Disclaimer: I am not brilliant enough to have come up with Star Wars. Nor am I rich enough to have paid for the rights. Disney's a monster when it comes to funding.
Time-line: 2y, 5m, 2w to 2y, 6m, 2w. A whole month, in case it wasn't clear.
Chapter 16: Rae's First Solo Mission
After her minor success with the Senator Search Rae carefully filed what she knew and spent a few days researching Galidraan. When she was mostly satisfied with the records she had of the mess that saw the death and dispersion of the Haat Mando'ade, the young woman turned her attention to Kamino, the Clone Planet. She knew where it was, the Force oh-so-helpfully providing her with the hyperspace coordinates, and she knew that Sidious and Tyrannus had their fingerprints on the developing Clone Army. Not only would she find some evidence of Sith activity in the Cloners' records, she could find solid information on the inhibitor chips in the clones' heads, along with the contingency orders. Though... maybe if she went out there as an inspector, dropped a few names... she could add something for the younger clones. Only two and a half years had passed since the order was placed, surely there was time to futz with the Orders and have it actually matter. Perhaps that had been why the Force prodded her to think about the Clones. Decision made, she called Dex. "Hey boss! So... how much vacation time do I have?"
/*/
Rain. So much rain. Too much rain. "KARABLAST!" she screamed, gripping the yoke of her fighter with white knuckles as she fought through the raging storm. Somehow, she made it to Tipocia City and managed not to kill herself on impact, but her Clarion was in rough shape. "And we'd just got you fixed up all nice and pretty like," she muttered mournfully as she tugged on her heavy cloak and pulled the hood as low on her head as it would go. She was glad she'd decided to braid the sides of her hair before arriving, the style was a little complex, but the two medium sized braids, coming together to form a plait behind her ear before transitioning to a more traditional rope just below her ear lobe, along with the metal cuffs she'd used at the transitions and end of the braid, would ensure her hair didn't get into her face. That her hair was even long enough for her to use the style was a little annoying, but she'd been doing so many different things that going for a hair cut just didn't register as important. Taking a bracing breath and shoving thoughts of her hair out of her mind, she opened the canopy and did her best to dash toward the doors while keeping her footing. She managed with only two near falls and three slides, tumbling through the automatic doors with a muffled curse.
"Hello. Whom might you be?" a slow, mild voice asked. She was a little too caught up in shaking the rain from her ears to hear properly and continued spitting out her frustrations. When she processed that someone had spoken to her, a full twenty seconds after the being spoke, she spit out half a curse.
"Shiva-! How long have you been there?" The Kaminoain blinked at the rain soaked woman.
"I arrived shortly after your entrance, Shiva," they answered. "Are you here for business?" She blinked at the willowy alien, then straightened and gave a curt nod.
"I'm here on behalf of Sifo-Dyas," she said. "He contracted me to check on his order periodically, until everything was in place to take delivery." The Cloner nodded, a rather sensuous and careful motion due to the length of their neck.
"Of course. Follow me," they said and lead her to meet with the Prime Minister, Lama Su.
/*/
Shiva was a cold individual; clinical and professional. The Kaminoains approved. "My apologies," she said before Lama Su could dismiss her, "but the wind and rain were... difficult... to navigate and I only half succeeded. My ship is too damaged to take off in these conditions. Is there any way it may be repaired?" If they were Human, the Cloners would have winced.
"Yes... you are unfortunate to arrive in the bad season," Lama Su said carefully. "Your ship will be transferred to one of our hangers and seen to by some of our best mechanics." Shiva bowed her head in what they assumed was gratitude.
"Not that I am ungrateful, but how long would it take for the work to be done and the winds to abate?"
"For your ship, between a day and a week as the severity of the damage is unknown. The storm, I'm afraid, will take at least a month to abate enough for take off to be possible." Shiva hummed, pale green-blue eyes calculating.
