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Knights Of The Old Republic: Darkness Falls


DarthSion101

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“As far as I know, my employer only wants to talk to you,” Jasra answered Kira.

 

Which is the truth. As far as I care to speculate.

 

“I know you are suspicious, Kira.”

 

You’d be stupid not to be.

 

“In fact, I have my own suspicions about him.”

 

And some very definite, but rude opinions.

 

“I believe he’s hired others besides me to find you.”

 

The slimy little Hutt slug! Whoever he is.

 

“And it would be my extreme pleasure to confront him about his ‘lack of professional consideration.’”

 

And perhaps blast him into oblivion. Well, after he’s paid me, of course.

 

“So all I can tell you is that he wants to meet with you. Face to face. More specifically, he said your “physical presence is necessary for the conversation to be productive.”

 

Productive how? Ah, well, that is the 20,000 credit question, isn’t it?

 

“My offer to escort you to Taris is genuine. I don’t wish you any harm.”

 

Of course, once you've met with him, you’re on your own, sister.

 

“But if you don’t meet with him, I can assure you there will be others who will want to meet with you.”

 

Probably lots of them, probably with blasters, and probably sooner than later.

 

“But it’s up to you, Kira. If you decide not to come with me to Taris, I’ll leave you be. After all, I have no personal grudge against you.”

 

Yet.

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Kira looked to Atton and Crystal.

"I still don't like this. This has 'trap' written all over it." Atton murmured.

"Did you get anything from her?" Kira asked Crystal.

"'Get anything'? What're you talking about?" Atton asked.

Kira didn't answer. She had an idea of what Crystal was doing...but she wouldn't mention it yet. She would talk with her first.

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"20,000 credits," Crystal murmured. She shuddered. "I'm liking this less and less. She doesn't know her employer's exact reasons for wanting to see you, but she doesn't much care. So long as she gets her money, she'll deal with him... even if she hates him enough to call him some less than flattering things."

 

She shook her head. "I don't know, Kira... I just don't like this. She's not doing anything to us yet... but I can't garuntee it'll stay that way."

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"This one might be bought," Crystal said thoughtfully. "She's in the job for the credits... doesn't much care what happens to you after she gets her money. But then she also wouldn't mind killing her current employer... so long as she gets her money." She paused thoughtfully. "I don't know about you, but I have some money we might use to persuade this Jasra Lantill to help us."

 

She sighed. "We have to find out what this employer of hers wants you for. Get me close enough and I can find out... but I still don't like the thought of going along with this. If Jasra contacts him, I can maybe trace the signal, build up a mental network far enough to find him..." she frowned. "It's a big maybe, but it's the only thing I can think of that might work to tell us what he wants."

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((OOC: Post 680! Whou-hou! Sorry...))

 

IC:

 

"Even combined, I doubt the whole crew of this ship could pay her off. 200,000 credits is a lot of money, and someone happened to blow all our earnings at a pazzack game..." Kira said, a hint of a grin on her face.

"Hey, odds were good. Sort of." Atton said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Even if we leave her, we'll probably still be hunted...Maybe we should deal with this guy, see what he wants..."

"Nuh-uh, no way, bad idea." the Scoundrel said.

"I don't know...it may be our only choice...unless Crystal can establish a connection." The Exile turned to her, "What do you need to be able to trace a connection?"

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Crystal was thoughtfully silent as she tried to see how far she could expand her thought bubble. With a frown, she shook her head.

 

"If I'm going to hear what's on his mind, we'll have to be closer than we are," she said. "Just over whatever planet he's on." She hesitated. "I suggest going along with Jasra for now. If I catch any kind of trouble, I'll stay close to you so you'll be the first to know."

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Kira looked worried and Atton knew it. The Scoundrel placed a hand on her shoulder. "I said I'd protect you. I meant it."

The Exile closed her eyes, and sighed. "I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to kill." she murmured, hardly loud enough for anyone to hear. She hit the comm. button, "Jasra? Is that offer for escort to Taris still open?"

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So, he was right, there was a good chance of me bumping into this 'jedi exile' on my hunt. whoever would have figured. (Feel free to pick that up crystal, but not the location of his ship)

 

Brax had rested his ship nearly ontop of the hawk. He was so close that if the force wasn't guiding his every momveement, they would probably have collided by now. But this would let him listen in to all their conversations, and follow them wherever they happened to go. It wasn't comfortable in his tiny ship, but he was used to that.

 

Jasra had seen the ship, for those few seconds. It was beautiful, about the length of two men laying head to head. The front end was a point, like a blade. The pilot laid down in the ship, more or less. Laying in the hollow part that carveded out from that tip. And it was solid black, even the area that must have been how the pilot saw out. A small astromech droid was deposited on the tip, a half rounded, half angled head all that peaked out. (I have a drawing I will get around to posting when i have more time)

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Tappity, tappity, tappity…

 

Jasra lightly drummed her fingernails on the console. They were taking too long, she thought. If the Exile didn’t come with her, not only would she lose her bounty, but someone else would quite possibly collect it! Damn that reclusive, soul-sucking, son-of-a-banth ….

