Chapter Text
Takonanda, home of the Pirate Queen, floated below, a glistening green jewel in a sea of black stars. And about the last place, Hunter had ever expected to visit.
It had taken them thirteen hours to jump there, and Sajaun had slept through all of them. Hunter felt slightly bad as she shuffled into the common kitchen that he'd had to wake her. From what Tech had gathered off the holo, rest helped Force Exhaustion most.
"Sleep well?" Cross asked, roughly shoving a cup of caff in Sajaun's hands.
Sajaun blinked down at it, clearly unused to coexisting with others, "Yes." She downed the whole cup of caff like a weathered soldier downed alcohol before eyeing them all with eyes that were slowly waking up, "You all wouldn't happen to have civie clothes, would you?"
Hunter looked over at the rest of them, all in GAR blacks, "Why?"
"Because we're about to go into a pirate den crawling with crime and possible debauchery, and I'd rather we not get jumped before we make the front door in GAR outfits," Sajaun said, slowly getting herself another cup of caff.
She had a point. Hunter had been so busy wrapping his head around the whole mind-orders-genocide thing that he hadn't even thought of it. He felt a pang in his chest at his lapse. "No. We don't." He finally admitted.
"Alright," Sajaun drained her second glass and pushed off the counter she had been leaning on, "Let's fix that."
Hunter shared a look with Crosshair as they followed her back down the hall she'd come from and entered her quarters. It was a spacious and cozy room painted light purple and blue with a large bed flanked but small nightstands next to a wall of windows that showed the stars beyond which they faced when they came into the room.
To the right was an odd circular bulging wall, and to their left was a desk; beyond it, a door Hunter assumed went to a private sonic and bathroom. Hunter noted that there was quite a bit of empty floor space, as he ideally took a seat on the circular sitting ottoman as Sajaun vanished into the bulge by a door next to a vanity.
A moment later, she returned, arms full of clothing, "Crosshair." She dumped the pile of worn and simple clothing in the sniper's arms.
"Wrecker." She dropped a startling large coat in his vod's arms along with some other pieces of clothing.
"Tech." She dropped his outfit next to him for inspection before dumping the last of her finds in Hunter's arms, "And you." She vanished back into the walk-in closet before Hunter could find his words.
"What is all of this?" Wrecker asked, holding up what looked like an oversized vest.
"Spacer clothing. Regular work clothing that makes you all look less like GAR soldiers." Sajaun said, coming back out with more clothing in her arms, "You put it on over your blacks."
Hunter slid on the green poncho she'd given him carefully. It was well-worn and cozy, "Where did you get this stuff?"
Sajaun laughed, tossing an odd-looking hat at Crosshair, "I'm not giving up all my secrets yet. Get dressed. I'll meet you in the kitchen."
Hunter shrugged helplessly at his Vode, who were all sending him questioning looks as soon as Sajaun was gone. "She's got a point."
"Unfortunately," Tech commented, eyeing the jacket Sajaun had given him critically.
All in all, Hunter decided they didn't look at all bad once they were all changed into civie clothing.
Sajaun nodded decisively as they filed back into the kitchen, "Better."
"So, who exactly are you looking for here?" Hunter asked as they headed for the cockpit.
"Maz. Kanaz." Sahaun said, stepping into the cockpit.
"The Pirate Queen?!" Hunter gaped.
"Yes. She's been around for a few hundred years, and I left some of my stuff with her. We're gonna pick it up." Sajaun said like she wasn't calling on the most notorious Pirate in existence.
"Pick it up?!" Hunter repeated, feeling a headache coming on, "You don't just 'pick up' things from the Pirate Queen!"
"You do if you've known her since she was in the single digits and have a contract with her." Sajaun grinned over her shoulder as she flipped the autopilot off.
" CONTRACT?" Hunter hissed.
"Relax. We'll be fine. Just keep your hands to yourselves, and don't stare." Sajaun rolled her eyes as she navigated out of orbit and into the atmo.
"At what?" Tech asked, watching as she flipped through the control and slid through the atmo with little shuddering.
Sajaun grinned, not looking away from the blue sky and green fields reflected off the clear lake water as she veered towards an old stone castle, "Anything."
Sajaun set down the ship in a cleared area, a good walk from the castle. "What exactly are we supposed to be picking up?" Crosshair rasped as Sajaun shut down the engines and pulled up the security measures.
"Maz is the only one I trust to assist me in the surgeries right now. Plus," Sajaun spun around, facing them, and hopped out of her seat, "She's got the good gear."
"She's a pirate ." Hunter said slowly, hoping the weight of those words sank in, "She isn't trustworthy!"
"She's got a code and can't be bought." Sajaun countered along the security system before exiting the cockpit, "Right now, that's all we've got."
Oh, this was a horrible idea, and she had a very valid point, making this a smart horrible idea. Hunter groaned and followed as she led them off the ship. Once they were off, the gangplank slid back in, and a shimmering screen flickered to life around the ship.
"Don't go back to the ship without me." Sajaun warned, turning and walking towards the castle, "The security is no joke."