"I propose an exchange," she said. "I will work with your mechanics to repair my ship for a reduction in price and with those training the clones of Fett to make up the rest of my fee." The Kaminoains were surprised by the offer, but not unwilling to consider it. Some swift calculations and they accepted. Shiva bowed her head, then grimaced as water dripped from her dark hair. "Ah... Might I be dismissed? While my supplies are limited, and likely rather damp by now, there are certain items I'd like to retrieve from my ship." Another drip of water and a deeper grimace. "A shower would not go unappreciated either." An agreement was reached and Shiva was escorted to her ship for the few supplies the fighter carried and then to the guest residences. As they walked the hall, they passed Fett and Shiva gave him a professional once over before nodding sharply, an action returned by the Mandalorian.
/*/
Once the Cloners left, Rae let out a sharp breath and full body shiver. "Being called 'Shiva' is so weird!" she hissed to herself. A sigh and she dropped her small pack on the floor and crouched down to ruffle through it. As she suspected, everything was at least damp. A rough sigh and she started laying everything out to dry. Entering the refresher, she gave a mirthless huff of a laugh at the drab clothing she found within. She'd seen hundreds of little Fetts wearing clothes just like them all day, but honestly, she wasn't going to complain. She was soaked, chilled, and far too tired so she took her hot shower and collapsed onto the bed. The next morning, her personal clothes were dry enough to wear so she dressed and ventured outside. At first, she thought to ask for directions to where her ship was being worked on, but Jango found her first. "Who are you?" he asked. Rae turned to face him... then grinned when she saw baby Boba half hiding behind his 'father's legs.
"Shiva," she answered after a slight pause, still unsure how she felt about adopting that name for this little mission. Jango hummed, eyeing her curiously. "I came to inspect the progress of the Republic's army... one based off of yourself, as I understand it," she added. Jango hummed and Boba took a step away from his father.
"I would have expected Tyrannus," Jango said. Rae shrugged, clasping her hands behind her and falling more fully into the persona of 'Shiva' she'd begun crafting the day previous.
"Tyrannus is a busy man," she said. "And I'm good at... observing. He will trust my report. Though... do not be surprised if he acts as though he doesn't know me, should you mention my name to him. The man often tries to forget that I exist." A deliciously wicked thought crossed her mind and, with a playful smirk she leaned a little closer and whispered a completely false secret the the Mandalorian bounty hunter. "He's still bitter about that one time I saved his sorry hide, couple years back. Fact I was only in my teens then probably doesn't do his ego any favors. But, ah, you didn't hear that from me, got it? When he does remember I exist it's fifty-fifty whether or not he wants my services or my death. So... don't be surprised if he asks you to kill me. That just means its one of his bad days." Jango actually snorted before he gave a nod.
"Understood," he said. Rae gave him what would be a rather shockingly warm smile from Shiva, nodded her head at him and started walking away.
"Excuse me, but I need to see a Snake Neck about my ship."
/*/
There was a new trainer. The Kaminoains called her Shiva. Most of the Vod'e thought she was uncaring, cold, but there were a few who caught her eye. Those few saw warmth and care and so much more they couldn't name.
They all agreed she was utterly terrifying though. She was their stealth and tracking instructor, primarily, but sometimes she would join them for CQC training. After the first day, even their primary instructors were wary of stepping on the mat with her. Then there was the time one of the trainers made a derogatory comment toward her and she put a knife in both of his shoulders from across the room. The Vod'e had to fight back shivers whenever she passed them, for the most part. Though... a few wondered why they thought they heard her voice at night, singing a lilting melody softly in the still air.
/*/
Half a month she'd been here and she'd built a solid reputation as a cold, detached, badass with sharp hearing and a penchant for letting either her fists or her knives speak for her when she was truly offended. It... kinda hurt to have the little troopers so scared of her, though there were a few who would look her in the eye and then tilt their heads curiously. Her Intuition sang the names in her head and All the Feels would well up, causing her to look away before her 'Shiva' mask could completely shatter. 'Shiva' had the approval of the Snake Necks, something she currently needed, and so she would remain firmly in place.
