[Short Fics] Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - The Untold Tales

[JasraLantill]

Another couple of good tales, Doc! I like the fight between Juhani and Quatra. A bit violent, but since we all know that Quatra lived, it doesn't matter much.

 

Looking forward to the next one.

[The Doctor]

Ok, so I lied, it wasn't ready. And it won't be for another few days, at least. I'm giving my Hard Drive a much needed reformat, so I won't be around for a few days. I'm salvaging my stories, of course, so I should have one up soon after I get back. Then again, I may not be in the mood to write, seeing as how I'll finally be able to run KotOR again, after a year and a half of play-crippling lag.

 

See you all in a few days!

[Empress Padme]

Take your time Doc, cause whatever your doing it works and then some.You capture the characters so perfectly.Wish I had read'em sooner.

[The Doctor]

Well, I'm back, and my computer is now running better than ever! Only problem is, I lost my partialy finished stories to the procedure - I had them backed up, but it's gonna take me a little while to get them moved back over to my home PC. I'll have another story posted soon, I'm sure.

[The Doctor]

So, it's been a while since I've worked on the Untold Tales, but here I am, with another one ready to go!

 

This one was originally meant to be for Javyar a few months back, but I didn't get it finished in time. It's shorter than the others, but meh.

 

Ponderings

 

Human emotion is one of the greatest known mysteries of the Galaxy. We have all felt emotion: the sadness of losing a loved one; the adrenaline rush accompanied by anger; the mighty force of hatred; the uplifting happiness of seeing an old friend; the great beast that is jealousy; and, if we’re lucky enough, the powerful grip of the most mysterious emotion of all: love.

 

Many of the Galaxy’s most brilliant minds have attempted to define or explain love. Some describe it as nothing more than a chemical reaction in the brain. Others attribute it to the soul discovering its ‘other half’ in the soul of another individual. And others still connect love to the sex drive inherent of all species. But anyone who has experienced love knows that none of these explanations are entirely correct. They also know that to define or explain love is to destroy any meaning it carries.

 

This is a story based on the Knights of the Old Republic story. It takes place shortly after the male player’s encounter with Bastila in the dormitories of the Ebon Hawk, after she has fled. While similar to the other Forgotten Tales shorts I have written in the past, it is insignificant to the development of the plot, and has no straightforward message or lesson behind it.

 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 

“I have to get out of here...” muttered Bastila, more to herself than anything else. “Before someone sees us together.”

 

With that, she turned her back on him and stalked out, her head held high, leaving him staring at the back of her head as she marched down the corridor towards the cockpit. His head still swimming, he let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding, and collapsed onto the bed furthest from the door, leaning against the back wall of the cot. He closed his eyes, and listened to the soft hiss of T3-M4's hydro-spanner.

 

His mind began to wander back to the cockpit, where he was sure she had returned to after she had left. He pictured her sitting at the co-pilot’s seat, her eyes glazed over as she thought about him. His stomach squirmed slightly as he pictured the simple attributes that made her... unique. The way she guided her hair back away from her face every once in a while. They way she bit her lip when she was thinking. The way her eyes lit up when she caught on to an idea. Even the way her lips thinned when she was angry drove him insane.

 

He wanted her. He needed her. He yearned to hold her in his arms. Smell her hair. Feel the warmth of her skin against his cheek. Feel her lips pressed against his. But it was never going to happen. He knew that. He knew that these thoughts were wrong. And he didn’t give a yelt’s tail.

 

He punched the side of the bed, and was rewarded with a sharp stabbing pain running the length of his arm. T3 squealed softly, his hydro-spanner falling silent for a moment to listen before continuing his standard maintenance run. On the verge of tears, he collapsed face first into the pillow, and allowed the Force to flow through his mind, relieving him of the pain and sadness. He closed his eyes, and fell into an uneasy sleep.

