(L,F&E Interlude) The Taming of the Shades

[kalenath]

Whatever Cyare might have said was cut off by the hatch opening. He stiffened, and then relaxed a bit as Maria walked in. She was wearing her armor but without her helmet. Maria jerked her head at him and he nodded and left the brig. Maria nodded to Shades.

 

"I will be right back." The Mando woman turned and walked out the hatch to where her guards were standing. "Vode, you have questions. Now is the time."

 

"Ba'buir... what the flarg is going on?" Cyare, as always, took the lead. Maria sighed.

 

"Is she a hut'unn Cyare?" All the Mandos around her froze at her comment. The word 'Hut'unn' meant 'coward' in Mando'a. It was the single worst insult in the Mando language. Cyare removed his helmet and the others did as well. Two other men and a woman looked at Maria with almost exactly the same befuddled expression. Cyare shook his head slowly. When he spoke, it was thoughtful.

 

"No." Cyare said slowly. "No she isn't. She has courage." Maria nodded and turned to the others. The female member of her guard, Riana, gave Maria a sharp look.

 

"Where are you going with this, Maria?" The others in the group tensed. When Riana started calling Maria by name, that meant the young Mando had her emotions under very tight control. They all knew what had happened on Coruscant. Maria looked Riana in the eye and spoke evenly.

 

"She wouldn't have killed the kid." All of the Mandos looked dubious, but Maria continued. "She is a survivor. She killed her first sentient at 15. For mandalorians that is nothing special, for an 'aruetiise' ((Mando for 'outsider' when they are being nice btw))? She lost her arm, her eye and her brother in the same thermal detonator explosion." All the Mandos looked at each other but Maria wasn't finished.

 

"She got out of the hospital and was almost instantly recruited by Zelkin. Everyone I have talked to has said almost the exact same thing. She is honest, hardworking, acerbic, and judgmental. She is insanely gifted with tech and has serious problems with authority that doesn't know what it is doing. Sound familiar?"

 

All the Mandos just looked at her. But none spoke and Maria continued.

 

"I don't know exactly what happened on Nar Shadaa, but I do know this. She is a good shot. So how did she miss killing her sister when she had the Jedi dead to rights?" Maria's inflection on the word 'Jedi' was odd. But her feelings about the Jedi order were odd as well. With good reason.

 

The Mandos looked at each other. They had also only heard bits and pieces. But... Riana spoke, thoughtful.

 

"She shot her sister in the knee. A disabling wound. To take her sister out of the fight? And keep her out of the fight?" Maria nodded.

 

"Nothing else makes any sense." Maria admitted. Riana scoffed.

 

"Nothing you are doing makes any sense, Ba'buir." The female Mando said with a snarl. "She is a prisoner, and one who goes back to that nutcase Twilek in a week. And we know what Vix will do to her." They all froze as Maria seemed to grow a few centimeters taller. And the same thought went through all of their heads simultaneously.

 

Flarg!!!

 

Maria shook her head and then silently walked into the brig area. The Mandos stared arfter her then turned to each other with the same look of disbelief on thier faces. Then as one they all turned to Cyare, who shrugged.

 

Inside the brig Maria stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then she came to a decision. She deactivated the force field and motioned for Shades to follow her.

 

"We need to talk, and not here. Come with me." Maria moved towards the exit.

[kalenath]

Shades glared out of her cell warily as Maria head for the exit. Part of her debated staying in the cell, it was safe in here at least.

 

It was also boring, and that drove Shades up a wall.

 

"Oh joy! A field trip!" She said with happy sarcasm, complete with fake smile before it all vanished back into a scowl.

 

Shoving a hand in an empty pocket she slumped after Maria. Wasn't like she could get away and run anywhere on a mando ship. Still maybe she'd get a better lay of the land and form a plan of escape. Maybe she could find a comm unit somewhere so she could find out if Karina was ok.

 

The though had Shades scowling and slowing down. What was she going to do if Karina was dead? Did Jedi even allow their dead to be buried with their families? Would the mandos even let her go for that? Both seemed unlikely to Shades, but her mother would want her youngest buried with Dad and Ren. Ma would also want to skin her alive over the matter to. After all, anything that went wrong was Shades's fault.

 

There was no use borrowing trouble though. The mandos were not likely to let Shades near a computer. Blast it five minutes was all she needed to send out a decent enough message. Karina didn't exactly have a set place to send messages but Shades figured the Jedi might be all noblely stupid enough to forward personal messages. Specially ones that were just requests to watch over a relative while the sender was away.

 

Granted that also required her sister to be alive. Shades didn't think Karina was dead, her little sister was as stubborn as she was. Though the possibility did hang heavy, along with her sister being horribly injured, or any other nasty ends that could be found in a fight.

