Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, KOTOR, Bioware or any of the characters. I do, however, own this death star replica that will show me the Star Wars Galaxy when I command it! And this lightsaber pen (its true, I'm the sad person who bought these things. I will eve go as far as to tell you that when I got them, I ran around my house with the death star in one hand and the pen in the other singing Darth Vader's theme. The one that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone! :D it was a glorious moment)

Ok, so I know I said a week in a half for this chapter and it took longer and I understand if you don't believe me anymore when I give you a rough estimate of an update. I have a valid reason that even you guys have to forgive. I have 6 words for you.

STAR WAR: The Old Republic... BETA!

That's right. I was able to Beta test ST:ToR and they've lifted the confidentiality restrictions ( you know, the whole "You talk about it, you die" kind of thing) and it was an amazing game. If any of you are familiar with Mass Effect: This game is like that but set in Star Wars. Everything is voice acted, you have moral decisions, you can be a Jedi who follows the dark side or a Sith who follows the light side. YOUR CHOICE! It's an amazing, in depth storyline with companions (NPC) great voice acting and so much to do its ridiculous! If you were debating about getting- don't debate and do it! Especially if you've played KOTOR and KOTOR II (obviously you have because you're reading my story haha at least, I hope you are). Its an amazing MMO and I can't wait to play it!

Ok, I wont hold you from the story much longer, sorry! Please enjoy and I hope you like!

Enjoy!


I remember and I forget

"A person with amnesia is looked upon as ill. What of a person who can remember only this life? Is this then not a case of amnesia on a grander scale?"

Canderous walked casually through the corridors of the Ebon Hawk, Samirah shivering in his arms. He wasn't exactly sure what had just happened. One moment, she was rushing through the halls and wiping tears out of her eyes—tears that had not escaped his notice—before her body stiffened and she froze. It was only a matter of seconds, not enough time for Canderous to figure out what had happened before she started to crumple to the floor. He had caught her in time, shocked at the sudden change of events before trying to wake her up. Her only response was a groan and a shivering lip.

Thus, bringing him to the female quarters of the Ebon Hawk.

The doors opened up for him to reveal an empty room. He knew Bastila wouldn't be in here, she was meditating in one of the cargo holds. He knew this because he had passed her in the corridors as she was marching away with her head held high. That was several moments before Samirah came rushing away from the cockpit.

He gently laid her on the cot, her body shaking and her lip still quivering. She mumbled words, quiet but frantic cries that died on her lips as he watched her. A few moments would pass before she would flinch, whimpering as if she had been wounded which only puzzled Canderous. She wasn't hurt. Was she? He looked over her, making sure she hadn't suffered any injuries from their adventures that he may have missed. He may be a Mandalorian and a Mercenary but he knew what wounds looked like when he saw them. He wasn't stupid or incompetent.

Nothing. Not even a scratch on the kid.

"She's not wounded. Not physically anyway." He looked over his shoulder to find Bastila rushing into the room. Had she been watching from the corridor?

She moved to Samirah's side, kneeling beside the ailing girl who thrashed about, stuck in what would seem to be a nightmare. Bastila placed a comforting hand on her shoulder in hopes of calming her down. Samirah's eyes flashed open and she gasped out loud, her mouth hanging open like she was about to scream but something had cut her screams away. All that was heard was silence before she slumped back against the bed, her head falling to the side, away from the onlookers beside her.

Bastila frowned before moving her hand to Samirah's forehead, releasing just enough energy to quiet her thoughts and lull her to sleep. Her face and muscles relaxed, her very spirit returning back to a calm and tranquil state. Bastila felt this through the bond, relieved that she no longer could feel the fear and anguish that radiated through the bond like the power from a dying sun. She pulled the sheets over Samirah, giving her the time she needed to rest. She stood up carefully and quietly, trying not to disturb the now peaceful Jedi.

When she turned, Canderous was eyeing her carefully before casting his gaze to Samirah and back to Bastila. He… noticed something off. In Samirah's eyes… was it a trick of light or did he see something else? Bastila placed both her hands on her waist and leaning to the side on one leg, cocking her head to the side.

"What?" She asked in inpatient but hushed tone.

"You were quick to show up here, princess." He said his nickname for the Jedi with extra emphasis just to enrage her even further. It must have been the lighting in Samirah's eyes. "Any idea what's wrong with the kid?" She shook her head.

