Concordia - Part 1

The Nightsister arrived on the moon in her little ship a few cycles later, the only thing that stopped her being shot down being the mention of Adaji Treshan's name.

She got to meet up with him, sans armour, in the main landing zone. There were a few armoured Mandalorians nearby, she couldn't see their faces but could definitely feel the mistrust. They looked ready to shoot her if she made a sudden move, until Adaji himself came barrelling out of one of the corridors. A big grin under his dark moustache, his beard looking freshly trimmed. He looked like he had been on a date or something… and had been drinking.

"Heeeyyy! Here you are, ad'ika! I was wondering when you'd show up!" Yep, he'd been drinking.

"What are you doing Treshan?" scoffed a blond fellow standing off to one side, he had been eyeing her, his helmet off and suspicion clear on his face. Though he was surprised when Adaji flung her hood off and revealed her pale, but human-looking face as he made his way to her side. The Nightsister looked up in alarm at the sudden movement.

"Di'kut…!" she spat, rolling her eyes, she had learned a few key words of Mando'a of course. "What's got you so riled?" she scoffed, yanking her grey cloak from his grip.

"Well, things are going my way." He grinned.

"Oh joyous." The girl stood straight, placing a hand on her hip. "So you'll be even more insufferable now."

The man standing off to the side snorted. "So you do know him then?"

"Unfortunately." Zaiya sighed, though there was amusement in her eyes. She had grown a little more fond of the Mandalorian, something she had not expected when she had met him.

"Vod, this is my adopted niece! You should hear her! She calls me ba'vodu and all!" He laughed heartily, the teenager just groaned.

After a little banter, and parting from the landing pad and the crew there, she was invited in to eat with some of his brethren. He had insisted they make an exception for her, an outsider. Apparently her being half-Mandalorian didn't count for much. There was a shift in the mood as she entered; much of the conversation stopped.

"This is the bounty hunter you mentioned, Treshan?" Spoke a man with cut features and blonde hair… he was definitely in charge.

"Yes sir, this is Siren." Adaji nodded with enthusiasm. "Siren, this is Pre Vizsla, he is the leader around here." The Nightsister's young eyes looked him over, he was still young, though she had heard Mandalorians live nearly as long as Zabrak, so she could only imagine he was older than he looked. She was offered a seat and a drink, thankfully Adaji did not mention her affinity for Hot Chocolate, and she was given a mug of some sort of mixture that definitely contained alcohol. She gave a respectful bow of her head, before looking to meet Vizsla's gaze as she sat.

"I hear you have a job for me?"

"You're sure she can do it?" He was asking Adaji.

"Definitely, saved my neck, and no one I know has the power like she does." Adaji affirmed. Zaiya looked around, gazing between the faces of the Mandalorians around her.

"Person or thing?" She asked suddenly, and took a sip from her mug.

"What?" Vizsla snapped, frowning at her.

"You want me to find someone or something, and you need someone that won't be recognised or tied back to you. I don't care about what dealings you have, it's none of my business, but my name would not have come up if you didn't have a need for an outsider, am I right?" There was a silence, a tension purveying the room as many eyes glared at her. Would they try to kill her? Did they suspect she knew something?

"What did you tell her about us?" Vizsla hissed at Adaji, his blue eyes narrowed and suspicious.

"Nothing." Adaji assured quickly.

"He has told me nothing, though I am neither blind nor deaf. I can only make inferences from what I have witnessed here."

"Hmm…" Viszla mused. "Not so stupid, are you?" Zaiya merely nodded, Vizsla clearly was less tolerant than Adaji by a great margin. "Fine, then let me explain." The Nightsister nodded, sitting forward as she laced her fingers together. "Krut Vohiit." He began. "He is a man on Mandalore that is suspicious of my desire to take governorship of this moon, and has been enquiring into things he knows nothing about. We need him gone, an accident, that cannot be traced back to us and cannot be suspicious. We do not want anyone looking into our business." Zaiya paused, tapping her lower lip with her laced fingers as she mulled over the information.

