Carth Onasi Comes Home ch3

The Unknown World. Night had fallen and somewhere the mysterious Rakata were preparing their ceremony. Back at the Ebon Hawk the mood was somber, even a trifle tense. The crew ate a hasty meal and then sought to occupy themselves until they could seek their beds. Mission and Zaalbar passed the time playing pazaak, Canderous was cleaning his weapons and Jolee and Juhani were engaged in meditation in one of the crew quarters. 

"Here," she said. Carth wheeled around, head craning up to see Revan standing on top of the Ebon Hawk looking down. Before he could protest she jumped from the ship and landed softly in the sand a few feet away. 

"I won't fall Carth, I promised you I wouldn't," Revan said, her tone suddenly even and calm. Still Carth saw the conflict in her eyes. It worried him. With nothing else to say the pilot pulled her forward into a rough embrace. She buried her face in his chest, hands clutching at his shoulders. He planted a kiss on her hair, pausing to inhale her scent before resting his cheek against her head. 

"I know."

"Know what?"

Jolee Bindo. His rich voice, graveled with age, called to Carth from the co-pilots chair. Startled Carth sat upright and grabbed the console before him. As the dream shattered and he lost the feel of Revan with it, Carth passed a hand through his short hair. Daring only a glance in Jolee's direction he was embarrassed to see the old man grinning at him.

"Nice dream I take it?" 

"I don't remember," Carth lied. He checked the instrument panels hoping Jolee would drop it. 

"Well, I hope it was," Jolee said drawing in a breath. "Because I've got news you aren't going to like."

"What?" Carth felt his stomach turn sick and he looked at the Jedi with concern. 

"It seems news of our plan reached the ears of a certain young Twi'lek and her Wookie business partner," Jolee told him quickly. Carth sighed but then shook his head. The man raised his weathered hands and added, "It wasn't me sonny. You direct that anger at your little droid T3. It was that one that let the Tach out of the bag."

"T3?" That was perplexing and Carth leaned back letting his mind digest the news. While he did Jolee rose with a grunt from the co-pilots chair. 

"So, Mission and Zaalbar will be joining us when we get out of hyperdrive. I wonder if she's still got her pazaak deck." Still muttering to himself Jolee disappeared down the passage. Carth realized he was actually glad Mission and Zaalbar would be waiting for him. Perhaps seeing how much her friends cared for her would convince Revan to give up whatever she was pursuing in the Outer Rim. He'd wished Dustil had given him an idea what Revan was after. Carth had played his sons message repeatedly hoping for some clue, but never found one. And T3 had only one recording from Revan herself. 

Carth had played that one a lot. Almost every night before bed the pilot would listen to her words. So much, he knew it by heart. It was nice to hear her after the years. He was surprised at how much her voice soothed him.

He pushed those thoughts away and turned to the console. They would need to drop out of hyperspace soon. A docking bay on the planet Wayland would be made available to them. There he planned to purchase a medical droid. Though old Jolee Bindo was skilled in the arts of medicine, Carth wanted to leave no room for error. 

Confidently his fingers moved over the display. The Raptor began to reenter normal space. Slowly the engines hum quieted. He looked up, out into the vast emptiness of space and spotted their destination on the distant horizon. 

Hold on Revan. I'm almost there. Can you sense that? You must be able to. 

On a planet run by gangsters everything cost a premium. Medpacks, rent, food, it all ate a hefty portion of what income Dustil Onasi could pull in. He hated leaving Master Revan alone to go out and work but there was no choice. It had been the young mans hope to make enough money to get them off Gargon. But the Ebon Hawk would be expensive to refuel. As it was they were barely surviving. 

Dustil ducked under the swinging arm of an enraged gangster, glancing over his shoulder to watch the mans fist connect with a Rodian jaw. Tightening his grip on the small bundle beneath his robes Dustil quickened his pace. Around him another street fight was erupting. He had no desire to get involved.

