Chapter 13

The landing on Tatooine was the same as before. Drake and Bastila broke their meditation and the blue glow that had enveloped them disappeared slowly as they gazed at each other, their hands still entwined. Bastila thought back to Kashyyyk and the feel of Drake's lips on hers and felt the desire to kiss him coil in her gut. But once again her training voiced its disapproval albeit very weakly. Drake gazed back and then reluctantly released her hands. Bastila smiled weakly as Drake stood up.

"I guess this means you should go and see your mother" Drake stated going to leave.

"We… you mean" Drake turned back to look at Bastila with a raised eyebrow.

"We?" Drake replied. Bastila looked down and then back up at Drake.

"I'm not sure I could be truly focused on it without you there…I'd like you to come along" she stated "On one condition…" she added as an afterthought.

"Which would be?" Drake inquired though he knew the answer. Bastila stood up and ran her hand down his right arm.

"You finally tell me where you got this tattoo…" she answered. Drake smiled and nodded.

"Deal…" she smiled and Drake sighed, "Shall we?"

"Yes we shall" Bastila muttered and she led the way out of the dormitory towards the ramp.

Falcan was standing at the bottom of the ramp and was staring at an incredibly angry mandalorian purple Twi'lik who appeared to be trying to start a fight with Juhani.

"Falcan what the hell is going on?" Drake asked Falcan who looked about ready draw his pistols.

"Well this guy just walked up to us and began picking a fight with Juhani, we tried to avoid him but he wouldn't have it" Falcan growled.

"Oh great…" Drake nodded to Bastila who stayed back and made his way over to the cathars side.

"I have as much right to be here as you do…sir" Juhani was saying as Drake approached, she was keeping her temper in check but only just.

"Excuse me sir…" Drake said looking at Juhani letting her know to let him handle this "But if we have done anything to offend you we apologise" The purple twi'lik looked at him in disgust.

"A Jedi? Heh stop playing the good Samaritan" he growled " You Jedi act all prim and proper, but inside you must feel the same way I do about the lesser, nonhuman species." Drake felt a strong twinge of anger at the mans words.

"We want no trouble…" Drake began

"Oh maybe you're this cathar's owner…" Drake stiffened and Juhani felt her cathar blood begin to boil "The female's make amusing pets, good for housework, but the male's are feisty and uncontrollable…. like the one I met on Taris"

"WHAT!!! What did you say?!" Juhani's had anger flared and Drake sensed it throwing out an arm to keep Juhani back. He'd heard Juhani's tale about the death of her father at the hands of man in a bar brawl. But was this the man?

"What did you do on Taris you scum?!" Juhani spat as Falcan and Bastila began to move over to them.

"Put one of you down like the animals that you are…he was drunk and decided he wanted a fight and so I gave him one…" he growled with sadistic pride. Juhani's eyes widened and she spoke notably softer.

"It was you…" she whispered.

"It was me? What are you…" the mandalorians eyes widened slightly "hold on where have I seen you before?" Drake needed to end this now.

"Juhani…we're leaving" he said but Xor had other ideas

"Stay out of this Jedi trash…this doesn't concern you, now let me think no he's dead and her most likely too but maybe" Xor took a breath "so that's who you are…you're the little cathar I was going to purchase until those damn Jedi showed up on Taris" Juhani's eyes were slightly watery but then that was replaced by a fierce rage.

"You tried to purchase Juhani?" Drake growled having trouble holding his anger back and restraining himself from removing the mandalorians head.

"Yes and that makes her mine…so come now don't you think we could come to some deal over your little pet?" Xor replied. Drake snarled Juhani was slowly drawing her lightsaber behind him.

"She's her own person back off!" Drake snapped.

"YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY FATHER!" Juhani screamed at the mandalorian who began to back away hands in front of him.

"Er? Hold on don't be hasty now" he said his cowardly tendencies starting to get the better of him.

"I WILL SEE YOU DEAD FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY PEOPLE!!!!" Juhani nearly leapt at Xor had Drake not caught her. Drake used all of his strength to keep the enraged cathar back; her anger-fuelled strength was incredible. Falcan rushed forward and Bastila looked on with worried expression

"Juhani! Calm down! Killing him will solve nothing! Don't give in to your anger and desire for revenge," Drake pleaded with Juhani. Juhani stopped struggling against him and breathed heavily, her anger beginning to dissipate and she de-powered her saber.

"I will remain calm, I will not give in again" Juhani breathed. Xor nodded eagerly.

