Author's Notes:

(Rating is for violence/death/torture, there will not be language or sexual content.)

Hello! Thank you for checking out my first proper fanfiction~ I've loved KotOR forever, played it dozens of times, and now finally have decided to try my hand at writing in its world.

A good amount of dialog in this story is taken straight from the game, particularly toward the beginning, as I tried to stay as close to the original as possible while taking the main character my own direction. The farther along we get, the more divergences will necessarily occur as her actions ripple outward. As this was my first fanfiction, I was a bit timid and unsure throughout the first half of this project, things will be a bit stiff or awkward as I tried too hard to stick too close to the original dialogs. I hope you can put up with my less than perfect start, I care deeply about this project and anticipate it carrying on for many years longer.

Primary sources are KotOR and K2tSL. SWtOR and its associated media may be used as tertiary reference material, but nothing from that story is necessarily considered canonical to this universe.

Please let me know what you think, positive or negative, I want your critiques. What did I do well, what needs work still... I am not always the best judge for character voice or story flow... fairly new to this sorta thing.

Thanks for reading~

Fall With Me

Yellow and red, clashing and sizzling. I fought desperately, heart pounding as we neared the goal. My opponent fell, and I stood over him with chest heaving. One last door. . .

I awoke to the pounding of feet outside my room, the ship shuddering under repeated impacts on the shield. Glancing around wildly, everything seemed suddenly unfamiliar. I felt like the dream was more real than what stood around me.

A ship, a republic capitol ship. My room. I knew it was my room, but—

I sat up, reached for the double-bladed lightsaber I knew I'd find at my side, but nothing was there. Of course nothing's there. I'm not a Jedi.

I'm not a Jedi?

A man burst through the door. "We've been ambushed by a Sith battle fleet, the Endar Spire is under attack!"

"The Endar Spire?" I asked, frowning. It sounded like some kind of capitol building, but on which planet? Where were we?

"Did you fall out of your bunk and hit your head? The Endar Spire is the ship we're stationed on - this ship! You probably don't even know who I am, do you?"

I shook my head.

"I'm Trask Ulgo, ensign with the republic fleet."

Ulgo. My mind immediately placed him as part of a minor Alderaanian noble house. Worthwhile ally.

"Now hurry up and grab your gear, we have to find Bastila. It's our number one priority to ensure she makes it off the ship alive."

Bastila.

"Who's Bastila?"

I'm Bastila, aren't I?

I reached again for my lightsaber, but still wore only my nightclothes.

I didn't have a lightsaber. Of course not.

"Bastila's the commanding officer on the Endar Spire, well not officer exactly, but she's the one in charge of this mission. Protecting her in the event of an enemy attack is one of our primary duties."

I stood groggily, still feeling confused and disjointed. I didn't know how much sleep I'd gotten before the attack started, but it obviously wasn't enough.

"You swore an oath just like everyone else on this mission. Now it's time to make good on that oath."

I wobbled to my footlocker and started tugging on my clothes, as Ulgo just kept talking. I was beginning to reconsider my assessment of him as a useful ally.

"I've heard all about your reputation, smuggling spice and blasters on the Correlian Run. I guess the republic figured if they couldn't catch you they may as well hire you. And I'll admit, the republic is in desperate need of someone with your skills. Desperate enough to overlook your shady past."

If I weren't so foggy I'd probably have snapped at him. I don't usually need someone spouting my biography. But this particular morning - night, whatever it was, - I latched onto his words to help draw me out of my stupor.

Not a Jedi. Smuggler. Not Bastila. . . but who?

It didn't matter. Everyone was in danger, and I suddenly knew I had to save this Bastila, if I died trying.

"But since you've signed on for this mission you're a republic soldier now," Trask continued. "Bastila needs all troops at her side during this attack."

She only needs ME, my thoughts snapped, but I shook my head, grabbed my. . . short sword. It didn't hum, not even a vibroblade. Not a lightsaber.

