hello, thanks for dropping by. if you're here thinking to click the follow button please save yourself from doing so. whatever interesting thing you saw probably won't happen again. for the most part this is a personal tumblr and i mess it up all the time. so thank you and sorry. have a good day ok.
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after recovering from illness last month things got very very busy at work trying to catch up from overdue things. life is just now starting to slow down and i do plan to get back on all my WIPs hopefully soon 🥹
at this weekend my project i need to complete is my application for residency in this country. as some of you know i am here on work visa the past almost 9 years now. it's a rare chance to get approved as my only points toward me is having been here for quite a while and not getting in trouble. it's 0.00001% chance probably. but if i don't try then it will be one of those things i can only blame to myself later. i'm always afraid to want to stay but also not wanting to get sent back. so here i try. i'm done filling up all the lengthy forms and now scanning documents to upload and after the application fee that is it. it is waiting time. i will appreciate good luck wishes anyone can send my way 🍀🙏
Obi-Wan: “Did you know that Anakin is still alive?”
Bail: “Skywalker? No way! There’s no way that Anakin Skywalker lived for twenty years without getting on at least half of the galaxy’s nerves or being the most dramatic man in the room or without fighting a ten-year-old or oh my heavens he’s Darth Vader, isn’t he?”
Summay: The newly formed crew start the first objective of The Great Hunt, Torian learns he has some things in common with Braden, Noara wonders if she will complete this mission without becoming jaded or tattooed.
Word Count: 4,890
“Okay, gather ‘round students. Time for Mako’s Info Dump.” Mako clapped her hands as she directed the others into the Starspark’s common room. They had just landed in the Sobrick Spaceport on Balmorra a few minutes prior when she announced they needed to have a meeting. As the other filed into the room she turned on the holoprojector in the center of the room, displaying an image of the planet floating in the center of the room.
“Welcome to Balmorra. It's got wide plains, rocky spires, sprawling cities and a seven figure death toll from years of war with the Empire,” Mako said, her tone shifting from playful at the start to comber by the end as she shared the appalling statistic. “Resistance forces and the Empire have been fighting for control almost since the Treaty of Coruscant was signed.”
Noara covered her mouth to hide her horror. She knew a little about the history of Balmorra from her Galactic history lessons. It was a factory planet that had supplied the Republic with weapons and battle droids before being forced to break ties in the wake of the Treaty of Coruscant. That had opened the planet to Imperial occupation but the native population had fought back. It was one thing to learn those facts in a classroom and another to hear about the lives those events had destroyed.
Jurr whistled from the couch on the side of the room. She had come into the briefing with her hair loose and started working on it, braiding her long, brightly colored hair as Mako got the holoprojector set up. “That’s a lot of war, how is there anything left to fight over?”
“The weapons factories were built to withstand attack.” Mako changed the display to show several different models of battle droids. “They supplied the Republic with weapons so they had plenty of resources to fight back. Officially, the Republic withdrew after the Treaty. Unofficially? Nobody believes they ever really left. At this point who knows what would make the resistance back down.”
Mako changed the display again to show a human male in a pressed Imperial Uniform. “This is Admiral Ivernus, also known as "Admiral Untouchable." Crysta was right, he’s a genuine war hero. Actually won some battles against the Mandalorians before you guys allied with the Empire. Makes you wonder if that's how he ended up on the list.”
“I could see that,” Torian said with a shrug. “Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa.”
Noara frowned and turned to face him. “What does that mean?”
“Long memory, short fuse. It’s a common Mando mindset.”
Jurr laughed, “sure is. We can hold a grudge with the best of them.”
“Hmm, this is interesting,” Mako said, tapping on her data pad to change the image on the holo to another uniformed human officer. “Turns out, one of the Admiral's toadies is in the market for a bounty hunter.
“That could be our in, depending on what he wants,” Torian said, moving closer to examine the man’s image.
“The job contact is this man, Lieutenant Major Pirrell. And get this--"discretion is of the utmost importance." Whatever this is, Pirrell wants it secret.”
“Any idea if he works close enough with the Admiral to help get us to him?”
“Give me a moment,” Mako said, working on her data pad before smiling. “This just gets better and better. He has it out for his superior officer, who works directly under the Admiral, and has been vocal about it in his private messages.”
Jurr turned to look at her, surprise on her face. “How do you know that?”
“Don’t even ask,” Noara said, “nothing is a secret around Mako. If you’re hiding anything on your own devices she has probably already found it.”
“I have,” Mako added helpfully.
Noara caught the brief tightening of Jurr's expression before the Mandalorian smoothed it away. It seemed she might mind even more than Noara did about Mako’s lack of boundaries with personal devices. Deciding they could address this later, she tried to move the conversation on. “Mark on my datapad where I can find Pirrell. I’ll go apply for the job and see if we can't work our way up to the Admiral.”
“Already done. Lieutenant Major Pirrell's office is just outside the spaceport here in Sobrik. I already replied to his listing so he should be expecting you. Let's go impress him and see where it leads.”
Torian leaned against the holoterminal and fixed his gaze on Noara. "If Pirrell's trying to keep this quiet, he'll want plausible deniability. Don't expect an official escort. Since the listing calls for discretion so it’s probably best we don’t all go. I’d like to watch your six on this one, if that’s alright.”
Noara took a long moment and turned the idea over in her mind, reaching toward the Force, searching for the familiar sense that had guided her before. The same feeling she had when she considered whether to let them join her team was present and she took that as a good sign. She nodded at him. “Sounds like a good plan.”
“Well while you two do that, how about we check out the town Jurr? See if we can dig up any intel on our own, check out the local vendors for supplies. There should be a cantina somewhere we can meet up after.” Mako shot the other woman a grin.
“Going to a bar instead of a business meeting?” Jurr returned her smile, “sign me up.”
After agreeing on a plan of action, the crew of four headed out. Noara had anticipated feeling anxious about the upcoming task, this was the first time she would be working alongside their new teammates and unlike Mako they were not aware of her true mission. However, she continued to feel the same quiet reassurance from the Force that had encouraged her to accept their offer back on Dromund Kaas. If anything, that feeling had grown stronger as they traveled further from the Imperial Capital’s darkness.
Instead of feeling nervous stepping off the Starspark and into an Imperial space station, Noara found herself feeling unexpectedly steady with the two armored figures at her back. This was the first time she had seen both Mandalorians fully armored. The difference made by putting their helmets on was striking. Jurr's playful energy vanished behind her visor, while Torian became almost unreadable. Without the Force to give her hints about their general mood Noara would wager it would be impossible to tell what either was thinking behind their visors.
