"To closure," Obtena announced smugly, raising her glass. Canderous, Carth, Mission and Zaalbar raised theirs in response before knocking back the last of the Tarisian ale in one gulp. Mission choked until the Wookiee gave her a pat on the back; it was her first - and probably last - taste of the stuff, so Obtena had decided to let her join them in the toast.

In the corner, Juhani whispered a question to Bastila as they watched Canderous root around for more alcohol. "Calo Nord, the bounty hunter? How was he involved?"

"He was working for Davik with Canderous, and was present at the confrontation when Obtena and the boys were trying to steal the Ebon Hawk." Juhani raised an eyebrow at Bastila's use of Obtena's term for the two men of their group, but did not interrupt. "When he realised he was losing, he threatened to blow everyone up with a thermal detonator. The Sith had just started bombing Taris... the last they saw of Nord, he was buried under falling debris." Bastila shuddered at the memory, the tremendous loss of life as the entire surface of the planet was pulverized by massive blasts of focused energy. She turned to Juhani and was startled by expression on the Cathar's face: resentment, bordering on anger, directed specifically at her. "Juhani?"

Juhani shook her head, her topknot waving back and forth angrily. "It is nothing important," she hissed quietly, then closed her feline eyes to center herself. When she turned her gaze back to Bastila, her face was calm once more, and she regarded the brunette coolly for a moment before speaking again. "Perhaps it would be best if a Jedi would not feel. But to deny that you feel, even as you feel it... I think such self-deception would be worse." She turned her unblinking gaze to Canderous. "The Mandalorians destroyed a homeworld I never knew. The Sith destroyed the only home I did know, such as it was. Sometimes I feel such hatred for them both, despite my training and my... experience. I can feel it, but I keep it under control, and do not let it rule me. The struggle has its own importance."

The Cathar looked to Bastila once more. "Did you find what you were looking for?" Bastila knew she didn't mean the starmap. She swallowed and silently nodded. "It is up to you to decide how best to mourn him. Do not deny the loss, but do not let it consume you." A glance in Obtena's direction. "You have help for the second part. All you have to do is accept it." With a grim smile and a nod, Juhani slinked off to the cargo hold to look for the little stowaway girl and keep her company. Bastila returned her attention to the others, though she could not help but wonder why Juhani had chosen to reveal her Tarisian past to her instead of Obtena, who seemed far more likely to provoke such revelations.

Canderous had apparently wasted some credits on the local Jawa beer, and was willing to share it. "Here, kid," he grumbled, shoving a mug under Mission's nose. "This should help soften the blow of the ale. Can't have the little blue girl turning green." Already used to Carth's jibes about her age, Mission merely kicked Canderous in the booted shin (which probably hurt her foot more than his leg) and took the mug with a smile. Bastila did not miss the grin on Obtena's face as she quietly observed the exchange. By the time this mission is over, Bastila thought, she's going to get Juhani and Canderous romantically involved...

Obtena burst into giggles, and Bastila realised their bond must have shared the idea with her. The padawan looked to her now and shook her head, and Bastila supposed that Obtena knew her social abilities had limits after all.

"What?" Canderous asked, failing to notice the mental exchange between the linked Jedi. "It wasn't that funny..." he paused, suddenly wondering if Republics - or Twi'leks for that matter - had some sort of custom involving offering girls drinks that he didn't know about.

"Nothing, private joke," Obtena assured him, and Bastila knew she was probably going to tease her about it later. "How about another war story?"

Canderous grunted, shuffling about in his seat to get comfortable. "I think I'll tell you a little bit about our war with the Rupublic. That might be more familiar to you. The one where Jedi Revan beat my people." The frown that had been in danger of easing its grip on Carth's face slammed back into place, but he said nothing as the Mandalorian began. "We started by conqouring worlds just outside the Republic..."

Bastila retreated to her bunk. Ever since she had learned of her father's death, she had spent even less time with the others in a social setting than the little she had dared to, before. Every spare waking moment, she now spent in meditation, making more sure than ever that she would remain centered and focused on the task at hand. She wished she was doing it to guard against Obtena'snear- constant emotional presence in her mind, rather than guarding against her own feelings. After Juhani's words, it concerned her that she would even think to deceive herself about it.

