Chapter 3: Taris Part 3

The difference a two-minute elevator ride could make.

It had transported them from the fake purity of the Upper City to the grim reality of the real world. Here no one danced around their malicious intent, no one came up with fucked up lies to justify their criminal nature. Thugs were just thugs here, not nobles, not politicians, just sorry motherfuckers trying to survive.

"Damn," Carth gasped as the smell assailed them as soon as they stepped off the elevator. "Scratch this place off the next shore leave."

"Ah, now I'm really reminded of Nar Shadda," Sarryn said, wrinkling his nose as he led the way down the corridor. They stopped as they saw two gangs facing off with one another. Each was a mix of humans, Rodian, Ithorian and Twi'leks. One gang wore red and orange clothing, the others in tan.

An Ithorian in tan pointed at the other gang. "This is Vulkar territory! You Beks shouldn't be here!"

A Bek Rodian snapped at him. "You Vulkars can't keep pushing us around! We'll fight to be here!"

"You'll die here then!" With that, the groups went at it with daggers and vibroblades. Seeing as how the Vulkars outnumbered the Beks two to one, it wasn't too surprising that within minutes, the four Beks lay dead on the ground.

The lead Vulkar turned to see the new arrivals. "Sith are not welcome here," he said, not realizing the four of them were in disguise.

"Ah, hell," Carth muttered as he yanked his blasters up and fired a trio of shots into the leader's chest. As he went down, the others moved, blades out, Dawn, Sarryn and Willow's vibrowsords flashing in the dim lighting. Dawn sliced through one Vulkar's blade, cutting through it and its owner's head. Willow dodged another Vulkar's strike to slice him across the back, then buried her blade into the chest of another. Sarryn was a whirlwind with the two swords he carried, cutting down a pair of Vulkars, blocking the thrust of another before slicing his throat. Carth's steady aim soon took the last of the Vulkar's down.

The four of them checked each other over to make sure they were okay. Then Carth and Sarryn quickly checked over the bodies to pull out credits and other materials they might need. "We'd better get moving before someone finds this," Carth stated.

"They'll probably think they just killed each other," Sarryn stated.

"We should get out of these uniforms," Willow suggested.

"Agreed," Carth said. "We don't want that to happen again. It's better to maintain a low profile."

They found a secluded place and changed back into their normal clothes.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

It didn't matter what galaxy it was; a cantina was still a cantina. There was the buzz of conversation in various languages, a haze of smoke, music from a band nearby, the usual atmosphere of danger and greed.

As they entered, they saw a trio of Vulkars coming toward a man sitting at the bar. He was a short and stocky man dressed in a blue cloak, black gloves and pants and an elaborate suit of armor under his tunic. A large white cowl covered most of his head and face and large mirrored glasses, almost like goggles, covered his eyes.

The man didn't look up but simply spoke in a flat tone. "Go away."

"Hey, you no talk to us like that!" a Rodian taunted. "We just want to say hello to the big bad bounty hunter, Calo Nord!"

"This can't be Calo Nord!" a Twi'lek laughed. "Calo Nord said to be big and tough! This guy's just a runt!"

"One," Nord flatly intoned, still staring at his drink.

"What? What, you trying to be funny?"

"We're Black Vulkars! You don't wanna be funny with us!"

"Two."

"One? Two? What, you counting?"

"Counting how many of us against you? Make it easy, little man. Three of us. One of you. Big trouble for you!"

"Three."

Even Dawn and Willow, both of whom had seen all kinds of things in Sunnydale, couldn't follow what happened next. In a move so fluid it hardly registered to the eye, Nord swung away from his chair and smashed the glass mug into one Rodian's face. As he staggered back, Nord hopped off his stool, drew a pair of blasters and fired three times. As the three Vulkars dropped dead to the ground, each killed by a single shot, Nord slid his blasters back into their holsters.

All action nearby froze as everyone stared at the amazing aftermath, most not even seeing what happened. Nord bent to examine one dead Vulkar, pulling out his purse. He rummaged about to throw some coins on the bar, poured the rest of the credits into his own pocket and dropped the purse on the owner's body. He walked toward the exit, pausing as he saw Dawn, Willow, Sarryn and Carth all staring at him.

