Vau stepped into the light and whistled for Mird.
"Let's move, dollface."
"Stop calling me that. I have a name."
"Well, you haven't shared it yet…"
His sarcasm dripped from his consonants. She was pretty sure she hated him.
Couldn't beat his contacts, though. He'd proven that when he'd set up the link to transfer the data she'd found-not what she'd needed, but valuable all the same in her own long game, as he put it. Sarcasm dripped from every syllable he uttered and she was sore tempted to use his helm to smash his face beyond the ability to sneer rather than return it.
It had been encoded and she'd be keeping the copy she'd already dubbed, tracking backward through her own contact.
In the meantime it seemed worthwhile to follow the same path to where this particular trail headed.
Although fantasies of killing him in his sleep were already dancing in her fancy.
"I'll find out eventually, Pinky," he warned. As a matter of fact he'd taken some discreet shots of her with his buy'ce's imager and had those on their way to Jaing as well.
"Pinky? Seriously?"
Her hair was blue, her eyes were blue, the blade of her saber was blue, what she wore was a mix of black and rainforest green, and the only pink she had in her gear or on her he'd have needed x-ray vision to see.
"Gotta call you something," he swore. Blew her a kiss and curled his lip in obvious distaste as his eyes tracked her up and down, purposefully moving his head as he did so-just to make sure she knew he was checking her out again. "Play it right and I might let you name me, too."
"Trust me when I say I've got a few picked out."
"Shift it, doll," he called, moving past her. "I'm not waiting for you. You want to travel my way you're going to have to keep up, Oh Great Nameless One."
"N'Dara Jouselle Pek-Marring'tionne." She said it carefully.
"Yeahhh. I'm not saying all that every time I want your attention. You'd be dead before I got to the duck part."
"You are truly odious, aren't you?"
He turned, held his arms wide in a gesture of innocence. "Love me or loathe me, what you see is what you get."
He grunted softly as he lifted his pack from where he'd left it at the doorway.
"Don't pack light, do you?"
"I may be here for an extended length of time. And I don't know what shape he'll be in when I find him. So… rats and medkit."
She sobered at that. "I didn't think of that. I didn't think of needing to strengthen them back up for egress."
He nodded. Chewed his lip. Made a face when the pack she slung on was nearly as big—just not as loaded. He jerked it up higher on her shoulders, yanked at a strap. Shoved her hand out of his way when she reached to swat him away.
"It'll ride easier if you carry it on your hips."
"I've been doing this a long time, thank you," she snarled.
He lifted a brow. "Then you've been doing it the wrong way. Will you just fekking take the advice given?"
She went sullen, but she tightened the belt strap around her waist.
He couldn't fault that work ethic of hers. She kept up. He appreciated the extra-sensory array, too, as they hiked through the night under the full moon. Useful as kriff. As useful as the infrared sensor in his HUD. He put up his fist to halt her when two humanoid forms appeared at a fair distance and high in the trees. Trannies climbed just as well as he did.
"They're just Wookies. Nesting, it feels like. They probably won't even realize we're here."
Mird turned on his heel and came to wind around his feet, abandoned him for the woman and stared up at her like she'd translated sacred texts. He seemed to like her.
"Take ten, then," he decided. Glanced around. He was ready to get off his feet for a few minutes, get the load off his own shoulders.
"We should just cold camp here. We won't get much farther and there might not be another spot more protected."
He grunted. Looked around. Their path was going to take them straight up the side of that big-assed mountain and the undergrowth was thicker and thicker. Here there was a slight access to the clear-flowing stream. And an embankment with a rock overhang. It was as good a spot as any and a lot better than strapping himself to a tree branch, which he'd done a couple of times when he couldn't come up with a better option.
"You were right," she admitted when he nodded to her and made to drop his pack.
The lifted brows begged her to continue.
"About the rucksack."
"I've done this a long while."
"You're outdoorsy?"
"Vocationally. I'm one hell of a tracker. And my people are nomadic."
"What people?"
"Mandalorians. Well. Some of us. There's a limit to how much you can take when you're constantly moving from assignment to assignment. I know guys who keep a bolt-hole. Just somewhere to crash between jobs. Stash your mementos and all. But if you're not there… who's watching it? Better to leave it somewhere safer."
"Where are yours?"
"Either on me or in a vault on Argau. Of course, my valuables are usually the type you use to send the other guy to meet his maker. I don't sleep with a dollie and I don't have flimsi-printed holos to haul out and moon over."
She nodded. Rolled her neck. He watched her walk to the stream. Crouch and put her hands in it, just holding them partially submerged like she was shaping the current.
