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[Teneb]

Spoiler: Updoot (click to show/hide)

PART 4 - Mysterious Strangeness

Taris Upper City


We finally reach the surface.


And find our escape pod.


Hint hint


As much as I want to pick the other option, we’ll hear him out.


: I’d like to know some more about you, Carth.
: Me? Well I’ve been a star-pilot for the Republic for years. I’ve seen more than my share of wars… I fought in the Mandalorian Wars before all this started. But with all that, I’ve never experienced anything like the slaughter these Sith animals can unleash. Not even the Mandalorians were that senseless. My home world was one of the first planets to fall to Malak’s fleet. The Sith bombed it into submission, and there wasn’t a damn thing our Republic forces could do to stop them!
: You’re talking like it’s your fault. Like you failed somehow.
: It shouldn’t be my fault. I did everything I could… I followed my orders and did my duty. That shouldn‘t mean I failed them! I didn’t!
: Them? Do you mean the people of your home world?
: Yes. No… no, that’s not what I mean.  I mean… I’m sorry. I’m not making much sense, am I? You probably mean well with your questions. I’m just not accustomed to talking about my past very much. At all, actually. I’m more used to taking action… keeping my mind focused on the business at hand. So let’s just do that. If you have more questions, ask them later.

With the therapy session out of the way, we go into a nearby shop.

Kebla Yurt: You looking for supplies? My shop’s the largest of Upper Taris. Best selection on the planet. Whatever you need, I’ve got. Well, mostly.
: Mostly? What do you mean by that?
Kebla Yurt: The Sith confiscated all my heavy weapons. And they impounded all my ships and swoop bikes. But I’ve got a real nice selection if you’re interested.
: I want to ask some questions.
Kebla Yurt: Anything to help a potential customer out. What do you want to know?
: Do you know anything about those escape pods that crashed hero on Taris?
Kebla Yurt: I heard a couple of pods crashed down in the Undercity. I bet the crash site has been stripped clean by the Sith though – unless the swoop gangs or Davik’s men got there first.
: Swoop gangs? What can you tell me about them?
Kebla Yurt: I don’t have anything good to say about the swoop gangs: zooming around on their swoop bikes, terrorizing the Lower City like a bunch of animals! Things weren’t so bad when the Hidden Beks were running the show, but ever since the rise of the Black Vulkar gang the Lower City has been nothing short of a war zone! The Sith haven’t even bothered trying to maintain order down there, and I heard a rumor that Davik’s own people are having problem with the Black Vulkars now.
: What do you know about Davik?
Kebla Yurt: Oh, Davik’s a legitimate businessman, if you get my drift: smuggling, slaving, extortion. Uh huh. They say he’s a member of the Exchange – you know, the big intergalactic criminal organization.
: Hmm. I’ve heard of the Exchange. Bad organization to cross. If anyone has blockade-breaking ships, however, it’s them.
Kebla Yurt: I have to pay him a protection fee, but it’s reasonable. And I get most of my inventory through Davik and his suppliers – I’m just smart enough not to ask where it came from, you understand?

We can also ask about the Sith, but she refuses to talk much about them. I do some shopping and head on my way.

We head to the next logical location: the bar cantina.





: Who are you?
Niklos: My name is Niklos. I’m the unofficial champion of the Pazaak circuit here on Taris. If you don’t mind losing your wager we could play a few hands.
: I want to play Pazaak, but I don’t have a deck.
Niklos: You don’t even have your own deck? Then why are you bothering me? You can’t play Pazaak without your own deck! If you’re serious about Pazaak, go speak to old Garouk on the other side of the tavern. His gambling days are over, and he’s looking to sell his deck.


Garouk: Just fifty credits and I’ll sell you all my cards. I’ll even throw in a free lesson to boot. It’s a great deal, if you can afford it.

We buy it. Here is how it works. Each player has a preset deck you cannot change and a side-deck made of 10 cards you can select from a pool. There are three sets of cards for the side deck. We start with one, which is composed of two of each: +1, +2, +3, +4, +5. We can eventually find cards that are -1, -2, -3, -4, -5. Much rarer are the +/- 1, +/- 2, +/- 3, +/- 4, +/- 5 cards. You can pick and match them as you will, as long as you select 10 in total. Once that is done, you make a bet and the game starts. Players take turns drawing cards from the main deck. Each card has a value from 1 to 10. The objective is to get to 20 or as close to it as possible. At any time you can choose to stop drawing and keep the current score. If you got over 20, the opponent automatically wins the round. Win three rounds, and you win the game, doubling your bet. At the start of the match, you draw 4 cards from the side deck. You can play them once per turn to help you hit 20, you don’t get to draw any more cards though. It is very RNG based until you can get the +/- cards, which won’t be in a while. If you are willing to savescum, though, you can use it to farm money. Niklos there is the only player on the cantina willing to do play, so I farm him a bit. Winning against him allows us to talk to the lady next to Niklos.


Christya: You know, you’re just my kind of guy; rich and handsome – just the way I like them. Why don’t we slip away to the tap room together? The bartender can mix us up something special for only twenty credits. If you play your cards right Pazaak might not be the only game you get lucky at tonight.

Sounds like a gold digger. Of course we give her the money.

: Sounds good to me! Here’s 20 credits.
Christya: I love a man who’s not afraid to spend his credits! I’ll meet you in the tap room. Don’t be long – I’m not a patient girl.

On the way there, it seems she has made a… detour.


Noble: I can trace my lineage back five generations to one of the founding houses of Taris. In fact… uh, we seem to have some unexpected company, my darling.
Christya: Oh don’t pay attention to him. He’s just some Pazaak player I met. He’s not an actual noble, like you! C’mon sweetie… let’s go back to your mansion.

Well, there goes our whole 20 credits.


: You’re from the military base? You don’t look like one of the Sith.
Sarna: I’m off duty right now, so I’m not in uniform. My name is Sarna – junior officer first class of the with the Sith occupation force.
: Nice to meet you Sarna. I’m Deth Sord.
Sarna: I’m actually surprised you are talking to me at all… most of the people here on Taris can’t stand us Sith. It can make this job pretty lonely.
: [Persuade] You’re just doing your job, right? I don’t hold that against you.
Sarna: Save the sympathetic best friend act. I’m not buying it. But I don’t want to fill out a bunch of paperwork on my day off, so let’s just pretend this conversation never happened. Now move along.

Unfortunately we didn’t have enough Persuasion score to make that check. We move on.


Male Fan: Who cares? It’s Duncan and Gerlon fighting. It’s not like we’re going to miss anything good.
Female Fan: Shh! They’re about to start, so quit complaining and just watch the view screen!








Gerlon draws.

Duncan… draws?

Oops.







