Tesari Mitzo exited the luxury cruiser onto the grey tarmak of the Nevarro shipyard. The sun was incredibly bright, washing out the landscape in stark white light. Aside from the cloudless blue sky, everything in her sight was grey, from the landscape to the industrial buildings the lead deeper into the outpost. Individuals of various species, most she'd never seen in her life, hustled through the area as they went about their business. Even droids had found a home in this dusty place.
"You need an escort to guild headquarters, my lady?" A voice asked to her left. Tesari turned to regard the rougeish man she'd hired. He wore mercenary leathers, but they were polished and oiled, just like his hair. He was young, arrogant, and obsessed with appearances. If his overly-neat grooming didn't tip you off to his demeanor, the way he snapped at the ship attendants to begin washing his impractical cruiser would.
"I assume that'll cost me extra, Pretty Boy?" She asked. He'd already drained her purse more than she wished. Tesari needed the money for what was coming. The dapper captain just shot her a slimy grin. He took the nickname as a compliment.
"A place like Nevarro can be pretty scary to a well-of lady like yourself," he said. It was a nice way to say rich people got robbed here.
"I can handle myself," she assured, brushing off his amused smile. "You've sent my things ahead, yes? And can I assume Greef Karga is expecting me?"
"Don't worry,miss. All your pretty dresses and jewelry are settled into the best inn Nevarro has to offer. The droid that unloaded your things will escort you to the appropriate cantina."
Tesari rolled her eyes at his tone. She was quite over his condescending attitude. He couldn't begin to understand the value of what she carried, tucked in those "pretty dresses."
"Then I suppose an escort really isn't necessary, is it? Let's settle up, before I develop a tan out here." His eyes flashed down to her breasts, where he knew her credit pouch hung. Well, under her breasts really, strapped to her sternum under the folds of her expensive silk blouse. She didn't have the luxury of belts or leathers, ironically.
Tesari dug out four thin gold coins and tossed them to the captain.
"Druggats, eh? That's good spend. You sure I can't help you with that top secret job?"
"No, you can't. I'm looking for someone very specific."
He scoffed. "Right. A Mandalorian. Good luck with that, lady."
Tesari didn't get a chance to ask what he meant before he turned his back on her and began barking at the droids who'd missed a speck of dirt. She shrugged and started toward the center of town, figuring she'd soon find out what he meant.
—
The cantina surged with activity, more movement than Tesari would have expected given the location. As far as she remembered, Nevarro was former Imperial territory. The Empire hadn't been gone long, but the volcanic planet lacked any trace of their control, and free peoples of all kinds seemed to flow through the small cantina.
Of course, they were probably here for the same reason as Tesari. As she scanned the stone tables and unfamiliar faces, her eyes finally fell on her target. Yes, based on the crowd of individuals around him, the guild was very much in business on Nevarro. The droid at her side chirped excitedly, indicating they'd finished their business. Tesari leaned down and placed a copper coin on his head before standing up and facing the crowd.
Swallowing back anxiety, Teasari stalked over to Greef Karga, looking down her nose at those who eyed her approach wearily. She could feel their gaze analyze her fine garments and golden jewelry. Just as she predicted, the getup stole the attention of Greef Karga, bounty hunter guild master.
"My lady," he exclaimed as Tesari strolled up to his table. He and his compatriots eyed the jewels decorating her fingers. Though they were weighty and useless, Tesari knew their value in appearance. "I was told of your beauty, but words simply couldn't do you justice. Please, allow me to buy you a drink." The few who crowded around him grunted in protest at her interruption, but he waved them away, gesturing for Tesari to sit. She bunched her colorful skirts between her fingers and sat across from the guild master, flashing him a pearly white smile, something she was sure he rarely saw in these parts.
He responded eagerly, waving down a waitdroid and ordering the most expensive wine on the menu. He knew by her approach that she had a job, he knew by her appearance that she had money, and, if he was lucky, she had friends with the same deep pockets.
