Disclaimer: Here the plot is mine. But still I leave the credit to Bioware. Without the game I'd never have been able to come up with this happily ever after.
Chapter Forty-Seven
CARTH POV
Carth signed off the holo-interface. He was relieved to find Dustil safe on Telos. That was one thing taken care of, at least. Dustil had said he'd wait. Carth could rest easy on that account: Dustil never lied. Carth walked over to the window and opened the blinds just a little. The shouts of the reporters rose again outside. They had gathered again there after the reward ceremony. Carth frowned. Perhaps they could send that crazy droid out again. He'd had a bit too much fun terrorizing the press last time, but at least he'd kept them at bay.
They'd stay for months if Aithne did. The Revan story was the biggest thing to hit the news since the start of the war. From what Carth could tell, most of the crew was planning to split up in the next week or so for just that reason.
Juhani had told them all this morning that the Jedi Council had assigned her a position here on Coruscant. Carth thought that she would do well. Juhani had sacrificed a lot for the cause, but he thought she was much more with it now than she had been at one time. The Jedi might say she was wiser.
Bastila, too, had been talking to the Jedi Council. They'd promoted her to a Jedi Knight, and offered her a position on Coruscant. She'd told Carth about it last night. She had also said, though, that she wasn't sure she was going to take it. Bastila still felt guilty about her brief fall to the Dark Side. She wouldn't talk about what she had done as Malak's apprentice, and she spent more time meditating than she ever had before. Carth guessed she was feeling uncertain about her ability to handle any strenuous assignment with the Jedi, or even to live up to their Code at all. Still, Bastila was smart enough, and he knew she'd have no shortage of Masters to help her now.
Mission had mentioned that Zaalbar wanted to return to Kashyyyk. There was still a lot of work to do on the Wookiee's homeworld, and Carth knew that old Freyyr had to want his help. He couldn't blame Zaalbar. He'd sworn to guard and protect Aithne for life, but Carth knew that Zaalbar and Aithne both recognized that Aithne got up to more trouble in a month than most people did in three lifetimes. And Zaalbar had been exiled for twenty-one years. No wonder he wanted to go home so badly.
Carth didn't think, though, that Zaalbar was going to take Mission with him. At least, Mission herself didn't seem to expect it. She seemed pretty confident about her future, but he hadn't heard a thing about it. Nor had he heard of Canderous', Jolee's, or Aithne's future plans.
Aithne's closed mouth worried him. He'd been party to many of her conversations with Admiral Dadonna over the past few weeks, where the two of them had worked out the parameters of her sentence. The admiral had been adamant that for all that Aithne would be forbidden to lead the Republic's armies, she in no way wanted to lose access to Aithne's brilliant military mind. Aithne would be liable to be called upon as a consultant by hundreds in the Fleet, and often.
The addition of the rebuilding clause complicated things. Aithne would be free to travel from ravaged world to ravaged world if she chose, so long as there was a Republic base nearby where she would be available to serve in an advisory capacity. About a week ago, Aithne had gone to Admiral Dadonna with a list of twelve prospective sites, and the Admiral had approved them.
But Carth didn't know where she planned to go or what she planned to do. All he knew was that she had informed all the crew this morning that there would be a final get-together for all of them: a luncheon, three days from now.
Just a few months ago, Aithne would have told Carth everything. What she thought about Zaalbar and Juhani's plans. Where she thought Bastila's head was right now, and if it worried her at all. What was going to happen to Mission. Where she was going and why. But Aithne hadn't talked to him about any of that. Admiral Dadonna had told him about the twelve sites she was looking at, or he wouldn't have even known about that.
She still joked around like she always did. Sometimes when they were walking places she'd take his hand for a moment. Sometimes when they got back to their Republic-issued residence she'd plop down next to him on the sofa and rest her head on his shoulder. But it never lasted long. She always pulled away, looking wary, and a little bit sad.