"No. I do suggest, however, that we let her rest. She's had a very stressful few days and I think we out to let her get better. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some meditations to return to." She said quickly, brushing past him with poise to the cargo hold again. Canderous watched her leave, staying where he was for a few moments before grunting.

He knew she was holding back something.

And she was.

Bastila had felt it through the bond. She didn't have to know what exactly had happened but she knew exactly who had caused it. Instead of marching to the cargo hold like she had planned, she marched straight for the cockpit, where a certain pilot was taking the crew to Kashyyyk. She felt as the Ebon Hawk finished the take off procedures and headed off for space, bracing herself against the hull of the ship for a moment. When the ship was steady again, she started off for the cockpit once more, passing Mission along the way. Mission was sitting at a table, rebuilding a pazaak deck from cards she had recently claimed while on Dantooine.

T3-M4 had powered down and was recharging in a far corner of the room as Zaalbar scarfed down a plate of some kind of gunk he had pulled from the synthesizers. She grimaced inwardly as she tried to avoid smelling the odd concoction as she passed by him. Everyone seemed to have their focus on other things and paid her hardly any attention as she made her way to where their pilot was brooding to himself. Even Bastila could feel his foul mood radiating from the cockpit without the help of the Force. She marched inside, stopping at the doorway with her hands on her hips and a big frown on her face.

"Carth, I would like to have a word with you." An audible sigh of frustration was heard from him as he shook his head.

"…will it never end." He moaned. "Look Bastila, I'm not really in the mood to talk right now so if you don't mind—"She made a high pitch humph before crossing her arms.

"As it would seem, I do mind Carth. What happened between you and Samirah?" She knew Samirah had had another vision of sorts but she was hoping to find out if it was something Carth had set off. Right before she felt that ripple through the Force, the ripple that knocked her from her meditation with a shock that streamed from the intensity of the vision, she felt Samirah's feelings. She felt Samirah through the Force before but not like this, it wasn't a physical pain… it was emotional.

She was hurting.

And this was all before the vision took a hold of her.

"Nothing." He grumbled, clearly not wanting to delve into detail. She clenched her fist. The stubborn man.

"Carth, what happened? I demand to—"

"Well Bastila, I hate to disappoint but you can't demand everything you want to just appear on a platter before you now can you? You may get a royal treatment at the Enclave but here it's a different story." He retorted, looking over his shoulder to find her glaring at him with an intense expression.

"Do you always have to be so difficult, Carth?" She fumed. She attempted to remain in control of her emotions but found it difficult. She was going to require more meditation on controlling her temper better but right now, she was going to be furious with him. She didn't like the extra stress that was being put on Samirah.

Yes, Samirah did have her infuriating moment but Bastila wished no extra stress on her. Especially not now when her focus needed to be pointed at their mission and at her own studies as a Jedi. Carth was jeopardizing that. It was hard enough that Samirah's training was cut short and that she would have to be carefully watched for any…oddities. Carth didn't need to add to that. Bastila would have none of it.

"Bastila, I really don't have the time or the patience for this right now, ok? So—so if you want someone to explain what happened, go ask Samirah. I'm sure she'll tell you all about it…" He said sourly, still angry that she was making him feel guilty.

He had learned a long time ago that trust was something easily broken. He had trusted Saul for years and years only to find that when his trust in Saul should have been concrete… it was broken like a thin piece of string beneath a sharp blade. Betrayal like that was something not easily forgotten and not easily forgiven. Samirah should know that. She shouldn't be offended. She shouldn't be making him feel guilty but damn it, he did! He felt guilty for saying such things! Why did she have to be so sensitive? Why did she have to make it so personal? He couldn't do anything right around her… nothing…

"I would if she wasn't unconscious and now, finally, resting in her cot."

Carth's head jerked up to stare at her with wide eyes and she felt a little smug at finally grabbing his attention. Then again, felt no pride that it came at the price of Samirah's circumstance.

"But if you want to be a stubborn, willful pilot than by all means continue what you are doing but hear me when I say that you should cause her no more harm, Carth. You seem to be far too good at it and I will not tolerate anything else causing her grief. I need her focus on this mission. We all do." He casted his eyes away as she spun around on her heals and walked out, the clicking of her shoes against the ship the only sound.

She was unconscious? What had happened? Surely it wasn't because of what he had said… was it? Damn it, could he really not do anything right? He switched the console to auto-pilot when he knew they were on the right trajectory course for Kashyyyk. The console indicated that it was about a three day flight, give or take—but it was still a flight he wasn't particularly excited about now. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with his hands as exhaustion overwhelmed him. Why couldn't things be easy?

