Phew! Finally got this one posted, this chapter has definitely taken the longest to post then pervious chapters in this story, and I'm really sorry for that. Especially after getting such positive reviews from Red Dog Krim and masterdude94, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know what you thought of my story :) And a big thanks for those who've faved and followed this! Hope you guys like this one, I struggled with it more than I had with the chapters preceding it and am still a bit nervous how it turned out. But that's technically always true of each new post of mine. If you want please let me know what you think.
As before, despite having her own fanfics and college studies, this was thankfully read by my beta reader LMSharp. Without whom this story would suck to read. Though that said, I tend to miss details when redrafting, so any errors are mine.
"Geez, why do they have to make putting on this friggin' jumpsuit so hard!" I grunt, while attempting to balance on one leg and pull up the first leg of Cineer's light armor suit she's letting me borrow. With a sharp jerk, I try to get the skintight legging of the suit past my knee. I manage it, but fail to control my momentum, and can't stop myself from tipping over. My shoulder slams into the wall of the closet sized bathroom as I prop my elbow against it to stop myself from sliding down the durasteel wall.
Hearing my struggle through the door, Cineer chuckles in her quarters, "You sound like you've never put light armor on before, duelist."
"One time, doesn't make it any less frustrating to put on!" I call through the door. She barks out a laugh. It's my fault this time though: I was in so much of a rush I forgot what I learned the first time. You have to roll the leggings like you would a pantyhose but instead of tipping your toes in first, you hook the loop around the bottom of your boot than slowly pull it up, extending your heel downward.
I can't wait to get my hands on some real armor. Sure, this light armor will keep my upper torso protected with plates of plasteel stitched between tan Kevlar-like fabric capable of stopping blaster bolts, even a blade. But the thick spandex-like cloth covering my arms and legs, I doubt the fabric can withstand the pounds of pressure behind a rakghoul's bite or their razor-sharp claws, though. Not to mention I really hate how it rides up my...
"Use my suit powder, on the shelving behind the wall panel, the round container with a yellow lid." Cineer informs me. Before adding sarcastically, "You're welcome, by the way. That's the best 'jumpsuit' I own."
"Uh, that's not what I...I do appreciate this, Cineer." I cringe, before quickly changing the subject. "Hey, can I use your communicator to try to contact Dr. Forn? So I can make sure he's okay, and let him know that I'm fine."
"Sorry kid, the Sith started jamming communicator frequencies sent to anyone on or off Taris a while ago. Our people are still trying to figure out how to modulate our frequencies to compensate." She explains as I step out of the bathroo-, uh, I mean refresher, decked out in her tan reinforced vest, with silver sleeves and leggings. "Ah, good it fits." She comments approvingly, looking me up and down. I'm not so sure, it's a bit too long in the legs, causing the leggings to seriously wrinkle, no matter how much I try to smooth it down. Her hips are also narrower than mine, making the pants tight around my rear, I really hope it doesn't look as tight as it feels; I'd die of mortification before I even meet a rakghoul. "Come on, we need to stock up at the armory, before we leave for the Undercity."
Exiting the peace and quiet of her private quarters within the Bek base, I follow Cineer back into the fray of the Beks preparing for war. Everyone is shouting orders or reports to one another, running this way and that. I bump shoulders with more than one of them, as they rush pass me and Cineer, making their way through the base's winding corridors carrying weapons, and other gear. Their faces are set in grim determination, entirely focused on the tasks each has at hand.
One of the doors we pass suddenly opens at my shoulder and I only have enough time to catch a blur of movement in my peripheral vision before I'm knocked on my ass. The runner that bulldozed me over only spares me a backwards glance as she continues to dash down the T intersection of the corridor. "Geez!" I shout after her. My tailbone shooting pain up my spine. Who lit a fire under her?
Looking back at the room she exited. The people within spare me an unconcerned and brief glance before returning their focus to the holo war table in the center of the room. Accepting Cineer's offered arm I get to my feet just as the man in charge within the room shouts, "Inform Junta Sector's blockade that we intend to breach the surface from their lift by 2200, and get your ass back here before than!" He orders one of the boys standing at attention at the edge of the room, who immediately nods before racing out of the room. Fortunately I know what's coming this time, and side step out of his way in time to watch him race past us. I continue down the hall myself, a step behind Cineer. "The more I learn of the Beks the less you guys fit what I assumed a 'gang' to be."
"Cause we're not, whatever people call us." Cineer chuckles scornfully, glancing back at me from the corner of her eye before flicking her gaze forward again. "The Hidden Beks are the government of Lower Taris. We have been ever since the nobles above abandoned us, after the civil war, and made it illegal for Non-Humans to own property or work on the surface levels. The Upper City has all but forgotten us, and they don't have the funds to clear out crime or repair the falling apart sectors. Not to mention even lift a finger to the help those dying every day from starvation and the plagues that roll in every now and again from too many people stuffed in too small of a space, unfiltered ventilation...the list goes on. Gadon uses the Beks profits to pay our maintenance people to restore power when the out of date system causes rolling brownouts, or to patch the sewage pipes that are rusting and falling apart behind these fraking walls! Gadon provides a bunk and warm meals for us Beks, and it's the Beks that enforce our law and protect the rights of the District's citizens. If it hasn't already been made obvious to you, you'll realize that Taris is split into three separate worlds...the Beks who resisted the Mandalorians until the Jedi arrived to run them off. We know how to play the role of the Resistance, and we will not accept the rule of the Sith any more than we do the Nobles."
