"Not a day without adventures," I rubbed the bridge of my nose tiredly, and then addressed the crew: "So, which one of you bastards was downloading porn?" I looked at the pilots with mock severity. It took a moment, but the realization that I was joking sank in. The pilots began to smile, and Hen answered the veiled question.
"Most likely, the infection occurred at the spaceport on Coruscant during routine maintenance."
"I see. What's the status of the ship?"
"We're assessing the extent of the damage, but I can already say we got off easy. At the very least, we landed gently. A system reboot helped partially regain control," Tarsus added.
"That's good... Do we have a connection to home?"
"The communication system is currently inoperable."
"That's bad," glancing outside, I inquired: "Where did we even end up?"
"On Vendaxa."
"Where is that?!"
"The Expansion Region, Chaykin sector, Vendaxa system. We dropped out near the Corellian Trade Spine hyperroute, halfway to Tatooine."
"Understood. What do we have on the planet?"
"Type I planet, breathable atmosphere," Hen began, typing a query into the terminal. The system obligingly displayed all known information. "Surface type—plains and jungles, there is an ocean. Flora is optimal, but there are problems with the fauna. It is excessively aggressive here."
"I'm used to it," I hummed, scanning the list of beasts. Not a single familiar name.
"Freshwater sources must be filtered or boiled; they contain particularly dangerous microorganisms."
"Affiliation?"
"Formally the Republic, in practice neutral. It is uninhabited."
"Brilliant."
"It's not all bad. While falling, we caught a signal on an open frequency. Even if the planet is uninhabited, there is at least an outpost or something similar on it."
"Now that's more interesting. Can we make contact?"
"We need to conduct an assessment of the ship; only then will I be able to say for sure."
"Alright. Get to it, I won't interfere. As soon as you're ready, notify me immediately."
Receiving a nod in response, I left the cockpit. Walking to the lounge, I saw a slightly nervous Talia, still buckled in and fingering her digits. Approaching the girl, I took her hands with one hand and unbuckled the straps with the other, using a light suggestion.
"Talia... Don't worry so much, the situation is under control."
"No, I'm not nervous, e-everything is fine!" she nervously adjusted her lekku.
"Heh, I can see that."
"Did we crash?"
"Talia, everything is fine. A technical failure happened, it happens. We landed normally, the ship is fine. Now they'll inspect it, patch it up, and we'll fly on. Don't worry so much. I told you, as long as I'm around, nothing will happen to you. Remember?"
"Yes."
"And do you believe me?"
An uncertain nod.
"Oh, come on." I took mock offense, turning away. "Dis, seriously? No one believes in me! Even you guys believed in me more when I flew you past anomalies."
"I sympathize, brother," the Mandalorian nodded, putting on a corresponding face.
"Eeeeeey! Chief, I believe in you! I'm just a little scared! I've never been in this situation! And anyway, what anomalies are you talking about?"
"Oh, we once flew through the galactic core, and I was the navigator and pilot rolled into one," I waved it off as something insignificant, helping the girl switch gears.
"It was a blind flight," Dis added.
"Without a navigation computer?!" Talia was either filled with admiration or stunned. Though, most likely both.
"Without. I guided the ship there and back."
"And what were you doing in the core?"
"Flew home."
"And... how was it?"
"Well... now I know that home is gone. Completely gone. Physically. It's just a barren rock now."
"..."
"Yeah. Anyway, let's not talk about sad things. Come on, let's take a walk."
Leaving the ship, we walked around it. I cleared the undergrowth, flattening it with the Force. Talia followed, and Dis brought up the rear. We chatted about nothing in particular along the way. When we came across a clearing overgrown with shrubs, I immediately had an idea of where to get firewood.
So, having cut some branches, we settled down by the ship in the evening near a campfire. The pilots and the technician, having finished the repairs for the day, also sat down near us. So as not to sit in silence and listen to the munching, Dis took it upon himself to tell stories of previous adventures.
"...and so, they gave us a task—eliminate a certain type. They paid—simply indecently much, but the order was urgent. Our target—a wealthy Dug who had bristled with mercenaries around his hide like you wouldn't believe. Guarding him were none other than the Ailon Nova Guard. The Ailon Nova Guard, if you didn't know, is an entirely warrior race. War is life to them. And the more dangerous the task, the stronger the opponent, the more actively the Ailon will get into a fight. Battle for them is akin to prayer. Generally, they are completely unhinged guys. And the most annoying thing—these maniacs only walk in large groups, at least forty heads. Though, what can you say when this PMC essentially has several armies? Real, full-fledged, and equipped armies, with tanks, aviation, artillery, and supply. To top it all off, we have a long-standing mutual 'love' with these guys. They recognized us as warriors, and if a conflict requires fighting against Mandalorians, they'll fly into it with great joy and an even greater discount for the employer, because for an Ailon there is no greater joy than a battle with a real warrior!"
"Terror..."
"And our target hired these very bastards for his defense as soon as he found out who the opponent had turned to. A whole battalion was stationed on our target's territory; naturally, breaking through there head-on was simply unrealistic. But we couldn't refuse either; the money had already been paid, and it was huge money. If anything, there were twelve of us then. Twelve! Against a whole battalion!"
"That's suicide!" the first pilot exclaimed, while the second tapped his finger against his temple.
"Only not for a Mandalorian!" Dis replied in kind.
"Exclusively for a Mandalorian," Hen whispered.
