This was an exciting one for me to write! I actually stayed up past 1 AM finishing because once I got into the final scene of the chapter, I just couldn't sleep until it was done. The reason I was able to update so quickly is that about 75% of this chapter has already been written since much earlier in the story :D
Bright and early the next morning, they gathered back at the ambassador's office. He greeted the oddly assorted group with a polite nod before launching directly into the purpose of their meeting.
"The techs finished their analysis of the probe data. As far as they can tell, the security was not compromised, which means we were able to get it back before the Sith could learn exactly what the Republic has been doing. Thank you again for helping us out of that tight spot."
"Did the data shed any light on what we're going to find down in the rift?" Carth asked.
"A little. It appears that the probe was damaged by a giant Firaxan shark before it could get close enough to the facility to take many readings. So we don't know what conditions will be like but our best hypothesis is that the shark is somehow connected to what happened. Be careful; that thing is more than capable of destroying a sub if it decide s it wants to. I transmitted a map of the mining site to your datapads. Good luck."
In the hangar, a tech briefly went over the controls and proper safety procedures with them before they were finally allowed to descend into the rift. There were only 3 seats in the submersible, which triggered a debate over who would go.
"I should go," Mission chimed in. "If the mining facility is badly damaged, you might need my help to get things working."
"I'll go too and pilot the sub," announced Carth.
Zaalbar let out a soft moan.
"I know, Big Z," Mission replied, laying a hand on the Wookie's arm. "I wish you were coming too, but there are only 3 seats and we need a pilot. Besides, you'd probably feel awfully cramped in that tiny sub. Yes, I will, don't worry, " she said after another comment in Shyriiwook. "And I"ll have Carth and Andra to watch my back. You be careful too. Don't go picking any fights with the Sith or anything."
Zaalbar huffed in the closest thing the Wookie could manage to laughter.
"Shall we be on our way, then?" Andra asked.
For the bulk of their trip, they were surrounded by nothing but open water, with only the instruments and the sunlight streaming from the ocean's surface to guide them toward their destination. Mission alternated between gazing out the window at the occasional fish swimming by and fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat. The fidgeting increased in direct proportion with the increasing darkness as the sub dove deeper toward the ocean floor. "I don't like this," she burst out. "We have no clue what we're going to find down there, but whatever it is, it'll probably be more at home underwater than any of us."
"You're right, Mission," Andra agreed. "But it's the only way to find the star map, and if we don't find the star map, Malak will kill us for sure. So we have to take the chance."
After that, the three sat in silence, Mission continuing to fidget occasionally as the sunlight faded entirely, leaving the pair of small lights affixed to the front of the submersible as their only illumination. In the cones of dark blue the headlights created, they could see the occasional Firaxan shark swim past, but fortunately these did not appear to be aggressive and kept a wide distance from the sub. Finally, they arrived, and after double-checking that the atmosphere was breathable, climbed up onto the dimly lit indoor dock.
"Looks like the place is at least mostly intact," Andra observed. "But deserted. If anyone were still alive down here, they should've seen us coming—" She broke off as the hangar door opened to reveal a very panicked-looking Twi'lek in the sort of casual dress favored by mercenaries.
The stranger jumped at the noise. "How… how did you get in here? Did they send another submersible?"
"Yes, the Republic sent us to find out what happened here."
"Uhh… what did happen here?" Mission asked, pointing to the hint of a blood stain visible on the floor underneath the door.
"No! No! We have no time! We have to leave now! I managed to close the door to keep them out, but I don't know how long it will hold and they'll kill us just like all the others." The merc tried to run to the submersible but was stopped by the Jedi's hand on his arm.
"Calm down; we can protect you if there's need. Who's going to kill us and why?"
"The Selkath. They went crazy and started killing everything that moves and eating them!"
"Eating…" she shuddered and a sudden sick feeling took hold of her stomach. "Why? How did this happen?"
