Chapter 18
Raiders and a new path opens
The sounds of music echoed slightly in the empty vehicle workshop of the enclave. The light coming from a single bay disrupting the usual gloom of the night lights. The sparks from a welder lighting the gloom further like short lived shooting stars. The welder lifted the helmet away from her face. Taking a ballpen hammer Melissa gently tapped on the newly welded joint, removing the excess weld before inspecting the joint under a workshop lamp
"Definitely going to need cross bracing here." She spoke to herself
"Talking to oneself is never a good sign."
Healer Fay walked into the light. The healer now having a new hairstyle due to events a week prior, shampoo can only wash out so much paint before failing to remove it all. The three younglings were happily running around with multi coloured hair. Melissa looked at a chronograph above the workbench.
"Aren't you up a bit late?" She asked
"I could ask the same of you. But no I am on night rotation for the infirmary."
Melissa shrugged, securing the welder before reaching for her water bottle and taking several deep sips
"Could not sleep. I decided to come to do some work to relax."
"But you feel anything but relaxed."
Melissa sighed. Picking up a hydrospanner, she idly started to clean it with a rag.
"No, not really."
"Want to talk about it?" Fay offered
Melissa hesitated
"Do healers have patient practitioner privilege?"
"Not normally, but as a licensed doctor I do have. Anything you say will be kept confidential. Shall we step over to my office?"
Melissa nodded and Fay led the way to the revamped infirmary. Inside the office Fay pointed to the caf dispenser and a set of armchairs
"Help yourself" Fay offered
"Should you not have a sofa or a coach for talks like these?" Melissa asked
"That is only for holodramas." Fay snorted," Besides can you see Vrook authorising the purchase of a couch for mental health consultations?"
"Not really. More like go meditate and your problem will go away by the magic of the Force."
Melissa settled herself in a chair and stared into her cup of caf. Fay decided to get the ball rolling.
"What was that you were working on, I cannot think I have seen a design like that before
"It is a scout vehicle I designed. It is big enough to carry four, but small enough to fit in the loading bay of the Hawk."
"What made you decide to build it?"
" Because it is stupid to walk all over a place, and rental agencies get kind of unhappy if you return their speeder filled with blaster holes and carbon scoring." Melissa replied, deadpan
Fay gave a small laugh and a smile
"I guess I kind of walked into that one. What I meant was, why now? You are already doing so much with your training and your business with Mission and helping your mercenary friend."
"Hissk said I needed to do something apart from train, to do something to relax. I think he might have meant meditation, but this is supposed to let me relax." Melissa replied.
"And working on things usually lets you relax?" Fay probed
"Yes. I guess it makes me feel like me again."
"You feel like you are losing yourself?"
"Yes. I no longer really know who I am anymore, everything I defined myself by, is gone."
Fay took a sip of her caf, before putting her mug down and leaning forward.
"How did you define yourself?"
Melissa thoughtfully played with a loose thread on the chair, looking down. She spoke without looking up
"First I was the orphan no one wanted, sure the other orphans were there and a sort of pseudo family, but you never really saw them like that. You would look at the regular families, and it would be something you wanted with your entire being. You would always sit there and hope that your family will come back and take you home. Then as an orphan you were always looked down upon, like you wer of lesser worth that children with families"
Melissa gave a bitter laugh.
"Knowing what I know now, I guess I can be glad neither one of them came for me. The war criminal father or the mother who not only tried to kill you by ritual but destroying her parents as well."
"Do you really know if your father was a war criminal? Some Mandalorians were quite honourable in battle and afterwards."
"You said it yourself, there is no way to know who it was, with only a racial genome as a match?"
"You could always ask someone."
"Like who? My mother? I can see the holocall now. Hi, mom, this is the daughter who you screwed over by binding me and nearly causing my death because you screwed up your ritual. I am totally fine with that by the way. Speaking of screwing someone over, you remember that guy you kriffed to be able to escape and having me as a byproduct? Could you actually tell me his name? That would be great."
Fay lifted an eyebrow.
