Chapter Five: What T3 Saw

Jolee was the first to wake up. He headed for the kitchen and began brewing the morning pot of caffa. The smell of the fresh caffa floated through the entire ship, and soon Juhani, Mission, Zaalbar, and Canderous all came into the common room. Not much was said as the Ebon Hawk crew fixed their breakfasts. T3-M4 and HK-47 eventually wandered in, T3 beeping good morning to everyone. HK paced, looking ready to pounce, as per usual.

"Where're Revan and Carth?" Mission piped up, noticing they were missing. She picked up her bowl of fruit and entered the common room, looking all around as if they were hiding somewhere. She looked at Canderous and Juhani, who were sitting at the common room table eating. "Have you seen Carth and Revan?"

"They're probably still sleepin', kid," Canderous answered, small bits of food flying out the sides of his mouth. Juhani cringed and wondered if anyone had ever told Canderous to chew with his mouth closed. She moved her chair slightly. "Heard 'em late last night in here talkin'."

Mission frowned. She didn't appreciate Canderous referring to her as a kid, but unlike Carth, Mission didn't think she'd get away with correcting the Manderlorian and calling him an old geezer. She turned to T3, who was circling around the room as if he was looking for something to do. "T3? Could you go see if Revan's awake?"

T3 beeped and headed off towards Revan's quarters.

"Thanks!" Mission called after the droid.

Jolee entered the common room, shaking his head. "You should leave her be, Mission. She had a rough day yesterday."

"I just wanna see if she's awake," Mission said, sitting down. "Is that a crime?"

Jolee shook his head and didn't say anything else.

Carth's arm had gone numb half-way through the night, thanks to Revan's head. He tried to wake his arm up without waking her. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. It was the only rest she knew, and Carth wasn't going to rob her of the opportunity. Revan was so beautiful, so tiny and fragile. How could she have possibly been that monster? Gently he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and watched her sleep. She was such a beautiful woman…

When Revan later stirred and awoke on her own, Carth smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Mornin', Beautiful."

Revan blinked a few times, then focused on Carth's face. "Hey," she whispered, snuggling closer.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Mmhmm," she said. Revan closed her eyes and smiled.

"You weren't thrashing about in your sleep like you have been," he said. "So I take it no visions?"

"No visions, no dreams, no nothing," Revan said.

Carth smiled and stroked her hair. "Good to hear. So I slept over for nothing?"

"Not for nothing," Revan corrected. She poked his chest. "You are kinda comfy."

"Oh?"

Revan smiled, her eyes still closed. "Much better than these flat pillows."

Carth laughed. "So that's all I am to you? A giant pillow?" When Revan didn't answer, he tickled her side. Revan squealed and wiggled in his arms. Carth laughed and rolled on top of her so she couldn't escape. Revan continued to squeal and failed at defending herself.

Carth suddenly stopped, fully aware of his and Revan's current position. Revan stopped giggling and tried to catch her breath. Her chest rose and fell as she panted for air. Her bright eyes looked into his dark brown ones. They stared at each other for a few moments.

Their lips met.

Revan cupped the sides of Carth's face, working her fingers through his hair. Last night their kiss had been delicate and tender. Now their kiss was fueled by desire and need. Carth's beard scratched Revan's face, but she paid no attention to it. His hands ran down her shoulders and torso. She wanted him. She needed him.

"Carth," she whispered against his lips.

He said nothing. Carth kissed a trail down the side of her face, then neck. Revan ran her fingers down his back and let out a soft moan. She felt his hands finger her ribcage through her t-shirt, then felt him lift the hem of her shirt and rest his hands on her side. His hands were rough, calluses on his fingertips. His thumb found a rough patch of skin on her abdomen and gently brushed over it again and again.

"You're not the only one with battle scars, Onasi," she managed to say. Carth raised his head and kissed her gently, his hands moving upward, then stopped.

"Rev," he whispered. "Rev, I, I haven't… haven't done this in, in a long time."

Revan smiled. "So?"

Carth blinked. "I, I just—"

"Shut up and kiss me."

Carth did.

Revan raised her arms and Carth pulled her t-shirt off, flinging it off to the side. He kissed her again—

BEEP! BOOP! BEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Carth and Revan jumped and turned to the side. There was Revan's t-shirt, hanging from T3-M4's optic lens. The silver droid turned his head every which way, trying to shake the t-shirt off, beeping and booping the entire time.

"T3!" Carth said, reaching out to grab the t-shirt. "T3, stop—T3, stop moving!" Carth grabbed the cotton fabric and pulled the shirt off of the droid. T3 angrily beeped a few times, the blue light beneath his optic lens grew dark, and with three final boops, the droid scurried out of the room and closed the door.

Revan laughed hysterically.

"What?" Carth asked.

Revan managed to regain her composure. "T3 just cursed you out."

"What did I do!"

"You flung my shirt at him, that's what you did," she giggled. "The poor droid."

