Broken Codes

Confliction

Corellia: 19 BBY
Clan Covert
Nakoa Sen

    Nakoa smiled as they walked through the old tunnels. The Clan seemed to be doing well. As usual, the younger foundlings were playing games and running rampant through the tunnel. Oni broke away from him and headed off to find Galaar.

    Nakoa made his way to Ketei's chambers. The door was already open when he arrived. He narrowed his eyes, finding that rather odd. He brushed into the room and looked around. Ketei was sitting at her workbench, completely still.

    "Ketei," he called. Nakoa approached her and set the beskar case onto the bench. Ketei shook her head and straightened.

    "It took you longer than I expected. Did you find Baja?" She asked.

    "We did but we were sidetracked by another bounty." Nakoa dropped a sack of credits onto the bench beside the case. He'd already sorted out Les's share, although he hadn't given it to her. "I think you'll appreciate it." He opened the case, revealing the quantities of beskar.

    Ketei let out a small gasp and touched the metal gently. "Where did you get this?"

    "It was an Imperial bounty."

    She picked up one of the bars and inspected it. "This will serve the Clan well. Did you or Oni want some of it reserved for armor or something?"

    "I don't. Oni does, I think. You'll have to ask her about it."

    "Are you sure? Your armor is good but it's nothing compared to pure beskar."

    Nakoa tapped a finger to his helmet. "Mine may be mixed, but it's served me well. I don't want to part with it just yet."

    "All right." Ketei began to move some of the beskar over to her smelting vat. "How did the search for Baja go? Did it take you long to find him?"

    "It went well. We found a smuggler who knew where to find Baja. She helped us capture him."

    "A smuggler?"

    "She was a dancer at Jabba's Palace when I found her," Nakoa explained. "Her boss was Hondo Ohnaka and he traded her to the Hutt for spice. She made a deal with me. She'd take us to Baja if we helped her get some revenge on Hondo."

    "And did you?"

    Nakoa nodded. "We destroyed his spice warehouses." He thought for a moment before adding, "She's still traveling with us."

    Ketei faced him. "Why?"

    "She didn't want to go back to working for Hondo after what he did. I offered to take her somewhere. She hasn't decided where she wants to go. Honestly, I think she's afraid to. She doesn't want to go somewhere with an Imperial occupancy, but she also doesn't want to go anywhere that was touched by the Clone Wars."

    Ketei remained silent, waiting for him to continue. Nakoa sat down and sorted through his thoughts. "Oni doesn't trust her but I think that's just because she's jealous. Les has been helpful and if she was going to betray us, I think she would've already. She seems to know a lot about things happening in the galaxy now, too. She called us Children of the Watch. Do you know what that is?"

    "I do." Ketei moved some of the melted beskar and poured it into a mold. "In a way, she is right. We follow many of the same teachings that they do. Still, I don't believe we are as strict as they are. We follow the ways of Old Mandalore, but we adapt as we need to. They stick to the creed mercilessly. If a member of their Clan breaks the creed, there are usually consequences of some kind."