[M17 - Darkknell - FZ] Ding, Dong, the Pirate is Gone

At a Flame of Zhar safehouse on Darkknell...

After the fall of Drego Karsk, Carm gathers his closest friends and allies to celebrate.

---

Laughter, clinking glasses, and lively conversation filled Carm's apartment on Darkknell. For the first time in what felt like years, he allowed himself to simply enjoy it.

The tension that had lived in his shoulders since Barkhesh had eased. The need for revenge that had driven him across the sector was finally satisfied. Standing beside him, Anja squeezed his hand, and the two shared a quiet smile.

For tonight, everything was right.

"I'll put a hundred credits on the Shipsters Union winning that arm-wrestling match!" Jonas declared before taking an enthusiastic gulp from his drink.

Relan barked a laugh. "You're on. But when they're done, you and I are settling this ourselves."

The Human and the Duros clinked their glasses together, already arguing over rules neither intended to follow.

In the corner of the room, The Slicer crouched beside a reprogrammed B2 battle droid. The machine stood perfectly still, seemingly fascinated by a wall of hanging plants.

"Tell me your secrets, you magnificent machine," she muttered.

The droid tilted its head. "No sign of Republic troops."

"Brilliant," The Slicer replied. "Absolutely brilliant."

Nearby, one of Gire's mercenaries waved an empty plate in the air. "Another helping, Reekar!"

The Weequay tracker rolled his eyes and expertly carved another portion from the roast on his cutting board.

Gire stepped up beside Carm and slapped a hand onto his shoulder hard enough to nearly spill his drink. "Well, little brother, I won't say I doubted you..." Carm raised an eyebrow at Gire. "...much."

Gire grinned at him. "But I'll admit it's nice walking away from a coup without getting shot."

Carm laughed. "That's a surprisingly high standard."

"I have years of experience with the alternative," Gire said, pointing to the scars on his face. The brothers embraced.

After a moment, Carm stepped forward and raised his glass, and the room gradually quieted as conversations died down and every eye turned toward him.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to fully thank all of you." The room was silent. "Cinder Station is ours. Farstine is secure. Drego Karsk is gone."

A few cheers erupted before settling again.

"None of that could happen without every person in this room." His gaze moved across the crowd.

"You fought beside me. Risked your lives beside me. Some of you followed me when all I had was a plan and a grudge." A few knowing laughs answered him.  "But we built something special together, here."

He lifted his glass.

"We've carved out our own place in this galaxy. A place where we protect each other." The crowd responded with raised drinks and approving shouts.

"And yes," Carm added with a grin, "we're all going to make an obscene amount of credits."

The room erupted. Cheers, whistles, and laughter echoed through the apartment. When the noise finally died down, Carm's expression became more serious.

"All that said, we can't get comfortable... success paints a very large target on your back."

He thought briefly of Imperial officers, rival syndicates, bounty hunters, and warlords.

"There are still Remnant holdouts scattered throughout the galaxy. Criminal organizations that won't appreciate our growing influence. Ambitious people who think they deserve what we've built."

He smiled. "Let them come."

That earned the loudest reaction of the night. "Whatever comes next, we face it together."

Glasses rose.

"To the Flame!"

"To Lady Pria!"

"To Carm the One Arm!"

The celebration surged back to life.

---

Hours later, the party had burned itself out. Half-empty bottles littered tables alongside discarded plates, the mess covering every available surface. A chair was somehow stuck upside-down on top of a couch. Carm decided that was tomorrow's problem.

Only three people remained.

Gire stretched and looked around the wreckage.

"It was a good speech, Carm."

"Just good?" Carm asked.

"Well, it was a short speech," Gire corrected. "And that's why it was good."

Anja laughed. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to him."

"Don't tell him that," Gire said, feigning fear.

Carm shook his head. "You're both impossible."

Gire pointed toward him. "You're right about one thing, though. Word's going to spread fast. Every pirate, warlord, and Imperial fossil in the sector is going to know your name now. You can't bet on the Ghost of Barkhesh scaring everyone off just by reputation."

The weight of that settled on Carm's shoulders.

Anja stepped closer and slipped her arm around his.

"We'll handle it together."

Carm looked at her. "We?"

She smiled. "Last I checked, you're stuck with us."

Gire laughed loudly enough to startle a the late-night passersby, far below on the Darkknell city streets.

"She's got you there." Gire then drunkenly moved toward the door.

As he passed, he wrapped an arm around Carm's shoulders. "Remember this day, little brother." His voice was softer now. "Today, life is good."

Then he headed for the exit.

"Try not to start a war with another criminal empire before breakfast." The door slid shut behind him.

Silence settled over the apartment, a deep, comfortable silence. Carm looked at Anja.

Somehow he always found himself at a loss for words when he was alone with her.

All the plans, schemes, and speeches came easily. This didn't.

Finally, he managed: "Thank you."

Anja tilted her head. "For what?"

Carm smiled. "For giving me something worth fighting for." The words came easier after that.

"When all of this started, I was chasing revenge. That's all I could think about." He took her hand. "Somewhere along the way, that changed."

Anja's expression softened. "You've been with me through all of it. Every scrap. Every close call."

"Not every bad decision- there were a couple that I'll blame Gire for."

"Most of them." Anja corrected.

"Fair." Carm laughed. "I just couldn't have done this without you."

Anja wrapped her arms around him. "Good thing, too."

"Oh?"

She smirked. "I wasn't planning on dating a loser."

Carm groaned. Anja kissed him before he could come up with a response.

When they finally pulled apart, she rested a hand against his chest. "One important question."

Carm narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"How are the beds in Flame of Zhar safehouses?"

Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the bed.

Beyond the apartment walls, rivals were plotting. Imperial holdouts were regrouping. Bounty hunters would be receiving fobs with many of the names present tonight. And somewhere in the darkness between the stars, new enemies were already taking notice of the Flame of Zhar.

Those problems would still be there tomorrow. But tonight? Tonight, life was good.

---

Just the build 🙂

After some intense action, I felt like a nice celebration build was a fun way to put a bow on this stage of Carm's story. It was also fun to work on a normal apartment/home in the Star Wars style.