Chapter Seven: Child of Mandalore

"Sure," he laughed, pressing the panel to open the door. "But I lied when I said we were drinking caf." The door stopped moving with a final hiss, a mass of gazes lifting to see me beside their brother. Those that wore armor sported the same blue that I had come to recognize on Rex's armor. In their hands were cups, half empty bottle of amber liquid cluttering the counters.

After a long moment of staring at each other, one clone stood, his perfectly sculpted hair and the red cross on his shoulder letting me identify him. He grinned widely, his eyes bright and a little distant from the booze. "Hey Kida!"

"Oh boy," I muttered, seeing the mass of clones that had already been dipping into an apparently secret stash of booze. Still, I couldn't help but smile genuinely as Kix made his way to me, reaching out his hand happily. I grabbed his forearm, returning his lopsided grin with a small laugh. "Having fun there, soldier?" I asked, lifting my eyebrows.

"Hey," Jesse chuckled. "Every man needs some relaxation once in a while." The two gestured me forward, the 501st peering at me curiously. "Everyone," he called. "This is Kida, the bounty hunter who's been watching over Senator Amidala."

The initial disdain at my title melted at the mention of the senator, their interests peaking in a wave of the force.

"Kida?"

"The one who was working with Rex?"

"Yeah, the Captain mentioned her."

"She helped General Skywalker."

"She knew Jango."

"I saw her once during a training run."

"She was on Geonosis."

The onslaught of comments pierced through the rippling force, making me flinch. I unconsciously took a small step backwards, both Jesse and Kix noticing.

"Alright, alright," Kix called, waving his hand. "Enough of that." He turned to me. "Care for a drink?"

I smiled at him, giving a nod, before following the medic further into the barracks. He led me to the group he had been sitting with, Jesse on our heels. A cup was pushed into my hand and filled with the amber liquid before Jesse spoke.

"Well Kida," he started, waving his hand at the group. "These are some of the 501st's best. That there is Denal." I glanced over at the man with brown eyes and short dark hair and gave him a nod. "Those two are Echo and Fives." I glanced over to see a trooper with perfectly cropped hair and a stern face. The one beside him was significantly less composed, a shadow of a beard coming in on his chin and an Aurebesh five tattooed on his right temple. The both cast me smiles, lifting their drinks in greeting.

"And I," the last clone in the circle cut in as he leaned closer to me from his seat. He had He had blue lines crossing over his right eye and wrapping over his skull and more on his chin. "Go by Hardcase." He cast me a cheeky grin that I could tell her was trying to make charming. But, since he had clearly consumed more alcohol than most of the clones present, his smile seemed more of a wider-than-normal grimace.

"Oi!" Jesse scolded, shoving Hardcase backwards by pushing his face. "Back off. No one wants to get with you."

"We share the same face, vod."

"He's right," I cut in, slicing through the tension with my words. All eyes turned to me as I took a sip of the bitter liquid, surprised at its sweet aftertaste. "You all share the same face. Of course, from what I can see," I added as I glanced around at the clones near me. "You two are the only ones who really messed yours up."

It was silent for a moment as the clones comprehended what I'd said. In a flash, the room filled with mirth as the clones burst out laughing, throwing jokes at their two brothers. Both gave me looks of amusement, Hardcase's even bordering on lustful.

Ugh. Men.

"Funny and dangerous," the clone named Fives chuckled, leaning back where he sat. "Oh yeah," he glanced at his brother, Echo. "I like her."

"Why do you think I'm dangerous?" I asked innocently, taking another sip of the sweet alcohol.

The clones chuckled at me. "We're clones, miss," Denal finally spoke. "We know danger when we see it."

"Besides," Kix jumped in. "They all saw how you kicked Jesse's ass."

"She did not-" Jesse moved to wrap his arm around Kix's neck, the two going at it for a moment.

I lifted my eyebrow. "How long have you all been drinking?"

"Long enough," Echo chuckled, taking another sip.

"Why didn't you all go to 79's?"

The clones shrugged almost collectively while Fives answered. "Sometimes staying in with our brothers is more fun than facing the Coruscant crowd."

