The Last of his Line

[Grim]

Allanteen - Six City

---

It had been a scare almost to James when he received a message on an old and long forgotten channel. It was the ancient one used by his old clan before Mandalore was bombed the first time. The message was at first thought by James to be some sort of gag or trap. However, once he looked over it again he got the message that only one of his old clan knew and there was only one person alive who would know that. That was his fathers uncle who left the clan in order to follow his own path. He didn't know the mans name, and never even herd of the ladies name on the message but he and Neri had left.

James didn't know too much about why his uncle left only that it wasn't too pleasant. From what James could remember of being told about it was that it wasn't a clean leave. Apparently he had left with a good amount of the Clans money and some supplies to create his own company. It got ugly and he ended up disowning Jame's Grandpa. That put him in bad view of the rest of Jame's family and the clan as a whole since he was well liked. After that Jame's didn't here too much, Jame's father from time to time would talk about him if he happened to make contact with him but for the most part it was just simple chit chat. The last thing that Jame's ever heard about his uncle was that the company he had formed had since gone under and his uncle had been left a bit high and dry.

James on the way told his wife what he knew, which in all honesty wasn't as much as he would have preferred. He was surprised to find that they didn't even have to pay to land as it seemed someone had footed the bill. It put him on edge but after a through investigation of the hanger he felt all was fine and together with his wife they headed into the city to see where their lives would go.

 

[huntressofworlds]

Neri had been a bit skeptical about all of this, with good reason. Ever since they had narrowly escaped the Mandalore Sector and ever since she’d found out that her actions not only affected her, but now the young life growing inside her, she had been extra careful. Learning about Clan Temar had been an interesting tale to say the least. What she wasn’t sure about was this message that had been sent and how easily things seemed to be falling into place for the two young Mandalorians. Maybe the galaxy was finally throwing them a break, they’d certainly had no lack of trials lately.

Once their ship had touched down and a quick sweep of the area had revealed no hidden threat’s the former Concord Dawn Defense officer glimpsed toward James and canted her head a bit, “What you think? We press onward?”

 

[Grim]

James smiled at his wife, glad that she had agreed to come with him. Honestly, he didn't know what to expect and it helped having something normal there should things get a bit off kilter. He wished he knew more about his family but only his own father stayed in contact and even then that was sporadic. He understood her reservations and shared them all, but one some times had to take risks even small ones like this. His inspection of the room was surprising, the floors itself didn't even have stains on it. Who ever had paid for their docking at paid very well indeed.

"I think so, If this is a trap then they spent a pretty penny on this place alone." He walked to her side and slid his arm around her waste noticing the glow in her skin and the slightest showing of her bump. "I think we should, Its not like its going to be much less safer than were we have been. And besides it doesn't smell like pollution so it has to be safer."

 

[Grim]

The trek through the city was fast and for the most part uneventful. They both stopped and viewed the vendors, glad to be off the hutts planet. The city was lush and colorful and the air was rather pleasant, the streets were as packed as one would expect with races of all types about their business. As they wound through the every increasing amounts of people the finally came to what could only be called the rich part of town. The walk ways here were as clean as could be despite all the people that were trafficking across it. The building they were looking for couldn't have been easier to find once they spotted it.

The tower was lush and elegant, white marble like exterior with gold like trim covering the tower and helping it look and complete contrast with the more utilitarian looking city. Inside the building it was just as posh and the two were quickly met with a bit of a frantic looking Manger, "Excuse me, Excuse me, but unless you have business here you to leave. From the looks of it, you don't have business and you need need to leave." The man started to make a shooing gesture but before he could get too far along another man in a fine suit rushed up and pushed the manager away mentioning that they were guests and to not bother them.

"Greetings Mister and Missuses Temar, It is so good to finally meet you. I am Stefar Labring you late uncles Attorney. Come with me if you will to the hanger."

Before James could even respond the man started to head off. James looked towards his radiant looking wife, "I guess we follow?"

 

[huntressofworlds]

Nereza followed James through the streets, browsing and surveying their surroundings. The closer they got towards the elite portion of the city, the more out of place they looked. She was pretty certain that woman’s hat cost more than her entire suit of armor had. She couldn’t help but stare till the massive decoration disappeared behind the next corner. It was a wonder she hadn’t snapped her neck with such weight upon her head.

As they spotted the impressive gleaming tower, not once, not twice, but three times Neri had asked James if he was sure that was where they were going.

