Disclaimer: Unfortunately, most of the following dialog belongs to Bioware. My only influence was the way it was expressed. Everything in the GFFA belongs to Lucas.

Everyone had gone to their respective bunks and Carth found time to enjoy the quietness once again. He sat in the cockpit, drinking caf, thinking about the day. He really hadn't been up long, having slept for most it. Canderous had been able to find a container of ration bars, which everyone preferred over the ship's synthesizer. Carth couldn't remember when he had a decent meal last. All the previous days seemed to run together and he looked forward to real food on Dantooine.

His thoughts about food were interrupted when he heard the door slide open. He groaned inwardly at the invasion, wishing everyone was sleeping. However, he was surprised to turn and see Sage walk in. She looked like she had just woken up. She had pulled her hair back into a knot and was wearing her sleep clothes. She looked…cute.

"I helped myself to the caf out there. I'm assuming it was yours?" she said while taking a sip of the steaming beverage.

"You're welcome to it. You probably need it more than I do."

He watched her walk over to the co-pilot's seat and curl up in it. When she settled, he said, "I wondered when you would wake up."

She scoffed, "It wasn't my choosing. I can assure you."

"How's that?" he asked.

"Well, I was sleeping…somewhat, when a young Twi'lek voice yelled out, 'Geesh, haven't you slept enough? Let some others get some sleep!'" she quirked her lip.

He smiled, "I think it may take Mission a while to get use to your…nighttime activities."

Sage didn't reply as she leaned back and looked out the view port. He knew the nightmares bothered her, but didn't feel comfortable asking about them. He saw her embarrassment over them one of the few human qualities he'd identified in her.

She took another drink from her cup and said, "Well, I guess now's as good of a time as any to adjust to Dantooines solar schedule." She turned to look at him, "What time of day is it at the academy?"

Carth punched in a few keys and read the display. He smiled slightly in amusement, "0300."

She harrumphed, "I guess not."

"How's your wound?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah…" She pulled up her shirt to reveal a completely healed wound. He knew he shouldn't look so openly at her exposed midsection, but figured he'd seen so much of it in the past two days that once more wouldn't matter. It was the first time he'd seen it without the big gash and he found himself admiring it. But then he caught himself and quickly turned away.

"I was about to do a status check on the ship…would you like to help?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Sure."

They spent the next hour going over various systems. He found the task went a lot quicker with someone else to look things up for him. However, Sage's patience wore thin after a while. When he asked her when the last time the port side refresher was adjusted, she gave him an irritated look, "How much longer is this going to take?"

He chuckled, "Why, do you have something better to do?"

She frowned, "I could think of something, trust me."

"I have no doubt," he said as he gave up the task for another time.

She thought for a moment and then turned in her seat to face him. He knew he wasn't going to like this from the set determination in her eyes. He prepared himself for the conversation he knew was coming.

She started, "So, two Jedi turned on the Republic…and now you no longer trust anyone," she paused. "It seems to me there might be something missing there."

Carth shook his head and growled, "I thought I said I didn't want to talk about it anymore. Can't you just leave it?"

She kept looking at him, unwavering. He shifted under her gaze.

"What gives you the right to badger me with constant questions?"

She rolled her eyes, "Do we have another problem, now?"

"Isn't there someone else you can harass for a little while?"

She looked around with a smirk on her face, "Doesn't look like it."

"Blast it, if you aren't the most frustrating woman to talk to!"

She studied him a moment, somewhat amused that he found her frustrating. She looked around her seat, collected her cup, and stood up, "Alright, then, I'll leave you alone if that's what you want."

"Wait…" He sighed, "I didn't mean it that way." She walked towards the door. He wasn't sure why, but he jumped up from his seat, "Don't go, damn it."

She stopped. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed, "Alright, story for a story?"

She rubbed her chin as if contemplating it, then flicked her wrist nonchalantly, "Deal. But first I want something else to drink." She pointed over to the wide view port and circled her finger around, "And that swirling is giving me a headache."

