After sending off the grunts to drop off the scrap Stella followed behind Canderous as they reported back to Davik in his office. The man was suitably impressed with her performance once they were finished speaking and turned to her thoughtfully.
"I must admit I am pleasantly surprised to see you back so soon. But you did good work down there. You said you were a medic?" He asked, giving her his full attention.
"Yes, sir. I can't do the work of a surgeon but I can patch up someone under fire well enough." She said with a polite smile that was just friendly enough to seem welcoming but not enough to be inviting.
She did not want this man's attention or suspicion.
"I see… Well I'm sure there will be plenty of work for you here. There's always space for more competent… personnel, especially another Mandalorian. I'll grant you access to the medical wing and set you up with a comm unit." His attention shifted towards Canderous. "I'll put her in the room across from yours. She's your responsibility from now on. If she causes trouble it'll be on you."
"There's no need to worry about that, she's a good kid." The lie came easily to Canderous and Stella kept herself carefully still.
"I'm sure she is. But you can never give too many warnings." The crime boss said with a sharp grin.
"Understood." Canderous' voice was calm but she could feel how the subtle threat made him tense, waiting for some kind of trick. "If we're done here I'll show her where to put her kit."
"Of course. You're probably tired from all the fighting." With permission given they turned to leave. "Oh, before I forget." She stopped when Canderous did, looking back at the man as he continued to speak. "The big Swoop Race is tomorrow. I've heard the Black Vulkars have put up quite the prize, but the Hidden Beks have a new rider. It should be quite a show."
Stella glanced over at Canderous but there wasn't much to go on. The man seemed completely uninterested.
"It should be entertaining to watch, at least. Maybe I'll place a couple of bets." He said with a shrug.
Davik laughed and let them go.
"I don't like him." She said quietly as they walked toward her new quarters. "He's slimy."
"He's a crime boss, verd'ika. He's made of greed, envy, and a lack of honesty."
"He's still gross." The man laughed at her response and she grinned up at him.
They stopped in front of a door in the hallway she vaguely remembered from earlier. "This room is yours. You can set the code to whatever you like but Davik and his security team have overrides. So watch yourself." She nodded in understanding. "We should both get some sleep, you look exhausted." There was mild concern in his eyes as he looked her over and she blinked at him in surprise. Not many could actually tell when she was tired. Unlike humans she didn't get bags under her eyes and her skin certainly couldn't get any paler.
Canderous seemed to notice her confusion and crossed his arms. "Your eyes aren't as bright as before. If I hadn't spent the entire day with you I'd think you'd taken something." Which from his tone of voice he clearly disapproved of.
"I used the force a bit too much healing that soldier. There's something off about that virus, something dark." She shook her head in disgust.
"Hm. Go to sleep, verd'ika. We'll start planning in the morning."
She chuckled. "Yes buir." Even if they were only pretending, it still felt nice to say.
The man's eyes went slightly wider before he let out an amused huff and turned around to enter his own room.
Stella was left alone to her new quarters and quickly put in a code for the door.
"Staying close to dear old dad, huh?" She froze as a familiar presence sauntered down the hall toward her. Canderous had forgotten to mention that Nord was also housed in the same hall.
"It's were the boss put me, I have no complaints." She grit her teeth as he got closer. Even with the goggles covering his eyes she could feel how they bore into her.
"Well when you get tired of hanging around the old man, you let me know. I can show you a good time." The leer he sent her way made her cheeks flush pink with anger.
"Yeah, let me just get back to you on that later." As she opened the door and stepped inside she felt his attention sharpen on her back.
"You know, for a Mandalorian you have a pretty interesting accent." Thankfully the door closed behind her, cutting off whatever else he had to say.
Stella stood there for a long moment, trying to get her heart to stop beating madly in her chest. Even after a year of being away she still had the Coruscanti accent that many Jedi shared. She would have to be careful not to give herself away too much and lean into Mando'a a little more just to be safe.
Looking around the room she found it to be a mirror for Canderous' own and forced herself to relax as she wandered over to the fresher.
Taking off her armor she slipped out of her underthings and threw them in the speed washer before having a quick shower, grateful that they had access to actual water. Coming out of the shower she looked at herself in the small mirror and grimaced at the dark bruises down her left arm and leg. She must have fallen and landed on something unpleasant to have that amount of bruising and yet… she couldn't remember how or when or even why.
With a sigh she wrapped the towel around herself and sat on the edge of the bed. With practiced ease she ran her fingers through her silken hair to untangle any knots before she tied it in a loose braid for the night.
Once her underthings were finished in the speed washer she dried off the rest of the way, dressed, and turned to her armor.
Stars did it smell horrible.
