Things seemed to be happening too fast for even Vhetin to follow. One minute he had been standing with the other Rangers, watching with a mixture of awe and terror as the mighty Basilisk droids ripped into the ranks of Taung.
The carnage was unlike anything he'd seen before: bodies flying through the air, rampaging Taung crushed underfoot, roaring droids with flailing tails tearing the seemingly-invincible Kar'ta Epar'e to pieces. Things had escalated to a terrifying level within the blink of an eye.
Then the fight had come to a jarring halt and Vhetin saw none other than Captain Tervho dismounting from the back of one of the mechanical beasts! He barely had time to wonder what she was doing before he had been all but tackled by a relieved and near-frantic Tamai.
"Thank te Manda," she cried, throwing her arms around him and hugging him so tight he heard his armor creak. When she finally pulled back, she headbutted him hard in the faceplate and shouted, "Don't you ever scare me like that again! Rule number one of jungle hunts: you stay with the kriffing group!"
"Duly noted," he managed to choke before she pulled him into a tight hug again.
"Shab…" she sighed, refusing to let him go. "For a while, I thought… I thought you were…"
She couldn't bring herself to say it, instead burying her helmeted face as best she could into his neck. He chuckled a little and hugged her back, murmuring, "I'm not going anywhere, Tamai. I promise."
"You'd better not," came the muffled response.
It felt… good, holding Tamai like this. Despite everything else that was happening around them, it somehow felt right. He felt his chest swell with something he hadn't felt in a long time, and a grin pulled at his lips despite his best efforts to quell it. He held her – if possible – even tighter, until she eventually pulled away, holding him at arms' length.
"You look like shit."
He grinned. "It's been a long night."
Jay stepped up to Tamai's shoulder, also smiling. Vhetin saw her and nodded, his heart soaring to see the two alive and unharmed. It felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from the pit of his stomach.
He reached out and grasped her arm in a firm Mando handshake. "I should have known a bunch of tree-huggers wouldn't be able to take you down, Jay."
Her face broke into a full grin at that and she also pulled him into a tight – albeit shorter – hug. When they separated, she said, "Are you okay? Is everyone else?"
Vhetin's mind unwillingly flashed back to the sight of the captive Mandalorian, torn apart on the sacrificial pedestal. He made a mental note to ensure the man's armor tabs were returned to his next of kin. "Not everyone is all right," he eventually reported. "But we rescued who we could."
Jay closed her eyes. "I was afraid of that."
Tamai had turned to watch the proceedings of Werd's talk with his father: currently, the two Taung were also wrapped in a desperate hug. She hooked her thumbs into her belt. "Looks like we made some allies."
"You sound unhappy about that," Jay remarked.
Tamai was silent.
Vhetin was about to respond and bring the others up to speed on the situation. After all, it must have been quite the confusing scene for them.
But the sharp crack of a sniper rifle cut through the village and the back of Mandalore's head erupted into a fountain of gore. Vhetin jumped, his blood running cold at the sight. Jay's hands flashed up to cover her mouth in shock as Werd let out a choked cry of dismay. His father slipped from his arms, dead before he hit the ground.
Then everything exploded.
Vhetin's instincts kicked in; he grabbed Jay's shoulder and shoved her to the ground, to cover behind a nearby tree stump. He drew his lightsaber, while Tamai's sword flew into her hand. The crowd of Taung stared in shocked silence until one gravelly voice cried, "Assassins! They have killed Mandalore!"
In the span of an instant, the clearing was a battlefield once more. Vhetin caught a glimpse of Vhonte Tervho sprinting for her Basilisk once more, three Heart-Eaters hot on her tail. Then a Taung barreled into his chest, carrying them both to the ground.
Vhetin quickly brought his lightsaber up and stabbed it deep into the Heart-Eater's chest. The creature roared at him and headbutted him hard in the helmet. He tried to wriggle out from beneath the Taung, but his opponent's superior weight had him pinned.
Suddenly, he heard a familiar snap-hiss and a flash of blue darted across his vision. Looking up, he saw the Taung no longer had a head. Jay was standing behind, her eyes wide. The lightsaber Vhetin had given her, seemingly a lifetime ago when they first arrived, was lit in her hands.
Vhetin quickly shoved the dead weight of the Taung off of him and leaped to his feet, scooping his lightsaber pike into his hands once more. He sprinted for Jay, slashing horizontally. She instinctively ducked, and his lightsaber blade carved its way across the chest of a charging Heart-Eater just behind her.
Jay whipped around, saw the dead Taung, and nodded to him in thanks. They fell into a familiar stance – back-to-back with weapons facing out, just like they had practiced a hundred times both in and outside of combat.
"What the hell just happened?" he shouted over the din of battle. He stabbed his pike deep into an advancing Taung, then kicked the corpse away. "We had everything under control!"
"Norac Benz!" she shouted back. "He has some kind of personal vendetta against the Heart-Eaters! Thinks it's his duty to kill them all! He must have taken the shot!"
Vhetin cursed as he pivoted and took off another Taung's hands at the elbows. His HUD readout showed Jay faring just as well; she threw herself into a graceful pirouette and slashed her blade across a Taung's legs, continuing her attack with a sharp stab to the back of the neck that killed her opponent quickly and cleanly. She instantly followed with a reverse-stab to a Taung that was taking advantage of her turned back. The blade sunk hilt-deep into the Heart-Eater's abdomen, halting his advance. Jay yanked the blade free and took his head off at the shoulders with a single clean stroke.
Nice to know our sparring lessons weren't completely wasted, he thought. Then he threw himself back into combat, fighting back-to-back with Jay once more as seemingly hundreds of Taung flooded into the clearing. He couldn't even see Tamai or any of the other Rangers, though he could hear the telltale roar of Basilisk droids tearing into the enemy nearby.
"What do we do?" Jay shouted, ducking out of the path of an enemy's spear. She severed the weapon and kicked the attacker away. "We're outnumbered!"
"Just keep fighting!" he said. "No time to think!"
He whirled his blade over his head and pivoted on one heel, bringing the blunt end of his staff across a Taung's angular face before reversing his grip and hacking at the alien's torso. The Heart-Eater fell, but was replaced by three more, armed with beskads. He backpedaled and opened up with a torrent of fire from his gauntlet-mounted flamethrower that consumed the onrushing aliens.
A feral shout from his left caught his attention and he turned to see Norac Benz in all his violent glory, using his trademark shield and axe to hack his way through the ranks of Taung. His Berserkers were all around him, adding to the carnage with their brutal and bloodthirsty charge.
