Chapter 2
The Lower City
The faded beauty of the Upper City was striking indeed when contrasted with the vicious and honest ugliness of the Lower one. The instant they set foot off the elevator, Kairi and Carth saw everything in its brutal glory - sparking wires, layers of grime on all surfaces, and graffiti in a half-dozen Basic and alien dialects. Trash piled in heaps and in plastisteel barrels where transients gathered by the light of a smoky fire. Bodily waste, bad alcohol, and things best unnamed hit them like a fist, causing them to gag until the shock wore off.
"Okay," Carth said. "We scratch this place off for shore leave."
Light barely filtered in - the translucent fountain bottoms from the streets above allowed a bit of hazy sunlight and trickles of chemical-smelling water. Jury-rigged glowrods and gas-filled signs gave off their own faint light, as did the brightly burning barrels of refuse.
No sooner had they walked out of sight of the elevator did they find themselves surrounded. Six toughs and the narrow alleyway blocked any escape routes. Before they could even reach their blasters, the leader pulled a shock stick - arcs of electricity coursing around the dull metal rod that comprised its "blade" like blue fire. Whipping around, he jabbed it into Kairi's side. Carth's blood froze when he heard her scream of pain. The quick strike left her dazed, glass-eyed and unresisting.
"You're in the wrong place, man. You're in Vulkar territory now."
"So what do we gotta do?" Carth said. "Use the secret handshake?"
He laughed. "Nice try, fellow, but you've got to pay a toll to us. We could just take your blasters and your credits."
The lead thug signaled to the pair that was blocking their escape. Kairi was still shaking off the effects of the stun, her movements groggy. An alien from some race Carth couldn't name and never would want to, big as a wall and ugly beyond description, yanked her away from Carth's reach, her blaster clattering to the floor.
"I think, though," said the leader. "That I'll give you a discount, seeing as you're Sith...I think I'll just have a roll with your woman. How 'bout it?"
Carth backed up towards one of the flaming barrels. Giving it a hefty kick, its contents vomited all over the street, blocking half the Vulkars, and creating a thick smoke screen. He drew his blaster, but couldn't see anything - the Vulkars couldn't either. His foot hit something. Slowly reaching down, he grabbed it - one of the Vulkars dropped a vibrosword.
He may not have been a melee expert, but he knew enough. The Republic soldiers had to learn how to handle blades since the Echani invented the energy shield, and the Sith started to mass produce them. Blaster in his left, sword in his right, he fought like a madman, slashing and blasting away at anything that stood between him and Kairi. As the hulk of an alien tried to flee with her, Carth charged and slammed the blade into its back. With a scream more animal than sentient, it fell, and Kairi narrowly avoided being pinned beneath its bulk as Carth wrenched her away.
Carth pulled them deeper into the Lower City, into a dark pit of an apartment, slicing into the lock so it sealed behind them. His skill was very limited, but it was enough. Breathing heavily, he listened for anyone that had followed. Thankfully, they'd given the Vulkars the slip.
Kairi was staring straight ahead, wobbling unsteadily. At least she was able to stand, and was somewhat conscious - good signs, at least.
"Kairi?"
As if startled awake, she cried out and threw her arms around him, holding him like a lifeline. Small wonder the ambush scared her out of her wits. She had been surrounded, outgunned, and threatened with rape. That shock stick must have also reminded her of what happened on the Spire, the plasma shock that damaged her mind. Hell, he was just glad to get away with their skins.
After a few moments, she snapped out of it. Her breathing went back to normal, and her unsteadiness passed. She pulled away from him. "I'm...I'm sorry."
He tried to make light of it. "Hey, pretty lady with her arms around me...you're not going to find me objecting."
Again, Kairi looked embarrassed. "They were on us so fast. I didn't have time to defend myself, to pull out my blaster. There were too many, and he was too strong...and that awful shock."
"They set up a hell of an ambush...Did he do anything to you?"
"He wanted to," Kairi said, grimacing. "There were such...things...he intended."
"Yeah, I know," he said. "I don't like killing, but guys like that I'm not sorry to say that I took them down. Rabid animals with the guise of sentience..."
Kairi pulled off the pack, undoing the top of the Sith uniform. "The uniforms are like a big 'shoot here' sign," she explained. "They may have got us down here, but if we're going to contact the Beks, we had better not be seen in these."
