Knights of the Old Republic: Darkness Falls II - Alliances

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Well sorry if my conscience couldn't handle all the killing that you were having me do." Atton said, pushing the Jedi back. "I was only one Jedi-hunter of how many? Quarter of a million? Half?? And I alone killed more Jedi than I could even have known existed! And guess what, while you prance around calling yourself the 'savior of the galaxy' all those Jedi are dead because of your orders. You killed those Jedi, not me."

He advanced on him again, his fist clenched and arm tensed, as if ready to slug Revan. "Besides, you loved her, Revan! I hardly even knew who the hell she was. From what I hear, you two grew up together, were best of friends. You can't just take back what you've lost, especially after it's been found by someone el--"

"That's enough, Atton." Kira said sternly, stepping between the two men.

The pilot looked astonished for a moment, but his expression quickly deteriorated into one of subdued anger again. He pushed roughly past her, being sure to 'accidentally' throw Revan against a wall as he passed.

"Let him go, Rev." she said, touching him on the shoulder as he turned to follow Atton.

[JasraLantill]

“Brax….” Jasra whispered, as she tightened grip around Brax’s arm. “I missed you.” She was dreaming. She must be. Yet she could feel his caresses, breathe in his scent, taste the salty flavour of his skin as she pressed her lips against his neck in a gentle kiss and then nestled in closer to the intense heat of his body. It was a dream, but it was so real.

 

There was no need for words, but then Brax spoke.

 

"Where are you Jasra?" he asked, peering at her face. "Something seems ... different, wrong about this universe. I can't put my finger on it, but ... I have a bad feeling." He smiled, "Don't worry about responding, I know you're just in my head."

 

“I’m right here,” she said, then Jasra took pause. Bad feeling? What bad feeling? This was her dream, wasn’t it? There were no bad feelings allowed in blissful dreams, were there? Unless…

 

“Brax, we’re in each other’s heads,” she said quietly. “A shared dream, brought about through the Force. Through our bond.” Her eyes sought his, and for a moment, words failed her. “My physical connection with the Force is stronger now,” she eventually said to him. “You taught me well….” She traced a finger slowly across his brow, then down his cheek, coming to rest lightly on his lips. “…but so have the Jedi.” She frowned slightly. “The Force brought us together. And the Force will lead me back to you.”

[3yks]

"What?" He frowned peering at her face, kissing the tips of her fingers lightly, she felt real. She tasted real, was she right? Was this not 'just a dream?'.

 

"If you're right then we need to find each other Jasra," he whispered. "I need you ... " for some reason she could tell he put greater significnace on this than simply that way in which lovers need each other. She could sense a physical pain growing in him. "I'm on Nar Shaddaa, but I will come to wherever you are Jasra." He nodded slowly, and then grimaced, she could feel something wet where her hand lay upon his chest.

 

Blood, he was bleeding badly, he coughed and blood splattered his lips as well. "I love you." He whispered, and then screamed ... and the ddream ended. She was back in her bed.

 

And he was back in the infermary, screaming ... muscles tensed and struggeling to break free of his bonds. A cry of anguish and pain filling the whole of the ebon hawk. But inside his pain was easing, a bit ... it wasn't gone completely but he settled into place, waiting for Mical to get here.

[The Doctor]

A dark grinding sound filled the Ebon Hawk, and the TARDIS materialised in the middle of the main room. It looked at least 50 years older than the last time they had seen it, with dirt and grime plastered over the windows. The light on the top no longer worked.

The door opened, and the Doctor stepped out, closing it sharply behind him.

Atton stood in the doorframe, leaning against it casually. "About time, Doc," he said, smirking slightly. "Disciple needs you. Brax is in the-"

"I have no time to deal with a worthless creature such as Brax," he spat. "I must speak with Kira. There is much to be discussed."

"She won't say a word to you until you help," he said dryly. "She's difficult that way."

A disgusted look on his face, he turned to the hallway, and entered the infirmery. Brax was screaming in pain, writhing on the table.

"Silence, beast," said the Doctor, glaring down at him. He administered a vial of sickly green liquid, injecting it into Brax's neck. He fell silent, his limbs going limp. "Omwati posess multiple redundant organs," he said. "Four hearts, three lungs, two livers, and 26 ribs. He'll be fine in a matter of hours."