"What was he doing in here!" Carth demanded.

Revan was still giggling. "I, I don't know," she said. "But he's not happy."

Carth sighed. When Revan stopped laughing, his eyes met hers, but this time her bright eyes weren't filled with desire anymore. It was something else… "Rev?"

"Carth, I… I…" She sighed. "Carth, I think we're moving… moving too fast with this."

He hung his head.

"Nonono!" she quickly corrected. "No, Carth." Revan searched for something to tell him, but she didn't know what. "Carth, I want you so much it hurts. But… but not now, not like this. It's just… There's just so much going on…" Her eyes started to pool with tears. "Carth, I need you, more than anything. Please believe me. You keep me going. We've been through so much together." Revan closed her eyes. "I don't deserve you. I don't deserve anyone, really."

"No," he finally said. He looked her in the eyes. "Darth Revan didn't deserve anyone. You—Revan, Liana, whatever you want to call yourself—you deserve so much. You deserve better than what I can offer you."

Revan smiled slightly. "I still… still haven't… haven't had time to really deal—all the dreams and visions…" Carth tenderly stroked her hair. "I really do need to talk to Jolee…"

"I'm, I'm sorry for rushing you," Carth apologized. "I've never been this close to, to anyone since my wife died. Physically close, too."

Revan blushed and softly giggled.

"I really am sorry, Rev," he said. "You need some time and space to deal—"

"I just need time," she said. "Not space." Their eyes met again. "Carth, I need you. I'm serious. You have, have no idea."

Carth smiled. "I think I do."

A tear trickled down her cheek. "Help me."

It wasn't a demand; it was a plea. Carth gently kissed her forehead. "Always."

T3-M4 angrily beeped and booped all the way to the common room. His beeps were so close together it was a wonder his voice box didn't explode.

"What's wrong with that demented toy now?" Canderous sneered, drinking his third cup of caffa.

T3's optic light rapidly grew dim and bright and his droid-cries filled the common room.

"T3, slow down!" Mission cried. "I can't understand you! What are you talking about!"

HK-47 rose to his feet, the rifle he had been polishing laying casually at his side. "Statement: I can understand the bucket of bolts. Allow me." A sound issued forth from HK-47's voice box which could only be described as the sound of a droid clearing its throat. "Translation: It appears that the droid came across Master and the Republic Meatbag engaged in a meatbag mating ritual."

Canderous spit his caffa back into his cup. Juhani and Mission dropped their forks. Jolee held his head in his hands.

"Translation: Master and the Republic Meatbag were pressing their mucus-covered lips together while laying down on Master's bed. The Republic Meatbag then—"

"HK," Jolee interrupted, trying to get the droid to stop.

"—removed Master's shirt—"

Canderous snorted.

"—and threw it on the droid's optic lens. The droid was unable to see, and called the Republic Meatbag an assortment of names. The Republic Meatbag then removed Master's shirt from the droid's optic lens, and the droid came back here."

The room was silent.

"Statement: It would appear that Master and the Republic Meatbag will not be joining you for breakfast this morning," HK-47 finished.

Canderous snorted. "You can say that again," he softly said. He grabbed his caffa cup and leaned back in his chair. "One minute you're screamin' at her for ruining your life, next you're nailin' her ass. A toast to Carth."

"Canderous!" Juhani snapped. "How dare you say such things!"

"What's the matter, kitten?" Canderous asked. "Jealous?"

Juhani's eyes grew wide. "You think for one moment that I would desire to mate with—"

"Hey!" Mission cried. "Could we not talk about this?" She stood up and grabbed her plate. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be in the refresher washing my brain out with soap!" Mission exited the common room, Zaalbar on her heels.

Awkward silence filled the common room. Juhani got up from the table and left to meditate in her room. Only Jolee, Canderous, and the droids were left. Jolee sighed in disgust as the smirk on Canderous's face obviously meant was envisioning the things HK described earlier.

"You leave them alone," Jolee said.

"What?" Canderous asked. "What did I do?"

"What Carth and Revan do on their own time is no one's business but their own," Jolee warned. He got up from the table, taking his plate and caffa cup with him.

"You leaving, too?" Canderous asked.

Jolee nodded towards the cockpit. "I'll be in there. It's my turn for cockpit duty."

Canderous snorted. "Apparently it's Revan's turn, too," he smirked.

Canderous suddenly found himself falling backwards, banging his head rather hard on the metal floor. "OW!" he cried. His caffa cup clattered on the floor, spilling the warm liquid everywhere. "What the hell was that!"

"That," Jolee snapped, "was a warning. I'm not reminding you again."

T3 beeped.

"Agreement: I, too, am surprised that the Mandalorian Meatbag did not dent the floor paneling," HK nodded.

Canderous sneered at Jolee, then stood up and picked up his chair. Content that his message had clearly been received, Jolee headed into the cockpit.