I apologize. This thing has been a little temperamental. I could not figure out where to go next. I had gotten a new video gaming system and couldn't hook my X-Box up to continue playing so ideas kinda fizzled out. I finally was able to get a system selector and started playing again, only to have my TV bust. I had to move my X-Box into the living room so I could continue to play. Anyway, I was finally able to get this post out.

Disclaimer: Again any dialogue used from the game, even if changed by me, does not belong to me.

Carth paced the width of the apartment, passing between the beds and crossing beside Shashi. The black Daktin followed him with her eye but Carth was too perturbed to care. Kaori had left for the party while he was out getting some dinner for everyone a local restaurant. He had been furious when had returned to find her gone. Oddly enough, the thought that she could inform the Sith about their activities never crossed his mind. The thought that she could be hurt – or worse – did cross his mind. He growled, enlisting an annoyed ear flick from Shashi.

"Why?" he asked her, stopping dead in his tracks in front of her. He had to do something to take his mind off the fact that Kaori was not there and had not listened to him.

"Why what?" Shashi asked, titling her head to the right. Carth recognized the sign of confusion, having seen the reaction form an old kusak his -

"Why did Navon warn me?" Carth asked, derailing that thought before it could reach its conclusion. "Most Daktin males just teach the lesson the hard way."

Shashi angrily leapt to her paws like someone had poked her backside with the sharper end of a sword. "Who told you that?" she growled, her tone indignant.

Carth frowned. "That's not true?" he asked. For as long as he could remember, stories were told of ferocity of Daktin males when they dealt with honor issues.

Shashi harrumphed. "I don't know where that rumor got started but I do wish it would go away," she muttered, annoyed. "Daktin law requires we give a warning. An honorable Daktin will never just attack over an honor issue. To do so would threaten the attacking Daktin's honor."

"I'm sorry," Carth replied, realizing those stories were probably told from beings that had provoked the aggression and did not wish anyone to know they were given a chance to back off. "I was misinformed."

Shashi's ears twitched, temporarily tucking against the sides of her head. "To reach a conclusion when one does not have all the facts is foolhardy," she murmured softly.

Carth caught the slight rebuke in her tone but before he could reply the door opened. He whirled to see if it was Kaori. It was not, and he blinked, wondering why the disappointment and worry he felt were so intense.

Navon padded across the room, carrying in his mouth the bag of supplies he had left to get. He set them down and glanced over at Carth. Carth nodded, knowing what he wanted. He stepped over and removed the identity collar the Daktins had to wear when leaving the apartment. After a close call with the Sith soldiers informing Kaori of the regulation stating Upper City aliens must wear a collar identifying who they belonged to or worked for when out on the streets, Navon and Shashi agreed to wear it. Carth knew both did not really like it but were willing to do so. If only because it made sure the Sith did not come down on him or Kaori.

Navon grunted a thank you as Carth placed the collar on the table. "That old male on the corner is really getting on my last nerve," he grumbled.

"That Anti-Alien League guy giving you problems again?" Carth asked.

Navon snorted. "If I have got to listen to how I am nothing more than a beast, and a stupid, vicious one at that, whose only goal in life is to tear Taris asunder with my own paws, I will go insane," he replied wearily.

Carth smiled apologetically. Gorton Colu, an old man who spewed prejudice against aliens, had rankled Kaori earlier in the month and she now went out of her way to avoid him. It did not help that he chose to spew his hateful belief near where they had to go to get to the Lower City.

"I could have gotten the supplies," Carth offered. He noticed a look passed between Shashi and Navon even as the male snorted.

"We all know what you have done," Shashi said, "and Kaori does not need you to barge in with blasters drawn."

Carth's eyes narrowed but he knew there was no heat behind his glare. Shashi was right, and that just added to his frustrations. He would have gone and gotten Kaori out of the party before getting the supplies. "I wouldn't have gone in with 'blasters drawn'," he muttered.

The door opened before anyone could reply and Kaori walked in. Carth's jaw dropped at the silver, shimmersilk, floor-length dress she was wearing. The dress seemed to hug every curve of her body, flaring slightly out at the hips and cascading down to rest gracefully on Kaori's feet. The embedded faux diamonds sparkled in the low light of the room.

