-Alora-

"Carth, set a course for Mannon."

Carth Onasi guided over to the Ebon Hawk's control console and punched in the coordinates for the rural water planet. "You got it."

We had already managed to recover the Star Maps from Dantooine, Tatooine, and Kashyyyk. Only two more to go until we received the location of the Star Forge. Everyone was on pins and needles at this point. And for good reason. We didn't really know what we were up against. We all had our different opinions of the mechanics of it. But the truth was, we had no idea.

During our time together, I had become especially fond of Mission Vao. She had an aura of innocence about her that anyone with a brain or heart would find endearing. But the streets of the recently destroyed Taris, her home world, had taught her well.

For a fourteen year old, the girl was brilliant. Slicing into computer terminals and breaking and entering, not something that I would normally condone, for anyone, was her forte. She had gotten us into places that, at the time, seemed impossible to penetrate. I constantly praised her for her talents and how much she was needed.

We found ourselves up late most nights, talking, playing rounds of pazaak, which I always let her win. We never played for credits. We connected in a sibling sort of way, although I was much older than she was, at the age of twenty-six. She would ask me questions about love, and boys, neither of which I knew much about. But she loved to listen to stories of intergalactic travel and adventure. She was quite oblivious about some of things. I found it refreshing, really. I always warned her, in a motherly sort of way, not to grow up too fast. Enjoy being a teenager while it lasted. It only got harder from there.

Canderous Ordo. I could never really figure him out. For the most part, he spent his time on the ship polishing his various pistols and carbon rifles. We had spoken a couple of times about his time during the Mandalorian Wars, but our relationship never really progressed anywhere beyond that.

Juhanai was an amazing Jedi and an example of what the Darkside of the Force would do to a mind. We had spoken about most of her past...how she had been accepted into the Jedi Order and about what she could remember of her family. But mostly, she apologized every time we spoke about her near fall to the Darkside, and attacking me in the Grove back on Dantooine.

Jolee Bindo. The grumpy old hermit from Kashyyyk. I found him very intriguing. I found myself conversing with him as often as I could, even though most of the time he shooed me away and found excuses not to continue our conversations. I would break him soon enough, however. I was good at that.

Bastila Shawn was a completely different story. We had a bond that I didn't truly understand. We constantly shared visions of Revan and Malak and the Star Maps locations. But beyond that, there wasn't much that we had in common. She constantly bombarded me with lectures about the Darkside and how easily one could stray from the light path. Lectures of things I already knew to be cautious about. Although, recently, after we had talked to her mother on Tatooine and retrieving her dead father's holocron, things had changed. I guess I had, in a sense, gained her respect.

Then there was Carth Onasi, who had been with me since our escape pod crashed on Taris when the Sith had attacked our ship, the Endar Spire. The handsome pilot who could never trust anyone. I think I was beginning to win him over now, through good-natured banter and mild flirtation. Strictly platonic mind you. I enjoyed getting a rise out of him, but he was a smart man, he could easily turn the tables on me.

I don't know exactly what made me want to connect with Carth. I felt something in him. I sensed a lot of pain and heartache within him. I could tell that, once upon a time, he had to have been someone's best friend. And I guess that's what I thought he needed most. A friend. A confidant. A shoulder to lean on.

Currently, we sat alone in the cockpit in silence. Everyone else, I assumed, were in their sleeping quarters. I caught myself stealing sidelong glances at Carth. He was, in fact, a very handsome man. I couldn't help but notice. Jedi or not, most of all I was a woman. And I was allowed to look.

"What is it?"

His voice startled me from my thoughts. "Huh?"

Carth chuckled slightly. "You keep looking at me like you have something to say. So why not just come out and say it already?" He kept his brown eyes focused straight ahead.

"Actually, I would like to know why you want revenge on Saul so badly." I knew this could only lead to another argument, but I was always up for a good spar.

Carth groaned. "I told you already, didn't I? He betrayed us all."

I shrugged. "I don't know, it just seems like there's something more personal to it than that, is all."

Finally, the man relented. I listened patiently as he told me the story of his wife, Morgana, who had been killed on Carth's home planet, Telos, when Malak's fleet, led by Carth's old mentor, Saul Karath, attacked. He told me about his son, Dustil, who they never found any trace of, and was also presumed to be dead.

The story tugged at my heart strings. When he was finished, he turned his head away, but not before I saw the single tear flow slowly down his cheek

I didn't know what to say, though I knew anything that I would have said would have only made things worse. No wonder he had trust issues. It explained why I constantly noticed him gazing out of the cockpit window, oblivious to anyone around. Staring at a face that was no longer there.

I stood then, and touched him gently on the shoulder. He was shaking. I went into the kitchen and made the two of us both steaming cups of Corellian Cider. Knowing it wouldn't make him feel better, but I felt like I needed to do something. The story had almost made me cry, and that was one thing I very rarely did.

I returned to the cockpit, finding Carth standing in front of his chair, running his hand through his already messy brown hair. When he turned, he looked more than a little shocked to see me standing there.

I cleared my throat. "I thought you might like some cider."

He forced a lopsided grin. "Thank you." He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh, thought I freaked you out before and sent you running."

I chuckled and handed the mug to him, before returning to my seat. "It takes more than a couple of tears to send me running, Onasi."

Carth smiled and reclaimed his seat. "I've never really talked about my family before. To anyone." he paused. "I guess it's time I finally did." he reached over to me and squeezed my knee. "Thank you for listening."

I smiled and took a sip of my cider. "Anytime."

-Carth-

I sat my empty mug on the console that separated Alora and myself. I couldn't believe I had allowed her to see me cry. I hated showing any sort of weakness. And I don't know why, but it was even more so with this woman. This woman I had only known for a couple of months, was forcing herself into my personal life. Not that I minded, really. But my past was not a great one. Losing my wife and son four years ago had taken away most of my ambitions. I started building a wall around my heart and soul that were impregnable. Or so I had thought.

Who exactly was Alora Polies?

I found myself staring at Alora now, and not for the first time, noticed just how beautiful she was. She was a small, muscular woman, but not overly so. Her toned legs could probably snap a cannibal dewback's neck in two. Her torso was slim and taut not so much as a tiny bulge protruded over the hem of her pants when she sat down. You could see the faint lines of her muscles when she wore those short t-shirts of hers when she sparred with the others. Petite, muscular, tan arms. Tiny hands. Delicate and slender fingers.

I was shocked at how much I found myself unconsciously studied her. The most appealing of her beautiful features however, were her eyes. They were two different colors. One was a deep, piercing shade of blue, like a pool of water someone would drown in. The other, an enchanting emerald green. With subtle hints of gold around the pupil. If asked, I'm sure she would consider them a flaw, but they enhanced her features dramatically.

Alora finally looked over at me, taking a sip of her cider. I chuckled when some missed her lips and trickled down her chin. I don't know what made me do it but, before I could stop myself, I reached over and brushed it off her chin. She glanced at me curiously, her eyes full of innocence and wonder. I withdrew my hand slowly and cleared my throat, embarrassed. "Uh, it's late. You should probably get some sleep."

She nodded slowly and stood, taking both empty mugs with her. "Goodnight, Carth."

I stared straight ahead. "Goodnight, Alora." And with that, I heard her footsteps exit the cockpit and I listened to them until they were gone. I set the Hawk on auto pilot and nestled back in my chair. I felt exhausted, and more than a little silly. Why did I do that?

I finally started to nod off, thoughts of Alora still clouding my mind.