Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
Taris
Part Six
There was another fight happening in front of them right before they entered the turbolift.
Two Black Vulkars were in a heated argument with another person. By the sound of it, it seemed to involve some kind of credit dispute.
"[Credits, what credits? Davik must have made a mistake! We don't owe anybody any credits!]" One of the gang smirked cheekily.
"[Yeah, he is pretty old now. Ask him to check his datapad again. I am sure he made a mistake,]" The other one roared with laughter.
"Oh, very funny." The person, who obviously was a debt collector or representative from Davik of some sort, certainly couldn't see the funny side: "Cough up, now, and we might spare you. Or you want us to deal with you the way Exchange usually does when people don't pay?"
"[We? I think you drink too much Tarisian Ale, buddy. There is only one of you and there are two of us. We are the Black Vulkars. You might think twice before you make that threat,]" The gang scorned back.
"Are you sure about that? Looks like this is going nowhere." The person cast them an evil glare. He let out a big sigh and then put his fingers together to make an earsplitting whistle.
The two Black Vulkars looked past the Exchange debt collector and their faces immediately turned chalk white.
Skye curiously turned her head around. Someone emerged from the shadow nearby. The person, who she estimated was in his late 30's or early 40's, was no shorter than 6 feet tall. With the blaster rifle held in his arms, he certainly looked very frightening indeed. His body was wrapped with packs of strong muscle. His short spiky hair emphasized his strong jaw line perfectly. His grey eyes scanned around them like a hawk looking at its prey. There were a few cuts on his left eyebrow and a very light scar on his forehead. Judging by his physique, there was only one kind of people in this galaxy that would look like that: the Mandalorians.
"[Goodness me….Canderous. We didn't know you were with the Exchange. Otherwise we…]" The Black Vulkar's facial expression changed so fast, Skye thought for a moment it was completely different person than the one she saw a few seconds ago.
"[Yeah, there, here are the credits we owe Davik. No harm there.]" The other one quickly dug around in his pockets and handed over the credits.
"That's the way. Now, why couldn't you two be this civilized earlier? It would certainly save us a lot of time from all those negotiations back and forth, don't you think?" The Exchange guys winked darkly: "Well, looks like there is no need for you for now, Canderous. Thanks anyway for your assistance. I will call you next time when we need you."
Canderous didn't look particularly happy. He glared at his partner begrudgingly for a moment: "…..Too bad. I felt like seeing some blood drops today."
"No, Canderous. I think it will be enough for those two silly buggers. Look, they are so terrified, they almost wet themselves," Said the Exchange debt collector in a mocking tone: "I'd better take these back to Davik. He doesn' t like to see his payments being paid late. As for you two—" He turned his attention back towards the Black Vulkars: " –don't think you are with the biggest gang in the universe. The Black Vulkars are a mere annoying beetle in Davik's eyes. Have a good day, fellas."
He was off.
"[Urrh…..I think we might as well shoot off now, aye?]" The two Vulkars looked at Canderous pleadingly.
"Yeah, yeah. Bugger off!" Canderous waved his hand impatiently.
The gang was off with great gratitude.
Canderous put the blaster away and looked around boredly. He shot a glare at Skye and Carth, let out a big sigh and decided to leave as well. Skye suddenly had this feeling he was like kath hounds trapped in the cage, unable to stretch his claws and feeling utterly frustrated.
"Interesting people we have here, aye?" Carth commented as he watched Canderous disappear at the nearby apartment entrance.
Skye did not reply. She had a funny feeling it wouldn't be the last time she saw this Canderous fella.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Skye couldn't believe what she had just heard: "Pardon? You want us to what?"
"Give us five credits or else." One Under City resident tilted his chin slightly higher and triumphantly repeated what he had just said.
"You were right. The welcoming treatments we're experiencing so far on this Force-forsaken planet are indeed getting worse." Carth shook his head: "I wonder if they actually know what a proper socializing manner is anymore. Who did you say owns this turbolift?"
"Us." The other resident nodded his head.
"…I certainly didn't spot any sign or post while we were in there. Perhaps we should go back and check, Carth." Skye looked at them with amusement.
"Well…. Common, we all knows up-worlders are filthy rich!" The resident begged: "Five credits to you surely won't be a problem!"
"What can you do with five credits?" Skye couldn't help but ask.
"Oh, all sorts of things," The other one, who seemed to be slightly older, replied: "But mostly we use it to get food and medicine. They are like gold dust here. So what do you say?"
