Chapter Sixty-Nine: Death Watch

I was on a ship, but it wasn't the shuttle Senatorial shuttle I'd left Mandalore on. Nor was I in the well-worn boots and leather jacket I had on. Instead, I was in rather familiar tan garb.

The slave clothes I wore when I was owned by Jabba the Hutt.

"Kida." I glanced up with a start, seeing Dirk, Jabba's right-hand man. Or….Rattataki. "You seem to be feeling better."

Right. I hadn't been feeling well on this trip. I'd been terribly anxious to the point of nausea. I suppose that must have been my Force sensitivity trying to warn me of what was coming.

If only I'd understood it then.

"Not really," my mouth responded for me, following the memory, "But I'll be fine. I know how important this is to Jabba."

Dirk hummed. "Yes, your master would be very displeased if you were to fail." Ugh. This guy was such an ass. He loved rubbing it in that I was a slave.

Even if I had as much value on this mission as him, if not more.

I guess that was what he hated most.

Still, I said nothing in response, letting him bathe in his false glory. I didn't care. Slaves never got glory anyways.

I flinched when the ship jolted suddenly, but I already knew what was happening. We were being boarded...and I was going to be stolen.

"Get to the hold," Dirk commanded, worry coloring his features.

I obeyed, the vision shifting rapidly to get me into the hold faster.

The ship shuddered again, cries pouring from some of the other terrified slaves. I hushed them in their native tongues, reliving the memory clearly. "...Mandalorian ships," I overheard one of the guards saying.

I lifted my head, glancing at the familiar female Zabrak known as Amiru. Her skin was a soft brown, two horns jutting from each side of her forehead. She, unlike many Zabraks, had long hair that covered most of her scalp, the grayish-blue locks pulled back in an elegant braid. Despite being a guard-and thus, paid and not owned-she was always kind. Firm, but gentle. She understood we were slaves, but never held that against us. To her...we weren't property.

When she saw me looking, she slowly left her conversation and joined my side. "We're being boarded," she said quietly, but like she was reporting it, "We need to move."

"Can we fight them off?"

"They're Mandalorians." Already knew that, but I suppose that should have been answer enough.

"Fett?" one of the Rodian twins, Yumi, asked.

"He wouldn't dare," Amiru responded firmly. I agreed with her. Jango had too much at risk if he attacked one of Jabba's ships. He would never jeopardize his connection with one of his top employers.

The ship shook beneath our feet again, Amiru taking it as a sign to get moving. She touched my shoulder gently, leading myself and the other slaves from the hold. In the halls, there were sounds of fighting, but the ship was big and the halls echoed easily.

It was hard to tell which direction the sounds were coming from.

"Get down!" Amiru cried, all of us diving to the ground as shots zipped through the air. The Zabrak ducked against the wall, firing into the smoking corridor blindly. I grabbed my friends' hands-the Rodian twins Jabba allowed to travel with me on translation and courier missions. They were like...my attendants. The people who got the work done when I dictated it in Jabba's place.

Realistically, it was ridiculous how much power that Hutt granted a slave. A young slave, at that.

In the smoke, it was hard to see as our eyes stung and watered. We heard a cry and more blaster fire. And then silence.

Slowly, Amiru emerged, clutching her bleeding side. I raced forward, catching her as she collapsed forward with a strangled cry of pain. She'd avoided being shot, but something must have exploded, since shrapnel was protruding from the rough hide shirt she wore.

"Amiru!" another voice cried, this one deeper. I glanced up, seeing some of the other guards finding us in the smoke. The Torgruta who had spoken kneeled beside my Zabrakian guard, helping her to her feet.

"Talon," she replied weakly, finding some of her strength again at the sight of her friend. "What's going on?"

"They're taking the bridge," Talon explained, glancing at the rest of us. "We need to get to the escape pods."

I nodded dutifully, turning to gather the slaves that were present on the voyage. Some were Jabba's and only there to attend to either myself or the guards. Others were gifts and payment for the client.

