How To Train Your Mandalorian;
CH II; Armour
Characters: Hiccup Haddock, Stoick the Vast Haddock, Gobber, Astrid Hofferson, Snotlout Jorgenson, Spitelout Jorgenson, Ruffnut Thorston, Tuffnut Thorston, Fishlegs Ingerman
Ships: Hiccstrid, for now
Description:
Mandalorians, fiercest warriors in the galaxy and often some of the most stubborn organics, or inorganics, you'll ever meet. Enter the idea to colonize a planet in wild space well outside of normal territory. This world was called Arteo. Watch as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock The Third tries to make himself a proper Mandalorian as he and his people face the threat of dragons.
Chapter Description:
Astrid and Hiccup deal with the impending wedding, and Astrid starts to understand Hiccup's place.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Star Wars, I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. I am but a humble fan trying something I haven't done before in mixing these two together, may Disney, who may soon be the entertainment overlords please spare me their wrath and lawsuits, I wouldn't have much to give them anyway.
Mando'A and other dictionary
Buir- parent, father or mother
Manda- heaven, afterlife only for the warriors
Kama- beltspat/leg cover, serves as armour
Besbe'trayce- weapons
Buy'ce- helmet
HUD- Heads Up Display which can mark targets and makes ranged weapons easier to aim
Osik- dung/shit (impolite)
Verd- soldier/warrior
Riduur- spouse, partner, husband/wife
Solus- one, alone, lone
Orar- thunder
Beskar'gam- iron skin
Verde- soldiers/warriors
Vencuyot- future
Iviin'yc- fast, quickly
Copaani mirshmure'cye, Hic'ika?- Are you looking for a smack in the face, little Hiccup?
Di'kut- idiot
Meg- which, what, that, who
Jatnese be te jatnese- The best of the best
Mandokarla- you've got the right stuff (worthy of being Mandalorian)
Ad'ika- child, son, daughter
Jai'galaar- Shriek-hawk
Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum- I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal
Berk, Forge
Hiccup and Astrid sat staring at the completely reforged sets of armour before them. The armour was primed and white as the snow that fell every winter. Each plate had been painstakingly molded to be a perfect fit, which was proved as they hugged Astrid's body and Hiccup's lean shape like the second skin it was supposed to be. While most of Astrid's armour remained similar to the durasteel copy she'd worn before the helmet had changed completely. Hiccup had taken the liberty to add extra plates to the top of the helmet, using two side plates to create a small pair of horns at the back of them. The cheek plates were indented a bit further making the helmet a tighter fit and less likely to come off.
Hiccup's armour was primarily a chest piece, shoulder plates, gauntlets, greaves, and a helmet. At Astrid's request a leather kama hung from the weapons belt on his waist and he examined the helmet. He used the standard T-shaped visor, but had covered the cheeks with leather and added an extra plate to top and created a row of horns running from his forehead to the back of the helmet. The entirety of the back was composed of a flex of a variety of plates making it look similar to an insect.
A hand softly rubbed a circle into Hiccup's upper arm. Glancing over he caught Astrid as she chewed slightly on her bottom lip, and her eyebrows pulled down, concern hiding in her crystalline blue orbs.
"It's okay… its just the armour I was supposed to forge was meant to be done with my father when I was twelve… instead I do it for the first time with my fiancé only days before I wed. You'd think I'd be happy, to finally have armour… but I just-" Astrid pulls his face, placing her lips on his cheek. Immediately her face bursts red matching Stoick the Vast's red locks. She didn't exactly know why she'd done that. She snatched her reforged helmet off the table and slams it on her head. Picking her vibro-axe and rushing out the door to be met by something wet. Out of reflex Astrid snapped her eyes shut tight as something wet, runny and a bit of weight slammed down the front of her armour. Her clean, pristine white, just primed armour.
The growl was like someone had poked a Wookie as she opened her eyes the HUD locking onto the the forms of the two twins. They slapped their bracers together. "Hooray! We got 'im! … Useless doesn't growl at us when we make pranks right?"
The pair of orange and yellow Mandalorians twisted to catch sight of the brown stained white armour and black and grey bodysuit of Astrid. Albeit her buy'ce had changed quite a bit. The brown muck and mud slowly revealing the blue back-lit visor as Astrid releases another growl.
