In Disguises No One Knows
------
“One.”
“Who is that?” whispered Carth in Eilis’ ear as they stood in the entrance of Javyar’s cantina. They had stumbled across an alien being harassed about stolen Sith uniforms in the other apartment building near them in the Uppercity earlier and had rescued him. In turn he’d given them one uniform, which Carth had been forced to put on as it was far too big for Eilis. They’d then managed to get down into the Lowercity, only to end up caught in the swoop gang war going on.
Now they’d come into the cantina to take a break and instead had run into two Rodian’s and a Twi’lek, that seemed to be Vulkars by their uniforms, harassing a short, stocky man wearing a rather fruity coat and goggles. At the sight, Eilis had come to a complete halt and Carth had ended up stumbling into her back.
“That’s…”
“Two.”
“…Calo Nord,” hissed Eilis over her shoulder, absently grabbing AT out of the air and tucking him under her arm. He beeped in offense then settled down when he too seemed to recognize the man being harassed. “He’s one of the top bounty hunters in the galaxy.”
“Three.”
In a movement that was almost too quick to follow, the bounty hunter pulled his blasters and shot the three Black Vulkars in quick succession. His blasters were reholstered by the time their bodies hit the floor and he placed a credit on the bar before heading for the entrance.
When he saw Eilis and Carth standing in his way, he frowned and said, “One.”
Eilis held up her free hand and stepped out of the way. Carth quickly followed her example and Calo smiled smugly at them, nodding his head.
“Smart,” he commented then disappeared out into the Lowercity.
“I’m not surprised to find people like that wandering around Taris,” said Carth quietly as they went searching for a table to sit at.
Eilis frowned and said, “There’s people like that all over the galaxy, Carth. You just have to know where to find them.” She then scowled and released AT, who beeped happily at being able to move freely again, before storming over to where two Rodian’s were harassing a young Twi’lek girl.
“Hey!” she hissed, tapping one on the shoulder quickly. He turned and Eilis let loose a punch with her right hand, all her anger at bullies behind it. Carth heard bones break and knew that the Rodian’s face would never likely be the same again.
The other Rodian turned with a blaster in hand but the Twi’lek girl knocked it out of his hand then kicked him in the area where most males are vulnerable. He let out a pained squeak but still lunged at her, trying to grab her arm. Of course, because of this, he never saw Eilis’ foot flying towards his face.
“Are you trying to get us arrested?” demanded Carth as the woman glared at the two unconscious Rodian’s.
Eilis turned to glare at him then frowned and said, “Oh, Force, I’m sorry, Carth. I just…I don’t like bullies and I can’t stand to do nothing when someone is being bullied.”
The Republic pilot sighed and ran a hand back through his hair, staring down at her for a moment. Then he shook his head and said, “I know how you feel. But we’ve got to keep a low profile.”
“I’ll try.”
She then turned to the young Twi’lek (never noticing AT shocking a waking Rodian back into unconsciousness) and said, “Sorry, I broke in like that. I know you could probably have handled them but I just dislike bullies. A lot.”
The frown the Twi’lek had on her face vanished in an instant and she exclaimed, “Glad I’m not the only one! I’m Mission Vao, by the way. And you didn’t have to worry. I have Big Z to protect me.”
“ ‘Big Z?’ ” repeated Carth, looking confused.
Mission nodded and pointed over to a booth where a large, furry Wookiee was eating what would have fed her, Eilis, and Carth for two days.
“You have a Wookiee for protection?” he gasped in shock. He looked at Mission with admiration in his eyes and said, “That’s rather impressive.”
“We take care of each other, Big Z and me. C’mon…um, what are your names?”
“I’m Eilis and this is Carth,” explained Eilis. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mission.”
“You too,” chirped the Twi’lek, leading them towards the Wookiee’s booth. She then waved at him and cried, “Hey, Big Z! Look! I found new friends!”
Eilis chuckled as the big Wookiee growled a greeting and smiled up at Carth, who blinked at her.
“What?”
“I like her,” replied the woman before sliding into the booth beside an excited Mission.
Carth blinked again then shook his head in amusement before pulling up a chair and taking a seat.
------
“We’ve got to do what to get the accelerator?!”
“Travel to the Undercity and break into the Vulkar base,” replied Gadon Thek calmly to Carth’s outburst.
“Wait…isn’t that where the rakghoul’s are?” asked Eilis, remembering the conversation they’d had a few days ago with the healer Zelka in the Uppercity. She had promised the man she’d find him a sample of the serum the inhabitants of the planet need but he’d told her to forget about it. But she would make good on her promise.
“Indeed it is,” said the Twi’lek Zaedra that seemed very protective of Gadon.
Eilis frowned then asked, “And the entrance is where…?”
