Why does he do that?" Comar asked Aru as he checked on their leader. Jarodnyk lay on his back on his cot in the Mechies' Quarters. The Taloid's eyes were dark. A power cord was stuck firmly under his chin. His arms were bent and his hands rested with steepled fingers on his chest.
"I don't know," Aru replied. He sat in a chair next to the head of Jarodnyk's cot, holding on to the Taloid's lance and watching over him protectively, "He said he was 'stressed out', whatever that means. He seems to need more rest than we do."
"You don't want to know what 'stressed out' means," Jarodnyk murmured, his eyes still out, "but someday, you might just learn."
"Are we disturbing you?" Aru's voice filled with concern. "Shall we go?"
"No, I wasn't asleep. I was only thinking and relaxing. You four do not disturb me. In fact, I am rather comforted by your presence. You may stay if you please."
"If we please?" Comar tilted his head. What kind of command was that?
"I want you guys to get a little used to making choices. You're intelligent enough to be unique individuals and I want to help you develop your potential."
Aru lowered his head for a moment, immersing himself in quiet concentration.
"I will stay," Aru turned toward Jarodnyk, placing his left hand on his own cheek, "I am comforted by your presence too."
Jarodnyk rolled over onto his front without disturbing the recharge line. His eyes lit up as he tucked his arms under the end cushion and faced Aru.
"How are you feeling?"
"Good. Your examination did not harm me. You did well, though I expected more."
"In time, Aru, in time, if your offer still stands. I must be sure I understand what I learn at each step. I was going over it before, when I began resting. Then, my thoughts drifted to my training, and then my home and family, and then to what I've been through here..."
"Of course the offer still stands. By custom, our very lives are yours and we know you won't abuse the privilege."
"You have nothing to fear from me. I'm doing this for you. Unfortunately, it doesn't do much for me. There's no one here who could help me if something went wrong," Jarodnyk glanced to his side. The other three had joined him as well, sitting on the floor with their backs against Jarodnyk's cot, "Unless, perhaps, one of you..."
"We were not given the knowledge, that background, those skills," Aru said, "It would take us very long to reach your level, which even you claim is inadequate," his voice trailed off, possibly tinged with regret.
"You are very intelligent. Perhaps you will be ready someday. I've never considered droids in this galaxy to be good company, but you...Maybe it's your predatory nature, the need to match wits with your targets and take them down quickly...you have risen to whatever level I set for you. I consider you lifeforms, which is most paradoxical to me. You are lifeforms because you are designed to be killers." Jarodnyk sighed, "What part of the Lifemaker's plan is this? I was naturally assembled in a factory and was raised to consider myself vested with certain inalienable rights. You were artificially assembled by natural organics and assume none of those rights, but with me, they are respected anyway..."
Jarodnyk rolled onto his back again and remained quiet for a long time, apparently staring at the ceiling.
"There is something I wish to give you all, a form of recognition, at least in the eyes of my faraway people. Let us store our weapons in our lockers and I will tell you what I mean."
The five of them soaked together in the droid bath. They enjoyed a moment of blissful, unspoken understanding as solvents washed them clean of dust and grime. The impurities were drained away and the pool refilled with hot oil that soothingly worked its way into their joints. Even quiet Comar rolled his head lazily, betraying the pleasure he felt.
"I have been cut off from my clan," Jarodnyk announced, his voice heavy, "and it doesn't look like I'll be able to return to them for quite some time. Therefore, I am entitled to form a new clan allied with the clans of my parents. We will be a clan of the nation of Carthogia, and you can gain citizenship rights through me. We will also remain loyal to the Dark Star Mercenaries, of course."
"By Taloid tradition, a new clan can be founded by anywhere from 4 to 20 unrelated members of the same gender. Our pledge includes bringing mates into the clan, though who knows how that's going to happen for us. Normally, any offspring produced would be raised together so that they would interbreed, making the clan one big extended family and establishing the foundation for future generations. I have chosen the name 'Krethelli' for our clan, derived from the Taloid word 'kirthel' meaning 'wanderer'. A simple ceremony invokes the Lifemaker's blessing. I am so far from Robia, and you are aliens, but there's still a chance the Great Assembler will approve. Would you agree to this?"
The young assassin droids looked to one another, knowing little of Taloid ceremony and culture. They did know that participating would please Jarodnyk, and Jarodnyk was their protector. All of them agreed, and relaxed as they finished their purification.
Jarodnyk removed his helmet and set it on a shelf. Aru untied his headband, and the others copied him. Unlike Jarodnyk, the headbands were the only item of clothing the assassin droids wore. Their only body adornment, an initial for their names painted on one arm and the Lifemaker's seal of protection painted on the other, gleamed brightly, thanks to their cleansing and polishing bath.