Benz somersaulted as an opponent slashed at his head and came to his feet with his shield raised. The barrier deflected a blow meant for his head and he shoved his attacker away, burying his battleaxe in the Taung's back. He was soaked in dark blood and his hair was wild and messy, his blue eyes blazing with a bloodlust that made Vhetin's skin crawl.
He hit Jay's shoulder to get her attention, reinforcing his words with hand signals so she could understand him over the noise. "Come on! We need to stop Benz!"
She nodded and together the two sprinted for the Berserker leader, dodging or killing any Taung that stood in their way. As soon as they were close enough to Norac, Vhetin threw himself into a powerful overhead stab.
Norac must have seen them coming, because he quickly fell into a crouch and brought his shield up in defense. Vhetin's lightsaber collided harmlessly against the beskar surface with a shower of sparks, though Benz was driven back a few inches by the force of the blow.
"You son of a bitch!" he shouted to the clanmaster. "We had everything under control! Why did you kill Mandalore?"
Benz shoved him away. "Why do you think? These aliens are savages, with no place among our people!"
"They are our people!"
Norac stepped toward them, eyes filled with fire. Jay tried to attack, but found her blade ricocheting off Benz's shield. He darted forward and swung his battle axe, forcing her to hop out of reach. He turned his attention back to Vhetin and shouted, "You've seen their brutality first hand! How can you look at these murderers and claim they deserve to stand with us?"
Vhetin threw himself out of the way of Benz's descending axe; his lightsaber was powerful, but too small to block such a heavy beskar weapon. "We have to! The Rangers have no other choice!"
"There is always a choice," the Berserker pressed, giving Vhetin no room or time to recover. He smashed his heavy shield up under Vhetin's chin, sending him sprawling into the dirt. Thankfully, Jay had recovered at this time and attacked from the rear. Benz was forced to turn and deal with her, giving Vhetin time to scramble back to his feet again.
"You're wrong!" he shouted as he and Jay pressed the clanmaster from both sides. Norac was a skilled and lethal combatant, but he was hard-pressed to simultaneously defend against two foes armed with lightsabers. He began to fall back, giving ground so he could dodge and parry their attacks.
He was so focused on his defense that he didn't see the lanky mass of muscles and tattoos that tackled him from behind. He let out a shout, his shield bouncing from his grip, as Werd'cetara carried them both the ground.
"Murderer!" the Taung roared, grabbing Benz by the back of his neck and smashing him face-first into the ground again. "My father had surrendered! What honor-robbed coward kills a defenseless old man?"
Benz cursed and grabbed a handful of sand. Pivoting, he threw the spray of dirt into Werd's eyes, forcing the Taung to fall back and clear his vision. In an instant Norac was on his feet again, hands balled into fists and raised for a fight. His weapons were out of reach; they had fallen at Vhetin and Jay's feet.
The two hunters fell back, watching the fighters prepare for a violent one-on-one battle. Around the battlefield, Vhetin noticed other Taung also taking note. They ceased fighting to watch, giving the overwhelmed Rangers time to fall back to safety.
But Werd gave them no such luxury. He gestured to the Taung surrounding him and barked, "Seize them! Let them bear witness to the consequences of their actions!"
The Taung were scattered and confused from the sudden loss of their leader, but they knew an order when they heard it. At the young warrior's command, the Heart-Eaters quickly overwhelmed the Rangers, grabbing them by their arms and wrenching their weapons from their grasps. Vhetin tried to fight back and managed to level one offending alien with a powerful punch. But a hard foot collided with the back of his knee and he fell forward, off balance. Rough hands grabbed at his armor and pulled his lightsaber pike from his grasp.
He was hauled back to his feet, held captive by strong alien hands. He saw Jay being subjected to similar treatment not far away; one of the Taung grabbed her roughly by the hair, an arm around her throat.
"Watch and learn, metal man," a dark voice hissed in Vhetin's ear. "See the fate that will befall all your kind."
Vhetin grunted, trying in vain to struggle against the iron grip that held him captive. "I thought we were on the same kriffing side!"
The snap-hiss of his own lightsaber pike effectively silenced him. Another Taung was holding the weapon in a steady, two-handed grip. The alien's face stretched into a sharp-toothed grin as he held the humming blade up to Vhetin's throat.
"Right," he sighed, falling still. He exchanged a fearful glance with Jay. "Consider me warned."
Vhonte Tervho was not as understanding; a short distance away she was fighting furiously against her captors, lashing out with fists, feet, and even teeth. She would not be taken hostage so easily. Vhetin respected that, though he knew that her resistance would ultimately be futile.
All their fates now rested on the outcome of the battle circle.
Benz, meanwhile, wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, a savage grin pulling at his features. He dropped into a crouch, hair flying wildly about his face as he regarded Werd with flashing eyes.
"You're a monster," he said in Mando'a so all the assembled Taung could hear. "You butchered our people like animals! Whatever deal you made with the others won't fly with me."
"I gave no such order!" Werd roared back. "I never sought to harm your people! Such were the traditions of a bygone age!"
"That's a great comfort to the men whose hearts you ate like kriffing kurra fruits!"
Werd tossed his head, dreadlocks flying in the wind. "Enough of this."
He drew his sword with one hand and a long dagger with the other. Then, shockingly, he dropped both to the ground. With one hand, he reached up and yanked the tattered red cape from his shoulders, followed by his heavy leather chestplate and shoulder pads. He balled his hands into fists, gesturing for Benz to approach.
"Come then, murderer," the Taung snarled, eyes glowing furiously. "I will grant you the honorable death you did not allow my father."
Benz grinned even wider, then reached down to his belt and drew his own knife, similarly discarding it to one side. By now, all the fighting in the clearing had stopped and all attention was focused on the two combatants.
This was the battle circle in its purest form. No one could stand to look away.
Norac Benz spat at Werd's feet and balled his hands into fists. "Let's dance, demagolka."
Werd charged forward with a roar. Norac slipped to the side, dodging the attack, and kneed the large alien hard in the chest. The hit sent Werd staggering back, coughing as he held his ribs.
"Come on, youngblood," Benz hissed. "I've seen better charges from a drunk at the Oyu'baat. Again!"
A twisted snarl of rage pulled at Werd's craggy features and he advanced again – this time at a more cautious pace. He sent out precise, measured punches at Norac's chest and arms, testing his defenses. The clanmaster easily turned away the blows, throwing in a few exploratory hits of his own. They were setting up their battle plan, sizing up their opponent. They began circling each other, while the Taung spectators chanted and hissed at the promise of blood.
Physically, Werd was the obvious superior: he was almost a whole head taller than Norac and his body was honed by a lifetime in the vicious world of the Werda Kurs. But Norac had years of experience bolstering his attacks, and was cunning in a way Werd had never encountered before. Vhetin found his heart pounding in his chest; whoever won this duel would decide the fate of everyone in the village.
