Every Generation has a Story

"I want you to have it," he said to his son, who had just joined the Republic Navy. "You're old enough to use it and you'll need it."

He looked at his father, his eyes brimming with tears. "Dad, I can't accept--,"

The older man raised his hand out to stop him from rejecting it. "I won't take 'no' for an answer, Carth. This blaster has been in the Onasi family for as long as the Onasi family has been in the Republic Navy. It is an heirloom and she's saved my life more than once. This weapon saved your grandfather, your great-grandfather and his father before him."

Young Carth Onasi tried to smile, unsure of how to take the heirloom his father was adamant on giving. He wasn't sure what good a worn old blaster would do against any of the modern foes they faced. Then again, advancements had been made in the Tibanna Gas industry, so the blaster packs were the only ones that boosted the power in the weapons—old and new.

"Carth?" A warm voice called to him.

He awoke from his reverie and stared at his mother, who smiled at him warmly.

Her hair was silver, her face creased with lines these days. "Take it, please."

"I—I don't know what to say, Dad." Carth searched for some clue as to how he felt. His eyes meandered across the living room, where there was nothing but old, worn tables, the carpets that had been there since before he was born. This home had been the Onasi family home for more generations.

Surely he couldn't take the home with him, but the blaster was a legacy of the Onasi men and women who had stories to tell of how it had saved their lives. Even if the Onasi family had not been a part of the Republic Navy, it had still served those who were in the Telosian Security Forces.

Carth felt the hard clasp of his father's hand on his shoulder.

"Son, did I ever tell you what happened to me when I was off fighting the Krath six months before you were born?"

Carth shook his head. I've heard every story, but the Krath? This is new, even for me.

The old man sat down in the chair beside his son, who sipped from a cup of warm Telosian tea his mother had made for him.

It warmed him and he felt himself coming to miss his home before he could even leave.

"Do you want any cake, Dear?" She asked Carth, who shook his head. She turned to face her husband, but she could tell he was already enamored in the tale he was about to weave in front of their own son. She smiled to herself and sat down.

"Years ago, when I was with your Uncle Dasi in the Navy, we encountered a heavy Krath warship. This was just before that whole Sith fiasco." He shook his head, throwing off those nightmares and phantoms from the Jedi War that followed soon after the Krath war. "Well, we were on board a cruiser, which came under fire. There was no warning, no mercy and before we knew it, we were plunged into a war that we thought would tear the Republic asunder."

Carth nodded, and sipped his tea.

"Well, your Uncle and I threw on our uniforms and hopped into our fighters. We fought against them for hours, but the losses and the surprise was just too great." The older man sighed, his eyes drifting off back to that time. His voice became softer. "Your Uncle and I managed to evade their automated defences and fired off a salvo of torpedoes—everything we had." His fist slammed across his palm.

Carth smiled, imaging his father as a younger man fighting a war back in those days.

"We took out that warship and those Krath scum before they could muster another assault." He sighed, "but the cost was too great. We saved as many lives as we could, but the remaining fighters came at us and we were shot down." He looked at his wife, who gently rubbed his shoulder. "Could you get us something to eat, Dear?"

She nodded and rose, eager to get into the kitchen.

The old man looked back at Carth and smiled. "She's always been a sweetheart, your mum. I don't know where I'd be without her."

The new recruit merely smiled back.

"Well, we crashed on a remote planet—thankfully the battle took us at Yavin. This was before the Sith—I said that, didn't I?"

Carth nodded patiently.

The blaster was in the center of the table.

"Well, your Uncle and I managed to escape safely, but we knew it would only be a matter of time before the Krath sent out a war party. We cut our way through the jungle, escaped a few nasty animals here and there for three days. One night, when we were asleep, they came." He sighed, resting his elbows on the table and cupping his hands under his chin. "They got to your Uncle first. He bought me time to escape and well…they…their monsters, those Krath. They may walk like us, talk like us, but they were animals. They fought your Uncle down and cut him with knives. He didn't stand a chance."

Carth felt his skin tingle and the hairs rise at the back of his neck. He watched his father wipe something from the corner of his eye as he undoubtedly remembered watching his older brother fight off the Krath.

"Before he let me escape, he gave me a present from our father." He gestured towards the blaster.

"It saved your life?" Carth asked, hinting at the point and hoping to spare his father the agony of reliving the moment.