"One."

Very quickly, the four of them immediately scattered out of his way.

"Smart," Nord noted with the faintest trace of amusement as he marched past them and out the exit.

The bar started to go back to normal, a pair of bouncers already dragging the bodies away. His effective actions betrayed it was not the first time he did so.

Then they heard a loud female voice. "Bug off, creep!" The four of them turned and moved into the cantina. Near the spot where Nord had killed the three Vulkars, they saw a pair of Rodians hassling a young woman.

She was a Twi'lek with blue skin, the tentacles that were unique to her species were flowing free from her head with a dark band between them. She wore leather pants and a dark jacket with gloves, an annoyed expression on her face as she faced the two aliens.

"Little girl shouldn't be here alone," one Rodian sneered. "Little girl not too bright, shouldn't be here alone."

"I said, back off if you know what's good for you!" the Twi'lek barked.

The other Rodian laughed. "Ooh, little girl got big mouth! Maybe she need lesson in manners?"

Dawn was sure the girl was her age or even slightly younger. "We should help her," she whispered to Sarryn, Carth and Willow. "She's my age or a little younger. And I know if I were in this situation, I would want our help."

"I agree," said Sarryn, he didn't feel comfortable about leaving this girl to her fate either.

"Hey, do you need any help?" Dawn asked.

The Twi'lek nodded as she turned and called out. "Hey, Zaalbar, a little help here?"

The answer came in a series of roars, "I was just having dinner, Mission. Is this really necessary?"

It took Sarryn a moment to realize what language it was. He smiled at the others. "Oh, this is going to be good."

"Come on, you can wait a minute!" the Twi'lek called out. "You could use a workout by ripping these guys' legs off!"

There was a sigh and then a massive figure appeared beside her. It was a Wookiee, standing nearly seven feet tall, covered completely in brown fur with a loose pair of shoulder straps attached to a belt its own clothing. He moved in and glared at the two Rodians, who immediately backed up. "We don't want no trouble with Wookiee!" one said.

The Twi'lek grinned. "You got a problem with me, you got a problem with Big Z. Now get out of here before he gets mad. He's already annoyed at missing his meal."

"Pissing off a Wookiee," Sarryn mused. "You guys really aren't the smartest lot, are you?"

"Little girl lucky she got big friend!" the Rodian said as he and his companion quickly walked away.

The girl was chuckling as the group came up to her. The Wookiee loomed dangerously over them. "What do you want with Mission?"

Dawn blinked as she listened somehow, she understood the Wookiee. She wondered if it was a result of whatever connection she had with Sarryn. "Please, calm down," she said. "We mean her no harm." Her words calmed him down.

The girl smiled at Dawn appreciatively. "You are really a kind girl, compared to most people here. Most people would let those gangsters abduct me and have their way with me, afraid to get into trouble with the Vulkars. My name is Mission Vao by the way. My bodyguard here is called Zaalbar, Big-Z for friends." She extended her hand, which Dawn shook.

"Nice to meet you, Mission," said Dawn. "I'm Dawn Summers. My friends are Sarryn Baill, Carth Onasi and Willow Rosenberg."

Sarryn nodded and spoke something that sounded like a series of barks. The Wookiee's eyes widened. "You know the language of my people? That is rare for humans!"

"I have a knack for languages," Sarryn explained. He looked to Mission. "I have to admit, you're only the third of fourth Twi'lek I've met who speaks Basic."

"Most of us learn it," Mission stated. "Most just prefer to speak their own language. Me, I grew up here in Taris so I find it a bit easier to just stick with Basic."

Sarryn eyed the Wookiee curiously. "So how does one get a Wookiee bodyguard, exactly?"

"That's a secret," Mission answered with a mischievous grin. "Otherwise everyone would get one in the future."

"Wookiees are only loyal to true friends, Mission," Zaalbar growled. "Vulkar filth would never gain our trust."

"That's a good thing," Dawn said.

"Dawn?" Willow whispered. "Do you understand him?"