"Not everyone likes the Grand Army of the Republic," Denal added bitterly.

I hummed, staring at my drink. "Yeah, I know. But this is nice," I said as I glanced around the room, trying to change the subject. "Fun."

They nodded in agreement, but I could feel the growing tension. They were all curious but didn't want to be rude, despite the excuse of alcohol.

I sighed. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

Their eyes brightened like children as they all leaned forward, Kix and Jesse ceasing their play fighting to sit down. I was gestured to join them, finding a seat beside Hardcase.

"I think my biggest question is about the rumor about you having Jaig eyes on your back," Fives said immediately, leaning on his knees as he stared at me.

"I told you about that," Kix grumbled. "It's not a rumor."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Kix is right. I have a Jaig eye tattoo on my back."

"Where on your back?" Hardcase asked with wiggling eyebrows.

"Oi!" a few clones tried to quiet him, but I just laughed.

"My shoulders, Hardcase. My shoulders." He seemed to deflate a little, but grinned at my acceptance of his antics nonetheless.

"Do you know that only three clones were given Jaig eyes? Jango awarded them himself." I hummed in response to Kix, realizing he'd answered the question I'd thought upon our first meeting-Rex had met Jango in person.

"And your captain is one of them," I responded smoothly. "I'm sure you're all proud."

"Sure sure," Fives laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "But we want to know how you got yours."

Despite their genuine curiosity, I could feel the small swell of jealousy. I coughed slightly as I took another sip of the liquor. "You want to know why I got it, despite being an aruetii."

They all looked sheepish, and as I spoke, I became aware of another presence quietly entering the room. The force signature was strong, but gentle. Honorable and fierce, but kind. And curious.

Rex.

I didn't look up, choosing not to alert the others, or him, that I knew the captain had entered. Instead, I forced a smile, glancing around at their awkward expressions. "It's okay. I didn't understand it for a while either." I leaned back where I sat, trying to feign a casual stance. Still, I'd never shared the instance of my getting the tattoos on my shoulders.

"Me'bana?" Echo asked, his tongue smooth over the Mando'a words. It relaxed me.

"Sometimes, when Boba was young, Jango would take him on missions to teach him. To train him to be a good soldier." The clones openly flinched at my mention of Jango and his son. Still, I pressed on. "I'd been under Jango's tutelage for a few years. In fact, it wasn't far from the start of the war, not far from when he took the assassination contract to kill Senator Amidala." I sighed, rubbing my temple slowly. "I'd already taken some jobs on my own by that point and didn't live with them on Kamino. I'd purchased my own ship that I lived off of, using various fueling points like Mustafar, Bespin, Tatooine, and Coruscant to keep moving. I'd even started taking jobs from my past slave master, Jabba the Hutt." They seemed shocked, not all of them knowing about my past. I chuckled to myself. "He was shocked to see me alive, but didn't try to enslave me again. He'd said that a good hunter that can get a job done at a good price is better than a translating slave any day. Though, he said a human was always a better conversationalist than a droid." I surprised the clones again with a laugh and a shrug.

"You were a slave." Fives' words weren't a question, but I nodded anyways. The sorrow in his voice wasn't something I was used to. I was used to pity, but he didn't pity me. He was sad. Angry.

"Once," I replied, gently nudging in the force for his mood to calm. "But Jango saved me. Set me free." His anger dissipated, being replaced with a group sense of pride. "Anyways," I steered the story back to its original purpose. "Boba was relatively familiar with some of the famous bounty hunters. Aurra Sing, Cad Bane...the likes. But Jango didn't really work with them often. He believed in teaching Boba to adapt quickly. This meant that Jango and I didn't really run jobs together if Boba was coming along."

I sighed, rubbing my temple again as I regarded the group. My eyes flicked over quickly to where Rex stood beside the bunks, his arm in a sling and his golden gaze trained on me. "But this one was different. Jango was running a job for a high profile figure-one who chose a team that Jango wasn't overly fond of. He had intended to take Boba, but he was forced to team up with Cad Bane."

