Me: First of all, while KOTOR II was not the absolute best Star Wars game ever made, it did use interesting fuctions. For example, depending on gender or force alignment, you gain a different ally. Second, there is the characters themselves. Their individual stories are what make The Sith Lords a true Star Wars game.
Me: So with that said, my fic is going to follow the exiles (yes, plural. As in two).
Revan: You called?
Me: Ah, yes I did Revan. Would you mind giving the disclaimer?
Revan: Not at all. Alex does not own Star Wars, KOTOR, or KOTOR II. They belong to George Lucas, Bioware, and Obsidian respctively. Now, may I return to Bastilla?
Me: Yes, go young man. Make babies and the like.
Revan: (glares at me and walks away)
Me: Well, that was fun.
KOTOR II
"Oh my head" Ayanna moaned. The ship she and her brother were on had just been hit by laser fire. "The Sith!" Ayanna cried out, as she sat strait up. Looking around she noticed her brother on the ground a few feet from her. "Zekk!" Rushing over to her brothers side, she checked his pulse. 'Good' she thought 'he still has one, albeit weak.' She thought 'I need to get him to the med-bay.'
Gripping his shoulders, Ayanna began to drag her brother towards the med-bay, moving debris out of his way as she went. Reaching her destination , she heaved him up onto the cold slab of duracrete. 'Okay. I press…this button. Right?' she thought as she activated the the med-bay controls. "Assessing" the emotionless voice of the computer said. The whirring of a droid caught Ayanna's attention. T3-M4 came rolling into the bay. "Um…hello?" Ayanna was caught off guard as what to say.
The little droid whistled enthusiastically in response. "Um…" she started "ah…what…what is is status of the ship?" From the tone of the sounds, she could suspect that it wasn't looking too good. "Little droid" she said "can you plug into the terminal? I…I can't understand you."
Beeping in the affirmative, T3 rolled up to the port on the side and jacked into the system. "Can you tell me what's happening now?" Ayanna asked. The words came up on the screen:
The Ebon Hawk has sustained major damage. The Hyperdrive is damage beyond repair but Sub-light is still viable. Both dormitories are open to space and the garage is gone. Other than that, not much is damaged.
Ayanna nodded and looked down at the little droid. "Can you get the Sub-light up?" she asked. T3 beeped in the affirmative. "Okay. See what you can do."
As T3 rolled away to start repairs, Zekk moaned. Ayanna snapped her head back to him, then to the terminal. It still had the "Assessing" screen. Growling in anger, she smacked the monitor and suddenly it cleared up. A visual of her brother appeared and several words were blinking. Ayanna read each of them slowly and carefully.
"Extreme Blood Loss."
"Please administer med-pak to wound immediately."
Ayanna could feel the blood rush from her face. Scrambling over to the medical supply bin, she began to dig frantically for a med-pak. As she continued to dig deeper, Ayanna started to worry. Suddenly, she felt a familiar texture. "Yes!" she yelled. Pulling out the pak, she turned to her brother and started searching for the wound that had to be there.
Between the third and fourth ribs, she felt it. She pulled her hand away to find it covered in blood. Cutting off his shirt, she turned him on his side. The gash on Zekk's side was huge. Before she had time to freak out, Ayanna began to calm herself by using old Jedi calming techniques. Breathing deeply, she felt a sense of calm wash over her. The fear and apprehension became a distant memory.
Taking the med-pak, Ayanna applied it precisely to the very center of the wound. The med-pak then quickly stretched over the rest of the gash and stemmed the blood loss. With that particular life threatening situation taken care of, she could now focus on the next one.
Engine Room
While Ayanna had attended to her brothers injury, T3-M4 and his mechanical assistant had searched the ship for materials to repair the sub-light engines. After scavenging the last of the needed materials from several of the turrets on the outside of the ship, the little astromech droid began repairs. T3 was just beginning on the power conduit when Ayanna entered the room.
"So?" she asked, knowing full well the answer would be unintelligible to her. The short burst of beeps and whistles, fortunately didn't need a translation. Ayanna understood the tone and that was enough. It roughly meant "We are royally screwed" in droid speak. Sighing to herself, she looked around as if to find something to do. A moment later a thought occurred to her. She never learned the droids designation.
"So what's your designation little guy?" Ayanna asked. A compartment on T3's side popped open to reveal a small utility arm. It bent back to point to the designation inscription. "So your designation is..." she bent over to look at it "T3-M4?" she said. An affirmative whistle came from T3 as Ayanna stood back up. "Well T3, I'm Ayanna Marek. And the man in the med bay is my brother, Zekk."
"When do you think we'll have Sub-light back on-line?" she asked as she looked over at the hyperdrive. T3 whirred, which the woman took as a "Why?". "Because T3, whatever or whoever attacked us before is still out there and I don't want to be target practice again." T3 beeped several times and the other droid rolled in. The two began to converse leaving Ayanna with the feeling that she was being ignored. But before she could voice her opinion, the second droid began to push her out of the Engine Room.
The little continued to push her all the way to the cockpit. When they got there, the little droid plugged into the console.