She took her time going over every piece of her kit, checking to ensure that everything was in working order. Thankfully most of her gear was fine with the exception of the emergency comm. Not that it would do her any good anyway, not this far in the past. No one she knew had been born yet, and would not be for a very long time. Even the design of the comm seemed to be incompatible with the technology of the time, which seemed oddly more advanced in some ways than her own time.
Sitting on the bed with her legs crossed in front of her she let herself sink into the deep river of the force once again.
Unlike the first time, where she only prodded at the cosmos to corroborate Canderous' claims, she allowed herself to fall deeper and deeper; her mind going farther and farther. Leaving her body behind to heal in a trance she made certain that she would come out of it after a couple hours or so before she turned her mind outward once again.
The universe was vastly different to her minds eye. The ebb and flow of the force more turbulent, with dark eddies fighting against the natural current and causing oily whirlpools that she carefully avoided for fear of being dragged in. Like this, she could sense the presence of the Sith on the planet, their negative emotions an abrasive beacon of inky void in the otherwise calm night sky.
Quietly she contemplated how she had traveled through time, and what if anything could be done about it. Grief and distress warred in her chest but she knew she couldn't give in to those emotions just yet. It wasn't safe. So she carefully sifted her mind, mental fingers shifting through sand, until she was able to find those sharp crystallized emotions and tuck them away safely so she could address them properly later.
But it was only a temporary measure, she knew. She would have to confront them the moment she had a moment of quiet safety to do so. If she let them be they would slowly start to grow, slowly turning everything they touched into sharp spines of cold stone.
She never wanted to become someone like that. Someone whose spirit had become so rigid that it shattered under its own weight.
Coming back to herself she checked the time and sighed. She had been in meditation for just over four hours. She had perhaps four and a half more before she had to wake.
Looking at her bruises she was pleased to find the only trace of them left were faint yellow patches where the bruises had been deepest. With a satisfied smile she turned out the light and settled in for the night.
They had a lot of planning to do in the morning.
Jolting out of her sleep when a knock came at her door she grumbled as she hopped out of bed. Grabbing her kute on the way she slipped into the dark purple, nearly black, undersuit before finally opening the door. "What?" She barked, brows drawn together as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Canderous gave her an amused look. "Can I come in verd'ika?"
With a huff she waved her hand in his general direction and padded grumpily over to her bed.
"Not a morning person, are you?" He laughed as he came inside, letting the door close behind him.
"My native planet has no sun, my birth people don't even know what 'morning' is." She retorted as she plonked down on the edge of the bed and pulled out her boots.
"Well that narrows it down." He mumbled.
"You won't find them." She said with a sigh as she checked that her lightsabers were carefully hidden in her bracers. "My birth people, I mean. They live on a planetoid in wild space and only the Jetiise know the location. It was an accident that they even found my people at all." She looked over at him, expression serious. "If they hadn't found me that day, I wouldn't be alive right now."
The man stiffened, expression darkening. "What do you mean?"
She shook her head, knowing that the story of her Finding would only anger him. Mando'ade had a strong aversion to hurting children. At least… the Mando'ade of her own time. She wasn't so certain about the ones of this era. She knew from her history lessons that they had razed entire worlds in their quest to conquer. "It's nothing you need to worry about, it's an old tale. One that doesn't need to be brought up right now." Turning away from him she busied herself with her armor. "I'd rather talk about our plans."
"…alright verd'ika." She could tell by his tone of voice that he wouldn't be forgetting her words and she bit back a sigh. "I already have most of the plan worked out. I just need someone strong enough and desperate enough to run a mission for me. I'm too conspicuous."
"It's something from Upper Taris, isn't it? " He looked at her, eyes narrowed slightly but presence surprised. She rolled her eyes. "You mentioned that the Tariise are all xenophobic, and when you realized that my skin is bioluminescent you were disappointed." He snorted in amusement.
"You're just as conspicuous as I am, verd'ika, just in an entirely different way. If you go up there everyone is going to notice you."
"If I had a cloak and a visor I could hide my appearance. But that would attract the attention of the Sith, wouldn't it?" She sighed as she undid her loose braid and began to re-braid it so she could pin it to her head, safely out of the way. "If I went up there without armor and something covering up the color of my eyes do you think I could pass for an albino human?"
The man frowned, scrutinizing her. "Possibly. Why?"
"I want to scout things out up there." She admitted easily. "There could be something we're missing, something that the Force can help me to find." She wasn't particularly in tune with the Unifying Force, but the Living Force often provided what was needed in a given moment, rather than preparing for the future. If there was something that would help their plans at the moment she didn't want to pass up the opportunity to find it.