None were being left to the mercy of the pirates ransacking our ship.

We raced through the halls, myself and the other slaves ducking into cover whenever a fight would break out. Amiru stayed with us as our personal guard, mostly because she was slowing down more and more the longer we fought.

She hadn't stopped bleeding and our only supplies were in the medbay….on the other side of the ship.

But we were almost to the escape pods. We could make it. Then we'd get her help.

And then we turned the next corner, a blaster shot burning through Talon's forehead in a second. I screamed in horror as he fell, Amiru renewed with rage. She leapt forward, blaster firing….only to fall herself after only succeeding to hit one of the attackers in the leg.

Even so, with the beskar, the man hardly seemed fazed anyways.

I collapsed to my knees, feeling the loss of my friends all over again as the other guards fell around their still forms. Through my tears, I heard one of the Mandalorians say, "These ones are slaves. We'll take them as our own spoils."

There was dark laughter from them and only tears from us as we were gathered and dragged over the corpses of our friends and guards. Bile climbed in my throat at both the sight of my friends' murders and the thought of what was coming.

I threw up on myself.

One of the guards struck me for 'making things stink' before I was hastily doused in water and dragged, soaking wet, to their ship. I was gagged to ensure I wouldn't vomit again. And if I did, I'd choke on it and die, rather than make it a burden for everyone else.

No one would speak to us after that, other than to enforce obedience and silence. I huddled close to the Rodian twins, Yumi and Unreeti, shivering in the cold of space. We couldn't speak, but even without the Force I could have felt their questions filling their heads. Dirk wasn't among us, meaning he was dead, too. I didn't mourn him, like I did the others.

The Mandalorians told us nothing until we arrived on their moon and were forced to our knees before their leader. Even then, I knew he was a skanah. He glared us all through his blue helmet, his blade sheathed at his side.

My eyes followed it, my breathing heavy with fear.

Suddenly, the memory altered from what I remembered, the blade igniting near my face. It kissed my cheek with a dark laugh, my skin bubbling painfully.

I screamed, the images shifting from the cackling face of Vizla, to the smiling face of Mina Bonteri. I saw flashes of her speaking in political rallies. I saw her helping me to my feet, a motherly scolding on her lips, despite not knowing a thing about me. I saw a Dathomiran Zabrak, his face long and hollowed, his horns untrimmed and gnarled.

They became too much. I forced myself to surface before I drowned.

My eyes snapped open suddenly, my hand flying to my face to touch the scar that still accented my left cheek. I'd received it shortly after I'd gotten the one that slashed down the opposite side of my face, along the temple and down to my jaw.

Why had that dream surfaced? Now of all times? And why all the extra images? Mina? And was that Zabrak who I thought it was?

I shook my head as R2 beeped beside me worriedly. Maybe it was my brain still trying to work through what Krell had done. He made me feel like a slave, again, in some weird way. He stirred up a lot of old memories.

Yeah, that must have been it.

I forced myself to focus, pushing past the haze left by the….tazer. That's right. I had a face to punch. I stood, wobbling only slightly. A quick glance told me that my weapons and armor were gone from their usual stow.

My nose crinkled as I sneered. "Damn the debt," I muttered darkly, "I'm killing this kid." I glanced out the window, surprised to see snow and trees in bloom. "Where are we, R2?" I asked, rubbing my forehead to try and chase away the remaining fog from my rather unexpected nap.

The astromech beeped back dutifully as I looked out the front viewport, seeing Bonteri's back outside the ship.

"Carlac," I repeated what R2 said with a sigh. "Of course it is. See if you can find my things. Especially my lightsaber. They're on board, I can feel it."

R2 beeped again, both in agreement and to ask what I would be doing.

"I'm going to go kick Bonteri's ass," I growled, exiting the cockpit. Considering the snow I'd seen through the viewports, I stopped off at the Senator's closet and donned one of her giant shawls, the dark olive fabric coming up to wrap around my head and face.