"I hear you come with a job, Miss…"
"Tesari. Tesari Mitzo. And you are correct, I am very desperate for the services of the guild." She could practically see the credits dancing in his eyes.
"A bounty, my dear?"
She shook her head. "A more difficult task, but generously compensated, I assure you." He waved for her to continue. She took a deep swig of the newly arrived wine before she continued. Yes, expensive indeed.
"I hear you have a Mandalorian in your company. I mean to hire him, and him alone." Greef sat back in surprise. "A decent cut for the guild, of course, but I have special need for the skills of a Mandalorian."
"What kind of cut?" Ah, the flattery was over. Business then.
"Four thousand druggats, and a large sum of Beskar for the Mandalorian. With that kind of payment I expect you to supply the warrior with all he needs to complete the job." Greef's eyes were bugging out of his sockets, and she could practically see the calculations running through his mind. But as she expected, a shadow of doubt washed over his features.
"A generous offer. I assume it will be a tough job. Tell me."
She did. "There is an item I need, and it is currently in possession of a slaver on Apollo IV. That item must be returned to me at all costs."
"I've never heard of Apollo IV," Greef stated bluntly.
"You wouldn't have. It's a small moon in the Outer Rim. Quaint, but for the warlord that once worked for the Empire. Despite the fall of his overlords, the slaving bastard has somehow managed to gain more power than ever. He has quite the fortress now."
"Sounds like a job for more than just one man," Greef commented. Tesari wanted to mention that a Mandalorian wasn't just any man, but refrained and continued.
"With the Empire and it's support gone, the place is held mostly by slave guards. They are untrained and afraid."
"Fear is a strong motivator."
Tesari couldn't agree more. "That is why there is a second part to this request. I also require the death of the slave overlord. When he and those that are loyal to him are gone, the slaves will run. Kill a dozen to save hundreds."
Greef nodded, understanding the plan. "What is the target's name?"
Tesari opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was dry and she found herself coughing roughly. She downed the entire mug of wine, refusing to acknowledge the goosebumps that rose on her flesh in anticipation of the name she was about to speak.
"Mikels Maad," she finally got out, hating herself for the fear that seemed to course through her blood. Greef took a puck out of his belt and began inputting the chain code she recited from memory. After a moment, a brief image of a middle aged man with sandy blonde hair and menacing eyes projected onto the table. Tesari looked away quickly before the guild master could see disgust on her face, adding, "One more thing: I have to come along."
He completed the bounty puck and tucked it away. "It sounds straightforward enough," he stated. "But why would you need to tag along? I could set you up in a fine room here at the cantina to await the Mandalorian's return."
Taseri shook her head, expecting this. "No, I must be present to identify the item. It will be hidden, disguised. I cannot risk losing it again. The slaver's death means little to me, only a means to an end. That item is why I'm paying you more than you've earned this entire cycle." He gave her a weary look but she stood her ground. This was not a bounty, nor a retrieval. It was an escort.
Finally, Greef sighed. "I don't know if he'll go for it. Mando tends to work alone."
Indeed? Her mind wandered to him, the Mandalorian she hadn't met, to the rumors she'd heard about Nevarro. Greef's words stirred curiosity. What was he like, this Mandalorian? Were there others, hidden about? Taseri bit her lip, wondering if he was anything like the one she remembered. Like him...
She stood abruptly, shaking the thought from her mind. "I'm sure you can convince him. You know the value of Beskar to his kind. Now, if you don't mind, I have other things to attend to. When the Mandalorian arrives, send him to me and I will deliver a down payment. When we return, the rest of the druggats are yours."
"And the Beskar?"
"The Mandalorian will have his Beskar. That is the way."
—-
Boo-whoop? The droid asked, attempting to peek inside her room at the "best inn Nevarro had to offer." It was drab, at best, boasting cleanliness more than anything else. She expected that was the work of her new little friend here, a CD-22 droid meant to, essentially, be her personal concierge. Apparently his services were included with the overpriced room, so that extra tip she gave him earlier had endeared her to him.
"Sorry buddy, you can't come in. Maybe another time." The droid whistled lowly before sliding down the hall.
