Disclaimer: I do not own SW: KOTOR or Lucas Arts or anything similar. Really. I don't.

Hey guys!

Here's another chapter to kick off the new year! (9 days late... but its not my fault lol) I hope you enjoy it and its what you expected!


An Answer? Or a Question?

"All you have to do is know where you're going. The answers will come to you of their own accord."

When they reached the apartment, Carth smiled excitedly as he slumped down on the couch. Bastila stood in the middle while Samirah simply leaned against the wall to the side. Mission and Zaalbar went about their own business, leaving them to whatever discussion they were to have. They didn't really want to get involved. They could kind of feel the tension in the air after everything that brought them to this moment.

From what the two friends had observed—a conversation between Carth and Samirah wasn't good. A conversation between Samirah and Bastila wasn't good. They weren't sure how a conversation with Carth and Bastila went but they were sure it was about the same. This would be their first chance to see a conversation between Carth, Bastila and Samirah… and frankly… they weren't excited. The idea of those three talking wasn't very comforting.

They figured it wouldn't exactly be a smooth conversation at all so they decided to sit back and stay out of it.

"Finally, now we can figure a way to get off this planet… not exactly the vacation I had been hoping for…" Carth said stretching his arms out and trying to relieve some of the stress he too had been feeling. A vacation did sound nice. Unfortunately, he wasn't bound to get any until the war was over. And that in itself would take a while, he was sure.

Bastila looked at him in shock.

"You can't be serious? You mean you don't have a plan to get off Taris yet? What have you been doing all this time?" Samirah lifted her eyebrows at Bastila and just wanted to throw something at her. An apple, a chair, a Wookiee—hey, there's an idea. Just one word from her and Z would tie her up and throw her in the closet.

The idea made her smile but she wasn't one to follow through with such plans... the kind of plans with malicious intent. Damn her consciousness.

So she opted for sarcasm.

"We've been out gambling, partying, and just having ourselves a wonderful time. It's a shame you missed out. Would have been more fun with your cheery attitude..."She said in feigned excitement. Bastila turned and glared at her, not appreciating the sarcasm. Well, Samirah didn't appreciate the tone.

"Don't you have a plan, Jedi? We were looking for you the whole time because apparently it never dawned on you to escape yourself. Our time was spent looking for you so what's your excuse? You were locked up in a cage so surely you have some tactful and well plot out plan, right? Because that's what Jedi do, am I wrong?" When Bastila didn't respond, Samirah smirked. "Didn't think so…I'm getting pretty sick of your attitude…"

Samirah realized she'd been around Carth and Bastila too long. She was starting to be cynical and sarcastic—more so then usual.

Carth had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling. Wow, and he thought it was bad when he and Samirah fought. At least it took them a while to get to fighting terms—She and Bastila started the moment they met.

"My attitude?" Bastila said. "It strikes me that you're the one in sore need of an attitude adjustment. I happened to be in charge of this mission, if you'll recall." Samirah rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, must have missed that memo. Must have been between the near death experiences we keep having and making sure you were alive…" She retorted. Bastila didn't like it.

"Listen, I am a member of the Jedi order and this is my mission, don't forget that! My battle meditation ability has helped the Republic many times in this war and it will serve us well here I am sure!" She said confidently.

"Like setting you free of the Vulkars? Yeah, I can see how well that one worked out of you." She rolled her eyes for the fifteenth time. "Just because you have talent with the force, that doesn't make you a diamond, right away. You might have the potential but right now, you're still some unpolished piece of coal if you ask me…" Samirah stated. Bastila gripped her lightsaber as it dangled from her belt and Samirah smirked.

She wouldn't dare.

"What? You want to hit me with your glow stick?" Bastila fumed.

"It's not a glow stick, it's a lightsaber… and the thought has crossed my mind…" Samirah rolled her eyes again. Wow, she was really becoming cynical and was hoping that would change once she was out of here and away from the sources of her new found attitude.

"Um, well, it glows and it's a stick so by definition… yeah, that makes it a glow stick." Bastila was about to retort when Carth jumped in.

"Bastila, what she means is that your talents might win us a few battles but that doesn't make you a good leader! A good leader would at least listen to the advice of those who have seen more combat than she ever will." Bastila was about to retort when Samirah finally just through her hands up in frustration.

"Oh will you be quiet for once? It's like you just have to be last damn person to speak! For just a moment, put aside your pride. Instead of getting all hung up about this, we need to move on to better, more productive things on our lovely agenda. So, everyone just needs to—to cool their engines! This isn't helping and I don't know about you guys, but I want off this planet… now." Carth and Bastila nodded… even though Samirah did contribute to the fight, she was determined to end it.

