Contracted - Part 2

The trip was rather uneventful, Zaiya learning from Adaji about the controls, how to pilot difficult space, and what many of the landing codes meant. Eventually, Hondo came in, handing a drink to Adaji as well as sipping one of his own. He was curious about the lesson and watched for a while, before couldn't hold back, adding details about smugglers' runs, how to avoid republic patrols and inspections, what a good price for spice was and what to do in a trade off.

"What if the buyer doesn't have the right money or tries to run?" She asked, having been listening with interest the whole time.

"Well then they are stupid." Hondo scoffed with a dismissive wave.

"Then they get shot down." Adaji added.

"Is there a way in which to make sure the cargo does not get damaged when making chase?" She asked, thinking out loud.

"Ahh, now you understand it." Hondo chuckled, waving a finger and grinning, "You might make a decent pirate one day.

"Pfft, if I chose to do that then I would be a great pirate!" She claimed boldly. Bumping her fist on her chest confidently. The two men chuckled, seemingly amused by her proclamation.

"Well then, maybe I could teach you a few things…?" Hondo mused, touching his chin with his forefingers, lost in thought for a moment.

"I am willing to learn if you are willing to teach." She shrugged. The weequay flashed a grin to his associate, seemingly getting an idea in his head.

"How are you with a blaster?" He asked curiously, leaning over her.

"Hm, decent, though I usually used a lighbow or a dagger in my training. Once I got used to handling one, I should be pretty good." She answered thoughtfully.

"Well we can't all be sharpshooters." Adaji muttered, leaning on the console.

"No, though I have other skills that can be very useful." Zaiya responded confidently.

"Oh really," the Pirate mused, stroking his chin. "Anything you care to share?"

"Well… I won't reveal all the skills I possess," She began, "But the most useful one is probably…" She took a breath and closed her eyes, invoking the magic within her. A shimmer of green ran up her body and suddenly, the girl sitting in the chair was a human with dark hair, grey eyes and pale skin. She looked like she could have been Adaji's child.

The mando in question let out a low whistle, stroking his goatee with interest. "Well I'll be damned. That's a neat trick kid."

"Of course, I know how to do lots of things… father." She grinned, a bright white smile, so innocent and sweet.

"Oh Arasuum…" Adaji groaned, cringing as he recoiled. Hondo just started laughing.

"Oh, that is a good one! I think that would be veery useful." He mused, still chuckling. "I might have some work on the way if you wanted to… keep learning..?" he mused, offering a hand.

"My sisters are paying you for my escort, if you should wish me to take part in some of your… adventures, I would require a… cut, as you phrase it." She grinned, and in a flash of green, becoming herself again. It was a little unsettling, evident by the looks that crossed the men's faces.

Hondo recovered first, laughing at her boldness, "Hah! Yes I think you would make a good pirate!" He grinned back, the child looking more like one with that bright smile on her face.


It was a while later, after eating that the three were discussing the plan once they reached the planet surface. There was a new agreement in place, she would travel with them for a while, some months at least, if she could contribute, and a contract and terms drawn up. From there, they had some jobs already lined up.

Apparently they had to pick up a bounty hunter from one of the compounds, a Duro of great skill, earning a name for himself in the underworld. They were comparing skills, suggesting the more impressive hunters in the galaxy. One of the more prominent ones was a man in Mandalorian armour, a friend of Adaji named Jango. He seemed an interesting sort, though as names were brought up, she took note, it seemed that there were many contacts out there, and she was curious to learn more, perhaps she may be of need for some of them in the future.

They went over cargo and how long they would be stopping for, only a few hours it seemed, though that would be enough for them to unload and prep for more deliveries. Zaiya knew she would have had to endure some of the regularities of their trip, though she was learning a great deal of the galaxy just from the conversations and observations along the ship. Likely they didn't think much of her as she was a child, it seemed that it still threw them even though they knew she was dangerous.

Zaiya remained quiet, folding her arms on the table, and resting her chin on them, after a while closing her eyes and pretending to sleep, seeing what she could learn from the smugglers if they thought she couldn't hear.

Eventually their talking was paused, when Adaji grunted, evidently noticing her.

"Huh… maybe she is not such a deadly foe after all." Hondo chuckled.

"She's not so bad huh?" Adaji muttered, his voice holding a spot of warmth.

"What? You getting clucky already? You hang around a child for a few hours and suddenly you want to adopt it?" Ohnaka chided.

