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“Tomad B’ijaat”
The blue-gray eyes of Obi-Wan Kenobi narrowed as he read over the words inscribed on the document he was reading; his fingers tightened on the data-pad he was holding before he looked up into the warm brown gazes of both Padme Naberrie-Skywalker and her daughter, Leia Naberrie-Skywalker.
“Tell me that I’ve not read what I think I’ve just read,” the war veteran demanded, staring at the women while grasping the data-pad with tight fingers.
“I wish I was Obi-Wan,” Padme answered, sounding tired and angry. “This is not something I would jest over; you know me too well.”
“How did an educational exchange turn into this,” he asked, running fingers through his long graying hair. “We hadn’t even made a final decision about the details of this mission yet, much less who will be sent out on it. We have a few in mind and won’t make a decision until we get more information together to finalize the mission.”
The elder woman shook her head, fingers digging into the smooth surface of her desk. She was just as angry as the man was, and she knew her daughter was furious as well. The pair had discussed this often since the decision was made, and they’d finally been able to read Obi-Wan into the situation.
“I don’t know, but we fought against it,” she replied. “Queen Namatani spoke out against this repeatedly as did Queen Breha when she found out; Bail tried to spearhead a bill countering actions like this, but it’s been bogged down on the Senate floor. We’re not going to be able to get it through in time, but we’re still trying.”
“Even after all the sacrifices the Order has made for the Senate and the Republic, they continue to make more and more demands of us,” Obi-Wan said, making the women wince. “Does he have any idea this is coming?”
“No,” Leia said, breaking her silence. “Since his trials to prove his mastery are happening soon, we didn’t want to add to his burden. He’s been worrying about doing his best for these trials, and it’s not fair to put this on him on top of that.”
“It’s why the Council has held off on making the final decision on whether or not to send him on this mission once the plans are finalized,” Obi-Wan agreed. “If he was chosen, we felt it would be better to send him as a master instead of a knight. At the moment, we didn’t want to burden him further with mission preparation until he passed them.”
“And sending a master instead of a knight also looks better,” Padme stated with a gentle smile on her face.
“There was that,” he said with a soft laugh, acknowledging her point. “We can blame Mace for that decision; he said Luke was too close to achieving his masteries so it was best to wait until that was out of the way. Either way, we’ll still be sending the best of his generation to Mandalore.”
Leia looked down for a moment, thinking as she did so. She really wasn’t sure how well her twin would take this news; she was still irate over it, but Luke tended to react to things differently than she did. She was very aware of the fact that his training had a very strong influence on him.
“How will you tell him about all of this?”
“I’ll have to have a discussion with the Council and show them the order from the Senate,” Obi-Wan replied to his niece’s question. “From there, we’ll determine how to break the news to him. I’m not so certain that bringing him before the Council is the best way to do it; maybe a few of the masters he’s most comfortable with can help me break the news.”
“Do you think we should be there for that,” Padme asked, sounding concerned for her eldest child.
“It depends on who tells him the news. I think he needs to be able to come to you since he will have to keep himself restrained in front of whoever tells him,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll let you know if it’s just me who must tell him since it’d be easier for him to react normally. You can be there then if that’s the case.”
It was a very troubled Jedi Master who left the Senatorial offices later and headed to the Council Chambers, calling a meeting to review the order that had been given to him.
As he had predicted, the Council had been just as upset with the orders as he was. There was a heated debate about it, but there was little they could do to stop this from happening. However, they did manage to come up with a few things to help the Jedi in question but all of them agreed it wasn’t enough to make things right.
Cody looked up when Obi-Wan entered the quarters he shared with his husband, and the Jedi knew the other could see the stress and other emotions on his face. The two also shared a Force bond despite Cody being Null in regards to his abilities, but the younger man was able to sense things from the other when his emotions were high.
“What happened, cyar’ika,” Cody asked, immediately putting his data-pad down and shifting on their couch to make room for his husband.
“You know how the Council had come up with the idea of sending a knight or master to Manda’yaim to help the new Mand’alor learn the ways of the saber as well as offer what help he or she can diplomatically,” he asked.
“I remember,” the clone said quietly. “A measure of good faith, I think you said, and also to keep him from cutting his own leg off as well as ensuring the saber won’t blow up on him.”
Obi-Wan ran a hand over his beard, nodding.
“And to give us a chance to negotiate peace between the Mando’ade and the Order,” he stated. “We’re hoping to build enough of a rapport with this that we can get the Agri-Corps into the system to help with the planets that have been damaged due to war or bad mining practices. It’s our hope we can pay reparations for our presence in the wars that caused so much damage and animosity.”
“From what I hear, the Mand’alor may be open to that as long as you can get past one of his advisors,” Cody said. “Rex absolutely despises her, and he’s said before that it’s a migraine dealing with her on a good day. She doesn’t like clones at all, and I shudder to think what her opinion will be about having Jedi on Manda’yaim.”
Obi-Wan had to shake his head at that. After the Clone Wars had ended, the Order had opened their doors to the Vode to give them a place to call home and a purpose. Some of them had stayed while others had decided to try for citizenship on Mandalore, given the blood ties to Jango Fett. Satine had strenuously objected to the request, but she’d been overthrown by the citizens she’d oppressed for so long. Her decision regarding the Vode had been the final act that had broken the limited patience the Mando’ade had for her, and they’d rebelled in hopes of regaining their culture and history.
The clans had welcomed the Vode after Satine was out of power, and the Mand’alor elected at that time had willingly stepped aside due to age when a young beroya had arrived bearing a saber that everyone had sworn was missing or destroyed. He had been stuck with Bo-Katan Kryze as an advisor since the woman had refused to challenge the new Mand’alor, who had beaten her twice.
Bo-Katan, who Obi-Wan personally knew and avidly disliked, was very vocal against the clones and often refused to acknowledge them by name. She had been trying her utmost to get them off of Manda’yaim and out of any position of authority any of them might hold.
Fortunately for the Vode, the new Mand’alor had been considerate with them and invited those who had served on the previous Mand’alor’s council to remain as he formed a new council. Rex had been one of those who was currently serving on the Council, and he often commed Cody to complain about the “red headed terror.”
“She has no love for me either,” Obi-Wan stated, shaking his head. “She believes I failed her sister, but I reminded her that she was the one who fought on the side of a group of terrorists who had wanted Satine out, even if it meant her death.”
“She was probably furious about that,” Cody said with a wince. His husband was not one to mince words with someone who had gotten beneath his skin and pushed him to the edge of his patience.
