Chapter Text
Two days later the Mandalorians arrived. Fay was right. They instantly deemed both Jon and Obi-Wan as full of mandokar and it was a very good thing that Fay had already adopted them both.
Still, two squads of warriors were quite effective as a deterrent, once both of the insane sides of the war could be made to see that the children had contracted with a killer strike force that could easily take them all out, and felt morally required to not offer mercy.
And then Senior Padawan Kenobi shone; he was fantastic with people, in the exact way that Jon wasn’t, and Fay had little patience for. He was young, but so very compelling as a speaker, sensible and rational when others could finally be brought around to the concept of listening to reason, and Fay could tell that she wasn’t the only one who was impressed. The leader of the Mandalorians who had come (quickly identified as the current Mand’alor; Jon and Obi-Wan had apparently spent some time with an older version of them, and had been provisioned quite generously) was watching the negotiations and standing next to her, with his helmet on.
Jon startled on the other side of her. “I’ll be back,” he whispered.
Apparently that she didn’t follow him got her a slow helmet turn of judgmentalism from the Mand’alor. Very promptly his second, and apparently future spouse and co-ruler #1, was clearly and obviously dispatched after Jon.
She turned her head to the staring Mandalorian and arched an eyebrow. “If you think Jon needs that sort of help, you’re profoundly underestimating my child,” she said in something near a whisper.
The Mand’alor responded in silent battle sign, which if she remembered correctly, was a criticism on how young he was. Roughly.
Fay sighed and signed back. ‘Little warrior is stealth assassin. Kills Hutts for fun. Much fun. Many Hutts.’
A slightly deeper helmet turn. ‘Bad intel. You are pacifist.’
‘His not-parent isn’t,’ Fay pointed out. It had been a very long time since she’d even used Mandalorian Battle Sign, but it was coming back to her rather well, she thought.
‘Recent adoption?’
‘Two weeks for Stealth Assassin. One week for Adorable One.’
‘Request more intel, now,’ the Mand’alor demanded.
‘Stealth Assassin is my foundling for two years. Recent divorce of not-parent. Adorable One meets Stealth Assassin in Stars after abandoned in warzone. Here. Promises to teach. We come immediately.’ Tenses were tricky in Mando’a, and no less tricky in the Battle Sign version of the language.
A sharp nod and the helmet stare was turned back to the negotiations.
Well.
It had been even longer since she had to argue with someone in Mandalorian Battle Sign, but Fay was glad to see that she still had it.
‘Adorable One is good at talking,’ the Mand’alor signed to her while still facing forward.
Ah.
Yes.
Mandalorian Battle Sign had no applicable words for diplomacy, other than surrender, and retreat.
But Fay had spent much time considering this conundrum, actually.
‘Cease-fire-talking. Adorable One trains this, in past,’ Fay signed.
‘This is Adorable One’s warrior-birth?’ the Mand’alor, who was apparently quite chatty, asked.
‘No. Eleven months past. This is two of five battle successes to become Commando, like Stealth Assassin.’
‘Bad intel,’ the Mand’alor accused.
‘Stars give perfect intel,’ Fay argued right back.
That got her the slow helmet turn of incredulousness.
‘Where is your steel-skin?’ he asked, clearly changing the subject after being ground into the dirt on the previous one.
‘Jedi Stronghold Library, Coruscant.’
A deeper helmet turn of incredulousness.
‘I am old-old, little child,’ Fay pointed out. This had yet to come up, she didn’t think, in any of the conversations that Jon and Obi-Wan had had with any of the Mandalorians, though why it should she wasn’t sure.
‘What is your clan? Your parent?’
‘I am child of Tarre, child of Tane, child of Torga, Mand’alor the Thaumaturge, in the Council of the Stars for a thousand years. My first family died in plague. Whole planet. I am lone survivor.’ And if the Mand’alor got all of that rather specific sign, she would be surprised. ‘Clan Vizsla,’ she finally added. ‘Clan Vizsla has bad intel, bad actions, now. Not safe to go home.’
‘Pledge to House Mereel, and always have a home.’
‘Always is a long time, little child,’ she argued.
‘Pledge,’ he urged.
Fay checked with the Force and sighed. ‘I will always follow the orders of the Stars. If you speak against Stars, I ignore you. My children ignore you.’
‘Pledge. If you ignore me, I have bad intel.’
‘I pledge to House Mereel.’ At least she thought she was signing ‘Mereel.’ She was pledging to someone, certainly.
Fay kept the smile on the inside. She was pretty sure it was Mereel she’d just pledged to, though she did check with the Force all the same.
Yes.
It was Mereel.
‘Come to Stronghold after this,’ the Mand’alor insisted, meaning Keldabe, where Jon so recently was.
‘Soon. Not immediately,’ she agreed.
‘Orders of Stars?’ he asked.
‘Orders of Stars,’ she agreed.
After a long moment he signed again. ‘You wear your steel-skin?’
‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘Children need steel-skin. I need to have a battle of words with Jedi bosses in Stronghold. Clean-up,’ she explained.
‘Take my comm-code. Call if problems in Little Stronghold. Agreed?’
‘Understood,’ she replied.
‘How long?’ he asked.
‘Cease-fire-words another seven days. Clean-up in Coruscant and Jedha three months,’ she signed, then handed over her commlink. It was easier that way.
The Alderaani aid ship would be arriving tomorrow, and their work here was almost done.
Not that Fay was looking forward to being on Coruscant, by any means. But Obi-Wan did have friends to meet with and share his new comm code with, and Fay had looked at both dataclips that Obi-Wan had been given, with the instructions from various people to give both to Master Plo Koon.