"I didn't know they ever ran together," Denal voiced beside me, his eyebrow raised.

I laughed. "Yeah, they really didn't. But I'm getting to that. Jango called me when he found out who was on the team and asked me to meet him and take Boba. He didn't trust having Boba on a mission with Bane."

Fives and Echo laughed, nudging each other. "I get that," Echo voiced.

"So I met them at their rendezvous point…"

I dropped out of hyperspace as my ship approached Kohlma. My fingers curled tightly around the joysticks, the force rippling from the sizable moon. There was so much history on Kohlma...dark history of death and war. Not to mention the dark presence that I felt billowing from somewhere on its surface.

Ignoring the tension and pushing my senses away, I dipped my ship towards the moon's atmosphere, following the coordinates Jango had sent me. Mountains and forests sped by beneath the belly of my starship, a single mountain peak rising before me, tall spires standing tall upon it. A gray landing platform, decorated with various ships, laid below, and as I dipped to land, I spotted Slave I.

My engine cooled as I exited my ship, Magnaguards appearing, their staffs sparking with electricity. I raised my hands cooly, keeping my fingers as far from my blasters as possible. They seemed shocked by my Mandalorian-based armor, but their automated voices were stern nonetheless.

"You were not permitted landing," one droned.

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry to crash the party. I wasn't invited, but I'm just picking up a package." They twirled their staffs, pointing the sparking ends at me as they neared. "Alright guys, come on," I growled, my hands drifting down to my pistols, my knees bending to a ready stance. "I really don't feel like scrapping a potential employer's guards."

They continued to approach, my blasters only just leaving their holsters before I heard Jango's voice.

"Stand down!" he called, his voice automated through his helmet. "She's with me."

"Count Dooku did not permit her involvement in this mission," one responded, though they did back away.

I lifted my eyebrow as I put my blasters away. "Count Dooku? That's who you're working for?"

"Don't ask questions," Jango responded curtly. I could feel the tension in his voice, so silenced myself.

"Kida!" I looked past my mentor to see the young boy emerging from the massive doorway of the castle. His hair had gotten longer since I last saw him, his face beginning to lose some of his baby fat. He was nine now. In Mandalorian culture, nearly old enough to be a warrior. Though while Jango lived by tradition, I doubted he would let Boba run any jobs alone for a while.

Boba came up to me and gave me a hug-something I loved. I knew he was trying to act masculine as he pulled away quickly, puffing up his chest and clearing his throat. I chuckled, but squeezed his shoulder reassuringly as we turned back to his father.

"Thank you for coming," Jango spoke, stepping between the cautious Magnaguards.

"Of course, Cabur," I responded easily, feeling his mood lighten slightly at my term for him. It darkened quickly as more bodies joined us on the landing platform.

"Fett, what is this?" The voice was one I recognized, the slightly rusting and warbling sound sending chills up my spine. I immediately found myself shifting in front of Boba as Cad Bane emerged from the castle, two other bounty hunters flanking him, neither of whom I knew well, but recognized from slum bars.

"Kida is just here to pick up Boba," Jango responded smoothly.

"Don't want him to learn from the best, then?" Bane was trying to get a rise out of my friend, my own hackles raising. I'd seen Bane before. Even done a job or two with him. He was just never overly kind, especially since he knew I trained under Jango. "Nice to see you again, little lady," Bane added, tipping his wide-brimmed hat at me.

I gave him a nod, but said nothing. "Kida, you should go," Jango said lowly. "Thank you again. I'll be in contact."

My eyes flicked between Jango and Bane nervously. "You better," I replied. "Especially if this is for the Count." I knew what happened to people that failed Dooku.

"I wasn't aware your apprentice would be making an appearance, Fett." The deep voice sent chills down my spine, along with the darkness that crawled towards me through the force. I'd never met Dooku before, but I'd heard his voice from Jango's room when he would take transmissions from him. My eyes lifted as even Boba curled in on himself a bit, the tall, cloaked man stepping through the bounty hunters easily.

"As I said, she's taking Boba," Jango responded, but even I could feel his uneasiness.

