Finders Keepers

[Arda Breaux]

Concord Dawn

She had kind of forgotten about it in recent weeks, but she carried it with her as though if she were to cross paths again, she could return it to its owner. Her mind and soul was beginning to ease back together, healing from time and her own forgiveness of all the ills that had fallen on her ever since she joined the Rebels formally. It was difficult, but things were looking more positive as she pressed onward, leaving the past in the past and focusing on the present. Though in this case, for this object, a Mandalorian Beskad, kept bringing her blanks as to where she had obtained such a weapon.

The girl had done her research on the Ifrane temple, learning of its origin, but it told her very little about how to identify its owner; there were some markings, but the weapon was worn in a way that demonstrated it has seen many battles and made little sense to the padawan. She even tried to dabble in psychometry, but her inexperience with the ability gave her whispers and foggy glimpses of figures she could not make out in the slightest. However, she received some feelings that left her curious but would save them for another time.

In her search, she had built up the courage to head into Mandalorian territory; the last time she had met with Mandalorians was at the celebration on Nar Shaddaa with the other Rebels. All she could remember was waking up to Castor's visit the next day, with barely any remembrance of what happened the evening before. Though part of her was glad whatever she couldn't remember didn't occur with Castor at the time, his trust with her had been shattered, which made her recovery even more difficult. Regardless, she had her focus now, she was determined to find the owner to this weapon, starting with popular drinking holes she picked up from other spaces who spoke highly of them.

However, entering this particular one, she felt so out of place, the girl nearly turned around and left, but instead, she took a deep breath and walked up to the counter to order an ale for comfort.

@Lucid

 

[Daz Solus]

Planetary defense headquarters was in something of an uproar.

The arrival of one Arda Breaux, Jedi sorceress and otherwise somewhat undesirable, had caused quite a stir. It was one thing to be allied--however strenuously--with the Alliance and to have a good brawl with them on a satellite world. It was another thing all together to have a Jedi sorceress wandering around Concord Dawn. The Death Watch were in an uproar and Daz was betting it was only a matter of time before someone from the Chosen said something about a crusade.

As he watched Ms. Breaux stroll into a bar near the planetary defense headquarters, Daz couldn't help but think that he knew her. They'd probably met on Hutta when everyone had been blitzed out of their minds...but he couldn't help but shake the feeling that they knew eachother a little better than a passing greeting. Someone behind him yelled to get a stake and ready a fire to burn the witch. It jerked him out of his thoughts and he wheeled around, his helmet staring emotionlessly at the offending party. "Knock it off, idiot," Daz snapped at the man. "We can't just go killing our allies because they want to get a drink...god. If that were the case we'd have killed ourselves off centuries ago. I'll go figure out what she wants, ok?"

There was mumbled consent and agreement that someone should probably go and figure out why she was here. Since nobody else really wanted to associate themselves with her kind, Daz seized the chance to go put an end to the mystery. He left the room without another word and made his way through the streets to the bar that Ms. Breaux was currently in. His watchers said that she hadn't moved from the location. Daz knew this particular pub well...it wasn't exactly the classiest joint on the planet but it was certainly a local favorite. Sure enough, as he was just going to push open the door, a surprisingly large fellow came flying out of the front window.

He ignored him, and, pushing open the door to reveal the gloom within decided to cut to the chase. "Ms. Arda Breaux," He yelled over the sounds of a scuffle at the booth by the window. "Her most Bloody Majesty, Mandalor the Chosen, Liberator of Tanaab and Onderon, Tamer of a Jedi, Savior of our People, Mand'alor to the warring clans, Raz Solus would like a word!" Raz probably had no idea that Ms. Breaux was even on the planet, but it didn't matter. He needed her attention and he needed to get everyone else to shut up...which meant saying something suitably dramatic and grandiose. It took every last iota of self control he possessed to keep sarcasm from his voice as he invented titles for his sister.

Whatever the case, the bar went silent as the locals tried to figure out why was Raz was being called such and why her brother had personally turned up to apprehend some tiny lady pounding back ale at the bar.

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

The Mandalorian behind the bar seemed reluctant to even serve her but did anyway, the prospect of earning an overpriced credit probably was more of value and surely Arda thought the guy charged double. Regardless, she was more than happy to take the ale to pull the edge off she felt in the room. A brawl broke out behind her, she was unable to understand what they were fighting about in their thick accented Mando'a but she tried not to pay attention. However, as much as she didn't want to believe it, all the attention seemed to be on her. She nearly choked on her drink when she thought she heard someone walk by and call her witch and now she really understood what people meant by Mandalorians speaking their mind. They had no filter nor any inhibitions to keep anything to themselves.

