Carth Onasi Comes Home ch41

< Carth! >

The memory broke apart as his name was growled in Shyriiwook. He came awake, not in the tiny Coruscant kitchen with Revan in his arms, but in a berth aboard the Raptor with Zaalbar shaking his shoulder. 

"I'm awake, I'm awake," he said waving the Wookiee off him. Carth sat up with a grumbling sigh. There had been a few hours of rest at least. But he wouldn't have minded a chance to finish that dream. They had gone to bed hungry that night as Carth remembered. If Zaalbar was here though it meant it was his turn to take watch. "That time already?"

< I don't mind staying on watch, but I thought you'd want to know - that man just left. >

"Left?" Carth was grabbing his boots, shoving them on in a hurry. 

< Yes, he just walked away. There's no one else out there now. >

That deeply ingrained paranoia raised its hackles. Carth brushed his fingers through his hair and led Zaalbar from the dormitory. It was hours before dawn but the bay was lit with artificial light. The sight of an empty port should have been a good thing, but Carth wouldn't so easily let his guard down. Scowling he paced before the ship carefully weighing the options. Zaalbar watched patiently. 

"We were so damn careful," he hissed thinking of Pulla Vaga. They had delivered him three days ago and the mysterious observer appeared none the wiser for it. He'd passed the days standing and watching Carth and the others. If the man somehow realized Pulla was gone there was a chance he also knew about Tanner Korr. Carth spun sharply on his heel and started off in the other direction.

"Okay. Fine, we'll send Mission in a few hours. When its busier out there," Carth decided. At the least Tanner had to be warned.

< Is that wise? Someone may follow her. > chuffed Zaalbar. 

"Between the three of us, I think Mission knows how to lose anyone tailing her," Carth pointed out. Nodding back to the loading ramp Carth added, "Go on Zaalbar, get a few hours of sleep."

Wordlessly Lassiter parceled out a few credits to the man he'd hired to keep an eye on Revan and her crew. He'd docked the Wager only a short while ago and had already walked into bad news. 

Revan was gone. She'd departed the colony for the jungle on some favor to a local representative of the Exchange's limited interests in Wayland. The only companion she'd taken along was the old Jedi, Jolee Bindo. It left behind Admiral Onasi, the Wookie Zaalbar and the Twi'lek Mission. Not one of them interested Lassiter in the least and he was deigned to wait for Revan's return. But he did have a feeling he wouldn't have to wait long, and he'd already been waiting a long time for her. 

What's a day more?    

Lassiter returned to his preparations. Sitting at his desk he reviewed the information on Czerka. They had only recently taken custody of the viral sample removed from Revan. There was a risk this delay would give Czerka's researchers time enough to produce copies of it. Czerka's computer and security systems in the labs were on a closed circuit. It would require a physical presence to slice into them. His mouth twisted, but he could think of no way around the issue until he and Revan could infiltrate this secret lab themselves.

"Sir, we received a transmission from Coruscant," one of the GE3 droids interrupted. Lassiter nodded and laid the datapad back on the desk. The message came scrambled from subspace. To most it was just layers upon layers of meaningless noise. To Lassiter, it was the final piece he needed before approaching Revan.

Breaking the coded message Lassiter transferred the data which had come through to a portable holovid. The datapad with information about Czerka's purchase from the Hutt would interest Revan. But the holopic he'd loaded onto the portable device would hopefully go a long way in gaining her trust.

In a moment of curiosity Lassiter switched the device on and gazed at the holographic image it displayed. Five children, pressed tightly together, were smiling back at him. They were wearing the bland robes of the Jedi Order which marked this group as younglings. At the center was a boy, standing a head taller than the rest. His eyes were focused on the smallest child of the lot. It was a slip of a girl, of whom he had wrapped his arm about. Young Revan wore a crooked grin and gazed fearlessly back at the world.

Their fatigue eased as soon as they saw the jungle break, giving way to the fortified walls of the city. It had been a long two weeks and the sight of civilization with its promises of showers and beds made Revan smile. What made her quicken her step though was the knowledge Carth was so close. 

"You sure you don't want to radio ahead to the others?" Jolee asked. He held out a hand and Revan took it, letting him help her over a twisting root. 

"Lets surprise them," replied Revan. At the sound of Carth's voice she worried she would simply blurt out her condition. Something in Revan wanted it to be special. Beyond her ability to control the action Revan put a hand on her stomach again. There was a smile on her lips but it froze when she caught Jolee's stare.

