She showered and changed into her pajamas. Mission had teased her, saying the pajamas were less then underwear. She concluded her "joshing" by buying Saleairy a robe, saying Carth would be the real recipient of the joys of the gift. Saleairy put it on and it was just below her pajamas and above her knees. She shook her head and walked out into the room, stretching. She spotted Carth first as he was stretching. His happy trail was exposed along with a decent part of his stomach. She put her hand over her mouth.

"Why do you look like you're trying very hard not to laugh?" Carth asked.

"No reason." Saleairy said.

"Nothing?"

"Nope."

"How is your hair already dry?" He came closer, peering at her hair.

"The modern miracle of a hair dryer." She said, smiling. He still kept his eyes on her face.

"I didn't hear it."

"Oh dear. You've found out my secret. My mystical Jedi power is that I can dry my hair simply by thinking of the hair dryer and making the whoosh noises." She blew at his nose with the accompanying 'whoosh' noise and he rolled his eyes. "How is your hair already dry?" She asked, putting her hand on her hip.

"I towel dry missy and no gel since you don't like it."

"Why are we talking about this?" Saleairy asked.

"Because I'd rather discuss it and have to look at your face than your pajamas." Carth said, blinking and looking away.

"Why?"

"I don't want you to have to punish me for any unclean thoughts, you Jedi seer." He said, laughing. "It's not because your pajamas are as hideous as mine."

"Your pajamas are nice. I wouldn't punish you for real and what HK doesn't know will keep a lot of people alive and well. I wasn't serious about the blaster on stun-"

"Applied to a choice area? You may not be but your blood lusty droid is learning from you." Carth said.

"I'm sorry about earlier, HK needs to learn how to knock."

"That's all right. If I was your personal assassin droid I'd want you safe too."

"Can I have a hug?"

"Why?" He was asking for curiosity's sake, not needing a reason to hug her. She didn't come closer and wouldn't until she got permission just because it was good to string Carth out a little.

"I've already used the 'you smell nice' ploy." Saleairy said.

"You were serious though." She nodded. "That's actually a very nice compliment, I think." She smiled as Carth spoke.

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't think you would take it otherwise. Can I hug you or not?" She smiled.

"You don't have to ask." The hug was more of a plea for Carth to hold her and Carth's grip drove the breath from her body. He loosened his embrace and she leaned her face on his shirt.

"I'm not going to start crying, don't worry."

"It would be all right if you did. We've all been through a lot and you've been through more than we'll ever know." His fingers kneaded on her sides and she shimmied out of his grip, smiling and taking a few steps away. "Something wrong?" He smiled.

"No." She smiled back.

"You know, there's something I've been wanting to ask you." He closed the gap between them and gripped her sides again.

"What's that my handsome pilot?" She blinked at him with her purring voice and he almost reconsidered what he was doing.

"You're charms won't distract me from my interrogation beautiful. Are you ticklish?" Her eyes darkened and her demeanor became stiff and contemptuous.

"Carth, I thought you would know better. They trained Jedi to be resistant to all torture tactics. My nerve endings are as unresponsive as HK." Beneath the offended pretense, Carth sensed a flutter as his grip tightened. She was an inch from trying to squirm out of it.

"Are you sure?"

"Why don't you go try and tickle HK? Then you'll get the idea." He grinned at her as she spoke.

"I've been fooled by that before only to see you walk away laughing my dear." She started squirreling, trying to get away.

"Don't do it Carth."

"I'm not doing anything. You're squirming is the problem."

"Carth, I'm serious-"

"As serious as you are tall." Carth tickled her until they both fell onto the bed. Saleairy looked up at him and furrowed her brow.

"What did you mean by that last comment?"

"Nothing."

"Liar. I wonder if the Republic trains their solders to resist torture?" She rolled on top of him and tickled him until he was panting.

"Mercy! Uncle! I surrender." She stopped and smiled. "Sucker." He grabbed her sides and rolled over again, tickling her stomach and neck. She fought back but he pinned her hands down with a soft grip, palm to palm. "Do you surrender?" She was panting too and she sighed.

"Incorrigible core slime."

"Jedi princess." Carth hissed.

"Ouch, you're turning to Canderous for insults now?"

"Maybe. I have learned one thing from him though." Carth said.

"What's that?"

"Take no prisoners."

"Carth-" He rolled over again and they flipped off the bed, Saleairy landing on top of Carth. She giggled. "I tried to warn you. Are you all right?"

"Of course." She looked down at him and smiled.

"How do we end up doing such strange things?"

"If you didn't wriggle away from our tender embrace earlier I would never have known." She spotted a bruise on his temple and touched it.

"Where is this from? It looks new."

"It's small. I hit my head on the cruiser when we arrived at the homecoming, remember?" Carth said.

"I didn't think it would bruise." She looked concerned for a moment and Carth felt a strange warmth where she touched the bruise. "There. I don't like you getting facial bruises." She used her healing powers to make the bruise fade.

"Why?" She stroked his face.

"They're no fun to look at and if I touched it, you would be in pain." Her fingers traced his cheekbone. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he remained under her, motionless. She ran her hands through his hair down to the roots until his scalp prickled. He wondered if she was using some strange force trick on him. He didn't care. This was the most she'd touched him ever in any tender, caring way that was more than platonic. When she touched his face, the love he'd questioned so many times before seemed to surround him. Her eyes left no question. He'd never seen someone with so much love in them. Her fingers tickled his forehead near his temple as she came closer. She moved closer, resting her cheek to his and breathing. She moved her lips closer to his and their noses touched, their eyes meeting. Carth felt her breath against his lips. Saleairy tasted a trace of the brandy from Carth's cautious breath. She brought her lips closer so that they almost brushed against Carth's and waited. She waited for the strength to touch the man she loved so much it hurt more than everything else, from Revan's life and Saleairy's.