"I don't know; that's what the Republic hired us to find out but we never got further than the first couple rooms before the Selkath came out, screaming and croaking their fishy little war cries."
The three newcomers exchanged glances. "We still have to try to find out what's going on and get to the star map," Carth reminded his companions.
"If you're going to go in there, fine, but do it quickly! I'll shut the door behind you… don't expect me to open it again unless it's safe."
Inside, the scene was every bit as bad as the merc's description made it sound. Bodies, many of which were only partially intact, lay on the floor where they had fallen, and the entire station was crawling with Selkath so far gone that they would sometimes even fight each other. Only once did they find a survivor: in one of the final rooms they were clearing out, Andra heard a telltale whimper coming from one of the lockers.
"Hello?" she called. "You can come out; it's safe now."
"No, no, no, no, no. If I come out, I'll be fishy food just like the others!"
The former soldier shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself. Can you at least tell us what made the Selkath insane?" Under other circumstances, Carth might have been shocked by her nonchalant attitude, but truth be told, they didn't have room in the submersible for survivors anyway. There would be time enough for rescue operations once the situation was stabilized.
"Don't know. Go ask them!" The man in the locker let out a cackle of insane laughter. "When the demon screamed, it shook every mind in the station. We fell to the ground, but survived. Fishy fishies, though, they just got hungry."
"Demon?" The commander's eyebrows shot up. "Could that be the giant Firaxan shark Roland mentioned?"
"It's as good a guess as any," answered Andra. "I could definitely imagine how someone might mistake a creature like that for a demon. And it's possible that it gives off pheromones or electrical impulses or something when its territory is threatened that would turn the Selkath savage. It would seem it only works on native life forms, though."
"More importantly," Mission interjected, "We still need to find the star map."
"You're right," the older woman agreed. "According to the map the ambassador gave us, there's another area of the facility just to the south, but they hadn't yet finished the tunnel connecting the two, so it's only reachable by crossing the ocean floor. There's an airlock in the next room which leads toward an airlock in the other building; I assume with all the work down here they must have had some kind of environment suits. Hopefully they're still working." Andra's hand dropped to her lightsaber as her other hand came up to open the door, but only more corpses awaited on the other side. Next to the airlock stood a slightly bloodstained yellow suit shaped and sized to human proportions. The Jedi crouched down to examine it; as far as she could tell, it was still in working order. "I should be able to get to the other building using this. The obstruction the digging team reported was in that direction; hopefully it is indeed the Star Map."
Carth looked as puzzled as if she was speaking a foreign language. "What do you mean, 'I'?"
"Only one suit," the Jedi pointed out with a smirk.
He flushed cold, then hot. "No! You're not going off on your own again! The last time you did that—" He could almost feel her blood on his hands again, hear the sound of her voice struggling to force words around shallow pants of breath. So cold. Just like the look in her eyes as they met his.
"What's it to you? I destroyed your life, remember? I'm sure if I died you'd be glad to see me finally get what I deserve." She turned and struggled into the suit, double checking the seal on the helmet before stepping into the airlock and closing the inner door behind her. Carth sighed heavily and decided to sit down before his trembling legs gave out. The thought of losing her was no more palatable to him now than it had been a week and a half ago when he found her badly wounded body lying in the Valley of the Dark Lords. She was right when she said my guilt would tear me apart if I don't let it go. Saul is dead now... I finally got my revenge. I thought if I could kill him then I could finally put the whole thing behind me, but I still don't feel at peace. Now it's more important than ever that I keep the promise I made. For myself and her and the entire galaxy we have to save. His gut churning with worry, he leaned back against the wall to wait.
After what felt like hours but according to his chrono was only 45 minutes, there was a loud bang and the entire building shook. His heart skipped a beat, then resumed at twice its usual pace. In his mind he pictured her crushed and mangled body trapped under a pile of rubble just as he'd found Morgana after Saul's attack on Telos. Immediately he began considering whether he could make it in time to help her if he ran back to the sub, and whether he would be of any use assuming he did find her. "Mission," he called, "Are you sure there weren't any more suits lying around?
