Part 18- The Builders' Marina
Bastila and Ev marched off the Ebon Hawk with Canderous and Mission following behind. "I'm not certain if our comlinks will be able to contact you from the ocean floor, so assume no news is good news," Bastila said over her shoulder, "In the meantime, something needs to be done about these gizka. See if you can't sell them to a zoo or pet shop or something."
"Oh, that'll be fun," Jolee chuckled.
"May the Force be with you," Juhani said distantly, following the departing group with her eyes. The party descended out of the ship and into the immaculately clean corridors of Ahto City.
Seeing them go, Zaalbar yowled something quietly.
Jolee chuckled at him. "Sure, they leave us to clean up the wriggling amphibians while they're off being heroic," Jolee scoffed, somewhat amused.
"I would rather not be leagues under the water's surface as long as there are others more willing to do it," Juhani said thoughtfully. By the look in her eyes, however, she seemed to regret not being among that group.
Carth sighed. He sympathized. Ev had made it abundantly clear that she didn't want him along. He felt a pang of anxiousness as she moved out of his sight. It wasn't that Ev was not the most competent woman he had ever met, but he knew there would be dangers down below. "And, damn, I want to be with her when she faces them," he muttered and slammed his fist on the wall then slumped against it.
"You look off balance," Jolee observed. Both Juhani and Zaalbar had already disappeared into other parts of the ship.
"No," Carth straightened up and moved towards the cargo hold. He stepped gingerly over gizka as he went. "It's nothing," he lied.
"You can't fool me," Jolee cracked a dry smile, "I've been around too long for that."
Carth stopped in the doorway but neither turned around nor replied.
"You're not happy about the deception of the Republic envoy," Jolee observed.
"That wasn't deception—" Carth faced Jolee.
"Call it what you like, but we're being played on their agenda," Jolee said shrugging, "They have us retrieve their stolen droid data and send us down to some secret kolto harvesting plant that they have lost contact with. Not to mention that no one has come back alive from it in the last couple of days. They want us to think that they're doing us a big favor. But, let me tell you, our little group looks like competent, free mercenaries that are eager to rush into danger to solve everyone's problems. Just watch: Ev will not only come back with with a star map, but she'll solve the disturbance, save many lives, restore connection, blah, blah, blah." Jolee paused in his ramblings and scrutinized Carth, "And it's that very woman you're all twisted up about."
Carth abruptly turned away. "I said it was nothing," he replied tensely. "Let's get working on the gizka." He kicked lazily, scattering the hopping amphibians. One or two croaked irritably.
"Say what you want, if it makes you feel better," Jolee warned, "But pretending will hurt both you and her."
"What would you know about that?" Carth asked coldly, "You were a Jedi just like all the rest of them."
"Hey now, don't stereotype," Jolee said defensively. Then, all at once, his sarcastic facade dropped, "I had a wife once."
Carth felt suddenly ashamed.
Jolee measured him with another brief gaze before heading out into another room.
Zaalbar and Juhani soon had four large plasteel crates readied and strategically placed throughout the ship. Carth could have sworn that there were more gizka now than there had been only a few days ago.
The task proved to be more difficult than they originally anticipated. The wriggly creatures easily escaped their reaching hands and twisted free of their grasps. More than once, Carth dove for one gizka only to stumble on a second and trip on a third. The others hardly fared better, while HK-47 offered many helpful suggestions.
"Suggestion: If you continue to dive like that, perhaps you could land on some. That would thin their numbers."
"Offer: I have a fully loaded heavy verpine repeating blaster."
"Suggestion: Has the option of poison ever crossed your mind?"
After twenty minutes, one crate had exactly one gizka in it. That one had hopped in out of curiosity and hadn't yet felt the need to hop out again.
Finally, even the Jedi's patience was exhausted. "Droid, we do not need any more of your suggestions of violence," Juhani snapped, "Shut down."
"Query: And your methods are more effective?" HK-47 replied. Carth had never known a droid before that had the powers of sarcasm.
"I said, shut down," Juhani repeated irritably as the single trapped gizka hopped out of the crate and away.
"Resignation: Fine," HK seemed to sigh then slumped over. As much as Carth detested the battle hungry protocol droid, he had to hand it to HK's maker. He had never encountered a droid with such a wide range of skills or such assertive self-awareness. His builder much have been nothing less than a mechanical genius.