"We thought for a long time about what to do and how to be, and we finally came up with something. The fact is that under the ground surface passes a system of pipelines for pumping fuel between factories, storage facilities, and so on. Despite the insulation, there is a prohibitive dose of toxin in those shafts, but what do we care, we're in hardsuits. So we went through them to the base. Alas, we couldn't enter quietly, but we didn't need to. Having planted the charges, we immediately retreated. If anything, the factory was considered inactive, and we didn't even assume there would be fuel in it, but what we definitely didn't take into account were the vapors accumulated underground. In the end, it blew so hard that what didn't fly away went completely underground."
"Well, you guys are something else."
"That's not the end. The pipes stretched quite far. A chain detonation occurred, which reached all the way to the fuel depot. Oooooh, we had never seen such a firework at that time."
"How did the client not kill you after that?"
"The client turned out to be satisfied; he even issued a bonus. The object wasn't his and he wasn't going to get it anyway. This way, we sent the competitor to the other world, along with the fuel reserves, the factory, and the Ailon Guard. Because to hell with them, those aren't warriors, but some kind of fanatics."
"Psychos."
"Yes, they are psychos."
"You guys are psychos!" the pilot corrected.
"Why is that? The task was completed."
"And what about the Dug?" Talia interjected. "Didn't he realize that if a conflict happened, there would be a boom?"
"The conflict was expected on the surface, not under it. The factory was built in such a way that a detonation could only be caused by an orbital strike or a massive bombardment, and even then, not for sure. Dugs aren't fools and know how to build; another thing is that we got into something we weren't supposed to know about at all. Thanks to the employer, he told us about some 'subtleties' of the construction work."
"I see."
Listening to the story, I stared intently at the fire, remembering my own adventures. In the flames of the fire, I saw the past as if through a prism. I especially remembered the pilgrimage, when we set up camp, gathered by the fire, and talked just as simply.
For a moment, I even fell out of the real world. It seemed to me that I was lying in that very cave again. Lightning had just struck me, poor Rami was fussing over my joking carcass, and Vessira was sitting nearby.
Talia's voice brought me back to reality.
"Shade!"
"Hm?"
"You've frozen and aren't even eating."
"I got caught up in the story."
"It shows," Dis commented.
"Don't mind me."
"Shade, tell us something from your own history?"
"A bit later. We're about to have guests," I replied, lazily moving the branches in the fire with the Force.
"Guests?" Dis leaned forward.
"A pack of some wild beasts is coming toward us. A couple of minutes and they'll be here."
The conversations died down; everyone peered into the tall grass, looking for a threat. When the growling muzzles of large dog-like creatures appeared from the thickets, I unobtrusively waved my hand, making the animals afraid and run away.
"That's it. Where were we? Oh yes, the story... Well, listen: I messed up in the temple once, so much so that my friends and I were sent to the desert..."
So, telling stories, we spent that evening. The next day everything was repeated, with the exception that Dis went to help the pilots out of boredom. I was busy with Talia drafting the company's code. Since it turned out that the company on Tatooine is simultaneously the owner of the planet, the company's code would be something like a set of laws. And since I already have a good example, I simply dictated to Talia the already known and working laws of the Hadian Empire. Not one-to-one, but close.
Today the girl wasn't so worried and generally behaved calmly, as if everything was fine, and we hadn't crashed but had landed for a picnic.
The work went like this: I lay on the bed, my hand behind my head, dictating what I remembered, while Talia wrote, commented, and corrected. To my own surprise, I found that I remembered quite a bit.
We were only distracted from work a couple of times. In one case, Tarsus, with a warning that there was still no help. The second time, Dis, with a request to put Zero away somewhere, as my scout had already managed to get on the Mandalorian's nerves. The third time, Hen looked in, with a warning that overall the ship was ready for takeoff.
Having sat by the ship for two days already and not having waited for any help, I made the decision that it would be faster to ride a speeder bike to the mentioned signal source myself, which I decided to warn my subordinates about:
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. I very much don't like that for the second day now we aren't being seen or heard. As they say, 'suspicious.' Therefore, tomorrow morning I want to take a speeder bike and rush to the unknown source of radio exchange we managed to detect. Cap, do we need much for takeoff?"
"No," the captain shook his head. "There's a spaceport near here; essentially—one jump."
"And what kind of fuel do we need?"
"Rhydonium."
"What about the coolant?"
"Liquid TXX gas."
"Zero, did you get that?"
"Beep," the droid beeped approvingly.
"While I'm away, Dis, you're in charge. Keep an eye on the ship," the Mandalorian nodded seriously.
"A-and me?" Talia interjected, stuttering.
"What about you?"
"I'm coming with you! Can I?"
"Are you sure? It's not a short way."
"I'm sure!"
"Okay."
"Um... just like that?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Suspicion outweighed fear, showing on her face, but soon lost out.
"Thank you."
"Just prepare and take your things just in case. In case we have to spend the night somewhere or you suddenly get wet."
"Alright," nodding, Talia immediately disappeared into the ship's interior.
"Shade, are you sure? It's really dangerous here... The planet is wild, the monsters are fierce. Our people sometimes fly here just to catch some creature and sell it for a high price. To be honest, I'm not even sure I'd reach the outpost without problems. And dragging cargo behind you..."
"Relax, Dis. A regular safari, besides, we aren't on foot."
"I still have doubts. It's dangerous, after all."
"Pfft. Believe me, if we were on Tython, everything would be much more serious."
"You think so?"
"At home, a Force storm would have been raging over us since yesterday, and all the local fauna would have gathered at the crash site like a buffet. Can we observe any of that?"
"No..."
"Exactly. So everything is fine," I saluted with a confiscated beer can. Say what you will, Mandalorians have good taste; they don't drink junk, even if I'm not a lover of such things. "And besides, she needs to be watched."
"In what sense?"
"I want to see her in a stressful situation. Many would have already fallen into hysterics, but Talia is fine, she's holding up."