The common area was dimly lit to the twilight setting. Neither made an attempt to raise it. Once they had their drinks, they sat on the couch. They sat close, she with her legs curled up and facing him. He wondered at what point they had become so comfortable with each other as he reclined back into the seat.

She sat patiently waiting for him to start, which was a nice surprise. However, he wondered if the change in scenery was such a good idea when she released her clasp and let her hair fall loosely upon her shoulders. He almost lost his nerve, but knew he'd never get away with it.

He rotated his position so he faced her better, "Look, I suppose I…could use someone to talk to. I'm just not used to it." He looked at her with mock suspicion, "And I don't know why you're so interested." She donned a mischievous grin that made him chuckle, effectively easing his tension a little.

He put his elbow on the back of the couch and ran his hand through his hair before starting, "When I think of all the men who have betrayed us, the one that stands out above them all is the one I respected the most…Saul."

She looked away in thought. The name sounded familiar, but she came up with nothing.

He explained, "Admiral Saul Karath is the commander of the entire Sith fleet. He's half the reason Malak has done so well in the war."

"And he was a friend of yours?"

He nodded mournfully, "Saul was my commanding officer back when the Mandalorian Wars first began. He taught me everything about being a soldier…and I looked up to him," the last part was a painful admission. He started pulling at a seam on the side of his knee that separated them, "Saul approached me before he left. He talked to me about how the Republic was on the losing side…and about how I should start thinking of my survival." He laughed bitterly and paused, remembering the day clearly.

"I know now that he was trying to recruit me into the Sith, but I couldn't have conceived of it back then." He stopped his fidgeting and stared down at his hand resting on his knee.

"How did you respond?" she asked.

He snorted, "I argued with him and he got angry and he left."

"Did you ever see him again?"

He looked up at her, "No."

She had listened to everything he said, trying to understand the depth of his hatred, "You didn't think he would betray the Republic?"

He winced as if that was so, but not all of it. He tried to explain, "Saul was my mentor…he led us to so many victories against the Mandalorians, even when things looked to be at their worst."

He looked at her intently, trying to make her understand, "I just…I couldn't conceive of it. He…he couldn't be serious." He grunted, "I was wrong, of course…he not only left us for the Sith, he…he gave them the codes to bypass our scanners."

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring off to the side at nothing, "I remember waking up as the first of the Sith bombers snuck past our defenses and began destroying half of our docked ships." He shook his head slowly, "I knew right away what had happened."

She waited patiently for him to continue. After a moment, he looked back at her, "I…could have stopped him. I could have stopped it all."

He seemed so sure of it. To take on the weight of the galaxy was an awfully big feat. No wonder he's so intense. "Do you really believe that?"

He threw up his arms, "I don't know. Maybe." He rubbed his eyes, "He might have killed me if I'd tried, or I might have killed him. I was stupid, however, and I let him go."

They sat in silence and she could tell his anger increased the more he thought about it. He finally said while clenching a fist, "I've fought Saul for years, now, and if I ever catch up to him…he will regret what he's done. He will regret it."

She knew there was more, there had to be to react so severely. He was taking it much too personally. She could understand him being upset and hurt, but it went far beyond that. From what she was able to tell about Carth Onasi in the short time she had known him, he was much more complex than that. She reached out and took his hand in hers, loosening his fingers. The calming movement negated its effect as Carth was unsure of the intimacy of the gesture.

After a few moments, she asked, "So that's all of it, then?"

He sighed mournfully, "No. No, it's not."

He squeezed her hand in his and said pleadingly, "But I don't want to talk about it right now." He silently hoped he'd never have to talk about the rest with her.

She nodded.

They stayed there in silence for a short time. She finally released his hand, "It's late, you really should get some sleep."

