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Author Topic: Cin Baar'ur (True Mandalorians AT)  (Read 4381 times)
Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #15 on: March 26, 2021, 07:45:52 AM »

PeachyProtist is an amazing artist~ I'm so glad I commissioned them. Smiley

I actually have an apocrypha based on chat logs where all the different versions of Liera speak with one another. It is mass chaos. lol But none of the instances of Liera ever actually meet each other. There can only ever be one in each universe.
Logged

Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #16 on: March 26, 2021, 06:18:30 PM »

Chapter 9: Flare (Part 1)

[Jango]

The next three days of space travel passed by far too quickly for Jango’s liking. Although they primarily kept to the schedule they’d established on Manda’yaim they didn’t exactly have a city to wander around in. Instead Jaster added blaster practice and more sparring to their daily lessons. Along with more Mando’a for Liera. For someone who hadn’t known a single word of it when she first appeared she was becoming surprisingly fluent. All she was missing was the cultural context and some of the more secretive spiritual aspects of being mando’ad.

As they became closer she began to open up even more about her life at the temple and the people she considered family, although she didn’t call them that directly.

“I always stop by the Halls of Healing whenever we… whenever I return to the Coruscant temple. A lot of my friends are still working there as Healer’s assistants and they like to make sure I’m in good health.” Her smile was bright, if a little sad, and he couldn’t help the small bolt of jealousy that went through him. He couldn’t help wondering if she would tell her friends about him and the Haat’ade, the same way she was talking about her friends now. Would she miss them after she’d gone back? Or would the jetiise somehow make her forget about them?

“I wonder if any of my crechemates will be there, or my brother-padawan. The last I heard he was helping hunt down some pirates in the outer rim.” She blinked slowly, tilting her head, and her eyes went vacant. Jango felt a tingle on the back of his neck and shivered. He knew she was doing something with her weird magic but he couldn’t tell what.

She frowned as she blinked back into reality.

“I can’t feel any of my bonds right now, it’s like they’re all hazy.” Jango watched her sag, frowning in concern. He cleared his throat to get her attention and had to look away when those vibrant eyes looked up at him, curious.

“Once you get there you can always comm them. Someone should have a way to contact them at the jetiise temple, yeah?” Straightening she smiled brightly at him, obviously grateful for his words. Jango felt his face heating slightly but he sucked it up and smiled back at her, aiming for reassuring.

“Of course! If the mission isn’t too dangerous then it should be easy enough to ask for their contact information. I lost my communicator so I’ll have to get a new one and put in all their codes again.” She shook her head in frustration.

“Thanks Jango!” He nodded.

“Any time.”

[Liera]

As they came closer to Coruscant she could see the change in the people around her and bit her lip in mild distress. Jango in particular seemed to be struggling, his emotions fluctuating wildly and too fast for her to follow. Cole and Shiona felt sad, sad enough that she might even classify it as grief. While Jaster just seemed resigned.

All in all it made her realize just how much they had come to like and accept her. Whenever she did her katas in the main training area there were always warriors lining the walls or sitting on the benches, watching with interest. They’d even started to ask her about her fighting style, how lightsabers worked, and questions about temple training. It was a lot of fun to speak with them and she knew she was going to miss them all terribly when she returned home.

For now she would just savor the moment and sear everything into her memory so she would never forget. This experience was now a part of her and besides the fact that she missed her master, still grieved him, she wouldn’t change a single thing about her first meeting with the Mandalorians. Except maybe the whole fainting thing. That had been very embarrassing.

Once they landed on Coruscant proper Jaster asked her to gather up her things and say good-bye to everyone. Liera was surprised to find that practically all the warriors of the Haat’ade had come to wish her well.

She was perilously close to tears when Cole knelt and pulled her into a warm hug.

She actually started to cry when Shiona handed her a hand-made satchel, embroidered with her name in Mando’a. Inside the front pouch was a communicator and as she turned it on she saw that each of them had put their contact numbers inside. “So you can call us if you ever want to escape.” She joked, eyes wet.

“Thank you.” Liera hugged her tightly before she had to pull away.

It was time to leave.

[Jaster]

Jaster had been given permission to fly a shuttle right up to the temple. He’d been a little surprised by the offer but accepted it. Both because he wanted to look these people in the eye when he criticized them and because he wanted to ensure the jet’ika made it home safely.

Behind him he could hear Liera and Jango talking quietly. She was looking over the gift that Shiona had spent quite a bit of credits on while Jango explained what some of the inner pouches would he bused for.

Among other things she found all of her clothes including her hat, the uj syrup she’d bought to share with her friends, packets of spice mixes from various verde, and a datapad with Mando legends. It also contained more lessons in Mando’a and a few other important pieces of literature.

“I asked buir to load the Commando Codex onto it, since you asked about it during training.” Jaster glanced back to see Liera nod, her body language subdued and contemplative.

The Temple contacted him and gave him clearance to land the moment he told them his name. When he finally stood from the pilot’s seat he could see his son sitting next to the jet’ika, one arm around her shoulders. He was tempted to snap a holo but it just seemed wrong in this instance. It was clear the two of them were going to miss one another and Jaster knew that the jetiise weren’t going to let either of them visit the other. After all; the Haat’ade were still considered criminals to the Republic. He was risking a lot coming to Coruscant just to return one of their ade.

“Time to go.” He said quietly. Both kids looked up at him and nodded.

Jaster watched the jet’ika as he the ramp lowered, her expression confused and shoulders tense. Jango grabbed her hand, squeezing it reassuringly before donning his helmet, and Jaster smiled. His son wasn’t averse to physical contact, or even physical affection, but he wasn’t usually the one to initiate it. It hit him suddenly that this tiny little jet’ika had done more to build bridges between their peoples than anyone else since… well he couldn’t actually think of an example.

As they finally set foot on the temple grounds they were met by three jetiise. One was a tiny green alien that he had never seen before, one was a middle aged man who had a feeling of danger and competence about him, his hand hovering over his weapon as if he were just waiting for a fight. The last was a tall, dark brown, Zabrak with black hair and green eyes. He stepped forward and inclined his head politely.

“Greetings, Mand’alor. I am Jedi Master Rubrikal, the Master of this Order. With me are Master Yoda and Knight Drallig.” He looked between them for a moment, noting the way the Knight continued to keep his eye in them as the other two looked to Liera. Even without the force he could tell they were trying to judge whether or not she had been injured in any way. Making a quick decision he reached up and took off his helmet, which had Jango stiffening next to him in concern.

“I am Jaster Mereel, and this is my son Jango Fett. We’re here to return your lost child.” Rubrikal nodded sagely and smiled at the ad’ika, although something seemed a little stiff about it.

“I don’t think we’ve ever met, young one.” Stepping forward, he felt Jango flinch beside him before forcing himself to stand still, Liera bowed at the waist, much lower than he would have expected.

“Padawan Liera Buraaisuh, Master. My master is- was Ashfurr Paldrel, Third Blademaster of the Order.” There was a mild look of surprise and confusion, the green jetii and Rubrikal sharing a look.

“This is all well and good, but I had more in mind than simple introductions when I came all the way here to return your jet’ika.” He could see Liera straighten and look at him, eyes wide with confusion. He held back an amused snort. “Nothing to do with you, ad’ika. I just have a few words for your guardians.” He thought for a moment and a wicked idea entered his mind. “Why don’t you give him a tour, ad’ika? Mando’ad never get a chance to see the jetiise temple and I’m sure Jango would like to see your home too.” He eyed the jetiise, wondering if they would deny his request.

“As long as the young man leaves his weapons behind he may join Padawan Buraaisuh and Knight Drallig on a tour of the common areas of the temple.” There was a warning in Rubrikal’s voice that had an amused grin crossing Jaster’s face. “Go on, Jan’ika, I’ll be fine here.” Jango clenched his hands for a moment before turning on his heel and heading back into the ship. From where he was standing he could see the young man pulling out his weapons and setting them down in a huff.

The jetiise made small talk with him, asking how his journey to Coruscant had been so far. Jaster responded with quick, concise, comments that made it hard for them to continue the conversation. They seemed off put by him. Good. They should be able to feel how utterly ridiculous he found this whole thing. He wasn’t here to make friends, although having them at least recognize his authority by the time he and Jango left would be a good start.

Before Liera left Jaster motioned her closer. She came willingly into the hug, a big smile on her face. “Thank you for taking care of me these past two weeks.” He saw the elder jetiise twitch at her sudden use of Mando’a and couldn’t help but to chuckle.

“Contact us when you’ve settled in. We want to hear from you, alright? You’ll always be one of us, mandokar, even if you’re a jet’ika.” A pleased blush crossed her face and she hugged him again before dashing off to stand excitedly next to Jango.

It was time for her to go home.

Once they’d left the Master of the Order’s eyes turned sharper, his stance less welcoming. Jaster squared his shoulders. If they wanted a fight he’d give them one.

