The Exile entered the concrete bunker silently. Bao Dur straightened immediately, knowing intuitively that she was there. He turned slowly and braced his hands on the edge, leaning back and crossing his feet at the ankles. For once, there was no greeting and his expression was completely indiscernible.
"Bao…" she began, "I…I was wondering if you could help me. I've been trying to fit the crystal from the cave into my lightsaber but it just won't go. It should fit, it's the proper size but every time I try to put it in there it just won't work."
Bao pushed away from the terminal and crossed the room to where she waited. "Can I see it?" he asked softly.
She handed him her weapon and pulled out the crystal from her side pouch feeling it's gentle song echo inside. Heading to a nearby workbench, he disassembled it and attempted to secure the crystal properly but after several tries it was evident that it just wouldn't fit. Neatly reassembling it he handed it to her.
"I'm not sure what the problem is," he said, "You're right, it is the proper size but for some reason it just doesn't want to go in there. You may have noticed this in the cave but these crystals seem to have a will of their own. If they don't want to come with you, you can't blast them out of there. This little guy just fell into your hand so he probably does have a purpose but it won't be as a weapon."
Maysh'la took a deep breath, pulling nervously on her upper arm and they eyed each other cautiously. "I'm sorry that I called you stubborn…" she said quietly.
His deep brown eyes warmed at the sound of her voice, "It's alright," he said, "I really am sometimes…and especially when it comes to the Mandalorians. I went to see Canderous…"
"I know," she said, smiling slowly.
"I was angry on the way over," he continued, "I didn't know what I was going to do but when I got there…well…he talked about you and us and the journey and in the end I just didn't have the heart. He's…a good man…"
"So…you still love me then?" she asked, flushing.
He turned, sliding his big arms around her and pulling her close. "I will always love you," he whispered in her ear, "No matter what happens or how stubborn I get I love you."
She smiled, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of his embrace. "Canderous told me about the name…Jin Rah'la…beautiful strength?" she murmured.
He squeezed her gently, "Well, that's a pretty literal interpretation," he replied, "For Zabraks it's more of a concept…it's about seeing the beauty in displays of power. Watching the waves crash on the ocean is Jin Rah'la…the way you move when you fight is Jin Rah'la…it's also the name of the goddess of war…"
She pulled back slightly, peering into his eyes and arching an eyebrow, "War?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied, stroking her cheek, "Don't take offence, Jin Rah'la is believed to be a defender of innocents, not an aggressor. She's also the embodiment of wisdom. Zabraks believe that strength and resilience are the ultimate in desirability. It's one of the few things that both Mandalorians and Zabraks have in common, actually."
She laughed softly, "Thanks for making the suggestion," she said, "I really do love it."
"Anytime," he replied, "It's what I've been calling you all along in my head anyhow. Whatever they choose to call you, to me, you are my Jin…my mighty beauty…"
Leaning down slightly, he kissed her tenderly, running his fingers through her hair, "Come on," he said, "Let's get to modding that new armor of yours. Right now it's so heavy that it will strangle your powers...we may have to lose portions of it but I'm sure I can make the breastplate work."
"Alright," she said, "But then let's go out and join the celebrations, ok?"
"Absolutely, my Jin." he replied and they headed to the workstation.
The night passed in a flurry of activity. After scaling down her armor and deciding against the helm, arm and leg pieces they strode out into the crowds, greeting many of her new clansmen on the way. The Juma flowed freely as laughter rang out from the bonfires. To her shock and absolute delight, Atton stood and recited an old, bawdy, Nar Shaddaa tune about Shega the Hutt Bordello Queen. It was an absolutely revolting little ditty but his voice was strong, pure and far more beautiful than she would have given him credit for. Mical seemed to be avoiding the drink all together, engaged in an intense and serious conversation with Kex about Mandalorian history while Mira arm-wrestled with a particularly rowdy group of young men.
