The memory...
Of you dancing in the rain.
Of your smile, lighting up my very world.
Of your laughter, chiming between heartbeats.
Creating the sweetest symphony of sounds.
I cling to it in the dead of night.
When the nightmares find me.
When I'm shaking like a leaf in a storm.
When grief steals my breath and pain pierces my heart.
The memory...
Your memory...
It warms my weary soul.
I wish you weren't just a memory now.
I wish you were still with me.
Because I think...
Because I know...
I would still...
The world would still...
Be whole...
With you.
Be able to hope...
With you.
Where have you gone?
Why have you left me behind?
In a world that only ever hurts those that are already hurting.
The memories...
Are all I have...
And I wonder...
When will it stop being enough to keep me afloat?
Diet: gains ¼ the pips from standard foods. (Can’t eat corpses)
Lung drain rate: 1.0
Throwing skill: 0*
Spear damage: 0.5
Run speed: 2.0
Corridor climb speed: 2.0
Pole climb speed: 2.0
Jump height: 9.0
Mass: 0.6
Loudness: 0.5
Visibility bonus: 0.3
Crawling stealth: 1.0
Starving stats
Throwing skill: 0*
Spear damage: 0.3
Run speed:1.6
Corridor climb speed: 1.6
Pole climb speed: 1.6
Jump height: 8.85
Mass: 0.3
*spears cannot be lodged into walls
Additional abilities and stats
They can siphon dreams from slugpups and other players when hibernating; siphoning a dream will give them an upgraded throwing skill of 1.0 and damage of 0.6 if not starving. This happens automatically and does not hurt pups or players.
They completely illuminate any room they are in when not starving.
They can glide if jump is held while airborne; when gliding, they will slowly float downwards unless a direction is held, in which case they will travel in that direction. They cannot glide upwards.
They are immune to the cold.
They can pick up iterators and siphon memories from them by holding grab while holding them.
Starting inventory
None
General and world changes
Saint’s map, however outer expanse is accessible by a new pipe in SB_GOR01 that leads to the still-functioning gate, and rubicon is replaced with the regular depths.
Lizard bites will always incapacitate, even ones with a 100% chance to kill.
Areas that can only be reached using Saint’s tongue, wall-spearing or Arti’s explosive jump are adorned with climbable wires or vines depending on the region.
Slugpups can spawn and have a fluffy coat that provides a warmth of 2. They always have the Dark variable.
Moon and pebbles are both dead.
If moon and pebbles are siphoned, all possible cutscenes containing the siphoned iterator will play, including select screen art.
Ascending will play every possible ascension cutscene, including modded slugcats if their mod is installed.
Going to journey’s end will play every possible outer expanse ending, but will not end the game.
Entering CL_B27 makes artificer’s scavenger-murdering ending cutscene play.
Entering a room with a rot cyst plays a cutscene that shows hunter’s permadeath screen.
All cutscenes go by extremely fast so you don’t have to wait an hour every time. The cutscenes will only ever happen once and time is paused while they happen.
You will also randomly have dreams. They will not be in any specific order but they will never repeat. You can have artificer dreams and survivor/monk dreams.
Summary: Amara remembers one of the most difficult days of her life
A/N: Hello Lovelies,
We’re finally going to be getting a look into Cat’ra, I’m so excited for you guys. After this chapter things are going to start to pick up between Din and Amara, I know I’m sorry guys that there hasn’t been any Din yet, but next chapter will be very much about Din. I would love to hear from you guys, and what you think about the story so far.
Thank you for showing this story so much love. Love oo.
Warnings: Flirting, Kissing, Canon-typical violence, descriptive violence, mentions of blood, mentions of body parts, grief, survivor’s guilt, threats, comfort, if I miss any warnings, please let me know.
Italics - Flashback
AO3 Link | Words: 5,289 | Previous -> Next
Main Master List | Sins of the Father Master List
Feel free to drop some love, a comment and/or a reblog, if you would like to be tagged on this or any future story, please let me know.
