"Get up, Dustil, and take these bags. It's no wonder Mira dumped you. You're next to useless," Alexis said, pushing on the sleeping boy's shoulder with all her might. He just grunted and ignored her for the most part, other than turning his face away from her.
"Go 'way," he growled as she pulled on his arm.
Alexis groaned. "Fine. Be that way." She started to leave, but a thought struck her. This wouldn't be a frivolous use of the Force… it was imperative that Dustil get up and go to the transport... she needed him to carry bags. She held out her palm and used the Force to lift him from the couch. Dumbfounded, he tried to struggle, his legs thrashing wildly in the empty air, but she held him easily. After a moment, he settled back down enough to turn and glare at her.
"You've made your point," he said through gritted teeth.
Alexis dropped him unceremoniously back onto the sofa. He grunted when he landed. After a second, he rolled over at sat up. Alexis gave him a friendly smile. "Get your bag. It's time to go."
"I don't want to see Mira yet," he said darkly, standing and slinging his bag onto his shoulder. He looked like a pouty child.
"You haven't any choice," Alexis replied, grabbing his arm and tossing Carth's bag over her shoulder with her other hand. "Would you get that last- thanks," Alexis said as Dustil lifted the final bag. "Do you need anything else from in here?"
Dustil shook his head. "No. Nice gloves," Dustil said, motioning towards her hands as they slipped out the door. "They look like Atton's."
"I rather like them. They're very comfortable."
"They make you look like a scoundrel, especially with that hood," Dustil pointed out.
"I was a scoundrel, at least for a month or so."
"Sometimes I forget that."
"It was the Council's revenge. They got to call me a scoundrel without sounding too offensive," Alexis responded, smiling widely.
Dustil turned his sullen gaze on her for a moment. "Why are you so happy?"
"I'm not, at least not particularly so. I just feel a lot… lighter, somehow. I'm not keeping secrets anymore. It's a nice feeling."
Dustil's stare turned speculative and he looked away. Alexis watched him for a moment, curious what he was thinking. He didn't speak, so Alexis looked down at her hands.
Dustil had always seemed supportive of her would-be relationship with Carth, but Alexis wasn't sure now that they actually had a relationship that he felt the same way. Was it possible that he felt as if Carth had betrayed his mother? Why, then, would he have told Alexis that he intended to see her become his stepmother? Perhaps she just worried too much.
Alexis shifted the bag she was carrying from one shoulder to the other, a frown creasing her brow. Was she going to be his stepmother? Carth certainly hadn't proposed, but she was fairly sure that the thought had crossed his mind. What would her answer be? Could she say no and continue the relationship? She didn't think so. But what of the Jedi? Was it possible to train young Jedi and be Carth's wife simultaneously? These were all things that she had considered long before she'd brought her feelings for Carth out into the open, but had never thought of again.
They were questions that required answers. She needed to talk to Carth about most of them, but she wasn't used to sharing her thoughts and feelings. It was a weakness of sorts, at least it had been to her mind, and she didn't want to be vulnerable, not even to Carth. But then wasn't she already vulnerable? By opening her heart to Carth, hadn't she also opened herself to the possibility of pain?
Alexis and Dustil slid out into the neighboring module and walked slowly towards the next shuttle. They weren't very far from their destination. Once inside the docking module a few minutes later, Alexis glanced up and spotted Doran Snider standing not ten feet from them. Their eyes met briefly and Alexis's arm automatically snaked out and caught Dustil's hand. He glanced over at her, his eyes wide, and Alexis muttered, "Look alive," and turned back towards Doran. How was it that she always ran into this kid?
Alexis sighed and forced a faint smile at the officer, still dressed in his uniform. "Doran. Shouldn't you be off by now?"
"Hey Lexi, Dustil," he greeted. "Off? Oh, no. I'm working overtime. Apparently someone very important is traveling on the transport leaving this morning. They've doubled security. I know Senator Seraph and Admiral Onasi are supposed to be on board, but…" he trailed off, eyeing Dustil. "Dustil…" he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are you Admiral Onasi's son?"
