Chapter 6

It was the pleas from a frantic young woman at the gates to the sewers that caught both Republics' attention. "Hurry, Hendar! Hurry!"

"He'll never make it. He's already dead. I told him, he was a fool for leaving the village."

"He WILL make it! Run, Hendar, run!"

From the Republics' vantage point they could see a man, presumably Hendar, racing for his very life beyond a thick durasteel gate. Behind him charged hideous, pale creatures, their gaping maws slathering in ichors and blood. They were the rakghouls.

Hendar's legs and arms were pumping for all he was worth as he called out in great gasping breaths: "Open the gates, quickly. There isn't much time!"

"Aurgh! I can't, Hester! The rakghouls are too close."

"The mutants will kill him if you don't open the gate!" Hester wailed.

"And if I open the gate they will kill us all."

"NOO! You can't do this! This isn't fair!" she wept. She fell to her knees begging the guard to just give her beloved a chance.

The guard would not be moved by her pleas though it was evidently clear from his expression he wished he could. He was in charge of the village's safety. To compromise it, even for the life of a friend, wasn't something he was going to do. He kept apologizing but held firm in his duty.

Skye respected that. She even agreed with it. However, that didn't mean the poor man on the other side had to die so that others could live. "We'll kill the rakghouls," Skye told the gatekeeper

Relief flooded the man's face. "You'd risk your life for a stranger? You're very brave Up-worlder. I'll open the gate but not for long. He's got a few seconds then I must close it, again. I'm sorry but I can't risk the village."

"Understood. Now just open it."

Almost immediately after they passed through the gate the terrified man rushed past them into the waiting arms of his young wife. The gate slammed shut with an ominous clang leaving Ravensong and Onasi to face the hideous creatures.

They were bipedal yet ran on all fours not unlike a great ape. It was as if all the malevolence of a sentient's soul had become personified in the pale hairless creatures. Their wide fang filled maws dripped with pale-green viscous drool. Guttural howling pain-wracked roars of rage and hunger filled the air in their torment.

"Frack me." Skye uttered trying to push down the gag reflex the foul odor the beasts emitted had caused. She slid her twin Echani blades from their sheaths and connected and locked them at the hilts to create a double-bladed vibrosword.

Despite having watched Skye in the arena Carth was still struck with amazement how expertly she handled the weapon. She spun it around her body and over her head was if it were a mere extension of her own body, her soul. Her actions were near Jedi-like in form and execution. The blades whistled as they cut a swath through the air. Had her enemies been sentient they might have drawn back intimidated. The rakghouls advanced heedlessly into the arcing swings of the blades. Carth watched with awe struck admiration, she moved just as she had during the matches. She was sublime, how can anyone not a Jedi move as she had even if she was a Knife?

Skye's command over the blades ripped into corpse-gray flesh of the rakghouls. Two fell at her first strike, an uppercut of the opposite blade tore into two more bodies. That left Carth with the two of the remaining beasts within the pack. Their heads exploded in grey-green ichors as they toppled to the ground.

The immediate threat vanquished the gate was opened with very grateful Outcasts profusely issuing their gratitude. The young frantic woman cooed to her husband that she would take care of him, that everything was going to be all right now as she escorted her love back into the encampment proper.

The gatekeeper was astonished that outsiders would not only risk their lives for complete strangers but had done so without any hope of a reward.

"I can't thank you enough for saving my life up-worlder. If I had anything but the cloths on my back, it'd be yours."

Hester clutched her weary husband tightly about the arm, unwilling to let him go now that he was once again safe at her side. "I have you Hendar, that's all I need."

The two Republics watched as the couple hobbled back to the main hub of the village.

The gatekeeper turned his attention back to strangers, "Thank you for saving Hendar's life. You're braver than I. Many of us outcasts lived too long in selfish fear. Perhaps we can learn a lesson from your brave actions. Hurumph, but enough of my ramblings. I am Trewn one of the gate-guards. It's my job to see that they remain strong and shut against the rakghouls."

"Then you must have seen patrols of other up-worlders: swoop gang-bangers, Sith, Davik's people."

"Yes, I have. I had to let them all pass or they would have killed me and just left the gates open so the rakghouls would invade the village."