That had been illuminating. Fay was… perhaps… just a little bit looking forward to seeing the results of the massive clean out that would shortly be happening. And it might be a good time for her to bring up her long list of grievances that no one would listen to, before. The Sith Shrine in the Temple was established just at the end of the Jedi-Sith wars, after all, and no wonder she hadn’t wanted to be there, after a time.
Fay was definitely not looking forward to being on Coruscant… but it might be an interesting time to be at the Jedi Temple. Even if the Council of First Knowledge would want reports. It wasn’t the worst way to spend time, particularly if it gave them enough credits to travel across the ecuminopolis and stay several weeks in Little Keldabe.
Fay received her commlink back and stowed it in her back belt pack. They listened in sign-silence as Obi-Wan patiently explained a point in a slightly different way than he had just done, and to great effect and Fay didn’t give her pride in him to the Force just yet. She smiled, instead.
‘Buir. Threat neutralized. Member of the Young was setting up in a sniper position just outside peace talks. He was the only one. He’s asleep and I’ve transported him back to their stronghold. Put his rifle back in their armory and changed the lock on it. Do you have any idea why Commander Skirata was following me?’
‘Ah. Well done, Jon, well done! The Mand’alor was under the impression that I was not providing you enough supervision, and that you were not capable of keeping yourself safe.’
‘Is he a moron? That’s a shame, because Obi-Wan already has a crush. He seemed very intelligent and reasonable last week and several years from now.’
‘Not a moron, I think. You’re quite advanced, dear one. He is not used to such a high level of competency in fifteen year old warriors.’
‘I can’t wait till I look old,’ Jon groused telepathically.
Fay let her mental laughter fill the space between them. ‘I understand, dear one. I’d appreciate just a little more care of your vocal cords, however.’
‘Yes, Buir,’ Jon sighed telepathically, his mental voice sweet and unharmed.
‘Will you let me heal it more? Please?’
‘It’s the one thing about me that doesn’t scream ‘I’m a child!’’ he argued.
‘Dear one, it’s really not. Your competency is glorious and not at all child-like. The rest will come, but your voice will be easier to heal now, then if you let it go a few more years. Please? For me?’ Fay was not above begging.
‘Alright. In hyperspace.’
‘Thank you, dear one.’
‘Incoming,’ Jon said in her mind as he quietly walked back in the door. ‘How is Obi-Wan doing? What did I miss?’
‘You missed him being wonderfully rational and persuasive, of course. He’s doing marvelously. We’ll need to make sure he continues this sort of training when we can, through module work, and perhaps some time at the Diath Clan Compound. Nico’s uncle is quite good at this, as well.’
‘I look forward to that. Could we… would it be frivolous to get me some training modules, too? Not that my training wasn’t complete, but there’s a lot that Obi-Wan mentions that I have no idea what he’s talking about.’
‘Of course, dear one. We’ll be comprehensive about our downloads from the Archive, and you can pick and choose from what you’d both like to study, in your own areas of interest. Your training as a honed weapon against the slave trade was absolutely complete, dear one. Your training regarding other things is a bit spotty, if I may speak plainly.’
Jon sighed in her mind. ‘I’m starting to notice that. Do you know about Alderaani Epic Poems?’
‘Oh, yes. It’s a cornerstone of their culture, really. And their culture has influenced many others.’
‘She taught me nothing about Alderaani Epic Poetry, Buir.’
‘I’m not at all surprised, dear one,’ she said, putting her arm around his shoulder. He was growing again, so she wouldn’t be able to do this for much longer.
Jon listed out the eight other subjects of which he wanted an exhaustive knowledge, Seers and their visions being one of them, naturally.
‘The Archivists will help you, there, my dear. Just tell them that you need to know absolutely everything the ancients wrote about the subject and you’ll have all the reading material you could desire. Times change though, so make sure you tell them you want everything.’
‘Yes, Buir. I will.’
‘I’ll have them do some work on our gunship to make it just a little cozier and more stable while we do other chores, but we’ll be at the Temple for a few days, perhaps a week, and then we’ll travel to the other side of the planet and stay in the Mandalorian Quarter for perhaps another three… no, four weeks. We won’t be long back in the Temple after that, I think, and then we’ll travel to Jedha and stay for a few weeks, and then we’ll have an adventure with Knol before we head to Mandalore.’
Jon leaked concern.
‘What is it, dear one?’
‘Is it… is it right to know so many steps ahead? When it’s not a battle plan?’
‘My dear, sometimes I get curious. It’s not wrong to ask, and if the Force doesn’t wish me to know for whatever very good reason, it simply won’t tell me, and I accept that. Sometimes I have no one to gossip with but the Force, and I have to take my fun where I can.’
Jon leaked shocked horror, not unlike the developmental moment every child has when one realizes one’s parents had sex.
Fay held a mild countenance and howled with laughter on the inside.
Jon was quiet for the rest of the session’s negotiations.
They slept in their gunship and took their sonics there, and Fay sent off a few messages in the evening after the children had gone to sleep, with Obi-Wan cuddled under three blankets and half on top of Jon, as he had been every night since they arrived.
She also noticed that she had a message waiting for her, and earmarked it for reading and response when she was done with her personal comms, and before she went back to her speedrun through the modern cultural modules Jon had been given.
Nico & Knol,
Jon let me adopt him! I’m so thrilled. He had a bit of an adventure, and the Force threw him forward in time for a small while, and when he returned he had gained significant new perspective on many things. I’m very proud of him.
He also gained a padawan, who I’ve also adopted. He’s a darling thirteen year old with two knight trials behind him. He was on the Consular track, and very clearly, too. It’s possible Obi-Wan could talk the bark off a tree. Also excellent fighting and strategy skills.
We’ll be off to Coruscant in a bit, then Jedha, and then we’ll cross paths with you, Knol.
