Chapter Text
Hey Beautiful,
We’re back home safely and I swear to you, it’s like were weren’t gone for two and a half years, at least not in Keldabe. Got some interviews scheduled with media here, and we’re planning to go out to Sundari tomorrow to inspect the damage. I guess much of the city has evacuated already back to Kalevala, which is going to be difficult for both the refugees and the ones who have stayed, but Myles has a plan for that, he says. He and Kal’buir have a seven-step plan for putting Kryze in her place, and steps six and seven involve refugee support and offering her a place on my war council if she pledges to House Mereel. Also, there’s a seven-step plan we’re about to roll out for Vizsla, too, and Clan Head Jedi has just been brilliant about it. It’s possible she may not be Clan Head Jedi for much longer, which means you, my love, will be the most senior Mandalorian of your clan available for the job. So either adopt Jon Antilles as a sibling and put the feral tooka out of his misery, or get ready for the fun. I can’t fucking wait for you to comm into War Council.
Speaking of which, after too many fucking years holding out, I’m just doing it. There are very distant (very distant) relatives in Clan Fett. They don’t need me to be Clan Fett. Myles and I are both becoming Clan Mereel, the Goran is going to continue to be the Clan Head, which also means I can pull them into my War Council when I need to, which will be absolutely hilarious at least three different ways, since they’re completely gone on Clan Head Jedi. Anyway, any children we have will be Clan Mereel, since Clan Jedi is not exactly hereditary. Of course your future students would be Clan Jedi, though, right? Or should it just operate as a really giant clan would; if you marry you choose a primary allegiance, like Myles answers (if he weren’t Rid’alor, I mean) to the Goran as Clan Head, rather than Skirata, though he’s still Skirata, you know? I don’t know. I think I need to talk with Ruus’buir again about this and get her to clear this up for me.
Myles wants me to ask about your future students, not that we want to rush you into taking apprentices. We will be allowed to adopt them, yes? And they will be raised as proper Mandalorian Jedi? How young are you allowed to take them?
Myles swears that sometimes he can feel the pink kyber emoting, but never the Darksaber. I don’t get that. Is it the beskar around it, in the hilt? But it’s not all beskar. And you can hear it. See? I don’t get it.
Myles is planning a trip to Jedha in about four months for us. I guess Ill’buir’s always wanted to go, and both she and Kal are very curious about what kind of training we could have, and if we need to switch to cortosis or phrik helmets. Honestly, I’m tempted. Even without further training, I kinda like my backstabbing-asshole-radar to be all blue-lights-go when I meet with people, you know? And the helmet is always on for that.
How did the move into your new rooms go? Send pictures. Still waiting on those research-things, too. And I’m curious about Treack’s ragerant, if you ever get a chance to actually read it. Let me know if Myles or I might like it, yeah?
I’m glad you’re becoming friends with the anonymous Jon Antilles. I remembered where I knew him from! I swear to the stars I have seen that man dressed in black leatheris and crap armor, a patch on his eye, looking like a sober pirate, but in fact, being a card-carrying member of the Guild of Bondsmen. I looked him up. And I’ll grant you, there were three hundred and eight ‘Jon Antilles’, but then again, there are also four hundred fifty-three ‘Mando’ because some of us are really not keen on giving out our names or clans. Still. Your Jon Antilles was definitely one of the three hundred and eight. I downloaded his holo from the Guild Member database and have attached it. Apparently he only takes ‘delicate’ bounties. He does a lot of live rescues, that sort of thing. Works mostly out of Takodana, but sometimes Navarro, which is much more convenient. Well, not now, obviously. Obviously now he is being herded by adorable baby Jedi and made to write many back reports, which I find hilarious.
Myles is very upset to have discovered that Stewjon is in the Deep Core, and thus past the protective ring of the Republic. He is hoping that the Republic will be quite stupid about things in the next year, impeding the Jedi from fulfilling their Reparation promises, and that it will break into pieces, with some of the former Republic systems possibly joining us, and more importantly, that a pathway will be made for him to be able to conquer Stewjon entirely, and stop their practice of drowning their Adept children. He’s really kinda bent on this. He also wants Alderaan at least as a very strong ally against sentient trafficking. With him on that one. And I’d really be okay if the whole damn ziggurat just relocated. We’ve got a lot of wide open land here on Mandalore, I’m just saying. And if, after the first year, we need to fund our farmers, we can do that.