"What... all you did was knock him out!"

"There's no point wasting resources attempting to repair the damage done," he said, standing. "It would be more efficient to allow his redunant systems to take over."

"But... can't you do something else for him?"

"I could. But it would be a waste of time."

"But-"

"If you want to do something more for him, then do it yourself," he spat, moving past him. "I must speak to Kira and Revan. Come."

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

"Where are we going?"

"Exploring."

"But... we have absolutely no idea where we are!"

"Yes, and that's why we're going exploring. Come along, Rose."

He opened to door, and stepped out into the sunlight next to a fairly large lake, a domed building off in the near distance."

"Hold on..." he said, spinning around. "Yes... yes, it is!"

"What?"

"That's the first time a random materialisation has landed me in a decent place!"

"Where are we?"

"It's a small planet in the, uhm... I believe it's registered as Galaxy 113-68. It's called Naboo."

"Naboo?" she asked, coming up beside him. "Sounds... Indian."

"Well, there are some basic similarities between both cultures. Food styles are particularly similar. The Naboo and the people of India both enjoy similar spices - as a matter of fact, there is a spice here called retila, which happens to be very similar to curry. Though it's not available in the same way - here, you must harvest it yourself, as the market does not sell it. Now, India: that's where you'd want to buy curry. Not in Europe, where it's artificially grown, or shipped in. Actually, there's a incredible curry shop in central Delhi, where you can get a pound of curry for less than 50 rupees. Best price in the country, as far as I know." He looked around for a moment. "Right, now where was I?"

"Naboo."

"Right. Come along, Rose," he said impatiently. "Now that we know where we are, I believe the next step would be to determine when we are."

[JasraLantill]

Jasra sat up abruptly in her bed. She had been sleeping, dreaming…but it had been more than just a dream.

 

“Brax…” she said with some urgency as she rose and went to the computer terminal at the desk. Her fingers flashed across the keyboard as she quickly searched through connections to find the space port information from Nar Shaddaa. Surely, there would be a record of the Ebon Hawk, or even Brax’s ship, landing there…

 

“What are you doing?” Jasra turned to see Karda standing in the room. She had been so involved in her search that she hadn’t even heard him come in.

 

“Looking for the Ebon Hawk or the Ssss,” she said, turning her attention back to the terminal. “Why, is it time to go already?”

 

“The Ebon Hawk and the what?” Karda asked, frowning as he came closer to look over her shoulder.

 

“The Ssss,” she repeated. Her fingers paused a moment. “It’s an Omwati word,” she said, then she continued her searching. Although Karda was quiet, she could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head. “I have to find Brax,” she explained.

 

“Did you not understand what I said earlier?”

 

“I understand that if I don’t find Brax soon, he’ll die,” Jasra said, not stopping to look at Karda directly. “We have a bond. You may not like it, or understand it, but the fact of the matter is that it exists. And the longer we are separated, the more he will suffer. I have to find him.”

 

Karda reached out to pull her hand away from the keys, but she quickly smacked him away from her, and gave him a hard stare. “Don’t interfere,” she said in a dangerous tone.

 

“Jasra, you’re not making sense,” Karda said. “Perhaps you do need some ‘thought realignment!’”

 

She brightened. “Found them!” she beamed. “Both ships landed on Nar Shaddaa just a few hours ago.” She snorted. “Leave it to the Hutts to track all of the ships in and out. Wouldn’t want to miss out on any potential profits or miss any potential competitors encroaching in on their patch.”

 

Karda grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. “Are you even listening to me! These memories you have…bonds…they never happened! You need to focus on our mission… what’s happening here… now!”

 

“This is happening now!” she answered him back. “Right now, Brax is in pain, injured, bleeding. He needs me. The longer we are separated, the more pain he will suffer from the loss. And if I don’t find him, he will die.” She paused a bit. “I only hope that communing with him through the dream might help him a bit….”

 

“You’ve communed with him?” Karda asked incredulously. He shook his head and his jaw locked. “This is gone too far….”

 

“Do you want him to die?” Jasra asked. “Maybe I’m mistaken, but I thought it was the duty of Jedi to preserve life, not end it.”

 

Karda stiffened.

