Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Boba was imprisoned somewhere that was dark, tight, and moist. He was being held down by powerful wriggling tentacles. His head was turned towards hundreds of spear-like teeth above him. He couldn’t see a way out at all. Not that it would matter. He was in too much pain to think clearly.

Boba was a bounty hunter, a famous one at that, so he was used to pain. He knew how to withstand torture. But this burning acidic-like pain made even him scream. He was trapped in this place and he was unable to do anything but slowly rot away.

The small fire had died down to glowing embers by the time Boba awoke, shaking. His trembling limbs fought against the cocoon of blankets as he tried to quell the rise of nausea. In his struggle not to throw up over his blankets, his foot kicked his buy’ce. Boba could hear the helmet clatter on the desert cave floor while he emptied his stomach onto the sand.

His nightshirt was soaked sticking to his back. In the desert night air, the sweat felt like trickles of ice. The traces of the nightmare lingered in his mind sharp and unyielding.

“Osik,” He whispered to himself digging his nails into his skin. “Stop it. You’ll end up kriffing hyperventilating. Again.”

He held his breath for a few moments and then let it out. Took in a deep breath counted to six and let it out. His heartbeat continued to beat frantically. Boba’s throat burned. Achingly familiar with what was happening he tried to stand. His legs failed him and he ended up with a faceful of sand.

Boba gritted his teeth and crawled to the embers of his fire. He settled himself near its faint warmth poking it with a stick. Tatooine’s desert winds battered against the cave’s mouth. It was a fierce sandstorm. Boba was lucky that he had the foresight to dock his spaceship in Mos Eisley and make the trip on foot. He wasn’t going back to sleep tonight. And if he didn’t try to occupy the time he would start to brood.

Boba tiredly dug out his holo-pad. In the holo-pad was a copied version of his father’s black book. He made an effort to read it while he waited for dawn to come. His eyes kept drifting from the words. He couldn’t focus. It made it about four nights now that he couldn’t sleep haunted by that nightmare. That kriffing nightmare had haunted his dreams since Geonosis.

He was a kriffing bounty hunter, for a lot of people he was their nightmare. Boba wasn’t some frightened weak adiik to be scared at a simple nightmare. No, the issue was that it was a recurring nightmare.

When he was a little child Boba had many dreams and one nightmare. Red sand, orange sky, dust clogging the air. Colorful bright lightsabers flashing among blasters, the sounds of clanking metal mixed with blood-curling screams. The screams were horrible. He somehow knew that the screams were from his father’s clones. And then he would see his buir’s headless body lying limply in the middle of the battlefield. His father’s blue buy’ce reflected Boba’s small horrified face.

That nightmare had come every so often always making him cry. If it happened while his buir was home, he would always go out of his way to comfort Boba. His favorite method was to hold him tightly and press a warm fist over his son’s heart. The two of them shared a secret; Boba was Force-sensitive. Boba had tried to make things float plenty of times. It had never worked.

He could however feel his father’s presence. When his father held him like this Boba would swear he could feel his father’s emotions. His father felt like a fire, warm and cozy at times, but destructive and burning at others. They called it connecting. Boba told him that he didn’t need comfort, he was a strong warrior, and warriors weren’t terrified by nightmares. Jango only shook his head and held him tighter. Jango may not understand how or why his son needed him to connect in his mind but he did it anyway.

They kept the fact that Boba was Force-sensitive as a secret. If the Jetii ever found out that Boba was Force-sensitive they would try and take him away. The Jetii had already killed his father’s family long ago. His buir would promise, the clones will bring vengeance. When his buir wasn’t home he would seek out his clones.

Boba had mixed feelings about what he saw them as. His father considered them not a part of their family. They weren’t friends either. Not even the trainers were friends. His father trusted some of the trainers with Boba during his hunts. But there was a wall of ice that didn’t let anyone in except Boba.

Boba could also feel the presence of the clones. The clones felt smaller than his father yet brighter. Unlike his father, he couldn’t connect right away. He had to be allowed inside. Some wouldn’t let him feel, others only let him in a tiny bit. A fair majority allowed it briefly.

One clone treated him as one of their own and accepted him. CC-2224 treated every clone like they were his vod. Even the ones that were to be decanted. Or deconditioned. A fellow clone, a fellow brother.

Cody.

On those occasional nightmarish nights, he was willing to partake in the comfort they offered. Boba would sneak past Taun We and sit among the sleeping pods interacting with the clone. Boba was a professional about the whole thing. Boba certainly didn’t cry in front of them and he didn’t let Cody hold him like a small child.

Obi-wan Kenobi had shown up one day and changed everything. He was very confusing to Boba. He wondered back then if Obi-wan could sense him. It didn’t matter if he could. Obi-wan still chased Boba and his father to Geonosis. Still got caught by Tyranus and placed for execution along with the senator and the padawan. Mace Windu came to rescue Obi-wan. He beheaded his father in the process.

Boba felt like a part of him died. All his father’s clones were made to fight for the Jetii. Years later all the clones killed the Jetii. His buir got his vengeance. Boba remained alone.

Hot tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He bit his lip hard to distract himself. He was a full-grown man now. Bounty hunters don’t cry over their dead father. Bounty hunters don’t feel guilty for their actions. Yet the guilt was there nagging at him even after all these years.

Boba had seen death before. Jango had even tried to prepare him for the possibility that he might die, giving him this black book. However, Boba could never get over the fact that he had dreamed about this death. He often thought that it might have been a warning. A warning that he failed to pass on. Now he was having another nightmare over and over.

It was showing him what could very well be his death. Something was warning him again. He wasn’t about to ignore the warning this time. The problem was he had no idea how to change the path he was headed towards.

Boba shook his head and leaned back onto the cave wall. He looked back at the book in his hands. The holo-pad showed him the Resol’nare. The six actions that a Mandalorian must follow to be a Mandalorian.

Boba blinked surprised. Jango knew much about Mandalorian culture. Boba spoke Mando’a well before he spoke Basic. His buir hired mostly Mandalorian trainers for the clones. He told Boba where to get beskar on Mandalore, and told him where to find a beskar’gam buried on Korda 6. Yet he didn’t follow the Resol’nare at all. Jango had created his code of honor. He listed the code in his black book for Boba to follow.

A childhood memory floated up unbidden. Some of the trainers had whispered dar’manda under their breath while they watched him. Boba, hoping to surprise his buir with a new curse word, repeated it during an argument. He saw one of the only times his father cried in front of him. Boba not knowing what to do hugged his buir. He couldn’t remember how long they sat there holding each other.

Later they drank hot chocolate with extra marshmallows on top of the bed, Boba in his father’s lap. Jango had softly explained that dar’manda meant soulless. Someone who once had a soul but who abandoned it and their heritage. They were lost forever soulless, empty, and afraid. Boba crossed his arms over his chest tightly. Could the nightmare he faced be the fate of the dar’manda?

For Jango to be dar’manda that meant at one time he was a Mando’ade. Which meant he had a clan, a family, and a Mand’alor. His heart clenched. Perhaps they used to be the dead family that the Jetii killed. Then again they could still be out there trying to survive like everyone else. He set the black book aside and walked over to his buy’ce.

It reflected the image of a tired angry man who looked far older than he was. He cradled the helmet in his hands as he glanced back out at the sandstorm. The clones were the ones who brought vengeance for Jango’s dead family. There was nothing more Boba could do that would add to that.

What has Boba done for the man he was cloned after? The man that chose him to be his son out of all the clones? What has he done to atone for the mistake he’s made?

Boba stared at the helmet and swallowed roughly. Placing it down he scanned the black book’s contents searching for more on the Resol’nare.

“What can I do? What should I do?” He croaked helplessly at the holo-pad.

Something caught his eye and he clicked on the data entry.

Cin vhetin; Mando'a. Meaning fresh slate or clean snow. A state of rebirth that an outsider goes through to become a Mando’ade. Traditionally if someone wanted to become a Mandalorian they had to prove that they had mandokarla to a Mandalorian. If they had the ‘right stuff’ then they swore to follow the Resol’nare and chose a clan to join. Most of the time they would join the clan of the Mandolorian that judged them. The Mandolorian would act as a mentor to help them adjust to the culture.

Mandalorians did not judge you for what you did before you became a Mando’ade. It was what you did from that point onwards that mattered. Boba groaned softly. It was not an easy feat to find a Mandalorian considering that the Empire was in the process of wiping them out. There was also the problem of any surviving Mandalorians trying to get back at the Empire by killing Darth Vader’s right-hand man.

Yet if he became a Mando’ade he wouldn’t have that over his head. His past would be erased, the plate wiped clean. He could pass down his father's lessons to someone, continue his legacy. The fire died out by the time Boba made his decision. He gathered his belongings and put on his armor. Boba looked out at the sandstorm that somehow grown even stronger. His buy'ce was in his scarred shaking hands.

He took a deep breath and placed the buy'ce on his head. As he went into the sandstorm he whispered into the night air. “Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar daarasuum. Jango Fett and CC-2224. Cody.”

Chapter Text

Anakin lifted his head from the cradle of his knees. He couldn’t hear the wind howling anymore. Anakin frowned at the rocky ceiling as the silence grew. He scooted closer to the hole’s entrance intending to check.

‘The sandstorm can’t be over. They’re supposed to take hours.’ He thought.

For a brief moment, he entertained the idea that Gardulla Besadii’s slave hunters had made the sandstorm stop. He stomped it down before he panicked. Hunters couldn’t control the weather. They just had blasters. Not even the masters could control the sands of Tatooine. Anakin still felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

His mother said that sandstorms could last for days. This one had barely even started and now it was gone. Which meant Anakin’s plan to get away from Gardulla’s slave hunters had gone awry. Not that running into a sandstorm was the smartest plan. But he had no other option to get away from the hunters. He poked his head out of the hole cautiously yet curiously.

“Woah.” He breathed at the sight.

The sandstorm had calmed down to a gentle breeze. The two suns were rising out of the dust clouds. They had turned the sky a beautiful shade of orangish-red. With the sunrise painting the sand in a pinkish hue Anakin could almost consider the Tatooine sands to be pretty. This was the first beautiful sight he had seen of the planet in the months since they landed in the slave freighter.

He coughed into his slave’s rags as he looked on. He was lucky that he was thin enough to fit inside the canyon wall's hole. Otherwise, he could have been caught out in the middle of the sudden storm.

“Where did the sandstorm go?” A high pitched voice shouted in surprise.

“That was the oddest karking sandstorm I’ve ever witnessed,” Whistled another voice, a droid by the sound of it. “Here I was thinking that our landspeeder was going to be a sorrowful wreck. It hardly even got scratched up.”

He froze heart pounding.

Slave Hunters.

Then as quick as he could he dived back into the hole. He could hear the two hunters moving nearby.

“Gardulla had better be satisfied with the boy’s corpse.” Muttered the hunter.

“Perhaps our magic slave might still be alive. Good for us, Gardulla wants to eat him.” The droid beeped thoughtfully.

“Where does Gardulla get these weirdos? First, we get the strange ghostly freaks, then those kriffing floaty balls, and then that giant slug-like thing. Now we have a karking krayt dragon and a magic slave child breakout. I’m telling ya, Gardulla better have a plan to handle this. This slave boy escaped far too easily.” The hunter groaned.

The droid scoffed. “This slave we’re hunting is the real problem. He’s the one that freed those ‘Ghostlings’ and those flying fire-like balls. The other slave children got inspired by that and followed them.”

“Yeah well too bad he led them right into the pleasure garden. If the slug thing doesn’t eat them first then the Eye-snatchers will. Unless Gardulla felt merciful and just blew them up with their transmitters.” The hunter chuckled.

Anakin could hear the click of a blaster being loaded. “The magic slave boy made a little machine that scrambled the transmitters. If we hadn’t threatened to feed his mother to the krayt dragon then he would have used it on all the slaves. And those floaty fire-balls are burning people. Blasters don’t do kriff against them,” Countered the droid. “We need to get him to make them stop and then Gardulla can have her snack.”

“Hold up. The slave boy can communicate with them? How? They’re just balls of light.” The hunter’s boot appeared outside the hole’s entrance.

Anakin flinched.

“Like I said he has some magic powers. You saw how he took apart that sand skimmer and made a smaller version of it. A smaller version that he could pilot. The boy’s four and he can use it like a ten-year-old. And we are not going into how he was able to make a scrambler from junk parts.” The droid’s shadow fell in front of Anakin’s face.

He stayed very still trying not to breathe.

“Hang on. What’s.” A sharp whine split the air made Anakin yelp.

The hunters screamed. Then there was silence. Anakin waited for the hunters to fire back at whoever was foolish enough to attack Gardulla’s hunters, but nothing happened. Anakin slowly crawled out of the hole. The hunters were gone. Anakin looked around for their bodies with a jolt of shock. If someone had shot at them and won, then there should be a body left.

All he could see were bits of charred sand and a twisted hunk of burnt metal. He squirmed suddenly uncomfortable with the sight before him. Anakin wiped the sticky strands of blondish hair with a dirty palm. The morning heat was rising as the suns climbed up. He should try and get back to the palace and free everybody else.

Anakin paused in confusion. He could feel a tingling sensation in his chest. It was similar to the one that he felt from his mother. He knew that it was special. His mother was able to somehow calm those around her. She was certainly able to help him when the dreams overwhelmed him.

However where his mother felt warm and soothing this one felt cold and dangerous. And this tingle can’t be from his mother because she was back at the palace and he was too far away to be feeling anything from her. Anakin felt curiosity blossom in his chest as he looked around the desert. 

“Boom. You’re dead, adiik.” A low voice spoke.

Anakin whirled around looking for his potential rescuer. He spotted a figure leaning out from the canyon wall. The figure had a green helmet with a t-shaped visor and a small dent on the left side. Anakin thought it was the coolest helmet he had ever seen. None of the hunters or the masters wore anything like the helmet. It matched with the strange green painted armor that covered them all over.

A jet-pack with missiles was strapped to their back along with another blaster rifle and what looked to be a vibroblade. The figure moved slightly closer and tilted their helmet. Anakin belatedly saw that the figure had drawn a strange-looking rifle at him.

“Didn’t even check to see who disintegrated those hunters. I wonder how a little slave like you managed to survive so long with those poor survival skills.” There was a touch of amusement in the figure’s voice.

“I’m not a slave anymore,” Anakin snapped at the figure. “I disabled my transmitter chip. And I escaped Gardulla’s hunters when I ran into that short sandstorm.”

“How do you know I’m not a hunter, adiik?” Asked the figure dryly.

“You wouldn’t have killed your allies. And if you were part of Sebubla's gang you would have shot me on sight. No one would attack Gardulla Besadii’s minions unless they were someone really powerful.  Like a Jedi! Are you a Jedi?”

“No.” The figure said flatly. “ I am no Jetti. I am a bounty hunter.”

“Hmm. I don’t believe you.” Despite this statement, Anakin still backed away as the bounty hunter approached with the strange rifle raised. The bounty hunter stopped a few feet from him.

“You don’t believe me?” They stared at each other as the two suns rose.

Anakin watched him warily. “If you were a bounty hunter why haven’t you shot me yet? Or tried to kidnap me? No, I think you’re a Jedi here to free me.”

The bounty hunter gave a short bark of laughter. “Oh you do, hmm? How presumptuous of you adiik.”

“Bounty hunters don’t have the special sense.” Anakin declared proudly.

“Special sense?” The bounty hunter asked, sounding bored.

Anakin hesitated then waved a hand between them. “The tingly feeling that I can feel from you. Like my mom. Only the two of us and the Wisties can feel it. Mom says that the Jedi feel it too.”

The tiniest note of surprise escaped from the bounty hunter. He straightened and reconsidered Anakin with a thoughtful eye. “How do I know you’re not just trying to trick me? Sell me out to an Inquisitor? I bet they’d pay a slave like you handsomely for information like that.”

Anakin watched the bounty hunter before him with cool brown eyes. Then he stretched out a small thin hand offering the bounty hunter his bare wrist. The bounty hunter watched him in return, muscles tense. The bounty hunter might not recognize the universal sign of trust among slaves but if he really could sense Anakin then he could feel the truth from him.

When the bounty hunter spoke it was quiet and firm. “Prove it.”

Anakin jutted out his chin pridefully. “You feel like water. Cold and cool with an edge of sharpness.”

“Like rain...” The bounty hunter stopped short. He visibly jerked and lowered the strange rifle. “You speak the truth then.”

“What do I feel like?” Anakin asked eagerly. “Mom just says I’m like the sun.”

The bounty hunter made a noise. “Your mother is right. Just like a miniature sun. She can feel the same kind of connection?”

“Uh-huh! Because we’re special and lucky. That’s what Mom says. That’s why you must be a Jedi.” Anakin grinned at the bounty hunter.

“The Jetti are dead.” The bounty hunter replied firmly.

Anakin felt his heart stop in shock. “What? No, they were supposed to come and free the slaves! I dreamed about them. They came to help everyone!”

“Careful adiik.” The bounty hunter spoke sharply. “If the Empire heard you saying any of that they'll drag you off to an Inquisitor no matter if you’re a Hutt’s slave or not. Especially if they caught wind of you sensing people and having dreams.”

Anakin blinked at him. “What is the Empire?”

The bounty hunter stared at him again. Then he sighed and placed the strange rifle back into its holster. “You are the thirteenth person that has asked me that. This is getting kriffing ridiculous. They were going to have Empire’s Day here in three days and everybody is acting like they have gone up in smoke?”

Anakin crossed his arms stubbornly. "The Jedi are not dead. I know they are still out there they are totally stronger than this Empire."

The bounty hunter gave another sigh and then nodded at the boy. “Alright then adiik. Call me Boba.”

“Okay. My name’s Anakin.” Anakin replied cheerfully.

Boba gestured at the boy. “It seems we are both headed to Mos Eisley. We might as well use this landspeeder and avoid any more slave hunters.”

Boba traveled up to the hunter’s landspeeder. Anakin followed him with a spring in his step. With a quick motion, Boba set Anakin on the landspeeder and climbed in after him. They raced along the desert sands for several minutes. Boba seemed to be gathering his words. Anakin waited for him to speak first, enjoying the wind blowing on his face. When he got big enough he was going to be able to drive one of these. Then he was going to drive a pod-racer.

“You have impressive mechanical skills if what those slave hunters were saying is true. Although I’m surprised that they’d let a slave anywhere near anything sharp.” Boba said.

“My mother is a valuable slave. She can repair and disable different kinds of engines and machines. I learned from her and I started repairing things for people too. Gardulla let people hire me and my mother to fix things, like Jira’s cooling units. That’s how I was able to get the parts for my transmitter scrambler.” Anakin explained.

Boba glanced at Anakin. “You’re lucky that it worked. Don’t you know what that would do to you, adiik?”

“Yes. I have seen a transmitter blow a slave up before,” Anakin frowned. “But I’m not a slave anymore. I’m smart and I am going to own myself. No matter what Sebubla says.”

Boba was silent again. He then said. “My ship needs to be repaired. Some osik took apart the engine and tried to have me pay them to fix it. Perhaps I could have your mother repair it?”

Anakin sighed. “Mom got caught before I could convince her to follow. It was only me, W. Wald, Kwi’teska, Dorn, and Kitser that got out. And they stayed behind to help the Ghostlings hide in the garden.”

“Ah. The pleasure garden those hunters were talking about. You escaped the garden then, adiik?” Boba turned the speeder sharply. Anakin clutched onto the landspeeder’s seat feeling a thrill of excitement as they went along.

“Through the piping system. I was able to get through the grate and into the pipe thanks to the Wisties. They wanted to help us out.” Anakin said.

“These Wisties would be the balls of light the hunters were mentioning?” When Anakin nodded Boba continued. “So they burn people? And you say that they can feel this connection as well?”

“The Wisties only burn people that they don’t like. The only way they can talk is through this sensing thing that we have. They think their Queen sent me to rescue them so they want to help me.” Anakin gushed excitedly.

“The other children didn’t follow you through the grate,” Boba noted. “Were they incapacitated?”

“We have to carry the Ghostlings because they can’t run in our gravity,” Anakin’s shoulders slumped. “The Ghostlings faint if they try. And picking them up is hard because anything harder than a touch will bruise them. That’s how they cornered us.”

“So potentially someone could distract the palace guards long enough for the children, the Ghostlings and your mother to escape into the piping system.” Boba thought out aloud.

Anakin looked at him with a grin on his young face. “Could you? That would be so wizard! Then the Wisties could simply follow when they no longer need to protect us.”

Boba turned towards him halfway in the seat looking him straight in the eye. “How do you plan on hiring me to do such a thing adiik?”

Anakin blinked and felt his face flush. “Oh right. Um I don't have any money. Er, I could try and make things out of machines? Like I do for Jira? And Mom could repair other things that you might have.”

Boba considered that as he drove along the path. “Things like that transmitter scrambler you made?”

Anakin smiled at Boba. “I know where to get all the parts for free, too.”

“Well I just might meet someone I'm looking for by doing this," Boba mused. "How about your mother fixes my ship, you build me something, and give me any information you know. I'll free your mother and your friends in return." 

Anakin nodded happily. "Thank you so much. I'll build you the best machine I can make!"

You got a plan for when you get them out adiik?” Boba asked. "Otherwise none of this will matter."

 Anakin pointed at the two suns. “Jira hired a smuggler that’s gonna take all of us out of here. We just need to be at the right spot at sunset.”

Boba gave a short curt nod back at the boy. “Very well then. Deal.”

Chapter Text

The moist air of the garden settled around Shmi like a shroud. She breathed in the flower-scented air slowly and calmly. She stood in the middle of the pleasure garden chained to Gondry the Abyssin. Gondry was currently the only one who could touch her thanks to his regenerative abilities.

The Wisties could burn him all they wished, Gondry would just blink his one eye and ignore them. Nonetheless, several Wisties circled her protectively squeaking at Gondry whenever he moved closer. Shmi was grateful that the colorful glowing beings were willing to defend her. Anakin had claimed that he could talk to them. Shmi was unable to, but they seemed to be able to read her body language pretty well.

‘It’s thanks to you that I’m not dead.’ She grimly acknowledged. Once Gardulla realized that Anakin had escaped she nearly had Shmi killed. If the Wisties hadn’t immediately swarmed around her, Shmi would have been the krayt dragon’s next meal. As it was, the krayt dragon was pacing outside its arena chewing on the unfortunate Gamorrean guard that happened to be near Shmi.

Gardulla sulked on her throne as her servants desperately tried to stay out of the Hutt’s and the Wisties’s way. All thirty-nine of Gardulla’s Gamorrean guards were supposed to capture the Wisties. However, half of the guards were holding their burnt snouts and fleeing from the Wisties. The other half were punching each over who got to try to capture them.

Sebubla, furious at being outwitted by the children, was muttering foul curses as he paced the edge of the garden holding a blaster pistol. Shmi was now being used as bait for the slave children. Djas Puhr was hiding somewhere in the garden, waiting for Anakin to show back up and run to his mother.

If Anakin had avoided being caught by the slave hunters. Gardulla sent half of her slave hunters after him even though a sandstorm was coming. Then the sandstorm passed far too quickly and spooked the rest of the slave hunters. Now they circled on top of the viewing booths arguing among themselves whether or not the slave boy had dispersed the sandstorm.

Shmi shivered despite the warm air. There was a sudden prickling chill running up her spine. Only Anakin was able to make her feel that kind of sensation and Anakin wasn’t anywhere nearby. Shmi looked around the room as discreetly as she could manage. Then she spotted something at the back end of the palace.

There was a shadow hiding behind one of the palace pillars. It seemed to be waiting for something. Then she suddenly felt Anakin’s presence growing stronger by the second. He was frightened but he was pumping himself full of courage.

‘No, Ani! Leave me here. They will hurt you and they will use me to do so. They will kill you!’ She thought frantically.

Despite her desperate thoughts, Shmi kept her body still and her face blank. A slave doesn’t show fear unless that’s what the master wishes. The shadow moved slightly fiddling with something. She peered at it trying to figure out what it was. Shmi flinched when she felt a flash of alarm, pain, and then fear.

“Aah! No! Let me go right now!” Anakin yelled out suddenly, his small voice painfully scared.

“Hah! Caught you.” Djas Puhr gave a victory shout as he appeared dragging a struggling Anakin behind him. The Sakiyan was grinning ear to ear triumph in his silver cat-like eyes. Anakin was kicking out and punching the Sakiyan’s dark green skin with his tiny fists and feet.

“Ani!” Shmi couldn’t prevent herself from crying out. Gondry tugged on the chain, pulling her back from her son. The Wisties buzzed angrily and swirled around him digging into the Assbyian’s skin in response. He merely grunted.

“Did you think you could fool a Sakiyan twice boy? We have noses that can smell a prey’s scent that is days old. I could smell how you escaped last time. You should have fled while you had the chance.”

Gardulla and her entourage spotted the capture made by Djas. She laughed a deep bellowing noise. The slave hunters jeered at Anakin, angry at the boy for making them look like fools. Sebubla pointed his blaster pistol at the boy and approached with a mad grin on his face. Djas picked Anakin up and shoved his face towards Shmi.

“Now you will stop these karking pests or we will feed your mother either to the slug or the krayt dragon. Your choice, slave.”

‘No.’ Shmi whispered in her thoughts, feeling the tears coming.

Shmi had spent most of her life as a slave. She knew intimately how a slave was nothing more than an object. She therefore behaved and acted as an object. Her self-control was almost impenetrable. She was well-versed in the cruel world she lived in.

Then she became a mother.

That changed her fundamentally as a person. Never had Shmi felt so helpless than when she held Anakin for the first time. Not when she somehow got pregnant without knowing how. Not when she almost had freedom and it was snatched from her. Not when her parents died all those years ago and her wild six-year-old spirit was shattered.

She did things that her slave life taught her not to do. Shmi helped other slaves. She stuck her neck out for them. She gave food, water, a soft place to rest. She did all of this for Anakin’s sake. Anakin watched her with those warm brown eyes and he copied her. He made friends with the other slave children and Shmi had been proud of her son. And then this happened.

Shmi knew in her heart that they were most likely not going to live through this. Anakin looked at his mother with tears in his warm brown eyes and a bruise swelling on his lip. He smiled at her. She could feel him pushing out to send her courage.

“Mother,” He croaked out. “It’s gonna be okay. Don’t be scared.”

Shmi’s heart seized in her chest. “No!”

For the first time since she was six, Shmi screamed. Then the chain that bound her shattered into tiny pieces.

Shmi hurtled towards the Sakiyan and Anakin. The surprised Djas had only a moment to throw Anakin at Shmi before dodging and moving to the side. Anakin grabbed his mother tightly and brought them both to the ground.

The room behind Shmi exploded with a terrific shrill shriek that seemed to split the air. The Gamerreon guards squealed in pain. The slave hunters cried out in shock. Gardulla bellowed with fright. Djas collapsed onto the ground clutching at his pointed ears in pain.

Anakin quickly got up and pulled at her. “We need to run! Right now, we’re not going to get another chance.” Anakin cried out.

Shmi didn’t dare look back. Her legs moved to follow her son as they ran into the garden. The Wisties appeared around them all in a great big swarm of color squeaking happily.

“Take us to the Ghostlings, Boba’s only got four sonic grenades and he just used one!” Anakin shouted to the Wisties.

They gave one big squeak in unison and zoomed off towards the rear end of the garden.

Shmi blinked at Anakin, her head spinning. “Who’s Boba?” She shouted over the sound of blaster pistols firing off and Gamorrean battle axes clanging.

Her answer came in the sharp whine of a disruptor rifle blasting out. Shmi turned her head sharply with a jolt of fear. She could see a man in strange green armor holding the rifle and shooting at the Gamorreans.

“Anakin! Get down.” She ordered firmly.

“No that’s Boba. It’s okay he’s helping, come on!” Anakin dismissed his mother quickly.

Gardulla’s gravelly voice shouted in Huttese over the chaos. “Get them! Blast off their heads!”

They were heading towards a lake surrounded by reeds. The Wisties fluttered about the reeds in a glowing dance.

“Ani, the Eye-snatchers!” Shmi warned as they ran.

She could see them swooping down from the trees. Then a second large shrill blast sounded out. Shmi’s ears rang as the Eye-snatchers dropped to the ground twitching. Shmi glanced over her shoulder and saw Gondry and Sebubla coming after them. At the same time, Anakin let go of her hand and jumped onto a rock in the middle of the lake.

“This way mother, they’re hiding here.” Anakin beckoned pointing at the reeds.

Shmi shook her head and gestured at Anakin. “I’ll take care of Sebulba and Gondry, you help the Ghostlings. You won’t be able to carry anyone with those two on your tail.”

Anakin hesitated but Shmi had no more time to argue. She grabbed at a branch and ran heading towards the right of the garden. Anakin jumped into the reeds and disappeared. Gondry and Sebulba split, Gondry going after Shmi and Sebulba heading for Anakin. He got as far as the rock before a simple trap made of reeds knocked him back.

Sebulba fell into the lake’s water with a giant splash. He struggled to swim out of the tangle of lake weeds and slime. Anakin popped back into sight holding a glowing three-year-old child gently in his arms.

“I’m sorry Coniel. This might get rather painful.” He apologized to the young Ghostling.

Anakin jumped onto another rock and ran off into the garden. A small swarm of Wisties trailed after the two, buzzing threateningly at the still downed Eye-snatchers. Shmi began to whack the plants around her. She was almost certain that one of these plants had to be carnivorous. The disruptor rifle shot out again followed by the sound of a jet-pack roaring to life.

Shmi glanced above her and saw Boba flying above her with a jet-pack. He was shooting at the Gamorrean guards and the slave hunters with a pair of blaster pistols. The Gamorrean guards had shrunk to a small fifteen and the slave hunters were trying to find cover.

A Twi-lek girl popped out and ran after Anakin. Some Wisties came as well, guiding her along the path.

Kwi’teska’s lekkus bobbed against her back as she held a five-year-old Ghostling tightly. “I’ve got Conno! Come on we need to move it!”

Boba landed next to Shmi and extended a gauntleted wrist. A stream of fire erupted and struck the Abyssian. Gondry growled and backed away from the flames, stumbling against the roots of a tree. The tree then scooped down and tried to strangle Gondry, distracting him from Shmi.

A Bothan child came out of the reeds struggling to follow his comrades and carry an unconscious three-year-old Ghostling. A few Wisties were swirling around the two urgently buzzing. Sebubla, managing to free himself, spotted the pair and swam towards them angrily.

Shmi ran towards the two, lifting her stick. “Dorn watch out!”

She stopped when a giant white slug creature emerged from the depths of the lake.

Dorn flinched and redoubled his efforts. “Borofir’s passed out. And I don’t want to break his bones accidentally!”

Boba moved towards Sebubla splashing in the lake and extended the other wrist. A fiber cord whip swung out and wrapped itself onto Sebulba. He was dragged back into the lake and right onto the slug creature. The slug then tried to eat Sebulba. The Dug fought back snarling.

“Just go with him Dorn! You’ll get killed if you stand there!” Shmi shouted at the Bothan boy.

Dorn grimaced but he took the opportunity to make a run over it, slinging the Ghostling over his shoulders as gently as he could.

“Move your shebs now Di'kut. Otherwise, there will be no escape.” Boba snapped at the reeds as he lifted off in the jet-pack.

Kitser lifted himself from the reeds frowning.

He snapped at Shmi. “Alamar says he’s going to pass out. I can’t carry him!”

Shmi came right over to the reeds, pushing them aside. A seven-year-old glowing girl was hovering over Alamar’s limp body. The girl was trying her best to look brave but her eyes betrayed her fear. W. Wald was rubbing his Rodian hands together unsure what to do.

“Princess Arwynne this isn’t working!” W. Wald whimpered.

The rest of the Wisties encircled Shmi and the children in a tight huddle.

Princess Arwynne raised her head proudly. “Yes, it is! Help me move Alamar so we can join them.”

Shmi grabbed Alamar and nodded at the girl. “Kitser, W. Wald. Help her onto my back. We need to move.”

As if to prove her point, the palace shook once more with noise as the third sonic grenade went off. Kitser and W. Wald lifted Princess Arwynne onto Shmi’s back. The princess and Alamar barely weighed more than a blanket might. No wonder the children were able to carry them.

Blaster pistols fired into the air. Shmi ran as fast as she could, urging the other two children to follow her. She ducked her head whenever the whine of the disruptor rifle sounded out. They reached the pipe with the broken grate. W. Wald scrambled inside first as Kitser helped take Princess Arwynne off Shmi’s back. Shmi handed Alamar to W. Wald who began to drag the Ghostling boy along the pipe. The princess floated into the pipe, followed by Kitser.

The Wisties flew into the pipe after the children. Shmi turned back to look at Boba. He had landed nearby, pistols raised. The slave hunters had stopped firing at Boba. The Eye-snatchers had awoken and were targeting them now.

Boba tilted his helmet and looked at Shmi. “Let’s go.” He said shortly, tossing the fourth sonic grenade at the Hutt.

Shmi nodded and they both followed the children into the pipes. 

Anakin led them to where Jira was waiting, bouncing happily with adrenaline. Shmi could feel the boy’s happiness at rescuing his friends. She kept her guard up as she carried the two unconscious Ghostlings. Kwi’teska carried Alamar who was barely conscious, and the three other children kept a lookout for trouble. Boba trailed behind his hands neatly folded over the disruptor rifle.

The Wisties stayed in a cluster around Anakin, squeaking slightly.

“So you see he can feel the tingly sense too, mother. He says that I feel like the sun as well. Can you feel him?” Anakin asked as they walked.

Shmi only nodded a reply keeping an eye on the man. She wondered why Boba agreed to break out the slaves. He looked like a bounty hunter to her. And most bounty hunters knew better than to anger the Hutts. Yet Anakin was right. She could feel a cold sharp presence from him. But there was the tiniest spark of amusement at Anakin's antics.

Now that it was calm she could try and think about she had shattered an object without even using any tool. That was new, and it was terrifying. She knew that she had strange powers that Anakin shared. She also knew that almost everyone in the galaxy was a slave to something or another. It was well known that the Jedi didn't allow their members to remain with their families. She did not wish for Anakin to suffer the pain that the separation would cause.

But she might not have a choice in the matter.

Shmi shook herself and focused on the children. Such thoughts were not useful right now. The walk across the desert was unusually peaceful as it headed towards sunset. There was no sign of the slave hunters or even of the usual dangers that Tatooine presented.

Shmi didn’t know if she should attribute that to the shining Wisties protecting them or to Boba’s silent presence. When the hull of the smuggler’s ship came into view, Shmi allowed herself to breathe.

Jira clutched her old wooden stick and greeted the group with a tired smile. “Good to see that you made it. The smuggler was getting anxious.”

Jira raised an eyebrow at Boba’s presence as she left but didn’t ask. Shmi helped Princess Arwynne settle the other Ghostling children onto the ship.

“My mother would be honored to meet you all,” Princess Arwynne spoke her voice as sweet as a flute. “It’s always a treasure to meet such good friends.”

Shmi smiled at the princess and curtsied. “Thank you, your highness.”

Anakin turned to Boba with a grin on his face. “You were so wizard back there, flying around like that. I didn’t know you could throw fire at people! And your strange rifle turned that guard into a pile of ash!”

Boba looked at Anakin. He said dryly. “Adiik, that ship would be lucky to even hold together in hyperspace.”

Anakin glanced at the ship. “Yeah well. It’s the only one that we could afford. Jira used a lot of her money to help us out.”

Boba snorted. “You’re telling me that the bleeding heart of the Rebel Alliance wasn’t willing to do anything to help children? Especially a Force-sensitive one?”

Anakin’s eyebrows furrowed. “Force-sensitive?"

Boba sighed briefly. "That is what your buir, you and I all are. Force-sensitive. We can connect with each other, feel each other's emotions. And in your buir's case, she can break objects apart."

Anakin raised his eyebrows. "My b-buir?" He struggled to pronounce the word.

Boba pointed at Shmi. "She's your buir. Your parent. She broke the chains on her own, adiik. You better be really glad the Empire has taken a vacation from the galaxy, otherwise a display like that could have had her killed. Still could once they come back. Hopefully for you the Rebel Alliance will return as well."

"Mother! What’s the Rebel Alliance?” Anakin asked looking at her.

Shmi stared at Anakin crossing her arms across her chest. “I don’t know Ani.” She said.

Boba turned to her. “Alright. Did they decide to disappear as well? First the Empire, now the Rebel Alliance?”

“Are they after the Jedi too?” Anakin asked curiously.

Shmi stiffened. “Anakin there isn’t any Jedi out here. They don’t come to this part of the galaxy.”

Boba stared at her for a moment. “I think I missed something here,” He said finally. “Last I checked Jetti were declared as traitors by the Empire and were being hunted down. How has that changed in three days?”

Shmi bit her lip to keep the fear off of her face. “I don’t know,” She admitted. “The last time I saw anything of the Jedi was four years ago. And they were part of the Service Corps.”

Boba digested that piece of information going back to being silent.

Shmi moved closer to Anakin, drawing a calloused hand across the swollen lip. “Oh, Ani...” She said gently.

She wished that she could take the pain away.

Anakin gave her a crooked smile. “The plan was to have Boba throw the sonic grenade first and then I jump out of the pipe and grab everyone. I didn’t expect Djas to be waiting for me there. He got me real good in the face, but I still have all my teeth.”

“Anakin,” Shmi hugged him, her thin arms wrapping around his small frame. “You brave sweet boy. You deserve so much more than this.”

“Mother you deserve more as well.” Anakin replied with his voice confident.

Shmi gave him a shaky smile in turn.

“Oh kriff me.” An angry voice snarled in disgust.

The smuggler came out and looked at the group with a disgruntled look on his face. “I can’t take this many people along with me. We’re already pushing it as it is with nine. At least two of you need to stay behind.”