Dustil grimaced and glared at Doran. The kid seemed a little intimidated. "Yeah," Dustil muttered, tightening his grip on Alexis's hand.
"And you're a mercenary?" the kid said disbelievingly.
"Yes," Dustil responded through gritted teeth.
"Easy, Dustil," Alexis said soothingly, squeezing his hand back. He was still upset about Mira and Doran's prying wasn't making him feel any better. "Control your anger," she added in an undertone. If he intended to be a Jedi, he was going to have to learn that some emotions needed to remain in check. Most of them, actually.
Dustil relaxed slowly, one muscle at a time, the tension in his shoulders easing and his eyes clearing. What had this kid done to make him so upset, anyway? Doran shifted nervously, watching Dustil. Alexis gave him a reassuring smile. "And no, he isn't terribly proud," Dustil added a touch darkly, leveling his gaze on the kid.
"Sure he is," Alexis said brightly to Doran.
"Are you all leaving with the Admiral?" Doran asked Alexis, a wary eye still trained on Dustil.
Dustil looked as if he was going to answer, so Alexis cut him off before he had the chance. "Yes. We won't be back for a while," she said.
Dustil stared off into the distance, seemingly to ignore the rest of the conversation. "The Admiral's a good man," Doran said finally.
Alexis nodded, smiling at the hero worship apparent in Doran's eyes. Did all of the young officers on Telos think that Carth was a god? It seemed likely, from what she'd seen so far. "That he is," she responded. She waited for a moment, and then she spoke again. "Well, we need to get going. It's been-," but Carth's arrival cut her off. She nearly groaned.
"Did I hear my name?" he asked, glancing around the small group. Alexis saw Kalen standing not far behind him. Beside her, Dustil was looking at his father with a mischievous glint to his eye. What was he up to?
"Yes, sir," Alexis said, emphasizing the last word. Carth looked at her sharply, then down at her hand in Dustil's, and finally back up at Doran.
Doran was saluting smartly. "Ease up, kid. I'm not in uniform," Carth said, smiling affably. "So, what were we saying about me?" he asked and Alexis looked away to keep from grinning.
"That was my fault, sir," Doran said quickly. "I was telling your family what a good man that I'd heard you were… sir," he said again, his face flushed. He stammered a little, and Alexis bit her lip to control her laughter. Dustil was looking appraisingly around the group.
"Dad," he began slyly. Alexis immediately knew something was up by his tone. "I hear that you've finally proposed to Kalen. Congratulations," he said, holding out his hand. Kalen's eyes went wide behind Carth and she slipped her arm into the crook of his elbow. Alexis winked at her and Kalen smiled widely.
Carth took Dustil's free hand and shook it vigorously. By the pained expression on Dustil's face, it was quite clear that he was squeezing very hard. "Thank you, son."
"Where's the ring?" Alexis asked, unable to control herself. It was perfectly natural for one woman to want to see another's engagement ring, right? She waited for the answer, wide-eyed with innocence, for several seconds, still clinging to Dustil's hand.
Kalen, looking lost, glanced up at Carth. He frowned for a moment, and then shrugged as if embarrassed. "I haven't gotten her one yet."
"You proposed without a ring?" Dustil asked incredulously. Doran's head was jerking back and forth as he followed the conversation, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. It appeared that he wasn't used to people he considered to be his betters talking about anything like this in his presence. The shock on his face was rather comical.
It was that moment that Atton chose to arrive. He ambled up, his hands in his pockets, and surveyed the situation for a second. Everyone was watching him, waiting to see if he caught the gist of what was going on. He took in each strange pair, holding hands and arms, and a wicked grin spread across his face. He casually tossed an arm around Doran's shoulders and wagged his eyebrows at him. "Well hello there," he said in a tone that left no doubt what his intentions had been.
Alexis's hand shot to her mouth to control the bark of laughter that nearly escaped. Kalen had done the same. Dustil was grinning viciously and Carth burst into a fit of coughing. Doran's mouth dropped open all the way and he stared at Atton for a full thirty seconds while Carth recovered from his attack of coughing. The fear in his eyes was almost indecent.