 

"Blast it Karina why couldn't you have stayed home!" Shades mentally snarled. One could almost see a storm cloud hanging over her and pouring rain on her head from her thoughts.

 

Creation she needed a good stiff drink and a cigarra...

 

((Posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria led the way out of the brig. Outside the four Mandos formed up, two just behind Maria, two just behind Shades. Maria ignored them, walking forward. She led the way past various crew who looked at her and Shades, and then went back to their jobs.

 

Cyare was torn. He liked Maria. On the other hand, the older woman was acting weird. Enemies were enemies, friends were friends. Simple. And this Shades character... well, she was anything but simple. Even surrounded by Mandos in full armor, she was not giving an inch.A grudging admiration for the girl's sheer stubborn courage made a grin light his face briefly. Luckily it was hidden behind his helmet.

 

Maria led the way to a door and upon opening it, gave a glare to the guards, who took up positions beside the door. Maria led Shades into the room and shut the door. Then the older woman moved to a small food preparation area.

 

"I understand you like Mad Mrelf, but on an empty stomach that will put you to sleep. Sit down. I'll make something for us to eat while we talk." Maria started working on making a simple meal.

[kalenath]

Shades was now very confused. "Your feeding me?" she asked, just as her stomach growled loudly. "Not that I'm complaining mind you. I think I could eat a whole bantha right now."

 

The thought made Shades try and remember the last time she had eaten a decent meal. She'd been living off ration bars so long she honestly could not remember. Maybe Coruscant before the rather now infamous chase through the streets.

 

"Hopefully doesn't poison my food..." Shades grumbled to herself as she looked about the room. Already getting bored. "Then again doesn't seem a mando's style..."

 

Shades trailed off as she spotted it. Her one eye went wide and she all but rushed over to mentally drool at it like a hungry dog over a tasty, meaty ham bone.

 

It wasn't a shiny piece of machinery, or a gun, or even some grand explosive.

 

It was a book. A classical, paper, hard back, turn the pages by hand book. In a universe full of datapads and the like, real books were rare and something of a collector's item.

 

If it was one weakness in Shades it was a disturbing need to devour anything written. She always heard about books but had never actually seen one. Her fingers were already itching to flip a few pages. Just to open the cover or something...

 

Hearing Maria though Shades practically leaped away from it. She made it a point to be staring at the ceiling, as if trying to figure out where the vents were that she might climb out of. Her hand jammed in her pocket to make sure it didn't give her away. She had a feeling she looked more like a guilty child then someone plotting escape. Shades really needed to learn to keep a pazaak face better.

 

"So what's the grub bub?" She asked.

 

((Posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria had seen Shades reaction to the book. She had been halfway to speaking when she realized that Shades was looking at it hungrily. Not covetously, but hungrily. As if the girl loved to read, kind of like... Maria's eyes burned and she shook her head to clear it. She smiled on hearing Shades words about grub.

 

"Well, I am not a five star chef. matter of fact, by Mando standards, I am barely passable. You haven't lived until you have eaten a real Mando meal. Just watch out for the spicy stuff. which is most of it." Maria laughed. She keyed a control and a table slid out of the wall. She pulled two chairs into place beside it.

 

"Basically I have some Boma steaks cooking with some vegetables. Should do for us." Maria checked her timer and smiled as it dinged. Maria pulled the plates out of the cooker and smiled as the aroma reached her nose. She could cook even if it wasn't the passion for her it was for most Mandos. She set the plates down on the small table and pulled a bottle out of a small chiller. Maria got two cups and sat in one of the chairs provided. She poured the drinks and then looked at Shades.

 

"Come on. Sit down and eat. Your body has more sense than you do. You need to eat. and we need to talk."

[kalenath]

Shades mentally scowled even as she sat and ate. How exactly was she suppose to cut that steak with one arm? Then again it also amused Shades that Maria obviously saw her as competent instead of handicapped. After all if she had handed over the food already cut, Shades would have felt like a kid. Then again maybe Maria just wanted to laugh at the dumb handicap girl as she ate like some animal.

 

"Can't imagine what you'd need to talk to me about. Gonna rip into me over Coruscant again?" Shades asked as she leaned down and undid her right boot laces. She was thankful she never got use to sleeping with her boots on. Her feet would have smelled horribly then and ruined her appetite. She was also glad the family heirloom stayed on her left foot.

 

She had to scoot the chair back some and lean back but she managed to get her foot up and thread the knife through her toes. When you were stuck in a busy hospital for over six months and they forgot to cut your food so you could actually eat normally; one learned to find a way.

 

Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on cutting. When she was finally done she pulled the knife out of her toes and proceeded to put her sock and boot back on.

 

"Sorry what was that?"

