Burning Skies
Tatooine was blazing, all three suns had risen and venturing outside the shelter of Anchorhead was suicide. The mining colony was lifeless, all its residence seeking shade within their homes or the local cantina. Dust clouds twirled through the streets like dancers, flirting with the cold white walls of the town, spiralling through the deserted streets.
Abandoning their intentions to explore the Dune Sea for the Star Map, the crew of the Ebon Hawk relaxed within the confines of their ship, trying to adapt to the newest addition to their crew…a hoard of gizka.
They had gathered in the main hold, saving the ships power by cooling only one room instead of the entire ship. Individuals were scattered here and there, passing the time, waiting for the cooler night to arrive.
Bastila was meditating in the corner, her hair pulled back from her delicate face, a delicate sheen of sweat covering her porcelain skin. Zaalbar and Jolee were engaged in a game of holo-chess to one side, the older man chatting jovially to the wookie. As always, Jolee's good-nature could never been dampened, and his jokes and hearty laughter filled the hold.
Canderous and Carth were sprawled out over the remaining seats. Both had discarded their boots and shirts in order to keep cool. Canderous grinned as he watched the antics of the women on the floor while sharpening his personal armoury of blades with a whetstone.
On the floor of the hold, almost lost in a sea of gizka, were Mission, Juhani and Shaardae. Each had a number of the small creatures in her lap, while many more bounded around them. Unlike Bastila, both Juhani and Shaardae had opted against their bulky Jedi robes for lighter clothing.
Mission giggled as she played with the frogs, they would lick her fingers and try to climb into her lap. Juhani picked up one of the gizka in her lap and eyed it critically, laughing as it struggled in her hands to lick her face, "Zees creatures are cute in zeir own vay"
Shaardae nodded, "Yeah, their cute in an ugly kind of way"
"That doesn't really make sense Shaar" Canderous added in his rough baritone, laughter underlying his voice.
"It makes senze to me" Juhani replied defensively.
"Don't mind him Ju" Shaardae added, grinning at Canderous, "He's just jealous because he wants to get down here and play with the gizka too"
The Mandalorian leaned down, whispering a creative demand in Shaardae's ear, one of his calloused hands cupping the back of her neck, "I'd be playing with something darling, but it wouldn't' be gizka"
She turned to face him, her voice quite and her cobalt eyes shinning, "That a promise big guy?"
He nodded before pulling away deciding the safest place for his hands were his blades, at least… for the moment.
Mission lay down on her back and was instantly mobbed by chirping, gambolling gizka. Her hysterical laughter drew even Zaalbar out of his chess game. Juhani turned to Shaardae, her golden eyes bright with mirth.
"Ve should save her"
Shaardae nodded and both women scoured through the mass of creatures until they found Mission's hands and pulled her upright. Flushed with laughter Mission picked up one of the gizka and placed a kiss on its nose.
"You shouldn't go that Mission, you might catch something" Carth reprimanded in fatherly tones.
"Oh, stop fretting Mary" Shaardae dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand before turning back to a grinning Mission. "You never know Mish; you might get lucky and kiss the right one who'll turn into some handsome Twi'lek prince".
Mission's impish blue face flushed further and she grinned at Shaardae with admiration and love in her eyes. "What about you Shaar?"
Shaardae shrugged, a mischievous grin on her face, "Me? We'll I kissed this Mandalorian but instead of turning into a prince he just got grumpy, as you can imagine I was disappointed"
Everyone laughed at the barb and Canderous tugged on Shaardae's braid light-heartedly to protect his dignity. She slapped his hand away and rolled out of his reach with a devilish grin. Canderous shot a dangerous look at a chuckling Carth,
"What are you laughing at Republic? At least I'm getting kissed" Carth's face fell and Canderous grinned victoriously, that shut him up.
From her safe distance Shaardae reprimanded both of them, "Now boys play nice"
Canderous shot his woman a look, "I ain't nice"
"Yes you are Canderous, your just in denial" She retorted.
He gave a derisive snort and turned back to sharpening his arsenal. Shaardae crept closer to her smaller Twi'lek companion; pouncing like some predator, Shaardae leapt onto Mission and began a ruthless bombardment of tickles. Mission laughed and screamed trying to dislodge the older woman. Zaalbar watched the scene with a smile on his hairy face, he was glad to see the two of them getting along so well, and he was thankful his cub had someone else to trust.
Bastila breaking off her meditation also watched on, but with an unamused eye, "Padawan Ryss, why do you always act so childish?"