Norac's men hooted and roared in favor of their clanmaster, but were swiftly silenced by the Heart-Eaters that held them captive. Vhetin watched as the two continued to trade cautious blows, very aware of the heat of the lightsaber blade hovering only inches from his throat.
Suddenly, Norac sprinted forward, leaping up and landing a powerful punch across Werd's jaw. The Taung staggered and the human followed up with another punch to the stomach, then two more to the ribs. Werd tried to counterattack with a backhand punch, but Norac ducked under the swinging fist and landed another punch along Werd's spine.
The dreadlocked Taung roared, limping away. He rounded on Benz again, eyes blazing. Vhetin saw fury written across his every movement, and he knew without a doubt that the Taung would not hesitate to kill Norac given the chance.
Werd advanced. But this time, when Norac tried to slip inside his defense again, Werd tucked his arms close to his chest and hit his opponent with a hard elbow to the face. Norac's head whipped back, hair flying, and he staggered away with his hands over his nose. Werd followed, fists clenched at his side. He grabbed Norac by the back of the neck and, with a powerful roar, threw the man bodily into the air.
Norac sailed like a child's rag doll before smashing face-first into the sacrificial pedestal. He groaned and slid off the damaged stone slab, blood pouring from his torn and bruised face. He staggered back to his feet only to meet Werd's oncoming fist. The blow knocked him flat and everyone watching – even the Taung – sucked in a shocked breath at the ferocity of Werd's attack.
Had this been Norac's plan? Rile his opponent up? Make him sloppy with rage? If so, the plan was working, but not to Norac's favor. Werd was all but shivering with pent-up hatred as he leaped up onto the sacrificial pedestal. He threw his head back and roared, pounding his chest.
Norac rolled onto his stomach and began crawling away, down off the pedestal. The Taung stared down at his prey with yellow eyes that glowed malevolently in the darkness. He hopped down from the stone pedestal and knelt at Norac's side. A single large hand closed around the back of the man's neck and he hauled Benz backward to hiss in his ear.
"I sought peace between our people," the Taung snarled. "I offered you an open hand. And you saw that gift and spat in my face. In my father's face!"
With that, he shoved Norac forward again, driving the man's face hard against the ground. He yanked back and continued, "You will find no mercy in my actions now, metal man. You will die for the crimes you have committed, even if I must consume your heart myself."
He slammed Benz's face into the ground again. But when he pulled back, Norac was laughing.
Uncertainty flashed across Werd's features. Norac's face was covered in bruises and blood, but he was letting out a weak, wheezing chuckle.
"Savages…" he gasped. "Kriffing savages, the lot of you. I'm going to kill you and take your scalp for a trophy. S'no more than you deserve."
Then he twisted and Vhetin saw a thick rock clutched in his hand. There was a sharp crack as the stone collided with Werd's face, sending the Taung reeling. Benz quickly spun back to his feet, refusing to give his enemy a single moment to recover. He smashed the rock again and again against Werd's head, until red-black blood stained his fist and the stone clutched in it. Werd faltered under the attack, every blow driving him closer and closer to collapse.
Then, the young Mandalore suddenly let out a primal, animalistic roar and grabbed Norac around the waist. He arched his back and lifted the human off his feet. He threw Benz over his shoulder like a sack of grassgrain and Norac's head collided with the sacrificial pedestal with a sickly crack. Benz went limp and fell, while Werd's eyes rolled back in his head, the last of his strength exhausted.
Both shattered combatants collapsed into the mud, barely moving. Vhetin caught a glimpse of Jay struggling against her captor and snapping, "They're going to kill each other!"
Vhetin shook his head, unable to look away. "That's the point."
Benz, meanwhile, had begun a slow and torturous climb up the side of the sacrificial pedestal. He still had his rock clutched in one hand, but it slipped from his fingers as he pulled himself into a half-standing position. With a groan, he propped himself up against the pedestal, watching Werd weakly try to clamber to his feet, only to fall into the dirt again.
He gestured to the wounded Taung and turned to the captive Rangers. "See this?" he wheezed. "This is your terrible Kar'ta Epar'e! This filth has no place among our people!"
He staggered, reaching over and pulling a dislodged slab of stone from the sacrificial pedestal. The heavy stone almost pulled him off his feet again, but he hauled it close to his chest and limped toward Werd.
Vhetin knew a stone that size would easily kill the Taung, no matter how tough Werd was. The other Heart-Eaters seemed to realize this as well; they called out to their leader or gasped in horror as they watched the proceedings. None dared interfere; the battle circle was a sacred rite. This fight was between Werd and Benz, and it would stay that way.
Blood was dribbling down Benz's chin in sticky ropes as he pulled the stone over his head. His arms shook from the effort, but a triumphant grin stretched across his bloody face. He stared down unsympathetically as Werd weakly tried to crawl away, out of the stone's reach. The Taung scrabbled in the mud, but could find no purchase.
"Troan kyr'am jate," Norac hissed, preparing for the final, fatal blow, "aruetii hut'unn-"
POW!
The sharp report of a blaster bolt shattered the shocked silence of the village. Several Taung screeched in surprise, while more than one human shouted. Vhetin's eyes felt as wide as dinner plates, fixed unwaveringly on Norac Benz.
The Berserker clanmaster had a strange, almost confused frown on his face. His arms shook and his fingers slackened. The heavy stone slipped from his grasp and thudded to the ground behind him. He looked down with wide eyes, his breath coming in short gasps.
A charred, smoking hole, the size of a small coin, was seared through his chest.
He let out a short choking gurgle, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. The front of his leather armor began to turn a dark red, spreading out from the ragged blaster wound. His eyes were wide with astonishment as he turned to see who had loosed the shot. Everyone in the clearing followed his confused, ice-blue gaze.
Vhonte Tervho stood a few paces away, smoke still wafting from the barrel of the blaster pistol clutched in her hands. Her eyes were as wide as Norac's, and her aim was shaking violently.
Benz's eyes filled with hurt and confusion, and he took a step toward her. His balance faltered and he staggered against the sacrificial pedestal. A bloody handprint was left behind as he pushed off of it.
"V-Vhonte?" he gasped. "Vhonte, what are you—"
POW!
A gurgle bubbled up from Norac's throat as the second shot ripped through his chest. His legs shook, then failed. He fell to his knees, arms limp at his side. Hurt, confusion, and betrayal blossomed in his gaze as he stared up at the red-haired captain standing in front of him.
Tervho's aim finally faltered, and the blaster clattered to the dirt at her feet. Her eyes were huge, and they never once left Norac's.
Benz didn't say anything. His expression said more than enough.
After a few endless, stunned moments, the Berserker clanmaster pitched sideways and collapsed to the ground. He didn't move again.
