A Match for the Mandalore

Canderous



The hotel was one I had heard of but not stayed at before. I’d been on Nar Shadaa many times, mostly on business for various people I’d worked for. It was a nice place, far more upscale than I usually chose. Jennet had given me a scare, I could admit that to myself – and her, she could hardly be unaware of it - and I wanted her to be comfortable. Once she was recovered I wanted her to have some good memories to take with us, and for the first time I wanted to pamper a woman.



The lobby was large, with several little shops off it. Ladria checked us all in. The receptionist looked startled at our scruffy group, and the sleeping woman in my arms, but was too polite to say anything. She was extremely respectful of Ladria, who looks like a queen even when she’s rumpled and damp and none too clean. After we collected passkeys, I carried Jennet to the lift. She was stirring, and smiled up at me sleepily. I smiled back, trying not to show her how worried I was. She was still very pale, and her face looked drawn. Atton commed the others on the way to our room, letting them know that they could pick up their room assignments and passkeys at the front desk, and where we would be.



Ladria and Atton stopped at their rooms to shower and clean their clothing, promising meet us in ours soon. I managed the door and stepped in. It was large, with a huge bed, a couple of built in dressers, a small kitchen, a computer terminal, and several chairs, couches, and tables scattered around. I set Jennet carefully on the bed, and she immediately tried to strip off her armor, fumbling with the straps. I stopped her and did it myself, with her insisting that I clean everything and check over our weapons. I approve of a woman who has her priorities straight, but told her firmly that I would later; she needed to get comfortable first.



I couldn’t help but admire her in the clothes that Mira had chosen for her. Under other circumstances, it would be all I could do not to rip them off and throw her on the bed. The top barely covered her breasts and the pants began at the hipbones. She felt my appreciation, and grinned. Our nonverbal communication had become so natural that I was starting to wonder if we ever would have to talk out loud again.



Is there anyone else out there that wants to kill you? She asked silently.



Probably, I answered honestly. Not here, though.



The events of the last few of hours had shaken her badly. Her thoughts were fainter than usual, but I picked up that her own situation was less of a concern to her than what had almost happened to me. I understood how she felt; if it had been her that had gotten her throat cut I’d have gone crazy. Which, come to that, was exactly what she had done. As it was, I had nearly gone berserk when the thugs had dislocated her limbs. Only her constant presence in my mind and the fear of the Hutt allowing her to be torn apart had kept me still. More the latter than the former; she had been telling me to stay, that she could heal it, don’t provoke them into killing her. She had made sense, but it was one of the hardest things I had ever done, and the only reason I hadn’t tried was the fear that I wouldn’t get to her before they killed her. I didn’t want to feel that helpless ever again. I had a feeling that now that I had her, it was going to be something I was going to have to get used to. She wasn’t my mate because she needed me to protect her; she was my mate because she was my equal. Not that I wasn’t going to try, I told myself.



Well I’m going to try too, came her soft answer. We’ll protect each other, isn’t that what this is all about?



It is, I answered back, rather shortly. I heard her laugh, and smiled reluctantly.



Don’t ever do that again, Wildcat. I’m not worth it.



You are to me.



I might have known she wouldn’t promise anything.



“I’m filthy,” she complained.



“I can take care of that,” I said, and set about doing so.



I stripped us down, disposed of our dirty clothes in the laundry recycle and carried her to the ‘fresher, Jennet protesting she could walk. I knew better and didn’t bother to answer. The ‘fresher was huge, with a large real tub separate from the enormous shower. There were six heads in the shower, two on each side, which seemed excessive to me. There was soap and shampoo and other unidentifiable things in a basket by the sink. I set her down briefly, grabbed some of these, turned on all the shower heads, and got it as hot as she could stand. Then I picked her up and set her on a little bench that was in there. I grabbed the soap and carefully scrubbed her down, watching the olive tone, which had apparently been applied literally everywhere, wash away from her body and her skin returned to its natural ivory. She insisted on having her hair washed twice, and I obliged, holding her upright to rinse off. She managed to wash her face herself. I was glad of that; I wasn’t sure I knew how. I sat her down again, and quickly washed myself.



I turned off the water, scooped her up, and grabbed a couple of towels as we got out of the shower. I dried her off, then me. She asked for a towel and tried to rub her hair. I took it, toweled her hair dry, and did the same to myself. Her hair was blonde again, curls damply framing her exhausted face. I noted that she still needed to remove the eye implant. I liked the blue, but much preferred her natural brown. I picked her up again and carried her to the bed.



I shrugged the bedclothes aside and lay her down, then tucked the covers over her and propped a couple of pillows under her head. She started scowling.



“I’m feeling much better, you know.”



“Maybe, but you’ll stay put until Ladria says you’re okay. She’ll be here in a minute.”



