Author's Note: If you have any tips writing tips, please feel free to comment.

As always, I continue to hope that I am doing justice to the spirit of Star Wars as well the respective authors and characters from which I borrow. Again, I gratefully accept constructive criticism as a means to help me develop my skills further as a writer.

Mandalorian (Mando'a) words

Aruetisse (ah-roo-ay-TEE-say): traitors, foreigners, outsiders

Buy'ce (BOO-chay, BOO-shay): helmet; Colloquially: pint, bucket

Ika (EE-kah): diminutive suffix written as 'ika - also added to a name as a very familiar or childhood form, e.g, Ord'ika - Little Ordo

Kama (KAH-ma): belt-spat

Kaysh ret pirimmuy (kaysh-rayt-peer-im-OO-we): He might be useful

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Chapter 53

For centuries, the palace guards were responsible for the safety of the royal family. I wasn't too keen on the Republic Army stepping into our territory, but at least they knew their limits. The Empire took away the only employment I've ever had, and now that I've been removed from that honor, I find civilian life is much more complicated than I ever imagined.

Chora Wsau, former Tochin palace guard

Tochin Moon III, 82 Days after Order 66

"Sweetie, you can stay and drink until your heart's content," the bartender said to Dusty. Her voice was surprisingly feminine, entirely unfitting to her brawny body. She flicked her eyes quickly to Jas but kept her words at Dusty. "Your... friend, however... well unless he takes that contraption off his head and partakes in some drinking of his own, he's only taking up space for someone who would be willing to pay for my selection of spirits."

Dusty nodded and looked to Jas as though he had this conversation regularly with those who did not know the two of them. "Madam, I do apologize for my friend's lack of involvement, but I must warn you that I've seen his face only once. And, sad to say, there is barely a face to be seen. He was a victim to a horrendous homestead blaze when he was merely a lad."

The bartender glanced her eyes back to Jas and something that looked like pity flashed in them for a moment. Then, her eyes squinted as though trying to see into the T-visor. "Lost your face when you were young. I guess you've never been with a woman, then?"

Jas felt the color drain from his face at this barkeep's sudden curiosity, and he was even more grateful for the buy'ce that covered what he was certain was a look of shock and horror. He had no idea how exactly to respond, especially over a matter that was so deeply personal.

"Well, I can make... arrangements for you, if you'd like," the barkeep continued softly, almost conspiratorially. "I rent out the second story to a... fairly liberal group of entrepreneurs."

Dusty knew he had to intervene quickly, as he was able to see the embarrassed stiffness in Jas' posture, and he could tell that the barkeep hadn't noticed Jas' subtle discomfort. It wasn't something most people would notice, but growing up together and sharing battles beside each other for over ten years had given clones an ability to hone in on those nearly invisible reactions.

Dusty fought now to keep the neutral look on his face and avoid laughing over his brother's sudden predicament. "Madam, let's just say that my guardian is not distracted by the fairer sex... considering that there were other parts of him, well... also damaged."

Jas jerked his head quickly towards Dusty at that, unable to stop his surprise at his brother's comment and watched while Dusty tried to hide his smirk behind another sip of the ale.

"I'm thinking, sir, you've had enough to drink," Jas said, trying to find a comeback of his own for Dusty's smart mouth and coming up empty. His words sounded deep and gravely due to a modulator in the helmet that disguised his true voice.

The bartender seemed to brighten for a moment, watching this unlikely pair and seeming to catch them unawares. She then turned her attention toward Jas. "Your friend a lightweight?"

"I'm supposed to be his bodyguard, not his mother," Jas grumbled, sprinkling on a touch of the anger he figured a person like the Mandalorian bodyguard he was supposed to be would have for the spoiled man Dusty was portraying. Then, Jas shrugged his shoulders seeming to think it was better to go a little humble so that the attention would get drawn away from them as he decided to drop the persona of a thug a few notches. "But, he pays well, so I deal with his shortcomings."

