I used to have the lyrics up here, but I have been firmly reminded of a no-song-lyrics rule, and so I must now only recommend reading this fic while listening to the song Tiny Dancer by Elton John.

That last night on Nar Shaddaa, when Mai had simply done it and gone to the Sky Palace district and finally visited her father, Mako saw a completely different person from the one that had pulled the bounty for a helpless Republic scientist. The small woman with sad and tired blue eyes seemed similar to the one that promised Mako with a hollow voice that Tarro Blood would suffer, and the same woman that had simply smiled when Mako asked permission to join her on the Great Hunt.

Corso Riggs-Zhang was an interesting man. Sometimes is was hard to tell a scar from a wrinkle, and his wide brown eyes seemed to belong to a younger man. That alone made Mako absolutely certain that this was Mai'lynnda's father.

Half-way through the night, however, Corso began to hum a familiar song; one that Mai had been humming to herself one morning when she was making caff. Mai had blushed orange, acting all the world like a twelve year old girl who had a daddy that was proud of her, while she was embarrassed by his showing her off.

Mako was certainly surprised when Mai took off her heavy plated blue armor, revealing a black bodysuit, and even more when the bounty hunter began to dance to the song her father sang. But, then again, that was nothing compared to the reaction of Gault Rennow.

When they- she -won the Great Hunt, the very first thing Mai did was head for Nar Shaddaa. She had this silly little grin on her face the whole time they were flying, so much that Gault actually went to Mako and asked if there was something wrong with their resident bounty hunter. Mako laughed and said to wait.

The minute they stepped inside the Zhang Family Sky Palace, Corso Riggs had his armed outstretched, ready for Mai to come twirling into them. Gault's yellow eyes widened in alarm while Corso's brown narrowed in distrust, but when Mai made the introductions, Corso didn't kill him and Gault toned down the snark, so they seemed to respect each other.

However, Gault couldn't keep his eyes off Mai'lynnda when she was dancing in the skintight black bodysuit. The lithe curves that were usually hidden under heavy durasteel were displayed without shame, and her usually serious face was uncreased and blissful. Mai's tattooed lekku spun around her, making her the picture of peaceful, beautiful grace. The Devoronian hid it pretty well, but Mako knew that look that he would send Mai every while or so. She would've seen it sooner, Mako admitted, if it hadn't been tempered with respect for Mai. Respecting her boundaries. Respecting her power; respecting her.

Corso had been the first one to fall asleep on the couch, the celebration taking him out. Mai had soon followed, sleep having claimed her after hours of talking with Mako and re-telling childhood stories with her father. She was actually curled up in Gault's leather duster, her face buried in the collar. The Devoronian himself had surrendered his lap to her as a pillow and had fallen asleep, errantly stroking one of the tattoos at the base of her lekku, deep in thought. Mako wouldn't be surprised if those two spent more time out in the field by themselves for a long while. A surprising development, but pleasant.

Mai-

I don't know what to get the girl who does everything by herself, so I will admit I talked to your dad for advice. He was, to be frank, rather cryptic. Since I still don't have a physical gift, how about we go for drinks, just you and me, in this tiny dive I know on Nar Shaddaa? It's classy enough that you'd like it, but it's also your kind of edgy.

And by classy, I mean you'd better have some kind of dancing shoes or you'll stick out like a sore thumb.

Happy Birthday.

-Gault Rennow