STAR WARS: Knights of the Old Republic

CHAPTER 2

"No offense," Carth said," but I'm not exactly comfortable telling my story to someone I just met."

"Ah so you have trust issues."

"Look, I don't need a shrink," Carth said, "and well I'm not trying to be rude but call me cautious. Come to think of it, it is a little strange you happen to be here isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Venar asked not liking the change in Carth's tone.

"Well why is it," Carth began," that a raw recruit like yourself, with no formal military training, requested aboard last minute by Bastila herself, just happens to be the only survivor from the Endar Spire?"

"First off," Venar replied, "I had no idea the Jedi requested me aboard. Secondly, while I have no military training I've been in more of my share of skirmishes in the Outer Rim. Thirdly, probably not a good idea to start accusing the only other person on this planet who is out to help you."

"Look, I didn't mean anything by it I'm just trying to- you know what never mind," Carth said frustrated," you're pretty tenacious you know that?"

"So I've been told."

"Alright I guess there's no harm in telling you my story," Carth said before taking a deep breath. "I was born on a world called Telos Four, I had a wife, Morgana, and a son, Dustil. Years ago I fought in the Mandalorian Wars alongside Revan and Alek, when they were still Jedi. Well I served under them anyways, never met them personally. In the war, I served under the Admiral Saul Karath, he was my mentor. Almost like a father to me."

"That name sounds familiar," Venar interjected.

"Well it should," Carth said grimly," he's now the Grand Admiral for Darth Malak's Sith Armada. But anyways, we fought hard and bravely during the Mandalorian Wars. We did what we had to do. I fought to protect my family from warriors whose only goal was to experience the 'glory of war'.

When the Republic finally won, thanks mostly to Revan's tactical genius, I left the Republic Navy and returned home to be with my wife and son."

"What happened?" Venar asked, downing his glass of ale.

"One day Admiral Karath contacted me, he wanted to recruit me for some expedition Revan and Alek were leading into the unknown regions. I refused, deciding to stay with my family. I didn't see the point in staying in the navy since the war was over.

Everything was good for awhile, never heard from Karath again, and according to what I've been told, the Jedi Council lost contact with Revan and Alek. Until a few years later, they returned with the largest battle fleet the galaxy has ever seen. They started conquering world after world, and declared themselves Sith Lords, Darth Revan, and Darth Malak."

"So what about your wife and your son?"

"One day we walked outside, we looked up, and we saw the Sith fleet in orbit over our planet. My former mentor, Admiral Karath lead the assault. Me and some other local pilots tried to defend our homes from the air but the Sith bombed the planet into submission. We were forced to surrender. When I returned home... there was only a crater where my home had stood... my wife... my son... gone..."

"I'm... I'm sorry Carth..."

"We were betrayed by our own heroes! The Jedi preach that Revan and Malak they were seduced by the Dark Side but what about the men and women who joined them?! They don't have the Force! There's no Dark Side to be seduced by! Those men, like my mentor, deserve to die for what they did! They betrayed the Republic! They betrayed their friends and their families! And now we're in another blasted war and the enemy is winning! So now I hope you can understand why I don't trust anyone. Not even myself."