A slightly shorter chapter and probably imperfect chapter - I'm sorry. I've been busy and I just wanted to work on getting something out to you all because you are such beautiful readers and you keep me motivated and inspired. 100 reviews on a story is something I never imagined I'd do! So thanks so much to all of you.
This chapter is titled for the Mando'an word for 'aunty'. You will see two very different but equally phenomenal aunties in this chapter. I hope you enjoy!
His mother was going to live, albeit slower to talk and a little weaker on her right side. She was still Shmi and Anakin couldn't have been more grateful. He couldn't have been more grateful to Cliegg, who had nursed Shmi through the nights when even Anakin fell into a much-needed sleep. He couldn't have been more grateful to Padme, who had managed to coax an unsociable and semi-retired medic to attend to Shmi, repairing her wound and giving her tablets that probably cost more on Tatooine than Shmi had ever been worth in her life as a slave. He couldn't have been more grateful to Satine, who had, well… saved his life. Saved his soul. Something like that.
He was so grateful and at the same time so ashamed of what he had nearly done that it was difficult to talk to her, as Satine flew him and Padme back to Naboo. Padme and Satine spoke readily in contempt of the Military Creation Act and did not seem to mind his silence. Padme's hand rested quietly on his. Anakin thought of Obi Wan and how horrified he would be. His Master had surely never even dreamed of doing anything like that. Obi Wan was the gentlest person Anakin knew, second only to his riduur.
They landed on Naboo and the air was warm, but without the punching heat of Tatooine. Satine laid a gentle hand on Anakin's shoulder as he made to follow Padme back to the lake-house.
"A moment, if you please, Anakin?"
Anakin's stomach clenched in fear. He was startled when Satine embraced him in a hug. He returned the gesture clumsily and Satine held him for what might have been a full minute, before laying her hands on his shoulders and stepping back to appreciate him at arm's length.
"I just wanted to say, privately, that I'm very proud of you."
Stars, she was just like Obi Wan. Kind to him to the point of stupidity.
"I'm not proud, Satine," Anakin managed. "I… What I almost did… It was horrible."
Satine made a small noise of assent, shrugging.
"But you didn't do it, Anakin."
"Only because of you."
"Not because of me," Satine corrected him calmly, with a wry smile. "I would have been inordinately easy to overpower, had you wished to do so. But you chose to listen."
Anakin shook his head, not consoled.
"I've felt those same feelings, Anakin," Satine murmured quietly, hugging her arms about herself protectively. "I saw my family cut down before me and I wanted to kill every single one of them. It must sound absurd, coming from me. But I wanted to, truly I did, in that moment."
Anakin blinked his surprise and could not find words. He'd seldom seen Satine look so vulnerable.
"I didn't," Satine went on, looking stronger now, "because I couldn't. I had no weapon. And that is why I refuse to legalise lethal weapons on Mandalore. Not because I think my people are bad, but because good people can make bad and irreversible decisions when they are hurting."
She smiled at him, then.
"You are worthy of the weapon you carry, Anakin. And you are – if you promise not to tell Obi Wan I said this – more mature even than your Master was, when I knew him at your age."
Anakin shook his head once more but this time with a smile of his own.
"Obi Wan's the best Jedi I know."
"Perhaps," Satine agreed, with a faint smile, "but he was not always perfect. He's had moments of anger too and he has regrets. It's not my story to tell. But you should ask him about it when this blasted mission is over."
Anakin nodded.
"I want to tell him all of it myself, Satine, if I can."
"Of course. I won't speak of it to him."
Anakin leaned down and embraced her.
"Thank you for looking after me, Ba'vodu."
"Thank you for taking me with you, cyar'ad."
She stepped back and grinned at him.
"Tell Padme I'll give her clothes back the next time I see her. I need a shower before I change back into my dress. And do try to enjoy the rest of your romantic vacation," she added, with a smirk. "You make a very sweet couple."
Anakin would have liked to retaliate but could only grin stupidly in reply.
"I'll do my best, Satine."
Satine was surprised by the bleeping of the comms within her ship as she flew back to Kalevala; she'd blocked Almec as a temporary measure to keep her sane and focused on this mission to Tatooine. He'd surely found some other staff member's commlink on which to contact her. She did not take her eyes from the viewport as she answered the call.
