When Carth and Mag reached the base, the celebration party was in full swing. They could see Mission dancing with one of the younger Bek boys and Zaalbar was keeping an eye on them while stuffing his face. She spotted them and waved them over.
"C'mon guys! Enjoy the party! Relax a little!" she laughed.
Mag smiled and walked over to the bar. She ordered two Tarisian ales and brought one to Carth. "Cheers, flyboy."
They clinked their bottles together and found a semi-quiet corner to sit down. It felt good to get off their feet; they had been running around all day. Mag noticed that Carth was pursing his lips. "What? Parties not your thing?"
He shook his head. "When I was younger, they were. I used to stay out all night long when I had shore leave. But now, not really."
She laughed. "You know how old that makes you sound, right?"
He joined in with his own chuckle. "I suppose it does. But, what can I say?"
Mag set her bottle of ale down on the table. "Let's dance. It will be good for you. We can let off some steam"
Carth vigorously shook his head, but Mag didn't give him a choice. She grabbed his hand and gave it a hard tug. Knowing how stubborn she could be, Carth set his bottle down on the table and stood up. "Alright, alright. But just one dance!"
They ended up participating in several dances. It was more fun than either of them had expected. Finally, they found a table and sat down. Mag wiped her forehead with her sleeve. "Whew, that was a blast. I didn't know you could dance, flyboy!"
He chuckled and raised one eyebrow. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, gorgeous."
She was about to retort with her own flirty reply but was interrupted by a member of the Beks. "Excuse me, but Gadon would like to speak with you both in his office."
They were escorted through the base until they reached Gadon's office. It was fairly economical, everything had a place and a purpose. "Ah, Mag, Carth, please come in. Sit down. Can I offer you something to drink?"
Shaking their heads, they both sat down. "First of all, I want to thank you for all of your help in recovering the swoop accelerator engine. I have heard through some of my sources that Brejek is in an uproar. I must admit, it brings me a small dose of pleasure. However, there is another part to my plan. I would like you to ride the bike in the race tomorrow."
Mag could see through his facade right away. "Because you don't want to risk one of your own riders. Right, Gadon?"
He looked shocked but nodded. "You are correct. The engine is unstable, it is still a prototype. I would feel better if one of you rode it. I don't think anything will happen, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."
Carth immediately volunteered to ride in the race. "I've been trained as a pilot and I used to ride swoop bikes when I was younger."
Mag shook her head. "No way, flyboy. You'll be too heavy for it. If the engine is sensitive, then the less weight, the better. I have to be the one to ride."
"She's right, Carth. I think that is the smartest time." Gadon said.
Although he didn't like the idea, Carth was outnumbered. He nodded. Gadon continued. "I've set up one of the spare rooms for you two. Rest well tonight, Mag. You're going to spend all day tomorrow training for the race."
The same Bek that brought them to Gadon's office escorted them to one of the guest rooms. It was far nicer than the dorms they had slept in their first time with the Beks. It was spacious, with a living room, a bedroom, and a private bathroom. Mag flopped down onto the couch and began untying her boots. "I could get used to this place. It doesn't smell like our apartment." she laughed.
Carth agreed and went to go look at the bedroom. "Uhhh, could you come here for a minute, I think we have a problem."
Mag groaned and pushed herself off of the couch. When she walked into the bedroom, she saw what he was talking about. There was only one bed. However, it was far bigger than the bunk that they had shared previously. Carth ran a nervous hand through his hair. "I think that the Beks assumed we are, you know, together or something. You're the one racing tomorrow, you can have it. The couch doesn't look half bad."
She rolled her eyes and flopped down onto the bed. "Look, there is a ton of space. And I can guarantee that this is a million times more comfortable than the couch. I'm fine with sharing the bed with you. It worked fine the first time, I'm sure we can manage it again."
Carth felt his stomach do a flip that he couldn't quite explain. "Sure, that's fine. I'm okay with that."
He sat down on the edge of the bed and removed his boots and jacket. When Carth moved to lay down, he noticed that Mag was curled up on the edge of the bed in the fetal position. "What's bothering you, gorgeous?"
When Mag didn't answer, Carth scooted closer to her and placed his arm on her shoulder. "Is it about the race?"
She nodded. "What if we don't win and we can't save Bastila? Then we are back at square one. Time is ticking away, Carth. The longer the Republic doesn't have her, the more likely it is that the Sith will win this damn war."
Without saying a word, Carth laid close to Mag and wrapped an arm around her waist. It wasn't intended to be a romantic gesture, but simply to comfort her. They were both dealing with a lot and were all each other had on the entire planet. "It's going to be fine. Somehow, I'm not sure how, but somehow, I know that things are going to be just fine."
Mag didn't
reply but leaned into his chest. They fell asleep like that, both too tired to continue their discussion.
Bastila could barely open her eyes, the neural restraint collar around her neck was cranked up to its highest setting. It dulled all of her senses and this was something that the young Jedi was not used to. The gang members had slapped it onto her the minute they pulled her from the wreckage of the escape pod. She wasn't sure how many days ago that was.
She thought she heard someone come into the room, but she couldn't be sure. Then, she heard her handcuffs being unlocked. A female's voice began speaking. "Brejek has ordered that you put these clothes on."
Bastila felt a bundle being passed to her. She tried her best to put them on, but the collar made it difficult to coordinate her movements. The female gang member sighed in exasperation and helped Bastila into the skimpy slave girl's outfit. The woman gathered up the discarded clothes, put the handcuffs back on Bastila, and left the cell without another word.
She was left alone for another twenty minutes before someone else entered the room. This time is was a man. He was tall and dark skinned. His eyes were black and glowed with hatred and lust. "Ah, I see that your new clothes were brought to you. They suit you quite nicely."
