Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
Minor Warning: There's only so much we know about the fate of the remaining Haat'ade – and it could be possible that they really did all die at Galidraan – so I'm taking creative license here. Same with Death Watch as the only names I remember are Bo-Katan Kryze, Pre Vizsla, and Gar Saxon. Ursa Wren might have been Death Watch prior to the Nite Owls, same with Ax and Kosoka, but I'm not sure so... OCs inbound!
Time-line: three years and a week to three years and three months after Naboo.
Phantasm 7: Ramikade bal Demagolke bal Kyramude (Commandos and Monsters and Assassins)
Her curiosity had been piqued even before she went to Kamino: what really happened to the Haat Mando'ade? Oh, she'd known about Galidraan and what the Star Wars Wiki said about the Haat'ade, but there was something that just felt off about it. How could such a fighting force be completely wiped out? First, she'd dug using her Ipad which was permanently linked to her Earth's internet circa 2016 to see if there was any speculation or hint that not all of then had been wiped out. All she found was Montross and Silas, both dead by that point. And so, even before she took off for Galidraan, Rae had kept an ear out for rumors of Mando'ade and planned out her route for investigating said rumors.
/*/
It had taken nearly six months, but Rae had found both the data trail of the Galidraan Massacre and rumors about where the scattered remnants of the Haat'ade had wound up credible enough to chase down. Oddly enough, her other side projects – setting up IDs as both a mechanic and an RN – had helped her pick up a few new rumors while investigating the ones about Little Keldabe on Coruscant. There were members of House Eldar there, living right under the noses of both the Senate and the Order, and it made Rae's day when she'd found it to be true. The food hadn't been too bad either, once she'd gotten some milk to go with it. "And why, exactly, is one like you here in Little Keldabe?" the owner asked, leaning against the wall. She was a rather swarthy twi'lek in dark brown and the only beskar she wore were her black and gold vambraces. Rae was fairly sure the solid workers boots the mando'ad wore came from the same place she'd gotten her own durasteel toed boots.
"I came to investigate rumors. I'm utterly delighted to see at least one of them were true," she answered honestly. "See, I recently came across a mando'ad who claimed the Haat Mando'ade were wiped from the galaxy and, well, I decided it would be absolutely brilliant if I could prove the lazerbrain wrong. So here I am, sniffing out rumors and collecting information to pass on. Though, I am waiting until I have a company's worth of Haat'ade before I send in the packet with an 'I told you so' attached. You wouldn't happen to know where others might be hiding? Don't need solid coordinates mind, even just a sector would be helpful." The twi'lek hummed, eyeing her.
"You aren't mando'ad," she stated. Rae shook her head.
"No. I'm not. And I doubt I ever will be. However, I can respect and appreciate your culture. I'm seeking out the Haat'ade as... well. Perhaps the best way to describe it would be as a spite fueled favor," she said. The Eldar stared at her for a moment, then snorted.
"You may not be sworn to the Resol'nare, but that's a mando'ad answer. I heard there was a mando'ad spotted near Hutt space. I recommend Nar Shaddaa," she said with a smirk. Rae nodded.
"If there's anywhere rumors of mando'ade would collect, it would be the Smuggler's Moon," she said. "Vor entye, mando'ad. It was a pleasure to meet you. Should my search be as fruitful as this meeting the Haat'ade shall raise again." She could see the twi'lek was skeptical so she paused and Listened.
Tell. Truth. Trust. Al'verd.
"What?" the al'verd asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Jango Fett lives," Rae told her. The warrior stiffened, eyes flashing dangerously. "Ori'haat. It was him I ran into and it is to him I will present my findings, al'verd Eldar. He's lost his way in his grief and rage, but I believe he can heal. My hope is that by proving him wrong, by showing that his people are not dead, he can return stronger than before."
"If you lie..." the al'verd growled but Rae dropped to one knee and bowed her head, exposing her neck.
"I swear by the twin suns of Tatooine and the frozen wastes of Hoth, all I have spoken is truth," she said.
"Then take my comm code and include it in your information packet," the twi'lek answered. "Tell him Deleana Eldar still lives."
"So it shall be, Deleana," Rae said as she stood and accepted the comm code from the al'verd. "And... would it be possible for me to get a recipe for this dish? While it's a bit spicier than I'm used to, it's absolutely fantastic." Deleana smiled and shook her head.
"While I'm glad you like it, that's a family recipe," she said. Rae sighed mournfully, but nodded her understanding.
