Honestly can't see romance between the mandalorians. I see this bunch of lunatics with helmets and automatically think: the space crusader siblinghood is at it again.
Day One (Balic/Elara) • Day Two (Fynta/Jorgan) • Day Three (Theron/Zolah/Vector) • Day Four (Fynta/Jorgan) • Day Five (Ma’at & her sons) • Day Six (Kadu/Jurr)
Okay so this one is NOT a micro fic, or even a drabble. I offered to write a full length one shot of Ahuska and Fynta getting into shenanigans and this happened. It took me three weeks, including scrapping a previous idea that I was already 2k words into, but I love it when these two team up so it was TOTALLY worth it. @dingoat I hope you approve. If not, lie to me! haha
Prompt: Rescue
Word Count: 3668
Fynta flopped into the captain's chair where her holo droned and hit the accept key. “Go for Wolfe.” She had the Thunderclap to herself for at least six hours while the rest of the crew suffered through the annual sexual harassment seminar. Jorgan was still annoyed that Fynta had managed to schedule her followup appointment at the same time. Cybernetic legs were fickle things, after all, have to get that calibration just right.
“Fynta?” Ahuska’s furry face filled the holo, head cocked in that wolfish way that made Fynta grin.
“If it isn’t my favorite Bothan Mando.” Fynta leaned back in her seat and munched on some of Cormac’s secret crisps. The silly man thought that he could hide them somewhere she couldn’t find. Eating those treats would be an important lesson in sharing for her large friend.
Ahuska didn’t respond with the normal banter, which made Fynta put the crisp she’d fished out back in the bag. “Everything alright?”
With ears pinned back, Ahuska shook her head. “I need a favor. Are you busy?”
Fynta’s answer was too quick, but she didn’t care. Maybe she could find a reason to miss her appointment too. Aric would be furious. “Nothing that won’t wait. What can I do for you?”
Not even a smirk, shab, whatever Ahuska needed must be serious. “Hopefully, help me rescue some POWs.”
Fynta’s brow lifted, scalp prickling in that familiar way that warned of a trap. She set the bag of crisps down and leaned forward. “Imperial?” She’d worked with the Bothan on several rescue attempts, but they’d all been animal related. Fynta was only prepared to go so far, and freeing Imperials from custody crossed that line.
“Republic,” Ahuska answered.
Fynta’s datapad appeared without her making the conscious choice to grab it. She wiped one hand on her pant leg. “You’ve got my attention, where are they?”
It took a few seconds of Fynta activating the navicomp and starting algorithms to realize that Ahuska hadn’t responded. She looked up to find the other woman with her lips pursed, an odd expression for a Bothan. “Coruscant.”
Fynta blinked, then let out a huff of laughter. “Republic POWs. On Coruscant?” She set the datapad down. “Ahuska, that’s headquarters, I don’t see how--”
“They are being sold on the black market tonight,” Ahuska interrupted. Fynta blinked again and must have looked as baffled as she felt. Ahuska’s lips pulled back to show teeth that would have impressed Aric. “Retired akk hounds. Too old for military service anymore.”
“Retired military animals are adopted out. Not sold.” Usually to equally retired military personnel or facilities who used them as service animals for rehabilitation.
Ahuska looked at the ceiling and growled. Fynta had never seen the woman so frustrated. Blowing out a long breath, Ahuska started again. “Only half, there are six who are being smuggled to a private meeting. Their paperwork will be lost and those creatures who have served you so loyally will be sold to fighting guilds and murdered for the entertainment of the depraved.”
Fynta wanted to bite back that those things wouldn’t happen in the hallowed walls of her brotherhood, but she knew better. Good men and women seldom joined the armed forces, she was proof enough of that. Every member of her squad had some blight in their past. Besides, Ahuska was a smart woman, she’d have done her homework and that was all Fynta needed to attest to the validity of her claim. “What do you need me to do?”