“Now then, jetiise, I have a few concerns.” His anger didn’t seem to phase them, although his word choice did earn him raised eyebrows. “Number one being that the ad’ika is much too young to be out on battlefields! What kind of crazy osik goes through your heads? Letting someone like that go on missions. Master or no- she’s much too young for battle.” Rubrikal opened his mouth to speak but Jaster held up a hand to silence him. “I’m not finished.” He growled.

“My next concern is her mental health. She lost a father,” he stalled them again, “no I don’t care what you want to call it. That man was a father to her and she just lost him. She said that there was something wrong with her mind, that only the jetiise could fix. If it wasn’t for that fact, and the fact that she still sees herself as a jet’ika healer, I may very well have let some of my people adopt her.” He shook his head. “We know how to take care of our ad’ike, jetii, do you?”

There was silence for a long moment before the zabrak sighed.

“Perhaps we should have this discussion inside? I want to hear the entire story of how you came into contact with, and care for, one of our lost padawans and it sounds as if it was under less than optimal circumstances.” Jaster frowned.

“I’ll go with you, jetii, but I’m not leaving my weapons behind. You and the Republic may not recognize my authority but I am still a leader to my people. I won’t go into unknown territory unarmed or unarmored.” Rubrikal paused, giving him a searching look, before nodded in acceptance. Jaster slipped his helmet back on and stepped up next to the male. “Lead the way, Jeti’alor.”
Logged

Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2021, 06:28:54 PM »

Chapter 9: Flare (Part 2)

[Cin Drallig]

Keeping watch over two young ones, one of which was a Mandalorian in full armor, minus the helmet which hung from his belt, had not been part of the plan. He was supposed to be there as back-up in case the Mandalorians tried anything funny but after the young padawan had appeared unharmed it seemed as if the plan had changed. He was surprised as the Mando boy allowed the young padawan to pull him along by the arm, chattering excitedly about her favourite places in the temple.

Strange. He’d never heard of Music Room Osk-39, or Training Hall Peth-4. Considering he was one of the foremost lightsaber instructors that struck him as very odd.

Every now and then the two would suddenly begin speaking in what he assumed was the Mandalorian language, the boy sounding more guttural in his delivery than the padawan. It was clear he was far more comfortable speaking his native tongue than Basic. Cin only wished he knew what they were saying so he could monitor what the padawan was telling him. It could very well be a security risk.

“…I’m sorry Knight Drallig, is my speaking Mando’a making you uncomfortable?” He looked over at the padawan in surprise. Violet eyes looked up at him and he could see maturity and insight within them. It eased his fears a little and he carefully schooled himself back to calm. Behind her the Mando boy was giving him an unimpressed look, stepping closer to the padawan as if to protect her. Without his helmet his emotions were a little more clear in the force. Cin could feel his wariness but also his patience. If he was going to strike it would be at an opportune moment.

“There are security concerns you may not know about, young padawan. I only wish to ensure you aren’t accidentally saying something that shouldn’t be said.” The girl’s expression turned thoughtful.

“I am only speaking of places that are accessible to guests of the temple, I assure you. There are some concepts that don’t translate into Basic well and although Jango is almost fluent there are some terms he only knows in Mando’a.” It was a diplomatic answer and he felt a smile tug at his lips. The padawan was young but clearly well learned if she was already this eloquent.

“I would ask you to keep your comments primarily in Basic, however, translating for a guest isn’t unheard of or discouraged.” The girl smiled at him and nodded easily, not offended in the least. The Mando boy, on the other hand, was scowling at him.

He decided to move the tour along to the next stop- the training salles.

“This is where you learn to use your jeti’kade?” The Mando asked, looking around the room with a critical eye.

“Yes. There are larger rooms for tournaments, and different rooms with special terrain or obstacles so we can train while using force jumps as well.” The Mando snorted and muttered something under his breath. The padawan snickered.

“It’s not cheating when two people have the force, Jango. You’ve beaten me in most of our spars anyway so what are you complaining about?” The boy grinned at her and it was a near feral thing. He felt amused and pleased in the force yet there was a strong thread of respect as well. Interesting.

“You study Jar’kai, do you not?” He asked. The padawan smiled up at him.

“Yes, Knight Drallig. I find myself more balanced with two weapons.” As if anticipating his next question she detached her lightsabers from her belt and held them out to him. The boy next to her shifted his stance, frowning, his emotions once again becoming wary and tense.

Cin took the weapons respectfully and gave them a quick once over. He felt something sharp prod at his mental shields and almost hissed in response. The crystals, to his surprise, were not kyber. “Where did you get the crystals for your lightsabers, padawan?” The girl smiled at him almost shyly.

“The planet Tarrasi, in the Adega system. My crystals are mephite.” Adegan crystals? For a not yet sixteen year old padawan? That sounded like madness. “They’re very protective of me and tend to push away anyone who tries to hold onto them for too long.” She warned, concern clear in her voice. Cin could feel the way the twin crystals pushed at his mind and nodded, handing them back.

“They are well balanced. Maybe we can spar later and I can see them in action.” The girl bit her lip, ducking her head slightly as she returned her lightsabers to her belt.

“I’m not a very good swordsman.” He blinked at the admission. Not many field padawans would try to downplay their abilities. “I am well on the healer’s path, Knight Drallig. I want to follow in the footsteps of Master Fay.” It had been quite some time since he’d heard the name of that legendary jedi master.

“A good example to strive for, padawan, but be wary of putting unreal expectations on yourself.” The girl smiled and nodded in understanding.

As they moved on from the training halls towards the Room of a Thousand Fountains he listened to her explain the exploits of the famous jedi healer and how she wanted to follow her example to help as many people as she could. He was surprised to find the Mando agreeing that a life of healing was a good one, and encouraging her to continue her learning. He had been under the impression that Mandalorians only valued the life of a warrior.

“Cole said he’d send you some medical texts to read later.” The padawan beamed up at the Mando and he could feel the boy’s embarrassment clearly.

Oh. Well that was a little awkward. It seemed the Mando had a bit of a crush on her. The padawan didn’t seem to notice but it was clear she held affection for the boy. He would have to inform the council that the padawan might need further training to avoid any attachments.

“Ka’ra! Cuyir ogir haat ta’raysh’olan?” The boy exclaimed as they finally came into the massive greenhouse. The padawan laughed, smiling.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never actually counted. But I’ve been told it’s true. Not all of the gardens have water though, there are a few smaller gardens set aside for desert plants.” Reaching over she took the Mando’s hand without hesitation, as easily as if she’d done it a hundred times, and dragged him over to a section of flowers, babbling about their medicinal properties.

“Hmph. What you need are some behot plants. You can’t make shig without behot.” The padawan was a little sad for a moment but brightened quickly.

“You’ll just have to send me one. I can send you some tea and spice blends we make in temple in exchange. I think Cole would like the citrus leaves we put in the Aspiskera tea and I think Jaster would like the Redikurr spices we use. It has a similar warmth to peppers but the taste is more bitter than spicy. It’d go well in hetikleyc caf.” The boy made a thoughtful sound before the two were distracted by something else.

As they were finally leaving the Room of a Thousand Fountains the boy’s comm went off and he quickly answered it. “Lek, buir?” The padawan leaned closer to get a look, interest piqued.

“Yaimpar’la at te me’sen, mhi cuyir ba’slanar.” The man didn’t sound angry or impatient but the boy stiffened, eyes narrowing.

“Elek, Alor.” With that he hung up and turned to look at Cin. “Lead the way, jetii.” There was a small huff from the padawan as she nudged the Mando’s shoulder. His attention snapped to her and he glared. The padawan rolled her eyes at him.

“Don’t be rude, ven’alor. You’re here on behalf of the Haat’ade bal te Mand’alor. Knight Drallig doesn’t know Mando’a either, he has no idea where you need to go.” Surprisingly her words seemed to have an effect on the young man. He turned and gave Cin a small incline of the head.

“…sorry, jetii. That was my buir, he’s ready to leave. I need to get back to our ship. Will you lead me there?” Inclining his own head, accepting the young man’s apology, he thought about where they were in relation to the landing pad and turned toward the nearest lift.

“Apology accepted, young Mando. The landing pad with your ship is this way.”

When they arrived back on the landing pad the older Mandalorian was standing there with his helmet under one arm, body relaxed and talking amiably with Master Nu of all people. The moment they were close enough the younger Mando called out- “buir, me’vaar?” The Mand’alor politely halted Master Nu before smiling at his son.

“Naas, Jan’ika. Ni jahaala. Me’var?” The young man nodded, repeating the man’s words in response.

“It was nice speaking with you, Master Nu. I’m grateful you spoke on behalf of my people and the code we follow. I only hope more of your people will take a closer look at what I’m trying to achieve and understand that we are not your enemies.” Jocasta Nu smiled and gave the man a polite bow.

“It was a pleasure, Mand’alor. I will not attempt to speak your language, however I will say this- maybe we will meet again.” The Mand’alor grinned, feeling amused.

“Maybe we will meet again.” He turned to look at the children and gave them both a smile. “Time to say good-bye, Jan’ika.” The young Mando grit his teeth but nodded before turning toward the padawan.