 

“I’m right,” Jasra said. “You know I’m right.”

 

Karda let out a sigh. “Alright, fine. Find him. ‘Commune’ with him if you like. But we’re not going to Nar Shaddaa until after our mission is finished. Finding out what happened to Bastila is more important.” Without waiting for her to answer, he strode for the door. “Our shuttle leaves in ten minutes.”

 

Jasra grinned slightly. “Fine,” she agreed, following him and picking up her bag at the door. “You’re the leader. Lead the way.” But inside, she was already planning on how to divert the Republic ship they'd be travelling on to find Brax.

 

Thank you, Crystal, wherever you are, for teaching me how to hide my thoughts, she thought silently to herself. I hope we will meet again.

[The Doctor]

The Doctor stepped into the cockpit to find Revan and Kira there. "Give it a rest, fools," he spat, glaring at them. "If you're going to form a relationship that goes against the ideals that the Jedi stand for, at least have the decency to attempt to hide it."

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Well, I am sorry if we've gotten in your way, Doctor." Kira answered. She had decided that she liked the old Doctor better. "Did you need something?"

[The Doctor]

"As a matter of fact, I do," he said darkly. "As I said before, there is much we must discuss. First of all: your memories. Are they fully intact?"

"Yes," said Revan, moving away from Kira slightly so he could face the Doctor. "You said they would be. Well... one of you did."

The Doctor gave him a sharp look, then continued. "Though this was intended, it was not a wise desicion on the part of... my collective self."

He moved to the main room, Kira and Revan following. "There are ripples in the Time Line," he said, throwing the door to his TARDIS open and walking to the console. "Ripples caused by your efforts to re-unite with each other. I fear that more problems will be caused by Jasra's efforts to re-unite with Brax."

"Can't you do anything?" asked Kira, pausing in her studies of the TARDIS. It's walls were dirty, with cables exposed on many surfaces. The main console ticked randomly, and the pleasant hum that had been present with the other two TARDIS' had become somehow unsettling. "You're a Time Lord. I thought that was your job?"

"Don't test me, Exile," he hissed, not looking at her. "I've done all I can. But there is a... shall we say, an 'external factor' involved."

"What do you mean?" asked Revan.

"There is another man - another Time Lord - present in this galaxy. He travels with a young woman named 'Rose Tyler'. He is a threat. He endangers the integrity of the Time Line. He must be... eliminated."

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Eliminated?" Kira asked. "How can we 'eliminate' a Time Lord? They have that regeneration process. Unless he's on his last regeneration, it would be near impossible to kill him."

[The Doctor]

The Doctor smiled cruely. "There are certain... techniques... that could be used to prevent him from regenerating after the killing blow is dealt. But I must be present when he is killed. I shall absorb his remaining regenerations, which will end his life. It will also extend my own - an added bonus, you might say."

[ForceFightWMe12]

"But why would he be here? If there's already a Time Lord in this era, what would be the point of sending a second? Besides, what can he do that you can't undo?"

[The Doctor]

"You have no idea how frustrating this man is. I've dealt with a past incarnation of him before. He is reckless, stupid, and foolish. He is capable of doing a great deal of damage, without realising that his actions have consequences. As to why he is here... I cannot say."

[ForceFightWMe12]

Kira thought for a moment. This Doctor didn't seem the same as the last...could it be that he...no. It was foolish. As far as she knew, nothing governed what the Doctor would look or act like after a regeneration.

"So then." she said, "Where is he?"

[The Doctor]

"I have been tracking him for some time. I believe he arrived in this galaxy shortly before me, on a small planet in the Chommell sector. Naboo. A worthless planet, but where we must go all the same."

[3yks]

Sedated. He had frowned at the odd little man who had come in ... he wasn't in as bad pain, then the man was injecting him with something. Then he was out cold, his mind drifted, thinking about Jasra, about the changes in the universe. He had to find her, somehow the time change had not removed their bonding.

 

He realized that he was sedated though, and was annoyed, and used his annoyance to fuel the burning of the drug, and a few moments later he woke up.

 

"I'm fine, release me." He told Mical, frowning at him lightly. "Thank you for your aid. But I'll be okay for a bit."

