Disclaimer: I only own Rae, her Crazy, and the changes made to Jango's characterization.
A/N: I have read too many Decent!Mando!Jango fics and thus fannon Jango demanded to be friends with Rae in her Shiva persona. I caved because of the lovely chaos this could bring to the galaxy. Also, the chatfics demanded representation so... here ya go.
Time-line: three years after Naboo, about six months since 'Shiva' went to Kamino
Phantasm 6: Galactic Pen Pals
Rae was frustrated, annoyed, and downright jittery. Nothing was helping either! Not sparring, not baking, not playing pranks with Anakin and the older Initiates, not hanging out with the younger Initiates, not stalking the lower levels... heck, not even digging up rumors and curating blackmail was helping! With a groan, she picked up her Shadow grade datapad and sent a message to one contact she would deny having rather vehemently if asked: Jango Fett.
/*/
The chime of his comm was not a familiar sound to Jango. Few had his frequency and fewer still would make a social call, so he immediately checked it. He was not expecting what he got. Unknown: Fett, it's Shiva. What's the latest from that miserable little waterspout? He stared at the message for a moment before hesitantly answering. Later, he would reflect that this was a grave mistake.
(Or was it the best choice he'd made in a long time?)
/*/
Fett: How did you get this frequency?
Unknown: I may be an assassin, but I have a vod who is an unstoppable information hound.
Unknown: They rubbed off on me.
Unknown: Now spill with the training mishaps, Fett!
Fett: Why would you want to know, Shiva?
Unknown: I'm bored and your ade are as fascinating as a shattered mirror.
Unknown: It's a horde of mini-Fetts!
Unknown: There have to be stories.
Unknown: So spill.
Fett: Why bother me?
Fett: You seemed to have more of a rivalry with Kal.
Unknown: Kark him! He's annoying.
Unknown: You're more interesting.
Unknown: And the cadets are your ade. You likely have some idea what their thought process is.
/Fett has changed 'Unknown' to 'Shiva'/
Fett: There are no stories about my ade, but Boba has discovered his curiosity.
Shiva: Rude, those boys look up to you.
Shiva: And that's no news. The little ankle bitter was curious as a tooka when I first showed up!
Shiva: Come on~! There's got to be some gossip.
Fett: I didn't think you were one for idle gossip, Shiva.
Shiva: Fine. Don't brag about your adorable little child soldiers and how much more deadly they've gotten in the past six months.
Shiva: We can talk about you instead.
Shiva: Tell me about your favorite mission.
Fett: No
Shiva: Please?
Fett: How bored are you?
Shiva: I have tried everything but nothing is getting rid of this... restless annoying just-had-a-stim buzzing energy under my skin.
Shiva: I needed a distraction I'd never tried before.
Shiva: But if anyone asks, I will deny I have your contact information until you show up and challenge me to a duel for the last cookie.
Fett: Why?
Shiva: Because you're in hiding?
Shiva: Incommunicado?
Shiva: Most of the Haat Mando'ade believe you to be dead?
Shiva: Kinda figured you didn't want people to know you were still kicking.
Fett: The Haat Mando'ade are dead.
Shiva: Wow. How many of them betrayed you that you would declare them dead to you?
Fett: No, they're dead.
Fett: Slaughtered at Galidraan.
Shiva: OH!
Shiva: Yeah, your facts are a bit off.
Fett: What?
Shiva: Yeah... I'll have my vod send you the report they made on that SNAFU.
Shiva: It was a mess and a half.
Fett: Who is your vod?
Fett: And since when did you speak Mando'a?
Shiva: Phantasm
Shiva: And you idiot Mandos rubbed off on me.
Shiva: Plus it's cute listening to the cadets muttering in Mando'a like its some secret language.
Shiva: Imagine their faces when I respond to one of their comments.
Fett: Phantasm?
Fett: Who is Phantasm?
Shiva: Uh... my vod?
Shiva: We trained under the same masters.
Shiva: They're kind of creepy though.
Shiva: Never seen 'em without a mask and at least three layers of cloth.
Shiva: Not even sure what species they are aside from it being humanoid with five fingers on each hand.
Shiva: Their voice is always heavily modulated, and obviously so. Hence the lack of gendered pronouns.
Fett: Wait...
Fett: I may have heard of this Phantasm.
Shiva: Eh, they're still working to establish themselves as a
Shiva: how did they put it?
Shiva: Oh yeah! Freelance Intelligence Agent.
Shiva: Like I said, my vod's an unstoppable information hound.
Fett: And they share your skills?
Shiva: Well, they're better at slicing, stealth, and networking, but yeah.
Shiva: They can double as an assassin just as I can double as an intelligence agent.
Fett: That's... troubling.
Shiva: Nah, they're picky.
Shiva: And they have a functioning moral compass.
Shiva: Just... don't back out of a deal with them.
Shiva: They might just rob you blind.
Shiva: Literally.