Zaalbar stomped his feet and roared angrily at the swarm of gizka around them.
The amphibians' eyes bulged even wider and they hopped frantically away from him in all directions.
"Heh," Jolee chuckled, "Even these stupid gizka know to be afraid of an angry Wookiee."
"Wait," Juhani said more seriously, "Zaalbar, do that again."
The lumbering Wookiee eyed her curiously then stomped and roared. This earned the same reaction from the gizka again. One cluster climbed and tumbled over each other, cornered between the crate and the wall.
"Oh, I see," Carth observed slowly, "If Zaalbar scares them our way—"
"We can heard them into the crates," Juhani finished decisively.
"They immediately put Juhani's plan into action. While Zaalbar proved to be and effective shepherd, the others had no easier a time picking up the gizka and getting them into the crates.
"Stop wiggling," Jolee scowled and shoved his hand forcefully through the air towards a cluster of cornered gizka. They immediately froze and fell limp. Jolee seized one on top of them pile in both hands and tossed it easily into the crate. Its eyes lolled around without focus, and its gaping mouth hung wide open.
"You stunned them," Juhani observed, neither disapprovingly or approvingly.
"And you could have done that all along?" Carth demanded.
Zaalbar grumbled something. He seemed to agree with Carth.
"Huh," Jolee replied, "It didn't occur to me. You know, you think differently when you're fighting against people that want to kill you than against a horde of harmless, annoying somethings."
"It is not such a bad idea," Juhani observed thoughtfully as the astromech droid, T3-M4 puttered through the garage area. It twittered curiously then scooted on.
"Though, having them all herded to one spot will still make it easier," Jolee asserted, "And we'll have to make sure they stay stunned until we get the crates closed."
With their new change in plans, Zaalbar focused his efforts on one crate at a time. Juhani and Jolee stood ready on either side of it, waiting for the gizka to corner themselves before stunning them and scooping them into the crate. The amphibians were so numerous that, soon, they began to use the Force to lift them in mass into the crates. Where Carth had been moderately helpful at first, he became totally useless.
"You know," he suggested, hanging back, "You three seem to have this pretty well under control."
"And you have other things to do," Jolee observed as he levitated a cluster of stunned gizka off the ground and into the crate. "Go, have your fun."
"We will contact you if anything comes up," Juhani assured him.
Carth excused himself. He wasn't about to go out and have fun, however. There was too much on his mind. In particular, he couldn't get the promise he had made to the concerned Selkath father out of his mind. Perhaps Shaelas' daughter had already returned to him, but Carth had the material evidence needed to convict the Sith; evidence that would probably drive them from the planet. Depriving the enemy of their only kolto source made tactical sense as well.
Carth made his way out to the communications deck and transferred the necessary files onto a diskette. He stowed that in one of the pockets of his vest, checked that his blasters were secure, and left the Ebon Hawk and all of its gizka behind.
There was just as much activity around the floating city as there had been the day before. Selkath, Republic representatives, gray-uniformed Sith, cleaning droids, and a wide assortment of other visitors all went about their business as usual. Carth could see no signs of agitation to suggest that their espionage of the night had been discovered.
He made his way casually to the cantina where he had first met the Selkath Shaelas, and hoped that he would be there again. And that he would be able to recognize him among the other Selkath.
Once he arrived, Carth scanned the tables and the bar. Of the Selkath there, none stuck out in his memory. Somewhat disappointed, Carth took a seat at the bar and ordered a double-shot caf.
Sipping on his drink, Carth marveled at his ability to understand the Selkath languages with perfect clarity. Thanks to Ev, he could help Shaelas, and thereby help all of Manaan. Thanks to Ev.
Carth dropped his caf cup rather forcefully on the counter and asked out loud, "What did I do to her? Force! She doesn't have to be so cold. She could at least say something!" He took a deep breath, murmuring, "But she's a Jedi. What did I expect?"
"I apologize for interrupting your thoughts," a Selkath settled onto the stool beside him, "I see that your works have been fruitful."
Carth looked him over. "Shaelas?" he asked.
The Selkath nodded. "I thank you for with you have done," he continued, "No amount of credits could show my gratitude fully."
"Then don't give me any," Carth advised, "My salary is more than enough for me."