I am designated as T1-N1. I was ordered to remove you from the Engine room.
"And why is that T1?" Ayanna asked, slightly annoyed by the fact that she was being pushed around by droids.
T3 believes that Sub-light will be back on-line in approximately one hour, barring any other problems. As soon as it is, he says that should set course for the Peragus Facility.
Ayanna stared at T1 in confusion "How can we do that, we're in the middle of nowhere!" she said. The console filled with more words.
Look out the window.
Turning around Ayanna was shocked to see the fractured surface of Peragus growing in the distance. "Okay. I'll do it. But how will I know when it's om-line?" Suddenly, as if invoking some form of magic, the sound of the engines sputtering filled the com.
I guess T3 finished early replied T1
Sitting down in the pilots seat, Ayanna began to maneuver the Hawk into the asteroid field that littered the space around the dead world. "Attention unidentified craft" came a voice from the com "you are entering restricted space. Identify yourselves immediately". Ayanna searched for the button to respond before T1 motioned to were it was. "Hello? This is the..." she drifted off as she had no idea the name of the ship. Again T1 whistled, grabbing her attention.
The Ebon Hawk
'Thank you again little droid 'Ayanna thought. Returning to the com system she pressed the button to reply "This is the Ebon Hawk. We've sustained extensive damage. We request docking clearance". She was meet with silence. "Please" she pleaded into the com "My brother's in our med-bay right now. He was injured in the attack that left the ship in its current condition. I managed to stabilize him, but he needs real medical attention!" Another minute of silence. "Very well Ebon Hawk" came the reply "you have clearance to dock in bay 2." A medical team will be standing by to move your brother to our medical center".
Ayanna released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thank you Peragus. Thank you so much". Taking the handles, she carefully and precisely navigated the Ebon Hawk towards the designated docking bay. Once the ship was through the shield barrier, she gently set the Hawk down in the facility. As soon the ramp came down, the medical team made their way up into the spacecraft.
Once they were inside, they ran into another problem. They had no way to get to get to the med bay. The garage doors were sealed and the main hall was secured by a magnetically sealed blast door. The chief medical officer pressed her hand-held com unit "Miss? Can you hear me miss?" Ayanna looked up at the com once again. Pressing it, she replied "Yes, I can hear you." The young woman heard a sigh from the com.
"We ran into a block here. The blast doors are all sealed. Can you get them open?" Ayanna nodded to herself. "Yes. I'll see what I can do." With that, she rose form the seat and made her way to the main hold. There she meet up with T3. "T3, the blast doors are all closed. Can we get one of them open?" she asked the little droid. T3 whistled and trundled over to the main console. After it plugged in a series of beeps and chirps followed.
At last, a whistle grabbed Ayanna's attention. T3 pulled away and made his way toward the engine room. Before he got there though, he turned into the garage hallway. A moment later, several people made their way into the hallway. Ayanna meet them at the med bay. "You're the woman we've been talking to?" the leader asked. Ayanna nodded. "Yes. I'm Ayanna Marek and this" she motioned to the inside of the med bay "is my brother Zekk."
The other woman nodded. "I'm chief medical officer Andra Lisoff" she told Ayanna. "So, do you know what happed to your brother?" Andra asked. "I think when we where attacked, a piece of shrapnel got him on its way across the ship. I found the gash and applied a med pak, but he'd lost so much blood already" Ayanna explained as Dr. Lisoff examined the wound on Zekk.
"Well" Andra started "he's lucky you applied the pak when you did. Any longer and he would have bleed to death. Cal, Hoseff. Dress his wound and get him on the stretcher. Then take him back to the med bay. Prep him for the kolto tank." The two men nodded. Andra turned to the third man. "I want you to check the rest of the ship." He nodded as well and made his way out of the ships now rather cramped med bay.
Ayanna watched as Cal and Hoseff carried Zekk out on the stretcher. "Can I go with them?" she asked. "First, I want to check you here. Won't do to have you walking around with a major wound, now would it?" Dr Lisoff said. Ayanna nodded her head. "I guess I haven't had time to look myself over since I woke up."
Andra lifted Ayanna's shirt up and began pressing on different places, trying to determine if there was any internal bleeding. Feeling none, she gave Ayanna a pat on the shoulder. "Aside from a few shallow cut and bruises, you okay."
"Dr Lisoff!" the third man called out "We've got a stiff up here!" Andra looked over at Ayanna and asked "Why didn't you tell us there was a third person aboard?" Ayanna shrugged. "I didn't notice anyone else. As far as I knew it was just the two of us." Andra watched the younger womans face. 'Well, she's not lying' she thought. "Well, I guess it could have been the adrenaline that interfered, so I can't fault you."
They left the med bay and walked down the hall into the main hold. "How long has she been deceased?" Andra asked as they approached. He sighed "At least eight hours. Maybe longer."
'She would have died in the attack then' Ayanna thought to herself. "Well" Andra caught her attention "we should get you down to the Med bay. Give you a detailed check up and let you check on you brother." Ayanna nodded and they made their way off the Hawk.