"Apart from the cart load of sarcasm, I sense a lot of resentment and anger there." She spoke mildly.
"Not going to tell me to go and meditate and find my balance in the force." Melissa snarked
"As a Jedi I should. As your doctor I have to say you need to work out what exactly is causing this anger or resentment and find closure. Then go meditate and find your balance."
Melissa thought for a while.
"I think I feel angry because I am disappointed and disillusioned with both her and me. I always had this image of a perfect mother and a perfect Jedi and she fails on both. I am angry with myself for knowing better than believing in a perfect picture."
"Emotions and logic are two very different things. I believe we all hope for our dreams to come true or feel disappointment when our idols fall short of our expectations."
"But there is no emotion there is peace." Melissa countered
"You were not raised with the code for all your life. Even those who were raised with it; has issues dealing with emotions, sometimes more so because we are taught to deflect emotion into the force. But it does not solve the problem."
" Does Vandar know that you speak like this?"
"There is a reason for me being posted outside the hall of healing, you know. But this is not about me, it is about you finding your own peace, your own identity. How did you see yourself apart from the orphan?" Fay continued
"The fleet thing? I had hoped to become part of something but again I felt like I was on the edge, not just because I lied to get in, there was an age and experience gap between me and the others, so I could never really relate to the others. I was also constantly afraid I will be found out, so I was guarding myself and thus isolating myself. On the Endar Spire I was the cadet, a kid playing at being a soldier. So you would be ignored, unless someone was looking to chew someone out, so as a cadet you were an easy target, so you always had to be correct and guarded. The only person who actually treated me like someone with worth was the Master Chief. Then we come to now and everyone wants me to be a perfect Jedi, and I cannot be that."
"Because you feel you cannot achieve that or because it does not feel right to you?". Fay asked
"Both"
"There is no thing like perfection, so to strive for that will be doomed to failure and cause you frustration. Take some time to think about what you want, not what everyone expects of you. Talk to your friends, tell them how you feel, sometimes they can have an answer you did not think of, or it will simply let you unburden yourself. A true friend will want to help you. As to your father, speak to your mercenary friend. At worst he knows nothing and you have no information again. Or he could know something and you gain knowledge, good or bad. Then deal with it."
Fay reached for her datapad and rapidly typed a message. She looked back up at Melissa
"Now, missy, straight to bed with you. Go and sleep; for the next three days no training and no work. Go find out what being a teenager is about, take Mission with you. Have fun, even if it means covering yourself in lubricants in the workshop. If you need to talk privately again. You know where I am."
Fay picked up her mug again and sipped the now lukewarm caf.
"I already let the masters know that you are a on a three day break. Fair warning though, if you decide to join the other side, I am contractually obligated to cut your head off. Just food for thought."
Mission looked at the fishing rod uncertainly, her line a tangled mess, before looking at the fishing tutorial on her datapad. The gentle running of the river, seeming to mock her ineptitude.
"You sure this actually a way to relax?" She asked dubiously.
"That is what the guy at the general store said."
Melissa was trying to bait a hook and failing, a tutorial open next to her as well. Mission placed the rod down.
"I am going to lie down in the speeder. Let me know when you figure this out."
She turned and walked back to the not quite legally obtained enclave landspeeder. Pulling a blanket from the back, she spread it out on the grass in the shade of the vehicle. She laid down with her head on her hands, staring at the clouds. Something she still was not used to seeing daily. From the corner of her eye she saw a pale blur, followed by a splash of water. Looking up she failed to see Melissa. She heard splashing from the river.
Jumping up she ran to the edge and saw Melissa swimming calmly along.
"Come on in. The water is great." Melissa called.
"I don't have a swimsuit." Mission hedged
"Neither do I. Do you see that stopping me?"
Looking behind her she saw a pile of clothing.
"Are you kidding me, do you really have to get naked on every planet you go to?"
"Don't tell me the great seductress Mission Vao, is afraid to show some skin." Melissa teased
Mission bit her lip. She huffed and crossed her arms in front of her
"Okay,fine, I cannot come in because I don't know how to swim."