“What!” Anakin stared at the smuggler. The other children huddled together, bravado evaporating in the face of this new information.

Anger clouded Anakin’s young face. “You said that you could take all of us! Jira didn’t pay you all those credits just for you to do the job halfway!”

“That was before some crazy kriffing person attacked Gardulla. Now everyone is in a tizzy over it and I need to look after myself. Now, this is going to explode on the Holo-net later. Be glad that I’m still happy to take some of you.” The smuggler growled back.

Anakin balled his hands into fists. “You... You. Gardulla can reactivate the chips in our bodies. If we get caught she can make us explode!”

Shmi placed her hands on the boy’s shoulders softly. “Relax Ani. This is for the best.”

Anakin whirled to look at his mother incredulously. “What?”

Shmi knelt in front of her son. “Did Boba help us for free?”

Anakin shook his head slowly. “No...but I was going to pay after we were safe.”

Shmi smiled sadly at him. “We don’t get that option. Now, what did Boba want you to do for him in return?”

“He wanted you to fix his ship that got broken, for me to make him a machine, and he wanted information.” Anakin muttered darkly, glaring at the smuggler.

His small shoulders slumped. Anakin whined. “Mother we can’t stay here.”

Kitser looked at Anakin worriedly. “Then who’s going to stay behind? All of us are in trouble with Gardulla.”

“Ani and I will stay here. We have to repay Boba for freeing us. You go on with the Ghostlings. The smuggler will take you to their planet.”

Anakin bowed his head and sighed unhappily. "What are we going to do afterwards?"

Shmi gave another smile. "We will just have to figure that out when that comes, won't we?"

Anakin's lip trembled. Then he jutted his chin at the smuggler, brown eyes narrowed.

“Keep your word this time.” He growled. Anakin waved at the Wisties. “Look after these guys, okay? They are going to take you somewhere really nice. And maybe they can help you find your Queen.”

The Wisties swirled around Anakin, tickling him with their tiny bodies. They squeaked with apparent delight. Anakin giggled happily, his mood lifting.

“Your welcome!” He shouted as the Wisties flew into the ship.

“Wait,” Boba said.

He marched over to the slave children before they entered the ship. “You owe him,”

He jerked a gloved thumb at Anakin. “Every single one of you owes him your lives and your freedom.”

The princess Arwynne bowed her head. “I know. It’s thanks to him that we will see our parents once more. I wish I could do something.”

“You can,” Boba replied sternly. “You can promise that when you are settled down and you have the strength to help, that you will help him as he helped you. You owe him that much. All of you.”

Princess Arwynne lifted her head towards Anakin, tears in her eyes. “Okay... I will. I promise that when I get big enough I’ll find you and I’ll try my best to help you out in thanks.”

Kwi'teska agreed instantly. Dorn and W. Wald looked at each other and then nodded. Kitser rubbed his arm self-consciously. Then he sighed and agreed.

The slave children all ran over and giving Anakin one last big hug. Boba nodded sharply and turned away.

He gestured at Shmi and Anakin. “If the smuggler is panicked about the possible fallout then we’d better get a move on.”

Anakin grabbed his mother’s hand as they followed Boba back towards Mos Eisley. Anakin took one last glance at his friends. They waved furiously at him until the ship’s door blocked them from his view.

Shmi felt a pang in her heart for her son. She scooped him up in her arms and carried him while they walked in the fading twilight.

“I’m proud of you, Ani.” She whispered into his ear, sending as much love as she could through their bond.

“Did I do the right thing?” Anakin asked sadly, his emotions a jumbled mix of anger, sadness, and confusion.

“You helped your friends and you remained calm despite the danger we were all in. It was certainly the kind thing to do. But the right thing? That remains to be seen Ani. The galaxy is a complicated place. One person's fortune is another's curse. But no matter what happens to us, remember that I love you Ani. And that I’m proud of what you chose to do.” Shmi replied.

All she could give him was her love, and by the galaxy, she wished that was enough.

“I will. I promise.” Anakin snuggled further into his mother’s arms, trying his best to hide his tears.

Chapter Text

Mos Eisley’s shipyard is one of the dirtiest and the messiest shipyards Boba has been in. Pieces of metal and junk lay about and the womp rats scuttle around in the trash. Boba has never been more glad to see it.

It was the one slightly familiar thing he could find. The long day was full of small nagging differences that pricked at his hide like needles.

‘You also have to deal with the Force-sensitive slaves you helped.’ He thought, sighing.

This wasn’t going to be pleasant. It is a small welcome relief that his ship hasn’t disappeared. The fear was irrational but it had been there. Boba leads the adiik’s buir, Shmi, to his ship. He leans against the wall and watches her get set up.

He doesn’t entirely trust her, he’s seen far too many people take advantage of him. Yet Shmi simply takes a look at the jumbled mess of parts and makes herself comfortable. Anakin sits at her side, brown eyes alight with glee, fetching whatever Shmi might require from the toolbox. He asks a constant stream of questions pointing at the different parts.

Halfway through Shmi gently reminds her ad'ika that he needed to create a machine for Boba. Anakin then scampers off to the scrap pile and comes back with a bunch of parts.

He then turns to Boba with a grin. “What do you want me to make you? I don’t think you would need a transmitter scrambler. Ooh, how about I try and make a sonic grenade?”

Shmi turned and said in a firm voice. “Ani.”

Anakin pouts. “Mother. The grenades are useful. And Boba used all his up.”

To his surprise, Boba snorts softly.

Anakin turns to him again, his bruised lip quivering ever so slightly. “What?”

It should be annoying. The adiik’s behavior should have annoyed him.

Boba did try his best to be annoyed, despite his voice betraying him. “Adiik, I can easily buy more sonic grenades from somewhere else. Something similar to the transmitter scrambler should be just fine.”

Anakin blinked thoughtfully. “Something that can scramble a signal like a transmitter chip.”

He began to lay out the pieces, a look of concentration spreading over his face. Boba stomps down on his growing amusement with the young adiik. It was hard not to like him and the warmth that he spread out. Complimented with the calmness that Anakin’s buir settled round herself, he felt... steady. Which isn’t something he had been in four straight days.

‘You haven’t been so easily accepted in a long while,’ He realized. ‘CC-2224 was the only one other than his own buir that accepted him in like this.’

The realization makes Boba’s chest tighten. It was unfortunately true. The clones had been Force-sensitive, not as strong as Boba, certainly not as strong as Anakin, but they were strong enough to make a connection. Yet CC-2224 alone allowed him in as long as he wanted, without any tricks.

Boba bit down on his tongue the pain cutting off his brooding thoughts. ‘You need to focus on Shmi.’

Anakin had slumped over on the ground, asleep. The four-year-old had worked himself out and was snoring away. Shmi had taken a short break to lay a tarp over her son and carefully brushed his work into a container. The sight reminded him of his buir so strongly that he had to wrap his hands together to prevent them from shaking.

Boba’s buir was killed by a Jetti. Mace Windu. Boba had tried to kill Mace Windu twice and both times he had failed. He had failed because even though he was a famous bounty hunter, Boba could still be afraid. There still was a fit of simmering anger deep in his heart. The clones might have exacted vengeance but Boba was still alone.

So if he ran across a Force-sensitive carrying a Jetii’kad during his travels around the galaxy and they just happened to end up dead? Well, the galaxy was a very dangerous place.

Adiiks though were another matter entirely. Jango was against the harming of children but he was okay with allowing an impoverished mother to starve. All of them were trying to survive in the cruel galaxy and Jango had an adiik to provide for. Or that at least had been Jango’s reasoning.

Boba had accepted that when he started as a bounty hunter. That benefited him more times than it didn’t. But now though. Now Boba was trying to fulfill the Resol’nare. And his gut told him that a culture with such strong roots in teaching and raising of children wouldn’t appreciate him dumping the adiik somewhere without support.

Boba groaned quietly. Shmi had the ship working again after a few hours more.

“Interesting,” Shmi mutters to herself as she rearranges the tools in Boba’s toolbox.

“What is?” Boba asks despite himself.

He is ever so slightly curious about the two Force-sensitive slaves that have such clear mechanical talent. Shmi watches him out of the corner of her brown eyes. There is a clear hesitation in that stress wrinkled and scarred face.

“...I’ve worked on ship engines before,” She says in a flat tone. “I’m familiar with about twenty different kinds of ship and freighter engine models. This model of engine is strange because it’s better than all others that I’ve worked on. And the signature is odd, to say the least.”

“Explain.” Boba stares at her standing up from his spot to look where she’s pointing.

“See this here?” Shmi’s sun-tanned hand guides his view to a silver metal tubing. “This was the broken part of your ship. This tube connects the fuel tank to the fuel filter and then the engine. It’s called a fuel line. Normally when this piece breaks, fuel gets everywhere in the ship and the engine explodes.”

Boba looks at her sharply. “So that shabuir nearly destroyed my ship.”

Boba keeps his voice cool despite the thrill of anger pooling in his stomach. This was his buir’s ship one of the few things Boba has left of him. People have tried to steal it from him before and tried to destroy it. Boba usually killed them. Now he wanted to go and kill that engineer.

Painfully and slow.

Shmi flinched slightly. Anakin whimpered in his sleep, tossing about for a few moments before quieting.

Boba took a deep breath and clenched his fist. “Apologies.”

He had forgotten in his anger that they were Force-sensitive and could feel his emotions. Anger was not a pleasant thing to feel in another. He had felt it rise in his buir, never at Boba, but mostly at other people. Most often it was at the Jetti. It was choking, burning, and it made your head ache.

Shmi nodded once. “You are fortunate that this model has a safety feature on it,” She tapped the silver tube’s left end. “Someone attached a small alarm system that kept an eye on this tube. If the fuel line is broken, the alarm system shuts off the engine entirely before any fuel could be spilled. Whoever the creator of this system is, they’d make a fortune selling it.”

Boba nodded slowly. “And the signature?”

Shmi gestured at the top of the engine. There are several strange marks scrawled on its surface. “The creator of the ship leaves a signature on the engine to fight against forgery. Mechanics that repair engines will also leave signatures on the engines to tell fellow mechanics who last repaired it.”

Shmi paused considering her next words. “The creator’s signature is here,” She points at the first scrawl. “It says that this ship is a Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft. It also says that the engine is an F-31. It was created by Kuat Systems Engineering as a prisoner transport prototype.”

“Truly?” Boba’s interest peaked and he peered closer at the symbols. “Does it say which prison it transported for?”

“Yes. A Republic maximum prison named Desolation alley.” Shmi paused again.

Boba gave a humorless laugh. So his buir had been telling him the truth when he claimed that he had stolen the ship from the infamous maximum prison that was known for its illegal podracing. Boba had never believed him thinking his buir was talking out of his shebs. He noticed that Shmi was watching his buy’ce intently with confused brown eyes.

An air of confusion was worming its way into her calm presence.

“Something the matter?” He asked.

Shmi frowned. “Have you seen the date next to the signature?”

Boba glanced at where she was pointing. “Yes. It was made thirty-two years ago.”

Shmi stared at him. A look of disbelief was plain onto her face. Her usual calm was broken by waves of worry and slight concern.

Boba felt his gut clench. “What?”

Shmi took a breath. “As a valuable slave, I was allowed some... privileges. One of those was the knowledge of upcoming ship engine prototypes and the like. The engine F-31 was advertised by Kuat Systems Engineering as a possible future prototype in the next five years.”

Boba went silent. His hands began to tremble violently. 

It was going to take them thirteen hours to arrive at Utaruun. They would stop there and get the transmitter chips removed. Then they’d fly through the Austan system and arrive at Pii 3. Boba had decided to place Anakin and Shmi on Pii 3. The weapons dealer Kayson owed him.

Boba had pretended not to know that a few locals were a part of the Rebels Alliance and Kayson gave him illegal weapons in exchange. It frankly was a nice place. Greel trees, nerfs, and droids aplenty. The two should be rather happy there. And the Rebel Alliance could probably help the two with their Force-sensitivity.

Shmi had thanked him gratefully as he led her into the ship, Anakin snoring in her arms. Boba was not in the mood to deal with the sudden disliking he had toward leaving the pair by themselves.

‘Attachment issues. You have an attachment issue.’ Boba thought tiredly.

Slave 1 had two rooms and four prison cells. Until now, Boba used the one his buir had assigned him. Now he had Anakin, Shmi, and five straight days without proper sleep.

So Boba had cleaned the room out thoroughly and told Shmi that she and Anakin would share the room. It was not going to be a fun night in Jango’s old room.

Anakin lay in the bunk bed, the tarp replaced by the bunk’s blanket. Shmi spread the tarp next to the bed and laid down on it as if it were a luxurious feather bed. They slept peacefully. Boba pretended that he didn’t look over his shoulder at the two of them as he left the room.

Boba, certain that he was alone, took off his buy’ce and placed it on the ship’s single tabletop. He poured himself a drink of Ne’tra gal. The dark brown ale poured into his small glass cup, beige foam rising at the top.

Boba usually didn’t touch alcohol. The kriffing stuff dulled your mind and the last thing he needed was to start acting haryc b’aalyc. Yet after today, he needed it. He needed the comfort that the drink would provide. That was the reason he had got the karking thing after all.

Jango used to have a cup of this stuff before a particularly rough bounty or hunt. He poured Boba a very tiny amount in his glass and would tell Boba of a Mandalorian tradition. A pregnant woman’s clan would bring her gifts for the child; one of the gifts an expecting buir would receive was a fine casket of Ne’tra gal. The casket would be opened and drunk on its first birthday.

“Ne'tra gal mesh'la, jat'isyc, bal, wayii, jahaal'got.” Jango chuckled as he would swallow the dregs of his drink. Boba sighed, breathing in the sweet-spicy smell of the ale. He was alone so he allowed the hot tears to fall.

“K’oyacyi.” He muttered softly, raising the glass. Boba sipped at the drink slowly. It had a milky, sweet taste at first, then a mellow bitterness with the barest hint of spice. More tears fell from his eyes. Boba didn’t care.

He would rather sit here and mourn than figure out what in the ever-loving kriff was going on. He wanted to avoid looking at the holo-net for tonight. Boba had a funny feeling in his gut that if he were to look at the holo-net it would be as Shmi said.

‘Thirty-seven years in the past,’ Boba scoffed. ‘Impossible.’

He drank again and wiped his face roughly. ‘You are haryc b’aalyc tonight, aren’t you?’

This all started with his choice to head into that sandstorm. His duraplast armor was strong enough to protect him from space so Boba hadn’t been concerned. Besides he wanted to make a certain pit stop before he searched for a Mandalorian. However, he inexplicably got lost in it’s whirling sands while traversing to Mos Eisley. Boba’s HUD couldn’t figure out where he was for the life of it.

Then when it had quickly cleared, almost everyone in Mos Eisley suffered from a widespread case of sudden amnesia.

To not celebrate Empire Day was an almost literal death sentence. The Empire wanted everyone to celebrate the day the Jetti died. The day that Chancellor Palpatine became an Emperor. Anyone with a brain cell prepared for a big party. Even Tatoonie, full of smugglers, chakaar, and scum knew better than to ignore Empire Day.

To say that Boba was unnerved by what seemed like a foolish act of defiance was an understatement. And that shabuir had dared to mess with his ship. Boba took another drink as he clenched his fist.

Was that an assassin coming after him? Or someone desperate enough for credits that they would try their hand at mechanics? With everything being so confusing, he had let the offending person go with a clear warning. Boba had learned the hard way not to trust shipyard mechanics so he went back out into the sands to find some Jawas.

He ran into that adiik.

 Boba had thought at first the slave boy was a di’kut. Barely escaping the slave hunters and then not questioning their sudden disappearance? The adiik needed a good scare to wake him up to the realities of the galaxy. It was just Boba’s karking luck that the adiik was Force-sensitive.

If things suddenly went back to normal he’d certainly be in trouble for helping the adiik and his buir, that was for sure. Darth Vader hadn’t ever figured out if Boba was Force-sensitive but he had suspected. Darth Vader had sent spies after Boba. The Grand Inquisitor had made a threat or two. Too bad for them that Boba was in Jabba the Hutt’s favor.

Jango had secured that goodwill and Hutts had long memories. How Jango had won that hard-won favor was still a mystery to Boba. Unless like with the ship, the bedtime story was true? Boba had requested the bedtime story of Jango attempting to feed Gardulla Besadii to her krayt dragon so many times he knew it by heart.

He sighed and finished the glass. With a flick of his wrist, he set the ship’s computer to wake him up once they arrived at Utaruun. The Roidan colonists would happily accept Boba’s credits. Boba had the fortunate presence of mind to have several different forms of currency in his account.

Then he gathered up his buy’ce. His scarred hands trembled slightly as he prepared for the bad night.

Boba slowly headed off to Jango’s bedroom.

A thundering crack blasted across the darkened room. He whimpered. Boba held his shaking knees tight to his chest as he cowered in the space between the luminous sleeping pods.

There were three different kinds of weather on Kamino. Rainy, stormy, and very rarely, sunny. Right now it was stormy. The cold smooth floor lit up with a flash of white as the lightning struck the ocean.

Boba was three years old. His fuzzy tunic was knee-length and had clouds on it. His little body was shaking like a leaf and he was crying. He had an awful nightmare and for the first time, his buir wasn’t around to help make it better.

His buir had bent his schedule around Boba and his needs to the annoyance of almost everyone. Now, something had come up and his buir was needed somewhere tonight.

Boba was alone.

He quietly struggled to keep the tears from falling. Taun We hadn’t known what to do and had simply gone back to her holo-pad. Boba needed someone to help him calm down from the nightmare. He needed someone to help him breathe. So he had tried to follow his buir down where he wasn’t supposed to go. And now he was stuck in a scary place unable to figure out the exit.

And he was alone.

Someone’s presence brushed against him gently, like his buir’s hand stroking his hair. Boba blinked in surprise.

“Osik!” A voice cried out. “Alpha 17 there’s one that hid.”

Boba jumped, shocked at the anger in the voice. It sounded very much like his buir’s, yet it also was different in a way he couldn’t describe.

“Shhh! Quiet Ponds, you Di’kut. What are you going on about?” Another voice answered. This voice was calmer, steadier. Still that same/different quality to it.

“Well now thanks to you, the vod’ika is scared and won’t let me in! I have no clue where he might be.” Ponds fired back. “Help me find him!”

The voices quieted. Footsteps walked around the sleeping pods. Boba held his breath whenever the footsteps came near him. He was frightened. They were strangers these people.

Alpha 17 was a strange adult dressed in white shiny armor and a T-shaped buy’ce.

“I can’t find him! What do we do?” Ponds asked. Ponds was a teenager, gangly with youth. He resembled Boba’s buir to such a degree, Boba half-wondered if they were related.

“It might be better to let them find him.” Alpha 17 retorted. His voice was now laden with something else. Boba frowned.

“What?” Ponds sounded incredulous. “You can’t be serious.”

Grief. Alpha 17 sounded like he was in mourning. Boba shrank back further, confused.

“Believe me, if we find him, you’re not going to like what I’ll be forced to do.” Alpha 17 sighed.

“Stop it! We can figure something out.” Ponds growled.

A third voice rose above the other two. “What is the matter with you vod?”

“Cody, one of the members of the squad that was culled is hiding in here! We’re trying to find him.” Ponds informed the new voice.

Cody was silent for a long moment. When he spoke his voice was laced with steel. “That’s impossible. I watched the entire squad, except one, walk to that room. And that single member is currently learning how to operate cleaning droids. If this is some kind of prank.”

Boba flinched as someone’s presence poked at him, hard. Before he could discern what they felt like the presence retreated.

“Wait,” Alpha 17 spoke up sharply. “I found him. He’s hiding there.”

Boba trembled as the footsteps came right over to where he was. A face appeared in his line of vision. Boba started, his mouth falling open. The face looked like his own but seven years older.

“It’s okay vod’ika. I’m Cody,” Cody’s face broke into a warm soft smile. “Come here.”

He spread his arms open wide. His presence was soothing and solid, like a rock. Boba crawled over into Cody’s arms, sniffling. Then he started to weep some more.

Cody wrapped him into an embrace, lifting the three-year-old with ease. “There you go. See? All better.”

Ponds’s voice was confused.“What is he wearing? That’s not one of our uniforms.”

“He’s crying. He looks to be about three years old and he’s crying.” Alpha 17 snorted.

Cody fingered the fuzzy material of Boba’s sleeping tunic. “What’s your number vod’ika?”

“I don’t have a number,” Boba sobbed out. “My name’s Boba. I want my buir!”

There was a heavy silence as the three strangers took in the information. Cody continued to rock Boba until his sobs subsided.

“Is he part of the Nulls?” Ponds asked uncertainly, his teenage face screwing up in concern. “They call their squad leader Kal’buir.”

Cody sighed unhappily. “The trainers talked about a clone named Boba. I think he’s the unaltered one.”

Alpha 17 jerked back. “I thought he was supposed to be special!”

“He is.” Ponds gestured at the tunic. Alpha 17 shook his head silently.

Cody turned his back on the two. “I’m going to take him to one of the trainers. See how they react. Most likely they’ll take him back to Jango.”

“Are you sure that’s who he should be with?” Alpha 17 asked far too quickly.

Cody only smiled bitterly. “There’s no way we can take care of him.”

He then looked at Boba. “Call me CC-2224. Pretend that you didn’t talk to those other two. You didn’t hear their names. Okay? Promise me vod’ika?”

Boba was unsure. Cody’s presence was a confusing jumble of worry, fear, assurance, and love.

Still Boba nodded after a while.  “Okay. I promise.”

Boba woke up from the dream with dried tears on his face and a head that felt like a piece of osik. The bunk was full of dust and the room’s air was stale. But Boba didn’t care about these things because he had gotten a very good night’s sleep. That didn’t happen often.

He got himself ready, polished his buy’ce, turned off the alarm, and readied the ship for landing in Utaruun. Boba went to the ship’s table and set a kettle on for shig. He searched in a compartment for breakfast.

Shmi came out of the room first, followed by a bleary-eyed Anakin.

“Hello...” Anakin yawned and stretched sleepily. Boba nodded at him.

“Did you sleep in your armor?” Anakin raised an eyebrow at him. Boba snorted and shook his head with amusement.

Shmi spoke. “Ani.”

“He didn’t change out of it.” Anakin sat down at the tabletop arms folded.

Shmi sighed gently. “Anakin. Be polite.”

Boba turned around a container of warra nuts in his hands. “In my culture adiik, we don’t take off our beskar’gam or our buy’ce unless we feel safe.”

Anakin wrinkled his nose. “What do those words mean?”

Boba lifted a hand to his buy’ce. “To you, this would be a helmet. I call it a buy’ce,” He pointed at his green beskar’gam. “This is my armor. My Beskar’gam.”

“Buyca.” Anakin grinned at Boba with warm brown eyes.

Boba snorted again. “No. That means pail or bucket, Nice try though. Listen closer. Buy’ce.”

“Buy’ce. Helmet,” Anakin nodded. “Erm. I’m not sure how to say the other one.”

Boba smothers the chuckle that wants to escape him. “Beskar’gam. Repeat after me.”

They say it in unison, Anakin’s brown eyes shining like stars. “Beskar’gam.”

Boba didn’t think Anakin’s presence could grow any brighter. Yet somehow it was. And it was making Boba smile.

"If you can’t take off your buy’ce around us then how are you going to have breakfast?” Anakin inquired.

Boba handed the container of warra nuts to Shmi. “Watch and see, adiik.”

“We wouldn’t wish to impose.” Shmi tried to decline but Boba pressed it into her hands.

“Thank you.” She relented and bowed slightly at him. The kettle whistled and Boba made his shig. Shmi and Anakin sat at the tabletop cracking the green nuts and eating them. Boba leaned against the wall and extended the straw in his buy’ce.

Anakin’s brown eyes widened. “Wizard. Mother, he’s drinking that without removing his buy’ce!”

“Careful Ani, don’t spill the nuts.” Shmi steadied her son as he nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement.

Boba actually does laugh at this point as he drinks the warm citrus-favored shig. It's a brief laugh. But he laughs.

After breakfast he grabs his holo-pad.

The Rodian doctor comes to their ship after Boba makes an appointment on the holo-pad. He had taken one look outside, saw the ServiCorps building, and for Anakin’s and Shmi’s sake he avoided heading outside.  He can’t reasonably say what he might do if he went near the building. Something not pleasant most likely.

So Shmi and Anakin sit outside the ship and the Rodian performs the procedure.

He takes a deep breath. The ServiCorps nearly confirmed it in his mind, but. He needs to check.

Boba checks the inter-galaxy clock. Just to make sure he checks the local date as well.

“Oh, kriff.” Boba tipped his head back and groaned. the evidence was getting too large to ignore. Shmi was very likely right. He was thirty-seven years in the past.

‘Thirty-seven years in the kriffing past.’ Boba rubs a hand over his buy’ce at the thought. There was the obvious question of how the kriff did this happen. There were also things to work through.

‘The Jetii are alive now.’ Boba grimaced at the thought. The clones were gone as well.

He felt strangely empty at that realization. 'Does that leave me to exact vengeance once more? Perhaps my buir’s family is no longer dead?' 

Boba gritted his teeth. No more Empire, no more Darth Vader and Inquisitors, and no more Clone Wars.

'Does that mean that I will have to go through those three awful years again, this time older and with none of my buir’s goodwill in the criminal underground?' Boba breathed in and out to prevent his hands from shaking. He didn't want to go through those years again even though this time he'd be an adult. 

He wondered how this even happened. As he figured, sandstorms didn't transport people back in time.

When he decided to do the cin vhetin he hadn’t thought it would happen quite so literally.  He was at a fresh clean start. Mandalore was no longer under the Empire’s control and the Mandalorians would be far easier to find now. That probably answered at least one of his questions.

So now he had to find a Mandalorian, prove his mandokarla which he might have already by freeing Anakin, and possibly discover his buir’s family.

Boba knitted his hands together as he watched Anakin and Shmi from the ship’s window. Shmi was crying softly as the Rodian doctor removed Anakin's transmitter chip. But those tears were happy ones. The tears of a buir who's ad'ika is finally free. 

For once in a very long time, Boba thinks he is proud of himself.

Chapter Text

“You are being impossible, ad'ika.” Boba’s voice was calm despite the argument that was happening.

“You are being silly. Just tell me what you are so afraid of!” Anakin scowled.

Anakin was throwing a temper tantrum. He had sensed Boba’s sudden fear after his transmitter chip got removed. Anakin, therefore, asked to help with whatever was wrong after the Roidan doctor left.

Boba refused with an amused chuckle. “You don’t even know what my problem is, adiik.”

Boba quickly regretted saying that, because Anakin jumped onto that and began demanding that Boba tell him. Shmi tried to intervene but that simply put the issue off until later.

They had two weeks before Pii 3, stuck in cramped quarters. And Boba learned how stubborn Anakin could get when something didn’t go his way.

He first got annoyed, then unhappy and then angry that Boba wouldn’t tell him. His mother wouldn’t explain, saying that he wouldn’t understand. Anakin did happen to be a nosy little four years old. He didn’t like the fact that Boba wasn’t letting him help. His mother had taught him to help those in need and Boba had already done so much for them.

But Boba kept pushing the boy away.

What started as deflecting turned into outright denial. Conversations got uncomfortable and tense. The more the pair disagreed the more Boba retreated his presence behind a wall. Shmi did her best to mediate between the two, but halfway in the trip, Anakin tried probing the bond.

His mother did this to him at times so Anakin felt it was okay to do the same. Unfortunately, Boba got spooked when Anakin broke past the wall with ease.

“Usen'ye! Get out!” That was the first time Boba raised his voice at Anakin.

Shmi told him to stop pressing and accept that Boba didn’t want the help. Then tonight as they arrived Anakin was made to walk around the logging corporation with his mother while Boba talked with the owner. The only good thing that came out of that was the alien child Anakin played with, Kayson.

He claimed that he was going to be a weapon’s dealer when he grew up.

After they returned, Anakin learned that he and his mother were going to be left on Pii 3. Boba was going to leave.

This meant that whatever thing was frightening Boba was going to do something awful soon. Or that is what Anakin had rationalized.

So when Boba told them of his plan, Shmi had agreed and Anakin had refused. Both adults had tried to make him see reason. Anakin, unable to counter their words, did what four-year-olds did best.

Get stubborn and throw a temper tantrum.

His mother was long used to Anakin’s bouts of sulkiness and temper tantrums. She weathered them with the same grace and calm she used on everything. Boba was different. He was stubborn too and he didn’t back down. 

And Anakin had decided to push as hard as he could because he was fed up with not being able to do anything.

“I don’t want to stay here!” Anakin jutted his chin at his mother, arms crossed.

Shmi simply shook her head and continued to pack the supplies Boba had given them. “Boba is going to leave tomorrow Anakin. There is nothing you can do to prevent that."

“He won’t say why. I haven’t even finished making the machine I owe him.” Anakin shot back.

Boba was leaning against the doorway. “Your buir already explained you don’t owe me anything. I’m dropping that part of the deal. You and Shmi are staying here.”

Anakin shook his head. “You will be alone! I can feel you, I know that’s not what you want.”

Boba bristled. “Get out of my head.”

“Anakin!” Shmi’s voice was firm. “We established this. Don’t go in there without permission.”

Anakin snapped. “I’m not! I can feel his fear from over here.”

“I’m not.” Boba ground his voice to a halt forcing the emotion out of it.

‘Good,’ Anakin thought darkly. ‘That means I’m getting through to him.’

“This isn’t your choice to make adiik.” His patience was running thin.

Anakin didn’t care. “I’m no longer a slave. I can choose where I go and what I do. And I’m helping Boba.”

He stamped his foot for emphasis.

Shmi sighed. “You can’t help someone who doesn’t want it Anakin. Forcing help onto a person is just as bad as ignoring them.”

“Watch me.” Anakin jutted his chin again, brown eyes flaring.

The tension in the small bunker was steadily growing and Anakin was far too willing to help it along. Boba sighed.

Then he straightened up from the doorway and crossed his arms. “Why should I even tell you anything? You’re too young to understand any of it. You aren’t aware of how nasty things are. Well, guess what adiik, here’s a dose of reality. The Jetti aren’t going to help you, me, or anyone that needs it.”

Anakin threw his hands in the air. “Tell me why they won’t!”

Something broke in the other room. Boba turned halfway, glancing in the other room.

Shmi paused and looked sharply at Boba. “Anakin. Leave the ship.”

“But!” Anakin started.

Shmi cut him off. “Your powers are out of control and you are stepping over boundaries. Out. You can come back once you can listen to reason.”

Anakin stomped past Boba and out of the ship. “Fine. Keep your secrets!”

His half-finished machine lay on the ground where he had left it moments prior. He kicked it on his way past, not caring about the consequences.

The cool night air of Pii 3 did little to soothe his temper. Sticks and rocks crunched under his feet as he stomped away heading into the woods. A gentle breeze brushed past his face, the bruise long healed up. If he went deep enough they would have to find him.

His mother had always gone on about helping people and how the galaxy would be a better place if everyone helped each other. Yet here was someone who needed help and they were just standing around.

“Well, why can’t I help someone who needs it?” Anakin shouted at Pii 3’s forest.

A sudden click sounded behind him.

“Oh, believe me, kid. You’re going to help me plenty.” Someone sneered at him.

Anakin tried to turn around however he was too slow. The speaker grabbed him by the right shoulder holding him tight. All of his anger faded into an ice-cold fear that settled in the pit of his stomach. “W-who are you? What do you want?”

“Your head. Gardulla Besadii paid big time for me to blow it off. Even bigger for me to deliver you to her for eating. Too bad for her that I wish to fight your rescuer far more than I want a payday.”

“You’re the one that Boba’s been afraid of!” Anakin snarled.

He wiggled as best as he could trying to see if he was able to kick the assailant.

“Is that what Jango Fett is calling himself now? ‘Lucky?’ Pah. I’m Montross, little worm. And you are going to help me fish out this worthless scum that called himself a Mandalorian.” Montross chuckled as he tightened his grip on Anakin.

Montross didn’t wear a buy’ce. He had a sharp cruel face that was lined with scars and he was huge and powerful. He wore what looked to be a modified version of beskar’gam, no paint, and the sleeves were cut off.

“You are going to leave my prey alone.” Boba’s voice cut through, flat and dry. Professional-like. Anakin gasped as he felt Boba’s presence swamp his own. It had changed. From cool and dangerous to cool and refreshing. Like a comforting shower or a glass of water in a desert.

Montross yanked on Anakin’s arm pushing them both around. Boba was standing near the ship, pointing the disintegration rifle at Montross.

‘Boba followed me out here.’ Anakin realized. He tried to smother the panic that was gathering in his chest. ‘Boba can handle this. He can fix it.’

“Your prey? Hah! Jaster raised you better than that, Jango. Then again you’ve become an aruetii as well. Tell me, why did you break this pitiful slave out from Gardulla if not for the company?”

Boba didn’t react at all. “You assume that I’m Jango.”

Montross shook his head, a wicked smile spreading over it. “Because I’d never recognized someone from my clan, eh? Come on we spent six years together under Jaster Mereel. I know you better than most. Especially since that voice of yours is a dead giveaway.”

Boba shifted in place. He tightened the hold on the rifle. “Perhaps I’m a changeling who took on his form.”

Montross sniffed. “Oh yes. It’s entirely an accident that I’ve run into someone who bears Jaster’s symbol on their beskar’gam so openly. Now just because the Jetti killed the Haat’Mandalorians doesn’t mean everyone in the galaxy forgot what they used to be.”

Boba stiffened ever so slightly. He didn’t reply.

Anakin choked. “Liar! The Jedi would never kill anyone that didn't deserve it.”

Montross snickered. “I wonder what Myles has to say about that, hmm Jango? I think he might be ‘split’ over the idea?” The dark amusement faded from Montross’s face as he watched the unmoving Boba. “Nothing to say? You’ll just let me dishonor your best friend like that?”

Boba raised the rifle.

Montross shoved Anakin in front. “Try it Jango. Better yet fight me like a Mandalorian. Prove the worth that Jaster saw in that crying little farmer boy. Put down that rifle and face me.”

Boba considered that. A ripple of indecision swept through him that was quickly tampered down.

“Let go of the adiik. Then we will fight.” He said finally.

Montross’s face twitched. He stared at Boba for a beat watching for a reaction that wasn’t there.

Then he grabbed Anakin’s leg and twisted. Anakin screamed. Boba fired the disintegration rifle.

Montross dodged the blast with ease. Anakin lay on the dirt, tears streaming out of his eyes as he watched Montross charge Boba, tackling him to the ground. The two men fought hand-to-hand neither giving the other an edge to utilize. It was brutal.

First Boba was on top then Montross, and then Boba again. Montross was deflecting Boba’s attacks and then attacking with one of his own. Boba stabbed Montross’s side with a small viroblade that was in his gauntlet, he punched his arm with the other gauntlet, and he headbutted Montross’s nose, breaking it.

Montross stabbed Boba in the left leg with his viroblade, he pinned Boba on his back and he ripped the buy’ce off of Boba’s face.

Boba had black eyes and dark brown curly hair. He had a scar running down a cheek.

Anakin flinched. Then his brown eyes caught the sight of his mother. Shmi was standing in the ship’s doorway. She held a weapon in her hands, a blaster pistol it looked like. Her face was pale as the moon.

Anakin crawled closer to where Montross and Boba were. His leg pained him with every movement.

“Look at you. Jaster taught you better, I taught you better. Is this how the Jetti killed everyone on Galidraan? Because you are so inefficient at protecting people?” Montross spat.

“Where were you when that happened?” Boba snarled out. Bitter hatred spiked out from him.

Silence descended on them. Montross stared at him again.

Confusion spread across his face. “Mir’oisk. What sort of di’kut question is that? You were the one that banished me! Everyone chose you; Silas, Myles, Cedro, and the others. Even Kal Skirata and his alor stood with you because you were Jaster’s precious adopted ad'ika! You have forgotten all of them so easily? After it was you that got most of them killed? You killed twenty Jetii for them!”

Montross’s face twisted in disgust. “Aruetii. No, worse. Dar’manda.”

Boba’s voice grew angry. "He... I was not a Manda’lor !”

Montross grimaced. “Hut’uun. You look upon the man who left Jaster for dead and show almost no emotion. I tell you of your failings as a Manda’lor and you question whether you were even one?”

“Liar! That’s not true!” Boba looked at the man with outrage.

There was silence for a single moment. Then Boba slumped. His voice trembled with emotion. “Prove you are Montross. Where did Jaster die?”

“Korda 6. Where we fought Kyr’tsad. You know the people that killed your real family back on Concord Dawn?” Montross leaned away from Boba, a flicker of doubt. “...You look like Jango. You sound like him. Yet...”

Shmi shot Montross in the shoulder. The blaster pistol did little more than tickle the man. But it distracted him long enough for Boba to free an arm and to grab at something in his belt.

“I am not my buir!” Boba shouted.

Montross only had enough time to gasp before a green lightsaber blade pierced his throat.

Anakin watched with big frightened brown eyes as Montross’s body collapsed.

“Haar’chak,” Boba gasped out. “Anakin! Where does it hurt?”

Anakin didn’t respond. He lay on the ground and stared at the dead body before him.

“Anakin!” Boba crawled towards him faster than Anakin thought possible.

The maelstrom of emotion had turned into an icy purpose. Protection. Anakin began to cry. Shmi ran over to his side, gentle hands grasping at his leg.

“Dislocated.” She said, her voice shaky with pain.

“Osik.” Boba swore.

He attempted to stand, collapsed.

He tried again and this time succeeded, favoring his good leg. “We have to get out of here.”

“Should we take him to the logging cooperation? They have a med-bay.” Shmi cradled her son tightly as she picked him up. Anakin cried into her cloth dress the tension, pain, and fear making his body shake.

