Disclaimer: Nope. I still don't own KOTOR. Its a work in Progress still.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I also hope that it's to your liking! Thanks for continuing to support me. You guys are fabulous!

Enjoy


Frustrated and Tired Souls

"Run your fingers through my soul.

For once, just once, feel exactly what I feel, believe what I believe, perceive as I perceive, look, experience, examine and for once; just once, understand."

Carth watched on a monitor as the crowd went wild as the announcer spoke. He was fidgety and felt as helpless as he had when she was in the swoop race. What was she going to do this time? Drop a grenade at her own feet? Throw one at Bendak only to have it bounce back? With her luck, Bendak would hardly have to move before she killed them both.

She was a good fighter, but she was also a magnet for danger. If there was a way to test fate… she would find it. He knew he was being cynical but he couldn't help the train of thought he had whenever she was diving, head first, into danger. He made a mental note to child proof everything if they ever got the flagship Canderous was promising.

Though, she did promise to be safe. She even said Scout's honor which brought a smile to his face. She was something else—that was a fact. Even if it was to just humor him, it did make him feel a little bit better, but definitely not guarantees.

He was so focused on the monitor that he hadn't noticed Bastila approach with the droid behind her. A frown was set in place as she tapped on his shoulder lightly. He spun around, his blaster ripped from his holster and aimed directly at Bastila.

For a moment, neither one said anything.

"Well that's a fine greeting." She placed her hands on her hips and shot him a sharp look. "A blaster wouldn't do you much good if I was able to approach you so easily—you would never have gotten the chance to fire it." He let out a shaky breath before slowly holstering his weapon. Of all the people…

"Sorry, Bastila, I was—"She didn't let him finish before she asked the next thing on her mind.

"Where is Samirah?" When Carth hesitated to answer, she raised an eyebrow before she looked past him at the console he had had his eyes glued too. When she saw Samirah standing in the middle of a ring, her eyes went wide. "What in the blazes is she doing there?"

"A death match…"Carth said bitterly. They both turned to the monitor as Bastila fumed.

He knew that she probably disagreed with the match about as much as he did, but it was too late for either one of them to do anything. Like he had been telling himself over and over again—this girl had an uncanny knack to find trouble in possibly every corner of the galaxy. It was a wonder that she was even alive today.

"Why would you let her go and do such a stupid thing?" Carth looked at her in alarm. She was blaming him? Of all the people that could be blamed—Samirah, the Hutt, Bendak, Bastila herself (though he knew she had too much pride to admit it)—she laid the blame on him!

"I didn't let her! She didn't give me a choice!" Bastila rolled her eyes as the announcer finished his pre-match introduction and the crowd went wild with cheers.

"So you let a 5ft girl walk all over you… typical…" He had started to retort something but she hushed him as she focused on the monitor, ignoring the small, confused droid behind her. Carth simply bit back his tongue and returned his attention to the monitor. He hoped that this match was worth the sharp looks he continued to receive from one overly bearing Jedi.

The moment it all started, Samirah immediately charged forward as Bendak let loose a grenade. She leapt away from it, in hopes to avoid it and was nearly caught in the blast. She turned her eyes back to Bendak as he un-holstered his weapon and fired. She realized that he was taking the offensive and she was immediately stuck on the defensive. She blocked and dodged to the best of her ability as she tried to get closer but to no avail.

He was being adamant about keeping her at a distance—at least for now.

She ducked and rolled to the right side, yanking out her blaster and firing as he dodged, firing back. She needed to get closer to him but with his blaster, he was making it difficult. He started laughing, like he could see that this match was going to end with him as the victor.

She couldn't exactly let that happen.

She took that as her chance to sling a grenade at him and the moment he moved to dodge the blast, she rushed at him again: blaster in hand. She fired her weapon, nicking him in the shoulder as he fired back grazing her leg. She faltered for a moment and Bendak took that as his chance. He holstered the blaster as he whipped out his vibroblade and charged her directly. She quickly yanked out her blade as she holstered the blaster before he was in her face with his blade. They locked weapons and for a moment, it seemed like he had the upper hand.