A Jedi Knight and two armed-to-the-teeth Mandalorians walk into a spaceport… It sounded like the setup to a terrible joke, but somehow it had become her life.
Following the posted signs for the exit, Noara led the way out of their hangar and toward the main concourse of the spaceport. It was eerily similar to the one they had just left on Dromund Kaas, but it was Imperial so perhaps that was to be expected. They had almost reached the exit when two people moved to block their path, both point blasters directly at her.
“You there! Bounty hunter! We want a word with you,” the man snarled.
Torian moved, smoothly putting himself slightly in front of Noara as he drew his own sidearm blaster. “We’re a little busy, get out of the way.” His voice was slightly mechanical through his helmet.
His words were not well received and the man turned his blaster to aim directly at Torian. “You see this blaster? It means we get to jump to the front of the line.”
“We've come to collect a debt from your little girlfriend here and we expect payment in full,” the woman said, smirking. “We Corellians are very particular about our debts.”
The man glared at Noara again. “You killed our brother Vexx, you pile of scum! You got anything to say for yourself?”
“Vexx? Who's that?" Jurr asked, her voice similarly altered by her helmet. She had mirrored Torian’s move and was standing in front of Mako. Noara realized what their new Mandalorian crew members were doing. Where they wore heavy, blaster resistant armor, Noara and Mako were in simple cloth and leather. They had instinctively placed themselves between the blasters and the two least protected members of the team.
“Corellian bank robber we had to take out on Hutta to get Nem’ro’s sponsorship,” Mako answered before speaking directly to his siblings. “Vexx had a bounty on him. She’s a bounty hunter. He was a wanted criminal, I’m sure he knew the risks. End of story.”
“No, not the end of the story!” the woman cried angrily, “you couldn't take him in a stand-up fight, so you shot him in the back! Now you're gonna pay the price.”
”The name Tarro Blood ring a bell?” Vexx’s brother sneered, “he told us how you slaughtered Vexx and then killed the old man, Braden, when he discovered your crime!”
Mako gasped, “Braden... I can't believe even Tarro would stoop that low!”
“That’s enough,” Noara said firmly, stepping past Torian to stand directly in front of the man’s blaster. “Tarro Blood is using you. Braden was my mentor for the hunt. He was her father.” Noara gestured toward Mako behind her. “Tarro had his lackeys kill him.”
She paused to let those words sink in for a moment before removing one of her lightsabers from her belt. Holding it in her hand, she didn’t ignite it but could tell the man recognized what it was.
“You’re out numbered and outgunned,” Noara said, giving just enough of a push with the Force to try and persuade one of them to think twice about the situation. “If you insist on attacking us, you will both die for a lie. Walk away now and it’s over.”
The man’s face was easy to read as his expression changed from anger to one of concern. “Hang on, Vye. What if she's telling the truth?” he asked as he lowered his blaster.
“Vorr, you'd really take the word of this woman who killed our brother?” Vye asked incredulously. “You don’t think she wouldn’t lie to save her own skin?”
“I’m not saying I trust her, but I'm not sure I trust Tarro Blood, either. What if we're being used?”
“If you can’t take her word, what about his fellow Mandalorians?” Torian stepped forward to stand beside Noara. “There is no 'if.' I've known Blood a long time. He can't be trusted."
“The bastard's a snake,” Jurr hissed. “He'd sell out his own mother if it bought him five more credits.”
“What if he wasn't shot in the back? If she killed Vexx in a fair fight, what chance do we have?” Vorr said before waving at them, “besides Blood said there would only be two of them. We can’t take on all four!”
Noara turned her attention to Vye, “I am sorry about your brother but I promise Vexx was not shot in the back. He knew I was there, even told me he could shoot my ears off so fast I wouldn't even hear myself scream.”
Vorr smiled sadly. “I told him that threat didn’t make any sense. Idiot wouldn’t listen to me,” he turned to his sister. He looked from Noara's lightsaber to the two Mandalorians beside her. His grip tightened on his blaster at his side before finally returning it to his holster.
“But what about Vexx? We made a promise!”
“If she’s lying, we’ll find out,” he said before meeting Noara’s eyes, the unspoken threat received loud and clear. “Right now she's giving us the chance to walk away. Our brother's dead. Getting ourselves killed won't change that. Come on....” Vorr pulled her away.
Noara watched them walk away, guilt sitting heavily in her gut. She knew she had done what she had to on Hutta. Knowing that didn't make watching their grief hurt any less.
Jurr stepped up next to Noara and slung an armored arm around her shoulders. “Tell us the truth Noara, did you shoot their brother in the back?”
She scoffed, “of course not. I didn’t even shoot him.”
“Then how did he die?” Torian asked, turning to look at her through his helmet.
“He shot first,” Noara said, lifting the still deactivated lightsaber still in her hand, “I just sent it back at him.”
There was a beat of silence and then Jurr dissolved into loud laughter, drawing looks their way from the spaceport staff. “This was my best idea ever,” she said when she could finally gasp out the words.
From the entrance to the spaceport they had a decent view of the city. Sobrik was a sprawling metal and concrete complex before them. It was set in a wide ravine, with steep rocky walls closing the city in on either side. High above rocky spires towered over the city and the sky was tinted pink from the energy shield that covered the city. At semi-regular intervals bursts of artillery hit the shield, making it ripple in colors but not otherwise damaged. Large mounted turrets shot return fire that was able to pass the field. Between the brown rock formations and the grey metal it was the only hint of color aside from the many blood red Imperial banners.
To Torian it looked pretty much like any other Imperial city he had visited but he suspected that Noara was not as familiar. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked around and he could see her noticing the different details. The large turret guns, the energy shielding, it was all a surprise to the woman. To her credit she was only visibly taken aback for a moment before she collected herself.
“Alright, Torian and I will head to the Lieutenant's office,” Noara said, looking at Mako. “Let us know where we can meet you.”
Torian nudged Jurr with his elbow. “You good, ge’tal’ika?”
She nodded, “I’ll save you a drink.”
They stood together for a moment, watching Jurr and Mako walk away before Torian gestured in the direction of Lieutenant Pirrell’s office. “Ready to go?”
Noara nodded and they started walking. Torian didn’t always wear his helmet like some Mandalorians he knew but at the moment he was grateful for it. He wasn’t sure if Noara would be annoyed by how closely he was watching her. If she was like any other female bounty hunter he had met before he knew she would be, but more than ever he suspected she wasn’t like any woman he had met before.
The confrontation in the spaceport made the difference clear. Most hunters Torian knew would have killed the siblings, or at least roughed them up to send a message. Instead Noara has offered them sympathy and understanding, while making it clear what would happen if they attacked. It struck Torian then that Noara's compassion wasn't the absence of strength. It was strength under perfect control.
