Stepping into the arena, the artificial lights blinded her, making her block the light with her arm as the roar of the crowd erupted into her ears. Though the sound was not that of a cheering excited crowd, it was a call for blood. The people of Taris were obviously stressed and hateful, a planet lockd own would do that to any citizen. But being unable to take it out on the sith left it to the poor saps who were good with a weapon to entertain the people.

'Deadeye' Duncan stepped into the ring the same time as her, drawing attention to himself by jumping up and down, waving his arms and pumping his fists as though he could lift the blocade with his bare hands. The crowd went wild with cries for violence and boos. The announcer slightly quieted them, a low grumbling sound barely audiable over the crowd from where she stood. The most she really heard was "Mysterious stranger" and "deadeye Duncan!" then the gong rang, signaling the beginning of the match.

Carth stood from his Pazzack game, grinning widely at the man who had just been cleaned out. The players were obviously upset, but Nobels that wouldn't stand up to someone who had the guts to cheat. Carth hadn't cheated, but it was still nice to walk out of the room without someone yelling at him.

'Where'd she go?' His dark brown eyes scanned the main hub, wondering if she would have grabbed a seat if she was done for now. But the little brunette was no where to be found. Wandering about, he scanned each room continuing in the circle from where they had started. The last room he had yet to stop in was fairly large, and everyone in it was huddled around whatever monitor they could.

"She's dodging each blaster bolt!"

"Man she's fast!"

"I don't think Duncan has a blade on him…. if she gets any closer he's done!"

"Woah man!"

Carth, being the nosey bugger he was, stepped up to the nearest monitor, thankful that there was only one other person using it. The sight he saw though, made him want to shudder. There was Mira, running dangerously fast and dodging blaster bolts like they were nothing. Her arms and legs had a few burns from Duncans rapid firing, but she was hell bent to reach him one way or another. And she did.

Her swings were long and deadly, the blade barely visible only by the glimmer of the metal. Her feet work was smooth and sure, she looked like she had dueled with a blade all her life. Carth knew she was good, just not this good.

It didn't take long for Duncan to fall, leaving the crowd in a screaming uproar of excitement for the new victor. Even the veiwers cheered to the screens, gabbing away about the new duelist and how she might be of some good entertainment.

Carth's hands started slightly shaking with the thought of "a new duelist". They didn't have time to cut down people in cold blood for a show. What was Mira thinking? He turned away from the monitor before the announcer started speaking, waiting by the entry way for Mira to return.

She was sore, for a good reason. The bolts had been made not to kill, but that didn't mean they didnt hurt. But she was still excited, the rush of the fight keeping her energized as she returned to the duelist's hall, immediately turning the corner around the Rodian towards the Hutt. With a lot of grumbling he handed over her pay, making her even more happy. She missed the thrill of a fight, the surge of blood through her limbs, the overly focused senses on the opponent. This was a fight that left her with credits in her pocket and her muscles well excersised without actually killing someone..

Heading towards the exit she stopped when she saw the lone tall figure awaiting her, those dark brown eyes burrowing into her blue ones. He did not look too pleased. But her elated mood couldnt' let her be bothered by it. Why would he be upset? She had just earned them two more weeks worth of credits for food!

Not letting his gaze phase her, she strode up to him, waving the credit chips in the air. "You want a drink?" she called, sauntering up to him with the biggest smile he had seen yet. This just bothered him even more.

"Are you alright?! What in the seven hells were you thinking?" he snapped, keeping his voice low. "We have a low profile to keep, not to mention bludgering up old men isnt exactly the best way to get a paycheck you- you!" Mira slapped a credit chip on his face, blocking his mouth before he could say something he would most definitely regret later. If he had seen her fight, he knew she had skills. But there was no telling he knew or not if she would use them on him.

"I got us credits in an honorable duel so that we can get supplies and food… Since finding our girl is apparently going to take a while. Unless you found some more useful information on checking out the undercity?" her smile wore into thin striaght line, already knowing his response. His eyes drifted to the side, looking frustrated. "No? or maybe even just getting to the lower city for a start? that would even be of some help." She moved into his line of site, demanding he give her a nod yes or no. He looked the other way, looking now not only frustrated, but put out as well. So much for his lecture. "Oh not even a way to the undercity huh? So maybe while you were wasting your time did you manage to get us some credits for supplies?"

