Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to KOTOR, SWTOR, Star Wars or anything Lucas Films affiliated. Obviously.

Hey guys... long time no see. I know I took a really long hiatus and for that I cannot apologize enough. I'm posting a longer update about me on my author page so visit that if you'd like to see what's new in my life and what I've been up too these few years. I am returning to complete this story as I promised to set out to do in the first place. This is still my baby and I often think about it.

For all of those that have commented, reviewed or messaged me about this story- Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You've kept this story in my mind and reminded me that this is still an important story to some and I let you down when I walked away for as long as I did. I don't want to do that anymore.

I'm back, for you.

Please enjoy and thank you for your love, support and constant cheering over the years.

You are all amazing.


Chapter 32: Finding A Way

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost…"


There was a clatter from the main room, the sound of something heavy hitting the metal floor of the ship and splitting.

A crate? Did they order something?

Someone foreign to the ship began to curse loudly in a non-basic language. Bothan? No one in the crew just casually spoke Bothan… that voice wasn't one she was familiar with either. After a few moments of scrambling, the foreign footsteps could be heard as he rushed out of the main hold and down the loading ramp, speaking quickly as he presumably escaped the Ebon Hawk for good. It sounded more like something had been left behind rather than stolen. She was certain they hadn't been docked for more than an hour so someone other than herself was most likely still here on the ship or at least outside of it.

Making it that much harder for someone to just casually sneak on board.

Then, there was this loud shriek followed by the loud stompings of one not so pleased Jedi. Bastila most likely. The only one of the two that seemed to have a flare for the dramatics just as she always had in the enclave. She stomped off the ship, shouting angrily at whomever had the displeasure of boarding their ship in the first place. Moments later the sound of the droid zooming around echoed down the halls, much to Juhani's dismay.

She was attempting to resume her meditations when a roar rumbled through the halls.

There was too much noise. Too much distraction. How did anyone find focus in this place?

"There is no emotion… there is only peace…" Juhani muttered through gritted teeth. She squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, concentrating on the energy that was the Force and the Jedi code. She needed clear thoughts. She needed clarity. She needed peace.

She had been attempting to meditate ever since they landed on Tatooine, but much to her disappointment, she had been able to accomplish nothing. As Samirah and the others prepared to embark on their new mission, she opted for staying out of the way and waiting for them to depart so that she could enjoy the solitude. She didn't realize how hard that solitude would be to come by. She was beginning to feel that her very presence here was a joke. Seeing Samirah only reminded her of her own shortcomings and the crew looked at her as if she were a blight on their ship.

She was unwanted here and as much as they wanted her gone, she wished more than they did that she be free of them.

Her hands shook and the tranquility she was hoping for was slipping from her fast.

"Juhani, you must let go of your anger. It's the reason you fell to the dark side in the first place." She grimaced as Master Vrook's words echoed in her ears.

Samirah had saved Juhani from the dark side and no matter how much Juhani wished there wasn't… she now had a debt to repay. She remembered packing her duffel bag grudgingly after being told by the council that she was to accompany Bastila and Samirah. She tried to argue with them, saying she was not ready to journey outside the enclave; that she required more training. She fell once. What was to stop her from falling again? What if this girl and her crew drove Juhani to the brink of madness? She could put their entire mission into jeopardy. No. She could not and would not accompany them. She would not bear the weight if she were the cause of their failure.

The council, however, disagreed.

They believed that she would not disappoint them. That she would serve as a reminder of the ever-present darkness around us. What did that make her, then? If it were not for her skill in combat or companionship… what was she to them? Just a reminder of what could be? A symbol of what could happen? That was nonsense.

When her things had been packed, she headed for the ship only to arrive in time to watch the Ebon Hawk leave the enclave. She stood still, awestruck that the ship she was meant to be on had left without her. As the light faded and the tail of the ship was no longer visible save for the memory of its departure, Juhani let out a cry of frustration. She stared at the sky, dropping her duffel bag to the floor as angry thoughts flooded her mind—even remembering what had happened then, made her angry now. Every thought in her mind was a curse on them.

How dare they leave her. Were they mocking her? Did they think she was not good enough to join them? Was she nothing but a hindrance to them now? Did they think themselves better than she? She didn't even want to travel with them in the first place and yet she was being forced to go despite her complaints.

She didn't care if they returned. She didn't care if she stayed on Dantooine. She much preferred it that way.

She forcibly made her way back to her room, locking herself away from the Jedi. She knew they would not understand her feelings. They would only preach at her to be still and to not let her emotions cloud her judgment. She was angry. How was she supposed to hide that?

It took a few days before someone knocked on her door. She had been reluctant to open the door but when she did, she felt a wave of shame to find that Master Quatra was standing on the other side. Her legs felt like lead, weighing her down and keeping her from running away. This was a woman that, not that long ago, had been dead to her.

The memory made Juhani feel guilty as she bowed her head low in humiliation, foregoing any possibility of meditating peacefully.

"Master….Quatra…" Juhani's voice was barely audible as she came face to face with her Master.

For a moment, there was nothing she could say, no words would come out- she had not given thought to what she might say should she encounter her master again. She never thought this moment would ever come. Moments passed before Juhani gathered enough courage to speak, her words tumbling out unceremoniously.

"I am… I just—"

"Was hiding?" Quatra finished, letting herself in. Juhani was barely able to move enough to let her master in. She could not meet her eyes as their last encounter played over again in her mind.

The woman walked with grace and her head held high. Most of her wounds had fully healed, much to Juhani's surprise. Quatra was not nearly as hurt as Juhani had previously been led to believe. Despite the council's reassurance that Quatra was well, Juhani was still speechless to see firsthand. Her master was alive. She had not killed her. This was the first she had seen of Quatra since her return to the enclave. Her master. Thought dead but now standing before her as strong and resilient as she had ever been.

How foolish she was to have thought she, of all people, could have slain a jedi master.