Dawn looked at Willow for a moment and then realized she had likely been right that the reason she understood Zaalbar was very likely because of her connection to Sarryn.

"Say, aren't you a bit young to be out here between the gangsters?" Carth asked.

"Hey, I'm thirteen! I have lived on these streets for all my life. With my skills I have probably more chance of survival then you, grandpa."

"Touché." Sarryn laughed.

"And Big-Z is with me all the time. Between my brains and his brawn, no one can hurt us."

"I'm just saying a kid doesn't deserve a life down here," Carth mumbled darkly.

"Stop treating her like a kid," Dawn said sternly. "Not everyone has the chance of living a sheltered life. Mine wasn't."

"We all have to make do with the things we are given," Sarryn added. "Mission looks fine by me, meaning she has done just that."

"Thanks," the Twi'lek muttered. She crossed her arms as she looked over the group. "So, off-worlders, huh? Let me guess, you were coming by for a quick stopover and got stuck here by the quarantine, huh? Well, if you need any info, you've come to the right place! Me and Big Z have explored all over the city, even the Undercity and sewers. What do you guys need? You aren't part of the swoop gangs and you don't look like you work for Davik Kang either."

Sarryn glanced around the cantina, to see if they weren't being overheard. He motioned for Dawn and they stepped a bit closer to Mission. "We aren't," he said, softly. "Maybe you can help us out."

"One of the Republic escape pods that landed down here," Dawn added. "One of them contained a friend of ours, who has gone missing. Do you have any idea where we might find her?"

"Hmm, all those pods have been salvaged by the swoop gangs. They were the first on the scene. Maybe Gadon knows where she is."

"Who's this Gadon?" Dawn asked.

"Gadon Thek, leader of the Hidden Beks swoop gang. He is a pretty cool guy, has helped me out here and there in return for my services to him. He knows everything that's going on around these parts, he'll surely know where to find your friend. I could take you to him and introduce you to him, if you'd like?"

"Thanks, Mission, that would be extremely helpful. But can you first tell me a bit of the situation down here? It's a warzone out in the streets, why is this all happening?" said Sarryn.

"It's all Brejik's fault," Mission spat. "He was Gadon's second in command and his future successor. When Gadon lost his eyesight in some accident with a swoop bike, Brejik thought he could seize this opportunity to take over the gang. But Gadon didn't think he was ready yet, Brejik was still way too young to get the responsibility over the gang. Gadon's eyesight was restored using implants and he was fit enough to continue leading the Beks himself. Brejik didn't think so and challenged him for power. There was a huge fight, which Brejik lost. He and his supporters fled to join the Black Vulkars, a rivaling gang. Eventually he became the leader of the Vulkars and declared war on the Beks. This is all a silly war for power."

"So, Gadon is a good man?" Dawn asked.

Mission nodded. "Yeah, despite being a gangster he is a man of honor. Those who are loyal to him are treated with respect."

"What can you tell us about Davik Kang?" Sarryn asked.

"He's just the local crime lord. He's been around for a long time, as a representative for the Exchange. Does everything like smuggling, extortion, assassination, slavery, prostitution, drugs… that sort of thing. People from all layers of society pay him for his services. Many of the bounty hunters down here work for him. They leave me alone for the most part, so I care little about them."

"And the Sith? Do they have much power down here?"

"Don't know much about them. They first came here when that Lord Revan took over. He had a lot of powerful people assassinated; the rest bowed down to him in fear. It was pretty okay with him in charge, not much changed for the worse once Taris became part of the Sith Empire. He allowed us all to continue living our normal lives, they just took some resources to aid in the Sith war effort. When Malak came to power things did change."

"How so?" Willow wondered.

"Their methods of recruiting soldiers became much harsher. Threatening to kill your family, torture using the Force, mind control, that sort of thing." The young Twi'lek shuddered a bit. "Compared to Malak, Revan was a pretty cool guy."

"They're both dark Jedi in my book," Carth said darkly. "The galaxy would be better off without them."

Sarryn shook his head. "Without Revan Taris might have ended up like Cathar… a smoldering ruin with Mandalorians pissing on the graves of the dead."

