An old sketch from, like, 2022 that I came across as I've been cleaning up my art folder. As I've been thinking a lot about my main Merman AU (The Fisherman & The Merman) again, I decided to post it this time. A clean version and a version in which Hiccup is a little bit beat up. Very close to what Hiccup's fishform looks like in this AU, he just doesn't have the webbed hands in this one. And maybe the scars are a little bit different, although he is missing half a tailfin still.
-Brother! Stop this foolishness and put your clothes back on!
-I'm not your brother, and you aren't mine either! We're Mellanoid Slimes, sibling! Not Ferengi businessmen!
-Shh! Quiet! You'll jeopardize our profits!
-Since when does the profit motive matter? I thought this whole thing was about scamming corrupt businessmen! You've just become some... caricature of a ferengi male.
-At least I'm not lying in a puddle with my insides visible!
-I'm trying to do this for you, sibling! I'm tired of keeping up these charades. Acting like businessmen is killing me. I just wanted to see if there was some alternative to 'ferengi male' that lets us keep up the act.
-Ferengi Rule of Acquisition number 94!
-But we're NOT ferengi! And it's not as though the Ferengi actually think we are!
-Fine. Ugh. Maybe there's some compromise where you keep this fe-male shape, but put back on your clothes. I'm tired of seeing your guts and skeletal gelatin.
-Rule of Acquisition number 16.
-Good. A deal is a deal... as long as number 285 doesn't come back to bite me in the tail.
Current look for the most humanized of Uniima ll. Southwest human uniima. (they are not normaly bold like that and some do have tail feathers too).
The uniima c on the right should be size accurate comparison. (if the ll is around 175cm bipedal).
However, even the most humanized Uniima don't spend all their time bipedaly as it's very tiring for their spine and legs.
When quadrupedal, they fold their hands so that their unfused wing fingers (that are bit stif compared to the rest) lay under their main fingers. (Or they get shoes that do a better job.)
Still need to draw a side view but pretend this is very finished.
Pairings: Shin Hati/Sabine Wren, Shin Hati & Baylan Skoll, Shin Hati & Sabine Wren & Ezra Bridger & Ahsoka Tano
Characters: Shin Hati, Sabine Wren, Baylan Skoll, Ezra Bridger, Ahsoka Tano, Huyang
Tags: Major Character Death, Blood and Injury, Non-Explicit Nudity, Grief/Mourning, Spoilers
Notes: I seriously do think the series might wind up turning out this way after ep 6…
Summary: Orange clashed against orange; their arms were on fire with the exertion it took to not buckle under the strength of the fatal swing. Shin’s gaze was determined as they forced themselves to look their Master in the eye for the first time since the traitorous thoughts had begun.
Yellow and fury tinted normally kind eyes, his face drawn unrestrained anger and a heart wrenching disappointment as he regarded his Apprentice’s betrayal. Shin stood over Sabine Wren, both hands clasped firmly around the hilt of the saber he had guided her through building, their breathing was fast, nearing hyperventilation as they made their choice. “This isn’t right, Master,” She called, reaching out for him in the force, as they had done hundreds of times before.
AO3 Link: here!
"But he shall. Sabine Wren will have the opportunity of finding Ezra Bridger, just as promised. And if she does, you and your Master will destroy them both."
“You’re supposed to be dead,” Baylan’s voice dripped with venom, Shin could feel the anger simmering off of him in waves, their eyes turning towards him to catch the whitening of his knuckles, grip tight around the hilt of his saber as he took in the sight before them.
Sabine did find Ezra Bridger, it seemed, and her Master, Ahsoka Tano somehow crawled back from the dead and followed them to Peridea as well; finding her Apprentice and the long-lost Rebel, and apparently, the band of Noti ‘Rebels’ that Bridger had acquired in his exile.
“And you’re supposed to be a Jedi, guess we’re both failures,” Ahsoka snipped back at him, placing herself in front of Mandalorian and Jedi Knight, willing to take on the two Gray Jedi swathed in dark alone, if it meant protecting them.
“Master,” Shin’s voice was quiet, silver-blue eyes not once leaving the way his tendons flexed in his hand.
