7

She collided with his solid frame as he and Carth turned a sharp corner. Poor Mission tumbled back roughly, kicking up dust as she landed hard in the dirt. Avner immediately stooped down and steadied the poor shaking girl, her quaking hands barely able to hold onto her old blaster pistol.

"Mission, what's wrong?"

She blinked up at him, and it took a second before realization dawned on her face. "It's you! Please, you have to help me! They've got him! They took Big Z!"

"Slow down, Mission. Who took Zaalbar?"

"Some Gamorrean punks who live down in the sewers. I didn't even know they called that stink pit home, honest. They cornered us and took Big Z away. If we don't stop them, they'll sell him!"

"What's a kid doing wandering around down here all alone?" Carth asked, carefully looking the young girl up and down with a critical eye. Perhaps less critical and more so concerned in his own stiff way. The soldier was scanning the young girl's body for any signs of injury with the practiced ease that came from years of combat experience and the need to know at least some form of emergency triage. The kid was mostly unscathed save for a few scratches that littered her cheeks and hands, no doubt caused by the mad dash she made away from the aforementioned slavers. Her other cuts were too shallow to be rakghoul inflicted. How a young girl such as herself had made it through the infested sewers and surrounding inhospitable terrain was a complete mystery.

"Hey! I'm not a kid; me and Zaalbar come down here all the time looking for stuff," Mission snapped back. "Besides, Avner knows I can take care of myself."

"This is the kid you were going to tell me about?"

Avner nodded and helped the Twi'lek to her feet. "Yeah, we met before. Mission are you sure Zaalbar is alive? What if the Gamorreans killed him?"

"They wouldn't do that; their clothes had slave hunter markings. When they ambushed us, Big Z told me to run, so I did… I… I thought he was right behind me…" She's nearly on the verge of tears now.

"Can you show me where you lost him?"

Mission's face lit up at his words. "You're going to help?"

"I'll do what I can; this is Carth. He's… someone I work with." It's hard to tell where he and Carth now stood after their… altercation. The other man clearly mistrusted him and probably thought he was some kind of Sith or was working for them. It was as if everything he did just caused more friction to build up between them. In the pilot's eyes, he could do no right.

Mission, for her part, didn't look too impressed by Carth, and the pilot looked less than enthused to be adding a child to their team.

"Marek, a word." Carth pulled him off to the side. "We can't take her with us."

"Well, we can't exactly leave her here either."

"When Zaerdra said she was a child… well, I didn't think she meant a literal child!"

"Mission's more resourceful than she looks. Besides, we need her to get into the Vulkar base."

"Heh, well, isn't this just my lucky day. I heard screams and expected to find a corpse, but instead, I found three… lost… kits."

They both whipped around and found themselves staring down the firing line of an assortment of blasters held by four heavily armed thugs. At the forefront stood the Mandalorian he and Carth had seen earlier, his large blaster cannon aimed directly at Mission, finger-tapping the trigger purposefully. He easily handled the massive gun, clearly comfortable with the weapon in his hands. He was a man of war, not unsettled at the prospect of violence. A true Mandalorian. "Easy now, boys; I don't want things to get messy. Just drop your weapons."

Avner didn't move, and neither did Carth. For her part, Mission also stayed stock, still glaring up at the gangsters. They're outnumbered and downhill below the ridge well within the ravine, stuck deep in a kill box. There would be no time to try and scramble up the other side of the steep incline. He had no doubts that the Mandalorian would fire on them if someone so much as sneezed. Kriff!

"Considering where we found you, I'd say you're here to scavenge whatever is left in those crashed pods. Too bad there's nothing there to loot." The man spat at his feet and shifted his blaster cannon. "I told Davik there would be nothing left; this expedition was a complete waste of time and men. However, it seems fate smiles upon us today, boys. We can at least bring Davik back whatever we can strip from these three."

"I don't think so, sleemo," Mission snapped, hand still curled around her blaster tightly. Avner put his arm up, blocking her shot, and motioned for her to stay calm. It would do no one any good to provoke these goons any further. If it came down to a firefight between them, they were at a severe disadvantage and would be torn to shreds with the ensuing blaster fire.

Her outburst didn't bother the Mandalorian, though. He let out a loud bark of laughter, his wide shoulders shaking slightly. "You got guts, kid; I'll give you that."