“No. They must have sold us out to him,” Boba hissed in pain. “When there’s a power-hungry Empire that blows up planets and terrorizes your people then you help people out. But when someone pays you credits during a time of supposed peace you sell them out? Bring him on the ship. My buir taught me how to relocate a leg. And I have a med-kit in there.”

They left Pii 3 together.

Anakin lay on the bunk, his leg propped by pillows. Boba sat next to him on the floor. Anakin couldn’t stop crying. Boba wouldn’t stop holding his hand, stroking it softly. Shmi hovered over both of them, sorrow lining her face.

Boba didn’t put the buy’ce back on. It lay on a desk, forgotten.

For the first time, Anakin could look into Boba’s black eyes. They were filled with concern.

“Was that what you were so afraid of? Montross?” Anakin asked him quietly.

Boba gave out a broken laugh. “In a way. I...”

He sighed. “I don’t think you can understand. I barely understand myself.”

“You are not a Jedi. Yet you have a lightsaber.” Anakin started slowly.

“I have several Jetti’kad.” Boba chewed his lip then shrugged. “Are you sure you want to hear it?”

He looked at Shmi while he asked this. Shmi’s face creased with doubt.

Then it smoothed into acceptance. “It’s time he learned that we are not all perfect. And it will help what weighs on your chest.”

Boba nodded. Then he said. “I killed several Force-sensitives before I met you.”

Anakin stared at him with wet brown eyes. “Why?”

“Because they could have been Jetti. And Jetti took everything from me. They killed my buir’s clan, they killed my buir, and he had to do something cruel to get vengeance.”

Boba’s voice was painful and raw as he talked.

“Why did the Jetii kill your buir’s clan? If they were anything like you then they were good people.” Anakin’s lip trembled.

Boba ran his thumb over Anakin’s hand. “I don’t know.”

Anakin and Shmi were silent taking it all in. Anakin gripped Boba’s hand trying to soothe in any way he could. Shmi studied him calmly. There was no judgment in her eyes.

“I didn’t kill you because you are an adiik. I don’t kill adiik,” He paused. “I had believed that my buir was right in seeking vengeance. However, if he was a Manda’lor then. That changes things.”

“How do you not know for sure?” Anakin asked softly.

“I now have reason to believe he kept things from me. Your buir and me have also discussed that somehow I have time-traveled into the past.” Boba was defensive, watching Anakin’s face as he said this.

Anakin nodded. “I can sense the truth from you.”

Shmi laid a gentle hand on Boba’s wounded leg. “Tell me how Jango being the Manda'lor changes things.”

Boba straightened. “If my buir was the Manda’lor then that means he abandoned his people. He left them to go hunt the Jetii. Which would make him a traitor to his people. I intend to see if this claim is true. If it is then I have a people to aid.”

“If Jango was the Manda’lor then there would be articles and records to prove it,” Shmi stated. “As well for the death of Jango’s clan, especially if the Jedi did it. I am not sure if we can verify Jaster’s death.”

“We can,” Boba said grimly. “My buir said there was a buried set of beskar’gam on Korda 6. He gave me a tracker so I could find it. It could only mean one thing though. My buir wanted me, his ad'ika, to rob my ba’buir’s resting place. What am I to make of that?”

“We will join you,” Anakin promised. “We have bounties on all our heads.”

Boba opened his mouth and then closed it. He frowned eyebrows pinching together.

“If what Montross said is true,” Shmi spoke. “Then it is likely the Jedi might try and go after you. You will need assistance.”

Boba slowly nodded a frown still on his face. "You'd be willing to die alongside me?"

Shmi shook her head sadly. "You gave me and my son our freedom. That is a debt that I can repay only with my life."

Anakin smiled. "Me too!"

Boba moved his arm to grasp Anakin’s shoulder. “Anakin. Once your leg is better I’m teaching you how to fight. With the amount of trouble you get into, you need to learn how to defend yourself.”

“My buir too?” Anakin requested looking at his mother.

Boba smiled a thin tight smile.

But a smile all the same. “Yes. I’ll teach Shmi and you.”

Chapter Text

It started slowly.

It was going to take several months to travel to Korda 6. And they all had figured out from the previous two weeks how uncomfortable it could get in the cramped ship. So together the two adults arranged a schedule.

Shmi woke first, her instincts alerting her to the quietness. Even though she was now a free woman she still carried the scars of being a slave. She’d head to the ship’s table and laid out Anakin’s ration bar.

Often she would find Boba in there, cradling a mug of shig. His buy’ce was on and he was silent. That was fine, Shmi had no problem with sitting next to him and waiting for Anakin to wake up. Yes, she could sense the same troubles that Anakin could. But Shmi spent four harsh years learning how to help other slaves among the cruelty they suffered.

So she sat quietly there keeping her presence from swamping the other individual.

Just because they shared the same ability did not mean that Boba was comfortable with the two of them feeling his emotions. Shmi simply established boundaries and held herself and Anakin to them.

Anakin would stumble from the other room and groggily eat his breakfast. Boba and Shmi would sit in front of the holo-pad and look at all the articles and records they could find about Jango Fett.

It was agreed that the Jedi killed the Haat’Mandalorians at Galidraan. Some claimed that there had been political unrest in Galidraan and the Haat’Mandalorians were hired to get rid of violent protesters harming innocents. That the Jedi were in the wrong. Others said that the Haat’Mandalorians fired onto women and children and the Jedi were right. A few said that Kyr’tsad was to blame.

Once Anakin was finished, Boba would start to teach them.

When Boba had first told them that they would start with stretching instead of shooting any blaster pistols or smashing stuff, Anakin pouted. “Oh come on that’s boring! Stretching isn’t going to do anything against anyone.”

Boba’s tone was amused. “You’ll pull something if you don’t stretch. Look I’m going to do it too, adiik. And I’ll even make an exception and take my armor off to help you.”

Boba and Shmi both wore a light blue tunic and pants during the lessons. They would stretch adjusting positions and prepping their muscles. Anakin quickly learned that stretching involved far more physical activity than he was expecting. The adults had to hide their smiles at the times that Anakin pulled a ridiculous looking face.

Anakin was quite impressed with how quickly Boba was able to flow from pose to pose. Once they finished Boba would show them one-on-one.

Anakin went first; Boba adjusting his little arms and legs with surprising gentleness. He balanced a careful line of dodging Anakin’s blows and allowing the boy to get a hit in to keep up his morale.

Shmi was a different story.

He was harder on her and corrected her posture more often. Boba didn’t allow her any free hits, and he also hit back. He didn’t knock her down. But Shmi could read in between the lines.

Boba wanted to toughen her up it seemed. Prepare her for fighting against their enemies.

‘Is it because of his buir’s death? Is he frightened of Anakin ending up the same way?’ She wondered as she watched him interact with her son.

Then after they finished, Boba went and got out their lunch. Warra nuts with a nutrition paste or perhaps a protein drink. Anakin and Shmi took turns using the ship’s ‘fresher. Boba took his turn while they ate. They had free time after lunch.

Perhaps Boba would research more, trying to get up to speed on current events. Perhaps he would read a book from his holo-pad. Or he would polish his armor. Whatever Boba chose to do, Anakin poked his nose in and got involved.

He’d ask questions and Boba would give answers. Shmi stayed nearby watching. They had agreed upon a signal if Anakin got too nosy or if Boba simply wanted to retreat from the boy. For all of Boba’s goodwill towards the boy, he needed his space sometimes.

Shmi occupied Anakin with stories of the different places she visited before she had him, often exaggerating the details. Anakin listened with his usual curiosity. If he got bored with the stories, Shmi helped him with the machine that he was still intent on making. Even if it was going to take longer to make now that he had kicked it.

Dinner was nothing more than powdered food mixed with water. But it was special because Boba would take the time to teach Anakin Mando’a. It was slow going. Anakin was a terrific learner, learning the meaning of each word with ease. But he had trouble pronouncing the words spitting them out brokenly. Shmi absorbed the information as well, storing it away for later use.

Evenings were all about the beskar’gam. Boba showed Anakin the inner workings of his armor and allowed the boy to watch as he took it off and on.

Then Shmi enforced bedtime as best as she could and the day began anew.

She wondered sometimes over the complex man that Boba was. It was clear that he was a bounty hunter and a dangerous one at that. The moves he could pull and the knowledge he had shown just how capable he was. Which begged the question. Why was a man like him so willing to help them? What use could they provide him with?

It started slowly. But over time Shmi could see the points where they began to connect.

One early morning Boba was sitting at the table, except this time he was hunched over. His buy’ce was off and he looked at her with reddened black eyes. “You aren’t afraid of me.”

It sounded like a statement. It might be a question. It felt like an accusation.

“Do you think I should be?” Shmi sat in her usual place, scarred hands folded in front of her.

She watched as the stars floated by through the ship’s front window.

“I thought that me killing the other Force-sensitives would have unnerved you at least a little.” He snorted darkly.

Shmi was quiet for a moment, thinking. “I have killed others as well.” Boba blinked. His presence reached out and probed hers searching for any hints of falsehood. Shmi allowed it. They were revealing their secrets; there was no room for shame.

“Who?” He asked eventually, withdrawing back into himself.

“They were indirect deaths,” Shmi explained. “It was small actions that I knew would kill the other individual. Stealing their food when the masters cut our rations. Taking the sleeping place that kept them warm during a freezing night. Letting them bleed out on the floor after a beating.”

She broke off, her throat tightening with the guilt. Shmi took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Boba’s face furrowed. “You don’t have to tell me this.”

Shmi shook her head. “You bore your secrets out to us. It’s only fair that you hear mine. The first and only one that I killed with my hands was the slave that tried to steal my resting place on the day of Anakin’s birth. We were going to board transport ships to different slave holdings.

I had been assigned to the one that was heading to Gardulla Besadii's palace but as everyone knew, someone could steal it. And someone tried.”

Shmi sighed. “I never knew his father. I don’t know how I got pregnant. But in the end, it didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to lose this little thing that had been growing inside of me. The first thing that had truly been mine since I was six. I killed that slave and as I rode to Gardulla’s palace I gave birth.”

Shmi rubbed her hands together. “I guess even in the womb I could feel Anakin’s presence. Bright, warm, and full of joy. But holding his tiny warm body and realizing that now I was responsible for this life, I felt so helpless.

I hadn’t let myself feel up until that point. It was dangerous to feel anything other than numbness.

But I wanted him to stay joyful and safe in a cruel world. So I did my best to serve as an example. At Gardulla’s palace I, a nursing mother, gathered together those who had children and split resources with them. And as he grew older I gave more and more to others.

It took patience. It took courage. It didn’t work every time; there were points where I was betrayed or someone lied to the masters to earn favor. That gave the masters an excuse to beat me.

I was lucky though.

Others extended their help at times. Hiding Anakin while I was being beaten. Sneaking him food during a time of hunger. Letting the other slave children make friends with Ani.”

Boba gazed at her as she spoke. If pressed for a description, Shmi would say that it possibly looked like sadness. She wasn’t too sure though and she wasn’t going to probe without permission.

Shmi gave him a sad smile. “I can understand killing others that are trying to hurt you. I feel guilt for the slave’s death even though one could say that I would have lost Anakin if I didn’t. However, for every part of my life that I had chosen selfishly, I tried my best to repay it after I became a mother. For Anakin’s sake.”

Boba was silent. His mug of shig was trembling in his hands. “The Force-sensitives weren’t trying to kill me, Shmi. I hunted them down, murdered them, and took in their bodies for bounties. The Empire paid me for each of their heads.”

Shmi frowned. “...I see.”

Boba shook his head. “I don’t regret them. I can’t, not after what their kind did to my family.”

He took in a breath before saying softly. “One however could argue that my seeking after them was the actions of a man that wanted to get killed.”

Boba looked her in the eye with a fierce determination. “But... if I’m going to have you and Anakin with me, then it might be best if I swear off killing any more Force-sensitives ...or Jetti.”

Shmi did not look away from those black eyes as she asked. “Are you truly able to make that promise?”

Boba grimaced. “My buir wanted vengeance so badly he charged into a group of Jetti to get it. The Jetti chopped his head off. I watched it happen.”

Then he growled. “I’m not subjecting Anakin to the same fate. I’m not going to end up like my buir and I’m not going to endanger you. So I’m asking you. If we come across anyone waving those kriffing Jetti’kad, you do the talking. For Anakin’s sake.”

Shmi nodded and outstretched her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, Boba very briefly shook it.

Then he downed the rest of the shig, stuffed the buy’ce back on, and headed into the other room.

There was no denying it now. Boba could feel that same warmth and joy from Anakin. And Anakin was having the same effect on Boba that he had on the cold cruel woman Shmi used to be. They both wished to change for the child in their care. They weren’t able to change the horrible galaxy they lived in, but they could change themselves.

Anakin had another temper tantrum one day. Shmi had been taking a short nap and therefore missed what started the whole thing. She figured out what was going on after kriffing everything started to fly about the ship.

“Anakin!” Shmi’s voice stayed firm even though she was exasperated.

To her surprise, by the time she arrived, the temper tantrum was cooling down quickly. Boba was sitting cross-legged on the floor and holding a sulking Anakin on his lap. One hand was pressed gently against Anakin’s chest right where his heart was. Boba’s presence was not behind his wall. At that moment it was exposed and free.

He was muttering something to the boy, something that Shmi couldn’t hear. Yet Anakin was calming down, much quicker than usual. Shmi didn’t say anything as she watched the sight before her. Boba did not even glance at her but he knew she was there. A slight tilt of the head, asking permission. She nodded approvingly and left the two alone.

Anakin had told her what happened another day while they sat together working on the machine.

“I got bored. You were sleeping and Boba wanted space so there was nothing for me to do.” He shrugged unhappily at his mother.

Shmi looked at him firmly. “So you threw a temper tantrum to get attention.”

Anakin squirmed and refused to look her in the eye, presence shamefully withdrawing.

“Ani,” Shmi’s voice went quiet. “Tell me. What happened?”

Anakin blinked. Then he frowned. “Boba found me. He helped me calm down, and even let me feel him. But,” He paused and his small face fell. “He felt so confusing. He wanted to help me, I could sense that. But it was painful for him. Very painful.”

Shmi nodded briefly. “Do you know why?”

Anakin shook his head looking at her with brown eyes full of uncertainty.

Shmi held Anakin’s smooth hand in her scarred one. “I think he’s trying to give you what he has lost. Someone other than your mother that is willing to help you and teach you. Something that you’ve never had.”

“But it’s hurting him.” Anakin pouted. “It’s a good kind of hurt,” Shmi brushed Anakin’s cheek affectionately. “He’s been dealing with that pain for a long time and any sort of healing will require the wounds to be reopened. But they must be done at his pace.”

Anakin’s face crumpled. “I pushed him again?”

Shmi sighed. “What do you think, Ani? He wanted space and you tried to get your way.”

Anakin’s lip trembled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean. I wouldn’t.”

“Sssh. Calm yourself, it doesn’t do you any good to hold that shame in your chest,” Shmi soothed. “If you are sorry then you should apologize to him and try to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”

Anakin nodded quickly, his brown eyes lighting up fiercely.

Shmi was struck by his expression at that moment. It looked so similar to Boba’s determination. Perhaps the two adults weren’t the only ones that wished to change.

Anakin did apologize later that day. It came out of nowhere, one instant the boy was eating his food, the next he was on the ground kneeling.

“Ni ceta, I didn’t mean to cause you pain.” Anakin’s voice quivered.

Boba stared at him for a long moment then glanced at Shmi. But before Shmi could step in Boba acted.

He knelt as well, taking off his buy’ce. “Anakin you don’t need to kneel at me. It’s alright I’m not angry with you.”

“You are angry at something. It causes you pain to think about.” Anakin retorted.

Boba sighed. “Ani.”

Then he reached out and grasped Anakin’s shoulder. “I’m angry at the ones who hurt my aliit. Not at you. And frankly, me showing you how to calm down is more useful to the both of us than me wallowing in that anger.”

Anakin looked up at Boba with tearful brown eyes. “Can I hug you?”

Shmi blinked in welcome surprise.

Boba cracked a tight little smile. “Quickly.”

Anakin hugged Boba in one quick motion. Then he got back to his seat and resumed his dinner. Boba’s smile got just a little bit bigger.

‘Is this my little boy growing up?’ Shmi mused with affection, meeting Boba’s questioning gaze head-on.

She smiled at him in response. He nodded and put his buy’ce back on.

They arrived on Korda 6. The sky was orangish-red with a cloudy sunrise. Pale purple mountains cradled the vast outspread of trees. The trees were full of copper-colored leaves that shook in a gentle breeze. It was a peaceful place.

Shmi could feel the beauty in this land. But there were scars here. Pieces of charred metal that stuck out of the ground randomly. Here and there were twisted scraps that might have once been weapons.

Anakin wanted to come with. Shmi expected him to demand but instead, he offered not so subtly to hold the tracker. Boba chuckled and let him.

“You don’t have to give in to him, you know.” Shmi said.

Boba nodded. “I know. I don’t want to be alone. And now I have the option to be with someone,” He shrugged helplessly. “Does that even make sense?”

“Of course. We’d be glad to accompany you.” Shmi agreed.

She held Anakin’s hand as they walked among the forest trees. Boba’s walls once again fell away as they followed the tracker’s signals. Creatures moved about in the trees as they walked. A river gurgled, a squirrel chattered. Birds sang their morning songs and fluttered among the treetops.

Anakin often handed the tracker to his mother so that he could gather the tiny blue blossoms that grew in the soft grass. The usual turmoil that wracked around Boba was parting in the face of this peacefulness.

They found the spot.

A grove of trees with a small spring and beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains. There was no marker, no gravestone, nothing. But the tracker beeped nonetheless.

Boba looked around at the grass and rocks on the ground and his shoulders slumped. “How in the kriff am I supposed to know where to look?”

“Try here?” Anakin pondered a frown growing on his face.

He pointed in the middle of the trees. “I can feel... something very sad over there. Like someone is in mourning.”

Boba walked over to the spot. He tilted his buy’ce in confusion. “Yes. There is something here.”

It took some digging but they found it. A metal box that held an entire skeleton inside and a full set of beskar’gam. Anakin inhaled when he saw the skeleton.

Boba took his buy’ce off and looked at the skeleton. His jaw was tight with emotion.

“Jaster Mereel?”He asked the question flatly as if interrogating the dead man before them.

The beskar’gam bore the same symbol that Montross pointed out as belonging to the Haat’Mandalorians. It also had the worn remains of what once was a red cape. Shmi fingered the bones. They bore marks of fire damage. The body had been burned, most likely on a pyre. The bones carried great sadness within them. Like a large group of people had mourned over the death of this man.

“Your holo-pad is making a beeping noise.” Anakin alerted them.

He held up the pad to show them. Boba took it in his hands and stared at it. “An audio file? Why in the kriif is there an audio file? Unless...”

“Perhaps we should give you privacy.” Shmi offered.

Boba shook his head and wordlessly tapped the file.

A voice that was very similar to Boba’s voice rang out into the forest. “Ad’ika. This is your buir, and if you are listening to this then.”

A sigh.

“Ni ceta. I don’t know what osik thing I did to get myself killed but I’m sorry for it. Even if I’m an old man showing this to you, I'm sorry that I had to make this. But you need to hear this from me. This man, Jaster Mereel, was your ba’buir.

He was one of the greatest men to have ever held the title of Manda’lor. He was the type that went out of his way to help the orphan on the dirty street, the widow at the graveyard. He saved me when I was just a boy. He raised me. And that Hut’tuun Montross left him for dead and I couldn’t save him in time.”

There was a pause in the recording. Boba’s face had gone white. "Buir."

Anakin sat at his side firmly hugging Boba’s arm.

Jango’s voice continued. “He wanted me to be the Manda’lor. He saw potential. But there wasn’t one. A Manda’lor doesn’t get his people killed, and he doesn’t run away.

I admit this to you and only to you; I ran away from what remained of our people. I couldn’t bear to look at their grieving faces. Not until I had gotten vengeance. But now. Now I stand here and look out at my clones. The ones that will give us our vengeance and... I hesitate.

You are to me what I was to Jaster. I see potential in you, Boba. You and I may share a face but you are so much stronger.

I can not bear to see the clones as anything other than vessels of vengeance and I treat them as such. You treat them like people.

Like vod.  You think of them as vod, even though I made you stop calling them that.

When we sit together after your nightmares I can see that the clones getting hurt haunts you as much as my death would. I don’t need the kriffing Force to see that.

I admit the only difference between them and you is how I treated you. You were the lucky one out of all of them.

You make me proud and you make me frightened.

I might be... no, I am using the clones. I’m using them without their permission. What would you think of that? Would you hate me for that, like how the Cuy’val Dar do?

They’re training these clones for me, I asked them to do this. But if I hadn’t would Adoni Kryze have not been assassinated by the Kyr’tsad? Would Kal Skirata have not been disowned by his aliit?

We all are haunted by these questions.

Kal, he’d hate me if you knew what I’m going to make your Nulls do. He has claimed to me that the Nulls can do the same thing that you do.

Connect.

Does that mean that all the clones are Force-sensitive? That would be a very ironic joke, wouldn’t it? I, the man with the Force-sensitivity of a rock and my four million clones can sense people’s emotions.

Darth Tyranus threw a fit when he found out.

I’ve personally seen what the death of a Jetti does to their kind. I believe that it will have nearly if not the same effect on the clones.

But then the Kaminones said they had a solution to the issue. This chip thing that’s supposed to ‘help them’.

I don’t know what it is going to do. I’m, Boba, I’m too afraid to ask.

Why am I making this? What use are the ramblings of a dead man in a book that’s supposed to help you survive out there?

You are what I could not be. You can help them. After the war, after the Jetti are gone, I ask that you help the clones.

Don’t act like me, for I am a broken cold-hearted man that is too afraid to change. I won’t ask for forgiveness for I’m a man of conviction. I will see this through.

But I won’t be able to do what needs to be done afterward. Do what Jaster would have done. Carry the legacy of that man and know that despite everything I am proud of you.

And I love you as much as a man like me can love.”

The audio file ended. Boba’s black eyes were filled with grief.

Anakin bit his lip. “Who are the clones?”

“The cruel thing that my buir did for vengeance. He had himself cloned to create an army to fight the Jetti. I... I always thought he was sure of what he was doing. I never knew that he doubted.” Boba gripped the holo-pad tightly.

“So then was I right in taking the lives of those Force-sensitives or not? Yes, it was painful. Yes, it felt like I was ripping my soul out. But I chose that. I chose that for my buir. I thought the clones had the same choice. I thought they made the same choice. Is my buir suddenly saying that they didn’t?”

He took a deep shuddering breath and put the holo-pad onto the grass. Then he held his head in his gloved hands.

He made no sound or movement but Shmi knew he was weeping.

Anakin for once did not pry. He showed the same patience as his mother and continued to hug Boba’s arm.

Shmi reached out and slowly laid her hand on Boba’s back. “You did what you thought was right. I will not fault you for that. Now though you have more information and a chance to do whatever you wish. It does not matter what you did back in the past. What matters is what you are going to do now.”

Boba came up slowly.

He exhaled and then he quickly hugged Anakin back. “I’m going to protect both of you. I’m going to fix my buir’s mistakes,” He paused and then gritted his teeth. “Anakin. Tell me if we run across any Force-sensitives and they need our help, what do you think we should do?”

Anakin stared at him with wide brown eyes. “Me? Why?”

Boba shrugged and squeezed his shoulder. “I value your opinion. If we are going to be a team like this, then we need to hear opinions on both sides.”

Anakin nodded and simply stated. “My buir said it best. The biggest problem in this universe is that hardly anyone helps each other. You have to make an example of it first.”

Boba turned to Shmi. His gaze was piercing and hard. “And what is your opinion?”

Shmi spoke. “From what we’ve read there is a lot of anger and hate right now. I wish for you to stop the ones that would to harm us, but those that might need our help? I’d say aid them. In this cruel galaxy, that can be a dangerous path to walk, but people will respect you for it. And sometimes they will help you as well.”

Boba leaned and picked the old buy’ce up.

He stared at its surface for a moment and then placed it in Anakin’s lap. “Very well. It’s decided then. We will aid those who need it and fight those who hurt us. And you adi’ika, are going to split this beskar’gam with your buir.”

Anakin’s brown eyes grew big with glee. “Really?”

The corners of Boba’s lips twitched in a small smile. “I have to adjust the beskar’gam for both of you and clean it. But yes. You are going to need it.”

Shmi brushed some dirt from the beskar’gam. “What do you have in mind?”

Boba held out the holo-pad again. “Well I might have time-traveled but I still know how information spreads. My actions have caught people’s attention it would seem. Someone wants to hire me to help solve a murder on a planet.”

Anakin leaned curiously. “What planet is that?”

Boba answered. “Melida/Daan.”

Chapter Text

Mediation was the one sole thing in Obi-Wan’s life that was not complicated.

Within all of his trials, his failings, and his darkest moments, it had given him comfort and strength. Even if it had it’s unfortunate side effects. Like the vision that was running through his brain.

He was falling down a large empty chasm. Above him shone millions of small glowing lights. They quivered before the darkness but they shone brightly. Then the darkness pressed in, making him choke with all the anger, grief, and death. And instantly all those shining lights shut out.

‘Cut off. They were cut off. Something cut them off from the Force.’ The thought rang in his skull as he fell, down, down.

Somehow he was certain of this fact. Obi-Wan had never experienced that much death in the Force before, it felt like thousands were being slaughtered at once. Just before he fell into the darkness himself he could hear a scream of pain.

The vision left him as suddenly as it had come. He rolled the tension from his young shoulders and refocused on his emotions. He had witnessed this vision the night before he chose to leave Master Qui-Gon’s side. The vision had been the turning point in a growing pile of reasons to stay and help end the civil war on Melida/Daan.

And now he was facing it again. Just like that other vision that haunted him occasionally. Perhaps this was a signal from the Force, a warning that he was going to make another important choice. Yet how could that be? He had already failed everyone.

He wasn’t able to prevent Cerasi’s death. He wasn’t able to catch whoever had fired the deadly shot. And now he wasn’t able to proclaim his innocence in the murder. That’s why he was sitting in this jail after all.

‘Hopefully, whatever this is, I won’t fail.’ Obi-Wan thought bitterly.

Then he took a quick breath and let go of the bitter thought. He settled back into his mind focusing on the Force. What he hadn’t expected was for a Force signature to suddenly flare up like the sun.

“Woah! You’re floating above the ground! That is so wizard!” A voice broke into his thoughts.

Obi-wan blinked out of the meditation. He lowered softly on the cell floor and looked behind him. The sewers had many uses as a base and three major downsides; the smell, the filth, and all the pipes that led everywhere. The jail cell was connected by a small pipe to a maintenance tunnel for a cleaning droid.

Nield had thrown Obi-Wan into this cell because of the pipe. Obi-Wan might have been a thin thirteen-year-old but even he couldn’t slip through. The young child wearing a Mandalorian helmet and a Mandalorian shoulder piece certainly could.

“Hello there.” Obi-Wan said, his tone friendly despite his exasperation.

He had almost no doubt that Deila had sent the young boy. What he was wondering, was Deila’s plan. Did his former second-in-command think that a little boy who happened to have Force-sensitivity was going to convince him to break out?

“How were you doing that? Were you using an anti-gravity pad, or what?” The boy asked with interest.

Obi-Wan smiled gently at him. “No. I was doing that on my own. What are you doing here little one? And what is your name?”

The boy hesitated then replied firmly. “Fett.”

Obi-Wan allowed himself a touch of amusement. The boy wasn’t aware that Obi-Wan could tell he was lying. “Fett. I am Ben. Now, how about you tell me what Deila wants me to do?”

Fett moved closer to the mouth of the pipe. “Umm, Ben, remind me who’s Deila again?"

Obi-Wan sighed slowly at the boy’s confusion. So that explained why he hadn’t met this boy yet. He made an effort to get to know all the children early on and still carried that attitude even after all the ones they lost. Perhaps this one was a sibling that previously was being held hostage or maybe an orphan that they recently recruited.

“She used to be my second-in-command. I’m assuming that this,” Obi-Wan gestured a hand at the pipe. “was her idea.”

“Err, kinda?” Fett shrugged.

Obi-Wan sighed again. “Well, I don’t want Nield to think that I’m manipulating you. That could get unpleasant. Is there any way that you could go back to Deila and very kindly tell her to knock it off?”

“Yes. But first, could you... explain what that was?” Fett asked.

“Didn’t Joli tell you? I used to be a Padawan. I can use the Force to do things like this.” Fett tilted his helmet in confusion.

Obi-Wan clarified. “I’m Force-sensitive.”

He was thrown at the sudden rush of excitement at that statement. “So are we! Boba could sense you right as he entered the sewers. He said something felt familiar. Have the two of you met before?”

Obi-Wan frowned. “...Who’s Boba?”

He ran the possibilities through his head. Master Qui-Gon had left with the wounded Master Tahl a while ago, and no one else here was Force-sensitive. So therefore he smothered down the kindle of hope that had been lit in his chest.

Obi-Wan folded his hands on top of his knees calmly.

‘It’s not like the Jedi Council would send anybody after me.’ He noted, quickly squashing the sadness curling in his gut.

They were interrupted by the sounds of splashing footsteps. Obi-Wan was grateful that Joli and Deila had fought for him to receive one of the dry(ish) cells. Fett froze as the cell door swung open to reveal Deila standing there. The Young’s Security uniform hung off her thin frame, dirty and torn. She wore her usual grimace, staring at Obi-Wan with a barely concealed anger.

Her grief was still fresh and raw. She hadn’t tried to smother it as she had done with the deaths of her parents. The deaths of the other children. Cersai's death was different.

‘Cersai,’ He tried to force himself to not feel the pain at the sound of her name. ‘It’s just not fair, is it?’ Obi-Wan bleakly noted.

One of the most compassionate kids in this rebel group gets murdered in cold blood and nearly everyone mourns. But all of a sudden no one cares about everyone else they had lost? How much more they could lose if they keep fighting?

Obi-Wan eyed Deila with the frostiest glare he could muster. “If Nield knew what you tried to do he’d hurt the two of you. He’s angry enough to lynch, and this boy’s five. I thought you’d be smarter than that.”

“That boy isn’t from me,” Deila sneered. “If I was going to send anyone, I’d send someone who knows what they were doing.”

“Hey!” Fett was indignant. “I snuck in here just fine. None of you can speak binary! And I’m four.”

“So Fett just randomly discovered me here?” Obi-Wan asked coldly.

“It would seem that is the case,” Someone said dryly. “Interesting name choice there Anakin.”

Obi-Wan shifted his greyish green-blue gaze from Deila to the figure standing behind her. Someone in green Mandalorian armor with a disintegration rifle and an impressive array of weapons. What caught Obi-Wan’s interest was the Force presence he could sense from the figure. Where Fett flared like the sun, the figure felt like rain running down your face.

The man and the boy were both Force-sensitive?

“Su cuy’gar Boba,” Anakin sounded sheepish. “The maintenance droid told me how to get in here. I thought you were with my buir.”

“I was, adi'ika. Both of us were aware that ‘exploring’ for you means getting into trouble so, with your buir’s permission, I put a tracker on you.” Boba replied with a hint of smugness.

Anakin’s voice was full of disbelief. “What? Where? How?”

“Special trick. I’ll show you later. Your buir also wanted me to pass a message along. According to the holo-pad, We have five days until it's your gota’tuur.” Boba chuckled.

Anakin punched a fist in the air. “Look at that Ben! I will be five soon. Yay!” Anakin cheered.

“Who’s Ben?” Deila asked.

Anakin frowned at Obi-Wan. “Hey, you kept your name hidden too!”

Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin. “Perhaps next time you will know not to lie to one trained in the ways of the Force.”

“Right, Anakin. Head back to your buir.” Boba waved him off.

Anakin left with great reluctance. Deila entered the cell along with Boba and crossed her arms.

“See this is who I got to help you.” Deila lifted her chin and stared Obi-Wan down with narrowed dark grey eyes.

“So you’re the person that was falsely accused?” Boba inquired.

The tone was flat and professional. None of the warmth it carried for Anakin was there. Obi-Wan noted the change. He also took into account the fact that Boba’s Force presence had rather suddenly dampened down. If Obi-Wan hadn’t noticed it before, he’d say that Boba didn’t have one.

‘Impressive shielding.’ He thought.

Obi-Wan was annoyed, but he pushed it down as well. “I am accused of murdering Cersai, yes.”

“Did you?” Boba questioned. His shields slipped just a tiny bit. The snippet of Force presence that Obi-Wan felt made him wince. It felt like ice jabbing into your skin. It was utterly different from the other one.

Obi-Wan hadn’t heard of anyone able to change their Force signature. Yet the proof stood before him.

“I did not shoot her as I was not armed. But I could have prevented her death so legally they have a case.” Obi-Wan replied with ease.

“We’re not doing this legally. He’s a bounty hunter.” Deila said proudly.

“A bounty hunter?” Obi-Wan didn’t flinch from her gaze. “How did you manage that?”

“Melida/Daan’s bone urns are quite valuable. It would be worth some credits for him to sell it.” Deila shrugged easily.

Obi-Wan felt his temper flare at that. “You didn’t... That was your mother’s urn Deila! She wanted you to.”

Deila cut him off with a stamp of her twelve-year-old foot. “Yeah and we both know what happened to my mother’s bones, thanks to Nield. If I didn’t take the urn he would have destroyed it too. But with the way things are going now, it’d be better if it got off-world. So it is serving two purposes; repaying my dead mother and saving you, even if you don’t think you need to be.”

Obi-Wan huffed at Boba. “I apologize since Deila already seems to have paid you, but I’m staying here to face trial.”

Deila shook her head. “No, Obi-Wan. Nield will try to either kill you outright or exile you.”

Boba stiffened at the name. Obi-Wan barely noticed, caught up in the argument.

“He has the right to.” Obi-Wan started.

“He tried to kill you without a trial! It took the whole Security Squad threatening him to get a trial and I’m quite certain our ‘Elders’ would love the chance to kill you.” Deila gritted her teeth.

Obi-Wan shrugged noncommittally. “If my death is required to earn peace then it would be best.”

“No, it wouldn’t! Stop being so kriffing heroic!” She turned to Boba in anger. “The only reason I am alive right now is because of him. The only reason nearly a hundred other children are alive is because of him. And Nield wants to kill Obi-Wan so that he doesn’t have to face the fact that he might have shot Cersai. Well too bad for Nield, because if I have anyone to repay it’s the one who told his Jedi Master to kriff off and stayed behind for us in the middle of a kriffing civil war!”

“Deila!” Obi-Wan raised his voice at that moment. “Nield’s guards will hear you.”

"I don't care." Deila was cut off.

“Ke’pare. Me’vhen?” At Boba’s tone, the two adolescents looked at him. “Your Jetti ba’jurir’ade left you? He left you here, alone?” Boba sounded incredulous.

His shields dropped and his Force presence probed at him fiercely. Obi-Wan was caught by surprise and accidentally let him in. The connection swelled with rage.

“Haar’chak, you are still an adiik! And you are here, alone, in the middle of a kriffing war? Surrounded by aru’e?” Now Boba sounded angry.

Obi-Wan stared blankly at Boba. This man was hostile to him not five minutes ago and now after Deila’s speech, he suddenly got protective? “Yes?”

“Lek? That’s your response? That piece of osik left you here and all you have to say is lek?” Boba argued. Obi-Wan was becoming rather confused.

“Now hang on why are you offended?” Obi-Wan tried to interrupt. That was a mistake.

“Why am I? Why am I offended? The Jetti has just abandoned their adiik. You don’t, you don’t do that!” Boba paused for breath and shook his head angrily. “Bic ni skana’din. Hut’tuun.”

Obi-Wan was rather certain that his bruised jaw had fallen into his lap. “Uh. So then Deila didn’t tell you that children have been fighting this war then?” He had intended to snark, humor being his defense mechanism.

“Me’vhen?” Deila flinched at the disgust in Boba’s voice.

Obi-Wan felt a unwelcome pang in his chest. Boba cared. Master Qui-Gon hadn't cared. But Boba cared.

Boba’s hands tightened on the disintegration rifle so hard that Obi-Wan thought it might break in half. The shields went back up. A ragged breath left Boba’s lungs. “Bring me to your alor.”

Deila left with Boba leaving the cell door open.

Obi-Wan stayed where he was staring at the floor in shock. He frowned. ‘Force, what in the kriff was all that?’

Never before had someone been so outraged at the thought of Obi-Wan being abandoned. Never before had someone looked at him like that.

'A Jedi Master leaves this world in chaos and a bounty hunter is trying to fix it? Does that make any sense?' He wondered.

Obi-Wan tried to go back to meditating.

“You are coming with us.” Anakin’s commanding voice made Obi-Wan sit up straight. The young boy stood in front of the jail cell with his arms firmly crossed. Now that Obi-Wan could see him more clearly, he was able to note the Mandalorian boots and gauntlets that the boy wore. They were old and rusty, the blue paint nearly chipped away.

“I’m afraid not.” Obi-Wan said gently. 

“No, you are. You’re ours now,” Anakin took the helmet off and looked at him with brown eyes sparkling with anger. His Force signature had wrapped itself around Obi-Wan like a warm blanket. “We aren’t going to abandon you.”

Obi-Wan wanted to laugh. Instead, his eyes began to tear up. ‘He means it. He means it.’

When Obi-Wan did not move from his spot Anakin frowned and stomped over. “Come on. This way.”

Obi-Wan wanted to resist. Instead, he was pulled to his unsteady feet and pushed (literally) towards the door.

Once they arrived in the council room he was greeted with the sight of his companions fighting.