"I will need some details, but that is doable for me." The girl nodded.

"You seem a little young for this sort of thing." spoke up one of the other men in the group.

"Heh," Adaji interjected. "Well, you remember the scandal on Alderaan about two years back? That senator?" He asked with a grin. The man paused, looking between Adaji and Zaiya slowly.

"You're kidding." he retorted, looking surprised.

"Yep, we sent her in." Adaji seemed… weirdly proud. Zaiya didn't gloat, she just shrugged. She knew posturing and bragging didn't end well, Sheena had seen to that. Pride was a hindrance to a Nightsister.

"Hm… I see now why you regard her so highly." Vizsla mused. "Alright, then let me go over the plan…" It seemed Adaji had a high regard in this group, and his word seemed enough to allow her entry to the mission. The night wore on as they began to delve into the details of the target and their plan.


During the night, she was able to speak to a few of the Mandalorians, and they found themselves able to speak to her in return, finding her quiet yet friendly manner agreeable. She did find a companion in another teen, a young lady named Bo Katan, she seemed to be a little older than Zaiya, and for some reason liked and respected the Senator or vice governor or whatever Vizsla called himself. Zaiya couldn't see the appeal herself.

"Where are you from?" Bo Katan asked curiously, the Mandalorians red hair falling to the side as she rested her head on her hand, the other holding a drink casually.

"Nowhere really," Zaiya lied, her appearance seeming human, so her true home unable to be determined. "I have travelled so much I have never really been from anywhere." she replied with a shrug.

"Treshan says that's a common response." The red-head replied with a sigh.

"So I have heard." She mused, "So why are you out here and not on Mandalore? Isn't this a mining facility?"

"It's just a settlement. I used to live on Mandalore… before…" she trailed off, making a face like she had said too much.

"Fair." Zaiya nodded, not wanting to pry too much. While she was curious, if she pushed, she would learn nothing. "I have just been travelling with the company and your friend over there." She jerked a thumb at Adaji behind her and Bo Katan snorted.

"Hmmph, I don't envy you." She let out a low chuckle, shaking her head. "He might be a good warrior, but he is such a loudmouth."

"Hm, true, he has helped me in a pinch, but he does tend to talk a lot." Zaiya nodded, she shot a glance over her shoulder and looked to where the man in question was, waving a hand as he spoke. They chuckled together and talked further, finding they had much in common. Eventually Bo Katan revealed she had an older sister, following their parent's dreams by taking part in a political schooling program. Bo Katan had been more interested in maintaining the Mandalorian tradition and learning to fight. Apparently she and much of the group preferred more of the traditional practices. It was something Zaiya could respect, though sympathised as it meant Bo Katan had a rift between herself and her family.

"My perfect sister… she can do no wrong, and they call me the black sheep of the family…" She sighed and took a drink. Zaiya had only been taking tiny sips, as she had a job in the morning, but Bo Katan had been taking mouthfuls. She had become far more talkative.

"You seem very capable to me." Zaiya offered with a shrug, she knew the feeling of those not having faith in her. "What does it take to prove oneself?" She mused, shaking her head.

"Exactly!" The red-head threw up her hands, "You get it! Why should I join these peace keepers that betray their own people?! We were always warriors! This peaceful, political bullshit is nothing but treason to our beliefs!" She scoffed, and rested her head on her hand. "She spends one year with Jedi and she is suddenly a saint."

Zaiya lip curled, "Jedi…" She spat, "So hypocritical, they talk about peace but so easily cut down anyone in their path."

"Hypocrites." Bo Katan rolled her eyes. "The Jedi were once our enemies- did you know that House Vizsla is the house most famous for their leadership? If anything, when Tor Vizsla died, ten years ago, his son should have been the one to take over the leadership of all Mandalore." She shook her head. Zaiya tilted her head slightly, then glanced over her shoulder at Pre Vizsla. He was deep in conversation with a tall blonde man, and Adaji. As it happened, they looked her way. Zaiya held the gaze, nodding and raising her mug to them in a sign of respect, before turning back to the red-head. She watched the young woman that sat beside her, and watched the way she glanced over Zaiya's shoulder.

