Reading Time: 67 Minutes
Title: To Hold Infinity
Author: Belvella
Fandom: Star Wars, The Mandalorian
Genre: Action Adventure, Dimension Travel, Pre-Relationship, Time Travel
Relationship(s): Din Djarin/Jaster Mereel, Boba Fett/Fennec Shand, Paz Vizsla/OFC
Content Rating: R
Warnings: Major Character Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence-Graphic, Violence-Against Children/Child Abuse, Discussion of rape, murder
Word Count: 108,363
Summary: In a galaxy far far away. All hope was abandoned with the fall to the Darkside of Rey Skywalker and the rise of the First Order. With the defeat of the rebellion and the execution of Mon Mothma by Kylo Ren all hope seemed lost… A Witch’s desperate attempt at a forbidden spell. A heartbroken fathers despair and conviction to do what ever it takes to avenged his loved ones. An interruption at a critical moment gives a dying Force a chance to correct some wrongs and save the galaxy.
Artist: Tpena19
Prologue
45ABY
Din Djarin ducked under a low hanging stalactite and turned back to raise the torch higher to light the way for Merrin. The air in the dark cave was thick and stale and reeked of death. The despair, sorrow and echo’s of the genocide of Dathomir flickered in the corners of Din Djarin’s eyes.
They have been travelling deeper and deeper into the dark cave system for the last few hours. “How much farther do we have to go?” He asked the Dathomirian Nightsister.
Merrin huffed as she came to a stop next to him. “We should not be far now from the ritual chamber.” She answered as she took a deep breath. “How far behind us do you think they are?” She questioned as she moved past him to head deeper into the darkness.
“Boba should have managed to buy us at least half a day.” Din swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment to hold back the tears. Boba had bought them the time to flee Tatooine by sacrificing himself. “Nu kyr’adyc, shi taab’echaaj’la, Not dead merely marching far away” Merrin whispered. Din nodded. “He and Fen is probably shouting at us to get our asses moving from the Ka’ra”
Taking the torch from Din Merrin gave a few more steps and turned to the left and lighted something on the floor. The fire raced in a large circle around the floor and when it reached her again the flames turned an emerald green. Rubbing her back as she straightened, “I am getting too old for this.”
Din snorted. “You and me both, I never once in my life thought I would be running guerrilla warfare in my seventies.” He lowered the pack he was carrying to the floor and knelt down beside it.
“I want to say no one saw this coming but we both know that that would be a lie,” The Dathomirian witch sighed.
Din merely huffed. “The senate had been warned repeatedly, but they were just as corrupt as the Old Republic and so many Imperial loyalists had bought positions of power that they were so compromised it took barely any effort to squash the fledgling rebellion” He sighed and opened the pack. “What do you need to do this?” he enquired as he looked at the assortment of crystals, metal ingots and stone blades in the bag.
“Frankly I have no idea,” Merrin laughed slightly hysterically, “This has never been done.” She knelt next to Din and started to pull the kyber crystals out of the bag. Getting back up she started to walk in a clockwise direction placing a crystal every few steps. “Do the same going anti clock wise.” She stated.
“So you have no idea if this is going to work at all.” Din stated as he rose to follow her instructions. “Din, I am going to attempt to rip your soul out of your body and then tear a hole in space and time and stuff your older soul with all your memories back into your younger self. I am making this up as we go and I am basing a lot of this on bits and pieces of both Sith and Dathomirian lore I had scavenged from all over the galaxy.” She stopped and turned to him as he placed the last crystal and stepped up next to her.
“Hi, hi. Take a deep breath.” The grey haired warrior stated as he took hold of her hands. “I know this is a long shot. I know there is a very good chance that it will fail, but we have reached the point where all we can do is try and hope for the best.”
Merrin nodded. Taking the darksaber from Din’s belt she handed it to him. “I am going to use the point where you first came in contact with the darksaber as the anchor point for the backward push. That should give you enough time to shore up Mandalore, warn Leia about Snoke and find Rey and make sure that she does not fall.” Din nodded “And you?” he asked.
Merrin reached out and touched Din’s cheek. “You have to go alone, Mando. This is a one person ride.” Holding her hand to his cheek, “What must I do for you when I reach the past?”
“Protect Cal. That is all I ask.” She said sorrow and hope staining her voice. Din laughed wetly. “I will make sure that bantha-headed di’kut stays alive and I will remind him how lucky he is to have a riduur like you.”
Stepping away Merrin pointed at the center of the circle. “Stand there please. And Din, once we start we cannot stop. No matter what happens do not move.” Din nodded and took his place. Taking a deep breath he lit the darksaber and held it in front of him. “See you on the other side.” He said as a goodbye. Merrin nodded and took a deep breath and using the stone blade she picked up earlier slit both her wrists. As the first drops of blood touched the ground she started to chant.
Din had no idea what she was saying, her voice had taken on a haunting otherworldly quality echoing through the cavern. The green fire suddenly flared and arched up forming a dome of dark green flames over him. He started as he felt something tug at his very soul. The tugging became stronger and stronger.
He started to hear other female voices, chanting in unison with Merrin and in the flickering of the flames he felt that he saw women dressed in red robes. Before he could decide if he was really seeing them or if he was imagining it he heard the running of boots. He tried to shout but realised he couldn’t. He couldn’t talk, he couldn’t move, he was frozen, but at the same time he could also feel his body start to fade into nothingness.
He couldn’t even gasp as he saw a troop of storm troopers rushing into the cavern followed by Rey and Kylo Ren. Both dressed in black robes with their red lightsabers already lit. “My my little witch, whatever are you trying to accomplish here?” Kylo purred as he stalked around the dome of fire towards Merrin.
“Where is the Mandalorion?” Rey demanded as she strutted around the other side of the dome. The two of them cornering Merrin in the middle. Din realised that they could not see him and Merrin was so far into the spell that she was unaware of them. He felt cold as he realised he could do nothing to interfere or even warn her of what was coming. He could only watch in horror as Rey lifted her lightsaber and beheaded Merrin in one fell swoop. His last thought before his world exploded into darkness was that they had failed.
****
He was floating in pale golden light and every now and then a little sparkle would burst into view in a flash of colour before fading to the soft golden glow again. He tried to remember where he was or even how he got there. Was he dead? “Mmm not quite dead but not alive either” a soft voice echoed through the light.
He tried to turn his head only to start spinning and then he was falling, falling, falling through the stars. He had no idea how long he fell before he slowed and came to land on his feet.
He turned and tried to see where he was. All around him the galaxy was spread out like some sort of holo map. At his feet dark water filled with bioluminescence lapped in soft waves. “Where am I?” He startled at the sound of his voice. He sounded young, far younger than his 72 years of age. Holding his hands up to his face he noticed that they appeared those of a young man. Gone were the gnarled knuckles and wrinkled skin.
“You are everywhere and nowhere. The beginning and the end.” The same voice from earlier replied. He spun around trying to find the person that spoke.
“Show yourself!” He shouted. “So demanding,” the voice sighed. The bioluminescence seemed to pull together and flowed into a humanoid form. “Is this better?” the glowing being enquired. “Where am I?” He demanded again. The form dimmed in a sigh, “As stated before, you are everywhere and nowhere.” Waving a hand slowly at the surroundings. “This is the beginning and the end. Here we are outside of time and space.”
“How did I get here? What am I doing here?” He demanded again. The being tilted its head. “Do you not remember?” He stopped and considered, “Merrin” he murmured softly “The spell! We were interrupted before she could complete the spell.”
The being nodded. “Yes and because she was interrupted before the spell was completed your soul was ripped from your body and cast into the space between spaces. That is where I found you.”
He breathed deeply. “Why? Why have you bought me here” He swung an arm to indicate their surroundings. “What do you want from me?” The being dimmed before growing brighter again. Like the ebb and flow of an ocean tide.
“Tell me Din Djarin,” Din Djarin that was his name. How could he have forgotten his own name? “What would you give to save your aliit?”
“Everything” Din breathed. “I would give anything.” The entity hummed. “Well then, let’s see what your everything is.” It waved a hand and he was falling into darkness again.
This time when he came to he was laying in a bed, covered in soft warm blankets. He slowly opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. He was in a room in what appeared to be a wooden cottage.
A small green being with long ears and auburn hair was seated in a chair across the room next to a fireplace that had a teapot happily bubbling away on the fire. She was of the same species as Grogu, Din wrecked his brain trying to figure out why she appeared so familiar. “Master Yaddle?” He asked hesitantly. “Mmm finally awake are you?” She asked as she used a poker to stoke the fire.
“I am pretty sure you are dead.” He stated, as he sat upright in bed. Looking down at himself he noticed he was wearing a soft tunic and sleep pants in undyed cloth.
“So I am.” The little green master nodded as she poured a cup of tea. “Shig?” She asked, holding up the cup. Feeling completely bewildered. Din nodded, “Gedet’ye. Ah yes please.” With a chuckle Yaddle lifted and pushed the cup across the room. Din looked at the floating cup before carefully taking hold of it. “Vor’e” he thanked her. “No debt.” Yaddle replied as she settled back in the chair with her own cup.
Taking a swallow of the shig, Din closed his eyes. It tasted just like the shig the Armourer would make when he was still a child. Still keeping his eyes closed and breathing in the fragrant steam, “So am I also dead?” Din enquired. “Mmmm, different your circumstances are.” Yaddle replied. Din opened his eyes and turned his head to look around the room. “How are my circumstances different?”
“Question you were asked. Answer you gave. Now teach you I will.” She answered as she put her cup down on the table next to her chair. “Teach me what exactly?”
