The next day, Connan spent the entire time mending T3-M4. She never left his casing, and was constantly with a tool in her hand and messing with something. By the time the sun went down, she had even waxed his armor so he looked brand new. T3-M4 stood beeping and whooping happily once she was done. He circled the room, testing out his new wheels and beaming.
Carth crossed his arms and smirked at Connan, who watched the droid circle the room with a smile of her own.
"You did a good job on him." Carth startled Connan slightly. "He looks like he was just created."
"Yes, I must say that's the best I've ever done on a droid before." She took out a rag and began wiping all of the oil from her hands. "I always tend to work a little better when I'm expecting something to happen."
"Handy to have in a war." Carth chided, sitting at the table. Connan nodded to the spastic T3-M4.
"So is he." She said, joining him at the table. "Not only is he one of the best at repair and computer hacking, he's got rock-solid armor and one gun for stunning and another for the actual firing."
"You did all that in one day?" Carth was amazed. Connan jumped, staring wide-eyed at him.
"Day?" Connan repeated. "What time is it?" She glanced at the clock. "Whoa. It's 7:54. I've been working on that droid for fourteen hours."
"How long did you think it was?" Carth raised an eyebrow.
"Two, at least." Connan turned red as Carth giggled. "I get caught up in my work."
"Speaking of work," Carth changed the subject, pulling out a map of the Sith base. "Here's what we have. This is the layout of the Sith building. The codes stay at the very top with the Sith apprentice at all times. We have to start out at the bottom."
"Okay, so we take you, me, Mission, and the little droid and fight our way up to the top of the Sith base?" Connan asked.
"That's the plan." Carth smirked.
"Good."
"What about Bastila?" Carth asked, hesitating before saying the name. Connan bristled, looking away.
"We can just tell her that it's safer for her here where the Sith aren't." Connan crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. Carth shrugged.
"All right, then."
-----
Connan stood huffing in front of the Sith apprentice, her hair frizzled out everywhere and her clothes more than a little bloody. Carth leaned beside her, injecting himself with a kolto pack.
"You look weary." The Sith taunted. "Let me kill you and you can rest."
"You look ugly," Connan countered. "But I'm nice enough not to comment on it," The Sith growled at her.
"Frai, just take one of the kolto packs," Carth sternly hissed. Connan shook her head.
"I hate kolto. It's thick and sticky and takes forever to come off unless you're somewhere near a 'fresher." She answered just as stubbornly. T3-M4 beside her, whooping his disagreement. "I don't care if it is good for me, T3, I don't want it."
"That's right," The Sith apprentice chided. "She's easier to kill this way."
"I'm sure," Connan panted, holding out her two vibroswords.
"With your death, my master will surely present me with my lightsaber." The Sith dreamily cooed to himself.
"Yeah, and you're going to pay for making my life a living hell." Connan droned, the sarcasm evident in her voice. She lunged at the Sith, her strength sparking back to life.
The Sith easily evaded her attack and placed one of his own at her back. With amazing speed, one of Connan's arms spun around and blocked it while the other one held onto the ground. Connan used her hand on the ground to flip herself over and knock the Sith down. She jumped to her feet and attempted to stab her blade into his chest. He blocked it, Force Pushing her backward into the wall.
Connan was exhausted without the use of the kolto, and when she impacted into the wall, Carth could hear a large crack emit from her. He cringed and leapt over to help her up. She lay on the floor in a pile, trying to pull herself up.
Connan felt her knee crack painfully as she slammed into the wall; she still forced herself up off the floor, keeping the weight off of the wounded knee. Carth sighed next to her.
"You're going to be the death of me," He murmured.
"Oh, I love you, too." Connan seethed, wincing in pain. She stared at the Sith.
"You're in no condition to fight," Mission insisted, holding her vibroblade in a stance of warning to the Sith.
"I know, but I will anyway." Connan answered, putting away her two blades and reaching into her backpack. "Stand back."
