Disclaimer: Still don't own Star Wars~!
Point in the Timeline: 2 years and 8 months after the Naboo Crisis.
Chapter 18: Blaster vs Bowcaster
Why the Jedi Council had sent the Kenobi-Skywalker team to Kashyyyk was unclear at best. Why the Jedi-Padawan pair had brought Rae was... only slightly clearer. "Obi-Wan...why am I here?" the Bouncer/baker asked, once more waving away a bug buzzing around her exposed face.
"I thought you'd want to see what a normal mission was," the Jedi Knight answered smoothly. "And Kashyyyk is a beautiful world, don't you think?" Rae huffed and glared at his back.
"Perhaps... though I don't appreciate the rain forest climate. Too many bugs! I may have lived in a hot, humid, mess of a State from infancy into young adulthood but at least it was mostly temperate!" she protested. Anakin wasn't fairing too much better but, wonder of wonders, he wasn't complaining. "Blood suckers must not like you as much. Wonder if it's a Force thing?" Rae muttered. The two males stopped and turned to her with mildly horrified looks.
"Blood suckers?!" they asked. Rae blinked at them in innocent, and genuine, confusion.
"Yeah. I mean, that's not their real name but... mosquitoes suck your blood. The itchy bumps they leave behind is basically an allergic reaction to bug spit," she said. Obi-Wan let out a slow breath but Anakin still looked concerned.
"Oh. You meant stingbugs," Obi-Wan said, continuing on his way. Rae frowned and jogged to catch up.
"Uh, no, I meant mosquitoes," she said. "They drink from warm blooded creatures, sometimes carry disease, and are world-wide pests that lay eggs in standing water." Anakin whimpered.
"And you think they're here?" he asked. Rae turned back to quirk an eyebrow at him.
"This whole planet is covered in dense jungle. Huge trees, thick vines... I'd be surprised if there aren't standing pools all over the place. Perfect breeding ground... though a swampier planet like Dagobah would be even more suited to the little pests," she said.
"Are... are we going to get sick?" Anakin asked, looking around nervously. Rae shrugged.
"I went to a clinic not too long ago and made sure all my vaccinations were up to date, so hopefully not. And I haven't heard of malaria or yellow fever since leaving Earth, diseases that wiped out armies in my people's history, so I'd say it's unlikely we get something really bad." Obi-Wan reached over and smacked the back of her head.
"Stop trying to scare my Denshi, Rae," he said evenly. Rae pouted at the man.
"You have to steal my fun?" she asked. "Besides, there are bugs buzzing around my face that aren't all up in yours, Master Jedi. I am curious as to why."
"I have never had much trouble with stinging insects," Obi-Wan said. Rae growled low in her throat and glowered at him.
"That is so not fair," she grumbled. Obi-Wan chuckled and Anakin trailed behind them with a faint pout.
/*/
Arriving at the Wookiee village, Rae let the Jedi go on ahead of her while she wandered... though they weren't too enthused by the idea. "I'll be a good girl. Promise~!" she told them, waving them on. Anakin seemed to take her at her word, but Obi-Wan was far more suspicious.
"You don't even know the language," he pointed out. Rae gave him an unimpressed look.
"I've gotten pretty good with my intuition, Knight Kenobi. Understanding the gist of what is being said as I wander should be enough," she said.
"Should be?" Obi-Wan asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.
"And here I thought it was the Sith who dealt in absolutes," Rae quipped, already turning and striding away. "I'll be looking for the market~!"
"Market? Rae... !" Obi-Wan called after the retreating woman, but she just raised a hand and gave him a half-wave over her shoulder.
"We do have a market," the Wookiee escorting the Jedi remarked with some amusement. "She is free to look."
"It's not your market I'm worried about," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "It's why she wants to visit it that concerns me."
"Maybe she's looking for a new knife for her growing collection?" Anakin supplied. Obi-Wan sighed and stood beside his Padawan while the Wookie's shared looks.
"A knife, a blaster, a vibrosword, a bow gun, a carving, a bolt of fabric... I don't know with that woman," the Jedi Knight said.