Good to know she can snap out of it quickly, Carth thought. Also good to know she can think like a soldier when times require it. All in all, I could have been stuck with a lot worse.
Without much in the way of propriety, they changed into the combat suits they purchased with the last of their supply credits. Combat suits were lightly armored - less than Carth was used to, but they were better than nothing, and Kairi had needed something that wouldn't impede her movement. They were also common among mercenaries, and being mistaken for a pair of small-time mercs would certainly draw less trouble than being mistaken for Sith officers.
Kairi saw the vibrosword and went to pick it up. Carth was about to tell her not to touch it, but her hand curled about it. She made an experimental swing with it.
"This isn't balanced right." She spun and did a thrusting maneuver, then brought it up to parry. "There's too much weight in the blade. A better quality grip and a vibration cell would correct that somewhat."
She's been trained to fight with a sword, the way she's gripping that. The posture's right, too. Then again, she was traveling with the Jedi, and I've never seen one of those saber-swingers holding a blaster. Service Corps or one of their wash-outs, maybe? But it would be on the file if that were the case...
Between this and the way she'd dispatched the bounty hunters two days ago, it was obvious she could hold her own in a fight, that there was more to her background than just a civilian translator.
Something's been left out of the file, but what? And why? Carth scowled in frustration. While the question bothered him, he wasn't going to get any answers now, and they had other problems to deal with.
"It's yours, if you want it," he said. "I'm not much for melee weapons, anyway."
She looked at him for the longest time, as if not sure she heard him correctly. "Thank you," she said, improvising a scabbard on her belt.
Uniforms in the pack, blaster and sword at the ready, lest they walk into another ambush, they started back into the Lower City. On what passed for the main "street" in this area, the gaudy lights and flickering lights of a cantina caught their attention. Outside, a bruiser of a Rodian was watching the people enter with a jaded and wary eye.
Two men - Twi'lek and a human in red and orange - Vulkar colors - shook their fists at an Ithorian and a Twi'lek woman in tan. Obviously, the ones in tan were Hidden Beks, judging from the posing and taunting the garishly-attired Vulkars were directing at them. The Rodian stepped in the middle.
Kairi again translated for Carth.
"You know this is neutral ground. We all armed in this cantina -we all polite in this cantina. Javyar says keep your rivalry outside this door unless you want your gangs to be banned from this place!"
"You lucky you still have Javyar's to hide in, Beks. Otherwise, we kill you where you stand," said the Twi'lek man.
"Stupid Vulkars," the woman retorted. "Talk and fight, but no honor or brains. Just wait until the swoop races. Then we'll see..."
All four of them went inside. Carth motioned to Kairi. "It's as good a place as any to approach them, maybe find out about their plans and maybe ask for their help. Come on."
"Well, well...well..." the voice called over their shoulder. "Thought you could ditch us? Nice try."
Carth and Kairi saw them - the Vulkar leader from earlier had called in backup.
This time, though, they were ready for them. Carth's blasters came out, nailing the largest in the forehead. He went down. Kairi's blade struck quickly, slicing through the leader's arm as he made a jab with the shock stick. The stick clattered uselessly to the ground, along with his right hand. He howled and reached for a blaster. Before he could, she ran him through. He went down in a bloodied heap when she pulled her sword from his gut. The surviving pair, sensing that these strangers were more than they could handle with even numbers, ran back into the shadows
Kairi looked at the sword, then to the fallen Vulkar. The sword was indeed a better fit to her hand than the blaster. It hadn't even been a thought as to how to strike with it. Her body remembered what her mind could not, even with this crude blade.
Grimly, they looted the remains of their would-be killers. The Rodian bouncer had seen the fracas, but made no comment as he waved them through the door.
The cantina was certainly colorful. A Bith band called the "Twisted Rancor Trio" was jazzing it up in one of the three back rooms, accompanied by three scantily-clad and sinewy Twi'lek dancing girls. A Rodian near the door was shouting filthy jokes to the amusement of his drinking buddies. In another back room was a flickering sign in Basic that read "Bounty Office." A relatively small-sized Hutt was reclining on a sofa, reading a datapad and discussing probable bounties with a seedy-looking Twi'lek.