She had not appreciated Obtena informing the rest of the crew of her personal circumstances, though she did understand it. The crew of the Ebon Hawk was a family of cast-offs and loners, individuals set adrift in the galaxy... apparently guided by the Force to aid in her mission. Even the Mandalorian. She could not fathom why such a brute would have agreed to remain with them once they had escaped Taris. At first she thought he was merely infatuated with Revan, but that was - Obtena, not Revan - not the case. Respect, surely. The lewd jokes he shot off every now and then certainly indicated he was not above base lusts, but he did not seem to be actively pursuing Obtena in that fashion...

As if I know in what fashion a man would pursue a woman, let alone a Mandalorian, she admitted to herself. As usual, she refused to let herself dwell on it. Instead, she knelt upon the floor by her bunk, in her usual position, and cleared her mind. Her perception of her immediate surroundings began to lessen, and her consciousness began to drift...

"I HAVE NO TIME OR PATIENCE FOR COWARDS!" Canderous' voice boomed, and Bastila jumped at the sudden proximity and volume. Her eyes flew open to see the Mandalorian was not in the room with her as it seemed. The shock of it caused her to miss what was said next, then she realised that the combination of her bond with Obtena must have augmented the echo down the corridor. She immediately calmed herself again and reached across the connection...

Someone was stomping away... the footfalls were too light... it was Carth, heading to the cockpit, filled with a violent temper that matched the Mandalorian's battle mood. Obtena was letting him go, calming Canderous down so he would continue. She felt Bastila's attention, but did not respond to it. Bastila returned to her meditation, but kept an inner eye open.

As her thoughts began to drift again, she wondered if her battle meditation could be used in less violent situations. Inspiring allies and demoralizing enemies could be useful for negotiations as well as war... could prevent war, perhaps. Or it could backfire and cause a war. Bastila had trained as a sentinal. She was a champion of the light, not a diplomatic consular. Perhaps, when she returned to Dantooine, she could mention it to the masters...

Canderous cut short his story, before getting to the point where Revan, Malak and the Jedi that followed them joined the Republic military forces. Bastila was relieved, but she could feel something was going on. Obtena watched Canderous amble off before sliding out of her seat and... heading for the cockpit. What was she up to?

Carth was fiddling with the instrumentation again, occupying his mind. Was that an old habit, or something he picked up from his Jedi companions? Was it Bastila or Obtena who was wondering that? Bastila could not be certain. "Do you want to talk now?" Obtena asked, and Bastila could hear - no, feel - the same old friendly smirk on her lips.

With a burst of insight, Bastila realised what Obtena had done. Carth had barely spoken to any of them since the argument on the way to Tatooine. Obtena had timed Canderous' story in order to make Carth lose his temper, on purpose! She'd made him emotionally vulnerable! Bastila scowled, and made sure Obtena could feel it. Obtena stuck her tongue out at the back of Carth's head as he continued to face the other way, but Bastila knew who the gesture was meant for. Well, why not, Bastila decided. Carth is no Jedi, he has no need to guard against the dark side. It was Obtena she was worried about. Interaction and manipulation were not the same thing... Carth was speaking, and Obtena was mentally 'nudging' her, so Bastila relaxed the connection.

This Force bond was proving to be as surprising as it was unexpected. Bastila had heard of telepathy before, of course, but she had always imagined it to be like a conversation going on between two minds. This was turning out to be far more... intimate. She grimaced internally at the use of the word, but it was the only one that would do the experience justice. What had started as just a flicker of life felt through the Force had blossomed into a sharing of experience. First it had merely been a presence, always in the back of her mind. It was Obtena's training at the Jedi enclave on Dantooine that strengthened the bond beyond that. The more accustomed she had become to using the Force, the more the bond had grown to include impressions of emotion, and now sensation.

It had advantages, of course. Out of everyone in their group, no one could fight in tandem better than they. Even taking part in Obtena's training could not explain how well they coordinated their actions. Between two properly-trained Jedi, such a bond would be a great asset. This bond, however...

Bastila was connected to an amnesiac Sith Lord. How could she ever hope to guide Obtena? The power of Revan was within her, even if she didn't know it. And yet, her actions and her behaviour were evidence that she was not falling back to the dark side as she had previously believed. What had happened to Revan during the Mandalorian War? What had happened to her afterwards? Why had she fallen? Would she fall again?

