Carth wasn't exactly thrilled with the fact that they were traveling through the sewers again. He didn't think it was possible, but it smelled even worse than the first time they had been down there. Thankfully, Mission informed them that they wouldn't have to travel as close to the Gamorrean camp as before, so they were saved from having to deal with the smell of pig men.

After an hour of travel, the group found themselves in front of a shimmering wall.

"Here it is, the entrance to the Black Vulkar base. Luckily, I've got the door codes right here. But, uh, there is one thing that I forgot to mention."

Mag looked at her, with one eyebrow cocked in surprise. "And what would that be Mission?"

The girl looked down at her feet and shuffled one around. "Uh, well, it slipped my mind that there is a rancor guarding the entrance past this force field."

Both Carth and Mag's jaws dropped in surprise. "You have got to be kidding me." she said.

Mission shrugged her shoulders. "It isn't too big. And it's really dumb. I can slip past it, no problem."

Mag raised her hand up. "No way. I already didn't want to bring you along and now you are insisting on getting past the rancor? I don't think so."

As both Zaalbar and Carth both expected, this caused another fight. Mission insisted that she was the right one for the job, while Mag put her foot down and said that she wouldn't allow her to go.

Finally, Carth stepped between the two of them. He cleared his throat and used his best commander voice. "Stop it. Both of you. We don't have time to waste arguing with each other. To be honest, I think that Mission is the best one for the job. She is smaller than you, Mag. And with a stealth belt on, she will be able to easily pass by the rancor unnoticed."

Mission looked a little shocked that Carth had taken her side. But, she wasn't going to argue with him. "I figured I could put some grenades down to distract it. Then, we all run past and enter the base."

Mag pinched her nose in frustration. "I thought that we agreed that you weren't coming in the base with us, Mission. You and Zaalbar said you would wait for us back at the Outcast village."

Once again, Carth stepped into the conversation. "Look, like I said before, we don't have much time to waste. Mag, two extra hands wouldn't hurt. We are trying to get into a gang base."

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Mag knew Carth was right. Mission had already proven her skills with a blaster and had vouched for Zaalbar's as well. Realizing that she didn't have much of a choice, Mag agreed that the other two could accompany them into the base. "Mission, try and be careful when you approach the rancor. Please don't get hurt."

The girl gave a victorious whoop and checked her stealth belt. "I'll be right back, you won't even notice I'm gone."

Mag watched as Mission's body shimmered and then disappeared. She took a deep breath and held it. Even though she had just met the girl, she couldn't help but feel attached to her. Mission was a rare combination of innocent and savvy and that struck a chord with Mag. If something happened with the rancor, she wasn't sure if she could ever forgive herself.

Carth walked over to Mag and placed a hand on her shoulders. "She is going to be just fine. Mission is a smart kid."

To his surprise, she leaned back against him. "I know, but I'm still worried. She's just a kid."

For several minutes, the three of them waited for Mission to return. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion followed by a roar. Mag untangled herself from Carth's arm and moved to go after Mission. When Carth realized what she was trying to do, he grabbed her by the wrist. "Don't! You heard that explosion!"

Just as Mag was about to turn around and demand that Carth let her go, Mission appeared in front of her. Mag yanked her arm from his grasp and embraced the girl. Then, she pushed the girl in front of her. "What the hell were you thinking? And what was that explosion?"

Mission laughed. "I'm fine. When I walked into the room, I noticed a datapad. Apparently, its owner had synthesized some odor that smells like rancor food and I got the idea to plant it into a pile of stuff with some grenades. Then, BOOM goes the rancor!"

Partially out of relief and partially out of genuine amusement, Mag started laughing. "That was pretty smart of you, Mish. Let's get going."

The four of them made their way carefully around the rancor's smoking corpse. Unsurprisingly, there were no guards posted at the entrance. "Guess they figured a rancor would keep intruders out". Carth mused.

The lock to the back entrance was simple and it only took Mission a few moments to pick it. As the doors slid open, Zaalbar and Carth slipped through to check for any Vulkars. When Mag and Mission heard shots being fired, they rushed in after the boys to join the fight.

