There was no warning.

All of a sudden, blasts were fired, people were falling everywhere, and droids marched in groups down the streets.

"Mama!" I scream, running to her. Papa already has Din in his arms and we start running. Mama holds my hand and we keep moving.

"It'll be ok, Rin. Just trust us." Mama says, but she looks really scared.

We get to a cellar, and Mama and Papa open the doors.

"C'mon, Mama! We gotta hurry" I beg, but they don't move to get in.

"Din, look after your sister, alright?" Papa says, kissing the top of Din and I's head. "Promise?"

"Promise." Din says.

Papa looks at me. "Rin, your brother will protect you, so stay with him always. Promise?" My eyes sting with tears, but I nod.

Mama and Papa then lower Din and I into the cellar and leave, with one final 'I love you' before they closed the doors.

The ground shakes and I hug Din, trying not to scream as the sounds of the droids firing and people running fills our ears. Tears roll down my cheeks. I think I heard Mama and Papa scream...

Then, the doors open and there's a droid right there! I can't help a scream, trembling as I buried my face in Din's chest.

Suddenly, there's a blaster shot, and then there's a hole in the droid's chest. It falls, then we see who had shot the droid, and our hearts leapt with relief.

It was a Mandalorian warrior! He (at least I think it's a he) reaches down and helps us out, and I can't help hugging his leg, sobbing now the danger was past. It was so scary!

The man picks me up, motioning with an arm for another warrior to come grab Din. The pair of warriors nod to each other and we are suddenly flying!

I look as we fly away and realize the Mandalorians were winning! They were destroying droids left and right!

I decided I kinda like these Mandalorians.

If Din and I were going to be raised together by these Mandalorians, I could keep my promise to Mama and Papa and never leave Din's side.

=#=#=#=#=

"Again."

I groan under my breath and force myself to stand once again. Din and I had been practicing a shoulder throw for what felt like hours.

"C'mon, Rin." Din says, looking about as tired as I felt.

I pull up some inner strength and manage another decent charge. Din grabs my arm, twists the vibroblade from it, and tosses me over his shoulder.

I groan loudly as my back crunches into the mat again. This training would definitely leave a bruise...and possibly minor internal damage.

"Reverse the roles." Our instructor calls and reluctantly we do.

I gulp. I was decidedly nervous. I wasn't as strong as Din. I don't think I can throw him.

But I had to try. Din charged at me, and I managed to grab his wrist, twist the vibroblade, and try to throw him over my shoulder.

Unfortunately, I was right; I wasn't quite strong enough to throw him over my shoulder, so Din was able to regain his feet, twist my arm around and pin it painfully behind my back.

Almost without thinking, I slam my head back into Din's, who grunts and loosens his hold just enough to get out of his grip. I then grab my vibroblade and prepare to keep fighting when the instructor calls out a crisp 'hold!' and instantly Din and I freeze.

"You both share quick thinking and a natural instinct for combat." Is our praise. "But you lack fundamental strategic knowledge. Din should have attempted to intercept Rin before she retrieved her vibroblade. Alternatively, Rin should have, upon realizing she was not strong enough to throw Din over her shoulder, simply put him on the ground and pinned him beneath her knees."

I nod sheepishly. "Yes ma'am."

"Do not be discouraged, Rin. Simply learn and progress."

I nod, gripping my vibroblade in determination. "Yes ma'am."

"You alright to try again?" Din asks.

I nod. "You bet."

=#=#=#=#=

"Are you nervous?" Din asks as we polish our helmets for the ceremony tomorrow.

We will be of age tomorrow. We'll be sworn to the Creed and we'll never be able to take our helmets off around another living thing...except each other.

That was one of two exceptions granted us by right of us being born on the same day.

The other was that we could both leave the Covert on bounty hunting assignments together, which normally would be against the rules.

"No, I'm not nervous." I grumble, but I was in a way.

