Niki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
niki_chidon) wrote2007-11-24 09:37 pm
niki_chidon) wrote2007-11-24 09:37 pm
Fic: Nights of the Old Republic (6/?): Taris, Day 3 (Carth/femRevan)
Title: Nights of the Old Republic (6/?): Taris, Day 3
Author: Niki
Fandom: SW:KotOR
Disclaimer: I wish
Previous parts: Prologue, Chapter 1, Interlude, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Taris, Day 3
----------------------------------
The Beks were sufficiently grateful for the returned prototype. They would spend the day assembling and testing the new swoop. Unfortunately, the race was scheduled for the next day so Shin wouldn't have any time for practice.
"Just as well, I have another sporting event today," she muttered, not really looking forward to the death match.
Seeing no reason to hang around the base, they refused the offered beds and decided instead to get a few hours of sleep in their Hideout before Shin had to go face Bendak Starkiller.
Despite the short night, Shin did not actually feel like sleeping. Carth and Zaalbar had claimed not to need more sleep and had gone to get 'supplies'.
Shin and Mission had deduced this meant food, food, and food for Zaalbar, and same medpacs and stims for the ever-worrying human, to prepare for the death match.
To distract herself from worrying, Shin asked Mission about her life on Taris. She was amazed to hear the girl had a brother. Biting her lip, she hardly dared to ask for his name, recalling all the conversations she and Carth had had about *her* name.
Griff? She couldn't wait to share this with Carth. She could hear it now, 'who names their children Mission and *Griff*?'
Her laughter died, stillborn, when the story unravelled. That, that... green-skinned scumbag had left the girl here alone? And she defended him?
That was one bit of information she did *not* look forward to sharing with Carth. He was getting quite protective of the young Twi'lek. As was she, truth to tell. Maybe she had had a younger sister, at some point in her life? At least Mission seemed to fill a vacancy she had not known to be open.
- - -
Carth and Zaalbar returned just in time to 'escort the ladies to the games' as the former put it. Despite the forced lightness of their words, it was a subdued group that made their way to the cantina, and not just due to exhaustion.
Mission and Zaalbar went in search of their courtesy ringside seats while Carth helped Shin to prepare.
"You don't have to do this," he said for the tenth time.
"I know," her eyes begged him to understand, "but I have a chance to stop him. Carth, he kills people for sport!"
He took in her determined gaze and closed his mouth. Silently, he checked the condition of her shields and armour. She *had* bested the crazy Rodian champion. She should have no problems with the Death match. But... more was at stake here.
"Here, take this."
She stared at the blaster he was offering her. It was his personal weapon, the one he had had for years, lovingly upgraded and crafted.
"But... if I lose you might not get it back!"
"Then you better not lose," he gave her a small smile. He knew it was the best weapon they had, and Shin needed all the help she could get. He wouldn't – couldn't – regret his impulsive offer.
"I..." she swallowed, "thank you," she finally said, and all the levels in her voice made him uncomfortable.
"It's just a blaster," he shrugged, trying to belittle the meaning of the gesture.
"I'll take good care of it," she said, ignoring his evasion.
- - -
"She did it!" Mission was jumping from joy, Zaalbar was growling, but all Carth heard was the mad thumping of his own heart. Wasn't nervous. Oh no.
The uninhibited Twi'lek girl was hugging Shin. Such a child at times, so mature the next moment. Carth grinned suddenly, remembering their argument. She was so uncomplicated. So direct in her affections and opinions. ...hugging Shin when he couldn't.
That's not how fellow soldiers congratulate each other. Especially not those of different rank (not that he had ever thought about that in relation to them), so he just let his grin grow wider. She smiled back, that rare, radiant version of her smile, while wiping sweat off her brow. She then offered him the blaster, "Thank you."
And from the gravity of her voice he realised she truly did understand the full value of his sacrifice.
- - -
Shin collected her credits from the Hutt but seemed disturbed.
"I feel... bad, accepting credits for killing a man... for sport," she explained.
"We could... use them to get Mission a better armour," Carth offered tentatively, understanding her reluctance.
Shin turned to look at him with a grateful smile, "You're a genius, commander! Nothing better at lifting a girl's spirit than shopping!"