“Why, how to use the Force of course.” She cackled.
Din stared at her. He closed his eyes slowly and counted till ten before opening them again. “Master Yaddle, I am not force sensitive.”
“Dead I am.” She shrugged. “Here you are. Here all is possible.” Getting up from the chair she jumped down. Waving at the door, “Come come, training we start now.” Standing up from the bed, Din Djarin wondered what he had gotten himself into this time.
****
Time had no meaning here in this place between places, this time that was both beginning and end. Din had no idea how long he had been training before he woke one moment again in that place where the sky was the galaxy and the floor was a dark ocean full of floating lights.
He waited, listening to the song of the force that he could now clearly hear for a moment before turning to the glowing being waiting for him. He bowed his head in greeting. He was beginning to suspect who this entity truly was.
“Tell me Din Djarin, what would you give to save your aliit?” the question came. “All that I am and all that I have.” He replied. The being turned and waved a hand, out of the darkness two lights appeared when they grew closer he could make out a person in each light. “Boba, Fennec!” He shouted as they joined him. “Tell me Din Djarin, Will you give up your vode?” A sob tore through his chest.
“Will they live and be free?” He begged. “If I say yes?” the being asked. “If they live and are free and safe then I will give them up.” the being nodded, and with a wave of its hand he fell into darkness again.
There was a knee pressing very uncomfortably into his back. And someone was drooling on his leg. He struggled to get up and to rid the last vestiges of sleep from his mind. When he finally managed to open his eyes he gasped. Snuggled up in the small bed with him was Boba and Fennec. It was Fennec’s knee pressing into his back and Boba was using his thigh as a pillow. Shaking both of them awake he failed to see Yaddle in the chair she normally waited in the mornings.
Fennec came awake with a shout which woke Boba who came upright ready to fight, toppling the three of them off the bed onto the floor. All three froze as they became aware of Yaddle’s cackling, “Good, good, awake you are. Now training we can continue.” She stated as she jumped down from her chair and headed out the door.
Boba managed to untangle himself from the knot of limbs that was Fennec and Din, “Djarin as glad as I am to see you and Fen, you better have an excellent explanation for all this,” he waved at the room, “because I am pretty sure that Fennec has been dead for the better part of 5 years. And I distinctly remember blowing myself up with my ship to buy you and Merrin time to escape Tatooine.”
Rolling off the still prone assassin, Din sat upright. Rubbing a hand over his too young face he sighed. “Your guess is as good as mine.” Fennec pushed herself into a sitting position and pulled on Boba’s trousers to get him to sit down next to her. Boba sighed and settled cross leg next to Fennec and immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He pushed his face into her long dark hair. “I have missed you so much.” he whispered.
Taking his other hand in hers Fennec just smiled, before turning back to Din. “So Mando, what have the two of you been up to without little old me?”
Leaning back against the bed, Din tipped his head up and spoke to the rafters. “After you were killed in the ambush on Coruscant, Boba and I managed to extract Merrin and the force-sensitive children the First Order was holding prisoner. Cal Ketis stayed behind as a diversion while the three of us managed to evacuate with the ade. He managed to lead them on a five month chase across the Outer Rim while we hid the children on different worlds with several trustworthy groups.” He took a deep breath. “He was cornered on Typhon and was killed by Rey.”
“After that we spent five years leading the dying rebellion in a guerilla war against the First Order, but it was a losing battle.” Boba took over explaining, “By the end most of the non-human races had been exterminated and there were no free worlds left.”
“Merrin.” Din choke on her name. “Merrin came up with a plan to use the Force vergence on Dathomir and the spirits of the murdered Night Sisters to send our memories back in time to before the rise of the First Order, but we…” He trailed off.
“We were betrayed.” Boba stated bluntly. Fennec turned to look at Boba. “Who?” she demanded. Din huffed and answered before Boba could. “Korkie Kryze.” Snapping round to look at Din, she gaped. “Bo-Katan’s nephew?”
“The one and only.” Din acknowledged. “We got trapped on Tatooine. That is where this dinii,” he pointed at Boba, “pulled a jare move and got himself and Kylo Ren’s flag ship blown up.” Rubbing a hand over his eyes tiredly he slumped down. “It bought me and Merrin enough time to escape and head to Dathomir. When we got there we started the ritual but they found us before it could be completed. I watched Rey behead Merrin and the next thing I know I am in this strange place being asked what I would give to save my aliit.”
Sitting back up he looked at the two beings he considered his brother and sister. “I have no idea what is happening. But after I said that I would give everything I have to save my family, I ended up here. I have been learning how to use the Force.”
Tilting her head Fennec frowned, “Since when are you Force sensitive?” she asked. “Well apparently ever since I am sort of dead.” Din shrugged.
Sticking her head back through the door drawing their attention Yaddle called “Come, come. Enough catching up. Training now!” Turning back to look at Din, Boba raised an eyebrow, “Does she mean us as well.”
“Yes yes all of you, behind in training you are. Much catching up to do!” The little green Jedi master shouted as she disappeared out the door again.
Getting to his feet Din held out his hands to help Fen and Boba off the floor. “I have to say Vod the hair looks good on you.” he stated as he pulled them up “Thanks, wait, what. Since when do I have my hair back?”
****
Din was getting really tired of all of a sudden waking up in this strange galaxy holo and ocean filled space. “Tell me Din Djarin, what would you sacrifice to save your aliit?” The glowing form of the personification of the Force asked once more.
“Everything that is mine to give.” Din stated as he looked at the being. “Would you give up being Mandalorian?” Din swallowed and closed his eyes. His chest was tight at the thought. “If it means that Mandalore and the Mando’ade are spared their slaughter, then yes I will give up being Mandalorian.” The entity tilted its head and nodded and Din fell back into darkness.
“Ke’sush! Verd!” a loud shout woke the three sleeping tangled together on the too small bed. “Dank Ferrik.” Din groused as the three of them ended back on the ground in a tangle. Getting free of his companions he stood up to see a Mandalorian with an open T-visor helmet. He recognised the warrior immediately. In the years after reclaiming Mandalore before the rise of the First Order several sculptures of the only Mandalorian Jedi had been recovered. Slapping his fist to his heart, Din bowed his head. “Mand’alor Vizla.” He breathed respectfully. The name drew Boba and Fennec’s attention. Boba breathed deeply and Fen stilled.
The ancient warrior nodded and turned “Come Verd. I will teach you how to fight using a kad’au while in proper armour.” The three friends shared a look before rushing to follow the legendary Mand’alor.
“I’m dead!” Fennec stated from where she laid on her back on the floor of the training salle where they had been practising lightsaber forms. “You don’t say.” Boba snarked back from where he was standing bent over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. “No. no. You don’t understand.” The prone assassin said as she lazily waved a hand. “I am DEAD. So why in the Siths hells am I bruised and aching?”
Pushing himself to stand upright Boba walked over to her. “Let me know when you figured it out, because I have the same question.” He sighed as he collapsed into a seated potion next to her. Turning to look at where Din and Vizla were still going he shook his head. “Also try to figure out how Mando over there is still going.”
“Probably shear hard headedness.” The lazy reply came. Rolling onto her stomach she rested her chin on her folded arms. “How long do you think we have been here?” She asked as they continued watching the warriors fight.
“Weeks, months, years” Boba shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t think time has any real meaning here.” Fennec hummed. “I think we are getting close.” she stated. Tugging lightly on her braid Boba asked “Close to what?”
Pushing herself into a seated position, “To Din leaving for whatever the Force has planned. He is trained in both lightsaber combat and in using the Force. You heard what Master Yaddle said earlier that if Din was a Jedi he would be very close to reaching master rank.” Boba nodded. “Yes that is true, but I don’t think he, we are being trained to fight the First Order and Ren and Rey.” Turning to look at where Yaddle was looking at the two combatants still going strong, Fennec inclined her head. “You are correct but what else?”
“I don’t know, but tell me this, if the plan is to go back to where he first fought Gideon and won the Darksaber. Why would we need to know pre-clone war politics?” He jutted his chin in Din’s direction. “I get why they teaching him how to fight with a lightsaber against a Jedi or a Sith, but the rest just don’t make any sense.” Flicking her braid over her shoulder Fennec snorted, “Well it’s not like we can do anything but wait and see right?”
****
“Tell me Din Djarin, what will you give to save your aliit?” Din swore under his breath as he came aware in the endless night landscape to the same question that has been asked so many times before. “My answer won’t change, you know. I will give anything and everything that is mine to give.” The being of light stood there observing him. “Will you give up your son?”
Closing his eyes at the pain that question wrought he choked on the tears that threatened to spill. “If it means that he is alive and safe, and happy then yes I would give up Grogu.” He turned away from the entity and rubbed at his stinging eyes. “If I told you that the price for his life and happiness is all his memories of you. Will it still be a price you would be willing to pay?”
It was tearing his heart out of his chest. He could not think that anything could be so painful as the idea that his son would not remember him. “As long as he is happy, safe and loved, I would give up everything I have. Everything I am.” He agreed.
All of a sudden he was no-longer alone, Boba and Fennec stood at his side. “What if I ask that you give up yourself? Give up your name and all the memories that makes you you?” Din closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “As long as it means that all of my aliit is safe and well. I would give all that I am, all that I have as payment.”
For a long moment the being stood unmoving. “Very well Din Djarin. I accept.”
The next moment the semi solid dark space water he is standing on turns to real water and he is falling into darkness.