"Don't be ridiculous." He scoffed in response, "Just… I dunno, she's not what I expected from a witch."

"Don't underestimate her, she could probably kill us both if she wanted." Hondo warned, his voice lowering. There was a shuffling and suddenly Zaiya felt something soft laid over her. She twitched and the feeling paused, before a gentle weight being placed on her shoulders and body. Had he… put a blanket on her?

"You softie." Adaji's voice chuckled in a low tone. When Hondo responded, his voice was right above her.

"Shut up."

That was… unexpected. Luckily however they continued to speak in the same room, and she learned that the cargo they were picking up was illegal spice, the bounty hunter Cad Bane was hired by a client to guard it during transit and Bane had apparently contacted Hondo for the assist, since his ship had recently been destroyed. The pirate was getting a good cut apparently, and it seemed not worth it to double cross someone of his caliber.

This Bane fellow sounded rather interesting, and Zaiya was curious to meet him. It seemed she was already learning so very much when it came to underhanded dealings. Apparently he was a very good shot and had dealings with various characters in his budding career. She wondered if he would be willing to talk about some of them, she was sure he would have many interesting stories.

After listening for about an hour or so, she pretended to stir, her limbs had become a little stiff, the air in the ship a little frigid. She found herself rather grateful for the blanket, and as she raised her head, having heard Adaji step out of the room, his footsteps tapping on the metal floor and down the hall. She noticed Hondo, sitting back on his seat, his domed-like helmet over his eyes, seeming to be napping himself. She propped up her chin on her palm, watching him for a little while. She was roused from her assessment by the return of Adaji placing a mug of something steaming before her. He had something in his own mug and took a sip of the liquid.

"What's this?" She asked, looking at the mug curiously, then up at him with her big blue eyes. He blinked for a moment.

"Well you're a bit small for rum, so I made a hot chocolate." He shrugged.

"Hot Chocolate?" He let out a sigh of pity, shaking his head.

"It's a hot, sweet drink, try it." Zaiya looked down, tilting her head slightly, looking over the cup with hesitation. She sniffed it a little, it had a rather pleasant scent, so, on recommendation, she took a sip. If she had been a loth-cat her ears would have shot up in surprise.

"Wow!" She gasped, licking her lips. "This is… a common drink?" she asked, clearing her throat as though she were not just sparkling with delight a moment ago.

"Not that common." Came Hondo's voice, she turned to look at him, his thumb used to perch the helmet back in place. The smirk on his lips told her he had seen that. Damn. "But not to worry, we have plenty of pods of the stuff in the back." He seemed to be stifling a giggle, but the little nightsister chose to ignore the look and sipped at her little dented mug, a contented expression on her face. She ignored the bemused looks from the adults on either side of her, she didn't care. This was her first time trying chocolate drink and she liked it very much. She decided if Hondo gave her a cut and some money, she would buy some of the chocolate drink for herself to take with her on her journey. Would her friend like it? She seemed to recall he liked sweets. Lost in her thoughts, she sipped the drink, savouring the flavour while she could.


Several hours later, once they had all rested a little, the proximity warning began to sound from the cockpit, drawing the three back to their seats. The planet was ahead, and they were to land on the darker side, a compound for his 'company' as well as a layover for smugglers and ne'er do wells. She was curious to see what sort of this place might be like.

It was cool when the doors finally opened, Zaiya assisted with the cargo, having decided to opt for stealth, wearing a plain brown cloak and covering her face. She decided to help Hondo and Adaji in unloading, in an effort to keep a low profile, and to see how things worked.

There were a lot of weequay here, so many of them, they didn't seem to notice her straight away, mostly speaking to Hondo. She lingered back and watched on curiously, staying back as she watched the man boss some of the others around for a while, pushing items into their hands, the men doing the majority of the unpacking. She noticed a few of them spot her, starting to whisper, wondering who she might be.

"Don't mind them." Adaji muttered as he approached, petting her shoulder gently. Zaiya looked up, confused by his friendly gesture. Had they gotten used to her already? She had not been used to males being like this, let alone touching her. She looked at his hand, then at him with mild confusion. After a moment he withdrew his hand with a strange expression.

"Are we heading off soon or when the sun rises?" She asks, ignoring the strange emotions in his face. The man regarded her for a moment before answering.

"I should say in the morning, Sometimes it's nicer to have a solid bed under you." he shrugged. Zaiya did not really understand, though she had not been embarking on space travel for very long.