“Ret'urcye mhi… Lie’ika.” The padawan smiled and stepped forward, enveloping the young Mando in a tight hug. Cin could feel the young man’s emotions spike. Both the Mand’alor and Master Nu were chuckling as the young Mando finally hugged the girl back. His embarrassment was clear enough even without the force. “K'oyacyi.” He commanded firmly.

“Lek, alor. K'oyacyi.”

And with that the Mandalorians got into their ship and flew off, back to wherever they’d come from.

“Hello, padawan. We’ve been very worried about you.” The padawan turned to look at Master Nu and bowed politely, though her expression seemed torn.

“Thank you for your concern, master.”

“The Mand’alor had some concerns about your mind being injured. Perhaps a trip to the halls of healing are in order?” The girl grimaced but didn’t disagree.

“Yes, master. My bond with my master snapped when… when he passed into the force. I’ve been unable to deal with it myself. I would appreciate it if we could see a mind healer first thing.” Cin blinked down at the girl in surprise and noticed Master Nu doing the same. He’d never heard of a padawan asking for a mind healer before. Normally they had to be corralled and forced into going.

“Are you having any other issues that we need to look into?” The girl paused for a moment, expression turning serious.

“Yes, master. The force doesn’t feel right. Almost like it’s covered in oil. Like… like it’s touched by the dark side.” Alarm went through him and he eyed the girl with concern.

“We’ll go to the halls immediately then. Come along, padawan.” Nodding the girl followed Master Nu without a fuss.

Cin stood there for a moment, wondering just what her master could have been doing that a padawan knew what the dark side of the force felt like and could actively identify it. He shook himself out of his thoughts and pulled out his comm. He had a report to give now that the Mandalorians were gone.


Mando'a Translations;

Mandokar- Exhibiting Mandalorian values and traits, here it’s used as a compliment.
Ka’ra! Cuyir ogir haat ta’raysh’olan?- Stars! Are there really a thousand?
Yaimpar’la at te me’sen, mhi cuyir ba’slanar.- Return to the ship, we’re leaving.
Buir, me’vaar?- Parent are you well?
Naas, Jan’ika. Ni jahaala. Me’var?- Fine, Jan’ika, healthy. Are you well?
Ret'urcye mhi- Maybe we’ll meet again. A Mandalorian farewell.
K'oyacyi- Stay alive.
Logged

Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #18 on: March 28, 2021, 06:11:32 PM »

Chapter 10: Embers

Sitting in the temporary recovery room the young padawan stared at the wall without truly seeing it. In less than a month she’d lost her master to some mysterious force related mishap, saved a Mandalorian King, been taken to Mandalore and enjoyed the company of the Mandalorians, and returned to the temple. Now she was learning that every single bond she had ever made had been severed, causing a psychic backlash that had been causing her mental strain and low key force exhaustion.

Seven hundred years. Even among the longest lived species in the galaxy seven hundred years was such a long time.

The news that she had somehow been flung forward in time had shaken her to the core. Gone was everything she had ever known and in its place was a facsimile of the life she had known. The robes were the same, as were the halls, gardens, salles, and the general comfort of the temple. But everything else was entirely foreign to her. Even how the healers that had examined her were just so subtly off that she didn’t know how to react at first.

When she’d brought up the idea that the healer wasn’t following proper protocol they’d stared at her in confusion. Master Nu, whom she didn’t recognize but was apparently a Council member, had shared a look with a Twi’lek master who had come into the room to oversee the other healer. “How?” Was the question posed to her. So, Liera had explained, in detail, how. When she was finished she was disheartened to find that things she was used to doing were either forgotten or had long since gone out of practice.

Once everyone was gone she curled up against the headboard of the medical bed and pulled her knees to her chest. Across the room she could see the bag she had been gifted by Shiona and felt some of her grief ease with the knowledge that she wasn’t completely alone.

The door opened and the master healer entered, exuding a quiet confidence and a sense of gentle serenity. It hadn’t taken them long to find her in the system, running her dna through the scanner had been simple enough, but she’d been labeled as missing and eventually deceased. Re-opening her file required the Council’s permission, which was easily given by Master Nu.

“We’ve done all we can to ease the psychic backlash and promote healing but you’ll have to be monitored for a couple of weeks to make sure you’re adjusting. I’ve made an appointment with the mind healers for you in three days time. Is that alright with you?” Shifting so she was sitting cross legged she nodded.

“Thank you, Master Che.” The female twi’lek smiled at her.

“It’s always nice to have a patient who actually cooperates.” She chuckled. She smiled in return.

“I know the feeling. Cole was always chiding the verde who refused to sit still or go to medical the moment they were injured. I had to deal with some of them myself but they were always kinder to me, probably out of fear of Cole and Shiona.” Thinking about it made her giggle. Shiona wasn’t the best at hand to hand for nothing. She could easily beat others three times her size while Cole, as a medic, had a lot of knowledge on where to hit someone where it hurts.

“Are those the Mandalorians who helped take care of you?” Liera blinked the memory away and looked up at the master healer. There was clear worry there but a hint of curiosity as well.

“Cole was the chief medic who helped me when I fainted from force exhaustion and Shiona was the warrior who took me under her wing. Jaster, the Mand’alor, and his son, Jango, also looked after me quite a bit. I’m not sure what I would have done without them there.” She was grateful they didn’t just abandon her because she was a jedi. There was no telling what would have happened to her if they’d left her on that planet in the middle of civil unrest with no means to escape.

“Were you injured at any time, besides the obvious?” Liera hesitated for a moment, not wanting to paint people she considered friends in a negative light.

“During a spar with Jango he accidentally grabbed my braid and pulled it as he fell. I blacked out for a moment and had some trouble with my nervous system for a moment but I was fine a few hours later. It was an accident.” She reiterated carefully, trying to convey the truth of her words. She knew how horrified Jango had been when she’d suddenly collapsed, how scared he’d been for her in those moments before she got up to defend him. She didn’t want anyone in the Order to have any more reason to distrust the Mand’alor and his people.

“I didn’t sense anything wrong with your nervous system and I had a look at your file so I understand what happened.” Pulling out a datapad she made a few quick notes. “Did you eat well while you were in their care?” Liera frowned a little. This was starting to feel less like a healers appointment and more like an interrogation.

“Of course. They were very attentive to my nutritional and health requirements. I shared a bunk room with Shiona and she was always sure to keep the lights a lot dimmer than would have been normal for a twi’lek, if only to make me feel more comfortable. Cole also gave me a full check-up the moment I woke that first day.” She clenched her hands. “Master Che is there something wrong? It sounds like you’re trying to find fault with the people who saved me.”

“Peace, padawan, I have nothing against the Mandalorians. I just want a thorough update to your file to make sure we don’t miss anything. You’ve been through a very strange ordeal. You are the first recorded person to travel forward in time and we want a thorough picture of your health to compare to your last recorded check-up. Who knows what happened to have you appear here after so many years.” She shook her head incredulously.

Bashfully Liera let her defensive manner fall away and felt a little guilty for assuming the master had been trying to find fault somewhere. “I apologize, Master.” The female smiled at her.

“You’ve been through an ordeal, young one, and there is a reason we have scheduled you for sessions with a mind healer besides the obvious. I took no offense, I assure you.” Calmed by her words Liera leaned back again, not remembering when she’s leaned forward in the first place.

After asking her a few more questions there was a knock at the door and she brightened sensing a presence she recognized. “Interrupting something, am I?” Master Che frowned slightly but shook her head. She’d just finished writing the last of her notes.

“Not at all, Grand Master.” Liera started slightly before she forced herself to remember this was not the Knight she remembered from her own time. He was much older, his force presence denser than she remembered.

“Recognize me, you do. Afraid, I am, that recognize you I do not.” There was almost a melancholy about him when he admitted to not remembering her. She felt a pang of sadness but carefully released it into the force. Seven hundred years was a long time. Even Wookies, one of the longer lived species, only lived to be an average of four hundred years old, though Jedi Wookies were known to live to six hundred. It was no wonder he had forgotten her.

“That’s alright, Master Yoda. I don’t think we ever really crossed paths that much before. You were still a Knight then and were away on missions quite a bit. I was also found primarily in the halls of healing for my initiate years, before I was taken as a padawan by Master Paldrel.” She smiled.

“Speak with you, the Council wishes. But only if you are well. Questions, have we, about the Mandalorians and how you came to be here. A mystery, this is.” Oh, she remembered that style of speaking. It was nice to hear something familiar.

“Agree, do I, if allow it does Master Che.” The master’s ears perked up and it won her a small chuckle of amusement. Master Cher looked conflicted, as if she didn’t know whether to laugh as well or to scold her for being rude in some way. Master Yoda stalled her by turning to the chief healer for her verdict.

“She’s in perfect health besides some damage to her mental scape. As long as she takes it easy and doesn’t use the force too much she’s free to go. I’ll have someone speak with the quartermasters to find her a place to stay and some replacement robes.” Liera sighed in relief and sent a wave of gratitude toward the master healer. The female looked at her in surprise before she gave her a gentle smile. “Will you be leaving your things here? Or would you prefer to take them with you?” Liera looked over at the bag Shiona had gifted her and hesitated for a moment.