He thought it got worse every time he'd been talking to Admiral Dadonna, or another Republic military officer. It was subtle, how she'd been pulling away, the fear in her eyes. But Carth knew Aithne Morrigan. And he'd halfway been expecting this, once everything was over and done. He'd hoped that she might snap out of it. If he had wanted to leave, he could have done it days before the rewards ceremony, even. But now he was getting worried, and a little bit frustrated.
Carth had made his way to the study. She was there, staring down at a datapad and tapping a finger against her lips. A chestnut curl drifted in front of her eyes in the air currents. She tucked it behind her ear impatiently. He knocked on the doorframe, walked into the room, and shut the door behind him.
She looked up. "Carth. What can I do for you?" She smiled, but it was too bright, too obliging. Her eyes were uncertain and fearful.
He sighed and sat down on the study sofa. "We need to talk," he informed her.
"What about?" she asked. "Because I'm sort of busy…and if it's not important…"
"It's important," Carth cut her off. Aithne's face fell. But she rose, walked over, and joined him on the sofa.
"Alright," she said. "Shoot." Her expression looked like she expected just that, or nearly.
Carth hesitated, unsure how to begin. "Look," he said. "You've always been honest with me. Sometimes I haven't believed you have been. Sometimes…I haven't deserved it. But you've always told me what I've needed to know. But for some reason, when we touched down here, that stopped. You stick to jokes, comments about the weather, and you haven't said anything important for weeks. You're nervous. You avoid being alone with me. You're distancing yourself, beautiful."
Aithne blinked at him. She opened and closed her mouth once. Twice. Her cheeks colored, and she looked down. "Have I been so transparent?" she said at last. "Well. It's just…" she stumbled. "We've been through a lot together…but now it's over. The Republic has always been your number one priority, and I didn't want to…to hold you to anything that you might have said when emotions were running high, when things were different…"
Carth nodded. It was what he thought then. He took Aithne's hand. "You thought that now that I'm back with the Republic, now that I've had a few weeks to think, and now everyone knows you were Revan, I might have changed my mind about how I feel about you."
Aithne shuddered, and inclined her head slightly.
Carth sighed. "You never even conceived that I might have meant what I said, did you? Honestly, Aithne, you hounded me day and night trying to prove yourself and teach me to trust you. There has to be a time when you start trusting me."
"I've depended on you," Aithne said sharply. Her eyes went distant, and she continued, more softly. "You don't know how much I've depended on you."
"Then depend on it that when I say I want to give you a future, I mean it," Carth retorted. "You've been acting like I'm going to disappear. We've been busy, so I haven't mentioned it. But now's the time to make choices. Where are you going, Aithne? Do you…" A thought occurred to Carth suddenly. He froze, and his stomach dropped. "Do you…do you even want me there?"
The response was immediate. Aithne's hand came up to cup his cheek. "Carth, of course I do. Always. I've been going out of my mind, and Mission was just about to…"
"Mission?" Carth demanded. "What about her?"
Aithne looked down. "Force," she muttered. "I think I've messed this up." She looked up. "You know Big Z's headed to Kashyyyk as soon as we leave here. Mission's not. She's coming with me. We…we worked it out a few weeks back. The notary will be here tomorrow afternoon with the adoption papers."
The news hit him like a speeding swoop bike. At first, Carth was just shocked. Then, immediately, hot anger coursed through him. Aithne adopting Mission made all the sense in the world. But for her not to tell him- to deliberately… Carth stared at Aithne. He shut his mouth, stood, and paced once around the room. Then twice. Finally, he figured he could keep his voice under control. "You two have had this worked out for weeks, and you didn't think to tell me? And you're just realizing now that that wasn't a good idea? Aithne…" he cut off.
Aithne stood. "Carth, I- Mission wanted to tell you, to ask you if you wanted in on…" she was pale. She brought a hand up to her head. "I've miscalculated. That's new. And you- you're actually angry, aren't you?" She stole a glance at him.