"I have a feeling that you had something to do with that."
"There is that. Nevertheless, my influence is minimal. Again, the girl is to hold a high position, and you need beskar nerves and stamina there, especially if things get tight."
"True enough. Alright, Shade, you know what you're doing best."
Dis and I looked simultaneously at the ship's crew members sitting with us. The first pilot closed his mouth, the second his ears, and the engineer, seeing his colleagues, covered his eyes with his hands.
"Truly an idyll... Anyway, good night everyone."
Leaving the Mandalorian in the company of the crew, I returned to the cabin. The burnt-out light bulbs were a bit disappointing, of course, but not excessively so; I don't need eyes to orient myself in space.
In the morning, before setting out, I pulled on my hardsuit: first the jumpsuit, then the armor over it. Some elements went as independent fragments and were attached separately, then required connecting. In ideal conditions, the whole set is sewn to the jumpsuit and put on in thirty seconds. I, because I'm constantly tinkering with something, keep everything disassembled, which is why the process of dressing takes more time.
It was exactly then, when I was securing the bracers on my right arm, that Talia appeared at the entrance.
"Oh, it's so dark here... How do you even see anything?"
Snapping the bracer shut, I pulled my helmet to me and put it on. The activated equipment lit up the helmet's visor in red, making a new impression on Talia. As soon as the system reached operating mode, the lights dimmed.
"Scaaaaary?" I asked Talia in a mockingly sinister voice, leaving the cabin.
"No... maybe just a little."
"Heh."
Sizing the girl up with a look from head to toe, I nodded. She had dressed properly. On her feet were boots with a low heel, tight-fitting pants tucked into the boots, a thick tank top on top, and an unbuttoned leather jacket. A carved metal headband adorned her head. A small backpack was visible behind her back.
"And what did you pack in the bag?"
"Spare clothes, hygiene products, a blanket in case it's cold at night."
"Not bad. And what are you going to eat?"
"I thought you'd help me choose."
"Never mind the food. But if it rains. I have a hardsuit, dear," I tapped my finger on the chestplate.
"And I have an umbrella!"
"Oh, how cute... Yeah, an umbrella will definitely help in the rain, at a speed of nearly two hundred. Oh, I'm going to melt..."
"Do you have a cloak?" I asked condescendingly, refraining from calling Talia a "wonder with lekku."
"Nope."
"I saw something like that with the technicians; go check. And leave the umbrella here."
"Right away."
"Eh, child of the city," I commented quietly, watching her leave. And before leaving, I pulled my mother's mask to me and hung it on my belt.
While Talia ran for the cloak, I managed to gather food supplies for both of us for three days, plus unfolded the speeder bike into working condition. So I was waiting for the girl, already sitting on the machine and chatting with Dis.
"I'm ready!"
"Good girl. Now take out the goggles."
"Goggles?"
"Protective goggles. You can't do without them on a speeder bike."
"But I don't have goggles..." the girl was lost.
"Hm... That's a problem." Suddenly I felt someone touch my belt. "Though, fine. Here," taking the mask from my belt, I held it out to Talia.
"Are you serious right now?"
"If not, I'll have to leave you behind. Otherwise, you'll collect all the gnats with your face."
"Mmm..." uncertainly taking the mask, Talia peered into the visor. It was clear she didn't like the mask, that it scared her a little, but nevertheless, Talia reluctantly pulled the mask onto her face.
"Well?"
"A bit big, and the shapes aren't right. Just a second..." removing the mask, she adjusted the straps and put it on again. "There. Now it doesn't fall off."
"Climb on."
"Uh-huh."
As soon as the girl sat down and wrapped her arms around my waist, I gave the last order to Dis:
"We'll try to return as quickly as possible. If someone does fly in, you'll negotiate for everything needed for the ship."
"And if there are pirates?"
"Offer triple the price for services rendered."
"Understood."
Cutting the conversation short there, I lowered the throttle and the speeder bike shot forward. One thing I didn't think about was that the already half-forgotten skills of orienting on terrain without a map would help me oh so much now.
The plains we flew over were not impressive. Monotonous, endless expanses, that's what they were. Various animals were encountered periodically, but they flashed past too quickly.
Already twenty minutes into the ride, Talia patted me, asking for a stop. It turned out the girl was simply freezing.
"Didn't expect it to be so cold?" I smirked, watching her put on her spare clothes.
"Not at all. It seems warm when you're standing, but as soon as we move—it's immediately so cold! Brrr..."
"Pull the cloak over you as well," I advised, pointing to the item. She didn't argue with me.
Returning to the course, we continued the path, and the next stop occurred only three hours later, and only because it was necessary.
"Oh..." Talia commented on the view opening before us of the beginning of the jungle.
"Indeed," I agreed with the girl. Now we couldn't race like that; reaction time is one thing, but technology also has its limits on load. "Just don't be afraid."
"Of what exactly?"
"This."
Hitting the gas, I sent the speeder bike into the jungle. Of course, not three hundred kilometers per hour, but not as slow as it could have been. After all, for such impenetrable thickets, a hundred an hour is a more than good result.
Talia, meanwhile, clung to me like a tick as soon as the trees approached. So, sitting behind my back and closing her eyes, she rode for ten minutes until she began to thaw. And another twenty minutes later she had gotten used to it and was already looking over my shoulder at where we were going.
After another two hours, I decided to make a halt. To have lunch and stretch our legs. Strangely, Talia didn't stand up, but specifically slid off the speeder bike. Unable to stay on her feet, the girl sat on the ground.
"Oh... You certainly drive. Is that that same Jedi reaction?"