“I’d like to take if with me, if Master Yoda doesn’t object.” His green head moved back and forth, his ears flopping slightly.

“Take it, you may. Wait outside I shall.” With that he turned and went into the hall so that Liera might change back into her robes.

Attaching her lightsabers to her belt and picking up her bag she left the room and bowed to the small master. She was ready to face whatever they might throw at her.

[Jango]

Looking down at his comm he scowled again. It had been three whole weeks since Liera had been dropped off at the jedi temple and they had heard nothing since. Cole had brought up his concerns with Jaster, that maybe the jedi had taken her comm, while Shiona had started to take out her frustration on her training partners. Even some of the verde had asked him how she was doing and he’d had to tell them that he didn’t know.

It was worrying.

But Jaster had asked him to wait for her to make the first call, to let her get reacquainted with her home and grieve her father figure’s death.

The waiting was driving him nuts. He hadn’t wanted her to leave in the first place and now they hadn’t heard from her. It was suspicious, dammit! For all they knew they could have blocked their comm so she wouldn’t have contact with them. Even if Jaster had wrangled a promise from their Master of the Order that she’d be allowed to comm them whenever she wanted.

Sitting on his bed he bit out a small curse and hit the call button. He’d had enough waiting and he was really worried!

The comm rang.

Once.

Twice.

His heart beat in his chest with anticipation and fear.

“Jango?” Her voice was like a sweet bell and he felt a rush of relief flow through him. She’d answered!

“Lie’ika! We’ve been worried about you.” He growled before he could stop himself. “Why haven’t you commed?” There was a moment of silence on the other end.

“I’m so sorry, Jango. I was busy with my healing sessions and being tested by the Masters. Apparently when you’ve been declared dead a lot of your old assessments are declared invalid, although they keep them for record keeping purposes.” Jango’s brows rose.

“You- what? Dead!?” There was a quiet laugh on the other end of the call but it sounded almost… nervous. He let out a frustrated sigh. “What happened Lie’ika?” An even longer silence.

“I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you…” He scoffed.

“I’ll believe you, Lie’ika. You’re no liar.” She laughed again but this one sounded even more anxious. What had the jedi done to her?

“Jango, you asked for my birthday once and I only gave you the day, remember?” He blinked in confusion.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“My birth year is 229 ARR.” He stopped dead, staring at the comm in confusion as he did some quick math and translated the number into the Mando calendar.

“What the shab?”

“That was my reaction too, minus the cursing.” Oops, he hadn’t meant to speak out loud.

Wait.

“You’re… you’re serious?” Silence. “How!?” He choked.

“We don’t know. They think it has something to do with a Force Nexus and the old temple I was visiting. Apparently that temple had a tradition of using the crystals of deceased jetiise in their murals, a way to keep their spirits alive and allow them to live on in the home they’d always loved. When the Nexus… I guess exploded would be the right word, when it exploded I was sent forward in time. Somehow.” Jango was speechless. How the hell did you even fathom that kind of thing? Being torn from everything you knew and loved. Hell, it’d happened to him but at least he had the Haat’ade.

Seven hundred years… things on Manda’yaim had changed so drastically since then…

“Jango? I’m so sorry.” Twitching he pushed his existential dread away and focused on the comm.

“For what? You obviously didn’t know before or you would have told us. I already told you that you’re not a liar, that I believe you.” Even if it was really shabla weird.

“No. For my ignorance… the Dral’han.” He froze. Of course she’d be trying to catch up with history. If he had been thrown into the future he’d want to know what happened to everyone he knew too.

“You didn’t know?” He asked carefully.

“No, it was after I’d… disappeared. But that’s no excuse for my ignorance. I realize now just how much animosity there was between the jetiise and the mando’ade. I’m even more grateful now that you all came to accept me so readily. That can’t have been easy for you.” He grit his teeth, wanting to grind them but forcing himself not to.

“We aren’t the mando’ade of old and you aren’t the one who harmed my people. There’s no debt between us, we’re friends aren’t we?”

“Of course we are, Jango. And I’m sorry to drop this on you suddenly. But there’s… not really any good way to tell someone you’ve traveled through time, is there?” He snorted.

“Not really. Do the jetiisse do this often?” She laughed and it sounded lighter than earlier. He counted that as a win.

“I’m the first recorded case. So there’s been a lot of visits to the healers and questions by the masters here. I’ve become a mystery to unravel.” There was a moment of hesitation. “I’ve asked to continue as a field medic and they’re discussing options right now. Once I’m done my mind healing sessions they said they’ll look for a master to complete my training. I’m a little nervous about it.” Jango hummed, contemplating how her current situation must feel.

Probably like when he’d lost his birth parents and had been taken in by Jaster.

“It’s going to feel weird at first. I don’t think being a jetii is going to change that.” If anything it might be even more strange. “You’ll probably call them the wrong name or expect them to do something you’re used to, only to have them do something completely different. But once you get to know them you’ll stop comparing them to your old buir and learn to rely on them.”

“Is that what happened with you and Jaster?” He wasn’t surprised she knew they weren’t blood related. It wasn’t a big deal to them as mando’ade.

“Yeah. I was only eight at the time so it was a pretty big change. But eventually I learned to respect and care for him as my buir.” She was quiet for a moment.

“Thank you, Jango. You’re very brave to share that with me. Not everyone can open up like that.” His face burned at the praise and he was so glad it wasn’t a holocall. “Oh! I have to go. Have a-”

“Wait! Do me a favor?” She stopped speaking for a moment.

“What do you need?”

“Call Cole and Shiona, they’re getting worried about you.” There was a small muttered curse in Mando’a on the other end of the call and he grinned.

“I will call them tomorrow during my rest period, promise. May we meet again, Jango.” His shoulders sagged. He wanted to ask her to stay on the line with him. But he knew she had responsibilities.

“Soon, I hope.” He joked instead. She laughed and it was a joyful sound.

The call ended.

Jango sat there for a time, thinking over everything he’d been told.

He had to tell Jaster. This was way too big to keep to himself.

[Jaster]

Letting out a large sigh he filed the last of the paperwork for the day and looked at his datapad for any messages. There were the usual suspects and he leaned back in his chair with a grimace. He didn’t really want to confront Cole or Shiona about their behavior. To them they’d just lost a child, even if she wasn’t there’s to lose. Although there was one silver lining in all of this, although he wasn’t sure if anyone else had noticed it yet.

Cole and Shiona had been spending more and more time together. It started with asking each other for updates at meals and slowly he started to notice them standing together during meetings. He’d never seen them speak to one another before Lie’ika came, not outside of combat or training at least. Knowing both of their pasts he hoped they’d be able to overcome whatever hang-ups they still had and got together. They were well matched, after all.

His comm rang and he glanced down at it.

“Hey Jan’ika.”

“Hey, buir. I just got off the comm with Liera.” From the slightly guilty tone in his voice he guessed that she hadn’t been the one to call. He let it slide for the moment.

“Oh? How is she.” If he knew then he could update Shiona and Cole so they’d stop pestering him to go back and ‘rescue’ her. She was with people who would take care of her, place she chose, he wasn’t going to forcibly remove her from a loving home.

“She said she’d been seeing healers for some mind thing and was being tested by the masters so they knew where she was skill wise.” Sounded about right. “Oh yeah and she’s from seven hundred years ago.” Jaster stopped, staring at the comm as if it were an alien creature that had suddenly perched on his wrist.

“What?” He croaked. Jango chuckled. “Don’t mess with your buir, Jan’ika.” He grumbled.

“I’m serious. Apparently the jetiise are studying her cause she’s the first time traveler they’ve ever met. Something to do with a bunch of lightsaber crystals and a force thing? She used a word I’m not familiar with.” Jaster hung his head. He’d been hoping to have a restful day. And his kid had just dropped a bomb on his already tired mind.

“What the shab?” Jango cracked up and started to laugh.

“That’s what I said!”

“How the shab am I going to tell Cole and Shiona?” He could practically hear the shrug in his kid’s voice.

“Hell if I know. Maybe start with telling them she promised to call tomorrow?” Jaster let out a heavy sigh. He needed a damn vacation.


Mando'a Translations;

Verde- Soldiers, warriors.
Buir- Parent, father.
Jetiise- Jedi plural.
Mando’ade- Mandalorians
Dral'han- The Annihilation, also called the Mandalorian Excision, was a preemptive attack on Mandalorian space by the Republic, led by the Jedi.
Logged

Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #19 on: June 04, 2021, 10:35:05 AM »

Chapter 11: Ignition (Part One)

[Cole]

Smiling as the holo connected he was gifted with the sight of a smiling girl, hair pinned back primly. “Still alive, Cole?” She asked, nose crinkling playfully. He chuckled.

“Still alive, ad’ika. And so is everyone else, thanks to yours truly.” Liera giggled and it eased the tight weight that had been sitting in his chest since their last call three weeks ago. “How have you been? Still working with the other jetiise medics?” Leaning back slightly the girl looked like she was trying desperately not to roll her eyes.