"Yes, yes say no to the Dark side" his expression changed and he snarled the next words "But I will have you yet! Ha!" with those final words he fled the Achorhead dock and left the four standing there. Juhani breathed deeply and closed her eyes. Drake placed his hand on her shoulder and placed his mouth close to her ear.

(He will pay for his crimes against your people, but do not give in to your anger; you'll accomplish nothing that way) Juhani blinked realising Drake had spoken in perfect Catharese the native language of her people, Juhani pulled back and looked at Drake in a sense of awe and nodded.

(You are right…I'll remain on the ship for a while and calm down) she replied in her native language. Drake smiled and nodded. Juhani turned and went back onto the ship. Falcan relaxed and followed suit saying something about needing to get some sleep.

Drake sighed and looked at Bastila. She nodded and walked past him. Drake fell into step behind her, as she walked quietly through the Achorhead streets. Drake came up next to her and they moved silently through the winding sand roads heading for the cantina.

As they reached the cantina doors, an angry duros exited and looked at them.

(I swear that woman gives you humans a bad name, tell me you aren't all like that…Helena must be your name for a pit rancor!) Bastila groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Drake looked at her.

"Helena's your mothers name right?" Drake asked.

"Yes unfortunately… lets get this over with" Bastila sighed

(Wait you're actually looking for her?! I'll never understand you humans you're all insane!) The duros muttered as they walked past him and into the cantina.

The cantina was filled with a large number of patrons, many looked like run down mercenaries and some were swoop racers. Most were slightly drunk and others were simply chatting. Drake and Bastila entered the cantina and small hush fell over the cantina though it was only temporary as they soon return to their drinks, mostly because of the lethal glare they received from Drake.

Bastila looked round and noticed the woman in the corner. She was around the same height as Bastila and had light brown hair and blue eyes. She was a plain robe that resembled a Jedi robe.

"That's her… over in the corner" Bastila muttered bitterly. Drake looked over to her and nodded. He walked through the crowd, parting it quite easily with his formidable frame as he approached Helena Shan.

"Ma'am" he greeted with a small bow. Helena looked up at him.

"Yes…I'm sorry but do I know you?" she replied in a politely forced tone.

"I'm here mother or don't you recognise me?" Bastila said coming up next to Drake.

"Well what do you expect, when I haven't had so much as a picture of you since you left, do you know how long I've been trying to find you?" Helena replied.

"You knew as well I as did that communication would be almost impossible once I joined the order…now what is this about? Where is father?" Bastila asked with a sense of urgency.

"So you don't know then…well I suppose I should have known" Helena said painfully. Bastila looked at her mother fiercely.

"Has something happened to him? Are you going to tell me or not?!" she replied. Helena looked down painfully.

"Your father is dead Bastila…" the statement snuck in and Bastila's hand shot to her mouth, "That's part of the reason I was looking you" Bastila's expression soon turned to grief-stricken anger.

"Dead?!" her voice was strained an attempt to hold her tears back "What happened? What did you do to him?" Bastila said accusingly as Drake gently gripped her arm.

"Well isn't this a lovely reunion, already she's throwing insults at me" Helena looked at Drake "Tell me you're one of her friends aren't you? Did you treat your mother this way?" Drake looked at her with a neutral expression.

"My mother died a long time ago if you must know" Drake answered. Helena's eyes widened.

"I'm sorry…well I guess I'll be joining her soon enough I suppose" Helena mused sadly.

"I was told you were sick… are you actually dying? Are is this just an act?" Bastila spat. Helena looked down.

"I can already tell you wish to blame for your fathers death, so I might as well just tell you, your father and I came here to look for Krayt Dragon pearls, he took an expedition out into the desert and was killed…" Helena explained.

"How can you be sure?" Bastila began.

"Do you think I'd contact you if I wasn't sure?!" Helena snapped, "One of the guide's saw your father get killed" Bastila gave up, painfully accepting the truth.

"So what do you want credits?" Bastila's voice was dripping with venom and Drake had enough.

"Enough Bas…" he said quietly Bastila looked at him "This hurting both of you, don't take it out on her" Bastila looked down.

"Bastila… I'd like you to find his holocron" Helena answered.

"Why? So you can sell it?" Bastila shot back, Drake shook his head.

"No so I have something I can remember your father by…please Bastila help me find it" Bastila sighed.

"Very well we'll look for the holocron…" Helena smiled bitterly.

"I believe he headed to the eastern dune sea's try there…" Bastila nodded and left without another word. Drake turned and looked apologetically at her mother. She nodded and shooed him away.