She jumped at the Sith, placing a hand on his head and another on his back. She yanked his head backward and skidded away from him. The Sith lost balance and fell onto his back. Connan covered her head and the man exploded into nothing, the remains turning to dust and settling on top of Connan, Carth, and Mission. The man's robes fluttered onto the ground and gently fwumped to a stop.
Connan clung to the wall and pulled herself up, shaking all of the dust off of her. She limped over to the robes and pulled out the launch codes.
"Your knee." Carth picked up Connan and set her on the ground, examining her knee. The bone was sticking out from its usual place, showing a large bump on her cap. Mission hissed and looked away. "It's broken."
"Nothing Zelka can't fix. We can give him the serum while we're there." Connan tried to stand again. Carth held her down.
"You are not going to just walk out of here like there's nothing wrong with your leg."
"There is nothing wrong with my leg. I can walk." Connan tried once more to stand. Carth pushed her back down.
"You can, but we're not going to let you." Mission smirked. Carth nodded.
"There's no one left in this base, we can carry you out without much trouble." He said. Connan growled.
"How far?" She asked.
"To Zelka's."
"Well, that's not too bad, I suppose…."
"I'm not going to let a soldier walk on a broken knee." Carth said the wrong thing. Connan puffed up.
"Soldier?" She repeated. "I can walk on my own knee, thanks." She pressed.
"You can't and you won't." Carth argued, picking her up so her knee rested over his left arm and her neck over his right. She gasped at the quick motion, tensing her muscles. She instantly let her muscles go as a sharp pain shot up her knee. "See? Now just stop struggling."
"Connan, you're turning red." Mission giggled at the flushed woman.
"Mission! Come here so I can smack you!" Connan snapped. Mission burst out laughing.
"No thanks. I'm fine right back here."
Carth ignored their banter; he focused on getting through the hallways without knocking Connan's knee into anything. He made it to the front of the Sith base and sighed. His arms were getting tired.
"Will you let me walk now, Onasi?" Connan asked impatiently. "Before you drop me and make me worse?"
"I'm not going to drop you," Carth snarled, finding new strength. He repositioned his arms without moving Connan and stepped outside. Zelka's shop was just on the other side of the street.
"A few more steps and you'll be walking on your own, Frai." Carth emphasized.
"How much is a few? Like, a half a step? Because that would be awesome." Connan tensed again, ignoring the pain in her leg. Connan ignored her and walked quickly to Zelka's Medical Shop.
"Welcome," He said before looking up. He gasped. "My, my." He pointed to a table where Carth set Connan down. She rolled her eyes.
"She broke her knee." Carth told him. Zelka nodded.
"I can see that, as well as many other scratches on her. Does she need the kolto tank?" He asked.
"No, that's okay." Connan answered quickly. "It's alright. Just heal my leg and we'll be out of here." Shrugging, Zelka shot a numbing juice into Connan's leg and pushed the bone back in place.
"It'll be a little sore for a while. And you'll have a nasty bruise on the top of the cap for a few weeks, but it should pass." Zelka said. "When it starts to get stiff, inject this into it." He handed Connan a needle and a bottle with the medicine she needed.
"Thanks." Connan stood again; putting all of her weight on her other leg since the broken one was numb. "And look what we found!" She pulled out the Rakghoul Serum.
"You found it!" Zelka snatched the serum away excitedly and examined it. "I'll start reproducing this right away. Thank you so much, traveler!" Connan nodded, limping out of the med bay.
"Where do you think you're going?" Carth scooped Connan up again, receiving a complacent groan from her.
"I was going to go to Javyar's cantina." She scowled darkly.
"Not with a purple knee." Mission insisted. "We're going back to the apartment." Connan lay limp in Carth's arms, giving up.
"Fine, whatever."
-----
"What happened to her?" Bastila asked when they returned. Carth set a fuming Connan down onto her bed. She stuck her tongue out at the Jedi, who simply chuckled at her inconvenience.