“Yeah, I think the Council of First Knowledge are still arguing over my test results. There have been objections raised about my suitability for field work due to my age and ‘lack of control’ with the force.” The girl looked dejectedly down at her lap, frowning.

“Ad’ika, the things you’ve been able to do have been nothing short of amazing, and we all know that you’re field ready.” He reassured her. Her expression brightened and Cole counted it as a victory.

“Thank you for saying so.” He waved away her thanks.

“I’m only speaking the truth, ad’ika. Although I’m not so sure about the control of the force thing. You’d think that putting someone back together with just your mind and a bit of stardust would count as exceptional control.” Liera snorted in amusement, shifting to get more comfortable.

“That’s not the problem.” She sighed. “I can’t lift the stones.” Cole waited for her to continue, expression carefully curious and non-judgmental.

“I don’t know what that means, ad’ika. You’ll have to explain further.” She frowned, nibbling on her bottom lip.

“Jetii have the ability to lift objects, even a toddler can do it. But I… I can’t. I could lift a person, no problem. Because people are alive and have a force signature. But stone? Metal? I just can’t do it.” She shook her head. “Back when I had a Master it was no big deal. Master Paldrel already knew that I had troubles and promised to help teach me. But now they’re wondering if I won’t just be a liability in the field.” Cole took a deep breath and let it out again.

“Do they think that normal people are a liability then?” Liera looked at him, head tilted slightly.

“I… don’t think so? At least, I don’t believe that non-force sensitives are a liability.”

“It’s my understanding that there are far more non-force sensitive sentients than force sensitive ones. Being able to lifts rocks or metal with your mind is an advantage, yes, but that doesn’t mean a normal person couldn’t lift rubble with their own two hands.” A relieved look came over her and he gave himself a mental pat on the back. “You’re a healer, ad’ika, you don’t need to be great at everything. Just saving lives is a gift all its own.”

“Tell that to the jetiise.” She said with a small grumble.

“Oh, I will. Just watch me.” Her nose crinkled in amusement. “What else have you been up to?” He asked, just wanting to hear her voice.

“Well, I sparred with Knight Drallig, he’s one of the combat instructors and is considered one of the best swordsmen in the Order. He said I had a solid grasp of Ataru but my Soresu could use some work.” Cole blinked and tried to remember what those styles of combat were but it was honestly eluding him.

“That would be the ‘flipping through the air’ and ‘efficient defense’ styles of sword combat, right?” Nearly jumping out of his skin he turned to see Shiona smirking at him before motioning him to shift over. With a look of annoyance he moved so that Liera could see both of the on the holo. In one smooth movement the woman placed a hand over the back of the couch and jumped over it, sitting down next to him as if it took no effort at all. She leaned over so she could get a better look at the holo of Liera and Cole felt his face turning red at their closeness.

“Still alive, Shiona?” The woman chuckled.

“Still alive and ready to fight, ad’ika.” The girl’s smile widened and he was glad to see them fall into an easy back and forth about combat training. Watching the two of them interact made him feel content in a way that he never had before. A feeling that had been growing since their shared trip to Keldabe. It was both comforting and unnerving in equal measure.

“I hate to cut this short but I have a lecture soon and I don’t want to be late. It’s on the other side of the temple and I still tend to get lost.” Cole smiled, a pang of longing in his chest.

“That’s alright, ad’ika, we can talk again soon. Yeah?” Her face lit up with a smile and she nodded in agreement.

“I have time next week I can set aside. I’ll send you a message first just in case you’re busy.”

“We’re never too busy to chat with you, ad’ika.” Shiona answered for him, glancing at him as if daring him to disagree. She needn’t have bothered.

“Until we meet again!” Said the girl he thought of as a daughter.

“Until we meet again, ad’ika. Take care of yourself.” With that she was gone. The blue of the holo winked out and left the room feeling dark from its absence.

“Stars, I want to adopt her.” Shiona muttered next to him.

“So do I.” Shiona turned to eye him up an down, eyes narrowed.

“Oh? Am I going to have to fight you for the honor?” With her full attention on him he felt his face heating once again. He shrugged.

“Who says we can’t both adopt her?” He joked. Dual custody of a child wasn’t uncommon, even if two adults who wanted to mentor a child weren’t interested in one another.

“I-you-what?” He blinked in confusion as her skin darkened in color across her face and her eyes widened.

“…what? We can both adopt her?” Her face darkened further and she suddenly stood up from the couch as if burned. Without another word she left the room.

Cole sat there wondering what he’d done to cause her to react so strangely before shaking his head and forgetting about it. There was no use thinking about it when he had work to do.

[Jaster]

It had been two long months since the last conversation he’d had with the girl who’d saved his life. Normally the girl waited until Jango called to speak with him, citing the fact that he was a busy man and how she didn’t want to disturb his work. She was a polite little thing, that was for certain. But instead of the bright smile he had become used to he was shocked to see a look of deep concern on her face.

“Ad’ika, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me the jetiise did something-?” Shaking her head she wrung her hands, looking over her shoulder as if worried someone would catch her.

“Mand’alor.” She said, and it made his heart sink to hear that kind of formality from her. “I have some questions about the Mando’ade.” He leaned forward on his chair, elbows on his knees.

“I’ll answer whatever questions you have, Lie’ika. But please, tell me what happened?” She stared at him for a moment, as if her force powers could sense whether he was lying or not all the way from Coruscant. The fact that she was even wavering made him worried that someone had filled her head with enough nonsense to doubt his sincerity.

“There is a jetii in with the medics right now. They… they aren’t sure whether or not he’s going to make it.” She looked down at her hands for a moment, frowning. “I did all I could but I’m not…” She took a deep breath and let it out again. “His partner was less injured and told the medics what happened. I was working so I overheard their conversation, I don’t even think they noticed I was in the room, all their focus was on their partner.”

“…what does this have to do with Mando’ade?” Jaster wasn’t sure he was going to like the answer.

“They said they were attacked by a group of Mando’ade.” His hands clenched into fists and he scowled.

“I’ve put a ban on that sort of thing, Lie’ika. No one is to hunt or attack the jetiise unless the jetiise attack them first. Even then I’ve ordered my people to use as many non-lethal skills as possible if it comes down to a fight. Whoever attacked the jetiise will be declared criminals and dealt with.” The girl’s shoulders relaxed slightly and she looked relieved. “What color was their armor? What symbols were they wearing? Anything that can help us catch the criminals would be helpful.”

“Their armor and flight-suit were black and the detailing was yellow, or possibly gold. Their helmets were… strange, and they had a claw-like symbol.” Jaster stiffened in his seat and had to bite back a string of curses. “I don’t remember anyone like that on your ship and I know that you aren’t someone who would go around attacking people randomly… but I also know that there is a lot of bad blood between the Order and the Mando’ade.” He could see that the very idea of the two groups fighting was distressing to her.

She was such a sweet child.

“The ones who wear that armor are a part of a group called Kyr’tsad, Death Watch. They are a radical terrorist group we’ve been trying to take down for years. But the Senate doesn’t recognize them as a threat because the Mandalore Sector isn’t a part of the Republic.” The girl remained quiet, listening to his words with eyes far too old for a child her age. “I should have thought of this before. If we’re going to build bridges between our people then the jetiise need to know that not all Mando’ade are neutral. Tell your superiors that Kyr’tsad is a threat to the jetiise.”

“I’ll tell them. But… I’m just a padawan. They may not listen to me. Perhaps you could talk to them? I’m sure they would take more notice if the warning came from you.” Jaster wanted to smile. Even after she had been returned home she was still trying to negotiate peace between their people.

“I’ll call your Master of the Order about it, jet’ika.” Finally she smiled at him.

“Thank you, Jaster. I am in your debt.” He smiled in return.

“It’s nothing, Lie’ika. There is no debt between friends. Now,” he said hoping to change the topic to something more pleasant, “what have you been learning? Made any friends?”

As she started to talk about everything that had happened since their last call Jaster sent a message off to Myles to warn everyone that Kyr’tsad was targeting jetiise, and to be on the lookout for possible retaliation. This kind of misunderstanding didn’t go away immediately but at least he could head it off by warning his people that the jetiise should be approached with an extra amount of caution until the situation could be cleared up.

[Jango]

Looking at his schedule he was surprised to realize it had been just over four months since Liera had left them. With her sending frequent updates and comm calls it almost felt like she was still around. Almost.

If anyone had asked him if he missed having her around he would have mentioned how it was nice to have a sparring partner who could keep up with him, or how she was invaluable as a medic. He kept the thoughts of her bright smile, pleasant voice, and delicate hands to himself. Or he tried to. His buir and Shiona were more than happy to tease him when given the chance and although Cole didn’t say much the amused look he always gave Jango when talking about Liera said it all.

Picking up the comm he shoved those thoughts aside as his friend’s face appeared in the holo. “Jan’ika!” The grin on his face widened into an actual smile.

“Hey, Lie’ika.” The girl leaned forward.

“Did you cut your hair?” He rolled his eyes and reached up to run his hand through the close cropped curls.