“Inside the sewers,” replied Gadon, looking at her. “Though you’ll need a guide to get through them without getting lost. And I can only think of one…”
“No, Gadon, you can’t be suggesting…”
“She knows the sewers better than anyone, Zaedra.”
The Twi’lek’s lekku twitched in irritation and she exclaimed, “Mission’s only fourteen!”
“Wait,” said Carth, holding up a hand. “Mission?”
Gadon nodded slightly and said, “Yes, Mission Vao. Do you know her?”
“We met her in Javyar’s yesterday,” explained Eilis. “She was the one that suggested we seek you out.”
“I see. Do we have an agreement then?”
Eilis looked at Carth, who held up his hands and said, “I’m letting you call this one, beautiful.”
She frowned and arched an eyebrow.
“ ‘Beautiful?’ ”
AT made a comment that it was a nice nickname. Eilis shot a glare at him out of the corner of her eyes then looked back at the pilot.
Carth just smirked and tilted his head slightly as he said, “Flyboy?”
Eilis glared at him then turned back to Gadon, saying, “Alright, you’ve got a deal. Now where can we find Mission?”
“If she’s not at Javyar’s,” replied Gadon, scratching his chin, “she’s likely in the Undercity. And that Sith uniform trick you used earlier won’t work on the guard on this elevator.”
“How did you… No, nevermind,” said Eilis, catching the small smile on Gadon’s face. “Lemme guess, you want the uniform.”
“In exchange for these papers that will allow you past the guard.”
Eilis looked at Carth then slung the pack she had taken to carrying off her back and dug out the Sith uniform. As she laid it on Gadon’s desk, she said, “I think we have another deal, Mister Thek.”
------
“Eilis!”
“Mission?!” exclaimed the dark-haired woman, looking up from cleaning rakghoul blood off her vibrosword. She then spotted the blue Twi’lek running towards her and jogged to meet her, leaving Carth to sift through the remains of two Sith they’d stumbled upon before being attacked by the creatures.
Mission collapsed into her arms once she was close enough and clung to her like she was a lifeline. Eilis patted the teenager’s back reassuringly in response.
“They took Big Z! You’ve gotta help me!”
“Who took him?” asked Eilis as Carth walked up behind her.
“The Gammoreans! Those Lylek-dung-grubbers are going to make him a slave!”
“ ‘Lylek-dung-grubbers?’ ” mouthed Carth curiously to Eilis. She frowned and mouthed back, “Native insult.”
Eilis then caught Mission’s chin and made the young Twi’lek look up at her.
“We’ll get him back, Mission,” she swore. “I promise.”
Mission sniffed and smiled at her, mumbling, “Thanks.”
“Anything for a friend. Here. Clean up your face. I don’t think Big Z would take to well to seeing you all soppy.”
“I’m not soppy,” grumbled Mission as she blew her nose.
Eilis smiled in a humoring way and said, “Of course not. You ready now?”
“Yeah. Ready to go and beat those pigs for taking Big Z!”
“And after that we can go and tell Zelka we found what he wanted,” said Carth, holding up a small metal vial. Eilis stared at it then gasped.
“The serum?”
“That’s all I can figure is in it.” He tucked it into an inside pocket on his coat, which he wore over one of the light combat suits Eilis had bought with her Pazaak winnings. But for some reason, Eilis didn’t look right in the light armor. Like she was supposed to be wearing something else…
Carth dismissed the thought with a slight shake of his head and looked up to find the two of them over at the nearby sewer entrance. Sighing, he jogged over to them, wincing as Eilis opened the door.
The smuggler grimaced then breathed in through her mouth instead of her nose, which didn’t help much. Mission looked at her worriedly and Eilis said, “Hey, don’t worry. I’ve had employers that smelt worse than this.”
“Beep bop.”
“Yes, AT, that Hutt was one of them.”
She then looked down into the depths and said, “Let’s go.”
------
“Hey, Carth?”
“Yeah?” said the pilot, turning away from the rather amusing sight of Mission being nearly engulfed by Big Z’s fur. Eilis’ droid AT-AT was beeping happily and darting in circles around them.
“Y’think we could finish that conversation?”
“We finished that conversation, Eilis,” growled Carth.
“Yeah, but you said I could ask again later,” pointed out the woman. “This is later.”
Carth sighed and growled something under his breath that sounded like ‘bloody persistent woman’ then turned to look at her.
“Alright. Interrogate me.”
“Teja gra!” hissed Eilis, throwing up her hands in exasperation. Then she snapped, “It’s not an interrogation!”
“Right.”
“Blast it, Carth! I just want to know more about you! Is that a crime? Or are you just so paranoid that you don’t want anyone to know anything about you?”
“NO!” exclaimed Carth. “It’s…it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?”
He frowned for a few moments then looked up at her with annoyance in his eyes.