 

((Posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria carefully did not watch as Shades managed quite well on her own. She had been horrified to realize that Shades wouldn't be able to cut the steak on her own. Then she was glad she had kept her mouth shut. Using toes to hold a knife and cut hadn't even occurred to her. Then again, the few times she had been incapacitated badly enough to require immobilization, she had been in a Republic military medical facility. And it would have been frowned upon. Necessity was the mother of improvisation it seemed.

 

"I am not going to rip you over Coruscant. I am going to offer you a job." Maria wasn't sure if Shades realized just how precarious her situation actually was. not just with the Mandos and Vix. Although the Mandos and Vix were the immediate threats, there were others, just as bad or worse in some ways. "And before you say anything, I did some checking on you. I know what you can do. I know what you can't. well, I thought I knew what you couldn't..."

 

Maria grinned as she waved a laden fork at Shades plate.

 

"I wish I had thought of that a couple of times in a recovery ward." Then she sobered.

 

Or to cut a certain Jedi scientist's throat while my hands were strapped down...

 

"What are your current rates for tech jobs? Basic daily rates."

[kalenath]

Shades grinned a bit at Maria's ogling of her talent with her toes. "Well, you got two perfectly good arms. No one thinks of using their toes till they don't have anything else to use and are forced to think outside the box."

 

The job offer had Shades almost choking on her food. Surely the woman wasn't serious here. The look on Maria's face as she ate though said otherwise.

 

Still, a job? What kind of job could the mandos possibly need a tech for that they didn't have their own folks for? Mandos were rather self sufficient from what Shades could remember hearing, they didn't do the whole hiring outsiders deal. Was a rather admirable trait about the people really. They sure didn't go using others as crutches for their failings. Still, Shades could likely use the money since Yinran wasn't likely to be giving her a pay check again...or Helmet.

 

"Rates would depend on the job. If your providing parts it is a lot different then the tech digging into their own pocket for them. Eight to ten hour shifts... Be about...2000?" Shades said. She was horribly inflating the price but then that's how she had been taught. Grizz had always told her she had a habit of low balling. So she did her best to keep her number ridiculously high.

 

((Posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria choked. It was impossible to tell she was stifling a laugh instead of outraged. But that was how this game was played. Haggling was an ancient and honorable practice and you didn't get to be a command sergeant in the Republic Military without being able to wheel and deal.

 

"2000? I was thinking... 50. Credits per day that is." Maria allowed herself a small grin. She smiled as she finished her last piece of steak and started on her salad.Shades was about to learn one reason that Maria had been feared by quartermasters and supply clerks across the Republic.

 

More than one officious or rude supply clerk had found himself/herself/itself taken to the cleaners. Most of the time they hadn't had any idea what had happened until later. A few, wiser ones, had immediately given her whatever she wanted and then breathed a sigh of relief after she had left. Will had always joked that Maria was a force of nature. Prepare however you might, defend however you could, sooner or later she would show up, run roughshod over everything in her way and vanish. Part of that was her training. Maria had been trained as a combat engineer. If it was in the way, remove it. If it wasn't there, build it. When in doubt, blow it up -you can always rebuild it later-.

 

It remained to be seen how Shades would react to this. Maria knew a lot more about Shades than she had let on. Her research had been quite thorough. Including one particularly surprising interview with a former merc who had actually had the stones to pull a blaster on Maria. He had rethought his position when Maria's guards had shown up though. And he had actually been a font of information after he realized that Maria was genuinely curious about shades, not hunting. And who Maria was...

[kalenath]

"50! Are you kidding me? Could make more taking up my old bar tending job again." Shades sneered. What did the mando think she was trying to pull here?

 

"1075 Guns for brains. I ain't interested in playing slave via indentured servitude. You ain't getting some mindless Czerka drone here after all. Even tech students wouldn't work for that to get beer money for the weekend frat festival."

 

Shades did her best to keep her face from betraying anything but it was a struggle. She settled for a look of aggravated insult. She was after all, annoyed about the mando woman thinking she'd work for a paltry 50 credits a day. As a tech? Dear Maker Shades didn't recall tales of mandos being so horribly tight fisted.

 

Then again, most mandos didn't go to an outside source for things.

 

((Posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria froze. When she spoke it was in the tone that any kid anywhere would recognize. The 'Mama is not happy...' tone.

 

"Do not ever compare me to a corporate thug or slaver that on this ship. Someone will shoot you. I am not joking, kidding or being sarcastic. Ok?"

 

Then Maria shook her head and grinned.

 

"You know how this game is played. Maybe... 200 credits a day. If your performance is good..."

 

Aside from the unknowing blunder on Shades part -and who could blame her? Not many knew how the Stormhawk and her allies felt about slavers and corporations after all. Not many outside of the corporate world and slaving industries anyways...- The girl was holding her own quite nicely. Time to bait the hook.

 

"There are however, a few stipulations."