CHAPTER 16: THE MEMORY
Amara was beginning her third round of walking the perimeter, and just as the first two times there was nothing on the horizon to cause any sort of alarm, just the usual suspects. Sand. Rocks. More sand. More rocks. The Jundland Wastes were the worst but at the end of the day, they could be happy knowing they had finally found a secure spot for the covert, no one knew where they were or how to get to the covert. The area had been negotiated as a trade from the Jawas and the Tuskens, and after almost a year of setting up the area, everyone had started to feel more at home.
“Amara, ner runi (My soul), where you at?” Ca’tra’s cheery voice cut in over the comms.
“Just finishing my third perimeter scan over by the Western Dune Sea”
“Anything out there, love?”
“Nothing, cyare. Just sand, wind, oh look a tumbleweed… exciting! Wait, I think I see something … nope sorry, just some more tumbleweed. Why are there so many tumbleweeds? Where are they even coming from?”
“Really, that’s your question”
“Well I could ask something more interesting, but then that would distract me from my duty and yours”
“Oh really? Here I thought you would have enjoyed the fresh air, the bright sun, being one with nature…”
“Yeah, not to mention the sand in every crevice. I’ll need a good and proper shower once this watch shift is over.”
“Well I’m more than ready to help you with that, my dear”
“We’re getting married in two days”
“Your point being …”
“Why did I agree to marry you?”
“You lost a bet and you love me”
“Hmmm, you might have to keep reminding me”
“Every day, every night, every hour, every minute”
“Ca’tra…”
“Yes”
“Why do you love me?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, you could be with a true Mandalorian, someone who has proven themselves already to the covert. You could be with someone who will add status to who you are, someone who will help you, in ways I can’t. I’m … I mean I’m no one. The daughter of Boba Fett. A clone’s daughter. That’s all they see me as, that’s all they’ll ever see me as.”
“…” There was no response from him
“Ca’tra?” My mind started to panic a little did something happen to him.
“…”
“Ca’tra!”
“Hey!” Amara turned to the voice that came up behind her, “I’m right here, you don’t have to shout” although, she couldn’t see his face, his tone told her everything, he was grinning under that helmet like an idiot, as he usually did when he was looking at her.
“Well if you actually answered my question, I wouldn’t have to yell”
“What was your question?” Ca’tra tilted his head
“Really?”
Ca’tra reached out and grabbed her hand, he loved her hands, they were skilled, comforting, loving, deadly, and kind. Every time he took her hands into his, it was as though they had been made to fit with his, it was the hands that would look after him when he was sick or injured, the hands their future kids would feel when she cared for them too. The hands that would hold Adi when he had a nightmare.
“Oh right” He tilted his head back like he was remembering, “you wanted to know why I choose you and not some other bucket head”
“Hey, those are your people”
“Sorry, some other mando”
“Okay, now you are really trying to irritate me”
Ca’tra laughed, not his usual mountain shaking laugh, but a small chortle, the laugh he gave when he just fell in love with her even more than he thought possible for his poor heart.
“That, that right there is the reason why I love you. Well one of the reasons. You defend everyone, whether they deserve it or not, you are ready to see the good in people, when sometimes there’s nothing but rotten banta flesh with the maggots and flies. You can’t stand injustice or people disrespecting one another. You look after those who can’t look after themselves, and help those that need it; like the covert,” he motioned with his head to the direction behind him in general, “the people in Mos Eisley, Adi, even your father. You make my life worth living.” He tightened his hold on her, pulling her in closer, “You gave me something I lacked for a long time cyar’ika, something I probably wouldn’t have even noticed I was lacking if were not for you. You gave me a home, gave me hope, showed me that I was more than the beskar, showed me what it was to be a father to Adi, and more importantly you gave me gar kar’ta (Your heart). I love you because you are the most amazing and special woman I have ever met. I love you because I can’t wait till you and Adi are officially my family, and I can adopt that kid as mine. I love you Amara Vel a.k.a Oyar’e Fett because you are my moon and stars.”
Amara stepped closer to Ca’tra, she rested her hands on his cuirass, while his hands lowered to her lower back, “I love you, Amara because without you I am nothing, I have nothing, I feel nothing. My life before you was dark and grey, tasteless, lifeless. After you, there is no comparison.”
