literature

Carth Onasi Comes Home ch55

Deviation Actions

UrbanPhotog's avatar
By
Published:
914 Views

Literature Text

Chapter 55
Revan

"As you can see, both remain unharmed," Lassiter said, gesturing to the pair of figures behind him. Smoothly the man stepped aside allowing the holorecorder to capture Carth Onasi and Mission Vao. They stood shoulder to shoulder in what appeared to be a cantina. A familiar one Revan thought. The sight of the bar itched her mind, a scratch just out of reach with the majority of her memories locked away.

On the far side of the hold Dustil hissed sharply. Revan ignored him, her eyes searching the recording for any clues which might reveal where Lasstier was keeping his prisoners. 

"Admiral maybe you'd like to say a few words for Revan?" Lassiter said cordially. 

"Don't listen to him gorgeous. He plans on taking you back to the Emperor as a prisoner," rushed Carth, his expression filled with urgency. Revan saw the dark circles beneath his eyes. An ache burned her heart to see him so disheveled and tired. 

Beside Carth, Mission stood with her attention flickering off to the sides where Revan was sure droids or men guarded them. Her usual defiance was gone, erased from her face to be replaced by fear and worry. Nervously her hands twisted one of her head tails. This was the first time in four days Revan laid eyes on either of them. It was the first time Lassiter attempted to make contact and the wait had not been an easy one. 

"Oh, tell her something she doesn't know Admiral," Lassiter sighed, his tall broad frame filling the air again. "Now Revan, I promise they will be safe as long as you follow instructions to the letter. Deviate and I'll sell them both into slavery on Dromund Kass. I think you remember enough of my homeworld to know how unpleasant that will be."

Revan felt hate boiling inside her.  There were enough fuzzy memories of the Sith planet to know what slavery would mean for Carth and Mission. Especially for beautiful young Mission Vao.

"Follow the coordinates transmitted with this message, a docking bay has been secured for the Raptor. I don't care if you bring that old man or the walking carpet. They won't be the ones to pay the price for any of your tricks," Lassiter finished. He winked then, grinning, "I'm looking forward to seeing you again Revan."

The recording ended there. 

"What a singularly unpleasant man," Bastila said stiffly breaking the silence that followed. 

"Request: Oh, master, please allow me to punish the meatbag for his attempt to kill you. He is most insolent and sorely needs to be put in place," HK asked, optics gleaming. 

"He said Dromund Kass - where is that?" Dustil asked looking at Revan. 

"Sith homeworld. Alek and I discovered it, I don't remember how, but that's where we met Lassiter. The man betrayed us to the Emperor," Revan replied. 

"He could already be there," Dustil suggested. Revan shook her head.

"No. Lassiter won't risk someone on Dromund Kass getting to me first," she replied shaking her head. There was a sharp pain in her right hand. Looking down Revan realized she had clenched her fist tight enough to dig her nails into her palm. Hours spent immersed in bacta healed her burned arm completely. Only the pinkness of the freshly regrown skin were any indication there had been injury. Now, in an effort to suppress her rage, Revan drew little crescents of blood from her palms.

"Doesn't look like he had Dromund Kass in mind anyways. These coordinates direct us to Nam Chorios," Jolee said from the communications console. Squinting the Jedi leaned in to look at the small star map displayed there. The name was familiar. Revan had a brief vision of desert rolling out before her, the bleak landscape shrouded by dusk. 

"What's our plan then?" Canderous asked. 

Revan looked up him, mildly surprised by the question. She blinked, clearing her throat to reply, "The rest of you return to the Hawk and I'll take this ship to Nam Chorios where I trade myself to Lassiter for Mission and Carth's freedom."

"Protest: Master! A most unwise course of action that will surely end in your untimely death," HK-47 lamented. Revan glanced at the droid. 

"You're talking about my father, there is no way I'm staying behind," Dustil added sharply turning to his master. Silently Revan looked at him, feeling the anger coming off him, darkening the Force around them both. Roughly he jabbed a finger in the air, in her direction, adding, "You walked him and Mission into a trap."

"Padawan," Bastila called sharply. Dustil lowered his hand but not take his eyes off Revan. 

"I'm aware this situation is my fault Dustil, and I know failure comes with a cost," she told him calmly. Flinching Dustil drew back a step. Revan became aware of everyone's eyes on her. "I will pay any price to guarantee the safety of Carth and Mission. Even if that price is my life."