He agreed distractedly and they both stood. She grabbed the cups they were drinking from and went to store them while he walked toward the dormitory. He was lost in thought, Why do I tell her this stuff? Next thing you know, I'll be telling her about… He stopped in his tracks, "Hey!"

She put the cups away before she looked at him. He approached her quickly and poked a finger to her chest, "You owe me a story."

"Now?" she asked in mock disbelief.

He smiled knowingly, "Now."

She scoffed, "Surely it can wait until tomorrow…you're tired…go to bed."

He cocked his head to the side, "Nice try." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back over to the couch and sat her down.

As he sat down, she crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly, which did nothing but get her an expectant raised eyebrow.

"Fine, what do you want to know?"

He laughed lightly at her attempt to avoid any discussion about her. He thought for a moment, "What happened after your ship crashed?"

She ran her fingers through her hair lazily, "I was rescued and taken to a medical center on Nar Shaddaa. There, I was treated for extensive injuries and spent quite some time in a kolto tank."

"What kind of injuries?"

She waved a hand nonchalantly, "Plasma burns, a few broken bones, a little damage to my nervous system…you know, the usual."

He winced, "How long were you in the tank?"

"Two months."

He stopped to think a moment, "Then what?"

"There was a Jedi there. He was apparently the one that found me in the first place. He was on another mission when he tapped onto my ships distress call. Thankfully, he found me before the Hutt's did. Given my injuries, he didn't have a choice but to take me to Nar Shaddaa."

"It sounds like he saved your life." She nodded. "What about your ship?"

She scoffed, "The Hutt's took my ship. I was suspected of trying to retrieve spice. After analyzing what was left of my ships records, they determined my crash was not intentional," she chuckled at that.

"So what did you do?"

"I thought it was a good idea to get off Nar Shaddaa, but, without a ship, my options were limited. The Jedi who rescued me was able to find me an assignment on the Endar Spire."

It all seemed simple enough, he still wasn't so sure why she was reluctant to explain it, Probably just to torment me. "Any idea what caused the crash."

"Nope…the Hutt's had it picked apart and removed before I even woke up. They gave me what was left of my logs, but there wasn't any evidence of what happened."

That concerned him. "What were you doing when it happened?"

She thought about how to answer, but instead tipped her nose up in the air and said, "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

He blinked, "What? Come on."

"Unless, of course, you're willing to continue your story," she challenged.

He frowned, "Somehow you seem to get much more out of these little talks than I do."

She winked at him and smiled. She stood and reached a hand out to help him up, "Goodnight, Flyboy."

He tried to glare at her grudgingly before finally accepting her help. He stood in front of her, still holding her hand. She looked up at him and wondered if he'd finally have the nerve to kiss her. He fought the urge to do so. He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand before releasing it, "Goodnight."

She watched him retreat to the men's quarters and decided there was no use in wondering.

After Carth went to bed, Sage took a shower and got dressed. She roamed around the ship to check out any areas she hadn't seen the first night. She made it to the common area and decided to make herself something to eat. She looked through the options and decided soup looked like the best option. However, what came out looked more like sludge. She grimaced. A rough voice came from the other side of the room, "I wouldn't eat that if I were you."

Sage looked over at Canderous standing in the doorway, "Trust me, I wasn't planning on it."

He walked over to the display and punched in a code. A door slid open to reveal a rather large collection of ration bars. Sage took one and groaned.

Canderous responded, "Packaged stuff is the best you're going to get for now."

"You'd think a guy like Davik Kang would have his ship better stocked than this," she said.

"He kept stuff in containers, but the synthesizer needs regular use. With the quarantine, it was down for a couple of weeks," he explained.

She found some packaged juice and sat down on the couch. Canderous left the room. After finishing what passed for a meal, she leaned her head back on the couch and fell asleep.

After his shower, Canderous decided to check out the cargo hold for any more food they could eat. He'd spent a lifetime hunting and killing his meals, and ration bars were a far cry from the real thing. He'd heard of a creature called an iriaz, and looked forward to hunting them on Dantooine. From what he had been told by the Jedi woman, there wasn't much else to do on the planet.

