Chapter 4: Taris Part 4

Bastila and Revan were locked in their deadly dance. With furious yet graceful patterns the yellow lightsaber kept the Dark Lord on her toes. Neither woman seemed eager to inflict injury on the other, their strikes weren't meant to kill, rather to incapacitate. Or as a measure of strength.

The duel seemed to continue on for hours, without either of them giving even an inch.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Dawn woke and found Sarryn looking at her. "Let me guess you had another?" she asked as Sarryn nodded. "Revan and Bastila fighting?"

"Yes," he said.

"I don't know for what purpose we are seeing these visions," Dawn said. But I think I know why I am seeing them though. I'm connected to you for some reason. You understand the Wookiee language don't you and can even speak it."

"I can."

"I think whatever my destiny is, it has to do with you," said Dawn.

"I think you are right," agreed Sarryn with a sigh. "I think that is also why I have seen your memories. I think whatever this connection is that has connected us is doing it so that we can trust each other so that you can complete what you need to."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

After a quick breakfast with a strong cup of coffee the two had returned to the Lower City cantina, where they had met up with the owner of the local bounty office, Zax the Hutt. He had hooked them up with three contracts, all criminals. He had more contracts, but Dawn, Willow and Sarryn were keen on murdering innocents for a quick buck.

These criminals were all violent and desperate, who were not about to go down without a fight. They holed themselves up in local apartments, the perfect place to protect oneself with relative ease thanks to the single entrance. Despite the unfavorable odds of the location Dawn and Sarryn had come up with a pretty solid strategy. With Dawn's age it was easy for them to coax the criminals into believing they had nothing to be afraid of.

They took out all three with ease. To earn a bit more money they also scavenged empty apartments. Dawn, Willow and Carth weren't really big on stealing, but even they had to admit they needed the cash desperately. They were on a tight schedule, with the big swoop race being tomorrow. Carth and Sarryn still needed to upgrade their remainder of their gear and replenish their supplies in order to survive in the hostile Undercity. Stories about Rakghouls, gangsters and mercenaries had left them all concerned.

In their journey through the Lower City they were constantly kept on their toes by the gang wars. Even this early in the morning small fights popped up everywhere in the streets and more than once did they have to use violence to fend off hostile Vulkars. At least the Beks were neutral now that they had cut a deal with Gadon, which didn't mean they actively helped them with the Vulkars. Most of them were tired of battle and happy the duo formed a diversion.

A rather interesting scene developed on their way back to the cantina. They were passing an intersection when they saw a man in a dark outfit facing off against two Vulkars. "You Vulkars have been slacking off with your payments," the man was saying in a hard tone. "You think because you're in a gang, you can slack off your dues?"

One Vulkar had a sour look on his face. "I don't see Davik risking his neck. We take the risks; we do the work. I'd like to see him come down here and take our money."

The man smiled. "Okay, have it your way." He let out a sharp whistle and from the shadows, a man stepped forward.

He was about six feet tall and broad-shouldered with a hard-muscular physique. His square-jawed faced was marked with several scars and his hair was cut in a quite short military style. He wore light pants with thick boots, a muscle shirt with brown vest and he carried a blaster cannon as large as Dawn's leg.

There was no doubt what the man was. If ever a person could be the definitive picture of a Mandalorian, it was him.

The Vulkars apparently realized it, both becoming quite nervous. "Hey…hey, Canderous," one stammered. "We…we didn't know you were working for Davik now."

"Now you do," the Mandalorian said in a cool tone.

"Um…okay…here's the cut!" one Vulkar quickly said, throwing a whole bag to the other man. "Take it, we don't want any trouble."

"Smart move," the gangster sneered. "Now get out of here!" The two Vulkars quickly raced off as the Mandalorian lowered his gun.

"Too bad," he growled. "I was looking forward to busting some heads."

"Maybe next time," the gangster said. "I've got to get this over to Davik." He walked away as Canderous watched him.

His back was to the group so it was a bit startling when he suddenly spoke up. "It seems like the famous Saber has found his way to the Lower City," he commented as he turned around. "I hope you're not here to stir up trouble for Davik Kang."

"And what if I were, Mandalorian?" Sarryn was not intimidated by the burly merc. "Would a loyal dog such as yourself get rid of me without your master's permission?"

"I won't go through the trouble of collecting your head without knowing how much it would fetch me." He spat on the corpse of a Vulkar that was lying abandoned on the curbs. "It's not like these gangsters give me enough trouble already. They're like pests, harmless on their own, but annoying when they gather in packs."

"Poor Davik," Sarryn mused. "They aren't playing by his rules, are they?"

"Those Vulkars are dumber than a Coruscant granite-slug. They actually think being part of that pathetic little gang makes them important. Gandon's smart enough to keep the Beks in line but Brejik's getting delusions of grandeur. Can't wait for Davik to slap the little punk down. Now that would be a glorious fight."

"Mandalorian, what have your people become?" Sarryn gave him a patronizing smirk. "Taking out petty gangsters and calling it glorious? I mean, seriously? It's a good thing Revan sorted you people out, you honor less fucks deserved nothing better." He stepped forward and grabbed the merc by the shoulder. "The Exchange is not a clan that will bring you honor or glory, Ordo. Certainly not on a pathetic planet such as Taris."