“Okay,” he said harshly, “I’ll tell you. But first I want you to tell me something.”
“What?”
“What were you doing on the Endar Spire?”
“I told you, I was caught during a run and had two choices. I took the one to help the Republic!”
“I know that,” said Carth. “But I remember that there was a last minute transfer from another unit to the Spire before we set out. Bastila ordered it herself. And that transfer was for a smuggler who’d been caught with some illegal goods and was now serving the Republic.
Eilis made a frustrated sound and snapped, “What does it matter if I was a last minute transfer?!”
“Don’t you find it odd that you just happened to survive the attack?”
“I was in the hangar bay fixing the damned force fields! I saw the Sith coming!”
“Exactly,” said Carth. “What were the chances of you actually making it through the ship to the escape pods?”
“Slim to none! Now what’s your fracking point?” Her blue eyes narrowed suddenly and she snarled, “You think I’m a Sith spy, don’t you?”
Carth held up his hands and said, “Hey, I may be wrong. But I’ve learned not to take things at face value. And I hate being surprised.”
“We’re on the same side, Carth!”
“Look, it’s not you, Eilis. I just don’t trust anyone. Can we leave it at that?”
Eilis glared at him for a few moments then hissed, “Fine. But I’m going to prove I’m on your side, Onasi! Even if I have to kick that stubborn head of yours in!”
She then took a calming breath and turned towards Mission, who was happily chattering away with the big Wookiee.
“Mission, can I ask you a favor?”
Carth marveled at how quickly the anger had fled from her voice. Another odd trait about the woman who had become his partner of sorts.
“Anything, El!” exclaimed the blue Twi’lek. Big Z then grumbled something and she turned to stare at him. “Big Z, are you sure? That’s major!”
“What?” asked Carth, taking note of the look of surprise on Eilis’ face.
“He wants to swear a life-debt to me,” breathed Eilis.
“I take it that’s something important.”
“It’s a loyalty vow,” explained Eilis, her eyes on the Wookiee the entire time. “The most solemn vow a Wookiee can make.”
“You know of the life-debt?” said Big Z, sounding surprised.
“My mother was fascinated by other races,” she replied, surprising him further by speaking in accurate if slightly shoddy Shyriiwook. “She learned a few of their languages and taught them as well as others to me.”
“Then I swear a life-debt to you, Eilis O’Bren. Forever I will be at your side. May this vow be as strong as the great wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk.”
Eilis bowed slightly and said, “I’m honored to accept your vow, Big Z. By the way, what’s your actual name?”
“Zaalbar.”
“And you know where Big Z goes, I go!” chirped Mission, her lekku twitching. Eilis smiled at the young Twi’lek and nodded.
“Welcome aboard then.”
“What was this favor you were going to ask?” asked Zaalbar curiously.
Eilis frowned and replied, “We made a deal with Gadon Thek: we get a prototype swoop accelerator for him and he helps us get a friend of ours back from the Vulkars. But we have to get into their base to get the accelerator back.”
“I know a way in there,” said Mission. She frowned for a moment then pointed back the way they’d come. “It’s down that way. There’s a force field that protects that part of the sewers but I know how to get past it. Vulkar’s turn stupid when they drunk too much ale.”
“And you’ll take us?” asked Carth.
Mission nodded and grinned up at Zaalbar.
“You helped me save Big Z.”
“That’s a ‘yes’ then,” said Eilis, a smile twitching across her lips.
“That’s a ‘yes’,” confirmed Zaalbar with a smile.
“Okay,” said Mission, “but we’ll have to be careful around the Rancor.”
“Rancor?!” said Carth, his eyes widening. He then looked around them and asked, “How the hell did they get a Rancor down here?”
The Twi’lek shrugged and replied, “How should I know? But don’t worry! I’ve snuck past it lot’s of times!”
“Yes, and scared the life out of me.”
“You knew I’d be alright, Big Z!”
“It did not look that way to me, Mission.”
“Hmphf. See if I buy you food again!”
Zaalbar grimaced and laid a paw on her shoulder.
“Mission…”
“I’m just kidding!” exclaimed the blue Twi’lek, hugging the Wookiee tightly. She then turned to Eilis and said, “We can go now. Do you want to go now?”
Eilis looked at Carth, who waved his hand in a ‘go ahead’ gesture. She smiling tightly at him, still remembering their harsh conversation earlier, then turned back to Mission.
“Lead on, Mission.”
------
“You return!” said Gadon with slight surprise in his voice as Eilis walked up to his desk. She grimaced in response then dropped her sewer-slime coated pack on his desk. Reaching in, she dug around for a moment then pulled out the accelerator that they had just risked their lives for.
“Yeah,” she said as he called two technician’s over to take the swoop part, “and what a nice little trip that was. Now how do we get our friend back?”