"Then let me teach you."
"You sure no one can see us?"
"Do you think I did not check first. I looked and I felt for anyone."
A second pile of clothes joined the first and gingerly Mission made her way to the water.
Terri and Bastila were engaged in a game of pazaak when the door to the room opened. The smell of burn cream preceded the two wincing teenagers as they made their way to their beds. Melissa was bright red and Mission was coloured white by the remnants of the cream.
"What happened to you two?" Bastila asked
Mission shot Melissa a glare.
"We went fishing." She answered shortly
"Fishing" Terri replied, incredulously
"Then someone had to get naked again and go swimming."
Terri and Bastila hid their smiles, seeing where this was going.
"Okay swimming, so am I guessing you went to get her out, for propriety's sake." Bastila said leadingly
"Not exactly." Mission dodged
"But that does not explain why you reek of burn cream." Terri stated
"We fell asleep while drying off." Mission finally answered with a huff.
Terri tried to keep a straight face.
"Well that explains Melissa, redheads should stay out of the sun. But Mission the Ryloth sun is much hotter, should you not be used to avoiding sunburn?"
" Hey, I grew up on Taris, no one ever told me anything about sunburn." Mission cried out, indignantly.
Bastila broke first, she started snorting to keep her laugh in, but eventually failed. Terri soon joined. Leaving two irritated teenagers looking at them.
With a final coat of paint she finished her project. The scout vehicle was complete. Pulling of the painter smock and mask she looked at the finished vehicle. The vehicle was painted in a green camouflage pattern. The only thing missing were the armaments, but then she still felt something else was missing.
Canderous had already procured the weapons for her and was ready to bring it over and help her mount it. But she had resisted calling him. Not only for asking if he knew anything about her father, but because of something else. She had read the Resol' nare again, in fact she had read it several times, and felt it resonate with her. But she could not relate the code with the conduct during the war. Plus she was scared what Terri and the others would say of her feeling about the code.
"Finally finished then?" Terri asked from behind her.
She turned with a small shriek. Terri gave a wry grin.
"You were really lost in thought there." Terri said
Melissa sat down on a chair, wringing her hands.
"Something has you worked up badly for days now. Care to talk about it?" Terri prompted
"Would you be terribly disappointed in me if I did not become a Jedi?" Melissa asked.
"Does this have anything to do with what you have been reading?"
Melissa handed the datapad over. Terri read through the first chapter and looked up. She pulled another chair over and took Melissa's hands in hers.
"The only time I will ever be disappointed in you is if you take a decision for the wrong reasons like doing something purely out of expectations of others. Now talk to me, what is going through your head."
Melissa leaned forward slightly letting her hair cover the side of her face.
"Everything is confusing for me. I can feel the Force now and I know there is both light and dark. But the codes does not mean anything to me. Reading the Resol'nare… I don't know but it speaks to me. But being here that is almost as bad going Sith, plus the code does not correlate with what happened in the war."
Terri thought for a moment.
"Being force sensitive does not mean you have to be on one side or the other. I know they are pushing one side here and I am not fully comfortable with it either. Honestly I think I am more likely grey, if you feel that looking into your heritage is something for you, then I support you fully. I will always support you, even if you get a saber that matches your hair. For me you are family. Something we both know nothing off, but I am willing to learn if you are. Jedi, Mandalorian, those are labels, and labels do not define who you are."
Melissa felt a hand on her shoulder. Bastila was behind her.
"Though I do not fully understand your viewpoint. I too will support whatever you decide. I might be obstinate in my views at times, and sure we might disagree on things, but know I will be there for you whenever you need me."
Melissa pulled one hand loose and wiped her eyes.
"So who wants to go for a ride?" She sniffed.
"To your fishing hole. Should we tell Mission you are replacing her with older models?" Terri teased, gently.
