Jedi by Knight

Check out the first post in this series here: Revisiting KOTOR II: (#1) A Fresh Start.

The solution to my quandary at the end of my first KOTOR II session was actually pretty easy: I just had to go back to the security desk, which now had new options to help me progress the story.  From there on out, it was smooth sailing off Peragus…well, except for the HK assassin droids that keep popping up.

The only place we can manage to fly to is Telos, where we land on the Orbital Station and are promptly accused of blowing up Peragus.  Oops.  So we’re kind of under house arrest here.  And while in custody, the Ebon Hawk has gone missing, so we have to hunt for our ship again.  This is getting to be a theme.

Telos, also known as Telos IV, was mentioned in the first KOTOR as the homeworld of Carth Onasi.  The planet’s surface was destroyed in a bombardment by Admiral Saul Karath after he betrayed the Republic to join the Sith under Revan and Malak.  This betrayal was especially personal to Carth, who had previously served under Karath.

Telos is now undergoing restoration by the Republic, but there is conflict between the two groups working on the project: the Ithorians and the Czerka Corporation.  Currying favor with either of these two groups on the Orbital Station (as well as the criminal syndicate called the Exchange) can help you on your way.

I chose to side with the Ithorians, which eventually involved hijacking a Czerka droid to get access to their files, which reveal their criminal activities.

Playing as a Czerka protocol droid

Who knew protocol droids could be this devious?

I learned the hard way to be careful about dialogue choices—they can highly affect the direction of the game.  Twice I chose options that dropped me directly into combat, and I ended up wiping out the Exchange on Telos.  Not very diplomatic for a character trying to be Light Side.  Even Kreia got mad at me about that.

I also hit my first game glitch: when I was in the Exchange boss’s office, I could not get the camera view to shift around, which is how I direct my character’s movements.  So with my view stuck I could only run forward and backward, not turn at all.  It took me a while to get out of that stupid office!

Telos is a perfect analogue to Taris from the first KOTOR.  Both planets were bombarded by Saul Karath in service to the Sith.  On Telos’s Orbital Station, just as on Taris, there are plenty of random apartments to run around and steal things from–one guy actually gets mad at you for taking stuff from his room!

They’re also the places where the minigames are introduced in the cantinas (a good way to make money, which is a critical resource at this stage of the game).  Pazaak is a card game similar to Blackjack, but it’s hard to play at this stage without good cards, which are expensive.  You can play practice games with Atton to learn the rules.  Swoop racing is fun, but I’m having trouble with it because I have no mouse (also, I just suck).

Eventually, your quest for your ship takes you to the planet’s surface, where you gain technician Bao-Dur as a new party member.  He’s a calm, competent Zabrak that serves as your guide around Telos (seriously, you’re required to have him in your party).

Bao-Dur greets us on the planet’s surface

Current party member options

All the clues lead you to the polar region of Telos, where, after again being assaulted by HK droids, you discover a secret Jedi academy with ties to your past.  You also discover your ship!  Hooray! Finally.

Over these Telos sessions, I learned a lot about my character’s party members.  A talk with Kreia produced a cutscene that revealed a lot about her past connection to the Sith (I don’t remember getting that information this early in the game last time).  After we’re all captured by the Handmaidens at the Telos Academy, there’s a scene of her probing Atton’s mind and discovering something from his past that he’s hidden from my character.  There’s also a scene of her shocking poor T3 with Force lightning!  I don’t like Kreia very much right now.

I’ve been auto-leveling my companions for the most part.  For my character, I’ve been taking the recommended attributes and skills (except fewer points in demolitions, since like 3 characters have that skill right now).  I finally caved to taking the Two-Weapon Fighting feat after the game recommended it several times (plus double-bladed lightsabers are cool), but I am not taking Force Scream!!  Stop recommending it!  Force Scream is a Dark Side power; why would you recommend it for a character who’s so Light Side I’m glowing blue? Plus Kreia already has this power, too.

NO JUST STOP

Does not compute.

So, now we’re heading out in the Ebon Hawk to search for the remaining Jedi Masters to help in the fight against the Sith.  I’m currently at 13 hr 16 min of total play time.  I randomly decided to hit Nar Shadaa, home of the Hutt underwold, first.  See you next time in that wretched hive of scum and villainy!

Continue on the 3rd part of the series here: Revisiting KOTOR II: (#3) A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy, aka Nar Shaddaa