Carth's eyes, seemingly of their own accord, traveled up and down her body. His intense gaze fastened onto a torn part near her neck, the frayed threads ticking her creamy skin. He clenched his fists, dull and dirty fingernails digging into the palm of his hands. He heard Navon growl and found himself growling as well.

Kaori held a hand up, staying any questions as she headed for the refresher. As she passed, Carth noticed a slight bruising around her left wrist. His eyes narrowed and some small part of him wondered why the thought of someone gabbing at Kaori like that made his blood boil. Try as he might, he could not explain it away. He left it to his belief that no man should treat a woman that way.

A few frustrating-for-Carth minutes later Kaori exited the fresher. She was once again in her normal clothes, the dress hung limply off her right arm. Tiredly, she flung it onto her bed as she ungraciously plopped into a durafabric chair near the sole table in the room.

"Well?" Carth asked, a little more harshly than he had intended.

"I got a Sith uniform," Kaori announced, pointing at the tattered bag she had dropped when she walked in. "Tomorrow afternoon, one of us can wear it to get past the guard at the elevator."

"What about the other one?" Carth asked, eyes narrowing. If she thinks she'll go alone into the Lower City she has another thing coming.

"I was told the Sith officers sometime take mercs down there," Kaori explained. "No doubt to do all the work so the officer gets the praise or to provide a barrier between the officer and the rakghouls. My plan was for me to wear the uniform and you to go as the merc."

"Why not the other way around?" Carth asked, frowning.

"Two reasons," Kaori said, sounding exhausted. "One, you could pull the whole merciless merc better than I can." Carth snorted at that, enticing a chuckle from those in the room. "And two," Kaori continued, "the only uniform I could get was from a female junior Sith officer. I don't think her uniform would fit you."

Carth grunted, but grudgingly accepted Kaori's plan. It did seem like the only way to get to the Lower City. Then his upper lip curled back as he remembered the state of her dress. "Kaori," he started, "why was the neck of your dress torn and why is there bruising on you left wrist."

Carth watched as twinges of pain and fear crossed her face before it hardened into durasteel. "Yun got a little friendlier than I wanted."

Navon snarled, his whole body tensing as his fur bristled. "That nevir!" he roared, causing the cups on the table to rattle. "I'll rip his throat out. Touch my cub like that will he?"

"Your cub?" Kaori asked, confused.

Carth did not allow Navon time to answer. He jerked to his feet, a snarl escaping from between suddenly dry lips. "This is why I didn't want you to go," he growled. "At least not without me to back you up."

Carth watched as a disbelieving look crossed Kaori's features. "You sure it wasn't because you thought I would betray this mission? Seeing as how you seem to believe that's all I'm capable of. It seems that's your main goal in life – to wait around until I do something or say something to someone so you could be proven right. Is that why you wanted me to stay here or stay tethered to you side and under your keen eye like some kind of disobedient pet?"

Carth just stood there, dumbfounded. To his surprise Navon was the one who stepped up to his defense.

"Cub," Navon said, sternly. "That was uncalled for. I can understand why you believe that but that does not give you the right to do to him what you don't want him to do to you. You two are going to have to learn to work together or this mission will fail."

Kaori nodded, looking chastised, and then she frowned. Carth suspected she realized that Navon had called her cub twice. Cub was a non-gender specific honorific that Daktin parents used to address their offspring. Since Navon repeatedly called her that, Carth began to believe his earlier statement of considering the scout as his cub.

"That's the second time you called me that," Kaori observed. "Why?"

Carth saw a sight he never thought he would. Navon blushed, momentarily casting a pinkish hue to his cream fur. "Shashi and I have talked this over at great length and um, well, that is – what I mean is, we…know you family is gone… and we know we'll never replace them…"

"And?" Kaori prompted, gently when the big male fell silent.

"We… wanted….we hoped to…. adopt you as our cub," Navon finished, ears tucked against the side of his head in what Carth guessed was fearful anticipation.

For a long moment there was only the whine of different machines in and out of the apartment complex, muffled through the walls of the apartment. Carth wondered what happened if Kaori refused. He, though he did not trust anyone, had grown to respect the two Daktin and he really did not want them to be hurt, or worse angry, at what could be an offense.

