Chapter 5.
Last edited January 6th, 2015. Enjoy and cheers! XD
Torian watched the area for clues and signs he may have missed before, he had scouted a perimeter around the way station of at least 5 clicks, but still nothing tangible, just his guts telling him the traitor had been here and recently. He never heard her foot-steps, but the Devaronian knew little about being stealthy, that and the smell. Rakghoul is unmistakable.
"Hey. Smelled you coming."
He stood from his crouching position to face her, to look at her. As far as Torian was concerned, the Devaronian was as good as idle furniture. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Next time, you're the one digging through sewage."
Okay, so that was not funny. He would have to see if she was serious all the time or if there was a sense of humour hiding underneath it all. He smiled at her anyway.
"You know botany? Didn't think so, I got everything else."
A little look of surprise again, had she honestly thought he had left her to do his dirty work without doing some of the necessary himself? Tsk, tsk. He extended his arms to take the offensive materials from her.
"Let me. This'll take a minute."
He pulled out his own stuff and in a bucket started throwing in the choicest, smelliest parts, the Devaronian watched with distaste, gagging. Raidre kept quiet and watched him work, unaffected by the smells wafting towards her. He did not let his hands shake even though her scrutiny left him feeling nervous. He was not going to mess up his own recipe in front of her. After her initial curiosity wore off, she went on as a look out, only glancing at his work when it seemed to be safe. He appreciated that she had enough sense to keep their perimeter safe while the Devaronian kept whining.
Torian sighed and looked at Raidre's companion. "Your talking is distracting"
If looks could kill. The Devaronian looked as if he was about to march up to Torian and give him a piece of his mind, but one firm word from Raidre ended that before it ever began.
"Gault."
So his name was Gault.
"Don't, what if he mess up this concoction and we become rakghoul chow? Don't know about you, but that's not how I want to go."
Torian and Gault both stared at her. One stared with admiration while the other with disdain.
"Yea, whatever."
Gault walked off to take his mind of things while Torian finished his work, a smile played with his lips, and nothing ever escaped her.
Raidre smirked. "What?"
He looked up, again interrupting his work, eyes on the wide side. "Nothing."
Raidre frowned, crossing her arms again. Torian tried not to let himself be distracted by what that action may look like outside of armour. Not polite or respectful to imagine her that way. He shook his head and tried to focus on his work. She kept staring. He found it hard to focus, her stare was tugging on his focus, unravelling it.
He looked back up at her. "Yes?"
She shrugged and moved off. He frowned at her silence but finished his concoction. He stood and called them back, the three of them stood together. Torian was desensitized to the smell, Raidre took a deep breath from her nose before approaching and then proceeded to only breathe through her mouth and Gault was having a hard time not vomiting.
"Stuff'll throw a rakghoul off my trail, but in their den. Keep your blaster ready."
Raidre shook her head. "If these things attack. I'm going to open with everything I've got."
Please do. Thought Torian.
Gault nodded vigorously in approval, so did Torian for that matter, they might not survive if they did not take the rakghouls seriously. However, he did not want to be in her way, ever.
"I'll keep behind you."
At first he was a bit concerned, but he could not help but imagine what the view would be like. He shook himself hard mentally, nudging aside all of these… He did not have a name for it, his mind was running rampant and acting like a hormonal Mando'ad(1) surrounded by Twi'lek dancers. He focused on the stuff he had on his hands.
"Smear it thick. If the fumes put out the rakghouls, we might sneak through."
Gault looked appalled, and that was saying something for someone with such a ruddy complexion.
"Oh no, no way. I'm not getting that… whatever all over-this is my best shirt!"
Torian smiled again, trying his hardest to keep it to himself, he had this feeling he was not fooling them.
"Nice knowing you."
Torian started to move away, Gault went to grab for his shoulder than thought better of it.
"Wait, wait, wait… just do it. Ugh. Now I'm gonna have to burn these."
Torian hoped it was not too obvious how much he enjoyed Gault's discomfort. He was acting like such a dalyc(2) though, it was hard not to antagonize him. They kept a safe distance from the rakghouls, but it worked, as it had always done in the past, they were not harassed by a single one. They made it to the abandoned station without incident, he was almost proud of himself.
"It's been a while-"
Torian began as he walked again, but something was amiss. What was that awful sound?! Like the high pitch whining of a Xuvva. He shook his head to try and get the ringing out, as if it was just in his head, but it kept going. Raidre looked at him perplexed, he did not even bother glancing at Gault; the Devaronian was di'kut(3).