"Often there are little choices for anyone to make but to capitulate to the circumstances at hand. Carth and I are in such a circumstance ourselves. But tell me, have you seen Mission Vao, a very young blue skinned Twi'lek and her Wookie companion Zaalbar?"

"Some time ago, yes."

"We have to find them; did they give any indication where they were headed?"

Trewn shook his head, "Sorry. But, knowing those two probably the sewers. But why go there I don't know. The rakghoul infestation seems strongest there. Good luck to you. And thank you for what you've done for us."

Skye simply responded, "It's what we do," then departed back through the gates.

Silent and foreboding, the vast expanse of the Undercity lay before the Republics. A sudden sense of utter abandonment fell over the young scout. It was as if the whole of the world was dead, the soil beneath her feet was impotent to grow any life, the grasses that did push their way they were abominations that refused to give up the ghost of life they clung to.

The dim hazy glow of lighting panels made the area seem far more surreal, unnatural post-apocalyptic. It was like some holovids rather than true life. How could anyone scrape life it this wasteland?

A matter of thirteen minutes passed when a cry of despair and the thudding footfalls upon the dead earth rushed for their position.

"Please, you've gotta help me! Nobody else will, even the Beks won't help me now! But I can't just leave him, he's my friend! You'll help me, won't you?!"

The diminutive Twi'lek girl rushed towards them as if a pack of rakghouls were nipping at her heels. A likely outcome, but fortunately the abominations were not giving chase.

It looked however as if she had seen her deal of trouble. The scout's eyes quickly noticed the tan vest she wore was dirtier than it had been in the cantina, and there were new bloodstains upon it. The girl's face wasn't any better, dirty and streaked with tear stains. She all but threw herself into Skye's arms.

"Mission. We've been looking for you," Skye said trying to dislodge the teenager from her full body hold. "What happened?" the Nagai asked attempting to use a more tender tone in her voice she used when speaking to a terrified mark.

"It's Zaalbar! He's in trouble, big trouble! If we don't help him, they'll sell him into slavery!"

"Calm down Mission," cooed Skye, touching the blue skin of the girl's cheek. "Take a deep breath, calm yourself, and tell me what happened. We can't help Zaalbar if we don't know what happened. And you can't help him either."

The girl nodded and did as ordered. She still held onto Skye as if she was her lifeline to sanity. "Me… me and Zaalbar were just wandering around here in the Undercity, you know looking for stuff we could find. You know just kinda exploring. We do it all the time!"

"I guess with a Wookie by your side, you figure you can handle the odd rakghoul attack," said Carth not unkindly.

"But this time they were waiting for us! Gamorrean slavers. We didn't even have time to break for it. Big Z threw himself at them and roared for me to run! I… I took off. I figured that Big Z could handle them, but there were too many. They're going to sell him to a slaver I just know it!"

"Do you know where they took him?" pressed Skye.

"I don't know for sure. But those Gamorreans like to hang out in the sewers. The stink reminds them of home I guess. That's probably where they took Big Z."

Skye nodded. "Right. Makes since, it's also defensible position. If you can slice into the controls for the bunker doors you can effectively control the flood of traffic from the rakghouls to customers to intruders. Smart."

"I never thought Gamorreans were that intelligent." Carth commented.

"Yeah well they can be tricky buggers when they want to be. But then so can a trapdoor spider, doesn't mean they're intellects." The scout turned to Mission. She allowed a smile upon her face in order to bolster the younger woman's confidence. "Alight. If we help get Zaalbar back, you have to help me and Carth get into the Vulkar Base."

Mission bobbed her head ardently. "It's a deal as soon as we get Big Z back, I show you the way. They have a secret entrance into the compound in the sewers anyway. Now come on! We have to find Zaalbar before they sell him to slavers or worse!"

"Now that's handy." The scout took a good hard look at Mission. "Hold up Kiddo. You're going to need something more than that blade you have on your hip. Take this." Skye unfastened the holster of her blaster from her belt and leg and handed it over to Mission. "Carth, give her that Sith armor we took for Bastila. She can't wear the helmet, obviously, but it'll give her more protection than that tac vest she's got on. Besides that thing has seen better days."

For a moment it looked as the Commander was going to protest about the prospect of handing over their last set of Sith armor to the kid, but Ravensong had a point. Canvas trousers, a flimsy cotton shirt and tack vest was no match against rakghoul claws or Gamorrean axes. The kid was going to need protection if she was going to survive the Undercity's hospitality.

