Pacing around his utilitarian quarters, trying to make sure he had everything he could possibly need for the coming battle, Jango glanced over what he had so far and sighed. It had been years since he'd heard even a rumor of Montross and he had no idea how the dar'manda coward had changed since being banished. Should he bring extra whipchord cartridges or flamethrower fuel instead? If Montross was challenging him for a shot at the role of Mand'alor should he wear the cape that had been left for him by Jaster or not?

Staring into the open chest at the end of his cot he clenched his hands before carefully shutting the lid.

No. He didn't deserve to wear Jaster's cape. The next time it was worn it would be by Anakin when his son passed his verd'goten and swore to follow the Resol'nare.

Jango wasn't intending to alert anyone about what was really going on but the moment he started packing again his son was there, standing in the doorway to his quarters with a grim look on his face. "Buir, I had a vision." Cursing under his breath he straightened and turned to regard his kid.

"Then you already know I have to leave." The boy frowned, blue eyes bright.

"No, I didn't know that… you're leaving?" Aw, hell. So the vision had been about something else entirely. That didn't bode well.

"I got an emergency call that I have to answer." He said as neutrally as possible. Bright blue eyes watched him quietly for a moment before his son scowled.

"That's not the truth… but you're not lying." Stars, his kid was too perceptive for his own good.

He sighed, running a hand through his short curls.

"I've been challenged." He said, tone serious. "It's something I have to do. You know why." Anakin's expression twisted with worry, his hands clenching into the fabric of his trousers as his shoulders tensed.

"In my vision Auntie Roz was in danger. We have to go help her or she's going to die." Jango felt as if someone had injected ice water into his veins. He had heard the broken sound of Roz's voice over the holocall and didn't want to imagine the state she was currently in. Montross had always been a cold-hearted bastard.

"Fuck." He muttered vehemently. Taking a moment to breathe through the rage, knowing it would only upset his son further, he turned and regarded Anakin with stern amber eyes. "Roz was kidnapped by someone with a grudge against me. She'll be kept alive as long as she's useful as bait." He paused and let out a sigh. "You aren't coming." A hard look entered the boy's eyes and he hoped they weren't about to have their first real argument as family. He stood at his full height and squared his shoulders, preparing for the worst.

"I'm old enough to be your co-pilot and go on missions! And it's Auntie Roz! I can't stay here when she needs our help! If I don't go she'll die!" Jango grit his teeth but kept his composure. Stepping away from his gear he held out his arm and motioned Anakin closer. His son gave him a disgruntled look but followed the unspoken command.

When his son was within arms length he wrapped him up in a comforting hug. Anakin clung to his tunic and Jango could feel the tension surrounding the kid all the way to his bones. "An'ika, listen to me. This mission I'm going on is too dangerous for you." His son took a breath to argue. "No!" He growled. "You will listen to me." The boy deflated and Jango sighed. Letting his kid go he knelt so they were closer in height. From how he had been growing it wouldn't be long before Jango wouldn't need to kneel to have them at eye level any more. "You are the future of this clan. If I should fall in battle I need you," he pressed a hand against his son's chest, over his heart, "to take care of everyone in my stead." A look of horror crossed Anakin's face.

"You think you're going to die?" He whispered.

Jango shook his head.

"No, An'ika. I don't think I'm going to die. I'm going to win." He couldn't promise it, but he knew there was a good chance he could take on Montross and live. "But even if it isn't this mission that kills me there are a lot of dangerous things in this galaxy and no one is immortal. Sooner or later everything dies, do you understand An'ika?" The boy's chin fell to his chest and eyes to the floor but he slowly nodded. "No matter what I will always try to come back to you. But as a Mando'ad, as Mand'alor, I can't let this challenge go unanswered. Do you understand?" There was a long silence before Anakin finally looked him in the eyes again. This time there was a determination in them that almost burned.