“We must not allow the Vulkars to win the swoop race,” replied Zaedra. “Your friend is the prize.”
Eilis frowned at the Twi’lek then snapped her gaze to Gadon.
“You want me to race for you,” she said, causing Carth to twitch behind her.
“What?”
“Indeed I do,” said Gadon with an inclination of his head, masking his surprise at her insight. “The prototype will be unstable and I dare not risk any of my riders on it.”
Carth’s expression darkened and he snarled, “But you’d willingly risk her?!”
Eilis turned and laid a hand on his chest, her blue eyes catching his gaze. “We have to get Bastila back,” she hissed sotto voce. “This is the only way.”
He frowned down at her for a moment then said, “Fine. But you’d better do whatever you can to that swoop to make sure you win. And not die in the process.”
“Hey, I’m not a tech for nothing, flyboy,” said the dark-haired woman with a smile. She then turned to Gadon and said, “I’ll race for you. But I get to install the accelerator in the swoop.”
“Beep bop!”
“And AT gets to help.”
The swoop gang leader studied her for a moment then nodded.
“Very well,” he said, ignoring Zaedra’s protests that their technicians would be fine. “I place your life in your own hands. I only hope you have the skill to drive.”
Eilis just smirked and said, “I raced swoops on my homeworld since I was big enough to. You will win against the Vulkars and we’ll get our friend back no problem, that I promise you.”
------
“You stupid bastard,” hissed Eilis as she pulled her bloody vibrosword out of Brejik’s heart. “I gave you a chance to live. Why didn’t you take it?”
Because he knew he was done for, whispered part of her mind.
“Bop brrr brip!” cried AT, gaining her attention. She turned towards him and found him darting back and forth in front of the Jedi, who still had her yellow double-blade (which she’d snatched off Brejik as the fight broke out) ignited and was eying him.
“Hey!” snapped Eilis as she saw the lightsabre twitch. “Touch my droid and the Tarisian’s’ll be pickin’ pieces of you out of their water for the next decade!”
The Jedi looked at her and the technician/smuggler bristled at the look in the younger woman’s eyes. She was looking at her like she was nothing worthwhile!
“Your droid? How…wait, you’re from the Endar Spire!”
“Yeah,” growled Eilis, still angry at being looked at like she was nothing. She was everything and a glass of Corellian brandy compared to this Jedi who’d gotten herself captured by a swoop gang! The urge to beat the little upstart into a pulp for even looking at her like that swelled up in Eilis but she shoved it down, settling instead for speaking in as calm a voice as she could manage. “Eilis O’Bren. And you’re Bastila. Now c’mon. We’ve got to get out of here.”
“Wait!” said Bastila as the smuggler started to walk off. “How did you end up racing for a swoop gang?”
“Me and flyboy spent a lot of time wandering trying to figure out where you were,” replied Eilis “Eventually ran into the Bek’s and found out about you. There. Happy?”
“Well, I…”
“Bastila!”
The two women turned to see Carth jogging towards them, worry and relief etched across his face. He came to a halt in front of them, saying, “Well, things are finally starting to look up!”
“Commander Onasi?” gasped Bastila in shock. She then looked at Eilis and demanded, “Why did you not tell me you were working with him?”
“I did,” said Eilis grumpily. “He’s flyboy. Now, if we don’t want to get rounded up by the locals or the Sith, I suggest we get back to our little hidey-hole. Oh, and Carth, where are Mission and Zaalbar?”
“Who?” asked Bastila even as Carth replied, “I sent them back to the apartment after you won the race. Sorry I didn’t help in the fight. I had to go through a Vulkar and a locked door.”
“Guess we’d better get back to the apartment then,” said Eilis. She looked up at the Republic pilot and thought, I wonder if he was frightened for me. Then she slapped herself mentally. Stop that, Elly. You’re buying into that little rust bucket’s idea.
Carth glanced furtively at Eilis, who had a slightly exasperated look on her face. He frowned slightly, wishing Bastila wasn’t there. If she weren’t, he’d have hugged the diminutive smuggler in relief once he saw her still standing.
He then noticed a gap near her waist in the thin Bek colored jacket she wore over her armor and pulled it open. Eilis hissed and spat, “Droyk!”
“You’re injured,” he stated.
“Yeah, one of Brejik’s trained kathhounds got me with a vibroblade.” She batted his hands away from the wound and said, “I can make it back to the apartment, thanks. We can deal with it there. But first we need to get that serum to Zelka.”
As she walked off, she didn’t see the worried look in his eyes.
“She is…strange,” said Bastila from behind the pilot as they watched the smuggler trudge wearily up the steps.
“She’s something,” muttered Carth. “Though strange isn’t what I’d say.”
Bastila blinked at him then had a frightful feeling that she was about to stumble into a mynock’s nest. And wasn’t going to be able to get back out.