Dooku's eyes pierced into me and I could feel his mind scratching at mine. I recoiled instinctively, not realizing that he would feel it. His eyes widened in mild curiosity.

"She must be quite the woman for you to trust her with your son," Dooku dared, his eyes hard-trained on me. I didn't allow him to enter my mind-something he found incredibly frustrating.

"I trained her myself," Jango said slowly. "I trust her with my life." My eyes darted to my mentor, my own pride blossoming at his words. He was an encouraging man, but was often sparse with professions of admiration or love.

"If she's so good, why haven't you suggested her service to me?" Jango and I both knew that Dooku was prodding out of curiosity. That and a need to establish dominance.

"She does just fine on her own."

"Does she speak?" Dooku's words were chuckled out sarcastically now, to which I crunched my nose.

"Boba and I have to go," I announced, casting a final glance at Jango before ushering Boba away.

"She's not bad at what she does," I heard Bane say to Dooku as I pushed Boba onto up the ramp of my ship. "She may even surpass you one day, Fett."

It was quiet for a moment as I went to press the pad to bring up my ramp. "You're right," Jango said lowly. "She just might."

Boba was asleep in my bed while I sat in the cockpit, waiting impatiently for Jango to reach out. It had been nearly 24 hours without a check-in...something Jango never did when out on a mission. Especially if he was without Boba.

I tried to keep calm, steadying my breathing. Still, I'd be lying if I said the confrontation with Dooku hadn't rattled me. The entire set-up made me feel uneasy. Just as my nerves started to get the better of me, the comms beeped.

"Jango," I sighed in greeting as it buzzed to life.

"The mission was a success. Meet me at these coordinates, dala." I blinked, but kept my composure, nodding at his hologram.

"I'll be there soon."

He nodded curtly and signed off, my nerves now supercharged. Something was wrong. It wasn't in how curt he was, nor how brief our conversation. It was how he called me dala. Woman. He never called me that.

It was his way of telling me to be cautious. Something had gone wrong. He needed help.

I started the engines, propelling the ship towards the rendezvous point Jango had transmitted. In addition, I flicked a switch, blocking all signals to and from my ship. Maybe it would make me miss communications, but they couldn't track me either.

The hyperspace engines kicked in, propelling me swiftly through space, towards Nal Hutta.

"We're going to meet Dad?" Boba's voice sounded as he entered the cockpit, easily taking the seat next to me.

"Yeah," I responded, thinking as I guided my ship through the wasteland of Nal Hutta.

"Why are you flying so low?"

"I think your dad's in trouble." His interest sparked at my words, worry rippling through the force. "Don't worry," I said quickly. "We're going to help him."

"You have a plan." It wasn't a question.

"Of course." I set the ship down on an outcropped ledge, looking at Boba solemnly. "Your dad didn't want you involved in this." Boba went to argue, but I held up my hand, shushing him. "But I'm in charge now, and I need your help. Alright?" He nodded eagerly. "Here." I handed him my sniper. "You're going to need this."

I slowly moved my ship towards the rendezvous point, quickly seeing the issue. Jango was with the other bounty hunters...all of whom had turned on him. I flicked off my signal jammer, immediately receiving a transmission.

"Hello, little lady."

"Bane," I growled at the hologram. "Is there a reason you have Jango hostage?"

"Why split an easy job four ways? Seems like overkill to me."

"But why Jango? Mandalorian memory is long, Bane."

"Not if they're dead," he laughed. "And you're not Mandalorian."

I pursed my lips at him, strafing my ship violently to the side, engaging its weapons mode. "Maybe not, but I've been around them enough to act like one."

Bane only smiled. "You wouldn't shoot while I have him here."

I returned the grin, cutting off our communications before pulling the trigger. As I'd known, Jango shoved one of his captors aside and dove out of the way of my firing. I wreaked havoc on their camp, blasting apart one of the bounty hunter's ships. They started to return fire, some of them rising in the air in their own fighters.

"Here we go, Boba," I said into our secured line. "Get ready."

"In position," came his warbled voice.