“Quiet,” He commanded, taking Shin aback with a tone they had never heard directed anywhere near them. “It must be fate, then; The Purgills come here to die, and so have you,”
The ozone burned as white and blood orange ignited, Shin stayed stagnant beside her Master, even as his saber thrummed to life within her reach. Green ignited seconds white, Sabine Wren shouldering her way to Ahsoka’s side, golden eyes pierced through Shin’s; they could feel it, the betrayal, even if it was expected, Sabine was still hurt by Shin and Baylan’s betrayal.
Their Master’s eyes pierced into the side of her head. “Shin,” He urged, not as kindly as they remembered. It was distorted, it was wrong. This was not the Master that had saved them from Balosar’s overcrowded streets, this was not the Master who had taught her everything they’ve known. But Shin could not deny that while he was wrong, their Master was in there somewhere… he had to be.
Late to the party, Shin removed her saber and ignited it, blood orange thrumming to life in their hand in a way that felt just as wrong as their Master; their Kyber was full of contradiction, mirroring the Apprentice who wielded it.
Anger flashed on the other side of the battlefield, Shin watched the man, Ezra, reach for the painted armor of Sabine, fingertips brushing beskar as the Mandalorian suddenly charged. “Sabine!” He shouted in tandem with Ahsoka.
“You!” Baylan growled, his hand extending menacingly towards the failed Apprentice. Shin’s body jolted forward, though they did nothing to stop the shove of the force from her Master that threw the purple haired woman backwards.
She hit the ground hard, armor clanging against the ground as she skidded against the dirt.
Get up… Move, you must get up, Wren!
Shin’s jaw clenched, muscles in her throat moving, barely cognitive enough to take a step back as the feral Togruta leaped at their Master and clashed orange and white together once more. Shin did not take her eyes off the Mandalorian’s prone form, even as their saber deactivated, and Ezra knelt close his fallen sister.
Get up!
Sabine’s arm twitched, shoulder visibly spasming before the relief of forced breathing, sputtering, and coughing filled their ears like a harmony, blocking out the way Baylan and Ahsoka fought against each other.
Startling blue eyes rose to meet her own as the Jedi grabbed Sabine’s saber, he rose defensively in front of her, not taking his eyes off Shin, even though they made no move to advance.
Baylan wheezed as the Togruta slammed her boot into his abdomen, forcing him to lower his blade and stagger back. Shaking their head, blinking away their own contradictions, Shin managed to kick it in gear, blade reigniting in time to catch the white saber leveled for her Master’s head, glancing white off orange and placing themselves between the two relics of the Jedi order.
There was fear, copious amounts off it that settled in the bottom of their stomach and had their throat bobbing with each breath as the predatory gaze focused on them, still, Shin held their ground.
Ahsoka was fast, unnaturally so, Shin was struggling to keep up with glancing blows; when the second saber ignited and nearly sliced through their chest like she had done to Marrok, Shin could have sworn their heart stopped.
Their armor was strong enough to catch the blows that hit her shoulders and legs where they could not catch both blades in time, exertion had sweat beading on their brow, blurring their vision where it mixed with the dark cosmetic on its way down her face. The muscles in her arms and legs shook with each repeated hit as Ahsoka beat them back. Baylan was no where to be found as Ahsoka forced Shin up the crest of a nearby dune.
Green and orange clashing caught her attention in a dangerous moment, pulling their attention enough that when Ahsoka’s sabers slashed to the side, they had to drop back on their ass to avoid the fatal blow. Saber deactivating with the woman of her nightmares towering over her, the blonde could only focus on the way Baylan was forcing Ezra Bridger back, the Jedi clearly rusty in his saber skills against the brute power of her Master.
The saber was knocked from Ezra’s hands, Baylan’s armored shoulder slamming into an unprotected chest as the ex-Jedi bowled the young man over, sending him sprawling flat on his back and unresponsive.
There was yellow in his eyes when he looked towards Sabine once more, Shin felt the rush of Adrenaline in their veins like fire. “No,” Shoving themselves up, dodging the twin white blades that had been levelled to keep her on the ground, their feet moved, legs burning with each step as they raced across the battlefield.
Orange glinted off of the gold in Sabine’s eyes, her arm raising weakly over her face, not nearly enough to stop the heavy handed, downwards strike of Baylan’s blade. “No!” Shin shouted again as they crested the danger zone, as the darkness radiating off her Master threatened to suffocate them both; this wasn’t right! He made a promise!