Well, that was exciting and certainly doesn’t seem like a sidequest at all! While we recover from all that excitement, we talk to everyone.

First is the Rodian, Twitch.


Twitch: Blast away! Open fire! Shoot, kill, maim!
: Uh… okay. Goodbye, then.
Twitch: Ready Aim Fire!! Is your trigger as itchy as mine?


: Who are you?
Deadeye Duncan: I’m Deadeye Duncan, the number five ranked duelist in this cantina. You must have seen me in the dueling chambers, right?
: Dueling Chambers?
Deadeye Duncan: You know – the dueling chambers: two people in combat, loser gets carried out unconscious on a stretcher. It’s the only reason people come into this part of the cantina. Look, I’m the number five ranked duelist around here; I don’t have time to explain all this. Go talk to the Duel Organizer if you’re interested. He’s that Hutt over there in the corner.
: You’re the number five ranked duelist? Out of how many?
Deadeye Duncan: Uh… five. But it’s an elite group, okay? It’s like just anyone can step into the dueling chamber! Well, actually anyone can… but not many do!
: You don’t look so tough. I think I can beat you in a duel.
Deadeye Duncan: Big talk. Go speak with the Hutt in the corner to back it up – he’s the Duel Organizer. I’ll look forward to our match. Fresh meat is just what I need to end my losing streak!


: Duel Ring? What are you talking about?
Gerlon Two-Fingers: I don’t have time to answer your questions – I need to stay focused for my next match. Maybe Ajuur can help you out. He’s the Hutt over in the corner. He arranges all duels.


: Do I know you?
Marl: No, we’ve never met. It’s just that most people who come here to watch the duels are bored nobles looking for a little excitement in their drab lives. But you’re different. You look like you know a thing or two about combat. I’m guessing you didn’t come here to sit on the sidelines and watch a duel. Are you looking for a match?

We can say yes, in which case he points us to the Hutt.


Ice: I’m here to take care of business in the dueling ring, not have some slack-jawed, goggle-eyed man slobber all over me. So back off!
: Wow – that was cold!
Ice: Now you know why they call me Ice. If you’re looking for a match, just go talk to Ajuur. He’s that big Hutt over there in the corner. Otherwise, just go away.


Ajuur: My name is Ajuur. I organize all the duels here. We need a new face in the dueling game, human. Maybe you want step into the duel ring? It can be a highly profitable venture.

Ajuur is interesting for a reason: most aliens just have an audio clip looping while they speak. Hutts, however, actually speak in Huttese, and you can hear the pauses, his name and such even if you can’t understand it.

: I might be interested - what’s in this for me?
Ajuur: I can arrange for you to fight in the duel ring. If you win, you get the standard contract: 10% of all wagers. And don’t worry, nobody dies in the duel ring anymore. Death matches are illegal now. Most fighters in the duel ring use vibroblades or stun sticks because the ring’s pretty small, but a few of the duelists use blasters. Use whichever you prefer.
: Vibroblades and blasters? And nobody ever dies? How come I get the feeling you’re trying to take us for a ride?
Ajuur: The duel ring has energy suppressor fields to make sure nobody dies. Weapons are limited so they hurt, but don’t kill. And we’ve got a medical droid in case of serious injuries. Are you interested?
: Let’s do it.

DUEL 1 – DEADEYE DUNCAN







Duncan’s a joke. He goes down in the first flurry.




We can then gloat.

: Wow - you sure have a bad attitude.
Deadeye Duncan: Gee, I wonder why? Couldn’t have anything to do with being the WORST duelist on Taris, could it? Even a rookie like you got the better of me! Look, I admit it – you’re better than me. Everyone is better than me! A blindfolded, one-legged tach with a rusty knife could probably beat me, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? You satisfied yet? Are you happy now that you’ve taken the last shred of dignity I have?
: Yeah, I’m happy now.
Deadeye Duncan: Oh. Well… okay. Goodbye, I guess.

I have no explanation to Duncan’s reaction at the end. Maybe he was surprised by our blunt honesty?


Gerlon Two-Fingers: Go talk to Ajuur, the Duel Organizer, if you want to step up to the big leagues. I’ll show you what it’s like to fight a real duelist.




Ice: Wrong! Just because we’re both duelists doesn’t mean we’re suddenly friends. So give me some space, Stranger. I’ve got nothing more to say to you.


Ajuur: I always pay my debts. You won, so you get paid. Ten percent of the purse – that was the deal.  Here’s your credits. You come see me when you’re ready to fight again.

So yeah, after each duel you get some money. And you don’t pay to fight either.

Ajuur: Ah, Mysterious Stranger… I knew you’d be back. They all come back. You fought well last time. People like you, Stranger. They bet lots on your last fight. They’ll be [sic] more on your next fight. You get ten percent, same as always.

DUEL 2 – GERLON TWO-FINGERS






Gerlon is a very different fight. He hits frequently and can deal some hurt. I had to use two medkits in this fight, but he eventually went down.





Ajuur: You want to set up another fight, right? It’s in your blood now, like a virus. You need to hear the cheers of the crowd; you need the rush of battle… you need to fight again. You are ready to go against Ice, human. She’s tough, but so are you. There’ll be lots of action in this fight… a huge purse! You ready?[/i]

DUEL 3 – ICE






Ice is tough. Really tough. So I use my special tactic: boom. It works.





Ice: You’re good – very good. But you’re wrong if you think that I’m suddenly going to warm up to you. Truth is, I really don’t have anything more to say, so you might as well move on.


Deadeye Duncan: That’s right – I said lucky! Lucky to be born with the kind of talent I’ve spent a life time trying to build. It isn’t fair, I tell you!


Marl: If you’re going to keep climbing the ranks, then I guess I’m next on your hit list, kid. I’m looking forward to it.


Ajuur: You’ve got a real talent for this game, Stranger. I think it’s time you fought Marl. He’s getting up there in years, but he’s still very, very good. He used to be the duel champion.

DUEL 4 – MARL






Marl can wreck your shit. In one hit he consistently took away 80% of my health. I had to inject myself with all my stimpacks and use medkits every time he hit. Fortunately, his accuracy is sub-par, so I could wither him down.






Marl: First it was Twitch I couldn’t handle. Now it’s you and Twitch. Pretty soon there’ll be another young hotshot clawing past me in the rankings. This game’s been good to me, but my time is done. I need to get away from the duel rings for a while, think things over. Goodbye, Stranger – I wish you all the best.

He is serious about it, he will walk out of the cantina after that. Goodbye Marl, you were the toughest fighter here.


Gerlon Two-Finger: But don’t cocky, kid! One day it’ll happen to you too! Time catches up to us all, sooner or later. Well, everyone except Bendak Starkiller.

Who’s this awesomely named person?