Jon’s comm is broken again, but I’ll insist he upgrade when we get to the Temple, if you wanted to write to him.
May the Force be with you,
Fay
Quartermaster,
Greetings, and may the Force be with you.
I am comming to see if my rooms have been saved for me, and if not, to request a master’s suite with a double human sized bed in each room, a floor couch with low table, two pouf chairs, three kneeling desks, three armor stands, six size three meditation cushions, and a kneeling dining table with six cushions. If my old rooms have been saved for me, could you send in the cleaning droids for a most thorough cleaning? It’s been three hundred years.
Also, I’ll be coming in with a gunship in ten days that needs some upgrading in terms of the micro galley and living areas; specifically switching one of the bottom single racks out for a double, three additional single emergency racks (we can reuse the traded out rack from the rack room to make it four) rack mattresses for all, new pillows for near Humans for all, new bedroll linens and twice as many blankets, three armor stands, a #12 rug, and three medium pouf chairs. For the micro galley, a #3 pressure pot, grain cooker, and a working quick-hot with quick-hot bangcorn maker, plus cups, bowls, spoons and chopsticks for fifteen, plus serving spoons, scraper, and kitchen knife and cutting board. I’ll send the rest of the mechanical requests to the hangar.
Many thanks,
Master Fay
Hangarmaster,
Greetings, and may the Force be with you.
I will be arriving shortly in Jeth-49 with a ship that needs a bit of work. Most systems have amber lights, none of the sonics function at peak, and it has two working maintenance and cleaning droids, when it properly will need five, of various types. I’ve ordered some soft and hard materials from the Quartermaster, but the hard ones in the microgalley and the rackroom and cargo bay will need to be installed. In addition to those things, we need a zip tap and a second water dispenser for nutrient water jugs in the micro galley, secure weapons storage in the rackroom, and four emergency racks in the cargohold, with upgraded life support systems for a max capacity of thirty near Humans.
If time and resources permit, some soothing colors on the walls and ceilings in the living spaces would be appreciated. Perhaps light blues, greens, and purples?
Many thanks,
Master Fay
To the Council of Reassignment, from Master Fay.
Greetings, and may the Force be with you.
As Knight Qui-Gon Jinn has repudiated Senior Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi by taking his lightsaber and abandoning him mid-mission in a warzone where children were being hunted, and as Senior Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi has recently joined my lineage, along with his master, Knight Jon Antilles, formerly of An’ya Kuro’s lineage, I trust that you will sort out the transfer of all of the Senior Padawan’s belongings from Knight Jinn’s quarters to my own before our arrival in ten days. I understand there were belongings from the last mission as well, that were also kept back during the repudiation, for your information.
I further understand the Senior Padawan’s lightsaber was physically wrested from Knight Jinn’s person via a Force-given time travelling Jedi Master who has come and gone again, so that, at least, you do not need to acquire on his behalf.
Also, given the state of Knight Antilles when I first began travelling with him two years ago, I hope you will not under any circumstances assign or condone An’ya Kuro taking on another padawan. I will file an abuse and neglect report on her soon. I expect to hear updates on whether or not she is formally barred from taking on students of any sort.
Knight Antilles’ comm is broken. I will ensure he replaces it upon our return to the Temple next week.
Fay of Vizsla,
First, what exactly was Tarre Vizsla’s title? It has been lost to history and I didn’t recognize the sign you made - Stars Armorer? They were an Armorer, too?
Second, the more I think about it, the more I anticipate there’s going to be trouble when you request beskar and cortosis of the Armorer in Little Keldabe, from the Vizsla stores. I’ve sent some comms, and my Armorer is going to sort out the details, and I’ll bring the metals to Little Keldabe. It’s been a while since I visited, and it’s good to keep up relations.
Third, there is going to be a shitstorm sooner or later with Vizsla. I’ll support you whichever way it goes, but it would be awfully useful if you could find your way to overthrowing the current clanhead. Seniority shouldn’t be an issue, I think. Are you up-to-date when it comes to Clan Business there? We can go into more detail when we meet in Little Keldabe. I’d be curious to hear the Adorable One’s opinion on the matter. I have a good feeling about them. Well, about all of you, honestly. You’re an interesting family.
Stars guide your hunt,
Fett
Mand’alor Fett,
The word you’re looking for is Thaumaturge. It was archaic when the Armorer of Vizsla bestowed it on them. It means one who works the magic of the Stars like an Armorer works beskar. It is an ancient title for a sufficiently advanced child of the Manda who is also Star-touched, which obviously came about sometime after the Ultimate. The difficult and otherwise untranslatable title in Basic, ‘Master’ for sufficiently advanced Jedi is the exact translation of Thaumaturge. It is similar to the rank of SuperCommando in these modern times, I believe.
Jon is nearing the level of Thaumaturge, in case you were curious. It won’t be much longer now, I think.
I accept your kindness in facilitating the proper metals be in the proper places to outfit my young ones. Training armor clearly won’t do, and they will use the Stars to get used the weight quickly. Beskar below the neck. Cortosis for the gorget and helmet.
I have consulted the Stars concerning a takeover of Clan Vizsla. Yes, but very carefully and very particularly. I have zero intention of living on Concordia. But it will open some other interesting avenues we could also discuss in Little Keldabe.
Do you enjoy Sabaac, by the way? We need to teach Obi-Wan, and he’ll need someone to practice fleecing. All with training credits, of course.
Fay
The Alderaani mission was headed by a young senatorial aide named Bail Antilles who was very eager, indeed, to have a long, private conversation with Obi-Wan on the relief mission’s second day on-planet, when there was finally a little breathing room around eating and sleeping.