The compound was sturdy, well-constructed and had multiple buildings, several hangars, an open air mechanic between that and the 'entertainment' building including the cafeteria, a bar and lounge. Beyond that lay the sleeping quarters, to the other side were large warehouses and landing pads around the area.

Hondo ushered them both along with him, clearly a hot shot here, friendly with most, laughing and jovial as he took drinks and made his way to a private lounge. There, talking to another weequay, was a tall, blue-skinned man with large wide and completely red eyes, no pupil or sclera, just completely red. There were breathing tubes attached to his face and a wide brimmed hat on his head. He seemed to be in a decent mood, a little smile on his face.

"Ah! There you are! I see you are enjoying my hospitality while I am absent!" He laughed, swiping a drink from a tray that a passing Twi'lek was carrying.

"Well I've always said you were more useful when you aren't around, Ohnaka." The one that could only have been Cad Bane responded. Adaji let out a laugh in response, snagging a drink for himself. Though he spoke quietly to the Twi'lek and gestured to Zaiya, making her frown. What was he up to?

"What's with the kid?" Bane's voice stole her attention as she noticed he was leaning forward now, locking her with a shrewd gaze.

"Eh, escort mission." Hondo waved a hand and Zaiya rolled her eyes, strolling over to the bounty hunter casually.

"I am called Zaiya." She held out a hand to him, not looking intimidated as she probably should have been. She eyed him over, looking him up and down. "Nice hat."

Bane raised a brow, clearly he was not used to being around adolescents, seemingly not sure what to say to her. "Cad Bane." he replied after a moment, taking her hand gently but firmly, giving it a squeeze before releasing it.

"I've heard about you." She mused, crossing her arms as she observed him, taking measure of him. He seemed to be doing the same of her.

"Have you now? I see someone has been rather loose-lipped." He growled, glancing past her to shoot daggers at Hondo.

"All good things…" She mused, then shrugged, sitting on a stool opposite him with her legs folded beneath her. "Mostly," she added with a chuckle. He seemed to find that amusing and sat back, with a smirk.

"The little one will be accompanying us for a while." Adaji added as he swaggered over to a seat and flopped into it, his helmet on the table in front of them.

"I didn't take you as a babysitter, Ohnaka." Bane scoffed, shooting the weequay another glance.

"Apparently this one can hold her own." Hondo mused, his voice dropping low. "She's a Nightsister." He tipped his helmet up slightly, peering through his goggles, why he wore them inside she wasn't sure. Her eyes shifted back to Bane, flashing him a smile.

"I didn't realise they came so small." Bane mused, seemingly not believing it.

"Believe what you want." She shrugged, "I don't have anything to prove."

"Oh, like, killing rancors?" Adaji chuckled, making the girl roll her eyes.

"You two were too busy fussing. If we come across one, throw me at it and I will do what I have to. I am not going to persuade you with words alone, I am aware of that." She shrugged again, her hands in her lap. As the hunters seemed bemused by this, the yellow twi'lek reappeared, a mug on her tray, looking at Adaji.

"You wanted a… hot chocolate…?" She asked, raising her brows, but Adaji just gestured to Zaiya.

"Ooh!" The nightsister perked up, taking the mug gently with delicate fingers, she then looked up, a sweet human-looking face peered out from under the girl's hood. She had made herself look similar to Adaji again. "Thank you very much!" She took a little sip.

"Aww, you're such a sweetie!" The Twi'lek cooed, "You're dad is so sweet to you." She purred, flashing a grin and waved, hurrying off again. The three men chuckled to themselves as they watched her little head bop as she took another sip.

"You seem to like the idea of being a father." Hondo jabbed.

"Are you dense?" Adaji rolled his eyes, pretending not to find it amusing himself.

"I didn't know Nightsisters were so…" Bane began, but stopped, and after a moment cleared his throat, taking a sip of his own drink and looked away.

"I never had hot chocolate before today, let me have my moment." She muttered, lacing her fingers around the mug contentedly. Hondo just snorted.

"If this child is dangerous, then I am a gungan." Bane sneered, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we shall see I suppose." Adaji shrugged. "If she has no skills, then I doubt she would have been sent off-world."

"So if I am joining you on your little runs, where to first?" She asked, ignoring their comments and just enjoying her drink.

"I have a contract on Toydaria, someone wants some information on some politician." Was all he divulged.