In the end, she was pretty certain it wasn’t, especially once the one man had come out, trying to shoo them out of the building, but the comments. The LOOKS of it.. Just what did THAT mean?! She’d taken a step towards the insulting little man, a small growl beneath her breath, none less than intent to showing him exactly what business she could make out of it when the suited individual shoved him out of the way and stilled her in her step.

She was a bit skeptical at this, honestly, as James looked towards her and asked her if they should follow she gave him a cant of her head and answered, “Come sit upon my web, said the spider to the fly.”

Giving a little bit of a shrug, she nodded, “Might as well spring the trap if there’s one. Be a shame for all this deception to go to waste if it is one.” She smirked and started to follow after the suited man, of course taking one last stared down glance towards the first man that dared insult her as she passed.

 

[Grim]

James, well he was in a state of awe. From the last that he had heard his uncle was not doing too well. It seemed though that at some point that had changed. He wasn't so sure of this man in front of the leading them. James understood Neri's caution, things hadn't been going well for them as a people and even more so now than ever he was just sure how close that was. However, this wasn't the place to set up such an ambush. A place like this had a reputation and all of its wealth and grandeur resided in the fact that it had such as reputation. The hardest part he had was understanding just how well off his uncle had actually been. If he had lived here, or even had a reason for them to be there he had to at least have a fair amount of money.

As they walked down the hallway, the man leading them was talking a mile a minute and was hard to fully understand as he weaved them through the buildings lush and rich hallways. There were people everywhere, some looked on with disgust that they were in here, while others just nodded politely, and even some shook their heads in pity, while the last just ignored them as they worked there was through. Jame's did is best to try and make sure that his beautiful wife didn't get too far behind in their travels. It seemed easy enough to get lost in the expensively decorated hallways and grand foyers. Finally, they entered into on of the cleanest, if not the most clean hanger Jame's had ever seen. Each ship was so well maintained that one could see a reflection in the metal landing struts. The paint glistened in the light, the floor itself was spotless and the mechanics were dressed as true professionals each one clean and well manicured for their species. The man slowed down and began telling them of what happened to his uncles fortune. After his security company went under, he fell on hard times and had to really work to get off the ground again. He started a consolation company and started helping large companies work on fixing their security. It was lucrative and he quickly made a name for himself in the right kind of circles. Eventually his company picked up other types of consolation and became a rather popular name. It was there that he met his future wife at a charity dinner and they quickly married after that. While his uncle died to complications from his time as a security contractor, his wife lives on, but unable to bear any children and not open to the idea of adopting them. While his uncle was right, he donated most of it to various humanitarian groups when he herd of the attack on his old home world. While the rest of the money was spent on some project he said he had to pay back. The atterny mentioned that he didn't know him to have any debts but figured every man had his secrets. Then finally they came to a clean grey hulled ship that was at contrast for almost all the other ships in the hanger. The ship was heavily armored looking, bristling with weapons and two weapons pods on the sides. It was a combat ship, not a yacht like most of the others.

Stafar then motioned to the ship, What wasn't spent on the his project was spent on this top of the line ship. The ship, is an Allanteen Six Shipyards Escort Freighter. Made here on planet specifially for this day. While I don't have all the details, those are inside on a private message, I do know it has better armor than the standard ship and plenty of speed and weapons. When he added this to the Will, he said it had to be the best that could be afforded. So it was. The ship has a perfect interior made of the highest quality materials available."

He toke them on a tour pointing out a few things then handed them a small data card, "Create your own code, and enter your biometric data then send it over to the ship. It will record it and open up. I haven't personally been inside but I will have to at least enter and make sure that it meets the specs given."

---

James cautiously takes the card and looks over it, it has a few questions at first then it asks for the pass phrase, he didn't even have to think of it. Concord Dawn. His joy and this future he had started there. The card asked for his finger and James removed his beskar crush gaunt. He placed his finger like it said, and felt a sharp prick then it said to pass it onto his wife. "Careful, it bites back." He wasn't afraid or worried. Since the attack on the sector he has felt more in tune with the force and felt he could at least tell that something was going to be dangerous, he felt not that deep foreboding in his stomach so he gave her a reassuring smile. "What is the worst that could happen?" he could feel Stafar look at him quizzically to his last remark but the man ever the professional just stood by waiting for them to finish.

 

[huntressofworlds]

Neri strolled along through the building with James and the representative of James’s uncle’s estate. Listening to the chatter best she could she found herself more caught up in the stares and looks that were cast towards them. Part of her wanted to send an armored fist right out, but the better part of her kept it at bay, though she did press a bit nearer James, least her self control vanish.