"Understand," Shashi said, "we have no intention of replacing your family. We just wondered if you would consider us a part of that family."

"Thank you," Kaori whispered, and Carth got the impression that her tone indicated a deeper meaning to that simple statement.

Navon nodded. "Shashi and I are going to lie down. Kaori, if you want, I can teach that Yun never to mess with my cub."

Kaori laughed. "No, thank you," she said, chuckling. "When he wakes he probably won't remember anything from the night before. None of them knew just how much of a kick Tarisian ale has."

Carth snickered. He knew from rookies who had tried Tarisian ale on a dare, how potent the wine was. Many claimed it kicked like a disgruntled bantha. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Navon shake his head, amused and make his way to the sleeping pelts lying in the corner of the room. Carth caught the warning glance the male gave him as he passed. It would seem that even though Navon had defended him, the cream furred male still did not trust him not to question Kaori's honor again.

Carth softly sighed and sat back down. He glanced over at Kaori to find that she was staring at the table intently, a sheepish expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, Carth," Kaori said, softly. "Navon's right. I had no right to say that."

Carth held up a hand, palm facing her, gesturing for her not bother. "No," he said, leaning forward to place his arms on the table. "I'm sorry. I mean you seem… sincere enough. I just don't trust easily," he paused and noticed that she made a move to say something. "And for good reasons," he said before she could. "Which are my own."

He saw her brow furrow and knew she was going to say something anyway. He frowned. She was by far the most persistent woman he had ever met.

"But we've got to work together," she said. "It's important to me."

Carth grunted. He did not like to talk about this, with anyone, but it would seem that she would not let it go until he talked. "I suppose I won't get any rest until I talk, will I?" Kaori just raised an eyebrow. Carth snorted. He had figured as much.

"Five years ago," he began, "the Jedi had just finished the war with the Mandalorians. Revan and Malak were heroes." He paused, gathering his thoughts. He had to choose his words carefully. He only wanted to tell her enough to satisfy her annoying curiosity and no more. There were parts of his past he wanted no one to know about.

"It was completely unexpected when they turned on us," he continued. "They invaded us when we were at our weakest. Nobody knew what to think, least of all me. Those we had looked up to, those we had admired had become brutal, conquering Sith." He spread his hands along the top of the table in a gesture indicating despondency. "We were helpless before them."

Kaori nodded and motioned for him to continue. Carth got the impression that she really cared about his story and he found himself wanting to tell her more than he had first intended. He frowned and asked her a question the story had brought to his mind. Inexplicably, he found he really wanted her input. "If you can't trust the best of the Jedi, who can you trust?"

He was surprised when she countered his question with one of her own. "What do I have to do with Malak and Revan?"

"It's... It's not…not... that," Carth stuttered. "It's…that's not….I mean," he growled, annoyed that she had managed to throw him off guard. "There….there were others. Good solid, trusted men who joined them." He glared at her, his anger at those who started all of this boiling up. "Malak, Revan, and the Sith deserve to die for what they have done, but the ones who fled the Republic and joined them are worse. The dark side has nothing to do with why they joined the Sith. They deserve ino/i mercy."

As he said that, he slammed the palm of his hand down onto the table. He saw Kaori flinch and seem to shrink back into the chair in fear. She even drew up her legs so her knees touched her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs, looking for all the galaxy like an uncertain child facing an irate adult.

"You say that with such………hatred," she whispered, staring at the table intently.

Carth felt his anger melt away as if someone had dumped a container full of Hoth snow onto it. "I know," he said, his tone softening. "I should apologize to you. I've become so accustomed to expecting the worst in others and you've done nothing to deserve that. It's just……" he sighed, "never mind," he mumbled, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He only wanted to tell her enough to get her to back off, and now all he had succeeded in doing hurting her again. "Let's just continue this later. I'd rather not talk about it right now."