Once more, Bastila put her trust in the Force and the Jedi masters who had brought it to her. Believing it would all turn out for the best would not make it so, she knew, but it would probably help.

Carth sighed. Obtena wasn't going to give up. Perhaps he already knew it, but he didn't want to make it as easy for her as... ah, hell. "I, uh..." he trailed off again, then grumbled, "I'm not very good at this." He swung the pilot chair around to face Obtena, took a breath, then paused again as he rose to his feet; if he was going to do this, he should do it properly.

"I owe you an apology. Uh, more than one, probably." He ran a hand back through his hair, though the same two strands flopped back forward as usual. "I was just so desperate to face Saul directly in the battle over Taris, and now the Jedi have us looking for these starmaps. I know this mission is important. It's just... I feel a bit useless. I can fly, and I can fight, sure; but I'm no Jedi. All this feels completely out of my league! But... this may really, finally make a difference... and I suppose even if I can't figure out everything that's going on, I still want to help if I can."

Obtena shrugged. "If it's any consolation, I know how you feel. I didn't ask to be linked to Bastila, or become a Jedi; and yet here I am, trying to save the galaxy just like you wanted to on Taris."

With a wry chuckle, the pilot nodded. "I hate not knowing what's going on and feeling this... out of control, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I've been a royal pain in the backside, haven't I?"

"Completely, totally and utterly," Obtena nodded in mock seriousness, giving him her best imitation of his usual frown. He barked out an involuntary laugh at that.

"Well, I guess I should at least be a little pleased that I haven't lost my touch. So... I'm sorry. Will you accept my apology?"

"I don't know, maybe I should make you work for it a bit." she decided.

"Oh?" I don't know if I like the sound of that..."

"Do you want me to accept your apologyor not?" the padawan pouted.

"I don't know. What am I going to have to do for it?"

"Blow away the bad guys, save the damsels in distress. The usual."

"Oh, the usual. Let's get to it then, shall we?" Carth collapsed back into his seat, relieved. "When are we getting underway?"

"Tonight. There's something Bastila and I have to do first."

Obtena paused as they approached the cantina, and Bastila turned to face her with an enquiring look. "Have you decided what you're going to do?" she asked carefully. Bastila's eyes fell, the answer reverberating between them as it did between the old feelings and her Jedi training. Or is it simply because of who she is? Obtena wondered. There's more to her than her training... despite her own efforts.

"Do you think I should give it to her?" Bastila asked, interrupting her line of thought.

"Do you need it more than she does?" Obtena shot back.

"I would like to keep something to remember father as much as she would," the conflicted Jedi admitted. "I should... try and remember my training. I should be able to let go of this, but I can't."

"I think you'd still be having a tough time with it even if you weren't a Jedi, Bastila. There's a difference between the Jedi you're trying to be, and the person you are. Frankly, I like the person better."

"Of that I am very much aware, I assure you."

"Perhaps you should consider trying to mend things before she-"

"That would only lead to another argument. I always despised talking to her..." Bastila shook herself. "This is pointless. Let's just get this over with."

Obtena followed her inside and blinked rapidly a few times. "Can you see her?"

"She's here," Bastila replied, in a tone of voice that would have made Obtena think 'uh-oh' if she hadn't already felt Bastila's tension gradually increasing, the closer it got to this moment. Obtena doubted her companion's eyes adjusted any quicker. She must feel her. I wonder if I would have been able to feel my parents...

Bastila's spite rose to match her mother's bile as the pair conversed. Obtena considered using the bond to calm the former, but decided against it as it would leave the latter unaffected. "Do you really need the holocron, Bastila?" she asked instead.

"I... perhaps not," Bastila admitted. "I can remember father well enough, despite the comparatively little time I had with him. But why should she have it?"

"Is it too difficult to believe that I am a dying woman who simply wishes to see her husband one last time?" Helena argued.

"I find it difficult to believe anything you say, mother."

"If the only reason you want to keep the holocron is so your mother doesn't get it..." Obtena raised an eyebrow.