“One.”
“Who is that?” whispered Carth in Eilis’ ear as they stood in the entrance of Javyar’s cantina. They had stumbled across an alien being harassed about stolen Sith uniforms in the other apartment building near them in the Uppercity earlier and had rescued him. In turn he’d given them one uniform, which Carth had been forced to put on as it was far too big for Eilis. They’d then managed to get down into the Lowercity, only to end up caught in the swoop gang war going on.
Now they’d come into the cantina to take a break and instead had run into two Rodian’s and a Twi’lek, that seemed to be Vulkars by their uniforms, harassing a short, stocky man wearing a rather fruity coat and goggles. At the sight, Eilis had come to a complete halt and Carth had ended up stumbling into her back.
“That’s…”
“Two.”
“…Calo Nord,” hissed Eilis over her shoulder, absently grabbing AT out of the air and tucking him under her arm. He beeped in offense then settled down when he too seemed to recognize the man being harassed. “He’s one of the top bounty hunters in the galaxy.”
“Three.”
In a movement that was almost too quick to follow, the bounty hunter pulled his blasters and shot the three Black Vulkars in quick succession. His blasters were reholstered by the time their bodies hit the floor and he placed a credit on the bar before heading for the entrance.
When he saw Eilis and Carth standing in his way, he frowned and said, “One.”
Eilis held up her free hand and stepped out of the way. Carth quickly followed her example and Calo smiled smugly at them, nodding his head.
“Smart,” he commented then disappeared out into the Lowercity.
“I’m not surprised to find people like that wandering around Taris,” said Carth quietly as they went searching for a table to sit at.
Eilis frowned and said, “There’s people like that all over the galaxy, Carth. You just have to know where to find them.” She then scowled and released AT, who beeped happily at being able to move freely again, before storming over to where two Rodian’s were harassing a young Twi’lek girl.
“Hey!” she hissed, tapping one on the shoulder quickly. He turned and Eilis let loose a punch with her right hand, all her anger at bullies behind it. Carth heard bones break and knew that the Rodian’s face would never likely be the same again.
The other Rodian turned with a blaster in hand but the Twi’lek girl knocked it out of his hand then kicked him in the area where most males are vulnerable. He let out a pained squeak but still lunged at her, trying to grab her arm. Of course, because of this, he never saw Eilis’ foot flying towards his face.
“Are you trying to get us arrested?” demanded Carth as the woman glared at the two unconscious Rodian’s.
Eilis turned to glare at him then frowned and said, “Oh, Force, I’m sorry, Carth. I just…I don’t like bullies and I can’t stand to do nothing when someone is being bullied.”
The Republic pilot sighed and ran a hand back through his hair, staring down at her for a moment. Then he shook his head and said, “I know how you feel. But we’ve got to keep a low profile.”
“I’ll try.”
She then turned to the young Twi’lek (never noticing AT shocking a waking Rodian back into unconsciousness) and said, “Sorry, I broke in like that. I know you could probably have handled them but I just dislike bullies. A lot.”
The frown the Twi’lek had on her face vanished in an instant and she exclaimed, “Glad I’m not the only one! I’m Mission Vao, by the way. And you didn’t have to worry. I have Big Z to protect me.”
“ ‘Big Z?’ ” repeated Carth, looking confused.
Mission nodded and pointed over to a booth where a large, furry Wookiee was eating what would have fed her, Eilis, and Carth for two days.
“You have a Wookiee for protection?” he gasped in shock. He looked at Mission with admiration in his eyes and said, “That’s rather impressive.”
“We take care of each other, Big Z and me. C’mon…um, what are your names?”
“I’m Eilis and this is Carth,” explained Eilis. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mission.”
“You too,” chirped the Twi’lek, leading them towards the Wookiee’s booth. She then waved at him and cried, “Hey, Big Z! Look! I found new friends!”
Eilis chuckled as the big Wookiee growled a greeting and smiled up at Carth, who blinked at her.
“What?”
“I like her,” replied the woman before sliding into the booth beside an excited Mission.
Carth blinked again then shook his head in amusement before pulling up a chair and taking a seat.
------
“We’ve got to do what to get the accelerator?!”
“Travel to the Undercity and break into the Vulkar base,” replied Gadon Thek calmly to Carth’s outburst.
“Wait…isn’t that where the rakghoul’s are?” asked Eilis, remembering the conversation they’d had a few days ago with the healer Zelka in the Uppercity. She had promised the man she’d find him a sample of the serum the inhabitants of the planet need but he’d told her to forget about it. But she would make good on her promise.
“Indeed it is,” said the Twi’lek Zaedra that seemed very protective of Gadon.
Eilis frowned then asked, “And the entrance is where…?”