"Understandable. Well, thank you for the meal and the information. Maybe we shall meet again," she said, adding the traditional mando'ad parting and smiling faintly when Deleana blinks a little more rapidly than would be normal. With a last little nod, Rae departed the establishment and headed back to her apartment. She had a hunt to start... and more time off to ask for. She was so glad Dex was the understanding sort. And that he knew about her interests.
He gave her the time off, no questions asked. Sometimes it paid to work for an ex-arms dealer turned information broker. That she was going to be doing him a 'favor' and check on some of his people was inconsequential really.
/*/
To her mild surprise, Jazz stopped her on her way to Claire, a look of concern on his face. "You sure you want to go traipsing around the galaxy hunting Mandos, Rae?" he asked. She rolled her shoulders in a shrug.
"There are crazier things to do," she said. "And I'm only going to be gone for three months. That's practically no time at all to 'traipse around the galaxy.' A galaxy is a big place you know!"
"Still..." Jazz eyed her 3,000 plus year old fighter.
"Please, I've worked on this old girl enough to know how to build her! We'll be fine," Rae said, patting the old Clarion starfighter. Jazz hummed doubtfully, but left it at that. Rae sighed and gave him a lopsided smile. "Seriously, Jazz. It'll be fine. I just want to confirm a few rumors. Besides, I have ways of concealing myself."
"The less I know about that the better," Jazz huffed, turning away and stomping off into his garage.
"Love you too, Jazz!" Rae called after him with a smile before climbing in her fighter and taking off. She had rumors to confirm and Mando'ade to find.
/*/
It didn't take long for Phantasm to arrive at one of the more 'open' ports on Nar Shaddaa. They checked once more that their mask was in place and the modulation working properly, the alternating layers of their tunic loose enough to hide the female form beneath and the custom pockets at easy reach. Another check confirmed that their two standard knives, shock baton, smoke bombs, and knock-out pellets were all safely stashed. Satisfied that their 'uniform' and kit was fully in place and nothing was going to prematurely detonate, Phantasm relaxed their muscles and strode out with pure confidence to hunt down a Mando'ad on the infamous Smuggler's Moon; Nar Shaddaa. There were a lot of unsavory types on the moon, they'd known this, but some of the eyes they felt on them made them want to pull their blaster and play garbage man. Phantasm restrained themselves to coldly seething, the same icy Bitch Face Shiva had used on Kamino settling into place. Slowly, the eyes began to avoid resting on them and cold satisfaction curled in their gut. That's right, scum buckets, they were Danger in understated browns and blacks and fluttering cloth (no Rae hadn't added that old tattered cloak for pure intimidation purposes, shut up!) you'd best stay Out of Their Way. Slipping into one of the less scummy looking cantinas, Phantasm let their eyes trail over the establishment's patrons. Smugglers, thugs, gangsters, dock workers... none of them had the look of a merc. Unfortunate, but perhaps they could provide her some information. "You new around here, Spacer?" one of the cleaner smugglers asked with a grin. Phantasm canted their head curiously at him before stalking closer. Unease began to grow in his eyes, but that smile didn't waver. Phantasm had to give him some credit for that; keeping your cool while facing a hunter wasn't easy.
"And if I am?" they asked, leaning their hip against the booth-seat across from him and staring down at him behind their mask. They felt a small amount of pleasure at how the mask distorted their voice to make it sound far more intimidating than it would have been naturally. He laughed, only slight nervousness present in the sound, and shifted just enough to give him a slight advantage should the situation turn... dangerous. Phantasm's opinion of the man ticked up just a little.
"You look like you could use some help, that's all," he said. Phantasm hummed and leaned back into the shadows of the booth.
"And you think you can help me, do you?" they asked the nervous man. He swallowed and shrugged.
"Maybe. People come to Nar Shaddaa for a number of reasons: to run, to hide, to get lost, or... to find something. A quarry, a job, contraband... you can find just about anything on the Smuggler's Moon," he said. Phantasm hummed and leaned in closer, rolling around the table to stare almost directly down at him.
"And what do you think I'm here for?" they asked, Listening to his Song. There was nervous fear there, certainly, but also curiosity. This was an odd one. One who could be... helpful.
"At first, I thought you were here to get lost for a bit," he said. Phantasm hummed, tilting their head again. "But I see now. You're hunting. I've got a good memory for faces and have been to more than a few ports." Phantasm pulled back and slide into the seat across from him, decided. He would serve as an informant for them and possibly extend their Network to the Smuggler's Moon more permanently.