She swung her blade clockwise, letting the steel slide along his own weapon creating sparks before they disengaged. The moment they broke free, they locked weapons again, clashing left and right, parrying and staggering from impact. Samirah figured that at the rate they were going, they were going to wear each other out before anything else.

As they locked weapons for the fifth time, Bendak laughed once more as he dropped a grenade at his feet. Was he suicidal? At that proximity there was no escaping and it would take them both out. Yet, if she broke free first, he would have a clean shot at her and vice versa. It didn't matter though, neither one would be able to get free of the blast. Samirah tried to brace herself for the impact, locking her arms so she wouldn't falter against his weight against her blade.

Only there was no explosion.

The grenade began to leak out a haze. Smoke. It was a smoke grenade. Within seconds they were covered in a murky, grayish cloud, blinding them and the crowd with a screen made purely of a miasma. People began to murmur and were confused. Some people shouted angrily because they couldn't see what was happening or who was wining.

Samirah felt the weight against her blade back off and she did they same. She looked all around her, looking for him. Where did he go? Was he still in front of her? Behind her?

A shot came from her left, grazing across her arm and she gasped. Another shot came from her right but she was able to avoid it this time. She could hear his laughter as he circled around, concealed by the poisonous smog he had unleashed.

"Not how you expected this to go down, is it?" He said, his voice echoing across the arena.

Samirah held her ground, trying to focus. He had a way to see her… she was at a disadvantage. A really big one. She backed up slightly, holding her blade in front of her. She was pretty sure his helmet allowed him to not only see her through the smog, but purify the air before it entered his suit. A smart plan. Genius, almost. If she could somehow puncture his suit, she'd pollute the insides with the gas and he'd be just as affected as she was.

"Bendak…"She said quietly as a shot flew past her. She unconsciously moved her blade to deflect the shot which surprised her. That was an extremely lucky move on her part.

She ducked as she tried to remain focus and stumble on his exact location. If she could control how much air she breathed, she would fair off better with the toxic gas. She moved slightly, ignoring the murmurs and angry shouts from the crowd. She couldn't help but smile at the distressed patrons. Served them right as far as she was concerned.

They were upset because they were being cheated of a match. They didn't get to see Bendak and her battling it out to the death. That somehow brought her satisfaction.

She slowly moved and in an instant, ducked and rolled to her left as a vibroblade crashed down against the hard floor. Again, another lucky move on her part. The sound of the blade grating against the floor echoed and she immediately swung her blade down over him as he brought the sword up to block. Their game of parrying began again only this time, she couldn't see him and she could feel her strength evaporating with each strike.

She was at a huge disadvantage and she needed to end this quickly or she wouldn't be the one walking out alive.

Carth panicked the moment he saw the smoke spewing from the grenade. He grasped the monitor, holding his breath back, petrified to do anything. Where was she? Was she alright? Bastila frowned at him and pulled him away with effort.

"What's happening?" He shouted. Bastila simply shook her head, noting how distressed he was.

"Carth, calm down. She'll be able to handle this. Trust me." She spoke so calmly that it actually irritated him. How was it she was so calm? Why wasn't she going crazy from not knowing?

"How can you be so sure, Bastila? This girl—This girl is the first one to find danger! It's like she has this hidden agenda to test fate! If I didn't know better, I'd think she had suicidal tendencies!" Bastila simply smirked.

"The force is with her, Carth. Have faith in the force." She said quietly and somehow… Carth was slightly relieved. Slightly. It did nothing to alleviate the tension as he stared at the unknown.

They heard the clash and clinking of metal, an occasional blaster shot and a few sounds indicating that a few shots hit home—but who they hit was still undecided. The crowd became restless and was shouting for ventilation to clear the arena so they could see what was happening. It obviously wasn't going to happen since it was part of the duel. By removing the smog… the outcome could change.

"Hey! I paid good money for this!"

"This is a rip-off!"

"Where's the blood! Where's the carnage! Where's the fight!"

Carth couldn't believe what he was hearing. These people were unbelievable. All they cared about was the match. The very idea only irritated Carth more and Bastila could sense it. She just rolled her eyes and turned back to the monitor. This man was a wreck of emotions. She was fairly certain he didn't know how to alleviate stress before it bubbled out of him like the force in an untrained neophyte.

