A/N: So this is the sixth story in a series of Fanfics. I'd highly recommend reading the others first, as this one will contain spoilers for the previous ones (also, the backstory will make more sense), but it's not absolutely necessary if you're determined not to :)

Disclaimer- I own nothing Star Wars. It all belongs to Disney, its respective creators, etc. All I own are the characters I've created and the plotline I've come up with :)I hope you enjoy it!

Kadira Sal leaned against the counter of the Oyu'baat, half listening to the conversations around her as she waited for the man who had called her here. The bar was filled with her Mandalorian kin, some studying the bounty boards while others met contacts who were there to point them to their next job. The place was as loud as usual, with laughter and the occasional drunken singing bursting out at random times. It was evening, so the place was crowded to the point that Kadira was constantly moving, trying to avoid the crush of her vode who had come out to celebrate for one reason or another. Jett, a former clone trooper and current member of her smuggling crew, stood next to her clad in his usual civilian clothes, leaning over the counter as he traded banter with a fellow Mandalorian. Now that Jett had officially become mando'ad, he was even more popular than before.

Laughter erupted at something Jett said and Kadira glanced over briefly, curiosity piqued, before going back to her scanning of the room. She had no doubt Jett would fill her in on the witty remarks that had been made earlier. As it was, she was too distracted to keep track of who was insulting whom and who was offering the cleverest retorts. Besides, she kept expecting to hear Laniff Dreysel cut in, even though her friend had been absent for two weeks. He had left to pursue a hunt of his own and she had yet to hear from him. His silence was beginning to worry her, though she knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself.

"Kad'ika!"

Kadira turned at the voice, raising her eyebrows as another Mandalorian made his way over to her, occasionally shoving aside some of the more inebriated patrons of the bar. She could see the blue stripe down the side of his silver armor and she nodded in greeting, recognizing the man as Xander Darin, a friend and clan-brother of Laniff's.

"Hello, Xander. I heard you were off on a hunt. How'd it go?" she asked, clasping his arm from wrist to elbow in the classic Mando greeting.

Xander grunted in response, taking off his helmet to reveal shaggy black hair and tired brown eyes. The faint lines around his eyes reminded her that he was about ten years older than she was, and had been working as a Bounty Hunter for most of his life. He was one of the better hunters, but the strain of the job seemed to be showing more now than it had even a year ago.

"The whole thing was osik. Just got back a few minutes ago, actually. Thought I'd drop by here and see if anyone's had word on Laniff."

Kadira sighed and shook her head, leaning back against the wall. "Shab. I was hoping maybe he'd gotten in touch with you."

Xander cursed, looking around and shaking his head. "No. The di'kutla kid hasn't sent so much as a word my way. Iam still with him?"

But Kadira was already shaking her head. "Laniff gave Iam the slip at a small refueling station on Nar Shadaa. Buir hasn't been able to find him since."

Xandaer closed his eyes and tilted his head back at the ceiling, ignoring the halfhearted fight that started only a few feet behind him. A few shouts from other patrons brought the fight to a close within seconds and Xander let out a long breath, looking back to Kadira.

"I'm going to strangle him when he gets his shebs back here," he said simply.

Kadira snorted, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "You're gonna have to wait in line, vod."

Xander didn't respond and Kadira frowned, glancing behind him.

"I thought you had a new partner?" she asked, sensing a change in subject might be prudent. Worrying about Laniff wasn't going to bring the blonde Mando through the front door, and Xander looked worn thin as it was. "They find the Oyu'baat a bit too intimidating? C'mon, tell me about her. I hear she's quite the spitfire."

That did draw a smile from Xander, though it was a grim one. "Quit the lifting eyebrows, Kad. Thalia's about ten years too young for me, but she's a good hunter. She got mixed up in some trouble on her home planet, came this way and ended up becoming one of the vode."

Kadira noticed his smile waver and her frown deepened. "What's going on, Xander? Everything alright?"

Xander sighed. "Let's wait for Shysa. He'll fill you in."

