'Keep it cool.' I thought as I followed behind both Carth and Rika, the later leading the way. As we approached the entrance to the lower levels, we stopped in front of the sith guard.
"Another patrol heading down to the lower city, eh? Good luck... I've heard its pretty rough down there. There's a big swoop gang war going on, you know." He informed, with us nodding. "You better watch yourself: those gangs will take a shot at anyone - even us! It's too bad we don't have the man power to just sweep those slums clean." He said, with us walking into the elevator and closing the doors behind us, with us taking the armor off.
"I really hate this armor." Carth said, tossing the helmet onto the ground.
"You and me both." Rika said, fixing her hair and removing the rest of the armor, showing that she was wearing her uniform underneath.
"I'm used to it." I said, removing the armor as well. "Reminds me of my old Mandalorian armor that I had stashed on my ship, but now that everything's all blown to hell, I'm not getting that back any time soon." I said, wearing a combat armor as I couldn't fit my coat in the armor. I was wearing everything that was under the coat, so I wasn't separated completely from it.
The doors opened, with us packing the sith armor into the bag that Carth was holding and we exited. We watched as a few people ran past, with us walking, trying to keep to our selves. We stopped once we saw the same three get killed, with the killers looking at us. "More strangers!" The Nikto alien said, with me pulling out a blaster and shooting back at them as they started shooting at us.
Getting behind cover, I noticed Rika was deflecting the blasts with her blade. Getting an idea, I took aim at Rika, who looked shocked as I shot at her, with it hitting her sword and going back down the same way the others came from. We heard a scream and I continued to aim at Rika's sword, who was still deflecting the blasts. "Forget it." I said, pulling out a thermal detonator and rolling it over to the attackers. Rika jumped behind cover with us, followed by an explosion.
Looking around the corner, I saw that they were all dead. I was hit in the head, with me rubbing it soon after. "I thought that you were going to kill me!" She yelled, with us standing up and facing the other.
"Hey, it was in the heat of the moment and I saw a good opportunity to get past!" I said, shouting back at her.
"Enough, both of you!" Carth said, with us looking at him. "We still have a mission to do, now lets move it!" He said, walking past us and leading the way. As he walked, Rika hit my arm as she followed, with me smirking and following them into the apartments across from them. As we walked around, I spotted an open room. Walking in, I noticed that it was set up with a trap. Looking at the devices around it, I saw names on them.
"What are you doing?" Rika asked as she followed me in.
"This is a puzzle, and from the names, its from the Twisted Rancor Trio. I heard some of their songs, and if I'm right, then the key to opening it is by the order that they were formed." I said, where I started putting in the correct order, with holograms of them popping up, with the chest opening.
Rika opened it up all the way, with her pulling out an armor. "This is Echani Fiber armor, strong too, you mind?" She asked, looking at me.
"Its too small to fit me anyways." I said, watching her strip and putting on the armor, all the while her back was turned to me, but that didn't hide anything. Once dressed, she continued on, with me following her out.
"Hey, Carth." Rika called out as we walked up to the man, with her handing him her old armor, with him putting it in the bag. "I would like to ask you some more questions." She said, with me leaning against the door.
"I guess I did say you could ask me questions later, didn't I?" Carth said as he thought about it out loud. "Is this really necessary?" He asked, looking between us.
"Hey, leave me out of this." I said, with him looking at Rika.
"Not if you have a problem with it." She said, with him nodding.
"No. No, I don't have a problem with it, really. Go ahead and interrogate me." He said, with me narrowing my eyes at this.
"This isn't an interrogation. I never said that." Rika said, crossing her arms.
"No, I was just joking, though you do seem to be full of questions. Its rather refreshing, to be honest." Carth said, waving his hand at her. "Let me ask you something first, though. I've been going through the battle aboard the Endar Spire over and over in my head since we crashed. Some things just don't add up for me. Maybe you could tell me what happened... from both of your perspectives." He said, looking between us.
