Chapter 18.

Latest edit: January 6th, 2015. As always, cheers and enjoy!

It took him a time to find his voice, food and drink helped revive him, but the kid was shook up from all the action.

"Aiden."

Torian perked up between shovels of left-over tiingilar. Raidre stopped sipping on her tea.

"How'd you get in with that crowd, Aiden?"

The kid laughed, but there was no mirth to it. The two Mandalorians did not need to pry more, he was a slave or an orphan, but they needed to know if he had anywhere to go. For now, they still had room. Although, by the looks of it, Aiden would not be able to handle the kind of lifestyles the people aboard the Mantis lead.

"I don't know, one moment I was at school, the next in a speeder. I don't even know how long ago that was."

Raidre smiled at the boy as best she could. "Here, type in some basic information and we'll do our best to find your folks."

Torian helped Aiden fill out the basic info Mako would need to find his family. Raidre stood and walked a few paces away to call up Mako on her holo. The slicer appeared, garbed in nothing but a towel and some cucumber slices on her eyes. Raidre cleared her throat and Mako waved at her.

"What's up, girl? You coming to join me?"

Raidre chuckled. "Ah, I wish, but ran into a little snag with that job I said I'd do real quick."

Mako sat up and pulled the cucumbers off her eyes. "Everything alright?"

Raidre smiled. "Just peachy, we found a kid who needs to get home though. I was hoping that between the Corellian massage and the Balmorran bath you could take a quick peak around the net for him."

"Sure, of course, send me the data and I'll take care of it."

Raidre rubbed the back of her head. "I'm really sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

Mako laughed. "Please! I'm just glad to know you're alright, almost done?"

Raidre sighed. "Almost, but not quite, I might be late for our feast."

Mako frowned and her face mask cracked. "You better not be!"

Raidre nodded wide-eyed as bits of Mako's face mask started falling off her face as she spoke.

"I'll wrap this up ASAP."

Mako waged a threatening finger at Raidre. "If you have any scratches on you, I'll be mad!"

Raidre mock-saluted Mako. "You got it!"

Mako smiled, satisfied. "Good. See you tonight!"

Torian watched, wonder making his eyes grow wide, how did Mako DO that?! It wasn't that Raidre was emotionless or even cold. But she was also a Mandalorian through to the bone, which meant her armor, in real life and in her personal life, could be daunting. Mako had this ability to just by-pass the armor and get straight to the Champion's gushy interior. It was simple and effective, and Torian envied the slicer her skill. Raidre came back, the time it took her to spin around to face them, the armor was back in place.

"Ok, Aiden, that shouldn't take long."

Raidre picked up the datapad and transmitted the Intel to Mako. She smiled at the boy and put a hand on his shoulder.

"No worries, kiddo, no hard feelings about spitting in my face."

Aiden laughed and sighed. "Thanks."

Raidre looked to Torian. "I need to go finish up with that job we were supposed to go for originally. Comms will be open the whole time, stay with Aiden."

Torian stood. "After that, you want to go out alone?"

Raidre shrugged. "We can't leave the kid alone, and I will be back at the first sign of trouble. I never miss a job I take, Torian."

Torian sighed, but nodded. Of course he would be stuck doing the babysitting. He didn't begrudge her, but he really didn't like it that she would be out there all alone. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just going to meet the guy to accept the job, I'll be back here before I do anything else, ok?"

He nodded. "Ok, we return Aiden to his kin and back to work."

Raidre smiled at him. "Yep, business as usual."

She gave him one more look and walked out of the kitchen, and in moments the Mantis itself. Torian sighed.

"She's crazy."

Torian sat down eyes still on the door for a time. His hands were on either side of his food and he left it untouched. Then, all at once, the spell seemed to be lifted and he looked at Aiden, quirking a brow. The kid shrugged.

"I was ready to shit myself so many times at the Cove, she doesn't even feel it."

Torian continued to shovel food into his mouth, the spices burning comfort into his bones and muscles but not into his soul. He would feel better once they were off this rock. He hated the waiting, but he really needed to get this under control, how would they work if he got over-protective every time she got into a hot situation? Aiden crossed his arms on his little chest.

