Jedi Council Forums - Under the Shadow of the Builders (KOTOR Era)

Post Reply | Active Topic Notification | Previous Active Topic | Next Active Topic

Pages: 1 | 2 - ~~Previous~~ | Next | Reload

Author	Topic: Under the Shadow of the Builders (KOTOR Era) - Updated 9/23: Waiting
SoA Registered: Apr '08	Date Posted: 11/2/08 12:16am Subject: Under the Shadow of the Builders (KOTOR Era) - Updated 9/23: Waiting - Date Edited: 9/23 2:57am (17 edits total) Edited By: Commander-DWH
	Title: Under the Shadow of the Builders Author: SoA Timeframe: KOTOR Era Characters: The crew of the Ebon Hawk and a few OCs (Evrue Pell, Kionee Rinnh, MT-412) Genre: action, drama, romance, adventure, humor Keywords: OC, KOTOR, Ebon Hawk Summary: The adventures of the crew of the Ebon Hawk beginning at the start of the first game. So, I have a couple of OCs rattling around in my head, begging to get out. So I gave them this story to run around in. I don't aim to make a full epic of this, but as I played KOTOR, I frequently found myself wanting to throw Ev or Kionee into a scene and see what they'd do. This story gives them a world to play in. Concrit welcome. PM List: KELIA Commander-DWH East_Coast_Ryder LaForzaViva KotOR_girl Ulic_Starwalker Prologue At another explosion, the Endar Spire lurched suddenly, throwing Ev down into the escape pod. She yelped in surprise as her feet lost contact with the metal deck and again when she landed face-first on the floor of the tiny pod; a sharp pain coursing up her right leg. She landed on the vibroblade that had been in her hand only moments before. Remembering the presence of a superior officer just behind her, she bit back a string of curses and struggled to pull herself up onto the sparsely-padded seat. Carth fared slightly better, catching himself on the handles beside the door, though still striking his shoulder squarely on them as he entered. “Are you alright—,” he yelled over the noise of the onslaught on the ship, searching for a name, “soldier?” “Fine,” she lied, gritting her teeth at the deepening crimson stain on her pants. Stupid! A soldier pays better attention to her weapon! A deafening explosion accompanied by something akin to the sound of shattering metal shook the ship again. Carth lost his footing as he descended into the pod and narrowly shuffled around the vibroblade on the floor. He, however, managed to remain upright until he found his own seat. Again, the ship shook even more violently. “We might not get out of here,” he said darkly, glancing over at Ev. Seeing her grimace and both hands pressed hard against her thigh, he exclaimed, “How’d you get that? Are you sure you’re fine?” “Fine enough, but we won’t be if we sit around here and talk about it, Onasi. Strap in and get us out of here!” she barked then winced at her own forcefulness. Thankfully, Carth didn’t seem to notice. Spotting the hatch controls near her, she pulled the lever down, leaving a bloody smear across it, and the hatch hissed close behind them. Already, Ev was beginning to feel weak from blood loss. She reached for the safety restraints, thinking desperately to herself, There had better be a med pack in here somewhere, or at least a big role of gauze. I need to keep this blood inside of me. Machinery clanked, and with a hiss of air, the Endar Spire released its hold on the last escape pod. “We’re off!” Carth announced triumphantly. Before they could get clear of the ship, however, it twisted and bucked around them, battering the tiny pod against the wall of the chute. Carth cursed and Ev, still grasping the unfastened restraints, struck her head hard against the panel in front of her. She hadn’t a breath to cry out before she lost her hold on consciousness. “It’ll be a rough one, soldier,” Carth yelled, his eyes darting between the view port and limited controls of the pod. Fortunately enough, he’d never had the occasion like this before to get familiar with an escape pod. This did mean, unfortunately, that he had to learn all there was to know about one as quickly as he could. “Not that there is much to know anyway,” he murmured to himself and fiddled with the few benign-looking dials. The pod burst into open space, giving him a broad view of the planet they were fortunate enough to be above: Taris. Only a few heartbeats later, the Endar Spire finally split at its seams behind them, destroyed. Sighing deeply, both in relief and regret, he asked, “How’s that leg now, soldier?” When no response came, he tore his attention from the shattered remains of his ship out the back view port and to his sole companion in escape. She leaned face-down on the controls, blood running freely down her right leg, and arms hanging limply off her shoulders. Her thick, short black hair obscured her face, but the rhythmic rise and fall of her back did reassure him that she was still alive. “Sith spawn!” he muttered. “I would feel a lot better about landing on a Sith-quarantined planet if I had someone along that wasn’t incapacitated. Or, for that matter, if I knew who she was. This is definitely going to be interesting.” Carth began to rummage around for a med pack; he certainly couldn’t leave her to bleed like that. Down and down they plummeted. ~~~ Ev watched on as four Jedi marched grimly onto the bridge, light sabers ignited. A lone masked figure robed in black stood waiting, red lightsaber grasped with both hands. The ship shuddered from the onslaught of the battle around it yet none of them stumbled. She could almost feel the currents of the force rush around her as the Sith threw lightning at the advancing party of jedi. They easily pushed it away. The distance closed between them and light sabers hummed and whirled across her vision in indistinct arcs of yellow, red, green, and blue. Abruptly, Ev found herself in darkness, dimly aware of the shadow of another person near by. She wanted to crouch down, become less vulnerable, but no, she already lay flat on her back with something draped over her. Her limbs felt like lead. There was no defending herself or sneaking away. She wished for a vibroblade. Again, the light returned and she stood on the deck of a ship, a red light saber clenched between her black gloved hands. Yellow, green, and blue whirled around her, but she swung hard and quickly, blocking their blows. Ev was running down the corridors of a ship that pitched even more violently than before with another soldier at her heels. They crossed through the bridge just in time to see two republic soldiers fall at the hands of Sith gunmen. She yelled and rushed in with her vibroblade flying. Soon, she and her companion had cut down the Sith soldiers and continued sprinting down the shaking corridors. They found themselves face to face with a dark jedi. This was not the masked Sith robed in black she had seen before, but he brandished a similarly threatening red lightsaber. “Run for the escape pods, I’ll hold him off! Carth said he’d wait,” the other soldier said and pushed her towards the door. Then he turned and charged at the dark jedi who waited calmly for him. “Wait!” she shrieked, but it was too late. He had sealed himself behind a blast door with the Sith. Now she wielded a brilliantly yellow light saber, facing the cloaked Sith herself. Other jedi surrounded her and fought beside her. She felt tired, but she sensed the Sith’s fear and exhaustion as well. One well-contacted blow combined with the shaking of the ship threw the Sith to the floor, where it lay, groaning. She extinguished her light saber and slowly approached. Ev lay flat on her back under what felt like a thin blanket. Her whole body ached, and her head and right leg throbbed almost unbearably. The room she lay in was light, but she didn’t dare open her eyes yet. The the pulsing pain in her forehead warned her against doing so. She extended her senses and heard the unsubtle movements of another person not far off. Where was she? Her ship had been boarded by Sith and she had fought them off—or was it jedi? Or did she actually lose? Her pain might suggest that. She had no memory of lying down, or of a place that smelled as musty and ill-kept as this. No ship she had ever been on had this smell, at least that she could remember. She must have been captured. Since that was the case, she had to rise quietly and find some sort of weapon before her captor would have a chance to react. She heard him muttering something. Ignoring the painful complaints of her head, Ev eased her eyes open a crack and surveyed the situation. Or at least tried to. It took considerable squinting before she could make out anything besides a blurry mess of grays and browns. And a spot of bright orange. So, her captor liked orange. How subtle. Unfortunately, there was nothing close by that could suffice as a weapon. A vibroblade, presumably hers, lay on a table near where her captor stood. The man in orange had two basters holstered to his belt, and it was safest to assume that he knew how to use them. It seemed that her best option was to slip as quietly as she could from the low cot and out the door. Fortunately, her cot was right next to the door. Of course, the door was probably locked, but she wouldn’t find out if she didn’t try. There didn’t seem to be any better option. Unless—she could use the cot as a weapon. Maybe she could throw it across the room and knock him out with it. That could potentially be a more successful plan. Ev slowly shifted her feet to the edge of the cot, wincing as it creaked, but the man didn’t seem to notice. She swiftly swung her legs down over the edge and pushed off with sore arms. As the thin blanket slid off of her, she came to the shocking realization that she was wearing almost nothing. Aside from her underthings, all she had was the thin thermal shirt that she wore beneath her flight suit and armor for cold voyages in space. Lashed around her right thigh appeared to be the bloody remains of her thermal pants. I wonder how that happened…? As the cold air struck her skin and blood rushed from her head, the world swam around her. A moment later, her knees buckled and she fell backwards onto the cot. As if to add insult to injury, the back of her head struck the wall behind her, and she let out an involuntary yelp of pain. So much for fighting my way out of here. I guess this is my fate. To her confusion, the man whirled around with a look of worry that soon turned to relief. “Evrue, you’re awake!” he said, hurrying over to her, “What just happened?” “Stop right there!” Ev yelled over the pounding in her ears, “Who the hell are you and where the hell am I? And, for that matter, where the hell are my clothes?” He stopped and stepped back a pace with a look of confusion on his face to match what she felt. “That bump on the head must have been harder than I thought,” he said. “Yes, I’ve just hit my head and it hurts like mad, but I can still see straight,” she growled, “You’re not answering my questions.” When he failed to come up with an immediate response, she continued, “I don’t remember coming here, only that my ship was boarded, so up until a moment ago, I thought I was a hostage. Prove me wrong.” “Just give me a chance to answer, would you?” he snapped then apologized, “Sorry, this has been hard on me too.” She remained silent and waited for him to continue. “I’m Carth Onasi, a soldier of the Endar Spire, like you.” “Run for the escape pods, I’ll hold him off! Carth said he’d wait.” Right, Carth. The advising officer. “They were after Bastila. She got away in an escape pod before we did. And, whether you remember it or not, you fought your way to the pods, and we got off just before the whole ship blew to pieces. I’m not sure how you did it, but you sliced up your leg pretty badly in the process and got knocked out when we ejected from the Spire.” “That would explain why I hurt so damn much,” she murmured, glaring up at him, “But that still doesn’t explain where my clothes went.” “Look,” Carth said, waving his hands defensively, “You were bleeding really badly, and I couldn’t get to that cut with your battle suit and armor on. The escape pod didn’t have much in the way of a med kit, so your thermals had to take the place of gauze. You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the last three days, tossing and turning. I figured you’d be more comfortable in just that than all your armor.” “Okay, fine, I’ll give you that,” she responded. Her dark eyes narrowed, “but how do I know you weren’t taking advantage of me in any way while I was out?” Carth nearly spat in indignation and his ears grew red, backing even farther away and waving his hands, “No! Never. I’d never. No. Just no.” He broke off shaking his head and muttering. Ev broke into peels of rich laughter. “What?” Carth demanded. Ev only laughed hard, doubled over on the cot and clutching her waist. “What?” he asked again. Sniffing and chuckling, she finally managed to answer, “I’m sorry sir. I wasn’t actually serious. I was just trying to figure out what kind of man you are, since my memories of meeting you before are patchy at best.” “I hope I cleared that up for you now,” Carth said, still indignant. “Yes, yes,” she laughed. Still red around the ears, Carth continued uncomfortably, “I pulled you out of that escape pod, patched you up, and found this places without detection from the Sith, and all I know about you is what was on your hire record. Sitting here, wondering if you were actually going to recover, then having to sneak around like some criminal when I had to go out hasn’t been easy.” Ev stifled her laughter. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I really owe you more respect, you being the advisor on board and all, and me just a soldier among many.” “It doesn’t really matter now,” Carth said, gazing at the opaque window, “The Spire is gone. And, at the moment, you really aren’t one of many. It doesn’t look like anyone else survived, at least that I’ve found.” “Ev! Get up! We’re under attack! We’ve got to get to the bridge and protect Bastila!” “Shoot! This must be the advanced boarding party. Stick close and I’m sure we can get through this.” “A dark jedi? Run for the escape pods, I’ll hold him off!” In her mind, soldier after soldier fell to the Sith invasion force. “No!” Ev found herself vocalizing, startling herself. Carth shuffled closer and apologized, “I’m sorry Evrue, it upset me too. I hate this feeling that we’re alone on a Sith-controlled world.” “No, it’s not that,” Ev murmured slowly, so softly Carth could hardly make out her words, “I guess none of the others could have made it off alive, could they?” She hung her head and stared down at the remains of her thermals that wrapped tightly around her leg. Carth gazed down at where Ev sat on the cot. She looked weak, battered, and dejected, but he knew better than to let that fool him. Ev had made it past squads of soldiers and perhaps a dark jedi or two to get to him at the escape pods and the only injuries she sustained were inside the pod itself. All that in an ensign fresh out of military academy. While Carth was sure he wouldn’t have picked her out of the entire crew of the Endar Spire to be his partner in this mess, he was still glad to have someone else along. Her wallowing silence became more than Carth could bare. “I noticed on your track record that you know a remarkable number of alien languages. That’s pretty rare in a raw recruit,” Carth observed, “And graduated at the top of your class from the military academy on top of that.” “I would hope so, given the experience I had going in, unlike all those fresh young kids,” Ev nodded, then seeing Carth’s skeptically raised brow, she added, “Though I may be a ‘raw recruit’ and have not see as much battle as you have, I’m willing to bet that I’m not that much younger than you are, sir.” She slowly and defiantly pushed off the bed to stand again. Color immediately drained from her rich, dark complexion, and Carth caught her hand and held her firmly upright before she could teeter over again. Ev didn’t thank him, but at least she didn’t resist. “It will be good to have your skills,” Carth added, “If we’re going to find Bastila.” “Bastila, Bastila,” she repeated, putting her free hand to her forehead thoughtfully, as if it helped her remember. “You’re going to have to remind me, Onasi. The name seems familiar, but I can’t figure why.” “That smack to the head must have scrambled you up pretty badly,” Carth said. Ev pulled her hand away, now steadied, and stared expectantly at him. “Bastila is the jedi in charge of the mission we were on. She was with the party of jedi that killed Darth Revan and it was her special Battle Meditation that allowed them to board Revan’s ship in the first place. Darth Malak must have found out she was aboard the Spire and ambushed us. I’m sure she was in one of the other escape pods that crashed onto this planet. For the sake of the Republic war effort, we have to find her.” “How do you know she’s still alive?” Ev pressed. “I don’t,” Carth sighed, but quickly added, “But when I consider the alternative, that there’s no one left who can defeat Malak and the Sith, I’d like to go on believing she is.” Ev nodded, her dark eyes unreadable, “I can understand the want for optimism. So, assuming our jedi friend is still alive—you said this was a Sith-controlled planet, right?” Carth nodded and she continued, “Assuming she’s alive, those Sith are probably hunting for her, if not, have already caught her.” Carth tensed at that last statement. He had hated having to stay in or close to the abandoned apartment he had found, wondering if he was losing valuable time to save Bastila, but he hated the idea of leaving an injured comrade alone and vulnerable. In the end, it was the second sentiment that won out, but choosing hadn’t made him any happier. “And that’s why she’s going to need the help of two soldiers like us,” Carth said. “No one will be looking for us. With any luck, we can escape Sith notice, rescue her, and get off this planet. We’d better be good at this though. I’ve heard of Sith interrogation techniques, what they can do to the mind, that they can take away your very identity.” Ev shuddered. “I guess you’re right on that one. We’ve got to save her from that, especially if she is the Republic’s only hope,” she admitted. “Anyway, now that you’re up, I think I’m going to scout out some food for us,” Carth said, looking over Ev. She seemed to be strong enough to handle herself for a while. Then, nearly smacking himself for not thinking of it before, he added, “And something for you to wear.” “That would be appreciated,” Ev said, a fiery glint returning to her eyes, “That way my appearance won’t scream ‘I just rolled out of a crashed escape pod, maybe you should come say hi.’” Carth chuckled wryly as he headed for the door, “You’re probably pretty thirsty, so take all the water you want from the supplies in the corner. And try to get some more rest. Take care of yourself while I’m out.” “Yes,” she resisted the urge to add ‘mother”, saying instead, “sir.” Just as Carth stretched his hand out for the door, she called, “Wait.” Carth whirled around, “What?” “You’ve clearly done your research on me, but all my mind can piece together is that you are a seasoned veteran and were an advisor of sorts on the Endar Spire. You seem a decent man, but how can I be sure that you’re not just going to leave me here or something? Maybe it’s my memory, but I hardly know anything about you.” “Look, Evrue,” Carth started, more sharply than he had intended, “I’d never leave a companion behind, like I couldn’t leave you behind in the escape pod. I’m a soldier just like you. I’ve been a pilot since before the Mandalorian Wars. In this Jedi Civil War, my home world Telos was one of the first to be hit. We just couldn’t stop them.” The frustration built in his voice as he spoke. “And of course it was all your fault,” she teased, but he didn’t seem to take as lightly. “It wasn’t my fault, at least it shouldn’t have been my fault,” he stammered, then sighed, “I shouldn’t have failed them.” Ev tentatively limped a few steps closer to him. “How could one pilot have caused the fall of an entire planet?” she asked, much more seriously. “It’s not that, it’s just,” he stuttered, “Well, I’m not making any sense, am I? Now’s not the time for long conversations,” Carth added hurriedly. “I’ll be back soon.” With that he turned and left the room, leaving Ev by herself in the musty old apartment. She made her way over to the neatly-stacked supplies on the other side of the room. Maybe there was a datapad somewhere in there that could enlighten her more on her companion's past. This part was revised 6/8/09. -----signature----- Padawan to Commander-DWH Under the Shadow of the Builders- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/29386724/p1/ Fanfiction Web Site- http://faraway.toweroftime.com SoA's India Blog- http://jenna-song.blogspot.com
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
KELIA Title: The Pretty in Pink Fan Fic Manager Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 11/3/08 3:46am Subject: RE: Glimpses through Ebon Windows (the KOTOR crew and some OCs)
	Very nice. I like Ev's character - they way she remained strong and focused despite the circumstances she was under. The teasing she gave Carth was a nice touch. If you have a PM list for this, please add me Looking forward to more -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 NaNaWriMo Progress: 32,105
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Commander-DWH Title: Shiny Fan Fiction Manager Registered: Nov '03	Date Posted: 11/3/08 11:13am Subject: RE: Glimpses through Ebon Windows (the KOTOR crew and some OCs)
	This is very nicely done! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Ev and how her personality turns out (and, of course, I'm excited for Kionee to show up). Your Carth is also spot-on. Definitely let me know when this is updated. -----signature----- Complements (KOTOR)- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/21177927/ Luminosity- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/27900517/ Barefoot hippie in the OC revolution Master of the lovely and talented SoA
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
SoA Registered: Apr '08	Date Posted: 11/8/08 11:31pm Subject: RE: Glimpses through Ebon Windows (the KOTOR crew and some OCs) - Date Edited: 6/8 2:53pm (1 edits total) Edited By: SoA
	KELIA: Glad you liked it! Ev has a wicked sense of humor that is way too much fun to write. DWH: I'm glad to hear it, considering how much you love Carth. ^_^ Sadly, it will be some time before Kionee peeks in. These guys need to get off a quarantined planet first. And so, here we have the next happening, in which our two stranded soldiers bicker about blood. EDIT: To fit with the new layout of future chapters, I'm combining these next three happenings (previously called "A Bloody Mess," "I forgot..." and "Slinky Dress") into one part. I also revised a few parts and cut any sections that diverted from a 3rd person limited perspective on Carth. Part 1- Taris: The Upper City “Are you sure you don’t need a cane or something to help with that limp?” Carth asked, eying Ev as she stubbornly limped out of the apartment complex and into the midday sunlight. He had managed to find her some civilian clothes common to middle-class Taresians while she had recovered. If not for the forest green military vest she insisted on keeping from her tattered flight suit, the loose beige tunic and brown slacks made her look like any other local woman. Not that he could begrudge her for wanting the extra protection and storage that the four-pocketed vest offered. Ev turned back towards him and her dark eyes flashed. Carth already knew that look. She was going to argue and he was going to lose. “Look, Onasi,” Ev said as he caught up with her, “I’ve spent the last day and a half walking circles around that musty room to convince you that I wasn’t going to pass out or fall over. Doing laps gets us nowhere closer to finding Bastila and getting off this planet.” She paused. “Changed your mind about letting me out of that room already?” Carth sighed. “But—” he argued futilely. That limp could attract unwanted attention. “I’m too young to carry a cane anyway,” she added. Then, with a half smile, she closed the distance between them and threw one arm over Carth’s shoulders. “And I’ve always got you to lean on, honey, if I have some trouble.” Carth shifted uncomfortably but nodded. “Right. Well, we should get moving.” “Alright,” Ev withdrew her arm and asked professionally, “Where to?” Squinting out into the light, Carth gestured towards the end of the walkway platform near them, “We’re actually not far from our crash site and it doesn’t look like they have cleared the pods away yet either. If they’re still drawing a crowd, we might be able to learn something about other crashed pods.” The pair started off through the crowds. Silver-armored Sith soldiers mingled with well-dressed people, but non-humans were conspicuously absent. “I take it you’ve checked this site out already,” Ev stated rather than asked. Carth caught himself walking too quickly and slowed his pace to match hers. “Yeah,” he responded, “And so far all I can tell is that several other pods crashed in this sector, but most of the rest of them fell as far as the Undercity.” “That’s a start,” Ev nodded as she warily scanned the crowds. “It kind of reminds me of Coruscant.” “Coruscant?” Carth asked, startled by the sudden change of subject. He noted uneasily that both the strolling Sith and locals gave his limping companion a wide berth. “Yeah, Coruscant,” Ev said casually. “It’s where I lived before I…” she stammered, searching for words, “before I joined the republic army as a pilot. Anyway, it’s an endless steel city. The upper layers are for the clean and the rich and the poor and ostracized are hidden farther down, out of sight. I’d bet the Undercity here is like that. Poor, dirty, and rough.” “Then we were lucky we landed up here,” Carth said, but he didn’t need to remind himself of that fact. They were more than just lucky to have landed only a short dash from that apartment complex. “Where’re you from Carth?” she asked. Something inside of him felt stretched to the point of snapping. “Telos,” Carth replied shortly. Hasn’t she had enough fun squeezing citrus into that wound already? He thought bitterly. “Hm, Telos,” she said thoughtfully, rolling the name over on her tongue, “Telos, Telos…” With every utterance, Carth could feel the pain and bitterness well closer and closer to the surface. “Don’t think I’ve ever been there,” Ev said at last. Carth stopped and stared at her in disbelief as she limped on ahead. What is she playing at? Is that all? How could that have been such an innocent question? She grilled me on my past once already and knows how that stings. Still, I bet that woman is laughing at me inside, and I’d never know it. He sighed, trying to shake off his frustration, and then jogged up to where Ev had stopped. “So that’s it,” Ev observed dryly, staring at the battered escape pod from an inconspicuous distance away. Salvage droids still rolled and skittered about it and two Sith soldiers stood at attention nearby. Unfortunately, there was nothing to be seen of a curious crowd. “There wasn’t really much to see in there in the first place,” Carth shrugged, “I’m sure you remember. I got what I could out with me when I carried you away. There’s really nothing but a lot of blood.” “Great,” she murmured under her breath. “What?” Carth asked. “Nothing,” she quickly replied, and limped off in the direction of the nearest soldier. “Ev!” he exclaimed, “What are you—?” It was pointless. He shadowed after her. “What’s going on here?” Ev approached the soldier, masking her limp as best she could. “A Republic space pod crashed here a couple of days ago,” came the drawling response. Ev could almost sense his scowl from behind the silver mask. “There were definitely some organics in the pod when it landed, but they slipped away in the confusion.” Ev nodded. “I’ll keep my eye out for shady-looking Republics then.” As if as an after-thought, she asked, “Any more of these things come down in the city?” “A few more landed in the Undercity,” the Sith replied. “Find any survivors in those?” Ev persisted innocently. “Civilian, in case you haven’t heard, the Rackghoul disease is running rampant down there. If those Republics landed alive, they wouldn’t last long in the Undercity,” he scoffed. “Huh,” Ev shrugged. “Didn’t even send a patrol down?” The soldier stiffened and tightened his grip on his blaster. Even Carth could sense that Ev had egged him too far. He rushed forward and snaked an arm around Ev’s waist. “You look tired, sweetie, we should get you back home,” he insisted firmly and led her away. Ev resisted his push, but Carth was stronger than the injured woman. “Yes, move along,” the soldier ordered irritably. “Evrue Pell, you’re crazy! What were you thinking?” He hissed in her ear when they were a safe distance away. “What better way to get clean information than to go straight to the source? And, I didn’t need your intervention,” she snapped back. “And I’ve told you already, it’s Ev.” “You were about to pick a fight with him,” Carth exclaimed. “We don’t need that on our record already.” “I had everything under control,” Ev retorted, now leaning heavily on Carth despite her best efforts. “Tell me,” Carth said through gritted teeth, “how is provoking a man in armor with a gun a good idea when you’re weak and injured?” “Drop it, will you?” Ev snapped. She tried to work away from Carth’s grasp, but he wouldn’t let her. “I got us the clear information we needed. The Sith haven’t picked over those pods you heard of yet. Something has got them scared down there. If our jedi is worth her lightsaber, she could have taken that chance and gotten away.” “But now they might have you marked as a clueless trouble-maker,” Carth argued. “We’ll have to step extra carefully now.” “We were going to have to in the first place,” she said firmly and set her gaze determinedly forward. I can never win with her, Carth resigned himself to simmering silence as he guided her along through the crowds. Through her constant tugging to walk on her own, Carth could feel Ev growing weaker and her limp getting heavier. “Swallow your pride for a moment, Ev, and use my shoulder,” he said more gently than he meant to, “I don’t want to have to carry you back.” Without a word, she grudgingly complied. As they ambled down the street, the pair didn’t seem to attract much attention. For that, at least, Carth was thankful. Ev remained silent. Whether irritated at defeat or too busy taking in all the sights and sounds of Taris, he didn’t know. But, honestly, he didn’t care. If she keeps interrogating everyone we run across, our luck won’t last long. He grimaced. I didn’t ask to be stranded on a Sith-controlled planet with a stubborn woman I hardly know for my only companion. A very injured woman. And that was something he did care about. I need Ev at my back, and, at the rate she’s recovering, it’ll be at least a week before she’ll be in any condition to raise her vibroblade in a fight, and win. Carth and Ev neared the other end of the walkway, and their destination. Ev was still intently scanning the surrounding people and buildings for who-knows-what, but Carth finally broke her concentration, “So, Ev, I’ve been thinking about your leg, and I—” Ev, however, was maybe too aware of their surroundings. “No, absolutely