Tenedre has accepted a post with me as the Admiral of a fleet we don’t yet have, but will soon. I mean, yes, I’m going to confiscate all of Vizsla’s at my first opportunity, but I think we’re also going to need some warships. Not that we’re actually scrambling for war, but I am determined to be ready and more than ready for whatever it is the Sith have in store for us, and the Clan Heads are particularly adamant about it. Not that I’m going to fund this by selling off beskar to the Republic and the Techno Union, as Kryze would have us do, but there are other ways. We’re looking into a few possibilities, now.
Enough of that.
Shit, we miss you. It’s only been a few days since we got back, and I mean, sure it’s been completely crazy and there’s so much to do and organize and so many people to meet with and reassure and strategize. Definitely no time to laze around in hot springs and have informal, yet extremely important meetings with strangers while completely naked. Not that I didn’t enjoy that. I really did. Glad we had a solid month together at the Aswad Compound after all.
Your new karyai is big enough for all three of us, right? It is very cool that Plo’buir is planning on just giving you several months off every two years to come live with us for a time, but we’re going to need to either ‘happen’ to run into each other while you’re out on a mission, or I’m going to need to visit Little Keldabe twice a year as a matter of course, and obviously when you’re in residence. Oh, let’s go with all three, Beautiful.
I found one single piece of bright pink adhesive, glow-in-the-dark glitter on the inside of my right greave. I’m keeping it. I’ve already put a little patch of clear sealant on it, just in case. Myles has called me a sentimental softie, and in Ryl.
Looking forward to the Teach A Ghost How To Ghost manual. I have a feeling that Jas’buir has a shittonne of opinions he’s been holding back on. May as well give the Council of Stars an actual mouthpiece, you know? And such a sensible, rational, moderate one, too. (Definitely let’s not teach Mand’alor the Ultimate how to Ghost, right?) Especially since we’re both Adept enough to see him, if he knows what to do and how to do it. Fuck I miss my Buir.
Anyway, Kal finally relented and accepted the position as my Second-in-Command, after Myles of course. And you, for all that you’re busy doing other things just at present.
Did you ever find out what Ba’buir Fay meant about you being halfway to Mastery? So curious about that.
Practicing cooking fish. Honestly, never tried before, but Buir had some good recipes there that I’m learning, and Myles says the first attempt was a good one. Filet of Pinkfish stuffed with soft cheese and smoked chili peppers, wrapped in flimsi-thin layers of dough and butter, then baked. Like I said, pretty good, only mildly fiddly.
Right. So that’s us for a bit. Myles and I have already decided to write to you at least once a week, and we’ll switch off doing it, in case workloads get crazy, at least one of us gets a solid hour to say ‘fuck this shit, I have to go write to my beloved now’.
We will remember your name forever. May all your hunts be successful, the Force be with you, the Manda watch over you, and the Stars guide your path back home.
Jango & Myles
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My beautiful darlings,
I love that you’re tag teaming writing me, but then again you are probably far busier than I am. Not that I’m not being kept busy, despite the mandatory downtime after shadow missions, which admittedly I am halfway through. Still.
You know, there were signs here that I just didn’t notice when all my beautiful family was around me, and now that you are all gone home again, I can’t help but notice… My dearest beloveds, I think I might have accidentally started just a tiny bit of a revolution. In the Order. Well, I suppose it would technically be a Reformation. As I say, the signs were there, but I just… what can I say? If you both weren’t sufficiently distracting on your own, then there’s also six new parents and four new lineage siblings on one side or another. A little embarrassing, perhaps, coming off a successful Trial of Insight, to miss what was right in front of me, but fuck it.
Or as Siri likes to say, ‘chuck it in the Tanphlucket Fuck-It Bucket’.
I wonder if you really could get a souvenir bucket from Tanphlucket so labeled.
Anyway, yes, right.
Reformation.
Oops?
