Arani Jakal was not ready to be stranded on an unfamiliar planet, causing her whole life to change. But in the chaos, a friend or two popped up - seemingly from nowhere - wishing to help. Ari gladly accepted and quickly became part of a small town...
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THE CAVES WERE SURPRISINGLY WARM. The walls weren't damp and strange things did not skitter along the ground, the place strangely felt like a home. Ari found herself in a small cavern, the few children that lived in the covert surrounding her as she sat on a smooth rock. They stared, heads never veering away from her as she told them a new tale.
Ari leaned forward, pulling the foundlings' in even more, her face completely serious. " . . . And as he waited, the beast . . . attacked!" She lunged at the group, making the foundlings yelp before bursting into laughter. Ari righted herself and leaned her back against the cave wall, chuckling. The Mandalorians may not accept her, but the kids didn't seem to mind her presence. She would take a win when given.
When the giggles died down, she continued. "But the dragon did not have the wit of this Mandalorian, and before the beast figured out where our hero had vanished to, it was struck dead."
"How'd he do it?" questioned a little boy.
Ari shrugged. "Some say he wielded a power weapon crafted specifically to defeat the dragon. Others say he was mighty in the Force and made the creature explode!"
The group reeled back and voiced their disgust in a chorus of "Ew" and "Yuck".
"And what happened to the girl?" asked a different kid. She crawled closer and lowered her voice. "Did they fall in love?"
Ari smiled. "They did. They moved each other very much and travelled the universe together, defeating many more monsters."
The girl huffed. "I wish to explore the galaxy and meet someone, I'm stuck with these idiots."
"Hey, you might have to marry this idiot," one of the boys taunted.
"No thanks."
"Oh, so you're gonna marry an outsider?"
"Din's marrying her," the girl countered, pointing a tiny finger at Ari.
Ari's mind spun and for a moment she couldn't speak. "This is news to me."
The girl's head tilted in confusion. It was Mandalorian custom that both parties agreed to marriage before any other steps were taken. "You don't know? Din had the Armouror make a ring and everything."
Before Arani could ask any of her numerous questions, a ship's engine was heard, taking her mind off the conversation. She turned to the cavern's doorway and saw Paz Viszla and a few others walk by. Telling the children to stay put, she slipped out of the room and joined the group.
As they came to the main entrance, a voice called to them from outside. "Captain Carson Teva, Adelphi Rangers. I have a time-pressing matter to attend to."