"Like you said when we first met: Bastila didn't have time to use her powers." Rika said, with me looking at her as she said that.
"True. Bastila is as powerful as they say... she's the one who defeated Darth Revan, after all." Carth said, with me remembering the time that I had a run in with Revan on Mandalore when she joined the war.
She and a few other Jedi's had saved me and a few other Mandalorian's who had refused to join the fight as it was a fight that shouldn't of involved us. My family was held in a prison, and one by one, we were being killed because we chose not to join. Only and my little sister survived. After the war, my sister was taken to the Jedi temple to become a Jedi herself as she was a force sensitive. I had never heard from her again.
"I guess that no Jedi ability, no matter how powerful, makes up for being completely surprised and outmatched." Carth said, with me looking at him. "We didn't choose that battle, anyway. It got forced on us. Hell, I'm just surprised that any of us are alive to talk about it." He said, shacking his head. "Come to think of it, its more than a little surprising that you happen to be here, isn't it?" He asked, pointing at Rika, confusing us. "Just what is your position with the Republic fleet, anyway?" He asked, with me raising an eyebrow at him.
"I'm sorry, but arnt you her commanding officer?" I asked, with him looking at me. "You are supposed to know her position. If your asking that, then that means you aren't capable of doing your job." I said, with him glaring at me.
"You misunderstand." He said, looking between us. "She was a last minute addition to the crew and just happened to be one of the survivors." He said, with me glaring at him.
"Are you accusing her of treason? If so, I'm glad enough to take her with me to find a way off this planet." I said, with him shacking his head.
"What's so strange about me being added at the last minute?" Rika asked, gaining his attention.
"You were the only one. Not to mention that Bastila's party was the one who requested your transfer." He informed, with me shrugging it off as I had learned that she was the top of her class while on the Endar Spire.
"Why would Bastila request my transfer?" She asked, curious about why Bastila would request her to transfer to the Endar Spire.
"The Jedi requested numerous things when they came on board... hell, they practically took over the ship, as far as I could tell." He said, making me laugh a bit. "That's not funny." He said, with me nodding as it was. "Considering you're connection to Bastila and the Jedi... whether you know it or not... your presence here seems a little convenient. I'm probably wrong and this is probably nothing, I know. I learned a long time ago not to take things at face value, however. And I "hate" surprises."
"What do you mean by surprises?" Rika asked, with him shacking his head.
"I mean I have to expect the unexpected. Just to be safe." He said, looking at me.
"Are you always this suspicious?" I asked, stepping forward.
"Look... It has nothing to do with you, personally. I don't trust anyone, and I have my reasons. And no, I'm not going to discuss them. So can we just keep our mind on more important things?" Carth asked, crossing his arms as he was getting mad at the questions.
"I consider this important." Rika said, with me shacking my head at her.
"All right, alright. You're pretty damned tenacious, you know that?" He pointed out, with me rolling my eyes. "Well talk about it... but later. Right now I just want to get going." He said, with me nodding as this was getting boring.
"I agree, come on, who knows what the sith has planed for this planet." I said as I started walking away, with them following me out. Once out side, we started walking past the dead bodies of the thugs, with me kicking one of there hands as I saw it move, meaning that he wasn't dead yet. As we walked, I stopped once I saw a bouncer. "Hey, there might be some information in here. I'll go check it out, you two continue ahead." I said, with them nodding and walking on.
Entering the cantina, I made my way across the room. Seeing two Twi'leks, and a Rodian approach a man, I stood to the side and leaned against the door, watching what was going to go down. "Go away." The man said, sitting at a seat with no one else around him.
"Hey, you not talk like that. We just want to say hi to big, bad bounty hunter Calo Nord." The Rodian said, with me shacking my head as I had heard about this man. For even coming up to talk to him, he would kill you, unless it was for a bounty.
"Nah, this cant be Calo Nord. He's supposed to be tough. This guys nothing but a runt!" One of the Twi'leks said, with me shacking my head at him.
