Archive of Our Own

The first thing Jaster did was write some comms. 

Vau,

Attached is a chain code of a six year old, near Human, boy-child slave on Nal Hutta to whom I owe a life debt. Their name is Jon Antilles. Grab them gently; a Stars-ordained older version of them just saved my life. They may be your foundling, but that is my new child.

Mereel

To Fay of Vizsla, from Jaster of Mereel, also known as Mand’alor the Reformer, greetings.

It has come to my attention through the time-travelling efforts of two Master Jedi, that soon enough, in another life, you would adopt a young adult into your clan, as your child. I understand his future teacher and not-parent is known to you: An’ya Kuro. As a life debt is owed in this instance, I refuse to allow this child to be found and raised by a dark Jedi. If you wish to co-parent the child, I am willing to consider the possibility. As he was time-travelling with another, he is very strongly star-touched and could use your help.

I’ll also be exploring some ancient Adept temples with him, as he is determined to remain powerful and well-educated, even without his teacher’s particular training. He did look quite thrilled at the hope of being raised by you earlier, if that helps your decision making process.

I am based out of Keldabe on Mandalore, though travelling and injured at present. I have sent a warrior to fetch the child. You are welcome to join me at any time, or respond to this communication. I hope you will heed the call of the Stars and come to the aid of this child. Children are the future, after all.

To Master Healer Vokara Che, Head of the Halls of Healing in the Jedi Temple of Coruscant, from Jaster of Mereel, of the True Mandalorian Mercenary Company, and acclaimed Mand’alor the Reformer, greetings.

I had the great honor to have my life recently saved by two Master Jedi travelling in time, and from a different time line at that. While the temporal mechanics of it are decidedly over my head, no meaningful life debt could be offered to the two travellers, who promptly left after only a little conversation and negotiation. They suggested that I could do one or two small things, however, for their younger selves.

After some negotiation amongst them concerning whether or not you had it in you to ‘yell at Yodah’ they have agreed that one of my preferred courses of action would be to write to you. They have provided me with this comm code.

I understand that young four year old Obi-Wan Kenobi has visions. Yodah is suppressing them, somehow. Could you please yell at him to stop that?

For my own part, in my culture, Seers are revered, and so I would be very curious indeed to know exactly what sort of visions a four year old has, and why it is believed they must be suppressed. Such a thing is anathema to me, but I am interested in understanding better young Kenobi’s culture.

I do understand, from Master Kenobi, that it is quite physically troubling to have a Vision, and he has pointed out that ancient sources (I would love to read those ancient sources, if you have access to them and wouldn’t mind sharing) indicate that some measure of beskar diminishes the troubling effects without entirely removing access to the Vision itself.

After some consideration, I think that some lengths of armorweave might suit the purpose. It is not a comfortable material to have on the skin, but a large length of it could go beneath the bottom sheet and another above the blanket for use in the night, and another length or two could go toward making whatever manner of outer garment is used most for children of his age? I would, of course, be most willing to continue to provide such outer garments for him as he grows. Only send me the specifications of his size and the type of garment that is ideal, and I will send it to our artisans.

I do not know who this Yodah is that he should be interfering to such a degree with a youngling, but I have a very bad feeling about it, and the only times I ignore my bad feelings are to my detriment.

Still, I have a very large debt of gratitude to pay to Master Kenobi and his companion, and so I hope you will yell at Yodah as much as necessary, and more particularly, keep the man away from little Obi-Wan, who doesn’t deserve such selfish meddling. He only wants proper care, and between us, I believe we can give it to him.

I look forward to our future communications.

To Master Jedi Plo Koon, from Mand’alor Jaster Mereel, greetings.

I have recently been in contact with some extremely helpful Jedi Masters and, indeed, I owe them both life debts for the services they have rendered. As payment to them was impossible, they have implored me to pay it forward instead, and I am doing so, now.

They also gave me your comm code, sir.

I have been asked to implore you to take on a padawan before you go on sabbatical. As the Jedi in question was, I believe, your student but only after a disastrous first apprenticeship, I believe the time traveller was telling me to tell you to take him on earlier. I understand he’s a very adorable four year old seer, right now. Obi-Wan Kenobi. You turn him out into a very fine Jedi Master. I hope you will do it sooner, rather than later, for his sake.

