Canderous
The feast that night was enjoyed immensely by all. Carth and his officers joined us at the high table, having worked out a dining schedule for the rest of the troops. It necessitated all of us being there for longer, but we enjoyed talking and catching up, and getting to know Lieutenant Gordon Grant and Captain Adron Bard. I was fairly impressed by how relaxed they were, being surrounded by Mandalorians. I noticed that they treated Carth with easy respectful familiarity, and liked that too. I had known Carth was an excellent leader, but it's always good to see it in practice.
Jennet was in her element, chatting with everyone and seeing to their comfort. She drew many admiring comments and glances, the latter of which she noticed not at all, as far as I could see. I was proud of her, dressed in a dark blue gown of modest cut but that hung in such a way that her petite figure was set off very pleasingly. It was the first time I'd seen her in a dress and I made sure she saw my appreciation. The deep blue made her skin glow and her hair look almost gold.
Poor Lt. Grant was obviously smitten and spent a good deal of time pretending not to be staring at her, dropping several utensils in the process. Jennet treated him kindly, and I caught from her she had sympathy for his plight, if some private amusement. She found it charmingly flattering, and I chose not to glower over it. Carth, no fool, cast a swift glance at me, smiled wryly, then chose to ignore the situation completely.
The seating at the high table shifted continuously as people got up to join conversations or were motioned over to discuss some point or another. It was the relaxed atmosphere of an improvised party, rather than the stiff formality of a state dinner, and everyone seemed to respond to it. I watched the general crowd from time to time and was pleased to see Mandalorian and Republic soldiery alike chatting away with each other, swapping stories and such.
When the final shift had eaten their fill, we all filed out to the bonfire, and sat around, listening to the music and watching the flames. It was the dancing that really got everyone going, though, once we started. The women were still outnumbered four to one, but the circle spread clear back almost to the barracks. It was about a half hour before Jennet was back with me, laughing and flushed, the fire reflected in her eyes. The Elders signaled the end of the festivities with an announcement that the final Trial would take place at noon tomorrow. At their commander's signal, everyone filed off towards their beds. Jennet and I stayed until the last of the party headed out, Carth waving goodnight as he strode off to his room.
"That went very well," Jennet observed, hiding a yawn behind her hand.
"I think so," I agreed. "I'm impressed by how well everyone is getting along."
"Fifteen years is a long time," she said softly. "Most of those soldiers were children when the war ended. They have no real connection to it. People change, adapt to shifting alliances and situations. It'll take some time, but everyone will adjust."
"I suppose you're right, Wildcat. I did."
"There you go. Now take me to bed before I fall asleep on my feet. We have a test to pass tomorrow."
"Anything you say, cyar'ika," and I scooped her up to carry her to bed.
The next morning I woke to find Jennet already awake and dressed. I don't out sleep her often, and gazed at her with blurry surprise.
"What time is it?" I asked, sitting up and pinching the bridge of my nose between thumb and forefinger. I had a slight headache. I felt a warmth, followed by a tingling across my shoulder and neck muscles, and felt much more relaxed, the headache gone. I smiled my thanks to Jennet and groped for a robe.
"0710," she reported with a glance at the clock. "I woke early, but you looked so comfortable I didn't want to wake you."
"How long have you been up, cyar'ika?" I found the robe and was starting to put it on when she came over to me, standing almost between my knees. Robe forgotten for the moment, I pulled her down to my lap. She's such a huge presence in my life, a ferocious and skilled fighter who is easily able to take down much larger opponents, that I tend to forget how small she actually is. I was a little amazed when my hands actually did, literally, encircle her waist as I coaxed her down for a kiss.
"A couple hours," she gasped as I nuzzled her ear.
She'd been working out, I could tell by the faint odor of her sweat. And under that, a sweet but musky scent that was simply her. She didn't wear perfume often, and when she did it was a light fragrance. As far as I was concerned, she never had to; I love the way she smells. I teased her for a few moments, to her delight and my growing need.
"I went for a run around the camp, and worked out some," she said a little breathlessly as I transferred attention to the hollow of her throat. "Don't worry, I took Xarga with me. He and Kelborn were on duty when I got up. I think it's Zuka and Dax now. How do they get by with so little sleep?"
"There's six of them, with only three hours night duty each. They're trained to sleep when they can. Aren't you?" I was nibbling the place where her neck and shoulder met, and she was making little gasping noises. I grinned to myself.
"Yeah, I guess so," she said. "Carth was up too, and we sparred for a while. He's a good fighter."
My head came up, although I deliberately kept it to a casual tilt rather than a snap. "Was he? And how is the good Admiral this morning?"
"Charming, but tenser than he lets on. He's got to have a lot on his mind," Jennet reported, looking me in the eye, not fooled by my casualness. "Did you fail to hear Xarga was with me? And would it matter even if he wasn't?"
"No, Wildcat, I trust you completely; Carth too, for that matter. He's not the sort that would make a play for an unavailable woman, let alone the fiancé of a friend," I dipped my head and made her squeal faintly.