“Bu’nas’a (Damn). You know the way to a girl’s heart.”
“I know the way to your heart, because you let me”
“I wish I could kiss you right now”
Ca’tra moved one hand from Amara’s back and raised his helmet a little, he leaned down, while Amara leaned to stand on her toes, as soon as her lips met his, her world felt right. Everything felt right, his lips, his scent, his tongue, it all made sense in that moment, like every time she kissed him.
“I love you too” Amara mumbled against his lips
“Why are we waiting to get married in two days?”
“Because my father will be back by then”
“Oh right” he mumbled against her lips.
“Ca’tra” Amara pulled back to look him in his visor as he readjusted his helmet, “I love you, with everything that I am, with everything that I have, with every fibre and cell of my being. I never thought I could love this deeply or this profoundly, I never thought this would ever happen for me. When I’m with you, my world makes sense. It made sense with Adi, but with you in it, it feels complete. I feel complete. From that first day I met you, I knew my world would never make sense again. Honestly, I don’t know how I survived this universe before you.”
Ca’tra leaned his helmeted forehead against hers, he couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be, anyone else’s arms he’d rather be in.
“Look who’s a poet now”
“Oh shu…” just then a laughter echoed through the area, Amara and Ca’tra both pulled away from each other. Ca’tra pulled out his blaster ready for anything.
“Ca’tra, what do you see?”
“Nothing” his eyes scanned back and forth.
Amara scanned the area with her scope, but she didn’t notice anything either, damn it! Why did they allow themselves to be distracted.
“What pretty declarations! Such passion! Such tenderness!” Came the voice being carried by the wind.
“Show yourself, coward!” Ca’tra shouted, he readjusted his hold on his blaster, readying to aim as soon as the person showed themselves. “Amara, do you see anything?”
“No … wait…” Amara squinted, there in the dune sea, behind a sand dune, she saw him, “found him. 25 degrees to the east, just to the right of the sand dune.”
“Got ‘em”
“Tell me” began the voice, he appeared to be alone, from this distance it was hard to make out who exactly he was, “what are two people doing out here amongst the sand, just going for a leisurely walk, or maybe you needed a quiet place to share more intimate moments. If that’s the case, please continue, don’t let me stop you.”
“I think we’ve shown all you’re going to see” Amara shouted back
“What about an intimate moment?” The voice questioned, there was a hint of teasing on his tone.
“Who is this guy?” Ca’tra asked
“Have no clue, but I doubt he’s by himself. No one would be that stupid.”
“You wanna bet?”
“What’s the wager?”
“Winner decides the next upgrade on the Sintas”
“You just want those mattresses”
“Umm… yeah! I can’t keep sleeping on that stupid slab of a mattress, it’s hard as a rock”
“Fine, but if I win, we’re getting a new reheater”
“I’m sorry but there is nothing wrong with the reheater we have now”
“You’re not the one reheating, so shut it.”
“Fine, what are we gonna do with tweedle dee over there?”
“Find out what he wants obviously”
Amara and Ca’tra took a few more steps towards the voice, “What are you doing out here?” Amara shouted
“I could ask you the same question beautiful” the voice responded
“I don’t like this, something’s off” Ca’tra stated, grabbing his blaster a little tighter.
“We have to find out what he wants, we can’t lead him back to the covert”
“I know, but I just … I have a bad feeling about this”
“Me too. Tra, I should’ve …”
“No, this isn’t on you, love. I scanned the area and I didn’t see anything.”
“You still haven’t answered my question” Amara shouted redirecting her thoughts to the unknown voyeur.
“Well, how else was I going to have an opportunity to talk to you one-on-one? You never seem interested in caring on a conversation with me. I needed to get your attention.”
Amara and Ca’tra stopped at that, this was a trap, they began to scan the area, “Mar, there are 15 guys coming out from beyond the ridge”
“I got another 15 coming from the south, Tra”
“Kriff! We’re surrounded”
“This is my fault, I shouldn’t have distracted you”
“No, stop it, Mar. It’s not your fault. We’ve faced worse. We got this!”
