Note: This story is set after bounty hunter main story and hutt cartel ends, but before shadow of revan and kotfe. Sort of paused in companion storyline right before bounty hunter and torian marry. I also removed those fade-to-black scenes in their companion storyline for story purposes (basically bounty hunter and torian have not slept together yet).

Chapter One: Memories

The sound of clanging metal filled the air as a metal smith worked with beskar, a metal so rare only a handful of beings in the universe knew how to forge it into armor and blades. Each piece was a work of art, crafted in the ancient ways of the mando'ade, and only mando'ade could use beskar. It was only theirs, as it was the mando'ade who had first discovered what was now known as mandolorian iron. Mandalorian iron was infused with other alloys and tempered by only expert hands in a process that was never written down. The secret art of working with beskar was passed down generation to generation by word of mouth only, and only a select few ever knew of its secrets.

Torian Cadera was one of the few who knew how to properly forge and work with beskar, though it was his own secret. Nobody, not even Mandalore, knew that he was aware of the ancient process. Only his long dead mentor had known, as he was the one who had taught him in secret. Even now, Torian worked in secret, retreating deep into the mountains to a secret forge. His excuse was a 'hunting trip.' It was a good excuse, seeing as he took hunting trips often. And he had in fact killed some worthy prey on his way to the forge. But his true purpose in coming all the way out here was the finished breastplate he now held in his hands.

It was marvelous. The polished metal glistened in the dimming sunlight. Each angle in the armor, each bend and curve, was intentional and perfect. Torian smiled to himself at his handiwork and reached for the nearby paint bucket. The finishing touch, the mark of his clan on one shoulder and the mark of the mandalorians on the other, painted by expert hands and then covered in sealing resin... he set the armor aside to let the paint and resin dry. No sword, no bullet, no laser, no explosion, no light saber... nothing would destroy that armor. Scratch, perhaps, but nothing would ever penetrate it or come even remotely close to harming the wearer. It was the perfect gift for his cyar'ika. His love.

Torian smiled as he thought about his love. The little woman that had stolen his heart without even trying. He remembered the day he first laid eyes on her. She'd been a nobody then, just a rookie outsider that was trying to make it into the Great Hunt, a Mandalorian war game with great riches and fame as the prize. Nobody knew who she was, nor did they care. She was just some rookie from Hutta with impossible dreams of wealth and fame. And yet Torian couldn't take his eyes off of her.

She was beautiful. She looked human, but he could tell she was not quite human. Her eyes were the brightest blue he'd ever seen and her hair was pure white, held up in a messy bun and out of her heart-shaped face. She had a cute tiny nose and luscious pink lips, and she wore what looked to be tribal makeup, as strange markings were on her cheeks. He could see that her ears were pointed, almost like a cathar's, but other than that she looked purely human. Under her bulky armor he could see the hint of curves she had, though it was hard to see through all that armor. He did, however, notice that her legs went on for miles.

At that time he'd been kept occupied by the hunt his adoptive clan was partaking in. He didn't have time to wonder or worry about her, she was merely a very beautiful woman he would likely never see again. Yet he found himself keeping tabs on her, listening intently when his fellow warriors spoke about the ongoing Great Hunt, and how this rookie female from Hutta was quickly advancing in the ranks. He finally saw her again when she returned to Dromund Kaas, victorious. He was there at the celebration held in her honor, but he lost sight of her quickly in all the festivities. And then, perhaps a month later, she was before his eyes again at the camp he was at, sent on a mission from Mandalore himself. He managed to be able to speak to her, if only briefly, and she had looked him up and down, and obviously liked what he saw. It took all of his control not to act too friendly towards her in front of the other warriors, but if he wasn't hooked before, her sexy smile and wink in his direction sure had him hooked now.

Torian had a hard time staying away from her. He really did. She was an outsider, a nobody. Aruteii. And he, himself, was already too close to being considered the same. He really needed to stay on the mandalorians' good side, or risk being exiled from the only family he'd ever known. Curse his traitor of a father for leaving him to this fate! Were he not so concerned over being exiled, Torian would have made his move much sooner, and therefor would have won his cyar'ika's heart much sooner. But things worked out in the end, at least.

He'd never expected her to help him on Taris. She'd shown up out of nowhere, and he'd nearly killed her. He still cursed himself for that. She had waltzed right into his hideout while he was sleeping, her helmet on and her blaster drawn. His security console had woken him and, in his drowsy state, he hadn't thought too clearly. He ambushed her and was just a second away from shooting her when she spoke. The sound of her voice made him freeze. He didn't even hear what she said as she removed her helmet and turned around to face him with a cocky smile. The next thing he knew he was on the ground, the woman of his affection straddling his lap and his gun sliding across the floor, out of his reach. She just smiled at him coyly, and he knew she was amused at how easily she had distracted him. He was just grateful for the armor in his pants keeping her from knowing just how much she affected him.

He was thankful for Taris. It gave him a chance to actually get to know her. He'd been drawn in by her looks, but he fell hard for her character. She was fearless in battle, kept a calm and cool head like any seasoned warrior. She spoke with authority and acted with honor, not simply to make a few credits. She thought over every decision carefully, planned her future battles like an expert, and never backed down from a worthy challenge. In other words she acted exactly like a proper mandalorian woman should, and was every sane mandalorian's dream woman.

Torian fell for her. Hard. She was exceptionally helpful at tracking down his traitor of a father, though when it came to crunch time he easily pushed aside his blooming feelings for her in order to face his father properly. That day will forever be engraved in his memory. The fight, the words spoken, the sound of blaster fire as he shot his father between the eyes. The look in his father's eyes as the light left them forever... He will never forget that day, nor the way she stood beside him, ready to comfort him if he needed or walk away if he desired. He chose the latter, asking her to leave and give him some time alone to come to terms with everything.

When he next saw her it had been in her docking bay as she was leaving Taris for good. He had a long day, but he wasn't about to let this chance to be with her slip out of his hands. He could feel it in his bones, this woman was meant for him, and he'd be damned if he let her slip away. So he confronted her, asked to tag along on her many adventures. And she'd accepted with a wide smile. She had apparently wanted him to come along from the start.

Going with her had been the best decision of his life.

Torian sighed to himself and smiled at the dried breastplate. He couldn't wait to see it on his beloved. And he knew she would love it. She'd been looking for some beskar armor, anyways, but she would be absolutely delighted to receive this set, which bore the Mandalorian crest as well as the Cadera crest. It would tell all who saw it that she was his, and he knew she would like that part of it even more.

Putting the finishing touches on the breastplate, Torian gathered up his belongings and set out on his journey back to the ship. His cyar'ika was waiting for him.

Hello all! It's me, Zora! And me, Zendius. But this is my (Zora's) personal story. This is a story I've been working on for a while, so I hope you guys like it. This chapter was more of an intro to Torian and an overview on their relationship and events that happened in the game, but we will be seeing the bounty hunter's point of view soon enough.

As an additional note, all words in Mandalorian will be italicized and, if the definition isn't provided in the context, I will list it here in the ending notes. Like such:

Aruteii: outsider, traitor, or anyone not mandalorian.

Beskar: mandalorian iron fused with other alloys to produce a powerful, heavy metal used mostly for armor.

Cyar'ika: beloved, darling, sweetheart.

Mando'ade: the mandalorian people.

I hope you guys enjoy! Check out our profile, it's been updated with a list of all our characters and where to find them in SWTOR. Also, check out Zendius's story "Rise to Power" if you haven't read it yet!

Thanks for reading!