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Author's Notes:

Tails of the Old Republic is a crossover between the Sonic the Hedgehog universe and the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic video game.

Sonic and all related IP belongs to SEGA/ Sonic Team
SW: KotOR and all related IP belongs to Lucas Arts/ Bioware Corp
No copyright or trademark infringement intended.

Series rated "Web-14" for violence, mild language, and suggestive themes.

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Upper City Taris — Duel Ring, Part Three

As the Mobian fox re-entered the cantina, the teenager noticed more people were intentionally observing him now, and not just staring at his oversized tails. Word must have been spreading of his upcoming matches in the dueling ring, and Tails could hear his "nickname" being muttered all across the tavern. Some of the patrons were incredulous, even irate that he, an upstart off-worlder, would soon be fighting against who were supposedly the best competitors in the dueling game after only two matches. Others were betting amongst themselves how long he would survive in the ring, and still others — particularly females — were engaging in conversations that made the boy feel uncomfortable.


As Tails made his way through the main dining area, he spotted one Human who looked very out-of-place. She sat dejectedly at one of the tables in a far corner, nursing a glass of dark purple fluid. Tails noticed that the other patrons were deliberately avoiding her. He felt apprehensive, but decided he should investigate. The twin-tailed fox ambled over to the Human female's table.


"Hello there," Tails said, with a friendly smile. Since the woman was sitting in a chair, their faces were about level.


"Oh, hi," the woman replied. She looked surprised and confused, but her face seemed to brighten a little. "Sorry, I'm not used to people coming up and talking to me. "What's you're name?"


"My name's Miles. What's yours, and why are you sitting way over here?"


"I'm Sarna, junior officer first class with the Sith occupation force. That probably answers your second question."


Tails gulped, and the fur over his spine stood on end, but he tried to look unmoved.


"Wow, you're with the Sith?" Tailed asked. "You... don't look like a Sith."


The woman sighed, and replied, "I'm off duty right now, so I'm not in uniform. I'm actually a little surprised you're talking to me at all. Most of the people here on Taris can't stand us Sith, not that I blame them. It can make this job pretty lonely."


Tails considered for a moment, looking around the cantina. This Human certainly wasn't acting like a two-dimensional "bad guy", and he almost felt sorry for her. Tails thought that if he was calm and tactful, he may be able to get some information out of the female.


"Well... you did conquer their planet," Tails said, scratching the back of his head. "But I'm not actually from Taris; I'm kinda stuck here until your quarantine ends."


"Oh, you're an off-worlder? I'm not exactly up to speed on this planet's population, so I figured you were one of the natives. Huh, I would think you'd be even more angry, being trapped on a foreign world and all."


"Well... I can't say I've been enjoying this past week," Tails said truthfully. "But that's not a valid reason to be angry at you, personally. Besides, the locals here seem hostile to everyone. I've come to accept it."


The Sith officer seemed to be warming to Tails' presence, and the Mobian actually saw a smile flicker across her face.


"You know, it's like everyone on this backwater planet is in a permanent bad mood." she said. "Don't they know we have to make the best of things?"


"I would agree to that," Tails replied. "Everyone has their ups and downs, but it's how you deal with them that counts, right?"


"Exactly!" the woman said, a proper smile now beginning to form on her face. "It's all about attitude. I didn't ask to be assigned to this deadbeat planet, but I do try to make the best of it. It's easy to get depressed on an assignment like this, but we do what we can to keep our spirits up."


"I guess... you just need to blow off steam every once in a while, right?"


"That's true. It's nice to meet someone who understands what I'm going through. I'm glad I could talk about this stuff, it gets pretty lonely up at the military base."


"The military base?"


"Our base of operations right now," the Sith officer said. "Used to belong to the Republic. There wasn't much of interest there, except some serum to a disease from the Undercity the Republic had been working on."


Inwardly, Tails cringed at the thought of how many Republic soldiers died in the takeover. But the mention of the cure to the rakghoul disease piqued his interest. But before he could mention it, the woman finished her drink and got up.


"I have to get going soon; I have a shift coming up at the military base. But some of us junior officers are having a party tonight to vent  some steam."


"Oh, OK," Tails said, disappointed he wouldn't be getting any more information out of the Human. "Well, have fun."


Sarna looked down at him for a while, analyzing him. "Thank you... for listening to me ramble. It's just that... this job hasn't been all it was cracked up to be."


"Don't worry about it," Tails replied, waving dismissively. "I'm just glad I could lend an ear."


The woman smiled, and said, "You know, I... I'd really like to see you again. You seem really nice, and... I normally wouldn't say this to someone outside my species, but you're kinda handsome, too. I like your eyes the most... like sapphires."


Tails suddenly withdrew into himself. "I, um, err, uh..."


