Hello! This is an updated chapter. Since being updated, it has now become way longer than I usually allow my chapters to get so I apologize! I hope you still enjoy it and the wild ride they usually are.
Happy reading 3
Chapter 3: Doubt
"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."
When Carth finally opened his eyes, he was momentarily disoriented by how deeply he had slept. However, as the dream briefly resurfaced, he couldn't stop the smile on his face. He had had a pleasant enough dream about a time and place that no longer existed for him anymore.
About people who he no longer had.
A dream that often enough turned into a nightmare.
This time, however, it remained as a good memory. Something he could hold on to in his waking hours before it would slowly melt away. A fleeting dream that fragmented until only the feeling of it was left.
Stretching his arms out, he felt every joint pop as he smiled contentedly at the feel of it. By the core, this bed was comfortable. He hadn't had a decent nights sleep since... huh, Carth actually couldn't remember when.
For several more moments Carth just laid there, allowing his hazy mind to slowly wake up with the rest of his body. He wasn't sure how long he had slept but every minute he had gotten was endless bliss. It would be nice if he could enjoy this a while longer but something was nagging at him in his mind. Something he needed to remember. Something he needed to do... How long had he actually been knocked out?
After a few minutes of lazily staring at the ceiling with a furrowed brow, Carth's head finally caught up and he remembered where he was and the trouble they were in.
They?... They!?
Where was Samirah!?
He sat up so quickly that the rush to his head made him dizzy. He blinked away the bleariness as his adrenaline kicked in and he was suddenly very aware of his surroundings. An awareness that brought his eyes directly towards the hunched over form at the table.
A few seconds passed as he watched her move slightly, a deep breath expanding her chest and then exhaling.
Carth breathed a sigh of relief as his body relaxed again. The peacefully sleeping scout remained motionless, her breathing low and quiet. She hadn't even stirred.
Some guard she was.
Looking at her now, he noted how calm she seemed. The previous nights when she was asleep she had done nothing but toss and turn in her sleep. Several times, Carth wondered if he'd have to restrain her when the terror would make her almost scream. Luckily she would always settle down before he had to do anything rash but... well, it had never eased his constant worry. What if someone had heard?
At the time, Carth knew he wouldn't be able to protect them both if the Sith descended upon them. Again, it was pure luck that it never came to that.
Luck seemed to be on their side for now and Carth was really hoping that it would stay that way.
Despite himself, Carth smiled at her and took a calming breath. Her hair covered parts of her face, falling loosely into ringlets on the table. Her head was nestled into the crook of her arm, a backpack underneath that Carth assumed was her version of a pillow. Standing up quietly, he brought the blanket over to her and carefully draped it over her shoulders. He noted, not for the first time, how pretty she was. Soft features that surrounded sharp eyes when she was awake.
His smile widened.
When he first met her aboard the Endar Spire, he had been mostly amused by her. A very brief moment but one that he remembered well enough. A carefree, spunky and strange addition to their crew. Whenever he had caught her in the ships canteen, she was usually smiling brightly and regaling the other Ensigns with stories from wild space.
Then came the Sith ambush and when she came barreling into the room with the escape pods, there had been a change in her eyes. Forgetting the fact that they barely escaped with their lives, a hardness had overcome her that he did not expect from the Ensign. A sense of caution and fury. She looked... lost.
Now?
Carth wasn't sure about now. Too much had happened and they were hanging on by a thread. Carth hoped that she was okay and that she would be able to keep pressing forward until they were out of this mess. Then again, Carth was keenly aware that he knew next to nothing about her and that was going to be a problem of its own.
Of all the crew members to survive...
He quickly shook that thought, berating himself for it.
Carth was so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that he was just silently staring down at Samirah. He was even more unaware of how he loomed over her until her eyes opened slowly.
Samirah's eyes blinked and then, as awareness took hold, widened at seeing someone standing so close to her. She shot up quickly, her body instinctively moving as far away from him as she could possibly manage without falling right out of her chair. One hand flew towards her waist and she mentally cursed herself for not having her blaster equipped.
Carth threw both hands up in an attempt to placate her as her hand grasped the empty space on her hip where a blaster usually was clipped.
"Whoa, calm down. It's only me." He soothed, waiting for her tensed body to relax.
A few heartbeats passed before she finally looked around the room. When she saw nothing to be alarmed about, she finally eased back into her chair and Carth exhaled through his nose. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Samirah slumped back against her makeshift pillow.
"You're awake…"She said sleepily, yawning again.
Carth rolled his eyes and then smirked, plopping down into the chair opposite of her. He reached over and rummaged through the supplies until he found something to eat. A few prepackaged meals that would tide them over until they got some real food.
"Yeah, well, I have to wake up eventually, don't I? We've got a lot of work to do and you apparently fell asleep. Weren't you supposed to be—"She cut him off with a sharp look as she sat up.
"I was and still am. There's a code programmed into the door's lock. I tinkered a little bit with it so now, it can only be opened from the inside and you'd have to be a pretty decent slicer to get in from the outside without the code." She folded her arms in front of her, a little more than annoyed by his sudden accusation.
She wasn't incompetent and had hoped that he'd have given her the benefit of the doubt. At the very least some credit would have been nice.
Carth looked to the door, the shock clearly written on his face and Samirah couldn't stop the smug grin it gave her.
When he looked back at her, Carth felt a little ashamed for jumping to conclusions. Then again, how was he supposed to know? Carth quickly looked away, feeling more than a little abashed.
Samirah didn't seem to notice this time as her attention was suddenly elsewhere.
Her gaze had quickly shifted to the window as the sun was setting behind the cityscape.
"Damn it!" She cursed, jumping up from the table and knocking her chair over.
Carth flinched as she clammered away from him and towards the refresher.
Samirah started vigorously washing her face with hot water and then looking herself over in the mirror. The circles under her eyes did her no favors and her hair was... well, it was a wreck. She suddenly wished she had bought some new clothes… but she couldn't really afford to spend credits needlessly on clothes. They had more immediate concerns than that.
She did, however, have an idea. Of course-
"What in the blazes are you doing?" Carth finally asked.
She leaned out of the refresher to see Carth staring at her with a furrowed brow.
For a moment, Samirah debated how crucial it was to fill him in. Then, thinking better of it, decided the more he knew, the better. Carth would just have to keep up because she was now on a time constraint.
"Ah, well, you see, while you were sleeping, I kind of ventured out." Carth froze, his whole body going stiff. The alarm on his face was not well hidden at all and Samirah threw her hands up to placate him "Now, calm down, ok?"
It took him a moment but he finally was able to recover enough to give her a very disapproving look. When he crossed his arms, ready to chastise her, she quickly gestured at herself and continued.
"As you can see, I'm fine and not dead or anything serious. It was actually a pretty productive outing." She clarified more to herself than to him. "After finding a few key places of note, I eventually found myself at the Cantina. I did find a way to the Lower City as well, but you can't just waltz right down there. They have a guard stationed there. You apparently have to have some kind of authorization papers or something to that effect I think."
Samirah had dropped her gaze, thinking about that particular situation as she spoke out loud. She didn't seem to notice how Carth was narrowing his eyes at her in guarded suspicion.
He wasn't sure what she was getting at. He was still stuck on the idea of her going out in broad daylight as if they weren't fugitives. What would have happened if she was caught? Carth didn't know her. Carth didn't know if she would spill their secrets at the mere mention of interrogation.
How careless was she?
"Well, while I was at the Cantina, I began talking to this man who had approached me and when he said he was a Sith Officer—" Carth's mouth dropped open.
There it was. She was that careless.
"—You were talking to a Sith!" He nearly shouted, planting his hands face down on the table. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been? What if he found out that you were a Republic soldier? What if-" She held a hand up and he stopped talking.
She was surprisingly calm.
"First of all," She said slowly. "He didn't know, nor will he ever. Remember that my job was to survey and explore wild space. I've been to planets where even the Hutts steer clear of. Give me a little credit." She laughed, though Carth didn't see what was funny.
He was content to keep that disapproving look on his face. Any minute now, she would tell him how this all got worse. So he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Samirah just rolled her eyes at him when he lifted an eyebrow, going back into the refresher as she continued.
"He thinks I'm an off-worlder who just got stranded her like everyone else. He wanted to make a friend who wasn't a Sith and so we had a light conversation. The Republic wasn't even mentioned. He eventually invited me to a party that he and a couple of his Sith friends were—"
Ah, hello other shoe.
"—You want to go to a party?" Carth interrupted, quickly on his feet. "A party full of Sith? Are you out of your mind? Did you ever stop and consider—"
"Enough!" She shouted back, giving up on the refresher for now to stare down Carth. She nearly glared at him. "Please. All I'm asking is that you listen first. You want to scream at me after that? Fine. But listen first."
Carth went through a series of faces, struggling to find the words he wanted to say. When he found none, he settled on crossing his arms tightly and glowering at her. Samirah smiled back politely and continued in a softer voice.
"He told me that some of the Sith weren't even going to lock up their uniforms. That they were just going to go to the party right after their shift." Understanding lit up Carth's features as he listened, momentarily forgetting his earlier irritation. "I was thinking that I could somehow acquire them during the party- well, at least two of them."
Not a... terrible plan, he thought bitterly.
He hated to admit it but this could actually help them. His only concern was how risky it would be. Yes, having Sith uniforms would help them blend in but was the cost worth it? She'd be surrounded by Sith and if one thing went wrong... well, Carth imagined that they'd both be in hot water.
