Righty-oh! I'm on a roll here. Another chapter. Again, yesh I know there are probably a great deal of grammar errors or something along those lines. But I hope you all enjoy this either way.

I seem to be slowly moving away from the dialect of the game. But I still use some of it here and there. Or I just change it a bit. Just more to my liking is all.

Disclaimer: Yeah yeah...you know what goes here.

Chapter 13 : Leaving

"Mission!" Carth screams at the top of his lungs searching for her. Why does this entire scene seam familiar to him? "MISSION!" He yells louder and a little more desperate each time. He tosses over tables and chairs, pushes his way through a crowd and again is searching among the clattered debris of the cantina.

"It's no use..." Keira bends over exhausted with her hands on her knees. "...she's not here Carth. We would have found her by now."

"No, no,...not again. This can't be happening again. She's here damn it! Keep looking!" Carth snaps at her. He continues to throw debris and tables around, this time more in frustration than in concern.

"What in the..." Mission suddenly appears near the bar. "What happened here?" She throws the two adults a look of mischief. "Hey did you guys have a little too much fun without me? I mean did yah ruff up some Sith scum or...Hey! Let go!"

Missions slaps at the hand currently gripping her upper arm tightly. Carths stare is one that could scare Sith Lords. "Where the hell were you?"

Missions stops slapping at his hand and now faces Keira. "Is he serious?" She laughs a little. A little too much, for the captains liking.

"Oh, I'm serious alright." He lets go of her arm, glares at her again. Then, something strange happens. His expression become soft and caring. His eyes moisten a bit, just enough for her to notice.

Now concerned, Mission realizes that something big had just happened. "Hey...Carth...you ok? Are you hurt or something?"

The pilot rests his hands on his waist, takes a deep breath, arches his aching back and exhales. "Yeah, Mish. I'm fine." He lets his head hang low, and then pulls her into a hug. "I..I thought we lost you Mish. I really did."

She feels him squeeze her a little more and can't help but smile at the thought that these people actually care for her. The young Twi'lek returns the hug, allowing her head to rest against his chest. "I'm sorry, Carth. I just stepped out for a minute. I thought I saw Canderous, figured he would know how to help us get off Taris...and then...when I came back..."

Carth hushes her and holds her a minute longer. "Look kid, you just had our guts in a twist there for a minute. That's all. Sorry I snapped at you."

She shrugs her shoulders. "No big deal, old man." They both laugh and begin walking towards Keira.

"Are you going to hug me to? Because I sware..." Before she can finish, Mission does indeed find herself in yet another strong hold hug.

"Just shut up." Keira says laughing. She looks the young girl in the face. "You sure you're ok?"

"Geez you guys. Yeah I'm fine. Sheesh!" Mission breaks free of Keira's hold and begins walking off. "Now do you guys want to know what Canderous said or what?"

Both the scoundrel and the captain nod.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Staring up from under a table, Carth aims and fires his blasters. "GOT YOU!" Another Sith soldier body falls to the floor. He glances up and sees Keira still battling with the same Sith soldier.

She ducks just as a blaster beam buzzes over her head. Using the power in her legs, she pushes her body from the floor and launches herself at the last soldier in this room. In seconds, she's on him. He has no time to react. The blade slashing through his throat is too fast for him to see.

Thud.

Another body on the floor.

Keira wipes the blades of her vibroswords with a rag. From the corner of her eye she can see her captain lying under a steel table. "Still hiding down there?" She smiles.

"Hiding? No. That sister, was surviving." He holsters his blasters. "You know I managed to drop eight guys at the door while you were playing with that one." Carth brushes past her to a set of elevator doors. "Great, we finally get past all those Sith Soldiers to end up at a dead end?"

Keira walks up to stand beside him. She pulls a card from her pocket and waves it in front of Carths face. "This is why I was 'playing' with the last one." She says sticking out her tongue.

She sticks the card in the slot and the doors open. "I guess we're going up." They both step in and the doors close behind them.

