Chapter 3
Once more Skye focused herself on the upcoming battle. Not having seen the woman Ice fight as she had her last two competitors, Skye didn't have the advantage to know what to expect. She knew Ice was fast and deadly with a blaster: taking precise shots rather than random desperate sprays of bolts so a new strategy was in order- not to mention this woman Ice had a chance to see Skye twice in action.
The "lofting-over-the-enemy" shoulder move was out. At least as a first move. Skye drowned out the announcer's comment of ice water in the veins and steel on the bones. Her entire concentration was on the battle: to see it in her mind before it played out.
One concussion grenade lobbed, followed by an adhesive grenade and another concussion—rush in strike twice with the sword and dodge back out to hit with another concussion grenade and a flash grenade. The objective was to blind and immobilize the opposition. A Cyroban grenade to make it impossible for Ice to move with speed, let alone retain the dexterity it took to use blasters with any amount of accuracy. Strike again with the sword, dodge away; hit with another concussion grenade followed by a volley of poison and plasma grenades. Never give Ice a full chance to pinpoint her mark.
~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~
Carth like everyone else in the audience expected the Mysterious Stranger to charge and leap into battle, slam her hand down upon her enemy to vault herself into the air and slam her sword down on her enemy shoulder breaking it. What they got was Sky bolting from the alcove lobbing two grenades simultaneously one concussion the other adhesive. Ice was unable to move and so disorientated she couldn't lift her blasters. Skye rushed in took two hits of her blade, dashed back out. But this time Ice shook off the effects of the concussion grenade and struck Skye with twin shots of her heavy blasters. Skye might have been out if she hadn't lobbed another volley of concussion grenades at Ice. The Scout took the moment of Ice's confusion and mind fog to slam two epis of kolto into her leg before darted into melee range.
Skye ran in with two more swipes of the blade, and rolled out to throw another adhesive grenade before she rushed back in. Again, Ice fired off several shots that took Skye down to near incapacitation, but the Scout pressed on.
Skye lobbed yet another concussion grenade before she used her now patented launch-off-of-the-enemy's-shoulder strike.
Ice was done and out.
The battle had been far more intense than Skye anticipated. She gave a slight theatrical bow to the crowd before disappearing into the left side prep-room. Only there did she let out a long-suffering groan of pain and exhaustion. Her heart was racing from the natural adrenalin rush as well as the speed booster she had used. Her body shivered from the after effects. It would last a little while longer, long enough to take command of the court before she slumped again.
By the time Carth saw Skye reenter Ajuur's 'court', she had sauntered in and was speaking in growls to the Hutt. Carth knew that the posturing was mostly for show. No doubt she had self-administrated several emergency kolto injections prior to her appearance so she might walk confidently in front of the fans and the Hutt. Presentation and showmanship was all a part of the game. Ice had seriously done some damage to the Scout.
Ice emerged moments later limping and clutching her side. She looked like she suffered broken ribs and a broken clavicle.
What Skye truly suffered Carth could only hazarded a guess. No doubt there was internal injures taken by the powered-down blasters. The kolto injections could only heal so much; she would need to see a healer very soon. She also needed a sonic shower- blood, dirt and sweat clung to her like a second skin.
Skye knew as did anyone else possessing brain cells would, that she would not be able to go into another match so soon. She needed to rest, heal and gather her strength before she faced the remaining two gladiators of the arena. One was a blades-master named Marl, the other an ambidextrous quick-draw blaster-fighter everyone called Twitch. Skye being Nagai had more respect and more leeriness of the blades-master than she had of the blaster-fighter. Today was not the day to face either of them.
Several hundred credits the richer Skye left Ajuur's 'court' for the cantina proper. Her walk was confident if not a little theatrical, but it drew the eyes of the patrons. Most of them were whispering about how quickly she had climbed the ladder of the battle arena circuit. Many of them were simply happy the slug had found new blood to liven up the Ring's betting pool. Having survived Ice, the Mysterious Stranger had real potential. Some of the patrons wondered if she was one of the Hutt's ringers just to liven up the audience, ratings and of course the betting pools.
Some of the junior Sith officers wondered if they could get a pay bonus if they recruited the Mysterious Stranger into the ranks. It would be quite a coup for an enlisted shocktrooper if they managed to recruit the Mysterious Stranger before any of the higher ranked officers.
One such sergeant of the infantry moved through the crowd up to the smaller woman. Her eyes had followed this raven-haired Nagai since she had first entered the cantina. She hadn't known who the woman was now and she doubted that "Mysterious Stranger" was anything but a Hutt-given stage name. Still… there was something about her that hit Sarna as something familiar. She smiled feeling very confident that she knew what that 'feeling' was. The Mysterious Stranger was not a woman who trolled Boy's Town, despite their best efforts to buy her affections with drink or what they considered their best lines.
Sarna sauntered up to the dark-haired woman. "I'd like to buy the woman who won me so many credits a drink if I may."
Skye gave the blonde a demure smile. "I'm a bit parched. I definitely could do with a drink."
"What's your pleasure?" Sarna asked.
Skye cupped her hand over the blonde's that held the glass, raised it to her lips and took a deep sip. The dark brown liquid slipped down her throat hitting her stomach, burning all the way. "This will be perfect." She took a second sip, her eyes watching the blonde's over the rim of the glass.
"My pleasure," Sarna whispered, finding her voice slightly huskier than its typical octave. She felt warmth hit her stomach that had absolutely nothing to do with the Tarissian ale she had been drinking. She ordered another glass from the barkeep, leaving her last with the Mysterious Stranger.
"So, do you have a name or will I have to call you M.S.?"
"M.S.?" Skye quirked an eyebrow. "No I don't think so. Save that one for your buddies. Tell you what my Lady Sith, you tell me yours and you may have mine."
"You know I am a Sith and yet you still drink with me?" Sarna was a little taken aback, but not entirely in a bad way. Mostly she was extremely curious. "Most of the locals either start cursing us or back away."
"Not local," Skye said simply.
"A grounded spacer? You should be even angrier over the quarantine than the locals."
"I save my anger for the ring," Skye winked. "Besides I doubt it will last. Your military will need commerce if it wants to keep its base up and running, even if only allows a few frigates in and out. I'll wait it out, get authorized to hit the hyperspace routes again and be on my way. In the meantime, I can make a few credits in the ring… and enjoy the down time." Once more Skye fixed a flirtatious smile upon her face.
Blood seeped into Sarna's face at the veiled implication of "down time".
"Besides I'm a courier on retainer, I get paid either way."
"What about him?" Sarna asked of the hovering male she had seen the Mysterious Stranger conversing with before the matches.
"Oh him?" Skye shrugged indifferently. "Co-pilot. Not good enough for Fleet so 'Mommy' got him a gig with my employer and I got stuck with him in the second seat on my ship. Besides… he's not my type."
