Tallis' head shot up as the door to Drionn's hideout opened with a metallic screech, revealing Han, Chewie and the Mando. All looked unharmed, which was a relief to say the least.

"I was beginning to worry." She said, pushing herself up from the crummy couch.

Han flashed his trademark cocky grin. "Well you can kiss those feelin's away, Blue." He said so casually for one who nearly got a hole in his head.

Tallis crossed her arms and glared back at the smuggler. "Nothing is getting 'kissed away' until Drionn explains what the hell happened back there." She said, her gaze snapping to Drionn as he removed his helmet. In doing so he allowed her to see a surprised expression crossing his darkly toned face.

"Wait, what?" He said incredulously.

"Your intel said nothing about silent alarms." Tallis accused bluntly.

Drionn straightened his back. "So?"

"So?" Tallis asked incredulously. "Is that all you have to say? Han and I almost got fried!"

Drionn shook his head in disbelief. "Hey, not everything I get is a hundred percent accurate." He said, raising his hands in defence.

Tallis barked a mocking laugh. "You still use the same old excuses. Don't take me for a fool, Drionn."

"I'm not lying, Tallis!" Drionn said, his voice rising in volume.

Tallis thinned her lips, feeling herself bite back hurtful words.

Taking a deep breath first, Drionn exhaled and shook his head. "Look... I'm sorry. I should've been more thorough."

"Damn straight you should've." Tallis said lowly.

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

Tallis smirked dryly. "That's all you ever say."

With a grimace, Drionn shook his finger. "Maybe so. Maybe you should start saying it too. How's Dathomir doing?"

Tallis backtracked at his words. Her heart stopped a mere moment and then skipped on gradually. Narrowing her eyes against rising tears, she clenched her teeth. "How dare you?" She said softly, voice choked. "I was a child."

"Exactly my point, Tal." Drionn said. "And you're still a child. You don't belong here."

Angrily Tallis closed the distance between them with stomping steps, her face hot with anger. "I don't belong here? Well I'd say you're far away from your home in shackles." She said, spitting venom.

"Hey!"

Both turned to Han, who had been completely forgotten.

"That's enough, cool off!" Approaching the two, Han stepped between them, grabbing a shoulder in each hand to distance the heated duo. "What problems you two have to hash out can wait. There's a bigger fish to fry."

"He's right." Drionn said reluctantly.

Slowly Tallis nodded in agreement. Taking a deep, cleansing breath she turned her attention to Han. "Fine. What did you find?"

"Well," Han gestured to Chewbacca who sat at the table with a computer, "while you two were squabbling Chewie uploaded the datacard to Drionn's computer. Looks like we got some dates, purchased merchandise and even names."

Tallis came around to stand beside Chewbacca, leaning over the wookiee's shoulder to get a better look. "All accurate?" She asked warily.

"Chewie says so." Han said in reassurance. "And get this kid, only one bomb matching what we got left was bought in the timeline with the early bounty release."

At this Tallis perked up visibly. "Seriously? Who was it?"

Han shrugged. "Dunno exactly... Drionn do you maybe know this guy?"

The young Mando moved closer, studying the name Han pointed out. "Zowi Ocubas? Yeah I think so. Last I heard he was working a hunt on Ord Mantell."

With a nod, Han grinned. "Great! Then that's where we go next."

"I'll pack a bag." Drionn said firmly.

"Wait," Tallis said, somewhat annoyed that her voice betrayed genuine concern, "what about your boss?"

A slight grin touched Drionn's lips. "They won't notice for a week or two. It'll be fine."

