Ask Tatooine It's Called "Bas'lan shev'la", Not "Bailing on a barfight", Di'kut!

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

The smile Reiel gave Fiach was akin to the binary suns rising over Tatooine's sandy horizon – bright and warm, but the sincerity hidden forever by the cover of her buy'ce. She could only hope that her voice carried out the gratitude she felt at the Jedi's words.

"Thank you!"

She respectfully kept quiet as Fiach recounted the events that led to their meeting. Her father mirrored her silence, the T on the older Mandalorian's visor firmly fixed towards the Jedi's direction. He sat there, back straight in typical militaristic fashion and Reiel instantly knew that the persona of father was quickly replaced by chief beroya, the person being groomed as the clan's next alor – a person of authority the moment Fiach mentioned the Sith.

While her father remained silent and seemingly unperturbed by the revelation, Reiel was – understandably – the exact opposite. She had never faced a Sith before, and to think that there had been not one, but two Darksiders in the cantina–!

Corroborating Fiach's tale flew out of the window instantly.

"The Sith?! Two of them?" spluttered the young Mandalorian in shock. A chill crept down her spine, her sudden fear turning into gratitude as she sent Hod Ha'ran a quick prayer of thanks for letting her and the Jedi walk out of that barfight unscathed. She even thanked the Force, for hells' sakes.

Her father rose from his seat and approached the two women. He stood before them, an intimidating figure whose alarmed gaze swept towards the spaceport's entrance.

"Typical Jedi. Helping those in need." His words were clipped but not unkind. Wulfric was not unfamiliar with the battle between the two Force-user races. And while he mistrusted the Jetiise, he was not a fool to turn one away in favor of the Sith. They were – to him – both a danger, but he would rather side with the Jedi who aimed for peace than the Sith who craved nothing but chaos and destruction.

Clan Crowholde may have come from House Vizsla, but they were a family who learned from the past. They vowed to never make the same mistakes Pre Vizsla did.

"It is by the luck of Hod Ha'ran that the two of you have walked out of the cantina with your lives. But we cannot count on another blessing, for it may turn into a trick against us."

Reiel could do nothing but watch as her father comandeered the conversation. She was still shocked that she had been in the presence of Darksiders. And like Fiach had said, the encounter could have ended into a bloodbath.

"Fiach, if I have heard correctly?" he asked and would continue once he received the confirmation. "There is no reason for me to mistrust your words. You know the Sith more than my daughter, but I know them like you do as well. I believe that you are a capable Jedi, so please do not mistake this old Mandalorian's offer as a slight against your skills."

"Buir...?"

Wulfric would stretch a gloved hand towards the Jedi, a reflection of Reiel's action from earlier.

"I am... grateful for your kindness towards my child. If you would be willing, we can give you a ride offworld and into the next planet that might be in your itinerary."

@Corbeau

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach was, always, respectful - and reverend when it came to people in authority. Yes, she still considered their words and actions honestly and openly and matched them up with what she believed the Force would require of her - but it would take a lot to speak against anyone she felt commanded a position of power or were perceived to be important in others' eyes.

So, as the conversation turned more sombre and the elder Mandalorian took charge, she listened dutifully and found she agreed with his words. In a very real sense, to exit the cantina unscathed was something to be thankful for. She had no idea how powerful the two Sith were and if she were forced to protect the innocents too, there was no way she could have left without bloodshed. In truth, her departure would have saved lives. At least in the balance of probability.

She nodded to the elder Mandalorian. "I appreciate your words and your kind offer of help. To that end, I would be delighted to accept a ride off-planet. My ship can be collected at a later date - when I am sure it is not under surveillance. Two Sith in one place at the same time may not be the coincidence I first thought."

@Forsythe Crowholde

 

[Reiel Mal Crowholde]

"Good call, kid. I'll have someone I trust to watch your ship, to tell you when it's safe to come back for it. With two Darksiders in the picture it's always safe to assume the worst," the older Mandalorian told Fiach, offering her an approving nod at her response. He would then turn to his ad. "Begin the ship's startup sequence, Reiel. We can't afford to be here any longer. I won't take long."

Reiel nodded as she got up on her feet. She watched as her father descended the ramp and headed out of the spaceport, presumably to seek one of his reliable informants who had a habit of hanging around the place whenever the older Mandalorian was planetside. Reiel's attention returned to her newfound friend, brows furrowed with worry behind her helmet.

"Come inside the ship, Fiach," she would tell the Jedi kindly. "You can finish your food in the galley or you can sit with us in the cockpit. Either works fine by me."

Reiel would then proceed inside the ship. She would give the Jedi a small tour, showing the latter where the galley was. The place was nearly spartan in setting, covering the basic necessities of a pair of bounty hunters. The younger Mandalorian would then point out the way to the cockpit.

"If you need anything, I'll just be in the cockpit. I'll show you your quarters once we're off-world."

With that, Reiel would head off to complete her buir's instruction. True to his words, Wulfric returned as soon as he was able and would hesitantly, yet gently, place a gloved hand on Fiach's shoulder.

Would his first child be a Jedi like the young woman before her had Ilta been given the chance to live? Had she lived, Wulfric would have given her the choice to learn from her kind... or to stay with him. He mentally shook his head. It was all in the past now, and it wouldn't do him well to dwell any further on it.

"Got someone to watch over your ship, kid," he would tell the Jedi before giving her the informant's private frequency. "They will contact you as soon as we're sure it isn't being watched. You can trust them; they know not to lie to... my allies."

Wulfric hesitated before continuing. "Thank you for being patient with Reiel. She's... a very curious kid– no, not a kid anymore..." He let out a small chuckle. "She's kind and understanding. I assure you, she won't make you choose between your duties to your Order and your friendship."

Removing his hand from her shoulder, the older Mandalorian would then clear his throat.

"Where would you want to be dropped off, Jedi Fiach? Anywhere but your Temple, mind you – humor this old Mando and pretend that someone might be tailing us. The farther from your home, the better. Someplace where you have someone you can trust will also do."

@Corbeau

Spoiler: OOC

Think we can wrap this up? :)

 

[Fiach Dubh]

Fiach nodded her approval at the elder Mandalorian’s approach to the situation and watched as he wandered off to make the necessary arrangements for their departure.

Then, as Reiel’s bidding, she followed her into the ship – her permission to enter now clearly established.

“The cockpit sounds preferable to me,” she responded, before taking another sip of water. Then she followed her new-found friend as she was given a tour of the ship – before being left alone to finish her food before joining Reiel in the cockpit.

But before she could finish her last mouthful, the older Mandalorian returned and placed a paternal hand on her shoulder.

“I appreciate it, thanks,” she replied – content that her ship (if it was under surveillance) would be safe for a while. “and I will take them at their word – given you vouch for them.” Trust was an odd creature in Fiach’s experience – but thankfully the Force tended to steer her right more often than wrong. Right now, she felt safe – so she took that as a good sign.

“Curiosity knows no age limit, in my experience – and as long as it doesn’t lead you into danger, it can be a useful asset. Plus, I believe I know her well enough to understand her focus on obligations and duties – so I would never expect her to cross the line, nor expect me too. You have taught her well.”

“In terms of a destination…” Fiach paused for a few moments. “Coruscant, I think. Not an obvious choice if anyone thinks to follow me – and I can make myself useful there until my ship can be collected.”

@Forsythe Crowholde