The padawan tilted the glass back slowly, this particular ale was rich, not a flavor she was familiar with, but definitely not one she was going to enjoy as someone called out her name. Placing the glass down on the counter, she slowly turned around as the bar fell quiet, the Mandalorian announcing his presence and the wishes of that of their Manda'lor who requested her presence also. The girl quirked an eyebrow trying to figure out what the Manda'lor wanted with someone like her; regardless, she reached around to pick up her glass for another drink but the bartender had already taken it away. She shot him a warning look though she felt more disappointment she couldn't finish her drink.

All eyes were on her though as she tapped the counter twice with her fingers, accepting she had to deal with this guy and the Manda'lor, she probably would have had more luck mailing the beskad to the world telling them to put it in the lost-and-found pile. Arda was cautious as she walked up to the Solus clan member who addressed her, "Very well, maybe the Manda'lor would have more sense than to take away a girl's drink before she's done." she sighed and glanced at Daz continuing out the door with him to follow hopefully.

@Lucid

 

[Daz Solus]

"The Mand'alor doesn't even know you're here," Daz said quietly as he followed her out of the bar. He turned to face her, showing nothing but the emotionless T of his helmet. "I had to say something to get the others to shut up...everybody is so noisy and it's not even noon," he shook his head in a dismayed sort of way and popped off his helmet so he could fix her with an annoyed glare and continued. "What are you even doing here, Ms. Breaux? Drinks on Hutta is one thing, but walking around Concord Dawn is something else all together. We don't really like your kind around here...witches and such, I'm sure you understand."

He was being honest, and a little more familiar than he would have been otherwise, but he still hadn't placed why he felt that he knew her. A hazy image of someone who looked kind of like her raising a glass in a toast at a bar across from what could only be Burkhart flashed through his mind. He didn't remember much of that night...the only clear recollection being a vivid memory of tossing a high priced prostitute across the establishment. Fun night. Weird night.

He didn't relax his tone or expression, "You had planetary defense headquarters up in arms. Not everyone views the alliance between us as beneficial. There's a good number of people who feel like we've been used by the Alliance. It's not exactly a good idea to just turn up and go for drinks. A bit out of the way too...what could possibly be so important that you'd risk ruining the Mando/Jedi Alliance by getting yourself killed by us?"

It was not an elegantly phrased question, but Daz wasn't exactly an eloquent person, but his meaning was clear enough. He had a choice, if whatever she was here for was truly important then maybe he could risk letting her run around. If she was here on a whim--and going by her interesting choice of hair color, he thought it likely--then he'd have to escort her back to her ship and send her back to Hugo with a note pinned to her shirt.

'Please keep your pets on your own lawn.
Love,
Concord Dawn

P.S. Send payment for shipping and handling C/O Daz Solus.'

Or something. Whatever the case it wouldn't be good for their already stressed relationship.

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

Everyone being nosy before noon? Arda thought that was a standard for Mandalorians. The Mandalorian who called for her followed her out, sticking close as he informed her in a light whisper that the Manda'lor didn't know she was present. He finally took off his helmet and Arda studied his face carefully, her eyes narrowing in thought as though she were trying to pin from where she had known him. However, she was comfortable accepting she probably saw his face on the holo along with others who the Holonet has been targetting the Mandalorian campaign from system to system.

"I've come to find not many like my kind anywhere, even when I am trying to be helpful. Especially you guys, speaking in grunts and I can totally sense what you're feeling even if I can't see your faces behind the visor." Arda complained as she reached around her belt and pulled a sword sheathed in cloth while Daz continued to explain the overreactive planetary defenses and had to hold back greatly from rolling her eyes. She didn't understand why Mandalorians were like this. "Well, if you guys were going to kill me, you'd have to try first, now wouldn't you?" she raised an eyebrow while unwrapping the beskad, "I'm here because I had this in my possession and no one can tell me where it had come from or who it belonged to." She decided to keep to herself the "magic" she used to learn of the weapon's history, leading her to here, "So I thought I would be more direct with my search and came here."

The Jedi held up the weapon with both hands, letting the Mando take the weapon, "If you know who, then you are welcome to end my quest here and you can take on the burden of returning it, especially if a witch-in-training is as threatening as the Emperor himself on your world."

@Lucid

 

[Daz Solus]

Daz didn't immediately react. He was too stunned. He missed everything Arda said after she pulled out the beskad. His beskad.

