Work Text:
-- Canderous --
Canderous blasted a beast out of the air, seconds before it could claw his face with six limbs. The hideous creature shrieked as it slammed into another, before both were silenced by rounds from HK-47's blaster weapon.
The dust in the chamber drifted down to the tiled floor as Bastila and Canderous caught their breath. HK whirred his head back and forth, on lookout for any signs or echoes of more approaching monsters. Then orange of his paint looked ominous in the faint yellow light emanating from the ceilings in the temple. The lights were somehow still powered despite possible millennia of neglect.
As Canderous wiped blood and dust from his face, he felt a cool wave throughout his entire body, and his multiple small injuries ceased throbbing. He nodded his thanks for the Force Heal to Bastila, who was leaning back against a fallen pillar, her hands extended towards him as she cast.
'I am quite fed up with those things,' she announced when she finished. 'Did you see the size of that one that thought it could take a bite out of HK? Awful. Still, we're showing them what-for without much fuss, aren't we?'
Canderous could tell the young woman was trying to sound more chipper than she was. They had been exploring the temple for over an hour, and it showed no signs of leading anywhere. Just chamber after chamber of dusty urns, pillars and vermin.
Something in the walls of the place heavily reduced comlink signals, so they hadn't heard from the ship or the second explorer group for most of the journey. They were to turn back at the two hour mark, regardless of what they found, but the Mandalorian wasn't convinced they could carry on for much longer.
He'd been assigned leader of their group, so he kept an eye on Shan, for signs to call quits on the mission.
'Yeah, but a good warrior knows when something is a waste of time,' he said.
'We've been over this, Mr Ordo. Just because you know nothing of the Force doesn't mean this is a waste of time.’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Are you still pissed off that I was made group leader?’
Bastila dusted at her clothes, avoiding his gaze. ‘I am not “pissed off”, I’m simply doubting the logic of it, especially seeing as I have a Force connection and this place is clearly some sort of Force shrine.’
He carried on teasing. Her irritation was amusing. ‘And here I thought you’d rather die than doubt our beloved captain.’
Bastila turned red, confirming his suspicions about her crush. Cute. He thought.
‘I don’t know why you insist on antagonising—oh, what's this?' Bastila trailed off as she noticed something.Canderous stepped over and look at what she was prying out from the facade of the broken pillar. Whatever it was glowed with a eerily dark red light that seemed to cast impossible shadows onto the young woman.
'This curious blue crystal practically sang to me when I touched it. If I could just, ah-ha!'
Before Canderous could comment that the crystal was obviously not blue and was definitely sinister, Bastila let out a pained scream and dropped to her knees. The crystal flew out of her grasp and faded to a boring clear colour in the dust.
'Miss Shan?!' Canderous holstered his blaster and ran the few paces to her.
Bastila’s eyes were tightly closed in pain and distress as she wailed. The Mandalorian didn’t know what was wrong, so he pulled his remaining health stim from his pocket and jabbed it into her arm. It didn’t seem to have any effect.
‘Shan, what can I do? Tell me!’ he shook her by her shoulders, but she was oblivious to him. He looked to HK, who remained silent and unhelpful.
Canderous wasn’t one for bedside manners, but he tried to reassure the Jedi. ‘You’re nowhere near it now, it can’t hurt you. Come on, Bastila.’ He wrapped his arms around her and sat with her while she seemed to shift in and out of consciousness from the pain.
Canderous heard footfalls and looked up to see captain Tallon run into the chamber. Her eyes were frantic and she was breathing heavily. A cut streaked her face with blood just below an eye and her clothes were torn in a few places.
‘Bastila!’ she cried.
~ ~ ~
-- Tallon --
Something tugged on her Force connection the further Tallon walked into the temple. She couldn’t place it, but it was definitely there, lending validity to the truth in the old tablet they had found.
A Force weapon. Hidden in a temple, hidden in a jungle. They had asked locals and they had found the temple, but Tallon argued with herself over their quest. Was she wasting their time? Would this lead to anything that could stop Malak?
She had to trust herself and the Force. She repeated the mantra as she, Zaalbar and Carth navigated the branching tunnels and chambers of the temple.
Her companions were talking quietly together a few paces back, their weapons drawn, while she walked ahead, her keen eyes looking for traps.
A blinding wave of fear and pain shot through Tallon via the Force. Bastila was hurting. Somewhere in this place, amongst urns and tiles depicting creatures she had never seen before.