He nodded. "I managed to take down the leader with a single bolt to the head. The rest of the Krath were disorganized and I picked them off one by one." He lowered his head. "I made it back to the site where they murdered your Uncle and I buried him there. The fleet came back for me twelve hours later. Turns out the Krath had been pushed back by the Jedi. Bought us some time."

"Oh Dad," Carth began, only to have his father shake his head.

"No, Carth. This is not just a weapon. It's an extension of yourself. As long as you have it, it will keep you safe and it will protect you for generations. Your Uncle had always hoped that you would be old enough to take it off his hands when you joined the Republic Navy. He had hoped he could hear the stories that you would have once it saved your life."

"But, Dad, what happens if--,"

"If what?" He looked at his son incredulously. "If someone broke into the home? Telos is a peaceful planet—almost as peaceful as Alderaan. Besides, your Aunt Sekona has two of her boys working in the TSF. We'll be fine."

Carth sighed.

His mother came in, with another cup of tea for his father and he sipped it gratefully and kissed her on the cheek. "Carth," she said, "there will come a time when you will have a little boy or girl and you will want to give them a legacy. This blaster has been waiting for you until you were old enough. Now that you are, you can have something to keep as a reminder of us and the future. As long as you have it, you'll never be alone." She cupped his face and kissed his forehead.

"Aw, Mum," Carth began to protest, but she embraced him. "All right, fine, fine, I'll take it."

She let go and smiled and kissed him again, causing him to groan again. "I knew you would, Dear."

"Trust me, Carth. It will keep you safe for years to come."

Carth nodded solemnly. "All right, Old Man, I trust you. Tomorrow I ship out and I'll keep it close to me—as a reminder of you and Mum."

The old man smiled. "I believe it's time for bed now. You've got to catch an early flight."

Carth smiled and downed the last contents of his tea into his gullet before he rose and raced to his room.

The old man sat there for a while, before he glanced at his wife. "You know, Marta, I think Carth will do all right."

She smiled at him. "I know, he has much of his father in him."

The old man chuckled and caressed her hand.

17 Years Later

Captain Carth Onasi walked aboard the bridge of the Republic Cruiser Endar Spire with purpose and with impatience. "What's taking so long?" He muttered to himself. His hand stroked the blaster holstered on his belt.

"Sir?" One of the officers asked him.

"Oh. Nothing," Carth replied, turning to face the officer behind him. "I'm just a little rattled I guess."

"I understand, sir," he replied, smiling at his commanding officer. "We'll be arriving to Taris in approximately thirty-six minutes and twenty seconds."

Carth nodded. "Thanks." He looked at the swirl of hyperspace and glanced at the officer again. "How's the Jedi doing?"

He shrugged, "they seem pretty on the level."

Carth snorted, "yeah, unless of course you're an officer and commander of a vessel."

The officer nodded changed the arc of the conversation. "Have you heard about those new Mon Calamari designs that were presented to the Republic Navy?"

Carth nodded, "yeah, I heard they were shot down as soon as the schematics were shown."

"Why's that?"

"Have you ever seen one of those Mon Cal ships?"

The officer shook his head.

Carth smiled, "well, they're beautiful as can be. They can even take a beating, from what I've heard. And if we added our weapons to them, we'd be more than a match for the Sith."

The officer furrowed his brow in puzzlement. "So why'd Brass axe the design?"

"They're too expensive—especially the way we are right now. I figure it will be about a thousand years before the Republic could incorporate that design—if ever."

"Will there be anything left of the Republic in a thousand years to buy something like that?"

Carth shrugged. "I don't know. Let's just focus on making sure that never happens."

The officer nodded and returned to his console.

Carth walked out of the bridge, allowing the Commander some time to command the ship before it reached Taris. His mind had been wandering back to his father and the last words he had spoken before he had joined the Republic Navy.

The man shook his head and glanced at his blaster.

It had been some time since he had thought of his old man.

War tended to give one few moments of peace and quiet. It had only been six months into his training when he had heard of his father's passing. Soon after that, the Mandalorians had invaded and it was havoc that was wrought all across the Galaxy.

It took almost two years, but finally the Jedi had intervened with Revan at the forefront. She had been the one who had put a stop to the Mandalorians, shortly before she had a power trip.

Now Carth was stuck fighting the Sith in a war that did not go favourably for the Republic and Jedi Order.

And what's more, he was stuck on board of his command ship with a group of Jedi and a few mercenaries that were aboard.

