#Captain Ithano

[toastoat]

still a good soldier

[kaminocasey]

Sacred Woman (Part One)

Summary: You're the First Mate on the Meson Martinet, the ship that Sidon Ithano captains. A few years ago, you all accidentally found Kix, thinking he was the lost treasure of Count Dooku. Instead, you found an even better treasure. Now, you’re searching far and wide in the galaxy for the scientist who could possibly undo the progressive aging gene in Kix's DNA. You'll stop at nothing.

Pairing: Pirate!Kix x (fem) Pirate!Rader

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI; Violence, Attempted SA, Blood, Angst, eventual Smut

WC: 3.3K

A/N: I've been working on this since APRIL. I'm so freaking excited about this story! Parts of this were inspired/used from "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku" by Landry Q. Walker (Free on Kindle Unlimited). Photos found from Pinterest!

Sacred Woman Masterlist │ TAGLIST FORM │ Sacred Woman Playlist

“Look at this, Blitz… A pretty little thing… walking all alone down this dark alley.” A slimy voice purrs and you automatically start to grab your knife out of your boot. 

One of the guys chuckles, obviously underestimating you. His mistake. It’s been a while since you’ve fought someone, but only because you’ve been doing your best to keep out of trouble. 

“She thinks that’s going to do something.” The other guy smirks, glancing at your knife. 

Normally, you’d give a guy a warning. But with these guys… this could’ve been some other poor woman walking down this back alley, so you won’t feel too bad when you inevitably have to slit their throats. 

You wait for one of them to touch you. You wait for them to make the move… 

“Come on, sweetheart.” The first guy starts to touch your jacket.

That’s all you need. You strike first, grabbing his wrist and bending it back, making him gasp in pain. His buddy is taken aback and stumbles back, startled. Good. 

“You bitch.” The one in front of you, growls and you smirk, pulling your knife up under his chin, trailing it down to his Adam’s apple. 

His snarl quickly turns into trembling fear and he automatically starts begging for his life. They always do… Except his buddy starts to grab for a blaster tucked in his jacket and you quickly throw your knife into his wrist, making him cry out in pain. Sending your fist into the first guy’s right jaw, you knock him right out. He drops with a satisfying ‘thud’ and you quickly slide over to the other guy, grabbing your knife out of his wrist and he starts to run away, leaving his buddy behind with no problem. 

A set of footsteps brings your attention back the other way as you raise your knife, prepared for another fight. You’re met with a tall Delphidian holding one of his hands up in a surrendering manner, the other hand holding a red Kaleesh helmet. 

“What do you want?” You ask him, not tucking away your knife. 

He smiles, softly. “I’m Sidon Ithano, the Crimson Corsair.”

“Is that supposed to mean something?” You lean down and wipe the blade on the shirt of the guy who’s still out cold and then tuck it into your boot again before standing up. 

“I’m a pirate.”

“Okay. And?” You ask him, still staring at him.

“I saw those guys starting to attack you and then tried to come help. But you clearly had no problem on your own, there.” 

You shrug. “Did you need something?” 

“I could use some muscle like that on my crew.” He smiles. 

You let out a huff of a laugh, tilting your head. “You want me to join your pirate crew?” 

He nods. “You’re a Mandalorian, are you not?” 

You stare at him, harder. You’ve not called yourself that for a few years now. There weren’t many of you left. 

“Used to be… How could you tell?” You ask, placing your hands on your hips.

“From your fighting. It was a Mandalorian style I’ve not seen in a long time…” 

“Right…” 

“So, what do you say?” He asks. 

You walk past him. “No thanks.” 

Who the hell is this guy? The Crimson Corsair… why does that name sound so familiar? 

“Do you have another purpose here?” He asks you.

You stop, staring ahead. How could he see through you so well? You’ve been on this planet for a few months, temporarily living in a cheap hostel, doing bounty work on the side. Quite a life, you’ve made for yourself, right? Your family would be so proud… 

It wouldn’t kill you to start a new adventure. Or maybe it would. But either way, you can’t help but be curious. 

You turn around, staring at the tall pirate. “When do we leave?” 

Five Years Later… 

“What do you think?” Sidon’s modulated asks you as you both stand over a dead Trandoshan.

The crew is still up in the ship and as Sidon’s first mate, you’re next to him at all times. He doesn’t speak a lot, except to you. He trusts you to do most of the speaking on his behalf.

“Well, it doesn’t look good.” You joke. 

The planet you’re on isn’t necessarily First Order run… but there is a presence here. You’re supposed to be picking this guy up so he could take you to a scientist who you’ve been searching for for two years.

“Should we leave him, Captain?” You ask.

“Do you think someone is leaving us a message?” He wonders, aloud, ignoring your question. 

“Could be…” You shrug in agreement. 

“But from whom?” Sidon murmurs, kicking the guy over onto his back. “There are very few people who know who we’re looking for.”

His eyes are missing, leaving burnt crispy edges behind. Ew. 

The truth is there could be any number of people trying to “leave you a message”. You have a lot of friends, and you have a lot of enemies. So to narrow it down is next to impossible. 

“Tell me what you think.” Sidon tells you, turning back to face you. 

He glances past you at some of the crew peeking out the hatch. When they see him looking at them, they quickly make themselves busy. 

“I think we should leave him.” You answer. “We’ll find another way…” 

He nods, considering it for a moment… calculating… “We’ll leave him.” 

You start to head back up toward the hatch, Sidon only a step behind you. But you feel him pause, so you turn to look at him as he still stares at the body, deep in thought. After knowing the Captain for the last five years, you’re pretty well able to anticipate his moves and thoughts. It feels like you’ve known him your whole life. 

“What-” You start to ask, but all of a sudden, violent blaster fire is raining down on you.

You and your captain run toward the hatch, with you yelling into your comm to start the ship. Only seconds later, you hear the familiar sounds of boosters and engines starting up. Sidon pauses at the closing hatch toward the culprit of the blaster fire and more than likely also the dead Trandoshan. 

It’s always a trap, isn’t it?

“All hands to stations.” Your voice carries throughout the ship. “I repeat, all hands to stations. We are under attack.”

As you make your way through the Meson Martinet, up to the bridge, you run directly into your medic, Kix. Kix is a clone who once fought in the Clone Wars and got kidnapped by Separatists and held in cryo for 50 years. You and Sidon, and the rest of the crew found him a few years ago, thinking it was the lost treasure of Count Dooku. Turned out to be even better than treasure. Though you’d never admit that to anyone. You have a soft spot for the man. He’s also who you were doing all of this for. That Trandoshan was supposed to take you to a scientist who’s supposedly able to undo the progressive aging gene in Kix’s DNA, which once affected all clones.

“You alright?” He smirks. 

You nod. “Yep.” 

“You find the guy?” He asks, falling into step with you as you head toward the bridge again. 

“Yeah, but someone else got to him first apparently.” 

“Dead?”

“Yep.” You reply, popping the ‘p’ sound. 