Carth was almost certain that it wouldn't just be figurative hot water either.
"And how exactly were you planning on acquiring these uniforms?" He asked. "You can't exactly expect to walk in and walk out with them."
He thought it was a valid question because they weren't exactly going to just hand them over to her if she asked. Though, when her cheeks turned red as she blushed and looked away, he became a little weary of her plan.
"Samirah, what are you planning?"
She pursed her lips and could feel how her cheeks suddenly flushed. One of her hands started to absentmindedly rub the other, her thumb brushing over the skin.
"Nothing really, just… well, just to get the uniforms…"
He narrowed his eyes. Why was she suddenly being shy?
"That doesn't answer my question."
"It's fine!" She said in a voice a few octaves higher than before. "We don't need to worry about the details. It's just a party." She didn't meet his eyes as she turned around to sift through her backpack.
"Where is..." She started muttering to herself as Carth watched her suspiciously.
Her cheeks were flushed, her voice had risen a few pitches, and Carth could have sworn she was embarrassed. After a moment's thought, Carth's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline as he strided quickly over to her and spun her around to face him.
Her look of shock at his suddenness did nothing to hide her blushing cheeks.
"Samirah!" He said incredulously, letting go of her arm. "You're not actually thinking about… well, I didn't think… if you think—" Carth couldn't finish the sentence. His face had heated up as well at the implications there.
Without any need for more words, Samirah finally caught on to what he was getting at. Her own face quickly mirrored his and she quickly pulled away.
"Carth, n-no! Of course not!" She sputtered out, her whole body tensing at the idea.
His face didn't change as he stared back in horror.
"Carth, really! The guy just… well, I think he likes me because he insisted that I come to the party… so I mean, it's just some harmless flirting." Her face turned bright red.
To literally be sleeping with enemy? Carth knew better than to assume she'd stoop to that... right?
"What if something bad happens? What if he takes something you said as an… an invitation for something else?"
Samirah's face turned nearly as red as Yavin itself. Whether she had considered that outcome or not, Carth wasn't willing to risk it. He slowly shook his head at her as she looked away, avoiding his gaze again. There really wasn't any more time to have this discussion. She needed to get a move on already.
"No, you're not going." Carth finally said sternly. "At least not alone."
That made her head snap back up to look at him. She stared at him with eyes so wide and disbelieving that he might as well have been a ghost to her.
"What, now you're coming too?" She asked incredulously and he simply nodded.
So matter of fact that Samirah could stare, still trying to process it. Carth stared back, unfazed and unmoving.
"If you insist on going, you won't be going alone. Not into a den of Sith." He was leaving no room for objections.
She processed that for a few moments. If he came, how might Yun react? Samirah also rarely worked with partners. The closest she ever had gotten was Kelko or Trask. She inwardly winced at his name and then pressed on, ignoring the way her chest clenched.
Well, maybe she could make this work. Carth could serve as a kind of buffer in the event things got dicey. She didn't expect any trouble but, well, she didn't know what to expect either. This was a whole new kind of situation they were in.
"Ok," She finally said. "I think we can handle that." She smiled before checking the time again.
She clicked her tongue and then quickly moved past him and to the front door.
"Wait here for a moment." She insisted and Carth just scoffed, trying to follow after her. The pointed look she gave him made him halt with a groan.
"Now where are you going?"
She flashed him a grin as she opened the door.
"We need something other than the clothes we've been wearing since the crash. Mine are torn and yours aren't much better, but I think I know where to get some so wait right here." She didn't give him much of a choice as she slipped out.
Carth grimaced. He really did prefer that she didn't go out alone. Huffing to himself, he relented and sat down in a chair to pout.
After several minutes of waiting, he started to get a little antsy. Carth got to his feet and began pacing nervously around the apartment, a careful eye on the clock. He checked his blaster several times and when the door finally did open he was so startled that he had his blaster quickly aimed at the intruder.
The intruder who stared at him with wide, surprised eyes and a bundle of things clutched to her chest. Samirah. Of course it was Samirah. Hadn't she already told him about the modifications to the door?
It took him a few moments before he was finally able to lower his blaster, letting out a long sigh. Samirah hesitantly moved to the table and placed her newly acquired things on the table, taking uneasy glances at Carth.
"You know, you're really jumpy." She finally said. He chuckled, throwing her an apologetic smile.
"I just don't like surprises."
She glanced over at him as she picked up a set of clothes and tossed them to him.
"Ok, so no surprises. I'll keep that in mind."
Based on her track record thus far, Carth wasn't going to hold his breath. He looked at the bundle in his hands, raising an eyebrow at them. Where did she get these? She wasn't gone nearly long enough to casually grab them fresh clothes?
"Anything else I should know?" She asked, watching him as he accessed the button up shirt in his hands. "Allergic to espionage? A low tolerance for sugar? An aversion to the dark?"
He rolled his eyes at her, dropping the clothes onto the nearby chair.
"Ha-ha. Very cute..." He muttered as she scooped up her own clothes from the table.
She stuck her tongue out at him before disappearing into the refresher. Several minutes ticked by before she re-emerged, showered and clean. Carth almost thought that she was positively glowing with glee. She was starting to remind him of that Ensign he met so long ago. Stars, it felt like years had passed since that first day when it had only been a few weeks.
Trading places, Carth couldn't stop the contented sigh that escaped as hot water poured over him. This wasn't even a luxurious apartment but damn did the hot water feel like it. He knew they didn't have time for him to sit there and enjoy the shower so he only allowed himself a few moments of bliss. A few moments to just exist in the shower and feel contentedly happy.
When he finally emerged from the shower, Samirah was brushing out her long hair. Where had she gotten a brush? And was that make-up? Carth furrowed his brow but didn't get the chance to ask before her brown eyes turned to him and she smiled.
"Well, look at that. It seems a man does exist somewhere under all that dirt." She laughed as he scowled.
"I could say the same about you." He said, picking up his new attire and getting dressed.
The clothes were casual enough, a white button up shirt and slacks. Slightly worn and anything but new. Carth's gaze shifted over to Samirah as she applied small amounts of makeup to conceal the circles under her eyes. Carth noted the black skirt and white blouse she wore; a stark contrast to her normal attire he had become accustomed too. This was... more feminine.
"If I'm going to work with someone, I probably should know more about them aside from their dislike of surprises." She finally said, breaking away from her mirror to look at him.
His breath hitched for a moment as her bright eyes smiled at him.
The same eyes that had greeted him in that now lost corridor of a shattered ship.
"What?" He said lamely, watching as she furrowed her brow at him. Samirah tried to hold back her smile but with no success.
"You, Carth. Tell me about you. You've seen my service record but I've yet to see yours." She said, turning back to her mirror and twisting her hair up. Long, brown hair that was doing everything in its power to not do as it was told.
"Me?" Carth asked again and Samirah just rolled her eyes from where she sat.
She stayed quiet though, waiting for him to go on. He fidgeted for a moment, not really sure where he was meant to start. He wasn't all that accustomed to talking about himself. These days, he was a captain and that was it. There had been no room to tell personal stories.
Had been no one to ask.
"Well," He finally began. "I've been a star-pilot with the Republic for years. I've seen more than my share of wars… I fought in the Mandalorian wars before all this started. This whole mess with the Sith."
That was all it took for the memories to resurface. Memories he would much rather have kept buried in the far recesses of his mind. He could remember the screams, smell the fires, and feel the ash on his skin.
"The wars I've seen up until now have been nothing in comparison to this war. It's not even a war anymore."
The way his voice had dropped made Samirah pause. There was an icey undertone to his voice and when she turned to look at him, he was staring down at the floor. His eyes stared but were obviously somewhere else, watching something else.
Samirah knitted her brows together in concern. She knew that look.
"I've never experienced anything like the slaughter these Sith animals can unleash. Not even the Mandalorians were that senseless." He spat the words out. "My homeworld was… one of the first planets to fall to Malak's fleet. The Sith bombed it into submission, and there wasn't a damn thing our Republic forces could do to stop them."
The venom in Carth's voice surprised Samirah but not nearly as much as what he had said. Carth's homeworld... it was gone? Just like that?
"Carth…" Samirah said so softly that she wasn't even sure he heard her.
"I'm just… a soldier." He said quietly, slumping into a chair. He was looking at his own hands as if they held some answer for him. "I go where the fleet Admirals tell me to. I follow my orders to the letter and I do… I do my duty."
The room had fallen so quiet that Samirah could hear her own heartbeat. She didn't dare move.
"It's just…" His voice was so low that it nearly broke. Samirah watched as he clenched his hands into fists, a slight tremble in them. "It doesn't seem right that doing that means I failed them… I didn't! How could I? I just… I…"
Samirah was quickly on her feet, kneeling down beside him in moments. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she startled him out of his thoughts. Carth slowly looked at her and blinked as if seeing her for the first time. As if he was so lost in his reverie that he had forgotten she was even there.
"I'm… I'm so sorry, Carth. I didn't mean to bring up painful things for you. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry…" She hadn't meant for Carth to revisit old wounds.
She had hoped he would tell her that he hated romantic holovids or didn't like the taste of Meiloorun fruit. That he was an only child and had never committed a crime save for one misunderstanding on Coruscant. Samirah had hoped that it would have been a light hearted conversation.
Instead, she now knew what plagued him. She now knew of his own nightmares.
