Calista chuckled and gave a slight shrug. “Maybe not all the words… and she didn't teach me how to read or write Mado’a so a booklet wouldn't be helpful.” she winked as they approached a store. “I always thought fixing things was more knowledge than street smart. Street smart is… knowing who to avoid or where the best shortcuts and hiding places are.” she said thoughtfully.
Hawkin looked back at the droid.
"Well I do know where the best shortcuts and hiding spots are in the underbelly. I used them frequently. Fixing things does work well with that too."
He sarcastically made a sad face.
And dang. I was really hoping for a booklet on how to effectively curse in Mando'a and how to blend in with the locals. Really wanted to fit in. The blatant tattoo across my face just isn't enough. You know?"
He followed Calista to the door of the store, and gestured.
"After you."
“Well… if you stick around long enough, you’ll probably pick up more of the language in general, ad.” Calista smirked. “Though, I have to at least try to be responsible with the swears and insults. I’m sure you’ll pick up the context.” she rolled her eyes again at the teasing chivalry and placed her hand on his shoulder, walking in beside him.
He laughed.
"I figured. If it's anything like what droid chatter and speak, I'll pick it up quickly. Hopefully. As for what you said, ad, I don't know what that means, but I can assume a familial relation. Maybe child? I dunno. I'll have to hit the holonet for that one. As for picking up swears, I've done that enough in the shop. The older mechanics never really had a filter."
His gaze was drawn into the shop, and he looked at all the clothes that lined the shelves. An older twi-lek woman appeared from the back.
"How can I help you today?"
“Ad has a few meanings. Child, son, daughter… but I was just using it as “kid”. But I'm not surprised that the older mechanics swear so often.” she smiled.
Calista nodded at the Twi’lek woman in greeting. “My Padawan is looking for some new clothes.” she answered casually.
Hawkin put on a smug smile.
"I'll be referred to as "the child" sounds kinda cool."
As Calista spoke to the Twi-Lek woman, Hawkin caught the fact that Calista used the term padawan. His eyes widened. The same seemed to happen to the Twi-Lek woman.
"A padawan? I haven't heard that term in a decade or more. Are the Jedi coming back? Come come, please I insist. Look around."
Calista shook her head. “It does sound… cute, but as I said, I was just using it the same way that I've called you ‘kid’.” she reiterated. “Now, go ahead, Hawkin. See what you like.”
“Believe me, I never thought I’d get to use that term again. I hope that more do Jedi come back. But for now, it’s just me and the kid here on Coruscant.” she smiled at the Twi’lek.
Hawkin started looking at the clothes and the colors that he liked.
The Twi-Lek looked at him in fascination, and turned towards Calista.
"How did you even find him? He doesn't fit the typical description of what a Jedi would be. He's older than what I remember. What's special about him?"
“He found me.” Calista smiled at the woman. “And he is very special. He has a gift in the Force that not many Jedi of the previous Council had, I can't even use it. But I imagine that the “typical” appearance of a Jedi is going to change. Considering how many in the galaxy might have been Force-sensitive during the Empire’s control, does his age really surprise you?”
The Twi-Lek woman laughed.
"Most people who have the ability to use the Force are very special. If he is special amongst your kind, then he is truly a gem. And his age doesn't surprise me. For one, I've come to expect some older Force users. Like yourself. You had to be young when the temple fell. Maybe around his age. You know, when the Jedi were around, I had several come to my shop. I had clothes made for them. They've been sitting here for a while. It's nice to have someone come in and look so excited. Now I don't have the traditional robes, but I have everything else."
She smiled softly as Hawkin came back breathless.
"There's so much here! And it's in the colors I want! There's so much I have to try on. I don't even know where to start!"
He rushed off again. She called back.
"Take your time! It's not going anywhere!"
She heard a muffled,
"Okay!"
Come from deeper in the store. She looked back at Calista.
