"Don't do it."
Lethe looked up from where she was fixing the stabilizer on the swoop. Carth was standing at the door, his arms crossed over his chest and an unreadable expression on his face. Lethe frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Stay off the track, don't race."
Lethe sighed and turned her attention back to the stabilizer. "Carth, I have to. We need the money."
"No." She looked up again at the vehemence in his voice. He was shaking his head and stepped closer to her. "We can find other ways to get the money for the droid. You don't have to risk your life for this."
"The only other ways to get such a large amount of credits is to shake people down or go slaughter some unfortunate Sand People. I don't want to do either. This is the best option. And I'm not risking my life, I'll be fine."
"You weren't fine last time."
Lethe stopped working and sat back on her haunches. She sighed and rubbed a hand over her eyes, silently reliving the memories of the Taris run. She remembered her fear before riding. Then how it had all faded away once she had sat on that swoop. Most of all though, she remembered crashing and the pain that came with it. She had had a lingering limp for a week afterwards. "No, I wasn't. But we don't have a defective swoop this time. You don't have to worry Carth, I'm going to be careful. I've seen enough people die at the tracks for me to be cautious; I don't intend to add my body to the list."
Carth frowned at this statement, apparently able to pick up on the subtle regret in her voice. "Lethe, I know you never wanted to ride the swoop. And I can tell you would rather not now. What happened to you that you would turn away from a sport that you are so obviously good at?"
The Jedi looked at the pilot, aware of his curious, yet caring gaze. They had become close over the last few months. After their adventures on Kashyyyk and Korriban, the trust between them was strong. He had told her about his life and the tragedies within it; it was only fair that she told him about one of her hardest moments. She sat on the floor and idly began to twirl a hydrospanner between her fingers. Carth wordlessly settled down next to her, but she kept her eyes on the tool.
"When I was a teenager, Deralia built a brand new swoop track in the hopes of bringing tourism and revenue back to the planet. But instead of demolishing the old one, which had begun to deteriorate and fall into disrepair, they simply left it and put the new track in a high traffic area. Needless to say that the old track became the source of countless underground races and illegal activities.
"Ameles was my best friend. And though we were some of the youngest swoop racers, we were still some of the best. Because of our age, we weren't allowed to legally participate in the main races on the new track, so we founded our reputation on the old track. . .and made quite a few credits at it too.
"We were both set to ride in the underground championship. It was more publicized than the legal races and was going to be the most exciting event in a decade. The reason it was so talked about was because it was supposed to be different than normal races–instead of staggering runs, all of the riders would go at the same time. It was dangerous and unheard of, but that was what made it appealing to crowds. The challenge is what made it appealing to riders."
Lethe paused for a second, if only to gather herself for continuing the story. She hadn't told anyone in years and she was surprised to feel tears threatening. "The race finally came and every underground rider that could scrape together the entrance fee was there. Even a few of the most inexperienced had gathered the courage to participate. There were almost two dozen of us all told, far too many for the track to safely accommodate. But the race went on anyway."
She paused again, taking the time to hastily swipe at her eyes. "I don't remember a whole lot of the race. I know with everyone jockeying for position and some stopping at nothing to win, the entire run was a veritable deathtrap. Ameles and I were with the second cluster of riders, choosing to wait for an opportunity rather than fight for position early. Someone in the first group, one of the amateurs I think, lost control and crashed. He took almost everyone done with him in a flurry of flames and scrap metal.
"It was right in the middle of the track. We couldn't do anything about it, not at the speeds we were going at. I tried to swerve, but I ended up in the wreck like everyone else. I broke my back in the crash. And shrapnel from my bike almost severed my spine as well. I was unconscious instantly. Ameles though, wasn't quite as lucky. She was in the middle of the pack and hit a booster pad right before the pileup. She had no where to go. With the added speed. . .she was dead before her bike had fully exploded. I heard about it only after I woke up in a kolto tank a week later. Only after months of physical therapy and kolto treatments was I able to walk again. Ameles never got another chance."
Lethe fell into silence, tears silently coursing down her cheeks. Even after all these years, it hurt to recall that day on the track. She had almost lost her life then. It was why she hated swoop racing now and was terrified of it. But she didn't have a choice. She needed to save Bastila on Taris. And now she needed the money. It was the only way, her past encounters be damned.
She started when a pair of arms went around her, pulling her closer to a warm body. Lethe turned her face into Carth's shoulder, desperately trying to stifle her sobs. She had been unconscious for the funeral and had never truly mourned her friend as a result. Though she had not intended to, she did so now as she wept.