He wanted to check on her. He wanted to see for himself that she was really ok. He didn't like having to rely on what Bastila said—for all he knew, she was playing him. Trying to make him feel even guiltier and end up giving her an apology. He frowned at the thought of Bastila being a conniving harpy.

How easy it was to do, apparently.


It isn't right…

… What do you know?

Tell me!

Wait—No!

"NO!"

Samirah screamed the words as she shot up in her bed, her breathing erratic and a sudden aching in her head. She slowly brought a hand to her forehead, the palm of it covering an eye as she rested her head against it. It was… It was like a dream. A dream that was already fading from her mind and she was scared to grasp it, to reach out and pull the vivid images back. What were they? These dreams, these...visions… that the force was supposedly granting her—they were slowly consuming her. Why though? What could the force possibly be trying to show her?

Her body shook and shivered as she tried to remember what she had seen but she only got clips and flashes. Not enough to peace anything together.

"Here." She looked over to see Mission standing by the cot, holding a hot cup of tea. Samirah stared at her for a moment with a vacant expression before smiling wearily.

"Thanks, Mish." Her voice cracked as she tried to clear it, gingerly accepting the hot cup. From the fragrant smell that wafted from the cup, she guessed it was Naris-bud tea.

"So hey… are you ok? I only left for a minute when I heard you yell. Did something happen?" She asked, her face tilting to the side with puzzlement. Samirah shook her head as she positioned herself comfortably in the cot, her knees pulled up to her chest and her hands cradling the hot cup of tea close to her lips.

"Yeah, sorry. Just bad dreams." She said it with a smile as she carefully sipped the tea that was piping hot. Just how she liked it. She inhaled the floral fragrance, exhaling in delight at how quickly it relieved her of the terror the visions had brought her.

"Its… hot. Just how I like it…"

She had meant that to only be heard by herself but Mission was paying too close attention to miss it. She smiled a big toothy grin, standing up straight.

"Yeah? I made you a cup earlier when I heard you weren't feeling so good but it go cold and Canderous told me you only liked your tea to be hot. So I kept making you a new cup each time it got cold so that it would stay fresh and hot. Perfect timing on the waking up though—I just made this cup." Samirah looked at her with a surprised expression.

"You kept making me a new cup? So that it would stay fresh and hot?" She asked, overwhelmed with gratitude and admiration at Missions thoughtfulness. Mission nodded enthusiastically, holding her hand out to demonstrate the numerical number of cups she had made.

"Four to be exact. I was able to snatch a few bags of tea—not steal, but actually purchasing them at the enclave. I got tons!" She was proud of that fact and Samirah was proud of her.

"You're so sweet, Mission. I'm proud of you. The enclave is full of good people and I'm glad that you—wait," She stopped mid sentence with a blank look on her face, blinking several times before continuing with a surprised and alarmed expression,"—you said Canderous told you I like my tea hot?" Mission just kept grinning, her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, he told me that you won't drink it cold." She said nonchalantly as if it was an everyday thing—to know how one took their tea.

"But, when—how did—how does he…" She stammered trying to piece together how he would have figured out something so small. It was trivial. It was Canderous.

"He said that while we were on Dantooine, he saw you at a Cantina and that it wasn't hard to figure out." She offered, sitting across the room on another cot. "He pays attention to things a little more than you think. He's a hard player in a game of Pazaak too… cheat.."She mumbled, earning a slight, soft laugh from Samirah.

"I had never… really noticed." She spoke softly, still awe-struck.

"Yeah, he likes to surprise you doesn't he? Its like, he doesn't want you to know or something."Mission mused in a playful tone. "I wonder what else he knows…"

Samirah nodded slowly, still stuck on the thought that he paid enough attention to her to know how she liked her tea. Canderous didn't seem like the type of person to notice those things. Anyone else and she wouldn't have been so much surprised but flattered that they had noticed. From him though… well, she was… she was in awe. It was… abnormal and shocking but in an endearing way.

They stayed quiet for a few moments as Samirah quietly sipped her tea, rolling her thoughts around in her head and trying to keep them organized. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfortable silence between the two girls. Mission was patient with her, throwing out a few comments here and there to start small conversations that made Samirah smile. She had started off asking about Mandalorians and making jokes about them. Maybe they weren't just thugs in metal suits, maybe they had more to them. The conversation drifted from one topic to another, slowly taking Samirah's mind away from the visions. Mission asked about the Jedi, what the council was like, where they were going, what they were doing, how Samirah felt about it, what it felt like to be a Jedi—that one being Missions favorite question once she asked it. She seemed more interested on what had changed within Samirah that made her a Jedi. Was Samirah still Samirah?