"I understand, buir. I'll do my best for the clan and for our people." Jango let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and smiled as he ruffled the boy's short cropped hair.

"I'm so proud of you, Anakin. Never forget that." Before he could stand he found himself with an armful of clingy child and chuckled.

"I love you buir." A fond smile crossed his face as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against his son's.

"I love you too shu'shu'ika." Anakin let out a little chuckle at the nickname, something that was beginning to catch on with the older clan members once they realized his kid was a disaster magnet. "Now I have to get packing." Anakin let out an exaggerated huff but let him go. "Behave for your aunts and uncles. And listen to your teachers." Anakin scuffed his boot against the floor.

"Yes buir." With that settled Jango looked over what he'd already shoved in his kit bag and resumed packing.

"Go on, I know you have language class soon. We'll speak on the comm later." His son hesitated a moment but quickly obeyed the order.

"I'll see you later buir." Jango glanced over his shoulder but his son was already gone. He let out an amused huff. That had sounded less like a farewell and more like a promise.

[***]

Once everything was squared away he called up the heads of the clans and gave them the bare details. None of them were happy that he was leaving but they all understood why he was doing it

This was the man who had staged the ground for Jaster's betrayal and murder. None of them would dare try to stop him from avenging his buir. A man they had all respected.

Looking around at those gathered to wish him a good hunt he immediately realized that his son was not there to see him off and frowned. "Where's An'ika?"

Wad'e shook his head. "He missed out on training. I think he's sulking." There were a couple of amused chuckles from the gathered verde and Jango couldn't help but to sigh. His son was getting to that age, where kids started to push their boundaries. It was a little early perhaps but Anakin was a little genius so it made sense he'd develop faster in some areas than others.

"Take care of my ad for me." It must have been the tone of his voice but those gathered closely around him stood straighter. They understood the weight of his words.

"We will Alor, on my life. K'oyacyi." Shiona stated with conviction.

Jango gave them all one last look before nodding firmly and climbing the ramp up to his ship.

It was time to end things with Montross once and for all.

[Wad'e]

Twelve hours. That's how long Anakin had been able to convince them that he was still in the compound.

"I got a message saying he'd be with you because he ditched class earlier and wanted to apologize!" Runa snarled, followed by a string of curses in every language she knew. It was a surprisingly long list.

"He told me he wasn't feeling well and would be in his room meditating." Dotis mumbled, shoulders and ears both pulled down in a sign of despair and agitation.

"That little… he asked the mouse droids to take is tracker with them into the vents." Brandis shook his head in frustration.

"All the messages were on timers, they were sent out two at a time to make us think he was with someone else when one of us might go looking for him." Zermot sounded almost impressed as he looked over the code the kid had used to trick them.

"Well… what do we do now?"

Wad'e let out a long sigh. "I'm calling the Mand'alor. Either An'ika is hiding out somewhere nearby that we can't find or…"

Everyone looked around at each other in horror.

"Or he's on the Alor's ship. Shab." Shiona said with a groan.

That summed up their predicament quite succinctly in his opinion.

[Jango]

Setting down the gun he'd been cleaning to keep his hands busy he hit the comm. "Fett."

"Mand'alor. I… regret to inform you that… your ad is missing." The voice on the other end was Shiona and she sounded both tense and worried.

"What!" He snapped. "How the shab did you lose him?"

"He used a couple tricks we didn't know he had. Timed messages, tracking chips in the mouse droids. He gave us the runaround."

"He's eight! How the shab did you let an eight year old lead you by the buy'ce?"

"Alor, I know you're worried but try to remain calm. We've narrowed down where he could be hiding." He grit his teeth and took a few deep breaths. It felt like his entire body was being squeezed by an invisible hand. All he could think was, 'not again. I don't want to lose anyone else.'

"Where?" He asked through his clenched teeth.

"He's either hiding with one of the local ade in another compound, Zermot has already contacted a few of them to inquire about it, or… he's with you."