[kalenath]

"200? Do I look like a shop kid doing this for a season job before going back to school?" Shades sniffed. She made a mental note about what not to call mandos, no sense in pissing them off at her to the point of them shooting her.

 

"Stipulations can raise or drop the price there Guns. Start talking."

 

Finished with her food Shades did her best to sit still and pay attention. Man she would have killed for a cigarra about then. Still, the mandos weren't getting Shades for anything less then 1000, and if she could squirm more out of them she would.

 

((Posted by Setie))

Edited July 13, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"The job is in a highly secure area, off the regular trade routes. That means very infrequent communication of any kind with the galaxy as a whole. It is a colony of Mandos that have lived there for about the last two hundred years. But, another thing, the world isn't tamed, not in the slightest. The Mandos prefer it that way, and I can sympathize. We need techs and people who can teach tech. I can do both, but I can't be everywhere. Its actually rather nice there. Except for teh anmials and plant life having a taste for flesh at times. All in all, the backwater nature of the system and the fact that it isn't on any Republic or Sith star charts makes it a very good place to hide a colony. Or people..."

 

Maria sighed.

 

"You might want to consider this. Your stunt with the Blood Money did not go unnoticed." Shades had reprogrammed the battleship she had been put in command fo to turn on it's friends, then self destruct. Expensive. "Yinran corporation is rather upset with you. They put a bounty on you. 100k credits. Confirmed dead." Maria held up a hand quickly.

 

"No one on this ship will turn you in for it." Maria said with a feral smile. "After all, they would have to get through me first."

 

Maria's grin was feral, but then it turned serious.

 

"500 a day."

[kalenath]

"Whoa there! Back up." Shades said holding up her hand. "Teaching is not my forte and... I am not a roughing it type. Maybe you should try someone else for that."

 

Creation she was very much not one to drop in the middle of nowhere. She hated the middle of nowhere! Sure she technically grew up on a lightning farm but that didn't mean she enjoyed it. Shades liked civilization and very much wanted to stay there.

 

The news of Yinran made her snarl. "Only 100k? That's an insult." She had hated being the puppet head of that pile of trash infested with rats. "Guess I should have tried hacking all the automated cruisers."

 

Maker how was she getting out of this one? Yinran would likely be combing her normal haunts, but Shades would rather eat a detonator then 'rough it' with a bunch of grumpy mandolorians, specially if she was gonna have to smack the finer points of technology into their skulls.

 

"I do not deserve this version of torture! Think I'd rather deal with Dancing Girl and her stab happy ways." Shade pondered as she ran a bad tempered hand through her hair, trying to think of something to weasel out of this.

 

((posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria grinned, although there was little humor in it.

 

"You wouldn't have to teach, that is my job. What you would be doing is all the stuff I CAN'T while I am teaching. You would hardly be roughing it. Mandalorians are many things, we are not stupid. And come on, tell me you wouldn't be safer than in the docks section of Nar Shaddaa. Even if you didn't have that bounty on your head."

 

Considering that the docks section of Nar Shadaa was a place even many lowlifes avoided as hazardous...

 

"It wouldn't be as safe as a penthouse on Coruscant mind you... but... there is one thing they do make, and very well."

 

She got up from her chair and went to a locker. She pulled a package out and brought it to the table. She opened it and slid it across the table to Shades. It was full of cigarras.

 

"They make their own cigarras... And they don't stint on them either."

[kalenath]

Shades barely resisted the urge to rip into the pack of cigarras. "And what exactly is this gonna cost me, my leg?" She asked cautiously.

 

"So I'm the repair girl. Excuse me while I do cartwheels of joy." Shades stated with dripping sarcasm. "I've managed well enough in rough spots you know. Yinran isn't the first batch of jerk faces to want to put a round in me."

 

She'd have to live on the move again. Odd jobs here and there, and that was if the mandos let her go. Creation this mess was just looking prettier and prettier by the minute.

 

Living in the middle of a mando camp might have been nice and safe on the outside but Shades wasn't use to sitting around though. Roughing it with a bunch of mandos sounded like Shades's version of hell. No civilization and a bunch of armored people who could cream her in a minute?

 

At the same time she knew she wouldn't be able to outrun Yinran long. They simply had more resources then she did and could outlast her easily. Then she'd make a mistake...

 

((Posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria snorted.

 

"Those cigarras were a gift for me, but I don't smoke. Consider those... incentive. Because if you sign on you will have an effectively unlimited supply. Feel free. And I can light it if you want."

 

Maria shook her head.

 

"First thing to do would be to get you a new arm and eye. I am afraid we don't have any of the 'special' ones that you had custom built on Nar Shadaa, but we have a supply of prosthetic limbs. And the means of attaching them." Maria grinned sourly.

 

"We get into enough fights with Jedi and Sith that we have to do something or we would be awash in sliced off limbs."

