Kastiel used to think the cacophony of sound coming through her implants was a painful burden. But Nar Shaddaa always reminded her sight could prove just as debilitating sometimes. She leaned her head sideways, thoughtfully considering the materials she needed to gather before producing new supplies of her regular migraine medications. The glaring and blinking monstrosity of lights all around the planet would just have to be endured in the meantime, damn it to hells.

Kastiel's head felt like great blocks of pounding weight were steadily beating against the inside of her skull as she looked around for Mako, saw the small cyborg standing near a vendor who's table was propped against a wall in one of the dirtier corners of the Promenade. Kas ambled closer, listening as the two argued over the scavenged … stuff the vendor – with his pretty pale green skin – was waving his pod-fingered hands over on the tabletop. His antenna were bopping crazily on top of his amphibious-looking head in abject agitation.

Mako pointed down at a shiny piece of metal. To Kastiel, it looked like nothing more spectacular than a box. Heck, there wasn't even some pretty markings on the thing. Kas idly wondered what it contained, that Mako wanted it so much.

"Hah! Don't even try to fool me! I know this score! That's a data library, probably belongs to one of the Hutts here on planet. If they find you with it …" Mako sneered at the Rodian, ignoring his echoing gibbering sounds as he took to almost jumping up and down in place.

"You're threatening me! I'm telling you, it's nothing more than a bit of trash I found in a bin, down on one of the lower levels of the Industrial sector. Just junk! Someone's stupid shopping list, probably!"

"Good! Then you can let go of it for twenty credits!"

"What it actually contains isn't important! You can use it to hold your own information, though! That makes its worth more. I won't take less than five hundred credits!"

"Fucking thief! Seventy-five, and not one credit more!"

Kastiel stepped up next to Mako, staring down at the item in question. She didn't say anything to Mako as she handed the Rodian the sum he was practically bouncing up and down over. Mako snarled as the Rodian laughed and began wrapping the data library into some bright, shiny paper. Kastiel frowned as the paper simply reflected the vivid lights from overhead, wearily rubbing her forehead.

Mako puckered her brow as she noted the telling sign of pain on the hunter's face, hummed low under her breath sideways, "Headache?"

Kastiel nodded, accepting the package from the vendor. She smiled large at the Rodian, just before turning to make a dazzling show with the thing. She bowed low and sang out loudly, holding out the gaily wrapped parcel, "Mako! I got you a present! Straight from the trash of Nar Shaddaa, a pure sign of just how much I adore you! Please, take it away from me!" The Rodian chortled on the other side of the table.

Mako laughed, "You're insane, Kas. You know that?"

Kastiel gasped dramatically, "Does that mean you're rejecting this fine piece of artistic wrapping? This glorious paper! All concealing a most marvelous … box? Truly?"

"Gods, stop! I won't be able to stop laughing!" Mako giggled as she took the article from Kas, smoothly tucking it into her pack. She flipped a jaunty and rather crude gesture towards the Rodian, before turning to follow the bounty hunter off the lower Promenade towards the taxi, "You do realize you have to at least pretend to be a big, bad, mean bounty hunter, right?"

Kas snorted, "As long as I have big, bad, mean blasters, I think my reputation's safe enough."

"Is that why you wiggled your hips at that Republic trooper over there?"

"That Cathar?" Kas made a long raspberry sound through her pursed lips, "Did you see him baring his fangs at me? I wanted him to know I won't take his shit so seriously, is all."

"Maybe he was flirting, not threatening."

Kastiel shrugged, "What, like I'd be interested in stroking his furry butt? Not that he was, either. Cathar and hunters don't go hand in hand, Mako. You know that. I think Cathar see every hunter as a would-be Mando, and they hate Mandoes. Not surprisingly."

"Maybe. But their world's long since recovered, too. They shouldn't hold a grudge."

"Why not? Worse things, than kitty cats hissing at us." She turned on the heel of her boot and continued idly walking along, pondering, "I figure they'll hate me even more when I win the fancy title. Doesn't change anything that happened to their world."

Mako was quiet as they walked along, grateful to be thinking of anything other than the fact they were on Nar Shaddaa. She hated Nar Shaddaa. She could almost feel the stench of the planet eeking its way into her pores once again. She'd be beyond grateful when they were done here, so she calmly sighed, "Well, it's not like you're actually a Mandalorian, either."

"Not yet."

Mako glanced at Kastiel, "Is that what you want? To be a Mando?"

Kastiel stopped, turning to face her small companion. Her dark hair fell forward, obscuring her face for just a moment. But not her eyes. The brown of her gaze was shadowed, dark in her face as she remembered. Shadows lurked there, and Mako squirmed as she watched her.

But Kastiel spoke firmly enough when she answered, "Mandoes saved me once. They were tough, strong. They destroyed the sons of bitches who killed my mother, and they did it without even breaking a sweat. Then they picked me up and carried me miles when others would've left me to die." She looked away, "Yea, Mako. I want that … to be a part of that, to belong to it. I want it, so that my enemies will stop to think twice before threatening me ever again."

They began walking again, Mako almost trotting alongside her more long-legged friend. Neither one of them said much for several moments. It didn't take long, though, and Kas smiled as Mako finally broke the silence. Mako trilled, "Well, that just means we need to keep busting asses, huh?"

"Plan's been working out pretty well so far, yea."