Rian:
"I can't wait to tell Dia!" I stepped from the elevator to the Upper City streets bathed in the glow of streetlights. I inhaled a deep breath of the night air and held it in my lungs until I thought they would pop.
"I'm sure she'll be relieved." Carth looked wistful, staring off into space.
I was too exuberated to leave him to his melancholy self. I ran to him and threw my hands on his shoulders and gave Carth a friendly shake.
"But isn't it so unbelievable?" I exclaimed. "All Holdan needed was a little sweet talking—I didn't even have to give him any credits!"
Carth blinked, stunned. I guess I had gone from keeping my hands pretty much to myself to shaking him like a rag doll, not exactly the normal progression of things. I was frozen there, my hands on his shoulders. I couldn't just drop my arms, no, that would just be too awkward and obvious. But I couldn't stay attached to him like that forever.
Carth chuckled softly. "I don't suppose it had anything to do with Holdan watching you dance with that Twi'lek?"
That damn lopsided smirk of his. It was like he knew some hilarious secret that he was keeping from me. It drove me crazy.
"She needed a partner to audition with." I flung my arms rigidly to my side. "Besides… I had too much Tarisian ale."
So I had a glass of Tarisian ale? So I wasn't really drunk? At least I hadn't thought so until he looked at me like that. I felt color burning to my cheeks and I hated it.
"Is that so?" There was some mischievous glint to his eyes that I hadn't seen before. "So what would a guy have to do to get you to repeat some of those moves you displayed in the cantina?"
"And here I had assumed that you thought with your blasters." I retorted, dryly.
Carth laughed. "I had assumed that you were a pleasant person too, but obviously you proved me wrong."
"Pleasant doesn't even begin to describe me." I flicked a stray hair from my eyes, a sardonic expression on my face. "Try stunning. Amazing. I'll even allow the most mind-bogglingly perfect creature to ever grace the galaxy."
Carth had one dimple on the left side of his face only. That's what made his smile so crooked, so nerve-wracking. It was so strange that such a handsome face would be the sum of all the faults. Thick knit brows framed those dark liquid eyes of his; the skin around his eyes would fold tightly into fine lines when he laughed and that damned lopsided dimple. And how could I forget the deep creases in his forehead when he was deep in thought or the stubble around his goatee—didn't Carth ever hear of a thing called a razor? All those obvious flaws, but it made him look so rugged, so…
What the hell had gotten into me? No, I was a professional. Just considering the possibility that I could… no. That wasn't just ridiculous and obscene it would have been way too sloppy on my part.
Of course, when was the last time I had invited a man into my bed? I couldn't remember. I was sure that, that had to have been the Tarisian ale talking. I decided then and there that I had to put a stop to my drinking.
Carth was just standing there. What was he thinking? Silence. Uncomfortable silence. I cleared my throat.
"Can I talk to you?" My, that sounded pretty rushed, didn't it? Maybe I should just head back to Zelka Forn's facility. I was losing my mind.
"Fair enough." I didn't like how the shadows played over Carth's face. It made it difficult to read his expression. "What do you want to discuss?"
"Well, we didn't finish our conversation last time." I forced myself to look up at him.
Carth sighed, shaking his head. "I knew you wouldn't understand where I was coming from. Let me try to explain." He began walking towards our apartment. I followed a few steps behind. "You're probably one of the most skilled women I've ever met. You've saved my butt more than once and I'm lucky you're here to help me, no question."
Carth stopped walking suddenly to glance at me. There was a "but" coming up, I was sure of it.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching you or being wary." he said. "I'm just not built that way. Period."
"Not built that way?" I scoffed. "That sounds like an excuse."
"Maybe so." Carth shrugged. "But I've been betrayed before by people I…" He shook his head violently and began walking again. "Well, it won't happen again that's all."
"Of course it won't happen if you never trust anyone!" I bellowed.
I couldn't believe that! And to think, five minutes ago I had a mind to… that man made my blood boil! I swore to myself that I would never drink Tarisian ale ever again. Not even a sip! My behavior so far on Taris had been shoddy, unprofessional and inexcusable.
"Look… I'm not trying to insult you." Carth hissed through clenched teeth. His hands were up defensively. Were we drawing a crowd? I guess I had raised my voice. Carth continued quietly. "This is just the way I am, no need to take it personally."
That did it. "Don't tell me not to take it personally, you hairless Wookiee!" I stabbed my finger into his chest and Carth took a couple steps backwards.
Protocol droids had gathered around us and were bleating nervously. Some Sith troopers were headed in our direction. Was this the unwanted attention that Carth had mentioned when I first woke up in Taris? He looked frantic.
"Hairless Wookiee?" Carth put his hand on my shoulder to calm me. One glare in his direction and his hand immediately dropped. He laughed anxiously. "Alright, sister, just… just… just calm down before your head explodes."
I growled. "We'll see whose head explodes, you ungrateful monkey-lizard!"
"Is that your idea of an insult?" he jeered. "Come on, sister, take your best shot."
I could feel the blood pulsing through my temples, heating my face. "Gamorrean pig-man!" I roared.
"Oh ouch." he snorted derisively. "I think you hurt my man-feelings with that one."
"Well, you had it coming." I muttered, suddenly aware of our audience.
"I guess I did." Carth raised an eyebrow. His mouth was threatening to break into a grin. "Feel better now?"
"Maybe a little." I grumbled. Then I added for show, "You're sleeping on the floor tonight."
"Good." There was a devilish glint in Carth's eyes as his mouth cracked a swarthy smile. Just what did he think was good? "Then maybe we can talk reasonably about this."
I crossed my arms firmly and gave him a hard stare. The Sith troopers were slowly losing interest in our little spat.
"All I've been trying to say is that this isn't personal." Carth said. "If you were smart, you wouldn't trust anyone either… not me, not anyone. Especially not yourself."
Ah, so Carth didn't trust himself. I would have expected this kind of behavior from an adolescent Hutt. I ground my teeth.
"I wouldn't want to live like that."
"Not all of us have the luxury of a choice." Carth said bitterly. "I'm conditioned this way, sorry."
I turned from him rigidly and began stalking towards the apartment complex. "I don't need someone around who doesn't trust me."
"And I don't need all these questions." Carth shouted after me hoarsely. "What I do need is to try and save the galaxy, if that's even possible. Why is whether or not I trust you or anyone so damned important to you? Why do you even care?"
I shut the door to the apartment on his protests. I continued to my apartment in a livid frenzy. Carth had better be prepared to sleep in a gutter somewhere because I sure as hell wasn't going to let him in.