I didn't feel ready to put the helmet on and almost never be able to take it off.

Not that I didn't like the helmet or that I didn't want to swear the Creed, it's just...it seems like a lonely existence, never showing your face.

"Rin, tomorrow is an important day. We'll remember tomorrow for the rest of our lives."

"I just hope they're happy memories." I reply softly, wiping over my paint job and being careful not to ruin my hard work.

I was allowed (since I asked pardon, not permission) to paint my helmet and make it distinct from Din's. I felt like that was smart, so we weren't grabbing each other's helmets all the time.

Din's hand on mine stalls my polishing and I realize I have tears in my eyes.

What the hell? Why am I crying? Mandalorians don't cry!

"Rin, c'mere." Din murmurs, drawing me into his lap for a hug. I accept, suddenly not willing to fight off my emotions any longer. "What's wrong, huh? Do I need to beat someone up?"

"N-no, Din. It's just...I don't think I'm ready to swear the Creed and never look at another living thing except you without my helmet. I don't want to hide!"

"We're not hiding." Dinassures my, smoothing down my wild hair as he rubs my back. "We're joining the ranks of our brothers and sisters of the Creed. It's a high honor."

"I know that, Din, believe me." I assure him.

And I did know that. But at the same time...I didn't want to be so restricted on who I could show my face to and the kinda extreme measures we of the Tribe take to stay hidden and safe.

I wanted to be able to make that choice for myself, but it seems I wouldn't be given that option.

I didn't have a choice if I wanted to stay with Din...and I had promised our parents I'd stay by Din's side.

So I'd swear the Creed and I'd live by it, if only in thanks for these Mandalorians taking us in and raising us.

"Then what's making you cry?"

I sigh. "I guess...I'm just not used to the idea of having to wear a helmet all the time."

"You're going to have to get used to it, Rin." Din replies and I sigh heavily, leaning my head against his chest for just a little while longer.

"I know."

=#=#=#=#=

"You two have earned this honor." The Armorer congratulates as Din and I put our helmets on, reciting the final lines of the Creed as we did.

"Thank you." Din murmurs, his voice slightly distorted through the helmet.

"We will honor the Creed." I add, my heart breaking just a little at what adhering to the Creed means.

A life of never showing my face to anyone but Din sounded incredibly lonely. No I wasn't forbidden to talk to people, but constantly wearing my helmet, never showing my face, showing who I really was, is not the way I want to live my life.

But I have to live this way because Din is living this way and I promised our parents I'd stay with him.

In the background, among the happy Mandalorians, was Paz Vizla.

Paz was rather single-minded when it came to matters of honor. He had his opinion on what honor meant and if anyone didn't live up to that standard, they were labeled a coward in his mind and he would choose to be aggressive toward those individuals in order to make them prove themselves.

Din had told the Armorer of our plans to be bounty hunters and for some reason, that pissed Paz off. Ever since, Din was labelled a coward but Paz would refuse to elaborate on why he didn't like us, labelling us cowards.

He had labelled me a coward as well when I argued in my brother's defense.

The Armorer was never able to straighten out Paz's ire, and so the cycle continues.

He stomps over. "I see you were inducted." He grumbles, arms loose at his sides.

"You just saw us swear the Creed." I retort before I can stop myself.

"I thought only brave Mandalorians were inducted into the Creed."

I roll my eyes, despite knowing Paz couldn't see. "Brave Mandalorians are sworn to the Creed. Also dumb ones." Again, I spoke without thinking.

Paz instantly draws his vibroblade, prompting Din and I to do the same.

Luckily, the Armorer intervenes. "We will not pick fights among ourselves on the night we gain two full members of our Covert." She admonishes. Din, Paz, and I stand down. "Go, find another use for yourselves."

Din grabs my arm. "We should go get food." He says. I nod and follow him.

We find our food and go to our quarters. I take off my helmet and sigh. "Not even an hour after we swear the Creed, and Paz is already pissed." I muse, chuckling.