Sitting at the entrance of the Bounty Office with his back to the wall, a short and stocky human man finished off a glass of ale. He was dressed strangely - even for the Lower City. Under his black tunic and trousers, he wore expensive-looking armor. A long, blue and tan jacket was over the top of that. An odd-looking white cowl covered most of his face and marksman's goggles covered his eyes. A Twi'lek and Rodian in Vulkar colors walked up to his table. The strange-looking man didn't look up. His voice had no inflection. "Go away"
"Hey, you not talk like that," The Rodian was taunting him. "We just want to say hello to the big, bad bounty hunter Calo Nord!"
"Nah, this isn't Calo Nord," the Twi'lek said with a laugh. "Calo Nord said to be big and tough. This guy is just a runt!"
"One."
The Rodian was smiling. "What that mean? You try to be funny?"
"We're Black Vulkars - we don't like runts getting funny with us!"
"Two."
"Yeah, two of us - one of you. What do you think of those odds, little man?"
"Three."
In a single, fluid motion that didn't last more than an eye-blink, Calo Nord stood up, drew a blaster from a holster from each side, and shot the two Vulkars dead before they had a moment to see it coming. Casually replacing his blasters afterward, he placed a credit chip on the table and started out the door. Seeing Kairi and Carth in his way, he glowered at them.
"One."
The pair of them quickly moved out of his path.
Still no break in his monotone voice. "Smart." The bounty hunter walked out of the cantina, vanishing into the Lower City.
Kairi shuddered.
A Rutian Twi'lek girl sat in one of the booths that lined the room on either side of the Pazaak dealers, a small electronic gadget in her hands. Taking out a small box from the inside of her jacket, she took out one of the smaller tools and started to make adjustments to it, nearly oblivious to anything else, including the two Rodians that came up behind her.
"Hey, little girl. We not finish our conversation with you!"
Pushing the gadget aside, she got up from her chair, standing akimbo. "No. Conversation is OVER. I told you to back off, bug-eye. Your breath smells like bantha poo-doo."
"Little girl not too bright," said the second one. "Little girl should know better than to talk back to us. If little girl smart, she run home right now."
"Little girl, huh?"
"This no place for a girl on her own. Little girl could be talking to slavers - we hear that there big market for pretty Twi'lek girl..."
"Listen here, Chuba-face, you are NOT going to take me to see Davik or anyone else. Back off!"
"Little girl needs lesson in manners! Twi'lek females should know what they're good for..."
She held up her hand. "One moment, boys." She looked over to a table in the shadows. "Zaalbar, a little help here?"
Into view, stepped a large, brown-furred Wookiee. "What is it now, Mission? I just started eating!"
"C'mon, you can finish that later. Besides, you could use the workout. I need a little help tearing the legs off some insects."
"We no want trouble with Wookiee. We just got problem with you knowing your place, little girl!"
She shrugged, tossing a blue head tail over her shoulder. "Sorry, but if you've got a problem with me, you have a problem with Big Z and vice versa. So, unless you want to take on both of us, I suggest you greenies hop on outta here."
One of them looked almost ready to continue pressing the issue, but the other looked sourly at the Wookiee and back to his friend. "Little girl lucky she got big friend!"
The sleazy Rodians left to find other amusement. She looked up at Zaalbar. "Sorry, Big Z - those guys had it in their little green heads that all a Twi'lek's good for is dancing on tables."
Kairi took a step towards them, only to almost smack into the Wookiee's chest.
"Don't bother us."
"It's okay, Big Z." The Twi'lek girl shrugged. "Sorry about that. Wookiees aren't much for conversation - especially with people they don't know. Say, I don't recognize you, and I know just about everyone in the Lower City. You new here - grounded by the quarantine?"
"How'd you guess?" Kairi said. "But you prefer to speak Basic?"
Mission shrugged. "Grew up here. I just got used to the native tongue."
"You showed a lot of guts, kid." Carth said. "Telling those guys to back off. You got a name?"
"My name's Mission Vao," she said. "The big guy's my best friend Zaalbar. I'd offer to give you a tour, but with Brejik and his Vulkars shooting everything in sight, it's not safe. If there's anything else you need, though...Well, don't just stand there, have a seat!"
****
Zaalbar sat at the edge of the booth, his hairy bulk too big for the chairs. He ate his stew in silence and let Mission do the talking. It was apparently a long-standing arrangement. Mission's friendly demeanor certainly could be infectious. Kairi and Carth found themselves relaxing for the first time since they landed on Taris.