Canderous looked impressed as he walked around the vehicle. Prodding the seats and kicking the armour plated body. The vehicle was in the shape of an inverted cross. The long nose containing the engine, behind it the driver seat with a mounting to fire a gun one handed or slaved to the onboard computer, an equiptmen locker beind the seat. Two seats were mounted behind the driver seat on the crossbar with another larger locker between the seats. A roof rail running in an arc over the vehicle slightly before the seats, with mounting for two weapons. Finally a backwards facing seat with another mounting for a rear weapon
"Not a bes'uliik. But well made for an aruettii." He grunted
"That means he is impressed." Terri stage whispered.
He gave her a wry look, before turning back to Melissa.
"So you want to add some fangs. What are you thinking of?"
"Heavy repeater front and back, a pair of heavy repeaters for the roof rack or maybe a grenade launcher and a repeater." Melisa replied
"Fits your hit and run style, and heavier weapons will slow this down. I am guessing the top guns are for suppression fire and anti aircraft." Canderous pondered
"Yes, unless you have better ideas." Melissa answered
"Built something with more armour and then we will talk. For this your choice will do. Let us go the armoury and get what you need." Canderous said
Bastila cleared her throat.
"Should you not clear it with the council first?"
Canderous snorted
"There is already creative bookkeeping going on. What I take here will not go missing. It will simply be failing to return test weapons."
Bastila looked shocked. Terri used to situations like this merely shrugged. Corruption and theft was a part of every day life of government just the scale that differed.
There was a commotion at the gate as a badly shot up landspeeder came to a stop , black smoke billowing from it. Canderous started walking to the gate find out what was going on, the other three fell in behind him.
A wounded farmhand was arguing with the gate guard.
"What do you mean you can't go after them. You are the damn militia."
" Sir, what seems to be the concern?" Bastila asked.
"Raiders, they hit the Orinson farm. I barely got out. Old man Orinson and his wife bought it, but the raiders got his girls and a few of the other workers."
Canderous turned to Melissa
"You want to do a live fire test?"
"Sure, why not."
Canderous turned to the farmhand.
"Orinson, the last farm out west?" He asked
" That is the one." The man confirmed
"Get to the doc, I will take care of it."
Terri lifted an enquiring eyebrow.
"What? There could be bounties on some of the vermin. Now come on, we have weapons to mount" He said, defensively
He strode of towards the armoury.
"Not as hard bitten as he pretends then." Bastila remarked
Terri pulled out her comlink
"I am calling Carth to get the Hawk ready, in case we need air support."
The pillar of smoke marked the place quite clearly. Fitting the weapons had been done quickly, a quick stop at the enclave to collect their gear and inform the masters as to their mission done even quicker.
Terri stood up from her seat and grabbed the heavy repeater in front of her. She fired rapidly knocking over some Kath hounds feasting on the corpses, making the rest scatter. In the distance the dust cloud of the approaching marshal's landspeeder could be seen.
Terri and Canderous jumped out to sweep the area, with Melissa staying ready for a fast extraction and Bastilla moving from rear gunner to the roof weapon for oversight.
They found no survivors and the buildings were completely gutted. Terri whistled as she caught the outgoing tracks. Canderous moved over.
"Large group, that is all I can say. If Zaalbar was here he would have been able to give us numbers." Terri stated
"Yes, the Furball is good for that. Farm vehicle are missing, should be a slow moving column if they don't split up." Canderous mused
"You think that is likely?" Terri asked
"They hit a farm in broad day light. They are either dumb or very confident they can handle any pursuit. So I don't think so."
"The two concepts are not mutually exclusive." Teri pointed out
Canderous acknowledged that with a nod. Looking back he saw that the landspeeder had finaly caught up, disgorging the Marshal and the deputies. The new marshal was a new hire fresh from Coruscant. He immediately wanted to implement standard procedure and secure the scene before evidence get destroyed. The team ignored him when he tried to order them to leave.
The man went nearly apoplectic when the Hawk came in on a low approach, kicking up dust as Carth hovered the craft above the ground. The boarding ramp lowered and Zaalbar exited on a swoop bike. Carth lifted off and went high to see if he could spot anything. Mission in the nose gun dome as a spotter.