"Yes… you're right, of course. I apologize. I would be happy to listen to your advice Carth. What do you suggest?"

"First off, we can't get hung up on who's in charge; we need to work together if we want to get off this rock." Samirah almost scoffed at the idea. She was pretty sure she had said something like that not too long ago when talking to him, though… it wouldn't exactly be productive to bring it up right now. She was mentally kicking him repeatedly, though. That made her feel a bit better. A bit. "The answer's out there, we just have to find it." Bastila nodded.

"Well said, Carth. And the sooner we start looking the better; I've already been a prisoner of the Vulkars and I don't plan on being captured by the Sith."

At the sound of the Sith, Samirah perked up. If it was one thing she wouldn't let happen, it was the Sith taking someone from her. Even if it was Bastila… and even though she hated to admit it… she was vital to the war efforts. She may banter with Bastila, but she would stick by her if it was to go against the Sith. She would not let them succeed to take more people from her.

"Well, I'll tell you now that I don't exactly plan on being captured either. So I won't let them take any of us… that I swear." Bastila wanted to turn and retort something about not needing to be saved but when she saw the expression Samirah wore as she stared at her hands… she stopped.

"I think we'll need some help getting off Taris. Maybe if we ask around, one of the locals can help us out. We should probably start by asking around the Cantina's."Bastila said, still watching Samirah until she dragged her gaze back to Carth. He nodded before walking over to Mission who sat in the corner sifting through her pazaak deck.

"I'll see if Mission knows anything. She knows just about everything there is to know here. Starting with her could be useful and productive." When Samirah started to move, Bastila stopped her.

"Is… is something wrong? You seem as if something is troubling you." Samirah looked at her with no hostility or resentment like Bastila had expected. She just simply looked at her. Timidly even.

"Truth be told? Lots of things but don't worry about it. And I'm sorry as well. I've been a bit snippy and it's been like this for the past few days. Carth hasn't helped and yet he has… My stars, he may be the end of me. If it's ever a question of sanity… I'm sure to lose it…" She laughed softly and Bastila saw how sad she seemed to be.

"Do you and… Carth fight a lot?" She wondered. It couldn't be that bad.

Samirah laughed as she glanced over at him. He sat down across from Mission as she began dealing out a hand, not even asking if Carth wanted to play or not. She just started the game. They seemed at peace. She knew they were probably trying to keep from going crazy… but they had that serene façade that she wanted.

She wanted everything to be simple again. Explore. Travel. Survive.

"Do we fight? Just about every conversation we've ever had ended in a fight. I don't know what else to say. He doesn't trust me and I suppose I understand why… I don't know. It's complicated. What's funny… is that I don't even know what part is complicated. That he won't talk? That I can see his uneasiness? I don't know. I wish I did, but I don't."

She realized that she was talking to Bastila about it and just laughed. Of all people… "Don't worry, I'll get us off this rock that way you and Flyboy over there can… go save the galaxy. Win metals. Defeat the evil lurking in the shadows. Be heroes. Be what you guys were born to do." She said with less enthusiasm then she had wanted.

It sounded better when she tested it in her head. In her head, she sounded enthusiastic and jealous that that was the life they led. She sounded optimistic, confident and carefree.

Out loud… she sounded indifferent and neutral. Like she was troubled by the thought and that she was just a neutral party.

"What do you mean by that? You don't want to stop Malak?" Samirah glanced at her, a little bewildered. Bastila seemed a little worried by the idea. Didn't she want Malak stopped too? Didn't most everyone?

"Of course I want him stopped, he's done terrible things but what can I do? I'm just a scout who got lumped into a league far out of my own." Bastila thought she was joking and when it was apparent she wasn't, she spoke.

"Out of your league? I doubt there were flashing signs that pointed you and Carth in my direction and yet you found me. You avoided being detected by the Sith, discovered I was a Vulkar prisoner, gained sponsorship for the race and became the Taris swoop champion. Am I not correct? That is quite the resume, Samirah." She lifted an eyebrow at her as she blushed. The blushing surprised Bastila.

Samirah was a little embarrassed by the sudden praise from her and looked away, self-conscious. She made it sound like she had done all those things by herself. Had she been alone, she would never have accomplished everything. In fact… she would probably be as good as dead.

"Well… I didn't do it on my own you know. I had Carth and then there was Mission and Zaalbar as well. Without them, I don't know what would have happened. They were my pillars—they kept me standing." She stammered.

"Your modesty is admirable, but though others helped, you were the catalyst for these events… weren't you?" Samirah blushed some more.

"Well, I mean…" She wasn't sure what to say. She was a little more than stunned. She didn't handle praise very well. Even though Bastila seemed like a Jedi snob… being praised by her was something she hadn't expected. Did this even count as praise?

