(Author's Note: SO much thanks to those of you who help me with my spelling mistakes on names and such! I appreciate it!)

(Flashback)

The market was buzzing with activity as the three of them wandered through the aisles and Kai did try her best not to get distracted. Apparently, that was not enough, because Ozan chided her and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, it's a jewelry stand right next to a weapons booth. How do you expect me to not stop? You know what I'm like…" She lowered her brows and stuck out her lip the slightest bit.

He gave her a flat look, considering her for a few moments before he shook his head. "I am stopping by this cantina on the chance I can find a job. I want you to finish up the list and get back to the ship. No side-trips, no delays. If I'm able to pick up a bounty I will message you, and I'll come back to get what I need for the job. You will hear from me in a half an hour, at latest."
Kai recognized his serious tone, and she nodded, all playing and teasing gone.

"You got it. We'll grab the rest." She assured him and when Rayfe opened his mouth to say something most likely sarcastic, she elbowed him in the gut. He shot her an offended look and she shook her head.
Ozan set his hand on her shoulder and squeezed once before walking into the alleyway for the doorway to the cantina and Kai kept walking.

"Why does he get so serious when he talks business? And for that matter, why is he serious so much the time? I don't think I've seen him smile more than once since I've met him, and even then, it was more of a…smirk." He narrowed his eyes at her a little bit and she glared up at him.

"Oh, would you stop it? He doesn't have to smile all the time. He's happy, he just doesn't show it…on the outside. So just leave it ok?" She shook her head, feeling defensive and continued to walk the market.

Rayfe didn't leave the subject alone for very long, which she had to admit, didn't surprise her. The next booth he piped up.
"OK, but you didn't tell me why he gets so serious with business." He complained and she paid for the goods and looked over her shoulder.
"Are you not serious when it comes to business? I mean, it is his livelihood and it's what keeps us fed, fueled and alive. Why wouldn't he take it seriously?"
Rayfe shrugged and lifted one of the bags onto the lift and offered the woman at the booth a large smile in response to hers and she blushed and turned away.

"I take things seriously. I just would be curious to see what would happen if he smiled…I wonder what he would look like." He mused and she scoffed and went to the final booth.

"I'm pretty sure if we had a training session and I knocked you flat on your back he'd smile." She grinned and he growled a little at her, exposing a sharp canine and she kept in a laugh as she continued. "I'd be willing to do that. Maybe that'd be fun."
He shook his head, his lekku twitching on the end and he walked ahead of her, leaving her to laugh under her breath and follow.

Once they were back on the ship, it took them a little under a half hour to offload all of their supplies and store them in the proper spots. They managed to fill another hour of their time before she started wondering where Ozan was.

She looked down at the comm attached onto her wrist for the fifth, or maybe sixth time. She didn't dare send him a message, considering the risk that his comm had been taken or something of that sort, and she didn't want to disobey him.

"Quite looking at your comm, Kai. You looking at it is not going to make him answer you." Rayfe chided and she huffed out a harsh breath, and looked over in irritation. He raised an eyebrow ridge at her and crossed his arms as he leaned against the cargo bay wall. "And glaring at me won't fix it either. I know you're worried, but you told me that we would wait. So that's what we're going to do."
He was also conveniently standing right by the bay door controls, which meant if she wanted to open the door, she'd have to get around him. She came up to the side and reached out to press the button and he slapped her hand away, firm enough to make her skin tingle. "No. Stop it. We are not going."

Kai felt her anxiety rise, and her chest ached as it did when she got nervous, the sensation going down her arms. Another look at her comm and she looked at the closed door. Most likely he had just gotten distracted or had to deal with more than he had initially guessed.

She sat on the crate and ran over a few more lists of contacts and supplies, and A-6 whistled at her from the cockpit. She stood and walked up the ladder, not paying attention to Rayfe as she climbed to sit on top of it, her feet swinging. A-6 came near her and whistled again, sounding concerned and she shrugged.
"I haven't heard from him, and I'm getting nervous buddy." A few beeps answered her and she shook her head. "Look, I know that. He usually messages by now though, and I didn't want him to go in alone but he did. I want to go look for him." A-6 let out a low whine and shook his dome back and forth, and she chuckled a little. "Oh, come on. You know I'd be just fine. What are you saying, that it'd be too dangerous for me? You don't know how well I'd do. I'm getting pretty good."
Rayfe came down to the bottom and looked up at her, his elbow resting on a couple of stacked boxes, one leg crossed in front of the other. He stared at her for a long moment as she talked to the droid and he let out a small sigh. "I agree with the droid on this. We should wait."