[Writer]

"Why do these people mean anything to you, Telepath?" the Jedi librarian demanded. "You've never met Jasra Lantill and the last time you had anything to say to Karda Jal-Ordo, the two of you got into a fight that ended with Karda choking in midair. It's why you left Dantooine and came here, is it not?"

 

"You don't need to tell me my own history," Crystal snapped irritably. "Is Karda still on Dantooine?"

 

"Yes," the librarian agreed. "But why? Are you intending to apologize for what you did to him? It's been so many years, do you think he'll even remember you?"

 

"That's my business," Crystal retorted. "At any rate, don't you think you'd remember the girl that choked you without any aid from the Force?"

 

The librarian was left speechless and Crystal turned to leave the archives. Now just to figure out if she had her own ship now that time had been restored to what it should have been.

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Are you sure? Two of your four hearts are still beating beyond safe--"

The look Brax gave him caused Disciple's voice to drift off. With a sigh, he set about releasing the Omwati. "Alright, if you say so...Though I wouldn't go too far. Your body can only hold up to so much."

 

- - - - -

 

"Atton?" Kira asked, turning to the pilot.

"Way ahead of you." he said, and slid past her, moving to the controls of the Hawk. "I'm going to notify the others that we're leaving. Our 'friend' in the med lab might have unfinished buisness on Nar Shaddaa...in that case, he's going to want to get off the ship fast."

[JasraLantill]

Jasra took pause as she and Karda came out of the Enclave into the landing pad area. It was early morning, and the first rays of sunlight glistened off the shuttle that stood before them. “It’s the Moon Shadow,” Jasra said quietly, then grinned at the thought of being in her old ship. Her old stolen ship.

 

Karda sighed. “Never happened,” he reminded her in a singsong sort of tone.

 

“I know,” said Jasra, not able to quit grinning. “Still…even you’ve got to admit that it’s more than a coincidence. It’s a sign from the Force that we have to find the others.”

 

“After our mission,” he said firmly. “And I mean that. Padawan,” he added.

 

“I know, I know,” said Jasra.

 

“Karda!” Jasra and Karda both turned at the sound of Master Verga’s voice, and saw the Jedi hurrying towards them. “A word with you before you depart.”

 

Karda nodded to the shuttle. “Go on,” he said to Jasra. “I’ll be there directly.”

 

Jasra nodded and headed towards the shuttle alone, glancing now and then over her shoulder at the two conversing Jedi. From the looks on their faces, it was something serious. Perhaps mission related, but then again, perhaps not.

[3yks]

Brax frowned at Mical. "I know what my body is capable of, thanks." He closed his eyes for a moment, and focused ... slowly his hears returned to their normal speed. "I'm fine. I'm just having some issues adjusting to ... things." He pushed up slowly to his feet and looked around.

 

"Where are Revan and Kira? I need to find Jasra." He moved out of the medical bay, and nearly ran into Atton. He frowned, he didn't like this whole situation, part of him wanted to just tear into these people with his claws and take a shower int he raining blood he would create. But he calmed his emotions.

 

"Atton, isn't it? Where is Kira? I need to know what's going on ... where are we going?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Kira's with Revan and the Doctor in the cockpit. We're going to Naboo, so if you wanted to get your ship, I suggest getting off the Hawk now. The coordinates are set and we're leaving ASAP." came the pilot's response. He was getting a bad feeling about Brax, but if Kira said he was alright...well, he was liable to believe her.

[3yks]

Brax frowned, naboo, what the heck was that?

 

"I'll stay for now, my ship will join us there."

[ForceFightWMe12]

Atton shrugged. "If you say so."

Within moments, the ship was airborne and in orbit. The hyperdrive hummed to life, and they were gone.

[The Doctor]

The Doctor walked into the cockpit of the Ebon Hawk to find Atton, Revan, and Kira there. Nobody was saying anything.

"How long will it take this infernal bucket of bolts to reach Naboo?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Keep your pants on." Atton said irritably. "We'll get there when we get there."

"Shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes." Kira said, deciding to elaborate, "Naboo isn't all that far from Nar Shaddaa."

[The Doctor]

"Excellent. I shall be in the TARDIS." With that, he turned on his heal and left the room.

 

"I'm not sure..." muttered Revan. "Something's not right about him. It takes something big to turn a man like the Doctor into... that."