"How did a Wookiee and a Twi'lek street urchin become best friends?" Kairi asked.
"We kinda fell in together," Mission explained. "I took care of myself before he came along, but there's safety in numbers. Everyone in the Lower City likes to push you around if you're on your own."
"So we noticed," said Carth. "Still, you do seem like an odd pair."
"When I met up with Zaalbar, it seemed like a good match. We look out for each other - my street smarts and his muscle. We're a great team."
"We have questions about the Lower City," Kairi said.
Her sunny smile broadened. "Sure you do, and you've come to the right place. Lived here almost my whole life and have heard it all - Davik, the gangs...even Calo Nord!"
"We were told to find the Hidden Beks," Carth said. "Can you help us?"
"Help you? Well, seeing the way you nailed those Vulkars outside, I'd be surprised if Gadon doesn't try to recruit you! Big Z and I hang out at the Bek base sometimes. Gadon's a great guy, and an incredible leader, even after he lost his sight in a swoop accident a couple years ago." She scowled. "Which is why that traitor Brejik and the Vulkars make me so mad! Gadon considered that ungrateful space-slug his adoptive son, but after the accident, Gadon told him he still wasn't ready to take leadership."
"I don't imagine that made him happy," Kairi said.
"Worse - that Hutt-spawn jumps ship to the Vulkars and incites this gang war - shooting and looting anything that moves - it's as if he and the Vulkars just went nuts."
"'We've...we've heard that Gadon's no friend of the Sith," Carth ventured. "Anything to that rumor?"
"Aside from it's one of the biggest understatements I've ever heard," Mission replied. "Mind you, I don't like them, either. I may not know a whole lot about that's going on outside of Taris, but I've heard enough. Don't imagine you're fans of them, either, considering the quarantine."
Eager to change the subject, Kairi asked. "We've heard of a fellow named Davik. He's a crime lord here, right?"
"A crime lord? The man's a high roller with the Exchange and practically owns Taris! Of course, the latest news is that he's got himself a ship for his smuggling that's fast enough to break the Sith blockade - the Ebon Hawk, it's called. I don't know much about space travel, though, and what I know of that ship's from second hand rumor."
"Where would Davik keep a ship like that?" Carth asked. "Do you know?"
"Locked up tight on his estate, I'd imagine," Mission said with a shrug. "What, you thinking of stealing it? Anyway, no one gets onto his estate unless they're working for him. As for his security...Well, he's just hired on Nord, and that guy's killed more people than the Iridian plague! I've seen him kill people just for trying to start a conversation." Mission took another sip of her juice. "Of course, the Mandalorian he's got on payroll is friendlier...not by much."
Carth let out a low whistle. "Mandalorian, you say?"
"Yup. He leaves me alone, and I leave him alone. He's a big guy. Gray hair, lots of scars, and carries this cannon about as big as I am. He's pretty hard to miss. You'll probably run into him sooner or later in this neighborhood..."
Unknown to them, they were being watched, and had been since their descent into the Lower City. He pretended to nonchalantly drink his ale and stare at nothing, but he was not a man who let his caution or observation slip - not even for a second. He had been a warrior far too long for such foolishness.
They weren't Sith - he could tell that much. They may have ducked past that lazy guard with stolen uniforms, but Sith weren't smart enough to run or improvise during combat. Not the average trooper, anyway. He tried to decide if they were mercenaries...perhaps the woman was. Even if she had been taken down by the shock stick earlier, she made up for it in the following battle. She was also too good with a vibroblade - and that sent up an alert in his mind.
Perhaps she was Echani? Well, it would suit her...a small, dark woman who preferred close combat and light, sturdy weapons. The higher castes had pale skin and white hair to go with their equally colorless poetry about battle, and they tried to keep their combat knowledge to themselves. Still, it occasionally leaked down to a member of the darker-completed lower castes, and half-breeds were so disdained, they ended up learning to fight anyway. Something about her fighting style seemed a bit too direct to be Echani, though. He would have to watch her more to learn anything further.
The man she traveled with was obviously Republic - likely a soldier in their fleet pretending to be a mercenary. With his heavily-modified blaster and talent for making use of his surroundings, he almost passed for a mercenary...at least to a casual observer.
The iron-eyed man at the table was no casual observer. He decided he would watch them...see if they were a threat...or maybe a new pair of allies.