He considers this as you get into the lift up to the bridge. “Well, we’ll figure it out.” 

“Always so positive.”

“Only because I believe in you.” He grins.

You ignore the warmth spreading through your veins and to your cheeks. 

Get it together, you’re under attack right now, you chide yourself internally. 

When the lift doors slide open, you nod to the medic and approach Sidon. 

“Get us out of here.” Sidon commands Parth. 

“Yes, sir.” He replies. 

The Meson Martinet lurches upwards toward the atmosphere, shaking slightly from taking fire. Yours and Sidon’s eyes remain forward out the windows, until you see the vast blackness of space.

“Hyperdrive. Now.” Sidon commands.

The ship pauses ever so slightly before shooting forwards into the dancing bright blues of hyperspace. You can feel everyone visibly relax once Sidon sits down in the captain’s seat. You stand next to him, looking down at him.

“Where to now?” You ask him.

He gently waves you off, to let him think. With a nod, you walk away to the deck command. 

“Reset the coordinates.” You tell the pilot, Parth, a young Rodian, but also one of the best pilots you’ve ever seen.

“Where for, ma’am?” He asks, quietly.

You glance back at the pondering captain, who still seems to be deep in thought, before giving Parth the new coordinates. It’s a quick split decision that you make. If Sidon decides that it was a waste of fuel, then fine. But for now, you know it’ll be a safe place to go. 

As you walk through the ship, you do your duties of inspecting things, checking the cargo, making sure people are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, helping out when you’re needed. You’ve been Sidon’s first mate for the last four years. It was a hard job at first, but now it all seems to come natural to you.

Kix smiles and says your name from the open door of the incredibly small makeshift medbay when you start to pass by. Stopping to lean in the doorway, you cross your arms with your own soft smile.

You’ll never forget the first time you and Kix locked eyes when he woke up from that cryo-cycle stasis pod. He looked so scared and confused. It made your heart hurt right away, even though you did your best to hide that fact. 

“You don’t understand!” He yelled, his voice breaking as he shoved Reveth, a red twi’lek. “I’m a medic, and I learned something… something horrible… Fives knew. He’s the one who figured it all out after Tup… and it got him killed. But I kept investigating. They said it was a virus…” 

You see out of the corner of your eye Sidon gesturing subtly to Squeaky, a large Gamorrean, who’s surprisingly kind and funny, and Pendewquell, a tall Ishi Tib man who’s been on the crew probably longer than you’ve been alive. The two guys start circling to either side of the poor clone. 

“A chip in our heads. In all the clones’ heads! And an order. A command to betray… kill… and it comes from the Chancellor!” 

Kix had grabbed Squeaky’s outstretched hand and flung him into Pendewquell. The effort is obviously too much for him though and makes him stagger a bit but he keeps talking, quicker this time. 

“The Seppies… captured me. Interrogated me to find out who else knew.” He seems to be sweating and shaking. He looks so sad, your heart is urging you to go to him. 

Finally his eyes land on you and he starts to slow down. 

“I… I never had a chance to tell anyone else what I learned. I didn’t know who I could trust… But I wouldn’t tell them anyway.”

You nod. You’re sure your face is mirroring the heartbreak in this man’s voice. His eyes never leave yours as he continues. 

“So they said… they said they were sending me to someone I couldn’t keep secrets from… To the Sith… the cold… the freezing, burning cold…” He slumps immediately to the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. 

You rush to him, holding him up. His body still freezing cold, you take off your jacket and put it over him.

“Stasis poisoning,” Reveth tells you quietly. “He was trapped in there for too long.” 

“No…! I can still save them. Skywalker…” The clone mumbles intently. “Get me General Skywalker! He’ll help. We can save… save the Jedi… save the Republic!”

“What’s your ID, trooper?” Quiggold, a large nervous Gabdorin, asks him.

“CT-6116.” He coughs. “Kix. They call me… Kix… sir…” 

And with that, he slips into unconsciousness. Reveth hands you a breather to place over his face. 

Kix. You can already tell you’re going to do anything to help this man. No matter what. 

You’d barely made it out of that cruiser alive. A bunch of old super battle droids had powered up and then the ship had started to sink. You’d gone to escape in the escape pods but there had only been one and Sidon pushed everyone into it and then pushed the activation switch, which had launched the crew at a high velocity through the Sea of Sand back on Ponemah Terminal, away from the burning and sinking cruiser. 

You’d stayed nearby for three weeks, camping out, scared to leave Sidon behind if he’d somehow made it. You weren’t ready to be a captain yet. You’d only been a first mate for a year. But supplies had started to run low and a desert planet was a really bad place to be without food and water. 

Kix had recovered, physically. He was of course in deep shock over all the history lessons you’d gently given him. 

You hear your name behind you and find Kix, who was after two weeks out of cryo finally looking a lot better. 

At least, physically. He still woke up every night with nightmares, so you stayed nearby him at all times in case he needed you. Everyone would cast you knowing glances and Q even made the mistake of making a comment, but you threatened his life and he apologized and promised to mind his own damn business. 

“Are you alright?” You ask Kix. 

He smiles that heartbreaking smile and nods. He’s incredibly handsome. Probably the most handsome man you’ve ever laid eyes on. And since you aren’t the type to sleep around or fall in love, this revelation of how Kix is making you feel makes you nervous.

Reveth and Quiggold walk over to you, intent clear on their faces. Well, mostly on Reveth’s. Q just looks nervous as always. 

“What?” You cross your arms.

“He’s gone.” Reveth tells you. You know she means Sidon. “And we might as well have sunk with him. We’ve lost everything. We’re ruined.” 

“I know… I just…” You look at the massive indent of where the cruiser was three weeks ago. “One more week. I mean maybe-”

“Maybe what?” She demands, clearly agitated. “Maybe the captain somehow tamed the giant worm and rode it through an explosive desert of sand and lava? Is that what you’re hoping for?” 

You shrug. Theoretically, if anyone could do all of that, Sidon could. But… you know deep down there’s more than likely no chance and that it’d be best for the crew if you were to pack it in and start to head back to the Meson Martinet.

Except right as you start to tell everyone to pack it in, yours and everyone’s jaw drops. In the doorway, stands the Crimson Corsair. Sidon Ithano. His cloak is in tatters and his red helmet is in desperate need of a polish. But here he is right now in front of you… alive.

“H-how?” Quiggold asks, clearly at a loss of words.

Hell, so are you. You’re so happy, you could cry. 

Sidon waves away the questions and instead tosses a metal cube to Kix. 

“What is it?” You ask him.

He looks from you to the cube. “It’s… it’s a Separatist cruiser’s memory core.” Kix tells you. “These were designed to self-destruct. But this one… it must have malfunctioned.” 

He looks up at you. “This cube carries a complete map to every hidden droid factory ever built by the Separatists. Secret bases. Weapons warehouses. Everything.”