I wanted to stop, pause everything. I needed time, I needed to meditate, to settle my thoughts. I needed—

"Come on, we have to protect Bastila!"

I sighed and nodded. "Lead on, Ulgo."

My personal communicator blinked, urgent, and began playing without waiting for my consent. Urgent indeed.

"This is Carth Onasi. The Sith are threatening to overrun our position. We can't hold out long, all hands to the bridge."

"Carth is one of the republic's best pilots," Ulgo said, worry in his voice. "He's seen more combat than the rest of the crew put together. If he says things are bad, you'd better believe it. Come on, we have to get to the bridge and defend Bastila."

I wondered if this was something they did to everyone. I had the overwhelming urge to find Bastila, and from his voice Ulgo did too. Maybe she was calling out to us through the Force, urging everyone toward her.

A few security doors later, and we encountered our first Sith boarding party. My blade felt heavy and clumsy, my attacks weak and uncertain. I still fought through a haze, though the adrenaline of fighting for my life did wake me up. Not tired, exactly, just weary.

Ulgo was very understanding, not trying to push me or insult my slowness, just pointing out what he thought I should know.

Though I felt like I should have snapped at him for trying to teach me how to use a medpack after I was injured in the third skirmish with the Sith boarders, I nodded in thanks. The way I was feeling, I probably would have just gone on until I bled out without even thinking of it.

Then Ulgo opened a door onto a lightsaber battle. A young Jedi, not Bastila, fought a man with dark robes and a red blade.

Why red? I know red crystals are cheap and easy to come by, but wouldn't anyone want their lightsaber - their LIGHTSABER - to be as unique and custom to them as possible?

I resolved to find a purple crystal at the first chance and hold onto it until I could convince Bastila that I should have an honorary blade of my own. Or two.

I smiled and shook my head. No matter how well I did in this battle, the chances that Bastila would notice me - a former smuggler - and give me my own lightsaber - restricted to use by Jedi - was ridiculous. An absurd fantasy, unworthy of my consideration.

The battle ended when the dark Jedi fell, his blade slicing through a power conduit as he did. The resulting explosion blasted the poor Jedi girl from behind, and knocked Ulgo and me back several steps.

"That was one of the Jedi accompanying Bastila," Ulgo said, cursing. "We could have used her help."

We fought our way through the Sith soldiers, but by the time we reached the bridge it was overrun. No sign of Bastila or Onasi, but I knew that Bastila was alive.

"They must have fled to the escape pods," Ulgo said. "The Sith want Bastila as a prisoner, but once she's off the ship there's nothing stopping them from blowing the Endar Spire into galactic dust."

"This way." I followed the pull in my soul, the Bastila sense that I couldn't have explained. As though I were a compass and she my pole, I knew I'd always be able to find her.

Then Ulgo opened a door, revealing another dark Jedi striding toward us.

"I'll hold him off, you get to the escape pods," Ulgo said, drawing his vibroblade and stepping forward.

"I—"

"GO!"

He slapped the door control, sealing it behind him, leaving me blinking.

So much for that alliance. I ran to the starboard section of the ship, and felt a relieved tug when Bastila's escape pod left the ship. A moment later, Onasi's 'urgent call' flashed on my communicator, confirming.

I was the last crew member, he and I were the only ones still on the ship.

I ran, fighting my way to the escape pods as fast as I could. Onasi couldn't afford to wait too long for one little smuggler like me, and I had no desire to be stranded on a doomed ship.

I barely listened to his introductions, just ran to the pod and strapped myself in. Onasi followed right behind me, sent us blasting out away from the ship.

As we spiraled toward the planet below, the Endar Spire exploded in a brilliant storm of flame above us, the shockwave jostling our course slightly. I saw huge rounded skyscrapers, platforms and walkways as we flew past, then the pod impacted hard and I lost my thin grasp on consciousness.