Carth threw his hands up. "You got that, did you? Damn it, Aithne! I don't like…"
"Being left out of the loop. Yes. I should have realized." She shook her head. "But in my defense, I didn't think…I mean, you didn't trust me, before. And you blew up with me after Leviathan, but I don't think you've ever really been properly angry at me before. I didn't want to press…I didn't think you would…" she cut off.
"You didn't think it'd bother me?" Carth demanded. He crossed over to her and seized her hands. "Aithne, is this how it's going to be? Are you just going to…keep running? Keep moving on as if I hadn't said very clearly I want to be with you." Aithne stared at him. Carth sighed, and his anger dissipated. "I love you, but this can't be a one-way street."
Aithne was still staring at him. "Force, you were serious. You are." In Carth's hands, her wrists relaxed, and she threaded her fingers through his. "Carth, what if I remember? What if I change?"
"You won't," Carth said. "And even if you do, I'll be right there with you. We'll work it out, together."
"Even though Malak's dead and gone and there's no reason for it?" she challenged.
Carth leaned forward until his forehead touched Aithne's. "I love you. Isn't that...isn't that reason enough?"
"And what about the Republic?"
"The Republic doesn't need me anymore," Carth told her. "At least not like they did. And even if they did, they could find someone else. I've learned from my mistakes. I've done my time saving the galaxy. It's time for me to stand still in one place. And my place is with you."
Aithne smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "You're a lunatic, Carth Onasi. Far be it from me to try to stop you, though. Would you like to be on the adoption papers tomorrow?"
Carth kissed her forehead. "Yes, Aithne. I would like to be on the adoption papers tomorrow." He smirked. "Not quite sure how Mission will feel about having me for a legal guardian."
Now she laughed. "You kidding? It was taking all of my strength to keep her from demanding you take the job with me. Mish absolutely loves you. You're good for her."
"So are you." She didn't answer. "Right. Well that's settled. But we're not done."
"No." Aithne let him lead her back over to the sofa, and they both sat down.
"We've got an adopted teenage Twi'lek," Carth said, "And I have a son…"
Aithne frowned. "You were going to try to contact him this morning," she recalled. "Did you reach him?"
"Yes, I did. He's waiting on the lunar settlement of Telos, like he said he'd be," Carth told her.
Aithne shifted away from him slightly. "Will he be okay with me?" she asked. "With Mission?"
Carth squeezed her hand. "He asked about you. I think, and he thinks, it's time we all moved on. There'll be work to do, but I think we'll manage just fine." He looked down. He'd been thinking a lot about his son lately, trying to assimilate a Dustil trained in the Force, but trained as a Sith. More than that, trying to imagine the Sith deserter that would be waiting for him on Korriban.
"He'll need training to control the Sith techniques and habits he's learned," he said finally.
Aithne looked thoughtful. "You're right. Dustil's a good kid, but you don't just go through years on Korriban and come out without a scratch."
"You can't train him," Carth observed. "You've given up the Order."
"It wouldn't be a good idea, anyway," Aithne said. "Not with my connection to you." She thought a moment, then smiled. "We could ask Jolee. I don't know what he plans to do once we leave here, but somehow I don't think he wants to go back to Kashyyyk. He might be willing to take Dustil on, and if he does he could be exactly what Dustil needs."
Carth considered the idea. He liked it. He liked it a lot. "That's a good idea," he said. Jolee would know, he thought. The old Jedi would be able to deal with the person Dustil was now, rather than the person he had been. He was removed enough from Carth and Aithne that Dustil would be able to relate to him on a Master-Pupil basis. Jolee would not dismiss the anger and confusion Carth knew Dustil must be going through right now. But he would be able to deal with it. In fact, the more Carth thought about it, the more he liked Aithne's plan. "We'll have to ask him," he said. Carth made a mental note to do so later on today, but then moved on.
"Mission," he said. "Have you considered that she's really no good for a regular education by now?"
Aithne snorted. "You're the one that taught her advanced astrophysics and how to fly a freighter, flyboy."
