Hello again everyone.

Wow! I honestly cannot believe just how many people are now following this story. When I first posted on the site, I wasn't expecting much, but my expectations have been blown out of the water. I am so very grateful for everyone's support and encouragement.

Thank you so much to everyone, I cannot express the depth of my gratitude for everyone's kind words. There's a lot of Mandalorian language in this chapter, so I put up a translation at the end.

Thanks again for the support and reviews, please keep them coming, your comments keep me going.

Din scrambled into the pod so quickly his feet almost caught on the doors edge. He knelt by his Brother-in-Arms a heartbeat later, scanning his body and trying to think past his pounding heart. Paz turned his head to look at him and attempted to push himself into a sitting position with one hand, his other gripping his blaster tightly. Before Din could question the Heavy, ask where he was hurt or what happened, the man's helm snapped around to the door, gun whipping up to aim at the female that now darkened the open entrance. Val instantly ducked to the side even as Din lunged and grabbed Paz's hand before he shot her.

"No! She's a friend! Don't!"

It was almost too easy to twist the blaster from the man's grip. Something that shouldn't have been possible, Din would fully admit that Paz was physically stronger than him normally. The scuffle caused a muffled hiss of pain to come from the larger male and he fell back to the pod's floor. Still struggling to figure out how to deal with the situation, Din turned his head at movement, looking over to see Val poke her head around the doors edge. Her face went pale and she jumped inside a moment later.

"Oh Stars...what happened? No wait, don't answer that, stupid question." Paz stiffened as Val moved closer, distrust radiating from him. She ignored his prickly body language and started to yank her backpack from her shoulders while speaking out loud, talking mostly to herself, "Kreif, you've lost a lot of blood. Where are you hurt?"

Instead of answering her question, the Heavy snarled darkly, "Do not touch me, Aruetii!"

Val paused and stared down with a sour frown, "Did you just insult me?"

"No," Din interrupted quickly before she got too fired up. Val likely had more medical know-how than him, given how she read everything she could get her fingers on, and he didn't want her to have her hackles up because she got offended, "Let her help, Vod. She's trustworthy. Gar shuk meh kyrayc."

His comrade released a low growl in response, but did not argue any further. Val knelt down at that, laying hands gently on the larger male, searching for wounds. Paz's arms twitched, like he wanted to lash out at the girl, but he did nothing, letting the Runner inspect him. As Din watched, she suddenly froze, breath catching in her throat before she tilted her face lower. Lifting her head, she shifted and grabbed her bag, opening the top, fishing out a pair of scissors.

"Take off your chestplate, I need to get to your side."

Paz made no attempt to obey Val's order. Din could practically see the glare he was sending towards her so chose to reach over and start unfastening the buckles of the armor straps himself. As his fingers touched the leather strips, the wounded man suddenly seemed to clear his head, jerking sharply and grabbed Din's wrist in a tight grip.

"No! Beroya, you have to find the others, the foundlings. They're still in danger, they need you."

Din sucked in a sharp breath, heart thundering in his ears, "Where? Are they safe?"

"For now," the large male grunted out, body tensing in pain as Val's fingers brush against the wound on his side and she quickly muttered out a distracted "Sorry" while continuing to examine the injury, "They've found shelter to the north. But I don't know how long they'll be hidden for. There's a group hunting them, mercenaries. They're-"

"I've seen them, they're going the wrong way, still searching. We go to them once you're treated. How many are there from the covert?"

"They're not ours." Din made a confused note at the words, but Paz kept talking, "The young ones are from another clan, not Kyr'tsad. They've sheltered those that left Nevarro, given us support and are helping us rebuild."

The Heavy's grip on his wrist increased to an almost painful degree and Paz stared at him, "No one blames you, Beroya. You followed the Creed, upheld the Resol'nare, brought honor to the Tribe and death to our enemies. We survive...the foundlings survive and with them, our future. Do not wallow in guilt or waste time with me. Go now! Find them and take them to safety. This is the Way."

"This is the Way." Din's answer was automatic, spoken without thought. The crushing guilt that had plagued him for months reared its head despite Paz's words. His covert survived, wounded but still moving forward. He didn't know how to process that at the moment. Even though Paz urged him to leave, Din still knelt by his comrades side, torn by what he should do. His teachings warred with his desire to help his brother. Val paused in her work and looked up at him, staying silent, waiting for him to speak. She'd follow his lead, that was what her eyes said. Whatever he decided, she'd obey. His heart pounded as he struggled to figure out what to do. Finally he locked his gaze onto his partner.

"Any trouble?"