Thankfully, it seemed that the base was only staffed by the bare minimum of gang members. It was easy for the four to take all the guards down. Once the last one had dropped dead, Mission ran to one of the computer terminals. "I'm going to hack in and download a map of the base. And maybe mess with some of the Vulkars while I'm at it.

Mag chuckled and walked over to a pod in the center of the room. "Hey Mission, any chance you could tell me what this is?"

"Um, give me a second. Okay. Looks like it's a weapon cache."

"Carth, watch my back. I'm going to try and pick this lock, so we can get inside."

He nodded and scanned the room. Mag bent down and examined the lock. She wasn't as good as Mission, but she was finally able to get it open. Inside there were several guns, a few spare combat suits, and tons of grenades. They had hit the jackpot.

After loading themselves up with the stolen supplies, Mission pointed them in the right direction. They had to fight through several groups of Vulkars before they were able to make it to the swoop bike garage. Looking at the map, Mission said, "I'm pretty sure the accelerator engine will be in here."

She bent down to pick the lock, but the door slid open. Inside, were several Black Vulkar members. The leader spoke to them in Twi'leki. "Ahhh. Who do we have here? It seems like you are intruders? Or perhaps you are thieves? Coming to steal the swoop bike accelerator?"

Mission's head tails shook with anger. "We are here to take it back. You idiots took it in the first place!"

"The little girl has spunk, we could use someone like you amongst our ranks. Would you like to join us?"

Mission spat on the ground. "No way. Not now. Not ever."

The Twi'lek laughed but didn't reply. Instead, his girlfriend did. "Can we kill them now?"

He nodded. "Yes, kill them darling. Kill them all."

The woman smiled and withdrew her blaster pistol. Then, the melee ensued. Besides the two Twi'leks, there were several Black Vulkar guards. Clearly Brejek wanted to keep the accelerator engine in his possession. Carth and Zaalbar decided to take on the guards since they were the largest opponents in the room. Mission was wrestling with the Twi'lek woman, who had switched to vibroblades. Mag heard the girl swearing as she fell down and watch as she quickly got to her feet.

"You know, for a small woman, you pack a mighty big punch. I like that. Feistiness turns me on." The male Twi'lek sneered at Mag.

She rolled her eyes and swung her two vibroswords through the air and at her opponent. The Tw'lek growled and blocked her swing. The two stayed in locked combat, both oblivious to their surrounds. Suddenly, Mag's opponent dropped down, screaming in pain. Without thinking, she drew her blade across his neck, slitting his throat.

Mag spun around and saw Carth pointing his blaster at the dead Twi'lek. She turned back around and saw blood spreading through his pants on his knees. "What the hell did you do that for, Onasi? I had everything under control."

"Like hell, gorgeous."

Knowing this was not the time, nor the place for a fight with Carth, Mag just stomped away. After checking that Zaalbar and Mission were not injured, she walked to the back of the room. There, laying front and center in a locked, glass case, was the swoop accelerator. Way past delicacy, Mag unholstered her blaster pistol and used it to smash through the glass. The engine was smaller than she had expected, so she she was able to lift it easily up and out of the case. On the way up, Mag brushed one of the broken glass corners and sliced the top of her hand open. "Sithspit." she cursed, nearly dropping the engine.

Carth moved to help her, but Mission got there first. The girl took the engine from Mag's hands and passed it to Zaalbar. "You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, just a cut. Give me two seconds to bandage it up and then we should get the hell out of here. I wouldn't want to see the look on the Vulkars faces when they realize that the accelerator is gone."

Everyone agreed and waited for Mag to bandage herself up. Then, they rode the garage elevator up to the main level. Although they had taken care of everyone on the inside of the base, there were still a few guards posted at the Lower City entrance. Carth and Zaalbar quickly dispatched them because Mission was cradling the engine and Mag's hand prevented her from properly wielding her vibroblade.

As quickly as they could, the group made their way back to the Hidden Beks base. When they entered, all eyes were on them. Mission proudly walked up to Gadon's desk and gingerly set the accelerator engine down. "We got it!"