Orange clashed against orange; their arms were on fire with the exertion it took to not buckle under the strength of the fatal swing. Shin’s gaze was determined as they forced themselves to look their Master in the eye for the first time since the traitorous thoughts had begun.
Yellow and fury tinted normally kind eyes, his face drawn unrestrained anger and a heart wrenching disappointment as he regarded his Apprentice’s betrayal. Shin stood over Sabine Wren, both hands clasped firmly around the hilt of the saber he had guided her through building, their breathing was fast, nearing hyperventilation as they made their choice. “This isn’t right, Master,” She called, reaching out for him in the force, as they had done hundreds of times before.
“None of this has been right,” They breathed, eyes narrowing and fingers flexing around their saber as they pushed away the anger and pain radiating off her Master.
“All of this has been for you, for us; You keep refusing to see it, Shin,” Baylan attempted to reason, though Shin knew, could feel the Definity in the force; This was the end for them, one way or another.
“Master, there is no world in which this continues, we are in a graveyard… this is the end, and we have accomplished nothing like you have told me we would!” The Mandalorian at their feet shifted; Shin’s bodyweight adjusted to protect Sabine as she struggled to sit up.
“If you are not with me, then you are against me,” His lips pressed into a thin line as he spoke, Shin could hear the echo of a continuation, somewhere in the force, echoing in the footsteps of the Togruta that moved behind them to check on her apprentice. “Only a Sith deals in absolutes, I will do what I must.”
“I understand my decisions, and the consequences that come with it,”
“Then you will die.”
‘Breathe’
Voices they did not know, a thrum in the force they had never experienced before, and the feeling of the three rebels at their back urged the shaking in their hands to still as Baylan’s blade came arching down against their own. This was not their Master, this was the culmination of what this mission, this graveyard had done to him, but… he was not coming back- They did not have a beginning to be found on this planet, at least, not at his side, as he had believed.
‘The Light… Find the Light’
He was trying to flip their positions, to force Shin to duck under his arm and put Sabine to his back, and Shin couldn’t let that happen, not when they couldn’t feel his intentions. When he moved in to make them duck, Shin lowered their body and plowed forward. They were too small to truly knock the hulking man off balance or to throw him entirely, but he did stumble back a few feet before his fingers wrapped in their tunic.
The shove was hard, but the hilt of his saber connecting with the side of their head to force her back was harder. Vision swimming with black spots dancing in their eyes, Shin dropped to their knees, keeping their saber at the ready, not unlike the Mandalorian when Shin had stabbed her on Lothal.
Shin had been running around the Imperial ship for hours as white clad stormtroopers searched for her. Their stolen valuable was clutched close to their chest, some shiny officer insignia that they didn’t know what to do with; she’d only taken it on instinct upon seeing it on the table, but the troopers that saw the child with it hadn’t known what to do about a thieving kid that they couldn’t shoot on sight. So, Shin ran.
On Balosar, something like this could feed her for an entire week! With the shining metal and the little blue and red boxes, maybe even ghri’ka would buy it from her and give her a new oxygen tank! Except, this wasn’t Balosar, they’d been in the recycled environment of the Imperial Light Cruiser for weeks now, leaving that part of their life far behind.
There were footsteps echoing in the hall, only one pair, steps light and nonthreatening, unlike the squads of stormtroopers that had been sweeping for her.
Still, their fear was tangent, heart beating fast in a small chest as they tried to stifle heavy breaths and choked back sobs, still clutching the insignia plate close, like their life depended on keeping it. The closet was small and empty, offering nowhere for her to hide if someone opened the door-
“Little one,” Baylan’s voice was calm through the door, warm and kind and safe. “May I come in?”
Their head nodded even though Baylan could not see, not trusting the way they knew their voice would squeak in that way the Supervisors on Balorsar hated. Still, the door opened, revealing the calm stoniness of the man she was to call ‘Master’.
He was doing his best to make himself seem smaller and less imposing as he stepped into the closet and lowered himself to a knee in front of the child, his hands resting on one knee, facing the ceiling. There were cool patterns etched into the print of his gloves, like a star map.
“Are you alright?” He questioned; concern written on strong features as he took in the cowering of the small force sensitive.
“I-“ They finally pulled the rank plate away from their chest, thrusting it out at him. It wasn’t worth their survival, not worth any amount of food or sparse credits that they could get from its trade.
