"That's not fair," Mako sighed.

"What?" Vette asked while pushing down her pants with one arm.

"You," Mako said. "That body. You. That body. It's not fair."

"I don't think Ter'viro cares," Vette said.

"We're not like that," Mako said. "We can't. While we're on the Hunt. We can't do that." She looked down at her own body and sighed again. "How did you get these tickets, again?"

"Sith... stuff," Vette said.

Mako shrugged. "How's your arm?"

"Better," Vette said. "The bones are knitted but not fully healed. They told me not to overdo it until the bruising is gone. How are you getting along with Ter'viro?"

Mako said, "He made me dinner to apologize, so we're okay."

"Why was he apologizing?" Vette said. "He jumped in front of lightning for you. If he'd done that for Taunt, she'd be on her third blowjob by now."

"I know," Mako said. "I don't like him doing that. I don't like seeing him do that. You know why."

"I don't care why," Vette said. "I care that a guy jumps in front of lightning for my friend."

"I guess," Mako said. She finished undressing and pulled on her robe.

"So," Vette said cautiously. "Dinner, huh?"

"Yeah," Mako said. "He's really good."

"He is?"

"Yeah. And he's a vegetarian. He's that big, and he's a vegetarian. I think that's cool."

"He's actually good, huh?"

Mako nodded. "He learned from his mother, I guess. Picks his own herbs and everything." She helped Vette with her robe.

"How much more for the Hunt?" Vette asked.

"The Grand Melee," Mako said. "It's tomorrow. A fight to the death. Sometimes. Not always, but usually. I looked at the competition. They're good, but I think he's better." She sounded confident but looked nervous.

"Mau'te said Ter'viro's mother is really scary," Vette told her.

"Really?" Mako said.

"Good scary, I guess. Tough scary."

"That's good."

Vette put her good arm around Mako and pulled her close. "Regular scary couldn't get rid of him," she whispered. "Regular scary would be just fine."

Mako looked at Vette carefully. "Oh," she said. "That's... nice. I guess."

Vette hugged her friend, and they walked out to the spa.

"You're alive!" Crysta said as Ter'viro and Mako walked into the Enclave. "Some Mandalorian big shot named Tarro Blood said you were dead. They're about to start the melee without you!"

Ter'viro shook his head. "I really hate him."

"When do we get to kill him?" Mako asked.

"After the Hunt, sugar," Crysta said. She turned to Ter'viro. "Now, get in there."

Ter'viro headed toward the arena while Crysta and Mako ran to the bleachers. The guard at the door nodded to Ter'viro, opened the door, and shut it hard behind him.

"-and the last hunter left standing joins the Great Hunt. Simple as that," Huntmaster Assistant Lek declared to the gathered hunters. "All weapons are allowed, but you fight alone. No assistants. And it looks like we have a latecomer!"

"I'm not late," Ter'viro said.

"We were told you were dead," Lek said. "Too bad for your competitors, huh?" He turned back to the hunters. "Killing isn't strictly necessary, but it's well within the rules." He looked up at the Huntmaster. "Will you do us the honor?"

"Aooowararo, scrawhro achuwhaoworcc worarcwh rranoorcro ahwh waworaaoac rawhwa wawowwworaao," the Wookiee Huntmaster replied. "Oowhwo achuwhaoworc worarcwhc woaoworcwhraan rranoorcro ahwh hoahoaaooorcro. Rroooowa achuwhaoahwhrr aooo raanan!"

The crowd cheered the Huntmaster and the competitors moved into position.

"We all heard tales of your exploits," a Mirialan woman said to Ter'viro. "Perhaps I'll turn them into a song to commemorate your death."

Ter'viro shrugged. "I'm not dying."

She laughed. "I'd wish you luck, but it wouldn't help. So, I'll just say goodbye."

"You hunters are the best that the galaxy's goons and thug lords could send us," Lek declared. "Show us which one of you will join the Great Hunt. Fight!"

Ter'viro and the Mirialan woman drew on each other and fired, spray and pray, while Ter'viro ran at her. The Mirialan hit him with a grazing shot across his armor, and Ter'viro's fist caught her on the jaw. He ran past while she was still falling, heading toward a Trandoshan shooting at a Gamorrean. The Trandoshan turned in time to see Ter'viro's fist, then he went down. Again, Ter'viro didn't wait to see the other hunter fall but ran at the next target. The Gamorrean snorted a laugh and waved Ter'viro forward. He waited for the Twi'lek, grunted in shock at Ter'viro's punch, staggered back, and fell to the floor. Ter'viro turned toward the last two, a Rodian and a human. The Rodian was dead. The human was severely injured but aiming at Ter'viro. They fired at each other. Ter'viro was hit in the chest, but his armor stopped most of it. The human was hit in his weapon arm, rendering it useless. He tried to grab his weapon with his other hand, but Ter'viro closed with him and knocked him out.

"The melee is over!" Lek declared. "One hunter remains!"

The crowd cheered.

"Quite a show you put on," Lek said to Ter'viro. "Never seen a Melee like it. How do you feel?"

Ter'viro shrugged. "Hungry."

Lek laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.