Neither Fay nor Jon were surprised by it. Obi-Wan had said that Cerasi had very nearly recited verbatim the comm messages that his older counterpart had sent, and apparently in a different timeline, Obi-Wan was quite close friends with the soon-to-be Senator and Prince Consort of Alderaan.
Jon was busy consulting with Nield and Cerasi and Fay was doing her rounds with her Mandalorian counterpart, the chief medical officer of their mission, to do some of the deep healing work of pernicious and older wounds, which was emotionally taxing, when it was a seven year old one was discussing, but Fay gave it to the Force and would be spending a bit longer in meditation that evening.
And after a meal of rations, and cycling themselves and their clothes through the mostly functioning sonics, clean, warm, and full, Fay meditated with her beautiful children in the gunship rackroom, which was the only place remotely comfortable enough to do so, as the outdoors were not safe enough for a deep meditation.
Tethering was too stimulating and gentle healing was best done in the morning, but a gentle winding down and settling meditation to allow the mind to quietly sort through the many things of the day and prepare for sleep was just perfect for her little over-stimulated ones.
Quickly enough they were tucked in together and she kissed both of their heads before retreating to the living space and sitting at the table. She would read and write her comms there, so the typing wouldn’t disturb the young ones, and then return to her bunk to read in leisure, and as she was nearly caught up with all of her reading, perhaps she would sleep tonight, as well.
Master Fay,
Your quarters have been reserved for you and are being cleaned out. We took the liberty to enter and inspect them, and all is well. We have added an armor rack, as you only had two, and updated your bedroll linens and towels, blankets, and karyai cushions, as time had not been kind. Your pantry is clear and we did not look in your wardrobe or personal drawers.
We shall coordinate with the hangars on your ship refit.
Please remember that you can make an order from the kitchens and pantries so you may return home to a stocked kitchen with options, and too, we would be happy to have any personal item you need from the warehouse already delivered upon your arrival.
Welcome home, and may the Force be with you in your travels,
the Quartermasters
Quartermaster,
You are very kind, and I shall make my order of the kitchen and pantries. Thank you.
If you would be willing to assemble three standard near Human toiletry packs, two menstrual packs, a packet of multi-size hair ties, a sewing and darning kit, three medium mission satchel bags, one large mission duffel bag, one encrypted long-distance comm, two datapads, three input devices, seven high capacity dataclips, two balls of sock yarn in black and white, two spools of thread each in dark brown, black, and white, two travel tea sets with small cups, two travel tea sets with large cups, three sets of soft rags appropriate for cleaning armor, and an extra set of bath towels, that would do for personal items.
I also need a bright blue, warm fuzzy blanket, three sets of Sabaac cards and one set of fake tokens for learning purposes, a dejarik set, and four more physical games: one involving wordplay in Basic, one involving edible vs. dangerous flora, one involving traits of charismatic megafauna, and one involving cultural interplay of Core and Mid-Rim worlds. Also, a nutrient water dispenser of the sort that holds the large upside down jugs.
As for clothes I will need the following items, sizes in attachments, adjustable as requested for the Senior Padawan and Knight.
For all of us, one set thermal and one set regular pajama tunics and trousers, one set spacer slippers, one set regular slippers, one matching long pajama robe.
For Senior Padawan Kenobi, a set of white tall boots, three sets white crew socks, three sets white full-coverage thermal base layers, three sets white short warm-weather base layers, two white trousers, two white double-breasted over tunics, one white thermal outer robe, one white warm-weather outer robe. Please rivet two sheaths per boot inside, to fit a knife with a four inch blade and three inch handle.
For Knight Antilles, a set of black tall boots, five sets of black crew socks, three sets black short warm-weather base layers, two black trousers, two black double-breasted over tunics, one black thermal outer robe, one black warm-weather outer robe. Please rivet three sheaths per boot inside, to fit a knife with a four inch blade and three inch handle.
For myself, a new set of white tall boots, one riveted sheath per boot to fit a knife with a six inch blade and a four inch handle.
Many thanks, and may the Force be with you,
Master Fay
Attachments
To the Kitchens & Pantry, from Master Fay, Greetings.
If you would be so kind as to have delivered the following to my quarters on the morning of six days hence, I would be most grateful. All food safe for near Human, Stewjoni, and Sephi.
Many thanks, and may the Force be with you,
Master Fay
-five large jugs of nutrient water suitable for placement in a dispenser.
-Tea: a small canister and a pound bag each of Meiloorun Black, Lapsang Suchong, and Tulsi Apricot Hibiscus.
-two cases of canned, smoked fish, several varieties
-a case of canned, smoked nexu, several flavor varieties
-a case of canned nuna, several flavor varieties
-a case of instant blue bread rations
-a case of dried fish snacks
-a case of dried meiloorun
-a case of cheese crackers
-a case of breakfast oats, several varieties.
-three large jars of nut butter
-five kilos of granola
-four liters of yogurt
-three kilos of aged cheese
-three kilos of fresh cheese
-three kilos of butter
-two liters of kimchi
-three kilos each of the following grains: rice, teff, quinoa, barley, oats, bangcorn
-three kilos each of the following legumes: any three varieties of lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans, and soy beans
-five kilos of fresh berries
-five kilos of fresh fruit
-five kilos of root vegetables, any variety
-three kilos of leafy green vegetables, any variety
-five kilos of other vegetables, any variety
-one kilo of nuna boullion
-the following spice blends: chivi, tzallr, fresh, Mandalorian, yang, yin
-the following condiments: super spicy red sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, brewed soy, dark wine vinegar, extra light wine vinegar.