Vhetin's mind felt hazy, like everything he was seeing was somehow in a dream. He couldn't believe his eyes; he didn't even care when the assembled Taung roared in fury and descended on Captain Tervho. The rules of the battle circle had been breached; the sacred tradition was spoiled.
"Blood!" a nearby Taung screamed. "We must have blood to complete the rites!"
"The metal men have broken our laws yet again!" another roared. "They must pay for their heresies!"
"Take their hearts!"
"We must have their hearts!"
Things seemed to move in slow motion. The Taung holding the lightsaber to Vhetin's throat drew the weapon back with a snarl, preparing for a slash that would take his head off at the shoulders. Over the alien's shoulder, he saw Jay being dragged off into the crowd, kicking and screaming. Tamai was being hauled to the sacrificial altar, her armor being stripped away by rough alien hands.
Before any fatal blow could fall, a powerful voice rang out over the chaos as clearly as the blaster bolts that had started it all.
"Hold!"
The Heart-Eaters froze. Vhetin slowly opened his eyes, barely aware that he had squeezed them shut in anticipation of the heated slash of the lightsaber.
Werd was standing once more, a single hand raised in the air. Blood stained the entire right side of his face and the eye on that side was bloodshot and hazy. He looked like he could barely hold himself upright, but he somehow managed.
He took several gasps for breath, one hand held against his bleeding side. Then he raised his chin and roared, "Let the humans go."
The Taung stared between themselves, uncertain. But when Werd barked, "Now!" they hurried to obey their clanmaster. Vhetin was shoved away from his captors, his lightsaber pike thrust back into his grasp. He staggered forward onto his hands and knees. Jay followed a moment later, shoved into the muck at Werd's feet. Lee and Tamai were right behind her.
Soon, all the assembled Rangers had been placed before the mercy of Mand'alor Werd. All were forced to kneel like waiting supplicants before a powerful lord. Benz was lying, unmoving, in the mud only a few feet away.
Werd's balance wobbled a bit, but he managed to stay standing. His breath was coming in short, pained gasps as he looked upon the rows of humans assembled before him.
"You…" he hissed, "have violated our most sacred rites. You have killed our brothers and sisters. You have murdered my father, the Mandalore. By all the ancient laws of my people, you deserve death for these crimes."
He looked over the humans, his gaze resting on Vhonte Tervho – who was kneeling next to a limp and unresponsive Norac Benz. Her head was bowed and one of the Berserker's hands was clutched tightly in hers.
Werd's golden gaze softened. "But…" he continued, "you have also shown great valor. You refused to be led like cattle to slaughter. You tamed the sacred Holy Serpents and bent them to your will. And most importantly, you sacrificed one of your own to save my life."
He turned his gaze to his people, who were gathered around and staring with equal parts expectation and confusion. He gestured to the humans before him with a single, shaking hand.
"These metal men have proven that they have the blood of the jungle flowing through their veins. They are devout warriors, strong of limb and stout of heart."
He hesitated, breaking down into a short coughing fit before continuing. "They speak our language. They fight us with skill and determination. They wear our armor, defend their own, and heed the call of their own Mandalore. By all the tenets that have kept our people safe in this jungle, these metal men have shown themselves to be true Mandalorians!"
A few discontented grumbles made their way through the Heart-Eater ranks, but otherwise, there was silence at his words. Werd surveyed his people for a moment more before taking a deep breath and saying, "By my right as Mandalore, I hereby decree that the metal men shall no longer be treated as enemies. No more will their hearts be claimed as trophies and their soldiers taken captive."
He looked down to Vhonte Tervho again. "You have proven yourself in my eyes, human. Know that from this day forth, the Mandalorians of the trees will seek only peace and cooperation with you and yours."
Tervho's voice shook when she spoke, but her words were clear. "You… you honor both our people and yours, Mandalore."
Werd took a shaky step forward and held out an open palm. It was an obvious offer of peace.
Tervho stared at it for only a moment, then reached up and took his hand.
Outpost Aurek, the next day…
Vhetin and Jay stood to one side, watching the repulsor sled carrying Norac Benz hover toward the waiting transport. A team of white-armored medics flanked either side of the sled, while hovering medical droids were already hard at work on their patient.
Jay watched them go with something close to worry in her eyes. "Do you think he'll be okay?"
Vhetin shook his head and shrugged. The procession passed them by close enough that he could see every blood-soaked bandage covering Benz' chest. The man himself was unconscious — and had been since passing out in the Taung village. His hand twitched and feebly tried to bat away the prodding syringe of one of the medical droids, to no avail. Then he fell limp again, as still and unmoving as a corpse.
"I don't know," Vhetin eventually said as the repulsor sled passed them by. "Captain Tervho missed all the vital organs, but both shots punched right through him. It's a miracle he's alive right now."
Jay turned away, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't envy the guy who's on shift when he wakes up. The phrase royally pissed off isn't going to cover it."
Vhetin nodded to the troupe that was following the sled. "Seeing them, I can agree with you."
Benz's remaining Berserkers – around fifteen in all – were being led to the transport as well. But unlike their leader, they were being escorted by Rangers armed with blasters and their hands were cuffed in front of them by heavy electro-shock binders. Some among them looked furious, while others just stared at their boots with unreadable expressions.
"Don't you think the handcuffs are a bit much?"
Vhetin shook his head. "It's a luxury considering the gravity of what they've done. They disobeyed the direct order of their Mandalore and broke the laws of the Supercommando Codex in the process. That Shysa is letting them live is a pretty hefty show of kindness."
"Somehow I think things are only going to get worse for their clan when they all get back. Norac will probably wish he had died back in that village."
Vhetin sighed, lacking the heart to verbally agree with her. The Berserkers had indeed overstepped their bounds in attacking the Taung forces, and Shysa had specifically told them that they were to pursue peaceful avenues of negotiation. He couldn't begin to imagine the Mand'alor's fury when he had read the post-mission report.
"The discovery of the Taung changes everything," he eventually said, weighing each word carefully. "Not everyone will be overjoyed to see them return. Norac and the Berserkers broke the law, but I think more people will follow their lead before this is over."
Jay's face fell. "Then I hope they're ready for the hornet's nest they're about to kick. If it comes to a fight, the Taung aren't going to go down easy."
"Then it's our job to make sure it doesn't come to a fight," said a new voice from behind them.
The hunters turned to find a familiar blue-armored woman approaching, her armor scrubbed to a healthy sheen and a new, unsoiled cloth poncho wrapped around her shoulders and neck. Tamai reached up and pulled away her helmet, clipping it to her belt as she drew even with them. Her hair was tied back in a neat, functional bun as opposed to the wild curtain it had been in when they'd found her in the jungle.