Terri and Bastila took over the swoop bike as Zaalbar forced his frame into the scout vehicle. He sat sideways with his legs over the locker. Pointing the way to Melissa they set of in another dust cloud. The Marshal jumping up and down in anger over his contaminated crime scene.
They caught up to them as night began falling. A column of smoke and the smell of roasting nerf betraying their position. Finding higher ground they looked over the encampment, careful not to have their silhouettes seen against the darkening sky.
The encampment was in what a time long past could have been a stone quarry the walls slick and unclimbed able with only one approach. Sentries were posted on scaffolding overlooking the approach with foot patrols moving about. At rough count there were fifty raiders in total. Cages were set in the back of the quarry, judging from the amount of beings in there the Orinson farm was not the first one hit. A captive tried to run and was shot in the back.
Looking at the captives they noted that they had not been treated gently, the womens torn clothing suggestive of further atrocities.
Terri got out her comlink and contacted Carth
"Rover one to Hawk."
"Hawk to one, proceed."
"Counting fifty Tango's, multiple civs in danger. Medical assistance will be required."
"Got town and enclave standing by, can deploy assistance to your location."
"Negative, no clear approach."
"Message from Mike Victor. Stand fast will approach on foot from safe approach area."
Night had fallen and the debauchery had begun when Vandar, Hissk and a group of knights arrived. Terri was looking grimly down into the area below her, her knuckles white on the macrobinoculars. Vandar stood next to her from where she knelt.
"Approach the back we shall and secure the innocents and push forward." Vandar started lying out his approach.
Melissa's bowstring sang as she fired and a Trandoshan dropped with an arrow between his eyes. She fired again dropping a Rodian. No alarm was raised. Canderous gave her a firm approving nod.
They crept closer. Zaalbar climbed in to a tree and disappeared from sight. Two sentries rose into the air not to be seen again. Melissa took their place along with a knight. The branches rustled as Zaalbar moved. There was a flurry of shots from within the camp as the raiders shot at the feet of two captives to make them dance, shouts for them to strip followed shortly. Melissa grasped her bow tighter.
"Mind your anger. There is no emotion there is peace. As a Jedi you should know and practise this" The knight stated, patronisingly.
"Concentrate on your part." Melissa hissed
"That is why you fail to advance in your lessons. As long as you fail to heed the Code and the lessons of your betters, you will keep failing."
Lights sprang into being as Vandar and the others dropped in front of the cages and lit their lightsabers. Shouts and screams came from below. Melissa lifted her bow and fired a bulbous arrow into a cluster of raiders.
The explosion flung several bodies in the air. The knight was no longer next to her, having rushed in. He was so engaged that the failed to see two raiders creeping into position behind his back. They dropped with arrows between their shoulder blades. Feeling the cessation of life behind him, he spun around. He threw a disappointed scowl in her direction.
A group of eight swoop bikes broke through the lines and were running for the road to escape. Melissa force sprinted to her vehicle. Bastila reached it the same time as her. With a nod at each other they jumped in
She gunned the engine and swung in a tight arc. They roared after the bikes. There was a thump followed by an explosion between two of the bikes as Bastila tested out the grenade launcher. The riders being flung far. There came roars and screams as they landed in a kath hound den.
Holding the wheel one handed, Melissa lined up another bike with the repeater. A fireball marked its demise. Two dropped back to run level to them. The passengers making ready to jump aboard. Bastila ignited her lightsaber cutting the nose of from one bike making it go into a spin. Melissa flung a force push at the other bike, dismounting the driver and passenger, The bike veered of and crashed into a tree. Bastila was back on the guns laying waste to six and seven. The last one was twisting and turning to try and throw of their aim. Melissa sped up amd rammed him. The bike went into a spin and the driver landed on the nose of the vehicle. The Aqualish looked up into the barrel of the repeater moments before Melissa fired, leaving a blue mist where he had been.
They returned to the camp to find Canderous being physically restrained as he stood in front of three figures in mandalorian armour. The arrogant knight Melissa had saved standing in front of him.