“No, she was not happy at all,” he answered mildly. “I don’t believe her attitude will change unless someone forces her to change. That will most likely end up happening in a challenge of some sort.”
“Or multiple considering how deep her prejudice goes,” Cody agreed. “And she’ll probably kick up a fuss about this one. How is the Senate going to push this through? They’ll need the Mand’alor’s agreement to it.”
The younger man was treated to a very rare sight as his husband’s calm expression disappeared under the wave of fury he could sense through their bond. Obi-Wan was highly protective of Luke, as was Cody, given he had raised the boy as a padawan. He had taken the child in at around seven years of age, unusual at the time, but Luke had been too strong to remain in the creche for long. The bond between the three of them was deep, and both Obi-Wan and Cody loved the young man as a son.
“They’re pretty much giving him no choice,” Obi-Wan stated. “They’ve offered trade for food and supplies to continue helping with the rebuilding. Things they know the system needs to be able to continue growing. Given what the Vode of told us about his character, the Mand’alor won’t be able to refuse as he is incredibly loyal and protective of his people. Fortunately, Leia and Padme were able to work on the treaty and keep it as an agreement for peace and leave a loophole so Mandalore won’t have to join the Republic.”
“Do I want to know how they pulled that off?”
“Probably not,” he answered his husband dryly. “Leia inherited all of her mother’s intelligence and ability to navigate the murky terrain of politics. With the help of their allies, they managed to make it sound like the Republic is gaining in power and reputation, but all the Mandalorians have to do is agree not to attack unless the Republic does something first and potentially ally themselves with the Republic should there be another aggressive entity moving against it.”
“Knowing those two, I’m sure they managed to sneak in more than that,” Cody said with a tiny smile. “Hopefully, they can keep it from being noticed.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” he said, looking proud of the two women’s cunning and ingenuity. “At the moment, we’re waiting on the Mand’alor’s response to the comm from the Senate but Mace has made sure to send a message stating that the Jedi Order had no idea of what was going on. The only thing we had wanted was to offer our help and friendship.”
“If you’d like, cyar’ika, I can comm Rex and let him know what’s going on,” he offered. “Once I explain everything, hopefully he can share all of this with the Mand’alor. If nothing else, it’ll give him time to cool off in case he’s offended by what the Republic is trying to do.”
“That would be a huge help,” Obi-Wan replied. “I cannot believe the Senate is pushing this madness. I wish there was something we could do to stop this.”
“The Senate won’t believe the Order suddenly decided to recant on the decision to allow their members to marry,” Cody pointed out. “Not after all the publicity on how long it took the Council to allow such a change and the reasons for it.”
“True,” he sighed, running a hand over his beard with a sigh.
Things had changed a great deal for the Jedi Order after the Clone Wars had been won; the members of the Council and the Order had realized things could not continue as they had been. There had been too many losses taken during the war, including Obi-Wan’s padawan. Anakin had faced Palpatine, sacrificing his life to restore peace and light to the galaxy. That act of love and sacrifice had been the motivation for the Order to make the critical changes needed to protect their people, and the Skywalker Resolution had been passed.
Jedi were now allowed to marry and live with their spouses in the Temple; the Council had researched and found several wedding vows from different cultures that allowed for the Force and the duty to the galaxy to be first before the marriage and children. Obi-Wan had cheerfully contributed the words to the Mandalorian marriage vows, which had been the vow he and Cody had used.
The Resolution had also folded the Vode into the Order as members, even those who had wished not to stay, and granted them the protection that came with being part of the Order. The biggest one that had been written into the Resolution was that a padawan would never again be drawn into a war, no matter the age of the padawan in question.
There had been a lot of push-back from the Senate, but the Order had stood firm against it. They would never allow their young ones, those who were still vulnerable even if they were of Coruscanti age of majority, to face such dark times again. Too many had been lost to death or were in treatment with the mind healers to help work through what they had faced during the Clone Wars.
The push-back had only solidified the idea that the Order needed to remove themselves from Coruscant after the Ruusan Reformation ended the next year, and that had become a plan now that they were about to have to send one of their Order to wed a complete stranger due to the Senate’s whims. Obi-Wan knew there would be meetings to put the plans into motion, and he knew that the Order would be gone soon after the Reformation reached its end. Given the fact there had been no overtures from the Senate to renew the treaty, the High Council was fairly certain they had forgotten about the deadline and were determined to take advantage of it.
“I’m thinking we should head to Manda’yaim when Luke is sent,” Cody stated, drawing Obi-Wan out of his thoughts.
“I agree with you,” he told him, giving a small smile of approval. “I think Luke would want his uncles there, and we know enough about the culture to ensure that he gets settled in the proper way.”
“Leia and Padme will undoubtedly go with us,” Cody agreed. “Do you think the Council will send anyone else with us?”
“That depends on the reactions from the Mand’alor,” he said. “They may wish to send more to represent the Order and support Luke, but the Council may also decide to use me as their representative. We’ll have to wait and see what the decision is.”
“If we do end up having to witness a wedding, let’s hope we can keep certain people under control,” the clone said, making his husband sigh and shake his head.
“I’m not sure who will be the most volatile with this – Bo-Katan or Leia,” he said with a second sigh.
“At least Leia is short enough I can pick her up if she tries to get into a physical altercation,” Cody said, having scruffed her enough over the years whenever she’d lost her temper.
Leia had decided as a child to just learn enough about the Force to keep her gifts under control before following her mother’s path into politics. She was spirited and had a good grasp on her emotional self-control, but there were a few things that could push the tiny junior senator into losing her temper. Anyone attempting to harm her family was one of her triggers.
“I’ll make sure to have her meditate with Luke and me,” Obi-Wan shook his head. “Hopefully the trip will be enough time to prepare us for whatever we might face on Manda’yaim.”
Cody leaned back in his seat, giving a slow smile.
“It’s a good thing we taught Luke Mando’a while he was with us,” he stated. “I don’t think they’re going to expect him to be fluent in it.”
“That will be an advantage for him,” he agreed. “Luke has been practicing with it and the other languages he’s picked up over the years. It’ll be useful for him.”
“How is he feeling about his upcoming trials,” Cody asked, changing the subject for the moment.
“Nervous but confident,” Obi-Wan answered, grateful for the topic change. “I’ve been sparring with him as much as I can, and I think he’s ready for testing with Soresu. Master Drallig said as much regarding the other form Luke has been working on.”
“High praise if he says so,” Cody ventured, knowing how exacting the Battle Master of the Order was about his students.