The shape of her was just as it should be, now that he had opportunity to consider the view.
"Are you wearing RC-issue kute?"
She glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes flickered down at her hip before she went back to her chore.
There wasn't a whole lot of the body glove left to show, between the over-the-calf combat-style boots and the all-weather tunic she'd belted over her. Hiking it was basically just knees showing. Except now he could appreciate that exceptional derriere she'd just given him a glimpse of to keep his brain occupied. He already knew that the cam-covered helmet she wore was government-issue. She'd had the goggles pushed up to the brim when he head-butted her, chose to wear her own spec-ops anti-glare glasses instead.
"My guys said you couldn't beat the ballistic properties. They tried to sell me on a full rig, but I couldn't handle the HUD. I do better with the visor and plates."
"You have plates that can withstand a Verp shatter round?"
"I have no idea what that is."
"What I shot you with."
"You didn't hit me."
"Haatyc osik."
She filled her canteen and swirled it around. Sucked some of it down and offered it to him.
He took it. Tugged on her cover-all while he chugged. Looked for the tell-tale hole.
"You didn't hit me. I caught it."
"You did not. Those are miniscule."
She rolled her eyes. "I can't prove it to you now. I dropped your round in the-"
She watched his face change. His expression darkened and his brows lowered.
"What?"
"Shab. Haar'chak."
"What. What did I do?"
"Well? First, our little scuffle and the fact that we were digging won't be invisible. We disturbed dust and left prints. Can't help it. Not somewhere like this. No way to fix it unless we swept the whole place clean before we left. But something like that… that's pretty specific besbe. Kit. It's kit that can lead somebody back to us."
"Why?"
"Because it was a Kaminoan saber-dart."
"We've been careful, though, since then. We're not leaving much of a footprint."
He nodded. "It was just sloppy. On me. Not you. You wouldn't know to think about policing up your fight."
"Why don't you respect that I'm out here trying to do the same thing you're doing—and I've been doing it a lot longer than you've been here."
"Why won't you tell me why you got set free?"
She looked up at him. Squared her jaw. "Why would I have been set free?"
"Because Trannies are mean and there's no mark on you. I've never seen anyone walk away once they get them."
She jerked at her sleeves. "Fuck you."
"Why didn't you pull out when Vos and Yoda did? Or did they rescue you? They wasted lives rescuing a single jedi before."
"They didn't know I was here. I assume. Or maybe when I quit they-"
"You quit?" That took his interest.
She regarded him carefully. "I didn't desert, Sergeant."
"I'm not in the army anymore."
Her gaze went to the ground that crunched beneath their feet. Thousands of tiny pebbles and stones. No soft mud or sand or clay to betray where they stepped. She was right. It was a good spot.
Unless the river rose suddenly.
From growth patterns, though, it looked like the stream had carved a less resistant path a long time ago and hadn't disturbed the flora here in a good, long while.
"I didn't desert. I was already out before the GAR was ever conceived."
"Doubtful. You look twelve."
She held up both middle fingers in a rude gesture.
"I enlisted when I left the temple. Just regular navy, not spec ops. I did my time and out-processed. Then when this mess started I was asked to reconsider my voluntary separation. I preferred to work it as civilian consult. Less flack when I disagreed with orders that way."
"Orders keep you alive."
"Orders get men killed when they're coming from the wrong kinds of officers."
"Why did you leave the temple?" he asked, leaning back against his pack. He pulled out a packet of jerky. Offered her first dibs on the loras. She cupped her hand under his and poured some of the nut mix she'd pulled out of her own pack into his palm before accepting the dried meat.
He waited for her to answer.
Nudged her with his boot when she didn't.
"I asked you a question, Ensign."
"I may have outranked you."
"Doubtful."
She just lifted her brow.
He figured the conversation was over.
She'd crunched her way through the rats she wanted and refolded the pack, tucking it away, before she spoke again.
"Have you ever wanted to belong to something so badly, known it was full of good people, all doing their very best, but all making a horrible, terrible mistake for all that?"
"No," he said bluntly.
The corners of her mouth tucked in. "How nice. My heroes were misguided by their own good-intentions."
"I wanted to be just like my father. Almost as much as I hated him. I don't have heroes. Mando don't even use the word. We just do what needs done and at the end of the day you take a minute to give thanks that you're not dead yet, that your family is safe, and your clan is secure. Get up the next day, remember your dead, and take the next step to what needs doing. It's simpler."
"Why are you here, hunting just one man?"
"Because he's mine."
She nodded. "Why are you alone?"