not,” she said firmly and tried to push away from Carth again. “I am not going into that med clinic. Didn’t you see that Sith solder just come out of there?” Admittedly, he hadn’t, but Carth still refused to let her have her way. “You may be a top-notch soldier, but while your leg is like that, you’re a walking target,” Carth said as evenly as he could, “I refuse to take you anywhere that you might get shot at until you can move normally. We’re going in there. That is, unless you want to sit around for a few more weeks.” “I’ll do neither,” Ev snapped loudly. Citizens and soldiers began to give her and Carth room, eying them warily. Noticing this, Ev stopped struggling against Carth. She lowered her voice, “That soldier knew we made it to the planet and escaped because I bled all over everything. They have my DNA sample, Onasi. I bet they’ve distributed it to all the med clinics in the area to keep an eye out for me. All they need is a hair off my head, and they’ve caught us.” Somehow, all along, he had known that Ev would object, but that particularity hadn’t crossed his mind. “Ev,” Carth said, a sudden weariness falling over him, “I have seen soldiers, friends even, go out sick or injured and come back even worse, or not at all. You may think you’re invincible, but you’re not, and this is not a place I want to be alone.” “Quit treating me like some green recruit,” Ev grumbled, “I know my body, and I know what rough lower cities look like. Before I joined the military and left Coruscant, that’s the crowd I ran with.” “But we’re not talking casual thugs here,” Carth argued quietly, leaning closer to her, “I’ve heard there’s a gang war going on down below, plus a whole army of Sith that is out to get us. Even with both of us in top shape, what we’re trying to do is a long shot.” Ev remained thoughtfully silent. “We have to hope that the doctor here is an honest man that wants to see people healed,” Carth said, leading to the clinic’s door, “I did all I can for your leg already.” “I couldn’t help but overhear you,” a young black man strode up from behind them, arms laden with sterile-looking white cases of some sort, “But if you’re worried about Zelka being a good doctor, you don’t need to be.” Carth stiffened. Just how much did he overhear? “And you are?” he asked. “Gerny,” the young man said with a polite nod, “I’m Zelka Forn’s assistant. He’s a good guy, so you should go right in and see him. I’m a little busy right now, so if you’ll excuse me,” he shuffled off through the sliding doors into the clinic and they followed him inside. Not far from the entrance, a gaunt man wearing the tell-tale white coat of a doctor and with skin darker even than Ev’s, rummaged through boxes of data cards. He muttered to himself, “…meddling Sith. Have they no respect for privacy? They just keep making demands as if—” Ev stiffened warily and Carth cleared his throat. Suddenly aware of their presence, the doctor hastily shut the data card box and turned to meet them. “Good morning,” he said, a mask of cheerfulness covering his previous irritation, “Can I help you?” “You’re Zelka Forn, the doctor here?” Carth asked, finally releasing his hold on Ev. She, however, continued to lean heavily on him. He took that as a sign of acquiescence. The doctor nodded warily, “Yes I am.” When Ev didn’t explain herself, Carth broke the stale silence and began casually, “My friend here fell the other day and cut her leg. I tired to patch it up myself for the time being, but now that we have the time, we figured she should have someone more competent look it over.” “A cut?” Zelka asked, “From the way you’re standing, it doesn’t look like it’s just a little cut.” “I fell pretty hard,” Ev said and shrugged. Zelka raised an eyebrow but only said, “Well, ma’am, if you would just come back with me and I’ll take a look at it.” Ev took a few hobbling steps forward, hissing in pain. Carth quickly followed and she threw her arm over his shoulder again. The doctor shot him a distasteful look but neither he nor Ev argued. Ev’s right not to trust a doctor, and I’m not about to trust her not to say too much. Ev slipped out of her pants and sat on the exam table while Carth situated himself in an out of the way corner of the small exam room. The hastiness of Carth’s bandaging job, even after he had traded scraps for proper gauze, was easily apparent. The doctor frowned at the size of the bandaged area, “You should have come to see me sooner, no wonder you’re limping.” Neither of the soldiers responded, so Zelka set to work gingerly unwrapping her leg. The thin scab etched a long line up her thigh. Zelka drew back, his eyes widening, “This looks like a vibroblade wound.” He glanced nervously between Carth and Ev. “You aren’t in one of those swoop gangs, are you? Is this from a fight in the Lower City?” “What if we were?” Ev asked. “The Sith hate the war between the Hidden Beks and the Black Vulkars,” he responded nervously, “and they’d hate to know that I was helping perpetuate the battle.” “We’re not thugs from a gang or anything like that,” Ev said with a calmness that convinced even Carth. “We’re just a couple of off-worlders stuck here by that stupid Sith blockade. We got a little bored the other day and were sparring to pass the time and got a little careless.” Zelka warily accepted her explanation. “I feel bad for you lot, stuck here at the will of the Sith,” he added with some sympathy. Zelka gingerly ran his hands across her leg and assessed, “This is a deep cut with a lot of swelling and tissue damage, but a good soak in kolto should heal it up. Do you have the time now?” Ev nodded, “The sooner the better.” “Since the blockade, we’ve been short on kolto, among other things,” Zelka said with bitterness hanging in his voice, “so I’m not going to put you in a tank. If you wait here for a moment, I’ll go prepare a basin for your leg.” He rose and headed for the door, but Ev stopped him. “Say, Dr. Forn, this blockade must be really hard on you too,” she said. Carth already didn’t like where this was going, but he was powerless to stop her. He sighed, “There are no new shipments of supplies coming in and I’m running low. They’ve quarantined the Lower City and the Undercity, so even if injured or sick people could afford medical help, they can’t come up here to get it. On top of that, I’ve heard that the Rakghoul disease has gotten worse among the poor of the Undercity and the Sith have kept all the serum for themselves.” “Rakghoul disease?” Carth found himself asking. “It’s terrible,” the doctor said with a shudder, “it rots away at people, turning them into vicious monsters. If I could only get my hands on a small sample of it, I could synthesize it and do a lot of good down there.” “Why don’t you tell the Sith how badly you need it and demand that they give you some?” Ev suggested. “Me?” his voice cracked, “Demand anything of the Sith? They might get the idea to meddle in my work further or to shut me down.” “So, I take it you don’t like the Sith?” Ev baited him. “I, well,” he stammered, the collected himself, “I can’t say that anyone would like having their planet occupied by anyone else.” “Do you happen to know anything about those downed escape pods?” Ev abruptly changed the subject. “Escape pods? What escape pods?” Zelka asked defensively, fidgeting with the buttons of his coat. “Why would a doctor like me know anything about them? Of course not.” “One came down not far from here,” Ev persisted, “You must have seen it.” “They sent you to check out my operations, didn’t they?” he snapped and backed towards the door. “I am compliant in every way. You saw my facility. A soldier was here earlier today to check things out and he went away happy.” “Like she said,” Carth said evenly, “We’re just stuck off-worlders.” Something sure has him tied in a knot. “Cool it,” Ev ordered, “I’m asking because we’re the ones who came out of that escape pod and we’re trying to find out if any of our ship mates made it down alive.” Idiot! Ev, why? Carth wanted to scream at her, but he held his mouth firmly shut. The damage was done. One minute she doesn’t even trust a doctor enough to walk into his clinic and the next she tells him exactly who we are. Make us easy prey, why don’t you? Seething, he clenched his fists. “See anyone come through that looked like they got banged up in a crash landing?” Ev asked, her voice a velvety calm. “That would explain your wound,” the doctor’s shoulders relaxed and he stopped glancing nervously at the door. “Come with me,” he said, “I have something you might want to see.” Ev pulled her pants back on and, leaning on Carth, followed Zelka to the back of the clinic. He pressed his hand to a small panel mounted on the wall, and a hidden door swept away in front of them. Inside was a room of cylindrical kolto tanks. Four of them held the floating forms of republic soldiers. “Those are—” Carth gasped. “People keep bringing them in from the crash sites,” Zelka explained, “and I couldn’t refuse them.” “Will these men recover?” Ev asked. She scrutinized the four men, looking disappointed. “No,” he answered regrettably, “They were too far gone already. But I can at least help them end their days in comfort.” “For that, we owe you our thanks,” Carth said. “Most of the crew was massacred aboard the Endar Spire. I’m glad you’re taking care of those that made it down. They were all good soldiers.” “You sound like an officer,” Zelka observed. “Of sorts,” Carth responded enigmatically, but that seemed to satisfy the doctor. “You didn’t happen to have a young woman come through here as well?” Ev asked, gesturing to the tanks. “No,” he shook his balding head, “Just these four and one more man who passed on yesterday.” Ev nodded, lips pursed thoughtfully. The three of them stood in silence among the kolto tanks until Zelka grew fidgety again. “Well, we should get your leg soaked and healed up. Don’t tell anyone about this operation. I don’t even trust my assistant Gerny to know this. If the Sith found out, I’d be shut down.” “Of course not,” Ev responded. “Thanks again,” Carth said as the doctor led them from the room. Ev hobbled proudly ahead of him, trying and failing to hide a grimace of pain. Revised on 6/8/09. -----signature----- Padawan to Commander-DWH Under the Shadow of the Builders- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/29386724/p1/ Fanfiction Web Site- http://faraway.toweroftime.com SoA's India Blog- http://jenna-song.blogspot.com
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
KELIA Title: The Pretty in Pink Fan Fic Manager Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 11/13/08 3:43am Subject: RE: Glimpses through Ebon Windows (kotor era) updated 11/9 - A Bloody Mess
	Carth and Ev are clashing already! Not that surprising and I hope they will work out their differences soon. Bickering couples also attract attention. I’ve always got you to lean on, honey, if I have some trouble. Something she should take more advantage of Great update -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 NaNaWriMo Progress: 32,105
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
VaderLVR64 Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 11/27/08 8:37pm Subject: RE: Glimpses through Ebon Windows (kotor era) updated 11/9 - A Bloody Mess
	I read this earlier and forgot to leave a comment. Bad me! Anyway, I really liked it! Excellent work. -----signature----- R.I.P John, Alex, Jason, and Christian Never forgotten Soldiers' Angels http://soldiersangels.org/ 2114 soldiers waiting for someone to care
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
SoA Registered: Apr '08	Date Posted: 12/23/08 12:44pm Subject: Happening the Third: "I forgot..." - Date Edited: 6/8 3:01pm (1 edits total) Edited By: SoA
	KELIA- Thanks for reading! These two are way to much fun to write. One minute they're play-flirting and the next they're bickering. Though, I think Ev is enough to drive just about anyone nuts. It's no wonder she clashes with Carth. VaderLVR64- Thanks! This one was supposed to be a short happening, and then Ev took over and had her way with it. What can you do? To fit with the revised chapter layout, this is a continuation of Part 1- Taris: The Upper City and no longer it's own happening Part 1, continued Later that afternoon Ev surveyed the long racks of blasters behind transparisteel display windows. As soon her leg was healed up, Ev had insisted in seeing a weapon’s dealer. She wanted to replace the military-grade repeating blaster she lost during her escape from the Endar Spire. Carth couldn’t blame her, since vibroblades were only good for some situations. The little shop, unfortunately, didn’t seem to carry any military-class weapons in stock. Keeping an eye on Ev, Carth chatted with the shopkeeper, a blond woman named Kelba Yurt, about her grenade selection. “Frag grenades, poison grenades, plasma grenades, thermal detonators,” Kelba explained, “They’ve all be outlawed since the Sith took over. I’m lucky they let me keep the more harmless ones.” “I’m interested in what you do have,” Carth responded, “Adhesives, flashes, and stun grenades all have their uses. What’s your price for them?” “One hundred credits apiece,” Kelba answered almost automatically. Carth nearly choked at the price. Swallowing, he said, “I’ll take two of each then.” If this keeps up, we’re going to need to find work. We’re running low on credits. “Hey,” she called from where she surveyed the blaster case, “Is this all you have right now?” The shopkeeper jumped to attention and shuffled over towards her, Carth following casually after. “Unfortunately, yes,” she answered, “It’s all the munitions the Sith would let me keep. They confiscated all of the larger weapons,” she added sourly. “I suspect they’ve used my stores to supply their own troops.” “So no repeating blaster rifles, then?” Ev asked. “Not while we’re under Sith quarantine,” the Kelba shook her head. “What do you want something that size for anyway? That’s too much to carry around,” Carth asked impatiently. “Hmm,” Ev hummed irritably, ignoring Carth. “Thanks,” she added as an afterthought before turning back to the blasters. While Carth returned to haggling for a lower price on his collection of medpacks and grenades, Ev deepened her study of the guns. A few minutes later, he had managed to bring the price of six grenades and five medpacks down to only seven-hundred credits. Ev, however, was still examining the weapons as closely as she could through the transparisteel window. Carth strode over to her and tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention, “Hey Ev, meet me at the cantina around the corner for some dinner when you’re done here.” She glanced over her shoulder and nodded, “Sure thing, Onasi.” “Thanks for all your help Kelba,” Carth added as he left the store and headed back out into Taris’ upper city. “Come back any time,” Kelba called after him. As the sun set, the crimson and orange sky cast its colors onto the mirror-like towers. The Sith armor looked somehow more threatening as it reflected the fiery hues. This time of evening, the airways were thickly congested with shuttles and speeders, and more people than usual traversed the streets of the upper city. Some appeared to be returning for the evening, while others appeared to be going out for the night. The air hummed with engines and chatter. Before proceeding to the cantina for dinner, Carth stood for a moment and watched the Taresians go by. Except for the patrolling Sith soldiers, Taris looked like any other bustling city. No one seemed to mind the soldiers’ presence, and many didn’t even appear to notice them there. There were more people smiling and joking as they passed by him than otherwise. It baffled Carth. How could these people be totally content