Confused, Baylan took the small piece of metal and turned it over in his hands, a small smile pulled at his lips as he set it away. “So that’s what this is all about?” Shin’s head nodded quickly as their hands moved to pick at the bands around the braid Baylan had tied into her hair. “Shin, it’s alright. We should not take things that do not belong to us, this is true; but know this, my young apprentice… I would never let anyone hurt you.”
“Let it lift you”
“We stand behind you.”
“Rise.”
Silver-blue eyes met the yellow of their Master’s when their eyes opened, orange blade burning through the air as it arched towards them. Their lips pressed into a thin line as they moved, marking their spot against his chest even as his saber raced towards her.
There was an explosion of burning pain across their collarbone, the smell of singed hair and fabric filling their nose just as easily as the sound of Baylan choking on air filled her ears. Orange burned through his chest, true to their mark; their blade went clean through their Master’s front, through his heart, and out his back. The irony smell of his blood burning to cauterize the fatal wound soon became all they could focus on as his grip loosened on his saber and sent it to the ground.
Hands clung at their back as his body teetered forward hazardously, crimson trickling into the white of his beard and staining the course hair as he stared down at the woman he had raised. The orange disappeared from his middle, their saber falling into the dirt with his own as he finally fell. Shin had just enough time to grab his head to stop it from smacking off a nearby rock.
“Shin,” Sabine’s voice was hoarse, struggling against Ahsoka’s hands on her shoulders keeping her back as she watched the Master and Apprentice in horror. Ahsoka’s gaze stayed on the two as well, though everything about her was unreadable.
“What just happened?” Ezra questioned, rubbing his head as he finally sat up, nose crinkling at the burning fabric and iron in the air.
Ahsoka’s montrals itched as a bird circled overhead; Morai swooping in to land on the young Jedi’s mop of a head as the only response. In the echo of her call, Ahsoka could hear the fight from lifetimes ago… “And now, the student will kill the Master!”
Shaking her head to clear the thought, Ahsoka held her hand out towards Ezra, both urging him to still and keep quiet as she watched the vulnerable Apprentice.
Shin was silent as they held Baylan’s head in their lap, his hand reached for the wound in his chest, blood tainting his gloves before he reached for Shin. They allowed his hand to press against the side of their face, blood smearing across angular cheekbones as he tilted their head to get a better look at them.
“This was not how I imagined I would remove your braid,” He admitted weakly, reaching next for the darkened section of burnt hair. Their chest ached from the burn on their collarbone, and from the ache of knowing what would come next for the man she owed everything to.
“Master,” Her voice wavered, crackling with emotion they did not want to share with the… not entirely enemies gathered just feet behind them.
He quieted them with a shake of his head. “Even so-“ A rasping, churning cough, pain flickering across his face as his heart still tried to pump blood to the rest of his body. “I am proud,” There was no yellow in his eyes, no darkness tainting his words- This was their Master; Baylan Skoll, their father, the man that had raised them, and they had effectively killed him, they could not understand his pride, not yet, at least. “It seems I was wrong. Your beginning is here and will move away from here as well. It seems I was the Purgill.”
The man’s eyes slid shut calmly once he had taken in his daughter’s face for the last time. His chest did not rise again as his muscles went lax, his weight fully in their lap as she reached, hesitantly placing her hand on his cheek. “Master,” She called again, though they knew it would be futile, that he was gone; from this realm at least.
Dusk was announced in the crunching of boots in the dirt, though the movement of the three at their back did not rouse them from their state. He looked calm, at least; calmer than she’d seen him since the Witch approached him with this job. Like the man they’d known when he had finally ended their working relationship with the Empire.
Sabine’s hand rested on their shoulder, just over the silver metal of their pauldron. The Mandalorian’s fingers brushed against the burn on their collarbone, sending them reeling back into their own body in a rush. “Shin,” Sabine called again as the blonde blinked, their hand raising to wipe the crustiness of old and new tears off their cheeks.
When they turned their head, they were met with Sabine kneeling at their side, Ahsoka Tano standing just behind her, though she did not look away from the old Knight’s corpse, and Ezra Bridger, kneeling in the dirt, trying to shake the pebbles and dirt from the two dropped sabers.
“You made the hard choice,” Ezra picked up at Sabine’s loss of words, a knowing sympathy in his eyes as he rose, passing both sabers to the blonde. “They don’t tell you that the hardest part is walking away after it, though.”