"Get some ice." Carth told Mission. She nodded. Carth took a few pillows and elevated the knee. "You have to keep the knee in the air, okay, Frai?"
"Yeah, yeah." She crossed her arms and pouted her lip.
"You're welcome." Carth smiled. She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Mandy's going to wonder what I did with his codes."
"I thought you didn't care about 'Mandy'."
"I don't, I just don't want to tell him I got carried half-way across Telos because of a broken knee."
"You broke your knee?" Bastila examined the knee. "It looks fine; did you go to Zelka's?"
"She wouldn't let us put her in the kolto tank or use a kolto pack on her." Carth tattled on her.
"I hate kolto. It's—"
"'Thick and sticky and takes forever to clean off', I know." Carth mimicked.
"If you know then why won't you leave me alone about it?" Connan spat. Carth got close to her ear and whispered,
"You're cute when you're mad."
He walked out of the room. Connan stared at the door which he used to leave, shocked into a red embarrassment. Bastila watched Connan anxiously, trying to get the woman's attention.
"Excuse me, Connan." She said. Connan slowly turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. I let my anger get the best of me and it got me into all kinds of trouble. I apologize."
"Uhh, sure." Connan raised an eyebrow.
"And I hope tomorrow you'll allow me to go to the Exchange with you. I can be an asset."
"Ha! She really puts the 'ass' in asset." Jishin joked.
"You've got that right."
"Sure, whatever."
There was an unsettling silence between the two that got Connan thinking. She had to get Carth back somehow for making a big show out of her leg. And he said "You're cute when you're mad." Who says that? It infuriated the woman that Carth get so much pleasure from annoying her.
"So," She said, watching Bastila's head pop up at being addressed. "Want to mess with Carth's mind a little?"
-----
Jishin was gone again.
"Jishin!" Connan was in a frenzied panic. She couldn't find her other self. "Jishin, where are you?"
"I'm here—" Jishin couldn't finish her sentence. Someone whizzed past Connan, knocking her down. The black cloaked woman was trapped in the room with Connan as the doors opened to reveal someone.
Bastila.
Connan stood, testing out her purple knee to find it wasn't hurting at all. She stared at Bastila.
"Jishin? Are you here?"
"Look here! Help! I—I can't—"
Connan couldn't find Jishin. And Bastila was nearing the cloaked woman. The cloaked woman charged three Dark Jedi at Bastila, who easily knocked them down. She held her finger to the cloaked woman.
"You cannot win, Revan."
Connan started, staring at the cloaked woman, apparently Revan.
"Jishin?" She called.
"Here! Please, for the love of gods—"
Bastila threw her lightsaber at Revan, who still stood solemnly. Without thinking of why, Connan lunged into the way. The lightsaber was not calculated to hit someone that close, and the hilt smacked Connan in the face, falling to the ground and constricting itself.
Connan yanked herself up from the bed, letting out a yell and panting. She propped herself up with her arms behind her and glanced around the dark room. As her eyes adjusted to the room, she saw Mission turn over in her sleep and Bastila sitting cross-legged in meditation. Zaalbar was probably in the next room, sleeping on a rug next to T3-M4.
"Jishin?" Connan called, looking around. "Are you there?"
"I'm here." She materialized next to Connan, who sighed.
"Don't ever do that again."
"Frai?"
Connan gasped, jumping as Carth called her name. He sighed, smirking sheepishly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He pulled a few pillows from his bed and sat them behind her so she could sit up. "Are you alright? You look really pale, and there's a red mark across your face. Did something hit you?"
Now able to use her arms, Connan felt her face, and felt the small indentation and heat from it. Where the lightsaber had hit her. She bristled.
"What happened?" Carth asked, sitting next to her.
"Uhh… just a bad dream. It's nothing." Connan waved off the question.