"Nice to see you two up and about," she said, nodding to both of them in greeting. Her face was clean of blood and mud for the first time in days, though she still sported dark, rough smears of makeup around her eyes. Knowing her, Vhetin assumed it was meant more as warpaint than any kind of cosmetic decoration.
"I'm honestly a little surprised to find you two out here," the woman remarked. "You've had quite the intense weekend. I figured you'd both still be sleeping off the fun."
Jay rolled her eyes. "Trust me; work long enough with Cin and you get used to it."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Vhetin smiled behind his helmet, resting his hands on his hips. "Need I remind you that this whole thing was your idea?"
"The only reason we came down here was to rescue your friend!"
Tamai snorted, glancing between them with a smile on her lips. "Aww, you two are so cute when you're arguing like an old married couple. But as much as I'd love to egg you on, I am here on business. Got a speech prepared and everything."
"A speech?" Vhetin said, a playful note lingering in his tone. "Did you stay up practicing just for us?"
Jay elbowed him hard in the ribs and shushed him. Tamai, meanwhile, straightened her back and raised her chin, adopting a more formal, military posture. Her tone was short, curt, and no-nonsense now, and she looked every bit the veteran Ranger she really was.
"Ranger-Commander Che'daje," the woman said, "and her sister would like to formally thank you for your participation in the operations of the past few days. Your combined presence was an invaluable asset to the Rangers and to the people of the Werda Kurs. As such, the brass have seen fit to ensure that your efforts don't go unrewarded."
She fished in a belt pouch for a moment, then drew out two small, rectangular pieces of metal. They glinted in the warm sunlight, and the Ranger insignia — an angular, segmented variation of the traditional Mandalorian kyr'bes — was emblazoned in silver across the front of each piece.
Tamai smiled as she held out her hand to them. "It gives me great pride to present you two with the Frontier Star, the highest award for valor and honor the Rangers can bestow upon outsiders. These badges mark you as friends of the Ranger Corps and allies of the frontiersmen of Mandalore."
Vhetin nodded and took one of the badges. Jay took the other, her eyes wide. As soon as the two had fastened them to their armor via the magnetic clamps on the back of the badges, Tamai snapped her fist to her chest in a sharp, military salute. Jay instantly mirrored the motion, her navy training no doubt instinctively kicking in, while Vhetin bowed his head in a more somber show of gratitude.
"Kot bal ijaat," Tamai said, holding the salute. "Strength and honor, now and always."
The ceremony done, the woman quickly dropped the salute and let out an explosive breath. "I'm glad that's over with. I'm happy for you two, but I hate all that formal presentation osik."
"Right," Jay said with a wry smile. "You're more of a jump out of the trees and decapitate giant snakes kind of girl?"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that," Tamai protested, leveling an accusatory finger at the huntress. "You're just jealous because I look better on the back of a Basilisk."
"Maybe."
Vhetin chuckled as together, they turned back to watch the courtyard again. The procession of stun-cuffed Berserkers had finally ceased and the last of the disgraced warriors shuffled onto the waiting transport. The Rangers guarding them looked none too pleased either, brandishing their weapons and freely smacking their captives upside the head whenever the desire rose.
But the Berserkers and their gruff guards were followed by a far more interesting retinue bringing up the rear of the group, which drew attention from across the base almost immediately. Mandalorians and resident Imperials alike turned to stare in wonder at the newcomers who were making their way through Aurek's front gates. And the newcomers stared back with equal awe and fascination.
With slow, cautious strides, Werd'cetara strode into the courtyard as regally as his many wounds would allow him. He had abandoned the tattered Ranger flag his father had worn as a symbol of office and was instead dressed in a deep green cloak that draped over one shoulder. His jet-black hair hung in a loose, shining cascade down the center of his back, and he had two long beskad swords sheathed on his belt. His craggy face was pulled down in a customary scowl but his wide-eyed gaze betrayed how out of place he truly felt.
Trailing behind him was a diplomatic party of Taung warriors, hunched low as their eyes darted warily around the base. The usually fearsome-looking aliens now seemed terrified to be so far out of their element, but they obediently followed their leader deeper into the complex.
Ranger-Commander Che'daje and her sister met them with their own diplomatic team, who looked just as nervous to be around the Kar'ta Epar'e. Akh'shi came to a halt and nodded in greeting to the much taller Taung standing before her.
"Greetings, Mand'alor Werd'cetara," the Cathar warrior said. Her turbaned sister translated her words into Mando'a. "I believe I speak for all present when I say we are overjoyed to have found peace at long last."
Werd bowed his head, placing his flat palm against his chest in a sign of greeting. "I greet you in honor, my friend. I hope that this newfound peace lasts many ages, and that songs will be sung of this meeting for eons to come."
Tamai rested her hands on her hips and scoffed quietly to herself. "The big guy certainly has a way with words, doesn't he?"
"You have a problem with him? He is on our side, you know."
The blond woman shook her head with a sigh. "I'm glad for the peace talks. But the Heart-Eaters still killed my team. That grudge isn't going away any time soon. I don't trust them, and I don't think Uncle Fenn should either."
Vhetin hesitated, then put an arm around her shoulders. She didn't turn the gesture away. In fact, she leaned into it — but only just a little.
The Taung and the Ranger-Commander shook hands, then made their way deeper into the outpost. Vhetin knew that for all the pomp and procedure, this would be the beginning of long and drawn-out negotiations between the Taung and the Rangers. The two factions may be at peace now, but many Mandalorians had been killed by Werd's people and the events of the past few days had killed many of Werd's.
There were those on both sides who were still disgruntled at the idea of treating with their perceived enemies. Vhetin didn't envy the Ranger-Commander or Werd'cetara: both would have to work very hard to maintain the peace so many had fought and died for.
"It's going to be an interesting next few months around here," he said. "Sometimes I'm glad I live all the way up north in Keldabe. The city kind of seems boring in comparison."
"Ah, you get used to it," came a familiar man's voice from his shoulder. He looked over to find Lee at his side, arms folded as he watched the diplomatic emissaries pass. Somehow, the gray-armored man had managed to approach their group without catching notice. "Believe it or not, this is everyday work for us Rangers."
Jay laughed. "You guys discovered a previously extinct race of Mandalorians, secretly reprogrammed ancient war droids, then were kidnapped and nearly eaten. That's seriously everyday work?"
The gray-armored Mando shrugged. "Well… maybe this time was a little special. But just a little."
"So what's in the cards for you?" Vhetin asked. "Somehow I doubt you'll be sitting in on the peace talks."