I turned the ship's nose away, blasting my engines to lead the rising ships from Jango and his captors. I focused on the force, letting it guide me through the fog-filled swamps. One ship crashed on its own, unable to avoid the fast-approaching structures that would rise suddenly out of the swamp water. The second stayed on my tail, letting out a spray of shots.

"My shields are taking a hit," I called into the comms. "Get ready. I'm almost there!"

"Just a little further," Boba responded calmly. He was a lot like his father. I darted around a corner, my ship rattling with the sheer force. As I came about, I saw the small shimmer of my sniper rifle on an outcropping.

"Get him, Boba!" I called, just as my ship shook violently, a blaster shot taking out my wing.

Three shots from the sniper went past my cockpit, followed by the sounds of an explosion and crash. I grinned, pulling at the joysticks of my shaking ship, trying to navigate her down as gently as possible.

"Kida," Boba's voice cut in and out on the failing comms as my ship began to shut down. "What do I- Kida? Are-there?"

"Boba!" I yelled into the comms, hoping he could hear me better than I could hear him. "The ship is going down. If you can, make your way back to your father. I'll meet you there!"

He responded, but I couldn't understand it as my engines cut out, my ability to steer completely dependent on the flaps. I had no visual on where he was anymore, my ship dipping into the thick fog of Nal Hutta. The force guided me as my cockpit rattled violently, when I suddenly felt a surge to turn suddenly. Of course, I couldn't considering my ship had no working thrusters. The giant pillar rose before me suddenly, my nose directed right at it.

"Kriff," I cursed, releasing the joysticks and lunging from my seat. I scooped up my travel pack and darted from the cockpit as my ship began to tip, my autopilot not working and the damaged wing dragging it sideways. I fell hard into the wall as my ship tipped, my hands scrambling for something to pull me to the ladder in the center of the room. I climbed along it sideways as the room continued to flip, my fingers wrenching open the access hatch. I poked my head out into the foul air, seeing the pillar far too close.

I pushed out of my ship, deciding to mourn its loss at a later time. I fell through open air, my left arm extending as I aimed at another over-arching pillar of rock, the grappling line shooting out of my vambrace. A pained yell shot from my mouth as the line went taught, pulling my shoulder from its socket and swinging me sideways. I hung limply in the air, blocking my face at my ship connected with the massive pillar, exploding on impact.

My breath came hard through my nose, the pain in my shoulder blurring my vision. "Okay," I whispered to myself, closing my eyes briefly to focus myself. Reaching up, I pressed a button on the vambrace, the grappling line beginning to retract and pull me upwards. At the right height, I swung myself, my arm pulling painfully, before disconnecting and falling towards the ledge I'd swung over.

I hit the ground hard, cradling my injured shoulder and scrunching my eyes closed. Feeling my shoulder, it was clear that it had dislocated and I wouldn't be able to put it back myself. I pulled more grappling line from my vambrace, wrapping it around my neck and shoulder to form a makeshift sling, slipping my arm into it.

It took a moment for me to collect myself and get up, but I knew I had to get back to Jango.

"He gave you Jaig Eyes for jumping from your ship?" Denal asked, his eyebrows lifting.

I shot him a look. "Of course not. He gave them to me for saving Boba." The clones looked at me with curious gazes, a small smile gracing my lips. "By the time I got back to where Jango was being held, Boba had made it back and was in a stand-off with Bane and Jango was injured."

"Don't you dare shoot my son," Jango growled, struggling to stand behind Bane. His face was bleeding heavily, his leg severely injured.

I peered around the rock structure, seeing Boba pointing my rifle at Bane, but there were too many. Bane had one of the other bounty hunters behind him-a droid. An IG-88 assassin droid. Wonderful. Bane was standing casually, his blaster in his hand, but relaxed at his side. The droid was already aiming at Boba and I knew it would win the fight, should the boy start it.

A flash of light caught my eye, my gaze lifting to see a second IG-88 up in the cliffs with a sniper of its own. My heart stopped, knowing that Jango was next to useless with his injuries and with his son in danger.