"You taught her Echani techniques and dragged her all over the galaxy on a suicidal quest to save the galaxy," Carth shot back.
"That suicidal quest to save the galaxy worked," Aithne retorted. "But still, I do see your point. A public school classroom would be a bit dull after becoming a Republic hero and killing many, many Sith."
Carth nodded. "Exactly. I…I've been thinking that she might be an ideal recruit for the Republic Special Ops. They'd appreciate her expertise, after she'd had a few more years of training. They do instruction for it at a few Republic Military Academies."
"Ah. A Republic base," Aithne said, after a small pause. "My community service. You've thought this out. The rebuilding clause of my sentence restricts me to a dozen planets, Carth."
Carth inclined his head. "I know. Telos is one. Admiral Dadonna told me. They've already reestablished a small Academy on the lunar settlement. The Academy there has always focused on training officers and special forces. And Telos is…was…a major center of trade. In the Senate there are already plans in the works for the construction of a massive space station to oversee planetary reconstruction. They'll need help, though."
Aithne's gaze intensified. "You'd help me help the Republic rebuild your homeworld," she said. "We'd be with Dustil, Mission could attend the Academy, and I'd be available to the Fleet. It does seem to cover everything."
Something about her tone caught Carth's attention. "Aithne, is this what you want? Is this okay with you?"
"Carth, I'd love to go with you to Telos," Aithne answered, and Carth could tell she meant it. Yet there was a reserve there, too. He couldn't quite pin it down. Her mouth quirked up. "It's crazy you know. Setting up shop on Telos' moon with two teenagers and the entire galaxy watching."
"As crazy as going on a galactic hunt for Star Maps with the entire Sith Fleet on our tails?" Carth teased. "Forget them, Aithne. This isn't about your past or my past or anything. This is about the future we can build together."
A tear dropped down Aithne's freckled cheek, and she laughed. "I love you," she whispered.
Carth hugged her close, and looked down into her eyes. He knew he was probably the only one that she'd ever let see just how terrified she was of this new thing they were becoming, the only one she'd let know how much she needed him. She didn't know if things would work out between them, and truthfully, he didn't either. But he wiped away the stray tear on her chin, grateful she was willing to try.
BASTILA POV
Another person was wheeling a load of cargo into the Ebon Hawk when Bastila arrived. Bastila smiled, so as not to cry. The ship was leaving this afternoon, after that luncheon Aithne had ordered. Juhani and Jolee had informed everyone that they would not be eating gunk from the synthesizer for the last meal the erstwhile crew of the Ebon Hawk would eat together. The two of them had splurged to order food from one of the nearby restaurants. It would be here in a few hours.
Bastila couldn't say she blamed them. The Ebon Hawk's synthesizer definitely didn't produce fine cuisine. Bastila sighed. Despite the oiliness of the gunk the synthesizer produced, she'd miss eating it. She'd miss how she always banged her head on the bunk she shared with Juhani. She'd miss how the metal floor groaned in the hallway between the med bay and the main hold. The Ebon Hawk was flying away from Coruscant in about five standard hours. But Bastila wouldn't be on it.
Bastila made her way to the cockpit and sat down. The ship was empty right now, except for the moving people. The rest of the crew would be arriving in the next two hours, from the shops, from the Republic-issued residence they'd shared here on Coruscant, from the Jedi Enclave. She'd spent much time there, growing up. Training on Coruscant with the Masters. Dantooine, too. A few months ago she would have been ashamed to say it, but the Ebon Hawk had been more of a home to her this year travelling with Aithne and the others than any of the various Jedi Enclaves she had spent time in growing up. Bastila sighed. A few months ago she never would have dared to even think that. A few months ago she hadn't fallen to the Dark Side.
