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“I will go as well.”
The announcement that the Tribe’s leader would join them – the one who was their guardian, to whom they looked for calm and stability, who stood apart from the melee to ensure a watchful eye was always in control – momentarily took Bo Katan aback. The Armorer was sacrificing her position as a leader in order to walk amongst equals with her fellow Mandalorians, and in doing so putting all her power in Bo Katan’s hands. Then the full force of its meaning hit her; the trust in her ability to win the battle, the respect in her as a leader, the devotion to her cause, the devotion to her.
Every step of the way she’d expected the Armorer to shut her off, but instead she’d thrown nothing less than her full-throttled support. She never doubted her. It had left Bo Katan in awe and adoration of her, desperate for her respect and approval. Now, though, as she understood so clearly the feelings behind the Armorer’s commitment, she found herself overwhelmed with desire.
Bo Katan wanted her. She wanted everything the Armorer would give her and suddenly she couldn’t wait any longer.
The scouting party coalesced together and instantly began discussing plans and strategy. Bo Katan was somewhere else for a moment, still gazing adoringly at the Armorer, but then she pulled herself back to focus on the mission she’d tasked herself to lead.
“We have to practice new formations,” she told the party. “We’re two different groups not used to flying with each other and we have to be in sync.”
“I can start running drills tomorrow,” Koska told her.
“Good – Drez is the Tribe’s flight commander. The two of you work together on the drops and our expected in-air combat.”
Koska nodded.
“Axe, who’s been heading the fleet?”
“No one, really. We’ve only been using the Star Destroyer.”
Bo Katan frowned. “How many gauntlets do we have?”
“Around fifteen, give or take.”
She glanced around them and did some quick calculations.
“Alright, use as many as we need for drop ships, then keep the rest ready for combat in case we run into trouble.”
“Everyone here can fly them?” Axe said doubtfully, eyeing up some members of the Tribe. Bo Katan gave him a disbelieving glare.
“Everybody here grew up flying around the peaks of Concordia, the mountains of Krownest, the cliffs off Kalevala, and of course the training grounds of Mandalore herself,” the Armorer said calmly.
Axe looked sufficiently rebuked and Bo Katan worked very hard to hold back her smirk. Her eyes flickered to the Armorer briefly before she continued.
“Neya, can you coordinate with Lassart here on dividing up supplies and shelter for the scouting party.”
“Aren’t we just gonna stay on the Star Destroyer?” Koska asked.
“No. We need protection outside the planet. We’ll be vulnerable and we’ll have no means of knowing who’s about to attack us,” Bo Katan said. “We’ll have the gauntlets, obviously, but we need to make sure we’re prepared beyond that.”
She surveyed the group, who were looking contemplative and slightly overwhelmed at the enormity of the task ahead of them.
“Let’s get some rest,” Bo Katan said firmly. “And we’ll begin early tomorrow.”
The group broke up after that, dispersing off into the crowd still gathered around the campfire. Bo Katan looked amongst them to see the Armorer engaged in conversation with Paz. She dithered, then heaved in a resolute intake of breath and walked back towards the fire to join her friends.
“This is gonna be some mission,” Axe said dryly, knawing off a piece of nerf meat from the bone.
“It is.”
Koska appeared beside Bo Katan, wordlessly handing her a glass of revnog, and she gave her a tired but grateful smile.
“So,” Koska began, as the three of them gazed out at the fire. “What’s the deal with you and their leader?”
Bo Katan’s eyes snapped to her and she saw Koska watching her with an innocent expression, ruined entirely by the mischievous glint in her eyes.
“There is no deal,” Bo Katan replied haughtily, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. She looked quickly back at the fire.
“I caught them earlier,” Axe commented.
“You did?” Koska said excitedly.
“He did not – would you shut up?”
Axe grinned at Koska over her head.
“You should go for it,” he told Bo Katan. “Have a bit of fun.”
She didn’t attempt to dignify that with a response, and instead just rolled her eyes and sipped her revnog.
“I don’t think it’s just a bit of fun,” Koska observed. It was mostly teasing, but there was a serious, knowing undercurrent there as well – and possibly the slightest bit of jealousy, but, well. It was always going to be that way.
Bo Katan sighed, pursing her lips. “I am trying to figure out what to do,” she admitted reluctantly. “But that does not mean this is up for discussion.”
Axe shrugged. “Bit of a wild suggestion here,” he said, chucking the remains of his drink into the fire with a hiss. “But you could always just go talk to her.”
He gave Bo a look before turning and heading off away from the campfire.
“I’m gonna go get some sleep too,” Koska said, downing her drink.
“I – did I miss something?”
Koska just smiled at her, shrugging casually before leaving her alone staring into the flames. Bo Katan stood there for a minute or so before glancing awkwardly around her. Most of the camp seemed to be dispersing off, too.