"Canderous, shouldn't we get their stuff and split? Ya' know, before the ghouls-."

"Shut up, Olin, and hold that blaster straight before you shoot your toes off," Canderous growled, but the other human shook his head.

"I think I hear something." Olin has turned away from them, the panicked edge in his voice prompting the others in his group to begin looking around, also. Even Canderous took a second to glance off to his side. Avner seized the chance to pull his rifle free and aimed it at the Mandalorian, Carth, and Mission, also taking aim at the gang above them. "There's something in the shadows."

"Fucking idiots." Canderous had noticed them, and their weapons were now trained on his men. He didn't move his cannon, instead wrapping his finger tightly around the trigger.

"There! I saw-." A ragged figure came leaping from the darkness and landed directly on Olin's chest, pushing him to the ground. The man screamed and tried to scramble away, but the sickly creature latched onto his throat, razor-sharp claws tearing into his soft stomach with fervor. The Mandalorian immediately swung his blaster cannon onto the rakghoul and fired an explosive round, the blast disintegrating the mutant and Olin entirely. More monsters sprang from the shadows whooping and shrieking.

"Form up!" Canderous shouted, but his order fell on deaf ears as his men fired blindly into the pack. Several rakghouls jumped down into their ditch, and Avner let loose a rapid salvo of shots, Carth following it up with a strafing run of his own. Two more ghouls landed behind them, and even more, poured over the edges and clambered down into the ravine. A deformed mutant lacking any semblance of a recognizable face took a hard swipe at Carth, forcing the pilot to throw himself flat to avoid being hit. The creature towered over him, jaws wide and teeth bared, preparing for the killing blow. Avner tried to shift back and cover Carth, but he quickly became overwhelmed.

"Fuck!" Carth shouted, and the ghoul lunged, but its head split in two before it could latch onto the downed man. Behind it stands Mission, feet firmly planted shoulder-width apart and blaster held tightly in two hands. In quick succession, she picked off the remaining ghouls in the pit with startling precision.

Avner helped Carth to his feet. "Damn, kid's got a good eye."

The Kiffar nodded in agreement and turned to see Canderous and his men nearly overrun by the creatures. They were disorganized and frightened; the Mandalorian was the only one causing any real damage. With strategic accuracy, he sniped off ghouls circling his band alternating between explosive concussive rounds and serrated bolts, but he was still vastly outnumbered. A rakghoul leaped from higher up and landed on the man's broad shoulders screeching in triumph as it attempted to sink its jagged teeth into his head. Canderous dropped his cannon and reached up, hooking his arms around the gaunt mutant, giving it a mighty heave, and tossing it away. Avner shot down two more ghouls looking to take advantage of the Mandalorian's distraction and climbed up the steep ravine to join him up top. He positioned himself back-to-back with the other man, who nodded at him. Together they let loose a torrent of bolts upon the remaining rakghouls, felling whatever creatures remained and picking off the ones retreating back into the darkness.

Bodies of the rakghouls and the remains of Canderous' men lay scattered around them. He shook his head. There was no sadness or loss on the older man's face but only cold disdain. "Damn, I told Davik his men weren't ready for the Undercity. They have no experience fighting these things, and I can't babysit them all!" He spat into the dirt by one of the ghouls, then turned and regarded Avner with a look of faint respect. "You did right by me, stranger. I won't stand in your way, but a word to the wise, you should leave this place. The rakghouls will be back and in greater numbers. There's blood in the air."

"They called you Canderous, and that tattoo on your arm is a Mandalorian clan sigil." Avner pointed to the crude black mark etched out over the other man's bicep. He was not sure how he knew what that marking was, but there was a similar one on his left bicep as well. He didn't know where the brand had come from, but the scarring around the intentional burn mark was old and puckered. Besides having fought them before, he had little personal experience with the warrior people, but he knew almost nothing about their culture except that they valued battle above all else. But somehow…somehow deep within the recesses of his brain, the faint flicker of knowledge burned bright, unspoken words of Mando'a tickled his throat, and more clan sigils flashed through his mind's eye. And the similar mark branded onto his shoulder almost burned the more he thought about it.

The human's eyes narrowed momentarily. "That's right, I'm Canderous of Clan Ordo, not that either of those things means much anymore. You looking to claim a Mandalorian trophy today too?" His tone was jovial, but there was a hard edge running underneath. A subtle threat, a promise of violence should Avner raise his hand against him.

