† Vendetta Squad †

"Where the dar'yaim is Abhay and Sir?" Salvador yelled as he strained to connect the detonator to the turret and stick Trandoshans in the neck with his double-sided vibroblade all at the same time. "Saam, get your sheb over here and give me some cover!"

Naturally, Saam just ignored Salvador and continued to clash blades with Trandoshans nowhere near Salvador's position. After a many more minutes and even more swear words coming from Salvador, Saam drew his blasters and shot his weary foes at point-blank range. Before their bodies had time to hit the floor, he had wheeled around and fired rapidly at the Trandoshans that were closing in on Salvador.

For one moment the two squad mates breathed easily and the next there was the familiar sound of a rocket soaring towards them. Without a second thought both men rolled out of the way and took cover behind nearby crates. There was a loud whoop sound as the rocket connected with the ground and exploded in a mass of flames and shrapnel. After a quick investigation Salvador concluded that the rocket was from a hand-held launcher and it was short range. "Saam, you need to find that launcher!"

"I'm on it!" To Salvador's surprise, Saam ran out from behind his crate towards a stack of ship supplies. Another rocket flew through the trees but before it could hit Saam he dove to cover, landing on his stomach.

This gave Salvador the opportunity to track the smoke trail back to a branch that was farther down the platform and up a few meters. He quickly unstrapped his pack and pulled out a single thermal detonator. With practiced accuracy, Salvador lobbed the grenade up onto the branch before ducking behind his crate. Another small explosion shook the tree, sending vibrations through that platform.

"... I think it's clear now..." Saam whispered. He slowly got up off the ground and peered around the now charred, but still intact, platform.

Without delay Salvador went about placing the detonators. Once they were set, Saam and Salvador scaled upwards to reach branches higher up the large Kashyyyk tree. Once they were out of range, Salvador flipped a switch and the turret went up in a large cloud of flame, smoke, and debris.

The sound of approaching jet-packs was drowned out but the roar of the flames...

† Vendetta Squad †

Saam blinked his eyes and shook his head to try and clear his vision. His head throbbed, his side hurt and after a few failed attempts to stand up he found that his wrists and ankles had shackles on them. His armor plates and helmet were gone, leaving him in his black under-armor bodysuit. His weapons were gone and he could feel the aftereffects of drugs as he struggled to sit up off the cold floor.

"Saam? Saam, are you okay? Saam?" He could just barely understand Salvador's words but he managed a reply.

"Sal? W-what..."

"Stun grenade. They got us while our backs were turned and then they drugged us. Nothing fatal, I think."

"They drugged us? The stun grenade wasn't enough?"

"They didn't want to chance us remembering where they've taken us too. You should take it easy, Saam. They gave you a heavier dose then me. You put up a fight even after the grenade so they figured you are more of a threat."

Even with the drugs still working its way through his system, Saam smirked at Salvador. "So... they thought I was scarier than you, huh?"

Salvador rolled his eyes at his squad mate before raising his metal shackles to eye level. "So how are we going to get out of here? Can you use that big mouth of yours to chew through these?"

At that very moment alarms began to sound and the heavy foot falls of Trandoshans running through the halls could be heard outside of their cell.

What happened after that seemed to speed by.

There were shouts, a short burst of blaster fire, and then silence.

A second before it was too late Salvador reached out with his shackled hands and grabbed Saam to drag him to the wall opposite the door. There was the sound of a timer counting down on the outside of the cell door.

The door fell inwards after a detonator blew the locks and a blue and green helmet peeked around the corner.

"You guys in there? Sir says she wants you home before dinner so get your shebs moving!"

Salvador was the first one on his feet. "Baatir?"

"We haven't got all day! Sir is holding off most of the Trandoshans at the dock! Move!" Abhay yelled.

"Sure thing, Baatir," Saam mumbled as he staggered towards the door with Salvador closely following. After Saam nearly fell on his face several times, Abhay motioned for Salvador to help him through the halls of the Trandoshan base.

"Hey, Baatir? When's this sedative going to wear off?" Saam looked at Salvador as he frowned, making Salvador snarl right back. "I don't like being dragged around by this sad excuse for a warrior while I wait for my body to wake up. And where are all the guards? This place is empty!"

"Give it a couple more minutes and the rest of you should be working as well as your mouth," Abhay growled in his normal, irritated voice. "Most of the Trandos are at the dock where Sir and Ladimir are keeping them company while I'm stuck hulling both of your fat shebs through this chakaar infested…" Abhay continued to mumble to himself while the three squad mates made their way through the maze of halls that made up the Trandoshans compound in the trees.

The squad mates slowed down as they began to hear the sounds of blaster fire and the occasional explosion coming from a large door at the end of the hall. Without conversing, they all decided that that was the exit. By now Saam could see clearly and was walking on his own, to both his and Salvador's relief.

Abhay took a quick look at a data pad that he had clipped to his belt. He scanned the map that glowed dimly across its screen before turning back to Salvador and Saam.

"That door leads to the landing dock where Sir and Venaliit are busy at the ship controls trying to preoccupy the Trandos. When I say, I want you two to run for a stack of supply crates that are on the right side of the dock. If you make it there unnoticed then you can sneak into the ship through the emergency hatch on the bottom without them noticing," Abhay said while looking at the other two men through his helmet's visor.

"But, Baatir, where are you going?" Saam leaned against the wall trying to keep his balance as there was another ground-shaking explosion from the other side of the door.