‘Bastila!’ she ran. She didn’t even think, she just ran, following her connection to Bastila. Tallon leapt over a tripwire and kicked a creature in its face without slowing down, turning sharply left and into another tunnel, then another.
She didn’t know how long she ran for, but her lungs burned when she emerged into a circular chamber where Canderous knelt holding up Bastila. She heard herself cry out her friend's name.
Canderous lowered the Jedi to the floor and leapt out of her way as Tallon threw herself to the tiles and put everything she had into a single Force Heal, focusing on pushing out the pain and the curse she could sense invading Bastila’s body.
'Tallon,' Bastila muttered her name, and a sad wave of emotion struck through the captain through the Force.
Tallon cradled the woman's head in her lap. 'You're okay, Bastila, I can sense that you're okay,' she managed a weak smile to reassure her friend. ‘It still feels terrible, but it will pass, I promise.'
Her friend tried to say something else, but she sank into deep unconsciousness. Tallon cast another tiny Force Heal from her own health, sending it through he hand into Bastila's. 'I hope it doesn't hurt anymore,' she whispered.
'Captain, Shan touched that crystal over there and it doubled her over in seconds. HK-47, scan it. What is it?'
'Offended: Do I look like an archivist droid to you?'
'Don't sass me, junk metal.'
Tallon ignored her companions and looked about for the subject of their bickering. She carefully shifted Bastila’s head to the ground and moved to the stone. 'This crystal? It's making a sound, can you hear that? It's beautiful,' she squatted down and reached for the singing stone. Each of its faces shimmered a different colour and the captain wondered how she had lived her life without its beauty.
A huge boot stomped directly onto the gem, shattering it into dust in front of her fingers. Tallon yelped and fell backwards into a sitting position, trying to clear her muddled thoughts.
Canderous kicked the sparkling dust away for good measure. 'You were lookin' at that thing the same way you look at Onasi; it's clearly a lure trap for your Jedi magic nonsense.'
'Of course...' Tallon’s memories rushed back. 'Bastila!'
'She's still out of it,' Canderous knelt and carefully scooped the young Jedi into his arms. For all his unfriendly demeanour, he was gentle, and he took care not to bump Bastila's head on his chest armour. Tallon’s heart hurt seeing Bastila look so small and vulnerable.
'What now, captain?' the Mandalorian asked.
Still kneeling, Tallon pulled her gaze from the Jedi and she looked around, thoughts racing. 'You have to get Bastila to safety, that's your priority now. HK, cover Ordo, keep them safe. When you get back to the Hawk, keep trying to contact the others, in case they find a hole in the walls where the signal can get through.'
'What about you?' You're not going in there alone,' Canderous made it sound like an order.
She stood up, suddenly full of determination. 'I'm not alone, Zaalbar and Carth aren't far away; I remember the route,' she lied, unsure that she could navigate the tunnels without the urgent tug of the Force. 'I made it here fine. I'll find them and we'll leave together. The Force weapon can wait.'
Despite cradling Bastila, Canderous grabbed Tallon’s collarbone in a death grip before she could move away from him. She winced in pain.
Canderous growled at her. 'If I wasn't sure HK would shoot a hole through me for hittin' you on the head, I'd be dragging you back to the surface, too, captain.'
'Confirmation: any further perceived harm to Master will be met with extreme violence. Give me an excuse, meatbag.'
'Tch,' Canderous made an irritated sound.
Tallon tried to pry his hand away. 'You can't talk to me like that--' she flinched as he somehow gripped tighter.
'I'm talkin' to you right now, captain. You aren't being rational. Think of all the vermin and traps we've seen this far, and now there are these Jedi crystals? You wanna go runnin' past more alone?'
'We can't leave Carth and Zaalbar without a Force user. Not in here.'
'And yet you did. You made a mistake. HK is pretty beat up and I'm what we call incapacitated due to your princess here. We know a safe route back, so we’re takin’ it. The sooner we get Bastila to safety, the sooner we can get back here and you can correct your mistake. Okay?' he gave her a little shake.
Tallon nodded, not caring that he could see tears running down her face. 'You're right. Let's get out of here. HK-47, stay beside Canderous. I'll lead the way back out.'
She marked a huge X into the ground with her lightsaber, then held it in front of her as she ran back up towards the surface, following the white painted markers HK had left in each doorway.
~
Tallon thanked the stars that the return journey to the surface was going without mishap. She could feel fresh air and knew they were close. They passed the bodies of slain vermin, and avoided the traps that had not been activated, clearly highlighted by drying paint.
