She had a few ideas but didn't know exactly what she had been expecting, although what she found on the other side of the hangar certainly didn't fit. Revan thought there would be tubes, computers, people walking around in lab attire, great bubbling displays of variously colored chemicals, the list went on and on. Instead they had walked into what appeared more like a large apartment complex.
Colorless hallways greeted their path, where occasionally they passed others on their way to some unknown area of the facility. There was no standard dress code and Revan couldn't help but wonder how they kept track of who held what position or how they didn't end up lost as each corridor seemed to mirror the last.
Mio had begun to explain the facility before Treg placed a gentle hand on her arm, "Please, let me." He smiled. "But feel free to interrupt if I fail to remember something accurately."
He was beaming as he spoke about the place, telling her how the actual labs were in the Northern region of the station, each one secured by a voice activated locking system. The area they were in now had once been the labs but was turned into a series of apartments when the new section had been built. It even hosted a hologym and a few cafés. "Those were my quarters" he pointed to a door that looked just the same as all the others to Revan.
"And these are mine" Mio walked to the door directly across from where Treg had pointed. "Come in. We have some catching up to do, I'm anxious to hear what you have been up to Treg, and how you met your friends."
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He knew their eyes were following him but at this point he didn't care. He slowly moved around searching every square inch of the large hangar, committing everything to memory, the location of each control unit along with numerous wall mounted devices. He feigned interest in the other ships, moving around them as if in awe, ducking under them as he conveyed interest in their structural build and design. In reality he was assessing which locations kept him hidden from their view. He would quickly come out the other side to avoid suspicion, tracing his fingers along the sides of the ship before looking up at the guards in the terminal and giving them a nod of approval. There were 10 steps, a small landing and then another 10 steps turning to the left that the guards would have to maneuver if they decided to leave their post.
Right now there were four guards watching him, enough eyes to cover the hangar, but hopefully later, in the late hours of the night there wouldn't be as many. Unless they decide to keep a closer eye on me.
Carth headed back to the Rubicon, inspection complete. Now he just needed the expertise of X-14 to unlock one of those doors. He headed to the galley, brewing a cup of caffa before sitting down. Needing to figure out which path would provide the most cover, ultimately determining which door he tried to access, he took a sip of his caffa and began reviewing what he had just learned.
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"Breath of Heaven?" Mio asked, returning from her kitchenette into the parlor where she had left Treg and Revan.
"Are they paying you that well these days to afford such an expensive beverage?" Treg inquired as he moved to grab three glasses from the wall cabinet.
"No such luck, this is a bottle I've kept around for a special occasion. And if I remember correctly, it's one of your favorites."
"That it is. I always enjoyed a pricey, almost pure grade of alcohol now didn't I?" He took the bottle from her and began mixing the drinks with a familiar expertise.
Actually he's quite familiar with everything, where she keeps her glasses … Oh stop it Revan, don't tell me your jealous! I'm sure all these apartments are set up the same. She accepted the drink from Treg and tried to tune into what he and Mio were talking about.
"So when the position opened –"
"You graciously accepted." Treg finished for her.
"Not without regrets." Mio became serious, "I never had a chance to tell you how sorry I was Treg. I'm sorry about the marriage …. "
"Ah, no need for that Mio. It was for the best. Plus, everyone knows I was never spouse of the year. Besides, my time away from here has enriched my life. After all, I met this wonderful person" His gaze turned to Revan and he immediately knew she wasn't listening to anything he was saying, "Who has just been sitting quietly over there, but don't let that fool you."
Wonder what Carth is up to? He must be steaming mad at me, nothing unusual there. He thinks I'm here for Treg. But I'm not, am I? It wasn't just leaving Treg that made me want to stay, there is something else. If I could just reach out ….
"Revan?" Treg gave her a gentle shake.
She forced a smile but her eyes told a different story. "What can I say, it's been a long day. Any chance there's a shower around here I could use?"
Attempting to hide what he knew what going through her mind, Treg replied a bit more scornfully than he anticipated before recovering, "It's barely afternoon Revan, but that is an excellent idea. Mio, do you know if our accommodations are ready?"
"Give me a moment, let me check" with that she stepped out of the room through a door on her left.
When she had exited, Treg turned his attention back to Revan, "I know that look Revan, you are saddling yourself with more guilt."
"I should go talk to Carth." Revan finally stated.
Treg was silent for awhile, until he could no longer stand how she was silently demoralizing herself. "If, perhaps, that I believed you wanted to do that for the right reasons I would stand behind you. But you only want to go to him to set his mind at ease, when you know you cannot do that. He has to deal with this on his own Revan. No apology you give him, no words you say, will comfort him. And frankly, you have done enough apologizing to him, enough to last a lifetime in my databank. You have to stop with the blame. You just gave a part of yourself for his life, and you have made amends. You have given more of yourself than I'm sure even he wanted. I will only say this one more time Revan – It is time you stopped apologizing to that man for your past. What's done is done!"
She was growing irritated, at herself, at him, at everything. "Would you just, for once, stop being so damn understanding and blunt!"
Her agitation was even more apparent as she began wringing her hands, "Force Treg, my past is unforgivable. If you only knew what I have done. What I have done to Carth. He's a man who has a lot of pride and every time he swallows some of it for me I turn around and throw it back in his face. ME! Just me! I take whatever small bit he gives me and just stomp on it, as if it were insignificant. How can I forgive myself when I just continually hurt him? Dammit, I love him, and then I go running to you and … and … You should hate me too!"
He moved to kneel down before her, "You have, in what you just said, addressed two of your biggest problems." He brought her hands into his, "The first is that you have spent too many years being hard on yourself, hating yourself, placing all the blame on yourself. That will not go away instantly, but I hope, with my help, that it will fade a bit quicker. Next is how you feel you about Onasi, which ties back to the first and how you believe you owe him some Wookie life-debt because of your actions, which all help to feed your blame. Yes, you still love him. Letting go is never easy, even if it is something we loathe. When it is something we love it is even harder. But I will not let you push me away due to any of this. It is what you have done with Onasi but it will not happen with me. I'm here Revan and I'm not going anywhere. Unless of course, I believe you mean it when you tell me otherwise. Which to date, you haven't done." He gave her hands a firm grip before standing, pulling her to her feet. "I would say this even if nothing had ever happened between us. It is the truth Revan. Please accept that."
"But don't you see, I can't accept that!"
"Yes you can and you already have started."
"When? How?"
He stared into her eyes before answering, letting the time pass to amplify his words. "When we did this," he brushed his lips over hers before returning to look into her eyes. He saw the confusion that played on her face, "And now you are denying it." Her confusion turned to understanding and he took another kiss before he looked at her again. "And now you are thinking about it." He waited, until he saw her self-brutalizing thoughts melt away, before he brought her into his hold, kissing the side of her face as he murmured, "this is all you want Revan, forgiveness. An opportunity to let go of all that has been your enemy since you found out who you once were."
His words were working, she understood, he understood. The walls that had been built around the relationship she shared with Carth were not present with Treg. She welcomed that feeling, enjoyed basking in the glory of just being someone, anyone. Anyone besides the person Carth believed she was, anyone except the former Dark Lord.