Chapter 57 – Together
Author's Note: There is no slow burn in BoMarr whatsoever. They know what they want, and they ain't gonna play around and wait. :') xD
Also, I think Bo-Katan was around 21-ish during Order 66, so she's 23 now and Theseus is 19. :)
To Jayden: Nope. Anastasia has not met her mother aside from when she was a baby. But it will definitely happen, and no, it will not be pleasant. ;)
Haha yeah, there was a lot of foreshadowing to BoMarr. They both found the other intriguing, and it was only more so given that it was... a forbidden love, I guess. Jedi aren't allowed to marry, and Death Watch should be enemies with the Jedi. Lol.
And no, Theseus has not forsaken the Force. He doesn't use it much, because it isn't save, but it's still a part of him. He's trying to avoid listening to it (and Revan) right now because he knows he won't like what he hears, and he just isn't ready for the responsibility that he'll be given. I will say nothing about whether or not he'll learn the Dark Side. Wait and see. :)
About Bo-Katan's age, that's what we thought too! It definitely makes sense if she was only around 20-22 during the Siege of Mandalore, so we thought she was around 21 or so. ^-^
Thank you all so, so much for reading and reviewing! 💖
~ Amina Gila
It isn't until the next day that Theseus finds himself with Bo again. She stops by to see him again, and all he can think about is what happened the last time she was here. He can tell that her mind is on the same thing.
They need to talk about it, but he's hardly sure where to start, or if now is the right time. He has no idea how to go about this, and it doesn't seem like Bo is planning to say anything. Maybe he'd feel less awkward if not for the interruption last time.
"So..." he begins, slowly, hardly even sure what he's about to say, "I was thinking about... what happened..." He squirms. How in the world do people normally talk about these things? It's not as if anyone ever does at the Temple, and with Ahsoka, it was easier. They knew each other so well that they could read the others' intentions without having to express it all in words. And all things considered, he really doesn't know Bo that well, though it doesn't make the caring he has for her any less deep.
"If I had a problem with it, I wouldn't have done it," she replies, after a moment, sounding about as uncomfortable as he's feeling, "But maybe I should've asked you what you wanted first."
He shifts. "I did – do want that," he admits, "I have since... For a while, but it didn't matter before because I was a Jedi so I couldn't have a relationship like that anyway." She's quiet, and he slowly reaches over, taking her hand. "I've always... wanted a family," he confesses. He doesn't know how to approach this but being open about what he wants is probably best.
She wants this too. He didn't really realize it, although thinking back to it, she did act like it, sometimes, in a way. "I never cared for this with anyone before," Bo replies, and he thinks she finds it a little odd to actually talk about her emotions, "But I wouldn't be opposed."
He doesn't know what else to say, and maybe it's best to say nothing right now. He's glad, though, that they talked about this.
He does really care for Bo – despite all her very plentiful flaws – and he's more than a little relieved that the feelings are mutual. Especially after the Order fell, he never expected to have this, or any semblance of a family at all, but it feels right, maybe more so than it ever did with Ahsoka.
**w**
He's been here for a while now, but he's still getting used to the way everything is here, and the way he keeps running into an occasional person who he briefly knew under his previous identity. He just wasn't expecting to see who it is this time
"Korkie?" Theseus asks in surprise, when the other boy greets him enthusiastically.
"Yes, it's me," he replies, with a smile, "Auntie Satine mentioned that you were here, but..." He glances around, voice dropping before he continues talking. "I remember you from when you were a Jedi."
"Yes, I remember you, too," he replies, dryly, "I couldn't forget when us six teens overthrow the Prime Minister."
Korkie chuckles quietly. "Yes, that was quite the incident."
"I wouldn't have expected you to get armor," he observes, eyeing the other boy's outfit. He was raised by Satine, after all.
"Things changed, after Maul took over," Korkie replies, "Some of us ended up staying around the Nite Owls, and since we were all considered criminals, we had to be able to fight."