"Not good enough for the Fleet?"
"Hum." Skye nodded. "Always wanted to be a fly-boy but he can't handle the bigger ships and no good behind a fighter. He can't stay focused so he had to go commercial. Oh, he talks big, snarls like an old toothless kath-hound and about as dangerous."
Sarna laughed. "Is that so?"
Skye smiled. "On… to names do I call you L.S., my Lady Sith or do I get a name?"
"Sarna."
"Skye."
"An ironic name given this planet," Sarna scoffed lightly.
"Isn't it?" Skye tried not to show her disgust at the Tarissian government's treatment of the inhabitants of the lower levels of the mega-city. Coruscant too had multiple levels of city, and yes there was classicism but not to this extent. Any citizen in the lower levels of the Republic capital world was free to travel to and from any of the other levels regardless of class, wealth or status save for the senatorial level which of course was reserved for only Republic senators and their staff as well as the Jedi.
Taris was a whole other card game. Here the classicism left an acrid bitterness in the mouth that lingered long after it should. It was a trial not to show her inner distaste for such things especially with the Sith expounded on the diversity and segregation, however Skye had committed herself to the task and she would play the part well.
Carth sat back in one of the cantina's more private alcoves, attempting to be discrete as he watched Ravensong play the other woman. From his play at pazzak, he had learned the woman his companion was flirting with was Sith. He seethed inside that Ravensong was flawlessly fraternizing with the enemy. His natural predilection for mistrust raised a red flag before his judgmental eyes. He imagined Ravensong comparing notes with the Sith, telling them what she knew so far what the Republic didn't and the possibility that Bastila was alive and more likely either in the hands of Davik Kang or the swoop gangs.
As the woman laughed, his imagination worked overtime assuming they were laughing at him. Well, they did look his way, hadn't they? Ravensong had flashed a knowing smirk, he was sure of it. A smirk that said: 'you're dead now Republic' insert typical bad-guy evil laugh; better yet a hag's cackle. There had to have been a spy aboard the Endar Spire. It's just far too convenient to have been this special ops officer who speaks most languages or at least understands them join the ship last minute. One who is specializes in sniper, small range firearms and is deadly in hand to hand combat as well as melee- nearly as good as Jedi? He smirked back at her- if she was giving a false face, so could he.
Skye felt a bit unnerved the way Onasi kept staring at her, she attempted to signal him with a grin that conveyed she had the goods on the Sith. Apparently, the message was received because he smirked back.
Sarna had opened up a little, just enough for Skye to feed her the necessary lines to gain the woman's temporary trust. "Well you have to let your hair down every so often."
"Exactly!" Sarna smiled as she touched the woman's soft face. She loved the feel of her skin against her fingers. Better still she loved the tapered ends of the Nagai's ears. "Some of my team are getting together for a little party tomorrow night. We're not even bothering to return back to base to check our uniforms. I mean what's the point we have to go on patrol in the morning anyway, right?"
"Right," Skye smiled. "I hear you there, sister. Done that myself on occasion, kept the gear close at hand so I can hop to work, or at least look as if I had even if I am a little late."
Sarna leaned on Skye snickering a little drunkenly. "That is our thoughts too. Roll out of bunks climb back into those damn silver armor chassis and go walk-about. Get caught by a superior and say 'But sir we've been on duty since the start of shift, had to take care of a problem over in the South apartments with all those uppity aliens ducking in and out, you know how it is'."
Skye nodded pretending to sympathize.
"No offense on the alien bit, ehe… M.S.? I mean you're nearly human, and pointed ears are so sexy."
"Back to M.S., is it?" Skye ordered another drink for Sarna while drinking sparkling water herself. Her implants were already healing a great deal of the trauma done to her by her three bouts and no doubt would distil the alcohol in the ale but she wanted to keep a clear head for the moment. Besides, she didn't want Onasi questioning her motives when she told him about the party. "No offense taken. But ehe, mind if I drag the 'old Kath hound' to the party? He might take offense if he doesn't get to play in the sandbox with the other kiddies. He'll go balling to Mommy and I lose my very sweet retainer."
"Ewch, nothing like nobles pretending to be pirates to ruin the day. Yeah sure, bring Mommy's Boy along. Does he like the ladies or does he fly stick?"
"Never gave it much thought," Skye said truthfully.
"Whatever his flavor, there will be plenty of diversions at the party for a face like his."
Skye despite herself laughed, "Oh now I'd like to see that."
"Would you?" Sarna leaned in whispering huskily into Skye's ear. "Or would you like to see something a little more… risqué? Humm…" she flitted her eyebrow at the Nagai hoping to entice her.
Playing the game, Skye leaned forward and gnashed her teeth together growling low in her voice. "Oh I think your offer is far more… captivating. Until tomorrow night, Lady Sith," Skye ante'd the play by kissing Saran fully on the lips, even going as far as to nip her lower lip, leaving her target swooning just like she wanted her to be. Or it could have been all the ale the Sith was drinking at this point it was hard to tell.
Carth watched Ravensong pull away from the Sith woman and head for the exit. She lingered long enough for Carth to get the signal that he was to follow her out. Once out in the streets, Skye filed her lungs with the night air. Despite its pollutants, it was still cleaner than the filtered stink inside the Cantina.
No sooner had they left the bar, they were ambushed near Kelba's Emporium by two Rodians and the noble woman that had mistaken Skye for a waitress.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Skye grumbled.
"Now you will know how to treat your social betters," the woman taunted smugly.
"Too bad I don't see any here," Skye retorted.
"This isn't going to end well," Carth said.
"Get them!" screeched the pampered Tarissian heiress.
The Rodians pulled out blasters; they fired almost immediately in a spray of wild shots.
"Down you go!" Carth barked out. Taking time to actually aim his blaster, striking one of the Rodians dead in the chest. They fell in a dull thud.
Skye darted in as she had with Gerlon, and as she had with the blaster-fighter she used the Rodian's shoulder as a leverage spot to spring up into the air. But instead of slamming the backside of the blade into the shoulder to break it, she drove the blade deep into the joint of neck and shoulder, effectively decapitating the thug. The body went down in a wet slap; Skye rolled to her feet brought the sword to bear glaring at the astounded noble woman.
"Want some?"
"DADDY!" the heiress screamed and ran past the partition of the street proper and the enclosure of the emporium.
"Stupid shutta," Skye grumbled looking at the corpses figuratively on the Emporium's doorstep. "What is it with these people?"
"Noble by birth doesn't mean noble by spirit," Carth answered.
"She cost these two their lives and for what? Her pride?"
"Why did she sick her goons on you anyway? Did she lose creds in the matches you fought?"
"Don't know. She was in the posh-bar at the cantina. She thought I was a waitress and demanded her drink. I told her I didn't know where her drink was and I didn't even work at the bar. Then she grumbled about telling her "daddy" on me and I just laughed at her asking if she was "what five?" Told her to get over herself."