Bastila tapped her fingers on the control panel thoughtfully. She saw now, of course, how wrong she'd been, to fall. It hurt to think now upon the darkness that had filled her head. She had tortured and killed Sith at the encouragement of Malak. Underlings that had made mistakes. Inconvenienced him. Or displeased her. Whatever. Malak had said she was proving her superiority, reveling in the newfound 'freedom' of the Dark Side. Now she realized she had just been angry, hurt after weeks of torture, scheming to get to the place where she could exact her vengeance upon the man who had hurt her so much. Such feelings were base. They ought to have been beneath her. But they weren't.
Aithne had led her along with the Jedi Code on the Star Forge. But it wasn't enough, Bastila realized. The Code, the way of the Jedi, it brought peace, order; but it did not now bring Bastila the answers that she craved. Her emotions still roiled. She was still so full of weakness. Weakness and darkness and fear.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Bastila felt Aithne's mind touch her own. She turned in her seat. It hurt, too, to touch Aithne's consciousness now. She was so full of peace and purpose after her 'sentencing'. Joy, too, more recently. If Aithne were staying, she might teach Bastila how she had found it. But she was going.
"You're early," Aithne said, sitting in the pilot's chair and swiveling to face her.
"I felt this ship deserved a farewell as much as its crew."
"You're not coming, then, when we leave here." The words were unsurprised, but Aithne's face fell a little.
"My mother is still in the hospital here," Bastila said. "She has but a few weeks left, but…" she broke off. Her eyes stung. "I cannot leave her."
"And the position the Council has offered you?" Aithne asked.
Bastila looked up at Aithne helplessly. "I don't know," she said. "I am still so conflicted. I cannot stop the questions in my mind, everything I've ever known. Would I not just be a danger and a burden to the Jedi? Can I even be a Jedi any longer?"
" A much better one than most of them, I dare say," Aithne said calmly. She reached across the aisle to press Bastila's hand, and smiled. "Your conscience, your willingness to take instruction. Your compassion, Bastila. They're much rarer than they should be, in the Order, I'm learning. It's hard, right now, I know. You'll find that many of the questions you're asking you will have to answer yourself, and Jedi and Sith alike have been feeding you philosophies your entire life. But when you come out the other side, Bas, oh- I hope I'm there to see it." She squeezed Bastila's hand. Then she sighed.
"Bastila. I'm…I'm sorry for whatever part of your disquiet I've caused. After Leviathan…it was terrible, sorting through my confusion. Whether I was a good guy or a bad guy, Light Side or Dark Side, whatever. That struggle, you must have felt it all along, before I was even conscious of it. Across our bond, I mean. And it wouldn't have just been me you felt. You would have had to deal with your own conflict over who I was, and the pressure of keeping me under control all the time…"she trailed off.
"It was difficult," Bastila said. "You are stronger than I, in more ways than one. It was especially difficult once I got to know you. You…you were just as powerful, just as charismatic and deadly as I had always been told, but for all that you weren't anything like I had expected. You were kinder than I expected, than I thought I deserved, really, and compassionate, and funny." She laughed. "I got to like you, see. Befriending Revan, coming to need her and to rely upon her good opinion, was never part of my mission." She looked at Aithne. "I don't regret it, though. Not even now."
Aithne smiled at her. "You're my best friend," she said simply.
"What will you do?" Bastila asked.
Aithne let go of her hand. She looked down. "Well, now that I've finally got free of the Order I suppose I can do what I like as far as attachment goes, can't I? Carth and I've adopted Mission. We're going to Telos."
Bastila smiled. "I thought you might be," she said quietly. "I wish you joy."
"That makes one," Aithne said. "You're the first person I've told, you know. Other than Mission. I'll tell the others when they arrive. The Ebon Hawk's crew is comprised of practically the only people in the galaxy I haven't alienated."
"I do not imagine this separation will be permanent," Bastila said. "For my part, I imagine I will visit the three of you often on Telos." A thought occurred to her then, and she groaned. "Force help me, if you have children with Carth-they'll be dreadful! Impossible! They'll cause unimaginable chaos if I do not come from time to time."