I drew my own blaster slowly, emerging from the rocks to aim it at Bane. "That's enough, Bane," I said loudly, drawing their attention.

"Ah, so you survived your crash," Bane thought aloud, looking over my injured self. "Not without some bruises, it would seem."

"Bruises won't slow me down." I glanced at Boba from where I stood before casting a one to Jango. "Ram'ser," I spoke in hushed Mando'a. "Abesh."

They both knew better than to look, but nodded slightly.

"What are you saying to them," Bane growled harshly, finally lifting his blaster to aim at me.

I smirked. "Maybe you should learn Mandalorian. Then you'd know better than to mess with them."

Everyone knew what to do as if we'd practiced it. And in a way, I suppose we had, though never in a real life situation. I immediately turned my aim up to the rising rock formations, firing rapidly. Boba rolled sideways as the other droid fired before writing himself and taking him out in turn. My shots hit the sniper in the mountains, Jango having trained me to aim as well with a pistol as I did a rifle. Bane pulled the trigger on his own blaster, but Jango swept out his legs, the bolt going high above my head.

"Boba, the ship," I yelled, rushing forward as Jango and Bane fought. Boba ran to Slave I, looking back in a panic as Bane got the upper hand, pressing his blaster to Jango's neck as he sat on top of the injured Mandalorian.

"Enough," he yelled roughly, staring me down. "Drop your gun."

I hesitated for a moment, Jango shaking his head at me. He wanted me to take the shot, but I wasn't about to let him die on a foolish gamble. Not with his life, anyway. I lowered my blaster and let it fall to the dirt.

"Hut'uun," I heard Jango mutter, my heart clenching at his insult. I pushed it away, scowling at him as I stood with my hands up.

"Don't be a jare," I responded evenly, my eyes finally lifting to meet Bane's. "What is it you want? To prove you're the best? To get away with all the money? What?"

Bane regarded me for a moment, his blaster still pressed to Jango's neck. "What did he call you?"

My eyebrow lifted as I glanced to see Boba frozen on the ramp of Slave I. "He called me a coward."

"Perhaps you are," Bane hummed.

"Or maybe you're just gullible." The Duros looked confused for a moment before turning to anger. His blaster lifted to point at me, Jango freeing his arm and swiping his fist across his enemy's face.

I lunged forward, slamming into Bane's side and sending us both tumbling to the dirt. Pain blossomed in my upper abdomen, but I ignored it as we wrestled for dominance. I finally pinned Bane, my fist repeatedly connecting with his cheek. He was tiring, the blows to his face disorienting him. As I let out an angry yell, hitting him again, he pressed his wrist control, his boots erupting in propulsion and knocking me sideways. He was shot backwards, but it was enough space for him to escape.

I stood to pursue, but stopped at the searing pain in my abdomen and the knowledge of Jango needing help behind me. I watched him go, Boba letting off a few shots after him, but none hit its mark.

I breathed slowly for a moment before calling to the young boy. "You alright?"

"Fine. You?"

I nodded, ignoring the pain for the moment. "Get her started. I'll get your father." Boba nodded at me before heading into Slave I. I turned to Jango, seeing him breathing heavily on the ground. "You alright?" I asked again, this time to Jango.

He cast me a glance. "I heard a shot go off. You hit?"

"I'm fine," I responded, leaning down to help him get up. He stopped at sitting up, his gloved hand gently grazing my Mandalorian armor. I held back my wince as he followed the blaster burns to where Bane had slipped his blaster between the plates before letting off a shot.

"You're wounded."

"So are you," I responded, pushing away his hand and pulling him up. He leaned heavily on me, his knee injured severely. I put his arm over my good shoulder and guided us both back to Slave I. Letting him lay in a cot, I went back outside to retrieve our dropped weapons and then the money from the job.

"Is Dad okay?" Boba asked as I came back with the case of unmarked credits. I nodded through the cockpit door.

"Let's get out of here. Can you pilot? I'll take care of your dad."

"Of course."

The engines roared to life as Slave I lifted from the ground, my arms bracing me as the ship turned upright. After leaving the atmosphere, I went into Jango's room to find him removing his armor slowly in order to inspect the damage.