She looked to the door, eyes flickering over the outside scenery, "We're okay for now. I don't know about the others, I've got no reading on them."

Din exhaled hard, trying to decide what course to take. His train of thought was interrupted by a wheezing gasp from Paz, who slumped back to the ground, weakness overtaking him. Din winced behind his helm, almost able to feel the Heavy's pain as if it were his own.

"Leave me! Find the others!"

"I will." Din promised to the irate man, trying to ignore that Paz's voice was growing weaker, "Once you've been treated. Too many have already been lost." Looking up at Val quickly, asked in a worried tone, "You can fix this right? Can you heal him?"

The brunette puffed out a white cloud of breath, bending back down to Paz's side, "Why do you insist on trying to shove me into niches, Shiny? I'm not a doctor, I don't know what I'm dealing with here."

"You know more than me, I'm much better at taking people apart than putting them back together. Please Val...help him."

A dark muttering of words he couldn't make out was all he got in response. Remembering her earlier command, Din started to remove the metal plating from the Heavy's torso. This time, the man did not fight back. His breathing was more ragged and his head had fallen back to the ground. Briefly, he wondered if the man was still consious. Val helped to undo the straps and immediately started to pull the torn bodyglove away from the skin once the armor was off, cutting away the material as she worked.

While she did her thing, Din ducked his head and removed the sling from his shoulder, checking on his foundling. The little alien had wiggled out of the cocoon and was holding the blankets around his body. He looked up at him as Din carefully moved him out of the way against the pod's wall.

"Stay, Ad'ika. Be good." Big ears perked up and a feeling of concern and worry brushed on his mind. Din pushed away the sensation before turning back to Val. As she moved the glove away, a startled, sharp gasp left her mouth and she slapped her hand over the treacherous orifice, eyes widening. Din didn't think he'd ever seen a worst sign of a problem in his life.

"What!? What is it?"

She looked rather sick, face pale and swallowed hard, turning her attention to Paz, "Hey Hulk...you awake?"

The Heavy's head turned to her and he grunted back, "Speak, Aruetii."

Without responding, she fumbled with the front of her coat briefly, unzipping it and pulling her arms from the sleeves. Val handed Din the material, which he took in confusion, and stuck her hands into her backpack, pulling out bandages, gauze, a large syringe of bluish colored bacta that glowed slightly in the darkened pod, and a handheld electric cauterizer unit. She shifted her flashlight to illuminate more of the Heavy's body and spoke out loud as she gathered up the supplies.

"I don't know what the hell they hit you with, but you've got a chunk of shrapnel stuck in your side. I need to remove it." Val looked up at Din before nodding to the fabric in his hands, "Cover his head and take off his helmet."

Both Mandalorians went rigid at the order and Paz snarled out a rather colorful and imaginative phrase in Mando'a that Din was not going to translate before growling at Val, "I will not-!"

"Listen to me, you oversized brute! I'm not trying to sneak a peek or anything! I need to removed the metal and seal whatever vessels it sliced into, which probably includes parts of your liver, seeing how deep it is. This is going to hurt worst than you can possible imagine and I have nothing to help with the pain, plus even if I did, I wouldn't risk giving it to you in your state. The only reason you haven't already bled out is because you haven't moved much and its kreiffing freezing on this rock! Do you really want to risk vomiting inside that bucket? If so, be my guest, but don't say I didn't warn you!"

A round of silence followed Val's rant before Paz let out a pained chuckle, turning his helm towards Din, "I think I like this Aruetii of yours, Beroya."

Din barely managed to hold back a relived laugh of his own, shifting to open the coat up wider. Val shoved up the sleeves of her shirt to her elbows while rolling her eyes, "I really hope you keep that in mind during this, cause its not going to be fun."

Placing the thick covering over Paz's head, Din waited while the man slowly worked his helm loose and took the headgear from his hands with delicate reverence, setting it near the Heavy's free arm. As an afterthought, Din yanked off one of his leather gloves, folding up the tough hide and carefully slipped it under the cloth shield. Paz took the material and Din heard the slight creak of teeth biting down into the glove. Shifting, he took hold of his brothers hand, moving it away from Val just in case and clenched down tightly. Val exhaled heavily, closing her eyes and seeming to be preparing herself. She was still horribly pale.

As she went to move her hands towards Paz's injury, she paused, looking up at him with uncertainty, "T-try to hold him still, okay. And...if this doesn't work. I mean...this is a bad wound, Shiny, I-I might...Just...please don't hold it against me if he..."