“Agreed,” his husband shared. “The format for the trial has been agreed on, and his opponents as well. It’s going to be an exhausting day for him, but I know he can do it. His stamina is incredible, and I know it will only continue to get better as he ages.”
“Well, he did learn Soresu from the best; he’s as stubborn as you are in practicing it. I’m glad he did because it protected all of us quite a few times during the war. I’m happy that he’ll be able to do the same if he needs to.”
“Agreed,” Obi-Wan said. “I know he’ll be just fine and do incredibly well for the trials. I have faith in him and his ability.”
“So do I,” Cody told him with a smile, glad to see Obi-Wan relaxing a bit.
Obi-Wan wasn’t exactly fully relaxed several days later when he and Cody took their seats in one of the sparring arenas the Temple hosted. He and the Council had been working hard on the relocation plans as well as preparing for Luke’s departure to Mandalore. His thoughts were disrupted when Padme and Leia took a seat next to them.
“Good morning, Uncle Obi-Wan,” Leia greeted, and he gave her a smile as he replied.
“Good morning, little moon,” he answered, using the nickname he’d given her as a small child. “How are you this morning?”
“Mix of emotions thanks to the Senate, but I’m here to cheer Luke on,” she said.
“How was he this morning,” Padme asked, leaning forward to look at Obi-Wan and Cody since Leia had taken the seat on the Jedi’s free side.
“Nervous before we spent time in meditation together,” he answered. “He’s been working incredibly hard to achieve this goal.”
“I’m glad the meditation helped,” she told him before glancing around. “There’s a lot more people here than I expected.”
“It’s not every day a knight takes a trial like this,” Obi-Wan informed her. “Most masters are given that title by raising a padawan. I started out that way, but I mastered Soresu in hopes of being able to protect those with me.”
“Which is what put Luke on that path as well,” Cody said, sharing why the young man had chosen Soresu as one of his focus forms. “He heard some of the stories about the Clone Wars and decided he wanted to protect instead of going with one of the flashier forms.”
“That sounds like something he would do,” Leia stated, smiling as she did so. “I swear he’s too kind for the galaxy some days. It worries me honestly.”
Obi-Wan agreed with her but wasn’t able to answer when Cin Drallig and Mace Windu stepped into the middle of the sparring area. He straightened a bit, focused on what was about to happen.
“My fellow Jedi and gentle beings who have come to observe, thank you for coming to support one of our own as he takes the trials to prove his mastery of two of our combat forms,” Mace announced. “Master Drallig will be judging the two matches.”
There was a round of applause, excitement building in the air as the Master of the Order addressed the crowd.
“Knight Naberrie-Skywalker, step forward.”
A small blond male stepped onto the mats when Master Drallig called his name, giving a deep bow to both masters. He looked focused, not smiling as he usually would when greeting someone.
“Master Shaak Ti, step forward.”
There was a loud stir of voices, excitement rising as the council member stepped out onto the mats as well. It was rare when one of their number would be called out to help test a knight for mastery; Master Ti was an even rarer site in situations like this.
“The rules are simple,” Drallig told them and the audience as Mace went to join his former padawan in the observation areas. “The first to ten points or forces a submission wins. Do you understand?”
Both duelists’ voices were easily heard by the audience as they agreed to the rules, and the two bowed to each other and then to the Battle Master before the man backed away to get out of the reach of the blades.
Luke and Shaak settled into their opening positions, blades at the ready. Both were obviously focused on each other, open to the Force to allow it to guide them.
“Begin!”
The crowd watched as Shaak struck first, watching as her blade impacted against Luke’s green one with a noise familiar to all of them. The blond quickly returned the strikes, utterly focused on the Force and his opponent.
Obi-Wan leaned forward in his seat, watching the duel with a gaze that missed nothing. Makashi was a form that he was familiar with since his former Grand Master had been the master of this form. His own master had known it as well, though he’d preferred Ataru and had taught Obi-Wan that particular form. The Clone Wars had forced him to learn more about Makashi so he could work better to defend himself against it.
Luke was doing rather well; Shaak had scored two points before his former padawan had given a bit of a smile before launching into an elegant series of attacks that pushed the Jedi Master into retreating a bit. The young man had been watching his opponent to learn a bit more about her methods before taking over the offensive, pressing her defenses hard. Obi-Wan applauded every time his student had scored a point, smile growing bigger each time.
“He’s doing well, isn’t he,” Padme asked, leaning over Leia to be heard.
“He is,” Obi-Wan agreed, looking happy. “He’s come a long way from when he started learning this form. After the Clone Wars, I wasn’t sure my lineage would ever touch this particular form again.”
“He looks good,” Cody shared, knowing Leia and Padme could hear him too. His eyes hadn’t moved away from the duel as they spoke.
“Yes, he does,” his husband nodded, listening when Cody spoke up again.
“He is a lot more graceful with this than I remember Dooku or Ventress ever being,” he observed. “Looks like it’s more natural.”
“You’re not wrong there,” Obi-Wan answered. “But you saw Dooku during his darker days, not as in control of himself as he was before leaving the Order. There are holo-recordings of him when he was younger, and he was a sight to watch at that time. However, that being said, our Luke definitely is a natural to this form. There is one better for him, and you’ll be seeing that next. You think he’s graceful now, wait until that portion of the trials comes up.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Padme said, not looking away from where her son was dueling the Togrutan Master.
“Neither can I,” the Jedi grinned. “The Council recused me from the planning of the trials with Master Drallig so I have no idea who he will be dueling against for that portion. He is prepared for it; I wouldn’t have encouraged him had I not believed he could succeed.”
They didn’t say anything after that, cheering Luke on, and the duel soon ended when the blond managed to disarm the council member with a move that no one expected. It was an older one, not used that often, and the cheers filled the room when Shaak Ti yielded.
“Well done,” Shaak told him with a toothy smile after they had bowed to each other.
“Thank you for the duel, Master Ti,” Luke said with a bright smile.
“It was my pleasure, and I wouldn’t say no to a rematch later,” she told him, stepping back when Master Drallig approached the pair.
“Knight Skywalker, are you ready to continue or do you need a brief respite?”
“May I have five minutes to do a short meditation to recenter myself,” he asked, bowing when the Battle Master agreed.
Obi-Wan smiled when Luke went to the edge of the dueling area, kneeling to center himself. He reached through their bond to send a wave of affectionate pride, feeling the gratitude from his former padawan.
“How is he,” Cody asked, suspecting what his husband was doing.
