As the girl ate her meal Canderous sat back and tried to re-organize his thoughts. It was clear that the girl, and it was hard to think of her as anything else even knowing her true age, would have a hard time fitting in anywhere. She looked too soft for the underground, too alien for the people of Taris, and was too foreign for the Dar'jetiise forces. He could hear it in the way she spoke Mando'a, the ever so faint hint of whatever accent she'd had before learning their language.
"I can hear you thinking from here." Looking over at her he was again struck by the vibrant color of her eyes, compared to her skin it was almost like they were glowing. "What's on your mind?" Shifting in his chair he leaned forward, putting his arm on the table.
"It's going to be hard to fit you in somewhere." He admitted easily enough.
"Even with my beskar'gam? It's not that common." He let out a sigh.
"It's not that simple verd'ika. If you had a buy'ce it would work but I didn't see one with you." The girl frowned. "No one down here is going to believe you're a hardened killer for hire." She snorted, her features smoothing out in amusement.
"They don't have to. I'm a medic, so lets not lie about it. I can prove my medical knowledge easily and underground crime rings are always looking for reliable medical care for cheap. But I'm also a Mando'ad and I can fight. I have the skills." He chuckled. She certainly sounded like she knew where her strengths lay.
"Alright, I'll talk to Davik. Tell him you've offered your services as a medic and a mercenary for hire. Do you want to go under a fake name?" The girl stilled, her expression wavering between guilt and apprehension. "Verd'ika?" She shook her head as if to clear it and looked back at him.
"Stella is fine. No one will recognize it here." He sat back, just observing her for a moment. There was a distant and sad look in her eyes that he recognized from his own experience. Grief.
"Alright, Stella. Once you're feeling up to it we can go." A small smile crossed her face and the sadness vanished, hidden once more.
"I'll be fine once I've finished eating. I've been healing myself with the force since I woke up." He let out a startled chuckle.
"Didn't realize you could do that." Her smile turned mischievous.
"My jetii training has to be good for something other than swinging around jetii'kade." She said with a shrug as she finished up the last of her meal.
Getting out of bed she grabbed her armor and slipped it on as if she had never worn anything else in her life. Deft fingers dancing over the clasps and hidden straps until she was fully kitted out once more. She moved so fast and with such surety that he almost missed it when she slipped her lightsabers back into their hiding place in her bracers. Looking down at herself to make suer everything was secure she jumped in place twice and nodded when nothing fell off or shifted awkwardly. It was something the young ones were taught to do to ensure that their kit was secure. After a few more years she'd be confident enough in her habits that she wouldn't need to test it anymore.
Getting up from his chair he slipped his blasters into their holsters and raised a brow when he saw a disgruntled look on her face. "What's wrong verd'ika?" She startled slightly.
"Oh, I was just lamenting the fact that I won't be getting the rest of my armor any time soon." She fiddled with the small medical kit on her belt, as if to distract herself. "I was going to get more when we got back from the most recent job… that won't be happening now." Canderous frowned. It sounded like she thought she wouldn't be getting home at all.
"Once we get off this piss-poor excuse for a planet we'll see about getting you home, I swear. Don't worry too much about it for now." He wasn't about to abandon some kid who'd only recently passed their verd'goten. Seventeen or not she looked fucking twelve. Especially when standing next to him. Stars she was tiny!
"Thank you." It was spoken quietly but with an intensity he could feel.
"There's no debt between allies, verd'ika. Now let's go be seen." She snickered at the agitation in his voice and he let it slide. It was better than the far off look she'd had earlier.
Leaving his quarters with the girl at his side, taking two steps for every one of his yet keeping up with his long stride easily enough, he spotted some of Davik's thugs hanging around. They started and made themselves scarce when they realized he'd noticed them. Cowards.
"I assume no one else speaks our language." She said cheerfully.
"As far as I know. We're the only Mando'ade at the very least. We might have to come up with some creative ideas to fool the boss though." She smiled at him as if they were having a perfectly normal conversation and not planning to turn on a crime boss.
"Well, at least we'll be able to talk about our plans without anyone knowing. It's easier than hand-signs, and far less conspicuous." He grunted in agreement as they walked through the halls of Davik's compound.
He looked at the time. "Davik will be busy for a while yet. We might as well head to the cantina. It's a good place to get noticed." She snorted in amusement.