"The woman is a warrior?" one of the Wookiees asked, looking back toward the door. "She did not seem like one."
"She's not a warrior, per say," Obi-Wan said.
"Rae's complicated," Anakin added. "She likes weapons and learning how to use them, but doesn't like to cause serious damage to other sentient beings."
"Her main profession is a baker, though she is also a certified bouncer. The Padawans at the Temple also benefit from her tutelage on close quarters combat," Obi-Wan said.
"She fights with her claws?" Understanding what such a thing meant in Wookiee culture, Obi-Wan hurried to correct them.
"No, not exactly. She fights with her whole body, utilizing skill and agility to incapacitate her opponents. She wears reinforced gloves when she anticipates a fight and always has a knife on her, along with a stun baton. She's actually infamous for that one," he said, unconsciously rubbing his left shoulder. Settled but curious, the Wookiees soon turned the conversation to the main reason the Jedi were on their planet.
/*/
Meanwhile, Rae was wandering the wooden walkways of the village as her intuition directed. After some time, she came upon a bustling market. Smiling, she joined the flow of Wookiees and took in what wares were on display. Carvings, fruit, game, fish, and... her eyes locked onto a certain stall and her mouth split into a dangerous smile. The Wookiee running the stall saw her expression and welcomed her with a friendly growl. "Ah... not too sure what you're saying, but this is some fine craftsmanship. I have a... hobby of sorts for collecting weapons. Of course, I either know how to use them before I buy them or endeavor to learn how quickly after doing so. Weapons of such fine make... it would be an insult to leave them on a rack," she said. The Wookiee growled in agreement and tilted their head. Rae blinked. "Hum? Oh! Well, for right now I'd just like to see the smaller, simpler weapons. I'm not really the martial type," she said, mentally chuckling. The Wookiee nodded and moved to help another costumer.
/*/
Obi-Wan bowed and helped Anakin back to his feet, making a mental note to teach him how to understand their hosts. "Thank you, Chief. We'll be collecting Rae and returning to Coruscant," he said. Anakin swallowed a yawn and bobbed a clumsy bow as well before trailing after his Sensei.
"Where are we going now?" Anakin asked quietly and Obi-Wan noted that the boy had gotten better at speaking quietly.
"The market, to start," the Jedi answered. "If Rae isn't there, someone is likely to have seen where she wandered off to."
"You think Rae would have wandered off?" Anakin asked. Obi-Wn shook his head.
"Perhaps not on purpose, but surely you've noticed she has a certain kind of wanderlust," he said. Anakin hummed, then nodded.
"I can't argue with you there, Sensei," he said, causing Obi-Wan to huff in amusement.
"For once," he remarked teasingly. Anakin flashed him a mischievous smile, reminding Obi-Wan this was the same child who dared to steal chocolate from Rae's counter. Entering the market, neither Jedi saw anything that would have held Rae's attention for long until they chanced upon a weapons vendor. "Excuse me! Have you seen a sleight, pale, human woman recently? She'd have brown hair, blue-gray eyes, and seem to know what you're thinking," Obi-Wan said, drawing the attention of the shop-Wookiee.
"Ah, the strange woman who didn't understand but understood? She came by a while ago and browsed my wares. She picked up a blaster rifle and seemed interested, but unsure how she'd handle it so I let her take it to the range out back with my son to supervise," he answered. Obi-Wan nodded in thanks.
"Would you be willing to guide us there? She is our friend and travel companion and it is time for us to depart," he asked. Nodding, the Wookiee waved them to follow and lead them through the shop. Not long after, they came to a shooting range fit for the Wookiee people and sure enough, there was Rae.
"Huh. The weight is a little more than I'm used to, and the recoil is stronger than my pistol but not enough to hurt or throw off my aim by much," they heard her remark. "I should be able to make use of one of these, given some time to train."
"Ha! You could train for twenty years and never surpass me!" a near by Wookiee boasted. Rae considered the large walking shag carpet in front of her.