She looked around the room, inspecting every corner before turning her steel blue eyes on Juhani. The years barely showed in her face and her sharp eyes seemed to bore deep inside Juhani, burrowing within her. Fine lines in her face were the only testament to her age and even they were overshadowed by the intensity of her eyes. The woman's ebony hair was a steep contrast from the paleness of her skin and only accentuated the color of her eyes. How had Juhani even begun to believe that she, of all people, could have killed Quatra?

"I would like an explanation, Juhani."

Quatra's voice was soft but there was an undertone to it that gave Juhani reason to pause. The look Quatra was giving Juhani was more than enough to say that which Quatra did not voice herself. Though it was worded as a request, Juhani knew better than to believe it to be simply that.

"I am… I needed time to myself. To study. To meditate... I wished for solitude and this is where I have found it." She turned her back to Quatra, moving stiffly to her desk and running her fingers over a stack of datapads. Datapads that Juhani had barely touched and which had been sitting on her desk for far too long but Quatra needn't know of this.

Quatra arched an eyebrow, nodding her head slowly as she glanced around again.

"Oh, I see. Meditation, is it? And what, from these meditations, have you gained?" She prodded again, slight irritation and disbelief woven in with each deliberate word.

"Should you not be resting, master..." She was grasping for a change of subject so why not change it to a subject that would warrant a response from Quatra? A subject they had never spoken about as of yet. Still, the weight of her sin forced her shoulders down into a slight slump. Quatra let out a laugh that sounded more hollow than sincere.

"Injuries? Child, I am made of stronger things than my mortal shell would lead you to believe. I have had time to heal. I am kept strong by the Force. I am well. And what of you?"

"I remain unharmed." Juhani replied bitterly. She realized how petty she sounded but could not bring herself to admit it outloud. She balled up her hand into a fist as she stared down at the datapads.

"If this is true, then why have you recoiled into hiding like a frightened kath hound, licking her wounds?" Quatra chastised. Juhani didn't move, staring at the wall in front of her as her master spoke. When Juhani said nothing, Quatra took a deep breath before sighing.

"I am leaving for Coruscant today. There is nothing more that I can teach you." Juhani froze. "I have given you your last trial as my padawan. I sense that you have nothing left to gain from me as your Master and there is little I can provide the enclave now. My time here is at its end. I believe that you will embark on a path where we may not meet again nor find our paths crossing, but only the Force knows if this is true." Quatra took a few steps before reaching past Juhani and gently picking up a datapad. Juhani barely even reacted, her nails digging into the palms of her hand.

"Do not lose yourself to your own misgivings." She said quietly, gazing at the datapad and skimming through it. "Do not let your emotions have a better hold over your mind and spirit than you do. There can only be peace, Juhani. Peace. It can never be a lie." She said before setting the datapad back down

Juhani remained ever so still as her master—no, her old master—walked towards the door. She hesitated a moment before leaving, looking over her shoulder at her once pupil with a softer look. "There is a future for you. There is something… waiting for you. Should it be of benign origin- then I hope that it finds you well. May the Force be with you, Juhani. Let it guide you where I no longer can."

And with that, the door closed. After a few moments had passed, Juhani spun around and yanked the door open, looking down the corridor.

"Master Quatra!" She shouted, startling a few padawans who were passing by but her Master was already gone. Quatra had left.

Juhani waited a moment before lowering her head and slowly receding back into her room, slowly shutting the door. Shame grabbed hold of her stomach as it slowly reached up to squeeze at her heart. She choked on tears, hoping that they wouldn't fall. She was afraid that if she cried, she would never be able to stop.

"Good-bye… Master…"

Juhani opened her eyes, the memory causing this strange ache in her chest that she did not like. She was afraid to admit that this ache had always been inside of her ever since that day. A haunting reminder of her mistakes. Of her Master. Nothing she did could relieve it. It was attached to her like a rooted plant.

She let out a shaky breath, trying to bring herself back to the present.

Her meditation was now long forgotten and not something that would easily come to her now that her memories had rattled her. She hadn't seen her Master after that encounter. Later, when she had gone out, Padawan Belaya had informed her that Master Quatra had already departed for Coruscant, the few things she possessed packed and taken with her.

She was not returning to the enclave.

A peculiar sound echoed down the hallway, as if something were moving but it was light and deliberate. Like a hop? Did most of the crew not leave the ship? Even if they were all aboard, none she knew of made any sound similar to this. The meek sound that followed was also unfamiliar.

The oddity made itself known when it rounded the corner, a small creature that Juhani assumed was what some locals called a "Gizka". It was something she had heard of once before. The two legged creature with big, wide eyes stared at her with a tilted head, croaking at her. She stared blankly at it before Zaalbar roared as he rounded the corner with a wicker basket on his back, startling the creature. He swung a net, capturing the creature as it tried to make its getaway but had nowhere to go. As Zaalbar gleamed at his new found prey, another one of these creatures hopped by and another freed itself from his basket.

"This is ridiculous…" He muttered, paying Juhani no mind as he chased after the gizka again. Perhaps chased was the wrong word since he didn't seem to feel compelled to run after them. He was dragging his feet and muttering to himself about the task.

Juhani was not going to find any peace on this ship, it seemed.

She began to dress for the weather, ensuring that she was well covered for the climate of Tatooine and equipped with her own lightsaber, no longer adorned with a red crystal but instead, a blue one. She was in the middle of fastening a hood to her robes when T3 sped quickly by her room before changing his mind and going into reverse. He stopped at her door, beeping quickly at her and rocking from side to side. Her shoulders fell as she let out an exasperated sigh when he didn't stop his nonsensical chatter. She slowly looked over her shoulder, not really wanting to engage the small droid in conversation.