"Breath, Val. Take a minute. Just...do what you can. I'm not asking for anything more." The stress on her face didn't go away and Din carefully placed his knee on Paz's chest and one hand on his shoulder, prepared to lean his weight down if the Heavy started to thrash too much. Val took in a steadying breath and held up two fingers before speaking to Paz.

"Alright, Big Guy. Brace yourself, I'm going to start. On three...ready? One...tw-" Val yanked hard, arms jerking backwards. Beneath Din, Paz let out a strangled shout, muffled by the makeshift gag and bucked slightly, though remained remarkably still given what just happened. His pain tolerance was incredible.

The sudden spurting blood that gushed from the wound wasn't so impressive though. It was alarming and terrifying. Val scrambled and pressed a wad of gauze against the stream, grabbing the cauterizer. Flicking it on, she twisted and started to drag the sparking red end over the gash. The smell of acrid, burning flesh filled the area as the glowing laser started to scar the area. A horse howl that Paz was clearly trying to keep in hit Din's ears and his body went stone stiff, back arching up as he struggled not to move. The grip on his hand turned to iron, almost threatening to break the bones in his fingers. As Val continued to try and steam the flow of crimson pouring from the Heavy's body, she hit a particular sensitive area with the handheld unit and Paz suddenly lurched in response.

"Hold him down!" Val yelled in a panicked voice, the movement causing a stream of blood to spray out and hit her cheek before she could pack it with the bandage material. Din shoved down Paz's shoulder to the ground and leaned his weight onto his chest. The hissing crack of the cauterizer continued and the body under him jerked in response, an agonized roar leaving his brother and Din was nearly dislodged.

"I've almost got it, just hang on!" At Val's words, even as strained as they were, Paz managed to overcome his bodies demands and froze in place, muscles quivering in strain and breaths huffing from his lungs in jagged, wrenching gasps. A few more seconds of snapping sizzling and the brunette pulled the unit away, looking over the wound as she dabbed the blood soaked gauze along the Heavy's skin.

"O-okay...okay, I think I got it, the bleedings mostly stopped. Nothings gushing anymore and the bacta should-Oh my Gods!" Her exclamation was caused by Paz suddenly going completely limp under Din, body collapsing to the floor. She scrambled forward, eyes wide and terror painted on her face as Din released the Heavy, "Oh Maker! Please tell he's alive, tell me I didn't...!"

Fumbling under the coat still over his head, Din struggled to feel around, pressing two fingers to Paz's neck and waited with baited breath. A flutter against his pads made relief surge so strongly through him, his vision blurred slightly. Quickly, he reassured his partner.

"He's alive! He's alright Val, he's fine, just finally passed out. Keep going."

She panted in response, hands shaking but nodded, grabbing the syringe of healing fluid. Uncapping the end, Val pushed up the beskar leg guard closest to her and jammed the thick needle into Paz's thigh, depressing the plunger till all the contents were gone before tossing aside the empty device. As she started to apply bandages to the gash, occasionally using the cauterizer unit to seal an oozing portion, Din grabbed the blue helmet from the ground.

Working under the covering was tricky, he took great care not to shift the shroud too much. But eventually, Din maneuvered the headgear back into place, ensuring the interior padding closed firmly around the Heavy's neck before slowly lifting up the winter coat. Confident that the Creed had been upheld, he pulled the cloth away. Now that the immediate panic was done, Din could see the man's chest slowly lift up and down. Grabbing his glove, now indented with blunt teeth marks, he shoved his hand back in, noting that his fingers were going numb from the cold. Concerned, he grabbed Val's coat again.

"Put this back on before you get a chill."

Val shook her head in response, still focused on her work, "Never been sick in my life, Shiny. Put it over his chest. The glove stopped hypothermia from setting it, but its trashed now. He's not out of the woods yet."

Din frowned but obeyed her wishes, opening the coat and spreading it over the exposed skin of Paz's torso. As a side thought, he pulled off his cape and reached over the downed male and slinging the woolen material over Val's shoulders. She murmured a distracted thanks, still focused on trying to patch up the massive wound. A concerned coo broke him from the post treatment trance he'd fallen into and Din looked to his side, seeing that the child had waddled over, ears drooping down as he stared at Paz's still form.

Friend...? The presence of his Ad'ika whispered through his mind again and he carefully exhaled, shifting to run a finger gently over the child's bald head. Before he could say anything to comfort his foundling, Val's head snapped up, hands freezing, body tensing and her face whipped towards the door of the pod.

"They're coming..." she hissed out in alarm.

Adrenaline surged through his system at her warning, his hand swiftly drawing his blaster without thought, "How long?"