The sound of his comlink interrupted him from his thoughts. He pressed the button to activate it. "Yeah, what do you want?"
"Just a simple shake-down. Track eight in this sector."
Inwardly, he groaned. He wasn't getting paid enough for this garbage. Hell, there weren't enough credits in the galaxy to make this idiot drudgery on a backwater planet worth it. Still, employment was employment...
"I'm coming." Shouldering his custom-made blaster cannon, he finished his ale, gave his tab to the droid waiter, and walked back out of the cantina.
****
The directions Mission gave them led down a series of streets little more than wide alleys. By the shielded door, a human woman in Bek tans stood by the door, obviously a sentry.
"You can't just walk in here!" she blocked the door with one arm, the other going to her holster. A promising sign was that she wasn't drawing it...yet. "How do I know you aren't from the Vulkars or worse trying to kill Gadon?"
"I was told to speak to him," Kairi said. "He may be able to help."
"Lots of people want to speak to him, but between the Vulkars and the Sith, he's got more enemies than he used to."
"Maybe we could be allies against those enemies," Kairi offered.
Uncertainty warred on the woman's face. "I suppose you might. I heard about a couple of newcomers taking out a half-dozen of those Vulkars, and you fit the description. You two certainly don't act like Sith, either. Besides, there's not much you could do against Gadon in his own base." She hit the door controls. "All right, go on in."
The Bek base was carved out of what might have been the ruins of an office building before the Upper City was landed atop it. The gang had the same racial composition as the rest of the Lower City - mostly humans and Twi'leks with the odd Duros or Ithorian. Most were cautious, all were armed.
The guard escorted them to a makeshift alcove of storage crates that walled off a portion of the main room. A middle-aged human man and a Twi'lek woman were standing over a desk, discussing some matter when the guard cleared her throat.
"Gadon, two outsiders. They're interested in signing up, it sounds like."
The woman looked up, snapping at the guard. "Zoë, I can't believe you let two strangers just walk in! They could be spies!"
Gadon held out his hand. "Calm down, Zaerdra. No one's going to try anything here in our own base. It would be a suicide mission."
The Twi'lek woman glowered at Kairi and Carth, hostility radiating from her like heat from a sun. "You're too trusting. Brejik and his Vulkars want you dead. Any stranger is a potential threat, and it's my job to make sure you're safe."
"So we attack any stranger that comes along on sight? And how does this make us any better than Vulkars? I'll never let it come to that. Let them speak."
"As you wish." Zaerdra said, taking a step back so they could address Gadon. "But try anything, and I'll have you both killed before you can say 'Vulkar spy!'"
"I apologize. Since my accident, Zaerdra's been a little overzealous in her security duties. Can't blame her, though." He looked pointedly in her direction. "She seems to forget that I still can take care of myself." His eyes had been replaced by implants - making his eyes solid silver. Those kinds of implants were outmoded technology, able to allow the user to see a shape in front of him, but not much past that. "So, you're here. Why?"
"We rescued a prisoner from a Sith interrogation," Kairi said. "He told us to seek you out."
"We're looking for information about the escape pods that crashed in the Undercity," Carth elaborated. "Someone we know may have been on one of those pods."
Gadon looked them over. "You two certainly aren't Sith, and if you were Vulkars, we'd be dumping your corpses about now. Guess you might be Republic yourselves or at least mercs friendly to the cause."
"They still could be spies, Gadon," Zaerdra warned. "Vulkar, Sith...maybe even Davik."
"If the Sith thought we knew anything, they'd have a whole battalion kicking down our doors, and Davik would just send in his bounty-hunters. No, these two have their own agenda."
"We heard about your problems with the Sith," Carth said, hoping that assuaged the angry woman. "Believe me, we've got our problems with them, too."
Gadon banged his fist against the table in frustration "You had better believe I have problems with the Sith. They invade, declare martial law, and quarantine the planet? Then they have the gall to strut around down here and hassle anyone they like? Damn well bet I've a problem with that. The gangs could unite against them like we did against the Mandalorians. Guerilla tactics, urban warfare. The casualties might make those tin-plated bastards think twice."
"Don't fool yourself." Carth shook his head. It was a good idea, but they didn't know what the Sith were capable of. "I've seen what they can do, and it would probably be something much more grand and deadly."