"It doesn't look like it was nothing." Carth stared at her knee. "Is that knee high enough? No, you kicked all of the pillows off. And you're cold! I'll go turn on the heat." Carth re-elevated her knee and turned up the temperature.
"You don't have to," Connan attempted to get out of the bed. Carth pushed her back, careful not to upset her knee.
"Don't get up." He ordered. "Your knee is still really purple." She sighed, laying back onto the pillows.
For a moment they were silent. Connan sat, staring at the white sheets covering her chest. Her thumbs twiddled subconsciously as she sighed. She broke the silence.
"Hey, Carth?" She asked. He stared at her.
"Hmm?"
"Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet since we got back from Zelka's, you know."
"Yeah… why?" Carth raised an eyebrow. Connan shook her head.
"Never mind, I just wanted to discuss something with you."
"You do?" That surprised Carth. "Well, alright, what did you want to talk about?"
"We didn't really finish our conversation from last time…." Connan glanced away.
"I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't understand where I was coming from," Sighing deeply, he leaned forward in his chair. "Let me try to explain." He took a breath. "You're probably one of the most skilled women I've ever met. You've saved my butt more than once and I'm lucky you're here to help me, no question." Connan crossed her arms and stared at the sheets in front of her, stifling a chuckle. She hadn't saved him once. If anything, he'd saved her stubborn ass from dying more than she'd though possible.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching you or being wary. I'm just not built that way. Period."
She bristled.
"And what, pray tell, are you watching me for?" She snarled. Carth pulled in a breath, startled at the mood swing from the woman.
"I don't know that yet." Carth stammered. "Like I said before, it's probably nothing. But I've been betrayed before by people and I…" Connan was turning red, trying to hold back her words. "Well… it just won't happen again. That's all."
"Of course it won't happen again if you don't trust anybody!" She hissed loudly. Her silky voice stung Carth across the face as if she's slapped him with a whip.
"Look…. I'm not trying to insult you. This is just the way I am. No need to take it personally."
If Connan had control over her purple knee, she would have stood up and slugged Carth.
"Don't tell me not to take anything personally, you hairless Wookie!" She said in her normal voice, forgetting about Mission sleeping in the next bed and the meditating Bastila.
Carth pushed down a laugh, on the other hand. "Hairless Wookie? Alright, sister. Just… just calm down before your head explodes."
"We'll see whose head explodes, ungrateful monkey-lizard!" Carth was getting a little hot, too.
"Is that your idea of an insult? Come on, sister, take your best shot."
"SEXLESS MARSH-TOAD!" Connan snapped, shouting the words in a hushed whisper. Mission turned over in her sleep, letting out a strained, yet content sigh.
"Ouch," Carth held his chest protectively. "You hurt my man-feelings there."
"You had it coming." Connan spat.
"I guess I did. Feel better now?" Carth pushed her arm with his thumb slightly. Connan slouched in her sitting position.
"A little." She pouted.
"Good, then maybe we can talk reasonably about this." Carth rested his elbows on her bed, making him look up at her and her look down at him. Connan smirked. "All I've been trying to say is that this isn't personal. If you were smart, you wouldn't trust anyone, either… not me, not Bastila—well, bad example. Not me, not Mission, not even yourself. Especially not yourself."
Connan stared at Carth in blatant shock. Then, slowly, her mouth pursed into a snarl and her eyes narrowed.
"How do you live with yourself?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Excuse me?" Carth cocked an eyebrow, clearly bewildered.
"How can you call yourself a soldier of the Republic? How can you call yourself a captain? How can you call yourself human?" Connan asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"The whole basis of commanding something, being a part of something, being loyal to anything is trust. You can't get anything done without trusting those around you. Taking control of a fleet of soldiers and not trusting the soldiers with their jobs is just as bad as shooting each and everyone when they're blindfolded. You can't be successful in anything without trust. You might be betrayed every now and then, but not everyone in the universe is going to stab you in the back." Connan recited.