"You… admire him?" She asked, raising her brow with a curious glance. Bo Katan immediately looked alarmed and her cheeks turned red.

"I- what? What makes you think that?!" She huffed with a rather embarrassed expression. Zaiya just smirked. "You-!" Bo Katan shoved the other girl playfully, making Zaiya just laugh, Bo Katan joining in a moment later. The two girls continued talking, laughing and in good spirits, the Nightsister was still aware that there were eyes on her.


After she had finally convinced Bo Katan that she needed to rest and stop drinking, the red-head moved to head off, insisting that she speak to her in the morning. Zaiya chuckled and agreed, watching the tipsy Mandalorian shuffle away.

It was shortly after this that she found herself among other Mandalorians, still curious and watching the gathering. It was hardly a party, more of a collection of friends talking after a long day. The larger fellow who had been speaking with Adaji happened to be a part of the group she was with, and she had noticed his looks toward her, ones of suspicion, was he there to monitor her?

"You have been staring at me for an hour, sir. Do I need to be concerned about your intentions?" Zaiya asked, rounding on him suddenly. It seemed the sudden attention startled the Mandalorian, and the query had him even more flustered.

"-what?!" he blinked and glanced around, but she was looking right at him, and his soft grey eyes. "I… no, of course not!" He looked visibly disturbed and unsure, it at least told her he wasn't sinister.

"Then I assume your boss asked you to watch me?" She asked, taking a sip from her mug. "You're doing an awful job of it." She added, resting her head on her hand, levelling her blue eyes at him. The man frowned, looking back at her, seemingly insulted. "If you want to watch someone, you need to make it less obvious, sit behind me, face away, use reflective surfaces, things like that." She shrugged, taking another sip from her mug.

"You have done this before?" He asked gruffly. She smiled at him, as if butter wouldn't melt.

"Once or twice." She grinned. "So, since your covert operation was thwarted, why don't you interrogate me to sate your mission?" She asked lightly.

"Perhaps I will, bounty hunter." He snorted in amusement.

"You may call me Siren, what may I call you?" She asked with the tilt of her head. He paused, but finally resented.

"Gar, Gar Saxon." He admitted, holding out his hand to her, which she took firmly.

"Gar Saxon, a pleasure." She replied. He was not unintelligent, she could tell from his eyes, however it seemed that whoever was in charge had placed him in a situation that was a detriment to his skills. He didn't seem to know how to take her, which seemed to have him off-guard. He asked about her 'work history' and she gave him a run down of a few jobs. He seemed interested, and she managed to ask about his own interests. He and some of the other Mandalorians that joined them seemed to be interested in telling her stories of their strength, their battles and adventures, it seems these Mandalorians stayed true to their warrior ways and undertook trials to prove their strengths. She listened, and nodded, offering compliments and interest. They didn't reveal too much, still somewhat guarded, but they seemed to have relaxed around her somewhat, Adaji was fast to boast about their own jobs, and some of their more wild escapades. He was definitely like a boasting uncle or father. Zaiya was not sure if it was the booze, or if he actually cared. He seemed to? Though she didn't know what would possess him to do so.

"So why are you called Siren?" Saxon asked suddenly after about an hour of Adaji's tales.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho!" If it were possible, Adaji lit up even more.

"Oh no." Zaiya groaned.

"What's with the face?" Saxon frowned, looking between them.

"You haven't heard…" The man looked gleeful and Zaiya knew what he was about to say.

"I am not your personal performing Kowakian." she preempted, referring to the monkey-lizard creatures.

"Oh come on!" Adaji pouted. He actually pouted.