Sarryn nodded toward Dawn, Willow and Carth and they stepped past him to continue on their way. The clanless Mandalorian called after them, probably to save a bit of his pride. "Next time we meet, Saber, I'll know the price of your head. Pray that your gods have mercy on your soul."

They continued walking and completely ignored him. "That was some quick thinking," Carth commended with an approving nod. "Good thing you didn't cower away from him, or things might've looked grim for us."

"Yeah, if he reckoned, I was some weakling only daring to fight in the safety of the ring he probably would've killed me without second thought. Thankfully most of these clanless Mandalorians are pretty insecure about finding a new purpose in their lives."

They reached the cantina without a further confrontation. After collecting the bounties from Zax they scored the address of a local Beks broker, who could supply them with high quality weapons that were officially banned by the Sith. At his hidden shop in yet another apartment block they were able to purchase some proper blasters Carth and Dawn. Sarryn, Dawn and Willow also got themselves combat suits. It didn't restrict their movements, so it would be perfect for fast-paced fighting. The ones for Dawn and Willow also hugged their figures quite nicely. Carth admitted the combat suits looked rather good on them.

After getting resupplied it was time to descent into the Undercity. Gadon had kept his words and provided them with the security code required to pass the guard. He also told them that Mission hadn't returned from the Undercity yet, so they would have to find her down there.

With a confident smile Sarryn approached the Sith soldier that was stationed at the Undercity elevator. He eyed them with suspicion and pointed his gun at them. He was surrounded by six heavy turrets, so he didn't have much to fear. "State your business," he growled in his mechanical voice.

"Relax, we're on the same team here," Sarryn answered with a laidback attitude. "We're just another patrol. Got the security codes and everything." He handed him the forms, which the soldier checked.

"Seems to be in order." He couldn't keep a bit of surprise out of his voice and he studied the duo for a moment. "Why aren't you wearing your uniforms?"

"And ruin a good suit in that filthy muck?" Dawn sounded almost offended. "No thank you."

The guard seemed to buy that explanation. "Heh, smart move. The guys that come back up here always look like they've been crawling through a bantha farm." He entered a few commands on the console and the elevator doors behind him opened. "Good patrol, fellas."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

The smell that assailed them as they exited the elevator was even worse than above. Also worse was the lighting. The Undercity seemed to be covered in darkness from above, the only lights dim and coming from the fires that raged around the small encampment just outside the elevators. There were tents constructed of everything from trash to starship parts and some artificial lamps had been put together as well. Surprisingly, there was a lack of actual trash on the ground, which put it a level above the Lower City. However, the group suspected the reason for that was that the people here couldn't spare anything to throw away.

The first thing they saw once their eyes adjusted were a pair of men in dirty and tattered rags glaring at them. "You there, up-worlder!" one cried out. "This is our elevator! You want to use it; you pay the toll! Five credits!"

Carth threw up his hands. "I don't believe this planet! Even the beggars are trying to shake us down!"

"Who are you?" Willow said, trying to keep her disdain hidden.

"We are the Outcasts," the other man said. "Banished here by those who live above. Forced to scrounge for scraps and beg for what we can in order to survive in this terrible place."

"You two good guys have set up a fine business here," Sarryn mused. "Maybe we'll pay your toll… for the right information."

"Err… alright." They seemed relieved that they weren't being beaten and eager by the prospect of credits. "So, what do ya want to know?"

"We're looking for a Twi'lek girl called Mission Vao. According to our information she's down here somewhere. Any idea where we might find her?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, her… Yeah, she was down here, together with that violent monkey of hers." He pointed at a sturdy fence in the distance. "Went to the sewers as usual. There are entrances outside our village, beyond the gate. She hasn't returned yet, so I guess she's still there. Wouldn't fancy going after her, with all of them rakghouls."

"What can you tell us about these rakghouls?" Willow asked.

The guy shivered. "They infect us humans, who slowly transform into them. They're like walking corpses, but worse. Best keep far away from them."

"Thanks for the warning and the information. Here's your credits." Sarryn gave them both twenty credits, which they greedily took. "Don't spend them all in one go," he joked.

"Hey, you two! Get out of here, don't bother those people!" A tall black man with a dark beard came up to the group.

Despite the rags, he carried himself with a dignified manner and was obviously a man of authority. The two beggars scampered off, muttering to each other about their newfound fortune. The man sighed and shook his head to the group. "I apologize. We're not all like that down here. Most of us are good people."

"I'm sure you are," Carth diplomatically said. "Too bad your welcoming committee has to give people the wrong impression."

The man nodded. "Yes, they do give us a bad name. I apologize. I'm Gendar, the leader of the Undercity residents, as my father was before me and his father as well."

"Your family has been down here that long?" Dawn asked in surprise.

Gendar's face became drawn. "Taris' laws are clear. Once exiled, you cannot return and that shame is passed down to your children. I do wish it was different. I can understand why Rukil still clings to his stories."

"Rukil?"

"The oldest man in the village, over a century but still spry. The children call him Rukil Wrinkle-Skin but he's a good man. I do think it's a bit much for him to keep going on about the Promised Land. But it's a story that makes the children happy so I suppose there's no harm."