"I have clothes for him here, but a few shops down, there is a nice Togruta man who sells jackets with hidden pockets, for smugglers and Jedi alike. That boy looks like he could use all the pockets you can give him. I'm going to ask a question, and you can definitely shoot me down, but what is he? He's a humanoid, but not human. The only reason I'm asking is because I know the two planets that give facial tattoos to their children, especially the bar across his nose. Is he really a Kiffarian? It's been a while since I've seen one. They rarely leave their planet, because they're a proud people. Think of a more barbaric Mandalorian, but with less armor. But he doesn't carry the "better than everyone else" air that I've seen with dealing with Kiffarians. He's… Odd."
"I was younger… but you are not wrong.” Calista nodded with a calm smile at the Twi'lek woman's words. “He is probably the first Padawan of the New Republic, so we are hoping to rebuild the Jedi Order… though we may not be as traditional as they were.” she chuckled as Hawkin ran up to them before darting back into the store.
“Thank you. I think that sounds like his style.” she agreed at the mention of the jacket, though she raised a brow slightly at the build up to the question. “He told me that he is Kiffarian but he worked as a mechanic in the lower levels. That could be why he doesn't fit that image.” she explained, not wanting to get into the whole “no family, no clan” thing.
“Do you have any gloves for sale?”
The Twi-lek woman chuckled.
"That'll do it. The mechanics from down there are cut from a different cloth. I think it'll do him good in the long run. But if he ever goes back to his home planet, they'll be shocked at what he's become. Hopefully for the best. Especially if he does become a Jedi. It'll be good to see a glimmer of hope as the eyes of Coruscant turn towards him. He won't be a secret for very long. As for gloves, I do have several types. What kind are you looking for?"
Calista smiled, nodding at her assessment. “Well, we are going to see the Senate later today so I don't think he’ll be much of a secret.” she admitted. “The gloves are for him but I was thinking of something sturdy so he could keep tinkering. He has quite a skill with mechanics and I don't want to take that away from him.” she explained.
The Twi-Lek woman nodded.
“Well, he’ll certainly be a hot topic at the senate. And I have just the thing. They’re scrapper’s gloves. The fingers are free, but the palm and knuckles are covered for added sturdiness. That way he keeps his dexterity.”
She turned her head as Hawkin darted around the corner.
“Look Calista they have the pants I want! I can move in these!”
He jumped up and down and squatted.
“And the knees and thighs are reinforced! I like this place! I’m going to go find the other kind I want. They fit my waist but have loose legs and are tight around my ankle, and they have a stirrup on the bottom that way I don’t have to wear shoes if I want to walk around barefoot!”
The Twi-Lek woman smiled at his antics.
“I have those too. Go back in the back and they should be near the section where you got those pants you’re trying on. I have them in just about every color imaginable.”
Hawkin smiled and took off towards the back once again. The Twi-Lek woman shook her head and smiled.
“He’s excited, isn’t he? He’s got a good energy around him.”
Calista smiled at the gloves, admiring how thoughtful the Twi’lek woman was being in this. The gloves were well-made and fit, what she knew about, Hawkin’s personality.
When Hawkin came back around the corner, showing off his new pants, she couldn't help but chuckle at his excitement but didn't discourage him. “Go on. Pick out as many pieces as you want.” she called after him before turning back to the Twi’Lek saleswoman. “Just because the last Jedi order only had one style doesn't mean I’m going to limit his.” she smiled back. “Honestly, I don't think I’ve ever seen anyone this excited about clothes but he does have a good energy.”
The Twi-Lek woman nodded.
"That was always something I found odd with the Jedi. I'm glad you're letting him go with his own style. And let him be excited. It's the small things that build him up. I will say, after you go to the Togruta man for a jacket, head a few more shops down to get a good pair of boots from the Rodian family that runs the pace. They are by far the best bootmakers that I've seen so far. They take pride in their work. Plus, if you're a good customer, they'll fix your boots for free if they get messed up. They're good people."
Hawkin came running from back around the corner.
"Calista. I've picked out seven shirts and seven pairs of pants. Plus a few pair of pants that were the really flowy kind. I'm going to go grab some pajamas. I need those too."
The Twi-Lek woman pointed.
"All the way at the back wall. I've tried to get some of the coziest pairs of pjs."
