Tales of a Former Dark Lord, Chapter 5: The Scouring of the Sith Base

Big Fat Disclaimer: I do not own Knights of the Old Republic or Star Wars.  That honor belongs to BioWare and George Lucas.  The only part of this story that’s mine is the character of Brinna Warrim.  All other characters are the creations of the genius developers of BioWare, as is some of the dialogue in this story, which I lifted word from word from the game.  I lay the blame for my obsession squarely at their feet.  :)  

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            Brinna awoke the next morning to a truly evil sound.  It struck fear into the core of her very heart in a way that no rakghoul or Sith soldier could ever hope to achieve.

            “Wake up,” a voice said, brusquely.  “We have little time to waste in lying about, despite what you seem to think.”

            “Whaaaa?” Brinna asked, opening her eyes and peering blearily at the form that was standing at the side of her bed.  Arms crossed, lips pursed, and foot tapping impatiently, Bastila was glaring down at Brinna.

            Evil.  She’s pure evil.  She’s pure, unadulterated evil! Brinna thought, as she continued to stare at Bastila, unable to quite comprehend that the Jedi was waking her up in a scolding manner that would have been better suited to a two-year-old.

            Feeling her hackles rising, Brinna did her best to blink the sleep out of her eyes.  She gazed across the apartment and saw Carth sitting by the door, apparently doing his best to pretend he was not aware of what was happening no more than twenty feet away from him. 

            “Carth and I have been up for hours waiting on you,” Bastila said, in her best schoolmarm tone.

            Brinna’s eyes were still on Carth and she could see quite clearly from the expression on his face that he wished Bastila had left him out of it.

            “Big Z, tell your girlfriend to shut up,” Mission murmured in her sleep.

            Bastila’s mouth fell open and her outrage was plain on her face.  Carth snickered but did his best to hide it behind his hand, which made Brinna snicker in turn.  He turned his head and noticed Brinna’s gaze and gave her a covert wink.

            “Rauugggh,” Zaalbar responded, not sounding too thrilled about Bastila’s wakeup call either.  Brinna hoped that Bastila didn’t understand the Wookie; otherwise, the Jedi would be less than thrilled with what Zaalbar had just called her.

            “I’m up, I’m up,” Brinna said, grouchily.  She coaxed herself into a sitting position, stretching her arms over her head before rubbing her hands over her face, doing her best to dislodge the grit in the corners of her eyes. 

            “Hurry.  We have wasted a great deal too much time already,” Bastila said.

            “And I was having such a pleasant dream about rescuing you yesterday,” Brinna said, her tone belying her annoyance.

            Mission gave what could only be defined as a loud snort of laughter, which she immediately tried to cover up by pretending she was in the midst of a coughing fit. 

            “What’s going on?” the Twi’lek asked, blinking her eyes as though her coughing had awakened her.

            Bastila glared at both of them and flounced back over to where Carth was sitting, resolutely ignoring Brinna and Mission as she began drinking out of a mug and talking quietly to Carth.

            “And I thought the Tarisian nobles were bad,” Mission whispered to Brinna as the Twi’lek made a big show of yawning.

            “You were awake the whole time, weren’t you?” Brinna asked her, amused.

            “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Mission said, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

            “You should have left me at the mercy of the Gamorrean slavers,” Zaalbar groused as he too rose from his bed.

            Brinna burst into loud laughter and both Carth’s and Bastila’s heads swiveled in her direction.  The expression on Bastila’s face caused Brinna to choke and she turned and hurried over to the apartment’s sink, splashing cold water on her face while imploring herself to be calm.  It couldn’t have been pleasant for Bastila to have been at the mercy of Brejik, which must surely be the explanation for her rude behavior. 

            Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Brinna thought as she dried her face and then combed her hair and pulled it back.  She had just enough time to bolt down some breakfast before Bastila practically hauled her out of the door, calling instructions to Mission and Zaalbar over her shoulder.  Carth looked at Bastila with a raised eyebrow and it seemed that the Jedi had actually heard something of what he had said yesterday because she looked somewhat abashed and closed her mouth with an almost audible snap.

            As soon as they stepped out of the door, Brinna was accosted by an alien who announced he came bearing a message from Canderous Ordo.  Brinna exchanged a surprised look with Carth, much to Bastila’s confusion.  The alien was sent off with the assurance that Brinna would seek Canderous out at the upper city cantina as instructed.

            “He’s a Mandalorian mercenary working for Davik,” Carth explained to Bastila as they set off.

            “What could he want with you?” Bastila asked Brinna.  By the tone of her voice, she might as well have asked Brinna what anyone could want with bog slime such as her.

            Patience, Brinna told herself.  “I have no idea,” Brinna responded, making her voice so sweet that she gave herself a toothache.  “I would suggest that we go find out.  Hold on just a minute, though.  I have one thing I need to do before we go down to the cantina.”

            Brinna entered the apartment next to hers and found an anxious-looking Dia within.  The smile that spread over her face at the news that Holdan had called off the bounty was a gratifying sight to Brinna.  Dia was so pleased that she offered a family heirloom to Brinna, an offer that Brinna graciously rejected.  Bastila made a pompous comment about the aide they’d offered to Dia and Brinna looked over at Carth with an incredulous expression.  He looked rather flabbergasted by Bastila’s taking credit for work she had not done but he shrugged helplessly at Brinna and said nothing.

            So help me, when I report back to the Republic at the end of all this, I’m demanding hazard pay for working with this rancor-cum-Jedi.

            It wasn’t long until they found out exactly what Canderous wanted.  Brinna was a bit surprised by his bluntness but she knew instantly that he was not being deceptive and that, however unlikely it seemed, he had every intention of carrying through on his promise to help her get off Taris.  She knew that Bastila sensed it too and she could practically have spoken the words along with Bastila.