Before Dawn or Willow could ask about the 'Promised Land,' Carth cut in. "We're looking for some escape pods that might have crashed down here."

Gendar made a knowing smile. "I thought as much. You're not the first up-worlders to come down here in search of those pods. Gang members, men in armor…we rarely get people from above down here in these dark and sunless lands."

"I can't imagine why," Sarryn muttered under his breath, earning him an elbow in the side from both Dawn and Willow.

"We're also looking for a Twi'lek, Mission Vao," Carth continued.

"Ah, yes," Gendar nodded. "She passed by here not long ago with her friend, that Wookiee. Brave girl, she goes where few of us dare into rakghoul territory."

"These rakghouls," Dawn began. "How bad are they?"

Gendar's face darkened. "A blight. A bite from them unleashes their venom and it's only a matter of time before the victims mutate into rakghouls themselves. The hardest part of being leader…is being forced to send people out through the gates before they can transform." He sobered as he looked to them. "If you go out, be prepared. I wish you all luck." He nodded to them before walking away.

The group walked through the camp, noting how the people had done their best to gather around heating vents and water pipes, everything they could to improve themselves. They were walking by one tent when a rasped voice croaked out. "You."

They stopped and turned to see an elderly man rising to his feet. His face was deeply marked with wrinkles, his body hunched with age but his eyes still twinkled with fierce fire as they focused on Sarryn. "Yes…you are the one I have waited for. Is it the time of destiny then? Or…or another false hope? Is it a portent of salvation of my people? Or merely another false sign to mislead us from the true path? Are you the herald of prophecy? The beacon to guide us through the darkness? Or are you merely another harbinger of shattered dreams and unfulfilled promises?"

"What do you see when you look at me?" Dawn asked with a glance at Willow, as if to say if he sees a green glow, then we know he's just a crazy old man.

"I do see it, young lady, but I am not as crazy as one might think," he answered.

"Who are you?" Willow asked, although she already suspected.

"I am Rukil. Rukil the Elder. Rukil the Mad. Rukil Wrinkle-Skin. What fate brought you to us?"

"Fate?" Sarryn questioned.

The old man frowned. "You seem uncertain…perplexed…and so much has been hidden from you. Ah, but I become confused myself sometimes, after a hundred years of life. Nonetheless…I believe you are the ones I have waited for."

"Maybe you have us confused with someone else," Sarryn said, obviously baffled by the old man's behavior.

"I do not believe so, young Sarryn," Rukil said. "No…no, I recognize the mantle of destiny before you and your lady friend. Perhaps I know you better than you know yourself." He gazed at Sarryn with that.

"Um, listen, buddy," Dawn stated carefully. "No offense but maybe we should just go and…"

"You are to find the Promised Land."

"The what?"

Rukil leaned against his tent. "Long ago, when I was a child, the great city of Taris covered the entire globe. There is no land to grow crops. We relied on harvests from the sea but the oceans became poisoned. Famine and civil war swept the planet as the rich hoarded the food and let the poor starve. In the Great War, the poor finally rose up to fight for their rights. Entire sections of the city were wiped out and had to be rebuilt and millions perished. In the end, the Rebellion was crushed and the jails overflowed with prisoners. So, the rulers of above decided that the survivors and their families were to be exiled below. And thus, the Undercity was born."

"Then what's this Promised Land?" Willow asked.

"A base the Rebels had…hidden somewhere underground…a self-sufficient colony where robot servants could attend to our needs, where we could grow our own food and live in much better comfort than now."

Carth was dubious. "Sounds to me like a con, a story made up to give false hope to the people down here to keep from going mad."

"Or," Vance inserted. "To stop them from rising up against the Uppers again."

Rukil shook his head. "My father and his father before him, spent many years gathering clues indicating the Undercity was no myth. I followed their teachings as best I could, even after both had vanished. I believe they have journals with them, journals that contain the clues needed to find the Undercity. Up-worlders, I ask you; I beg you. Please find the journals. Bring them here so we may escape this horrific life!"

Dawn pursed her lips. "We can't promise anything."

Rukil smiled. "You will do your best, Dawn. You do after all take after your sister." He backed into his tent. "I bid you farewell for now." He sat and turned away as the group exchanged baffled expressions.

"Okay, that was weird," Sarryn remarked. "So, what, we're supposed to go on some crazy treasure hunt for a mythical land?"

Willow rubbed her chin. "I don't know…I think that guy may be onto something."

Carth snorted. "Please, he's just a crazy old man. What makes you think he could know anything?"

Willow glanced at him. "You recall introducing ourselves?"

Carth frowned. "No."

"Then how come he knew Sarryn and my names?" Dawn asked as she realized what Willow had. "Or that I have a sister?"

Carth couldn't up with an answer to that. As they made their way toward the gates, they spotted a girl who was watching them with shy interest from a distance. As they approached her, they noticed the girl was very likely not much older than Dawn herself was.

"Hello there," Dawn greeted kindly. "What's your name?"

"It… it's Shaleena, miss." Judging by her growing eyes she thought she was in serious trouble.