After finding some dehydrated meals, he went to the common area to store them. He found Sage sleeping, What is it with women and that couch?

Without anything else to do, he went back to the garage to work on the various weapons that had been dumped there since they boarded the ship. He was actually fairly impressed with the stash his traveling companions were able to acquire. In fact, he was sure they came with more weapons than clothing. The pilot didn't really like him messing with all of it, But he ain't here, is he, the thought bringing a twisted smile to his lips.

Sage woke to a static-like sound. She opened one eye to see Mission sitting at her feet eating something from a wrapper. She slowly lifted herself from the lying position she found herself in. Mission looked over at her, and with a mouth full of food said, "I never saw someone sleep as much as you."

Sage rubbed her eyes, Force, please tell me we're almost at Dantooine.

Canderous was adjusting the new scope on his blaster when Sage walked in. He didn't look up from his work, "Yeah? What do you want?"

Sage cocked an eyebrow and smirked. She pulled up a seat, "Just trying to pass the time."

"Well don't expect me to entertain you."

She chuckled, "That would certainly be a sight to see."

He snorted, but continued with the blaster. She finally started by propping a booted foot on the workbench he was working at, "So, Canderous, tell me a little about yourself."

He glanced at her and her foot, "What is this, an interrogation? If so, don't bother, your Republic friend already tried."

She laughed at that. "Okay then, how about a match?"

He laughed heartily, "Are you challenging me?"

"Only if you think you can handle it," she said with a sly smile.

He laughed harder, "This ought to be quick."

She stood up and stretched her arms, legs, and back. Sleeping for as long as she did after battling her way off Taris left her muscles quite stiff. Although, hand to hand combat with a Mandalorian was admittedly more than she had been looking for. She devised a plan, Keep him talking. "Tell me about the Mandalorians."

He grunted as he pulled off his tunic. He walked over so that he towered over her, "You want to hear tales of my exploits? Of the wars I've seen and fought, the enemies I've seen die by my hand?" He said it with a wicked grin, hoping she'd get the hint and drop it.

She pulled her shirt over her head to reveal the Republic issued tank she wore underneath, "Why not?"

He was amused by the fact that she didn't seem easily intimidated. He stepped back to give her an appraising look. She didn't falter. He chuckled, "Heh, sure, I'll humor you."

He put his blaster in a locker before starting, "I've been fighting across the galaxy for 40 of your years."

"How many of your years is that?" she interrupted.

He gave her a look that said, 'You'll never know,' and continued without answering, "For my people it's the honor and glory of battle that rules us. It's through combat that we prove our worth, gain renown and make our fortunes."

They squared off in a space that would keep them away from the swoop bike. "Is that why the Mandalorians attacked the Republic?" she asked while dodging his first strike.

He stepped back to evade her kick, "Exar Kun and his Sith came to us with an offer: to fight a worthy enemy in a battle that would be remembered forever." He attempted a low kick, from which she barely jumped out of the way in time. He kept on, "Win or lose, as long as the fight is worthy, then honor is gained." He caught her fist before it landed and yanked her forward. "The glory at having triumphed over impossible odds is what drives us." She followed through with the momentum and flipped in the air to slow her progress toward the ground. "If there's nothing at stake – your possessions, your life, your world – then the battle's meaningless," he let out a grunt when her foot landed in his gut on her return.

His next attack proved his words, "We Mandalore take everything we are and throw it into battle. It's the true test of yourself – the battle against death…against oblivion." The next blow came down hard upon her shoulder and sent her crumpling to the ground.

She bounced up quickly and they started circling each other. Sage took a moment to think through everything he had said. The man showed so much pride in who he was. But his people were nearly non-existent…losing in the battle against oblivion. She wondered where it left men like him, "Then what are you doing now?"