Avner shook his head. "I have no quarrel with you; I'd much rather part as friends." He stuck out his hand. "Avner."

Canderous let a large grin split his face as he firmly clasped his hand. "A wise choice."

"Do you know anything about Gamorrean slavers living down here, Ordo?" It's a stretch that he might be aware of them, but maybe…

The Mandalorian rubbed his jaw for a second. "I've heard of them. Fat pigs slumming it down in the Northern Sewers. They capture any stragglers they find and usually sell them off on the slave market."

"Anything I should know about them?"

"No, besides that, their disposition can be as surly as the rakghouls. Those mutants are the real threat, many live in the sewers, and it's tightly packed down there, making it easy to get overwhelmed or lost. Whatever's down there ain't worth it."

"Big Z is worth anything!" Mission was at his side instantly, glaring up at the big man.

"Kid, nobody's worth dying for, trust me," he grunted back, slinging his cannon across his back. "I'm headed back to civilization. Come find me at Javyars for a drink sometime, Avner, that is if you make it out of here." Avner was almost certain he heard Canderous mutter 'weirdo' under his breath in Mando'a as he walked away.

"Well, he was… pleasant," Carth remarked dryly as he joined them on the ridge.

"Come on, let's go get Zaalbar," Avner said and followed the ridgeline north. Mission darted ahead, showing them the easier paths through the refuse and jagged rocks. No one spoke; everyone's ears instead trained for any rustle or scrape in the darkness. It was a tense hike up to the large sliding durasteel blast doors concealing the sewer within. The massive structures were encrusted with bioluminescent fungi that crawled up the walls and cast eery shadows over their small group. Mission slid off the front panel of the control hub and twisted a few wires together before capping the ends. The blast doors creaked open, and a wave of putrid air washed over them. Carth coughed and covered the lower half of his face while Avner tried to decide whether breathing through his nose or mouth was better.

Mission didn't seem affected as she stepped into the dimly lit tunnel. "Don't worry; you'll get used to the smell."

It's cramped and dark within the sewers. Rusting catwalks swung over rushing rivers of sewage and water, the stench nearly unbearable. Flickering industrial lights barely lit their way as they traversed the narrow causeways and bypassed locked doors. A soft hiss reverberated around them, and Avner saw several bodies curled below them, chests rising and falling slowly. Gaunt, skeletal bodies interlocked and curled in on one another lay in a misshapen heap of rotting flesh and festering sores.

"They're asleep," Avner whispered, pointing down at the slumbering rakghouls beneath their feet. They crept along at a painfully slow pace, everyone stopping when the catwalk creaked, or something shifted slightly. Mission sliced into another locked blast door, everyone quickly ducking inside as the door slid shut.

"We're not far from where Big Z was taken," Mission said, pointing down a section of dark tunnels to their right. They hurried forward, Avner keeping a close eye on every crosspoint they came to. So far… no wait spoke too soon. An angry squeal was all the warning he had before he was swept off his feet. Large brutish arms were wrapped around his midsection, and hard, blunt tusks dug into his stomach as he was carried back. He punched the Gamorrean squarely in its snout as it tried to throw him over the catwalk's railing and down into the rushing torrents of water. His fist connected with the alien's eyes savagely, and it yelled in pain, dropping him onto the rusted metal grating while it reeled back. Blaster fire echoed around the tightly packed tunnel as Carth and Mission fired back at the other slavers pouring in from two different doorways. They wielded axes and large cleavers; a few had shatter rifles and blaster pistols. Avner freed his rifle and fired off two bolts into the Gamorrean in front of him. It squealed and fell sideways over the railing disappearing below.

He ducked beneath the wide swing of a massive Gamorrean, the ax clanging off the wall beside him, and the slaver grunted angrily. The soldier rammed his shoulder into the alien's chest, shoving it back a few steps before embedding one serrated shot into the slaver's head. He slumped backward, and Avner joined Carth in mopping up the remaining thugs dotting the catwalk. The pilot was bleeding, a large gash traveling the length of his forearm from the glancing blow of a large cleaver.

"You okay?"