"Who are you?" she managed to croak out. The effort left her exhausted.
The man stepped close to her and ran his greasy hand down the side of her face and onto her neck. "I, my dear, am Brejek and I am the leader of the Black Vulkars."
"Vulkars?"
Brejek laughed. "I almost forgot that you are an outsider and do not understand the politics down here. The Vulkars are the most important and powerful gang in the Lower City on the planet Taris."
Bastila could feel her head spinning. Why was she stuck her as prisoner? What did Brejek intend to do with her? She felt her handcuffs being unlocked for the second time. Then, a wet kiss on her neck. "I am offering you up as a prize in the swoop bike race tomorrow. But, I want to have my way with you first. Just in case the Vulkars don't win the top prize."
She tried to protest, but her strength and her Force powers were too weakened by the restraint collars. For the first time in her young life, she felt out of control. It was over within moments and Brejek walked away without restraining her again. After she heard the door click shut, Bastila sank to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees and began to rock back and forth. The tears began to flow freely. Bastila could only hope that somehow, tomorrow she would find freedom.
Mag awoke with a start and sat straight up in bed. She had forgot that Carth was sleeping with his arm around her, so she woke him up too. In his stupor, he asked her what was wrong.
It was hard for Mag to speak because she was panting so hard. Her body was covered in a cold sweat and she wiped her forehead on the corner of a blanket. By this time, Carth was sitting up too. "Gorgeous, what the hell is going on?"
She turned to him and told him all the details of the dream she had. After Mag finished, she leaned forward, put her head into her hands, and started to sob. Carth couldn't believe what he had heard. It was an extremely vivid nightmare and it honestly disgusted him. But, why would Mag have dreamt it? He shoved his paranoia down for the moment because Mag needed him. He cradled her in his arms until she fell back asleep.
The next morning, Mag woke up with a splitting headache. It felt as if someone was trying to drive a vibroblade between her eyes. She tried to sit up, but Carth had his arm too tightly around her waist. Mag tapped him. "Hey flyboy, it's time to wake up."
He slowly opened his eyes and groaned. Then, he realized where his arm was and quickly jerked away. "Sorry."
She laughed and turned to face him. "It's okay. To be honest, I really needed it last night. I really hope that dream was just that, a dream. It was terrible. I'm not sure if I could have made it through the night without you."
To conceal his embarrassment, Carth sat up and pulled the blankets off of his legs. He did turn to face her, though. "You're welcome."
Then, there was a knock on the door. Gadon, Zaedra and another Twi'lek entered the room. "I trust you both slept well last night. This is Rodsu Zelona. He is one of the lead mechanics for the swoop bikes here at the base. He will be conducting your training today." Gadon said.
Mag untangled herself from the blankets and stood up. "Give me a few minutes to pull myself together. Then, I'm all yours for the day. Can I meet you down at the track?"
Gadon and Rodsu nodded and the three Beks left the room. Mag breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down. "I guess there is no turning back now."
Carth nodded. "You're going to do great, I know it."
"Thanks, flyboy. What are you going to do while I train?"
He shrugged. "Not sure. Probably watch. I used to love going to the track when I was younger. Some of my buddies and I would go and place bets when we had shore leave."
She laughed. "You are a flyboy through and through, aren't you?"
He smiled at her. "I guess you could say that."
Mag stood up and crossed the room. She pulled her jacket on and looked around for her boots. "Hey, have you seen my boots?"
Without letting her see, Carth rolled his eyes. "You took them off in the living room last night, gorgeous."
"Oh yeah….I forgot." She said sheepishly as she exited the room.
After a few moments, Mag stuck her head into the bedroom. "I'm off to the swoop bike track. See you later?"
"Sure. I'll see you down there in a little bit. I'm going to see if Mission or Zaalbar wants to come watch."
She nodded and left their quarters. Carth heard the front door click shut. He stood up from the bed and walked towards the bathroom. After turning on the faucet, Carth looked at himself in the mirror. There were dark circles under his eyes and a few more grey hairs than he remembered. Sighing, he turned on the shower and climbed in. As the water poured over his body, Carth thought about the current situation. He was stranded on an enemy controlled planet with a woman that he hardly knew. There weren't many worse spots to be in. Despite this thought, he was thankful that the woman was Mag. Carth may not trust her entirely yet, but she was a valuable asset to have around. He shut off the water and dried off his body. After putting his clothes back on, Carth made his way out of their rooms in search of Mission and Zaalbar.
He found them eating breakfast with a table full of Hidden Bek members. After grabbing himself a plate, Carth sat down at the table. "Morning Carth! How'd you sleep?" Mission asked cheerfully.
"Fine I guess. You?"
The girl smiled. "Great! I love spending the night here at the base."
He smiled at her enthusiasm. Mission didn't have much, she was little more than street kid, yet she always seemed to have a sunny disposition. "Glad to hear it. Listen, do you want to come watch Mag practice on the track with me? I figured we could cheer her one to give her a confidence boost."
Mission nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds like fun! Doesn't it, Zaalbar?"
The Wookie was in the middle of a mouthful of food and was only able to nod. Mission laughed. "Sounds like a plan, Carth. We will finish eating and then I can show you where the track is."
Mag zipped up the track suit that Rodsu had provided her. It was a little too big, but because it was flame retardant, so she figured it wouldn't hurt. After she zipped it up, Rodsu gave her the run down on how swoop bikes worked. She wouldn't be practicing on the bike with the accelerator on it because the engine was too fragile. But, Rodsu put her on a bike of the same make and model as the one should would race tomorrow.
She took the first few laps around the track slowly. But, she as she rode, Mag gained more confidence. For some reason, riding the swoop bike felt almost natural. But, she was convinced that she had never been on one before. It was a strange feeling and almost distracted her on several occasions. However, once she almost crashed, Mag snapped her thoughts back to the here and now.
Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar found some seats close to the track. There were several other members of the Beks present, gathering research for bets for the race the next day. The three sat down and tried to catch Mag. However, she was too concentrated on her training to notice.
Mission turned to Carth. "Hey Carth? Mag told me you are a pilot. Is that true?"
He nodded, slightly surprised that Mag and Mission had been talking about him. The girl continued. "So, that means you've been all over the galaxy, right?"
"Yeah, my assignments have taken me all over. Why?"
She shrugged. "I guess I was just wondering how Taris stacked up against other planets you have been to."
Carth was torn. On one hand, he felt that he should sugar coat things because she was just a kid. On the other, Carth thought it would be best to give her the truth. In the end, the truth won out. "To be honest, Mish, Taris ranks pretty low on the list. Now, I've seen worse, that's for sure. But not much worse. The rich sit on top while the poor are literally beneath them. And don't even get me started on the Outcasts."
Mission's mouth hung open. "But, that's just since the Sith landed here and decided to occupy the planet! It really isn't that bad!"
He shot her a look and she reconsidered. "I guess you're right. It was pretty much this way before the Sith came."
"I'm sorry, Mission. But like I said, it isn't the worst place I've ever been. But, still. It's not a place for a kid to live on her own. Even if she has a Wookie friend to protect her."
She shot him a dirty look. "Hey, I ain't no kid! And Big Z isn't just here to protect me, okay? I watch his back, too! Geez, all I wanted to do was ask you a question! And I got a freaking lecture!"
"Don't you snap at me, missy! How's this: only bratty little children fly off the handle because of a single comment!" Carth said, doing his best to keep his voice calm.
Mission was not trying to keep her voice down at all. "I don't have to listen to you, Carth! You ain't my father! Even though you are probably old enough to be!"
Carth was about to cave and offer a retort, but Zaalbar growled and pointed. Mag was approaching them from the track. He shot Mission a look that indicated that they would finish their talk later. She looked exhausted and had several smudges of grease across her face. "Hey gorgeous, you're looking great out there. The Vulkars don't stand a chance!"
She wiped her hand across her face, which only made the grease smudges worse. "Thanks, flyboy. I'm starting to feel pretty comfortable out on the track. But, I have no idea what to expect tomorrow."
As Carth went to tell her that she was going to be fine, Rodsu called her over. "Got to go, guys. I'll see you at dinner. And thanks for coming out to watch. It means a lot." She said while flashing him a smile.
Carth watched as she scampered back to the track. Then he turned to Mission and Zaalbar. "Tomorrow, during the real race, I need you two to be on high alert. It's a high stakes race, especially with the accelerator engine in play. I will explain later, but it is absolutely crucial that Mag wins this race. We could really use your guys' help."
Although Mission agreed to help, Carth could see the anger in her eyes. He knew that he should deal with their fight, but figured it was best to let the girl cool down first. Zaalbar agreed too, at least Carth thought so. It was difficult for him to distinguish between the different types of growls. And with Mission angry with him, there was nobody to translate.
Mission and Zaalbar watched Mag practice for another hour before they got bored. They got up without a word and left to go back to the base. Carth, not wanting to anger Mission more than he already had, stayed seated. It was best to give her some space; she was only a kid. Plus, being alone gave him more time to think about the following day. If Gadon's information was correct, Mag winning would secure all of the prizes that the gangs had put up, including Bastila. Thankfully, they did not know of her importance, only that she was a survivor of a Republic escape pod crash. With a win, they were one step closer to getting Bastila back to where she belonged. The next step would how to get off the planet. Carth didn't have a single idea of how they would accomplish that. The planet was under Sith quarantine, their ships surrounding the planet and their troops deployed in all areas. It would be difficult to get past the blockade without them noticing who they were. He sat on the bench thinking until he felt a small tap on his shoulder. Carth looked up and it was Mag. "Hey gorgeous, done already?"
"It's been four hours, flyboy. Have you been here the whole time?"
He ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "I guess so, I was lost in my thoughts. Trying to plan out the next step after we get a hold of Bastila. How do you feel about tomorrow?"
Mag sat down next to him and leaned over, putting her elbows on her knees. Sighing, she said, "Fine, I guess. Rodsu said that I was making great times and that they would get even better with the addition of the accelerator. He thinks that I have a good shot."
"I think you have more than a good shot. I've been watching you, the times you are posting are spectacular. You're going to win tomorrow, no doubt about it."
She sat up and looked at him. Although Mag knew that he was exaggerating slightly for her sake, she was still grateful. She slipped her arm through his and leaned onto his shoulder. "I sure hope so, flyboy. I sure hope so."
The next morning, the alarm went off way too early. Mag reached over and smacked it to turn it off, but all she succeeded in doing knocking it off of the nightstand. She groaned loudly and rolled out of bed. Picking it, Mag turned off the alarm and set it back down. Carth, awoken from his deep slumber by Mag's clumsiness, sat up in bed. "Morning."
She smoothed her hand over her hair, but it didn't do much to calm the tangles. "Morning. I've got to leave in a few minutes. Gadon and Rodsu want me to get a couple of practice runs in before the big race."
Carth nodded. "Good luck. I'll be down there before the race starts. Mission, Zaalbar, and I will be in the stands, cheering you on."
Mag smiled and left to the bathroom to change into her racing suit. Gadon had had it specially made for her so that she would match the rest of the Beks team. When she came out, Carth's jaw nearly dropped. The suit was made of a black, fire-resistant material. It was skin tight, so it fit her like a glove. Mag also wore a pair of dark green boots that came up to her thighs. She has slicked her hair back into a low ponytail so that it would fit underneath of her helmet.