"I recently had a run in with a Mando'ad who told me a story that got my blood boiling," they said. "I'm looking for others who bare either of these emblems on their shoulders," they continued, sliding across a datapad with both the Haat'ade Mythosaur and the Death Watch stripes. The man's eyes went wide.
"Woah now, you sure about that? These guys are no joke!" he said, tapping the Death Watch stripes. Phantasm chuckled, and even without the modulator... it wouldn't have been a pleasant sound. This chuckle was low and dark, heavy with promises of pain.
"Neither am I," they said. "Death Watch... I shouldn't be surprised they made a bolt-hole here. As you said, people come here to get lost. They weren't who I was hoping for but all the same, knowing where they're holed up could come in handy. Come now, tell Phantasm where they might find these di'kut'la dar'manda?"
"Woah, hey, I may not know much about Mandos but that sounded serious," the con man said, holding up his hands. Phantasm chuckled darkly, slipping a knife from it's hidden pocket.
"It roughly translates to 'foolish not Mandalorian.' To a traditional Mandalorian? Dar'manda essentially means 'soulless.' It's not a desired descriptor," they said.
"And you just casually toss that out?!" Phantasm snorted.
"That mando'ad I ran into? They told me Jango Fett himself declared Death Watch dar'manda. If the last Mand'alor calls a whole faction of warriors dar'manda... who am I to argue?" they said. "Beside, even the New Mandalorian pacifistic speciesist ponces deny that Death Watch are Mandalorian. Of course, they'd like to believe the Death Watch is dead but... well. I believe my opinion of them has been made clear." The man sighed, nodding.
"Alright. I'll give you the coordinates, but don't say I didn't warn you!" he said. Phantasm laughed darkly, tucking their knife away in a motion too quick for him to track.
"Thank you for the warning, but I am not the one you should be worried for," they said, taking the coordinates and their datapad back before vanishing into the currents of Nar Shaddaa.
/*/
A few more cantinas and Phantasm was irritated. It seemed the only beskar'gam spotted on the whole gosh darned moon was Death Watch. Still, they'd gotten the locations of a few hide outs that they could pass along to... interested parties. Still, it was time to move on as they doubted Haat'ade could inhabit the same rock as Death Watch without fights breaking out. Taking a look at the list of rumors and removing the mask, Rae selected a world not too far away and plugged the coordinates into the nav computer. Long haul flights like this were murder on her back, but to quell her curiosity? She'd put up with a lot more than she had anticipated.
/*/
Jin Ruuso had been a drifter for a long time, taking on odd jobs of the disreputable sort just to stay alive – as hypocritical as it was. In that time, ve had seen some odd things and been hunted by some unsavory beings. This though? This surprised ve. "Who are you, and how did you get in my ship?" ve asked. The humanoid being sitting on ver ammo crate gave ver a bland stare.
"Phantasm. I have my ways," the being said. "They/them, by the way." Jin huffed and crossed ver arms across ver chest, glaring behind the visor of ver helmet. "Not the talkative kind? That's fine. I came here more for confirmation than conversation anyway," the stranger, Phantasm apparently, said with a shrug. They were fairly unassuming with overlapping tie-closed tunics, a beat-up dark brown leatheris utility belt, and hood. Their boots were worn, but clearly well looked after, and Jin was fairly certain the toe was reinforced with durasteel. The only truly interesting thing about their appearance was the mask that hid their face and distorted their voice. There weren't any visible weapons on the being, but Jin hadn't lived as long as ve had by being stupid. Phantasm had to be carrying at least one weapon on them.
"Confirmation on what, Phantasm?" Jin asked coldly. This being had invaded ver ship, bypassing the security like it was nothing, and made themselves seemingly at home. Jin wasn't going to let that go easily. The being shrugged again.
"I'm not here to kill you, if that's what you're worried about," Phantasm said, perfectly bland in both verbal and non-verbal language. "I'm here to confirm rumors. The galaxy as a whole has been lead to believe the Haat Mando'ade are dead and have been since Galidraan. I seek to either prove or disprove that belief, one rumor at a time. So far, I've found Clan Eldar in Little Keldabe and no less than three Death Watch cells on Nar Shaddaa. I'd give you their locations but I don't recommend you going after them alone, and I know how hot a mando'ad's blood can run, so I won't. Not unless I can send it in a group message to at least five Haat'ade." This... this was confusing.
"Why are you hunting us, Phantasm?" ve asked them. Phantasm's bland posture took on the deadly quality of a predator.