"Force-user," I corrected, taking out briquettes from the bag. "I'm not a Jedi, please don't confuse them. Regarding your question—everyone has a different one; someone reacts faster, someone slower. But yes, that's the one."
"Chief, can you please go a liiiiiiittle slower?" lifting the mask, Talia piteously made eyes at me.
"Is it really that scary?"
"Very. Not a single amusement ride compares to one ride with you!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... Tha-a-anks, you've made me happy."
"Seriously, if I had drunk more water, I'd have had to change my underwear long ago!"
"Well, well."
"Turn away, please?"
Silently turning around, I went about my business, not embarrassing the girl. Glancing sideways, I saw my mother sitting nearby, enjoying the scene. Well, yeah, she alone knows what faces Talia had been making behind my back all this time; she even winked. Oh, to hell with both of you.
After a short halt, we continued the path. As promised, I drove even a bit slower, feeling an immeasurable gratitude behind my back. Though, in my view, what difference does it make if you hit a tree at a hundred or at eighty? The result will be the same anyway.
When the sun began to set, I stopped.
"Talia, how are you?"
"Fine, just a little tired."
Listening to the girl, I realized how much she was being modest.
"Alright. We'll spend the night here, and tomorrow we'll continue the journey."
"Spend the night? Here?!"
"Yes. You're already falling asleep in the saddle, where else is there to go?" I asked, getting off the speeder bike and lowering it to the ground.
"Can you drive at night?"
"I can. But, I repeat, it's better not to risk it. I don't want to catch you if you suddenly fall asleep."
"Yes... You're right," Talia nodded, surveying the jungle. Massive trees, stretching upward fifteen to twenty meters, connected to each other by either vines or their equivalent, and purple ones at that. The leaves were also an unusual light purple color. It was also good that there was enough distance between the trees; otherwise, it would have been very difficult to pass.
Drawing my swords, I cut and fell a smaller tree, then cut firewood for a future campfire. Next, I cut foliage for a bed, but first I took several leaves in my hand.
"What are you doing?"
"Inspecting for danger. Toxins... You know."
"And?"
"Everything is fine," throwing the leaves away, I finished the improvised bed with the Force.
"And for me?"
"This is for you."
"A... And you?"
"I'll just doze like this. Someone has to keep watch, right?"
Talia did not answer.
Sitting on the ground and leaning my back against the speeder bike, I took out the rations.
"Sit down, have a snack, and get to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow."
Having finished dinner, the girl lay down on the provided bed and, covering herself with her cloak like a blanket, looked at me.
"What?"
"There's something romantic about this. You. Me. Alone..."
"Yeah, somewhere in the f*cking middle of nowhere," I finished. "Thanks, I've had enough of such romance. When I return, I'll find that bastard who arranged the sabotage and stretch something as far as it'll go."
"Heh-heh-heh-heh..."
"What are you laughing at?"
"I just imagined the procedure. You can do it."
"I can." I nodded.
"Shade, have you often been in such circumstances?"
"Crashed? No."
"I mean nature. And generally, a dangerous situation. We fell, and you continue to joke and remain as if this were ordinary."
"What's there to worry about? You won't achieve anything by worrying. And I've burnt out on worrying about anything, to be honest. Now any problem is perceived much more calmly."
"I see."
The conversation died down. Reaching out, Talia pulled out my mother's mask.
"Where did you get this mask? You take it everywhere with you but don't wear it."
"It's my mother's mask."
"Oh..."
"Don't worry, you're using it with her approval."
"Um..."
"Don't look at me like that, I'm not a psycho. Force-sensitives are the kind of beings that killing isn't enough; they can remind you of themselves even after death. Just know that."
"So that means... Your mother is near you?"
"Yes. She met me in this world, taught me to live, and it turned out that she remains to this day. Amusing, isn't it?"
"Rather creepy."
"Pah. Why so?"
"I don't know. Talking to the dead is normal. But when the dead talk to you—it's a reason to think."
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha... oh, Talia. Don't let it bother you, that's my advice. Everything is the will of the Force, and if you aren't a Force-user, it'll be difficult for you to understand anything."
"Maybe. The mask is still creepy, though." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's generally quite strange."
"In what way?" Reaching into the bag, I took out a nutritious meat army bar.
"Well, in the sense that here it is in my hands and I'm somehow uneasy. But when I put it on, everything is swept away as if by a hand. Confidence appears, and strength comes from somewhere, and fears disappear. For the most part."
"Hm..." glancing sideways at Talia, I assessed both the girl and the mask. Now that's interesting.
"Tell me, have you noticed anything like someone touching you?"
"Nope."
"And did your muscles contract involuntarily? Like, a hand twitched, a leg?"
"No."
"Well, alright."
"Shade, you scare me with such questions."
"No, I'm just... don't let it bother you. And anyway, go to sleep."
"Alright..."
Turning the mask a bit more, Talia laid it next to her, closed her eyes, and finally began to fall into sleep. Right up until the silence was interrupted by the wild either screech or roar of an unknown creature. Waking up instantly, the girl jumped up and looked around.
"Steady, steady, everything is fine," I calmed her, against the background of a new roar.
"How terrifying... Is it far?"
"Far. Lie down."
Uncertainly, but Talia lay back down. Though, I didn't need to feel her to see how she jerked at every howl.
"Come here."
"Huh?"
"Lie down next to me," I patted the ground.
Picking her way to me, Talia laid her head on my knees. Covering her with my cloak, I stroked her soothingly, bringing peace to the girl's heart.
"Go to sleep, Sun. Don't be afraid."