Carth nodded and ripped a strip of bandage free from his belt. He tried in vain to tie off the wound but couldn't quite seem to manage, the fingers of his right hand slipping from the blood leaking from his injury. Mission stepped forward and deftly bound the bandage around his wounds. He smiled down at her in thanks. "Thanks, Mission; I'm much more comfortable behind the controls of a starship than I am bandaging a scratch."

Mission perked up at his gratitude. "No problem! So you're a pilot, huh? I guess that means you've been all over the galaxy and seen a lot of different planets. How would you rate Taris? It's pretty great, right?"

Carth frowned and shook his head as they continued down the catwalk. "No, Taris rates pretty low. The prejudice and poverty, the rich pushing the poor further and further down beneath the surface – well, it doesn't paint a very pretty picture."

"Well, yeah, but that's only since the Sith came. Before that… well, I guess it wasn't all that different. What do you think of Taris, Avner?"

Avner took a second to answer, reflecting on all the good and bad he had seen in the city world. "I think Taris, like any world, has its good and bad aspects. Its citizens… well, some of them have questionable character, but I think the vast majority are good people, hardworking and just trying to make their way in a big galaxy." His mind flickered to Doc Forn personally sheltering injured Republic soldiers at his own expense, and Sarna, the lively Sith officer who only wanted to enjoy life and had a smile so bright it could light up half of Coruscant.

"So Taris may not be as great as I make it out to be, but it does have its bright spots," Mission surmised, beaming up at him. Avner smiled back down at her and nodded.

"Avner's right; there are worlds a lot better than this one, and there are worlds that are much worse too. But Taris is no place for a kid to live on her own – even one with a Wookie looking out for her," Carth continued sternly.

"Hey! I ain't no kid!" Mission stopped in her tracks, staring up at Carth, her expression defiant, brown eyes flashing in annoyance. "I look out for Zaalbar just as much as he looks out for me! Big Z's my friend, not my babysitter! I ask you a question, and you turn it into a lecture, geez."

"Don't you snap at me, missy!" Carth wheeled around, anger pulling his mouth down into a harsh frown. He must still be riding off the resentment and ire from their prior fight because Avner has never seen Carth snap this hard at someone. Well, excluding him. "You want a lecture? How's this: only bratty little children fly off the handle because of a simple comment! Kriff, if it's not Marek…" He trails off and sucks in a deep breath.

"Carth, Mission, calm down." Avner interjected himself between them, but Mission pushed past him.

"Big talk coming from the grouchy old man who can't get into the Vulkar base without the help of a child!"

"Mission-."

"Yeah, I know why you're helping me, Avner. I overheard you back in the ravine. I don't have to listen to either of you, so save your lectures and shove off. I don't need your help." Mission took off down the tunnel on her own. She was quick, and she had vanished from sight before Avner could stop her.

"Damnit… I didn't… I wasn't trying to…" Carth shook his head and leaned his arms wearily on the railing before him. He looked tired, almost defeated, the previous days' events finally taking their toll, each loss driving him further down. Despite all the times they had argued, Carth accusing him of being dirty, and the fight, Avner still felt for the other man. He had lost… everything. His men, the Endar Spire, had been subjected to grueling fight after grueling fight while running on minimal sleep and rations. The circumstances would have already broken a lesser man long ago.

"Carth… I know you didn't mean what you said, and Mission… well, she may have misinterpreted what you were trying to say. You're a good guy; you care." He leaned down beside his fellow soldier and chuckled. "Hell, you pulled my sorry ass off the flaming Endar Spire and dragged me through the streets of Taris. Not many people would have done that."

The pilot let a rueful smile slip past his lips. "I haven't treated you the best, Marek; I've been suspicious, hostile… I broke your nose, for Force sakes!"

"Not the first person," he quipped back, tapping his crooked appendage twice.

"What I'm trying to say is… I'm sorry. Whoever you are and what happened with the Spire… well, it doesn't warrant my terrible actions. You've helped every step of the way with this crazy mission, and while I don't always agree with your tactics… you still came through. I still don't trust you completely, but I know you're not a bad guy."

"As far as apologies go-."

"Don't start, Marek," Carth joked, straightening up. "Let's go find Mission."

They took off in the direction the young Twi'lek had disappeared. "I know Mission can be a little… much but try to give her a chance, Onasi. And be patient."

Carth sighed but nodded. "I will, heh she reminds me of-." He stopped himself from finishing and shook his head. "Never mind."

