Javyar's Cantina
Pol and Carth met Canderous at Javyar's as planned. Canderous made his displeasure at seeing the Republic pilot known by turning his back on Carth to address Pol, in a low voice intended for her ears alone.
"I knew you'd be back, look neither of us is getting off this planet unless we work together. Now I know the Sith base had a break in and I know it was you, so I know you have those departure codes I need. So what's say we join forces? I can get you inside Davik's estate and right to the Ebon Hawk, if it weren't for your friend the Republic pilot we could go right now."
"How you going to sneak us in?" Pol asked taking care to include Carth in her equation.
"Not him, and don't play dumb you know why," Canderous pointed to Carth insolently. "Just you and no sneaking, we both know you're no stealth expert. Davik and the exchange are always looking to recruit new talent. I'll tell him you're a friend. He knows you won that swoop race, I'll tell him you are interested in working with the exchange. I'll say I bought you in so he could check you out. He'll have you stay at his estate for a few days while he runs some background checks on you, that's standard procedure. While he's checking you out, we steal the Ebon Hawk and escape Taris. I have an air speeder near by we can go to his estate now. The sooner were off Taris the better."
"I need a moment to talk with my friend," Ignoring Canderous's sense of urgency Pol took Carth aside, while the Mandalorian looked on warily.
As soon as they were out of earshot Carth said, "I really think I should go with you to Davik's estate."
"I don't think that's wise." Pol interjected.
"Why not? Just coz he says so?" Carth demanded waving angrily in the Mandalorians direction.
"No. I'll give you three reasons, One - You and the Mandalorian think you're STILL in a war that ended years ago. Two, you won't ever pass Davik's background check- Carth a blind Miraluka could see you work for the Republic and Canderous knows this. And Three…I forget… But it's probably something to do with the amount of fun I get to have." Pol ticked the points off on her fingers absentmindedly.
"Pol this isn't some booze and snore cruise, and you could be in real danger." Carth said with a disapproving frown.
"I know, I'm going to steal a ship and then come get you all. Hey don't look at me like that Carth, I gave you my word. Hell I'll even tell Bastila what my plans are before I go."
"I'll hold you to that one, that woman is getting more impossible every day." Carth said as Pol returned the verdict to their unlikely coconspirator.
Canderous arranged to meet Pol in the upper city once she had packed her things and alerted her companions to her movements. He didn't like their inclusion, but there seemed no swaying the young woman. Begrudgingly Canderous went to wait by his air speeder.
Back in their abandoned apartment, Pol packed swiftly, Bastila had held her up with lectures and time was getting on. "I will send you the codes via comlink once you have the ship, not before. Don't forget the Republic is depending on us." Affirmed Bastila sternly, she had given Pol a private telling off, and now that she felt sufficiently involved in the process, she indicated that Pol was free to go. Relived to be away from the Jedi, Pol headed to the meeting place with sparks of excitement coursing thorough her veins.
Air Speeder
Canderous watched Pol cross the square. The sunlight filtered through the pollution in dazzling rays that picked out points of light on her clothing.Her walk was part soldier on a mission with a graceful dose of dancer thrown in. Never a step out of place she exuded confidence in the most captivating way. Beautiful, she knows where her body is in relation to its environment; at every instant in time, she is proficiently self aware. No wonder she is such a superb killing machine. Determined to gather more information about Pol he paused, before greeting her, to shut off the air speeder.
"Why are you killing the engine? Let's go." Said Pol making no apologies for the time she had cost him. She threw her pack over the side of the vehicle; Canderous caught it with a steady hand.
"Not yet let's go get a drink. I've been waiting for over an hour in the sun. I'm thirsty."
"What happened to 'the sooner we get of Taris the better.'?" Pol asked, in a close imitation of the Mandalorian's comfortable drawl. She squinted up at Canderous warily there was something about his eyes that seemed a little off, to her.
"I'm buying; I owe you a drink for your help with the rakghouls." Canderous looked down at Pol. She thinks I'm up to something, bah well I am…I guess. This would be easier if I knew who she was.
"C'mon what can one drink hurt? What am I gonna do tie you to the air speeder? Look we need to be seen together for this to appear legit. Davik has been watching me closely since Calo Nord arrived on the scene."
"Well I guess Bastila won't forward the codes till we get the Hawk anyways…"
"Atta girl, but I have to ask, or I will kick myself later. Do you really want to take them off Taris with us?"
"Don't ask me that!" Pol laughed cryptically.
"Ha-ha fine have your little secret Mysterious Stranger." Canderous laughed as they took a place at the bar.
"Oh gods no, you know about THAT?" Pol cringed giggling into her ale.