"Bet that went over well." Carth amused.
Skye burned him with a look, "Yeah." She pointed to the two dead bodies. "Very well." Sighing she hoisted one of the bodies over her shoulder and took the head in her free arm.
"What are you doing?"
"Dead bodies can't be good for Kelba's business. I'm dumping them over the side of the street." She gestured with her head to one of the elevated gantries back towards the cantina.
"What if we're seen?"
"Tell 'em they jumped us because they lost creds betting on the wrong person in the arena and attempted to get their money back the hard way," Skye reasoned. "For once bigotry will do us a favor. No one will ask because they are Rodians and not Humans."
"You have a point."
Carth picked up the male he downed and like Skye, he moved towards the gantry. "Don't they deserve a better send-off then this?"
"Yes." Skye would say no more as she tossed the body she carried over the railing along with the severed head. Both thumbed in free-fall for a moment before the shadows of the city streets below swallowed them up.
Carth tossed his own over, muttering an apology to the spirits of the slain. He caught Skye was moving a little more slowly than typical. He didn't think she had been hit by the Rodians wild-fire but then again, she had been in three matches in two hours and she wasn't completely healed from the crash. Whatever reserves she had been running on were taxed beyond the limits to pay.
"What to tell me what all that was about with you and that Sith in the canteen?" he said trying to change the subject. "You got real chummy."
"No problem. Mind if the debrief is a walk-and-talk? I need to head to the med-center."
"Of course. From my previous scouting, I found out from one of the protocol droids that there is a small clinic run by a Dr. Zelka Forn. I didn't go to him with you at first because these outer rim doctors always want money first before they even see the patient let alone treat them. And I couldn't run the risk of him being one of the Sith."
Skye held her hands up, "No one is accusing you of maltreatment, Onasi. Right now, I think we can risk it. All he will see now is the Mysterious Stranger, not a trapped Republic officer."
"So, what went on in there?"
"Got us invited to a Sith party."
"What!"
"Got us invited to a Sith party. Junior officers only," Skye repeated.
"It's got to be a trap. Why would they invite us?"
"Sarna didn't invite us, per say she invited the Mysterious Stranger and her old 'Kath hound' tag-along."
Carth frowned. "Old 'Kath hound' tag-along?"
Skye shrugged and regretted the moment her shoulders were still aching from the pounding Ice had given her. "Yeah… hehe. I sorta had to make things up as I went along." She started to fill in him in on the whole conversation. By the time they reached the clinic Carth was beside himself laughing.
"What?" Skye attempted to play innocent. "Your face was scrunched up like a kath hound pup admit it." Skye mimicked the scowl on Carth's face since they had first started their foray on to the Tarissian streets of the Upper City.
"You are an odd woman. You know that?"
"I try."
She cut a glance to her traveling companion, something was eating at him. His brown eyes were filled with questions, and to tell the truth so was she.
"Carth?"
"Yes? What's on your mind?"
Skye smiled at the phrase as it was the exact sort of thing she was about to ask him. "Is this a good time to ask you some questions?"
"I'm all ears, Beautiful."
"Beautiful, isn't that a little inappropriate?"
"Is there something else you prefer I call you?"
"How about my name?"
"Don't get yourself in a twist over it, Gorgeous, I didn't mean anything by it."
Skye smiled and rolled her eyes. She even snickered. Oh, she's played this game before. Granted she preferred to play with women but camaraderie amongst the ranks helps tighten the unit. She had even endured little comments like that from males she tried to squeeze information from in the course of a mission. This time was no different. Only Carth Onasi was an ally.
"Now that I like, you can call me that."
"I might consider it, what are you going to call me in exchange?"
"Hum?" she put a finger to her chin mocking the act of thinking. "How about handsome thug?"
Carth bust out laughing so hard he had to hold his gut to keep form toppling over to the floor. Pedestrians gave them queer looks but continued on their errands. "I like the first part of it. How about the most handsome pilot in the galaxy? What do you think?"
Skye's expression soured, "I'd sooner kiss a Wookiee."
"Well then I guess 'Gorgeous' will have to do until them. With all kidding aside, I bet you're not going to give up on those questions of yours. Are they really necessary?"
"Well yeah. I just would like to know you a little better." She said it in such a nonchalant way it disarmed her male companion.
"Oh, well if it's an interrogation you want, why didn't you say so?"
Skye needed him to relax and not be so defensive so she played into a gambit. Rubbing her hands like an animated holo-character for younglings she cackled, "Soon all your secretes will be mine. But, um, keep your dirty laundry in the closet with any skeletons. Seriously, Carth this isn't an interrogation."
Carth had to admit she kept pulling the rug from under him with her easy joviality. It was difficult not to like her for that alone. No one had made him laugh as often as she had in a year let alone a day.
"No, I was just joking, though you do seem to be full of questions. It's rather refreshing to be honest. Let me ask you something first, though. I've been going through the battle on the Endar Spire over and over in my head since we crashed. Some things don't add up for me. Maybe you could tell me what happened from your perspective."
Skye frowned. The first rule of siphoning information from your target, never yield the floor to them with their own questions. Make a deal but get what you want first. Every scout knew this. Damn it! Skye knew where this line of questioning would lead to and she didn't like it. He was her superior officer and all masks aside he could simply order her to answer his question. What's more, Onasi knew it to.
"I wasn't in the position to know what was going on really," She answered honestly.
"Neither was I to tell you the truth. I was aboard as an adviser for the most part. The battle began so fast. It's anyone's guess as to what really happened. We lost the ship and a lot of good people."
"Trask..." Skye gave a thought to the bristle haired ensign that gave his life for hers.
"And for what? On the hope that the Jedi powers would save us, somehow? Not that Bastila had much of an opportunity to act. We didn't choose that battle anyway, it got forced on us. Hell, I'm just surprised that anyone of us are alive to talk about it."
Skye had to agree there.
Carth stared at her directly. "Come to think about it, it's more of a surprise that you happened to be here isn't it; just what is your position with the Republic anyway?" His voice arched in rising anger.
"You read my files and I told you, I am a Scout. I was recruited into the fleet for my skills, if you must know. You just saw what some of those are and you read more of them in my personal records."
"Well that makes sense, Ravensong. It seems a bit strange that someone who was a last-minute addition to the crew roster was one of the survivors."
Skye spun around glaring at him, with cold hard eyes. What exactly was he accusing her of? Was he blaming her for what happened? Surly not! "What's so odd about me being added to the crew at the last minute?"
"You were the only one." Carth glared back. To him her sudden addition was a bit ripe with treachery. He was beginning to like her too much to fall into that spiral of being betrayed. She spoke of her skills and yes, he had seen them at work. That Sith woman was eating out of the palm of her hand readily enough. Ravensong would not work her charismatic magic on him. "Bastila's party was the one who requested your transfer."