“Had to, it was getting in my eyes.” She hummed, head tilting this way and that as if trying to see it better. As she leaned to the left something slid over her shoulder and hung down her chest, the movement catching his attention. Seeing the long braid he sat up straighter. “Is that what I think it is?” He asked, motioning toward her right ear.

“What? Oh, right! I have news!” He chuckled at the eagerness in her voice.

“Lemme guess.” He said with a cheeky grin. She huffed at him in amusement, like he knew she would.

“Shush, you.” She said, pointing a finger at him in mock annoyance before her expression brightened again. “I’ve been assigned to a field jetii! His name if Brevan Tolwyn and specializes in bodyguarding missions.” Jango frowned slightly. There was something in her expression that almost seemed… strained.

“So what’s wrong with him then?” Her eyes widened and he could have sworn her cheeks darkened in color for a moment.

“Well, it’s not what I thought I’d be doing but… my master was a bit unconventional, even for my original time.” She said honestly. “Although Master Tolwyn is a bit… strict, when it comes to following orders to the letter, he is a well respected Master of Niman who has the skills to complete my training.” Jango raised an eyebrow at her and she pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s like you said before, Jan’ika- he’s not my old Master, and that will take some time to get used to.” Rather than reply he nodded in understanding.

“Okay, so this means you can leave the jetii’yaim now, right?” Her pleased expression was all the proof he needed. “So when are you going to come visit?” He joked, though his heart thudded in his chest at the very idea.

“I… don’t know. It depends on the missions we’re assigned. I know we have an escort mission coming up, something simple to see how well we work together. After that?” She shrugged. “It’s up to the Council.”

“Maybe I can convince Jas’buir to acquire himself a couple of jetii’cabure.” She giggled.

“Oh no, don’t give him ideas! The Council look harried enough whenever I mention his name.” Jango snorted.

Trust his buir to pester the jetiise enough that it would disturb their supposed serenity.

Leaning back he listened to Liera complain about some of the changes in the jetiise that she thought were particularly irksome. He hoped that she would be free to come back to Manda’yaim soon. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and make sure she was alright with his own eyes.

The moment the holo ended he let out a dejected sigh, wishing she had just stayed with them.
Logged

Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #20 on: June 04, 2021, 10:36:17 AM »

Chapter 11: Ignition (Part Two)

[Shiona]

The last six months had been hectic to say the least. Ever since her little warrior had gone back to the jetiise Shiona had felt a sense of loss that surprised even her. Cole, much to her surprise, had been her rock through the feelings of grief at losing a child. Even if that child was not truly hers, and the girl was still alive, she knew that it was highly unlikely they would ever see the girl again in person. Eventually Liera would be too busy, would stop calling, and would forget all about them.

During the first month Cole stayed by her side and shared in her near-grief. He hadn’t prodded her to talk about her feelings and he never overstayed his welcome. He was a balm to her aching soul. He gave her comfort without ever expecting anything in return. So when she finally realized that he had feelings for her, that he wanted to share the raising of a child with her, it had come as a complete surprise.

She honestly hadn’t handled it well.

Thankfully after a few days of confusion and avoiding the man she finally got up the courage to confront her own feelings and make the first move. The way the medic’s face had burned red as he stumbled and dropped the datapad he’d been holding had been as hilarious as it had been adorable.

Since then they had grown much closer. His things had been moved into her home and only Jaster had the guts to comment on it. Since it was to express his approval she let him off the hook for talking about her love life. Mand’alor or no, no one was allowed to talk about her choice in romantic partner.

There had been no real snags in their relationship so far. Cole already knew she was unable to bear children but with their shared investment in their not-quite-adopted jet’ika it was clear that adoption was an option with them.

The only real argument they’d had was over who should take whose clan name when they finally decided they wanted to say the vows and share the rest of their lives with one another. Shiona mentioned not caring about it but it had made Cole anxious, even angry. Which was odd for the usually mild mannered medic.

It took some work but after a particularly easygoing day she finally confronted him about it.

“Why won’t you let me take your name? Am I not worthy enough?”

“Cyar’ika…” He mumbled, looking away from her in shame. “You don’t want to take my name… you don’t want to be one of them.” She huffed and grabbed his face gently between her calloused hands. She forced him to look at her.

“All this time we’ve known each other I have respected your wish to use only your first name. I don’t want to bring up old hurts but… I don’t care who you used to be. Cyare, I care about who you are now.” She smiled. “You are who I want to spend the rest of my life with. We can’t have any secrets between us if we want this to work.” Cole swallowed hard as he grasped her wrists, as if he were drowning and she were his only salvation. He was no coward but she could feel his hands as they began to shake.

“…only for you, cyare.” He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and steeling himself. “My name isn’t Cole.” She blinked in mild surprise. “It’s Kal of House Mereel.” He took a shuddering breath and the words come out in a rush, as if he were desperate to get it over with. “Clan Vizsla.”

Shiona remained silent for a long moment, looking up at him as he closed his eyes as if in pain, no doubt waiting for rejection. She waited until he finally cracked open his eyes before she spoke again.

“I would still take your name. Maybe together we could bring honor to the name once more.” She stepped closer. “Regardless of who you are related to you chose differently. You chose us.” Tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. “But… if you really want, we can always go with mine.”

“Cole and Shiona of Clan Moru’teh, House Mereel.” He chuckled wetly. “That sounds a lot better in my opinion.” She smiled at him and rose on her toes to kiss the tears away.

“Then that is what we’ll do.”



The news had spread like wild fire amongst the Haat'ade. Both Jaster and Jango had come to express their congratulations and asked when they planned to speak the vows. “Whenever you can get our little jet’ika here to witness them.” Shiona had stated sweetly. Jaster had given her a look bordering between understanding and frustration.

“I’ll try.” It was all he could do and they both knew it.

Both Shiona and Cole knew that Lie’ika was on a mission and that there was a chance that calling her might cause an incident. So they decided to wait until she called them to tell her the good news.

The comm rang and Shiona rolled out of bed to grab it, making Cole look up at her with a disgruntled look. “It’s Lie’ika.” His sleepy eyes widened and he quickly slipped out of bed to throw on a tunic. Shiona was already dressed and sat down on the couch when he came up behind her to place his hands on her shoulders. She answered the call.

Her smile dropped when she took in the girl’s appearance. Her hair was disheveled and her face was smudged with something that might have been soot or blood. Her normally pristine tunics were a mess of stains and muck. “Sh-shiona…” She looked as if she was about to cry.

“Lie’ika! What happened?” Cole leaned over her, eyes narrowed as he tried to tell whether or not their pseudo-daughter was injured or not. The girl let out a small sob.

“Master Tolwyn is dead and no one at the Temple is responding to my calls. I don’t think they’re getting through at all!” There was movement behind her and the girl whipped around so fast it almost made Shiona dizzy. There was another voice, speaking with urgency, and Liera nodded. “I’ll be there in a moment. Get the children and the worst of the wounded out first. I’ll follow with the read guard.”

“Ad’ika, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?” Cole asked, voice carefully calm, even if she could feel his hands trembling against her skin. She reached up and placed a hand over his, grounding him.

“A mission gone wrong, and it’s all my f-fault.” She wiped furiously at her face. “I need help.” Cole stiffened and she looked up at him. His eyes had gone hard and she felt a small thrill go through her. It was rare that Cole’s anger matched her own in ferocity. But in that moment they were of the same mind.

“We’re coming ad’ika. Stay strong, we’ll be there soon.” The relieved and grateful look on her face made Shiona want to hurt someone.

“I’ve sent the coordinates and set up the beacon you gave me. We’ll be on the move, trying to keep ahead of the local army.” She looked behind her again when someone yelled. “I have to go, there are innocent people here who need my protection.” She looked at the two of them and smiled. “It’s good to see you getting along.”

“We have a lot to talk about when we see you in person, ad’ika, stay safe until then. Manda watch over you.” Their little girl nodded and the call ended. The two of them shared a look.

“I’ll comm Jaster, you get our things.” Cole nodded and headed back into their room, moving with purpose.

The comm connected and she heard the low growl of the Mand’alor on the other end.

“D’you know what time issit? Better be an emergency.” He grumbled. Shiona wasted no time.

“Liera called us, her mission went to hell and she’s on her own. She asked for back-up.” There was a long pause.

“I’ll wake Jango and throw a team together. Meet you at the hangar in an hour.” The call ended abruptly. Shiona took a moment to collect her thoughts.

Someone had tried to hurt her daughter.

The perpetrators were about to learn there was one undeniable truth in the galaxy; you do not mess with Mandalorians. There would be no mercy from her and, judging by the furious faces of the warriors that greeted them at the hangar, there would be none from any of them either.


Mando'a Translations;

Jetii'yaim- Jedi Home, the Coruscant Temple.
Jetii'cabure- Jedi Bodyguards
Cyar'ika- Sweetheart
Cyare- Beloved
Haat'ade- True Mandalorians
Logged

Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #21 on: June 08, 2021, 02:12:46 PM »

Chapter 12: Explosion (Part One)

-The mission she and her new master had been sent on was a simple one. At least- that’s what it was supposed to be. They were tasked with guarding the leaders of a planet known as Salvara from the sudden violent attacks made by a new group of terrorists.-

-It had all been a lie…-


Standing beside her master Liera bowed her head politely when the lord they were tasked with guarding walked past them and onto the shuttle. The man was named Hektor Bonivigh and he ruled the south-western sector of the planet. From the moment she met him she knew she disliked him immensely. His spirit was a riot of colors she could only describe as dingy and hard to look at.