"Sister, have we hit the wrong person with our prank?" Tuffnut turns to look at his sister.
"Osik…" Ruffnut spins on the ball of her foot taking off into the town, ducking and weaving between the buildings. Tuff looks at where his sister was, her coloured armour absent, occupied instead by the sunlight. Astrid advanced on the lone Thorston twin, his helmet twisting from where Ruff had been and the shoulders shaking and axe swinging from one hand to the other.
"I'm dead aren't I?" Tuff tries to follow his sister's lead, turning and getting ready to push off his foot and avoid the angered Mandalorian woman. He feels something connect with the back of his helmet sending him sprawling onto the ground. He digs his fingers into the dirt, trying to get any purchase to drag himself away before a hand catches his ankle like a vice. "Help?"
The word escapes his lips as Hiccup steps out to watch Astrid drag the poor man by his ankle back towards her and hauling her axe up one handed. Rolling to face her with his back on the ground Tuff pulls his arms up covering his face. He tries to bring his knees up but is stopped as the axe comes down, the flat of its blade slamming into his helmeted head.
"Astrid?" Hiccup watched as Tuffnut went limp, his arms rolling off to his sides and head arching back to the ground. "Please tell me you didn't just kill him."
"He'll survive, he's done worse… but sadly I think I need a change of clothes." Hiccup walked over and looked at her, the entire front of her body stained brown, the mud now pooled at her feet. Groaning Hiccup lightly caught her arm and led her back into the forge.
"Don't worry, there should be some clothes of mine you can borrow, we'll prime and clean the armour again tonight before bed, then it should be ready for me to paint tomorrow."
Berk, Chief's Home
Astrid rubbed some feeling back into her upper arms as she marched through the town. It felt odd for the wind to breeze across her skin. Her hair fluttered in the wind, even with the braid over her shoulder. Goosebumps rose on her skin and her cheeks and face turned with a red tinge as another blast of air caught her unprepared. Biting back the shout building in her lungs Astrid huffs into her hands and continues using her hands to rub heat into herself. Hiccup's red shirt was basically useless, much like his nickname, the shabla thing barely thick enough to deal with the chill of frost just hanging in the air, let alone stop the icy wind that kept cutting into her as she made her track through the town. Her teeth chattered in her mouth as she pulled open the door to Chief Stoick's home.
Entering the house was like walking into a wall of heat. It was a like a light switch being flicked on as Astrid's body was wracked with a few adjusting shudders. The place was odd, for some reason Astrid had expected a different style from the Chief, something more spartan perhaps. Yet the blue actually had the atmosphere of one, contrary to Hiccup's descriptions. The carpet was nice, clean and had held its colour, still as vibrant as she remembered from four years ago when she'd last come over. The silver sheen of the table, food storage and other appliances were at odds with the soft brown of the wood. Across the center of the table, running the length, was a tapestry embroidered in gold and black showing sigil of Clan Haddock, much like the one that adorned the Great Hall, however this was untouched by age and the reds, blues, and greens accenting the clan crest were as clear as if they'd jumped from blood, seas, and trees that had helped them build their homes here.
"Ah! There ya are lass! Who's my favourite soon-ta-be daughter-in-law!" Stoick's Arms ensnare the young woman, burying her into his chest and letting her legs dangle. "Oh I'm so happy ya decided not to be h'rt by your parents' and me's decision!"
Astrid's face was starting to turn a bit blue before she tapped the massive man's arm and he dropped her back to the ground. The sudden shift in gravity caught Astrid unprepared and she barely snagged the table with her hand as her knees almost gave out.
"G-glad to be h-here Chief." Pounding her chest a couple times Astrid straightens up, finding she comes to about the same height as Stoick's stomach. The man lets a smile break across his stony face before slapping Astrid on the back. Stumbling forward and clutching st her chest Astrid grabs the nearest chair as the momentum threatens to take her to the ground, shab is this what it was like for Hiccup growing up?