“He’s doing well,” he replied. “He’s centering himself for the next part. Soresu is a challenging form to take the trial for.”
“How so,” Leia asked, looking at her uncle.
“Soresu is the form of resilience,” he shared. “The one who uses it must be able to stand against an opponent for hours, an impenetrable shield to protect one’s allies and oneself.”
“During the Clone Wars, I saw Obi-Wan go almost six hours while in a battle,” Cody said. “A team of medics and their patients were pinned down, and he protected them until we could wipe out the wave of droids that was targeting them. He never flagged or faltered at all.”
“I knew he had been notable for the fewer casualties and higher number of successes, but I had no idea about that,” Padme said. “Anakin had only commented about Obi-Wan’s talents a few times but nothing on that.”
“He wouldn’t have,” Obi-Wan said with a soft note in his voice. “While he was proud of my skills in Soresu and having achieved mastery level in it, he respected my wishes to ensure my abilities weren’t discussed often. It’s better for your adversaries to underestimate you, and I preferred that.”
“Makes sense,” Leia agreed with a sigh. “At the time, it was difficult to know who to trust and the two of you were pretty well known given your mission success rate.”
“Exactly,” he shared. “I had to do everything I could to keep those around me safe, and Anakin was a willing participant in that.”
The short meditation break was called as Master Drallig summoned Luke back to the center of the mats. The knight bowed to the Battle Master, looking focused and ready to face his next portion of his trials.
“We are ready to conduct the final portion of Knight Skywalker’s trials,” the older Jedi stated. “Knight Skywalker, are you ready?”
“I am, Master Drallig,” Luke answered, voice carrying to the audience watching them.
“Master Windu, please step forward,” Cin Drallig called, causing a stir among those in the stands.
“Oh this should be interesting,” Obi-Wan said with a laugh as the Master of the Order stepped forward.
“How so,” Padme asked, sounding curious.
“Mace is a brilliant duelist, but he’s going to be at a disadvantage if he uses Vaapad against Luke,” he answered, voice low. “It uses the inner darkness of the practitioner and turns it into light, but it also utilizes the aggression of the opponent against themselves. For someone who is more than proficient at Soresu, it ends up becoming frustrating for the Vaapad user.”
“Luke is a lot like Obi-Wan in that he sinks into battle meditation while using Soresu,” Cody shared, having discussed this with his husband and their nephew. “Once they’re in that state, there’s not much to use against them.”
“Mace has tried to break that a few times when we spar,” the Jedi grinned. “It’s a mark of honor and a bit satisfying when he’s forced to change forms.”
“This should be good then,” Padme said with a grin of her own, settling into her seat.
“It should but the match can be different to watch because it’s almost purely defense on the Soresu user’s side,” Obi-Wan told them.
“I think it’ll be interesting,” she stated, making him chuckle. “Besides, it’s Luke who is doing this so we won’t find it slow or dull.”
“With Mace dueling him, it’ll be anything but,” he predicted.
After the rules of the duel had been laid out, Luke settled into the opening position he found the most comfortable to him and opened himself to the Force completely. His blade moved effortlessly to block every strike that came from his opponent and his footwork was near flawless whenever he stepped to block or negate an advance that came at him.
Obi-Wan’s prediction came true less than an hour into the match; Master Windu, realizing that Luke had sunk deeply into battle meditation, switched from Vaapad to Djem So. He could only laugh when the young man’s lineage had cheered, knowing they also knew that Luke’s mind and spirit were too focused to even allow for Mace’s form to work properly.
The cheers went incredibly loud when the small form of Master Yoda entered the platform. The Grand Master dropped his robe, gimmer stick laying on top of the fabric, and ignited his saber before entering the fray.
Padme and Leia, who had never seen Yoda in action, were watching in open mouthed amazement as the tiny figure went full speed, bouncing to try to get through Luke’s defenses. They had no idea that the tiny Jedi, who had often walked slowly with his gimmer stick, could be this quick or acrobatic.
“Is the slow walk and the cane a ruse,” Leia asked, looking at Obi-Wan with wide eyes.
“We’ve never been able to ascertain that,” he admitted. “Some of us wondered but didn’t dare to ask. He can hit really hard with that gimmer stick, and I’ve had too many bruised shins over the years.”
“Thorn and Thire swear it’s an act,” Cody chuckled. “They’ve seen him fight as well, but he ended up having them carry him.”
She shook her head, eyes returning to the match; this was something she’d never expected to see, and it was incredible.
Both Masters had fallen into sync with each other, attempting to breach Luke’s defenses, and she could see that he was working much harder than he had been. Yet he hadn’t left the state of meditation at all; the tranquil, focused expression never changed at all.
“Do you think he’ll make it to the time limit,” Padme asked, knowing Luke had to make it to the three hour mark.
“He will,” Obi-Wan confided. “He’s pushed himself further than that limit before so I know he has the stamina to do it. However, he’s never had to do this against either Master.”
“He can do it,” the two women said in unison, focusing their attention on the blond.
The small family was cheering him on, and the noise was near deafening when Cin Drallig called time. Luke had not dropped his defense once, successfully keeping the two masters from landing a single blow on him.
Feeling the ping from the Council bonds, Obi-Wan left his seat and joined the High Council on the mats as Yoda summoned his outer robe and gimmer stick from where he’d left it.
“Knight Naberrie-Skywalker, kneel,” Mace instructed, watching as the young man gracefully sank to his knees in front of the Council.
“You have faced your trials with strength, skill, and devotion to the Force,” he continued. “It is the judgment of this Council that you have passed your trials. From this moment forward, you are now Luke Naberrie-Skywalker, Master of Makashi and Master of Soresu.”
“Rise, Master Naberrie-Skywalker,” Mace stated, smiling as he did so.
Luke rose gracefully, a bright smile on his face as he bowed to the Council. He was tired, energetic, and ecstatic by the results of the trials.
“Thank you for the opportunity, masters,” he said, showing respect to the group.
“It was a pleasure,” Shaak told him. “Congratulations.”
The formality broke as Depa went to hug Luke, who laughed and hugged her back. The rest of the Council, who had watched him grow up also went to hug him. Obi-Wan was the last one to do so, smiling broadly as he congratulated his nephew.
Luke’s joy was infectious, and the older Jedi watched as Leia and Padme hugged him tightly. The blond was chattering, showing so much of his joy, and Obi-Wan struggled with the thought that his nephew’s bright smile may very well be removed soon. He sent a hope into the Force, begging that the Mand’alor would refuse what the Senate was trying to do.
