Bringing home Strays (Ahsen Kashii)

[Kal Kandossii]

Nar Shadda home to criminals galore and giant slugs more often then not their task masters and lords. Walking out of one of the hutt dens of iniquity the mando paused and pocketed the credit chips worth tens of thousands of credits into an interior pocket of his jacket. His gauntlets slid a bit under the sleeves of the nerf hide coat but still were hidden quite nicely.

He had been paid for the job by the hutt but the man knew better then to tempt fate by milling around where the hutt may decide to repo the bounty. So with a mock two fingered salute the mandalorian entered the flow of traffic on the side walk disappearing from view.

Several blocks away he stopped in front of a particularly seedy bar that promised beer on tap and an infamous steak. Shrugging slightly he entered and made his way to a table to kick the chair out and take a seat. Removing his red and black helmet he clipped it to his belt and rubbed his hands through his scruffy beard and shaggy hair. Looking up at a twilek who swayed to his table with rounded hips he couldn't help a smirk at the stereotype. Not that he was going to argue.

"What are you having honey?" Smirking even wider he pointed a thumb at the sign in the window. "I'll take the steak and a beer. And keep the beer coming darling." He winked at her as he slid a few chips across the table. Watching her walk away he leaned back in the chair and sighed.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen curled her lip slightly in distaste as she tailed the man in armour. Of course, she didn't know what he looked like -- she didn't know what anyone looked like, these days. Unfortunately, her blindness made her the prime pick for being the beggar.

She hated begging.

She hated her group, even though they had taken her in.

She hated her life.

Grumbling about the unfairness of everything, Ahsen pulled the hood of her tattered cloak down to better cover her eyes as her designated target went into...a bar, from the sounds of it. Great. Nonetheless, she continued on, maximising her montrals to avoid people and furniture. She paused for a moment, head tilted to the side as she listened.

At first, everything was overwhelmingly noisy. Glasses clinked, beings chartered in their own tongue, and music. Presently, though, she heard a sound she recognized -- armour creaking as the person wearing it settled down. Bingo. Better yet, he spoke, which made it easier to recognize him later.

The Togruta touched the small blade on the side of her belt for reassurance before assuming the "crippled orphan" act.

Shoulders hunched, hood pulled way down, the young girl hobbled over to the man's table and raise her cupped hands to him. "A couple credits to keep a kid alive?" she asked, her tone innocent and sweet. She raised her head so that he could clearly see her scars and her silver, unseeing eyes. Meanwhile, Ahsen had already pinpointed where the credits were and deemed that the man had plenty to spare. Whether he gave them to her willingly or not, though, was another matter.

 

[Kal Kandossii]

The beer had been brought to him and Kal leaned back taking a deep draught of it and relishing in the strong flavor. A card game had struck up nearby and he looked at it longingly but he wanted his steak more. Minutes later his plate arrived and he dug in with knife and fork barely registering the child nearing his table.

When she spoke he turned in his chair and looked at the girl with shrewd eyes. He quirked up his lips in a smirk. "You poor poor girl. You must be starved." He grabbed two rolls from his plate and leaned over to drop them into her open hands. His coat had fallen open but as her hands were currently catching two rolls he credits merely hung, innocently, tantalizingly close.

Kal leaned back and took another drink of his beer then grabbed a bite of steak. Chewing thoughtfully he looked at the kid. No one was that sweet and innocent sounding on the streets without it being a con. And seeing the scars Kal figured there was no way she still was ms. sweet and innocent..

"Tell me a story kid. Entertain me during my meal and you might earn a credit or two." Green eyes watched her countenance as he drank liberally from his mug.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen's hands unenthusiastically caught the two rolls the man dropped into her hands. She was well aware that she had been close to snatching his credits. She was also aware that the opportunity had passed, and that there would be consequences if she didn't bring back money.

So, taking a bite out of one of the rolls, the Togruta plopped down in the chair across from him, thinking.

Finally, Ahsen came up with an idea."Fine. You want a story? I'll give you a story."

She finished off the partially eaten roll before beginning.

"Once, long ago, the galaxy -- no, the universe -- was nothing. Nothing at all. No stars, no people, just space. Absolute nothingness.

"And then, there was something. A tiny pinprick of light, which grew, and grew, and grew, filling up the universe before collapsing to create a being.