Kaori only nodded. She stood and without saying a word to him, made her way to her bunk. Carth watched her, wondering at her reaction to his outburst. He had seen her face down three of the top-ranked duelists on Taris in the three weeks they had been on the planet and not even blink an eye. He saw her face down two bounty hunters clamoring for her blood after she had stopped them from killing an old man in the north sector of Upper City and never flinch. And yet his shout had sent her shrinking into her chair. The two images did not seem to fit next to each other.

"What do you hide?" he whispered to the covered form softly snoring in the far bed.

Carth stood, resolving to find out the answer to that question. He made his way to the refresher to get ready for bed.

The elevator groaned as it made its way down, prompting Carth to question if it was because of frequent use or inadequate maintenance or both. He drew his blaster from the holster at his right hip, intent on checking the levels of the power pack in it. Out the corner of his eye he noticed Kaori check the hilt of her vibroblade. He wondered why a scout who was trained to shoot a blaster would prefer to wield melee weapons. Thinking back on an incident in the only supply store in the section of Upper City they landed in, Carth speculate if it could explain Kaori's preference for swords and the like.

"Just so you know," the shopkeeper Keble Yurt warned them as they browsed through the shelves. "The prices are final."

Carth tuned the rest of her warning out as he watched Kaori pickup a weapon that looked like a double-bladed vibroblade the duelist, Marl, used against Gerlon Two-Fingers in a duel the night before. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the strange markings on the hilt, signifying a blade of special construction. He glanced at the holodisplay that showed how much the weapon was and gave a low whistle. It was an Echani Fire Brand and it cost two hundred and eighty credits. Way more than they had.

"Kaori," he whispered in her ear. "We can't afford that."

Carth watched as a pained expression crossed Kaori's face. She laid the weapon down, rather reluctantly.

"I wish we could," Kaori whispered. "My father used to own one similar to that one. He had to sell it se we could have enough credits to get something to eat after a job he was going to do fell through. I found out later that my grandfather had given the blade to him just before he died."

"So you want to get this one to give to your dad the next time you see him?" Carth asked as they headed for the medical supply section of the store. He noticed Kaori close her eyes and sigh sadly but she did not reply./i

The elevator grinding to a slightly jolting stop drew Carth from his musings and memories. He pressed the open button and watched as the doors creaked open, as if they were under some amount of strain. That did not alleviate any misgivings Carth was already feeling. He could just imagine that the doors, no longer albe to bear their own weight, would come crashing down on him. He blinked when the sight of that very thing happening to Kaori caused feelings unnamed to course through his system. He shrugged, knowing she would not it see as she was looking in the opposite direction. Carth could not decide if it was because of his sense of not wanting anyone he worked with hurt or he was beginning to see Kaori as a friend.

Before he could ponder that much too longer, the stench of garbage laying on the streets for far too long, of burning durarubber from wires in malfunctioning glowlamps sparked and zapped – sending showers of red hot sparks to the street below – and the greasy smell of water lying too long and too close to oil run off from wrecked speeders and swoop bikes slammed into him with all the force of a rampaging rancor. It nearly caused him to double over and gag before he could put the collar of his orange jacket over his nose. It did not alleviate the smell but it was better than nothing. At least the scent of his after-shave still clung to the fabric.

Lower City was definitely not the pristine, sterile world the Upper City was. Carth glanced around at the dirty, greasy streets, the barred windows, the multihued messages on the gray durasteel walls of buildings and sighed. He was not surprised at the rundown look everything had. He was used to the sight, having seen the seedier side of the galaxy during his tenure in the Republic Navy – and the seedier side of the galaxy's inhabitants. However he could never get used to the smell the less glamorous places on planets had.

"What an incredible smell you've discovered," he muttered through his jacket collar, for no other reason than to annoy her. Over the few weeks he had gotten to know her, he began to enjoy annoying her to no end. She gave as good as she got, keeping it interesting, and he reasoned that it kept her from asking too many questions. Questions he did not want to answer. He still did not trust her but he had increasingly became aware that he believed she was not the one who had betrayed the mission and informed the Sith of their flight plans. She had proven to him that she was no friend to the Sith numerous times already.

He watched as she stopped and spun to face him. The Sith uniform she wore glowed dully in the flickering light. He could not see it, but he was sure her face was contorted into an exasperated and frustrated frown.

