Warrior ◊ Star Wars

chapter eleven; behind eyes

BB-8 rolled up to Mara, hitting his head softly against her leg. When at first she didn't acknowledge him, the droid gave a constant beeping of her name, which became quite annoying.

Mara Mara Mara Mara-

"What is it?" She snapped, moving so the ball would stop hitting her.

Han and Finn had gone to a storage locker to in the back of the ship to procure more weapons if the First Order showed up. Rey was already outside, probably loving grass for all it's worth. Mara was looking for her brown leather satchel, which she had set down but now couldn't find.

BB-8 rolled back a few feet, tilting back his head to fully see Mara before speaking again.

I know a secret about Finn

"And you're just telling me now?" She pressed, somewhat annoyed. Mara finally found her bag, grabbing it and slinging it around her shoulder. She turned back to BB-8, crossing her arms.

"Well, what is it?"

The droid gave a moment a silence before bleeping the answer, much in a way a child would tattletale, He's not with the Resistance like he says he is.

Sure, at first she was surprised and taken back. Faint hints of the familiar feeling a betrayal wrenched in her gut, but she was to accustom to the action. In fact, she would be more astonished if Finn was really who he claimed. Everyone in the galaxy seemed all too ready to stab someone else's back or lie to easily.

That wasn't the only reason why Mara suspected Finn wasn't with the Resistance. He didn't seem the type. He held himself as if he wasn't sure of himself, the very way he walked seemed too similar to that of someone who was always looked down upon. Out of the few Resistance members she had met, Mara always noted the flair of assurance they held. They always believed they were a part of something much bigger.

Finn also didn't like booze, and Mara never trusted a man who didn't drink alcohol.

So now the question was of his intent. Why was he even here? Did he want the map for himself? How had he gotten himself into the situation? Was he working for someone? Did he even know Dameron? Did he actually kill Poe? Why was he even lying in the first place? Was his name even Finn?

People only lied if they had something to hide. Mara decided she wanted to find out whatever the hell he was trying to keep a secret.

"When did you learn this?" Mara asked BB-8, striding over to the weapon's area of the ship with the droid right on her heels.

Right before Han Solo boarded the ship

She glanced down at the astromech, sighing as she looked at him, "And you didn't tell me earlier? Why now?"

We haven't exactly had a break between people trying to kill us and other people trying to kill us.

Mara slightly nodded, peeking around a corner while looking for the liar in question, "True. Now you go on and find Rey. I'll take care of Finn."

BB-8 obliged, rolling away towards the door, passing Han as he went through the door. Mara caught a quick glimpse of Rey, who was marveling at the green planet for the first time. The blonde smiled to herself, glad for her friend who was discovering life outside of sand. Mara turned away from the door just in time to see Finn walking down the hall.

She put on a pretty smile, using a more friendly tone, "Hey Finn, may I talk with you for a sec?"

At first, the young man was a little caught off guard, seeing a normally violent Mara more sociable. Finn shrugged, clearing his throat before speaking, "Uh, sure."

Her smile grew a bit wider, looking behind her to see Solo and Rey talking. When she turned back to face Finn, Mara's expression went more hostile, crossing her arms over her chest. The blonde simply asked the question, "Why are you lying about being in the Resistance?"

Finn entire figure went slack with worry, almost terrified by the words Mara had just said. He gulped, not even attempting to lie this time, "How'd you find out?"

She gave a half-hearted smirked, "Just because you don't understand Binary doesn't mean the rest of the galaxy doesn't either. BB-8 ratted you out. Now answer my question; why'd you lie?"

In anxiety, he rubbed his hands together, searching for words to convince Mara not to do anything too drastic. Meanwhile, she tapped her foot against the floor, c*****g her head to the side as she waited for an answer.

Finn finally mustered a few words, sounding more like angered pleas, "Look, I may not be Resistance, but I hate the First Order. I just needed to get away from them, and I happened to run into you and Rey-"

"Just happened? No, I want a better, and hopefully real, story. How'd you know about the map to Skywalker? Is Poe Dameron even dead?"Mara's voice remained low so Rey or Solo wouldn't hear her. Her blue eyes continued to bore into Finn. Oh, he was scared. Not of her, no. Fear had been instilled in him by the same people that had made Mara run in the first place.