"I know." He finally said, trying to smile at her. "Don't worry about it. I just… must not be making much sense. I'm just not accustomed to talking about my past very much. At all, actually. I'm not doing a great job of it, am I?"
He tried to laugh but it sounded forced and made Samirah look at him with even more concern. He patted her hand where it still rested on his shoulder.
"I'm more used to taking action and keeping my mind focused on other things."
"Like the scout who's rushing head first into the den of our enemies?" She offered with an innocent smile and he chuckled. This time, it wasn't forced.
"Like trying to stop the scout who's rushing head first into the den of our enemies." When she scoffed, he amended his statement with another chuckle. "Or accompanying her so she doesn't get killed."
"Ye of little faith..." She muttered, standing up and brushing out her skirt. "I've done things more dangerous than this."
He rolled his eyes at her this time, standing up and grabbing his jacket from the bed.
"Why am I not even a little surprised?" He said as Samirah grinned at him.
Someone else had already said something similar to her.
"I get results." She shrugged, spinning on her heel and gliding to the refresher for one last look at herself. "And I think we can both agree that that's what counts."
When she was no longer in sight, Carth leaned back against the wall with an exasperated shake of his head. She was going to be the death of them, he could feel it. The corners of his mouth tugged into a small smile and then, slowly, fell.
It had been a few years since Carth had even talked about those memories. About... them. He hadn't meant to bring any of that up at all but Samirah made it so easy. It was effortless, really. Carth never talked about his past and he made damn sure that it was deliberately avoided. Hell, who even was there to ask him about such things? Anyone who knew Carth knew better than to ask and made sure everyone else left him alone about it. At least, that was how it seemed to him.
However, with Samirah, it just fell out. The words kept tumbling out until he had forgotten she was even there. It was like breaking open a damn and all it took was an innocent question from a girl who didn't know the dangers in asking.
Perhaps the good dreams from the night before had left him open and vulnerable as well.
Carth took several steadying, deep breaths as he let the memories fade away. Something they desperately did not want to do. They lingered in his mind, the images and sounds from another time that he'd rather forget than to be continually plagued by. This wasn't the time for him to be lost in memories. This wasn't the time for him to lose focus.
Carth was startled again as Samirah cursed suddenly and hobbled into their living quarters. It seemed like she was attempting to lace her boots while her belt hung from her teeth. Carth pursed his lips, trying so very hard not to laugh at her. When her boot was laced, she switched to the other and then was tying her belt around her waist.
For an Ensign, she certainly didn't act like it.
"I lost track of time..." She mumbled the moment her mouth was free of her belt. "We should probably hurry. I know he joked about finding me if I was late but I don't really want to put that to the test."
The amusement was quickly replaced by alarm. Carth started to open his mouth and Samirah quickly waved him away with a laugh.
"It was a joke... probably... I hope..."
Then she furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. Ticking off a few fingers she finally remembered something else she needed to grab.
Watching her, Carth was not feeling reassured. He actually was feeling less and less comfortable with the plan by the second. Especially as he watched her slide a small vibroknife into her boot. When she caught his concerned glanced, she just grinned at him like a child being caught in the act.
"Just in case." She admitted happily.
Carth really hoped it didn't come down to a fight. That small blade wasn't going to do much against a patrol of Sith.
After a few more minutes passed by, Carth and Samirah nodded at one another. They were as ready as they were likely going to be. Carth felt naked without his usual attire and hoped that wasn't a sign of how stupid this plan was. Part of him wanted to scream to Samirah about how suicidal this plan was.
The other part of him hoped it worked.
"Well, I hope this works because if not..." Samirah started, mirroring his own thoughts. "We're going to have a hell of a time finding Bastila. So let's not get shot."
Carth couldn't help noticing how charming she looked. Her hair was twisted up and delicate earrings danged near her neck. The outfit alone made her resemble anything other than a soldier. Carth wasn't sure what had happened to the Ensign he had known before but this wasn't her. In front of him stood a woman whose usually sharp eyes had softened.
Ensign Alda had been replaced by a remarkable woman who... yeah, he could see why a Sith Officer might have zeroed in on her at the Cantina.
Remembering how Samirah had slid a vibroknife into her boot, Carth reconsidered. Maybe replaced wasn't the right word. She had been expertly hidden and put on reserve until a fight broke out.
Samirah was unconsciously rubbing at the side of her arm, drawing Carth's gaze away from her contemplative face. A fresh, clean and expertly wrapped bandage decorated her arm and peaked ever so slightly out from under her blouse sleeve.
"I don't remember you having this before…" Carth said, moving closer.
His voice startled her as he lifted her arm by the elbow to get a better look. She followed his gaze and then sighed.
"It's from when I left earlier… I encountered some Sith outside our door, but they weren't looking for us, they were here to raid the building. When he killed one of the Duros for speaking up I… well, I sort of spoke up too." She frowned at herself. "It was stupid. I let go of my one advantage and got shot for it. Because I'm human, he said I had to be a Republic fugitive which is absurd."
Carth just blinked at her, surprised at how worked up this made her. Then, she blushed, looking away with pursed lips.
"Well... I mean, I am a fugitive but there was no way to know that. Just because I'm human? Really? The population here is also-" She stopped herself, fuming all of sudden and despite himself, Carth laughed.
He wanted to be angry about her fighting a bunch of Sith but at this moment, he couldn't. She was talking about it as if she had just had a bad encounter with a kath hound and not a patrol of Sith. She acted as if they were the least of her worries.
He then looked at the fresh bandage covering the nasty cut on her forehead. That wasn't his handiwork either.
"So… what else happened while you were out?" He asked suspiciously, looking back into her eyes.
Her eyes lit up as if she was suddenly remembering the days events. Carth was confused. What more could there be?
Samirah began to fill him in on what the Duros had said, Larrim's shop and information—and how he was the source of their new found clothes—Doctor Zelka, and even Kebla's little shop. She left out the part about the permacrete detonator, of course. She didn't think Carth would be thrilled at the idea of her buying explosives.
When she had finished talking, Carth simply blinked at her with wide eyes.
"You did all... of that?"
She nodded with a grin.
"Well, I mean, I couldn't do nothing. We needed a place to start. So, I found us one."
Carth couldn't find the words and before he could even try, Samirah had moved on. She checked herself out first and then adjusted the collar of Carth's shirt. Smoothing out a few places of his shirt, she finally smiled in approval.
Within minutes they had set out, being sure to lock the door behind them.
They had a party to attend after all. Carth hoped that the knots in his stomach weren't a sign of bad things to come.
Leaving behind the apartment complex, Carth fell into step behind Samirah. He watched as she strode forward confidently and occasionally looked back to make sure he was still there. He always flashed her a smile when she did and then would laugh when she'd blush. It was kind of cute how easy it was to fluster her. When she wasn't looking at him, he was looking at her, trying to piece together what kind of person she was.
Everytime he thought he knew who she was, she would do something unexpected and catch him by surprise. This day alone was enough to support that. Not only had she fortified their apartment, she'd gone out and found intel that Carth was still debating how to get. She worked fast and efficiently and now...
Now she was walking towards a party with flushed cheeks and dressed to the nines. What was next? An SIS resume? An underworld boss contract?
Carth didn't know if he was excited to see, or terrified.
As they came to the apartments, Samirah pulled out a slip of paper and followed the instructions to one of the high end apartments. When she found it, she turned quickly to Carth and pulled him aside so they were out of view.
"Ok, from here on, just call me Sami. That's what Yun knows me as and it's not exactly a lie." He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. "It's just a nickname. I doubt I'm famous enough for anyone to recognize the name Samirah but I didn't want to take any chances. There's no telling what they found in all the wreckage and finding a log would spell trouble for us..."
She frowned, looking pointedly at Carth.
"Either way, you are likely a flagged name. Being a highly decorated Captain of the Republicwould likely get your name into a few circles here." She said, biting her thumbnail as she thought out loud. "I should've thought about this earlier but now we'll just have to make do...Okay, you'll need a cover name too, then. So, let's go with… Alen." He stifled the chuckle and covered his mouth.
"Alen? Really? That's what you came up with? The first one that came to mind for me?" She frowned at him as he stifled another laugh.
"What? I think it's a fine name, besides, we aren't exactly here to impress them with our names, are we? And I don't see a way to shorten Carth into a nickname. Car or Arth aren't what I'd consider creative nicknames, either. I also refuse to use any variation of them." This time Carth laughed out right.
"Alright, alright, Alen it is."
She smiled happily at him.
"Good. Then shall we go, Alen?" She asked, testing his new name. Alen just rolled his eyes at her.
"Why the hell not, Sami." The grin she threw him was anything but comforting.
Carth rolled his eyes, exaggerating the action as she stuck her tongue out at him and made a face. Before Carth could do anything else, she spun on her heel and began her casual stride into the building. Carth chuckled but followed along.
He felt ridiculous.
It also hadn't escaped his notice how casually she had spoken about the Sith. Yun.She didn't give him the chance to ask, however.
How convenient that had been.
Within moments, Samirah was standing in front of a door, adjusting her skirt and blouse for the billionth time. The music could be heard from the hallway so there was no mistaking the room.
This was certainly it. They were about to enter a party thrown by the Sith. Carth reminded himself once more that this was suicide.
"Aaaaaaaand here we go..." Samirah breathed, her features shifting from discomfort to excitement.