"Well, we don't get too many off-worlders here," the barkeep said, as her eyes moved back to business after the light moment had passed. "We're one of those back world places no one cares about... except for this Empire. They think our miners can get them all kinds of tolium off that Tochin deathtrap. We've already lost a good dozen men. For years they mined that planet with only a few injuries and two deaths. This Empire shows up, and we're suddenly seeing consistent body cases return. Moon Three's now got more widows and orphans than a charity center on Coruscant."

Dusty looked into his still-full mug of ale for a moment realizing that the Empire was quickly becoming an overpowering force that could hold the entire galaxy in its clutches. He was beginning to wonder just how suicidal their mission to find Les'ika really was and if maybe they should have heeded Skirata's advice to forget about the princess. Then, Dusty had his own memories of his brother's unquestionable happiness during those days in Tochin's forest and how afterward Les'ika's constant flow of comm. messages had brightened Jas' face despite the distance that was between them.

Dusty then abruptly threw his doubts into his mental trash compactor and destroyed them. There was no turning back now, and Dusty was more than willing to reunite Jas with the woman he undoubtedly loved.

"Sorry to hear that," Dusty offered to the barkeep, putting honest sympathy into his voice, "But my interest in your world is merely in the land. I had the opportunity to overhear some Republic troopers talking a couple of months before the Jedi Purge. They mentioned this old equinine farm that's gone to waste here. I wanted to look into it and make it into a profitable investment. I'm not quite sure what to do with the land just yet, but I just need to know who I can get to sell it to me. I would imagine that there's a lot of history in that acreage."

"Ah, another one looking to drain our world of resources," the barkeep complained angrily, and Dusty could see the genuine pride she had for her world shining in her eyes.

"Hey," Dusty said with that smile of his that he had perfected to charm others. He decided to turn the conversation just a bit more positive to earn her trust again. "I wasn't thinking of draining anything. Sounds to me like your world could use a place for some entertainment or a place to let the younglings have some fun. I've heard the amusement ride business could use a kickstart."

The bartender turned to Jas again, seeming skeptical about Dusty's intentions. "That his booze talking?"

Jas shook his head and put a hand on Dusty's shoulder, knowing that they had to start building their allies somewhere and a barkeep who knew everyone in town was probably a good place to begin. "It's the idealist in him talking. That's probably the reason I take his pay to keep him safe. Don't let the ambitious land buyer in this one fool you."

Leaning forward again and talking softly, the barkeep glanced between the two off-worlders. "Supposedly, that land you want was the site for a small battle during the Clone War. I haven't personally seen it, but there were rumors of some wreckage that this clandestine trooper squad created. Somehow, they even managed to bring in one of the traitors to the former king."

Dusty hid his moment of guilt, feeling no obligation to fill in the details. He remembered that time all too well. The wreckage on that site was Mouse's handiwork, and Dusty was certain that his brother would have laughed proudly to hear how his demolitions had received renowned status almost a year later. The thought of his missing brothers from Crimson sobered him for a long moment, and he fought to keep the mask of a cheerful real estate mogul on his face.

"Sounds like I might be able to even dig up some artifacts to donate to your town history," Dusty offered, hoping that maybe he would also find something of his brothers to keep as his own reminder of that happier time in his life.

The barkeep now smiled with genuine warmth. She reached her hand forward towards Dusty, offering to shake his. He quickly grasped her hand and introduced himself. "Bhen Shipley."

"Merrine Idia," the barkeep replied. Then she offered her hand to Jas, only to have a blaster point in her face before Jas could connect with her.

"Tania tells me my tab is full," an older man grumbled, not wavering the blaster from Merrine.

Jas took a quick look at the man, and he thought he recognized the dark hair and dark eyes that were the features of this human. Then, the HUD in his helmet brought up a profile, identifying the man as former palace guard Captain Davi Saun, and Jas realized this was the same guard who tried to block Les'ika from catching up with Crimson in the hangar the day they departed Tochin almost a year ago.