Five days later, Obi-Wan’s hopes had been dashed as he sat in the Council Chamber, frowning as they took the comm from the Chancellor. He could tell the female Pantoran was uncomfortable with what she had to tell them, but it was obvious that she was in agreement with the decisions made by the Senate.
He leaned forward in his seat, and Mace nodded, catching the silent signal that he wanted to speak.
“Chancellor, I know the Mandalorian culture fairly well. Arranged marriages are simply not done so the question I have for you is this – what did you promise or threaten them with to have the Mand’alor acquiesce to this so-called treaty?”
“It is not a request to join the Republic,” the Chancellor assured them. “It’s a chance for peace, a mutual alliance. We’ve offered food and medical resources that can help them as they rebuild.”
Obi-Wan’s lips compressed tightly; that was the one thing the Mand’alor could not refuse, and it made the Jedi sick to his stomach to know the being was bartering himself for his people. He just hoped that Padme and her group had softened the treaty more for Mandalore than he suspected it had started off as.
“And marriage? Why that?”
“Best way to join our nations together, so to speak,” she said. “And since you were already planning on a friendship exchange, it seemed best to arrange it this way. It isn’t a problem since Jedi are allowed to marry now.”
“You do realize that we plan on offering our own treaty with them,” Plo Koon asked, staring at the holo image.
“We suspected as much,” she said. “Provided it does not interfere with the treaty we are going to sign with them, we will not intervene with your decisions to approach the system.”
That could be a problem, Obi-Wan realized. Despite the issues with the Clone War and its fall out, the Order was still not given the freedoms it needed. It was a problem that had been weighing on their minds more and more lately. The knowledge that the reigning body had some idea of their plan with Mandalore was just one thing added onto an already overcrowded plate, and that plate was about to snap from the weight of the burdens.
“Master Skywalker may not agree with this decision,” Depa Billaba stated, leaning forward to stare at the holo as she did so.
“These are orders, Master Jedi,” she replied. “He is perfect for the position since he was raised heavily influenced by the Mandalorian culture; it is our opinion that he will have the best chance to fit in with the people of his new home.”
“Is there a time the Mand’alor is expecting him,” Kit Fisto asked, hiding the concern and anger so it wouldn’t be heard in his voice. The Council bonds were full of support for each other, anger and disbelief rampant in each one.
The Chancellor gave a date that did not give Luke a lot of time to prepare, and it took a great deal of self control to keep Obi-Wan from losing his temper.
“His family, of course, may accompany him for the marriage and to help him settle,” she told them. “All of the information will be sent to you and travel accommodations will be handled by the Temple.”
Once the comm was disconnected, Obi-Wan covered his face with his hands for a moment, struggling to regain control. He knew this was a possibility, but he had hoped that the Mand’alor would turn down the marriage. His nephew was young, and it just didn’t feel right to him to push him into marriage. He knew Luke had hopes of finding someone and falling in love, and now this had happened.
“This is going to devastate Luke,” Depa murmured, just loud enough for the others to hear.
“Knowing him, he will not protest but agree to do what he feels is his duty,” Mace answered his former padawan.
“I need to get Padme to help me speak with Queen Namatani,” Obi-Wan sighed. “She’s going to be furious that a lord of one of the Royal Houses of Naboo is being pushed into this. I know she’s aware of what is going on; the last thing we need is for relations with Naboo to be strained because of this.”
“Do so you will,” Yoda agreed, ears down with sorrow. “Speak with Master Naberrie-Skywalker together, the Council will.”
“Masters, I would like to go with him to Mandalore,” Obi-Wan announced to the group. “I know Leia and Padme will as well, but I feel he needs the support of his whole family. Cody and I had already discussed this when the possibility of this marriage was brought up to us.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” Kit Fisto agreed. “He’s going to need support through this; I know all of you won’t be able to stay long, but hopefully we can broach the idea of a Jedi Watch-being posted in the Mandalorian sector once they have time to acclimate to the marriage and the presence of a master there. This way Luke has at least some form of Jedi interaction outside of comms home.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mace nodded, making notes as he did so. “If things go the way we hope, I’d like to get Agri-Corps involved to heal the damages done by the wars that we were part of. We need to continue with the atonement for our part of that.”
“Not to mention that if their worlds can produce the food stuff they need, it’ll lessen reliance on the Republic and give them more freedom from them,” Ki-Adi Mundi stated, sharing his thoughts on this.
“I’ll make sure to mention it while I’m there,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll negotiate out our own treaty with them and depending on how it goes, maybe we can have their support later when we finally move on our own issues.”
“In the meantime, we need to let Master Naberrie-Skywalker know of what is being ordered of him,” Mace said, shaking his head. “I will be the first to admit that I am not pleased with the decision; I never dreamed that when we came up with the original mission as an overture of friendship that the Senate would literally hijack it this way.”
“Foresaw this we did not,” Yoda stated, ears still down in distress. “Do what we must for Master Naberrie-Skywalker we will. Support him we must. Alone he is not and know this he must.”
The others agreed, and Mace sent a comm message asking Luke to join them. Obi-Wan made sure to message Leia, Padme, and Cody to warn them about what was going on and that Luke would need them once the meeting was over.
He took a few moments to center himself, and he gave Depa a grateful nod when she reached through the shared Council bond to help bolster him. He was unhappy with what was going on, and the Council members knew it. He also knew they were almost as displeased with this as he was, and it helped to know that he wasn’t alone in this.
Luke entered the council chambers, dark boots making no sound against the floor as he approached the mark where every Jedi stood when presented with missions or giving their reports. Obi-Wan took a moment to look him over, noting the blue and cream tunics with a blue outer robe that grazed the floor like the robes all Jedi favored. Luke had chosen these after he’d learned the Mandalorian color meanings; he hadn’t wanted to wear the black his father had favored for so long, and Obi-Wan could appreciate his former padawan’s wish to not be compared to his father.
Like himself, Luke wore durasteel vambraces that were hidden beneath the loose sleeves of the outer robes. These were gifts from Cody to his family, crafted by Wooley who had learned the ways of an armorer from a goran in Little Keldabe. Both of them wore the vambraces all the time when not in their personal rooms.
“You wished to see me, masters,” Luke asked after rising from his respectful bow.
“There is much we need to discuss,” Mace said with a soft sigh. “Ideally, this was going to be your first mission briefing as a master but things have changed.”