Ajuur: You’ve beaten almost everyone, human. I think you ready [sic] to fight Twitch. Twitch might be crazy, but he’s the best in the game. If you can beat him, you’ll be the new champion.

DUEL 5 – TWITCH







I found Twitch really easy. He shoots a lot, but dealt very little damage in the few occasions he hit. Maybe I got lucky.





Deadeye Duncan: Shows what I know. Enjoy your stay at the top, Stranger. Sooner or later someone will come along to knock you down here with the rest of us grinders!

We talk to some fans, and then Twitch.





Ajuur: The bad news is that I don’t have anyone left to fight you – you’re too good for your own good. Nobody wants to go in the ring with you. The only one left who’ll fight you is Bendak Starkiller, but he’s retired. Too bad. People would pay a fortune to see you fight Bendak.

Hmm… It’s almost like the game is trying to say we’ll meet this Bendak. But that would be silly.


Oh, hi there.


Bendak Starkiller: But I only fight in death matches, and not too many people are willing to step into the ring knowing they won’t ever come out. How ‘bout you, Stranger? You think you got what it takes?
: You’re on, Bendak! Name the time and place!

The next screenshot got corrupted. But, he tells us to talk to Ajuur to set up the match. I won’t do that right away, though, since Bendak doesn’t kid around. We’ll need better gear and levels to take him on.

Spoiler: BONUS: Deadeye Duncan’s Revenge (click to show/hide)

BONUS - Deadeye Duncan's Revenge


This will be necessary. He is just that bad.

After FIVE MINUTES of trying to hit me, he finally manages to get me down.

[hector13]

Spoiler: semi-cheating nonsense plus spoilers for later in the game (click to show/hide)

about the only time I ever used some of the chemically drug things to increase your attributes? (strength and such) that makes it easier to deal with Bendak at earlier levels.

I also used this so I didn't have to level up until you get off-planet, so you can get more Jedi levels later. It can be quite finicky though.

[Teneb]

Spoiler: semi-cheating nonsense plus spoilers for later in the game (click to show/hide)

about the only time I ever used some of the chemically drug things to increase your attributes? (strength and such) that makes it easier to deal with Bendak at earlier levels.

I also used this so I didn't have to level up until you get off-planet, so you can get more Jedi levels later. It can be quite finicky though.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I won't be concerning myself on not getting many levels on Taris that much. You can easily complete the game without that. Besides, I'm running on Normal.

[Teneb]

Spoiler: Here we go again (click to show/hide)

PART 5 - When in Rome...

We return to Taris’ Upper City.

Taris Upper City

The upper city is composed of two symmetrical areas… in more than one way. They are two long platforms with 2 paths on each end.



The side we started on housed the apartment block where our hideout is and opposite that both the equipment store and the cantina.


On the opposite side, near to the entrance to the northern half of the Upper City we find a dilemma.



Human Thug: Sorry you’re out of time. Now it’s all or nothing. Davik can’t have people not paying his debts!
Merchant: But I don’t have that much! How can I give you credits you do not have?
Aqualish: That’s too bad. Davik’s going to want to make an example out of you! You’re coming with us.
Merchant: No – help! Somebody help! They’re going to kill me!
: *whisper* I know we need to be careful about drawing attention to ourselves, but are we just going to let them drag this guy off?
Human Thug: Hold on a second. Looks like we got ourselves a witness here!
Aqualish Thug: Davik doesn’t like witnesses.
: I don’t like your attitude. I better teach you a lesson.

The above dialogue is important to us. We had three options: tell them to leave the man alone (gives light points), let them take the man (dark points), or pick a fight (neither).

Aqualish Thug: Guess we have to teach you to mind your own business!



Merchant: Now I can’t pay him back. It’s not good to owe a crime lord money. He’ll just keep sending more bounty hunters after me until I’m dead.

We could offer to help him pay it back, that is a light choice so no. We can also rob him, which is obviously dark, again no. Fortunately, we have a third option.

: I’m just glad I could help.
Merchant: I’m getting out of here before any more of Davik’s goons show up. You should do the same.

He then runs off, and our only reward is the lack of points to either side.

We find a clinic and enter, and are “greeted” by a man there.



Zelka Forn: Do you require healing or medical supplies? I can treat almost any injury or ailment right here at the medical facility, except rakghoul disease, of course.
: Rakghoul disease? What’s that?
Zelka Forn: Prolongued exposure to the Undercity breeds the disease and those infected will eventually mutate into rakghouls themselves, becoming mindless beasts that feed on the flesh of others.
: Is there no cure?
Zelka Forn: There is no antidote for the disease, though I heard the Republic scientists at the military base here on Taris were close to perfecting a cure. Then the Sith arrived. They overran the military base and now refuse to allow anyone access to the laboratories inside. The Sith are keeping all the serum for the patrols they send into the Undercity. If I could just get my hands on a sample of that serum the Rakghoul disease could be wiped from the face of Taris forever. But I don’t see how that’s going to happen.
: I might be able to help you… for a price.
Zelka Forn: I couldn’t afford to give you more than a few medpacs and a couple of credits. The medical center can barely afford to stay open as it is. But it hardly matters anyway. I don’t see how anyone could get their hands on the serum. The military base is crawling with Sith guards. Breaking in there would be a suicide mission. I suppose the Sith patrols in the Undercity might have a sample of the serum on them, if they haven’t already used it because of a rakghoul infection. But I doubt a patrol would just hand the serum over. And nobody’s stupid enough to attack one of the Sith patrols, even in the Undercity.
: Don’t worry Zelka – I’ll get that serum for you!
Zelka Forn: Please don’t say that! If the Sith hear you they might think I’m suggesting attacking their patrols. They could shut me down! I only mentioned the serum because you asked. I don’t actually expect anyone to get me the serum. Now, is there anything I can do for you?

So now we have a sidequest. We could give it to him for light points. We’ll be doing it, but I’ll decide whether to hand it to him or get the dark option depending on how the alignment is shifting. Furthermore, Zelka will heal us for free. Yes, free. He also sells medical supplies, and I buy some medpacks and stims. When I turn to leave, I am intercepted by an… interested party.


: An offer? What are you talking about?
Gurney: Zelka isn’t the only one who wants to get his hands on the rakghoul serum. Davik Kang will pay you ten times what Zelka can if you can get the cure.
: Why do you care who gets the cure?
Gurney: Look, Zelka can’t afford to pay me much. If you sell the serum to Davik, I can probably get a nice finder’s fee for directing you to him.
: Where can I find Davik if I want to give him the cure?
Gurney: Davik isn’t the kind of guy you just walk up to, you know? He likes to keep his business at arm’s length. The best thing to do is take the rakghoul serum to Zax. He runs the Lower city Bounty office, but everyone knows he also works for Davik. He’ll make it worth your while.
: What if I tell Zelka you’re helping Davik get the cure?
Gurney: Hmph. I’ll just deny it. Who’s Zelka going to believe – me, or some off-world stranger? Now, be smart about this. You’ll get a better deal selling to Davik.
: I’ll keep your offer in mind.