"You don't understand, that is the truth. The First Order will kill me if they find me!"

"I think I do understand," Her patience was starting to run thin, tired of having to repeat herself over, "I know exactly what the Order is capable of, probably better than you. Now stop making excuses and answer my goddamn questions; the map, the pilot, who the hell you even are."

Finn straightened himself up, keeping his composure best he could, "All you need to know about me, for now, is that I'm on your side. And I told you about Poe- Hey, I thought you didn't know him."

"Fine, I lied." Mara said flatly, "But is he alive? Does the map even lead to Luke Skywalker?"

Before he could go on, Han called from outside, "What's taking so long?"

Mara raised her voice, "Coming!"

Finn, sensing this would be an excellent time to escape, began walking past her. The blonde's hand went to his shoulder, gripping it and hissing, "Answer the question."

He nodded slightly, anxiously whispering back, "The map does lead to Skywalker, at least that's what Poe told me."

"Mara, Finn! Hurry up!" Rey yelled back to the pair, knowing the longer they spent waiting around the quicker the First Order would find them.

The blonde's grip on Finn's shoulder loosened and she went towards the door, still whispering as she went, "Fine, keep being mysterious. But if you betray me or Rey, even the old man, and the overgrown fluffball-"

"Let me guess, you'll kill me?"

Mara took a few seconds to briefly look back at him, c*****g her head to the side and giving a small smile she used when intimidating people, "You really think I'm that cliché? No, I'll leave you blind, handless, and sterilized. That, of course, is only if you double cross us.''

Finn's silence was enough to assure her she'd got her point across. She continued down the ramp towards Rey, stepping on grass for the first time in years. Taking a quick breath a cool, crisp air, she relished it. The atmosphere was cool, the wind brushing against her skin. Mara took in the scenery while she began to calm down.

Yes, she was partially angry at Finn. He'd lied to them multiple times, putting Rey and herself in danger. Still, she couldn't completely blame him without calling herself a hypocrite. She'd fled from the Order years ago, them trying to kill her and all. However, she was pretty much forced into exile, her ship crashing after being shot down and barely surviving a trip through hyperspace.

But yet all her built up anger inside of her wasn't just towards Finn. Some of it was towards Dameron's death, the rest of her fury burning inside the pit of her stomach was due to the First Order and it's superiors. No way if Bala-Tik had survived that he hadn't already informed General Hux of Mara's continued existence. That alone made her want to scream.

"I thought trees would be smaller." Rey commented, bringing the blonde out of her quick moment of thought. The scavenger had a huge grin on her face, "What were you and Finn talking about?"

Mara simply shrugged, brushing off the subject, "Nothing important. What were you and the old guy talking about?"

"He offered me a job as second mate," Rey told her, the two walking towards the others, "I think I may have impressed him."

"Of course you did." Mara slightly nudged the girl's shoulder, "Anyone who can remotely fly that ancient thing has some talent. What'd you say?"

"That I'd only do it if he gave you a job as well. I couldn't just leave you alone as I traveled the galaxy." She assured her friend, eyes wandering to the clear water beside her as she talked.

Mara slightly chuckled to herself, "Afraid I'd wind up in jail without you keeping me in check or that you'd miss the melodious sound of my voice?"

Rey rolled her eyes, not admitting to the blonde that she'd really miss her companionship, "Han's terms were-"

"The only way I'd let you on," Solo butted into the conversation, giving the Mara a sharp glare, "Was if all your earnings went to paying off that fighter you stole. Not a cent for yourself to keep. And you'd have to actually do good work."

"As long as you provide food, I'm fine. That's very kind of you to give me a job," She patted Han on the shoulder, giving her usual over-exaggerated smile, "That's incredibly nice of you actually. I guess you're softer than all the legends said."

Solo huffed, annoyed by Mara's blatant attempts to provoke him, "Listen here Blondie, the position is open, and only open if we all make it out of this alive. Or your constant comments make that job, poof! It'll disappear. Now c'mon, we need to get your droid on a clean ship."

