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Chapter 4

~X~

"A true warrior needs two kinds of armor: one to protect his body, the other to protect his mind." ~Mandalorian proverb~

Ravana couldn't recall such an entertaining evening, the little String-bean having made her laugh more in one day than she had in the past six months. When there was no other human around to talk to, there wasn't a whole lot to be amused about it would seem. Yet, the Mandalorian and the kid had really shaken things up, that was for sure.

He had apparently enjoyed his bath quite a bit, for when she took him out of the water to towel him off, he wiggled this way and that, attempting to climb back in. When he at last resigned himself to the fact that bath time was over, he flopped down in front of her with a heavy sigh and allowed her to rub him dry.

"Maybe he comes from a water planet?" she mused, looking over at Mando where he watched the scene from his position on the bed. "He certainly seems to enjoy being wet."

If the Mandalorian had meant to reply, he didn't get the chance, for just then there was a scratching sound at the door, followed by an odd little yipping sound.

"What's that?" Mando asked, once more sitting up straight and reaching for his ever-present weapons.

"It's just Zax," Ravana assured him, rising to her feet and heading for the door. "He's my pet, zaktan." When the door was opened, in loped a strange creature, with four large paws, tall pointed ears, and a long thin tail with a tuft of hair decorating the end. It was covered in short white hair, with a long snout and small black eyes, but thankfully seemed far less dangerous than the dankers had been - especially since it only stood at tall as Ravana's shin. "And where have you been all day? Out looking for trouble, I'll bet."

That was as far as Ravana's questions went, for as soon as the kid spotted the new occupant in the room, it let out a loud squeal of joy. Rising to its feet and throwing off the towel, it began to toddle towards Zax with excited glee. The small zaktan froze in place, its ears lying flat against the back of its head as its eyes grew to monumental proportions. Apparently, it had not expected to see some naked little creature running at him when he came inside, and before Ravana could intervene, it turned tail and raced back out the door with a frightened yelp.

The kid stopped and stood still, his ears lowering as it looked at the door dejectedly, as if trying to figure out why this wonderful new playmate didn't want anything to do with him. Ravana reached down and scooped him up, replacing the discarded towel around his green, wrinkly body as she spoke consolingly.

"Don't be sad, little one," she soothed. "Zax just wasn't expecting company. He'll be back, and then we can introduce the two of you properly, all right?"

"That thing won't harm him, will it?" Mando questioned, the kid's safety his first concern.

"Zax wouldn't hurt a flea," she assured him. "There's not a vicious bone in his body. Trust me."

Ravana realized she'd been requesting a lot of that from the Mandalorian. However, trust was a two-way street, and if she expected him to take her at her word, shouldn't she do the same? Still, the stories her uncle had told her about the creed of warriors left her a bit hesitant. Who was to say he wouldn't murder her while she slept? The fact that he had the kid with him was truly the only reason he was sitting in her house to begin with. Still, how did she know he hadn't kidnapped the little fellow and was at this moment holding him for ransom or something?

"Now it is I who can hear the gears in your mind turning," Mando spoke up, apparently having been watching her from behind the dark visor. "Care to share your thoughts?"

Ravana slowly walked over and sat down…at a safe distance from the man before her. She held the kid on her lap, absentmindedly playing with his little toes that stuck out from under the towel.

"I was just wondering, how did you…acquire this little fellow anyway?" she asked. "You said he was your clan-mate, but that still leaves a lot of unanswered questions, to say the least. For unless you're hiding a pair of floppy, green ears under that helmet, I would guess there's a story to be told." When he said nothing, but gave her a slight tilt of his head, she figured he was leery about revealing too much, as well as whether she could be trusted. "If you're wondering where my loyalties lie, I have no love for the former Empire, nor am I all together hot for the New Republic either. While most of the outer rim planets were overlooked, we here on Pessue were no strangers to the iron grip of the Imperial thugs. And as far as the Republic goes, my Uncle may have allied himself with their struggle, but they've don't nothing to aid me or my planet thus far, so they've yet to earn my loyalty."

Once again, he was quiet for a while, obviously contemplating what she'd just said. But, at last he spoke.

"I'm a bounty hunter by trade, and I was hired to locate and bring in a target, simple as that," he told her. "Only it wasn't simple at all. I'd been told the asset was fifty years old, but when I located him…what I found was the kid."

"He's fifty years old?" Ravana pulled back a bit and stared down at the tiny alien. "How long do you think his kind live then?"

"I have no idea," the Mandalorian replied, his words accompanied by a heavy sigh, one that told her he too had given the matter a lot of thought. "When I found out the man who hired me was former Imperial and meant to extract something from the kid, and not in a kind manner, I altered the deal and took him back. He's been with me ever since."