A few blasters shots went off before a blaster rifle flew from the smoke and skidded across the floor. The room went quiet as the two combatants went silent as well. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the victor to walk out. The room grew eerily still as their eyes were transfixed on the arena, waiting.

They didn't expect the blast that erupted in the middle of the ring.

The explosion surprised everyone as the smoke was sent out in waves, rippling through the arena floor. A figure was seen flying through the air and when they hit the floor, the rolled across the floor before skidding to a halt. The smoke concealed who the individual was and everyone waited to find out who survived and who died. The person hesitantly got up and Carth was relieved to see that it was Samirah. Not completely unscathed but she was pretty close.

She staggered and after several moments, caught her balance as she looked up to where the smoke had yet to clear. From the looks of it, she wasn't sure what to expect either.

The smoke finally began to clear up and Bendak was on the other end of the arena, holding his side and staggering. A couple of punctures were seen at the neckline and on his abdomen where he clutched it. The odd part about it all was even though he was in bad shape… he was laughing. He was actually laughing.

Samirah stumbled in his direction, trying to catch her bearings. She stopped a few feet from him and looked up at him, her vibroblade still in tow. She didn't care about the gas, she wasn't going to let go of her strength. She could tell Bendak was losing a lot of blood and that he wasn't faring too well. So, if his odds weren't too good… why was he laughing?

He looked up at her, coughing through his choked laughs.

"Bendak… we can get you medical attention… we don't have fight to the death." She pleaded. This was needless. He continued to laugh, shaking his head.

"You don't get it… do you?" She knitted her eyebrows, not catching his meaning. "I don't want your sympathy… I was always… in it for the…ecstasy." He said the word with... pleasure. Invigoration.

Something unnatural. Something that sent chills down her spine to think about. How could one receive so much pleasure from all of this?

"Dueling… to the death… that feeling… of your enemy… dying before you… pure fear in their…" He coughed and his breathing was ragged but he didn't seem the least bit concerned. "In their eyes… They have… no escape… only escape through… death…" He said maniacally making Samirah flinch.

"Bendak, it doesn't have to end like this. I don't want to kill you… I refuse too…"She stated forcefully. He found it amusing. He simply started laughing again, though it was hard since it was a mixture of laughter and coughing. Almost a gurgling sound.

"So… you plan on just letting me live? Live with the shame… of losing? To a girl no less?"He laughed so hard that she flinched. Was he serious? Was it really worth all of this? "No, that's just not my style… kid…" He pulled out a thermal detonator and held it firmly in his hand. Her eyes went wide with sickening anticipation as his finger pressed the button… and released.

The explosion sent her flying backwards and her back crashed against the hard, stone floor. She rolled a few times before she slid across the floor, hitting the wall and then she just laid there. How many times was she going to be sent flying through the air? At first, she didn't move. She didn't blink. She was simply frozen with perplexity.

She merely stared at the spot where his now lifeless body laid.

He killed himself? Killed himself so that he didn't have to live with his loss? Why? Was it really that important to him? She just couldn't comprehend any of it. Her ears were ringing and it took her a moment before she could hear the mumbling and quiet chatter of the crowd. They weren't sure what to think either.

Samirah couldn't find the strength to move, even lying still she felt soar and the aches on her body. She figured it was best to wait until the room stopped spinning before getting up. She closed her eyes but tried hard not to fall back into that void. She didn't have time to dig her way out of a grave if they really thought she was dead. She was just so exhausted. She wasn't there to please the crowd so she let them think what they wanted too. At this point, she didn't care. She just wanted to move on… after she got oriented again, of course.

And the onlookers believed she was dead.

To them, it looked like they both had died.

And that's what Carth thought. He stared in terror at the screen as Samirah lay motionless and the smoke around Bendak cleared, revealing his motionless form as well. His back was pressed against the wall and the red liquid that painted the wall behind him was so chilling that many of the audience members turned their eyes.

Bastila tried to remain calm, waiting for Samirah to get up but when she didn't, she feared the worst as well. The force was with her, it wouldn't let this happen. It couldn't. Too much was at stake, too much was depending on her.