She felt exhausted, thirsty and guilty. Tallon tried not to think about Zaalbar and Carth alone in the endless corridors. She kept shooting looks to Bastila, but the Jedi hadn't stirred.
Now that she was aware of them, the captain of the Ebon Hawk could hear more of those terrible crystals. They sang from places far inside the temple, sounding faintly like Carth and peace, but distorted and wrong since she knew what they did. Tallon shuddered and focused on keeping up mental walls to block their influence.
She slowed to a fast walk. 'Canderous.'
'What?' he snapped.
'Thanks. Back in there, I--I wasn't myself. It's this place, its connected to the Force, but it's not Jedi or Sith. I shouldn't have brought us here.'
'Save your apologies for Shan and the others,' he sounded tired.
'I understand if you want to take off. I keep messing up and you've been way more suited to leading than I am for decades. You don't need to face Malak with us--'
'You're doin' fine, kid. I'm not going anywhere. I've led men into worse situations. You don't even know if anyone's died yet.'
Tallon stared grimly ahead as she walked.
The Mandalorian continued. 'Your boyfriend has soldier's training. He'll be fine, and they'll be headin' back now anyway.'
'Canderous. I want to ask you how you dealt with the crushing responsibility for your crew--'
Canderous sighed heavily.
'--but you don't talk about things like that.'
'I don't know why you do, captain. Apart from Juhani and the droids, there's too much talk about emotions on the Hawk. My father would throw me around the room if I whined about feelings.’
'He sounds awful,' Tallon looked up at her friend's face, but he was an unreadable as ever.
'He was, but he shaped me into a warrior. And I had my chance to kick his ass in the Battle Circle. Cut off two of his fingers with a vibroblade.'
'Okay, you need to tell me that story one day.'
Canderous didn't acknowledge her.
A burst of static erupted from Tallon’s comlink and she fumbled for it. 'Hello? Tallon here, is that you Carth? Over,' she stopped still and waited for a long moment.
Mission's voice sounded through the device. 'Captain, are we glad to hear you! We haven't heard anything from either group since you entered the tunnels. We were getting worried. Are you all okay? Over.'
Tallon swallowed. She couldn't tell Mission that her own captain had abandoned Zaalbar in a dangerous maze. She started walking again. 'Bastila's hurt, Mission. We need you to prep the medical room. Juhani needs to be ready to leave with me when I get back. I'll explain soon. Over.'
They made it out into the cool night of the jungle. The two moons of the planet provided enough light for the group to navigate the foliage back to the only clearing large enough for the Hawk to have landed in, a few mintues walk away. A spotlight shone through the trees and T3’s excited beeping reached them.
Mission ran down the loading ramp to greet them, but her face fell when she didn’t see Zaalbar behind them. She didn’t ask after him, and busied herself focusing on Bastila, keeping pace with Canderous. ‘What happened to her? The Kolto is almost ready, but we don’t have much left.’
‘She was hit with a Force attack, so we need Jolee to check her in the medical bay. Can you treat Canderous’ cuts while we see to her, Mission?’
‘Of course, captain.’
Tallon was proud of the girl. Without being told to, Mission had been teaching herself medical care with some pointers from Jolee and Carth, as the ship lacked a health professional.
Juhani and Jolee were standing by for orders and Tallon forced herself to be their calm captain. They both looked with worry at Canderous passing by with Bastila as she spoke. ‘Juhani, I’ll need you to come with me to retrieve Zaalbar and Onasi. We don’t know where they are and it’s dangerous down there. Bindo, Shan was cursed or shocked by some sort of Force crystal-- is she okay? I used Force Heal and it helped her, but I don’t know what else she needs.’
Canderous placed Bastila onto the medical bed and sat on the chair in the corner of the room. ‘I saw it happen; I’ll give Bindo the details. I suggest you go sit down, captain.’
‘Be ready to leave in ten minutes, Ordo,’ Tallon forced herself to step out of the room to give Mission and Jolee space. The Twi’lek girl started swabbing Canderous’ arms with Kolto while he explained the situation to Jolee.
Tallon gestured Juhani to follow her. She sat on the edge of the sofa in the communal area, too wired to sit back. Juhani passed her a bottle of water and sat beside her.
‘What’s down there, captain?’
Carth. She thought to herself. He’s down there.
Before she could answer her friend, static blasted simultaneously from the central panel and Tallon’s comlink. She pulled her device out of her pocket with shaking fingers. ‘Carth?’
Silence. And then. ‘You don’t know how happy I am to hear your voice. We’re out front of the temple, where are you, Tallon? Over.’