And that was very intriguing.
It wasn’t just his growing interest in the woman or appreciation for her looks that had him staring. It was the change in her posture since they had left the ship. There she had walked with a graceful motion, one that spoke of confidence and the same almost dancer-like finesse she had shown in the Grand Melee.
None of that easy movement was present now. Something about being in an Imperial stronghold had her on edge. He was just considering asking if something was bothering her when she looked over at him.
“Before we meet with the lieutenant can we talk?” She asked, her voice tight with the same discomfort he saw in her posture.
“Of course.” Torian had wondered if this was coming. When that man had held a blaster pointed directly at her it had been almost an unconscious move to step in front of her. Not because he thought she couldn’t handle herself, but because even the best warrior could be taken down by a near point blank shot.
It was the kind of move he knew would get him hit, or even shot, if he had done it to a Mandalorian woman. He didn’t have a good enough read on Noara yet to know how much trouble he was in.
“I didn’t miss what you did back there,” Noara started before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again she met his gaze directly. “I don’t need to be protected like that.”
Torian gestured for her to follow him over to the side of the area they were in, out of easy sight, before taking off his helmet. “I wasn’t trying to insult you, but I’m not sure if you have noticed but this isn’t blaster proof.” He pointed at her shirt, a high necked grey tunic that fit tightly and a cropped purple jacket over it that didn’t hide her figure, but provided little protection against anything save maybe the weather.
Noara’s eyes widened, the serious expression she had worn gone and replaced by surprise and confusion. “Insult me? I didn’t- oh stars I knew I was going to mess this up.”
“Mess what up?” Torian asked, unable to stop himself from smiling. There was something amusing and endearing about her being flustered.
She regarded him with an intense gaze before apparently coming to some sort of internal conclusion. “Let’s just address the bantha in the room. I’m not what anyone expects of a bounty hunter. No one is scared to see me coming and that’s both good and bad. People underestimate me. But if we are going to work together I need you to know I can handle myself.”
Torian couldn’t argue with anything she had said, she did not cut an intimidating figure, and he realized what was actually bothering her. It wasn’t that he had tried to protect her, it was that it made her look like she needed protection. He would never truly understand what it was like to be a small woman like her but he could understand the importance of showing strength. “Underestimating you was the last thing I meant to do. I didn’t think about how it’d look. I saw the blaster leveled at your chest, your lack of armor, and my body moved before my brain could catch up. I’ll do my best to rein that in going forward.”
“I appreciate that,” Noara said, relief evident on her face before she smiled. “But at the same time, it was nice of you to try and protect me.” Once again he witnessed her cheeks turning that adorable shade of pink.
He nodded, “I’m here to watch your back. I’ll just try not to step on your toes again but I gotta ask, were you not able to get a set of armor for the hunt?”
“I could have but I don’t want to wear armor.” Noara said, giving him a little shrug. “It would slow me down.”
“So would a blaster burn.”
Noara laughed softly, “you sound like Braden. He was very adamant about the need for armor.”
“For good reason Noara. To win this competition you have to survive it.”
“I’ll tell you what I told him, I don’t plan on being shot. That’s what these are for.” She patted one of her lightsaber hilts.
Torian had a feeling that this wasn’t the last time they would have this disagreement. However he knew when he wasn’t going to win a debate, growing up with Jurr had taught him that. He held up his hands in mock surrender. “You win, for now. But don’t be surprised if I bring this up again.”
Noara laughed. “Now you definitely remind me of Braden.”
Pirrell subtly adjusted his uniform as they entered the office. The Cathar woman at his side was practically plastered against him. Noara wasn't particularly experienced in such matters, but even she could tell they had interrupted something.
“You were more prompt than I expected from someone in your line of work,” Pirrell said in a crisp Imperial accent in lieu of any sort of greeting. It felt like, despite requesting a bounty hunter, he regarded her as something that belonged under his shoe.
"I am always prompt where work is concerned,” Noara said. “You're Lieutenant Major Pirrell, correct? I hear you’re in need of a bounty hunter.”
Pirrell gave her a pleased look that made her feel uncomfortable. “As a matter of fact, I am. I'm assistant to the naval attache of the governor of Balmorra. I specialize in intelligence gathering.”
“Master is very wise and powerful,” the woman purred, her voice making her words sound almost dirty.
“This is Murghir--an amusing gift from a friend on Dromund Kaas. What she lacks in intelligence she makes up for in entertainment value.” Pirrell described the woman as a gift with a casual air that Noara had to force herself not to react to. The causal cruelty of the remark made her stomach tighten but she didn’t miss the slight tightening of Murghir’s jaw. She hid it quickly, leaning forward to rub her face against the man’s shoulder, but not fast enough to escape Noara’s notice.
Pirrell leaned into Murghir’s touch for a moment before seeming to remember he had an audience and stepping away. He waved a hand toward the back of the room, “give us some space pet.” He waited until she had walked away but stayed well within hearing distance as Pirrell started speaking again.
“Let's get down to business, shall we? My superior, Colonel Sartius, is an incompetent fool. I toil in his shadow, though his job should rightfully be mine.”
“That sounds unfortunate,” Noara said carefully. She was sure the man wanted some kind of validation from her, he obviously felt underappreciated in his career.
It was the right thing to say as it made Pirrell’s face light up. “Precisely! But what's most infuriating is that Colonel Sartius has the full confidence of Admiral Ivernus. Colonel Sartius remains in power because he excels at hiding his gross incompetence from the admiral. But we're going to tear down that facade. Once Sartius collapses under the weight of his own failures..." he spread his hands. "...who else could the Admiral possibly turn to?"
“That would certainly solve your problem,” Noara said when he paused long enough she knew he wanted her to answer.
“Now you understand. I've been plotting Sartius's downfall for months--all I need is you to put my plan in motion. I want you to create "problems" for Colonel Sartius. Problems I'm confident he can't deal with. Your missions will involve plenty of mayhem and destruction, and the pay is quite generous. Interested?”
Noara gestured toward Torian, who had replaced his helmet and stood at her back like a particularly intimidating body guard, “we can definitely manage that.”
“Excellent,” Pirrell said with a nod. “Let's discuss specifics. Your first target is at the Okara Droid Factory. Before the Empire invaded Balmorra, we sabotaged the facility, turning the droids into crazed killing machines.” He turned to the computer terminal behind him and brought up an image of the factory and some of the droids that patrolled the area around it. “Colonel Sartius is very close to deciphering the facility's control codes. If he does, it will bring the droids fully under the Empire's control. The Colonel cannot be allowed such a victory. I sent a data slicer to enter a code-scrambling virus into the facility's computer system.”