            Disconcerted, she cast a look back at the Jedi.  An unreadable expression passed over the Jedi’s face and Brinna would have studied her more intently had Canderous not reclaimed her attention.  For the moment, the strange occurrence would have to be overlooked but Brinna carefully stowed it in the back of her mind for future analysis.  She told Canderous that she would break into the Sith base to steal the launch codes and Canderous told her she could purchase an astromech droid capable of breaking into the base from Janice Nall.

            “I don’t like the idea of trusting that merc,” Carth groused as they left the cantina.

            “Look, Carth, I’m not thrilled with the idea of being in league with a Mandalorian merc either but what other choice do we have?” Brinna asked him.

            Carth sighed.  “None.  But I’ll be keeping my eye on him.”

            “We’d hardly expect any less from you,” Brinna told him, sarcastically.

            Bastila looked from one to the other of them.  Carth graced Brinna with a mild glare to which she responded with a sunny smile, before he turned and distracted Bastila by asking her how the Vulkars had managed to overcome her. 

            Ahhh, that’s beautiful, Brinna thought with a smug smile as Bastila admitted that she’d misplaced her lightsaber.  Brinna suggested that maybe losing lightsabers was a side effect of Bastila’s Battle Meditation and was rewarded with a very un-Jedi like look of outrage from Bastila.  Carth wisely decided to back off without saying anything more other than a suggestion that Bastila might want to keep the loss of her lightsaber out of the history texts.  Brinna had to give Bastila some credit for humility as Bastila protested at Carth’s comments and then added that there were some things her Jedi Masters need not know about the mission.

            “Before we get the droid we need to drop the serum off with Zelka,” Brinna said, in a low voice.  The streets were crowded with Sith and she didn’t want anyone to overhead her.  “We’ll explain when we get there,” she added, cutting Bastila off as the other woman opened her mouth to question them.

            To Brinna’s relief, Bastila complied with nothing more than a curt nod and they made it to Zelka’s facility without incident.  Once inside, Brinna introduced Bastila to Zelka and then gave him the serum.  There were tears in the older man’s eyes as he thanked Brinna for her help and gave them the good news that there was enough serum for him to be able to synthesize it and begin distributing it to the poor.  Brinna once again refused a reward and was surprised to sense Bastila’s approval of her actions.  Maybe the Jedi wasn’t quite as cold as she appeared to be, though Brinna was once more annoyed by Bastila’s acceptance of Zelka’s praise as if she’d been the one to recover the serum.

            “Funny, I don’t remember her fighting any rakghouls to get to it,” Brinna muttered to Carth as they left the facility.

            “Shhh,” Carth admonished but he looked rather amused by Brinna’s ire.

            She opened her mouth to say something smart back to him but they were stopped by Gurney who berated Brinna for giving the serum to Zelka rather than Davik.

            “I don’t have time for you,” Brinna said, coldly, glaring malevolently at Gurney as she passed.

            “Wow,” Carth said, his voice filled with something like awe.  “I’m surprised he didn’t turn into a block of ice on the spot.”

            “He’s disgusting,” Brinna practically spat.

            She turned and caught Bastila studying her with an appraising look.  The Jedi gave her a curt nod, apparently signifying her approval of Brinna’s actions, before she was once more distracted by Carth, who asked if she’d ever considered joining Malak and Revan in the war against the Mandalorians.

            As Brinna listened to Bastila spouting her Jedi rhetoric, she was surprised by the vehemence behind Bastila’s words.  Though she’d never personally known a Jedi before, Brinna had always been under the impression that they were the most serene and composed creatures in the galaxy.  Clearly Bastila did not fit into this category.  Brinna supposed she could understand Bastila’s indignation against two Jedi who had chosen to disobey orders in favor of throwing themselves into the fray but she couldn’t understand exactly why Bastila seemed as angry about the affair as she did.  Curious, Brinna asked Bastila what the Masters had seen that had prevented them from coming to the aide of the Republic before they had.  Bastila’s voice was intense as she told Brinna that the Masters had sensed something out there that was devouring the Jedi.

            Bastila’s words were rather unsettling to Brinna but she doubted Carth had even heard them.  He obviously felt that the Jedi abandoned the Republic and Brinna knew that a great deal of his anger was personal.  Bastila, however, did not and she continued to argue the point with Carth until he angrily broke the conversation off.  Brinna studied Carth out of the corner of her eye and the tormented look in his eyes caused a twinge in her heart.  There was more to his story, a great deal more, she was sure of it.  She only hoped he would open himself up to her and unburden himself of some of the anger and guilt he wore like a badge.

            They arrived at Janice Nall’s shop.  Brinna felt badly for the prejudice the Twi’lek shop owner had faced but she took one look at their dwindling supply of credits and knew that they could ill afford to pay the asking price Janice quoted for T3-M4.  Feeling rather guilty, Brinna used her most persuasive tone of voice and convinced Janice to drop the price a bit.

            Brinna, Carth, and Bastila all agreed that it was best that they find the codes and report back to Canderous that day, so they set off for the Sith base immediately.  Once again, Brinna had the uncanny sensation that she was in tune with Bastila’s thoughts and it seemed that the Jedi was every bit as apprehensive as Brinna was.  Ever since finding Bastila, Brinna had not been able to shake the feeling that something ominous was looming on the horizon and that they’d best get off Taris as soon as they could.  It seemed Bastila had the same sentiments and Brinna could sense the whirl of Bastila’s thoughts.  She wondered if Bastila knew that Brinna could sense her thoughts.  More unsettling, Brinna wondered if Bastila could also sense what was running through her own head.

            Carth, it seemed, was blessedly unaware of anything strange between the two women.  He had a looked of focused determination on his face but didn’t seem troubled by anything that might be happening between Bastila and Brinna.  In fact, he was so focused that he’d forgotten to shoot Brinna one of his usual suspicious looks, much to her relief.  She could understand Carth’s paranoia, she truly could.  She simply did not like to be on the receiving end of it.

            Breaking into the Sith base was ridiculously easy with T3’s help and Brinna sent him off to their apartment base with a fond little pat of his metal head.  He beeped appreciatively before rolling off.  Brinna was positive that Mission would adopt the little droid the moment he slid through the apartment door and the thought made her smile.