"Positive. I've already double checked every room. Let's just hope she wasn't caught in the blast. Blast it, I wish I'd thought to get the frequency of the comlink on that suit before she left."
"So do I."
Fifteen agonizing minutes later, they finally heard the sound of the airlock cycling. Carth leapt to his feet, and by the time the pressure had equalized and the door opened, he was already there. Only the helmet that still covered her head kept him from pulling her in for a very thorough kiss. "You're ok! When we felt that blast, I... I feared the worst."
"Did you find it?" Mission asked eagerly.
The Jedi paused in her struggle to extricate herself from the rigid, bulky object just long enough to nod. "I have the exact coordinates for the star map. We can raise ship anytime we're ready."
"Let's do that later tonight. I think everyone would appreciate one last night on solid ground before we leave for the Star Forge, and it would give the Republic time to assemble an attack force. If you send me those coordinates, I can pass them on to Admiral Dodanna. Maybe a quick strike can cripple the Sith, and the distraction will give their gunners something else to worry about besides trying to shoot us down when we try to board.." Carth reached out a hand to steady her as she stepped out of the bottom half of the suit, then leaned in close and murmured in a low voice, "As soon as we get the chance, I'd like to talk to you privately. I was wrong and I owe you a huge apology."
Her face lit up with the first genuine smile he had seen since their capture, and as they made their way back to the sub, even the gruesome scene around them couldn't keep him from wanting to smile himself.
As soon as they exited the embassy, a group of Selkath in the uniforms of security officers were waiting for them.
"We detected a very large series of explosions in the Kathol Rift, and our sensors registered an underwater vehicle leaving this embassy in that approximate direction earlier in the day. Do you deny that you were somehow involved?"
"No," Andra sighed. "I don't It's a complicated story, but these two had nothing to do with it. I'll come with you if you let them go."
The officers consulted briefly, then the one who had originally addressed them nodded. "This should be acceptable, though we will have to verify your version of events at trial. As a precaution, we will place a temporary lockdown on your ship and her crew. Until this matter is resolved, none of you may leave the city."
Carth nodded acknowledgment, then stepped forward to give the woman he loved a brief hug before the Selkath led her away. "If you need anything, call me on the comlink and I'll come right over. Either way, we'll talk when you get back."
By the time the Selkath had finally finished debating whether to punish Andra for triggering the explosion and the Republic for illegal kolto mining operations, the sun had nearly sunk below the western horizon. After the organic members of the Ebon Hawk's crew finished dinner at one of Ahto City's famous seafood restaurants, most of them scattered to carry out last minute errands, leaving their unlikely leader alone leaning against a railing looking out at the moonlit ocean. Though it wasn't as effortless as it used to be, she was finally able to calm herself enough to feel the Force, and the peace was a welcome relief from the turbulent emotions of recent days. Mostly the streets were empty at this hour, but occasionally she sensed a presence passing by. Other than that, the only other life forms she could sense were the occasional fish swimming by under the city or a bird settled down to rest for the night. Connected to the Force as she was, she was not surprised to hear quiet footsteps approaching behind her, followed shortly by the feeling of an arm looped around her waist. "Isn't it beautiful?" a familiar tenor voice asked.
Andra froze, hardly even daring to breathe or turn her head to see Carth Onasi standing next to her, as if he were a bird that might take flight if she made any sudden moves. "Yes, it is."
"With all the fighting and death and tragedy we've had to deal with since Taris, it's so easy to lose sight of what we're fighting for." He motioned toward the nearly full moon hanging just above the horizon. "Moments like this make you remember."
She nodded. "If this might be the last time any of us sets foot on a planet, I'm glad I'll have this memory to take with me as opposed to just… that." Her finger pointed toward the ocean floor.