"Darlin' I hear about everything that goes on in this city, besides who do you think they sent to collect Davik's cut from the Bendak Starkiller duel?"
"Of course," sighed Pol, it was glaringly obvious. "So how are you with me killing a Mandalorian?"
"Bendak was weak, he deserved to die."
"Or maybe it just wasn't his day?" Pol offered giving the fallen dueling champion his dues.
"It's no ones day when they face a real warrior." Canderous delivered the compliment like an insult.
"What's this high praise from a Mandalorian?"
"You have potential." Was all Canderous would say. Though his mouth was set firm there was faint glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. Suddenly he asked, "Have we met before?" He was all seriousness again staring at her face intently.
"No, I think I'd remember you if we had." Said Pol honestly, "Or was that just a pick up line?"
"Ha! If I was hitting on you Pol there would be no doubt." Canderous smiled and shook his head.
Pol shivered, internally at the thought. Mmm he said my name."So did you see me in the dueling ring?" She asked moving the conversation to a safer topic.
"I don't have the time for that kind of thing…But yeah I saw the last… Few fights." Canderous kicked himself, he had admitted far more than he like to. Why do I always tell her too much? Maybe Tarisian ale wasn't a good idea.The other duels he had sent his agents to see, as part of his early personal recon work on the new arrivals.
"You finished that drink? We should go before it gets dark out." Canderous stood suddenly, and threw a handful of credits onto the bar. Pol rose quickly to meet him and he guided her out of the cantina.
Pol settled onto the air speeder behind Canderous stowing her pack while he started the jets. "Hold on kid." He ordered gunning the engine. At the invitation Pol folded her arms neatly about Canderous's broad chest. Once they took off Pol took the opportunity to breathe him in discreetly. He smelled strongly of the upper city cantina they had just left, beer, ripe fruit, smoke and civilization. But there were traces of him there too, leather, carbon, clean sweat and aftershave.
Introductions
Davik Kang greeted them with the precise tone of some one who hates to be misunderstood. "So Canderous, I see you have bought a friend. Most intriguing if I do say so myself, you usually travel alone." He was accompanied by Calo Nord, the latest addition to his 'killing team'.
"It's not like you to take on partners, 'friend' or not. You're getting soft." Calo taunted snidely. The diminutive bounty hunter folded his arms aggressively and stared at Canderous awaiting a response.
"Watch yourself Calo, you may be the newest Kath hound in the pack but you aren't top dog yet. At least I have what it takes to make 'friends'." Canderous retorted spitefully.
Davik silenced his men. "Enough I won't have my two top men killing each other. That's not good business. I'm sure Canderous has an explanation as to why he isn't working solo anymore?"
"I do, this is a special case Davik. I ran into some one the exchange might want to recruit. You may have heard of her exploits already." Canderous stated.
"Ah now I recognize you. You're the rider who won the swoop race. Very impressive. As was your display in the rather heated battle afterwards." Davik added contemplatively.
Pol spoke for the first time since arriving at the estate. "I wouldn't have picked you for a swoop fan Davik."
"Everyone watches the season opener, but Canderous is right the exchange is always looking for new blood with 'special talents'. You could have a bright future with our organization." He said.
"I don't believe this, she is a swoop rider, and a girl!" Calo slurred, he was ignorant to the extent of Pol's achievements.
"Ah Calo you're just jealous because she's taller than you." Canderous taunted maliciously. "He's never seen a girl before." He added in a stage whisper to Pol.
"Why you smarmy son of a rancor-" Calo launched into a range of expletives but was cut short – shorter - by Davik before either bounty hunter could resort to actual violence. During the war of words Pol held the sidelines without concern, even learning a few new insults.
"Men I said enough! With a recommendation from Canderous and a thorough background check you could become part of the exchange. Many would kill to prove themselves worthy of the honor." Davik pronounced.
"Your offer intrigues me Davik." Pol purred out her response, still playing calm witness to the merc's testosterone fueled fight.
"Come I'll give you a tour of my operations." Davik swept Pol and Canderous away before Calo could secure an invitation to join them. I hope your paying attention to details, thought Canderous as Davik exhibited his pride and joy, the Ebon Hawk.Go on old man; tell her all about the security system.Canderous willed him.
Finally Davik delivered Pol to Canderous's apartments within the complex.
"These will be your rooms; you will be under guard for the duration of your stay." Davik said to Pol. "I trust you can handle this assignment Canderous?" Davik asked his offsider.
"Of course," Canderous said trying to affect disinterest at the thought.