“Inside the sewers,” replied Gadon, looking at her. “Though you’ll need a guide to get through them without getting lost. And I can only think of one…”
“No, Gadon, you can’t be suggesting…”
“She knows the sewers better than anyone, Zaedra.”
The Twi’lek’s lekku twitched in irritation and she exclaimed, “Mission’s only fourteen!”
“Wait,” said Carth, holding up a hand. “Mission?”
Gadon nodded slightly and said, “Yes, Mission Vao. Do you know her?”
“We met her in Javyar’s yesterday,” explained Eilis. “She was the one that suggested we seek you out.”
“I see. Do we have an agreement then?”
Eilis looked at Carth, who held up his hands and said, “I’m letting you call this one, beautiful.”
She frowned and arched an eyebrow.
“ ‘Beautiful?’ ”
AT made a comment that it was a nice nickname. Eilis shot a glare at him out of the corner of her eyes then looked back at the pilot.
Carth just smirked and tilted his head slightly as he said, “Flyboy?”
Eilis glared at him then turned back to Gadon, saying, “Alright, you’ve got a deal. Now where can we find Mission?”
“If she’s not at Javyar’s,” replied Gadon, scratching his chin, “she’s likely in the Undercity. And that Sith uniform trick you used earlier won’t work on the guard on this elevator.”
“How did you… No, nevermind,” said Eilis, catching the small smile on Gadon’s face. “Lemme guess, you want the uniform.”
“In exchange for these papers that will allow you past the guard.”
Eilis looked at Carth then slung the pack she had taken to carrying off her back and dug out the Sith uniform. As she laid it on Gadon’s desk, she said, “I think we have another deal, Mister Thek.”
------
“Eilis!”
“Mission?!” exclaimed the dark-haired woman, looking up from cleaning rakghoul blood off her vibrosword. She then spotted the blue Twi’lek running towards her and jogged to meet her, leaving Carth to sift through the remains of two Sith they’d stumbled upon before being attacked by the creatures.
Mission collapsed into her arms once she was close enough and clung to her like she was a lifeline. Eilis patted the teenager’s back reassuringly in response.
“They took Big Z! You’ve gotta help me!”
“Who took him?” asked Eilis as Carth walked up behind her.
“The Gammoreans! Those Lylek-dung-grubbers are going to make him a slave!”
“ ‘Lylek-dung-grubbers?’ ” mouthed Carth curiously to Eilis. She frowned and mouthed back, “Native insult.”
Eilis then caught Mission’s chin and made the young Twi’lek look up at her.
“We’ll get him back, Mission,” she swore. “I promise.”
Mission sniffed and smiled at her, mumbling, “Thanks.”
“Anything for a friend. Here. Clean up your face. I don’t think Big Z would take to well to seeing you all soppy.”
“I’m not soppy,” grumbled Mission as she blew her nose.
Eilis smiled in a humoring way and said, “Of course not. You ready now?”
“Yeah. Ready to go and beat those pigs for taking Big Z!”
“And after that we can go and tell Zelka we found what he wanted,” said Carth, holding up a small metal vial. Eilis stared at it then gasped.
“The serum?”
“That’s all I can figure is in it.” He tucked it into an inside pocket on his coat, which he wore over one of the light combat suits Eilis had bought with her Pazaak winnings. But for some reason, Eilis didn’t look right in the light armor. Like she was supposed to be wearing something else…
Carth dismissed the thought with a slight shake of his head and looked up to find the two of them over at the nearby sewer entrance. Sighing, he jogged over to them, wincing as Eilis opened the door.
The smuggler grimaced then breathed in through her mouth instead of her nose, which didn’t help much. Mission looked at her worriedly and Eilis said, “Hey, don’t worry. I’ve had employers that smelt worse than this.”
“Beep bop.”
“Yes, AT, that Hutt was one of them.”
She then looked down into the depths and said, “Let’s go.”
------
“Hey, Carth?”
“Yeah?” said the pilot, turning away from the rather amusing sight of Mission being nearly engulfed by Big Z’s fur. Eilis’ droid AT-AT was beeping happily and darting in circles around them.
“Y’think we could finish that conversation?”
“We finished that conversation, Eilis,” growled Carth.
“Yeah, but you said I could ask again later,” pointed out the woman. “This is later.”
Carth sighed and growled something under his breath that sounded like ‘bloody persistent woman’ then turned to look at her.
“Alright. Interrogate me.”
“Teja gra!” hissed Eilis, throwing up her hands in exasperation. Then she snapped, “It’s not an interrogation!”
“Right.”
“Blast it, Carth! I just want to know more about you! Is that a crime? Or are you just so paranoid that you don’t want anyone to know anything about you?”
“NO!” exclaimed Carth. “It’s…it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?”
He frowned for a few moments then looked up at her with annoyance in his eyes.
