Niki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
niki_chidon) wrote2008-03-22 07:15 pm
niki_chidon) wrote2008-03-22 07:15 pm
Fic: Nights of the Old Republic (10/?): Dantooine, Following Months (Carth/Revan)
Title: Nights of the Old Republic (10/?): Dantooine, Following Months
Author: Niki
Fandom: SW:KotOR
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine
Notes: I shuffle up quite a bit of the action in Dantooine. Still following the story of the game, and the bits of dialogue are there, I just change the order a bit.
Previous parts: Prologue, Chapter 1, Interlude, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 and Chapter 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter 9: Dantooine, Following Months
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was weird time, Shin's training. All of Ebon Hawk's assorted crew stuck around. Maybe they all felt it – that there was a mission waiting, a time when they would be needed. An honourable challenge for Canderous. A chance for Zaalbar to make good of his promise. And Mission... she would stay with Big Z and the woman she had learned to love like a big sister. Carth? He didn't know himself.
He should have returned to the front lines, to fight the Sith. But he felt needed here. It was to him Shin turned when the training proved too much and she needed to play hooky for an hour or two. She seemed to need his help, his presence, for reasons he couldn't quite understand but wasn't ready to consider too deeply.
They were fast becoming friends and not just two people fate had thrown together and who stuck together for survival. He told himself he had forgotten how her skin felt like against his. How she looked when... Forgotten.
Besides, she was a Jedi now, and everyone in the Fleet knew the Jedi were off limits.
- - -
Shin drew strength from Carth for her work. The solid presence of someone so un-Jedi like helped her deal with the half-truths and evasions she encountered daily.
Her relationship with Bastila had changed. The younger woman was less arrogant and not so irritating here. She was a real help in Shin's rushed training – but the ex-smuggler still struggled with accepting the alleged bond. True, it could help when trying to grasp some subtle point of a lightsaber form but she felt uncomfortable with having her in her head, and was glad she seemed to have strong natural barriers that could usually keep Bastila out of her mind. Sleep was the only time she couldn't control them, and they shared a few more unnerving dreams.
It was weird, but so was the whole training. Sometimes Shin felt the same about the Force as she had about fighting. Things forgotten being re-learned... but that could not be, right? Had the Masters in the Council been easier to approach she might have shared her thoughts with them. As things were... she didn't trust Bastila enough, yet, nor did she trust the bond she couldn't fully control.
In the end, she talked to Carth.
"You know, I've been watching you," he began, then turned away, flustered. "Not ogling or anything, you know, following your progress," he hastened to explain, and Shin laughed.
"Yeah, yeah. But I mean... I compare you to these padawans, and... Your movements are more graceful than theirs. You learn so much faster than them... Who knows, maybe you were in training before you got bored and decided the life of a free trader was more your style. Maybe, if we went to Coruscant, we would find you listed in their archives..."
"That... doesn't sound implausible. It would explain so much! Thank you, Carth. Thank you for not telling me I'm going crazy or imagining things."
"Hey, you still could be," he said, grinning. "I'm just saying that there's a lot you don't remember, and some of it is obviously fight training. We don't know when or how you got it but no reason to be apprehensive of it – you use it like you'd use any resources."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir!"
"Ha ha. Ready for more training?"
She groaned. "Guess I got to. I should meet Bastila for some lightsaber training. Which will interest me more when they give me an actual saber instead of the training one."
- - -
After the session with Bastila Shin retreated into the tiny garden and found a corner to meditate in but found it impossible to concentrate. She followed the traditional teachings and repeated the Jedi Code in her mind, hoping it would help her find her calm centre. "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force." No emotion, peace; no passion, serenity... That's how she always thought about her night with Carth; not passion but peace...
Flustered that her thoughts had once again turned to him when she was trying to empty her mind she jumped up, and went in search of company to distract her.
All of the crew still slept in the Hawk. They had been offered rooms in the Enclave but everyone except Bastila had decided to stay in the ship instead – all for their own reasons. Shin knew she'd find company there.
It didn't really surprise her that Carth was the first person she encountered, approaching the ship.
"How did it go?" he asked, kindly.
She made a so-so sign with her hand then grinned wickedly. "I can't concentrate on meditating, want to run away with me?"
"You'd be punished for disobedience, Padawan." He grinned.
"Not even a damn Padawan yet," she corrected, pouting.
He laughed at her petulant expression, and they boarded the ship side by side, only to be met by an interesting sight: Zaalbar was tweaking T3 with instruments that looked tiny in his huge paws.
- - -
"What are you doing?" Shin asked, and got an answer in both Shyriwook and droid.
Carth looked at her for translation that was not forthcoming, she just nodded her approval. They had reached the next room before she noticed his look.
"Zaalbar wishes I am not upset even if he uses his free time enhancing the droid's performance."
"Why would you be upset?" Carth frowned.