It didn't take long before Mission was suited up in the shinning sliver armour. Fortunately, it was made for a smaller woman's body and fit her relatively well. As for the blaster, she gave Ravensong a rather curious look before she strapped it around her waist and buckled the leg stapes that would keep it from slapping against her thigh as she ran.

"But all you have now are blades. Okay a lot of them but still…"

"I'm more comfortable with them. Blasters seem so clumsy and random. A blade in the right hand is a far superior weapon in both finesse and elegance."

The companions, now numbering three, began their hike towards the entrance, making double time knowing Zaalbar was in desperate need of rescue and most probably medical aid. Even as they moved the conversation continued.

"You sound like a Jedi. Kinda like Zayne." Mission had a slightly dreamy look to her as if recalling a childhood crush. "Only he wasn't so eloquent. He was sorta awkward but in the good cute way. He had this thing, sorta like the Force gave him special luck but in order for it to work he had to be clumsy."

"Yep that sounds like Zayne."

"You knew Zayne!" Mission sounded perky for the first time since time encounter.

"Sure did. Though I think most of his bad luck came from his buddy Gryph. That kid had a lot of heart. I still can't believe…"

"Shut it both of you." Ravensong hissed. "We've company."

Ahead were several men including the Mandalorian hired gun, Canderous. One of the mercs raised his carbine rifle at them. So petrified of his soundings he was physically shaking. Sweat beaded upon his upper lip and poured down his brow.

"Don't… don't move. I'll shoot you if I have too!" squeaked the quavering man.

"Settle down," said Canderous, knocking the carbine's muzzle down. "The last thing we need is more casualties from a needless firefight." The merc ran a critical eye over them. "From the look of you I'd say that you're down here for the same thing as we are; to salvage something from those Republic space pods. Here's some friendly advice: Go back right now."

Skye snorted her contempt. "Are you threatening us?"

"Mandalorians don't make threats. We make promises. It's not us you should be worried about. It's those damn rakghouls."

"I'm not impressed with the posturing, old man. Wasn't during the war, and I'm not now. Your lot are nothing but goon squads for hire ever since Revan took Mandalore's head."

The Mandalorian glared at the young woman. "You can handle yourself with a blade; I've seen your fights, so I'll just forget your lip for now, Nagai pup. But don't think I'm too old to pop you one in that mouth of yours before you even draw your weapon."

"Canderous!" cried out one of the other hired guns. "I heard something! Over there, in the shadows. Sounded like a rakghoul…"

"Get those blasters ready boys!" shouted Canderous. Even as he had given the order a fresh pack of the mutated creatures pressed down upon them.

The battle was practically over before it was began. Skye danced with sword, Mission, Carth and the mercs gunned down swarm but not before one of the rakghouls tore into the man who had first threatened the companions.

"Damn it! Lost another one." Canderous growled. "This is getting ridiculous. I've already lost half-dozen men to these monsters. Davik's boys just aren't trained for this and I can't baby-sit them all. All right boys, let's get going. I can't carry all this salvage back by myself."

Canderous's crew started their long hick back to the lift each toting quite a heavy haul of salvage from the crashed pods none of which looked like a body bag or for that matter anything that could carry a body. Bastila wasn't in their hold. Skye didn't know if that was a blessing or not. She looked at the corpses of the mutants and the mauled body of the merc with deep foreboding. She couldn't help but offer a cursory prayer to the Night Mother that amongst the bodies of rakghouls the Jedi wasn't one of them.

The Mandalorian offered one last departing comment: "Hey, take my advice Pup: Leave while you've still got all your parts intact."

"That I cannot do. I made an oath."

"Just watch you're self, kid."

Without preamble, Skye searched the dead merc slipping a few credits he had on him into one of the pouches on her utility belt along with a couple of medical epis, anti-venom and his blaster. The later she tossed to Mission.

"Once we find Zaalbar, he'll need a weapon."

"He's got a bowcaster." the girl said. "But…um…I guess the Gamorreans will have taken that off him. Probably no telling if we will recover it."

"That's my thinking." Skye nodded. "Alright people lets move out."