An hour later, Fynta waited at the Coruscant Spacestation for a Mandalorian who’d already been on final approach when she called. Fynta was touched that Ahuska felt so strongly enough in their friendship that she’d come to her for aid, then decided that the woman probably would have attempted the rescue on her own and almost laughed.
Spotting someone of Ahuska’s unique countenance was simple enough, though unnecessary. The crowd naturally parted for anyone wearing armor, be it Mandalorian or Republic. Fynta signaled the Bothan and started walking before Ahuska caught up. Neither spoke until they’d cleared the lift to the surface.
Ahuska removed her helmet, tan muzzle tipped all the way back with nose pointing at the sky. “So this is the Republic’s capital?” Fynta nodded, letting her unlikely friend soak it in. “It’s big.”
Snorting a laugh, Fynta directed Ahuska towards the cab station and typed in her access code. Once they were inside, she shut the security screen and switched off the surveillance. A message appeared that she’d be charged a privacy fine and Fynta accepted.
“Alright, there are two ways that we could play this. You’ve got the coordinates?” Ahuska nodded. “Good. I either walk you into that room as a prisoner bound for the black market because word travels, or we go in as potential buyers. The choice is yours.” Fynta left unsaid that she had MPs on speed dial. Regardless of how the meeting went, those soldiers wouldn’t be wearing Republic uniforms much longer.
Ahuska considered the options, then shook her head. “Potential buyer. I don’t want to risk blowing it if I can’t hold onto the ruse.”
“Good thing I brought these.” Fynta held up a badge patch with a grin. It would cover her Havoc insignia, blending flawlessly into the surrounding paint. Before Ahuska could ask what it was, Fynta peeled off the backing and arranged it over her armor. There was another large enough to hide both rank and name for her left shoulder. “There, now I’m just another Mando with no sense of style.” If Fynta ever rotated out of the military, her armor would get a fresh coat of paint.
Ahuska picked at it with an innocent curiosity. “Those are handy.”
Fynta flipped her helmet over in her hands before sliding it on. “I’ve got all kinds of fun tricks. Maybe I’ll show you one day.”
The overhead light flipped on to warn the women that they’d arrive at their destination in a few minutes. Ahuska slipped her helmet on and tapped her weapons. “How do we get past the guards?”
“Promise not to shoot anyone?” The Bothan paused half out of the cab, faceplate angled in Fynta’s direction. Fynta chuckled at what she imagined was a look of outrage Ahuska’s face and gave her a shove so that she could exit too. “It’s a military barracks, not a prison. We’ll take a back entrance and you don’t have to worry about the rest.” Though willing to help a friend, Fynta wasn’t stupid enough to allow a Mandalorian access to privileged information like recruit numbers or the state of Republic soldiers. Coruscant had already been infiltrated once, the next wouldn’t be on Fynta’s head.
“Those coordinates are on a loading dock for supply drops,” Fynta continued, walking ahead of Ahuska and typing in her access code to the back entrance. “Automated and away from anything important.”
Fynta swaggered down the seldom used hallway while droids ambled around, performing tasks too menial for sentient beings. It was the perfect place to set up a secret meeting. Easy access and quick escape route. The droids didn’t care who came or went so long as it didn’t impede their work. Clever.
The door to landing bay F-3 slid open and Fynta cleared the coordinates that Ahuska provided from her HUD. Unconsciously, her hand went to the Verpine at her hip. She’d outfitted it with stun rounds used for training purposes after learning who they would face. It made her weapon heavier, causing an unfamiliar shift in the holster with each step.
A large space opened at the end of a short hall. Several freighters were already docked, their pilots milling in an attached mess hall off to the side and catching up on messages while refueling and resupplying for the next run. Fynta wondered how many of them were indentured smugglers. Fynta paused to let a loader droid pass. It trundled over to add its burden to a stack of cargo set to be transferred to the quartermaster's office.
Ahuska touched Fynta’s shoulder, her helmet tipped to the side in the same way that Aric did when his ears picked up something hers couldn’t. Fynta waited for Ahuska to get her bearings, then gave up the lead when she set off like a bloodhound.