"Cineer! Cineer, wait up!" A very familiar voice calls from behind us as I hear the clumping of running boots draw closer. It couldn't be... could it be her?
"What is it you want, Mission? We don't have much time." Cineer informs the 5'3 blue Twi'lek, stopping short and turning to face Mish as she jogs towards us, trailing a lumbering seven-foot walking carpet behind her. Everyone in the bustling corridor gives the Wookie and his charge a wide berth as they make their way down the crowded hall. Awesome, I finally get to meet Mish and Big Z! And they're even cooler in person! Sure, they look exactly like their animated selves, but so much more vividly real, from Mission's perky diminutive facial features and shining mischievous eyes to Zaalbar's thick and plush looking fur that I immediately have to check myself from reaching out to touch, just to feel its texture. As I look up into his big deep brown eyes, I'm a little shocked at how sad they look deep beneath the surface, like the shame of being branded a Mad Claw has forever marked him and hunched his broad shoulders in shame. I've never given much thought to the saying that 'eyes are the window to the soul,' but that changes as my favorite Wookie stands over me regarding me suspiciously with the most soulful eyes I've ever seen. He's no doubt wondering who I am and why I'm gaping at him. But I can't help it, they're fricking Big Z and Mission Vao! Along with HK and Jolee, they're my favorite characters from the entire game, and here they both are right in front of me, meep!
"We heard you're heading into the Undercity and we want to come," Mish informs Cineer, ignoring me for the moment, which is good since I need the time to wrestle down the bubbling giddiness threatening to spill over. A toothy grin is trying to split the neutral expression I'm fighting to keep up as my lungs tighten in a desperate attempt to hold a demented girlish squeal in my throat. Get a grip, and for the love of all that is sane, breathe! You're embarrassing yourself, Kylie. "Big Z and I have explored the wastes out there and the sewers, we can help."
"You've been exploring the- " Cineer admonishes the fourteen year old Twi'lek, who immediately scrunches her face into a pout as the Human woman snaps her head up to the towering Wookie, planting her fists on her hips. "I expect such recklessness from her, but Zaalbar why don't you stop her instead of letting yourself get dragged along in her foolish so-called 'adventures'?" He chuffs an unintelligible growl to my ears, but his exasperation is clear in the noise.
Mission's pout immediately snaps into a fuming glare, "Hey, I make my own decisions! Big Z is my friend, not my babysitter!"
"The Undercity is swarming with rakghouls, so much so that the Outcasts avoid it like the, the waste it is! And you decide that it would be a fun place to explore?!" Cineer demands incredulously, when someone puts it that way, my plans with Malya do sound incredibly reckless. We didn't even have a Wookie in our plan.
"Big Z and I, can and have handled the rakghouls just fine. Some appreciation you have there, Cineer. We were just offering to help." Mission grumbles self-righteously, crossing her arms, looking hurt, but trying to hide it with indignation.
I think Cineer sees this, cause her shoulders sag, the fight leaving her, as she raises a hand to her forehead, sighing. "I know, and you have proven you can handle yourself Mission, and I'm sure Zaalbar would never let you be in harm's way, if he didn't know he could keep you safe. As a friend." Cineer adds diplomatically. I get the feeling this is an old hat between the three. "But that doesn't mean you're impervious to the dangers down there. You keep putting yourself in unnecessary danger and it won't be long until you find a danger not even your big friend can handle."
"Yeah, yeah, so does that mean we can tag along?" She answers dismissively. "What's your deal anyway, enjoying the show? Don't you have something better to do with your time?" Oh, she's talking to me, I guess it is kinda weird that I've just been standing here watching this private exchange.
"Oh, sorry, but..." I stammer, startled out of my viewer mode. Remembering I'm a part of this now, no longer the passive gamer behind the screen.
"She's waiting on me to show her to the Armory, she's going to be the team's medic." Cineer speaks up for me, "Kylie, this is Mission Vao and Zaalbar. Mission, Big Z this is Kylie Fletcher from Ord Mantel. She's been working for Dr. Forn and fought at the Republic Embassy, before it was taken."
"That's where I've seen you before," Mish suddenly exclaims, like she just found the missing piece of a puzzle. "You're Young Blood! Everyone's saying that you've actually made Deadeye Duncan reconsider his choice in career! Impressive, losing to Gerlon over and over didn't even do that."
"Um, thanks. We don't have a lot of time, so you better come with us to get armed."
"Hold up, I didn't say they could come." Cineer interjects, before we can start moving, and stop interrupting the flow of traffic in the bustling hall.