"Hello, Shaleena, don't be scared," Dawn quickly soothed. "We're not going to hurt you. We just wanted to talk. My name is Dawn and my friends are Willow, Sarryn and Carth."

Her initial fear seemed to disappear a bit, but she visibly felt apprehensive of the newcomers. "Hello."

"Say, Shaleena, do you know anything about those escape pods that have crashed down here?" Sarryn asked.

"Not much, sir. Those gangsters cleaned them out. After that many more people came. Soldiers in shining armor, more gangsters from another gang, mercenaries. We got nothing though. We never get anything." Her pretty face turned incredibly sad.

"Hey, don't look so sad," Willow smiled. "It's not so bad down here, is it?" She knew she was lying that just by looking around she could see it was indeed bad.

"I… think it's pretty okay. I've never been on the surface, so I wouldn't know. Is it really pretty up there? What does the sky look like?" Some of her shyness made way for her curiosity.

"Well, the girls up there certainly aren't as pretty as you are," Sarryn said kindly, which caused a shy smile on the girl's face. "As for the sky… it's a strange and marvelous thing. At daytime it's a massive, blue… thing. Filled with nothing except clouds and birds."

"What's clouds?" Shaleena's eyes had turn wide again, but this time from curiosity.

"Err… how to explain? Has it ever been so cold down here that your breath leaves your mouth as a white gas?" Sarryn said as the girl nodded eagerly to show that it had. "Clouds look just like that, except much bigger. They lazily float through the sky.

"Wow! That's amazing!"

"It is," Sarryn told her enthusiastically. "Yet at nighttime it becomes even better. The entire blue sky turns pitch-black, but it's dotted with billions of pretty little lights."

"Where do the lights come from?"

"From stars, millions of miles away," said Willow. "Each star has its own planets, just like Taris, all with interesting people on them."

"I… can hardly believe you."

"One day, you will see it for yourself." Dawn said as the girl's smile turned hopeful. "You'll be swept right off your feet from its beauty, I'm sure of it."

"And all those planets… are you going to travel to them?" the girl asked.

"Maybe later," Dawn answered grimly. "Currently we're trying to rescue a friend of ours. She's captured by one of the swoop gangs you see."

Shaleena's mouth fell open and she admired them like they were some heroes. "Wow. She must be very special to you, if you're coming to the Undercity and fight nasty gangsters to rescue her."

"Yeah, she is special," Sarryn quietly agreed. "I'm not sure why… Dawn and I don't even know her very well… but she's… we are… I have the feeling she'll play a very important role in mine and Dawn's lives."

Shaleena grabbed one of Sarryn's hands and one of Dawn's and gave them a tiny smile. "I'm sure you'll find her, Lord Sarryn. Lady Dawn. Because you're both kind!"

Sarryn and Dawn returned the warm smile and Sarryn affectionately ruffled a hand through the girl's hair. "That's nice of you to say, Shaleena. Your very kind too," he said as the girl's face finally broke into a big, beaming smile. "Don't give up hope. One day you'll get out of here and see the sky for yourself. Maybe you'll even travel to far away planets."

"I believe you," the girl beamed. "Thank you, Sarryn. Thank you, Dawn. And good luck with finding your friend." Dawn and Sarryn gave her another smile, then first one and then other pulled her in a hug.

Dawn muttered a few more reassuring words, before pulling away. Shaleena looked genuinely happy, a far cry from the shy girl from a few minutes earlier. After saying goodbye, she ran off to the village, leaving Sarryn, Willow, Dawn and Carth behind.

As they came up to the gate, they saw a pretty young woman pleading hysterically to the man standing by the gate. "You have to open it!"

"It's too early!" the man snapped.

"He'll make it! I know he will!" The woman leaned on the gate, calling out. "Run, Hendar, run!"

On the other side of the gate, a man was running hard, lugging a small bag with him. Behind him was a creature that reminded Dawn and Willow of some of the lower-rung demons that Buffy had fought. It was on all fours, running hard, its gray skin seeming to glow slightly. It was the size of two men, its head large and mouth rimmed with sharp teeth, the claws on its hands glistening as well.

"Is that?" Dawn said glancing at Sarryn.

"I think it is," said Sarryn knowing Dawn was asking if the creature was a rakghoul.

"Open the gate!" the man yelled as he came up.

"Open it!" the woman echoed.

The guard hesitated and shook his head. "It's too close!"

The woman grabbed his shirt and shook him. "If you don't open it, it'll kill him!"

"And if it gets in here, Hester, it'll kill us all!"

"No! You can't let this happen!" the woman cried, tears in her eyes.

Sarryn quickly calculated their chances. "I'm going to get that gate open. Get ready," he said looking at Dawn, Willow and Carth. He rushed to the gatekeeper and pushed him away, taking over the controls. It took some force to pull the lever, but when he did the gate opened. Dawn and Carth wasted no time to step through and open fire at the creature. Sarryn and Willow followed them through.

"Kali, Hera, Kronos, Thonic," Willow chanted. "Air like nectar, thick as onyx. Cassiel, by your second star, Hold mine victim as in tar."

The rakghoul suddenly stopped moving, held fast by Willow's spell. Willow turned and hurried the man inside.