"...then again, we could of course give the money to the poor," he grinned back, happy to have distracted her from dwelling on the kill. He had noticed she was a bit squeamish about that aspect of their profession. He himself had been a career soldier for too long to think twice about killing the enemy.
Not that that was necessarily a good thing.
He shook his head to chase the mood away. It wouldn't do to start moping now that he'd stopped her from doing it, he laughed at himself.
"Come on, let's go shopping, then, ladies!"
- - -
"What are you going to do with Bendak's blaster, Shin?" Mission asked as they were heading for the Equipment Emporium, "you'd get good price for it from Kebla Yurt if you don't want to keep it as a trophy."
"I don't want to think of it as a trophy. But it seems to be a good weapon. Carth, you think you could use it?"
"Me? Don't you...? Ah. Right. Let me try."
Grateful for his understanding Shin offered him the blaster he then tested for balance.
"Feels good. Have to test it in combat to be sure but..." he left it at that, which Shin appreciated, and they entered the shop.
Going through the stock, something caught Shin's attention. She was captivated. Her eyes rested on a beautiful slender weapon almost as tall as her - an Echani ritual brand, lethal-looking blades in both ends.
"It's calling to me," she grinned at Mission, and tested it for balance. It felt right.
"Wow," Mission said, looking at her handling the weapon she'd never even held before, "It looks... like a part of you already. How much is it?"
"Not too much..." she replied, distractedly. The blade was moving too smoothly. It felt... natural. Another piece of her mysterious past. She had obviously trained in Echani techniques.
"I can make do with this armour, Shinster, you need to get that thing! You deserve to get something nice for yourself, anyway. It was you who fought, not me."
Absorbed in her handling of the double-bladed sword Shin didn't even notice Carth's approach.
"You'd have to get close to your opponent with that one. And... it's a *blade*, it won't be... it won't be clean. There will be blood," his voice was quiet, so that others would not hear.
Shin woke up from her trance-like state and blinked at Carth. "You... you're right. Thanks. I... I might not be able to handle it."
But she purchased the brand anyway, enchanted by the glimpse to her past. Carth did not call her on it.
"Come on, let's head back to the Bek base. They should be done with their tests. And I should be getting ready to race."
Continued in Chapter 6
-----------------------------------------------------
Author: Niki
Fandom: SW:KotOR
Disclaimer: I wish
Previous parts: Prologue, Chapter 1, Interlude, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Taris, Day 3
----------------------------------
The Beks were sufficiently grateful for the returned prototype. They would spend the day assembling and testing the new swoop. Unfortunately, the race was scheduled for the next day so Shin wouldn't have any time for practice.
"Just as well, I have another sporting event today," she muttered, not really looking forward to the death match.
Seeing no reason to hang around the base, they refused the offered beds and decided instead to get a few hours of sleep in their Hideout before Shin had to go face Bendak Starkiller.
Despite the short night, Shin did not actually feel like sleeping. Carth and Zaalbar had claimed not to need more sleep and had gone to get 'supplies'.
Shin and Mission had deduced this meant food, food, and food for Zaalbar, and same medpacs and stims for the ever-worrying human, to prepare for the death match.
To distract herself from worrying, Shin asked Mission about her life on Taris. She was amazed to hear the girl had a brother. Biting her lip, she hardly dared to ask for his name, recalling all the conversations she and Carth had had about *her* name.
Griff? She couldn't wait to share this with Carth. She could hear it now, 'who names their children Mission and *Griff*?'
Her laughter died, stillborn, when the story unravelled. That, that... green-skinned scumbag had left the girl here alone? And she defended him?
That was one bit of information she did *not* look forward to sharing with Carth. He was getting quite protective of the young Twi'lek. As was she, truth to tell. Maybe she had had a younger sister, at some point in her life? At least Mission seemed to fill a vacancy she had not known to be open.
- - -
Carth and Zaalbar returned just in time to 'escort the ladies to the games' as the former put it. Despite the forced lightness of their words, it was a subdued group that made their way to the cantina, and not just due to exhaustion.
Mission and Zaalbar went in search of their courtesy ringside seats while Carth helped Shin to prepare.
"You don't have to do this," he said for the tenth time.