Torian stepped closer to Noara. “Brave slicer,” he observed. “Their type usually avoid going into danger zones alone.
Pirrell scoffed, “this slicer's bravery was bolstered by a large pile of credits--and a full security team.”
Noara frowned at the officer. “If you’ve already sent someone to sabotage the Colonel’s efforts, why do you need us?”
“I shouldn’t. I was rather proud of that plan. Unfortunately it didn't work.”
“What went wrong?”
“The security team escorting the slicer was killed by the facility's droids,” Pirrell spoke as casually as if he were discussing damaged equipment instead of dead people. “Now, the slicer is trapped inside and refuses to input the virus until I send a rescue team. I'm sending you.”
Noara frowned, surprised he was sending them after her. It felt out of character from what she was learning of Imperial officers. “To extract her?”
“Of course not,” Pirrell looked appalled at the idea. “I’m sending you to force Zalia to input the virus into the system and then eliminate her. I cannot have any loose ends.”
That tracked with what Noara was learning about how imperials operated. Rescue the slicer only long enough to make her useful, then kill her before she could become inconvenient. It was a brutally efficient solution, and one Noara was beginning to expect from Imperial officers. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would be jaded by the end of this mission, if she would start expecting the worst of everyone she met.
“After you have completed your task, return here. We'll have more business to discuss when you return.”
“Don’t know about you, but after that I could use a drink,” Torian said as they stepped out of Pirrell’s office.
“Agreed,” Noara nodded. She wasn’t much of a drinker but both Murghir and Pirrell had made her skin crawl and something strong could wash that feeling away. “Let’s meet Mako and Jurr and fill them in.”
Mako had sent a message that they were in The Sunken Sarlacc, a cantina on the opposite side of Sobrik from the spaceport. Torian led the way. They had been walking for a few minutes when he spoke.
“So we are both suspicious of the Cathar, right?”
Smiling, Noara shot him a look. “I wasn’t sure if you would have noticed.”
“How her entire body tensed and she clenched her jaw when he introduced her as his ‘pet’? It would be hard to miss.”
“Pirrell missed it.” Noara pointed out.
“Yeah well, he was still composing himself after we interrupted-”
Noara held up her hand. “Stop there, I don’t want to speculate on what we interrupted.”
“I don’t think much speculation is needed,” Torian laughed before continuing more seriously. "She wasn't listening in like a servant looking for gossip. She was listening like someone cataloging every word. Whatever she is, I don't think she's just somebody's pet."
Once they reached the Sunken Sarlacc it was easy to spot Mako and Jurr. They had taken a table in the back corner. It was barely mid-morning so the bar wasn’t crowded and they were able to get a spot away from any other patrons. They approached the table and Noara could see that both women had a drink and there was an extra one on the table. Mako’s was something amber colored while Jurr’s was bright pink and garnished with a few slices of fruit. Next to Jurr’s was what Noara could only assume was a beer for Torian. Between the bright pink concoction and golden amber liquor, his beer looked almost boring.
Jurr snatched up the extra drink, a bit of foam sloshing over the rim, “you’re just in time, I was about to drink Torian’s beer.”
Torian quickly relieved her of his drink. He sat down and removed his helmet, setting it on the table next to Jurr’s green one.
Mako looked up at Noara, “sorry we weren’t sure what you’d want so we didn’t order you a drink.”
Noara sat between Mako and Torian and shook her head. “That’s fine,” she said, turning in her chair to wave over a server droid. She ordered a glass of white wine and turned back to the table to see Jurr collecting a few loose credits from Mako.
She narrowed her eyes, “what was that?”
Jurr grinned, “I bet Mako you’d order something light, like wine or a fruity cocktail that’s mostly juice. She thought you’d order something stronger, like whiskey on the rocks.”
Mako shrugged, “so much of what you own is brown. I figured your drink would be too." ”
Noara looked down at the table, embarrassed that they had obviously been discussing her. She rarely drank. The Order had never forbidden alcohol outright, but there had been little reason for it beyond the occasional Lifeday celebration. Today felt like an exception.
“Sounds like you are lucky she bet you credits and not for tattoo rights,” Torian said, continuing to explain when he noticed their confusion. “Jurr likes to make sure bets against people, usually when they are drunk, to make them let her use their skin to practice her tattooing.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get to ink both of them eventually,” Jurr said with a toothy grin. “I always do.”
The server droid stopped by their table and delivered Noara’s wine as she was considering her Mandalorian companions. She hadn’t seen any tattoos on either of them but they had always been wearing their full armor or the long sleeve dark tops that went under it. She was very curious what kind of tattoos they had. Tattoos were not unusual in the Jedi Order but they were more commonly for cultural purposes and not for aesthetics. Personally, she had never considered getting one herself.
Right there she made a vow to herself to be very careful if Jurr ever tried to goad her into a bet.
Mando'a Translations
Ge’tal’ika - Little red
Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa - Long memory, short fuse
Summay: The newly formed crew start the first objective of The Great Hunt, Torian learns he has some things in common with Braden, Noara wonders if she will complete this mission without becoming jaded or tattooed.
Word Count: 4,890
“Okay, gather ‘round students. Time for Mako’s Info Dump.” Mako clapped her hands as she directed the others into the Starspark’s common room. They had just landed in the Sobrick Spaceport on Balmorra a few minutes prior when she announced they needed to have a meeting. As the other filed into the room she turned on the holoprojector in the center of the room, displaying an image of the planet floating in the center of the room.
“Welcome to Balmorra. It's got wide plains, rocky spires, sprawling cities and a seven figure death toll from years of war with the Empire,” Mako said, her tone shifting from playful at the start to comber by the end as she shared the appalling statistic. “Resistance forces and the Empire have been fighting for control almost since the Treaty of Coruscant was signed.”
Noara covered her mouth to hide her horror. She knew a little about the history of Balmorra from her Galactic history lessons. It was a factory planet that had supplied the Republic with weapons and battle droids before being forced to break ties in the wake of the Treaty of Coruscant. That had opened the planet to Imperial occupation but the native population had fought back. It was one thing to learn those facts in a classroom and another to hear about the lives those events had destroyed.
Jurr whistled from the couch on the side of the room. She had come into the briefing with her hair loose and started working on it, braiding her long, brightly colored hair as Mako got the holoprojector set up. “That’s a lot of war, how is there anything left to fight over?”
“The weapons factories were built to withstand attack.” Mako changed the display to show several different models of battle droids. “They supplied the Republic with weapons so they had plenty of resources to fight back. Officially, the Republic withdrew after the Treaty. Unofficially? Nobody believes they ever really left. At this point who knows what would make the resistance back down.”
