Carth:
"So this is a top of the line astromech droid?" I raised an eyebrow.
Rian shrugged. "Maybe if we're lucky we'll be able to rig it so that it will dispense caffa."
At Rian's comment, the little droid rolled back from us and chortled. Mission laughed and patted the top of its flat head. If that could be considered a head.
"I think he's cute!" Mission declared.
"It's a 'he' now?" Rian said dryly.
"Of course he is." Mission replied. "Aren't you, T3-M4? Can I call you Teethree?"
The droid tooted and Mission grinned. I rolled my eyes.
"He's got quite the smart mouth doesn't he?" I muttered. I turned to face Rian.
She didn't say anything. Her brows furrowed and she gnawed at her lower lip looking aghast as she stared at the T3 unit.
"I'm curious as to how you found enough credits to purchase him." Bastila announced.
"I played pazaak until they kicked me out of the cantina." Mission said. "Some people are sore losers."
"So everyone else just sat around and did nothing and hoped that Mission would come home with enough money?" Bastila demanded.
"I happen to have faith in Mission's abilities." Rian snarled.
"I'm not saying that I don't!" Bastila backpedaled. "But there are always unforeseen circumstances. What would have happened if whoever she was playing pazaak with decided to kill her because she won?"
"Zaalbar was with her." Rian argued.
"I can take care of myself!" Mission snapped.
"Besides, shouldn't everyone be sharing in the responsibilities?" Bastila continued.
"I didn't see you going out and trying to earn credits." Rian shot back.
"I can't!" protested Bastila. "There are Sith soldiers everywhere looking for me. You have no excuse."
Was there some rulebook somewhere that stated that all attractive women must hate each other? Individually, Mission was a sweet kid, Bastila was rational and polite and Rian was, well Rian. Somebody would have to split them up and calm them down, but that sounded to me like something akin to begging to be flayed alive. I glanced at Zaalbar. Maybe the Wookiee would do it for me.
"I would have played pazaak, but my arm's wounded." Rian said simply.
"I didn't realize you needed more than one hand to play cards." Bastila retorted.
"You do if you're cheating." I interrupted with a smirk. A bad move on my part.
The three ladies stopped their bickering and spared me a look. Bastila quickly turned her frosty visage back to Rian to shoot her a disgusted glare. Mission doubled over laughing. Rian raised an eyebrow at Bastila and watched Mission cackle for a moment. Slowly, she faced me. Her nose flared up and her mouth drew back tightly. How such a pretty woman could look so ugly was beyond me.
"Now that we've got the droid," I cleared my throat. "what are we going to do?"
"We aren't going to do anything." Rian growled. "I worked out this plan and got your droid. I think I've already done quite enough. You can get into the Sith base now if you want to."
"I suppose you intend to abandon Carth to this task alone?" Bastila sneered.
"Why should I care?" Rian retorted. "It's your life at risk here, darling, not mine. Every time I help you, I'm putting my ass in danger. I don't need that."
"You do if you don't want every Echani in the known galaxy searching for an infamous spice smuggler on account of a sizeable bounty placed on her head." Bastila threatened.
"Nice bluff, doll." Rian's upper lip curled back in a feral manner. "Unfortunately for you, I doubt a brat your age has the authority to back it up."
Mission stepped back beside me. She poked me in the ribs.
"I bet twenty credits on Rian." she whispered.
I scowled at her.
"Try me." Bastila hissed. "The Jedi Council invested a lot in hiring you. You weren't employed simply to run away."
"I am not running away." Rian was practically spitting venom. "I did my job. Find some other lackey."
"I won't allow you to walk out on your duties." Bastila warned. "If you do this now you will suffer later."
"You won't be able to keep you little promise if you're not alive to—"
An ear-splitting roar interrupted them. Between the new gibbering droid and their little spat I had completely forgotten about the generally quiet Wookiee.
Zaalbar had obviously used this to his advantage. He had snatched the two women by the scruffs of their necks and dangled them from the air an arms length apart. Bastila was frozen in shock, her suspended legs not even remembering to sway. Rian just crossed her arms and gave the Wookiee an irritated glance.
Zaalbar moaned and groaned and carried on. Whatever his words were, they must have worked because as he continued with his tirade looks of guilt blossomed across both Bastila's and Rian's face. Mission bit her lip in an attempt to hold back laughter and T3-M4 bleeped out his approval. As usual, I had no idea what the hell was going on.
Zaalbar finally set them down once their rage had been reduced to sulking. Bastila stroked on of her braids nervously. Rian tugged at the bandages on her shoulder.
"I would rest easier knowing that you would be on hand in the Sith base." Bastila said. She didn't look at Rian. "We could really benefit from your expertise."
"Since when does my expertise have anything to do with a military base?" Rian asked.
"Certainly you realize the skills that you possess." Bastila began.
"Yes I do." Rian said curtly. "And being a human shield for Carth Onasi in the Sith military base is not a skill that I possess."
"You can't possibly mean that you're afraid to go in there." Bastila pressed.
"Look, taking out street thugs that are too stupid to know what blaster setting to use is one thing." Rian stated. "But going head to head with trained soldiers is completely different. Even if I wasn't wounded I wouldn't go in there."
"Who else is there to do it?" Bastila asked. "Shall we let Carth go by himself?"
"What good would I be?" Rian demanded. "How many times do I have to repeat that I'm wounded?"
"It doesn't look so bad to me." Bastila sniffed. "I'm sure you'll be fine in the morning."
Rian snorted. "Maybe a morning three weeks from now."
"Stop being so argumentative." Bastila grabbed Rian's hand and led her to the bed.
Mission gave me a questioning look, but I just shrugged. They weren't trying to kill each other anymore so I was relieved.
"Sit down." Bastila ordered. Much to my chagrin Rian did just that. "Now close your eyes and relax."
"Don't I look like I'm relaxed?" Rian muttered.
Bastila ignored her. "Now I want you to breathe in and out slowly and concentrate on nothing."
Mission snickered and I jabbed her in the arm. Rian seemed to be taking to whatever Bastila was doing to her. Her eyes were closed and calm, her breathing consistent.
After watching her for a few minutes, Bastila joined Mission, Zaalbar and myself.
"Rian is going to be like that for a while." She announced.
"What did you do to her?" I asked.
"Nothing." Bastila sounded defensive. "I merely showed her a path. It was her decision to take it."
"That's a bit cryptic for my tastes." I said. "Do you mind elaborating?"
"No." Bastila's eyes glinted dangerously. "The Jedi Council may choose to discuss it with you later once we get to Dantooine."
Once we get to Dantooine? Knowing my luck, as soon as I got Bastila safely to Dantooine the Republic would whisk me away on some other assignment. Bastila Shan would be playing out her role as savior to the galaxy and Carth Onasi would be making snowmen on Hoth.