"What did he wish to extract?" she pressed, her arms now encircling his tiny body as if she meant to protect him from all the evil in the universe.

"I never found out, but I couldn't let them do it, regardless," Mando told her firmly.

"Maybe they meant to extract his cuteness," she suggested, tickling the kid under his chin and making him laugh. "Then clone him and take over the universe. We would all be helpless to resist, forced to bow before such an adorable army."

"I'm quite certain that was not their intention," he said in an exasperated tone, and Ravana could almost hear him rolling his eyes at her.

"Then what…you simply took on the job of finding his home?" Ravana continued.

"I was given the task by the leader of my enclave," he revealed. "The child is a foundling, and I rescued him. Thus, by the laws of my tribe, he became my responsibility. I am to find his true home and family, or train him in the ways of the Mandalorians."

"But…if he's already fifty years old, how long will it be before he'll be able to care for himself?" This thought shocked her, realizing that the baby in her arms was nearly twice her own age.

"I've thought of that," Mando confessed, and from the tone of his voice, Ravana could see it concerned him greatly. "That's why returning him to his own people would be best. Until then, he is my clan-mate and my responsibility."

"You said it was the law of your people that you care for him, what did you mean by that?" This was something her Uncle Rexl had never mentioned before.

"I was not born on Mandalor," he informed her. "I too was once a foundling, rescued by the Death Watch when my planet came under attack by Separatists Battle Droids before the fall of the Old Republic. It was the Mandalorians who took me in, who cared for me, and trained me in the ways of the tribe. I honored them by joining the creed. Most of our people were wiped out in the Great Purge, thus, the foundlings are our future…our only hope."

"I see," she whispered, nodding her head slowly as she processed this new information. "That's very honorable of you, to take on such a responsibility like that."

"This is the way," was his cryptic answer, but for some reason, how he said it seemed to make all the sense in the world.

"Well, it's getting late, and I'm sure this little guy needs his rest," Ravana stated, deciding she had interrogated her guest enough for one night. She had learned a lot, and now felt a little better about closing her eyes that night. Yet that got her to thinking about how he was going to sleep, or more specifically…what he would be wearing when he did. "I could offer you some of my uncle's clothes if you would like to change into something less metal. You look to be close to his size…that is, if removing your armor is permissible."

She watched as he seemed to contemplate her words, looking down at his tattered sleeve, as well as the bits of dried mud and splatters of blood on his armor. She couldn't imagine it was terribly comfortable to wear such things to bed either, though, for some reason she could imagine he'd done so on many occasions before. At last he gave a deep sigh, something Ravana was becoming quite familiar with.

"It would be appreciated," he nodded.

Oddly pleased that he had accepted, Ravana rose and went to a large closet, opening it up and revealing a neatly organized wardrobe. Taking out a few items she felt might be the correct size, she shut the doors and turned back to her guest.

"I'll put these in the washroom," she offered. "It has a lock on the door, so you can wash up and change in private. While you do that, I'll scrub up the kid's clothes and lay them out to dry so he can wear them tomorrow. You don't think he'll mind sleeping in the raw if I bundle him up in enough blankets, do you?"

"He'll be fine," Mando nodded.

Ravana did as she said, placing the clothes within the small washroom, before coming back and assisting the Mandalorian into a standing position.

"You really shouldn't be walking on it just yet, but I don't see any way around this," she informed him. "Perhaps this will help though." Here she held out a wooden staff, one looked to be expertly crafted and well-worn from use. "It was my uncle's, for he had a lot of trouble getting around near the end. It's sturdy though, so don't be afraid to put your weight on it and spare your leg."

Mando nodded, taking the stick and between it and Ravana's help, he made it to the washroom, shutting the door behind him. She couldn't help but give a sad smile when she heard the metallic sound of the bolt being slid into place. How hard it must be to go through life always on your guard, never trusting anyone. Ravana hoped that in the short time he was under her care, he would come to understand that he could trust her.

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Inside Din all but collapsed on the bench built into the wall, breathing heavily as he waited for the pain in his leg to subside a little. That short walk had been difficult, and he only hoped that the following day he would prove more mobile. Staying in one place for too long was unwise and could prove unhealthy for the kid, thus if his leg didn't heal quickly, it could spell doom for the both of them. He was grateful to have found such a generous benefactress, one that had been willing to take in both him and the kid with so little resistance. Not many would have done so, and he knew that.

Din was also shocked at how easily she'd gotten him to open up about his past, telling her things he normally wouldn't have shared with anyone. He was not a trusting man, not by a long shot, and that quality had kept him alive thus far. Still, she had asked, and after her confession about having no love for the former Empire, he had felt she had the right to know a little of why the kid was in his care. He certainly couldn't have her thinking he'd stolen the child from its parents or something.