Mako changed the display again to show a human male in a pressed Imperial Uniform. “This is Admiral Ivernus, also known as "Admiral Untouchable." Crysta was right, he’s a genuine war hero. Actually won some battles against the Mandalorians before you guys allied with the Empire. Makes you wonder if that's how he ended up on the list.”
“I could see that,” Torian said with a shrug. “Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa.”
Noara frowned and turned to face him. “What does that mean?”
“Long memory, short fuse. It’s a common Mando mindset.”
Jurr laughed, “sure is. We can hold a grudge with the best of them.”
“Hmm, this is interesting,” Mako said, tapping on her data pad to change the image on the holo to another uniformed human officer. “Turns out, one of the Admiral's toadies is in the market for a bounty hunter.
“That could be our in, depending on what he wants,” Torian said, moving closer to examine the man’s image.
“The job contact is this man, Lieutenant Major Pirrell. And get this--"discretion is of the utmost importance." Whatever this is, Pirrell wants it secret.”
“Any idea if he works close enough with the Admiral to help get us to him?”
“Give me a moment,” Mako said, working on her data pad before smiling. “This just gets better and better. He has it out for his superior officer, who works directly under the Admiral, and has been vocal about it in his private messages.”
Jurr turned to look at her, surprise on her face. “How do you know that?”
“Don’t even ask,” Noara said, “nothing is a secret around Mako. If you’re hiding anything on your own devices she has probably already found it.”
“I have,” Mako added helpfully.
Noara caught the brief tightening of Jurr's expression before the Mandalorian smoothed it away. It seemed she might mind even more than Noara did about Mako’s lack of boundaries with personal devices. Deciding they could address this later, she tried to move the conversation on. “Mark on my datapad where I can find Pirrell. I’ll go apply for the job and see if we can't work our way up to the Admiral.”
“Already done. Lieutenant Major Pirrell's office is just outside the spaceport here in Sobrik. I already replied to his listing so he should be expecting you. Let's go impress him and see where it leads.”
Torian leaned against the holoterminal and fixed his gaze on Noara. "If Pirrell's trying to keep this quiet, he'll want plausible deniability. Don't expect an official escort. Since the listing calls for discretion so it’s probably best we don’t all go. I’d like to watch your six on this one, if that’s alright.”
Noara took a long moment and turned the idea over in her mind, reaching toward the Force, searching for the familiar sense that had guided her before. The same feeling she had when she considered whether to let them join her team was present and she took that as a good sign. She nodded at him. “Sounds like a good plan.”
“Well while you two do that, how about we check out the town Jurr? See if we can dig up any intel on our own, check out the local vendors for supplies. There should be a cantina somewhere we can meet up after.” Mako shot the other woman a grin.
“Going to a bar instead of a business meeting?” Jurr returned her smile, “sign me up.”
After agreeing on a plan of action, the crew of four headed out. Noara had anticipated feeling anxious about the upcoming task, this was the first time she would be working alongside their new teammates and unlike Mako they were not aware of her true mission. However, she continued to feel the same quiet reassurance from the Force that had encouraged her to accept their offer back on Dromund Kaas. If anything, that feeling had grown stronger as they traveled further from the Imperial Capital’s darkness.
Instead of feeling nervous stepping off the Starspark and into an Imperial space station, Noara found herself feeling unexpectedly steady with the two armored figures at her back. This was the first time she had seen both Mandalorians fully armored. The difference made by putting their helmets on was striking. Jurr's playful energy vanished behind her visor, while Torian became almost unreadable. Without the Force to give her hints about their general mood Noara would wager it would be impossible to tell what either was thinking behind their visors.
A Jedi Knight and two armed-to-the-teeth Mandalorians walk into a spaceport… It sounded like the setup to a terrible joke, but somehow it had become her life.
Following the posted signs for the exit, Noara led the way out of their hangar and toward the main concourse of the spaceport. It was eerily similar to the one they had just left on Dromund Kaas, but it was Imperial so perhaps that was to be expected. They had almost reached the exit when two people moved to block their path, both point blasters directly at her.
“You there! Bounty hunter! We want a word with you,” the man snarled.
Torian moved, smoothly putting himself slightly in front of Noara as he drew his own sidearm blaster. “We’re a little busy, get out of the way.” His voice was slightly mechanical through his helmet.
His words were not well received and the man turned his blaster to aim directly at Torian. “You see this blaster? It means we get to jump to the front of the line.”
“We've come to collect a debt from your little girlfriend here and we expect payment in full,” the woman said, smirking. “We Corellians are very particular about our debts.”
The man glared at Noara again. “You killed our brother Vexx, you pile of scum! You got anything to say for yourself?”
“Vexx? Who's that?" Jurr asked, her voice similarly altered by her helmet. She had mirrored Torian’s move and was standing in front of Mako. Noara realized what their new Mandalorian crew members were doing. Where they wore heavy, blaster resistant armor, Noara and Mako were in simple cloth and leather. They had instinctively placed themselves between the blasters and the two least protected members of the team.
“Corellian bank robber we had to take out on Hutta to get Nem’ro’s sponsorship,” Mako answered before speaking directly to his siblings. “Vexx had a bounty on him. She’s a bounty hunter. He was a wanted criminal, I’m sure he knew the risks. End of story.”
“No, not the end of the story!” the woman cried angrily, “you couldn't take him in a stand-up fight, so you shot him in the back! Now you're gonna pay the price.”
”The name Tarro Blood ring a bell?” Vexx’s brother sneered, “he told us how you slaughtered Vexx and then killed the old man, Braden, when he discovered your crime!”
Mako gasped, “Braden... I can't believe even Tarro would stoop that low!”
“That’s enough,” Noara said firmly, stepping past Torian to stand directly in front of the man’s blaster. “Tarro Blood is using you. Braden was my mentor for the hunt. He was her father.” Noara gestured toward Mako behind her. “Tarro had his lackeys kill him.”
She paused to let those words sink in for a moment before removing one of her lightsabers from her belt. Holding it in her hand, she didn’t ignite it but could tell the man recognized what it was.
“You’re out numbered and outgunned,” Noara said, giving just enough of a push with the Force to try and persuade one of them to think twice about the situation. “If you insist on attacking us, you will both die for a lie. Walk away now and it’s over.”
The man’s face was easy to read as his expression changed from anger to one of concern. “Hang on, Vye. What if she's telling the truth?” he asked as he lowered his blaster.
“Vorr, you'd really take the word of this woman who killed our brother?” Vye asked incredulously. “You don’t think she wouldn’t lie to save her own skin?”