We head straight to the north city, but I’ll show it off in a moment. First, we have a side area to visit.



Aqualish: Please – I’m only a visitor to Taris, trapped here by your quarantine. I know nothing about the Tarisian underground or your missing Sith uniforms!
: What’s going on in there?
Sith Guard: You’re a little too curious for your own good, civilian! This doesn’t concern you!
: *whispers* I know all about Sith interrogations. This isn’t going to end well.
Sith Interrogator: I’m getting sick of your lies, you alien scum! We got your ugly mug on a security tape from the base! Start talking before I splatter your slimy brains all over the room!
Sith Guard: Uh oh, I think the commander’s losing his temper. I’m glad I’m out here – it took me an hour to clean the blood stains from my uniform after the last interrogation.
: Maybe the alien doesn’t know anything.
Sith Guard: Just stay out of this, if you know what’s good for you.
: I won’t let you kill a defenseless prisoner!
Sith Interrogator: What was that? Did I hear your right? ‘Let’ us kill him? How can you stop us? Time to teach this civilian the penalty for defying the Sith!

We fight them, they die. And we find something truly important.


A Sith trooper armour. It has absolutely shit stats. But we can have some fun with it.



That trooper there isn’t Carth. It’s a third guard who became hostile but took too long to get to me. Combat will resume after the conversation.

: Why were those Sith interrogating you?
Aqualish: I… I don’t know. They thought… they thought I was part of some underground resistance. I don’t know why they would suspect me… I’m completely innocent.
: Is there any kind of reward for saving you?
Aqualish: I’m sorry, but I have nothing. As I tried to tell my captors during the interrogation, I am a poor traveller trapped here by the Sith quarantine – nothing more.
: Go on, get out of here.
Aqualish: Yes… I have no desire to be here when another patrol comes to investigate these deaths. Goodbye, and thank you once again.

We still get light side points here, despite my attempts at extortion. Furthermore, this Aqualish is a lying bastard. He actually is a member of the hidden beks gang and actually has been stealing Sith uniforms to sell to the gangers, but I didn’t pick the dialogue choices for that.

I finish exploring the apartments, finding a man.

Largo: Here – I’ve got 50 credits on me. That’s all I’ve got. It’s yours – just don’t tell Davik where I’m hiding, okay? I’m begging you.
: Give me the credits and I won’t tell Davik you’re hiding here.
Largo: Here –take the credits. But please, just don’t tell Davik where I’m hiding. He’ll kill me if he find me!
: I know we might need credits, but we there has to be a better way to get them than this!

Damn it Carth, I’m trying to stay neutral here! As you may have guessed, this is an Evil Action and gives dark points.[/i]

Let’s use that Sith suit, shall we?

Largo: If… if you want to search the place go ahead. I’ve got nothing to hide from you.

Let’s go back and visit the various places we’ve been to while pretending to be Sith.





: I’ve got some questions.
Kebla Yurt: Questions? Oh, I… I don’t know anything. Nothing you Sith would find interesting, anyway. I’m just a simple shopkeeper.
: I’ll be going now.
Kebla Yurt: Oh, good. I mean, goodbye. Please come back whenever… uh… whenever you want, I guess.


: I’m not on duty right now.
Sith Guard: Then you should not be in full uniform! If you’re off duty go change your outfit. If not, go back to your patrol route!

We can’t go into the cantina while disguised, so we only have one area left to re-visit.



Dia: Go ahead and search my apartment again, if you want. You’ll find the same thing as last time… nothing.


Okay, this is the last time we see this guy. Really.

Proceeding back to the northern part of the Upper City, we find a small crowd three men.

Gorton Colu: Friends and fellow humans – I bring you a warning! A warning of a great plague spreading across our planet! Please, listen to me! My name is Gorton Colu. Will you join my cause? We must band together if we are to stop the spread of vermin and scum throughout Taris!
: Vermin and scum? What are you talking about?
Gorton Colu: I speak of the hideous looking aliens who walk the world of Taris! The Wookies and Ithorians and Rodian and Bith – all of them! Listen, friend, for these are dark times. That is why I, Gorton Colu, have formed the Anti-Alien League. The time has come for action! We cannot sit idly by while aliens blight our glorious planet!
: I see… well, good luck in your crusade.
Gorton Colu: Remain true to the cause, friend. Enlightened humans such as yourself are few and far between – but we shall triumph when the day of reckoning comes!

The Imperium of Man approves of this message.


Gorton Colu: Feel free to stay and listen if you wish. You’ll find my message most enlightening.

Proceeding further, we find an elevator.

Sith Trooper: It’s obvious from the way you’re dressed that you are not one of the Sith patrols, so unless you have the authorization papers you must move along!
: Where can I get authorization papers?
Sith Trooper: If you were supposed to get them you’d know where to get them. Now quit wasting my time and move along.
: I’ll be going now.
Sith Trooper: Move along then.
: *whispers* We’re going to need some kind of disguise if we want to get past this guy.


This is the military base. We can’t do anything there for now.

We’ll check out the droid shop instead. We find two utility droids: T3-M4 and T3-H8


Janice Nall: Always good to see a new face – customers are hard to come by. A lot of Taris citizens won’t even come here; they refuse to shop at a store owned by a Twi’lek.
: What do they have against Twi’leks?
Janice Nall: They don’t like aliens much here in Upper Taris. They tolerate us Twi’leks, but they’d rather see us as dancers in the cantina than successful business owners.
: You’d think people would be a little more tolerant of others in this day and age. *sigh* I guess stupidity and ignorance will never go out of style.
Janice Nall: You’ll see a few aliens around, but most of the non-humans stick to the Lower City. I’ve learned not to dwell on it, though. I try to stay focused on running my store. My selecting is a bit limited right now – the Sith confiscated all my assault droids. But I’ve got a utility droid you might find interesting.
: Utility droids? What do they do?
Janice Nall: What don’t they do? They’re great at making vehicle repairs, for starters. Pretty handy to have in a fight – small, but though with a surprising amount of firepower. And there is no better code breaker of security system slicer around… not that I’d ever condone you doing anything illegal, of course.
: Let me see your droids.
Janice Nall: I’ve only got two droids left: a rebuilt T3-H8 unit for 50 credits and a top of the line T3-M4 model with all the options. But he’s not for sale.
: I’ll take the T3-H8 unit. Here’s 50 credits.

And just like that, we have a new companion. Doesn’t have a lot to say though.