I went back to the ‘fresher and retrieved my now clean clothes. I considered helping Jennet dress, but discarded the notion. If she had clothes, she might try to move. As it was, I knew she’d stay in the bed if we had company.



I had a sudden thought. I still had the regeneration implant I’d installed in me. It was a good one, but I wasn’t sure it would be safe to put it in her. I said as much to Jennet.



“I don’t know what they’d do to me, I’ve never used one,” she said thoughtfully.



“Better to wait then, and let the others help,” I decided. She made a tired sound I took as agreement.



Atton, Ladria, and Visas arrived, and began the slow process of healing Jennet. Each of them took about an hour, sitting on the bed and holding her hand as the Force healing trickled into her. I cleaned armor and weapons and tried like hell not to resent that I couldn’t help.



When Atton took her hand, I sat on the bed and took her other hand. I knew I had nothing to worry about, but I still didn’t especially like him holding my woman’s hand when she was naked, covers or not. Hell, I didn’t like him touching her when she was in full armor, and I hadn’t forgotten that kiss he’d given her, even knowing it was done to goad me. I’d appreciated her reaction, though, and hoped he remembered how hard she can hit when riled. But I knew he was helping her, and tried not to glower too much.



Atton had looked up when I sat down, but instead of the smirk I expected on his face, he was grave and almost businesslike. He nodded reassuringly at me, and resumed looking intently at Jennet, as if willing her to get better. He looked like a big brother worrying over his beloved little sister and with a small shock I realized that’s almost exactly how he felt. I nodded back, hoping he realized I appreciated his help.



Halfway through Atton’s shift, the rest of the crew arrived. They had cleaned up while they were shipboard, I noticed. Mira set two bags down on a chair. Jennet had fallen asleep, but looked much better, not so pale.



“How is she?” Mira asked, her voice quiet. I honestly liked Mira; she was tough and resourceful, and a good fighter. She didn’t seem to take her new Jedi status as a reason to change her personality, which could rival mine in abrasiveness if she chose.



“Better,” I answered. She nodded soberly. I was surprised at how concerned she was. I knew she liked Jennet, but hadn’t thought Mira was the type to get attached.



“I wish I could help, but I’m not at the point I can heal yet,” she said regretfully.



“Don’t worry about it. It was a big help to bring our things,” I pointed out. “And you’ll get there.” Define irony: me, cheering up a jetti about her lack of ability. I almost smiled at the thought.



Mira shrugged and said “Yeah, you’re right. I’m glad Jennet will be okay though. I’ve gotten used to her. Hard to believe she’s only been with us a little more than a day.”



“I know the feeling,” I raised an eyebrow ironically.



“Yeah, I bet you do,” Mira grinned.



All the jetti that had the ability took a turn at Jennet’s side. Eventually, Visas and Ladria said that everything had been done that could be, and all that Jennet needed now was sleep. She looked almost like her old self now. She wasn’t deathly pale anymore, and the sunken look had gone. She was deeply asleep, and breathing well. I could feel the healing taking place inside her, and relief washed over me. She would be okay now, I knew.



I cleared my throat. It wasn’t easy for me to acknowledge kindness, even from people I considered friends. And I did think of them all that way, even Atton and Disciple. I said sincerely, if gruffly, “Thank you, everyone. I…” I stopped. It was one thing feel something, another to say it out loud. I have never been good at that sort of thing. I settled for, “Just…thanks.”



Everyone rose to go to their own rooms. To my surprise, Ladria hugged me when she left. I patted her back, stiff and awkward. “I’m just two doors down if you need me, and Visas is next door to you. We’ll come by tomorrow and check on her. I expect her healing will build back up in the night. Don’t be worried if she sleeps very deeply, and can’t be woken easily. She’ll probably sleep at least ten hours, if not more.”



I nodded, appreciating the encouragement. I made sure the door was secure behind them, stripped down, and crawled into bed with my wildcat. She turned on her side and moved closer when I touched her, her back to me. I put my arm around her and held her close.



My thoughts were troubled and churning around my head. I had almost lost something that only yesterday I didn’t know existed, or could have comprehended then was important. Was this love, her kind of love? I thought it must be; the thought of her gone made me insane. I didn’t know why I had found her, or why she seemed to feel the same for me. I did know I didn’t deserve it.



I had loved Gerda, I was sure of that, in the way of my people. I knew without a doubt I had loved my children. I often wondered what they would be like now, if they had lived, especially Etta, my daughter. She had been so like her mother; strong and capable and brave. My sons would be men now, or close to it, Cardus probably married. I missed them, and wished they had lived, even if I had not survived the war.



But finding Jennet was like finding a part of me that I didn’t know existed until she was there to make me whole. I thought about my family, dead these many years, and something inside me told me they approved. I thought of Gerda, and I hoped that this time, I could find a way to say how I felt.



It was a long time before I could sleep.