"Yeah. That was…" He shuddered eloquently in response. "I've seen worse, but not by much. I feel sorry for all the people who were simply unlucky enough to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time." They stood there in awkward silence, each hoping that the other would be the first to broach the subject they were both avoiding, until finally Andra steeled herself and spoke up.
"You said you wanted to talk?"
He kept his arm around her, holding her close as his thumb lightly traced patterns against the fabric of her jumpsuit. "Yes, I did. To start, I owe you a huge apology. When we found out about you being Revan, I made some accusations and said some things that were cruel and absolutely uncalled for. You were there for me when I needed you, but when your world fell apart and you needed me, instead of helping, I added to your pain. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
Though the words were not unexpected after his behavior over the past few hours, the Padawan could still feel her heart racing about twice its normal speed inside her chest."But you were right in a lot of ways. I am still Revan. I might not have given the order or actually participated in the attack that destroyed your home and your family, but I was still ultimately responsible for it. And we don't know to what extent my memories and my old self might come back."
He turned to face her, the arm which had been wrapped around her waist sliding up to gently stroke her cheek. "No, I don't think you really are Revan anymore. At least, not the same Revan that was Dark Lord of the Sith. Whatever part of her may still be inside of you, it isn't who you are. You don't have to be her; you can be so much more. Whatever the Jedi did to you, they gave you a second chance. You have this huge destiny ahead of you and I'm so afraid that if you're alone it will swallow you whole. I... Is there room in there for me? Will you let me help you?"
Andra brushed away the tears his words had brought to her eyes. "You know all you had to do was ask."
"I'm glad." His voice was shaky with relief as he took her small, calloused hands in his. "Whatever's happened up until this point, there's going to come a time very soon when you're going to have to make a choice, and there won't be any turning back. I want you to make the right choice. I want to give you a reason to."
"What do you mean?"
"I got the revenge I always wanted when Saul died, but it hasn't brought me the peace I thought it would. There's been so much hate inside me since he destroyed Telos that there wasn't any room left for… other things. Then I met you, and all that changed. Now all I can think of is the promise I made to protect you from what's going to come. It—you-gave me a reason to look past the hate and revenge. Tonight we're leaving for the Star Forge, and when we get there, I have a feeling you're going to face a lot of temptation from the dark side. I want to give you a reason not to fall again."
"What kind of reason," she asked. Carth could see her forehead wrinkle with anxiety and feel her grip on his hands tighten, and he smiled tenderly. Revan or Andra, she's still the same woman today as she was when we met on Taris: the woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and never ignores a cry for help, even from a sleazebag hunter stranded in the Tatooine desert... the woman I fell in love with. I was just too blinded by my anger to see it before.
"You gave me a future. I want to give you a future too... with me. I think I could love you if you give me the chance."
A smile broke across Andra's face. From a man who was usually so sure of himself, whose black-and-white world held no room for shades of grey, the tentative declaration was not the most flattering of compliments. But coming from the man who just days ago had accused her to her face of destroying his life, whose words could cut a person into pieces when his temper was roused, the man who was looking down at her just then with his heart in those dark brown eyes, the words were more than enough.
"I think I could love you too," she answered. Almost as if by silent agreement, they both began to lean in at once. His arms wrapped around her, pressing her body against his as if he intended never to let go again, and their lips met with all the pent-up passion of the past few days. Finally, the need for oxygen caused them to end the kiss. They stood there a moment, still locked in an embrace close enough that their foreheads were touching, until Andra pulled back slightly to get a better look at Carth's face. "What you said before, 'I want to give you a future too… with me,' sounded a lot like a proposal."
"Do you want me to make it formal?" He began to lower himself onto one knee, releasing one of her hands so he could rummage around in his jacket pocket. "I… uh… actually did get a ring."
She shook her head. "Let's save it for after. For now… we face the future together."
He leaned in to kiss her again, this time briefly, just the barest touch of lips to lips. "Deal."