Carth's face slowly started to turn pink. Frustrated, embarassed, and not knowing what to say to her. "Oh and I didn't just kill a little old man, The area has everything set to stun to avoid deaths since deathmatches are illegal on Taris. But that's something else you didnt' bother to figure out too hmm?" His jaw clenched and he sighed "Alright alright, That makes sense I guess… I guess I shouldn't have jumped to conclu-"

"I thought so. Come on I'd like to buy some supplies and see about a medic for these scratches." She huffed, charging past him towards the exit. Carth sighed, his frustration fading with watching her go. He hurried to catch up to her and rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "Look Mira…"

"What?" Her tone was indifferent, but obviously in no mood to hear his voice. Ungrateful bantha… who was he to judge her for getting them credits that would help their asses? He lightly touched her shoulder, making her glare at him "Look I'm sorry alright? I guess…. I guess I was just worried. Thank you. For doing that. You're right we do need the credits I just don't want you getting hurt especially right after the crash." He said, thankfullenough that she was walking so fast to get them out of the cantina and out into the cool air. "That and I'm frustrated. We need Bastila and soon… the longer we go without her the longer the Republic goes without it's main asset. And the more people die…" Carth lowered his head, and Mira came to a stop.

"Thanks for understanding Carth." she said, though it was still a bit stiff. "But not letting me do my thing isn't going to help us find her faster. I was added for my skills and it would not make sense for me not to use them in our situation. You're gonna have to trust me to at least keep us alive." She could feel she wasn't getting too far on the trust front, and that she would need to change fast if they wanted off this planet. So she folded her arms behind her back as she continued walking at a much slower pace, keeping to the side away from other pedestrians. "I wanna ask you something."

"I'm all ears beautiful." He said with a cheeky smile, trying to get her in a better gently bit her lip, resisting the smile that almost spread to her lips. He may prove good at distracting her at least, a good thing for him. "I like the sound of that." She said, keeping her face as straight as possible.

Carth on the other hand, kept his cheeky smile, hoping to break her facade of still being upset with him. "Which? The fact that I'm all ears or the beautiful part?"

Mira cracked a smile and tilted her head at him "Carth are you flirting with me?" Her voice parried his smile with her own sassy tone, letting him slip past her irritation towards him. How could she stay mad at a face like that?

"Not really, just a habit. You have something you'd rather have me call you by?"

She felt her throat close suddenly. A habit? He had a habit of blatantly flirting with his soldiers when they were angry so he could get out of trouble? 'Youve gotta be fracking kidding me.' Her mind flashed for a moment with a wonderful image of tripping him in his pace and tossing him into a pair of sith soldiers that passed. Just for a laugh at his own misfortune of ever messing with her. But rather than getting them both potentially killed, she kept her flaring temper under check.

Why not mess with him back instead? "How about gorgeous? I like that better." Returning her gaze forward, she let her anger burn while continuing his little game, he'd pay for it later she was sure. Carth didn't seem to notice, making it all the more worse and harder to keep under wraps. "I might consider it but what are you going to call me in exchange?" he chuckled, blissfully amused with the conversation.

"How about handsome thug?" She muttered, not really putting much more effort into their game. "I'm partial to the first part but I prefer "Most handsome pilot in the galaxy." What do you think?" he laughed some more.

"I'll think about it." she said, stopping in front of what appeared to be a medical center. Carth could feel the temperature drop in the air around her, and fought to quickly end the topic. "Then I suppose Gorgeous will just have to do for now." he chuckeld once more, but a bit more awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "All kidding aside, I'll bet youre not going to give up on those questions of yours, are they really necessary?" he almost whined. Captain Carth Onasi was a whiner.

"Don't be such a child it's just a few questions." Mira huffed, flashing her cold blue eyes on him in a hard unamused stare. Had he not liked questions in the first place, he would have felt a bit bad for upsetting her somehow again. Instead he felt his defense slide up again against her berratement of questions. He could give answers, but he'd give hell along with them.

"Oh no, how could I resist a challenge to my manly pride huh?" He laughed, a bit harder than before. "Fine! You've made your point, interrogate at will."

Mira's eye twitched, frustration at a boiling point. Who the hell did he think he was?! Bastilla herself? He was making this mission so much harder just by being stubborn! And sassy to top it off. Subtly pinching her leg she quipped at him "Are we getting testy again Onasi?"

"I don't get testy." Carth said all too quickly. "I get angry, and if I was angry, you would know let me assure you." Her cold stare did not waver at what she took as a threat. "Let me ask you something first." he held up a hand when Mira looked about to protest "I've been going over the battle abord the Endar spire over in my head since we crashed. Somethings just don't add up for me." HE folded his arms across his chest and stood straight, the picture of a proud captain assessing one of his subordinates "Maybe you could tell me what happened, from your perspective."

