Carth:
"Jeepers, who'd have thought there'd be such a thing as a suicidal droid?" Mission's laughter pealed through the Ebon Hawk. "That's the weirdest thing I've ever heard!"
Zaalbar moaned a reply and Mission burst into another fit of giggles. I slumped down into a seat in the main room and sighed. I was just glad that the day was coming to a close.
That woman had really been something else. She had raved frantically about a missing person that quickly turned into missing droid. I had been ready then and there to call it a day, but Mission was determined to find adventure out of the nonsense. So we searched the plains of Dantooine until we found the protocol droid being attacked by kath hounds.
If that wasn't enough, after Zaalbar had wrestled all the kath hounds to the ground, the droid explained that it had been trying to get itself destroyed. I had a handful of some choice ill thoughts that circled inside my head when the droid said, "She tried to treat me as her dead husband."
I think that Mission might have been somewhat touched by all of it, after she had stopped laughing. She tried to convince the droid to return to its master and nearly succeeded. Zaalbar grew impatient and reduced it to a heap of smoking scrap metal with his bowcaster. I think I was beginning to like that Wookiee.
The woman, of course, was devastated. She ran off and found the arms, thankfully, of a human companion to console her. Our job was done.
So I was ready to relax. I just wanted to kick my boots off and let my sweaty feet air out while someone else made a pot of caffa.
A loud crash exploded from the crew's quarters, I should have known by now that peace didn't exist in a world that had pubescent Twi'lek girls. One scream from Zaalbar later and the Wookiee stumbled into the main room with Mission dangling from his shoulders.
"Do I even want to know?" I asked.
"Don't you think Big Z would look darling with pink ribbons in his hair?" Mission flashed me her winning smile.
"I'd like to see you try getting pink ribbons anywhere near him." I began to loosen the laces on my boots.
"But Carth!" Mission protested. "I thought you were going to help me."
Zaalbar bellowed in what sounded like indignation.
"Not going to happen." I replied.
Mission pouted, while Zaalbar heaved a sigh of relief. The Wookiee plucked the girl from his shoulders and set her on the ground.
Mission plopped down next to me and began to fiddle with the holo-vid projector.
"So, how long do you think you'll stay on Dantooine?" I asked.
"'Til whenever, I guess." Mission shrugged.
"Well, that's not really a good answer, is it?" I retorted.
"Why not?" Mission shot back. "Should I have my entire life for the next twenty-six years mapped out?"
"I didn't mean that." I held my hands up defensively. "But if you don't have a plan, Rian's bound to mix you up in some shady business."
"Really?" Mission's dark blue eyes lit up.
I groaned. That was not the kind of reaction I had been hoping for.
"What?" She frowned.
Mission jabbed a button on the holo-vid projector. When it lit up, she stabbed her finger into it again. Zaalbar walked towards her and slapped her hand. Mission scowled.
I tried again. "What I mean, is do you have any plans for yourself?"
"What kind of plans?" Mission asked.
"Well…" I thought as I tore the first boot from my foot. "Like joining the military and studying at an academy."
Mission grimaced.
"It was just an example." I exclaimed.
"Your feet stink." she grumbled.
"I'm just concerned that if you don't have some sort of plan or goal to aim for, you'll just get dragged around wherever Rian feels like." I confessed.
"You're really worried about me?" The girl looked genuinely shocked.
I concentrated on pulling the other boot off. "Yeah. You're by no means incapable of taking care of yourself, but because of your age and size there are a countless number of people that would love to take advantage of you. I don't want that to happen."
Zaalbar growled and Mission patted him on the arm.
"It's okay, Big Z." she assured. "I know you'll always be there for me."
The Wookiee seemed satisfied. Mission giggled as she turned her attention back to me.
"What's with all this fatherly advice, Carth?" she teased. "Does that say something about your own plans? That you've hit some crazy midlife crisis and want to have babies?"
I froze. Mission sniggered, but I think Zaalbar caught on. He put a hand on the Twi'lek girl's shoulder. She looked back at me and her laughter died.
"You are a father, aren't you?" she said quietly.
"I was." I answered.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Mission asked.
"Do you want to talk about your brother?" I replied.
Mission nodded and smiled. "I understand." she said.
Zaalbar looked around the main room and sniffed. The Wookiee moaned softly.
"You're right, Big Z." Mission said. "It is awfully quiet in here."
Glad that the subject changed, I took a moment to listen myself. No sound of boots walking along to metal floor, no muffled voices, no noise generated from the caffa pot or food synthesizer. Nothing but silence.
"Where is everybody else?" I asked.
Mission shrugged, but her face lit up. A new adventure had begun.
"Rian?" Mission called out as she stood. Her lekku twitched as she scampered down a corridor. "Teethree?"
Zaalbar headed down the opposite hallway. His barks were loud enough to rattle my teeth. I sighed and stood up. I guess no one else would look for Canderous besides me.
To be honest, I secretly hoped that the Mandalorian would just vanish. I could tell that he didn't enjoy the company to be had in the Ebon Hawk, so I didn't understand why he chose to stick around. What happened between Mission and Canderous only solidified my ideas about the mercenary. If I had been there, I would have killed him.
But I liked the idea of Canderous Ordo sneaking around the Ebon Hawk even less than him simply being there. So I found myself calling the Mandalorian's name out as I tiptoed down the hall.
I didn't get an answer. I couldn't decide whether I should have been relieved, worried or suspicious. Suspicion won out. The high pitched shriek that Mission let out moments later didn't help, either.
I tried to bolt down the corridor, but in socked feet, I only managed to slip and stub my toe. That girl was taking years off of my life.
When I finally tracked Mission down, I saw that Zaalbar was already at her side. In her arms she held the T3-M4 unit. The droid burbled, agitated, as it struggled against Mission's grip.
"What's going on here?" I demanded.
"Look at him."
Mission held T3-M4 up so I could see it. Filthy, The droid's main light was smashed among other things. It let loose a low, frazzled whistle.
"Poor Teethree!" Mission exclaimed.
"What happened to it?" I asked.
"That stupid nerf-herder, Canderous, took Teethree out with him to finish off those Mandalorian raiders." Mission snorted.
Canderous went out on the plains of Dantooine looking for other Mandalorians to kill? I couldn't have been the only one who couldn't find the logic in that.
"Where's Canderous now?" I wondered.
"Off with Rian." Mission answered simply.
"Oh?" I said. "And where's that?"
"Out on the plains." Mission replied. "They were going to finish killing the last group of raiders, then cleanse an ancient grove."
I felt like I had just swallowed a blaster carbine. My stomach churned. Something was desperately wrong, I knew it.
"Do you know what they're cleansing in that grove?" I asked hoarsely.
Mission shook her head. "Uh uh. Teethree says that even Rian didn't know what the Jedi council was putting her up against."
Of all the senseless things I have ever heard! Did Rian think that just because that damned council gave her a lightsaber she knew how to wield one? I gripped the blasters in my holsters and checked their charge. I felt the odd sensation of relief in knowing that Canderous had accompanied her. I might not have agreed with him or his people, but he was a capable soldier at any rate.
I thumbed my blasters to the appropriate setting. I only wished that we would be able to get to the grove in time before Rian got herself killed.