It was still nice to hear. It kind of made her feel good, like this warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. That idea of doing something good and worthwhile.

"A Jedi could have done what you accomplished but only by relying heavily on the force." Samirah laughed and looked at Bastila with a smile.

"I think you're underestimating us non-Jedi. Sure, maybe the force helped me, but I didn't rely on it. I relied on those helping me." She shrugged. It was something she was learning to do. She didn't just lay all of the burdens on them, but they did help her carry them. If she could keep them from harm's way, she was bound to do so as well.

"Perhaps. The force does work through us to some degree or another. There are even some individuals outside the order that we consider Force sensitive. It is obvious to me that the force has been working through you. There is no other explanation for your great success, though I am not certain what to make of this discovery. If you weren't—well, if you were younger the Jedi might take you for training. But as it is…" Bastila looked away, lost in thought as Samirah looked at her oddly.

"Was that a crack at my age?" Bastila's head snapped up and Samirah started laughing. "Calm down, I know you didn't mean it that way. It was a joke. You seemed to be elsewhere as you finished talking so… what were you trying to say? The Jedi? What an odd little thought." Bastila realized what she had said and frowned.

"I'm sorry; I've overstepped my authority. I'm speaking of things that are best left to the Jedi council. For now, let's just accept the fact that you are… gifted. Hopefully between your abilities, my Jedi training and the skills of our companions we can find a way off this planet." She finished with a sigh and Samirah took that as the end of the conversation.

"No, not hopefully. We will. I'm sure of it." Bastila looked at her, not sure what to make of her confidence, optimism and sudden enthusiasm. Samirah smiled at her with a big grin.

When Samirah turned around, Mission was leaving the apartment and Carth was walking back to them, surprised they weren't in a heated argument by now… and that he had just lost a game to Mission… and a few credits. He knew he shouldn't have played with her—she didn't look like an easy win.

"Mission's gone to ask Gadon if he has any ideas on how to get out of here. In the mean time… what should we do? Ask around the Cantina? Make a few credits somehow?" He said that last bit as a response to his recent loss of credits.

A sudden thought struck Samirah when he said Cantina and Credits. She checked the time as the color drained from her face. Was it that time already? She nearly had forgotten… and she almost wished she had. Unfortunately, this wasn't something she could just ignore. She was sure she'd be hunted down if she had forgotten. An angry mob or something.

Angry mobs were something they probably needed to avoid.

Carth noticed her sudden change in attitude and that worried him. Whenever her demeanor changed, so did their plans because he wasn't about to let her go on some suicide mission… not alone at least. He knew better now.

"Samirah…?"

"It seems I have a task or two to complete before we do anything else…" Carth didn't like that. Not one bit.

"What do you mean by that?" He said quietly, his eyes locked on her face. Samirah glanced at him with a sheepish smile.

"Um… well, it's kind of a long story and I think I'm going to be late so you might as well come with me." Carth and Bastila followed her to the door, stopping briefly to look at Zaalbar as he sat at the table eating something… she wasn't sure what he had put together but she was sure she'd have to get more food.

"Would you like to come with us, Zaalbar? We're heading to the Cantina for a bit." Samirah asked. She didn't want to leave him out of the loop. He shook his head before roaring his response to her.

"No, I'll wait for Mission to return if you do not mind, Samirah. I haven't eaten in a while either… I hope that isn't inconvenient for you…" He wondered out loud. He was about to stand and leave his food if she required his presence but she shook her head, laughing lightly.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it. If you want to wait for her, then that's what you do. We'll be fine. I have these two with me so we should be good to go. Just let her know we'll more than likely be at the cantina. You can reach us on our comlinks." She added. She wasn't used to wearing comlinks so she had to remind herself that she even had one. As a scout, she never wore such things.

She never had anyone to talk too. On the odd occasion she would have a partner, but even then, comlinks were risky.

Zaalbar nodded to her, making a low rumble to voice his acknowledgement. She smiled as he turned back to his food and began to scarf it down. She wondered what meal he was on—his third? His forth? She wasn't really sure if they even counted how many meals he ate. As long as he ate and as long as he was happy—that was good enough for them.

She turned back to the door and yanked it open, allowing Carth and Bastila through before closing the door and reprogramming the security system she had tinkered with. Whoever had the apartment before them hadn't really invested in security but there had been enough to tinker with.

Bastila noticed the extensive security and was slightly impressed. At least they weren't completely helpless. She could rest easy at night knowing that they were protected by whatever security Samirah had worked up. She hoped at least.