"If you have problems with that then take it up with the Jedi Council on Coruscant, Onasi. I don't know why she requested my transfer any more than you do."
"That's just it. The Jedi requested numerous things when they came aboard."
'Jedi do that.' The response was unspoken.
"Hell they practically took over the ship as far as I could tell. Considering your connection to Bastila and the Jedi whether you know it or not your presence here seems a little convenient."
Skye stormed within. He was all but saying she was responsible for the attack. As if she had ordered the Sith ambush! Her eyes burned in blue ice-fire like the arctic-dragons of Hoth. Her hands clasped into fists at her side lest she strike this fool man. He was still after all her "superior officer".
Carth was either ignoring the rage building in Ravensong or ignorant of it, for he continued, "I am probably wrong and this is probably nothing. I know. I learned a long time ago not to take anything at face value. However, I hate surprises."
Skye's voice became was sharp as a vibroblade. "What do you mean surprises?"
"I mean I have come to expect the unexpected. Just to be safe."
"You DO know we are on the same side, right?"
"Look it has nothing to do with you personally…"
"Oh, it's personal to me old man. You were accusing me of—of what the drek I don't know. But I won't let you do it."
"I have my reasons for not trusting anyone. And NO, I am not going to discuss them with you, so can we just move on to the important things?"
"First, you accuse me- in not so many words- of being solely responsible for the Sith attack on the ship, then you snap at me for the Jedi's actions and their requests. Then, you go on about something else being important? I will not be your punching bag… SIR!" Skye snarled.
"I didn't say any of that."
"No? Sure sounded like it to me."
"Skye can we just forget it? We're making a scene here."
Skye looked at the amount of pedestrians who were dragging their feet to see how this fight was to play out. A few Sith troopers were coming their way but they didn't seem to be in a rush to break up the fight.
"Kriff them all," Skye spat. "I answered you, you answer me!"
"All right! All right! You're the most damn persistent woman I have ever met!" Suddenly as if all the heated ire in his blood had suddenly evaporated, Carth slumped his shoulders. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, I think we should get going. Those troopers will be upon us in no time. It won't do Bastila any good if we're arrested for disorderly conduct in a public place."
"Fine. But this isn't over Onasi. Not by a long shot."
~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~
Skye was far tenser since the argument with Onasi, and now she was paying for it. The adrenaline rush of her bouts leaked away allowing her to feel the pains her implant hadn't managed to recover yet. Her whole body was tingling- it was almost as if she could feel the very current of Taris, like the rage of the people was coursing through her. Her anger with Carth fueled this sensation to the point that Skye felt as if she was rippling with lighting, with energy she had never known.
They walked through the double doors of the medical clinic only to be met by the balding, dark-skinned doctor. "I'm Dr. Zelka Forn. From the looks of you, I'd say you're from off world. But I'll not have it said that Zelka Forn refused treatment just because his patient was an off-worlder. If you'll come this way I should be able to patch you up."
Skye smiled warmly was she followed the physician into a privacy cubical where she could disrobe to allow him access to her wounds "Thanks. I got the newer ones from the arena; the others are… a result of a forced landing."
She caught sight of a peculiar door at the far end of the clinic. It had captured her attention because of its lack of markings. Everything else in the clinic was clearly labeled, this was not. That made it stand out. Surely a private office would have been less obvious than something trying to go unnoticed. To her it meant the good doctor had something to hide.
The physician nodded his understanding. "I can treat most any injury here, except for the rakghoul disease."
Ever inquisitive Skye asked, "What exactly is this rakghoul disease?"
"The rakghouls are horrible monsters that live in the Undercity, and spread their disease to the inhabitants of Taris. The rakghoul plague has afflicted Taris for centuries because of this. The Republic scientists were working on a cure at the military base, but then the Sith invaded. If there is a cure, then the Sith are probably stockpiling it for their soldiers who have been sent into the Undercity to look for those downed Republic space pods."
"We'll get it back for you, Doctor!"
"What, no! No, no, no. I am merely trying to convince you to stay away from the Undercity, it's dangerous. Disease can fell even the most skilled soldier," he warned. Yet he could see even his warning would not sway this young woman under his care. He didn't even know why he mentioned all that he had to her, but it was too late to retract it now.
The look in her blue eyes reflected the need to help. As if she was programmed like a droid to aid those in desperate situations despite any personal danger she was faced with.
"You suffered a concussion recently, why wasn't this treated?"
"At the time we didn't have the credits." Skye said honestly.
Zelka frowned. "I'm not like other Outer Rim physicians young lady. I take my healer's oath seriously. 'First, do no harm. Second, aid those you can for yours is the duty to heal, ally or enemy, wealthy or poverty stricken, alien or your own species your duty is only to heal.' I take that very seriously. If my clients cannot pay, I will still heal them to the best of my abilities."
"That's rare for a physician even in the Core worlds. I thank you, Doctor." Carth said earnestly.
"Yeah, thank you very much." Skye was even now more convinced she had to get the rakghoul serum for this man. If he healed anyone who needed him, he was a beacon of light, one that must be preserved and aided. She became driven for it as much was she was driven to rescue Bastila.
Zelka tended the young woman's wounds noting that the abrasions and few lacerations from the arena and the obviously tell-tale signs of kolto injections that had healed most of the wounds she sustained from a crash landing were not the only ones she had suffered. Had he not known better, he would have accused the male of abuse. There was a clear wall of tension between them. A wall that sent his alarm bells ringing. He knew she was telling the truth about the arena, as he had treated her opponents earlier. Granted he was always tending Duncan. But it was rare to see Ice come in for medical aid. Still, Zelka wanted to be sure the woman wasn't being mistreated by the older man she had walked in with. The old scars on her back told him she had suffered very heavy trauma, add that to the guilty expression carried in the man's eyes and it told a whole new story.
Leaning close Zelka whispered for the young woman's ears alone. "Listen, if you need treatment… or sanctuary you come here. He doesn't have to know."
"What?" Skye frowned. She looked to the silhouette of Carth on the other side on other privacy screen. "Oh… no it's not what you think. Honest. Those scars came from a previous crash. Little more than a year ago, my scout ship was shot down; the helm blew and nearly took me with it."
Zelka only nodded. The scaring could have come from such indeed, but he didn't like the way the male held himself. There was something in his eyes that told him he wouldn't hesitate to strike this beautiful young woman. He patted her hand, "just remember what I told you, dear."
Skye nodded. "Doctor, do you know anything about those downed Republic pods?"
Zelka was almost defensive and about to deny he knew anything at all. But he stopped before the protest even passed his lips. "Well you don't look like Sith spies, I suppose I can trust you," this he said to Skye alone. He got the feeling she and her brooding companion had been on one of the pods that crashed. It was highly probable they were the survivors of the pod that crashed near the entrance to the South Side of the Upper City. If that were the case, he suspected they were hoping to find other survivors as well.