I hope you will also join Master Healer Vokara Che in yelling at Yodah, who is suppressing his visions in a wholesale way. For my own part, I hope you will just remove Yodah entirely from young Obi-Wan’s sphere. How early is it allowed to take on apprentices? Certainly not four, I do understand that, but perhaps such a talented and precocious child (he was the one who figured out the time travel, I understand) needs extra tutelage, earlier?

To that end, and others, I have been given a dataclip to give to you. As a courier would take more time than perhaps we would wish at present, I have taken the liberty to download the present files and attach them to this comm. Please let me know if you have received all three of them in sufficient time.

Attachments

When Jaster came out of hyperspace in his home sector, he had comms awaiting him, as he often did. He quickly scanned through the ones from Silas, who had been watching things at home, but everything had been quiet.

Of course it had.

Montross and Vizsla had been focusing on his downfall on Korda VI.

He sighed, but smiled to see that he had other comms waiting for his attention, too. He nodded at Jango and let his little warrior read them over his shoulder.

‘Alor,

I have the child. They stabbed me in the thigh. Are you sure I can’t adopt them? They say they want to go to the Jedi Temple because they’ll give them ice cream. Mird adores them. I really want to adopt them, ‘alor.

We’re stopping for ice cream on the way back. I think I should be able to adopt them.

VAU

Jaster of Mereel,

How very interesting. The Force says I should join you and co-parent with you, though to be clear, my own spouse died many years ago and I am not interested in seeking another.

I have armor, though it has been many years since I have worn it, and I believe it is still on display in the Jedi Archives. I could, I suppose, retrieve some or all of it, if you would prefer, though I am at this point a pacifist healer. I can stop people when I need to, and even kill them if I must and the Force demands it of me, but I do not do it with violence, and that is my way. I have seen enough war for a lifetime, friend. I just heal, now.

I shall make my way to Mandalore, and if you insist, we can journey together with the child to the Temple and retrieve my armor together. I’m sure they wouldn’t surrender it to a courier.

I can train the child as well, but if he is to be anything like a standard Jedi, we will need to find him a combat master. I can help him make a lightsaber, but I cannot bring myself to teach him how to use it well. Still, there are other Wandering Jedi I am acquainted with who could be persuaded to help him, if only for a time.

Does this dear child of ours have a name, Jaster of Mereel?

Fay

To Mand’alor Mereel, from Master Healer Che, greetings.

I have yelled at Yoda. Yes, he has privilege to meddle with the younglings, as he is the highest ranking Jedi of the temple, if not quite the oldest. I have also requisitioned, temporarily at least, some of the beskar that the Temple does possess, for our two Seers. This also required yelling, and some medical overrides, and the Head Archivist may never forgive me. I hope you will send the bedrolls as quickly as possible, in particular, as the visions frequently occur during the night, and I can’t imagine it is comfortable for Master Sifo-Dyas to sleep in Master Fay’s chainmail, nor little Initiate Kenobi to sleep swaddled in her armorweave outer robe.

I have included, with great hopefulness that the life debt payment might extend so far, information from the quartermaster concerning Initiate robes, Padawan robes, and Knight/Master robes. Initiate Kenobi’s size is indicated in one of the files, though Initiates don’t have outer robes, as they do not leave the Temple save for their trials. Still, some initiates run colder than others, and so an extra over vest, or open sleeveless tunic is sometimes called for, and perhaps if it had a deep hood, that might work best until the youngling passes his initiate trials. I hope you will also provide for our older Seer, Master Sifo-Dyas, in terms of an outer robe and a bedroll. His size is also indicated in one of the files.

I have not found the ancient documents you reference, but as soon as Master Sifo-Dyas is well, I will have him look them up for me, as he is currently the only Temple archivist who hasn’t banned me from their presence or their commlink. I shall share what he finds, naturally.

But fuck it. If this is what is required for patient care, then it shall be done.

Send armorweave. Yoda is approaching again.

(Last time he threatened my position. I promised to take the seers and run to Mandalore, if he made good on his threats. I don’t think it will come to that, but I thought you should be aware.)

To Mand’alor Mereel, from Master Koon, glad tidings and fond greetings!

I have received all three files and read them with interest. I have also met with Master Che and had a quiet conversation with her concerning the recent Archival Uproar.