The small two room apartment Dustil had rented was above a smoky cantina. It was a slum of an establishment. Most of the customers went there to drink themselves into oblivion. Three other apartments shared the space above. None of the tenants had any inclination to speak to each other, which was fine by Dustil. 

He dashed up the stairs, swearing under his breath when he saw the landlord waiting at the top. With no way to get around Dustil steeled himself for what was to come. 

"That woman was screaming again!" 

Dustil stopped. That was unexpected. He'd was prepared to be hounded over the next weeks rent. Tiru Varn seemed to prone to forgetfulness as Dustil often found himself reminding the landlord he was paid up.

"What?"

"Your mother, she's screaming again. So loud we hear her downstairs. My customers won't stay to drink with all that racket," the man shouted waving his arms. It had been Dustil's idea to pose as mother and son. Claiming themselves as Jedi could attract unwanted attention and Master Revan was in no position to defend herself. 

But hardly anyone was going to pay attention to a young man caring for his sick mother.

"I'm sorry Mister Varn," Dustil said quickly. He tried pushing past Tiru Varn but the man held his ground. Dustil felt a surge of anger and choked it back. 

"No more, if she disturbs the other tenants or my customers again," Varn said threateningly. Holding his breath Dustil turned to look sharply at the landlord. Something must have passed in his eyes because Tiru Varn quickly stepped to the side. The man swallowed nervously. He muttered, "I hope your mother feels better."

Dustil ignored him and went down the poorly lit hall. Pausing he looked back and saw Varn retreating down the stairs. Before unlocking the door Dustil took a deep breath, calming his anger before going inside.

"There is no emotion," Revan said. 

Dustil looked at his Master, surprised to see her out of bed. He barely registered her admonishment but said automatically, "There is peace."

"How are you feeling?" Dustil asked then. He opened his robes, dropping the cloth wrapped package onto the table. Revan turned back to the filthy window. It was evident she wasn't well. She was like a ghost now. Thin and pale, with hardly the strength to stand. A soft sigh escaped her. "Varn said you were screaming."

"Was I?" Revan asked apologetically. In the reflection of the window Dustil saw her brow crease. "Maybe I was. I don't remember." 

Dustil turned to unwinding the bundle. Laying out two medpacks and enough food for a few days meals provided he ate sparingly. Master Revan hardly touched food, but her thirst was never satisfied.

"Dustil, I don't know how long this moment of clarity will last, so I'm going to be blunt," Revan said facing him.

"I'm not leaving Master," Dustil said softly. When he looked at her tears shone in her eyes. He shook his head. "No. It's not an option. I won't abandon you here to die like that."

"Please Dustil, understand I'm at peace with this," Revan said with tears slipping over her sunken cheeks. "You need to go back now. I can't train you any more. And, there's your father. Dustil, I know Carth wants to see you again."

Biting his lip Dustil looked at the ground. He still hadn't mentioned he'd sent a message to his father. Though he had no idea if T3 had even reached the the elder Onasi it was a hope he wasn't going to let go of. Yet Revan still did not know what he'd done. Once she'd questioned him about the droids disappearance. Dustil had told her that he'd been forced to sell the droid to pay the Gargon docking fee. Neither had spoken of it again.

"Dustil? What aren't you telling me?" Revan asked. She had been looking intently at him. He took a deep breath. She was going to be angry, but maybe she'd be glad help was on its way.

"I didn't sell - MASTER!" Dustil cried as Revan collapsed in a heap on the floor, her limbs twitching with convulsions. He went to his knees, scooping her into his arms. The woman hardly weighed a thing. It was like carrying a doll Dustil thought angrily as he brought her, trembling, back to bed. 

Fetching the medpack from the first room Dustil returned and administered it. The seizure stopped and Revan lay still on the narrow bed. Letting out an explosive breath the young man sank to the floor. He clutched his head in his hands and remained like that until the early hours of the dawn.