"Now I know that normally my late wife would be techin' ya about the duties of a Chieftess, however the late is in that last statement fer a reason. As such I have taken upon myself many of Valka's tasks, and I would gladly teach ta ya all that will be expected of ya when the big day comes. And please call me Stoick lass, we'll be family soon." Stoick's eyes were ready to bug out of his head as he pulled the chair out from under her, sending her toppling into it with all the grace of a sack of grain.
A bit of hair escaped her headband and Astrid blew it out of the way as she righted herself. Stoick had sat down across from her. Stoick's buy'ce was on the table and as he looked around his brow started to furrow. He examined her closely, noting his son's red shirt and green leggings adorning her, and the pale skin showing through the holes in the sleeves.
"Astrid, where's your armour?" It was a simple question, but it felt like Stoick had stabbed a dagger into the table the way he'd said it. Her eyes darted to the door, judging the distance too great without hesitation, not much startled or scared Astrid Hofferson, but the way Stoick was leaning towards her and the hard look in his eyes as his brows furrowed. "Did Hiccup try and make one of h's damned inventions instead a finishin' your and his armours? I told that boy-"
"It wasn't Hiccup Si- Stoick. The twins tried to prank him and I got caught in the middle, mud all the way down the front of me. My bodysuit needed to be washed the the plates reprimed and cleaned. We didn't have time to do more than just pressure wash it before I had to come and meet you." Astrid started to shift in her chair, moving her weight from one side to the other under the undeterred gaze.
"Those di'kutla twins. I swear by the Manda I'll be putting myself to sea for cremation if those two don't slow down." The look shifts like a storm changing course as another smile breaks across his face. "Well, not much to do about that, Hiccup'll make sure it's all taken care of. So where should we start first? Cooking or Berk's defenses?"
Astrid was nodding along when it was stiffly cut off by the last piece. "I'm sorry, what about Berk's defenses? I thought it was the job of the Chief to run the defenses during raids?"
"Astrid…" Stoick lowers his head letting out a deep breathed sigh. "I'm not goin' ta lie to ya. Hiccup is intelligent, capable, and hardworkin'… but he knows nothin' about combat, manning defenses, and managing a battle. The poor boy gets his head or some other limb nearly bitten off almost every other raid. I would lov' ta put him in charge, to see him succeed. He won't, he can't… it's just not who he is. It's why I arranged the contract with your parents. The clan will follow Hiccup as long as there is someone strong to stand by 'im. I need you ta do that lass, can you run the defenses, fight fer Berk, and try to keep my son's head on his shoulders?"
It was like a gut punch, Astrid knew the Chief thought what he was asking was honourable, would help keep Hiccup out of harm's way, but it was everything else to her. She had fought and trained with Hiccup for well over weeks at a time. He'd even beaten her just yesterday. He was a capable warrior, but she was starting to understand that no one would try to see that. Her features hardened and she levelled a glare at Stoick, who was waiting expectantly.
"Do ya h've any idea wh't he's d'ne ta earn your respect! Do ya? I've been trainin' with 'im for almost three months! Yesterday he beat me in a no holds barred fight. Hiccup is a warrior, but ya never try to see it, all ya focus on is wh't ya see happen ev'ry time he steps foot out the forge! Ya want me ta protect Hiccup? I'd h've an easier time huntin' a Night Fury with nothin' but a stick!" Astrid stood sending the chair toppling over as Stoick went wide eyed and his jaw dropped open. She slammed her fists on the table and had to bite back a growl at how shocked Stoick looked. "He's been tryin' ta get ya to notice that he's more than a forge master, that he can use the v'ry besbe'trayce you stuck 'im makin' fer years! He doesn't need me ta do the fightin' he needs you to take a look at him and pay attention, he needs someone to stand by him like Valka stood by you. I refuse to do the fighting for him, I'll try to protect him, but if you just wanted this marriage so that you could get Hiccup's best friend to lock him in the house every time we see a threat than I won't play along. Hiccup is my best friend, which you might have noticed if you'd actually been around when he and I trained, or if you'd ever taken the time to train with him."
Stoick sat there, his jaw able to catch flies as his eyes remained locked with Astrid, the young woman like a verd defending her riduur from an enemy. As his jaw started to close and his eyes refocusing Stoick slowly stood up.