She knew what most people did and that mainly revolved around what they saw in the holovids which depicted all Jedi as heroes. Somehow, Mission had come to find this fascination about Samirah being one of them. She had repositioned herself on the floor in front of Samirah, her legs crossed as she peered up at her with wide, admiring eyes. Samirah was in the process of trying to describe the force to her—describing how it defined the Jedi, her now empty cup of tea forgotten.

"It's like… being opened to something new. Being allowed to breathe without knowing you were ever drowning. Hearing things you've never heard before, feeling things that you never knew existed and being filled to the brim without ever knowing you were empty. The force is the key to it all—it's the words in a song, the beat within a heart, the ripples in the water; the color in the sky." Samirah waved her free hand in the air to illustrate the words she said. "It's the sand beneath your feet or the breeze against your skin. The air you breathe and the only food you'll ever need.

"It guides you, protects you and has a plan for you. It's not a weapon but an entity to protect others and defend yourself when the time comes. A Jedi is a defender of the weak. It is not an easy life either, Master Zhar taught me the difficulties of becoming a Jedi. He said that the Jedi carry a heavy burden because we cannot feel emotion, it clouds your judgment. It makes it hard to see things. There is no emotion, there is peace." By explaining it, bit by bit to Mission, it cleared Samirah's thoughts.

It was calming.

"Whoa…" Mission echoed her thoughts, her bright eyes staring at Samirah. "That was like, deep. Sami, is that how you feel? When, ya know, use the Force?"

"I don't know… It's a fulfilling feeling you get. I can't describe it." She said, thinking about how it felt as the force rolled off her fingers like a light mist—a vapor of this clean and magical thing. "When I was still a scout and traveling on my own, I had always heard all these great stories about Jedi. Most notably at the time, Revan and Malak—but to me, I always grouped them in the same category as any other soldier. They just had a few more tricks up their sleeves and were revered because of whatever mystical powers they wielded.

"I could have never understood what they really were. When I visited Elrood, a planet between the Halbara and Kidron systems, I met a Jedi there. I had never spent much time around Jedi but knew enough to keep my distance—or at least try. He had a tendency to always cross my path despite the fact that I tried hard to avoid him. After the fifth or sixth time, he concluded that the Force was crossing ours paths on purpose. I denied it all and called it a poorly constructed pick-up line to be honest. I always felt bad about that. Turns out, several days later as I was scouting for a Teltior who had information I needed about another system, I stumbled into a bad situation. I had interfered with a smuggling operation. An operation involving the Exchange and was seconds away from being shot.

"That Jedi showed up out of what seemed like thin air and defended me. The smugglers were actually bounty hunters that the Jedi was out searching for and had devoted his time to bringing them to justice. They had somehow crossed the Jedi—or maybe they had taken one of them for some purpose… I don't really remember what the reason was anymore. I do remember, however, that he saved me and even made a light joke about my doubt in the Force." Samirah smiled as she remembered him fondly, his nonchalant attitude and love for life. He was a kind soul. "I never saw him again after Elrood but I remembered his name. He made sure I wouldn't… forget…" She paused, her smiling fading.

"It was… it was…" She struggled to voice it, trying to recall the words. Then the shock of it hit her.

She couldn't remember. His name was lost to her. Was he a Twi'lek? A Zabrak? She couldn't remember. The horror of it hit her so hard that she had dropped the long forgotten tea cup, staring at a blank wall as she tried to calm herself. What was his name? Marcus? Alona? She couldn't remember! Of all the things in the galaxy, she could never forget his name. So how had she managed to do it now?

Mission's hands quickly recovered the cup, setting it aside as she moved to sit next to Samirah.

"Hey, it's ok. It was a long time ago, right? You can't remember everything, Sami." She tried to make light of it but Samirah couldn't. That hit another note inside her. How long had it been? Surely not long enough for her to forget. She remembers her time on Nar Shaddaa, her time on Onderon, Exocron, Alderaan, Dagobah and even as far as the moons of Yavin but she was losing the details that were once, so important to her.

She was panicking.

And Mission could see that.