When Samirah had finished, she turned and nearly collided into a Twi'lek who had been approaching them.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, please excuse me, I'm—"The Twi'lek smiled and she immediately had her guard up. It wasn't Larrim and she was pretty sure she hadn't seen this guy around. Who was he? He wasn't a resident here. If he didn't live in the apartments… why had he approached her?

"—You! Human, you are the rider who won the Great Swoop Race in the lower city, yes?"

A chill ran down her spine and she wasn't sure she liked his sudden arrival. How did he know she would be here? They were supposed to be there in secret? Was she followed? Was it too well known who she was? Blast it! News traveled too fast here!

"Why… what do you want?" She asked hesitantly.

"Me? Nothing. I am only the runner sent here by the man who hired me. I have a message from Canderous Ordo. He says to meet him in the cantina." Shock lit up her face as she recognized the name.

"Wait, hold up. Canderous? Are you sure about that? Isn't he that Mandalorian that works for Davik?" The Twi'lek nodded.

"Yes, that's the one. Given his connections, you can see why it would be wise to attend this meeting. Canderous didn't say why he wanted to meet you. He only said he had an offer you couldn't refuse. It would be foolish to ignore his request."

Bastila fidgeted, a little unsure. She didn't sense any reason to not trust him but she still didn't like the idea. Especially if a Mandalorian was involved. Things were never good if Mandalorians were around.

"Samirah…" Carth warned. He didn't like it either. She was too trusting and he knew she was bound to go meet him. That was something he didn't want her to go off and do. Danger liked to follow this little scout.

Samirah simply ignored his tone, watching the Twi'lek intently.

"A Mandalorian? Are you sure I'm the one you're supposed to come talk too?" She asked really hoping she hadn't done something to piss him off.

She really didn't want to add meeting him to her list of things to do. Was he a racer? She didn't remember seeing him in the pit… then again, she hardly remembered any of the other racers. All she remembered was racing and winning. That was the only reason she had raced to begin with.

The Twi'lek nodded.

"You won the swoop race right? You're the swoop race champion, right?" When she nodded slowly, he smiled happily. "Then yes, you're the one he wants to meet." She finally gave up and nodded. Of course… she had made a name for herself. And if it was a Mandalorian, they would be sure to get the right person.

"Thanks for the message. I'll meet with him as soon as possible…"

"A wise choice, human. I would advise you not to wait too long. Mandalorians are known for many things, but patience is not one of them." He smiled as he turned and walked away. Samirah rubbed her temples.

Great, something else to add to her list of things to do. Did it never end? Luckily, it was on its way to the dueling ring so she could knock out two birds with one stone, as the saying goes. Bastila and Carth shared a glance before Bastila spoke.

"Samirah, I do not trust this meeting." Samirah looked back at her with a faint smile.

"It should be alright, Bastila. If you don't feel comfortable going, you can wait here." Samirah meant it as an option but Bastila stood firm with a frown. To her, it sounded like a test.

"No, I will come. You need my guidance." Samirah rolled her eyes but smiled. Wasn't she doing well without Bastila constantly badgering her? She had made it this far hadn't she? She had accomplished the impossible task of saving Bastila, though the woman would never admit it.

"Fine, come on then. We're on a tight schedule…" She said that last part more to herself than to anyone but it didn't escape Carth's ears.

As they moved down the hallway, they noticed how everything seemed normal for the most part. Just the same as it always had been which was a relief to her. Everything looked to be normal, for the most part.

As they moved, Carth stared at her expectantly. Well, was she going to tell them or lead them on a wild goose chase? He didn't exactly trust her daring plans… they usually had a high chance of her ending up either seriously injured or… well dead.

As they made it to the street, Carth and Bastila shared a glance, obviously thinking the same thing. She wanted to know what Samirah was up to just as much as he did. She didn't have the same experience with Samirah as he did so she kept quiet and let Carth speak. She hoped that Samirah was wrong about them always fighting.

"Samirah…" Carth started.

She had been submerged in deep thought about Bendak. Her death match with him was weighing heavily on her mind. She didn't want to kill him… but she really didn't get the choice to argue it with him. He saw skill in her. He saw a worthy match. He saw another victim that he was ready to crush.

This match wasn't exactly going to be an easy one.

When Samirah didn't respond, Carth started again.

"Samirah…Samirah!" He hissed in her ear loud enough to startle her but not loud enough to draw attention. She jumped and spun around to look at him with wide eyes. He had been very close and the unexpected proximity had startled her more than anything.

"My stars, Carth! What? You nearly scared me out of my mind and no offense, but I kind of like having a little sanity left. Not that I have a shred of it left anymore…" she said the last bit softly and more to herself while Bastila put her hands on her hips, assuming the role of a superior.