Drake found Bastila outside the cantina. She was wiping tears from her eyes. He walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. She shook him roughly away.

"You had no right to get involved!" she shouted at him. Drake looked away.

"Bas…listen to me…this is just as hard for you mother as it is for you…so don't make it worse for her…she feels guilty enough as it is…and don't say she doesn't!" he warned her before she could open her mouth "you sensed just as well as I did" Bastila looked down.

"You had no right," she muttered bitterly.

"If I remember correctly you asked me to be there," Drake replied very softly placing a hand on her shoulder and she didn't shake him away this time. "Bas…what do you want to do?" she looked at him with watery eyes.

"I…. I want to find the holocron," she whispered. Drake nodded and brushed his thumb over her shoulder.

"Let's go then…." he replied Bastila nodded and the two made their way to the Dune Sea.

Evidently it was a very bad decision to head out at that point. Bastila was far too distracted to function properly in the Dunes. The heat appeared to have more of an affect on her than their last trip here, as she seemed to be sweating more than Drake. Drake looked at her worriedly as she took a large gulp from her water canteen.

Drake's senses suddenly smacked him round the brain and he whipped round seeing three sand people charging at them staffs ready. They must be remnants of the tribe they'd slaughtered. Activating his new saber he ducked the swing from the first one, and then parried the second strike and neatly dodged the attacks while Bastila engaged the other two. However she was not in complete battle mode.

As Drake fought his one, he heard Bastila cry out in pain. He looked over to see her on the ground clutching her side, her lightsaber in the sand. Drake hurled his Tusken at the other two with the force and they crashed into a heap. He summoned a force whirlwind and they were spinning in the air for about a minute, howling desperately for some release before they hit the sand and fled with roars of rage.

Drake knelt down next to Bastila. She was clutching her left side, which had a deep gash along it, and blood was seeping through her clothing. Drake knew that neither of them could get to the Eastern Dunes at this rate, both were too hot, their force powers were being drained by their heat exhaustion and neither not one hundred percent since he was still recovering from his battle with the terentatek. He winced slightly as the pain on his right side returned.

"Bas… we can't go on at this rate, neither us have enough energy…" Bastila grunted as she heaved herself up only to fall forward, though Drake caught her. "We'll find the holocron but not this way…" he replied. Bastila conceded silently and tried to stand again. However after receiving similar results as the last time, she found herself surprised by Drake.

Drake wrapped his left arm under her legs and his right under her back and lifted her bridal style from the ground. Bastila protested weakly.

"I can walk…"

"Don't start being stubborn or acting strong Bas…" Drake warned as her lightsaber floated to her hand, which she received. "You're hurt and your force energy is drained from the heat…let someone else be strong for you…let me" Bastila looked at him seeing the love in his eyes, and sighed snuggling her head in the right crook of his neck, her left arm going round his shoulders.

"Only you…" she whispered "Only you could do that or would do that…" Drake smiled and began walking back to Achorhead, carrying Bastila in his arms.

Bastila felt a sense of peace despite her grief towards her father's death. Drake's arms held her with a sense of overwhelming tenderness and she felt herself enjoying the embrace, even as they received odd looks from the people they passed heading back to the Ebon Hawk. She found she didn't care.

Drake carried her into the Ebon Hawk and took her into the starboard dormitory. As the door whooshed closed, he gently laid Bastila onto one of the bunks. Bastila gazed at him as he reached for her injured left side his eyes never leaving hers. He gently took her hand away from it, and lay his own on there. His hand began to glow a soft blue colour. When he moved it away, the wound was completely healed; you couldn't even tell she'd been wounded. Drake satisfied Bastila would be ok went to leave but she caught his hand.

"No…" she whispered looking up at him with pleading eyes "Don't go…"

Drake looked at her and tapped his communicator.

"Carth…"

"Yeah?" came the pilots reply.

"Take the ship to the Eastern Dunes where we fought Calo…I need to investigate the cave there" Drake stated over the communicator

"Sure" Carth's end blipped out and Drake looked at Bastila.

"Bas…" he started.

"Please stay…" she pleaded with him, her blue eyes meeting his cyan ones "Can you just hold me?" Drake gazed at her and slowly moved to lie down behind her.

Bastila turned so she was facing him and his arm wrapped around her waist. She brushed her fingertips down his cheek and then took his other hand and entwined her fingers with his. They simply gazed at each, as their minds melded and the Jedi exploded each other's thoughts as the Ebon Hawk lifted into the air and began flying towards the Eastern Dunes.

Your reviews please!!!! I'd like your thoughts on the story so far!!!!