"Come on Cin!" Mish exclaims, heaving a melodramatic sigh.
"We could use their help, seeing as they know the wastes so well." I add helpfully. I want keep an eye on them. I'm running against the clock since I couldn't prepare for the invasion like I had wanted. Now my only hope of saving Taris is to strip Revan's time spent on Taris to the bare bones: steal the Sith codes, the Ebon Hawk, and get the hell out of Dodge with everyone. It's not much of a plan, I'm really just making it up as I go. There's so many unknown variables, anyway, messing with the storyline, creates to gum up the works. But it's the only card I have to play, with over 7 billion lives as the stake. How the hell did I get in this position? I was supposed to stop things from ever getting this far! No don't focus on that, I'll lose my nerve, same as looking down that endless elevator shaft. Just stay focused on the task at hand.
"Alright, alright," Cineer surrenders, raising her hands, "But Mission, you follow my orders to the letter, you go wandering off by yourself down there and..."
"Good, let's go!" Mission perks up, hooking her arm in mine, taking the lead for the armory. "So you haven't been to the Lower Districts often, otherwise we would've met already. So how about you remind me to give you a tour once things settle down in the districts?" She informs me as we walk side by side, her (what are they called, lekku I think?) swinging behind her shoulders with each step.
"Okay, sounds like fun." If there's still a Taris by then. "Why do you want to join us for the Undercity, anyway?"
"Anything's better than sitting at our Kip, waiting for the Sith to try and bust down the door, right? 'Sides, Gadon wouldn't let us join the team going top side." Ah, I wonder what they would be doing if I hadn't convinced Gadon to send a team down, now? "So, you're from Ord Mantel? How does Taris compare?"
"Uh, ronto Ranches, wide open spaces, quiet. Very different from Taris." I falter, immediately trying to draw on what little I know of the planet, from my experience with SWTOR. "Sorry, but I got to go talk to my friend real quick. Meet you guys at the armory? It's not far from here right?" I interrupt after spotting Fane in what looks to be a speeder garage. It looks like he's prepping for the mission topside with several other Beks.
"Make it quick, the armory is at the end of this corridor, turn right then take the first left, keep going down until you reach the green lift, then... Just make it quick, we'll wait here." Cineer sighs after me, giving up the notion that I'll find my way on directions alone. I smile, nodding before I jog over to the young Jedi meditating apart from a group of antsy Beks double checking their gear and weapons. I slow to a stop three feet from where he sits cross-legged on the grease and oil stained durasteel floor. The permacrete dust and sweat has been washed from his skin and hair which now sticks up at odd angles yet to be brushed back down in the clean-cut style he usually keeps it.
"Psyching yourself for the fight to break for the surface?" I blurt out over my first instinct to wait patiently until he breaks the meditative trace. "Shouldn't you be wearing some kind of armor?" I add, concerned, gesturing towards his now clean but still slightly torn Padawan robes.
"Not meditating, reaching out." He murmurs, before fully returning to himself, angling his head to look up at me. "Besides, this is meant as a stealth recon mission only. To determine how many still resist the Sith on the surface, and get them organized to coordinate our counter attacks, launched down here. There shouldn't be any fighting for me to need armor that restricts my movement. The Beks behind me are going to test the occupying forces while I conduct my reconnaissance unnoticed."
"By yourself? Wait, what do you mean by reaching out?"
"I was attempting to reach out, through the Force, to Master Senob." He informs me distantly, dusting himself off as he rises to his feet.
"Oh, then I take it, you didn't..." I begin, before he cuts me off.
"No, I did not locate him." He informs me brusquely, turning his back to me to retrieve his pack on the floor where he had sat.
"Fane, I know you have to find out what happened to your Master, but you shouldn't go out there alone." I tell him hesitantly, as he slips the pack over his shoulder. I don't like the idea at all, but what's really bothering me is his sudden cold demeanor towards me. "Fane..."
"I work better alone, Kylie." He says, still not turning to face me, "That way I can't be held back from doing what I need to do." He says quietly, accusingly, before walking away. Leaving me standing here confused until his meaning comes around to sucker punch me in gut.
"Is everything alright?" Cineer asks as I rejoin them, lost in my own thoughts, barely noticing Mish and Big Z looking on, curious.
"He, blames me for not being able to fight alongside his Master at the Embassy... Because he had to protect me..." I inform her numbly. I know I did the right thing, Fane was going to die at the Embassy. If I didn't join him, would the delay of giving me reading lessons, a surprise attack from the front, given the Embassy enough of an upper hand to turn the tables, if he hadn't been held up when I went after him? If I had just remembered to conserve my shots, let the carbine have a cool down period...
"He's wrong," Cineer says suddenly but firmly, startling me from my train of thought. "Malak's entire Command Fleet is up there, the Republic Embassy and everyone within it had no chance. He'll see that too, or else he's no Jedi." She claps me on the shoulder, giving me a sympathetic look. "He just needs time to grieve. Jedi are supposed to be free of the burden of emotions, but they're still people like you and me. Come on, we definitely need to get a move on, now."