A flip of a switch that had Carth blinking while she hit the intercom. Before her finger could leave the button, the door swung open quickly and an overly excited face greeted them. The man, Carth thought, was maybe a few years younger than him. His sandy blonde hair was slightly tousled and he was dressed in what Carth assumed to be his casual attire. Really nice casual attire.
No sign of any Sith uniforms yet but Carth knew better than to relax. They were here, pretending to be anything but the monsters they were.
"Sami! You made it!" The man exclaimed and he immediately hugged Samirah.
Carth tensed at the overly affectionate move and willed his body to relax. To not intervene and pry him off of her as Carth noted how Samirah stiffened at the suddenness of it all. To Carth's surprise, however, it only lasted a moment before her discomfort vanished and she hugged him back.
Carth was feeling a little protective of the petite woman in front of him.
"Yun!" She laughed as they pulled away. Her smile so natural that Carth had trouble believing it was fake. "I told you I would come didn't I?"
Yun ushered them in and when his eyes finally moved to Carth, his face fell. There was a moment of awkward silence as they stared at each other and Carth couldn't stop himself from raising an questioning brow at the Sith.
"O-oh, I didn't know you brought a friend." Yun finally said. The disappointment in his voice not hidden well at all, much to Carth's dismay. "Um, is he… well, are you two…" He had trouble bringing the words together.
Yun turned to look at Samirah as the blush returned to her cheeks. A deep red coloring every inch of her face.
"Friends?" She supplied innocently. "Yes. We're just some old friends who were traveling together before being stranded."
When she smiled sweetly at Yun his whole face suddenly brightened up. A big sigh of relief turning into a laugh as he turned to Carth with a much friendlier smile. Carth couldn't guarantee that his own smile was as friendly.
"The name is Yun Genda." Yun greeted, reaching out with his hand.
Carth accepted it, making sure his handshake was firm.
He was also pretty sure he didn't like Yun.
"Nice to meet you Yun," Carth lied. "I'm… Alen."
Yun didn't notice the hesitation, nodding quickly.
"Well, Alen, it's nice to meet you. Welcome to the party and I hope you enjoy yourself." Yun said briskly and then switched his full attention back to Samirah. "I really am glad you made it, Sami."
Carth stiffened when Yun slid a casual arm around her waist and started guiding her away. He was animatedly expressing to Samirah how the party could really get started with her arrival. Yun complimented her hair, her smile, her attire, the way she blushed at each compliment- Carth wanted to be sick. He was fawning over Samirah like a school boy from the academy.
And how could Samirah just leave Carth behind like that? She practically allowed Yun to pull her away. To separate them. Where was her fight? Wasn't this a mission? Weren't they supposed to be accomplishing something?
Carth was still grimacing when Samirah glanced over her shoulder at him. Their eyes met and her lips mouthed two words to him. A message clearly conveyed through her eyes alone but she wanted to make sure he knew.
I'm sorry.
That was all it took to make Carth feel ashamed. No. She was doing exactly what she was meant to be doing. She was blending in and getting the job done the only way she knew how. Carth felt a little childish about it all.
He was so concerned with Samirah that he didn't notice the woman who slid up next to him. Her hair was pulled into a neat, blonde ponytail and she presented him with a cup of ale. Carth was momentarily taken aback before accepting the cup and looking to her as she sipped at her own. Her eyes were following Samirah and Yun, a small smirk on her face
"Your friend should be fine, but I've never seen Yun so attached to anyone before." She mused out loud in a heavily accented voice. "You might as well consider her a lost cause."
Carth shot her a look that made her laugh.
"It's a joke," she mused. "Do you not have those?"
Carth bit back his remark with some effort. Watching his face, the woman beside let out a full laugh. She extended her hand to him, a mischievous smile barely visible over the rim of her cup.
"My name's Sarna." She said casually and Carth hesitantly shook her hand.
"Alen."
"Charmed, I'm sure." She remarked wryly.
Sarna kept Carth company, talking about casual things like music, food and, to Carth's surprise, her assessment of everyone at the party. She nitpicked about her coworkers and even gossiped about some of their more illicit affairs. Carth had remained guarded through most of the conversation until he noticed, with sudden surprise, that he had become comfortable around her.
This was a nostalgic feeling from a time now long past. A time when he himself was an Ensign. No one of importance or rank. Being a Captain now meant no one really shared the ship gossip with him or even a drink. Looking down at his cup, he smiled warmly at it.
He missed this. He missed the nights he played pazaak with crewman or snuck a few drinks in the barracks. He missed what it was like when he first joined the Republic and everyone gossiped about the officers like this.
"Do you always carry your blaster?" Sarna asked when there was a lull in the conversation.
Carth blinked before he looked at his waist and frowned. He hadn't realized he had strapped it on when they were getting ready. He had meant to leave it behind but clearly it was hard to shake a routine he had been doing for what felt like all his life.
"Its—It's a habit of mine. You know, you can only go to some many planets before you realize that it isn't safe to be unarmed." She smiled and laughed.
"Oh, I understand." She said, falling back into a chair and crossing her legs. "Especially in the military, it becomes a second arm to you. You never know who you can trust out there."
Carth didn't think she knew how true that statement really was.
Samirah watched for a few moments to make sure Carth was okay. He seemed to be enjoying whatever conversation he and that woman were having, which surprised Samirah a little. He was the one most opposed to this little operation of theirs and now look at him. Samirah was going to give him so much hell about this later.
A smile tugged at her lips before Yun finally pulled her attention back to him with a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, you don't have to worry about him." Yun chuckled, "Sarna won't bite. When I told her about you she got a little jealous that I found someone who sympathized with me. I guess when your friend arrived, she was hoping he would be like you and understand us better than the locals."
He sipped his ale and Samirah couldn't help how her head whipped back to Carth. She tried to hide the alarm but she wasn't sure she hid it well.
If anything, Carth probably hated the Sith more than she did. After telling her about his home planet and how much guilt he was carrying… Samirah was worried he might snap. The blaster strapped to his waist didn't boost her confidence either. How could she have forgotten to check that small detail?
Better yet, why did she even let him come? She was sure these guys weren't personally responsible for his home planets destruction but that didn't mean he wouldn't hold them responsible.
She really hoped he didn't shoot the woman he was talking to.
When she saw Carth break into a fit of laughter at something Sarna had said, Samirah furrowed her brow. She'd never seen Carth so... well, so relaxed. He actually looked at ease and was enjoying himself. Samirah sipped her ale slowly, not realizing how Yun studied her face.
"You two are pretty close, huh?"
When she looked back to Yun, he had a knowing smile that concerned her.
"Uh, yeah, I suppose we do. We look out for each other. I suppose you can say we're like family now." She sipped some more of her ale and lowered her gaze.
"That's good, knowing you can trust each other."
For some reason, the mention of trust made her fidget. Did Carth trust her? Did she trust Carth?
"We Sith don't tend to trust easily. Well, at least most don't. All a part of the blasted reputation we get. Even if you work with someone for years, they still don't trust you fully because we're Sith. It's really confusing to be honest. You never know when someone you do trust will turn on you."
Samirah shuddered at the thought. If Carth suddenly turned on her one day, she wasn't sure how she'd act. The very idea of it seemed unlikely. Carth looked after his own. Samirah believed that.
After all, Trask had trusted him.
"That must be… awful." She finally said, shaking her head slowly. "Why did you join then? It seems to me that… it would be a difficult lifestyle choice." He chuckled.
"You would think, but when they recruited me, they promised me adventure, action and credits. You know what I got? I got assigned to this backwater planet, pushing papers, and arresting citizens. Not exactly the adventure I had hoped for."
He leaned back against the wall and she mirrored him, pressing the bottom of her right foot against the wall. Far enough away that they had space between them and yet, close enough that he wouldn't take offense to her distance.
"That must really be hard. I don't know what I would have done if I had never gotten the chance to explore."
Her mind drifted to how things were before the Endar Spire. To the places she'd been, the things she'd seen- Taris could not be the place she died on. This couldn't be her final adventure. She had so much more left in her. So many more things left to do.
"Yeah, you look like an adventurer." Yun grinned. "That's the reason why I approached you in the Cantina. You don't look like you belong to either the Sith or the Republic. An independent contract, maybe? Doesn't matter, I guess. Just means you're hopefully not too invested in the war. Gives me a fighting chance, too."
Yun's flirtatious joke was momentarily lost on her as the rest of what he said rang in her ears.
She didn't belong to the Republic? She didn't fit in? It was such a stupid thing to get hung up on, especially since she didn't want anyone to know she was with Republic. However, hearing someone so confidently say it made her chest clench.
Yun noticed her sudden silence, leaning forward to get a better look at her face.
"What I mean is that you have that air of adventure and I suppose aligning with the Sith would keep you grounded. You seem like you enjoy your freedom of allegiances." He offered, smiling at her.
She was grateful that he was trying to be helpful.
"Y-yeah, you're right, I wouldn't like having restrictions like that." She shakily recovered. "This quarantine is enough to drive me crazy. I'm ready for my next planet or my next quest. Tatooine, Alderaan, Malastare, Felucia: All these exotic places and yet… people rarely ever venture from home. As a child, I wanted to leave home as soon as possible and see what this galaxy had to offer."
"Really? What got you started?" Samirah smiled as she remembered, happy for the change in subject.
At first, she was just another citizen who supported the Republic. A no name child, existing in the outer regions.