"I hope they won't," Gadon said gravely. "I've tried to explain this to Brejik, that the Sith are the real enemy here. He insists on dividing our energy with this foolish gang war and having his Vulkar thugs shoot everyone in sight."
"We will do anything we can do to help," Kairi told him. "Against the Sith or the Vulkars, but we do need any information you have."
Gadon smiled. "What I know can't do much harm to the Beks, but it certainly could make life difficult for the Vulkars. Might even hurt the Sith...either way, it's okay in my book. The Vulkars stripped those pods already. You won't find anything of value left. They already took a hostage, too - a female Republic officer named Bastila. Now, Beks don't get involved in the slave trade, but the Vulkars don't have a problem with it."
Kairi and Carth looked at each other, realizing what their meant. The situation just became that much more difficult.
"Normally, the Vulkars would sell her to Davik or some Hutt, but a Republic officer isn't an ordinary catch."
"Well, if they think Bastila's just a Republic officer, that could work to our advantage," Carth muttered to himself. Louder, he added. "She might even figure out an escape on her own."
"Unfortunately, I know Brejik," Gadon said. "He won't trust his men around her. No, chances are that she's hidden away until the swoop race in a week."
"Swoop race?" Kairi asked.
"He's offered her up as the Vulkar share of the prize in the season opener. She's become a pawn on Brejik's petty scheme to take over the Lower City. By offering such a valuable prize, he hopes to attract some of the smaller gangs to his banner and finally..." Gadon dropped his voice. "Finally destroy anyone who stands against him - starting with us."
"Well, we can't fight all the gangs," Carth asked. "So, how would we go about rescuing her?"
"The only way I can think of?" Gadon shrugged. "Win the season opener of the big swoop race."
"Swoop race? Win a swoop race?" Carth's jaw almost hit the floor. Kairi held up her hand.
"I'm listening," Kairi said. "Can you help us with this?"
"I'll help you if you help me. We've got a lot to lose here...and much to gain."
"Go on."
"The Vulkars stole a prototype swoop accelerator from us. With that installed, it can beat any swoop on the tracks. If you can break into their base and steal it back, then I'll sponsor you as a rider for the Beks. You win the race; you win your friend's freedom."
"Sounds dicey to me," Carth grumbled.
"It's an interesting plan," Kairi said, ignoring him for the time being. "But I don't think I can use the front door."
"You'd be right. Fortunately, I know someone who can probably sneak you in the back - Mission Vao."
"Mission?" Zaerdra crossed her arms. "Gadon, she's just a kid. You can't be serious!"
"I've met her," Kairi said. "A blue Twi'lek girl...travels with a Wookiee?"
"With a smart mouth and fast blaster," Gadon finished. "Yes, she's easy enough to find, and if you find her, you'll find Zaalbar. Two of them are inseparable. "That kid knows every back alley, crawlspace, and secret passage in the Lower City and the Undercity sewers. If anyone can sneak you inside, it's her."
"She's the one who gave me directions."
"Figures," Gadon said. "Now, if you want to meet up with her, she's usually exploring. Try starting in the Undercity. She's friends with the Outcasts down there, and tends to go looking for excitement."
"I also hear that you collect Sith uniforms," Kairi said with a smile, taking off her pack. Inside were the Sith uniforms she stole from the party.
Gadon grinned. "I won't ask questions, and I have just the thing to trade for those. They'll certainly send down a pair of mercs if they have proper papers..."
****
After trading their Sith uniforms to Gadon for a set of official tracker papers, they were off again, heading for the Undercity elevator at the far edge of this sector.
"I don't like this. First Sith, and now we're working with gangs?" Carth argued.
She looked pointedly at him. "Have you a better idea? You've said it yourself, Carth. We are on an unfamiliar, Sith-occupied planet with few allies."
He opened his mouth to protest, but sighed. "Still doesn't mean that this is a good idea."
"If you haven't been paying attention, you'll notice that there is barely any law above, and a complete failure of it here. The Hidden Beks may be a gang, but you saw how they were organized and what others have said about them. Under any other circumstances, they would be called a militia. Gadon gave us very valuable information regarding Bastila's whereabouts."
"For all we know, he's just sending us out to assassinate the other gang."
"Then we fight that rancor when it shows up, but the other thing you should notice; neither the Duros at our apartment or Mission were wearing Bek tans or any of their symbols."