"Duchess Kryze speaking."
"Exiled Lady Kryze speaking."
Satine's eyes widened.
"Bo?"
"What's all this talk of a family emergency I'm hearing in the media?" her sister asked, straight to the point. "I know that I for one am not hurt. Is the adik alright?"
"Korkie's fine," Satine answered, with a smirk. "Thank you for checking in on your comm-pal."
"So it's a fictitious family emergency, then?"
"My family is bigger than you realise," Satine retorted. "Korkie's Ba'vodu Shmi was in some trouble on Tatooine. But everything's alright now."
Bo-Katan made some noise of scepticism.
"How are you, vod?" Satine asked lightly.
"I didn't call for a chat," Bo-Katan growled. "Just wanted to check that Korkie'ad was okay."
"Alright," Satine sighed. "So be it. Keep well on the moon."
"K'oyacyi," her sister bade her, in grudging reply.
Stay alive.
Satine felt a faint smile rise upon her face as the comm-call crackled to an end. It wasn't much. But her sister hadn't commed her in a decade. It was something.
So much for finally getting a chance to enjoy Anakin's company. Padme had barely shaken the Tatooine sand from her clothes before the distress message from Obi Wan came through. It looked like another spontaneous mission to another sandy planet, this time to Geonosis.
"We have to tell Satine," Padme realised with a jolt. "Shouldn't she know-"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Anakin murmured, readying his ship.
"What do you mean?" Padme asked, indignant. "Doesn't she… aren't they… involved?"
Anakin lifted his gaze from the switch panel to look at her with a smirk.
"They are very much involved, Padme," he reported smugly. "But there's no point making her cancel her tour of Kalevala twice in a row. We'll rescue Obi Wan before she even knows what's going on. And let's face it, she can't exactly help."
Padme agreed uneasily, climbing into the passenger seat.
"So do all Jedi have secret lovers, then?"
Anakin chuckled and flushed slightly.
"Just the lucky ones."
Korkie had been expressly forbidden from harassing Harshika on her maternity leave. His mother had told him at least a hundred times that she was at risk of pre-term labour and had to rest in hospital and be relaxed and not be bothered by his antics, which was of course fundamentally wrong because Korkie never harassed nor bothered Harshika; he simply adored her. And he liked to think that although she had rather sensibly chosen to marry someone her own age, she quite liked him too. He'd been horribly nervous ever since his father had gone away on that stupid mission to a planet that didn't exist and he needed someone to help him feel better. If he had to be an orphan, he'd do so in Harshika's company.
And so, he followed the Force to her hospital bed and wiled away a blissful afternoon watching HoloNet news bulletins and admiring her enormous belly. Being a Prince had its merits and the droids brought him snacks when they came to measure Harshika's temperature and draw blood.
"Are you sure it's alright for you to be watching this?" Korkie asked, as a livestream of the motion to give Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers played out on the screen before them. "It's not exactly relaxing."
Korkie may have been only ten-standard but he was the son of the Duchess of Mandalore and he knew that man was detestable, slimy and war-mongering. He was creating a Grand Army, for star's sakes. The anxiety that Harshika's presence had kept at bay was creeping back.
Harshika waved away his concern with a lazy smile.
"Being around you keeps me relaxed, Korkie'ad."
Korkie brightened.
"Can you put that in writing for the Duchess, please? She insists I'm a nuisance."
Harshika laughed.
"You're an excellent politician, Korkie."
The stream on the HoloNet changed then – there was BREAKING NEWS: Live from Geonosis. Korkie looked at the screen and felt very suddenly like he might vomit.
"That's my-!" he yelped.
That's my Dad!
He'd been terribly close to saying it.
"That's Obi Wan," Harshika murmured, her forehead creasing with concern. "Obi Wan Kenobi. Do you know him? He was here during the Revolution, before you were born."
"I've seen his picture in my history classes," Korkie managed, his voice strangled.
His father was shackled, hands above his head, in the enormous Geonosis Arena. Kriffing hell. Korkie had felt it, he had known. And he had let his father go away on this stupid kriffing mission. This was all his fault. He should have stowed away. He should have-
"Are you alright, Korkie'ad?"