"I met this merchant on my home planet who was searching for people to be a part of his crew for the flight home. He had lost a few in transit and desperately needed extra hands. I immediately took that as my opportunity. I had been daydreaming about planets everywhere and when I saw this opportunity… I snatched it. We don't live long enough to have regrets so I was sure that I had to or forever regret missing my one opportunity."
She smiled, remembering the look the Rodian gave her when she requested to join his venture. He had been so sure that she was too young but she'd been charismatic even as a child. She managed to convince him it was worth taking her on.
"At the time, I understood a good portion of alien languages- a skill I learned from other merchants and smugglers who passed by. Though, the Rodian neglected to inform any of us of the dangers of space travel. I should have realized it before I joined but I was too eager. We lost many men to creatures and people we had never seen coming. Through it all, I was able to prove my worth to them. Make a name. Get a ship. Search the stars."
Yun gestured for her to take a seat on the couch and she saw no reason not too. She enjoyed talking about her experiences. This was who she was. A traveler. A wanderer.
A scout of the Republic.
Carth had been careful to keep an eye on Samirah as she spoke with Yun. He could tell how absorbed he was with her and yet… she didn't seem to notice. Sure, she thought he liked her but Carth didn't think she knew how much. He was practically wrapped around her finger… and whatever tale she was so animatedly telling.
What was she telling him?
"You know, you seem to be quite focused on your little friend." Sarna mused as she drank her third cup of ale.
"What do you mean?" He tried to smile casually at her but her knowing smile said she saw through him.
He hoped she didn't see too far through him.
"You think it escaped my notice? You keep glancing at her like you're worried Yun's going to… to eat her. Sure he's had a lot of Tarisian ale but it's fantastic stuff, can you blame him?"
"Well, Sami tends to be a bit careless." Carth said slowly and Sarna smiled. "I just want to make sure she's safe. I don't want her to do anything stupid."
As soon as he'd said the words, he pursed his lips. Carth had almost forgotten who he was talking too.
"It's a good thing to be suspicious of her. I know I would be- she'd be perfect. The one you would least suspect." Carth looked at Sarna, a little confused by her suddenness.
Sarna was staring intently at Samirah, slowly sipping her ale as she did.
"What do you mean?" Carth asked slowly. Sarna just rolled her eyes, looking back to him with a raised brow.
"It's a lesson we've all learned, Alen. An important one too. Don't trust anyone because you don't know what their priorities are. Especially those the closest to you. The galaxy is a nasty ladder that we're all trying to climb as one. Each word, each expression, each little action is a perfectly planned weapon. You shouldn't trust anyone these days. Hidden agendas and sabotage- I don't miss the academy." Sarna grimaced, her eyes following the way Samirah smiled and spoke.
Carth already knew what she meant. He'd already experienced that kind of betrayal once before.
Samirah wasn't like that though.
She had done a lot for their cause. She got them into this party to acquire the uniforms. Finding that information along with the elevator to get them into the Lower City was already short of a miracle. She was also able to rig their hideout with the necessary security to keep them safe. To keep Carth safe while she came up with a plan. She was doing great as far as Carth was concerned. If this kept up, they would find Bastila and be off of Taris in no time. Carth would never have assumed that Samirah could accomplish so much in so little time. A newly acquired Ensign with an astonishing record, suddenly becoming the savior he needed on Taris.
To think, had the Jedi council not requested her presence then—
A thought. A terrifying, unthinkable thought crossed Carth's mind.
The shock of what he was thinking was enough that he dropped his ale. Sarna gasped when it splashed everywhere and the cup shattered against the floor. He apologized as he quickly picked up the pieces and excused himself to take care of the mess.
And to give him a few more minutes to think.
Sarna agreed, albeit reluctantly. Carth didn't seem to notice though. His mind was racing with whatever nightmare he had concocted.
It was convenient how the one person the Jedi Council requested to be on the mission was the only other survivor on the Endar Spire and—no , he was being paranoid. She couldn't possibly be a traitor. No, not at all. Samirah was a good person and he could see that. She was a strong woman with a good heart. He could see that in how she wanted to help people. He saw it in her smile and in her words and the way that she wanted to protect people.
She had a good heart.
A good heart that was conveniently winning him over.
Everything was very convenient.
Carth finally returned to Sarna, a new cup of ale in hand as he sat next to her. She was beyond elated and didn't mind that he knew it either.
As more time passed, the other Sith continued to imbibe and dance until they collapsed in heaps. Carth watched as one woman laid her head on the table and promptly fell asleep. Another man was hugging a lamp and mumbling about the glory of the Empire and then snickered nonsensically. Some occasionally woke up disoriented and muttering for everyone else to shut up. The music had shifted from energetic and electronic to something soothing and way more chill.
Even Carth was starting to feel sleepy.
Carth had only had about a cups worth of ale. He eyed his cup, tilting it around before just setting it down on the table again. Sarna had been talking to him about one of her posts on Hutta that had ended up in a feud between two rival Hutts. Carth tried to pay attention but found it hard to stay focused. He wasn't exactly sure how many drinks Samirah had had but he could take an estimated guess.
She was giggling as Yun was likely regaling her with some similar story as Sarna's.
Samirah would giggle and when Yun would get closer to her, her face would flush and she would kindly scoot back. At one point, Yun finally did stand up to refill his drink, but not before he grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it.
Carth had to blink a few times to keep his face steady.
A hand kiss? What was this, an old holovid drama?
"Sarna, I'm sorry, I actually need to-" Carth started to say and Sarna just held up a hand at him.
"Lemme guesh..." She slurred slightly. Hearing herself, she frowned and tried again. "Your friend needs saving?" She said more slowly and deliberately and Carth nodded apologetically.
"It would seem so..." Carth admitted, standing up. "Sorry."
Sarna waved him off, leaning back into her chair with a sigh. She threw back the rest of her ale, smacking her lips as she did.
"S'alright. I'll wait for yoush." She frowned again at the slur and Carth just chuckled, exiting while he still had the chance.
Samirah was tugging lightly on loose strands of her hair as he approached, completely unaware of Carth until he was beside her. She jumped slightly when he tapped her shoulder, whipping her head around to look at him.
"Oh, Ca-Alen." She sighed. "You startled me for a second... "
She rubbed her eyes before looking at him with a tired smile. The day's events were wearing her down and the small nap she'd had apparently wasn't enough.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. Mind if I sit?" She shook her head and he quickly sat where Yun had been earlier. "Having fun?"
She laughed but it sounded more like exasperation.
"He kept getting closer and I kept panicking. No matter how many times I tried to remain calm, I just didn't know what to do. He would just laugh and call me shy." She leaned back against the sofa with a loud groan.
Carth watched as she rubbed the back of her hand with her thumb. The spot where he had kissed her.
"Do you even realize how ensnared he is with your charm?"
Her head snapped up to look at him, blinking as if she hadn't heard him right. When he only lifted a brow at her, her face flushed. Carth had said what he said. He wasn't going to take it back.
"Ensnared? Charm? No, he—he's not ensnared with anything but the Tarisian Ale here." She shook her head in exasperation. "And he's had quite enough of that."
Carth had started to retort when Sarna's voice cut in from across the room.
"Hey, Yun? Yun!"
Carth and Samirah looked over the couch as Sarna was waving her hand in front of his face. He was lying against a wall, barely coherent. One arm was slung around a potted plant as the other limply clung to the cup he had just refilled. The contents now spilling into the soil as Sarna grimaced at the mess.
"Jeez, lay s'off the ale, would ch'you? You're goin' to be puking all mornin'…" Sarna said, trying to cover her own slurring voice. She took another sip of her cup and then rolled her eyes.
Samirah bit the side of her lip, watching as Yun slowly slid down the lengths of the plant. His elbow slipping into the now wet soil.
"Oh... well, that one is on me I guess." Samirah muttered quietly.
Carth slowly turned and looked at her suspiciously. The guilt couldn't be more obvious on her face.
"What did you do this time?"
She blinked, trying not to show her guilt and failing miserably.
"Well, I didn't want to drink too much ale and yet he kept bringing me cup after cup so when he wasn't paying attention, I switched his empty cup with my full cup. He never even noticed that his glass had been magically refilled. So… he drank all of mine plus his own. Then he'd refill both and I'd switch them again. I hadn't meant for him to get so… wasted." She frowned as Carth started laughing.
"You—you mean you switched cups without his notice? Right in front of him? And yet, you still claim that you didn't have him ensnared?"
"I thought I was just that good. After all, I was—" She cut herself off. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to quickly think of how to finish her sentence.
"I-I was... a freelancing explorer. I should think that I picked up a few useful skills."
Carth noticed how she was careful about what she said and he was grateful that she caught the slip before saying it outloud. This wasn't the place to be careless.
It was almost to easy to forget the den of Sith they were casually conversing in.
A loud crash had both Samirah and Carth looking up in time to see someone trip over the forgotten Sith armor in the corner. The bulky metal enough to stub even the most well protected of toes. Samirah winced as the Sith fell, cursing loudly and then lamenting at his now spilled ale before just passing out altogether.
Samirah watched as Sarna downed another cup of ale, her cheeks a bright shade of pink. Apparently Sarna also had her fair share of the ale. She swayed a little before another drunk Sith caught her and they both lost their footing. They tripped over air and limbs before finally just falling to the floor and laughing. A glance around the room told Samirah how the majority of the Sith were quite drunk themselves now.