"He's lonely," Jennet said softly. "I feel sorry for him. He's a nice man."
"Yeah, he is," I rested my chin on her hair.
"I'm nervous about the fight," she admitted quietly after a moment. "That's why I woke up so early. So much could go wrong. We've never tested trying to use the ecstasy with other Mandalorians before, if it even works. What if it doesn't? Or what if it does, but makes everyone react badly, and we can't fix it? I couldn't stand to see you go off to war without me."
"It's going to be fine," I said firmly, pulling back and looking her in the eye. "We've managed so far, even when things got hairy, like when you were on stim. We'll have the energy dampeners, and everyone out there can take care of themselves."
"I hope you're right," she said, frowning.
"I am right," I said confidently.
I pulled her closer to me, and felt her heartbeat slowly go back to normal, and the tension in her body ease.
"Feel better?" I asked.
"Much," she answered.
Then she started distracting me. It was a good hour or so before we emerged from our room.
We eventually made our way to the mess hall for breakfast, where Jennet proceeded to amaze our guests with her appetite. She had eaten in front of them last night, of course, but everyone had been talking and shifting around, so it had not been as apparent then.
"Miss Jax, I think there's a cauldron of oatmeal left back there," Carth teased. "Can't have you fainting from hunger, now."
"I hate oatmeal," Jennet informed him, cheeks faintly pink.
"Ah. More eggs, then?" He made to hand her the platter, but she shook her head, smiling.
"I'm full, thanks," she said with dignity.
"That won't last," I heard Dax murmur behind us, and she turned even pinker.
"I don't hear anyone complain of her appetite when they're being healed by her," I said mildly, and she shot me a grateful look.
"I've seen Jedi healing, of course," Carth said, puzzled. "Experienced it first hand many times, in fact. But while I admit most Jedi do seem to need more fuel than the rest of us, Jennet is in a class of her own. You must have an amazing metabolism."
This led to a brief discussion of Jennet's healing abilities, followed by a more in depth debate analyzing fuel consumption vs. expulsion of energy, led by Disciple. The engineers and pilots of the table especially got into the verbal fray. Jennet just watched, shaking her head.
"Well," she broke in after a while, "All I know is I get hungry."
This made everyone laugh, and more or less signaled the end of breakfast.
We had a little more than two hours until the Trial, and Jennet wanted to re-check her armor and weapons, as did I. Giving everything a final thorough inspection, we helped each other suit up. Neither of us needed it, naturally, but I liked the intimacy of the act. The buckling and strapping, adjusting fit and making sure everything was comfortably in place. I found it almost as erotic as undressing each other. Almost.
We arrived at the battlefield almost an hour early, and were unsurprised that at least half the participants were already there. The day before I had ordered a detail to set up chairs and a few small tables for the Elders and some of the onlookers; these were now all occupied and people were milling around. All of the Jedi were already present, and I saw Megari seated near the tall form of Bao Dur. Danni was not with her and I supposed she was in the care of Lorna. I spotted Carth, who was wearing a new style of armor, beautifully made, obviously high quality with excellent protection. I strode over and clapped him on the shoulder, nodding to his suit.
"Far cry from salvaged bits picked up during our mission," I said, grinning. "That's nice stuff."
"Thanks," Carth said with a nod and a wry smile. "I preferred some of the armor we used then, in some ways, but command insisted I have the best available. It's their credit; I'll go along with it. I admit it's pretty comfortable, for armor. I see you have top quality as usual. You always were good at crafting your own."
"It's in the blood," I said with some pride. "We're taught from practically birth. I made Jennet's too…well, modified it, anyway. I plan on making her a complete set soon."
"Beautiful job," Carth said, admiring Jennet's easy movement. "Very light, I can see."
"The way she fights, bulky armor gets in her way. She's quick enough that less protection isn't that big of a deal."
"I can see that."
"Yeah, she told me you two sparred this morning. How bad did she beat your ass?" I asked with a glint in my eye.
"If we'd really been fighting, she probably would have taken me out in less than ten minutes," he admitted ruefully. "We were just getting a workout, is all. But I've seen her in action." He looked me straight on and told me about the security tapes.
"Damn, and we thought we'd covered our tracks well," I growled.
"You did; we were just persistent. The reports at first sounded like there might be a new underworld power out there, and it never does to be unaware of something like that. Imagine my surprise when I recognized you." He thought of something, and frowned. "I would have thought you'd know about this already; I'd told Jennet yesterday when she was showing me the camp. With your, er, mental communication I pretty much assumed you'd heard the story."
"It can work like that, yeah, but we don't listen to every conversation or stray thought; it'll drive you insane. She probably meant to tell me, but we were both pretty busy," I shrugged.
"Interesting," Carth said doubtfully. "I'm not sure I'd enjoy a condition like that."
"You might, once you get used to it," I said. "It makes things…clearer. And it's very handy to have in battle or when you're some distance from each other. And it's not like we had a choice, anyway."