Why yes, Fay would be teaching her boys how to cook, and how to cook things they wanted to eat. They would start simple, and start with things they could also cook in a gunship microgalley. Kuro had only taught Jon how to choose rations and barter or steal from vendors, and her general disdain for even feeding the child in her care made Fay violently angry every time she dwelled on it at all, without giving it to the Force immediately. Obi-Wan had somehow gotten the message that he wasn’t allowed to eat the food his biology required him to eat, which would explain why the Force was insistent on them acquiring fish-based ration bars before they came.
Cooking wasn’t difficult, and it didn’t need to be fancy or complicated to be nutritious, filling, and tasty.
Thank heavens another adult told Jon clearly and directly that using the Force to sustain bodily needs in anything other than a grave emergency was forbidden at his age. She’d been trying to tell him that, but no matter how she put it, Fay just hadn’t been able to get through to him.
Maybe it was the time travel.
The Force throws you through time for a bit of a sight-seeing tour (complete with souvenirs and new friends) and perhaps you just listen differently to what everyone has to say.
That would make perfect sense.
…yes. Yes, the Force said that was part of it. One of those startling moments that encodes perfectly, not subject to normal rules of faulty recall and interpretation.
Well, for whatever the reason, Fay was glad of it, and glad of the kindliness of the Quartermasters who saved her some errands.
It would give her all the more time to summarize three centuries worth of reports to the Shadow Council.
Later.
Definitely later.
It was highly amusing to see the men and boys circling around her youngest child throughout the day, all subtly vying for his attention. They were all people of honor, and Fay had no real concerns there, and thus had room to be amused by it. The Mand’alor. Commander Skirata. General Nield. Sweet Jon. And now the senatorial aide from Alderaan. At first Fay considered it was because he was adorable, charismatic, ruthless, cunning, and diplomatic, and each of those circling appreciated at least two of those traits.
Which was true.
And also, sweet little Obi-Wan had finally crashed into the first moments of puberty. His first menses wouldn’t be for another few weeks, so she had time to discuss it with him, in case no one else had yet, but it also meant - and here she checked with the Force - yes, his unaltered pheromones were starting to present.
It was just as well they were leaving in only a few more days.
When it looked like General Nield was going to start a fight with the senatorial aide, Fay quietly intervened and requested Obi-Wan’s presence for an hour or so.
They went back toward the ship, but sat in the clearing, in the shade it cast outside.
The ground was still poisoned.
The air was still poisoned.
But it would do.
Fay smiled at him. “You’re very popular, Obi-Wan,” she said with a smile. “How do you feel about all those interesting people who were vying for your attention?”
Obi-Wan blushed crimson and shrugged. “There’s just a lot going on. A lot to do. I… I think they think I can be six places at once.”
Fay nodded and smiled. “Yes, yes that’s part of it. You are competent, with wise opinions, and many people want your assistance. There are other factors, too. Why don’t you ask the Force how many factors there are?”
Fay waited as Obi-Wan closed his eyes, calmed and centered himself, and breathed deeply.
“I… there are… are there three? And that’s… that’s one of them?”
Fay hummed and nodded. “Can you tell what another one of the factors is?”
The blush grew. “Um, they just… they just like me, Buir,” he whispered.
“They do, yes. That’s true, and you knew that going into it.”
“I didn’t know Nield could stand me, actually,” Obi-Wan muttered.
Fay half swallowed a chuckle. “Sometimes when people aren’t very self-aware, it comes out like that. He’ll grow out of it. Or he won’t. That’s up to him. Let’s come back to you. Can you tell what the other factor is?”
Obi-Wan continued to breathe deeply with his eyes closed. Then he squeaked.
“I see you can,” she said, having mercy on him. “You, my dear youngest child, are going through puberty, which for most people, comes with a sexual awakening, along with very physical changes of the body. Your body, for instance, will take its sweet time in the next few months to decide what gender you’re going to be as an adult. Will you present as male, or female? We won’t know until your body checks in on it, but of course if you start presenting in a way that doesn’t feel right to you, we can stop that and set you on a course of hormones so you can have the correct puberty. Let’s meditate on that tonight, to make sure things are going well in that regard.”
“Okay,” Obi-Wan croaked out in a state of pure embarrassment.
“Have you been told about Stewjoni pheromones?”
“No, Buir,” Obi-Wan replied in the politest whine she’d heard in years.
“Hmm. Every near Human species, and many others besides, have pheromones that their body produces, which near Humans pick up in their sense of smell. It helps people find intimate partners and even life long mates who are compatible with them, at least chemically speaking. It makes no difference to the health of the relationship, of course. That has to do with kindness, communication, and a determination to be there for each other, even when it’s hard and you’d rather be somewhere else. And for most sentients who release pheromones, or are affected by pheromones, the effect is so subtle, it really happens quite unconsciously. Some people just smell better than others, and it’s entirely subjective to the one smelling them.
“And then there are the Stewjoni.”
Obi-Wan whimpered, his eyes screwed very tightly shut.
“You might be able to guess, but I’m going to say it anyway. Stewjoni pheromones are very, very strong. And most people who have been off their own planet know this at least in theory, but you’re malnurished, so you don’t look like one, and you’re only just on the first steps of adulthood, with many years of growth, maturity, and wisdom yet before you. Which means you are… operating in stealth mode, and I doubt any of those men or boys realize that they want very much to be around you and impress you because your pheromones have suddenly made you very appealing to them. Now, let’s be clear.”
“Okay,” Obi-Wan squeezed out.
“I don’t mean that any of them, including Jon, mean their attention to be in a sexual way. Not now. Not yet. It’s just sparking… a little possessive streak in them. And I think it is fair to tell you that Jon experienced puberty, and continues to experience it, without any sort of sexual awakening at all. That may come later for him, or not at all, as the Force Wills. It seems that you are experiencing a sexual awakening that often comes along with puberty. Jon tells me you already have a little crush on the Mand’alor. And Commander Skirata?” she asked.