He had woken the next morning (evening) after the brawl on Hutta to find it missing. At first he figured someone else had picked it up so he had accosted his friends and family endlessly to figure out if someone had it. They didn't. Nor did they understand why Daz was so upset. Beskads were a dime a dozen on Mandalore and Concord Dawn...just get another, they had said. And sure, Daz had others, and could have picked up a replacement easily. But the one that he had lost--the one that Arda was holding so casually in her hands--had been his mother's.

Not even Raz knew that he had found it and kept it after she had been murdered...and he had no intention of telling her. It did, however, mean a great deal to him and for it to have gone missing so carelessly had made him feel like a failure. To find that it had been in the hands of a Jedi all this time doubled that feeling. Daz let out the breath he had been holding, god knew what the witch woman had felt from him as his thoughts whirled, and looked at her directly.

"Ms. Breaux," he said as conversationally as he could manage, "that beskad is mine."

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

Arda had achieved the impossible, she had silenced a Mandalorian.

The Jedi raised her eyebrows as she waited for a response from the man as he looked in awe at the beskad that she held. There was something more to this than just an ordinary weapon, she didn't need the Force to read the expression on his face, however, if she explored further, her senses picked up a whirlwind of emotion. Self-doubt, shock, but relief as though he was being reunited with a long lost friend.

When he finally spoke, she could hear some hesitation in his voice but he claimed it as his own and Arda grinned, her journey reaching its end with some closure in knowing she had found the weapon's owner.

"Then, my quest does truly end here, Mandalorian." she told him and turned the blade in order to point the hilt to him, allowing him to grasp his weapon. The Force clearly worked in mysterious ways, guiding her to where she needed to be and now was the proof, she had placed her trust in a comic entity that tied everyone together in some manner, including those who despise its existence like the Mandalorians.

"It's just Arda by the way, you don't have to address me formally." her brow narrowed as she studied him for a moment, her head tilting slightly, "Are you going to be ok? I mean I've never seen a Mandalorian get this quiet ever..." Arda begun to wonder if him claiming the weapon and if anyone overheard them would bring him shame for a Jedi held something that looked to be priceless to the man.

@Lucid

 

[Daz Solus]

Daz took the beskad and slit it neatly back to its place on his belt. He was relieved to have it back, of course, but he still couldn't shake his profound sense of confusion. When Arda asked him if he'd be ok, he once again didn't respond immediately. He was wracking his brain trying to shake something lose from his memory that would give a clue as to how in the world she had got her hands on it.

He was not successful.

Instead he had to take the hit and admit that he had been more drunk than was proper, even for a Mandalorian. "Ms. Bre--Arda," he said, "I'm fine. It's just a beskad with a bunch of necessary family baggage. Thanks for giving it back," he scratched his head absently. "But why in the world did you have it?"

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

He took back his weapon, sheathing it on its rightful spot on his belt as he still looked lost in thought, trying to find a memory that dared to escape his consciousness and leaving him with very little explanation. Though same could be said for the padawan as she had tried to recall where she had even gotten such a weapon.

She nodded her head in respect as he thanked her for returning it and inquired how she had gotten the weapon in the first place. She could have told him it was the fate of the Force, but she didn't feel like being punched by a Mandalorian...again. So instead the girl shrugged and shook her head, she had no recollection whatsoever of where it had come from. Not even long hours of meditation could bring her an answer to that question.

"I really do not know and I am as confused as you are as to how I obtained it." she placed her hands on her hips comfortably, "I didn't realize I even had it until I was discharged from the medical bay." the padawan began to explain, "I didn't have it when I left Korriban...I was thinking I somehow got it when I was on Nar Shaddaa for that celebration." she frowned, remembering how angry the nurses were with her the next morning between the vomiting and the ripped stitch or two.

"I had an irritable hangover, but I don't remember anything that happened that night." she smirked, but her smile quickly faded as a passing Mandalorian shouted something about witches. The Jedi's attention turned back to Solus before her, "It would have been the only place I have gone since I came home and finally given the clear to return to the field." Her voice fell quiet, "I'm sorry I don't know, Mandalorian."

@Lucid

 

[Daz Solus]

The passing Mandalorian (a Clan Ordo member that Daz recognized) did not only yell something about witches but went on to suggest that the amount of time the Mand'alor's family was spending with them was unhealthy. Daz's wheeled around, walked right up to the man, grabbed him by the throat and threw him clean across the road, armor and all. "You should know better than to suggest such dangerous things. Surely that's not what you were doing?" The loudmouth Ordo nodded and cursed as he pulled himself to his feet. "Yeah, you better be sorry...you're lucky I have more patience than my sister. Get out of here and stop ruining other people's conversations."