Eventually, her tears stopped and she regained control of herself. Lethe wiped her face in embarrassment, her eyes on the ground as she leaned away from Carth. "I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to see that. Even though it happened years ago, I guess I never really got over it. Look, I'm going to finish fixing the stabilizer then I'm going to the track."
She tried to stand up, but Carth grabbed her hand and pulled her back. She kept her eyes averted until he gently touched her face. When she finally met his gaze, she was surprised to find only concern and understanding. "Lethe, I wish there's something I could say or do to make this better. You should never feel sorry for telling me something, I would never condemn you, especially not for something like this. I'm glad you told me. I just wish there was more I could do than say I'm sorry."
Lethe smiled softly, touched by the sincerity in his voice. "You listened to me. That was enough. Thank you Carth. Now I really do have to work on that stabilizer."
He sighed but didn't let go of her hand. "No, beautiful, please. Are you sure about this? We will find another way, I promise."
She shook her head. "No, I'm going to do this. Things are a lot safer now anyway, I'll be fine. Don't worry, it's our best option." She leaned forward to kiss his cheek but he turned his head suddenly and her lips landed on his own.
They froze for only a moment in shock, before their lips moved, gently caressing each other. Her eyes fell closed, acutely aware of Carth's body next to hers. The kiss was short, but tender. Lethe pulled away first, her blush extremely pronounced. Unable to look at Carth, she quickly stood and moved to the swoop bike, focusing her attention on the stabilizer. Her motions were mechanical though, as she trained all of her senses on the movement behind her, waiting to see what he would do.
After several minutes, she heard Carth stand. He walked over to her and stopped, apparently waiting for her to acknowledge him. When she didn't, he laid a hand on her arm to get her attention. Lethe straightened and turned to face him, willing the blush that was still evident to go away. He smiled, but only said, "I'm going to come with you. You're not doing this alone."
Touched more than she wanted to admit, Lethe nodded. Her eyes followed him as he left the room. As the Jedi turned back to the bike, she had to wonder just what it was about that man that put her in knots.
It was only when Lethe was sitting on the starting line that she began to have second thoughts. It was all well and good for Carth to say he was coming with her and for Jolee to tag along as well; but the fact was that she was the only one who could ride the swoop.
She pushed her anxiety out of her mind, focusing instead on the bike and the upcoming race, nothing else. Given that the track was out in the open, the sand was going to be a problem. The wind was running unhindered along the dunes, whipping up small sand storms. Lethe checked again that all of her skin was covered so as not to be exposed to the stinging grains of sand.
She tightened the strap on her helmet and grasped the handles, her hands sweating inside of her gloves. The swoop vibrated beneath her, primed and ready to go. She had run over every aspect of the bike before bringing it to the track, not wanting it to blow up on her. Once she had been satisfied that she would be safe riding it–which was not something she would admit easily–she signed up for a race. Now she sat on the bike, muscles tense and adrenaline pumping as her eyes stared at the lights.
Red. She would be careful, she didn't want a repeat of Deralia. Or Taris, for that matter. Jolee could patch her up if she needed it. But she wouldn't need it, the swoop was fine and she had the Force now.
Yellow. They would be one step closer to finding the Star Map once the race was over. And she would never have to ride a swoop again. Not unless she wanted some of that special attention from Carth. Of course, after that kiss–
Green.
Lethe gunned the engine and the swoop jumped forward. All thought disappeared and her mind instantly set to calculating distances, speeds, winds, glares and every possible thing that might effect the performance of the swoop. The sand pelted her as she flew over the ground, turning her once dark leathers brown.
She expertly maneuvered the bike from one side of the track to the other. It performed so much better than the one she had ridden on Taris, even better than her model back on Deralia. It was smooth and didn't jolt or shudder every time she hit a booster. Her shifting was seamless as she changed gears, the bike responding at the slightest touch.
Her eyes darted between the gages, mentally comparing the numbers she saw with what was within an acceptable range. What was most important to her though: the bike wasn't overheating, which was very significant given the hot Tatooine sun.
She soon burst over the finish line and eased back on the controls, thrilled to have gotten through the race and with an acceptable time too. Once the bike came to a stop, she pried her hands off the controls, sat back, and breathed a deep sigh of relief. She had done it. She actually giggled in her moment of relief, so happy to still be alive. She climbed off the bike and followed as the techs started to cart it back to the starting line.
She would have to race again, but she didn't mind so much anymore. She sent a message ahead that she wanted to do another heat immediately, while she was still loose. She raised her hand in front of her face and noticed that her fingers were cramped from where she had gripped the controls too tightly. Well, maybe loose wasn't the right word to use.