"No…" She said silently. Carth was in too much shock to form any words. He knew it was risky, he knew it was dangerous—so why did he let her do it!

The credits weren't worth it! Nothing was worth it! Why did she do it? Why didn't he stop her? He slowly shook his head, not wanting his mind to process it. He clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white. His eyes never left her as he stared blankly at the screen.

Why didn't he do something? Why did she have to be so stubborn…? He could as all the what if's, but it didn't change the fact that she went to fight and he didn't stop her.

He finally turned away, looking anywhere but at her. He didn't want to face it. She couldn't be dead. There was no way that she was. How could she? She was the luckiest girl he had ever known! She could do just about anything and luck would be on her side. Bastila would tell him it was the force acting through her, not just luck. Either way—she came through. She lived. She succeeded. She moved on.

But not this time.

He placed his head in his hands, not sure what to do. Not sure what to think.

Samirah was dead. She lost. And for what purpose? What was he going to do now?

"Carth!" Bastila shouted at him but he shook his head. "Carth, look!"

"I… I don't want too…" He said quietly, his voice feeling hoarse. She sighed in frustration and groaned loudly before Carth felt this force pull him towards her, back to the monitor. "What the hell do you—"He had started to shout before she looked at him sharply.

"Shut up and look, Carth Onasi. My word, if you aren't difficult…" She said in frustration. He glared at her before dragging his gaze to the monitor, prepared to see her body being taken away.

Instead, he saw her standing up. She wobbled and nearly fell over, but she got up. She struggled to stand and after more than a few tries, she was finally able to. After several moments of pure silence, the crowd erupted into cheers and the announcer cheered with them.

"I don't believe this, ladies and gentlemen! Bendak is down! It's over! It's over! The fight is over! Bendak Starkiller is down! Bendak Starkiller is dead! And when you thought she was down and out, she gets back up and stands before us! She's the toughest duelist we've ever had the pleasure to witness in a duel! Ha-ha and you were lucky enough to witness such a display of talent!" He laughed his strange cackle before continuing excitedly.

"All hail the Mysterious Stranger, the greatest duelist to ever grace the rings of Taris!" And as he shouted it, so did everyone in the ring.

Samirah smiled meekly as she staggered from the dueling ring, clutching her vibroblade. She walked up the ramp leading back to the viewing room, using the railing for support and when she opened the door, she was met with loud cheers coming from the observers. The ones who had to settle with watching on the monitors. Bastila rushed up to her and helped support her as they found her a seat.

"My word, are you alright?"She asked, making Samirah laugh. The small action made her wince in response, but she was still smiling.

"For the most part? Yeah… I'm fine… my balance is a little off but it'll come back… I just need some air…" She breathed out a little uneasily but she was fine. A few more wounds, a few cuts and scuffs but she was fine.

Bastila checked her wounds and grimaced. They looked painful, but it wasn't life threatening. She would definitely have a couple of bruises, that was for sure but other than that, everything else was treatable. Bastila held her hands over the wounds, about to use the healing properties of the force when Samirah stopped her.

"Really, it's not that bad." She smiled at Bastila who really didn't care.

"You think I'm going to leave your wounds as they are? You are poorly mistaken." She said with finality before continuing to mend her wounds. Samirah laughed softly, but at a price. She winced and gasped mid-laughter. She could feel every bruise on her body and it wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing she had dealt with but it sure was the most annoying.

Ok, so maybe having Bastila heal her wasn't so bad. Bastila did so very inconspicuously, holding her hands close to the wounds so that it looked like she was merely checking them. They didn't want to draw attention to herForce wielding abilities.

She tried to remain still as Bastila worked, looking away and giving her room to work. Only after a few minutes did she realize something was missing. The one thing that always occurred when she had been reckless and taken unnecessary risks involving dangerous situations and possibly life threatening events—the one voice of disapproval.

She glanced around the room until she caught sight of him. Carth Onasi.

He stared at her, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly hanging open. She was alive. For a few moments, she had been dead to him. He was sure that she wasn't going to get up. He was sure that she was gone for good. That this was her final act of crazy adventuring. He never thought he would be staring at those chocolate brown eyes or see that confused expression she was wearing when he did something she didn't understand.