"I know," her eyes begged him to understand, "but I have a chance to stop him. Carth, he kills people for sport!"
He took in her determined gaze and closed his mouth. Silently, he checked the condition of her shields and armour. She *had* bested the crazy Rodian champion. She should have no problems with the Death match. But... more was at stake here.
"Here, take this."
She stared at the blaster he was offering her. It was his personal weapon, the one he had had for years, lovingly upgraded and crafted.
"But... if I lose you might not get it back!"
"Then you better not lose," he gave her a small smile. He knew it was the best weapon they had, and Shin needed all the help she could get. He wouldn't – couldn't – regret his impulsive offer.
"I..." she swallowed, "thank you," she finally said, and all the levels in her voice made him uncomfortable.
"It's just a blaster," he shrugged, trying to belittle the meaning of the gesture.
"I'll take good care of it," she said, ignoring his evasion.
- - -
"She did it!" Mission was jumping from joy, Zaalbar was growling, but all Carth heard was the mad thumping of his own heart. Wasn't nervous. Oh no.
The uninhibited Twi'lek girl was hugging Shin. Such a child at times, so mature the next moment. Carth grinned suddenly, remembering their argument. She was so uncomplicated. So direct in her affections and opinions. ...hugging Shin when he couldn't.
That's not how fellow soldiers congratulate each other. Especially not those of different rank (not that he had ever thought about that in relation to them), so he just let his grin grow wider. She smiled back, that rare, radiant version of her smile, while wiping sweat off her brow. She then offered him the blaster, "Thank you."
And from the gravity of her voice he realised she truly did understand the full value of his sacrifice.
- - -
Shin collected her credits from the Hutt but seemed disturbed.
"I feel... bad, accepting credits for killing a man... for sport," she explained.
"We could... use them to get Mission a better armour," Carth offered tentatively, understanding her reluctance.
Shin turned to look at him with a grateful smile, "You're a genius, commander! Nothing better at lifting a girl's spirit than shopping!"
"...then again, we could of course give the money to the poor," he grinned back, happy to have distracted her from dwelling on the kill. He had noticed she was a bit squeamish about that aspect of their profession. He himself had been a career soldier for too long to think twice about killing the enemy.
Not that that was necessarily a good thing.
He shook his head to chase the mood away. It wouldn't do to start moping now that he'd stopped her from doing it, he laughed at himself.
"Come on, let's go shopping, then, ladies!"
- - -
"What are you going to do with Bendak's blaster, Shin?" Mission asked as they were heading for the Equipment Emporium, "you'd get good price for it from Kebla Yurt if you don't want to keep it as a trophy."
"I don't want to think of it as a trophy. But it seems to be a good weapon. Carth, you think you could use it?"
"Me? Don't you...? Ah. Right. Let me try."
Grateful for his understanding Shin offered him the blaster he then tested for balance.
"Feels good. Have to test it in combat to be sure but..." he left it at that, which Shin appreciated, and they entered the shop.
Going through the stock, something caught Shin's attention. She was captivated. Her eyes rested on a beautiful slender weapon almost as tall as her - an Echani ritual brand, lethal-looking blades in both ends.
"It's calling to me," she grinned at Mission, and tested it for balance. It felt right.
"Wow," Mission said, looking at her handling the weapon she'd never even held before, "It looks... like a part of you already. How much is it?"
"Not too much..." she replied, distractedly. The blade was moving too smoothly. It felt... natural. Another piece of her mysterious past. She had obviously trained in Echani techniques.
"I can make do with this armour, Shinster, you need to get that thing! You deserve to get something nice for yourself, anyway. It was you who fought, not me."
Absorbed in her handling of the double-bladed sword Shin didn't even notice Carth's approach.
"You'd have to get close to your opponent with that one. And... it's a *blade*, it won't be... it won't be clean. There will be blood," his voice was quiet, so that others would not hear.
Shin woke up from her trance-like state and blinked at Carth. "You... you're right. Thanks. I... I might not be able to handle it."
But she purchased the brand anyway, enchanted by the glimpse to her past. Carth did not call her on it.
"Come on, let's head back to the Bek base. They should be done with their tests. And I should be getting ready to race."
Continued in Chapter 6
-----------------------------------------------------