He must have been pale and wild-eyed. He felt like he might faint.
"I, uh, I gotta-"
"We shouldn't watch this," Harshika announced grimly, changing the channel. "I don't know what HoloNet thinks it's doing, broadcasting a public execution."
Execution? Korkie rose unsteadily to his feet.
"I feel a bit sick, Harshika. I gotta go. I don't want you to catch anything with that baby on its way. I'll see you later."
"Korkie, cyar'ad-"
"Stay in bed, Harshika. Don't be worried. I'll feel better soon."
He managed what was probably a terribly demented smile.
"I'm raised by a pacifist, you know? All this Grand Army talk, and then the sight of someone chained up for an execution, it… just makes me feel a bit sick. And I don't want to vomit on you."
Korkie hurried from the room and hoped his explanation had been adequate. He had a well-established reputation for being a little on the sensitive side – he'd cried for hours as a child when he stepped on a snail.
He sprinted through the hospital hallways. There was no time to vomit. There was no time to get to Geonosis. He had to do something but he didn't know what. He found an abandoned hallway and clutched his comm to his mouth. He should have called his mother but his gut – or the Force, perhaps – told him something different. He could barely see for the tears in his eyes.
"Ba'vodu! Ba'vodu! Can you help?"
Ah, kriff. The sight of that kid blubbering in front of her. It made Bo-Katan's heart feel softer than it had in years. They'd never live-commed before. She knew her nephew only through written text and the snatches of his face she caught in mainstream media. He was willowy like his mother and auburn like his father but the generous lashing of freckles was most like her own.
"Verd'ika, it's alright."
There was no need to ask him what he was crying about.
"Are you still watching?"
"Of course I'm-"
His breath hitched. He was running as he was speaking.
"Not watching- my dad getting-"
"He's alright, Korkie," Bo-Katan reassured him.
Korkie's face was pinched with anguish.
"How could he be-"
"His Padawan's there with him. They've escaped, they're fighting. And word is that the Grand Army of the Republic is on its way."
Bo-Katan watched the weeping child with alarm as he made his way into what appeared to be northern hangar of the Sundari palace.
"Adik, are you trying to get into a kriffing ship?"
"I gotta go help, I gotta go see-"
"No, Korkie. That won't help. You're putting yourself in danger for no reason."
"I can fly. My vod is the best pilot in the whole-"
"That's not the point, Korkie. Stay put."
Korkie kicked a ship in his frustration. The metal buckled beneath his foot. A Jetii kick.
"Can you help, then? Do you… have someone in the area, or something? Someone you know? I called you because I thought you might be able to help, you might-"
Bo-Katan sighed and rose to her feet.
"Is your mum still on Kalevala?"
"I think so," Korkie sniffled. "I haven't spoken to her since-"
"Can you stay put if I promise I'll be there soon?"
Korkie shook his head furiously.
"This isn't about me, Ba'vodu, I don't need help. It's Dad who needs help, it's Dad you need to-"
"I can't help your father," Bo-Katan replied firmly. "And he doesn't need my help, anyway."
On the screen before her, troop-carriers were sinking into view.
"He's got a couple thousand Mando'ade coming to help him right now, actually. Any more from our end would be overkill."
The child trembled with adrenaline before her, unconvinced.
"Look, adik. Stay right where you are. I can be there real soon. Then we can wait for your mum together."
"I think she mightn't have heard yet," Korkie managed, his tears slowing. "She was supposed to be a in big long meeting and she won't be checking any comms or news or anything. And I shouldn't interrupt her, really, because she already had to cancel the tour on Kalevala once. It's just that..."
"I'll wait with you until she's back," Bo-Katan repeated. "Just don't get into that ship, verd'ika. Please."
Korkie nodded, sinking to sit on the floor.
"Okay, Ba'vodu. I'll wait."
Bo-Katan is back! Proper back. Who's ready to see her and Satine face-to-face?
Next chapter, the dust settles on the Battle of Geonosis. The Clone Wars have begun and our family will be tested.
Let me know which areas of focus you're liking! I feel like I'm juggling a few things at the moment and I hope it's all working.
Much love,
S.