Star Wars_ The Old Republic_ Revan - Drew Karpyshyn [92]
Though it had lasted only a second, the meaning was abundantly clear. Meetra was coming to rescue him.
CHAPTER TWENTY
MEETRA FOUGHT TO KEEP the Ebon Hawk steady on its descent through the fierce storms raging in the skies above Kaas City spaceport.
She knew the storm-ravaged world had to be the world Canderous had spoken of; the one Revan had seen in his dreams. The dark side was powerful here. It was strong enough to send a shiver down her spine, but the sensation was infinitely better than the awful nothingness of Nathema.
As she brought the ship in to land, she knew with a sudden and unshakable certainty that Revan was somewhere on this world.
“He’s here, Tee-Three,” she informed her companion, trying to contain her excitement. “I can feel it.”
The droid beeped eagerly.
“It won’t be that easy,” she replied. “I’ll need to scout around a bit, get a feel for this world.”
The droid whistled apprehensively.
“Just stay close and follow my lead,” she told him. “We’ll be fine.”
A few minutes later she had successfully settled the Hawk on one of the spaceport’s many landing pads.
“Nobody here knows I’m a Jedi,” she reminded her astromech companion just before they descended the boarding ramp. “Let’s try to keep it that way.”
Her lightsaber was tucked safely out of sight, and she had changed from her brown robes into black pants and a sleeveless red top. It was unlikely anyone here would recognize the traditional outfit of the Jedi Order, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
A customs official was waiting for them outside the ship—a middle-aged human female. The fact that humans could hold official government positions was a good sign: they were obviously common enough on Dromund Kaas that she wouldn’t automatically draw attention here because of her species.
“Your vessel is unregistered,” the woman told her in Basic, her voice simultaneously accusing and bored. “You’ll have to come with me.”
Meetra wasn’t surprised to be greeted in the familiar language. The Sith had once been an Empire controlling multiple worlds, cultures, and societies; naturally they would fall back on a common language, and Basic was by far the simplest and most widespread choice.
“I like to keep my comings and goings off the record,” she replied.
“That can be arranged,” the woman said with a quick glance to make sure there was nobody within earshot. “Naturally we charge a fee for that kind of premium service.”
Meetra had no idea what kind of currency was used on Dromund Kaas, but she highly doubted they’d take Republic credits. “I converted my funds into something a little easier to carry,” she explained, holding up a small but perfectly cut diamond.
The customs official’s eyes lit up as she stared at the valuable gemstone.
“If you keep my arrival off the record I’ll make sure you’re rewarded once I turn these into something a little easier to spend,” Meetra promised.
The woman’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I have a strict payment-up-front policy,” she said.
“Maybe you could make an exception this one time, seeing as how we’re both human,” Meetra suggested, reaching out with the Force to give the woman’s psyche a gentle nudge.
“I guess I could make an exception this one time,” the woman said with an affable shrug. “Seeing as how we’re both human.”
“I knew we could work something out,” Meetra replied with a smile. “Now, I don’t suppose you’d know the name of someone in the city who’d give me a fair price for my stones?”
“Larvit’s your best bet,” the other woman told her. “He drives a hard bargain, but he won’t try to cheat you. Let me give you the directions.”
Meetra decided to walk to Larvit’s store, rather than hire a speeder. Wandering the streets of Kaas City on foot would give her a better feel for the planet and its people, making it easier to fit in.
The population seemed to be primarily made up of the red-skinned Sith and humans, all dressed in standardized uniforms or military garb. She noticed a handful of Zabrak and Twi’leks; unlike the Sith and humans they