Carth sat on the ground that night on Dantooine, watching the citizens celebrate their victory over the mercenaries. He brushed back his hair and sighed. He leaned back against a rather hard log, his eyes wandering through the party.
He was looking for Connan Frai, better known as Revan. She disappeared about a year before this party, and Carth had been looking for her since. Someone tipped off his fleet that she was here—on Dantooine, leading the Militia against the mercenaries. Of course Carth knew that she would be here doing that sort of thing. Wars were her strong point.
Carth tried his best to hold onto Connan's features, in case he needed to quickly pick her out of a crowd; which happened often. She never wore her hair the same twice on a different planet, so spotting her by hair was challenging. Though Carth could count on finding her if the Ebon Hawk was on the planet.
That ship now occupied a new crew; one that transported Connan from place to place. The leader of the ship was the Exiled Jedi from a decade ago. She had a don't-get-in-my-way attitude and tolerated anyone who was friends with her friends. She had blonde hair and dark, dark chocolate eyes.
Connan, on the other hand, changed her eye color on different planets, too. She had certain eye implants that could change her natural eye color for a while.
Carth stretched his legs out, watching the darkened sky gain more and more visible stars. The music in the background and the laughter of everyone merrily dancing and eating and having a grand time was soothing to him.
"You ollright, gov'na?"
Carth looked up. A woman stared down at him, her brown hair getting in her face. She beamed at Carth toothily.
"Uhh… yes, I'm fine, thank you." Carth stuttered. The woman sat down on top of the log Carth was resting on and chuckled.
Carth now was able to look at her features. Her hair was flipped over itself on top of her head and the ends hung on the sides of her face. Her almost neon green eyes curiously looked everywhere.
"Ollright, so long as ya ain't in a bit of a pinch, gov'na." The woman stated, looking about him. "Ya just seemed to be sort of out of it, gov'na. Ah wanted to make sure ya ain't hurtn' no how." She winked at him. Her forest green robes moved irritatingly as she brushed them back into place.
Those robes looked strangely like Jedi robes.
"Are you a Jedi?" Carth asked abruptly. The woman paled suddenly, but quickly composed herself.
"Aye, ah am." She nodded. "Been livin' 'ere wid Masta Vrook for a good four 'ears now. Gave me a bright good scare, 'e did, when 'e didn't come back from 'is mornin' walk through the Inclave."
"Enclave."
"Ah almost 'ad it."
"So, you're a Jedi?" Carth inquired. The woman eyed him and nodded. "What's your name?"
"Mah name, aye?" She repeated. Carth nodded just enough for her to see it. "Mah name be Marriah." She looked him over. "An' 'oo might ya be?"
"I'm Carth Onasi."
"Nice ta meet ya, Carth." Marriah shook his hand.
They were silent for a long time, just waiting for the other to speak, when Carth finally did speak.
"You must know Connan Frai if you've been here for four years." He said, raising an eyebrow.
"Aye, ah know 'er. Fine lass, too. Purty green eyes she got." Marriah answered. "Ya know 'er?"
"Know her?" Carth repeated. "I love her."
"Ya must be that lad she spoke 'bout. Mighty fine debate we 'ad 'bout men the other day." Marriah winked at Carth again. He jumped.
"You've talked to her?" He asked. She nodded.
"But she not 'ere. She is 'iding from someone, ah think she said." Marriah answered, poking a finger to her chin. "Somethin' 'bout the fate of the galaxy. Sure wish ah could'a gone wid 'er."
"Me, too." Carth said.
"So, how's life been treatin' ya?" Marriah started a conversation with Carth.
Carth talked with Marriah for hours. She let him talk about all his problems, added advice in when she thought it was called for, and was altogether pleasant.
It was like he was talking to Connan herself.
"Well, the night's almost over." Carth conceited. Marriah chuckled.
"Wanna dance, gov'na?" She asked, standing.
"No." Carth answered defiantly. "I don't dance."
"Oh, sure ya do. Ya just dun wanna dance wid me 'cause ah am not Connan. But too bad!" Marriah laughed heartily, pulling Carth up off of the ground and pulling him onto the dance stage.
The song instantly changed to a tango; fiery and heated.
"Ya know 'ow to tango?" Marriah asked.
"Of course I do."
"Ah can better."
"Cannot."
"Can too!"
"It's a bet then."
"Ah lead."
"Wait—"
The music started as Marriah led Carth around the dance area, in tune with the music.
"You're good!" Carth complimented as Marriah dipped him. She chuckled.
"It makes up for ya. Ya dun not lead a lot, do ya?" Marriah asked. Carth shook his head. "Alrighty then, switch."