So we spent the night in the forest. Plunged into a half-doze, I continued to look around, and not in vain. Once we were attempted to be disturbed. Some six-legged creature, looking like a mantis, crawled through the thickets and was even able to resist my Force suggestion. Mentally shrugging, I lifted the creature above the ground, then snapped its neck. What was it called again... an Acklay, maybe? Ah, doesn't matter.
In the morning, waking up, Talia was naturally very surprised by the dead beast, but refrained from comments. She just gave me a meaningful look.
Breaking camp, we continued the journey. By the law of meanness, we had literally almost reached the edge of the jungle yesterday, so the further path was again covered at high speeds.
About three hours later, we encountered another problem. Based on my estimates, we should have been there already, but no. Not a hint of an outpost, even in the air it was silent. Stopping the speeder bike, I listened to the Force.
"Are we lost?"
"Tch. Don't interfere."
The girl immediately fell silent. Right... Where are you, where... Catching something like a hint, I turned the speeder bike. Another half hour of driving and the hardsuit finally caught a signal. Only it was very suspicious that it looked like a distress signal.
Suspecting something was wrong, I drove with less optimism now, and an hour later we finally reached the goal. We were met not by an outpost, as we thought, but by another vessel. A cargo ship, apparently of Corellian construction. Remaining parts of a destroyed camp were scattered around the ship; the ship itself, though standing on its native supports, was bitten through in several places.
Driving into the fenced area, I surveyed the destruction.
"Is this... that outpost?"
"More likely hunters."
"And where are they?"
"Apparently, here." I picked up the remains of bloodstained armor from the ground.
"Oh..."
"Come."
Getting off the speeder bike, I surveyed the things. There wasn't a soul around.
"Don't touch anything. The hunters might have left surprises behind."
"Alright."
Boarding the ship, I surveyed the damage. Right... whoever visited the hunters, that someone really wanted to eat. Tracks were everywhere—on the floor, on the walls, and on the ceiling. And tracks of both claws and teeth, and strange multi-colored blood.
Half the hold was set aside for cages, the other half for the hunters' gear. There, three quite working, cheap speeder bikes and a couple of remaining stunners for hunting animals were lying.
"A little paint, and it'll be a good set for horror movies," I ran my hand along the bars of the cages.
"Shade, please don't joke like that. Any movie doesn't even come close here," the girl shivered, and the feeling of goosebumps running actually reached me.
"True enough. Come."
Going to the bridge, I flipped the switches. There was energy, but the reactor for some reason didn't respond. Turning off the distress beacon, I returned to the deck below and looked into the reactor room. Inside, a beautifuuuuul chewed hole and a bitten reactor with someone's teeth sticking out of it were waiting for me.
"Amusing. This is what I understand by the phrase: to be left without teeth," I nudged Talia with my elbow.
"Oh, Chief."
"Alright, alright."
Glancing at the fuel, I frowned.
"Well?"
"Crap. Neither the fuel nor the coolant will suit us."
"Well, that's it... Now we're definitely stuck."
"Talia."
"What?"
"Never hang your nose."
"And what else can we do? There's no help, and the only signal we caught led us to other victims. How much worse can it get?"
"It can always be worse. Remember, when you think there's nowhere further to fall, someone will definitely knock from below."
"Really?"
"Yes. I've personally seen it. So instead of saying how everything is bad, think about what we can use."
"Alright."
Going outside, I looked around. Right... What to do, what to do... Hm... No fuel, no coolant. No outpost either, as it turns out. Craaaaap. No, definitely, if I only catch that infection that arranged a safari park for us, I'll strangle the bastard.
"Chief," Talia poked me.
"Hm?"
"Look," she nodded somewhere upward. Lifting my eyes, I looked at the antenna. "Can't we take it with us?"
"Hm... There's our chance. And you say, 'no way out, no way out.' There is always a way out. Even if you've been eaten, you have two ways out!"
"What's with you and the jokes lately?"
"Any life difficulties should be perceived with humor."
"You weren't joking when you were fighting bureaucracy."
"I said difficulties, not a f*ck-up. Don't confuse them!"
"Hee... Alright. Returning to the antenna, how are we going to lug it?"
"How, how. On our backs, that's how. You'll take the dish, I'll take the bolts, and that's how we'll carry it."
"Chieeeeeef."
"Heh-heh-heh-heh..."
Jumping up, I surveyed the equipment. From the look of it, everything was in order. Applying the Force, I unscrewed the bolts, removed the protective panels, unfastened the mounts, and following them the device itself, not forgetting to carefully disconnect the precious equipment from the ship.
The antenna itself resembled a satellite dish, only relatively small. Well, like... my size. Here's a paradox, by the way: calling this device an antenna or a satellite dish would be incorrect. A quite specific "UPS" is put on ships. It is—a Signal Transmission Unit. I'd like to know how and under what conditions that acronym was born.
Lowering the device to the ground, I jumped down myself. Right, where were those speeder bikes? Peering inside, I chose one and put it in order. Right... Grease this, unfold that... What about the power? Aha, the batteries are empty. Damn... Alright. Returning to the reactors, I took out one of the energy storage units, then dragged it to the bike. Now we connect the device to the speeder bike charging station...
Boom!
"Ow..." I shook my hand, applying healing. Damned voltage difference. Pity the Force isn't a helper here; it'll warn about a possible problem, of course, but it won't think for you, especially if you're a klutz.
The second attempt was more successful than the first, and I finally managed to make the charging station work. After that, I connected the speeder bike to it. By the way, we should recharge ours for company.
Finding an extension cord in the engineering section was no trouble. Connecting it to the station, I put our speeder bike on charge too, since almost all charging stations are unified.
Talia watched all my manipulations silently and from the side, not interfering and not standing in the way.