“Okay,” he said harshly, “I’ll tell you. But first I want you to tell me something.”
“What?”
“What were you doing on the Endar Spire?”
“I told you, I was caught during a run and had two choices. I took the one to help the Republic!”
“I know that,” said Carth. “But I remember that there was a last minute transfer from another unit to the Spire before we set out. Bastila ordered it herself. And that transfer was for a smuggler who’d been caught with some illegal goods and was now serving the Republic.
Eilis made a frustrated sound and snapped, “What does it matter if I was a last minute transfer?!”
“Don’t you find it odd that you just happened to survive the attack?”
“I was in the hangar bay fixing the damned force fields! I saw the Sith coming!”
“Exactly,” said Carth. “What were the chances of you actually making it through the ship to the escape pods?”
“Slim to none! Now what’s your fracking point?” Her blue eyes narrowed suddenly and she snarled, “You think I’m a Sith spy, don’t you?”
Carth held up his hands and said, “Hey, I may be wrong. But I’ve learned not to take things at face value. And I hate being surprised.”
“We’re on the same side, Carth!”
“Look, it’s not you, Eilis. I just don’t trust anyone. Can we leave it at that?”
Eilis glared at him for a few moments then hissed, “Fine. But I’m going to prove I’m on your side, Onasi! Even if I have to kick that stubborn head of yours in!”
She then took a calming breath and turned towards Mission, who was happily chattering away with the big Wookiee.
“Mission, can I ask you a favor?”
Carth marveled at how quickly the anger had fled from her voice. Another odd trait about the woman who had become his partner of sorts.
“Anything, El!” exclaimed the blue Twi’lek. Big Z then grumbled something and she turned to stare at him. “Big Z, are you sure? That’s major!”
“What?” asked Carth, taking note of the look of surprise on Eilis’ face.
“He wants to swear a life-debt to me,” breathed Eilis.
“I take it that’s something important.”
“It’s a loyalty vow,” explained Eilis, her eyes on the Wookiee the entire time. “The most solemn vow a Wookiee can make.”
“You know of the life-debt?” said Big Z, sounding surprised.
“My mother was fascinated by other races,” she replied, surprising him further by speaking in accurate if slightly shoddy Shyriiwook. “She learned a few of their languages and taught them as well as others to me.”
“Then I swear a life-debt to you, Eilis O’Bren. Forever I will be at your side. May this vow be as strong as the great wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk.”
Eilis bowed slightly and said, “I’m honored to accept your vow, Big Z. By the way, what’s your actual name?”
“Zaalbar.”
“And you know where Big Z goes, I go!” chirped Mission, her lekku twitching. Eilis smiled at the young Twi’lek and nodded.
“Welcome aboard then.”
“What was this favor you were going to ask?” asked Zaalbar curiously.
Eilis frowned and replied, “We made a deal with Gadon Thek: we get a prototype swoop accelerator for him and he helps us get a friend of ours back from the Vulkars. But we have to get into their base to get the accelerator back.”
“I know a way in there,” said Mission. She frowned for a moment then pointed back the way they’d come. “It’s down that way. There’s a force field that protects that part of the sewers but I know how to get past it. Vulkar’s turn stupid when they drunk too much ale.”
“And you’ll take us?” asked Carth.
Mission nodded and grinned up at Zaalbar.
“You helped me save Big Z.”
“That’s a ‘yes’ then,” said Eilis, a smile twitching across her lips.
“That’s a ‘yes’,” confirmed Zaalbar with a smile.
“Okay,” said Mission, “but we’ll have to be careful around the Rancor.”
“Rancor?!” said Carth, his eyes widening. He then looked around them and asked, “How the hell did they get a Rancor down here?”
The Twi’lek shrugged and replied, “How should I know? But don’t worry! I’ve snuck past it lot’s of times!”
“Yes, and scared the life out of me.”
“You knew I’d be alright, Big Z!”
“It did not look that way to me, Mission.”
“Hmphf. See if I buy you food again!”
Zaalbar grimaced and laid a paw on her shoulder.
“Mission…”
“I’m just kidding!” exclaimed the blue Twi’lek, hugging the Wookiee tightly. She then turned to Eilis and said, “We can go now. Do you want to go now?”
Eilis looked at Carth, who waved his hand in a ‘go ahead’ gesture. She smiling tightly at him, still remembering their harsh conversation earlier, then turned back to Mission.
“Lead on, Mission.”
------
“You return!” said Gadon with slight surprise in his voice as Eilis walked up to his desk. She grimaced in response then dropped her sewer-slime coated pack on his desk. Reaching in, she dug around for a moment then pulled out the accelerator that they had just risked their lives for.
“Yeah,” she said as he called two technician’s over to take the swoop part, “and what a nice little trip that was. Now how do we get our friend back?”