"One man might sell his soul to the Dark Side for some reason, whether it's for power or—loved ones—and end up wiping out a whole side of a planet, but you're just as betrayed as everyone around you. You're in the same danger as everyone around you. The others who survive go on in their lives, rising up again through different spots of command to reprogram what was lost. What makes you so different from them? What excuse do you have to not trust anyone after everyone else has lived on in their lives?"
Carth fumed. This woman had the answers for everything, didn't she? Yet, what she said made a lot of sense. Carth shook his head.
"Is that what happened to you?" He asked. "Were you high up in the commanding status on Sajor, and someone betrayed you? Did your organization come tumbling down around you?"
"Organization? Onasi, we're talking about the whole left hemisphere of Sajor. It's nothing more than a large asteroid field now." Connan stopped herself from saying more.
Bastila stirred from her meditation, yawning. Connan glared at the woman, as if she was unusual in some way. Well, yeah, she was a Jedi. But another reason. A reason Connan couldn't make out.
Had she been awake when Carth and Connan started talking?
Connan snatched one of the pillows out from behind her and with lightning speed chunked it at Bastila's head. The surprised Jedi took the assault head-on, falling back onto the wall and gasping for breath. Connan chuckled.
"Next time you want to listen in on a conversation, don't try to act asleep."
Bastila groaned, cradling her nose as she stood up.
"If you knew I was listening, why not hit me sooner?" She snarled.
"Because if I had hit you sooner, Carth would have stopped talking." Connan answered. Her grin grew as she glanced from Bastila—who was smiling as well—and Carth, who had a look of shock on his face.
"What are you, my therapist?" Carth stood, tightening his fists.
"Well I don't see you talking to anyone else! And jeez, with all the problems you have, I'm surprised you've survived this long without tumors." Connan threw her arms into the air. "And Mission over there is lucky I didn't decide to hit her, too."
Mission sat up, laughing and holding her stomach.
"You caught me!" She giggled.
"Why can't there be any privacy in this house?" Carth stormed out of the room. Connan burst out laughing with Mission.
"You know," She said to Bastila. "For a Jedi, that was pretty well planned."
"Yes, well, as strange as it may seem, I do have a sense of humor." Bastila crossed her arms.
"I'm sure you do," Connan decided that was enough warming up to the Jedi, but Bastila had no intention of stopping their conversation.
"Is that a red mark across your face?" She asked, a little miffed. Connan's hand slapped onto her face and felt the indentation and heat still on her face. She growled.
"Dreams do the strangest things to me." Connan murmured, lying back down. She turned her head to Mission, who was looking back and forth from Bastila and Connan.
"Go to sleep, Mission." Connan ordered. "We have a big day tomorrow."
Mission lay back down on her bed and sighed, pulling the covers back up to her neck. Before Connan could doze off for the night, Mission whispered one last thing.
"I knew you were from Sajor."
Connan threw the aforementioned pillow at a squealing Mission.
-----
"You're limping." Candorous observed as Connan, Carth, Bastila and Mission entered the cantina the next morning. Connan yawned toothily, rubbing her face. The redness had gone down from the mark on her face, but the heat had remained. She had an arm slung around Carth, who stood silently and solemnly as she used him as a brace.
"You're ugly."
"Well, we're on a tight schedule, so I'm not going to play this game today. I know someone broke into the Sith base yesterday. And I know that it was you. I know you've got the codes I need.
"What do you say? You and I can team up together and steal the Ebon Hawk. We can leave right now." Candorous smirked.
"Well, I suppose…." Connan scratched the back of her head with her free hand.
"Then let's get going." Candorous immediately left the cantina. Connan sighed.
"Great. More walking."
"Would you rather Carth carry you again?" Mission joked, grinning. Connan tensed.
"No, that's okay. I'll just walk." She held up a hand. Carth rolled his eyes and began walking.
"If I'm not any stronger physically by the time this is over…" He murmured.