Chapter 1
Year 932ARR/68BBY
He is three and his mother is telling him the story of Tarre Vizsla and the wandering Disciple of the Whills.
He is three and his mother is telling him the story of why the weaver tribes of Aq Vetina wear red robes.
He is four when he meets his first Mandalorian. His mother’s sister, a Goran. His mother hands him over to her to prevent the Jedi seeker from finding him and taking him to Coruscant and the Jedi temple.
He is six when he meets his first Mandalorian. The Separatist droids have slaughtered his village and he is rescued by a member of Death Watch.
He is five when his aunt informs him that his mother has marched far away. He is five when she speaks the gai bal manda and adopts him as her son.
He is six when he becomes a foundling of the Children of the Watch.
He is six when he meets Paz Vizsla, the son of Tre Vizsla. Tre having fled from Manda’yaim and their parent trying to protect Paz who is Ka’ra touched.
He is seven when he meets Paz Vizsla, who is nine and Pre Vizsla’s son. Who is being raised in the creed to hide him from Darth Maul.
He is seven when his buir adopts another child, a foundling from Concord Dawn, and he gains a ori’vod/older brother named Boba Fett.
He is thirty-seven when he meets Boba Fett the clone son of Jango Fett on Thypon and loses his son and ship to Moff Gideon at the same time.
He is eight when their Covert leaves Concordia and rejoins their Tribe on an unnamed planet on the edge of Wild space.
He is eight when the Republic falls and the Empire is born.
He is thirteen when he undergoes his Verd’Goten and earns Beskar’gam.
He is thirteen when he swears the creed and joins the Fighting core.
He is sixteen when he and his brother on a lone journey crash into the Dune Sea on Tatooine and is rescued by the Tuskens. They spent six months living and training with them. Boba earns a Gaffi stick while they both are trained in the Tuskens fighting style.
He is twenty when on a solo hunt he gets injured in the Dune Sea on Tatooine and is rescued by the Tuskens. After staying with them as he heals he is named a friend of the tribe.
He is seventeen when a Beroya and his apprentice named Fennec Shand who is training to be an kuramud/assassin gives them transport off Tatooine.
He is thirty-seven when he takes a bounty for Fennec Shand and leaves her for dead in the Dune Sea.
He is seventeen and some months old when his and a few other clans split off from the main tribe to form a covert on an empty moon to mine some rare minerals.
He is twenty When the Children of the Watch leaves Concordia and establish a covert on Nevarro.
He is 18 when their Covert is attacked by pirates with spider droids and the ledge he, Boba and Fennec is standing on is blown apart and they fall into the lake at the heart of their covert and drowns..
He is 27 when Alderaan is destroyed by the Empire’s weapon called the Death Star.
He is 30 when the Empire strikes against Mandalore in the Night of a Thousand Tears and Glass the planet.
He is 31 when word goes out that the Emperor is dead and the rebellion has toppled the Empire.
He is 36 when he takes a bounty for a 50 year old who turns out to still be a child.
He is 36 when he fights a mudhorn and earns his sigil. He is 36 when he kills a greater Krayt dragon.
He is 37 when he fights Moff Gideon and wins the Darksaber in defence of his foundling.
He is 37 when working with Bo-Katan they retake Mandalore and he hands over the Darksaber to her.
He is 37 when he speaks the gai bal manda and Grogu becomes his son.
He is 55 when his son is killed by Ben Solo while in the care of Luke Skywalker.
He is 62 when the First order crushes the New Republic and takes control.
He is 63 when Mandalore is destroyed by a First Order super weapon called Star Killer base.
He is 72 when the soul transfer spell is interrupted and he dies.
His name is Din aliit Djarin be Tribe Goten teh Ka’ra. Ad be Goran, Ka’ra touched and trained in the Manda.
His name is Din Djarin a foundling of the Children of the Watch. Beroya for the tribe.
They are Din Djarin and they are drowning.
A hopeless broken spell gives a dying deity a moment to interrupt the flow of time. A grief stricken bargain is struck. The Force pulse and something changes. Destiny pauses and then… shifts.
Din gasps and his eyes fly open. His Beskar’gam is dragging him down into the dark water of the lake at the heart of their covert. He feels the force prod him again and he starts to kick up towards the surface. His lungs are burning and his mouth and helmet is full of cold water.
The explosion that knocked them into the lake has broken the seal on his buy’ce and water is flooding in. Another prod from the Force has him switching his view to thermal and looking down. Sinking below him are Boba and Fennec.
Gritting his teeth he reaches out with the Force and pulls the two up and proceeds to throw them up out of the lake and onto the beach. Kicking up towards the light again he breaks the surface to see the large central cavern of the covert flooded with large spider droids and pirates.
The rest of their covert has clearly been taken by surprise and are trying to fall back to a more defensible position but scattered on the floor several members of their tribe lie motionless. With a yell he Force pushes himself out of the water and lands on the beach. He does not have time to check on his vod’e, he needs to start fighting back to push the invaders out of their yaim.
Running up the beach he grabs a durasteel pole laying on the ground. Spinning it around him he flips over one of the droids stabbing it through its processing unit before ducking and spinning around to stab one of the pirates through the throat. Using his momentum he flips over another one of the invaders grabbing their blaster out of their hand and shooting them in the head in one smooth motion.
A part of him is thankful for the gruelling training Yaddle and Tarre had put him through while another part of him is startled by his sudden proficiency with the spear and the Force and he distractedly wonders who Yaddle is. The dichotomy of the two very different thoughts causes him to falter for a moment.
A blaster bolt from the direction of the beach takes out a droid in front of him. He manages to spare a second to glance back and see Boba has gotten to his feet and has his blasters out. Reaching out through the Force he feels Fennec moving to higher ground where she would have the greater advantage acting as a sniper.
With a yell he turns back to the invaders in front of him. He hears the whine of Paz’s M55 Repeating Blaster. He ducks and rolls as Paz sprays the droids trying to form up in a hail of blaster bolts. He can see more and more of their covert rallying and slowly the tide of the battle begins to shift in their favour.
He loses track of how many droids he has destroyed or how many pirates he has killed.
It feels like days later but is in fact less than an hour after the assault had begun when the pirate captain falls dead at the hand of the covert’s goran.
“Buir” Din breathes as he stumbles towards his parent. He reaches out into the force to check on all the members of their covert. He manages to find all of the coverts ade, they are scared and he can feel that some are injured but none seem to be critical.
Of the fifty-six adults in the covert he can only touch about thirty-nine. He feels Tre Vizsla’s life-force flicker and then dies out. He stumbles in her direction only to come to a stop as he sees Paz gently cradling his parent’s lifeless body in his arms. He freezes, the person in front was unmistakably Paz but at the same time he knows that Paz had died on Mandalore when they retook the planet from Moff Gideon.
“Din’ika” his buir gently pulls him away from his friend. “Let him grieve Din. We still have the living to care for.” He looks at the person who he knows is his buir, who has raised him and has trained him in the use of the manda, who has forged his armour and who he knows loves him.
He can clearly feel the force bond between them and yet, at the same time he has never seen this person in all of his seventy years of life. He takes a step towards them only for the pain in his head to spike and he feels his knees buckle. He hears his name being shouted as he slips into unconsciousness.
Year 932ARR/68BBY
Yaddle wakes with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, and glares up into the bright light above her. The pounding at her apartment door echoes through her head.
With a groan she pushes herself up from where she is laying on the couch. Pressing a hand to her aching head she winces as the door to her apartment finally opens and her former padawan Jaro Tapal storms in. Crashing to his knees in front of her, he reaches out but pulls his hand back before actually making contact, “Master, are you well?”
Holding her head, Yaddle winces. “Softer please, padawan mine.” She rasps. For a moment the new memories fight against her old before settling into a linear path. She huffs as she watches Jaro direct his friend Eeth Koth into the kitchen to brew her some tea.
“I felt your distress through our force bond and for a moment it felt like it snapped before reforming again.” He whispers distraught. The small green master reaches out and gently touches the face of her youngest padawan.
He has only been knighted mere months before, not even a full year. “Vision the force gave me. On a journey I must go. An important task I have before me now.” She sighs. Jaro frowns, “A vision master?”
“Mmmm, great chance for change. A different course for destiny to take.” The small green master confirms. Yaddle watches as the young zabrak knight comes out of the kitchen carrying a tray with three cups of tea. “Mmph not teach you correct way to make tea, your master did?” She huffs even as she takes the cup offered to her.
The young knight just shrugs. “I thought that we should not give any weight to visions.” Eeth replies as he settles on the chair across from the couch. “As master Yoda states that the future is always in motion.”
Sipping her tea, Yaddle nods, “Always in motion the future is true. That is why on journey I must go. Assist in the changes that will bring light to the future, I must.” She looks over at Jaro, “Knighted you now are. Your own journey you now must tread, sabbatical I will take. Follow the Force’s will, I must. Find this change the vision has shown me.”
“But alone master” the large Lasat questions as he heaves himself to his feet and moves over to the other couch across the room. Yaddle nods,
“Alone yes. Not friends of Jedi those that I must seek.” Frowning, Jaro looks over at Eeth before looking back at his master. “If the beings you need to find are not friends of the Jedi then surely that is a reason not to go alone.” He states.
Yaddle sighs, her large ears drooping low. “Will see me as friend and teacher they will, for old and small I am. See you as threat they will for young knight you are.”
Snorting in his tea Jaro nearly laughs. “You my master is far from old.” He watches as his master laughs, “Although I will give you the small.”
“Impertinent you always were, this is why I chose you as my padawan. Stole you out from under Yoda’s nose.” She chortled.