"I have to go…" Doran whispered, pulling away.
"Maybe we'll see each other the next time I'm on planet?" Atton said sweetly, putting his hand on the kid's shoulder and giving him an inviting smile.
"I have to go…" Doran repeated stupidly, turning away and fleeing as if for his very life. Alexis watched him hurry away, wondering if the poor kid wouldn't be scarred for life. Once he was completely gone, the group began to laugh.
"I can't believe you," Kalen said between laughs, pulling away from Carth to catch Atton's arm.
"What?" Atton said innocently. "He seemed like a nice guy."
Alexis snorted and clung to Dustil. "You, Atton Rand, are a scoundrel," she said, pointing a finger at his chest.
"Why thank you," Atton said, folding his arm across his middle and bowing floridly.
"Mind if I ask what was going on?" Carth asked, glancing over at Alexis.
"You don't want to know," was Dustil's laughing reply.
A few hours later on board The Wayfarer, Carth watched from beneath lowered eyelids as Kalen and Alexis sparred. He wasn't the only one, either. Dustil, Atton, Mical, Bao-Dur, and Canderous were all participating in the same activity. Mira had disappeared upon their arrival and Visas was meditating nearby, which was just as well. The spectacle probably wouldn't have entertained them as much as it was the men in the room.
Senator Seraph was inside of her room, but her bodyguards were stationed outside of the door. Carth found them highly unnecessary, since there were so many Jedi and soldiers within shouting distance, but he hadn't pointed that out to his cousin. She probably wouldn't have taken the advice well. She liked to do things her own way.
Carth's attention returned to the sparring match. Kalen and Alexis, oblivious to their audience, were practicing hand-to-hand combat in the center of the large common room. They weren't wearing a lot, which was probably why every male in the room couldn't take his eyes off of them. Tight undershirts and leggings left little to the imagination. At first, Carth hadn't liked the idea of Alexis running around in public dressed that way, but he'd reminded himself that her bounty hunter costume hadn't been much less revealing. In fact, this particular outfit covered her entire middle, which he considered to be a plus.
Carth winced as Kalen landed a fairly powerful blow to Alexis's whipcord-lean body. Alexis took one step back and sucked in a large breath of air before recovering. They were fighting pretty hard, only tempering their blows to a mild degree, and Carth hoped that they wouldn't injure one another. Not that he would mind playing doctor, just that he didn't like seeing her hurt.
Alexis blocked a blow Kalen aimed at her midsection and responded with a resounding hit to Kalen's ribcage. Kalen staggered back for a moment and held up her hand. Alexis stood still, waiting for her friend to catch her breath. Alexis was smiling faintly, and appeared to be enjoying herself. Kalen had been as well, before the last knock that she'd received.
It was easy to compare the two women when they stood together that way. He had to admit, Kalen had a better body, even though Alexis looked much healthier than she had a little over a month before. Kalen was curvy and femininely muscular, while Alexis was a little overly lean with the fine muscle and sinew of an acrobat. Without the Force or a lightsaber, Kalen was the more powerful of the two. Alexis was a bit quicker, but her reach was nowhere near the length of Kalen's.
Kalen lowered her hand and the bout began again. She was on the offensive, leaning into Alexis and striking quickly and efficiently. Alexis caught and blocked almost every blow, but she missed a few, which landed with a loud crack on her torso. Alexis was losing ground. Kalen had apparently caught her second wind. Of course, Kalen had been obliged to live without the Force for some time. She'd had to learn how to fight without it. Alexis had had no such problem.
They were sweating, since they'd decided not to use the Force, and Alexis broke away from Kalen and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. They circled one another for a moment, panting slightly. They'd been at this for a very long time.
Carth glanced around the room during the lull in the battle. No one else had taken their eyes off of the pair. It was only a small consolation that the majority was more interested in Kalen. More beautiful she was not, but sexier? Well- he didn't think so, but most everyone else in the room probably did.