"Now, this being, mind you, encompassed all that was, all that is, and all that will be. Well, the being, knowing everything, also knew what it needed to do -- it needed to create life. It needed to create laws. It needed to create wonders. But it also needed help.

"So, this being's first creations were of helpers, whom it gave names -- Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The four helpers set about creating everything in the universe all of the stars and planets, plants and animals.

"The being was pleased with their creations, but felt that something was missing. After much talking, they decided that they needed creatures that could think on a higher level than the animals. So, the four helpers went to the planets with the animals on them and presented the being with what they thought were the most likely candidates.

"The being took these candidates and gave them higher intelligence and more physical advantages, though some were more endowed than others. In order to keep an eye on these new creatures, though, the being also created two more helpers to take some pressure off of the original four. One was a near-direct copy of the being, full of light and possibilities. This one was named Life. The being tasked her with taking care of the creatures, while the Four went about maintaining their other duties. Life accepted her task and set to it immediately.

"The being then created the second helper, one dark with eternal slumber and the end of a journey. This one was named Death. The being tasked him with helping Life regulate the populations, by granting eternal rest to those who grew too old to appreciate everything. Death accepted his task and went about helping Life.

"Thus, the first years of the universe were spent in harmony. The being and the first Four continued to create, while Life and Death maintained it all. But Death soon grew dissatisfied with his work, for he felt that no one appreciated him like they appreciated Life.

"He took his complaints to the being, who did nothing. 'Everyone appreciates you,' the being said. 'You are important, and you should never forget that.' But Death was not satisfied.

"He retreated to the dark recesses of the universe, where not even the being bothered to look, and began to create.

"Death created an army of monsters, creatures which were filled with bloodlust. He also created his own helpers, whom he named Misery, War, Hate, Despair, and Treachery. He tasked them to take the monsters and conquer the universe, so that the others may recognize his strength. Death's helpers in turn created their own minions, and together they flew across the stars, leaving destruction in their wake.

"Life saw what was happening, but believed that Death could see the error of his ways. The being did not, and was prepared to destroy Death when Life begged the being to let her create an army, too. The being relented, and granted her wish.

"Life then set out to create her own creatures, creatures of beauty and grace to combat Death's monsters. She also created her own helpers, naming them Joy, Peace, Love, Hope, and Loyalty. She tasked them to combat Death and his troops, while also creating their own helpers.

"And so fought Life and Death. Many times the Four pleaded with the being to interfere, to destroy Death, but by that time the being had realized that to interfere would mean to disrupt the newfound balance of the universe. On the side, though, the being blessed certain individuals with a connection the Life, to Death, to the Four, and even to the being. The being gave these individuals the choice to either join with a side, or to stand alone. Thus, the being gave help to Life while at the same time maintaining balance.

"Even today, though, the fight between Life and Death continues while the universe carries on doing what the universe does best -- maintaining a balance."

Ahsen sat back in her chair, tearing a piece off of the second roll and lowering her eyes to the table. The story had brought back memories of her parents, who had told that story to her every night until they died.

The girl raised her head suddenly, grim-faced. "Good enough?"

 

[Kal Kandossii]

Leaning back he tore a roll in half and popped one of the pieces into his mouth as he chewed thoughtfully. He had seen the flash in her eyes as his jacket hung open and those credits hung oh so close. Greedy little git. Then again maybe not. When he had leaned away he had seen almost a weary resignation in her eyes as if she was accepting some kind of punishment for not attaining her goal.

He had spent some time on the streets and knew what it was like to live hand to mouth. He also knew what vices living on the offered. And what there was that preyed on those orphans of the streets. Looking at her ragged clothing he guessed either she wasn't high in the ranks. There could be any number of prey Maybe she worked for a local gang that took a cut. Maybe she worked for a group of orphans who used her. Hell, maybe she worked for a hutt, to find those with credits and either rolled them or told her handler where they were.

Kal took another bite from the second half of the roll. Maybe she was still kinda new and wasn't corrupted yet. He smirked because that wasn't likely. Most orphans were swallowed on the streets.

Then she got to the part about death and Kal perked up a bit. He had seen a flash in her eyes. Loss, pain, and anger. He popped the last of the roll into his mouth and chewed slowly. He understood for that loss mirrored his own history. He had lost his parents before he knew them, lost his siblings to distance, and was raised by a gruff old man. He knew loss and just what someone would do to survive.