"Ah! Hear that?"
He looked around, trying to spot the source of the sound. Raidre looked perplexed and worried.
"Nothing?"
She shook her head and Torian drew his weapon. She started looking around as well, frown lines deep from being in many situations of this nature in the past. She groaned.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
"You ain't the only one." Gault chimed in.
Torian began to feel a rumbling in the ground, he faced the direction from which the sound was coming.
"Trap!"
Raidre drew her weapons while Gault just shook his head with a sort of jaded vindication.
"I hate always being right…"
Weapons were drawn, Torian had a moment to regret having parted with his buy'ce(4)and then the rakghouls charged them. The horde came at them, and time became subjective. Torian lost himself in battle switching to his electro-staff as soon as he was out of ammunition, which happened all too fast. Gault was the type who liked to line up his shots, a perfectionist, he was a lot less of a di'kut(5)than Torian had thought he would be. He almost felt bad for his first impression, almost. Raidre was amazing, she took down at least one beast with every shot, she conserved her ammunition and made it count, when she clicked empty she used her fists and her flames. He kept at it, crushing whatever came near her or threatened to flank them. For a time they fought back to back and he could feel her body heat even through their combined body armour. Gault was solid support.
For a time, it looked as if the horde would never stop coming. Torian kept close to Raidre, he did not want to insult her by being in full protection mode, but he could not keep away from her. Like a month to a flame, whenever he found himself away from her he was inexorably drawn back. She just looked so kandosii'la(6)as she worked. He had just sunk one of his retractable blades into the face of a rakghoul when Raidre swore as she was taken down by a group of five rakghouls and berserkers. His heart leaped into his throat, he did not think, he reacted. He was there in a few seconds and he shoved the rakghouls aside and pulled her up. She punched a nearby rakghoul that tried to go at her again, and then spun around their position with her flame throwers to keep them away. Her breath was laboured, Torian shoved her behind him and stood at the ready.
"What are you doing?!"
He glanced back, but cracked a 'ghoul's skull before it got close to them. "Keeping you alive."
She growled. "Who do you take me for-"
Torian threw her a glare. "Meh gar kyrayc, shuk bah ni(7)!"
She just blinked at him, okay, maybe that was too much.
"You're no use to us dead, breath and keep going-"
He held back from saying the ending he felt like saying
He caught himself just in time. The word had almost slipped out and he felt true fear for the first time. Cyare, he'd almost called her that and that was frightening. They hardly knew each other and it was beyond irrational. He'd have to watch himself. That and he did not feel like getting a rocket punch to the face, she was good at it and seemed to enjoy giving them out. She growled and grumbled but took his advice, he almost sighed when he realised this. Gault and Torian kept her safe as she recouped. Torian thanked his luck that Gault was an expert sniper and that his muscles were not tired yet. Torian kept Gault's area free of enemies, while Gault made sure nothing snuck up on Torian, mutual respect formed with every shot, still fragile, but its presence tangible.
Raidre jumped back in all at once and within moments the area around them seemed cleared out. Torian did his best to not look slack-jawed in awe, she could empty a place with her firsts alone. Most women could not hit hard enough for their arms to be effective weapons, Raidre was a weapon from head to toe. No wonder she'd made a name for herself in the fighting pits. He stared at her once things calmed down, admiring her not for the beauty she was, but for the warrior she was. Torian noticed that the ringing had stopped, he looked around and realized that Raidre and he were covered in more gunk than they arrived in, he lifted his arm and took a whiff. He sighed and clenched his teeth. Of course, how simple.
"Rakghouls' pheromones."
Torian shook his arm out as if to try and remove the offensive stuff, but there was no use, any rakghoul that smelled them would approach them rather than be indifferent to them. How had the traitor known? Had he watched Torian prepare the stuff? Blaster cells were replaced and the trio advanced in to take a closer look around. Raidre took point while Gault and Torian, true to his word, brought up the rear. Torian had to remind himself a couple of times not to stare. Had she no idea how distracting pants that tight were? Gault nudged him once, a grin plastered on his face. Torian groaned and glared at being caught, but Gault never said a word. This puzzled Torian. Why would the Devaronian not use anything he could to torment Torian?
The Mandalorian vowed not to get caught staring at the Champion again, by anyone.