Amara grabbed her blaster, they stood back-to-back, it wasn’t the first time they were surrounded, but this time there was no cover, no random boulder, an outcropping of stone there was nothing, pretty soon the thirty men had created a circle around the two of them.
“Well, what do you say beautiful, save his life and come with me or die together?” The voice stayed by the sand dune, and didn’t bother to venture forward.
“Don’t do it, Mar. Don’t.”
“If it’ll save your life”
“No. We don’t know what he wants”
“Oh I think you know what he wants” one of the men who surrounded them taunted, the rest began laughing.
“Mar, don’t”
“Well then come up with a plan” Amara slowly returned her blaster.
“Pick up your blaster”
“If I can save you…”
“Stop it.”
“How do I know you won’t attack him if I go with you?” Amara asked the voice
“You don’t!” the voice shouted, his smugness could be felt even from this great distance.
“Then why should I go anywhere!” It was one thing to go having whatever guarantee, it was another to leave Tra vulnerable, Amara reached up and grabbed her songsteels, if they wanted her, then they better come for her, she would die before they harmed Ca’tra.
Ca’tra’s heart was beating fast, he knew what men like that would want with someone as beautiful as Amara, there was no way he would let her sacrifice herself for him. She deserved a better fate than whatever this man had planned.
“I’m disappointed my dear, I thought for sure you would have made a better choice” the voice shouted to her.
“Daab!” (Down)
They both dropped down, Ca’tra unleashed his whistling birds, taking down twelve of the men in the circle, that left 18 for them to deal with, the shock of Ca’tra’s weaponry threw off the remaining men, giving them time to react. Within a flash Amara flipped herself over and stood facing the men to the south of her, they were looking at their comrades currently lying face down in the ground, motionless. Amara took advantage of their shock and didn’t wait, she unleashed her blades on them, amongst the dust storm she kicked up, the only thing that could be seen where her blades shining brightly in the sun, as she slashed her way through seven of the men. She turned to look at Ca’tra he had taken down six more, he was ruthless shooting one and kicking the other back, and holding another with his free hand turning the blaster on the man on the ground, then on the man he was holding all within a split second. Watching Ca’tra defend himself and her, made her heart swell, to know that was her soon-to-be riduur, she couldn’t have been prouder.
“Stop!” The voice shouted from the sand dune, still refusing to come any closer. Amazingly the remaining men stood with their blasters pointed at them, Amara and Ca’tra stood ready to face them, being able to take down nearly 13 men within a matter of minutes clearly showed they were a force to be reckoned with. Amara readied her swords, now dripping with the blood of the men she killed, Ca’tra’s blaster was still smoking in his hand.
“Impressive! Most impressive!” The voice shouted over to them followed by clapping echoing down to them, “How about this? Come with me now, and your precious Mandalorian goes free”
“Sorry, you had your chance!” Ca’tra shouted
“Oh I don’t think so” the voice responded, “Come on beautiful, you still have a chance to save him, just join me. Come with me, and I’ll treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”
“I don’t know, we already took care of the majority of your men, I have no doubt we can easily take care of the rest” after all what were five men compared to the 25 they had just faced and killed. She felt Ca’tra’s beside her, there was no reason to fret, she knew he had her back. They were going to be fine. The covert was going to be fine. They just had to take care of these five men, and the moron by the sand dune.
“Tion’tuur mhi cuyir gar atba’a’yu gar vuya saha?” (When were you getting your jet pack?)
“Arsaor cuyir slanar at dinuir bid at ni asas a onvior srava’ya” (The Armourer was going to give it to me as a wedding present)
“Kumeh jima dasa’na par bic asas srusalr srava’ya” (Should have asked for it as an engagement present)
“I did”
“And…”
“La sirbur gapcitr senaar cuyir srusalr srava’ya” (She said the whistling birds were the engagement present)
“What will it be my dear?” The voice asked again, this time his impatience was clearly heard.
“I’d rather die by his side, then live without him”
“Wrong move, my dear” The remaining men aimed their blaster, when a beeping came from their comms, the men started looking around at each other.