Val shook her head in response and didn't answer. Din moved to the doorway, shifting the settings of his helm. So far, he saw nothing, but he trusted the Runner's instincts. If she said trouble was coming, it was coming. Stepping outside, he scanned the area. There were other cracks in the walls that disappeared into darkness. Enough to confuse a tracking party, maybe cause them to split up if planned right. Ducking back inside, Din looked over the scene. Paz was still out cold, recovering from the treatment and Val was finishing applying the last of the tape over the top of the wound. He could see her leg muscles trembling and realized she was resisting the urge to run. Because she trusted him to protect her, trusted him to keep her safe.

A groan sounded from Paz, modulated and weak, his head rolling slightly. Val gasped softly and shifted closer to his top, but aside from the sound, the Heavy didn't stir. She looked to him for guidance, "Now what?"

Din looked back to the crevice and answered firmly, "Stay with him, try to get him on his feet. I'll draw their attention, cut down their numbers and try to divert them away. If they get too close and he isn't up, head north to the foundlings. Find them and get them back to the ship."

"I don't have anymore bacta! He was hurt way worst than I thought, if you get hit, I won't be able to-"

"I'll be fine." He interrupted, "You can fly if needed right?"

Val looked incredible uncertain and worried, "Well...yah, I guess so. Won't be pretty, but I can probably do it if absolutely fraking needed. I know the theory, but I don't-"

"Get them off this rock, Valriya."

She didn't response to that command for a few moments, looking up at him before quickly standing and marching over to him. Before he could fully understand what she was doing, Val reached up on hand and grabbed the back of his neck, yanking his head down and pressed her forehead against his. Din fought back a strangled gasp at the sudden movement, the intimate act surprising him. In his culture, it was the closest equivalent to a kiss he was capable of accepting. She held tight, exhaling as she stared through his visor.

"Do Not Die. You are not allowed to die, understand?"

Heat spread through his blood, her compassion and determination lighting a fire in his gut. Briefly, he let his free hand brush against her side, wishing for a moment that he could touch her without the thick leather between them. They stayed like that for a few more heartbeats before Din pulled away, stepping backwards towards where the pack of hunters would come from.

"Take care of them." Val bit her lip and nodded back, moving inside the pod while keep her eyes locked with his. He stared at her for as long as he could before turning away and ducking into the darkness, pushing aside the desire to stay with them.

He had to protect them. And so he would. It was the Way.

This sucked so bad.

Now alone with a tiny alien baby and an unconscious, wounded Mandalorian, Val had ample time to ponder and growl at the sheer unfairness and all around low point this whole mission had come too. True, she hadn't really expected it to be a walk in the park, but this was worst than she'd imagine. Shivering, she pulled the rough material of Mando's cloak over her. The scent of metal and spice clung to the fabric. It comforted her a bit.

The urge to grab the kid and run was strong. Her skin was buzzing, hairs on her arms and neck standing straight up. Even knowing her partner was moving to intercept the group hell bent on killing them, her natural born instincts to move was rushing through her muscles. Exhaling, Val knelt back down beside the fallen solider, who still appeared to be recovering. At least he was breathing steadily, that was something. She'd been terrified beyond words when he'd collapsed on her, heart stopping at the thought that her attempts to help him had resulted in her accidently killing him. But if she'd learned one thing from her partner, it was that Mandalorians were tough kreiffing bastards.

Shuffling motion drew her attention and the baby walked up beside her, tilting his head up in curiosity. Concerned that he was out of his nest, Val wrapped the end of the cape around him. The child gripped the corner in his three fingered hands, perhaps knowing that the Mandalorian was struggling to keep them safe and gnawed the fabric between his teeth. She ran a comforting hand over the child's back as he huddled beside her.

"We'll be alright, kiddo. You're Dad's going rain hell on them." Reaching out, she shook the shoulder of her patient, trying to rouse him. "Hey, Hulk, wake up. You still with us?"

A low electronic murmur and slight shifting answered her. Sighing, Val settled back down again. It wasn't surprising, given what she'd had to do to seal off the wound and how long he'd been suffering from it, but it was still nerve-racking to do nothing but sit and wait for him to wake up. Unnatural silence filled the area, dark shadows shifting around as the light from her small flashlight on the pod's floor filtered around the area.

Val's ears picked up on the soft crunch of snow. Freezing, she held her breath, slowing drawing the blaster from her leg. No other noise came, the air was eerily quiet. Her danger sense wasn't howling, but she was so on edge right now that the slightest sound would probably have her jumping out of her skin.