"The galaxy might fall," Aithne agreed. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves."
"So help me, Aithne, I am going to miss you," Bastila said.
Aithne helped her to her feet. "I'll miss you, too, Bas." She wrapped her arms around Bastila, and Bastila hugged her back, hard.
Just then she heard voices resounding through the Hawk. Aithne let go and turned to look. Bastila took the opportunity to wipe her eyes. "The rest of them are starting to get here," Bastila said. "Shall we?"
AITHNE POV
The former crew of the Ebon Hawk had all gathered in the conference room one last time. The carry-out dishes lay mostly empty around the big table, and everyone was relaxing, enjoying each other's company.
Finally, though, the time had come. Aithne squeezed Carth's hand under the table, released it, and stood to address the party. "Well," she said. "We've had a run of it and no mistake."
Everyone smiled. Jolee laughed. Teethree beeped, and Canderous nodded.
"But the galaxy's been saved," Aithne continued, "And it's time we went our separate ways. So I called us altogether to discuss what those ways might be. I hereby open the last Ebon Hawk Council of War, where we are to consider what all of us shall do now, what will become of this proud vessel, and finally shall say our teary farewells." She smiled past the lump in her throat as she looked around the table.
"Juhani?" she said. "Would you like to go first?"
Juhani inclined her head and stood. Aithne heard the whir of the gears in her new prosthetic leg, but the Cathar had already mastered movement with it. No one would be able to tell by any clumsiness that below the knee Juhani's leg was entirely artificial. She moved with all the grace that had ever been so characteristic of her. "When the Ebon Hawk flies she will leave me here," she said. "Most of you know that I have been offered a position here on Coruscant."
Aithne nodded. "I'm sure I speak for all the crew when I say that we wish you well in it," she said. "Juhani- you have sacrificed so much on this journey. You saved this ship and the lives of most of the crew. You have my gratitude, my respect, and my friendship forever."
Aithne bowed to Juhani. "Me, too," Mission piped up. "Juhani- I'm really going to miss you." She extended her hand to grip the Cathar's across the table. The two of them had talked a lot after Juhani had told her about Taris.
Juhani smiled at Mission, then at the rest of them. "I thank you," she said in her quiet way. "Your friendship has meant more to me than you can imagine. I will…I will carry you with me in my heart always. All of you." This with special glances at Carth and Canderous. Aithne smiled. She was incredibly proud of Juhani.
Juhani sat. Aithne turned to Bastila. "Bas? You're staying here, too, aren't you?" she said, for the benefit of the crew.
Bastila nodded, standing. "I am," she said. She briefly spoke of her mother, and the crew extended their sympathies and well wishes. Mission hugged her. Carth kissed her on the cheek. Jolee particularly expressed how he'd seen her go from a prissy princess to as promising of a Jedi lass he'd ever seen, and said that he hoped that she stuck around on Coruscant. The Jedi could use someone like her around, he said, just to shake things up.
Aithne grinned at him then. "Speaking of shaking things up, Jolee, have you thought about what we spoke of earlier?"
"And what was that?" Juhani asked.
Aithne looked around at the rest of the table. "Oh, Carth and I just said we thought he might do something a bit more interesting than returning to his burrow in the Kashyyyk Shadowlands, is all."
Jolee chuckled. "They want me to fly around the galaxy chasing around a bunch of young hooligans and murderers," he informed the crew. "Heh. Just because I didn't die of this last mission." He nodded, though. "I'm not quite done seeing the galaxy yet. Thank you. I don't see why you want this old man to teach your son, Carth, but if he agrees, I shall do so."
"Jolee's going to teach Dustil?" Mission demanded. "That ought to be some fun!"
"Not just Dustil," Aithne said. "There are hundreds of Sith kids running around lost, confused, and leaderless right now. I've met some. They're not all bad. Those that are need to be taken care of, but those that aren't need a teacher. Someone who can see both sides, who understands."
"Hmph," Jolee said.