None of my business, anyway. I’m just apparently leading special super-secret, but not actually-secret (but don’t tell the junior padawans that) Shadow Wrapping Lessons to the entirety of the Padawan Corps, and I’m this close (imagine my fingers just a hair-width apart) from getting Jon to agree to at least (I mean, come on, tell me I’m being unreasonable and I’ll stop. Well, I’ll consider stopping.) teach the Padawan Corps how to phase matter. I mean, I’m not asking him to teach us all how to teleport to Mandalore (but oh, wouldn’t THAT come in handy!) He says not even his insane, dark, terrifying demagolka teacher can teleport more than three sectors at a time, but it strikes me that this is all just in the mind, because either you’re one with the Force and you can slip across the galaxy with a thought, or you’re not, but of course the downside is that if I’m wrong and I can’t do it, I could also get lost in time and space, and that would be the absolutely most ideal outcome for being wrong, to come out ten thousand years earlier, or later, and stars know where. The less ideal outcomes would of course include becoming somehow untethered (even while being tethered) and drift in the Force (looks like a coma, which is unlikely, because more likely would be:) or to become one with the Force and actually just stay that way, (it’s not a euphemism for Death, it’s what actually happens, or is theologically supposed to occur, conversations on the Manda and the Council of the Stars, and Force Ghosts notwithstanding) which then the best I can hope for is to have thoroughly digested the ‘How To Ghost’ manual (attached, it’s fascinating, I think Jas’buir is going to love it. Have you considered setting up a datapad, comm, and input device for him? Maybe somewhere central he can use, but then also bring to War Council, if necessary? That way if he’s having a bad day and can’t manifest, he can send you Commtexts from The Council of the Stars? I would love to see Mand’alor Vizsla personally verbally eviscerate Clan Head Vizsla, though, wouldn’t you? Anyway.). Yes. So. I mean, there are downsides, I do understand that, esoteric practices and all that, but you know, I also feel like… if the Force ‘accidentally’ flings me into the future or past, perhaps I need to do a bit of work there, and you know… I could probably figure out how to get back, all things considered. I mean, don’t you think?
I think so.
If I ever find myself unmoored in space and time, I’ll make sure to swing by Korda VI and grab Jas’buir on my way home. Promise. And I’ll see if I can’t work it so I’m back before you both begin to panic. I mean, if I’m time travelling anyway, that would be most convenient.
Ah, to that end. I would absolutely love if you both would wear non-beskar helmets. It would help me anchor to either or better, both of you, and also to figure out exactly what time I’m meant to be in, and possibly which timeline, because it’s exceedingly possible to get lost in that way in time, as well, at least that’s what Jon said the manuscript said.
He also told me quite privately that the rather ancient manuscript was actually written in his handwriting, which has been something weighing on him, so I think I need to discuss my little ideas about getting unlost in space and time with him, and do some meditations on that. Maybe we’ll try tiny little time jumps, sort of thing?
Yes, I think that will be just the ticket.
Anyway, to your question, I have absolutely no idea, still, what Fay Vizsla of Clan Jedi meant about me being halfway to mastery, but were you implying that you’re going to attempt a hostile take over of Clan Vizsla with Fay? FAY? Oh, send video. That will be gorgeous. And if you think Jon Antilles would sit through an entire War Council meeting, even just a single one, without completely zoning out absolutely everyone and only clocking back in when the Force yelled at him to do so, you are sorely mistaken about him. He would, and then he would fake his death to avoid a second one. (I showed him the picture you sent, and your commentary about his armor and he blushed! He’s so sweet, I just adore him. Working on the adoption. He still won’t have seniority, he’s only two years older than me, well, okay, he would have seniority, but he would quickly ceed the responsibility to me if I even so much as pointed the possibility out. I, on the other hand, would be absolutely thrilled to be on your War Council, my darlings, but please let that not be the only commcalls we have, because it will make me cry with sadness if that’s the case. Not that commcalls are so easy to schedule, I do understand, and I love the prospect of weekly letters that will keep me sane. Still. I did talk with Plo’buir about it and he laughed and laughed and pointed out that I needed to offer council whenever asked by ANY government, as every Jedi in any Corps actually must, it’s just that they so rarely give a shit about a Jedi’s opinion unless they can’t stop their interplanetary civil wars on their own, kind of thing. So. Ask away, my darlings, in any capacity. The Ruusan Reformation does not forbid it, and in fact, enshrines it, much like jurisdiction over the Sith.)
Speaking of the Sith, don’t think I missed that reference. What are you both up to? You can’t have given me a slug throwing pistol and sniper rifle both and then imagined I wanted to sit out a Sith Hunt, darlings. (To say nothing of my absolutely GORGEOUS beskar and cortosis fighting knives!) I’m not just pretty. I’m also useful. And Jon is teaching me how to fight and shadow walk at the same time! Jon is also interested in any Sith Hunts that may come down the line. I swear I’ll have him in some decent armor by that point, if there’s enough time. I’m this close to getting him to declare that damn demagolka dar’buir and then Plo’buir is going to adopt him on the spot, and so am I. I’ve already mentioned it casually to Jon, but he doesn’t really understand how serious we both are about it.