Obi-Wan wailed softly and flopped backwards in the grass.
Fay laughed.
Jon sent a tendril of concern at her.
She sent a small wave of reassurance back at him.
“Yes,” he groaned. “And Master Jon. But I wouldn’t do anything about it, I swear Buir. I wouldn’t. He’s just… He’s so wonderful. And kind. And giving. And just a little bit funny. And very protective. And it’s… it’s all rather… it’s all rather attractive, is the thing.”
“Are we talking about Fett, Skirata, or Jon?” Fay asked.
Obi-Wan threw his hands up in the air. “Yes! All of them! Gah! I hate my life!”
Fay threw back her head and laughed. “Oh! That could be such a fascinating polycule in about five years.”
“Buir!” Obi-Wan whined in protest.
“Well, you’re both still rather on the child-side of the slide into adulthood, but I will be having some version of this conversation with each of you, separately. Boundaries are important, and if Jon doesn’t want to be touched, or touched in certain ways, you need to respect that boundary. Likewise if you don’t want to be touched, or touched in certain ways, you need to remove yourself from him and tell either me or him that your boundary has changed, is that understood?”
“Yes, Buir,” he whispered, his left elbow over his eyes.
“Right now you’re sharing a rack, and when we get to the Temple you are allowed to share a bed, but if you prefer not to, I can put you in separate rooms, and it’s no problem at all.”
“Nooo, I like the cuddles. And Master Jon is warm. Unless, unless he doesn’t want it, and then of course that’s perfectly fine. Did… did he say that he didn’t want it?”
“No, he hasn’t said anything of the kind. I have not discussed this yet with him. I just want you to be clear that you have room to change your mind, if your preferences change. And remember what I said about him. Right now he’s asexual. That means no sexual advances from you without talking about it first, and securing his explicit and enthusiastic permission.”
“Yes, Buir. I do know about safe, sane, and consensual, and having a sexual history talk before engaging with a partner, and all that.”
“Excellent. I’m glad to hear it. Now, there are different levels of pheromone suppressant, and the higher doses are linked with birth control, both outgoing and incoming. I would like you to be on the highest level of suppressant until you are eighteen. Is that something you can live with?” she asked.
Obi-Wan took a deep breath and sighed it out. “That sounds sensible. Yes, I can live with that. We can get that sorted back at the Temple?”
“Yes. It’ll be an autoinjector shot once every other month. I’ll teach you how to do it, and I’ll do it for you as long as you like. We can talk more about the deeply sexual aspect of what you can accomplish with your pheromones when they’re not at all suppressed later, when we’re in hyperspace. It’s something Jon should know about, as it marks you as a very high value pleasure slave, which of course we would like to avoid.”
“That’s not at all going to be an awkward conversation, Buir. I look forward to it,” he sassed.
“Hmm,” she chuckled softly. “Now, your suitors await you. Impolitic perhaps, to call them that to their faces, but perhaps this is a moment for diplomatically negotiating around their slightly possessive behavior to get the job done. Only a few more days. Come. I’ll help. I need to talk with Jon, anyway.”
Obi-Wan, still lying down, flung his hand straight up. “Oya!” he called, utterly unwilling to otherwise move.
Fay laughed merrily and pulled him bodily up by that same out-flung arm, and pulled him into a hug. He was just slightly shorter than her, but that wouldn’t last long at all. “You survived this awkward conversation. You’ll survive that one, too. And the one after that, where we talk about menstruation.”
“Are you aiming for the Most Responsible Buir Award?” Obi-Wan asked her, an unimpressed look on his face.
She laughed again as they began walking back toward the nonchalant collection of possessive men. “No, am I winning anyway?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Now, tell me quickly what you actually need to be doing right now.”
He did so, and she admonished him in front of his suitors to go and do it quickly and without delay, and informed the group that he would be available for conversation during midmeal, nodded to them all, and then proceeded to pull Jon aside and have a similar conversation, made less awkward because there were volumes and volumes of information that Jon was fully capable of not noticing, and biological traits were not high up on his list of priorities. So for Jon, it became a simple information download that his padawan was going through something that he couldn’t quite understand from shared experience, but she gave him clear boundaries, scenarios and what to do in them, and informed Jon that Obi-Wan also had a crush on him, though was unprepared to do anything about it for the time being, which was just one more piece of information for Jon to ask questions about. And when Fay urged him to ask the Force some of the questions he was putting to her, he got back a confusion of emotions, rather than the tell-tale silence of not-your-business.
They agreed that more meditation would be required to release bias and perhaps shame, but it could happen, and it would in the coming days.
And then Jon, too, was free to return to his duties, giving the possessiveness he felt to the Force and instead just cherishing how nice Obi-Wan was to be around, and cuddle, and teach, and talk with, and yes, smell.
She had just kissed them both goodnight and Jon was buried beneath Obi-Wan and his wad of blankets.
“You do smell good,” Jon mumbled sleepily.
“Don’t start. I’m erasing that just as soon as we get back home,” Obi-Wan grumbled from on top of him.
“Mmm, Force says you’ll still smell good. Just not mind-alteringly good. Just so you know. I liked you before you smelled good.”
“I liked you before then, too,” he whispered, and Fay left to check a few last things and her messages before she, too, would turn in and go to sleep.
To Master Healer Fay, from Knight Healer Twyndario, most cordial greetings!
Hello! I understand that one of my patients, Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi is in your lineage and currently travelling with you! Congratulations on having such a bright, beautiful young Jedi in your family. I am certain that you will have given him the utmost of medical care, but I wondered if you might be so kind as to accompany him to the Halls of Healing so that I may look him over and update our records on any injuries or illnesses he may have had, as well as the updates to all of his general health issues.