"You are… a grown-ass man." Zaiya looked at him with narrowed eyes, not really believing her own words. "How much have you drunk?"

"I will make you Hot Chocolate's and bring you the best pods I can find…?" He offered, grinning widely at her.

Zaiya stared at him from a long silent moment, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "...fine." She huffed finally, folding her arms. "Tell your story."

"So!" Adaji turned the others, speaking with great excitement and animation. He really was a different person when drunk. He began to tell them the story of the rancor, how she hunted it alone, how she had coaxed it closer and soothed it. "It was absolutely captured, she sang and this thing was just stupefied!"

"A rancor?" one of the Mandalorians rolled their eyes. "Yeah right."

"How does a song lul one of those savage things?" Another called from the next table, unable to help but overhear the story. Adaji had of course been waiting for this question and looked to Zaiya with an expectant grin. The girl sighed and shifted in her seat, but moved to sit up on the table, visible to all in the room clearly. She straightened her back and took a deep breath, her voice starting to fill the room, the occupants falling silent.

"In the times before times, beyond the furthest of stars,

On the fields of ancient Notron,

The warriors fought in battles so bloody, the earth so littered with scars,

Haa'taylir cuun goyust, evaar'la solus;

Ner ad, ner ad'ika;

O'r ibic gehat'ik bal laar be cuun ruyot;

Haa'taylir cuun goyust, evaar'la solus;

Bal motir o'r ijaat;

Be tal o'r te vheh par Mandalore!

Fire burst forth from deep in her belly, and smoke darkened the sky,

Attack in the Shadow of war,

The enemy falls and battle is won, and our victory banner raised high,

Haa'taylir cuun goyust, evaar'la solus;

Ner ad, ner ad'ika;

O'r ibic gehat'ik bal laar be cuun ruyot;

Haa'taylir cuun goyust, evaar'la solus;

Bal motir o'r ijaat;

Be tal o'r te vheh par Mandalore!

Forever we remember that vicious dark day, when our ancestors fought,

And walked on the coals of scorched earth,

From the ashes of Zhell, comes the rise of our way, from all that the Taung had wrought!

Haa'taylir cuun goyust, evaar'la solus;

Ner ad, ner ad'ika;

O'r ibic gehat'ik bal laar be cuun ruyot;

Haa'taylir cuun goyust, evaar'la solus;

Bal motir o'r ijaat;

Be tal o'r te vheh par Mandalore!"

The second chorus had a few of the Mando's joining in to the ballad, it was a shortened version of the epic poem, but they seemed to appreciate that she had chosen a song of their history. That she respected their code. Many of the faces she witnessed smiled at her, and a few approached to offer their compliments. She glanced down to Saxon, who was looking at her with a strange expression, relaxed, maybe a little dazed.

"Alright there?" She asked, with a tilt of her head. He seemed to snap out of his reverie, and he nodded, a smile splitting his mouth as he looked at her.

"That was…" He trailed off and shook his head, "I can see why the rancor was calmed." He let out a little chuckle, shaking his head again, hiding his grin behind his cup. She let out a laugh, leaning back, the bubbling sound filling the air. She had not expected such an answer from him, he seemed so stoic and gruff, it seemed he had an appreciation for music at the very least. She found him rather interesting, and found herself glad to have met the group. She had to remember to thank Adaji… once he was done throwing up in the corner. She shook her head with a sigh.


-+ Notes +-


Hello my lovely readers! This chapter has had a revamp, and I am happy with the length of it, though not all chapters are the same length, I do plan to eventually go back and edit some of these chapters. This is a work in progress, though I want to get ahead in my writing so that I can have time to edit chapters again. Though there has been little writing this week as I have been unwell and had a paid piece to write that I am struggling with. But the show must go on, as they say! I have a fun chapter here... let me know if you recognise anyone? As always, I love feedback, I love to know your ideas, your notes, your critiques and compliments! I am still looking for an editor so if you or someone you know would be interested, them HMU! I hope you enjoy the chapter!