“I’m not saying I trust her, but I'm not sure I trust Tarro Blood, either. What if we're being used?”
“If you can’t take her word, what about his fellow Mandalorians?” Torian stepped forward to stand beside Noara. “There is no 'if.' I've known Blood a long time. He can't be trusted."
“The bastard's a snake,” Jurr hissed. “He'd sell out his own mother if it bought him five more credits.”
“What if he wasn't shot in the back? If she killed Vexx in a fair fight, what chance do we have?” Vorr said before waving at them, “besides Blood said there would only be two of them. We can’t take on all four!”
Noara turned her attention to Vye, “I am sorry about your brother but I promise Vexx was not shot in the back. He knew I was there, even told me he could shoot my ears off so fast I wouldn't even hear myself scream.”
Vorr smiled sadly. “I told him that threat didn’t make any sense. Idiot wouldn’t listen to me,” he turned to his sister. He looked from Noara's lightsaber to the two Mandalorians beside her. His grip tightened on his blaster at his side before finally returning it to his holster.
“But what about Vexx? We made a promise!”
“If she’s lying, we’ll find out,” he said before meeting Noara’s eyes, the unspoken threat received loud and clear. “Right now she's giving us the chance to walk away. Our brother's dead. Getting ourselves killed won't change that. Come on....” Vorr pulled her away.
Noara watched them walk away, guilt sitting heavily in her gut. She knew she had done what she had to on Hutta. Knowing that didn't make watching their grief hurt any less.
Jurr stepped up next to Noara and slung an armored arm around her shoulders. “Tell us the truth Noara, did you shoot their brother in the back?”
She scoffed, “of course not. I didn’t even shoot him.”
“Then how did he die?” Torian asked, turning to look at her through his helmet.
“He shot first,” Noara said, lifting the still deactivated lightsaber still in her hand, “I just sent it back at him.”
There was a beat of silence and then Jurr dissolved into loud laughter, drawing looks their way from the spaceport staff. “This was my best idea ever,” she said when she could finally gasp out the words.
From the entrance to the spaceport they had a decent view of the city. Sobrik was a sprawling metal and concrete complex before them. It was set in a wide ravine, with steep rocky walls closing the city in on either side. High above rocky spires towered over the city and the sky was tinted pink from the energy shield that covered the city. At semi-regular intervals bursts of artillery hit the shield, making it ripple in colors but not otherwise damaged. Large mounted turrets shot return fire that was able to pass the field. Between the brown rock formations and the grey metal it was the only hint of color aside from the many blood red Imperial banners.
To Torian it looked pretty much like any other Imperial city he had visited but he suspected that Noara was not as familiar. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked around and he could see her noticing the different details. The large turret guns, the energy shielding, it was all a surprise to the woman. To her credit she was only visibly taken aback for a moment before she collected herself.
“Alright, Torian and I will head to the Lieutenant's office,” Noara said, looking at Mako. “Let us know where we can meet you.”
Torian nudged Jurr with his elbow. “You good, ge’tal’ika?”
She nodded, “I’ll save you a drink.”
They stood together for a moment, watching Jurr and Mako walk away before Torian gestured in the direction of Lieutenant Pirrell’s office. “Ready to go?”
Noara nodded and they started walking. Torian didn’t always wear his helmet like some Mandalorians he knew but at the moment he was grateful for it. He wasn’t sure if Noara would be annoyed by how closely he was watching her. If she was like any other female bounty hunter he had met before he knew she would be, but more than ever he suspected she wasn’t like any woman he had met before.
The confrontation in the spaceport made the difference clear. Most hunters Torian knew would have killed the siblings, or at least roughed them up to send a message. Instead Noara has offered them sympathy and understanding, while making it clear what would happen if they attacked. It struck Torian then that Noara's compassion wasn't the absence of strength. It was strength under perfect control.
And that was very intriguing.
It wasn’t just his growing interest in the woman or appreciation for her looks that had him staring. It was the change in her posture since they had left the ship. There she had walked with a graceful motion, one that spoke of confidence and the same almost dancer-like finesse she had shown in the Grand Melee.
None of that easy movement was present now. Something about being in an Imperial stronghold had her on edge. He was just considering asking if something was bothering her when she looked over at him.
“Before we meet with the lieutenant can we talk?” She asked, her voice tight with the same discomfort he saw in her posture.
“Of course.” Torian had wondered if this was coming. When that man had held a blaster pointed directly at her it had been almost an unconscious move to step in front of her. Not because he thought she couldn’t handle herself, but because even the best warrior could be taken down by a near point blank shot.
It was the kind of move he knew would get him hit, or even shot, if he had done it to a Mandalorian woman. He didn’t have a good enough read on Noara yet to know how much trouble he was in.
“I didn’t miss what you did back there,” Noara started before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again she met his gaze directly. “I don’t need to be protected like that.”
Torian gestured for her to follow him over to the side of the area they were in, out of easy sight, before taking off his helmet. “I wasn’t trying to insult you, but I’m not sure if you have noticed but this isn’t blaster proof.” He pointed at her shirt, a high necked grey tunic that fit tightly and a cropped purple jacket over it that didn’t hide her figure, but provided little protection against anything save maybe the weather.
Noara’s eyes widened, the serious expression she had worn gone and replaced by surprise and confusion. “Insult me? I didn’t- oh stars I knew I was going to mess this up.”
“Mess what up?” Torian asked, unable to stop himself from smiling. There was something amusing and endearing about her being flustered.
She regarded him with an intense gaze before apparently coming to some sort of internal conclusion. “Let’s just address the bantha in the room. I’m not what anyone expects of a bounty hunter. No one is scared to see me coming and that’s both good and bad. People underestimate me. But if we are going to work together I need you to know I can handle myself.”
Torian couldn’t argue with anything she had said, she did not cut an intimidating figure, and he realized what was actually bothering her. It wasn’t that he had tried to protect her, it was that it made her look like she needed protection. He would never truly understand what it was like to be a small woman like her but he could understand the importance of showing strength. “Underestimating you was the last thing I meant to do. I didn’t think about how it’d look. I saw the blaster leveled at your chest, your lack of armor, and my body moved before my brain could catch up. I’ll do my best to rein that in going forward.”
“I appreciate that,” Noara said, relief evident on her face before she smiled. “But at the same time, it was nice of you to try and protect me.” Once again he witnessed her cheeks turning that adorable shade of pink.
He nodded, “I’m here to watch your back. I’ll just try not to step on your toes again but I gotta ask, were you not able to get a set of armor for the hunt?”
“I could have but I don’t want to wear armor.” Noara said, giving him a little shrug. “It would slow me down.”
“So would a blaster burn.”