            “Happy?” Carth asked, as they stepped into the elevator that would take them into the bowels of the base.

            “I’m always happy when I’m going off on a suicide mission,” she told him, brightly.  “I like nothing more than the thought of infiltrating a base full of merciless Sith.”

            “You scare me,” he said, frankly.

            She laughed and shook her head.  “Lighten up, flyboy.  What, do you think I’m some kind of psychopath?  No, I was really smiling because I was thinking of how sure I am that Mission’s going to take a shine to T3.”

            “Ah, gotcha,” Carth said.  She was annoyed to see that he relaxed, as if he’d really thought she had been serious about what she had said about breaking into the Sith base.  “Yeah, I think you’re right.  She will love him.”

            Brinna frowned at him, leaving him looking at her with a puzzled expression.  There was no further opportunity for conversation, however, as the doors slid open and they stepped into a reception area.  There was a Twi’lek female behind the desk who questioned their presence.  Brinna knew immediately that she was not a Sith and she offered the Twi’lek fifty credits to let them into the base without raising the alert.  The Twi’lek was positively delighted as she took the fifty credits and left the base with the request that they wait until she was gone to start destroying the place.

            “Wonderful security,” Bastila said, as she watched the Twi’lek get on the elevator they had just vacated.

            “Fortunately for us,” Brinna said distractedly as she sliced into the Sith computer systems and took a look at the base’s security camera feeds.  With a few keystrokes, she made a few favorable adjustments to the situation in the base.

            “Let’s go,” she said, grabbing her vibroblades and leading them through the first door.

            Even with the droid shields Brinna had lowered and the Sith soldiers she’d fried by causing power conduits to malfunction, they still had many challenges to face as they made their way through the base.  The initial base security had not been much to look at but the rest of the base was chock full of Sith who were more than willing to do their best to put down Republic infiltrators. 

            To Brinna’s astonishment, they ran into the Duros who had hid the bodies of the Sith patrol that she and Carth had killed during the first day of their search for Bastila.  He told Brinna how to disable the force field that held him captive in his cell and though she felt confident that she knew what she was doing, Brinna could not help but hold her breath until she successfully lowered the shield and set the alien free.

            As they fought against Sith after Sith, Brinna could not help but grudgingly admit that Bastila knew how to wield her double-bladed lightsaber.  Bastila’s ability to deflect blaster bolts with her saber was also a huge boon to them and Brinna was glad to suffer fewer blaster burns than she had during her search for Bastila.  The Jedi’s Force abilities also came in handy, especially when they faced the Sith governor at the end.  Even though he was outnumbered three to one, he still managed to give them a run for their credits until Bastila Force Stunned him, allowing them to finish him off in peace.

            Using the handy papers Gadon had provided, Brinna, Carth, and Bastila went down into the lower city.  Bastila and Carth were busy formulating whatever plans they could for their escape from Taris but Brinna was too distracted to really listen to what they said.  Maybe it had escaped their notice, but Brinna was well aware of the fact that the Sith governor had referred to her as a “Force Adept.”  Perhaps Bastila and Carth thought that he had been referring to Bastila but Brinna knew that the man had directed his comment at her.  His eyes had looked into hers with a gaze that was more knowing than Brinna liked.  It was almost as if he had sensed something within her of which she herself was unaware.  It was a disconcerting sensation, to say the least.

            Brinna supposed that it wasn’t a complete surprise; after all, Bastila herself had told Brinna that she suspected Brinna might be possessed of some untapped Force abilities.  Still, somehow this assertion was less troubling coming from Bastila, as arrogant and unpleasant as the Jedi could be.  At least Brinna knew she could trust Bastila.  After all, Carth Onasi, the galaxy’s least trusting person, placed a great deal of store in Bastila’s abilities and importance to the Jedi Order and the Republic.  If Bastila said she had Force abilities, she was speaking it as a truth and not out of any evil intent.  Brinna could handle the news coming from Bastila.  She could not, however, handle it from someone who represented everything she despised in the galaxy.  She did not like the idea of her enemy having the ability to read into her in that way.

            “Is something wrong?” Bastila asked, startling Brinna.

            Looking up, Brinna saw that they had nearly reached Javyar’s Cantina, where they were to rendezvous with Canderous.  She turned to look at Bastila blankly and saw that both the Jedi and Carth were studying her with surprised expressions.

            “No, why do you ask?” Brinna responded.

            “Because we’ve been asking you questions for the last five minutes and you apparently haven’t heard a word we’ve said,” Carth told her.

            Truly startled now, Brinna looked at the two of them.  “You have?”

            “Yes,” Bastila said and Brinna had the sudden sensation of something tickling at her mind, as if Bastila was attempting to probe her thoughts.

            Nonsense, Brinna told herself.  She can no more read your thoughts than you can read hers.  What happened with Canderous in the upper city cantina was just a coincidence.

            “It’s…it’s nothing, sorry.  I was just thinking about something that happened at the Sith base but it’s not important.  I didn’t mean to drift away there,” Brinna said lamely.

            Both Carth and Bastila studied her with skeptical expressions and Brinna was relieved to find that they had arrived at the cantina.  Before either of them had a chance to say anything else to her, she stepped past the bouncer and into the cantina.

            Canderous was waiting for them and, as promised, he unveiled the rest of his plan.  Brinna listened in astonishment as he said he’d get her into Davik’s estate by claiming that he had recruited her to work for the crime lord.  More surprising than that, however, was his announcement that they could use the launch codes to steal Davik’s ship, the Ebon Hawk, and flee from Taris.  Bastila immediately balked at the suggestion but when Canderous asked if she had a better idea, she grudgingly admitted that she did not.

            “It’s a deal,” Brinna said, before Carth or Bastila could say anything further.  She believed Canderous was sincere and she was more convinced than ever that they needed to get off the planet and get off it fast, though she had no idea exactly why she was convinced of this.

