Force Effect: A Star Wars/Mass Effect Crossover

Bonus Chapter 4: The Undercity

A/N: I always liked this part of the Taris story the best because it finally seemed like you were on an actual adventure instead of just bumming around the upper levels of the city, doing sidequests. Let's be honest: Taris is pretty much just one long tutorial level to help you get used to the game's mechanics and narrative flow and also give you a chance to play as your initial class for a while. Though you shouldn't level up much past 5 or your character will end up not being worth much as a Jedi.

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The Undercity combined the filth and decay of the lower city with darkness and despair. When Anaiya, Carth and Matthias stepped out of the elevator, they found themselves in a makeshift village. They were immediately accosted; as Carth said, "Even the beggars are trying to shake us down!"

The two beggars were chased off by a girl named Shaleena who proceeded to babble on about her dreams of living on the surface, meaning the upper city, since they were technically on the planet's real surface.

Carth had gone to talk to the village leader, Gendar and had left Matthias to wander around the village, searching for information. The Undercity village was a place of nightmarish desolation, where the residents lived in far worse squalor than even the most meager dweller of the lower city. After encountering the paddock where the destitute villagers were forced to lock in their fellows who had been infected with the rakghoul disease, Matthias finally doubled over and retched.

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After recovering himself, Matthias passed by a particularly decrepit tent when a voice called out from its shadowed maw.

"You! You are from the up-world!" called out a voice that was raggedy and wheezy, but still full of a commanding tone. Matthias moved to the entrance of the tent and beheld a small old man sitting cross-legged on the floor next to a dim glow lamp.

"Is this the time of destiny then? Are you a portent of the salvation of my people? Or are you just another false sign to lead us from the true path? Are you the herald of prophecy or another false sign? Tell me what fate you unleash upon us! Salvation or damnation? Speak up-worlder!"

Matthias had a definite feeling that this old man was actually crazy enough to give him problems but at the same time, his instincts told him that it would do no harm to talk with him. He had always trusted his instincts.

"Uh, okay. What do you want of me?"

"A question. You are confused, bewildered, perplexed. Understandable I suppose. Even after a hundred years of life, I myself become befuddled at times. My name is Rukil, the oldest Outcast in the village. Rukil Wrinkle-Skin the children sometimes call me."

"So, again, what do you want from ME Rukil?"

Rukil leaned forward so that the lamplight washed across his ancient, wrinkled face. He studied Matthias very carefully, his pale eyes darting hither and thither.

"No... no not yet. Do I dare to trust you with my secret knowledge? No, you must prove yourself first."

"Seriously?"

"I was once the spiritual leader for this village. But over time the villagers fell away from the true path until only a single apprentice still followed me. Now she is... lost. I sent her out into the Undercity to look for... something. I beg of you up-worlder! Please find my apprentice! Her name is Malya. It will be difficult, she could be anywhere in the Undercity. But I must know what she... found. Please, will you do this boon for an old man on the verge of despair?!

"I'll... I'll try and find her if I can, but my friends and I have our own mission here," said Matthias without really knowing why. Rukil's beaming smile was full of cracked, yellowed teeth.