"It is a good plan," Juhani said. "Jolee, you are well qualified to find and save those Sith that can be saved, and to neutralize those that can't."
"It would be a great service to the galaxy," Bastila agreed. "Jolee, you are as wise as any Jedi Master."
"The wisest I've met as far as I can remember," Aithne argued.
"That's not saying much, lass. You don't remember what you did three years ago," Jolee objected.
"I've learned more about the Force, love, loss, and compassion from you than I did from all the Council on Dantooine," Aithne said with finality. "Or from the Masters here that have been talking at me for weeks."
"You're a great Jedi, Jolee," Carth said. "And a good man besides." He grinned at Jolee. "Better get used to hearing it, old man. You'll be hearing it a lot."
"Maybe I should go back to Kashyyyk," Jolee grumped. But he smiled.
"We'll be heading there, anyway," Aithne said. "Zaalbar?"
/Yes,/ the Wookiee said. /I shall be returning home./
/Very good,/ Aithne said. She went to her biggest friend and clasped his furry arm. /Your people still have need of you, Zaalbar. You have discharged your debt honorably and well. It has been my honor and my pleasure to know you, and it would please me further still to escort you home at last./
Zaalbar nodded. /I thank you, Aithne Morrigan,/ he said in the formal Wookiee style. /It has been a good hunt. You are a woman just and valiant, and many years shall pass before my kind will meet one such as you again./
"I will take you to Kashyyyk," Aithne repeated in Basic. "And then, I think I might have an idea. Canderous, do you have any plans?"
"I don't know. I'd been planning on catching a shuttle to the Rim, making it as best I could." Canderous shot her a look, catching her mood. "Unless you have another idea."
"I might have," Aithne agreed. "If you're interested. Tell me: according to Mandalorian tradition, how is the title of Mandalore passed from chieftain to chieftain?"
Canderous stood up a little straighter "With the mask of Mandalore," he replied simply and correctly. "But it was lost after the Wars. Unless…" he trailed off, and began to stare at Aithne. She folded her arms and arched an eyebrow at him.
"Got it now?" she teased. "I remembered just before the Battle of the Star Forge. I've spent a lot of time here in the Jedi Archives, checking up to see if I was right. I took the mask, right after I defeated Mandalore the…Ultimate, was it? I hid it, I think, on Korriban. Technically my ownership of the mask would make me a Mandalorian, and Mandalore to boot, if I followed your Resol'nare. But I don't. And I won't. And Aithne Morrigan has no use for the mask of Mandalore. However, she knows someone who just might." Aithne gave a little bow.
Canderous gaped. /You are Mandalore,/ he said, reverting to Mandalorian in his astonishment. /But no, not really. Still, I cannot believe I never thought…/ he chuckled a bit, recovering himself. "And you'd just give it to me, would you?"
Aithne shrugged. "You said you needed a purpose. You said the clans were scattered. You said they needed a new direction. So give it to them. Though I do not claim the title, the mask of Mandalore is mine by right of conquest, to dispose of as I see fit. So I've decided to trust you with it. I trust you."
Carth laughed. "You know, I never thought I'd say it, Canderous, but I trust you, too."
"Come with us to Korriban," Aithne urged Canderous. "We'll retrieve the mask, and then I'll help you on your way to go-where?"
Canderous shook his head, still dazed. "Everywhere," he managed. "The clans are everywhere." He looked at Aithne. "This…this is too much."
"The worker earns his wages," Aithne quoted. "I'm guessing that Republic medal doesn't mean much to you. The chance to restore the Mandalorian clans to glory? I figured that that might do the job a bit better."
"You figured right," Canderous said, finally assimilating Aithne's generosity. "And…thank you. I'm guessing you're staying on this ship with Aithne through Korriban?" he asked Mission.
Mission nodded. "And after." she said. She looked over at Aithne and Carth. "Your turn."
"Yeah," Canderous said. "What are you doing, Onasi? Morrigan?"
