So please excuse me, mister
You've got things all wrong
You make it feel like a crime
I'd like to buy some of your time
I'm very anxious, eager, willing
What's your billing?
...
After the war began and the original batch had gotten their first taste of real battle, there was another night when both Tech and Crosshair were unable to sleep:
Tech fidgeted with his data pad not really focusing on the screen, "I think there's been something left out of my education."
"Something left out of your education?" Crosshair laid aside the sight he'd been polishing. "You've been flash trained with every possible scenario we might ever encounter."
"It's not something that is likely to come up in a battle situation. It has to do with... females." Tech gulped.
Cross hair chuckled, "It's got nothing to do with your education. You want to kriff a girl before you die."
"Okay. Yes."
"Come on. Let's go. The Kaminoans seem to have left that out of my education as well."
...
His arm was swinging rather awkwardly between them and he flexed his fingers. If they had been walking in step with one another it would have been the matter of a moment for Genna to link her hand with his.
She knew that he had seen her take his brother's hand while he was telling her the tragic story of all that he had been through and she was sure it was that sort of physical connection that Tech desired now. With Echo it had been purely an act of sisterly compassion. Holding Tech's hand would be… different.
Maybe he was just curious. He did seem like the curious type, always testing out a hypothesis. She might just be a scientific question to which he was trying to find an answer.
Earlier he had touched her leg accidentally and she hadn't felt it. So, this meant he wanted to touch her again and he wanted her to feel it. A shared touch, consensual.
Why was she overthinking this? She had enjoyed the afternoon, going out to the orchard, without his siblings to interrupt, just talking and then watching him speak to Mohan so easily to reassure her that the working relationship was still mutually beneficial.
Maybe it was just the fact that they weren't literally walking in step. Her hoverchair put her at a different angle and made matching speeds while they progressed more maladroit.
She wondered if he was overthinking this as well. He had gone sort of quiet and … yes, she thought, she could practically hear the gears turning in his head. He was definitely overthinking this as well.
She should take the initiative. Haran with it! It was just holding hands! She had kriffed guys after less conversation! But that was before… and this was…
Genna made up her mind and wiped her sweaty palm on her pant leg before slowly lifting her hand with the intention to join it with his…
And then her comm link buzzed on her datapad and she grabbed it instead.
Tech let out a breath. "What is that all about?" he asked as she read the text message. "I mean if you don't mind telling me. I understand if it's personal or…"
"No," she smiled coyly. "It's just that order that I placed for a customer yesterday. It's coming in on a ship in the morning. I'll have to go to the harbor and pick it up."
Again she could see in his expression that he was making calculations. "But won't that take you inconveniently out of your way. You just informed Mohan that you were planning to stop by the orchard to pick up the morning's produce."
"I guess I'll have to change plans." The plan had been for Tech to meet her again at the orchard in the morning and she was sure he was looking forward to that eventuality as much as she was.
"Or, if I could make a suggestion?" He asked.
"Of course."
"One of us could go to the harbor to pick up the delivery for you."
Genna frowned. It would be nice to not have to make the extra trip but she hoped he didn't mean himself. "One of you?"
Instantly he amended, "Omega has been requesting to go down to the harbor to get a look at the sailing ships. Perhaps she and Wrecker could go and collect the delivery in the morning. It would give them both something industrious to do."
"That would be perfect." And it would mean more time for her and Tech to spend alone together.
Without further consideration, Genna reached up and took Tech's hand in hers.
He startled, and then smiled, and then rearranged slightly so that their fingers were woven comfortably together.
…
"There are so many! Which one has Genna's package?" Omega stared in wonder at the sailing ships that dotted the harbor. Water was nothing new, but craft like these would have been torn apart in Kamino's storms. Did they really move by harnessing the wind in their sails? She could hardly believe it.
"Uh…" Wrecker consulted the piece of flimsi in his hand. "Looks like the one we want is called Southern Whore."
"What's a whore?" Omega had heard the word in Cid's parlor and she'd been meaning to ask. She actually had asked Echo one day, but he had pretended not to hear her.
"Don't really know," Wrecker shrugged. "Tech and Cross went to see one once. I think you give them credits to be your girlfriend."
She wrinkled her nose. "Why would Tech do that? He wouldn't have to give Genna any credits; she likes him already."
Wrecker nodded his agreement. "He looks at her like Cut looks at Suu."
"What do you think of her?"
"Of Genna? She has good jogans."
