Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Star Wars, or either Kotor game. However, I do own Crystal Kasra, Mara Kirei, Marcus and Nicholas, and my friends own their characters.
'Word' thoughts
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Crystal sensed something was wrong the minute she stepped off the ship. She then suddenly had the urge to go to her friend Queen Talia, who was no doubt in danger. Apparently, Korgith sensed her distress, because he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed it. "Don't worry, Talia will be fine. Your immediate concern should be the battle with the Sith."
Crystal nodded, and watched Andoris as he exited his ship, which had arrived at around the same time as theirs. "I suggest extreme caution, Master Kasra, Master Korgith. We are in danger here, and only by eliminating the Sith will we have a chance of sparing Onderon."
Crystal nodded again. "I agree, Master Bane. As for where the Sith are, I recognize a dark aura somewhere in the vicinity of the dock warehouses," she said as she gestured to the streets of warehouses before them.
Master Bane's expression was grim. "I suspect you are right. Come, let's go find them," he said as he led the trio off to find the Sith. 'Strangely enough, I feel a familiar presence...but, no, it couldn't be...'
A short while later, they reached the largest warehouse; and all three could sense the darkness inside. Crystal sighed in resignation, and drew her lightsabers, "Come on, let's get this over with." Korgith then drew his sword, and Andoris drew his lightsaber. Crystal then pushed open the door, revealing a rather large room. Two Sith were standing inside, talking. At the sight of the Jedi and Shadow Masters, both moved to the side, drawing and igniting their red lightsabers. Andoris's eyes widened as he surveyed the female, and he moved towards her, looking stunned. The female Sith was also watching him in a display of shock.
Meanwhile, the male Sith had already struck Korgith with a Force Push, and he went flying into the wall. Crystal, looking concerned, moved over to stand in front of him, igniting her lightsabers. The male Sith smiled cruelly at her, "Pathetic Jedi. Only someone such as you would care about your comrades this way."
Crystal frowned at him, "Think what you like, Sith. I don't care for your opinion anyway."
He laughed, "Spoken like a true Jedi Master. You must be Master Kasra. Do you know who I am, girl?"
She sighed, "No, and nor do I care."
He smiled in an expression of pure evil, "That's too bad, my lovely. For I am Darth Sion, and you should fear me."
"Ah, you must be the Sith that supposedly can't die. Can't say I'm pleased to meet you."
"Supposedly? I like your confidence, Jedi wench. Let's see how confident you are when you lose!" he shouted as he smashed her into the wall, leaving her dazed and unable to call on the Force.
Meanwhile, Korgith had got to his feet. Looking furious, he stood in front of the semi-conscious Jedi, and raised his sword. He spoke a single incomprehensible word, and the sword began to dance with flames. Sion stepped back warily, glancing at Korgith in some surprise, and keeping his eyes on the blade. The two then ran at each other; Korgith's flaming sword against Sion's red lightsaber.
At the same time, Andoris and the female sith were walking towards each other looking shocked. The female spoke first, "Can it...can it really be you? No! The sith told me you were dead!"
Andoris's face was troubled, "The Jedi told me the same lie. I can hardly believe it; yet here you are, standing in front of me. How have the sith been to you, my sister?"
The female sith's eyes filled with tears, "Oh by the Force, it is you! But how? I was told you were dead!"
Andoris smiled at his twin sister, "Well, clearly I'm not. Domi, I presume?"
She nodded, still looking stunned, "You presume correctly. Oh Andoris, how could they lie to us like this?"
He smiled at Domi, "Because we are the Chaos Twins of legend. Born to a sith lord, together we would rule the galaxy. The Jedi feared the legend, and tore us apart as children. They even refused to take both of us, fearing the legend would still come true. I was taken to the Jedi, and you were left with the Sith. And I will make the council members who made this choice pay!"
Domi smiled at the anger in her brother's eyes. 'He was never supposed to be a Jedi. They did something to him; angered him, and he left for the Shadow Knights. I'm so glad I finally found him; they can't keep us apart now.'
Back to the battle with Sion and Korgith; Sion had just Force pushed Korgith into the nearby crates, and Crystal stood up, still looking slightly dazed. "Sion, stop it!"
The Sith's eyes were crazed, and he turned to look at the Jedi Master, "My loved ones are gone, and this is the only way to destroy those who took their lives! So why should I stop?!"
Crystal ignited her purple lightsaber again, "Because, Sion, in your pointless revenge, you are robbing so many others of their loved ones too. Can't you see it? This is getting you nowhere, and won't bring them back!"
Sion's eyes widened, and he used the Force to start choking the Jedi master. "Shut up, Jedi bitch! You have no idea what I'm talking about, and I've heard enough from you!" he screamed as he smashed her into the ground.
The Jedi Master then started trying to concentrate on healing her wounds. Sion, looking livid, picked her up again, cutting off her power to the Force once more in pure rage.
