Chapter Four

Ariana entered her apartment and immediately began pacing around the living room. She ripped off the belt around her waist and threw it to the floor. Ariana no longer knew what to think. She now had a chance to mend things with her father but she had to forgive him. He had apologised but could she really ever forget?

All those years, she had felt abandoned and lost, like there was no place in which she belonged, but even now that she was back home, the feeling was still there. Eventually Ariana left her apartment. She decided to go for a walk. She needed fresh air and to clear her head.

She walked and walked and she didn't realise where she was until she stepped in water. She brought herself back into the real world and she noticed she was at the beach line. She took a step back out of the water but remained standing just before the water. She looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, the stars were bright and the moon hung low in the sky.

Ariana had forgotten how beautiful this planet really was. She had only now just realised how much she had missed home. She knew things would never be like it was again, mainly since her mother was gone and the planet she once knew was gone from the bombardment.

She had never forgotten her mother but she had found it easy to forget her father, though now he seemed around more often and since seeing him on Korriban, it was becoming difficult to push him out of her mind again.

Ariana sighed in her annoyance. What was wrong with her? She should be glad to be back here, to see her brother and father again but for some reason, something still felt wrong, as though something were missing.

'Hello, stranger.'

She knew that voice. She turned quickly and saw Dustil before her, smiling. Ariana, relieved, smiled back. She walked to Dustil and hugged him and he returned it. They remained there for a while. Once apart Dustil looked her over.

'Father said you had returned,' he said quietly. 'I didn't believe him at first.' He paused heavily. 'I'm sorry for what I said on Korriban. I didn't mean it. I just-'

Ariana interrupted him. 'It's alright,' she said quickly. 'It doesn't matter. We're all back here now, together and that's all that matters.'

'Have you made up with father?' asked Dustil, almost worriedly.

'Not quite,' said Ariana. 'I think it may take a while.'

'He does love us, you know. He always has but he's duties got in the way. I'm sure there are other families that have or are going through something similar,' said Dustil, seeming a little unsure of himself.

'I suppose,' said Ariana. She felt unsure as well. 'Once I left this place I managed to forget father and let go of everything. I do not think it will be an easy thing to undo.'

'Maybe not,' agreed Dustil. 'But you should still try.'

'I will,' she said softly.

Dustil paused again and a cheeky looking smile crept across his face. 'So, there's no, like, shocking surprises in store for us, is there? Like you didn't get married or have a baby or anything?'

'No,' said Ariana with a slight chuckle. 'I'm sorry to disappoint.'

There was a small silence between them. 'So, what about you?' asked Ariana. 'Are you now going to join with the fleet or something?'

Dustil shrugged. 'I'm not sure. I have thought about it. I'm still thinking. And no, I didn't get married or have a baby either.'

They both laughed. Dustil moved forwards and hugged Ariana again. 'I hope that one day we can be as close as we once were,' he whispered.

'As do I,' she whispered back.

Dustil said a small goodbye and left Ariana once again with her thoughts. At the moment they were haunting her. She knew she would have to face her father again but she wasn't sure she could do it right now. It seemed to soon. Besides, she had almost shot him before. Maybe he wouldn't be too keen on another visit.

'New boyfriend?'

Ariana whipped around. She knew that voice too and it was one she never wanted to hear again. Her eyes widened as they met with Atton's. 'What are you doing here?'

'I thought you'd return home when you found out your father was becoming Admiral,' he said.

'How could you know that?' asked Ariana. 'I never told you my surname nor anything about my life.'

'I think I'm smarter than you give me credit for.'

'Really?' asked Ariana. 'Maybe if you were then you would have known that the guy I was just with is my older brother, Dustil.'

Her statement didn't seem to embarrass him at all. He still gave her the same smart-ass look. Ariana still didn't want to see him. She began to leave. Atton moved quickly and stood in front of her. Ariana tried to side step and go around him but Atton wasn't allowing that either.

Eventually, Atton become frustrated and grabbed Ariana by the upper arms, to stop her moving away from him anymore. 'I just want to talk,' he said softly.

'You're much older than me.'

'Not that much,' said Atton with a smile. 'I'm roughly thirty.'

'Roughly?' asked Ariana. 'I'm only seventeen.'

'But you'll be eighteen soon,' said Atton quickly.

'How did you know that?'

'I know many things,' retorted Atton. 'Besides, the fact is that I know things about you and how I got that information stays with me.'

'You bribed someone, didn't you?'

'Not exactly.'

It was the only answer Ariana received about it. She waited for him to say more, to show off how he knew so much about her but he seemed to want something else. 'I think you should show me your apartment.'