“What will you tell the council?” Eeth asks as he watches master and former padawan.
“Sabbatical I will take, now that my padawan is knighted. Go to more natural planet to commune with the living force. Believe it they will, have done so several times in the past.” Yaddle states as she puts down her cup. Standing up she moves to her bedroom, “Come come, handy yourself make. Help me pack you will, carry my provisions to my ship you shall.” Jaro and Eeth shares a look of resignation before following the small master to help her gather her things.
****
The air in the high council room is motionless as if waiting with baited breath for a reaction. “Sabbatical you need?” Yoda questions the only other member of his species. His ears raised in disbelief.
Yaddle sighs, her ears pulling back and frowns at the grandmaster of the Jedi order. “Yes.” She simply answers as she glares across the room at the other members of the council. “Great disturbance in the Force there has been.” Yoda states “Need all of the council here we do.”
“Master Yoda, we have all felt the disturbance in the Force.” Jedi Master Katri states, calling the room’s attention to her. “We have all meditated, we have all gone through all the reports, both from the watchmen and from the shadows and no cause for the disturbance has been found.” She looks around her and states “Yes this council is currently one member short with the removal of master Yula Braylon, but if Master Yaddle feels that she needs a sabbatical, I see no need for us to deny her.”
The other female mirialan master nods her head in agreement. “I concur, it is not as if Master Yaddle is leaving permanently.” turning to look at her fellow council member, “How long do you believe this sabbatical will take?”
“Mmmm,” Yaddle hums slightly, “no more than a year, no less than six months.” Yula nodded. “That seems an eminently reasonable time-frame for a sabbatical.” Looking around and getting nods of agreement from the other council members Yoda sighs in defeat. “When leave you will?” he asks.
Hopping down from her chair Yaddle chuckles. “Right now I do. Ship already supplied and loaded, got clearance for departure and flight path confirmed.” Ki-Adi-Mundi sighs. “Typical shadow behaviour. You were going with or without our input.”
“Mrph,” Yaddle snorted as she made her way to the door. “No proof have you of shadow training.” the little master chuckles as she disappears through the door.
“I have very mixed feelings about this whole situation” Yarael Poof states as he watches the door swing slowly close. “Difficult she has always been.” Yoda states. “Follow her own mind she always does. Even as a crecheling always had last word.”
Year 932ARR/68BBY
Tha aliit Djarin be Tribe Goten teh Ka’ra. Ka’ra named Goran and alor of the Singing Star Covert, watches in hopelessness as the covert’s Baar’ur checks the vitals of both her ade and her oldest ad’s ven’riduur. They have been in a coma-like state ever since the attack on the covert. That had been more than a week ago. Watching her youngest shot out of the lake where she was sure he had drowned and picking a pole to use as a spear, had been a miraculous sight. He had moved like a seasoned verd many years his senior. It was due to the three youths’ actions that the rest of the covert could rally and slay the invaders. But mere moments after the end of the battle all three had collapsed and they had not woken since.
“Alor!” Paz shouts as he rushes into the medical room. “Alor! There is a jetii that wants to speak with you!” The young man skids to a stop in front of Tha.
He had in the week since his buir’s death repainted his armour in gray for mourning and red for remembrance with highlights of vengeance gold and reliability blue. He was huffing slightly. He had come to her the day after the invasion and told her that he didn’t want to train to be a beroya any more. He had expressed his desire to become a tribe cabur. He had started the weight training for the heavy infantry armour that comes with the position the very next day after she had given him her blessing.
“A jetii, you say?” Tha enquires. Paz nods, “Yes. They are currently in orbit just past the far moon. They state that they must speak to you urgently. They have also stated that they are alone.”
Tha close her eyes and reach out into the manda. The Ka’ra whispers right, and now and help has come. She nods. “Let them land and escort them to the central chamber.” Paz nods and jogs back out of medical to the comms room to inform the jetii of where to land.
Paz watches as the baudo-class star yacht expertly maneuvers through the narrow canyon before touching down feather light onto the marked out landing space. He watches as the ship cycles down and waits impatiently for its pilot to exit the ship.
The hiss of the ship door unsealing startles him out of his thoughts. Paz has never been more glad about his helmet than when his mouth drops open as he watches the small green being exit the ship. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he strides up to the diminutive being. “Olarom. Welcome to the Singing star covert teh Tribe Goten teh Ka’ra.”
Yaddle looks up at the young warrior sent to greet her. Placing her fist on her chest. “Su’cuy. Ner gai Bajur Yaddle.”
Paz startles at the mando’a. “Forgive me for basic to continue in, many years since mando’a I spoke last.” All the young man can do is nod. “Please follow me. Our alor is waiting to meet you.”
“Far from Mandalore space you are.” Yaddle states as she follows behind her young guide. “Many decades it has been since to wild space I have travelled.” She nimbly jumps over a boulder before her escort can assist her. “Never heard of Tribe Goten the Ka’ra. Thought tribe was Children of the Watch.”
Paz snorts and looks down at the small Jedi walking next to him. Keeping his silence he leads her into the cave system that the covert calls home. Avidly looking around Yaddle picks up all the defensive measures put in place to protect the area. But more importantly she notices the fresh signs of battle. It could not have happened more than a fortnight ago and through the Force echoes of fear and determination still rings. Over laying it all is the new grief of the members of the covert.
Stopping as they enter a large circular cave with a lake in the centre of its floor and a large opening in its roof letting in natural light. Standing next the shore of the dark lake is a mandalorian in dark brown and blue and green armour. On their belt hangs a large smithing hammer. Paz beckons Yaddle to follow and cross the soft sand floor of the cavern towards the person who was obviously the leader of this group.
“Jetti.” the being says with a nod. “Su’cuy. Ner gai Bajur Yaddle.” The jedi master greets her, fist over her heart. The blank face of the helmet stares down at her before the greeting is returned. “Ner gai Tha aliit Djarin be Tribe Goten teh Ka’ra. She/her”
“Ah, yes. She/her as well.” Yaddle returns.
“Why have you come here jetii and how have you found us?” Tha asks as she looks down at the small green being. She is dressed in the traditional robes of the jedi in shades of cream and brown. Tha can see a jetii’kad hanging from the tiny jedi’s belt. Yaddle sighs. “Long story that is. Much to tell you I have. Instruct me to travel here the Force did. Assist her champions I must.”
Tha stills and for a moment, even the air currents seem to freeze. “What do you mean by the Force’s champions?” she demands quietly.
Yaddle’s ears droop. “Great darkness rising in the galaxy. Seen it our seers have. Vision of both our people’s fall I had. Jedi killed in great war like lights snuffed out. Our temple cloaked in darkness, our younglings slaughtered in their crèche. Mandalore turned to glass and her children hunted became.”
Tha can see the sorrow drape across the jedi’s shoulders. “All hope was lost.” Yaddle continues. “Then a bargain struck. A sacrifice made to ensure a chance to change destiny. To train the Manda’s star children I must, for one will be the guard and the heart of the Mand’alor.”
The Goran takes a step back. Taking a deep breath, “Mandalore has no Mand’alor. The Houses fight among themselves and between them our people splinter more and more by the day.”
“Shown this to me the force has. Plan to divert the current river it has.” Kneeling down to look at Yaddle face to face. “And how does one change the course of a river?” She asks with an ache in her heart for the answer. “With one stone at a time.” the reply comes.
Looking at the small jedi master, Tha reaches up and slowly removes her helmet. The act seems to freeze all the members of the covert from where they had been subtly trying to observe the exchange. Yaddle closes her eyes before looking at the face of her last pupil’s parent.
“Great honour you have given me. Train you as well I will. Strong in the force you are just like your sons.” At the mention of Tha’s children the rest of the covert shifts uneasily.
“And why would you train us? We are not jetii. We do not forsake attachments nor give up our families. We embrace our emotions and glory in our passions.” Tha states calmly. Yaddle nods. “More than Jedi force traditions there are. Time for the Ka’ra touched Mando’ade to create their own path. Give you all the tools you need to serve the Force in your own way. That is the task given to me.”
Staring into Yaddle’s eyes Tha listens to the truth that she speaks and the prompting of the Manda to accept what is being offered. “So be it then. I will accept your training and your help with my children.” Standing upright she dons her helmet again. “Come I will show you to my ade.”
****
Din turns to look around. He is standing in, on, no ankle deep in black water filled with some sort of florescences plankton while overhead the galaxy is spread out like some holo projection map.
“Kind of amazing isn’t it?” He spins around to see; himself? “Not quite verd’ika.” The older person stops about a meter away from him. “I am what you would have been reborn as, if you had died.”
Din shakes his head. “I don’t understand.” He states. “Where are we?” Older Din looks at the shifting galaxy spread overhead. “We are currently outside of time and space. It is here where I struck a bargain with the Force.”
“A bargain?” The younger questions, the older man sighs and nods. “In one branch of fate you and the entire covert were killed by pirates. But you see, something had damaged the Force.” Younger Din made a questioning sound. “A thousand years of sith necromancy leading up to a spell to create a being made out of the literal force made flesh. The very act caused so much damage that souls that were to join the Manda or return to the Force could not and so some souls were lost and others were reborn. Trying to follow their destiny.”
Din abruptly sits down in the water that was surprisingly not wet. “I take it that things didn’t work out?” He states.
“You can say that again.” a new voice answer. Din scrambles to his feet to turn around to see Boba and Fenn with older versions of themselves walking closer. Older Din smiles and nods. “Vod.” he greets.