Lethe was glad that she still wore her helmet; that way the crowds couldn't see the dumb grin plastered on her face. She could do this. One more race shouldn't be a problem, right?
Red. This was her way of proving that she was truly past Deralia. It was a part of her life certainly, but she reasoned that Ameles wouldn't want her to live in fear of what she had once loved most. This was her way of proving to Ameles that she would not be made held back.
Yellow. She was proving to Carth too that she could do this. She probably should have stopped in and said something to him though, he must be worried about her. After the race she would–
Green.
The bike shot ahead with her firmly seated on it, as if she and the swoop were one entity. There was hardly any delay between what her mind wanted to happen and what the bike did. She thought of avoiding a piece of debris and it was done before she could blink. The shift meter never turned red for more than a moment, so swiftly did she shift between gears.
The feel of sand peppering her leathers barely registered in her mind as she flew through the open track. The sun reflected off of several piles of scrap metal along the track, sending chaotic light rays into the eyes of the rider. But she kept her seat and moved past the dangerous spots. Her eyes were always moving, never able to be blinded by solitary beams. In her mind, it felt that she and the bike were the same; and sun and sand did not effect cold metal.
Just as before, she exploded over the finish line, shaving off several significant seconds from her time. Lethe was ecstatic. She had earned them the credits they needed and the horrors from her past swoop experiences were no longer pertinent. She felt oddly immortal in that moment. She climbed off the bike, unable to resist the temptation to wave towards the sounds of cheers. If she weren't careful, she might get an ego over this.
Lethe turned to the track, examining it one last time. She noted the height of the sun and watched the small sand storms playing along the ground. The wind blew spare scraps of refuse across the track, highlighting the emptiness of the area. A small group of dunes to the west was throwing shadows across the ground as the sun moved steadily downward. She analyzed the conditions and came to the conclusion that one more time couldn't hurt.
She sent ahead the message that she wanted to race once more and try to become the champion. She could do it. She was truly over her fear now. Things had gone perfectly, she had nothing to worry about.
Red. She could win. She could become the champion of Tatooine. People might actually ask for her holoprint. All of the people that would look up to her–a woman once terrified of swoop racing and now the best at the sport. That had to be worth something.
Yellow. And Carth. Carth would be so proud of her. She had broken up all over him earlier and he would be thrilled she had moved past her reservations. He would grin and pull her into his arms, leaning down–
Green.
Lethe let the engines go. She didn't hold back at all as she hit every booster pad, avoided every piece of debris and fairly demolished the track records. She wanted to make an impression and she certainly was going to. The sun was starting to set anyway, letting the shadows of the dunes grow longer. One shadow was more jagged than the others, showing that something rested on top of the sand. . .
She felt a disturbance in the Force before it happened. But there was nothing she could do, not at the speeds she was going. Her lightsabers were back with Jolee and she couldn't gather the Force to her in time to ward off any danger. She was an open target to one lone Sand Person with a long range rifle.
The bullet reached her before the sound did. She screamed as the small piece of metal entered her right shoulder, shattering the bone before lodging in her skin. It was a crude weapon, but still effective. It was good that she flew over the finish a moment later, because her right arm now hung uselessly at her side, unable to grip the controls.
Lethe used every bit of strength she had to bring the swoop to a stop, desperately trying to quell the pain in her shoulder. She hunched forward on the bike, reaching her left arm around to clutch at the bloody wound. She gently probed it with the Force, testing the extent of the damage. The bullet was still in her shoulder, and she couldn't heal herself with it still there, ready to infect the wound. Any movement of her arm was nothing more than blinding pain and she gasped.
"Guess I should have quit while I was ahead," she muttered darkly, voice thick with tears. Techs and other staff rushed over to her, jabbering in a dozen different languages. She let them help her off the bike, crying out whenever her arm was jolted. She walked slowly back to the prep area in a haze of agony, her hand trying to staunch the bleeding without jarring the bone too much.
The door to the enclosed space flew open before she got there and Carth and Jolee ran out, the worry and relief pouring off of them. "Lethe!" Carth exclaimed, skidding to a stop next to her. "What happened?"
Lethe grit her teeth, desperately willing the pain to stop. "Some Sand Person decided to use me for target practice I guess. Force this hurts. Fraking swoops."
They entered into the enclosed room, empty except for a medic waiting on hand. Jolee waved the man away and took the supplies himself, intending to treat her. Lethe shuffled over to a table and used a chair to help her sit on it. She winced every time her arm moved. Carth followed her, ready to help if needed.