Reveth passes by and takes the cube, whistling appreciatively at it. “This would’ve been impossible to decode fifty years ago. Now? Easy. We track down those installations… that’s our ancient buried treasure! We’ll be rich!”Quiggold whistles. “And we just happen to have an expert in Clone Wars-era military installations and their security systems on hand. Welcome aboard, Kix.” 

Kix turns back to you and smiles, making your chest tighten at the sight. You smile softly back at him. If he wants to join the crew, you’d be happy to let him. But if he’d rather go on his own, then you’d have to be okay with that, too.

“Would you like to join the Meson Martinet, Kix?” You ask him, trying to keep the hopeful tone down.

He looks around at the rest of the crew before settling his back on your own. “I’d like that very much.”

You try to ignore the excitement stirring in your stomach and instead cast your smile toward the alive captain.

“How did you survive? The fire… the sand… the giant worm?” You ask him, unable to help the curiousness.

“You know better than that, love. I’m Sidon Ithano… I don’t die so easily.” 

“You busy?” Kix asks you. 

You glance down the empty durasteel hall and then back at Kix, going inside the medbay, shutting the door behind you and leaning against the door, crossing your arms again. 

“I’m sorry someone got to that Trandoshan guy before we could.” You murmur. 

Kix was already showing some slight aging. Maybe that of a man in his mid 30s. The lines in his forehead form a little more each year, and his beard makes him look a bit older. In a good way. Distinguished. Rugged. Handsome. 

The thought of finding this scientist when it could be too late… 

“I’m not upset.” Kix’s voice is softer than it should be. 

He should be upset.

“I am, though.” You look up from the floor, staring at him, coldly. 

He opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by Parth comm-ing you to come to the bridge. 

“On my way.” You keep eye contact with Kix as you speak into the small device. 

You and Kix stare at each other for another moment as his brown eyes bare into yours. With a sigh, you turn to go. 

“If…” He starts, making you pause. “If we don’t find this scientist… it won’t be the end of the world.” 

You turn to glare at him. Maybe not the end of the world… but it would be the end of yours… 

“You’ll need to move on-” He tells you, but you don’t let him finish because you walk away, back up to the bridge. 

How could he say such things? Although, it’s not like he knows how you feel. He doesn’t know how you’d tear apart the entire galaxy to find this scientist. He doesn’t know the things you’d do to give him a good, long, happy life. But you can show him. 

When you reach the bridge, Sidon beckons you forward to him. 

“Concordia?” His modulated voice asks, his head tilted ever so slightly. 

You don’t have to be able to see that he’s quirking an eyebrow at you, curiously. He’s basically been prepping you to be captain since you joined the crew. He always tells you what a great leader you’re going to make one day. So, he’s not questioning your choice per se. But he is curious as to why. You know that.

You shrug. “There’s someone that I think could help us.”

“Incoming aircraft, identify yourselves.” A familiar voice says, and you raise your eyebrows at Sidon, waiting for his final okay. 

He thinks for only a few seconds before nodding. You nod once to him before turning back toward Parth and his command deck. 

“Vil,” You say your brother’s name, letting them know you’re not a threat. “It’s me. I need help.” 

It’s quiet for a long moment. Too quiet for too long. When finally…

“Free to dock. Wait to be boarded.” 

“Copy.” You sigh, then look at your crew. “On your best behavior, everyone.” 

You can feel Sidon’s curious smirk as Parth lands the Meson Martinet. 

“Don’t give me that, right now.” You shake your head, amused. 

“Aye, Captain.” He murmurs, teasingly.

TAGS: @twistedstitcher27 @rebel-finn @rexandechosandwich @madameminor @dumfanting @rain-on-kamino @corona-one @tecker @ladykatakuri @brynhildrmimi @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond @zoeykallus @maulslittlemeowmeow @littlemousedroid @arctrooper69 @rexxdjarin @padawancat97 @hated-by-me @sleepingsun501 @idledreams @redheadgirl @themcuwriter @ashotofspotchka @sunshinesdaydream @crosshairsimp73 @ariadnes-red-thread @rosmariner @heyitsaloy @starstofillmydream @high-ct5555 @echos-girlfriend @sleepywych @nekotaetae @justanothersadperson93 @aconstructofamind @book-of-baba-fett @chopper-base @palliateclaw @501st-rexster @dead-poolz @nahoney22 @where-is-my-mind-tho @jediknightjana @erishimoon @witching3 @queen-of-many-fandoms @wizardofrozz  @burningfieldof-clover @rebelsriley

[dystopicjumpsuit]

Martyrs and Kings - Chapter 13

Strangers with Candy

Rating: T (rating varies by chapter; mature content will be tagged)

Pairing: Kix x archivist/historian OFC

Wordcount: 3.2K

Warnings: pirate shenanigans; angst; Valsi being all, "Help is on the way, dear!"

Start here | Previous chapter | Next chapter | Masterlist | Sign up for my tag list

It was hot in the New Republic Galactic Library. Maree glared at the enormous transparisteel window in her office and vigorously cursed whatever kriffing nerf herder had made the stupid-ass decision to install a window that couldn’t be opened. She adjusted the small fan on her desk as she scrolled through the morning’s holomessages. Most of them were from colleagues complaining about the temperature. Most recently, the head maintenance droid had sent out an announcement that the sprawling complex’s central climate control would not be adjusted until the summer solstice. Maree squinted with irritation as the indignant replies began to pop up in her inbox.

She scowled as she reviewed the New Republic Judiciary’s latest research directive. What’s the shukking point, if they’re just going to cut a plea deal for amnesty? she thought crankily. She despised this weather. The record-breaking heat had only been amplified by the thick humidity rolling off the western ocean, which had also taken on a horrifying stench of decaying marine animals in the last few days. The air felt thick. Maree peeled the sheer fabric of her dress away from her body and tilted the fan to blow down her neckline in a futile attempt at cooling off.

The soft chime of her office door startled Maree, and she accidentally knocked the fan off the desk. Muttering curses under her breath, she scrambled to set the fan back in place.

“Come in,” she snapped.

The door slid open to reveal the receptionist Eidani Olphes, eyes wide with curiosity. 

“Good morning, Eidani,” Maree said. 

“Good morning, Dr. Finnall,” Eidani said. “Is everything all right?”

“Bendudays, am I right?” Maree sighed. The Devaronian nodded. “What can I do for you this morning, Eidani?”

Eidani glanced behind her to the closed door of the outer office.

“There are some people here to see you, Dr. Finnall,” she said. “They seem a little… Disreputable. Would you like me to call security?”

“Did they say what they wanted?” Maree asked.

Eidani shook her head. Maree exhaled audibly.

“I suppose we’d better find out. Teejay, please send our guests in. Thank you, Eidani. You don’t have to stay if they make you uncomfortable.”

Eidani nodded gratefully and scurried away as two beings entered the office. One was a Gabdoran with a prosthetic leg made rather ingeniously from a fuel funnel, and the other was an intimidating figure dressed head-to-toe in red and black and wearing a red helmet modeled after a Kaleesh mask. Both men had blasters strapped to their hips, which was not an uncommon sight on Hosnian Prime, but was generally frowned upon inside the NRGL. No wonder Eidani had seemed a tad skittish.