"So, you sympathize with a Sith Lord now?" Carth shot back at Sarryn.

"At least he didn't sit back as the Mandalorians had their way with the galaxy," Sarryn returned just as angrily. "She did something about it."

"Against the will of the Jedi Council." Carth started to become genuinely angry and his distrust Sarryn flared back up to its fullest. "And they were right in the end, weren't they? Revan and Malak did fall to the dark side and plunged us into a new war."

"It doesn't matter if they became the bad guys to your good guys," said Dawn. "If you look at it from their point of view, they might have even been thinking they were likely doing the right thing. And they were in the right to help people."

"Dawn is right," agreed Sarryn. "At least they tried to help."

"I don't think Lord Revan was really evil," Mission added timidly. "He never did something to hurt us commoners. That's all different now with Malak."

Carth wanted to say something, but Sarryn intervened. "That's all beside the point right now, we could discuss this for months and still not come up with an agreeable conclusion. Mission, can you take us to Gadon now?"

The blue girl motioned them to follow. "You best be careful, Baill, Dawn," Carth warned as they started to make their way out of the cantina. "I'm not recovering Bastila so you two can bring her to the Sith."

"We're not saying we will turn her over to the bad guys," said Dawn. "I don't know the full story of your war. But what I have gathered so far, I wouldn't side with him for all the money in the world. He may have at one time been in the right, but he isn't any more if he is actively oppressing people and subjugating them to his will."

"Dawn is right," Willow agreed.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Thanks to Mission they were let into the Hidden Beks base with relative ease. The blue little Twi'lek convinced the guards that the four newcomers were friendly to the Beks and they were reluctantly allowed entrance. Once inside they stepped in a large square hall. Some swoop bikes were parked in a corner and a great number of supply boxes covered the walls. The place was bustling with activity, even this late at night.

A pale Twi'lek had noticed the trio entering and stepped toward them with her hands on her blasters. "If it isn't the brat," she said coldly. "Who are your new friends?"

"This is Dawn, Saber or as his friends call him Sarryn, he's the new arena champion," Mission quickly said, "Willow and Carth. They need Gadon's help."

Suspicion flared up in her purple eyes, and the Twi'lek pointed her blasters at the four of them. Many of the gangsters in the vicinity noticed the commotion and also drew their weapons. "Drop your weapons, right now," the Twi'lek said tersely.

"Zaerdra! These are nice people," Mission whined.

"Silence!" Zaerdra told her. "You can't be too sure these days."

Sarryn held up his hands, with the palms pointed at Zaerdra as a sign of peace. He motioned for the others to do the same. "Relax, we mean no harm." He quickly dropped his weapons to the ground. Dawn, Willow and Carth followed his example. Once they were unarmed, the pale Twi'lek relaxed and signaled two gangsters to keep them covered. The rest of them holstered their weapons and continued on with their business.

The Twi'lek gave the group a pointed look. "I'm going to frisk you, so no funny business. If you make a move, these two will kill you."

"No worries," said Dawn.

The Twi'lek efficiently frisked each of them. She didn't find anything. "I'll allow you to speak with Gadon. Just keep in mind I will not hesitate to kill any of you should you try anything funny."

Sarryn gave her an indifferent shrug. "I'd expect nothing less from a good bodyguard."

As the two gangsters started to collect their weapons for safekeeping, the woman pressed a button on her in-ear communicator. "Gadon? I have someone at the front that's looking for your help. One of them is the new arena champion, Saber." A moment of silence. "Understood." She looked at the group. "He's on his way."

"Thanks," said Dawn.

"Well, Zaalbar and I are on our way then," Mission said looking at Dawn. "Not much to do around here these days, so we're going to check out the Undercity and see if we can get some loot."

Dawn gave her an appreciative smile. "Alright, take care, Mission. And thanks for the help."

"You're welcome, Dawn. See you around." She timidly turned to the older Twi'lek. "Bye then, Zaerdra."

"If you have no further business here, leave already." Zaerdra watched the girl with cold eyes. Mission's face fell and she quietly slouched out of the base, with Zaalbar close behind.