The Carlac air was brisk, but not unbearable. I trudged into it with determination, my boots crunching in the snow. I saw Bonteri, the boy standing with his back to me as he watched the horizon, as if expecting an arrival.

Wonderful.

"Bonteri," I called as I drew closer, the boy turning only slightly at the sound of my voice. "Have you lost your mind?" I stopped just behind him, crossing my arms. I wanted to punch him, but something told me not to. There was an apprehension within him that set me off-balance. "What are you even doing out here?" I asked finally.

He turned to me, his eyes sad. "You should have stayed on the ship."

I became aware of new presences….and some familiar. I jumped as figures clad in beskar appeared around us, descending from the sky with their jetpacks. They circled us, my back turning against Lux's immediately.

"Hey kid," a familiar female voice greeted Lux, making me turn to see the painted helmet of Bo-Katan. "You're late."

I lowered my head, letting my face dip into the folds of the shawl's hood. "Deathwatch," I whispered hoarsely, both with anger and fear. I hated them, sure. But what I'd endured as their slave were memories I preferred not to face or relive.

Bo stepped closer, her focus on Lux. "You get us what we need?" she asked.

"Yes," Bonteri replied dutifully, "And I have the information with me." I reached up casually, tucking my hair behind my ear. In the same motion, I securely tucked the shawl over the lower half of my face, disguising me as best as I could at the moment.

Unfortunately, the movement, though small, drew Bo-Katan's gaze. "Who's this?"

My back straightened immediately, my mind in overdrive. I couldn't say friend. That invited too many questions. Wife could imply terrible things, and I wouldn't put anything past Deathwatch. I had to find something that protected me from the members of Deathwatch, but also kept me out of their watchful gaze.

"I'm his...betrothed," I settled on with a forced smile, linking my arms around his. I looked up at Lux, giving him my best doe eyes I could muster.

"Um, right. Right," he managed with a stupid grin, a small dusting of a blush coloring his cheeks. Ugh. Men.

Bo tilted her head, seeming unconvinced. "Betrothed?" She walked around me, her fingers reaching to pull down my mask. I swatted her hand away, acting like it was violating for her to take it off. After all, some cultures felt that way. Bo only grunted a hum. "A little skinny, isn't she?" she asked finally, giving my butt a firm slap.

It was hard enough to shove me forward, my senses kicking into overdrive. I whirled, absolutely intent on kicking her ass, but found Lux instead.

"She serves her purpose," he said easily, making me want to punch him in the back of the head now too. Still, he had stepped between Bo and I, keeping me from both blowing my cover and probably getting us killed.

Okay. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

A whistle turned my gaze to see R2 rolling through the snow, his mechanical hands holding my lightsaber and one of my pistols. He'd found where Lux had hidden my things.

Not a great time, though.

I shook my head at him, the droid immediately drawing my weapons into his internal compartments to keep them hidden. It was in just enough time, as the Mandalorians turned to see the droid shifting awkwardly in the snow.

"We leave now," Bo-Katan called, her men moving into action immediately. "The snow is coming." The stepped away, shoving her shoulder into mine mockingly as she passed.

I grabbed Bonteri's shoulder when he moved to follow, pulling him back to whisper, "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's all under control," he dismissed. Bo reappeared with a speeder and speeder bikes, the men stepping forward to board.

"This is Death Watch," I growled, forcing him to listen to me. "They will kill us-"

"You coming?" a soldier interrupted.

Lux glanced at me before following with a firm, "Yes."

I cleared my throat, shifting awkwardly with R2 behind me. "I should look after our ship." I didn't give them a chance to answer, turning away with my hand on R2's dome.

"No," the soldier spoke again, making me stop with a grimace under my shawl, "You're coming, too." R2 beeped wildly in a panic when two members of Death Watch hoisted him up onto the back of the speeder. I followed shortly after onto my own speeder bike, my arms wrapped hesitantly around the torso of a Mando.