He fondled the grip of the worn blaster by his side again. His eyes went to it. Boy, have I got stories for you, Dad. He sighed and continued to walk throughout the austere and white hallways. His mind was turned to Telos and the loss of his family, parents and wife and son alike. His fist tightened around the pistol, shortly before he holstered it. I will fulfill my promise, he vowed. I will make sure Saul pays dearly—and with this blaster. His hand patted the blaster with care and he continued walking.

Suddenly the ship lurched, causing him to stumble and fall, along with the officers and few Jedi in the hallway.

"What in the blazes is going on?" He muttered as he hoisted himself up and glanced at the others who were doing likewise.

He turned and walked towards a control panel and tapped the controls. "Onasi here, what the frell is going on? I thought we weren't due to Taris for another half hour?"

The ship shuddered.

What the frack? He tapped the key again, "Onasi to Bridge, what is going on? Please respond."

There was no answer.

He looked at the others who were unsure of what was going on.

The ship shuddered and this time it was much harder, causing the panel to explode in a shower of sparks, forcing Carth to throw himself away from it.

Rising, he faced the others. "Get to your stations now! We're under attack!" Not sticking around to see if they would listen, he raced back towards the bridge in the hopes of looking for survivors and to see if this was a battle they could get out of. He continued to wind through the corridors as the ship shuddered again. What in the blazes is going on? Why haven't we started returning fire? Is the defence grid offline?

He continued to race through the possibilities in his mind as he entered the bridge doors and paused at the scene.

Bodies were strewn across the floor.

The first salvo had been designed to crush most of the systems operated out of the bridge.

He raced towards the console he had been but a few moments earlier, chatting with the officer who was now slumped lifelessly on it. His heart sagged at the death of his fellow officers, but this was no time to mourn. He unceremoniously moved the body away from the console and raced through the sensor logs.

His face paled and he could feel his heart grow cold. "Oh Sithspawn."

There was an entire fleet of Sith warships being led by Darth Malak's Leviathan.

The flagship had more than likely been the one that pulled the Spire out of hyperspace.

There would only be one reason why Malak would have a fleet sitting there at Taris waiting for the Spire: Bastila.

She had caught the eye of the Dark Lord of the Sith for some time and he was relentless in pursuing her all over the Galaxy.

What's more, Carth couldn't help but feel that there was someone who had tipped the Sith off. No one, save for the top Brass, the Jedi Order and the mercenaries onboard, knew Bastila was on board.

He narrowed his eyes, but quickly dismissed the thought as the ship lurched again. He moved to another control and activated the communications panel, shortly before a console beeped, signaling that the Sith had boarded. He sighed and began his speech. "All hands, this Carth Onasi. The Sith have begun their attack and we're lost. Get to your escape pods and abandon ship. I've set a course to Taris—hopefully that will cut the time in half. May the Force be with us all."

The ship lurched again and he leapt over a group of other consoles and crumpled forms. He cast the bodies aside and tapped away at the consoles, activating the defences of the ship and hoping it would buy those in the pods some time before the Sith would either shoot them down or capture them.

The mechanical whine of energy began to hum throughout the ship, as the turbolasers fought against the swarm of fighters that came at them.

He sighed again and went back to the comlink. He checked the status of the pods and then switched to all personal comlinks. "Is there anyone still alive in the Spire?" He waited several moments. No one's left. Time to go. The ship shuddered again and a compartment collapsed, crushing the helm's controls with an audible crackle and sizzle.

Definitely time to go. He began to turn around and leave, until his comlink went off. "What the?" He picked it up and activated it. "Onasi here. Didn't think anyone else was left alive."

"Qiana Revanche, what's going on?" Came a feminine voice that sounded almost as if she had woken up a few moments ago.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. She's definitely not one of mine. His finger tapped a switch and he spoke into the comlink. "The Sith have boarded the ship and overrun our defences. We need to go. Where are you right now?"

"I'm near the bridge," she replied.

He let out a low growl and turned to face the console. "All right, get into the bridge—you'll need to pass a group of Sith with a stealth belt or something else."

"I've got something planned for them," she said softly.

Carth could have sworn he heard a smile underneath that tone. Definitely not one of mine. Could she be one of the Jedi or mercenaries? He shook his head. Now's not the time. He waited a few moments, until he heard the bridge doors open. With twice an expert's speed, Carth withdrew his blaster and trained on the figure that now stood there.

She stood proudly, with her two swords casually twirling in her hands. Her long black hair was tied back and she stood a few inches shorter than him. Her dark eyes glinted with the promise of vengeance for…someone.