Sarna laughed a bit, then said, "Maybe you could drop by tonight? If you have a datapad, I'll show you where it is on your map."


"I-I... don't think I'll be able to make it. I mean... I can't guarantee anything..."


"Don't be so reserved, Miles. Just because I'm with the Sith doesn't mean I don't know how to have a good time. You'll enjoy yourself, I promise!"


Tails nervously dug the datapad out of his pants, and Sarna uploaded the location of the upcoming party. The Human extended her hand, and Tails accepted the handshake.


"It's in an apartment complex north of here. Don't be late; we're starting right after our shift ends, which will be right before sunset. Most of us won't even be going back to the base to lock up our uniforms. I look forward to seeing you there."


"I'll... see," was all Tails could say.


Sarna trotted off, leaving Tails behind to collect his wits. The boy shivered, then tugged on his bangs. He felt embarrassed, but otherwise the conversation with Sarna went well. He wondered what could be gained by attending a party full of Sith officers, though he speculated he might be able to get more information there. She did mention uniforms, but Tails doubted he could just drop in and ask for a suit of Sith battle armor. And sunset was still eight hours away; delaying the search for Bastila yet another day could have dire consequences.


The Mobian stood by the table, staring at the floor, his arms folded across his chest.


'Sarna... I really hope... I won't be forced to hurt you later on...'


"Your butt-extensions are in the road, kid."


A stern-faced waiter, carrying a large tray of food, was glaring at him.


"Oh, I'm sorry sir."


The Mobian moved his gigantic tails, allowing the waiter to pass. Tails sighed, and started toward the room where the fat slug would be.


'Oh, Sonic... just what have I gotten myself into this time?'


Ajuur the Hutt, disgusting as ever, wriggled with excitement as Tails approached him.


"Ah! Mysterious Stranger, you've returned! I knew you'd come back, they all come back! You're ready for you next fight, right?"


"As ready as I'll ever be," answered Tails.


"Good, good! The ring is in your blood now, isn't it? You need to hear the cheer of the crowds, don't you? You need to feel the rush of battle; you need to fight again!"


"I just want those credits, Ajuur, nothing more."


"Heheheh, of course. You ready to step into the ring now? You ready to prove yourself against the best duelists on Taris?"


"I am," Tails said.


"Good! I think you're ready to go up against Ice, furry one. She's tough, but so are you! Remember, these next fights are set up so you get no break in between. If you defeat Ice, then Marl will come out a mere sixty seconds after she's carted off the arena. Now Marl, he's getting up there in years, but he's still very, very good. He used to be the duel champion, before Twitch knocked him off. Now there's a dangerous one: Twitch has defended his title as duel champion for four years, Stranger, and there's a reason he's the best. You had better watch yourself!"


"I'll do the best I can, nothing more," Tails responded.


The fat slug eyed Tails severely, then said, "Heh, normally I wouldn't set up such an outrageously unbalanced fight, but the fans were demanding a show, and you seem promising. I'm putting my reputation on the line as a duel manager, so don't you dare disappoint me!"


The fox detected a thinly veiled threat in the Hutt's words, but decided to ignore it.


"I'll put on a good show. Can I go below now?"


"Hahaha, eager to begin! Good luck Stranger, and make me wads of cash!"


The orange Twi'lek attendant appeared, and the girl led him down the stairs into the designated waiting area. Tails began his stretching exercises, warming himself up and maximizing his flexibility. He performed some sit-ups, push-ups, and squats, then practiced some defensive maneuvers with his tails. The fox then sat down on a bench, and the Twi'lek provided some water, which he thanked her for.


There was still ten minutes to burn before he had to tango with Ice, so he had some time to think. He formulated various battle strategies in his head, of course, but his thoughts kept wandering.


'Why am I here?' Tails thought to himself. 'What am I doing here? My situation make no sense... just how did I get here? Why am I tangled up in this war between the Republic and the Sith? I've never even heard of these powers before. I spent more than six months in deep space on the Blue Typhoon... shouldn't I have some clue as to what's going on?'


But soon enough, it was time for the match to begin. Tails got up and checked his equipment, from the headset over his left eye, to his blaster and vibroblade, and his bandoleer of explosives. He straightened his clothing (wishing he was only wearing his boots and gloves), popped the nitrogen out of his joints, and stood by the big metal door. He stepped through when it finally opened, and his eyes quickly adjusted to the bright lights.


"Ladies and gentlemen!" called the disembodied announcer, with a little more drama than necessary. "Draw your eyes to the center ring! We have a very special presentation in store for you today! A fight to remember, indeed!"


There was a wild cheer from the spectators ringing the arena.


"Over in this corner, a woman with steel on her bones, and ice water in her veins! She's as cold and quick as death itself! You know her... you love her... ICE!!"