His expression turned hard as she dodged another powerful blow, "The days of combat and glory and cheating death at every turn seem to be over now…I take what I can."

He had to admit she was good. She was small, but much quicker than he was. He was fortunate his height made aerial attacks less effective. "Times have changed now," he grunted as he landed a blow square in her chest, knocking her breathless for a moment. She recovered quickly and they continued their thrusts and parries, talking the whole while, "The Mandalore clans have been scattered across the Outer Rim, the Republic is in decline and the Sith Empire rises to take its place. The clans as they were aren't a threat, but the galaxy still fears us." He laughed bitterly at that. "People think we war out of spite, or bloodlust. They don't understand, and fear that."

She sent a flurry of attacks his way; he was able to dodge most, "We only wanted the challenge of the battle, and glory from it – win or lose. And we lost."

She landed a couple more blows before he was able to push her back, "But now I have no real challenges. Crushing Davik's enemies and the pathetic gangs in the Lower City of Taris could not be considered the most glorious of tasks."

They circled each other again, both sweaty and winded. The conversation had brought a dark mood upon him and his next attack was the most powerful yet, "When I think of the battles I've fought…the thousands I've killed…the worlds I've burned…I weep for my past." By the time he had finished talking, he had her pinned against the wall with his forearm across her neck.

The door to the garage slid open and Bastila walked in to check on the commotion she had heard. She stood shocked at what she saw. Sage took the distraction and wrapped a leg around the Mandalorian, pulling at the same time as she launched herself into him. Both went crashing to the floor. He grabbed her foot as she tried to get up and dragged her towards him. He pounced on her back and held her down with his own weight. He leaned down and said in a low growl, "We'll never speak of this again."

He got up and grabbed his tunic before exiting the room.

With a few groans, Sage raised herself up into a sitting position. She scooted over and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. She looked over at the stunned expression on Bastila's face and let out a chuckle that turned into a cough.

"What in blazes were you doing?" the younger woman asked as she handed Sage her discarded shirt.

Sage accepted it with a smile, "Talking."

Carth walked out of the fresher and nearly collided with a sweat soaked Mandalorian.

Canderous said while nodding towards the fresher, "You done in there?"

Carth was trying to figure out what happened to the man. He wore a wet undershirt and sported a bloody lip. He stepped aside and motioned for the man to enter where he had just emerged from. He must have picked a fight with the wookiee.

He went to the common area to make some caf. After retrieving a cup, he went to sit and watch the pazaak game between Mission and Zaalbar. Just as he sat down, Sage and Bastila entered the room and Carth nearly choked on his beverage. Sage's gray tank was just as soaked as Canderous' had been and her bare arms were completely covered with red marks. The rip in her pants she wore while escaping the Endar Spire was now twice the size it was before.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

"I got my butt kicked by a Mandalorian, that's what happened to me," she said with a wry smile.

Carth rose from his seat, "HE did this to you?" I knew he was bad news.

Sage's expression was of total amusement at the alarm struck in her hero. She smiled big, which confused him even more. He looked at Bastila for an explanation.

Bastila's lips were set in a thin line, "She apparently asked for it."

He looked back at Sage with that all too familiar 'are you insane' look. She continued on to the dispenser for a drink and threw back, "Well, you were sleeping, so I couldn't offer to kick your butt."

He heard the snickering coming from the girl and the wookiee and was immediately affronted by her insinuation. He got up to follow her. He talked lower to keep the others out of the conversation, "Are you so sure it would be my butt on the line?"

She smiled as she took a sip of water. She walked close to him on her way out and said quietly, "You're right. You have been eyeing mine for a while now, so maybe I should watch it a little more closely." She finished by smacking him on the behind, making him jump slightly.

She left him standing there with his back to the room. He tried desperately to hold back the smile, which only succeeded in his mouth twisting in every other way to hide it. He'd been caught…with no regrets.