Above it all, Mandalore held court, tilting his helm approvingly towards her and Bao when they finally headed to bed. The night passed quickly, her head on his chest and their limbs entwined in comfortable oblivion.
Soon, morning came and along with it the flurry of preparations for travel to Hapes. With hasty goodbyes to her new brothers, the Exile headed up the entrance ramp of the Hawk. There was something so soothing about watching Bao head towards his familiar place in the garage. She blushed slightly as she recalled the first time he kissed her by the workbench. Waiting for the remainder of the crew to pass by and return to their regular stations, she slid her arms around his neck and pressed her lips softly to his. She watched his eyes flare, feeling the heat in the core of her belly as she gently released him and headed for the cockpit.
"Would you stop leering at me like that?" Mira hissed, "People are gonna think I spaced your Mother!"
Atton was rubbing the back of his neck and looking uncomfortable as he inched away from her, "Uhhh…sorry," he said, "…sorry."
The Exile slipped back into the corridor, watching as Mira grouchily returned to her station and Atton made a speedy escape to the cockpit.
"What was THAT about?" she wondered. Making an effort to control the look on her face she strode through the main hold and headed towards the nav computer.
"Hey there," Atton drawled as she entered, "Sooooo…did you have fun last night?"
She busied herself with plotting in the trip from Dxun to Hapes, "Of course," she replied, "It was some party and I think I'll be feeling the Juma for a few days."
"Interesting that Bao Dur came out," he continued in a probing voice, "He usually stays in playing nursemaid to the machinery…"
"Quite," she replied in a slightly clipped tone.
"Actually, I don't think I've ever seen him out with the rest of us socially," he said, digging deeper in his tone, "He spent a lot of time around you…you left pretty early too…come to think of it I didn't see him after you left…"
He was enjoying watching her squirm. She could feel it and the temptation to turn the tables was just to great for her. Dropping her hands away from the nav computer she turned slowly, folding her arms casually and smiling cattily at him, "That's because I was riding him like a Basilisk War Droid all night long…damn…he made me bark like a Kath Hound…I don't think I've ever sweat so much before…" she allowed a low, rumbling growl to escape from the back of her throat as she rotated her hips slowly, "Have you ever actually SEEN a naked Iridonian? They…"
"Ugh!" he cried, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, "You win! Just please stop…if only for my sanity!"
She dropped her arms out of their fold and laughed heartily with him, "Mess with the Sarlaac, get the teeth!" she said, grinning widely.
When they stopped chuckling, Atton met her eyes once more, "Seriously though," he said, "I think it's great that you're getting him to come out just a little bit more. It's too bad that he didn't stay out for the rest of the evening with us but it's a start. I guess the call of the Hawk was too great. And to be fair, she did take one hell of a beating at Malachor. He does have a lot of work to do but being a Master should make it go by a bit easier."
He either didn't know or this was going to be an extended game between them.
"How did you know he was a Master?" she asked.
"He told us," Atton replied simply, "Yesterday when you were shopping for armor with Kelborn he pulled us all aside and let us know. It's a hell of a comfort to know that I am flying with a Jedi tech master to back me up."
"That's the truth," she replied, "Say, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot," he said.
"Well, I wasn't listening in but I was heading in to the hold when Mira mentioned something about you 'leering'? I don't think I've ever seen you so uncomfortable. Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Oh…that…" he said, suddenly flustered, "Look…uhh…it's kind of embarrassing…"
"Oh?" she replied.
"Yeah…see the past couple of nights we've partied pretty heavily and last night after about sixteen Jumas I got an idea…" he said.
"I think I see where this is going," she sighed.
"Umm yeah…well I was thinking that I hadn't had any…you know…'fun' in a while and she's unattached…so what would be the harm because I knew there was no way either of us would take the other seriously so…so I asked…" he trailed off.
The Exile rolled her eyes, "I think I can guess how it ended." she said in an exasperated tone.