 

Maria grinned, evilly this time.

 

"What do you say to 700 a day?"

[kalenath]

Shades frowned and tapped her foot in thought. Her situation flying about in her head like a ball in a ping pong game. She barely registered when she opened up the cigarras and lit one. It helped her clear her head and think, which she was working on.

 

Pros and cons were being weighed on either side of her head. Shades hated, really hated being under someone's thumb. Even when she'd been working for Zelkin he had not really kept tabs on her well, thinking fear or credits would keep her loyal to him, the moron.

 

Still she doubted the mandos would be like that. More then likely they'd be breathing down her throat, just waiting for her to screw up so they could put a round in her head.

 

However, she had no where else to go. No were safer then a colony full of angry mandos.

 

"Frak..."

 

Still, didn't mean she couldn't get paid a decent wage.

 

"1000 and not a credit less." Shades stated puffing on her cigarra.

[kalenath]

"Done."

 

Maria's face showed none of the amusement or relief that flowed through her.

 

"Okay then. I will assign you quarters, then show you the workshop, and then we can go to medical to get your arm and eye replaced. Is there anything you will need immediately?"

 

Maria tried not to think too hard about what the Elder was going to say. Maria stood up and, after waiting for Shades to stand. The older soldier led the younger woman out of the stateroom. Outside the four guards waited. They took up station around Maria and Shades as the two walked. Maria stopped at a door a few hatches and waved Shades up. A touch on the pad and the hatch opened to show a very small stateroom. A bit on the cramped side, but comfortable nonetheless. The hatch hissed shut and Maria led Shades further. The girl's grumbles were barely audible but she was obviously unhappy. maria stopped before another hatch and the door opened to... clutter. A huge pile of stuff. From Shades came an awed swearword. Maria looked a bit sheepish.

 

"I got a bit behind."

 

Understatement. The various pieces of tech were actually laid out in reasonable order, the sheer amount of them made the small workshop seem to overflow.

 

"I will help out when I can, but for now we need you. I said this was a job, and it is. Come on. One more stop." Maria closed the hatch and started off again. This time, when she came to a larger hatch it opened with a hiss. inside was a small but functional medical bay. Bent over a diagnostic scanner was a green armored figure.

 

"Yo, E'hn, got a patient for you." The Mando straightened up. Even in full armor he wasn't much taller than Shades.

 

"A new subject for my interrogation techniques?" He sounded eager. Maria scoffed, but there was a serious undercurrent to it. Mando medics were trained in interrogation techniques, and in keeping the subjects alive for a long, long time, while doing unspeakable things to them.

 

"No, she needs replacements for the arm and eye." The Mando looked at Maria for a long moment and Maria spoke again. "She is a guest and an employee. My guest."

 

The doc stiffened, then became all business.

 

"On your head then, Ba'buir." He turned to Shades. "You have had this done before." It wasn't a question. He hit a control and a chair slid out of a wall alcove. It had things on it that looked suspiciously like restraints.

[kalenath]

Shades was mildly nervous as she stepped over to the chair. She knew restraints were required since getting a cybernetic limb installed required playing with the nerves. Leaving one unrestrained while doing that was inviting trouble. Still even knowing how much it would hurt, Shades scoffed when E'hn asked if she wanted a local.

 

"Oh sure, cause it's a great idea to be doped up on drugs in the middle of a bunch of mandos wanting to take your head off." Shades grumbled under her breath. "No thanks." She answered louder.

 

Due to E'hn armor Shades couldn't tell he was a bit taken aback by her declining the local. "Okay..." He said as she settled into the chair and he fiddled with the controls. Maria looking on like some mother hen in armor, her expression making Shades think for a moment that she was worried.

 

Well that was a ridiculous thought. Why the devil would anyone on this ship be remotely worried about someone they hated?

 

Shades gave Maria a look, as if to tell the older woman to cut the junk. "Just because you won't shoot me in the head doesn't mean someone else won't there Guns. Rather deal with a bit of pain now then be out of it and unable to try and defend myself later."

 

Maria nodded, a bit mollified. E'hn hit another control, lowering a Republic type scanner towards shades.When he spoke it was professional.

 

"Feet in the stirrups, hand there." he pointed to where a strap was positioned so that it was in easy reach to grab. Shades simply nodded and did as she was told, though with obvious reluctance. "Okay, here we go..." E'hn set a small device against the stump of Shades shoulder and a tingling pain shot through her. She twitched and clamped her teeth together but managed to behave and not scream bloody murder...yet.

 

"So how long it this gonna take?" She asked in a disgruntled tone as he moved the device away, though the stump still tingled for a few moments.

 

"Impossible to tell." The tingling cut off and E'hn made an adjustment. He laid the tool against the empty eye socket and this time the pain was intense.