"Trust me, I'm hard to miss." She replied dryly.
He didn't really understand what she meant until they entered the cantina, where the lights were set low. She lit up like a low powered glow rod. "Really?" He asked. She let out a laugh, attracting even more attention from the patrons.
"Why do you think I want the rest of my beskar'gam? There's no way I could sneak anywhere like this. Even with the force." She shook her head and looked over at the bar. "What's the legal drinking age here?"
"We're in the Lower City, there won't be one. But they shouldn't give you any trouble anyway, come on." They walked up to the bar and he ordered himself some ale. The girl ordered some fruity concoction with a high percentage of alcohol. He raised a brow at her, more amused than anything. She just grinned at him and took her drink.
"I'm going to scout things out. See what I can pick up from people around here." Watching her go he leaned against the wall, drinking his ale and watching the scum scurry about trying not to catch his attention. It was maybe fifteen minutes later when he felt that itch that always preceded trouble. Across the room the verd'ika was glaring daggers at Calo Nord, drink in one hand and the other hanging dangerously close to a blaster. Whatever he said was enough to make the girl stiffen in offense and lean away from the little creep. Her eyes flicked toward him and he knew it was a sign for help.
Pushing off the wall he strode across the cantina, ignoring patrons who moved out of his way in a hurry.
"…just curious. Don't see someone like you around every day." The leer on his face had Canderous instantly on guard. Coming up behind the verd'ika he saw her visibly relax. Even without looking back she'd probably sensed him with her jetii magic.
"Trouble, verd'ika?" The girl turned to look up at him.
"I don't know who this guy is but he's a total bastard." She said honestly. Nord frowned, looking between the two of them.
"So, she's one of your people. I assume that makes her good with blasters then?" Canderous watched the girl bristle at the suggestive tone and felt his own ire rise.
"You're out of line, Nord." The bounty hunter scoffed.
"She must like things rough if she's with you." He said loudly, a little too loudly. The grin on Nord's face as the other patrons looked between them, scrutinizing him, was enough to understand what the little shit was trying to do. Even in the underground having a child as a romantic partner wasn't looked on favorably. Sure, no one would say anything about it due to his reputation, but it would also cause problems later. Nord obviously had no qualms about it though judging by his interactions with the girl so far.
He said the first thing that came to mind that would make sense.
"She's my daughter, Nord!" He growled. Thankfully the girl didn't even flinch, just continued to stare down the bounty hunter.
"You're kidding yourself if you think anyone is going to buy that. She looks nothing like you." The verd'ika snorted and knocked back the last of her alcohol before slamming the glass down on the nearby table.
"I'm sorry that you forgot adoption exists, outsider. Now why don't you go hit on someone in your own league?" She sassed. Turning to look back at him she smiled. "Guess I'm going to be calling you buir from now on." He chuckled.
"Just until we leave. No regrets, verd'ika. As for the bounty hunter, be careful of him. He's a crazy little bastard. Dangerous." She nodded.
"You know I'm not someone who likes being ignored." Came the almost bored voice of the bounty hunter. The girl stilled and he felt his skin prickle with a sense of coming violence.
"Well it's a good thing that you're very hard to ignore." Instead of making the bounty hunter angry it just seemed to amuse him. Canderous couldn't see his eyes behind the goggles but he could see the smug smirk crossing his face.
"Got a name, sweetheart?" Canderous may not have been a father before but he was feeling the very real parental urge to throw the little shit out a window.
"Stella. Or Medic Ordo if you want to be formal." From her tone of voice it was clear which one she'd prefer the little creep to use.
"Calo Nord, best bounty hunter in the Outer Rim." It wasn't even a lie. The little bastard was notorious.
"I'll keep that in mind. But I doubt I'll need a bounty hunter any time soon." Came the verd'ika's curt reply.
The atmosphere could be cut by a knife as the girl glowered at Nord and the bounty hunter smirked back. Most of the patrons had decided it was best to mind their own business and not be caught up in whatever this was but some of them were keeping an eye on the situation.
A message came to his comm. "Davik's back, wants to see us." A similar ping could he heard from Nord and Canderous wanted to sigh. "I'll fill you in on what you need to know while we walk."