"You are too generous, soldier," Shaelas replied, "But perhaps you could yet help me further, if it is not too much to ask."
"Go ahead and ask," Carth replied cautiously.
"My daughter Shasa, and all of the other youth, is reluctant to speak of what passed while they were gone," Shaelas explained, "Perhaps you can shed some light on this."
"I can," Carth answered, "In fact, that's why I came here." Carth pulled the diskette out of his vest pocket and passed it to the Selkath man. He continued in a low voice, "The Sith were training them to be Dark Jedi, promising to bring power to Manaan. Meanwhile they planned to use them to overthrow the government and replace it with more Sith-sympathetic leaders."
"This is grave news," the Selkath said darkly, "And what is this you gave me?"
"It's a recording we took of the Sith discussing their plans," Carth explained.
Shaelas wrapped his webbed fingers more tightly around it, "I will see that the right authorities hear of this. If what you say is true, we can no longer tolerate their presence on our planet. Thank you again, soldier."
Carth threw down enough credits to pay for his caf and stood. "I wish you the best Shaelas," Carth said, "And if Shasa and the others want to continue their training, I'm sure the Jedi would accept them." Carth sensed that he couldn't stay with Shaelas any longer. Until the diskette was in the hands of the Manaan authorities, there was still the risk of the Sith catching him.
Carth left the cantina and wandered across Ahto City. At times, he just stopped and gazed out across the endless ocean, wondering what was going on in the harvesting station far below. His wanderings eventually too him to the Republic Embassy.
Carth strode to the main desk and asked, "Is there any word from the station?"
The diplomat stiffened and asked, "What station?"
Cart stared evenly at him. "I am the pilot and military adviser for that crew that went down this morning. I want to know if you have received any word from them," he requested forcefully.
The diplomat before him seemed to relax very slightly. "No," he said, "There has been no word. The communication channels are still down."
Carth nodded. "Thank you," he replied and reluctantly turned away. What if something happens down there? We will never know. Sighing, he headed back to the Ebon Hawk.
As he passed into the large central courtyard, Carth suddenly wished that he had taken another route. Selkath and Sith authorities were in a panic, shouting orders and scrambling in all directions. Republic personnel were conspicuously absent.
Carth quickly fell back into the shadows and watched.
"This is a clear breach of neutrality," one Sith officer barked, "Those Republic scum will pay for this."
"We must first investigate the incident and take it to trial before making any judgments," a Selkath tried to pacify him.
"She has already left the planet," another Sith declared angrily, "Your justice can't catch her there."
"Contact the nearest cruiser and request an intercept trajectory," another Sith yelled.
"She must be brought back to Ahto and face her trial," a Selkath urged.
Juhani? Did they figure out it was Juhani or Mission who entered the base? Has the Ebon Hawk left without telling me? Carth began to feel frantic.
"She made off with my kolto shipment," one Sith complained loudly, "Off planet, she is subject to Sith justice. And you, Selkath, will see that the Republic pays for this."
"Not until she stands trial and her guilt is proven," another Selkath argued.
"Nothing ever gets done in a timely fashion around here," the man grumbled, then called to the other soldiers around him, "Come on." He and the rest of the squad trotted off down the corridors towards the space port.
Carth breathed a sigh of relief. So, it wasn't his crew. He hoped the kolto smuggler could flee quickly, or the Republic's supply of kolto could be ruined. Once the excitement died down, he too continued towards the space port.
Before he even reached the Ebon Hawk's docking bay, Carth encountered Jolee, Juhani, and Zaalbar. The lumbering Wookiee was hauling a croaking crate in his arms.
"Carth, where have you been?" Juhani asked in greeting.
"I was delivering our recording from last night into the appropriate hands and checking in at the Republic embassy," Carth explained.
"And?" Juhani asked.
"Nothing new to report," he replied, "We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed.
"And trust in the Force," Juhani added.
"So, I take it the gizka are all taken care of?" Carth asked.
"In crates, yes," Jolee answered, "But no one wants them any more than we do. The zoo, the pet stores, even the black market called them pests, useless, and far too quickly reproducing to want to keep them around."
"There's got to be someone—" Carth started.
"Not on this planet, son," Jolee shook his head. "But at least we've got them all boxed up now."
"We would have to bribe someone to take them," Juhani added distantly.