Kai shot him down a look and rolled her eyes. "Look, just because I say I'm going to go, doesn't mean I'm actually going—" She cut off as her comm crackled to life and she answered.

"Ozan, where are you? I haven't heard from you, are you ok?" She asked and his voice came through, but through the sound of an explosion, and it made the speaker crackle.

"Need-get out-don't come back-" his voice came through in bits and pieces and her blood seemed to go cold. She held the comm closer to her face with a shaking hand.
"What happened?" She cried out softly and when he responded it sounded like he'd found a moment of cover.
"There are…old acquaintances of mine here, ones I thought I'd never see again, ones from a long time ago. I owe them a lot of credits. It just so happens they want to receive their payment today. I want you to leave." His voice was gravely and his breath dragged in with effort.

"They don't know about you, and it will stay that way. Get to a different system, before they head to their own ships. Do you hear me?" He asked her and she shook her head, like he could see her.
"No, Ozan. I'm not leaving you. Where are you? I'll get you out of there." Her breath was coming in short bursts and her eyes burned.

She saw Rayfe straighten up and come closer to the base of the ladder and she stared at him wide eyed before turning back to the comm
The firefight sounded like it was picking back up and there were sounds of running and yells of pain and anger. "Do not argue with me, Kai. Leave! This instant." A deafening roar greeted her and her speakers whined to the point she thought they'd burst and then all she heard was static. She pressed the button over and over again, every muscle bunched, lungs burning.

She slid down the ladder and paced on the floor. "Ozan!" She pressed it again. "Ozan answer me." A tear slid down her face and her breath shook with every stop. "Ozan! Please. Where are you?" A final word came out before she stumbled over her own feet. "DAD!"

But there was only static. That was it.

Arms caught her before she fell and she stared up into Rayfe's face, which held a surprising amount of concern. She angrily wiped her tears away and jerked away from him and stalked to the door, slamming down on the button. She grabbed a rifle and loaded in a fresh cartridge and she slid two more charges into her pockets.

"Don't try and stop me. I'm going to find him. You can stay here if you want, but I'm going to find him." She slid a small pistol into her jacket as well and Rayfe's hand was suddenly on top of hers, stopping her. She looked up and he silenced her with a shake of his head.
"I'm not trying to stop you. I'm coming with you." She opened her mouth to say something and he shushed her again as he lifted his hand and grabbed his own choice of weapons, a vibro-staff being one of them. He then stopped her and placed a hand under her chin so she'd look at him, and her shoulders rose and fell rapidly with all the adrenaline running through her body.
"But if you go like this," he moved his hand to her shoulder and pressed down slightly, "you will die. You need to be clear headed. We're going to find him, and we're going to bring him back, okay? We're not far from the market. I will carry him if he's injured."
Later Kai would feel bad for asking, but under such stress the first thing she blurted out was. "How do I know you won't betray me? Betray us?"
Rayfe had the class, and the poise to not even look shocked as he shook his head, his lekku curling slightly on the end before relaxing. "You can't. But I not planning on going anywhere, I promise." He told her, keeping eye contact with her. "But that is not what's really important right now. Right now, you need to breath. Please. You're not well."
She growled and threw on her jacket and walked down the ramp. "No kriff I'm not well. I don't have time to waste. Let's go."
Rayfe jogged slightly to get in front of her and without a word, he suddenly grabbed her and pressed her to his chest and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She struggled a bit, her skin feeling like it was crawling, and he chided her. "Stop. Breath. I can feel you trembling as we speak. At this rate you won't be able to shoot straight. You'll end up hitting the local militia instead." His voice vibrated through his chest and seemed to soak into her and she closed her eyes for a moment before sucking in the first real breath she'd had in a few minutes. He nodded, his head near hers. "Good job. Try it again."
She grumbled. "I know how to karking breath. I'm not a baby." She grumbled and he laughed a little, his shoulders shaking.
She leaned into him for one small moment and breathed out slow out of her mouth and she pulled back before looking up at him.

He stared at her for just a moment before straightening his own jacket. "Better. Now, let's go."
He started running towards the obvious sounds of fighting and screaming and she stared at him for a moment before shaking her head again for good measure, and ran after him.

The small town was in chaos. There were a few buildings that had taken the brunt of the explosions she'd heard, and the entire market was filled with smoke and screams.

They did their best to avoid the dead mercenaries and gang members that were scattered in various spots.

They ducked and hid behind some crates, and Rayfe pointed with the muzzle of his blaster rifle. "Over there. That seems to be the thick of it. And if this just a gang fight and not a pirate attack, then that'll be it." He whispered, and she nodded before jumping out and scanning the area, nodding that it was clear.