            “Excellent.  I knew you were clever enough to understand that this is a sound plan,” Canderous said, looking at Brinna with approval.  “Are you ready to go to Davik’s estate now?”
            “Yes.  The sooner the better,” Brinna said.

            “Then we’ll go immediately.  You’d better only bring one of your friends with you, though.  If I show up with a whole troop, Davik will get suspicious,” Canderous told her.

            Before she could even begin to think about who she should take, Carth said, “I’m coming.”  His was a tone that would brook no refusal.

            “Carth…” Bastila began to protest.

            “I think you should listen to your friend, princess,” Canderous suggested, his tone rather derisive as he looked Bastila up and down.  “Somehow I don’t think showing up at Davik’s estate with a Jedi in tow is good for anyone concerned.”

            Bastila was clearly incensed, both by Carth’s immediately stating that he would go and by Canderous’s words.  She sputtered for a moment and Brinna took pity on her.

            “Listen, Bastila, Canderous is right.  It would look strange if you came with us.  Why would Davik believe a Jedi would want to work for him?  Carth and I are less conspicuous than you and, anyway, someone needs to look after Mission, although I’ll deny it if you tell her I said that.  The Sith could descend on that apartment at any minute and I don’t want her or Zaalbar to be alone.  If the Sith come knocking, Mission and Zaalbar are definitely going to need your help,” Brinna told her.

            Bastila looked slightly mollified thanks to Brinna’s words and her persuasive tone but she was still clearly unhappy with the arrangements.  “Very well,” she said, grudgingly.

            “We won’t have much time once we steal that ship.  We’ll get a signal to you and you should meet us here,” Canderous said, marking a spot on the map on Bastila’s datapad.

            “May the Force be with you,” Bastila said before turning and leaving the cantina.

            “Let’s go,” Canderous said, without any further fanfare.

            Canderous led the way, Carth hot on his heels.  Brinna followed behind the two men, studying the tense set of Carth’s shoulders.  She was only too certain that he probably enjoyed teaming up with a Mandalorian as much as he would have enjoyed teaming up with Saul Karath once again.  Brinna was quite sure that Canderous was aware of Carth’s unspoken hostility but it was clear that Canderous was not the least bit troubled by it.

            When they reached Davik’s estate, Canderous played the situation off exactly as he had told Brinna he would.  She was surprised by how smooth the seemingly blunt warrior could be when he tried.  Davik accepted Canderous’s explanation without any signs of doubt, although his lapdog Calo Nord appeared to be much more suspicious, telling Canderous it was unlike him to work with others.  Nord and Canderous were like two animals in a pit, circling around each other, each one waiting for the other to be the first to strike.  Davik seemed both pleased and displeased by this situation.  He clearly did not want his two best men fighting with one another but Brinna couldn’t help but feel that Davik was pleased by the animosity seething between the two men.  She found it very difficult to play along and pretend like she couldn’t wait to work for Davik, she found the man so morally repugnant.

            Davik took them on a little tour of his estate and showed them his ship with a not-so-veiled warning about the consequences they would face if they attempted to steal it.  Brinna was unimpressed by Davik’s warning but she was impressed by the Ebon Hawk.  It was a larger ship than her own and had a sleek beauty that her own tidy little vessel couldn’t quite claim.  As a pilot, Brinna couldn’t help but covet the ship and she could hardly wait to get on it and put it through its paces.  If they had to lie, cheat, and steal in order to escape Taris, they might as well do it in style.

            Finally, Davik left them in a guest room with the warning that they were not to stray from the guest quarters while he ran a check on them.  In spite of herself, Brinna felt a cold finger of dread trail down her spine at Davik’s words.  He may have called them “guests” but it was quite clear to her that they were more prisoners than anything else.

            “We don’t have much time,” Canderous said, as soon as Davik and Calo left the room.  “Nord is already suspicious.  Still, it’ll take a few days before Davik realizes that anything is wrong.”

            “We’re not waiting a few days,” Brinna said, firmly.  “But we still need to be smart about this.  I’m assuming this place is under guard around the clock?”

            “Of course,” Canderous responded.  “Under the watchful eye of the best and most unscrupulous guards and bounty hunters Davik can find.”

            “Well, that makes things easy,” Brinna said, facetiously.  “Still, it’s too early right now.  I think we’d be better off resting for a few hours and then trying to make a break for it first thing in the morning when there hopefully won’t be as many guards around.”

            “I don’t like the idea of staying here tonight but I think you’re right,” Carth said, reluctantly.

            “Agreed,” Canderous said.

            “Good, then it’s unanimous,” Brinna said, brightly.  Now that they were closed in a smaller space, Carth’s animosity toward Canderous was even more apparent and the Mandalorian had started to look at Carth with something like an amused challenge in his eyes.

            Great, just what I need: a testosterone fest, Brinna thought.

            “You two go ahead and rest.  I’ll keep watch first,” Canderous said.

            “No need.  I rarely sleep anyway,” Carth said, evenly.

            “Is that so?” Canderous asked, seizing him up.

            “Yes, it is,” Carth said, toying oh-so-subtly with his vibroblades, which made Canderous smile rather predatorily.

            “I have an even better idea.  How about you both sleep with your fingers on the trigger while I keep watch?  Just don’t blast one another behind my back,” Brinna suggested sarcastically.

            “I like your friend.  She’s got style,” Canderous told Carth, his smile changing to one of genuine amusement.

            Carth did not look too pleased at Canderous’s comment, which made Brinna want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him silly.  It was fine for him to be as suspicious as he wanted when it came to her but if another man dared to say anything about her he felt he had to rush to defend her honor? 

            “Yeah, well, stick with me and you’ll learn a thing or two.  Both of you,” she said, trying to draw the attention back to herself so that they two would stop looking at one another like kath hounds getting ready to challenge one another for the position of alpha male.  “Now shut up and go to sleep.”

            Canderous laughed and Carth shot her a sour look but neither of them said another word as they each lay down.  Carth stared directly at Brinna as if to prove to her that he had no intention of sleeping and she made a face at him before turning her back on him and facing the door.  It was going to be a long night.