"One." Calo said, confusing them, but not me.
"One? What that mean? You be funny, tough guy?" The Rodian said, with me looking at him.
"You know who we are, Calo?" We're members of the Black Vulkar gang! You don't want to be getting funny with us, tough guy." The other Twi'lek said, with me shacking my head with a frown as they were as good as dead.
"Two." Calo said, with me seeing him reaching for his blaster.
"Me no understand. One? Two? Why he count? He trying to count how many of us it against him?" The Rodian asked, looking at the Twi'leks.
"Its three against one, Calo. What do you think about those odds? Well? You have something more to say?" He asked, with me rolling my eyes at their comments.
"Three." Calo said as she rolled a thermal detonator at them and then shot all of there guns out of there hands before they could do anything. They didn't see the detonator, but as soon as it went off, all three of them were killed.
Seeing him walk past me, I made my way around the bar, looking for anyone who could give me any information. As I walked, I stopped once I saw a blue Twi'lek ordering drinks as two Rodian's approached her. "I told you to leave me alone - so give me some space, Bug-eye! You're breath smells like bantha poodoo!" She said in Basic, with me leaning on the bar not far from her.
"Little girl should not be in bar. This no place for little girl. If little girl smart, she run away home now." One of the Rodian's said, appearing to be the leader of the two.
"Who you calling little girl, Chuba-face?" The girl shot back, not happy with them.
"Little girl needs lesson in manners!" The same Rodian said, with me placing a blaster on the counter, aiming at the two, who looked at the blaster then at me as I had practically slammed it down.
"Do as the girl sais." I said, looking from the bar, to them. "While you're at it, pay for her drinks." I said, with them looking at the other, then at me.
"Who you? You new, we no like new!" The Rodian said, with me narrowing my eyes at them.
"Mandalorian, that's who, now beat it and leave the girl alone." I said, with them looking at the other, them walking out as to not cause trouble.
"Thanks, but that wasn't needed." She said, turning to face me. "My friend Zaalbar is over there, he always has my back." She said, pointing over at the Wookiee, who was sitting at a table by his self with food.
"A Wookiee, huh? I haven't seen any of them in a while." I said, putting my blaster away. "I'm looking for some information, you mind giving me some?" I asked, placing some credits on the table, with her looking at it then at me.
"Come with me." She said, with me following her over to the table that the Wookiee was at and sat down. "Ok, what do you want to know?" She asked, with me nodding as we were getting down to business.
"A few questions, nothing more." I said, with her nodding.
"I don't trust him, Mission, he smells of off world!" Zaalbar said, with me looking at him.
"You don't have to trust me, after my questions are answered and your credits are handed over, I'll be out her here." I said, looking over to Mission. "So, lets start off with an easy one." I said, with her turning to face me completely. "Who is Davik?" I asked, with her frowning at that.
"Davik's part of the intergalactic crime syndicate, but I guess everyone knows that. But I hear he's got a new ship for his smuggling operations - the Ebon Hawk." Mission informed, with me smirking at that.
'Not for long.' I thought, knowing that I now had a way off the planet, but just had to get there.
"I don't know much about space travel, but I hear that ships fast enough to break the Sith blockade. Of course, this is all just second hand rumor." She continued, with me shacking my head at her.
"If its a smuggling ship with fire power, it can do the job." I said, with her shrugging. "Do you know where he would keep it?" I asked, leaning forward.
"If Davik does have a ship, he's got it locked up in his estate. Nobody gets in there, except the people working for Davik and the Exchange." She said, with me shacking my head.
"I'll find a way." I said, with her rolling her eyes. "What about the lower city gangs?" I asked, with her smiling at that.
"There's only two gangs worth worrying about here in the lower city: the Black Vulkar's and the Hidden Bek's. Sometimes Zaalbar and I hang out at the Bek base." She said, with me nodding. "The Bek's are led by Gadon Thek - he's a good guy, Lost his sight in a swoop bike accident a few years ago, but even blind he's a great leader." She said, with me thinking that we would have to pay this man a visit. "Not like that traitor Brejik! Before he took over the Vulkar's, he was a Hidden Bek. Gadon considered that ungrateful space slug his adopted son." She informed, with her frowning at that.