As the trio came nearer to the sewer internee the stink of the place grew more and more omnipresent. It felt like a slick thick coat of the stench cloyed around them like slim

"Hey Carth," asked Mission braking up the silence that had fallen over them. "You're a pilot for the Republic, right? You've been all over the galaxy, right? So tell me, how do you rate Taris compared to other worlds you've seen?"

"To be honest Mission, Taris would rate pretty low. The rich spoiling themselves while the poor starve and fall prey to the rakghouls, it's not a pretty picture."

"Yeah, but that's only since the Sith occupation. Before that… well I guess it was pretty much the same. Hmm, I guess Taris… aint as great as I thought you know?"

"Trust me Mission, there are a lot of worlds better than Taris. There are worse too, but Taris is no place to for a kid to grow up. Even one who's got a Wookiee by her side."

There was something forceful in Carth's last statement, filled with chastisement and regret. It was not perhaps the best thing to say to a high-spirited street urchin. But then wisdom and words didn't actually seem to be Carth's strong suites.

"Hey I aint a kid! And I look out for Big Z as much as he looks out for me. I ask you a question and you give me a lecture!"

"Don't you snap at me, missy! You want a lecture, how's this? Only bratty little children fly off the handle because of a simple comment."

Skye couldn't help herself but burst out laughing at the irony of the man's statement. Since their forced landing on Taris the human had done nothing but fly off the handle at practically everything Skye had done or said in the line of a scout's duty.

"You going to take that shit from him Mission?" she jibbed. "You know he should introduce himself as Mr. Kettle, Miss Pot." she chuckled.

"What?" Carth snapped. "What are you saying I'm childish?"

"Simply stating a fact, Tantrum Boy." Skye mocked him by waving her arms about frantically.

"She's right! I don't have to listen to you Carth! You ain't my father, though you're sure old enough to be! So keep your lectures inside your withered old head, 'cause I don't need 'em!" Mission snarled.

"And I sure as hell don't need this! Let's just get back to what we were doing."

"You go girl!" Skye praised the younger woman. "I've been wanting to do that for several days now. Only as the ranking officer he can go and tattle to the Fleet how bad the little scout has been. And after we rescue Bastila, I'm cooling my heels in the brig for insubordination."

"Human shutta." Mission scowled.

"Out of the mouths of babes," Skye muttered under her breath, a smirk still on her face.

"What the hell are you trying to do Ravensong?" Carth moved past Mission snatched Skye by the arm and wrenched her around yet again.

Skye grasped hold of his forearm and drew her arm clockwise encircling his own arm in a twist that if any more pressure was exerted it would hyper-extend his elbow. It was a swift self-defense move to get out of an arm hold. Her left hand held one of her honor blades to the commander's throat

"Touch me like that again Flyboy and a broken elbow will be the least your problems!" the Nagia snarled. "I'm no slave you can yank around or your woman you bed after you beaten her into submission. You want to write me up go and do it. I'm sick of your shit and sick of you thinking you can grab me anytime you feel like it!" She let go of her reverse hold and re-sheathed her dagger. Her eyes, however, never left her prey.

Mission simply stared at the two dumbfounded, but wisely decided to stay out of the argument that obviously been brewing for quite some time.

Carth clutched his throbbing arm felt the world drop from beneath his feet. All the rage he felt for the Nagai fell away from him as he digested the words she had spoken. Never once had he laid an abusive hand upon his beloved wife. To have someone think that of him…to have her think that of him was incongruous. Was that how she truly saw him – as someone who was abusive? He'd never strike a woman… or a child… not like she had implied. And yet she accused him of such onerous acts all the same.

Skye snorted in contempt as she turned from him and headed for the sewers. Mission gave one last look to the shocked human before darting after the scout. A few moments later Carth followed.

He remained completely silent as he brought up the rear. His mind chewing over the words Skye had said. He lingered over and over the times he had made physical contact with her. It was obvious she saw not the tender healing he had administrated just after the crash but the many times he had grabbed the woman by the arm, yanking her around scolding for doing her job. Was it any wonder her patience had waned? Was it any wonder she believed him a brute?

The closer the proximity to the sewers the attacks of the rakghouls increased. By this time, they were had established a fairly good routine to handle it. While Mission and Carth held them off with a barrage of blaster fire, Skye volleyed adhesive and frag grenades as swiftly was able before the mutants broke through the line and came into melee range. Then she let loose with a vengeful rage.