Which was quite a lot.

She wasn't sure why he was staring, but she felt a little embarrassed under his gaze. Why was he staring? Did she look that bad? She reached up and tentatively brushed her bangs, watching as dirt fell from the strands of hair.

Wow. She must look like a mess. Her cheeks turned bright red and Bastila noticed her sudden silence and tense posture. Was something hurting her?

"Are you sure you're alright?" Samirah nodded slowly, avoiding any eye contact with anyone. Bastila wasn't buying it. "If something is wrong…" Samirah looked at her, unsure if Bastila was someone she could really talk to.

Maybe she knew. Couldn't hurt at this point.

"Why… is he staring at me?" She whispered, nodding in Carth's direction. "Usually he chastises me for being so reckless but this time… he has nothing to say…"Bastila looked over at Carth and when he realized both women were staring at him, he closed his mouth and averted his eyes as well.

Bastila grimaced before looking back to the small girl before her. These two were definitely an odd pair.

"He was worried. When you didn't move, everyone feared the worse." Samirah shook her head.

"I just needed a few moments… I wasn't dead or anything… I just had trouble figuring out how to… work my body again." Bastila smirked. Forgot how to move her body? This girl never ceased to amaze her.

"Don't worry about him… he's just being, well, Carth." Samirah smirked. Bastila had her moments and this was definitely one of them.

When Bastila was sure that she was taken care of, she backed away, allowing Samirah space so she could stand. When she was sure she was ok, Samirah thanked her and made her way to the Hutt so she could collect her… reward. She didn't feel right collecting it but Bastila assured her that the credits would be useful and that, technically, they were hers now.

As she spoke to the Hutt, Bastila moved beside Carth who continued to watch Samirah. The droid, never failing to follow her every footstep.

"Carth!" She hissed into his ear, startling him. He jumped, turning his head so that he was now looking at her instead of Samirah. "What the devil has gotten into you? She's alive. You have her spooked with your suddenly quiet demeanor and quite frankly… me too." She stated.

He crossed his arms, looking down to the floor.

"What am I supposed to do? She almost died. It could have been her instead of Bendak. Bendak could be the one accepting that reward right now." She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"She almost died. But she didn't. It could have been Bendak who walked away victorious. But it wasn't. We have to have just a little more faith in her. Carth, I told you that the force is working through her. It's not about to leave her now."Even thought she said it, she did doubt it when she too feared that Samirah wasn't returning to them.

Carth couldn't believe her. Was she serious? Did she seriously think that?

"How are you so confident?" He asked her directly and she straightened up, careful about her next words.

"I can feel it. The force… is working strongly through her. Just trust in what I say."She said. He wasn't so sure, but he knew he had no other choice but to believe the Jedi. "And as to what you should do? You could congratulate her on a job well done." She stated before walking up to join Samirah with the droid following her, making small sounds in the process.

Carth watched from afar, replaying what Bastila had said. He was being an idiot. She was right. She could have died, but she didn't. Right now, it was good enough to know that she was alive and ok… for the most part.

Samirah thanked the Hutt as he handed over the credits along with Bendak's blaster. A trophy he had called it but she didn't want to think of it like that. She stared at the blaster and grimaced thinking back to Bendak.

The idiot died for the glory of the battle. He was no different than a Mandalorian with their thirst for blood. He wanted a glorified death in battle, to die by the hands of his opponent. Unfortunately, he was stuck with a conscious bearing Scout who's idea of death was to die peacefully in her sleep by natural causes she hoped.

As soon as she was done talking to the Hutt, she turned to Bastila, examining the little droid that she had in tow. His metal was slightly dirty but it was something that they could fix. He made a couple of odd beeps and boops, rolling slightly forward and slightly backward. So this is where Bastila had gone… She must have gone when Carth refused to.

"So, this is our new little friend?" Bastila nodded before grimacing as the Droid rolled closer to her.

"Yes, his name is T3-M4. This is the droid Davik was having built… The Mandalorian you spoke with forgot to mention the hefty fee he had yet to pay." She said, frowning.