"H-hold on, ok? Everything will be ok, you'll see! I'll go get Bastila or—or someone, they'll tell you it's ok!" Mission didn't know how to handle it. She could see Samirah's eyes dart back and forth as she tried to remember things that were important to her, details she was devastated to find she had lost over time. Maybe Bastila could calm her or at the very least, take her mind off of things with a little heated argument or something.

Bastila was good at arguing.

Mission jumped up from the cot and hurried out the room as Samirah closed her eyes, envisioning the things from her past. She needed to recall them. She needed to remember. She needed to find the other important things in her life. Without them, it was like being hollow.

"You always have a knack for finding trouble don't you?" The Jedi's smile was easy to see, his stance easy to distinguish then, but concealed in the shadows of her mind. "I may not be able to save you next time."

Samirah snorted, resting her hands on her hips before leaning to one side. "Oh really? Who says I needed it this time? I was doing just fine." It was a fun and flirty response—not that she was always that brave around people, but his presence had relaxed her a bit. "I do believe you are following me, Master Jedi." He laughed.

"No, no, you mistake me milady, I'm but only a Jedi. Not a master by any means. I assure you that you are safe from my footsteps unless the Force believes it necessary that I follow you." He added with a smile. She blushed in response at the idea of having her own guardian angel.

"And what if the Force believes it time we separate our ways? That our paths can no longer cross?" She asked and he laughed softly, looking towards the sky with such a relaxed posture that she couldn't help but admire him.

"Well, then I am glad to have been in your presence if only for such a short time. I'm sure there will come a time when I will see you again." He handed her something but in the dark, she couldn't see what it was. "Keep it. A token of my appreciation."

"Appreciation? For what?" She asked with a smile but also, a look of confusion. "I've done nothing but get in trouble while I've been here."

"For teaching me. You may not know what, but the Force showed you to me for a reason and I believe I have found that reason. Thank you and may the Force be with you, milady." He turned with a slight bow before leaving, his mission complete.

"Wait, but if we meet, I don't know what I should call you?" She hollered after him and he looked over his shoulder with a smile. He opened his mouth to say but… but she couldn't hear?

No, that wasn't right. She had heard it. She remembered him after that night, she always had because he had made such an impression. Why couldn't she remember? Why? By the Force she would search and wrack her brain until she remembered! Forgetting that name was like forgetting how to walk—it took effort to do that and she had, by no means, any reason to forget it.

She looked to the end of her cot where her things were, reaching over to rummage through her things. When she had boarded the Endar Spire, she had left many things on her own ship, the Silver Meridian. What had he given her? Did she keep it? Why couldn't she remember it? What was it? Why did this bother her! All she had were questions, all she ever had were questions! When would she get some blasted answers?

In her frustration, she threw a few of her things off the cot, a small cry escaping from between her lips. What was wrong with her? It was like she was forgetting pieces of her past as her future changed. She dropped against the cot her hands balled into fists over her eyes as she attempted to steady her mind. It would come back. She would remember. She just needed something to jog her memory. She would find a way. If it meant going back to Elrood, she would do it. As she pulled her hands from her face, she recognized a familiar bag that had almost become forgotten to her. A bag that had been absent during her time on Dantooine.

"Trask…" She reached out and pulled his bag closer to her, cradling it to her chest.

She wouldn't allow herself to forget him or to forget what he had done for her. If she forgot this, then she deserved no title as Jedi. She deserved nothing. She squeezed the bag close, feeling much like a child now. She was attached to a bag.

How silly and yet… it was so crucial to her.


The next day or two went by uneventfully. Canderous found that everyone was down and out about something. Mission and Bastila were fussing over Samirah and her change in mood. Most of the time Bastila and Samirah were in the middle of meditation and Mission would sit outside the room, going through her Pazaak cards and doing calculations. They spent most of their time, if not all, in meditations. Bastila had done some convincing and told the kid that meditations would ease the storm in her mind. Soldier-boy was holed up in the cockpit and would sometimes make it as far as the main room before retreating back to his pilot's seat. Canderous would often times find him pacing back and forth from the pilots chair to the hallway and back.

It was irritating really.

He knew the soldier boy wanted to talk to Samirah. Yeah, he screwed up. Seemed like that was a common feat amongst the Republic—without the Jedi, the Mandalorians would have won that war. It was a miracle the Republic had lasted so long. But that wasn't the point of his thoughts—the point was the Soldier boy should be used to his blunders, especially when dealing with the kid. Mission was right—he had some kind of emotion towards her. The little hustler—he called her such because of their games at Pazaak—assumed it was an infatuation but sometimes Canderous wondered if that's what it was. There was definitely something between them but the way their conversations typically went… he wasn't so sure it was a kind of amour. Especially if he was the reason she had begun to cry.