"I think Tech likes her jogans too." They both laughed but Omega soon grew serious again. "Wrecker, what would happen if we found that information Cid wants right away?"
"I guess Hunter would want us to take it right back to Ord Mantell so we can settle up for the job." He shrugged. "Then we'd get some Mantell Mix and take off."
"That would mean we would have to leave Onderon and Tech would never get the chance to get to know Genna."
Wrecker caught her drift and smirked. "Sure would be nice if we could stick around for a while so they could spend some time together."
"So maybe if we do find something, we wouldn't have to tell Hunter right away?"
"It's just information, not a life and death rescue mission or anything like that."
"Right!" Omega beamed. "And then maybe we could help Genna and Tech along so they could -."
"Salt gods, I missed you so kriffing much!"
Wrecker's and Omega's heads both turned in the direction of the exclamation and quickly zeroed in on a woman with fiery red hair leaping into the arms of a one-eyed man in an embroidered coat.
"Plenty of me to go around, El," he laughed. "I could get used to being greeted like this."
"Shut up, Sloan Murphy," the woman said and kissed him.
Wrecker's eyes widened at the scene. "Well, they could do something like that."
Omega tilted her head to get a better look at the couple. "I think Tech would like that."
"He sure would!"
"Then it's a deal? Anything we find out about Cid's competition, we'll keep it just between you and me until it's absolutely necessary."
Wrecker held out his big hand and they shook. "Until absolutely necessary," he agreed.
"And do you think it will make Genna even happier if we do a good job picking up her shipment?" Omega grinned.
"Yeah?" he scratched his head.
"Well, that's good because look at the name of the ship that those people are standing on."
He swiveled and squinted at the text painted on the bulkhead. "Southern Whore! Yeah!"
Several heads turned at the outburst but Wrecker just scooped up Omega with glee and carried her towards the recently lowered gangplank. "Let's go get some mujas!"
As soon as he set her down, Omega would have loved to run on board and have a good explore of the sailing ship, especially one with a name (and occupants) that might have given her a clue as to how to get Genna and Tech together.
She was however brought to a halt at the deck by the one-eyed sailor who had been kissing the red-haired girl, "Hold on there. Where do you think you're going?"
Omega wasn't intimidated. "Hello, we're picking up a shipment of mujas for our friend."
"And if I do have this so-called shipment, why should I give it to you? You don't look old enough to order anything."
"Genna Carid asked us to come and get it." Wrecker lumbered up behind her and crossed his arms.
The one-eyed man slowly straightened up to his full height, like he was trying to get the measure of Wrecker. He wasn't short by any means but Wrecker dwarfed almost any human and he must have decided it would be better to just hand it over.
"Colin!" He called over his shoulder and a young man perked up. "Grab the mujas for our friends here."
"Aye Captain." The young man wasn't gone long, and shortly reappeared with a large wooden crate.
"That's a lot of mujas," Omega blinked. "I didn't think Genna ordered that many."
"They're well packed so they won't get bruised during the voyage." The captain explained. "Now, you signing for them or should I wait for Miss Carid?"
"We're signin'." Wrecker scooped up the crate with one arm and scrawled on the man's datapad with the other.
"Pleasure doing business."
"Goodbye." Omega waved cheerfully at the captain as they started on their way but he wasn't paying attention to her.
Instead he was speaking into a comlink, "...no, it wasn't the crippled fruit girl who made the pickup. A big guy and a kid…"
That got Omega thinking again. "Wrecker," she asked as they wove through the crowded harbor, "Do you think it will make a difference that Genna can't run and jump into Tech's arms like that girl on the ship did?"
He shifted the crate on his shoulder as he considered. "She probably doesn't weigh any more than you do. Tech could just lift her out of her chair even though he's not as strong as me."
"I suppose so." Omega kicked at a loose pebble in the road and then hurried a few steps to catch up to her longer legged brother. "Do you think that red-haired girl is the whore the ship was named after?"
"I dunno. Wanna go back and ask her if…" he glanced back over his shoulder but she wasn't where she had just been a moment ago. "Omega?"
He spun around scanning the crowd. "Omega!"
Then he remembered that she was wearing her comm unit on her wrist. He couldn't lose her like they had on Pantora. He let the crate slip from his shoulder to the ground and keyed in her ID on his own unit. "Omega!"
He heard his own voice echo back mechanically from just a few steps away and then thankfully Omega's answering without the aid of the device.