Having meditated with the Force, I have also had some intense dialogue with Initiate Kenobi’s Crechemaster, and further meditations have been had there. And then further meetings with the Council of Reassignment. And finally, a conversation with my dear little Obi-Wan, who apparently just went on a bit of an adventure (during which time he was unaccountably missing from the creche) that involved ice cream, Master Sifo-Dyas, and a slightly older child named Jon Antilles, with the Force Presence of ‘a toasty warm fire’, who is apparently also little Obi-Wan’s new best friend. It should be said that our own Master Sifo-Dyas has never met either of the children, nor had ice cream with them. You wouldn’t happen to know where little Jon Antilles is, would you? I would like to know that he is safe and well.

I was little Obi-Wan’s finder, you know. Dreadful situation, some of our little ones end up in, with their parents conspiring to kill them. He’s really just the most beautiful little raindrop in the galaxy. And we are all quite agreed; he shall be my next padawan, when he reaches ten years of age and has passed his initiate trials, the quest our young ones take to find the kyber crystal that resonates with their soul. It is just slightly on the young side, but I shall keep a close eye on him until then, as well.

I have, indeed, told Yoda to butt out. As the Council of Reassignment has been clear on it, and in that way little Obi-Wan has already joined my lineage, I have the power to do so. It is not common to claim them so young, but it is not unheard of, either.

Also, I have discovered that Yoda did something untoward to the mind of Initiate Kenobi’s crechemaster, such that she could not adequately recall his biological needs and tried to take away his armorweave in the night. Fear not, Master Che and I are advocating for him, wrapping him in armorweave while he sleeps, plying him with fish during the day, and he is currently staying with Master Che in her quarters at night, as I am a Kel Dorian and my quarters are not oxygen-based. I am, however, getting a change in quarters so that I can share space with the dear little star when he is a bit older, and we can both breathe our own atmosphere. (The crechemaster is in the healing halls and hopes to be able to return to her creche clan soon, and Yoda is under investigation. Apparently his meddling was deep, wide, and prompted by the Sith.)

I understand you will be shortly supplying our seers with armorweave bedrolls and outer robes. Thank you, my friend!

Please do let me know if I ought to be on the look out for a little Jon Antilles.

Finally, little Obi-Wan has been drawing Mandalorians quite obsessively in the last two weeks, but he cannot remember why. I believe these have been some of the visions that Yoda suppressed in him. I have asked permission and have been gifted three drawings, two of which are unfortunately quite gruesome. I believe it is an ion cannon, in the background of the first. I am attaching full color holos of them to this message.

You wouldn’t happen to recognize that armor, would you?

The third one is not quite as gruesome as the others, but there again, Obi-Wan couldn’t explain to me the meaning of it all.

I look forward to any information you may have about Jon Antilles, and I hope you are well, my friend.

May the Force be with you.

Attachment

“Oh, shit,” Jango breathed out as Jaster opened the first attachment.

That was definitely Jaster vs. Tor & Ion Canon.

Jango’s breath shuddered with the second one.

Yup, that was a Dead Jaster Mereel, in crayon.

They both gasped a little at the third picture, the Jedi rescue rendered in a four year old’s hand.

“He saw it all,” Jango, still besotted, sighed out in wonder.

“And that Yoda person suppressed it all,” Jaster said, very slightly bitter.

“Idiot,” Jango stated.

Jaster held his son in a forehead kiss for a long moment. “I need to respond to my messages. Go share your valuable new intel of your future beloved with Myl’ika.”

But Jango was hesitating.

“What is it, child?”

“Will you adopt me?” his little feral foundling finally asked.

Jaster dropped the datapad on the table in front of him and turned to fully face his wonderful little warrior next to him in the karyai. “I know your name as my child, Jango Fett. I know your name forever as my child. Will you join my clan?”

“Yes,” was squeezed out, just after Jango bodily threw himself at Jaster.

Jaster smiled widely. “Oh, Jan’ika,” he whispered. “I know your name as my child, forever, Jango Fett of Clan Mereel. You’ve made me so happy, today.” Jaster kissed the side of his head and held him close. “Tonight, let’s have a celebration dinner, yes? You can invite Myles and his parents over, and I’ll make whatever you like.”

Jango immediately rattled off a long list of food that didn’t necessarily go together, but if that was the celebration feast he wanted, that was the celebration feast Jaster was going to make for him. His buir’s nexu chili with a side of Eggs Benedict and kimchi?

Done.