It took a moment for her words to sink in.

When it finally hit him he was up and out of his chair instantly.

He hit the intercom.

"Anakin Skywalker Fett! Get your shebs up here this instant!"

There was a whole thirty seconds of silence before the door to the cockpit opened and his son stood there nervously.

"Sit down and strap in." He commanded evenly before turning back to the comm. "You can call off the search, I've got him here."

There was a relieved sigh from the other end of the comm. "Thank the Ka'ra." She said quietly before her voice turned more serious. "I'll leave you to deal with your ad, Alor, and spread the word that he's been found safe."

"Vor'e, Shiona. When we return Anakin will give you all a formal apology for his actions. Dismissed." Anakin shrunk in his seat, shoulders up around his ears and face turning red.

"Yes, Alor." He closed the comm and slowly sat in his chair. He watched his son quietly for a moment, trying to find words.

"Do you want to explain to me why you decided to stow away like this?"

Anakin looked at his lap, fingers curled into tight fists.

"Your actions right now are very selfish, Anakin. You worried everyone who cares about you and caused a large disruption back home. On top of that you have dishonored your teachers and disrespected me by disobeying a direct order."

"But-" His son looked up at him, mouth opening and closing a couple of times before he slumped forward in his seat.

"Did you do this for attention? Was it a dare?" He goaded slightly, knowing his son was sensitive to those sorts of things.

"What? No! The Force told me I had to!" His blue eyes widened and his mouth shut with a snap.

And there it was. The only reason his son would outright disobey him.

The stars cursed Force.

"…eta." His son mumbled.

"What was that?"

"…ni ceta, buir. I'm sorry I worried everyone… I'm sorry I didn't listen." The boy looked like a kicked puppy and Jango leaned back in his chair with a tired sigh.

"Here's what's going to happen. You are going to stay on the ship, out of harms way, and keep the engines running. If it looks like I've lost I want you to take off and return to Manda'yaim." His son opened his mouth to speak but was silenced with a look. "When we get back home you are going to apologize to everyone you worried. You're then going to do all the work you missed and extra chores to make up for the disruption you caused. You will not be allowed to visit your friends, you will not be allowed out of the compound until I say otherwise. Suvari?"

Anakin frowned and crossed his arms, looking every inch the petulant child.

"Anakin Skywalker Fett, do you understand me?"

His son crumpled after five seconds.

"Lek, buir. Suvarir. I'll apologize to everyone when we get home."

"Good." Turning back to the controls he calculated how long it would take to bring Anakin back to Mandalore and head back out again. As he'd suspected earlier, his son had timed everything perfectly. There wasn't enough time before the deadline to take his son back home.

He turned back to his son who was squirming in his seat and huffed. "Tell me how you managed to pull this off. Every little detail." If an eight year old, genius or no, could get through their security that easily then there was no telling who else could come in to wreak havoc on their systems.

Anakin smiled at him sheepishly and pulled out his datapad.

Well. At least Jango now had something to occupy his time and keep his mind off the upcoming confrontation.

Mando'a;

Dar'manda- No longer Mandalorian. An Exile.
Verd'goten- Coming of age ceremony for Mando'ade.
Resol'nare- Six Actions, the tenets of Mando life; education, armor, self defense, Mando'a, the clan/family, and the Mand'alor.
Buir- Parent/Father/Mother
Shu'shu'ika- Little disaster. A nickname for Anakin.
Alor- Chief/Boss/Leader, can also mean Sir.
K'oyacyi- Come back safely/Stay alive.
Shab- Curse word. Fuck.
Buy'ce- Helmet
Shebs- Behind, arse.
Ka'ra- Stars. Ancient Mandalorian myth that says the spirits of past kings become stars and watch over Mandalore.
Ni ceta- A groveling apology, rarely used.
Vor'e- Thank you.
Suvari?- Understood?
Lek- Yes
Suvarir- I understand.