We arrive at the armory before I even realize it, I'm so caught up in my own thoughts. I know if it wasn't for me Fane would be dead, though if it wasn't for Fane I would be dead. And if it wasn't for me Fane would have been at the side of his mentor, his father figure. If I was in his place, hell yeah I would resent the person who prevented me from being there for someone I care about. But being at the other end, I can keenly feel how unfair that is.
"Cineer, is it true?" Demands a tan and beige Zabrak. He's apparently been waiting for her, fully armed and armored, along with a female Kel Dor and male Duros, equally geared up. He looks younger than the other Beks present in the small room with wall to wall weapons, maybe around 24 years old. I take a second look at the various armor suits, vibroblades, carbines, blasters and grenades attached to the walls and laid out on the center counter. Geez. Makes me wonder yet again if I'm really in some gang's warehouse or a military HQ. "We're going down to the Undercity to pick over escape pods?" The Zabrak questions incredulously.
"That's our orders, Keiro. Straight from Gadon. You don't like it, take it up with him." She answers in her usual brusque manner. She picks up a round, flat, metallic disk with each hand before turning to shove them both in mine. "Kylie, you're transporting the Frag Mines."
"Frag Mines?" I ask worriedly, holding the thick, inert, metal disks out like they're radioactive. Seriously just plop explosives in a my hands, just like that?
"We need a first line of defense from rakghouls, while we're busy stripping the pods for parts." She informs me, reaching for extra carbine cartridges. "Don't worry, nothing will set them off unless they're armed. You could even drop them - but don't." She adds hurriedly. She gives me a critical look over her shoulder, second guessing her choice. I nod curtly, carefully finding room for eight of them in my emergency kit, not giving her a chance to change her mind.
"You've got to be kidding," Keiro butts back in, not letting his disgust with our mission go. "There's an invasion force up there about to pour out into our streets, and we're being sent as a salvage team!"
"Whatever crashed down there, the Sith are after. Gadon wants us to get to it first." Cineer replies handing me some of the cartridges which I immediately tuck away into the compartments of my belt.
"Not to mention, there's wounded Republic soldiers down there that need our help." I add. I have to make sure we don't stop looking even when our packs are full with salvaged tech, not until we find Bastila. Anyway the fact that those people need us should be a good enough reason to take the time to go down there. Keiro clenches his jaw, looking like he wants to argue more, but one harsh look from Cineer changes his mind.
"Nakina, our large friend could use a vibroblade appropriate for his size. That Bowcaster on his back won't be much help when the rakghouls get up close." Cineer orders the Kel Dor, who nods retrieving the huge hilt of a vibroblade from the top of the wall of vibroblades. Big Z grabs it in his gorilla like hands, treating it as a much lighter object than Nakina had. To inspect it Zaalbar presses a button that causes a blade nearly as long as my leg and as wide as the width of my palm to unfold itself, vibrating with contained energy. Much like Sulu's Katana did, in that Star Trek movie by J. J. Abrams, when he and Kirk were fighting the Romulans on the drilling platform. I've got to have one!
"Avrum," Cineer addresses the Duros, "See if you can find a light armor that will fit Mission, please." He answers something in his own language. I stop paying attention to what the others were doing at this point though. I'm drawn in by a wicked looking vibro hilt my size. Then a gleam of reflected light from the counter on my left gets my attention. Oh no way, it's a cool silver, grey helmet with the smallest silt of a slanted visor. It looks like it's glaring you down. The five vertical metal slits sticking out just beneath the tinted visor, somehow giving it the impression of bared teeth, cool.
Quickly pulling out my ponytail I twirl my hair into a small bun at the base of my skull. I wish I had some bobby pins to keep it from falling out, like it already threatens to, oh well. I slip the helmet over my head now that my hair is out of the way. The anticipation I had plummets. The heavily tinted visor makes it near impossible to see anything in the helmet. That sort of bobbles loosely around my head, the only light of the outside world entering through the bottom seam below my chin.
"You don't know how to put one of those on, do you?" The Zabrak, Keiro asks scornfully, startling me from behind. How long has he been there?
"Uh no, but I can figure it out." My embarrassed answer comes out muffled through the mask. He lets me fiddle with it for a few seconds before letting out an impatient puff of air, muttering under his breath something about being stuck with the greenies on salvage while everyone else is fighting. He reaches for my neck. I stiffen, uncomfortable with the uninvited trespass of my personal space. I'm unsure how to react, until he pinches the excess fabric around my neck, pulling it up towards the bottom of the helmet and pressing down several small clamps I hadn't realized were at the lip of the helmet. They immediately suction the helmet to the suit, and he presses a button on the outside of the helmet near my right ear, causing a cool blue HUD to light up the visor. This immediately allows me to see the room around me. Stats highlight every weapon present even the blade concealed in, Nakina's right boot. Red circles, pinging weak spots in Keiro's armor and though I still can't read Basic I'm pretty sure these lettered and numbered stats around his body highlight his heart rate and adrenaline levels. "Whoa, now this is cool." I breathe. My voice coming out with an echoed, tinny quality. Unable to stop myself, I call to the Twi'lek across the room getting fitted with her own armor, "Hey Mission, how do I look?" planting my fists on my hips, striking a purposely ridiculous pose.