with their lives, continue on business as usual, while their entire planet was under an invasion blockade. Soldiers were everywhere and the Leviathan loomed in orbit above. Did they think that the Sith would soon leave peacefully? Did they think that their invaders would reward them for their complacence? As long as their own ways of life weren’t disrupted, did they even care? Where was the dissent and resistance? Carth sighed and rubbed his temples. He suddenly felt so very alone. It was as if only he, on this vast urban world, saw the Sith as an uncompromisable foe. As if only he would oppose them. That daunting feeling was almost enough to crush even him, but he had Ev. Despite the days they had spent together already, Carth still hardly knew her. She was unpredictable at best but stubborn enough he could hope that she wouldn’t give up on him or on the mission they had before them. Carth caught a whiff of something savory on the breeze and his stomach grumbled. He tore his eyes away from the ebbing crowds and headed back down the narrow street behind him towards the cantina. The Cantina was as busy as any should be around dinner time. No one seemed to take notice of Carth as he stepped inside and took a seat at the bar. He ordered up a glass of Taresian ale and waited. We’re stuck up here. I can’t see any reason, other than the Sith loving control, for them to not allow upper city citizens down to the lower city. I can understand barring from the other direction… ~~~ Carth drummed his fingers on the bar then sipped the last of his second glass of Taresian ale. “What could be keeping her?” he grumbled. “Hey there, you look lonely,” a sweetly smiling woman slipped onto the chair next to him. Instead of the loose tunic of the locals, she wore something decidedly more military. Even so, she was fit and attractive. “I’m just waiting for a friend,” Carth responded, smiling back at her. “Is he late?” she asked, sounding genuinely curious, but he knew better. “Yeah,” he said and, looking up at the clock above the bar, almost cursed. “Thirty-five minutes late. Has it been that long? I guess I’ve been too caught up I the news holos,” Carth tried to laugh at himself, but his heart began to race. Ev can’t still be looking at blasters. She better not have gotten herself caught… “It looks like you’ve been stood-up,” she chuckled with him. “I could keep you company until your friend shows up, if you’d like. The name is Sarna,” she said, extending a hand. Carth shook her hand and rose from his seat. “I’m sorry Sarna,” he said, trying to keep the creeping urgency from his voice, “I should probably go check in on her.” Sarna looked somewhat disappointed, but hid it well, “Maybe I’ll see you around some other time.” “Maybe,” he agreed absently, “Have a good night.” As soon as Carth was out of the cantina, he almost broke into a run. He swung into the supply shop where Kelba was closing up for the night. Ev was nowhere to be seen. “Back already?” she asked. “What can I do for you?” “Have you seen the woman I was with?” Carth asked, his voice a few pitches higher than usual. “She left only a few minute after you,” Kelba replied, “So, no, not since then.” “Did she say where she was going?” Carth asked quickly. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” she shook her head. “Well, thanks anyway,” Carth said as he turned and hurried back out onto the street. It was all he could do to keep from running as he scanned the crowds around him. She better not have gone off someplace else without telling me. I’ll… His throat tensed angrily. But no soldier like her would do that without a good reason. If she got caught by the Sith… Carth didn’t want to think about it. They had to do the impossible already. He couldn’t face that alone. Yet, he couldn’t keep the possibility from his mind. They wouldn’t keep her alive if she didn’t talk. He shuddered. Despite his best efforts to block it out, scenario after scenario played out in his head as he rushed down the street. All of them looked grim. ~~~ After rushing back to the apartment and finding it empty but still locked, Carth hurried back out into the night. His heart pounded in his ears as he fought to keep from breaking into a full-out run. If the Sith have her, maybe they’ve already realized we’re from the Republic and were just waiting for a chance to pounce. Or maybe she mouthed-off to the wrong guard. If they have her, I’m sure she wouldn’t have responded to interrogation yet. It’s only been an hour, and she seems more stubborn than that. She probably hasn’t mentioned me or the apartment yet. Then again, what I’ve heard of Sith interrogation techniques… He took a deep breath to calm himself, but it failed to help any. If only I knew where the Sith headquarters were in this area. I wouldn’t stand a chance breaking in, but I can’t just leave Ev to the Sith. Only a few blocks from the apartment, he heard a familiar voice over the chatter of the crowds, “Hey! Onasi!” Carth whirled around to see Ev standing near the edge of the street platform. She looked both fit and healthy. “There you are!” she said as he pushed through the crowds toward her. There was a hint of relief in her voice. “Where the hell were you?” Carth asked, more harshly than he meant to. Instead of flinching back, she straightened up and reported as professionally as any soldier, “I was heading back to the apartment, but I seem to have forgotten how to get there.” “Why didn’t you come to the cantina?” Carth demanded. “The cantina?” she echoed. “I told you to meet me at the cantina around the corner from the shop once you were done so we could get some dinner,” he reminded her. Ev slouched and looked down to her left, “I forgot…” “You forgot?” he asked, “What kind of soldier are you; that forgets about dinner and can’t remember the way home? I thought you were some kind of elite?” “My short-term memory should have no bearing on my other skills,” Ev shot back sourly. Carth sighed. “Ev, I’m sorry,” Carth finally allowed himself to relax a little, “I thought the Sith got you.” Ev chuckled, “They almost did. I accidentally wandered up to their headquarters, but managed to convince the guard that I was a lost dueling circle reject.” “You what?” Carth admonished gently, “Ev, you have to be more careful.” “I know, sir,” Ev nodded then pointed out, “But now we know where the Sith base is. That is, if I can remember how to get there.” She laughed at herself. A thought struck Carth, and he narrowed his eyes. “Ev, how do I know that you’re not some Sith agent, and that you didn’t just take this chance to tell them all about our plans?” “I am a Republic soldier,” she hissed angrily, “Sir.” “A fresh recruit that was specially requested by the Jedi to be transferred to the Endar Spire at the last minute,” Carth pressed. “Are you suggesting that I caused the attack and now I’m trying to get you caught too?” Ev demanded, closing the space between her and Carth so that they were barely a hand’s length apart. Although she was considerably smaller than Carth, she didn’t let that difference intimidate her. “I’m not suggesting anything,” Carth retorted. “Oh yes you are,” Ev accused, her voice dangerously low. “Not only do you not trust me. You expect me to turn my back on you.” “I didn’t say that,” Carth argued. “No, you didn’t,” Ev said evenly, “But you might as well have. If you’d rather not have me along for fear that I could turn on you at every second, fine. Leave me here right now. I could make myself comfortable on Taris.” Carth started to protest, but Ev continued on. “But know this, Carth Onasi, I am every bit as much a victim of this crash as you are. Only, they’re more likely to come looking for you, when all is said and done. I’m just a soldier, expendable,” despite her harsh tone, Carth caught a look in her dark eyes that was almost pleading. “If you’d rather that I didn’t make it off that ship in the first place and want to continue the search for Bastila on your own, be my guest.” Ev fell silent and Carth was at a loss for words. Have I really come across that badly? “Look, Ev,” he began, and grasped her hand in his, but she flicked her wrist out of his hold. “I couldn’t leave you. We’re in this together. This task is huge and it will take both of us to get through it alive.” Ev sighed, the fire fading from her eyes. “I believe you. But for us to work together, you’ve got to promise me that you’ll trust me.” “I—” Carth stammered, “I can make no promises about that.” “At least try?” Ev urged. Carth knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere until he acquiesced. “Fine,” he agreed. “Now, if you’re done, how about finally getting some dinner?” Ev cracked a smile as her stomach rumbled loudly, “That, I can agree on.” Is Ev leading Carth into trouble, or does she really have the best intentions in mind? Revised and updated on 6/8/09 -----signature----- Padawan to Commander-DWH Under the Shadow of the Builders- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/29386724/p1/ Fanfiction Web Site- http://faraway.toweroftime.com SoA's India Blog- http://jenna-song.blogspot.com
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Commander-DWH Title: Shiny Fan Fiction Manager Registered: Nov '03	Date Posted: 12/23/08 5:51pm Subject: RE: Under the Shadow of the Builders (renamed from "Ebon Windows") updated 12/23 - I forgot...
	Oh Ev, always getting into trouble. Good thing she knows how to use her feminine wiles to their best effect. Great update! -----signature----- Complements (KOTOR)- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/21177927/ Luminosity- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/27900517/ Barefoot hippie in the OC revolution Master of the lovely and talented SoA
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
KELIA Title: The Pretty in Pink Fan Fic Manager Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 12/26/08 3:40pm Subject: RE: Under the Shadow of the Builders (renamed from "Ebon Windows") updated 12/23 - I forgot...
	Nice to see someone get the upper hand with the Sith I think Carth is right not to trust Ev right away...I just hope she proves to be trustworthy. Great update -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 NaNaWriMo Progress: 32,105
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
Raphire Registered: Dec '08	Date Posted: 12/28/08 6:14pm Subject: RE: Under the Shadow of the Builders (renamed from "Ebon Windows") updated 12/23 - I forgot...
	I have been looking for a Kotor fanfic and this has definately lived up to my standards. I have to ask you. Will this spoil some Kotor Plot twists because I haven’t beaten it yet. I'm still ahead of you but... Anyway Great story!!! -----signature----- Smile and the world smiles with you. Laugh and the world finds you a straitjacket. I swallowed a bug. Two heads are better then one especially with guillotines! When surrendering I am to hand over the sword HILT first.
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
East_Coast_Ryder Registered: Aug '05	Date Posted: 2/20 8:32pm Subject: RE: Under the Shadow of the Builders (renamed from "Ebon Windows") updated 12/23 - I forgot...
	Love it! If you could Pm me updates, that would be great! -----signature----- "Zydrate comes in a little glass vial." "A little glass vial?" "A little glass vial!" Holding On DSF Revan/Carth http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/29833734/p1/
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
SoA Registered: Apr '08	Date Posted: 2/27 9:17pm Subject: Under the Shadow of the Builders (renamed from "Ebon Windows") updated 12/23 - I forgot... - Date Edited: 6/8 3:18pm (1 edits total) Edited By: SoA
	At long last, another happening! Carth and Ev slowly move towards their goal. Commander-DWH - Thanks! I'm having a blast writing Ev. She's so unlike any other protagonist I've ever written before. KELIA - To be honest, I don't think I'd trust Ev either, at this stage. Raphire - Thanks for reading! Farther along it will spoil some of them. But I'm sure you can play the game much faster than I can write this fanfiction. In most cases, I plan to take a different route to the goals of the game in this story. East_Coast_Ryder - Alrighty! I've added you to the PM list. EDIT: Again, this happening is being absorbed into Part 1- Taris: The Upper City. Part 1, continued “Where've you been?” Carth asked impatiently as soon as Ev entered the apartment the next afternoon. “You said you'd be home nearly an hour ago.” “I got side-tracked,” Ev replied tersely. She let the door fall closed behind her then turned around and locked it. Ev sauntered over to the bed and dropped the two bags she'd been carrying with her onto it. One, plain brown, looked like the cantina take-out she had gone out for in the first place. The other, decorated with a loopy 'S' and some black ribbon, looked suspiciously like something out of a department store. Ev untied the ribbon and reached into the second parcel. “What do you think?” she asked with a sly grin on her face. She held up a slinky plum-colored dress with a slit up one side and two rows of glittering fake gems around the halter neckline. At least, Carth hoped they were fake. “And I suppose that this dress has something to do with why you're late?” Carth asked. What on earth does she need a dress like that for. Ev isn't the type to collect clothing. Then again, I could be wrong... He stood up from the workbench where he'd been tinkering with his blaster pistols. “It does,” she responded, “But I didn't forget dinner.” She laid the dress back down onto the bed and then thrust the bag of cantina food at Carth. “Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm sure you thought I got lost again or went off to tell the Sith on you or something,” she joked, but the defiant look in her eyes kept Carth from arguing—or agreeing. It's uncanny how often she's right. Carth sighed as he took the package from her then began unpacking it onto the small collapsible table they'd found in the closet. “Care to explain the dress, then?” he asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him. “I met a nice young man at the cantina, and he asked me if I'd come to his party tonight,” Ev answered coyly. “A party?” Carth snapped, “Ev, we're not here on Taris to socialize.” Ev broke into peals of laughter, holding her side. “This is a military mission, Evrue Pell,” he continued. Carth could feel his face reddening. “Just because we—” “Yes, sir, I know,” Ev interrupted, “I'm sorry,” she stammered, stifling her laughter, “And that's why I agreed to attend.” “This is going to help us get at Bastila?” Carth asked skeptically. “The young man who invited me is a Sith soldier,” Ev explained evenly, “and so are all of his friends.” “A Sith party!” Carth exclaimed. “You're not going.” What was she doing chatting up off-duty Sith soldiers anyway? “Cool it for a second, would you? And let me explain,” Ev snapped but there was laughter in her eyes. Carth clenched his fists but kept his mouth shut. Of all the reckless things she's done... “Rubbing elbows with these restless young Sith may be our ticket into the lower city,” she explained. Suddenly taking on a submissive posture, she asked, “With your permission, sir, I'd like to give it a shot.” With those dark eyes staring pleadingly up at him, how could he refuse? “Fine,” Carth said huffily, “But you're not going alone. I'm coming with you.” “Fair enough,” Ev smiled, “But you have to promise not to drink too much.” Carth ignored the last comment, “Well, let's eat before this food gets any colder.” ~~~ After Ev dressed—she had even bought a matching pair of high-heeled shoes—and smoothed down her usually unruly wavy black hair, the two of them set off into the city. The party was at an apartment complex no