"Now Ms Valor, if you want anything, food, a massage, feel free to make use of the servants down the hall. If all goes well with your background check you will be offered a job with the exchange and rooms of your own on the estate. When the offer comes I'd advise you to take it – or suffer the dire consequences of refusal."
"I look forward to working with you Davik." Pol ignored the implied threat. She was so familiar with these tactics, she couldn't have been sure that she hadn't used them herself at one time.
"Try to keep within these halls for the next few days, for your own safety you understand. If you bother my 'other' guests you will be dealt with by security harshly. Meanwhile make yourself comfortable. Come Calo." Davik signaled to Nord who had rejoined them to assess the situation, for 'security' purposes and they left the pair alone.
Preparations
"Now you're inside. Welcome to my humble abode." Canderous gave a rare display of enthusiasm.
Pol examined the room. It was Spartan in its design. Clean lines and bare surfaces. There were three beds, a table, some seating, weapon lockers and a clean ensuite. What more could she want? Pol threw herself down heavily on the largest bed.
"Hey!" Canderous protested. "Get your own bed. That one's mine."
"But I'm your guest, and I like this one." Pol pleaded.
"No… You're Davik's guest, now get off my bed!" Canderous argued.
"Fine I'll take the little one… Unless it's Calo's," Pol snickered devilishly as she stood up.
"He has his own rooms."
"Where are they?" Pol asked her eyes wide and innocent.
"WHY do you want to know?" Canderous demanded incredulously.
Pol gave her best little girl smile, "It wasn't part of the tour."
"The question sill stands Valor, why do you want to know?"
"He looks like he worth a bit. He must be on pretty good money." Pol Shrugged.
"You want to rip him off?" Canderous asked in open disbelief. The thought had honestly never occurred to him.
"Something wrong with that?" She asked.
"No, it's hilarious!" Canderous roared with laughter at the thought. She is insane.
"So you'll show me?"
"Show you? Hell I'll hold the door open for you." Cackled the merc, "But for now I will order some food, we should get our plan straight before we act. Maybe wait till later tonight when it's quiet." Canderous said all this with a lowered face, Pol noticed but said nothing.
"Good idea." Pol rummaged through her pack for fresh clothing, plucking out items and laying them on her bed.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to the refresher, you know us womenfolk with hygiene… I don't know when I'll get a chance to do that next."
For an egocentric second Canderous wondered if Pol was hinting that he needed a wash. "Fine. I'll be back with dinner soon, we will talk then. Don't let anyone in." Canderous left the rooms closing the door behind him. Pol tested it, and as expected she had been locked in.
Well I guess he really doesn't want me taking off without him. Hell I'd do the same in his shoes. Pol said to herself and headed to the ensuite, with a bundle of clean clothing in one hand.
Over dinner Canderous and Pol refined their strategy between mouthfuls of Tarisian cuisine. The conversation drifted off course occasionally as the improbable couple sussed each other out.
"So you know all about us huh?" Pol asked.
"I know plenty about your friends. But there is a lot less information available on you." He admitted. "Owing to that fact, the exchange has had people watching you in particular since you arrived."
"How is that going?" Pol laughed she was an ex scout with a love of battle she doubted there was all that much to know.
"It's not a hard job." Canderous said with a wink.
"Especially not with my busted old stealth unit!"
"That wasn't what I meant." Canderous hinted lewdly.
Pol pointed out the thing that had been foremost in her mind. "I doubt they would have been watching me if you hadn't alerted them to my presence." She pointed out.
"That's true, but I filtered a portion of information for my own benefit. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to work with you, given your ties." Canderous drew a schematic map of the estate with the scraps on his plate. It was barely recognizable but it served its purpose without their plotting being obvious to any that might stumble in on them.
"By my reckoning the place to start would be the security room; from there you can shut down most of Davik's defense systems." Canderous mumbled the directions from behind his hand.
"Nice art work, now how extensive is this network of cameras? I assume by your discretion that it includes this room?"
"Yes, it does, but it's a visual only, no audio feed for this room. At least there was, but it had an 'accident' yesterday. All the same I figured it was wiser to discuss this over dinner, it's harder to lip read some one who's chewing."
"You're pretty smart Canderous, and here's me thinking you had a fetish for edible art and bad table manners." Pol spotted the camera and made a toast with her ale to who ever was monitoring it.
"Cute." Canderous drawled. "Perhaps you'd like to blow them a kiss too?"
"Ha-ha, you Mandalorians are all work and no play. I think that's why you lost the war."
"I disagree, we know how to play we just don't like the same kind of games as the Republic."
"Care to elaborate?" Pol asked conversationally.
"The reason we lost the war was simple. We met our match."