"Because I found an ikarikuruu baka that needs to be informed there are better options," they said.
"An... eykarykurru baka?" Phantasm huffed, but seemed more amused than annoyed.
"Ikarikuruu baka. Means 'raging idiot.' And no, I won't tell you who it is," They said. "Well, I got what I came for. Sayōnara." With yet another shrug, Phantasm began to leave.
"Now wait just a minute!" Jin protested, reaching out to catch their arm. The being looked at the glove, then to the helmet, and tilted their head in a frown. "What 'better option' would Galidraan survivors offer?" Jin pressed on, ver curiosity overriding ver caution for the moment. Phantasm could be Displeased all they wished, Jin wanted answers.
"Allies, sparring partners, friends, projects? Honestly, I don't care what the baka does with this information. Satisfied?" Jin sighed and let the being go.
"You really won't tell me who got you curious?" ve asked.
"Not my story to tell," Phantasm answered. "But, if you give me a comm code to reach you at, I might just be able to put you in contact with them directly." Jin weighed ver options.
"And this... idiot. You think I'd want to talk to them?" Phantasm's posture spoke of a smirk.
"Yeah. I think you would. But as I said, it's not my story to tell," they said. Jin could respect protecting confidence like that, but it chaffed having to trust this aruetti with ver contact information in order to find out the cause of their curiosity.
"Fine. Don't make me regret this," Jin said, holding out ver hand for a datapad. Phantasm's posture read more as a smile as they handed the device over
"I won't. Didn't start checking out these rumors looking for a fight after all," they said. Jin huffed and Phantasm chuckled, the distorted sound somehow warm and genuine. "Oya, Jin Ruuso," they said, then slipped down the ramp and out into the darkening space port where they prompted vanished. Jin hummed, closing ver ship almost absentmindedly. Something was stirring, changing, and it both thrilled and concerned ver.
/*/
Jan had known poking around like this was going to draw dangerous attention. It was why she'd gone as Phantasm for the more dangerous areas – better people believe Jan couldn't fight and Phantasm to be a specter. So, being cornered by three Death Watch commandos? Not ideal. Thankfully, she did have a knife on her, hidden up her sleeve. A quick look around and she smirked. "You cowards picked a good spot. I'm grudgingly impressed," she told them. They, predictably, bristled and tensed in preparation for firing their weapons. "Unfortunately for you..." she slipped off her jacket and tossed it in the face of one commando and turned quick as an adder to strike the two behind her; driving her knife up under the helmet and diagonally through the underside of the chin of the first and catching the second with a ki-empowered kick to the throat. The two dropped swiftly and the first, who had finally gotten the jacket off their helmet, found that the gambler had slipped behind them. She held her knife, slick with the blood of their comrade, to the sliver of skin exposed over the top of their kute. "The lack of cameras means I can go all out," the woman purred, then slit the commando's throat. Shiva looked around at the three bodies and sighed. "What a mess," she moaned, then double checked the one she'd kicked in the throat. His Song was present, but weak. Seeing no need to wake him, she crouched down to Listen and Know his Song.
/*/
The information Shiva gleaned from the Song of the knocked out Commando made her sick even as she ended his life with a quick stab. Demagolka indeed, Death Watch was twisted. Removing them from the Galaxy would only be of benefit. This group... those who truly believed in it... they were all that was wrong with the Old Mandalorians. Yes, removing that unrestrained War Cult – one that gloried in the blood, death, and destruction they spread – could only be a service to the galaxy. She ensured that her appearance was purely Shiva, then bundled up the commandos to turn them in for the bounties on their heads. "Yeesh! Three at once?" the attendant at the bounty office whistled. Shiva shrugged.
"It was a contract," she said. "They were all together and my client couldn't pay more than their bounties were worth, so told me I could cash in and they'd owe me a favor for each set of beskar'gam."
"You're claiming the armor?" the officer asked, shocked. Shiva shrugged.
"Contractor's a Mandalorian themselves. If anyone deserves to claim the armor of these disgraced dar'manda, it would be a True Mandalorian," she said. "No-one better to restore honor to such armor." The officer shrugged and signed off on it.
"I can't stop you from claiming the armor, but for your sake, I hope you aren't lying. Mandos are real particular about their armor," he said. Shiva nodded, collected her pay and the beskar'gam, and departed, allowing the rumor mill to do it's work.
