Bounty

seventeen

Once Carina regains her energy, her eyes shoot open to take in her surroundings. She glances over at Kix, who's passed out right beside her, and moves to wake him up but is stopped when she hears a voice.

"He hasn't really been able to sleep lately." Calista says, facing her from the cockpit. She taps the seat beside her and Carina pushes herself to her feet to join the woman.

"Where are we?" Carina asks, looking out at the stars. She never had the luxury of travelling, what with the war and being an orphan and all.

"The Unknown Regions." Calista says, watching the sparkle in Carina's eyes. "It won't be long until the First Order finds us again. I'm not sure how they're tracking us but if they found us on Raydonia, they'll be able to find us anywhere."

"So what do we do now?" Carina asks, locking eyes with the Zeltron.

"We have to go to them." Another voice speaks up and the two women turn to find Kix wide awake. "The object of surprise is our only advantage."

Calista's eyes widen as she looks at the man. She had thought the same thing, but she never would've suggested it.

"And what do you suggest we do when we're pulled into the hangar with hundreds of armed troopers waiting for us?" Carina asks. "There's only three of us. Even if there were more, I doubt we'd be able to make a dent in their forces."

"If we plan the attack correctly, maybe-"

"You have no idea what the First Order is capable of." Carina stands as she fights back her tears, her thoughts lingering on everything and everyone she's lost already. She shakes her head as she looks at both of them and walks away from the conversation.

Kix looks at Calista, who sighs. "What are you thinking?" She asks.

"It's our only option, Cal. That or wait for them to find us anyway." Kix explains. "I know you know that."

Calista presses her lips into a thin line. "I'm with you. Whatever you want to do." She assures him as she places her hand on his. "But we can't force Carina into a fight she didn't ask for. She's been through enough."

"I know." He sighs.

A silence falls over both of them and Calista pulls her hand off of his as she sits back.

"Hey, Cal." Kix speaks again, his tone much more serious. "Back on Raydonia, when you said you never felt any romantic feelings until.." He swallows his nerves. "Did.. Did you mean-?"

"If you're asking me if I love you, you're not as smart as I thought you were." Calista teases, causing Kix to blush—but his question still remains unanswered.

A clatter echoes off of the walls of the ship and Carina appears in the doorway between the two of them.

"If you two want to walk straight into your deaths then that's up to you, but I will not be a part of this madness." She rants. "The Moddell sector isn't too far from here, you can leave me there."

"You're really going to bow out now just because things are complicated?" Calista asks, earning an offended look from Carina and a confused look from Kix. "What happened to the girl that took out all of those troopers and, sorry, threw an entire tree at an Imperial shuttle?"

"I was just trying to help you, I didn't know I'd be dragged into some suicide plot." Carina huffs.

Calista shakes her head. "I know your kind. I should've seen this coming." She turns back to the controls and punches in the coordinates to the planet Bakura, which is in the Moddell sector. "You Jedi only get involved when there's something in it for you."

Kix's eyes widen as he faces Carina, but she's too busy glaring at Calista to notice.

"I'm no Jedi." Carina states. "Nor do I want to be."

"Then how do you explain what happened on Raydonia?" Calista challenges her.

"I.. I've just always been able to do that." She clenches her jaw. "I never had any formal training, I don't have a lightsaber. I rarely ever use the Force to begin with." She lies. The first part was true, but she often tests her connection to the Force by moving little things around her home or experimenting with the wildlife of the forest.

"That's why moving that tree took such a toll on you, you're not used to exerting that much energy." Kix assumes. "How do you feel now? Are you okay?"

Carina faces her uncle and her expression softens as a memory plays in her head.

"How are you feeling, sarad? Is your head okay?" Fives asks as he hovers over the small girl in the bed.

"Fives, she only fell a few inches." Elara stifles a laugh as she sits on the other side of the bed beside their daughter.

"Well it's not every day your daughter levitates and drops herself on her head." Fives points, making Elara shake her head with a small smile on her face.

"Do you want daddy to stop smothering you, sweetheart?" Elara asks the small girl in the bed.

Little Carina nods as she looks up at her mother. Fives scoffs dramatically and leans down to cover Carina's face with kisses, making the girl giggle uncontrollably. Elara smiles down at the scene before her and places a kiss on Carina's forehead once Fives is no longer drowning her in kisses.

"Goodnight sweetie." Elara brushes Carina's hair out of her face.

"Goodnight mommy, goodnight daddy." Carina smiles.

"If you need anything just come wake us up, okay?" Fives says and Elara pushes him out of the room, making Carina chuckle.

"Carina?" Kix is now standing in front of her.

"I'm good, yeah." She nods before reclaiming her seat on the floor of the ship.

Kix sits beside her yet again and a small sigh escapes him. "Don't mind anything Calista says, she's not used to... Relationships."

Carina glances over at him. "Is that why you two are in such an awkward place?" She asks, earning furrowed eyebrows from Kix. "Oh come on, I know you two have feelings for one another. It's so obvious."

Kix blushes and clears his throat. "What I meant was, this isn't your fight. You have every right to opt out and go back to your quiet life."

Carina looks down as she thinks about his words along with everything her parents and uncles had sacrificed for her.

"Your parents would be proud of the woman you've become." He adds, causing Carina to look up at him.

"You think so?" She asks, fighting back her tears.

Kix smiles down at her. "I know so." He pulls her into a hug.

*

"Supreme Leader." Bazine stands at attention. "I apologize for my failure to secure the weapon."

"No need. Your counterpart has done what you have failed to, as expected." Kylo Ren speaks through his mask. "I have a new assignment for you."

Bazine looks up at the masked man expectantly.

"The Zeltron. She seems to have acquired a new, rather interesting friend." Ren explains. Bazine's eyes darken at the mention of the pair. "So you've crossed paths with them once before. Good." He turns his back to the woman. "I want you to find them and bring them to me." He says.

Bazine smirks at her chance of revenge. "Yes Supreme Leader."

"Unharmed." He adds, causing Bazine's smirk to fade.

"Yes, Supreme Leader." She repeats before turning on her heels and heading to her ship.