"Well, you should be more aware of your surroundings. If Carth was able to startle you, I'm beginning to wonder how it is you did so well around the Sith." Samirah shifted her gaze into a glare. Always that haughty attitude with her…

"Listen, you can doubt my abilities all you want. We've made it this far—"No thanks to her. "So stop with the attitude, will you? As surprising as it may sound, I know what I'm doing."Bastila had begun her retort but stopped when Carth beat her to it.

"Ok, so what exactly are you doing?" He questioned. They stood off to the side of the walkway and waited quietly.

She fidgeted a little bit knowing Carth wouldn't exactly be too thrilled about fighting Bendak. Maybe she could opt out on the whole death match thing. It wasn't that important, just a minor detail... that held a lot of significance. Though, he didn't need to know. She was starting to learn that the less Carth knew… the better.

"I have to visit a doctor by the name of Zelka Forn at the clinic and then I have to do a final duel. Just some simple tasks, that's all." Carth rolled his eyes.

"Nothing's ever simple when it's you we're talking about." He said softly, but loud enough that she heard. She raised an eyebrow at his comment. Did he really want to start?

"Me? Simple with me? I know you're not about to go there, Carth Onasi, because if memory serves—which it does—you're the one whose always difficult. You know, you could always stay at the apartment if you don't like my methods." She mused aloud.

Bastila glanced between the two as their eyes were locked and she could almost see the different messages being passed between them. Neither side wanting to let up and give in. It was like they were having a mental battle, one without words, without sarcasm and angry shouts. They simply locked eyes and after several moments, Bastila felt uncomfortable. She didn't want to speak up but she didn't want to be left on the side. When she cleared her throat, Carth diverted his eyes.

He had started to retort something but thought better of it. To a degree, she was right. He didn't have to be a part of her plans or put up with any of it. He could leave her to her own fate and just continue on his own. He did have Bastila with him, didn't he? She was safe. With her help, they would be able to get off the planet on their own.

But that would mean leaving Samirah behind. Even though she argued with him, even though her plans and methods always tended to be a little on the dangerous side—especially to her—and even though she was insistent to get him to reveal his past to her… the thought of leaving her behind, leaving her alone on Taris—that was worse than any betrayal he had ever endured.

It would be a betrayal done by him. The idea of betraying the girl before him was sickening and he cursed himself for even having the thought. Despite all the negatives, she remained positive. She put herself in danger before risking the lives of anyone else. Even though her plans were dangerous… they worked out in the end: she always came through.

Her intentions were pure and that was why he would just shut up and let her do what she had planned. She always had reasons for doing it, right?

He would let her win this time. He didn't want to start arguing with her right now anyway. She was stressed out enough as it is.

Samirah watched a few moments longer as he kept his eyes diverted. She wondered what he could be thinking. Was he debating whether or not to stay behind? It would actually be better if he and Bastila would stay behind but she knew that was too much to hope for.

When it was apparent that he wasn't going to say anything more, she moved on towards the Clinic. She was eager to hand over the vile to Zelka. He had been skeptical of the idea when she spoke to him last. He didn't think it was something she could procure and truth be told—neither did she. It wasn't until she was holding the vile in her hands that she was sure it was possible.

Especially when she found two full viles of serum and plenty of empty to almost empty viles—signs that the Sith Patrol had tried to use the serum before being slaughtered by the Rakghouls. She was ready to hand it over to Zelka so that he could begin to mass produce the antidote to the Rakghoul disease.

She wanted to help.

When she stepped through the clinic door, his assistant was gone and Zelka was at his desk furrowing his brow. He had papers on the desk in front of him and he was studying them intently like the answer would be there if he continued to stare. Samirah was a little hesitant to approach him, not wanting to interrupt his train of thought.

He finally dropped the papers on his desk and rubbed his eyes showing obvious signs of exhaustion. He was thoroughly tired. As Samirah took hesitant steps towards him, his head snapped up finally seeing them and he smiled. He tried to gather up the papers while focusing on them as he slid them into the top drawer in his desk.

"Ah, well, if it isn't the young girl from before. How are you wounds healing?" He asked as he closed the drawer and stood up from his desk. He hid his tired expression very well.

She tentatively touched the healing wound on the side of her head. It was almost healed up except for a small pink mark that was sure to go away after a while.

"After visiting you, perfect." She said with a smile and earned her one in response. His eyes examined her and he chuckled to himself.

"It seems you've acquired more already. You really do attract danger, don't you?" Carth scoffed at the thought of her attracting danger. Oh no, she didn't just attract it, she almost always caused it.

Samirah jabbed him in the stomach and he made a muffled sound before giving her a funny look. Did she really just elbow him? She was fighting the smile that the simple act tried to bring to her face. It actually made her happy to jab him. She didn't hit him hard, but just enough to get his attention.