far off. With Ev on his arm, Carth couldn't help but straighten up and grin as they walked. People they passed by stared at his companion. And with good reason. She does look beautiful tonight. The halter top and low-cut back revealed slim and graceful bare shoulders, as well as just enough cleavage to be tantalizing. She walked smoothly and confidently, even in her heels. For a moment, he'd totally forgotten that she was an elite soldier that could probably still take down half a squad of Sith dressed like this. She almost made him forget that they were about to walk into a party full of Sith soldiers. “Ev! You made it!” a young man with a wide smile and sandy hair exclaimed when they entered. In the comfortably sized apartment nearly twenty twenty-somethings milled about to the music. Several of them looked up and stared inquisitively in their direction. A table along the back wall stood covered in drinks and snacks. Carth stiffened and caught himself from reaching for his blaster. On his arm, even Ev seemed to tense up. “Of course I made it,” Ev said smoothly, “Your invitation to a party like this was irresistible to a grounded off-worlder like me.” “You do look beautiful tonight,” the young man said as he approached. Reaching out, he took her free hand, but Carth was reluctant to let her go to the Sith. “Who's your friend?” he asked. “Oh, this is my partner Onasi,” Ev answered, breaking away from Carth. “And, this is Yun Genda, the man who invited me to this party in the first place.” “Pleased to meet you,” Carth said as evenly as he could and took Yun's hand in a firm handshake. “You're her partner?” Yun asked. “And do come in.” He waved them farther into the room. “Ah, yes,” Carth stammered as they walked. “We're freighter pilots,” Ev explained, “I co-pilot for Onasi.” “What's your usual cargo?” Yun asked. Carth didn't detect any suspicion in his voice. I bet he thinks we're smugglers or something like that... “Well,” Ev drew out the word thoughtfully, “Lately we've been working for Rinnh Imports.” Carth caught sight of a jug of juice next to the punch bowl with “Rinnh” emblazoned across it in silver lettering and chuckled. “It's too bad they won't let you out for a run,” Yun laughed, “We could use some more produce on Taris these days. But, a quarantine is a quarantine.” “Oh hey!” a fit, blond woman exclaimed and swept over to them, “You're the man from the cantina the other night.” For a second, Carth's mind drew a blank. “Sara, right?” he guessed. “Sarna,” she corrected him. “You found your friend, then?” “Yes I did,” Carth answered, then gestured to Ev, “This is my friend Ev.” Sarna nodded in Ev's direction. “Now, I don't think I caught your name,” she said. “It's Onasi,” he replied. I might as well not give them my whole name. At least one of them probably has been put on alert with a list of names from the Spire. “So, how long have you two been in this part of the city?” Yun asked. Carth glanced over at Ev, who answered without skipping a beat, “We landed on another part of the planet just before the quarantine was enacted. Ever since then, we figured we would see all the sights Taris had to offer until we're allowed to leave again.” “We've only been in this part of the city for about a week,” Carth supplied when Ev took a suggestive pause. “Taris really isn't so bad, for being a backwater planet,” Yun said encouragingly. “It certainly wasn't my first choice for an assignment, but as junior officers, we can't complain too much.” “How long have you been here, then?” Ev asked, glancing slowly between Yun and Sarna. “It's been, what, three months?” Yun answered, looking to Sarna for confirmation. “About that,” she nodded. “You both arrived at the same time?” Carth asked, trying to stay calm. All this talking with the enemy isn't for me. I'd rather take action. He nudged his hand away from his blaster again. I wish I hadn't come. Only, there's no way I could let Ev come alone. Who knows what she'd do? “Yeah,” Sarna answered. “All of us here,” Yun said, gesturing around the room with a broad sweep of his right arm, “excluding you of course, are from the same class. We all arrived together and still stick together.” “That's certainly nice that you can do that,” Ev commented diplomatically. “Well, Onasi, can I offer you some Taresian ale and a look at the view off the balcony?” Sarna asked with a friendly smile. He glanced reluctantly over at Ev who made a very slight nod with her eyes, and responded, “Sure. I'd love some.” He let Sarna lead him to the refreshments table, leaving Ev chatting with Yun. Trying not to be obvious about it, Carth glanced over his shoulder at Ev. She'd better not try anything. Carth made small-talk with Sarna and some of her other friends on the balcony. Thankfully, she and her friends did most of the talking, and he only had to agree now and then. They didn't ask him many questions about himself, so he didn't have to fabricate many lies. He hated lying. Every once in a while, he caught a glimpse of Ev inside where she still talked with Yun Genda and sipped at a glass of something. Try as he might, he couldn't make out anything she was saying at that distance. Several cups of Taresian ale and at least an hour later—he had lost track of time—Sarna said shivering, “It's getting chilly out here. Let's all head back inside where it's warmer.” She ushered them back indoors, placing a slender hand on Carth's arm as they went. As they passed the drink table, she snatched up two more glasses of ale and passed one smoothly to Carth. “So, Orange-jacket, what's your relationship with your friend Ev over there,” Sarna asked gesturing with her thumb in Ev's direction. Her voice was somewhat slurred. “I don't know her that well yet,” he answered, then quickly amended, “We hadn't been flying together very long before we got grounded here.” “But do you love her?” Sarna asked, leaning closer. He could smell the alcohol on her breath. No response came to mind. Instead, Carth found himself laughing. I'm not drunk yet, am I? “You know,” he heard Ev say from the other side of the room, “I am curious about those swoop races.” “They're intense,” Yun said and laughed, “But I wouldn't want to brave the swoop gangs down there just to see them.” “Onasi and I can handle ourselves,” Ev said, laughing along with him, for no reason that Carth could see. “A little bit of 'danger' might be exciting after the monotony of being stuck here.” “I see your point there,” Yun agreed. “Sometimes I wish I wasn't just guarding the elevator down, and actually getting some action down there.” “You know,” Ev said, her excitement visibly rising, “Onasi has been wanting to try out the swoop bike circuit here since we realized we were stuck.” “He wants to race?” Yun asked. Seeing his time to put in, Carth called over to them, “Sure I do.” He finished the cup of ale Sarna had given him and sauntered over towards Yun and Ev with Sarna still at his heels. “He's a great pilot,” Ev praised enthusiastically. “I'd love to see him in the swoop bike races.” “Hm? Have you done swoop races before?” Sarna asked, clinging to his arm again. “I raced some back home,” he lied, squirming inwardly. “Where's home?” Yun asked. “T—” he started. “Coruscant,” Ev said quickly over him, “just like me.” She paused thoughtfully, then added, aiming pleading brow eyes and fluttering lashes at Yun, “It's really too bad we can't go...” “Why not?” Yun asked sympathetically. “You don't have the papers, do you?” Sarna asked. Ev and Carth both shook their heads. “Oh course!” Yun exclaimed, slapping his leg, “The papers! If you come by tomorrow during the shift right before noon, I can have the papers ready for you and let you down into the lower city.” “Really?” Ev asked with an eager girlishness Carth hadn't thought her capable of. “Sure,” Yun boasted, “I can write up the papers for you two, easy.” “That's great, isn't it, Onasi?” Ev cooed. “I can't wait,” Carth tried to sound excited. Then Ev tipped back her glass and downed the remaining ale. “Can I get you another glass?” Yun offered. “Aw, nah,” Ev dismissed him with a wave of her other hand. “I think I've had enough of that for tonight.” “You know, Sarna,” Yun said, jabbing her in the side with his elbow, “This is far better when we were training under Karath, isn't it? Even if this backwater planet is dull as all else.” Carth's jaw tightened. “He wouldn't let us party at all on the Leviathan. It was all discipline, even down-time,” Sarna agreed, laughing. Saul Karath. Anger boiled up in Carth's chest. “What all did you do on the Leviathan?” he growled. Sarna stepped back, a little startled. Suddenly, Ev burst out in hysterical laughter. Holding onto her forehead, she teetered and stumbled a few steps towards Carth. “Oh, this was so much fun tonight,” she giggled, then fell forward onto Carth's chest. He caught her and helped her gain her footing again. “Are you okay, Ev?” he asked. “Fine, fine,” she laughed, “But maybe I've had a bit much to drink.” “I could walk you home,” Yun offered. “No, that's alright,” Carth said quickly, “I'll take her back myself. I don't trust her not to get lost like this.” Carth laughed. It's the truth. And I don't trust you with her or knowing where we're staying. “I'm so glad you could come,” Yun said. “Yeah,” Sarna agreed lamely. “Are you sure you'll be alright,” Yun asked, moving closer to Ev. “She'll be fine. She's been worse,” Carth fibbed. “Come on, Ev.” He wrapped one arm around her waist and began to lead her towards the door. “Thanks for the invite,” Ev said over her shoulder. “We'll see you tomorrow.” “Thanks for having us!” Carth said and waved as they turned out the door. “Drop by again sometime!” Yun called. Carth led Ev, arm around her waist as she leaned heavily on him, down the lift and out into the neon-lit streets. She said nothing until they rounded a corner out of sight of the apartments, when she straightened up and began to walk more confidently. Has she seen something? “Ev?” Carth asked quietly. “What?” she responded. “Did you see something?” he asked. Ev laughed. “Onasi, I'm not drunk,” she chuckled. “You just...” he stammered. “But you, sir, are,” she gave a little laugh and shoved his shoulder. Carth stumbled wildly away from her, but she reached out her hand to him. He grasped it and steadied himself. This time, she slunk her arm around his waist. “Sorry,” she apologized, but sounded about to laugh again. Carth threw an arm around her shoulder. “Then why did you act like that back there?” he asked. “Because you were about to put your foot in your mouth, twice,” she said smartly. “What do you mean?” Carth demanded. “You're an awful liar, lieutenant, and even worse when you're drunk,” Ev replied. “You know what?” Carth began angrily, pushing her away, “That's what I hate about you. I never know if you're telling the truth or not.” “Have I lied to you yet?” Ev asked defensively. “See? That's it! How can I know?” he sputtered. “Look,” Ev said, gaining control over her temper, “I got us what we wanted. We can get down to the lower city tomorrow.” “But how do we know that kid will follow through?” Carth demanded. “Maybe he and his friends caught onto us and we'll be met with a squad of soldiers to arrest us.” “And that's what I hate about you,” Ev accused, “You can't seem to trust anyone.” “Damn right, I don't,” Carth spat back. “And why not?” Ev pressed, stepping threateningly close. “It's none of your business,” he snapped, then softened, adding, “It's not personal.” “Oh yes it is personal,” Ev argued. “If you can't trust anyone, least of all me, how can you expect me to be able to work with you?” Carth turned away, glaring up at the sky. “Talk of the Leviathan seemed to set you off pretty badly back there,” Ev observed. The mere mention of that ship felt like needles into his heart. He set his jaw and strode more quickly ahead of her. “See!” she cried, “There you go again! That doesn't have anything to do with it, does it?” “No,” he snapped, then corrected himself, “Yes, I mean, drop it, would you? I have my reasons, and no, I don't want to talk about them.” Ev hurried up and stopped directly in front of him. As he stumbled to a halt, Ev grabbed both of his hands in hers and looked up into his eyes. “Carth, I'm sorry,” she said earnestly, “I didn't mean to—” Unable to shake free of her gaze, he sighed. “No, I'm sorry,” he apologized. “It's just that, well, Admiral Saul Karath, he was my mentor.” “And now he's with the Sith,” Ev sighed as the truth hit her. “Worse than that,” Carth continued, “The first thing he did once he deserted to the Sith was attack Telos. I had a son and a wife there.” “Oh Carth, I'm sorry,” Ev gasped quietly. “I was there, but I couldn't stop him,” Carth continued, a lump rising in his throat, “I remember holding my dying wife Morgan in my arms, screaming for a medic that never came.” He swallowed hard. “I don't even know why I'm telling you this now, here,” he sighed and finally broke away from her gaze. Ev squeezed his hands, then let go. “Let's get back,” she said gently, “You still look awful, sir.” “Tomorrow morning isn't going to be fun,” Carth groaned as he stumbled down the street. Once again, Ev reached around his waist to steady him. “You can have the bed tonight, I'll take the floor,” Ev offered. “But—” he protested weakly. “Don't go playing a gentleman on me,” Ev scolded. “You're going to have a hangover tomorrow morning, and I'm not.” Carth laughed weakly, “Fine, you win.” Stay tuned for the entrance of a punky teen Twi'lek and her Wookie friend. Revised and Updated on 6/8/09 -----signature----- Padawan to Commander-DWH Under the Shadow of the Builders- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/29386724/p1/ Fanfiction Web Site- http://faraway.toweroftime.com SoA's India Blog- http://jenna-song.blogspot.com
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
KELIA Title: The Pretty in Pink Fan Fic Manager Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 3/1 12:28pm Subject: Under the Shadow of the Builders (KotOR Era) - Updated 2/28 - Slinky Dress
	It's a good thing Ev didn't leave Carth alone at the party. No telling what kind of trouble he would have gotten himself into with talk of the Leviathan I hope he appreciates having the bed when he wakes up with his hangover! Great update -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 NaNaWriMo Progress: 32,105
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
SoA Registered: Apr '08	Date Posted: 6/7 9:42pm Subject: Under the Shadow of the Builders (KotOR Era) - Updated 2/28 - Slinky Dress - Date Edited: 6/8 3:19pm (1 edits total) Edited By: SoA