"Why don't we—" Carth began.
"There you all are!" Mission panted, suddenly skidding into the corridor behind them.
"Mission!" Carth and Juhani exclaimed together.
"Ev and them were arrested," Mission cried, "I just barely got away."
"Where's Ev?" Carth demanded frantically, then added, "And the other two?"
"I think they were gonna take them to the court," Mission explained quickly.
"But why?" Juhani asked.
"It's always court with these Selkath," Jolee observed at the same time.
Zaalbar rumbled something, sounding concerned.
"Zaalbar, you get that crate back to the ship," Carth ordered, "Mission, can you take me to her—them?"
"Sure thing," Mission answered affirmatively, "Come on."
"I'm coming too," Juhani said firmly.
"Me too," Jolee agreed.
Mission took off at a sprint back down the corridor, Carth and the two Jedi following after her. When they arrived at the Selkath High Court, the trial had already begun.
Ev, Bastila, and Canderous all stood stiffly in front of five wide desk, each with a Selkath judge behind it. All three had been stripped of their weapons and restrained with wrist binders. Many curious Selkath and Republic representatives clustered into the stands. Very few Sith, however, were present.
"...sensors registered an explosion near the Hrakert Rift shortly before the defendants' submersible returned to the surface," one of the five Selkath judges reported.
The judge to the far left added, "The Hrakert Rift is the source of kolto on Manaan. Any disturbance to it would be a grave offense."
"How do the defendants plead?" the first judge, seated in the center, asked.
"My clients plead not guilty," their arbiter replied. He was a neatly dressed Selkath who paced purposefully in front of the prisoners. "They were there by circumstance and had nothing to do with the explosions."
"And then could they explain the cause of the explosions?" the second judge from the right asked.
"They have no knowledge of it," the arbiter explained.
"And what were they doing down at the rift in the first place?" the same judge asked.
"Illegal kolto harvesting!" the lone Sith in the observation stands suggested.
"The audience will remain silent," The center judge said sharply.
"But that is a possibility," the second judge to the left mused.
My clients were merely taking a pleasure tour of the ocean floor," the arbiter explained calmly.
"Through firaxen shark infested waters?" the left most judge observed.
"My clients are not completely mentally stable," the arbiter made excuses.
Carth's jaw tightened at that statement. He wanted to ask Mission what really happened, but didn't dare take his attention from the trial's proceedings.
"They were interested in..." the arbiter continued.
"I would like to dismiss our arbiter," Ev said suddenly, stepping forward.
"Ev, you can't," Bastila hissed.
"Very well," the center judge submitted, "That is your right. Who will defend you."
"I will," Ev volunteered firmly.
The audience murmured anxiously.
"Very well," the second judge to the right sneered. "Defend yourself. What were you doing near the Hrakert Rift?"
"We were investigating a disturbance at an underwater kolto harvesting station," Ev answered evenly. The Selkath present looked disbelieving while the Republic representatives looked absolutely frantic.
"What is this harvesting station?" the leftmost judge demanded, "I was unaware of such a thing. It must be illegal."
"It does exist and is perfectly legal," the rightmost judge, who had been silent up until that moment, affirmed calmly.
"How can it—?" the leftmost judge demanded.
"We should discuss this in private," the center judge said and rose. He, followed by the other four, filed through a door at the back of the room. Ev, Canderous, and Bastila were left to remain standing under the scrutiny of their guards and the audience.
In the tense minutes that followed, Carth tried to catch Ev's eyes, or even Bastila's. Both Jedi, however, continued to stare straight ahead. Only Canderous' gaze occasionally wandered. Zaalbar slipped in to join them. He and Mission spoke together in hushed tones.
Finally, the judges filed back in and took their seats.
"Please explain the disturbance you spoke of," the center judge began.
"A few days ago, it seems, a giant firaxen shark rose up out of the rift and screamed," Ev explained, "It agitated the other sharks, so no submersibles were able to safely leave the station. The scream seemed to have triggered insanity in the Selkath present as well. They killed each other and most of the other technicians and scientists. At that time, the Republic embassy lost contact with the station."
Ev paused, but no one interrupted her. All the while, Bastila seemed on edge. "The giant firaxen shark seemed offended by machinery so close to the rift. We assessed the situation and decided the best course of action would be to destroy the offending kolto harvesters by overloading them. The great shark seemed pleased and calmed down."
