"Alright, settle down!" Calling everyone to attention he looked over the gathered verde and bit back a sigh. Most of them had heard of Ben, had seen him wandering with Jaster and his son. By now, thanks to the gossip network, they had also learned he was a jetii. It was time to dispel some of the worst rumours and assure his people that Ben was someone that would be a benefit to the Haat'ade. Next to him stood Myles, a reminder that there was more news than just the inevitable adoption of a wayward jetii.
"You've all heard the rumours floating around. I'm here to make sure you lot have the right information before you go off half cocked." There were a few snickers from the crowd and Jaster gave them an amused grin in return. "Ben Kenobi is a Stewjoni'ad. On Korda VI he killed Tor Vizla, saving my life in the process. You'll know him when you see him, as the one to kill Tor he now carries the Dha'kad'au." A few muttered curses and surprised gasps came from the crowd. Myles snorted next to him. "He is also a jetii."
"You let a jetii on our ship?" Vixna bit out incredulously from the front row.
"Yes. I let a jetii on my ship." He emphasized. "The man is mandokarla, honorable, and comes to us looking for a new life. As a man who saved my life, a Stewjoni'ad no less, I am willing to give him that chance." He took a deep breath to steady himself before he spoke again, uncertain how his people would take his next words. "Manda already accepts him as one of us."
There was a clatter of noise as multiple people started talking at once, some nearly yelling in order to be heard.
"Be silent!" He commanded with all the authority he could muster. The room quieted down with agitated murmurs. "Tomorrow Kenobi will be renouncing any ties to the jetiise and the Republic. He comes to us as a lost child, seeking Manda's embrace." It wasn't often that he fell into the flowery speech of Manda's chosen but he knew what the effect would be on the verde. Their silent reverence said more than any words ever could as he reached out to every one of them, letting them feel the Manda that flowed through him. "Cin Vhetin is a sacred rite. If he is lying, trying to trick us, we'll find out tomorrow." He paused to look over the crowd, feeling how each of them slowly relaxed, acknowledging the warm truth of Manda in their souls. "Until I say otherwise you are all forbidden from causing him any harm. He is under my protection. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Alor!" They replied as one voice.
"Good. One last thing, you have all heard by now that Montross is no longer with us." His eyes turned hard as beskar. "Montross betrayed us to our enemies, left me and my heir for dead. He was declared dar'manda and executed for his crimes. I have promoted Myles in his place. We will be reevaluating you all and reassigning you to new squads." There was no telling what kind of shit Montross had pulled in preparation for betraying them. Now every decision he had made was under scrutiny. "If you want to stay with your current squad or in your current position let one of us know and we'll consider it." He looked around the room. "Any questions?"
"Alor?" Of course Mave would immediately jump at the chance, she was a curious sort. He nodded to her in acknowledgment. This was sure to be interesting.
"Is it true the jetii lost his ad and bu'ad?" Jaster blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected her to ask something that personal but looking at Mave he could tell she was actually concerned about the rumor. As any good mando'ad would be hearing about the loss of children.
"I don't know their names but yes. His ad was only nineteen. The jetii choose their students young so I suspect his bu'ad was somewhere between ten and fourteen." There was a sense of concern and growing realization amongst his people.
"How did they die?" Jaster shook his head sadly. He hadn't asked. The raw pain on Ben's face had been enough for him. If the man chose to talk about it later he would accept that. Until then Ben's pain was his own and no one had a right to force that information from him.
"I overheard him speaking Mando'a, is he fluent?" Voulen asked to break the heavy silence.
"He speaks proper Mando'a for an outsider, but not all of the parts one would learn growing up in a clan. Whoever taught him also stayed away from teaching him anything about the Manda. Otherwise he's only asked about a few unfamiliar words in Basic." There were mutters of interest amongst his people and Jaster snorted in amusement.
"Anything else?" When no one immediately spoke up Jaster took it as a sign that he could wrap up the meeting and dismissed everyone back to their duties.
For the next three hours he and Myles went over old reports and personal profiles of every verd. It was all one massive headache. At least six different clans who had feuds with one another had been put together on the same squad and it was obvious it was causing problems. According to some new messages they'd received during their work some of the reports had been doctored or deleted entirely to hide the friction between different groups. Myles gave him a sympathetic look before he remembered that Jaster had made him second in command and began glaring at him over the datapad in his hands.
When late meal rolled around he sent Myles off and walked to the mess on his own. He spied Jango sitting with some of the younger verde, arguing about something heatedly, and smiled. "Did our guest stop by yet?" When the verd on kitchen duty replied in the negative Jaster grabbed two plates of food and set off for Ben's quarters.
Knocking on the door first he walked inside when it opened and stopped just inside the doorway, eyebrows raised in surprise. The man was karking floating. There was at least half a foot between him and the bed. Opening impossibly blue eyes that he swore were glowing the man looked at him in confusion for a moment before he suddenly fell to the bed with a small thump.
"Ah, is it that time already?" He asked in that cultured voice of his. Jaster snorted and came inside, holding out the plate of food and a set of cutlery. Ben smiled and took the food gratefully with a small 'thank you.'
Jaster pulled out the chair from the desk and sat down, watching Ben as he took the first few bites of the spiced meat and vegetables over steamed grains. The look of delight on his face made Jaster smile as he started to eat his own meal.
"It almost tastes as if they used ale in this." Jaster grinned.
"That's because they did. They stewed the meat in ale for a few hours before adding the spices, vegetables, and sauce." Ben grinned back and took another bite.