In the back of her mind, she knew she should go – to the tent she’d been assigned after they moved to Nevarro, or to her own ship. Somewhere to be alone with her thoughts and re-centre herself after the emotional whirlwind of the day.
She chucked her drink into the fire. Kriff that. Recklessness had got her through the past four decades and she wasn’t about to stop now.
There was light coming from the Armorer’s tent when she reached it. She couldn’t knock, exactly, but she knew the flaps would have been drawn more tightly closed if she hadn’t wanted visitors.
“Lady Kryze,” the Armorer said, in a light, teasing voice that drew a small laugh from Bo Katan. Perhaps a giggle, even. She’d have to re-think the revnog.
“Are you busy?” Bo Katan asked, nodding at the holo-tablets spread out on the table before her.
The Armorer surveyed her silently for a moment, as she always did before carefully weighing up her words. “I am no longer.”
Bo Katan’s lips twitched with a smile. “May I?” she asked, gesturing to the small bench diagonal to the Armorer’s.
She got a small nod in reply and so resolutely went and sat down, trying to gauge how much of a respectful distance to keep. When she twisted to look at the Armorer, though, the distance somehow felt so much closer.
Bo Katan took a small breath.
“I didn’t come here to talk.”
The Armorer’s head moved slightly in a way which felt disconcertingly like she was looking her over. “I don’t imagine you did.”
Bo Katan felt herself smiling again. Then she bit down on her lip, tugging it between her teeth, and lifted her gaze towards the Armorer’s visor. She shifted slightly, and Bo Katan cocked her head.
Then the Armorer lifted her hands from her thighs and slowly, carefully began removing her gloves, finger by finger. Bo Katan felt her lips fall open as she watched in shock, utterly transfixed as the bulky hide was pulled away to reveal soft, creamy skin. She could see the strong tendons flexing as she moved, the slight redness around her grazed knuckles and a long burn scar along one wrist.
It was probably the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen in her life.
She dragged her eyes back up to the Armorer’s helmet, staring at her in shock and awe. The Armorer said nothing. Then she reached towards Bo Katan and for the first time in her life, she felt their skin brush together.
Her breath was caught in her throat as the Armorer’s hands moved around hers, slowly caressing her fingers and turning them over to circle a thumb around her palms. Bo Katan let her eyes fall shut, the tiniest of moans slipping from her lips as her chest rose and fell. Every brush of the Armorer’s fingertips felt like flames licking her skin – her nerve endings were on fire, her skin tingling almost unbearably.
The intention behind it was overwhelming; careful, deliberate, tender, powerful. She could barely fathom what was happening – she was outside of her own body, floating in some surreal world where the Armorer wanted Bo just as much as she wanted her.
The Armorer’s fingers moved down to her wrist and then her nails scratched lightly up Bo Katan’s palm. She whimpered, her head falling back instinctively as if waiting for a kiss that was impossible.
Then the realisation hit Bo Katan; she held the Armorer’s hands too. Her eyes flickered open and she looked down to where the Armorer was softly but intently trailing her forefingers over her hand. She closed it over the Armorer’s fingers without a second thought and saw her helmet tilt up in surprise.
The air between them seemed to disappear for a moment as they watched each other. Then Bo raised the Armorer’s hand to her lips and without preamble wrapped them seductively around her middle finger.
She’d fantasised so much about what it would be like to hear the Armorer moan – the sound that low voice would make, the waver of her control slipping. Hearing it in front of her though, slight, real, echoing inside her helmet, sent such a scorching desire through Bo Katan she couldn’t possibly live anymore without that sound.
She swirled her tongue around the Armorer’s finger, then tightened her lips again and felt the Armorer tug lightly but insistently against her with a rush of delight. She hummed around her skin, and then, holding the Armorer’s gaze, moved her mouth over to her forefinger and took it right up to the knuckle. Her moan was unmistakable, then. Bo Katan could feel the desire rippling off her in waves, the air growing thick with want between them.
At some point they must have shifted closer to each other because suddenly the Armorer’s other hand was on her thigh, gripping tightly as Bo Katan’s tongue lavished her finger. Her breathing was heavy under her helmet, driving the lust in Bo higher and higher which she poured out onto the Armorer’s skin. Her finger tugged at Bo Katan’s lip, teasing it before moving down over her chin, leaving her gaping breathlessly as her heavy-lidded eyes gazed into the Armorer’s visor.
Her hand was still on Bo Katan’s leg; the ache it left between them was unbearable.
“Whatever you can give me,” Bo gasped wantonly. “I’ll take it.”
The Armorer was quiet for a moment. “In time, I can give you anything,” she replied, low, raspy and as unravelled as Bo felt. “But it’s not to be trifled or tried with.”
Bo Katan nodded slowly.
“I understand.”