"What is it that you want from me, small droid?" She asked lazily, already exhausted from the interaction. Her accent was nearly slurred but that didn't matter for a droid nor did it phase him as he continued to whiz and buzz. She frowned before turning fully to face him. "No, I haven't seen her. I have seen none of your companions since landing. I am not the one you should speak with." When he persisted further she only narrowed her eyes at him.

"I have seen neither of them, droid, now go on your way so that I may go on mine. I do not have the patience for your games." She nearly hissed and T3 whizzed and whirred before spinning around and running off.

She was not there to be the babysitter nor the one who was babysat. They had disembarked and once again, she had been left to her own volitions. She would not sit idly by as they set off on their own, without her.

"I do not need her to find a place."

As she walked down the loading ramp, a wall of hot hair billowed past her. She situated a pair of goggles over her eyes and surveyed the dock. She had never been to Tatooine, only ever having lived on Cathar when she was too young to remember and then being raised on Taris until she vowed to become a Jedi.

The memories were a sour taste in her mouth and she grimaced, balling up her fists at her side. This was no time for reminiscing. She was tired of old memories that had no place here. She placed a hand on the hilt of her lightsaber and took her first step onto the surface of this desert planet.

She mildly wondered, in the back of her mind, where Quatra was and what it was she was doing.

Did she think of Juhani?


Samirah swirled her glass of ale around, frowning at it as she waited. She didn't usually turn to the persuasions of alcohol but this was a different case. And the ale was really weak… she wasn't even sure it was ale- what exactly did those hunters give her? She frowned before pushing the glass away from her with a frown. She rested her chin in her hand, letting out a long sigh before looking over her shoulder at Carth conversing with some man who kept shooting her glances and winking. She groaned audibly before turning her back to him again. They had already been on Tatooine for a few hours and the only thing they succeeded in finding were people in need of help.

It wasn't that Samirah had any problems with helping people but even she had to be honest with herself... Sometimes, it did slow them down and she couldn't help everyone in the galaxy, could she? They really weren't making any progress and despite her mission to save the galaxy… how could she actually save the galaxy in all its entirety? Wouldn't she be failing them all if she ignored the people who needed her immediate help and were asking her now? What was the priority? Save the galaxy, ignore the little people. Save the little people... ignore the galaxy? It was too hard to do both. Despite her complaining, however, she found it hard to tell people no.

She looked at the wraid plate in her hand, flipping it over and over before laying it back on the table and taking another swig of her ale. A woman had begged her to buy it so that she could get off world. Her husband had died and without him, she had no source of income and her only possession worth something was the wraid plate. Since her husband had the hunting license in his name, only he could sell it in order for the Ithorian to buy it- which was a stupid rule, Samirah thought. So she needed a hunting license to sell the damn thing and they weren't selling any licenses to anyone because they were having issues with hunters being attacked by sand people. So. That presented a problem.

Because without a license, Samirah couldn't go out into the Dune Sea and that, she was sure, was where the star map was. Now they were asking around for any ideas and help, but most of the hunters couldn't provide her with much in the way of details or even help.

Always the same thing.

"Well, he didn't have anything new to tell me apart from the usual 'this is dangerous' or 'that's impossible to do'. I tell you, this is starting to feel a little familiar to me." Carth noted as he took the seat opposite her. What he neglected to tell Samirah was the man's apparent interest in her to which Carth had promptly shut down and 'politely' instructed him to show her some respect. Didn't matter that she didn't hear the man's filth, mattered that the pig didn't see her as a woman worth respecting.

Samirah pushed her half empty glass to Carth with a scowl. He waved her offer off but she didn't pull it back. She didn't want it.

"Familiar? Yeah… that's the word we'll use." Samirah muttered. "I'm out of ideas, Carth. The hunters don't have any ideas that'll help and Czerka… well, let's not just waltz into the office of the people whom we may have crossed." Carth glanced around to ensure no one just happened to overhear them. He didn't think they were in any danger but it was always best not to tempt fate. Especially with Samirah here.

"If the Wookiees were thorough then Czerka may not have had the chance to send out any messages. Even if they did, I doubt our names will be brought up and it'll take them a great deal of time to sort through that mess and make sense of what happened. We should be safe for the time being," he comforted but Samirah could only shake her head and rest it in her hand. She watched a group of Gamorrean hunters as they laughed and punched each other in the arm.

"Safe? That's not a word I'd use for our crew…"

Carth let out a low chuckle as he leaned back in his chair. He rubbed the back of his neck where a small 'crick' had started to make itself known. He couldn't really argue with her on that point. They found themselves in far too many squabbles and dangerous situations to consider themselves or even what they did, as safe.

"So, where does this leave us now?"

"Out 700 credits, a wraid plate that no one will buy and half a glass of some weak as water ale." Samirah clarified as she pulled out the wraid plate and promptly dropped it on the table beside the glass with a clatter. A few hunters took strange glances at them, most likely wondering about the wraid plate. They weren't licensed hunters and only hunters would have been able to get the wraid plate.

And most would have sold it by now.

"And I was worried we weren't making any progress." Carth smirked. Samirah shook her head slowly before laying her head on the table.

"Is it too late to take a vacation?" She asked in a muffled voice and Carth just chuckled.

He took a glance around, watching a few of the hunters chat with one another about various things, drinking from bottles that must be exclusive to the hunters lodge. Many cast them curious glances occasionally but otherwise didn't bother them. Suited Carth just fine seeing as how many of them weren't exactly good natured people.

"Hey…" Carth and Samirah looked up to see Mission standing awkwardly off to the side. Neither had even noticed her enter the lodge.

"Mission? Everything all right?" She pulled her eyebrows together as she regarded Mission's face for a moment. She seemed trouble… no, not just seemed, Samirah could feel something. Like an uneasiness from Mission. She sensed it.

"Yeah! Totally! Everythings-" She stopped short when Samirah looked at her knowingly. Her face fell and she cast a look down and away from them. "Ok… no… not really. I think I need your help, Sami. Big time." She said quietly. Samirah sat up straight, offering Mission a seat at the table with them. Mission bobbed her head before sliding into the seat, fidgeting with her fingers as she did so.