"Here," I offered, moving to help, but he batted me away. "You helped me more than a few times," I responded smoothly. "It's my turn."

Slowly, he settled back and let me remove his chest plate. Soon, I had him in his blacks and inspected his knee.

"What happened?" I asked, placing a cold bacta-pack over the inflamed joint before beginning to wipe off his face to find the wounds there.

"They jumped me. I should've seen it happen."

"To your knee," I clarified gently, giving him a small smile.

"Blown out, I think," he groaned as I wiped away the blood over a deep cut above his temple. "That's how they took me down."

"Wonderful."

I placed bacta-patches on his wounds before returning to his knee and gently wrapping it in a bacta-wrap. "It's not great," I said as I wrapped it. "But it will help until we get back to Kamino."

I stood when I finished, but my vision blurred, my hand shooting out to catch myself on the wall. "Head rush," I pretended, moving to leave the room.

"Stay."

"Jango, I need to go check on Boba."

"Boba's fine," he argued, his voice stern. "Because of you. Stay. I know you have wounds to patch up. I want to see how you treat yourself when I'm not around."

I snorted a short laugh at his attempt at a joke and sat down at the end of the bed. "I might need help getting the shoulder," I muttered.

He sat up slowly, reaching out to gently hold my shoulder and pull it from the sling. One hand pressed to my back, the other gripping my bicep, I closed my eyes as his breath brushed over my cheek.

"Ready?"

"No."

"One. Two." On two, he pulled my shoulder back into place, making me yelp. Despite the searing pain, it lessened the moment I felt the joint pop.

"Ouch," I growled, casting him a look as he gently ran his fingers over the sore muscles and tendons. "I thought you were doing on three."

"You would've tensed up," he said with a shrug, leaning back against the pillows again.

I rolled my eyes and went about removing my upper armor, leaving me in my sports bra. I placed rags soaked in bacta over my blaster shot to try and stop the bleeding before wrapping my injured shoulder in bacta wraps.

"That looks bad," Jango commented. Despite his relaxed tone, I could see the concern in his eyes.

"Feels worse," I said curtly, placing bacta-bandages over my abdomen. I was feeling the pain more heavily, so I allowed myself a shot of pain reliever.

"Wimp," he teased.

"If you want to see how long you'd last with a shot to the belly, I'd be more than happy to test it."

Jango chuckled as I washed off my hands, gently wrapping the knuckles I'd torn from hitting Bane. He quieted as he watched me finish and lean back on the wall. My eyes closed from exhaustion, feeling the ship rumble slightly in hyperspace. He let me rest for a while, the man quietly sitting up and turning allow my head to rest on his shoulder. His fingers brushed over my short-cropped hair, the force rippling with his thoughts.

The close proximity made it easy, feelings of uncertainty and pride surging from him. And maybe something else. Something I was used to sensing between him and Boba.

"Kida?" he said gently. I hummed, not opening my eyes. "What you did today… was incredible."

I smiled slightly, but shook my head. "Boba took down a while ship today with three sniper shots. You should be proud of him."

"I am." he hesitated for a moment. "But you planned it. It knew his abilities and guided him as well as any teacher. You took the risks. Lost your ship. Got shot for me." I opened my eyes to glance at him for a moment. "You saved us both today."

"I owe you everything," I responded slowly before closing my eyes again. "You saved me from haran itself."

Jango hummed, thinking, his hand still brushing my hair. I felt him calm, his head leaning back against the wall. It was silent for a moment before he breathed slowly.

"Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad," he whispered to the quiet room, his hand brushing over the curve of my head.

My eyes shot open at his words as I turned to look at him. My jaw dropped open in shock when I met his hazel irises, his gaze sincere and steady. "What are you doing?" I whispered back, my heart in my throat.

His hand gently pushed me so that I was fully facing him. "You've been free for almost four years now," he expressed softly. "I've watched you grow. Taught you what I know. Watched you achieve. I've also watched you doubt your worth every day since I first saw you."

I blinked at him, emotion rising in my chest at his words, but I said nothing.