“Good morning,” she said. “I am Dr. Maree Finnall.”

The Gabdoran stepped forward heavily. “Greetings, Dr. Finnall,” he said in a ceremonious tone. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Quiggold, first mate of the Meson Martinet, and this is my esteemed captain, Sidon Ithano.”

The tall crimson man nodded his masked head in silent greeting. Was she supposed to recognize the name of their ship? And why was the Gabdoran talking like he was announcing a guest of honor at a formal ball? And why was it so Maker-forsaken humid?

“A pleasure to meet you,” she said. “Please come in. Would you like a cup of tea? Or some spiced biscuits?”

Ithano wordlessly declined, but Quiggold accepted with enthusiasm. “I thank you for your gracious offer, Dr. Finnall. Perhaps just the biscuits. The weather is too oppressive for tea.”

Maybe the formality is a Gabdoran thing, Maree thought as she arranged a few biscuits on a plate and pulled a large carafe of chilled water out of the mini-conservator.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” she said as she set the refreshments on the table. “How can I assist you today?”

Quiggold crunched a biscuit with a blissful expression on his face. “May I say, Doctor, that these biscuits are exquisite!”

“Thank you,” Maree said, waiting for him to get to the kriffing point. She sipped a glass of water and subtly pressed her wrist to the cold glass, seeking any measure of relief from the heat. How in the name of the Force did Ithano survive under all those layers? And with the mask as well? 

“That is a remarkable helmet, Captain Ithano,” she said. “Have you spent much time on Kalee?”

The captain shook his head slowly.

“Well spotted, Dr. Finnall,” Quiggold said around a bite of his second biscuit. “Not everyone recognizes the helmet, but then, I suppose not everyone is an expert in military history. I believe we have indeed found the right individual for the job.”

Maree blinked. “Job? What job?”

Quiggold cleared his throat, then took a long drink of water. “My illustrious captain has a proposition for you. It has come to his attention that he is in need of an historian to document his glorious deeds for posterity. There are some in the Outer Rim territories who doubt his fearsome reputation, but no-one would dare to question the testimony of an esteemed and reputable scholar such as yourself.”

“What kind of glorious deeds would require such documentation?” Maree asked, bewildered.

“The Meson Martinet specializes in—er—asset retrieval,” Quiggold said.

Maree narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Indeed. I recently encountered another ‘asset retrieval’ specialist.”

“What a remarkable coincidence!” Quiggold said unconvincingly. “As you may imagine, there are many in the Outer Rim who would style themselves as such, though the Martinet crew’s skills and talents are unrivaled.”

“Oh? Tell me about this crew,” Maree said darkly.

“All in good time,” Quiggold chuckled, sounding slightly apprehensive at her tone. “Of course, the captain understands that you might hesitate to leave your distinguished and safe position at the Archive, not to mention your lovely flat, especially given the danger and excitement of the Outer Rim territories.”

Maree’s jaw twitched, but she said nothing.

Quiggold forged ahead. “And so, we have an additional incentive to offer you, knowing your interest in the Clone Wars.”

Against her better judgment, Maree asked, “And what incentive would that be?”

“We have recently acquired extensive intelligence regarding as-yet untouched, unexplored Separatist bases.”

“How very convenient for you,” Maree said.

“Think of the scholarly potential, Dr. Finnall,” Quiggold said raptly. “Dozens of Separatist outposts that have never been excavated by archaeologists or historians. Imagine the advancements in knowledge you could contribute to your field! The prestige!”

“Imagine,” Maree said in the driest voice possible.

“Ah, but perhaps you doubt the authenticity of our intel. Allow me to assure you that our source is of utmost integrity and trustworthiness.”

“Is he?” Maree asked in a forbidding tone. “And is this ‘source’ aware of the purpose of your visit today?”

Quiggold exchanged a speaking look with the impassive captain. “Er… I… He…”

Maree sighed. “You were just going to ambush him with me, weren’t you?”

“‘Ambush’ is such a strong word,” Quiggold began.

“Oh, were you thinking of presenting me on a silver platter instead?” she asked, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “Has it occurred to you that you don’t know anything about me? I could be a vibroaxe murderer, for all you know.”

“Are you?” Quiggold asked, intrigued.

“No, but that is exactly what a vibroaxe murderer would say,” Maree snapped.

Quiggold gaped, speechless for once.

“To be clear,” Maree said, “you want me to resign my position, sell my home, and run away with a crew of pirates—”

“Asset retrieval specialists!” Quiggold interjected. 

“—to bank my entire future on a man who doesn’t even know my favorite color! You want me to do all of this on the off chance that Kix actually wants me, and you didn’t even ask him first?” Maree demanded.

“He wants you.” The gravelly voice came from the captain—the first words he’d spoken since his arrival.

Maree took several steadying breaths, counted to ten, and then replied. “You must be very certain of that to have come all this way. This definitely isn’t just some half-baked matchmaking scheme to get your resident clone trooper laid.”

Quiggold and Ithano exchanged another look.

“Thank you for the offer, Captain,” Maree said crisply. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a rather full schedule today. Please feel free to explore the library on your way out. Good day.”

Quiggold opened and closed his mouth several times as he hustled out of Maree’s office. Ithano stood quietly and approached her desk, dropping a commlink in front of her before departing. Maree barely resisted the urge to fling it after him. After they had disappeared down the hallway, Maree slapped the control to close her door, buried her face in a throw pillow, and let out a frustrated yell.

She had no meetings scheduled for the day, which was fortunate, as it gave her plenty of opportunities to vent her rage. She locked her office and refused to answer any comms or messages, instead burying herself in building an evidence file for her latest Judiciary assignment. By the end of her workday, she was drenched in sweat and ready for a stiff drink.

Not Pamarthen Port in a Storm, though.

As she pushed out of the staff entrance, she was accosted by an unfamiliar feminine voice.

“You know, for a Clone Wars expert, you sure don’t know shit about clones.”

Maree’s eye twitched. She turned to see a gorgeous red Twi’lek with a mechanical arm leaning against the building.

“And you are?” Maree asked.

“Call me Reveth,” the woman said.

“Is that your name?” Maree asked, in no mood to deal with any more pirate shenanigans.

The Twi’lek stared her down for a moment, but at last she relented. “Yes.”

“All right, Reveth. Enlighten me. What am I missing about clones?”

Reveth shoved herself off the building and sauntered over to Maree. “Walk with me.”

“Technically, you are walking with me,” Maree said with some acerbity, resuming her pace.

“The thing about clones is,” Reveth said, paying no attention to Maree’s petty interruption, “they spent their whole lives being told they had no value and they didn’t deserve nothing.”

“Thank you for that groundbreaking insight,” Maree said. She winced, instantly regretting the peevish note in her voice.

“And after hearing that every single day from the minute they slid out of the tube, it was—is—hard for them to believe any different.”