"So what you think is going to be behind these doors when we stop?" Carth asks her, still looking at the doors.

"Don't know. Don't care. All I know, is that whatever is there, means it's an obstacle in the way of us getting off this Sith infested planet." She turns her head up to look at Carth. "You got my back?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way beautiful."

She gives him a nod.

The doors open.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

High above Taris the Leviathan hovers in space. The Sith Lord Malak gazes down at the planet from one of the ships windows. He can't help but feel desperate. Why haven't we found Bastila yet? Her battle meditation, we need to capture her. Dead or alive. And this presence I feel, what is it? Why is it familiar? He clasps his hands behind himself, the doors to the bridge open.

A sickly thin man enters the room. He kneels down on one knee, bows his head and places his knuckles against the steel floor. "You summoned me, Lord Malak?"

Malak doesn't turn around, he just continues his stare out the window. "The search for Bastila is taking too long. We cannot rish her escaping Taris. Destroy the entire planet."

The Admirals eyes open and grow big. He stares up at his master. "The...the entire planet, Lord Malak?" He stands and brushes off his pants with his hands. "But...there are billions of people on Taris!" He points to the planet while staring at his master. "We'd be slaughtering countless innocent civilians. Not to mention our own troops."

Swiftly, the Sith Lord turns and faces the Admiral. "Your predecessor had once made the mistake of questioning my orders, Admiral. Surely you are not so foolish to make the same mistake?"

The Admiral recoils and begins to back away from his master. "Of...of course not my Lord Malak. I will do as you command. But it will take several hours to position our fleet."

Now frustraded Malak crosses his arms. "Then I suggest you begin immediately. You are dismissed, Admiral."

"Yes, Lord Malak." The Admiral, straightens, does a quick salute and leaves. The doors to the bridge close behind him. He rests the back of his head against the doors and sighs. This is not what he had planned would happen when he signed up to join the Sith.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Keira sits at the end of a luxurious bed. She closes her eyes and breathes in the sweet smells of this room. She can feel the delicate material beneath her fingers. Too bad they will not be here long enough for her to actually enjoy this room. She frowns at this idea.

"What?" Carth eyes her from across the room. For some reason he has decided to sit in just a plain chair instead of one of the more desirable ones.

She smiles. "Nothing. It's just too bad that we have to leave this room. The stay here was sounding better and better."

"Uh...huh." Carth crosses his arms and adjusts his feet as if uneasy. "Well, I think you get to have a few minutes at least. With Canderous gone to see those...uh...slaves...I'm sure we might be here a while."

Keira snorts inwardly. "That man..." She laughs a little at the thought of Canderous being served literally by a few female slaves. "I hope he doesn't provide us with any details."

Carth raises a brow in disgust. "You and me both sister."

Keira stretches her full length onto the bed with her hands above her head. "If I were a Cathar..." She says yawning. "...I would purr." She laughs to herself.

Then she notices Carth staring at her. He shakes his head and turns his attention back to the doors. He sighs inwardly, wondering what is taking that damn Mandalorian so long. How can all their efforts to get off the for saken planet lie in the hands of that mad man.

"Carth..."

"Yeah?" The captain turns his attention back to the bed, but finds that it's empty. A quick survey around the room finds him staring at the chair beside him.

"What happened?" She asks blankly, staring at the floor. "In the cantina, what happened?"

Surprised to see her right there and left to wonder how he did not notice her move spots, he pauses before he speaks. "I...Uh...A grenade went off. The bar tender said someone was yelling about being cheated in a pazaak game and then..."

Her head still lowered, she lifts her eyes to meet his. "You know what I mean."

Carth sighs. He leans back into his chair and rubs his free hand in his hair. "I...I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?" She says a little aggravated.

He lifts his brow and doesn't say anything. He starts to say something but nothing comes out. Carth shrugs his shoulders and lets his head fall back against the chair.