Joli held his spear tight to his chest as he glared at Nield. “No, I’m not showing Mawat where Deila hid the weapons! You know what that’s going to start. Kriff Nield, the six-year-olds are wounded from the last battle.”

“Don’t defend the one that’s bringing an adult into our land!” Nield shouted.

“Unless you are siding with her.” Mawat sneered carelessly, aiming a blaster pistol at Joli’s head.

Obi-Wan lifted a dirty hand. “Nield. Don’t, please.”

Nield whirled furiously, his face maddening. “Why is this sleemo out of his cage?”

Mawat aimed the blaster pistol towards them. Obi-Wan stepped in front of Anakin automatically. Mawat grinned nastily.

Then an expression of surprise bloomed over his face as he suddenly crumpled to the ground. Obi-Wan ran over to his side with a cry but stopped at the sight of a tranquilizer dart.

“No more out of you di’kut adiik. You don’t even know what you are doing with that.” Boba hissed stepping into the room along with the Elders.

“You can’t just tranquilize someone like that!” Obi-Wan protested. “You need to know their body weight and their height, and.”

“Boba’s buy’ce has a HUD system. Mine’s broken so I don’t have it, but he can scan people,” Anakin reassured quickly, standing close to Obi-Wan. “And he is good at taking people out.”

“That is not reassuring.” Obi-Wan groaned. Mawat's chest was slowly rising and falling. He was alright.

Deila ran over to Obi-Wan’s side. “He wants to have all of us look at the video footage of the Hall of Evidence. According to him, we’ll find Cersai’s killer there.”

“The Elders are just listening to him?” Nield asked, uncertainty coloring his voice.

“Well, he did go and punch Wehutti before anyone could do anything.” Deila shrugged.

Nield scoffed and puffed out his chest. “I’d like him to try and take me out! I can overpower Wehutti as well.”

“Don’t try it,” Said a woman. She wore a Mandalorian chest plate, a shoulder piece, and a skirt called a kama. “He knows enough to overpower you without leaving a bruise.”

There was a steadiness to her words, a calmness in her presence. Nield eyed her warily. He didn’t say anything more. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. She was Force-sensitive too? A powerful one, if her ability to calm Nield was any indication. That was too much of a coincidence for his liking.

Boba was typing on the holo-projector. “Shmi, gather up the adiik. They are going to need to see this.”

In one group sat The Young, huddled together. Filthy children five to fifteen gripped blaster pistols or spears. They watched with broken painful eyes. Nield was sitting in another corner, arms around his legs. He didn’t even look at Obi-Wan. Wehutti was hunched over on his knees, head bowed. The Elders stayed near the room’s entrance, watching The Young with wariness.

The video feed played. Obi-wan thought he could get through it just fine. But the moment Cersai’s image appeared, his stomach twisted violently and he turned his face away.

“Joli?” He asked in a far smaller voice than he meant to use after a few minutes passed. “Tell me what I missed.”

Joli’s head lifted from the group of children. He waved a wounded hand at the group he was surrounded by. “Turns out that Mawat was not only the one that shot first, but one of his sharpshooters hit...” Joli’s voice faded out as he shrugged pathetically.

Obi-Wan’s head bowed for a moment. He gave himself that one moment to grieve. Then he pressed the feelings away and forced his head to become clear once more.

“Did you see the bounty hunter punching Wehutti in the shoulder?” Ronnei asked him. “He yelled something about demagolka.”

At that exact moment, Boba snarled. “Haar’chak!” Boba's shields flickered and Obi-Wan could feel a sense of protectiveness wash over him. 

'No kriffing way.' Obi-Wan could hardly believe it. Force Bonds were special things, not easy to make, and powerful once they were strong enough. Shmi and Anakin, being mother and son, had a naturally tight bond. But now Obi-Wan could feel the bonds that Boba had formed with Shmi and Anakin. They were subtle, yet strong.

And now like it was no-body's business,  a Force bond was already starting to form between him and Boba. That made his jaw fall open again.  

Boba was staring at the holo-projector, which was loading something up. The Mandalorian helmet hid his face but Obi-Wan could feel the expression of distaste. Then the shields went back into place. But even with the shields, Obi_wan could feel the bond. 

Shmi whispered a few words, nodded, and turned to Obi-Wan. Shmi approached Obi-Wan like one might a wild dog. Slowly, and steadily. Obi-Wan watched her. For one quick moment, he could have mistaken her to be a Jedi Master with how calm she was.

“Your name is Obi-Wan?” She asked quietly.

Obi-wan nodded shortly.

“He’s like us, buir. We need to take him with us.” Anakin prodded.

Shmi watched Obi-Wan for a reaction. When he gave none, she simply replied. “I’m not so sure we can just take him without permission.”

“Boba agreed!” Anakin retorted, his face scowling.

Obi-Wan looked at him sharply. He had spent all of ten minutes with these people and this boy was about to throw a tantrum over him?

“Anakin. We are not kidnapping him.” Shmi pressed back firmly.

“But this is good kidnapping, and his Jedi buir didn’t want him.” Anakin whined.

Shmi shook her head. “We don’t know that. All we know is that the Jedi left him here. Which leads me to my original question. Is your Jedi Order aware that their comm-link codes are public knowledge?”

“Yes. It’s for people that want to reach them easily. Why?” Obi-Wan asked. He had a funny feeling about all of this.

Boba growled something unintelligible. He blocked Obi-wan’s view of who he was speaking to. Obi-wan strained to see what was being said but was held back by Anakin’s tugging on his worn tunic.

Shmi took a breath. “My friend is trying to contact your Jedi Order. He wants to say a few... things. And get the children here help. We had no idea that children were fighting this war. And he thought that the public comm-link codes were... foolish.”

“All the more reason to help Obi-Wan get out here so that they don’t kill him.” Anakin affirmed.

“Do I get a say in this?” Obi-Wan asked the five-year-old.

Anakin paused. “...When you are no longer suffering from the trauma of being abandoned?”

Obi-Wan gave him an unimpressed look. “Really?”

“It’s what Boba was muttering. And if you come with us you can celebrate my birthday.” Anakin defended.

Obi-Wan rubbed at his face defeatedly. “And why does Boba care all of a sudden? Why do you all care?” He asked the question far more harshly than he meant.

But Shmi simply smiled at him sadly. “All of us seem to be in the habit of helping people that need it.”

“I don’t need help.” Obi-Wan told her outright.

“Hey, I thought you shouldn’t lie to one trained in the ways of the Force.” Anakin butted in.

Obi-Wan scoffed. “You are not trained. Not one bit, I can feel you very strongly.”

Anakin jutted his chin. "I can still tell you're lying. You want to come with us."

"Anakin don't press." Shmi warned.

But the boy was right. The boy was right. Obi-Wan sighed. 'I'm not going to win this argument. But do I want to win it though?'

“You are a Hut’tuun! You left him here alone in the middle of a war. Are you even aware that they were going to exile him? No, you were just sitting there in your kriffing Jetti Temple!” Boba shouted.

Obi-Wan started. “Does he get this angry often?”

“No,” Shmi smiled again. “I think seeing all of this pain just made him want to help.”

“I don’t kriffing care if you send a Jetti here to help! They should have been here yesterday!” Boba paused and then somehow got even more upset.

“You di’kut have never cared for Kenobi! Not even when he...” Boba paused.

His shields dropped again and Obi-Wan could feel Boba’s anger at Obi-Wan’s treatment. Someone was giving a kriff about him. Obi-Wan didn’t truly believe it yet. He didn’t want to let himself hope. But, it sure felt like Boba cared.

“...You know what? I’m keeping him until you get your act together. You want him that badly? Work for it!” Boba suddenly turned from the holo-projector, revealing the hologram of an old green troll-like Jedi Master.

‘Master Yoda. Boba had been shouting at Master Yoda.’ Obi-Wan had a few horrifying moments to truly process the sight before him. Then Boba disconnected the holo-projector.

“Yay! We’re keeping him.” Anakin cheered.

Boba couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. He had removed his buy’ce, taken off his gloves, and was even drinking Ne’tra gal. But he couldn’t stop shaking.

“K’oyaci.” Shmi said softly.

He looked at her. She sat in her usual spot on the ship, holding a glass of Ne’tra gal and watching him with that calm steady look.

“K’oyaci.” He repeated shakily.

They raised their glasses and drank the contents. Boba’s shaking hand caused a few drops to drip down his chin like tears.

“Boba. I’m here if you need to talk,” Shmi told him smoothly. “Anakin has convinced Obi-Wan to teach him how to float so we won’t be interrupted.”

Boba took a long deep breath. Then he let it out in a sharp exhale. “Several things. First, the ‘adults’ on this planet are demagolka. Fighting to the point your children rise to stop you and then killing those children is not okay. At all. Second, I swear if this timeline has any more shattering revelations, it can go kriff itself.

Third no matter that boy's protests I can sense from him that he wants help. I can sense it clear as day and I hate children being harmed. He's not going back to that Jetti Temple until it either gets it's osik together or the boy finds something else.”

Shmi blinked and deduced what he meant. “You knew Obi-Wan before?”

Another deep breath and another sip of black ale. Boba groaned “Yes. I ‘knew’ him in a way.”

Shmi leaned back as Boba started to explain. “Obi-Wan was the Jetti that discovered the clones’ existence. My buir had a disgruntled Jetti, that was turning into a dar’jetti, helping him.

Darth Tyranus. So when Obi-Wan found us my buir took me to Darth Tyranus. 'For safety', my buir claimed at the time. I believed it then. I don’t believe it now. We had the Cuy’val Dar there and they would have helped us. One Jetti against a hundred Mando’ade? Angry Mando’ade at that?”

Boba shook his head. “No. my buir was seeking out a fight. Somehow he was able to guess that Obi-Wan would be so stubborn as to follow him without calling for aid. My buir led him into a trap and the rest of the Jetti took the bait. First his Padawan, then the rest of them. All of them, fighting the droids in that arena, losing their fellow Force-sensitives.”

Boba brushed a hand across his eyes. “They were in pain, in grief. And my buir ran out into that hornet nest hoping to recapture his glory.”

He gestured in a helpless motion. Shmi frowned with sympathy. She put down her glass and wrapped Boba’s hands with her own scarred ones. “You don’t have to tell me this.”

Boba gave her a pained smile. “I want to, Shmi. I didn’t have anyone to tell after my buir died.”

Shmi held his hands as he spoke. “I thought I could give my buir vengeance. To make an osik story short, I kriffed up big time and ended up in prison. And while I was in prison the Jetti fought the Clone Wars. What I never understood, even now, was why they spent all that time fighting the Separatists? If the endpoint was to kill the Jetti, why waste manpower and resources fighting what could be a potential ally?

It certainly made things harder for the clones. They got... attached to the Jetti. They were Force-sensitive of course they got attached. It... it hurt them a lot when one of the Jetti died. And Obi-Wan Kenobi, he ‘supposedly’ got killed by a sniper. I say supposedly because the news portrayed the fact that he went ‘undercover.’

But I have always believed he died on that day. Cody... wouldn’t have made his request if...” Boba had to stop for a bit.

He wished the tears weren’t falling down his cheeks. Shmi only held his hands tightly. Her hands felt warm against the ice in his heart.

Boba continued. “Cody asked me to avenge Obi-Wan. The Jetti don’t take vengeance but the Mando'ade do, and Cody was fighting the war, so he couldn’t. He wanted to. He and his vod cared so much about Kenobi. And the kriffing Jetti weren't going to do anything. So he asked me. The killer was in the same prison anyways. Of course, a traumatized twelve-year-old isn’t going to do much even if they’d been trained by someone like my buir all their life. At best I gave him a scar.”

Boba choked at the last part. He let the tears fall.

“Twelve years old?” Shmi’s voice was steady but her dark brown eyes were filled with tears. “Oh, Boba.”

“Chancellor Palpatine’s idea. For my ‘crimes’ against the Jetti. Unsurprisingly, I don’t like the man much.” Boba sighed.

"I didn't meet up with Cody again until after the Jetti were dead. He... was changed. Horribly. That was the cruel price for our buir's vengeance. Yet... I can't help but wonder now. Did they choose that path like me? Or... what my buir was saying about a chip." Boba bit his lip uncertainly.

Then he drank again. “I may have overreacted when I learned of Obi-Wan's identity, but the Jetti Order needs a good kick in the shebs if this is how they’re treating him. This boy will grow up to care enough about my vod to the point that kriffing Cody would ask me to avenge him. It's... significant."

Boba sighed. "Where’s the two hundred Jetti now, eh?” He chuckled bitterly.

“Who needs two hundred Jetti when you have someone willing to overturn the galaxy for you?” Shmi asked a small smile curling gently on her worn face.

Boba stared at her with shining black eyes. Then he nodded firmly.

Chapter Text

It had been several days since Melida/Daan. And Boba was dreaming for the first time since he was ten.

A figure stood in Coruscant’s long sunlit hallway, leaning against a doorway. They were dressed in beskar’gam, painted with a beautiful pattern of green, gold, and black. The buy’ce was made to look like an owl’s face. A skilled artist had painted this suit of armor.

They were gazing at the room with a familiar fondness, arms crossed around their chest. At his approach, the figure turned to him and took off their buy’ce.

“Bo,” Boba smiled at her. “What did she get into this time?”

Bo-Katan’s face broke into an easygoing smile. “The little owlet was so determined to meet the Queen after her vod had told her all about his little misadventure. With Pre Vizsla busy dealing with the mess at that Temple, I’d thought she might wish to fly a bit. Once she is finished having tea with the Queen of course.”

Boba sighed good-naturally. “Then Queen Amidala must truly have the patience of a Jetti. Ashoka can be... inquisitive. I’m curious though. I’d have sworn that Pre was playing with his new ad.”

Bo-Katan Kryze laughed slightly. “Ursa threatened to give him a kick in the shebs if he didn’t let poor Arla have a nap. And Ursa’s boots have actual claws on them.”

Her face fell slightly. “Arla’s complicated... She wants to behave and act normally. And she tries so hard. But sometimes it’s easier for her to call us generals instead of buir.”

Boba reached out a hand and clasped it on her shoulder plate. “It will be easier for others.”

Bo-Katan’s face turned eager, anticipating the future hunt. “We will free those ade from those demagolka.”

Boba’s answering smile was full of teeth as he felt a similar thrill in his veins. “And they will be Mando’ade. All of them.”

Boba awoke to the sound of Anakin knocking at his door with barely held joy. “I finished the machine Boba! It looks amazing.”

“Anakin,” Shmi called softly. “Let Boba come out on his own.”

“But buir! I want to show him!” Anakin whined with disappointment.

“Anakin,” Shmi said firmly.

“Awww, fine!” Anakin sighed and stomped off.

Boba was grateful that Shmi had prevented Anakin from barging in here because he needed a minute to figure things out. Boba hadn’t dreamed since he was ten. He had that recurring nightmare, but that was it. So while this dream was a pleasant surprise, he was quite confused.

He didn’t know this woman, he only knew her from rumors. And a video.

Bo-Katan Kryze’s face had been well known in the bounty hunter circles. Emperor Palpatine had wished for her death after she refused to be ruled by the Empire and declared Mandalore’s independence.

Boba had a healthy respect for the woman. She certainly had mandokarla. Not just anyone would dump tea over the Empire ambassador’s head as part of their refusal. Or punch him in the nose.

With a sigh, he got up, put on his armor, and made to leave the room. Only to stop and pause at the mirror. His paint was chipping off. And for some reason that bothered him. It felt like he was being exposed. He glanced over to look at the Melida/Daan bone urn that carried Jaster’s bones.

He had placed them in there as gently as he could. He intended to take them with him. His ba’buir deserved that much.

He was pleased to see that Obi-Wan was walking around the ship. When they first had come aboard, Obi-Wan had sat in one of the prison cells for an hour. Then Boba found out and promptly convinced the young boy to join in on the sparring.

‘At least the Jetti teach their ade hand-to-hand combat.’ He reluctantly gave them that.

Obi-Wan made another attempt to stay in the prison cell, this time eating his meal inside. Anakin, failing to convince him to stay at the table, had followed him to the prison cell and sat in there with him stubbornly. Somehow or other Shmi and Boba ended up there as well.

Boba softly snorted at the thought of them there together, having a crowded picnic. At his third attempt to sleep in the cell, Anakin had thrown his bunk in there and refused to move it until Obi-Wan stopped being a nerf and joined him and his buir in their room. Boba had taken one look at that and made the silent promise to kick Qui-Gon in the shebs if he ever met him in person.

Obi-Wan had given in after Boba had sat down in the cell as well and moved to Shmi’s and Anakin’s room.

Shmi and Obi-Wan were looking around the ship with puzzled looks.

At his questioning glance, Shmi spoke. “Ani walked off somewhere to sulk and we can’t figure out where that is. I was going to have you check your tracker but Obi-Wan claimed he could tell Anakin was still here.”

Shmi paused. “I’m... having trouble feeling him.”

Boba felt a flicker of concern run through him even though they were in the middle of space and there wasn’t anywhere Anakin could have gone. Still, he checked his tracker and at the same time, he searched for Anakin’s presence. It was there but it was muted. His tracker beeped at him.

Boba scoffed. “This thing claims he’s in the walls. It must be broken. Kriff.”

Boba sighed and turned to Obi-Wan. “You can still feel him clearly?”

Obi-Wan frowned as he peered around the room. “I can feel his Force signature. He’s here, but not where we can see. And I think he’s sulking so he’s not answering you.”

Shmi raised her eyebrows at him. “You can tell I’m calling to him?”

Obi-Wan flushed. “Apologies. I am used to others who are trained. I forgot that I have a... Most Jedi shield their Force signatures to some degree. You are good at hiding yours behind a wall, but it bleeds through at times. Boba can dampen his to the point I almost can’t sense it. If he hadn’t dropped his shields, I wouldn’t have noticed his Force signature.”

Both adults stared at him.

“I’m using the Force?” Boba asked, half-jokingly.

Obi-Wan looked at him curiously. “You are unaware that you are?”

Boba frowned. “I’m just Force-sensitive. I don’t have any of those abilities.”

Obi-Wan hesitated. “Well um. You see... If a Force-sensitive bonds to other Force-sensitives then their connection to the Force grows. That’s why a Padawan learner and a Master must have a Force bond before they start training. Your bonds with Shmi and Anakin are pretty strong so you’ll already be able to sense them. Perhaps Anakin will open himself to your prodding better than mine.”

Boba’s frown deepened. “I already tried that, he’s not answering.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, I mean using your bond. Not just sensing his presence.”

Boba tensed. 

That he wasn't too comfortable with. He didn’t like it the thought. He wanted to ask more questions but Anakin was missing and those questions would just have to wait.

So he took a breath and attempted it. Nothing happened.

“Try to think of it like you are reaching out to touch him.” Obi-Wan clarified.

Boba tried again. Nothing happened.

He sighed, frustrated. “Any other ideas?”

Shmi placed a hand on his shoulder. “Remember when I shattered my chains back at Gardulla's palace?”

Boba nodded tersely.

Shmi went on. “I wasn’t thinking of anything but Anakin at that moment. Perhaps something similar needs to happen here.” Boba watched Obi-Wan.

He was looking at them both calmly, allowing them to work through the problem. Boba sighed again and took off his buy’ce.

Then he closed his eyes firmly. ‘Think of Anakin. Think of his machines, his smile, and laughter, his acceptance...’

There was a moment where he allowed himself to dwell on the happy memories of him teaching Anakin. Like a proper Mando’ade should. Like a buir would.

‘Ani.’ Boba breathed a sudden sigh of relief.

He could feel him now, except...

‘Buir?’ Anakin asked.

Except Anakin didn’t ask the question aloud.

Boba stiffened as he suddenly realized he could hear Anakin in his head. And Anakin had just called him buir.

“Oh, kriff! Buir! I can hear Boba in my head!” Anakin shouted happily, his voice echoing around them.

Shmi called out. “Anakin!”

“Sorry buir, but this is so cool!” Anakin giggled.

Obi-Wan gaped at Boba. “Okay... The bond is stronger than I thought.”

Boba turned to glance at Obi-Wan, concerned.

Obi-Wan lightened considerably, grey bluish-green eyes widening.

“Oh, it’s alright. That's a good thing.” He sounded confused, yet joyfully so. Like this was a pleasant surprise that he found.

Boba pushed the confusion and the fear away as he glared at the wall. “Anakin are you in the kriffing wall?”

“No, I’m in the ceiling right now.” Anakin answered back cheekily.

Obi-Wan was staring at the wall. Then he knocked a fist on it. It rattled hollowly.

“Old smuggler trick,” He declared. “Interesting.”

“Anakin you come out of there right now.” Shmi ordered using her firmest tone.

The ceiling moved and Anakin’s head popped out, covered in dust. “I thought I had to wait until Boba came out. Oh, Boba you’re out!”

Anakin went back in, only to climb right out and jump next to their feet with sudden agility. “Look at my machine!”

Boba had enough self-control that he was able to respond. “It looks great Ani.”

It was a weak reply, but the boy didn’t notice. He was far too excited over what just happened.

“Obi-Wan, Boba was in my head! I could feel him in there, and it was so cool!” Anakin bounced happily.

Obi-Wan glanced at Shmi and then at Boba’s white face. “How about you go tell me all about it and I can show you my Force-sensitive rock?” He asked simply.

“Does it float too?” Anakin questioned.

Obi-Wan smiled. “I can make it float, Anakin.”

Anakin rushed off to the room where they were staying, Obi-Wan being dragged along. Boba sat down in a chair and buried his face into his hands.

Shmi cautiously sat down as well. “So now you can talk to Anakin in his head.”

“He called me buir.” Boba rasped.

Shmi blinked.

Then she nodded simply. “He’s been doing that privately for a while now.”

Boba looked at her sharply with piercing black eyes.

Shmi shrugged. “You know how he is.”

Boba’s head was whirling frantically. “He can’t possibly see me as a... I’m not able to.”

“Stop that right there,” Shmi ordered in the same firm tone she had used before. “You and Obi-Wan have a horrible habit of denial.”

Boba scowled. “How am I worthy of being his buir?”

“You are one of the two people in this kriffing galaxy that gives an osik about my ad,” Shmi very nearly snarled the words, her usual cool evaporating. “He had no buir other than me. You have rescued him, taught him, cared for him.”

Her nostrils flared as she took in a deep breath. “You once claimed that you wished to prove your mandokarla to the other Mandalorians for you to be accepted by them. That’s probably why you’ve been so willing to do such crazy things recently. Yet I think the bravest thing you should do is confront yourself. Otherwise, they may see your denial as a weakness of character.”

Boba sneered. “What denial?”

“You want an aliit so badly that you are willing to take anyone in that has the barest connection to you. Because you weren’t able to save the one you had before,” Shmi answered back roughly. “And personally, I consider you a part of my aliit as well. So that’s why I’m confronting you with this. Because you’d be the best buir he could ever have.”

She turned to leave only to jerk back and say one last thing. “Aliit ori'shya tal'din, Boba.”

Boba was taught to have self-control and Shmi knew to give him space. So when they landed on Alderaan, Shmi had not so subtly taken Anakin to observe the peaceful planet’s beauty.

His gota'tuur was tomorrow after all and he deserved something special. There was also the added pressure of the Jetti very possibly hunting them down. Even though he had practically ordered the Jedi Council to send someone to help the situation, Boba was quietly monitoring it.

Deila had his comm channel in case the Jedi Knight didn’t pull through. Yet if they did come after Obi-Wan, then Boba wanted to present himself as peacefully as possible.

He didn’t want to leave Anakin alone. Obi-Wan found him in one of the prison cells, shaking.

Obi-Wan gently sat down and watched him sadly. “I’m sorry that I frightened you.”

Boba shook his head. “You didn’t... That’s a normal thing? Talking in someone’s head?”

“Only for strong bonds. Stronger bonds have longer distance between speakers,” Obi-Wan paused. “Are you truly unaware of this ability?”

Boba exhaled and wrapped his arms around himself. “If this 'bond' thing is true then it puts something into a very ugly perspective.”

Obi-Wan nodded quietly. They sat there for a few moments, alone in their thoughts.

“I had a connection with two others,” Boba said brokenly. “I was only able to talk in one of their heads, but there was a ‘bond’ with both. One of them, my buir, was killed by a Jetti.”

Obi-Wan flinched. “Oh, Boba...”

Boba stopped and dug his nails into his skin. “He charged at the Jetti in the middle of a battle. The Jetti defended themselves. That’s not the point. The point is that he died and the bond was broken. The other was also broken but not by death. I’m frightened that the same will happen to Anakin. It was something... worse.”

He opened his mouth to explain but halted, unable.

Obi-Wan extended a hand carefully towards him. “It might be easier for you to convey your words by showing me.”

He offered slowly. Boba watched him with gleaming black eyes.

Something was nagging at him, an itch that tingles under his skin. Boba stiffened. This was new.

“What the kriff?” He asked.

Obi-Wan smiled softly. “You are becoming more attuned to the Force. It can show you things, paths that will help you choose what needs to be done.”

Boba scoffed. “I don’t want to save the kriffing galaxy.”

Obi-Wan’s hand remained. “Good thing the Jedi are the ones that need to save the galaxy,” He said good-humoredly. “I, as a Jedi in training, can learn how to save the galaxy by helping you.”

Boba snorted. “Well here goes nothing then.”

Then he clasped at Obi-Wan's hand.

Raw and aching. His entire soul felt like it had been ripped apart and sewn together. Killing those Force-sensitives had only made it worse.

Boba gritted his teeth as he walked towards Darth Vader, casually stepping over the broken pieces of the Kamino laboratory. Stormtroopers moved around them in a hurry, taking wounded to the medics, ordering the scientists carrying the remaining clones to the shuttles.

The Rebel Alliance wasn’t going to be able to force his vod to fight for their kriffing cause. Not if Boba had anything to say about it.

Darth Vader’s mechanical breathing echoed across the broken room as he spoke to one of the remaining clones that were still in service. Their buy’ce was tucked under one arm.

Boba frowned. He wasn’t able to feel that one either. None of the clones were able to connect with him anymore.

Every single clone’s presence had disappeared the day that the Jetti died. The day that Boba should have celebrated. It was supposed to be a victory.

Boba had been violently ill that day, puking his guts out. Somehow it was like losing his buir all over again, even though it was the kriffing that Jetti were dying.

He couldn’t understand, didn’t want to understand.

Boba took a glance at Darth Vader. Darth Vader felt wrong. Like something turned rotten. Broken, shattered into pieces that cut and make you bleed. Perhaps the clone was unwilling to expose themselves around him.

“CC-2224 that will be all.” Darth Vader wheezed.

The clone mechanically saluted him and walked stiffly away. Boba halted, shocked. That was...no it wasn’t. That wasn’t Cody, he didn’t feel like Cody at all.

Without thinking about it Boba mentally probed the connection they built over the years. 'Cody?'

Cody felt empty. He felt as if he had been wiped with a rag and nothing was left behind. He felt as if he was gone. Dead.

Not-Cody paused and turned around. His black eyes were empty. “Who are you?”

Ice gripped Boba’s heart. His voice had lost all personality, it was like talking to a droid.

Darth Vader looked at Boba dismissively. “He’s a bounty hunter. Nothing more, and certainly no interest to you.”

Not-Cody jerked to attention and continued his stiff march away. Boba was frightened. Badly.

It frightened him to the point that he began to seriously question himself. That was the first time that Boba wondered if what they had achieved had been worth the price. And then weeks later, after he had moved on to other jobs, he concluded that the clones had chosen to become empty to battle the raw aching feeling in their souls.

But the question remained... Had they chosen this?

Boba opened his eyes with a jerk. Obi-Wan was gripping his hand tightly and looked like he was going to puke. He looked horrible.

“That can’t have been... that was a... Was that a Sith?” He wheezed out, eyes wide.

Boba grabbed him gently. “Right. You’re going to the ‘fresher.”

Obi-Wan puked his guts out and dry heaved when there was no more food. Boba stayed firmly at his side, rubbing his back. After a bit, Obi-Wan turned to Boba with watery eyes.

“Better?” Boba asked carefully.

Obi-Wan nodded.

“How much of that did you see?” Boba asked.

“I saw the images, I could feel your pain and fear.” Obi-Wan shuddered.

“That was it though. I don’t have any other context for what that was. I know that you considered that other man to be your brother, I could feel that.” Obi-Wan grimaced.

“He looked very familiar. Like I’ve seen him in a vision. But visions don’t tell us the future, only the possibilities.” He sighed mournfully.

“That was a memory,” Boba answered back. “And that man’s name is Cody."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly.

He smiled weakly at Boba. “You’ve gone through so much pain. And you are still trying to help Shmi, Anakin, and others. That’s amazing.”

Boba inhaled and helped Obi-Wan stumble out of the ‘fresher. Shmi and Anakin had returned, with fistfuls of colorful rocks they had gathered on their walk and a request to try the ice cream they were selling on the street. 

It was over the ice cream that Boba had promised to explain the event later. Obi-Wan had looked over at him with those eyes and spoke simply. “Do what you want to do, Boba.”

Tomorrow came with so many questions and an excited five-year-old bouncing around.

Anakin presented his machine to Obi-Wan with a wide grin. “What do you think?”

“Do you plan to put this on a droid?” Obi-Wan held Anakin’s machine in his calloused hands gently, eyeing the workmanship.

The tiny metal machine fit snugly inside his palm, no bigger than a pebble. It had been lovingly crafted that was plain to see.

“Uh-huh! The plan is to put this on a droid like how Boba showed me and then I hit this button on my gauntlet and zap! The droid’s sensory modules are overloaded and it goes down. It’s a mini-sonic grenade. Kind of.” Anakin bounced up and down as he explained.

Obi-Wan gave him a warm smile. “You created this very well. You must have wanted to make Boba proud.”

“How can you tell? Is it more of the Force stuff?” Anakin leaned in curiously.

“No. That was just observation. It’s rude to observe your emotions without permission.” Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin rolled his brown eyes in annoyance. “My buir says the same thing. Don’t go in someone’s head without permission, don’t prod Boba when he wants space, and don’t send things flying when you are mad.”

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “You send things flying when you are mad?”

Anakin groaned. “I’ve gotten better at it. Usually, I only break one thing per tantrum. Back at Gardulla’s palace, I broke a lot more things.”

Obi-Wan’s face creased slightly with worry. “Okay. Maybe we should try meditating again.”

“Why? That was boring last time, we just sat there and did nothing,” Anakin pouted. “When you floated off the ground you were moving.”

“I was calm and in the Force. You have to relax and let go of your emotions to achieve that. There’s a reason we call it meditation,” Obi-Wan shrugged. “It takes practice.”

“But I could feel you moving,” Anakin argued. “I want to know how you were moving. That’s how you were floating.”

“Moving?” Obi-Wan glanced at Boba, who was using the comm-link in the buy’ce to talk with Deila again.

Once she had given him a satisfying report of success, he finished up and looked over at the two boys.

“Clarify for him, Ani.” Boba prodded.

Anakin tilted his head, his blond hair falling into his brown eyes. “I’m not sure... Something was moving through you as you were floating. Like you were flying.”

Obi-Wan blinked. “You could feel me like that? Even though we don’t have a bond?”

Anakin frowned. “You’ve been with us for five days now. We’re already friends.”

Obi-Wan gave out a soft giggle. “No, I mean a Force bond. It’s a connection that Force-sensitives can make with one another. Usually, it takes a lot of time and commitment to make one.”

Boba took off his buy’ce allowing the mess of dark brown curls to freely fall. “Anakin’s making bonds with the force now, eh?”

“You all are Force-sensitive. Using the Force is as natural as breathing.” Obi-Wan replied.

Boba paused. “For all Force-sensitives?”

Obi-Wan nodded. “All Force-sensitives can feel the Force and bend it to their will. It’s unique for each individual. I, for example, can use the Unifying Force abilities very easily. Therefore the levitation and my ability to see visions.”

Boba shared a glance with Shmi. “I think we should talk. Anakin could you find some flowers for us?”

“Flowers?” Obi-Wan looked out the window of the ship at the Alderaan space station. “Where?”

“Alderaan has flowers everywhere. The question will be which one he brings. Although you'll want to hurry before I go.” Boba grinned.

Anakin perked up. “Go to where?”

“It’s a surprise, Ani. It is your gota’tuur.” Boba chuckled softly.

Anakin turned to Boba with a wide grin. “You are going to give me a birthday present?”

Shmi smiled at her son. “Of course Ani. We should take the opportunity to celebrate. There’s something special we have planned.”

Anakin ran over to Boba and hugged him tightly. “Vor’e!”

Boba raised his eyebrows, a smile breaking over his face like the sun. “You’ve been practicing, that sounded perfect Ani.”

Anakin beamed at Boba. “Of course I have! Your language sounds so nice.”

Shmi laughed quietly. “Wait till you see what he has planned for you.”

Anakin quickly turned to Obi-Wan. “You get to see my surprise as well!”

Obi-Wan paused. “Are you sure you want me to?”

That was as far as he went before Anakin interrupted with a giant “Lek!”

An excited Anakin then ran off the ship, leaving an embarrassed Obi-Wan behind.

“Not used to being welcomed like that?” Boba noted.

Obi-Wan chuckled slightly. “You could say that I suppose. Is... will he be okay out there?”

“You mean besides Alderaan being the safest planet in the galaxy?” Boba shrugged. ”I don’t know. This is Anakin after all. I do have my tracker and Shmi can tell if he’s in danger through her connection.”

Obi-Wan smiled softly. “Is there something you wanted?”

“Lek,” Boba sat down placing the buy’ce off to the side.

He frowned at Obi-Wan, uncertainty heavy in his gaze. Shmi walked over and sat between both of them. She watched Boba gently, waiting for him to start. Obi-Wan noticed the sudden tension in the air.

“I... have some important things to ask. What do you know of Galidraan?” Boba requested.

Obi-Wan bowed his head with sadness.“The Order acted foolishly and Mandalorians lost their lives as a result. Some members of the Jedi Order were killed by Jango Fett in revenge and others turned to the Darkside.”

“Dar’jetti?” Boba asked carefully.

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, not Sith. Sith haven’t been around for a thousand years. That can’t be what I thought I saw in your memory.”

Boba frowned. “I wouldn't be so sure. What does the Jetti Order think of Jango Fett?”

“They want to make amends,” Obi-Wan said confidently. “Even if it’s something that can never be forgiven, it’s our responsibility to make it right.”

“Then in that case I, no, we have something important to tell you,” A pause. Boba inhaled. “I have no idea how this Force stuff works but I have to ask, does it make people go back in time?”

Obi-Wan shrugged. “Anything is possible with the Force. I know that’s hard to believe but, I think it might be possible.”

Shmi smirked. “Boba traveled from the future. He’s from thirty-two years ahead.”

Obi-Wan went quiet for a few seconds. He processed it and frowned.

“You should be able to feel the truth in our words.” Boba said.

Obi-Wan’s frown got harder. “It doesn’t work like that. I can tell that both of you are convinced of that fact. But I don’t know if that is the truth.”

“I know people and events from it. And we have got proof.” Boba replied.

“What relevance does that have to do with me?” Obi-Wan asked carefully after a moment.

Boba sighed. He tightened a hand into a fist quickly. Shmi noticed and grasped at the other hand.

Boba’s fist relaxed slowly. “...You suffered because of the actions of my buir. You and your Order. I believed for a long time that they deserved what they got. I killed Force-sensitives over it.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened. He looked like he was about to cry.

Then he looked at Boba fiercely. “I can feel your regret. That’s why I’m not mad. But I am disappointed.”

Boba winced at the sudden feeling of shame. “Let’s just say that my perspective has been changed over time. And... I now think that the ones who made you suffer might have not had a choice. So I want to check with you.”

“Okay.” Obi-Wan tilted his head.

Boba held Shmi’s warm hand tightly. “I’m a clone of Jango Fett. He’s going to make four million others just like me and they all are going to be Force-sensitive. And there’s a chip that will go in their heads. I have to ask. Could a dar'jetti create a chip that makes the clones do something horrible and not feel it?"

“Maybe,” Obi-Wan answered. “It would be pretty simple on the not feeling part. All they would have to do is cut their connection to the Force and they won’t feel anything. I’m not sure about forcing them to do something though.”

Boba bit his lip. “Last question. You say that you are a Padawan. What does that mean?”

“It means I was found as a Force-sensitive child and I was brought to the Jedi Temple to become a Jedi.” Obi-Wan replied easily.

Boba’s heart turned to ice. “...There are ade in the Temple?”

Obi-Wan’s face went pale at Boba’s horrified tone. “What happens to the Jedi Temple?”

Shmi moved closer, trying to send her calming presence over to him. “It’s okay, Boba.”

“No, it’s not,” He rasped. “My vod destroyed the Temple. My vod... the ones who would endlessly try to rescue their own from being murdered, killed ade.”

And then he broke.

He broke into a million pieces right there in front of Obi-Wan. He sobbed. He wailed. He cried. For his vod, for his buir, for the Mando’ade, and the Jetti. Everything that had happened was wrong and awful. His vod never had a choice in the matter.

What had Boba done to help them?

Somehow, after a while through the hot tears, he ended up between the both of them, sitting on the ground, clutching at a bunch of sweet-smelling flowers.

Anakin stared at him with his warm brown eyes, hugging his arm in an embrace.

“It’s okay.” He said so confidently that it made his heart hurt with a raw ache.

Shmi patted his back comfortingly. “Do you wish for some space, Boba?”

Boba nodded numbly.

Then he turned to Anakin and hugged him tightly.

“I’m going to go get your surprise Ani. Okay?” He asked in a rough voice.

Anakin smiled with the warmth of the sun. “I can’t wait for it!”

On his way back he stopped to sit alone in the middle of a garden of flowers and look at his holo-pad. He needed to process everything that had happened.