Samirah returned her gaze to the uniforms stacked neatly in the corner, one Sith soundly asleep beside them. Was it too soon for Samirah to start smuggling two uniforms out? Even if the Sith saw her, would they remember? It wasn't the safest gamble...
Samirah almost didn't notice Sarna as she manuevered herself over to them and fell into the seat beside her. Her flailing Sith counterpart now long forgotten in some corner. For a drunk Sith, Sarna still moved fast it seemed.
"Ya kno'…" Sarna slurred. "I envvvvy you…"
She frowned at herself before scowling and then pointing at Samirah accusatorially. Apparently she was just going to accept the damnable slur.
"Me?" Samirah said in shock.
Sarna nodded as she sipped her newly filled cup of ale.
"Yep. You hafffe, that guysh compashion. I env— I envy that. I wishhh I had… a guy… who—"She started to shake her hand at Samirah, forgetting momentarily that it held her full cup of ale.
Sarna dropped her cup and watched it hit the floor and splash everywhere. Samirah pulled her legs back quickly, avoiding it and then looking to Sarna in concern.
Sarna just stared at it for a minute before her mind finally caught up and she groaned loudly.
"Damn it! What a washte… what guud… ale…" She slumped over onto Samirah who started again in surprise. "Sho' lucky..." Sarna murmured, closing her eyes as she laid on Samirah's shoulder.
Carth was stifling his laughter as Samirah moved slowly to lay Sarna down on the sofa. The woman protested weakly but then quieted down when she found the cushions to be comfortable. Samirah found a blanket hanging over the side and covered Sarna up, ensuring the Sith was at least warm. Samirah waited a moment, watching to see if Sarna would fuss before looking to Carth, the alarm still clear on her face.
"Compassion?"
Carth shrugged, the grin slowly spreading.
"How much ale has she…" Samirah started to ask but then stopped.
When she looked around the room again, the other Sith had found their own spots to collapse into. Yun's face was now nestled into the soil of the plant as he murmured incoherently. Actually, anyone still talking were talking incoherently. Samirah watched as the last remaining Sith tried to maneuver his way to the refresher. He didn't make it far before he tripped over someone's legs and when he fell, he didn't get up again.
Samirah quietly moved and checked that he wasn't seriously injured. He wasn't. Just stupidly wasted like the rest.
"Guess they really did need this, huh?" Carth said from behind her.
She nodded slowly, not feeling envious of the morning they were all going to have.
Samirah quickly grabbed two Sith uniforms and placed them in a duffel bag that had been tossed aside carelessly. Once it was zipped and secure, she handed the bag to Carth. Not waiting for a response, she moved to the other sith uniforms and scooped them all up in her arms. What she couldn't carry, she scooted along with her foot as quietly as she could manage.
Carth just furrowed his brow at her as she approached the footlockers by the back window.
"What are you going to do with that?" He questioned.
She opened a footlocker and placed all the uniforms inside and then checked for any other stashed away uniforms. After a little maneuvering, she managed to cram the footlocker full and closed the lid. Opening the locking panel, she started slicing into it.
"Well, think about it. If they wake up and find that their uniforms are missing along with our sudden disappearance, we'll be the first suspects. At least until they start searching the room and find a footlocker full of all their gear. A foot locker that is ridiculously hard to open." As she reprogrammed the locker, she stepped back with a smile. "It won't be impossible, but it'll definitely take them some time to open. Time that will help us cover any tracks."
Carth noticed how a couple of small pieces of uniform jutted out of the lid, removing all doubts about the contents of the foot locker. It was obvious enough that if they started looking, they would see it rather quickly.
"This way, they might assume it was one of the many drunken antics they don't recall." She smiled to herself as Carth just marveled at it all.
"Wow… impressive."
She laughed, shooting him a smile.
"Thanks. Now let's get out of here before something in our plan goes amiss. I'd rather not wait around to see who wakes up first. "
Carth agreed as she took the bag from him and slid it over her shoulder. They quietly left the apartment, locking the door behind them just in case. Ensuring that no one was lingering in the hallway first, they slipped out and before long, found themselves outside of the apartment complex without incident.
Both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
They'd done it. Their suicidal mission had not been suicidal after all. Samirah and Carth just grinned at each other.
"I can't believe that actually worked!" He finally said incredulously, a laugh bubbling up. "It actually worked."
"Phase one, complete." Samirah beamed. "Next phase, finding where Bastila disappeared too."
Carth couldn't believe it. Samirah's crazy plan actually worked. They were going to do it. They were actually going to make it out of here. They'd find Bastila, get off Taris and then things would go back to how they ought to be.
Carth took a deep breath, savoring this feeling of accomplishment while he could.
Which lasted all of a few minutes.
"What is thish planet coming to, huh?"
A man hiccupped as he approached Samirah and Carth from the alley ways. They both stopped as a couple others stumbled their way forward as well, blocking their path forward.
"Shlummies just walkin' around the Upper City… like… like they own it… even if… she's a pretty shlummie…" He waved his hand so broadly that Samirah had to back up to avoid being smacked in the face. Carth tensed, his eyes narrowing as his hand reflexively twitched toward his blaster.
"Shouldn't you go back to… to the lower cities where…where you belong, shlummie?" Another hiccupped, staggering to the side before he caught himself on the railing.
Carth rolled his eyes, relaxing his hand. If this came to a fight, he was confident that one push would send them flailing into a heap on the ground.
"Well, this is rich." Carth remarked bitterly.
The third man squinted his eyes at Carth, attempting a glare. He was not successful.
"Yeah, like he said… theesh—these shtreets are for…Upper City citishens! You… you better get out of our way if you know what's—*hic*-what's good for you!" He tried to appear threatening but when he tripped over himself, he lost any credibility he had.
"Is that a threat?" Carth asked slowly, his hands balling into a fist.
The first one smiled as he swayed in Samirah's direction and tossed an arm around her shoulders. She smiled tightly at him, her shoulder instinctively trying to pull away from him.
"Hey, shlummie, you don't smell half bad… even for a shlummie…" He hiccupped again and Samirah could smell the ale on his breath.
Carth had started to take a step forward but a sharp look from Samirah stopped him. His questioning gaze didn't linger before he heard what she already could see. Carth fought the urge to turn his head as the group of seemingly on duty Sith patrolmen marched by. They didn't even glance at Samirah or Carth, ignoring the drunken debacle all together.
Carth ground his teeth but stayed put. Starting a fight here would earn them unnecessary attention. Attention that would ruin their progress if the stolen goods in the duffel bag were discovered.
"Uh, thanks." Samirah said sweetly. "I think."
"You should shtick around with us…" He hiccupped again and wobbled a little bit, making Samirah reach out to steady him. He only grinned up at her and she tightened her lips.
Carth marveled at her patience. He had to clamp his own mouth shut to keep himself from doing something rash. All of his willpower was currently being used to make sure he wasn't the one to start a fight in the streets.
"But, she's a shlummie!" The second drunk whined. "I don't want her kind… *hic* around here…"
He pointed a swaying finger at, presumably, her. Then would sway and point at thin air and back as he struggled to keep focus.
"Well, then, how about I buy you guys a drink instead? We can be friends right?" She smiled sweetly at them and the one with his arm around her shoulder perked up.
They all actually did, their eyes quickly focusing on her.
"A drink? Hey, hey! I wash right about you, shlummie! You ain't so *hic* bad! This shlummie'sh buying the next round!" he cheered.
"Yesh, another drink shounds great!"
Carth looked at her like she was out of her mind, but when he followed her gaze, she was staring at the third drunk who had gone quiet. He looked ready to be sick.
"Yup. Another tall glass of ale. Maybe even something stronger? Maybe a few shots?"
The man's face paled even more and he lifted a hand to his mouth as he waved her way.
"No way… forget it! No more drinksh!" He slurred, trying to keep himself together. "We're… we're late enough as it ish."
He turned his head away and the other two, completely unaware of their friend, just nodded reluctantly.
"Y-yeah… I guess you're right. Maybe next time, shlummie but if you'd like ...*hic*..." He smiled at her mischievously. "You can shtill hang out with ush… even if you are a shlummie."
Samirah pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. They really liked the word schlummie.
"Maybe some other time, when I buy you guys that drink." She offered and his face perked up.
"Yeah, that shounds good… come on fellas… let's get *hic* out of here." He tried to wink at Samirah as he pulled away but ended up just blinking very deliberately at her. "We'll shee you shoon shmelly guud shlummie."
Carth relaxed as they stumbled down the street together, the third friend stumbling behind. They started singing some song off key as they toppled over one another down the street and Samirah suddenly thought they might not make it home before becoming sick or passing out first.
She shuddered at the lingering feeling of his arm around her shoulders. He may have thought she smelled good but he, in fact, did not.
"You know, you continue to amaze me."
She looked at Carth as he stared back in awe. Slowly he just shook his head.
"How you could stay calm while that drunk was all over you… I almost lost it and he didn't even touch me." He laughed.
"Well, I figured you sometimes have to humor them. They probably won't even remember me in the morning, that's how trashed they were." She shook her head, shuddering for a moment. "Though, I have to admit, there were a few moments where I was ready to just—I don't know, knock him senseless, I guess. If I hear the word shlummie again, I might just have to throttle someone."
Carth laughed as they started walking again.
"Amazing." He said again, chuckling as they went. "That did seem to be his favorite word."