"Thanks for the help old man," Revan said. The smiled cracked into a grin. He bristled at the old man remark though he knew it was used endearingly. What she wanted was to distract him from herself.

"Don't think you get off so easy," grumped Jolee pointing a finger at her. "You want me mentioning that incident with the vine snake to Carth?"

"You wouldn't," she began. Revan stopped walking and was met by Jolee's triumphant expression. Rolling her eyes she frowned and took a breath. "Fine. What's it going to cost me?"

"First to the fresher," Jolee commented. 

"Oh, that is a new low Jolee Bindo," Revan breathed. But she was smiling, and despite her own desperate need for a shower nodded to give her friend his victory. 

As the afternoon wore on they passed through the gate and into the crowded streets of the city. More then a few people turned to look at the pair. Revan had no doubt they smelled as fresh as they looked. She'd been soaked with sweat by the heat and exertions of the last several days. Because of that her hair was matted and hung limp from a ponytail. Dirt streaked her face and she could see it in the creases of her knuckles and under her nails. If Revan stopped to consider how itchy her filthy clothes were making her she almost didn't mind Carth hearing how her lack of attention nearly got her killed. His bad moods could usually be kissed into submission anyways.

Revan smiled at thought. Sure they had flirted and he'd been attractive to her from the start, but the only thing that had kept her in check was his paranoia. It hadn't occurred to her to kiss that out of Carth, but it was probably a far deal nicer than calling him a hairless Wookie. 

"You've been all smiles the last few days. Something you want to share?" Jolee asked his gravely voice cutting through her reverie. 

"You gonna let me have the fresher first?" asked Revan archly. 

"Not a chance," Jolee laughed.

Walking through the port both Jedi looked for signs of the man Carth had described earlier over the communicator. But they saw no one fitting the description and there was no one watching the Raptor. When Revan searched the presence of her friends through the Force she uttered a little sigh. They were there but she could feel their anxiety.

"Revan!" Mission shrieked when Revan was barely up the ramp. Her friend came barreling into her arms. The young Twi'lek barely touched Revan before pulling back, her nose wrinkled. "Whoa. You need a shower."

"Thanks Mission, nice to see you too," Revan laughed and turned to see Carth coming into the corridor. He stopped and grinned at her and for just a brief moment there was only them. That look of his set her heart to racing. In all the galaxy it was her Carth wanted and Revan felt proud she belonged to him.

"Took you long enough," Carth finally said closing the space between them. His hands grabbed her face and Revan melted into his kiss with a happy sigh. 

If Carth had been adapt, and not just sensitive to the Force, he would have immediately known she was carrying his child. Somehow she would have to find the words on her own. When she told him, it would be in private, and after she'd had a chance at the fresher. Locking her arms around his broad shoulders Revan leaned up and into a second kiss.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you really do need a shower," Carth murmured against her mouth. 

"Watch it flyboy," Revan said with a smile.

"You got that datapad?" Carth asked to which she nodded. The moment had slipped away and the real world was upon them again. She unslung her backpack and handed it off to Mission. She pinched it between two blue fingers and made a face, holding the satchel as far from herself as possible. 

"Damaged, but we found it. Spent half the day burying the kids body after that," Jolee said. 

"It was the right thing to do," Revan shrugged when the others looked curiously at her. She waved Jolee off then, "Go on. You called the first shower. I don't want to wait around any longer than I need to."

"We hid Pulla with Tanner," Carth said and led her to the main hold, filling her in on the details of the arrangement. She was pleased to hear Pulla had taken an interest the swoops.

< I tried to catch the man. > Zaalbar growled, shaking his head. Revan sank gratefully into a chair. She smiled up at her friend. 

"It's better this way. Besides we'll have this whole thing wrapped up by tomorrow morning," Revan assured him.

"Speaking of, Mission do you want to contact Tanner and let him know we have his datapad?" Carth asked to which Mission nodded. Zaalbar trailed behind her, leaving them alone in the hold. Revan was watching Carth carefully, she could feel the nervous energy pulsing off him. He sat at her side, and she turned to him, letting him put a hand on her thigh. 

"I want to take you out tonight," Carth told her. "If you aren't too tired, let's have dinner and drinks somewhere. Just the two of us."

"Sounds lovely," Revan acknowledged, putting a hand over his. He smiled at her and reached his other hand to caress her cheek. With a happy little sigh she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his skin on hers. Tonight then she decided, before he brought up marriage again, she would have to tell him.