Avner didn't push him. The man had bared his soul enough for one day. The tunnels twisted and turned for miles, and Avner wasn't even sure they were on the right trail. There were multiple doors and side rooms to explore, shafts that stopped abruptly or doubled back to other pathways. The only thing that clued him into the Twi'lek's presence was the evidence she left behind. A gunned down rakghoul here or there, or perhaps a panel displaced, the wires cut and spliced together haphazardly. He touched one of the wires gently, and Mission's face flashed in his mind. Her nimble fingers capped the wire ends together, and her whispers are hurried with a panicked edge.

'Almost there, just hang on a bit longer, Z. Keep fighting.'

"This way," Avner said. They run for a few more minutes, ears peeled for any sound of Mission or the slavers. A low rumble began to reverberate along the decaying catwalks, the shaking growing stronger the further they ran. Deafening roars tore down the shaft, and Avner stopped short, Carth behind him shaking his head.

"What is that?"

Avner crept along the tunnel, the pathway opening up to a massive storage warehouse completely self-contained within the sewers. It appeared to be some kind of staging area for transporting heavy machinery back and forth through the tunnels underneath Taris. Old cargo containers lined the walls, and a massive tilting crane was strung precariously over their heads. Below them, the wide-open space was littered with bones and half-rotting corpses; a hulking creature with colossal jaws opened wide and slammed one of its huge, clawed hands down. The entire room shook at the force of the rancor's blow. A tall brown-furred figure just narrowly missed being crushed.

Zaalbar!

"Hey, let me go!" Mission Vao was struggling in the vice-like grip of one of the slavers. Several other Gamorreans crowded around the makeshift pit, lifting axes and fists up high, exuberant squeals filling the air between the roars.

"Carth, get Mission," Avner said while striding towards the railing and a thick cable reaching all the way to the ground. Force, god, anybody look after him, for he was about to do something incredibly stupid. Something that guaranteed death.

"What are you-."

Too late. He was already sliding down the cable, his booted feet hitting the ferrocrete floor moments later. He dashed forward, pulling his blaster rifle free and aiming at the creature's face. His bolts barely scratched the rancor's thick hide, but it did draw its attention. It also distracted the Gamorreans, who squealed in shock and clanged their weapons against the railing. Good, let them watch him; let them be unaware of Carth. The rancor roared and swiped at him with its massive claws. He ducked and rolled under the blow but wasn't prepared for the hand following the first. He took the brunt of the hit to his chest and was violently thrown back into the wall. The air was forcefully pushed from his lungs, and explosive pain burst across his head and back.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't breathe.

And the rancor was drawing nearer. It bent down, wrapping his body in one massive hand, nearly crushing him. He struggled to move an inch and found he could only shift his left arm a few fractional inches, his right pinned to his body by the creature. If he could just reach his pistol… his fingertips were barely brushing the grip. Come on… just… a… few… more…

The pistol was suddenly in his hand as if summoned by his will alone. No time to dwell on it, though, as the rancor opened its massive jaws wide and dangled him over its open maw. Its yellow teeth were easily the size of one of his legs, a large pink tongue flattening and curling to reveal the dark pit of the monster's throat. He aimed down the creature's gullet, firing off several blasts. It cried out in anger and pain, flinging him around in the air but refusing to let go. He breathed deeply, holding the air in his lungs, and everything paused as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. He leveled his blaster at the rancor's left eye and fired. The soft exposed flesh was immediately boiled and scorched, the monster letting out an ear-shattering roar, dropping him several meters to the ground. He landed heavily on his back and quickly rolled to avoid being trampled by the rampaging beast. His rifle laid a few meters away, and Avner leaped up and dashed for it. He wasn't sure where Zaalbar could be in this fray, only hoping he was wise enough to make himself sparse.

His hands enclosed around the rifle's grip and barrel stock. He quickly scanned the room for anything he could use to stop the deadly rancor. A rifle just wasn't going to cut it. There! The barely tethered crane… if he could just get a clear shot. He whistled, sharpening, and somehow the rancor heard it through its thunderous roars and zeroed in on him. It charged forward, feet shaking the very foundations of the room. Just a little closer. Sweat dripped down his brow, or maybe it was blood… he couldn't be sure. It's nearly upon him now, roars so loud that it nearly rattled the teeth free in his head, and Avner squeezed the trigger. His salvo of shots found its mark, and with a heaving groan, the entire frame of the enormous crane fell. The rancor had no time to process what was happening. Instead, it disappeared beneath a mountainous heap of twisted metal. Avner threw himself to the side to avoid being crushed, dust and debris whipping up all around him; the deafening boom was nearly enough to shatter his eardrums.