"Wait a minute, Kairi. Just how did you rope me in with this? You couldn't even recall your own name – assuming you're telling the truth about that!"
She froze, shuddering. "Carth, I…I don't recall anything. I still don't. I may not remember anything prior to waking up in the apartment, but you were right about my skills being intact."
"Sister, nothing in your files said a damn thing about you being a melee expert with that vibroblade, or about being some kind of intelligence operative, but you sure as hell carry yourself like –" He stopped himself. "But it's not like I'd put it past the Jedi, and a diplomatic aide certainly would fit."
"Carth?"
"Guess you're right. I don't have any better ideas. Sooner we find Bastila, the better off we'll all be."
Passing Track Eight, they saw a smarmy looking enforcer fold his arms while addressing two Vulkars.
"You Vulkars haven't been making your payments. What, you think that since you're in some gang that you don't have to pay your dues?"
"I don't see Davik doing anything for his share. We do the work. Let's see the big shot crime lord take it from us."
The enforcer shook his head and laughed. "All right, boys, have it your way."
Whistling sharply, he nodded towards the shadows. Emerging from them was a tank of a man - nearly two meters tall, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested. In his massive arms, he carried a blaster cannon almost as large as Kairi was tall. His square-jawed face boasted several scars and his iron-colored hair was cut in a short, military style.
"Mission wasn't kidding!" Carth said. "I've never seen ANYONE that fit the textbook definition of 'Mandalorian' like he does."
The Vulkar with the loud mouth suddenly became contrite. "Oh, hey, Canderous...Didn't know you were working for Davik now. We don't want trouble with a Mandalorian. We were just...goofing around. Here's Davik's cut."
The enforcer snatched the credits. "Pleasure doing business with you boys. Now, get out of here."
The Vulkars wisely fled the scene. The large man they called "Canderous" put his blaster back in its sling. "Too bad, I was looking forward to cracking their heads"
"Maybe next time," the enforcer said. "In the meantime, I need to turn this in. I'll call you the next time someone else needs persuasion."
The enforcer vanished into the twisted maze, leaving Canderous leaning against the wall. Carth kept his distance, but Kairi decided to risk meeting him.
He cracked open an eye that was the same gray as his hair. "Those Vulkars are dumber than a Coruscant granite-slug. They actually think that being part of that pathetic little gang of theirs makes them important. Gadon can at least keep the Beks in line, but Brejik's getting delusions of grandeur." He made a small noise of contempt. "If Davik's smart, he'll slap that punk back down."
Kairi cocked her head, looking up at him. "Who are you?"
"I'm someone you don't want to get on the bad side of, and I'm not one for small talk." Checking his chronometer, he grumbled something under his breath. "I haven't got time to stick around here, anyway. Davik's got more busy work for me."
Canderous adjusted his gun sling and followed the same path the enforcer had used earlier.
"Last time I was that close to a Mandalorian," Carth said. "I had to put a blaster shot between his eyes. Trust me when I say that this Canderous fellow is actually on the friendly side."
"He's also lonely and horribly bored," Kairi said. "This is hell for him."
Carth raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He's a well-paid thug. You actually feel sorry for him?"
"As I said, he's lonely and bored. Couldn't you tell?"
"No, no. I couldn't."
Kairi frowned. Maybe it was best to drop that subject. "Let's see if these papers do the trick."
Canderous hadn't gone too far, just far enough to let them think he had gone. So, they were heading for the Undercity? Well, they were insane or foolish - and not worth his time either way. Shaking his head, he headed off towards his parked speeder and Davik's estate. Maybe the boss had some interesting work for a change. More likely, he didn't.
****
It was along walk to the elevator, through debris-strewn streets. They managed to scare off at least one Vulkar patrol before any blood got shed, thankfully. Searches of the rubble yielded a few useful things - a couple power cells for Carth's blaster with most of the charge intact, the odd credit chip, and a datapad with a map of this sector. After a while of walking in silence, Kairi looked behind her.
"Is this a good time to ask you some more questions, Carth?"
He smiled broadly, opening his arms. "I'm all ears, beautiful."
Kairi could tell he was using flattery as a distraction. His smile was only a mask, concealing his usual suspicion and more than a bit of annoyance, but she felt her cheeks getting a little warm anyway. She looked away for a moment.
