Chapter Text
The first thing she noticed, once she opened her eyes, was that she was NOT where she was supposed to be. Just moments earlier, Noemi was on her way to her part time job at MaryAnn’s Fabrics. While certainly old enough to drive, she did not yet have the money for a car, so she had been on her bicycle. The last thing she remembered was the low brass of a truck horn as a large box truck was barreling towards her. Overwhelmed with fright, she could barely react, save for closing her eyes tightly before the impact. And then, for what felt like the longest heartbeat, everything was black and soundless. And then she opened her eyes to find her scenery dramatically changed.
No longer was she surrounded by the suburban environment of her hometown’s downtown area. The bustle of vehicles, the facades of brick, glass, and concrete, and the hustle and bustle of a warm July afternoon had been completely replaced by an altogether different scene. Instead of buildings and roads, she was surrounded by fields of grain. Instead of the ambient noise of traffic and people engaging in conversation at a cafe’s outdoor tables, there was just the whisper of wind blowing through the plants before her.
For a moment she was paralyzed with fear and confusion. What was happening? Was she dead? Is this some purgatory? From her immediate impression of her surroundings, it certainly didn’t seem what her parent’s cultish church told her was what Heaven was like. Granted, she had given up those beliefs a few years ago as she entered high school and started to encounter people outside of her church social circles. While she dared not voice her doubts to her family, she had seen enough inconsistencies and fallacies in what she had been raised in versus what she had learned about the world through school and her classmates. But until she moved out on her own, away from her parents and their church; and away from her town, she would continue to go through the motions of being a good, obedient religious girl. Perhaps this was purgatory after all- a chance to repent for her doubts before being allowed to enter heaven.
But the more she took in her surroundings, the more that she doubted that tentative conclusion. The world around here felt too… real, too tactile, too dirty. Though it also felt very foreign, almost alien as well. The sky here was a greyish purple color, and the heads of grain, while similar to wheat, had a very different color and texture to them. A small animal, looking like a cross between a lizard and a mouse darted between her legs and vanished into the field before her. While she knew her science and biology education was woefully inadequate because of the religious cult she grew up in, she was pretty certain that was not a known species of animal anywhere on Earth. For a few moments, she stood there in indecision: The full weight of the situation had not yet sunk in, and she was a bit dazed: Was she dead? Is this all a dream? Or maybe she’s in the hospital in a coma right now. Or is this the afterlife? Perhaps an afterlife for non religious people? Or was this just a scene meant to lull her into a sense of false security before the ground beneath her opened up and swallowed her to hell?
Noemi could feel her heart rate as well as her breathing start to increase rapidly. Panic attack a corner of her brain “helpfully” surmised. She was definitely starting to hyperventilate now, and spots began appearing in her vision.This can’t be happening! Where in the world was she? What was going on? Why was she all alone?
She fell to her knees, and the cool, wet mud of the field squelched beneath her as she went down. It made her gasp in surprise at the shock of it, temporarily disrupting the panic spiral. This could not possibly be a dream- everything felt way too real and tactile. The wet, cold sensation soaking into her stockings was as much grounding as it was uncomfortable. Noemi closed her eyes and started to focus on taking deep breaths to slow her breathing down. After a few moments, she could feel her heart rate start to slowly decrease and some of the tension in her body ease and dissipate. She slowly stood back up, wiping the excess mud from her legs as she did so. Of course, despite being calm, the situation around her had not changed one bit. And the question remained, where in the world was she? She looked up at the sky, hoping to maybe gain some helpful hints that the endless fields of odd grain could not provide.
Far off in the sky, she could see the glint of silver as what looked like probably an airplane flew through the lower atmosphere. At this distance she couldn’t make out the shape, though it did seem like maybe it was heading somewhat her direction. Just the sight of it gave her a little bit of hope- she wasn’t completely alone. There were other people around, somewhere. Perhaps she could find a town and get help finding her way home! She turned around to try and get her bearings to see if she could figure out which direction through this “wheat” field would be most likely to lead her to people.
After what felt like almost half an eternity of looking (though it was probably only around 30-45 seconds), she gave a shout of excitement as she saw what looked like a column of smoke rising in the distance. From the small size of the column, it seemed likely that this was from a chimney and not an open fire. Perhaps there would be some kind people there that could help her! Excited by this development she immediately started to head that direction, wading her way through the field of grain and not even the muck and mud she was currently trudging through could put a damper on her mood. Unfortunately, the sky overhead quickly started to darken, as if even nature itself had a vendetta against her. Not long after, it began to rain. At first it was a fairly light drizzle, but it quickly morphed into a heavy downpour.
Unfortunately, with being in a random field of grain with no clue where she was, she had little choice but to keep moving forward, though by this point the rain was heavy enough that the column of smoke she had been heading towards was no longer visible in the distance. She was completely soaked at this point, and her shoes and stockings were covered in thick mud from the field. The rainwater was running down her face and into her eyes, making it even more difficult to see where she was going. But still Noemi soldiered on. She had to. She was lost, stranded god knows where, and there was nowhere around to take shelter. And, where there is smoke, there’s probably a fire she could dry off next to.