Kadira and Xander waited in silence while Jett continued his good natured arguing across the room. Another bout of noisy laughter made Kadira wince, rubbing her hands over her ears wryly. She was in civilian clothing for now, meaning she was without her customary helmet. The Oyu'baat was one of the few places outside her own home or Iam's bastion that she was comfortable doing so. But here she was surrounded by her boisterous, obnoxious, and sometimes outright rowdy vode. It was something she wouldn't trade even for the anonymity her green and gold helmet gave her, despite the ringing in her ears.

She saw Xander glance up just as a large hand landed on her shoulder. Kadira turned, not overly startled when she found herself looking up into the face of Fenn Shysa. The man's tousled hair was blonde, and his blue eyes sparkled with good humor.

"Mand'alor," Kadira said in greeting, offering him a grin and a salute. Xander gave the man a nod but stayed silent, apparently content to allow Shysa to explain whatever the situation was.

Shysa chuckled and gestured to a nearby booth, glancing over at Jett as Kadira took a seat.

"Will he be joinin' us?" Shysa drawled, amusement in his voice as he watched clone continue his argument with the Bounty Hunter across the bar. From all appearances it was getting even more interesting, as there was now a small group gathered around them listening and occasionally cheering.

"I doubt it," Kadira answered wryly, shaking her head. "He's determined to win that fight, I think. He's been itching to let his wit loose on some poor soul since Laniff disappeared. I doubt he'll let go of the chance now that he's gotten it."

Shysa chuckled in response, leaning back in the booth and studying Kadira closely. She straightened slightly, sensing she was being evaluated and unconsciously falling back on her military training from her days on Corellia. She heard Xander chuckle and Shysa smiled warmly, seeing the motion and waving one gloved hand dismissively.

"Relax, vod'ika. I heard about your injury on Coruscant, wanted to be sure you were doin' alright."

Kadira felt the tension in her shoulders lessen and she lifted one shoulder in a wry shrug.

"Mostly healed, still a bit sore when I decide to make a di'kut out of myself. I can wear beskar again once Em finishes up my new set," she explained. "…But something tells me you asked me to come here for more than that, Mand'alor…"

Shysa's smile widened. "Always were too bright for your own good, Kad'ika… I have a favor to ask. I hear you've started smuggling more than just goods under the Empire's nose."

Kadira lifted an eyebrow in response, fully aware that te Mand'alor knew she had started smuggling people in and out of systems. Most had Imperials on their trails, if not a death mark on them. He probably also knew the man who had been running the whole affair, Ran Scorlo, had walked out on the operation a few weeks prior. As her ship had been all but destroyed on the last job, she had been confined planetside ever since.

"Not for the past few weeks," Kadira said when it was clear Shysa was awaiting an answer.

Shysa nodded, apparently having expected the reply.

"I have a job for you m'self. A group of Mandos got themselves in a… bit of a bind…" Shysa said slowly, obviously measuring her reaction. "If we don't get them outta there soon, it's goin' to cause a whole lot of issues we don't have the time or the manpower to deal with."

"A bind of what sort?" Kadira replied leaning forward and glancing to Xander, who in turn looked to Shysa. She was going to get no clues from him, apparently.

Shysa nodded at Xander. "You can explain best, lad. You were there."

Xander nodded and took over, his gloved hands pressed flat against the table. Kadira saw the slightest shake in them, no more than a shiver, but it was there. Something was definitely wrong. Xander wasn't the kind to be shaken easily.

"We were chasing down a bounty, a terrorist cell that went underground on Darala," seeing Kadira's blank expression, Xander sighed. "Small planet under Imperial control. Medium population, mostly urban, and lots of unrest. Two factions are fighting for power, and neither one is all too fond of the Empire but both are willing to cut a deal in order to get the support they need to win. In short, it's the perfect place to hide. We had three teams, Thalia and me, Cin Vhetin and his partner Jay, and Zarah Reden."