"Ugh, this thing is so uncomfortable. I'm only wearing it because it won't catch on fire if the engine does."
Raising an eyebrow, Carth decided not to say anything. Mag shot him a look. "What, flyboy?"
"Uhhh, nothing. It just reminds me a little of the Sith suit you were wearing a few days ago." he said with a smirk.
She sat down next to him on the bed and playfully punched him in the arm. "Keep those thoughts to yourself."
He shrugged, and she continued. "In all honesty, I need you watching my back today. I have a funny feeling that the Vulkars are going to try something funny. And it is key that we get Bastila today."
Carth's facial expression turned serious. "You read my mind. I've already talked to Mission and Zaalbar and they are on board to keep an eye out. At the first sign of something out of place, we will be there. You won't have anything to worry about."
Mag patted his arm with something resembling genuine affection. "Thanks, flyboy. I better get down to the track. If I am late, then Rodsu will have my head."
After getting breakfast, Mission, Zaalbar, and Carth made their way down to the swoop bike racing track. The stands were fairly full when they got there, but having a Wookie with them cleared some spots near the front. Carth was thankful that they were able to sit so close. From his vantage point, he had a clear view of Bastila. The poor girl was being forced to wear a neural restraint collar. In order to make her a more appealing prize, the Vulkars had dressed her in a skimpy, outfit that was little more than underwear. Carth felt bad for the girl, knowing her prim attitude, she would be mortified.
Suddenly, there was a voice in his ear. "Hey, it's me. Is your comm link working alright?"
He pressed a hand to his ear. "Yup, read you loud and clear. I saw a few of the race numbers posted. Do you know what time you have to beat?"
"Thirty-eight seconds. Easy as pie. Do you have eyes on Bastila?"
"I do. She's close to the announcer booth. She has a neural disruptor on."
"Damn, that will make it harder to try and sneak her out in case I lose. I'll scope out the cage and see if there is any way to pick the lock."
Before Carth could reply, the announcer's voice up over the loudspeakers. "Next up, the Bek's racer, Amaria Tetra."
"Got to go, flyboy. I'll check in later."
Carth heard her connection click off. Mission spoke. "Why is she using a false name?"
"Just in case someone got a hold of the ship's crew lists. We figured it would be best to ride under a fake name. Gadon knows who she is and that's all that matters in the end."
The girl nodded. "Makes sense to me."
The three watched in nervous silence as Mag raced. She got off to a bumpy start, running into a couple of obstacles that had been placed on the track. But, she soon found her rhythm and began racing like a pro. After mere moments, her race was over.
Mission jumped up and began cheering. "Did you see that? She made it in only twenty-eight seconds! Mag knocked a full ten seconds off the leader's time!"
Carth and Mission high-fived each other. But, just as they sat back down, the announcer's voice came back on. "And with a score of twenty-five point three seconds, Redros of the Black Vulkars."
All three of them swore and Carth heard Mag come in over the communicator link. "Sithspit! I had him by ten freaking seconds!"
Mag then proceeded to swear in a couple of different languages, but Carth only recognized Mando'a. "After my practice runs this morning, the engine is unstable. I heard it making weird noises during my last run. It has one, two races left in it at the most. And that is counting on the fact that it doesn't count on fire. I'm not sure if I can do this, Carth."
He could hear the nerves in her voice. "Listen to me, gorgeous. You can do this. We are all rooting for you and Bastila is counting on you. Now get back on that bike."
She laughed. "Yes, commander, sir."
The comm link turned off and Carth watched as Mag mounted the swoop bike. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. All of their work thus far had come down to this single, race. Zaalbar clapped him hard on the shoulder, it pushed Carth forward and almost out of his seat. The Wookie said something, and Mission translated. "Mag will do fine. Have faith in her."
Carth nodded and tried to remain calm for the other two. But, in truth, his stomach was twisting and turning in knots. He watched as the starting light went from red, to yellow, and finally to green. Mag gunned it right out of the starting gate. Although the obstacles had tripped her up during her first heats, they posed no problem this time around. She skimmed by them as if they weren't even there. This gave him hope that she would actually be able to pull it off.
Mag channeled all of her focus into this heat. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted by the 'what ifs?' that were plaguing her. As the starting light turned green, she revved the engine. Mag took off like a blaster bolt and zipped past the first set of obstacles. Using her memory, she was able to hit almost all of the accelerator pads. This brought her speed dangerously high. Mag could hear the engine whining at her. She was no mechanic but could assume that this was not a good thing. However, knowing that it was crucial that she get her time down as low as possible, pushed the bike into a higher gear.
The engine started whining even louder. Then, suddenly, Mag felt it vibrating. But, instead of downshifting, she aimed for another accelerator pad. The end of the race was just moments away, she only needed the engine to last a little bit longer. Just as she was about to cross the finish line, Mag smelled smoke. She looked down and saw a few flames bursting out of the side. Quickly, Mag turned off the engine. She allowed the momentum to carry her over the finish line.
The announcer came over the intercom. "Ladies, gentlemen, and other species, we have a winner! With a time of 24.32 seconds, Amaria Tetra of the Hidden Beks takes first place!
Carth jumped to his feet. "She did it! Force, she actually did it!"
His excitement only lasted a few moments. Brejek jerked the microphone away from the announcer. "I am here to officially withdraw the Vulkars prize from the pot. The Hidden Beks cheated and therefore I will not allow them to take the winnings."
The crowd started booing Brejek. The announcer grabbed the microphone back. "You can't do this, Brejek. It goes against our most sacred traditions!"
The gang leader snarled. "I can do what I wish! Vulkars to me!"
As Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar made their way down to the ring, they saw a large number of Black Vulkars flocking to Brejek. Mag was being supported by a few of the Hidden Beks, but they were clearly outnumbered. She was doing her best to make her way towards Bastila, but there were just too many people in the way.
Brejek walked over to the cage that was holding Bastila. "You're coming with me, sweetheart."
She opened her eyes. "I might have something to say about that."
He watched in shock as the neural restraint collar popped off of Bastila's neck. The door of the cage flew up and the two guards were knocked over with a sweep of her hand. She quickly grabbed one of the unconscious guards' swords and armed herself.
Mag saw what was happening from across the way. She was about to move towards the young Jedi, but all of a sudden, her vision started to swim. Suddenly, everything went black.
She found herself observing a lightsaber battle. Except, Mag was one of the participants. There was a heavy mask covering her face and it was difficult to see out of the small eye slits. She did her best to block Bastila's blows, but they were coming fast. Then, the vision was over as quickly as it had started.
Mag shook her head to clear it and finally was able to make her way over to Bastila. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but I was with your team on the Spire."
"Miss Tetra? You survived the crash?"
"I did. And so did Carth."
The Jedi's eyes grew wide. "Commander Onasi survived as well? Well, this is good news!"
Mag resisted the urge to throw up her hands in frustration. Apparently her surviving was not good news.
The melee surrounded the two women. Thankfully, most of the gang members took it as an excuse to fight out their grievances with one another and took little notice of Mag and Bastila. Carth fought his way through the crowd while Zaalbar and Mission made sure they had a clear path to the exit. "Come with me, we can use the fighting as a cover to escape. "
They nodded and followed him towards one of the back doors out of the racing track. Mission and Zaalbar fired a few warning shots over their heads to keep anyone from following them. Carth pushed Bastila, then Mag threw the open door. Zaalbar grabbed Mission by the arm and then followed Carth. They ran like hell through the streets of the Lower City until they found a safe alcove, far away from the track.
The group stopped to catch their breath. Carth noticed how uncomfortable Bastila was in her slave outfit, so he unzipped his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. "Thank you. Now, is there somewhere safe that we can rest for a while. We all had quite a day."
Mag nodded. "We have a rented apartment in the Upper City. It isn't anything fancy, but it will have to do. Mission, Big Z, you two are welcome to come join us."
"But aliens aren't allowed to live in most Upper City apartments, Mag." Mission said.
"I know. But I don't the landlord of this particularly building cares. Carth and I have seen tons of different species wandering the halls."
Bastila gave a curt nod of her head. "Well, it seems to have been decided then. Off to the Upper City apartments we go."
Mag shook her head. "One last thing. Just in case the Sith or the Beks have circulated your picture or something, we will need to get you a disguise or something."
Mission pulled a scarf out of her bag. "Here, you should tie this around your hair or something. It will disguise your hair color and some of your face."
The young Jedi took the scarf from her. "Thank you."
After Bastila finished tying the scarf, the group headed towards the elevator. Carth produced the papers, but for the first time, the guard was sceptical. "Who are all these people? You know aliens aren't really allowed up there."
Mag took the lead. She grabbed Carth by the hand and gave it a slight tug to warn him not to move and just go with her plan. "My husband and I are procuring some slaves for clients upstairs."
The guard looked over Zaalbar, Mission, and Bastila. He seemed to accept her story and allowed them to enter the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, Mag quickly dropped Carth's hand and turned to the other three. "Sorry about the slave thing, guys. It was the only thing I could come up with under pressure."
Mission waved her hand. "Not a big deal. I know you don't believe in that stuff. It was actually pretty smart. The guard bought it right away!"
Mag felt better once she heard that. "I'm glad. I was worried for a minute. But, the reason that he bought my story is because it does happen up there. We are going to have to be really careful while up there. I know that there is a back door entrance to the building, you'll have to use that even though there are aliens that live there. Is that okay?"
Both Mission and Zaalbar nodded. "We're used to sneaking around places, Mag."
Everyone laughed at that remark. When the elevator reached the Upper City, they exited and walked back to the apartment. They all entered through the back entrance and climbed up the few floors to their rooms. Carth unlocked the door. "It's nothing special, but it's home."
Bastila entered and took a look around. Mag couldn't help but to notice a small sneer resting on her lips. "Is there a fresher? I would like to take a quick shower."
Carth pointed her towards the end of the hallway. "It's not a great one, the spouts only seem to work on the cold setting. But, it will get you clean. There should be some extra towels in the closet."
"Thank you, Carth. I shall return momentarily. After I bathe, we should discuss a plan for how to get off of this planet." Bastila said as she walked out of the living room towards the fresher.
Once she was out of earshot, Mission whistled. "That one is wound a little tightly, wouldn't you say?"
Mag nodded. "You can say that again. I'm going to make some food, wanna help?"
The girl nodded enthusiastically and followed Mag into the kitchen. Since Carth didn't speak the same language as Zaalbar, they set about cleaning their weapons from the skirmish.
Half an hour later, Bastila emerged from the fresher. Instead of donning her slave outfit, Mag had given her some of her spare clothes. Her brown hair was untied from its braids and it hung dripping down her back. "Something smells good."
Mission smiled. "Mag and I are cooking some dinner. It should be ready in just a few minutes. Would you mind telling the boys?"
Bastila shook her head and walked into the living room. "Mission requests that we move to the dining table. She and Mag have prepared us something to eat."
The five of them ate dinner in relative silence. Every now and then, someone would make a comment about the food or the day, but hardly any responses were returned. They were simply too tired to do so. It had been a long few days for all of them.
After they were finished eating, Zaalbar cleaned up the dishes. Bastila turned to Mag and Carth. "So, now that we are all back together, how are we going to get off of Taris."
They exchanged glances. Carth cleared his throat. "We actually haven't got that far yet."