"Ya sayin' he thinks I don't care? That I don't notice?" It wasn't the booming voice that he used when he shouted at Snotlout or the twins, it was quiet and almost so much so that Astrid would have missed it if it weren't for her own attempts to get her beating heart in order. "My ad'ika thinks I don't notice him…"
"Chief, I think you need to have a conversation with Hiccup," Astrid is wary of being louder than the Chief himself, thinking the wrong word or a loud noise might awaken the anger that she'd seen in him when he fought dragons. "I'm… I'm go-gonna head out."
Stoick tracked as Astrid shot out of the house like a bomb was going to go off if she stayed any longer, but Stoick made no move to follow, he sat there trying to run through what she had yelled at him… had he really not shown how much he cared?
Berk, North Side
Hiccup rapped on the door, and taking a step back.
"I'm coming. One second-" A crash resounded from inside and Hiccup pushed the door open to find a man in green, blue, and red armour was collapsed in the hallway of the home, a number of weapons and other objects strewn over him. "I'm fine, though I could use a little help."
Stepping in Hiccup reached out taking the man's hand and hauling him out of the pile. As the man stood up Hiccup smirked. Solus Orar head engineer in charge of maintaining the vessel that carried us here. A fine warrior, but his recent injury had left in need of serious help around making his first and foremost job to keep the power from the colony dreadnought flowing.
"How's your leg treating you?" Solus rolled his eyes and grabbed his buy'ce off a hook and slid it on.
"I like what you did with your beskar'gam. See you finally managed to get your Buir to forge with you." Solus grabbed his vibro-sword off the weapons rack and jabbed the scabbard into the ground like a cane as he stepped out, his right leg dragging through the dirt.
"I… Astrid and I worked on this together." Hiccup took Solus' arm and helped move him towards the door set in the mountainside not far from the older man's home. Solus chewed on his lip, letting the silence and tension rest in the air. The hiss of the door broke the pair out of their thoughts and they entered into a small workshop with blinking lights and a number of reflections on dead screens. The door clunked shut behind them bathing them in darkness before Solus hobbled over and jabbed his finger into a button bringing lights up.
"You're father does love you Hiccup, you know that right? Now press that switch on the right we need to do another scan of the airspace jst to make sure there aren't any more last minute raids coming before he Verde haul themselves out." Solus slid the the buy'ce off revealing the scars over his left eye and the lean cheeks with his almost black-brown hair.
"He has a funny way of showing it." Hiccup pressed a few buttons and took a seat at the chair next Solus. The white metal of the ship was now shining, kept meticulously pristine with Solus' now undivided attention. "I mean what does he do, dresses me down in front of everyone for just trying to help!"
"Hiccup, you're Buir is a hard man to read, honestly whoever named that man Stoick must have been able to see the vencuyot. That said he does love you, he's just bad at showing it. You should have seen him try to woo your mother. I swear my Buir couldn't keep to himself how much of a disaster Stoick was at courting. You think you cause damage to the town? Stoick probably left enough emotional damage through the clan to nearly split it in two. Get your shebs over here, I need you to recalibrate the link to the dish. I'd do it but…" Solus motions to his lame leg and Hiccup rolls his eyes as he stalks over. Bending down and sliding into the open panel Hiccup quickly hotwires the connection and replaces a third wire that looked about to give. "Honestly I don't know how you do that so iviin'yc. I can barely do it in half an hour you have it done in seconds, whoever decided you were 'Useless' needs to stop by and see me so I can beat them within an inch of their life."
"Ha! You'd probably have to fight half the town then, starting with Snotlout, though it'd take like twenty second for you to end that fight, injured or no." Solus let back his head and laughed into the hollows of the ship's room.
"That snark, sarcasm, and wit is most likely why Snotlout wants to best you. He's not the brightest of the bunch but he praises himself for being tough. He doesn't hold a candle to you on that front which would explain why he tries to belittle you." Solus looked back at the display as it dinged at him. "Well we're clear. Alright Hiccup. First lesson of being Chief is knowing what rules to follow and when. You're father thinks that it's about helping people; a Chief's first duty is to his people. Second lesson is that no task is too small when it comes to serving your people. What's third is knowing what you can spare. Sacrificing for you people is important, but you can't just stop at the first two, you need to learn your limitations and be prepared for them to come at you when you least expect it."