"No one really likes a smart-aleck," he heard her mutter, the voice synthesizer making it more ominous than her normal tone.

Carth's eyebrows rose and a wicked grin crossed his face, though he was sure the collar hid it from Kaori. "Oh," he said, smugly. "I'll have you know I am quite the catch," he playfully informed her. He had to admit, since the hairless Wookiee comment, teasing Kaori to the point of frustration was fun.

"Catch for what?" she returned, her helmeted head tilted in such a way as to suggest confusion.

Carth knew perfectly well she understood him, but it would seem he had caught her in a playful mood. He snickered into his collar, grateful because just after the party at Yun's, Kaori had gotten very quiet and he would find her staring at the wall as if she could see past it. "I've been informed that the ladies love me," he retorted.

"Oh, really," Kaori challenged. "And were these informants drunk when they told you this."

Carth glared at her, annoyed. That was until he realized that the conversation had taken his mind off the stench and now it was just barely tolerable. Well, at least it was not making him queasy anymore. "Thanks," he said.

Kaori chuckled and slipped the helmet off. Carth noted that even though there was a smile on her face there was a twinge of sadness in her eyes. "My dad taught me that trick," she said, the sadness just evident in her voice.

"You love your father, don't you?" he asked, gently. He briefly considered leaning against the wall just outside the elevator doors but thought different when he noticed the layer of dirt and grime clinging to the once gray durasteel. He frowned and turned away from the brown and green wall and focused on Kaori as she answered.

Kaori stared off into the distance, conflicting emotions warring across her face. "Yes," she finally said, softly. "My father was a great man."

"Was?" Carth questioned, uncertain that he had heard her right.

Kaori stared at the metal of the street below them. "He died just before I started scouting."

An odd and somewhat painful expression swept across her face. Carth was a little perplexed and intrigued. He decided to find out just what that was all about. The sounds of a fight close by prevented him from doing just that. Military honed reflexes had him grabbing his blaster and getting a bead on where the noise was coming from.

Carth watched Kaori stop and tilt her head so that her left ear was closer to a darkened alcove just past where the thugs from the Vulkar gang they had been warned about, had attacked them. He frowned, wondering what had gotten into the scout. Then he heard it, a faint whimpering sound from in the dimness of the small space. He raised a hand to halt Kaori because he knew she would find out what the whimpering was about. He had seen this tendency before when she heard something whimpering in the janitor closet in their apartment complex earlier in the month. The thing had turned out to be a small duri from Corellia that someone in the complex had as a pet.

Kaori stepped away before he could stop her and walked into the dim lighting. Carth snorted. This tendency would be the death of Kaori, he was sure of that. He blinked when she returned carrying a small bundle wrapped in a tattered cloth. He frowned at her questioningly, wondering just what she had found. He watched as she pulled back the lip of the cloth to reveal the face of a young, perhaps no older than two, female human child. The child saw Carth and shrank deeper into Kaori's embrace. Carth knew the child had been left on the streets as her clothing was thin and torn in places and the dirt and filth of not bathing for a while covered her from head to toe.

"Her name is Jayda," Kaori said. "She was hiding in there from some kids who loved to pick on her."

Carth caught the tone Kaori used and had the feeling the child would join their small band, if only for a small amount of time. He frowned, this time annoyed. War was not something one brought a young child into if one could help it, but he knew that the young one would have no one to look out for her or take care of her down here. The few families that lived down here were too strained trying to take care of their own to worry about another one and Carth knew that the gangs down here would only help the child if she proved useful to them in the long run, whether by joining them or something else, which was much worse in Carth's opinion.

"What do you want to do?" he asked Kaori, knowing that something must be done. He hoped she would say for them to take the child to the local adoption agency.

"Take her to Zelka and let him look her over," Kaori said. Carth nodded but her next words had him recoiling. "And then take her to the apartment."

"Kaori," he said. Getting the child out of the Lower City he could see but keeping the child was not something he really wanted. They still did not know where Bastila was and every day the Sith presence on the world increased. If they did not find the Jedi soon, Carth feared the Sith would and would also find them as well. He did not want the child to be caught up in that.