'I think not,' said Ariana lightly. 'You have to leave. I left Nar Shaddaa for a reason, remember?'

'I thought you knew what that night was.'

'Well, apparently not,' said Ariana tightly, concealing her emotions.

She shoved Atton away from her and she stormed back to her apartment, making sure that she wasn't followed.

A few weeks later, Ariana was still on Telos but she still hadn't made up with her father. A few times he had left with the fleet. Ariana learnt to let it go but she still hated him leaving even though things had changed. She knew her father was returning with the fleet tonight and it was tonight in which she would decide whether to forgive him or leave forever.

She was still unsure of which she would choose but she desperately wanted to have her father back. She has hated him for so long. She didn't want that feeling to be around when he thought of or saw her father. She knew he didn't deserve it but he had chosen to be with the fleet. He had chosen that life and she also knew that he now had to live with those choices too.

Ariana left her apartment and walked through the darkness of Telos. Once reaching her father's place she picked the lock and went inside but this time she actually turned to light on. She wanted to have a look around. She didn't last time mainly because she hadn't thought of it. She was angry with her father and at that time all she wanted to do was speak to him.

The apartment was sparsely furnished but quite pleasant. All walls were white and bare. The floor was covered in a white carpet and the curtains were framed by laced curtains. Ariana's eyebrows rose a little. Her father didn't really have any taste. The place needed some colour.

The apartment was a similar design to her own apartment but it didn't surprise Ariana. She remembered a few of the houses and places here before the bombing all looked very similar to each other. The architects and builders here thought that if the building plan worked then why change it.

She continued her steady and cautious movements through the apartment, not wanting to disturb too much and she walked to a door to the right of the entrance. It led into the kitchen. It was plain and boring looking as well. Same colour scheme and not much furniture or anything to look at. She left and walked further into the apartment. She walked down a small corridor and saw four doors, two of them opposite the others.

She went to the one on the right which was closest and found the bathroom. Ariana frowned lightly. This room was boring also. She left and went to the room opposite it. It seemed to be a spare bedroom or something. She moved on and went to the other room on the same side. It seemed to be just another room. Ariana wasn't sure if it was a spare bedroom or a study or something.

She closed the door, still bored that there wasn't really anything to look at but she continued. She knew the last room had to be her father's. She held her breath as she opened the door, though she was unsure why. She suddenly felt guilty at entering her father's room without his permission. She left the door ajar as she walked further into the room.

This room seemed a little less boring. It seemed her father cared more about this room though it did make Ariana wonder the reason for this. She looked at the bed. The cover was a dark navy blue and slightly hung over the side. The walls were a light grey and there was a single picture hanging on the wall. Ariana approached and looked it over. It was a piece of landscape of Telos before the bombing.

For some reason, Ariana felt her heart beat a little faster and her chest become tighter. Her father still cared and apparently hadn't forgotten about the past. Ariana thought he had left his past alone and forgotten about her, her mother and Dustil but it seemed she was wrong.

She moved away from the picture and looked at the rest of the room. The carpet was white, same as in the main room though the window in this room was bare. There was nothing around it, to cover it up. Ariana's eyes slowly drifted to the small table next to the bed. There was something there, tugging at her, wanting her to come over.

She held her breath again and quietly stepped over. There was a photo frame sitting there, facing the bed. Ariana nervously pressed her lips together and exhaled shakily. She gently and slowly picked up the frame and looked at the photo.

A breath hitched in her throat. It was of her mother. In the photo she appeared happy and young. Ariana felt the tears sting the back of her eyes as she looked at it. Ariana didn't have a photo herself. She had to rely on her memory and as she looked at it, she was sure she had forgotten her face.

'You look just like her.'

Ariana jumped and turned to the door. Carth stood in the doorway, watching his daughter. Their eye contact lasted a while before Ariana looked away, back at the photo. 'Except you have my eyes,' said Carth, almost sadly.

Ariana just nodded as she put the photo back in its place. She then turned back to her father. He didn't seem angry which she was glad to see. Carth looked Ariana over. He noticed she wasn't wearing her belt but his eyes narrowed over her outfit but he decided to keep his mouth closed. This wasn't really the time to be having a go at his daughter, especially when he wanted to make up with her.

'So, you're not going to shoot me today?'

'No,' said Ariana quietly. 'I only came to talk.'

Carth nodded and left the room. Ariana followed and returned to the main room. 'Want something to drink ... or eat?' asked Carth.

'No, I'm fine,' she replied quietly.

'Have a seat,' he said gesturing to an armchair.