	Kelia- Thanks! It seems like Ev and Carth are equally good at getting themselves into trouble these days. Thank goodness they're keeping an eye on each other. I've decided to, from here on out, format this story a little differently than it started, with one long chapter for each planet this crew visits and one short chapter in between each for travel. The perspective is also going to solidify. To match that, I'm working on fixing up the earlier happenings and splitting them into a prologue and part 1. That fix should be up in the next few days. Ah, it is wonderful to be graduated and finally have time to write. For the time being, at any rate. Part 2- Taris: The Lower City Carth sat across from his perpetual companion of the last week in the dimly lit Lower City Cantina. All around them where pushy humans and aliens yelling for more ale, making quiet deals, deep in games of pazaak—doing anything but watching Ev and Carth. That was the way he liked it. Much better than that party last night. Ev sat her tumbler onto the table with a sly smile. “So?” she asked, looking up at him through dark lashes. “So, what?” Carth asked, leaning back in his chair and staring at her. 'What now?' always seemed to be the question with Ev. He took a swig of the ale. “So,” she started, propping her elbows on the table, “did I do a good job, sir?” Carth laughed, “A little unconventional, but that was a fine and successful covert operation.” “I'll take that as high praise, coming from you, Onasi,” Ev chuckled. “You'll forgive me then?” “For what?” Carth almost asked, but stopped himself. For disappearing on me several times? For dragging me to that Sith party? For acting without consulting me? For forcing out unpleasant memories? Ev's smile faded, sobering, Carth realized, in response to his own scowl. “Sir?” she pressed. “Next time, try to consult me before storming off on some reckless plan,” Carth said, then took a long drink, watching her for a reaction. Instead of snapping back a quick response as she usually did, Ev fell silent and started vacantly off into the crowd of the cantina. Carth could only wonder what was on her mind. He sighed, “We're just one step closer to our goal, but not even these passes are enough to get us into the Undercity. If we waste any more time, there won't be anything left of those pods we heard about.” Ev nodded. She seemed only partially focused on the present. “I doubt we'll find any more convenient parties down here, and we don't have a legit reason to get down below,” Ev assessed, “There has to be another way down there to the pods.” “More scavengers, are you?” the heavy bartender asked as he strolled past them. Carth straightened up, mortified. How long was he listening in? “More or less,” Ev responded coolly. “You won't find anything left of those Republic pods down there,” a graying but tough-looking mercenary sitting two tables over laughed, “The Black Vulkars already picked over everything.” “We'd still like to have a look,” Ev said, maintaining her even facade, but Carth detected some disappointment in her eyes. “The swoop gangs have the run of this area,” the bartender explained, “They can get down there, past the guards, when no one else can. But, I'll tell you something,” he said, leaning closer, “If anyone knows a way around those blasted Sith, it's Mission Vao.” “Mission Vao?” Carth asked, “Can we trust this guy to help us?” The bartender laughed, “Mission is about as trusting a kid as I've ever met. Sure, she'll help you out.” “A kid?” Carth asked incredulously. “Mission is a punky little Twi'lek orphan, blue, but she and her Wookiee pal take care of themselves down here just fine,” he said, waving one hand in a meaningless gesture, “There isn't another pair like them in this area. I'm sure they won't be hard to find.” “Thanks for the tip,” Carth said quickly, catching Ev's expectant stare over the top of her ale tumbler. “Any time,” the potbellied man smiled and moved on. Ev slammed the mug triumphantly onto the table. “Well, we have our next contact,” she said shortly, “I'd like to start searching for her—with your permission.” “Not without me,” Carth said firmly, and rose from his seat. “The best way at this seems to be doing a casual sweep of the public areas in this vicinity.” Ev nodded slowly. “Or we could ask around? It seems like Mission and her friend are well-known in this area.” Standing, she surveyed the noisy cantina. “There's no Wookiee in here, so I guess we start someplace else,” she suggested. As they eased their way across the crowded room, Carth complained under his breath, “Looking for a Twi'lek we've never met is worse than searching for Bastila. At least we know what she looks like. It's like finding a bullet in an ore mine.” “How many blue Twi'lek girls that hang out with Wookiees can there be in the lower city?” Ev pointed out as the doors of the cantina slid open in front of them. Carth and Ev stepped into a firefight. Shrapnel flew in all directions while laser pistols screamed over the clash of vibroblades. In the middle of the skirmish was a lanky brown Wookiee defending a petite Twi'lek girl with an awkwardly large backpack strapped across her shoulders. Hemmed in on all sides by thugs, human men, Aqualish, Rodians, and a pair of angry Gamorians, the pair backed farther apart from each other in an effort to avoid enemy bolts and blades. “You'll give that back, little girl!” one of the thugs shouted. Ev raised an eyebrow at Carth then drew her vibroblade and dove into the fight. “Ev!” he tried to call her off, but it was too late. With sigh, he set his jaw, drew his blaster pistols and moved into the cover of the doorway. Years of training and instinct overtook him. The battle drew him in. A trio of Twi'lek and human men skidded around the corner. “Mission!” the foremost of them exclaimed, drawing his own blade. “Beks! Gather up!” he yelled over his shoulder, and then joined the fight with his companions. The Sith who claim to be repressing these gang fights aren't even here, Carth thought grimly—and somewhat thankfully. The Twi'lek girl, who must have been Mission, suddenly shrieked and fell down onto one knee, grasping the other. Before Carth could track who had shot her, Ev already stood protectively over her, deflecting attackers. And blaster bolts. Carth momentarily lost his trace-like focus on the battle. No...It couldn't be. He shook himself and redirected his attention, shooting down a Rodian gunman. “Get out of here, woman,” a Black Vulkar thug sneered loudly as he crossed blades with Ev, “This isn't your fight.” “I just so happen to need this kid's help,” Ev retorted, dodging and parrying. She held her own easily against the much bigger man. “And she can't help me if you've cut her to pieces.” The thug opened his mouth to speak, but Ev cut him down with three swift strikes while his guard was open. Carth fired two shots to finish him off. He couldn't help but be impressed by the ease and skill with which Ev fought. Special corps, no kidding. He no longer wondered how she alone managed to get off the Endar Spire. Reaching one hand down to Mission to help her up, she asked, “You okay?” “Took a shot to the shin. Yeah, I feel great,” she said sarcastically then added, “Thanks, whoever you—Zaalbar!” The Wookiee roared angrily, and only her limp kept Mission from racing over towards him. At the edge of the battle, one of the Gamoreans had knocked Zaalbar’s bowcaster away while the other pinned him against the wall with a stun stick. His eyes rolled back in his head and he slid limply to the floor. Swift as lightning, Ev burst through the skirmish towards the Gamoreans and their prey, delivering swift and crippling blows to anyone who tried to intercept her. Carth did his best to cover for her. Another group of incoming Hidden Beks protectively encircled Mission. The lumbering Gamoreans had already begun to shackle Zaalbar up when Ev lunged up to them. “Leave that Wookiee alone,” she growled. Hardly intimidated by the small-statured woman before him, one Gamorean grunted and raised his cleaver. But Ev was faster. She delivered a strong slice to his wrist. Bleeding and squealing, he dropped the huge ax. Ev was barely able to dodge out of its path, but quickly recovered and held her vibroblade threateningly before her. Carth flicked up the power settings on his blasters and fired a volley at the second Gamorean. That, and Ev's threatening stare, was enough to persuade them to retreat as fast as they could lumber away. At that moment, the Hidden Beks finished off the remaining Vulkars that hadn't already turned tail and fled. With the air clear of laser shots, Mission, hobbled over to Ev and the fainted Wookiee. Wincing, the young Twi'lek asked, “Is he going to be okay?” Ev nodded and sheathed her vibroblade, “He just took a stun stick to the gut. I'm sure he'll be up and moving soon.” Mission squatted down next to him and reached for Zaalbar's hairy wrist for a pulse but drew back. “Binders! Those dirty, rotten—” she exclaimed indignantly, “Those were Gamorean slavers allied with the Vulkars!” Carth moved cautiously out from the cover of the cantina doorway. From behind him, there came a gravely chuckle, “That's one way to get the little Twi'lek's attention.” He whirled around. The graying mercenary stood smirking between the open doors, “I wouldn't have pegged you as the reckless type.” Without another word, the man slid past Carth and strode slowly away down the passage. “Mission! You there!” one of the Hidden Beks called, “Let's leave this mess before the Sith show up!” “Zaalbar's down!” Mission protested, rising to her feet. “You two,” the man pointed his thumb towards two other men on his left, “Help her with Zaalbar.” “I'm not carrying no Wookiee,” one of them grumbled. “Yes you are, and get to it,” he snapped. “The rest of you, gather up the rest of our injured,” he said then added grimly, “And any Bek bodies.” In the scuffling that ensued, Carth holstered his blasters and made his way over to Ev, where she still hung close to the young Twi'lek. He leaned close to her shoulder and said in a low voice, “I thought you were going to at least warn me before you do something crazy like, you know, charging into a gang war.” “Sir, I don't know about you,” Ev responded, “but I can't just sit back and watch when thugs are trying to beat up some kid. Especially when it's a kid we need help from.” “Who are you calling a kid?” Mission demanded, almost reflexively, “And what do you want?” Ev was, for once, without a retort. “We're stranded off-worlders looking to get around the Sith guard and into the Undercity,” Carth explained, “And we were told that a Twi'lek by the name of Mission Vao would be our best bet at that.” “That's me, and they're right,” Mission said triumphantly, “But why anyone would want to go down there is—” “You three!” the Bek leader hollered, “Come with us. Gadon will want to talk with you after what you did in this fight.” As they moved out, flanked by Hidden Beks, Mission turned to Carth and Ev and said, “Thanks, by the way.” ~~~ As the party of fighters, Ev, and Carth entered the Hidden Bek base, all heads turned. Those fiddling with swoop bikes lowered their hydrospanners, those dueling in the corner broke off their concentration, and those that just lazed around straightened up, eyes on Mission and the parcel she carried. The Beks that carried their wounded and dead friends broke off towards a set of cots to the left of the entrance while others rushed up to help them. As Zaalbar was hauled towards a cot, Mission's steps faltered, but she quickly recovered herself and continued towards the back of the room where a sturdy black man sat behind a sparse desk. “Mission's back,” the man at the head of their procession announced. Now only he and two Twi'lek Beks remained as escorts for Mission, Ev, and Carth. “Is she?” the man behind the desk asked. His voice was deep and rich but his gaze was unfocused. “And how did she fare?” he asked. “I've got it right here, Gadon,” Mission said proudly, reaching back and patting the parcel on her back. “I don't even think they realized it was gone until we were back up in the lower city.” The man, Gadon, smiled broadly. “Excellent work,” he praised, his gaze still vacant. “I won't ask how you did it.” As they arrived at his desk, Mission laughed, “Trade secret!” “We did have some trouble with the Vulkars just outside the cantina though,” the Twi'lek to Carth's left added. Gadon's smile faded and he pursed his lips, “Any casualties?” “They got Darya and Biarre,” the man in the lead said remorsefully, “And about seven other suffered nasty injuries.” “When will they let up?” Gadon asked darkly, to no one in particular. Some action around the room had resumed, but Ev and Carth still earned uncomfortable stares. Carth fidgeted and glanced over at Ev, who seemed as icy calm as ever. Good job. You've gotten us into the den of a swoop gang. At least we found the Twi'lek girl, and she seems competent. “Well, good job as always, Mission,” Gadon said at last. “Give the prototype accelerator to Therton and have it installed into one of the bikes. We've got to have it ready for the big race tomorrow.” “Right away,” Mission nodded, then scurried off as nimbly as the pack on her back allowed. “And who are these two?” the armored Twi'lek woman standing next to Gadon demanded. Her skin faded beautifully from pale yellow to sapphire blue down her lekku, but her glare was suspicious. “A little bit of unexpected help,” the man in front of them said then stepped aside, giving them a better view of Gadon and his Twi'lek bodyguard. “They were already covering Mission and Zaalbar from the ambush when we got there. I don't think we'd still have the accelerator if it wasn't for their help.” “Well, then, I owe you my thanks,” Gadon said. “But it's rare that a couple of strangers would stick their neck out to help a swoop gang without looking for something in return,” the Twi'lek woman commented hostilely. “What do you want?” “Calm down Zaerdra, we don't even know who they are, and we do owe them now,” Gadon said smoothly. Ev locked eyes with Carth and nodded. He cleared his throat and explained, “I'm Carth and this is my partner Ev. We're stranded off-world pilots. We were looking to get down to the Undercity to check out the pod that fell there. We were told that Mission would be the one to help us get around the Sith guards. When we walked into a firefight with her and the Wookiee at the middle of it, we just kind of jumped in.” “'Just jumped in?'” the green Twi'lek to Ev's right butted in indignantly, “That man is a sharp shooter and the lady handles a vibroblade better than anyone I've seen before.” Ev looked down at her boots and Carth scoffed, “It was nothing but a few lucky shots.” “Say what you like, but I know what I saw,” the Twi'lek murmured. “If that's so, we could use your help around here. We're losing too many of our men and women to those war-mongering Vulkars,” Gadon said thoughtfully, “But why was it that you wanted to get into the Republic space pods anyway? The Vulkars have already picked them clean, according to our patrols.” Carth's heart sank. Now what? Ev finally spoke up, “You see, we think a friend of ours was on one of those pods and we wanted to see her to safety.” “Now that paints a different picture,” Gadon chuckled. “You're Republic soldiers, aren't you?” Zaerdra surmised. “We never said that—” Carth stammered. “Would it be a problem if we were?” Ev asked with an eyebrow raised. Carth noticed her hand snake towards the hilt of her vibroblade. “None whatsoever,” Gadon shook his head, but Zaerdra still looked wary. “We hate these Sith and what they're doing to our Taris as much as you do, I'm sure.” He paused and took a slow breath. “I may know what happened to your friend,” he said at last. “Tomorrow is the season opener for the Taresian swoop racing circuit. As their part of the prize, the Black Vulkars have put up a valuable slave: a young woman that they claim to be an officer in the Republic army.” “Bastila,” Ev said softly. “Then they don't know that she's a—” Carth stopped himself. Jedi. Then we still have a chance. “Is there any way we can get at her?” Ev asked. “Win the swoop race,” Gadon answered. “Win the swoop race?” Carth repeated incredulously, “We're soldiers, pilots, not swoop jocks.” “I used to do swoop races on Coruscant,” Ev offered quickly. “You what?” Cart stammered. “Well, then I have a deal to offer you,” Gadon said slowly, “You can enter the race under the banner of the Hidden Beks and race on the bike with the prototype accelerator that Mission just got back for us. If you win, you get your friend. If you lose, well then, you'll have to find some other way to get her.” “Prudent,” Ev nodded, “You're helping us without provoking further gang warfare, but I get this feeling that you're not telling us everything.” “Good catch,” Gadon smiled, “We have not