"So that's it? You don't know?" Keira stands and begins making wild gestures with her hands. She paces the floor and voice begins to gain volume. "First, I...I practically offer myself to you...and then...you're all no...soldier and captain stuff..." She pulls out the band holding her hair to the back of her head. "Then...and then you're all...'hey Keira who took my clothes?'...and then you're all..." She straightens her black hair and then ties it up behind her head again. "And then...then there's the cantina." She says slumping her shoulders.

"And then...there's the cantina." He agrees, lost for words. Carth stands and holds Keira by her upper arms. Her eyes desperately pleading for some sort of explanation. "Look, I'm sorry. I should explain. I know. But now,..now's not the time. And..."

The apartment, prison doors open and Canderous walks in. "Well, well. Am I interrupting something?"

Carth releases the woman's shoulders and treads past the Mandalorian. "No. Where have you been?"

"Why the hostilitees, Republic?" The massive man adjusts the cigar in his mouth and smiles at the tiny woman in front of him. "You know, if he bugs you that much, I can take him out right now."

Keira brushes past him as well. "Tempting. How was your massage?"

Canderous moves his rifle to his other shoulder. "Great, actually. But could have been better if you..."

The Republic Captain comes to a stand still in his tracks. "Don't Ordo. Just don't!"

Canderous smirks knowing he hit a nerver in the up tight pilot. "What? I was only saying."

The trio manages to make their way through Daviks estate with ease. Only running into a few Rodian guards here and there. Canderous leads them through a series of halls and rooms.

"Alright. So the pilot Davik gets to fly his ship around should be in this room." Canderous uses his repeater to point to the doors. "There's probably a few droids in there we'll have to take out. Nothing we can't handle."

Keira nods and signals for Ordo to move forward. They enter the room and quickly dispatch of the droids.

"A field generator?" Keira dashes for the control panel and lets the poor pilot out. "Are you alright?"

The pilot falls to his knees, rubbing his temples. "Thanks. I don't know how much more of that I could handle. Thank-you."

Keira and Carth help the pilot to his feet. He staggers a bit and then leans up against the cool metal wall. "I'm Daviks pilot for the Ebon Hawk. I don't have anything that I can give for a reward for helping me." The pilot continues to rub his temples.

Keira takes a few steps closer to the man. "I couldn't just sit here and watch you suffer like that." She gives him a gentle smile. "But I have to admit, we could really use your help."

Confused, the pilot opens his eyes to meet hers. "My help?" He glances at each member of the trio.

Keira nods. "Yes. I'm assuming you have the codes we need to disable the security system guarding the ship."

The pilot smiles. "Of course. Anything. I guess it's the least I can do." He pulls out a data pad and hands it to the woman. "Again, thanks."

"Any time. Now you better get going. Things are going to get messy real fast here." She gives him a wink.

"Right. Thanks." The pilot dashes out the doors and leaves the estate.

The Mandalorian shifts his weight from one leg to the other. "Right. Now that we got those codes, we can steal the ship and pick up your friends. But we better make it quick."

"I'm sending Bastila the location of the pick up." Carth murmurers as he skims through his data pad. "For once I agree with you Canderous. I got a bad feeling, we need to get off this planet quick."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Still hovering above Taris, the Leviathan hums away. Malak still watches tirelessly out his window, as if trying to will Bastila to be captured. The doors to the bridge once more swoosh open and the Admiral again kneels before his master.

"Taris is defenseless against our assault, Lord Malak." He rises and stares at the back of his master. "They are offereing no resistance. The city is in ruins." The admiral lowers his head, waiting yet another command.

"Resume the bombardment, Commander. Whipe this pathetic planet from the face of the galaxy." Malak makes a fist and rises it to the window.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Davik and Calos bodies lie outside the Ebon Hawk under rubble and steel beams. Just before Calo had decided to pull the pin on his grenade, the Sith had commenced their aerial bombardment. A few of the laser beams had cut through the estate and caused it to come crashing down on their opponents. Now they are left with only one problem. Escaping Taris intact.

