KotOR I: Orin Dakall

Orin and Carth scarfed down breakfast at the cantina bar. Bastila sat beside them, eating primly. With silverware.



Orin’s stool was suddenly dragging itself closer to Bastila. She looked at it in alarm, and saw the hand pulling it belonged to a tall, graying Mandalorian. Canderous. He straightened and leaned against the bar in the gap he’d formed, back to Carth.



“I saw you in the swoop race. Very impressive.”



“I aim to please,” she simpered, batting her eyelashes.



He snorted in derision. “Sure. You seem like you know how to get results. And you made it out of the Undercity alive. That’s just the kind of person I’m looking for.”



“No wait, let me guess,” Orin said dryly. “One more person on this planet who’s going to ask for help. Aren’t you a big tough Mandalorian? Or just a really ugly Echani?”



He grinned at her in challenge. “You think I’ll take bait that weak?”



The corner of her mouth twitched upwards and she outstretched her hand. “Orin Dakall.”



He took it. “Canderous Ordo.” They only wasted a few moments trying to out squeeze the other’s hand before releasing.



“I work for Davik Kang and the Exchange,” he continued. “The hours aren’t great, but they promised me a fortune to work for them and I have nothing better to do. Mandalorian mercs are in high demand.”



Orin faked a yawn. "Then how come you have nothing better to do?"



“Best offer. But lately Davik hasn’t been paying me what he promised.”



“I’m shocked. Really. To the core.”



“Uh huh. I don’t like getting cheated, so I figure it’s time for me to break the Sith quarantine and get off this backwater planet. Since you’re with Republic soldiers... and judging by her reaction--” he nodded to Bastila, who was now giving him her rapt attention, “--I’m guessing you want off too.”



“How do you plan to do it?”



“Not alone. I need someone I know can get the job done to help me.” He gave her a predatory smile. “And that’s where you come in.”



Carth stood, going around Canderous to whisper in Orin’s ear. “Careful. Mercs like him haven’t a lick of conscience. They’ll betray you in a heartbeat.” Her eyes closed briefly as his lips accidentally brushed her ear. “This could be a trap.”



“I can hear you,” Canderous said, looking bored. “And I ain’t talking to you. I’m talking to your friend, aren’t I?”



Carth straightened, glaring up at the man several inches taller than him. “Then talk.”



Canderous looked back at Orin. “I saw you win that swoop race, and I started thinking.”



“You hadn’t before?” Carth asked snidely. Canderous ignored him.



“Anyone crazy enough to race like that is probably crazy enough to break into the Sith military base.”



Carth rolled his eyes, looking over to Orin. She seemed thoughtful, scratching the scab on her goose egg absently. “That does sound like my kind of crazy,” she said at last. Carth shook his head and went back to his bar stool.



“I thought so,” Canderous said, a bit smug. “I need you to steal the Sith launch codes from the base. Without them, any ship leaving the atmosphere will be disintegrated by the Sith fleet’s automated defense guns.”



“And if I get the codes, you can get us a ship? One that’ll get us through the fleet in one piece?”



“Heh, the only ship that can. I’ll get us Davik’s flagship, the Ebon Hawk!”



Orin didn’t look impressed. “How?”



“Uh-uh,” he said. “Not yet. First, you bring me the launch codes. Then I’ll tell you the rest of my plan.”



Orin thought a moment. “And you want me to knock on the base door and ask to come in?”



“It’ll take a top of the line astromech droid to slice through the security system. Lucky for you, I know just the place to get one. Davik is having one custom built by Janice Nall. Just tell her Canderous sent you and she’ll sell you the droid.”



“Davik doesn’t pay that kind of thing in advance? Tightwad.”



“You don’t have your salary paid by him.”



Orin folded her arms. “I’m not seeing why you can’t do this yourself.”



“Everyone knows who I work for. If I broke into the base, they’d send an army down on Davik’s estate to get those codes back.”



Orin leaned back, looking over at Carth. He shrugged in an “it’s your funeral” fashion. She turned to Bastila.



“I don’t sense any deception from him,” she said. “Which is surprising. This... may be exactly what we need.”



Orin offered her hand again. “Okay, Candy. You’ve got a deal.”



He took her hand, squeezing so tightly she was pretty sure at least two of her fingers had popped off. “Call me anything other than my name, and I’ll leave you here to rot.”



He dropped her hand. “I’m going to wait in Javyar’s cantina. You come find me when you’ve got those launch codes and I’ll make sure we both get off this rock.”



He began to leave, then turned back, glancing over Carth and giving Bastila a once over. “They can come too, if they’re not entirely useless.” And he left.



“This is why you hit the morning crowd,” Orin said to Bastila.



“What happens if this is a trap?” Carth asked grimly.



“Worse comes to worst, we still have the launch codes. Which we’re gonna need regardless.” Then her brow furrowed and she gazed up at the ceiling. “How much does a top of the line astromech droid run?”



Carth shrugged. Bastila said nothing.



“Hm.” She rubbed her chin for a devious moment, then looked down at Carth.



“I think it’s time to head back to the dueling ring.”