"It's delicious. What is it called?"
"Jan'gal jaon neral." Ben took a moment to translate it then gave him a deadpan look. Jaster chuckled. "It doesn't really have a name. It's the kind of dish everyone and their grandmother knows, and every clan makes it differently. The ingredients are pretty negotiable, the important part is the spice mix." The man thought about that for a moment and nodded in understanding.
"So which clan made this version?" Jaster thought about it for a moment.
"Clan Warden. They always use too much catabar, gives it a sweet aftertaste." Ben laughed at his disgruntled look.
"I'll have to try some of Clan Mereel's then if I want it done properly." Jaster swallowed hard at the thought. He wasn't sure how it was for the jetiise, he'd always heard they weren't allowed relationships or family, but one of the things mando'ade did to entice a potential partner was to share their home cooking. Not only did it suggest that the mando'ad in question could provide for the potential partner but it was a way to show trust. Clan recipes were a jealously guarded secret to non-clan members. But Ben couldn't know any of that, or he wouldn't have suggested it.
"Perhaps, once we get to Manda'yaim." The man blinked and frowned.
"Of course, do forgive me, Mand'alor. I suppose you would be far too busy to indulge in that sort of thing." Now he was certain Ben didn't know about that little tidbit about sharing ones cooking with another person being a way to court someone. Otherwise he wouldn't be acting as if it were something so frivolous.
"Not too busy for that, we just don't have the required spices on board." He said with an easy smile, trying to make it less of an issue.
"Ah." Silence descended and Jaster couldn't help but to fidget. He may be a skilled orator and technically a politician but he was also a man of action.
"So. Tomorrow we'll be performing your Cin Vhetin ceremony." Another look of confusion. Ka'ra, who had taught him Mando'a without even discussing the Cin Vhetin? "Cin Vhetin is what we call the oath swearing ceremony, where you denounce your past and are reborn as a Mando'ad. It's where you'll swear to the Resol'nare." He paused. "You do know the Resol'nare, don't you?"
"Educating the next generation, wearing armor, learning self defense, loyalty to one's clan, speaking Mando'a, and answering the Mand'alor's call." Thank every star in Manda'yaim's sky!
"Good. Swearing the Resol'nare is the first step. You'll need to be adopted into a Clan as well." A thought niggled the back of his mind and he cleared his throat, sitting a little straighter. "I'd like to extend the offer to join my own clan, if that's acceptable to you. As a Kenobi you have the right to change your name to that of your clan. Being nameless is… not looked upon favorably to the Mando'ade."
"So I would be Ben Mereel of Clan Mereel?" Jaster nodded, shoving his emotions behind a false calm.
"You would also be of House Mereel. As Mand'alor my clan also becomes the name of my political house. As a Haat'ade you would automatically be considered House Mereel." The man let out a low, considering, hum as he thought it over.
"I would be honored to accept, Mand'alor." Jaster couldn't hold back the wide smile that crossed his face.
"I think, considering we're about to become clan, that you should really call me Jaster." Ben's smile was wicked and his eyes shone with mirth.
"Well then, Jaster, I suppose you should call me Ben then." Kriff, that look should not be half as attractive as it was.
"I would have done so rega-" His comm went off and he sighed, setting his plate of food down on the desk behind him. "What is it?"
"Buir, you're with Ben, right?" Jango's voice came over the comm.
"I am. What's up Jan'ika?"
"Ask him if he wants a flamethrower or a whipcord." He looked up at Ben to see the man frowning at the comm.
"If I had to choose I suppose a whipcord would be more useful for me." There was some hesitance there and Jaster wanted to sigh.
"What brought this on, Jan'ika?" His son let out an annoyed huff.
"For tomorrow. He'll need at least one piece of armor, buir. You didn't forget, did you old man?" There was a mix of light teasing and faint rebuke in his words.
"I didn't forget. I was going to grab him some plain bracers. Not ones with weapons pre-installed."
"I had some time to kill, so…" Jaster chuckled.
"It's fine, ad'ika. If you're taking care of it that frees me up for other matters. Just don't get carried away." Jango snorted.
"No promises." Then the little bugger signed off.
"He's very headstrong." Ben said, approval in his voice. Jaster laughed.
"No idea where he gets it from. Certainly not me." Ben joined him in laughing. The light sound of his amusement was very pleasant to listen to.
"Of course. It's an absolute mystery."
Once they'd finished eating and talking about what to expect in the ceremony the next day Jaster suggested Ben visit the medics to get a full check up. They would need to get his medical history on file before he could even contemplate going on a mission anyway. Mando'ad medics were not to be taken lightly. Baar'ur Verill was particularly vicious if you got on his bad side.
Ben made a face but didn't argue. Jaster gathered their dishes and offered to show him the way to medical. With a resigned sigh the man nodded and got up from the bed, looking like an agitated tooka. Jaster chuckled under his breath. Ben was a chosen of Manda all right. Stubborn.
"Come on, the sooner we get there the sooner you can get it over with." Ben huffed, rolling his eyes slightly, but there was an amused tilt to his lips that hinted towards it being in good humor.
Jaster had to force himself to look away from those lips and focus on the task at hand.
Ka'ra. He was screwed.
Mando'a
Verde- Soldiers/Warriors.
Ad- Child.
Bu'ad- Grandchild.
Jan'gal jaon neral- Spiced ale over grains. Which is just a basic description of the actual meal itself, rather than a name.
Cin Vhetin- The White Field; a blank slate to start your life over again.