It was during one of these attacks that Ravensong noticed a corpse dressed in Outcast rages. It was curled in a fetal position: a natural reaction to protect one's self. It was futile attempt against something as mindless and vicious as a rakghoul.

Ever the survivalist Skye had no qualms about searching the corpse for anything the team could use in their mission to find the Wookiee and Jedi. Not to mention they were on the lookout for old Wrinkleskin's lost apprentice.

Tenderly she turned the body of the young girl over; she didn't seem that much older than Shaleena who had met them at the lift entrance. Clutched to her chest was very old, severely out of date datapad. It was the journal Rukil had spoken of.

The rakghouls were not the only obstacle blocking their path into the sewers. They were halted by a Sith patrol. Carth as trigger happy as ever prepared himself to blast their way out. Fortunately, due to the security code give to them by Gadon and Skye's silver tongue and her reputation of being the Mysterious Stranger, she was able to create a quick cover story about being a civilian patrol hired by the commander at the Sith Base for a search and rescue operation. It was ironic considering that was exactly their two-fold mission: search and rescue Big Z so they could recover the stolen accelerator. The troopers left them without so much as a shot being fired or suspicions raised.

"Oohh shiny!" said Skye as she snatched a vial of emerald liquid form the corpse of a dead Sith near one the housing of one of the infrequent lighting fixtures. "Guess they decided not to search the body. Good for us, bad for them." She smirked.

"The Doc will be happy to have that." Carth said pleased something good finally came to them. "How many did you find?"

"Enough for the good ol' Doc to synthesize more, not to mention to keep us immunized, and a few more to give to the Outcasts in case they need it. Hey we may even get merit badges for a good deed," she offered with fresh levity that had been missing in her demeanour for the past day and a half.

She handed Carth one of the epis as well as Mission and one for herself. All three in turn slammed them into the veins in their necks allowing the medication to flow throughout their body. At least now if they were attacked by the rakghouls all they had to worry about was minor toxicity and the lacerations if the mutants' claws made it past their reinforced armour.

The hard-bitter cloying truth of it…the sewers stank.

"Augh…how in the hell did you stand this stink, Mission?" Carth grumbled trying to block the odorous stench with the sleeve of his arm. He swallowed hard pushing down the bitter taste in his mouth as his gorge rose threatening to purge his stomach of his last meal.

Skye was in total agreement. The stink was intolerable; she kept sneezing as if to rid her nose of the vileness.

"You can learn to ignore it after a while like Big Z or…" the kid smiled, "you can use olfactory blockers." she tapped the side of her nose. "Guess you didn't think of everything when you came down here, huh?"

"Yes, well Gadon could have warned us of this wonderful smell." Skye's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Probably Zaerdra's idea not to."

"Oh, she's okay. She just gets a little cranky and a bit protective about Gadon. They're practically married, you know." Mission shrugged.

"Yeah, we noticed." This came from Carth.

Despite Gadon's lack of proper warnings about the Undercity, he was right on the money about Mission, Skye mused. The kid did know her way around the sewer tunnels and pipe networks. Frighteningly well. Despite some of the detours the companions still crossed into warrens of rakghouls and Gamorreans that littered the mazes harassing their progress with each step they made.

Spinning and turning the Nagai cut through mutant and green-skinned swine alike. She was utterly and completely in her element. Carth watched her closely, she was in a daze. Again, she reminded Carth of the ways of a Jedi. But then the young woman has spent all of her childhood and youth in a Nagai monastery learning the martial arts of the Knives.

If rumours were too believed, the Nagai were just as diligent and taskmasters of perfecting their martial training as the Jedi Order. Hell, their whole religion cantered around the philosophy of the sword: its forging, is use in battle even it's resting within the sheath. So why should it be remarkable that Skye moved as eloquent and as graceful as she did? Hell, Carth thought even when she accidentally slipped on a bit of entrails she did it with finesse making it look as if it had been very deliberate on her part.

Skye made a physical effort to keep an eye out for Rukil's remaining lost journals. Of course, those that once possessed them would be skeletal remains by now being nothing but rakghoul chow. Perhaps not the most politically correct phrasing but that was the cold hard truth of it.

Her diligence paid off, two more of the old man's journals were recovered. One was behind a few landmines that Mission not only deactivated but recovered.

