KotOR I: Orin Dakall

She heard him sigh. “Look... all I mean is that if you’re smart, you won’t trust anyone. Not me, not Bastila, and especially not yourself.”



“Ahh...” She turned toward him, resting her head on her hand and smiling in what she hoped was an annoyingly superior way. “So you don’t trust yourself, is that it?”



“Now who’s being patronizing?” he said, glaring. He stood, grabbing his pack and shoving it on, facing stubbornly away from her. “And I don’t need to be analyzed, thanks. Can we just get back to business?”



Orin stood as well, walking past him and keeping her eyes fixed ahead. “I don’t need someone around who doesn’t trust me.”



“And I don’t need all these questions!” he said, frustrated, as he followed her. “What I do need is to save the galaxy, if that’s even possible.” He circled around, stopping in front of her. She looked determinedly over his shoulder. “Why is whether or not I trust you, or anyone, so damned important to you? Why...” He ran a hand through his hair, looking baffled, “Why do you even care?”



Orin started. Why did she care? She met his eyes, but no answer came to her. Carth looked away.



“We don’t have time for this, so can we please just... drop it.” It wasn’t a question.



Orin moved around him and walked on.



“Wait up-worlder.” A woman placed herself between Orin and the gate she’d been walking toward. “You can’t go through this gate, there is too much danger and suffering beyond. For your own sake, turn back.”



“Thank you for your concern, ma’am, but we have to get to the sewers.”



She looked at Orin in surprise. “The villagers infected with the rakghoul disease are quarantined beyond this gate. The gate on the other side of camp leads to the sewers.” Carth gave a snort of derision, glancing at Orin sideways, apparently delighted with her mistake. She ignored him, clenching her fist.



“So these people are in recovery?”



“Oh no,” said the woman, shaking her head. “It’s only a matter of time until they transform into horrible creatures that would destroy us all.”



Carth stopped smirking and stiffened. “So you just lock them away in a cage?”



“Think about it,” Orin said with a sigh. “They can’t leave them free in the village if they could turn at any time. And leaving them free outside the village only makes it more dangerous to anyone going out there. At least they wait to kill them until they’ve turned.”



“Once they transform, they destroy each other,” the woman corrected. All three turned at the sound of a scream from the other side of the gate. A woman fell to the ground, writhing in agony, tears streaming down her face as she clenched herself into a ball. A moment later, two others had fallen screaming as well. Orin and Carth watched, horrified, as they burst out of their human skin and into hulking, shiny, white-skinned forms.



But they didn’t attack each other. They turned instead to the other infected humans, who were watching in terror.



“Open the gate,” Orin said quickly, taking out her swords while Carth grabbed his blasters.



“It’s too d--”



“Open the fucking gate!” she shouted.



The fight was fast, but ugly. The rakghouls were stronger than any human, and Orin was constantly dodging teeth and claws. Carth saved her when one she thought was down attacked her from behind.



She still thought he was an ass.



The infected people thanked them and begged for them to find the serum. Orin assured them that they would and left. Carth hung back, comforting a hysterical woman before following. Orin seethed. He was kind to everyone else, but she on the other hand, warranted suspicion and mistrust. I don’t care, she told herself. Let him wait for his betrayal. I’ll shove it in his face when it never comes.



She stopped, glancing back at him a moment as he emerged from the gate and locked it behind him. But why shouldn’t I betray him? I mean, not for kicks, but if something happens, if we part ways... I don’t have any reason to be loyal to him. He looked at her as he turned around, and she faked impatience.



Why do I care? I don’t, but... This is what I always do, I figure out the person. If he doesn’t trust anyone, then I use that to my advantage, I don’t try to change it. She kicked at the ground as he reached her side. Maybe... if he doesn’t trust me, then he’ll see through it if I try to manipulate him. That’s why I have to--



“You realize that guy’s talking to you, right?”



“Huh?” An old man was saying something about shattered dreams and unfulfilled promises.



“Be careful...” Carth warned, “this one might be crazy enough to be dangerous.”



“Speak to me, up-worlder!” the man cried. “Tell me what fate you unleash upon us--salvation or damnation! Speak up-worlder, I beg you!”



“Uh, okay. Could I ask you some questions?”



The man went into a rant about confusion, ironically, segueing into an introduction--his name was Rukil--the ‘true path’, and his lost apprentice. Orin said she’d look for the girl, hoping that would satisfy Rukil, and it seemed to work.



Of course, they hadn’t gotten much farther when they were stopped again, this time by a rodent of a man trying to sell them energy shields. Orin was tempted to point out that they’d be useless against rakghouls, but just pushed on instead.



A woman ran up to them, begging them to help Hendar, whoever that was, and of course Carth looked eager to play the strapping hero. They convinced the gate guard to let in a man from the outside--Hendar--and stepped out to kill the single rakghoul following him.



As soon as they had, though, they were nearly bowled over by a tearful Mission, the Twi’lek from Javyar’s cantina.



“Please, you have to help me! Nobody else is going to help me, even the Beks won’t help me. But I can’t just leave him there, he’s my friend! You’ll help me won’t you?”



“Can’t anyone on this rock help themselves?” Orin burst out. Mission choked back a sob and she sighed. “What’s wrong?”



“It’s Zaalbar. He’s in trouble, big trouble!” she gibbered, “We have to help him. If we don’t they’ll sell him into slavery!”