"Shab no," Lee scowled, as if the very idea was offensive. "You'd have to tie me to the chair to make me sit through all that political drivel. No, I'm going to be coordinating with the MandalMotors techs and working on the Lifespark Project from here on out. There are still plenty of old Basilisk carcasses in the jungle just waiting to be hauled back and switched on again."
He blinked, then added, "But don't tell anyone I told you that. The whole deal is supposed to be top secret. Ranger-Commander Akh'shi would flay me if she knew I was talking about it."
Jay frowned. "What? Why would the Basilisks be top secret?"
"Uh, because they're super illegal and the Empire doesn't want us to have them?" Lee glanced at her. "You did see those things mow through an entire army of Taung in like thirty seconds flat, right?"
"Well…"
Tamai suddenly leaned closer and lowered her voice, drawing Vhetin's attention away from the conversation at hand. "Hey, can I talk to you, Cin? In private, please?"
He frowned at her behind his helmet faceplate; there was a tense note to her voice that he didn't like, usually present only when she had something very important on her mind. What could possibly be wrong now?
But he didn't argue, as he trusted her to not waste his time. So when she smiled and gestured for him to follow he did so without hesitation. Jay noticed their departure and stared after Vhetin with a raised eyebrow. He caught the motion in his helmet's 360-degree view and glanced over his shoulder at her with a helpless shrug.
Jay frowned deeper when she saw the stony, determined look on Tamai's face and looked to Lee for clarification. "You think everything is okay with them? Tamai seems… distracted."
The man's gaze softened at the sight of the two warriors departing together. He chuckled quietly, a knowing smile on his face. "Oh yeah. More than okay."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh you sweet, naive young woman." He grinned and put a hand around her shoulders, leading her off toward the mess hall. "I think it's about time someone sat you down for The Talk."
Jay rolled her eyes. "Oh no…"
"You see, when a mommy bounty hunter and a daddy bounty hunter love each other very much…"
Vhetin's back collided with the wall, hard enough to shake the holographic lights mounted there. Tamai wasn't far behind, grabbing his helmet and ripping it from his head. It bounced away across the floor with a heavy thud-thud-thud and his world was suddenly flooded with hot, muggy jungle air.
He barely had time to blink against the wave of depressurization before she shoved him tighter against the wall and sealed their lips with a fiery kiss.
For a moment, he was too shocked to react. She had pounced on him as soon as they made it inside her private quarters, attacking him from behind before his helmet systems could blare a warning. Now she was tugging desperately at his flak vest, her hands swiftly and eagerly unlacing the armor up the sides.
He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back, not without difficulty. He held her at arms length and said, "Tamai, what do you think you're doing?"
She grinned at him, her hair falling wild over her face, giving her a messy, almost feral look. She shook it away, green eyes flashing. "What does it look like?"
"Tamai—"
"Remember that conversation we had before? You said you regretted us going our separate ways. And I said we weren't done talking about it."
Vhetin remembered, though it was hard to think straight when Tamai wriggled from his grip and kissed him again. His head collided hard with the wall as she pushed him back, abandoning his flak vest to bury her hands in his hair. He lost his train of thought at least two more times before he finally understood what she was getting at.
When she eventually pulled away to breathe, she panted, "I told you the conversation wasn't over and I meant it."
He hardly thought this counted as talking about it, and it definitely wasn't how he'd expected her to react to the conversation. It wasn't a necessarily unwelcome surprise, but…
"Tamai. Hold on." He grabbed her hands, stopping her. "What is this?"
She let out a low, husky laugh and leaned close, her lips brushing against his ear. "I think you have some idea, Cin."
He shuddered against his better judgment at the tickle of her warm breath, but managed to push her back to arms length. When he spoke, his voice was a little more breathless than he would have liked. "You know what I'm talking about. Are you sure about what you're doing?"
"Don't try and second guess me, Cin." She sighed, resting her forehead against the cool metal of his shoulder plate and taking a few calming breaths. "I'm not drunk and I'm not confused. I've just been thinking a lot these past few days. Or… well, as much as recent events have allowed. And I've decided—"
She let out a short breath, her words coming faster and faster as if she didn't trust herself to stop and think about what she was saying. She was blushing furiously, so deep she was almost as red as a korra fruit.
"I want to give it a second chance," she blurted out. "Give us a second chance. I know we didn't part on the best of terms last time, but I care about you. And I know you care about me."
"I do care about you. But I'm not sure this is smart. We broke up for a good reason."
She sighed and her face fell. "Because I didn't trust you?"
"Because we live different lives. You belong here, with the Rangers. And I'm almost always away on hunting contracts and stirring up trouble off world. Neither of us seem fully prepared for a relationship."
Her face suddenly fell. "I-I know this seems fast, but… down here you don't really have time to take things slow. The past few days only helped me realize that I need to grab the things I care about while I still can. Before they vanish forever, like you almost did."
He had to grant her that one. Hard not to come to that conclusion after the battle in the Taung village. They had all come so close to losing everything…
"If you think it's a bad idea," she continued, still refusing to meet his gaze, "just say so. We can go our separate ways. You can get back on your ship, go back to Keldabe, and… and it'll be just like it was before all this craziness. We can just be friends. Good friends, I hope."
He didn't know what to say. He couldn't deny that he wanted this, that he wanted her. For the first time in a long time he found himself thinking of someone other than Brianna, and that fact didn't make him clam up and shut down. Tamai was special. She was a warrior just like him, and they understood each other in a way few others did.
He was intrigued to see what might come next for them both – and he wasn't thinking just about the sex.
"All right," his mouth formed the words seemingly without instruction. "Let's do this."
She looked up sharply, hope blooming in her eyes. She quickly tamped it down and instead shot him a wicked smile, hiding her nervousness behind a facade of playful ribbing. "As in, let's be a couple? Or let's get naked and slot each other on the table?"
"Stop talking." He silenced her with a kiss.
She laughed against his lips and pulled him close again, throwing her arms around his shoulders. After far too short a time, she maneuvered him around so her back was now against the wall. Then she shoved his chest with all her strength.
He staggered back against a durasteel table bolted into the floor nearby, knocking most of the table's contents onto the ground as he crashed against it. He wasn't given a reprieve; she pounced, driving them both back onto the table. She climbed on top of him, her hands resting against his chest plates.
"If I'd known this is what you intended," he breathed as she began working at his flak vest again, "I probably would have taken on that whole village of Taung myself. I could have saved us at least two hours of fighting."
She scoffed as she yanked away his flak vest and unzipped the flight suit underneath. "In your dreams, Stripes. You're good, but you're not that good."
She kissed him again and this time he returned it with equal passion. There was a strange familiarity in the action, though it had been years since they had been together. Now he felt it all rushing back to him; the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the feel of her armor jabbing painfully into his hip—
He grimaced and pulled away, trying to shift his position. "Um, Tamai?"