He laughed at seeing the blush on her face. "Didn't mean anything by it. I mean, not to say you're not..." Carth pushed a frayed wire aside. "Watch it."
Kairi ducked the wire. "You're trying to distract me, aren't you?"
He shrugged, and the mask dropped. "Maybe I'm just avoiding your questions."
"I won't ask if you have a problem with me asking," she said. "I'm just sorry that I can't tell you more about me. You have all these -" She almost said "suspicions," but opted for diplomacy. "Questions about me. If I could answer them, I would. I know it doesn't make you feel any better, though."
He stepped in front of her, stopping and blocking her path. "Are the questions really necessary?"
She folded her arms loosely and shrugged. "You've saved my life at least twice, and even though you're clearly apprehensive about traveling with me, you still stay."
"Well, if it's an interrogation you wanted..." His tone was light, but she could feel something underneath it. He was throwing up walls, and she didn't like that one bit.
"Why are you getting testy?" Kairi folded her arms and looked up at him.
"Beautiful, I don't get testy, I get angry. And if I was, you wouldn't have to ask if I was, let me assure you." He paused for a moment before venturing a question of his own. "Let me ask you something first. I've been going through the attack on the Endar Spire over and over in my head since we crashed. Some things...they don't add up for me."
"Such as?"
"Well, maybe you can tell me what happened...from your perspective. I know you might not recall much, but..."
"I remember...a little bit," Kairi said. "I was asleep in my bunk when it started - not the best place to know what was going on."
"I wasn't in the best place to know what was going on, either. I was on board as an advisor for the most part. The battle just happened so fast, it's anyone's guess, probably." He looked upward. "We lost the ship and a lot of good people for what? The hope that some Jedi's powers would save us, somehow? Not like Bastila had a chance to act."
"Perhaps she was caught off-guard like we were."
"We didn't choose that battle, Kairi. It was forced on us. Hell, I'm just shocked that we're alive to talk about it!" Carth seemed to be mulling something over, choosing his next words carefully. "Come to think of it, it's more than a little surprising that you happen to be here. According to the file, you're a translator, but why would Bastila bring one aboard? Why not a protocol droid or a computer? And the Sith speak Basic. Why would she be hiring on a translator?"
"Not this again. I've told you nothing but the truth since we met, Carth." Her dark eyes narrowed. "Come out and say it."
"Isn't it strange that a civilian translator, added to the roster at the last minute, just happens to survive the attack - especially in light of the other skills you have that weren't put on the file?"
Kairi did not like what he was implying - not one bit. How could he even start in with this? "What was odd about me being hired at the last minute?"
"You were the only one. That and Bastila herself requested the transfer."
Kairi shook her head. "Why would she?"
"Those Jedi requested a lot of things. Hell, they practically took over the ship. But you were the only one with Bastila's party that wasn't either a Jedi or on long-term assignment assisting their Council. Whether you know it or not, your presence here seems a little convenient."
Kairi didn't answer that, but she was just as perplexed as Carth.
"Look," he assured her. "I'm probably wrong, and this might be nothing, I know. Still, I learned not to take things at face value, and I hate to be surprised."
"You realize we're on the same side, right?" she said. "And I'm not lying to you - I really don't know anything that could -"
He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, Kairi. It doesn't have anything to do with you, personally. I just don't trust anyone...I can't afford to."
She unfolded her arms, shaking her head. If she had more information, she would tell him. Why was it so hard for him to believe her? "Carth..."
"Please, can we keep our mind on the important things, like finding Bastila and getting off this rock?"
She wasn't interested in trying to investigate a past she couldn't remember, had no answers for either of them, and didn't she want to stare into the void at the moment. She let him off the hook - for now. "Let's do that."
"Good. I prefer action anyway."
She could sense his gratitude for dropping the subject. Just what had happened to him anyway?
The acid test came at the end of the track. A uniformed Sith guard took the papers and read them over. "Figures that the commander would finally send some mercs down there and stop wasting troops. We've lost three patrols already to the rakghouls. Also, we've heard of some Gammoreans taking up residence down there." He grumbled more to himself than anything as he searched their papers. "Why we didn't blast this planet from the sky rather than trying to occupy it, I have no idea..."
Carth and Kairi looked at each other. Hopefully, they would at least have a good reason to be risking their necks in the lowest pit of this "wonderful" planet.
The guard handed the papers back to them. "Pardon me if I don't wish you luck."