Skye' s eyes rolled heavenwards for a few minutes: "Well, all right. Five credits each. There." She handed out the credits.
The younger man let out a joyful scream: "Oh, thank you! C'mon, bro, we have credits now; we can go get some medicine and food. I bet Mother will be pleased—"
The older men shushed him before he finished: "Quiet, others will hear us, and then they all will want our credits!"
Sure enough, before they even managed to leave, there was a voice shooting from not very far away: "Oy! What on Taris you two are doing? Not again!"
A young woman scurried towards their direction and waved her hands about frantically: "Go away, you two! You are giving the Under City a bad name!"
The two men quickly fled. The young woman, with the brightest smile and somewhat greyish-green eyes, approached them. Like the two men before her, her skin was unhealthily white. It was probably because they hadn't seen much of the sun when living in the Under City.
"I am so, so sorry about that," She said as she tried to catch her breath from all that running: "Please don't think all us Under City people are like that. Most of us are genuine people who work our arses off everyday."
"….Well, I certainly hope so. Your fellow Under City citizen weren' t exactly helping you prove that, by the way." Carth stared at her for a long time before he opened his mouth again.
"My sincerest apology." The woman smiled sorrily: " My name is Shaleena. "
"Pleased to meet you, Shaleena. I am Skye Imarr, and this is…..arh….." Skye wavered for a moment, deciding whether or not she should lie about Carth's name.
But Carth seemed to have made up his decision. He reached out his hand to the woman: "I am Carth Onasi."
Skye arched her eyebrow but decided to say nothing. Perhaps he reckoned people here wouldn't know his name like those Sith officers did.
"You two are up-worlders?" Shaleena beamed with delight. However, Skye sensed she shot a few extra curious glances at her when she was saying this: "I was told it is beautiful up there. Sunny all year round, there are trees and birds… Is that true?"
"It depends on who you are and where you are at. It' s nothing special." Skye thought of her Twi'lek species self and smiled sarcastically.
"Well, it is still nice to be there, right?" Shadows crossed Shaleena's once bright, smiley face. She became visibly depressed: "I was born here, and I have never been anywhere else in my life."
Skye and Carth had to turn around trying to cheer Shaleena up. It turned out most people who lived in the Under City were castaways who used to break the laws in the Upper City. Once they were here, there was no going back. Some people had been here for generations. Their children, their children's children, were all born here. They were like the lowest rank of the social chain. Their resource was limited beyond belief. Now because of the rakghouls, these people retreated to this tiny corner of the city, leaving most areas uninhabited and infested with rakghouls.
Shaleena offered them a tour. They came across the holding area for those who were infected by rakghoul disease. Because there were no cures, the villagers simply tucked them away in there and let the disease run its course. The howling noise from inside there was terribly heart breaking.
"Out of sight, out of mind," Carth mumbled quietly as they strolled around what Shaleena called 'the village': "You thought Taris could be more civilized than this. Good Force, I think I've seen everything…"
Skye shot him a quick glance but did not comment on anything. Her gleaming blue eyes fell on the gate at the other side of the village.
"What's behind there?"she asked Shaleena. \ldblquote Another contamination area for infected folks?\rdblquote
"No. That— " Shaleena nodded at the gate gloomily: "-is the gate to hell: the uninhabited and rakghoul-infested Under City."
It was also where the escape pod crashed, according to Gadon.
"There have been a lot of people passing by our village through that gate lately. The Sith, the Black Vulkars, even the Exchange from what I was told." Shaleena counted her fingers: "Just a few moments ago there was that Twi'lek girl, like you, and her usual hairy Wookiee friend who went through as well."
Skye felt as though her heart had just done a back flip: "Twi'lek girl?"
"Oh, don't you know her? She's a regular passer-by in this village." Shaleena arched her eyebrow: "She and her Wookiee friend go through that gate to the sewers all the time. What was her name…..hmm….Mission?"
"Isn't that the girl we are looking for?" Carth whispered to Skye, who gave him a very subtle nod.
They approached the gate. As they drew nearer, they noticed there was someone who was talking to the guard at the top of her voice. She seemed to be near tears
"….Please, you've got to open the gate! I swear he will make it!" The woman was distraught. She literally held the hands of the guard, begging for mercy.
"…I am sorry, darl. I can't risk it. The rakghouls are right outside!" The guard looked at the woman sorrowfully.
"NO, NO, NO-I am begging you. He will make it. PLEASE!" The woman now knelt on the ground. Her desperate teary eyes kept darting between outside the gate and the guard.