"...cabur...?" The word was whispered so softly, she almost thought she imagined it. It was Mando's language, spoken in a voice that sounded incredibly young. Val stayed where she was, still partially convinced she'd been hearing things. But a slight motion outside the door had her catching her breath. Right before she heard the scrambling of feet and a startled gasp.

Springing into motion, she quickly jumped to her feet while calling out, "Wait! Wait-wait! It's okay! He's alright, I'm a friend, come back!" Thinking quickly, once she was outside, she tried again, "Ad'ika! Ad'ika! Wait, I'm not going to hurt you!"

The small, shadowy figure paused at those words, huddled in the distance and nearly invisible the dark crag. Puffing a bit, Val knelt down, placing her blaster on the ground and raised her hands up in surrender, backing away from the weapon while trying to reassure what she assumed was a child-like figure.

"That's what you are, right? Ad'ika? A foundling? You came looking for him, like we did? My partner is Mandalorian. We're here to help you, I swear."

Before Val could talk to the child more, a loud groan caught her attention. Turning, she saw the adult in the pod starting to move around as he regained consciousness. Glancing back at the hiding figure, she made a choice and ducked inside, rushing to the male's side.

"Easy...easy now, Big Guy. Don't move, just yet." The blue helmet turned to her and she grimaced at him a little, "You had me worried, didn't think you were going to make it."

"Many...have under es-estimated me...and regre-tted it..." His voice stuttered but was stronger than before. Val laughed a bit, tension still singing in her blood.

"I believe it." Placing a hand on his chest, she winced at the chill of his skin, "Kreif...you're freezing. We need to get you someplace more sheltered."

"C-cabur..." The high pitched voice sounded again, closer and louder. Val turned to the door, seeing a humanoid child no older than 8 or 9, standing in the doorway. It was sort of hard to tell age and race, given that they wore a silver child sized Mandalorian helm, so she was basing her guess on his small stature, although the voice sounded male to her. He was also holding her blaster in two hands, the muzzle aimed straight at her. Without pause, she slowly raised her hands up, not making any movements.

"N-nayc, Ad'ika...T-this Aruetii is friend...Dirycir..."

A garbled gasp came from him and the boy scrambled inside with a sob, "Cabur!"

Before Val could stop him, the kid tackled himself into the torso of the wounded man, causing a strangled hiss to leave his vocalizer. She quickly grabbed the helmeted boys arms and pulled him off.

"Woah, kid! Ease up, I just got him back together, lets not risk him falling apart again, Okay."

The kid jerked in her grip and Val instantly let go, holding up her hands but he didn't do anything else, T-visor aimed at her with suspicion. Their attention was redirected to the Mandalorian she'd dubbed "Hulk", seeing as these people tended to not like giving out names and she could only handle calling one person Mando, as he struggled to sit up.

"Where is Beroya?" he demanded harshly.

Val took her coat off of his chest. Without thought, she dropped the winter gear over the boys shoulders, pulling it slightly over his front. He wasn't wearing very thick clothing. The young boy flinched a little at her touch, still wary, but the thick layer was too tempting and he started to put his arms through the sleeves, more at ease now that the adult was awake.

"He's trying to keep the mercs that put that hole in you from getting a second shot. We need to move, Hulk. Right now. Can you stand?"

"I can do more than stand, Aruetii."

Her lips lifted at the corners in a grim smile, "I'm sure you can, but lets start with getting you back on your feet. The bacta shot I gave you will kick in soon enough, but you've lost a lot of blood. Shiny can handle the thugs for now, we've got other things to worry about."

Val looked down to the boy and the big eared child, who both stood quietly nearby. Hulk let out a grunt that she assumed was some form of agreement. Gathering up her backpack, she slide her arms through the straps. By that time, the large male had managed to fully sit up, one hand clutching his side. Her head snapped around at the muffled sound of a possible explosion in the distance. The noise faded and she whipped back to the two children, looking over at the older male.

"Hey...I'm Val. Can you do something for me, kiddo?" He paused but nodded carefully. Val scooped up the child in her arms, "He's an Ad'ika too. I need to help the Big Guy and I need you to help him. Okay? You're bigger and faster, so if trouble comes, you take him and run back to the others. Got it?"

He accepted the child from Val after a few moments of hesitation, voice filled with determination, "I'll look after him. Cabur? Y-you...are you alright?"

"Do not falter, Ad'ika. Keep watch." The kid tilted his helm up and jerked his head firmly, moving to the door and looking out. Val moved to the males uninjured side and slung his arm over her shoulders. Exhaling, she let the energy run through her body, let it strengthen her and braced as the Hulk struggled to his feet. Despite the colossal weight that leaned on her as he fought to stay upright, Val didn't buckle, managing to remain standing with him as he stabilized. He looked down at her.