He made a face at the thought of Carth making the kid cry, downing another glass of gin. He had a feeling that he had walked into a mess of things when he decided to stick with this group. He better be able to rough someone up or something to release all this agitation that was building up inside the Ebon Crew. He didn't join to be a mediator or anything for them: that wasn't a part of the job description.

Zaalbar made a small roar that struck Canderous as perhaps a disagreeable kind of roar, possibly at the plate in front of him. He didn't understand Wookiee but the tone was probably all he really wanted to hear.

He kept a careful eye on the walking carpet. That Wookiee was getting a bit tired of the synthesized food they had. Yeah, it wasn't the best stuff in the world and the kid had tried her best to fix it but it seemed like a little bit more work was in order to fix that stuff. Especially if the Wookiee wouldn't eat it.

Or it could be that he didn't like the fact that they were visiting his home world.

Canderous had noticed the antsy reactions that would emit from the Wookiee each time someone even mentioned the name Kashyyyk. It provoked some kind of reaction from him that obviously made him uncomfortable. He was hiding something. When someone hid something, there was generally a good reason behind it. Canderous had known a good wide variety of people who hid things for one reason or another and in his experience—it sometimes wasn't a good thing. Though, despite Canderous's best efforts to unravel the secrets the Wookiee had been hiding discreetly, Zaalbar was adamant that no one ask and no one know.

He wanted to keep his business to himself and Canderous respected that.

Canderous leaned back in his chair, holding his glass up his mouth and downing the contents. The class clinked against the table with a satisfying clink. The Wookiee in question was seated at a table on the other end of the room, sitting in a posture so rigid he made the Jedi seem flaccid. Actually, now that Canderous thought about it… the Wookiee was on edge this very moment and that usually meant bad things to come. You never wanted a Wookiee to become agitated and Canderous was sure it was because he felt the ship inch ever so close to his home world.

Apparently it wasn't so much a home world to the walking carpet now.

He frowned to himself, thinking about the crew as he poured another cup of Sullustan gin. He figured, it was never too early or too late to have a nice relaxing cup of sweet alcohol. He was sure that he needed it more than all the others. Yeah, they were having problems but he was the one who had to endure them. It wasn't like he couldn't hold his liquor either—all Mandalorians had an iron stomach. They drank Juma juice when they were in womb, damn it! Made them strong—he was certain he could out drink anybody on this side of the galaxy. Alcohol was nothing to a Mandalorian but a drink to pass the time and relax. He never got inebriated.

He poured a new cup of gin, just drinking to pass the time and to do something that didn't involve everyone else.

T3-M4 zoomed by, beeping and booping his nonsense that didn't particularly interest Canderous. The tin can was spewing out sounds left and right as Canderous downed another glass of gin, trying to block out the utility droids raving madness. If there was anything he didn't need, it was a utility droid spewing its lunacy at him. Canderous preferred to be left to his thoughts if at all possible. He was having a nice drink before this tin can interrupted him.

"Beep, deeeeeet-reet-dweet! Boop, deet-deet-reet!" It stopped in front of Canderous, moving back and forth, bumping into his foot as it whistled and chimed at the Mandalorian. Canderous frowned at him before kicking the droid away.

"Yeah, what do you want?" He asked in an aggravated tone and even as the droid attempted communication with him, he didn't have a clue as to what was being said. Canderous frowned as he poured another cup of gin. T3 whistled in a high pitch tone before slamming into his foot again, making him spill his gin across the table. He cursed before slamming his bottle against the table to give the droid the attention it demanded.

"Listen you trash compactor, I don't know what it is you want but you're not getting it from me. So if there's a point to your irritating noise, I insist that you—"The sound of footsteps rounding the corridor made him inwardly sigh as he heard his name being called.

"Canderous! Canderous! CANDEROUS! CAN—"

"Calm down, I'm in here!" He shouted, suddenly wishing he had something stronger than just gin. Mission hurried into the room, a frantic look on her face as she tried to control her breathing and get her words to work. "What's up now? And why is the bucket of bolts bothering me?"

"Its Sami! She and Bastila—They—It was—They're—come quick!" She couldn't get her words out and Canderous didn't need to hear anything else. He was out of his chair, pushing the droid aside as it whistled in response and followed them out of the main room.