Carth turned his eyes to Kalen for a moment. She looked a lot like his wife had. They were similarly tall and femininely shaped with the same long, straight blonde hair. Why had Alexis mentioned his wife the day before, anyway? Did she really feel as if she were taking Morgana's place? She had a long time ago, in a sense, but not by choice, his or hers.
She was so lovely, Carth reflected, watching Alexis's brilliant green eyes dance with excitement. She enjoyed working out this way, fighting an opponent that she did not have to kill. It appeared that Kalen felt the same way. "Tired?" he heard Kalen ask, holding out her arm for Alexis to grab. Alexis latched on and they shook hands and then hugged.
"Eeew… You're sweaty," Alexis said jokingly, and Carth grinned. Kalen wiped her forehead on her arm and then smeared the sweat on Alexis. Alexis squealed and ran off, with Kalen chasing after her. They raced around the common room like errant children, giggling and leaping over the furniture that got in their way.
When they acted this way, it reminded Carth painfully of the fact that they had been given no real childhood. Jedi children were expected to be calm and respectful: emotionless. He wondered sometimes if laughter had even been allowed in their enclaves.
Carth shut his eyes for a moment. He needed some sleep. He wasn't used to remaining awake all night long and, old man that he was, he longed for the rest. His eyes popped back open when Alexis jumped onto the couch he was sitting on from the back, landing gracefully beside him. She smiled at him, reaching up to brush a lock of her hair out of her face. He pressed a finger to her forehead to catch a bead of sweat and held it up for her inspection. "You need a bath," he told her.
Alexis rolled her eyes. "I'll go shower in a minute."
"Can I come with you?" he asked quietly. He was rewarded with a smack on the arm and a blush. He had known that that would be her response, but it was fun to tease her. "I'll wash your back," he added enticingly. Across the room, he could see Kalen and Atton heading off to one of their rooms. He assumed that Atton had made the same offer and met with a better response.
"I can reach my own back, thank you," Alexis said.
Carth lifted one of her arms to his eye level. "With these stubby things?"
She jerked her arm away and glared at him. He grinned back at her indignant expression. After a moment, she gave in and a smile spread across her face. "That sounds like an excuse, to me."
Carth shook his head. "It's not an excuse. I was just trying to help you out." He held up his right palm as if swearing an oath.
Alexis sighed and leaned back against the sofa, stretching her arms out in front of her. She pushed her shoulders back and arched them slowly. Carth raised his eyebrows at her questioningly. She relaxed and made a face. "Stiff muscles," she said, flexing her fingers.
"See, you do need me," Carth replied gently. He took one of her hands in his and started to massage the palm. She watched him quietly, her eyes half closed, as he moved down to her fingers, rubbing and caressing her hands. She didn't pull away, so he continued, feeling the delicate bones beneath her skin. She had several small calluses, probably from her lightsaber. He examined her nails. They were short and blunt, but clean and neatly filed. She had very pretty hands. They didn't look like the hands of a trained killer.
He lowered that hand and took the other. She turned towards him to make it easier for him to reach. While working on her right hand, he happened to glance up into her face. She was smiling contentedly. When he caught her gaze, she averted her eyes quickly, attempting to pull away. He didn't relinquish his grip and she stopped fighting almost immediately. She wouldn't look at him, though. He wondered what she was thinking.
He kissed her hand softly and let her go. She met his eyes briefly, wearing the expression that he'd always wanted to see directed at him. She must have realized it, too, because it vanished almost as quickly as it had arrived. He wasn't even sure if he'd seen it at all. She rose abruptly, clasping her hands to her chest. It amazed him that he could make her so nervous. "I have to go and shower," she said pointedly, turning to leave.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" he offered one last time. Her wide eyes turned back to his face and she actually looked like she might be considering the idea. Carth hadn't expected that. Finally, she shook her head no and walked towards the room that she'd taken as hers. Carth rose a second later and disappeared into his room: he needed some sleep.
