Today was yet ANOTHER boring and rainy day, so I decided to update!

Yeah well...what can I say? i just LOVE to write. (helps me ignore my little brother) :P

Thanks to anyone who's been reviewing! I do realise at the rate I'm updating in boredom I'm not exactly giving much time to review. But i do appreciate the ones I get!

Anyway hope you enjoy.

Please R&R!

Thanks!

A loud rumbling noise caused the sleeping smuggler to wake from his slumber. 'That was one weird dream…' He pulled himself up off the bed and made his way towards the 'fresher.

While passing through his apartment he caught sight of the time,

"Oh Frack! I'm late."

He quickly got dressed, gathered his gear together and dashed out of the apartment. He made his way down towards the dock module of Citadel Station. The job was supposed to be simple: bring a small cargo of spice to Tatooine.

'Nobody ever suspects small crates.'

Making his way through the entertainment sector he fought the urge to run in for a round of Pazaak. 'It's one quick job…and it's for a Hutt. Pazaak can wait.'

Truth was he didn't really know much about this deal. It was odd, because the proof of the interaction was right there in his datapad, but something felt off. He just couldn't remember meeting any associate of this Hutt or even ever hearing about him before this, but he hadn't yet ever turned down a smuggling deal, and he wasn't going to start now.

He typed in the code from the datapad onto the console to open the airlock and casually walked into the bay, winking at the female dock officer on the way to the ship.

Once inside he checked off the normal pre takeoff procedures. "Great. Everything's fine."

He then decided to take one quick look at the cargo. This wasn't a typical thing for him, but he had this… feeling.

He walked over to the cargo door and took a quick peek inside, "Who the heck are you?"

The captain woke up with a splitting headache, "I don't remember being out last night…" he groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He was shocked to see a face leaning over the bed staring at him.

"Admiral Dodonna?" he exclaimed, "What are you doing… in my bedroom?"

"Carth! There is no time to explain." She picked up a rucksack and tossed it at him, "You have to follow me!"

Carth was suspicious but knew by now that when Admiral Dodonna was worried, that he should be too. He jumped out of his bed, threw on his clothes and followed his commanding officer out of his apartment.

They ran through the many areas of Citadel Station. By the time they had reached the entertainment sector Carth had put his foot down, "Admiral! Although I do respect your authority I must ask why you have lead me this far without any information?"

"Carth, I just can't be the one to tell you. This is too big!" She sighed when she noticed the relentless look on his face, "Carth… if I tell you, there will be trouble for the Republic!"

"How is telling a captain anything to do with a mission going to-"

"You're not a captain! You're an Admiral…" her face suddenly fell, "And already I have said too much."

She motioned to press forward but Carth stood rigid on the spot.

"An a-admiral?" he stammered, "But I don't understand…"

"I know! That is why you must follow me!"

"But you said you can't tell me."

Admiral Dodonna looked at him with sympathy, "That's right Carth, I can't… but I'll be damned if I'm going to let pass your only other option."

Carth looked at her for a long moment, he sighed, "Lead the way, Admiral."

They ran through the dock module towards hangar bay one. Admiral Dodonna quickly typed in the access code and lead Carth in towards the ship.

Carth gasped at the sight; "She's beautiful…"

'Beautiful. There was something about that word that tickled Carth's mind.'

"Onasi!"

Carth jumped at the Admirals sudden shout. He realised he had been daydreaming and the Admiral was now at the ship's exit ramp. He ran over to join her.

"Alright Onasi, take these," she said thrusting him a large sack of medpacks, "The pilot's a smuggler by the name of Atton Rand. He's carrying spice, so if he gives you any trouble tell him 'you're an Admiral of the republic and-"

"Sorry Admiral, but you can't be telling me that you brought me all the way down here to bust some smuggler?!" The words were out of Carth's mouth before he even knew what he was saying.

Dodonna sighed, "'And, you won't bust him if he takes you on board.'"

Carth just looked at her, then burst out laughing, "Good one Forn! You had me going there for a second I… you're not joking," he concluded when he saw the seriousness of her face.

"Carth, you have to get away from here, and this man can take you!"

"You can't be serious! You of all people can't be serious!"

"Carth you have to go into hiding, you have to get away from here, and this ship holds the answers."