It took no less than three shots to the head before it finally went down. Even then it continued twitching and clawing in its last dying breath, before the spasms ended and it finally died.

The Outcasts stared in amazement at the sight. "You'd risk your life for a stranger's?" the guard asked. "I did not think there were up-worlders who felt as you do."

"Thank you," Hendar breathed. "If I had anything but the rags on my back, I'd reward you."

"You'll always have me, dear husband," Hester said as she embraced him. The two headed back into the village as

Carth and Faith joined with Buffy and Vance.

"Ah, always good to have a happy turn-out," Buffy remarked as she put her saber away.

The guard nodded to them. "You'd best have your weapons out if you're going in. There are more of these monsters out there…and some of them don't give you as much warning." He backed up and slid the gates shut with an ominous clanking sound.

The true horrors of the Undercity were clear as the four walked along. There was little trash as most things had been stripped away but it was clear that there were none of the signs of maintaining the environment as there had been with the Outcast village.

After about fifteen minutes of walking through the urban jungle, they met with a large band of mercenaries. The group was led by none other than Canderous Ordo, the clanless Mandalorian. He seemed surprised to find them here, a bit impressed even. "You seem to be a very busy man, Saber," he greeted gruffly.

"Probably because I am, Ordo," Sarryn returned just as grumpily.

One of the mercenaries gave them an openly hostile look. "Competition for the pods? We should wipe them out, Canderous."

"Half our squad got murdered by those rakghouls already," the Mandalorian said grimly. "I'm not wasting more men in a senseless fight."

"Don't want to share the glory of killing me with these mercs, Mandalorian?" Sarryn grinned. "Want to keep the rewards all for yourself?"

"Way I see it; you four are going to stir up trouble. A change of pace is always nice, certainly if I can benefit from it."

The Mandalorian was interrupted by another blood chilling shriek. When they wheeled around they saw no less than seven rakghouls charging them at great speed. Loud cracks pierced the silence as dozens of blasters were fired wildly at the horrible creatures. Many of the beasts were killed before they could even reach the group, but one of them survived and threw himself on the Mandalorian. He lost his rifle because of the impact and fell flat on his back with the rakghoul on top of him. His eyes grew wide as he saw a wicked claw being pulled back, ready to strike.

Just as the creature was going to deal the finishing blow, Willow had severed its head with her vibrosword. The headless creature fell limply on top of Ordo, who quickly pushed the stinking body off him. His face had turned a few shades darker when it dawned to him, he had just looked death in the eyes. He got to his feet and studied the seven dead rakghouls with disgust. None of his teammates were dead, neither were the four newcomers.

Sarryn approached him with a cocky grin. "Willow saved your life," she boasted. "There doesn't happen to be some Mandalorian rule that makes it hers, is there?"

"I'm going to have to disappoint you and her there," he answered curtly. His stance and entire appearance were full of confidence again, nothing betrayed he had just been inches away from death. "But you all are worthy warriors," he then looked at Willow, "and I'm grateful that you saved my life, ma'am," he looked back at Sarryn, "so I'm going to give you all a friendly word of advice: turn back. The pods have all been scavenged and are completely empty. There's nothing out there worth risking your lives for."

"It seems to me you're genuinely scared, Ordo. I didn't know Mandalorians were able to feel fear," said Sarryn.

"I just want to live to see another day, just like you. Foolishly throwing your life away in an honorless fight with low odds of survival brings no glory. Walking away from that is not cowardice." He turned to his squad, who all seemed uneasy in this hostile environment. "We're moving back up, guys. We'll just have to disappoint Davik this time." They marched off without another glance at the four newcomers.

When they were alone again, Carth heaved a deep sigh. "Nice bit of trouble Gadon has brought us in. Just point and shoot, huh? Those rakghouls don't go down half that easy."

"No, they don't," agreed Dawn. "It took us combined to take that one down. If any of us had been alone I doubt we could have done it."

"I'm planning to have a few good words with him," Sarryn spat. "Sending us into this dump without any backup… I'm starting to wonder if he just wanted to get rid of us."

"I wish there was another way… But we won't be able to find Bastila in this massive city, not without the help of another Jedi anyway," said Carth.

Sarryn groaned. "I wish I were a Jedi sometimes. Would've made this so much easier."

Dawn smacked Sarryn amiably on the arm. "Let's not lose hope here, Sarryn. We've come this far, I'm sure we'll get Bastila out just fine."

"Of course, we'll get her out," Sarryn said. "Let's go find that Twi'lek."

They had only gone only a little way when they heard a voice calling out to them. "Help! You have to help!" From the darkness, a small but familiar form came running toward them. "Nobody else is going to help him! Even the Beks won't help him! But I can't just leave him there, he's my friend! You have to help him!"

"Whoa, whoa, Mission, hold up!" Dawn yelled, holding up her hands to slow the Twi'lek down, literally. "What's going on?"

Mission took a deep breath. "It's Zaalbar, Dawn…they took him! We were exploring, poking around, looking for adventure like usual. But then these ugly Gammoreans went after us! Big Z tore at them, told me to run. I…I thought he was right behind me but…there were too many of them! They're going to sell him to a slaver, I know it! You have to help us."

"We'll help," Willow said.