"Because this isn't a job—not yet anyway—that requires brute force. I don't have an army that could land and overrun every prison on this world or any other he might be on. So I need to know where he's being held first. Then I'll re-eval if I need help."
"How did you get here?"
"Starship," he said. Gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Why did you leave the temple?"
"Master Camas-"
"Dear. Gods."
"Yeah. Know him?"
"A bit…"
"He's not a great jedi. He thinks he is. They all do. But, there's a core of madness to him. He's unpredictable and puts aside what's right in favor of his code. Too many on the council agree with him."
"Agreed," he corrected.
She lifted her brows and inclined her head at the reminder. "Touché. You get the point, Sergeant. Mine was that it's more than light and dark. Everything. Every time. I was ill-suited to their service."
"And they let you just walk away? Pack a bag and strike out on your own?"
She nodded. "I wasn't ever going to make it to Ilum under him anyway."
"What's on Ilum?"
"The trials. Where we emerge as Knight."
"So you were a padawan."
"I was. Green as grass and kind of lost. I knew there was a better world out there, I just didn't know how to make it."
"And you thought the navy would help you figure that out?"
"All I knew was serving. I was basically in a cult, then swapped it for another one."
He thought of Bardan Jusik.
Then himself.
"I hear ya. Seriously, though, Ensign. The navy?"
"It's Petty Officer. Or was."
"Cute."
She flipped her eyes skyward. "Do you get paid extra for being abrasive?"
"Just part of my charm. How old are you?"
"Old enough to make E-6. So kiss my ass, Sergeant."
"You're shitting me."
"I'm not green as grass anymore. I'm just not a merc. So you can stuff your attitude. I've been boots-on-the-ground in this sector a long time."
"How'd you get your lightsaber back if you had it on you when you got captured?"
She just held out her hand and… sucked his bucket to her.
"Fair enough," he agreed, leaning forward to hold his hand out to retrieve it. "How do you want to play this?"
"Play what?"
"I'm after getting some shut-eye before the daybreak predators come out. I don't mind keeping watch first, if you're tired."
"I'm not-"
He huffed in disbelief.
She ground her words out through tightly clenched jaws.
"I'm not especially tired, but I could use to meditate, if you don't mind. I haven't had the luxury since before my capture and then... with the orders… I just... haven't... and I could use to. Badly, if you truly don't mind me taking the time. After that I'd be good to stand watch until morning."
He nodded once. "I apologize for interrupting you."
"Well, holy fucking shit."
He kicked her lightly with his boot. Snorted back a laugh.
"Go do your jedi-ness thing. This is a lousy place to be distracted and I could use a good couple hours straight to recharge, too."
She nodded.
He walked around. Put up a few sensors. A couple infrared beams and cameras. Hunched down and cleaned up some, splashing water down the back of his neck and considering his scruff. Took out his shaving kit and tidied up, shaving by feel mostly since the mirror was only about the size of his thumb and practically useless in the moonlight. Filled and treated all of his drinking vessels. Reached for hers, too, as long as he was at it.
When he hunkered back down, preparing to spread his bedroll and pull up his book, he glanced at her.
She'd barely moved, just bracing her hands on her knees.
Except her still form was now hovering just inches above the ground.
Kriffing jedi. Gods almighty. How did he end up hooked up with a shabla jetii as a partner out here in the middle of the fekking jungle?
He settled down. Tilted to physically look over his shoulder when he heard a long exhale, then the sound of her rubbing her legs briskly.
She smiled guilelessly at him when she caught him watching.
"I totally went under. I appreciate it."
"It's only been an hour or so. Why don't you get some real rest, too?"
"I'm okay. I promise. I do appreciate the respite."
He nodded. "I set up some alarms and things." He explained the tech he'd set out. Pointed out the laser tripwires and the camera angles. "Do you want my bucket so you can monitor? It's run with my gauntlet pad, too, but-"
"I appreciate it. I do… but I can't wear it for long. I tried. I really did."
He nodded. Rolled to the side and pillowed his head on his arm, his upper body resting on the incline of his pack. "Wake me up if you get tired."
She agreed. Pulled her arms into her tunic and rested her chin on her knees. He got the impression she had more faith in her personal scanner array than in any tech he could offer her.
The moon had set when he shifted again, stretching his legs out carefully and testing the lightening atmosphere. Mird was laid belly-up along his side, hot through his armor and sleeping hard. The woman was just as motionless where she leaned against her pack. Her eyes were still open, though, and steady on the forest opposite.
It was a good location. With the ledge over them there was a solid wall at their backs, good cover above, and a clear view along the streambed.
"Shhh," she gestured. Pointed.
He flipped the infrared on in his helm. Followed her angle.
