Word Count: 1439

Hunt Log: Side Notes and Journals
Sighting: Rishi

Wanda always told me that I needed to find a man to settle down with. Every time, I scoffed at the words of an old woman who'd forgotten the freedom of star travel. Forgotten what it meant to be independent. Of a woman who spoke out of pain from the loss of her husband. Until Torian.

Don't get me wrong, Torian never asked me to give up my lifestyle. Sure, he's a little overbearing about learning how to fight properly, but it was kind of cute. Messing with his head while he's trying to concentrate has become a favorite pastime of mine. As infuriating as I can be, he never tried to change me personally. Never once asked me to give up the Medallion. Just to be careful.

It only dawned on me later that Torian had asked me to move in with him in a roundabout way. He's never had roots to lay down. I decided it was time that changed.

"Almost there." Sadio tisked when Torian tried to move from beneath the visor of her hands. She was careful of the bruises marring his cheeks and throat, evidence of the Sith attack he wouldn't talk about. Sadio knew better than to press a stubborn Mandalorian, so she opted to focus on what was within her power. "No peeking, or I'll kick you with my boots."

"One day, that threat won't work anymore," Torian protested, then cursed when he stumbled. "You're going to run me into a tree."

Sadio snickered and urged Torian forward by pressing her body into his back. "Don't worry," she whispered, adjusting her hands so that one covered his eyes while the other snaked around his waist. "I won't let anything break that pretty face of yours."

Torian snorted, but Sadio felt his lips curl beneath her palm. She guided him down the sandy path towards the shore, noting the way he sniffed at the air and adjusted his stance for the uneven terrain. "Where are you taking me?"

"Hush," Sadio scolded. "I swear, I thought Mandalorians were supposed to be patient."

Torian fell silent after a light chuckle and stopped fighting. Sadio pressed her cheek against his shoulder as they walked until she stood in front of the door to a simple, thatch roofed hut. On the inside, everything was modern and clean, but outwardly, it had all the appearances of a quaint, seaside retreat.

"Okay, Blondie, have a look." Sadio pulled her hand away and stepped around in front of Torian. "Ta da!"

Torian's brows pulled together as he lifted a hand to blot out the sun. In the rays that sliced through the fat leaves of the canopy, he looked like a god. "What's this?" Torian asked, taking a step closer, then paused to get permission from Sadio to enter. At her nod, the door swept soundlessly into the wall to reveal a blank interior waiting to be personalized.

Sadio followed Torian with arms spread wide as she circled the room. She was proud of her find. It was exactly what they had talked about, a little place for them on the shore roughly ten miles away from Raider's Cove. However, when Sadio faced him, Torian didn't look pleased.

Her heart sinking, Sadio leaned against the polished counter to steady herself against the strange fear consuming her. "Torian, say something?"

Blue eyes scanned their dwelling, taking in every angle. Sadio held her breath when he walked into the next room without a word. She waited with a white knuckle grip on the counter until Torian returned. His expression was hard to read, but the word lost jumped to the forefront of her mind.

"I thought—" Sadio's words ended with a gasp when Torian scooped her off the floor to plant her on the counter.

"It's perfect," Torian breathed against Sadio's lips. His voice shook, barely louder than a whisper. "Didn't think you'd actually go through with it."

Though it pained Sadio to break such a gentle kiss, she pulled back to look into those lovely eyes. Now, she understood that vague expression as disbelief, not disapproval. He didn't expect for her to keep her word, and that simply wouldn't do.

"Of course I did." Sadio pressed a finger over Torian's lips when he started to speak. "I'm many things, love, but rarely a liar."

Torian's next kiss was more passionate, and Sadio let him push her back onto the smooth surface. "What say we break the place in?" He suggested while nuzzling her neck. Sadio laughed, then gasped again.

Hours later, when the sun began to set, and duty called them back to the ship, Sadio waited outside while Torian secured the house. Their house. "Should get a bed," he mused, flopping an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe some food for the cupboards."

Sadio smirked, then made a show of rubbing her back. "Yeah, definitely a softer surface." Torian pulled Sadio close to kiss her temple before settling onto the speeder bike. He waited for her to climb on behind him, eyes fixed on their home. "I could get used to this."

Sadio's chest tightened, but not in fear. She hoped that one day, when they were older and left the youthful days behind, maybe that would be a possibility. The more Sadio considered Torian's offer of marriage and a family, the more it sounded like the only future she wanted. "Yeah, me too."

The trip back to Raider's Cove was quiet. Sadio rested her cheek against Torian's back and enjoyed the simplicity of being with him. Torian made few demands, apart from the annoying habit of making her train, and he accepted Sadio for who she was. In turn, Sadio wanted to be a woman worthy of his affection, a proper Mando wife. Since that was virtually impossible, she would do her best to make him happy.

Though Sadio hadn't told Torian yet, she and Wanda planned for the older woman to perform a traditional adoption when they rendezvoused in a couple of days. Sadio would be an official member of Clan Lok, a Mandalorian by name. It was her proof to Torian that she was willing to bind her life with his.

The speeder came to a stop before Sadio's ship, which she silently sent up a prayer of thanks to whoever might be listening that it was still there. She'd given the crew the night off and locked down her ship, but on a world like Rishi, there were never enough precautions.

Sadio and Torian ascended the ramp with arms entwined while he punched in the code to open the airlock. Sadio spun around in Torian's arms, intending to break her silence about the adoption when giddiness threatened to overwhelm her. Sadio was so distracted by his possible reaction, that she didn't notice the pungent smell of alcohol until Torian pulled her to a stop.

The Mandalorian's gaze fixed over Sadio's shoulder, then looked around the empty hallway. "Where's the ori'dush beskar'ad?" Sadio rolled her eyes. Torian had taken to calling Phil the Demon Droid after being electrocuted by the feisty little defender.

Stepping around her, Torian kept Sadio at his back while he checked each room. His muscles tensed when he reached the center of the ship, and Sadio peeked around to see what had put her Mandalorian on edge.

It took several heartbeats for the scene to be fully realized in Sadio's mind. Phil stood with pinchers angled towards she and Torian like they were the intruders. An awful sound drew Sadio's attention past her miniature protector to the large lump of fur beneath the holotable.

"Torian," Sadio began, enunciating each word carefully. "Is there a Wookiee beneath wedged under my table?"

Torian squatted with one hand braced against the metal surface. Phil hummed menacingly, but the Mandalorian ignored him. After placing his free hand in front of Bowdaar's mouth, Torian looked over his shoulder. "Maybe letting the crew lose on a pirate planet was a bad idea."

Sadio joined her lover and caught a whiff of alcohol so strong it had probably been outlawed in the rest of the galaxy. "Let him sleep it off." She spared a look at Phil, who wedged himself between Torian and Bowdaar. "He's well protected."

Torian shrugged and backed away, keeping Phil in his line of sight. "Wouldn't want to be here when he wakes up."

Chuckling, Sadio patted Torian's shoulder. "At least we found a way to distract Phil." She smiled down at the Wookiee. "Just need to figure out what kind of booze he drank."