Samirah winced not really wanting to know what kind of fee Bastila had to pay. So, it was a good thing that she had collected the credits from the Hutt. It seemed like everything was falling into place. She looked back at the Droid who seemed to be attached to Bastila. It stayed as close as it dared to her, making audible beeps and boops as it tried to converse with her. She only glanced at him with another grimace.

"No, I've already told you. I'm not your master. She is." She pointed at Samirah and when the little droid looked at her it made angry sounds and was quiet possibly yelling at her. He rolled towards her, bashing into her shin.

"Ow!" She yelled in surprise, hoping on one leg as she backed away. The little droid went after her again but this time, Samirah held her foot out and pressed it to its mechanical head: keeping him at a distance. "Hey, hey, hey! I didn't do anything… yet!"

"That is enough!" Bastila said sternly, pulling the droid away. He began making adoring sounds again and it only irritated Bastila that much more. "I'm sorry, I don't know what I've done but this droid seems to have… this fascination with me. I've tried explaining that I was merely there to retrieve it and nothing more. It won't see reason."

Samirah started laughing at the love-hate relationship developing between the two. She was sure that the last thing Bastila wanted was a small droid attaching itself to her.

"It's fine." She knelt down so that she was at eye level with the little droid and it only glowered at her. "Hello, T3-M4. My name is Samirah Alda, a friend of Bastila's. I need your help, if you would." It made some audible sounds and Bastila rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, the only reason I pulled you from that shop was to help her. And if you help her, you're helping me." She stated, not happy that she had to say it out loud. The idea of it was one thing but having to admit that she needed Samirah was another.

The droid pondered for a moment before sighing and chiming in to Samirah, reluctantly. She smiled excitedly, happy to see that the droid was willing to help.

"Good! Once you help us, you can tag along and follow Bastila all you want." She said with a smirk. Bastila stared at her in horror as the small droid beeped excitedly. It was an added measure to make sure the little droid didn't bail on her, last minute.

Plus it might earn her points with the small droid as well.

Samirah stood up straight, checking on the blaster wounds and scuffs on her body. She was impressed that Bastila was able to heal her so well. She still had a few aches and cuts here and there—it wasn't perfect, but she was better than before. She was sure that Bastila had even removed some of the toxin. Maybe not all, but enough. She still felt tired, but at least all of her strength hadn't been sapped. Samirah was happy to find that she wasn't overly damaged and would still be able to retrieve the codes for Canderous.

The thought of being overly damaged made her smile: treating herself like expendable goods. Sometimes, with the Republic commanding you from the sidelines, you felt just like that—expendable goods. Not fully part of their fleet but not their enemy either. She found one particular cut on her arm that Bastila had missed and she pulled out a bandage to wrap it in to keep it from bleeding. It was awkward trying to tie it with one hand and she grimaced at how difficult it was proving to be.

She hadn't noticed Carth until he was right beside her, reaching over to help her tie the bandage. She jumped at his sudden appearance which made him chuckle. She was always the same. She was always so jumpy.

"Calm down, it's just me."He said with a smile. She was hesitant at first but finally stayed still as he fixed the bandage.

When he finished, he held on to her bandage a moment longer, staring at the gray cloth. For a moment, she wondered if she was bleeding through it or something to that effect but after a few seconds he looked up at her.

"Congrats." He finally said. He attempted a smile, but it wasn't convincing. It looked forced and like he was biting back any other response he had.

She stared at him, blinking her eyes as she waited. Nothing. He said nothing more.

"Say what?" She finally asked, a little perplexed. "Congrats?" The way he said it, it sounded more like a sarcastic remark than anything else. Bastila gaped before she slowly placed her hand over her eyes in incredulity. He didn't. He couldn't possibly be that dense.

"Oh… ok… thanks, I guess…"Samirah finally said when he didn't respond.

When Bastila instructed him to congratulate her, she didn't mean a simple congrats. She was hoping for something a little more… You did a good job, I'm proud of you. Something like that—anything really. Something more than a plain congrats. It was more of the way he said it… it sounded condescending, almost. Patronizing even. Maybe when she was speaking with him, she shouldn't have used the word congratulate.

