Italics are the POV speaker's Non-native language.
For Jango and Jaster that is Basic, for Liera that is Mando'a.
[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 wondered 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 jet'ika." Rubrikal nodded sagely and smiled at the ad'ika, although something seemed a little off 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."
[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 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, 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 far more guttural in his delivery than the padawan. It was clear he was far ore 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 diplomats 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 weapons 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.
"…apologies, jetii. That was my parent, 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?- Father, 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.
Lek, alor. K'oyacyi- Yes, sir. You stay alive too.
Important AN: My laptop keyboard has decided it no longer wants to live on this planet anymore. In particular the T key has been giving me a lot of trouble, either sticking or not working at all. So all my works will be pretty slow to update until it either gets fixed or I can afford a new laptop. ^_^"