< Revan, it can't come to that. > Zaalbar said mournfully. Gently she smiled at the wookie, taking care not to flash her teeth.

"This is what I came out here for. Now Lassiter himself will take me to the man I've been searching for," Revan told him and the others with a dark smile on her lips.

"You'll be put to death," Bastila said quietly. 

"Probably," Revan shrugged. 

"What do you think that will do to Carth? Losing you and the - " Bastila cut off, her gaze flickering to Revan's stomach then just as quickly bounced back up. 

It did not escape Dustil. The young man looked between the women with understanding dawning in his face. Wide eyed the padawan let his gaze rest on his teacher. Finally he sensed the life growing inside Revan, and he looked as though he'd been slapped.

"Pregnant?" he breathed.

"Yes. Your father knows," Revan answered. Shaking his head Dustil wheeled away from her with a barely veiled look of disgust. The others who had not known this news wore almost identical looks of surprise. Revan looked from Zaalbar to Canderous, giving them a little nod to affirm they heard correctly. The look she gave Bastila was less friendly and the woman looked abashed for the slip. 

"Either way, you know going to Nam Chorios alone is a bad idea," Jolee said, deftly changing the topic. Revan sighed, grateful for the distraction but annoyed by the persistence of arguing her plans. 

"He's right. You have no real way of knowing if this man is going to hold up his end of the bargain. What's to stop him from selling Carth and Mission into slavery after he has you," Canderous pointed out. 

Revan highly doubted that, but it was useless to argue. As she gravely misjudged Lassiter to begin with, she could hardly blame anyone not trusting her word on the matter. Scowling the woman pinched the bridge of her nose. There was an unpleasant pounding in her head accompanied by the nauseous rolling of her stomach. 

< We may have an advantage here. > Zaalbar growled softly. Revan waved a hand, inviting him to share. < Lassiter didn't indicate he knew about the others, only myself and Jolee. It's possible he wouldn't be expecting them. >

"He will doubtless know the Ebon Hawk and there will be spies watching the ports," said Revan shaking her head. 

"But once you arrive in this vessel the spies will likely be called off," Batila said in a brighter tone. Holding her breath Revan went very still. She could suddenly sense this going in a direction she didn't like. From the moment she regained consciousness in the bacta tank Revan knew the cost of her mistake was to going to be her life. Too long her mistakes had been paid by lives of other people. The tragedy of the Mass Shadow generator, her pupil and friend Meetra left bereft of the Force, and the most painful death of all - Alek's. Now it was Mission Vao and her beloved Carth Onasi at stake. 

Around her the others were rapidly putting together a plan. Revan only vaguely registered what they were saying. Motionless at the center of their chaos, she looked at the deck beneath her boots her mind working silently.

It didn't matter what decision her friends came to. She would go to Nam Chorios and would hand herself over to Lassiter Osh without a fight. He would deliver her to Dromund Kass and the Emperor himself. There was little doubt in her mind it would end in her death. And the death of her unborn child. But Mission and Carth would live and that was all that mattered.

"Shouldn't my father have some say in what you decide? It's his child too."

The soft spoken words of Dustil caught Revan's attention. Looking up she glanced to see the others were now clustered at the astronaviagtion computer. The broad shouldered padawan lingered at her side. He picked up her thoughts through the bond they shared as teacher and student. There was no small measure of surprise for Revan, realizing he had not severed the connection.

"If his life wasn't at stake," replied Revan. 

"You'll break his heart," the young man said bewildered. 

"Carth is a strong man. He'll live. And that's all I care about," she said softly.

"You won't even try," Dustil half asked. "For the grief you gave me over not returning to Telos, and you won't even fight to live for him. That's why you came out here wasn't it - to die?"

There was no argument Revan could give. Chasing down her memories, confronting the man who destroyed herself and Alek, protecting the Republic and her friends, she didn't know which was accurate. Somewhere along the way her path had become tainted with a need for revenge, even at the cost of her own life. She started at Dustil, the young man holding her gaze until he finally saw the truth of it his teachers face. Wordlessly Dustil Onasi turned his back to Revan and walked away.
Comments2
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
KaishySaiyanPrincess's avatar
Oh nooo!!!! I was really enjoying this!!! I wanna know what's gonna happen!! :cries: . i really feeling bad for Carth :( Revan is going to break his heart 💔