"Hold on," Sarryn broke in. "What about a way into the Vulkar base?"

"I'll do whatever you ask, just help me get Big Z back!" Mission cried out.

"Tell us exactly what happened," said Dawn. "Who took Zaalbar and where are they keeping him?"

"We were exploring the sewers when we were ambushed by a group of Gamorreans. I managed to escape, but Zaalbar was captured. Please, Dawn, you need to help me!"

"Listen Mission, this might seem selfish, but our mission demands it from me," Sarryn interjected. "We need your help getting into the Black Vulkar base. Gadon told us you knew the way into it through the sewers. If we help you rescue your friend, will you help us get into the base?"

"Of course, I'll help you," the Twi'lek quickly promised, her eyes on Dawn. "I'll be your loyal dog, Dawn, forever if you rescue him."

Dawn squeezed the Twi'lek's shoulders lightly. "We'll save him," she said. She glared at Sarryn. "While we do need her help that is not why we will do it." She turned her attention back to Mission. "Besides I'm not looking for a slave."

Mission grinned. "Oh, thank you so much!" She gave Dawn a quick hug and backed up. "They brought him into the sewers. I guess the smell reminds them of home. That's also where I can show you a way into the Vulkar base."

"Lead the way."

Mission hurried toward the sewer entrance without waiting for them. This recklessness shocked and worried Dawn, at this rate the girl was going to get herself killed. She quickly chased after the blue alien, hoping to stop her before she got into trouble.

They spent a few minutes wandering the Undercity, Willow pausing to examine a dead body. "Hmmm…interesting," she muttered as she lifted up a datapad. "This mentions something about the Promised Land."

"You're kidding," Carth said. "That thing's for real?"

"It looks like," Willow confirmed. "Hmm…looks like this only has pieces of it however. It's like a map but it's incomplete without some other parts."

"We'll keep an eye out," Dawn said. "How far to the sewers?"

"This way," Mission said as she led them over. As they walked, she glanced to Carth. "So, you're with the Republic, huh? You've been all over the galaxy I bet, right? So, tell me, how would you rate Taris compared to other worlds you've seen?"

Carth hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'll be honest Mission, Taris would rate pretty low. The prejudice, the rich spoiling themselves while the poor are crushed beneath them – not a pretty picture."

"Yeah, but that's only since the Sith occupation." Mission claimed. "Before that…" She paused and wrinkled her brow. "Well, I guess it wasn't all that different, really. Hmm… maybe Taris isn't as great as I thought, you know?"

"Trust me, Mission," Carth stated. "There are a lot of worlds better than Taris. There are worse, too. But Taris is no place for a kid to live on her own – even a kid who´s got a Wookiee to look out for her."

It was obvious to everyone else that he hit a nerve with that one. "Hey, I'm not a kid!" Mission snapped.

"Remind you of someone?" Dawn asked looking at Willow who nodded.

"And I look out for Zaalbar as much as he looks out for me. Big Z´s my friend, not my babysitter!" Mission continued. "Geez, I come ask you a question and I give you a lecture!"

"Don´t you snap at me, missy!" Carth snapped right back. "You want a lecture? How's this: only bratty little…"

"Shut up, Carth," Dawn snapped as she spun on him. "I know how it feels to be treated like a kid, to be a called a brat and to be treated like your breakable. And I hated it."

It was then that a rakghoul charged out of the shadows and tackled Carth. He yelled in pain as the creature bit down, tearing through his armor and into flesh. Dawn moved at blinding speed, her rage pushing her on as she kicked the creature off Carth. Willow moved to his side to check his wound as Dawn pulled out her sword and jammed it into the creature's head. Despite having several inches of metal piercing its single eye, the ghoul still managed to thrash about for several moments before Sarryn sliced his blade across its neck.

Willow held her hands over Carth's wound as she muttered something under her breath. "Ah, damn…not good…not good…"

"It's in me, right?" Carth rasped. "The venom…Oh, damn…I'm gonna become…one of those things…Dammit…you should kill me first…before I change…you should…"

"We're not doing that," Sarryn said as he wiped off his sword. "There's got to be something we can do!"

"Um, actually," Mission said as she rummaged through her pockets. "I think this may help." She held up a set of vials that were filled with green liquid.

Dawn peered. "Are those what I think they are?"

"Rakghoul serum," Mission said. "I got it off the body of a Sith who got canceled a bit back. I was going to bring it over to the village when Z and I got jumped."

Dawn took the vials and examined them, then handed them to Willow. "Okay, Will, get Carth up top to that medical facility. Forn will be able to figure out how to use these."

"You got it," Willow said as she helped Carth up. "Come on, Carth."

Carth winced as he rubbed his shoulder. "Are you sure…this will work?"

"One way to find out," Dawn said as she nodded to Willow. "Me and Sarryn will help Mission and get this accelerator back."

"Good luck, Dawn," Willow stated as she helped Carth away.

Dawn turned toward Mission. "I know how you feel, okay. I understand I do. I've literally been in Zaalbar's place. Kidnapped, held hostage, for my sister as bait. My kidnappers hoping that Buffy would be too intent on rescuing me to be able to defend herself well. The very last time Buffy was prepared to die, so I wouldn't have to. But you need to be careful. It's like you and I were what attracted the rakghoul. Our raised voices. So, you need to be careful."

