Chapter 12 - Towing the Line
Connie stood silently before Braja as he sat in a worn down looking wooden chair that was in his tent. He eyed her up and down nodding approvingly.
"Connie," Braja began. "We've been freinds a long time. All of us. By now, you have to know that Kirk would do anything for you, right?"
Connie nodded. "He would. Braja, if you're thinking about using me to get to Kirk, forget it. I couldn't do that to him."
Braja grinned. "Of course you couldn't. But think about it this way, you'de be doing it for him." Connie tilted her head and squinted, as if she didn't understand.
Braja clasped his hands together, his pointer fingers coming together as steeples, and tapped his lips with them. "Ok. Kirk has got to let go of whatever it is that's holding him back at some point. To survive here, we have to become stronger."
"Nin said you could teach us the power of . . ." Connie bit her lip.
"Of the Dark Side?" Braja asked, leaning smugly back in his chair. Connie nodded. "Indeed. I beleive I could. But, you have to bring Kirk around. I can't have him hanging onto Jedi ideals. It would be more dangerous than helpful, and it could only hold him back."
Connie turned around, she let her thoughts roll through her head for a few moments. Braja folded his arms and waited patiently. Finally, she turned around.
"Ok." She said. Braja beamed. "But," His smugness halted: "You should know that, I'm only doing this to help out the good of the group. I . . . I could never want Kirk the way he wants me."
Braja stood up and walked toward Connie. He placed his hand on her neck and rubbed her just under the ear. Connies eyes widened, wondering what he was doing. Before she could pull away, Braja had pulled her to him and had his lips on hers. Hastily she pushed him back.
"What are you doing?" She cried with exhasperation. Connie wiped at her lips furiously.
"I'm sorry, I thought . . ." Braja's face reddened with embarassment. He began chuckling angrily, at himself for misinterpreting, at her for resisting him. "I thought you meant you,"
"What, had feelings for you?" Connie hung her head. "No, Braj. I'm sorry. I . . ."
"Jan?" Braja asked turning away.
Connie nodded. "Yes. Braj, I'm sorry. I'm, really . . . I'm sorry."
"No." Braja said sighing. "I, it's my fault. I should have seen it, really. This whole time. What a fool I am."
Connie put her hand on his shoulder. "It doesn't make me any less your freind."
"I know." Braja said. "Thanks for agreeing to do this for me. It means a lot, for everyone concerned."
"Anything I can do to help." Connie said. Braja nodded. "Ok, get out of here. I need to plot our next move." Braja said smiling. Connie nodded and walked quickly out.
As Connie passed through the tent flap, a sourness passed over Braja's face, turning his smile into a bitter scowl. How could he have been so stupid? He thought. Why Jan, and why not me? Braja grunted, almost a growl.
It didn't matter. Soon Kirk would be under Connies influence. Soon, he could begin teaching them to reach their full potential and not hold anything back. He had already learned not to hold back, but now, on this planet, with no Jedi code to follow, no law to uphold, nothing to stop him, he could master his full potential as well.
Braja's mind reeled with possibilities. Nothing quite as grand as overthrowing Darth Malak, or taking over the galaxy, but there were a few grudges that Braja would like to finally settle. Number one being getting Christian off his back once and for all. After that, well, there was a Kel-Dor that had pirated some goods from him once. Braja thought maybe he was still on Tatooine. Yes, that would be second . . .
"Connie," Braja began. "We've been freinds a long time. All of us. By now, you have to know that Kirk would do anything for you, right?"
Connie nodded. "He would. Braja, if you're thinking about using me to get to Kirk, forget it. I couldn't do that to him."
Braja grinned. "Of course you couldn't. But think about it this way, you'de be doing it for him." Connie tilted her head and squinted, as if she didn't understand.
Braja clasped his hands together, his pointer fingers coming together as steeples, and tapped his lips with them. "Ok. Kirk has got to let go of whatever it is that's holding him back at some point. To survive here, we have to become stronger."
"Nin said you could teach us the power of . . ." Connie bit her lip.
"Of the Dark Side?" Braja asked, leaning smugly back in his chair. Connie nodded. "Indeed. I beleive I could. But, you have to bring Kirk around. I can't have him hanging onto Jedi ideals. It would be more dangerous than helpful, and it could only hold him back."
Connie turned around, she let her thoughts roll through her head for a few moments. Braja folded his arms and waited patiently. Finally, she turned around.
"Ok." She said. Braja beamed. "But," His smugness halted: "You should know that, I'm only doing this to help out the good of the group. I . . . I could never want Kirk the way he wants me."
Braja stood up and walked toward Connie. He placed his hand on her neck and rubbed her just under the ear. Connies eyes widened, wondering what he was doing. Before she could pull away, Braja had pulled her to him and had his lips on hers. Hastily she pushed him back.
"What are you doing?" She cried with exhasperation. Connie wiped at her lips furiously.
"I'm sorry, I thought . . ." Braja's face reddened with embarassment. He began chuckling angrily, at himself for misinterpreting, at her for resisting him. "I thought you meant you,"
"What, had feelings for you?" Connie hung her head. "No, Braj. I'm sorry. I . . ."
"Jan?" Braja asked turning away.
Connie nodded. "Yes. Braj, I'm sorry. I'm, really . . . I'm sorry."
"No." Braja said sighing. "I, it's my fault. I should have seen it, really. This whole time. What a fool I am."
Connie put her hand on his shoulder. "It doesn't make me any less your freind."
"I know." Braja said. "Thanks for agreeing to do this for me. It means a lot, for everyone concerned."
"Anything I can do to help." Connie said. Braja nodded. "Ok, get out of here. I need to plot our next move." Braja said smiling. Connie nodded and walked quickly out.
As Connie passed through the tent flap, a sourness passed over Braja's face, turning his smile into a bitter scowl. How could he have been so stupid? He thought. Why Jan, and why not me? Braja grunted, almost a growl.
It didn't matter. Soon Kirk would be under Connies influence. Soon, he could begin teaching them to reach their full potential and not hold anything back. He had already learned not to hold back, but now, on this planet, with no Jedi code to follow, no law to uphold, nothing to stop him, he could master his full potential as well.
Braja's mind reeled with possibilities. Nothing quite as grand as overthrowing Darth Malak, or taking over the galaxy, but there were a few grudges that Braja would like to finally settle. Number one being getting Christian off his back once and for all. After that, well, there was a Kel-Dor that had pirated some goods from him once. Braja thought maybe he was still on Tatooine. Yes, that would be second . . .