"I'm right here and look what I found!"
Wrecker breathed a sigh of relief to see her standing in front of a rack of holozines and other publications. She held up one of the periodicals that featured a rather scantily clad couple embracing on the cover.
"Now, I'm not sure if that's quite the right reading material for you, little lady!" The Sullustan merchant stepped out from behind his counter.
Omega shook her head. "Oh, it's not for me. It's for my brother."
The bookseller looked up at Wrecker who had stepped up behind her. "Your brother."
"You think it'll help out Tech?" Wrecker asked.
"Um hmm." she nodded.
Wrecker dug a credit chit out of his pocket and handed it to the still gaping Sullustan. He had no idea if it was the right amount but the merchant didn't offer any complaint.
"Come on." Wrecker held out his big hand for her small one. "We'd better get that and the other stuff back to the rest of them."
Omega smiled her agreement before she noticed the crate he had dropped on the ground. She pointed. "Look, it's popped open!"
"Those aren't mujas." He stated what she had already realized.
The contents weren't weapons or anything terribly valuable that Omega could judge just at a glance. "Looks like some sort of fishing gear."
"Still it's not fruit," he pointed out.
"It could be the smugglers we're looking for," she gasped.
Wrecker also cringed. "You don't think Genna knows?"
"Do you think we should ask her?"
"Do you think we should tell Hunter?"
Neither of them were sure what they should do so Wrecker carefully replaced the lid on the crate and they walked the rest of the way back to the market in silence.
…
Echo was the first to notice their return. "What is that?" he hissed but he wasn't looking at the crate. He was looking at the holozine that Omega had forgotten she was still holding.
"Oh, it's umm…" She glanced at Wrecker who shrugged as he set down the crate of not mujas and then she promptly changed the subject. "Where's Hunter?"
Echo nodded to a shadowy spot nearby where their other brother was speaking into his comm unit. "He's briefing Cid. But that's not important, where'd you get this trash?"
Omega jerked the zine back out of his reach and asked, "Why? Has he found something worth briefing her about?"
"Not that I know of," Echo scowled at her. "She commed to let us know that she came across a name that might be connected to the organization we're looking for."
"What was it?" Omega dodged again trying to remember what names she had heard on the ship where they had picked up the crate.
"Mollymauk."
That was a funny sounding name and, no, she'd heard them say 'Sloan Murphy' and 'El' and 'Colin' but nothing that sounded like Mollymauk. She relaxed and Echo took his chance to snatch the holozine out of her hand.
"Now where did you get this?"
"Why'd you call it trash?" She turned the question back at him.
"Saw something like it at 79's. The boys in the 212th were passing it around for…"
She was staring at him in rapt amazement.
"Well, it's not something you should concern yourself with!" He stated emphatically.
"It wasn't for me." Omega debated letting him in on her and Wrecker's plan.
Wrecker gave her another shrug of his massive shoulders.
"It was supposed to be for Tech," she finally admitted. "So he would know what to do to make Genna like him." Omega whispered the last part and only now looked over to where Tech and Genna were sitting side by side behind the fruit counter.
They were sitting closer together than Omega had noticed the day before, both bent over her datapad, and he was showing her something on the device.
"... so I took the liberty of installing this translation program. It is similar to the one I use when confronting a method of communication with which I am unfamiliar."
"I can't imagine that happens very often," Genna interjected into his stream of explanation.
With two fingers Tech pushed his goggles up the bridge of his nose. "You would be surprised. It is a very big galaxy."
"I don't know," Echo whispered to the other two conspirators. "Seems like he's doing alright on his own. She's looking at him like Suu looks at Cut."
"That's what I said." Wrecker punched Echo's shoulder affectionately. "Only sort of the other way around."
Tech glanced in their direction but then allowed his attention to focus again on Genna. "It is generally believed that young children assimilate languages more easily than adults but it would not be impossible to learn. Do you remember anything from your childhood on Mandalore?"
"A few rhymes," she told him. "There was a counting song so I still remember my numbers from solus to shek'eta-she'cu. "
" Shek'eta-she'cu ," he chuckled. "That's what our squad is called, ninety-nine. And the fact that you remember is a good indicator that you could pick up the rest, in time, with proper instruction."
"Maybe with a proper instructor."
Tech cleared his throat, "I could teach you."
Echo turned to look at Omega and she stared guiltily back, "What?"