“Master?” The elder man turned to look down at her and she felt his attention through their newly made bond. On his end he remained partially closed off, distant. But Liera had always created strong bonds, whether she wanted to or not. She could feel his mild annoyance with her and had to fight not to duck her head in defeat.

“Yes, Padawan?” She bit her tongue to hold back a flinch of discomfort.

It never sounded the same when Master Tolwyn said it. There was no pride or affection in his voice, no warmth at all.

“I was wondering if there was more information on the planet we’re going to? Any recent reports about the state of things? Lord Bonivigh briefly mentioned that there was a sickness going around recently.” If she knew more about the illness she could help protect them and the lord.

“Salvara is a very private planet, they do not often seek help outside their own system. Perhaps you might speak with the lord’s aides? I’m certain they will have information.”

She smiled and bowed her head. “Yes, Master. I’ll wait until they have a free moment to speak with them. I wouldn’t want to disturb them during their duties.” There was a mild feeling of acknowledgment and something faint that may have been acceptance before the man turned and walked away.

Liera sighed to herself and tried not to let his almost cold demeanor get to her. Their bond and relationship as teacher and student was still new and her grief from losing everyone she had known was still quite strong. Even if she had accepted that everyone returns to the great river of the force eventually that didn’t mean she missed everyone she had lost any less.

Standing alone in the hall of the diplomatic ship she had the sudden strong urge to call Jango and talk with him about all this. He was a good listener and even if it took him a while to find the words he always knew what to say to help cheer her up. But… she knew she couldn’t. Her master had made her promise that she wouldn’t comm ‘the Mandalorians’ until after their duty was complete. Just in case it jeopardized the mission.

Liera bowed to Master Tolwyn’s greater experience and kept her special comm unit carefully hidden in a pouch on her belt.

-She’d been an idiot. She could see that her new Master had flaws… but she’d been so focused on trying to be a good Jedi she had ignored her instincts.-

Liera didn’t learn anything from the lord’s aides during the journey. They were all very closed lipped and after her initial questioning she had decided not to bring the topic up again. They were all so scared but she had no idea why. Was it the sickness? Did they have some kind of superstition about such things?

She didn’t have enough information. So she put it on the back burner for the time being and performed her duties as instructed. She spent the rest of her time meditating and trying to lift the metal orbs she had been given to practice her telekinesis on.

-She knew something was wrong immediately. Her senses crawled and the air felt stifled with fear.-

The night they arrived they were invited to a banquet being held in Lord Bonivigh’s honor. Liera sat next to her master, although she could feel the displeasure from their hosts as she did so.

“I insist that my padawan remain with me for the time being. She is a student in my care.” Her shoulders relaxed and she sent along her gratitude. She wasn’t the most diplomatic of Jedi and didn’t want to cause a scene if she was parted from her new master.

“A young woman should not be sitting this far up the table.” One of the nobles stated with disdain. “She should be with the other ladies, as is proper.”

“We are Jedi first, before we are anything else. Please treat my padawan as you would any other Jedi.” Master Tolwyn’s words silenced any other arguments but Liera knew that the nobles were not pleased.

-They had wanted to separate them from the very beginning. All for the sake of their own sense of propriety… their prejudice and pride.-

Later then they meditated alone Liera agreed to sit with the young ladies at any further meals. “Maybe I can get information about current events from them.” After all- teenage girls loved to gossip. Especially when there was someone younger around they could take under their wing.

“A good idea, padawan. While you’re at it keep an eye on the servants. There have already been threats from inside the manor aimed at the lord and the other nobles.”

-Of course the threats had come from inside the manor. In hindsight it was all so clear now.-

The young ladies were more than welcoming of her when she sat at their table for the next meal. They had all manner of questions about the Jedi and in return for answering she was given snippets of information in return.

“You practice medicine? At your age?” Lady Sylthea asked with wide eyes.

“I do. I’ve been studying for four years now. I’m no surgeon, but I do know a lot about first aid and force healing.” The young ladies grew nervous suddenly, glancing towards the head of the table where their fathers and Master Tolwyn were speaking in hushed tones.

“What do you know about… illness?” Lady Enise asked, hiding her lips behind her delicate drinking glass.

“Enise!” Lady Kuini hissed under her breath, glancing at the servants standing nearby with carefully blank faces.

“I know a lot about it.” Liera said calmly, keeping her voice low. “I’ve helped other Jedi on planets that were plagued with illness.” She waited a moment, making sure that the nobles weren’t paying them any attention before speaking again. “Is there an illness going around? If there is anything I can do to help I will do all I can. After all; I am a Jedi.”

The young ladies dithered for a moment before Lady Enise spoke up again.

“There is an illness on this planet, and it is affecting both the populace and our livestock. But the nobles… you need only look at the nearest village to see all that is happening here.” The young woman bit her tongue, gently shaking her head.

Liera knew she’d get nothing else from her. Or the others.

Turning to Lady Kuini she complimented the lovely shade of her hair accessory and the topic quickly changed to the most recent trends in fashion.

-It was obvious they were afraid, and they had every reason to be.-

Liera left the next day on a ‘scouting mission’ for her Master. It was false, of course, but what the nobles didn’t know couldn’t hurt them.

She traveled to the nearby village and what she found there made her stomach churn.

The livestock wasn’t just ill, they were dead. So were the fields.

Half of the village was sick, a third of those were just well enough to continue taking care of others who were ill.

Liera spent an entire afternoon aiding the villagers and using the force to heal their sick doctors.

She was heralded as a hero, although she told them it was only her duty as a Jedi.

“The nobles took everything when people started to fall ill.” The village headman told her, anger and grief warring within him. “All of the healthy livestock and the last of the good produce from the field. We were struck with this plague and a famine all at once.” The man went quiet. “I lost my two sons and my wife to this illness. Now my people starve while the nobles gorge themselves in their sheltered houses.”

-Liera had always been a shield for the downtrodden, the hurt, the sick. This time was no different.-

“Master this is wrong!” Although they had only been together for two months Liera thought she and her master had come to respect each other as teacher and student. That the man would listen to her concerns. “We should be helping the villagers and taking the nobles into custody!”

The treatment of the people by the nobles was absolutely barbaric to her, and the force agreed.

-But her concerns fell on deaf ears.-

“We have our mission, padawan. Handed down to us by the Council on behalf of the Senate. Do not let your emotions rule you.” Liera wanted to yell but she kept herself calm and released her frustration into the force. No good would come of her panicking or lashing out.

“I can’t stand by and do nothing while innocent people die.” She stated calmly, feeling the force as it warmed around her.

This felt right.

“We have our orders.” Came the stubborn reply.

“Is that all the Jedi are now? Orders?” Her eyes bore into him but all she felt down the bond was a solid wall of immovable conviction. “I’m going to the village, master.”

The man let out a sigh. “No, you are not. You will stay in this room until I deem you acceptably contrite for your behavior. I took you on because you are in need of discipline. I can see now that you are unruly, ruled by emotion rather than calm logic. You have little self control and speaking with those Mandalorians has only clouded your mind further.” The man stood and stared down at her.

His disappointment cut deeper than it should have.

“If you leave this room you will suffer the consequences. Do not test me, padawan.” And with that he was gone.

Off to speak with the nobles and guard the lord.

-Maybe if she’d listened… if she had stayed… Master Tolwyn would still be alive.-
Logged

Liera Buraaisuh
Knight Officer
*

Force Alignment: 35
Posts: 124


Mando'ad She'laar, Light Side Jetii


« Reply #22 on: June 08, 2021, 02:19:01 PM »

Chapter 12: Explosion (Part Two)

She closed off their bond as much as possible that day, choosing to meditate on the force.

By the time night came around her master’s side of the bond went cold, his focus squarely elsewhere.

Liera snuck out of her room, down the hall, and out through a balcony. To someone with the force who loved Ataru as much as she did the five story drop to the ground was nothing.

She made her way to the village and was welcomed with open arms.

-They warn you every step of the way, how it feels to have a bond suddenly break. But it can never truly prepare you.-

It happened suddenly. One minute the bond with her master is still there and the next- there is a feeling like a white hot poker in her chest as a piece of her soul is torn open and left bleeding. She gasped and fell to the ground, crumpling like wet paper.

Four hours later the army arrived. They demanded that the ‘terrorist leaders’ show themselves or else they would attack.

They barely escape with their lives.

-She was out of her depth and drowning. Unable to see the ocean floor in the midst of the raging storm.-

She tried to call the Temple but her comm wasn’t designed for long range communication. Master Tolwyn had kept the official comm for the mission with him on his belt. Even when the calls did manage to finally connect- no one answered.

Pulling out the second comm she kept on her at all times she took a deep breath and hit the call button.