Tales of a Former Dark Lord, Chapter 4: A Prize of Questionable Value

Big Fat Disclaimer: I do not own Knights of the Old Republic or Star Wars.  That honor belongs to BioWare and George Lucas.  The only part of this story that’s mine is the character of Brinna Warrim.  All other characters are the creations of the genius developers of BioWare, as is some of the dialogue in this story, which I lifted word from word from the game.  I lay the blame for my obsession squarely at their feet.  :)  

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One of the female Beks was sent to wake Brinna the next morning but since Brinna hadn’t slept a wink the night before, it was a wasted effort.  Someone offered Brinna some breakfast but she was far too nervous to eat and so she contented herself with sipping slowly at an overheated mug of tea while picturing all the different ways the race could go.  Unfortunately, a great many of her pictures involved various parts of her body being splattered all over the track.

             

“Are you all right?” Mission asked, concerned.  Unlike Brinna, she was having no trouble putting away a hearty breakfast and the sight and smell of it was turning Brinna’s stomach.

            

 “Sure.  Why wouldn’t I be?  I mean, after all, I’m just going to get on a swoop bike—which I’ve never done before—and do my best to see to it that I get it to the finish line quickly enough to beat a bunch of riders who’ve done it a million times.  Oh, and did I mention the fact that I need to do all this while doing my best to avoid having an unstable prototype engine blow up on me and splatter me all over the track?” Brinna said, feeling slightly hysterical.

             

“Right,” Mission said, the expression on her face clearly saying she wished she hadn’t asked.  She turned back to her breakfast.

            

 “You’ll do fine,” Carth said, but the tentative note in his voice was anything but reassuring.

             

“Yeah, well, if I don’t I won’t have much time to worry about it, will I?” Brinna muttered.

             

She knew she shouldn’t take her nervousness out on Carth and Mission but she couldn’t help herself.  She’d done many, many risky things during the course of her career as a scout but this had to be the riskiest.

             

You’ve got to pull yourself together or you’ll never be able to do this, she told herself.

             

“I’m sorry,” she told Carth and Mission.  “I’m just a little nervous.”

            

 “Oh really?  We hadn’t noticed,” Mission muttered, addressing her food.

           

 Brinna laughed out loud.  “Stick with me and watch how I deal with other stressful situations.  You’ll be glad to know that I can be even more charming than I’m being right now.”

            

 “Can’t wait to see that,” Carth said, with a grin.

           

 “Listen, Carth’s right, you’ll be fine.  And we’ll be cheering you on,” Mission told her.

             

“That does make me feel better,” Brinna admitted.

             

“And don’t forget that the sooner this is over with and Bastila is freed, the sooner we can try to find a way off this planet,” Carth reminded her.

             

“That makes me feel better yet,” Brinna told him, which was the truth.  “Oh, look.  I think it’s time,” she added, as she noticed a Bek outfitted in racing gear heading her way.

             

“You’re not leaving those here?” Carth asked, indicating her vibroblades.

           

 “Nah.  I don’t feel comfortable when I’m unarmed,” Brinna said, lightly.  The truth was she had a sneaking suspicion that she would need her weapons but she’d decided not to share that particular fear with her companions.  Carth nodded his understanding, which wasn’t surprising to Brinna.  Judging by how jumpy he was Brinna would have been willing to wager that he slept with a blaster beneath his pillow.  When he slept, that was, which she was learning was not all that often.

           

“Good luck,” Mission told her, recalling her to her present predicament.

            

 “Thanks.  I’ll need it,” Brinna said, before turning and following the Bek out to the racetrack.

             

The first thing she noticed was the noise.  The roar of engines and the shouts of racers and their mechanics were nearly deafening.  An Ithorian member of the Beks took her aside and explained the basics of her bike to her.  Brinna listened as attentively as she was able in the cacophony but she had to ask the Ithorian to repeat himself more than once, causing him to cast a dubious glance at her, which did nothing for her flagging confidence.

            

 However, once she calmed herself down a little and thought about what the Ithorian had told her, she realized that the swoop controls weren’t all that different from ship controls.  Having been a scout for almost as long as she could remember and having spent the last ten years of her life freelancing with her own vessel, if there was one thing she knew it was how to fly a ship.  She didn’t have Carth Onasi-style combat experience but she knew a thing or two about maneuvering out of tricky situations.  Though her business had always been entirely legitimate, it didn’t mean that the business of everyone else she’d ever run into out in the far reaches of space had been.

           

 For the first time since she’d spoken with Gadon the previous day, Brinna began to relax and believe that she could handle the race.  Even though it was noisy down at the track, there weren’t all that many people around as only racers and appropriate personnel were allowed down on the track.  Anyone who cared to watch the race had to do so courtesy of the viewscreens in the cantina and the gang bases and this knowledge made Brinna feel much better.  Had she been surrounded by hundreds of cheering fans, she would never have been able to concentrate.

           

 Once she had the bike basics down, she did her best to cast what she hoped was a very nonchalant glance at the captive Bastila.  It looked as though Brejik had her under the influence of a neural restraint collar and the Jedi’s eyes were wide and vacant-looking.  She was an attractive young woman with tousled dark hair and skin that Brinna frankly envied.  She also had a nice figure, which was unfortunate for her as it had apparently inspired Brejik to dress her up in what looked like an outfit that was a reject from the wardrobe of a badly-dressed Twi’lek dancer.

What really caught Brinna’s attention, though, was Bastila’s youth.  She had guessed from the way Carth talked about her that Bastila was not very old but Brinna had not expected someone just barely out of her teens.  It was no wonder everyone made such a big deal out of her; it was pretty amazing indeed that someone as young as Bastila had learned to control the prodigious gift of Battle Meditation that she possessed.  Brinna knew little about the Jedi but enough to know that such a gift was rare in any case and usually took years to master.