"Come with me. This area is restricted but I think I can trust you." He tapped in a code in the security panel at the side of the unmarked door. The solidarity of the door looked like a blast door capable of withstanding a bombardment of blaster-fire. It was something you found on a starship not inside a clinic of a third-world planet on the Outer Rim.
Inside the next room were seven cylindrical kolto tanks matching the three in the outer room. These however were filled with men and women from the Endar Spire.
Skye dashed up to one of them, the face she knew so well. "Oh, the Blades!" she touched the glass of the tank. The human woman inside was in her very early thirties. She held a refined beauty even by her race's standards. Her hair was golden blonde, cut short at the collar, though dampened by the gelatinous liquid it still looked like a thistle top.
"Major Carter…" Skye whispered sullenly.
"You know these soldiers?" asked Zelka, "Then that must mean you're Republic soldiers too!"
"What happened to these men and women?" asked Carth.
"Ever since the space battle overhead, people have been bringing in these soldiers. Most of them have injuries that are too severe, they won't last much longer. All I can do for them is make their last days as comfortable as possible."
Skye hadn't moved from her spot. She rested her head upon the glass allowing the tears to slide down her cheeks.
Carth shook the man's hand. "It's good to know that some of the men and women fell into compassionate hands. On behalf of the Republic I thank you."
"Just please don't tell anyone they are here. It seems after their initial questioning the Sith have not returned."
"Your secret's safe with us, friend," Skye reassured the physician from her place at the Major's tank. "Besides we're in need of secrecy ourselves."
"I understand," Zelka nodded, patting the young woman on the back. "Yours is just as safe with me."
Carth moved forward, his hand on Skye's shoulder to move her away but she violently pulled away from him. "Leave me to say goodbye, would you?" She hissed.
"Um yeah sure," Carth stood back wordlessly watching the enigmatic woman. There were times when all he saw was strength, now he saw vulnerability, he saw her youth. She held such a haunted expression in her blue eyes. As if she was reliving every death she had ever seen upon the faces of those floating in the kolto tanks.
Skye moved to each of the tanks, touching each one in turn. He was too far back to hear what she was saying but it sounded like a prayer. Funny, her record indicated she had no religious affiliation. Perhaps she simply wasn't an observant in the Nagai faith to be classified as such. But in the end, most people call out to their deities if not their mothers. Perhaps seeing these soldiers was one of those times for Skye. Carth himself had sent a prayer to the Telosian Earth Goddess to see these good souls reached the other end of the River of Death into the Slumbering Fields of Everlasting Tranquility.
Not that he actually believed it did any good but it was what one did in this circumstance.
He and the doctor both jumped when Ravensong threw back her head and roared. Just as suddenly she turned and walked out of the hidden alcove back into the clinic proper without uttering another sound.
"What the hell was that?" Carth uttered still startled. "I never knew they were that close…"
"Your friend as you must surely know is Nagai."
"Yeah so?"
"When a warrior dies in their culture, the survivors open the eyes of the dead in belief the dead will see the Shield Maidens come for them to take them to the Land of Heroes. When a Nagai warrior dies in honor, the remaining warriors roar the death cry to warn the Black Fleet that a true warrior is on the way to them. She gave them a great honor just now."
Carth looked at the back of Ravensong, suddenly her comment of roaring for Ulgo now made sense "I never knew that about her people."
"As a doctor, I made it a point to know the death rites of several species because sometimes you can't save them. Nagai believe once death takes over the body, the soul or as the Nagai call it the 'Ghost' is gone. The body is nothing but a shell which is why they don't have elaborate funeral rites or necropolises. They tend to cremate the remains if possible, if not, they simply jettison it into space or the more efficient way at hand to remove the carcass. Once the Ghost is gone from the body that is all it is to them: a carcass. They are not the only species to believe this. It's very common amongst the warrior races. The Echani and Cathar hold very similar beliefs. They all tend to believe in some kind of Great Hall or some sort of fleet of ships, sometimes they are combined. There the Ghosts of the brave will feast, drink, sing operas, recite ballads and poems of glory and honor, even heroic romances. They battle each other and enjoy their afterlife as slain heroes."
Carth looked away for a moment. Ravensong looked so human for a moment he forgot she was actually Nagai. One of the warrior races of the Outer Rim. They weren't even a part of the Republic, but he had seen some of their kind serve as Republic Scouts as conscripts. Nagai scouts were some of the best in the business; they were often recruited as military assassins with Special Ops because of their natural affinity with melee combat. Ravensong obviously was one of these Nagai conscripts. Was she recruited then by the Jedi to assassinate a military target, which they themselves could not because of their code? It was possible. If so, then who?
There were even Nagai Jedi. Hell, Revan had been one as had a few other Jedi Knights who served in the Mandalorian War. One of the top Jedi Generals was half Nagai who led the victory over Malachor V, though she was exiled from the Order after the war. With her gone- and Revan dead- were the Jedi now thinking to take out Malak by using a Nagai assassin Scout? Is that why the Jedi insisted that Ravensong be added at the last minute to the crew roster. Perhaps Ravensong didn't even know the full details of her mission until they had reached their final destination. That was a lot of 'ifs' and 'maybes' and Carth wasn't about to let go of his suspicions yet. If possible, he had even grown more suspicious as he thought more about Ravensong's peculiar place in the Jedi Council's attentions. What did they want with her?
By the time Carth caught up to Ravensong she was speaking to one of the good doctor's assistants. A slimy piece of work named Krin, if his lapel badge was correct.
"I heard you speak with Zelka about the rakghoul serum. If you manage to get your hands on it, I can make it worth your while."
"What are you talking about?" her tone cool and reserved.
"Zelka wouldn't be able to pay a lot, I know someone who will pay a lot more. Davik Kang will be very interested."
"Davik Kang?" Ravensong played the ignorance card.
"What are you, an off-worlder? Everyone knows who Davik Kang is. He's the Exchange's boss here. Look- get the serum and take it to a Hutt named Zax, he runs the Bounty Hunter's office on behalf of his de-facto boss, Davik."
"Why would Davik care about the serum?"
"Because there is a lot of money to be had. Why do you think? All you have to do is bring whatever you find to Zax. I will get a finder's fee. It all works out."
"Yeah then only the rich will get the cure." Carth commented scornfully.
"Oh, my heart bleeds. You're the Mysterious Stranger. I saw your fights. You went in, not for the challenge, but for the credits. This is a sure-fire way to get a lot of 'em." Krin continued.
Skye frowned at the man's pandering to her reasons for the bouts. "What if I tell Zelka of your little plan?"
"I'll deny it. Who do you think he will believe?"