"Look Carth," Kaori said, stubbornly. "Navon and Shashi would watch her, I know that. And I don't trust Taris government to care about the welfare of a Lower City citizen."

Carth had to admit, Kaori had a point. Taris had shown over and over they only cared about those on the Upper City. The concerns of those on the lower levels were secondary to the rich beings on the top and those in the Undercity were forgotten altogether. He sighed. "So what are you going to do? We still have something to do." He did not want to reveal much out in the open of the street. Those who lived there might decide to use the information as a means to better their dismal lives.

"We'll take her back," Kaori said. "She needs medical attention right now. I know what we have to do is important but….." her voice trailed off as she glanced back down at the child.

Carth caught the look and shook his head. Kaori had already fallen for the tiny child. He glanced around and was grateful that no one was in view. "Come on," he said. "Let's get her to Zelka."

Kaori smiled and gestured for him to take the child so she could put the Sith armor on. She had taken if off just after the fight, stating that is was ungainly to wear it, not being used to it, and that it was just plain ugly. Carth took the child gently, feeling her thin frame tense. Carth hummed softly. It was an automatic response. He had done it many times before when- He blinked back tears that suddenly swam into his eyes. It seemed a lifetime ago since he had hummed to sooth a restless and fearful child. He felt a soft caress and glanced down to see Jayda lowering her hand. He smiled at her and felt his heart tug in response when the young one smiled back.

He glanced up to see Kaori watching him, a mixture of amusement and something he could not define lighting up her face before the blur of the silver helmet covered it up. She went to take the child back but the girl acted like she would cry. Kaori stepped back and Carth watched as the child began to look around for Kaori. He gestured that Kaori should head into the apartment complex nearby. They needed for the child to know that Kaori was the same inside the uniform or out, but he had to admit, he was glad Jayda did not trust the Sith. Possibly some of the Sith patrols had been near her. He shuddered to think how they treated the outcast child. Sith were not known for their compassion.

They found a green male Twi'lek in the apartment just off the doors. He seemed scared of Kaori until she removed the helmet, then he frowned and told her to leave. Kaori explained what was wrong and asked if they could stay there for the moment. The male thought about it for a moment.

"You may," the Twi'lek responded in Huttese, "if I may ask you a favor."

Kaori nodded and the male began to explain that he was on the local crimelord's hitlist after turning state evidence against him. He said that he had to hide in that apartment because Davik had placed a bounty on his head. Carth listened to the slow translation Kaori provided as his Huttese was a little rusty and some of the words the male said were unknown to him. Jayda shifted in his arms to stare at the Twi'lek.

"Greenie," she called.

The male Twi'lek looked up and smiled at Jayda. He rattled something off to Kaori and she blushed before shaking her head and responding. Carth blinked. He had caught the gist of that and if what he had heard was any indication he could understand why Kaori blushed. He felt his face warming to the comment as well. The male had assumed the child was theirs and wondered why she was as dirty as she was, or at least that was what Carth could understand.

The conversation continued while Carth pondered why an odd feeling swept through him at the thought of the two of them having a child. He mentally shook himself. No, he would never go down that path again. It led to painful memories and guilty feelings. Again he felt a soft caress from Jayda and glanced down to see her staring at him.

"Sad bad," she whispered, tapping him on the chin.

He smiled at her. "Yes, sadness is bad," he whispered in return. He glanced up to see Kaori staring at him and Jayda again, the same expression as before on her face. Out the corner of his eye he saw a knowing grin spread across the Twi'lek's face. He maneuvered to give Jayda back to Kaori and since the girl could see Kaori's face she willingly went.

"Nice lady," Jayda said laying her head onto Kaori's shoulder. Carth watched a soft smile cross Kaori's face and grinned. When Kaori carried Jayda towards the refresher, he watched them. As the door shut he glanced over and saw the Twi'lek watching him still grinning. He frowned at him before sitting down in the chair nearby.

"For a child left on the streets," Zelka said as he examined Jayda, "she's is not malnourished. She's not the weight that would be normal for her but she's not severely under weight. Maybe someone down there gave her food, not on a basis that I would like but she won't have to stay over for observation. You said you are going to take her to your apartment with those Daktins? Are you sure they can look after her while you are out?"

