Chapter 7:

Bastila irritatedly sat in the corner of the room and watched the Hidden Bek members celebrating. After the swoop race, Hidden Bek medics herded Bastila into their base. Two medics placed her in a Kolto tank and provided her with a change of clothes. She was grateful, of course, but they didn't have time for these luxuries. They certainly didn't have time for the party that the Beks insisted on putting on after their win.

From her spot in the corner, Nomi was casually leaning against a wall on the other side of the room. She didn't speak to many of the other partygoers. Instead, she seemed more interested in the ale in her hand.

She looked over to Captain Onasi who was standing at her side. Since the healers released her from the Kolto tank, he had been constantly by her side. He was acting as though she might be kidnapped at any moment, she thought bitterly. "How is your fellow soldier?" Bastila asked breaking the silence.

"Nomi?" Carth asked curiously. His eyes found her against the wall. "Well… she did take some damage from the crash."

"Not too bad, I hope?"

Carth shrugged. "It's hard to say. Physically, she's healing fine. Her memory… it seems to be fragmented."

"Really?" Bastila murmured. "That's too bad…"

Bastilla inspected Nomi more closely. She was still dressed in her racing gear. Every few minutes, a Bek would approach her and shake her hand or give her a slap on the back. Each time, she smiled politely and make small talk. Nomi didn't appear to be injured except for a few superficial wounds from the race.

Bastila wasn't sure what to expect when the Council transferred Nomi onto her detail. But, she seemed so… normal. She still seemed to have the characteristic charisma and likeability that she'd heard so much about. But, she was much more subdued than Bastila had expected. Perhaps, it was a result of the injuries she sustained from the crash? It was difficult to say. Bastila promised herself to keep a close watch on the Republic Recruit.

Nomi noticed that Carth had been distracted for a few days now. Perhaps he thought he was hiding it well. But, he wasn't doing nearly as good of a job as he thought. His perceptiveness was one of his biggest strengths. He could determine the tactics of their opponents and read the social dynamics in a room instantaneously. But, he was completely unable to disguise his occasional analytical sideways glances.

They hadn't known each other very long. Still, Nomi expected that she would have built up some level of rapport with Carth due to the gravity of the job that was thrust upon them. In her experience, Nomi found that suppressed emotions, positive or negative, could damage the working relationship between colleagues. As a result, Nomi was never one to beat around the bush.

The morning after the swoop race, Bastila had spent most of her time meditating in their crowded apartment. When it was time to leave the apartment to find food, Nomi ambushed him. They were exploring the busy marketplace when she finally broke the ice. "You don't trust me," she observed pointedly.

Carth stopped. "No, I don't," he said matter-of-factly.

Why not? Nomi fumed. She shouldn't allow herself to get worked up over this but she couldn't help it.

Realizing that he'd upset her, Carth spoke quickly. "Look, you're probably one of the most skilled women I've ever met. You've saved my butt more than once and I'm lucky you're here to help me. But, that doesn't mean I'm just going to start blindly trusting you. I'm just not built that way."

"Have I given you a reason to mistrust me?" Nomi asked skeptically—an eyebrow raised.

"Not yet," Carth admitted. "But, that doesn't mean you won't… I've been betrayed more than once by people I've known longer. So, don't take it personally. Ok?"

Don't take it personally? Ok, now he was really starting to get under her skin. How did he manage to sound so condescending?

"Don't tell me not to take it personally you... Hairless wookie!" she shot back.

"All right sister," Carth snorted, his anger beginning to dissipate. "Just calm down before your head explodes—we're in public."

Calm down? Nomi thought, affronted. "We'll see whose head explodes you… you ungrateful heap of bantha dung!"

"Oh, man," Carth exclaimed, bemusement replacing any anger. "Come on sister—that's the best you got? Take your best shot."

Nomi sensed that Carth was trying to get a rise out of her. Not caring that there were hundreds of people milling about in the square, she couldn't help but rise to the challenge. "Gamorrean pig-man!" she yelled stepping closer to Carth. Her face was just inches from his. Carth's eyes sparkled with amusement, which just irked her more.

"Ouch, I think you hurt my man feelings with that one..." he laughed.

His laughter irritated her further. "Fuck off, Captain. Do not patronize me," Nomi spat. She pushed him gently away from herself.

"Nomi, I would never dream of it," he responded. Carth looked serious, "I promise. I respect you, and I want to trust you. It just doesn't come easily to me."

They stared at each other for a few moments. Carth opened his mouth, then shut it again. Finally, he said, "You're smart. You've already proven that. Put your smarts to good use and don't trust anyone. Not me. Not Bastilla. And especially not yourself."

"So, what are we actually talking about here? That you don't trust yourself? Is that it?" Nomi responded. Her arms were crossed.