“The plan was to send you to Mandalore as an emissary of peace in hopes of showing our wishes to befriend them and make reparations for the actions our Order was forced to take during the wars that nearly destroyed the system,” Plo Koon said. “Part of it was to ensure the Mand’alor could wield the Dark Saber properly; I doubt the blade has been maintained since Tarre Vizsla passed into the Force. We had hoped that you would spend time there, teach the Mand’alor if they wish to learn, and to try to negotiate some form of alliance between the Order and the people of Mandalore.”
“We chose you for this mission because of how you were raised by Master Kenobi and his husband,” Kit Fisto told him. “You understand the culture, speak the language, and we felt that you would be the perfect emissary. The Force approved, but unfortunately, the Senate decided to twist the mission to suit their own gains.”
Luke didn’t respond, letting the Council explain everything. Obi-Wan could see the slight confusion in the blue eyes that he knew very well, and he just hoped that his former padawan would get through this.
“As you know, even after the Clone Wars, our missions fall under the scrutiny of the Senate,” Ki-Adi Mundi told him, picking up where Kit left off. “They decided to make use of our mission to further their own agenda regarding Mandalore. They are sending their own treaty, and we only know of this due to our allies in the Senate.”
“The only reason the Mand’alor might even listen to the Order is due to the family ties between us and the Mando’ade,” Luke said, sounding a bit puzzled. “The idea that the Republic could push a treaty of some kind might very well be insulting to them.”
“That is a valid point,” Ki-Adi agreed. “Senator Organa sent us the current copy of the treaty, highlighting the points that had been adjusted by the allies we have. The Republic wishes for an alliance in exchange for food and medical supplies.”
“That can’t be all of it,” the blond answered, frowning as he did so. “It favors Mandalore too much.”
“They did try for beskar, but the Mand’alor shot that down fairly quickly,” Obi-Wan interjected. “As well they should, beskar has religious implications to the Mando’ade and to even try to demand that is enough to set them against the Republic.”
“So they offer something the system needs to survive and potentially use it as leverage against them if they want something later,” Luke shook his head.
“Which is why we are hoping you can bridge the gap between our Order and their people soon,” Depa told him. “We can get Agri-Corps involved and help them become self sustaining so they don’t have to face the whims of the Senate.”
“I will do my best,” he answered. “I get the feeling the boot hasn’t dropped yet though.”
“I hasn’t,” Mace admitted. “Apparently, the Republic feels that there needs to be a way to make this binding in a way that helps bridge the gap between both groups. They decided that the Jedi emissary is going to marry the Mand’alor.”
“I…what,” Luke asked, sounding baffled. “How do they think that marrying a Jedi to the Mand’alor is a good idea? More to the point, why did the Mand’alor agree to it? Arranged marriages are not done.”
“Our theory is that the aid promised is what sealed it,” the Master of the Order answered. “More to the point, it’s because we knew you were the top name on our list as emissary for our mission that sold the Republic on it. Your history and talents would have ensured their decision.”
“Mandalorian raised,” Luke murmured, looking rattled but holding onto his emotions.
“You are also the son of a war hero; your mother is also a hero as well for her actions before and during the Clone Wars. You are also a lord of a royal house of Naboo,” Obi-Wan acknowledged. “You are family to the Vode, which ties you to Mandalore even further. That kind of pedigree is enough to convince the Senate that you’re perfect to marry the Mand’alor.”
“I’m also a Jedi,” he answered softly. “Meaning if this goes wrong, the Order will be blamed.”
The assembled masters nodded, having reached the same conclusion as well. The Order had been blamed for a great many things over the years so while it was disappointing to know that they were being positioned into being blamed once more, the realization didn’t surprise them.
“Transparent with them we must be,” Yoda said, breaking his silence. “No wish for hostilities we have.”
“Agreed,” Mace acknowledged. “Which is why you will not be going to Mandalore alone. Your family will be with you; we’ve already cleared Master Kenobi’s schedule for the time being, and he will return once he feels the time is right.”
Obi-Wan’s heart ached when he saw a moment of vulnerability cross his nephew’s face; Luke was doing an incredible job holding it together, but he knew that meditation would be needed after a long conversation. He had made sure to clear his afternoon for that.
“There’s no way I can refuse this either, is there?”
“I’m afraid not,” Mace said, voice soft and compassionate. “They made sure to list you by name; you were on our forms as a possible candidate for the mission, and they decided to run with it.”
“I understand, masters,” Luke answered, voice steady and clear. “When am I expected to leave?”
“Within a week,” Adi Gallia replied quietly.
“Then I shall go and prepare,” he replied. “If I may, masters?”
Mace gently dismissed him, then nodded when he saw the unspoken question on Obi-Wan’s face. The man was highly aware of the gazes on him as he rushed after Luke, knowing they were just as concerned about the man as he was.
Obi-Wan quickly caught up with his former padawan, walking with him to the quarters Luke had recently been assigned to as his change in rank had allowed. The blond gave an attempt at a smile when they entered the rooms, gesturing to the few boxes.
“I guess it’s a good thing I haven’t unpacked yet,” he said dryly, looking at the room around him. “Master….ba’vodu…”
His voice trailed off as he started shaking, and Obi-Wan was quick to react. He pulled his nephew into his arms, hugging him tightly while wrapping his shields around him to shelter him while he vented his emotions. He could feel Luke’s slender form shaking even more as he wept quietly, and Obi-Wan’s arms tightened even more.
“I have you, ad’ika,” he murmured in his ear, voice loving and reassuring. “You’re not going to face this alone, I promise you. I know this is a shock and bitter disappointment, but we’ll find a way to make things better somehow.”
Once the storm of emotion had passed, Obi-Wan drew him to the meditation mat that Luke had positioned by a window. The pair settled comfortably, then fell into meditation together.
Meditating with Luke was always a joy; while Anakin had been a supernova in the Force, his son was different. Luke was almost as powerful as his father, but his Force presence reminded Obi-Wan more of an ocean – deep and powerful, moving with the currents of the Force with an ease that most Jedi couldn’t mimic. Some days, it was as tranquil as certain shores on Mon Cala. Others, it was as turbulent and violent as a storm on Kamino.
Right then, it was like braving a serious typhoon and Obi-Wan could understand why. He knew that Luke had hopes of finding someone special to share his life with, someone who would not only be supportive of his path as a Jedi but also understanding of his duties to the Force and the galaxy. To have those hopes broken like this was incredibly painful, and Obi-Wan simply wanted to offer love and support to his former padawan.