"Yes," Kaori answered. "Shashi told me they had a cub before and even though a Daktin cub is different than a human they were sure they could keep her out of trouble while Carth and I are out."

Zelka nodded. Kaori could tell that he was not happy about the situation but that he would accept it. She smiled down at Jayda who was sitting on the examination table fiddling with the hem of her small tunic. They had found the outfit abandoned in the closet of the apartment, just before having to blow it up to fake the Twi'lek's death. Jayda had buried her face into Kaori's shoulder and clung to Carth's arm when the explosion rocked the apartment complex. No one looked out to see what the cause of the disturbance was because before they had blown the apartment they had explored it, with Matrik keeping an eye on Jayda who was sleeping, and rooted out the gang members and saved the sole human who was hiding from Davik's bounty hunters. Carth still could not believe Kaori had given the man two hundred credits to pay the crimelord.

"Carth," Kaori said.

Carth looked up from the holozine he had been looking through on health and fitness and saw her standing by the examination table, Jayda sitting on her hip playing with Kaori's braid. He nodded and placed the device back on the side table and stood. They made their way out of the small medical facility. Carth had noticed that while when they were walking around before the Sith would watched them. Now the soldiers paid little attention to them.

"We go?" Jayda asked, drawing Carth's attention back to the small group.

"Yes, Jayda we're going," Kaori answered, smiling at the little girl.

"I go too?" Jayda asked and Carth felt his heart tug at the hopeful tone in her voice. He leaned over and softly caressed her cheek before answering her question.

"Yes, you're going too."

Jayda smiled and laid her head on Kaori's shoulder. She sighed softly and Carth caught the glance Kaori sent him. He smiled and ran a hand through Jayda's brown hair. The little girl smiled and buried deeper into Kaori's embrace. Carth notice a human female pass by a smile on her face before she whispered to her companion and gestured his and Kaori's way.

"Come," Carth said, placing his hand on Kaori's back. "Let's get her home."

He said that to not draw any more attention to them, but a strange feeling swept through him at the thought of home. For four years, home had been the next ship he had been assigned on. He rarely took planet leave, even when given a strong suggestion to do so. Home as he had once known it was gone, forever.

"Well," Navon said when they walked in, "who's this little one?"

Jayda buried her face into Kaori's neck. Kaori soothed her, rubbing her back and whispering in the little female cub's ear while Carth explained. Navon blinked and glanced at Shashi who was sitting on the sleeping pelts, knowing she felt like he did. Kaori sat the little cub down after she had calmed her and Navon lay down so his height compared to hers and his bulk would not scare her more. He let the cub come to him at her own pace, knowing that any sudden movement on his part would upset her again. The little cub stepped closer and held her hand out. Navon just watched her. The human cub gently gripped his left horn and tugged it. Navon let his head follow the tug. With her other hand she reached out and placed it on his nose.

"Softie," she said.

Navon smiled. The cub sat down and played with his paw. Out the corner of his eye he saw Shashi smile. The cub noticed the other one as well and squealed.

"New softie." Navon watched as a twinge of pain entered his mate's eyes and felt tears well up in his eyes. The cub stood up and walked over to Shashi. "Softies have name?" she asked looking back at Kaori.

Navon watched as Kaori knelt down in front of the cub and smiled. It would seem his cub had found herself one. He looked over at Shashi. She nodded. He turned to Carth and saw the human male watching Kaori and her cub conversing softly. Presently, Kaori stood and gestured to the cub.

"This is Jayda," she said. "She's going to be staying with us."

"Hello, Jayda," Navon said. He nodded towards Shashi. "That's Shashi and I'm Navon, nice to meet you."

"Softie," Jayda said. "Nice softie." Navon smiled.

"Jayda," Kaori said. "Carth and I have to go out. You are going to stay with the softies."

Navon watched an expression cross the cub's face. From experience he knew the cub was worried, even if human features were completely different from that of a Daktin. He glanced at Shashi and smiled. Not only would it seem that their cub had found one of her own but it would seem the cub had accepted Kaori. He shuddered to think how the cub's life was like before Kaori found her. He saw Shashi close her eyes and knew that this was hard on her. It was hard on him as well. He closed the distance and nuzzled her neck while Kaori and Carth explained to Jayda that they had to leave for awhile.