RIP T3-H8


: It blew up. I came to get my money back.
Janice Nall: It blew up? Huh, I thought I’d taken care of that little cross-wiring problem. Well, don’t worry – I run an honest business here. I don’t have to give you a refund, but I don’t want to lose a customer. Here… have you 50 credits back. No hard feelings, right?
: No hard feelings.
Janice Nall: Glad to hear it. I can’t afford to make my customers unhappy… business is tough enough as it is. So, anything else you need?

She also sells droid-specific equipment and repair kits (droid medpacks), thus spoiling the fact that we’ll get a droid party member in the future.



Then I had a few technical problems and had to replay most of this section. Fortunately, I have three saves I rotate (one for each session of play).

Turns out I missed another encounter in the Upper City. There is one other too, but it only triggers once we’ve been to the Lower City once, from what I’ve seen.


Drunk 1: Shouldn’t you go back to the lower city, shlummie?
: Well, this is rich.
Drunk 2: Yeah, like he said, these shtreets are for Upper City citizens! You better get out of our way if you know what’s good for you!
: [Persuade] Hey, guys, we can all be friends here. Let me buy you a drink.
Drunk 1: A drink? Hey – for a shlummie you ain’t so bad! Come on boys –this shlummie’s buying the next round!
Drunk 3: No way! Forget it! No more drinksh! We’re late enough as it is.
Drunk 1: Uh… yeah. I guess you’re right. Maybe next time, shlummie. [hic] Come on fellas, let’s go.

It nets us light points, sadly.

For your convenience, here is the other encounter I mentioned.



For the record, there are two kids near this Ithorian.

Boy: Get out of here, you goggle-eyed freak! You’re too ugly for the Upper City!
Girl: Yeah – go back where you came from! We don’t want your kind up here!
Ithorian: Uhn! Please - human! Help me! Maybe these offspring of your species will listen to you.
: Sorry, I don’t want to get involved!
Boy: Yeah – why would a human want to help you, freak?
: Hey, aren’t you…? Hey, hey stop that, you kids! Leave him alone!
Girl: Why do you care what happens to some scummy alien? He’s just a freak!
Boy: Yeah – he isn’t even supposed to be in the Upper City!
: Get out of here you punks or you’ll be the ones in pain!
Boy: Ahh!! Run for !

The Ithorian then thanks us but gives no reward. Being kind of a dick there results in no points either way.

With nearly everything we can do in the Upper City out of the way  (Bendak is still too strong for us, I tried), it’s time for the Lower City.


Sith Guard: You better watch yourself: those gangs will take a shot at anyone – even us! It’s too bad we don’t have the manpower to just sweep those slums clean.


Welcome to the Lower City, and look, the locals are already showing us the local culture!










If you’re not using the Sith disguise, the last screenshot is this instead:


The gangers are easily defeated, and this is where I’ll end this update.  We’ll have to choose a gang to favour. Beks or Vulkars. Light or Dark. Keep in mind that this will tilt my character in either direction, which means that I may be forced to pick certain choices without input later down the line. I will show off whichever path we do not take, though, so rest easy.

[hector13]

You're being very thorough; I like it

[Teneb]

You're being very thorough; I like it

I actually cut some dialogue here and there. Not counting play time, it takes about 5 hours in total to transcribe, add commentary, decide which screenshot goes where and finally upload and swap the numbers I place in the text for the image codes.

Also T3-H8 was the best party member. It never complained, never questioned, never was a load in combat. Sure, he only joined the group for a few steps, but it was a magical time. I'm putting him the in the OP.

[Teneb]

Spoiler: It lives! (click to show/hide)

BONUS - Death of a Star

This is bonus update while I don’t get the real one going.

Let’s see what our fellow duelists think of our chances.


Ice: You think I’m cold and hard, wait until you step into the ring with him. He’s a natural born killer. You had great potential Stranger. Too bad you are going to throw it all away.




Ajuur: Not too many people want to fight a death match anymore. Some are scared, others think it’s wrong to kill someone for credits. I guess that’s why they’re illegal now.
: Let’s get on with the match!

I also had the option of saying that maybe it was indeed wrong to kill someone for cash. That gives us light points. What I actually chose gives some much needed dark points. Besides, we’ll be killing people for cash pretty damn soon.

Ajuur: This fight is different from most, of course. We’ll turn off the energy suppressor, so weapons won’t be limited – they can kill. Anything goes. So, you ready to fight this match now?
: I’m ready!
Ajuur: Good. Excellent. High wagering means lots of credits for the winner on this match. Come see me after the fight to collect your credits – if you are still alive.

DEATHMATCH – BENDAK STARKILLER








I couldn’t take many screenshots from the fight. The reason being that Bendak is a beast. He opens with three plasma grenades that could one-shot me. So I had to run around until the third one was thrown. He switches between ranged and melee depending on how close you are, and can easily murder you in a few blows. He has excellent accuracy and dodges a lot. It took quite a few tries before I managed to defeat him by chain-stunning him with a stun baton I found in the Lower City.





So let’s talk to all our adoring fans fellow duelists.


Gerlon Two-Finger: I mean, nobody’s going to be stupid enough to go up against you anymore – not even Twitch! Kind of funny, isn’t it? You win the big match, and you kill your career!


Ice: As a little girl I used to dream of meeting him one day. When I finally did, the guy was a complete slime ball. Made me realize I had to be cold and ruthless to survive, like him. And now he’s dead. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere. Something for me to think about, at least. Congratulations again, Stranger… and goodbye.


Never change, Duncan. Never change.

Twitch is an idiot whose dialogue did not change since I defeated him.


: Glad you enjoyed it. Now where’s my share of the purse?
Ajuur: Everyone’s going to be talking about you now, Stranger. They’re all going to know you are the one who killed Bendak Starkiller. You’re famous now.

Another case of screenshot corruption. He gives us loads of cash. I also pass a persuade check to get even more money.


Kebla Yurt: If times weren’t so rough I’d give you a discount, seeing as you’re a big celebrity and all. But with the Sith occupation I can barely afford to keep the doors open.

And so ends the tale of the Mysterious Stranger. Who came out of nowhere to grace the arenas of Taris with never before seen skill. And he walked off, to never again grace that cantina with his presence.

[hector13]

I used to take a lot of the... medicinal battle supplements(?) for that fight with Bendak.

I'm surprised my character didn't just come out of the arena and murder everyone in sight with all the combat drugs in their system.

[ATHATH]

There's another way to get a sith suit: you can go to a sith party, and wait until everyone passes out. In one of their backpacks, there's a suit.