Before Sage made it to the hallway leading to the starboard fresher, Mission called out to her. "Hey Sage, if you want, I could probably fix those for you," she pointed to the pants in question.

Sage looked down at the torn clothing. They were her favorite and she was rather peeved at the Sith who put the initial tear in them. "Alright, let me throw them in the cleaner first."

It was about time somebody finally paid attention to the battered utility droid. T3 was struck with debris during their escape from Taris. Carth noticed a quirk had developed that made the droid pivot right before its motivators would kick in to send it in the proper direction.

He and Zaalbar took the droid back to the garage to begin work on it. Fixing it wasn't easy given the major communication barrier between the pilot and the wookiee. After some tremendous acting skills from Zaalbar, they were able to fix the quirk and Carth learned to understand one or two shyriiwook phrases. He was sure he wouldn't remember them in the future, but they got the job done. There was still the matter of the battered chassis, but it would have to wait until they found a droid shop.

Mission was working on sewing the pants while Sage and Carth played pazaak.

Bastila sat down in a chair next to Sage and said, "I wondered if I could speak to you about something."

Sage looked at her out of the corner of her eye, "Can we talk about it here?"

"I suppose," the younger woman said. Though she had hoped for a private conversation, Sage wasn't one to sit in a single place for a long period of time. She couldn't fathom how the woman ever managed her meditation training. Yet, a question burned in her mind that she had to ask.

"It's about the Sith Governor you encountered on Taris," Bastila began.

Both Sage and Carth stopped their game to look at Bastila. Sage said, "What about him? We already talked about the powers he used on us."

"Yes, I know, but this isn't about that." She shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of not one, but two others. "You mentioned he spoke to you..."

The two players returned to their game. Sage looked at the cards Carth had in front of him and gave him a suspicious look. She'd played sabacc with him before and knew he had a good sabacc face. That seemed to carry over to pazaak as well. She answered Bastila after receiving her next card, "He was going on about breaking his meditation and some other stuff I can't really remember."

Carth spoke up, "He was mostly interested in her…kept talking about how strong she was in the Force."

"Indeed. Did you say anything to him?" Bastila asked.

Sage gave her an irritated look, "What difference does it make?"

Bastila straightened her posture, "I merely wondered if you made an attempt to save him."

The older woman's expression turned incredulous, "Save him? Why would I save him? So he can go off and kill other people?" She watched Carth play his next card.

"Have you no mercy?" Bastila asked.

Sage's face scrunched up, "It isn't about mercy. It's about eliminating the threat here and now before it gets bigger. That guy was about to earn his lightsaber…I'm sure that puts him higher in the ranks of what kind of damage he can do."

Bastila was torn, "Do you not believe everyone deserves a second chance?"

Sage gave her a level look, "We weren't there to give second chances. We needed codes…and nobody was stopping us from getting them. Saving is for Jedi."

"That sounds like victory at all costs," Bastila observed. Carth was about to object…he didn't see it like that.

Sage sighed, "To be honest…no, the moral dilemma of whether or not to save the dark sider never entered my thoughts. Tell me, Bastila, did you try to save Revan?"

Bastila relied on her Jedi training to cover up her reaction to the question. How could she have thought about the conversation so many times without seeing that question raised? It was obvious she was in over her head on this one and would have to leave the discussion to the masters. She had a reprieve when Sage was distracted by the card her opponent played.

Carth held a smug expression while Sage stared at his cards in disbelief. She looked up at him, "What did you do?"

He defended himself, "What?"

She glared at him before standing up to leave. She walked by him and leaned down by his ear, "Cheater."

He laughed as he collected his cards and called after her retreating form, "Sore loser!"

Mission handed her the repaired pants. Sage looked at them with a smile, "Thanks, Mission, they look great. Hey, I'm going to sleep for a bit…wake me up when you come in."

Carth announced, "We're arriving at the Jedi Academy in ten standard hours."