this story begins a few weeks after chapter 8
disclaimer: i do not own star wars or any of its associated characters; they all belong to their respective owners. i only own any characters or plotlines that you do not recognize.
Chapter 8.1: the Outcast
Most great stories start with the sun, but Nova's story starts with the moon; and the silhouette of a ship against the night sky….
"Razorcrest please land in landing pad five." the directions from the cities command center crackle over the comms of the Mandalorian's ship.
"I've always wanted to meet a mandalorian," Nova's father muses, "now I finally have the chance."
Nova turns from her father back to watching the ship, it lands in the determined landing pad, assumingly paying no heed to the large doors that close above it, locking the ship into the landing pad. Her father brushes off the use of the doors as a safety measure against bandits but Nova knows they are truly there to keep ships from leaving if her father doesn't want them too.
The Razorcrest's smaller ramp opens and a mandalorian stands at the opening, just as her father said he would. A small green thing with large ears is held in one arm of the warrior, the other hand resting on a pistol on his hip.
"Hello weary traveler! Welcome to Opal trading post!" her father puts on his facade of the just too joyous merchant once again. A lie he has concocted to make his guests doubt the nature of this place and feel like they are at the center of her fathers attention. It is a good ploy to get them to spend money, and lots of it. Too many of these foolish travelers get carried away by the mirth of the city that by the time they get to the tavern where Nova works they are in assumption that drinks should be free. After all, they are the "stars of the show" as Nova's father would tell them.
A small hope is always held for each new customer, that maybe they will be different. Nova thinks herself silly trying to imagine a traveler smart enough to outwit her father and his schemes; so far the only ones lucky enough to realize the truth are the ones who end up dead or sold. If they dont pay in one way or another, they have no use. And her father doesn't like people who don't have use.
The mandalorian comes down the ramp and stands a few paces away, a cautious talking distance. He stands straight, helmeted head held high, but his shoulders hold a degree of looseness in a way that speaks, telling Nova he is confident in his skillset. He holds his weight on his right side, his head is tilted. He is waiting for her father to continue to speak, this mandalorian uses silence as his response.
"As it is late I am sure you are in need of refreshments and lodging," her father continues. "I will have your ship filled with fuel as well. If you have no credits or way of payment I'm sure we can work something out. As a mandalorian, or at least one who has killed a mandalorian and stolen his armor, I'm sure you are good at hunting." Nova's father pauses to smile, "and I have plenty of fools for you to hunt if that is what you choose."
"I have no credits but I can work," the mandalorians voice comes through the helmet. His voice is rough, harsh, but not cruel. There is an honesty to it, and if Nova could sense that, her father could as well. He would take advantage of it, as he always did.
"I'm sure you can," her father laughs. "But let us not discuss such things at this hour, go get some rest and we can discuss the terms of payment in the morning."
The mandalorian nods his head once in agreement, he shifts his weight off his right leg and centers himself, getting ready to walk or go where needed.
"My daughter, Nova, will show you where you may stay. If you have any needs please, ask them of her."
Nova moves from the crate she had been perched on and stands to the side.
"Come," she says, beckoning for the mandalorian to follow her.
His steps are measured, purposeful. He follows her through the winding roads of the city till they come to a small inn filled with drunken snores and nightly activity.
The room she brings him to only had one window and a small bed crammed in the corner. Too late she realizes that he might be too tall for the bed, but he doesn't complain. He simply sets his green companion down on the small table in the center of the room and looks around.
"Is there anything else I can get you?" Nova offers. The mandalorian does not respond at first, simply getting accustomed to his surroundings. Finally he shakes his head.
"No, thank you." he says.
Nova freezes. Not once has one of her fathers potential marks ever thanked her. They are always the richest or the dumbest of the customers that land in her fathers city. Those he deems as important, those he wishes to scam, are the ones he assigns Nova to look after. A job she is shocked he would even trust her with considering she isn't allowed to do almost anything except pour drinks and fight unwanted advances.
"Is there something you… need?" the mandalorian asks. Confusion tints his voice in such a way that Nova is once again caught off guard.
"May I ask a question?" Once the mandalorian nods she asks; "what is that?" she motions to the green creature on the table. It gazes at her, its large ears twitching.
"I keep it around for luck." the mandalorian responds. Nova nods.
"Father will want to meet with you in the morning, come back to landing pad five when you have woken and he will then discuss the terms of your deal with him." Nova has said words like those so many times she could be reading from a script, and in a way she is.
The mandalorian nods and gives his assurance that he will be there. Nova departs his room and makes her way back to the house she shares with her father.
o0o
"A client of mine refused to pay me, and instead of running to his ship like I assumed he would he retreated into the city instead. My scouts have been unable to locate him but a man of your skill," Nova's father laughs a jolly, fake, laugh. "You should make quick work of finding him and bringing him to me."
"I'm not familiar with this city, I couldn't guarantee fast delivery." the mandalorian responds.
"Thats fine," Nova's father says.
"Do you have a puck or a description of this man?"
Before her father can begin to describe the man, Nova steps to his side and places a hand on his elbow.