"What's the problem? Are you in trouble?" Mission shook her head as she frowned and seemed torn about what to say. "Then what is it?" After a moment, Mission took a deep breath and looked at Samirah with a meekish smile.

"I never told you about my brother, did I?" Samirah and Carth shared a look before shaking their heads. "I don't talk about him much but, uh… it seems he's on Tatooine and in a bit of trouble. The kind only we can get him out of…" She trailed off and Samirah already knew that this wasn't going to be easy.

"Trouble only we can get him out of? Mission, that doesn't sound too promising… what kind of trouble is he in?" Carth asked cautiously.

"The big kind…"

After an hour of sitting and listening carefully to everything Mission had to say, all three of them were quiet. Carth was rubbing his eyes, trying very, very hard not to say anything about Mission's proposition. Samirah carried a thoughtful look as she slowly nodded her head and Mission… well, Mission looked the part of a child who had just confessed to breaking the antique vase that Mama June's ashes were kept in.

"Ok. Before we go over any of this, tell me just one thing. How is it you managed to speak with the Czerka representative? Do they not know about Kashyyyk?" Samirah inquired quietly so as to not unintentionally pique the interest of any prying ears. Mission shrugged. Apparently that wasn't the most difficult part for her.

"Comms have been down so any news from Kashyyyk hasn't spread yet. The Wookiees didn't spare any Czerka tech, they smashed it the moment they got their hands on 'em. It's taken time for them to figure out what happened as far as I could tell. If they know what's happened, they're pinning it on the Wookiees. We haven't come up in any of the logs and whatever evidence there was to show we were there has already gone up in smoke. We're the least of their concerns." She assured. Samirah assumed that talking to the representative wasn't the only thing Mission had done.

"How do you know all this? Surely they didn't just tell you all of that because you asked?" Carth had asked the question before Samirah could. Mission just gave them a toothy grin.

"Well, there was this really mad Duros already in there causing a ruckus. He was really given' it to them too. They were too distracted with him to even notice me slipping up to the console and bypassing security- which was really easy. Guess they didn't think they were in any danger from the locals here." She shrugged with a small, but still smug, smile.

Mission enjoyed proving people wrong about her. Not that she had to do that with Samirah or Carth anymore, but it was like a challenge some days. She enjoyed doing things that surprised people and proved that she was both capable and well equipped to take care of herself however was necessary.

"So back to the matter at hand, I suppose…" Samirah started hesitantly. "Your brother left you on Taris to make his fortune with his girlfriend and now he's here, on Tatooine, held captive by the Sand People."

"Captive, would be an understatement…." Carth muttered a little louder than he anticipated. Samirah shot him a look and Mission went a little rigid at the insinuation that her brother may not be a captive but worse.

Everyone on Tatooine knew about the Sand People. You couldn't possibly live here and not know about the indigenous creatures who seemed to lack decent civility. They were always heavily clad from head to toe in desert garb and helmets to hide what they really looked like. However, their choice of attire became the signature look of the Sand People, as did their battle cries. There weren't exactly known for taking hostages, they were known for pillaging and hostility towards outsiders. The odds were not in Griff's favor at this point and they didn't need Carth's skepticism to make that apparent.

Carth noticed the change in his companions and realized his mistake in speaking out loud.

"Mission, I didn't mean…" She shook her head, a faint smile on her lips.

"It's alright." She said quietly and Carth fell silent. Samirah stared at him a moment longer before letting out a sigh and turning to look at Mission with a softer gaze,

"We'll do everything we can Mission. Though, this may prove more difficult than it sounds. We don't even have access to the dune sea so we're not exactly in any position to save anyone just yet…" Samirah was absentmindedly running her finger along the rim of her glass, trying to come up with some plan of action.

"I know that!" Mission started quickly, before falling quiet and fidgeting in place again. "But, you know, I thought that if anyone could do it, you could. If anyone had a chance of rescuing my brother against impossible odds… it was going to be you."

It almost sounded like a plea.

Samirah heaved another sigh before looking slowly at Carth, not for any kind of confirmation or approval, but to simply look at him. She tried to read his expression. For a moment, his face was blank, looking to her in hopes of doing the same to her but soon realizing it was futile. He already knew. She already knew. Samirah offered a soft smile while Carth let out an exasperated sigh.

"Of course it was going to be us." The corner of Samirah's mouth curled up slightly, putting Mission at ease. "Who else would be able to pull off something as reckless as this?"

She didn't need to look at Carth to know that he was giving a disapproving look. He kept his mouth shut though, keeping his thoughts to himself.

"First thing's first. How are we getting into the dune sea? They aren't handing out any new licenses and that's our only ticket out there..." Samirah noted, picking at the ends of her scarf. She bit her bottom lip in thought, a little perturbed that their current obstacle seemed a little ridiculous compared to everything else they've faced. A licence of all things.

The force shall guide me… it has to… it can't have let us come this far to get stumped like this…

What was the point if it had? There had to be a solution that she hadn't considered yet. Smuggling? She'd done riskier jobs, that's for sure, but she'd only ever had to smuggle herself and maybe her droid into some dealers den but this wasn't a small hole in the wall and she would be smuggling in more than just herself.

"Well, there may be a way…." Mission mused out loud but wrinkled her eyebrows a bit when Samirah looked her way questioningly. "... It's a little shady and I doubt it's something you'd want to do but it was offered to someone making a fuss in the office."

"Shady?" Carth said out loud, quickly skeptical of the whole ordeal. He was promptly ignored.

"Tell me what you've heard, Mission." She leaned forward, putting her hands on the table and taking a deep breath.

"Okay. You see. They're having trouble with the sand people here. They're killing anyone they find in the desert and attacking settlements. They're offering a reward to anyone who can clean them out and bring back proof." Samirah and Carth exchanged brief glances before Carth wrinkled his eyebrows at her.