“What…”
“What’s going on?”
“They’re bombs!” Came the shouts from the men one over the other.
Amara grabbed Ca’tra’s hand and started running away from the remaining men as fast as they could, how she wished at that moment he had a jet pack. Before they could get far enough away, one of the men tackled Ca’tra to the ground, inadvertently taking Amara down with them, due to the strength of Ca’tra’s grip on her hand. When she opened her eyes she saw the blue sky of Tatooine, as she turned over, she saw the mercenary pushing Ca’tra into the sand with all his weight, Ca’tra was trying to buck the man off, however the more he struggled, the more the sand gave way underneath him, the Clawdite had him pinned slipping his comm on to Ca’tra’s wrist, Amara grabbed her blaster as fast as she could.
“Get off of him!”
Amara shot the man without hesitation, she noticed the rest of the men were trying to slip off their comms as easily as the Clawdite had done.
“Amara, run!” Ca’tra shouted to her, when he noticed the beeping coming from his wrist.
“No we can…” Amara turned her attention to Ca’tra’s wrist trying to pry off the comm just as the other men were trying. She turned to look at the remaining men again, when she heard their voices moving further away, she looked over her shoulder as she noticed they abandoned their positions and began running towards the voice by the sand dune, slowly each of them exploded as they neared the man. She noticed the man held some sort of device in his hand, as each man exploded, his laughter ran across the valley, louder with each explosion. Amara wanted to kill him, she wanted to make him hurt, the man was cruel even to his own men.
“Amara” Ca’tra reached for her hand stopping what she was doing, forcing her to look at him.
“No, Ca’tra, I’m not …”
“You have to, I don’t know how much longer…”
“Shut up! Just shut up! We’re getting married. I’m not leaving you.”
“I wish that were the case, cyar’ika. You have to go. For Adi, you have to.”
Amara shook her head, she couldn’t, the tears began streaming down her cheek as she realized what she had to do, but there had to be a way, some way to save him.
“Tick tock!” Shouted the voice, Amara looked over to the man.
“Can you turn it off?” She shouted.
“Of course, I can!”
“Then do it!” Amara looked from the man to Ca’tra, “Do it and I’ll go with you!”
“Amara, don’t! It’s too late for me.”
“Sorry, sweetheart, you had your chance to save him.”
The beeping continued, never stoping amongst the tears she was shedding.
“You have to go” Ca’tra whispered
“I can’t”
“You have to”
“I’ll tell you what” the voice shouted towards them, “I’m not without some for of compassion, I’ll give you an additional five minutes to say your goodbyes, to give your undying love speeches, you know the blah-blah-blah usual sappiness. After all it’s the least I can do, really.” His laughter echoed over to them, it surrounded them like some sort of cruel joke.
“Ca’tra, I can cut off your hand” she whispered, not wanting the voice to overhear them.
“Oh before I forget, if you were thinking of cutting his hand off, the bomb will explode. You tamper with it, the bomb will explode. If the comm no longer registers a pulse, the bomb will explode. You should have just come with me, when I offered it. I do hope you’ll reconsider the next time someone threatens the person you love. After all, he’s going to die because of you.”
Amara watched as he pressed a button on the device he held, another beeping came, a moment of silence, and then five consecutive beeps came from Ca’tra’s wrist.
“Enjoy your five minutes! I’d make them count if I were you!”
Amara and Ca’tra watched as the man got on a speeder and headed off further into the Dune Sea, while his laughter echoed through the valley towards the two, a cruel reminder of what should never have happened.
“Ca’tra” Amara moved closer to him, there had to be something she could, some sort of plan they could figure out, maybe if she could tap into the system … she had to do something.
“Mar”
“No, shut up. Maybe he was lying. Maybe there’s … we’re … we always walk away…”
“Not this time, my love”
Amara watched as Ca’tra removed his helmet, his blue eyes bore into her own, she could feel the bubble rising.
“Ca’tra, stop it, we can call someone”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, the Armourer, Paz … someone”
“Amara, stop”
“No, there has to be …” His wrist beeped four times, four minutes.