Shin smiled suddenly with a radiance she seldom had these days and Carth nearly missed her response, getting lost in it.
"He seems to be of the opinion that since I stole it, it's mine."
"Does the same apply to the Ebon Hawk, then?" Carth asked, amused.
"Well, I suppose we need to fight it out with Canderous," she replied, grinning, and they were both startled when the gruff Mandalorian appeared as if out of nowhere.
"Fight what out with me?"
"The ownership of the Hawk," Shin explained, recovering quickly.
Canderous raised his hands, palms facing her in the universal gesture of surrender and laughed.
"All yours, baby. I've had my ass kicked by the Jedi once already."
"What, not up for a rematch?" she teased.
As Carth saw the sweet smile aimed at another man he felt the more and more familiar stabbing pain in his side. No.
Canderous went wherever he had been going, and Shin looked worryingly at Carth's face.
"What's wrong? Is it the remainder of the war?" she asked, concerned.
"What? Oh no, no... I..."
Well, not the way she meant, anyway. It was that smile. The memories of the nights they'd spent outside, under the stars, sharing stories by fire. Every night found the ragtag group that had escaped Taris together by the side of the ship that had become their home. Even Bastila joined them, on occasion. It was the memory of her rapt expression when listening to Canderous' war stories...
True, she paid as much attention to Mission's stories of her adventures, so maybe...
"I'm fine, don't worry," he finished, realising she was still waiting for his explanation.
"So, what would you like to do since we can't run away?" he asked, trying to distract her from the worry he still could read on her face.
She smiled at him, probably realising what he was doing and not caring. The moment she opened her mouth to talk they were interrupted by Bastila clearing her throat.
Shin groaned, and bent her head so that it brushed Carth's arm. "Caught," she muttered, and he patted her arm compassionately.
- - -
"The Masters think you're ready for testing," Bastila declared without preliminaries, and Shin could only stare at her incredulously.
"Ready? I can't even concentrate on meditating! I'm all antsy."
"Really?" Bastila raised her eyebrow inquiringly. "You seem perfectly calm now."
As she spoke Shin realised it was true. Carth always affected her so. He seemed to be the peace she couldn't find in her solitary meditations. She met his eyes and hoped her smile conveyed some of this to him.
His answering smile was partly sad and partly proud – but she didn't know whether that was directed at himself or at her for reaching this point.
She turned to follow Bastila, and Carth called "Good luck" after her.
"There is no luck..." Bastila started to say.
"...just my incredible skill," Shin finished for her, just loud enough for Carth to hear so that it was the comforting sound of his laughter that followed her outside.
Continued in Chapter 10
Author: Niki
Fandom: SW:KotOR
Disclaimer: Nope, not mine
Notes: I shuffle up quite a bit of the action in Dantooine. Still following the story of the game, and the bits of dialogue are there, I just change the order a bit.
Previous parts: Prologue, Chapter 1, Interlude, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 and Chapter 8
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter 9: Dantooine, Following Months
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was weird time, Shin's training. All of Ebon Hawk's assorted crew stuck around. Maybe they all felt it – that there was a mission waiting, a time when they would be needed. An honourable challenge for Canderous. A chance for Zaalbar to make good of his promise. And Mission... she would stay with Big Z and the woman she had learned to love like a big sister. Carth? He didn't know himself.
He should have returned to the front lines, to fight the Sith. But he felt needed here. It was to him Shin turned when the training proved too much and she needed to play hooky for an hour or two. She seemed to need his help, his presence, for reasons he couldn't quite understand but wasn't ready to consider too deeply.
They were fast becoming friends and not just two people fate had thrown together and who stuck together for survival. He told himself he had forgotten how her skin felt like against his. How she looked when... Forgotten.
Besides, she was a Jedi now, and everyone in the Fleet knew the Jedi were off limits.
- - -
Shin drew strength from Carth for her work. The solid presence of someone so un-Jedi like helped her deal with the half-truths and evasions she encountered daily.
Her relationship with Bastila had changed. The younger woman was less arrogant and not so irritating here. She was a real help in Shin's rushed training – but the ex-smuggler still struggled with accepting the alleged bond. True, it could help when trying to grasp some subtle point of a lightsaber form but she felt uncomfortable with having her in her head, and was glad she seemed to have strong natural barriers that could usually keep Bastila out of her mind. Sleep was the only time she couldn't control them, and they shared a few more unnerving dreams.
It was weird, but so was the whole training. Sometimes Shin felt the same about the Force as she had about fighting. Things forgotten being re-learned... but that could not be, right? Had the Masters in the Council been easier to approach she might have shared her thoughts with them. As things were... she didn't trust Bastila enough, yet, nor did she trust the bond she couldn't fully control.
In the end, she talked to Carth.
"You know, I've been watching you," he began, then turned away, flustered. "Not ogling or anything, you know, following your progress," he hastened to explain, and Shin laughed.