She glanced down at her belt. Her fearsome passion ebbed a little, giving way to a sheepish blush as she reached down and drew her beskad from its sheath. The blade scraped free and glinted in the room's dim lighting.
"Sorry," she apologized as she tossed the sword aside. It clattered loudly to the ground. "I guess I wasn't as prepared for this as I thought. I'm not really the romantic type."
"I never would have guessed." He chuckled and began helping her unlace her own flak vest. Once done, she pulled it over her head and began unbuckling her belt. She tossed the heavy utility belt to one side and it thudded to the floor next to her beskad. She then unzipped her flight suit and pulled it down her shoulders. Several more layers followed after that, until the floor was littered with armor from both warriors. Mandalorian gear was stifling when it came to moments of passion, and neither of them could shed their armor quickly enough.
"Next time," he managed to get out in between her kisses, "I expect a trail of rose petals leading to the bedroom, Miss Vasser. Ooh, and candles. Don't forget candles."
"Next time?" Tamai laughed as she reached back and worked to yank off his boots. "The man barely has me half-undressed and he's already making plans for next time! Why don't you put that brain of yours to work thinking of ways to make this time special?"
"What, a romantic tryst with an amnesiac alien isn't good enough for you?" He suddenly surged forward, rolling her onto her back and switching their positions. Her hands flashed up to land at his waist. She laughed breathlessly and her hands slipped up his torso to wrap around his shoulders.
"I don't know." She pulled him closer, a gentle smile curving her lips. "Why don't we find out?"
Few words were spoken after that.
The next morning
He had his back to her. The light filtering in through her drawn window shades was casting bar-like shadows across the pale adornment of scars that crisscrossed his bare torso. She watched him from the bed, chin propped on her palm with a small smile on her face.
He was inspecting his equipment, dressed only from the waist down. His armor and weapons were spread out across the table in front of him, all bloodstained, burnt, or otherwise battle-scarred. With a small sigh he picked up his gauntlet, reached inside the housing, and triggered the arm-length gauntlet blade. The weapon slid free with a scrape, the blade stained black with alien blood. He grabbed a cloth rag and set himself to cleaning it.
She smiled a little wider as she watched him work. Even given everything that had happened lately — the good and the bad — he possessed a powerful, near-impenetrable sense of focus she had always admired. If only more people could so easily turn their minds from misfortune.
She finally spoke up. "I have one of those, you know."
"I know you do," he replied. "Though your kit could use some good, old-fashioned MandalMotors work to clean it up. It's worth the money, and I'm sure Janada would be more than happy to help out. You two always got along like a house on fire."
"What's wrong with my gauntlet blade?"
He gestured to her own armor piece, lying hastily discarded on the floor next to her bed. "It's too unstable. The sheath doesn't have a proper foundational support along the side of your arm. One of these days you're going to trigger it and it's going to come flying right out of its housing."
She let out a low whistle. "Janada's been honing your engineering skills, I see."
"Side-effect of being a bounty hunter, actually," he said, finishing up his ministrations with his own gauntlet blade. "I was paranoid. Got tired of sending my kit in for repair and not knowing what she was doing to it."
She laughed and sat back against her pillows, linking her hands behind her head and listening to him tinker with his equipment. Her gaze wandered lazily up to stare at the ceiling, watching the trees outside her window cast quivering shadows along the rough duracrete surface.
It had been… nice, waking up to find him lying in bed next to her. It had left a warm feeling in her heart that had yet to dissipate. She hoped it never did.
"So," she eventually said, "do you have another contract lined up when you get back?"
He shook his head, the motion twisting and puckering the livid white scar that stretched across the back of his neck. "I think I'm going to take it easy for a few weeks. The reward money from this job will hold for more than enough time to get something together. Besides…"
She glanced at him, noticing the way he was fidgeting with the tip of his gauntlet blade, running the sharp edge along the pad of his thumb. He cleared his throat and continued, "…I was hoping to spend a little more time with you."
The words were sweet, but they made Tamai's heart sink a little. She rolled over again and sighed, "Cin…"
"I know, I know. Silly of me…"
"You know I can't leave. My job here is too important to just walk away."
He nodded silently and returned to work on his gauntlet blade. She watched him in silence for a bit before cautiously trying to lighten the mood. "Besides, what would a frontier girl like me get up to in the big city? I need trees, Cin, or I'll be impossible to live with."
He didn't answer, fidgeting with his gauntlet. She could easily see how much he wanted her to come back with him. She wanted to go back with him too; she didn't want to so quickly toss away what they had built together. But her responsibilities with the Rangers came before personal gain, no matter how painful it was. The people here needed her more than he did.
"Well, you're always welcome up north," he finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them. His voice was calm and unnaturally level; sure signs he was trying to cover up how disappointed he really was. "I know Janada would love to see you one of these days."
"Maybe… maybe I will. It'd be nice to see her and the rest of the old gang again."
He grunted and said no more. The silence of the room was interrupted only by the gentle scraping of Vhetin's rag against the dried, encrusted blood on his gauntlet blade. Tamai frowned, unsettled by the sudden awkwardness that had fallen between them.
We didn't come this far just to have everything end on a sour note, she thought. There must be some way to patch this up. Make this work.
An idea suddenly came to mind and her eyes lit up. "Hey, wait! I have an idea."
He glanced over his shoulder at her, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Oh?"
She sat up in bed, pulling the sheets up to cover herself. "Werd and the Taung delegation are going north to Keldabe in a few weeks right? Something about a meeting with Uncle Fenn?"
He nodded and turned around, leaning against the table. "Shysa wants an official diplomatic meeting. Mand'alor to Mand'alor."
"Well, I tell you what," she said, flashing him a smile. "I'll come up to visit for a while with them."
"Really?"
She nodded. "Ever since the Caranthyr bombings, the Rangers have been traveling to Keldabe for counterterrorism training. Lee and I were supposed to take part, but we were reassigned at the last minute to the Werda Kurs posting months ago."
She cocked her head. "I still have to do the training. And I can't think of a better time to get it done."
He stared at her, obviously grateful. "You're sure?"
"Come on, cyar'ika," she said, settling herself back against the covers. "Stop trying to second guess me. Just make sure your bastion is ready for human habitation. I don't want to walk through the front doors and see a half-inch layer of dust on everything like last time, okay?"
He finally grinned. "It's a date."
Two hours later…
Ranger-Commander Che'daje and her sister were standing on the landing pad, seeing off the freelancers and the rare few Berserkers who had not been arrested. Jay was standing next to Captain Tervho, deep in conversation with the two Cathar warriors.