When they entered the bay, Neri’s eyes could certainly see the credits contained within. Neri had never seen such pristine and expensive ships like this before in her life. Mandalorians for the most part were more gritty and practical people, this gleaming opulence did not match the lifestyles.

Though approaching the more heavily armored vessel her eyes took in a difference appraisal to it, the war machine was certainly a weapon, carefully honed and tuned to be deadly as well as sophisticated. Listening to the tale about it, she was a bit more intrigued, and of course the finer points of weaponry was pointed out, and the former military officer appraised it, was certainly a fine ship.

Though the need of information that came for the data entry as well as the biometric sample that was needed. She inhaled a breath a bit, a tilt of her head towards James showed her skepticism at his comment. What was the worst that could happen? Many a horrible thing began with those words, but reluctantly she tugged her glove off and pressed her finger to it with a small tense as it pricked her flesh and took it’s sample. Pressing her fingers together to stop another drop from forming she commented as calmly as she dare – perhaps even a bit sarcastically.

“Planetary bombardment by the Imperium?”

 

[Grim]

James gave her a playful push at her last comment and a smile, "Then we should be honored, not every day a Mando can go into the Manda and say they were so dangerous they got bombed into oblivion by a fleet of ships." He slipped his arm around her waist and waited for the ships ramp to drop down. It was odd, the ship was almost silent in operation. That was something he wasn't used too. All his life the ships had always made some sort of whine or noise or well myriad of noises. This was new, silent. So long had he had to get used to the various noises to know when it was working or when it wasn't and now he had to get used to the silence. As weird as it was, it made a bit of him happy, it was his first truly new ship.

Inside the ship it was clean, the upholstery was fine nerf leather. The panels were new and clean. None were missing, there were no exposed wires or conduit to be seen. The blast doors and door open and close with only the slightest hiss. There is a cabinet, stocked with liquor and other fine drinks. The small galley is fully filled and the various crew quarters are open and clean and stocked. The captains quarters are well made and large for a ship of this size. From the main area of the ship the cockpit can be seen as well as a large comm suite in the middle. James begins to explore the ship as the man with them starts to go through a checklist of his.

"Do you smell that?" James asked to Neri, much to the bewilderment of the man with the checklist, "Its the distinct lack of lubricant and coolant. I think I might get used to this."

 

[huntressofworlds]

Neri gave James a bit of a dirty look when he mentioned the honor of being bombed into oblivion. She shook her head just a bit, “Prefer to stick around awhile longer, if it’s all the same to you.” She pushed back at him before leaning into his armored side a bit as he slid his arm around her, following him up the ramp as he led her along.

Already the smell of new ship filled her senses, she’d never been this close to one before, but all those imitation scents that one could buy to ‘freshen’ their ships with certainly made her think that this was the real thing. There didn’t seem to be a spec, a nut, or bolt out of place on the entire ship. She half expected to find plastic coverings over the leather upholstery.

While she parted from James’s side as he went towards the cockpit with the other man, she set about exploring the interior a bit, though she wasn’t far from James’s question, one which drew a quizzical look from her as she cast her eyes towards him.

The answer came without her own guess, of course it drew a smirk from her as she rolled her eyes a little bit and tugged open one of the compartments to see what was inside.

“When your ship is a few hundred years old, it’ll be coated in lubricant and coolant too.” she teased back, referencing her own.

 

[Grim]

He laughed along as he kept exploring the ship, looking over the weapon systems. Noting the placement of the turrets their arcs and how they worked. He liked that they were slaved to the main computer, would make it easy if he was by himself. Though when he walked into the engine compartment he didn't expect to see two brand new droids gleaming in the lights. He flipped them on, keeping his hands on his blaster as the two turned on. The first was the skeletal, new version of a FEG pilot droid the second was a small brand new R series astromech. The small droid twilled as it woke up and though James didn't speak perfect binary he did understand most of was said. The next was the skeletal pilot droid, "Greetings, I see you are my new master, its a pleasure to meet you, may I inquire your name?"

James wasn't so sure what to do so for now he answered the droid, "James Temar-Renelo but just call me James, my wife is in the other room her name is Neri."

The droid peaked out around the door and looked at Neri, before leaning back and held out his metal manipulator, "I am FEG-888, most just call me 'Crazy Eight' or just 'Eights'. It will be a pleasure to serve you and your wife"

The astromech twilled again towards Eights, who then spoke again "It seems my small helper here has something to show you both, if you will head to Holo table he will put it on."