He deserved it anyway.

Zelka dragged his eyes from Samirah to finally look at her companions and see who had accompanied her to his clinic.

"Ah, well it seems you've brought friends along this time. Hello and welcome to my clinic. I run this little facility and can cure almost any ailment… except for the Rakghoul disease of course." He said, his eyes glancing curiously at Samirah again. "Which, speaking of the disease… I'm rather curious as to why you are here?"

She smiled as she reached into her belt pouch and pulled out the remaining vile of serum. His eyes went wide at the thought of what the vile could be.

"I told you I would get a hold of it… didn't I? I have the serum to cure the Rakghoul disease, Zelka. I have it." He shook his head slowly like he wasn't sure if he believed it. It seemed so impossible. A goal so far away that he would never have guessed it to be a possibility… even with it in front of him.

"You-You have the serum? That's impossible! There was no way you could have gotten a hold of it, how did you—"He stopped and shook his head, laughing. "Never mind… I don't really want to know… it may be better if I didn't." He gingerly took the vile from her and gazed at it in the palm of his hand.

"This… This is it… I can hardly believe my eyes. If I wasn't holding it now I would never believe that in my hands… was the cure to the Rakghoul disease. You have brought me enough to make plenty. With this I can mass produce it and help fight off that damnable disease. I'll be able to make enough for everyone!" He said so excitedly. It almost looked like the exhaustion he felt earlier had completely evaporated.

He looked back up at Samirah, relieved and in awe at her accomplishment. He couldn't believe that she had gotten a hold of the serum only to hand it to him. She could have done a thousand and one different things with the vile—but instead, she entrusted it to him.

"The people of Taris owe you a debt they can never repay…" He moved to his drawer and was rummaging through it until he found a pouch and brought it to her. "Here, take this small reward. It isn't much, but it's all I can afford: A few credits and two spare med packs."

As he held them out to her, waiting for her to accept them, she simply stared at the bag. A reward? She dragged her gaze away from the bag and up to Zelka with a small smile. What a kind hearted man.

"Zelka… thank you, but I can't accept this. You keep it. You'll need it more than I do. I never expected a reward and I don't intend to accept one now. I'm simply happy to have helped." Zelka stared at her with wide eyes, hesitantly holding the bag. She laughed softly before closing his hands over the bag. "Really, keep it." He slowly shook his head, but retracted his hand, holding the bag to himself.

"You truly have a noble and generous spirit. You deserve something, I hope you know that." He took the bag back to his desk and he thought for a moment. "Tell you what… how about a discount whenever you shop here? Med packs, healing, anything—I'll give to you for a discount." She smiled.

"You really don't have to Zelka, honestly." He shook his head.

"No, I won't take no for an answer. It's the least I can do and I plan on doing it." He said with finality. Apparently there was no arguing the point. Bastila had been observing and was pleased by his generosity.

"That's very kind of you. We're just glad to be able to bring some relief to the suffering of these people." Samirah turned to look at Bastila with a puzzled expression. How would she know? She was stuck in a cage the entire time! She was playing it off like she had been there when they acquired the serum.

Samirah was tempted to speak out against her but stopped. It didn't matter who received the credit so long as the people were being helped.

Zelka smiled to them.

"I don't believe you've ever told me your name…"

"Samirah. Samirah Alda." He nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, Samirah, I'm glad you stumbled into my facility. Come and sit so that I may treat your wounds… they look fresh so I can only guess what you've been up to." She smiled sheepishly before moving and sitting down on a cot.

He pulled out a medical kit and began to administer treatment to small bruises, cuts and the like. He shook his head as he worked. He had never had a patient who had gotten into as much trouble as she had—at least when it came down to the wounds. He caught a glimpse of her hand and held it up to the light.

"What in the—How did you manage to do this?" He asked, examining her hand.

The cut wasn't sealed properly and whoever had bandaged it had done so in a sloppy manner. Around the cut was an awful shade of purple and blue, an obvious bruise that looked painful. Her veins seemed a little darker than usual around the spot and he wondered what she could have done. When he looked up at her, her cheeks had turned a deep shade of pink and her eyes were averted.

"Well… I sort of… um… you see, I kind of got a little too careless around a Rakghoul in the Undercity and he managed to scrape my hand…" When she looked at him, he was frozen with shock. He didn't know what to think.

He suddenly reached for the vile and she stopped him before he could inject her with it.

"NO! What are doing! Zelka, Stop!" She snatched the vile away as he frantically tried to inject her with it. Carth had been mostly quiet and wasn't sure who to grab—the doctor or Samirah. He opted for taking the vile before it was dropped and shattered across the floor.