"You are...much stronger than you appear, Aruetii."

"Unfortunately, you are just as heavy as you appear, Hulk. Let's go."

Her grunted sarcasm seemed to amuse him but he looked over at the currais sitting on the floor, "My armor..."

"Is going to have to be picked up by Shiny, or you come back for it when you can walk without limping. I can't carry both."

While she could tell he wasn't happy with that choice, he relented and they started to move. The young boy darted ahead of them, staying within sight and pausing often, making sure they kept up. Val felt sweat bead on her forehead as she struggled to help support the massive man. He was walking more or less under his own power, but he regularly stumbled, forcing her to adjust her hold.

"Blood loss..." she thought to herself as he sagged against her for the fourth time. Bacta was great for healing wounds, but replenishing the life fluid still took time. The only upside was her danger sense had faded to a dull roar in the back of her mind. Whatever Mando was doing seemed to have taken off the heat for a while.

She hoped to hell he was alright though.

"Thank you," The boy spoke suddenly, looking over his shoulder while securing his hold on the child in his arms, "You've helped...are helping Cabur. So...thank you. I think you might be a friend. Even if you are Aruetii."

"Thanks...I think. One of you needs to tell me what that means before we're done here."

The Hulk slung over her shoulder let out a weak laugh, briefly reminding her of her partner before he stumbled again, almost knocking her over this time. The two fell against the crag wall, and his heavy pants filled her ears, body tensing in pain. Gritting her teeth and forcing more energy into her limbs, Val pulled the large man back upright, feeling her muscle strain in protest, and looked to the kid leading them.

"How much further, I can't hold him much longer."

"Almost there...just a bit more." the boy quickly replied, darting ahead and disappearing from sight. Rounding the bend the kid had vanished behind, Val looked around, not seeing the boy anywhere. As she opened her mouth to call out, the warrior beside her raised his free hand and pointed to the ground.

"There..." She squinted in the darkness, still not seeing what Hulk was trying to point to. It took the pair moving closer before she spotted it. A two meter long crack that ran parallel to the ground, extending into the wall. Val looked over at the man she supported,

"You're going to have to crawl through on your own."

"Worry about yourself, Aruetii."

He sounded stronger ever time he spoke. Val hoped that was a good sign. Leaving Hulk to waver on his own feet, she knelt down and looking into the crevice. It extended out a long way, but she was sure she could see a glimmer of light near the end. Ducking down, she started to crawl through on hands and knees. Behind her, she heard the large Mandalorian follow, soft, muffled grunts and groans hissing out occasionally as he dragged himself along. She paused a few times, glancing back to give him time to catch up. Fortunately, the belly crawling didn't last long. After about 10 feet, the roof over her expanding up as she wiggled out into a cave.

Standing up, she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the new lighting. There were a few glowstick set out on ledges around the cavern, which was a huge change compared to the nearly black crevice she'd just crawled through. Hearing the shuffle of Hulk behind her, Val spun and knelt back down. He made it though and she bent low again, offering her shoulder as a pivot point to get him back on his feet.

"Cabur!"

A new voice called out to them, one younger and female in tone. Val saw a tiny human girl dash towards them. She had curly brown hair and looked very thin, but her face lit up at the sight of the man on her shoulders. Then she spotted Val and her expression darkened. Behind her was a larger person wearing a red and black helmet, probably a teenage. Who held a very sharp looking vibroknife in his hands.

"Who the hell are you!?" the adolescent male snarled out and stepped in front of the female toddler, knife aimed outwards. The young boy was suddenly in between them, one hand held out towards the teen.

"It's okay! She's a friend!" The toddler, who couldn't be older than five standard years, looked up at the older male guarding her, hands braced on his thigh. The adolescent wavered for a moment before lowering the knife slightly. Val saw that his left arm was held in a makeshift sling over his chest.

"Kyr'tsad? This is true, she is to be trusted?" The teenage boy questioned, still tense and looking ready to slice her at any given moment.

"Yes...for now she is acceptable."

"So nice to feel welcomed. Where am I putting him?" Val grunted as Hulk sagged against her again. His strength was fading, he needed to rest. The younger Mandalorian quickly answered.

"This way, over here."

Val guided the Heavy with her. Near the back of the cave was a small hollow with blankets, one supply crate that looked empty and most importantly, a small portable heat generator. The difference in temperature as she settle the man against the wall was incredible compared to the fridge air outside the small enclave. She grabbed the nearest blanket and wrapped it around his torso. His skin was much paler than she liked. Sinking down to her knees, she swiped her hand over her forehead, panting slightly while resting her head against the wall.