"I am telling you again, they will be prosecuted and tried in a Republic court."
"And I am telling you, Jetti, they are not for the republic to judge. They fall under Mandalorian kedin and for a al'verde to judge. They are demagolka and the punishment is clear, they are Dar Manda and auretiisse."
Melissa stepped closer. One of the mandalorians snickered and motioned to her with his chin
"Going to have your whore help you, Ruug?"
HE dropped with a laser bolt between his eyes
"Tor delivered." Melissa stated, blaster in hand.
She was knocked back by a force push. The knight pressed down hard. She bit down a cry of pain, realising her arm was broken by the impact
"You will face justice for that murderer."
Melissa pushed back with a cry and vaulted to her feet. The knight came in lightsaber lit. Melissa deployed the blade in her vambrace, her left arm hanging uselessly . Both froze in place , unable to move,as Vandar walked in, his hands up in a holding grip
"Tayli'bac adika." Canderous called to Melissa
"Oya Buur. Ashnar bah hibirar muun'bajir" She snarled
Vandar pusher her back further.
"Claiming him as family? Claiming your heritage?"
"Aliit ori'shya tal'din. At ast Mandalore." Melissa stated
Despite being held in place Canderous had a huge delighted smile on his face. Happily he spoke the words needed
"Melissa aliit Carpenter adika ast Achilla Wren. At ast Canderous aliit Ordo buur et Adika."
Vandar sagged slightly as the adoption was formalised. He motioned for Canderous to be released.
"Claim the prisoners under Mandalorian justice do you?" He asked.
"Yes." Canderous said shortly
Canderous walked to Melissa's side. He gave her a searching glance. She knew what was going to have to happen and nodded. The two mandalorians straightened trying to regain some of what they had lost.
"For the Resol'nar."
"For the Resol'nar." Melissa echoed.
" For the Resol'nar." The two prisoners spoke
Two shots flashed out. Two bodies dropped. Vandar looked at Melissa expression inscrutable. The knight looking at her in loathing
"The enclave is your shelter no more. Entry under sufferance is."
"Understood."
Hissk appeared behind her. He spoke softly
"Be careful. Enemies have you made tonight. Protection the order can no longer give you."
"Are you one of them, my enemies?" Melissa asked, softly
"For now, no. But the force will show all in time. Remember your training my student it will serve you well."
Canderous motioned to the fallen mandalorians.
"Claim the armour as your price. We will reforge it to your needs."
Bastila sighed as she looked upon the scene. Terri felt her sadness through their link. She pulled Bastila into a loose hug and held her
"I wish it would not have come to this. She would have been a great Jedi."
"She still might be, in a highly unusual way. You felt it when it happened she found her inner peace. Being Mandalorian will not turn her into someone she is not and the Force is still part of her.
Terri took Bastila's hand in hers. She gave Bastila a small smile in encouragement.
"Come, let us go congratulate my sister on her adoption. And give grandpa Candy a warning to behave."
Terri stared down Canderous. He looked back unflinchingly. Melissa looked slightly nervous beside him
"You might now be the father. But I am the sister that will kick your ass if any harm comes to her."
"That makes you aliit as well, the side we don't speak about Jetii."
"Same goes for me." Bastilla added
Terri pulled Melissa in for a hug
"I am happy for you, sis. Nothing has changed, I will be there for you always, no matter what." Terri whispered in her ear
"What she said." Bastilla joined the hug.
The three turned as they heard a scoff. A group of knights were looking onto the scene with disdain. Melissa returned the look with interest. She turned to Canderous.
"We had better start taking pics. Would not want someone to steal our bounties."
Terri turned to Bastila with a grin
"I call dibs."
"Call dibs on what?"
"Telling Carth there are now two mandalorians on his ship."
"You might get to tell him, but I get to take the holopic of his expression."
Carth looked incredulous at Canderous's request.
"You want to fly to Dxun now?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To take the adika to get her beskar made."
"No closer forges to do that."
"Not if it is to be done right."