He didn't need NV to see what had captivated her attention.
Two katarn dragons sank together at the opposite bank. There was a slow, insidious grace about the way the two of them wove and undulated. The large, repto-mammalian creatures so very obviously were paying no attention to the two insignificant humans watching them, but Vau silently reached for his rifle anyway, moving instinctively closer to the woman.
She put her hand on the muzzle and he snapped off the scope, looking through the optics.
"They're just making a baby dragon. They won't bother us."
"They're huge," he murmured back under his breath. "I've never seen one that size."
She giggled.
"That's not what I was talking about, Navy."
He grinned up at her, though. Shook his head.
The male gained the hold he wanted. Trumpeted.
His mate rocked backwards, lifting herself to him, her own neck craning skyward and a song of her own joined his age-old cry of triumph.
"Hell," he muttered, "we could march a division through here and I doubt he'd notice right now."
"They're getting rarer. The Wookies have to hunt harder to find them."
"I'm glad we're camping on the ground. I have no desire to be mistaken for a tree-burrower when he's hungry later."
She thumped him. "Aw. But you come already gift-wrapped in your crunchy hard-candy shell."
They watched for a long time. Vau's snide asides got more than a wiff of amusement from her as the display continued… and continued… and continued… and continued. His mother would have been ashamed as the commentary got a little raunchier the longer the male held the female—and the wilder the female seemed to get under him.
"Definite omega," he snickered when she presented again as soon as the male dismounted.
N'Dara looked at him like he was crazy. He shook his head.
"Trust me. I'm a guy. I know… and look who's up for another round."
The song began again.
"Lucky girl," she hummed. "She picked one with skill and stamina."
"What skill!? What skill!?" Walon objected, rolling to his side to shove at her. "At this point he's got her so high a tree could tip over and she'd back into it and spread. Our boy's all brute, no finesse."
"Aww," she teased, smiling down at him. "Feeling threatened? Masculinity under question?"
"From a two-ton rat with armor? I think I can hold my own. Proportionally."
"I love the way he nuzzles her when he's done. I didn't know they did that. I would have thought it was all rut. It's amazing to see something that raw be that tender."
"Do they mate for life? Or is it random?" he asked her.
"I have no idea. It's nice to think they'll look for each other again, isn't it? That it's not just a chance meeting under the right timing."
"I wonder why they decided to call the second-phase armor katarn. It wasn't forged here and the database says these are only native to Kashyyk."
The former-jedi sighed. "I love it. I think whoever came up with it obviously knew about the dragons here and knew it would keep the troopers safe enough to find their hearts' desire-"
"Sturdy enough to shag a beast like that bitch and keep on trucking," he interrupted her.
She looked down at him in disgust. "You have no romance in your soul."
His snicker carried up to her through his bucket. He watched the male stretch out and rub his beak against the female's again. The almost-opposable digits seemed to stroke down her neck as the beast held his body upright on his rear legs.
"I think he loves her."
"Everybody loves a good lay."
He rolled away when she reared back and shoved at his arm with both of her feet.
Hours passed and the forest woke quietly. He watched the animals rub and stroke and nuzzle at each other. The after seemed more tender than the foreplay. Of course, they'd been fully engaged when he'd woken, so he'd missed most of that portion of the dove-dawn entertainment.
He dozed back off. Woke when the woman's quick squeak of dismay rang out.
The pair had finished apparently. He barely had time to curl his body around the weak protection his new pet jedi's body armor offered when the male's giant feet launched from their side of the beach to land on the rocky outcropping under which they sheltered.
"So much for good-byes," she muttered. She shook her hands.
"Where's the female?" he asked, reaching for his rifle again.
"She's what splashed us first."
He hadn't felt the droplets of water hitting. Sitting up, though, he saw what the woman indicated. Apparently the female dragon's leap had taken her midstream. Two huge sets of paw prints had pressed into the ground, water swirling to fill the new depths. Mird's ruff was up and the strill shook itself in disgust.
He laughed. Pulled his bucket off and ran a hand down his face, over his chin.
"That would have been a lousy way to wake up."
"I thought you were keeping watch."
He realized she'd pulled her blanket around her. Her bedroll was still bound and leaning beside her pack. A holo-imager and tripod was set up, too. He imagined she'd taken a few pictures of them. Would have been surprised to know she'd thought about snapping a few of him, too, as they'd rested.
"Eh. You lived. Pack it up, paparazzi."
"I have a name."
"You're going to need to shorten it," he reminded her as he sprung up and moved away to perform his morning ablutions in privacy.
She seethed again, considering the bodily harm she might wreak upon him if given the chance.