"He won't stop." Din replies with another sigh.

"No, he won't." I begin eating. "I don't know why he particularly doesn't like you, Din, but he seems to have it out for you."

"He's likely mad we swore the Creed younger than him." Din replies with another sigh as he also slips off his helmet and eats. "So...it's not so bad, right? Being sworn to the Creed?"

I roll my eyes. "Din, we haven't been sworn in more than thirty minutes. I'll need time before I can answer that."

"I know. I just still don't quite understand your hesitance. These people raised us, took us in after- -"

"I know, Din." I interject, wincing. "I know. I just...I don't like the idea of constantly wearing a helmet, constantly hiding my face." I hold up a hand when Din leans forward, about to speak. "I know it's not actually hiding, Din." Or, at least, I could pretend I know that, "I can't help how I feel, though."

"I know. You'll get used to it. Just like I will."

Maybe he was right. Maybe I will get used to it.

=#=#=#=#=

"Welcome back, Mandos!" Ran cheers as we walk down the ship we'd used, Razor Crest's landing ramp.

I grit my teeth. I hated working with this cutthroat, immoral, honorless creep, but Din seems to think it's a good idea, so...here we are.

Not to mention the Twi'lek siblings, Xi'an and Qin…

I do not like those two at all. They're as vicious as Ran, but even more bloodthirsty. Those two seriously gave me the creeps.

And Din seemed oblivious to my concerns and discomfort, which was unlike him. Xi'an has been keeping him distracted, I guess.

"Good to be back." Din replies, bringing reality crashing back around me. I subtly shake myself.

"I see the Crest needs a bit of work." Ran grumbles good-naturedly.

"When doesn't it?" Din replies, equally as good-naturedly...at least, for Din.

Ran laughs and throws his arm around Din's shoulder. The pair walk off and suddenly, Xi'an is standing next to me, making my skin crawl.

"Someday, he'll be mine." She purrs, playing idly with her knives.

I turn to her. "What do you mean?" I ask sharply.

"We will be together forever…" She is still purring and it drives me insane. "Someday."

"We'll see." I grumble softly. I don't see Din ever settling down with anyone, much less a psycho like Xi'an.

Xi'an just laughs that freaky laugh of hers, licking her lips and walking away.

I walk after her, moving ahead of her to get to my brother before Xi'an gets her hands on him. I didn't trust her or like her at all. In fact, I can say my dislike bordered on hatred.

My only saving grace is that Qin isn't stalking me and trying to pursue a relationship with me, though I doubt that will last long.

I shudder just thinking about it.

=#=#=#=#=

"Why are you always so tense these days?" Din asks as we eat in the Razor Crest later that night, the doors locked and our helmets off.

"I hate this." I growl. Normally, I made some excuse that Din seemed to accept, but this time I decided to voice my true thoughts and hopefully convince Din to leave. "These people, Din...they're immoral. They don't have any honor, and one day they'll slit our throats, just you watch."

"..." Din was silent for a long time. "I want to continue working for Ran to earn the Razor Crest. According to Ran, we're almost squared up. As soon as we own the Crest, we'll be in the wind. We'll handle one last job, then we'll leave and never come back." He promises, hand on my shoulder.

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes. I promise."

I bite my lip. There was something else I wanted to talk to Din about...something I'd started noticing between him and Xi'an…

"Din...are you and Xi'an...are you two dating?" I decide to just ask him point blank.

"What gives you that assumption?" Din asks.

"The way she acts around you, the way she is constantly around you when she can be, and you don't refuse her advances...there's a lot I've noticed."

"..." Din sighs and hangs his head. I groan.

"Seriously?" I ask before I can stop myself. "Xi'an?"

"She's persistent." Din replies tersely.

"Do you actually like her?"

"No, but-"

"Than why?"