Bastila looked at them with shock. "What do you mean? Honestly, have you only been hanging out with the swoop gangs since we crashed?"
Mag's mouth hung open. "Well, we were a little busy trying to find you, Your Highness. It wasn't exactly easy to track you down. Carth, Mission, Zaalbar, and I have been working our asses off!"
The Jedi scoffed. "Well, now that I'm back in charge, I trust things will go more quickly. And, I'm sure things will go more smoothly than my 'rescue' from Brejek and his gang."
Raising an eyebrow, Mag asked what Bastila meant by "rescued."
"It's quite obvious isn't it? I had already freed myself by the time you arrived."
Mag threw her hands up in the air. "If Carth and I hadn't figured out where you were in time, you would have escaped right back into the Vulkars' clutches."
Bastila was about retort, but Carth stopped her. "I know that you are new at this, but a leader doesn't berate her troops."
Instead of calming down the situation, Carth's comment only seemed to inflame her. "That hardly seems like an appropriate way to address your superior officer, Commander Onasi. I am the Jedi here and this is my mission!"
Carth ran a hand through his hair. "You may be a Jedi with a rare gift, Bastila, but that doesn't make you a leader. A true leader listens to her troops and the people who have seen more battle experience than you ever will!"
Before Bastila had a chance to reply, Mag slammed her palms down onto the table. "That's it! I've had enough. I need to go take a walk."
Without waiting for anybody's response, Mag pushed her chair away from the table and got up. She stomped over to the front door and slammed it on her way out. Carth got up to follow her, but Mission stopped him. "Give her some time to cool off. If you drag her back here now, you know she is just going to get angrier. I guarantee you that she will be at the cantina."
Carth sat back down; Mission was right. The last thing he needed was for Mag to be even madder at him. He watched as Bastila pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are right, Carth. I apologize for what I said. The past week has been difficult for me and my temper is quite short. What do you suggest we do?"
"To be honest, Bastila, I'm not sure. Mag and I have been so focused on what to do about finding you that we haven't had much time to figure a way out. The Sith have quratineed all of Taris, so it is not going to be easy."
Bastila nodded. "If you don't mind, I would like to go meditate. Perhaps in a little bit, you could go find Mag and bring her back to the apartment? That way we can all figure out a good place to start."
Carth said that he would do so and lead Bastila to one of the back bedrooms. "You can use this space, if you want. We can shut the door, and nobody will disturb you. I'll head out to find Mag in about twenty minutes."
Bastila agreed to the plan and thanked him. Carth shut the door behind him. When he came back into the living room, Mission and Zaalbar were playing Pazaak on the table. Carth sat down on the couch. "Mind if I join, I want to make sure Mag has adequate time to cool off."
Mission nodded enthusiastically. "Prepare to lose, old man!"
The trio played Pazaak for half an hour before Carth stood up. "I'm off to go find Mag. Will you tell Bastila if she finishes meditating before I get back?"
Both Mission and Zaalbar agreed to do so and Carth left. He knew Mission was probably right, he was almost sure that he would find her at the local cantina. While he walked there, Carth thought about the discussion that had led to Mag's exit. He felt sorry for her. Bastila essentially told Mag that she wasn't needed and Carth knew from personal experience that that was a terrible idea. No wonder she had left in such an angry state. Now, Carth felt personally responsible to setting things right.
When Carth arrived at the cantina, he found Mag straight away. She was sitting in one of the corner booths with a man that he didn't recognize. Quickly, he made his way over to their table. When he got close enough to hear what they were saying, Carth found that he could only understand a handful of words. They were speaking Mando'a.
Clearly, the meeting was just finishing up because the man at the table stood up as soon as he saw Carth. He passed a datapad to Mag, shook her hand, and tossed a few credits onto the table. As he went to leave, the mystery man looked at Carth with a snarl on his lip. Carth thought that he looked vaguely familiar but couldn't quite place where he had seen him.
As soon as the man left the room, Carth slid into the booth across from Mag. She was nursing a glass of dark liquid and there were a couple of empty glasses on the table. "I see you found me, flyboy."
He nodded. "Listen, about what happened back at the apartment…"
She held a hand up. "I don't want to talk about it. She is a spoiled Jedi princess who believes that the world should bend to her will. I saved her ungrateful ass, so I did my job. End of story."
"I know. It was unfair of her to say those things. But, we have to finish the mission. We have to get her safely back to where she belongs." Carth was being purposely vague in case there were any off duty Sith around.
She sighed and conceded. "I know you're right, but that doesn't make me any happier about it. If she was so good at rescuing herself, I'll bet that she can rescue herself right out of this planet."
Carth couldn't' help himself and snorted loudly. This set Mag off and soon they were both laughing. After a few minutes, Mag took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Actually, I may have found a solution to us getting off of Taris. The man that I was talking to when you came is named Canderous Ordo. He works for Davik. We saw him briefly when we were in the Lower City."
Now Carth knew where he had seen the man before. When he and Mag had been exploring the Lower City, they had encountered him shaking down some people for credits. Apparently, he was Davik's debt enforcer. Mag continued. "Well, Davik's ship, the Ebon Hawk, is fast, fast enough to get us through the Sith blockade. But, we will need the bypass codes if we have any chance of not being blown up by their guns."
She lowered her voice. "In order to get the codes, we have to somehow break into the Sith base. Canderous says that there is a droid sold at a local shop that should be able to help us. He gave me some credits and expects us down in the Lower City cantina as quickly as possible."
Carth looked at her, impressed. "Wow, you managed to get a lot done while you were out!"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Actually, it was all Canderous. When I exited our building, a random Twi'lek handed me a datapad. The only thing he did was ask me if I was the winner of the swoop bike race."