"Awesome Kylie, you look totally badass!" Mission calls approvingly, laughing, Keiro rolls his eyes. I guess I'm not doing much to disprove the 'greenie' vide me and Mish are giving off.
"Come on, let's link an arm band shield to your get-up," He says, grabbing my elbow to direct me towards the wall opposite the counter, before adding cynically. "You're going to need all the help you can get."
...
We approach the Outcasts Village with the inhabitants already anxious and confused, seeing us doesn't reassure them. Many retreat for the safety of the hollowed out center column that is their village center. Scooping up their children as they rush to distance themselves from our march. I guess we do look kind of intimating, all eight of us armed and more or less armored. Clearly they think we mean business, and considering few people topside have done these folks any favors, well I don't blame them for being wary of our intentions.
"Why is everyone running for cover?" Mission asks concerned, as she walks beside me. Nobody answers her. The whole team on edge now. Zaalbar slows his pace to walk in front of her as a Wookie shield if she should need one. Something isn't adding up, they wouldn't be clearing the streets, well, paths, in such a desperate hurry if they were just concerned about our intentions.
"They know what's coming." Keiro at the front of our group comments ominously, stopping short to pull his blaster rifle from the magnetic holster on his back. Everyone quickly follows suit. I don't understand why I have my carbine out until the remaining group of Outcasts ahead takes note of us, and immediately scatters in all directions. As they part, I see a large group of Black Vulkars, maybe around eleven of them. Their leader was talking with Gendar, the leader of the Outcasts, before the villagers started running. It only took a second for things to turn into a Mexican standoff, with Gendar standing in the middle his hands, outstretched between us. Trying to prevent the invisible walls between us from clashing together, resulting in an open fire fight in the middle of his village, crap.
"Please, we want no part of your fight here!" Gendar calls. His voice ringing out loud and clear in the sudden dead quiet of the ghost town his village has become. But this isn't a ghost town. They are plenty of men, women and children who have nowhere to escape stray bolts beside the rakghoul infested wastes beyond the gate. My first thought is to lower my weapon, to do whatever I can to give the Vulkars a reason not to open fire. Not just for the sake of Gendar and the villagers, but both sides have absolutely no cover, just poor concealment provided by the lean-tos flanking us, constructed from nothing more than cloth and thin scrap. But as I look into the set faces of the Vulkars across from us my new HUD outlining every weapon, blinking red warnings I can't read. I let the idea of lowering my weapon go. At least until the murderous hatred, most of the Vulkars present glare at us shows some sign of dissipating. Adrenaline and fear dump into my veins by the bucketful as I realize this is going to turn into a bloodbath.
"We don't want to start a fight here, Gendar." Cineer calls, her aim never wavering. "If the Vulkars agree to leave the village peacefully, we'll do the same and pick this up somewhere else." Is she serious, they'll never agree to leave especially when they outnumber us by three guns!
"Ha, typical Bek!" The leader mocks, a Devaronian oozing arrogance. This just gets better and better. "You're clearly at a disadvantage here, and you have the gall to make demands? Just like your blind and ancient leader, who's deluded himself into thinking he can still lead! We are not leaving, you and yours' will die here just as your decrepit leader! Open fire boys!" All hell breaks loose.
Gendar is the first to get hit, he dove for the ground as soon as the words left the Devaronian's mouth, but I saw him take a hit before he hit the ground, hard. Cineer screams over the din for everyone to scatter, the first of us to return fire. Before I even have time to register movement in the corner of my eye, Avrum the Duros in our group hooks his arm around my waist tackling me to the ground behind a lean-to on our right. I can feel the bolts punching my shield on our way down, my HUD blinking an energy level nearing rock bottom. Immediately after we hit the ground Avrum's propping himself up on his elbow to reach within the abandoned lean-to to pull out and tip over a thick scrap of durasteel converted into a four-inch tall by two and a half feet wide table. Propping it up on it's side into the dirt we now have cover. How the hell did he spot that inside the tent during all this, I would have to ask him later.
Hoping the durasteel is thick enough to hide my head behind without a bolt puncturing it, I desperately search for the others as Avrum returns fire over the edge. I know I need to back him up, but I have to make sure that Mish and Big Z are okay. There's Cineer and Nakina returning fire on the opposite side of the path laying as flat as they can on the ground behind their lean-to with no real cover. Keiro lies on the path between us with too many holes in his torso, a pool of blood forming beneath him. I forget to breathe as I stare at his inert body to shocked to think, to move.
A large brown object streaking diagonally towards the village center in the corner of my eye, draws my attention away from the body to spot Zaalbar with Mission scooped into his arms. Crap, did she get hit? Spotting large puffs of dust sparking at the sprinting Wookie's heels spurs me into action. They'll never make it to the safety of the column if we don't provide cover fire.