"Good, 'cause the more the merrier." Han said. "Plenty of room on the Falcon. Let's get out of here."

~~~

Pinpoints of glittering stars stretched into glowing lines and then finally melted into blue motley patterns akin to flowing lava as the Millennium Falcon made its jump to hyperspace. Behind Captain Solo, Drionn shifted and turned to the passenger beside him.

"Hey Tal, can we talk?"

Tallis glanced at him for a moment, her shoulders shuddering with a silent sigh before she nodded. "I think we should." She said. Standing, the two left the cockpit for some needed privacy.

Once the two were alone in the lounge Drionn spoke first. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said."

"No." Tallis said with a raised hand. "I am so sorry... what I said was uncalled for. Cruel. Saying something like that... I barely understand your pain or the whole of Mandalore."

As she spoke, Drionn knew well she was genuine. Tallis cared and confessed her wrong doings to her friends. In that way she had stayed the same over their time apart.

"Maybe, but you understand enough. And my apology still stands Tal. You were just a kid. None of it was your fault."

A weak smile was his reward as Tallis reached out and took his hand, squeezing tight. "It's okay. That's the past... and you're alive. That's all that matters now and that's all we should focus on. I missed you."

Squeezing her hand back, Drionn grinned. "I missed you too, Bluejay."

A comfortable silence fell over them. One that was intimate and sincere. One where they simply enjoyed being alive, enjoyed being together in more than just memory. And for those few moments, Drionn knew peace. Real peace.

Yet he could not allow himself to keep it when he had much to do.

Letting her hand go, Drionn broke the silence. "Say, let me see your lightsabers."

Tallis raised her eyebrow. "What for?" She asked, even while taking the weapons out of the large holster Han had given her, along with dark blue pants and a white shirt permanently stained with time.

The Mando only grinned as he took the sabers and went to the game table. Sitting down, he pulled a satchel up from where he left it when they first boarded the Falcon.

"Just what I thought." He said in feigned disappointment. "You let the paint fade."

Tallis sat down across from him, brows furrowed half in confusion and half in amusement. "Our rebel hero is being targeted by the Empire and bounty hunters, you're not really supposed to be off Nar Shaddaa and you're worried about paint?"

Only a smirk was Tallis' answer as Drionn found what he was looking for, producing a round glass jar and thin brush from his satchel.

"Is that really paint?" Tallis asked, incredulous.

Drionn shrugged. "Same brand as what I got you after... well... before Dathomir I guess."

Tallis smiled in awe. "You mean when Mom died." She said bluntly, though her voice was soft. "I remember that clearly."

Perking up slightly, Drionn tilted his head. "What do you remember exactly?"

Her smile was sad now, sad and reminiscent. "I was hiding, crying, alone. And you found me. You showed me how to do this." She took a lightsaber, carefully tracing the diamond symbol painted in orange meant to commemorate Ahsoka Tano.

"A way to honor my mother's life and her death. I ran out of the paint you gave me. I was trying to keep it fresh." She chuckled ruefully.

"And now you can freshen it up again." Drionn said, pushing the paint and brush to Tallis' small hand. "I found it at random in a market, somehow I just knew we'd meet again. Take it." He urged.

Tallis leaned forward and took his hand. "I'll get to work. Thank you, Drionn." And it was clear such a thanks went deeper than words described.

So Drionn only nodded.

Tallis took the paint and brush, stood up and was about to leave when she suddenly stopped and turned around. She grinned, voice full of humor.

"Any chance you've been dragging a dress around too? Your plan had one casualty and it was my favorite dress."

He laughed heartily. "I'm a friend, not a genie."

~~~

Several hours passed before the Millennium Falcon jolted and the world Ord Mantell quickly filled the viewport. There was nothing all that unique to the planet, save perhaps for the dull grey spaceport Han was given permission to land in.

The four disembarked and headed out with Han and Drionn in the lead. The port was as busy as Mos Eisley, but much more organized and significantly more clean. Even the aliens who looked like scum had enough self respect to be clean. It was a welcomed change from Nar Shaddaa.

"So," Han began as they stopped at an intersection for traffic, "where is this hunter of yours?"

Drionn shook his head. "All I know is that he's working here. We aren't supposed to know eachothers hunts unless necessary."

Han put his hands on his hips in thought. "Alright, if I know anything about bounty hunters they like a good cantina. We'll split up and search."

"Last time we split up things did not go according to plan." Tallis pointed out bluntly. Chewbacca wuffed his shared concern.

"Hey don't worry guys." Han said in an easy tone. "It may not look it to you Blue, but Ord Mantell is respectable and the establishments share that feature."

Han then looked to Drionn, ignoring any more complaint Tallis might make. "Where does this Ocubas guy like to spend most of his time?"

"Oh let me just pull out my trusty bounty hunter list!" Drionn said in mock cheerfulness. "I don't know him beyond a working relationship. Never even had a drink with the man."

"Alright don't get your head blown off." Han said. "Let's ask around, the locals gotta know where he is."

Tallis sighed. "Then we are splitting up?"

"Looks like it." Han said with a wink.