They came to a console and Gault was relaxed enough to revert to his old habits. Torian was starting to realise that it was more a matter of disliking silence rather than whining. What thoughts haunted Gault's mind so much that he needed the sound of something at all times? Torian cut that thought off, it was none of his business.
"Blast, blast, blast, blast…" he looked at Raidre. "Does this look infected to you?"
Before Raidre had the chance to do more than frown at Gault, the console came to life, and the traitor greeted them. Torian hung back, he did not trust himself right now.
"So, is Arctus finally sending children to do his dirty work?"
Torian swallowed hard, did he sound like this man? Arrogant and jaded?
"Run home now, and tell 'Mandalore' if he wants my head, he should come take it himself."
Torian bristled at that, but remained silent. He would have his chance to make the traitor swallow his words, no use wasting aggression where it would accomplishing nothing. Raidre clicked her tongue along the roof of her mouth.
"You gonna face me like a warrior or make me chase you all over Taris?"
Jicoln frowned, he had not expected Raidre to be so blunt and to the point, Torian rather liked that about her.
"Think real hard, girl, before you go issuing challenges you might regret."
Jicoln frowned a bit more and Torian could tell he was thinking hard, weighing his odds of success with the venture he was about to propose.
"I will tell you what I told the others." Jicoln began. "You've survived; you have earned the right to the Geroya be Haran. If you lose, however, I will kill you." He pulled out a datapad and started transmitting coordinates to the console. "I'll be at these coordinates. Then we'll see who hunts whom."
With that, his holo call ended, Gault turned around to eye Torian.
"Real nice guy, your dad."
Raidre veered on him, frowning. "Knock it off Gault, you're not helping."
Gault raised his hands as if to show he was unarmed and Raidre quit looking at him like she was ready to sock him. Torian played it safe and did his best to look neither pleased nor amused. The task at hand was more important than his feelings. He crossed his arms, chin in hand, thoughtful.
"He's toying with us. But the Geroya be Haran gives us an opening." He looked at the two of them. "It's a Mandalorian death game."
Raidre sighed. "You guys don't half ass anything, do you?"
"Mando'ade?" Torian asked. "No, we don't."
Gault's sigh was laced with exasperation, hands on his hips as he looked around is if hoping to spot a solution. "Well, it's bloody inconvenient if you ask me."
Raidre snickered, but said nothing else, so Torian went to explain.
"There are four parts: alii'jaate, personal honors; Yai'me'suum; the homeworld; the Strebesii; who defends a legacy; and the Naast; who destroys it."
It was instantaneous, she went from giggling with Gault to being fully attentive to him. Torian did his best not to be affected by it, but his gut did that twisting thing it did whenever she paid him any close attention. He was just grateful that his cheeks had not decided to change their colour yet. Focus on the task at hand!
"He will place honours, prized possessions," he began. "around a battle field. You will try to take them. If you take all of them, then you must take his home."
She sighed. "This is a lot of trouble for a duel."
Torian tried not to let that one hurt, so she did not get everything about Mando'ade(8) culture. He'd have to explain it to her when he had more time. Instead, he tried to focus on what she would find useful.
"It's a war game. Mandalorian Tradition. And it gets us close to him." Her shoulders did this slight dip to the right side, a 'tell' he had noticed she had when she had been mollified. "I'll scout for Jicoln's honours while you go to face him. Then while you run the game, I'll find his home. Call me when you've made your challenge."
He turned to walk away.
"Jate'kara(9), Torian."
He almost stopped at her words, whatever disappointment he might have felt at her initial reaction was erased. He never looked back and kept moving forward.
NOTES:
1 According to mandoa. organisation mando is Mandalorian while 'ad means child, i.e. child of Mandalore of Mandalorians
2 According to dalyc typically means female, it is used as an adjective in this instance, as in feminine.
3 According to di'kut is Mando'a for idiot, useless, waste of space. In this instance, Torian means useless.
4 According to buy'ce literally means helmet.
5 According to ibidem to note 2.
6 According to kandosii'la can mean either amazing or stunning.
7 According to Meh gar kyarayc, shuk bah ni this is a very popular phrase of Bobba Fett's translated into Mando'a, widely known and its meaning is one to force the one it's being spoken to take a rest.
8 Children of Mandalore.
9 According to jate is the word for good, while kara can mean destiny or luck, together they can mean simply (which is how it is used in this narrative) or as good stars or good course to steer by.