"The great firaxen shark? Could it be the Originator?" The second judge to the right marveled.
"It sill exists, guarding the kolto?" the leftmost judge wondered.
"Or perhaps it is even the source of the kolto," the second judge from the left suggested.
"This is not fit for the ears of outsiders," the center judge interrupted. "If this is true, you have acted well. We are indebted to your sensitivity towards our fragile environment. I find the defendants not guilty."
From the left to the right, the other four judges each pronounced, "Not guilty."
Almost immediately, another Selkath hurried over and released Ev, Bastila, and Canderous from their binders. Shaking their wrists, the three turned to greet the rest of their crew who swarmed around them.
"I'm glad you made it back alright," Carth said warmly tot he trio, but caught Ev's eyes. She looked away quickly as if she didn't notice.
"Do you have the map?" Juhani asked quietly.
"Yes, of course," Bastila replied curtly, "It was just on the edge of the rift, not far from the station."
"Good," Juhani nodded.
"We should get back to the ship," Bastila advised, "We have attracted enough attention to ourselves already."
"I'd say we hardly attracted any," Canderous put in, "I don't see any Sith charging in."
"Fair point," Ev agreed, and looked over her shoulder, "That one Sith seems to have run off, and he might very will bring some friends back with him. I agree, that's reclaim our weapons and get out of here. The embassy can take care of the aftermath."
"Yeah," Mission agreed, "We did our job."
Following Bastila's lead, they filed out of the court house and hurried across the city as inconspicuously as their odd party could.
"So you have removed all of the gizka?" Bastila asked.
Zaalbar muttered something unapologetically.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mission asked suspiciously.
"They're all in crates, cozy and still croaking," Jolee explained, "But no one on Manaan would take them."
"Short of a bribe," Juhani added, "Which we don't have the spare credits for."
"Surely you didn't try everything?" Bastila said. She leveled her cold gaze and Carth, as if expecting him to answer for their failure.
Thankfully, Juhani cut in and redirected her attention,"We did whatever was feasible in the time given to us. No one wants hundreds of them."
"So now what are we going to do with them?" Bastila demanded as they walked.
"They could stay on the ship like they have been," Ev suggested.
"Or we could off-load the crates and leave them in the docking bay," Canderous suggested, "They shouldn't have been our problem in the first place."
"That's not such a bad idea," Mission agreed, "Maybe someone would take free gizka if they find them."
"Fine then," Bastila surrendered, "Unless something better presents itself."
The group entered the spaceport again and fell loosely into a single file line. No one seemed willing to openly converse about what had just happened, beyond gizka.
Suddenly a voice Carth hadn't hear in years called out, "Carth! Carth Onasi? Is that you?"
Carth stopped in his tracks, along with the whole group around him. Approaching them along the corridor strode a smiling man in a Czerka uniform. His face and gait were unmistakable. "Jordo!" Carth exclaimed, "What are you doing here? I have seen you in years! How have you been?"
The two men shook hands warmly.
"I thought you'd be up flying with the fleet," Jordo observed, "It's not like you to stay grounded."
"I crashed," Carth admitted.
Jordo laughed, "Oh, that's rich."
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew watched on with varying degrees of interest.
"Who is he, Carth?" Bastila asked sharply.
"Jordo and I did university back together on Telos," Carth explained, "Say, what are you up to these days?"
"I picked up a job with Czerka," Jordo replied, "It keeps the family moving around, but that has its good points along with the bad." He paused and glanced around at the crew that flanked them. "Well, I don't want to keep you, but, Carth, it really has been a long time," Jordo said reluctantly, "I haven't seen you since, well, Telos."
"Yeah," Carth's spirit fell. As much as it was great to see a familiar face from home, any thought of Telos brought with it painful memories.
"Well, I'm sorry about Morgan, Carth," Jordo said slowly, not making eye contact, "But at least your boy made it through okay."
"My boy? Dustil? Dustil's alive?" Carth stammered, practically tripping over his words as he spoke.
"Wait, you didn't know? I thought you did," Jordo was suddenly apologetic.
"Where is he? Is he alright?" Carth asked quickly, "Jordo, he's been missing for years. I've searched all over for him."