"We'll wait a bit, and we can set out," I commented on her look. "And while we wait, want to try shooting?"
"I don't know how."
"That's the point. I'll show you," drawing my pistol, I spun it in my hand.
Surveying the space, I moved the junk aside, flattened the grass, and moved some containers further away to simulate a target. Placing my helmet on the speeder bike, I took a position. Leaving the mask next to my helmet, Talia fell in beside me.
"Look. Any weapon has a safety; in this case—it's this little thing," I pointed to the switch. "In this mode, the weapon is incapable of firing; for use, it's necessary to put this thingy in this position," I flipped the safety. "Next, we aim at the target, aim along the sight, it's this thing," I tapped the pistol's sight with my nail, "and pull the trigger. The weapon is energy-based, so there's no recoil, which makes shooting easier."
Aiming, I fired several shots, then put it on safety and held it out to Talia.
"Here."
The girl uncertainly took the weapon.
"It doesn't bite," I smiled and, taking her hand, placed the weapon correctly. Standing behind her back, I instructed further: "Now remove the safety. Yes, there. Now aim. And fire. Well?"
A shot flashed, which went completely past the target. Talia also jerked as if it were her being shot at. Taking her waist with one hand, I straightened the girl's arm with the other.
"You shouldn't be afraid of your weapon. It's part of you, your extension. Look, hold your arm like this; the pad of your index finger should be exactly in the middle of the trigger so that when you fire, the weapon doesn't pull to the side."
"I heard that some pistols have recoil," Talia turned slightly, glancing at me.
"That's slugthrower weapons. Those—yes, have recoil, and it's harder to shoot from them. A blaster doesn't have that problem."
So, for about half an hour we were engaged in shooting. Talia laughed at how crooked she was; I looked phlegmatically at the misses and shrugged my shoulders. The lessons were interrupted by the appearance of a pack of raptors, attracted by the noise. The beasts wanted to eat so much that they didn't fall for the mind trick and rushed at us.
Catching the first ones in a grip, I threw them back, and fried two more with Force Lightning. The one that was very close was crumpled like jelly taken in a fist. That was the end of the pack.
"You know, Chief, it seems to me that all this is useless."
"Hm?"
"You manage everything yourself."
"I wouldn't say that. A girl, especially in our world, simply needs to know how to stand up for herself."
"But I can!"
"And how's that?"
"With a knife."
"A knife?" I arched an eyebrow.
"Yes."
"Well, show me," I took out a deactivated Mandalorian vibro-knife. To my surprise, as soon as the knife was in her delicate hands, Talia showed an excellent result, freely spinning the weapon in her hand. Not playfully, of course, but nevertheless...
Then she showed three knife strikes—to the liver, lung, and heart—following one after another. Next she showed a couple of strikes with the blunt side.
"There."
"Amusing. And where did you learn that?"
"Well... spun it around, read something, classmates in the institute taught me something... anyway, it just kind of happened," she shrugged her shoulders. "Mom approved of it, just in case. Why?"
Inspecting her suspiciously, a sense of déjà vu came over me for a moment. That hand position, that stance...
"Chief?"
"Nothing. Just curious. And do you know how to fight?"
"Only like this," a leg swing went out, but didn't reach the target. "Scared?"
"You wouldn't have hit. But it's a good strike, yes," I nodded. "Besides that, there are several more good ones."
"Better show those, and not this," she made a pistol with her fingers and "fired" a couple of times.
"Fair enough. Look. For starters, this kind of move would suit you," I took a stance. "Stand opposite. Look, suppose you have a knife... Though you already have a knife. Strike."
"Huh?"
"Strike."
After a bit of hesitation, a swing went out, aimed at the liver area on a human. Blocking, I intercepted the weapon, simulated a knee strike to the stomach and a hand strike to the throat.
"Something like that. In your case, you can do without the knee and strike immediately to the neck; not much strength is needed there, the main thing—do everything quickly. Give me your hands."
So, taking the girl's hands, I slowly and clearly, with her own hands, showed the movements. The training so absorbed us that I didn't notice the speeder bikes had charged.
"No, no, what kind of cuttlefish dance is that?" I protested, at which Talia laughed ringingly, covering her mouth with her hand.
"It's hard to keep balance."
"But you're guaranteed to knock your opponent down like that and be able to try to run away. Anyway, we'll continue later," I looked at the time, "time to pack up."
"Aha."
Pulling out the second speeder bike, I secured the antenna on it and tied it to mine like a trailer. Ensuring everything was secured normally, we set out on the return journey.
The road to the CIM took more time than from it. Not only did we have to stay on the route, but the trailer also limited us. This was especially felt in the jungle. Maneuvering there is its own kind of pleasure anyway, and with a trailer—it was a nightmare. I had to drop the speeder to thirty to forty kilometers per hour.
Due to the combination of all these factors, we stopped for the night twice. Once in the jungle, where we were again taken for breakfast with delivery, and the second on the plains, where again the local fauna met us. To save on rations, I used the predators' own meat. Yes, without spices and salt. But when you want to eat, even that will seem like a delicacy, as Talia directly informed me, devouring another piece.
Also at every halt the girl slept exclusively by my side. The nightly howling scared her very much, and got on my nerves. Well, yeah, you're lying in a half-doze-half-meditation, resting, and then suddenly a wild howl. Ptooie.
Nevertheless, we successfully returned to the CIM. Two packs of local beasts were lying near the ship, something was roasting on the fire, and above, from the hull, Dis gave us a friendly wave. Handing the antenna to the pilots right away, I filled them in on the details. Tarsus was very upset that the received signal wasn't an outpost at all, but another distress signal, but what can you do. On the other hand, we now had a chance to make contact with someone.