 

"Son of a..." Shades hissed out breathing through her teeth. Couldn't be any worse then wandering about without her eye and arm right after the thermal detonator blew. "Watch it will ya Nurse Ratchet!"

 

The green armored mando simple moved to another nerve making Shades twist in the chair and yelp. "Be careful, or I might leave somthing in there...like a thermal detonator." He scoffed.

 

"I'll give you a thermal pal...right up your..."

 

A hand clasped Shades's in a gentle grip then. Maria seemed to ignore the startled look from Shades as she glared at the doctor, some silent communication taking place for a moment before he sighed. "The nerves are all intact. It should be a simple matter of reattaching. Hmm..." He trailed off as he studied the shoulder joint. "This isn't a normal interface...who did this?"

 

Shades growled. "If you don't know what it is then leave it alone." Last thing she needed was someone playing with her modifications. This however did not seem to deter the doctor as he prodded at it.

 

"I think this is a neural interface but...it doesn't connect to your nerves." He stated curiously.

 

Shades snarled a bit. She was not about to become a blasted lab rat. "Probably because it goes to the mechanical eye. All kinds of things you can do with in from computer scans to combat enhancements. Can we get on with this now please or should I start stripping down to my birthday suit?"

 

E'hn pulled out what looked to Shades like a kitchen scraper and started toying with it. "You offering there dearie? You would look so much better without your skin after all." He stated in a matter of fact tone.

 

"Sorry honey I'm not into kinky stuff." Shades snipped back with a feral smile that plainly stated she bit.

 

"Children..." Maria cleared her throat glaring from one to the other with a raised brow. E'hn simply turned on his heel and walked to a locker, poking it through it.

 

Shades took the time E'hn was busy with to close her good eye and breath a second. She forgot how much this process hurt without locals. Still she didn't need a fuzzy head right that minute on a ship of angry mandos. One might as well paint a target on her forehead then.

 

E'hn finished his search and pulled out a skeletal arm and a box. he set them on a table and started running diagnostics on them.

 

"Shades?" Maria leaned over to Shades head and spoke quietly. "You ok?"

 

"Fine." Shades said opening her eye again. "Not any worse then losing them in the first place." She decided not to mention stumbling about like some living dead thing screaming for Ren without them. Pain and blood loss had finally knocked her out for the medics to take away.

 

"Well..." Maria snorted. "You do not lack for courage. Good." She looked up as E'hn came over with a droid following him. The droid held the arm out as E'hn nodded to Maria. "It's a simple design, but it will work for you."

 

"Aww, no toys for me?" Shades said sarcastically.

 

"Behave and I may let you play with some of mine." Maria replied in a sickly sweet tone.

 

"I am behaving...badly." Shades stated as doctor and droid got to work, causing a yelp to escape before she clamped her mouth shut.

 

It wasn't an easy job, but E'hn was quite good. In about 15 minutes he had the arm attached and the nerves connected. A tingling, not painful this time, swept through the limb as the artificial nerves interfaced with the central nervous system. Shades for the most part kept her screeches to herself, though a few got out here and there. She figured she did ok in that department. Carefully she started wiggling her new fingers as her eye came online and started looking about.

 

The green mando finished his work and stepped back. When he spoke there was humor in it. "There you go, two E'hn specials."

 

"E'hn specials? They're gonna blow up on me?" Shades jibbed back.

 

"Do you want them to?" E'hn laughed and shook his head. "No. They won't go boom, they will work." Maria nodded in agreement. She had helped him build better versions of prosthetics after all.

 

"Sure look like they'll hold up to things." Shades stated as she checked over the arm for any shoddy work. Even though it was literally bare bones it looked to be in good shape.

 

"Just don't try lifting any grav sleds with that arm. The arm would do it, but the connections won't hold." Maria pointed out as she extended a hand to help Shades to her feet.

 

"Aww but grav sleds are so fun to use as clubs. Speeders to actually." Shades said with a nasty grin as she stood on her own. "Right Guns?" She doubted Maria would forget Shades using a stolen speeder to swat her aside like a fly.

 

"You evil woman..." Maria winced in memory. "I have been trying to forget that..." E'hn actually laughed at Maria's wry tone, but there was no rancor in it.

 

"What? Thought I'd let you rip my face off?" Shades asked without shame. After all, she'd been outnumbered and outgunned. It wasn't anything she was proud of but she had managed to get away. That was all that had mattered to her at the time.

 

"No." Maria had to laugh at that too, although at the time it had been anything but funny. "Ok, enough goofing off, lets get you to work."

 

((Posted by Setie))

[kalenath]

Maria watched as Shades, grumbling, started working on the mound of stuff that Maria hadn't been able to get to yet. She stepped outside and closed the hatch. Then she looked at Cyare. The blue armored figure slumped, then nodded. Without a word, he took up position beside the hatch. Maria nodded in return and led the remainder of her guards back towards her own job. But then he com chimed.