"You're crazy too. Bringing a tech staff to a blaster fight."

Torian smirked despite himself, he took the bait because he didn't know how long they would be here, and it beat worrying about something he could not control.

"It's my specialty."

Aiden rose a brow as his head snapped to Torian. "You specialize in fighting blasters with your tech staff?!"

Torian grinned. "I like to get in close, see the lights go out."

Aiden's lips were pressed so tight they turned pale. "Right, that's mental."

Torian shrugged. "Only against Jedi, with them even I keep my distance."

Aiden's eye twitched. "You fight Jedi?"

"If the money's good."

Aiden laughed. "No way! Don't those guy have, like, freaky powers?!"

Torian shrugged. "Some do, most just swing their light sabers around like di'kut."

"Di'kut?"

"Idiots."

Aiden laughed. "Now I know you're insane, calling Jedi idiots."

"You a Jedi-groupie?"

Aiden shook his head in negation. "No, but my aunt is a Sith, she scares me."

Torian looked at the boy closely, put a hand on his shoulder. "She plays with your mind?"

Aiden looked up, eyes wide and very white. His skinny little frame shook, lips still pressed together tight. Torian nodded, he had seen this look before, and a lot of the folk on Dromund Kaas wore it. Torian pointed to his head.

"Next time she tries to poke 'round there, count."

Aiden blinked. "Count?"

Torian nodded. "They only get what's on your mind when they look, if she finds you always counting, she won't bother looking anymore."

Aiden frowned. "You messing with me?"

Torian shook his head. "A strong mind is like armor, it keeps unwanted guests out."

Aiden looked away, and then back at Torian. "Did you ever even get to try out this theory of yours?"

Torian nodded. "I did once, kept a Jedi from tricking me into putting my rifle down."

Aiden's eyes grew wide. "Count, you said?"

Torian nodded. "Keep it simple, and repeat it over and over."

"Ok, thanks."

"Don't worry 'bout it."

Many kilometres away, Raidre walked into a respectable establishment with as comfortable a gait as she could, she vowed to take a look at her leg as soon as she had a moment to steal in the fresher's. She was pretty sure she had torn her hamstring though. Her employer was a man in his mid-thirties, a little fuzzy around the edges with a beard and hair long enough that it could have used a haircut. He had dark circles underneath his eyes and his clothes were messy. He stood as she came up to his table, they shook hands and then sat together. A Twi'lek waitress came by, the coral shade of her uniform clashing with her pale blue skin, otherwise she was beautiful. All Twi'lek were beautiful though Raidre smiled at her.

"Welcome, what'll be sweeties?"

"Just a cup of caf for me."

His eyes were blood shot as he looked at the Twi'lek. "Same."

"Alrighty, my name is Sanka if you two want something to dig your teeth into, you just flag me down."

Raidre nodded. "Will do, thanks Sanka."

"My pleasure, sweetie."

Sanka sauntered off, all male eyes followed her, all but Raidre's employer whose eyes were far too busy contemplating his own hands. He looked up at Raidre.

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice."

Raidre nodded. "I got the sense of urgency, so I made it as snappy as I could. I'm Raidre."

The man nodded. "Jekit Obidiah. They took my daughter yesterday."

Raidre nodded. "I am going to need the most recent holo you have of her, and the addresses of any places she frequents regularly, school, friend's place, tutor, arcade place she might go to play, mall she likes to shop at, all of it. I need to find a trail-"

"No need."

Raidre blinked. "What?"

The man smiled sadly. "I got a call a moment ago for ransom."

Raidre nodded. "You're choice, you can pay them, or you can pay me."

Tears glittered in her employer's eyes, lips tight and thin as they pressed together. "I want my little girl back, I want her intact and unmolested, and I want whoever is behind this to pay. I don't want to know the details, but I want it to be nasty enough that I won't need you again."

Raidre nodded. "I understand perfectly, you know I can only guarantee her integrity from the moment I get her back, not before?"

He nodded, grim and silent for a moment. "How?"

"Simple and part of what you're paying for, I bring an extra shield, one that's twice as strong as my own, which explains the fee. The bitch is expensive to charge, but with that thing on, she could take a dozen rockets and not have a scratch."