"What… kind of proof?" He asked hesitantly and she gave a small shrug in response.

"Something about the sticks they carry… apparently they're unique to each tribe member or something like that."

Samirah was quiet, frowning slightly at the whole prospect. Of course. Czerka ran into some trouble with the sand people and unlike the Wookiees, these people can't be turned into slaves. No one would buy any, people would die just trying to subdue them and the whole slave market would suffer for it. Even Czerka knows that much.

But to flat out kill all the tribes? It'd take a battle hardened warrior to take on such a quest as this.

"Do you think we could ask politely?" She finally asked and Carth just gave a snort.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could politely talk to anyone of those sand people and they would happily hand you whatever you asked for. Great idea." Samirah narrowed her eyes at Carth, leaning back in her chair and crossing both arms.

"Alright big shot, go ahead. You tell me your bright idea then. Would you like to lead the team on a quest to mercilessly kill an entire encampment of tusken raiders so as to satisfy the corporate lackies?" She argued.

"You know that's not what-" A loud commotion from the entrance to the lodge interrupted them as the door opened up, allowing a gust of wind to push through, bringing a trail of dust and sand in its wake.

The Hunters in the lodge quickly covered glasses of ale, muttering under their breath as a familiar Mandalorian strode inside. Before the door could close shut completely, it opened up again to reveal a Duros man quickly fumbling after him. When the door closed and the wind subsided, all the other hunters instantly lost interest in the new guests and returned to their own interests at hand. Canderous surveyed the room before spotting Samirah and the others. He started in their direction but was stopped by the Duros man, fumbling to knock the sand from his clothes.

"Now wait just a minute, you brute!" He protested, attempting to be intimidating but horribly failing. "You'll be a killer! A fool if you listen to a word they have to say!" He cried out.

Canderous lifted his goggles, revealing lines where the dirt and sand had started to stick to his face. He rolled his eyes before sitting himself down next to Samirah.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or what you want but you ought to know something." He picked up Samirah's glass of ale, swirling it around in front of him. "I'm a Mandalorian. I'm already a killer." He downed the glass before Samirah had a chance to stop him. Instantly, his face contorted into disgust and he looked at her with a look of disapproval.

"Really kid, sand water? That's what you decide to drink? You disappoint me." He said, nearly tossing the cup back to the table. Samirah just shrugged while the Duros shook his head slowly in disbelief. Canderous looked behind him at the bar, gesturing for the barkeep to bring him a drink. A real drink.

"You'll be massacring dozens and for what? Profit? There is always a peaceful solution, they're just too lazy to even consider it! And why should they when they have readily available brainless nerf-herders such as yourself to do their bidding!" Canderous slammed his hands on the table and stood up in one quick motion. He spun on the Duros and grabbed him by the shoulder, forcibly putting him against the wall. He snorted derisively at the alien before him, a slow smirk crawling up his face.

"Let's suppose for a moment then that I am a brainless nerf-herder, like you say I am. It wouldn't really look good for you if I've got a blaster strapped to my waist and would you look at that-" Canderous produced his blaster so deftly that you wondered if it had always been in his hand. "It seems I do. So what's to stop me from putting a nuisance such as yourself to rest, hm?"

The Duros was visibly shaken and scared. A few hunters looked their way but many weren't really concerned with the squabble. It wouldn't be the first time someone picked a fight in there and they knew better than to stick their noses in it. Enough of them had heard the word Mandalorian and knew better.

Everyone but Samirah.

"Canderous. Drop the Duros." Canderous paused a moment to consider, staring intently at the alien.

"Why should I, kid? I'm a brainless murderer, ain't I?" He grinned at the Duros before him. There was a stillness in the room that made Carth uncomfortably aware of how potentially serious Canderous was.

Mandalorians were honorable. Nothing but. They were as good as their word, because what else did they have now?

"Not when I'm around you're not. I refuse to be an accomplice to this." Samirah clarified, getting up from her chair and moving so that she was behind Canderous. She looked over his shoulder to stare at the Duros, frowning ever so slightly at him. She had to stand on her tip toes to even remotely see. "What has he done now?"

Canderous rolled his eyes, dropping the alien to the ground so that he could spin around to narrow his eyes at Samirah. "What have I done? Kid, I can assure you that I have been as clean as Alderaanian water here."

The Duros scrambled to his feet, dusting off his shoulders and seemingly oblivious to the fact that a Mandalorian just about ended him. The barkeep took this moment to drop of a bottle of ale on the table along with a new glass. It had barely touched the table before Canderous scooped it up just as quickly.

"He's agreed to wipe out an entire tribe of people and for what? Profit! To please the corporate bloodsuckers that they are! Everyone ignores all other possibilities, they didn't even consider them and I-" Samirah interrupted, looking to Canderous with a stern expression. He just took a big swig straight from the bottle before returning her gaze.

"What's he talking about, Canderous? A tribe of people?" She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at him. Mission popped up out of her seat and gaped at him from across the table.

"Wait. You mean to tell us that you accepted the Czerka offer?" She asked, a little louder than she wanted. A few hunters threw annoyed looks in their general direction but did nothing.

They were getting a little more than agitated at these upstarts in their lodge. They were used to brawls but squabbles like this? More of a nuisance so long as no one was getting their teeth bashed in. If a fist wasn't involved, they could take their argument outside or altogether leave.

"Of course the Mandalorian agreed to kill people… who could have seen that one coming…" Carth muttered under his breath.

"Outside. Everyone." Samirah said, shooting Carth a look before grabbing the Duros by the collar of his shirt and dragging him along.

He would have protested if he wasn't busy keeping himself from falling under Samirah's grasp. She was giving the impression that she didn't care if he could keep up or not, she was determined to drag him along regardless.