The sounds of steps made her open her eyes, looking around to the small group that huddled in the area. The little girl was beside the adult, tears running down her cheeks while she sniffled loudly. The boy was with her, shrugging of her coat and wrapping the material around them both, enveloping her in a hug. The way he put his arms around the small girl made Val think they might be related, siblings maybe, but perhaps it was simply the actions of children trying to comfort each other in a frightening situation. The green skinned child was waddling around the alcove, exploring a few things but mostly staying close to the small generator. He looked unconcerned with the situation and didn't appear to be too affected by the cold, so Val let him wander. The teenager was standing two feet away from her, still holding his knife, though it was aimed at the ground now.

"Who are you?" he demanded bluntly.

Not currently in the mindset to deal with an untrusting, moody pre-adult, she didn't move from her position, simply looking up at the kid, "I've got a lot of names. Most people call me Val. What happened to your arm?"

"I'll ask the questions here!"

Now fully annoyed, Val stood up, "Listen kid! I'm so not in the mood to deal with this right now. My partner is currently risking his life to keep you and these kids alive. So knock off the tough guy act, I am not the one you need to be pissed at!"

"You should have more faith in Beroya. He can handle himself."

Turning to the deep voice behind her, Val responded honestly, "I have complete confidence in his skills, but seeing as those bastards got the drop on you, clearly we're not dealing with your run-of-the-mill thugs. He's outnumbered and unprepared, it's not unreasonable for me to be worried. I'm not a pilot, getting these kids out of here without him is going to be tough."

"A Mandalorian is never unprepared." He studied her through his helm for a few moments, "You are loyal, Aruetii. A trait not often found in these times. I can fly the foundlings to safety."

"Not in your current condition, you can't, and we might not have that kind of time. But I'll take that as a compliment." Huffing out a breath, she looked over the trio of children, taking note of the fact that the little girl looked emaciated. Pulling off her pack again, Val dug inside for the handful of ration bars she'd brought, moving over to her, "Here...eat up, little one."

Brown eyes widened at the sight of the foil bar and she grabbed one quickly. Val offered the boy and the hostile teen one, the latter of whom she felt mostly glared at her but took the bar without complaint. She saw the kid start to pull on his helmet and quickly snapped her eyes shut, slapping her palm over her lids just in case. A muffled, deep chested laugh hit her ears.

"Impressive. You honor us, Aruetii, but its is unnecessary. He is still too young to take the vows yet, he is exempted from our Creed. You may look."

She didn't move her hand, "And the stab-happy one?"

"I haven't stabbed you yet..." The teens voice still had a lot of bite to it, but he sounded a little pouty too. The electronic ring was present, indicating he still had his helmet on.

Peeling her hand away slowly, Val carefully opened one eye. The kid was devouring the ration bar, breaking off a few peices to give to the little girl beside him. She'd been right, he was human and judging from the facial features, the girl was defiantly his blood sister. Turning her head slightly, she saw the helmed teen. He fiddled with the ration bar, thinking for a while, before finally giving a slight nod to her.

"I am Jar-Tan. The girl is Kalei and her brother is Tavor. Thank you...for helping us. Friends are...difficult for us to find."

"They're difficult for anyone to find." Looking back while handing out another round of ration bars, of which the teen refused, motioning to the younger ones. Val shifted her attention to the adult Mandalorian, "How're you doing, Big Guy?"

"I will live, Aruetii...thanks to you. I owe you a debt."

"Pay it to Shiny, I'm only here cause of him." Which was mostly true, she didn't feel like trying to explain the whole reason for their presence on Carlac. She looked around at the group. They were in pretty sorry shape. Hungry, scared and lacking most weapons, not including Jar-Tan's blade. She furrowed her brow at the adult man,

"They didn't come here with you, did they? You're ship is still docked and that pod didn't come from a Lancer class. What happened? How'd you three end up here? And why the hell are there hunters after your heads?"

Kalei started crying again at her questions, burying her face in Tavor's chest. Val heard her mumbling something that sounded like "Buir", but she couldn't be sure. Her brother looked like he got kicked in the gut, his lower lip quivering a bit. Now feeling like a complete heel, she moved over to the two children,

"Hey...I'm sorry guys, I'm just trying to understand what's going on. Shhh...it's okay, don't cry." Val rubbed Kalei's back in an attempt to comfort her and looked to Jar-Tan and Hulk for an answer.