"I've got orders to finish what we came here for. I'm going to plant a bomb on the main support beam that holds this place up. With that done, we can leave and go get our pay-check."

Salvador made a mental inventory list of all the things he saw on Abhay's person.

No bomb.

"What do you plan to blow it up with?" Salvador asked after double-checking that Abhay didn't have a bomb of any sorts other than the standard grenades. He was sure that none of the three squad mates had anything on them that was strong enough to leave a dent in one of the massive support beams, let alone destroy one.

"I was told that you had the explosive to take care of it. You're supposed to give it to me and make your way to the ship."

Salvador lifted his arms and spun around, showing that he didn't have any sort of armor, weapons, or his precious package with the bomb. "Do I look like I have a bomb on me?"

Saam instantly jumped. "Drop your pants, Sal; we need that bomb you've shoved up your sheb. I knew there was something up there that makes you so cranky!"

After minutes of trying to stop him, Abhay just stood back and let Salvador pound on Saam until he was curled up on the floor. He whimpered in between his words as he promised to thank the Trandoshans for the sedative the next time he got a chance.

† Vendetta Squad †

Salvador grumbled as he hauled the whimpering Saam through the halls of the compound. The satisfaction he had from beating his talkative comrade was quickly replaced with grief as he was condemned to carry Saam, yet again.

Abhay could be heard swearing under his breath as he stormed down the halls in front of his comrades. Helmet tucked under one arm, data pad under the other, he glanced back at Salvador and Saam before reaching a hand down into a pouch he kept strapped to his right leg. With a tug he pulled out a long injection needle that held a light purple liquid.

"Here, give him this. It'll waken up his senses a bit more and we can move faster." Abhay handed it over to Salvador's free hand and then reached into the same pouch and pulled out yet another injection. This one was green and looked thick – like goo. "Give him this to dull the pain."

Salvador knelt down and helped Saam lean against the wall so he wouldn't slide onto his shoulder. Saam glared up at both his squad mates while Abhay handed over the green goo-containing needle.

Before Saam could object Salvador had crouched down and stuck the needle into his neck. Saam went to jerk out of the way but Abhay grabbed his other shoulder to hold him in place. If it wasn't for his training he would have yelped in surprise.

"You take care of him. I'm going to contact Sir and explain what our situation is. Maybe she'll have a suggestion," Abhay said in a strangely calm voice as he watches Salvador slowly inject Saam with the anti-drug. Salvador nodded without looking up, keeping an eye on Saam's face and the needle he held in his neck.

With practiced ease, Abhay slid his helmet over his head and sealed it shut, now in his own little world. He picked his data pad up and made his way to the other end of the white-walled hall.

"You're holding up okay?" Salvador asked quietly.

It took Saam a moment to realize that Salvador was talking to him. He didn't expect a question like that from his rival squad mate. Now that he thought about it, Salvador seemed to have tried to make the injection as painless as possible compared to what he could have done.

"Yeah, just beginning to feel where I'll have bruises at."

Salvador looked down at the needle and nodded. He almost looked like he felt pity - almost. With ease he removed the needle from Saam's neck.

"So you want this shot too?" Salvador asked while holding up the last needle.

"Uhhh, yeah, that'd be good, Salvador. I want to be feeling a bit better for our next round," Saam responded before trying to sit up straighter. Salvador pulled a bandage from his belt that he had taken off of Abhay before he left. He leaned back on the balls of his feet and started to check Saam for head injuries.

"Talverd."

"Huh?"

"Talverd. You can call me Talverd."

Saam made it quite clear with his facial expression that he was wondering if Salvador was the one who should be getting his head checked out. He raised one eyebrow and tilted his head to the side to see his face better. "Check and make sure my ears are still there while you're giving me the meds. I'm not too sure I heard you right."

Salvador bandaged up one spot that had a still-bleeding cut before kneeling back down to Saam's eye level. "You heard me," Salvador snarled.

"We've been squad mates for how many years now? And all of a sudden you decide it's a good time to switch to good buddies – Mandalorian names and all?"

"You've shown me that you are worthy of it."

"So I've passed some test of yours? A test that takes years?"

"You could put it that way." Salvador picked up the injection needle and quickly stuck it in Saam's neck while wrapping a bandage around his comrade's arm where there was a large cut.

After long minutes of sitting in silence with Salvador patching him up, Saam got the courage to speak. "Fine, but I'll only call you Talverd if you call me Beskarkot…"

Saam looked down at the floor as if he had been defeated. He knew in his heart that it was a very big deal for a Mandalorian to allow you to call him by his adopted name and that it was expected that the same honor was returned, but it still felt like defeat. Their Mandalorian names were not considered normal nicknames, but more of a way of respect and acceptance, not short hand.

To Saam's shock, Salvador nodded and stood up. He pocketed the medical supplies he had gotten from Abhay and then offered a hand to help Saam up.

"You ready to go get orders from Sir, Beskarkot?"

Saam groaned, answering the question. "Fine, but I'm still injured so remind her to take it easy on me…"

Salvador smirked, knowing that neither of them felt like facing up to their boss, and helped Saam find his balance before they made their way down the hall to Abhay.

† Vendetta Squad †

Translations for Chapter 2:

Dar'yaim – Hell

Sheb – Butt, Ass

Chakaar - Low-life, Criminal