"I saw him on Korriban during my last stop there," Jordo offered, then his voice darkened, "He's joined the Sith, Carth."
"No, he couldn't have," Carth was taken aback, "That's not like him. Are you sure it was Dustil?"
"Of course. I never forget a face," Jordo answered slowly, "He's got the uniform and everything."
"Ah, thanks Jordo. Thanks for telling me," Carth said lamely.
"It was good seeing you, Carth," Jordo replied, moving off, "I hope you find him."
As Jordo walked on, Carth strode over to Bastila. "I understand if we don't have time, but I know where we're going next. I need to find my son," he said.
"Carth, I can't promise you anything," Bastila replied stiffly, "Our mission is much more important than any of our individual desires."
"Right," Carth tried to seem accepting of her answer. He fell back as the group started moving again. "Blast the Jedi and their disregard for family," he muttered angrily, joining the progression again. Slowly, he fell behind until even Ev passed him.
For a moment, their eyes locked. "We'll find your son," she promised, then hurried ahead without another word.
Their reentry into their docking bay was one of fast-paced chaos. Almost as soon as the recorded Selkath finished announcing that the were exiting Ahto City security surveillance area, someone darted out of the shadows and seized Juhani. She half-yelled, half-hissed and easily tore free of her attacker's grasp. Blaster shots flew in all directions and lightsabers hummed to life.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Juhani spat angrily. Her lightsaber was now between herself and the man. It was Xor, the Mandalorian they had encountered before.
"Taking back what the Jedi stole from me," Xor growled. Four long scratches from Juhani's claws laced crimson across his left cheek.
Suddenly, the blaster fire resumed from all corners of the docking bay. Xor had friends—or mercenaries—stationed behind crates and even under the Ebon Hawk.
It wasn't enough help, however, for Xor to face four fully armed Jedi and their friends.
Carth lost track of the moments as his fingers moved over the triggers.
All of a sudden, the blaster fire ceased. Only Xor remained, battered and bleeding on the ground. Both of his hands were missing at the wrist.
"You deserve to die for what you have done to my people and my family," Juhani raged.
"Spare me," Xor begged, wide eyes staring at the cyan lightsaber blade that hovered mere hand spans from his neck. "I didn't mean..."
"Don't lie to me, you murderer," Juhani snapped.
"I was just a soldier in the wars. How can I be to blame?" Xor simpered.
"Cut your gibbering," Canderous snapped and strode up to stand beside Juhani. He leveled his rifle at Xor's head. "Just a soldier? How can you call yourself a Mandalorian? You are utterly without honor," he spat.
"This little pet wasn't worth my time anyway," Xor laughed nervously, "Neither was that beast her father."
"Why you—!" Juhani roared.
"There is no emotion..." Ev supplied quietly from behind her.
"There is peace," Juhani echoed, taking several deep breaths. She extinguished her lightsaber. "Canderous, please guard this man," she requested evenly, "I will alert the Ahto City security force and have him imprisoned until he can stand trial for his crimes."
"My crimes? What are you—?" Xor blurted angrily, starting to struggle to his feet with only stumps for arms.
"I'd stay right there and keep your mouth shut," Canderous advised with a threatening smile. He conspicuously adjusted his grip on his blaster rifle.
From there, Juhani set off back into Ahto while the remaining Jedi boarded the ship. Carth helped Mission and Zaalbar pull the bodies of Xor's companions out into the open for when the law enforcement arrived. Two of the six assorted aliens were still breathing but hardly conscious.
Meanwhile, Canderous seemed to relish keeping Xor prisoner, occasional threats and insults passing through his lips.
That work done, Carth ascended the loading ramp. He walked straight for the cockpit, eager to get underway again. I wonder if Ev will copilot this time... He had hardly settled in and begun the routine system checks before Bastila strode in.
Placing her hands on her hips, she started forcefully, "Carth, I need to have a word with you."
"I'm listening," he said and turned back to his work, "This isn't about the gizka is it?"
"No, of course not," she answered shortly, "Zaalbar is off-loading the crates as we speak." She sighed, then snapped, "Would you stop fiddling with that and pay attention?"
Raising an eyebrow, Carth shifted in his seat and looked at Bastila. "I'm all ears, but I've got a ship to prep," he said.