“So what does this mean?” Din asks. “Because I remember not dying in the lake and I am pretty sure we beat back the invaders before we somehow ended up here.”
“A bargain was struck.” A new voice answers and a small green being with huge ears appears in the centre of the circle that they have made. “Master Yaddle.” Older Fenn greets warmly. “What are you doing here?”
Stepping back out of the centre so that she is standing in front of all of them, they shift into a halve circle so that they all can see her. “Send me the Force have. To assist you in the transition I must.”
“Transition?” the 19 year old Boba asks. “Yes, yes,” Yaddle states. “Same your souls are but also different. More memories you have and wounds you carry.” she points at the older 3. “Cannot keep them for too madness that will lead.”
Older Din nods, “And the bargain was that I give up everything that made me, well me, for my people’s safety.” Yaddle flaps a hand in his direction, “Bah, test that was. Test your resolve the Force did. Found your soul still pure and determined. Know you can be trusted to complete your task.”
“Taking all our memories is kind of counter productive.” Old Boba states. “How can we affect change if we do not know what to change?”
Fenn nods. “With our memories we can kill the emperor and prevent the rise of the empire.”
Yaddle shakes her head. “Know not all do we.” She holds up a hand to prevent the others from replying. “Who trained Sidious? Who were all imperials? What other plans did the Sith have? No, no. All knowing we are not. Great sacrifice was made for this chance. Great sorrow and damage your souls carry. Burden you it will. Make your task harder.”
Older Din inhales and slowly exhales. “Are we going to forget everything? Everyone?” He asks with a hitch in his breath. “Even Gr.”
“Stop” Yaddle interrupts before he can continue. “Some of your skills keep you will. Cruel the Force is not. Sooth your heart and soul it will. In time understand you will.” Her shoulders droop. “Faith you must have. Chance this is, to forge new path. Protect the light we must.” She beckons older Din closer and touches his cheek as he kneels in front of her. “Trust the Ka’ra and the Force. Great your sorrow was. Great you sacrifice. In time, heal your soul will and love will return.” carefully wiping the single tear that spills down his cheek. “My grandchild you have became, proud you have made me. Proud you will make me still.” She turns and looks into the darkness. “Ready we are. Begin now we can.”
“SO BE IT.” The response came and then all was light.
Din groans and tries to open his eyes. He swears it feels like his buir has set up her forge inside his head, it was pounding so much. “Din’ika” and oh he can not believe how desperate she sounds. He slowly tries to open up his eyes only to slam them shut.
“Dim the lights.” His buir instructs. “Come on my little gift. Your vod and Fenn have already awoken, we are just waiting on you.” He groans again and forces himself to open his eyes. He looks up at his mother’s face.
“Buir, what happened?” he croaks. Dank Farrik but his throat hurt. “Suffer from force exhaustion you do.” A gravelly voice answers. He slowly turns his head to see a small green being in tan and ivory robes sitting on the bed across from him. A part of him is startled that his mother has her helmet off in the presence of an outsider while at the same time he knows this person deep in his soul. “Ba’buir?” he asks faintly.
“Hah, pay-up Boba. I told you he would recognise her immediately.” Fenn shouts in the background. Ignoring his vode’s antics he turns to his mother again. “I don’t…” he breathes. “I don’t understand.” He can feel the force bond between him and the small Jedi master. Despite knowing that he has never met them in this life, he knows that he knows them.
“Mmmm,” The being hummed. “Great gift the force has given me. Several grandchildren I now have. Will train you well I will. Great warriors you will be.” She suddenly cackled. “Much better than Yoda’s disaster lineage you will be.” Hopping over to his bed she places a hand on his head and closes her eyes. He immediately feels a soothing cold flow through him, washing the painful headache away. “Rest now child. Tomorrow training will begin.
Din closed his eyes. The last vestiges of the vision of a broken future flickering behind his eyes before fading away. Tomorrow, tomorrow is a new day and the beginning of a new path.
Chapter 2
Year 935ARR/65BBY
Yaddle sighs tiredly as she powers down her starship. She is glad to be back at the temple on Coruscant after almost three years away in Wild space with the mandalorian tribe Goten be Ka’ra. The Signing Star Covert had joined up with the other three coverts that made up their tribe on a new planet even deeper into the uncharted part of wild space. She had been shocked when she realised that almost all of the tribe members were varying degrees of force sensitive. The Tribe had taught her their traditions and skills and she had taken the time to pass on some of her skills and training techniques. She had focused most of her training on her three soul travelled students.
She had helped them as they dreamed through the few selected memory skills of their alternative lives. Although the force had stripped away all of their alternative life memories and the emotions connected to them some things did still bleed through. Din was heartbroken, he could not say what caused the heartbreak but Yaddle would take notice that he would stop and turn to his side as if to tell someone something only to freeze as he realised there was no one there and he did not know who he was looking for.
Her soul cried for him but she knew she could not tell him of his son. The child that was the main drive for him making that desperate bargain. The memories that were returned to them was more about getting them up to the skill level they were when they were sent back in time. After each dream she would walk them through a meditation and then practice to cement the new skill in place. This has led to the three youths in their early twenties having the same skill level as others decades their age.
Hopping down from the pilot seat she quickly gathers her luggage and makes her way down the ramp of her ship. Waiting for her just inside the entrance of the landing bay is Yoda. She sighs again and shakes her head. She won’t even get the time to put down her luggage and clean-up before she is ambushed for information. “Yoda.” She greets as she draws level with the Grand Master of the order.
“Late you are.” Yoda states in place of a greeting. “One year you said. More than three it now is.” He raises his ears and grips his gimer stick. “Know not where you were anyone did. Was worried we all where.”
Yaddle grimace, “My Jaro full well knew that I was alive and well.” she pokes him lightly in the force. “Just sore you are that force him to reveal my location you could not.”
Yoda humphs. “Tell us now will you?” he asks as he starts to follow her into the temple.
“Nope.” Yaddle smirks. Yoda glares at her but she is quite good at ignoring him.
“Council meeting there is in an hour. Attend you should.” Yaddle sighs again. Really not even back and already she needs a new sabbatical. “Attend I will. Now either help with my luggage or off with you.” She pokes him again. He merely humph again and waddles off in a different direction than what she is going.
“Ruug’la or’dinii” She mutters under her breath as she heads to her quarters. A soft snort stops her short in her tracks. “Really my master, what language for an esteemed high council member to use.” Jaro Tapal grins as he steps out of the shadows next to his tiny master.
“Bah,” Yaddle flaps a hand in his direction. “If understand any does then they can complain.” Jaro laughs and plucks the bags floating behind the diminutive Master of Shadows out of the air.
“How are Din and the others doing?” The young knight asks. Starting to walk to her apartment again Yaddle shakes her head. “Training under their uncle Din and Boba is. Training to become bounty hunters they are. Received his license before I left Boba did.” Yaddle shakes her head again.
“Earned his sigil Din did.” She states proudly. Pushing open the door to Yaddle’s apartment Jaro holds the door for his master before following her in. Placing her bags next to the wall he takes a seat on the extra large couch Yaddle keeps in her apartment just for him. “Oh wow that is young.” He states.
Nodding Yaddle sits down across from her former student. “Yes yes. Very young. Very foolish thing he did.”
Jaro raises an eyebrow. He met the Mandalorians his master lived with for three years about a year ago when she called him to help her with some of the training she was giving them and to bring her some training guides for parents raising force sensitive children. He spent two months with the tribe and became close friends with most of his age group. The fact that he was only about four years older than Din helped a lot. He was also very surprised to find that the two cultures were not that dissimilar from each other as they liked to pretend. When he had left the tribe to return to his duties as a Jedi knight, Din’s mother, the Goran of their tribe, had given him language models to take with him so that he could continue to learn their language. The Tribe’s Alor had named him a friend of the tribe. “What did he do?” He asks.
Settling in more comfortably Yaddle shakes her head. “Fought and killed mudhorn while suffering from Force exhaustion he did. Used only a vibro knife. Got halfway trashed he did. Completely destroyed integrity of his armour was.” Jaro winces. “His mother would not have been happy with him.”
“True, true.” Yaddle nods, “But more relieved that alive he was. Still kicked his ass she did. Earning new armour he has to now. But gave the mudhorm as sigil to him she did.” Jaro laughs at his friend’s antics. “Only Din. Lets hope Boba does not try to outdo him.”
“Gray hairs my grandchildren will give me.” she points a finger at him. “Sensible you are, sensible you stay.” Getting up from the couch the large lasat knight laughs again. “I will endeavour my best to stay sensible, master mine. Now I have to leave so that you can get ready for the council meeting.”
“Bah, not even an hour back and already my patience they try.” Yaddle grouses. Looking over at his master he saw the edges of her kom’rk poking out of her robe sleeves. “Are you wearing that to the council meeting?” He asks, pointing at her arm.
Shaking her head, her ears pull slightly down. “Not tempting fate I am. Will changed into robes before meeting. After will speak with Katri to take back duties as shadow master.”
Nodding Jaro walks to the door. “I am sure that she will be very relieved to hand those duties back to you. She is not very comfortable with shadow work.”
Ears drooping, Yaddle nods. “Death of her padawan she still carries. Wounded her soul still is, but only one I trust to keep my shadows safe she is.” flapping a hand at her former padawan. “Off with you. Change I must before meeting. Now only short shower there is time for.”
