Carth walked over to her, unsure about how Revan would react to his new orders.

"Hey there beautiful," he uttered, leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Hey flyboy! And I guess by your reserved stance and quick kiss I should assume you have received your new orders?" she asked, eyeing him with a sure glance.

"Hmm, you got me. I have to leave tomorrow. I'll be gone for a few weeks." Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer to him. His face leaned towards her ear as he muttered, "Think you can manage without me for that long, beautiful?"

She played his game, pushing him away at first, "Manage without you?" before pulling him back towards her, whispering in his ear, "Guess this means we'll have to put off our contest."

"Contest?" he scoffed. "Oh woman, don't you know, I'll always be winner of that one!" he replied, kissing her playfully before grinning at her, "I think I'm the reigning champ, if memory serves me correct, you were the one who begged for sleep last time!"

A wicked smile danced across her face, "You fell for that huh? I can prove you wrong tonight." The invitation of her words hung between them.

"Mmm, you know I have to spend the night preparing…" He muttered, his kiss finding her neck.

"Touche'" she laughed as she moved off, her confident gait making him want to rush up behind her and drag her away to the closest available room.

Damn that woman! He thought as he moved off to begin preparations for his assignment.

-----------------------------

Carth spent the rest of the night running checks on the starship that would serve as his home for the next few weeks. He decided to wait to read over the datapads on his fellow comrades until later. Right now, there was a bet he couldn't get out of his mind.

He left the ship, making sure it was secured by passcodes only known to him, before heading back to the apartment. The apartment where he was anxiously waiting to find Revan and make her regret her earlier challenge.

-----------------------

He entered the apartment and immediately knew he was alone. Moving over to the message pad, he typed in his code and waited for the message to play. "Carth, I'm sorry. I won't be able to see you off. Something has come up, something strange actually. But no worries, I'll have it taken care of before you return." The message ended leaving Carth to feel a bit of disappointment before it sprang back to life again, "Oh, and don't think this means you won!"

He couldn't hide his grin as he started packing up his gear for the trip. Force, I love that woman!

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Carth had eight soldiers on his ship, three of which were to land on a familiar planet, Shakadonna, to reinforce diplomatic relations. Two were to help with piloting and mechanical assistance. The other three were there solely for the protection of the others.

He entered the last coordinates, knowing that he only had an hour to grab some dinner before they would be within Shakadonna's atmosphere.

He had just sat down at the rectangular table in the galley when the alarms starting blaring. Leaving his plate of food without another thought, he ran towards the central command center.

"We are caught in a tractor beam, Commander Onasi." One of the crew stated.

"Can we shut down, over-ride it?"

"No sir, and it is an unknown ship. We have about four minutes."

"Okay, everyone to the escape pods, NOW!" he barked. "Launch and I'll try and disable the beam once I'm on their ship."

"But Commander that is our job ."

"You heard me, now move! Protect the diplomats."

--------------------

Carth wasted no time, moving down the ramp before it had even descended. He ran to the main control, ordering the droid to begin disabling the tractor beam while he brought out his pistols, providing cover as the droid worked on the controls.

The encroaching enemies were easily fought off at first but their numbers multiplied and Carth found he could not fight them all. He kept trying to give the droid time, knowing this might be his last mission.

Just as an entire team began descending upon him, the droid whirled with success. Carth let out a final round from his blasters, trying to take down as many as he could before they closed the distance.

Blasts came in every direction and Carth knew this was the end, his shields would not hold up against the entourage. He felt the first hit, then the second, a third, and then a multitude of shots before he even had time to acknowledge them. He was going down, falling to his knees as he still shot out from his pistols. No way I'm going down without a fight. He saw six troops drop before he lost consciousness.

--------------------

"I should have known you would still be fighting for the pathetic Republic!"

The words came in a hollow echo as Carth tried to remember what had happened. By all rights he should be dead.

"Confused are you? I only told them to hit you with a stun my dear brother."

"Callious" Carth breathed, as he hung there, in a semi-kolto tank, semi-torture chamber.

"Yes, my dear brother. Did you think you had seen the last of me? Did you think I was defeated in the wars?"

Callious spat at his twin, "You were always so smug, so arrogant, preaching your Republic bias to anyone who would listen. But who is in charge now, I ask you, dear brother?"

"It doesn't have to be like this. Don't do this Callious." Carth replied.

A nod to the technicians from Callious sent a wave of pain coursing through Carth. "Oh you are such a fool my dear brother. I would have thought your love for Darth Revan had broken through some of that pious attitude. But now, I see, that you are still the same."

"You leave her out of this" Carth roared.

"Oh, but I can't, dear brother. Did you ever wonder, perhaps, why she was so attracted to you?"

Carth refused to acknowledge his brothers statement. He felt the healing properties of the kolto tank as they cleansed his wounds, only to have his brother send another wave of pain coursing through him.

"We can go on like this forever my dear brother. Soon you will just beg me for death. Did you learn nothing from Lord Revan."

Still Carth refused to answer, as he was sent waves of agony, followed by healing, only to have excruciating pain flow through him once again.

"Our parents, even our grandparents, always thought you were the perfect one Carth. But now, I ask you, now, who is the one with the power! You are pathetic and a disappointment to our family. I have grown tired of hearing about the Hero Onasi, with me, the Onasi name shall send fear to millions."

"Callious, NO! Don't do this, everyone, our family, believed in you. Don't do this."

"Liar! YOU were always the one they expected to do great things. But I will show them, I will show you! I am more powerful then you know. I should be more respected than you ever were!"

"Callious…" pain coursed through Carth once again.

"I have watched you, I have followed you, have tried to mirror your actions. And now, yes now, I know how to truly break you!"

"Don't do this Callious, don't….." ARghhhhhhhhhhh.

"Oh yes, scream, dear brother. But I anticipate more screams, that this kolto tank will not be able to heal. You have never spoken of me have you? No, I would think not, the brother that turned against the family. The twin who walked a different path."

"Think about what you are doing Callious…"

"Idiot, I have only had time to think about what I was doing. To plan out my strategy, to plan the ultimate revenge against you! And you just gave it to me, did you know that? You placed it in my lap when you fell in love with Darth Revan."

"No! Darth Revan does not exist anymore!" Carth cried out.

"Oh, you are a blind one. I asked you before, why do you think she fell in love with you? Do you still not know?" a sinister laugh escaped his lips. "She was in love with me before, yes, brother, do you hear me? Your Revan loved me and she still does."

Carth's mind was racing but he tried to ignore it all. He is just trying to provoke me, I will not believe it. Revan, no, it isn't true. No. I won't believe it!

"Oh we had plans, but then Malak got jealous. And the Jedi interfered." He sighed. "But it will still be okay, thanks to you dear brother. I have you to thank. If not for you, everything would have been harder."

What is he saying? No, it's not true, it's a trick, don't believe it! Carth kept repeating this over and over in his head, but slowly his brother was wearing him down.

"Who will go back? I will, in your place dear brother. And in time, I will bring her back to her rightful path, back to the dark side. And you… you will still be here, to watch – to see and agonize with the pain that this kolto tank cannot heal. Quite a victory, indeed, dear brother isn't it?" He laughed out loud before continuing, "Not only will you be helpless to the republic, but they will think you have turned against them, along with your lovely Revan." Muhahahahahahah

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Revan was waiting when his ship touched down. She ran over to him, embracing him while landing a kiss on his lips. "I missed you!"

He replied, grinning at her mischievously, "But I'm back now."