Flipping onto my stomach, propping my elbows into the ground to steady my aim I peek out the opposite side of cover from Avrum, targeting all those whose barrels are aimed in the general direction of Big Z. What the hell is their problem anyway, targeting someone fleeing the fight with a fourteen year old in his arms. They're going to regret ignoring those of us returning fire, I'm going to make sure of it.
Big Z and Mission make it the safety of the village center, but now all the Vulkar's attention is focused on us. The round bulges dented into our small table getting bigger and more stressed, it won't take much more. I can see the bolts, I assume from Big Z's bowcaster adding to our fire, though. Hopefully that means Mish is okay.
Above the blaster fire and enemy shouts I can barely make out Avrum shouting something to me in his native tongue. "What, I don't understand?" I shout back at him shaking my head. He gestures over to Nakina who has left Cineer's side to swiftly weave from one lean-to to the next, circling on the Vulkars flank. Looking back to Avrum who has risen to one knee, gesturing at himself before pointing to the right. "Okay, I'll cover you!" I nod to him, hoping I'm right in assuming that he wishes to help Nakina flank the Vulkars, and that it will actually work.
Reaching into one of the pockets on my belt I pull out one of the few grenades I got from the Bek armory. Thumb it on, count to three, just like Canderous taught me. Standing I lob it the distance between the Beks and me. Drawing all their fire on my now regenerated shields as Avrum covertly leaves our cover to circle around. I jump back behind cover just as my shields fizzle out, to feel the soil beneath me rubble from the explosion.
Doing my best, but unable to completely block out their screams of pain. I clench my carbine even tighter as I lay suppressive fire on those still fighting, biting down hard on my lip to distract myself from the two dead bodies and a third writhing in pain in the blast radius of my grenade. If they spot Avrum or Nakina we're all screwed, you're not doing anything they wouldn't hesitate to do to us. Telling myself that doesn't make it any easier, but catching a glimpse of Keiro's body in my peripheral vision does reinforce the stakes to me.
As I tuck my head back behind cover to switch my burned out cartridge with a fresh one from my belt, I hear an increase in blaster fire, and since my cover is no longer being pelted I hope that means Avrum and Nakina have successfully made their move. I've just locked the cartridge in when Nakina's calls out an all clear, her voice deep and gravelly though her enviromental mask, but it rings out like sweet relief through the sudden silence.
I don't know what to do with myself now. After slowly peeking out from behind the upturned table numbly rising to my feet. I look around in a daze before spotting Cineer crouched on my left, gently closing Keiro's death stare. I won't be able to handle seeing him, seeing anyone like that right now. Even so my eyes, of their own free will stare out at what's left of the Vulkars. The aftermath of my actions, my grenade. Avrum and Nakina stand over the bodies, making sure they're dead, I think I'm going to be sick. My eyes come back to focus when I see one of the bodies move, clutching at his side in pain, but he's not with the Vulkars. He lying several feet ahead of the group - Gendar!
Taking off at a run, I drop to my knees beside him ripping open my medic's kit. Misreading my intentions, Gendar rears up ready to fight me even though he's clearly in a lot of pain. "I'm trying to help." I tell him, raising my hands in surrender before quickly removing my helmet.
"Miss Fletcher?" Gendar asks, stunned to see me behind the helmet, and as one of the people that brought this bloodshed to his doorstep. He clenches at the area above his left hip with a torn piece of his tunic, trying to prevent any more blood from running freely down his side.
"I...I"m sorry, I came here to help the wounded on those escape pods that crashed down here. I...I didn't mean for this to happen, that they would be here." I babble, sick to my stomach. I should have known they were down here, they were the first ones to get to the pods after all. And they certainly kept their war with the Beks up even now that there's was an occupation on the surface. Why would they care about the war above now, when there's profit to be made down here?
Gendar doesn't respond to my useless apology, just stares back at me bewildered and in pain. "I need to stop the bleeding." I tell him, my voice still shaking, I know my apology does little good for him or Keiro. Injecting a kolto filled syringe near the wound and pressing a large kolto patch to stem the flow is the best I can do until I get him to Pacini the Outcast healer. I've never treated a blaster wound at the clinic before. I just hope Pacini has what she needs to treat him.
"Avrum, I need help." I call out, and the Duros appears at my shoulder, immediately crouching down to help Gendar to his feet. He slings the man's arm over his shoulder, taking on most of the Human's weight. Even with the kolto and Avrum being as gentle as he possibly can, it's obvious Gendar's in a lot of pain. Cineer and Nakina soon join us. Cineer taking Gendar's other arm over her shoulder as I run ahead to find Pacini in the village center. I get halfway there before almost tripping on another body, a girl the same age as me with her long raven hair coming loose from its bun, a blaster burn in her back...