"You don't seem particularly fond of young Miss Vao," Sarryn commented.

"I'm not. She looks up to me like I'm her big sister, an example she should follow." Zaerdra heaved a deep sigh. "Followed me around like a hurt little puppy after that good for nothing brother of her abandoned her. I didn't mind at first, I kept her close to protect and tutor her. Until I discovered she had loose hand. Gave the thieving little brat a good beating and sent her away. Little pest is still trying to get back on my good side, but she has blown that chance."

"And you don't think she deeply regrets stealing from you, after you abandoned her as well?" Dawn asked. "Must be hard to be all on your own down here, without many friends."

"I don't care. Should have thought of that before taking my stuff." Her eyes betrayed that she felt at least a bit uncomfortable about shunning the blue Twi'lek.

At that moment a door opened and a man stepped through. His stride was sure and his eyes stood confident, the posture of a leader inside his own base. He sat down behind a desk and gestured Sarryn to sit down in front of him.

Sarryn motioned for Dawn and they sat down together.

Zaerdra stood a bit behind Gadon, her purple eyes never the pair.

"We've heard of your efforts in Ajuur's arena, Mister Saber," said Gadon. "May I congratulate you with your impressive achievement?"

"We didn't come here to chitchat about that, and we doubt you have the time to do so," Sarryn answered in a businesslike tone.

"Indeed, I haven't. You see, you have me curious here. Just earlier this evening you were fighting in the Upper City arena. Despite the Sith lockdown I find you here in my base a few hours later. I can only think of two kinds of people who can pass the lockdown… Sith troopers and Davik's men. Which one are you, I wonder?"

"Neither," Dawn said as he turned and looked at her for the first time. "We merely relieved some Sith of their uniforms, considering our need to get into the Lower City."

"They're Sith spies, Gadon," Zaerdra said angrily. "You should kill them."

"Calm down, Zaerdra. Why would a Sith that's trying to infiltrate us first become an arena champion?"

"Maybe to gain our respect?" she ventured, but without her earlier conviction.

"That doesn't make sense. It's too rash, too high-profile." He turned back to the scoundrel. "How exactly did you obtain those uniforms? Don't the Sith guard them with their lives?"

"I don't know how Sarryn got the two he got. But Willow and I killed two Sith that were harassing an alien for the two we got," said Dawn.

"Are you going to continue asking us pointless questions, or can we finally get to the point here?" asked Sarryn. "We're trying not to waste your time here; in return we expect the same respect."

Gadon watched them with an amused smile. "Right, I guess it can't hurt to listen to your story. You said you needed my help?"

"We're looking for something that landed inside an escape pod a day ago," said Dawn. "It is rather valuable to us and we wish to get it back. Mission Vao told us to see you, as you seem to know everything that's going on around here."

He gave them a long, thoughtful stare. "Is that something perhaps a female Republic officer?"

Dawn's eyes widened. "She was found then? By your men?"

"Alas, the Black Vulkars beat us to it. They were nearby when your friend's pod landed in the Undercity and immediately cleared them out. Your woman was taken prisoner as well."

"She's in the hands of those bastards?" Sarryn said. "They didn't sell her to the Exchange, did they?"

Gadon shook his head. "No, normally they would, as a slave fetches a lot of money. But Brejik has different plans for her. He's going to use her to strengthen his reputation among the gangs. The Tarisian Season Opener is being held the day after tomorrow. It's the first major swoop race of the season and Brejik is offering her as the prize for this race. It's a clever move that will earn him the respect from many of the smaller gangs."

"Great, so she is still in Vulkar hands." Sarryn got to his feet followed by Dawn. "Then we'll just infiltrate their base to get her out, easy as pie. Thanks for the Intel, Mister Thek."

"You didn't think Brejik would keep something so valuable inside his base, did you?" Gadon asked before they could walk away. "If I were to capture a powerful officer, I'd keep her locked up in an anonymous safe house. He has many spread across the city and believe me when I say finding the exact location is near impossible."

"He may be right," agreed Willow as she stepped up beside Dawn. "Searching a city of this size would not be easy. I doubt we could find her in two days."