"Carth, can you get my helmet off? It's too dark in here otherwise." He nodded and unhooked the strap then carefully eased the casing off of her. Though her voice had been rather steady, it was clear that she was in a lot of pain from her face, which still had tears coursing down it. She took a deep breath of dusty air and promptly began coughing. Her arm jolted with the movement and she swayed when unconsciousness threatened.
"Lethe!" Carth shouted. He grabbed her face, waiting until her eyes were focused on his. "You need to stay awake Lethe, at least until we've got the wound cleaned up." He paused and frowned. "Why didn't you just heal yourself?"
She shook her head, the motion more difficult with Carth's hands on her face. "Couldn't. The bullet is still in there."
Jolee cursed from the other side of the room and hurriedly brought over the medical supplies. "Why didn't you say so? That needs to come out now."
Lethe rolled her eyes, though the nausea that attacked her then proved that that was not a good idea. "I know that."
Jolee glared at her. "Don't you use that tone with me missy. You're the one not using your entire brain right now. I'm going to have to cut away the arm of your leathers, so take your hand away from the wound. Then we'll get to the bullet."
The old Jedi took out a small blade. Lethe braced herself, shutting her eyes tightly. He cut from her neck, under her arm and then back up to her neck again, making an odd oval incision. Once that was done, Jolee gently peeled away the edge of the leathers and then paused when he got near the wound. "I would do this quickly if I could, but I have to be careful not to jar the arm too much. This is going to hurt."
Lethe grit her teeth. "Just do it." She clenched her jaw, tensing for the pain that was about to come. She turned her face into Carth's chest as Jolee began to pull the ruined leathers away from her wound and down her arm. Though her mouth remained closed, she still screamed in pain.
She was beginning to feel light-headed. Her vision was swimming in and out of focus. Vaguely, she could hear Carth talking to her, trying to keep her conscious. She knew it was a losing battle though. She watched as Jolee picked up a long metal tool with some sort of clamp on the end of it. His mouth moved, though she couldn't understand the words. He inserted the instrument into her shoulder. Pain blossomed in her mind and she let the darkness take her.
The pain was the first thing she noticed when she woke up. It was nowhere near the intensity of earlier, but there was still a dull ache in her shoulder. She slowly became aware of the fact that she was laying on a bed, most likely her bunk in the Ebon Hawk. Someone sighed next to her and rough fingers brushed across her cheek.
Lethe cracked open her eyes to see Carth sitting on the edge of her bunk, his fingers those she had felt. He smiled in relief. "Hey beautiful. Nice to see you awake."
She groaned and stretched, wincing as she stretched her right arm. "What happened?"
"You fainted when Jolee was working on you."
Lethe stared at him, incredulous. "I don't faint."
Carth chuckled. "Hate to tell you this, but you do. Jolee got the metal out and then healed you. He says that mending broken bones are harder, so you're going to be kind of sore for a few days."
She pushed herself up to a sitting position and gingerly tested her shoulder, rotating it and twisting it. The ache intensified and she let her arm fall back to her side. Carth's hand had fallen from her face and she grasped it with her left hand. She sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. "I really thought that I was over my fear. I felt like nothing could touch me."
Carth squeezed her hand. "You couldn't have known that you were going to be shot at. As worried as I get when you're out there, I'm glad you faced your fear, even if it didn't have the best results. Still, I think it would be best for my sanity if you don't ride any more swoops."
"No problem there," she said, grinning.
Carth rolled his eyes. "You said that on Taris too."
Lethe chuckled. "Don't worry Carth, I highly doubt I would willingly climb onto a swoop bike again. Besides, I don't think there could be another reason to. I'll stay on the ground, I promise."
He watched her for a moment before nodding. He then raised his free hand and cupped her cheek before he leaned forward and kissed her. She couldn't help but sigh into the kiss, leaning into his body. She raised her arms, intending to wind them around his neck, but her shoulder protested. She gasped and jerked away, glaring at her shoulder.
Carth chuckled ruefully. "You need to rest your shoulder. Have Jolee look at it later, okay? Get some more rest beautiful, I'll go see about that droid." He squeezed her hand one more time before he rose from the bed and left the dormitory. Lethe's eyes followed him as he left. She realized that she once again had a dumb smile on her face, though for an entirely different reason this time.
Lethe tested her arm again. She really did have to stay off of swoops. . .regardless of how much she may look forward to the recovery.
Hope everyone is enjoying this. I had writer's block on another story and so this was the product. Tried something a little different, but I think it all worked out. Thanks of course, for all of the reviews. And points to whoever can tell me the meaning of Ameles... you guys should know none of my names are meaningless! Anyway, let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading! Alexandra