She had been calm so far, acting as a defender and a medic as best she could while they all escaped from the army. But the moment she saw Shiona and Cole’s faces her calm broke.

“Sh-Shiona…”

“Lie’ika! What happened?”

Liera let out a small sob. “Master Tolwyn is dead and no one at the Temple is responding to my calls. I don’t think they’re getting through at all!” A sudden flare of emotion and movement behind her startled her and she whirled around, her other hand going to her lightsaber.

“Our scouts spotted some of the soldiers. They’ve spread out and are searching separately.” It was Yhom, the son of one of the rebel leaders.

“I’ll be there in a moment. Get the children and the worst of the wounded out first. I’ll follow with the rear guard.” The man nodded and hurried to do as she said.

“Ad’ika, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?” Cole asked her, voice gentle and calm.

“A mission gone wrong, and it’s all my f-fault.” If only she’d listened to Master Tolwyn, been a better padawan, maybe then… “I need help.” She admitted, looking down at her boots.

“We’re coming ad’ika. Stay strong, we’ll be there soon.” She smiled in relief.

“I’ve sent the coordinates and set up the beacon you gave me. We’ll be on the move, trying to keep ahead of the local army.” She looked behind her again when someone yelled. “I have to go, there are innocent people here who need my protection.” She looked at the two of them and smiled. “It’s good to see you getting along.” She teased gently.

“We have a lot to talk about when we see you in person, ad’ika, stay safe until then. Manda watch over you.” Liera nodded in understanding and cut the comm.

She had innocent lives to protect. But she had faith in the force and faith in her friends.

-Not everything had been lost. And she was never alone as long as she had the Force.-

Eight hours of hiding from the army and Liera is running on fumes. She had never been particularly strong or durable but her control over the living force allowed her to go a little longer before an inevitable collapse. She could feel the force exhaustion nipping at her heels and worried what would happen when she finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

The sound of ships overhead scared the rebels. But to Liera it was the sound of hope.

It took some quick explanations but the rebels had come to trust her at her word. So when she told them that the Mandalorians were there to help- they believed her.

Seeing Jaster in action was a sight to behold. He wore command like a favored cloak and walked like a man with confidence in his own skills. He spoke with conviction and  trusted his comrades to watch his back.

The moment they saw her both Cole and Shiona ran to her, gathering her up between them and hugging the daylights out of her.

“Ad’ika! Are you alright? Whose blood is that?” She smiled weakly in the face of Shiona’s questions as Cole pulled out a diagnostic scanner and quickly checked her health.

“I’m probably going to pass out soon.” Her hands were trembling, so was the rest of her. “Please.” She begged, voice hoarse. “Please help these people.”

Jaster stood behind Cole and Shiona, helmet off and kind eyes watching them. “We’ll help you, jet’ika. But we do this my way.” He stated firmly.

She smiled. “Of course, Alor.”

-She should have asked what that meant. Although she didn’t regret what Jaster had done, it had been out of her hands at that point, she did regret the loss of life.-

By the time she woke up from her force exhausted sleep there had been a regime change on Salvara and they were well on their way back to Mandalore.

She didn’t get the whole story but apparently the majority of the army defected. The force that had been chasing them was made up of those who were fanatically loyal to the nobles. Jaster and his warriors had rallied all the rebels and helped to trounce the loyalists, with help from the army defectors.

-She had slept for almost three days, had worried about five years off of Cole’s life.-

Waking up to Jango sleeping next to her in a chair, his fingers entwined with hers, she relaxed into the warmth of his steadfast spirit. The boy stirred and blinked bleary amber eyes at her before snapping awake.

“Lie’ika! I-we were worried about you!” She squeezed his fingers in response.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” She said quietly, still feeling drained.

Getting out of his chair he let go of her hand and climbed onto the bed next to her. Carefully he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, face flushed slightly in embarrassment. It was a comforting gesture and she leaned into him with a tired sigh.

“What happened while I was asleep?” She inquired.

“The Jetiise have been trying to call for the last two days.” He admitted sourly. “Buir found your teacher’s comm and answered them.” There was a brief feeling of satisfaction around him. “Buir told them he’d call them back once he was finished cleaning up the mess.” Liera winced and looked down at her lap.

Jango’s eyes narrowed.

“This isn’t your fault.” He said quietly. “Sometimes jobs just go sideways.”

She didn’t respond. Couldn’t quite bring herself to argue.

Jango let out a small growl of frustration that startled her into looking up. His face was close to hers now, eyes piercing. “It wasn’t your fault.” He said, more firmly this time. “Thinking about what ifs doesn’t bring people back.” She swallowed hard at the flash of old pain. “Lie’ika… I’m just glad you’re okay.” He admitted quietly as he leaned closer. She blinked in surprise when his forehead gently pressed against hers.

It was a multi-layered gesture, she’d learned, and it was only reserved for those someone trusted. Close friends or family and married or romantic partners.

Closing her eyes she leaned into his gratitude, his joy at seeing her alive and well, and let the tears fall.

-She should have known that there would be consequences. She’d gone behind her new master’s back and now he was dead.-

When Cole deemed her well enough he brought her to Jaster’s office. She fidgeted and bit her bottom lip as the man watched her quietly for a moment. “I’m happy to see you well, Lie’ika.” He motioned toward the chair across from him and she sat down.

“Thank you, Alor.” The words almost got stuck in her throat. “For coming to my rescue, for… everything.” She hoped that her stilted words conveyed her gratitude, even if it was only a fraction of what she felt.

“You’re one of us, Lie’ika. Not only because I owe you a life-debt, but because you are mandokarla. Cole and Shiona consider you their ad, and any buire worth their armor would move mountains for their ade.” She felt heat color her cheeks as she ducked her head, pleased in a way she couldn’t explain that two people she respected so much considered her family.

“I’m glad to see them so happy.” She admitted easily. “I hope I can attend their wedding but I’m not sure what the Council will say…”

“Speaking of the Jetiise, they’ve been wanting to speak with you. I told them you were recovering and that I would call as soon as you were feeling better.” He eyed her critically. “Cole said you were feeling better?”

“I still get tired easily, but I’m almost better. I channeled too much of the force, which can make you sick if you go too far.” She was lucky that she knew how to put herself into a healing trance it had stopped the worst of her symptoms from developing. “I’m okay to talk with the Council now.”

“If you’re sure, jet’ika. But I insist on being here for the discussion.”

She bowed to his authority on the matter.

-She never thought that her old life and her new one would clash so terribly.-

After Jaster called and they were connected to the Council she quickly bowed to the Masters before her.

The questioning went on for two hours, with Jaster stepping in to fill in what information she didn’t know. The picture it painted wasn’t a good one and the Council looked torn. But as she admitted to disobeying her new master and going to the village to heal the sick a few of the masters became agitated.

“If you had listened to your master and remained where you were Master Tolwyn might still be alive.” It was so close to her own guilt ridden thoughts that she couldn’t help but to flinch at the words.

“The force was practically crying with pain, Masters, I had to do something!” One of them scoffed.

“A convenient excuse, is it not?” There was some agreement from the others, though she was happy to note that the wookie and the female councilor of Yoda’s species both looked worried. “You were given a direct order on a mission and you willfully disobeyed. Now one of our best is dead and our standing with the Senate is in jeopardy.”

“Enough, Master Drycssal.” She turned her attention to the Master of the Order, whose expression was carefully blank. “Once you return to the Temple you will be reassigned to the Halls of Healing. You will be stationed there for the foreseeable future.”

Liera stared at them for a long moment, taking in their conflicted expressions. Not one of them had truly disagreed with Master Drycssal, though Master Rubrikal had stopped his tirade short.

It all came back to the Senate and that revelation made her stomach clench as her instincts screamed that this was wrong.

This was not the Order she had known. Not the people she loved.

Her heart beat in her chest like a fluttering bird as she lifted her chin stubbornly. “No.”

A tense silence filled the comm room for what felt like an eternity before one of the masters finally spoke.

“I beg your pardon, Padawan?”

“If the Jedi are so beholden to the Senate that they won’t even consider compassion over success then I don’t want to be a part of this Order anymore.” There were shocked looks on the faces of the council members and she could feel Jaster’s surprise behind her. “Consider this my resignation.” She took a deep breath and bowed deeply. “May the force be with you, Masters.”

Before she could lose her nerve she turned and ran out of the room, refusing to look back.
Logged

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #23 on: June 09, 2021, 12:19:22 AM »

Any Jedi who spends too much time outside the echo chamber of the Temple soon finds the Jedi Code and the orders strictures and hierarchies fail in the face of reality. The call to compassion is at odds with the demand for obedience...though without the structure of the Order you would have a chaos of Jedi running around probably at cross purposes. Essentially its left to each individual Jedi to try and reconcile the competing demands that drag them in different directions, the majority seem to fall in line with the need for 'Order'...but a few especially those with more lived experience outside the order like Liera here break away. 

This was always what the order was (perhaps to a lesser degree in the past), even before her time skip, she just needed the experience with the Mandos to see it.  Good job, Chapter 12 is really a highlight in bringing a lot of concepts together in a compact and expressive package.
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Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

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