 

"Ba'buir. We are five minutes from hyperspace exit." Maria stiffened. She hadn't thought it would be so soon. She had thought she would have more time... But, life as usual, was not playing favorites. Maria marched to the bridge and nodded to her small team as they worked to bring the Beskad Ordo out of hyperspace. Even a tiny ship such as an escort gunship was a complicated piece of equipment. And everything had to go smoothly. Of course, it went a lot more smoothly now that Maria had been in command for a while and had tweaked more than a few things. Tech was really her first love. She was thankful for the helmet that hid the burning eyes that threatened. Her second love...

 

The ship shuddered as the crew cut the hyperdrive and activated the sublight engines. She shook herself and spoke, forcing her voice into a detached professional tone.

 

"Status?" Her XO turned to her. His voice was a mirror of hers.

 

"On time and in position. Sensors..." He waved towards the scanner station. His wife shot him an obscene gesture that had Maria - and a number of others- snorting. Kilina nodded to Maria. "Sensors show the Mand'alor approaching." Maria nodded.

 

"I will meet her in the bay." With that Maria walked out. Her crew was very competent, and they would com her if there were any problems. And it wasn't every day that one of the Elders of the clan came aboard. It also wasn't every day that said Elder came to chew out the captain. Trava Kalan was usually a generous and kind person, but...

 

Maria stood with her three guards and waited as Trava's fighter approached the bay. Mandalorians didn't go for pomp and circumstance. Trava was alone and flying a regular fighter, albeit one that had been highly customized -by Maria among others. The small fighter landed and Maria nodded as the canopy opened. Trava climbed out and started walking towards where Maria stood. When Trava got close enough she spoke quietly.

 

"Explain." Maria nodded. Trava had no use for pleasantries. Especially when they could very well endanger her clan. Maria jerked her head towards the hatch and started walking. Trava followed.

 

"I started researching Amarath Shdes shortly after I got back from that fracas on Coruscant. I wanted to know how best to hunt her." Trava nodded as she maintained her position beside Maria. "At first, everything was fairly normal, then.. Well.. I found out a bunch of things that didn't make any sense..."

 

This would be a very long walk.

[kalenath]

Shades forced herself to wait one whole minute after Maria left her alone in the room before she suddenly dove through a mountain of broken tech. It had taken a large amount of self control to keep from diving earlier for it but now, without anyone about... oh the possibilities. Specially as she felt the ship shudder out of hyperspace. That had been unforeseen but she took it as a stroke of luck.

 

Shades's grin spread more as she finally unearthed it, a simple console, broken but repairable. She had already found replacement part among the projects. If she could break the slight language barrier, surely she could weasel a simple message out addressed to Karina.

 

Besides, she was much faster at things with two hands. She told herself as she reconnected wires and circuits quickly, only zapping herself mildly one from her haste. She'd likely smell a bit smokey for a bit but she could likely find something to weld together in here to cover for it. Specially now that the computer was booting up. Making her sit up and do a small jig of victory before knuckling down on things.

 

"Come on you fraking piece of..." She growled before finally the computer complied and switched the language on the screen to ole fashion basic. Checking her mental clock she kicked behind her sending a few things crashing. Repair shops and tech work was rarely quiet, so if there was silence to long more then likely someone would come checking on her, never a good thing.

 

Blowing out a breath as she likely bruised her foot and swearing viciously like she was dealing with something stubborn was easy, doing that while trying to type out a message was harder. Sure she could have done a hologram or an audio file but those where larger and as such, were more likely to get spotted by however in charge of babysitting computer security on this bucket of bolts.

 

Still, as her message worked on encoding itself, Shades got to work on the tricky part of things. Namely getting the message sent out. She wasn't worried about anyone cracking her code, she always had a key master set up, as Karina well knew. Karina also knew the password to unlock it, hence her ability to hack Shades's droids on Nar Shaddaa. Without the password or a really good slicer, one was stuck looking at a binary message that plainly stated for the reader to walk out an airlock without a suit. The only thing she left un-coded was the name the message was addressed to. Would never work for people to have no idea who to hand the message to after all.

 

"Hmm..." Shades grumbled as her normal eye narrowed at the screen. It looked like the mandos weren't completely stupid to how slicer's worked. Everything was seperated, essentially on it's own island where people had to go in order to use it. If you wanted medical data, you had to go to medical. If you wanted to send a message, you had to go to the communications hub on the bridge.

 

She had to hand it to them that it was a sensible way to foil slicers. There was just one problem. They were on a ship. A ship full of systems a good slicer could work through. It would take time but she could do.