 

”Jasra? Is that offer for escort to Taris still open?"

 

Tap.

 

Jasra straightened up in her chair, not from disbelief in what she had heard, but in alarm at what she had felt. Even from this distance she could sense Kira’s reluctance to fight, her need for…peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. The Jedi Code echoed in her ears in the sound of her former Master’s voice. And, for a brief moment, Jasra felt shame. And fear. In quick reaction, she pulled her connection to the Force in even deeper, wanting to bury it, hiding from it as she hid it from others.

 

“You’re accepting my offer?” she asked Kira through the comm. “Just like that?”

 

Oops. Jasra mentally kicked herself for saying that last bit out loud. Maybe they would mistake her moment of fear for suspicion. She hoped so. She took a deep breath, and willed the Jedi Code and any thoughts of her former Master out of her head.

 

The Jedi say they speak truths, she thought to herself, and then they lie. They say you are never alone, and then they abandon you. They say the Dark Side is evil, but it’s the only way you can survive.

 

“I’ll give you the co-ordinates to the rendezvous point at Taris,” she said calmly into the comm. “I’m to contact my employer for further instructions upon arrival, so be on your guard. I will.”

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Crystal jumped and stared out toward Jasra's ship. "There is no emotion..." she muttered. "What?" She glanced over at Kira and Atton. "Guys, I think Jasra may have had a little Jedi training... she just recited a portion of the Jedi code to herself."

 

She frowned. "She's also afraid... though of what, I'm not yet sure. Keep her talking... the more she thinks, the more I catch. But agree to go with her... I want to hear the thoughts of the employer behind her."

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((OOC: Heheh, Jasra and me posted at the exact same time. :D ))

 

IC:

 

"Is there some reason why we wouldn't go?" Kira asked into the comm. "Some reason we shouldn't?" She was already almost positive that this was a trap, but Crystal said she may have Jedi training...perhaps if she...

"Perhaps some way that you'd betray us? That your greed would get the better of you?"

"Some way that you'd murder us??" Atton shouted.

"Quiet, Atton. Remember what little I've taught you of the Code..."

"There is no emotion, there is peace. Got it." Atton said, catching on to the Exile's plan.

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Jasra’s mouth dropped. What? Did she hear Kira right? Her index finger slammed down hard on the comm key.

 

Me?” she snapped, her control of her emotions wavering as she reacted from what she perceived as threats from Kira. “Betray? Murder? You’re one to talk about betrayal…Exile. If anything, I should be wary that you won’t betray or murder me. After all, I’m sure that your body count is much higher than mine. Jedi… Sith… you’re all the same,” she scoffed. “How do I know you won’t turn on me once I’ve contacted my employer? Hmm?

 

“Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps you shouldn’t come with me. Perhaps I’ll just leave you to deal with my employer on your own. Just remember, I didn’t have to help out with those pirates. I could have just stood back and watched!”

 

Like I watched my Master, she thought. Watched the Sith cut her down, while I hid where she had told me to. Jasra leaned back in her chair. She could feel olds fears begin to surface. Fear of discovery, fear of loss, fear of …forgiveness. And why? What or who was making her recall all these feelings that she thought were long since buried?

 

She tried to shake it off, focusing on the task of plotting a course for Taris. No amount of credits was worth this anguish, she thought.

 

“I’m going to Taris,” she said into the comm. “Stay or follow, it’s of no matter to me.”

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"Master," Crystal murmured. "She was in Jedi training. The Sith killed her Master. She fears loss..." she tilted her head. "Fears forgiveness... but she's not quite sure why." She shook her head. "I've been slightly manipulating her thought processess, but I can't do much more without her discovering me. I'd better pull back to simple observation again."

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Betray? Murder? You're one to talk about betrayal...Exile!....I'm sure your body count is much higher than mine...

The words cut through the Jedi like a knife. Tears welled in Kira's eyes as nightmares from her past surfaced. She tried to calm herself, stop the flow...but no Jedi teaching helped her here. No Jedi had seen the amount of slaughter...killed as many...as she had...

Kira stood, her face turned downward in an attempt to hide her tears. "Atton..." her voice was shakey at first, but she strengthened. Sort of. "Follow her. We will see what this person wants." If they want to kill me, let them try. Perhaps, for once, they'll succeed...

"I'll be meditating in the dorm if anyone needs me..." and with that, the Exile was gone.

Atton watched her go, the sound of her shaking voice imprinted on his mind. What this Jasra had said had truely stung her...With a sigh, the Scoundrel took a familiar seat in the captain's chair.

"Alright...here we go. Whether to our deaths or not, who knows..."

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Tears found their way to Crystal's eyes. One of the drawbacks of mind-reading was how often emotions flooded the mind. Emotions, nightmares. Crystal glanced out at Jasra's ship for a second before turning to follow the Exile. If Kira needed someone to talk to, who better than one who had already seen her mind?

 

"Kira," she called quietly. "You may not want to talk right now, but I think it might be helpful."