“Listen I only have four minutes left, and there’s something I need you to do, so please listen, cyar’ika” Amara watched as he removed every piece of armour, “take these and give them to Adi, I want my son to have them, I want him to know I loved him with all my heart as my own. You can give them to him when he’s off age, when he’s ready to take on that responsibility.”
Amara felt tears stream down her face, “No, you can survive. You can … we can do this. We can give a set to Adi together. Please love. Don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you. You have to survive, cyare” the tears were coming hard and fast now.
“No, I won’t. You know I won’t love. I know this device, Mar, I’ve used it before in my hunts. There is no … Amara look at me” Ca’tra grabbed her face, and held it in between his hands, “I love you. I will always love you. You are my everything. You have always been, from the moment I saw you in that garage, from the moment you smiled at me, I knew I had found my home, my heart, my everything. Please, love, please let’s exchange vows now, I want to be able to call you my wife at least once before I …”
“Ca’tra, I … I ….”
“Mhi souls tome, mhi souls dar’tome, mhi me’dinui an, mhi ba’juri verde”
“Mhi souls tome, mhi souls dar’tome, mhi me’dinui an, mhi ba’juri verde” (We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors)
“I love you, Amara Vel a.k.a. Oyar’e Fett, I will live with you in your heart, riduur. I will be …” three beeps.
“Ca’tra please I can’t … I can’t live without you, riduur”
“You can, riduur. You can. You’re strong, fierce and worth everything this universe can give you. I won’t be there to see the amazing man you train Adi into, but I can just imagine because I know you. Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum (I love you/I will know you forever). I won’t be able to help you anymore, but I know you can handle it. I love you, riduur. I love you with so much of my heart and soul, I never thought I would meet someone who would leave me with no regrets, riduur. I love you so much I have no space left in my heart for anything else.”
Amara pulled Ca’tra to her lips, there among the littered bodies, among the blood and sweat, among the smell of burnt flesh, she gave her everything to Ca’tra in that kiss.
Two beeps, two minutes
“Ca’tra, I love you. Riduur, I am blessed because you came into my life, everything you are, everything you’ve been for me, you made me stronger, without you I wouldn’t have been able to rebuild my relationship with my father. You are everything in my life, my love. I can’t be this person without you, riduur.”
“You can and you will, riduur. I have faith in you. I know it will be difficult at first, but I believe in you. I have never doubted you. Riduur, I am grateful for every moment, every chance I got to hold you in my arms …” Ca’tra’s voice started to falter, with each breath his voice cracked more and more, “I’m grateful for every kiss you ever shared with me, for every morning I woke up with you beside me. I’m blessed you allowed me into your heart. I love you, riduur, I always have and always will.”
“I love you, riduur, I always have and always will.”
“Amara promise me something”
“Anything”
Tears streamed down both their faces, how did they get here? How did they lose everything they were holding on to? Just half an hour ago, they were so happy, they had a future, they had plans, they were going to give Adi brothers and sisters, they were going to be a real family, and now …
“Promise me, you’ll try to love again. Promise me you won’t live the rest of your life alone, riduur. You deserve someone who will love you and care for you, someone who will protect you, even from yourself. Someone who will make you laugh, someone who will help you to relax, not to be so serious all the time. Someone who will love Adi just as much as you do. Promise me, riduur, promise me, you’ll not end up alone, wishing for me to be there with you.”’
“Ca’tra…”
“Promise me, riduur”
One beep, one minute
“I promise, riduur, I promise, Cat’ra.”
“Tell Adi, I love him, tell him I’m so proud of the man he is becoming. Tell him to look after his mother, the woman I have loved so deeply, who taught me to love, who taught me to be the man I am today.”
“Riduur …” Amara’s voice was failing her, “… please …”
“I love you, riduur”
Ca’tra grabbed her face one more time, kissing her with every bit of breath he had left, and ran as far away as he could, wiping the tears that were falling down his cheeks. He needed to out of her sight, she didn’t need to see this, he needed to save her, he needed to save his riduur. He closed his eyes remembering her smile, her eyes, her hands, those loving hands.