Shaardae looked up from her blue victim, "Easy Bastie, it's so when I get old and grey I can pass my wrinkles off as laugh lines"
Bastila sighed dejectedly and looked around for a place to sit, but all the seats were occupied by male. Good-naturedly Carth pulled his feet up to allow her room, She smiled thankfully and sat down, not letting her eyes travel any lower than his face and silently praying for him to go and find a shirt.
Moments passed in companionable silence, Bastila coming out her hair with her fingers, Carth surreptitiously watching her as she did do, Mission talking animatedly to Juhani and the numerous gizka in hushed tones. Shaardae had moved back to her previous position, leaning against Canderous' seat and relaxing as his fingers soothingly rubbed the back of her neck.
Putting an end to the peace HK-47, their new droid, marched in. The red droid lowered his rifle and stood to attention as Shaardae rose to her feet.
"What is it HK?"
"Explanation: Master, you instructed me to inform you once the outside temperature began to drop. My internal systems inform me that the temperature has been dropping steadily for the last ten minutes"
Mission gave an excited squeal, glad to be free of the confines of the Hawk. Jumping to her feet, Mission charged towards Shaardae, hauled the older woman to her feet and led her out of the main hold and down the ramp.
With a frustrated look Bastila rose to her feet and started after the pair, "I guess I must follow them to make sure they keep out of trouble…"
Mission burst out of the Hawk with an ecstatic cry of freedom, Shaardae close behind her. Both women were struck dumb by the sight before them. The trio of suns were setting and as a last gesture their warm majesty exploded across the sky in a blending of various hues. The skies of Tatooine were beautiful, a flawless mixture of pinks, reds, oranges and yellows. It was as if the very sky were on fire.
Emerging behind the shocked pair, Bastila and Juhani had similar reactions, they both gasped at the sky above them. In another spur of the moment action Mission pulled Shaardae up a nearby white stone staircase which led to the high walls that surrounded Anchorhead.
The view from the walls was absolutely breath-taking. The Dune Sea stretched out beyond the walls, and the beauty of the burning sky trebled upon the sand.
High upon the walls both Mission and Shaardae were exposed to the chilly winds that accompanied the freezing desert nights. The wind ripped Shaardae's golden-brown hair from its customary braid, the tresses whipped and fluttered around her, the gold highlights glinting in the fading sunlight. It pressed her baggy shirt to her form and to those of the crew below she cut a very striking, lonely figure upon the wall.
Shivering at the cold wind Mission bounded back down the steps in search of Zaalbar and his warmth, throwing herself into his waiting arms as she charged down the stairs. Lost in the sight before her Shaardae didn't notice Mission's departure, only wrapping her arms about her body and the cold wind tore at her flesh with icy fingers.
Far below Canderous stepped out of the Hawk fully clothed. Looking up at his women upon the city walls his heart ached. She looked sad, lonely and in that moment, untouchable. As he watched she shivered, wrapping her arms about herself for warmth. Ignoring the others exclaims at the sky he walked up the stairs, approaching slowly behind her.
Shaardae gasped as she was enveloped in warm arms from behind. Instinctively she snuggled into the offered warmth, turning in Canderous' arms. She rested her head against his broad chest, comforted by his strong and steady heartbeat.
"You looked sad up here, beautifully sad" He murmured in husky Mandalorian.
Looking up at him slowly she examined his face, running her fingertips across the plains of his chiselled face before burying them in his silver hair. Rising on her tip-toes to negate their difference in height, Shaardae kissed him on the tip of his nose then grinned.
"How are you and what have you done with my Mandalorian?" she replied in the same dialect.
Leaning down Canderous captured her lips with his own, pulling her down into a long, lazy kiss. Her mouth was so full, so ripe, and much more potent than he'd anticipated. Her body quivered against his in response or with cold, at the moment it didn't matter, he simply wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her closer and continued to plunder. He wanted the taste of her on his lips, on his tongue, in his blood.
The kiss slowly ended but lost none of its underlying passion. To the pair on the wall nothing existed beyond each other, their reverie broken when Mission called out to them from below.
"Stop being gross!"
Canderous ground out an angry growl but Shaardae calmed him with a soft look, her eyes violet flecked with black in the dying daylight. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers in a Mandalorian gesture of affection.
"Let's go be gross"
A/N: Hrmmm, not too sure about this one... don't think I got Canderous right, but oh well, Hope you like! R&R!