Star Wars The Old Republic: The Jedi Crusader

CHAPTER 8 - MANAAN - MISERY

"One of my rats gave their life for this information, so I hope you're grateful. Styrak is on Mannan. He's been cultivating a lot of Kolto and has an entire section of Ahto City under his control. How he did it in such a short space of time is beyond me. Whatever he's doing is obviously important. I'm sending you the details now."

"Thanks, Rat. We're headed there now." Mara responded.

"Excellent. Contact me upon completion. Rat out."

Mara began to look through the files sent to her by the Rat King before setting the ship's new course for the aquatic planet of Manaan. Passing the hours afterwards with a good sleep, Mara awoke to find the ship landed and docked in a docking bay in the center of the city. Looking around the ship, she couldn't find Grimm or Nico anywhere, despite her searching calls. Concluding that they had gone into the city; she donned a cloak to hide her identity and ventured out into the city.

It was a gloriously sunny day in Ahto, as the blue sky reflected the blue sea that engulfed most of the planet's surface and the city was abuzz with life and was full of people going about their day, a strange, busy kind of peace that wasn't found in many other places. Following her instincts, she walked in further into the city, passing by bounty boards upon which she could see herself. Mara was more insulted than ever when she realised the angle, they had used to capture her likeness. She quickly tied her hair in to a bun under her hood in an effort to hide her iconic crimson locks.

She soon arrived at a cantina on the edge of the central city zone. "'The watering hole'... Great." Mara said to herself before entering. She went to the bar and made sure to keep her face hidden as she sat. The bartender noticed her and slowly approached her, wary of cloaked figures in her establishment.

"So, what'll it be?" The bartender asked.

"Alderaan ale please."

"...Coming right up..." The bartender kept her eye on Mara as she poured the drink, which Mara hastily downed in a few seconds.

"Do you know much about what's happening in the western city?" Mara asked.

"You didn't hear? Place is in quarantine. There's some weird illness going on there and the inhabitants are locked inside their own homes. If you go close enough at night you can hear them howling and willing like they've gone insane. Hope they sort it soon. Until then nobody's allowed in or out. That answer your question?"

"It does." Mara slipped a large credit to the bartender. "Keep the change."

"Right... thanks." The bartender cautiously replied as Mara nodded in affirmation, heading out back towards the western city.

She walked the whole way, keeping a low profile and avoiding close contact to anyone before arriving at the large wall that had been established to divide the city. She kept her distance as she analysed the structure. Mara gasped as a hand was placed on her shoulder causing her to almost draw her weapon in a reflex response.

"Relax, it's us." Nico said from under a cloak of his own.

"Yes, I have unfortunately had the liberty of being entrapped under fabric with this man. The horrors I have seen..." Grimm lamented.

"Oh, shut it. We won every pazaak game we played!" Nico laughed.

"Yes, admittedly that was true..." Grimm pondered.

"You were out here playing pazaak!?" Mara shouted quietly as she slapped Nico on the wrist.

"Ow! We were trying to get info! And we did, thank you very much." Nico reacted in exaggerated pain to the wrist slap.