Five men stood in the back of the bay, looking suspicious in their attempts to be inconspicuous. Helmets were scattered about and more than one was covered in a thin, sheen of sweat. They’d either just come from maneuvers or… “Fierfek.”
Fynta tried to grab Ahuska’s arm before the men spotted them, but she’d let too much space open between them. The captain, a human male in his forties with streaks of grey invading his once black hair, waved. “About time. Thought you’d flaked out on us.”
Drugs, Fynta thought. There was no denying the signs of withdrawal now that she was closer. Shab, these men must be in deep to risk a handoff right under command’s nose. “Ahuska, do you know what they expected for payment?” Fynta asked over a private line.
“Oh.” That word was confirmation enough. Fynta had neglected to plan for this part, expecting to face fit soldiers on alert for scams, people she could...negotiate with. Junkies were less predictable and a lot more dangerous.
Beskar, don’t fail me now.
Fynta added an extra swing to her hips, hoping to buy time to think while they appreciated her custom fit armor. “Would I do that to you?” She asked, for once appreciating the husky sound that the filters added to her voice.
Chuckles carried through the circle as more of the men pushed off their perches. “You’re not our normal client,” a Rodian said, circling behind them. “Where’s Wreck?”
Fynta’s pity slipped at the mention of a regular client. How many hounds had these shabuir sentenced to death? “Where do you think?” She asked, offering as little information as possible with the hope that they would fill in the gaps. A handy trick for soothsayers, spies, and one stupid major who’d gotten in over her head.
The Rodian snorted. “Bastard’s probably in jail.”
“Where’s the stuff?” A Ratattaki asked, his voice unsteady and eyes darting around the room. Fynta would need to keep an eye on that one. Instead of answering, she leveled the featureless visor on the shaky soldier. Mandalorians rarely had to speak their threats, that distinctive shape and silence did it for them.
The man whimpered, hands wringing, then one dropped to his side before folding trembling arms around himself. “Come on. I need a pickup.” Fynta eased closer, ready to pounce if he became hostile.
Stims.
Fynta suddenly understood. These were front line soldiers hooked on adrenals. They must have been using for a long time to be this bad off. The Captain stepped between Fynta and the Rattataki. “Don't mind him. Been awake for nearly thirty-six hours. He’s not wrong, though. We’re on a schedule, due to ship out for Balmorra at 0600. Have you got the stuff or not?”
Fynta cursed again, silently this time. The men’s careers that she’d been prepared to end for their inhumane treatment of military animals weren’t in any better condition themselves. Adrenals were a problem in all branches, giving men and women the edge they needed to stay alive after days without sleep. War didn’t care if you were sick or exhausted, it forged on and crushed anyone who didn’t have the stomach to dig in.
Hardening herself to their plight, Fynta folded her arms. “You know the drill, animals first.” She’d been involved in enough handoffs in her younger days to understand the flow. No payment without proof of service. It was the law of the universe.
“Of course,” the captain said with a grand gesture revealed the fact that he’d removed his name plate. Fynta and Ahuska followed the man towards four crates. The akks inside batted at each other through the bars or dozed, used to this form of transportation on troop carriers. They had no idea how close they’d come to being sacrificed for a few mens’ weaknesses.
“Check them,” Fynta called with a jerk of her head. Ahuska walked calmly around each cage, though Fynta could tell the Bothan would rather release them now and let the Force sort it out. She knelt by each, checking feet and teeth, running her hands along their stomach and sides to ensure they weren’t too thin or injured. Fynta realized that Ahuska’s expertise with animal health looked alarmingly like a buyer checking the product.
Finally, Ahuska stood with a nod, and Fynta released the breath she’d held. Now for the hard part. “Ahuska, get your ship here.” Years of practice allowed Fynta to switch between private comms and external speakers without giving away that she was doing so.