She was so set on moving forward that she was increasingly less aware of her surroundings, even as the grain stalks became taller and the sky continued to darken. At this point, between the rain, the gloom, and the maze of thick stalks, she had no idea whether she was still moving towards the smoke or not. But the fear of the unknown, and the desire to find any semblance of shelter, of safety spurred her on, and kept her running forward. Further and further she ran, almost blindly, until she ran right into something metallic and hard.
“Osik!”
The force of the impact knocked her back down into the mud as she realized she wasn’t alone. Several tall figures clad in metal armor loomed over her. Their armor was painted in a mix of colors, green, brown, orange, grey, and black being the most predominately used colors. But most terrifying of all was the helmets- it covered their entire head with a menacing ‘T’ slit visor where the eyes and mouth would be. Those terrifying helmets all turned and fixed their gazes on her.
For heartbeat, she laid there in the mud looking up in them, her brain unable to process the scene in front of her. Before she could even open her mouth to scream, or scramble to her feet to run away, the figure closest to her (and likely the one she inadvertently ran into) was already kneeling down next to her and pulling off the helmet to reveal a man who appeared to be in his early 40’s.
“Udesii ad'ika. Gar're morut'yc.” the man said softly, likely trying to do his best not to spook her, though the language he was speaking was nothing she was familiar with. Her confusion must have shown on her face clearly because the man softly chuckled and said “It's okay, little one. You’re safe. We’re not going to hurt you.”
As he was speaking, Noemi couldn’t help but notice the large rifle strapped to the back of his sand-gold colored armor. A quick glance at the other four figures behind him confirmed that all of them were carrying rifles of some kind, though they looked nothing like her father’s hunting rifle. One of the other men (she assumed) stood just behind the first man and also removed his helmet, clipping it to his rather bulky utility belt. His armor was mostly grey, with red accents, and a red cape of sorts hung off his shoulder. At first glance; he looked to be around the same age or slightly older than the man currently in front of her.
She had yet to make a sound but the surprise and stress was starting to set in and she could feel herself, for the second time today, hyperventilating. This time, the cold wetness of the mud, and the pouring rain on her face was doing nothing to shock her out of it; or ground her with the physical sensations. Spots again started to appear in her vision as she could hear herself breathing more and more rapidly.
“Udesii, little one! Calm down; try to breathe with me. You’re okay, you’re safe, and I swear to you that no harm will come to you from us.” urged the man in the sandy gold armor in front of her.”
She could hear the man behind him turn and say something urgent sounding in the language that the first man used (she assumed) to one of the other figures standing there with them. She was unable to see what that figure’s response was, however, because at this point the darkness was claiming her and she could feel herself fading from consciousness as she passed out there in the mud. The last thing she was aware of hearing before the blackness took her was the first man; his gauntleted hand holding her limp hand, “Stay with us ad’ika! Stay with us.”
- -
Noemi woke up with a start, her head pounding with headache. She found herself lying down on a cot of some kind. For a brief moment, she thought perhaps everything had just been a dream. Maybe she was in a coma, and that previous experience was some kind of hyperrealistic dream? But even as the thought occurred to her, she heard movement beside her, and the man in the sandy gold armor appeared in the periphery of her vision. As awareness returned to her body, she realized she was still in the field from earlier, though in a different area than before. It was a small clearing in the field, and there were a couple of tarps set up over the area, protecting the space from the rain that was still steadily downpouring. From a handful of other cots, as well as a few weird heavy duty boxes laying around, it looked like some sort of camping set up.
The next thing she noticed was that she was warm, and mostly dry. A quick glance to her other side revealed a heater device of some kind, almost not dissimilar from the portable propane heaters her father had in his garage/ workshop, though this one was much more futuristic in its appearance. There was a thin, scratchy blanket laid over her as well, and the cot she was on, though small, was surprisingly comfortable.
“You gave me and my vode quite a fright, ad’ika.” said the man next to her. “How are you feeling now?”
Noemi turned his gaze towards him, taking in the man’s appearance. He had a bit of a weather-beaten face, with a variety of small scars and pockmarks testifying to a hard life. His hair was cut short, in an almost military cut. But his eyes were kind, though guarded, and there was a ghost of a smile playing across his lips. He had a cup in his hand, which he was holding out to her.
She took the cup and sipped it cautiously. Thankfully it was only water, and was deliciously cool going down her throat. “Thank you,” She said, looking up at him. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the camp of the Haat’ade.” he said, looking at her with a concerned expression. “Does your family own this farmland? Or does your family have a farm nearby?”
She shook her head slowly, some of the previous fear creeping into her spine with a cold chill. “I- I’m not from around here, I think.” she said. “I woke up in the field a little bit ago, far away from anything I recognize, and far from my home.”