"No…really you can't," he said, "It wasn't me…it's just that she…uhhh…well, let's just say that if she decided to have some fun, it wouldn't be with anyone like me. It would be with someone more like you or Visas…"
The Exile smiled slowly, "So why all the leering then?" she asked calmly.
"It's just…it's just…dammit, it's the hottest thing I've ever heard! I can't stop thinking about it!" he said, "Her and…other hers…"
His eyes glassed over and she swallowed a laugh, "Atton, you have to realize that if there were other 'hers' around you would be the last one to be involved, don't you? I mean that is the entire point…"she said.
"I know! I just…hate…my…brain…" he said through clenched teeth.
"This has opened a door to you emotionally," she said seriously, "Be careful that you don't allow this distraction to get to you. Someone with dark intentions could slip in. When you're in flight, come see me and we will meditate. I know it's the last thing that you think will help but I promise you that it will by the time we're done."
"Alright," he said deflatedly, "I already feel like an ass. I hope this helps."
"It will," she said kindly, "Ok, we're all locked in for Hapes."
"Then you'd better get settled," he replied, "I'll be lifting off in less than a minute."
"Gotcha," she said, reaching in to squeeze his shoulder, "Good luck, Atton."
"Heyyy, I'm always lucky," he drawled.
The flight was a relatively brief one. Within a few short hours they were nearing final approach to the Hapian surface. The Exile had decided to not relate any of her new knowledge to Mira, respecting her privacy and liking her all the more for putting Atton in his place. As for her pilot, his thoughts had been a jumbled, anxiety riddled mess when he'd arrived in the dorm to meditate. But with patience, much discussion and development of technique he was more or less balanced by the end of their session. As they rose to rejoin the crew, Mandalore himself called them all into the main hold for a briefing on what they were about to face.
"Alright," he began, "I just wanted to get you all together so we go into this planet in the same mindset. This place was only colonized a few hundred years ago. Mostly by pirates and bandits and they were a real pain in the ass to this portion of the galaxy. So much so that a couple of hundred years back, the Jedi were called in to suppress them. In the battle, most of the Hapian men were killed and now the planet is run by women. I don't think I need to tell you that they don't have a high opinion of outsiders but they really hate Jedi. So no Jedi robes, no lightsabers, no Force powers, not even the little ones like talking back and forth to one another inside your heads. I mean it. They'll sniff you out. I know you're all good fighters but I don't really think you'll stand a chance against an entire planet so keep it low key and remember that we're guests here. Any questions?"
No one said a word.
"All right, get changed and meet me on the entrance ramp when we land." He barked.
With that they broke company and began their preparations. The landing was a smooth one and as they headed down the ramp to the docking area The Exile was struck by the overwhelming beauty of the planet. It had been virtually razed a few hundred years ago but the women had persevered. The foliage was lush and gorgeous; the roadway to the palace was lined in smooth, alabaster bricks that matched the color of the turrets almost exactly.
Leading the way to the Queen Mother was her chief advisor Memh'net. She was a lean, severe looking middle-aged woman who advised them of proper etiquette along the way. According to the current Hapian belief, the Queen Mother or Erenada was both ruler of Hapes and the human form of their god. To be spoken to by the Queen Mother was to hear the voice of god, to be touched by her was to be touched by god. As a result, Memh'net would relay her wishes verbally.
"But…how will you know what her wishes are?" Maysh'la asked slowly.
Mehm'net eyed her as they walked, "Because all advisors train for years to hear the voice of Erenada," she said smoothly, "Some are more proficient than others. In my position as chief I can discern her wishes from thought, a look…it just comes to me."
The Exile made a mental note of this and continued on, protecting her thoughts and smiling blandly.
Mehm'net lead them through the enormous, gilded halls of the Hapian Royal Palace, past metal statues and enormous painted frescos to the throne room. Pausing, she placed her hands on the enormous steel carved handles. "Erenada awaits us," she said softly, pushing open the doors.