"Can we do the lessons later? I'm not really in the mood," Hiccup whispered, moving to the right and replacing some of the parts and a screen flickering to life. Solus shook his head.
"Hiccup… Take a look at the panel over there, if you're gonna stay you might as well make yourself useful."
That Night
Berk, Forge
Hiccup slid through the door as quietly as possible. He was supposed to have been there an hour ago, with any luck Astrid was running late herself… The lights and sounds of clanking machinery killed that thought as Hiccup made his way inside to find Astrid sitting turning the plates over and over in her hands, the fire's glow glancing off their shining surface and playing shadows over the walls. She was different, looking at the armour and slowly running a rag over it, Hiccup had never seen her like this before, in the growing darkness outside and the warmth of the fire Hiccup had only just noticed that Astrid had failed to change out of his shirt or leggings, her bodysuit still lying on a table.
"You know I've found that can't be too comfortable," Hiccup smirked as his close proximity send the plate clattering to the floor and Astrid's arms floundering to catch it as her weight shifted forward gravity threatening to take her down as well. As she caught the plate and turned a withering gaze on Hiccup, she was faced with him clutching at his stomach and wiping tears from his face as his laughter filled the room and made her heart flutter. Her glare fell away as a small upward quirk pulled at her lips.
"Copaani mirshmure'cye, Hic'ika?" Astrid groused trying her best to put up a pout, and failing miserably as her smile returned in force. Hiccup fell backwards at Astrid's failed attempt, laughing harder and kicking his feet in the air. The smile started to die. "It's not that funny di'kut. Meg?"
"It's just the look on your face was priceless. Fearless Astrid Hofferson acting like Hiccup! Haha! I didn't realise you'd gathered some of my tendencies already- OW!" Hiccup grunted as Astrid pulled her leg back and moved for the table.
"I've already finished the cleaning now get your shebs over here, I can't put this primer on alone." Hiccup smirked and joined his fiance at the table pulling out a brush and sliding his buy'ce off to one side before snatching away Astrid's helmet and beginning to coat it in the primer.
"If you're gonna apply primer you need to make sure it's an even layer otherwise everything will clump." Hiccup spared a glance at Astrid who was now staring at her empty hand and the brush in her right.
"You give that back Hiccup Haddock!" Astrid launched herself at your husband-to-be who ducked down spun, sprinting around the table to get some distance between them. "Oh its on Haddock. You better know you're messing with jatnese be te jatnese!"
Astrid launched herself over the table, tucking her legs and landing with a perfect roll, but Hiccup had ducked below and was already on the opposite side of the table once more. Hiccup's smile was still plastered on his face as he held the wet helmet to his chest piece, smearing more primer across it. Astrid couldn't help her own smile and faked left, right, and then shot to her left again. Hiccup followed the movements, dipping left and going around to the weapons on one of the walls pulling a shortsword off the rack and tapping Astrid's forearm lightly away as she made a grab for the helmet.
"You're gonna have to do better than that Asti'ika!" Hiccup hopped to the left letting Astrid snatch a sword for herself and falling into a ready stance. Astrid's eyebrows set into a determined line as her lips pulled into a thin smile, two can play at that game Hiccup.
"No mercy Hic'ika, I play for keeps." The young woman launched herself at her fiance striking out in flurry of blows that the other matched almost effortlessly. Pulling his sword and catching her blade Hiccup smiled. "Ah, we're not done yet!"
Hiccup went wide eyed as Astrid dropped the sword and tackled him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him in a blast of air and a grunt. Hiccup let loose a moan as he managed to breathe once more, not an easy feat with someone sitting on his chest.
"Are you going to get off of me?" Hiccup met Astrid's eyes as she sat there, a twinkle in her eye from the fire, and biting her lip.
"Mandokarla Hiccup. There's no one else I would want to take the vows with, I hope you know that. You're my best friend and my Buir always said that if you have to marry someone it should be your best friend." Astrid leaned down, Hiccup entranced by her as she slowly pecked her lips to his. It was short, sweet, soft, and left them wanting more, at least till they both went as red as the blood running through their veins. "W-w-we s-should f-f-finish this u-up."
