, his face twisted up with displeasure.

"Why are you bothering me?" he asked.

"Uh," said Cortessa.

The teenage Twi'lek laughed. "Hey, relax, Big Z! No need to be rude!" She looked at Cortessa and sat on a counter, swinging her legs. "Sorry about that, but Wookiees ain't much for conversation, you know?" She paused, looking her over, running her gloved hand over her headtail once in consideration. "Say, I don't recognize you and I know pretty much everyone in the Lower City. You must be new down here. I guess that makes me and Big Z your official welcoming committee!"

Cortessa smiled, shaking the Twi'lek's hand. "I see we speak the same language," she said. "That's unusual."

The girl shrugged, lolling her head. "It's not that strange. Most aliens can speak Basic, they just prefer to use their own language. But I grew up here on Taris so I just sort of got used to speaking the native tongue."

Carth liked this girl already. While he usually hung back in conversations, he decided to jump in on this one. "You showed a lot of guts dealing with those Vulkars, kid. You got a name?"

The girl grinned. "My name's Mission Vao and this big Wookiee is my best friend, Zaalbar. I'd offer to give you a tour, but the streets down here aren't safe. But if there's anything else you need…" Cortessa didn't catch it, but Carth noticed the smarmy tone in her voice. He was shocked.

Cortessa rested her hands on her hips, tossing her head to get her bangs out of her eyes. "I want to ask you some questions."

Mission looked back at her. "Well, you came to the right person!" she said proudly. "If you want info on Lower Taris I'm the one to talk to! Davik, the Lower City gangs… I even got the scoop on that bounty hunter Calo Nord!"

"'The scoop?'"

Mission stuck out her tongue.

Cortessa laughed. "Fine, then. Tell me about Calo Nord."

Mission took a deep breath, prepping herself. "Calo Nord's one of the most famous bounty hunters in the galaxy," she began. Zaalbar sighed. "He's killed more people than the Iridian Plague! I've seen him kill people just for trying to talk to him!" Cortessa whistled, long and low. Mission continued. "He hangs around Zax's bounty office, but I don't think he's looking for work there. All the postings there are small time – way beneath a bounty hunter of his caliber. I figure Calo's been hired by Davik to do a special job for the Exchange. I'd wager a thousand credits that as soon as the quarantine ends, he'll be getting off this rock." She sighed, and her headtails drooped. "Wish I could get off this rock. I hate being stuffed down here with the riff-raff and the swoop gangs."

Cortessa rested a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me about the Lower City gangs."

Mission nodded and lolled her head. "There are only two gangs worth worrying about here in the Lower City: the Black Vulkars, and the Hidden Beks. Sometimes Zaalbar and I hang out at the Bek base." She took a deep breath. "The Beks are head by Gadon Thek – he's a good guy. Lost his sight in a swoop bike accident a few years ago, but even blind he's a great leader. Not like that traitor Brejik!" She spoke so loudly a few heads turned to decipher what the noise was about. Her voice grew quiet again. "Before he took over the Vulkars he was a Hidden Bek. Gadon considered that ungrateful space slug his adopted son!"

"Why did Brejik leave the Hidden Beks?"

"When Gadon went blind everyone figured he'd step down and appoint Brejik in his place. But Gadon figured Brejik wasn't ready yet. He wanted him to wait a few years." Cortessa nodded, letting Mission continue. Mission cracked her neck and swiped a half-empty bottle off of the counter to drink some of it before she spoke again. "But Brejik was too impatient. He left to join the Vulkars, and ever since he's been waging a war to wipe Gadon and his Beks from the face of Taris! This gang was in the Lower City is totally the Vulkar's fault! They're the ones killing everything that moves out in the street! It's like they've gone insane!"

"Tell me about Davik, now, okay? Then I'll let you go."

"Deal." They palmed a credit between them. Mission stuffed it in her breast pocket and thought for a moment. "Davik's part of the intergalactic crime syndicate, but I guess everyone knows that. But I hear he's got a new ship for his smuggling operations – the Ebon Hawk." She shrugged, lolling her head, and this appeared to be a habit of hers. "I don't know much about space travel, but I hear that ship's fast enough to break the Sith blockade. Of course, this all just second hand rumor."

Carth was fascinated. Perhaps this was a way off this planet for good. He tested his ground. "Where would he keep it? Do you know?"

Mission grinned at him, thrusting the empty bottle in his direction before she waved it haplessly. "What's it to you?"

Carth shrugged. Mission chuckled, pressing the bottle to her lips, though there was nothing left in it.

"If Davik does have a ship, he's got it locked up in his estate. Nobody gets in there, except the people working for Davik and the Exchange." Zaalbar, who was actually rather quiet throughout this whole thing, nodded, growling quietly.

Cortessa glanced up at him. "So… How do a Wookiee and a Twi'lek teenager end up as best friends?" she asked thoughtfully. Zaalbar stared back, her eyes dark and thoughtful.

Mission giggled, patting her friend's arm and lolling her head again. Carth thought she was a little adorable… rather like a playful child. "We just kind of fell in together. It ain't easy on your own here in the Lower City – everyone's always looking to push you around. Right, Big Z?"

The Wookiee nodded again.

"So we noticed," Carth said, motioning to the dead aliens on the floor, still charred from the charge Calo Nord had set. "But still, you seem like an odd pair."

Mission tossed the bottle over her shoulder, and it landed perfectly in the dispenser in the floor. "When I met up with Zaalbar, it seemed like a good match. I knew we could look out for each other. With my street smarts and his muscle, we make a great team."

Cortessa nodded. "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"Nadda," Mission replied.

Cortessa smiled. "Alright then. I'll be going now."

Mission blinked. "You're going?" she asked, sounding surprised, but she quickly recovered, putting on a bored tone. "Yeah, this dive is pretty boring. No action around here. Come on, Big Z, let's go."

Zaalbar cried out in protest. "But I haven't finished eating!"

Mission rolled her eyes. "Can't you think about something besides your stomach for five minutes? Come on – we'll go see if there's anything good to eat at the Bek base." As she steered her furry friend out the door, Carth was amused to see him swipe his sandwich off the table and bring it with him.

He started as Cortessa pressed a hand to his cheek. She really needed to stop whispering in his ear.

"Looks like we got ourselves a ship," she told him.

"Looks like it, indeed," he muttered, and unwound himself from her grip.

------

Author's Notes: I got nothing to say, really.

SilverSentinal21 - Thank you. I decided to add that little quirk in, and it seems to work. After all, it makes some sense.

Vila Sky - Thanks so much, love. I worked hard.