Then again maybe she was one heck of a grifter.

She leaned back and Kal smirked again. "Good story. Obviously means something to you. Now I'm not one who gets mushy or sentimental but I have two choices for you. One, I could give you these and you can leave, not quite the score you were looking for, but enough to make your 'friends' happy." Slowly he pulled out four credits with a hundred on each. "Or you could choose door number two. Listen kid, I been where you are. Loss, lost, and angry. You can let it consume you or choose to walk a different path. You want to get off this planet and start over somewhere new? You want to make something of yourself so that you will never be weak again? I can show you how. I can show you the path."

He placed the credits on the table top and slid them halfway across before leaning back. Maybe he was a sucker, maybe he had a heart, or maybe he saw a bit of himself in her eyes in either case he made the offer. "Your choice kid."

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen heard the clink of the credits placed on the table, and perked up. She stayed her hand, though, and listened to the man's offer. It was almost too good to be true.

No, it WAS too good to be true. It had to be. She scowled at him, her dead eyes catching the light. "You're lying. Why would you care about me? Nobody cares about crippled orphans." Ahsen said this with a certainty she did not feel. True, most adults didn't bother to pay any more attention to her than necessary, but this one... He seemed different. He's lying, a part of her said. But what if he's not? You could have a better life, the other replied. That thought was the only one keeping her from taking the credits and running, the only one making her stay.

 

[Kal Kandossii]

Sitting back in the chair he looked at her and watched her features. The tightening of her face, the clenching of hands, the set of her jaw. To a sabaac player who could read the minutest detail in facial features it told him a lot. She was having an internal battle. She knew who she was and she knew who everyone else was. The galaxy was full of liars and for all she knew he was just another liar at best. A slaver at one of the worst.

Tapping the table lightly he leaned forward again and slid the credits the rest of the way across the table. "Keep 'em. And I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I have a forge back home and I need a good worker. You see with metal, it's not what you see that counts. You can never tell a book by it's cover. You have to feel the metal and listen. The best smiths say that if you listen hard enough and are determined enough, the metal speaks to you. It tells you what it wants to become. All I'm doing is taking a chance on a piece of metal. So you tell me, what do you want to become? A hood rat and criminal or something more?"

He leaned back and finished his beer. The man knew she had a choice. To take a chance on the unknown or to stay with what she knew. And contrary to popular belief it wasn't an easy choice.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

She snatched the credits up, turning them over in her hand as she listened to the man talk. Ahsen remained silent even after he stopped talking. The girl was thinking, and thinking hard.

On one hand, if she stayed here, she would have no chance at a better life. Maybe when she got older, but that was if she survived for that long. Besides, the man could be lying.

Or maybe not. He had not only given her two bread rolls, but credits, too. Granted, he may just shot her and take them back, but...why? It wouldn't make sense. Plus, this man treated her with...maybe not respect, exactly, but he also didn't treat her as filth, or worse, a baby. Ever since she'd first come up, he'd been frank with her, and she liked that.

Ahsen wanted to accept. Clearly, if the man's word held true, the girl would be able to lead a better life. But life on the streets taught her to always be cautious, especially with things that seemed too good to be true.

Resting her chin on her hand, she offered one final comment. "Yeah, well, I don't even know you. I don't know your name, or who you are. How can I trust you to stick to your word?"

 

[Kal Kandossii]

He smirked at the girl again, apparently a common look for him. "Not knowing my name or what I was didn't stop you from targeting me out on the street or following me into this bar now did it?" Still smirking he took another drink.

"So you want to know who I am? My name is Kal Kandossii. Born of a warrior who died before I was born and a mother who died in child birth. Separated from my brothers before I had even a memory of them. Raised by an uncle as a warrior and smith. You see, I am a mandalorian."

Reaching out he tapped his helmet lightly. "This baby has a holographic 360 degree panoramic view. Let's you watch your own six for enemies, or the occasional pick pocket. My word is as unbreakable as the beskar I forge."

He took another drink. "I have introduced myself, what's your name? Hungry?" With his free hand he waved over the waitress before tossing the girl the menu.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen tilted her head, listening to the man's short life story. Like her, he had lost most of his family through death or separation. Unlike her, though, he didn't have to stick it out on his own. The fact that he was a Mandalorian, too, explained all of the armour. And his attitude. But it also meant that he would be true to his word.