had a chance to test the new accelerator design yet, since the Vulkars stole it almost immediately after it was finished. Our techs suspect that it's unstable and could overheat and explode on the track if not handled right.” “So you get to try out your new toy without risking the lives of any of your people,” Ev concluded, “also prudent.” “Do we have a deal?” Gadon asked and rose from his chair. He extended his hand towards Ev. “Onasi, what do you think?” She turned to Carth and asked. He shrugged, inwardly relieved that Ev had at least thought to ask him, “It's our best bet right now.” Ev took Gadon's hand and shook it, “Deal.” “You two are welcome to stay the night here; rest, relax, eat,” Gadon said, “Have someone introduce you to Therton. He can run you through the fine points of our bikes and that accelerator before you hit the tracks.” “Thanks,” Ev said simply. “Thanks so much,” Carth said over her. The three Beks that had been their escorts dispersed, leaving Carth and Ev to find their way around the vast chamber. “You used to swoop race?” Carth leaned close to Ev and asked as they turned away from Gadon and Zaerdra. “Yeah,” Ev said, “I think so.” “You think so?” Carth demanded, “What is that supposed to mean?” Before Ev could answer, Zaalbar the Wookiee ambled up to them and began growling at her in Shyriiwook. “I—yes I did,” Ev stammered in response. “Zaalbar!” Mission exclaimed and hurried over to them, as if out of nowhere, “You're okay!” The Wookiee turned to Mission and growled something that must have been reassuring because she smiled and relaxed. He turned back to Ev and broke into some kind of long explanation. Ev stepped back a pace and her jaw dropped. This was the first time Carth had ever seen her unnerved. “It wasn't that big of a deal, really. You don't have to,” she protested. Zaalbar continued earnestly. “A life debt?” Mission asked cautiously, “Are you sure Big Z? That's a huge commitment.” The Wookiee nodded then turned back to Ev. “If that's what you want,” she said slowly, “then I accept. We don't plan to stay on Taris, though.” Zaalbar nodded and responded confidently. “Well,” Mission spoke up, “If Big Z is going with you when you leave Taris, so am I. We're a team.” Ev smiled, “Fair enough. You've already proved your worth, kid. Though, honestly, I don't know where we're headed for once we get off this planet.” Taking a lull in the conversation, Carth asked, “Care to explain what just happened?” “Sorry, sir, I thought you knew Shyriiwook,” Ev apologized. “In saving Zaalbar from the Gamorean in that fight, who were undoubtedly slavers, I saved his life. For that, he says that he owes me a life debt,” she explained. “Having a Wookiee and a Twi'lek kid along isn't going to help us stay inconspicuous, you know,” Carth said in a low voice. “I'm not just some kid!” Mission protested, “Both Big Z and me are plenty competent. We'll be helpful, not a bother like you make it sound.” Zaalbar rumbled in agreement. “Listen, kid, we're on a Republic mission,” Carth started. “So?” Mission demanded. “Say, Mission,” Ev interrupted, “Could you help me find someone by the name of Therton? I hear he can introduce me to the swoop bikes.” “Sure,” Mission said and started off across the room, shooting a quick glare at Carth, “This way.” ~~~ Early the next morning, Carth settled himself in a seat near the front of the Hidden Bek’s private swoop viewing gallery, surrounded by Mission, Zaalbar, and some of the other Beks. Ev had snuck off to the track before Carth had a chance to wish her well. He hoped and prayed that she knew what she was doing. Force be with her, she may very well get us out of trouble as often as she gets us into it. Carth glanced up at the viewing screen. Still nothing of the races. An advertisement for an indoor water park and resort flashed by. “I hope Ev can win,” Mission said in an attempt to strike up a conversation, “You can get your friend back and we'll know all Zaalbar and I did to get that accelerator back was worth it.” “I hope so too,” Carth agreed then asked, “Just how did you and Zaalbar get to be partners? You strike me as kind of an odd pair.” “I saw Zaalbar getting hassled by some Vulkar thugs, and I got so mad, I just charged at them,” she explained, “They knocked me around, which got Big Z mad too, so he screamed and lifted one of them clean off the ground. After that, those thugs were scared enough to leave us alone. After that, we knew we were meant to be a team; a lone Wookiee and a lone Twi'lek. We've been together ever since.” “That's gutsy of you to charge into a bunch of gang thugs,” Carth commented. Mission certainly didn't' look like the sort who could take on a whole team of thugs on her own. “Hey!” she exclaimed, “Would you stop treating me like some helpless kid? You're not my dad or anything like that. I've been living here on the streets of Taris nearly all my life, taking care of myself, and taking care of Zaalbar. I bet I could fair better here than you can, Mr. Soldier.” Carth bit his retort off short when the swoop track flickered into view on the huge screen in front of them. The whole gallery cheered. The first rider was affiliated with neither the Hidden Beks nor the Black Vulkars, which, Carth soon found out, the vast majority were. Ev, to his surprise, was second. He caught himself holding his breath as she made a shaky start, but within a few seconds she got a handle of the swoop bike and whizzed around the track. “23.4 seconds!” someone behind him exclaimed, “Those Vulkars are going to have a hard time mustering someone to beat that time. Gadon sure found a great racer in that woman!” Carth breathed a sigh of relief. So she wasn't kidding that she knew how to race swoop bikes. They had a chance of rescuing Bastila this way, thanks to her skill. When the fifth racer, a rookie Vulkar, hit some debris and burst into flames, he was again thankful. The idea of loosing Ev to the races was not something he wanted to consider, and yet there was the possible instability of the accelerator installed in her bike. He bit his lip. It took until the eighth racer for someone to beat Ev's time. A Nikto Vulkar called Redros snuck below her time by only a fraction of a second. The Beks broke out in angry booing. Carth slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair. “Don't worry,” Mission reassured him, “Ev can keep racing as long as she beats that Redros' time next time around. After the sixteenth racer, the camera panned across the staging area and Carth got his first glimpse of the slave cage. The young brown-haired woman inside was unmistakably Bastila Shan. She sat calmly on the floor of the cage. Probably mediating. Just like a jedi. Before he knew it, all twenty-one riders had raced their first run. Only the top ten were permitted to race against the best time set by Redros. This round, Ev was first, and she easily cleared the standing time by nearly two seconds. Again, only Redros was able to beat her, and only by one tenth of a second. The third round had only five participants. The first racer pushed his swoop bike too hard and slammed into the wall. He was instantly incinerated. It took the track crew some time to clean up the mess before the race could continue. The air in Bek viewing gallery was thick with tension. Redros was next, and was unable to improve his time and the two racers that followed were unable to catch up. That left only Ev. Ev's swoop bike left the staging area with a burst of speed and continued to accelerate down the track as she dodged hazards. The obstacles blew by at a dizzying rate. Suddenly the engines began to sputter and flare. “Ev! Be careful!” Carth yelled involuntarily, jumping up from his seat. Others jumped to their feet around him, yelling and cheering. Ev regained control of the swoop bike and eased down on the speed. In seconds, she was safely across the finish line. The whole room cheered. She had won. “Nineteen seconds even!” someone yelled, “I've never seen a time even close to that before!” “Hey wait! Look!” Someone else yelled. Subtitles scrawled across the bottom of the screen, “Racer Redros claims that victor Ev cheated to win and Black Vulkars withdraw prize slave. Victor denies cheating...” Even as the scrawling text announced the situation, it worsened. Blasters and blades flashed, and Ev was once again in the middle of a gang fight. Suddenly, the slave cage flew open and Bastila charged out, grabbing a blade off the nearest thug. Carth's heart raced. He turned to Mission and asked, “Can you get me down to the track?” “Sure thing! Follow me,” she nodded and darted off towards the exit. Carth and Zaalbar struggled to keep up with her. By the time they reached the track, the fight was already over. All the Vulkars were either dead or gone. And Ev and Bastila were arguing. Figures. “And were was your lightsaber?” Ev demanded. “I misplaced it,” Bastila spat back. “Some jedi knight...” Ev retorted. “Actually, I'm still a padawan, not a full Jedi yet,” Bastila corrected her matter-of-factly. “So the most important jedi in the galaxy is a padawan who can't keep track of her lightsaber? Great,” Ev baited her. “Excuse me?” Bastila exclaimed, her pitch rising. “Well, I'm glad I was here to rescue you in time,” Ev said. “I was doing just fine on my own. I didn't need your help,” Bastila argued, “I'm the one who saved you from that horde of gang thugs.” “Now I think you've got things mixed up,” Ev declared. Finally, she noticed the arrival of Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar. “Oh good, you're here Onasi,” Ev sighed then pointing at Bastila, she said, “You can talk her down, sir.” “You know,” Carth said uncomfortably. Getting in the middle of a cat fight was the last thing he wanted, at the moment, “Before we do any more talking, we should get someplace more private. Let's head back to the apartment and figure out what to do next once we get there.” “Yes sir,” Ev nodded. “Fair enough,” Bastila snapped, still seething. As they left, Ev turned to the Beks that still lingered around the track. “Tell Gadon thanks for me. You guys can keep the winning purse,” she called. “Thanks! Will do!” one of them called back, waving. “Who are those two?” Bastila asked quietly, gesturing over her shoulder. “Mission and Zaalbar,” Carth answered, “Ev incurred a life debt with the Wookiee, Zaalbar, and Mission wanted to stick by him, since they're good friends.” “Fabulous,” she murmured sarcastically. “Though, I’m glad to see you in one piece, Bastila,” Carth admitted as they walked, “For what you mean to the Republic, I couldn’t stop believing that you were still alive.” “I’m glad to see you too, Carth,” Bastila responded, “Though, I admit, I didn’t expect to. How many others made it down?” “As far as I know, just Ev and me,” Carth answered. The soldiers in Zelka Forn’s care crossed his mind, but he decided not to mention them. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Ev chatting animatedly with Mission and the Wookiee. “And what of her?” Bastila asked, gesturing crisply in Ev’s direction. “What about her?” Carth asked. I don’t want to start another fight. “Ev is a good fighter. She’s special corps. Although unconventional, she’s a good strategist on top of that,” he answered, surprising himself at how much he praised her. Bastila said nothing, deep in thought. Carth took a deep breath then grudgingly admitted, “And I know we wouldn’t have gotten to you if not for her crazy ideas.” “Crazy ideas?” Bastila asked, raising her eyebrows. Just then, the five of them passed the cantina, and the graying mercenary Carth had seen earlier emerged and called out to them, “Hey! You there, racer!” “Yes?” Ev responded and stopped. The rest of the group paused around her. “I saw how you raced—and fought—down there. You've got guts,” he said, “If you're interested, I've got a job for you.” “That's Canderous Ordo, a Mandalorian merc,” Mission explained quietly, to no one in particular. “What's in it for me?” Ev asked, her eyes narrowed. “To start, I've got some rakghoul serum, which could be of use to you if you're still planning to go to the Undercity,” he said with a smile. “We don't have time for—” Bastila reminded. “Give that serum to a doctor by the name of Zelka Forn in the upper city, and you might have yourself a deal,” Ev said quickly. She’d help him just to help somebody else? That was not a side of Ev Carth had seen before. Canderous laughed. “You're an interesting woman. Let's talk this out over a drink,” he said, gesturing to the cantina behind him. “You guys can go on ahead. I'll meet you back at the apartments when I'm done here,” Ev urged, “If that’s alright.” Zaalbar roared something, and Mission responded, “Yeah, I'm staying with her too.” “We need to get going,” Bastila reminded them. Carth sighed, “Fine. We'll see you guys back there. Call me on your comlink if anything comes up.” Or if you get lost. He watched Ev, Zaalbar, and Mission disappear back into the cantina with the Mandalorian with a knot in his stomach. He didn't like leaving Ev to her own devices again, for more reasons than he cared to count, but he liked the idea of arguing about it in public even less. So he and Bastila proceeded on to the upper city. Carth felt more and more uneasy with every step. ~~~ Carth caught Bastila up on their doings as best as he could while leaving out anything that could further worsen Bastila's opinion of his unruly subordinate soldier. Somehow, he found himself taking Ev's side in her absence as Bastila ceaselessly complained of her insubordination. Bitterly, Carth realized that he could do nothing to make her appreciative of the work they had done, trying to help her. There was no convincing a jedi. The longer Carth and Bastila tried to come up with a plan to get themselves off the planet the more impossible it seemed. They didn't have a ship, and even if they did, there was the Sith blockade that would shoot down any vessel in violation of it. There weren’t even any other vessles leaving the planet to stow away on. It would take more than two soldiers, a jedi, a Twi'lek girl, and a Wookiee to break down the Sith occupation force, no matter how competent they were. Several hours later, while Bastila napped on the cot in the corner, Carth’s uneasiness grew unbearable. “Where's Ev? How long can this job take? What did that Mandalorian want her for anyway?” he wondered out loud. Suddenly, the building began to shake. And then again. Carth leaped to his feet. The third time it shook so hard that Bastila tumbled out of her cot and onto the floor. She yelped then yelled, “What's going on?” “I have no idea,” Carth yelled above the rumbling. People both inside the building and out were screaming in a confused panic. Bastila struggled to stand. “And where is that woman and her tag-a-longs? Shouldn't they be here by now?” she asked. As Carth fumbled for his comlink he saw a flash of red through the window. Over the rumbling, he could hear the wine of laser fire. “Force!” he cursed, “The Sith are bombarding the planet's surface.” Bastila was, for once, speechless. Just then, the light on Carth's comlink flashed and Ev's voice fuzzed through, “Ev to Onasi, come in.” She repeated, “Ev to Onasi, come in.” “Onasi here,” Carth responded. “Carth, get to the roof, now,” Ev ordered. “What?” Carth exclaimed. “Get to the roof now,” she repeated herself. “The Sith are attacking, what good is that going to do us?” Carth demanded. “Just do it, now!” Ev shrieked. Interference buzzed over the comlink. A moment later, Mission's voice took over, “We've got a ship, and we're not going to be able to pick you up if you're not on the roof.” “I read you,” Carth replied, “See you on the roof.” “How on—?” Bastila started. “You heard them,” Carth said as he scooped up his pack, “Let's get to the roof.” Not trusting the lifts, they pounded up nineteen flights of stairs. They didn’t dare to rest even a moment at each landing. When they reached the roof, the destruction all around them was already devastating. Buildings lay in ruin and fires blazed everywhere around them. It was a miracle that theirs still stood. I'm sure Bastila would tell me that it is the will of the Force. Not a moment too late, an orange and gray freighter swooped up to the building. The loading ramp already down. Zaalbar stood on it, ready to welcome Bastila and Carth on. As they lifted off, Carth prayed that this ship they'd found was fast enough to outrun the Sith fleet. -----signature----- Padawan to Commander-DWH Under the Shadow of the Builders- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/29386724/p1/ Fanfiction Web Site- http://faraway.toweroftime.com SoA's India Blog- http://jenna-song.blogspot.com