             

And yet Brinna didn’t find it that surprising that Bastila had mastered her gift so early.  If anything, she was surprised that Brejik hadn’t yet realized that his prisoner was no ordinary Republic officer.  Power seemed to radiate from Bastila and Brinna could perceive it as clear as day. 

            

 Almost before she knew it, the racer before her had left to complete his heat, meaning that she’d be up any time.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose, breathing out through her mouth.  After several breaths, she felt calm and centered.  It was an old trick she’d learned back in her early days of piloting when she’d still found it incredibly nerve-wracking to be behind a ship’s throttle.

            

 “You’re up,” the Ithorian announced to her.  “Go get ‘em.”

             

Brinna nodded at him and walked over to the coordinator to tell him that she was ready to race one of her heats.  He told her the time to beat and, the next thing she knew, she was on the bike and at the starting line.

             

As she stared intently at the red light glowing before her, Brinna forced all of her distracting thoughts and worries out of her mind.  She was almost there by the time the light turned yellow and, when it turned green, her mind was clear and she was ready to focus.  Almost by instinct, she opened the bike’s throttle and was off.

           

It turned out that operating the swoop bike was not nearly as complicated as Brinna had feared.  She felt herself slipping into a zone of ultimate concentration and she had little trouble avoiding the obstacles on the track and then finessing her way back over to the accelerator pads.  In fact, after hitting the first few and shifting gears to use the advantage of the extra burst of speed they lent her, Brinna found that her adrenaline had begun to pump and that she was actually enjoying herself.  She’d always loved flying her ship and she found that the swoop bike was even more of a rush.  There was nothing like the sensation of being on the edge of danger, of being rather vulnerable and unprotected.  It brought a smile to Brinna’s face and made her just reckless enough to really get the bike moving.

           

Her heart was pounding with the thrill of it all by the time she crossed the finish line and as she pulled her helmet off, there was a broad smile on her face.  She couldn’t resist pumping her fist in the air a couple of times and it seemed that the Beks were just as excited as she was.  She soon learned why as the Ithorian rushed over to her and announced that she had the best time, beating riders who had twenty years of experience over her.

             

“I’ve never seen anyone have a first ride like that!” he told her, his voice filled with awe.

             

Brinna grinned at him.  “I’m only sorry I didn’t try this sooner,” she told him.

             

The victory was short-lived, however, as the next rider up, a Vulkar by the name of Redros, managed to complete the track in one less second than she had.  Brinna was going to have to ride another heat and though she was actually pretty eager to get back on the track, she knew that if the engine became overtaxed the consequences would be lethal for her.

             

Well, I’ll just have to shave a lot off my time.  That way no one will have any chance of beating me, she told herself.

             

This time around, Brinna was more than ready before the light had even turned yellow.  She was off the instant the light turned green, her concentration so focused that she seemed to have lightning reflexes.  This time the thrill of the ride captivated her from start to finish and it was almost as if she became one with the bike, as if all she had to do was think about which way she wanted it to turn and it turned.  She’d never felt a sensation quite like it before and she could see how it could become quite addictive.

             

Sure enough, when she crossed the finish line the second time, she had managed to shave ten seconds off her time.  She was positive there was no way anyone could beat her now, a sentiment that was confirmed by the Bek Ithorian.

             

The Beks were going absolutely wild, hooting, hollering, and cheering and thumping her on the back as if she was their hero.  She could not stop smiling as she approached the race coordinator, who announced her as the winner.  She raised a fist in the air in a sign of victory and then turned to look at Brejik.

            

She could practically feel her mouth drop open as Brejik accused her of cheating and announced that he did not intend to give up his prize after all.  The race coordinator exclaimed in consternation that this could not be done but Brejik was not to be swayed.  Brinna didn’t know why she was surprised.  After all, Brejik had betrayed his close friend and stolen the swoop engine from the Beks.  Had she really expected him to be honorable when it came time to give up his “prize”?  Well, whether Brejik wanted to release Bastila or not was irrelevant; Brinna was not leaving without her.  It looked like her premonition had been correct and she was glad that she had brought her weapons with her.

            

 Just as her hands closed around the hilts of her vibroblades, Bastila stunned everyone by breaking free of her cage and attacking the Vulkar who had stood guard just outside of it.  Brinna’s eyes widened but she quickly sprang to action, making use of the element of surprise that Bastila had provided.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Jedi going for Brejik so she turned and made for Redros.  He was unarmed and quickly dispatched and Brinna quickly turned from him and made short work of the other three Vulkars who were rushing toward Brejik and Bastila.  When she was finished, Brinna turned and saw that Bastila was still fighting with Brejik.

             

Brejik was a good fighter and had an advantage over Bastila in that she was without her lightsaber.  Brinna ran over to them and jumped into the fight, leaping in the air and tucking into a roll, coming down on Brejik with all her strength and dealing him a solid blow.  Stunned, he didn’t even see Bastila coming and she finished him off with a swipe of the vibro double-blade she had taken from her fallen Vulkar guard.

             

Brinna hadn’t exactly expected the Jedi to throw a parade in her honor but she was completely caught off guard when Bastila rounded on her and announced that she hoped Brinna wasn’t intending to imprison her.  An acid response was on the tip of Brinna’s tongue when Bastila suddenly recognized her as having been part of the Endar Spire’s crew.  However, this didn’t improve Bastila’s attitude much and Brinna quickly came to understand why Carth had chosen to call her particular.  Brinna stared in consternation as Bastila proceeded to announce that she hadn’t needed Brinna’s help in escaping the Vulkars.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, Bastila seemed to have the insane idea that she’d actually saved Brinna from the Vulkars.  Brinna was truly annoyed but didn’t want to stand around arguing with Bastila and so she told her that Carth was waiting for them.  Bastila was pleased with this news and Brinna ground her teeth as Bastila announced that it was “finally” some good news.