For a moment, the struggle between vindictive and compassionate urges was evident on Bastila's face... and then with a long breath, she released her anger. "You're right. It shames me, but I just... I find it difficult to... let go of the past." She turned to Helena. "I'm... sorry, mother."

Helena's expression softened in return when she realised her daughter was sincere. "I was hard on you, dear. I wasn't a very good mother to you, I know that. Your father loved you so. He wanted you to be just like him... he wanted to take you on his hunts, but I said they were too dangerous. I always tried to keep him from the dangerous ones, but he would have none of it. It was a reckless life we led, always moving... I didn't want that for you."

Bastila blinked in surprise; she had remembered nothing of this, but now the topic of some of the fights she remembered between her parents became clearer. "So that's why you gave me to the Order?"

"What do your father and I have to show for all those years of hunting?" Helena asked, tugging at her threadbare clothes. "Nothing. That was no life for anyone, especially not someone as gifted as you. Your father... he spent these last years trying to pay for my treatments. That's why he went for the pearls! I begged him not to, but..."

"Your treatments?"

"I'm dying, Bastila. I did not lie about that. It's been a long time in the coming, and there's really nothing that can be done anymore. I told your father to let me go, but you know how he was. Stubborn, just like you."

"I'm so sorry, mother. I don't know what to say..." Bastila stepped forward, and took Helena's hands in her own. Helena smiled feebly.

"Keep the holocron, Bastila. It would do me good to know you have it. This..." she paused, squeezing her daughter's hands. "Talking with you... I think this is what I really needed, before I..."

"I know, mother. Thank you." Bastila actually gave in to an impulse and hugged her. "I'm glad we talked, too."

Helena returned the hug awkwardly, then gave a nervous little laugh. "Well, now. You said you had important business, and you were never one to mince words. You there..." she addressed Obtena, who had taken the opportunity to order a drink from the bar. "Take care of my daughter, you hear me?"

"As if she'd let me," Obtena complained jokingly, with a wink at the daughter in question.

"Make her let you. Too much of her father..." Helena paused a moment as she caught on. "Well. Good. I'll feel a lot better knowing there's someone watching her."

"What are you going to do now?" Bastila asked her mother.

"It doesn't matter, dear. Don't you worry about me..."

"Here, take these five hundred credits," Bastila said, fishing the credit chip out of the pouch on her belt. "It's all I have. Go to Coruscant and find a doctor. I'll find you there after... after what I have to do."

"But I already told you there's nothing that can-"

"Please, take it. I... want to see you again, when we can talk."

Helena gave in and took the chip Bastila offered. "Alright, I will. Now you do what you have to do, Bastila. You go make your father and I proud."

"I'll try. Farewell, mother."

With a final smile for both of them, Helena walked out of the cantina. Bastila leaned against the bar beside Obtena, who promptly offered her a sip of her drink. "More for me," she muttered happily when Bastila shook her head with a bemused smile. The brunette watched as her companion drained the rest of the glass in one go, acting as if nothing interesting had just happened.

"Thank you."

"Hm?" Obtena hummed into her glass before setting it down. "For what?"

"You know perfectly well."

"Rescuing you from the worst swoop gang on Taris?" Obtena asked. "Letting you have your less-revealing clothes back so you could change out of that joygirl outfit? Against my better judgement, I might add. Getting you off Taris before the Sith got you?" She made as if she were to count further points off on her fingers, but Bastila interrupted by taking Obtena's hand in hers.

"That brought me a lot of peace... more than I thought it would have. Thank you for urging me toward it. After all my training I should have been able to handle that better. Apparently I still have much to learn."

"All that Jedi training doesn't leave much room for learning how to be a person, does it?"

"I wouldn't say that..."

"How many friends did you have on Dantooine?"

"Quite a few, when we were all younglings. Relationships changed as we got older. Some drifted away as the training became familiar and took priority over social concerns. And of course, things change as one discovers how strong they are in the Force. Once my battle meditation developed, I began special training to master it, which took up what little time I had left."

Obtena motioned to the door, and together they stepped outside and headed back to the hanger. "There is one thing I regret missing about my late training. I never got to see how the Jedi masters handle their students going through puberty. I bet you were a sexy little handful in your teens."