Turning to the captain, Fynta tipped her helmet and touched two fingers to it. She should have planned this better. “Once they’re loaded, I’ll have my crew offload the stims,” she answered in a loud enough voice that it echoed around them. “Three crates, yeah?”
It was a shot in the dark, aim low and let the soldiers think that Fynta was trying to swindle them to take their attention off the fact that she had no idea what the arrangement was. Fynta had been out of the game for a while, but she remembered military-grade adrenals weren’t cheap.
All humor faded from the captain’s face. “Who are you?”
It was worth a shot. Snapping her fingers, Fynta ordered one of the droids to secure the cargo as if she hadn’t heard. She switched back to her internal comm. “Ahuska, how close are your people?”
“Two minutes,” she answered, edging back to put herself even with Fynta. The mood had changed in the space of a heartbeat. Whatever Fynta’s miscalculation had been, she’d blown their cover.
“Not sure we’ve got that long,” Fynta replied, cocking one hip out and letting her free hand settle on the grip of her blaster. She’d need to account for the heavier weight when she drew instead of moving on instinct.
The captain’s eyes flicked to the Verpine on Fynta’s hip and he smirked. “Boys, I think we’ve found a couple of Imp spies.” The men reacted as expected of soldiers. Each had his weapon raised in a second, on point and waiting for the command to engage. Even the shaky Rattataki looked steady with a rifle in his hands.
“You’re going to have to trust me,” Fynta whispered to Ahuska. “Don’t shoot them.”
Ahuska didn’t answer, but Fynta could see her fingers flexing in the wraparound cameras of her helmet. She’d planned to arrest the men after Ahuska left with the dogs to save face but luring the men into the hall where their numbers no longer mattered didn’t look likely.
Five soldiers, four stuns. Fynta realized that everyone who complained for years about her lousy planning skills might be onto something. Raising her hands, Fynta gave ground when the Captain swaggered forward. He was invincible with the weight of his squad behind him, but they didn’t know that Fynta was wearing beskar. None looked to be packing armor piercing rounds, so while it would hurt, being shot shouldn’t kill her.
Aric’s going to kill me if they don’t, Fynta thought. Maybe she should have gone to that seminar after all.
When the captain closed the last few feet, Fynta snapped her head forward. Blood splattered her faceplate, shading her world in red as the man dropped. She must have hit him in just the right spot because he didn’t try to catch himself. Nor did he attempt to get back up.
A bolt pinged off Fynta’s shoulder pauldron, wrenching it backward. Ahuska barreled into the man closest to her, taking out his legs and possibly adding a concussion with the force of her punch, but she didn’t shoot. Fynta’s verpine was in hand even though she didn’t remember drawing it. A stun charge lept from her barrel with less kick than normal round and flew wide.
Cursing, Fynta ducked behind a crate and sighted up again. It could be the adrenals still in their system or their misplaced trust in superior numbers, but none of the men went for cover. Fynta’s next two shots dropped their targets, but she couldn’t get a lead on the last.
“Here,” Ahuska called. Fynta didn’t hesitate to slide her blaster across the gap. The Bothan popped up and fired, then all went quiet.
Fynta counted to ten before peering over her shelter. “That all of them?”
“I think so.” Ahuska stood, and when no one shot at her, Fynta did the same.
Bodies littered the floor, one groaning while the captain lay unconscious. Ahuska held Fynta’s Verpine out without looking at her. “Nicely balanced. Custom?”
“Yeah.” Fynta accepted the weapon and jammed it into her holster, answering absently because she had no idea how she was going to explain this mess. “Aric made it for me.”
“That’s sweet.” Ahuska moved to check the dogs, then signaled her people. “They’re making the approach.”
Fynta sighed and removed her helmet, plan forming even as the words left her lips. “I know that you want to take these guys with you, but that’s not going to work.” Ahuska stood with a slowness that warned Fynta the Bothan wouldn’t hesitate to fight her too. Anything to save those who couldn’t stand up for themselves. Fynta held up a finger. “Now, hold on. We’re inside a Republic Military installation. Sensors would have registered blaster fire. I’ve got to report this now.”
