Well, that's one more I have to give her. Carth followed Kenna as she ran toward the small attack party, not surprised her instincts had been right again. Kenna and Juhani's lightsabers hissed to life as they closed distance, Kenna twirling the hilt around her hand before slamming one blade into the chest of the attack group's leader. Carth couldn't help but chuckle. As she'd become more comfortable with the double bladed 'saber, she did that a lot more, to the point it was now practically trademark for her to spin the hilt around her hand like that before--and sometimes after--attacking. Fortunately, the only people who saw her fight more then once were allies, or that would be a very exploitable weakness. He was more than willing to content himself with covering her back; Kenna wasn't the type to slow down for anything once she was immersed in combat. He was just glad she had brought him with her. If there was such thing as a living hell, pacing a hole through the cockpit floor waiting for her to get back would be it. He was more than half in love with her, and he liked to worry anyway. Not a good combination when he couldn't tell what was going on. If she'd taken someone else, I'd probably have annoyed the hell out of her calling her every ten minutes on the comlink. I bet she knows it, too. Carth forced his mind off his inner dialogue as he ducked, narrowly avoiding a swipe from one of the aliens that--had it connected--would have taken off his head. You're no good if you're distracted. He'd heard that so many times from his commander during the Mandalorian Wars, it was almost an automatic self-remonstrance when he got distracted. That had been happening a lot recently. Kenna was very, very distracting.
Kenna nearly sighed in relief when Carth ducked the attacker's swing. She wasn't sure at first if he was going to react in time. Something keeps distracting him. I think I know what, too. Well, who. Me. He'd deny it, but I know it's true. While it was nice to know he was paying that much attention to her, she didn't want him getting himself killed. She finished killing the last of the attacking aliens and did an injury inventory. She was fine, Carth had only one small cut along the side of his face, but Juhani had one hand pressed against her side, feline eyes full of pain. Kenna pulled her hand away. "Let me see."
"It is not serious."
"Juhani, let me see," Kenna insisted. She looked at the wound, and channeled the Force to heal it, knowing the Cathar was lying.
"Thank you," Juhani murmured.
"No problem." Kenna smiled. She turned to say something to Carth--probably a joke about him being distracted, but was interrupted by the arrival of a small group of Duros they had apparently just saved from a nasty, nasty end.
"You have defeated the murderous animals! We thank you, human, for saving us!"
Surprised at their sudden arrival, all Kenna managed was, "Er...no problem."
"If your arrival had not been so fortuitously timed," one of the Duros elaborated, "We would have been in great danger. We thank you again for saving us."
"What are you doing here?" Kenna asked, plain old curiosity temporarily superseding the burning desire to get to the temple.
"We had crashed here when our mining survey vessel encountered some strange sort of energy field. It disrupted our engine and power systems and forced us to make a crash landing on this world. Our ship sank far out to sea, but a handful of us were able to make it to this island…more than you see here, though."
Kenna frowned. "What happened to the rest of your companions?" She had a feeling she already knew the answer.
"Many have been killed at the hands of the locals. A few tried to swim to one of the closer islands, but we have not heard from them in many days. Of the ten of us who remained here, we two are the only survivors…"
"The native creatures killed the rest of them?" Kenna felt the anger build in her chest and shoved it down.
"They attack any they come across. They are barbaric savages who feast upon the bodies of the dead!" the alien spat passionately in reply. "The only beings who crashed here who can hold them off are the Mandalorians, and we dare not go near them….we know of their depredations too well."
"There are Mandalorians here??" Kenna demanded. Great. Just great. Last thing I needed. More Mandalorians.
"Yes, there are. More than you might think…although that may just be because they aren't killed as easily as we are. With their weapons they raid and kill other survivors, and can fight off the natives as well. They seem to have some sort of invisibility or light cloaking shield that hides them until they strike."
"Tell me of the natives." Kenna knew more than she wanted to about Mandalorians already.
"We know little beyond what we have told you already…savages who eat the dead and attack anyone on sight. If it were not for them, this world might almost be habitable. But we cannot delay here much longer…the longer we stay, the more likely either the Mandalorians or the natives will find us and kill us."
"Why don't you try to get to one of the other islands?" Kenna suggested.
"I believe that would be the best choice…The others have not returned, but it may be because they could find no way to. It would be worth the risk, rather than stay here and face certain death… I thank you one last time, human, for saving us. We shall remember you, and hope that, should you escape, you will tell the Republic of those of us who are stranded here." The Duros headed toward the shore line. Kenna regripped her lightsaber and headed up the sand path away from the beach.
"Come on, we need to get going," she admonished over her shoulder. She had felt a shudder in the Force. It seized all her attention, reminded her that Bastila still needed them.