"I was no such thing!" Bastila denied, though her cheeks did flush. Or was that the outdoor heat? "It's true that indulging such instincts and passions is... contrary to the Jedi code, but our training included subjects such as sexuality, so we would be able to... handle the biological... developments."

Obtena smirked. "And that was the only kind of 'training' you did, was it?" she asked, and giggled as Bastila's cheeks reddened further. "Tell me all about it. I want details. When, where, who, how..."

"It wasn't like that," Bastila admitted falteringly. She fell silent as she considered it, then sighed in resignation. "It was a holovid."

"An erotic holovid? How juicy was it?"

"Too... um, juicy. It wasn't erotic, it was pornographic. There are plenty of colonists on Dantooine, so it wasn't hard for a student to get their hands on something every now and then..."

"I can't imagine you doing that. I'm guessing one of the other students got it and you watched it as a group."

"Yes... and it was very... graphic."

"Hm. I imagine something like that could be a bad first impression," Obtena supposed.

"Perhaps. However, we had the wisdom to realise that the... standards presented did not reflect those of, well..."

"Real life. So you know not to worry about your center of gravity not being in your cleavage. Even if that peach number does its best to make it appear that way."

The brunette sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I."

"Mmmno. It shows off too many sexy curves as it is. Putting a Jedi ice queen in it only makes it more noticable, especially when she's gorgeous enough to make it work."

"I am not..." Bastila cut herself short, then frowned at the unexpected compliment.

"Gorgeous?"

"An ice queen."

"And when you saw how well endowed the males in that holovid were, you swore that even if you weren't a Jedi in training, you'd never let a man near you, ever."

"Speaking for yourself, are you?"

"Heh. Do you find Carth attractive?"

Bastila stopped short at that question, completely surprised. Obtena paused as well, waiting for her answer. "I... am aware of it. And when I first took command of the Endar Spire, there was mention of his reputation. Though I doubt now that it was well-deserved."

Obtena took Bastila's arm in hers and led her on. "Don't be so sure. Before we found you on Taris, he turned on the charm once or thrice. Out of habit, I think. And you've probably noticed the way he's looked at me every now and then, when we're on good terms that is. I think he slept around because it helped with whatever's really hurting him. There's more to it than a treacherous mentor." The pair entered the docking bay, and Obtena signalled to Carth in the cockpit. The Ebon Hawk's engines hummed to life as they approached the loading ramp. "Or maybe being on a ship where all the women are celibate Jedi is driving him nuts. Heh, maybe I should let him have his way with me after all."

"Given your attitude toward the Jedi, I must admit I was surprised you did not respond to his attentions as he would like."

"If I wasn't already distracted, I'd consider it," Obtena said quietly. "If we became lovers, it would just be for fun, and that's not what I'm interested in. Anymore. I think." Obtena recalled vague memories of past relationships without any real feeling. Meanwhile, Bastila gently withdrew her arm before they boarded the ship and came within eyeshot of Canderous. Apparently the link between them made her reasoning clear without Obtena consciously noticing it, as she squinted suspiciously at the grinning Mandalorian. "And what are you up to? Mission teaching you to whistle through the gap in your teeth?"

Mission laughed at the idea, but held up what Canderous had been working on at the bench. "Calo Nord's armour," she explained. "Big C's finally found something he looks good in, though its taking longer to modify it. That guy was really short for a Mandalorian."

"Big C?" Bastila repeated quietly, the corner of her mouth tugging upward. Canderous gifted her with a malevolent glare before turning to Obtena.

"I should be ready to take on anything when we reach our next destination," Canderous announced. "It may not be Mandalorian battle armour, but anything good enough for Calo is good enough for me."

"Setting aside the fact that it already turned out not to be good enough for him." Obtena remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," Canderous grumbled before returning his attention to the armour. Obtena gave a satisfactory chuckle; every opportunity to make the big brute think about something other than battle was a cause for celebration. She wondered how long the logic of his last statement would bother him before he was finally able to either reason it out or ignore it.

Dragging Bastila along with her again, Obtena whispered into the brunette's ear. "Canderous looks pretty good for his age, hm? Think you could handle such a big strong man grunting and grinding away on top of you?"

"Don't even joke about that," was Bastila's appalled response.