Although the old man was blind, the surprise was evident on his face. "Did you really? That's great! And just in time! The race is in less than forty-eight hours!"

By this time, several Beks had come up to see the engine. When they realized it was the real deal, there was a cacophony of excited chatter. Gadon raised a hand to quiet them down. "Someone please inform the mechanics that the engine has been recovered. The rest of you, get the food and the booze. We are going to celebrate!"

There was a loud roar, and everyone went off to finish their tasks. Mag slipped over towards Gadon and Carth could see her talking to him. The leader nodded, and Mag walked towards the front door. Carth jogged across the room so he could catch up to her. "Hey, where ya heading?"

Her eyes narrowed, but she answered. "I'm going up to the Upper City. I want Zelka to check my hand out. Plus, I won't have to make an extra trip to deliver the rakghoul serum to him."

"Mind if I tag along?"

Mag kind of minded, she was still a little ticked with Carth. But with her injured hand, she knew that it would be hard to defend herself if they met any gang members on their way to the elevator. So, she shook her head.

Thankfully, they didn't encounter any Black Vulkars on their way to the elevator. Mag figured they were a little preoccupied with the base break in. Mission had informed her of some of the havoc she had wrecked during her stint on the computer and Mag knew that they would have their hands full for some time. Carth flashed their papers to the guard and he let them on. Mag got on first and didn't speak. He wondered what he had done to tick her off this time.

"What's wrong?"

She rolled her eyes but didn't respond. Now Carth was starting to get ticked. "Seriously gorgeous, what the hell did I do this time?"

Mag ran a hand through her hair. "I was fine dealing with that Twi'lek guard back at the Vulkar base. You didn't have to go shooting him in the kneecap."

Carth couldn't believe his ears. "Some people are grateful when other save their lives, you know."

"I didn't need saving. I can take care of myself."

Then, he saw it in her eyes. Mag wasn't trying to be ungrateful; she was simply trying to prove that she was capable. He crossed the elevator until he was standing directly in front of her. Then, he put his hands on her shoulders. "Mag, I didn't think that you were losing. Time was running out and I simply wanted to speed up the process. You are one hell of a fighter. I know you can hold you own. But, I'm sorry if I offended you."

Mag slumped her shoulders underneath his touch. "I guess I shouldn't be mad at you then. But, there is one thing that is bothering me. You keep looking me out of the corner of your eyes, like you're waiting for me to mess up or something."

He immediately jerked his hands away from her. "I don't want to talk about it."

She rolled her eyes again. "Of course, you don't. But honestly, don't you think that you would feel better if you did?"

Carth ran a hand through his hair and pushed up his sleeves. "Damn it, you are so frustrating!"

Mag decided to try another tactic. She looked up at Carth from underneath her eyelashes. "And what exactly is it about me that frustrates you, flyboy?"

Despite himself, Carth felt himself flush. But, he caught himself before he let out a nervous laugh. "Oh no. I'm not falling for that one. I wasn't born yesterday you know."

She shrugged. "And you say I'm frustrating."

"What did I do?"

Mag laughed. "Oh, that's rich. Your paranoia is out of control!"

He sighed. "Fine, I guess I could use someone to talk to. When I think everything that has happened, there is one name that stands out. Saul Kararth."

She scrunched up her nose. "The Admiral of the Sith fleet?"

Carth nodded. "Yes, he was my mentor. Almost from the moment I entered into military service, Saul took me under his wing. I believe he wanted me to be his successor. But, four years ago, he tried to convince me to turn to the Sith. We had a huge fight and he stormed out of my house. I was shaken but didn't know what to do. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of bombs. He had turned, Mag. He completely destroyed Taris to prove his loyalty to the Sith. There was never a doubt in my mind about what he did. I swore that I would find him and make him pay for what he did."

Mag looked down and saw that Carth's hand were shaking. He caught her gaze and clenched his hands into fists. "I'm so sorry, but can you really blame yourself for trusting your friend and mentor?"