Skye walked slightly closer to the gate and peeked through the gap. Despite a bit of kath hound-like howling and some screaming noises in the distance, it was deadly quiet out there. She closed her eyes and stretched her senses wide. Something…something stirred in the shadow. They were not all human nor beast of any kind she knew.
She opened her eyes again.
"Something's coming," She warned out loud.
The woman stood up bolt upright and rushed to the gate. She held the bars tightly and almost squeezed her face through the gap. A figure came into view from the shadows and approached the gate. As it drew near; they could see it was a person, who seemed to running as fast as he could. He cried out loud as soon as he spotted them.
"Open the damn gate! Hurry up! The rakghouls are right behind me!"
" It's Hendar!" The woman turned her head toward the guard: "He is right outside. PLEASE, I am begging you. I will do anything. Please open the gate!"
"….Sorry, Hester, I really can't. The rakghouls were right behind him." The guard shook his head.
"NO, NO….." Hester shook her head hysterically.
"Hester!" Hendar's hand reached through the gap: "What\rquote s the matter? Open the gate! Quick, before they come!\rdblquote
"…..Won't anyone help?" Hester's eyes now looked at Skye and Carth frantically: "Please….anyone…."
"Open the gate." Said Skye sternly to the guard.
"But you've heard…." The guard spluttered: "You've heard what I said…"
"I will deal with the rakghouls." Skye drew out her Vibroblade: "Open the gate."
"…..All right, I open the gate for you." The guard looked at her for a moment before walking towards the gate and pulling the heavy chain wrapped around the weighty handle: "But I will have to shut it right after you. I can't risk our people's lives on this."
" I understand. Just open the gate." Skye waved her hand.
The guard opened the gate.
Almost as soon as Skye and Carth walked into the open grounds, a group of rakghouls sprinted into the view. They were the most hideous creatures Skye had ever seen in her life. Their bodies, barely resembling their former human selves, were mostly rotten and dribbled with juice you could smell miles away; their heads, if you could call it a head, were like very badly patched up meat cannon balls with spikes and huge gaps right in the middle, with eyes right on the top of it. They were so big that for a moment, Skye thought they might fall out.
Regardless of their unpleasant presentations, the creatures seemed to be moving incredibly fast. Within seconds, the rakghouls surrounded them, bawled warningly, but dared not attack at once. They all stood there, glaring at each other for a moment, with none of them starting the attack.
"Oh, what the heck!" After a few seconds, Carth became impatient. He cursed loudly and fired his blaster rifle at one of them. The rakghoul flew backwards and fell heavily onto a pile of rubble. Others let out a furious shriek and jumped at them at once.
The fight began. The rakghouls might have looked unintelligent; their attacks, however, were very deadly. Skye received several strikes from them within the first few seconds and each of them sent her into dizzy swirls. She slumped backwards and nearly fell onto the ground. Carth managed to grab her just in time.
"All right?" He asked.
Skye gave him a nod and quickly got back on her feet. She back flipped, avoided several aggressive rakghouls charging in her direction, and slashed away with the vibroblade while Carth's blaster rifle fired almost non-stop. He barely had time to reload, as the rakghouls were pretty hard to kill off. Every time they got hit, they just got back to their feet and attacked them again.
When the last rakghoul's dead body fell at their feet, Skye straightened, wiped the mist of sweat away from her forehead, and let out a sigh of relief.
Carth knelt down in front of the village man Hendar, who was sitting not very far from Skye: "Y'all right, buddy?"
Hendar gave him a weak smile before standing up and approaching the gate.
"Open the gate." He said, still panting from the fight.
The gate was opened at once. Hester rushed out and straight into Hendar's open arms. She was sobbing and shaking uncontrollably, and tears were streaming down on her face.
"Good Force! You are safe!" She wept: "For a moment I thought you were….. Oh, Force..."
"I thought I was, too." Hendar held her face up and gently kissed on her forehead: "Yes."
"I cannot believe this." The guard looked at Skye and Carth with astonishment: "You two are up-worlders, yet you risked your life to save one of us?"
"This is just the right thing to do." Skye shrugged.
"I can't thank you enough for saving Hendar's life." Hester looked at them both thankfully: "Without you, I'd have lost him for sure."
"Nah, that's really nothing," Carth smiled: "Now, shall we get going?" He looked at Skye.
Skye nodded. They farewelled the villagers and then headed off, deep into the shadows, deep into the unknown Lower City.