Honored Goran,

Could you arrange with the Honored Goran of Little Keldabe to have four lengths of armorweave suitable for use as bedrolls delivered to Master Healer Vokara Che, of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant? It is a partial payment of a life debt, so tell the courier to burn the sublights and we’ll give them the standard mission payment.

Armorweave helps Seers gentle their Visions, apparently.

I shall tell you all when I see you tomorrow. This one has been eventful.

Also, Jango finally let me adopt him. Will you come to the celebration dinner tonight?

Jb’M

Silas,

Excellent work.

Please let customs know that several Jedi are honored among us and have freedom of access to the Mandalore Sector, and indeed, to Keldabe Keep, if and when they ever show up.

• Fay of Vizsla.
• Plo Koon.
• Jon Antilles.
• Obi-Wan Kenobi.
• Sifo-Dyas.
• Vokara Che.

If Expert Jedi Fay of Vizsla shows up before I do, she is to stay in my apartment, as she will soon be co-parenting my newest child. Also, do we have a suite suitable for a Kel Dorian?

Jaster

Master Healer Che,

Your bedrolls will be with you very soon. I understand from Master Koon that you are also having little Obi-Wan stay with you at nights. I am glad for this, and I hope it is not inconvenient.

You are always welcome in the Mandalore Sector, and indeed if you ever needed a vacation, a sabbatical, or just an escape route, my stronghold is large and has many guest suites. You would be most welcome, and the seers would be valued and revered. It would be my honor to parent or co-parent little Obi-Wan with you and possibly his future teacher, Master Koon. As it is I have already begun gathering the child I understand from Master Koon, to be little Obi-Wan’s ‘new best friend’ (see Adventures in Time Travel and Ice Cream), and plan on adopting him and co-parenting him with Expert Jedi Healer Fay of Vizsla, whom perhaps you are acquainted with. She says she will train him, but not in lightsaber combat, so we will need to find a different teacher for that. Perhaps yourself, or Master Koon might be available, if you, too, are a pacifist healer?

I also have gotten on the bad side of the Head of the Jedi Archives, though I’m not sure how I did it. (I was just doing research for an academic article that then turned into a somewhat longer work, and I had to continue on without the otherwise publicly held resources of the Jedi Archives, and though it has been decades, I’m still a bit annoyed by it.) I am certain, however, that Fay of Vizsla will not be upset to hear that her steel skin has had such noble purpose as to protect Seers in the night watches. Perhaps we shall meet all the same, as Fay has agreed to reclaim her armor with me and the child, if we are willing to travel to the Temple to get it. Of course, we shall not go until the armorweave robes are ready for delivery. I shall let you know when that is.

Do let me know when the bedrolls arrive, and if they are sufficient for the use of the Seers, yes?

Jaster Mereel

Master Koon,

Have no fear for little Jon Antilles. We got his chaincode before he left, and so he has already been retrieved and is enroute to Mandalore. He was unfree, on Nal Hutta, but we have very good mind healers specifically trained for such things for all ages, and we will certainly pair him with a good one.

He also recalls Ice Cream at the Jedi Temple quite fondly. I anticipate coming to the Temple within the month, as soon as we can settle little Jon with us, and his new co-parent, the Jedi Healer Fay of Vizsla. (Are you acquainted with her at all?) She says she will train Jon, but not in combat, so we must find someone to teach him the ways of the lightsaber. We have no interest in leaving him at the Temple, but do you suppose you might be interested in taking on an additional combat student, perhaps? (We could sometimes visit you, you and your padawan could sometimes visit us?) We must drop off some armorweave for little Obi-Wan, and the Archivist Sifo-Dyas as well, and pick up Fay’s sacred armor, some of which I understand is currently wrapped around Seers and other bits of which are still on display at the Archives, but perhaps we could have time for ice cream and a discussion of possibilities?

Certainly, if we do not have a Kel Dorian suite in my stronghold upon my return, I shall have one constructed forthwith.

Did you know there is a Jedi Temple on Mandalore? It’s just outside of Keldabe. You should come inspect it, and see if it is still quite habitable.

Now, to the colored pictures of dear, sweet little Initiate Kenobi. It seems he saw my death at the hands of my honorless rival and noted terrorist, Tor Vizsla, as well as my rescue by time travelling Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jon Antilles. The elder Obi-Wan is the one in full armor with mis-matched greaves and a blue lightsaber. The elder Jon wore only a rather elaborate gorget, but then, his voice was wrecked, and Master Kenobi said he was only careless with his throat and otherwise needed no armor. (They cut the ion cannon to ribbons. Lightsabers are quite handy, aren’t they?)