"Family is something that no one should take for granted." I said, with her nodding her head as she agreed with me. "Any reason why he left?" I asked, with her nodding her head.
"When Gadon went blind everyone figured had step down and appoint Brejik in his place. But Gadon figured Brejik wasn't ready yet. He wanted him to wait a few years." She informed, with me leaning back and rolling my eyes.
"He was entitled, wasn't he?" I asked, with her nodding her head.
"Oh, ya, he was." She said, with me shacking my head. "Brejik was too impatient. He left to join the Vulkar's, and ever since he's been waging a war to wipe Gadon and his Bek's from the face of Taris!" She said, with me narrowing my eyes at that.
"Seems like he didn't have the same relationship with Gadon that Gadon had with him." I said, with her shrugging.
"I guess, and this gang war in the lower city is totally the Vulkar's fault. They're the ones killing everything that moves out on the street. Its like they've gone insane." She said, pointing to where the door was.
"I couldn't agree more, me and my friends bumped into them on out way down here, it was crazy." I said, shacking my head. "Thank you for your time and answers." I said, placing some more credits down.
"Thanks!" Mission said, taking the credits with a smile. "Come on, Big Z, lets go!" She said, with Zaalbar finishing his food and following her out, with me staying for a bit.
Later
Walking down the street, I stopped once a women placed her hand on my shoulder, with me looking at her. "Are you Dakota?" She asked, with me nodding. "Your friends are inside, they wish to speak with you." She said, confusing me as she opened the door. Walking in, I saw that it was a gang hide out, with me walking around.
I was stopped by a Twi'lek, who glared at me. "Who are you?" She questioned, with me looking from her to the rest of the base.
"Dakota, I was sent in here by the women outside." I said, with her nodding and pointing to the far side of the room. Walking over there, I saw Carth and Rika sitting down, with me sitting down in front of them. "So, what's the news?" I asked, with Carth nodding his head.
"We found Bastila, but she's being used as a prize for a swoop race that's coming up." He said, with me nodding as that was good news. "Then there is our mission to steal a part from the Black Vulkar's. It was originally apart of the Hidden Bek's, which is where we are now. He said, with me knowing that already. We also traded out Sith Armor for some Sith Transcripts, that way we don't have to use the Armor anymore and it will get us to the Undercity." He said, with me nodding. "We just have to track down someone named Mission, she likes to hang out down there." He informed, making me groan. "What, was it something I said?" He asked, with me nodding.
"Yes, I just got my information from her." I said, gaining there attention. "That includes a way off, but it involves more planning for that." I said, with him nodding. "Also had a run in with Calo Nord, bounty hunter, didn't approach him, and neither should you." I said, pointing at them, with them looking at the other.
"We also had a run in with him, as well as another Mandalorian, they was collecting bounties for Davik." Rika said, with me nodding.
"We should head down to the Undercity, there we will be able to find Mission and then we need someone who can ride a swoop bike." He said, with Rika holding her hand up.
"I can, I have experience." She said, with me nodding.
"Ok, lets get moving." I said, taking the Sith Transcripts from them. "Lead the way." I said, with us getting up and walking out.
Later
As we walked, we saw turrets aimed at us as we approached the doors. "Hold on there, civilian! Only those with official Sith business are allowed into the Undercity." The only guard said, with me looking at him. "Unless you've got the proper security papers you better just turn around and go back the way you came." He said, with me looking at Rika.
"Right here." Rika said, passing them along to the guard, who examined them.
"These look to be in order. Okay, you can go down if you want. Cant say I envy you, though." He said, passing it back. "The undercity is crawling with Mutants. Rakghoul's, they call 'em. If you see anything moving down there, shoot first and ask questions later." He said, with us walking into the elevator.