I also understand that you have in your lineage his master, a formerly unregistered Jedi, one Knight Jon Antilles? There is a Jon Antilles who is in the Order, location unknown, branch unknown, but has been seen by our siblings at a MediCorps Outpost two years ago, but I know this cannot be yours, as he is too young to be a knight, and indeed, it might have just been the standard place-holder name for an unknown Force Sensitive. Could you possibly also bring Knight Antilles for a physical, and so we may start a proper medical file for him? I would appreciate, of course, any and all information you have to offer for either member of your lineage, though such forms can be filled out whilst you are here, I have added them as an attachment, in case you have a bit of downtime in hyperspace.
Many thanks, congratulations, and may the Force be with you!
Attachments
Knight Healer Twyndario,
I have filled out the documents you have requested, and I will accompany my children to the Halls of Healing.
Please note for their medical records that I have adopted Jon into my lineage, yes, and I have also, after my Mandalorian culture, adopted both of them as my sons. They will both stay with me in my quarters while we are at the Temple, and they will travel with me for some years. Do reach out to me at this comm code if you have questions regarding them, or their health.
It is the same Jon Antilles, Knight Healer. When his former master abandoned him at a space station after knighting him at the age of thirteen, the Force impelled me to pick him up and we have travelled together ever since. He is now nearly sixteen years of age, and close to mastery, though a close reading of the attached document will tell you many things I suspect about his time with his former master.
Please note that I have written two abuse and neglect reports, one for each of my children, which I am sending under separate cover to the Council of First Knowledge, which I also submit to you as their Temple healer. I do not suppose that these reports cover the entirety of the abuse or the neglect for either of my children. The depth and breadth of it comes out slowly.
I do not imagine we will be frequently at the Temple, but I would like to have mind healers for both of my children, who would be willing to also have sessions with them over comm when often necessary, and provide them with any homework that could be useful. Of course, I can also work with them, and I do, but another voice, an outside perspective, and another loving, rational adult who finds abuse and neglect intolerable can only be a good influence in their lives, I think. Please assign them mind healers and I will ensure that at least for the few weeks we are there, they have daily meetings so that they may start to build the necessary connections and trust. Perhaps meetings every third day while we are not in hyperspace after that could be managed, at least for the first two years.
Finally, Obi-Wan has reached puberty and will need pheromone suppressants and birth control. I anticipate his first menses will be this month. I am handling all such conversations with him, and including my other son as his teacher, when appropriate.
Please have, when we arrive, a mission pack ready for us that has a carton of bitofloxine in various size tubes, another of bacta, and a four year supply of the highest dosage of pheromone suppressants with birth control, plus another three year supply of the third highest dosage with extra birth control added.
Many thanks, and may the Force be with you,
Fay
Attachments
To the Council of First Knowledge, from Master Fay, greetings.
I will be among you, soon.
If I am only to be ignored and politely reviled, fear not; I will neither harp, nor dwell among you for long, but leave you to your Sith-begotten fate, and leave Coruscant to rot along with you. The Outer Rim has many ills, and as it turns out, Mandalorians see more reason than you do.
The Rot in the Order is spreading, as I had warned it would. I attach evidence to my claims. Once I arrive, you may wish to take a meeting with Master Plo Koon for further evidence, as the messengers were quite clear the dataclips were for him, not you.
I have been and continue to be entirely disgusted with the Jedi Order, and my observations in general remain the same: Reform Yourselves Or Die. The end is nearer than you think.
Attachments
To the Head of the Jedi Archives on Coruscant, from Master Fay, greetings.
I will be among you soon to retrieve my cultural armor and weaponry, including my lightsaber. Please take it all off display, or out of the secure storage you have it in, and have it sent to my rooms.
If you wish to interview me, I will be present for at least one week, and will consent to three two-hour blocks of time on sequential days, after the first one back, directly after midmeal.
Please note my lineage has expanded. Knight Jon Antilles has repudiated An’ya Kuro and I have taken him into my own lineage, and he has taken on a padawan. Senior Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi has been repudiated (and abandoned in a war zone) by Knight Qui-Gon Jinn, and Knight Antilles has agreed to take the padawan on. I have adopted both children in the fashion of my own culture, but then Mandalorian family trees are often convoluted things.
May the Force be with you.
Attachments; Gunship Thaumaturge.cultexe,
To Master Plo Koon, from Master Fay, most cordial greetings.
I have recently accepted Senior Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi into my lineage, and indeed, have adopted him outright as my own child. We come to the Temple, as he has a few oddments to pick up, some friends to see, and most importantly, two dataclips to deliver to you, given to him during a brief period of time travel three weeks ago. Alas, we needed to come find him in the warzone his erstwhile master had abandoned him in, and it has taken a bit of time to wind this mission up to a satisfactory conclusion.
I will say, Senior Padawan Kenobi is quite a marvel when it comes to diplomatic negotiations. Very good at urban guerrilla warfare, as well.
I have read the contents of both dataclips. They cover the same material in some respects, and it is clear that both sides of the equation were keen for you, in particular, to know, and presumably fix the many problems laid out.
As for the problem in the basement, I would like to recommend Knight Antilles, Senior Padawan Kenobi’s new teacher. He is skilled at such things, and I believe it would be a good learning experience for Obi-Wan as well.
As for the problem in the senate, I offer my services, and likewise recommend my lineage padawan and grandpadawan, though the Force says others must come as well. And if you can wait until I finish an errand on the other side of the planet, a matter of a few weeks, I believe it will be in the perfect time preferred by the Force. More will be in alignment, then.
I look forward to meeting you, Master Koon, you who are so beloved of my Obi-Wan that a future, time travelling version of him from a different timeline would trust you to reform the Order where I and so many others have failed. You must be quite outstanding, to be held in such high esteem.