Sarryn nodded as he and Dawn sat back down.

"I believe the only way to rescue this woman is to win the swoop race," Gadon told her. "Unless you want to storm the ceremony and fight off all gangs to get her."

"As much fun as that might be," said Dawn. "I doubt we could win against an unsurmountable force of all the gangs combined."

"Then you need to win this race," Gadon said. "It seems you and I have similar goals right now, maybe we could cut a deal."

"Let's hear it," said Dawn.

"My engineers have recently developed a new type of accelerator. This engine is much more powerful than a regular one and allows us to outrun all opposition. Brejik knew of this new development and has stolen a prototype from me. Needless to say, I want it back."

"And you want us to get it for you?" Willow asked.

"To have made it to me, alive," answered Gadon. "Means you are capable people. You four might be amongst the few who are able to pull this off."

"And we're unrelated to the Hidden Beks," Sarryn thought aloud. "Clever… if we're caught it won't cause more problems between you and the Vulkars."

"Yes, there's that as well," Gadon admitted. "But one favor for the other, right? If you bring it to me, I'll sponsor one of you to partake in the swoop race under my flag, using the accelerator prototype. If you win, the woman is yours."

"What's the catch Gadon?" Sarryn demanded. "Why not let one of your best racers use the prototype? Afraid it'll blow up in our faces?"

The boss shrugged. "The engine has never been fully tested, so we aren't completely sure it's safe. It probably won't blow up, but I don't want to risk one of my best pilots if it can be avoided. Listen, you four can either take this chance or find another way to save your girl. Both are completely fine by me."

"We don't really have a choice, Sarryn. This will be the easiest and quickest way for either of us to get our answers from her," said Dawn glancing at Sarryn. She looked back at Gadon. "We'll bring you your accelerator, you let one of us race your bike to win the freedom of… our girl." She held out her hand and he shook it. "So… details."

"To get the accelerator you'll have to infiltrate the Black Vulkar base, it's where their garage is. Trying to enter through the front door is a sure way of getting yourself killed, it's heavily guarded and has a topnotch security system. Lord Revan himself couldn't crack it, if he were still alive. There is another way in though, as it is connected to the Undercity sewers by a maintenance entrance."

"Right, so we'll have to crawl through shit and piss to get in?" Sarryn said.

"Hardly. There's a proper infrastructure inside the massive pipes for the mechanics to do their work. And people like Mission Vao use them to make a living." His eyes darted to his bodyguard for a moment, before turning back to them. "Now that I mention her, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to ask her to help you navigate the place. The sewers are as massive as the Upper City itself; you could spend days finding the proper exit. Time you don't have, seeing how the race is held the day after tomorrow."

"We'll find her and ask her," agreed Dawn.

"So, the Undercity… What about those rakghouls?" said Sarryn.

Gadon shrugged. "Just kill them before they bite you. Then they won't be much of a problem. One more thing, you're going to need security clearance to get into the Undercity. My men can forge a security code for you, but that's going to take time. They can have one tomorrow morning. I'm willing to trade it for your Sith uniforms."

"Don't mock us, Gadon!" Sarryn got to his feet and pointed a warning finger at the man. "You might hold all the cards right now, but that doesn't mean you can take everything from us that you want. Don't mistake us for helpless group of people on a desperate mission. We need those codes to retrieve your engine, you will give us those codes. End of story."

The man quickly held up his hands. "Fine, fine. Consider the code yours, please."

"Good. We will be back tomorrow morning." They moved away from the desk and Sarryn signaled Carth and Willow to follow.

"You're free to use the facilities this base has to offer," Gadon offered before they could leave. "You can take one of the bunks for a good night's rest, so you're fresh once you descend into the Undercity."

"I am sure you want to get some more credits to get us more equipment, Sarryn, but it is late," said Dawn. "And personally, I am tired."

Sarryn gave Dawn a thoughtful stare. "Yes, you're right. It will have to wait till the morning."

Gadon nodded. "Very well. Zaerdra, please show these people to their bunks and warn the crew about our guests. Make it abundantly clear they're not to be disturbed."