Skye looked over her shoulder to the physician steady at work at his desk with a stack of medical files. She had no doubt in her mind who he would believe. She also knew Kang had his hands in deep in every sort of business. He didn't own the good doctor but he could make it very difficult for the doctor's practice if Zelka went against him. Unfortunately, taking the word of an off-worlder over one of Davik's crew would accomplish such a thing.
"Whatever. I think, I'll simply give the serum to the Zelka," Skye said in a tone not to be rebuked by the little medic sleaze. Even Carth took note of the menace in Skye's voice. Full of command, authority and deadly conviction.
"Just think about it," Krin suggested. He had sat through all three of the woman's fights. She was fast and deadly. Bad combination if directed at you. Something in her voice terrified him. "I promise you it will be well worth your while."
Skye turned her back on the medic, he was beneath her contempt. Back out on the streets she ignored Onasi as he caught up to her, neither one of them had anything to say to the other. Both grateful to Zelka for his care of their colleagues, both baleful over Krin's inhumanity and profiteering and both still on edge over the argument before they came to the clinic left little room for words to be shared.
Skye's path took her not back to their temporary headquarters but for the Northern area of the Upper City.
"Hey wrong way," Carth said.
"No."
"No?"
"No," the answer was delivered in frost. "I need to check out the apartment complex where the party is going to be held. That little heiress ran towards the northern area of the city. My guess it's going to be slightly posher. Which means amped-up security. Even if the security isn't that much higher than it is here in the south end, I need to know the layout of the area before we go in. I need to know all the exits, if there are patrol droids in the apartment complex or security monitors. If we are going to jack a few uniforms successfully I need to do my job."
"Ever the Scout, I see," Carth smiled.
"As you are ever the Soldier," came a flat retort.
~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~KOTOR~
The Northern section of the city did have a slightly different air to it. As a layout, it was a mirror image to the South-end. Navigation was easy. Where Kelba's shop was in the South-end there was an industrial elevator, guarded by a Sith shock trooper in a silver uniform. Beyond this alcove where the cantina might have been lead to the Sith Military Base. There was an empty landing pad just off to the left of the gantry. The pedestrian traffic was light here. A few droids and what might have been civilian employees or soldiers out-of-uniform coming and going. Strangely enough there were very few troopers near the entrance.
That bothered Skye heavily. Why the light guard? Were the Sith so arrogant in their technology that they didn't bother with a heavy guard at the gates? Did they think the weight of the troops patrolling the streets would demoralize the populace that they allowed for this indiscretion of protection? Perhaps the bulk of the guards lay beyond the first gate, a ploy then to entice the 'lost Jedi' to attack and then- bam- the trap was closed? That was a more likely scenario. Still, Skye would not trust the situation. She logged the layout of the base's entrance in her memory. No doubt the door itself was heavily encrypted and could not be sliced. It would take an astromech droid to slice into its systems and command-override the doors to open.
Further exploration led to the discovery of a droid shop owned and run by a female Twi'lek named Janis Nall. Skye smirked. Ask and you shall receive. As fortune, would have it, the proprietor had two quadruped astromech droids: one with a silver paint job the other red. It was the silver one that caught the scout's eye. It seemed a little more polished a little more sophisticated than its crimson counterpart. The only other droids Janis had were protocol droids of the same model of those wandering the streets. Those would be of little use, but an astromech droid- now there was something worth having.
Unlike Kelba, Janis was high strung, nervous and suspicious of her customers. No doubt suspecting Ravensong and Onasi to be as bigoted as the hatemongers on the streets. Being a Twi'lek in the more posh neighborhood could not have been easy for her to have accomplished. Davik no doubt had her paying at least twice the protection fee Kelba was paying just to maintain her business.
"I'm interested in an astromech droid," Skye said.
'Oh, astromechs are wondrous droids. Their uses are limitless,' Janis praised the units. She spoke in her own native tongue which didn't surprise Skye in the least. She had never met a Twi'lek to use Galactic Basic even if they understood it. After all, Galactic Basic was the language of trade and commerce.
Before she could go into a whole commercial lecture of their uses and capabilities, Janis found herself cut off but by Ravensong's directness. "I'd like to buy that tee-three unit."
'Oh, I am sorry, but Tee-Three-Inn-One isn't for sale. He's is a special commission for Davik Kang. I just finished him two weeks ago, he is my best work.' The woman smiled pridefully as if she were speaking of her first-born child rather than a droid. 'But Tee-Four-Cee-Two is for sale. He might not be as advanced with the special upgrades Mr. Kang wanted for Tee-Three-Inn-One but still very capable.'
"Alright fine, I'll take it."
'You will? Oh this is wonderful.' Janis was pleased. 'I'll remove the restraining bolt and give you a new one. This is grand. I'm sure he will suit your needs perfectly.'
"One can only hope. What's the price?" Skye asked. Now knowing the T3 unit had special modifications done to it and was specially commissioned by the Exchange boss himself, it made her want the droid even more. To be truthful, she wanted it more if only to deprive this Kang fellow of such a commodity.
'Because you're the Mysterious Stranger and I won several credits due to your matches I'll give you a discount. One hundred and fifty credits.'
Skye remained stoned faced as if playing a pazzak table, but the cheapness she would wager had little to do with the credentials as a gladiator in the ring than something wasn't quite right with the model. Still it only had to do a few slicing jobs not navigate a ship or hell even repair one.
"Done."
'Wonderful!' Janis beamed. 'Is there anything else you would be interested in? Armaments, armor, or shields for the droid?'
"No just the unit. Thanks." Skye transferred the credits from her cred-chit into Janis' account and the bill of ownership became hers.
Janis refitted the unit with a new restraining bolt, giving total control of the droid over to the Nagai scout. Tee-four bleeped once, rolled out its bay and made to follow the woman out onto the streets. Skye and Carth had only just passed the threshold of the shop when T4-C2's motivator popped, fizzed and blew. The unit became nothing more than smoking slag.
"Son of a kath hound!" Skye snarled at the smoking ruin.
"At last I know the real reason that shutta of a tech wanted so little for this piece of slag," Carth grumbled. "It had nothing to do with your ring popularity."
Skye wanted to kick the droid but thought better of it. It might be scrap but kicking durasteel was never a good idea unless one wanted to break the bones in the foot. "I'm getting my money back."
'Oh, you're back. Change your mind on…'
"What exactly are you trying to pull?" Skye snapped. "That droid had a bad motivator! Look!"
Janis nervously moved beyond the customer service counter to the front of her shop. Passing the door, she saw the molten remains of Tee-Four's motivator, the chassis was a black smoking mass that still popped and crackled on occasion.
'I thought I had fixed that problem.' Janis bemoaned her work on the droid. More so that her efforts to repair the faulty unit had been in vain than any inconvenience she had given to her customers.