While I understand that in this timeline, little Obi-Wan may not grow up to be a Mandalorian, as he clearly was in at least one other successful and happy version, I would like to offer an open invitation for him to become one at any point in time, should he wish it. Indeed, anyone can become Mandalorian by taking the oath to an Armorer, a Clan Head, or myself, and little Jon will clearly be the third Mandalorian Jedi in this timeline, but perhaps not the last.

We have no Force Sensitive Tradition of our own here on Mandalore, which I think is a shame, as we do have Stars-touched children, and even full Adepts, but the training they get at Jedha seems more like a bacta patch to keep them from hurting others, rather than a full, integrated training that deeply honors the Mandalorian Culture, as well as the abilities and talents of which Adepts are capable.

I am glad you received the data that Master Kenobi wished you to have, and I am relieved that you have sufficiently protected his younger self from this Yoda person. Forgive me for my ignorance, but is it the crechemaster who is considered his parent, or you, now that you have taken him into your lineage, if not your home? (I am glad to hear you are having a new one constructed or reconstructed to make room for the little dear. If the worst comes to it and Master Che has to grab him and Sifo-Dyas and run, I do hope you will shortly come after. If only for a visit to improve relations between the Sector and the Order.)

When I am home and settled, and before I leave on a duty-bound mission of mercy to the Temple, I hope you will consent to a family-to-family comm between us so that our little ones may say hello and be reassured that all is well, and too, we may meet.

May the Stars guide your path, my friend,
Jaster Mereel

Vau,

No.

Mereel

CALENDAR ADD-ON MESSAGE: Fay of Vizsla’s Arrival, is TODAY in FOUR HOURS.

‘Alor - the transport landed in Sundari with the co-parenting Jedi. We’re sending a warrior out to get them. ETA in Keldabe is 6pm. Will show them to your apartment, unless you’ll be elsewhere. We’ll get a location on you at the time. No Kel Dor suite yet. One in progress.

‘Alor,

Fine. 

I’m giving the child one of Mird’s next litter, though, so get used to the idea. I’ve already told them and they’re already thrilled. Can’t break a promise to a child, ‘alor. I’ll train the pup, and teach the little one how to be with it.

I will be ba’vodu to this child, Mereel. I will.

VAU

Vau,

No strill is setting even one of its six paws in my apartment without being enzyme-clean and fresh. Weekly baths, Vau. For the pup, too. That’s your responsibility. No excuses, or no ba’vodu rights.

If you’re back in time and can bathe the strill in time, you may come to dinner tonight. We celebrate Jango’s adoption. Let me know so I can have meat for the strill.

Mereel

‘Alor,

We’ll be there in time.

Lord Mirdalan prefers twenty ounces of raw nexu, if available. They are pregnant, after all, and eating for seven.

Jon Antilles prefers ice cream to anything else that could be had. So far he likes chocolate, meiloorun, sweet nut, green nut, and palm nut.

Ba’vodu Walon

Mand’alor,

It is done, and a courier will be dispatched to the Jedi Temple from Little Keldabe within the hour. The stores of armorweave were available, and I will replenish them from our own with the next courier out to Coruscant.

I would be pleased to join you for dinner, and I am very happy that Jango has joined the Clan, at last. Now we are three!

Goran be Mereel

Jaster cleared his schedule for the next three days and marked it ‘new child settling in, dire emergencies only’. He checked his chronometer. It was four. His field healing was doing well, but if he let his medic at the Keep look at him before he showered and went to get groceries, that would probably be best.

And hell, he probably needed a chair for the next little while. He could walk, but standing for any length of time, and walking for any length of time was going to be a little out of reach for a few months. For cooking, definitely, he was going to need a hover chair.

Mij,

Field healing is going well. All the same, meet me at the front of the Keep when I return, with a hover chair? It’ll be a few months before I can go without it. I think I’ll need some accessibility steps for karyaisse as well. Three, as I also have a new small child to co-parent. We can do a quick check as I arrive before I unpack.

Jaster

Jaster was concerned, slightly, that meeting his new child while in a hover chair was going to somehow be… a detriment. He was not at all prepared for the child’s eyes to light up, and immediately ask to ride in the chair with him.