"So what will you do now?" Captain Tervho inquired. She tucked her thumbs into her belt and cocked her helmeted head. "With the Taung pacified, the Rangers won't have much of a challenge in the jungle anymore."
"Trust me," Hish'ka Che'daje said, narrowing her golden eyes behind the slit in her turban, "there's always a new challenge lurking in these trees."
Ranger-Commander Akh'shi nodded. "Word from the locals is that the Kelborns are unhappy with the new peace talks. Someone has to go calm them down before they go on the warpath. That's our newest job."
"And the Lifespark prototypes?"
The Ranger-Commander's expression was grim. "Officially, there is no such thing. And if any of you say otherwise… well, I probably don't have to tell you the severity of the consequences."
"Our lips are sealed, Ranger-Commander," Jay acknowledged. "I promise."
"What about unofficially?" Tervho pressed. "Those prototypes are dangerous. What does Shysa have planned for them?"
"Our orders are to continue recovering the Basilisk corpses for repair and reactivation," Akh'shi said. "And our most talented Rangers will be trained to command and ride them. As it stands, Ranger Lee is one of the more promising riders."
Jay grinned. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."
Tervho was not so amused. "But why does Shysa want this project in the first place? We've survived without Basilisks for the past two thousand years. Why reactivate them now?"
"My jurisdiction ends where the jungle does, Captain Tervho." The Ranger-Commander shrugged. "It's not my place to stick my nose in the affairs of state."
'If you could speculate, though," Tervho was almost relentless in her questioning. "Why do you think he's doing this? Why would Shysa risk breaking Imperial law to reactivate these relics?"
"Off the record?" Akh'shi glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. "He's scared of something. Something big. Something dangerous enough to make him disobey the Empire."
Jay frowned. "What would be a bigger threat than the Empire?"
Hish'ka laughed, her voice muffled by her dark turban. "That's the winning question, isn't it?"
The Ranger-Commander was obviously done talking. She thumped her fist against her chest plate and bowed her head. "It's been an honor serving with you both. You are a testament to your respective peoples."
Her sister mirrored the motion, bowing at the neck. "May your enemies be numerous, and skilled enough to keep you strong."
"Thank you both." Tervho bowed as well. "I wish you the best in the future. Hunt well."
Jay nodded and shook hands with the two warriors. The transport pilot stuck his head out of the ship's door and shouted that liftoff was in five minutes. Tervho headed for the transport, no doubt to keep the remaining Berserkers – unhappy at the events that had transpired in the jungle – from causing too much trouble. But there was still one figure that was strangely absent from the scene.
Where's Vhetin? she thought, craning her neck around. Sneaky as he was, she thought he'd have met up with her by now.
It wasn't difficult to find him; he was just at the edge of the landing pad, giving Tamai one last hug before departure. The two held each other tightly, as if neither wanted to let go. Their foreheads were pressed together in an intimate kov'nyn or Keldabe Kiss – the only show of affection two fully armored Mandalorians could manage. They were speaking, but the words were lost in the cacophony of the base and the equally loud chaos of the jungle just outside Aurek's walls.
Jay let the two have their moment, hanging back with her hands behind her back. She knew Tamai would be making a trip to Keldabe a few weeks from now, but she knew both must be hesitant to separate again.
They finally pulled apart, still holding hands. Over the roar of the starship's engines powering up, she heard Vhetin call, "Don't you dare go missing on me again, Vasser. I might not be around to rescue you a second time."
She laughed. "If I remember correctly, I saved you. Something about a giant river snake that was about to eat you for lunch?"
"Details, details," he said. His tone grew more serious. "I'll see you in a few weeks?"
"You can count on it, Stripes. Keep the lights on for me up at the bastion. We still have a lot of catching up to do."
He laughed, prompting her to shove playfully against his chest plates. "I'm serious," she said. "Get your mind out of the gutter and get on that ship before they leave you behind."
He nodded and turned to leave, giving her one last kov'nyn before they parted for good. As the black armored Mando made his way up the ramp to the landing pad, Tamai waved to Jay and called, "It was nice meeting you, aruetii! K'oyacyi!"
Jay waved back. "You too!"
Then she and Vhetin boarded the transport together, leaving Aurek behind. They settled into their assigned seats and buckled in for the long ride back to Keldabe. Next to them, the door slid shut with a resounding boom, cutting Tamai from sight. Seconds later the ship began to rumble as they took to the sky.
Jay glanced over at her partner with a knowing grin. He was staring down at his gloved hands, clenching and unclenching them slowly like he did whenever he was distracted. She nudged him in the ribs as the deck bucked beneath their feet.
"So I heard you and Tamai have been busy lately."
She could almost see his blush even through his armor. "You're nosier than usual."
She laughed and sat back against her seat. "I'm happy for you, more than anything. Tamai's a good woman. I think you two work well together."
"Thank you. I like to think so too."
She didn't bother noting that Brianna would certainly not be happy to learn of this development. Jay was sure the last thing Vhetin wanted to think about was his tumultuous relationship with his ex. Better to focus on the good things now than the bad that would inevitably come.
"Oh," she suddenly said, reaching down to her belt. "I almost forgot to give this back to you."
She unclipped her borrowed lightsaber from her belt and held it out to him, hilt first. "Thanks for loaning me this. It came in handy during the fight in the village."
He waved it away. "Keep it."
"What?" she blinked, uncomprehending. "You're serious?"
He nodded. "You demonstrated good skill with it during the battle. I think you've shown you can safely use it. So keep it. It might come in handy later."
She stared at the polished cylinder of reflective black metal resting in her palm. Her heart thrilled with excitement at the prospect of carrying such a lethal and iconic weapon on her person. There were criminals out there who would run at the mere sight of the thing!
With a grin, she clipped it back to her belt. "Ori'vor'e," she said. "Huge thanks. Do you think I could change the color of the blade when we get back to Keldabe?"
"It won't be cheap," he said, "but I know some people. What color were you thinking?"
"I've always been partial to purple. Jedi Master Windu rocked a purple lightsaber back in the day, you know."
He nodded. "I think I can make that happen. Think of it as an early birthday present."
"Awesome," she said with sincerity. Then she settled back against her seat, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. "Wake me when we get back to Keldabe, would you?"
"Deal. And Jay?"
She opened one eye. "Hmm?"
He had finally looked up to meet her gaze. "Great job out there. Once again, you've surpassed all my expectations for you. It's a nice habit you've developed."
She smiled, then reached over and thumped her fist against his chest plates in a sign of gratitude. "Thanks. You weren't too shabby yourself. And you got the girl in the end, so you technically came out better than anyone else."
He shifted in his seat, staring absently down at his hands once more.
"Yeah," he murmured, almost too quiet to hear. She could sense the smile in his voice. "Yeah, I guess I did."