“Thank you. We'll definitely go to both those shops. As for the Jedi style… I don’t know why this was it either,” Calista admitted with a brief gesture at her robes, "but I’m used to it. Then again, maybe I should consider looking at some new outfits as well.” she mused, thinking about if she, Hawkin, and Dex were going to ‘remake’ the Jedi Order in a way, why should she stay with the old fashion style? She would probably still wear it but it couldn’t hurt to look at some options… at some point.
She chuckled as Hawkin came back with another progress report on his shopping but nodded. “Go on. We do have a couple other places to check out after this before our appointments.”
“Again, thank you.” she smiled at the Twi’Lek woman. “You’ve been a great help today."
The Twi-Lek woman batted her hand.
"Pfft. In a way you have also helped me. Business is not as fast as it used to be. And you two have brought me some slight glimmer of hope. Like the galaxy is starting to heal again."
Hawkin came back, with his haul and smiled broadly.
"I think I have everything. I found the pjs and even got a fancier outfit for seeing the senate. That one is a sandy color and it reminds me of my home a little bit. Now to pay and and go to the next stop."
He looked at the Twi-Lek woman.
"And thank you. You have beautiful clothes here. When I need to come back I know who I'm coming too."
The Twi-Lek woman chuckled.
"You're welcome back here any time young man. Now come along, and I'll get everything squared away at the register."
“Then, I'm glad we were able to help you. We will definitely be back again.” Calista told her sincerely before nodding. “I also hope that the galaxy continues to heal.”
Seeing the large, but admittedly expected, pile of clothes Hawkin was carrying, she was caught between laughing and shaking her head. “I hope you didn't bury Dex in there.” she teased. “Need any help carrying those?”
Hawkin beamed.
"I will need help eventually. And Nope I didn't bury Dex. He's somewhere though. Dex!"
From the back with a pair of pants covering his visual sensors, came Dex.
"Hawkin help me. I cannot see. I've hit so many walls. I got too curious and the curiousness has blinded me."
The Twi-Lek woman and Hawkin couldn't help but laugh. She got behind the register.
"You know what, I'll cut you a deal. And I can go home early. I can normally get about one hundred credits on a really slow day. It has been a really slow day. For one hundred and twenty five credits, we'll call it square. And tell the Rodian family and the Togruta that Banara sent you. They'll treat you well."
Calista joined in their amusement at poor Dex’s misfortune before removing the pants from his sensors. “Throw in this pair of pants too and you have a deal, Banara.” she agreed when she saw the pants were her size, a good cut, and one of the shades of brown she usually wore. Typically, Calista did not believe in accidents, choosing to trust that the Force played a part in those moments.
Banara smiled.
"You got it madam Jedi."
She rang up the clothes and folded them. She stopped when she got to the fancier outfit. She looked at Hawkin.
"Do you want to go ahead and go put this on? You'll need it today. You have some appointments with some important people today."
Hawkin smiled, and nodded, and grabbed the outfit and walked to the back. He came back in the outfit. It was a sandy brown, and had long sleeves. The pants were fitted, and they were a darker shade of brown. The top was a fitted tunic, and it had a front piece paying homage to the front piece of a Jedi robe. The outfit had three quarter cape went over one shoulder and went under the other and clasped close on his chest. Hawkin stepped out and looked at Calista.
"Do you like it? I looked for something that kind of looks Jedi-ish. To kind of match you. Ya know?"
“Please, call me Calista.” she smiled back as she paid for the clothes, including the gloves. Though she decided to give them to Hawkin later as he went to change for the meetings.
“You look very nice. I doubt your old boss will recognize you.” she complimented, nodding at his intention of matching her and how he didn't stray too far from the Jedi look she was familiar with. “He might even think you're from the upper levels.”
Banara nodded.
"Alright Calista. Come again soon please!"
Dex beeped in gratitude to Calista.
Hawkin spun around.
"You think? I mean I wasn't going for the upper levels, but I like the idea. I think this will pass off very nicely for some senators. Where too next?"
“Force willing, we will.” Calista bowed politely, in the usual Jedi way, to Banara and smiled. “May the Force be with you.” she said as a farewell before she and Hawkin walked out of the shop.
“I think it would fool your boss at least.” she smiled. “Banara told me of a couple of other shops nearby. One owned by a Torgruta man who sells jackets you might like, and another by a Rodian family who sells good boots.”