"I don't need to be analyzed," he said shortly. All traces of humor left his face. "Let's just get back to business."

"No, I don't think so," she said. "I'm not going to let you just shut down and shut me out every time you feel uncomfortable. I am not going to deal with a partner who refuses to trust me."

"Well, I am not going to deal with so many goddamn questions!" he shot back. "Why does my mistrusting you even matter? Can we please just drop this? For now?" Carth broke eye contact. He looked tired.

"Fine," Nomi said shortly. She turned on her heel and purchased a large vat of noodles from a nearby street vendor. Without a word, she shoved the food in Carth's arms and walked back towards the base.

Bastila roused herself from her meditative state. After Captain Onasi and Nomi's ill-conceived "rescue," she required time to re-center herself and contemplate their next steps. With a groan, she stretched her legs. She was still sore from being kept as a Vulkar prisoner.

Silently, she glanced around the room. She was alone in the cramped apartment that served as their base. She let out a sigh of relief. Since the swoop race, Bastila had kept to herself. The Twi'lik girl and the Wookie had been in and out of the apartment for days. They were out doing force knows what. Carth and Nomi, she assumed, must be out scouting the area.

For the past few days, Bastila kept her distance from the quiet Republic recruit. At the recommendation of the Jedi Council, Nomi Raeth was placed directly under her command. Given the circumstances, she wasn't sure how she should interact with the woman.

Bastila paced around the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Carth's Republic issued comm-link laying on the table. She picked it up and easily bypassed the security system by entering in her own superior officer credentials.

Carth's last search popped onto the screen. Nomi's Republic enlistment profile was displayed on Carth's comm-link. Interesting, she thought. Both she and the captain must have had similar questions on their minds. Namely: Who was this woman?

Name: Nomi Raeth

Sex: Female

Age: 28

Rank: Ensign

Reporting Officer: Bastila Shan

Skills:

Languages: [Primary:] Basic, Additional: Mando'a, Binary, Huttese, Shyriiwook, Selkath, Jawaese, Rodese, Gamorrese, Ewokese, Twi'leki, Durese…

Combat: Proficient in hand-to-hand combat and bladed weapons

Specializations: Stealth, Droid Repair, and Computer Security

The profile was brief—just as it was intended. Surely, the lack of information was frustrating to Captain Onasi. He had a reputation for meticulously scouring his partners' records before missions. The information in her file was particularly sparse. He would not find any additional information on her through Republic records.

She let out an audible sigh. Nomi spent plenty of time with Captain Onasi. He was not an unintelligent man. It wouldn't be long before he started questions about why protocol was foregone to allow an ensign to serve in a commanding officer's detail. But, despite her history with Nomi, she knew little more about her than Carth. She only knew how she was. She had no clue who Nomi was now without all of her memories.

Just then, an irritated Nomi burst through the door of the apartment. Captain Onasi was right behind her holding a large container of food. Much to her chagrin, she felt her stomach growl. She hadn't realized how hungry she was during her meditation.

Nomi's eyes softened. "Hungry?" she asked gently. Without looking at her Onasi, she took the food out of his arms and scooped a serving into a mess kit she got out from her bad.

If she wasn't so hungry, Bastila may have waited until Onasi and Nomi had served themselves. But, she practically shoveled the food into her mouth and piled on a second helping just as Carth and Nomi took their first bites.

"Carth," Bastila began, her hunger finally starting to abate. "What plans do you have to get off this planet."

Carth paused as he was scooping food into his mess kit.

"Perhaps one of the locals could help us?" Bastila suggested. "Do either of you have any connections on this planet?"

"No," Carth shook his head. "No one we've met so far will have the connections to get us past the blockade."

They both turned to Nomi. "I suggest we go back to the cantina," she responded without missing a beat.

"The cantina does make for a good location to gather information…" she mused. "It's settled. We'll head to the cantina after we eat."

Carth scowled but didn't say anything. Instead, he nodded affirmatively with his jaw tightly clenched. Bastila looked back and forth between the two. They must have had an argument, she thought. And maybe, if she wasn't so hungry, she would have cared. Instead, she piled on a third helping and basked in the silence.

Neither Carth nor Bastila seemed thrilled to be in the cantina. Bastila, in particular, looked incredibly uncomfortable in her surroundings. She did her best to maintain her composure; her expression rapidly shifted between curiosity and disgust. Once they had secured a table, Nomi got up to go to the bar.

"Where are you going?" Bastila snapped.

"I'm getting a drink," Nomi pointed to the bar. "You want anything?" she asked lightly.

"It's barely midday!" she protested and looked around at Carth for assistance. Carth stared pointedly at his hands folded in front of him.