Carth watched her pale momentarily, but decided not to ask as he and Juhani followed Kenna up the path. It was probably some Jedi thing he wouldn't understand anyway. Another group of the strange aliens was waiting around a curve in the path, and attacked almost before their presence registered. Carth mentally thanked the Force for instincts, which were the only reason he had his swords up in time to block the attacking alien's swing from taking off his arm. He heard Kenna grunt, and looked over in time to see her fly back into one of the surrounding rocks, slamming hard into the unyielding surface as her lightsaber tumbled from her hands. The alien whose blow sent her flying was right behind her, intent on skewering her on his sword.
"Kenna!" It was like being in the Shadowlands all over again, only this time he didn't think he could get over there fast enough. His own fight had forced him to move until nearly ten feet of ground separated him from Kenna. It now seemed like a hundred, for the mere split second he had to do something, anything. What I wouldn't do for a blaster! In sheer desperation, he threw his Echani Foil as hard as he could, smirking in satisfaction when his guess proved accurate and the weapon buried six and a half inches of its length in the alien's shoulder and threw him off his course toward Kenna. Unable to reach her lightsaber, the Jedi yanked the sword out and took off the alien's head before diving right back into the fight. Now fighting with only Bacca's blade, Carth finished off the alien attacking him. He was too absorbed in the fight to notice the alien circling behind him until Kenna screamed his name, and then it was too late.
"NO!!!!!" A ferocity Kenna hadn't even known she possessed seized her in that crystallized moment as she watched the alien bury its sword savagely in Carth's side. Seeing him collapse on the sand unlocked a part of her that had remained untapped throughout the entirety of the mission. The deep, desperation-driven fury that outdid ten Sith Marauders for sheer killing power shocked their assailants, and even had Juhani stepping back, wisely leaving the remaining four aliens to Kenna. It's my fault. If he hadn't helped me he would have been paying more attention, and he would have noticed. If he's dead, I'll never, ever forgive myself. If I got him killed… The thought only increased her attacks. She plunged almost the entire blade of the Echani Foil into the chest of one alien and left it there, used the Force to call her lightsaber into her hand and simultaneously heal herself and her companions, desperately hoping it wasn't too late for Carth, and dispatched with the rest of the aliens faster than would be thought humanly possible. The one time she felt herself slow, all it took was one look at Carth to return the fury, the desperation. Don't give in to the anger…that's the path to the dark side…If I can save him, I don't frackin' care. She knew any Jedi from the academy would have shaken their head at her for thinking such a thing, but that was irrelevant at the moment.
As the last of the aliens crumpled to the ground, minus its head and one arm, Kenna turned. To her indescribably immense relief, Carth staggered to his feet and leaned against the rock, clutching one hand against the bloody wound just below his ribcage, his face white with pain. Oh, thank the Force. If I'd lost him… She didn't want to think about it.She hurriedly crossed the open space between them, yanking the Echani Foil out of the alien corpse as she passed. "Let me see."
Carth was only too happy to oblige. The mere fact he was alive was miracle enough. He didn't have the strength to argue, and gingerly pulled his hand away from the gash when she drew closer. Kenna pressed her hand against the wound, ignoring the blood that quickly coated her hand, and summoned the Force. Once she finished, Kenna pulled her hand back. Under the battle-scored armor and the blood, the skin was healed. "Thanks."
"I owed you," she smiled, turning the handle of the sword in her hand so she could give it back to him. "Thank you. How many times does that make that you've saved my life?"
"Two fewer than you've saved mine." He grinned, wanting nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her, but she turned before he could, eyes already on Juhani, making sure the Cathar was alright. Having stepped back to let Kenna have the whole raiding party, Juhani was uninjured, so Kenna turned back to Carth.
"You okay?" She rested one hand gently on his shoulder.
Carth nodded, cursing how quickly she turned back to the task at hand. Hold still and let me kiss you, beautiful! He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he followed Kenna up the left hand of the path's two branches. After curling around, the small track emptied onto another beach, crawling with more of the strange native aliens, as well as several young rancors. One of the aliens stood as if waiting for them, and addressed Kenna as they drew near.
"Stay your weapons, interloper," the alien commanded in a strange language. "We are not here for battle or blood. We bring you an invitation from the One, Great Champion of the Rakata."
Kenna screwed her face up in confusion. "Rakata? The One? What are you talking about?" she demanded in the same language almost before she realized she was speaking. Where did that come from??
"Wait a minute--you understood those creatures?" Carth interrupted, then she saw the realization strike him at the same moment it came to her. "Of course…you and Malak must have been here before. You…you probably learned their language back when you were Revan."
'When you were Revan.' Sweetest words I've ever heard. He's really truly over it. Kenna smiled.
"You have used strange magics and weapons to slaughter our raiding parties, interloper," the Rakatan continued. "You have bathed in the blood of fierce Rakatan warriors. Your power and skill in battle has impressed the One. He wishes an audience with you: a great honor. Come with us and we will take you to him."
Not seeing any way around it, Kenna shrugged. "Okay. Take me to the One."
Despite private misgivings that this was a very, very bad idea, Carth followed without complaint. "I assume you have a plan?" he muttered.
Kenna nodded. "Trust me," she whispered back with a smile, knowing he would.
"Always," he promised, meaning it.