▬▬ι═══════>
The T-6 was silent as everyone loaded inside. Shin and Huyang were the last to step inside, both droid and Apprentice needing the time and space to offer a true goodbye to the man they had known, be it as a Jedi Knight, or as a father and a mentor.
There was no talk about Thrawn or Morgan, no words passed between the recently united family, and no words spoken between the Light and the Grey gathered in the ship. Shin had stood numbly in the doorway for a time, seeing through the bustle of movement around them, their Master’s pyre on their mind as the small crew put themselves, and each other, back together.
“Hey,” Sabine was the first to speak, voice rough as she appeared in the blonde’s swimming vision. “Come on, you’re hurt,” The Mandalorian guided Shin past Ezra, who chose the worst place to kneel and tie his boots just in front of the door, leading them to the decent sized ‘fresher added on to the ship.
A bench spanned out against the wall in the hallway sized room, a real shower taking up one end, with a nice counter full of different products for the human’s hair care, and formulas designed specifically for any species with Lekku and Montrals. Cabinets were opened in silence once Sabine managed to get Shin to settle on the bench, their shoulders hunched and back slouched into themselves, the smallest they’d felt since their Master’s biggest promise to them.
“I would never let anyone hurt you.”
Sabine’s hands were warm, hesitant, and gentle on their tunic, an exact opposite of Shin’s own when they’d pulled her armor off just weeks ago. The fabric had burned to their skin, causing Sabine’s face to twist up as she imagined the pain that Shin had long since learned to internalize.
“Can I take this off, all the way?” She asked, kneeling between Shin’s legs as her fingers searched for the clasps holding the thick outer layer in place. The nod of their head was subtle, but clear enough for Sabine to continue her path to pulling away the pauldrons and vambraces on their arms and shoulders.
The wool of her tunic pulling away from the burn was agony, ripping the dried blood and scabbing burn open slow enough to count as torture; Still, Shin remained still and stony, the only visible reaction to the pain was the quiet, sharp intake of breath and the narrowing of their pupils.
Their gloves were pulled away next to give them a moment to ease their silent pain, exposing the chipped blue paint of their nails to the world. The Mandalorian seemed to pause in surprise at the splash of color, but she stayed blissfully silent. The armor at their hips and legs were removed with care, as was the thin leather belt that rested above at their hips, all set aside on the bench in a neat pile then.
When Sabine straightened up, Shin’s hands moved immediately to the backs of her knees, a silent plea not to leave, one they would never voice. “I’m not going anywhere, Kurs’kaded,” She promised, guiding the rest of the tunic back and easing it off of their shoulders, careful on their right side, where the burn brought a stiffness and lack of ability to move. “ ‘m right here,” Her voice dropped as she set the tunic aside.
Their undershirt was still damp with sweat and crusty with both dried and new blood. It would hurt too much to try and pull it up over their head, and as much as Sabine would have wanted that three weeks ago in hyperspace, she could take no joy in those thoughts now.
Reaching for her boot, Sabine pulled a small blade from it, holding it in the palm of her hand, she waited until they saw the light glinting off the metal before proceeding. “I’m going to cut this off so it doesn’t hurt as bad,” She made sure her movements were expressed clearly as she brought the blade to the side of Shin’s throat, her fingers pressing between the fabric to create space so she didn’t nick the delicate porcelain skin concealed by fabric.
Their chest rose and fell slowly, eyes unseeing as Sabine sliced the blade through the fabric, exposing their chest painted in blood, and the purple-green bruises all around their abdomen. With a few tugs, the end of the shirt was pulled away from their skirt and pants, allowing Sabine to finish the cut and begin peeling away black dyed fabric from their torso.
Again, the singed fabric being torn away from their chest caused more rivulets of blood to race down pale skin, disappearing under the dark fabric of their chest bindings. “Sorry!” Sabine hissed for them, trying her best to be gentle as she worked the fabric down their arms.
Shin did not move or react once, even when Sabine went through the much faster process of pulling away their boots, skirt, and pants, leaving them in their underclothes with a sizable pile stacked up on the bench.
“Do you want to shower? ‘soka doesn’t fly anything with a sonic on it,” She jabbed her head to the far wall, where the small shower waited like a safe haven. Still, Shin shook their head in the negatory, they didn’t have the energy; barely had the energy to draw air into their lungs knowing that Baylan would never do the same again.