"Yeah," Theseus agrees, "And that's especially true now."
Korkie nods. "You might not want to talk about that so openly, though. Not everyone is against the Empire here, and we don't need the Imperials hearing about it."
He grimaces. "I'll keep that in mind." Well, he already figured as much but maybe he needs to be even more careful, especially considering who he is.
They leave it at that, and Korkie turns to walk away. Theseus is abruptly reminded again of why, for some reason, Korkie makes him think so much about Obi-Wan. Almost as though he's identical cross between him and Satine.
Seriously, is the Force just messing with him or is there actually something to that?
"Something on your mind?" Bo queries, appearing next to him.
"Who is Korkie, anyway?" Theseus asks flatly.
She gives him an odd look. "One of Satine's close friends from our clan was killed during the Mandalorian civil war. Korkie was their son, and Satine adopted him after his parents died."
"... Oh." Well. Fine. Maybe the Force is just messing with his head.
"What did you think?"
"I don't know," he grumbles, suddenly feeling incredibly embarrassed, "He reminded me of a certain Jedi the Duchess happened to rather like."
Bo outright laughs. "I assure you Korkie is not this Jedi and Satine's illegitimate child."
"Are you sure? Because it's not like she'd be the first Mandalorian to do that." He has no idea if his parents count – he doubts they were married – and he really doesn't care to know either.
Bo scoffs. "Would you like to go and ask her?"
"No thanks. I feel like she wouldn't appreciate the question, and you're her sister anyway, so you should know."
"I have been just getting to know her again, for the first time in many years. It's not as though she would tell me something like that."
"Are you trying to imply you actually think it might be true?" He sincerely hopes he's just imagining things.
"I am implying nothing of the kind. I was merely stating a fact," she shoots back.
Hmm. Okay. "How have things been between you and Satine anyway?" he inquires, changing the topic, to something a little more... sensible.
"We still disagree on most things," Bo answers bluntly, "I'll never understand her idealism, or why she can't understand that it won't work, even if she did do a fairly good job when she was leading Mandalore. It wouldn't have lasted forever."
"Complete pacifism isn't the answer," he agrees, "But pulling out a blaster every time something upsets isn't exactly either."
"It gets things done," she says dryly.
"And generates a lot of unnecessary enemies. Just saying."
She shrugs, turning to stare out at where Korkie disappeared to, for a moment.
"I'm glad things are working out between you two, though," Theseus comments.
"We... tolerate each other."
"She cares about you a lot, despite everything. If I were to guess, I'd say the feeling is mutual."
She eyes him. "Why does it matter so much?"
He shrugs. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want, but... My friendships with both Jedi I was closest to didn't start the easiest, but we worked things out eventually. That was true with Ahsoka too, actually, if you count that when we first met, she wouldn't stop pulling my hair."
Bo snorts, and Theseus can't help but genuinely smile for a moment. Force, he misses Ahsoka so much.
They're silent for a few moments before Bo speaks up again. "When Satine decided to reform Mandalore, there were many in our family who very upset with her, myself included. I... might have missed her at the time, but I was upset with how she could do something like that. I still don't understand it."
"I... can understand that," Theseus tells her, because he can.
"We talked about it more recently over the past couple years, but there's still many things I doubt we'll ever agree on."
"Well, you don't have to follow the exact same beliefs as someone to at least have a peaceful relationship with them," he points out.
"No, I suppose not," she concedes. Theseus can only hope she will, because the sisters really deserve to have a short time of peace and calm in their lives after so much chaos. He, more than anyone, knows how easy it is to lose, and how to appreciate the little bits he has while they're there before everything is cruelly ripped away again. (It frightens him, because how does he know Mandalore won't be taken from him, too?)
**w**
He rolls out of the way as Bo punches at him again, then swings for her as he moves to get up. She moves faster – like she has this entire time – ducking out of the way and tackling him back to the ground again.
One thing he definitely missed those years on Odessen was sparring.
Or fighting of any kind really, for as much as he wanted a break from it.