Maybe she should be more specific with him. Heavens, he was making things more difficult.

Samirah just shook her head and looked away. Wow, did she disappoint him that much? She would have much rather have heard him berate her for her actions then pretend to be happy that she was in the fight. Without another word, she walked past him, slightly hurt that he didn't deem her worthy enough for anything else except feigned acceptance.

When she pushed past him, he swiveled around, staring at her in shock. Was she upset? What had he done? What did he say? All he said was congrats like Bastila told him. Was it too soon? Too late? When he looked back at the Jedi she was staring at him with disdain.

"What did I do?" He shouted and she just slowly shook her head.

"Carth, I can't possible believe that you really don't understand. Congrats? Was that all you had to say?" She chided and he stared in alarm.

"That's what you told me to say!" He cried tossing his hands in front of him. What part of that did he get wrong?

"Not entirely! I said to congratulate her. Not to simply say Congrats." She shook her head hopelessly. He didn't understand any of it. That was the same thing, wasn't it?

"What's the difference?" He asked, clearly confused and clearly anxious. Bastila rolled her eyes and shook her head at the pilot.

"You may be the best pilot the Republic has to offer but when it comes right down to it, Carth Onasi, you're communication skills are in sore need of fine-tuning." She said, following after the scout who had left them behind. T3-M4 followed behind her, spitting out beeps and boops at Carth before sticking close behind Bastila. When he rolled over Carth's foot, he took that as a sign that the little droid didn't like him.

Great.

Carth stared at the droid nodding his head in defeat. Even the droid was on their side. He would never win at this rate. Everyone was beginning to go to her side.

Samirah had already excited the Cantina and was storming towards the apartments. She was going to go find Mission and fill her in. With Missions skills, she would be a wonderful asset to the Sith base infiltration. She hurried inside the apartment complex and quickly maneuvered her way to the door that belonged to them.

The lights overhead flickered, reminding her of how old and unmaintained the building was. Luckily, she wasn't planning on prolonging their stay on this planet much longer. She was sure any extended exposure to this planet would not only take her sanity but would turn her into a cynical human being. She didn't want that.

It was bad enough with Carth Onasi and his inconsistent attitude. She wanted to scream, she wanted out of there, she wanted to be on her own and she wanted some peace and quiet. Most of that she wouldn't get and the others would come in due time. She just needed to be patient. She just needed to keep strong and keep moving forward. There was no going back. There can't be any ifs, ands, or buts because ifs slow you down, ands only add complications and buts were usually always followed by what ifs... and that should be self explanatory. They were followed by regrets and indecision.

Yet, like the fool she was, she couldn't help but think about these things she could have done differently. The things she should have done differently. It never gets easier. No matter how badly you wanted it too or how strongly you wished it too—you had to keep moving and move beyond the obstacles.

She couldn't remember very well, but she was pretty sure that it was her mother who always said: We fall down and we get back up. Not because it hurts or because the floor is cold—that's only part of it. We get up so that we can move on and learn to fall down with grace.

She never really understood much of that as a kid but it kind of made sense now. She couldn't remember the last time she saw her mother or her family.

She hoped that Bastila and Carth took their time getting back to the apartment. Actually. She hoped that Carth took his time. She really didn't mind if Bastila was around, at least not right now. As long as she kept her attitude in check, they wouldn't have any problems.

For now, at least.

Usually if it wasn't Carth, it was Bastila. She had gone from never working with people to working with the most outrageous, nerve wrecking and overbearing people she could possible think of.

Wow, the force must have some wicked sense of humor because she wasn't laughing. She just needed to clear her head and focus on the task at hand.

Break into a base, steal some codes, talk to a Mandalorian, then follow the Mandalorians crazy idea and they would hopefully be home free.

Yeah… not the easiest task, but hopefully it would be worth it. At this point, this was all they had left and any other option—well, they weren't exactly an option now were they.


I Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think. Even simple Hello's are welcomed ^-^

I open to just about anything! Well, thank you for reading and if i've kept you interest thus far than i'm happy i've written something for you to enjoy.

Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

-SilverShards-