"Now what does Ocubas look like?"

~~~

"I hate locals." Drionn muttered as yet another street walker had nothing to say about Zowi Ocubas.

Tallis grinned. "Patience is key."

"That key is irritating." Drionn said pointedly.

Again Tallis only grinned, suppressing a chuckle. "How did you survive without us?"

"Ha, by the skin of my teeth. In other words it's been miserable."

Nodding, Tallis agreed and empathized deeply. It was miserable to be alone. To think your friends, your family was dead. And to know you could have done more, you could have saved them if only you had tried harder. If you had been better. Stronger. They were gone because of you. And there was nothing you will ever be able to do to make it right.

A weight that crushed your heart til even tears could not be shed. Miserable was a gross understatement.

"You haven't asked about them." She said softly, almost a whisper.

"What?"

"About our friends." Tallis clarified.

She watched as Drionn's gaze wondered elsewhere. He swallowed and Tallis could have sworn she heard the ball he tried to keep down.

"What is there to ask about?" He said with a gruff edge. "They're all dead. Hell, I thought you were dead."

"Rukk saved me." Tallis explained simply. "That was the only job Mom ever truly gave him." A weak laugh forced its way up her throat.

"Sometimes it felt like I was the only thing he truly loved after... wookiees don't live good lives thanks to the Empire."

"Tallis... it's not your fault." Drionn said slowly.

Quickly Tallis swiped at her eye. "I stopped blaming myself a long time ago."

Drionn carefully took her hand in his. "Why don't I believe you?"

Tallis glanced down at his hand and squeezed it back firmly. Then she carefully pulled away and picked up the pace. However the silence was uncomfortable.

"Hey, remember that one time Jadastr tried to shoot you down?"

Drionn snorted suddenly. "How could I forget? She almost got me before coming to her senses. Never touch a woman's X-wing."

Tallis laughed and nodded vigorously. "She was so red. I could not intervene, the Force willed it to be so."

"Yeah, you're such a loyal buddy." Drionn jabbed. "I'm surprised you didn't let me die sooner."

"No team is complete without their explosive clown." She said firmly.

"Fair enough, clumsy Jedi." Drionn said, and even with his helmet in his smile almost shown.

"I'll show you clumsy." Tallis said, punching Drionn playfully in the arm just as her comm went off. Flicking it on Tallis enveloped it in her hand as Drionn led them into a side allie.

"It's Tallis."

"Chewie and I found something. And boy is it expensive."

~~~

"Hotel with a cantina floor." Drionn said slowly. After speaking briefly with Han, the two pairs did a rendezvous outside the hotel Han was told the hunter was currently lodging in. "It's not exclusively a hooker joint. This is new." Drionn continued with a nod.

"Drionn, this is nasty." Tallis said.

"Nasty how?" Drionn asked.

"There's literally a sign about the hookers!"

Han snorted and glanced at Chewbacca. "On the bright side you won't get molested here. You gotta pay for that."

Tallis folded her arms. "You're disgusting."

"Hey I don't make the rules. Now are we gonna find that Ocubas guy or not?"

"Fine." Tallis conceded. "But after this, I might drink for real."

"That's the spirit!" Han said cheerfully as they moved to the entry.

Inside was exactly what Tallis expected. The atmosphere was rowdy with noisy customers, blasting music, flashing multicolored lights and women of the most sexualized species dancing on pedestals. Averting her eyes, Tallis stood behind Drionn while Han spoke to the greeter. In no time Han booked two rooms and with a little help from Drionn paid the fee.

An elevator was never a more welcomed sight as the group of four crammed in and rode to the next floor.

"Chewie and I will share one, if that's all right with you Blue?" Han asked.

Tallis nodded. "I'll be fine with Drionn."

"Good, hopefully we won't have to wait too long for this guy to show."

Drionn raised a hand. "Hey, I know the guy, I'll try and get into contact with him to help with his hunt. We ought to be able to get a meeting for sure that way."

"Great! Get on that," Han said, "but be careful and don't scare him off. He's our only chance right now."

Tallis grinned. "I'm sure Drionn won't ruin anything, he's been doing this for a while."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Drionn said with a grin. "I'm gonna find a console, go ahead and catch some shut eye, Bluejay." With that, the Mandalorian turned and went back to the elevator.

Tallis waved as he stepped in and disappeared.

"Ya know what?" Han said. "I'm starting to like the guy more and more."