He tossed her something flat, something she had no clue as to what it was. She turned it over in her hands a couple time before giving him as if to say, Really? I can't read -- ever. She tossed it back to Kal. "I'll have what you had," Ahsen replied.

"I'm Ahsen, by the way. Ahsen Kashii. I was born here in the slums, but my parents died when I was about ten or so. We got caught in the middle of a crossfire between two gangs -- though, of course, I didn't escape without my own injuries." With this, she gestured at her eyes. "Only reason I managed to survive this far was 'cause some wannabe thieves took me in; honestly though, some days I wonder if it would've just been better that they hadn't."

She leaned back in her chair, flipping one of the credits in her hands thoughtfully. Sighing, though, she placed the four credits back on the table and slid them over to Kal. "And I guess I won't need these, not if you're really gonna take me to your forge instead of spacing me."

 

[Kal Kandossii]

Looking at her as she slid the credits over he shook his head slowly. "Count that toward work as of yet to be done. An advance if you will. This way I am putting trust in your word. And anyway I always step a bit lighter with a bit of my own money in my pocket." He smirked as the waitress brought over the steak plate he had ordered previously.

Leaning back as she gave him a refill he winked at her and watched her walk away before turning back to the kid. "So kid, you ever try to get those eyes fixed? Or are they inoperable?" He snaked out a hand and snagged one of her four rolls before leaning back and tearing off pieces to toss in his mouth.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen shrugged, slipping the credits into one of the hidden pockets of her tattered cloak. Hey, at least she'd tried. The last bit of what Kal said, though, was lost as the waitress brought out her plate of food. The dish had barely touched the table, though, before Ahsen was eating it greedily. She knew Kal had stolen one of her rolls, but from what she figured, one roll didn't compare to a whole plate of food.

Coming up to breathe, she said, "Don't call me 'kid'. I hate when people call me that." She stuck a dirty index finger at him. "I gave you my name; use it." Ahsen took a big gulp from her drink. "And I dunno if my eyes can be fixed or not; I barely have enough money to get a meal. Besides, the clinics here don't want some filthy street urchin dirtying up their waiting rooms."

Wiping the food off of her face with the napkin, the Togruta added, "Besides, I don't think I'd want to get 'em fixed. People tend to act differently around us cripples, y'know? I guess that's one good thing about the accident -- I might've lost my sight, but it opened my eyes to how people really are." Picking up the steak with her hands, Ahsen tore into it with her teeth, not caring about the looks that the other patrons were giving her.

 

[Kal Kandossii]

He chuckled as she ate the steak with her hands. The patrons at the next table stared at the girl with unabashed distaste. Reaching down he pulled out a kal, his name sake, and began running in lightly across his gauntlet while staring at the group with a deadly looking smile. They looked away quickly. Kal muttered under his breath, "Di'kutla aruetii."

Sheathing the blade he returned his attention back to the kid. "I know what you mean about being looked at differently for being, what the rest of the galaxy calls, handicapped. Now Ahs'ika, you need to collect any of your belongings before we dust off this rock and head home?"

He watched the waitress bring over a basket of rolls and Kal slid over a credit chip. "Keep the change." He grabbed a hand full of rolls and wrapped them in a napkin before putting them into a pouch at his belt.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen picked her fingers clean, the plate looking as if there had never been food on it to begin with. Wiping her grubby hands on her pants, she shook her head. "Nope. What you see is what I've got." She thought about the meager pile of credits, not even worth half of the meal, and decided to leave it. Where I'm going, I'll be making triple that.

Sniffing at the bread rolls that Kal was wrapping up in some kind of paper, she asked, "What does 'Ahs'ika' mean, anyway? Is that even a language?"

 

[Kal Kandossii]

He laughed as he stood. "It's mando'a, the language of us mandalorians. It is a term of endearment for a child, or a loved one. Ad'ika means kid, child, son or daughter. You take the first few letters of someones name and add 'ika and it becomes a personal use. Another thing that's unique with us mandalorians is we are always adopting strays into the clans. Aliit ori'shya tal'din. Means 'Family is more then blood'. We call each other vod which means brother or sister in mando'a. It means when you are with another mando you are with family."