"Samirah, if you've been infected, we must treat you—"

"I have been treated. I found one other vile and used it. My hand just hasn't healed all that well, but I'm fine. I promise. I wouldn't have put you in danger if I was infected, that I swear." She looked at him with a pleading look before he finally calmed down and accepted it.

"Y-Yes… I suppose so… forgive me, I was just so worried that you had risked your life to make sure the vile was in my hands." Carth looked at Samirah wondering if that was what she had been thinking.

Had there only been one vile… would she have used it on herself or instructed them to give it to Zelka? Carth didn't really need to hear her answer because he was pretty sure he already knew which choice she would choose. She would have given up everything to fulfill her promise.

Zelka began to treat her wound, chastising her for not taking better care of it. He used some ointment and kolto on the wound and sealed the cut up so that it could heal properly. When he had cleaned it all up he wrapped it up with a bandage and double checked everything.

Samirah, on the other hand, had her eyes intently focused on a closed door. From where she sat she could tell that it was locked with some high level locks. After so many years in her field she learned to spot difficult locks from far away.

"Zelka?" She asked in a low tone. He was tightening a bandage and was so focused that he simply made a small, barely audible sound in acknowledgement. "What's behind that door? Usually clinics don't have locked doors to rooms that big… I hope you don't mind me asking."

Her eyes were still fixated on the door, curious about the secrets. When Zelka looked up to see the door she was talking about, he immediately became fidgety.

"That door? There's nothing in there at all. It's just a store room. Empty. Worthless. Vacant. There's nothing in there at all." He said, trying to ignore the door and her question. "Now, all you need for the wounds is—"

"If there isn't anything in there, you wouldn't care if I took a look, do you?" If the room truly was empty, she could probably find a use for it. With locks like that, it could be their base of operations until they found a way off Taris. It would be much easier than the dusty old apartment they had back at the complex. She would surely find a way to pay Zelka back for letting them use it.

A few tweaks and the lock system would be perfect.

She hopped off the table before Zelka could process what she was doing. The moment she reached the door, he understood her intentions. He tried to reach her before she opened the door, but she was already breaking through the lock.

"No! What are you doing! Stop, please, that door is for employees only!" As he grabbed her wrist, the door popped open and her smile faltered as he pulled her away.

The room was definitely not empty.

"What… what's going on here…" She said as she stepped over the threshold of the door. She glanced at all the glass cylinders of water with men floating inside. She glanced at each of the faces, realizing that she remembered them from the Endar Spire.

One sat next to her during her shift on the deck and another she recognized from the mess hall. Some were new faces but that didn't change the fact that she knew where they were from, where their allegiance lied.

"These are Republic Soldiers… I know some of them..." As she passed over their faces, she did a double take over one of the soldiers. She almost hadn't recognized the man. Without his snarky remarks and hat slightly tilted to the side, he was almost a stranger to her.

"Devron! It's flight captain Devron Uhdea!" She shouted, pressing her hand against the cold glass that separated her from him. His eyes were shut and he bobbed up and down in the green water, oblivious to the world around him.

Zelka walked up behind her, glancing from her to the soldier.

"You… you recognize these soldiers? This soldier? Are you… are you a friend of the Republic?" he asked hesitantly. She glanced at him, a little uneasily and saw how Carth tensed up. He wasn't too keen on their secret being out.

"I guess there's no reason to keep it a secret anymore. Yes, my name is Ensign Samirah Alda, a scout for the republic. Why are you holding them here? Are you… caring for them?" She asked looking back at Devron. She knew that he looked ok but that he probably wasn't doing all that well.

"Since the space battle overhead, people have been bringing soldiers to me, all in secret of course. I don't want to think about what would have happened had they been discovered." He walked up to one of the soldiers, glancing at his stats.

"What choice did I have? I couldn't just leave them to their fate, or worse… to the hands of the Sith. Their injuries are terrible, most won't survive. But at least I can make their last days more comfortable. And at least here, they are hidden." He shook his head at the charts before turning back to Samirah.

Bastila watched the distressed scout as she glanced at each cylinder. Where was he? Why wasn't he here? She double checked several of the soldiers, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the injuries were hiding his face. Bastila walked up next to her, looking at her intently. What was she looking for?

"Samirah?" She stopped, looking from Bastila to Zelka.

"Is this everyone? Do you have another room? A hidden passage way?" She asked anxiously and when Zelka shook his head, her heart fell. "So… he isn't here…" Bastila straightened up and furrowed her brow.

"He who?" She asked curiously. Samirah just shook her head, hoping they would just drop it. Carth knew better than to pursue the conversation, but Bastila didn't. "Samirah, I believe we should know who it is you are looking for?" She placed her hands on her hips and focused intently on Samirah.

Samirah just shook her head, really wanting to skip this conversation.

