Author's Beginning Notes: For a while, I've been tempted to combine some of my favorite fandoms into one massive crossover fanfiction, and recently buying and playing the x-box game SW: Knights of the Old Republic has inspired me to finally try it, as well as the SW/POTO AU fanfiction Black Diamond by hikari-no-tsubasa. (Play the game, read the fanfic, I implore you.) I hope you enjoy this story, and please remember to leave a review; feedback is always appreciated.

Summary: (AU SW: Knights of the Old Republic/POTO crossover) The Force has mysteriously bonded Erik with the Jedi Bastila, causing a chain of events that will shake the very foundations of the galaxy far, far way 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire...

Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom of the Opera or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, a.k.a. KOTOR.

Prologue

"Be brief when stating your business with me." The arrogance in the masked boy's tone brought an image of the Jedi Bastila to Nadir's mind, but he quickly dismissed it, although he did find himself instinctively slipping into deference mode, and bending down on the bar with his elbows resting upon its surface, his hands placed beneath his bearded chin, seemed to give the action a foot in the physical domain.

"To be blunt," the dark man began, ignoring the echoing din of sound in the rest of the cantina, "your reputation has caught the attention of the Republic, and they wish to offer you a job on the Endar Spire, one of the many starships in their fleet." For some reason, Nadir felt rather reluctant to share with Erik that the Jedi had also pushed for his appointment, moreso than the Republic actually. Perhaps the soldier's reluctance stemmed from his own numbed shock over that development. He was well aware of Erik's statistics, having been his usual attentive self during the briefing: at 14 years old, a member of the human race just as Nadir was, and orphaned as an infant, Erik J. Leroux had traveled to more planets than most would ever glimpse in a lifetime, the boy being a restless vagabond who went from planet to planet searching to satisy his insatiable taste for knowledge; ability-wise, he was said to be remarkably flexible, able to act as a scientist, a doctor, a warrior, a mechanic, a pilot, an inventor, and a hacker, those skills most appealing to the Republic, while for something more leisure-oriented, the boy could function as an architect, a musician, and an artist; given the range of his capablities, Leroux had quite a resume of jobs under his belt, some less flattering than others in the eyes of the legal system; data on his physical appearance had been the minimal required for identification purposes, listing the boy as physically unassuming with his overall thin structure dressed predominantly in black, and in possession of dark hair long enough to be kept in a short tail, but his most notable feature was the trademark white mask.

Given all that information, Nadir not only recognized his target visually, but he could comprehend as to why the Republic would want said target in their ranks, at least for a little while; similar things had happened in this war against the Sith, the soldier acknowledged, the Republic enlisting people of a more mercenary nature to serve for certain lengths of time, the need for numbers always persisting. And yet...the Jedi's involvement in this recruitment struck Nadir as an odd move, and consequentially identified Erik as a unique case in the soldier's mind, despite his instinctive protests.

"Well, I give you credit for the lack of enthusiasm in your voice when talking of the 'many' starships in the Republic's fleet; at least your tone doesn't try to pretend." The boy's golden, almost feline eyes glowed from behind his mask with a mocking mirth; the physical information from the briefing of course paled when compared to the flesh and bone reality. Paralleling Nadir, the boy also bent over the bar, resting his elbows as well upon its surface, his chin too placed above his darkly gloved hands, the rest of his body all clad from practically head to foot in the same black, the cloak wrapping about him comfortably in its graceful folds; he resembled a living shadow born of ancient folklore, despite the stark whiteness of his mask and the skin of his face. Yet even with his rather foreboding garments, Erik did look unassuming at first glance, moreso than at first believed; one could get away with calling him scrawny, but Nadir could feel the strength softly pulsating within the boy, and knew for certain that Erik was not someone to be easily trifled with.

"...There is no denying that the Republic's overall numbers are less than satisfactory."

"Well, it's not one of the worst understatements I've heard," grunted the boy, his curtain of wild dark hair shadowing his laughing eyes; the tail described in the briefing was just as wild as the rest, although it was as short as foretold, only reaching past his slim shoulders a little far down his cloaked back.

A loud noise from behind, and both Nadir and Erik silmutaneously reached out, pulling each other down, ducking below the hastily produced alien projectile resulting from a typical drunken brawl, one who ended up crashing into the opposite side of the cantina. The cantina underwent one of its usual increased intensities of chaos level, so Erik and Nadir paid little mind and immediately went back to their prior positions at the bar.

"At the moment," the boy began, his face turning to the side to face the soldier, "I am free to accept your offer."

"Are you not interested in what the Republic has to offer you in return for your services," asked the elder man as he slowly nodded his head in agreement. A gloved hand merely waved flippiantly in his direction, Erik replying, "You should consider yourself fortunate that at this point, I am financially secure enough to pay more interest to the job at hand, than the rewards to be reaped..." The boy turned away and lazily leaned back, his arms now folded behind his head in a gesture echoing of childish charm, a distant look in his eyes. "That is how I prefer it anyway," he put in nonchalantly.

"How soon can you be prepared to leave?"

"Nice to see you aren't giving orders," the boy stated with a lopsided smirk pasted on his face as he rested his elbows and hands back in their former positions, and Nadir could not resist indulging in a smirk of his own.

"I can be ready by tomorrow morning," Erik answered growing serious, although smirking again once he said, "It's not like I have much to pack..."

"Your transport will be waiting in docking bay 94," Nadir said as he sipped at his drink, savoring its tangy taste.

"I trust you'll be there," replied the boy, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Yes, of course," the soldier began, setting his drink down, "although I will not be on the Endar Spire, in case you had assumed I had a position with that vessel."

"The thought had crossed my mind," the boy remarked, taking an experimental sip of his own drink, resulting in himself choking back a gagging noise, an expression of disdain crossing his face, an emotion visible even with the mask's presence. Nadir choked too, choked back a laugh at Erik's reaction by asking if he had any other questions. In response, the boy merely shook his head no, and soon excused himself to head back toward his apartment to begin packing. Nadir watched Erik's retreating back as it faded out of the cantina and into the sandy streets of Tatooine, harsh winds whipping his cloak about him, and eventually he lost sight of the boy. Sighing, although he wasn't particularly sure why, the soldier made his departure as well, heading back toward the docking bay he had specified to Erik, and soon beginning his transmission to the Endar Spire notifying its crew of their new member.

Author's Ending Notes: Well, there goes my rather short prologue, and Nadir's guest appearance; I don't plan on him turning up again for a while...o.k., I'm not even certain if he will show up again... (Ah, Tatooine; practically all major SW-related stuff starts there...) I hope my first time writing Nadir, the Persian, was satisfactory to the more experienced investigators of his character. Making Erik 14 is simply an indulging of my desire; also, I rather plan to make Erik the main POTO focus in this crossover, and the interactions with the rest of the main SW: KOTOR cast will be focused upon too; in other words, other characters like Christine, Raoul, Madame Giry, Meg Giry, Nadir the Persian...they may prove to be little more than guest stars.