As he looked closely, he realized the blades were lightly dripping in blood. Definitely a mercenary. He kept his blaster trained on her for a few more moments before she looked at him and spoke up.

"Hello to you too. Onasi, right?"

He nodded, keeping his blaster trained on her.

She smiled widely. "Qiana Revanche. Pleased to meet you."

He nodded again, blaster trained.

She paused for a moment, the ship still shuddering as her eyes locked with his. "Are you going to lower your weapon? I'm a friendly."

Slowly, but surely, he lowered his blaster. "All right, let's go." He gestured to her towards a pair of doors. "You first."

She nodded and continued towards the door, opening it as they walked into a group of unwary Sith.

Everything when slow and Carth pulled out his blaster and lined up a shot, squeezing the trigger and landing a thin scarlet streak into the faceplate of his opponent. He ducked and rolled towards a long desk, while his eyes moved to Qiana, who raced across the room in a blur and had already slashed the throat of one poor soldier, who fumbled for his sword.

She was like a killing machine, attacking with a grace matched only by her killing efficiency.

Three of the Sith had gone down by Qianna before Carth had fired his blaster at the final figure.

Carth kept his blaster leveled until he made sure no one was getting up.

"Nice job," she said, as she twirled her swords in her hands again.

"You too," he replied.

She grinned and moved towards the door, along with him.

They tapped it open and Carth went in first, glancing around before he said, "all clear." He turned around to face her, and she merely smiled at him.

Then he saw it.

"Down!" He screamed, bringing his blaster up.

She took an involuntary step back before she felt a sharp pain lance into her shoulder blade.

Carth managed to knock her aside, but he could already smell the burned flesh that roiled off her from the blast she took. He drew a bead on the Sith who was barely rising.

The Sith watched Carth draw a bead.

He squeezed the trigger.

A loud energy discharge lanced across the room and struck him in the forehead.

The Sith slumped to the ground almost as if he were a bag of dead weight.

Carth narrowed his eyes and then holstered his pistol. He looked at Qiana, who had slowly risen, but was moaning in pain. Of all the times, he couldn't help but think.

He looked around the area, looking for what he hoped would be a medpac. Spotting a small bulge near a group of fallen Republic soldiers, he raced towards it and rolled the body over. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the boxy packet. He opened it and pulled out a kolto strip.

Qiana had risen but found herself hard-pressed having to support herself with the one sword in her current possession. The other blade had been sent clattering off to the far corner of the room.

The ship shuddered more fervently this time.

She managed to support herself towards the debris covered table, and after wiping away some larger pieces, she began to lay down partly on her stomach.

"Hold still," he said as he raced towards her. He began to lift her shirt up to survey the damage to her body, causing her to flinch. Taking a step back, he raised his arms up in a peaceful gesture. "I'm not going to hurt you. I need to apply this to you—unless of course you want to bleed all over the floor and the pod."

Reluctantly, she sighed and turned back to face the table. "All right, but be careful. If I feel anything straying away from my shoulder blades, I'm going to cut it off."

He cautiously lifted her shirt, holding it with one hand and guided the bandage in the other towards the wound.

She winced and squealed as she felt the cool touch of the patch touch her wound, while she felt the warmth of his hand on her back. It seemed to be there for a little bit longer than she had hoped. "While you're at it, would you like to scratch my back?"

"There, you're cured," he growled, letting go of his grip on the shirt and removing his hands. "Now let's go."

She rose, still feeling a bit groggy, though she couldn't help but feel better from the effects of the patch taking effect. "Kolto," she muttered, "works wonders."

Carth moved towards the pod and tapped away at the keys before he glanced at her.

"I'm sure you do too, flyboy," she replied, smiling widely again at him.

Stifling a wisecrack at the mercenary, he merely stated, "looks like there's one pod left. We better take it—we're the only ones left here."

She nodded.

Carth gestured to the interior of the pod. "After you."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess you really take pride in your chivalry, don't you flyboy?"

He inhaled sharply and spoke through clenched teeth. "We don't have time for this. I've seen more than my share of good people die. A lot more good than I'm sure you've got in your whole pinky. Now move it."

She sighed and entered the pod, followed by Carth a few moments later.

I definitely have some stories for you, Old Man, he couldn't help but think as the pod ejected and sent them sprawling towards the decaying central hub of Taris.

Author's Notes: Well, after a long hiatus, this has finally come about. The final one shall come around soon enough. I hope you enjoyed this.