Chapter 11: Safe Landings

Canderous

Bastila was not in a particularly good mood.

Canderous realized this instantly as the newly awakened Jedi hobbled alongside Revan into the recreational room, where Carth was already less than pleased with Canderous. Carth's sulking was nothing, though, compared to Bastila.

"You're up. About time, Jedi," Canderous had greeted her. He expected the gruff remark, which was rather typical of Canderous anyway, to slide right off of Bastila's ice-Jedi-princess persona. He found that he was quite wrong.

"Well," snapped Bastila, "maybe I would have been up sooner if you hadn't carried me here like a dead boma!"

"What? I-"

Bastila glared at the bewildered Mandalorian, who had not really registered his own comment in the first place.

"I think you'd better apologize, Mandalorian," spat Bastila.

"Why? What did I do? Rev, what did you say to her?"

Revan threw up her hands as she knelt down beside Carth's seat. Both were fascinated by this altercation.

"Don't give me that, Ordo! My back must be strained in at least a dozen places from your lovely transportation services!"

"Well," responded Canderous ferociously, "maybe you'd like it back in the hospital, Your Highness."

"Stop it! Stop calling me that!"

Canderous rolled his eyes. "Look, Bastila, you-"

"Um, I hate to interrupt such a fascinating debate and all," interrupted Carth, "but guys? We're kind of busy. We really don't have time for this."

"Right," said Canderous and Bastila simultaneously.

Revan

The Lumos was soon on its way to the landing pad nearest to Bastila's home. Revan strongly doubted that the hospital would still be chasing them; Canderous assured her that by the next shift of receptionists, they would definitely be free, but he refused to explain to Revan exactly what that meant.

In the time between now and the Ebon Hawk, however, Revan decided to think no more about it. It was time for her to rest.

Revan lay in the dormitory, unable to sleep on her cot. Thoughts kept shooting across Revan's mind just as she was about to fall asleep: the threatening words of the True Sith, Carth's talk of an invisible ship, and the familiarity of that dark embrace that she had felt in both Bastila's and hr own mind. A part of Revan remembered the Dark Side well, and Revan was afraid that if she did not use extreme caution, that small place deep within her mind would infect the rest of her. A cliché Jedi fear, certainly, but valid, nonetheless. Doubly so, Revan would imagine, for a former Dark Lord of the Sith.

"Hey," said Carth, standing in the doorway of the dormitories. Automatically, the door closed behind him as he walked inside. He sat down next to her, so that her recumbent form faced him. Carth stroked Revan's cheek as she looked up at him, at his battle-worn features, the strength in his eyes. "How's it going?"

Revan half-grinned. "You tell me," she replied. "Invisible alien ships attacking us, Sith infecting Bastila's brain, and now there probably isn't a hospital on Alderaan that's going to admit us." She shook her head, eyes looking beyond Carth.

"Yeah, I seem to remember those," Carth replied sarcastically. "But what about you, beautiful? Are you holding up okay?"

Revan nodded absently. Carth frowned and held her head between his hands to make her focus on him. Finally, she looked straight at him, and nodded more convincingly. Revan pulled herself up into a sitting position, and Carth kissed her strongly, drawing it out of her exquisitely. "Carth," began Revan.

"Don't speak," he murmured.

A signal came out over Revan's comlink, and she and Carth broke apart, sighing wearily.

"We ready for land in a few minutes now," enunciated Cyde, excited.

"Good," replied Revan. She looked over at Carth, who looked fully disappointed. "Cyde," she added, "could you hover for maybe an hour or so until we signal? And keep the channel clear, please? Thanks."

Carth smiled. Revan switched off the comlink and set it aside. Carth enfolded her in his arms and kissed her languidly.

"I love you, Carth Onasi," professed Revan. Carth smirked.

"I know."

Canderous

"The pilots say we'll be up here for another hour," Bastila informed Canderous, popping her head into the room.

The Mandalorian grunted. "It shouldn't take that long," he complained. "I thought Onasi said that we didn't have time for anything. And there's nothing to do on this ship."

Bastila shrugged. She paused for a moment in thought. "What happened to my cleaning girl? Didn't Revan say she was here?"

"I don't know. Did she even end up on the ship?"

Bastila sighed. "Well, we'll see her again. I owe her money."

Canderous polished the silver helmet lying on the workbench in front of him. Finally, it was finished. Bastila turned to leave, but instead looked at Canderous, who was solemnly repairing another dingy piece of armor, and said, "Look, Canderous..."

"Yeah? What?"

"Thanks for carrying me here."

Canderous smirked. "No problem, Jedi. Sorry I carried you like a dead boma."

"It's all right. Who knows? Maybe all the back-stretching even made me taller."

Canderous shook his head and looked over at Bastila with a cool, iron-eyed look. She flashed her own slight smile at him and walked away.