 

She opted for the life support systems as she punted another pile of broken tech. No matter how people wanted to do otherwise, life support systems ALWAYS stayed connected to all computers on a ship. You never knew when you'd need immediate access to them and it saved lives in the long run. It also let an avenue for any slicer to always exploit, at least on a ship.

 

The one things Shades couldn't prevent though would be the sudden change at the comm station when her message weaseled through. For at least a minute it would likely switch to life support commands. The real question was if whoever was there was smart and would catch something was up, or be as dumb as everyone else in the universe and not want to look stupid. If the latter was the case they would fret and then shrug it all off as a random computer bug, just like everyone else in the universe did.

 

It was really amazing how stupid people acted sometimes. All in order to avoid looking incompetent or stupid.

 

"Let's see how dumb you tin men are." Shades muttered to herself with a nasty grin.

 

((Posted by Setie))

Edited July 13, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

The door hissed open and the blue armored figure was standing there. His blaster did not waver from his chosen point of aim, her flesh and blood eye.

 

"Did you really think we wouldn't be watching you?" He froze as a throat cleared and his blaster lowered and holstered as more figures came into sight. Right behind him came Maria and a female Mando that Shades hadn't seen before. Neither wore healmets. Maria looked... odd, the Mando was stonefaced. The Mando looked at Shades, and then at Maria. The stranger shook her head then walked off in silence. Maria walked to where the console was chirping and shook her head.

 

"All you had to do was ask. Karina was fine the last time I checked. You know... you could have put this ship in danger. Luckily for you this entire area is proof from stray transmissions that might interfere with the ship's systems." Maria grimaced at Shades look.

 

"You didn't really think I would just hand you a ticket to say 'Here we are' did you? Would YOU do that? Give someone you didn't know very well access to sensitive stuff? It looks like it went through, but it went into a special buffer I made." Maria shook her head. "But for now, leave that and come with me. Someone wants to talk to you."

[kalenath]

"Who says I was checking on her." Shades scowled though there was obvious relief in her body language. "I was sending out a to do list since I left a few things hanging and won't be getting back to them anytime soon. Didn't realize that was something I had to check in with."

 

It was a half truth. She doubted any of them believed a word she said and right that minute she didn't care. Likely it didn't help that she was seething at her own screw up. She had been so sure the tin heads were computer illiterate that she'd missed checking for something as mildly complex as a filter on the computers.

 

Creation she was hating these hutt spawned tin men! Seemed like every time she turned around they were painting her a fool. Her temper was black and boiling and there wasn't anything she could do about it, trapped as she was with these schuttas!

 

"Sorry I didn't realize I was breaking contract in sending out 1 little personal message that I didn't feel like having the ship read." She snarled as they walked. "I'll knock off a hundred if you just send it out."

 

Oh it stung and made her wish for a detonator to jam in someone's face. She needed that message out though so Karina would know to check on Ma from time to time. The account Shades had put the credits into should be enough to last for awhile, provided her mother didn't do anything stupid that was. However that was what Karina was for. Someone the financial folks could call to check things with if need be. Karina had be put down as the custodian of the account if Shades was missing or deceased after all, though she knew her little sister didn't know it. Her mother would be furious about Shades doing that. She could just imagine the lecture she would have gotten...if they had even bothered speaking to each other in the last year or so.

 

Memories of their last meeting threatened to choke her then. She'd been in the hospital after just losing her arm and eye. Her mother had come to tell her she wanted Ren buried at home and...

 

"So what does who want now?" Shades growled. Better to focus on the threats of now then the scars of yesterday.

 

((Posted by Setie))

Edited July 13, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"Shades..." Maria shook her head. "We don't mind you sending personal messages. We do mind when you might endanger the ship. And the person you need to talk to is waiting..."

 

Maria led off through the ship and Cyare followed. From different corridors, three other Mandos joined them. Maria led off with no words until the reached an observation lounge. The view was breathtaking, outer space in all its majesty, terrifying, humbling. The only furniture in the room was a low bench against one wall.

 

The woman standing in the middle of the room looked at the group and the four Mandos with Maria turned and went to the bench, where they sat. That left Maria and Shades standing in front of the other woman. The other woman spoke. Her voice was hoarse, a product of shouting over the din of a lifetimes worth of battles.

 

"Amarath Shades. My name is Trava Kalan." She looked Shades up and down. Then she sniffed deprecatingly. "Maria here has offered you a job. That is her right. What is not her right is to offer sanctuary to a two bit loser of a slicer whose sole claim to fame so far is blowing up her own ship. Give me one good reason I shouldn't boot your chebs out the airlock and I might not."

 

Maria looked at Trava but remained silent. She had made her arguments. It was in Shades court now. The girl's life was literally in her own two (now anyway) hands. But if anyone could convince Trava Kalan not to kill them, Shades had the best chance Maria thought. Well, she hoped anyways.