“Yeah… I get it,” Sabine sympathized quietly, head hanging as she recalled the first few weeks aboard the Eye of Sion, when she believed her own Master to be dead. “Can I clean the blood off of you at least, or do you want to, or…” The artist trailed off, unsure if the blonde would be comfortable with Sabine’s continued aid.
When Shin’s head nodded in the affirmative, Sabine’s shoulders relaxed. “Alright, thank you,” Their hands dropped away from the backs of her knees to drop bonelessly against the bench as Sabine went back to the cabinets for a rag and the alcohol to properly clean the wound.
“Can I take this off?” There was a mild flash of annoyance as the question came up again, arms tried moving to pull her bra off themselves, though a flash of pain from the stiff shoulder had them succumbing to the need of another person. When they finally nodded, Sabine apologetically moved in to undo the clasp and pull the fabric away.
Sabine did her best to keep her gaze as respectful as possible as she started wiping away the blood that had carved rivers into their pale skin, though her cheeks flushed as she followed a trail of crimson over their hardening nipple, cool air bringing goosebumps to their exposed chest and arms. “Sorry-“ She whispered in advance before dragged the cloth over sensitive skin, jumping in expected surprise when Shin’s knee jerked and a soft gasp had their lips parting. “Just a little more-“ She promised, apologetic as she continued to wipe away blood and sweat from the underside of her breast.
When Sabine was satisfied that she’d cleaned all the red away from their skin, she moved on to the medkit on the counter, looking for packets of Bacta to help ease the burn. Before she could tear the packet open, Shin’s hand shot out and wrapped around her wrists, skin cool where it touched her. Sabine’s eyebrow rose at the sudden fiery determination in their eyes. “It’ll scar…” She pointed out, a frown pulling to her lips before understanding settled in. “You want it to.”
They did not deny her assumption, nor did they confirm it, but they did not release Sabine’s hand until she tossed the packet back into the kit. “Alright, alright. Can I cover it?”
More silence and another minuscule nod of their head later and Sabine was carefully taping clean gauze across the burn. Shin would up leaning back against the cold durasteel of the wall at some point, leaving Sabine’s knees pressing into the bench as she leaned over them to patch her up. “Well, spoiler alert, I’m no doctor, but it should be alright. I’ll check on it in the morning.. if you’re hanging around that long?”
“I don’t know,” Their voice was hoarse, exhaustion dripping in each syllable as they stared at the silver of Sabine’s belt. Where would they go? Baylan was dead, Thrawn and Morgan would have them killed; not that they would ever choose to go back there.
“Well… There’s an extra bunk, you know…” There was a hint of something more, an offering that went unsaid or I can make room in mine. “I’m sure ‘soka can look past the attempted murder thing, she has before… You know, if you want to, for a while.”
Shin’s head dipped in an uncharacteristic way, their spaced-out gaze finding their hands and the chipped paint along their nails. “If I can stay, I will.”
This earned a beaming smile from the Mandalorian that almost had them regretting the decision. “Hang on, I’ll get you some clothes-“ The purple haired woman popped out of the ‘fresher. “Ezra!” She shouted into the cabin, smirking at the groan that filtered through to Shin’s ears. “Hey, can you grab a spare change of clothes from the bunks?”
“I have literally never been on this ship in my life, ‘bine.”
“It’s through that door, di’kut. Grab..” A hum from the artist as she thought of what would fit best. “the blues, I think there’s stuff in that middle drawer under the bunk that’ll work. Just absolutely don’t open the one on the right,”
A few moments of silence before there was a rustling a fabric being passed between the chosen family. “Sabine, why do you keep dicks with your stuff?” He complained, whining in the way only a vod’ika could.
“I literally told you not to look there,” She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. The door slid shut in Ezra’s face as she took the small bundle of clothes.
“You can’t tell me not to look somewhere, and expect me to listen!” He called from the other side of the door. “Can you believe this, Huyang?”
“For Lady Wren? Yes, it is very plausible,” She heard the droid agree as she set the clothes back on the counter.
“If anything, those two will drive you nuts first,” She informed them, though there was a warm smile on her lips as she unfolded the sleep shorts and sweatshirt. “This is all I have that has a chance at fitting, pretty sure leather pants aren’t the best for sleeping in,”
“Thank you-“ Without waiting and skipping the preamble, Sabine carefully helped Shin into each article. Once the blonde’s head was popped through the neck hole of the sweatshirt, Sabine idly reached out to brush their hair back in place with her fingers.