"I don't really like that idea, verd'ika. The Sith base is in this very spire, you could get captured or worse." She knew he was only saying it to be cautious, to test her resolve. She could already see the gears working behind his eyes as he thought about it.
She waited.
"We'll need to get you some contacts and a disguise. Near-human or not, beskar'gam attracts attention."
She grinned in triumph.
"But I want you to be careful. Take a couple of holdout weapons and leave your jetii'kade with me." He said in a tone that brooked no argument.
She gave him a disgruntled look but in the end she nodded, bowing to his experience. "They won't like it." She knew that Guardian and Haven would complain when she left them behind, and would probably chide her when she returned.
"Who?" She could sense Canderous' confusion and gave him a cheeky grin.
"My jetii'kade. The crystals inside are close to sentient, they have feelings." The man watched her, his brows kissing his hairline in disbelief.
"I do not have time to unpack that right now, verd'ika. You can explain later." Or if his aura was to be believed- preferably never.
She couldn't help snickering a little at his discomfort and was rewarded with a look of annoyance.
"It's only perceptible to force users." She assured him. "They can't read your mind or control your thoughts. At most you might feel a little uncomfortable holding them, like a grip that's not quite right." She hoped the explanation would help ease his mind a little. "They bond with us, the crystals, losing one is like losing a family member." Flicking her wrists she released the weapons from their hidden compartments and caught them easily in her hands. "They are an extension of our souls. Like beskar'gam is for Mando'ade."
Canderous stilled and a feeling of regret came over him before it was buried in other emotions.
"We can talk more about it later. We need to find you something to wear." She slipped the hilts back into place and heard the soft click.
"Later then." She agreed.
Canderous waited for her to finish putting on her armor and they left her quarters together.
She was relieved when they did not see Nord.
"So, where do we even get a disguise?"
"I know a place." He grinned, the air around him filled with amusement.
"…I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" He just laughed at her and patted her reassuringly on the back.
It ended up being an apartment not too far from Davik's compound. Inside was a tall orchid skinned togruta female with pale orange markings down their montrals. They took one look at her and Canderous, looked down either side of the hall, and motioned them inside.
"Joralee? Is someone there?" From the other side of the room a midnight blue female twi'lek stood from the vanity table, pale lilac eyes lined with silvery powder. She was wearing a long flowing robe that seemed to shimmer as she moved.
"Aola, it is Canderous. He has brought us a guest." The togruta said calmly, even as the air around them grew wary.
"Canderous, it has been some time since I have seen you. You no longer come to the Silver Moon." The woman was saying as she crossed the apartment.
"Been busy, Aola." The man next to her said with a shrug. He looked between the woman and her for a moment before deciding to just get it over with. "This is Stella Ordo, my daughter."
"Your what?" The togruta, Joralee, asked in stunned surprise.
"My daughter." He repeated evenly. "She came to find me. Got here just before the Sith Blockade." The two who owned the apartment looked at one another for a moment.
"I… didn't know you had a family." Aola looked between them for a moment before she began to smile. "Well then, what can I help you with? You obviously didn't come here for a social visit."
"She wants to go visit the upper floors." Canderous said with a small frown. "She's a bit too independent for me to stop her," the two women snickered, "so I hoped you might make her look a little less… noticeable."
The women eyed her for a moment before Aola smiled and held out a hand. "Come, my dear, let us see what we two entertainers can do for you."
Stella took her hand with a bright smile. "Thank you. I appreciate the help." The woman startled slightly before laughing in delight.
"You speak Ryl? That is rare." Stella let herself be led over to the vanity and be pushed into the chair.
"I speak a lot of languages, I find it useful. Although I am sorry I cannot speak to you properly, with all the proper subtext involved." The woman hummed in response as she began pulling out pots of paint.
"Are you allergic to any cosmetics? Any problems with contacts?" Stella shook her head at the questions. Even if she had a mild allergy to the paint she could heal herself if needed.
The woman quickly set to work, asking her to close her eyes, and Stella let the woman work. The cosmetic that was brushed over her skin felt heavy, uncomfortable. "What is this?" She asked, curious.
"It is colored powder. The color will last for about one solar cycle unless you wash it off with special soap. I will give you a small bottle of the soap for later." The woman promised as her hands moved gracefully across Stella's skin. "What do you want done with your hair? I must admit that I am less skilled with hair than I am with skin."
"I can do my own hair, don't worry about it." The woman hummed in response and moved on to Stella's hands.
"You will need to remove your armor so I may color more of your skin. You would not want it to peek out from your clothes and give you away." Grumbling she quickly slipped off her gloves, bracers, chest, and back pieces before slipping out of the top part of her flight suit. She didn't particularly mind her body being seen, she had a breast-band on after all so she was not indecent.