"Now I've had enough of that. That doubt? It's over. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"No more of that. Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad," he repeated the phrase again, this time my shock exchanged for warm emotion. "I know this isn't very formal, but I mean it. You're Mando'ade now. This is your cin vhetin, understand?"

I swallowed thickly, tears in my eyes. I nodded.

"I want to hear it."

"Yes. I understand."

"No more doubting yourself. No more doubting who you are. You're Kida Fett. My daughter and a daughter of Mandalore. Yes?"

I smiled, letting the tears slip down my cheeks. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

I hesitated for a moment, thinking he wanted me to call him sir, as I did when I was in training. But I saw the warmth in his eyes, amongst the tiny shimmer of water he held back. I felt the warmth in the force with his pride in me.

"Yes… Buir."

"After we were both treated on Kamino, Jango took me with him to a remote moon of Mandalore. That was where he gave me the Jaig eyes. He elected to tattoo them on me...he said it wanted to do it permanent instead of paint on armor so that I remembered who I was now. So that I would remember I was worthy...and so that I would never fall from that worthy path."

I swallowed thickly at the memory, the clones silent around me. The room had palpable tension in it. No one needed the force to feel the confusion.

"I...never knew that Jango adopted anyone but Boba," Echo said finally, his face solemn.

I shrugged slightly, leaning back on my seat to feign a nonchalance. "We kept it a secret to keep everyone safe. Especially him and Boba." I breathed slowly. "It was enough for me to know that I had a father. A family."

"I'm so sorry," Kix said finally, meeting my eyes sadly. "Geonosis must have been…"

"It was," I replied after his voice trailed off. "It was even harder when you guys arrived to Coruscant. I saw his face everywhere. But, I won't lie...I don't see him much anymore."

They looked at each other, confused.

"But we all share the same face," Jesse said finally.

I grinned, shaking my head. "No. You really don't. You might look like Jango did, but each of you are so different, I don't see him anymore. There will never be another person like Jango. But there will also never be another person like you," I said to Fives, before turning to Echo. "Or you." I turned my head to where Rex stood beside the bunks, still concealed in shadow. "Or you."

Rex emerged, the clones smiling at him.

"How long have you been lurking there?" Fives chuckled. The group laughed, the joke easing some of the tension. I took a long drink from the ale, my eyes watching Rex over the brim of the cup.

"Long enough," Rex said finally, his golden gaze intense. "I'm sorry for your loss, Miss Fett."

I recoiled slightly, coughing on the ale. "No. It's Kida. And he's nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'eechaaj'la."

The group nodded solemnly at my words, Rex regarded me with uncertainty. I swallowed thickly. Sensing my unease, Fives let out a 'here here' and lifted his cup. The group drank.

"Well, child of Mandalore," Hardcase said with a grin, leaning on Fives' shoulder. "Care to join us in a night of drinking?"

The corner of my mouth pulled up into a smirk, glancing around at the group. I nodded, making them cheer and pass out more ale and bring forth what I assumed would become a drinking game.

Still, as we prepared to start, I could feel the captain's eyes on me, his confusing mix of emotions rippling through the force. I did my best to ignore them, but throughout the night, they surged off of him more and more intensely until it was all I could feel amongst the buzz of alcohol.

MANDO'A

Aruetii - outsider

Me'bana? - What happened?

Cabur - guardian, protector

Dala - woman

Ram'ser - sniper

Abesh - east

Hut'uun - coward

Jare - kamikaze; someone taking a fatal, foolish risk

Haran - hell

Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad - I know your name as my child; adoption vow

Mando'ade - sons and daughters of Mandalore

cin vhetin - fresh start, clean slate; term indicating the erasure of someone's past when they become Mandalorian

Buir - Father

Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'eechaaj'la - Not gone, merely marching away (tribute to dead comrade)

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hi everyone! Lot's of Mando'a in this chapter. This is also my first author's note, so welcome to my new story (my other having been finished for some time). Needed to get rid of some writer's block (hah the irony), so this is what is coming of it. Enjoy!

-Ryder S. Block