Amara didn’t look back, she couldn’t she simply counted down the seconds, 5 … 4 … 3 … “I LOVE YOU, AMARA!”, Cat’ra’s voice echoed over to her, she was about to respond when … BOOM!
Amara fell to the ground clutching her chest, her heart breaking into a million pieces, her world, her life, everything died that day.
“Mara…” Boba reached forward and wiped the tears that were sliding down her face.
“It was him, wasn’t it. That’s how he had the holovid, it was Dario that set everything up?”
“Yes, Leemy said he didn’t order his murder but he neither deterred the man who did. They planned it Mara, they planned everything. It was Dario that was responsible for the death of Ca’tra. Not you. It was never you.”
Amara’s voice was barely above a whisper, “If I hadn’t met with Bossk, if I hadn’t caught the attention of that man, he … Ca… Ca’tra would still be here. It’s my fault.”
“No.”
Boba knelt before his daughter, oh his knees were getting too old for this, but for her he’d kneel before her all day if it meant he brought his daughter some solace.
“Mara, look at me” Boba cupped her cheek, directing her to look at him, after a few minutes of coaxing she finally looked up, “what happened to Ca’tra was not your fault, it was the fault of men who think they have a right to want whatever they want. It was Dario’s fault for not being a man. It was Dario’s greed that killed Ca’tra. It was Leemy’s fault for allowing that man to hurt you, to hurt the both of you. It wasn’t your fault. It was never your fault or Ca’tra’s”
“I should have seen him … them. If I had …” Amara couldn’t hold it back, it was as though she was living that day all over again, the tears were uncontrollable, she gasped for air, she curled into herself, nearly falling off the chair, had it not been for her father’s arms.
Boba pulled her into his arms, Amara didn’t have the strength to remain in the chair, she didn’t have the strength for anything. She clutched on to Boba with all her strength, her violent sobs filling the air of his office, her tears soaking his cloak underneath his armour. Boba adjusted himself pulling her into his lap, resting his back against his desk, letting his legs lie flat against the ground before him. One arm held her back as she rested against his chest and shoulder, his other hand straightened out her legs, so she wouldn’t cramp, then proceeded to rest on the back of her head pulling her into a hug. Boba held her like he did the day he found out about Ca’tra. He held his daughter, the way he always did when she was hurt or injured. In that moment, Boba’s heart broke all over again, as it did the day he found out Ca’tra died.
“Mara, you did everything right, sometimes people just get the best of us, sometimes they find a weakness. You said it yourself, even Ca’tra didn’t see them, he couldn’t even see Dario, and he had his helmet on. You used your scopes and looked for anything out of the ordinary, they waited … who knows how long they waited till Ca’tra showed.”
“But …”
“Mara, please” Boba rested his cheek on her head, wrapping his arms around her tighter, “Please listen to me, listen to the words Ca’tra told you, it wasn’t your fault. It’s no one’s fault except for the men who did this. Dario, Leemy, and those men who either died by yours and Ca’tra’s own hand or by Dario’s hand. It may have taken some time, but they all received their punishment in the end.”
“Where is he?” Amara asked as her head rested against his shoulder, her fingers curling around the top border of his cuirass, she remembered when her mother died, this was the same position he held her when he told her what happened.
“Leemy isn’t here anymore, he’s in the dungeon of the Pykes. Pyke syndicate came the day after he was here, to pick him up and took him back to Marg Krim. He overextended himself and owes Krim two million credits and then some. Crasea and Fennec went shortly after with another Pyke member to retrieve the spice from Leemy’s headquarters.”
“I want to see him”
“No”
“Please…”
“You don’t want to hear what this man has to say, trust me”
“I want to know where the vid is, Babeh. He doesn’t deserve to have it.”
“Fennec already found it, she gave it to me when she came back. Please Mara, let me deal with this, let me make this right.”
Amara moved to look at her father, “What do you mean ‘make this right’?”
Boba looked off to the side, he had never felt more ashamed then he did at that moment.