Feemor is another one I’m working on. And Sifo-Dyas, actually, who seems exceedingly fond of our dear Jon Antilles, Bounty Hunter. Orgasmically fond, if you will. Then again, Sifo-Dyas will have either seen it coming, or it won’t happen, so… yes. Ah, which reminds me. I have started both mindhealing sessions, and meditations with Sifo-Dyas and both have born strange and beautiful fruit. More on that soon. But… could I beg some beskar from House Mereel, darlings? I want to try something. You see, I think just a bit of beskar might moderate Sifo-Dyas’ rather debilitating visions, without stopping them altogether. Perhaps a series of five thin beskar wrist cuffs? If it works, and we can sort out my visions returning, I’ll be asking for another set for me as well, for me to wear while out of armor. It’s nice to have precognition, but being hit by a speeder twice a week and being plagued by horrific nightmares while both waking and sleeping isn’t ideal for any constitution, and apparently in antiquity sometimes the visions have been moderated by wearing some amount of beskar.
Sifo-Dyas is an archivist, you see, but was trained as one of those archivists who goes exploring ancient Sith Temples for funzies, rather like Treack, actually. Intellectual badass. Reminds me of your stories of Jas’buir, honestly. I look forward to talking with him more in the future.
You are a sentimental softie, Jango, and that’s one of your finer traits. But if you think I’m not telling Quinlan about this, you are sorely mistaken. However, you are also just the sweetest thing! You’re learning how to cook fish for me! Oh! I want to taste it! I’m sure it tasted absolutely heavenly, my darlings. I hope you enjoyed some for me.
Do, do switch out your helmets, won’t you? That way I can anchor to you when I phase my matter, which if I did while there was a chance you put on a beskar helmet, that might make things difficult for the anchoring. (Er, maybe not, but do we chance it, when getting lost in space and time is an option? Not that I’m not going to be practicing short-distance intentional time travel with Jon, because I absolutely am, especially since I have confirmation from Sifo-Dyas that Jon and I will still be around several years down the line, and Jon has that awful Trandoshan sword hanging over him, but of course that might have been a different timeline, that’s what I’m positing anyway.) Also, if I can reliably anchor to you, when he finally teaches me to teleport I’ll also be able to just nip over to you, and it will be all the easier to travel the don’t ask me how many sectors it is, because I barely passed Astronav.
Who needs commcalls, is where I’m going with this, when you’ve figured out teleportation?
Anyway, yes, life is dull now that everyone is gone and there isn’t a Sith Shrine below the crypt spewing out Darkness. And my karyai is perfectly sized for the three of us, and rather empty just at present.
Mmm, to answer your question, Jango, Myles, I am absolutely appalled that you think I might be even slightly ready to take an apprentice, but so long as I take an initiate who does not have parents or guardians who have retained their rights, yes, you would be allowed to adopt them, with their consent, and the permission of the Master of the Order. They would be raised as proper Mandalorian Jedi, so long as they wish to participate in my culture, yes, and who I actually take will be entirely up to the Will of the Force, my doves, and we can discuss it all much closer to that time, which is not now, I need so much mindhealing between now and then.
Speaking of which…
I saw the dar’buir, by the way. He bowed to me in the hallway as we passed, and congratulated me on my accomplishments, using my title and last name, and I cordially thanked him using his title (Knight! He got demoted!) and last name, and my shielding was perfect. Then I went and ate fish and cried and did at least commtext Bant, who came a few hours later when she got off her shift and brought us a feast of fish and little else. But we had meiloorun liquor, so what else did we need, really? (Alright, I did actually eat six meiloorun cupcakes after eating the weight of my armor in fish.) I’ll be taking it to my mindhealer the next time I go, and Plo’buir already checked in with me after the commtext and before Bant arrived, and I just cried on him a bit, and that was also good. It’s such a complicated thing, is the problem. It’s not like I just hate or resent him. I also love him. Ugh. No. Not going there now. I had enough waterworks on the subject two days ago. No, no, no, not crying. Moving on.
Let’s talk about sex, yes?
I absolutely adore the holovids you both shared with me of some of your previous encounters together! Mmm, and I know I’m going to love watching the ones we made together, though I might cringe a little to see myself, but whatever. I’ll be focusing on the two of you, so that’s fine. Still, I’m going to parcel them out slowly so I can savor them, and not run out too quickly. And I admit, I have made one already for you, to be exchanged the next time we see each other.