With the installation of the antenna, the people cheered up. Almost immediately we managed to make contact with an unidentified ship, transmit our coordinates, and wait for help from the unknown interlocutors. Though... as it turned out later, we had contacted marauders patrolling the sectors in search of loot.
I don't know if they were in a hurry or not... Most likely not; our "saviors" only showed up on the fourth day. Everyone watched the Corellian freighter model YT-870 descending from the sky. As soon as the ship touched the surface and the ramp opened, armed thugs poured out of it. Though, as soon as Dis and I went out to meet them, all the spirit of our "saviors" was blown away like the wind. Everyone stopped, eyes rounded, no one played with their guns anymore, and some even decided to back off.
"Gentlemeeeen! So it's you who need help?" their captain apparently babbled, ordering his people to lower their weapons. "We arrived on the distress signal! How can our humble team help noble mercenaries in trouble?"
"Fuel and coolant. For a good payment," I rubbed my fingers. The latter produced a simply stunning effect on the Weequay. Kicking his people, the alien clapped his hands and joyfully voiced what they were flying on.
It's good that Corellians make quite unified vessels. We paid the "do-gooders" a triple price, they poured us everything needed, and immediately cleared out.
As soon as the vessel left the ground, we gathered in the lounge to celebrate the completion of this minor scrape.
"Well? Shall we knock one back?" Dis clapped his hands.
"With your beer?"
"You offend me, Shade."
"Ah, right. Mandalorians... Alright, get it out."
Making a gesture with his hands: "coming right up," Dis dashed to his cabin, from where he brought a bottle of not-cheap Mandalorian swill.
"Don't pour too much for Talia; she'll be gone immediately," I said before the Mandalorian could pour.
"Hey!"
"Not 'hey.' I know perfectly well what that is. Believe me, you've had enough, and anyway, better dilute it. And I, perhaps, should better dilute it too..." I finished, reaching for juice with the Force. Following the juice, snacks appeared on the table. "Dis, leave some for those in the cockpit."
"Definitely!"
So, sitting at the table, our humble company celebrated the good resolution of the problem.
"Shade, and how are we going to find that bastard?"
"Yuri will help. Our new manager. He'll help get the documents on who had access to the service droids. At the very least, we'll start with that."
"And what are the plans?" Talia asked.
"The plan—fly to the nearest spaceport, repair, refuel, find out the latest news, and from there according to circumstances. Oh, by the way." I looked at Tarsus. "In the future, not a single bastard touches the ship without your knowledge! Not a droid, not an organic. Ang'hyer?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Splendid."
Having sat for another twenty minutes, Tarsus was the first to tumble out from the table. Dis left after them, citing that he still had to clean his armor in the morning.
"Well? And it's time for us to turn in too?" I looked at Talia sitting next to me.
"Uh-huh. A... Chief, can I take a small liberty?"
"Which one?"
"Well, let me."
"Suppose so, go ahead."
Finishing her glass and gathering courage, her cheeks flushed, she stood up slightly and, reaching toward me, kissed me. Gently, slowly, and very skillfully.
"Unexpected," I admitted. Listening to the girl's emotions, I couldn't make anything out of them at all, so her impulse was indeed unexpected. "Talia, don't you think you're a bit tipsy?"
"I think so. But later I'll be scared. I am afraid of you, after all."
"Am I that scary?" I arched an eyebrow.
"A little. I was... Well, you know."
"Oh, we closed that topic, alright?" I grimaced slightly.
"Thank you..." I heard her whisper, and I was kissed again. "I promise, you won't regret it," the girl sincerely promised.
"Regret what exactly?"
"Your decision. I am useful, after all. And I knooooow how to give maaaaaassages."
Smiling, I laughed to myself and shook my head.
"We'll see."
Apparently, my "we'll see" was taken not quite as I had calculated. Or was it the alcohol playing? Ah, doesn't matter. Hand position, gestures, light touches of delicate palms, Talia clearly knew what she was doing.
And then, as time showed, Talia turned out to be exactly a girl. Surprisingly, I hadn't expected anything like that from a Twi'lek. So I had to recall already slightly forgotten skills of Force mastery for non-traditional application.
***
Waking up as if by the flip of a switch, I stared at the ceiling of my own cabin for a while. It was quiet, peaceful, cozy, and simply pleasant. The forgotten feeling of weight on my chest pleasantly warmed my heart, mind, and ego.
On the other hand, it's strange. Talia clearly feels an attraction to me, but to call it love wouldn't be right, nor would it be for me toward her. Just pleasant... Comfortable. Though, perhaps I'm wrong.
"Mmm..." something stirred on me under the blanket.
"Good morning."
"Uh-huh," a face burrowed into my chest. Lowering my hand to a lekku, I ran it over the skin, accompanying the action with light Force impulses, giving that face a note of bliss. She was already lying on me relaxed, but here she turned into a happy puddle.
"There. I'm happy. Just for this one could work for you."
"Ha-ha-ha, so that means we aren't sleeping? Pretending?"
"Uh-huh. Can we do it again sometime?"
"Later. It'll be a stimulus for new achievements," I stroked her head.
"I'll try haaaaard!"
Laughing, I squeezed that face and basked in her emotions. Then I pushed her away slightly and climbed out. Right... that's a recharge, both in emotions and in body. A second wind opened up immediately for new achievements.
Diving into my shorts and vest, I trudged to the kitchen.
"Good morning!" I greeted the Mandalorian lying on the sofa... a hungover Mandalorian.
"Shade..." he answered murderously.
"Dis, do you ever sleep?" I peered into the refrigerator.