They hurried to the Cargo Hold where Bastila and Samirah had previously been meditating. When they arrived, both Jedi were laying on the ground as if they had fallen unconscious. Samirah was on her side, her head resting on her shoulder and Canderous quickly dropped next to her to check her vitals while Mission checked Bastila. They were breathing, he noted, and didn't seem to have been harmed by anything…

"I was just outside, ya know? They were quiet and meditating one moment and the next, I hear them hitting the floor without warning. It was bazaar!" Mission explained as Bastila moaned and Samirah's head bobbed as she tried to open her eyes.

Canderous helped Samirah sit up as her hand instinctively went to her head. Her eyes fluttered open and Canderous noticed for the second time… something different. A flake of color that shifted in her eyes—an altercation in her irises. In seconds it was gone though and he thought to keep this to himself for now. Mission was helping Bastila up as she blinked her eyes several times before looking around to be sure of her surroundings.

Another vision.

Samirah and Bastila looked at each other, both knowing what had just happened. The Star Maps. They had seen a Star Map on Kashyyyk and it seemed the Force was trying to help them in their quest.

"You… saw it too." Samirah asked, just for clarification. Bastila nodded and spoke out loud to include their audience.

"Yes. The Force has given us a… a vision. Like the one we shared on Dantooine. The Force is strong with us both and seems to be aiding us." Canderous looked between both of them, unsure about what was going on. But he hardly got the chance to ask. The sound of footsteps was heard echoing from the corridor, followed by a familiar voice.

The voice of the pilot.

Canderous couldn't help but roll his eyes. Just one thing after the next, wasn't it?

"We're nearing Kashyyyk. Seems the ship is faster than I thought. We should be—"He was looking into each room, trying to find the rest of the crew when he finally looked into the cargo hold and paused. His eyes went first to Samirah, leaning against Canderous on the floor, his hand on her shoulder. He blinked several times before looking to Bastila to find her in a similar position with Mission. He scrunched his eyebrows together before crossing his arms in confusion.

"Did I miss something?" He inquired, looking back to Samirah who looked away from him. Somewhere, he felt a ping of shame when she refused to look at him. Canderous couldn't help the smirk it brought to his face at the Soldier boys misfortune.

Always a mess.

"Not really, we were just having a little talk. You were saying?" He prompted the pilot to continue with a smirk.

"We're arriving at Kashyyyk, should be docking in about an hour." He spoke in a monotone as he continued to assess the situation before him. Bastila promptly stood up, brushing off her robes before looking at Samirah and offering her hand. With the help of Canderous, Samirah came to her feet and was brushing herself off before smiling to Canderous and Mission.

"Thank you…" She said quietly before putting on a smile and looking to Carth and Bastila—mostly Bastila. "Shall we go then? I want to see Kashyyyk as we land if I may." Bastila nodded before gesturing for Carth to lead the way. Canderous and Mission just looked at each other for a moment before figuring it was safer not to follow.

If anything bad happened, neither one of them wanted to be caught in the cross fire.

"Seems things are going bad… huh?" Mission asked, seated on the floor. "Looks like Sami and Carth are at it again." Canderous just smirked as he stood up, cracking his neck.

"We shouldn't bother with them. They'll work it out on their own." Once he said the words, he looked at Mission as she raised an eyebrow at him and he chuckled. "You're right. I forget who we're dealing with."

"Don't worry… I have a plan…" Mission said, a devilish grin taking over as she left the room. She was plotting in her head. An idea was presenting itself and she just needed the right conditions.

Canderous shook his head as he rubbed his neck.

"Definitely not in the job description…" He mused to himself with a smirk.

He needed something stronger than gin.


"Kashyyyk is a lush but simple and undeveloped world." Bastila spoke softly as she looked out on to the planet as they descended. "I would not have expected to find the alien technology of a Star Map here."

"It… looked like the Star Map was on the forest floor? But that can't be right, can it? Should we ask Zaalbar about it?" Samirah questioned, looking at Bastila before looking back to the planet. Bastila was shaking her head.

"The Wookiees of Kashyyyk make their home high among the Wroshyr branches; only their bravest warriors dare to descend into the forbidding depths of the forest. If the Star Map is located far beneath us on the planet's surface, as our vision seems to suggest, it is unlikely the Wookiees even know of its existence." She crossed her arms, cocking her head to the side. "No doubt things will become more clear once we discover the Star Map's location."

This made Samirah laugh, earning a confused look from Bastila.