I'm still standing over her, just staring at the body, my veins turned to ice. When they catch up with me Gendar slung between them and Nakina in the rear with her blaster, watchful for anymore surprises. "Shaleena..." Gendar breathes out softly, full of sorrow when he sees the body. Shaleena, why does that name sound familiar? No, crap, she's that sweet girl in-game that dreamed of seeing the surface...
My eyes sting from unshed tears welling up now that I don't have a fight to distract me from realizing what I made happen. "Kylie, go find the healer." Cineer barks at me to move, making me jump. Wiping at my eyes with the back of my wrist, my fingers literally stained with blood, I nod before taking off at a sprint for the column. Don't think about it, just don't.
"Where's Pacini? Gendar's been hit!" I call out as soon as I burst into the dark interior of the large pillar. As my eyes start to adjust to the lack of light I spot a bowcaster aimed at me Zaalbar at the other end, keeping himself between Mish and I. Thankfully she looks unharmed and Big Z lowers his weapon once he sees it's me. "You two okay?" I ask, just in case, as Pacini abandons the Outcast she was treating for a twisted ankle, and rushes pass, me her medical kit in hand.
"Yeah, Big Z scooped me up and started running before the Devaronian even finished speaking." Mission answers resentfully, stepping out from behind her unofficial guardian. "Sorry we weren't there to help." She apologizes, causeing Big Z to chuff and growl in a saddened tone.
"We could've helped fight," She answers him sharply, clearly angry, "I can handle myself in a fight, Big Z. I'm a part of this team and should've been there to fight those bantha poodoos! You could have been more help to them too, if you hadn't wasted time pulling me out." "He made the right call, Mission." I interrupt in Zaalbar's defense, and she opens her mouth to argue when I add, "There wasn't enough cover. You would've been killed along with Keiro. It was only because Avrum pulled me to safety that I'm alive."
Mish bites her lip while crossing her arms, "Keiro's gone?" She asks, clearly upset.
I can only nod, not trusting my voice, when a familiar one calls out to me from the corner the scared Outcasts are huddled in. "What the hell is going on Kylie?" demands Malya, leaving Rukil's side to face me. The elderly man sits on an old crate looking weak and out of breath. "First explosions from out in the wastes wake us in the middle of the night, then the Vulkars march through the village demanding we take them to the source, and then you people show up and start shooting."
"I'm sorry Malya, if we knew the Vulkars were here, we..." I start before stopping myself. I don't know what we would've done, besides what good is wondering what we would have done? We need to help now. "Is Rukil okay?"
"His heart rate is returning to normal," She answers with weary relief. "What's happened Kylie?" she asks just before Pacini reeenters the center with the others and lays out Gendar on a large table near the low burning fireplace. A concerned murmur rolls through the Outcasts as they take in the state of their leader.
"Kylie, we need answers, now." Malya demands, snapping her head back to me as Pacini begins her work on the wound.
"The Sith have invaded the surface." I tell her, and the murmur of the villagers grows in alarm. "Before they attacked the surface they destroyed a Republic ship in orbit, but not before they launched escape pods. I imagine the explosions you all heard were some of the pods crashing down in the wastes. I came down here to help the survivors. We didn't know the Vulkars were already here, and they're the ones that started shooting."
Things quickly unravel from there. One Outcast demands answers after another until the questions overlap and people start arguing. Anger and fear are the main emotions in the air, and they only build as there is no good answer as to why this happened. The questions quickly turn to accusations for bringing the gang war to their village, for having the gall to salvage the pods on their territory.
"Enough," Gendar calls out in a pained groan. "There are dead that need tending to out there, and assigning blame to those that didn't start the confrontation will not prevent rakghouls from breaking through the gate to get to them. Igear, take some people to take care of the bodies."
"They are the ones who made them dead. Why don't they clean up their own mess?" Whines Igear in a sniveling voice. It's the same merchant that wanted Revan to give him the Promised Land journals, so he could replace Gendar.
"Shaleena is among them," Gendar responds quietly, and you could feel the collective breath from the villagers, "A stray blaster bolt from the Vulkars."
"No!" A woman gasps, rushing out the exit, desperate to find that Gendar is mistaken, that the body out there is not her daughter, her niece or whoever Shaleena was to her. The tears start to well up again as guilt churns my stomach inside out. This wasn't supposed to happen, and the only reason it did was because of me. This is what I call saving Taris, apparently.
"We'll help take care of the Vulkars before we leave." Cineer tells Gendar, her normally harsh and loud voice is subdued so much that I have to strain to hear her. That's when I notice, through the gloomy interior, that there's dark stain on the armor over her shoulder and she's cradling her left arm.
"Cineer you've been hit, sit down and let me take a look." I expected her to argue when I catch the look on her face when I crossed the distance between us, but she relents and takes a seat at on of the stools formed of scrap used as seats for the long table Gendar is laid out on. Fortunately, I do know something about what I'm doing thanks to working alongside Zelka at the clinic. Which I soon learned, after arriving on Taris, serves as the unofficial ER for the illegal aliens of Upper Taris, but not blaster burn victims. An Ithorian having heart problems, a young Twi'lek boy in anaphylactic shock and once a stabbing victim. Like Zelka, Pacini walks me through how to treat Cineer's wound while working on Gendar.