             

In spite of her anger against Bastila, Brinna was listening closely enough to her to hear Bastila’s praise of Carth.  Carth had told Brinna that he was in the Mandalorian Wars but he had not told her that he was a decorated war hero.  Brinna remembered Trask having said something on the Endar Spire and she found that she was further impressed by Bastila’s praise of Carth.  It seemed he had really downplayed his skills and his importance to the Republic, and Brinna couldn’t help but approve of and admire his modesty.

             

She turned to lead Bastila back to the apartment to see Carth and, just then, something very strange happened.  Suddenly, Brinna was no longer on the racetrack.  It seemed she was on the helm of a ship observing a Jedi and a Dark Jedi.  Focusing on the Jedi, Brinna realized that it was Bastila and that she was engaged in a heated battle with the Dark Jedi and then, just as suddenly as it came, the vision was gone.  Disoriented, Brinna’s step faltered and she shook her head in an attempt to clear the strange fog that suddenly filled it.

             

“What is the matter?” Bastila asked, studying Brinna critically.

             

“Nothing,” Brinna said, giving her head a final shake.  “It’s nothing.  Come on; let’s get back to the apartment.  Carth’s waiting for us.”

             

When they arrived at the apartment, Carth greeted Bastila with the enthusiastic declaration that things were finally starting to look up.  Brinna regarded the two of them with some exasperation.  What was she, bantha fodder?  Even though she felt it was petty and really beneath her, Brinna could not help but feel resentful of the seeming lack of gratitude for all she’d done.

             

To her increasing annoyance, it seemed that Bastila had appointed herself Queen of the Galaxy as she promptly began to issue orders.  Bastila demanded to know what they had been doing while they had been on Taris and had then proceeded to berate them for accomplishing so little.  Brinna couldn’t help but goggle at her incredulously.  Battle Meditation or no, Brinna was beginning to wish she’d left Bastila at the mercy of the Vulkars.

             

Fortunately, Carth decided to stand up to Bastila and he scolded her for berating them.  Bastila wasn’t too pleased to be corrected but it seemed Carth had a way with her and in short order her attitude had changed to something as close to contrition as she seemed able to muster.  It was decided that first thing in the morning they would begin searching for a way to get off the planet.

            

 “Wow.  She’s…er…interesting, isn’t she?” Mission said under her breath to Brinna as the two of them stashed the gear Brinna had picked off the dead Vulkars.

             

“That’s one way of putting it,” Brinna said, feeling annoyed all over again.

             

“Listen, I thought you were amazing in the swoop race, no matter what she said.  Big Z and I usually watch the races and I’m being honest when I say I’ve never seen anyone ride quite like that before.”

             

Brinna felt herself relaxing and she grinned at Mission.  “Thanks.  I was so nervous but once I was on the bike…I don’t know, it just seemed easy.”

             

“Feh!  I wish I could just hop on a swoop and ride like you did!  Then maybe I would have been able to save up enough credits to get off this planet,” Mission told her.

             

“Well, hopefully you’ll be getting off it soon enough,” Brinna told her.

           

Mission’s attention was claimed by Zaalbar and, out of the corner of her eye, Brinna saw Bastila approaching.  She closed the footlocker and turned to face Bastila warily.

           

“I was wondering if you might be kind enough to tell me what happened back at the track.  I know you said it was nothing but I don’t believe that,” Bastila said, in an infuriatingly demanding manner.

             

To her surprise, Brinna found herself telling Bastila about the vision she’d had.  Bastila frowned and looked thoughtful for a moment before suggesting that Brinna might have some Force abilities, a claim that Brinna found hard to believe.

             

“Force abilities?  Wouldn’t I have known about that long ago?” Brinna asked.

             

“Not necessarily,” Bastila replied.  Brinna could see that she had bristled at the doubt in Brinna’s voice.  “In fact, I believe that there’s a strong possibility that you have untapped Force abilities.  It would explain your success in the swoop bike race and your finding me as you did.  But I shouldn’t speak of this with you.  I will need to consult the Jedi Council once we get to Dantooine.”

            

“Frankly, I think you’re just underestimating us non-Jedi,” Brinna said.  “And don’t forget that I had Carth, Mission, and Zaalbar helping me to find you.  I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

             

“Perhaps,” Bastila replied, pursing her lips and turning from Brinna.

             

Brinna couldn’t resist the urge to make a foul face at Bastila’s retreating back, noticing a split second too late that Carth was watching the two of them and had seen Brinna’s childish gesture.  Brinna flushed slightly but Carth actually smiled at her.

             

“We’re running a little low on food.  Brinna and I will go and replenish our supply,” Carth said.

             

Surprised but relieved, Brinna nodded her assent.  She was grateful to Carth for realizing that she needed a little break from her new Jedi buddy.  Mission looked a bit terrified at the thought of being left with Bastila but Brinna decided that since she had Zaalbar with her, she could handle it and left the apartment without the slightest twinge of guilt.

             

“I thought you might want to get out for a while,” Carth commented kindly.

           

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Brinna said, blowing out a breath.  “Now I know why you weren’t honest with me about her.”

             

Carth looked rather apologetic.  “She can be hard to take, I know, but she’s also very gifted.  Without her, the Republic is in serious trouble.”

           

Strangely, Brinna felt a twinge of what seemed to be jealousy.  Why in the galaxy would she be jealous of Bastila, she wondered.

             

Hmmm, maybe because Carth speaks of her with such obvious admiration, an insidious little voice inside her head suggested.

             

Don’t be ridiculous, Brinna told herself, with a scowl.

             

“What’s the problem now?” Carth asked, once again catching an expression Brinna would have rather he not seen.

             

“The problem now is that you seem to think you’re off the hook.  Well, you’re not.  You owe me an explanation,” Brinna said, deciding that she might as well incur Carth’s wrath while she was at it.

             

His expression darkened and he informed her that she could not badger him just because they were working together.  This naturally led to some bickering back and forth but Brinna could sense that she was wearing him down.  By this time, they had left the apartments and had reached the upper city walkways.  Carth stopped and stared out at the decaying skyscrapers of Taris, Brinna waiting patiently beside him.