“You’re saying Kix doesn’t believe he deserves to be with someone.”

“I’m saying it’ll be a cold day in every Sith hell before that man asks for something for his own.”

“I understand,” Maree said with a sigh. “But it’s not that simple. Kix has never been allowed to choose his own path. His entire existence was dictated by the Republic. I can’t just force myself into his life. I won’t take that choice away from him.”

The Twi’lek eyed Maree with something akin to respect. “But if he was to ask, what would you say?”

Maree walked silently for a moment.

“I—I’m—not sure,” she stammered.

“You’re scared,” Reveth accused. “You talk a big game about being so noble and letting Kix choose, but you’re just hiding behind that excuse so you don’t have to go after what you want and risk losing your comfortable little life here.”

“Stars, have you been talking to Valsi?” Maree asked, taken aback. 

“Who’s Valsi?” Reveth asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Maree snapped. “And how would you know what I want, anyway? You don’t know me.”

“Top of your class at the University of Coruscant,” Reveth said. “Senior editor of the University Journal of Military History. Received full tenure at the Archive two years ago—congratulations.”

“That’s all public record,” Maree said. “Anyone with access to the Holonet can find my CV.”

“In the past seven years, you have submitted nineteen proposals for field research in the Outer Rim territories. All of them were denied.”

Maree stared. “How did you know that?”

Reveth continued as though Maree hadn’t interrupted. “They gave different reasons each time, but they blamed most of them on funding or security concerns.”

“I know,” Maree said, exasperated. “I read them.”

Reveth smirked. “But I doubt you got to read the internal message that the Archive director sent after your sixth submission, ordering the outreach department to reject any expedition proposals that you submitted.”

Maree stumbled to a halt. Her heart began to thump uncomfortably, and her palms grew damp.

“What?” she asked dumbly. “Why?”

Reveth gave her a sympathetic look. “The memo said the work you do was too valuable to the New Republic to let you out of the Archive. Something about a ‘devastating loss to the Judiciary.’ They clipped your wings so you wouldn’t realize they had you in a cage all along.”

Maree felt sick. All this time, she’d thought that she was the problem—that her proposals were not robust or compelling enough to secure funding; that her research was too esoteric. So she’d worked longer hours, expanded her scholarship into fields outside her interests, sat on committees, mentored fledgling archivists, attended every Maker-forsaken gala and benefit the Library threw, supported her colleagues in the hope that they would someday return the favor. And in the end, all that effort was the very thing that hamstrung her. She’d made herself indispensable at the expense of her own ambitions, trapped in a cycle of her own making.

“Hey, breathe,” Reveth said, nudging Maree’s shoulder. “Don’t want you passing out on me.”

“How did you learn all of this?” Maree demanded.

“Every pirate crew needs a decent slicer,” Reveth said. “How do you think Kix got a ticket to the gala?”

“Oh, my gods, the restaurant,” Maree said. “That was you? That was the worst meal of my life!”

“Let’s not get caught up in the details,” Reveth said hastily. “Remember, it’s your employer that deserves your rage. You know, the one that’s been gaslighting and undermining you for years.”

“I can be angry about two things at once,” Maree said. “I’m an excellent multitasker.”

“But you’re more angry at them, right?” Reveth said. “Besides, I can make it up to you by buying you an actual dinner. I’ve heard you get a little cranky when you’re hungry.”

Maree gave her a suspicious look. “Are you sure you haven’t been talking to Valsi?”

“Nope, that was from your interns’ group holomessage chat.”

“What else did they say?” Maree asked, instantly distracted.

“Come on, I’ll tell you over a nerfburger.”

Maree called in sick the next day, and the two days after. Late in the afternoon on the third day, she holocalled Valsi. “Hey, are you free tonight? I need to talk.”

Valsi tilted her head to take in Maree’s disheveled appearance. “You look terrible. You must be really sick. Are you contagious?”

“No. Gods, at least I hope not,” Maree said devoutly. “I’m not actually sick. I just needed some time to think.”

“Ugh, an acute case of soul-searching! That sounds serious. Maybe even fatal. I’m supposed to have dinner with Tane tonight, but I’ll reschedule,” Valsi said.

Guilt immediately assaulted Maree. “You don’t have to do that—”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll be there at 6. Is this a sober kind of conversation, or a whiskey kind of conversation?”

“Definitely whiskey,” Maree sighed, feeling better already.

Valsi burst through the door right on time and flopped dramatically onto Maree’s sofa. “Thank the stars your air conditioning is working. It is muggier than Dagobah out there. Please tell me you ordered something delicious and unhealthy for dinner.”

The doorbell chimed.

“Your wish is my command,” Maree said as she opened the door to collect her takeout order from a delivery droid. “Glowblue noodles with shaak, sweet and sour nuna, and flash-fried zuchii.”

“I always knew you loved me,” Valsi said, reaching for the bag of food.

Maree grabbed two glasses and a bottle of Cheedoan whiskey before joining Valsi on the sofa.

“Ooh, breaking out the good stuff,” Valsi said speculatively. “Are we celebrating or wallowing?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Maree said.

Valsi stopped chewing. “Well, now I’m nervous,” she mumbled around her bite of nuna.

“Should I wait until we’re done eating before I start?” Maree asked.

Valsi swallowed and shook her head. “Might as well rip off the bacta patch. What’s up?”

“I found out something at work,” Maree said. “Something I wasn’t supposed to know.”

“Are you in trouble?” Valsi asked, concern evident in her voice. “Maree, are you in danger?”

“No, nothing like that,” Maree hastened to say. “Here, read this.” 

She handed Valsi a datapad that Reveth had given her, currently displaying the Archive director’s memorandum to the Department of Outreach. Valsi scanned it wordlessly, her eyes narrowing as she proceeded. 

“Are you kriffing kidding me?” she demanded. “How could they do this to you?”

Her righteous fury was incredibly affirming to Maree’s wounded soul. “Thank you!” she exclaimed. “For a minute I thought maybe I was overreacting, but—”

“The fact that you haven’t burned the director’s house to the ground says you’re underreacting,” Valsi said. “That karking mudscuffer!”

“Arson might be a bit much,” Maree demurred. 

“Only if you get caught,” Valsi said. “Speaking of getting caught, how did you find out about this? This memo is years old.”

“Ah, uh, a friend sent it to me,” Maree said.

Valsi raised a suspicious eyebrow. “What friend? How did they even know about it? Was it someone in admin?”

“No,” Maree said. “It—it actually came from someone who was offering me a job.”

Valsi stared at Maree in silence for a moment. “I didn’t realize you were looking.”

She sounded hurt, and Maree felt like the lowest scum in the galaxy.

“I wasn’t,” Maree said. “It was an unexpected offer from someone with a mutual acquaintance.”

“Are you going to take it?” Valsi asked.

“I don’t think so,” Maree said. “But now that I know about the memo, I can’t stay at the Archive. Not now that I know they’ll never let me go out in the field.”