That was strange…for it made no sense why he should be concerned over what she thought of him. He'd only met her that day, didn't even know her last name - and she certainly didn't know his – still, he felt the need for her to understand his motives about the kid.

Odd.

Din did appreciate the offer of her uncle's clothes, however, knowing it would feel good to be out of his armor and in something fresh for a bit. Most of his muscles were in desperate need of relief, after having battled that nearly impossible-to-kill danker. His beskar would also require cleaning and mending, something Din took very seriously, as did all Mandalorians. He could still recall the words of his trainers in the fighting corps, drilling it into them that if their armor was taken care of, it would take care of them. He had always tried to live by that motto, though until recently he'd never had armor of this quality that required his care.

So, shedding each piece almost reverently, he stripped down and did his best to wash the dirt and smell of battle off his face, neck and body, careful not to aggravate his wound any more than necessary. Once he was finished and dressed in the clean clothes Ravana had loaned him, he replaced his helmet and picked up the walking stick, determined to hobble back to the bed with as much dignity as he could muster. Yet what he saw when he opened the door made him stop in his tracks.

There, on the floor in the middle of the room was the kid, rolling around with the little animal it had scared off before. The dog-like creature was yipping happily, while the child looked to be having the time of his life.

"See…they became friends," Ravana called from where she sat beside them, obviously monitoring their playful activities carefully. "I think the String-bean has found a kindred spirit. After all, their ears are almost the same size."

Din had to agree, though where the foundling's stuck out on either side, the zaktan's went straight up. Still, they looked to be enjoying each other's company, and if the kid was happy, then he wasn't about to complain.

"I washed his clothes and laid them over the hydro-vent to dry," she continued, pointing to a small rack near a round tube coming out of the floor. "My uncle picked this location because of the thermonuclear vents that lay just underground. It keeps the house at a nice even temperature year-round. It's one of the reasons I decided not to move into town once he died. That and I really can't stand most of the inhabitants anyway. Zax is a far better companion in my opinion."

"He seems to have endeared himself to the kid," Din agreed, grinning beneath his helmet as he watched the two playing. He recalled the few times he and the other foundlings had kept small pets while living in the enclave. It wasn't often, but they truly enjoyed having them when they did. It was good that the kid could experience such things as well, even if for only a short time.

Din did his best to make it back over to the bed without breaking down and asking for Ravana to help him, stifling a moan as he eased himself down at last. He could guarantee that he would not be moving from that spot before daybreak…if even then.

"I made a small spot for the kid over here," Ravana said, indicating a basket full of pillows and blankets by the other bed. "I'll do my best to make sure he stays put if you want to take your helmet off to sleep, but he's snuck away from me before…and while I was wide awake too." Here she gave a shrug, indicating that she could offer him no guarantees.

"I'll sleep with it on," he informed her, having done so countless times in the past. Still, being used to something, and actually enjoying it, were two different things. But he decided she didn't need to be burdened with this knowledge. "Thank you for everything you've done. I don't know how I'll repay you."

"I don't expect, or require, to be repaid. I'm happy to help," she told him, the smile she graced him with lightening his spirits just a bit. "So, shall we turn in for the night?"

It didn't take long for Ravana to get the kid settled down in his basket, yet it wasn't until the zaktan climbed in with him, curling itself around his little green body, that the foundling actually fell asleep. Din pulled the curtain once he saw his charge was safe and comfortable, allowing the woman to turn down the lights and prepare for sleep herself.

As he laid back on the bed, his body slowly relaxing, he listened to the soft snores of the kid, the quiet rustles of the woman dressing for bed, and wondered what it would be like if this was his life. He had briefly considered settling down on Sorgan…very briefly, until the hunter had showed up and proven such an idea would never work. Moving around was their only protection, for he had no idea how many tracking fobs were still out there on the kid…or himself. He might no longer be wanted by the guild…if Greef Karga had been true to his word and pulled all the bounty pucks that had been issued on him. Still, he knew they were far from safe, for word had reached him that Moff Gideon had survived, and Din was certain that he would stop at nothing to reclaim the child.

So, once his leg healed, they would leave Pessue and the captivating Ravana behind. They were a clan of two, he and the kid. They would continue their quest until it was achieved, or the search proved fruitless. That's how it had to be.

This is the way.

A little more information keeps leaking out...about both of them. But still more revelations to come.

How did you like Zax? I wish I could link you to the picture I found on line that I based him off of. Very cute. But the FF site won't let you import link addresses in here. Sorry.

Looks like Din is starting to kind of like this Ravana chick...if not, the kid sure finds her fascinating.

Thanks for all your kind reviews. See you on Friday.