Sliding his chair in with his boot he motioned toward the door. Then he remembered she probably had no idea what he had just done. "You ready to go Ahs'ika? Want to go meet my clan? Maybe one day you'll decide to join us." He smirked as he collected his buyce and hooked it to his belt.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen wasn't much of a fan for mushy nicknames, but when Kal explained that it was in the tongue of the Mandalorians, she perked up a bit. "Cool. So you would be Kal'ika, then?"

When she heard the scrape of the chair against the floor and Kal's armour clinking, Ahsen stood up too. "I've been ready to leave this kriffin' dump since I was born."

Making full use of her senses, she sidled up to the Mando and withdrew her small knife. However, she held it in a way that clearly suggested it was going to be used for defense instead of offense. When he mentioned joining with his clan, Ahsen's face scrunched up in confusion. "I thought I already was? Since, you know, you're kind of adopting me and all."

 

[Kal Kandossii]

Kal paused and turned dropping to one knee in front of the kid. "I didn't want to push you into something unless you were ready Ahs'ika. Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad. That means 'I know your name as my child'. It means I have officially adopted you. And you are part of the Kandossii aliit, family. I'll forward this to Atin, my older brother and alor ... which means he's the leader of our clan, and if anything happens to me one of our family will adopt you and become your guardian. We mandos never have orphans for long."

He rose up and smiled down at her, one of his rare sincere smiles. "And I'm not really Kal'ika. You would call me ori'vod, which means big brother, or ... buir, which means father ... or mother actually. What ever you want to call me Ahs'ika. Either way you are still my aliit now."

He smiled again as he pushed the door open and held it for the young togruta. "Going to have to get about teaching you the resol'nare."

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

If Ahsen was a hugging person, she would have squeezed the life out of Kal. But she wasn't, so she didn't. Though, with the way things were going, she might be one yet.

Nonetheless, a small smile -- the first in forever, really; she'd forgotten what it was like to be happy -- crawled its way onto her face as the realization of having a family again sunk in. Oh, she had hung with a group of other thieves, but Ahsen didn't even consider them friends. And from the tone of Kal's voice, it wasn't hard to guess that he was smiling, too.

She heard and sensed him opening the door for her. Ahsen walked through it, at the last minute grabbing it so that Kal could walk through, too. Hah, look at me -- holding doors open, now.

"I think I'll call you Ori'vod, for now. What're the resol'nare?"

 

[Kal Kandossii]

He smirked as the kid, his kid, held the door open for him. Smirking at the change in her he shook his head of unruelly hair. "Ori'vod it is ner Ahs'ika. Ner means my." Still amused they began walking in the direction of a local spaceport. Glancing down at her he continued to speak as they walked. "The resol'nare are six rules we mandalorians live by. That now goes for you too. Education and armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language, our leader—all help us survive. It's what makes us mandalorians and not dar'manda, not mandos."

He paused in front of a stall selling snacks. Grabbing a few bags he tossed the lady running it two small denomination credit chips and moved on. He held one out, brushing Ahsen's arm with a bag of nuts and a bag of sweetened jerky. "We believe that you teach others how to be a mandalorian. Then you wear armor, for it's called iron skin for a reason, and let's face it the armor keeps us alive for our kind of work. We learn how to protect our selves. Next is we stnad by our time in times of plenty as well as famine. Family sticks together. Next is our language, for it is part of our culture. Last is we answer the call of our Mand'alor, the alor of alors."

Passing through the crowds Kal may have been talking and interacting with Ahsen but he was always watching and prepared. "So remember, learn and teach, armor clad, learn how to fight, be there for our aliit, our language is our culture, and answer the call of our Mand'alor."

They were nearing the gates of the small spaceport.

[member="Ahsen Kashii"]

 

[Ibby]

[member="Kal Kandossii"]

Ahsen stayed close to Kal the whole time they were walking, tucking her knife back into her belt. If any of her enemies were nearby, they wouldn't attack her with a Mandalorian -- her family, now -- so close.

For the duration of the walk, Ahsen didn't say much except for a "thanks" when Kal gave her the bag of food (which was promptly secreted away in the pocket with the credits). This didn't mean she wasn't paying attention -- on the contrary. The Togruta was absorbing everything he was telling her.

When he finished, she said, "Seems easy enough. When will you start teaching me that stuff? And who all is in your clan?"