Aithne smiled at the tabletop, shifting a bit. "Well, first we're dropping Zaalbar off on Kashyyyk," she said. "And then we're going to Korriban to look for the mask of Mandalore."
"Come off it," Jolee said. "You know what Canderous meant."
Carth cleared his throat. "We're going back to Telos," he informed the table at large. "Jolee, Mission, Aithne, and I. My son, Dustil, is waiting for us there, and the Republic has promised me a position with the reconstruction."
"You remember that notary guy came a couple days ago?" Mission asked. "Yeah, well, he came with some papers so Aithne and Carth could stop pretending to parent me and get it set down legally that they could. They've already enrolled me in the Republic Academy on Telos' moon." She sighed. "Sheesh, this is gonna be a nightmare." But the corners of her mouth twitched, and Aithne knew nobody was really fooled. She winked at Mission.
"Especially since Aithne's insisted on taking that psychopa…"Carth began to mutter.
HK-47 cut in. "Statement: I am a precision instrument of genius engineering, meatbag, not a psychopathic machine. I operate exactly as I was programmed to. The master is quite right to take me along."
Aithne grimaced. "He'll be useful, Carth," she said. "We've talked about it. In case someone decides they don't want Revan around Telos- to entertain reporters…" Everyone laughed. "For protocol, too, at all those reconstruction meetings."
Carth looked from Aytchkay to Aithne. "Meetings. Are you mad?"
Aithne sighed. "Maybe." She looked over her old droid. "Perhaps I could…I don't have Revan's knowledge of Aytchkay, but I can work on him and see what I can do."
HK-47 swiveled his head. "Query: What do you mean, master? What exactly do you intend?"
Aithne folded her arms. "To upgrade you," she said firmly. "I intend, HK-47, to improve you to make you even more useful to myself and my family. This may involve some fundamental personality shifts." (Will, Aithne thought privately) "But I promise that if I do not better your natural abilities, I will at least leave them entirely intact."
Aytchkay's red eyes blazed brightly for a moment. There was a moment of tension. Then it abated. "Agreement: I will cooperate, Master," he said.
Aithne nodded. "Good," she answered. "I could fight you on it, and I'd win, but I'm glad I won't have to. I'd hate to carve up your systems with a vibroblade."
Jolee grinned appreciatively. Juhani nodded.
"Very well then. You are going to Telos? What do you plan to do there?"
Aithne looked at her. "I'm going to serve my so-called community service," she told her crew. "I'm going to volunteer with the reconstruction. Telos was beautiful. It will be again if I have anything to say about it."
"And you're going together?" Canderous asked, folding his arms. "Did you want to make it official? The two of you could say your vows right now."
Carth looked at Aithne. Aithne could tell he was thinking about it, what it would be like to maybe marry her someday. Her heart raced. She wanted nothing more, and yet, she looked at Jolee, and couldn't help but remember that love didn't always work out. Living in the shadow of her past might prove a bigger strain than even the pull of Exar Kun. "Maybe someday," she answered Canderous. "But we're not Mandalorians."
"Be a hell of a lot simpler if you were," Canderous muttered.
"Everything will become clear in time," Jolee said. "Well. That's it, then, isn't it? We take off from here, leaving Bastila and Juhani. We head to Kashyyyk, drop Zaalbar off. We go to Korriban, pick up some dead Mandalorian's war mask…"
"Watch it, old man," Canderous growled.
"Ooh, forgive me, I'm sure. We pick up some incredibly important historical and political Mandalorian artifact and drop Canderous off someplace to begin his quest to unite the clans and fly off to Telos. Right?"
"That's about the size of it, yes."
"Then what are we standing around here for? We might as well clean up the crockery. Meeting adjourned! We got places to go, people to see!"
Aithne smiled. They did all have places to go. And it was good. "I couldn't have said it better myself."
A/N: Right. Just a chapter of farewells, then, and maybe an epilogue. Leave a review. Tell me what you think!
May the Force be With You,
LMSharp