Valsi looked stricken. “Damn. I kind of thought we’d always be together. You’re right, of course. But I’m going to miss you.”

“It’s not like I’m dying,” Maree said, forcing a laugh. “We’ll still get to see each other. I might even stay on Hosnian.”

“You won’t,” Valsi said with conviction. “You’ve always wanted to get out there and get your hands dirty, and you can’t do that in the Core worlds.”

Maree looked down, unexpected tears pricking at her eyes. “Damn. I’m going to miss you, too.”

Valsi sniffled and then grabbed Maree and pulled her into a tight hug. Maree rubbed her face on her friend’s shoulder to blot away her tears.

“Do you know what you’re going to do next?” Valsi asked as they broke apart.

“I’m not sure yet,” Maree admitted. “I have some ideas for private fundraising for an expedition, but it will take time. I might go spend a few months with my moms. Baba will have some good ideas for places where I could do some original research.”

“Wherever you land, I know you’re going to do something spectacular,” Valsi said. “I can’t wait to see it. And I’m so proud of you. Even if I think you’re a little deranged for wanting to go out and dig in the dirt and the spiders.”

Maree let out a watery laugh. “I love you, nerf herder.”

“I love you more, bubblebrain.”

Maree refilled their whiskey glasses, and Valsi held hers up in a toast. “To dirt and spiders, and following your dreams.” They drank, and then she asked, “So, need any help drafting your resignation letter?”

---

Chapter 14

Tagging:

@secondaryrealm @blueink-bluesoul @spicy-clones @wings-and-beskar @523rdrebel @merkitty49 @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @arcsimper5 @starrylothcat @clio3kantarella @cloneloverrrrr @goblininawig @ladytano420

[jadiina-hope]

Y'all Y'ALL!

Hear me out. I might be crazy but hear me out!

The top pic is one of the bandits from Ahsoka episode 6. The bottom is Sidon Ithano, captain of the Meson Martinet and the pirate crew that found Kix!

I don't fully know Kix's post-order 66 story cuz (don't hate me) I haven't read the comic yet so I might be crazy BUT DON'T THEY LOOK SO SIMILAR!?!?

WHAT IF WE SEE KIX!!

[fanthatracks]

Star Wars Fan Fun Day 2024 was a fantastic weekend as ever, and at the show Fantha Tracks were busy chatting to many of the stars present at the event. One of the dozen guests at the show was Cavin Cornwall, Captain Sidon Ithano from The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. May 5th saw the annual Star Wars Fan Fun Day in Blackburn, and Fantha Tracks were there to speak to the guests at the show. Cavin Cornwall was a creature performer on Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens where he portrayed Sidon Ithano and Durteel Haza. He also appeared in Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi as Pemmin Brunce. The Star Wars Fan Fun Day is an event for Star Wars fans by Star Wars fans started in 2008, the first event was held at the Clayton Conference centre with one guest and over 400 attendees. Since then it moved to Burnley Football Club and grew from strength to strength, and in it's 15th year it moved to it's current location, Blackburn Rovers Football Club, and continues to attracts huge numbers of fans and is one of the biggest and most recognised events in the north of England. It’s an event enjoyed by both die hard fans and families alike and has raised thousands of pounds for charity. The 2024 show was in aid of East Lancashire Hospice. Support East Lancashire Hospice: https://eastlancshospice.org.uk/ Attend Star Wars Fan Day: http://www.swffd.co.uk/ Get the latest event news: https://www.facebook.com/StarWarsFanFunDay/ Remember to tune in to our live stream news show, Good Morning Tatooine, LIVE Sunday evenings at 9.00pm UK, 4.00pm Eastern and 1.00pm Pacific on Facebook, YouTube, X, and Twitch. Check out our podcast channel Fantha Tracks Radio's Friday Night Rotation every Friday at 7.00pm UK for new episodes of The Fantha From Down Under, Planet Leia, Desert Planet Discs, Start Your Engines, Collecting Tracks, Canon Fodder and special episodes of Making Tracks, and every Tuesday at 7.00pm UK time for your weekly episode of our flagship show, Making Tracks. You can contact any of our shows and send in your listeners questions by emailing radio@fanthatracks.com or comment on our social media feeds: Subscribe To Our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FanthaTracksTV/ Find All Our Links: https://links.fanthatracks.com/ Check Out Our Podcasts: https://radio.fanthatracks.com/ [amazon box="1647225221"]

[gospelofme]

Okay but what if Kix never got his chip removed (bc there weren’t any more Jedi, really, so why bother) but then he sees Rey or something and just. Loses it and tries to kill her and is acting his Tup did when his chip malfunctioned (but no worries because they figure it out before anyone gets hurt)

Why must you hurt me like this 😭😭😭😭

This turned out longer than I planned.

—————-

Kix was beyond ready to stretch his legs. Sitting in his jump seat for the last couple hours with this knees pressed against the co-pilot’s seat in front of him had caused some major cramps. They were headed back to Takodana to resupply.

Maz’s Castle on the planet hadn’t been the only gathering place for unsavory types. It had just been the most popular. Once there, they’d refuel and restock their freeze dried food stuffs. Kix was hoping to find time to visit a place for some actual food. The freeze dried stuff was real, but it reminded him too much of military food.

They landed not too far outside a small town, the weekend market was in full swing. A perfect place to get supplies. And real food. Smells drifted up from pop-up cantinas and food carts. Some Kix recognized from his travels around the galaxy, and some that were foreign to him. He felt like he had been everywhere, but there were still places he hadnt even heard of.

Kix and Quiggold were tasked with getting the food, Kix had some medical supplies he needed to restock as well. They stopped at a food cart and ordered a chunky stew with meat and vegetables. Kix had no idea what the meat was, he didn’t understand the Artiodac who ran the cart. But the vegetables he recognized.

“Finally, something hot and I didn’t have to heat it.” Quiggold muttered, sipping his cup of stew. He sighed contently. Kix smirked and lifted his own cup to his lips and took a sip. He looked around at the patrons of the market, trying to see how many species he can name.

“What’s on your list for medical supplies?” Quiggold asked, checking the medic pack Kix had for the list. He checked their credit limit to make sure they had enough. No answer.

“Kix?” The Gabdorian looked up at his comrade, who had his cup paused halfway to his lips. He was frozen in place. A strange look on his face. Quiggold placed his cup down on a table.

“Hey, Quiggold to Kix? What’s wrong? What are you staring at?” The peg-legged first mate followed his friend’s stare to a woman.

“Oh, yes. She is very pretty. But we don’t have time to gawk at the ladies. We need to finish our shopping.” Quiggold took Kix by the wrist and tried to pull him along. The former-clone stayed put.

“Kix, do I need to pull-“ Quiggold’s threat to pull rank was cut short when the medic’s hand suddenly crushed the cup of stew, the hot contents didn’t seem to phase him. He was now mouthing something, but the noise of the market made it hard to hear. Quiggold was alarmed now, he had never seen Kix act like this. His eyes were still locked on the woman, who was levitating an apple in front of a dark-skinned man.