Moving quickly and unexpectedly, Jas brought a hand forward, catching the blaster in one hand and with the other, he slammed Saun into the bar. Shoving his face onto the sticky wooden counter, Jas set Saun's blaster into his belt and twisted the former guard's arm behind his back, pinning him there. For a moment, Jas thought it was pathetic how Saun hadn't even put up a decent fight, and he understood now how Hazar had kidnapped Les'ika so easily. If this was any indication of the kinds of training these guards had, then any regrets Jas once had about pinning Tarj on this world to protect her were now instantly dissolved.

"Kaysh ret pirimmuy," Jas said nodding his head towards Saun and telling Dusty in Mando'a that the man he had restrained might be useful.

Dusty raised an eyebrow in curiosity as to why Jas would think that way. Then he took a good look at the man as well. After a brief moment, Dusty recognized the former guard and had come to the same conclusion that Jas had. He knew that they had to get Saun out of earshot and in a secluded corner somewhere. He and Jas needed to quietly question this former guard for whatever knowledge he had of the palace and then they were going to take that information and pick it completely apart until they found a way to get Les'ika.

Turning to Merrine, Dusty reached for a credit chip in his tunic pocket. "What's he owe? I'll cover his expenses, and you can consider that it'll help make up for Cabur's lack of participation in your drink selection. While I pay the tab, Cabur can help escort him out of your establishment."

Merrine seemed to be considering the situation and how best to handle it as she could see that Cabur easily held Davi Saun in a grasp that was well practiced. Her eyes darted between Bhen and Davi and then back to Bhen again. Scratching her cheek in thought, she brought her eyes to Bhen. "You can let him go. Davi's harmless. He's not been the same since the Empire had relieved all the palace guards of their duty. It seems none of them know what to do with themselves." After a shrug of her shoulders and a long pause, she smiled ruefully. "Besides, his blaster's never loaded. Blaster cartridges cost too much for us now."

Slowly, Jas took his hands off Saun and looked to the older man as he sluggishly lifted himself off the counter of the bar and brought his hands forward. Jas expected this Davi Saun to suddenly drop into a fighting stance to try and take him off guard, but when the retaliation didn't come, Jas wasn't quite sure what to say.

Davi brushed his hands over his worn tunic, appearing to remove dust and smooth out wrinkles that had nothing to do with Jas' grasp. His eyes looked between Jas and Dusty. "Can't say that I've seen the likes of you two before."

"They're just off-worlders looking at the old equinine farm," Merrine said from behind the bar sounding suddenly bored.

Saun let his eyes roam over the two of them, and for a brief moment, Jas saw that the old captain still had something left in him from his days as a palace guardian. The way he looked them over showed him that there was still a spark of authority in the man. He seemed to be assessing them, deciding if they truly were a threat or not.

"Can't say we've ever seen a Mandalorian up close before either," Saun said as he brought that scrutinizing glare over Jas' armor. His eyes caught a glance of the black kama that draped down from Jas' belt towards the back of his knees. "And, what's with the skirt?"

Jas suddenly understood Tarj's frustrations all those years when he had been teased about the kama. He wondered if Skirata chose this design on purpose, hoping that Jas would give up on the mission from just the sheer embarrassment of aruetisse ignorance. "If you think it's a skirt, then it's not your business to know."

Saun cracked a smile at that. It wasn't really a humored smile, but the kind of authoritative smile that one who was familiar with being in charge often exhibited. "Bodyguard, huh?"

Turning now to Dusty, Saun asked him, "What makes you so special you need a bodyguard of his caliber?"

"Don't like being pickpocketed," Dusty commented casually as he appeared to be inspecting for damage on one of his fingernails.

"Something isn't right about you two," Saun said scratching his head, "But Merrine seems to think you check out."

"How about I get you a drink for your troubles?" Dusty asked as he pointed towards one of the far tables in a corner where the light didn't fully reach and a shadow covered most of the area. "You seem pretty knowledgeable about things, and I could use your insight prior to making any purchases."

Saun turned to Merrine and saw that she had already brought forth a mug filled with a green concoction. She winked at Saun. "Maybe you can convince him that Tochin isn't a good investment."

Saun picked up the mug and moved towards the table Dusty had indicated. Dusty and Jas followed behind and took seats where Jas could keep an eye on the pub as well as watch Saun.

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