Shiva: I've heard them threaten to steal a guy's eyeballs!
Fett: That is not reassuring.
Shiva: Pah, you don't have to worry about Phantasm.
Shiva: Still gonna have them send the Galidraan Report though.
Fett: Why would they even have that?
Shiva: They ran into a Mando'ad and got curious.
Shiva: Phantasm hates only having one side of a story so they went digging.
Shiva: I could hear their cackles through email when they sent me the summary.
Shiva: I swear, they went into intel just to have blackmail on the rest of the galaxy.
Fett: A wonder you don't get along better.
Shiva: Funny.
Shiva: But seriously.
Shiva: Favorite mission.
Fett: Probably when I reclaimed my armor from the Governor of Galidraan.
Shiva: A revenge hit?
Shiva: I am disappointed.
Shiva: I expected better of you, Fett.
Fett: Oh? Better how?
Shiva: I don't know... freeing slaves?
Shiva: Busting up a Spice ring?
Shiva: Saving an idiotic friend from the consequences of their poor choices?
Fett: I do have a few stories about saving di'kutal Mando'ade.
Fett: There was this one time...
/*/
Finally, the buzzing under her skin was gone. Frick, how was Jango this easy to talk to? Sure, he was a bit prickly and he still thought of that revenge hit on that one Governor as his favorite job, but he had a dry wit and some crazy stories. Shiva: So... I can comm you again some time, right?
Shiva: It's... nice.
Shiva: Having someone to swap stories with.
Fett: You don't have vod'e?
Shiva: I have a Phantasm.
Shiva: They let me mooch off their Network.
Fett: That doesn't count.
Fett: You need a vod or two to watch your back.
Shiva: Oi, look who's talking!
Shiva: Jango Fett, one of the most feared and revered Bounty Hunters in the galaxy. You're known to be a stand-offish lone wolf.
Shiva: The closest you have to a battle-brother is, at most, a few other Hunters you can tolerate for a job or two at a time.
Fett: How do you know so much about me?
Shiva: Like I said: I have a Phantasm.
Shiva: The amount of information they can get their hands on is scary.
Fett: Indeed.
Fett: Comm me when you need a Sober Shooter.
Shiva: If anyone is the Sober Shooter in this acquaintanceship, it's me.
Shiva: When was the last time you actually allowed yourself to let go, Jango?
.
.
.
Shiva: Jango?
Fett: A long time ago.
Shiva: Yikes. It took you a full five minutes to come up with that?
Shiva: It's decided. Next time you're wrapping up a job, you comm me.
Shiva: I'll meet you, take you to a bar or something, and you can just let it out.
Shiva: If I can get one of Phantasm's people to keep watch, I might even join you.
Fett: Why?
Shiva: Cause you defiantly sound like you need it.
Shiva: And I find the idea of a drunk Jango amusing.
Shiva: Or were you asking about me joining you?
Fett: Yes
Shiva: Ah. Well, I'm not all that well known so what jobs I do get...
Shiva: They aren't the best.
Fett: I see.
Shiva: Yeah! And for some reason, I keep getting requests for bodyguard jobs.
Shiva: Would you hire an assassin as your bodyguard?
Shiva: Or a bodyguard for Boba, since you're mister Super Commando Badass Man?
Fett: Who are you and what have you done with Shiva?
Shiva: I... may have had, like, five cups of caf?
Fett: Shiva
Shiva: It's fine!
Fett: Shiva no
Shiva: I'm FINE~!
Fett: Your professionalism has gone out the window and drowned in the oceans of Kamino.
Fett: I do not believe you are fine.
Shiva: But I am!
Shiva: Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional!
Fett: Shiva
Fett: Get some sleep
Shiva: You aren't my dad!
Fett: No. I'm your al'verd.
Fett: Go to sleep, verd.
Shiva: Whoa whoa whoa!
Shiva: When did that happen?!
.
.
.
Shiva: FETT!
Shiva: WHEN DID YOU BECOME MY AL'VERD?!
Fett: When... you took down Kal.
Fett: and then me.
Fett: Back to back.
Shiva: Jango
Shiva: I took Kal by surprise.
Shiva: And I think you took it easy on me.
Fett: I didn't
Shiva: Well, the buzzing under my skin is gone and all the sparring I did earlier today is catching up so...
Shiva: Good night.
/*/
Unknown: The truth shall be known.
/Unknown sent attachment: Galidraan/
Fett: Who is this?
Fett: How did you get this frequency?
Unknown: Phantasm
Unknown: And it wasn't that hard.
Fett: You are terrifying
Unknown: only to those who cross me. Remain honest and we shall have no quarrel.
Unknown: have a nice night, beroya.
/Fett changed 'Unknown' to 'ja'hailir'/
/?/
A/N: So... that happened. The name Jango gives Phantasm in his comm in mando'a for 'observe/watch over.' I tried for 'watcher' but that was the closest I could find. Just a Fun Fact for you all!