/*/
Two days and tales of Shiva were already growing out of proportion. Rae grinned, even as she quietly mourned what she was being forced to become by the dangerous galaxy she'd found herself in. She sighed and shook her head, shutting down the holonet and turning back to her list to find the next destination. Once Claire was in hyper-space, Rae relaxed back and let her mind drift. The Cosmic Strings sang to her, reaching out. She reached back, as well she could, and a connection was formed. "You are doing well, my child," the Force cooed. Rae sighed.
"I hate killing," she said. "I hate that I'm so good at it. I hate that I'm forging myself into an assassin as well as an intelligence agent. I hate the looming war. I hate the Sith that started all of this!" she ranted. The Force hummed, low and warm, resonating within her bones.
"I know. I know. Forgive me," It whispered. "But you are the only one who can hear me so clearly. The only one to act rather then to simply listen. If others would be as decisive as you, I would send them out in a moment. You have been most effective."
"But I'm not effective enough, am I?!" she snapped back. "I can still hear the distant war drums. The clanking of battle droids and hum of blasters. It's still there, looming."
"Yes... but you are bringing change," the Force insisted. "Endure, my child, my Shadow, endure."
"Will tracking down these mando'ade even help, in the long run?"
"Yes. Change," the Force whispered as the connection faded away, the Cosmic Strings singing soft and low. Rae sighed and slipped into sleep.
/*/
Seven more Haat'ade, six more Clans, five more comm frequencies, and no less than ten more attempts on her life. And it had only been a little over a month and a half! Rae sighed as she plotted a course back toward the Core, her three free months almost up. Thankfully, the last mando'ad she'd come across was Haat'ade, so Shiva unloaded all the beskar'gam she'd been collecting off her would-be killers on them. The look on their face was priceless and Shiva was going to savor the holo she'd taken of it~! Of course, reverse-assassinating over thirteen Mandalorian trained killers, by oneself, tended to generate quite a bit of buzz. Practically over night, Shiva had a reputation on par with Jango Fett, which was utterly ridiculous. Shiva used knives, not blasters. Rae sighed and began softly knocking her head against the back of her seat as the stars bleed into streaks of blue outside the cockpit of her fighter. She had never intended to become a killer. Never intended to build a reputation as an assassin. Never intended to get mixed up in Mandalorian politics. And yet... here she was, doing all three. At the same time. She knew her life had turned crazy the moment she stepped foot on Tatooine, but back then she'd had some hope that she could fade into the background and live a normal life in a galaxy far, far away. Oh, what a fool she'd been. And now.. now she needed to set up an account for Shiva! Because there would be no way people wouldn't ask questions about a sudden increase in her personal account balance. "Maybe Dex can help me..."
/*/
If you'd told Dex three years previous that the little slip of a woman he'd hired as a favor to Obi-Wan Kenobi would go on to become a respected information broker and a feared assassin with connections to mandalorians and that he'd end up setting up an account for her assassin alias, he'd have laughed in your face. And yet... here he was, setting up an account for one Lady Shiva while his employee moaned into the tabletop of one of his booths. "So... you're taking jobs as Lady Shiva," he said. Rae whimpered.
"I didn't set out to!" she whined. "They jumped me!" Dex hummed, skeptical, and Rae sighed, pulling her head back up to glare at her boss. "So, I went digging into this thing, 'cause that's what I do, right? But then I got curious about one of the hunters involved so I looked him up. Real tough guy that one, not just posturing. Turns out, he was a mando that survived Ground Zero at Galidraan. Again, I got curious so I set out to find more Galidraan survivors or those they left behind. Should have remembered the old saying about curiosity and cats," she said, finishing with a sigh. Dex hummed once more, then slid the datapad back to her.
"Well, you're all set up with an account for Shiva. Try to let me know before you create another alias that needs to be kept track of?" She gave him a wan smile.
"Will if I can, boss-man," she told him before heaving a sigh so heavy Dex was almost surprised she didn't fall to the floor. "Thanks. For the help, I mean. Shift's in two hours, right?"
"Take the rest of the day, Rae," Dex said, laying a hand on her slight shoulder. "You look like you're ready to collapse." She huffed out a mirthless laugh and shook her head.
"Yeah... thanks. I'll be back bright and early."
/*/
Back on Kamino, Jango Fett scrolled through the feed on the Bounty Hunter holoboards with growing incredibly.
Shiva took down Kree Rau!
No way! He took down a whole Swoop Gang on Nal Hutta. How'd she do it?
Still no witnesses, but coroner reports say a single stab wound to the underside of his chin. Only other wounds were bruises on the backs of his knees.
Sick! You're saying she literally brought him to his knees then stabbed up under his helmet?!