Korgith then charged at Sion, desperate to stop the attack on Crystal. Sion let her go, and the Jedi beauty collapsed, unable to stand. Korgith, seeing her in pain, lost control. He attacked Sion in pure rage, striking twice as much as defending. His vicious slashes and stabs were of a completely different style of fighting to how he normally fought – fueled by rage, he was being reckless. Sion barely managed to dodge or block most of the attacks, and very few sparks flew off his lightsaber, as Exar was getting under his guard more often than not. Sion was covered in cuts, but not without a price. Exar was covered in minor burns from where the red beam had grazed his skin when he left himself open to attack his opponent. Exar's complete disregard for his own safety sparked something in Sion's memory, but the moment of recognition quickly passed. Slightly worried, Sion stepped back.
Seeing Sion retreat slightly, Exar roared and leapt forward, slashing downwards. Sion quickly raised his lightsaber to block the blade, and sparks flew off as they connected. However, he stumbled as Exar put his full weight into pushing downwards, and the Sith Lord jumped backwards, his eyes widening in fear at the sudden increased strength of his opponent. "Who are you to attack me this way?"
Korgith was now beyond recognition; the battle lust had taken over. "I am Exar Kun! And I swear I will destroy you!"
At his words, Andoris and Domi turned around in shock, and Sion looked stunned. Crystal, who had just managed to start concentrating on healing herself nearly fainted in shock from his words, but Korgith/Exar hadn't noticed the reaction to his words. Instead, he attacked Sion in a fit of pure fury, slashing across the Sith Lord's body in reckless abandon. Sion leapt backwards and threw a dagger at him, and it hit Korgith/Exar in the chest. Smiling grimly, Korgith removed the dagger, and then moved his flaming sword to the wound. The flames then caused the wound to close. Seeing this act, Sion, in sheer desperation, used the Force to damage the ceiling, causing it to come close to collapsing. Andoris and Domi then fled to their ships, and Sion also ran out of the building with a sneer. The Jedi and Shadow Master only had a few minutes before the roof collapsed on them, and the Jedi Master was far too weak to try anything.
Korgith/Exar, now that the battle lust was gone, was looking slightly horrified at what he'd just done. He then ran over to the nearly unconscious Jedi Master, who was struggling to get to her feet. With his aid, the two then also left the building, just before it collapsed.
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Several minutes later, Exar was carrying the Jedi Master into his ship. They had met up with one of Crystal's Jedi Knights, an Onderon girl named Tina. She was now accompanying them, as her ship had been flown back to Dantooine for repair. Tina ran ahead to Exar's ship to prepare somewhere for him to put the Jedi Master. Crystal was using up all her energy in trying to heal her wounds, and as a result, was barely conscious. Exar was getting quite worried about her. He walked up the boarding ramp, and into the main room. There, he gently laid her down on the couch, and ran off to find the medpacs in the cargo hold. He returned, and gently injected them into the Jedi Master. He then left her there to go start his ship and it jumped into hyperspace, heading for Yavin 4. Tina assisted him, and then retired to the guest quarters for a quick nap.
As soon as he was able, Exar left the cockpit, and ran to Crystal's side. The Jedi Master had just woken up, and had managed to pull herself into a sitting position. Exar sat down beside her, still looking quite worried. "Crystal, are you alright?"
The Jedi Master shook her head slightly to clear it, and stared at Exar in a slight daze, "Mmmm...I'll be fine."
Exar still looked worried. "You may have a concussion," he said as he placed his hand on her forehead.
She shook him off, and stabbed herself with another medpac. "Trust me; I'd know if I did. And I don't. I'm just a bit sore now, that's all."
Exar continued watching her for a few minutes, but finally gave in and decided she was right. "Alright then; if you're sure."
She smiled softly, and then turned to face him. "So, are you really Exar Kun then?"
Exar flushed slightly, and looked away from her. She continued to watch him closely, her expression blank.
He then turned back to look at her, trying to read her reaction. "Does it really matter?"
"Yes it does. It means you were once a Sith, and not only a sith, but the most aggressive sith lord in generations. It also means you lied to me."
Exar winced at the hurt tone of her voice, and looked away from her. "I didn't want you to know; I thought you would hate me."
Crystal's expression softened slightly, "Kor...Exar, I doubt I could hate you anyway, and I certainly don't hate you for this. If you tried to hide it, you're obviously not the same person anymore. So in that case, I suppose I can forgive you for who you once were. And I suppose I could also forgive you to lying to me."
He looked shocked to hear that she didn't hate him. "That's far more than I deserve."
She shook her head, "No its not. You're not the same person you were back then; so I can forgive you for your past. At least I know now."
Exar was still staring at her in a state of shock. The Jedi master sighed, and unsteadily got to her feet. Exar then moved to support her, but she shrugged him off. "Exar, I'm fine. Honestly."
A new voice entered the conversation, "Honey, I've seen rancors that look finer than you."
Crystal smiled in relief, and shook her head, "Hello to you too Tina. I see you managed to find another ride."
Tina winked at Crystal. "Of course. My charm hasn't failed me yet."
Crystal shook her head in exasperation, and went to move towards the cockpit. However, Tina stopped her, "Uh-uh. No way are you going anywhere. You are going to lie here and rest if I have to sit on you."