Jar-Tan was the one who responded, "Our Tribe has many enemies. One of which is the organization known at the Crimson Dawn. They're reign over parts of the galaxy is...beyond cruel. They take what they want, kill without cause and leave pain and suffering in their wake. Once, they took orders from the Empire, but now they simple ravage anything in their path. Kalei and Tavor...they are survivors from their atrocities, saved and raised by the Tribe."

At that, the softly sobbing girl spun and launched herself at Val, arms clenching around her neck. Without thought, she wrapped her in a tight embrace. Tavor moved closer too, perhaps needing the contact and security of an adult, and she pulled him into her chest as well. He didn't fight, but was clearly trying to be strong. Jar-Tan kept speaking,

"My mentor...their Father...w-we were travelling from a world the Crimson Dawn had been too, investigating their works. It was a simple recon mission, that's why the young ones were with us. But the hunters surprised us a week or so back, attacked and destroyed our ship, stranded us on this frozen shithole. Since then, we've been struggling...and now, they've found us once more."

"I was asked by their Alor to locate them, after they failed to return when expected. I tracked them here." Hulk rumbled from behind her, sounding tired. Val turned her head over her shoulder and shot him a soft glare.

"I got this, go to sleep. You'll recover faster."

He gave another low laugh, sounding very sleepy, and murmured lowly, almost unheard,"...if Beroya hasn't claimed you yet, Aruetii, I may do so myself..."

She rolled her eyes a little, but did feel a little flattered at the comment, "Assuming you survive."

Looking back to Jar-Tan, she motioned her eyes down to the two children in her arms. He shook his head and bowed his chin, muscles shaking slightly. Val exhaled through her nose. Well, that explained why there were no other adults with the kids and why Kalei and Tavor were so traumatized. Surviving a warzone of bloodthirsty mercenaries, only to end up stranded on an ice planet and watch your parent get killed. Val was amazed either of them were even capable of speaking.

Taking some time to comfort the kids, Val saw Jar-Tan move out of sight for a while. When he returned, the foil of the ration bar was crumpled in his hand. Shifting a bit, Val looked over at the large Mando. His chest moved in deep steady motions and his head was tilted towards her. Hopefully they could stay hidden long enough for the bacta to perform its miracle work, but she wasn't counting on it, given their luck so far. Moving Kalei away from her, who seemed calmer now, she encouraged the siblings to sit near the resting adult Mandalorian, wrapping them both in the only other blanket, before standing up and moving to Jar-Tan, who still remained standing guard.

"Let's see your arm. I'm out of bacta, but I might be able to do something."

He shook his helm, "It was dislocated in the crash. Kyr'tsad put it back in place when he arrive, it's just taking a while for the mobility to return. But thank you."

Val looked over the dim cave and back to the sleeping Mandalorian and two children huddling in his shadow with a sigh, "Don't thank me till this is over. Make sure you're ready to move with the little ones. If I give the word, we're leaving, with or without the Big Guy, no questions or arguments. Got it?"

Jar-Tan hesitated, clearly not wanting to agree to leave one of his people behind, but nodded back nonetheless, head tilted in determination. She looked to the crevice they'd come through and hoped to the Maker they'd all make it out of this in one piece.

Aruetii: Traitor, foreigner, outsider

Vod: Brother, comrade, mate

Gar shuk meh kyrayc: You're no use dead. (You're no use to me dead.) Said to encourage someone to take a rest. Rarely literal.

Beroya: Bounty Hunter

Kyr'tsad: Death Watch

Resol'nare: Six Actions, the tenets of Mando life

Ad'ika: Little one, son, daughter,

Cabur: Guardian, protector

Nayc: No (negative answer)

Dirycir: Lower, put down

Buir: Mother, father, parent

Alor: Leader, chief, chancellor

So that's where I'll end it. Next chapter will have a lot of action. Thanks again everyone and I'll more onto shout outs.

Love. Fiction. 2020: Always a pleasure to see your reviews Love. Thanks so much for sticking with me

morehappythannot: I'm so happy your liking the work Happy! I am writing up the chapters to be quite episodic, just like the series, so I'm glad things are flowing well.

HeavenlyCondemned: Well, the kids are fairly okay, all things considered...but we'll have to see if that holds true in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

zenrobbins0021: Ahhh, thanks Robbin. So happy your liking the story.

Guest: Hope you like the newest chapter. Thanks again for leaving such kind words.

AlyssaMichelle07: Hope you catch up soon. Feel free to leave some more reviews.

jishmccombs: Thanks so much Jish. I'm so glad you're enjoying my writing.

Annie Manasco: Feel free to point out any spelling issues, I do strive to try and make sure everything is spelt right, but things get missed and I don't have a Beta reader for this story. May the Force be with you as well.