I'm tempted to try to convince you to go full on dark side (do you have a reason for being neutral?): I'm going through this currently as a light side character, and I want to know what it's like on the flip side of the coin. Plus, if you go dark side and invest in mind control feats, you can commit an act that has (so far) recieved two votes on another forum for the most evil act you can commit in videogame history:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

If you are evil enough, Mission and Big Z will eventually turn on you. You can fight them normally, or you can mind control Big Z (if you have the feats) and force him to bisect/shoot/strangle (depends on his equipped weapon) Mission, who is the closest thing he has to a little sister and is his best friend, and who has been at his side for years. Big Z goes cataconic after he realizes what he's done, and doesn't bother you anymore (you monster).

[Teneb]

There's another way to get a sith suit: you can go to a sith party, and wait until everyone passes out. In one of their backpacks, there's a suit.

I'm tempted to try to convince you to go full on dark side (do you have a reason for being neutral?): I'm going through this currently as a light side character, and I want to know what it's like on the flip side of the coin. Plus, if you go dark side and invest in mind control feats, you can commit an act that has (so far) recieved two votes on another forum for the most evil act you can commit in videogame history:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

If you are evil enough, Mission and Big Z will eventually turn on you. You can fight them normally, or you can mind control Big Z (if you have the feats) and force him to bisect/shoot/strangle (depends on his equipped weapon) Mission, who is the closest thing he has to a little sister and is his best friend, and who has been at his side for years. Big Z goes cataconic after he realizes what he's done, and doesn't bother you anymore (you monster).

Killing the Sith is easier and I can show off that the Sith were actually correct in that case. I will be showing off whatever paths I don't pick, and the neutrality is a request by Mastahcheese. I will be showing off the scene in the spoiler, but I disagree on the most evil part. No updates for now because it's a pain to transcribe with a single screen (can't use my second one because the PC had to be moved to another room, thanks to a load-bearing column needing repairs). Hopefully I'll get to use my second screen again tomorrow.

EDIT: Due to a lot of corrupted screenshots (thanks to a poorly connected hard drive, I'll probably have to re-play the game up until the point the last update ended.

[ATHATH]

EDIT: Due to a lot of corrupted screenshots (thanks to a poorly connected hard drive, I'll probably have to re-play the game up until the point the last update ended.

Aw.

[Teneb]

Spoiler: Now returning to our still schedule-less LP (click to show/hide)

PART 6 - Therapist, Dancer, Mercenary

Before I continue where I left off, a few notes. First, a lot of screenshots got corrupted, so I ended up having to replay the whole game. I already killed Dia (the only human woman in our starting apartment block) and also kill Largo. I remembered to take screenshots from his demise, though. Some among you may remember I absolutely did not note down their names when transcribing dialogue. I went back and edited their names in (they featured in updates 3 and 5). You can also click most images to expand them, in case they're too small.


: Maybe I should just kill you and collect the bounty.
Largo: I knew you were here to kill me! Well, I won’t go down without a fight!

Why are we doing all this random killing and dark side actions? Because we’ll be getting huge numbers of light points pretty soon. I think I manage to finish Taris still neutral due to a lot of bipolar behaviour.

Also happened on the way to the lower city that did not occur before (I think) was this conversation with our BFF, Carth.


*hint hint*
: Yes? What’s on your mind?
: Is this a good time to ask you some more questions?
: I guess I did say you could ask me questions later, didn’t I? Is this really necessary?
: I just would like to know you better.

Therapy sessions are mandatory, Carth. You are in a Bioware RPG. You should know this by now.

: Oh. Well, if it’s an interrogation you wanted, why didn’t you say so?
: This isn’t an interrogation. I never said that!
: No, I was just joking, though you do seem to be full of questions. It’s rather refreshing, to be honest. Let me ask you something first, though. I’ve been going through the battle aboard the Endar Spire over and over in my head since we crashed. Some things just don’t add up for me. Maybe you could tell me what happened… from your perspective.

“Well, Trask betrayed us to the Sith.”
“Who is Trask?”
“…Nevermind.”

: Like you said when we first met: Bastila didn’t have time to use her powers.
: :True. Bastila is as powerful as they say… she’s the one who defeated Darth Revan, after all. Hmm. I guess that no Jedi ability, no matter how powerful, makes up for being completely surprised and outmatched. We didn’t choose that battle, anyway. It got forced on us. Hell, I’m just surprised that any of us are alive to talk about it. Come to think of it, it’s more than a little surprising that you happen to be here isn’t it? Just what is your position within the Republic fleet, anyway?
: I’m a scout. I was recruited into the fleet for my skills, if you must know.

“I’m totally not a Sith infiltrator.“

: Well, that makes sense. Still… it seems a bit strange that someone who was a last minute addition to the crew roster is one of the survivors.
: Are you implying *I* had something to do with the crash?
: No. Well… maybe. Don’t get me wrong, it just seems odd that someone Bastila’s party specifically requested to transfer aboard happened to survive.
: Why would Bastila request my transfer?
: The Jedi requested numerous things when they came aboard… hell, they practically took over the ship, as far as I could tell. Considering your connection to Bastila and the Jedi… whether you know it or not… your presence here seems a little convenient. I’m probably wrong and this is probably nothing, I know. I learned a long time ago no to take things at face value, however. And I *hate* surprises.
: What do you mean by surprises?
: I mean I have to expect the unexpected. Just to be safe.
: Are you always this suspicious?
: Look… it has nothing to do with you, personally. I don’t trust anyone, and I have my reasons. And no, I’m not going to discuss them. So can we just keep our mind on more important things?
: I consider this important.
: Alright. Alright. You’re pretty damned tenacious, you know that? We’ll talk about it… but later. Right now I just want to get going.

Taris Lower City


We engage the Vulkars where we left off at the last update. If you don’t recognize the species that seems to be prevalent in the Vulkars (and I don’t blame you for it, I had to do some searching), they are Nikto.


In the background is the entrance to the Vulkar base. We’ll visit it eventually. I clear out the guards in front of it and do some looting, but there is little of note.


   
Heading to the door across from the elevator to the Upper City, we enter one of the two apartment blocks in the Lower City. It is packed full of Vulkars.


We also meet someone special.

: What are you doing in here? This place looks abandoned!
Matrik: None of your business. Just turn around and go back the way you came, if you know what’s good for you.
: I don’t like your attitude!
Matrik: That’s it – you’ve pushed me too far! You shouldn’t push a man on the edge![/i]

This causes him to attack us. The reason he is special will be revealed soon enough.


This is a little puzzle. There are a few holograms around the chest and you need to activate them in the proper order. Fail, and the chest explodes. There is a computer nearby that gives you the clues you need, but I can just give you the combination myself rather than bother to transcribe all that. The order is: Elinda, Ujaa, Ujii, Loopa, Fodo, Ashana. They are members of a band, and you need to input theirs names in the order they appear in the text.

The chest has pretty mediocre loot.