Canderous dropped a few credits on the table and took the bottle with him with a sour expression. Things didn't use to be this complicated. He used to be able to just bash a few heads in, get the job done and drink his alcohol in peace. Probably could still do that if the kid wasn't a damnable peacekeeper now. He took a big swig of the jug and followed lazily behind her.

Jedi ruined everything.

They exited the lodge, leaving behind any wandering eyes. Samirah didn't need an entire lodge of Hunters to be too informed about why they were there or anything that someone in their group may just let slip out. The less this planet knew about them and their activities, the better chances they had at succeeding. After all, they were starting to figure out that being known wasn't exactly a good thing.

When they were outside, Samirah let go of the Duros man and turned to face everyone with an exasperated expression.

"Explain."

"Yeah, I accepted it," Canderous said, sneering a little at Carth. The pilot just leaned nonchalantly against the wall of the lodge, rolling his eyes. "Least I'm making progress for this little adventure of ours. We need a license to even get out of this sand pit and turns out the only way out is to agree to some clean up."

"Clean up?!" The alien protested in anger. "What you're talking about is murder! They are intelligent creatures and this is just the cowards way out!" At the mention of coward, Canderous turned to the Duros with a flash of anger.

Before any fighting could possibly begin, Samirah stood between them and kept them an arms length away. She stared at Canderous who refused to meet her eyes and then looked to the Duros.

"Call him any other name again and I won't be able to stop him from beating you to death with your own nose." Carth was about to protest this idea but froze a moment when he realized that she had said nose.

Duros didn't have noses…

"Tell me what you have to say and be done with it. You're against him killing the tusken raiders, I get it. But they're attacking settlements, right? People are being killed because of them so how can you defend them?" She challenged, giving the Duros pause.

"Well, what would you have done if you're home was being upturned by sandcrawlers and ion shovels? We invaded their lands first and this is likely a retaliation from them! I don't condone them killing people but I also don't condone them being killed. It's barbaric when there are other options!"

"Other options such as?" She prompted.

"Isn't it obvious? Communication, girl. Talk to them. Work out something with them so as to stop all this madness!"

She shook her head slowly before raising an incredulous eyebrow at him.

"You can't be serious. Talking, is your other solution? These are Tusken Raiders. Sand people. They don't talk, they scream and kill."

"Maybe not in any language we know of or have translators for but I'm sure it can be done! A Jedi a few years ago even made the attempt."

At this she paused, looking to Carth who just shrugged. A jedi was able to play the part of a mediator? Before she could think too much about it, Carth interjected, raising an eyebrow at the Duros.

"I take it they weren't very successful? Seeing as how there's still a problem."

"Ah, well, you see… not very well. I believe that ended in bloodshed as well…"

Samirah started to raise her voice at him to argue but he quickly stopped her, sensing already what she was going to say.

"I'm not saying it's going to be easy!" He said quickly, "You're going to need a proper translation droid, not one of these muck ups that waltz around, all shiny in their chrome shells. One like that though would be expensive… it would take a fortune to get."

"I don't have a fortune to spend on a droid. I don't have the time to go looking for one either." She countered. He shook his head in disbelief, lowering his voice slightly.

"So, what, you're going to take the shortcut and kill your way through them? Wipe them out?"

Humans. Always quick to find the easiest solution available. No regard for the world or the people in it. He shook his head slowly.

"I will do what's necessary to preserve the most lives. If nothing better presents itself as an option than choices are not a luxury we can afford." Her voice was level and cool. She took offense to his remarks.

"Look, you don't have to find one. Yuka Laka's been going on and on about how he's acquired a droid programmed with the sand people dialect. He'd also tell you that rust is gold if it would give him a sale."

"Because that makes him sound more reliable…" She muttered under her breath.

He was determined to change their minds and while she didn't want to just go on to kill a tribe of tusken raiders, she also thought this was a stretch. In order for there to be communication, both parties would have to be willing to talk. Samirah was willing, but would the tusken raiders be?

"There's still the problem of finances…" She began, looking at the Duros with a look of feigned concern. She enunciated the word finances to ensure he was paying attention.

He was.

"Do we look like we have a fortune to spare? You want us to give you a peaceful solution, to adhere to your, your-"

"Conservationist side." He finished.

"Right, fine. Conservationist side. You want us to do things your way? We can try."

"Samirah-" Carth spoke hesitantly but she stopped him before he could say anything more.

"I said try. But you have to do something a little more helpful instead of just screaming at us and offering half assed plans. If this goes awry, chances are it'll also end in blood." She stated this matter of factly and Carth was almost impressed. She was stern, she was serious and she was blunt.

Things he wasn't used to attributing to her. At least, not like this.

"... Fine, fine. I can, uh, offer some monetary assistance. If you can guarantee that you will follow through with this plan, I will donate to this cause. Do I have your word?"

"As a member of the Jedi Order… you have my word." At this, the alien gave her a funny look and a slight frown. She narrowed her eyes slightly at him, not all that thrilled at his reaction.

"A Jedi? You don't strike me as much of a Jedi…" He commented before pulling out a datapad and putting together the credits. Samirah waited quietly, not feeling the need to say anything more despite that hollow feeling in her stomach at his reaction."There, 1,000 credits should be more than charitable and enough. Seeing as how I won't be keeping the droid myself, at least."

"Now, all that's left is to show me where I can find this Droid. Canderous, you already have the license, right?" He nodded at her, his eyes still focusing on the alien before him. "Then I suppose all we need now is the droid. Lead the way."

With that, he nodded and turned without saying anything more. Carth waited a moment as he heaved a big sigh and followed behind Samirah. They both made it sound like what they were about to do wasn't dangerous. Of course it was dangerous. Everything that involved her was dangerous.


Samirah appraised the droid before her. The bronze chromium of his shell a testament to how many owners and/or fights the droid had been party too. When she cocked her head to the side, the droid did the same. The bolts in his joints kept him from doing much more than conversing with potential buyers and even then, she was sure there were restraints on his speech. From the few things she had been able to gleam from the droid before the Shopkeep took notice and made his way over to her, the Droid was very skilled. Some may even say his skills were unsavory.