Ariana nodded, more to herself and she sat down. Carth sat opposite her and Ariana looked him over. He looked better than the last time she saw him. 'Has Dustil joined the fleet?'

'No, well, he did but he's decided to go a different way,' said Carth slowly.

'A different way?' asked Ariana, confused. 'What does he want to do instead?'

'Well, since leaving the Sith he has mentioned a few times that he still feels the presence of the Force, so I spoke to Revan and she said she would take Dustil as her Padawan, if he wanted and he agreed.'

'So he's going to become a Jedi?' she said slowly.

'Yes.'

The room went silent. Ariana didn't know what to say but there was one thing she couldn't get out of her mind. She knew her father had settled this but she needed to check. 'Are you sure nothing's happening with Revan?'

'Yes, I'm sure,' Carth said, keeping eye contact with Ariana. 'I care about Revan but that's it, I promise.'

'Is there someone else then?'

'No,' said Carth, chuckling slightly. 'Not yet but if someone does come along I will tell you.'

Ariana nodded her head slowly. She hoped he did. She placed her hands in her lap and entwined her fingers. She was nervous. Carth gave her a small smile. 'Is there a man with you that I should worry about?'

Ariana hesitated a little before speaking. 'No.'

Carth noticed her hesitation. Ariana licked her lips and sighed. 'Well, I met someone on Nar Shaddaa and he's here, on this planet now but it was just a small thing. I don't really know why he came here.'

'Maybe he likes you,' said Carth.

'Maybe,' said Ariana though she didn't believe it. She knew Atton was here for a different reason. Someone like him wouldn't come all this way just for her. She couldn't have meant anything great to him, could she?

Ariana let the questions run through her head though after a while they seemed to give her a headache. She sighed and leaned back into the chair. It was soft and comfortable. Carth continued to watch her. He was pleased to have his family back.

'So, what happens now? With us,' said Carth leaning forwards.

Ariana half-shrugged, 'I don't know,' she said honestly but she quickly realised what she wanted. She stood up and Carth did the same thing, in surprise. He didn't want her to just leave again but he relaxed a little when Ariana made her way to him.

She looked into his eyes and bit her lower lip gently. She looked down at her feet and thought. Carth waited patiently. He wasn't about to force anything with her. He could see how fragile Ariana must have been feeling, that she was about to lose some control over her situations if she let him back into her life.

After a moment Ariana looked back up and searched her father's face and eyes again. Tears stung the back of her eyes again and this time she let them fall, not bothering to wipe them away. It was then she decided to give in and she fell into her father's arms. He wrapped them around his daughter and held her close to him and tight. He didn't want to let go. He had waited for this day for a while.

Ariana slowly placed her head onto Carth's shoulders and wrapped her arms around him. It felt strange to hug her father but she now hoped it would become a good thing instead of a foreign one. Her tears continued to fall but through them Ariana smiled. She was home, with her father and brother and although her mother was gone, she was happy.

Later that night, Ariana returned to her apartment but she stopped when she noticed a figure outside her door. She immediately knew that it was Atton. Ariana shook her head and sighed in annoyance. This wasn't something she needed right now. Atton was sitting on the floor, leaning against the front door and his head was hanging down onto his chest. He must be sleeping.

Ariana took a moment before going over. She knew that she wouldn't be able to get inside without waking him up and it was something she wished she could avoid. She walked over and stood beside Atton. She looked down at him. He looked cute when asleep and not talking or looking at something distracting.

Ariana rolled her eyes and kicked Atton in the leg. He woke up with a start and jumped to his feet but once he saw Ariana he exhaled loudly. 'What was that for?!'

'You're in the way,' she said calmly.

'But that's no reason to kick me.'

Ariana just shrugged and moved towards the door and punched in her key code. As she did she shivered. She could feel Atton move closer behind her. She ignored it and continued entering her code. Once the door was opened she walked in and turned quickly so Atton could follow her inside.

He smiled at her deviously. 'Oh, come on,' he probed. 'Let me inside.'

'No,' said Ariana firmly. 'This is not going to happen.'

'Why?'

'Because I don't know why you're here,' said Ariana quickly. 'You show up here out of the blue and I never planned on seeing you again. Go and find someone else. I'm not interested.'

'I don't believe you,' said Atton cheekily.

'I don't care what you believe,' said Ariana quickly. 'Now, leave.'

Atton nodded but said nothing. He smiled deviously at her and kept eye contact with her until walking around the corner. Ariana shook her head and closed the door firmly and double checking that it was locked. The last thing she wanted was another surprise visit from Atton. She didn't want a repeat of Nar Shaddaa.