They made it around the corner and came face to face with a man wearing a black jacket, an insignia on the front. He yelled and raised his own rifle, and Rayfe quickly raised his gun and fired before the man could shoot.

He ran around the next corner and gestured to inside the inner market square, where she could still hear fighting. They snuck down an alley and peeked out.
Most fire was trained in one corner, but a few came from cross directions. She quickly scanned the open space, but there was so much smoke, so much dust in the air it was hard to see.

They came out into the square and snuck behind some droid pulled transports, making for the large collapses building. The last thing they'd heard from Ozan's end was an explosion so when they reached the area, she frantically began looking. She moved some rocks away and found a few other fighters she didn't recognize, and then she spotted a red hand peeking out form a large section of rock. Not red with blood, like many were, but red as if that was the tint of their skin.

She held in a cry and ran forward until she reached the hand and she cleared away as much as she could, and risking exposing herself, laid down until she could see under the rock, and she cried out softly as she saw Ozan's face. His eyes were closed and this time, his skin was covered in blood.
"Rayfe!" She yelled. "He's right here. Help me get this rock off of him."
Rayfe turned, his eyes fierce as he looked between her and the firefight he was watching. He quickly walked backwards and slung the gun over his back, before grabbing part of the slab of the wall.

Kai lifted as much as she could, the rock digging into her hands and her arms shaking as much as she could. She felt the rock shift and she panted. "Yes! We're getting it! It's moving."
Rayfe closed his eyes and adjusted his grip before he took a deep breath, and lifted, the muscles in his arms and shoulders bunching and straining. He bared his teeth and eventually the rock titled and slid down on his right, knocking other rocks lose. That was going to draw some attention, so they needed to hurry.

He grabbed his gun again, his arms shaking and handed it to Kai, and she took it from him before raising it and firing three times. He looked behind him to see two men fall, knives dropping out of their hands. Rayfe knelt and slung Ozan's unresponsive frame across his shoulders before standing, legs shaking with effort as well.

His accent was extremely thick as he called out. "Kai. Clear a way out of here. I have him."
She nodded and they ran down the alley before skidding to a stop.

A large man stood in their way and he spit once, before two other men joined him.
"I was wondering where Ozan had disappeared off to. Turns out the hitting the e-web battery actually worked. Shame though, those things don't come cheap. Maybe I could sell the three of you and get another. You'd all fetch a handsome price." The man's voice was low and disgusting and Kai raised the gun so the barrel sights rested right between the man's eyes.
"We're taking him and leaving, so get out of the way or we'll kill you." She threatened and the man laughed before flicking a finger forward and bullets rained down front the roof. Rayfe threw him and Ozan behind a pile of rocks and Kai scrambled to get out of range.

She was able to squeeze off a couple shots and a man fell from the roof, and Rayfe laid Ozan down for a moment. "Forgive me, old man. I won't leave you there forever." He said quietly and igniting the vibro-staff, the ends crackling with purple electricity. He stepped out to face the five men, and cracked his neck.
Spinning it quickly he slammed one end into a man's gut, electricity arching across his whole body, before he fell into a boneless heap. He kicked out viciously and the man who came to his right with a knife hit the wall with a crack and he swept the staff behind his knees and pulled, before slamming it down into the man's chest.

He spun the staff over his head, and was able to take two more men out, before he snarled and swung the staff in the mob leader's direction. The man dodged and ran, driving a shoulder into Rayfe's gut causing his breath to leave in a huff. Rayfe drove his elbow down into the man's neck and when he cried out, he wrapped his hand around the man's throat and squeezed hard before backing the man up into the wall.

He hated this man, and he hated all men like this. He was the reason for where he was in his life. He was the kind of man that caused so much pain and chaos in this galaxy.
All he could see was his little sister, her face contorted in fear as a man just like this ripped him out of her mother's arms, separating the two of them. His father, dead only a few feet away, gunned down without any warning. The man had shot him without blinking.
Rayfe growled before throwing the man back and the man tripped over a rock and landed on his back and he held up a hand. "Please! You're a strong young man. I have credits. Don't kill me. I could use a man of your talents."
Rayfe pulled the gun he had stored in his pocket, out and aimed it at the man. "Then we have a problem. I have no use for you." He pulled the trigger and without looking back, turned around and picked up Ozan, ignoring Kia's gaze. "Let's go. Now. Before more show up."