Mission looks on nervously, while Zaalbar, Nakina and Avrum help the Outcasts take care of the Vulkar's remains, and Keiro's. I notice the blue skin of her face turning a little green as she stares at the blood. Which isn't much compared to my experience with the stabbed Rodian who had the bad luck of getting an artery nicked. I'm about to suggest she try to comfort the scared Outcast kids, anything to keep her occupied, when Malya turns her around to face her and they start conversing in whispers.
I don't have much time to decide what they're talking about when Cineer draws back down to her, "I should never have let you two tag along."
"You couldn't have possibly known this would happen." I tell her, returning to my work on her shoulder. "Besides, this isn't my first fire fight or the first casualties I've seen." I admit, even though this has been the most intense of which, and none of the pervious bodies were someone I knew even as remotely as Keiro and Shaleena. "Though I can't speak for Mission, I know she's a tough girl who will survive worse scraps than this one."
"The same goes for you Kylie, you couldn't have possibly known that suggesting to Gadon to go after the pods would lead to this." She says, locking eyes with me, squeezing my hand in her own. "So do me a favor and get rid of that wounded Gizka look on your face. You're not responsible for what went down here, the Vulkars are." They're the ones who pulled the triggers, but that doesn't wash my hands of the domino effect of my actions that made this happen. But I nod to her anyway, appreciative of the gesture, squeezing back before focusing back on the wound. She wouldn't understand my guilt unless I told her everything, and who knows what fatal domino chain that would set in motion.
...
After Cineer is patched up I go looking for Mish and Malya. I find them outside observing the burial of Shaleena's carefully wrapped body from a distance. Quietly I approach to stand beside them. We look on as many of the villagers, even Gendar, leaning heavily on a crutch. Pay their respects and attemp to comfort the grieving woman.
"How's Cin?" Mish asks, her voice thick with emotion.
"Won't be able to fire her blaster for a while but other than that she's fine. How 'bout you two?" I ask scrubbing a wet rag over the dried blood on my hands.
"Does that mean the Beks are returning to the surface?" Malya asks, wiping at her eyes refusing to away from the funeral.
"We're short two blasters. Keiro's body should be returned to his brother and the Sith will invade the Lower Streets any minute now. When that happens they'll be the ones in control of the Lift, our only way out of here." I answer, pretty much word for word Cineer's argument, when I asked. I can't argue those points and I honestly don't have the heart anymore, despite knowing Bastila is still out there.
"Are you going with them?" Is Malya's follow-up question, the hunch of her shoulders and her purposefully distant tone leaves me no doubt of her real question.
"No," I immediately answer. I already made my decision before I found them. "I want to keep my end of our earlier deal, if you still want me to join your expedition to the sewers."
"Why, feeling guilty, over your part in the aftermath of the Beks greed?" She asks cynically, still not looking at me.
"Whether or not you choose to believe it, Malya," I tell her after recovering from the sting of her words. "I came down here to help the Republic survivors. Not for profit."
"Regardless," Malya dismisses, straightening her spine, I can literally hear her deep stealing breath, "I guess we need an extra blaster out there and you're our only option."
"Wait, 'we'?" I ask confused, as she finally turns to me with red rimmed eyes. "Mish wanted to know how she could help my people after all this, and I told her how. She and Zaalbar will be joining us, we leave as soon as the Beks do."
...
"No way, you're all coming back to base with me," is Cineer's reaction when I tell her that we're staying behind. She looks about ready to step out of the lift and throttle me, probably would if not for the sling her arm is in. Nankina and Avrum just stare at us holding the stretcher carrying Keiro's covered body between them. Between Nakina's mask and goggles, Avrum's big pupil-less, unblinking eyes it's really hard to get a read on them. "Get Mission into this lift now if you have to drag her here by her lekku!"
"It's okay Cineer, Mish just has a friend in the village that is taking the girl's death pretty hard. We're going to make sure she's okay before returning to base." I repeat the lie we invented earlier, so Cineer doesn't try to stop us from doing what we need to do. Malya has to find the journals for the sake of her people, and I have to find Bastila for the sake of all of Taris. Though I left out the fact that I'm still going after the pods out when discussing the plan with the two girls and a protesting Wookie. How do I plan to do both, when the journals are in the sewers and the pods crashed above? I'm not sure yet, but my lack of a plan doesn't stop me from hitting the Lower District button in the lift. I step back from the closing doors and call to the frustrated and unhappy Cineer, "Don't worry, I'll get them to the surface before the Sith lock down the lift! I hope." I add to myself once the doors clang shut, sealing my chance at turning back.
I realize this chapter is particularly angsty, but like me, Kylie tends to take herself too seriously and has difficulty not feeling guilt or responsibility for things going wrong around her even if it is just through causality that she can't necessarily control. If that makes any sense? But I won't let that angst rear it's head to often, in the chapters to come. Hope you liked reading it regardless.
'Till next chapter,
N7K