"I thought you preferred the more fun contracts." Adaji smirked, taking a sip of his booze.

"I prefer the ones that pay well." Bane retorted bluntly. Zaiya stifled a giggle and let out a cough as she nearly choked on her hot chocolate.

"You're funny." She chuckled, wiping her mouth, holding the cup delicately.

"Him? He's funny?" Hondo scoffed in a mock outrage, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Why do I even try?"

"If you have to try to be funny, then you aren't very good at it." She retorted, her face back to a neutral mask. This time Bane and Adaji were the ones nearly choking on their beverages, and stifling a snicker like schoolboys.

"Hey hey hey! If you want to fly on my ship, you will not sass me like that!" He scolded, though she could see the flicker of mirth in his eyes. It seemed that they had warmed to her a little bit. Better she keep them on side than as enemies. Though of course, if they chose to abandon her or betray her, she would likely be in a spot of trouble.


The night wore on as they chatted, the teen mostly silent apart from imparting the occasional comment. At one point, when they had gotten over business and were just shooting the breeze and talking about former triumphs, fails and relationships when Zaiya found herself distracted, wandering around the bar, getting the occasional strange look. She heard some of the men drunkenly singing a rather catchy tune and wandered over to investigate.

"What's that song?" She asked the closest drunkard.

"Wha.. ye don't..?" His words slurred and then left blinking as he stared at her. "Tha' hell a lil' thing like you doing in 'ere?"

"Uh… boss let me in, says I can if I don't touch anything." She responded, using some of the language she had heard the others speaking.

"Oh.. well… how do you now know this one?" He gave a little laugh, then loudly called to his comrades, getting their attention.


A short time later, Hondo, Adaji and Bane found themself roused from their banter by a raucous sound on the other side of the bar. The other two followed Hondo who had jumped up to see what the problem was, only to find the little Nightsister sitting on one of the chairs cross legged, cards in her hand, a lot of chips on her side of the table. It seemed she was cleaning house. More obvious than that, was the fact that his men had apparently taught her a space shanty and she was singing along with them. What stood out however, was the melodious tone to her voice, the high energy song seemingly bringing out some of the more jovial sides of the men.

She still had her human appearance, and sang along to the ridiculous and inappropriate songs, making the other pirates and bounty hunters laugh. Some of the females cooed over her, finding her adorable. Apparently her Siren song worked on more than Rancors.

"I don't believe it." Bane muttered, mirroring the stunned feeling from the other two.

"Well I'll be damned…" Adaji scoffed. "You'd think she was born into it." He marvelled, nudging Hondo beside him. That seemed to snap him out of his surprise.

"What are you all doing? Teaching her a song like that?" Hondo cried suddenly, lurching forward and waving a hand at them. Was he upset that they were teaching rude songs to a child? But then - "...You should have taught her the Nar Kaaga Ballad!" He huffed, bringing laughter to the others. Zaiya's bright smile flashing white across the room.


The night wound down after a few hours, Bane seemed to warm to her a little more after she gave him most of her winnings, stating she didn't need it all. He watched her play a few rounds, calling out if anyone cheated her, mainly so he would get more money. By the end, most of the men laid about the bar drunk and passed out.

"Successful night, then?" Adaji chuckled.

"The lil' lady seems somewhat adept at cards." Bane chuckled, petting his now heavier pockets.

"They just make their tells obvious." Zaiya shrugged as they walked back to the main quarters.

"Either way, you'd better hope those boys don't want your head for swindling them." Adaji added with a wave of his hand.

"I won it fairly…" Zaiya scoffed.

"I doubt they will see it that way." Bane retorted, though the girl was not so bothered by it, just shrugging again.

"Well then, don't forget to wake me when we are leaving, else I can't win you any more money."

"So you butter him up with money so he has to keep you around?" Adaji asked, incredulously.

"Isn't that how you bounty hunters work? Gotta make myself useful somehow," She grinned. Shortly after that, they parted ways, each taking up a room in the sleeping quarters. They would be heading out the following day.


-+ Notes +-


I hope you are all doing well! Apologies for the late post but I think you guys may like this one, some solid character interaction in this chapter.

I am looking at having some art commissioned for this story, though I also wonder if I ought to get my pencils out again and try to draw her myself... Though I am definitely out of practice. We shall see!

Let me know what you think of this chapter! Have the Hunters and Pirate bitten off more than they can chew?