“We must not allow the Vulkars to win the swoop race,” replied Zaedra. “Your friend is the prize.”
Eilis frowned at the Twi’lek then snapped her gaze to Gadon.
“You want me to race for you,” she said, causing Carth to twitch behind her.
“What?”
“Indeed I do,” said Gadon with an inclination of his head, masking his surprise at her insight. “The prototype will be unstable and I dare not risk any of my riders on it.”
Carth’s expression darkened and he snarled, “But you’d willingly risk her?!”
Eilis turned and laid a hand on his chest, her blue eyes catching his gaze. “We have to get Bastila back,” she hissed sotto voce. “This is the only way.”
He frowned down at her for a moment then said, “Fine. But you’d better do whatever you can to that swoop to make sure you win. And not die in the process.”
“Hey, I’m not a tech for nothing, flyboy,” said the dark-haired woman with a smile. She then turned to Gadon and said, “I’ll race for you. But I get to install the accelerator in the swoop.”
“Beep bop!”
“And AT gets to help.”
The swoop gang leader studied her for a moment then nodded.
“Very well,” he said, ignoring Zaedra’s protests that their technicians would be fine. “I place your life in your own hands. I only hope you have the skill to drive.”
Eilis just smirked and said, “I raced swoops on my homeworld since I was big enough to. You will win against the Vulkars and we’ll get our friend back no problem, that I promise you.”
------
“You stupid bastard,” hissed Eilis as she pulled her bloody vibrosword out of Brejik’s heart. “I gave you a chance to live. Why didn’t you take it?”
Because he knew he was done for, whispered part of her mind.
“Bop brrr brip!” cried AT, gaining her attention. She turned towards him and found him darting back and forth in front of the Jedi, who still had her yellow double-blade (which she’d snatched off Brejik as the fight broke out) ignited and was eying him.
“Hey!” snapped Eilis as she saw the lightsabre twitch. “Touch my droid and the Tarisian’s’ll be pickin’ pieces of you out of their water for the next decade!”
The Jedi looked at her and the technician/smuggler bristled at the look in the younger woman’s eyes. She was looking at her like she was nothing worthwhile!
“Your droid? How…wait, you’re from the Endar Spire!”
“Yeah,” growled Eilis, still angry at being looked at like she was nothing. She was everything and a glass of Corellian brandy compared to this Jedi who’d gotten herself captured by a swoop gang! The urge to beat the little upstart into a pulp for even looking at her like that swelled up in Eilis but she shoved it down, settling instead for speaking in as calm a voice as she could manage. “Eilis O’Bren. And you’re Bastila. Now c’mon. We’ve got to get out of here.”
“Wait!” said Bastila as the smuggler started to walk off. “How did you end up racing for a swoop gang?”
“Me and flyboy spent a lot of time wandering trying to figure out where you were,” replied Eilis “Eventually ran into the Bek’s and found out about you. There. Happy?”
“Well, I…”
“Bastila!”
The two women turned to see Carth jogging towards them, worry and relief etched across his face. He came to a halt in front of them, saying, “Well, things are finally starting to look up!”
“Commander Onasi?” gasped Bastila in shock. She then looked at Eilis and demanded, “Why did you not tell me you were working with him?”
“I did,” said Eilis grumpily. “He’s flyboy. Now, if we don’t want to get rounded up by the locals or the Sith, I suggest we get back to our little hidey-hole. Oh, and Carth, where are Mission and Zaalbar?”
“Who?” asked Bastila even as Carth replied, “I sent them back to the apartment after you won the race. Sorry I didn’t help in the fight. I had to go through a Vulkar and a locked door.”
“Guess we’d better get back to the apartment then,” said Eilis. She looked up at the Republic pilot and thought, I wonder if he was frightened for me. Then she slapped herself mentally. Stop that, Elly. You’re buying into that little rust bucket’s idea.
Carth glanced furtively at Eilis, who had a slightly exasperated look on her face. He frowned slightly, wishing Bastila wasn’t there. If she weren’t, he’d have hugged the diminutive smuggler in relief once he saw her still standing.
He then noticed a gap near her waist in the thin Bek colored jacket she wore over her armor and pulled it open. Eilis hissed and spat, “Droyk!”
“You’re injured,” he stated.
“Yeah, one of Brejik’s trained kathhounds got me with a vibroblade.” She batted his hands away from the wound and said, “I can make it back to the apartment, thanks. We can deal with it there. But first we need to get that serum to Zelka.”
As she walked off, she didn’t see the worried look in his eyes.
“She is…strange,” said Bastila from behind the pilot as they watched the smuggler trudge wearily up the steps.
“She’s something,” muttered Carth. “Though strange isn’t what I’d say.”
Bastila blinked at him then had a frightful feeling that she was about to stumble into a mynock’s nest. And wasn’t going to be able to get back out.