"You never know when you might need a mine or two." Mission smirked causing Skye to chuckle

"You know I said the same thing not too long ago. Gotta like the way you think, Mission. And you're right we may need them to break into whatever fortification they have Zaalbar in if we can't slice it. Activated at the right distance the mine shouldn't put in him into any danger while at the same time comprising the structural integrity of the door."

"That might work, wreaking it just enough for the Wookiee to break open." Carth surmised. "Considering what we've seen of these doors it won't take much."

"Exactly."

Trudging through the maze it took them another hour and half and a dozen more nests of Gamorreans; they came across a door that caught Mission's attention.

"Hmm, this is one of those old-style manual locks. No electronics to slice or nothing. The sewers is the only place you'll find stuff this ancient, but don't worry, I know how to pick 'em," Mission said. "We don't have to use the landmine either."

"Go to it girl." Skye ordered.

A few seconds latter the decrepit door opened in inorganic metallic pain. A growl erupted that sounded nothing like the porcine grunts or mutated howling screeches.

Something large, furry and very very angry charged them.

"Whoa, Big Z!" Mission yelped. "It's good news this time."

'Mission, is that you?' Zaalbar grunted 'You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Glad to see you too Big Z!" giggled Mission, "You didn't think that I'd forget you? Mission and Zaalbar, together forever!"

'Who's that with you?' asked Zaalbar.

"These are my new friends who helped me rescue you Big Z!" said Mission. "Remember them from the cantina? It was Skye's doing. Without her I wouldn't have made it this far. Oh, Carth helped too."

'Good to see you're well, Zaalbar.' Skye greeted him in his own language.

'You understand my language? That is rare for a member of your species. I am impressed. You have saved me from a life of enslavement and the only way to repay such a deed is through a life debt,' growled Zaalbar.

"A Life debt? Are you sure Big Z? Think about this carefully. You better be sure about this," said Mission.

'I am sure Mission. On my home world, my people are being used as slave labor because of our great physical strength. They see us as brutes and animals to be exploited. When the Gamorreans captured me, I thought that I was doomed to a life of servitude. I have been saved from such a fate and the only way to repay that kindness is to swear a life debt.'

"Wow! Big Z swearing a Wookie life debt to you. This is… this is major! Do you realize what this means, Skye?" asked Mission

"It's an honour code isn't it? Some sort of pledge?" She didn't take her blue eyes off of the hulking form before her.

"A life debt is the most solemn vow a Wookiee can make. It means that he'll stay by your side for the rest of your life. Wherever you go, whatever you do, Zaalbar will be with you." Mission's voice took on a note of awe and reverence.

'In the presence of you all I swear this life debt. May my oath be as strong as the great Wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk,' said Zaalbar.

Skye stared up at the Wookiee in awe. Carth was absolutely agog. He didn't know how having a Wookiee in their quest to save Bastila was going to affect things. But there was no going back now.

"I am… I'm honored to accept this vow," Skye murmured and tipped her head slightly to show her own reverence for the solemn moment.

"I guess that means you're stuck with me too. Wherever Big Z goes, so do I! I guess I also still owe you one secret path into the Vulkar base."

Skye opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but then changed her mind. "The sooner we get this over with the sooner it gets done," she said awkwardly.

"I second that," Carth commented. "If the base smells any better than this slime pit it'd be an improvement."

"I better come with you. The Vulkars set up a force field to block off the way and I just happen to be one of the few non-Vulkars who knows the access code. I picked them off the pocket of a Vulkar who had a little too much to drink at the Cantina. After the field their base is only a little further beyond. I only hope the Rancor monster isn't still there," said Mission.

"Rancor monster?!" Skye called out. "You've got to be joking."

"How in the hell did one of those things get down here?" Carth asked incredulously.

"Probably left over from when the Mandies were here." Skye said offhandedly. "No doubt a security measure or a plaything. You can never tell with Mandies. When they pulled out they left Fido behind."

"So, does any of your scouting skills tell you how to get past Fido?" pressed Carth only half joking.

"Yeah, don't get eaten."

"I snuck by it once wearing my stealth belt." Mission piped up. "If that helps."

"Good idea." Skye touched the belt she was wearing. "That actually could work. And the sewer stink clinging to use will help mask our individual scents.

