Magnet for Trouble
By Rey
Story notes:
There will be little outright Mando'a used. When possible, the vocabulary and grammar rules are translated or adapted into English. In consequence, no gendered pronouns are used when the native speakers hold the POV, no passive sentence (although I sometimes missed editting it), and not so many articles, either. Also, please be prepared for glimpses of canonical (now past) abuse and neglect to the clone children.
Chapter summary: It is supposed to be an ordinary morning in the Fett farm.
1. The First Salvo
The morning begins as all mornings do in the Fett farmhouse: busy and loud and cheerful.
Kote Eldar always makes a dramatic production when preparing and serving breakfast, complete with exaggerated gestures and no-less-exaggerated running commentary on their own actions. It's partly to make the simple meal of yesterday's bread and cheese and seasonal jam and milk much more special than it is, partly to energise themself, and partly to entertain their sleepy children. Their spouse Ruusaan Fett only rolls their eyes each time while herding the two little ones through breakfast, and this morning is no different.
The loud cries of a humanoid baby that suddenly sound from out in the field is definitely different, though.
Kote exchanges surprised, wary, worried glances with Ruusaan, noticing from the corner of their eye how their children Arla and Jango perk up hearing that unexpected noise.
"I'll armour up and check," Ruusaan offers, but Kote shakes their head.
"We should deploy Krill first."
Ruusaan's eyes widen.
Kote gives them a meaningful look. No, the both of them are not going to discuss their disguised assassin droid KK-40, otherwise Krill, and the possible baited incursion of Death Watch into their property in front of the children, even though Arla and Jango must have some idea already about both topics.
No, children should be children. They agreed to moved in here, to be a farmer, to marry into Ruusaan's clan, to stay neutral, to buy and modify KK-40 with all scraps of their savings when their eldest child Arla was born eight years ago, for nearly that reason alone. The Eldar clan has been torn into three factions, and they wish to remove themself and their family from such strife, such heartache, as long as possible, and Ruusaan agreed.
Well, fortunately, Ruusaan still agrees, for they capitulate and even offer to activate and give KK-40 the needed arms and instructions.
Kote shakes their head, smiling wanly but gratefully to their spouse. "You are on little-one-wrangling duty this morning," they remind Ruusaan with a grin, which widens when Arla and Jango squawk in protest.
`Prepare the children for the worst,` is the undertext, and, Ka'ra bless their sweet, sharp, fierce, loving spouse, Ruusaan hums in mock thoughtfulness in line with the outer drama meant to tease their children but with rueful acknowledgement in their eyes.
Kote happily falls helmet-over-boots in love all over again with them.
It's just a bonus that Arla and Jango groan in semi-genuine disgust when their parents proceed to kiss each other silly.
The love and humour boulster Kote as they hurry to KK-40's dock just behind the front door. They arm the droid with a portable cannon disguised as seed embedder, then instruct it to investigate the source of the noise and report back via comm. Kote themself follows behind in a discreetly armoured speeder, ostensibly out to find new places to plant the seeds.
Fortunately, it's indeed planting time.
Unfortunately, they can't justify wearing more than their vambraces, or arm themself with more than hidden knives and a holdout pistol or two.
But, wearing full armour and full arms or not, Kote is still Mando'ad, with all it entails. So they steel themself and depart behind KK-40 in the speeder, with a well-stocked first-aid kit and a few other supplies for just in case a monster did leave a baby in their farm.