Maybe he shouldn't have let his mind wander for that split second, because she successfully pins him down on the ground, winning the sparring match again.
"Yield," she advises, smugly.
He rolls his eyes behind his helmet. "Fine, you win this round."
She climbs off of him, offering him a hand to pull him to his feet. "I would've expected you to be more of a challenge than that," she teases.
"Don't get cocky," Theseus shoots back, "Physical fighting wasn't my area of expertise."
"What was?" she asks.
"Lightsabers," he answers dropping his voice for a moment, before continuing, "Though I suppose swords would do just as well."
"Well, why don't we try it?" She shoots him a smirk. "See how well you do."
A few minutes later, they're standing across from each other holding the weapons that are about as close to lightsabers as they can get here. The weight distribution is a little different, and Theseus swings it around experimentally a little, just to get the feel for it. He's not going to lose from something so embarrassing.
Holding it in his hand makes him seriously miss his lightsaber. He never really takes it out anymore, much as he wants to. It's too risky. Someone could see, or word could spread, and he's not ready to face the Empire yet, even if he can't wait for the day it falls, because it will.
Theseus swings for her, and Bo brings up her sword to block him. They trade blows, and he realizes how much he's missed this. He doesn't call on the Force, of course, though he knows it still gives him an advantage regardless because he can anticipate Bo's moves before she makes them.
He lets himself fall back into the rhythm of fighting like this, as he counters Bo's strikes, throwing his own flurry of attacks at her.
She's definitely good with it, but unless she's holding back, he's pretty sure he knows which of them is better, even without the Force.
She's fast, but he's still faster, hastily spinning to catch her next blow, and then cutting higher. He manages to force her step back this time, to avoid him, even though she promptly returns the attack aggressively a moment later.
Finally, their blades lock together, and Theseus twists his sharply to the side, knocking hers from her grip. That's also a bit easier with lightsabers, although it's also much less dangerous with swords. At least he doesn't have to worry about making one wrong move and losing a limb or making someone else lose a limb by accident.
She promptly fires a cord at him, and he slashes himself free with the sword, leveling it at her before she can try to lift her own weapon again.
"Beat you," he chirps.
"Looks like you did," she concedes, though there's a playful smirk on her face, "You're better at it than I was expecting. It's no wonder you defeated Maul."
"Technically that was only because Ahsoka was there, or I might've been squashed," Theseus quips.
"Did I just hear you being humble?" Anastasia calls, landing right behind them. Where did she show up out of nowhere, anyway?
"It's called stating a simple fact," he retorts. Really. Where, how, and why does his sister appear at the times she's least wanted?! Their relationship seems to consist solely of trying to annoy each other as much as possible, but seriously?
"Most Jedi aren't humble," she declares with a hint of teasing on her face that does not bode well for either of them. "Or is it that you're just sweet-talking to your..."
"Don't say it!" he snaps, flushing.
"I cannot believe your father didn't teach you better manners," Bo scowls.
"What can I say?" Anastasia asks with exaggerated sadness, "I'm not a good listener, and he had more important things to do."
"Sometimes, I wonder if you'd be this annoying if you were raised a Jedi instead of me," Theseus grumbles. (Okay, maybe he misses Obi-Wan too much because he's never been one to gripe about anything. It was his master's favorite pass time, and when things got miserable, they'd snark off to each other for hours about literally nothing.)
"I think I would have run away the first chance I got, and come home," she retaliates.
"You wouldn't even know where your home was."
"I would've figured it out. And if nothing else, I would've had many extra years to 'be annoying' as you put it, since we'd be growing up together."
"Excuse me, I said if you were a Jedi instead of me, so I was on Mandalore. We wouldn't have known each other any longer." For a fleeting moment, he actually imagines it. Images a world where he'd gotten to know his father for so much longer.