I had a good conversation with the Master of Shadows - and I get to know who that is! So exciting. I was very clear with them that undercover business is right out for me. I’m no good at it, and I get too invested. But they’re very interested in the training I’m doing (Oh, EVERYBODY knows I’m training the Padawan Corps, it’s the most ridiculously open secret, and only the Padawans don’t realize that at the very least all the savvy Masters know.) and the training Jon is doing with me (apparently he won’t train anyone else, and it must be what the Force has told him, which is so strange, but maybe the Force wants him to start small and get used to it, or to have me train instead of him, only the Force and Jon Antilles know.) and he’s just absolutely ferocious with a lightsaber, though the man hardly needs to use it, as he can dissolve organs at a distance while casually eating and drinking and cleaning up at Sabaac, AND HAS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST (see Delicate Bounties reference), but Jango, were you quite serious about joining in on Sith Hunts? I mean, I know your armor has been modified, well, aside from the loss of your pauldrons (the scale sleeves look absolutely divine, darling), with your gorgeous gorget, but just so you know, don’t actually get rid of the beskar helmet, in that case. Because Sith can rip right through mental shields in the worst and ugliest sorts of ways, and some beskar around the brains might do you good for that. I wouldn’t want Myles to join in, as it wasn’t recommended by Ba’buir Fay (do I still get to call her Ba’buir if she engages in a hostile takeover of her Buir’s clan?), but… could there be an excuse for Myles to join you on the trip anyway? Being the odd one out isn’t something I would wish on either one of you.
Golly, I’m quite scattered. Mmm. More meditation.
And more fish.
I am excited at the thought of your new helmets, though, because among other things, when I do the tethering meditation which is just so fabulous, as you both know so well, I really think I might be able to speak with you through our bonds more clearly, if I’m tethered to you at the time, no matter the distance. Anyway. We’ll see. I’ll certainly be trying, so apologies ahead if I interrupt anything important. Happy to pay that debt in our karyai when I see you again.
Love to you both, and Kal’buir, Ill’buir, and Tene’buir (and Ruus’buir, too, if you see her). May all your hunts be wildly successful, and the Stars (and Jas’buir, especially) guide your path.
Force be with you, my loves,
Ob’ika
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some time later
but really, not that much time later
time is a funny thing, actually
tea time, doubly so
Darlings,
Comm me immediately. Highest priority. This is an emergency, but the extremely good kind. Haven’t mastered multi-sector teleportation, but have thoroughly mastered intentional time travel. We have Jas’buir. I repeat, WE HAVE JAS’BUIR. He’s wounded and won’t let me near. Also we lost his helmet, but there was an ion cannon, etc. Jon wouldn’t let me go alone and he’s very kindly playing hostage right now so I can dictate this message to you, with a knife to his throat and Master Che really is going to throttle me with her bare hands if I let Jon’s throat get cut ONE MORE TIME.
So. Jango. Myles. Seriously. Comm me immediately. We’ll be here. Waiting. Also, see if you can contact Jas’buir’s ghost, because I THINK we didn’t accidentally swipe some other timeline’s Jaster Mereel from the clutches of death, but time is a funny thing. Also, prayers to the Daughter might not go amiss at this point, Myl’ika. Mmm, just in case.
Then get your asses to the Temple, stat. Use that fancy new hyperdrive you put in Jaster’s Legacy, yes? And do bring Jas’buir’s helmet? You mentioned you still have his armor intact? I’m sure he’d also like some ordnance and whatever would be in his standard kit. No luggage, I’m afraid.
Oh, dear. I hope we’re still engaged. I don’t THINK we fucked about with the timeline all THAT much. I mean, what’s one little rescue, yes?
Talk to you soon, darlings. Very, very soon. Force be with you and stay alive, and let’s get on with this, because Jon and I have a very long list of things to fix with perhaps just a tiny bit more finesse, now that we know this has worked, and before Plo’buir catches wind of our timeline shenanigans and forbids it. Better to ask forgiveness than permission in this case, or so Sifo-Dyas has counselled us. Anyway. Twenty-six names are on phase one, darlings, so get your collective asses in gear, yes? I need to go work on getting Jon to agree to adoption now, before Jas’buir relents, realizes how mandokarla he is, and just adopts him right out from under me. I know how you Mandalorians-from-birth go with this, it’s one end of the pendulum swing right over to the other faster than you can blink.
Right. Yes. Love you. Comm me.
Ob’ika
Oh, since I have you here, I'm also considering taking a padawan. He’s a semi-feral former Sith Dathomiri Zabrak who has sworn to rip my throat out with his teeth, but his heart wasn't really in it. But we need to rescue his brothers, first. How would you feel about adopting all three?
Right. Yes. Anyway. Hostage-adjacent situation until Jon gets bored of it, or hungry, or Stars help us all, one of my friends or loved ones comes knocking on my door. I mean, the idea was to rescue Jas’buir, not to have Jon terrorize him. Do comm nowish, yes?