Mission sagged limply in Dawn's arms, pushing her head into Dawn's shoulder as she started weeping. Dawn looked at Sarryn and shook her head, silently tell him to let the girl cry.

As Sarryn watched the two another vision flooded his mind.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"I don't care!" said Buffy as the tears began to fall down her face. "Dawn, I won't lose you-"

Dawn smiled and wiped the tears from her sister's face, "You won't. I promise I will come back," she said as she pulled her sister in close so she could whisper in Buffy's ear. "I love you. I'll always love you. But this is not work you have to do. I do not know how, but I know that I have a destiny on the other side of that portal. You taught me not to forsake my destiny. Tell our friends, that I love them. And that I will see them soon."

Buffy looked over Dawn's shoulder as her sister whispered in her ear. Somehow deep down inside herself she knew Dawn was right. That Dawn had something to do and that Dawn was too much like her. She looked her sister in the eyes. "Promise me that you will be brave. That you will live, for me?"

Dawn smiled. "I promise and I will see you again," she said as she kissed her sister's cheek. She turned and ran; she dove from the top of the tower into the portal below. She was falling, falling through the air. Then she hit the portal and in a flash of light she was gone.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Sarryn looked at Dawn and smiled. "She loves you," he said looking at Dawn.

"Very much so," said Dawn as she looked at Sarryn and realized he had another vision of her life.

Sarryn leaned over and whispered into Dawn's ear. "Rub her between the lekku."

Dawn looked at Sarryn and then at Mission. She did as instructed and began rubbing in between the girl's lekku. "We'll get Zaalbar, I promise. But to do that I need you to follow my orders, otherwise I won't be able to protect you."

The Twi'lek's sobs stopped and she anxiously looked into Dawn's green eyes. "Promise we'll save him?" her words were frail and uncertain.

Dawn smiled. "Promise."

The tiniest of smiles curled around the edges of Mission's lips and she nodded once. "Alright, I'll do as you say. But can we please hurry up?"

"That's the plan," said Dawn. "But with caution. We don't know what else is down here."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Forn looked up as he saw Willow and Carth enter the shop. "Hello again. What can I…" He broke off as he saw Carth favoring his back and moved to help him sit on a table. He looked at the wound and paled. "Damn…rakghoul bite." He shook his head and backed up. "I'm sorry…there's nothing I can do. In fact, you'd better get him back down to the Undercity. If he transforms up here…"

"I've got something that can help," Willow said as she lifted up the vials.

Forn's eyes widened as he took them. "This…this can't be…the rakghoul serum! How did-" He shook his head. "No, no I don't want to know. I think…yes, I can have an antidote for this created soon!"

"How soon?" Willow asked. "I mean, I gave him a shot before we came up but I don't know how well it'll work."

"Don't worry," Forn smiled. "I've been studying it long enough that I only need less than an hour to get it together. In fact, I could create enough for almost everyone in the Undercity!"

"Get on it then," Willow said and Forn quickly moved to his lab. She turned to face Carth, smiling. "There you go. You'll be right as rain in no time."

Carth just nodded and Willow's smile faded. "What's wrong?"

"I would rather not," Carth answered.

Willow nodded and turned away. "If that's what you want…"

"No, damn it! Don't...don't go, Willow." Carth sighed heavily. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Willow said turning back toward him. "Really. I know someone back home. She's kind of like you in a way. Stubborn, headstrong. She's kind of a sworn enemy of a friend of mine. But in the last year she's decided to try and turn her life around."

Carth looked out the window into something only he could see. "I'm sorry," he said again, looking back at her. "It's hard for me to trust people. I think of all the people I've put trust into and how many of them ended up betraying me…"

"Again, I know how that goes," Willow admitted. "The girl I know. Her name's Faith and she's like that. But in time she did put her trust in someone and I think it's helping her."

Carth nodded. "Five years ago, Revan and Malak were heroes. The Mandalorians were on the run...I was proud to serve in their fleet."

"And they became Sith."

"It was completely unexpected when they turned on us, invading while we were still weak from those pirates. No one knew what to think, least of all me. They were our heroes - in every sense. If you can't trust the best of the Jedi - well, who can you?" He huffed. "But that's not the hard part. You want hard? I never knew Revan or Malak, not personally. But there were others: good, solid men who joined their cause and betrayed the Republic."

His voice became bitter, and he was struggling not to yell. "Malak, Revan, the Sith...they deserve to die...all of them. The traitors deserve worse. They deserve no mercy - none."

"Everyone deserves mercy," Willow countered. "I used to think like you do, when it came to Faith. I hated her for a long time. She turned bad, just like Revan and Malak. But even she came around, saw what she was doing was self-destructive. She's actually in jail now for crimes she made when she went bad. She's from what I've been told seeking redemption, trying to atone for her past mistakes."