"What is the security?" Tech asked, hurrying after her datapad in hand, scarf flapping behind him.
It was odd looking around and finding them all in civies. They didn't look like clones or soldiers. They looked normal, like civilians.
Hunter paused his stride, looking at them all. Tech in a long coat and scarf, Cross in a smuggler's jacket, Wrecker in a huge worn trench coat. This was the life they wanted. It didn't feel right.
Hunter watched as they tried to get used to the feel of clothing instead of armor and saw how they all failed. The void of weight on them was off-balancing. This wasn't who they were, as hard as they tried.
Hunter pushed the thoughts away and jogged to catch up as they reached the courtyard. It was ancient old stone towering over them and a sky full of flags hanging above in all different shapes and colors. This place had been here generations before them and would be generations after. Hunter marveled for a moment how different it was from war and Kamino. He could get used to this.
Sajaun paused at the high old stone doors and looked back at them, "Remember, keep out of trouble, and don't stare. And if anything happens, I'll take care of it." And with that, she pushed the door open.
The first thing that hit Hunter was how loud it was. The next thing was how many beings there were all stuffed in the huge hall. Sentiments of every race and age, and gender filled the castle's main hall, all shouting and cheering and talking. It was nearly overwhelming, all the scents, sounds, and sights filling his head. He was very glad he'd doubled up his dampeners when getting dressed.
Sajaun led them to a back table where it was slightly quiet, next to an open window letting the fresh air in. "Wait here. I'm gonna get us some drinks and info. We need to blend in."
Hunter looked around, and sure enough, almost every sentient was drinking. "I'll come with you." He said over the racket.
Sajaun sent him an amused look but got the other three settled at the booth before going over to the bar. Hunter eyed the sentient all around them. He didn't feel comfortable here, and he certainly wasn't comfortable with Sajaun by herself in this crowd. He wasn't about to let his superior officer get pickpocketed or drugged.
Sajaun flagged down the bartender droid and ordered quickly before looking over at him, "Loosen up. You look like you're at attention."
Hunter forced his shoulders to relax, "Sorry."
Sajaun sent him a concerned look, "Your bandanna not enough in here?"
Hunter blinked in surprise. They hadn't told her about his dampener; how had she-?
Sajaun suddenly straightened up, eyes going cold, "Whatever you do. Don't do anything."
Hunter frowned, "What-?"
He saw a moment later what she meant as a leering man came hulking over to her back since she was facing Hunter, "Hello, don't think I've seen you before." Hunter winced; he could smell the alcohol off the man from here.
"Not interested," Sajaun said firmly, not even turning. The droid dropped off their drinks, and Sajaun grabbed the small tumbler full of clear liquid as Hunter grabbed the tray.
"Oh, come on now," Hunter spotted the man's hand land on Sajaun's waist, "I'll be nice."
Every fiber of Hunter's being wanted to jump in and defend her, but she shot him a look that said don't you dare . "Remove your hand," Sajaun said calmly, turning slightly, so her back was now against the bar.
The man held on tighter, "That's just being stubborn now-" the man droned on, and Hunter was quickly losing his patience as Sajaun downed the glass swiftly.
Then she turned and spewed the liquid into the man's face. He screamed, stumbling back from the spray.
Sajaun hooked her foot behind his, and he collapsed backward, crying about his eyes. "I said no you gundark."
"I was just being nice!" The man cried, rolling on the ground. Hunter seethed, stepping forward to show what he thought of that.
"And you know the rules." A new voice stated coldly as a short orange alien woman marched up to the pathetic man shaking in the fetal position on the floor, "No means no. Get off my floor and out of my castle. You're no longer welcome here."
The man babbled incoherently about how it wasn't his fault as two huge Trandoshans of all beings picked him up and proceeded to throw him out.
All the while, the chaos around them barely paused.
The small woman turned to face them, hands on her hips, staring up at Sajaun, "Sajaun Ka."
"Maz." Sajaun nodded, signaling for a refill of the drink she'd spit in the man's face.
Maz Kanaz, the Pirate Queen, stared up at them, both eyes piercing and sharp, "Since when did you travel with clones?"
Hunter jolted a bit. They didn't look like regular clones, and with the civies on, you'd be hard-pressed to figure it out. And yet this woman had just known. How?
Sajaun shrugged, "Since Mace became a worry wart."
Maz let out a huff smiling, "Bah. These children start worrying about us like we're made of glass when they get older."
Sajaun sighed, accepting her refill, "Don't I know it."
Maz grinned at her, "You gonna tell me why you're here?"
Sajaun sipped her drink before turning to face Maz, "You know that thing I left with you a while back?"
Maz's eyes widened a fraction in response.
Sajaun took another sip, "I need it."
Maz stared at her a moment before smacking her lips, "Well, you better tell me this one. Come on."
Hunter watched as she shuffled towards the booth in the back, where Tech, Crosshair, and Wrecker were all staring at them with wide eyes.
"Well, we better hurry now." Sajaun said gently, nudging him, "Wouldn't want to keep her waiting."
Hunter sighed and followed the Pirate Queen back to their table just when today couldn't get more bizarre.