"You'll at least know how to help a girl with a purple knee walk." Connan barked. "Can't you speed it up a little?"
"You're really working him today, Connan." Mission giggled.
"If he doesn't trust me I get to act like an ass." Connan grinned.
"I never agreed to this." Carth snarled.
"They never do…" Connan and Bastila said simultaneously. Bastila paled as Connan looked back at her quizzically. Mission just laughed.
"What do you bet you two come out of this being best friends?" She asked. Connan stuck her tongue out at Mission.
"Don't count on it." She said, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
"It would take a miracle." Bastila agreed.
"If it'll take all of the weight off of me, I'll support their friendship." Carth whined.
"Oh, men are such babies. Please, tell us of how heavy I am at my one-hundred and ten pounds." Connan whispered in his ear. He bristled.
"Have you ever carried one-hundred and ten pounds?" He snapped. Connan laughed.
"I can go through it without complaining." She insisted. "Or would you rather let me walk on my own. I will."
"No, that's okay." Carth cringed at the thought of Connan in constant pain as she walked on her bad knee.
"Really, I can walk on my own if that's what you want." Connan slipped her arm off of Carth slightly, feeling the man tense. His grip tightened on her wrist.
"Damn woman, why must you make me so frustrated with you?" He growled. Connan leaned into his ear and whispered in a velvety voice.
"You're cute when you're mad."
"Are you guys lagging on purpose?" Candorous called from ahead. "Hurry it up! The tran's about to leave."
-----
The room they entered was a circular, light blue throne room. Only Davik stood at the entrance, with a ridiculously pink armor on his chest and his hair brushed into a comb-over.
"Get in my bag and pull out that needle, Mission. My knee's getting stiff." Connan called. The Twi'lek nodded, going through Connan's beige holder quickly. She handed the woman the small bottle.
"Ah, Connan Frai, we meet again!" Davik held out a black-gloved hand. "After what I heard about your poor system, I didn't think you alive."
"I'm hard to kill." Connan winced as she injected one of the syringes into her leg, loosening the muscles. She replaced the nozzle in her bag and shook Kang's hand.
"I can tell. What have you been doing to yourself? Ricky would be ashamed." Davik raised an eyebrow as he inspected her, taking a hesitant moment at her knee.
"Actually, I think Ricky would laugh." Connan shrugged.
"Who's Ricky?" Carth hissed in Connan's ear.
"An old associate. He's a Cathar." Connan whispered in the same manner. "His real name is Rrrrikkkrrrrroaw, but only people who speak fluent Cathar can pronounce it. People just call him Ricky." Carth nodded.
"This group would like to join the Exchange, Davik." Candorous explained. "Connan Frai was the one in the swoop races."
"Yes, yes, I recall that. Nice job you did, mopping the floor with those gang members." Davik smirked. "That's the kind of work we look for. We'll run the routine background check on you and your friends while you enjoy your stay here."
The doors to Connan's right opened and a man strolled out, his head covered with a white sheet and his eyes covered with dark goggled, reminding Connan of a pilot who's had one too many drinks.
"Ah! Calo Nord. I was wondering when you'd show up. Connan Frai, this is Calo Nord. He's my second best bounty hunter." Davik made the two shake hands, though Connan knew neither of them enjoyed it. She grimaced as her hand touched his.
"It's not like you to not go solo, Candorous. You're getting soft." Calo sneered at the Mandalorian.
"Watch yourself, Nord." Candorous growled, setting Connan on-edge. "You may be the newest Kath Hound but you aren't top dog yet."
"Enough! I won't have my two best hunters killing each other. We have guests." Davik calmed the two down for the moment. "I'd like to give them the grand tour."
"If you don't mind—" An idea just came to Connan's head, and it was too good to pass up. "My Twi'lek friend is very tired. Could you point her in the direction of our room so she can rest?"
"Hey, I'm not—" Mission stopped talking when Connan slipped a stealth-field generator onto the Twi'lek's wrist. "—Energetic at all. I'm tee-totaled. I'll need some shut-eye."