“I’m sure we can stop somewhere and grab something that’ll fit while I fix this stuff up,” Sabine promised, patting the stack of blood soiled clothes.
The Mandalorian helped Shin up once more, again taking the lead with a gentle hand on their wrist as they rejoined everyone in the main room. Ahsoka was deep in thought at the table, a ceramic mug of tea clasped in her hands, while Ezra packed away at least three days-worth of rations across from her. “Hey, we’re gonna go lay down… long day,” She called to everyone at the table. Huyang popped his head out of his service quarters at her voice.
“Lady Hati, may I take yours and Lord Baylan’s sabers? Ezra mentioned they may have suffered damage from the environment.”
Shin’s hands tapped at their waist where the sabers should have been, though… she did not know where they could have gone, they’d been spaced out too far since Baylan’s last breath that she hadn’t kept track of them.
“Oh! Right here!” Sabine removed both sabers from the back of her belt, passing them off to Shin so they could make the final decision to pass them both to the waiting droid.
“Thank you,”
Sabine and Shin were able to retreat to the crew quarters with no further interruptions. While Sabine was preparing the bunk across from her own, Shin settled down to sit against Sabine’s own decorated bed. By the time the purple haired woman had finished, the wolf was already curled up at the foot of the thin mattress, eyes shut and face burrowed into the tooka plush Kanan had gotten her ages ago for her birthday.
“Yeah, me too,” Sabine agreed in a quiet whisper. Instead of settling into the other bunk, she dropped into the open space of her own without taking off her armor, the exhaustion of the last few weeks finally catching up from the hyperspace lane and sending the Mandalorian off to sleep.
▬▬ι═══════>
Shin’s rest was anything but restful through the night, keeping them tossing and turning, agitating the bandages on their chest until Ahsoka had finally had enough, dropping from the bed above Sabine’s almost silently, only to reach out and shake the blonde’s leg until awareness came flooding back in.
The blonde’s eyes snapped open, recoiling in near immediate fear as they processed the glow of Togrutan eyes and the distinct markings of Ahsoka Tano’s face. “Easy,” She whispered as they scrambled back on the mattress, nearly waking Sabine. She had to wonder what Baylan had been telling them about her.
She could hear the quickened thumping of their heart and the rapid rise and fall of their chest, even as they schooled their features to mask the terror. “I’m not going to hurt you,” She tried to ease, though it seemed to be the wrong move. Sabine and Ezra both shifted, beginning to stir at the commotion and the fear bleeding out into the force.
Exasperated, Ahsoka slipped out of the room to find Huyang, tinkering away at the oddest hours to pull the sediment from Baylan and Shin’s sabers. “Hey, you up for telling the kids one of your old stories?”
“They are all far from children,” He commented as he settled Baylan’s hilt onto a clean rag. “But of course, I will.” He agreed, stepping around Ahsoka and to the room.
Shin was still backed up into the corner of the bunk, her hand resting on Sabine’s wrist, over the trigger for the small rockets loaded into the vambrace , laying in wait should they need to use Sabine’s arsenal to protect themselves.
“Lady Hati,” He greeted, blinking up at Ezra when the man’s hand dropped down to smack against his head.
“ ‘bine, turn your alarm off,” He grumbled, hand limp against the droids head.
“Eat my shorts,” Sabine grumbled tiredly, shifting against the mattress with her eyes still closed, curling instinctively closer to the blonde in her bed.
“Huyang, please,” Ahsoka spoke from the doorway, the light filling in keeping er eyes dull, and only slightly less horrifying to the younger blonde.
“Of course,” He settled himself in the open bunk that Sabine had prepared hours before. “Lady Hati, your Master’s lightsaber was constructed in a style that the Jedi Order had not seen in hundreds of years…”
Huyang talked long into the night about the old Republic and the ways of the Jedi from that era, delving into a plot that had all three young adults sleeping once more, before he could even get to the interesting part. Even with Ahsoka as his only audience, Huyang continued his tale about Baylan Skoll, and the day he came in as an excited youngling and built his very first saber, and the vivid yellow-orange blade he had produced on the trip back to Coruscant.