‘Just not right now.’ He thought.

Boba distracted himself with a video. He wouldn’t have believed that Bo-Katan Kryze would have poured tea onto an Empire ambassador and punched them in the nose if someone hadn’t recorded the whole thing and uploaded it to the holo-net.

Not even the Empire’s best moderators could prevent the video from popping up here and there. Boba had downloaded the video onto the holo-pad alongside two other pieces of data that he was able to scrounge up after a few nights of research in those awful years.

He might have been a bounty hunter, but saving what remained of his buir’s culture was important. Even if all they were nothing but remnants.

A man in beskar’gam fights against a black and red tattooed Zabrak. A glowing black jetti’kad against two red jetti’kad. He knew that the Zabrak was a dar’jetti. Besides the fact that no Jetti fought so viciously, there was the fact that looking at the image made Boba recall what it was like to stand next to Darth Vader, or the Inquisitors.

The man fights with everything that he has. If you watch it closely, then you can see the desperation that slowly creeps in. Like he suddenly realized that he is going to lose someone incredibly important and can’t bear it.

Boba has no idea who the man once was or what he was fighting for. But the video holds his interest all the same.

The last one was nothing more than a hologram. And it was a sensational political ad at that. But the image on the ad was what caught his attention.

The image bore the picture of a blond woman cradling a child’s body, lying on a stretcher. A female senator stands at her side, wrapping a supportive arm around her. And a clone stands behind them, saluting.

The ad has a title; Mandalore’s ade poisoned by Separatists.

 These were part of his brief glimpses into the viewpoints of the Mando’ade. Now after the remnants of the dream circled in his head, he looked at the data, frowning.

Could the kriffing Force be trying to tell him something after all? Was it the one that sent the nightmares? Or the dream?

‘What do you want?’ He finally confronted himself.

He wanted to have a fresh clean start, Shmi was right, he didn’t want to be alone. He didn’t want to be haunted by these painful memories anymore.

He wanted... to undo the vengeance that his buir had wrought.

It was wrong, even if his buir had wanted it. Ade had died. His vod had died. Cody had somehow died, he was sure of that. That husk he had met next to Darth Vader hadn’t been Cody.

So it came down to that didn’t it?

He recalled then the final message left to him by his buir. The audio message that he listened to next to Jaster’s bones.

“I ask that you help the clones.” Jango had asked.

He had claimed that he was using them without their permission. Boba had ignored that in favor of dealing with everything else. Perhaps Shmi was right and he did have a problem with denial.

The evening sky darkened with stars as the sun set into Alderaan’s snow-capped mountains. It was a beautiful place.

‘Help the clones,’ He thought bitterly. 'How am I supposed to help them?'

“What would you have done Cody?” He asked the flowers.

Then it struck him like a thunderbolt.

Shmi’s words, her moonlit confession as they sat together that one night. “For every part of my life that I had chosen selfishly, I tried my best to repay it after I became a mother. For Anakin’s sake.”

For Anakin’s sake, he would overturn the galaxy. Did that make him a buir?

In Shmi’s eyes, it did. Anakin was already calling him buir. And their opinion was the one that mattered.

Boba sighed. There was no use in denying what was already in front of him. He jutted out his chin, just like Anakin would.

“Listen here!” He shouted at the setting sun, at the flowers around him. “I’ll become a Mando’ade to help my vod. To give them an aliit that they never got to have. And I’ll become the buir that mine was never able to be.”

“I’ll present everything to the Mandalorian clans. I’ll tell them everything and I’ll make the clones an aliit. A clan.” He swore with burning tears.

Something peaceful settled onto him like a blanket. Like he made the right choice. He hoped he did.

On the ship, he took off his armor completely.

In a simple blue tunic, he ate uj'alayi with the others and smiled at Anakin’s shining face.

Then he gave Anakin his gift. A blaster pistol just like the one that Jango had bought him at five-years-old.

Anakin got to give the others their gifts. A sniper rifle for Shmi. Obi-Wan received one of the jetti'kad, with the request that he take the others to the Jedi Temple after they (hopefully) came to get him. 

Then he knelt, took the biggest breath of his kriffing life, and placed his bare hands on Anakin’s shoulders.

“Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad Anakin.” He vowed with the strength of the galaxy in his words.

Anakin’s brown eyes widened. Then they gleamed like tiny stars, full of joy and love.

“Lek,” He gasped out through the tears that came pouring down. “Vor entye b-buir.”

He hugged Boba so tightly. It felt so good, so warm.

Shmi broke out into one of the biggest smiles she had ever worn. Boba’s eyes were sore from all the crying he had done.

But these tears that he wept now, were finally ones of joy.

Chapter Text

“This isn’t working!” Anakin scowled dangerously close to sulking. “I can’t meditate and make the stones stack.”

He uncrossed his legs and glared over at Obi-Wan, who sat quietly in front of him. The outcropping of grayish rock shielded the boys from Manalore’s white-hot sun. Everything looked whitish-grey as far as the eye could see. Boba had said that they would head into one of the cities soon. First, though, he wanted to brush up on their skills, including their shooting skills.

On the way here, from Alderaan, Anakin got to test his fighting skills against Obi-Wan’s Jedi training. He knew that he was technically stronger since Obi-Wan was still recovering somewhat from that war that he fought. Except despite that fact, Obi-Wan won the fight.

What Obi-Wan lacked in power he made up with agility, bending his body away from Anakin’s blows. Then once Anakin tired, Obi-Wan had struck back with fierce blows that caught him off guard. Frustrated, and wanting to prove himself to his new buir, Anakin tackled him. Unfortunately, this resulted in them both colliding against the wall painfully and Anakin getting a small scrape.

Anakin was pretty sure that the minor scrape didn’t need the dabbing of bacta, never mind the bandage. But Boba was concerned and the attention was nice. It made him feel good inside.

Besides, Boba took advantage of the situation and showed Anakin the different parts of the first aid kit. And Anakin got to treat a scrape on Boba, so it wasn’t all bad.

Obi-Wan, however, had become determined that there weren't going to be any more brawls until Anakin could control his anger. Which was proving to be a failure.

Obi-Wan sighed patiently. “You need to relax, Anakin. The stones won’t stack by themselves.”

“You’re not relaxed and yet you can do it.” Anakin whined, crossing his arms tight.

“...I am relaxed,” Obi-Wan dismissed evenly. “You are letting your emotions control you.”

Anakin’s brown eyes narrowed. “And you are hiding. Again!”

“My shields are preventing me from overwhelming you. And I’m not ‘hiding’.” Obi-Wan voice had a hint of annoyance woven into it.

Anakin jutted his chin out at Obi-Wan. “Yeah, you are. Boba said so.”

“Not everything Boba says is true.” Obi-Wan frowned.

“Okay then. Stop hiding and let out whatever is making you feel so bad.” Anakin prodded.

“Jedi don’t feel emotion. I’m not supposed to be feeling this, so therefore I’m not.” Obi-Wan shot back.

“You admitted it! And you are full of osik.” Anakin sniffed.

Obi-Wan growled, bluish grey-green eyes narrowing. “You are an immature child getting in the business of things that you know nothing about.”

“And you two are fighting once again. Come on Ani, you two already fought before Boba gave you blaster pistol training.” Shmi spoke, crossing her arms at the two boys.

Both of the boys turned in surprise at her sudden appearance. “I thought you were practicing with your sniper rifle buir,” Anakin pouted. “And he started it.”

“They finished a few minutes ago. If you had been paying attention then you would have noticed that the sniper rifle stopped firing. And you are the one that started it.” Obi-Wan said with an air of superiority.

“And we are finishing it,” Boba cut in as he approached, taking his buy’ce off with a frown. “Now instead of squabbling like di’kuts, let’s talk like adults.”

He promptly sat between the two boys, Shmi kneeling on the other side.

Obi-Wan’s frown got deeper. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Oh? Then you have an idea why Anakin’s been unable to mediate despite your best efforts?” Boba prodded, eyeing the boy.

Obi-Wan’s gaze turned cool and hard. “He won’t listen.”

“He won’t? Or you won’t?” Shmi challenged. “I’ve heard him claim multiple times that you shielding yourself is preventing him from doing anything.”

Obi-Wan’s shoulders slumped. “He won’t be able to use the Force if his mind is clouded with emotion.”

“You sit there and say that yet you and I were able to use it perfectly fine together and I was a shivering mess.” Boba said.

“You have a special talent.” Obi-Wan retorted.

Boba raised an eyebrow. Then he glanced over to Shmi. Some sort of signal was passed between them.

“Alright.” Boba nodded firmly. “Anakin how about I give this meditation thing a try?”

“Are you sure you want to, buir? It’s nothing but sitting around.” Anakin looked at Boba curiously.

Boba grinned. “Not with me, it isn’t. You are going to be moving around a lot. Come on, let’s try it.” 

Boba stood up and walked further into the shade. Anakin trailed after him. Boba watched him as Anakin began to stretch and move his muscles about.

Shmi scooted closer to Obi-Wan and gazed at him steadily. “Are you willing to try with me? Perhaps as Anakin’s buir, I can try to see if there is another angle to approach it.”

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. “I’m just no good at teaching. Which is no surprise as I’m not even a Jedi.”

“From what I understand, you are a Jedi-in-training, A Padawan. You are learning. You shouldn’t expect to be perfect.” Shmi said calmly.

“I am supposed to be perfect. Obi-Wan growled. “I am supposed to be better than this. I am a Jedi.”

“You,” Shmi replied. “Are just as human as me. You are allowed to fail, Obi-Wan.”

“If I fail then I’ll Fall. I’ll become a Darksider and the Dark side of the Force will corrupt me.” Obi-Wan wrung his hands together.

“No.” Shmi said simply. “If the members of your Jedi Order truly care for you as a person, then if you were to fail they’d be there to help you back up. If you were to Fall, they would be there to help you heal, whatever that might take,” Shmi looked Obi-Wan in the eye. “Here is the real question. Would you accept their help if they offered it to you?”

Obi-Wan tensed, eyes flaring up with anger. “Accept their... They tried to send me away to the ArgiCorps before I properly aged out!”

“I had to beg Master Qui-Gon to take me as a Padawan. I went through two weeks of being a deep-sea mining slave on Bandomeer. He took me on as his Padawan learner only because his first Padawan learner had Fallen and was trying to kill us both. I spent every moment I could with him trying to prove myself to him and he left me alone!” He shouted.

Tears fell softly as he continued to finally let it all out. “My Master wanted me to be perfect but I couldn’t be perfect! I was nothing but a failure.”

Obi-Wan sobbed. “I left the Jedi Order for Cersai and Nield. But they both left me and now I’m alone!”

“No,” Shmi said again, this time reaching out her scarred hands and wrapping them around Obi-Wan’s own. “You are not alone. You are not a failure. I was a slave too, Obi-Wan. I know how that makes you feel. You are not alone."

"You are right, not everything Boba says is true. But I believe him when he says that you are special. Now tell me this; is there truly no one in that temple that cares if you disappear?” Shmi asked firmly.

Obi-Wan shook his head with an expression of grief.

Then he paused. “...Quinlan.”

He inhaled. “Oh Force, Quin is going to be so kriffing angry.”

Obi-Wan’s face paled. “Oh... Garen, Bant, Siri, and Mace Windu. They are going to... they must have all lost their minds. But then where are they?”

Shmi scoffed. “A Jedi went to Melida/Daan to help their problem. And according to Deila, two other visibly angry Jedi came, one of them calling Boba every name under the sun. That Jedi was able to sense that we went to Alderaan simply by touching the same holo-projector. Believe me, they care. Boba and I know they do.”

Obi-Wan broke down and wept at the words. “Quin. Quin is hunting me down. Quin is... Oh, he’s coming for me.”

Shmi tugged him into a firm tight hug. “In Boba's timeline two hundred Jetti came for you when you were in trouble. And when you were killed, one of Boba's vod tried to give you vengeance. You are wanted Obi-Wan."

"Allow yourself to feel, Obi-Wan. In this galaxy that is perhaps the rarest thing of all. Someone that cares so openly despite their pain,” Then she smiled. “Besides, your teaching methods are valid. Sometimes one just needs a different perspective.” 

Obi-Wan glanced over to where Shmi was looking. Anakin was performing the exercise Boba had assigned him, his young face calm with concentration  Boba watched him with a smile. Boba’s smile grew bigger when small pebbles on the ground very slowly started to stack upon each other by themselves.

“He’s doing it.” Obi-Wan exhaled with a teary smile.

That night Anakin dreamed.

The air smelled unusually sweet as if there were hundreds of flowers. Anakin blinked his eyes open when he started to hear birds singing and water gurgling.

Anakin inhaled in surprise.

He stood in a gigantic room full of fountains, trees, flowers, and bushes. Sunlight poured out from the open windows and glass roof. There were ponds filled with colorful fish and a bigger lake that looked perfect for swimming. He thought of Gardulla’s pleasure garden only for an instant, then he dismissed the thought. This was so much prettier than her garden. This was so much more alive.

‘The Wisties would love it here,’ He thought happily. ‘It’s truly peaceful here.’

“Oh, Master Dooku. You shouldn’t have.” Whined a strange voice from his left.

Anakin glanced over his shoulder. His jaw dropped open. Two men were sitting on cushions, arms and legs folded just like how Obi-Wan showed him. One was old and regal-looking, his appearance carefully kept. The other was younger and looked like he had been run over by a herd of banthas. Between the men was a white porcelain tea set decorated with blooming roses.

The entire tea set, the cushions, and the two men themselves were floating mid-air.

“Knight Qui-Gon, I do believe a celebration is in order? Feemor has created his lightsaber. That is an achievement for both of you.” Dooku said in rich lilting tones.

His regal face suddenly shone with good-humor and he looked slyly at the other man. “I would have thought you’d prefer tea to what we celebrated with when you got your lightsaber. Coruscant’s underworld was quite... entertaining for the both of us, after all.”

“Master.” Qui-Gon groaned, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “I thought we agreed never to speak of that.”

Anakin watched the older man slightly shake with barely concealed laughter, a smiling spreading over his face.

“We did. However, I also recall you telling me to ‘be less grumpy’ with the younglings. Our misadventure happens to be a favorite. And this is my grand-padawan. I’m allowed to share specific details.” Dooku smirked.

"You are not telling him anything about the sabacc game.” Qui-Gon huffed.

“I’m not. Knight Tahl, the one who had to sneak a drunk Padawan and an unconscious Jedi Master past an angry mob, has the honor.” Dooku gave a short bark of laughter at Qui-Gon’s face.

“Wait. Tahl is coming too? Oh Master Dooku, what is Master Yoda going to think?” Qui-Gon groaned again, although this time there was a twinkle in his eyes.

The dream faded swiftly. But Anakin left with a peaceful feeling in his chest.

A long screeching howl split the night air.

Anakin sat up and began to strap on the pieces of armor hastily. “Buir, wake up. Something’s happening.”

Shmi was already moving, buckling on the armor with quick movements. Obi-Wan and Boba were already standing outside of the ship, gazing into the distance. Anakin ran out after them, grabbing his blaster pistol.

Mandalore’s night sky was full of a beautiful array of stars, so many that it took Anakin’s breath away. His blaster pistol gleamed with the light of the moons and the stars, the white sands turned to silver.

“What was that horrible noise?” Shmi asked, holding her new sniper rifle close.

“I’m not sure. It came from over there,” Boba pointed to the east. “I can’t see anything wrong, but there’s a feeling. Obi-Wan says it’s the Force.”

“Boba!” Obi-Wan’s voice rose in a warning. “It’s coming this way.”

Boba turned to Shmi and Anakin. “Get on that rock. You’ll be able to shoot at it better from there.”

Shmi nodded and moved towards the rock, grabbing at Anakin as she did so. Anakin felt a trickle of fear run down his spine.

“Be careful buir!” He shouted.

Boba only nodded back, but Anakin could feel his concern through the bond. Shmi climbed the rock and kneeled. She readied her rifle and Anakin holstered his blaster pistol. Obi-Wan stood his ground, lightsaber igniting. Boba tensed, readying his disintegration rifle.

A medium-sized creature flew across the Mandalorian sands, carrying something in its mouth. It had six legs with loose folds of skin stretching between the limbs, creating a kind of wing membrane. The creature was fleeing from something. A humanoid figure was chasing it.

Boba made a strangled noise inside his buy’ce. “What is that thing? It feels like a...”

Obi-Wan‘s face was paling rapidly. “That thing, the dark side of the Force is pulsing through it.”

The creature suddenly turned and raced towards them. The humanoid turned its red gaze onto their group. Anakin felt like something dark and painful was choking him from the inside. He couldn’t move, much less think.

‘Ani!’ Boba’s voice echoed in his head, jerking him from the paralysis that he was under. ‘Fire your pistol at the figure’s right.’

Anakin obeyed, shooting next to the humanoid. Boba fired at the same time. The humanoid jerked in reaction to Anakin’s shot and stumbled into Boba’s blast. One arm was disintegrated by the rifle. The humanoid started to move toward them, not reacting at all.

Anakin stared in horror. His insides were drenched with cold water at the sight.

“It’s a Bando Gora!” Obi-Wan shouted into the night.

The creature ran past Obi-Wan. Boba moved to stop it, but Obi-Wan grabbed his arm. “Wait! The creature’s friendly, I can feel it.”

Boba let it go and the creature quickly scrambled inside the ship.

A shot rang out.

Shmi fired her rifle at the Bando Gora, hitting it on the leg. The figure collapsed and at the same time, Boba ran forward and blasted it with the fire-thrower in his gauntlet. The Bando Gora screeched with a painful rending scream, that ended when Obi-Wan’s lightsaber pierced its heart.

“It’s alright. It’s dead.” Obi-Wan called out. Shmi climbed down, Anakin shaking at her side.

Once both of them hit the ground, Anakin ran over to Boba and held him tightly. “I was afraid, I froze up there, I.”

“Sssh Ani. It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m not going to leave you alone.” Boba comforted, picking up the five-year-old and holding him close.

“Obi-Wan. What are the Bando Gora?” Shmi asked him, her face pinched.

“We were warned about them in the Jedi Temple. A Force cult that uses the dark side of the Force to cause chaos and ruin.” Obi-Wan trembled slightly.

“Force cult?” Boba kicked the Bando Gora with distaste.

“A group that executes people to gain power from the dark side of the Force.” Obi-Wan explained.

“Are they Force-sensitive?” Boba asked.

Obi-Wan answered. “No. The dark and the light side of the Force can work through non-Force-sensitives. Most likely a Darksider is helping them gain power.”

Obi-Wan glanced at the ship. “Erm. Let’s check out that thing that ran inside.”

Boba went in first, rifle pointed. Then he reeled back, choking. “What is that stench?”

Obi-Wan’s face twisted at the smell. “Yuck.”

Shmi eyed the three of them, raising an eyebrow. “What smell?”

Anakin pinched his nose. “You can’t smell that? It’s disgusting.”

Shmi nudged ajar the slightly open door of Jango’s room. The creature was in Jango’s old room, curled up on Boba’s bed. Its mouth was lined with bony fangs, and it was covered in thick coarse gray fur. It had huge golden eyes that stared at all of them with open curiosity. Saliva dribbled out of its panting mouth.

Boba stared at the ugly creature with dislike. “That thing is drooling on my bed.”

“Boba, there’s an infant next to it.” Shmi spoke quickly, pointing.

Anakin gasped. A small infant was lying between the creature’s paws, wrapped in a blanket. A female Togruta infant with red skin and blue-white montrals. The infant cooed happily at them, clearly pleased.

“Me’vhen?” Boba scrambled over and scooped the infant up. “Why is there a ik’aad here?”

The creature hardly blinked, panting.

“Did the creature make a nest out of your blankets?” Obi-Wan looked as if he wasn’t sure whether to laugh.

Boba stared at the creature for a long moment. Then he smacked his buy’ce in frustration. “Oh kriff me, what next? Seriously this thing is supposed to be nearly extinct and it just randomly shows up when I land on Mandalore?”

Shmi relaxed. “You know what it is?”

“It’s a Striil. Think of it like a six-legged dog that can fly short distances, glide, and is obsessive over infants and children,” Boba groaned. “There used to be one on Kamino. I only saw it a few times, because the kriffing thing wouldn’t stop killing the Kaminones.”

Obi-Wan’s brow furrowed. “Why would it kill them?”

Boba sighed and looked down at the giggling infant in his arms. “...The Kaminones viewed my vod as property. If there was something wrong with the product then it would be gotten rid of. That includes minor disabilities and uncontrollable things like gender and species.”

There was a moment of silence.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. “But you’re human.”

“Near-human. I may have been raised on Kamino and have barely any knowledge of my culture, but I know purely from looking at the Cuy’val Dar, Mandalorians aren’t exclusive. All you gotta do is follow the Resol'nare and have mandokarla. And considering that one of those six actions is raising an adiik, well. Let’s just say Mandalorians like to adopt. If you couldn’t already tell by my habits.” Boba sniffed.

Boba sat down at the table and gently placed the baby down. The Togruta baby squirmed and reached out for Boba.

Shmi checked for injuries while Boba looked at the ship’s supplies with great displeasure. Anakin watched the baby with rising interest.

Obi-Wan kept a wary eye on the Striil as it slinked from Jango’s bedroom. The Striil sat next to Anakin and waited. After a moment, Anakin reached out a hand and petted the creature.

A slow smile grew on his face. “Aww. It’s kinda cute.”

Shmi turned around with a look at her son, holding the baby to her chest. “Ani. Don’t name it.”

"Why not?” Anakin looked at his mother with a face of innocence as he sat next to the Striil and kept petting it. The Striil brightened visibly and stretched lazily next to Anakin. A rumbling noise started to come from the Striil as it purred.

“Anakin, we can’t just adopt a pet just like that.” Shmi groaned.

“But we took Obi-Wan.” Anakin pouted.

“Hey! I’m not staying forever. Quinlan is coming to get me.” Obi-Wan piped up hurriedly.

“He can try,” Anakin smiled at the Striil. “It acts nice. And it’s got a lot of teeth. What if I called you Edee? Hm? You like being called teeth?”

Edee continued to purr.

The Togruta baby started to sniffle, clearly displeased. Shmi chuckled at the baby.

“Of course I don’t have anything for a ik’aad. Why would I, an ex-bounty hunter, have anything for a ik’aad on this kriffing ship?” Boba rubbed his hand over his buy’ce as he thought rapidly.

The baby Togruta started to cry. Boba came over quickly clenching his hands. “Oh and now she’s crying."

“Don’t worry,” Shmi said calmly. “She’s fine. No injuries. She’s just a little hungry.”

“Right. Food. For an ik’aad. A carnivorous ik’aad. Shmi,” Boba stared at the supplies as he took off his buy’ce and put it on the table. “Any kriffing ideas?”

“Well, we don’t have any milk. And everything else isn't for babies.” Shmi paused. “Wait. I know a trick. But here. She wants you to hold her.” Shmi smiled at Boba’s apparent confusion.

“Oh. Uh, here. Okay,” Boba very carefully held the baby as Shmi placed her in his arms. His black eyes were full of nervousness. “How can you tell?”

“Anakin made it very clear what he wanted when he was younger.” Shmi shrugged.

Boba stared at her. “No. No way.”

“Can’t you feel it, buir?” Anakin’s brown eyes were like stars. “She feels like the wind!”

Boba groaned. “The ik’aad is Force-sensitive? She’s... Oh come on now, this is ridiculous. How many Force-sensitives am I going to adopt?”

The baby Togruta wiggled happily, smiling up at Boba with a toothy grin. Boba looked back down at her, mouth twitching in a soft hesitant smile.

“Well, you are planning to have four million Force-sensitive brothers.” Shmi retorted from over her shoulder as she cracked open a nutrition pack.

Scooping out the tiny cubes of freeze-dried meat she softened them with water and mashed them into a paste.

“Where did she even come from? There aren't any towns or anything nearby!” Boba asked as he sat back down at the table.

The baby Togruta giggled with happiness.

Obi-Wan frowned. “Edee must have rescued her from somewhere. She looks to be about eleven months old. Since the Bando Gora had her, I wonder...” He trailed off a sick look spreading over his face.

Boba’s face became hard. “You think they were using her as bait?”

“For who?” Shmi asked as she brought over the baby-proofed food. “We’re going to need milk, preferably soon. And diapers.”

Anakin climbed into his mother’s lap. “We need to name her as well.”

“Other Mandalorians. Or maybe even any Jetti that might have been chasing after us.” Boba sighed heavily.

He ruffled a hand through his dark curls staring at the ik’aad as Shmi began to feed her tiny mouthfuls. Then his face brightened.  “...Obi-Wan. Remember when you claimed that you saw Cody in your visions?”

“Yeah? Why?” Obi-Wan’s eyes flickered between the Togruta and Boba. “Oh, you are kidding me.”

“Nope. Her name is Ahsoka.” Boba’s face became determined. “I’ve seen her before. Which means I don’t have any choice.” He laughed aloud. 

“Alright, kriffing fine. Sure, throw another adiik at me. I don’t care. I’ll raise her too. Ni kyr’tayl gai sa’ad, Ahsoka,” Boba shook his head, a smile growing on his face. "I don't even want to know what is going to be thrown at me next."

Shmi sighed and smiled at all of them. "We better find the other Mandalorians quickly.”

“Yay!” Anakin cheered. “Oh, and we are adopting Edee too!”

Boba shook his head. “You are taking care of that thing yourself Ani. Perhaps it will keep you out of trouble.”

Ahsoka grinned at them with her tiny fangs as she ate, beautiful blue eyes shining fiercely.

Chapter Text

They found the first small town at the crack of dawn.

The rosy morning light cast long shadows over the empty streets and dark sandstone houses. There were no noises from the town, the moisture collectors were silent. No ship or speeder was to be seen. Boba frowned as he left the ship.

The town felt... strange and unpleasant. Like something thin and sharp scraping down your back.

Edee, who followed him out, made a growling snap at the town. The Striil’s thin tail whipped about like a whip.

Boba’s gut twisted. “Anakin, stay on the ship.”

“Awww, but I want to meet them too.” Anakin began to whine.

“Don’t argue with me Ani.” Boba said more sharply than he meant.

Anakin looked at him with surprised brown eyes. Then he saw Edee tense and growl again.

“Edee? You okay?” Anakin reached out and petted Edee.

He looked at the town with narrowed eyes. “What’s wrong with this place? It’s making me feel icky.”

Obi-Wan’s face paled. “This place is brimming with fear. So many here were afraid. But of what?”

Boba gritted his teeth. “If you’re telling me the Mando’ade were afraid of something here, then we’d better keep on our toes.”

Shmi came out, holding little Ahsoka. As she walked out Ahsoka began to sniffle and then whimper.

“Watch out Shmi,” Obi-Wan warned. “If she cries, she might alert something.”

Boba reached over and patted Ahsoka’s tiny montrols. “Sssh. Udesiir, Ahso’ika. It will be alright. I won’t leave you alone.”

He looked at Shmi, his buy’ce glinting in the morning light. “She’s staying on the ship.”

Shmi nodded, frowned, then glanced at Edee. “Anakin you will guard Ahsoka with Edee. We might have a fight on our hands.”

Anakin straightened, proud of the responsibility. “Okay. I’ll guard her with my blaster pistol.”

Obi-Wan snorted. “If you put her on the floor, Edee will probably try to make another nest for her.”

Anakin grinned. Then he ran after his mother, eagerly climbing into the ship.

The town had been abandoned. Anything useful like food, clothes, or medicine was gone. Everything else; toys, books, and other items were left scattered about. Boba had the aching impression that something sudden had happened. He searched for any sign of Bando Gora but saw nothing.

The town was beautiful despite its haunting emptiness. The sandstone houses were shaped into square-like cubes, bunched closely together. One building had a window made out of a hundred stained glass cubes. Out of curiosity, he ventured inside. Half of the building contained desks, chairs, and holo-pads. The other half had training mats, real books bound in leather, a loom, and a fire-pit.

He felt odd as he stood in what looked to be a school. If he had been raised in Mandalore, he could have learned in a school like this, instead of in a Kaminoan lab. With a shiver, he left the building.

As they searched, Shmi eyed the town nervously. “All the animals are gone as well. Almost as if the town packed up and moved far away.”

“But why would they? The Bando Gora was fairly simple to kill,” Boba shook his head. “We’re missing something here.”

“Boba!” Obi-Wan waved, pointing at a larger building. “I think this is a hospital. And there’s something you should see.”

Boba and Shmi headed over slowly. The icky feeling was getting worse. Obi-Wan was standing inside the hospital frowning. Almost several dozen toys were lying on the ground haphazardly. And it smelled. A sweaty sticky smell. As if a hundred people were camped in here for several days, crowded together.

Shmi spotted some supplies laying near the door, clearly forgotten. She checked through them as Boba went over to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan held up a holo-pad, eyebrow twitching. On the screen display was a news article. ‘Recording of the Mando’alor Jango Fett yelling at Jettise. Hoax or Real?’

Boba stiffened. “Kriff.”

Shmi came over carrying some diapers and a can of powdered milk. “What is it?”

When she glanced at the article her mouth twitched in a faint smirk. “Oh, dear.” 

"They released that into the public?” Boba groaned. “Oh come on. Really?”

“This article claims you called Master Yoda a coward.” Obi-Wan watched Boba, his eyes narrowed.

Boba scoffed. “I’m not apologizing. Alor or not, he deserved what I gave him if not more.”

“Oh no,” Obi-Wan’s eyes widened. “It says that Master Dooku was talking to the Council when you called Master Yoda. Which means the Jedi Council heard your rant. Which means in about ten minutes the whole Temple had seen the recording.”

Boba looked at Obi-Wan sharply, sensing the spike of concern. “Why is that a problem?”

“Why is that a... Master Dooku is one of the Jedi that participated in the massacre on Galidraan. And he’s my Grand-master. I’m a part of his Lineage, technically Master Yoda is too but that’s not the point, the point is that Master Dooku acted without thinking once before. He might very well try something.” Obi-Wan’s eyes held a hint of panic in them.

“Will he try and hurt Boba?” Shmi asked worriedly.

“I don’t know. I’m no longer part of the Jedi Order, but he doesn’t typically care about the rules. Just like... Master Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan paused, swallowed, and continued. “Revenge or vengeance is not the Jedi way. However, he might try something. I’m already going to have a hard time preventing Quinlan from strangling you.”

Boba frowned. “I’ve heard that name before. Dooku...”

He trailed off uncertain.

Something nagged at him. ‘The other Jetti called Darth Tynarus by that name. Count Dooku. Not Master Dooku,’ He recalled. ‘Could there have been another?’

Shmi took the holo-pad and looked at it more closely. “It says that the Jedi Council sent a few members to resolve the situation. And they are searching for Jango.”

“Osik. My buir will gladly take the opportunity to bait them into a fight.” Boba sighed.

“There’s more. Here are the hospital records. A few days ago all the children in the town fell violently ill. They all were admitted into the hospital here for at least a week and then the Bando Gora showed up in large numbers. Some people got badly hurt by them,” Shmi grimaced. “ There’s just one word at the bottom and then nothing. Boba I don’t recognize that word.”

She handed the holo-pad to him.

Boba’s eyebrows raised. “Keldab. It means a stronghold or a citadel.”

“So you’re getting attacked by Bando Gora, all of your children fall ill, and several Jedi arrive, one of them responsible for a Mandalorian faction to be nearly wiped out. Considering the tensions that were running around thanks to Galidraan, I’m surprised no one’s dead,” Obi-Wan ran his hands through his ginger hair. “But why did they leave their homes?”

“Perhaps this Keldab has something we are unaware of,” Boba mused. “I’ve certainly never heard of it before.”

‘Buir!’ Anakin’s voice rang in his head. ‘Snips is hungry again. And Edee’s trying to scratch a hole into the ship.’

Boba’s buy’ce tilted. ‘Snips?’

‘She tried to bite my fingers. Babies aren’t supposed to have such sharp teeth.’ Anakin sniffed.

Boba snorted. “Ahsoka’s giving Anakin trouble it seems. Let’s head back to the ship.”

The ship was getting rather crowded with the five people and the Striil. But they hardly complained, more worried about not finding any Mandalorians.

Shmi tapped the ship’s radio, puzzled. “Boba, listen to this.”

The ship’s radio blared with a strange sort of beeps that made no sense at all. Not even Boba’s knowledge of binary helped him make any sense of the noises.

“What is that?” He asked.

“I don’t know. It picked up a while ago, faded out, and then came back.” Shmi shrugged.

“Keep an eye on it.” Boba advised, walking to the ship’s supplies.

Obi-Wan looked troubled as Boba fed Ahsoka her bottle of powdered milk. He observed Obi-Wan’s hunched figure as Anakin gleefully discovered how much fun it was to use a blanket to play tug-a-war with Edee. Obi-Wan sat at the ship's table and tapped a finger on Boba’s buy’ce as it lay on the ship’s table. Shmi glanced at Boba from the ship’s controls.

She looked slightly concerned.

Boba nudged Obi-Wan with his boot gently. “What’s wrong?”

Obi-Wan tensed. “Nothing.”

Anakin’s giggles and Edee’s playful snarls were the only sounds in the uncomfortable silence. Obi-Wan squirmed for a few moments, painfully aware of Boba’s black piercing eyes.

“Pretending the problem doesn’t exist isn’t going to help, Obi-Wan.” Shmi prodded.

Obi-Wan sent her a stubborn glare but relented after a bit.

“...Cersai...” He choked out.

“She never got a proper funeral. And I don’t know if she ever will. Not since Nield was so against anything related to the Halls of Evidence.” His fists clenched.

“It’s not fair.” He said sourly.

“She and I would sneak out onto the battlefield to save the wounded. She would recover the dead so that they could be cremated and left at the Halls of Evidence with the rest of their dead family. Force, she even went out among the kids and recorded their names and messages so that the future generations remembered their sacrifice. And Nield just started destroying all of that after we had finally gained peace. After we’d finally convinced the Elders that they weren’t going to get in trouble for hurting Master Tahl. And Cersai died trying to stop him!” He slammed a fist onto the table.

The buy’ce clattered off of the table and struck the floor.

Anakin froze, turning to look at Obi-Wan with huge eyes. Edee tugged the blanket out of Anakin’s hands and glanced at Obi-Wan curiously. Ahsoka whimpered. Her big blue eyes welled with tears and her lip trembled. Then she began to wail.

Obi-Wan jerked. “Kriff! Sorry, Ahsoka I didn’t mean... I should have kept my shields up. I shouldn’t have said anything. I...”

Boba quickly handed Ahsoka to Shmi. He walked right over and wrapped an arm around Obi-Wan tightly, kneeling next to him.

“We,” He said roughly. “Are going to hold a funeral for your friend. Even if there is no corpse for us to burn. We are going to hold one. You must let go of that grief. It will consume you if you don’t.”

“What about finding the Mandalorians? Or freeing your vod? And how do you know that holding a funeral will help?” Obi-Wan snapped.

His eyes were brimming with pain. Boba’s heart clenched.

All of a sudden he wasn’t looking at Obi-Wan anymore.

He was staring at the ten-year-old boy left alone on a dusty battlefield with his buir’s headless corpse. He was staring at the twelve-year-old who was left alone in a prison meant for the hardest of criminals after accidentally causing the deaths of his vod. He was staring at the bounty hunter who hid in Tatooine’s caves alone, to escape the ghosts.

“Because I’ve walked down that path of ignoring that grief. How do you think I got to the point of killing every Force-sensitive I saw? And by the way, the Jedi and my vod both held separate funerals for you when you died.” Obi-Wan’s shoulders slumped.

He buried his face against Boba’s beskar’gam.

“Thank... you.” He sobbed out.

The next day after they had searched another empty town and confirmed that it’s inhabitants had fled to ‘Keldab’, Boba had Obi-Wan pick a spot in the white sands. They made a small bonfire out there in the white sands. Shmi held Anakin in her lap, brushing the matted hairs on the five-year-old’s head.

Boba deliberately had Obi-Wan hold Ahsoka, noticing that the ik’aad’s presence seemed to help. Edee promptly crawled into Boba’s lap drooling all over his beskar’gam. Boba rolled his eyes and scratched behind the Striil’s ear.

“Did... were you at the...funeral?” Obi-Wan asked quietly.

Boba took in a long painful breath. “No. I was in prison for trying to kill the Jetti that murdered my buir.”

Obi-Wan nodded shortly and looked down.

“But,” Boba added. “Cody was at the funeral. And he told me about it. Mandalorians burn their dead. The Jetti had the body and their funeral. They had to come up with one for themselves. So they burned your Jetti cloaks in the streets of Coruscant. They drank alcohol, even though they weren’t supposed to, they drank it and spoke of your triumphs. They told stories of the times you sacrificed for them. The times you healed them with the Force.”

Obi-Wan listened to him talk, eyes wide. “How did he tell you of this if you were in prison?”

Boba sniffed. “They gave them a week’s shore leave while the Jetti mourned. And the guards of my prison were clone troopers. It’s a simple matter to switch armor with your practically identical twin and stand outside someone’s cell door. Even simpler when you can talk to them in your head.”

Anakin and Shmi held each other’s hands tightly. Obi-Wan took in a ragged breath.

Boba continued. “In my timeline, you knew Mando’a like the back of your hand, or so Cody claimed, and you taught them the most important words in the language. Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar daarasuum. It means; I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. And then they would say your name afterward.”

He sighed. “My vod rarely got to choose things for themselves. And they were fighting a war in which things like funerals and celebrations were something almost non-existent. So to choose to mourn you in such a way speaks volumes about the type of man you were in my timeline.”

Obi-Wan sniffled as he brushed the oncoming tears away. “But how do you know that I could be that same man here when I have left the Order?”

“You already have. Choosing the adiik fighting the war over someone telling you to leave them behind.” Boba answered back.