The odd looks she got form the 'observer' troopers who would almost catch her in the halls singing soft lullabies to the cadets were priceless though. And, in addition to hopefully embedding those sweet melodies in the heads of those brave little soldier boys, her night time roams saw her locating the mainframe. It was only a matter of time and planning before she broke in to dig up all the secrets in the records. Perhaps she should also copy the genetic information, see if by comparing Jango's unaltered DNA to the troopers' a doctor could come up with a solution to the accelerated aging the troopers were subjected to. Hum... maybe she should have a talk with the Snake Necks about the Orders the troopers were... programmed with. And that wasn't even touching on the Decommissioning that was already happening! Force, she needed a plan to stop that practice. A childhood of paranoia was not a childhood at all and she'd die before she let a whole army of children suffer through that without at least trying to help them. But these were tasks for the morning. For now, she needed sleep.
(The Force thrummed like struck hide and plucked strings, a deep and powerful sound that could be felt in ones bones. Faintly, softly, like the whisper of a scared yet defiant youth, Vode An could be heard by those with the ear to hear, matching the beat of the Force.)
/*/
Jango was surprised to find Shiva at his door, two and a half weeks after he'd met her icy eyes in the hallway, even more so to note she was quietly seething. "Fett. I need a fight. A real one. None of the trainers I've met will do," she told him coldly. He quirked an eyebrow and leaned against the door.
"Dare I ask why?" he asked. She honest to Ka'ra hissed and the tight rolling of her shoulders put him in mind of a nexu preparing to pounce.
"Blasted Snake Necks are more trying to deal with than Tyrannus. In one of his moods," she said. "At least then I have the thrill of dodging his attacks. Here it's all verbal sparring." Jango hummed, then nodded.
"I might be able to help. Meet me at the training yard in a standard hour," he said. Again, Shiva hissed, but her shoulders loosened somewhat.
"It had better be worth the wait, Fett," she growled before stalking back to her own room. Jango shook his head with a chuckle. His students were going to get one heck of a training session... even if he had no intention of pitting the clearly dangerous woman against them. Yet.
/*/
An hour later, Rae followed her Intuition to a training field where a hundred clones were being barked at by Jango and another Mandalorian. "You know," she drawled, striding purposefully up to the two warriors, "when I said I needed a real fight, this was not what I expected." Jango turned and quirked a challenging brow at her.
"Are you backing down?" he asked. She bristled slightly, then forced herself to relax. It wouldn't do to show weakness now, not in front of these men.
"No," she answered smoothly. "I'm merely wondering why you'd direct me to a lesson. Specifically what looks like you teaching a batch of Spec-Op Cadets." The other man scoffed from her left and she canted her head slightly to bring him into her line of sight.
"Why did you invite such a laandur woman to join us, Jango?" he asked scornfully. The cold fury raging inside took over and with three swift movements, she had the man on his back with her vibrodagger hovering just shy of his cheek.
"Watch your tongue, Mando, or you may just find it removed," she hissed, allowing the vibrating blade to 'kiss' his skin, the tip nicking the corner of his mouth.
"And that," Jango said, faintly smug, "is why I invited her." Rae huffed, eyes still boring into the scornful Mandalorian she'd downed. The man growled faintly and climbed back to his feet.
"I... stand corrected, Miss... ?" he said, dabbing at the slight dribble of blood on his chin. Rae turned to him with cold, calculating eyes. Slowly, a dangerously cold, sharp smile spread across her face.
"It's 'Lady Shiva' to you, Kal Skirata," she said, wrapping his name in poisoned honey. He shivered and Rae was fairly certain it had nothing to do with the relentless rain of Kamino. Jango chuckled faintly then motioned her toward the Cadets. "You can't be serious. I asked for a fight, not a slaughter, Fett," she growled at him. Jango shook his head.
"They are not your opponents. They are your witnesses. We shall have an exhibition match, give them something to strive for," he said. She gave him a wicked smile, full of teeth and the promise of pain.
"And that... is what I asked for," she told him, sinking into a ready stance.