He raised an eyebrow in surprise, with a contemplative expression on his face. The man pulled up a stool next to her cot, and sat down. “Well that makes things a little complicated.” he said. “Are you from this planet? Concord Dawn? Or from a different planet in the Mandalore system?”
“What?! A different planet? Is this a prank?” She exclaimed, with tears beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes. What did this man mean? What was going on? “I’m from Earth, in the Solar System.” she said, the fear from earlier fully returned now.
“Udesii ad’ika.” said the man, reaching out a hand to rest on her shoulder, very aware of her state of panic. “I need you to focus on breathing slowly and look at me, ok ad’ika? Just breathe.”
She nodded and started to follow along to his breathing rhythm. After a few moments, she started to calm down a little bit.
“Here, drink this as well.” He said, pulling out a container of some kind, and pouring the hot liquid into her cup. “This should help warm you up some and feel a little better.”
She took the cup and nodded her thanks, taking a tentative sip. It was some kind of hot tea, with a very warming spice to it along with a strong note of citrus flavor. She had hardly any idea what kind of tea it was, but it was very good.
“Its called shig.” he said, watching her drink with a pleased expression on his face. “This particular brew is a Skirata specialty, and the recipe has been in my family for generations. It's spicier than some other blends, but I know of nothing better to help you warm up when you’re soaked to the bone.”
It was incredibly good, and he was certainly not wrong about it hitting the spot when cold and wet. She drank the whole cup within a minute. “Thank you, that was an incredible tea” She said, doing her best to be polite.
“Ba'gedet'ye.” He said, smiling at her warmly, reaching out a hand to take the empty cup. He then motioned to himself, “My name is Kal Skirata. What’s yours, ad’ika?”
“Noemi Martin.” she said softly. Her parents had always stressed that you should never trust strangers, especially strangers outside of their church community. While she had mostly untethered herself from those beliefs, the habits and mindsets are slow to die. But this man in front of her seems like someone she could trust.
“Pirusti urcir, Noemi.” he said, a kind smile accenting his features. “Now, can you tell me how you ended up in a field on this planet, if you’re not from here?”
Noemi shook her head. “Last I remember, I was riding my bike to work in my hometown, then a truck might have hit me? I’m not entirely sure about that to be honest. And then, I woke up here, in the field.”
He studied her with a scrutinizing gaze. “And you said the system your planet is in is called?”
“The Solar System.” she said; feeling like this whole conversation was rather surreal. “In the Milky Way Galaxy?” she added, hoping to any higher powers that he would at least recognize that.
He looked at her with an expression that was as baffled as it was sympathetic. “I’m sorry, ad’ika, but I don’t recognize any of those names. Chorak, House Mereel’s Goran might however- that man has an encyclopedic mind if I ever saw one and he might recognize the galaxy name if nothing else.” He looked at her with a steady eye. “And you don’t remember anything between where you were, and arriving here?”
She shook her head.
“Hmm. let me get Jurir to check you out real quick.” He raised one of his arms to his face and spoke into the gauntlet encasing his forearm, presumably in the same language he had initially greeted her in. After a brief conversation, he lowered his arm and looked back at her.
“Well it looks like Jurir is with the main encampment. Good news is, Chorak is there as well. So ad’ika, looks like you’re gonna be stuck with our little scouting party until we finish up here and then rejoin the rest of our clan where we can hopefully help you more extensively.”
Kal looked like he was about to say more, but was interrupted by one of the other figures in armor, this one in green with red accents. As he stepped into the tarped area, he removed his helmet, and Noemi recognized him as the other man that had removed his helmet when she first ran into them. His face was firm, but not unkind, and he turned to Kal and started to speak to him in their language, while gesturing in her direction. After a few moments of conversation, he turned back to face her.
“Hello ad’ika. I’m Jaster Mereel. I understand you’re a bit lost?” he said.
Noemi nodded. “Y- yes. My name is Noemi Martin, sir.”
Jaster smiled. “The ad’ika has manners, wayii! I think you’ll find we don’t generally stand on formality around here. But we will keep you safe as long as you are with us, and we can reunite you with your family, Noemi of clan Martin.” He paused with a slightly uneasy expression on his face. “Unfortunately, the Ka’ra saw fit to drop you into our midst in the middle of a somewhat precarious situation. Once we get off this planet, I swear as Mandalor to do what we can to help you, and we will keep you safe in the meantime. But, while you’re with us, I need you to listen closely and keep your head down, for your own protection. Do you understand, Noemi?”
She looked into his face. The man, Jaster,while guarded in his expressions seemed earnest and genuine. While she was sure that there was more going on then he was letting on with their ‘somewhat precarious situation’, she had a deep gut feeling that she could trust him, and trust Kal. She nodded her agreement. “Yes sir.” she said.
Kal broke out into a smile and gently clasped her shoulder. “Oya, ad’ika! Welcome to the Haat’ade; the True Mandalorians.”