"Sorry, I don't speak rwar," she told the large being.
"That's okay, I do," Obi-Wan said, stepping up beside her. "Or, at least, I can translate." Rae chuckled.
"Right then. Wookiee-san, would you please repeat your statement?" she asked, addressing the being in front of her.
"He says, 'I am Chathar the Marksman and I challenge you to a contest of marksmanship.' Well this should be interesting," Obi-Wan translated, feeling slightly amused that Chathar had decided to change his statement. Rae scoffed, giving the Jedi a bemused sideways glance.
"Interesting you say," she remarked dryly. "Oh aye, interestin' it may well be, but what 'appens if I manage to best him?"
"Careful, your Irish is showing," Anakin drawled, earning himself a scathing glare.
"Oi, stow the sass, Boyo," Rae barked. "Wookiees are a proud people, so I've heard. Once heard Wookiee's were known to rip peoples arms out of their sockets after a loss. I quite like my arms where they are, thanks."
"Proud they may be, but they are also honorable," Obi-Wan maintained, giving Chathar a pointed look. Rae huffed, but turned and nodded to the young Wookiee.
"Very well, I accept your challenge. Name your terms," she said.
/*/
"That little slip of a human beat me," Chathar breathed, gaping in shock at the perfect little smoking holes in the dead center of each of Rae's targets. Obi-Wan shook his head while Rae looked right proud of herself.
"I've learned it's not a good idea to bet against her, Chathar," he told the Wookiee. "It usually ends in humiliation. Or, as she would say, tears." Chathar sighed and turned to the smug little human.
"You have bested me. Claim your prize," he said. She tilted her head.
"A prize, huh?" she mused softly before grinning. "Can I take a closer look at your bowcaster? It's a fine weapon, and powerful. A fitting tool for a Wookiee. As a weapon enthusiast, I've been wanting to get a good look at one for a while." Chathar was mildly surprised. All she wanted from him was a good look at his weapon? The Jedi chuffed out a laugh.
"She may not use the heavier or more exotic weapons, but she does hold an appreciation for them," he said confidently, Rae bouncing on her toes and nodding in agreement. Huffing, Chathar held out his bowcaster in invitation. Surprisingly, the little human didn't try to take it from his claws and instead examined it without touching.
"How can you get a truly good look if you do not hold it?" he asked her. She looked up with a curious expression that slowly melted into shocked awe.
"You mean... you don't mind if I hold it?" she asked. Chathar blinked, having been sure she couldn't understand him, but nodded. She grinned and carefully took the weapon in both hands. "Oof! Yeah, don't think I could use one of these. Little too heavy, unfortunately. Now, if there was a smaller version I might be able to but... I'm far more proficient in simple weapons," Rae remarked, carefully turning the large weapon over in her hands before returning it to Chathar with a happy smile. "Thank you for indulging my curiosity. I wish you a good day, Chathar the Marksman," she said, then gave a short bow and turned toward the landing pads. Obi-Wan shook his head and the smallest human laughed as he followed after the woman.
"Have a good day, Chathar," the Jedi said as he passed. The young marksman knew he wouldn't be forgetting those three any time soon.
/?/
A/N: Not much of an edit from the original, just fixed a few spellings and adjusted the flow a little.
Originally an answer to a comment comparing Rae to Daryl Dixon and her 'need' for a crossbow. Can't say if she'll get an actual, rather archaic for Star Wars, crossbow but ah... no bowcaster for her. Sorry~!
Also, I happen to have Irish heritage and sometimes the accent comes out on accident. NO idea why and my two friends in the Social Sciences say it shouldn't be possible but like... I've been slipping into English/Irish accents for years? On accident? So... eh? ALSO also, the original version got a comment about Irish and kneecaps? Uh... how is she supposed to show a tendency to go for the kneecaps during a shooting competition?
...
I really should stop writing these things when it's past 10pm. My friends tell me I start loosing my grip on my sanity at about 10 and it just gets worse the longer I'm up... Yeah.
NO REGRETS!