"I'm gonna take a wild guess that the reason you were asking how much Hunter knows about our current job was not because you two are ready to race back and get some more Mantel mix."
Omega grinned, "We just thought it might be nice for Tech and Genna to have a little more time to get to know each other."
"Yeah," Echo glanced again at the budding romance and then extended his left fist toward his brother and sister. "I'm in."
Omega bumped his fist with her own and Wrecker joined his in as well. "Yeah!"
Just then Genna swore quietly. She definitely had that part of the Mandalorian language down. "It's her." She looked to Omega and Wrecker as if just noticing that they were there. "You got the mujas?"
"Yeah!" quickly Wrecker lifted the crate and set it on to the counter, being careful not to crush any of the other produce.
"Manda, I didn't realize it would be so big!" She seemed just as surprised as they were when they first retrieved the package.
Omega thought it was a good sign that Genna wasn't involved in any kind of shady business. Still the thought that they were using Genna without her knowledge wasn't much better. Omega was beginning to feel as protective of their new friend as she would for a member of the family.
"Oh good, they're here." The diminutive young woman who had ordered the mujas dragged her hovercart up to the stall. Now that they were up close, the whole squad could see the underside of her hair was dyed bright pink. "I hope they weren't too much trouble."
"No trouble at all." Genna looked remiss to take the 'pad away from Tech but she handled the transaction efficiently while Wrecker loaded the crate.
"Genna," Omega inquired after the woman had gone. "Why would somebody place an order for so many mujas?"
"I guess she must really like them," Genna laughed, glad that the transaction had been completed successfully. "Mujas aren't in season right now so I had to arrange with one of my suppliers to have them shipped in."
"You have more than one supplier?"
"Well, yes. You see, mujas are a type of berry. Here in Iziz they ripen in late spring to early summer and once they've been picked, all the plants are done producing until the next year." She explained. "Jogans also grow on vines but the plants can keep producing all summer or as long as the conditions are favorable."
"And shuuras?" Tech asked, enjoying the dissertation.
"Shuuras grow on trees, as I'm sure you were already aware."
But he didn't seem to mind hearing her share her knowledge.
"They are usually ready to pick in late summer or early autumn. The ones Mohan brought to town the day you all arrived were some of the very first of the season."
"They were delicious!" Omega exclaimed.
"And how about meilooruns?" Wrecker demanded.
"Not until autumn." Genna laughed again. "They've become almost synonymous with harvest, at least here in Iziz. Seasons are different on different planets but around here beings can't get enough of meiloorun pie and scented candles and the flavor added to caff and everything else!"
"Maybe we'll still be here to see it!" Omega clapped her hands.
Genna deflated somewhat and looked to Tech still seated at her side. "I'm sure you all will have moved on well before then."
"Wrecker," Omega whispered to her brother while the attention of the others was distracted. "I don't think she knows about what was really in the crate."
"Well, that's good right?" he whispered back. "And we're not gonna tell Hunter?"
She didn't get a chance to answer because just then Hunter himself returned from his holoconference.
"Just got off the comm with Cid," he informed them of what they already knew.
"What did she say about our progress?" Echo asked.
"Or lack thereof," added Tech.
"She wants us to keep investigating," Hunter paused while they all expressed their approval and then continued. "But she's got a quick drop off she'd like us to do."
"We're going to leave Onderon, so soon?" Omega asked.
Hunter looked around quizzically at all their disappointment. "Like I said, it's just supposed to be a quick job and then I assume she'll want us to come back and tie up any loose ends here."
It was Genna who spoke up first. "I could have Mohan put together a supply of fresh fruit to take with you for your flight. I assume you all get hungry in hyperspace."
None of them imagined Tech reaching over his hand to squeeze hers as he spoke for all of them. "That would be very kind, Genna. We would greatly appreciate it."
So you can't convince me that Meilooruns are not the pumpkin spice of the galaxy. Personally i like mine chopped up and deep fried and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
But moving along! We now have an entire season under our belts so i can go back and watch the whole thing over again and nail down where all this fits!
The first part of the prologue of course took place after the events of the first episode of the series, and the next section of Genna's story was after she got the news of the events in episode 3.
The Squad's involvement in the prologue and most of the action in the story we've witnessed so far fall between episodes 10 and 11 so you can safely assume that the delivery the squad are about to make is to the characters reintroduced in "Devil's Deal".
But does that mean that they will be detained with some other mission and unable to return to Onderon as promised? You'll just have to wait and see.