Samirah just rolled her eyes again but laughed with him. After all this, Samirah was sure she wouldn't want a sip of any kind of ale for a while.
"All my years of experience," Carth started, "And I'm positive that I couldn't have diffused that situation as easily as you. Hell, I nearly reached for my blaster the moment they spoke."
It was amazing the things she could accomplish. When he looked back at her, Carth noticed how she was staring at him curiously.
"What?" He asked.
It took her a moment to process that she was still staring at him before she blinked and then shook her head. Her face flushing suddenly.
"Ah, it's, uh, nothing. Nothing important at least." Samirah stammered finally, looking away.
Carth just smiled knowingly.
"No, you have something you want to say, so go ahead. Why stop now?"
Carth was in a good mood. They had made progress all thanks to her. He could entertain whatever it was she musing in her head.
"Well, I was wondering… You said all your years of experience. I thought that if you weren't opposed to it, I could pick your brain about those years of service." She said, trying to sound nonchalant about it.
She shifted the duffel bag to a different shoulder, her eyes focused ahead. Carth wasn't sure, but he thought that she was embarrassed by something and that only made him all the more curious.
"I'm all ears, beautiful."
She let out a breath she had been holding and nodded. Her whole body relaxed and she kept going as if nothing was amiss. Carth's mouth just twitched into a barely contained smirk.
"I'm glad. I had actually been thinking—"She froze, faltering a few steps before turning around to look at him with wide eyes. "—Wait, what did you just call me?"
He laughed, unable to contain it. It was almost too easy.
"You mean, beautiful?"
She blushed and that brought an even bigger smile to his face. She was just so easy to tease.
"Carth, are you flirting with me?" She nearly gasped.
Carth rolled his head to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. He mildly wondered how she would react if Yun had called her this. Had he already?
"No, not really. I just wanted to see how you would react. I didn't think you'd be so opposed to it though." He teased, continuing his stride down the walkway and calling over his shoulder to her. "Is there something else you'd rather I call you by?"
The teasing lilt in his voice made her eyes narrow at him as she tried to match his stride. He was teasing her.
"Oh, well, if we're going to be picking out nicknames, I quite think that gorgeous is more fitting." She mused and Carth snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Is that what Yun called you?" He baited and barely dodged out of the way as she tried to jab him with her elbow.
He was still laughing when she tried to walk faster, forcing him to match pace. From the way her ears burned red, he knew that he was winning.
"I might consider it." Carth lightly joked. "But what are you going to call me in exchange?"
She pursed her lips, refusing to meet his gaze while she thought.
"Handsome thug? Irritatingly dashing ruffian?"
Carth rolled his eyes, laughing incredulously at her.
"I'm a bit more partial to the most handsome pilot in the galaxy. What do you think? Has a ring to it, doesn't it?"
This time she finally bursted into a fit of laughter. She pulled her hand up to her mouth to stifle it but it was too late.
"I might consider it." She admitted with an eye roll.
It had been a while since she had outright laughed like this. A long time since someone had made her feel comfortable enough around them to be vulnerable like this. Sure, it was dumb jokes but Carth was comfortable enough around her to make these jokes.
It felt nice.
"Well, then I suppose gorgeous will have to do until then, won't it." Carth mused and she nodded back to him, smiling contentedly.
"Kidding aside though," He began and she turned to him with raised brows. The fits of laughter had faded and now Carth looked contemplatively at her.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that you've got quite a few questions for me." She blushed slightly, looking away. She had almost forgotten about them amidst their banter. "Are they really necessary?"
"Well, no, not if you have a problem with it."
She genuinely meant it, too. After their last discussion, there was this fear that she would bring up bad memories for him and that was the last thing she wanted to do.
"No, no. I don't have a problem with it, really." He admitted. "Go ahead and interrogate me."
Samirah didn't like the way that sounded.
"This isn't an interrogation, Carth." Samirah clarified. "Does my asking questions make you feel like it is?"
Carth grimaced. He had meant it as an offbeat joke but, apparently, it was a little too offbeat. It didn't quite come across the way he had intended. He had to remember that she wasn't as well acquainted with him as others had once been. His sour disposition sometimes got the better of him. Even though he felt perfectly at ease around her, it didn't make up for the fact that they really didn't know much about each other.
Don't trust anyone because you don't know what their priorities are. The galaxy is a nasty ladder that we're all trying to climb as one. Each word, each expression, each little action is a perfectly planned weapon. You shouldn't trust anyone these days.
"No, it-it was a joke." He finally said.
Carth looked up to see how she relaxed a bit. Comforted in his reassurance. He looked at her and suddenly it was like he was seeing a different person beside him. He knew it was Samirah, knew that she was an Ensign for the Republic- Hell, he remembered her service record.
But now, with Sarna's voice ringing in his head, he saw something else. Someone else.
"Let me ask you something first." He finally said before she could.
Samirah blinked, a little surprised but then just nodded.
"Uh, sure. I suppose that's fair." Did her voice sound guarded?
"I've been going through the battle aboard the Endar Spire over and over in my head since we crashed." There was falter in her step but only briefly. He kept a careful eye on her as he kept going, watching as her face scrunched up in thought. "Some things just don't add up for me. Maybe you could tell me what happened… from your perspective."
She nodded slowly, taking a few steadying breaths of her own.
"Oh, well, I wasn't really in a position to know what was going on myself. The whole thing happened so fast that I didn't have much time to think anything through. To be honest? I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for… Trask."
This time, her voice faltered towards the end and she took a moment to clear her throat. Carth waited to see if she would elaborate, but was disappointed. Her mind seemed to be elsewhere and his frown deepened.
"I wasn't really in a position to know either." Carth finally said, his voice was low. "I was onboard as an advisor for the most part. The battle began so fast, it's anyone's guess as to what actually happened. We lost the ship and a lot of good people… and for what? On the hope that Jedi powers would save us, somehow?"
He scoffed at the very idea. Of course everything hinged on the Jedi. When didn't it?
"Not that Bastila had much of an opportunity to act… we didn't choose that battle, anyway." He thought about the people he had worked with and how they hadn't made it off.
The people who died in front of him. Those whose screams he could hear echoing off the comms before turning to static and then to silence.
"It got forced on us… Hell, I'm just surprised that any of us are alive to talk about it." He said through gritted teeth and then realized what he had said.
It was anything short of a miracle given...
Each word, each expression, each little action is a perfectly planned weapon.
"Come to think of it," Carth said slowly. "It's more than a little surprising that you happen to be here, isn't it? Just what is your position with the Republic fleet, anyway?"
It took Samirah several moments for his words to process. Several moments to pick up what he was implying. Several moments to let it sink in and the abject horror of the very insinuation.
She lifted her head slowly, her steps slowly faltering as she focused on him. Her face pulled together in startled confusion.
"I... told you." She said quietly. "I'm a scout and I was recruited into the fleet for my skills and knowledge gathered from many years of travel. I'm fluent in… I don't even know how many languages and I know more planets than many recruits have even dared to visit. Where they feared to tread, I went."
She shrugged uncomfortably, looking away from him. How could he suddenly be wondering if she was a liability? Why now?
Samirah shivered and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't sure if it was from the cold in the air or the cold calculating eyes of Carth on her. Such a flip of a switch. How quickly they had changed from feeling like friends to feeling like strangers again.
They had stopped somewhere on the walkway, and the wind billowed past her. For a few moments, the silence stretched between them. It was late enough at night that the streets were empty save for a few bumbling drunks and the occasional patrol who happily ignored them.
"I suppose that seemed useful to someone. Useful for whatever the Endar Spire might need." She finished.
"Well, that makes sense." He admitted quietly, mirroring her shrug.
He couldn't help his next words. Or the low, suspicious tone that accompanied them. If he had taken a moment to think, Carth might have chosen to keep his mouth shut. To keep those suspicions to himself. To think through how spending an evening with the Sith had casted doubt on his companion.
He could have let it go.
But he didn't.
"Still… it seems a bit strange that someone who was a last-minute addition to the crew roster is one of the survivors."
After he said it, he regretted it.
"You'd rather I wasn't?"
The icey tone of her voice startled Carth. It was a question but it sounded like anything but. The accusation behind it was apparent.
Looking at her, he saw the twitch in her brow and the way her teeth were clenched tightly into place. Her hands shook at her side and she stared into his eyes with a fury he had never seen in her before.
"Don't be ridiculous!" He backpedaled. "You've more than proved yourself since the crash… we wouldn't have made it this far without you. But still…" He trailed off, thinking back to what Sarna had said.
Each word, each expression, each little action is a perfectly planned weapon.
She'd gotten into his head.
"Are-Are you implying that I had something to do with the crash?"
Samirah couldn't make her body move.
"No. Well… maybe." Carth was making it worse. "Don't get me wrong, it just seems odd that someone Bastila's party specifically requested to transfer aboard happened to also survive."
Samirah reeled back as if she'd been slapped.
Happened to survive? Requested transfer? It took her several moments to even speak, to even wrestle the words out.
"Why would Bastila request my transfer?" She said slowly.
So slow, in fact, that it was clear from her expression that she had trouble believing it. For a moment, Carth's eyes widened at her. Even as her own narrowed.
"You... didn't know?" Carth asked and she shook her head slowly.
Either she really was that ignorant of the situation or this was another conveniently placed lie.