"Of course. We'll pass by the rooms first so we may drop your friend off." Davik nodded his head. "This way." He began walking to his right.
"Thank you so much! I've always wanted to snoop around a crime lord's manor!" Mission squealed quietly to Connan. She nodded.
"Find out how we can get those codes to the ship's controls while you're out having fun, will you?" Connan asked. Mission nodded.
-----
With Mission gone from the group, Davik lead Connan into the hangar, where the Ebon Hawk sat eagerly.
"Ah, the Ebon Hawk, my pride and joy. Fastest ship in the galaxy. Nothing can beat it, except the Sith auto-targeting systems. But… don't worry. I am currently working on an expedition to get me the codes so I may come and go from Taris as I please." Davik smiled as he spoke. Connan couldn't help but grin along knowingly.
"Well I hope that your goal is reached." She piped.
"If I may ask—" Calo sneered. "How did you break your knee?"
Connan blanched. She hadn't thought anyone would ask that.
"I—well, it's a little embarrassing, but…." She eyed Carth pleadingly. He met her gaze and nodded, taking up where she left off.
"I told you not to play pazaak with a Gammorean." He chided. "Those guys don't like losing."
"You fought a Gammorean?" Davik was shocked. So was Connan.
"I…yes! I did! I fought… a Gammorean in the cantina… yesterday!" Connan chocked to make up the rest of the story. "Beat him one too many times and what happens? I'm lucky Onasi came in and saved me, or I couldn't join you here today." She smiled at Carth, watching him turn red and glare at her.
"Thank you, Mr. Onasi." Davik bowed to the man. "I haven't seen General Frai in a few months myself, but from what I remember she's a gem; especially after you save her life."
Connan turned red, looking away from Carth and taking her arm off of his shoulders.
"General?" He asked as she did so. She cringed as she placed weight onto her blue leg, and Carth tried to prop her up against him again. She pulled back.
"She didn't tell you about Sajor?" Davik seemed surprised.
"It's not necessary. I really didn't do anything." Connan limped backwards, holding up a hand. Davik scoffed.
"Didn't do anything? Why, she only—"
"That's enough, Kang. Please." Connan seethed, her tone low. Davik eyed her for a moment and nodded.
"Very well. Let's head on."
-----
Carth was peeved as they were led back to their room. Why hadn't Connan hold him she'd been a general? She certainly didn't act like a general. He would have to talk to her about it later.
Davik showed them the room which Mission had gotten back to and slipped under the covers to act asleep.
"These will be your accommodations while I run the background check on you. It should take about three days, so make yourself comfortable. If you feel like you need anything, feel free to head to the slave quarters and tell them what you'd like." Davik smiled and bowed his head in respect. "Though I must warn you that if you leave these halls or disturb any of my other guests you'll be 'dealt with' just like any other hopeful."
"Hopeful?" Bastila raised an eyebrow.
"That's what we call people hoping to get to the Exchange." Calo explained.
"Are we prisoners here?" Connan asked. "I mean, we can't really do anything or go anywhere for three days."
Davik snorted. "You, a prisoner? You'd escape before I could say 'technician'." Conna suppressed the urge to smirk and scoffed. "Now come Calo. Let's leave these people to their sleep."
The door closed, leaving Connan, Bastila, Carth, Mission, and Candorous all by themselves.
"Okay, we're in. Let's get to the hangar." Candorous ordered. Mission sat up in her covers, sighing.
"That wouldn't be a good idea. The codes for the Hawk aren't written on paper, and the only guy other than Davik who knows them was arrested three days ago for stealing spice." She reported.
"Do you know where they're holding him?" Connan asked, limping over to her friend and sitting on the bed. Carth cringed.
"Yes, they're holding him in what they call the 'guest' room. I would've gotten him out of there but it's got two attack droids in it. We need to get the codes from him before we get to the Hawk." Mission explained.