            

She had no further desire to provoke him.  His eyes clearly expressed the anger, guilt, and sorrow that he struggled with as he began to speak and Brinna knew instantly that he was confiding in her and that it was something he did not do every day.  His voice was tortured as he spoke and Brinna felt her heart going out to him.

             

Finally, Brinna learned of the true source of Carth’s anger: Saul Karath.  He had been Carth’s commanding officer and mentor during the Mandalorian Wars and Brinna could clearly see that Carth had truly admired the man.  His face twisted into an expression of anger and pain as he told her of Saul’s defection to the Sith and his attempt to recruit Carth.  When Carth told her that Saul was responsible for the bombing of Telos, her eyes went wide.  He had chosen that moment to glance at her and the smile he gave her was grim.  Brinna couldn’t help but shudder at the expression.  It didn’t extend to his eyes, which looked dead and cold at the painful recollection.  It was no wonder the man didn’t trust easily.

             

After a moment, Brinna ventured to ask him if he blamed himself for trusting his friend.  Carth told her that he blamed Saul, not himself, and that Saul would regret it if Carth ever caught up with him.  The vehemence in his voice and the conviction in his eyes chilled Brinna to her very core.  From what she had seen and learned of him, it was obvious that Carth was a good man.  Even though he gave her a hard time about her rash actions, he was right with her when it came to defending and freeing the less fortunate and the oppressed.  To hear him speak of his determination to get revenge on Saul was almost devastating.  Brinna was nearly overwhelmed by the compassion she felt for him and the anger she felt toward Saul.  The admiral had ruined a good man and had probably not lost a single wink of sleep over it.

             

When she was finally able to speak, Brinna told him that she felt awful for him and he reluctantly confessed that there was more to the story but refused to discuss it any further.  He then set off toward the shops and Brinna trailed along in his wake.  She truly ached for Carth and wished she could think of something to say that might offer some sort of consolation to him but she knew that nothing she could say would make any difference.

             

She was seeing Carth through new eyes.  His hostility, his paranoia, it all made sense to her now.  She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a trusted friend turn as Saul had.  He hadn’t simply betrayed Carth; he had bombed Carth’s homeworld into oblivion and, in the process, had likely killed more than a few of Carth’s friends.  Brinna couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to be the victim of such a betrayal.

             

Carth’s vehemence had also worried her.  She now understood that he was a man obsessed with his need for revenge and it was clear to her that he didn’t really care what happened to him in his pursuit of that revenge.  Brinna had not yet known Carth to be truly reckless but she feared that if Saul came into the picture, there wouldn’t be anything to stop Carth.  His single-minded focus on his need for vengeance could compromise the mission and could be Carth’s undoing.  She did not want to see either scenario come into being.  Brinna wanted so badly to be Carth’s friend but she had no idea how to go about it.  He had already made it clear to her that he did not intend to trust anyone and she didn’t know how she could overcome that obstacle.  It was clear to her, though, that he was truly in need of a friend and she decided that she would do all she could to figure out a way to see to it that she became that friend.

             

They were quiet as they sold off some of their extra supplies in exchange for food.  The sun was setting as they walked back to the apartment complex and Brinna heard Carth take a deep breath.  She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was studying the sunset with a morose expression.  Then, suddenly, he turned and caught her looking at him and regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
             

“I was just wondering how those old bones of yours are doing,” Brinna said, lightly. 

             

To her relief, he cracked a smile.  “Enough already,” he told her.

             

“Well, like you said, I am very immature.”

             

“Yes, but you could at least try to act your age.”

             

“But then I wouldn’t have any excuse for provoking you.”

             

She smiled as Carth laughed and shook his head.  “I can’t even imagine the peace I’d have if you didn’t have an excuse for provoking me,” he sighed.

             

“You’d be bored, admit it,” she told him.

             

“I think I could handle being bored,” he responded.  “Seriously, though, you did really well today.  Your performance in the race was impressive.  And even if she won’t acknowledge it, Bastila is grateful for your help.”

             

“Oh yeah, I know.  I was nearly overwhelmed by her gratitude,” Brinna said, sarcastically. 

             

“Maybe she’s just jealous,” Carth said.

             

“Jealous?” Brinna asked, confused.

             

“Jealous of your swoop bike skill,” he said, smiling.

             

“Who isn’t?”

             

Carth laughed and Brinna felt quite gratified.  The sound of his laughter even made up for Bastila and her rude behavior.  If the Jedi refused to have a sense of humor, at least Carth did, in spite of all his inner turmoil.

           

Brinna found herself once again studying Carth out of the corner of her eye.  From the moment she had first laid eyes on him, she hadn’t been able to help but notice what an attractive man he was, but when he smiled he was really something to look at, which was one of the many reasons why she enjoyed making him laugh.

             

“Well, beautiful, you ready to face Bastila once again?” he asked her, in a jesting tone.

            

She liked being called “beautiful” by him.  She liked it a lot.  That was why she decided she had better try her best to dissuade him from calling her that.

             

“Don’t make me call you ‘sexist worm’ again, flyboy,” she said, giving him a stern glance.

           

“Right, because ‘flyboy’ is so much better,” he said, sarcastically.  “Why do you call me that anyway when you keep insisting that I’m old?”

            

 “Because Gamorrean pig-man takes too long to say,” she answered, breezily.

             

“You’re a real sweetheart, you know that?” he asked her, sending her a look of mock-anger.

             

“So I’ve been told,” she said, opening the door to the apartment.

             

The evening passed pleasantly enough, as long as she stayed away from Bastila.  Just when Brinna had thought no one could be more uptight than Carth, the Jedi had come along and proved her wrong.  Between Carth, Bastila, and Zaalbar the melancholy Wookie, Brinna was convinced she might have lost her sanity were it not for Mission.  The more time she spent with the young Twi’lek, the more Brinna liked her.  Mission was like the smart-mouthed little sister Brinna had never had.

             

The smart-mouthed little sister I maybe could have had, once upon a time, she thought, sadly.