Jekit nodded, looking a little more alert at the sound of that. "That's good, if she has been abused, you make it extra nasty."

An unpleasant edge crept into Raidre's features. "If they touched her, you can believe me that it won't be pretty, and that'll be on the house."

The man nodded satisfied and handed Raidre a credit chit. "This should be enough for the down payment. " he pulled his datapad out and started pulling out information that Raidre might need. "Here is the transcript of the call and the location they want to meet at with the time."

Raidre copied it to her datapad and reviewed it. Once all the details were in place she looked her employer in the eye.

"Let's get more specific about my pay."

Jekit blinked and nodded. "I have never hired your kind of person before, but I have savings-"

Raidre rose a hand and began typing on her datapad."So I will apply a first time discount, because you look sincere, then we add a fee for the shield and the finally tally adds together depending on how many thermal detonators I use and how many rockets I fire."

Jekit's eyes grew wide. "Thermal detonators? Rockets?"

Raidre nodded as she turned the pad to him with her final estimate. "This is my estimate based on past jobs, it may be less, may be more, for now I can't say but I cap off on charging for a dozen of each item, otherwise it gets ridiculous for me to keep count and you're a family man, I don't want to gut you and leave you starving just to get your daughter back."

Sanka came back their way with the caf and tray with lactose creamers and sweeteners. She flipped the cups over and poured the stuff into their cups, laying the basket lactose creamers and sweeteners between them.

"Here you go, sweeties, I'll come back and check on you two in a bit. Enjoy!"

Raidre nodded as she pulled a little packet of sweetener. "Thanks."

Sanka winked at Raidre. "Don't mention it sweetie."

Jekit wasn't even paying attention to the gorgeous Twi'lek beside him as she sauntered off. "Wow, how much does that stuff even cost?"

Raidre laughed. "I get a good price, that's why it doesn't add too much to the basic fee."

Jekit rubbed the back of his neck. "This is less than the bounty I posted…"

Raidre smiled. "When was the last time you slept a full night?"

Jekit blinked. "It's been a couple of rough weeks."

Raidre nodded. "It shows."

Raidre finished adding sweetener and lactose to her caf and was mixing the whole lot. "Been around the block enough to know that look on your face, who else did they take?"

Jekit looked away, burying his face in his palms, he took deep breaths. "My wife, about a month ago."

Raidre rubbed the man's shoulder. "I am sorry for your loss, Jekit."

Jekit laughed and cried at the same time. He came out of hiding in his hands, eyes even redder than before. "Give them hell for my girl, Raidre."

Raidre nodded. "Done. Any ideas on their motives?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does."

Jekit looked to Raidre, grim and silent. "You won't believe me."

"Been on Nar Shadaa for a while now, try me."

Jekit sighed. "They are spice dealers, and I am a cop."

Raidre rose a brow. Jekit nodded and let his hands fall to the table. "I put away one of their head suppliers."

"Go on."

Jekit took a deep breath. "Harassment started months ago."

"Did you bring it up to your superiors?"

Jekit laughed without mirth. "You think the Empire cares about the woes of an officer?"

Raidre sighed. "Fair enough."

They sipped their caf as Raidre made sure she had everything she needed. "What's her name?"

"Prixila."

Raidre nodded. "I need to make a couple of small preparations before I head out, but here's a personal holo on which we can communicate. Try not to call me until it's been more than 30 minutes past the appointed time."

"Which is?"

Raidre reviewed the intel. "They want to make the trade at 20:00 hours, so call me at 20:30 hours if you don't hear from me. It's not that I don't want you checking in on me, I just don't want your call to be in the middle of me sneaking around and compromise your daughter's or my safety."

Jekit nodded. "Alright. Once you have my Prixila, we will holo to discuss where to meet up, then you will get the second half of your payment."

"Don't worry about that, Jekit. You'll get her back."

"Good."

Raidre downed her cup and stood. "I'm off, I'll holo you as soon as everything is done."

"Raidre, thank you."

Raidre sighed. "Thank me when I give her to you and not before."