Noara laughed softly, “you sound like Braden. He was very adamant about the need for armor.”
“For good reason Noara. To win this competition you have to survive it.”
“I’ll tell you what I told him, I don’t plan on being shot. That’s what these are for.” She patted one of her lightsaber hilts.
Torian had a feeling that this wasn’t the last time they would have this disagreement. However he knew when he wasn’t going to win a debate, growing up with Jurr had taught him that. He held up his hands in mock surrender. “You win, for now. But don’t be surprised if I bring this up again.”
Noara laughed. “Now you definitely remind me of Braden.”
Pirrell subtly adjusted his uniform as they entered the office. The Cathar woman at his side was practically plastered against him. Noara wasn't particularly experienced in such matters, but even she could tell they had interrupted something.
“You were more prompt than I expected from someone in your line of work,” Pirrell said in a crisp Imperial accent in lieu of any sort of greeting. It felt like, despite requesting a bounty hunter, he regarded her as something that belonged under his shoe.
"I am always prompt where work is concerned,” Noara said. “You're Lieutenant Major Pirrell, correct? I hear you’re in need of a bounty hunter.”
Pirrell gave her a pleased look that made her feel uncomfortable. “As a matter of fact, I am. I'm assistant to the naval attache of the governor of Balmorra. I specialize in intelligence gathering.”
“Master is very wise and powerful,” the woman purred, her voice making her words sound almost dirty.
“This is Murghir--an amusing gift from a friend on Dromund Kaas. What she lacks in intelligence she makes up for in entertainment value.” Pirrell described the woman as a gift with a casual air that Noara had to force herself not to react to. The causal cruelty of the remark made her stomach tighten but she didn’t miss the slight tightening of Murghir’s jaw. She hid it quickly, leaning forward to rub her face against the man’s shoulder, but not fast enough to escape Noara’s notice.
Pirrell leaned into Murghir’s touch for a moment before seeming to remember he had an audience and stepping away. He waved a hand toward the back of the room, “give us some space pet.” He waited until she had walked away but stayed well within hearing distance as Pirrell started speaking again.
“Let's get down to business, shall we? My superior, Colonel Sartius, is an incompetent fool. I toil in his shadow, though his job should rightfully be mine.”
“That sounds unfortunate,” Noara said carefully. She was sure the man wanted some kind of validation from her, he obviously felt underappreciated in his career.
It was the right thing to say as it made Pirrell’s face light up. “Precisely! But what's most infuriating is that Colonel Sartius has the full confidence of Admiral Ivernus. Colonel Sartius remains in power because he excels at hiding his gross incompetence from the admiral. But we're going to tear down that facade. Once Sartius collapses under the weight of his own failures..." he spread his hands. "...who else could the Admiral possibly turn to?"
“That would certainly solve your problem,” Noara said when he paused long enough she knew he wanted her to answer.
“Now you understand. I've been plotting Sartius's downfall for months--all I need is you to put my plan in motion. I want you to create "problems" for Colonel Sartius. Problems I'm confident he can't deal with. Your missions will involve plenty of mayhem and destruction, and the pay is quite generous. Interested?”
Noara gestured toward Torian, who had replaced his helmet and stood at her back like a particularly intimidating body guard, “we can definitely manage that.”
“Excellent,” Pirrell said with a nod. “Let's discuss specifics. Your first target is at the Okara Droid Factory. Before the Empire invaded Balmorra, we sabotaged the facility, turning the droids into crazed killing machines.” He turned to the computer terminal behind him and brought up an image of the factory and some of the droids that patrolled the area around it. “Colonel Sartius is very close to deciphering the facility's control codes. If he does, it will bring the droids fully under the Empire's control. The Colonel cannot be allowed such a victory. I sent a data slicer to enter a code-scrambling virus into the facility's computer system.”
Torian stepped closer to Noara. “Brave slicer,” he observed. “Their type usually avoid going into danger zones alone.
Pirrell scoffed, “this slicer's bravery was bolstered by a large pile of credits--and a full security team.”
Noara frowned at the officer. “If you’ve already sent someone to sabotage the Colonel’s efforts, why do you need us?”
“I shouldn’t. I was rather proud of that plan. Unfortunately it didn't work.”
“What went wrong?”
“The security team escorting the slicer was killed by the facility's droids,” Pirrell spoke as casually as if he were discussing damaged equipment instead of dead people. “Now, the slicer is trapped inside and refuses to input the virus until I send a rescue team. I'm sending you.”
Noara frowned, surprised he was sending them after her. It felt out of character from what she was learning of Imperial officers. “To extract her?”
“Of course not,” Pirrell looked appalled at the idea. “I’m sending you to force Zalia to input the virus into the system and then eliminate her. I cannot have any loose ends.”
That tracked with what Noara was learning about how imperials operated. Rescue the slicer only long enough to make her useful, then kill her before she could become inconvenient. It was a brutally efficient solution, and one Noara was beginning to expect from Imperial officers. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would be jaded by the end of this mission, if she would start expecting the worst of everyone she met.
“After you have completed your task, return here. We'll have more business to discuss when you return.”
“Don’t know about you, but after that I could use a drink,” Torian said as they stepped out of Pirrell’s office.
“Agreed,” Noara nodded. She wasn’t much of a drinker but both Murghir and Pirrell had made her skin crawl and something strong could wash that feeling away. “Let’s meet Mako and Jurr and fill them in.”
Mako had sent a message that they were in The Sunken Sarlacc, a cantina on the opposite side of Sobrik from the spaceport. Torian led the way. They had been walking for a few minutes when he spoke.
“So we are both suspicious of the Cathar, right?”
Smiling, Noara shot him a look. “I wasn’t sure if you would have noticed.”
“How her entire body tensed and she clenched her jaw when he introduced her as his ‘pet’? It would be hard to miss.”
“Pirrell missed it.” Noara pointed out.
“Yeah well, he was still composing himself after we interrupted-”
Noara held up her hand. “Stop there, I don’t want to speculate on what we interrupted.”
“I don’t think much speculation is needed,” Torian laughed before continuing more seriously. "She wasn't listening in like a servant looking for gossip. She was listening like someone cataloging every word. Whatever she is, I don't think she's just somebody's pet."
Once they reached the Sunken Sarlacc it was easy to spot Mako and Jurr. They had taken a table in the back corner. It was barely mid-morning so the bar wasn’t crowded and they were able to get a spot away from any other patrons. They approached the table and Noara could see that both women had a drink and there was an extra one on the table. Mako’s was something amber colored while Jurr’s was bright pink and garnished with a few slices of fruit. Next to Jurr’s was what Noara could only assume was a beer for Torian. Between the bright pink concoction and golden amber liquor, his beer looked almost boring.