/*/
Lady Shiva was an... odd woman, Kal decided, watching her stretch and bounce in preparation for her fight. She was slight and had flat out said she did not excel in honest combat and yet... she'd taken him down in mere moments and held him in place with a look, even going so far as to draw blood. And now she was grinning in... was that anticipation? Of a fight against Jango freaking Fett? The most notoriously selfish lone wolf ever to call himself a Mandalorian? And she had him smiling! How? How had she built anything approaching respect or camaraderie with the man? "Ke'shush!" He nearly stumbled when he heard the slight woman bark out the Mando'a term. Her opponent snapped to attention, no doubt just as startled as Kal himself. Shiva held herself stiffly upright, hands flat against the outsides of her thighs, staring straight into Jango's eyes. Face devoid of emotion she barked out, "Ijaat!" and bowed, her eyes still not leaving her opponent. The beroya mirrored her actions and Kal mused that 'honor' must have been as close to 'bow' as Shiva could find in Mando'a. A faint smile, more a twitch of the lips, and Shiva slid into a back stance. "Bal jii mhi akaanir*," she said, just loud enough for Kal to catch. A moment later and the pair were circling, sharp eyes searching for weaknesses in their opponent's defenses. Finally, with a little laugh, Shiva darted forward. Jango tried to catch her, but she seemed to flow around him. She ended up behind him and snaked her arms around his neck. Due to him not allowing her to land a debilitating first strike, Jango managed to break her hold and bring her over his shoulder. Displaying great dexterity and likely adrenaline fueled strength, she grabbed onto his arm with her arms and legs and twisted in his grip so his fist hit the ground before she was shaken off. Grin still in place, she slid along the rain slicked ground and scythed out her leading leg. Jango jumped to avoid it and Shiva completed the spin, planted her toes, then launched herself at the man just as he landed, driving her shoulder into his gut. Surprised, Jango grunted as the air was driven from his lungs and he fell to the ground. Shiva lashed out her legs and attempted to cross them around his neck. Regaining his wits, Jango managed to evade the attack and break out of her hold. The tide of the fight turned in Jango's favor, but from the expression on Shiva's face, that didn't bother the assassin much.
/*/
Why she'd subjected herself to this... no, no she knew why. Just thinking about it fueled her, pushed her to fight harder. The feel of her muscles working, the impact of fist on flesh, the pounding of the rain and her own blood in her ears, the burn in her lungs as she struggled to keep her breath even and rhythmic in the fury of the fight... it was strangely grounding. Even as Jango worked her over, her grin never dropped. This was... actually kind of fun. Suddenly, she saw something she never expected. There was another opening in Jango's guard. In the split second she had, she decided the risk was worth it and lashed out with a kick at the side of his left knee. It connected and his leg folded. The flash of surprise and pain on his face gave her boldness and she grabbed his arms, bearing him to the ground where she trapped him in a triangle choke-hold. After some struggle, Jango actually tapped out! She gasped softly as she released him. "Are you satisfied, Lady Shiva?" he asked. She took a few deep, steadying, breaths, then nodded.
"I thank you, for a truly challenging fight," she told him, bowing. "I confess, I fully expected you'd beat me."
"Yes... you surprised me," Jango said, still favoring his knee. "Your kicks are... devastating. Would you be willing to join me in training the ARCs?" Shiva shook her head.
"No. I am leaving soon and these cadets need consistency. Though... There is a chance I shall return." She smirked and turned to the shocked and awed ARCs, though even now she could only tell due to her unique connection to the Force. "I'll expect a match should that happen!" she said with an evil smile. The cadets shivered but Jango laughed.
"Of course. I'm sure they will train hard to put up a good fight upon your return, Lady Shiva," he said. She nodded at him before bowing and stalking back within the shelter of the main facility.
