Disclaimer: Same as before , I don't own Star Wars, KOTOR etc…well except a copy of the game that is, but you know what I mean ;-)
A/N: As many of you have keenly pointed out, this is not an exact walkthrough of the game but rather a chronicle of the KOTOR game as I interpret it so there will be a few differences; twists and turns along the way. And on that note, yes Carth is different and will be. I've decided to darken him up a little. He will be a harsher, edgier kind of guy (and with good reason…the guy lost everything to the Sith), so he will be somewhat angst driven and dark at times. But he will grow and evolve, so don't worry all those who like the old Carth, he'll have his moments of 'Carthy-ness' (Just few and far between) ;-) But that being said if I get enough flack through reviews wanting the original 'game' Carth back, I will consider altering my characterization of him...until then Dark Carth stays ;-)
TARIS – Escape Pod: Not Worth It
Black smoke from the flames covered the area in a thick diameter of smog making it difficult to see and breathe. Carth dangled limply from his harness, the straps anchoring him to his seat, prevented him from toppling over. Bleary eyed from the smoke he looked about his surroundings; everything was upside down.
Small fires had started in and around the controls and there was structural damage throughout the pod. It was a nasty landing, but any landing one can walk away from was a good landing. He started to cough, choking on the fumes, he looked over to his right and found an empty seat; the scout dangled limply forward held precariously by one strap as the rest of the seat harnesses swung lazily at her side.
"Stark?" Carth coughed out the young scout's name but she lay motionless; suspended just inches away from the ground.
She had a nasty gash to her head among other injuries; most likely sustained trauma from being flung from her seat on impact.
"STARK!" he called out again this time louder but still no response.
The fires were growing larger heating the air and making it more difficult to breath. Quickly Carth unfastened himself from the seat and dropped deftly to the ground. He moved swiftly to the scout's side and felt for a pulse, it was weak, very weak but in the least that meant she was alive.
He drew out his combat knife and cut the remaining strap that held her body and with a grunt caught her limp form as she fell.
Gently he set her down as he opened the hatch and took a cautious look outside. They had landed on the outskirts of the city, he recognized the place; Taris. He had been here before. In the distance he could hear voices, a group of them; muffled but getting louder.
He pulled out a telescopic scope from his combat vest pocket and looked through the view finder. Ten armed Sentry in staggered formation their armour and weapons unmistakable.
"Sith." Carth hissed with contempt as his eyes narrowed.
He looked about the small craft and his eyes fell upon the small satchel the scout had slung around her; its flap had flipped open at one corner showing the tip of a grenade.
"Grenades?" Carth thought in shock, they were lucky the thing did not go off during their landing. "What the hell is a scout doing packing grenades?" he eyed Asha's prone from suspiciously.
The sounds of the men were getting louder he had to act fast and his military instinct kicked in. Without hesitation he grabbed a few of the scout's grenades and began to set them in opportune areas around the pod; setting them to trigger in a chain reaction. Once the traps were laid he quickly picked up Asha's limp form and moved her quietly to safety.
Within the darkness and relative safety of the shadows Carth watched as the Sith sentry approached the crashed escape pod and as if on cue the third man to enter the pod triggered the first set of explosives setting the others to go off in succession; killing the initial three inside the pod and another three standing near the craft.
His hazel eyes shone golden in the after glow of the explosions as he watched passively his handy work take out the remaining Sith one by one.
The shrapnel from the fragments of the exploding escape pod, mixed with the toxic fumes lit up into seething hot projectiles striking down and injuring the remaining Sith. Agonizing wails and screams of the injured echoed and reverberated in the cold night air.
Looking up into the deep blue stratosphere of Taris' sky Carth smiled. "That was for you Morgana." He whispered and hoped she could see the flames of Sith he set for her from the heavens.
Stealthily he slunk back deeper into the shadows and melted silently into the darkness back to Asha's side.
After dressing some of Asha's wounds and stopping the blood flow with a make-shift tourniquet, Carth gently lifted up the scout's wilted frame.
"Sith will not be happy with human…many soldiers dead." Came a crackled version of galactic basic that emanated to the right of Carth.
With the fluidity and economy of motion honed by many years as a soldier, Carth released his hold on Asha and brought to bare his blaster pointing it straight at the head of the alien Duros to his right; all within a fraction of a second.
Asha's legs fell dead to the ground her body pressed heavily against Carth who held her secure with his left arm. Even the heavy thud of her boots slamming against the ground did not garner a response from the unconscious scout.
"Yeah, who's going to tell them?" Carth hissed menacingly. "You?"
"No! No!" the Duros waved his hands submissively. "Ixgil no friend of Sith. Ixgil no like nasty Sith." The alien spat at the ground to show his disgust.
"Then what are you doing out here by the crash site?" Carth asked, blaster still pointed at the Duros.
"Ixgil see falling ship. Think maybe take parts and sell to Larrim for credits."
Carth eyed the Duros warily, he appeared to be telling the truth, as the alien appeared to have no weapon on him; only a tool belt and two large sacks most likely to haul the scavenged parts. Carth was still hesitant on lowering his blaster an awkward silence befell the two as Carth inwardly weighed his options.
"You Republic soldier, hunted by Sith. You need hide yes?" Ixgil asked.