Mira jerked back as if a bug flew into her face, her anger twisting into something that indulged a bit of betrayal. "Why ask me? I don't see the point." she growled, her hopes of keeping up her indifferent attitude gone. This was one step too far. No matter his rank, no matter his cautious attitude, the question was uncalled for.

"I'm just trying to figure it out. I've seen enough men loose their lives needlessly in the mandalorian wars. It's…. difficult to see it happen all over again." Mira waited, expecting more than that lame excuse. "We lost a ship and a lot of good people… for what? on the hope that jedi powers would save us somehow? Not like Bastila had enough time to act."

"I know that." Mira snorted out, feeling overwhelmed by another memory.

"You go I'll hold him off!" Trask yelled, charging forward just as the door closed behind him. She was too slow, running almost face first into the now sealed doors. "Damnit Trask open the doors!" She screamed, banging the hilt of her sword on the door in pure frustration, then throwing her shoulder into the solid metal, making a reverberating pain roll through her arm and down her spine. "Trask open it!" She could hear nothing but the hum of the lightsaber just on the other side of the door, the blood red blade that could easily cut through the door in front of her. The one that could so easily cut through the soldier who just sacrificed himself for her….. Swallowing hard she forced her legs to back away from the door, heading for the next one over to continue on to the escape pods. Her eyes burned and her chest trhobbed in pain at what she was doing, but in the end she knew there was no sense making his sacrafice in vain. Her personal com went off with Carth's next message, and she forced herself to focus on her escape.

She had missed some of what he said, getting caught up in the memory of her bunkmate. "Come to think of it, its more than a little surprising that you happen to be here isn't it? Just what is your position in the republic fleet anyways?"

Mira felt her stomach drop and the heat of anger roar through her body with a vengeance. It took all of what was left of her self control not to scream at him and cause a scene. Her training left her with some thought process and accounting to their situation. "Why? Are you accusing me of something?!" she snarled, taking a dangerous step towards the towering captain.

He looked a bit shocked that the small woman so boldly challenged him, even with the size comparison he considered for a moment if he really pissed her off- could she do him some damage? He had a good guess to the answer, but wasnt too ready to admit it with his ego.

"Not at all I just think it's a bit off that someone added to the crew roster last minute just happened to be one of the few survivors." He unfolded his arms, lowering his stance a bit. Thinking about what he said it sounded much worse after he had worded it. The dawning of his mistake made him take a step back, the true fury in her eyes registering with him that indeed he may have gone to far.

"Youd rather I wasnt!?" She snapped, striding right after him, The wound in her leg throbbed in protest as her muscled flexed, ready for another fight. This one for her very honor.

Carth gaped at her for a moment, thinking about where he would be if she wasn't here. Knowing him, he would have immediately started a man hunt for Bastila after he landed, without someone to take care of he wouldn't have thought to lay low. He wouldn't have nearly as many credits because he wouldn't have stepped into the dueling ring, and he didn't have the confidence to keep going back to the pazzak table on pure luck. "Don't be ridiculous!You've more than proved yourself since the crash… we wouldnt have made it this far without you but sti-"

Now he was contradicting himself. Flirting with her- messing with her head, accusing her of treason, then trying to flip his words! "Are you implying I had something to do with the crash?!" She hissed, getting as close to his face as she would muster, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

"No! Well… Maybe…" Mira's grip tightened And she took a breath to snap at him once more but he interrrupted quickly "Dont get me wrong. It just seems odd that someone Bastila's party specifically requested to transfer aboard happened to survive."

She could feel her whole body shake in anger, feeling a sick sense of betrayal and hurt she didn't think possible from a man she hardly knew. And yet here it was, making her feel like she would either have to kill him to release the tension in her body or make herself sick.

This was what she had to look forward to- a man with a chip shoved so far up his ass he distrusted the people he saved. logically anyone would leave someone they didnt trust to rot, or in their situation get kidnapped by the sith patrols. But he whent out of his way to save her, and now she was going to suffer for it until they found Bastila and she could get away from this slimeball.

Bastila in mind, she took a deep breath. "It doesnt make any difference. Go ahead and be paranoid." Turning on her heel, she began to stride into the medical facility. She was yanked back when he latched onto her wrist, nearly igniting her defensive tactics to put him on the floor. "I may be paranoid bu-" She ripped her arm free with quite a bit of force, having the last of this lug. "I am in pain Carth. These burns are starting to give me a headace but that wont stop me from putting you in a coma. We are supposed to be working together, I had nothing to do with the crash and as soon as we find Bastila and get into republic space I'm getting as far away from you as possible. But for now I'm not sorry youre stuck with me, because you haven't heard the last from me about those questions."

Not letting him respond, she continued on her rampage for healing, a bitter dark cloud hanging over her head.