KotOR I: Orin Dakall

Sorry, sorry! I’ve been having some issues with inspiration and finding tension in the storylines and whatnot. It doesn’t help that I’m getting super stressed over my computer debacle. For irony of the not-even-close-to-amusing kind, the day after my comp crashed, my mp3 player died. And I’m moving in less than two months and think I may go insane from money worries. Too much info? Sorry. To the story we go.



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But sleep didn’t want Carth. He was restless, waking every hour or so, staring at the ceiling trying to ignore the thoughts circling in his head until sleep came round again to claim him. By the fourth time this’d happened, he’d had enough.



He got up silently, taking his boots with him as he left the apartment. A Twi’lek was asleep in the hall, and he was forced by his chivalrous nature to continue creeping to the exit. Once he got outside, he pulled on his boots and breathed in the cool night air.



That’s the trouble with these giant city-planets, he thought. No plant-life. The air is always stale. Not like Telos.



He quickly ended that train of thought, welcoming anything else that could possibly come to mind. His eyes fell on the scorch and friction marks tarnishing the pavement, the last evidence of the crashed escape pod he’d drug Orin from.



Should’ve stayed on the Spire. Least then I wouldn’t have two insane women trying to take over my life. He looked over the edge of the walkway, down to the Lower and Undercity.



And what is it with Bastila anyway? Jedi are supposed to be... well anything other than what she’s like. The brat acts like I’m hired help. He scoffed aloud. I bet that’s exactly how she sees me. An officer of the Republic, sent to be a Jedi’s lapdog. On a mission I was never told anything about.



He wandered aimlessly. He was groggy, but not enough to sleep soundly, so what point was there in heading inside?



“Lost, drunk, or up to trouble?” a voice asked.



Carth turned. Two Sith patrollers were approaching him.



“None,” he replied. His hand slipped down to his blaster holster, only to grasp at air. His belt and weapons were back in the apartment.



“Women trouble?”



Carth nodded. “Of a sort.”



“Your old lady kick you out?” the other asked.



He gave a half-shrug.



“Yeah, we’ve been there, brother.”



“Heh, besides tits and a snatch, they aren’t worth the bother.”



“Speak for yourself,” the other said. “I’ve got it good with my girl.”



“And you’re the only one in the galaxy that does. The rest of us are stuck watching your wedded bliss, knowing we’re never gonna get the same.”



“Um, was I doing something wrong, or is it okay if I go?” Carth asked.



“Hm? Oh, just head home, buddy. You don’t want to be walking the streets all night anyway.”



“Sure,” he said. “Thanks.” He turned, heading back toward the apartment complex. Just because they seem like decent people doesn’t mean they are. They’re Sith. If they knew who you were, knew who you were with, you’d be on your way to a torture chamber this minute.



Still...



No.



But maybe...



Not possible.



What if Dakall was right? What if not all of the Sith are evil?



You’re going to give yourself a migraine.



Sure, they want to take over the galaxy, but does that make someone evil?



It does if they’re using the methods they have.



But a commander’s method doesn’t automatically cause the soldiers carrying the orders out to agree with them.



My head hurts.



He was nearing the complex door, figuring he’d try going back to sleep, when a woman bumped into him. She giggled and apologized and giggled some more.



“...Dia?”



“Oh, it’s, um...”



“Carth.”



“Carth! Hi!” She reeked of alcohol, and Carth recoiled from her as politely as he could.



“Are you all right?”



She nodded fervently. “Celebrating! Your friend got the bounty off my head!”



“Yes, I know.” One more example of Dakall taking action while I stood by and watched.



He continued walking, and she followed unsteadily. “Come with me!” she said, irritatingly chipper.



Never let Mission drink, Carth told himself firmly. Never.



He entered the complex, turning for the apartment, but Dia was suddenly wrapped around his arm. “Please?” she whispered into his ear. “They kicked me out of the cantina, and you can’t really celebrate your newfound freedom alone...”



