Standard Disclaimer: Neither Star Wars nor Knights of the Old Republic
belong to me. All are George Lucas' and Lucas arts, etc. The only thing I'm
claiming is the impressions of the main characters and, in later chapters,
the A/U plot. Which, believe me, isn't all that original to get all
bothered about. "Things Left Behind" is a Sequel to "Unbalanced" and "There
is no Peace but Passion". They are only connected through time, one can
definitely be read without the other.
Things Left Behind
Chapter 8 - My Brother's Keeper
"We need to leave, now." The dark haired woman abandoned her distant look and the softening of her features for a sharp expression and crisp tone.
"Alright, let's get everyone aboard," Carth had followed up, backing up towards the Ebon Hawk as a measure of leading by example, "Everyone get strapped in. As soon as Revan returns, we're out of here."
None of them had remained inside. The weight of the situation, of their fates, was too heavy a thing to bear in confinement. They'd anxiously awaited, fighting off wave after wave of initial Sith followers and then were forced to bear the inertia of nothing. No Sith. Just silence and the knowledge that it was beyond them.
It was a testament to their faith that they began to move before asking questions.
"Wait," Mission said, "What's happened? What about Malak and Revan?" She stopped short, interrupting the flow of retreat.
Bastila's lips, already tight, tightened further. Carth almost imagined he could see emotion flickering in her dark eyes, but with control that seemed almost savage in its starkness, it was blocked. "He's dead. The base is about to be destroyed around us. Go."
She looked to the exit. To the doors through which Revan had left and through which she, Jolee and Juhani had so recently returned. Mission saw this and grinned, "Alright! See, Big Z, I told you not to worry so much. But there you went, all grry and losing hair over it-" Her chatter to the Wookie lasted as she darted up the gangplank. Zalbaar's grunt of protest echoed.
Bastila was not moving, and for a moment, neither were Juhani or Jolee. The three stood, forming an unconscious triad that pointed towards the depths of the ship. Bastila's iron countenance seemed to have spread, or at least its meaning did. Juhani looked shocked, as if she'd protest the feeling, the testimony that Bastila's actions were giving.
"No-" Her voice was too quiet to be heard, "It cannot be."
A heartbeat was all it took for her to remember her teaching, falling back to embrace it as the solution once more. Then her head bowed, eyes closing, and her expression became a match for Jolee's regretful countenance. Carth was too busy scanning, checking, and making sure, to see. Canderous was not. He too froze for a moment.
"Damn." The Mandalorian then turned and headed for the ship.
"Jolee, Juh- hell, Jedi - You taking rear gu-?" Carth began, backing up towards the ship even as he walked. Jolee and Juhani turned, in unison to enter.
"She did good, kid." Jolee said quietly to the Cathar, "And you won't forget any of it." He looked up to Carth, "No. We're leaving now. Its done."
The initial words to Juhani couldn't be overheard, but the tone made Carth stop. Jolee's expression and the grief in his subsequent words made him catch his breath. He turned sharply to Bastila. She was also beginning to walk into the ship.
"We must hurry." She snapped.
Carth didn't move. "We can't leave without Revan."
"Revan is dead, Carth." The response spared nothing for emotions.
The pilot's gaze turned to stone, hard enough to match the Jedi's. "I don't believe you."
"Believe me or not, she's gone." Bastila swallowed, then relented, "Carth, I know this is difficult. But she told me herself that she wanted us to leave. She wants us to survive. If you have any regard for her at all, you will honor her dying wish. Come."
"Dying? When did she tell you this? Just now?" Carth stepped forward, closing the distance, "So she's not dead yet. You didn't feel her die."
"No, but-" Bastila shook her head, "Carth, she is dying. She would never make it. She may not make it to another breath. Let her go. She's accomplished her task. Allow her this-"
"Look, lady. I don't know about where you come, from where I come from death is not a reward!" Carth began loudly and worked his way up to a yell. "I will not abandon her."
"Carth-"
"You get aboard the damn ship. You go if you have to-" Carth drew his second pistol sharply, "I'm going to get her."
Bastila watched him leave, unable to find anything that could convince him. Revan was dying, dead. Gone. Bastila knew this to be true.
Thank the Force.
No. No, she had not just thought that. It was unworthy of her. But the seed twisted in her mind. It wasn't fair. Not fair that the one who'd given her a glimpse of the dark side, whose soul had reflected such delicious freedom back at her, should go unscathed. Revan would emerge a hero. Bastila would emerge as a fool who had not the strength to hold to a path. Not even a dark one.
She'd been so weak.
And - she was being weak now.
"Carth!" She shouted, stepping forward quickly, expression melting into something desperate as her redemption threatened to slip beyond her fingers again.
He turned at the doorway, "What?"
"Malak has a ship, beneath the observation deck. Three levels down. He keeps it there in case he needs to escape. If you can reach her- if she's alive-"
Carth nodded, stepping smartly backwards. Bastila grabbed the last of the life packs she held and threw it at him. He caught it from the air, turned, and began to run.