Carth nodded at that.
" I assume there is some ceremonial significance to that."
"Yes. When we get there only the two of us will leave the ship. You need to keep tails and furball on board. Not only is the place filled with Cannoks, there are old traps that are still active. Any non Mandalorian will be torn to shreds or blown sky high."
Carth sighed.
"Fine. I am only doing it for Melissa, poor kid needs a break. As soon as she is on we can leave. But you get to tell Mission she has to stay on the ship."
There came the whine of an engine and the sound of metal settling on metal. They could hear the voices of the three human women coming from the hold.
"Good. We can leave now then."
Melissa was lying in her hammock when the knock came to the cargo bay door. With a sigh she threw back her blanket and padded barefoot to the door. The cold floor stinging her foot soles slightly. Canderous was by the door.
"Can I come in?"
Melissa waved him in. She pointed to a set off arm chairs she and Mission had dragged in. She sat down cross legged and pulled a throw rug over her legs. Canderous tapped his fingers on the arm rest.
"So you heard the name of your father during the ceremony."
"Yes, can you tell me about him."
Canderous gave a rare smile.
"It will be a pleasure. Alor Wren was a good burc'yan and a better mandalorian. Aliit Ordo is subordinate to clan Wren, but he never treated any one of those from the lesser houses as anything but equals. During our childhood we were close companions despite the differences in class, almost like a an ori'vod. He could find trouble at the drop of a helmet. Many a times we had our shaabs spanked for his gift. But the next day we would be out there again to look for more adventure,"
Canderous gave a small shrug.
" But I think the part that would interest you the most is Cathar. During the attack on Cathar, he was the first commander on the ground, having broken through with his bes'uliik. With only fifty warriors we held the ground till the others broke through. We were all heavily wounded by then, only twenty of us having survived. Despite having spoken out against Mandalore about the massacre, Mandalore had to honour him. So Mandalore gave him a gift he would despise but have to accept. Your mother. Your buur was very against the habit of giving slaves, the idea of slavery was repulsive to him"
Canderous sat back with a sigh. Idly he ran a hand across a facial scar.
"Why follow Mandalore then of you clearly did not agree with him?"
"He was the Mandalore, the clans owed him our allegiance. He believed in the old ways and many respected that. Despite his flaws he led the clans superbly, balancing the old and new factions so well that no division could interrupt the crusade. We all believed to an extent that building a new empire was the way forward for the clans after being stuck in our centre of space for years. We knew of the Republic and saw them as weak and corrupt. When they did nothing to stop the crusade we thought we were in the right."
He started tapping his fingers again on the armrest.
"I was assigned away when I heard that my friend had been killed in a duel to regain his honour after his slave fled. He would have been a laughing stock for that alone and he would have shrugged it off, were it not for the fact that she killed twenty of his men in her attempt. For that he was dishonoured. He faced Mandalore himself and fell in battle."
He pointed to his scar.
"In honour of my friend I challenged Mandalore himself. I too lost with this as a token. By our laws the matter had been settled and my friend had his name and that of his clan restored."
Canderous stood abruptly.
"It is late, you need your sleep." He gruffly said
"Thank you for telling me."
Terri was leaning against the wall when he came out. She gave him a nod of respect.
"Thank you for telling her, not knowing the type of man her father was; was weighing heavily on her." She said
"He was a good man, she has the right to know."
He walked to the male dorms, and paused.
"However if I see the bitch who birthed her again, one of us will die that day."
"I believe you will have to wait in line, there are others who wants a piece of her too. But I believe the first shot should be Melissa's."
"I agree."
He walked a few paces when Terri spoke again
"When did you know she was the daughter of your friend?"
" When she told us the name of the woman who birthed her."
"And you carried no bitterness towards her for who her mother is?"
"None. No true mandalorian would, the sins of her mother is not her sins. And before you ask I did not tell her earlier because she needed to find out for herself first who she wants to be. And after all how do you tell a girl who has lost so much already that you have sworn to hunt down the only family she has left."
"She knows of your oath?"