He was still cooking.

Fay of Vizsla was due to arrive in moments.

Vau had already bowed out, as he had a strill to bathe.

Obviously Jaster said yes.

Little Jon Antilles climbed up the side of the chair quite nimbly and made himself comfortable.

“You feel nice. Your Force Presence is like a warm cozy pool of water, but with bubbles!” his little one announced in Huttese as Jango came back out from his room after his shower with his embroidered tunic and trousers, and vambraces. (And his fuzzy blue purrgil slippers that he refused to admit to Myles he still wore.)

“That sounds really nice,” Jaster said in Huttese, and then again in Mando’a. He turned the stove off, as he could get back to the chili in just a minute, and hovered out to meet Jango.

“Jon, this is your older sibling, Jango,” he said, in both languages.

Jon waved with one hand while his other tiny hand explored Jaster’s left vambrace. “Hi, Jango!” he said, in Huttese.

“Hi, Jon,” Jango said with a smile, and also in Huttese. Then he said it in Mando’a. Not that Jango knew much Huttese, but he could manage hello.

“What’s this?” Jon asked, tapping, tapping, tapping on his vambrace, but not near anything critical.

Jango got enthusiastic and started answering in Mando’a and Jaster waved him over so he could go back to cooking, with a small child on his lap, in a hover chair, while also translating into Huttese.

After vambraces, Jon wanted to know what he was making, what the tools were called, and what he should call Jaster.

Then it was explained that Jaster would like to adopt Jon, just like Jaster adopted Jango, which would make Jaster his parent. He could be called ‘Buir’ or ‘Jas’buir’.

And then Jaster explained that a Jedi would also like to adopt him, and they would raise Jon together.

“A Jedi like Mas’See? He was in a chair, too, and he gave me ice cream with my friend Obi-Wan, the pretty nebula. He sounds like this when he laughs,” Jon said, making Jaster’s beskar vambrace ring when he hit it with his fingernail. “Do you have ice cream?”

Jaster grinned. “Yes, a Jedi like Sifo-Dyas. And we do have ice cream. We can eat some after latemeal tonight. Little Obi-Wan sounds like beskar, like this?” Jaster asked, confused, but hitting his vambrace with his durasteel cooking tool and letting it ring.

Jon’s eyes went wide and he nodded, and smiled.

“Is… Is that his Force Presence?”

Jon nodded again.

“Fascinating.” Jaster unthinkingly leaned in and kissed the side of the child’s head, then started explaining that tonight was the celebration for Jango being adopted, and tomorrow night, they could celebrate Jon being adopted, and since Jango decided what to eat tonight, Jon could decide what to eat tomorrow.

“Ice cream!” Jon said, throwing his hands up and giggling.

“I knew that was coming,” Jaster said in Mando’a, smiling.

Then the door chime rang.

“I’ll get it,” Jango said, walking away.

“That might be Jedi Expert Fay of Vizsla! Remember to be polite!” Jaster called over his shoulder as he chopped up the onions that were going to go in the chili. He did this with a child now standing on his legs to look over his shoulder.

“She’s pretty. And she has long white hair. And a nice smile. And long ears that stick out. And her Force Presence is like cool water, but I still like it, even though it’s colder than yours. It’s not too cold,” Jon whispered his intel into Jaster’s ear. His arms were around Jaster’s neck and Jaster was pretty fucking content with life, to be honest. 

He’d gotten Jango when Jango was nine, and justifiably angry at life. He’d entirely missed his cuddly stage, and cuddles had come much later, and been a harder sell with his oldest child.

Jon was cuddly from the get-go, and Jaster was here for it.

“A Mand’alor who will cook for me. Hmm,” a kind, sweet voice said in Mando’a. “I see the Mand’alor’s apartments haven’t changed much in a thousand years. It is good to be home, Jaster of Mereel. Thank you for inviting me to co-parent with you.”

He turned off the stove again with a smile. Dinner might be just slightly late, but he didn’t imagine anyone would mind, particularly if he broke out the netra’gal.

Or wine. Did he have wine? He had wine. Somewhere. Fay and Illipi might like that, and might know how to open the damn thing.

Anyway, it was time to meet his ancient co-parent and see if she was remotely willing to take over as Clan Head of Vizsla.

He had a good feeling about this.