"What about him?" Ter'viro asked, nodding at the human.

"He'll need a new arm," Lek said. "But he'll live."

"Sugar!" Crysta said when Ter'viro exited the arena. "I'm glad my money's on you!"

"Did you get shot?" Mako asked.

"Yeah," Ter'viro said.

"Are you okay?" Mako examined the scorch mark on his armor.

"Probably."

"Probably?" she said. "We'll get you checked out."

"Okay."

Lek said, "The Huntmaster is waiting."

"Right, sugar," Crysta said. "Time to make it official."

On the way to the Huntmaster's office, Mako said, "What was that Mirialan woman saying?"

Ter'viro shrugged. "She wanted to write a song about killing me."

"Were you flirting with her?" Mako asked.

"Not if she wanted to kill me."

"Juda said you flirted."

"Not about killing me."

"Fine. It sounds like flirting."

"Not if she kills me."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Anwoao aoacwo achuwhaoworc caorawhwa rhwowwoorcwo scwo," the Huntmaster said when they entered his chamber. "Acwo ahc acoowhoorcwowa rhworooowhwa raanan oaooscscoowh achuwhaoworcc. Anwoao ahao rhwo orwhooohwh aoacraao-"

"This is simply ridiculous," Tarro Blood said, forcing his way into the room. "I mean, really- this needs to stop right now. That... thing... does not deserve to enter the Great Hunt. His credentials are lies fabricated by his little gutter rat of a sidekick. He deserves no honors."

"You lying, cheating, murdering scum!" Mako cried and lunged at Tarro. Ter'viro grabbed her and pulled her back.

Lek said, "We know this hunter's history, Blood. The Huntmaster has ruled."

"This is a place of honor, a competition of elites," Tarro said. "Mandalore will hear of this!"

Ter'viro stepped forward, looming over Tarro Blood. "You got scared."

Tarro exhaled sharply and snarled, "Before the Great Hunt is over, I will have your skull in my hands!" He turned and walked out.

Lek laughed and said, "The Great Hunt just got more interesting."

"You said it, honey," Crysta added.

The Huntmaster called for silence and explained the rules of the Hunt to Ter'viro.

"Sounds straightforward enough," Ter'viro said.

The Huntmaster laughed. "Ohwoanoaooscwo aooo aoacwo rrrcworaao achuwhao."

"Crysta will fill you in on the rest of the details," Lek said.

"That's tomorrow, sugar," Crysta said. "Tonight, you get to celebrate your victory. On the Huntmaster's tab."

"Aorcro whooao aooo achurcao scwo," the Huntmaster said, and everyone laughed.

Cheers and table pounding met them when they entered the cantina. Ter'viro shrugged in response, and the crowd laughed, all but the most severe. Those that followed the helmet rule nodded respectfully and sipped from their straws.

Ter'viro was guided to a table of honor, but his way was suddenly blocked by the Gamorrean from the arena. A head shorter but nearly as massive, he scowled at the huge Twi'lek. Ter'viro shrugged at him, and the Gamorrean punched Ter'viro, turning him part way around. The Twi'lek straightened himself and turned back.

"Are we good?" Ter'viro asked.

The Gamorrean snorted a laugh, nodded, and returned to the bar.

Crysta watched the Gamorrean and shook her head. "I'm starting to think that rumor about you is true."

"Rumor?" Mako said.

"Our Mister Ter'viro beat a Wookiee arm-wrestling," Crysta said while they were taking their seats.

"I didn't beat him exactly," Ter'viro said. "I just held him back for a while."

"How?" Mako asked.

"It was a scam he pulled," Ter'viro said. "He was kind of a runt Wookiee. Hold him back for five seconds, and you win his pot for the night. I held him back for seven."

"That's six seconds more than most, honey," Crysta said.

Ter'viro shrugged.

"So," Mako said, looking at her menu. "What are we getting?"

Someone yelled, "You!" The Mirialan hunter from the fight stood at the door, glaring at Ter'viro. She walked up to him and said, "I've never been taken down like that in my life." She stabbed at him with a finger. "You better fucking win! I don't want to lose like that to second place." She turned around and stormed out.

"Are you sure that's not flirting?" Mako asked.

"Pretty sure," Ter'viro said.

"Sounded like flirting," Mako said.

Ter'viro shrugged again.

Crysta said, "Mako, honey, you have got to find some nicer guys. But that's for another day. Let's talk about the Hunt."

Mako laughed suddenly. "Oh yeah." She looked at Ter'viro. "You made it."

"We made it," he said.

"Braden would be proud of you."

"He'd be proud of you too," Ter'viro told her.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I think he would."

Crysta smiled. "Honey," she said to Mako. "That was flirting."

Mako stared at her. "That wasn't flirting. Why would you say that was flirting? I didn't say flirting. He didn't say flirting. Did you say flirting? Nobody said flirting. We can't be flirting on the Hunt, so I don't know why you said that was flirting. That's just crazy." She stared at her menu.

Crysta waited patiently for the tirade to end.

"Mako, honey, do you have a good friend you can talk to?"

"Yeah. Sure. Why?"

Crysta patted her on the shoulder. "All right. Let's talk about the Hunt."