Bowing to his master, Jaro smiles and quickly turns to leave. “See you later master mine.” “See you later padawan mine.” Yaddle agrees. As the door closes she sighs again. The Force has allowed her to remember much more than it did its other champions, but she herself is aware that large amounts of her knowledge are missing. The problem is that what happened to them was not quite time travel nor quite dimensional travel either. The price that was paid for this reset was astronomical but at least now there were players on the board that knew that there was a game afoot. Even if she did not have all the information she needed, she was at least aware that she was missing information and could now set her shadows to work on the problem of the Siths.
****
Yaddle pinch the bridge of her nose to try and stave off the throbbing headache she can feel building. The bickering has gone on for over an hour and nothing has truly been resolved. At this point she can not even remember what the council members were fighting over. Taking a deep breath for serenity she released her frustration into the Force.
How could she forget how ineffective the high council has always been. How mired in useless traditions that no longer had any value. “Enough!” She finally snaps. “Hear yourselves do you?” She glares around the circle of seated councillors. “Bicker and argue like crechelings you do. Accomplish nothing this does.” Pointing an accusing finger at Tyvokka. “Master of the Order you are, but lead you do not.” Shaking her finger at the Wookie master when it appears that he wants to refute her claim. “Proven that the Senate has tightened our leashes, restricted our movements, curtailed our ability to render aid and provide half or unverified information both all our intelligence does!” Turning to glare at Yor Aerith, “Dare you deny the reports gathered by our shadows and knights?” Turning back to Tyvokka. “Decline our numbers does day by day. Reports from the rest of the corps of financial shortfall daily we receive. Less and less we are allowed.”
Slumping back into her chair she takes a deep breath and rubs her eyes. “Legends and myths we are in the outer rim. Unfettered slavery and despair grows. Tied our hands are and just accept it we do. Lead to disaster this path does.” Deep breath for serenity she reminds herself. “Clouded the Force is here on Coruscant. Dark it feels.”
“What would you have us do, Master Yaddle?” Master Tyvokka asks. “We are tied to the senate by the Ruusan reformation.” The Wookie growls out. Yaddle sits back in her seat and briefly closes her eyes. “Tied we are yes,” She agrees with a nod, “but tied does not subservient means.” Looking at her fellow council members she can see the stubbornness to cling to old outdated traditions and believes that if left to wander down the same road will lead to their doom. “Many Force sects out in the galaxy there are. Many different ways to serve.” Straightening up she continues, “Grow stagnate we have. Growing smaller in number day by day while others grow in strength. To survive grow we too must.”
Yoda frowns at Yaddle, “Fear mongering you are. Serve the Light side the Jedi does. Change need not be rushed but considered carefully it does.”
Yaddle merely shakes her head, “Believe as you must but staying on this path doomed we all will be.” Getting off her seat she looks around the circle that makes up the high council. “Our way does not prevent corruption; it merely increase the things to tempt the dark side. Easy was the path to corruption for Arath Tarrex because deny our younglings training and the surety of love. Easy it is too long for that you are told you cannot have.”
“Attachment leads to fear, fear leads to hate and hate to the dark side lead!” Yoda snaps back. Knocking his gimer stick to the ground.
“Bah,” Yaddle flaps a hand at him, “Ridiculous that is. Many force sensitives love and have loved ones, fall they do NOT!” She snaps back. “Fall Jedi does because taught how to love and let go they are NOT! Taught how to handle loss and sorrow we are not. And because most sentience need love and companionship it is easier for Jedi to leave.”
Her shoulders slump and she presses a hand to her face. “Tired I am, travelled far I have.” Waving at Tyvokka when it appears that he is going to say something. “No. Going to rest now I am. Before beat you over the head I do.” Turing around she storms out of the council chamber grumbling softly to herself, “Tarre you lazy shabuir how did you get out of dealing with this.” She swears she can hear the Mandalorian Jedi laugh at her from the Force.
Year 936ARR/64BBY
Din sighs as he slog through the mucky swamp. His current caught and bound bounty unconscious over his shoulders. He is damn glad that the Bimm is so small and light. Hitching the Bimm higher over his shoulder to get him into a more comfortable carrying position, he sighs.
Luckily with the pay-out of this bounty both in credits and reputation he would be able to join the hunters guild. Grimacing as his boot squelches in the smelly rank green mud of what has to be the only swamp on the whole of Serenno.
He was experiencing one of his cognitive dissonance episodes where his body and armour does not ring true. He knows he has never owned a set of full body pure beskar armour and yet at the same time he does remember how it sat on his much older body.
He takes a look down at his current armour and grimace. His buir had reforged his current armour after the hare-brained stunt he had pulled with the mudhorn, but in his defence it had seemed like a good idea at the time.
Get the egg for the Yawas and swapped that for the book that was the bounty his employer at the time wanted. He had been exhausted and low on ammunition after clearing out the pirate base only to find out the idiot captain of the so called pirate crew had traded the book for a crate of Spotcha. Spotcha, not even a decent high end whisky, no common as kriff spotcha.
He stops for a moment and takes a deep breath, he is digressing. The Manda has been giving him hurry up, be careful vibes ever since he and his ba’vodu have landed on Serenno. What was he thinking of again? Oh, right, how his current armour doesn’t feel like his even though it was. The only pure beskar was his helmet.
He smiles as he remembers how astounded ba’buir Yaddle had been when she realised that all of the Ka’ra’tigaanur were wearing pure beskar helmets and that it was not impeding their use of the force. His ba’buir had spent hours with his buir learning how their beskar was prepared for them. From the kyber dust carefully worked into their helmets to the kyber encased in the Ka’rta beskar. How they had to meditate with the metal so that it would resonate with them and that it would house their soul properly.
The rest of his armour was currently made from durasteel. As he earns credits he will be able to use his part to purchase the metals that his buir can then use to alloy and forge new true beskar pieces from.
The largest part of his pay-out will go to supporting their tribe as that is the duty of a beroya. He stops again and repositions his bounty again. Shaking his head. His thoughts kept running away from him. His uncle will be so disappointed in him.
Taking a calming breath he starts walking again. As he nears the edge of the swamp where he had parked the rented speeder, he considers his current paint. He wears valour brown and honouring a parent red. With reliability blue on his hand guard and his fingers tipped in shereshoy orange. With his mudhorn sigil painted on in cin vhetin white. But at the same time he remembers wearing redemption silver even though that is a colour he never once had worn. And he knows of no reason why he ever would need to seek redemption.
Finally reaching the speeder he dumps the unconscious Bimm into the back. His ba’vodu was waiting back in the capital with their ship. This solo hunt was the last test in a series of tests. Although he had been accompanied he had to do everything, from choosing the bounty, to the research to the hunt all on his own, without any input from his teacher. Cracking his neck from side to side to relax the muscles he tries valiantly to knock most of the mud from his boots and lower legs. Getting on the speeder he takes a moment to reach out into the Force. The road is clear and there is no warning in the Force except the vague feeling of hurry, be careful. Be careful of what is not forthcoming. Starting up the speeder he sets out at full speed to the capital, he wants a sonic and to be off this world as soon as possible.
He is about an hour out from the capital when the Manda screeches in his head. Danger, help, hurry, hurry, hurry. Help! Now! Left! Turning the speeder and pulling and firing all in one motion he notices a tiny ik’aad hiding under an overturned speeder. The creature he has just shot at is a large spine-wolf. There is a whole pack of them circling the overturned speeder trying to get to the small child. Jumping out of his speeder Din continues shooting. He ducks under one of the wolves when they turn and tries to jump on him as a bigger threat than the tiny morsel they are trying to get to. He pulls his vibro-knife and stabs the one that tries to jump on him as he shoots the last one. In less than five minutes there are four dead wolves laying on the ground.
Taking a deep breath. He holsters both his blaster and knife and kneels next to the speeder peering in at the small child. “Hi little one, what are you doing out here? Where are your parents?” The tiny little girl looks over at him with big eyes while crying softly. Din sighs and lays down on his stomach and carefully reaches into the speeder. Gently untangling the young girl and slowly carefully pulling her out. Taking great pain not to hurt her further.
“Udesii, udesii little one. You are safe now. The scary wolves can’t hurt you any more.” Finally getting her out he notices the fine silk of her dress and the real gold clips in her hair. Slowly getting to his knees. He carefully looks around but there is no sign of an adult anywhere. “How did you get all the way out here?” He wonders out loud.
“The bad man shot baba and then took me.” The young girl hiccups. Din looks down at her and notices her shivering. It was most likely a combination of cold and shock. Quickly pulling off his cape he wraps it around her.
“Can you tell me your name?” He asks, keeping his voice soft and calm. She nods her head a little, “I am Nara Solha, daughter of Duke Solha.” She states with a slightly haughty tone, which Din found to be adorable.
Carefully picking her up making sure that she is well wrapped in his cloak, “Well then princess lets get you home to your family, they must be very worried about you.” He slowly turns and makes for his speeder. He is about two steps away when a snarl gives him a split second warning before one of the wolves that he thought was dead jumps at him. He twists away and raises his arm not holding Nara to shield her. The wolf manages to bite his arm just above his kom’rk penetrating the armour weave of his kute. He swears and turns, keeping Nara out of the creature’s reach even as he twists his bitten arm to try and throw the beast off him.
He manages to dislodge it and gritting his teeth he pulls his blaster and shoots. There is a yelp and then silence. Nara looks up at him with big eyes and starts to cry softly.
Gently rocking her, he steps over the body of the beast to the speeder. “There, there, little one. See the bad wolf is dead now.” Getting back into the speeder he turns her so that she is lying more comfortable against his chest-plate. Muting his speaker he hiss as he uses his cape to tie her in place like a birikad. His arm is throbbing and the wound is bleeding sluggishly, but he has no time to stop and apply first aid. He is unsure if there are more wolves out there or where the people who had kidnapped Nara were. Revving the speeder he heads toward the capital pushing the poor machine’s engine as hard as it can go.