All of her belongings were still packed away in her luggage, secure behind a coded lock. She didn't hesitate to open it, desperate to make sure her prize was still hidden. Tesari threw her dresses and jewels on the floor, and only when the room was littered with multi-colored silk and shimmering gems did she find what she was looking for. A piece of red metal glimmered at her. Tesari removed it gingerly, examining it from all angles for signs of wear from travel. She found no damage, only shiny, untarnished Beskar.
It was round and angled. A pauldron. Huge, made to fit a man incredibly broad. Tesari pressed the metal to her chest, cherishing its cold touch on her skin. The Beskar had a distinct scent, something she would never forget, and that metallic smell of forged steel had her swimming through painful memories. She didn't cry, simply clutched the scarlet metal in sorrow until the bright sun began to set on Nevarro. Leaving the room a mess, Tesari climbed into the large bed and continued clutching the Beskar until she fell into a fitful sleep.
—
Days passed uneventfully, and soon Tesari grew bored. She'd hidden away the Beskar and in the safe provided by the inn. She ordered the CD-22 to prevent anyone but herself from opening the safe. He'd responded by bringing one of his limbs to his dome in an awkward salute and that made her giggle. As she requested, he'd brought her more appropriate clothes which she wore as she explored the outpost. Her black hair was now unbraided and free of ornaments, simply tied in a tight bun atop her head. Greef Karga hardly recognized her when she joined him at the cantina a week after their meeting, asking after the best arms dealer in town. He continued looking at her in astonishment, even as she left the bar with a housekeeping droid in tow, set on procuring a pair of expensive blasters.
The arms dealer sold her a belt with two thigh holsters and twin blasters, each equipped with state of the art targeting modules and plated grips. The Nautolan behind the counter had scoffed at her choice, but quickly changed his tune when she started flashing real cash. Just as she was about to exit the shop, a pair of shiny mounted axes caught her eye. Having a melee weapon never hurt.
"Those is magnetic return axes. They come with bracelets. When activated, the hatchets come back to the bracelets. Bought 'em off a hunter that was missin' most his fingers."
Of course, Tesari took them.
—
Day after day she would dawn her leathers, train, then venture forth to explore the planet while she awaited her Mandalorian caller. She always returned at dusk, checking the shipyard for signs of the Old Republic ship Greef informed her about. Tesari was eager, returning hopeful to find the Razor Crest, but each evening she was disappointed. When she visited Greef, which was quite often, he shrugged and said the Mandalorian would return in his own time, regardless of the urgency of his message. By now he had grown tired of her nagging, and if not for the reveal of her pouch of druggats, would have begun to ignore her altogether.
Tesari knew her refined act was up. After a month her wallet began to look a little thin, so she summoned the guild master and requested he find a buyer for her jewels and dresses. Her closet was now full of leathers instead of silk, and she was glad to be rid of the articles that never truly belonged to her. Her new axes hung from her belt next to her blasters. It only took Tesari a few days to injure herself, basically tearing open her palm and frantically looking for the nearest hospital. She now wore padded gloves to minimize the risk of losing a finger, if not a whole hand.
The weeks bled together with no sign of the mission beginning. With the loss of her noble look, a few cantina regulars tried to make friends with her, and a few more tried to sleep with her, but Tesari dismissed the bounty hunters with cool airs. At this point she recognized a few, particularly the ones who tried to sway her into giving them the job they knew she was waiting on. Even Captain Pretty Boy had returned to Nevarro and tried to persuade her into a drink now and then. But there was no point in getting comfortable. The Mandalorian would be here soon and she would finally retrieve what she had lost.
Soon was not soon enough, however, and an approximation of summer began on Navarro. The days were so hot she thought she would burn alive, and Tesari grew immensely impatient. One morning, after an excruciating training section that she couldn't justify skipping, Tesari barreled into the cantina, determined to give Greef Karga a piece of her mind.