A waitress walked by and Mag ordered them each a drink. When they were brought to the table, she raised her glass and Carth did the same. "Here's to a successful mission."
They clinked glasses and drank the dark brown liquid within. Carth made a face. The liquor was disgusting. "What the hell did you order, gorgeous?"
"I'm not exactly sure. I told the waitress to bring something strong."
He chuckled and set his glass down. Mag smiled. "I didn't really care what I was drinking, as long as I was drinking. I think before we try and get into the base, we should get some supplies. And that way, when we show up with the droid and the gear, nobody can argue with our plan."
Carth agreed with her plan and pulled out some credits for the drinks. He set them down on the table. "Let's hit the road."
First, the duo went to the local weapons store. The owner recognized Mag as the winner of the big swoop bike race and gave them a discount. Although they had cushioned their supplies of guns during the Vulkar base raid, Mag hadn't found a vibrosword to her liking. But, then she spotted a double-bladed one in a display case. "How much is this one?" she asked.
The owner checked the price tag. "For you, only four hundred credits. I would charge a regular customer at least four hundred and fifty."
Mag whistled through her teeth. "Thanks, but that is a little out of my price range. We will just take the upgrades and the grenades."
Carth saw the disappointment in her eyes. She had been working with subpar weapons since they arrived since her favorite vibroblade had been damaged in the crash. "Actually, ma'am, we will take the vibroblade. I've got enough credits for it."
Mag looked at him in shock. "Carth, really, it's okay."
He held up his hand. "How much will it be all together?"
The shopkeeper told him the total and he counted out the credits. Carth passed them to the woman and she handed him the supplies. "Have a great rest of your day!"
After they exited the shop, Carth passed the double-bladed vibrosword to Mag. "Here you go."
She took it from him and at the same time, glared. "Don't get me wrong, Carth, I really appreciate you buying this for me. But, it was a lot of money! And we don't exactly have it right now! We still have to buy extra comm links, food, and the droid!"
Carth put a friendly hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. I was playing Pazaak with Mission before I came to find you. And I still had some credits from the other night at the cantina. It's fine. We still have plenty of money left."
Mag looked at him with shock and a raised eyebrow. "Exactly how many credits did you take from the poor girl?"
"Poor? No way. She was cheating, so I cheated back to teach her a little lesson. I only got about a hundred off of her."
Mag rolled her eyes. "Well, thank you. I've needed a new blade for a while now. This will come in handy."
He smiled. "No problem, gorgeous. Let's hit the other stores before it gets to be too late in the day."
After Mag tucked her newly acquired vibroblade into her belt, the two set off for the general store. Immediately, she approached the front counter to ask for three sets of comm links. It was important that everyone was in the loop. The clerk didn't have any in stock up front but told Mag he had some in the back. While he went to go fetch them, Mag found Carth.
While she had been talking to the clerk, Carth had been stocking up on essentials. When Mag found him, he was almost done shopping. She looked one of the shelves and pulled something off of it. She passed it to him.
Carth looked down and saw that it was a shaving kit. He laughed. "Is this some kind of hint?"
"Maybe…" she said with a shrug.
He rubbed his hand over his jaw. He hadn't had a chance to shave since before the Spire crashed. "I think my beard makes me look dashing and mysterious."
Mag snorted. "Yeah, maybe for a Wookie."
Carth pretended to be offended and placed a hand on his chest. "Fine, fine. I'll shave." He said as he placed the kit into the basket.
The clerk paged Mag up to the front counter and the two of them walked up there. He had found three comm links and rang them up along with the other purchases. After Mag paid, they walked together to the droid shop.
When they entered, Mag was surprised that the shopkeeper was a young Twi'lek woman. She could hardly believe it. The people of the Upper City were usually so prejudiced. Carth and Mag approached her and explained the nature of their order. "Oh yes! I have completed that droid for Davik! He is top of the line. I'll go fetch him from my workshop."
Moments later, Janice, as she had introduced herself, returned with the small droid. "His name is T3-M4. I added several unique features to his programming, as per Davik's instructions. I've listed them all out into the manual."
Mag bent down next to the droid and patted its head. T3 clearly liked it because he chirped happily. Laughing, she asked how much he would cost.
"Two thousand credits."
She was relieved because Canderous had given her twenty-five hundred credits and she had been afraid that the droid would have cost more than that. Mag counted out the correct amount and passed it to Janice. "Thank you for your business. And pass my thanks onto Davik."
Before they left, Mag had one finally question. "Do you have any upgrades we can purchase? Not that your work isn't satisfactory, but just in case Davik wants to personalize him."
The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! My selection is just over here on this wall."
They ended up picking up a flame thrower and an additional computer package for the droid. That used up the of the credits they had received from Canderous. After thanking Janice again for her services, the three set off for their apartment.
When they got back, Bastila was still meditating in the back bedroom. Mission was napping on the couch and Zaalbar was working on upgrading his bowcaster. The girl woke up when she heard the door open. She sat up and stretched her hands above her head. "Hey guys! You're back."
"Yup! And we brought a new friend!" Mag said.
Mission came running over to inspect the newest addition to their motley crew. "Oh! He is adorable! What's his name?"
"T3-M4. Do you want to help me attach the flame thrower that we bought for him?" Mag asked.
She threw a fist up in the air. "Yes! Let's do it!"
Carth watched as they disappeared into the second bedroom. He grabbed the shaving kit out of the bag and walked into the bathroom. When he was about halfway done taking his beard off, Carth heard a loud shriek from the bedroom. He came running out of the bathroom and nearly collided with Mag.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Mag swore. "I was trying to install the flamethrower and I crossed the wrong wires. It shot flames out and some of them hit me in the stomach."