Din sighs, sinking into the pilot's chair. "I need to give the illusion that I'll be staying here longer than I am. That way, they'll likely not follow us when we leave."

"Won't it make them angrier and more likely to follow us?" I point out.

"We'll see, I suppose." I sigh and gulp the rest of my soup.

"I suppose so. Just...don't let her make you do anything you'll regret." I put my hand on his shoulder and then walk to the bed after slipping out of my boots.

"I haven't taken my helmet off for her." Din calls after me. "If that's what you're worried about."

I stop short. Should have known Din would read me like a damn book. "I know. She's really not your type." I shudder.

"This will be over soon, Rin. I promise." I walk back over and give my brother a hug.

"I know. I can wait just a little longer."

"Goodnight, Rin." Din calls, finishing his soup and coming over as well.

The Crest has two sleeping shelves fashioned one on top of the other, so if I had to, I could look down to see what was happening in Din's sleep area and even squeeze into it without leaving the area. It was a little cramped but we made it work.

We'd agreed it'd be a bad idea to sleep in the quarters in the Roost.

"Goodnight, Din-Din." I murmur back, yawning. Din-Din was a nickname I'd used for my brother since before we'd been taken in by the Fighting Corp. I hardly used it nowadays unless we were alone. He wasn't the biggest fan of the nickname, but it made me feel less isolated to give him a nickname, something personal to connect us even though he never called me a nickname in return.

=#=#=#=#=

"Mando! Both of you! Get back here! Help us!"

"Mando, you asshole, come back!"

It felt better than it should for me to walk away and ignore their pleas.

"Nothing personal, guys!" I call back, not turning around. "It's just the way things turned out."

"C'mon, Rin. We'll have to be quick if we want to avoid the New Republic." Din calls, scanning around the corners. I nod, jogging to catch up.

Much as I hated the Imperials, who'd been defeated a few years ago by the Rebellion (that had since begun to establish itself as the 'New Republic', which was honestly kind of a joke), the New Republic was too stuffy and thought too highly of themselves for my tastes. Din and I preferred to avoid either party, if possible.

We just wanted to make a living out in the galaxy. We didn't want to get involved in any wars or their aftermaths.

We walk into the Crest, close the ramp, and head up to the cockpit. "That felt kinda good." I grin. "Is that bad?"

"I don't think so. They were without honor, so we'll leave them to whatever fate awaits them." Din replies, sounding as happy to leave as I was.

"Din...I'm sorry for thinking you actually liked it there. I'm sorry I doubted you."

"I would have done the same in your shoes, Rin. I knew I had to be convincing or it wouldn't work."

I sigh, leaning back in the co-pilot seat. "So...what now?"

"I heard of a Bounty Hunters Guild on Nevarro." Din replies, putting the coordinates into the navigation system.

I frown. "Isn't that where the Tribe is moving?" I ask. The Armorer that had been training Din and I had been talking about breaking away from the larger Covert we currently lived in.

Din nods. "Yes, so it's perfect for us. The timing couldn't be better."

I chuckle. "Don't bullshit me. You somehow planned this, didn't you?"

"...Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." He reaches over and turns off the communications array, which was starting to pick up transmissions from the group we'd left behind.

We weren't about to go back to working with those scumbags, so we don't look back.

=#=#=#=#=

"Why would two Mandalorians want to join the Guild?" The head of the Guild, a man named Greef Karga, asks.

I tilt my head. "...Are you serious? We're Mandalorians. We have a history of being mercenaries and bounty hunters. Damn good ones, too."

"We'll see." Karga scoffs, leans forward, puts a bounty puck down. It illuminates and displays an ugly alien snarling at us, apparently wanted for murder and arson, among other heinous charges.

He is considered 'highly dangerous' and seems to be just the challenge we need to establish ourselves in the Guild and make sure we have a steady flow of credits.

"We'll take it." Din says, grabbing the puck.