"Carth, you know perfectly well that Jedi are not permitted to feel emotions such as love," she lectured, "And entering into romantic relationships is absolutely out of the question."
"Bastila, I don't see your problem," Carth retorted defensively, "I'm not Jedi. Hell, I've already been married."
"Perhaps I should make myself clearer," Bastila said icily, "Give up on Ev. Your continuing behavior is a disturbance to this crew."
"Why did my personal thoughts become your business?" Carth demanded.
"When they destroyed Ev's inner serenity," Bastila shot back. "She walks a difficult path, Carth; more difficult than you know. I fear that even the slightest push could tip her over into the Dark Side."
"What did she tell you?" Carth asked angrily.
"Nothing," Bastila replied simply, "But I don't need to her to stay a word to know that she is in turmoil."
"In turmoil?" Jolee asked from the doorway, "Is that your term for 'in love'?"
"Jolee, stay out of this," Bastila ordered.
"There's no sense in avoiding some of the greatest things in life just because they come with complications," he put in.
"Love is forbidden to the Jedi, you know that," Bastila snapped.
"Passion can lead to the dark side, sure," Jolee agreed, "But love isn't passion. Or do you want to explain away Nomi Sunrider?"
"She's one of the greatest Jedi of our time," Bastila said, "But—"
"And one of the most loving," Jolee added.
"Now I see why you left the Jedi Order," Bastila observed coldly.
"I didn't leave the Order," Jolee retorted, "It left me. And I don't regret it." With that, he turned and left.
Bastila took a few more deep breaths before turning her attention back on Carth. "For her sake and the sake of this mission, you must ignore her, avoid her, and prove to her that you don't care."
"Does she appreciate you butting into her business?" Carth demanded.
"Through our bond, her business is my business," Bastila explained with an air of superiority.
"Maybe it is," Carth said, "But I don't have a bond with you, so stay out of mine."
"Carth, stop being so selfish!" Bastila exclaimed frustratedly, "How can I make you understand? You're just too obvious with your emotions, too difficult for Ev to ignore."
"Bastila, this is—" Carth started, but dropped off. The words fell dry in his mouth as he noticed Ev leaning casually on the door frame. How long has she been there?
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" she asked with coy sarcasm. The brunt of it seemed to be aimed at Bastila. "You weren't discussing someone's personal matters behind her back, were you?"
Bastila stared sternly back at her while Carth's face couldn't seem to decide weather to pale or to blush. He was speechless. What must she think now? That I'm even more of an idiot?
"No? Good," Ev continued in the same manner, "I didn't think so." With that, she turned and strode off.
As soon as Ev was out of sight, Bastila addressed Carth huffily, "Very well. Continue launch preparations. But think on what I said." She too retreated from the cockpit.
Not long after Carth finished all the pre-flight checks, Canderous sauntered into the cabin, announcing, "That piece of filth has been taken care of."
"Good," Carth answered gruffly. "Is everyone aboard?"
"And getting strapped in," Canderous answered, "Let's get off this puddle." As he settled into the copilot's seat, Carth both relief and disappointment that was was Canderous and not Ev next to him.
"Start charting a course for Korriban," Carth ordered as he prepped the engines.
"So that's our next stop," Canderous replied and set to work, "A Sith world."
"I know," Carth said dryly. And my son is there. Wanting to change the subject, he asked, "So this Xor disappointed you too?"
"Disappointed?" Canderous scoffed, "That coward was disgusting. There is no honor in preying on the week just for enjoyment. There is no glory in imprisoning and enslaving weaker beings into your service. To lie in the shadows and wait for your prey is like a frightened predator. To attack for revenge is to lose sight of the meaning of battle. I can't believe that our clans produced his kind of scum," Canderous ranted. "We Mandalorians live by a code of honor. Those that cannot uphold it should be stripped of their weapons and cast. They do not deserve the glory of Mandalore."
Carth nodded. For a moment, he thought Canderous was talking sensibly. He almost felt respect for the graying Mandalorian.
The Ebon Hawk lifted off and skimmed over the waters of Manaan before turning towards the heavens. The sky was clear and the wind gentle.
"Looks like this is going to be an easy exit," Canderous commented.
Just then, Bastila yelped from the communication deck, "What is that doing here?"
Mission laughed uproariously, "I think you guys missed a gizka."
13