/*/
Jango would admit, he was far too curious for his own good. He'd gotten better, over the years, at curbing his curiosity but... there were times that his need to know outweighed his common sense. Case in point, the glare Shiva was pinning him to the wall with. He really should have waited more than two hours after their spar for this but oh well. What's done is done. "I merely wished to ask what had annoyed you so fiercely that you threw yourself into battle," he said, hands raised, hoping to somewhat appease the killer. Shiva hissed and glared harder. He tried to arrange his expression into earnest curiosity and interest, the bruises she'd given him earlier throbbing. Shiva was not the kind of person one wanted angry with them. Apparently, he'd succeed as the woman shook her head and stepped back, as good as inviting him into her suite.
"Were you aware that the Snake Necks were killing your clones for minor 'defects' and poor scores? Accidents that could have been made into teaching moments were greeting instead with a lethal injection!" she snarled, stalking back toward the armchair and mug of softly steaming liquid. "These children are barely more than two standard years old and already they fear for their lives just because their eyes are a different color or they missed a shot one of their brothers made. This is no life for a child, Fett! Even one who is literally bred for war! While I am a harsh and exacting master and have garnered a reputation for ruthless efficiency, killing a student for dropping his blaster or missing an opening is crossing a line!" she ranted, dropping into the chair and picking up the mug to cradle in her hands. Jango felt something inside him chill and crack even as he sank onto the couch across from her. They were what? He knew the Nulls were nearly decommissioned by the Kaminoians, that they would have died without Kal's intervention, but they very clearly hadn't measured up to what the Kaminoains had wanted. Shiva was saying the regular clones faced the same fears.
"I... cannot help but agree with you, Lady Shiva," he said slowly. She scoffed and shook her head, the metal cuffs adorning the braids at the sides glinting in the harsh light of her borrowed sitting room. Before he could get distracted by the simple yet intricate braiding, Shiva's clipped tones brought him back to the matter at hand.
"It is barbaric and I will not stand for it. Before I came to you, I spoke to the Snake Necks, insisting that the decommissioning cease. If the clones truly are defective, they shall die on the battlefield as befitting a soldier. And if they do not, then they are all the stronger for having overcome their less than ideal circumstances and should be respected for it," Shiva said firmly. "The exchange was... heated, but we came to an understanding. Still, I found myself far too tense and my anger far too hot to enjoy the rest of my evening and so sought you out for a proper fight. A decision my body may regret but I do not." Jango bowed, feeling oddly honored. This was not a laandur woman as Kal had so callously barked. No. This was a fierce ramikadyc verd, even if she preferred to avoid direct confrontations.
"Thank you, for indulging my curiosity, Lady Shiva," he told her. "And... thank you for the fight." She grinned at him, cold and sharp and dangerous but also respectful.
"Perhaps we may spar again some time, Fett," she said And Jango once again found himself echoing the sentiment. In another life, perhaps, he would have offered her a place in the the Haat Mando'ade. She'd have gotten along well with the ori'ramikad.
/*/
A whole month. It took a whole month but she'd gotten into the mainframe and found... more than she'd been looking for, honestly. "Oh, you darksiders are sick," she muttered disgustedly to herself, safely back in her rooms with her 'liberated' data. Her plan needed some serious re-evaluation. These chips... even with the 'contingency' she'd put in place during her 'discussions' with the Kaminoians earlier... they were far too dangerous to leave in the Clone Troopers' heads long term. Especially when she made her case against Palpatine. She couldn't afford for him to manipulate the needed persons to activate the Order regardless... or for him, or Dooku, to remove that contingency, discrediting 'Shiva' in the process. A soft growl and she hid her findings under a veritable mountain of encryption and near meaningless data. She'd leave in three days; quickly enough to ease her mind but not swiftly enough to immediately make the Snake Necks suspicious about the timing, once they discovered the data theft. Because they would notice the breach, Rae was sure of it. She sighed once more and laid down to at least pretend to sleep. It seemed Anakin and Obi-Wan weren't the only trouble magnets in their little Found Family, because this rabbit hole Rae was falling down just kept getting deeper and darker as time passed.
/?/
A/N: Yeah... I rewrote this. And then completely rewrote it. This version is... acceptable.
Question: Should Rae take jobs for the various aliases she ends up developing? Because Shiva is an assassin and Rae isn't about that life so... thoughts?