"What went down?" Kadira asked, appreciating Xander's straightforward explanation. She had run across Vhetin and Jay in the past, knew they were more than capable of what sounded like a fairly straightforward job. And Zarah was an arms dealer who walked into trickier situations in the past. Whatever had happened was obviously serious to put the group in the amount of trouble Shysa was hinting at.

"The whole planet went to osik," Xander said. "The Imps decided it would be a good time to crack down on both sides, try to get the planet under control. Turns out they just made it more unstable. In retaliation for the strikes, one of the factions assassinated the Governor. No idea how it happened or who did it, but it was a professional job."

Kadira sighed, already seeing where the story was going. "So naturally your team came under suspicion."

Xander let out a sharp laugh. "More than suspicion, Kad'ika. Vhetin and I were tracking down a lead in the slums, Thalia, Zarah, and Jay stayed behind to track down a separate lead among the criminal organizations in the upper sections of the city. Zarah had some sort of contact there, so we split up. That's when the assassination happened. Jay was able to get a warning message to us, then we lost all contact."

"We have confirmation that the three of them are now being held in a high-security prison," Shysa took over the story. "Normally, Black and Vhetin would have just broken in and freed the three themselves, but it looks like the Empire has mustered quite a bit of manpower to keep that from happening. "

"They know Jay and Thalia have backup," Kadira murmured, nodding.

"And they know that two out of the three people they're holding are Mandos, and that Jay can hold her own with 'em," Shysa added. "Imps are dumb, but not that dumb. They're not takin' any chances. Now they're startin' to point fingers, tryin' to pin the assassination on the three. The acting Governor wants a scapegoat, a way t' make it look like he's got th' planet under his control before his superiors decide to replace him."

"And if he pins it on them, not only are they in trouble but so are all of us," Xander added, his face carefully blank. He was clearly trying to keep his personal ties to the mission at bay, but Kadira could see it was a struggle. And no wonder. If it had been one of Kadira's team she had no doubt she wouldn't have the restraint to look at the bigger picture. Xander did, and her respect for him only grew for it.

"We 'ave word the Governor is looking to go higher up the ladder," Shysa continued. "If he can make it look like this was a Protector job and not just pin it on a bunch of Mercs, he'll get a big pat on th' back for uncovering a conspiracy and bring the Empire down on our heads. The last thing we need is to give th' Imps an excuse to extend their control here."

Kadira studied the table, brow furrowed as she thought through all the information Shysa and Xander had presented. Finally, she looked up.

"So why come to me?"

Xander sighed and leaned back, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "To be blunt? Because Laniff's not here, and you're the next best thing."

"I need someone who can lead a team and get that team in and out in one piece, lass," Shysa cut in. "You have both the military training and the smuggling abilities we need. Plus, you're not likely to get hung up on questions of who is in charge. You can listen and take advice, and you're goin' to need that."

Kadira lifted an eyebrow questioningly, and Shysa sighed.

"We have word that the Imps are goin' to hit the planet hard on top o' this whole political mess. Our folk need to be long gone by th' time that happens."

"If they're gone, the acting Governor loses his scapegoat. It's back to the drawing board for him and back to safety for us. Leastways for now," Xander explained.

Kadira nodded slowly. "Alright, fair enough. But I'm down a ship. The Vanguard is out of commission for now, if not permanently."

"I have a ship ready and waiting," Shysa answered simply.

"And my team? Who will that be made up of?"

"Vhetin, who is waiting planet-side for us. Myself, obviously," Xander counted off the members on one gloved hand. "You, I'm assuming your boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend," Kadira cut in.

"-and anyone else you think should be brought along," Xander finished as if he hadn't even heard her protest.

"Who're you thinking, Kad'ika?" Shysa asked. From the look on his face, he wasn't quite as willing as Xander to allow her to make the sole decision on who would be part of the team. She couldn't really blame him. After all, this was more than just an average smuggling job, even for her. Smuggling one person out of the Empire was one thing. Three was another matter entirely, especially when the job was this important.