“I shouldn’t.”



“Why not?”



Because I don’t want to.



One of her hands moved from his arm to uncomfortably low on his torso. “Come on,” she said, laying a little kiss on his neck. “It’s just for tonight. I’m not gonna tell your girlfriend.”



“What a relief,” he deadpanned, extricating himself from her limbs. “Goodnight, Dia.”



He reentered the apartment. I just turned down sex with a good-looking woman. I’m insane. It’s not like I have anyone to stay faithful to anymore.



He shook his head. Too drunk and too needy. Not even close to worth it. Especially when considering how long it’s been since... Well, it wouldn’t last long.



He sat on the edge of Orin’s bed, taking off his boots again.



“Hypocrite,” a voice muttered. He looked over.



Orin’s eyes were open, glinting in what light was coming through the window.



“I couldn’t sleep,” he said.



“Would you like me to yell at you irrationally for it?”



“Not particularly. I just want to be left in peace.”



“Wouldn’t’ve minded that myself.”



Carth set his boots down and turned to face her. “All right, I probably overreacted a bit. I was worried.”



“Aw... ‘bout little ol’ me?”



“Or that I might have to become an active member of our little group.”



Her brow furrowed. “What?”



He shrugged.



“How have you not been active?”



“I don’t know.” He smoothed back his hair. “It feels like I’m just... following your lead.”



“Which is a bad thing.”



“Maybe?” Something was churning in him, bubbling up and out of his mouth before he could clamp it shut. “But you seem to prefer me silent and passive anyway, right? I mean, what good are my combat experiences here? How could my knowledge and abilities be of any use?”



“Huh? Wait... huh?” She pulled herself up to sitting, scratching her head and accidentally reopening her scab, which promptly began leaking pus again.



“You’re the one who said it, not me.”



“When?!” she asked disbelievingly and more loudly than she’d intended. She dropped the volume of her voice. “When?”



“When Bastila asked me what I thought we should do.”



Her face cleared, then darkened again. “I didn’t say you didn’t have anything to offer.”



“It was implied in your tone.”



“Well it’s not what I meant,” she snapped. “Are you going to keep acting like a teenage girl, or get over it already?”



“Would you be quiet?” he hissed, looking back at the others sleeping. Zaalbar snuffled in his sleep and turned over. The others didn’t stir. “And I’d prefer it if you didn’t insinuate that I was a pubescent female,” he snarled. “It’s an offense to me and your sex.”



Orin sighed, pressing her palms into her eyes for a long moment. As she raised her head, she looked at him. “You really thought I felt that way?”



Carth shrugged again.



“I was, ugh, I was just trying to show up Bastila. Look, it’s not my finest quality, but if I thought you were... worthless,” she said the word hesitantly, afraid he might overreact at the mention of it, “I would’ve left your company at the first opportunity.”



He looked over at her. She met his gaze earnestly, as though that would further convince him. “It does sound like something you’d do,” he said begrudgingly.



With a relieved exhale, she crawled forward and lay down on her stomach, propping herself on her elbows next to him.



“So what were you doing?” she asked, chin in her hand.



“Just took a walk. Didn’t get far before a patrol sent me back.”



“Hn. That wasn’t nearly as entertaining as I hoped it’d be.”



“On my way back, though, I was jumped by a gang of bulimic Hutts.”



“Do tell,” she said with a grin.



“That’s about all there was to it. I called them fat, ugly and unloved, and they slithered home to drown their sorrows and lack of self-esteem in a couple tons of food and one long trip to the bathroom.”



“You’re getting more devious by the moment.”



“Mm.”



They sat in silence for a few minutes.



Orin took in a deep breath and paused, biting her lip, then forced herself to continue. “Why didn’t you come to the race? I needed all the support I could get.”



“Well, mine wasn’t available.”



Carth looked down on her, unsure if he should proceed.



“I... I went to see Matrik.”