"Couldn't hack the Jedi huh? They must have been something." Pol breathed, she had always admired Jedi, Bastila Shan being the rare new exception.
"The Republic and the Jedi as a collective were weak; it was their leader the Jedi Revan who made all the difference." Canderous explained.
"Yeah but a single Jedi?"
"Jedi Revan was a supreme strategist and the single most perfect warrior I have ever seen; superior to even Mandalore himself."
"Isn't it against the Mandalorian code for you to say that?" Asked Pol who was a little shocked, and jealous, of the hero worship Revan elicited from Canderous.
"No because it's true. She defeated him, and proved herself the superior warrior. We Mandalorians care only for the glory of battle, win or lose. The skies above Malachor burst like a thousand swarming comets, and before we lost; the galaxy trembled at our feet!" The veteran smiled a little as he relived his glory days.
"But if Mandalorians get their honor from battling worthy opponents, now what? With the war over I mean, a big empty? Mercenary work, bounty hunting, scavenging; your people strewn across the galaxy like jetsam from a fire fight?" Pol regretted her question as it stumbled out. She watched Canderous's face fall. Oops, too close to home. She thought.
Canderous was thinking the same thing. Damn she's hit it right on the mark no point denying it. "Exactly. Nothing really seems worth my time anymore, there are no battles worthy of fighting. No places I haven't been and no thrills left to be had. At first I thought it was worth it all, but now after so many years it's just depressing. As part of my work for Davik I have had to kill the least worthy of targets, women, and children. I feel dishonored. I would rather not speak of this again."
"I'm sorry Canderous." Pol's apology was heartfelt; she knew the feeling of emptiness only too well herself. Canderous didn't reply he simply cleared away the remains of their abandoned meal.
"I'm going to hit the refresher. When I'm done we should head out." Canderous called from over his shoulder.
With the room to herself Pol set to thinking. I have to rally myself, I know the layout of the estate thanks to 'Davik I'm-so-great-look-at-my-estate Kang'. And if the information that Canderous has offered me is up to date there is no reason we can't take this facility out. I could even do it alone if I had to. I hope I don't have to…
Pol told herself she was checking that Canderous hadn't snuck off to 'pull the rug from beneath her feet' as she listened at the restroom door. She could hear him whistling softly and the occasional rap of a razor against the sink as he shaved. She tiptoed back from the door. "Well that explains the scars." Pol whispered to herself as she whipped out her vibroblade and whetstone.
She was putting the finishing touches to the edge on her vibroblade when Canderous returned, shirtless. He was still damp from the shower and the water gleamed in his graying hair. Black inked Tattoos wrapped about his muscled torso and biceps, declaring his rank and clan, as was the Mandalorian fashion.
Being partial to a slice of buff man-flesh Pol swallowed hard and gave herself a stern talking to. Ok Pol its fine, just don't stare. Don't stare… Don't stare…Oh damn he is so well built… Ah nuts I'm staring. Oh I wonder what that symbol means…Oh crap he has seen me.
Canderous caught Pol ogling him. "Watch it champ, you might cut yourself." He cautioned her as he dragged a clean shirt over his muscular physique. Canderous was plenty scarred up but, aware and proud that he was still in fine form. Strolling over to her he appraised her labors with an erudite manner. "Nice work. If I had known you could get such a first-rate edge on a blade I'd have left you with mine to do as well." To prove the point he retrieved a scimitar from his locker.
"I thought you preferred a heavy repeater." Pol said Looking up from her work; she caught a glimpse of the scimitar. "Oh no, Ordo, what are you going to do with that rusty old thing? Give Davik tetanus?" Pol threw the barb in to lighten the mood, and was rewarded for her efforts. Canderous grinned at her lopsidedly.
"Very droll, but this old blade is a finer piece than the Echani rubbish you're wielding. That thing is more gardening tool than blade." He indicated Pol's weapon with distaste.
"I thought you said the blade was good…"
"No I said the edge was first rate, you did that, not the Echani weapon smith."
"Every tool is a weapon in the hands of a warrior." Pol quoted.
"Stick with me, well go to Nar Shaddaa and I'll make sure pick you up a real blade on the black market, meanwhile be a doll and clean this up for me. If you do a good job I may even let you use it one day."
"Don't patronize me man thing!" Pol hurled a cushion in Canderous's direction; the Mandalorian caught it easily and returned fire with every pillow in easy reach.
"Ammunition depleted." He declared pulling on his boots.
Pushing away the pillows she had been bombarded with Pol set to work on the old scimitar. "Why does it feel like I am being punished for being better organized than you?"
"A woman's work is never done." Canderous quoted teasingly.