Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co.

The scenario was something I'd read in Traviss's Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines. Of course, Skylar is just my OC, but I think she actually fits pretty well in this little scene. What do you think?

Sixteen year old Skylar Cordav had just finished an extremely long day of grueling training exercises with her brothers and was on her way back to the suite that she shared with her Buir. She wanted to check on him before she made her rounds to the boys' quarters. He hadn't been feeling well lately and she was beginning to get worried. Knowing him, he'd probably send her right back out to the boys first. She and her Papa always made a point of checking on the boys after training each and every day. Especially since they'd been forced to start training with live rounds.

The cries of help coming from the males' 'fresher jolted her to a stop. They sounded like a clone. A young one. Maybe about seven years old. Each age of clone troopers were restricted to their own area. No clone was allowed to mingle outside of his assigned group. With the exception of the Nulls, who disobeyed all but Skirata and herself. And young Boba, who was seven years old, had free rein of Tipoca.

The clone child cried out again, pleading that someone let him go, but this time the cry was cut off by the sound of flushing. What in the manda is going on? She had a few ideas of what was happening behind those 'fresher doors. It could actually be young Boba in trouble, or it could be one of her prankster brothers, like Devrin or Doz, trying to lure her into another trap.

Still, on the off chance that it was Boba... She'd better make sure. Skylar wasn't one to stand by when a brother needed help. Although, I'll probably just end up covered in toilet water with Fidget laughing at me...

But, as long as there was a chance that a brother was possibly in trouble, she wasn't one to be squeamish about anything. Even when it came to entering the males' 'fresher.

What she saw was definitely not what she'd expected.

Five burly clones, burlier than her boys which meant that they were the Nulls, were crowded around a stall. Peering in and laughing. A'den, Prudii, Ordo, Kom'rk, and Jaing. Mereel, the most relaxed and the biggest troublemaker of the six, was nowhere in sight. The sound of a young child spluttering for breath and a teenaged clone asking him if he wanted more confirmed the unseen Null's whereabouts.

And the Mando girl was instantly filled with fury. This was beyond low. "ENOUGH!"

All six of the fourteen year old Nulls jumped and stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Which gave her enough time to lunge forward and release young Boba from Mereel's grip.

She pulled him aside to check him over, but not before giving the Nulls a deadly look that glued them to their places. She sure as osik wasn't finished with them yet.

"Are you okay, Bob'ika?" she asked gently, using a towel that she'd swiped from a locker to dry him off. "You're not hurt?"

"I'm fine, Sky," the kid protested. His tone told her that he was telling the truth, that he was fine. Physically. He'd probably be skittish around the bigger clones from there on out. And Jango... Best warn Skirata first. Fett will most likely tear the Nulls apart for this. Which was why they were still rooted to the spot. They were good, but no one was good enough to hide from Fett for long. Best to face him immediately. Anything else would just make it worse.

Sky stood straight and looped a protective arm around young Boba's shoulders. She turned her frosty brown gaze to the six older boys. And they came to her instantly. In a single line just like a flock of baby nuna.

Mereel sent a glare Boba's way, and the kid ducked behind her.

"Mereel," Cordav chided, her voice low. Even though all six, at the physical age of fourteen, were her height, they were still bigger than her. However, size wasn't everything. They knew that she could take any one of them down easily. And they didn't dare gang up on her. Papa Cordav was the kindest of the training sergeants, but he could be scarier than a Krayt Dragon when one of his children was threatened. Only Skirata had threatened the kaminiise more than Orar Cordav.

"What in the manda were you boys thinking? Ganging up on a seven year old like that? That's something only hut'unne would do."

"We're not cowards, Cordav," Ordo stepped forward and spoke back coldly. "We're Mando'ade. That little di'kut," he nodded his head towards Boba, "insulted our Sergeant."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "True Mando'ade don't pick on people who can't defend themselves. No matter what they've said. Words are just words, vod'ikase. You only fight when your life depends on it. Not because you can't control your temper. You six should know this. Your Buir taught you better than this."

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" That was Jaing.

"No, I'm not. You boys are, though. And it's probably best, for your safety, that he finds out before Jango does," she motioned with her head for them to get out and they took off. She couldn't help a small chuckle.

"This isn't funny," Boba said irritably.

"I wasn't laughing at you, Bob'ika. I was laughing at the way those boys took off. Like scared nuna." That got a laugh from the kid.

The expression on Jango's face when the door opened clearly told Skylar that he knew something had happened. That was kind of a no-brainer though, as Boba's head and shoulders were the only part of him that were wet. The rest of him was bone-dry, meaning that he couldn't have gone for a stroll outside.

"What happened? Or do I even want to know?"

Cordav ushered Boba in and the seven year old grabbed clean clothes from his room and disappeared into the suite's fresher to take a shower. Moving fast enough to avoid talking to his father about what had happened.

Fett turned his head toward her and raised an eyebrow.

"Mereel, his brothers, and a toilet."

The elder Fett's dark brown eyes hardened, "They ganged up on him?" There was no mistaking the fury in the Mand'alor's face and expression.

"Yes. I've already fussed at them about it. And, no doubt, Kal's lecturing them as we speak." She paused, and then added what Ordo had told her, "From what I understand, Boba taunted them."

"That doesn't matter, he's still younger-"

She held up a hand, "I know, Mand'alor." He shifted uncomfortably at the title. Skylar's Buir had told her that Jango still hadn't gotten over the Battle of Galidraan. And that Fett believed that the Mandos were on their way out. I guess it's easy to give in to despair like that when almost everything good in your life has been taken from you. Hence the reason the man was so protective of his son. "I called them hut'unne for that."

He chuckled, "They didn't handle that very well, I take it."

"Not at all. And before you decide to go up in arms and use them for target practice, keep in mind that I had them running from the 'fresher. Like a terrified flock of nuna." She paused, thoughtful, "Although... it wouldn't hurt to keep them on their toes for at least a couple of days. A warrior does need to be prepared for anything, right?"

Copaani gaan? = Need a hand?

Buir = Papa

manda = heaven

osik = crap

Bob'ika = little Boba

kaminiise = Kaminoans

hut'uune = cowards (the lowest form of life in the Mandalorian culture)

Mando'ade = Mandalorians

di'kut = idiot, moron

vod'ikase = little brothers

Mand'alor = leader of the Mandalorians (literally the Chieftain of Chieftains)

Please R&R.