He was pretty sure he was deaf now. It's too quiet, and there were no squeals from the Gamorreans or shouting. It shouldn't be this quiet.

"Avner, you okay?" It was Carth. He stood high above him with Mission at his side, and they both looked unhurt. He slowly rose to his feet, his head now ringing, body aching from being thrown about. He waved to Carth to assure him he was okay.

"You saved me."

The soft growls were unmistakable, and Avner turned to see Zaalbar. The young Wookie seemed mostly okay; his left arm was covered in matted blood, and one of his eyes was swollen shut. The soldier pulled his medpac free and cracked it open, removing the only kolto shot and bacta bandages. He carefully wrapped the injured limb and injected the kolto just below the gash, Zaalbar grunting his thanks.

"Big Z! You're okay!"

A tiny blue figure crashed into Zaalbar enthusiastically. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Mission."

"Sorry I was a little late to the rescue, but you're free now! Big Z and Mission, together forever!" She turned and offered Avner an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I… well, sorry I blew up on you. You really came through for Zaalbar and me."

"Don't mention it," he said and nodded at Carth. "I couldn't have done it without Onasi here, though."

Mission was a bit more hesitant to offer him an apology. "Thanks… and I didn't… well I-."

"Mission… it's okay. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry," the pilot murmured, rubbing the back of his neck guiltily.

She beamed up at Carth, then turned to regard him with wonderment. "When you jumped down to help Zaalbar against that rancor, I thought you were a goner, but then you shot it in its ugly mug and dropped that huge crane." She threw her arms up to emphasize the crash.

Zaalbar regarded him with his deep brown eyes. "You have committed the greatest act of kindness and bravery for a Wookie, risking your own life to save mine. There is only one way I can ever repay such an act." The Wookie took a deep breath before continuing. "I, Zaalbar, swear a lifedebt to you, Avner."

"Big Z, are you sure? A lifedebt… that's serious," the Twi'lek said, looking up at her friend in shock.

"Yes, Mission, I am sure. This is a matter of great honor for me and my people, not a decision I would make lightly. If not for this man's selfless act, I would probably be dead…you too."

Mission turned and nodded at him. "This… well, this is huge, Zaalbar swearing a lifedebt to you. Do you know what this means?"

"It's a Wookie loyalty vow, right? Very rare for one to be given to someone outside of their people," Avner replied before addressing the Wookie directly. "Zaalbar, you don't have to do this. You owe me nothing."

The Wookie shook his head. "No, Avner, I do. I have made this most solemn of vows, and a Wookie never reneges on his word. From now on, wherever you go, I will follow; whatever you wish from me, I will do for as long as either of us lives."

"Alright, Zaalbar, I won't stop you, but my life… it's dangerous."

"No danger is great enough to make me forsake my vow to you."

"Well, I guess this means you're stuck with me too. Wherever Big Z goes, I go. Besides, I almost lost you once already – not gonna let that happen again," Mission butted in, coming to stand beside her friend.

"Now hold on-."

Avner waved Carth off and nodded at the strange duo. "Welcome to the squad; I can't say I envy you for joining our crazy mission." He would let them tag along; for now, their knowledge of Taris could prove useful in helping them rescue Bastila. And once the Jedi Princess was safe and they were blasting jets off this world, he would quietly slip away back to his old unit. Back into oblivion. Eventually, the two would return to their normal lives or maybe start a new one amongst the stars. Either way, it wouldn't be his problem.

"Hey, me and Zaalbar thrive off of crazy," she exclaimed, planting her hands firmly on her hips. "Now, from your conversation earlier, you two gents want one secret backdoor into the Vulkar base, am I right?"

They both nodded in unison.

"Then it's your lucky day. Since we're all on the same team now, I can lead you right into those scum sucker's lair! Straight into the belly of the beast, the jaws of-."

"Mission," Zaalbar growled.

She smiled sheepishly in return. "Alright, I can take a hint. Let's go."