"Lets get this thing started already!" Ordo yells from the main area of the ship, trying to keep his balance as he staggers. Using the walls for support he makes his way to the cockpit. "Come on Republic! We've got to go now!"

"I know! But the engines need to warm. And I'm contacting Bastila to make sure she's at the extraction point with the others." Carth continues to push buttons and pull levers while the Mandalorian stands to the side observing. "We're almost ready. Keira get to those turrets, I have a feeling we'll have company once we leave." He shouts over his shoulder.

"What will you have me do?" Canderous asks, while wrapping the belt of his repeater over his left shoulder.

Stunned, Carth gives the Mandalorian a glance over his shoulder. "I need you to get to the ramp. Help the others get once when we reach them."

Canderous gives the captain a nod and heads for the ramp. "You got it slick!"

"Well, here goes nothing." Carth flips a few switches over head and they turn red. The engine hums to life and the ship begins to leave the ground. "Good, good. Now... just to get out of here." The pilot steers the ship without effort out of the garage.

The crew is rocked as a beam hits its side. The Hawk takes off and Carth steers it in the direction of the pick up point. "Good girl, you can handle this. No problem..."

Bastila shields her eyes with her hand from the sand whirling around as the Ebon Hawk comes near. The ramp opens and a massive man holds out a hand to her. "Come on girl. We've got to go. Now." Holding onto the hydrolicks shaft, Canderous stretches out his free arm and helps the others make their way up the ramp.

"Ok! We're good to go Republic!" Ordo yells. He pushes a button and the ramp closes. "Now you three better buckle up we are in for one hell of a ride!" He smiles and secures himself into one of the seats and the others follow suit.

Bastila charges for the cockpit and sits in the opposite pilots chair. "We need to hit hyper-drive!" She begins flicking switches and pressing buttons.

"I know...but we can't. Not yet. We need more time." Carth checks his radar. "Great, just great! Incoming fighters! Hold on!"

Keira pulls the triggers of the turrets. One after another the incoming ships are blown to pieces. "Right. Now one more...where are you hiding?"

A stream of blaster beams shower onto the Hawk. "Damn it! Get back here." Keiras beams follow close behind the fighter, but they miss their target. "Siths Blood!"

The fighter turns round and heads back to the Hawk. This time, it lets out a few beams, but they are all a direct hit. Keira's pit lights up with the explosion of sparks. Hissing and steam start to blow behind her chair. Sweat begins to form at her brow and a warm thick sensation begins to flow down over her eye and down her cheek.

"Enough." The scoundrel takes a deep breath, allows her turret to carefully follow the fighter. "That's it, come back." As if it heard her words, the fighter spins around and heads back. "Careful...careful." The turrets follow the ship up and down and then, just as it's about to fire on the Hawk, Keira pulls her triggers. The ship desintergrates before her eyes. "YES!"

Keira climbs down the latter and heads for the cockpit. "Ok. Lets hit hyper-drive." She smiles as she hangs on to the back of the seat where Bastila sits. "Good to have you back."

Bastila smiles and turns to face Keira. Her smile fades when she sees the blood dripping from the scoundrels face. "Force...are you alright?"

Confused, Keira dabs at her face with her fingers and is amazed to see thick red. "Oh...I'm fine. Just get us out of here."

Bastila nods. "Plot a course for Dantooine."

The captain looks at Keira, who shrugs her shoulders, and then at Bastila. "Dantooine? Wait a second. I think we need to get in contact with Admiral Dodana. The Republic needs to be updated on what's going on!"

"I understand, Carth. But I need to speak with the council about some...new developments. You will be able to contact your fleet from there." Bastila stands and heads towards the exit of the cockpit.

"But I don't think..."Carth begins after her.

Keira grabs his arm and pulls him back. "Carth, just let her go. Lets just go to Dantooine. We can figure out what to do from there."

The captain sighs and sits back into his chair. "Fine. Dantooine it is." He pushes a few buttons and the ships hyperdrive engine can be heard humming to life. "Now, you should go see what you can do about that cut."