May the Force be with you.
The negotiations continued, but this seemed to be the last day of that. Tomorrow they would be tying up the last loose ends and saying farewell. There were two more sniper attempts, completing the circle and giving each side an opportunity to show its lack of foresight, but Jon thwarted each one, Commander Skirata trailing after him and taking the weapons involved.
There was quite a lot of waiting and listening, giving quiet support as Obi-Wan hammered out the basic agreements, and more and more the senatorial aide helped them to envision the government that he would be helping them fully form once peace could be agreed upon.
They broke for midmeal, and Fay sat next to General Cerasi.
“You know, I think you’ve helped us all heal more than just as a healer,” she said quietly.
Fay silently gave the young one her attention.
“Both Obi-Wan and Jon had bad parents. Untrustworthy adults. Just like all of us. For both of them, you were… you are the do-over parent. The adult they chose to trust. And you are worthy of that trust. We see that. We all see that, and even Nield admits it. It makes it easier for the littles. Most of them have no one but the Young, and that’s not enough.”
Fay continued to bear witness in silence.
“A lot of them have consented to adoption, and even more have agreed to just return with the Mandos and maybe get adopted by someone once they arrive. I guess they’ve sent for another ship, because so many have consented. They’ll arrive the day after you leave.”
Fay smiled. What joy Melida and Daan will have brought to Mandalore, after all. “But you’ll stay,” Fay said quietly.
“Yes, I’ll stay,” she said, then took a bite and chewed slowly. Eventually she spoke again. “But they’ll go, and they’ll have a good life, and I’m glad for that. They’ll be happy again.” Cerasi looked at Fay. “And that’s because they believe that maybe the one adopting them will be just like you.”
“And what will be your second chance?” Fay asked softly.
Cerasi looked out and around the hall they were eating in. It was their hall of remembrances, but one of the Mandalorians particularly good with technology had silenced all of the holos and stilled them in a moment of their rant where they were the most placid, or even happy-looking.
It was a vast change, and a welcome difference.
“Zhava is my second chance. To rebuild. To build peace upon peace. To heal the land and the sky and the waters. To grow crops and harvest tranquility, and store up grain and joy, both, instead of hatred and weapons. My father is an idiot, but if he is strong enough to fight, he is strong enough to farm, and perhaps one day there will be peace between us, as well.”
The Force tugged on Fay.
“Have someone take me to your farm after this meal, please.”
Cerasi gave her a dubious look. “You know the state it’s in.”
Fay smiled and continued eating.
It took more out of her, and she couldn’t do it day after day, but she could do this, now.
Jon’s voice calmly brought her out of her meditation.
Already, the day they had arrived, she had cleaned the toxins out of the water in the well, and the aquifer below that, though it would not stay clean, not with the state of the ground around it, but it would do for a few months.
And when she was brought back to the site where farming had been attempted, and palliative care for the gravely wounded children and land was more adequately occurring, the first thing Fay did was sit down in the middle of a field, close her eyes, and start cleaning the land itself.
That took several hours.
Then she cleaned the plants that were present, starting with the little seedings of vegetable, legume, and grain. Then she moved on to the rest of the flora that was around her for several miles; the trees, the grass, the flowers, and all of the brush and moss and ferns.
Rain was an issue, and would still toxify things, but they weren’t in the rainy season, and they would be able to harvest these crops before the rainy season began, and by the time the rainy season did begin, it was likely that Agricorps would be here with many more apt and able Adepts who would be able to clean and clear the entire system, all at once.
Finally, sometime in the middle of the night, Fay focused on the farm plants themselves. She took the energy out of the weeds that were in the wrong place and offering no further usefulness, and put it into the plants that needed to grow. Then, as she had once seen an Agricorp Jedi do, she staggered the growth, so the harvest wouldn’t be ready all at once. They had neither the means nor the knowledge to store such a harvest, anyway. She set it up in six waves, with one crop ready to begin harvesting as soon as tomorrow, though it would last another two weeks, whereupon the next harvest would be ready.
A steady, fresh food source for the next month and a half.
Agricorps would be there by then.
Fay recentered herself in her body and took deeper and deeper breaths, and when she opened her eyes, she was looking at a tomato, two inches from her face.
“Buir?” she heard Obi-Wan call. “Did the plants eat you?”
She stood, just slightly unsteady. No, no energy to jump out of the field.
“I’m coming,” she lightly assured him.
She slowly, gently made her way out, easing around the beautiful new growth, tip-toeing through the rows and finally past the low crops, stepping over potato vines, through a gourd patch, and over cabbages.
Jon handed over a half-unwrapped ration bar and Fay ate it in three bites. He took the wrapper back and let her sling her arm over his shoulder, then handed her another, also half-unwrapped. She ate that one in three bites, too.
“Buir?!” Obi-Wan asked, looking a bit shocked and rushing over to her other side from where he stood with a still-shocked looking Cerasi and a stunned looking Mand’alor with his helmet off.
Obi-Wan pulled her other hand around his shoulder and held it there, hard.
“I’m alright, I’m alright. It’s just not my specialty. You see why I saved it for last. I might sleep halfway to Coruscant.”
“We’ll help them with the harvest,” the Mand’alor assured her.
“Mmm. Good. Farewell, General Cerasi. Mand’alor, stay alive.”
“Oya,” he said as Cerasi just blinked in surprise.
“Jon, it’s time,” Fay murmured, holding tight to Obi-Wan.
Jon teleported them directly to the rackroom and they both helped Fay lay down on her seldom-used rack.
Someone pulled her boots off. That was nice. Someone else tucked her in with the fourth blanket, and she got two kisses on her forehead.
And then she slept.