"Only on weekends. And you're quite brisk, even for yourself."
"Finally managed to get distracted," gathering my breakfast, I clamped a sandwich between my teeth.
"I see... And that's good, because I have news for you," stopping mid-motion, I slowly turned to the Mandalorian.
"Wha?"
"Well, news. I've scanned the events that happened during our absence."
Taking the sandwich out, I said:
"Just try telling me about more problems, I'll put you ashore! No, I'll put you back on Vendaxa. Don't you dare ruin my mood!"
"Hm... We have absolutely no cough-cough... no problems, cough... everything is simply remarkable!" the Mandalorian began, breaking into laughter hidden behind a cough. "For example, the good news is that your head has been appreciated according to its worth!"
"In what sense?"
"Three anonymous employers are paying for your head, Shade. Total sum—two million credits."
"..."
"Be proud, your head is worth a full two million! And if you bring other parts, like a hand or a heart, you can get another bonus on top, ha-ha-ha. Hic!" the Mandalorian stuttered, looking at my face. "Alright, I get it, you didn't appreciate it, let's move on. Our message reached the Pykes; they understood it but didn't heed it. They invite you to a private conversation at their home. The good news is that we, meaning the Mandalorians, are happy to accept it and accompany our favorite boss right on top of Basilisks!"
"?!"
"MandalMotors sent the first batch of components for Basilisks; our people have already started assembly."
"And when did they manage..."
"Well, they have the workshops! On Concordia, Mandalore's moon, entire factories were idle, so they revived them. The technology is already refined, worked out, and polished. Just had to touch it up a bit."
"In short, you guys want to test the machines."
"Aha. And also the corvettes ordered on Corellia have gone on patrol, plus the 'Zaran' mercenaries have joined the fray, so our sector is under some kind of protection."
"What else will you please me with?"
"Tron responded. He talked with our people and found out that the Hutts are very ambivalent about the increased activity on Tatooine. And also, they're a bit upset about the loss of a whole cruiser, specifically a certain Gardulla the Hutt. Rumors are that they want to take their cut from you, as they've long set their sights on Tatooine."
"They can wait." I snorted and defrosted breakfast.
"Well, they thought so too, and for now they aren't going to crawl to us, having decided to watch from the side how events develop. Though, that didn't stop one Hutt from notifying you of his visit. A certain Jabba Desilijic Tiure is going to honor our humble company with his presence."
"Jabba... a Hutt, is he?"
"Well Jabba, and yes, a Hutt, why?"
"Oh, just because, I've already heard that name," and I finished more quietly: "And what did he want from me?"
"We'll find out from him. He insisted on a personal audience... with you."
Boom! A blow sounded under the table where the Mandalorian was sitting.
"...with you."
"Dis?"
"What?"
"What was that?"
"Where?"
Boom!
"That."
"Ah, just a trifle."
"Dis, where is Zero?"
"Mmm..."
"Dis?"
Boom!
"Dis, let him out."
"Okay."
Reaching under the table, the Mandalorian pulled out a box. As soon as it was opened, the droid immediately flew out, cursing in binary.
"And why did you hide him?"
"He's annoying! As long as I've been sitting here, he hasn't looked away from me once. It's just f*cking irritating."
In response, Zero issued a new portion of abuse.
"He's of the same opinion about you."
"That's it, your master's awake, fly out of here," the Mandalorian shooed the droid like a fly.
Indignant, Zero returned to my shoulder and, not otherwise than on purpose, began to bore Dis with his gaze.
"Any more news?"
"Well, our people on Tatooine were looking for us too, but I've already written back, so that's all from me."
"Beep-beep," the droid responded. "Personal message."
"Personal? Well, go ahead," pouring another weak semblance of vork, I stirred, looking at the activated hologram.
"Hello, Shade," said a female figure distorted by interference, "if that is your real name." Snorting, I looked away from the recording. "I don't know if those rumors that reached us regarding your identity are true, but I want to believe that everything is exactly so. And I very much want to meet you personally. So that you don't think it's a joke, I will say two words: Saros and Aala."
"Pfffff! Cough-cough-cough-cough..." choking on the drink, I returned attention to the message.
"If you are who I think you are, you will understand who this is. Send the answer to this address."
The recording ended, the hologram went out, and I just stood there, staring into the void.
"Zero, turn it on again," I gave the command, wiping the spilled drink.
The droid obediently fulfilled the order and showed me the message again.
"Hm... Where did the message come from?"
"Nar Shaddaa."
"That doesn't mean anything yet; many people throw fake ends there so a tail won't lead back," Dis interjected, having stood up. "Shade, what's happening?"
"No idea."
"Then why did you react to those names like that?"
"Saros is my father, Aala is my mother. I couldn't even fish those data out in the Jedi Temple."
"How interesting..."
"Well, the morning started well," I rubbed the bridge of my nose.
"Notice, I had nothing to do with it!"
"Tch."
"Silent."
"Zero, send a message: I'm ready to meet, but not earlier than in two weeks. Or fly to Tatooine yourselves."
"Accepted. Message sent."
"And why two weeks?"
"Because I don't know what kind of crap will happen tomorrow and where I'll need to fly urgently and without delay!"
"Easy, brother, no nerves," Dis conciliatingly held out a can to me. "Here."
"Thanks."
Taking several sips, I froze, estimating plans, but then the pilots appeared in the passage.
"Chief?"
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
"So, where are we now?" I looked at Dis.
"New Cov. A spaceport on the Corellian Trade Spine. Currently waiting for spare parts for repair," the first pilot answered.
"Long?"
"No, they should deliver within an hour."
"Good. As soon as we finish with the repair, we set out for Tatooine immediately..."
***
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