"I want my money back," Skye demanded, "now."
'I don't actually have to give your money back,' Janis tried to remain bold despite her fear. 'But I will because I like to keep my customers happy.'
"Not to mention you don't want to get a reputation for passing off shoddy work," Skye pointed out. "Just give my money back, and I will pretend it never happened."
'Done. No hard feelings?' Janis knew this could seriously hurt her business if the off-worlders breathed a word of the incident, especially to the Human Coalition. Despite Davik's protection, the mob mentally of the Human Collation would destroy her business if not snuff out her very life.
"No hard feelings," Skye said. If she was honest with herself she carried no ill will for the woman. That is to say, once she got her money back she would harbor no ill will. Oh, it would have been easy to demand more for the trouble but what in the end what would she have accomplished but to make miserable a woman who was already in a precarious situation on a non-human-hating world more vulnerable?
Janis moved back behind the counter and redirected the money transfer back in Ravensong's chit. 'There it's all back in your account.'
"If it was your idea to use that droid to get into the Sith base it was a good one. But now out one droid we may have to rethink that plan." Carth said as they headed towards the North Apartment complex.
"With the uniforms, maybe we don't have too. Even if we don't get the codes to get past security, we might be able to slip in with a patrol detail going into the base, or liberate the codes from say, someone at the party? With the full helmets, they won't be able to I.D. us as easily."
Carth gave her a look that told her he didn't think it was going to be that easy.
"I'm not as naïve to believe it's an easy ride," Skye was either a mind reader or very adept at reading expressions. "I'm just brainstorming. I mean, slipping in with a unit is a hell of a lot better than trying to use the old 'prisoner transfer' gig. That never works. Someone always blathers about how they weren't told about it and hit the security button to clear the whole thing with proper authorization."
"Used it before have you?" Carth smirked.
He received a sardonic smile in return. "No. But I was with a few soldiers who had; I played the part of the prisoner. It was actually the idea of a nineteen-year-old whining farm boy wanting to play hero. Sith's blood he annoyed me to the Nine Hells. I told him it wouldn't work but he was didn't listen."
"What happened?"
"What do you think happened? We had to shoot our way out of the whole mess. The whole mission was a bust. I swore that was the last time I'd listen to some chuckle-head fly-boy who thinks they have bright ideas. Scouts work best alone and if we have to play nice with the team, then let it be other Scouts."
Carth had nothing much to say to that. Ravensong was right. Scouts tended to be loners and hated to be pinned down with a whole unit behind them. If they did have someone to watch their flanks, the numbers were always kept very small. He'd seen scouting teams of three and four- never more. Scouts needed to move fast, with guile and decisiveness in all actions. They needed to know more so than perhaps commandos that those they paired with were completely trustworthy and reliable to handle whatever objective they were ordered to complete. This, perhaps more anything else, was what drove Ravensong so hard in the reasons she needed Carth to trust her. If Carth couldn't trust her, how could she rely on him, trust him?
Nearing the entrance of the complex drew both Republics to a halt. They hesitated, not for any trepidation about entering the posher establishment, but for the presence of three males. Two of them were human- one lingering in his mid-sixties, the other treading on his early thirties; the other male was an arachanoid. The younger human and the spider-faced thug were ruffling up the old man in the name of their employer who was none other than Davik Kang, and all over the sum of a hundred credits. From what was overheard, apparently, the old man was only able to pay half that amount.
"I know we're supposed to keep a low profile but we're not going to let this happen are we?" Onasi muttered out of the side of his mouth.
Skye shook with rage. "What is going on here!" she demanded, walking boldly up to the dark haired young human, though her eyes never left the arachaniod.
"Careful, we have witnesses. Davik won't like this," Dark-hair said.
'This doesn't concern you, off-worlders. Leave,' the arachanoid's words were but a series of barks and clicks that made up his native language.
"I will not allow you to harm this man." Skye snarled back. She unsheathed her double-bladed sword. "Leave now and you leave with your life." Skye slid the shoulder pack she had on her back to the ground so she was free to move as she willed.
'It's you that will be dead, little female.' The arachaniod barked.
Skye lunged out with a simple overhand strike but the arachaniod responded with a quick parry to deflect the blow to one side. But it was only a feint, setting up a slashing attack at the wrist from the opposite blade. The arachaniod didn't have time to back away even as he realized what had happened. The blade slammed down neatly severing his hand at the wrist. His own vibroblade clattered to the ground.
He howled out in pain, holding his bleeding limb to his thick chest. His knees buckled, giving out in under the pain rushing to his brain. Skye finished him with a roundhouse kick to the head. His howls stopped permanently.
Carth and the dark-haired human were fighting it out with blasters. Carth ducked behind planters while the thug had hidden himself in the alcove of the apartment complex's threshold. The stalemate had them both pinned down without an advantage given to either.
Skye opened one of the pockets of her tack vest and hurled an adhesive and concussion grenade. She didn't want an innocent bystander to get caught in anything more lethal. The old man might not appreciate the goo or headache but he wouldn't be permanently damaged.
Dark-hair would be rendered immobile and left completely disoriented. It had been a tactic that worked well in the arena and it proved to work equally well here. With Dark-hair now impotent of any action, Onasi was easily able to regain the ground he lost questing for cover to deliver a sniper shot to the thug's head.
Skye sprinted up to the old man cowering in the adjacent nook to the now dead human thug. "Are you alright?" her voice became soft, comforting, and drawing the man from his fear.
"Thank you for saving my life, but now I can't pay Davik back."
"Maybe I can help," Skye said.
"You've done more than enough already. You saved my life."
"You owe a hundred, right? Here take it, pay Davik back."
"You're… you're giving me a hundred credits just like that?"
Skye nodded as she handed over a hundred-credit chit.
"I can never repay you." The old man's voice trembled, betraying his panicked state of mind.
"Not asking you to."
Astonished, the old man took the credits, his hands still shaking from the battle he had witnessed. Fear lingered in his mouth giving him a bitter taste, but he wasn't about to turn the kindness of the young woman away. "Oh, thank you. I have to tell my wife we don't have to worry anymore!" he found courage enough to move and quickly dashed through the complex's doors before the young lass could change her mind about the gift.
"Wow that was generous," Carth remarked.
Skye didn't respond to him, she didn't trust herself not to say something inappropriate. Methodically she stripped Davik's goons of their blasters and snickered as she recovered a hundred and fifty credits off the corpse. As she had with the Rodians, she picked up the body of her kill and tossed it over the railings of the walkway. She stowed the reclaimed blasters in the shoulder pack she had dropped during the fight and slung the bag onto her back.
"Why do you keep doing body dumps?" Carth asked as he copied her and flung the corpse of his own kill over the edge of the elevated city streets.