"Of course it will… most of the work will already be done by then. Do you think Zaalbar will want to join us? He's likely to want to see his home world, don't you think?" She offered in a change of subject before becoming a subject of Bastila's rage. It worked.

"I assume so." Bastila mused, not really sure if the Wookiee wanted that or not. "He could prove useful none the less so we'll bring him with us." Samirah nodded, aware that the entirety of their conversation, they had practically ignored Carth.

Something she was sure he hated.

"I'll go get him and we can set off as soon as we dock." She finished and quickly walked away, not even giving Carth a glance. Bastila had started to follow when she noticed Carth doing the same. She stopped and gave him a quizzical look.

"And where are you going?" She asked and Carth returned the same look.

"To Kashyyyk?" She crossed her arms and shook her head.

"I think not." Carth just stared at her and blinked a few times, trying to make sure he was understanding what she was saying.

"You're serious. What am I supposed to do up here?" He protested and she just shrugged, turning to leave.

"I don't know Carth and I don't care. You may get royal treatment with the Republic but here it's a different story." She responded with a smile before walking away. Carth just blinked before smiling to himself. He deserved that one.

But that didn't mean he was staying behind.


"What do you mean someone's been in the emergency stash?" Samirah cried, rubbing her head. Zaalbar just shrugged as he roared.

"Just that. Someone's been in it. I just thought I should bring it to your attention." She rubbed her head and nodded. She would just add it to her ever growing list of things to check on when she got the chance.

Right now, wasn't that chance.

"Ok, well, just come with me for now Zaalbar. We'll deal with that later. We have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment." She rubbed her forehead before smiling up at him. "We're docking on Kashyyyk now and I wanted you to come with us."

Zaalbar immediately stood up straight and was quiet for a few moments. Even to Samirah, it was apparent that he was thinking hard about what she was proposing. After several minutes of silence and fidgeting on Samirah's part, unsure if she needed to speak up or wait for him to come to a conclusion—he nodded slowly.

"If—If that is what you want, Samirah Alda. I will accompany you to the surface of my… of Kashyyyk." He nodded his head again before turning to grab his gear and prepare.

Samirah watched him for several minutes until he was out of her sight. She tilted her head for a moment, not quite sure what she had missed. Zaalbar didn't seem too fond of being home. She imagined that if she had ever returned to Deralia, she would be ecstatic to see her home. She missed home and her family.

She felt this giant ping of pain in her chest at the thought. Her hands balled into fists again as she tried to quickly calm her thoughts. She remembered her family. She had one, she knew she did. She even remembered having a little sister and to make things better, she remembered her sister's name: Ashaiya. She was younger, only just a baby when Samirah had left home to pursue her new life. She remembered that.

But something about it bothered it.

What bothered her was that she only remembered their faces. And the way she was remembering things… it was off. She was forgetting childhood memories too. She could barely remember what her house looked like and that wasn't something you forgot was it? You don't forget those things. You don't forget important memories. That stuck with you, always present, always close. You can't possibly ever forget those things. It was the beating of your heart, it sustained you.

It scared her to think that her memories were become a clutter of things—they weren't as they used to be.

She would remember. With time, they would come back. Perhaps it was just the stress of their ever present mission. Maybe, when everything was over she would go back to Deralia if not but for the sole purpose of rekindling the fire of her memories—the fire she felt ever slowly dying. She wouldn't allow that. Her priority was finding this Star Map and unlocking the secrets of the Star Forge. Of Revan. Maybe that's all she needed to do and once that was done, she would remember.

Stay calm and focus. Do not let this trip you up, Samirah, she chastised herself. In time, it will come. In time.

One needs but to only trust in the Force.

At least, that's what she was hoping.


How was it? Did you guys like it? Please review and tell me what you thought, I love hearing from you guys and I try to respond (I'm actually getting ready to respond to all my reviewers from the last chapter after I post this one.)

I plan on having the next chapter be a bit more fast pace with more action! So do not fret! And my semester at college is nearly done until January so I should have more time to devote to this story and keep cranking them out for you! :D

If you have any questions or thoughts or ideas, feel free to say! If you want to ask about SW:ToR I will tell you as much as you want to know and i'll be sure to reply quickly and if you want, talk more about it on the next chapter. If you would like to buy your own Death Star Planetarium or even lightsaber pen (because they're just awesome!) visit. . I'm addicted to that website.

Again, let me know what you think and I'll *hopefully* update fairly soon and we can go find our favorite crazy old coot! :D Thanks for reading guys, I really appreciate it! Until next time, ado.

~~SS~~