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
KELIA Title: The Pretty in Pink Fan Fic Manager Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 6/8 4:09am Subject: Under the Shadow of the Builders (KOTOR Era) - Updated 6/7 - Escape from Taris - Date Edited: 6/8 4:09am (1 edits total) Edited By: KELIA
	Carth prayed that this ship they'd found was fast enough to outrun the Sith fleet. And get you somewhere safe, don't forget that part. I'm glad Bastila was rescued before some fool could buy her - what a surprise they would have been in for! Great update -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 NaNaWriMo Progress: 32,105
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History
SoA Registered: Apr '08	Date Posted: 6/8 7:49pm Subject: Under the Shadow of the Builders (KOTOR Era) - Updated 6/7 - Escape from Taris
	KELIA- Thanks for reading! Bastila getting bought up by someone would really be a fun AU to write. And since I've had way too much time on my hands lately, here's another little chapter. Part 3: The Ebon Hawk Their escape was a blur of adrenaline. As soon as he boarded, Carth took over the pilot's seat while Ev stayed in the cockpit as a copilot. Bastila paced and stumbled abound behind them as the ship pitched through the atmosphere. “Bastila, would you strap yourself into something?” Carth snapped as she tripped into the back of his chair again. “Maybe your battle meditation could help us out?” he added. “How can I concentrate when the ship is so unsteady?” she shot back, strapping in. “Do you want to fly this thing?” Carth demanded. When was the last time I was in a firefight like this? At least Carth had one thing to be thankful for; the ship was fast. “Carth!” Ev yelled a warning. A silver Sith snub fighter whizzed in front of them and missile lock warnings whined. Before he could dive below it, the fighter exploded under laser fire. Evidently, the freighter's gun turrets were occupied. “Nice shot,” Carth commended over the ship's intercom. “My pleasure,” the gravelly voice of the Mandalorian mercenary responded, nearly drowned out by Wookiee war cries. Carth didn’t have time to wonder over how Canderous had joined them. Above them still loomed the Leviathan. Carth’s anger that Saul was at the helm of all this destruction only fueled his drive to get away from Taris alive. It took all of his attention just to avoid the laserfire that rained down on them from the Sith cruiser. Several more snub fighters met their end at the freighter's laser turrets, but not before getting off a few shots. “How are the shields holding up?” Carth asked, bringing the ship up from another sharp dive. “We're losing some of the rear shields to those fighters, but if Canderous and Zaalbar keep doing their job, the shields should hold out,” Ev reported. “Good,” Carth said tersely, “Keep an eye on them.” “Yes sir,” she responded. “I found T3-M4!” Mission called, running up the hallway behind them. There were sounds of a droid’s treads and mechanical chirping accompanying her. She stopped short and gasped as she gazed out the front viewport, “Taris...” “Mission, sit down and strap in,” Ev ordered. “T3-M-what?” Carth asked, not daring take his eyes off the destruction that raged around them. “An astromech we picked up,” Ev explained then cursed. “They're picking at our rear shields again.” “Divert more power to those shields, but keep the engines full power,” Carth ordered, “We need as much speed as we can get.” “Droid, plot an evasive course to Dantooine,” Bastila cut in. “Dantooine?” Carth asked, “That wasn't on your original—” “There is a secret Jedi enclave there,” the young Jedi explained as T3-M4 set to work, “We can get refuge and seek guidance from the masters as to our next move against Darth Malak.” “We need to get out of Taris' gravity well first,” Ev reminded them impatiently. Carth ignored her, “Fine, Dantooine it is.” He determinedly set his jaw, searching for openings as they drew nearer and nearer to the Leviathan. We just need to stay out of range of its tractor beams. “Taris...” Mission moaned quietly from her seat behind him, “How could they?” After a minute of dare-devil flying that seemed to take hours, Ev announced, “We're clear!” “Hyperspace routes plotted?” Carth asked. “Affirmative,” Ev confirmed. “Make the jump to hyperspace,” he ordered. “Yes sir!” Even as Ev spoke, the stars in front of them drew out in long streaks and they whizzed away. They were safe. The Zaalbar and the Mandalorian whooped victoriously from the gun turrets above. Ev sighed and leaned back in her seat, while Bastila unfastened herself. With a shaking hand, Carth wiped the sweat off his forehead. All the while, he hadn't dared to hope that they would get out alive, and yet, here they were. “That was some amazing flying, Lieutenant Onasi,” Ev panted, grinning. She had been holding her breath. “This is one agile ship,” he responded, rising from his chair, “Where did you get it anyway?” “This is the Ebon Hawk,” Canderous explained for her, striding down the corridor towards the cockpit, Zaalbar trailing behind him. “It belonged to my former employer, the Exchange boss Davik Kang.” “Then how did you—?” Carth started. “With the help of your friend here,” Canderous said, gesturing towards Ev, “We got the droid and the launch codes, then plucked it out of Davik's private hangar. The whole time, he thought that she was a new hire and this pair here were her slaves,” he finished with a chuckle. “You stole this ship?” Carth asked in disbelief. “It is a nice ship, you have to admit,” Ev put in, “And it did get us off of that rock.” Zaalbar rumbled his agreement. “Do you have any idea what the repercussions of having a ship stolen from the Exchange could be?” Bastila snapped, standing up, “You could have at least told us what you were planning, since you evidently don't believe in consulting your superiors before taking action. Did you even know what our plans were?” “I was under the impression that you didn't have a plan,” Ev spat back. “Canderous had a good idea and the resources and connections we needed, so I ran with it. And besides, if we had come back to ask for your gracious permission, we would have wasted precious time. I bet we'd still be down on that planet, fried and buried in rubble, if we didn't take action right then.” Watching Ev and Bastila fight was like observing a landslide. Carth wanted to step in and stop it, but he didn't know how. He was supposed to be defending Bastila, but— “And what of giving us any warning?” Bastila demanded, drawing closer to her. The two women glared at each other, barely a hand's span apart. “Did it ever occur to you that Davik's estate was bugged?” Ev retorted, “We were watched closely. Davik trusted me even less than, say, Carth does. One little comlink chat could have ruined our only chance.” Carth caught her flick a glare in his direction out of the corner of her eyes. It shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did. “Ev's right,” Mission piped up defiantly, “We gave you as much warning as we could.” Bastila scowled, “And that's another thing. This was supposed to be a top secret mission between the Republic Military and the Jedi Order. You had to go and bring in a Mandalorian mercenary, a street rat, and her Wookiee friend. By what authority was that?” It seemed as if Bastila wanted an answer out of Carth, but Ev was faster. “They helped us get as far as we did,” Ev said firmly. She stepped away from Bastila and closer to Mission, Zaalbar, and Canderous, who all clustered around the door. “We couldn't have gotten off of Taris without them. You, and all of us, owe them our thanks, and at least a safe passage off of that planet. Or did you want to leave them to die the fiery death that we would have, if not for their help?” Taken aback, Bastila was speechless. Ev turned her attention to Carth. Still seething beneath the surface, she asked evening, “Lieutenant, permission to be dismissed?” Carth sighed and waved her away, “Go ahead.” Clicking her heels, Ev pivoted then retreated away from the cockpit, with Mission scurrying after her. Zaalbar grumbled irritably then followed after them. The Mandalorian, if anything, looked amused. “I guess I should leave you two to your top-secret Republic-Jedi discussions then,” he said and strode off after the others. Only T3 remained, bumping around the cabin. He was a spindly little silver droid with a wide disk-shaped head piece. Bastila sunk back into her chair and rubbed her temples, “You really have to do something about that woman.” “We both owe her our lives,” Carth reminded her, “You could at least go a little easier on her.” “She needs to know her place,” Bastila retorted, but the anger was fading from her voice, “A Jedi's judgment deserves to be respected.” “Ev may be an unpredictable woman and an unconventional soldier,” Carth found himself saying, “But she's been single-mindedly doing her duty since I pulled her out of the wreckage of our escape pod.” “Lieutenant Onasi, it sounds like you actually support that blasted woman,” Bastila said in mild disbelief. “You Jedi were the ones who specially requested to have her put on the Endar Spire in the first place. You should know what she’s worth,” Carth stated, “But if you want me to ask for her to be transferred elsewhere when we reach Dantooine, I can do that.” “No,” Bastila said so quickly that Carth was taken aback. She took a deep breath and sighed. “I should not have let her rile up my emotions so much,” she said and stood again. “If you'll excuse me, I am going to go meditate until we arrive.” Without another word, Bastila turned and left the cockpit. Watching her go, Carth sighed as well. What did I get myself into, really? He sunk back down into the pilot's chair again, and looked over the Ebon Hawk's controls. It was a beautifully crafted ship, probably riddled with modifications and upgrades, but he was too restless to study it any further. Carth suddenly felt exhaustion weigh down over him like a heavy blanket. Living under the shadow of the Sith occupation, he hadn't been sleeping well for the last week. He hoped that the navy would give him a few days on Dantooine to rest before sending him, and probably Ev as well, back into the war effort. Slowly, Carth explored the various cabins of the Ebon Hawk. He had hardly noticed any of the ship as he first tore up the loading ramp and dashed for the cockpit. The main hold was spacious with spectacular electronics installed all over it. Not that you would expect anything less from a crime lord. There was a swoop bike and a work bench in the garage, which was otherwise empty. Carth heard Mission and Zaalbar's voices coming from the nearby bunk room, so he left them alone. Carth found Canderous in the cargo hold, scavenging for something to eat. The two men silently locked eyes for a moment before Carth moved on. The door to the port dormitory had been sealed shut, and Carth could only assume that Bastila had shut herself in to mediate. He caught sight of the silver astromech droid scooting around the ship now and then, probably exploring just like he was. But that still left Ev. Staring at the door, he thought, She can't be in there with Bastila. Where else is left on this ship? Passing by the med bay again, Carth caught sight of some light filtering down from the gun turret. He grasped the ladder and climbed up. Sure enough, there was Ev, curled up on the seat and watching the swirling hyperspace pass by. There wasn't enough room for another person, so Carth held onto the top of the ladder and cleared his throat. Startled, Ev looked down at him. “Oh, Onasi,” she said, “Is there something I need to be doing?” “No, I was just looking around the ship,” he responded then added lamely, “Great work getting this, by the way.” “Just doing my duty to the Republic to get one very important Jedi off a Sith-infested planet,” Ev replied, not looking down at Carth. She sounded more irritated than humble. “Ev,” he started, “I'm sorry for how Bastila treated you down there, after all you've done. She's just—” “A spoiled little Jedi princess with special powers that got her pampered all her life,” Ev bitterly finished for him. Catching herself, she said more evenly, “I'm sorry. Really, Carth, you don't need to be apologizing for her. You're not responsible for Bastila's personality defects.” Carth sighed, “You're right, but I should have at least learn how to deal with them,” he paused then added with a smile, “And yours, by now.” “Who me?” Ev laughed. “I'm sorry for the trouble I've given you, sir.” “Trouble? I'd hardly call it trouble,” he replied, “You got us through all that trouble on Taris in ways I would never have thought of, and you saved my back more than once. I owe you my thanks.” When it came down to it, Ev had matured significantly during their time on Taris. No longer a green recruit, Ev seemed to have forgotten her flirtatiousness and argumentativeness in favor of confidence and dedication to their goal. Granted, she was still argumentative, but now less so. Bastila, on the other hand, was still as self-important as ever. Carth suspected that Jedi weren’t raised to change like that, or even question. “If you hadn't held the last escape pod on the Endar Spire for me or didn't pull me back out of its wreckage when it crashed, I wouldn't be alive today,” Ev said seriously, “We're even. What else are a couple of stranded soldiers supposed to do anyway?” “Look, I don't know what the Jedi or the military commanders are going to cook up for us once we get to Dantooine, but you deserve more than to just be sent back to the front as a ensign, even in special corps,” Carth said firmly, “I'll try to put a good word in for you.” “Thanks, Onasi,” Ev cracked a tired smile, “And if given the chance, I'll do the same for you.” “Though I'll have to mention that you come with a Wookiee and a Twi'lek now,” Carth laughed. “They shouldn't have a problem with honoring a life debt, but it might be hard to convince them to let Mission come along,” Ev mused, laughing lightly with him, “She is a whiz with security, though.” “Well, we'll tackle that issue when it comes along,” Carth said and began retreating down the ladder again. “But, for now, try to get some rest before we have to face the Jedi.” I think I might do that myself. Next stop: Dantooine. I'm going to do the whole planet in one long chapter, so it might be a while before that's done and ready for posting. -----signature----- Padawan to Commander-DWH Under the Shadow of the Builders- http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/29386724/p1/ Fanfiction Web Site- http://faraway.toweroftime.com SoA's India Blog- http://jenna-song.blogspot.com
	Post Reply \| Quote Reply \| Active Topic Notification \| Private Message \| Post History

Pages: 1 | 2 - ~~Previous~~ | Next | Reload