After a ride that feels like hours but is less than 30min he pulls into the main gate of the city. He slows down and carefully starts making his way to the main guard station. It is located at the heart of the city not far from the Castle of the ruling house.
Nara had fallen asleep during his mad dash back to the city. The poor child is worn out from fear and shock. Pulling into a parking spot in front of the station he carefully gets out of the speeder so as not to wake the sleeping child. Turning he notices that his bounty has since returned to consciousness. Grabbing him by the arm he drags him out of the back of the speeder, slapping him behind his head when he starts to loudly protest. “Quietly. The child is sleeping.” The bounty hunter hiss as he starts to drag the Bimm into the precinct.
Entering the brightly lit guard station he walks over to the reception desk. The entire front room is in chaos. Guards are shouting orders and running in and out with what appears to be updates of a search grid.
“Ah, Mando you have returned at a bit of an inconvenient time.” The young officer manning the front desk states as he finally took notice of Din. Nodding at the chaos, Din replies. “So it seems.”
Pulling the bounty to the front he pushes him in the officers direction. “I have captured the bounty.” And slowly pulling the birikad down to reveal Nara’s face. “I also found this young one out on the forest high road about an hour out of the city. She was abandoned and trapped in an overturned speeder.”
The young man behind the desk freezes before turning to shout for his captain. “Captain! Captain!” rushing away deeper into the room only to turn back and shout, “Wait right there!” at Din before rushing into the chaos that makes up the rest of the office. Reaching up and pulling the Bimm that had been slowly edging his way to the door back to the front desk. “Don’t even think about it.” The mandalorian states lowly.
“Mando!” The Captain of the guard states as he came up to the front desk being trailed by the young officer who had rushed off to call him. “You have found Lady Nara?”
Din nods, bending down slightly so that the captain can see the sleeping child tied to his chest. “She needs a medic. I don’t think she is seriously injured but she is definitely in shock and most likely suffering from hypothermia. I have no idea how long she was out there.”
Pointing at the Bimm, the captain orders his officer to take him to the holding cells and to transfer the payment credits to Din’s account. “Come this way. We have a medic on duty at all times here at the station.”
They stop for a second while the captain instructs one of the other officers to inform Duke Solha that his daughter has been found. Leading them down a long hallway into a fully set up medic station the Captain calls over to the doctor on duty. “Doctor, we have found Lady Nara who is in need of medical assistance.”
Din carefully unties his cape and very gently hands over the sleeping child to the doctor. He hiss as the movement reopens the wound in his arm and it starts bleeding again.
“You are also injured.” The doctor states as he moves to place Nara on one of the medical beds. Din sighs, “Got bit by a spine-wolf that was trying to eat the little one.” The doctor turns and summons one of the nurses. Instructing her to see to Din’s wounds.
“Off with the armour.” The no-nonsense older woman orders as she steps over to Din. Holding his hands up and taking a step back Din shakes his head, “That really is not necessary.” he protests as he starts to angle for the door.
“Don’t even think about it, young man.” The matronly woman states. “Vine-wolves carry some nasty bacteria in their saliva and bites need to be treated as quickly as possible. So sit your ass down and take off your armour so that I can get to that wound.” Din turns to the captain to solicit his help but the man just raises his hands and takes a step back.
“No, sorry but I am not getting between Nurse Joy and a patient. I know better.” Din grumbles under his breath but does start taking off his armour on his wounded arm. Rolling up his kute sleeve just high enough to expose his wound. Letting the nurse draw blood and then start cleaning the wound. “Mmm luckily you won’t need stitches, just wound cream and antibiotics,” she states.
Clearing his throat to draw Din’s attention back to him the Captain asks. “Can you brief me on where you found Lady Nara?”
Cocking his head to the side. Din picks up his discarded vambrace one handed, “I can send you the footage of where I found her?” The captain nods and gives Din his comm code. Slowly Din transfers the correct time footage to the captain. “She was alone when I spotted her. There was no sign of anyone else.” Looking at the footage the Captain nods. “Thank you this will be a great help in tracking down the kidnappers.”
Just as nurse Joy is finishing wrapping up his arm a woman and man dressed in fine clothes with dark cloaks burst into the room. “Nara. Where is my Nara?” The woman demands. The captain steps over to them and gently leads the woman to the bed across the room where the doctor is just finishing his exam of the young girl. “Right this way Duchess.” The Duchess burst out in tears and pulls a now awake Nara into her arms. The man who Din presumes is Duke Solha, having the same colouring as Nara, comes to a stop next to Din.
“I was informed that you found and returned my daughter to us.” Din merely nods as he starts to redress and pull his armour back on. The duke gives a long shuddering sigh. “You cannot know what this means to me and my family.”
Shrugging the mandalorian states. “Children are the future. This is the way.” The Duke is still looking at his wife and daughter across the room. “Captain Sraten has informed me that you were here to collect a bounty?”
Din merely nods in agreement. “Captain, pay the mandalorian the reward money.” the Duke states as he starts to make his way across the room to join his wife and child. “Wait no.” Din argues. “That is not necessary. I cannot accept payment for returning a child to her parents.”
The Captain gives Din a slap on the shoulder. “There is no arguing with the duke, Mando. If he says you are getting the reward money, then you are getting the reward money.” Turning to look at Din he lowers his voice. “I don’t think you realise just how much sorrow you have saved them from.” He carefully looks over at the couple and lowers his voice even more. “They lost their son to an assassination attempt on the Duchess mere weeks before Nara was born. She was premature and the doctors have stated that the Duchess will never be able to bear children again. So you have returned their only child to them. Accept their gratitude.”
Din sighs and nods. “Well I am off. My uncle is waiting for me and this already took far longer than I had thought it would.” The captain walks Din out to the front door. “Farewell Mando and good hunting.” Waving at the Captain Din gets back onto his rented speeder and heads off to the port.
Walking into his ba’vodu’s ship he finally takes a moment to access his credit account to see that the bounty payment has come through and promptly trips over his own feet as he takes in the amount in his account. “Din?” His uncle asks as he comes down into the storage bay to look at his apprentice sitting on the ground in a complete stupor. “Din’ika are you well?” Din shakes his head and just hands over his pad with his account still open.
“Wayii! How? What?” Removing his helmet and running his hand through his hair. “On my way back from catching the bounty I came across a ik’aad trapped in an overturned speeder surrounded by spine-wolves. She was the kidnapped daughter of one of the dukes.” Pointing at the pad in his uncle’s hand. “That is a thank you gift for returning her.” He sighs and gets to his feet. “I tried to turn it down but they wouldn’t accept no for an answer. So yeah.”
His uncle laughs and throws an arm over his shoulder leading him deeper into the ship. “Well with this we can get you your own ship, to set you up.” Din nods, but in the back of his head the Manda was growling softly. Something has happened on Serenno that has upset the Manda, but for his life Din could not get a clear read on what it was.
Year 936ARR/64BBY
Jedi master Dooku, dusts off and adjusts his dark brown and ivory robes before knocking on the door to a high end suite in one of Alderaan’s more exclusive hotels. He can hear movement inside the suite and through the force he senses two people. With a soft creak the door opens to reveal Yari, his sister’s loyal companion. The petite blond woman bows and ushers him into the room.
“Dooku, you came.” Jenza breathes out as she rises from the chair she is sitting in. Crossing the room to his sister in quick strides Dooky takes her hands. “Of course I came. You said it was important.”
Pulling him closer and embracing him. Jenza nods as she takes a step back. “Did you tell anyone that you were meeting me here?” She asks softly.
Shaking his head, “No you said it was urgent and sensitive. I was luckily already on route to Alderaan for a seeker mission so no-one will take note of me being here except for my duties as prescribed.” Dooku answers.
Breathing a sigh of relief Jenza looks over at her attended. “Thank you Yari, that will be all for now.” Yari bows and quietly exits the suit leaving the two siblings alone.
Taking a step back from his sister Dooku takes a moment to look her over. She looks tired and stressed and he worries for her health. “What is this about Jenza? Your message was extremely cryptic but also seemed very urgent.”
Sinking back into her chair Jenza points to its companion next to her. “Take a seat please Dooku.” Waiting for her brother to sit down Jenza fiddles with her purse laying on the side table next to her. “Are you keeping abreast of what is happening on Serenno?” She asks.
Leaning back into his chair Dooku crosses his legs and contemplates his sister. “Although the high council is very vocal in their discouragement of me following anything to do with my home world I do take the time to keep abreast of the political situation at home.”
Jenza nods. “Good then you know that Gora is getting worse by the day and that Ramil is following closely in his footsteps.”
Dooku hums softly. “Yes they are both undermining the ruling houses and weakening the planet’s defences quite severely.” Tapping a finger on the silk purse, Jenza responds. “You are correct and if it continues on in this vein it will lead to rebellion. And that is something that we cannot afford.”
Taking a deep breath she continues, “So I started looking for a replacement.” The jedi starts, “My dear whatever do you mean?” Dooku asks. Tiredly rubbing her eyes with the hand that is not resting on the silk purse, “Both Ramil and Gora have had several affairs both discreet and public. So several years ago I implemented a secret program. This program runs a paternity test on all blood samples sent in for standard scanning. The test is to look for a match to any member of our house.”