"Yeah um hello did you forget us?" Carth pointed to himself and Zaalbar. "Four people and two belts, and besides that I've never seen a Wookiee wear anything more than a bandoleer."

'I wouldn't be able to wear one anyway.' Zaalbar said. 'They don't make them for Wookiees.'

Skye nodded there was that. "Mission, are you sure that is the only way in?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"Alright, we'll make our way there and try think of something. If nothing else, I and Mission can activate out belts lay all the landmines she recovered and hopeful we can get Fido to step on them."

"That's your big plan?" Carth scoffed. "Seriously? You're going to risk the life of the kid and plant landmines?"

"You don't have the skills for stealth, Flyboy and besides she's already snuck by it once, she'll be able to do it again. I believe in her abilities."

Mission positively beamed at the Nagai's praise.

'Are you sure Mission?' Zaalbar's grunted worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm sure, Big Z. We move careful; don't do anything stupid we can pull this off. I just know it." Mission was still grinning from her hero's confidence in her. "And I ain't no kid, Carth. I told you that before. I don't hear you coming up with any other solution."

That's because there isn't one. He thought. It was the best option. Even with all the fire power at their disposal they would not be able to down a rancor. Its hide was thick as a ship's hull and the bones like durasteel; it'd take the blast of several landmines or a lightsaber to even make a dent in the damn thing. And they didn't have a lightsaber or Jedi to wield it even if they had one of the legendary swords

"Alright, we go with Fido and the Big Bang. You're both right, it is our only option. Too bad we don't have a massive vertical door we can just slam on its skull and crush it to death."

Skye laughed. "I have to admit, if we did, I'd go for that option. Ah, Mission there isn't a massive vertical door is there?"

The teenager shook her head. "No sorry. They're all like the others: opening side-to-side" she pantomimed the action of the doors they had encountered thus far during their sewer trek. "Or the few that do go up-and-down are not huge and won't crush a rancor's head even a little bit."

"Then we're back to Operation: Fido Big Bang." Skye shrugged. "And here I was hoping for an easy way out."

The four of them made their descent down the tunnels, led by Mission and Zaalbar's superior nose. It took them another hour or so to reach the door Mission said the where the rancor lay beyond. That was evidently clear by the pure stench of thing.

Both Skye and Carth didn't think anything could smell fouler than the sewers and rakghoul offal but that was very much a mistake.

"Oh gods, I think I'm going to throw up." Carth gagged, dashed for a corner of the tunnels and did just that.

"Why are you smiling, Skye?" Mission asked, she didn't think it had anything to do with Carth being sick, although the girl did find that a bit amusing.

"It suppresses the gag reflex." the Nagai said. She felt her stomach churn. There was no sense in telling the other two that it didn't always work.

'I think the beast has already eaten.' Zaalbar said pointing to a much-mangled corpse and a severed arm near the door's threshold.

"Oohh and very recently too. It's still juicy." Mission grimaced.

Skye took one look at the mangled body to discern that the shredded remains was in did a snack for Fido. And apparently contrary to popular belief rancors did not gulp their meals down in one bite. Or if they did they were very messy eaters.

It was the arm was of particular interest to the scout. It appeared it the palm it was holding on to something. It seemed to be small canisters. Skye frowned at first until the Wookiee barked at her.

"Really? Pheromones you say?"

"Why would a thug or even a merc want pheromones?" Carth asked. "Especially down here, what did he think it would help in shag some she-rakghoul?"

'Hunting.' Zaalbar grunted. 'Lure the beast into a trap.'

"Perfect! By the Night Mother, I don't know why I didn't see it before!" Skye scolded herself. Then a true smile flashed on her lips. "I've got an idea. One that doesn't involve putting a girl in danger. But for it to work I need all the grenades we have.

"Carth dump everything we have in the pack and then place all those body parts into it. We activate the pheromone canisters. Fido takes a chomp and big badda-boom his stomach is blown: no more Fido."

Carth grinned. "Gotta love that idea. Okay, I'll take the pack and go into the lair…"

"Still not skilled in stealth, Flyboy." Skye chastised man though this time albeit playfully. "I'll do it." she grinned "Why do you think I gave you the icky job? All I have to do is blow up Fido, not touch mutilated gore."

"Oh, very funny, Little Scout. Did I ever tell you, I like your sense of humour?"

"Can't say it ever came up in conversation."