"She does now, she has been listening by the door the whole time."
The sounds of the jungle filled the clearing they have landed in. The massive size of Onderon clearly visible from the moon surface. Melissa looked in awe over the site of one of the most costly battles fought during the war. Here and there the rusting hulks of broken ships stuck out from the tree lines, the surface pock marked by impact craters from turbolaser fire. The jungle creeping in reclaiming the land. Cannoks grunted and squeeled from the tree lines. Reaching out with the force she felt first Terri, then Bastila doing the same. They felt the presence of a watcher in the tree lines.
"We are not alone" Melissa said
"Never said we would be." Canderous replied.
He was busy loading supplies into the scout vehicle. The reclaimed armour settled in the seats already. Teri rolled her eyes at that laconic reply.
"Get out of there." Canderous grunted.
He pulled out a squirming Mission from within the central locker. He put her down on the ground.
"I told you before, you cannot come." He said, exasperated.
" But what if something happens and you need help." Mission protested
He pointed to Terri and Bastila.
"They will know before we do and come running."
Canderous was driving as he knew the safe approaches to the old command centre. There was a total silence as the engine stopped. Melissa felt uneasy and reached out to sense around her.
"We are surrounded." She casually stated, hand drifting to her blaster
" How many did you spot?" Canderous asked mildly.
"Five, I am feeling a lot more though."
"Point them out."
Giving him a frown she did so. He climbed from the craft.
"Oya!" He called.
Multiple figures in armour made themselves known. The one Melissa had pointed out first came strolling forward confidently.
She removed her helmet and a cascade of blonde hair fell out. Her grey eyes stormy; as she approached Canderous and pulled him in for a steamy kiss. It went on for long enough to become uncomfortable.
" Break it up you two. You are scaring and scarring the ad." A voice spoke, teasingly.
The speaker pulled her helmet of and a familiar looking face came into view. Her black hair cut short, blue eyes twinkling. She seemed to be only a few years older than Melissa
Canderous pressed his forehead against the blonde's.
"You are getting careless, riduur. She spotted you first."
"Just because I got impatient does not mean I got careless, cyare."
"Go get a room." The other woman spoke.
"We will soon enough." The blonde replied, huskily
The other woman sighed.
" Seeing as those two kar'taylir darasuum struck atreekov are lost to us. I guess it is up to me to do introductions."
"No need." Canderous spoke, holding the blondes hands.
He motioned to the blonde.
" Melissa meet Annaka Wren, your ba'vodu on your fathers side. That pest next to you is Karana Ordo, your ba'vodu on my side."
"And how would you introduce the rest of us, ad."
Two older figures approached. Their armour more detailed and with fur worked into it, their helmets bearing spikes. Canderous dropped to one knee. Melissa followed suite after a moments hesitation.
"May I present Duchess Marina aliit Wren and countess Daria aliit Ordo."
"And who is this charming young girl?"
" Melissa aliit Carpenter, adika ast Achilla Wren. Adika ast Canderous aliit Ordo."
The two women approached and pulled her to her feet.
"Welcome home child."
Mandalorian to English
bes'uliik: War machine war droid.
Aruettii: Foreigner traitor
Auretiisse: Foreigners traotors
Jetti: Jedi
Kedin: Command of
al'verde: Commander
demagolka: A person who commits atrocities
Dar Manda: Without honour
Ruug: Old age/old person
Tor: Justice
Taylibac" Got it ok understand
Adika: Child daughter sos
Tayli'bac Adika: Are you okay child
Oya: Come closer yes
Buur: Father
Ashnar: Someone has
Bah : To
Muun' bajir: Teach a lesson
Ashnar bah hibirar muun'bajir: Someone needs to be taught a lesson
Aliit ori'shya tal'din: Family is more than blood
At ast Mandalore: I am Mandalorian
Beskar: armour
burc'yan: friends
ori'vod: Older sibling
Shaabs: Asses
Riduur: Spouse
Cyare: beloved
Atreekov: Idiot
Ba'vodu: aubt