She gets up and crosses the room to the sideboard where a bottle of Corellian Reserve and glasses are located. Picking up two glasses and the bottle she returns to her seat. “I had hoped to catch one of their bastards that I could take in and raise to take over from them as Count.” Pouring a strong measure in each glass, she hands one over to Dooku.
“I take it you have not found one as of yet.” Dooku states, taking the glass from his sister. “No not yet, which considering their habits is actually a surprise in and of itself.” Taking a sip of her glass she puts it down and opens her purse pulling out two pieces of flimsy. Looking at it she steels herself and then hands both over to her brother.
Taking the flimsies Dooku notices that one is a holo-still and the other is a print out of a paternity test. Looking at the test Dooku felt the blood drain from his face. His breath catches in his chest and his hands start to shake.
“I take you did not know then?” Jenza asks, while picking up her glass again. Dooku shakes his head, “I… No… I, I would have never. I… Are you sure that this is correct?” He stumbles over his words. Draining her glass in one go, Jenza nods, the jewelled pins in her hair glittering in the light.
“Yeah I am sure. I also erased all traces of the data from basically everywhere.” Pointing to the filmsy in his hands. “That there is the only copy of the information in existence. I don’t have any other information except for the photograph.”
Folding open the photograph Dooku looks it over and stops, taking another deep breath he closes his eyes and presses both pieces to his chest. “I do not know if I should thank you or curse you for this knowledge.” He states.
Jenza pushes his glass closer to him. “Drink up you need the alcohol.” Huffing out a slightly panicked laugh Dooku picks up the glass and knocks back its contents in one swallow. Looking at the now empty glass he shakes his head ruefully. “What a sacrilege to do to such a vintage.”
“Do you want help looking?” Jenza asks, pointing at the picture. Looking over at her before staring at the picture again he shakes his head. “No I… No, I think I know of someone that can assist me without drawing unwanted attention.” Folding the flimsies he carefully places them into one of the pouches tied to his belt.
Leaning forward he takes his sister’s hand. “Stop looking for our brother’s bastards. If you call I will answer and back you as the Countess of Serenno.” Jenza freezes. “Dooku you cannot mean that.” Gripping her hand tighter. “I can and I do and I assure you, you will find many on Serenno that will back you as well. Our home world will be far safer in your care than any other member of our family. Me included.”
Rising he pulls his sister up and gives her a hug. “I need to leave now so as not to raise suspicions with my absence, but Jenza you cannot know what this information means to me. Or the knowledge that you freely gave it over to me.”
Hugging him back Jenza closes her eyes. “You are my brother and I love you.” “I love you too sister dearest.” stepping back Dooku gives her one last look before striding from the room.
Year 936ARR/64BBY
Yaddle looks up as she hears someone knocking at her door. Putting down the investigation report from one of her shadows about the banking clan she gets up and walks over to the door. Reaching out into the force she frowns. She has not interacted a lot with Dooku since she returned. Both from her sabbatical and in time. Although most of her future past memories have been suppressed or outright removed from her and those that remained had the emotions stripped from them.
But her death at the hand of her once great friend still echoes through her. In fact he had only been to her rooms once after her return. Steeling herself she opens the door. “Dooku.” She states in greeting. Bowing slightly,
“ Master Yaddle.” Dooku greets her in return. “May I come in.” He hesitates a moment. “I feel I have need of your wisdom and knowledge.”
Tilting her head slightly to the side her ears rise up in surprise. “Of course my friend. Come in please. Offer you tea can I?” nodding in gratitude, Dooku follows her into her apartment letting the door close behind him. “Comfortable yourself make.” Yaddle shouts back from the kitchen where she is putting a tea service together.
Looking around her apartment, Dooku crosses over to the large bookcase holding several pads, books, knick-knacks and a round pendant. Tapping the pendant, it gives off a clear bell like chime. Picking it up he turns to look at Yaddle as she enters the room with the tea set floating behind her.
“Beskar is quite a rarity. Wherever did you get this from?” Holding up the pendant with the etching of a mudhorn on one side and a stylised constellation on the other. “A curious symbol, the mudhorn.” He states as he makes his way over to the low tea table where Yaddle had placed the tea service.
“Gift is was.” Yaddle answers warily. Pouring the tea she waits for him to sit down before handing the cup over. “Interest in it why are you? Thought you came for wisdom and advice?” The small master enquires as she pours her own cup of tea.
Placing the cup on the table next to the pendant, Dooku pulls two pieces of flimsy from a pocket. He keeps one close but hands one over to Yaddle. Taking it she opens it and looks down at the photograph. Her breath catches.
“Interested in this, why are you?” she demands. Raising an eyebrow Dooku simply looks at her for a long moment before handing over the other flimsy. Yaddle hesitates a moment before she takes it and opens and reads it. Her breath hitches and she looks over at him sharply before looking down at the paper again. “I take it you also did not know?” He asks.
Shaking her head. “How certain is this knowledge?” she asks the faintest hint of a tremble in her voice. “Very.” Dooku replies.
Yaddle puts the papers down and picks up her cup and slowly sips her tea. “Knows this none do.” Yaddle states. Dooku nods. “I presumed as much.” Looking at her Dooku feels as if the old master is looking into his very soul. “Do what with this knowledge will you?” She asks softly. “I do not know. This is where I hope your wisdom and advice will give me direction.” Dooku answers.
Yaddle is still for a long moment before slowly she reaches over and pours some more tea into her cup. Picking the cup up she stares down into the golden liquid and reaches out into the force looking for direction and answers. She can feel the force nudging her in a direction.
She frowns; this is not what she had anticipated but she had sworn to follow the force above all else. Finally after a very long moment she takes a sip of her tea. “You will swear not to repeat or reveal any of what I will tell you.”
Dooku starts, “Master?” Yaddle shakes her head and glares at Dooku. “Swear to keep this knowledge secret, Swear to listen and swear that you will heed what you learn today.” The force presses heavily on Dooku and he knows, knows deep down to the very core of him that this is the making or breaking of him. This is the fork in the road, where he could and would abide by the will of the force and thus remain in the light or where he turns away, down a path that he knows not what it will bring. He is a Jedi, a master sworn to follow the force and serve the light and he now swears again.
“In the year 981 ARR killed me you did as the final step in becoming a Sith apprentice.” Yaddle states softly. Dooku rears back in shock. “I would never!” He exclaims.
Holding her hand up, “Promised to listen you did.” She states. She waits until the dark haired master settles down again. “Lost in grief you were. Lost all three of your padawans where. Angry with the High Council and the Senate you were. Raging against the corruption all around you where. Decided to fall, you did. Lead to the death of all the Jedi your actions did.” picking up and staring at the empty cup she felt a tear roll down her cheek. “All light was lost.” She whispers softly.
Dooku sits frozen. He has no idea how to process what he has just heard. “This vision… This vision of me falling and the rise of the Sith, was that what prompted your sabbatical?” He demands brokenly.
Yaddle shakes her head and uses the force to pull the beskar pendant to her. “No. No, the vision showed me one path and then it showed me three bright stars. Her champions. The force led me clear across the galaxy to a hidden tribe of mandalorians. There I found three young warriors only just bled. Her champions. I spent my sabbatical training them and in exchange being trained by them.”
Gently rubbing a claw across the etching of the mudhorn she considers her next move. Putting it down she leans over the table holding out her hand to Dooku. “Here see what taught me the Star born mandalorians did.”
Glancing between her hand and her face Dooku hesitates for only a moment before softly placing his hand in hers. Yaddle smiles softly and slowly lowers her shield and gently draws Dooku in to look into her mind. He feels his breath catch as he sees bonds made from beskar strong chains linking her to a great many beings in a vast net. The difference between these bonds and those that most Jedi have was the amount of emotions that flowed in both directions. He can feel echoes of joy, pain, sorrow, contentment and flowing over all these and more a deep and abiding love.
“Mandalorians fall to the darkside they do not easily. Tie themselves to many beings, bind them in their love for their family, tribe and people. If stumble they do, have many to pull them back.” Letting go of his hand and sitting back up the small master ears droop tiredly. “So scared of emotions we have grown that stumble and fall far too many jedi does.”
Swallowing Dooku contemplates this statement. “This. This is heresy!” He exclaims. Yaddle nods. “So many Jedi will say yes, And yet… And yet.” Looking at Dooku right in the eye. “What tells the force us?” Breathing deeply he closes his eyes and opens himself to the force. For a moment there is no direction and then the force comes rushing into him affirming everything Yaddle had said.
“The High council can never know.” Dooku chokes out. “Mmmm,” Yaddle hums. “For now no, but in time we will shift and change the order and then start to grow again it will.” Slumping back she picks up the photograph again. “Meet him do you want to?” She asks.
Dooku contemplates for a moment. “Yes I do, but only if it will not endanger him,” he sighs. “And I cannot meet him while Qui-Gon is my padawan. I love that boy but he is so wrapped up in the living force and our relationship is not what it once was. He is spending more time now with Yoda than me and I fear he will tell Yoda the instance he is aware of this.”
Yaddle nods. “True words you speak.” She hesitates for a moment. “Write a letter you shall. Will ensure that it is delivered I shall. Then when the force agree you shall meet.”
Closing his eyes Dooku bows his head. “Thank you.” Yaddle watched him kindly. “Hear stories about my grandchildren do you?” She asks.
“Please.” Dooku breathes. Getting up from her seat, Yaddle makes her way towards the kitchen. “More tea will we need.” She suddenly cackles. “Tell you story of the mudhorn and how that symbol he got.” Getting up and following the diminutive master into her kitchen Dooku swore to himself that no matter what happens he would never ever join the Sith.