"Yes buir." His mind stalled slightly but it was only for a moment. "He's going to follow us, isn't he?" True enough Nord was right on their heels as they left the cantina. He grit his teeth. They would only have to deal with him for a little longer before they were off Taris. Best to ignore him for the time being and focus on explaining things to the verd'ika.
"My riduur and I are estranged. After the war I went into exile. You would have been six or seven when I left." The girl nodded, looking sombre.
"I can work with that." She agreed readily. Her eyes flicked to the left for a moment as Nord came up beside her. The bounty hunter didn't say anything but it was obvious he was keeping an eye on them. He kept pace all the way up to Davik's meeting room, where the crime boss was waiting to interrogate them.
"Canderous. Heard you returned with someone and hadn't left your quarters. That's highly unusual for you. Who's this?" The crime boss looked the girl over with a critical eye.
"Stella Ordo, my daughter." The man's brows rose in surprise before narrowing in suspicion.
"Didn't know you had kids." There was a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"I left that life behind me. She came looking for me on her own." Davik frowned before turning to the girl.
"Is that right?" Stepping forward, eyes almost glowing, she nodded.
"That's right, sir. Buir- my father left when I was young, after the war. My mother never spoke of him much after that but I knew some of the old soldiers and they told me stories about him. After I came of age she couldn't stop me from searching for him anymore." Canderous felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Even if the story wasn't true it still hit a little close to home.
"Hm, I take it you'll want to stay? Well I'm not exactly running a charity here." The boss said evenly. "And I don't employ children." The girl stood straighter, trying to look bigger than she was. Unfortunately it only highlighted how small she really was.
"I know what I look like, but I'm seventeen. I'm also a Mando'ad and a trained battlefield medic. Put me to the test and I can prove my use to you." That got the man's attention.
"Well, I suppose with the blockade you don't really have anywhere to go, do you?" He took a moment to think about it. "Alright. I was going to send Canderous out on a salvage run to the Undercity. I'll add you to the team." Canderous tensed.
"The Undercity is filled with Rakghouls and you want me to take my daughter with me?" He knew she was a jetii, had seen her hide her lightsabers earlier, yet the idea of this small girl up against a horde of mutated plague carriers sent a chill down his spine.
"If she's your daughter I see no reason why she can't handle it. She wants an in with the Exchange? She can prove she's capable." The girl smiled confidently.
"I won't let you down." Davik nodded, looking pleased.
"Excellent. I'll let Canderous pick whoever else he wants to take with him. Calo, I have a job for you." With Davik's attention elsewhere he motioned for the girl to follow him out. They walked in silence for a moment.
"Would this be a bad time to mention I have no idea what Rakghouls are?" He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his graying hair.
"No. It makes sense you wouldn't know if you're new to Taris. Rakghouls are plague carriers. Mindless mutated creatures. The plague is incurable and it only takes a bite or a scratch." He glanced at her armor. "As long as you don't get too close you'll be fine." The girl let out a small hum of acknowledgment, deep in thought.
"What are the properties of the virus?"
"Mutation, for one. Violent bouts of uncontrollable anger and loss of sentience for another. It works fast too, six hours at the least." Her brows came together in concentration.
"Then I should be able to combat the disease with the force if it comes down to it. I'm not sure how much help I would be to anyone already mutated but I could stop the disease in its tracks and purge it from the body."
"Is that something you learned from your life before swearing to the Resol'nare?" She smiled up at him.
"I'm a trained force healer. My jeti'buir took me to many battlefields and plague ridden worlds searching for enemy force users who were using their abilities to abuse innocents." There was a confident glint in her eyes as she looked up at him. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm small." Laughing he punched in his code for the armory and led her inside.
"Feel free to stock up, verd'ika. We're going to need a lot of firepower." She eyed the weapon racks for a moment before wandering over to look at the smaller rifles. He left her to it as he commed some of the more competent thugs Davik had employed.
If she was right and she could actually do what she said she could then the danger of infection was less dire. But that didn't stop the Rakghouls from being dangerous creatures who could rend flesh with teeth and claws. He would need some heavy hitters if they were going to venture down into that hellhole.
[Stella]
It was hard to swallow- the fact that she was no longer where she belonged. The force itself felt tumultuous, even as it wrapped her in its warm embrace like always. She could feel the touch of darkness that seemed to cling to everything around her and it made her shudder in disgust. Glancing over her shoulder at Canderous she felt reassured by his bright presence. Like most Mando'ade he was loud to her senses. Stalwart and controlled, honorable and steady, but there was also a sense of loss and contemplation around him. Yet, surprisingly, she sensed no hostility. Even after he learned she used to be a Jedi he had only seemed curious more than anything. Curious with a hint of respect.