That heavy brushing sensation crossed her shoulders, her neck, and down her chest to the top of her breasts. Then Aola covered her hands and continued halfway up her arms. "That should be good for now. You will need to wait a moment for it to set, then the real work can begin."
Stella nodded carefully and sat in the chair, counting her breaths. Somewhere behind her she could sense Canderous sitting next to the togruta, it seemed they were playing some sort of card game.
"Is he really your father?" She heard Aola ask quietly beside her ear. "You are not… in any trouble, are you?"
Stella let out a small laugh. "Yes, he is my father and no, I am not in trouble." In a manner of speaking Canderous was her current guardian, which meant that for all intents and purposes he was her parent. It wasn't quite a lie, even if she still felt a little guilty about it.
"If you say so, I will believe you. But if you need somewhere to stay, you come to us." Stella smiled.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." The woman gently pat her arm where there was no cosmetic before rummaging around the vanity.
It didn't take long for whatever was on her skin to fully set. "Now I just need to add the last few touch-ups to make it look more natural. Eyes closed please." Closing her eyes she felt the woman fall into an almost concentrated meditation, her hands steady as the cosmetics brush danced across Stella's skin once again.
"All done, dear. Now we just need to put in the contacts and you're good to go." Opening her eyes she turned to look at herself in the mirror but was stopped by Aola. "Which color were you thinking of?" Looking down into the small case she forced herself not to nibble on her bottom lip and undo all the woman's hard work.
"Blue." That way if they slipped a little the natural purple of her eyes wouldn't be as noticeable.
Aola seemed to understand and found a shade of blue that was vibrant without looking unnatural for a baseline human. She helped Stella put them in and gave her a case for later. "Come, I'll show you the fresher. Joralee should have grabbed you some clothes by now."
As if on cue the togruta came forward with a set of folded fabric. "Get changed, let me know if they don't fit."
Nodding she took the folded clothes and was practically pushed into the bathroom. With a small huff of amusement she slipped out of her kute and changed into the simple tunic and trousers that had been provided. After slipping her boots back on she folded the two halves of the tunic over one another before wrapping her waist with the sash and tying it to keep everything in place.
It was oddly… nostalgic. To wear something akin to jedi robes once again.
Finally finished her preparations she took a deep breath to steady her nerves and finally turned towards the mirror.
Looking at herself she almost felt the urge to flinch away from her own reflection. Her entire life she had been teasingly referred to as a ghost, her skin the same alabaster as the stone statues featured in some of the temple halls. But now…
Now she looked human.
Her skin had the healthy look of a being who was born under a sun, with a faint peachy glow.
Hesitantly she reached over to the light switch and flicked it off. She let out a sigh of relief as her natural bio-luminescence shone through the cosmetics, though it was not as strong. Slipping her sleeves up her arms she heaved a sigh of relief when her tattoos also remained visible, which she was grateful for. The swirling designs starting at her shoulders and winding down her arms her a part of who she was, a reminder that she was someone who was loved and had a family once.
Even if that family had never wanted her in the first place.
"Little one? Are you alright in there?" Quickly she turned the light back on and slid her sleeves down.
"I'm fine. I'll be out in a second." She called back through the door.
After a moment she felt Aola's presence recede and she let out a small sigh. Time to get back to it.
When Canderous saw her he gave her a quick once over before grinning. "I'd say no one is going to look at you twice, verd'ika, but I'd be lying."
She let out a small laugh at his attempt to cheer her up. "You know, if I'm going undercover anyway I could probably find a way to get those codes." She said over her shoulder in Mando'a as Aola pushed her back into the chair to fuss over her accessories.
His expression turned stern. "No. You said yourself that you're not good at hiding what you are. I don't want you anywhere near the Dar'jetiise. If anyone catches sight of you then there's no way we'd be able to get to the ship." He looked her dead in the eyes when she turned to look at him. "Tell me honestly that you could take out an entire Dar'jetiise base with your kad'e and I'll let you go."
She stared him in the eyes for a moment before deflating. "No, I probably couldn't even get close to a true Dar'jetii. The darkness clinging to them makes me sick, I wouldn't be able to fight them effectively." She admitted honestly. "But I need to do something." Her expression hardened with determination. "I can't just sit around and wait. The Force might provide, but only if you are actively listening and looking for solutions."
Canderous let out a small huff that was both relieved and amused. "Why don't you pick up the beskar'ad I have waiting for me? I can give you the credits and a message for the merchant. Looking like that you're a lot less conspicuous than I am."
She smiled at him, grateful that he was listening to her and not treating her like a child.
"I can do that." She said excitedly.
He chuckled and went back to his card game with Joralee.