"What are you talking about? What answers?" he snapped, "Why do I need to hide? What did I do?!"

"Nothing… but you're not running from the Republic."

"Then who?!"

She looked up at him and sighed, "I can tell you who you're running from. But that pilot Atton Rand, believe it or not, is also innocent, and he is running from them too! He just doesn't realise it… yet."

Carth shifted on the spot. He didn't want to believe her, but he felt strange lately. He sighed, realising he had no other choice, "Alright…" he turned to get on the ship.

"Wait Carth."

He turned around to see his old friend's hand stretched out, and in it,

"A Cross of Glory?"

"Take it."

"Why?"

"Because you earned it… you just… don't remember."

Carth took the cross. He had a hundred questions, but knew he didn't have time.

"Thanks Forn."

And with that he ran into the ship.

Once on board he immediately knew where the captain was, just follow the shouting.

"Listen kid-"

"I am not a kid!"

Carth didn't know why, but the argument seemed familiar, up to the point where the pilot roared,

"Get off my ship."

"Your ship? I know Republic pilots who flew this ship before you!"

The pilot laughed.

"That's not so likely… see this," he said gesturing around the ship, "this kid, is a smugglers vessel. I don't think any republic pilot would be caught dead flying this."

Carth entered what looked like the cargo hold to find a young Twi'lek woman and a man dressed in leather in a heated argument. The Twi'lek caught sight of Carth and went wide eyed,

"Oh yeah! Well there's your not-so-dead Republic pilot!"

The man who Carth assumed must be Atton Rand suddenly swung round to face the Admiral.

"Look sir," he stammered, "This isn't what it looks like! If this kid is missing, I had nothing to do with it! She won't get off my ship and I-" he stopped trying to explain himself when the Twi'lek girl had ran over and hugged the Admiral.

"Carth!" she exclaimed, "Where have you been? I've been hiding on this ship waiting for you guys to come for like two days now, and-"

She suddenly stopped and broke away from the tensing man, looking up at his face, "Carth?"

Carth looked down at the girl. She was young and dressed up like an average thief. She was staring up at him in a mixture of confusion and worry, "I'm sorry… do I know you?" he eventually managed to ask.

The girl's eyes immediately filled with tears. She looked around hopelessly, as if she suddenly realised that she was alone, "No…" she whispered.

"Look." the pilot interrupted, "I'm sorry but I'm on a tight schedule here so…"

"Not anymore."

Atton just stared at the man in the orange jacket, "Sorry, sir?"

"You're not going anywhere… without me."

Atton stood there in disbelief. Was this guy for real? Coming onto his ship. Telling him to take the guy along with him!

"Yeah right buddy, listen…"

"That's admiral to you." the man interrupted.

"A-admiral?" Atton spluttered.

"That's right," he replied, "And I know what cargo you're taking along with you! So I'll make you a deal: let me tag along, and I won't immediately turn you in."

Atton fingered his blaster, "Listen Admiral, what's to say I don't just blast you both right now and space your bodies once I'm off this wretch of a planet?"

"Well," came Carth's reply, "I guess you could just call it a… feeling. That and if you were to try to take me out, this heavily armed woman beside me seems capable enough to be able to blast you up into tiny bits."

Atton smiled, "Alright old man, I guess you can come along."

"Good."

The young Twi'lek girl suddenly interrupted, as if she had not been there the whole time, "Carth! I have been hiding from the Jedi for two days! You can't just give me back to them! I don't want my memory wiped!"

Both men snapped their heads in her direction. "What?" they asked simultaneously.

The girl ignored the Atton and turned her head towards Carth, "Please," she begged, "You have to trust me!"

Carth stared at the girl, Is this the same reason I'm here? Am I hiding from the Jedi too? She seems to know my name, but she could just have heard of me, he pulled himself together and decided for once to go against his instincts. He turned to face Atton

"This Girl's coming too."

The girl beamed up at him and he felt like he just had to know her.

"I'm sorry, but who are you again?" he asked regrettably

Her face dropped immediately, "M-Mission… Vao…" she sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't realise… I wasn't prepared…" she trailed off.

"Prepared for what?" he asked, watching her stare at the ground.

Then she looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears. She looked into his eyes for a minute in what seemed like hope before replying, "You don't remember me."

It wasn't a question.