He helped Luke work through the twisted emotions, easing the knotted feelings apart so his nephew could acknowledge it before letting it go into the Force. It was a time consuming project, but Luke was more at peace once they emerged from the meditation.
“Thank you,” he murmured, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Thanks are not needed, padawan mine,” Obi-Wan assured him. “You have every right to feel as you do.”
“I feel lost right now,” Luke admitted, meeting his uncle’s eyes as he did so.
“Again, it’s understandable. You will not be facing this alone; the Mandalorians will be sick of the sight of us,” he told him, prompting a watery sounding laugh from the other.
“Ba’vodu Rex will be there and the other Vode too,” he said. “That’s a relief honestly; there will be people I will know once you and the family have to leave. Mother and Leia must have tried to shout the Senate down when they found out about this.”
“Your uncle Bail too,” Obi-Wan shared. “All of our allies were appalled by what was going on, and that’s why they were able to work on the treaty that will be signed.”
“Is there a chance I can read that before we leave,” Luke asked. He was a trained diplomat, taught by both the best Negotiator in the Order as well as his mother and trainers from Naboo and Alderaan.
“I can have it to you in an hour,” he promised, then checked his comm. “Your mother and sister are here, waiting in my quarters. Do you feel up to talking with them?”
“Probably for the best,” he said softly, knowing the two women were probably as torn up about this as he was.
Obi-Wan rose to his feet, and both of them headed to where the rooms were that he shared with his husband. As soon as they entered, Luke was swamped by hugs from both Padme and Leia. He held onto both women tightly while the older Jedi headed to stand by his husband.
“How is he,” Cody asked softly, watching their nephew with a concerned look in his eyes.
“About as well as you would expect,” he answered with an exhausted sigh. “He did well in the Council Chambers, didn’t show too much of a reaction, but it took time to help him through meditation. This is one of the times I cannot stomach the Senate; I loathe most politicians, and that hasn’t abated over the years.”
“With good reason,” the soldier replied. “They’ve hurt your family too many times over the years and outside of a rare few, most are vipers that should never be allowed close.”
“I just wish he had not been caught in this,” he said. “He was on top of the list for this mission, and the Senate decided to make him the definite choice. I suspect they would have chosen him even if his name had not been on the list.”
“I have a feeling you’re right on that, cyar'ika. Just remember that he’s as prepared as he can be for this,” Cody said. “We’ve done our best; now we just have to trust him and hope that things work out for him where he can at least be comfortable if not happy with his new life.”
“That’s my hope,” Obi-Wan said, looking sad and worried. “I just hate that there’s nothing more that we can do.”
“Well, if he upsets Luke too much, it’s not like we can’t hop a ship and go back to Manda’yaim to threaten the man,” Cody rebutted a bit playfully but with a serious note as well in his voice. “I mean, a good population of the Vode are in the system, and they love Luke.”
The Jedi started laughing, playfully poking his husband as he did so. That was such a Cody thing to suggest, and Obi-Wan adored him for it. The laughter drew the attention of their family, and Cody was quick to explain what he’d told his husband.
Leia tilted her head, staring at her uncles. One thought had occurred to her, and she was quick to share it with them.
“What makes you think I’d leave anything for the Vode to handle,” she asked, making Luke laughingly protest.
“I can defend myself,” he reminded his twin.
“It’s big sister privilege,” she pointed out to him, making his squawk a bit.
“I’m the older one,” he told her, knowing she had a habit of trying to forget this little fact. “You know this! A good ten minutes between us, remember?”
“I don’t remember that,” Leia said, teasing her brother. “I know for a fact that I’m the oldest.”
Padme covered her mouth as brown eyes and a pair of blue stared at her; it didn’t matter how old her twins got, they never seemed to get over this particular argument. She knew Leia did it to pull her brother out of whatever mindset that she felt wasn’t one he needed to be in.
“Leia, stop teasing your brother, dear,” she said, getting control of the laughter that had tried to emerge. “Luke, stop playing into your sister’s attempts to start a fight.”
“But Mom,” the pair said in unison, making her laugh.
“No buts, dear ones, and as much as I enjoy the laughter, we do need to discuss a few things,” she said guiding them to seats even as Cody and Obi-Wan took their own.
Luke settled in his seat with Leia beside him; Padme had taken the other wing back chair that was across from the twins.
“I’ve spent time in conference with Queen Breha and Queen Namatani about what has been going on,” Padme said. “To say that both are unhappy with the situation is putting it mildly. Both queens will undoubtedly be making their ire known to the Senate shortly; however, both of them sent you something.”
“They didn’t have to do that,” Luke said with a frown. “Just having their support is enough for me.”
“They know that, but they also know that appearance is everything when it comes to diplomacy. Despite the fact that a large portion of the Mandalorians wear their armor most of the time, the queens want to make sure that you are presentable at all times. The Jedi provide for you, we know that, but they wanted to make absolute certain that you are comfortable and protected as well.”
Padme gestured to a trunk that had been brought in when she and Leia had come into Obi-Wan’s quarters. Luke moved to the trunk, opening it to find exercise clothing, formal wear, formal and informal Jedi wear, and several outer robes and cloaks. His fingers felt the weave of the fabric, and he stared at his mother.
“A lot of this is armor-weave,” he said, knowing how expensive the fabric was.
“Only the best for the lord of a royal house and son of a former queen of Naboo,” Leia told him. “Even with as rough as you are on clothing at times, these should last you for quite a while.”
Which was a relief, they all knew. Luke would be too reluctant to try to replace anything on Mandalore for a while because he knew just how burdened the people were and clothing was something that could be difficult to get.
The blond leaned back, staring down into the trunk for a moment with a blank expression on his face before looking up at his family. An idea had come to mind, and he was hoping he would be able to get what he needed to carry this out.
“I know that I have no choice in this,” Luke said quietly. “However, do you think we could politely inform the Senate that I will not go to Manda’yaim without a gift for my new people?”
“What are you thinking,” Padme asked, looking a mix of surprised and pleased when Luke’s answer was shared.
“I want to set up greenhouses to help get produce growing,” he said. “I’ll need supplies to get those built, clean soil, seeds for fast growing produce as well as plants to reintroduce if Agri-Corps is welcomed to the system. Moisture vaporators to help water the plants as well as potentially helping with production for the population.”
“Oh Luke,” Cody breathed out. “That’s brilliant.”
“If you present that as a wedding gift to the Mand’alor for his people, this shows you’re not planning to allow the system to be yoked by the Republic,” Obi-Wan stated, making Leia and Padme cackle for a moment.