The shopkeep beamed at the possibility of possibly having found a buyer.

"I see you've taken a liking to this droid. He is for sale if you're interested."

"Possibly.." The Droid remained motionless.

"He seems to have taken a liking to you. He refuses to move for any potential clients. Just stands there like a toy on a shelf." The frustration was evident as he shot a glare at the Droid.

"How much?" She asked, biting her lip but her eyes still on the droid.

"5,000 credits." He said. Were he human, she was sure he'd be licking his lips at the prospect. She bit her lip.

"Any chance you'd go lower?" His eyes bulged.

"4,000." Samirah kept a steady gaze on him before slowly narrowing her eyes.

"You were quick to drop that price..."

He let out a shaky laugh, rubbing his hands together awkwardly.

"N-no, I knew I offered a rather high price. It realize it have seemed rather steep...I got a little too excited. 4,000 sounds like a more reasonable price." Samirah crosses her arms, appraising the Droid once more before turning her attention fully to the shopkeeper.

Now that she knew he wasn't hard set on his first price, she might be able to haggle her way down.

Carth and Mission were in a far corner of the shop, as per the explicit instructions of Samirah. They watched from afar, toying with some scrap metal in a bin that was obviously overpriced. Canderous had opted to leave and get more alcohol as he wasn't all the interested in shopping.

"You think that Droid actually speaks Sand People?" Mission asked quietly, taking side long glances as she sifted through the bin.

It was all junk, not really worth half of what was being asked for it. She had a suspicion that the Droid was also going to be overpriced as well which probably explained Samirah's unhappy disposition. It was also unheard of to find a droid that could speak sand people. So everything about this seemed super shady.

"It does seem rather far fetched, doesn't it? I doubt Samirah would take a chance on it if she wasn't certain or at least had some plan of action." He was giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"I mean, what'll we do with it if it turns out to be a dud?" She pulled out a rusted capacitor, chipping at it with her finger. Could be polished up a bit, but did it still work?

"It's not like we have many other options… this is our only hope of having a peaceful resolution to this whole mess." He tightened his jaw for a moment. "And we know how Samirah is."

No matter how troublesome it could be, she was willing to take any chance she could if it meant the most hopeful outcome. This was the kind of thing that stressed Carth out. He was a military man. He understood that sometimes…. Things got messy. Sometimes, you couldn't be the hero in every scenario. There are casualties that you can't do anything about. At least with the Sand People, he wouldn't feel so bad about it.

"I hope Griff is okay."

And there it was.

Carth felt a weight in the middle of his chest. He simply froze in place as this feeling settled itself deeper and deeper into his core. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as she lazily sifted through the bin, absentmindedly picking up useless pieces of scrap and metal. Mission's brother. This was a bit more harrowing for Mission since their success would determine the fate of her brother.

"Hey," He said softly, earning her gaze.

He could see it. The doubt. The fear. But he also so her determination. Her resolve.

"Even if that Droid doesn't end up speaking Sand People, you already know that Samirah will find a way. She always does because she's the most stubborn, most willful and most thoughtful woman I know. She'll do anything she has too for a good cause." He winked at Mission and she gave him a half hearted smile.

While this is the very thing Carth complained about most frequently, he knew that in this moment, it was one of the best qualities about Samirah. Her heart was always in the right place. She would put herself in danger if she even had the smallest inkling that it would help them achieve their goals. And for Mission, he was almost certain that she'd do more than that.

"Thanks Carth. You're not bad for a grumpy old man." Carth's eye twitched for a brief moment. He started to complain but stopped short when he saw Samirah strolling towards them, the droid following her.

The expression on her face put Carth on alert. She had the look of someone guilty. The issue was not if she was actually guilty, but what she did that made her seem that way. When she came to a stop, the Droid stayed a step or two behind her. She looked everyone over before gesturing to the droid.

"Carth. Mission. This is HK-47. Our new…. Companion." She hesitated a moment. "He'll be accompanying us to meet the sand people and to negotiate with them in a peaceful manner. A peaceful manner." She enunciated the word peaceful very deliberately which made Carth feel uneasy.

Usually it wasn't him or Mission who required reminding about peaceful resolutions. The person they'd be most worried about was Canderous but he wasn't even here.

The Droid turned to her, speaking for the first time.

"Suggestion: Master, while I have the capabilities to negotiate, I am not well versed in the matters of diplomacy."

"You'll simply translate. I'm not trying to have you handle the situation all on your own." She clarified. Carth narrowed his eyes at HK before looking to Samirah. There was a cautious tone to his voice.

"Samirah…" He started and she shook her head.

"No, everything's alright, it's just…. uh…HK, can you explain your functionality to the group?" She asked quietly.

"Observation: I am sure that you are aware of the majority of my skills, master. I can handle various sorts of heavy weaponry with ease. My physical abilities are well-above those of your average meatbag, as are my sensor functions… an assassin if you would."

Carth's eyes shot up in horror where as Mission was torn between surprise and caution.

"Meatbags? Assassin?! Samirah, what did-"He was cut off by the Droid as he stepped forward.

"Caution: Shhhhhhh, meatbag! Such a function in a droid is highly illegal. Do you wish to see me turned into spare scrap?! That would be a waste of my genius engineering." He took a glance around the room to ensure the Ithorian shopkeeper was several paces away.

"Answer: My assassination functions are currently non-functional, having been deactivated by the meatbag Yuka Laka here on Tatooine. Were they functional, my master would be able to specify a target and I would operate independently to the best of my ability to terminate it."

"Woah…" Mission breathed as she ventured forward. She walked around HK-47, poking and prodding a few places, much to the obvious discomfort of HK. She didn't pull on any wires or open panels, just inspecting the craftsmanship without being too invasive.