“Mara, I connected you with Bossk. After years of not speaking to that man, I reestablished that connection because I thought I was doing right, I thought I was helping you, but all I did was put you in harm’s way, I put you into the line of sight for men like Dario. Then because I killed Bib Fortuna, Leemy put you in even more danger. I’m just as guilty as those men. Because of my sins, you are suffering the consequences. It’s just as much my fault as theirs.”
“Babeh, no” Amara reached up and held Boba’s face, “please look at me, Babeh.”
Boba turned to look at his daughter, his only child who he swore to protect and couldn’t do anything except continually hurt her, either through his own actions or lack there of or because men wanted to use her to hurt him.
“Babeh, you are not to blame. All you have ever done is protect me, love me, provide for me and help me. Those men are responsible for what happened to Ca’tra, not you. Never you.”
“Yet, you still feel responsible?”
“I …”
“If you are guilty, then so am I”
Amara stilled at that moment, was that true? If she blamed herself, was she blaming Babeh too? Her father had nothing to do with what those men planned or did. She asked him … in fact, she begged him to put her in contact with anyone that could help her get the supplies she needed to help those in need here on Tatooine. She never asked him to contact Bossk directly, he warned her that being in contact with men like that, meant there was always a danger. Especially, since he was still healing from the sarlacc pit, he was vulnerable, and didn’t have the strength he has now. Bossk was someone he could trust, they may have hated each other, but Bossk did after all look after him when he was a kid, practically raised him after her grandfather died. How could any of this be Babeh’s fault?
Killing Bib Fortuna was a necessary evil, the man was disgusting, the way he treated his servants, the sheer way he ran the entire palace, what Jabba had built that man ran it into the ground. It was only natural for Boba to take his rightful place, to return the palace to it’s former glory and manage it better than either ever could. He made a point to rule with respect, not out of fear like Jabba and Bib did. It wasn’t his fault Leemy was overextended with Marg Krim that was all his own doing, not Babeh’s.
She did her job that day, she had been on patrol for nearly seven hours before the incident happened, before the men that had been lying in wait for both her and Ca’tra emerged. Neither of them had seen them, Cat’ra told her over and over again, it wasn’t her fault.
Amara took in a shuddering breath … it wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t Babeh’s fault. It wasn’t Ca’tra’s fault. It wasn’t their faults.
“You’re right Babeh. It’s neither of our faults. Everything that happened is not our fault. It’s Dario’s and Leemy’s, and they got exactly what they deserved.”
Link's childhood memories return to him and he learns how he first traveled to the Domain and met his friends, and Princess Mipha.
Impa cautiously approached the Deku Tree. He seemed to be in a dormant state but was resplendent nonetheless. His roots were so large and winding that they took up most of the clearing; his trunk so tall that his canopy could be seen from a great distance. Up close, the pale lavender color of the leaves was dazzling, even at night. The face on the trunk looked like that of an old man, branches drooping like eyebrows and a long mustache on either side of a wide, flat nose.
She stared at the sword in the pedestal and stepped closer. Her every instinct said not to touch; it was exuding ancient magic. But she had a feeling that the sword was the way to wake him, so it couldn’t be avoided. She tentatively reached her hand out and hovered over the pummel, letting her middle finger rest on the top gently. The sword caused her to shudder before she pulled away, the merest touch taking away some of her vitality. She flinched as the Deku Tree’s face creaked and contorted to life.
His voice was a deep and soothing rumble, “Greetings.” His branched eyebrows lifted in interest, though there were no eyes underneath to speak of. “Ah, the Sheikah. You must be here on behalf of the Royal Family. If I may ask, might you be Impa?”
Against her better manners, she stared for a moment before clearing her throat, grateful that Purah wasn’t here. She’d treat the Deku Tree like some weird scientific specimen.
“I am.”
She meant to get straight to business but could not help herself from asking, “It is true, the King does request your aid, wise Deku Tree- but, I’m sorry; how do you know me?” She immediately felt foolish, and very unprofessional.
The Deku Tree smiled and answered, “I recognize your spirit. I have watched over Hyrule for millennia. We have met before.”
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Rated M
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Thank you to the wonderful @sarcastic-sketches. I am so glad we were able to collaborate, this stained glass piece is so special <3