"…" Carth didn't answer him but kept his blaster poised.
"Injured female human not look good." Ixgil pointed at Asha.
Carth's eyes momentarily looked to Asha's slumped form. She indeed did not look good. She was pale from loss of blood and the tourniquet he had made for her from his shirt was already soaked and stained crimson. She was cold and clammy, her pulse weak and her breathing faint. With no med packs to stabilize her Carth knew he had to find a doctor or she wouldn't last the night.
"I know place. Safe place Sith hardly go." Ixgil offered. "I know good doctor too. Human. Named Zelka, nice…good doctor."
"You're an overly 'helpful' one." Carth replied skeptically. "Why would you want to help me for nothing?"
The Alien made a strange whiney sound, its face contorted into what looked to Carth like a scary version of an alien laugh. "Not for nothing…foolsih human." The alien smiled craftily. "You blow up Ixgil source of income and Ixgil still need credits. Ixgil get you in lower city secret way, safe…away from Sith…get cheap apartment to hide and rest…send Zelka to treat friend and you pay Ixgil for rent and finders fee for doctor."
Carth didn't have many options left to him. True he had been on Taris before, but with the Sith down planet side searching for crash survivors from the Endar Spire they weren't safe.
"And how do I know you're not just going to turn me over to the Sith?"
Ixgil unzipped his coveralls and revealed to Carth the horrible scars carved across the skin of his chest. Carth recoiled at the disfiguring injuries and recognized all to well the markings of a Sith interrogation stick.
"Ixgil have no love for Sith." The Duros said somberly as he zipped up his coveralls once more. "You light up Sith like fire-rockets. That tickles Ixgil some, so I offer help, but you owe me for lost profit, so you pay Ixgil for help and services, yes?"
"You've got a deal." Carth said as he lowered his gun, his hazel eyes cold with resolve. "Name your price."
"Two hundred credits."
"Two hun-Two hundred credits?!" Carth asked abashed.
"That is Ixgil's price." The Duros crossed his arms defensively and a stoic manner that told Carth the alien was not going to negotiate.
"Here let me just pull it out of my ass." He huffed sarcastically. "I crash landed here remember? I didn't exactly bring my wallet with the wad of credits to spend. Where am I supposed to come up with two hundred credits in the middle of nowhere?"
"Human get overly excited for nothing." Ixgil huffed. "Ixgil did not say to pay at once. I will take some in trade and the rest you pay in a few days, but payment for apartment and doctor fee Ixgil will need now. So maybe only take 100 credits today."
"I just told you…I have NO credits."
"Human lacks imagination…or is dull as boma beast." Ixgil sneered. "I will take in trade and sell for credits."
"Fine." Carth grumbled. "What do you want? I haven't got much so-"
"That." Ixgil pointed at the telescopic scope that was sleeved in one of his flack vest's pocket.
"Alright, here." Carth handed the alien the scope. "What about these?" he fished into Asha's satchel and handed the Duros some Adrenal Stims. "I'm sure you could sell a few of these for a good profit."
"Yes, yes, but still not enough to get 100 credits. What more you have?" Ixgil asked.
"I don't know, an electronic journal?"
Ixgil wrinkled his face but held out his bag for Carth to put the items in. "And armour too."
"What?"
"Combat armour wreaks Republic. Ixgil bring you civilian clothes later. Knife too please." Ixgil held out his bag and waited for Carth to hand him his combat knife.
"Anything else?" Carth asked sarcastically after removing the combat armour and placing it into the alien's sack.
Ixgil pointed at a Telosian bracelet that dangled on Carth's wrist
"What?" Carth looked down at his wrist to the bracelet Morgana had given him on their wedding day. "NO." he answered with steely resolve as he covered the bracelet protectively. "It's not for sale."
"She need place to stay…safe to heal…but she need doctor and medicine too. You choose, but with these," Ixgil held up his sack of goods. "Ixgil have enough to get apartment but no doctor, no medicine, or doctor and medicine but no apartment. You choose, but Ixgil not do both, not enough to cover both."
Carth looked down at Asha's prone form, her skin an alabaster hue was a stark contrast to the sleek raven black hair that framed her face. She looked like death and knew she needed medical attention, but knew to that in order to heal they also needed a clean dry place to stay.
Carth glanced down at the bracelet once more. She had made him promise to always wear it and in all the years they had been married he had never taken it off. It was a symbol of her love for him and the only thing he had left of her; other than his memories. His jaw clenched and strained as he looked one last time at the intricate bracelet upon his wrist, then at the deathly still form of the injured recruit.
"You're not worth it." He whispered softly glaring down at Asha's vulnerable form; trying to convince himself, but after a reluctant pause and bitter hesitation, Carth released the clasp of his wedding bracelet.
The bracelet dangled from his fingers as his thumb caressed the engravings one last time; 'Forever Yours -Morgana'.
He closed his eyes unable to look at it any longer, feeling as though he had betrayed her and somehow shamed by it, he tossed the bracelet into Ixgil's waiting hand and turned away to lift the injured scout into his arms.
"You better be worth it." He whispered as he glanced down at Asha's unconscious form; the memory of her reckless acts and incident at the hanger bay and card game flashed through his head. Inside, the back of his mind screamed
'Not worth it…'