If she really was in the time of Revan then the Mandalorians had been defeated in the recent war. Considering his age and mentions of the war Canderous had to have fought in at least a few of the battles. Unfortunately the classes on this time period were quite vague about a lot of the small details. They'd gone over a few of the major galactic scale conflicts but it had been a handful of sentences at best. She knew there had been advanced history courses but seeing as she had put all of her focus on being a healer they hadn't been relevant to her training.
Focusing back on her task of switching out her weaponry she ran her hands over a couple of the rifles before deciding against them. They were a little large and unwieldy for her size. It was obvious most of the weapons were made with larger species in mind and while she wasn't tiny she was most certainly not a particularly large near-human. Turning away she stopped when she spied a couple of smaller weapons. Picking up the carbine she gave it a quick once over before deciding to take it with her.
"Buir?" There was a small spike in the man's emotions, something pleasantly warm and unguarded. She had surprised him and from what she could see his reaction wasn't a negative one. That was good at least. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable, even if it was to keep up appearances.
"Yes verd'ika?" Grabbing a couple of ammo cartridges he set them in one of the pouches on his belt.
"My blasters are all custom made." She lied, trying to sound casual about it. "I don't think any of the ammo here is going to work in them." The man let out a small huff of amusement.
"That's the trouble with custom weapons, verd'ika. But don't worry about it for now. We can stash your blasters in my locker for now. Grab whatever you like." Relieved she looked over the wall of blaster pistols.
As she was checking the grip on one of them the doors to the armory opened and a group of men came inside. They felt apprehensive and a little harried but weren't giving off any hostilities so she turned back to her task.
"You all know the drill. We're heading down into the Undercity. Gear up." She could almost count on one hand the seconds between the surprised curiosity and one of the men speaking up.
"Who's the kid?" Rude, but not an uncommon reaction. She decided to let Canderous handle it as she swapped the pistol in her hand for one with a smaller handle. Ah, perfect!
"Stella, my daughter." The complete silence that followed the statement made her giggle out loud, even though she'd been trying not to.
"Also not a kid." She said, spinning the two blasters in her hands as she turned to look at them. Slipping the blasters into the holsters hanging from her hips she smirked at them. "I'm a medic. Let me know the moment you're wounded and you might survive this." It was a bit harsh of her to say but she'd been around stubborn Mandalorian warriors for long enough to know that a firm had was needed to keep pointless deaths to a minimum. Especially in a scattered group like this one.
Some of them looked to Canderous for an explanation but the man ignored them, looking over his own heavy blaster instead. Although he didn't let anything show on his face she could see the color of his amusement in the force and felt pleased to have caused it.
She watched them gather up their armor and frowned when she realized that Canderous didn't have any. In fact she hadn't seen even a hint of armor. Even in his quarters the only armor there had been her own.
"Buir… where's your beskar'gam?" The man's grip tightened on his blaster and Davik's men looked between them in concern.
"Gone, verd'ika. When we lost the war we were stripped of our arms and armor before being exiled." Her chest tightened with the feeling of wrongness and loss.
"I understand." The loss of one's armor was a huge blow to the pride of a Mandalorian. It wouldn't be strange for him to refuse any armor but his own until his original beskar'gam could be hunted down.
"Alright men, look sharp and keep your wits about you." Taking a deep breath she centered herself as best she could for the coming fight. There was no way to truly prepare for the creatures that Canderous had described to her, the poor plague ridden beings who were no more than mindless beasts now.
Stepping into the elevator with the rest of the mission team she put her trust in the force and swore that she and Canderous would make it back alive, even if no one else did.
Mando'a;
Dar'jetiise- Sith
Buy'ce- Helmet
Beskar'gam- Mandalorian armor
Verd'goten- The traditional rite of passage in Mandalorian culture in which a Mandalorian youth was accepted as an adult.
Verd'ika- Little Warrior/Young Warrior, also the rank of Private.
Buir- Parent
Riduur- Spouse
Resol'nare- The Six Actions, the tenets of Mandalorian culture.
Jeti'buir- Jedi Master