As the crowd roared, Miles Prower observed the Human female he would be dueling with. She was tall and fit, and wore a lavender jumpsuit and brown torso armor. She had close-cropped hair, and her face was anything but friendly-looking. Ice just scowled at him. On her jumpsuit hung four different blasters.


"And in the other corner, a rising star taking his first bold steps into the big leagues! What do you think, folks? Can this two-tailed menace really survive three consecutive battles, with no break in between? We shall see! I give you... the Mysterious Stranger!"


In ten seconds, Tails knew the air horn would blare. He lowered his stance, stretching out his arms, straightening his tails behind him. Chaos energy flowed into them, and the air crackled softly between them, but it was not Tails' intention to use his eight-foot-long appendages as killing blades. Rather, he predicted he would need them as shields. Gerlon may have missed every shot, but Tails judged that he wouldn't be so fortunate against this woman. Ice grasped a blaster in each hand.


The air horn sounded.


Tails' legs were compressed like steel springs, and he blasted off like a rocket. He ran at Ice at a slight angle, and the Human female was now training her weapons on him. The Mobian ducked and twirled, and four energy bolts cleanly missed. The boy's momentum carried him forward, and he landed in a one-armed handstand. Ice was running, too — not at him, but in a wide circle, never taking her eyes off him.


Tails allowed himself to fall until his body was parallel to the floor, then struck the floor with one of his tails, propelling himself into the air. Two red lances of particle energy streaked past where he just was.


Quickly, Tails drew his own blaster. The greenish, holographic eyepiece on his headset activated, and a targeting reticle appeared. Three yellow circles indicated the path any shots would follow. Tails aimed about six inches from the right side of Ice's skull, and squeezed the trigger twice. The gesture had the intended effect, and Ice lunged to the left. The fox re-holstered the weapon and tucked into a ball, spinning backwards as an angry Human fired six shots in Tails' direction.


Tails landed on both feet, and accelerated into a Spin Dash. He turned at hard angles, hoping to keep his maneuvers random enough so Ice's shots would miss. Tails carved a haphazard path toward his opponent, and he was finally within tackling distance.


A blaster bolt struck him.


The tail that absorbed the shot frazzled, and Tails was knocked out of his spin. It felt like ten thousand volts of electricity arced up his tail and up his spinal column, and the fox tumbled precariously near Ice's feet. Tails didn't see it coming, but he suddenly felt Ice's boot smashing into his nose, and he felt his head whip back.


Rolling backwards on the floor, Tails recovered himself and stood just in time to see both barrels trained on his chest. Tails' eyes widened, and he pushed off with one leg, twirling crazily, whipping his tails about for balance.  The boy hopped from foot to foot, bobbing and weaving frantically to avoid getting hit. The first two shots were far off, but the next four were getting closer to their target.


"Hold still, you stupid ballerina!!" she bellowed.


The teenage boy knew that he could not evade the woman's next two shots. Mid-air, Tails tucked into a ball again, and whipped both tails in front of him. His tails flattened and hardened into broad shields, and each one absorbed an energy bolt. Tails yelped as the sensation of lightning shot up his spine, and both tails frazzled as his hold on his Chaos energy was disrupted.


The Mobian gritted his teeth, and as he fell, Tails lobbed two concussion grenades in Ice's general direction. Ice was not expecting that, and even as she dodged, one grenade's blast washed over her, and she smacked into the floor. Her blasters slid across the arena.


Tails struggled to his feet, then compressed his legs for one final attack. Snarling angrily, the Human female jumped to her feet and clasped her two reserve weapons, but it was too late. Tails launched himself in a corkscrew spiral, and his gloved fist struck the woman's left cheekbone. Ice sailed four meters across the floor, and landed with a thud.


She didn't get up.


Tails knelt on one knee, panting heavily, and squinting through one eye. The eyepiece of his headset indicated light hemorrhaging inside his nasal cavity, and Tails wiped the blood dribbling from his nose on the back of his glove.


The air horn blared, and the crowd went wild.


"It's over! It's over! The fight is OVER! The Mysterious Stranger has won!" declared an overly enthusiastic announcer. "Ice is knocked out cold! Looks like we have a rising star in the Mysterious Stranger, folks. But how high can this star soar? We'll just have to watch and see! Coming up next: Marl the Mutilator!!"


Two medical droids ferried away the unconscious Ice, and Tails stood up. Ignoring the roaring spectators, Tails massaged his namesakes.


"That. Freaking. Hurt." Tails told himself. "Geez, those blasters pack a lot more punch than I anticipated. And that 'energy suppressor' is supposedly making them weaker, or at least nonlethal."


Tails walked over to his designated station, wishing he could have a pitcher of water. The opposing door re-opened, and a male Human strolled out.


"Tsk... this... could be more challenging than I thought..."