"I was stupid. I ignored all of the warning signs because I cared about him. He deserves to die. There is more, but I don't want to talk about it."

She nodded and put her hand on his arms. "Okay. But if you ever do, I'll listen."

Carth thanked her and they rode the rest of the way in silence. The doors slid open and they exited. They walked towards the clinic, neither wanted to speak because they didn't know what to say. When they reached the building, Guerney put in their names right away. Within moments, they were escorted to the exam room.

Dr. Forn knocked and then came in. "Well, I'm glad to see you two again. Despite the circumstances." He said as he glanced down at Mag's bloodied hand.

She laughed. "It's nothing too serious. I just nicked myself on some glass. But, I wanted to have it checked out in case some managed to catch itself in the cut."

The doctor nodded and then took her hand in his. After a few moments, he grabbed a pair of forceps and began extracting a few shards of glass. Mag sucked in her breath and reached out to grab Carth's hand. He was a little shocked but took it. After Dr. Forn cleaned out the wound, he wrapped a kolto bandage around it. "Give it a few days and it should be good as new. It is pretty deep."

Mag thanked him and opened her pack. "I have another reason for visiting you today, Dr. Forn. Carth and I found these in the Undercity."

She held up the glowing green vials and the doctor's eyes grew wide and round with shock. "It can't be. No, it can't! Are those what I think they are?"

"I think so. From the way that they were packaged, I believe that this is the rakghoul serum."

The doctor grabbed the vials and asked if he could test them. They nodded and waited. Five minutes later, Dr. Forn came back in. "You were right, these is the serum! I can't thank you enough for bringing these to me. You have changed so many peoples' lives. How can I ever thank you?"

Mag shook her head. "That won't be necessary. Honestly, we were lucky to find it down there. But, I was wondering if you could make up a batch for me to take down to the Outcasts? They will need it."

"Of course. If you give me about ten minutes, I'll have enough vials ready for you."

Carth and Mag waited for the prescribed amount of time and then received the vials. "Anything you ever need healing wise, I will give it to you for free. And I would like to give you a discount on any medical supplies you would like as well." Dr. Form informed them.

Both tried to protest, but the doctor refused to listen. "It is the least that I could do."

They thanked him and exited the exam room with the vials. On their way out, Guerney stopped them. "You made a big mistake. You could have got a lot of money from that serum had you sold it to Davik."

Mag walked over to him. "Yeah? Then only the rich could have afforded it. This way, everyone will be cured. The rakghouls will die out."

Without waiting for his reply, she walked over to the front doors of the clinic. Carth shot Guerney a venomous look and followed her out. The two made their way back to the Lower City and then quickly went to the elevator that would take them to the Undercity. When they arrived, Carth and Mag found that the Outcasts were working hard at preparing for their journey to the Promised Land. She asked where they might find Gendar and one of the villagers pointed them in the right direction.

"Gendar, Carth and I have something for you." Mag said.

The leader looked up and smiled. He shook both of their hands. "Good to see you both. As you can see, we are quite busy getting ready for our trip. What can I do for you?"

Mag opened up her bag and pulled out the serum. "We found this on one of the dead Sith soldiers. It's the rakghoul serum. One of the doctors in the Upper City synthesized it for us. There is enough here to inoculate all of the villagers. We thought it would come in handy for your trip. Eventually, the rakghouls will die out. You won't have to worry."

The man's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious. I know that one doctor was working on the serum, but I hadn't heard anything in a while."

She nodded and passed him the vials. "You should get these to Esala right away. The sooner you start, the sooner you can leave."

"Someone find Esala please." He said.

One of the villagers brought the healer to them and Gendar gave her the serum. "Assemble everyone and inject them with this. It will protect them against the rakghoul disease"

They watched as she walked away to carry out his orders. Then Gendar turned to face the pair. "How can I ever thank you both? We don't have much, but name it and its yours."

Mag shook her head. "Don't worry about it. You needed it. We are just the delivery people."

They shook hands again and made their way back to the elevator. They needed to return to the Hidden Bek base to figure out how to Gadon planned to get them into the swoop race.