"Let's go then." Connan shrugged, standing. She hissed in pain, holding her knee as she sat back down. She took off her bag from her shoulders and pulled out her syringe. She injected it into her leg once more. She put the needle back in and set the bag back on her shoulders.
"Are you going to let me help you?" Carth asked. "You can't walk around here with that leg."
"I can so." Connan stood once more, this time merely cringing in pain, and took a step. She fell back down onto the bed. "Okay…. Maybe I can't."
Carth groaned, helping her up and supporting her weight.
"Okay, let's go find that pilot."
-----
The first blast came when they reached the hangar itself. Connan was floored on top of Carth as the ground shook.
"Damnable Sith!" Davik's voice made Connan spring back up off of Carth, who was red from his ears to the bottom of his neck. "They'll tear this hangar down around our ears!" He spotted Connan and the others.
"Well, look what we have here. A couple of thieves in the hangar.
"So, you thought you could just steal my ship and sail on out of here leave the rest of us for dead?"
"Actually, I didn't know the Sith would do this." Connan countered. "We just wanted to steal the ship."
"Not with me around you won't!" Davik took out a vibrosword.
"I'll take care of the rest of them, boss." Calo uncovered a blaster.
Davik lunged for Connan, shoving Carth out of the way. Connan shrieked, blocking the attack and limping away. Davik ran after her. He stabbed at her back. Connan turned suddenly and parried, striking a blow at his armor and nicking it. Davik growled.
"Stupid brat." He scowled. "You're dishonoring Ricky by doing this, you know that? Would he want you to steal from his more profitable friend?"
"Yes." Connan spat, slashing at his head. He twisted his sword around and smashed the hilt into her nose. She screamed, falling onto her back. Warm, thick blood splattered across her face. She could barely see the blade of Davik coming down upon her.
Connan moved her blade to barely counter his, so the back of her vibrosword was inches from her face.
"Ricky wouldn't want his 'most profitable friend' to kill his best friend." She coughed, kicking the hilt of Davik's vibrosword out of his hands and kicking him in the stomach. He lurched backward.
"Connan!" Bastila called, pausing her skirmish with Calo. "Head for the ship!"
Nodding, Connan flipped off of the ground, using her arms as the catapults and landed away from Davik.
"Sorry, old friend," She whispered. She drew up her sword and threw it at him. He noticed it too late. It lodged into his skull.
"If I'm going down," Calo started saying as his boss dropped. He held a circular ball in his hands. "You're all going with me. This thermal detonator will blow us all to bits."
The ground shook again and Calo's detonator rolled out of his hands.
"Damn! The Sith'll being this hangar down around our ears!" Calo cursed. Carth and the others dodged from him as a part of the ceiling hit him. He was crushed.
"Get on the ship!" Connan shouted, wiping the blood from her nose off of her face and onto her armor. "Now!"
"We'll pick up the Wookie from the apartments before taking off." Candorous said to her as he shot aboard. Mission and Bastila followed.
"Are you alright?" Carth asked, motioning to her nose. "I'm going to have to fix that."
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just—" She stopped. Something on the ground next to Davik caught her attention. A small glimmer of silver shone from a tin flute laying on the vibrating ground.
"My flute!" Connan attempted to shoot out of the ship. Carth held her waist, pulling her back.
"You won't survive going out there now. You've got to let it go." He said. "You can always get another one."
They were already taking off into the air and leaving as the ramp closed.
"That's the second time I've lost a flute in two weeks." Connan sniffed. Carth rubbed her back soothingly.
"It's alright. You'll find another one."
"Hmmmm…." Connan limped into the cockpit, Carth following closely behind. "Let's get a move on, shall we?" She asked.
They were off.
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So they're onto Dantooine! And yes, they picked up Zaalbar. This thing was already 22 pages and I didn't want to make it longer. Please review! I'll update Phantom Menace tomorrow!