Obi-Wan wasn’t trying to hide the tears anymore. “He had a good reason. Master Tahl was hurt, badly. She needed medical attention. I mean it wasn’t so bad that she was at death’s door, but her eyes were hurt quite badly and her wounds could have been infected. She could have gotten worse on the way back.”

“Couldn’t he have trusted you with her delivery and he would be the one to stay behind and solve the conflict?” Shmi asked softly.

Obi-Wan sighed. “He could have. But he cared for Master Tahl too much... He loves her, I think. Love isn’t allowed in the Jedi Order though. Master Yoda says so.”

“Really?” Boba looked at Obi-Wan at that. “I don’t believe that for a second. Not when several Jetti had marriage records in the Senate.”

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows rose. “Oh?”

“What does Master Yoda say specifically?” Boba prompted.

“Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is. Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” Obi-Wan recited simply.

Anakin frowned. “That sounds silly.”

Obi-Wan shrugged. “That is what he says.”

“Interesting,” Shmi spoke, her tone thoughtful. “I’d almost say that he’s telling you not to prize one person’s well-being over others.”

Anakin looked at his mother. “You mean like what you used to say in the slave pits? If we all share, we live. If we hold back, we die.”

Shmi sadly smiled. “You remember.”

Anakin nodded.

He stared thoughtfully into the burning flames and asked. “But what if someone important was on the line? Someone you couldn’t live without? Then what, you just give them up?”

Boba spoke. “My buir taught me this phrase. ‘Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.’ That one means; Not gone, merely marching far away. Vengeance is something that my culture practices. I think it’s perfectly fine to stop others from hurting you in the honor of a dead loved one. Enslaving others to fight for your cause is wrong. To attack adiik so that the dead might be avenged is wrong. I will be more than happy to strike down any dar'jetti or Darksider that we might encounter, but I’m not forcing others to join me.”

“What if you were to run across Kyr’stad?” Shmi questioned.

Boba gritted his teeth and exhaled slowly. He looked down at Ahsoka, who was nibbling on Obi-Wan’s robes.

He gave her a small smile. “...I won’t hurt Kyr’stad without a good reason. Even if they were involved in killing my aliit. I’m going to need all the help I can get, even if that means I have to bridge the civil war that’s been going on for years. And I’m not putting myself at risk. Not when I have so many to care for now. I will not repeat my buir’s mistakes.”

The bonfire gave a sharp crack into the night air.

Obi-Wan walked over to Boba and sat between him and Shmi.

“...And I’ll not repeat my Master’s mistakes,” He said decisively. “I will not leave someone in need behind. Ever.”

Anakin blinked at them. “Is it love if you are willing to change like that?”

“Yes, Ani,” Shmi responded. “I love you with all my heart. It was because I loved you that I was willing to give our food to others in the slave pit. I was willing to change my ways. I wanted to preserve your kind heart.”

Anakin considered that. “Is that what changed your mind buir? Love?”

“Love for you and my vod? Yes.” Boba went silent, lips pressed together.

Edee began to quietly purr in his lap.

Obi-Wan lifted his chin and stared into the starry sky. “Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar daarasuum. Cersai.”

By morning the funeral was over and the ashes scattered to the wind. But something heavy had been lifted from their chests.

They continued in their search. Every single nearby town that they checked in the next few days was also empty, save a few lingering Bando Gora. Boba shot any that he saw with his disintegration rifle.

Boba checked their hospital records and found the same story. Children falling rapidly ill. The townsfolk get attacked by Bando Gora. Then Keldab. And nothing more.

“It must be a codeword,” Boba thought aloud as Shmi showed him how to burp Ahsoka. “Something that a Mando’ade would know. Most likely it’s a safe location for them to protect the children. If all of them are falling ill that is.”

"How come Anakin or Ahsoka haven't gotten sick from whatever this is?" Shmi asked.

"I don't know. But we will continue to keep an eye on them." Boba replied. 

Edee munched happily on what looked to be a dead bird. Anakin sat next to the Striil, carefully concentrating. Before him sat an old cloth shirt of Jango’s. Obi-Wan was showing Anakin how to fold the cloth shirt into a makeshift doll for Ahsoka, using only the Force. For once Anakin easily agreed to the activity.

It was a very tight fit on the ship. With a sharp pang, Boba realized he might have to sell it and get a new one. If they could find anyone to sell it to that is.

The tiny Togruta had very quickly grown attached to the group. Anakin was already calling her ‘Snips’ or vod’ika.

Shmi spoke. "I've noticed that Anakin is far more open to meditation practice when he is holding Ahsoka."

“That’s no surprise. Often that’s what they’d do with a youngling that was having trouble. Happy Force-sensitive infants have a soothing effect around others.” Obi-Wan answered.

“At least she doesn’t toss things about when she’s mad.” Boba said.

“Oh yes, she can. She hasn’t yet though because you and Shmi are just that good at attending to her needs.” Obi-Wan smirked.

Boba sighed. “Oh. Wonderful. So my vod are going to be a handful once we get the chips out.”

Obi-Wan laughed softly.

Anakin brightened. “Will I get to play with your vod?”

“Absolutely.” Boba agreed without hesitating.

Of course, Cody and the others would get to play with his adiik. And they would get to do so much more.

A painful thought wracked his insides. ‘Had Cody ever gotten to see a sunrise or a sunset before he went to fight the war?’

‘Well, he will get that chance now.’ He told himself firmly.

Shmi laid a gentle hand on Boba’s leg. “Do you think that the other Mandalorians will be willing to help us save them?”

Boba went silent at the thought. “Maybe. Maybe not. I’m saving them either way. But there’s a chance that the Kaminones might try something if they knew what I was up to.”

He frowned. “It would be far too easy for them to threaten me with decanting some of my vod. But I can’t just leave them there.”

“Don’t worry buir. We’ll help you no matter what.” Anakin said cheerfully.

Boba’s mouth twitched with a wan smile. “Of course Ani.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “What’s going to be a trick is convincing everyone of your story.”

Boba looked at the burbling infant as he held her in his arms. “...Not even you are fully convinced?”

Obi-Wan winced. Then he lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just... why would the Force send you back in time to solve everything?”

Boba gave out a short laugh. “It better not have. I’m not solving anything. I’m just going to take care of my aliit.”

Shmi looked at him thoughtfully. “You think that this war will still happen? Despite your efforts?”

Boba watched as Edee finished eating and curled around Anakin like a dog would. “Yes. Because I know that a dar'jetti is pushing for it. Somewhere they’re out there, waiting. Watching. And there are plenty of Darksiders that are going to pop up and cause ruin. Look what is happening now. Double things like this during the Clone Wars and the Empire. I mean these people kriffing blew up a planet that might have had some rebels on it.”

Obi-Wan’s jaw dropped. “They can blow up a planet?”

Boba looked at him. “Not yet. Otherwise, they would have used that power. But they will have it. And they will use it.”

Shmi pressed her lips together. “Will you ask the Jedi for help?”

Boba paused at that. He didn’t answer for a bit. When he opened his mouth he couldn’t get any words out. That hadn’t occurred to him at all.

“...I’ll help.” Obi-Wan said very quietly.

Boba met his gray bluish-green eyes.

They were filled with determination. “First I’m going to stop the other Jedi before they hurt you, but then since I’m no longer a part of them, I can help. If you think I can, that is.”

Boba snorted. “Stop that. Cody trusted you. Cody. Trust didn’t come to him easily. You are a very capable person.”

Obi-Wan flushed at the praise. Boba caught the hint of a smile on his face as he ducked his head down.

Then they reached the capital, Sundari.

It was surrounded by a giant bio-dome and should have had traffic coming in and out. Except the dockyard was barren with no ships to be seen.

Obi-Wan tapped on the nearest docking records that they could find. “Same word. Keldab. Nothing else.”

It was an odd feeling to walk in the same metal streets owned by his people. The feeling of discontent that had been growing inside him rose at the sight of the abandoned houses.

“They left the capital.” He breathed out gazing around the empty street.

Anakin looked at him sadly. “Every place we’ve been has had that yucky feeling. And here it’s really strong. Edee doesn’t like it at all.”

Edee had curled around Anakin protectively, back arched.

Boba tightened his hold on the rifle. “You sure your buir’s alright with staying behind with Ahsoka on the ship?”

Anakin smiled at him. “Yeah. I get to hang out with you and Obi-Wan this way. And the ship is starting to smell. Plus it will take us a lot longer to search here than the other towns.”

He then lifted Jaster’s buy’ce over his head, placing it firmly on.

Boba smiled.

Boba and Anakin moved through its streets quietly. He noticed the weapon stalls, the fountains, the street murals depicting flowers, birds, and mountains. When they arrived at the palace, Boba saw the giant painting of the Jetti fighting against the Mandalorian warriors.

Anakin breathed out a breath of awe. “Wizard.”

Obi-Wan appeared nearby, walking next to one of the gardens lining the pathway.

“Your people do love their gardens,” Obi-Wan gestured at the garden before him. The garden had colorful rocks, tiny desert flowers, sand drawn into spirals, and a tree in the middle. “All different things molded into one beautiful piece.”

Boba looked appreciatively at the garden. Then he felt a prickle at the back of his neck.

Edee snarled at something behind them. Boba turned around quickly.

A blue-skinned Twi’lek was standing at the top of the palace staircase, staring at them in shock. She was young, barely older than thirteen.

“Kenobi!” She shrieked. “Master, I found Jango! I found Jango Fett!”

The Twi’lek started to run towards them, darting down the staircase. “Contact Vhiffa! We found him.”

Obi-Wan started. “Aayla? What are you doing here?”

Boba stepped towards her.

That was as far as he got before something fast and hard collided with Boba.

His buir had trained him well, so he was easily able to deflect the blow and toss the attacker on the ground. The attacker, a Kiffar male wielding a green jetti’kad, landed on his feet deftly and sprinted back at Boba.

“Quinlan!” Obi-wan darted in front of Quinlan, blocking the other’s jetti’kad with his own. “Stop it. He isn’t going to hurt you.”

“Master! They said not to attack him!” Aayla groaned. "They said he’ll hurt you. Or Kenobi.”

Quinlan glared at Boba with obvious dislike. “Stay back Padawan. I’ve got this.”

"Padawan?" Obi-Wan's eyebrows rose. "Since when?"

"Since you got kidnapped from Master Qui-Gon, of kriffing course!" Quinlan snarled.

“Hey! Why are you trying to attack us?” Anakin drew out his blaster pistol at the two Jetti. Edee hissed at the two.

Boba reached over and grabbed Anakin’s arm. “No. Let Obi-Wan handle it. These are his friends.”

“But they are attacking us!” Anakin backed away from Quinlan’s angry gaze.

“Oh is this someone else he kidnapped? Your plan didn’t work, Jango. The Jedi Masters didn’t rise to your bait. Obi-Wan, get out of my way. Aayla, is he brainwashed?” Quinlan spat.

“No,” Obi-Wan continued to expertly block Quinlan’s attempts to attack Boba. “I wasn’t kidnapped, I went with Boba willingly. And Anakin isn’t kidnapped either.”

Boba took advantage of the situation to push Anakin further behind him. “Edee. Relax.”

Edee growled, tail whipping back and forth.

Aayla frowned. “Padawan Kenobi seems clear-headed from what I can tell. Who’s Boba?”

“Him. He’s not Jango. Argh, Quin relax!” Obi-Wan kicked out a leg, pushing him back.

Quinlan snorted. “He doesn’t have any clan marking or colors, he hasn’t responded to our guide's coded frequency calls, and he’s got Jedi younglings with him. He is either Jango or someone working with him.”

“What, Jango’s been kidnapping Jedi younglings?” Obi-Wan grunted.

“The Council received a message about Jango taking you with him. Combine that with several Force-sensitive kidnappings and it gets rather concerning. Remember this is a man who wants to hurt the Jedi,” Aayla retorted. “There’s enough evidence that Adoni sent some neutral Mandalorian clan members to bring him to Keldab.”

"That was Boba who sent the message!" Obi-Wan snapped.

“He’s not Jango, he is my buir. And we took Obi-Wan because his Master abandoned him!” Anakin shouted.

Boba glanced about the palace’s street, suddenly wary. He could feel... a warm presence he hadn’t felt in years. A warm burning presence that wanted to destroy.

His heart stopped in his throat. ‘Buir.’

There wasn’t time to speak, only time to move. Obi-Wan stopped blocking Quinlan, sensing Boba’s intent. He reached out a hand, pushing Quinlan away as he did so.

Anakin was pulled by the Force into Obi-Wan’s arms. “What? Obi-Wan!”

Edee grabbed onto Obi-Wan’s leg dragging him backward.

Boba took Aayla’s arm and dragged her behind him as he blocked the blaster pistol shot with his gauntlet. It deflected off of the durasteel and shot into the street. His disintegration rifle clattered onto the street.

Boba exhaled at the sight of the Mandalorian warrior before him. There were differences. The beskar’gam was shinier, less dented. The blue paint was not as worn. But the presence was the same as it had been all those years ago.

Jango Fett pointed his two blaster pistols at them from the balcony of a house.

Boba felt a trickle of fear.

His buir could very well be more powerful than he was. And he could aim at the adiik and Boba would have to protect them.

‘Boba?’ Obi-Wan’s voice was in his mind.

Boba allowed himself one moment of gratitude that their bond had grown to that point. Then he spoke back. ‘Get Aayla and run to where his blaster pistols can’t hit you.’

He let go of Aayla’s arm and tensed. Jango struck first, lifting into the air with his jet-pack and firing at Boba.

“Buir!” Anakin screamed.

Aayla ran towards Obi-Wan as Boba lifted into the air to meet Jango, dodging the shots and knocking the blaster pistols from him with a well-timed kick. Jango struck back with his foot, catching Boba on the side. He gritted his teeth at the sting. With a quick movement, Jango slashed at him with his gauntlet blade. Boba deflected it with his own.

Jango struck Boba’s jetpack with his other wrist blade. Boba fell, the jetpack broken.

It became obvious as Boba rolled onto feet that Jango was willing to possibly kill him.

While Boba could hardly bring himself to strike back. The disadvantage was clear.

“Leave my buir alone!” Anakin was panicking.

He could feel it in hot pounding waves. He blocked Anakin out, needing to concentrate, needing to focus on the battle.

‘Buir doesn’t know who you are. The reveal might make him stop.’ He thought.

Then again it might not. There was no guarantee that the clones were around or not. Jango shot a jet of fire at Boba. Boba dodged again hissing as he felt the sting of the fire. He sent his fiber-cord whip around Janog’s legs, trying to knock him down. The whip wrapped around his legs sending Jango to the floor.

He cut the cord off in one quick movement. In the next, his blaster pistols hurled through the air and back into his hands.

Boba groaned internally. ‘Electromagnetic devices in his gloves. I had forgotten about that.’

Jango then set a missile at him and turned to the adiik. Boba wasn’t going to be able to dodge the missile but he did try to outrun it. It got him in the leg, throwing him to the ground. His leg was bruised and his chest hurt from the rough landing. He grunted in pain.

Obi-Wan had the sense to take everyone far away from the two fighting men. He was struggling with a frantic Anakin and a confused but angry Quinlan. Aayla was messaging someone on a comm-link. Edee was pacing around the group snapping at Aayla and Quinlan’s heels.

But Jango was approaching, fast.

There was no other choice. Boba drew his blasters and set them to stun. He shot Jango’s jetpack, disabling it. Jango turned back and shot at him.

Boba took a page from the dead Montross and charged at the older Fett, catching a few blasts on his beskar’gam. Pouncing on Jango he used his momentum and body weight to knock them on the ground.

Except Jango recovered far too fast. He fought back, punching and kicking.

Boba caught his buir’s wrists, preventing him from stabbing him in the weak spot of his beskar’gam. Boba held him down, pinning him to the floor.

Jango headbutted him. Boba saw stars.

In that instant, Jango wrenched an arm free and his wrist blade was at Boba’s throat.

He froze...

Jango didn’t kill him.

They were stuck like that for a moment or two, staring at each other. Then Boba saw Obi-Wan. The Jetti had stretched out both hands and had frozen Jango’s arm with the Force. Quinlan was now the one holding Anakin back. Edee was watching them, tense. Aayla was waving her arms and shouting something.

He inhaled and then exhaled.

He had nearly died there. It had been a foolish thing to assume that Jango wouldn’t try to kill him.

He had nearly left everyone alone...

“ Wayii!” A female’s voice rang out breaking his thoughts.

He turned his head. Three other Mandalorians were standing nearby, weapons drawn at him and Jango.

Aayla pointed at him and was speaking rapidly to one in red beskar’gam, carrying a pair of blaster pistols. “I don’t know, that one had Kenobi, but the other one attacked us and the green one defended us. Rav, can’t you stop them?”

Boba’s stomach sank. This was turning very ugly, very fast.

Anakin was struggling even more now. Then in a quick movement, Anakin braced himself on the floor and flipped Quinlan onto the ground. Quinlan’s foot kicked Obi-Wan’s shoulder. He lost control.

“Boba watch out!” Obi-Wan screamed.

Jango suddenly moved, body contorting rapidly. Boba jerked back as his buir’s boot sliced near his face.

The boot had a spike on it. The spike caught the edge of his buy’ce, pulling it off.

Jango froze.

Boba staggered back cupping his cheek. There was no wound. He was fine. He was alive. Jango remained motionless on the floor staring at him.

Then with an angry shout, Anakin reached out his hand. Several pebbles hurtled at Jango. They struck his beskar’gam, not even denting it.

“Anakin! Stop!” Obi-Wan grabbed the boy by the shoulders. “Boba’s fine! He’s going to be fine.”

“Stop hurting my buir!” Anakin wrenched away and ran to Boba.

Obi-Wan followed after him protectively. Edee snapped at Quinlan, not allowing him to come close. Aayla stayed near the other Mandalorians.

“All of you pieces of osik. Quit it!” The five-year-old sobbed as he clutched at Boba’s leg.

Boba hissed in pain but he tried to grasp Anakin tightly.

His hands were shaking too violently.

Jango slowly took off his buy’ce. Boba stared into his buir’s face for the first time in years.

He looked dirty, tired, worn out. And his black eyes held a kind of bewilderment as they stared at him. Boba couldn’t blame him. He was speechless as well.

Obi-Wan placed himself between Jango and Anakin protectively.

“Jango?” Called out a male voice.

Boba turned to see one of the Mandalorian warriors approaching. They wore a sand-colored gold beskar’gam. “Tion’cuy?”

“I don’t know. I have no kriffing clue, Kal.” Jango rasped in a painfully familiar voice.

Boba bit his lip at the sudden influx of tears. Not now. Not kriffing now.

“That’s got to be one of the only times I saw someone go toe to toe with Jango like that. You’re lucky that the green one wasn’t trying to kill you. He would have had the advantage of surprise.” Rav commented coolly.

Kal, Boba realized with a painful jerk that it was Kal Skirata, looked at him fully in the face.

“Me’vhen? The kriff?” Kal stuttered, caught by surprise.

“Explain, Jango. And start with your sudden twin that just so happens to be a Ru’dinad.” The third one, dressed in orange beskar’gam, approached them holding their viro-spear tightly.

Jango shrugged tightly. “I can’t answer you, Vhiffa. Other than it most likely is Jetti osik.”

Vhiffa sniffed.

Rav approached. “Tion gar gai?”

Boba spoke his voice choking up slightly. “...Boba.”

There was a pregnant pause. Rav titled her buy’ce at him considerately.

“They want your pronouns.” Aayla clarified. 

Boba blinked at the Twi’lek. Then he answered. “He/him/his.”

“Rav Bralor. She/her/hers. Any reason you look like Jango here?” She asked neutrally.

“I’m one of his clones.” Boba met the incredulous look Jango shot at him with a glare. It was the truth.

“One of? As in, there’s more?” Kal asked.

“Four million more, lek.” Boba watched as Jango’s face twisted from incredulous to shocked.

“Four million? What the kark would you need four million for?” Vhiffa snorted.

“An army.” Boba replied.

“Darth Tyranus sent you?” Jango asked finally.

Boba clenched his jaw involuntarily. “No. I’m not in league with the dar’jetti.”

“He’s my buir,” Anakin growled. “And if you hurt him again I’ll hurt you.”

Boba stiffened and watched the others carefully. They watched him back, giving away nothing.

Rav looked at Obi-Wan. “You’re the kidnapped Jetti adiik?”

“I wasn’t kidnapped, but yes. Boba’s the one that shouted at the Jedi Council, not Jango.” Obi-Wan sighed.

Rav looked at Quinlan. He nodded stiffly, eyeing Boba and Jango warily.

Vhiffa sounded annoyed. “The boy’s a Ru’dinad as well.”

“So is my other buir and my vod!” Anakin snapped.

Kal groaned. “Oh, the clan Alors are going to love this.”

Rav shrugged. “We were supposed to escort Jango back to Keldab anyways. Doesn’t chip my hide any if I end up taking two. Adoni Kryze can deal with this Jetti osik.”

“If you are taking me anywhere then you’ll have to take my ship along as well,” Boba said. “I’ve got an ik’aad and this boy’s other buir on there.”

“Right. Vhiffa you can have the honor. Jango’s traveling with Kal, obviously,” Rav glanced at Quinlan. “You take care of your fellow Jetti. I’ll deal with these two, and the Striil.”

Anakin tensed. “None of you get to hurt us while we are separated.”

He said stubbornly. “Or I’ll kick you all in the shebs. And I’ll tell Edee to bite you.”

Kal gave a short bark of laughter. “I’m sure you will, adiik.”

Chapter Text

Obi-Wan breathed in and out, keeping his breaths even and slow. The queasy ache in his stomach wouldn’t let up as Quinlan flew the fighter ship, his grip knuckle white. The Mandalorian freighters were guiding them to their destination.

Keldab.

Padawan Aayla kept a nervous eye on him the whole way there. Obi-Wan knew his shields prevented her from seeing the turmoil roiling in his chest. Yet he couldn’t help but worry that he was displaying it somewhere in his body language.

‘You need to be strong,’ He reminded himself as he knitted his hands together firmly. ‘You need to support Boba. Like how he has been supporting you all this time.’

Boba was in shock.

That was the best way Obi-Wan could describe the emotional state Boba was in. The man had retreated far into himself during the ride, his shields shut tight. Anakin was one big swirling storm in the Force, fluctuating between very angry and very scared. And Shmi, for the first time since he had met her, was frightened.

‘You need to help them. Like they helped you. You can do it.’ He repeated the thought even as he ridiculed himself for its lameness.

The transport ships and Quinlan’s fighter sped past the white sands for miles. Obi-Wan watched as they rose past giant mountains that he didn’t even know existed on the planet. They flew across the craggy peaks and reached what was a grassland. Obi-Wan stared at the green grass flying below them, confused. He had been convinced that Mandalore was a desert world. Yet here was clear proof to the contrary.

Not only was there grass, but there were also trees. Huge green trees that soared above the ground, their branches heavy with pine needles. There was a clear and stark difference to the Force here.

Obi-Wan had grown up in the Temple, used to the Force singing with the light of other Jedi and younglings. He had spent two awful weeks on Bandomeer and felt it scream with the darkness of Xanatos. But now he felt as if it were... chanting. A steady deep thrumming chant that vibrated against his bones.

“You can feel it too? The strangeness of the Force here? It’s like it wants to hurt me.” Padawan Aayla questioned, lekkus twitching.

Obi-Wan frowned. “Really? Are you sure that’s what you feel? Or is that what you think you feel?”

Padawan Aayla blinked at him, young blue eyes filled with confusion.

“Try looking at it from a more neutral perspective,” He simply offered. "It is easy to be influenced by your feelings." 

Inside the green trees was a large river rushing forth, frothy and swift. They followed that river as it wound through the forest until they broke into a clearing and Obi-Wan saw it. The river surrounded a big granite hill with the largest fort he had ever seen. It hit him then, the meaning of the word.

‘Keldab,’ He thought. ‘Their stronghold.’ A hidden paradise that provided them with shelter.

They landed next to the fort and Obi-Wan found himself standing on the muddy cold ground, surrounded by trees, the river, and a clear gray sky. He allowed himself one chilly stinging breath and turned towards the freighters that held the rest of their party. Anakin was clutching at Boba and trying his best not to whimper.

Boba’s hands were shaking so hard that he was unable to hold onto his buy’ce properly.

Obi-Wan stepped towards them. “Anakin, where is your buy’ce?”

“They made me take it off. Rav has it. I want it back!” Anakin’s angry voice growled out.

“Obi-Wan.” Quinlan spoke stepping close and tugging on his tunic.

Obi-Wan turned to look at him. “You started this when you attacked him. I need to help them out.”

Quinlan stared at him. His face flickered between confusion, hurt, and anger.

Obi-Wan softened slightly. “I’m no longer a part of the Jedi Order, Quinlan. Master Qui-Gon made that clear when he left me behind on Melida/Daan. I owe Boba and his family, they took care of me.”

He walked over to Boba and Anakin. Boba was hunched over attempting to hold his shaking buy’ce. Rav was talking to the others in her group, using the comm in her buy’ce. Obi-Wan’s lips tightened with stress. Edee was hunching next to the five-year-old, eyeing the Mandalorian with a cool gaze.

“ Usen'ye!” Anakin snarled out as loud as he could.

Obi-Wan paused and looked at Anakin softly. “What?”

Anakin was glaring at Quinlan with icy brown eyes. “I don’t care if he is your friend, I don’t want him near us.”

Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder.

Quinlan frowned but backed off and stayed by Padawan Aayla’s side.

“It’s going to be okay Ani. We’ll make it okay. Quinlan is my friend. He simply wanted to help and didn’t realize that Boba wasn’t dangerous.” Obi-Wan placed a comforting hand on the boy.

Anakin’s fierce gaze cracked and Obi-Wan saw the scared boy underneath. “Boba’s shutting everyone out. Including me. Ahsoka’s throwing a fit and buir can’t calm her down.”

Obi-Wan looked at Boba sharply. His gaze was glassy and far away and he was taking quick shallow breaths.

He sighed. “Let me see what I can do.”

Obi-Wan very gently took the buy’ce from his hands and placed a warm hand on Boba’s arm. He prodded against the shields around Boba’s mind. ‘Boba. Breathe.’

The shields broke apart, apparently not as strong as they looked. Obi-Wan winced with sympathy at the panicked chaos swirling in Boba’s mind. He squared his shoulders and gripped Boba’s shaking hands tightly. He slowed his breathing down until he was taking long deep breaths.

Boba began to copy him after a second. Slowly Boba was allowing himself to relax.

Anakin’s lip trembled and he reached out a small hand, placing it on top of Obi-Wan’s and Boba’s. Obi-Wan smiled at him and went a step further, wrapping an arm loosely around his small frame. “You can cry, you know. It’s alright to cry.”

“They are watching us.” Anakin’s voice cracked as tears leaked out from his eyes.

“They don’t mean us harm,” Obi-Wan said with more certainty than he felt.

Boba inhaled and blinked. His hands became calm and he let go.

Anakin broke into fresh sobs and hugged Boba. “Why did you disappear like that?”

Boba’s face looked worn with grief. “I... must have had a panic attack. Ni ceta, Ani.”

Anakin stretched out his arms like a three-year-old and demanded. “Put me on your shoulders. I’ll protect your head so that doesn’t happen again!”

Boba’s mouth twitched into a broken smile.

He lifted Anakin without a word and settled the boy on his shoulders. Anakin sat up there a determined look on his tear-streaked young face. Edee moved to Obi-Wan’s side nudging him with familiarity. Obi-Wan patted the Striil gently.

Shmi, Ahsoka, and Vhiffa arrived. Shmi’s face was lined with fear, Obi-Wan could feel it waving off of her. “Is everyone alright?”

“They will be in a few moments.” Obi-Wan assured her.

Ahsoka gave out a sob as she wriggled in Shmi’s arms.

Shmi sighed. “She won’t stop crying.”

Boba scooped her up and held her tightly, rocking her. “I shut everyone out there for a bit. I think that might have scared her. Sssh, Ahso'ika. I'm fine. ”

Shmi placed a hand on his side. “Are you okay?”

“Don’t leave me and I will be.” Boba shakily promised.

Anakin looked down at Ahsoka. "Don't worry, Snips. Obi-Wan and I won't let anything happen to our vod'ika."

Ahsoka began to calm down as she sucked on her thumb.

Rav lifted her buy’ce off and looked at them. Obi-Wan met her green-eyed gaze. Rav’s brown and gray locks of hair framed her face as she nodded shortly. “Adoni is going to talk to all of you. Follow me.”

They gathered together, the three Mandalorians watching them silently. Quinlan and Padawan Aayla stood on the right and Boba, Shmi and Obi-Wan stood on the left.

Jango stood off to the side, his face eerily similar to Boba. Obi-Wan could feel the burning anger boiling off of him.

A hologram had been set up in the middle. It displayed a man wearing beskar'gam but his scarred wrinkled face was bare. He carried with him a clear sense of authority as his sharp gaze scanned each of them in turn.

It lingered on Jango and Boba.

"Su cuy’gar, Jango. Good to see that you've returned. The Haat’Mandalorians were getting anxious over the Jetti's presence," The man's face turned to Boba directly. "Adoni Kryze. He/him/his. Alor to Clan Kryze. Might I inquire as to why you look so much like my Mand'alor?"

"Boba. He/him/his. I'm Jango's clone." Boba answered flatly.

“I don’t know why he looks like me Adoni,” Jango hissed. “But he’s the one that ‘kidnapped’ the Jetti.”

“I wasn’t kidnapped,” Obi-Wan clarified. “Master Qui-Gon left me behind. Boba wanted to make it clear that if anyone wanted to come and get me, that they would have to prove themselves.”

Adoni hummed. “ The Jetti came here to find you. Ba'jurir'ade Qui-Gon, who is in the nearby Jetti camp, says you chose to stay behind.”

Obi-Wan lifted his chin. “Either I stayed behind to help children survive, or I followed my Master and left them to die. I did what I thought was the right thing to do, even if it meant leaving the Order. Master Qui-Gon made his choice and I made mine. And when I was in trouble, Boba rescued me. If he’s going to face trouble from Jango or you, I’m going to defend him.”

“Obi-Wan!” Quinlan’s surprised voice sounded from behind him. “You.”

“I need to be the voice of reason here. You attacked him with no provocation other than he had a Jedi youngling and a Force-sensitive with him. Jango attacked us for the same reason, except I think he wanted to use one of us as possible bait. I am going to assume that the other Mandalorians will give us a chance to explain.” Obi-Wan spoke quietly but firmly.

Adoni raised an eyebrow. “What explanation is that?”

“Boba is Force-sensitive and he is Jango’s clone. Somehow, for some unknown reason, the Force saw fit to transport him from the future to here in the past.” Obi-Wan said with confidence.

Quinlan snorted in disbelief. Shmi placed a hand on Obi-Wan’s arm, giving him a tight squeeze.

Adoni didn’t react, his face impassive. 

Jango spat. “Haar’chak! I’m not going to listen to this. You’re either some Jetti mind osik or the dar’jetti’s osik. And we've got bigger problems to deal with."

Boba spoke his voice angry. “You would rather go and hide? Rather than face what your foolishness created?”

Jango stiffened, black eyes seething.

Obi-Wan glanced at Boba. There was a challenge in Boba’s cool black eyes. The anger that he had buried inside of him was coming out.

“If you were my clone then shouldn’t you be some sort of mindless husk?” Jango asked coldly.

“Is that what Darth Tyranus told you what the chips would do?” Boba glared. “He gave you a half-truth. The chips are going to make them mindless husks. But they are people. They deserve a choice. The same choice that I got.”

“What choice?” Jango snarled.

"The choice to avenge the murdered Haat'Mandalorains or not." Boba spat.

“You asked for five million credits and an unaltered clone for yourself. That is your repayment for giving the dar’jetti your DNA to use for an army. An army that would perform that vengeance without question.” Boba fired back.

Jango went silent. Adoni looked at him and then back at Boba, listening.

Boba spoke. “That army is meant to fight a useless war in order to wear down the Jetti until they are buried in darkness. Then the chip will force them to give your aliit vengeance and turn on those that aided and guided them the whole war. That chip will force my vod to fire upon the closest things that they had to an aliit. And before you even claim that I am a sympathizer due to my Force-sensitive nature, I’ll tell you that I’ve killed Jetti too.”

Jango blinked at him, black eyes narrowed. “Why?” He hissed out the question.

“Because you want that unaltered clone as an ad. I am that ad. You are my buir even though you didn’t have the courage to teach me how to be a Mandalorian.” Boba said coolly.

Jango bared his teeth at that, black eyes flaring.

Boba jutted his chin out. “I didn’t even know how to introduce myself or that this place existed. Your desire for vengeance blinded you to a lot of things, including the fate of your people. It made you perform some di’kut act that was completely jaro. It got you killed.” 

Jango’s eyes twitched as his face went from angry to shocked and back to angry. He took a step forward only for Kal to drag him back.

Adoni spoke. “This true?”

Jango paused, his face tightening.

“I need to know if this is true.” Adoni repeated.

Jango sighed roughly. “He has information that only me and the dar’jetti knew. I find it ridiculous that he’s from the future but...” His hands tightened into fists.

“Interesting. So you’re saying that Jango claimed you as his ad, yet you are an aruetti,” Rav mused. “Then here’s the question. Why did you start saving the Jetti?”

“Because I chose who to kill for my buir. I was able to stop myself from killing Jetti adiik. Jetti ik’aads. The dar’jetti’s chip will have no such distinction. I want to give my vod what they didn’t get to have. A yaim, a clan, an aliit. That is why I’m here. I know the language and I wear the beskar’gam, but that is it. I want to change that, I want to learn. I want to teach the ones I took as my ad these things. I've had my fill of vengeance.” Boba said.

Anakin hugged Boba’s head tighter.

Kal tilted his buy’ce. “You intend to give them the same choice? Choose whether or not to take vengeance?”

“Lek. And a place to live. A clan to fight for.” Boba added.

Jango’s face became conflicted at the sincerity in Boba’s words. “Darth Tyranuns said he couldn’t give me an unaltered clone as they all will be nothing but husks,” He paused. “Are you claiming that he’s lying?”

“Lek. Look at me. Am I a mindless husk?” Boba grimaced. “It appears as if I've changed things. Don’t trust this man. He and others like him are demagolka. He accelerated their aging process and he murdered those that had the slightest bits of individuality. My vod were no better than slaves under them.”

Jango slightly winced at that. He ran a hand over his face, thinking. "The clones were created about two weeks ago. The first batch will be here in four years. You think you can earn a place here and convince me not to do this in that amount of time?"

"I can try. It certainly would prove my mandokarla, wouldn't it?" Boba asked.

“I think this Darth Tyranus may be behind whatever is making your children fall ill.” Obi-Wan spoke up.

Adoni’s face hardened. “You know what’s happening? What’s making nearly every adiik surrounding Sundari violently ill?”

“No. But only a powerful Darksider would be capable of producing the Bando Gora.” Obi-Wan replied.

“Seems counterproductive if you ask me,” Sniffed Vhiffa. “Have Jango help create this army and then go and make our adiik sick. Jango had no choice but to come here and help.”

“If this is a sith, then there is more than one,” Quinlan spoke up. “Sith haven’t been around for a thousand years. Yet if Jango is claiming that he’s working with one, then it is highly likely that another is trying to trip them up.”

“Then there must be three, at least,” Kal said. “One that is using the Bando Gora, one that is making this army, and one that is hurting our adiik. They probably expected us to fight each other instead of creating a narduar. But not even Kyr’stad can abandon their adiik.”

“Oh, I can see it now,” Adoni mouth twisted in anger. “Do all of this while we are fighting the Great Clan Wars and then splinter us apart.”

Kal turned to Boba. “You wish to help us fix this situation?”

Boba nodded. “I want to prove that I have mandokarla. I want to become a Mando’ade.”

“I will do my best to help ease tensions between the Jetti and the Mandalorians,” Obi-Wan added.

Adoni glanced at Obi-Wan. “If you are no longer part of the Jetti and Boba has taken you under his wing, does that mean you intend to become a Mando’ade? Is Boba going to adopt you as well?”

Jango looked at Adoni with a sharp glare. But he didn’t say anything.

Obi-Wan blinked, caught off guard.

“Of course he is! How else will he be able to stay with us?” Anakin cried out. “The Jetti don’t want him!”

“Hey! Yeah, we do!” Quinlan snapped. “Master Qui-Gon is just... traumatized.”

“That is weakening your argument, not helping it.” Vhiffa said.

Padawan Aayla sighed. “It’s wrong what Master Qui-Gon did. But the other Jedi Council members can see that. They want to fix it.”

“They should start by fixing what happened here.” Shmi stated softly.

Quinlan deflated, looking unsure.

Obi-Wan looked at Boba. Boba raised an eyebrow at him. That hadn’t occurred to Obi-Wan. Becoming a Mando’ade. Becoming part of an aliit. Yet, he had left the Jedi Order. And he wanted to stop the dar’jetti from tearing his friends apart.

Obi-Wan reached out to the Force for guidance. At the same time, he reached out, held Anakin’s hand and petted Edee. Shmi’s hand squeezed his arm. Ahsoka burbled softly and Boba looked at him like he knew Obi-Wan would make the right choice.

Like he always did.

Obi-Wan inhaled and exhaled. “Lek. I do. And I hope he will.”

Anakin’s face broke into a smile. “I knew it! I could feel it for days!”

Shmi only held him tighter, but she was smiling. Edee purred. Boba’s black eyes filled with bright joy. This felt right. This felt good.

Obi-Wan had made the right choice.

Jango watched them from the sidelines, his face unreadable. For a brief second it looked conflicted.