A long, dark marble pathway lead to the throne which was heavily gilded with precious metal. The back of which was formed to look like elegantly twisted vines bejeweled with leaf-shaped stones in varying shades of green. The Queen Mother herself was a tall, lean, imposing woman. Her hair was thick and black and hung down over her shoulders, waving slightly at the end. Her face was a pale contrast but finely formed and regal but perhaps her most noticeable feature was her large, dark eyes. They were larger than any that the Exile had ever seen and in that moment, she knew how Mehm'net was able to discern her wishes. Every thought, every emotion reflected easily in those eyes and at the moment they were very kind. She was wearing a black, heavy silk gown that began just below her shoulders. It had shorter, square sleeves and multiple folds in the skirt that were all cinched in tightly to her waist with a brilliant red square of fabric. In her right hand she clutched a long, golden staff composed of the same twisted metal vines and gem leaves coming to a sharp point on top.
They approached and knelt politely and the foot of the throne while Memh'net took her place at her Mistresses side. Something in her look and stance changed and it became apparent to all of those in the room that she was now the voice of the Queen Mother.
"Welcome to Hapes," she said silkily, "Please rise."
They did so, standing in a line at Erenada's feet. "Mandalore, king of the Mandalorian clans, what has brought you to our halls on this day?" Mehm'net asked regally.
"I asked for this meeting because my men on Dxun were attacked by Sith warriors," he said, "We managed to capture one and when we interrogated him he told us that the attack was for 'practice'. Look your highness, I know that there isn't enough of us left to be a threat and I know that we don't have anything of value. So I did some research. It seemed logical to me that if they were practicing on us it was to face an opponent with similar style and tactics. That only leaves Hapian warriors. So I'm here to warn you, here to help and here to ask why they would be targeting your planet?"
Mehm'net was silent for a moment as the Queen Mother pondered Mandalore's words. As she thought she turned her large eyes to each member of the crew, silently appraising them. When her eyes locked on the Exile the strangest feeling washed over her. Erenada's eyes were gentle, but Maysh'la felt a tidal wave of panic sweep through her system. Her palms began to sweat and she had to concentrate to keep from visibly trembling. Still the Queen Mother eyed her placidly as all sorts of wild ideas flooded through her mind. She wanted to run, to throw herself through one of the large, delicate windows to the ground below...
She wanted to scream.
Eventually the strain was too great, she was seized by a bout of nausea and ran to the nearest potted plant, emptying her stomach.
When she rose once more and shamefully made her way back to her companions, the Queen Mother had risen with a terrible expression on her face. She turned her head to Mandalore, her eyes brimming with anger and Mehm'net hovering behind her shoulder.
Her rage was palpable.
"You have lied to me, Mandalore," the advisor growled, "You have soiled this planet and the very heart of my palace with the presence of this Jedi."
"She is my daughter," he said coldly.
"She is both," Mehm'net hissed, "I agreed to this meeting, one of the very few that I have had with outsiders in my reign on good faith and you have deceived me. Tell me now why I should not have her killed on the spot?"
"Because if you even think about it, your worshipfulness, I'll dump you on your royal ass," he snarled.
Before the Exile even had time to wince at his words there was a flurry movement. The Queen Mother moved in front of Mandalore, swept her staff under his feet, knocking him to the floor and dislodging his helm. She spun it once more and pointed the sharpened end straight at his throat.
She was fast…too fast.
"How DARE you threaten me in my own home?!" Mehm'net cried, "Guards! Secure these outsiders in the dungeon!"
As her royal guard closed in on them, the Exile noticed a very peculiar expression in the eyes of Erenada as she peered down at Canderous. Atton dropped into a defensive Echani stance and Mical appeared to be preparing to retaliate with the Force.
"No!" the Exile hissed, "Please, everyone, do not resist…there is something more at work here…go peacefully…"
They eyed her for a moment and relaxed, allowing themselves to be taken into custody peacefully. As the guards turned to retrieve Canderous from the floor, Mehm'net spoke once more.
"Not this one," she commanded, "Bring him to the back chamber for interrogation."