Wonderful. Now even if I managed to sneak back to the ship, my weapons were with R2. Though, I suppose there were benefits to my weapons coming along with us. I'd be needing them, I was sure.

Their encampment, thankfully, wasn't far. I wasn't sure how much longer I could have ridden on the speeder while holding onto a member of Death Watch without….well….without stabbing him.

I was off and away from the soldier before the speeder even came to a full stop. I couldn't fight off a squad on my own before, and now I was in the center of their very full camp. Great. Loved it. What an amazing break away from the war.

"Dance, droid. Dance!" I glanced over at the sound as Lux's speeder slowed in front of me. Across the yard, Death Watch was torturing poor droids that looked like they'd already been destroyed and repaired countless times.

R2 was lowered from the speeder, the poor astromech shaking in his coils. I stopped beside Lux as Bo-Katan landed. "The boss will see you in there," she instructed, gesturing to the tent behind her.

I swallowed thickly, flinching when Bonteri's hand clasped mine firmly. He was practically pulling me into the tent with him. Dammit. I did not want to see Vizsla.

He dragged me into the tent, the flaps falling closed behind us. "Don't ruin my plan, okay?" Lux whispered into my ear.

I shoved him away with a scowl. "What plan? Suicide?"

"This is a holo-trace device," he explained, pointing to a mechanism on his wrist. "It can identify the origin of any holo transmission.

I rolled my eyes. "I know what a holo-trace is. I'm a bounty hunter, you idiot." So accusing Dooku was just a way to get his location. I'd tell the boy he was clever if I wasn't so pissed off at the moment. And we needed to get the hell out of here.

"A bounty hunter who can use the Force," Bonteri muttered softly, his eyes widening. "You're the hunter Ahsoka told me about." His Force signature blossomed a bit with warmth at the mention of the Torgruta. Ah. I suppose he was expecting her beside Padme, but found me.

That explained the disappointment.

"You fight in the war. You understand Dooku must fall. If Death Watch moves fast enough, we can destroy him!" His fervor was almost enough to falsify my own beliefs. But I knew Death Watch better than most. "Is that enough of a plan for you?"

I stepped forward, shoving the young man in the shoulder. "These are not mercenaries or just an idealistic group. They will take the information you brought and then kill us both. Or worse."

Lux glanced away, unconvinced. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

My jaw tightened as I scowled, grabbing him by his shirt to force him to look at me. "No. You don't understand. These people are slavers and murderers. I will not stay here and be-" My words were smothered by Lux's lips pressing against my own.

They were sudden and uninvited.

And I'd been wanting to hit him anyways.

So I pulled away from Lux's face, his arms still wrapped around me firmly. Twisting in his grip, I lifted my fist and connected it to his jaw, sending the boy spiraling backwards.

"Get the shab off me," I growled.

"You always were quick with languages, but I didn't think you'd still be whoring yourself around. Never thought you were a fan of that bit."

The voice behind me sent chills down my spine, gluing me in place. My muscles were frozen in fear, my breathing short. Lux's kiss had pulled the shawl away from my face.

Not that it mattered, considering the owner of the voice already seemed to know who I was. And how to push every button I had.

A glance over to Lux revealed the boy finding his feet again, rubbing his aching jaw. When he saw the man behind me, he straightened, but his expression was confused. He wasn't sure why I already seemed familiar with Death Watch….and they with me.

Slowly, I turned, knowing it was inevitable. Vizsla stepped forward from the entrance, his helmet dark and imposing in the shadows. He moved into the light, dipping his head to remove the beskar helmet, revealing his newly scarred face, the blond hair buzzed to practically bald.

His mouth twitched in an evil smirk as my blood went cold. His voice lowered, his tone mocking while he looked directly into my eyes. "Welcome home."

MANDO'A

Skanah- 'very hated person'...equivalent to 'fucker'

Shab- fuck