Hidden agendas and sabotage-
"The Jedi requested numerous things when they came on board…" Carth continued, his eyes watching another patrol pass by and lowered his voice. "Hell, they practically took over the ship, as far as I could tell. They required certain conditions to be met and the like." He ran his fingers through his hair, looking away and facing the railing instead.
As far as the patrol was likely concerned, they were just an arguing pair.
"Considering your connection to Bastila and the Jedi… whether you know it or not… your presence here seems a little convenient. I'm probably wrong and this is probably nothing, I know. I learned a long time ago not to take things at face value, however. And I hate surprises." He emphasized.
Samirah's mouth hung open as she just stared at Carth. At this man whom she was beginning to think of a friend. As someone she could work with in tandem.
Looking at him now, she felt like she had never known him. That he had never known her. Despite being in his company, Samirah felt alone. Truly alone. In all her years traveling the galaxy, she had always had I9 or Kelko or someone. In all her years of being alone, she'd never felt cast aside or irrelevant.
Now, she certainly did feel alone and detrimental to their cause.
And Trask had died for that.
Maybe Yun was right. Maybe she didn't belong.
"I had nothing to do with the crash." Her voice was low and even.
"I expect you're right. I've got no real reason to suspect you of anything. Still… it's better to be safe than sorry, right?"
" You expect I'm right? That's it?" She scoffed. "Are you always this suspicious of people or am I just the lucky winner here?" Carth was taken aback by the thickness of her sarcasm.
The barely visible hysteria that was bubbling up as she chuckled incredulously.
"Look… it has nothing to do with you, personally."
She scoffed even louder, taking a step back.
"Oh, really? Well that makes me feel loads better. Really, it does." She nearly spat.
"I don't trust anyone, and I have my reasons—And no, I'm not going to discuss them." He added when she opened her mouth to retort.
The fury in her eyes burned even brighter for a minute at being so quickly shut down. She didn't know how to feel. At some point the fury turned into something else that she didn't have a name for. Her fists were so tightly balled that her nails were digging into her palm.
Carth thought that that was enough? That this didn't need further elaboration?
"So," He went on, "Can we just keep our mind on more important things?"
"Important? You don't think that trusting the person you're stuck with is important? You don't think knowing if you can sleep safely at night is important?" When he opened his mouth, she held up a finger and kept going. "I consider this very important, Carth. You not trusting me is one thing but to think that I was responsible for the entire thing? That's-That-"
Samirah fumbled for the words, her anger making it very hard to think clearly.
"Alright, alright!" Carth interjected much louder than he meant. "You must be the most damned persistent woman I've ever met."
"Among other things apparently..." She remarked sarcastically and Carth sighed.
"We'll talk about it… but later, ok? Right now I just want to get going and be off the streets. We've been out here long enough and I'm tired."
It didn't take a Jedi to know how furious she was either. Several expressions crossed Samirah's face and Carth prepared himself for the fight. Prepared himself for the fury and the rebuttal and the demands for him to explain.
Things that never came as she stood there, staring at him with something Carth couldn't explain. Regret? Resignation?
"Fine." She finally whispered and turned on her heel.
For a moment, Carth was stunned into silence. She only took a few steps before stopping again. Her hands were clenched at her side, shaking with the rage Carth knew she had to have. Looking over her shoulder at him, Carth stared into her normally inquisitive brown eyes.
Eyes that had now grown dark.
Her face was flush but, for once, it wasn't out of embarrassment.
"So you know," She began, her voice so quiet that Carth had to focus on each word. "I wish with every part of my being that I wasn't the one to survive that battle. Someone else deserved to be here instead of me. Given the chance, I would trade places without a second thought."
And then she turned away.
It took Carth several moments to process what she'd just said. He could only blink and stare as Samirah slowly walked away, not sparing him a second glance.
He cursed under his breath.
Carth had made a real mess of this partnership. Spending an evening with the Sith had put him on edge and he then turned all that suspicion on to Samirah. Hell, he practically just blamed her for the deaths of everyone aboard the Endar Spire. Of course that wasn't what he said but... well, hadn't he implied it?
Sarna's words fluttered around his thoughts like a small insect. Small but insistent enough to keep your attention. Carth sighed loudly to himself, letting his shoulders slump. How had he allowed a Sith's suspicions to become his own?
Carth was successfully alienating the one person who's help was going to be vital in the coming days.
If only he had thought that through first. His suspicions still lingered but he was fairly certain he could have handled that better. Moments before they were bantering as if they were close colleagues and now..?
What are we now? He thought grimly.
"No—Help! Somebody help!"
Carth's head snapped up and he realized that Samirah hadn't stopped for a moment. She was gone.
"They're going to kill me!" Someone continued to cry and the sound of blaster fire that followed made Carth break into a sprint.
He darted down the walkway, following the echoes of a fight. It sounded like it was close to their hideout and if the Sith were drawn to it- Carth needed to hurry. They didn't need anymore-
He skidded to a halt when the apartments were in view.
There stood Samirah, a small vibroknife in one hand and an unfamiliar blaster pistol in the other. An old man quivered in the corner as he stared wide-eyed at her. At her feet lay two others that Carth didn't recognize. He slowly stepped forward and in an instant, Samirah's sharp eyes shot up to him.
Then, she blew out a low sigh and relaxed again before turning her gaze to the old man. She dropped the blaster quickly, grimacing at it as she slid the vibroknife back into her boot. Her once clean clothes now scuffed and marked from whatever had just transpired here.
Carth was certain they hadn't been separated for that long, had they?
"Thank you—I owe you my life!" The old man nearly sobbed, his face falling into his hands.
Samirah moved quickly to his side, checking him for any injuries he may have earned from a few stray blaster bolts.
"Are you hurt?" She asked quietly, her tone soft and comforting.
So soft that Carth almost wanted to believe that she'd forgotten about their earlier conversation. The way she tensed up as he approached, however, told a different story.
"N-No, thanks to you I've survived another day." He laughed grimly.
"What did they want?" She pressed, helping him to stand.
"Those bounty hunters were going to take me away and kill me! My wife warned me not to take a loan from Davik. Now I can't pay him back. It's not good to owe a crime lord money. He'll just keep sending more bounty hunters after me until I'm dead!"
The man nearly broke down into a sob and Samirah had to grab him by his elbows to steady him again.
"Maybe there's a way I can help you?"
He laughed but the situation he was in was far from funny. It was a despairing laugh.
"You already helped me by saving me from those bounty hunters. So unless you have a spare hundred credits to just give me so I can pay off Davik, there's nothing else you can do."
He looked at his hands like he had lost something. As if they were now useless tools to him. Samirah shook her head, muttering to herself about crime lords and searched through her pockets. When she found the small pouch, she opened it and counted the contents.
And then pulled out a hundred credits.
"Here, take this. Get yourself out of this mess if you can. I doubt I'll be able to save you the next time Davik sends somebody."
The old man blinked at her hand and then slowly dragged his gaze to her face.
"You're giving me a hundred credits?" He said slowly, a small tremble in his voice. "Just like that?"
Samirah laughed quietly and nodded. The old man squeezed his eyes shut as he pursed his lips. It took him several moments before he opened his eyes again and looked at Samirah with soft eyes. Eyes that were trying desperately not to water.
"I… I don't know what to say!" He finally breathed, his eyes tearing up as Samirah gently placed the credits in his hands. She folded his fingers over the credits, squeezing his hand gently around them.
"Then don't say anything."
The softness of Samirah's voice was enough to finally make him sob. He threw his arms around her, startling not only Samirah but Carth as well as he cried into her shoulder.
"Thank you! Thank you! Now I can finally be free of this debt! You've saved my life again! Thank you!" He cried.
Samirah patted him gently on the back, allowing him a few moments. He recovered quickly, sniffling and eyes so puffy that she hoped he could see his way home.
"I need to take these to him right now!" He realized, clutching the credits close to his chest. "I better do it before he sends more. Thank you, again. You don't know what it means to me." He said, hugging her one more time and then pulling away.
The old man gave her one more bright smile and then hurried down the walkway as fast as he could. The credits clutched to his chest as if they were precious to him. Which, from the sounds of it, they were.
Samirah waited until she couldn't see him anymore before turning to the bounty hunters crumpled before her.
"Wow, you gave him a hundred credits? Just like that?" Carth finally said. "Generous."
Samirah spared him a passive glance before kneeling down and rifling through the pockets of the bounty hunter closest to her.
"Glad you approve." She said flatly and Carth winced.
The softness that had been in her voice previously was now seemingly gone. Carth watched the tightness in her face deepen as she started moving the bodies somewhere inconspicuous. It was unlikely to cause them any problems specifically but why take the chance? He started to help her move them, only to earn a cautious glare from her.
A few moments passed before she just nodded her head curtly at him in resignation.
Carth wanted to say something but all his words kept getting caught in his throat. It didn't help that Samirah was doing everything in her power to not look at him.
He really messed this one up, didn't he?
Even when they had finished, she said nothing more and walked quietly into the apartment complex, with him following closely behind.
Don't trust anyone because you don't know what their priorities are.
Carth inwardly grimaced, realizing now that that also applied to the woman he had been talking too. He had somehow trusted Sarna over Samirah. Allowed a Sith to make him question the only person he could trust. Allowed a Sith to cast doubt.
Good job, Carth. He admonished himself.
It was going to be a long evening and an even longer few days he thought.
Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. Please feel free to review or comment on the story 3 I love hearing from readers!
Thank you for reading!
-SilverShards-