Daz strode back to Arda fuming. However, the act of throwing a person in such a manner had triggered his memory. He had tossed a stripper at some blind Jedi, downed some liquor then went to join Burkhart at the bar. There had followed a conversation with a woman, more booze and...and the memory of him sliding his beskad towards her telling her to go shank people? That couldn't be right. Or was it?

God. Just how drunk had he been?

"Right. Sorry about that," he gave no excuse or explanation of what he had just done. "I don't remember much of that night either but it's starting to come back slowly...tossing that guy jogged things a bit for me." He didn't really know how to phrase what to say next, he didn't really remember much of their conversation but as he pondered one thing came back to him. "Does this mean you're feeling better?" He blurted it out before he could stop himself.

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

Daz clearly understood the entire comment made by the other Mandalorian because he seemed just as livid also as he grabbed the other warrior by the throat and threw him across the road, shouting at him in Mando'a. Arda still felt annoyed by all the attention she was getting but knew also she had brought it onto herself. Though for the Mandalorian she was speaking to, it seemed he was not enjoying the attention either as she could feel a more recognizable emotion from the man and one that Arda had more associated the Mandalorians for having a natural knack at always feeling angry.

He apologized for the Mandalorian interruption and then again for not remembering much of what had happened that night. Though if Arda recalled, there were many that night on base who couldn't recall what had happened. She was going to suggest to forget about the entire thing, even if they couldn't remember when he blurted out quickly if she was feeling any better. The padawan felt herself study the Mando for a moment, for him to ask such a thing, he would have to speak to her that evening; she had not shared the details about getting shot, very few knew, though everyone seemed to know about Aurora abandoning her which spread like wildfire. Arda was uncertain on how to respond to the Mandalorian, she eyed him for a moment before nodding, "Yes, I am." she instinctively touched her back, feeling the odd tingling sensation where some nerves were damaged.

"I have the feeling though we spoke that night on Nar Shadda and somehow in our inebriated states, I managed to get a hold of your weapon." Arda frowned, "I am surprised you didn't toss me out a window for taking it. It would have been well deserved." laughed the padawan.

@Lucid

 

[Daz Solus]

As she spoke, Daz felt himself reddening slightly. This Jedi woman had him oddly on edge and for the life of him he couldn't explain why. Myabe it was the way she had just looked at him-as if she was deciding his worth with that piercing gaze of hers. As she spoke the color in Daz's face only deepened and he wish dearly that he had decided to keep his helmet firmly on.

"Um, well, you see..." Daz looked down sheepishly, "If memory serves--and only does in the most general sort of way--I think I gave it to you and told you to slide it between the ribs of whomever hurt you." He laughed to himself before adding: "We have some unusual forms of therapy, I'm happy to hear that it worked...though honestly I'm a bit surprised. Why didn't you just use your magic to fix yourself?"

He had noticed how she had unconsciously reached behind her to touch her back when she spoke. He assumed that's where she had been stabbed/shot/electrocuted. It was surprising to him that their power seemed to have unusual and unpredictable limits. From the way that he had heard of their power and what little he'd seen of it himself, it seemed to make them almost godlike.

@GABA

 

[Arda Breaux]

This was just getting weird, she wasn't really believing what she was hearing from the Mandalorian who seemed to be glowing red by the Jedi's presence. She continued to study the Mandalorian, her jaw slightly agape as she debated to interrupt his story, however, as she touched the Force, she could tell his story was not false. In fact, she could feel the honesty behind his words and it made her uncomfortable in the sense she had seemed to have charmed someone enough that they would hand over their weapon so she could stab her enemies. Though she would be caught off guard when he asked why she didn't use her magic to heal herself; her brow furrowed and the Jedi smirked.

"Sad to say, I had not been able to stab very many enemies, especially the ones who gave me my most recent scars. However, I feel your recollection is truth and I'm glad one of us can remember some bits of that evening." However, Arda was uncertain of how to react to his assumption about her healing abilities, that within itself held a very long story, she knew basics, but nothing that could mend bones or heal the burns she had obtained.

"Though I doubt I am capable of facing my enemies currently much like all the learners." she frowned, "We're expected to fill the boots of legends and yet we can't even properly face each other." Arda explained, "Its clearly not yet our time and I feel relieved in that truth." the girl's smile returned, though her senses picked up a feeling as though she was being watched more intently than previously recognized. "I seem to have attracted some additional eyes, my welcome here must be wearing..." she leaned in, speaking quietly as though they were discussing super secret plans, "We can continue this conversation to my shuttle." she suggested, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of her ship.

@Lucid