Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Chapter One
Carth Onasi waited in the foremost stateroom of the Endar Spire. A group sent by the Jedi Council was due to arrive on board at any moment. As one of the missions advisors Carth was to be present for the teams arrival. The large, well appointed room was abuzz with chatter. The news of the Jedi's interference was not being taken well. The crews aboard the star ship were seasoned war veterans and knew that Jedi involvement never boded well for a mission. Nobody could claim they did not respect the Jedi but neither could anyone say that trouble did not follow them through out the galaxy.
The ships captain, an aged but still virile man of war, made his way across the crowded room and took a seat beside Carth.
"You don't look as pissed off as everyone else here, Onasi. What do you know that we don't?"
Loosing himself from his thoughts, Carth leaned forward onto the table edge. He felt it shift slightly as the repulsor engines struggled to adjust to his added weight. Grimly he thought how quickly the Republic's workmanship was degrading because of this war.
"I don't know, Captain Marisk. Despite the nasty wake the Jedi tend to leave they do get the job done. Do you really think that we could take on Malak without them?"
"Carth, I can't say I have an answer for that. I've been fighting the Sith and their ilk since long before you were born and so far as I can tell we've not made any progress with or without the Jedi."
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not happy to see them here but I think we need their help," Carth paused as if struggling to supress his next thought. "But are we going to let them stroll in here and take control? No resistance? No terms?"
Marisk smiled at the outburst. He didn't know a soldier in the fleet that was truly confident in the skills of the Jedi. It didn't take much to see that their order was stagnating and growing insular. Besides, the Jedi were keepers of the peace, not soldiers.
"Like you said, we're in a good patch of trouble here, my boy, and they're not likely to make matters any worse lending us a hand."
A chime sounded above the door and the captain stood, patting Carth on the shoulder.
"Looks like they're here. Best behavior now, Onasi," he said with a wink and strolled off towards the entrance to greet his guests.
Preferring to stay out of the dealings, Carth found himself a sear away from the main table and became a mere spectator. The room grew silent as the doors spiraled open. Carth had seen many Jedi in his years of service but this once drew his attention more than any other. She was human. Tall and thin but not unhealthily so. She had the slight, lithe build of a gymnast. Beneath her brown robes Carth could sense that her body was firm and muscular. Her dark hair was elaborately braided and swept back from her delicate oval face. Despite her slight figure and Elfin features Carth could tell that this woman possessed great power but he also felt something else. Fear maybe, or was it nervousness.
No, Carth thought. A Jedi sent by the council would not be uneasy coming before the crew of a battleship.
Captain Marisk and the Jedi made slight bows to each other and made small gestures of greeting. Barely giving Marisk time to speak the Jedi began her speech. She had a deep, velvety voice, less womanly than Carth had expected but feminine none the less.
"Captain Marisk, I am Bastila Shan, Jedi Knight, and these are the Knights and their Padawans who have accompanied me." She gestured to the six others standing behind her. "We thank you for your kind greeting and suggest that we get underway as soon as possible. Let us complete the formalities so that we may proceed with our task."
Wow. Bossy one we've got here, thought Carth and a young male Cathar Padawan shot him a dirty look. Everyone in the room listened intently for nearly an hour as Bastila laid out all the new regulations for the coming mission. She presented them as requested but no one was fooled. When the Jedi made requests there was no question that it was really an order. And one that was expected to be followed. Finally, the proceedings seemed to be wrapping up and Carth made to stand, desperately needing to stretch his legs.
"I have one last request to make, Captain Marisk."
Carth stifled a groan as he slumped back into his seat.
"We have been asked by the council to bring aboard an addition to your crew. He is an explorer named Coryn Fera. Here is his dossier. You'll find that he is extensively knowledgeable in many areas that the Republic military prizes. You won't be disappointed." Bastila and her six companions stood and drew their cloaks around themselves in an almost rehearsed motion. "Now, if there is nothing you wish to add I must beg your leave to retire. We've had a long journey from Coruscant and are in need of some time for meditation and rest."
She cast her dark eyes around the room as if daring anyone to challenge her and finding no objections nodded curtly and swept out.
The rooms occupants remained silent for several long moments, staring incredulously after the Jedi. Then, with many unhappy murmurs, people began to file out. Carth made his way over to the Captain and picked up the holovid player Bastila had placed on the table. He flicked it on to find the image of a human male dressed in a battered old combat suit. He had a heavy blaster on one hip and a long, lethal looking blade across his back. The words scrolling beside him described an ex explorer with exceptional skills in melee combat and alien languages. Through the black and white image it was hard to make out his face but Coryn Fera's expression seemed somewhat vacant, as if he was unsure of the role he played. Uncomfortable in a combat suit and wielding a blaster. Carth switch the hologram off raised and eyebrow to the captain. Marisk cross his arms and shrugged.
"We have no choice, Carth. The way things are in the galaxy these days what the Jedi say is what goes. Assign the new recruit quarters with Trask Ulgo. He'll keep an eye on him. If all goes as planned we'll be back on Coruscant before we know it."
In a little over an hour the Endar Spire was underway and on course for Taris, a remote Outer Rim Planet. Days earlier officials from the planet had sent out a distress signal claiming that a Sith ship was blockading the whole system. The Endar Spire was being sent to hopefully take that ship by surprise and gain valuable information as to where the Sith's massive new fleet was coming from. Carth sat in the officers common room with Trask Ulgo playing a desultory game of Pazaak.
"So, Carth old buddy, spill. What's the story with the Jedi boarding party? Has our mission objective changed?"
"No, same mission but Bastila Shan is leading it now, not us and she's already ready started with her changes…"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Trask sat up straighter, holding a hand in the air. "Did you say Bastila Shan?"
"Yes. Why?"
"By the stars, Carth. Don't you know who she is?" Carth shook his head, eyes narrowed. "Only the Republic's secret weapon. She's the Jedi that took out Revan. She's the queen of some sort of meditation used in battle. How do you not know her? I thought you were part of that mission?"
Carth nodded, "Yes, I was but there were nearly one hundred Jedi involved and I only met about 3 of them personally. We boarded Revan's ship and then the Jedi suddenly ordered a retreat. They took the wreck away to Dantooine and no one ever saw it again. I suppose I'd heard the name before but well, the Jedi certainly haven't volunteered and information, have they? Since you know so much, where's she been all this time?"
Trask shrugged as he always did when anyone questioned him about his deep knowledge of the secret movements of the Jedi."Word has it that the Council locked her away after she defeated Revan. They wanted her to perfect this meditation before they sent her out on another mission. This will be the first time anyone's seen her in two years."
Carth gave a small, cynical laugh and said, "Well, let hope that she hasn't lost her touch. The last thing we need is a Jedi that can't tell her ass from a hole in the ground."
The jump to Taris was a long one, one standard week from Coruscant, but the Endar Spire was an easy ship to make the journey in. It was spacious and filled with diversions and the time went by quickly. Carth didn't see the recruit, Coryn, even once during the flight. He assumed that like most deep space scouts he was a loner and preferred to keep to himself. Carth had almost forgotten all about him until they reached Taris. They were no closer to discovering the origins of the Sith fleet and would likely never make any headway ever again.