That's exactly what the reports indicate.
...
Yo! Shiva don't mess around! And whoever her 'contractor' is must have some serious issues with mandos.
I heard her contractor was a mando?
Internal fighting from those machines? More likely than you might think.
But to hire a killer like Shiva? Instead of doing the job themselves?
It's the reason she gives for keeping the armor tho.
Wait wait wait... who did she take down this time?
A full squad. When will they learn that jumping her in a dark alley isn't going to work?
It wasn't a dark alley though. It was a canyon ambush.
Shiva still managed to kill them when they had height and distance on their side?
Yep. Like I said, Shiva don't mess around.
Dank farrick!
I thought she was an assassin, not a tank!
Way I heard it, she turned the ambush back on them, like she could sense the trap.
That isn't too surprising. Stay in dangerous business long enough and you develop a sixth sense for when things are about to go south.
...
Add another four to Shiva's Mando Count.
WHAT!?
Got jumped on Ord Mantell and killed them in return. Single stab wound to a major artery, all of them.
What is she?
Jango sighed and shook his head before typing a response on the Shiva Thread.
An ice cold professional who is likely getting real tired of Death Watch's first year verd'ika banthashite.
HOLY KYBER! THAT'S JANGO FETT!
They know each other?
Ya know, not surprised.
Fett, any idea on who her contractor is?
Do you worry she'll come for you?
Fett calling these Lesser Mandos out!
How do you feel about these mandos getting ganked, Fett?
Jango snarled faintly.
I don't know Shiva that well. We only ran into each other once. I'm not Death Watch, nor am I stupid enough to try getting the drop on her. As for how I feel about her killing Death Watch... Oya, Lady Shiva.
Uh... care to explain what oya is?
He's wishing Lady Shiva good hunting. Guess that means infighting between Mandos is a thing.
Softly but with feeling: dank farrick.
Jango turned off his datapad and relaxed back into his seat, knocking his head lightly against the wall behind him. Lady Shiva... she'd crashed into Kamino out of nowhere and now she was taking out Death Watch like it was nothing. Eleven times she'd been attacked, the first time likely having been because she was poking around though the other ten seemed more like attempted revenge. Each group had ended up dead and their beskar'gam claimed by the assassin on behalf of some nebulous, mando'ad contractor. He had to give her credit, she knew how to get her targets to reveal themselves... and how to destroy them. But... who was the contractor? And what use would they have for Death Watch beskar'gam? He shook his head and decided to go right for the source.
/*/
Fett: Shiva, what the kriff?
Shiva: Gonna need to be more specific, Fett.
Fett: nearly forty Death Watch ramikade dead at your hand and their beskar'gam claimed for your contractor?
Shiva: Oh~! Those jobs!
Shiva: Well... see... the contractor for those
Shiva: They aren't, strictly speaking... my contractor.
Fett: Explain.
Shiva: Well... I hadn't planned on fighting Death Watch at all but they caught wind of one of Phantasm's contacts sniffing around so I lent her a hand.
Shiva: Jan isn't exactly a fighter, ya know?
Shiva: And then the schmucks just kept coming after Phantasm's people, so I kept killing them.
Fett: So. Phantasm is your contractor?
Shiva: No. They're my vod.
Shiva: Technically, you're my contractor.
Shiva: Even if, strictly speaking, you aren't.
Fett: Who did you turn the beskar'gam in to?
Shiva: The last mando'ad the Network made contact with.
Shiva: I will treasure the holo of their expression when I turned in that pile of beskar.
Shiva: It is perfection~!
Fett: Right
Fett: Have you seen what the Hunter Boards are saying about you?
Shiva: I don't have access to the Hunter Boards, Fett.
Shiva: I'm an assassin, not a Hunter.
Fett: As though that little detail would stop you.
Fett: or Phantasm
Shiva: Fair point
Shiva: Honestly, I've been too tired and annoyed to check it out.
/Fett has shared a link/
Shiva: I have a whole thread?!
Fett: Yep.
Shiva: This just gets better and better.
Fett: Welcome to the top ranks of killers for hire.
Shiva: Thanks. I hate it.
Shiva: Well, I had something of a rep before. This is just a boost.
Shiva: Hope this means I get better jobs.
Fett: I will never understand you.
Shiva: That you admit this does you credit.
/?/
A/N: So... longer chapter this time. And Shiva technically showing off. But now she's got a real reputation and actual sightings to back up the rumors so... there might be more contract killing in her future. Oops~!