Carth looked at Willow for a long moment and he saw there a kindred spirit. He then told her everything from Saul Kerath to his wife dying in his arms and his son going missing. He explained why he hated Revan and Malak with a passion. Why he didn't trust many people.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Sarryn took point in the dimly lit corridors. The last thing they needed right now was stepping on a mine. Dawn along with Mission came just behind him. They moved through the sewers swiftly but quietly. After rounding a couple of corners without meeting any resistance, they found a broken defense droid. The Twi'lek figured it had been used to protect the mechanics that worked down here.

Sarryn and Mission examined the droid and figured they could quickly get it functional again. Sarryn started fixing broken parts, while Mission reprogrammed the software so it would target rakghouls and anything else down here, but certainly not Wookiees. Willow, Dawn and Carth watch while they worked, but no hostiles were in the vicinity to interrupt them. Between the two of them the droid was fully operational in no time.

Once they activated the droid it drew its blaster rifle and started scanning the area for hostiles. After a couple of seconds, it had found its prey and stumbled clumsily into a corridor. When it found its first target it turned out to be highly effective. A lone rakghoul didn't know what hit it as a barrage of blasterfire scattered its head.

The droid stumbled on and engaged new enemies, Gamorreans. As they chased after the droid, they heard a loud thump, followed by the sounds of buckling metal. The blasterfire ceased, indicating that the droid had been smashed into pieces.

Sarryn gestured the others to stay behind, while he slipped on his stealth field to investigate the area. He slowly sneaked towards the open door where the droid had gone through. As he peeked around the corner, he saw that the droid had managed to kill two out of five Gamorreans before it had been smacked on the head by a large hammer. It had been reduced to a miserable heap of steel and tubing on the floor. The three remaining Gamorreans were standing around the droid and studying it dumbly. Sarryn returned to his companions and indicated them to follow.

They took cover at both sides at the door and Sarryn tossed a flash bang grenade inside. When it went off Sarryn, Dawn, Mission and Carth opened fire on the Gamorreans. The blinded creatures stood no chance and were quickly disposed of.

Once they were dead, they heard low growls coming from an adjacent room. Mission immediately recognized the sound. "Big Z!" she screamed as she ran to the door from which the noise came. It was locked, so she tried to pick it. But her hands were shaking too much from all emotions and with a frustrated growl she had to give up.

Sarryn squeezed her shoulder in a reassuring way. "Don't worry, Mission, I'll pick the lock." The Twi'lek stepped aside so Sarryn could have a go. After a bit of fumbling the lock was released and the door opened. It led to a rectangular room, similar to the one they were standing in. In the far corner sat the big Wookiee. "Big Z!" Mission screamed again and she hurried over him. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Are you wounded?"

"Mission, am I glad to see you," Zaalbar barked as he got to his feet. "Don't worry about me, I'm not hurt. They were too afraid to do something to me. But what about you, are you wounded? And how did you get rid of the Gamorreans?"

"I'm not wounded, thanks to Dawn." Mission pointed to the entrance, where Dawn and Sarryn were standing. "I found her just outside the sewers. She and her friends helped me get to you and dispose of those pigs. She even saved my life from a rakghoul."

The massive Wookiee walked over to Sarryn. "It's the arena champion again. You have saved my life, Mister Baill. But more importantly, you have saved the life of Mission, the most important person to me. I'm deeply in…"

Sarryn quickly shot a look at Zaalbar. "A moment before you do that, Zaalbar. If you don't mind?" He motioned for Zaalbar to follow him away from the others. He then whispered to the Wookiee, "If you intend to pledge a life-debt. I would suggest you pledge it to Dawn. She and her friend, Willow, are not from our galaxy. Neither of them knows anything about our galaxy. Willow is an adult and has powers not unlike the Jedi, so I don't worry about her as much. But Dawn, she's just a teenager not much older than Mission…"

Zaalbar looked toward Dawn. "Because you are asking, I will swear to her instead."

Sarryn smiled as they walked back over to the others.

"You have risked your life to save mine, Miss Dawn," Zaalbar said. "I did not think there were humans capable of this. There is only one way I can repay this favor. I swear a life debt to you."

"A life debt?" said Mission shocked at what Zaalbar had just done. He had sworn a life debt to Dawn. "Are you sure about that, Big Z? Think about it carefully. You better be sure about this."

"Of course, I am sure, Mission," Zaalbar answered.

Mission looked over at Dawn. "Big Z swearing a Wookiee life debt to you. Wow! This is major. Do you realize what this means?"

"I'm afraid, I don't, Mission," said Dawn. "What is this life debt?"

"Put it simply," said Sarryn. "Since Zaalbar considers that you saved his life. He now feels obligated to pledge his life to protecting and looking after you, even to the point of sacrificing his own life, for you, Dawn. He will be beside you for the rest of his or your life."

"That's what you pulled him aside for," said Dawn in realization. "He was going to do that with you, but you talked him into doing that with me instead."

"He explained that you are not from our galaxy," said Zaalbar. "That you are unfamiliar with things we on the other hand would find common place. It was only natural I swear the life debt to you instead of him."

Dawn sighed. "Then sadly you may have a difficult choice to make. I will explain later all about it when Willow and I tell you our story."

"Now," said Mission as she moved to her best friend. "I promised to help Dawn sneak into the Black Vulkar base in exchange for her help saving you."

"But why would you need to get in there?" Zaalbar asked in surprise. "There's nothing good in such a place."