"Clean?" Finn questioned as the four approached the castle in front of them. Tall, long towering peaks rose from the fortress, colored a dark and aging brown. It was obvious the place had seen many years of use, the walls climbing with small ivory that covered the thin cracks running up the building's sides. It had a very rustic and ancient feel but perhaps may have been considered quite breathtaking when it was first constructed. Now Mara almost pitied the structure.

Still, it seemed like a safe place from her point of view. The woman had stayed Maz's castle from a few weeks years ago after Bala-Tik and the Gauvian gang cheated her. She knew it had a decent bar, and that was good enough for her.

Han asked Finn a rhetorical question, "You think it was luck that Chewie and I found the Falcon? If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind. If we want to get BB-8 to the Resistance, Maz Kanata is our best bet."

"We can trust her, right?" Rey questioned as they came closer to the main door, starting to walk up the stairs past a beat up medical droid.

"Relax kid. She's run this watering hole for a thousand years." He replied, assuring them his old friend was of no harm. He reached for the handles of the door, turning back to keep explaining, "Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare."

"At what?" Finn and Rey asked together, Mara crossing her arms to hear Solo's answer.

"Any of it." The old man opened the doors, walking in first.

Mara leaned next to Rey as they walked, whispering, "Especially the eyes. Just don't mention the eyes."

Before the scavenger could give the blonde a quizzical look, music wafted outside. As they stepped into the dimly lit building, a band in the corner played a lively tune. They had to bump their way into the overly-crowded room, earning foul looks from those they pushed aside. Dozens of different species, some Mara didn't even recognize, busied themselves around them. Some gambled, others laughed at the bar. A Rhodian carrying a platter filled with drinks passed the group, Mara spinning when she saw it. Quickly taking a shot glass without the Rhodian noticing, the woman sipped the drink down without hesitation. Rey gave a disapproving look, Mara placing the glass back down on a nearby table.

"What?" The blonde defended herself, "Saving the galaxy makes a girl thirsty."

Rey held up her index finger, "One."

Before Mara could protest, a loud voice boomed over the noise of the crowd, "HAN SOLO!"

The entire bar went silent, turning to look at the now addressed Solo. Mara couldn't see the small alien who had shouted from the angle she stood, but she automatically knew it was Maz Kanata.

Han observed the quiet onlookers and prying eyes, awkwardly waving to the other side of the room, "Hey Maz."

The band started their song again, the crowd going back to whatever activity they were doing before. Mara took another shot glass from a passing waiter as a small, dark orange figure approached them. She was a shorter species, barely over three feet tall. She had aged more than the last time Mara had seen her, but Maz still had a spring in her step. Odd glasses made her eyes seem too big for her round face and gave her a quirkier appearance, but it gave her a very characterized look.

Maz stared up at Han, narrowing her gaze, "Where's my boyfriend?"

Solo gestured to the outside, "Chewie's working on the Falcon."

"I like that wookie." She muttered to herself.

Mara choked on her drink. Only Finn took notice, and his face shared her weird expression.

"I assume you need my help, desperately." Maz Kanata sighed and slightly rolled her eyes, guiding the group to a table in the back, "Let's get to it."

Rey looked at Mara before following the small alien, confused. The blonde simply nodded her head, knowing she owed her an explanation of how she knew Maz later.

Finn was the first to take a seat at the table, food already pre-placed in front of them. He took a fruit from a bowl, hastily taking a bite. His eyes widened as he smiled to Rey and Mara, "Try this!"

The two women sat down, each taking some of the food. Mara tasted sweet juice for the first time in years, the same grin Finn had gracing her face. Oh, she had missed real, authentic food.

Rey tapped her arm, gleeful with childlike wonder, "So this is what fruit tastes like!"

Mara let herself laugh, watching her friend experience fresh food for the first time in her life. Maz came between their chairs, setting down another bowl of fruit between them.

"Fresh picked this morning." The older explained, taking a seat opposite of the three younger humans, "Now, what have you gotten yourself into Solo?"