We head out, and find Taris’ second cantina.
Bouncer: Don’t cause problems in Javyar’s cantina. You leave your problems and your attitude at the door.
Spoiler: We never meet any Javyar.

Javyar’s Cantina


This is the entrance of the Cantina. The structure is identical to the one above. In this room is Gelrood, that you can play Pazaak against, and in the corner (outside the screenshot) is a card merchant. We head further in.




Rodian: Hey, you not talk like that. We just want say hi to big, bad bounty hunter Calo Nord!
Twi’lek 1: Nah, this can’t be Calo Nord. He’s supposed to be tough. This guy’s nothing but a runt!
Calo Nord: One.
Rodian: One? What that mean? You be funny, though guy?
Twi’lek 2: You know who we are, Calo? We’re members of the Black Vulkar gang! You don’t want to be getting funny with us, tough guy.
Calo Nord: Two.
Rodian: Me no understand. One? Two? Why he count? He trying to count how many of us is against him?
Twi’lek 2: It’s three against one, Calo. What do you think about those odds? Well? You have something more to say?
Calo Nord: Three.







Well now, that was exciting! And that guy has a unique model and voice actor! He must be important!


Hero: I saw how you mopped up those Black Vulkars. Nice work.
Calo Nord: One.
: I’m not looking for a fight. I just want to talk.
Calo Nord: Two.
: Okay, I see your point. I’ll be off then.
Calo Nord: Smart.

With that, he walks away. If we had let him get to three, he’d attack us. Unlike everything so far, he’s invulnerable to everything, so the fight is unwinnable.

Further in…


: What are you talking about
Bib Surool: Name’s Bib Surool, manager for the Starlight Entertainers: the top performing troupe in this sector of the galaxy. I was here scouting new talent when the Sith attacked, and now I can’t leave. You’d think the Sith would let me go so I could get back to my troupe, but I guess they just don’t appreciate the arts. So, since I’m stuck here, I figured I might as well continue with my auditions. I’m supposed to be auditioning Lyn, but I think I’m wasting my time. Lyn’s got all the moves, but I need to know if she can pull them off while sharing a stage with her partner.
: Where’s her partner?
Bib Surool: She doesn’t have one. That’s the problem. Aren’t you listening to me? Dancers don’t perform solo, so I need to see if she can work with someone else before I get her up on stage.
: Maybe I could help her out.
Bib Surool: I doubt she just wants to dance with someone who wandered by. This is her one shot at the big time, and dancing with some wanna-be as her partner isn’t going to help her cause. On the other hand, I’m not going to hire her unless I can see her in action with a partner. Maybe she’s desperate enough to give you a chance. You’d have to ask her, I guess.


Lyn Sekla: Ah, what’s the use? There’s no way Bib’s going to hire me unless he gets a chance to see me dancing with a partner. Maybe I should just give up.
: Maybe I could be your partner.
Lyn Sekla: I admit I’m getting desperate: I’d hate to blow this audition. But I don’t know if I’m ready to just pair up with a random passer-by. How do I know you’re any good?
: [Persuade] I’m good enough to get you through your audition.
Lyn Sekla: [Success] Well, you do have that certain look about you: a confidence of movement. *sigh* I guess you’ll have to do. But I’m warning you – don’t screw this up! Mr. Surool, I’ve got a partner now. I’d really like to audition for you again.
Bib Surool: Okay, Lyn, you’ve got one more chance. I’ll give you a minute to get your partner set up, then let’s see what you’ve got. Okay, I’ve got time to watch you for three more dances. Make them count.
Lyn Sekla: Okay, just follow my lead. Remember, the more complicated our steps and the closer we dance the more it will impress Bib. But don’t get too close if you can’t handle it. I don’t need some clumsy oaf tripping me up. Try not to screw this up for me, okay?

This little sidequest is pretty easy and straightforward. I’ve never failed without it being on purpose so I don’t actually know the conditions for failure. For each “dance” (a short animation that gets a new bit tacked onto it after each iteration), you got three options. Play it safe, which causes Lyn to complain, do something that actually requires skill, which is the option you should always pick, and ruin it on purpose. Ruining it gives dark points, helping her get the job gives light points and experience. The choices are always displayed in the order I described them, so it’s pretty easy to tell what you are doing.



Bib Surool: Very nice, Lyn. You know, your partner isn’t too bad… for an amateur. Okay, let’s see what else you’ve got.
Lyn Sekla: Okay, we’re off to a good start. Like Bib said, you’re not bad for an amateur. This next dance is a little different, so watch me for the pick-ups and follow my lead.



Bib Surool: Good, good. One, two, three, one, two, three… nice tempo. Looking good, Lyn. Okay, one more dance to go.
Lyn Sekla: Okay, one dance to go. Bib looks happy. As long we don’t screw up I think we’ve got it! Follow me and please, just keep it simple.



Bib Surool: Looking good. Looking very good. Feel the music. Let it flow through you.
Lyn Sekla: Well, what did you think? Do I get the job? Do you want me to dance some more? I can do another one for you if you want.
Bib Surool: Relax, Lyn. You made it. You’ve got the job. Welcome to Starlight Entertainers.
Lyn Sekla: I made it? I really made it? This is incredible. I… I don’t believe it!
Bib Surool: Believe it, kid. You’re in. Now we need to get you fitted for your outfits, we need to start rehearsals, you’ve got contracts to sign. Let’s go. Busy, busy. That’s the life of a star.
Lyn Sekla: Thank you. I couldn’t have made it without you. I’d give you a big hug, but… well, frankly you’re a little beneath me now. Like Bib said, I’m going to be a star! But if you’re ever travelling the galaxy and you see the Starlight Entertainers performing, stop by and ask for Lyn. I’ll see if I can get you some free tickets.

With that finally out of the way, we can talk to the cantina’s main attraction, the hutt Zax.

Zax: Are you looking for work? There are many bounties available here; legal and otherwise. But they all pay quite well.

Where in the upper cantina we could duel, here we get to collect bounties. Fortunately for me, by this point I’ve killed all but one of the targets on my way to this conversation.

Zax: Or are you here for information? Everyone knows I’m one of Davik’s best agents… I’m the Hutt with all the answers.
: You work for Davik?
Zax: Not officially, no. I work for the bounty office. But Davik pays me to keep my eyes open and report to him… and for me to post his bounties.
: You don’t try to hide the fact that Davik has you on his payroll?
Zax: I used to have to keep our relationship secret, but since the Sith arrived nobody cares what happens in the Lower City. Davik can do whatever he wants. But enough talk – back to business. This is a bounty office, so we should talk bounties. Or are you looking for information?

Information just gets him to tell us about Davik, which we already found out a lot about before (and will find more eventually), for some cash. We can also ask about the escape pods, and he mentions that the Vulkars took them, pointing out that the only way you can get into the Vulkar base is with the help of the Hidden Beks. Another tidbit is that the only way off the planet is with the Sith launch codes, something not even Davik has. But onto the real reason we’re here.