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"Master," Crystal murmured. "She was in Jedi training. The Sith killed her Master. She fears loss..." she tilted her head. "Fears forgiveness... but she's not quite sure why." She shook her head. "I've been slightly manipulating her thought processess, but I can't do much more without her discovering me. I'd better pull back to simple observation again."

Jasra’s hand hovered over the ship’s hyperdrive controls, ready to head off to Taris. Suddenly, like the release from a high-pressure valve, a wave of regained control washed through her. She shook her head.

 

What was she doing? she asked herself. Why had she lashed out at the Exile like that? It wasn’t like her to lose her cool. She had blown this job and its very lucrative payment over what? A few words from an exiled Jedi? Something wasn’t right here. From the moment she had gotten near the Exile’s ship, she had felt…odd.

 

She frowned. Was the Exile using some sort of Force technique on her that was causing her memories and feelings to go haywire? She had only been thirteen when her Master had died—only a young Padawan when the Council had sent them away from the Academy on Coruscant, along with the rest of the Jedi, in order to avoid Sion’s force-sensitive seeking Sith. Sure, she had survived, even picked up a few Force tricks on her own over the last six years, but she was far from being an expert.

 

She looked through the viewing window at Karda’s ship. Perhaps it wasn’t the Exile at all. Perhaps it was Karda, she speculated. After all, he had been rather quiet since the pirates had been destroyed. Surely he had been monitoring her transmissions to the Ebon Hawk. And it wasn’t like a Jedi to pass up the chance to show off their skills at mediation or boast about their hypocritical beliefs on justice.

 

She waited for a moment, then silently cursed herself before she hit the comm button one more time. “Ebon Hawk…erm… I’m sorry. I’m…I’m just a bit on edge here. If you still wish me to escort you to Taris, then I will. If not, then I’ll be on my way. Just say the word. And not that it’s worth much to you,” she added, “but I swear that I’ll do my best to protect you from any harm while you’re there.” She hailed Karda’s ship. “And what about you, Jedi? Are you coming, staying, or what?”

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"You can save your apologies for later, the Exile isn't here. Though I an escort isn't too bad of an idea." Atton said, warming up the engines which had been in idle for a rather long time.

 

~*~*~

 

"So many dead..." Exile said quietly, her back facing Crystal, "So much blood...it's something that no one should have to experience...Malachor..."

"General, we can't rush the Mandalorians! They refuse to give ground, it's suicide! Half our 'toon is already dead! You saw the mines we ran through. We don't have any strength left..."

"We just need our reinforcements-"

"General, there is no one coming. There is no one left.

"Hundreds died that day..." she turned to face Crystal now, saying "I'm sorry, I shouldn't speak of this to you...It's...it's too hard."

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The Exile chuckled hollowly. "Then what would be the point of talking, as you know everything I have seen and what I am thinking?"

Kira smiled forlornly, "No...I think it is best that I deal with this on my own...but thank you."

And with that, she left down the corridor, continuing to head for the dormitory.

Perhaps that's where I belong...in Exile.

 

((OOC: Where's Rob and the Doctor?...hmmm...))

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((No idea... but Crystal isn't happy right now... as you'll see :(:p ))

 

 

With a frown Crystal followed, muttering something that sounded like, "Ozh gos tiv'zht tale!" and lifted a hand, stopping Kira in her tracks. "The point isn't my need to hear your words, fanpiv! The point is your need to speak." She dropped her hand and took a deep breath as if trying to calm herself before continuing.

 

"If you don't trust me and that's the reason you merely want to be alone, then I understand and will leave you alone," she said quietly. "But if you're merely being a stubborn civzh, then you can expect me to be a little annoyed!"

 

((Be a little confused here... Crystal is speaking a language nobody knows. I put that language in italics... but I suspect you'd have been able to tell anyway :D ))

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What did she say?

It was strange...Crystal had spoken in a language that even Kira couldn't understand.

"What is it that you want to hear me say? That I and my companions lead a glorious assault against the last of the Sith to save the ones we loved? That I valiantly lead the soldiers under me into battle against all odds? It is nothing like that..."

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"It has nothing to do with a need for me to hear you speak," Crystal answered, much more calmly now. "It has more to do with your need to speak." She sighed. "Kira, I know you haven't spoken of your feelings on these subjects to anyone... not even to yourself. True, you allow a few memories to surface, but that's not enough."

 

She glanced away for a second before turning back to Kira. "You've hidden your feelings, even from yourself... understand this; if you do so long term, it will kill you. It's helpful to talk it through." She glanced away for a second again before moving forward a little and gesturing toward the dormitory.

 

"But not here in the middle of the hall," she said. "We'll move to a somewhat more secluded place. You need to talk your feelings through, but the others need to see you as a strong leader. You know this and therefore you wouldn't be able to do what you need to in such an open place."

 

"Ozh Gost!" Crystal murmured in what seemed like amusement. "Xzhav an I tayiph?"

 

She shook her head and followed Kira into the dormitory.

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