Then he gave Boba an icy glare. “It is my duty as the Mand’alor to protect my people. That is why I’m here. However. Part of our customs dictates that if you adopt an adiik, then only the adiik can disown you. So technically, since I adopted you in this other timeline, I’m responsible for making you into a Mando’ade.”

Boba nodded stiffly, then paused. "I'm got a aliit."

Jango shook his head at him. “I’m not going to make you fight the Jetti unless they try to hurt us like at Galidraan. Fair?”

Boba agreed wearily. “Fair.”

Adoni nodded sharply. “Right then. Then Jango, I expect to see you here soon.”

The hologram shut off. The Mandalorians and Jango turned back to their freighters.

Quinlan gave Obi-Wan an uncertain glance.

Obi-Wan smiled at him. “I’ll be alright Quin. And if I truly do get into trouble, I’ll contact you.”

Quinlan hesitated and then nodded. With that uncertain look, he and Padawn Aayla headed off to his fighter.

Boba handed Ahsoka to Shmi and lifted Anakin off of his shoulders. “I think someone has a buy’ce to go and fetch.”

Anakin gave him a wan smile. “I’m glad you got your buir back. Even if so far he’s been mean.”

Boba gave a tired chuckle. “Yeah.”

Anakin hugged Obi-Wan tightly and then ran off. Shmi tousled Obi-Wan’s ginger hair and turned to follow her son.

Boba knelt in before Obi-Wan and looked him in the eye. “You meant it? You're okay with this? You're not jut saying this for my sake?”

“Of course. No one else has believed in me as you do.” Obi-Wan answered, smiling.

Boba placed his hands on either side of Obi-Wan’s head and pressed their foreheads together. “Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad, Obi-Wan. Vor entye.”

"V'ore entye." Obi-Wan choked out.

Chapter Text

Someone was shaking her shoulder.

Shmi slowly opened her brown eyes and yawned. She usually woke up far quicker in the mornings. This bedroll made her sleep better than she had in years. Probably because it was so soft.

“What is it, Ani?” She asked as she leaned up on one elbow, glancing at her side.

Except Anakin wasn’t next to her as usual. Shmi blinked, scanning the darkened main room of the vheh’yaim. Obi-Wan was using Edee as a pillow as he slept near Ahsoka’s makeshift cradle. Kal Skirata and Ilippi’s bedroll was empty. So was Tor’s and Ruusaan’s.

Someone tapped her shoulder. Shmi turned around. A young five-year-old girl stood next to Shmi’s bedroll, frizzy brown locks of hair curling around her chubby face.

“Ruusaan?” Shmi questioned.

She thought. ‘Why is Kal’s Skirata’s adiik waking me up?’

Ruusaan scrunched her nose at Shmi, bleary blue eyes unfocused. “Kal’buir and Ili’buir forgot to make breakfast before they went to the baar’ur. Again,” She whined quietly. “And Tor can’t open the breakfast box.”

Shmi frowned. They had spent the night at Kal Skirata’s yaim and until further notice, would stay at this place for a long while. It was much roomier and more comfortable than the ship. Jango didn’t have a yaim and Adoni felt better with the lot of them staying with Kal. From what Shmi had seen, Kal and his riduur Ilippi, fussed over their adiik like mother tookas.

For them to have forgotten breakfast meant that Kal and Ilippi had rushed to the medic’s tent where all the sick children were being taken care of. It meant Ijaat had gotten worse.

Shmi looked at Ruusaan. “Where is your ba’buir, Ruusaan? Is he trying to help?”

“No. He’s talking to ‘Alor, and Tor refuses to ask for help while they’re talking.” Ruusaan replied.

Shmi’s mouth twitched at Jango’s nickname. “‘What did ‘Alor suggest we do about your vod?”

Ruusaan pouted. “‘Alor wants to give him a bit of Ne'tra gal. Lucky Ijaat.”

Shmi sighed. Out of Kal’s three children, only one had fallen ill. Ijaat had the same violent symptoms as the other sick children. The eight-year-old was stricken with severe stomach cramps and could hardly hold anything inside. And he burned with a hot, unnatural fever.

They were truly lucky that whatever was causing this disease didn’t seem to affect their children.

Then she smiled at Ruusaan. “Don’t worry. I’ll help Tor out.”

Ruusaan nodded and stepped to the side. Shmi spotted Anakin’s small form lying on Boba’s empty bedroll as she stood up. Anakin must have moved in the middle of the night and laid next to his buir. She smiled softly, an unexpected warmth filling her chest.

She knelt next to her son and ruffled his hair. “Do you want to eat some food, Ani?”

She smiled as he gazed at her with sleepy brown eyes. “Sure.” He yawned.

Shmi helped him fold his bedroll and they placed the bedrolls carefully in their box. She could get used to living in a vhen’yaim. The dome-like building was half-sunken into the ground and built out of vines, mud, and tree bark. It smelled of dirt, grass, and leaves. To the woman that spent most of her life in ships, breathing dry recycled air, the smell was wonderful.

It had one big room, the karyai, where they all ate and slept. Then there were a few smaller rooms; an armory, a kitchen, and an infirmary. She was almost certain that Jango and Ruusaan’s ba’buir, Munin, were in the kitchen. Stepping softly on the packed dirt floor, Shmi and Anakin followed Ruusaan, passing by the communal fireplace in the middle of the vhen’yaim, and into the small kitchen.

An eleven-year-old boy with messy brown hair stood at the fold-up table that acted as the counter. He was attempting to open a sealed food container, a steady frown growing on his face. Jango was sitting cross-legged on a cushion at a low table reading a data-pad out loud to an older man dressed in a gray beskar’gam sipping a cup of shig.

Both men looked up at Shmi’s entrance. Shmi did her best not to flinch at Jango’s chilly expression of suspicion. Shmi didn’t need to be Force-sensitive to feel the anger and distrust wave off of him.

“Told ya Ruu would get reinforcements.” Munin chuckled into his mug.

He noticed the cold scowl on Jango’s face. Then to Shmi’s amazement, the old man gave Jango a sharp jab with his armored boot. “Knock that osik off of your face, you utreekov.”

Jango looked at the old man, black eyes narrowed.

Munin tutted at him. “You can’t be like that anymore Jango, you’re a buir now. If I’m not wrong, you are a ba’buir as well now. Gotta set an example for the ad’ika, old man.”

Jango rolled his eyes in annoyance. “You are going to be utterly impossible aren’t you? And I'm not old.”

“As long as you act like a besom. Who else but me is going to have the guts?” Munin snorted.

Jango sighed and pinched his nose, returning to the data-pad.

Munin addressed Anakin, his tone warm and bright. “Hello, ad’ika. Are you ready for your first Mandalorian breakfast?”

Anakin gave Jango a baleful glance then smiled hesitantly at Munin. “I hope it tastes much better than the ration bars. Or the gruel that we used to eat before buir found us.”

Munin laughed. “I’d hope so, that’s my missus’s haarshun recipe you’re going to be eating.”

Anakin’s eyebrows rose curiously. “Ruusaan has another ba’buir? And what’s haarshun?”

“Anakin.” Shmi spoke as she stood next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Munin gave another chuckle. “It’s an honest question, miss. My riduur marched far away some time ago. Oh, I bet she is fuming that she’s missing out on this wild scene. Nearly every Mandalorian clan gathered together at Keldab just like in times of myth and legend?” 

“What I wouldn’t give to have Jaster here to witness it.” Munin’s voice had a painful edge of longing in it.

Shmi pretended not to notice the way Jango’s hands tightened on the data-pad at the mention of Jaster.

Munin shook his graying head fondly at the memories. “The flatbread is called haarshun, ad’ika.”

Tor growled at his younger sister, glaring at her with bright blue eyes. “You shouldn’t have woken our guests Ruu. It’s rude. I got this box nearly open anyways.”

Jango raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Really?”

“Almost nearly open,” Tor grunted unhappily as he gave the box another tug. “How does Kal’buir do this?”

“Tor, you need to remove the latch.” Shmi said quietly.

Tor blinked. Then his frown got deeper as he turned the sealed box around, revealing the latch. Tor bared his teeth almost in the same manner as Jango. Shmi smirked slightly and then opened the food container. She set out the pieces of thin bread on plates while Tor opened another box, searching for something inside.

“Piece of osik.” He muttered.

“You’re an osik too.” Ruusaan giggled, dodging Tor's clumsy swipe.

Jango tried to stifle his snort. “Wait till your beskar’gam is upgraded with iron before you start cursing.”

Anakin visibly brightened. “Ooh! My beskar’gam is made of durasteel, like Boba. I can curse!”

“Nu-uh, no way! You’re only five! Ruu’s five and she hasn’t even gotten a plastoid beskar’gam from the Goran yet.” Tor protested, rising from the box.

Ruusaan stuck her tongue out. “I’m ready! I can shoot straight! Kal’buir is just too busy with Ijaat right now cause he’s sick.”

 "It’s not made of durasteel, Ani. Boba says it is made of beskar.” Shmi corrected.

“Oh.” Anakin watched as Munin took the plate of haarshun from Shmi and placed it at the table.

Jango tilted his head, frowning at the two. The frown smoothed out into a neutral expression after Munin gave him another kick.

“Go be useful and wake up your vod. I don’t want him to miss his first breakfast.” Munin suggested easily eyeing Jango with a look that clearly said, ‘behave.’

Anakin nodded and ran off to wake Obi-Wan. Tor and Ruusaan sat at the table with practiced ease, Tor adjusting the plate of bread. Munin took one last swig of his shig his eyes dancing with barely hidden glee.

Jango raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “You’re hiding something.”

Both Tor and Ruusaan looked at Jango and then at Munin with growing excitement.

“What? What is he hiding ‘Alor? Is it uj cake?” Ruusaan asked.

Tor laughed. “Uj cake at breakfast? No, it’s more likely ne’tra gal or some other treat.”

“Do I have a treat?” Munin asked lightly as he placed his mug down.

He winked at Jango and went to the kitchen’s oven. He opened the oven door with mock surprise. “Oh my. It seems I have completely forgotten what was left in here.”

Munin grinned at the adiik. Ruusaan began to bounce in her seat as she watched him. “Ba’buir, is that what I think it is?”

“Ba’buir you made Roba bacon?” Tor looked delighted.

“Why the kriff not? This is a special occasion after all. You youngins should celebrate it.” Munin winked at Shmi as he lifted the tray of fried roba meat strips and carried over to the table.

The children happily began to tear into the breakfast. Obi-Wan stumbled into the kitchen holding a whimpering Ahsoka. Anakin came back eagerly, Edee trailing at his heels.

“Ahsoka wants Boba. Where is he?” Obi-Wan questioned.

“I’ve got my beskar buy’ce right here to show you.” Anakin happily declared at the same time.

“Boba most likely wanted a bit of privacy,” Shmi answered carefully. “Anakin put that on the ground, you are about to eat. Here Obi-Wan, I’ll take her until he arrives.”

Anakin pouted but sat down next to Munin, leaving a cushion open for Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan gratefully handed the ik’aad to Shmi and prepared Ahoska a bottle of milk. Shmi settled down against the wall and fed her, Edee curling up beside Shmi. Ahsoka grumpily ate a tiny frown on her face.

“She’s used to Boba feeding her in the mornings.” Obi-Wan told the others while he yawned and sat next to Anakin.

Anakin watched as the two other children spread what looked to be an orangish jam with red flakes onto the bread and ate it. After copying the two children and biting down on the flatbread, his brown eyes widened and he made a face.

“Wow. That’s making my tongue tingle.” Anakin said with his mouth full.

“Ani, don’t talk with your mouth full.” Shmi admonished.

Munin chortled. “You’ll get used to it. Just you wait.”

Obi-Wan chuckled. Then his eyebrows raised at his first bite. “Whew. You guys like spice.”

“Hetikles. There is nothing quite like the feeling of your nose burning.” Munin sighed.

The group in the kitchen turned at the sudden sound of footsteps. “Buir!”

Anakin swallowed his food and smiled at Boba’s entrance.

“Where were you?” Shmi pursed her lips as she saw Jango’s face morph back into an expression of dislike.

Ahsoka spat out the bottle and began to cry. Shmi rocked her gently as Anakin frowned at Jango, brown eyes narrowing. Munin gave Jango another look.

Boba smiled at Anakin, looking exhausted and slightly worn out. “Hello, Ani. I wanted to... fetch something from the ship. It took me a bit longer than I thought it would.”

Shmi then noticed that Boba was holding the Melida/Daan bone urn they had gotten from Deila.

‘Oh no.’ She thought. Something painful twisted in her gut.

Obi-Wan suddenly frowned at the kitchen ceiling. “Who’s that trying to come in the vhen’yaim?”

Boba sighed. “Someone who’s convinced I’m my buir.”

“Haar'chak Satine! I’m not going in there without permission. Just because your Ado’buir’s ad doesn’t mean you can just wander into people’s yaims. Especially Jango’s yaim! You know, the one that half of Keldab considers Mand'alor!” An annoyed female voice yelled from above.

Jango sat up quickly, features twisting into a grimace. “That’s Bo-Katan.”

“Is that Adoni’s teenage adiiks up there?” Munin reached out an armored hand and grasped his shoulder lightly.

“I’m just going to advise our 'Mand’alor' about what needs to happen. There should be more advisors here, Bo’ika, it would help smooth things out.” A smooth voice replied.

“I’ll drag you back out here if I have to, Satine! The last thing we need is you stirring up osik." Vhiffa’s voice cut in angrily.

Boba rolled his black eyes and placed the urn next to Obi-Wan. “That Satine is relentless.”

“What does she want?” Jango sneered.

“The Jetti want to talk and she thinks you should be the one to talk to them” Boba shrugged waving away Jango’s snarl. “I already tried telling her that neither you nor I were going to. It didn’t work. Even Vhiffa and Bo-Katan couldn’t convince her and they followed us the entire way.”

“Who does she think she is? The peace is fragile enough already.” Jango growled.

Boba sat down near Shmi and Edee. He took the crying Ahsoka and murmured. “Ssh. Don’t worry. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Obi-Wan glanced at Jango and then sat up from the table. “I’ll deal with it. I can go to the Jedi camp and talk to them.”

Shmi sat up as well placing her hands on his shoulders. “I’ll come with you, Obi-Wan.”

She hugged him tightly trying to erase the tension from his shoulders. “You are not facing them alone.”

“...Thank you Shmi.” Obi-Wan said quietly.

Then he headed into the main room of the vhen’yaim, blocking a young blond teenage girl from entering. They began to quietly argue at each other as Obi-wan gently shoved her out of the vhen’yaim. He talked to Satine, Vhiffa, and Bo-Katan for a few minutes.

Then he returned with a grimace. “They are having us meet at a tapcafe together tomorrow. Satine and Bo-Katan will accompany the Jetti from the camp.”

Munin snorted. “Of course.”

“I want to come!” Anakin added.

“No, I don’t think that would go over well,” Boba interjected. “You are just as likely to kick them as I am.”

Anakin pouted. “But you said that we were going to kick Qui-Gon in the shebs.”

Munin laughed. “I’ve got something better than that.”

“Like what?” Tor asked.

“Well someone has to go and get armor, don’t they?” Munin grinned. “We can get Ruu, Anakin, Shmi, and Obi-Wan some proper beskar’gam at the Goran. Then tomorrow we can talk to those Jetti with you all wearing beskar’gam.”

“Yay!” Ruusaan cheered.

“Can I bring my beskar’gam too?” Tor pleaded. “I haven’t gotten to wear my iron beskar’gam that much.”

“I’ve already got a buy’ce. Look.” Anakin lifted Jaster’s buy’ce from the ground and placed it next to the urn.

Boba flinched involuntarily. Jango stilled mouth agape in shock.

“Haar’chak. Is that?” He breathed.

Munin went silent as he stared at the buy’ce. Then he gave a sharp nod at the adiik. “Tor, Ruu. Take Anakin and go get your beskar’gam. Now.”

Tor and Ruusaan didn’t argue, both leaving their spots and passing by Shmi. Anakin opened his mouth. Boba shook his head and Anakin closed it, frowning. Then he grabbed the buy’ce and followed the other two children. Once the children had left Munin’s face collapsed into grief.

He ran a hand over it, muttering. “Wayii. Jaster’s buy’ce. I’d never thought I would see that again.”

Jango quickly turned towards Boba's face unreadable.

Boba stared back at him meeting his gaze full on. “You told me where to find it. You left an audio recording telling me who it belonged to. I couldn’t just leave it there or his...,”

He jerked his head roughly at the bone urn. “I never knew my ba’buir. But I believe he deserves a proper funeral on Mandalore at the very least.”

Jango swallowed roughly. “...Lek.”

Munin sighed heavily. “What this di'kut means is that the two of you will bury him together. Then we’ll hold a celebration tomorrow in his honor.”

Shmi blinked at Munin curiously.

Munin elaborated. “Most Mando’ade will drink to someone’s feats and accomplishments for we believe that all Mando'ade souls march off to the stars. The more honor and glory you carry in your name, the brighter you’ll shine among all those stars. The longer you’ll be remembered by your aliit and can guide their actions.”

“The aliit should be the ones to bury what remains of the body. Jango buried him on Korda 6, now Jango and his time-traveling adiik can bury him together in Mandalorian soil while the rest of us carry our duties.” Munin wiped his face again and smiled at Shmi. “Come on miss, the Goran is going to have a field day.”

It was a very silent affair as the two men set out to bury the urn.

Boba carried Ahsoka in the birik’ad that Munin gave him, leaving his arms free to hold a shovel. Edee followed them, for once not at Anakin’s side. Jango wore a steely expression of resolve on his face as he carried the urn. Outwardly nothing seemed to have changed from the passive hostility that Jango had been bearing at them. But Boba had spent ten years with the man and he could tell that Jango’s opinion had shifted slightly. The hostility was still there but it was beginning to redirect towards a different source.

'Perhaps they could make progress after all.' He thought.

They headed into the giant pine trees, named veshok in Mando’a. As they walked aimlessly, twigs snapped under their boots. Ahsoka watched the trees pass by with sparkling blue eyes and tiny giggles. Birds sang clear sweet songs and in the distance, Boba could hear a burbling brook.

The air smelled of pine needles, dirt, and...

“Snow?” Boba accidentally spoke the word aloud, breaking the silence.

There was a patch of actual snow on the ground. It was dirty snow and it lay in the shadow of an overhanging rock, but it was snow.

Jango sniffed. “What, you haven’t seen snow before?”

“I’ve seen snow,” Boba said defensively. “You never told me that there was snow on Mandalore. You said it was a barren desert world that had beskar deposits.”

Jango gave a short nod. “That is true.”

Boba snorted as he looked away from his buir and towards the grassy forest floor. “You have an interesting definition of ‘barren’. I should take you to Tatooine. An actual desert planet.”

Jango eyed him coldly. “Copaani mirshmure'cye, vod? Or are you implying that you aren’t aware of the Dral’Han? Was this ‘other me’ so lacking in his paternal duties that he didn’t tell you what almost every karking Mando’ade adiik knows? Kriff, even the New Mandalorian adiiks are told it at bedtime.”

Boba was silent as he held his buir’s gaze. They didn’t break eye contact even as they moved further into the forest. Edee broke away to chase after something, disappearing into the forest brush.

“...You didn’t tell me of this tale. But I didn’t call you a bad buir,” Boba said at last. “I called you a foolish di’kut that was blinded by vengeance.”

“What’s the difference?” Jango spat.

“The difference is that you cared enough to teach me how to defend myself against larger beings. You taught me how to make, clean, and wear armor. I am unaware of any cultural significance to the action, but I know how to do it. And you taught me how to hunt things down and how to trade with others effectively.”

“Like a bounty hunter.” Jango scoffed.

“You were the best bounty hunter around. I was training to be the same,” Boba answered back. “And you cared for me from an ik’aad to a boy of ten. I’m fully certain that if you had lived, you would have continued to do so.”

“Didn’t care enough to teach you how to be a Mando’ade.” Jango snorted.

“You gave me ne’tra gal. You comforted me after nightmares and you told me small things; what a Striil is, what a dar’manda is, and what beskar can protect you from.” Boba said.

“Not what it is? What it represents? How a beskar’gam carries a part of you?” Jango asked.

When Boba did not reply, Jango scoffed again, shaking his head in disgust. “Osik.”

“Do you think that it meant nothing to me?” Boba asked.

“It doesn’t matter what you thought. The future me clearly isn’t going to be a good parent. And I think you at least know enough of the Resol’nare to know what that means.” Jango snapped.

Boba hummed thoughtfully. “Funny. I find it hard to believe a culture that accepts so many different species and people would expect every single member to be able to raise adiik perfectly.”

“Not perfectly. But you do help them grow, teach them what they are, how to support the clan, and so forth,” Jango shrugged. “That includes telling them things about our history.”

“I would have assumed that also meant allowing others to step in when needed,” Boba spoke. “Otherwise I would have been a dar’manda for not knowing how to change Ahsoka’s diapers.”

Jango frowned. “You can’t stand there and tell me that I was a good buir.”

“I’m not saying that either. I am saying that you were a buir and I loved you because you were my aliit,” Boba paused for a moment before adding softly. “I am intending to change the future, you know.”

“So?” Jango grunted.

“Gar ltaldin ni eajaonyc; gar rsa buir, lori'wadaas'la. If the Force gave me a second chance, why couldn’t you get one as well?” Boba asked.

They stopped walking at that point. Jango’s mouth twisted into a grimace then flattened into a blank mask.

He didn’t reply to Boba’s question. The question remained unanswered as together, they dug a hole several feet into the soft rich earth.

Boba placed Ahsoka down nearby for a nap during the process, and halfway Edee returned to them with a mangled rabbit in its jaws.

Jango laid the urn into the hole. His shoulders sagged unhappily. Then slowly softly Jango began to tell him the tale of how the Taung came to Mandalore, slaying the famous Mythosaurs, how the Mandalorian Crusaders went out into the stars and invaded the Republic, killing many Jetti, and how the Republic and the Jetti bombarded their planet, leaving vast stretches of white desert sand where there once were cities.

Boba listened closely. And as they filled the hole with dirt, something tight in his chest slowly began to unwind.

It was a bit of a walk from the veshok trees that sheltered their vhen’yaim to Keldab’s colorful and varied buildings.

Munin had them pass the river on the way there, calling it the Kelitia river. “It means moat,” He told them. “It protects Keldab from many things and Keldab will protect it from those Bando Gora.”

Anakin was wide-eyed the entire time watching all the different Mando’ade they walked by. Even though most were in full armor, he noticed at least half of the Mando’ade they ran across were aliens. Most of the Mando’ade they encountered had either just come back from a fight with the Bando Gora or were heading out to fight.

Munin grinned widely when Anakin had asked him how they were fighting the Bando Gora. “They aren’t too clever, these Bando Gora. Sure there’s a karking lot of them, but the moment they see an adiik or a Mando’ade they all run straight to it ignoring everything else. So a strike team will camp at a spot and draw them out. Then once the area is clear they’ll head back here. Ba'slan shev'la."

“Won’t the Bando Gora just retake the spot?” Anakin asked, confused.

“Oh yes, they will. And it will weaken their numbers each time while we stay strong and comfortable here in Keldab.” Munin chuckled.

Obi-Wan frowned. “So what started the whole thing?”

“First, that recording of Jango’s adiik yelling at the Jetti council came right in the middle of our civil war. My clan was one of the neutral ones and we had been aiding Adoni in trying to settle everybody down after Tor Vizla was killed. We got to all witness that recording together. The look on Pre Vizla’s face, I hadn’t laughed that good in a while. We all thought that was Jango, you see.” Munin smiled.

“So did the Jedi.” Obi-Wan sighed.

“Then the Jetti arrived along with Satine to reclaim the kidnapped Jetti adiik. They quickly discovered that not only was Jango not there, but they weren’t exactly welcome. Then the adiik fell ill, almost all of them at once. Most thought the Jetti was doing some Force trick and wanted to retaliate. I’m really glad Satine came with, if it wasn’t for her, we’d have gutted those Jetti. Those Bando Gora showed up and began to attack us afterwards. Which was their mistake.” Munin continued.

“How so?” Shmi asked.

“Nearly every Mando’ade had a sick child and they didn’t know how to make it better. So when the Bando Gora appeared the Mando’ade were willing to put aside the civil war and attack those hideous monsters. Most of us went here to Keldab to have a safe place for the children to recover, although a few of us have set up forts elsewhere,” Munin said. “Force-sensitive adiik and a few Jetti younglings began showing up after two weeks in. The Jetti didn’t even try to blame us, only set out to rescue those youngins. Whoever had been kidnapping them was using them as bait.”

“Jango.” Anakin grumbled.

“You’d think so but no. He had arrived after Adoni messaged him about the adiik and had been hunting the Bando Gora. The Jetti are assuming that this dar'jetti or one of them at least, is kidnapping them. When Adoni sent a few Mando’ade to go and fetch him about the Jetti adiik kidnapping, that’s when he tried to grab Quinlan’s Padawan.” Munin explained.

“But Boba stopped him. And now we are here trying to cure the children and find the ones causing this,” Obi-Wan chewed his lip in thought. “What I don’t understand is why they are spending all this effort on attacking you guys.”

“Perhaps they realized too late that having a Mando’ade as an enemy isn’t desirable.” Munin mused.

Munin led them through Keldab’s streets weaving in and through the crowds. Anakin looked at the buildings, noticing how some were made of veshok wood, some were made of durasteel, and some were made of plaster.

‘This place is so old.’ He thought.

The Goran’s smithery sat near the middle of Keldab, its doors wide open. Anakin stared at the display of weapons and armor glittering in the sun. He was surprised to find Rav sitting on a stool with her buy’ce and red breastplate missing. Her chest was bandaged with bacta-dipped rags and she was holding an ice pack to a nasty bruise on her cheek.

Rav darkly glowered at the Togorian that was browsing a display of breastplates. The Togorian wore an apron and was steadily ignoring Rav. Vhiffa and another female Mandalorian with dark hair were chatting with Rav, buy’ces underneath their arms. For the first time, Anakin could see that Vhiffa was a near-human. She almost looked to be a hybrid at second glance.

Vhiffa spotted them first and she grimaced before placing the buy’ce back onto her head. “You get to deal with Munin, Ursa.” She told the other before beating a hasty retreat.

Ursa glanced at Munin who cheerfully waved. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Rav.

“What is that old bastard doing here?” Ursa grunted.

“Munin, you better not be a pain in the shebs. Tensions are getting high in Keldab.” Rav pointedly glared at Munin.

Munin snickered. “Is that where that bruise came from?”

“Oi. Mij set up places for people to fight and my workshop isn’t one of them. If you two got a problem either fight it out in the pit or on those Bando Gora.” The Togorian spoke sharply.

Munin sighed. “Don’t worry Tygo. I’m only here cause we have some youngins that need beskar’gams.”

Rav frowned. “Wasn’t Kal supposed to...” She trailed off as Munin’s face hardened.

“Ijaat can’t keep food down anymore.” He said flatly.

Ursa’s jaw tightened. Rav pursed her lips but didn’t say anything more.

Tygo noticed the small group behind Munin and perked up slightly. “Ooh. That will be an easy thing to do. Here sit next Rav other there.”

Anakin obeyed without complaint, even though Rav had taken his buy’ce before. There was an undercurrent of tension in the air and he didn’t want to push it. The two females studied Shmi with cool piercing eyes. Shmi looked back at them calmly and without flinching.

Tygo measured the two children and then set out a few plastoid pre-made sets in front of Anakin and Ruusaan. They tried them on, seeing which one was the best fit.

Anakin felt a thrill inside once Tygo nodded approvingly. “There we go. Now you’ll wear this until you grow out fully. At that point, we can fit you into a personalized suit, with all the gadgets that entail.”

Tygo carefully measured Obi-Wan and Shmi and gave them the same generalized suits to wear.

“Any pieces of ancestral armor you want me to resize for him?” Tygo asked, looking at Anakin.

Shmi gestured at Jaster’s boots, shoulder piece, buy’ce, and gauntlets. “These pieces were refitted to Anakin but the buy’ce’s HUD is broken. And the armor is... old.”

Tygo looked scandalized. “What did you do with this armor? Bury it in a pit? Look at these scratches and the blaster damage. These gauntlets are broken beyond repair and don’t get me started on the buy’ce HUD. Broken isn’t a word I’d use, more like shattered.”

“My buir’s ba’buir buried it. We were the ones that dug it up.” Anakin told Tygo.

Rav snorted at Tygo’s pained expression.

Munin sighed. “Tygo just do what you can.”

Tygo straightened at the tone. “What...?”

Then Tygo stared at the buy’ce suddenly noticing something. “Is this... right. I’ll get started right away.”

The pieces of armor that Shmi and Anakin had been wearing were polished up and placed among the plastoid pieces, creating a unique set of armor for each of them. Anakin gasped when he placed the buy’ce on and saw the HUD light up for the first time. He felt warm all over as he smiled at his mother. They truly looked similar to Boba now and it felt so nice.

“Rav you better go and rest. I’m not going to find a replacement for your breastplate anytime soon.” Tygo sighed.

Rav groaned. “So who’s going to fight the Bando Gora if I'm out of commission?”

“Inadia can help me fight them. We are in the same House, she’ll work with my group.” Ursa quietly offered.

Rav snorted. “Inadia is the one that punched me, Ursa.”

“She isn’t in the best state of mind Rav. Her Mirilan adiik is in just as bad of shape as Ijaat. House Vizsla is in turmoil right now. Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan can barely prevent everyone from stabbing each other. Barely,” Ursa sighed. “The one good thing that has come out of this is that it looks like Pre Vizsla might disband Kyr’stad.”

“Really? What makes you think that?” Munin asked stiffly.

Ursa sneered. “Kyr’stad would rather die than let their adiik succumb to the illness, Munin.”

Rav sighed. “All right, fine. Tell me when it’s ready Tygo.”

Ruusaan was almost bouncing as she twirled in front of Munin once she found her perfect fit. “Look at me! I’m going to scare those Jetti so bad.”

Ursa looked at the girl and her face softened. “Are you now?”

“Satine and Bo-Katan wish for us to speak with the Jetti tomorrow,” Obi-Wan explained. “There are... issues that need resolving.”

Ursa and Rav looked at each other. Some sort of message passed between them.

Then Ursa sighed and placed a hand on Ruusaan’s shoulder. “How would you like it if my riduur gave you a paint job? So you can look extra tough for those Jetti? He can even give you some paint so you can do it yourself when it wears off.”

“Lek!” Ruusaan and Tor shouted at once.

Anakin glanced at Shmi who nodded. “Lek. V’ore.”

Munin’s face softened. “Manners, youngins.”

“V’ore!” The two children giggled as they high-fived each other. “Ijaat is going to be so jealous once he gets better.”

Munin’s mouth turned into a flat pinched line. Then he nodded at Ursa. Ursa nodded back and gestured at the group to follow her.

Kal Skirata, Ilippi, and Ahsoka were waiting for them at the vhen’yaim. Jango, Boba, and Edee arrived at there at the same time the rest of the group did. The two men and the Striil had been talking to Adoni and the baar’ur, Mijr.

Obi-Wan felt his gut twist at the misery on Kal and Ilippi’s reddened and tear-stained faces. Alrich, Ursa’s riduur, looked at them with sympathy as he set up his paints and brushes in a small corner of the vhen’yaim.

Jango glared at Munin when he noticed Alrich. Munin shook his head at Jango wordlessly. Jango sneered but then glanced at Boba. Boba was playing with Ahsoka on the floor. Ahsoka was happily crawling, following Edee around in circles.

Jango sighed and glared at Munin. He went to a corner of the vhen’yaim and angrily began to clean his weapons, ignoring the other occupants. Munin rolled his eyes at Jango. 

He took one look at Kal and shooed the three adiik towards Alrich. He came slowly over to Kal and Ilippi, Obi-Wan and Shmi at his heels.

“Stars, how bad is he?” Munin asked worriedly.

Kal covered his face with his hands, shoulders shaking. Ilippi spread her hands out helplessly.

“Mijr thinks he has three days left, at most.” She said brokenly.

Munin gritted his teeth. “The IV isn’t working?”

Kal shook his head. “Mijr claims that something is slowly draining his body of energy. The same thing is happening to the other sick adiik. It’s like a parasite. But there is no parasite on his body or in his body. So how could something be draining him?”

Shmi knelt next to Boba and placed a calm hand on his shoulder. “What's wrong with Jango?”

Boba shrugged and said quietly. “He couldn’t decide whether or not he’ll behave if the Jetti were to try and help. We... kinda fought.”

Shmi hummed. “Alrich is allowed into the vhen’yaim. He's trying."

Obi-Wan wrung his hands together. “They could help though. The Jedi.”

“And what could the Jetti do?” Kal asked painfully.

“I’ve heard tales in the Temple of them healing fatal wounds on the battlefield. And even if there isn’t a Force healer here, they can send for one. At the very least they could put him in a healing trance.” Obi-Wan spoke.

Munin sighed heavily. "Good thing we're talking to them, eh?"

Anakin waved at Shmi and Boba. “Buir! Look at my beskar’gam!”

Obi-Wan picked Ahoska up and followed the two adults over to Anakin. Anakin pointed at Alrich steadily painting the plastoid armor with red and black paint.

“The colors mean different things. According to Alrich, Red means honor for a parent and black means justice.” He elaborated.

Shmi patted her son’s shoulder. “Justice for who though?”

“Buir’s vod of course! We are going to hurt those dar’jetti after all,” Anakin answered.

Boba squeezed Anakin’s hand lightly. “That’s sweet of you Ani.”

Boba frowned at his beskar’gam. “...I didn’t know the colors meant something.”

“Not all the time. Some simply want to wear a color that they like. But others wish it to have a meaning.” Alrich explained.

“What is your armor going to be painted with, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan tilted his head thoughtfully. “What do the other colors mean?”

“Green means duty, blue is for reliability, yellow is vengeance, orange is for a love of life, grey is mourning a lost loved one, and white is to start anew.” Alrich replied.

Obi-Wan chewed his lip and eyed Kal. “So Kal is seeking vengeance for something?”

“And Munin is mourning the loss of his riduur.” Shmi added.

Obi-Wan looked down at Ahsoka. She reached towards his face trying to grab at his former Padawan braid. Obi-Wan smiled. “I’ll go with green and blue. That feels right.”

Anakin looked expectantly at Boba and Shmi.

Shmi rubbed her chin. “I suppose then it would be green and black for me.” She smiled warmly at Boba. “I want to give justice to your vod as well.”

Boba returned the smile. Then he looked at colors and took a long breath. Obi-Wan felt a prickle at the back of his neck. A glance at Jango confirmed his suspicions, Jango was pretending not to watch Boba choose the color. Boba did not look behind him but from the way his hands tightened, he knew.

“White and green,” Boba finally decided.

“Along with...” He paused. “Along with blue.”

Jango’s lips twitched as he turned back to his weapons.

Obi-Wan smiled warmly.

Chapter Text

The sun was barely above the veshok trees when Boba awoke from a restless sleep. Getting up from his bedroll Boba tiredly rubbed at his face. There was an awful headache forming at the back of his mind. With a short sigh, Boba resigned himself to the long day he was going to have. Quickly scanning the room, he noticed that Anakin’s bedroll was empty.

He wasn’t in Boba’s bed or Shmi's, which meant he went somewhere without asking. Again. Rolling his eyes Boba straightened his sleeping tunics and grabbed his buy’ce. One glance at the HUD revealed Anakin was close. But what was he doing?

Boba sighed as he removed the buy’ce.

‘Better go fetch him from this impromptu adventure.’ Boba thought.

A giggle made him glance over at the makeshift crib. Ahsoka was awake and smiling at him, unsteadily standing up in the crib. Her blanket was also floating above her montrols.

Boba blinked in surprise. “Okay. So... you can make things float. I probably should have seen that happening.”

He walked over and poked at the blanket. “Erm, any chance you’re going to put this down, Ahso’ika?”

Ahsoka giggled again and reached out for him. Something brushed faintly against his mind, like a finger’s touch. Quickly recognizing the touch of a Force bond, Boba glanced at Obi-Wan and Edee. Edee gave a sleepy yawn but did not move from the nest Obi-Wan had made it beside his bedroll.

The preteen himself was fast asleep, so it must have been Ahoska he had felt.

Boba very carefully prodded at the soft blurry presence in his mind. A feeling of joy spread over him, happiness that was so similar to the one he used to have at the sight of his buir.

Boba swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat and scooped her up. “I guess you’re pretty talented at this Force thing, huh?”

“Bu-bu-buh.” Ahsoka burbled out slowly.

Boba’s breath caught in his throat.

“Buh, buh, buh.” Ahsoka giggled as she grabbed at Boba’s face with small fingers.

Boba’s black eyes were wide. “Are you trying to say your first words?”

“Buh.” Ahsoka smiled, wiggling her short montrols.

Tucking the baby close to his side, Boba tugged on the floating blanket. An invisible force was preventing him from pulling the blanket down.

He raised an eyebrow at Ahsoka trying to look stern despite the smile growing on his face. “I would rather that we don’t have levitating objects in the household.”

Ahsoka only grinned at him with her sharp little teeth, revealing the tiny feline-like fangs. A thought occurred to him. With a sly grin, Boba swiftly began to tickle the young girl. A cheerful laugh bubbled out of her mouth as she squirmed in his grasp. Boba grinned. The blanket flopped back into the crib.

“Buh!” Ahsoka said, louder this time.

Boba stared at her. “What are you trying to say?”

“Buuhe.” Ahsoka attempted.

Boba smiled and he chuckled. “I see. You’re right, little one. Neither of us is going back to sleep and we need to see if your vod managed to find trouble.”

Outside the air was clean and sweet-smelling. The early morning sunlight was warm on his back. It felt strange to step outside without his beskar’gam, strange for his face to be so bare. Ahsoka gave one of his brown curls a yank, laughing as she did so.