Nomi shrugged. "It's just one drink," she replied. Without waiting for Bastila's reply, she turned and headed over to flag down a bartender. She smiled at the bartender and ordered an ale. After a moment, she added a mug of stimcaf for Carth—a peace offering.

As she walked towards their table, she noticed Bastila had left. When she arrived, she took a swig of her ale and handed Carth the mug of piping hot stimcaf. He looked up at her, his face grateful. He murmured his thanks.

"Where is Bastila?" she asked after a moment, glancing around the cantina.

"She took off," Carth replied. He stopped to inhale the scent of his drink. "Said she was going to see if anyone could help us."

Nomi raised her eyebrows. She doubted that anyone would be willing to share information with the bratty Padawan. She knew that Bastila was probably more than capable of taking care of herself. However, she felt responsible for the young woman. It was probably the first time she had been out on her own since being accepted at the Jedi Temple. Bastila put on quite the act, but Nomi could tell that she was unsure of herself and eager to prove herself.

It didn't take her long to spot Bastila. She was in the back of the cantina close to the pazaak tables. Bastila was standing stiffly with her arms crossed in front of her. Nomi watched her from a distance for a short while. Bastila was able to flag down a few men but they quickly lost interest in the conversation when they realized she had no interest in pursuing them physically.

"Hey, pretty lady," a sleazy looking noble drawled. He put a hand on Bastila's right shoulder. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Bastila looked affronted. Before she could speak, Nomi stepped in. "Sorry sir, she's with me," Nomi grinned, and put an arm around Bastila's waist.

The noble looked mortified. He muttered his apologies, and he hurriedly shuffled back to the bar. His friends were hooting and howling with laughter.

"Thank you," Bastila said stiffly, refusing to meet Nomi's gaze.

"You're welcome," she replied, shooting her a reassuring smile.

At this point, Carth had caught up with them. He silently gestured behind Nomi.

"It's been a while," a low voice rumbled. Nomi turned around. She recognized him immediately; he was the Mandalorian she and Carth met in the Under City. This time, however, he was wearing his street clothes instead of his Mandalorian armor. Also, he traded his massive assault rifle for two blaster pistols secured at his hip. Even without his armor, he was a large man. He was barrel chested, and he stood almost two full heads taller than herself. "The name is Canderous of the clan Ordo," he reminded her.

Nomi didn't respond. She nodded; he had her attention.

"I saw you in the swoop race," he continued. "You've got guts. I respect that…"

"Don't you work for Davik Kang?" Carth interrupted. "What would a hired merc for the Exchange want with a swoop racer?" he asked suspiciously.

"It is no longer lucrative for me to work for Davik," he explained dryly. "I'm looking for a way off of this rock."

"I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. Mandalorian mercs are notoriously…"

The Mandalorian cut him off. "You ride like a madwoman. A woman who might be just mad enough to help me break into the Sith base to steal the launch codes," Canderous continued, speaking as though he couldn't hear Carth.

Nomi heard Carth inhale sharply beside her at the mention of the Sith base. "Nomi, don't listen to him. It's far too risky," Carth warned.

"Captain Onasi might be right," Bastila added.

"What do you want me to do?" Nomi asked curiously. "Surely, you already have the skills you need to pull something like this off."

Canderous laughed. "You have anonymity," he replied. "It's no secret that I'm Davik's man. I'll provide the necessary droids and resources. I just need someone who won't be recognized the second they set foot into Sith territory."

Nomi nodded, slowly taking in his proposal. His offer seemed genuine. He knew what he wanted, and he knew that she could help him get it. The plan seemed risky, of course. But, any plan to escape the planet would incite some risk. Carth and Bastila were obviously skeptical—some skepticism was normal. But, they needed to take risks if they were going to succeed in getting Bastila off this planet.

"How do you propose we do this?" she asked.

"Simple," Canderous replied. "There's a Twi'lek in the Upper City; her name's Janice Nall. I've reserved a T3 unit in her shop. This T3 can get you past the Sith security system no problem. From there, you steal the launch codes."

"What use are the codes to pass through the blockade if we don't have a ship?" she said impatiently.

"Leave the ship to me," he assured her. "While you're in the base, I'll secure the ship with Davik."

Nomi was quiet. She looked over at Carth and Bastila. Carth jaw was tight but he seemed resigned to accepting the Mandalorian's help. Bastila's face, on the other hand, was completely blank. She seemed to be deferring to the two oldest members in the party.

"We're in."

AN: Chapter 7 is out! This one took me an incredibly long time to finish. It has been a long time that I've written any creative pieces outside of a school setting. So, it has been hard to try to develop each character's individual voices. Bastila and Canderous both have very difficult personalities for me to capture. I hope I did them justice :)