AN:Just wanted to clear a few things up for those who are having a little troubel. the character in this story is Raven Dark-wing she is not, and nevrt has been Reven. i got a little tired of always having the same basic approach. so although i do follow the game my character is totally original. this means that she can be however i want her to be! just kidding, she will follow the a similar path, but all characteristic displayed will be explained as the story progresses, so don't jump down my neck over something you don't understand ask a question and i'll try and fix what you think could be worked on, thats the whole point of leaving reviews, it helps the writer to make the story better. if you spot anthing that you just don't get or feel totally doesn't fit in my story let me know. i'd be happy to here from you. :)
"You don't honestly think that you going to be able to find theses journals do you?"
Carth asked as they left the weathered tent of Rukil. The small village that sat in the shelter of the giant tower leading down into the undercity looked drab and worn, the smell of rot and mold hanging heavily in the air causing you to breath deeply through the mouth.
"I don't know Carth, I didn't promise him anything but I do intend to keep a look out for them. It can't cause any harm."
"That was kind of strange though, wasn't it? It was like he already knew you."
Carth mused, they where making their way around the village – scoping out the environment. They where nearing the gate that protected the villagers from the rest of the hazardous undercity.
"I don't see how, I know I've never set foot on Taris before we got here. I can count the number of planets I've been to on one hand."
"That's odd – don't you get posted?"
"Sure but I'm a combat pilot, most of my active duty has been in deep space. The last two planets I got stuck on where Coruscant at the academy and after that I was posted to Fondor for advanced pilot training."
"Nice, you must have graduated pretty high in you class to get posted there."
"Second actually – would have been first if I could have passed more then just basic blaster training."
"You failed advanced blasters?"
"Hey! I would have been fine if it was anything else, give me a starfighter, or put me in melee combat and I could have passes anything. For some reason blasters are just beyond me, I'd never even held a blaster before I came to the academy. I was top in everything else though."
He just looked at me with mischief twinkling in his eyes.
"So, you failed huh?"
"NO! - I opted to - recognise my limitations."
He laughed out loud as we rounded the final corner to the gate. A shrill panic filled voice cut through the merriment bringing us back into the present with an unexpected thud.
"Hurry Hendar, run! Open the gates please! He's nearly here. If you don't they'll kill him!"
"I'm sorry Hestor I just can't risk the village for one man, they're too close."
"NO! Hendar!"
I didn't even stop to look at Carth I felt him move step by step besides me as we approached. Beyond the gate about 30 feet away a young villager ran with all his might in an attempt to out pace the hideous creatures less then 10 feet behind him. I looked at Carth for a moment, neither he nor I spoke, but a silent communication passed between us.
"Open the gates"
The words seemed spoken from someone else. I was already reaching for my blade and Carth had his blasters in a firm light grip. The man at the gates just looked at us.
"I said open the gates, we'll deal with the Rakghouls."
"Your mad! There's at least ten of them out there!"
"Just do what the lady asked."
Carth spoke now – his authorative tone breaking through the terror filled atmosphere.
"Ok – but your still mad."
The gate slid down and we stepped over quickly, before we'd gone even a foot we heard the distinctive sound of the gate as it slammed tightly into place once more. The young villager – Hendar – was 15 feet away, the Rakghouls 20.
"I'll stay ranged – keep them off your back. Don't get bitten beautiful."
"You think this is the time for flirting?"
Carth choked on a laugh but stopped as he settled into a firm stance. Carefully I gripped the dual blade in my hands and gave the handle a deft twist. The blades separated into two weapons. I spun them effortlessly, adjusting to the altered balance.
"Be careful flyboy."
I muttered eyeing the approaching hoard before taking a deep breath and diving straight in.
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Carth watched in utter amazed panic as Raven threw herself into the oncoming swarm of Rakghouls. She was literally everywhere. Her separated blades slicing and hacking with precision movement – take one down move on.
He could see the fierce determination on her face as she spun and twirled to an inner music that he was privileged enough to overhear. All the while she kept going he was picking off targets with an uncanny speed and accuracy, one after another.
It was amazing to watch let alone participate in. she was a living force, seemingly bring the very elements around her to life. He barely noticed the young man from the village as he too turned to slash at those on the peripheral of the swarming mass that held Raven at the centre.
It played out as an orchestrated battle with himself only reacting to the action-taking place. He was so caught up that her didn't notice the villager who had decided to help, fall awkwardly at the feet of an attacking Rakghoul, until it was too late.
He watched in sick horror as the giant beast dove towards the prone figure, its jaws open wide to take that lethal bite. A blur of motion caught his attention as Raven moved into view.
She dove the short distance between herself and the beast intercepting it with a right fist as she slammed the hilt of her blade into its jaw knocking it away and giving her a chance to recover.