Bastila turned and fled to the ship.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Akasha15 - Under the assumption that you find these chapters decent and good, consider them both a birthday gift :) Or birthday and Christmas, whichever, ya want. Thanks for the review. I appreciate the inspiration. Needed it. . And the Hershey's! Muahahaha
Things Left Behind
Chapter 8 - My Brother's Keeper
"We need to leave, now." The dark haired woman abandoned her distant look and the softening of her features for a sharp expression and crisp tone.
"Alright, let's get everyone aboard," Carth had followed up, backing up towards the Ebon Hawk as a measure of leading by example, "Everyone get strapped in. As soon as Revan returns, we're out of here."
None of them had remained inside. The weight of the situation, of their fates, was too heavy a thing to bear in confinement. They'd anxiously awaited, fighting off wave after wave of initial Sith followers and then were forced to bear the inertia of nothing. No Sith. Just silence and the knowledge that it was beyond them.
It was a testament to their faith that they began to move before asking questions.
"Wait," Mission said, "What's happened? What about Malak and Revan?" She stopped short, interrupting the flow of retreat.
Bastila's lips, already tight, tightened further. Carth almost imagined he could see emotion flickering in her dark eyes, but with control that seemed almost savage in its starkness, it was blocked. "He's dead. The base is about to be destroyed around us. Go."
She looked to the exit. To the doors through which Revan had left and through which she, Jolee and Juhani had so recently returned. Mission saw this and grinned, "Alright! See, Big Z, I told you not to worry so much. But there you went, all grry and losing hair over it-" Her chatter to the Wookie lasted as she darted up the gangplank. Zalbaar's grunt of protest echoed.
Bastila was not moving, and for a moment, neither were Juhani or Jolee. The three stood, forming an unconscious triad that pointed towards the depths of the ship. Bastila's iron countenance seemed to have spread, or at least its meaning did. Juhani looked shocked, as if she'd protest the feeling, the testimony that Bastila's actions were giving.
"No-" Her voice was too quiet to be heard, "It cannot be."
A heartbeat was all it took for her to remember her teaching, falling back to embrace it as the solution once more. Then her head bowed, eyes closing, and her expression became a match for Jolee's regretful countenance. Carth was too busy scanning, checking, and making sure, to see. Canderous was not. He too froze for a moment.
"Damn." The Mandalorian then turned and headed for the ship.
"Jolee, Juh- hell, Jedi - You taking rear gu-?" Carth began, backing up towards the ship even as he walked. Jolee and Juhani turned, in unison to enter.
"She did good, kid." Jolee said quietly to the Cathar, "And you won't forget any of it." He looked up to Carth, "No. We're leaving now. Its done."
The initial words to Juhani couldn't be overheard, but the tone made Carth stop. Jolee's expression and the grief in his subsequent words made him catch his breath. He turned sharply to Bastila. She was also beginning to walk into the ship.
"We must hurry." She snapped.
Carth didn't move. "We can't leave without Revan."
"Revan is dead, Carth." The response spared nothing for emotions.
The pilot's gaze turned to stone, hard enough to match the Jedi's. "I don't believe you."
"Believe me or not, she's gone." Bastila swallowed, then relented, "Carth, I know this is difficult. But she told me herself that she wanted us to leave. She wants us to survive. If you have any regard for her at all, you will honor her dying wish. Come."
"Dying? When did she tell you this? Just now?" Carth stepped forward, closing the distance, "So she's not dead yet. You didn't feel her die."
"No, but-" Bastila shook her head, "Carth, she is dying. She would never make it. She may not make it to another breath. Let her go. She's accomplished her task. Allow her this-"
"Look, lady. I don't know about where you come, from where I come from death is not a reward!" Carth began loudly and worked his way up to a yell. "I will not abandon her."
"Carth-"
"You get aboard the damn ship. You go if you have to-" Carth drew his second pistol sharply, "I'm going to get her."
Bastila watched him leave, unable to find anything that could convince him. Revan was dying, dead. Gone. Bastila knew this to be true.
Thank the Force.
No. No, she had not just thought that. It was unworthy of her. But the seed twisted in her mind. It wasn't fair. Not fair that the one who'd given her a glimpse of the dark side, whose soul had reflected such delicious freedom back at her, should go unscathed. Revan would emerge a hero. Bastila would emerge as a fool who had not the strength to hold to a path. Not even a dark one.
She'd been so weak.
And - she was being weak now.
"Carth!" She shouted, stepping forward quickly, expression melting into something desperate as her redemption threatened to slip beyond her fingers again.
He turned at the doorway, "What?"
"Malak has a ship, beneath the observation deck. Three levels down. He keeps it there in case he needs to escape. If you can reach her- if she's alive-"
Carth nodded, stepping smartly backwards. Bastila grabbed the last of the life packs she held and threw it at him. He caught it from the air, turned, and began to run.
Bastila turned and fled to the ship.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Akasha15 - Under the assumption that you find these chapters decent and good, consider them both a birthday gift :) Or birthday and Christmas, whichever, ya want. Thanks for the review. I appreciate the inspiration. Needed it. . And the Hershey's! Muahahaha