Astrid launched herself off of Hiccup as she cut off her own stutter and went back to the table. The work progressed fairly quickly after that distraction, neither knowing they were being watched.
Stoick's face fell as he watched his son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law shamelessly flirt and still manage to make the best of their situation. Hiccup, his son, had matched Astrid blow for blow with a shortsword… how had Stoick never noticed that before. Hiccup didn't have the build to wield Stoick's preferred weapons meant for muscles, and he'd never thought to teach his ad'ika the way of the blade. Was this how it had always been? Had Stoick always failed to notice his son's potential and shunned him as a way to keep him out of harm's way?
Berk, Chief's Home
Wandering through the town Stoick's thoughts were pervaded by his failures, how had he missed so much of his son's life. As he opened the door to his home he looked about, the rug the same Valka had bought, the tapestry the one she'd started and Hiccup had finished. His hands ran over the smooth and soft fabric of the Haddock Clan crest, a jai'galaar, artistically sewn on field of black. Haddock's had always study for duty, justice and honour… but now Stoick started to have an inkling that maybe he'd failed to be just to his son, that what he'd seen as a young and hopeless youth had turned into one of the most useful members of his community, and was humble to boot. By the Manda what have I done Valka.
Sliding the plates and cloak off, just letting them drop onto the ground around him Stoick kneeled before the massive bed. Bracing himself on his elbows Stoick lowered his head into his hands.
"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum Valk'ika." Stoick stood, not bothering the rest of his clothes and collapsed into the bed.
Berk, Forge
Hiccup groaned, it had taken another hour after all their screwing around to finish Astrid's new coat of primer, and fix the mistakes made to his own after the tussle. Astrid was fighting the weight of her eyelids and her head was hanging lower with every second.
"Come on Ast, get up." Hiccup grunted pushing her shoulder. Astrid moaned, and weakly slapped his hand away.
"Just let me sleep here, it's warm and I don't feel like going out into the cold." Hiccup smirked and pulled Astrid close to him, he'd taken his plates and hung them to dry, grabbing a spare tunic from his workroom earlier that night.
"I'll take you home, you seem like you need some rest. Tomorrow is gonna be filled with wedding preparations, what do you say to us sneaking away for the day for some training?" Hiccup led Astrid, still in his clothes, back towards her house. The Hoffersons were still up as Hiccup led her in.
"What did ya do Hiccup?" Hettir grins as he sees his tired daughter dressed in a different set of clothes. Hiccup's face goes beet red and he almost loses his grip on Astrid.
"W-w-what are y-y-you t-talking a-a-about?" Hettir just smirked at the young lad.
"You two really should start worrying about getting to sleep on time, weddin's going to be early the day after ta tomorrow, wouldn't want either of ya fallen asleep when givin' ya vows, it'd make things a bit awkward."
"We had to reprime Astrid's armour for me to paint. The twins tried playing a pranks on me and splattering my armour with mud, they hit Astrid instead." Hettir's smile grows.
"So naturally ya gave the lass the clothes right off ya back?" Hiccup spins with Astrid to hide the blush and head directly for the stairs. "Be careful Hiccup, I'll see ya tomorrow and not in my house when I wake up right?"
"Of course Mr. Hoff-Hofferson!" Hiccup shouts, moving as quickly as he can to get Astrid into bed and get himself out of the house before Hettir says something else.
A/N:
So yes I aged up the characters a bit, I'm going to be far less forgiving on the fighting scenes with the whole no one died, there will be injuries, deaths, and so on so just so I felt more comfortable writing the characters I've made them all about 17 for the teens. That said all sexual content will remain implied. I hope you enjoyed this, with my luck chapter 3 will only be halfway complete by this goes up, here's to hoping I'm farther. For now in the ships means that other ships might be included, I'm not going to break up Hiccstrid, I think… Hope you all enjoyed the shameless Hiccstrid flirting and the fact of the way I'm portraying them in some of their more vulnerable moments. As for the inclusion of Solus as an OC I did this primarily to not have to find a character in the cast who could maintain some of the higher end equipment such as the ship they cannibalized after arriving, so I figured adding a character who won't play too much of a role outside some wisdom and lessons to do the task wouldn't be too disruptive. Anyways reviews are always welcome!
-Six out!