"This isn't the time Bastila…"

"I don't see—"Samirah shot her a glare, wanting her point to get across.

"This. Isn't. The time." Bastila closed her mouth, but wasn't going to drop it. To change the topic, Carth spoke to Zelka who was a little nervous at the encounter between the two women. He couldn't afford for their argument to draw attention to his clinic.

"Well, I must say that you have my thanks. It's good to know that at least some of these men ended up in compassionate hands." He nodded and looked at the cylinder that Devron floated in.

"Is there… anything that I can do to help?" Samirah said in such a small voice that it surprised Carth. When he looked at her, he was surprised to see that a sad expression had taken hold of her face. She wasn't looking at him but at Devron.

"Unfortunately, all that can be done for them is done. Nothing else will do much more to help them but… I appreciate the offer." He said quietly before leaving the room to wait out in the front.

Samirah didn't move.

She guessed it was too much to ask for Trask to still be alive. That small glimmer of hope that she had was extinguished. At least Devron was safe… for now. She hoped his injuries weren't extensive, he was a good soldier. A soldier she appreciated and admired.

With one last fleeting look at the cylinder, she moved away and walked out of the hidden room. Carth and Bastila followed after her, not oblivious to her change in attitude. As soon as they were out, Zelka locked up the room again and watched as she walked to the door.

He felt bad for not being able to assist her further, but he had done all that he could. Samirah gave him one last smile and thanks before opening the door. She didn't notice the assistant off to the side until he was approaching her. How long had he been there?

He stopped her, frowning. He opened his mouth to voice his dislike of her choice, of not taking the chance to earn more money through Zax. She looked at him, knowing what he was going to say and beat him to the speech.

"Listen you little weasel. I told you once before and I'll say it again. No. No to you. No to Zax. And hell no to Davik. You want the cure? Do yourself a damn favor and get it yourself! I don't have time to play word games with you so just shove it!" She shouted flicking her wrist in the air above her as a sign to end the conversation.

He stared at her wide eyed before backing off and letting her move by. She was tired of the evil, of the crime lords and of every misfortune that befell the people around her. The slime ball wasn't worth a breath of her time. Before walking past him, a thought occurred to her and she fixed her gaze on him just for extra measure.

"And you better take really good care of those soldiers because if you don't… Not even Davik will be able to save you're pathetic little life…" She didn't care how cold she sounded or how menacing she looked. She knew that he would probably turn those soldiers in if they offered credits in return. She was going to make sure he didn't.

He slowly nodded before stumbling back. Zelka watched from his chair, a smirk on his face. That assistant of his had it coming and he was happy that Samirah was the one to put him in his place.

She walked past him, leaving him speechless at her outburst and leaving Carth and Bastila a little perplexed. As soon as they were out on the walkway, Carth grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a halt. She didn't turn to look at him, but kept looking ahead.

"Samirah… What's gotten into you? You nearly scratched his eyes out for simply approaching you! Granted, I'm sure he had it coming, but you wouldn't normally do that. What happened?" When she didn't move, he tightened his grip around her wrist.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." She said through clenched teeth. Bastila didn't believe her and she knew it. "Listen, we can talk about it later but I'm late for an appointment and would really like to get there before they think I've forfeited, ok?" When she said that, he let go of her wrist.

"Appointment?" He then remembered that she had mentioned a duel and he suddenly became very wary. "Wait a minute. Are you going to duel someone? Again?" When she didn't look at him, he became anxious.

"Samirah, just what do you have planned? For once, will you fill us in?" She started walking, not responding to him and he followed after her.

"It's just another duel, but I have to be punctual to this one…" She said. It was a match between her and Bendak Starkiller. A death match. He wanted a fight, she was going to have to give it to him.

If there was a way to get out of it without killing him, she would take it. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure he wouldn't be up for it. He was very adamant about the death match part. She was anxious and worried about it but knew she had to appear confident. How did she get always find herself in these types of situations?

He had started to question her, but decided against it. He didn't want to rile her up before her appointment. He had this sixth sense that said she wasn't telling him everything. When did she ever? What was he supposed to do about it, though?

The only thing he could do was trust that she knew what she was doing. That's all he could really do. Again. Wow, she didn't leave him very many options?

He frowned as he simply followed her, hoping that wherever it was she was taking them didn't end badly.

If there was one thing he had learned: she knew how to find danger and at its source.


How was it? If you wouldn't mind, I would love to hear what you guys think so far!

I appreciate any support and if you've read it this far, thanks you! I'll make sure to make a plaque for you guys! ;)

I'll try to update soon, just need to proof read the chapter, but it should be ready soon!

Much love to you guys and thanks!

-SilverShards-