‘Since when did my hair get so long?’ Boba wondered idly.

He turned his head at the faint sound of Anakin’s laughter but couldn’t see the boy. At least he was nearby.

‘What are you doing this time Ani?’ He asked through their bond.

‘It’s a surprise! Munin said it was okay. You’ll see in a little bit. Here, Obi-Wan showed me how to give you a hint.’ Anakin laughed.

Then something passed through their bond, sensations, and feelings mixed. Cold fresh wind blowing through Anakin’s hair, someone holding him tightly as they soared above Keldab, the excitement of being so high and free. Freer than he ever could have hoped for as a slave.

Boba hummed as he reflected on the snippet Anakin had shown him. Someone was giving Anakin a jetpack ride, it looked like. Interesting.

With a shrug, Boba knelt on the dirt. “Might as well wait here for him, then.”

He set Ahsoka down on the ground. “If you’re starting to talk, then you probably should be trying to walk as well.”

Ahsoka’s tiny orange fingers held onto Boba’s hands with a firm grip as he helped her stand up on shaky legs. With soft encouragement, Boba helped her practice her first steps. She wasn’t going to be able to take them for a while, but the practice was good.

The warm bright feeling inside his heart from watching his adiik walking was something that he was treasuring. This, this is what his buir must have felt. What Jaster must have felt. This warm feeling of pride swelling in his chest.

Her blue eyes were darting about, taking in everything. Then they focused on something behind him. “Ba?”

“Ba?” Boba mimicked, smirking at Ahsoka.

“She’s talking?” Jango asked.

Boba looked over his shoulder to find Jango sitting a few feet away. Jango was dressed in casual tunics instead of armor. Boba’s heart clenched. He hadn’t seen his buir look like that since the day he first met Obi-Wan. The man had been writing something down on a data-pad, stylus clutched in his hand. Jango’s black eyes were watching Boba and Ahsoka as he sat cross-legged on a log.

Boba took a breath, trepidation heavy in his chest.

Interacting with Jango was a challenge. The man seemed to alternate between being aggressively interrogating Boba about his past self or moodily brooding over those choices. Boba wasn’t sure how he felt about the whole thing. It should have been a good thing that his buir wasn’t proud of what he did, but did that mean that he also wasn’t proud of Boba somehow?

‘You just can’t let it go, can you?’ Boba snarled at himself. 'It shouldn't matter what he thinks of you!' Then he took a breath.

“I think she’s trying. What she’s attempting to say isn’t particularly clear.” Boba shrugged as casually as possible.

“She’s what? Eleven months old? She’s probably trying to call you buir at this point." Jango replied.

“I doubt that’s what she’s saying,” Boba said. “It must simply be her babbling. Isn’t it Ahso’ika?”

“Buuh-er!” Ahsoka repeated eagerly.

Jango snorted. “You don’t think she can recognize you?”

“She’s an ik’aad. And I’ve only been taking care of her for...,” Boba counted on his fingers. “Not even for two weeks. She couldn’t have gotten attached that fast.”

“Don’t be so certain,” Jango frowned. “Children can tell when someone loves them. And I might not know anything about the Force, but even I can tell there’s some sort of bond between you two. And you already accepted her as your adiik.”

“Does it take so little time for someone to decide that you are family. That you are their aliit?” Boba tensed in the sudden silence that followed.

Kriff. That question wasn’t meant to come out so sincere.

Jango tilted his head. Then he placed the data-pad and the stylus aside and looked Boba right in the eyes.

“...It took Elena and Munin four days to claim Kal as their adiik, you know." Jango said softly.

Something hot and painful rose inside Boba. He knew that tone of voice. Jango used it when he was about to tell a story to Boba. Boba squashed the sudden painfully eager feeling rising.

‘Am I that eager for a story?’ He berated himself.

Annoyance flared up quickly. He was a kriffing adult! He didn’t need some story like some frightened weak adiik...

Boba took another deep breath. Curiosity. It was curiosity that got the better of him, which made him ask just as softly. “Kal’s adopted?”

“Seven years old. Orphan wandering the war-torn streets living off scraps and fighting to survive. The starving boy attacked Munin when they first met. Munin scooped the boy up, brought him to the camp, fed him, and wanted to adopt him right there. Elena took the time to check if the boy had any remaining family before agreeing.” Jango told him, black eyes holding a small spark of warmth that he hadn’t seen in years.

Boba rearranged himself and Ahsoka so that they could sit comfortably and listen to Jango’s words. Holding Ahsoka seemed to be the only thing that prevented his hands from shaking.

“It took them another four days for them to fly through hyperspace and arrive back at their Clan’s fort. During that time, Kal was able to recognize that they were willing to put care and effort into making him happy. Jaster...,” Jango visibly paused.

Boba inwardly grimaced at the flash of pain in Jango’s eyes. “You don’t have to tell me.” Boba said simply.

Jango snorted darkly. “Did this other me say anything about this?”

Boba paused. “...No.”

He sounded like an adiik when he said that. The words sounded like an admission.

“Jaster and I were visiting the fort. I was introduced to Kal. He was traumatized, obviously, and young children cling onto safe familiar things when they feel unsafe. Calling his new-found parents ‘buir’ was a way for Kal to comfort himself.” Jango said evenly.

Boba stiffened, his arms tightening around Ahsoka automatically. “...Anakin did something like that,” He breathed out. “Anakin... Oh of course he was traumatized from being a slave. I should have realized that ages ago. Di’kut.”

He brought a hand to his forehead in frustration. Suddenly a lot of Anakin’s behavior started to make sense. And Boba had no kriffing idea on how to properly take care of that problem.

“What?” Jango’s voice was sharp and cold, his eyes flashing. “Slave? He’s kriffing five.”

Boba eyed the man before him carefully. Jango had gone tense, hot anger bubbling up inside of him.

“Lek. And he was born into that life,” Boba felt oddly defensive. “I rescued him and his buir from being eaten by Gardulla Besadii.”

Jango’s face furrowed. “I see...”

Boba’s black eyes narrowed slightly, confused at that odd tone. He forced his face to go blank, angry at himself for this sudden defensiveness. But Jango had noticed anyway.

Instead of getting angry, instead of sneering, Jango’s face also went blank and impassive. “Then my behavior is inexcusable. Kriff, I should have known better.”

“Known better?” Boba repeated, confused. “What do you mean? How could you have known better?”

In one abrupt movement, Jango pulled the collar of his tunic down. Boba inhaled softly.

Jango’s neck was littered with deep tearing scars that kept going down. They were deep, twisted, and painful. Boba gritted his teeth, the shock sending him reeling. Only certain kinds of slave collars could make scars like that.

Jango kept his gaze firmly on Boba. Boba pressed his lips together, making a quick decision in his head before he could regret it. Slowly he lifted his arm from Ahsoka and pulled down his tunic’s collar.

“Haar’chak.” Jango was still speaking softly even though his tone remained cold.

It wasn’t a question. Boba explained anyways. “Prison.”

“Spice slave,” Jango said, still with that strange tone. “Two years.”

“Three years,” Boba met his buir’s black eyes, unsure. “I tried to kill a Jetti and was caught. Maximum security, you trained me well.”

Jango sniffed. “Galidraan. The best method Tor Vizsla could come up with to humiliate me and what remained of the Haat’Mandolorians was to sell me to slavers. Of course, Tor Vizsla didn’t count on me coming back. His mistake.”

Boba fidgeted, balling his fists into the tunic. “Who... who was your first kill?”

“A Kyr’stad soldier.” Jango folded his hands and leaned forward. “Who was yours?”

“I...,” Boba hated himself for the sudden reluctance that froze the words in his throat. He swallowed. “A bounty hunter.”

Jango watched him steadily. Then he spoke. “Kyr’stad attacked my aliit and murdered them. The only reason I escaped with my life is that Jaster couldn’t stand by and let a six-year-old die in front of him.”

“So you’re telling me that rescuing adiiks is hereditary.” Boba asked dryly.

A snort. Short, small. Jango shook his head. “Perhaps it is. The soldier participated in the killing. And I killed him. ”

Boba bit his lip glancing downwards. But when he spoke, his black eyes met Jango’s. “After you died, I tried to get vengeance for you. I knew that my vod were going to kill the rest of the Jetti, but... I thought they  were going to do it for you. And I wanted to do my part. Things didn’t work out. I... didn’t know everything yet. I ended up making a lot of mistakes. One of those was trusting the wrong people. And that mistake got my vod killed. So, after I got out of prison, I went after the ones that made me make those di’kut mistakes, before going after the Force-sensitives."

Jango’s brow furrowed. “So you didn’t always protect other Force-sensitives?”

Boba sighed. “No. I used to hunt them down. The Jetti that killed you was dead, my vod had completed their duty, there was nothing left for me to do. So, I hunted down the things that were the closest to actual Jetti.”

He shrugged unhappily. “I never went after adiiks, just adults that were proven to be Force-sensitive. That, combined with usual bounty hunting made my name recognizable.”

Jango watched him carefully. “What changed?”

Boba’s shoulders sagged. “I fell into the same trap that you had, all those years ago. I saw the signs that something was wrong with my vod, but I didn’t look into it. I didn’t confront the bastards that were using them as toys. Just focused on my petty vengeance quest and tried to ignore everything. I wasn’t thinking at all. Then the Empire kriffing blew up a planet that might have had some rebels on it. I guess you could call that my wake up call.”

Boba sneered at the ground. “I couldn’t sleep after that happened. Every time I tried I’d get haunted by a disgusting nightmare. What scared me was the fact that I had a recurring nightmare about your death, so this new recurring nightmare...”

Boba gestured helplessly. “I couldn’t ignore it. Not after what happened to you. I wanted to change. I wanted to stop it, prevent myself from slipping down into that.”

“So I headed out to go and prove myself to whatever remained of the Mandalorians. This Force osik sort of messed with that plan.” Boba’s voice cracked slightly.

“You’d do anything to prevent your aliit from coming to harm. Even confront the Jetti.” Jango shook his head.

He knitted his hands together tightly before speaking again. “I know you decided that Obi-Wan was going to talk to them, but.” He stopped mid-sentence, grimacing.

Boba raised an eyebrow. “I value your advice. If you have something to say, let me hear it.”

“...You might be the only one out of the two of us that could ask them for help. And... we need it.” Jango visibly had to force himself to say the words.

But he said them.

And that alone swept the ground from Boba’s feet. “What, what changed your mind?”

“The adiiks will die if we don’t do something, and we've tried everything else. So the next logical step is to request the Jetti’s help. And I can't.” Jango gritted his teeth as he spoke.

“There’s a good chance that the Jetti involved with Galideraan will be a part of them.” Boba warned.

Jango sneered at the ground at Boba’s words.

“And in any other scenario, I’d attack them outright. But not in this. I’m the Mando’alor. I’m not just going to stand by and let those adiiks die. My pride isn’t worth their lives.” Jango spat.

Boba ran a hand through his hair. He felt almost giddy and almost sad at the same time. Jango really must be desperate if he was allowing this to happen.

“It will be good to have Obi-Wan there, as a mediator between the groups. Shmi as well, she’ll help keep the two of us calm. But... perhaps there should also be others? So that everyone is on the same page?” He asked.

“Like who?” Jango asked.

“Adoni and Munin come first to mind. Other clan leaders I’m not currently aware of are also options. Whoever has been helping keep the peace between the clans, considering that you were in the middle of a civil war before all of this. That way, everyone is involved, everyone has a say, and no one can accuse us of trying to take power for ourselves,” Boba mused. “Present as a united front, instead of a splintered squabbling faction. Hmph, might just work. However, there is one problem, Kyr’stad.”

“Maybe not. There’s been some talking about whether they should disband or not.” Jango frowned.

“Have you had any problems with them so far?” Boba asked neutrally.

“Not yet. Not since this started. They were active during the Great Clan War until Adoni called a meeting. Conveniently, that was about the same time that our people found the recording,” Jango raised an eyebrow at Boba. “Turns out yelling at the Jetti Council makes you rather popular.”

Boba rolled his eyes. “It’s not my fault that they allowed it to go out into the public’s hands.”

“Hmph,” Jango replied. “Well, it did help Adoni out. No one wanted to fight while the Jetti were going to be poking around. Then the craziness started and Adoni contacted me. Every Mando’ade that’s a parent is out for blood. And Pre Vizsla not only has one-year-old twins, but nearly all of his commandos also have sick adiiks.”

Jango’s voice was cold and hard. But Boba could see a tiny hint of sympathy in his black eyes.

“Therefore, Pre Vizsla made a deal with Adoni about them staying here. He and Bo-Katan keep the peace, the Kyr’stad, and their sick adiiks can stay. Surprising how well that turned out.” Jango continued.

Boba tilted his head. “So it’s possible that they could be convinced to help us take the dar’jetti down.”

Jango nodded at Boba gently. Then he rubbed the back of his neck, hand lingering on the scars.

"Ni ceta.” Jango blurted out.

“Sorry?” Boba asked, confused.

“If someone attacked Jaster I would have bitten their head off. Even at six years old. And the first thing Anakin sees me do is, well.” Jango frowned.

“Let me guess, he’s been giving you his infamous death glare,” Boba shook his head. “Don’t take it personally he’ll give it to anyone. Do something nice and he’ll probably come around.”

Before Jango could answer, Anakin’s voice rang out. “Buir! Look at me!”

Boba turned around looking upwards. A smile broke out on his face. Anakin was waving at him excitedly from the air, sunlight glinting off of his newly painted armor. Someone in blue painted beskar’gam was holding him tightly as they hovered above the ground.

Slowly they lowered to the ground until they were about a foot high. Then Anakin jumped down and rolled on the ground, demonstrating a controlled fall almost perfectly. Ahsoka giggled and clapped her hands together for Anakin.

“Nice one Ani,” Boba nodded. “You’ve certainly impressed your vod.”

“I want to have one of these when I’m older!” Anakin shouted. “It’s so much fun!”

Boba snorted as he stood from the ground, brushing dirt from the tunic. “Make sure you say thank you to your new friend.”

“This is Wad’e,” Anakin introduced quickly. “Munin went to go and talk to a group called the Nite Owls and I followed him. Vhiffa caught me and Wad’e offered to give me a ride. Then he showed me how to fall without hurting myself.”

Wad’e remained silent. Boba could feel his eyes flickering between him and Jango.

Jango groaned. “We don’t look that alike Wad’e, come on. What do Bo-Katan and her little group want?”

“Bo-Katan’s updating Munin. We have a problem with one of the Jetti.” Wad’e finally said, turning to Jango.

“What sort of problem?” Boba asked.

Wad’e tilted his buy’ce at him. “Master Dooku thinks you’re a Changeling or some other kind of trickery meant to fool the Mando’ade. He also highly doubts that you are Force-sensitive. He’s asking not only for a DNA check but for the Jetti to perform a ‘mind scan’ on Obi-Wan. Whatever the kriff that means."

Boba frowned. “Interesting. I wonder if it’s anything like what Obi-Wan and I did? Ani, where’s Munin?”

Anakin pointed to Boba’s left. Boba spotted him a few feet away, talking to an orange-haired woman. Bo-Katan, if Boba recalled correctly.

Boba handed Ahsoka to Anakin gently. “I think Ahsoka would love to hear about your adventure, Ani.”

Ahsoka smiled at Boba, blue eyes twinkling and then spoke. “Buir!”

Boba paused, blinking back the sudden tears that sprang to his eyes.

Anakin nearly bounced up and down. “Oh wow! She’s speaking. Is that her first word, buir? Did I just hear her first word?”

“Lek.” Boba choked out.

Anakin cheered, carrying Ahsoka back to the vhen’yaim to tell Shmi and Obi-Wan. Boba looked at Jango and gave him a small smile.

Jango gave him a concerned frown. “You are going to let them do it?”

“The DNA check, yes. No use in saying no. The mind scan on Obi-Wan, we’ll see. I want it to be his choice after all.” Boba sighed.

Jango sat up and nodded shortly. “I’ll tell them then. You’d better get the others ready.”

Obi-Wan entered the tap-cafe with Shmi at his back. It took all of his years studying at the Jedi Temple for Obi-Wan not to flinch at the scrutinizing gazes directed at him. Only Shmi’s firm hand on his shoulder prevented him from shrinking back.

Jango stood outside, not trusting himself near the Jedi. “If they try anything...” Jango half-snarled behind him as he walked through the door. The unfinished sentence lingering in the air. And then Obi-Wan was facing them.

Master Windu, Master Sifo-Dyas, Master Dooku, and Master Qui-Gon all sat on the wooden floor of the tap-cafe, legs crisscrossed. Obi-Wan eyebrows raised at the sight of Master Yaddle sitting next to Master Dooku. Her green wrinkled face was the friendliest looking one there.

Obi-Wan’s mouth went dry at the sight of his old master. Master Qui-gon looked as if he had aged a hundred years. And his worn stern face had more emotion on it than Obi-Wan had ever seen before. Two other Jedi Masters sat further back.

Obi-Wan didn’t recognize either of them. One was a female humanoid Jedi Master with long flowing golden hair and pointed ears. The other was an alien with pale white skin, black eyes, and a very long neck. Quinlan and Padawn Aayla sat next to them, both watching him carefully.

Obi-Wan swallowed. He was standing before all of them, Shmi’s hand on his back.

Boba was going to come in shortly. He had to have a moment to prepare himself. They also had to make sure that Anakin didn’t try anything funny. The boy had verbally threatened to kick Master Qui-Gon, and Boba didn’t want to give him the chance of possibly carrying out that threat. Jango was most likely going to keep an eye on him, along with Edee’s help.

Obi-Wan bit the inside of his cheek. He knew what they were seeing. The Padawan that had turned his back on their Order, wearing green and blue beskar’gam, surrounded by other Mando’ade in a protective circle.

Bo-Katan, Pre Vizsla, and the Nite Owls stood in one corner, Satine, and Adoni was in another. Other Mando’ade stood in between the two parties. Kal Skirata and Munin stood behind Shmi, both men staring the Jedi down. Boba’s suggestion had worked, everybody important or influential had shown up. Obi-Wan and Shmi were the ones that were going to do all the talking.

Hopefully, they both could get somewhere with their combined skills. Still, it was clear that, despite the tensions among the Mando’ade, in front of a potential enemy they banded together. Even though Obi-Wan had only been with them for a couple of days, they were treating him like one of their own.

‘Technically,’ He mused. ‘I am one of them now, aren’t I?’

“Masters.” Obi-Wan acknowledged.

He struggled against the reflex to bow. Master Qui-Gon’s eye twitched when Obi-Wan didn’t speak further. Master Dooku’s gaze was flickering between concerned and hurt confusion. That in turn was confusing Obi-Wan. They didn’t know each other. He only knew Master Dooku was his Grandmaster thanks to Master Windu, who happened to be friends with Master Qui-Gon, Master Dooku, and Obi-Wan.

Master Windu was being extremely careful to appear neutral, however, Obi-Wan noticed the minuscule glares Master Windu was sending Master Qui-Gon.

Master Yaddle went first. “Young Kenobi. Know most of us, you do. These two, introduce we will.”

“Master Kina Ha,” Master Yaddle gestured a clawed hand at the long-necked alien. “And Master Fay.” The clawed hand turned to the humanoid female.

Both Masters nodded serenely at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan felt his stomach drop at the two names. The two masters were considered to be legends and myth by the younglings in the creches.

“I, I thought... both of them followed the Force’s bidding. Not the Temple.” Obi-Wan trailed off weakly, confused.

“We all have felt a large disturbance in the Force recently,” Master Fay’s sweet voice comforted Obi-Wan. “And this friend of yours has made claims about a ‘clone army.’ Master Kina Ha has had a vision for a Force-sensitive clone army for some time. A rather concerning vision.”

“Much confusion, surrounding you there has been. Clarify for us, you could,” Master Yaddle said gently. “No longer a part of our Order, are you?”

“Master Qui-Gon said as much when he told me what I had to choose,” Obi-Wan agreed stiffly. “I made my choice. Even if it meant leaving the Order, I couldn’t leave those children to die.”

Master Yaddle looked at Master Qui-Gon sharply. Master Qui-Gon’s mouth drew into a firm line. He opened his mouth, brows furrowing together. Master Dooku placed a firm hand on Master Qui-gon’s knee, silencing him with one smooth gesture. Master Qui-Gon sighed but he didn’t make any comment.

Master Windu frowned. “When did this ‘clone’ of Jango come into the picture?”

“Boba. His name is Boba. And he prevented the children of Melida/Daan from exiling me. You know as well as I do how the government we tried to make collapsed. He helped them out by contacting you and asking you to send a Jedi over to help the children.”

“This 'clone' asked?” Master Dooku sniffed, barely keeping disdain from his voice.

“Watch it, Jetti,” Munin hissed from behind. “We did your karking DNA test. They are a 90% match.”

“A sign that he speaks the truth,” Master Kina Ha steepled her long white fingers. “If my kind were to create a clone from the DNA of an individual, they make it as close as possible to the donor.”

Master Dooku frowned sternly. Master Sifo-Dyas’s eyes narrowed at him and Master Windu raised one eyebrow at Master Dooku. Master Dooku kept his mouth shut but glared haughtily at Munin.

“Yes, Boba asked aggressively. But he prefers to make his intentions clear,” Obi-Wan looked Master Windu in the eyes. “And in his opinion, I had been abandoned.”

“Technically you had,” Master Kina Ha nodded in agreement. “We are lucky that you fell into well-meaning hands. Although whether this Boba is from the future is still uncertain.”

Master Fay shook her golden head. “Just because he knows certain things doesn't mean he’s from the future. We hardly know anything about him at all. His shields are far too strong.”

Obi-Wan blinked at her. “What’s wrong with him shielding himself from you? Shouldn’t that be a good thing, especially if he’s not trained?”

“Some of us,” Master Fay’s amber eyes landed on Master Dooku. “Want to see if he is what he says he is. Some of us are... greatly concerned about what he might be.”

Obi-Wan stared at them, incredulous. “You, you think he might be a Darksider?”

Master Windu grimaced. “Possibly. One of the reasons we are having this meeting is to figure that out.”

“Not to help the sick children that are dying?” Obi-Wan’s voice raised at the end, his eyebrow twitching underneath the buy’ce.

Kal glared at the Jedi at these words.

Quinlan winced and spoke up. “We want to help them, Obi-Wan. A Darksider is involved, even if we aren’t certain if it is a Sith...”

Padwan Aayla shrugged. “But Boba might be. The problem is that we don’t know.”

She raised her chin as she spoke her next sentence, blue eyes flashing brightly. “We cannot and will not repeat the mistake our Order made last time by acting rashly. So we must sit on our hands and continue to observe.”

“What makes you think that Boba could be a Darksider?” Shmi asked, her voice cold. “The worst thing he’s done is to take Obi-Wan from you. Although I personally hesitate to call that a bad thing.”

“...I can feel a great amount of pain from the items that he has touched. Since he has shielded himself so strongly, we had to use that as an insight into his character. It is unnerving how much anger he has in him.” Quinlan explained slowly.

“There is a crucial difference. He can control that anger. He is controlling that anger right now. When he’s ready, he’s going to join us in this discussion. Despite his justified reasons for being angry at the Jedi, he's choosing to let go of his anger.” Obi-Wan spoke.

Master Sifo-Dyas cut in. “For an untrained Force user, his shields are unnaturally strong.”

“Strong, his shields are, yes. Even stronger is his will. Break this will, we could. But Jedi Masters, we are. Not our way, that is,” Master Yaddle sighed. “Yet darkness, we sense from him.”

“The man’s been around powerful Darksiders. I’m not surprised,” Obi-Wan sniffed. “Boba is Jango’s son. Before I met him he wanted to get vengeance for what happened at Galidraan. In his timeline a Jedi killed his father, making him an orphan. It’s why he didn’t do anything to prevent the Jedi Order from falling apart in his timeline. Boba didn’t know that his family was being used by chips in their heads, he thought they made the same choice he did.”

“He regrets that path because younglings died unnecessarily. All the Jedi died in that timeline and innocents suffered. Now for some reason, he has a chance to make it better. And he chose to put aside his anger for his family. For the children. So that we can do what’s necessary for us to help them.” Obi-Wan replied confidently.

“An attachment you have made with Boba.” Master Qui-Gon said finally, his tone flat.

Obi-Wan frowned at him. “No, I don’t. I care about him. There is a difference and you know it. I wouldn’t place Boba’s life over the ones in this room. However, I will protect him if he gets attacked. And I plan to help him save those that he considers to be his family.”

Master Qui-Gon’s eye twitched again but he backed off. “You are just as certain about this as you were at...” He broke off unhappily.

“Yes. This is the same thing. Children will die if we can’t find a peaceful solution.” Obi-Wan affirmed.

“We can’t do anything to help them until we know that Boba isn’t going to be a threat.” Master Qui-Gon said. His voice was heavy with uncertainty.

 “If you wish to do a mind scan like Master Dooku suggested, go ahead. Look at my memories.” Obi-Wan offered, hoping to quell their doubts.

Master Windu frowned. “That’s not something to offer up lightly.”

“It will help you understand. It is what helped me understand. And we must take care of the children and the Darksiders. A Jedi must stop them from hurting people, anyways.” Obi-Wan replied.

Master Windu frowned. He looked at Master Yaddle and then at the other Masters. Slowly one by one they all nodded in agreement, some more reluctant than others. Shmi squeezed his shoulder.

Slowly Obi-Wan opened his mind and projected through the Force all the feelings and sensations he had encountered with Boba. His protectiveness and love for his family, the anger at Master Qui-Gon’s behavior, the desire to help his vod, the disgust and horror he had for the dar’jetti. Carefully he also allowed Boba’s clear regret at killing the Force-sensitives to bleed through.

His Temple training helped him to navigate all the minds without accidentally slipping into any of their memories. The Council was silent as they observed the complex mix of information.

Except for Master Dooku and Master Sifo-Dyas. Both men looked slightly uncomfortable although Master Dooku was doing a better job of hiding it. Obi-Wan brushed away the feeling of confusion at the odd reaction, needing to keep his mind clear for the Jedi Council.

Boba came into the room at that moment, buy’ce at his side. Obi-Wan glanced at him out of habit. He saw Boba’s black eyes scan the room, tensing slightly. Far too late he sensed the bond flaring up and invading into the mind scan.

‘Oh no. Boba shield yourself!’ Obi-Wan warned him instinctively, suddenly remembering Master Yoda’s warnings about bonds and mind scans. Boba was so good at shielding that Obi-Wan hadn’t thought to tell him to close off the bond during the scan.

‘Stupid mistake, stupid mistake. Now the Jedi Council might get a front-row seat to his kriffing personal memories. Force, you’ve screwed up.’ He berated himself.

Boba glanced at him, frowned, and then he noticed Master Kina Ha. Obi-Wan only had enough time to notice Master Dooku’s and Master Sifo-Dyas's eyes widening before one of Boba’s memories flooded his mind.

“What is this?” Jango’s voice was like ice in the small white room.

It clashed with the hot angry storm Boba could feel through their connection. Jango stood in the doorway, glaring at the trainer that was supposed to be looking after Boba. The Kaminoan blinked at Jango, eyeing him with a wary look. The hand holding the syringe faltered. Boba hung his four-year-old head.

His buir was angry and it was all Boba’s fault. There had been an ‘incident’. Boba had snuck down to where the clones were and watched Cody getting tested by the scientists. It wasn’t like Boba getting tested by his buir. There were no candy pieces or games to help make the training fun. Just walls, machines, and piercing eyes tracking your every move.

Boba shivered.

Cody and several other clones were hooked up to wires tracking their brain movements. As Cody gave answers to one of the scientists, they scribbled down things on their data-pads.

“How many other clones are in this room?” The scientist had asked coldly. Cody had hesitated, caught off guard.

‘What sort of question was that?’ Boba wondered angrily. ‘Cody couldn’t see the other clones, how could he know how many there were?’

“Five.” Cody answered coolly.

The Kaminoan tilted their pale head at him. “Incorrect. Try again.”

The machine beeped slowly. Cody had been afraid, Boba could tell. Boba wasn’t able to see the other clones either. But he was able to feel them. So he had reached out prodding at them slightly, counting.

‘Ponds is that you?’ Boba drew back at the strange voice in his head, surprised.

‘No. Shut it, they’ll notice.’ Ponds snapped back.

‘Whoever this is, cut it out! Cody said not to do this, the whole last batch got culled when they got caught doing this!' Alpha-17 hissed.

“Boba?” Cody asked aloud, shocked.

The machine started making a high-pitched noise, over and over. Cody’s head turned to look at Boba, spotting him in his hiding place. The Kaminoan scientist turned to look as well, pressing a button on the closest wall.

Boba flinched. Fear coiled tightly in his stomach as the scientists came and made him come with him. They took Cody along as well.

When the trainer came looking for Boba, the scientists had pointedly refused to give Boba back. The trainer then alerted Jango to what was going on through their buy’ce, grabbed a nasty looking knife from their beskarg’am, and stuck to Boba’s side like glue, not allowing any of the Kaminoans near.

Boba’s small shoulders hunched, wondering if he was in trouble for talking to Cody in his mind. Was that why the scientists had taken them both into this room without his buir’s permission? Even though they had to know that this would result in trouble?

He glanced at Cody’s stiff form, ramrod straight. He looked unmoved and completely at ease. But Boba could feel the fear that poured off of the teenager.

“I said, what the kriffing osik is this?” Jango demanded taking a step closer. “What are you doing to my adiik?”

“The unaltered clone you requested is defective,” The cold clipped tones of the Kaminonein scientist grated down Boba’s back. “He shouldn’t be able to talk to CC-2224 telepathically. Or any other of the clones.”

Jango stared down at the scientist, danger radiating off of him. “You have proof of him doing that?”

“Yes. Several batches have displayed this ability. Our... contractor is... concerned.” The Kaminoan shrugged.

“Why? If they can do the same karking thing he can, what’s the problem? Wouldn’t that make them strong like him?” Jango snarled.

The Kaminoan frowned. “This would hinder the purpose of the clones. And this one,” They gestured at Boba with the syringe. “I doubt you’d want your unaltered product to have the same abilities as the Jedi.”

Jango stiffened, his face going blank and unreadable. "Haar'chak."

Boba shivered on the operating table unhappily. “Buir, I’m scared.”

Jango’s black eyes flickered between the Kaminoan, Cody, and Boba. Then they settled on the trainer.

Jango moved his hand in a quick motion, giving them some sort of signal. The trainer gripped Boba’s arm and then scooped him up into a tight hold, covering his head. Boba couldn’t see or hear what was happening, but he could feel Cody’s sudden relief.

When he lifted his head the Kaminoan was gone. And his buir was standing there with a few flecks of blood on his tunic. Then he went to Boba and gave him a crushing hug, murmuring soft words.

The Jedi Council collectively winced as they drew out of Obi-Wan’s mind. Master Dooku stared at the ground, mouth working silently. Master Sifo-Dyas looked a little green like he had been sickened by something. Master Kina Ha and Master Fay gave each other a long look.

Obi-Wan blinked, shaking his head. “Boba... I’m sorry. I should have warned you about the mind scan. I-.”

“Are you one of them?” Boba asked sharply, stepping closer to Obi-Wan and Shmi, watching Master Kina Ha with cool black eyes.

Master Kina Ha watched him back, pale head tilted slightly. She didn’t move a muscle. “No,” She calmly replied. “I’m not one of the scientists. I am a Jedi.”

“That title doesn’t mean much to me, I’m afraid. How do I know you’re not going to pull some sort of osik?” Boba said flatly.

She regarded him for a moment before continuing. “I am also a creation of Kaminoan scientists. I can sympathize with your discomfort.”

Boba’s mouth drew into a hard thin line but he turned away to look at Obi-Wan, gaze softening. “I forgot to put the shields up. I’m at fault as well. But even if they were up, we both know I’m not going to react pleasantly. That’s why Shmi and you are here, to help this go smoothly as it can.”

Master Fay frowned. “That memory of yours... I presume that was your family we saw?”

“Lek. I’m going to rescue them from the dar’jetti once we take care of this problem,” Boba answered. “We’ve tried everything but this.”

Master Yaddle hummed thoughtfully. “Reasonable, you wish to be. The same, we shall act. Troubled, are you Master Windu?”

Master Windu watched them carefully, fingers steepled. "He's a walking shatterpoint." 

Obi-Wan winced sympathetically. Shatterpoints always gave Master Windu awful headaches. 

Boba flinched at Master Windu's name. He quickly turned to face Master Windu, hands balling into fists. Shmi moved to place a hand on Boba’s elbow. They remained like that for a moment, then Boba edged himself in front of Obi-Wan and Shmi protectively.

Master Windu frowned, jaw tightening. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You are the Jetti that killed my buir in the other timeline." Boba said slowly.

A longer, drawn out period of silence came after that. Boba's jaw tensed and his hands trembled.

"Make a move at my buir and I’ll stop you,” Boba threatened. “Even if he provokes it first.”

“You won’t kill him?” Master Qui-Gon asked quietly.

Master Yaddle raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

Boba’s mouth twisted into a grimace. “Provoking me for a reaction isn’t going to help, Jetti.”

Master Qui-Gon crossed his arms together, clearly uncomfortable.

“Master Windu,” Obi-Wan started.

Boba wasn’t finished. “Two reasons why I won’t. Obi-Wan considers him to be a good friend, and we need all of the Jetti’s help. So are you going to kriffing help or not?”

“...Yan? What’s wrong?” Master Sifo-Dyas asked, voice nervous.

Obi-Wan’s breath caught in his throat once he turned to look at Master Dooku. His expression was some horrifying mix of outright shock and guilt.

Boba followed Obi-Wan’s gaze and stiffened. His black eyes went ice cold. “You.”

Master Dooku stared back at Boba, something in his dark eyes flickering. “He said... he said that you weren’t... you all weren’t going to be... you aren’t supposed to be sentient! Sidious said!”

Boba lunged at him, his buy’ce dropping onto the floor.

Obi-Wan and Shmi grabbed at him, trying to stop him. Tried, because not only was Boba stronger, he was faster.

Thankfully, Munin and Kal shoved themselves in between Master Dooku and Boba before something happened. Master Sifo-Dyas and Master Qui-Gon dragged Master Dooku backward. The rest of the Jedi Council remained where they were, observing the situation.

“Master Dooku is... Darth Tyranus?” Obi-Wan's jaw dropped, shocked. “How? Why? And who’s this Sidious?”

“Who said, Master? Who told you that?” Master Qui-Gon asked, something catching in his voice.

Master Dooku gripped the edges of his cloak, hands shaking. “My friend, he... he claimed... he said that this must be done!”

Master Dooku looked at Master Sifo-Dyas, fear in his dark eyes. “Your friend said the same thing! Didn’t he?”

Master Sifo-Dyas looked like he was about to be sick. “They were wrong. He was wrong. Plagueis was wrong. You, you shouldn’t have... I shouldn’t have... Force, what have we done?”

Master Qui-Gon placed a shaky hand on both of their shoulders, looking helplessly at his fellow Jedi. “What’s going on?”

“Something that we should have noticed, it would seem.” Master Fay bowed her head sadly.

“He’s a kriffing dar’jetti. That man, he’s a dar’jetti and he’s a demagolka, why is he sitting among the rest of you? Are you that blind? No wonder none of you noticed that my vod were Force-sensitive.” Boba hissed, still trying to reach Master Dooku.

Master Windu shook his head. “He can’t be a Darksider because he isn’t using the dark side of the Force. He hasn’t Fallen.”

“Wouldn’t hurting and enslaving my vod count as a sign that he has Fallen?” Boba sneered.

“We don't have proof. And we need proof of it. Something is going on and we will look into it,” Master Fay looked at Master Dooku and Master Sifo-Dyas sternly. “But just like we wouldn’t call you a Darksider, we can’t call him a Darksider right away. We will look into both of them and figure out what is going on, that I promise. And we will help the children, as much as we can.”

“Haar’chak! He doesn’t get to just walk away!” Boba snarled.

An armored hand placed itself on Boba’s shoulder. Boba stopped fighting and slowly turned to look at the owner.

He was greeted by the face of Pre Vizsla. Pre Vizsla watched him steadily and Boba stared back.

“You think that he’ll run.” Pre Vizsla said.

“Dar’jetti are hut’tuuns. If he gets the chance, he’ll run,” Boba scowled at him. “Are you planning to do something about it?”

Pre Vizsla tilted his head at Boba. Obi-Wan held his breath, well aware of the tensions running through the Mando’ade. Adoni moved closer as well, keeping an eye on things.

“If it is appropriate to the Jetti, I can make sure that he doesn’t.” Pre Vizsla offered coolly.

In that moment, Obi-Wan could see what Boba's declaration had done.

Every Mando'ade had labeled Master Dooku as an enemy. You could tell with their body language, the way every head was turned to stare at them. Every Mandalorain looked at him and saw one of the people that had been hurting their adiik. One of the people sending horrible monsters to attack them.

In this moment, they were banded together against the dar'jetti. 

Boba looks him in the eye. Then he nods brusquely.  

Master Yaddle gazed at them, her long green ears twitching. Then she sighs. “Acceptable, it is.”

Master Yaddle looked at Master Fay, and Padawan Aayla sadly. “Help the children, we can.”

Master Yaddle looked at Master Qui-Gon, Master Kina Ha, and Quinlan. “Talk to Master Dooku, you shall.”

And then she looked at Obi-Wan, her wrinkled face twisting into a grimace. “Destroy the Darksiders, we must. Your help, we will require it. Our eyes, our thoughts, our feelings, clouded by something, I think. See clearly, you do. Master Windu, aid you, he can.”

Obi-Wan pressed his lips together and nodded shortly. “Let’s get started then. First with the children. We are going to help all of them. Then we will hunt down these Darksiders.”