: Tell me about the bounties.
Zax: There’s two government contracts. One’s an assassin named Selven, the other is Bendak Starkiller. He’s a famous death-match duelist. Betweem them they’ve killed hundreds of people.
: I can’t see anything wrong with people like that – as long we don’t end up on the list of their victims.
Zax: But not all the bounties are dangerous. Davik’s got some special contracts. One’s for a girl named Dia – she attacked Holdan, one of Davik’s men. Another’s for a man named Largo who owes Davik money.
: Okay, I don’t know about Davik’s special contracts. Justice is one thing, but doing a crime lord’s dirty work is something else.
Zax: And then there’s Matrik. He used to work for Davik, then he betrayed the Exchange and now Davik wants him dead. I’ll put all this information in your datapad.
: I want more details on the bounties you are offering.
Zax: All the information is in your data-pad already, but if you don’t want to look there then I guess I can fill you in. Who do you want to know more about?
: Tell me about the assassin Selven.
Zax: Selven’s a government bounty; she’s a very dangerous woman. When she started she was just another killer working for Davik. Then she begun freelancing to the highest bidder. One day she killed six citizens in the street… and their bodyguards, too. They were all Ulgos, a powerful merchant family with many enemies. Selven was hired to kill off the whole family. She was very good at her job. Each day, more Ulgos died. Poisoned at home, shot down in the street; guards and droids couldn’t protect them. After a month, there were no more Ulgos left on Taris. Not one.

Looks like she missed one.

: Did they ever find out who hired Selven to kill them all?
Zax: It was never proven. But after the Ulgos were all dead, the Organa family demanded the government put out a contract on Selven. They said nobody was safe as long as Selven was still free. But the Organa family were powerful rivals of the Ulgos. Some think they were the ones who hired Selven, then they tried to have bounty hunters kill her to keep the secret from coming out. But Taris politics aren’t your concern. You’re just a bounty hunter. You kill Selven, you get the credits. That’s the only important thing, right?
: Tell me about Bendak Starkiller.
Zax: Bendak’s a government contract, but he’s a legend on Taris. He started out as a duelist in the Upper Cantina. He never lost, but he only fought death matches. He killed hundreds in his day. Then death matches got banned. Duel rings switched to non-lethal combat. But Bendak wasn’t ready to retire. He kept dueling on the illegal, underground circuit. He kept killing people. Finally the government had no choice but to put a bounty out on him. But Bendak’s a big folk hero, so not too many try to collect. Those who do all wind up dead, anyway.
: Tell me about this girl Dia.
Zax: Dia’s one of Davik’s private bounties. She used to be a waitress in the cantina here until she had a fight with Holdan. She cut him with her vibroblade, almost killed him. That was a mistake. Holdan works for Davik, he’s not one to let her get away with that. When he was recovering in the medical bay, he put out a bounty on Dia. She’s been hiding ever since.
: I get the feeling there’s more to this story.
Zax: Maybe. Doesn’t really matter to me. I get the bounty from Davik’s men, I don’t ask questions. You can talk to Holdan if you want to know more – he’s inside the cantina.
: Tell me about this merchant Largo.
Zax: He’s nothing special, just another of Davik’s private bounties. He borrowed money from Davik for his business. But things went bad and he wasn’t able to pay Davik back. So he ran. Davik doesn’t like it when people who owe him money run. He put out a contract on Largo to send a message to the other merchants who owe him money.
: Davik’s bounties sound more like contract killings.
Zax: Davik works for the Exchange. They don’t play games. If you don’t pay your debts or you betray them or you attack them they get even. People bring Davik’s bounty on themselves. Anyway, if you don’t like them you don’t have to take them. Collect the other bounties – government contracts. Those people are ruthless killers. They need to be stoped.
: Tell me about Matrik.
Zax: Davik is very interested in this bounty. Matrik used to work for Davik. He wasn’t important, but was there a long time. He saw lots of things that it was wise to keep quiet about. Then one day he betrayed Davik. He went to the Taris authorities and testified at trials against the Exchange. Lots of people were arrested and Davik’s operations shut down for a while. It cost Davik thousands and thousands of credits to get business back on track, and he lost lots of good people. Of course he’s not about to let Matrik get away with that.
: But didn’t the government protect Matrik after the trials?
Zax: They hid Matrik for a while, but when the Sith took over they shut the witness protection program down. It’s expensive, and the Sith didn’t care if Matrik died.
: I have a bounty I want to collect on.
Zax: A bounty? Well, human, that is what I’m here for. Which bounty are you here to collect on?

Here are the various dialogues for each I already completed:

Matrik: Zax: The traitor Matrik is now a dead traitor. This is a lesson for anyone thinking about turning against the Exchange.
Bendak: Zax: So, you killed Bendak in a death-match duel. Iron, isn’t it? Bendak has a bounty on him for killing people in a duel, and you collect it by killing him in a death-match.
Dia: Zax: Too bad. Dia was a nice girl. But she attacked Holdan, and Holdan works for Davik. That was just stupid.
Largo: Zax: Largo should have known better than to run. Maybe now people will learn the lesson: you owe Davik money, you pay!

We get 300 credits for each kill (400 with persuade).

Zax: You do good work, human. There’s lots of bounty hunters on Taris, but most are lazy. Maybe if you keep cashing in bounties they’ll work harder.

Next time I’ll finish off the cantina and explore what remains of the Lower City.

Will we ever leave Taris? (Yes) Will we ever get to the actual plot? (Yes) Will we ever catch the dastardly Trask Ulgo? (No) Will this LP ever have a regular update schedule? (Maybe)

I'd like to note that I already completed Taris, and the total play time ended up being four hours. That is with me rushing the parts I already covered before. If you talk to almost everyone and try to grab everything, Taris can take a long, long time.

[ATHATH]

It's back!

If you talk to almost everyone and try to grab everything, Taris can take a long, long time.

So true. It's a similar thing for Peragus II and Telos in the sequel (are you going to do the sequel after this is over?).

[Teneb]

It's back!

If you talk to almost everyone and try to grab everything, Taris can take a long, long time.

So true. It's a similar thing for Peragus II and Telos in the sequel (are you going to do the sequel after this is over?).

Telos is kind of big, but Peragus not so much due to not having any real sidequests or that much dialogue. I will try to do the sequel, yes. Unless I suddenly become rich, I will not do the MMO, since although it may be free, expansion content is exclusively paid.

[ATHATH]

Peragus ll is annoying because of the lack of options, especially if you suffer from Skyrim-Syndrome (the tendency to make lots of characters). There's only so much a person can take of watching holograms of dead miners before they snap.