“And you don’t have another weapon.” Kal grumbled curses better left unsaid. “Who goes into battle with only one weapon?” The Jedi simply tilted his head. Of course, Kal knew the answer. “Not exactly seeing you stop the blasters with the Force.”

“Then get me a distraction so I can rip the blasters from their hands.” 

“Bad plan.” Kal risked a quick glance around the barricade. A blaster bolt glanced off his helmet as he ducked back. “I’m not going to be able to give you cover fire for that. They only reason they haven’t rushed our positions is because don’t want us to destroy their loot.” Kal was going to regret this decisions, but he didn’t see much of a choice. If the Mandolings could not reach them, then Kal and the Jedi needed to reach them. That required a new strategy.

He grabbed the Jedi’s left arm and undid the bracer. It was useless anyway. Just some minimal protection and sensors. “Hey!”

“Hold still.” Kal growled. With one hand he unclipped his left vambrace and snapped it over the Jedi’s forearm. “Three missiles. Electrostatic whip. A projectile stun netting. And five micro thermals. That should keep you alive long enough for you to do your thing.”

“Kal…” The quietly stunned response annoyed Kal more than it should. 

“Don’t get used to it, Jedi.” He ejected his three sided knife from its sheath and slapped into the Jedi’s right hand. “Since you aren’t trained in any of those, here. We still have to get out of here. I’ll cover your attack.” Kal drew a second blaster. 

The Jedi nodded firmly. Watching the man sway through a barrage of cannon fire still terrified Kal. With the pirates focused on the apparently unarmed Jedi, they leaned out of their cover just enough for Kal to take good shots. Three went down by the time the Jedi was close enough to get a good shot with a missile on the group bearing down on the Mandolings. The explosion had to be from a micro thermal detonator. How the Jedi got it secured to a missile was not Kal’s business. 

Kal emerged from the barricade, rapid firing while the Jedi darted through the pirates, slashing through skin and scales. It all made for easy targeting on Kal’s end. 

Henley called out. “We got what we came for. And got an exit.”

“Time to go, Jedi!” Kal shouted. The mad dash for the exit began. They watched each other’s backs as they retreated. Kal didn’t think too hard about trusting the Jedi. Not when they had the same goal. 

Getting to the escape ship was hard going. There were too many pirates to take them all out. The Jedi surprised Kal with expert use of the whip. Some strange sense of pride welled up within him at seeing his knife in capable hands. 

Then it was gone. 

A shattering and familiar pain ripped through his leg. Kal collapsed mid run. How did pirates get a hold of a Verpine shatter gun? Yobrovoo yanked him up, heedless of the agonizing pain rippling through his leg as bone shredded muscle. Kal wouldn’t blame the boy. Exiting the battle took priority. 

Kal just didn’t remember anything until he woke up on his own ship. His leg mending. The battle was a dream, quickly fading the harder he tried to grasp the details. He had been injured, but clearly healing. His armor sat in a neat pile only another Mandalorian would arrange. Kal struggled to stand and identify each piece. 

His left vambrace was missing.

As was his three sided knife. 

Kal would find a way to wring the Jedi’s neck next time he saw the man. 

****

Months later, Kal broke down and got a new vambrace that met his specifications. Finding top grade beskar and an armorer had been the hardest part. While there were some jobs he could complete without a complete set of armor, Kal would not return to the Mand’alor’s Supercommandos without it. 

Even with the new vambrace the same sand-gold as the rest of his armor, it was noticed. By Jaster. “What happened?”

Kal shrugged and continued cleaning his blaster. “Got destroyed and needed another.”

“Really. Beskar got destroyed?”

“Are you going into a sarlacc pit for a vambrace?” Kal snapped back.

“Only after I kill the sarlacc.”

“The job didn’t exactly allow for a leisurely stroll through an acidic stomach and razor teeth.”

Jaster did leave it alone. Eventually. When other Commandos asked about it, Kal wondered why he even returned. Doing odd bounties and dirty jobs would be enough to keep him going. More than keep up his kit and ship while still providing for his kids. Corellia could be a nice place. Kal wasn’t going to let them slip into the slums. 

Kal could forget the vambrace. But the months without his knife kept him on edge. It had to be with the Jedi. Because if it had been lost on a pirate ship in a future, Kal would murder that Jedi. He was seriously considering it when the Jedi showed up again. Pristine Temple Guard uniform and all. Not a single sign of the difficult battle. 

But that was how the Jedi showed up. Every time. 

He didn’t need to watch Jaster intercept the Jedi for endless questioning. It was a wonder the Jedi cooperated. Kal simply walked away and filled a mug with whatever alcohol the Commandos had found in the last raid. Two more cities and the Askllos would be chased back to their swamps, allowing the good people of Askitsa to return to their homes. 

The mug disappeared form his hand before Kal could even take a sip. A familiar Jedi leather bracer crossed his vision. A solid thump hit his right vambrace. Kal felt the hilt of his father’s three sided knife before he completed the blind handoff better than the Jedi had started. “You’re late.” Kal wrenched the empty mug out of the Jedi’s hand to refill it. 

“Had to find you without it.”

“I should just stab you with it.”

“At one point, I think you tried.” The Jedi sighed. “Can we not…. Not tonight…” The Jedi sounded exhausted. 

Kal decided he didn’t want to know. “The southern ridge has a better view of the moons and rings.” Kal grabbed a second mug and filled it. This was too habitual. Still better than being greeted with a right hook to the face. He couldn’t remember much about the battle or why he gave the Jedi his vambrace, but it was too late to demand it back. 

Only Jaster’s sharp eyes from across the fire pit told Kal that the Mand’alor would be demanding answers later. There was enough night left that Kal could get some sleep. Perhaps even the Jedi would sleep. 

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