Kai stood up quickly, ignoring the murderous look in Rayfe's eye and they ran back to the ship only having to stop one other time to fight their way clear.
They dragged Ozan up into the cargo bay and Kai yelled out. "A-6 get us out of here." A whistle came back and she yelled even louder. "I don't care where we go. Just get us to a different planet. Any of them. Do it now!"
The ship lifted up and she ran quickly and grabbed two med packs before kneeling back down. Rayfe had gotten Ozan's shirt off and she saw shrapnel wounds all up his side and she shook her head in panic. "I don't know enough to fix this. He needs professional help. What do we do?"
Rayfe raised a finger for a moment as he stared down. "I'm thinking." He bit his lip in thought before pulling out an earpiece and a comm, and he grabbed a roll of gauze, and Kai reached for another one. They bandaged him the best they could while Rayfe talked rapidly in Ryl to someone. He looked at her and told her to get to Endor as fast as they could, that his contact would help them. When she shot him a questioning glance, he frowned but looked back down at Ozan as he finished bandaging him. "I have a favor to cash in."
Kai grabbed a painkiller and gently injected it into Ozan's neck and she covered him the best she could with a blanket before laying a hand on his head.
"You're going to be ok. We're going to get you some help." She said affectionately and Rayfe stood to remove his jacket that was covered in soot.

Kai stared at him for a moment before standing, her legs protesting every step. She got a bunch of wet rags and grabbed a bucket of water, filling it before walking over and setting it in between the both of them.

"Might as well not look like we all are on death's door." She teased lightly, knowing full well how much ash and dirt covered her own face.
Rayfe took the rag she offered and proceeded to clean his face in brisk strokes, closing his eyes.

Kai scrubbed her own face and they stayed that way for a long time, only pausing to switch out rags after rinsing didn't clean the rag.
She grabbed another one and scrubbed at her knuckles and she watched him clean the back of his head, and down his lekku, avoiding the scar on the left one. His eyes were guarded and hard, the normally teasing glint gone.
She moved onto her other hand, and he looked up at her, catching her eyes. "Were you just going to stare at me the whole time, or were you going to say something?" He said quietly without a hint of his usual tone.

"I'm just…wondering if you're ok, that's all. I hope you don't take this the wrong way," Kai said carefully. "but I've never seen you like you were in the market before. I mean, sure when you're training you're pretty serious and when we're out in public you're focused but did you know that man?" She ended, looking at him carefully.

He looked away and finished up his lekku and he grabbed the leather strips before rewrapping the ends again. "He may have not been the same man that killed my family, but it was a crew just like his. They came in, set fire to my village, took all of our food and people. It was chaos, just like it was in the market. I'm not sure what happened. I just saw him, and" he shook his head, his eyes closing. "I suppose all those emotions came back." His breath shuddered out and he seemed to curl up as he sat down.
When Kai knelt and put a hand on his shoulder, he flinched and immediately put a hand up and slid to the left, and his eyes flicked over her and the rest of the room.
"No." he said quickly, forcefully and Kai watched him, not moving a muscle as he panicked.

"Hey, Rayfe. It's just me. I promise you're ok." She said quietly and tried to maintain eye contact with him. His eyes squinted as he breathed in and out slowly, but he managed to keep watching her.
She slid over very slowly until she was about a foot from him and she slowly pointed to a spot right next to him. "Is it alright if I sit here?" She asked and she heard him take a few breaths and then he nodded hesitantly.

Kai slid over again, and settled in right next to him and she folded her hands in her lap, and she looked at the opposite wall, listening to the ship's engine as they traveled.

They stayed like that for a long time and she felt Rayfe slowly relax, the air becoming less tense, and his shoulders dropped slightly.

She risked a look over and he had his eyes closed, his head laying back against the crates. She stared up at him for a long moment and it was as if he sensed it because he opened an eye to look down at her. His eyes had softened, and now shone with a small amount of curiosity.

She looked away and watched Ozan's face as he slept, before laying her own head back. "I'm sorry." She said quietly, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere. "I know what it feels like, seeing everything you love taken from you, and not being able to do anything about it. I missed the fighting in my village. When I arrived it was all over. But I can understand why it was so hard to be in the market today."

She was met with silence and she closed her eyes before deciding to lay her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes, so she was surprised when a weight settled on top of her head.
He was laying his head on hers, and she stayed completely still not wanting to startle and scare him away. "Thank you." He said, his voice devoid of all confidence, and it was so foreign, it made him sound like another person.

They stayed like that for a long time, leaning on each other, before the ship pulled and jerked slightly, signaling the exit out of hyperspace, and she straightened her head, and stood up quickly, feeling returning to her legs.
"I'm going to land us at those coordinates, ok?" She asked and he nodded at her once before she walked away and scaled the ladder. She could still feel the weight of his head on hers, and she hid a small smile as she sat down in the cockpit, focusing.

She could think about that later. Right now, she had to save the man she called her father.