#those stupid bracelets were the bain of my actual existence

[lyrishadow]

Fictober 3: You did this?

Prompt 3: “You did this?” Fandom: Star Wars the Old Republic Pairing: Tamarillo / Theron Shan Rating: G Warnings/Tags: target practice ?friendship bracelets?

Years earlier:

Theron Shan had been ten when he first met Tamarillo. Not that it had mattered, Master Zho hardly let him exchange names with the girl on the cargo ship but she was burned into his memory just the same. 

Tam had been living and working on the ship even at 10 - she had always had engine grease on her hands or face, and in the cargo bay she kept a workbench where she liked to tinker with things. Wires, guns, all kinds of things lay about the ten-year old’s workbench that Theron had not ever been allowed near, let alone to touch and see how they worked. 

Master Zho had bought Theron along on a mission to see to a  Jedi enclave on another planet, somewhere in the outer rim. It didn’t concern Theron so much as he had relished the idea of being away from Jedi training. He had no force connection, not like they wanted him to, and no amount of wanting was forcing it to appear. Master Zho was at his wit’s end, and the smuggler who owned the ship was an old friend.

“What is that?” he asked pointing at the gun Tam was working on.

“Gun,” she replied, full of snark even at ten years old, pointing out the very obvious.

“Thanks.”  Theron tried to think of a way to word it, but before he could he felt her drop something heavy in front of him.

“Try it.” she pointed to the target in the rear of the cargo bay, clearly set up so that even missing was not going to get them all spaced.

So Theron fired the gun. It felt more natural than handling the lightsaber, his eyes were wide when he realized he had missed the target completely.

“Can you shoot?” He asked Tam who shrugged.

“Of course.” she took the gun from him and carefully aiming, she shot clean through the target’s head.

“Seriously!” Theron replied gasping.

“You really are sheltered.” She tossed out “what are you some kind of demented Padawan?”

“I… my mother was a Jedi…but I am not.”

“Dah…. I was told not to ask about that.” She pulled him back over and placed the gun back into his hands. “Use two hands to hold steady.”

She reached around and adjusted his hand over the weapon, Theron felt a cold sweat start on the back of his neck because she was too close. 

“Here pay attention!” she said, “You  won’t miss if you hold it like so.”

She placed her hand over his and showed him how to fire. The bullet hit the target in the shoulder of the shadowy image.

“There see!” Tam said excitedly. “You just needed to pay attention.”

“How are you so good?”

“Practice.” Tam pulled a face “Also I know how to twink my gun to get it to hit exactly right. You can get implants that help with all that, but I prefer not to.”

She sounded less like a ten-year-old and more like someone well into their thirties.

“Tam? You got that capacitor for me?” A loud roar came through the ship. Tam sighed as if the world was ending.

“It’s right here. “ she waved a small box-like contraption.

“Install it in the number two engine,”

“Come on.” she poked Theron’s shoulder “You  can help me install it.,”

“But I don’t know…” 

“Oh come on, how will you ever learn anything if you don’t try?” 

“Master Zho told me to sit still… I can’t wander around the ship.”

“Oh pish, C’mon Theron break the rules, live a little.” Tam laughed at him, the girl was starting to get under his skin.

“But I can’t!”

“Sure you can. You just do it and deal with the yelling and arguing later. No-one can stop you doing things, they just get annoyed after. Plus I will be there.” she shrugged at him shoving the capacitor into her pocked so she could pull him along. He objected but when she grabbed his hand he let her pull him with her, strangely liking this boisterous and strange girl.

The capacitor was installed first, then  Tam had pulled him to the kitchen where the ship droid was attempting to prepare lunch.

“Hey C2 can I have a sandwich?”

“Of course Ms. Tam.” The droid replied diplomatically because the noisy child confused it. 

“One for him too.” she pointed at Theron and grinned, pulling him along to the bench on the wall opposite.

“See you get good food if you ignore the adults” She whispered, “C2 is scared of kids, so he makes sure I am fed.”

C2 placed the sandwiches in front of them. 

Theron ate his in wonder, it was far from the balanced simple meal of the Jedi and it tasted like a version of heaven. 

“So wanna be best friends?” Tam asked pulling off a woven bracelet she had on her arm. “I only give them to people I care about.”

She didn’t wait for him to reply, instead yanked his arm and slid the bracelet on, pulling it tight so it wouldn’t fall off.

“You.. did this? Theron asked examining the carefully woven bracelet. It showed control, tempered with patience and he had not seen either from Tam. However Tam nodded happily. 

“Of course. My mum showed me before she left.”

“Thanks.” Theron nodded to her. She had given him a lot to think about.

“Write if you wanna, if not, we can always find each other sometimes. You will know me by this!” she held up her hand and on her wrist was an identical  bracelet, she had made the two perfectly matching.

“Ok.” Theron nodded carefully, wondering if the crazy girl was ever going to be a friend or just someone who got him into trouble.