They approached the makeshift altar situated in the Carthogia's Pride crew quarters. Jarodnyk got down on his knees and bowed his head. He raised his arms to his sides, palms facing up.
"Clear your minds of worldly concerns. Focus on the power and light of the Lifemaker to uplift you. Present yourselves as an offering to him in silent prayer."
The droids bowed their heads and clasped their hands in front of their bodies. All was silent, save for the inner workings of the Carthogia's Pride.
"Great Assembler, I have been taken from my home, but I have not been beaten. I have proven my versatility and kept the faith. I have forged bonds with the native life and have continued in service and righteousness. If it is not your plan to take me home at this time, then I petition you for companionship under the name Clan Krethelli. Allow me to take these, Aru, Brettan, Comar, and Dirtheg, unto my own. I shall teach them to walk your path, and pray that you should look after them as you would me. Send a sign to Clans Thatra and Jomalis, and all your faithful servants in Carthogia, that we will be with them when we are led home."
Jarodnyk rose to his feet, then lifted from the altar a shallow, narrow rectangular pan containing a shimmering puddle of golden machine oil onto a shaped wire mount between two electrodes. He picked up another handmade device from behind the mount. It bore a very distant resemblance to a boxy blaster, and Aru sent him a querying signal as the Taloid grasped the lead droid's right arm.
"Don't worry," Jarodnyk sent back as he flipped open an access panel on Aru's arm and pressed the device against two power contacts within. Aru could feel the drain, but his system monitors sensed it wasn't serious. Jarodnyk did this to each of the other three in turn, then after Dirtheg had closed his own panel, presented the device to Aru. The Taloid rested his right arm in Brettan's, and assisted the droid in the considerably more difficult process of opening a panel on his silver arm. The panel was much smaller, and the component configuration vastly different. Jarodnyk had to point out where Aru should touch the device, but the procedure still went smoothly. Once his panel was closed, he motioned for Aru to return the device.
Jarodnyk ejected its "clip" and inserted it into the base underneath the mounting. He added some red coloring to the oil and then pulled away an insulating strip.
Brilliant blue-white bolts flew from the electrodes to the pan and a hazy mist rose from the mix. Jarodnyk bowed his head in silent prayer. When the "clip" finally discharged, he uttered a prayer of thanksgiving. It had lasted more than long enough. He removed the pan and stuck two fingers into the contents.
"By the time these marks shall fade of their own accord, our kinship shall be sealed in the name of the Lifemaker."
With a dab of the substance on his fingers, he smeared a stripe down the middle of Aru's head, from the crown to just above and between his eyes. Its color was a rich, dark, shimmering, reddish-purple. Jarodnyk made similar stripes on Brettan, Comar, and Dirtheg. He then handed the pan to Comar, and motioned for Dirtheg to anoint him.
Once the Taloid had received his stripe, he took the pan and set it aside. He led his new clan into a group embrace, which completed the ceremony. The four droids remained close by when Jarodnyk returned to the shelf to begin drawing the new clan symbol in red on the Boys' headbands and his helmet. Occasionally, one of the Boys would tilt his head this way or that, trying to process the experiences they just had.
Jarodnyk passed out the headbands one by one as he finished them. Aru spied some yellow paint on a nearby shelf. When their leader wasn't looking, Aru swiped the small can and indicated through gestures alone what he wanted done.
The Taloid completed the design on one side of his helmet and displayed it proudly to the droids. They nodded in approval, and Jarodnyk set it down to dry. As soon as he stepped away from the table, the four pounced on him at once.
Before he was able to object, Aru explained, "You gave us your markings. We share with you ours."
Brettan and Dirtheg held down his lover body while Comar gripped his arms. Aru undid the top of his tunic and pushed it down around his elbows. He pulled the paint from its hiding place and proceeded to color the center and back of Jarodnyk's head, the back of his neck, and a big circle on his chest. When they released him, he walked over to the mirror. He was wearing the markings of an OOM-9 BattleDroid Commander. Despite the fact that he didn't look even remotely like a BattleDroid, he decided to leave the coloring out of respect and pride for his Boys. They seemed even more joyful that he accepted.
"Your talents are emerging, my fellow Krethelli. Now we must seek work and do well by the DSM," he said, verifying that the paint had dried before refastening his tunic.
"Can we do contracts?" asked Comar, his eyes sparkling with eagerness.
"Now, now. We're still a new team that has to mesh different styles. Until we've mastered a variety of tactics, we should try something that doesn't make us so many enemies. Maybe we could try private security."
"Bo-ring," said Comar.
Aru elbowed him, "When we are ready, we'll get our chance," he said in a smooth resonant voice.
"We must begin training...and scouting for prospects."