‘I’m safe. We’re all on the Hawk. Make your way here,’ she threw the comlink down onto the sofa, beamed at Juhani and sprinted down the ship’s ramp back into the night air. She ran, ducking under branches and leaping over raised roots, and she saw two figures walking towards her.
She barrelled into Carth and he enveloped her in a relieved hug, running a hand through her hair. He kissed the top of her hair, then her forehead, then her lips.
Zaalbar gave a small happy roar, though he looked at her with concern. 'Captain, why did you run away? Carth and I were deeply troubled, especially when we could not find you on our return journey.'
'I'm so sorry, Zaalbar. I let you down as a captain, but I had to help Bastila,' she pulled back from Carth, almost crying from the worry on his face. 'I sensed that she was hurt, so the Force guided me to her. There are these crystals in the tunnels, they're like little slithers of corrupted Force. They’re cursed.'
Carth rested his hands on the side of her face. 'We're fine, we were just worried about you. Is Bastila... is she okay?'
‘Canderous had to carry her all the way here. All I could do was use the healing cast I know, but I think she’ll be okay when she wakes up. I couldn’t sense the curse in her,’ she turned to the Wookie and hugged him too. ‘I felt it when she was cursed—it was terrible.’
‘We would have helped too, captain,’ Zaalbar said.
‘I know, but I didn’t even think to tell you, I just had to stop the curse hurting her.’
Carth shifted on his feet. ‘Zaalbar, could you uh, give the captain and me some privacy? We’ll meet you back on the ship.’
‘Gladly. Mission will be fretting and I am desperate to comb my fur. Excuse me, captain,’ he marched towards the Ebon Hawk and disappeared amongst the trees in moments.
Carth held his captain’s hands. ‘Tallon. When Zaalbar and I couldn’t find you, I felt like the planet was crashing around my head. I couldn’t accept a reality where you had vanished,’ his brown eyes shimmered in the moonlight. He was crying. ‘I realised something. I realised that I feel the same for you as I do for my Morgana. She’s gone, but you’re here. I love you, Tallon.’
Warm tears ran down Tallon’s own face to mirror Carth’s. ‘I love you, too. I love you, Carth Onasi.’
Carth lifted her up and span her around in a full circle from sheer happiness.
Laughing, Tallon closed her eyes. For a moment she was alone in a forest with the man she loved. There was no war or responsibility as a captain to protect her friends, and no heavy guilt that came with it. There was only Carth and his strong hands and warm body and loving eyes.
Some sort of creature crashed right by them in the undergrowth. It made Tallon jump and then giggle slightly hysterically. ‘I am so tired and so done with this place.’
They walked back to the ship hand in hand. Carth dramatically lifted her over tiny obstacles and pretended to fight off a branch that dared to whack her face.
‘And Jolee says romance is dead,’ she joked. ‘Thank you, kind ser.’
Inside the Hawk, HK-47 greeted Tallon while Juhani fiddled with something inside his chassis. She waved to Carth and nodded to Tallon, holding a sonic tool between her pointy cat teeth while she worked.
‘HK, it’s not like you to trust someone else with your repairs,’ Tallon observed.
‘Disgruntled: Master was not present to attend to my most dire needs, so I enlisted the service of the next most competent meatbag.’
‘I’m… honoured?’ Juhani twitched her ears.
Tallon and Carth peered into the medical bay, where Jolee was checking Bastila’s vitals on a display. The Jedi looked to be sleeping more peacefully than before. Zaalbar was now sat in the corner, and Mission was attempting to apply Kolto through his dense fur.
Jolee smiled warmly at them. ‘Hey, kids, are you both okay? Bastila is, thanks to you, captain. Canderous told me about how you risked your life to help her. He’s proud of you, you know.’
‘There’s no way that bast—’ Carth glanced at Mission. ‘That jerk said anything so positive about anyone.’
‘Alright, he didn’t say it, smartass,’ Jolee sighed. ‘But it was loud and clear the way he speaks of you, girl.’
‘It was pretty touching,’ added Mission.
‘Thanks, Jolee,’ Tallon said, blushing. ‘I didn’t have to risk my life alone. I should have trusted Zaalbar and Carth to come with me,’ she looked to the Wookie. ‘I’ll try to be a better leader.’
Zaalbar made a purring sound. ‘I’m proud to serve you, captain.’
‘Aww, Big Z. Here, Carth, catch,’ Mission tossed a bottle of health drink to the pilot. ‘You guys wait just outside, I’ll treat you when Big Z gets the all clear. Which would be faster if he stayed still.’