 

 

Bastila didn’t return to the cockpit. She knew Carth would be irritated with her, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t face him. She couldn’t face anyone right now. Stalking past Zalbaar in the common room, she headed for the dormitory shared by herself, Juhani, and Mission which Revan, Carth, and Canderous had cleverly dubbed the “Hen House”. She forced herself to think about anything but the way his face fell when she pulled away from him. To avoid thinking about the look of utter hopelessness as she turned away from him. To ignore the wave of emotions she felt emanating from the dormitory where she had left him.

 

She entered the room, and jumped slightly when she was Mission lying on her unmade bed, a small computer pad in her hands.

 

“Aw, c’mon!” she screamed at it, shaking it. “He can’t do that!”

 

She looked up as Bastila entered the room, and her face cracked into a smile. “Hey,” she said casually, sitting up and putting throwing the game to the floor beside her. “What’s up? You get tired of Carth trying to make conversation?”

 

Bastila forced a smile and crossed the room to her bed. “Oh, Mission...” she said with a sigh. “You certainly do know how to lift my spirits.”

 

Mission shrugged. “Okay,” she said. She arched an eyebrow slightly. “You alright?”

 

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

Mission snorted. “I don’t need Jedi senses to tell something’s buggin’ you,” she said simply. “You look like you’ve been told you’re carrying a Wookie’s baby. Anything I can do?”

 

Bastila sighed. “No. I just... have a great deal to think about.”

 

She shrugged again, but was silent for a few minutes. Then, “Wanna talk about it?”

 

Bastila bristled in irritation for a moment, then reconsidered. She sighed, closed her eyes, and struggled to put what she was feeling into words. “There have been... certain events over the past few months that have... challenged many of my beliefs. I’m no longer certain as to the nature of the Force. How can such a glorious gift, granted to so few across the Galaxy, carry with it such a... such a terrible burden of denial, and self sacrifice?”

 

Mission nodded knowingly, her expression sombre. “I don’t know how you Jedi do it,” she said. “I know losing my home has made me question my beliefs, too. I used to think there was at least something out there, watching over us... a kind of presence, or sentience out there, taking care of us all y’know?”

 

Bastila nodded. “The Jedi believe that such a presence exists as well, to a degree. That the Force acts through people to help those most in need.”

 

“Yeah, but... if that’s true, then... how come Taris got wiped out? I mean, sure there was a lot of scum, but... there were plenty of good people there, too. Men like Gadon, and the other Beks... If the Force is out to protect the good ones, how come it takes them out just like the bad ones?”

 

Bastila lay back in her bed with a soft thud, gently massaging her temples. “I don’t know, Mission... I really don’t know...”

 

Mission watched her for a moment, the stood. “Well, I’m gonna go find Big Z. He hasn’t said a word since we left Kashyyykk. I’m gonna go see if he’s ready to talk.”

 

Bastila nodded, and watched the teen leave. But she wasn’t really looking at Mission. Her eyes were unfocused, and her mind was already wandering back to Revan...

 

“Did I do the right thing?” she asked herself, falling backwards onto her bed. “What if this only feeds the beast that he used to be? What if I’ve only pushed him further down the path of darkness?”

 

She kicked the foot of the bed in frustration. She just didn’t know what to think. She knew how she felt. She couldn’t deny her feelings for him. But she also couldn’t deny her life-long commitment to the Jedi Order. To the ideals that had been ingrained into her mind since she was a little girl - the ideals that were now completely failing her in ways they never had before.

 

“Why must a gift as wonderful and liberating as the Force come with such a heavy price?” she wondered. “A Jedi is meant to help, and to heal. So why must I cause a man as kind, and compassionate, and noble as him such terrible pain?”

 

She felt a fresh wave of emotion wash over from the other dormitory, and forced her mind closed against the agony emanating from the ship’s captain. The world around her seemed to fade as she withdrew into herself, deafening herself to the Force. Left to nothing but her own thoughts and feelings, she drifted off into a listless slumber.

[The Doctor]

I'm doing another play-through in KotOR, and I've got a few more ideas jotted down, ready to be filled out. Expect a good 4 or 5 more stories within the next little while.