"I can go with him, father." she says. "I know what this man looks like and I know the city well."
When she was younger her father had her doing deliveries, knowing the fastest routes and where to find things was a requirement back then. Now that she is fully grown, however, Nova is simply the eye-candy. The merchant's daughter he trusts his clients to not harm. A ploy that makes his marks feel in control.
"Yes, that could work." her father says. He keeps the lightness to his voice but Nova can tell he is angry and confused. She spoke when she was not meant to, a punishment was secured in that moment. But, if her plan works, she will not be here to collect.
Once they are out in the city Nova leads them to an alleyway.
"Where was this client of your fathers last seen?" the mandalorian asks. Nova shakes her head.
"We aren't going to look for him." she says. The mandalorian tilts his head, his weight shifts as he centers himself.
"What I mean is," Nova hurries to explain, "it doesn't matter what you do as payment, my father has no interest in letting you leave the city."
"How would you know this?"
"He has heard the rumors of a rogue mandalorian. When he saw the Razorcrest on our scanners he knew one would be coming here."
"How does he know of my ship?"
"He has spies in the republic but that's another story. The point I'm trying to make is while the bounty placed on you and your companion-" she motions to the green child, "-has been removed, your armor is still valuable. He means to trap you and steal it."
"Why do you tell me this?" the mandalorian asks.
"Because I can help you escape. I know the code to open the landing pad doors so your ship can leave. The only thing I ask for in return is you take me with you."
The mandalorian seems to ponder this. He turns his head to look both ways in the alley, nova assumes he is checking for a trap. When his attention returns to her he responds.
"Deal."
Nova grins before she can stop herself, but she quickly regains control over herself.
"But," Nova's heart stops for a moment, a feeling like ice fills her legs. "Why help me? Why leave?"
At his question Nova laughs, why would she want to leave? The answer, the true answer, is so long and twisted that if she gave it she would be here for the rest of her life. Instead she simply tells him; "my father sees me as less than human, I have no future here. If I remain I will end up dead or in the brothel and I have no desire to experience either."
o0o
Nova acquires a capsule for the child, a type of floating crib. She does not ask about the manner of relationship between the mandalorian and this small creature, but she doesn't need to. She can tell they are close, the bond between them is unlike any relationship she has seen. They truly care for each other.
Likewise the mandalorian does not inquire into Novas reasons for wanting to leave. While the answer she gave was true he knows there is more that she is not telling him.
The landing pad is void of workers as Nova and the mandalorian enter. The Razorcrest stands alone in the center, freshly detacheched fuel lines are still dripping in their loosely made coils.
"Your father already had the Razorcrests fuel refilled?" the mandalorian asks. Nova nods.
"It's a show of good faith. Makes my fathers clients more trusting of him."
The mandalorian goes to the office space that overlooks the landing pad, Nova follows close behind.
"You said you know they code to open those doors?" the mandalorian says while gesturing to the large cargo doors that cover the opening to the landing pad. Nova nods her head.
"My father always told me I was too foolish to memorize things. He never knew I taught myself numbers and letters." she goes to the control panel and starts to enter the code. The doors open soon after.
Footsteps echo throughout the landing pad, the mandalorian draws his blaster and clicks the controls on the child's crib, closing it to protect the child inside.
"And here I thought you were a man of honor, and yet you would step out on a deal." Nova's father's voice echoes through the control room, freezing Nova in her place.
"Before we go out there," she whispers, "because I know we will go out there and face him, why did you trust me? I gave you no proof, no reason to do so, and yet...you believed me. You broke your deal with my father."
The mandalorian sighs, his back is flush against the doorframe, blaster held at the ready. It is apparent he would rather shoot his way out before answering any sort of personal questions.
"I've met con artists like your father before," he finally says, "when you gave the warning it only confirmed the need to leave. As for the deal we made, I never actually agreed to anything. All I did was ask questions."
Nova smiles because the mandalorian is correct, he never actually agreed to hunting down her fathers ex-client, he only ever asked questions.
"You just made my wish come true," Nova tells him. She grabs a blaster from one of the cabinets in the control room and joins the mandalorian against the wall.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, I've always wanted my father to be outsmarted, and now he has."
The mandalorian tilts his head. He then holds up his hand and does the go signal. He pushes off the wall and walks into the landing pad, firing his blaster with cold precision. Nova follows close behind, both hands wrapped around her weapon, shooting as many of her fathers men as possible.
Nova's father and his men run for cover, though some do not make it. They return fire but their aim is not as true as a mandalorians.
The side ramp on the Razorcrest opens and the mandalorian takes quick and measured steps to board, never turning his back on his opponent.
"Go!" he says to Nova, motioning with one hand as he shoots with the other. The floating crib floats up behind him and into the ship, Nova following close behind. The mandalorian backs into the ship and closes the ramp. He runs to a ladder that heads to the cockpit and climbs, Nova close behind him.
His blaster is back in its holster and the ship is halfway powered up by the time Nova gets to her seat.
Flicking the controls with confidence the mandalorian flies the ship up and out of the landing pad and soon thereafter, the planet is left behind as well.