Jurr snatched up the extra drink, a bit of foam sloshing over the rim, “you’re just in time, I was about to drink Torian’s beer.”
Torian quickly relieved her of his drink. He sat down and removed his helmet, setting it on the table next to Jurr’s green one.
Mako looked up at Noara, “sorry we weren’t sure what you’d want so we didn’t order you a drink.”
Noara sat between Mako and Torian and shook her head. “That’s fine,” she said, turning in her chair to wave over a server droid. She ordered a glass of white wine and turned back to the table to see Jurr collecting a few loose credits from Mako.
She narrowed her eyes, “what was that?”
Jurr grinned, “I bet Mako you’d order something light, like wine or a fruity cocktail that’s mostly juice. She thought you’d order something stronger, like whiskey on the rocks.”
Mako shrugged, “so much of what you own is brown. I figured your drink would be too." ”
Noara looked down at the table, embarrassed that they had obviously been discussing her. She rarely drank. The Order had never forbidden alcohol outright, but there had been little reason for it beyond the occasional Lifeday celebration. Today felt like an exception.
“Sounds like you are lucky she bet you credits and not for tattoo rights,” Torian said, continuing to explain when he noticed their confusion. “Jurr likes to make sure bets against people, usually when they are drunk, to make them let her use their skin to practice her tattooing.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get to ink both of them eventually,” Jurr said with a toothy grin. “I always do.”
The server droid stopped by their table and delivered Noara’s wine as she was considering her Mandalorian companions. She hadn’t seen any tattoos on either of them but they had always been wearing their full armor or the long sleeve dark tops that went under it. She was very curious what kind of tattoos they had. Tattoos were not unusual in the Jedi Order but they were more commonly for cultural purposes and not for aesthetics. Personally, she had never considered getting one herself.
Right there she made a vow to herself to be very careful if Jurr ever tried to goad her into a bet.
Mando'a Translations
Ge’tal’ika - Little red
Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa - Long memory, short fuse
listen to me. you don’t need AI. if you want to constantly refer to something that provides you misinformation, you can just keep me in your pocket and pull me out when ya got a question. i’d love to answer all your queries wrong with the utmost confidence. AI isn’t special, i too can fit in your pocket and lie to you.
how much banger fanwork has been killed in its infancy due to the 40-hour workweek. Do you know how many absolutely rockin comics live only in my head because I don't have time or arm ability left to draw them. As well as weird original comics
Once upon a time, in a magical kingdom far, far away…
The lovely @whataboutbugs-art made this gorgeous piece for me of the medieval fantasy AU that lives in my head rent-free at all times. You can find their ko-fi here if you’re interested in a commission of your own!
listening to chappell roan's whole midwest princess album on the loop the whole 1.5hrs train ride back home to heal from going through being prayed over to "rid the family of the curse of having gays" which the aunt directs at my out lesbian cousin that she "hopes and pray i dont get infected by" not knowing, i, too, have been infected since childhood....
The part of this that took the most getting used to was group size.
Hawke knew enough about the Anderfels the terrain and the weather were both expected. And she knew it was a long journey. But she was so used to having her friends around. There weere always at least three or four of them easily roped into whatever she was up to.
Fenris and Grizzly as her only company still felt odd.
She wasn't complaining, not exactly. The more... intimate size was nice when she wanted to think. But she did miss the chatter, the laughter, Varric complaining about any terrain that wasn't city streets. Extra hands were also nice for setting camp, though at least they only had one tent.
"Is something bothering you, Hawke?" Fenris asked, after they'd settled in a small biovauc between rocky outcroppings for protection from the wind. And any bandits that might roam.
She shook her head and joined him sitting next to the campfire. "Not bothering, just... it's weird traveling without... everyone around. You know?"
He was quiet a moment, poking the fire with a stick. "Most of my traveling was solitary prior to Kirkwall," he said. "I suppose I'm more accustomed to it..." He didn't point out the three years since Kirkwall, on the move--on the run--for most of it by themselves. "I find I prefer it this way."
Hawke snorted and rested her head on his shoulder. "Quality not quantity for you?"
Fenris chuckled. "Indeed. You and your hound are the finest of company."
She didn't reply at first, just smiled as she stared at the dancing flames. It was nice not having peaceful moments interrupted by bickering or light-hearted debates. After a moment, though, she straightened and looked at him. "I do appreciate you being here, Fenris. It would be an extremely lonely trek to make on my own."
"Of course. I swore an oath to walk into the future at your side." He smoothed loose strands of red-brown hair back behind her ear, mirth glimmering in his eyes. "And Grizzly would have been most put out if denied the chance to accompany you."
"Mm, yes, I'm sure Grizzly would have been the only one sulking," Hawke smirked, lightly cupping the side of his face. "How noble of you to facilitate our reunion."
Grizzly snorted from across the campfire and curled in a tighter ball to sleep.
"It is my very great pleasure," Fenris said sotly, gravely, the mirth lingering as his gaze dropped to her lips.
A gesture she mimicked; she did very much want to kiss him right now.
So she did. She'd never been one to beat around the bush, this was the last place she intended to start.
Fenris gave a soft--mildly surprised--grunt and then his arm was around her waist, tugging insistently until she was halfway into his lap. She moaned into the kiss as she went, fingers raking through his hair to clench at the nape. He responded in kind, knocking loose the hair he'd smoothed earlier.
They were both breathing hard when they parted. Hawke did have to admit it was nice to not have Merrill's giggles or Isabela's wolf whistles as backdrop to kissing the man she loved. A man currently studying her with one brow arched.
"I think I'm coming around to your point of view," she said, leaning in to kiss him again. "This is the perfect group size."
And Fenris chuckled into her mouth as he kissed her back.
sorry i havent been active for a long time then i come back briefly to post about other fandom
not forgiven
maybe forgiven
dont care
Voting ended onJul 22
for life updates, covid mention tw below.
2 months ago, in may, i traveled and when i returned i got very very sick, like the first time to get covid before any vaccine kind of sick, though i tested negative and the doc said generically, respiratory infection. was sick for a literal month which i wasnt sure if because of the illness or from not getting proper rest for it cause i still had to come in full time to work which included weekends. anyway after that i got weeks more of overworking because i also had a lil bit of breakdown which delayed my progress at working so im still trying to catch up at work projects. im not physically sick anymore though so at least there's that. but i owe a lot of projects outside work and i haven't completed a thing. so im very sorry about that. i ve also been busy processing some documents on my off days and dont get much creative time. so sorry again for the delayed projects :(
~ the world is quiet here ~ @maysilee-s - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