He dispatched it quickly with a sniper shot to the back of its bulbous head before moving to pull the injured villager away from the battle. After that it took very little time to finish off the remaining beasts.
When the last of the Rakghouls lay writhing in its final death throws Carth stopped and took in the carnage around them. The mutilated corpse's lay motionless contrasting sharply with the previous battle.
In the centre of the dead and dying beasts stood Raven. Her breathing hard and yet still controlled, she stood with both blades resting, still gripped firmly in her hands pointing towards the blood soaked ground.
Her eyes shut in an effort to regain control, while her chin length black hair clung in places to her face. Her armour sported gash marks and blood – none of which appeared to be hers.
From a distance he heard the distinctive sound of the gate being lowered followed by the joyous sobs of the young women as she was reunited with her husband, then the gatekeeper seemed to snap back into focus.
"That was amazing! I though for sure that you would all be killed, but you won – I've never seen anything like it!"
Carth still hadn't taken his eyes off Raven who stood not 3 feet away. He watched as she turned and her eyes opened, her gaze meeting his across the short distance that separated them.
She reattached the two bladed and smiled at him, her relief and joy evident in the light of her eyes, which surprisingly, for the undercity was dim and poorly lit, shone with a golden glow – like sunrise.
He watched as she began to move towards them, his own face responding in kind as she approached.
"Thank you – both of you – so much for saving him. I…I can never thank you enough!"
"Please we're just glad we where able to help."
Raven replied her voice soft and it touched him again how deeply she seemed to care for all the people she seemed to meet that needed help.
They watched together as the reunited couple made their way across the village to the more populated areas.
"You amaze me."
The word slipped out before he had a chance to censor them. She stood only a few feet away now, in easy reaching distance, but the full force if her smile and eyes at this range almost floored him as she turned to face him fully.
"Really? Thanks Carth you did pretty awesome too. I don't think even my instructor at the academy could have done better."
"Now I know your flirting – didn't anyone teach you not to pander to your elders?"
"Get real flyboy – you know full well that – that – whatever it was, when we where fighting was something special. I could almost feel you in my head letting me know where I needed to be, or not be most of the time. I've never been able to fight quite like that before. I'm not being modest, I'm good but I didn't think that I was 'that' good."
"Well maybe you talent is expanding? We are in a pretty stressful situation, stranded on an enemy occupied world – cut off from command. These are the moments you find out what your really capable of."
"Maybe, I'd be more then willing if I was able to fight like that more often. We should probably get cleaned up a bit and get some rest."
"I see what you mean, if we're going to face more of these things."
And he kicked the nearest corpse with his boot
"We could use all the help we can get."
They turned to begin the walk back through the open gate when a flash of blue caught their attention. Reacting instinctively Carth grabbed for his blasters as Raven raised her blade.
"Hey – you…you gotta help me! No one else will help me – not even the Beks will help me!"
A trembling sigh of relief escaped them as the caught full sight of the young twi'lek. She looked shaken and slightly injured – her wide eyes terror filled.
"It's Mission right?"
Carth asked she nodded taking a deep breath.
"Please – they got Zalbaar – there gonna hurt him or worse sell him to slavers!"
"Ok Mission…calm down…take a deep breath and tell us what happened."
Raven spoke as she slid her blade back into its harness.
"We…we where explorin' down in the sewers, looking for stuff to salvage, when a group of Gamorrean's attacked us. Zalbaar pushed me out of the way and told me to run. So I did…I ran as fast and as far as I could. I thought he was right behind me only when I made it out of the sewers and turn to see if he's alright…well you know, he was gone."
He face showed her grief and tear pooled in her eyes. I looked at Raven our eyes meeting over the young girls head.
"Ok Mission – we'll help you find him. We where headed back up to our apartment to get some rest, you can come and stay with us if you like."
"What! You gotta find him now."
"I know your upset Mission, but we can't do anything for him right now. We've been on the go for hours – we're exhausted. We can't go off into the undercity unprepared, we'd be slaughtered. I know you want to find your friend, but we need supplies and ammunition, without those we'd never even make it to the sewers let alone back out again – do you understand? We're not going to leave him, but we need rest – all of us."
Raven had kept her voice steady and calming, he watched fascinated as her measured words sank into the distressed teen's mind and stuck.
"Ok… I – I guess your right. They can't move him anywhere overnight so he should be safe till morning. I – thanks for agreeing to help me."
"Don't mention it."
Carth added with a tense smile.
"We where looking for you both anyway – we where going to ask for help – but that can wait till we find your friend."
"Thanks. Did you mean it about headin' back to you place? I've never been in an uppercity apartment before."
"Sure kid, you can stay as long as you want."
"Hey! I ain't no kid!"
Raven chuckled at them both before turning towards that tower lift and hopefully some rest.