James just shrugged and exited the engine room the two droids in tow, as he slipped back around and introduced her to the droids who positioned themselves around the holotable. Even though he was next to his wife, he didn't relax yet as his hand stayed glued to the grip of his pistol. The droid either didn't care or worry as he started to insert the disk as a holo of his uncle appeared on the table.

"Greetings, I hope this found you well James, I am so sorry to hear about your father. I wish that I would have stayed, but the life of a Mandalorian was never going to be me. I know I am no longer family, but I wish to repay the debts of your father and my father. When I left, they gave me control of an old outpost that was on the desert planet of Tatooine. When I started my first company, that was our headquarters. Once the contracts dried up and the debts built up, I had to sell just about everything there. All was left was a husk of what I had built. It toke me a long time to recover from that, but I did. I know I am near death, I have been for some time. I wanted to do one last thing besides this ship for you and anyone who you call friends." James gave Neri a squeeze as his uncle mentioned friends, though Neri far exceeded that in his mind. "So with the fortune I had left, I leave you a small sum of money, not much since the rest I gave to rebuild the old outpost. The walls have been repaired and the doors and power working. Their is still some work to be done, but alas I did all I could. The rest will be up to you. It will keep you safe and hidden. It is well protected by security turrets and has a few squads of droids to help as well as two high end butler or nanny droid. While I haven't got most of the droids up and running, there are enough to keep the tuskens out as well as keep the scavengers well away. I hope it servers you well and gives you a place where maybe we can all start again."

With that the message ended, the attorney sitting with his mouth a bit agape but regained his composure quickly. Holding his words for a moment as he let the two take their time to take it in.

 

[huntressofworlds]

Neri studied the droids, still a bit skeptical of it all, she was perhaps a bit more relieved that James seemed to be on edge a bit as well, her eyes had spotted his palm on his weapon, even if all seemed at ease otherwise. When the holographic image lept to life she studied the holographic figure and listened to the message, silent as the grave, considering just where the message was coming from now.

Her eyes parted from it though, a look towards James as he took her hand, and soon she intertwined her fingers between his, lacing them there as her focus returned back to the message, listening to the conclusion of it she drew in a breath and looked to James with a bit of a statement. “A home.”

Neri lingered her gaze on the holographic table, now devoid of image, even so her mind was intensely at work as she drew in a slow deep breath and held it for a long moment then finally exhaled it out and looked to her riduur.

“A home for us. I’d like to see it.” She added, giving a brush of her fingers atop of James’s own before she withdrew her hand from his and headed for the cockpit area and to a nice plush seating area, a few taps on her wrist controls and she’d activated her own astromech back aboard her ship. When James was ready to take out his new ship, she would rely on her own to follow. She wasn’t about to leave his side, not now.

 

[Grim]

James had felt the same flood of emotions that is riduur had felt when she herd about their new home. He was sad that he never got to meet the man who was in the hologram. Deep down he wondered if his grandfather ever forgave his uncle. Alas, he would never know in this life, instead he focused on Neri as she toke her place at the co-pilots seat and started getting her ship ready remotely. He turned back towards the droids, Eights sat down at the weapons station and the astromech retreated into the back to the engine compartment. Already James could see the instrument panels light up, yet any sounds were very faint and almost impossible to here. Standing back by the door stood the man. Who spoke in his usually quick speed, "I have one last thing for you, its the sum of money he left you. Its only 40,000 credits, but its on an unmarked chit here. He said in his will this was the best choice for it. Also, you ship is covered for the time that you own it. It will have a private berth here if you ever need repairs. I hope you and your wife have a safe journey." The man handed over the chit and exited out the ship, allowing the ramp to finally close.

James told him good by and stowed the chit in his belt for the time being and slid into the pilot's seat in front of his wife's position. "Let us go see our new home. Who knows we might even get to fill it with our own memories." He added with a small smirk back towards her as he strapped himself in. He got all the permissions to leave and to head to orbit. Soon after the ship slid out of the hanger and started its rise up, before James tilted the nose up and hit the accelerator, giving it all it had as the ship rocketed towards the heavens. Inside the quite ship he could feel the power of the ship, and noticed that there was little sounds inside that could give away the actual stresses it was feeling. It was like being in love again. However, this ship still didn't hold a candle to the woman seated behind him, one who he had sworn his life to.