A few heads turned at her noisy entrance, only to see her frozen in place, staring at the guild master's table. Across from him, dawning a shimmering helmet, sat the Mandolorian. Tesari looked him over curiously, desperate to learn something, anything, about the masked hunter. Her eyes were drawn back to the helmet over and over, its shine sending her mind reeling, bringing back memories she had packed away after her first night on Nevarro.
"Ah!" Greef Karga exclaimed happily. He beckoned her over. "Speak of the devil and she shall appear! Your client arrives, Mando."
The helmet turned toward her and she sucked in a sharp breath at the opaque t-shaped visor. It was nothing and everything like the one she remembered. As she walked forward to the table and slid in next to Greef, she felt her mouth flap open and closed, unable to form coherent words as he watched her. Finally, she squeaked out an awkward, "Hello!"
Greef, the traitor, guffawed at her awkwardness. "My, my Mando! You've left the poor girl speechless. I'm honestly surprised, seeing as how she hasn't stopped yapping into my ear about you since she arrived!" Tesari shot him a dirty look. Though his teasing brought a blush across her recently tanned skin, it managed to snap her out of her awestruck manner.
"Have you explained the job to him?" she asked, desperate to stay professional. Greef nodded. Tesari turned to the Mandolorian, ignoring the churning in her gut. "Well?"
It was his turn to check her out, and though her assessment of the Mandolorian yielded little, she felt like she was an open book before him. Her dark hair was braided and coiled at the back of her head, a royal look, but was caked in dust from her morning workout. Her skin was tanned, bordering on burned from her time in the Navarro sun. Though she'd arrived thin and prettied, her time eating cantina food and flinging axesaround had filled out her shape a bit more. However, Tesari was still short and lean and clearly not a warrior.
"The girl stays," the Madalorian finally said. Ah, that was how it was then. Even with his voice modulated by the helmet, Tesari could hear the dismissal. He turned back to Greef and it was like she was no longer there. What a fool.
"I offer a full suit of Beskar, from a Mandolorian much larger than yourself. Enough to reforge into your own armor, and have more yet for the foundlings." The visor snapped back to her face, and she was trapped in his invisible gaze. She could practically feel his eyes boring into her own, but she stood her ground, knowing this was the only way to convince him.
"What Mandalorian." The question sounded almost like a statement and Tesari discovered she hated the sound of his stupid modulator and was glad he never used one.
"I don't know," she lied expertly. "What I do know is that Maad stripped it from a dead Mandalorian during his time with the Empire. He has it on display with the item I wish to retrieve. They are locked away, but I know how to get to them. The item belongs with me, and the Beskar belongs back in the hands of your people. Either I go, or there is no job." Greef sat up at this, ready to mediate. Before he could speak, the Mandolorian slid out of the booth. "Fine," he stated petulantly and Tesari felt her heart drop before he grabbed the puck off of the table and gestured toward the exit. "Let's go."
"N-now?" She stuttered.
"Now."
Tesari clambered to her feet and muttered something about retrieving her bag before taking off out the cantina doors, leaving Greef and the Mandolorian to watch her flee.
"What's her deal?" Mando asked, cutting straight to the point. Greef sighed and shrugged.
"Came in here flaunting some real wealth, but replaced it all with blasters, axes, and dirt. Couldn't get rid of her cash fast enough, practically throwing it away. Based on her impatience, I'd say the job is personal. Still, she's got spunk. See her training out back every morning. Not too bad with those axes if you can believe it. She'll probably be less of a hassle than you think. Not to mention, she's pretty."
By now she was reentering the cantina, a duffle bag strapped to her bag and two blasters holstered on each thigh. A droid followed after her, beeping frantically. She stopped to pat it affectionately on the head, murmuring words of reassurance until the droid's shrill whistling became affectionate chirps.
"We'll see," Mando said coldly, before turning his back on the guild master, shrugging past her, and strutting out of the cantina. Tesari looked alarmed, but found her senses and tossed the guild master a pouch of druggats before following the Mandalorian out. Greef sighed and slid the pouch into his pocket, glad to finally have the money and her out of his hair.