Peragus Medical Facility
Ayanna sat on the examination table, wearing the standard medical gown. Next to her stood Andra and the third medical officer, identified as Derred. Dr. Lisoff quietly read the med chart with Ayanna's test results. "Well Ayanna, you appear to be in excellent health. The only blemishes on your record are those scars and those can be easily taken care of" she said.
Ayanna shook her head. "No. They stay right were they are" she said forcefully "they're a reminder." Andra was puzzled by this. "What could they possibly remind you of? For that matter, if it was a bad as it looks, why would you want to remember?" she asked.
Ayanna's eyes suddenly shifted from a look of solid conviction to one that belonged on a person much old. A person that had seen to much in his or her life. Ayanna then silently whispered a two words. "Malachor V".
Andra was shocked quite a bit. 'She can't be any older than thirty! How was she fighting at Malachor V?' Despite her professionalism, Andra had to know. "You would only have been, what, twenty at Malachor V right? What were you doing there?"
Ayanna shook her head again. "No. I was only eighteen at the time" she told the doctor. Andra sighed "So you joined at the end of the Mandalorian Wars? Why? What compelled you to make that choice?" she asked. Ayanna looked over at the older woman. "I joined the fight when I was sixteen and a half. I turned eighteen a few days before the final battle."
Now Andra was truly confused. 'Why would the Republic fleet accept such an under aged child into service? Now I know there's something I'm missing' she thought. "Um..." Ayanna caught her attention "how's my brother doing?" she asked. The sudden shift yet again caught Andra off guard. 'What could have happened to this young woman, to cause such major shifts in attitude?'
Shaking off those thoughts for the moment, Andra flipped around some screens on the data pad. "He's doing better. The kolto tank really made a difference. We're one hundred percent positive that he'll recover now" she said. "Any longer out in space though..." she let the sentence drift off. There wasn't any need to tell Ayanna just how close her brother came to death.
Ayanna sighed. 'Thank you whoever is listening' she thought 'now I can finally rest.' As Ayanna laid down to rest, Andra felt the question that had been bothering for a while now rise up. Before she could restrain herself, she asked the question that would inadvertently set into play forces that would shake the still frail Republic to it's foundation.
"How were you able to serve in the war at that age?" Ayanna rolled over and meet Andra Lisoff's gaze. "I and my brother were Jedi. We lead Republic soldiers into battle against the Mandalorians. We did it to protect the innocent and weak and the thanks we got was exile." The bitterness with which she said those words rattled Andra for a third and final time that day. With that, Ayanna rolled back over and fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
Andra reached the door and took a look back one more time. Sighing, she walked out and began her scheduled rounds.
Harbinger, Unknown System
"Lord Scion" the assassin said as he knelled down "we have discovered the location of the Ebon Hawk." Darth Sion, the Lord of Pain, turned to his minion. "Good" he rasped "has the new course been plotted?"
"Yes, my lord. The pilots estimate time of arrival to be at most eleven days." Suddenly, the assassin felt his throat constrict "m...my....lord...I" he chocked out "I...believe that...I...can...convince th...the pilots to...cut that...time I...in half..." then, as suddenly as it came, the pressure dissipated.
"Be sure they do or else the next time you report to me will be your last." Sion then returned his gaze to the star beyond the window. The assassin bowed and left as quickly as his legs could move him. The Lord of Pain's gaze turned to a glare. 'Soon little exiles. Soon you will be dead at my hands and no one will stop my revenge. Not even Nihilus' he thought to himself.
Peragus Medical Facility
"Coorta! What are you doing in here!?" yelled Andra. The miner smiled a sickly grin. "What we've got here doc, is a bona fide Jedi. Might be one of the last in the galaxy. You know, next to his sister. You know how much the Exchange wants for one Jedi? Imagine how much they'll pay for two!" he yelled back.
Andra shook her head violently. "No! We are not turning them over to the Exchange! Besides she told me they aren't Jedi anymore. So what would be the point?" Andra threw back. Coorta and his thugs laughed. "Whether they are or aren't doesn't matter to me. Besides, you know how much Jedi lie to not only us, the common people, but to each other. They can't be trusted."
Dr. Lisoff couldn't deny the truth. The number of people who had died over the last few years because of Revan and Malak and the countless other Jedi and Sith was incredible. "I'll concede that point. But still, that doesn't mean they should be turned over to those criminals. They are still sentient beings."
Coorta laughed. "I don't care. With the credits that we'll get from them, we can disappear and never have to work again. I think there lives are worth ensuring that we can live comfortably. I mean, isn't that the life of a Jedi? Sacrifice?" Coorta began to laugh again and stated to walk away. Andra didn't like the way the miner was talking and resolved to speak with the Administrator after the next shift started. With Coorta in the mine.
Unbeknownst to either of them, hidden in the shadows of the kolto tanks a silvery white droid stood, listening to there conversation.
Statement: This is unacceptable. These organics cannot be allowed to harm either master.
Observation: I will have to remove them. Permanently.
Me: So, what do you think?
HK-47: Review or I shall execute my primary assassination protocol.
Me: Yeah....don't anger the murderous droid. Or do. It might be fun.