"I'd like to hear more about being Mates sometime, if you don't mind talking about it," Carth said with a charming smile.
"Admiral Onasi can mind his own damn business," I said pointedly.
He grinned, unoffended. "Admiral Onasi would have a professional interest, true. But he doesn't need to know everything."
Jennet stalked up, smiling with a touch of steel. "Would it help if I found you gentlemen a ruler?" she asked sweetly.
Carth and I looked at each other and laughed.
"No, Wildcat," I said, grinning. "We're just getting reacquainted."
"It's been a long time, yes," Carth said easily.
Jennet eyed us both suspiciously, but nodded and walked away.
We watched her start talking to Dax, then Carth turned back to me. "Seriously, Canderous, I'm just interested in my friends, that's all. What I've heard so far is fascinating, but if talking about being Mates is too personal, that's fine. And I won't ask Jennet either," he said sincerely.
"Nah, it's okay," I said low. "I'm just not eager to be part of an official record, and I sure as hell don't want Jennet to be. She spent her whole life until recently staying under the radar because she was terrified about what the Jedi council might do with a trained Force sensitive. I don't want any more interested parties poking around."
"There won't be," Carth said quietly. "Anything you choose to tell me about yourself or Jennet is simply between friends."
"I appreciate that," I said.
The Elders rounded up the leaders then and outlined the rules of engagement.
"As you all know, the purpose of these melees are to determine if the condition of shared battle ecstasy exists between the Mandalore and Jennet Jax, and if so, to further ascertain if that condition can be shared with the Mandoa warriors in general. Therefore, the first battle cannot end until we have collected enough data. We will have ten warriors stationed around the battlefield, observing the fight, to aid us in our conclusions. However, we understand that to fight only until we have collected said data is not necessarily what each team desires," Elder Gregor looked around the little circle consisting of me, Jennet, Jarxel, Carth, and Captain Bard.
I noted without surprise that Lt. Grant was not going to be in the first fight. He seemed capable enough, but if I knew Carth, he would pick his absolute best and most seasoned soldiers for this fight. He wanted to help, but he also wanted to win. I grinned; that was fine by me. Carth caught my smile and gave me one back that confirmed my conclusion. We nodded at each other in perfect understanding. Jennet saw the both of us and rolled her eyes.
"Therefore," Elder Gregor continued, "the rules of engagement are thus: both sides will keep to a holding pattern until we sound the klaxon." He nodded at Elder Drane, who had a small device on the small table next to his chair. Punching a button, it emitted a piercing sound, the same that on most starships signals danger. It was loud and penetrating enough to be heard over the sounds of battle. All of us winced involuntarily, and I saw more than a few clap their hands reflexively over their ears.
"When you hear the klaxon, you may continue the fight however you wish. During the second battle, we feel there will be no need to employ this, as there will be enough fighters on both sides that the battle will last long enough to gather what data is needed. However, if it sounds at any time then, it is a signal to halt where you are as there is an emergency situation. Are there any questions?" Elder Gregor glared around the circle, as if daring anyone to admit they didn't understand. No one did.
"Excellent idea," Jennet commented, nodding at the klaxon.
"We thought so," Elder Gregor said smugly. "Besides, we love to watch a good fight."
Dismissed from the Elders, the leaders all rounded up their troops for strategy. Making sure we were well away from the opposing team, I motioned the honor guard and Jarxel to form a circle around Jennet and me.
"Here's the plan," I said without preamble. "I know Admiral Onasi has seen Jennet fight, and you can bet your last credit that he's studied her well. He'll know that she's the biggest threat we have, and will take steps to take her out as soon as that klaxon sounds. So Jarxel, stay with me; Kex and Dax, I want you to back Jennet up. If possible, Jennet and I will fight back to back; we work best that way. So you three take up positions near us, guarding your assigned leader. If any of you see an opportunity to take Admiral Onasi out of the fight, take it; same goes for Captain Bard. Leaderless, they haven't a chance."
Everyone nodded at this assessment. With a savage smile, I continued. "But those two know what they're doing, and they'll know I know it. Plus, they'll be expecting you all to protect me and Jennet at all costs. So here's what we'll do: Jennet and I will go for Onasi and Bard."
There was a start of surprise from most of the assembly, but both Jennet and Jarxel nodded slowly.
"They won't be expecting that," I said with a grin. "Jennet will be their primary target; I want her protected. I'll be the secondary. I need you three to guard our backs. Xarga, Zuka, Kelborn, Tagren: your assignment is to hang back with blaster support. You four are the best shots in camp; make every one count. We'll form up with Jarxel on my left, Jennet on my right, Dax and Kex covering Jennet, with Zuka, Xarga, Tagren and Kelborn behind. We'll play nice until the klaxon, then push ahead. Keep in mind though, we can take out as many as ten before the signal, and still keep the test valid. Any questions?"
No one had anything to add or ask, and we gathered at the edge of the battlefield. Carth and his party stood not far from us, and we exchanged nods. This was going to be fun.