Ahuska removed her helmet, eyes narrowed as she squatted beside one of the cages. He was a large, black scaled male with a goofy grin. She let him sniff her hand, then reached through the bars to scratch beneath his chin. “What’s going to happen to them?”
“They’ll be shown the respect they deserve and given to disabled vets as service animals.” Fynta joined Ahuska, one hand on the Bothan’s shoulder. “I’ll make sure that these guys live out the rest of their lives as pampered pets.” It was the least she could do to make up for such an ugly blight on her military’s reputation.
Ahuska sighed and propped her forehead against the bars. “Guess they’ve been in captivity too long to be released anyway.” A long, pink tongue slithered between the bars to lather Ahuska’s face. Fynta backed away while the Bothan laughed.
Scrubbing the back of her hand across her cheek, Ahuska pinned Fynta with bright, blue eyes. Damn, she bet Crow had a hell of a time telling her no. “Promise me that you’ll keep track of them. I want proof that they are safe. All of them.”
Fynta considered it, then decided that it was well within the realm of her capabilities. She knew a few people who owed her favors. “You have my word.”
The sound of running boots reached them a heartbeat before Crow rounded the corner. Fynta waved, then gave Ahuska a playful shove. “Go on. I’ve got to call this in now or it’ll look suspicious. You’d best not be here when the MPs arrive.”
With a final, forlorn look at what she’d come to save, Ahuska puffed out the air through her lips and turned to join her husband. “Couldn’t have done this without you” Fynta called in a teasing tone. In truth, Ahuska had dragged an ugly truth into the light. Fynta planned to make sure that it stopped here.
Ahuska waved as she trotted to meet Crow. A brief conversation followed, punctuated by gestures towards the akk dogs until Ahuska grabbed his pauldron and hauled him away. Fynta smirked, then turned back to the dogs. All were awake now, standing at attention and ready to work. They’d been roused by the sound and smell of blaster fire. All but one.
The big, black male yawned, scaly tail wagging and head tipped to one side as if taunting Fynta over her handling of his rescue. There was an intelligence in those eyes that reminded her that these guys were special. She couldn’t remember all of the details but knew it involved the Force. Maybe they hadn’t been completely unaware. Their lack of phonetic speech made it easy to think of akk hounds as just another dumb animal until they looked you in the eye.
Turning away, Fynta activated her comm and gave her military credentials to report the theft, altercation, and coordinates. By the time the MPs arrived, she had everyone’s hands secured and most of them were awake, if not fully aware. Fynta had uncovered her name and squad insignia, eliciting bleary apologies from the soldiers lucid enough to figure out how deep of osik they were in. Her only regret was that the captain still hadn’t come around. She’d like to give him a stern lecture about the handling of his squad.
Fynta watched specialists check the dogs before loading their crates on hover lifts. The black male coughed, Fytna supposed it was supposed to be a bark, and stared at her like he expected a reply. “Cheeky mutt,” she muttered. A thought struck her when he grinned back, tongue lolling to the side.
Stepping closer, Fynta examined the male. “You still look pretty fit, interested in working a little longer.” Another cough followed by an attempted lick. Fynta jumped back, eyes narrowed and unsure if that had been an intentional jab or excitement.
With a not so polite gesture at the akk, Fynta dialed a Jedi whom she’d had only a few interactions with but knew to be a good man. Kadu had been in the market for a companion for his wife, a trustworthy service animal that could watch over her when he couldn’t, but wouldn’t insult her tenuous grasp on independence. The Cathar’s face filled Fynta’s holo and she grinned. “I’ve found someone I think you should meet.”
It woulda been funny to see a Jedi/Sith fighting against a Mandalorian and bragging about their guns being useless (lightsabers blocking blasters and all) only to this cyber-crusader go "watch me" and pull a whole shotgun out of their breastplate
Space Wizard can't bulshit their way around Beskar shrapnel