"How much did you pay for him?" She finally asked, looking to Samirah.

The metal used for this Droid was high grade. The functions it was describing are not easy functions to program into a Droid and even then, it's a dangerous aspect to play with. One wrong code and the Droid would be a homicidal maniac. Mission also got the feeling that the described functions were only scratching the surface of what HK could actually do.

"2,500 credits. I told the shopkeeper that if he gave me a reasonable price, I'd try to advertise for him. Now though… I'm not so sure…" She said, staring intently at HK.

"That's a steal!" Mission gushed, quietly.

Carth and Samirah took a cautious glance at the Ithorian before looking at each other.

"I suppose it'd be best to take this conversation outside? Away from prying ears?" Samirah offered sheepishly. Carth continued to simply look at her with a steady gaze.

"You think?" He finally said. She only nodded before motioning for everyone to follow her as they made their exit.

As they passed by Yuka Laka, he smiled at Samirah and offered a small wave.

"Thank you again for stopping by. I'll be sure to give you a good price next time you come in. As thanks for taking the worn-out HK unit off my hands." Samirah gave him a smile and was about to reply when the Droid interjected.

"Objection: Worn-out?! Listen you talent-less, organic meatbag… one word from my master and I will pull you apart limb from useless limb!"

Silence.

Carth looked on at the Droid in horror. Never in his life had he ever known a droid to openly threaten someone just as this Droid had.

Mission couldn't decide if she was intimidated or excited at the prospect of a hostile droid. The programming that would have had to go into this Droid to make it possible for him to be hostile. It was unheard of and crazy complicated.

Samirah was frozen in place, caught off guard. She couldn't find her voice.

Yuka Laka just blinked and gave a shaky laugh.

"Er… you've gotten a little hostile there, haven't you? A malfunction perhaps? You may need to tune him up a bit." Samirah just nodded at him defly, eyes still on HK-47.

"Statement: I have always been hostile. Now that I need no longer rely on you and your primitive maintenance skills, I do not need to hide it."

Yuka Laka took a step back, looking between Samirah and the Droid.

"Yes, well…. Just keep away from me then. I'm just a simple shopkeeper. I didn't sign up for any of this."

"I am so sorry about this." Samirah finally found her voice and though her voice cracked briefly, she quickly cleared her throat and smiled at Yuka Laka, putting herself between him and the Droid. Yuka Laka just shook his head.

"No, no, it's quite alright. You made me happy by taking the Droid off my hands. He's your problem now."

HK stepped closer to Samirah, startling her when he decided to speak again. His voice almost sounded like a plea.

"Query: Can I kill him now, Master? I would like ever so much to crush his neck. Just a little. It is a long time fantasy of mine."

"Okay, wait just one damn second here!" Carth raised his voice, stepping forward and pointing a finger at all of them. "You can't just walk around, threatening everyone!"

"Statement: Only to those that threaten my new master." There was a sound of a weapon clicking and only then did Carth notice the gun in it's hand.

"You gave it a weapon?!" He nearly cried out at Samirah and she flinched back a little, looking almost like a child. She gestured at HK as if that was an explanation.

"He said he was proficient in heavy weapons! So I gave him one. T3 has a gun! It made sense before I knew he was a hostile, murder Droid!" She argued and Carth just rolled his eyes.

"Well, you know he is now!"

"Statement: Master has no need to fear me. Any meatbags that get in my masters way will have to answer to me." For dramatic effect, he lifted his newly acquired blaster rifle to his chest, demonstrating the new firepower he now had at his command.

"Okay, you know what? I say we take this all outside and we discuss it elsewhere. Everyone out." She ordered. Yuka Laka let out a shaky breath and she offered him an apologetic smile. "If we need anymore assistance, I will be sure to inform you."

As HK walked by, he turned his attention to Yuka Laka, his voice low.

"Statement: You hear that, meatbag? I will be back."

If Droids could smile, Samirah was certain this one would be grinning like the devil himself.

"HK. Outside. Now."

"Answer: Yes, my master!" He joyously replied before strolling outside as commanded.

Yuka Laka sat down and let out another shaky breath. Maybe now was a good time to take that vacation he had been putting off.

Mission grinned as many questions circled around in her head. The biggest one being, who built this Droid? It was masterfully done and honestly, it had more personality than half the crew on the Ebon Hawk, but she wasn't going to voice that observation. She watched as HK walked outside, only stopping to look up and around, examining his new surroundings. How long had HK been in the possession of this Ithorian? What kind of upkeep had it had? Was it properly maintained and looked after? What kind of maintenance would it need?

Those Sand People were in for a rude awakening if any part of this plan didn't go well. She looked up at Carth with a grin, watching the color fade from his face and she knew what he was thinking. He was wondering what Samirah had done. He was questioning the choice they had made in purchasing this droid. Best of all, she knew that worried look on his face because a new ally was a potentially dangerous ally.

Even better, she was sure that he was worried about Samirah. She now had a Droid that would potentially try to murder her. Not that Mission was worried about that but she could see that Carth was.

He was right about one thing though, she thought. He had promised that one way or another, Samirah would come through. Even if this Droid didn't speak Sand People or even if it did, HK was more than qualified to help take care of the problem and ensure that Griff made it out alive. She had this huge grin on her face as she watched Samirah and Carth argue about the Droid. HK only interjected a few times and it only exasperated Samirah more. It didn't matter. Mission knew this was all going to work out fine.

She had a good feeling about it all.

She had hope. She had peace of mind.

She had her resolve.


How did you like it? Please leave me a review to let me know how you felt about this chapter and just the story over all. Or just to say hi!

I love hearing from all of you and it makes me so happy to read what you guys think of the story thus far.

I plan to have the next chapter within the next week or two. That's right guys. I'm back on this train and I'm more determined than ever!

As Always, Thank you for your patience.

You are the real heroes.

With Love,

SilverShards