They switched positions and suddenly Carth was leading. He held her hip and her shoulders in his huge hands as they whirled around the stage. All the other dancers stopped to watch as the two glided perfectly together, in tune, in sync, the same.
Carth flipped Marriah over his arm and she held his shoulders for support. She landed on the ground behind him with her hands out beside her. The dance was over.
Carth had never done that before! That was perfect. But why hadn't that been with Connan?
Marriah got in front of him and stared at him. Smiling, she kissed him on the lips deeply.
The taste in her mouth was so familiar to Carth, he bent into the kiss and sent it deeper. Their tongues fought for dominance over each other relentlessly. For minutes, the whole place was silent.
"Marriah!" The silence was broken. So was the kiss, to Carth's disappointment. Marriah stared at her caller, a blonde woman with dark, dark brown eyes glared at her.
The Exile!
"What are you doing?" The Exile—Donella Segora scolded. "Connan is going to hurt you!"
Marriah laughed feebly. She stared at Carth for a minute.
"Ah gotta go, gov'na. Thanks for the dance, though. Ah'll talk to ya later, ah guess." She winked once more at him and walked away swiftly.
-----
Carth wandered around Khoonda on Dantooine late into the night, getting in the fresh air and seeing everyone pack up from the party that just ended.
Someone laughed, making Carth stop walking and listen. Nothing else came. He kept walking. Two minutes later he heard it again. He stopped again, this time waiting until he could hear it again before moving. It was in one of the rooms.
"This is no laughing matter, Connan!" The Exile's voice rang through the open door, the light turned dimly on. Carth stopped before the door and watched. "You could have gotten caught and then where would you be?"
"We'd already be gone, Donella. Relax. You're too tense. Where's Rand when you need him?" Connan teased, waving her hand up and down nonchalantly. Donella growled.
"Atton and I are not in a relationship." She stressed, crossing her arms.
"Rand seems to think you are." Connan joked. Carth could tell she was smiling.
"You're changing the subject to something totally irrelevant!" Donella cried.
"That's funny, so are you."
"Connan! Jeez! I should just go out there and tell that man who you are!"
"But then we'd have to leave, or your precious—" Connan stopped in mid-sentence, her eyes growing wide and her pupils becoming almost nonexistent.
"Connan? Connan, not now! Can't you hold it? Connan?" Donella stepped back as Connan was raised into the air, a terrified look across her face. A screen appeared in front of her as her eyes shone. Pictures—Connan's memories—projected onto the screen made from her eyes.
Carth knew what was happening. It was how he could always tell who Connan was. This was how she remembered her memories as Revan. Her pupils would all but disappear and the cornea would expand immensely. Then she would rise into the air a few feet and the memory would project itself into the air for everyone to see.
It tormented Connan to no extent.
"Connan!" Donella screamed as the Jedi dropped onto the bed. She laid a hand on Connan's shoulder. "Are you ok?"
Connan's right hand was rubbing her eyes greatly.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She said. "I gotta go for a walk." She headed for the door, slipping into a jacket as she went.
Carth's pulse went higher. He was going to be caught. She was going to find him listening in on her. She would be furious.
"Wait!" Donella called. Connan turned. "Don't go out that way."
Connan seemed to understand. She nodded and walked away from the door.
Carth sighed. They knew he was there, but he wasn't going to get caught.
"When I'm gone, give him this, ok?" Connan whispered to Donella. The Exile nodded and hugged her friend.
"Come back safe. 10000 hours from now. We're leaving."
Connan nodded before opening the window and leaping out.
Donella walked out the door and turned to Carth.
"So how much did you hear?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I—uh…. A little, I'll admit. Not as much as I wanted to hear." Carth sounded disappointed. Donella smirked.
"Don't worry. She still loves you. In fact, she wanted to give you this, but I wouldn't let her. So I'll give it to you." Donella handed Carth a datapad and closed her door, locking it.
Carth opened up the datapad and turned it on. Connan appeared onto the screen.
"Hiya, flyboy! How's life treating you?" She asked. She gave him a quick update on her life and what she's been doing on Dantooine and some of the things she forgot to mention on Nar Shadaa. The voice clicked into Carth's mind. He had heard that voice before. Well—from Connan, duh, but from someone else, too.
Carth laughed as Connan went into immense details about her adventures. Then it clicked in his mind. He knew that voice from before. Someone had spoken to him that day with that voice! She was—
Marriah.
"Well," She said at the end. "Ah got to go now, gov'na. May the Force be wid ya."
THE END!
Wow this one sucks. Oh well. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and please review!