Carth sank into the sofa in the communal area and Tallon sat beside him, yawning. She only now noticed the cuts on her legs and tears in her clothing. They shared the tonic between them, watching T3 roll past on his rounds.
'So do you think those creepy crystals are the weapon we're looking for in the temple?' Carth asked.
'I think they're guarding whatever it is,’ she felt weary. The tonic was nice and warming inside of her. ‘Maybe there isn’t anything. That place seemed more like a tomb than anything else,’ Tallon yawned again. ‘It doesn’t matter. I'm just happy we're all okay,' she rested her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep.
~~~
-- Bastila –-
Bastila Shan tried to call on her training to quell her emotions, but it was so difficult. She could barely repress the mixture of longing, loss and jealousy she felt at seeing her captain sleeping curled up on the sofa against Carth, who was also asleep with an arm securely around her.
Bastila also felt terrible shame for being jealous of her friends, who so clearly needed one another and were finally able to feel assured and loved.
She always felt the creeping dread that Tallon would remember who she was, and that it was going to happen soon. Tallon had said she could sense something revelatory coming, and it pained Bastila to be vague with her about it.
The revelation would destroy Carth; he was so righteous. What it do to Tallon? What would it do if her friend found out that Bastila had been lying to her, all this time?
Juhani walked silently over to the sleeping couple and cast Force Heal on each of them. She gave Bastila a smile. 'My healing ability is poor. Mission still wants to check them in the medical bay, and it’s better than what I can do, but I don't want to disturb them,' she turned to Bastila. 'How are you?'
'I'm alright. I’m a bit embarrassed that I owe that Mandalorian for carrying me to safety, though. He says that Tallon ran straight past beasties and hazards all alone to get to me. I’m just working on the words to express my gratitude to her.’
‘Come sit with me,’ Juhani led Bastila to the cockpit and span Carth’s chair so Bastila could sit, while she sat in the other seat.
The front window showed the endless jungle around them. Bastila could make out small animals moving about in the trees, eating fruit in the light of the moons.
Juhani looked at Shan. ‘Are you going to tell our captain how you feel about her?’
Bastila started. ‘What—what could you possibly mean?’
Juhani gave her a long look.
Bastila shook her head. ‘I truly am hopeless at hiding my feelings.’
‘You don’t have to hide love, Bastila,’ the Cathar woman reached over and patted her friend’s hand.
Bastila stoked the silky fur on the woman’s hand absently. ‘I do love Tallon, but I am eaten inside by a terrible secret I fear will end our friendship, let alone any feelings of love.’
Juhani’s ears flicked with curiosity. ‘Can I ask about this secret?’
‘I’m sorry Juhani, no,’ she watched the creatures outside. ‘Is there any point in me telling Tallon how I feel if she already loves Carth?.
‘I do not think it would cause Tallon or Carth to dislike you, if that is your fear.’
Bastila watched two of the little animals rub faces affectionately. She turned and smiled at Juhani. ‘I know.’
‘You will always be Tallon’s dear friend, even if she does not want to be your mate.’
‘Thank you, Juhani.’
~
The following day, when the jungle grew hot and humid, the Ebon Hawk lifted from the planet’s surface and away into space.
Bastila stood in the cockpit doorway, watching Tallon. The captain watched Carth pilot the ship as though he held the galaxy together. Bastila wondered if she looked at Tallon the same way, which would explain why everyone on the ship seemed to know about her feelings for their bright, brave and dashing captain.
‘Good morning, captain. Good morning, Carth.’
The couple jumped slightly and both turned to greet her.
‘Bastila! How are you?’ Tallon jumped up and hugged her. ‘I’m so glad you’re up and about.’
Bastila didn’t want Tallon to let her go. Carth came over and hugged her too. For a few moments, they were all together.
‘We were all worried about you back there,’ said Carth. ‘What is it with Jedi and finding the weirdest things between stars?’
‘I’m well. Thanks to Tallon. Though I don’t think anything I can say can thank you, not enough for what you did to help me.’
‘Oh don’t get mushy on me,’ Tallon smiled.
‘Captain, I compromised our entire mission. I was stupid enough to fall for some cheap trick and—’
‘Bastila, stop it. You sound like me yesterday. Canderous had to talk some sense into me, which was not fun. We all make mistakes and we all support each other if we do, okay?’ Tallon held Bastila's hand, unaware of how her simple gesture made her friend's heart race. 'We'll come back and uncover the secrets of this place one day. Together.’