"Maybe I just like to keep things tidy," came the reply. "Besides two dead bodies at the doorstep of an apartment complex that houses Sith junior officers could have repercussions for the residents. It would be our fault if it did. I won't have someone be blamed for something I did. I don't work like that." She fixed a cold stare at him. The veiled references to their earlier argument sucker punched him just as she knew it would. She followed with another verbal uppercut. "Only a bloody git would blame the crimes of another upon the shoulders of an innocent of said crime. But hell, that's the way some bastards operate. Not to mention dead bodies tend to put a damper on festive events like a party. If we are going down to the Lower City we need to get our hands on those uniforms. Best bet is that party."
The Northern Apartment Complex, like the section of streets themselves, was as a mirror image to the complex Ravensong and Onasi had made their base. A doughnut-shaped format with apartments jutting out like spokes on an inverted wheel on the outer hub. Twelve apartments plus a maintenance bay for the janitorial droids. There was no patrolling security or protocol droids which made the job of espionage all that much easier.
Skye shirked off her shoulder bag once more as to hide it in a foot locker in the maintenance bay.
"What are you doing?" Carth whispered without knowing why he had felt the need to do so.
"I'm going in stealth mode. Being seen in southern apartments wasn't an issue, here I need complete anonymity. Especially sneaking into the apartment where the party is going to be held."
"How do you know which one it will be?" suspicion crept into Carth's voice.
"I don't, but I doubt it will have other residents in it. Plus, if you're planning to have a big blow-out just after work wouldn't you stock pile party-goods before your bash? I'm thinking cases if not kegs of alcohol and your typical snacks as well as easy-to-prepare foods like pre-made nerf-burgers in the crisper, throw them on the cooker and you're all set to host a party. Even if you don't offer real food you still have the junk food and drinks at the ready."
Carth was impressed with her sound reasoning. Of course, you'd stockpile the booze before a party. Now it was just a matter of discovering which apartment had such a cache.
True to her plan, Skye activated her stealth generator and began exploring. The first two apartments were empty: no alcohol. The third had a family of four, the next empty, again no warehouse of ale. There were occupants in a few more apartments but still no sign of Sarna's. The next apartment had a single occupant. Skye would have left if her generator hadn't snapped, hissed and blinked off leavening her open and exposed.
Generally, when a person finds their home has been invaded they do one of two things: they scream and run or barricade themselves behind a door- usually the refresher or bedroom. Considering this was a studio apartment it would be the former. The other popular option, the more aggressive one, is to grab a weapon- a sword or other such bladed weapon, blaster or even sporting equipment- and go on the offensive.
The human male did neither of these. Or rather he didn't do them fully. He did scream however and it was quite offensive, but he didn't run or attack. "Go on you son of a kath-hound bitch, get it over with! Do your worst. I'm sick of running!"
"What are you talking about?" Skye shifted her stance ready to defend herself if it proved necessary but she doubted she was in any true danger.
Carth, having heard the shouts of a human, came running from the hall into the apartment; his blaster was out, his finger flagging the trigger but he did not raise the weapon. He waited to see what Ravensong was going to do with the hysterical male.
Skye studied the man before her. He was the same build as Onasi, with short dirty blonde hair. His eyes were brown but it was difficult to tell for the dark baggy circles under them. It was clear he was on stims and far too much caffa. His whole body had the adrenalin shakes. He was smartly dressed had his clothing been fresh and not a week old and stained with food that had long passed anything recognizable. He stank of sweat and fear. No doubt he spent his days and nights on vigil waiting for a moment he now believed was upon him.
"I know you were sent here. I was too smart, hehehe I rigged the door so anyone wearing a stealth belt it would short circuit. Bet you didn't think of that, did you?"
To be truthful Skye hadn't thought of it. That crash had addled her brain more than she wanted to admit. How could she have been so stupid as to forget the basics of security? Kriffing hell!
"I'm not here to kill you, sir."
"No? Then why are you sneaking around with a stealth generator?"
"I would ask myself the same question in your shoes. It's um, a hazing ritual for a band of Kessel-Run Couriers I want to run with once the quarantine is over." The lie fell smoothly from her lips. "I'm supposed to sneak into a Sith apartment and nab something of theirs. I was told one of these belong to a Sith junior officer. They said if I can't do something as simple as that, I have no business doing the Kessel-Run." She said it so convincingly Onasi had to force himself not to believe her words. The shaking man bought the story fully.
"I… I think it's two doors down." The man quivered as adrenalin rush suddenly left him drained. "So, you're not here to kill me?" his voice now a whisper.
"No. Why is there a bounty on your head?"
"I… I… am a merchant. Name is Largo. I lost a shipment for Davik when the Sith confiscated my ship. Now Davik says I owe him for the lost shipment. He said I should have been smart enough to hide the goods before the Sith came to take my ship. But I don't have the two hundred credits. So, he… he put a bounty on my head! I've been hiding here… since."
Skye smiled. Somewhere in the back of her head she could almost hear the praise of an old blind woman for using this man's fear as a tool for dependency. This man was now completely open to suggestion; Skye could use it against him. Hell, she could even claim his bounty, if she so choose. What she was about to do would no doubt gain the displeasure of this old blind woman who did not approve of giving aid to those who did not earn it.
"Here, take these," Sky handed him the full amount he owed.
"You're giving me two hundred credits? Why?"
"Tell me if the Sith have the same kind of security on their door as you did and we'll call it even."
The blonde head nodded. "I heard 'em talking about it; it's where I got the idea. Kelba sold a few disruptor fields, but I think the Sith took the rest. They hit her hard. Harder than me but she can make her protection payments. Me… I can't on account those bloody Sith bastards took my ship. I hope you stick it to them good, Miss."
Skye smiled, "Count on it."
"I… thank you," Largo repeated. "I have to run and give Davik his credits; he'll pull the bounty off my head. I owe you my life!" He nodded at Carth as he slipped out of the apartment making a dash for the exit.
"That's was very generous, giving away two hundred credits. I just hope we don't end up needing them," Carth said coming up behind Ravensong.
"It saved his life. What would you have done? Kept the credits because we might and no doubt will need them? Don't worry; I still have two matches in the ring to make up the difference. Plus once we go down into the Lower City I plan on checking out Zax's bounty office- not just for Dia, but like I said before I want to see if there are any legit bounties posted and take them up."
They managed to find the apartment located by the merchant without further distractions. Just as Skye had predicted, the place was stockpiled for the next night's festivities. Kegs of Tarissian ale waited for their taps to be turned on and the fun to begin. Still under the guise of her stealth generator, Skye slipped her hand to one of the many small compartments of her utility belt and withdrew several epi-pens she purchased from Dr. Zelka. The idea was to lace the already heady alcohol with strong sedatives, a non-lethal approach to neutralizing the enemy but still effective nonetheless. Once she had deposited the sedatives into the kegs, Skye left the apartment as she found it and went in search for Onasi.