"Yeah, yeah. But I mean... I compare you to these padawans, and... Your movements are more graceful than theirs. You learn so much faster than them... Who knows, maybe you were in training before you got bored and decided the life of a free trader was more your style. Maybe, if we went to Coruscant, we would find you listed in their archives..."
"That... doesn't sound implausible. It would explain so much! Thank you, Carth. Thank you for not telling me I'm going crazy or imagining things."
"Hey, you still could be," he said, grinning. "I'm just saying that there's a lot you don't remember, and some of it is obviously fight training. We don't know when or how you got it but no reason to be apprehensive of it – you use it like you'd use any resources."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir!"
"Ha ha. Ready for more training?"
She groaned. "Guess I got to. I should meet Bastila for some lightsaber training. Which will interest me more when they give me an actual saber instead of the training one."
- - -
After the session with Bastila Shin retreated into the tiny garden and found a corner to meditate in but found it impossible to concentrate. She followed the traditional teachings and repeated the Jedi Code in her mind, hoping it would help her find her calm centre. "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force." No emotion, peace; no passion, serenity... That's how she always thought about her night with Carth; not passion but peace...
Flustered that her thoughts had once again turned to him when she was trying to empty her mind she jumped up, and went in search of company to distract her.
All of the crew still slept in the Hawk. They had been offered rooms in the Enclave but everyone except Bastila had decided to stay in the ship instead – all for their own reasons. Shin knew she'd find company there.
It didn't really surprise her that Carth was the first person she encountered, approaching the ship.
"How did it go?" he asked, kindly.
She made a so-so sign with her hand then grinned wickedly. "I can't concentrate on meditating, want to run away with me?"
"You'd be punished for disobedience, Padawan." He grinned.
"Not even a damn Padawan yet," she corrected, pouting.
He laughed at her petulant expression, and they boarded the ship side by side, only to be met by an interesting sight: Zaalbar was tweaking T3 with instruments that looked tiny in his huge paws.
- - -
"What are you doing?" Shin asked, and got an answer in both Shyriwook and droid.
Carth looked at her for translation that was not forthcoming, she just nodded her approval. They had reached the next room before she noticed his look.
"Zaalbar wishes I am not upset even if he uses his free time enhancing the droid's performance."
"Why would you be upset?" Carth frowned.
Shin smiled suddenly with a radiance she seldom had these days and Carth nearly missed her response, getting lost in it.
"He seems to be of the opinion that since I stole it, it's mine."
"Does the same apply to the Ebon Hawk, then?" Carth asked, amused.
"Well, I suppose we need to fight it out with Canderous," she replied, grinning, and they were both startled when the gruff Mandalorian appeared as if out of nowhere.
"Fight what out with me?"
"The ownership of the Hawk," Shin explained, recovering quickly.
Canderous raised his hands, palms facing her in the universal gesture of surrender and laughed.
"All yours, baby. I've had my ass kicked by the Jedi once already."
"What, not up for a rematch?" she teased.
As Carth saw the sweet smile aimed at another man he felt the more and more familiar stabbing pain in his side. No.
Canderous went wherever he had been going, and Shin looked worryingly at Carth's face.
"What's wrong? Is it the remainder of the war?" she asked, concerned.
"What? Oh no, no... I..."
Well, not the way she meant, anyway. It was that smile. The memories of the nights they'd spent outside, under the stars, sharing stories by fire. Every night found the ragtag group that had escaped Taris together by the side of the ship that had become their home. Even Bastila joined them, on occasion. It was the memory of her rapt expression when listening to Canderous' war stories...
True, she paid as much attention to Mission's stories of her adventures, so maybe...
"I'm fine, don't worry," he finished, realising she was still waiting for his explanation.
"So, what would you like to do since we can't run away?" he asked, trying to distract her from the worry he still could read on her face.
She smiled at him, probably realising what he was doing and not caring. The moment she opened her mouth to talk they were interrupted by Bastila clearing her throat.
Shin groaned, and bent her head so that it brushed Carth's arm. "Caught," she muttered, and he patted her arm compassionately.
- - -
"The Masters think you're ready for testing," Bastila declared without preliminaries, and Shin could only stare at her incredulously.
"Ready? I can't even concentrate on meditating! I'm all antsy."
"Really?" Bastila raised her eyebrow inquiringly. "You seem perfectly calm now."
As she spoke Shin realised it was true. Carth always affected her so. He seemed to be the peace she couldn't find in her solitary meditations. She met his eyes and hoped her smile conveyed some of this to him.
His answering smile was partly sad and partly proud – but she didn't know whether that was directed at himself or at her for reaching this point.
She turned to follow Bastila, and Carth called "Good luck" after her.
"There is no luck..." Bastila started to say.
"...just my incredible skill," Shin finished for her, just loud enough for Carth to hear so that it was the comforting sound of his laughter that followed her outside.
Continued in Chapter 10