"I want Black," Kadira said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. "Corey Black, the one who served in the Clone Wars. Iam's not an option, but having a veteran in the group seems like a good idea."

Shysa nodded, rubbing his jaw. "I'll have someone get in touch with him."

"You said Vhetin is still planetside?"

Xander nodded the affirmative. "Wouldn't leave his partner behind, not when I could head here and get backup. He said he'd keep an eye out for a rescue, but I haven't heard a word. Must mean he's still counting on us."

"There's one more member I'm going to ask you take along, Kadira. And you're not gonna like it," Shysa warned.

Kadira's attention snapped to the Mand'alor, taking in the grim set of his jaw, as if he were preparing himself for a fight. His expression made her tense, already guessing who it was he wanted her to take along.

"No. Shab no, not her. I'll take a fierfekking gungan if you ask me to, just please not that chakaar," Kadira protested, but she could tell the battle was already lost. Shysa shrugged, grabbing his helmet and settling it over his head. Kadira knew that meant the discussion was over and she sighed.

"Not negotiable, Kad'ika. Stazia Katar has already agreed to the mission. I'll let her know to meet you and the rest of the crew tomorrow. Best get movin' on whatever preparation you'll be needin' t' make," Shysa said, standing up.

Xander looked to Kadira and lifted one armored shoulder in a shrug, moving to follow as Shysa started out of the Oyu'baat.

"Might wanna pick up that new kit of yours, Kad. I'll see you tomorrow."

Kadira watched the two exit the building and let out a long sigh.

Jett meandered up to Kadira's table, helmet clipped to his side as he ducked around a small group of Bounty Hunters swapping stories. He was just in time to hear the last bit of the exchange between Kadira and the two men, as well as take in her expression after they'd left. The name Stazia Katar obviously didn't sit well with her, and he felt himself tense. Definitely not a good sign… He forced himself to smile. Now wasn't the time to dredge up his past. Not with the mood she was apparently in.

"So who is this Stazia Katar?" Jett's voice should have startled her. She clearly hadn't seen him approach, but Kadira simply sighed and gestured that he should take a seat.

"Biggest chakaar I've ever had the displeasure of working with, and that's saying something," Kadira answered darkly. If she had been paying more attention, she might have noticed the strange look on Jett's face, but she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to see it.

Jett lifted one shoulder in a shrug, holding out a hand to her instead of taking the proffered seat.

"Well… I can't cross te Mand'alor and suggest we leave this Stazia person behind, but…I know exactly what will help."

Kadira looked at him skeptically, earning a small smile. She clearly wasn't ready to let go of whatever grudge she had but she was also curious. It was a start, and he was willing to work with it.

"Come on," he urged. "Em's supposed to have that new armor of yours all ready to go. Let's go have a look."

Kadira sighed and took his hand, letting him haul her to her feet.

"You just want to see your new set," she grumbled, earning a chuckle from the clone.

"Oh come on, I thought you ladies were supposed to enjoy shopping," Jett teased, earning a small laugh.

"I don't think that usually extends to armor, vod'ika," she observed.

"So Mandos are unique. Not like that's a big surprise."

He fell silent until they stepped outside, leaving the noise of the Oyu'baat behind as they began the trek to Em's shop.

"So…" he glanced sideways at her, eyebrows raised. She apparently picked up on his tone, for her eyes narrowed when she looked at him. He had to struggle to keep his expression blank, knowing his next words would definitely get a reaction. "Any particular reason Xander thinks we're a couple?"

He didn't bother to dodge the smack she aimed at him. He grinned as he rubbed his arm, already knowing it was going to bruise. Still, the blush he glimpsed on her face was definitely worth it.

A/N: And we're off to another story :) Apologies for the long delay, I've been battling illness since Christmas and am finally back on my feet. As always, I love to hear thoughts, opinions, etc! :)

Corey Black appears courtesy of Corey Black here on Fanfic. Vhetin and Jay appear courtesy of Vhetin1138 here on Fanfic.