Then she looked up at his face and started laughing. "Where did the other half of your beard go?"
Carth looked down and saw that Mag's shirt was burned. "Where did the other part of your shirt go?"
She swore again. "Touché, flyboy, touché."
He sighed. "Come on, let's go into the bathroom and take a look at this. If the burn is bad enough, we will have to take a trip down to Zelka's."
She followed him into the bathroom. "Sit on the counter." Carth instructed her.
Mag pushed herself up on the counter and removed her tank top. With the eyes of a trained soldier, he assessed the burn. It was red and angry but didn't spread very far. It was localized in the center of her stomach. "Well, the good news is, I think that you are going to live." he said with a hearty chuckle.
She playfully punched him in the arm. "I'm quite aware of that, flyboy. But, is it going to need a doctor?"
Carth shook his head. "I don't think so. I'll put some burn cream and a kolto patch on it, but that should take care of the problem. But seriously, please be more careful next time. You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."
"I will, I promise. I know exactly what I did wrong."
He shook his head again. "Oh no. I'm going to finish shaving and you're going to wait for me to finish installing the flame thrower."
Mag glared but conceded. "Fine, you finish making yourself look human again. I'm going to go find a new shirt since this one is ruined."
Bastila was snapped out of her mediation by all of the commotion. She wandered out of the bedroom and into the living room. "What's going on? Where are Mag and Carth?"
Mission looked at Bastila and said with a sly smirk. "I think they are in the bathroom, playing doctor."
She shot Mission an irritated look and went to go find Carth and Mag. But, she didn't have to because Mag came out of the bathroom. She was only wearing her bra. "What's going on?" Bastila demanded to know.
"Nothing major. I accidently crossed two wires on T3's flame thrower and it burned me and ruined my shirt. Carth was helping me patch it up." Mag said as she went into the room to find a clean top.
Bastila followed her into the room. Mag turned around. "How are you feeling? Did the meditation help?"
She nodded. "It did, thank you. I've been meaning to ask you something, Miss Tetra."
Mag gave her a quizzical look. "First of all, you can call me Mag. Everyone does. Second of all, what is it?"
Bastila sat down on the edge of one of the beds. "First of all, I would like to apologize for what I said earlier. I was under a lot of stress, but that doesn't mean I should have lashed out at you. I'm sorry."
Mag was a little shocked, she hadn't expected a seemingly heartfelt apology from the Jedi. "Thank you, Bastila. I'm sorry for storming out."
Bastila didn't respond, but instead continued with her query. "When we first met down on the swoop bike track, you seemed to freeze in the middle of the fighting. Your face was blank. What happened?"
Sighing, Mag sat down on the bed next to Bastila. "I meant to ask you about that. I saw you, actually. Fighting me. I was wearing a heavy mask, so I can only assume that I was Revan. It was weird and over as quickly as over as it had started."
Bastila pursed her lips together. "I see. That is very strange. The only thing that I can think of is my state of duress, I allowed you to glimpse one of my recent and intense memories. Once we get off this planet, I will discuss it further with some of the Jedi masters."
"Okay, that's fine. By the way, could you come with me into the living room? I want to discuss the plan with everyone."
She nodded, and the two women exited the bedroom. While walking down the hallway, Mag poked her head into the second bedroom. "Carth, Mission, could you take a break from upgrading T3? We need to discuss the plan."
The other two nodded and followed her. "Come on, T3. We will finish your upgrades later." Mission said.
The droid beeped and rolled out behind Mission. Everyone took a seat in the living room and Mag spoke. "So, while I was out, one of Davik's debt collectors requested a meeting with me. His name is Canderous Ordo."
"I've heard of him. You don't want Davik to send him after you!" Mission exclaimed.
Mag nodded. "Yeah, exactly. He isn't too happy with his situation and wants to get out of it. Long story short, he has a ship for us to use. All we need to do is to get the launch codes from the Sith base."
Bastila shook her head in disbelief. "All we have to do? You do realize what you're saying, right?"
Carth spoke up. "I know, it's going to be difficult. But it is our only option. And let's be honest, between the six of us, we will manage something."
T3 chirped happily and that helped to break the tension. Mag stood up and grabbed a spare datapad so she could type out their plan. "Okay, so here's what I was thinking…."
Carth pulled on the collar of the stolen Sith uniform. Mission and Mag had taken a quick trip to the Lower City the night before and convinced Gadon to let them borrow it for a few days. It was not only itchy, but hot because it was made of a heavy wool. Carth could feel the sweat trickling down his forehead and wiped it off on his sleeve.
He approached Mission and sat down on the couch next to her. "Hey Mish, I'm going to warn you, I have to be a little rough. I don't mean any of it, but we need to be convincing. If I say something rude, please know that it is just an act."
Mission smiled and put her hand on Carth's arm. "I know, Carth. Thanks. By the way, we haven't really had time to talk about our fight a few days ago. I shouldn't have got so upset. I just don't like it when people think I can't do things just because I'm young."
Carth smiled at her. "I'm sorry too, Mission. We are all under a lot of stress. Mag and I consider you a valuable part of this team and we are lucky to have you around."
The girl's face broke into a wide smile. "You really mean that? Thanks!"
He laughed. "Oh, you know, kids are like that. They need to hear encouragement every once in a while."
Mission stood up. "What do you mean 'kids are like that'? Listen to me, old man…"
Then, she saw that Carth was clutching his sides, laughing. Mission sat back down. "Oh, I see what you did there. Very funny."
He smiled and shrugged. Then, Mag walked out with Bastila. They were both wearing all black and their hair was slicked back into smooth buns. Mission giggled. "You guys look like spies or something."
Mag laughed. "That's the point Mission. Will you grab Zaalbar and the droid, so we can head out? We have a busy day ahead of us."