Crystal sighed, and reluctantly sat down. Tina's gaze then shifted to Exar, "Unless of course, you'd prefer to be left alone with your Shadow Master lover."
Crystal's face flushed scarlet. "Tina!!" Looking highly embarrassed, Crystal somehow found the energy to move quickly, and chased Tina back to the guest room, where she laughingly shut the door to prevent Crystal attacking her. Crystal then returned to the lounge room, and found Exar smiling to himself.
"Just what do you find so amusing?" she said, still flushed, and looking highly annoyed.
Exar tried to stop smiling, and found he couldn't. "Oh, nothing."
She glared at him, and stalked over to the cargo hold. After some time, she came back, her face looking far more composed, though she did look tired. She sat down on the couch again, and looked at Exar, "So, how can you be Exar Kun? Didn't you die in the wars over 40 years ago?"
Exar smiled slightly. "Well, technically I did. What actually happened was that I sealed my soul away inside a Sith temple. That temple is on Yavin, which is where we are going now. Several years ago, a Massassi warrior found his way to my temple. He was too weak to live, and I took over his body. Although I'm not exactly sure how, this body then changed to fit my appearance. I then left the temple, and traveled to the Jedi. After a few years there, I left and joined the Shadow Knights." (1)
Crystal nodded, "Ah, I see. So how did you actually get that scar on your face? Clearly, all the stories you told me before was a lie."
He winced, "Well, I suppose I deserve that. But there was some truth in most of the stories. I just left out the parts of my life I didn't want you to know; the parts I wanted to forget."
She sighed, "Fair enough. I'm actually quite surprised that I believed your original stories. They seem so false now that I know the truth."
Exar smiled sadly, "Forgive me to lying to you Crystal, but I just didn't want to lose you for the mistakes of my past."
She smiled at him, "It's alright Exar; I forgive you. And besides, sometimes its best to share your mistakes; sometimes something you thought was a mistake can turn out to be the best thing in your life."
He stared at her, "How can being a former Sith lord be the best thing in my life?"
She flushed, "Sorry; that was a bad example for you. Anyways, being a former sith lord proves that you had the strength to change, and that you had the strength to forgive yourself. Not many could do that. I know Mara completely fell apart when she found out who she had once been. But with the support of those she loved, she was able to pull through. But if she hadn't been so strong herself, she wouldn't have survived."
"You admire her, don't you?"
"Of course I do! She was one of my best friends, and the Jedi didn't change her personality when they wiped her memory. She's been able to face being a feared Sith lord, and she's a stronger person for it. I do admire her; her courage, her determination, her ability to live life to the full, her willingness to help others, and her ability to forgive. She forgave herself, her friends, and the Council. She even forgave Malak. So yes, I do admire her. She let her heart rule her, in open defiance of the Council, and yet it made her a far stronger person than she once was."
Exar smiled, "So, do you believe the Code is wrong to forbid love? Do you believe that most members of the Council underestimate it?"
Crystal sighed, "I don't know. I believe it's wrong to forbid love; it gives a person something to fight for. If Carth hadn't been there, I know Mara would have lost her battle with herself. But he gave her the strength to fight the darkness in her heart. So yes, I suppose I do believe the Code is wrong."
He smiled at her, "Well, it's nice to see that they haven't brainwashed you completely."
"Oh, be quiet you. Have your disapproval of the Council all you like, but don't forget, you are speaking to one of its members."
He grinned, and bowed, "Then I must beg your forgiveness, oh wise one."
She flushed, "Stop that! Honestly..."
Exar just kept grinning, and left for the cockpit again to make sure they were headed in the right direction. A short while after he left, Tina returned, nibbling on some crackers.
"You know, he is quite good-looking. You know how to pick 'em, Crystal."
The Jedi Master blushed, and threw a pillow at her friend, "Tina, that is not helping."
She just ducked, and grinned. "You know what, I reckon he likes you too. Why else would he care what you thought about the codes rules on emotions; and love in particular?"
Crystal didn't answer, and instead walked over to the cargo hold to grab some food herself. Tina just followed her, a wide grin on her face. "Honey, just face it. You love this guy, don't you? I've seen the way you look at him whenever he visits."
Crystal ignored her, and pulled some more crackers out of the bag she had opened earlier. She then sat down on one of the many boxes with a sigh. She looked at Tina, and the Jedi Knight smiled, awaiting her answer. Crystal then closed her mouth, and stood up. "It doesn't matter, Tina," she said quietly as she walked past her, heading back to the lounge area.
Tina sighed in exasperation and followed her friend. After a few minutes of eating, Crystal was back to her normal cheerful self, and the two friends started chatting.
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1: For those that don't know, the Massassi were a race that looked exactly like humans, but had red skin. Also, I apologise for the discrepancies in this Exar Kun story, but those changes were made by the person who roleplayed as Exar...
Angel: And so ends chapter 3. If you have any questions about this chapter, I'll do my best to answer them next chapter, because this was a really confusing part of the roleplay, and thus was rather difficult to write while making sense. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and please review! Chapter 4 will come faster if you do :D
C YA!! Angel