"Can we get two trackers, just in case?" I ask. "Sometimes we have to split up, and it would make it easier- -"

"I only have one tracker set for this quarry, I'm afraid. You want to bring him in and get into this Guild? You gotta make it work."

I scowl at him behind my helmet, but Din just nods.

"Alright then." He stands as Karga hands him the tracker.

"Signal's already set in, no need for chain codes or anything else. Best I can do, now off you go."

Din walks off as I catch up.

"What was that?" He asks softly as we walk. "We don't need two trackers."

"We might. You never know." I reply, shrugging.

"Made us look weak." Din growls.

I roll my eyes. "Alright, I won't do it again, ok?"

Din sighs. "I know you were trying to help, Rin, but it wasn't a great first impression."

I sigh. "Sorry."

"We'll work on it." He says and, coming from him, that was about as good as I was gonna get.

"Alright."

=#=#=#=#=

"Three pucks, all at once?" Karga asks.

"Yes. We can handle it." Din says. Typically, he did the talking when we were with Karga. It seemed to work better, so that's what we stuck with.

"...I can give you two. I can't have you two hogging all the pucks. There are other hunters I have to give work to."

I roll my eyes. They're not as good as us, and you know it, I grumble inwardly, but know better than to verbalize it as Din sighs and grabs the two pucks Karga slides toward us.

We head toward the ship and look at the coordinates. The ramp comes up behind us and we climb into the cockpit

"What do you think we'll earn with these pucks?" I ask, smiling as we begin the takeoff sequence.

"They're low-level criminals, bail-jumpers. We're just gonna get munitions for the weapons we already have."

I chuckle. "Yeah. The Armorer can be strict about that kind of thing."

"Hopefully it won't take long to earn our signet and a cuirass." With that, Din activates the hyperdrive and we're on our way to our next adventure.

=#=#=#=#=

True to Din's word (not that I doubted him) the bounties we were after were low level thugs at worse and idiot bail-jumpers at best.

Easy prey. We got the two pucks we were given within five days, packed in carbonite and ready to be delivered to Karga when we got back.

Speaking of Karga, he was hailing us. Din is calculating our route back to Nevarro since our navigation is flaky today, so I take the call.

"Ah, Mando." He referred to both of us as 'Mando', which suited us fine. Karga usually indicated who he meant or clarified after an awkward pause. "I have good news; a rookie failed to retrieve the bounty I gave them, so he's out of a job and you have another puck to pick up if you- -"

"Where?" Din asks, appearing behind me. It didn't startle me any more, but Karga reels back a step. He then leans forward and instead of Karga, we see pictures of a Rhodian, wanted for conspiracy to terrorism and possession of illegal weapons. She is ranked somewhat high on the danger scale so I get why the rookie had trouble.

"Won't be a problem." I say. "Thank you."

"Thank you. Oh, and I have one other bounty. This one comes from me personally. I'll send all the files, don't worry."

"Good. We'll return to Nevarro as soon as possible." Din says, and ends the link.

"Seems we got three pucks after all." I chuckle, and Din nods, going back to the pilot's seat to activate the hyperdrive. "Well, technically two." This would only add about two days to our trip, maximum.

Great.

=#=#=#=#=

The Rhodian tried to ambush us, but he didn't know there was two of us, so it was an easy bounty to take care of. The tricky part was when we had to shove him into the carbonite chamber. He tried to leave, so we had to shove him back in without getting our fingers or hands frozen.

Now for the personal bounty from Karga…

"It's weird that Karga sent us a 'personal bounty'." I muse, taking a turn at the navigation computer. "Also, says here the bounty's a Mythrol." I then see the coordinates. "Why would a Mythrol hide on an ice planet like Maldo Kreis?"

"Who knows?" Din says, settling into the pilot seat. "Ready?" I press the final buttons.

"Locked and loaded." I grin as we enter hyperspace. "This'll be a piece of cake."

"We'll see."