But no, he wouldn't want that if he had to trade it with his life as a Jedi. No matter how much it hurt, no matter how much it will haunt him forever, he'd never wish that he hadn't gotten to know Ahsoka, and Anakin, and Obi-Wan, and Caleb. And his mother. He shies away from that thought. What ever happened to her, anyway? Was she killed too, or? – No, he doesn't want to think about it.
Anastasia grins wickedly, and suddenly he begins to regret saying anything. "That would make things awkward, though," she chirps, "I mean Bo-Katan would be more like your sister or babysitter, not your girlfriend."
Theseus feels himself blushing furiously again. "She is not my –"
"Suuuuuuure," his sister drawls.
"I did, in fact, used to babysit her," Bo says flatly, "And it was not fun. She was a nightmare."
"I can imagine," Theseus sighs with not entirely feigned sympathy.
"Now you're just trying to change the topic," Anastasia snips.
Yes, this is going to be a very long day.
**w**
The longer he stays, the more he feels at home. "I want to settle down here," Theseus tells Bo one day. "I want to stay here, permanently." He feels decidedly nervous, but it's something they'll have to talk about eventually. It's not an easy thing to bring up, especially since he has literally no idea how to go about it.
"We would be grateful to have you." He reaches over after a moment, taking her hand. She's not one for physical contact most of the time, but this is... different.
And now for the reason he started this conversation in the first place... He shifts uncomfortably, staring at the wall in front of them. There's more to this that he needs to say, but suddenly, he's unbearably nervous and besides, he doesn't even know how to go about such a thing in the first place. How do people normally talk about this? Is it always this awkward?
"There's something else, isn't there?" she observes, eyeing him.
"I... yes," Theseus concedes, "I don't really know how this works here, and I know we haven't known each other for that long, but... I've been thinking about..."
Ugh, he sounds stupid. Or at least he thinks he sounds stupid. Maybe he's just getting all nervous about nothing. He already knows how Bo feels; it obvious enough from how she acts and the things she's said and besides ,he can somewhat feel it in the Force.
"If you would want to... take this further." He has no idea how else to say it. Hopefully, his meaning is obvious.
She eyes him, a look he can't name flickering across her face. Now that he thinks about it, she seems uncomfortable too. Maybe she has no more of an idea how to approach this subject than he does. "I have," she admits, at last, "And you keep saying that you want a family..."
"I do," he confirms. This is going easier than expected. His previous nervousness is fading into excitement, and he's not sure what else. He can't believe this is really happening.
"So, you're proposing... marriage?"
He nods, slowly. "If you want."
A small smile appears on her face. "I do, or I wouldn't've mentioned this in the first place."
This... feels unreal. He doesn't think he's been this... happy at the thought of anything since before everything fell apart over two years ago, back when he heard Ahsoka was finally coming back.
But he has one more thing to ask first. It's something he's ever really brought up before, but he thinks it's a fair point to mention now if they're really going to do this. "You do know the significance of the last name 'Shan' right?"
Bo eyes him. "Yes, I do."
He squirms, suddenly feeling uncomfortable again. "I just..."
"If I had a problem with your... ancestry, I wouldn't have let things come this far to begin with," she tells him flatly, "You're Mandalorian now, not a Jedi. You're Marr Vizsla."
It's strangely relieving to hear, even if he figured as much long ago. "Yes, I suppose I am," Theseus agrees.
**w**
The only thing Theseus regrets in this moment is that the rest of his family isn't here for this. They should be.
Anakin and Obi-Wan and Ahsoka (if she would want to be; he doesn't know how she'd feel if she knew this, even if they technically did let go of each other like that), and yes, his parents. It's not fair that none of them get to be here, that they're all gone – out there fighting or dead when he has this.
But instead, the only real family here now is his sister and... Bo.
Because, yes, she's his family now.
His... wife. It's strange to think that that's what she is now.
He stands across from her, as their wedding ceremony is completed.
When they first met all those years ago back on Carlac, he would never have expected this to come, one day, but he can't deny it's what he wants most. Or at least, it's the one thing he wants most that he can actually have.
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