Disclaimer: Don't own this. I really need to get over it.

A/N: Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving/completely normal day for non-Americans! Mine involved failing at ping-pong. 'Twas lots of fun. Anyway, here's the promised chapter for the day. (Oh, and I just spent about 5 hours at the mall. I don't think I ever want to go there again. Not on Black Friday, at least). Anyway, happy reading!

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tensions ran high on the Ebon Hawk as the days crawled by. I spent a lot of time the first day pacing around the ship, snapping at people who dared to interrupt my thoughts. I tried talking to people a few times, but each was dealing with the stress of worrying about Caeli and didn't appreciate me ruining their routine. Mission was involved in what seemed to be endless Pazaak with T3. Zaalbar was busy exploiting the food synthesizer. Canderous was furiously working on his swoop bike, even though it had been perfect for weeks. Sometimes I had a sneaking suspicion he was breaking it and fixing it again just to distract himself. Jolee seemed to be constantly either meditating or re-organizing the medical bay. Juhani was also meditating almost constantly. HK-47 had started off by whining to anyone who would listen about how his master had abandoned him to a gang of foolish, useless meatbags until he realized no one was listening. At this point, he put himself on standby and stood in a corner, fortunately no longer disturbing anyone. Dustil spent hours in the garage, working on his lightsabers, blasters, and anything else he could get his hands on. And Carth spent hours upon hours in the cockpit, hardly eating or sleeping, looking worse and worse each time my pacing took me to his corner of the ship. He was literally sick with worry.

Finally I gave up my pacing. I had to get Carth to see some form of sense, or he wouldn't do us any good by the time we were ready to face Caeli.

I knocked gently on the door frame.

"You've never knocked before," he pointed out.

"How'd you know it was me?" I asked.

"No one else has come to visit me in days. You're the only one who cares enough to put up with me."

I sighed, entering the cockpit and dropping into the copilot's chair. "You've got to stop this, Carth."

"Stop what?" he snapped without looking up.

"This!" I gestured around the cockpit. "This locking yourself up, hiding from the world, and literally driving yourself sick with worry. It doesn't help anyone; not Caeli and most definitely not you. At least eat something, or get some rest, or something!"

"When's the last time you slept?" he demanded in answer.

"I haven't tried since… before Caeli's message."

"Because you don't look so great yourself. Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"'Course not. I'd scare the hell out of myself and I know it."

"You ought to try. Maybe that'll encourage you to get some sleep."

"Make you a deal. Get Canderous or someone to monitor the ship for a while, and you get some sleep. I'll sleep if you sleep."

"Do you honestly think I could sleep with… with her out there? On her own? Thinking I hate her?"

"You might be surprised."

"Alright," he sighed. "You've got yourself a deal."

In my sleep, I saw Caeli. She was piloting an unfamiliar, uncomfortably white ship. I could only assume it was stolen: being a fugitive, she would have had no qualms about committing another crime to add to the list. The list itself was already punishable by death.

Caeli was leaned back in the pilot's seat, sleeping. I had to assume she'd put the ship on autopilot so she could get some rest. As I watched her, she started twitching uncontrollably, her face contorted in pain as though she were having a nightmare. Almost a minute later, she jerked awake screaming, "Carth!"

She glanced around, seemed to remember where she was, and her face fell. A single tear began the flood that would soon escape her eyes. Before I knew it, she was sobbing her heart out, all alone on an unfamiliar ship, and it shattered my heart.

"Carth…" she whispered through her sobs. I reached out to help her, but I was only in a dream. There was nothing I could do.

I jerked awake with a small cry and sat up, looking around my quarters. They were empty, but probably not for long, considering the noise I'd just made. Sure enough, within a few seconds, Mission entered the room.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you all right?"

I shook my head. "Nightmare. I'll be all right."

Mission seemed to accept my explanation, because she turned and left my room, glancing back once just to make sure I'd be okay. I nodded and she left.

I sat on my bed, leaning against the wall, my knees hugged to my chest, and the tears began to flow. I couldn't do anything to stop them. Because somewhere, out there, Caeli Jayde was alone, crying, and desperate. She was in pain, and I hadn't done anything to stop it. I hadn't even tried to save her. I hadn't even considered that she might leave without us.

"You're taking too much of this on yourself, you know," said a voice from the doorway. My head snapped up to look at the speaker, then fell again as I saw who it was. Dustil.

"What do you want?" I sighed. "I've got enough problems right now, thanks."

"I just… I wanted to say that… I was wrong. About you being a bad friend. I saw what you did for Caeli. Everything you said to my father, trying to get him to see reason, Mission told me you got in a shouting match with the head of the Republic Embassy, and Juhani said you almost died getting the Star Map. If those aren't the actions of a friend, I… I don't know what are. And… well, for what it's worth, I'm… I'm sorry." After his hesitant introduction, all his words came out in a rush, tripping over each other in their haste to leave his mouth, his eyes never leaving the point on the floor he had chosen as his object of scrutiny.

I stared at him for several long moments, wondering if I had heard correctly. Had he just apologized to me?

I saw his face fall at my silence, obviously taking it as a rejection. "Look, if you don't want to hear it, I completely understand. I was a complete jerk to you, it's just… I think you're the only person in this entire crew who never gave up hope. You were always the one to rally us forward, you were the one to lead the missions on Manaan. You're the only reason any of us still have hope, and… you have no idea how much I admire you for it."

Wow. In about twenty seconds, we'd gone from an apology to a declaration of… whatever he was declaring. I supposed it was admiration, or respect, or something of that sort.

"Look, Dustil," I said, standing to face him. "I appreciate it. Really, I do. I just… I need some time to think things through, and to plan for all the possibilities. I want to be as prepared as possible for… what's coming." I knew I was changing the subject on purpose, and I knew it was cowardly, I just couldn't help it. Talk of feelings always scared me, and I'd sworn off boyfriends ages ago.

Whoa, Sapphire, where did that one come from? I asked myself. He didn't say anything about… anything like that!

He nodded hastily. "I understand," he said quickly. "Just… if you need anything…" He seemed to decide words weren't good enough to make his point, because at that moment, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. It was by no means a major kiss, but it stirred within me emotions that I hadn't allowed myself to feel in years. I took a step back, eyes wide. He bowed his head for the briefest of moments before turning and leaving the room.

I stood there, frozen in place, for God knew how long. All I knew was that I had just been kissed. By Dustil Onasi, of all people. And that alone was enough to freeze me in place, staring straight ahead without seeing, eyes as wide and unblinking as they had been when he had first left the room.

A/N: So, whoever called the ship, there you are. You'll have to wait and see what happens :P. Review please! They make me happy! Next chapter tomorrow, promise!

-Athena