“Come on, Rey! Quit playing! I don’t think Jedi used the Force for this!” Finn said, reaching for the fruit. The woman used the Force to pull it just out of reach, giggling playfully. She was oblivious to the strange man staring at her.

“Captain, we have an issue. I think something is wrong with Kix. I can’t get him to respond. He’s conscious, sort of. I think he’s saying something like ‘good soldiers follow orders’, but I have no idea what that means.” Quiggold used his comm unit to contact Captain Ithano, Reveth, and Squeaky who were haggling over fuel. Just then Kix dropped the cup and charged the woman full speed, Quiggold only having time to yell at him to stop.

Rey felt a sudden change in the Force, a warning sign. But she didn’t really need it, since she could hear the startled screams of market goers as a man ran towards her at top speed. He was fast and almost too close for comfort. The apple dropped to the ground with a thud as Rey used the Force to push the man back and into a cart selling blankets. The man rolled and got to his feet easily. She didn’t want to kill him, but she didn’t want to die either.

Finn intercepted the man just as Rey ignited her lightsaber defensively. The tackle knocked both men to the ground and Finn initially had the upper hand, but was quickly overpowered by Kix. He was immensely stronger than Finn, the former Stormtrooper was soon pushed aside. Kix hadn’t once taken his eyes off his prey. A Jedi. The latent order from over half a century ago sparked when he had seen her levitate an apple. The words “Jedi” and “Force” sealed her fate when the old chip still implanted registered the terms.

Kix got to his feet, but Finn grabbed his legs and pulled him back down. This man looked familiar. He needed another look at his face. Finn had studied the history of the Stormtrooper Corps. It had been required and he considered himself a history buff. He managed to get the man onto his back and Finn pinned him. Take away the beard, trim the hair back to a military high-and-tight....

A red-skinned, female Twi’lek then bodyslammed Finn, knocking him off Kix.

“No, no! He’s trying to hurt my friend!” Finn tried to explain, looking up to see Rey raise her ignited saber. The man didn’t appear afraid, he looked intent. Determined. Rey Force pushed him back one more time, the man managed to keep his footing. He knew how to fight around the Force. That was the icing on the cake for Finn.

“He’s a clone!” Finn yelled in realization, a look crossing the female Twi’lek’s face. The Crimson Corsair tackled his comrade, and managed to hold onto him tightly. The man struggled fiercely against the hold. Quiggold sedated Kix using one of the syringes from the man’s medic pack.

Finn shoved Reveth off him and scrambled to his feet, Rey looking relieved and startled at the same time. He approached the famous Captain Ithano and was blocked by a Gamorrean. Finn raised his hands to show he was unarmed, watching the Crimson Corsair get to his feet, holding the sedated clone up. Finn had read about the clones and had gone through the histories of some of the famous ones, Commander Cody, Commander Wolffe, Captain Rex. He had read about them being phased out of service and replaced with birth-born soldiers. He had heard Kylo Ren rant about how the clones had always been superior to the current ranks of Stormtroopers.

Finn had read military reports on the actions of some of the clones. But he also liked to indulge in conspiracy theories from time to time. One rumor was that there had been control chips implanted in the clones. And that, once activated, these chips caused the purge of the Jedi Order. Finn had always regarded it as rumor, since he couldn’t find any clear military record of such a device.

“He’s a clone, isn’t he. From the Republic days.” Finn spoke to Quiggold, who looked at Captain Ithano for guidance. The Captain gave his first mate a small shrug, Quiggold nodding to Finn. Finn looked back at Rey, who looked confused. She didn’t know anything about the clones. All she knew was that this man was hell-bent on attacking her. Captain Ithano began to grow uncomfortable with the attention his crew was getting, hauling the medic over his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry ma’am. I have no idea what just happened. He has never behaved like that before.” Quiggold apologized to Rey, who was able to sense his sincerity. She felt something new in the Force. A sense of calm and confidence. She could feel a powerful Force-sensitive nearby. She looked around, her eyes landing on a Togruta woman standing at the edge of a nearby stall. She hadn’t been there a moment ago, Rey was sure of that. Rey blinked and she was gone.

Captain Ithano and his crew arrived back at the Meson Martinet and lowered the loading ramp.

“What are we going to do? We can’t have him doing that. What if we don’t catch him in time?” Quiggold asked the Captain, who remained quiet.

“Perhaps I can help.” Said a voice from behind them. The crew spun around, spotting a white-cloaked Togruta woman. The woman lowered her hood to reveal long white and blue striped montrals and lekku.

“And who are you?” Reveth asked, eyeing the woman suspiciously.

“Ahsoka Tano.”

[skeletonbagels]

PLEASE tell me who runs these sidon ithano rp accounts on twitter. they haven't been online in 4 years and i will make it my duty to find these legends and follow them

[darthcannizard]

From the SW Character Encyclopedia by Simon Beecroft and Pablo Hidalgo. Published by: DK/Penguin Random House. Need another one for your story? Ask me and I will post the photo.

[yalaki]

I don’t know guys it was 3am and kix deserves happiness and a husband and who’s gonna draw this if it ain’t me

[roombavoomba]

@toastoat

[captain-ithano]

Hello everyone! This is the official account for Captain Ithano Draw Prompt Week, a week to celebrate the red space pirate who shows up for 10 seconds in The Force Awakens and much more in a wonderful short story by Landry Q. Walker! 

The event will take place November 25th - December 1st 2018!

Below are the daily prompts: 

• Day 1:  Family // Relationships 
 

• Day 2:  Secret Talents
 

• Day 3:  Holiday // Vacation
 

• Day 4:  Unmasked Headcanons // Appearance Headcanons
 

• Day 5:  Modern Attire // Alternate Universe
 

• Day 6:  Fears // Angst
 

• Day 7:  Free Space // Your choice! 
 

Rules: 

1 ) The tag is #ithanoweek, be sure to tag your works as such when you post them! If you’d prefer, you can also submit works to this blog and we’ll publish them.  

2 ) Any media is allowed: fanart, fan fiction, music playlists, gifs, edits, etc.



3 ) Be respectful to people’s headcanons. 

4 ) Tag appropriately (e.g.: nsfw, trigger warnings, etc.) 

5 ) As always, no offensive/hateful content. 

If you have any questions feel free to send a message or ask to this blog. Thank you for the interest! Please spread the word!

[toastoat]

also some more ithanos :) he’s still my instant dopamine muse

[kaminocasey]

Summary: You're the First Mate on the Meson Martinet, the ship that Sidon Ithano captains. A few years ago, you all accidentally found Kix, thinking he was the lost treasure of Count Dooku. Instead, you found an even better treasure. Now, you’re searching far and wide in the galaxy for the scientist who could possibly undo the progressive aging gene in Kix's DNA. You'll stop at nothing.