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly. Shashi did not respond for a moment. Navon just stood there, knowing that he could not say anything more.

"It wasn't your fault," she finally whispered, her voice choked with what Navon guessed was tears. His heart broke again at the sound.

"Navon," Kaori's voice broke the moment and Navon flicked his ear towards her, not wanting her, Carth, or the cub to see his or Shashi's tears. He was grateful when Kaori continued. "Carth and I are going back to the Lower City for awhile. We'll be back before the midnight hour."

Navon only nodded. He heard Kaori tell Jayda to behave and then heard the door open and close. A few minutes after that he felt a tiny furless paw tap him on the shoulder. He lifted his head and turned his head so that he could see Jayda standing there. He smiled at her and lay down. Jayda sat down and leaned against him. Soon he heard the soft snoring that indicated the cub was asleep. He looked up at Shashi as she lay down next to him and leaned against him.

The stench of the sewers washed over the group in a rushing wave, causing Carth to cover his mouth and Kaori to cough. Mission Vao, the blue-skinned female Twi'lek did not seemed fazed by it. Carth guessed that she was used to it from having explored the labyrinth of the dimly lit metalworks. Creaks, wails, and moans wafted up, sending chills down Carth's spine. He hated going into sewers after having to do so once earlier in his military career. He was a young man, full of bravado and grit until he met one to the denizens of the sewers on Coruscant. After that night, he avoided sewers like the Bandonian Plague.

He watched Kaori hesitate and frowned. She had never done that before. She would charge in, heedless of the danger. He wondered what held her now. He shrugged it off as the belief that no one would blindly rush into a sewer, well no one would who was cautious. He waited until Mission followed, and after one final glance around to make sure no one was tailing them, he descended into a world few had ever seen.

As they made their way down swaying and creaking metal walkways, he grumbled under his breath that the Vulkars should have their collective heads examined for having a back door to their base in the sewer system. Lower, so Kaori could not hear him, he grumbled about inquisitive women. He was dirty, tired, and irritable and the wailing and moaning did not help to alleviate his frustrations. They rounded a grimy corner and skidded to a halt before a sole male Gamorrean. Carth leveled his blasters, half expecting Kaori to charge in just like before. When he did not see the silvery glint of her vibroblade, he glanced over to find her standing frozen and all the color drained out of her face.

"Kaori!" he heard Mission yell.

His eyes grew round as the big male Gamorrean decided to take advantage of Kaori's inability to fight. He charged her, vibroaxe bearing down in a killing swipe. Instinct took over and Carth fired, catching the male straight between the eyes. The Gamorrean squealed and fell, the vibroaxe landing on the durasteel walkway with a resounding metallic clang!

Carth grabbed Kaori by the shoulder and spun her around to face him. He instantly noticed her eyes were shut tight and felt how tense she was. "What do you think you are doing?" he demanded, worry over why she had frozen making the question harsher than intended.

"Don't hit me," Kaori whispered, her voice strained.

"Hit you?" Carth asked, anger that she endangered herself giving way to confusion. "I'm not going to hit you." Kaori seemed to shake herself mentally. She opened her eyes and Carth could see lingering fear and pain in the gray depths, though it was muffled by a dazed look. "Kaori, what is it? What's wrong?"

She did not seem to hear him. "Let me go," she whispered.

"No," he said, "now tell me what's wrong."

"You're hurting me."

"Kaori, I'm barely holding you."

"Stop hurting me."

"I'm not hurting you. What's wrong?" Carth watched as the haze disappeared from her eyes and the bright shine he had come to associate with her blazed forth.

"Why are we standing around?" Kaori asked, sounding like her old self.

"Kaori, what's wrong?" Carth asked after sharing a glance with Mission.

"Nothing," Kaori shrugged, knocking Carth's hand off her shoulder in the process. "Come on," she continued, stepping away form the pilot.

Carth noticed she gave the Gamorrean as wide a berth as the narrow walkway allowed. He glanced at Mission again as Kaori continued down the tunnel. The young female looked like he felt – lost and completely confused.