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI; Violence, attempted SA, Blood, Angst, Eventual Smut, Slow-ish Burn

Pairing: Pirate!Kix x (fem) Pirate!Rader

TAGLIST FORM | Sacred Woman Playlist

Sacred Woman

Not So Welcome Home

[dystopicjumpsuit]

Martyrs and Kings - Epilogue

Rating: Mature/18+/Minors DNI

Pairing: Kix x archivist/historian OFC

Wordcount: 1.2k

Warnings: sensuality

A/N: What's that sound? It's my heart breaking to finally say goodbye to Kix and Maree. Thank you to all my readers who've stuck with me this long! I love you all.

Start here | Previous chapter | Masterlist | Sign up for my tag list

Six standard months later

“Safe travels, Dr. Finnall,” Brenko said. “While you’re away, I’ll finish cataloging the rest of the artifacts from Hisseen.”

“Have I told you lately that you’re my favorite research assistant?” she asked.

“I’m your only research assistant,” he pointed out. “See you in a couple weeks.”

Maree waved farewell and went to load a few last-minute items into the Meson Martinet’s shuttle. Reveth helped, lifting the heaviest bags with ease with her powerful mechanical arm.

“I still think it’s a mistake for you to go to headquarters of the New Republic Rangers,” Reveth grumbled. “What if the Spinward Patrol recognizes the shuttle and disintegrates you?”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Maree said. “The Rangers are even more scared of Baba than Kix is.”

“I never said I was scared,” Kix objected, entering the shuttle with his small satchel. 

“You didn’t have to,” Reveth said. “We could all tell.”

The Twi’lek exited the shuttle and sealed the hatch as Kix muttered under his breath. If he’d been worried that Reveth and Maree would resent each other based on their history with him, those fears paled in comparison to the reality that the two had become fast friends who told each other everything and held weekly holo-sabbac nights with Valsi. It was frankly unfair. Maree was already conducting a stealth campaign to convince Valsi and Tane to leave the Archive and join the crew.

Truth be told, the Martinet was starting to feel a little crowded, but Ithano had a plan. He was building a fleet from old Separatist ships that Kix helped him locate, and a few nights earlier, Quiggold had casually mentioned the possibility of making Kix the captain of a cruiser. If Ithano decided to go through with it, there would be more than enough room for Maree’s growing collection of Seppie junk—er, “artifacts of incalculable historic value and significance.” 

Of course, he wasn't sure how much Brenko might object to being pulled away from the Martinet. He had a tendency to flush to a deep emerald green whenever he spoke to Reeg Brosna, and the Arcona frequently had a dazed, starry-eyed expression that had nothing to do with his ocular biology. Maree’s tactics had been completely unsubtle as she seized any opportunity to throw the two together. If Ithano did make Kix a captain, he wouldn't be surprised if Maree tried to get Reeg installed as first mate.

He launched the shuttle, and Maree began to input the coordinates for Adelphi.

“I still can’t believe you stole Brenko to be your research assistant,” Kix said.

“I am a pirate, after all,” Maree said with a shrug as Kix flipped the lever, and the shuttle jumped into hyperspace.

“You have two PhDs,” Eema said severely as she opened every window in the house to let out the billowing smoke. “How is it possible that something as simple as baking cookies eludes you?”

“It wasn’t covered in my coursework,” Maree said, gagging on the acrid scent of charred sugar.

She dumped the tray of scorched biscuits into the sink and turned on the water to put out any remaining embers.

“I’m impressed that this batch actually caught fire,” Baba said in a much milder tone. “How did you manage that?”

“I got distracted,” Maree said, heat rising in her cheeks.

She shot an accusatory glance at Kix, who was leaning against the wall and looking rather pleased with himself.

“Ugh, in my kitchen?” Eema demanded.

“Right in front of your salad,” Baba confirmed with a twinkle.

“Oh, stars, Moms, we weren’t doing that!” Maree exclaimed.

“Not this time, anyway,” Kix said.

“Traitor,” Maree grumbled. “Remind me why I brought you here, again?”

“Because you wanted me to charm your mothers enough that your Baba wouldn’t blow our ship out of the sky,” Kix said. “Do you think it’s working?”

“It was probably working better before I turned the kitchen into a smoldering ruin of despair and regret,” Maree said.

“As if his masculine wiles would work on us,” Eema snorted.

“Maree seems to like them,” Baba said. “No accounting for taste, I suppose.”

She winked at Kix, and he grinned back at her. Despite Maree’s reservations, Baba had taken a single look at Kix and practically adopted him on the spot. The two drank spotchka and swapped war stories, and Baba gleefully told Kix a few of the more embarrassing anecdotes from Maree’s childhood. One night, they sat on the front porch and spoke quietly for many, many hours, long after Maree and Eema had gone to sleep, and when Maree awoke the next morning, she found Kix curled up next to her, his face completely relaxed and looking more at peace than she had ever seen him.

When Maree had somewhat nervously broached the topic of piracy, Baba simply laughed and asked, “Did you think everything I did back in my Ranger days was strictly legal? Sweetie, this is the Outer Rim. If I went chasing every pirate and smuggler that crossed my path, I’d never get a night’s sleep again.”

Eema had been slower to warm up to Kix. She’d been polite and welcoming, of course, but she withheld judgment until she had a chance to see how luminously happy the clone made Maree. 

That night, Kix confessed to Maree that Eema terrified him. “I thought you said Baba was the one we had to worry about.”

“I said Baba might kill us,” she corrected him as she climbed into bed. “Eema will just make us wish we were dead.”

“Great,” Kix replied. 

He slid under the covers next to her, and she snuggled close to his body, resting her head on his bare shoulder and draping her leg over his thighs.

“She’ll come around,” Maree promised. “She’s just not used to the idea of me being in a relationship.”

“Have you never brought anyone home to meet them before?” he asked, kissing her forehead.

Maree shook her head. “This is uncharted territory for all of us.”

“I feel better already,” Kix said drily.

“I know how to make you feel better,” she said mischievously, stroking her hands down his abdomen.

He squirmed away. “Are you insane? What if they hear us?”

“What’s wrong? Is the big, strong, fearsome warrior afraid of a couple of retirees?”

“Yes!” Kix said frankly. “You know we clones have genetically enhanced survival instincts.”

“I guess you’ll just have to use your genetically enhanced stealth abilities and be very, very quiet,” she said, sliding down his body.

“Oh, kriff,” he gasped as she licked up the inside of his thigh.

“Shhh,” she soothed, snaking a hand up his chest to rest reassuringly over his heart. “We don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

“Now that I think about it, we clones were also taught not to fear death,” he said, tangling his hands in her hair and guiding her head toward his stiffening cock.

“Such a heroic sacrifice,” Maree whispered, drawing him into her mouth.

Kix bit back a groan as he sank into her soft warmth. “Anything for the Republic.”

[skaerdir]

For day one of @captain-ithano ‘s Ithano Week!

Like any family, the crew of the Meson Martinet doesn’t always get along, and shenanigans are bound to occur.

[rooarts]

#touchstarved