“Oh I think we can swing this,” Padme agreed after catching her breath. “A great way to say kriff you subtly to the Senate. I’ll mention this to Bail and the queen; I’m sure they’ll want to help with this, especially if the Senate doesn’t earmark funds.”
“We’ll make sure they know the gift has to be big enough to be a grand gesture of peace,” Leia said. “We’ll get you the funds for what you need, Luke, and we’ll find a place to source everything you need that won’t overcharge you.”
“We’ll use Agri-Corps for that,” Obi-Wan stated, already summoning a data-pad to make notes for what will be needed. “They can help you source everything you’ll need and how to set everything up in a way to ensure the plants grow properly. I can also ask for any literature on ensuring this project works and can help with the larger rehabilitation if and when the Mando’ade allow them onto the surface of the planets in their systems.”
“Not that I think it’ll take long,” Cody agreed. “The Vode will be pushing for it hard, and you’ll have help from those who were injured too severely in the war to be able to do much in the way of helping with the military. They’re aching to be useful, and this will give them something to do.”
“I’ll send the information to our allies,” Padme agreed, sending Bail a comm message explaining Luke’s wishes. She smirked when she read his reply.
“Your uncle is reaching out now,” she informed her children. “He’s delighted with Luke’s idea, and he said he’ll make sure you have time to get everything put together before we have to leave Coruscant.”
“Good,” he murmured in response, closing the trunk as he did so. “At least this way, I can start this off the right way and show I mean to do only good things for the people of Mandalore.”
“You will,” Obi-Wan assured him. “I can feel it, Luke; you’re going to help bring Manda’yaim and her ade back to strength. Just give it time and patience, young one.”
“Though you may have to break a few skulls along the way,” Cody reminded him, making the others snicker a moment. “You’ll have help because you know the Vode will be behind you. You’re family, and that means something to us.”
“I know, ba’vodu, and it means everything to me to know I won’t be alone after all of you have to go back,” Luke told him.
“I’ll comm Rex later,” he promised. “This way he can share the word and make sure everyone is prepared.”
“Meaning you should expect to get mobbed once you arrive,” Obi-Wan said with a dry, teasing tone. “Most of them haven’t seen you in quite some time.”
Luke spent a lot of what free time he had with the Vode that stayed in the Temple and worked alongside the Jedi, and he’d loved every moment. His mother, sister, Uncle Obi-Wan, and Uncle Cody had given him a lot of love, but the other Vode members had cherished him a great deal. He did his best to ensure they knew he loved them just as much.
“I’ll miss the Vode here,” he said softly, realizing it might be a long time before he saw any of them.
“Knowing them, they’ll be visiting Manda’yaim often during their leave times,” Cody reassured him. “I know all of them will be keeping in touch with you as well. Expect a lot of messages to read and respond to.”
“I’ll be happy to have them,” Luke answered, looking over at his uncle. “Stars above know that I’ll need the interaction since I don’t expect much from the other Mando’ade beyond the Vode.”
“You’ll have the support,” the clone said, knowing Rex and the others would be waiting to greet them at the star-port once they arrived. “And you know that I’ll be there the moment you need – your uncle Obi-Wan and I both.”
Luke gave him a soft smile that spoke volumes; that was one thing the blond had never had to worry about. He and Leia had always had the support they needed or wanted from those they loved and who loved them in return.
“Thank you,” he said to his family, hoping this would be enough to get him through his new life. He wasn’t sure if the nerves in his belly would ever ease or if it was just him feeling so anxious.
Less than a week later, Luke would admit that the nerves had yet to subside. The ship was making its final descent towards the star-port, and he was looking himself over in the mirror for one last check before he would exit onto the world that would be his new home.
He was dressed in cream and dark blue tunics and tabards; Luke had stayed away from black when it had come time for him to be able to personalize his appearance. The vambraces he wore had the Jedi symbol on one and the house sigil the Vode had chosen on the other in shimmering iridescent paint.
The Vode, regardless of either living on Manda’yaim or on Coruscant with the Jedi, had chosen to claim their house as House Kenobi with various clan names that had been adopted from the Jedi Generals they had served with. Uncle Obi-Wan had tried to protest the use of his name, insisting there had to be better choices out there, but Uncle Seventeen had pretty much told the man he was stuck with it. He’d been the one to come up with the house sigil, working with several of the clones who had been training to become armorers in Little Keldabe to come up with the iridescent color that represented all the battalions that had served during the Clone Wars.
Luke adjusted his clothing and hair once more before donning the outer robe, leaving his cabin. His trunk had been moved to where the ramp would lower, to be unloaded with the wedding gift that filled the cargo hold of the ship that had been assigned to bring him, his family, and quite a few of the Vode who had been on Coruscant to come with them. Uncle Cody had said they had insisted on ensuring he had an honor guard, and he had not been able to argue against the decision.
He emerged to find his uncle Obi-Wan dressed similarly to himself, only in his customary colors, and Uncle Cody in polished armor. His mother and sister were garbed in white, hair up in buns, and both were wearing the vambraces gifted to them by Cody.
Padme came up to him, gently straightening his tabards and outer robe with a gentle smile, and Luke barely managed to give her one of his own.
“Nervous,” she asked, a look of concern in her eyes.
“Terrified,” he admitted to his mother quietly, knowing the others could hear him. “I’ve tried meditating, but it hasn’t helped much.”
He could feel his uncle’s presence in the Force gently press against his shields, and Luke quickly let his former master through them. With help, he and Obi-Wan had managed to separate the mix of emotions so he could acknowledge them and send them to the Force, allowing the blond to relax a bit.
“Thank you,” he said, eyes opening to find Obi-Wan watching him.
“Of course,” he said with a gentle tone. “Now, I believe the Mand’alor and his verde are waiting for us. We should not be rude and keep them waiting for us for much longer.”
The group emerged, flanked by lines of their Vode escort, to find a small group wearing familiar looking beskar’gam. The one in the center of the group removed his helmet, revealing short cropped blond hair and a bright smile.
“Welcome to Manda’yaim,” he greeted them as they approached. “It’s good to see all of you.”
Rex hugged his family members, giving a longer hug to Luke. The smaller male clung to his uncle for a moment, cheek against the beskar’gam to allow the cool durasteel to help center him.
“It’ll be all right, ad’ika,” Rex promised softly.
Luke just nodded, letting his blond uncle guide him and his family to where the speeders were waiting. Once everyone was situated and the speeder they were in was under way, Rex addressed the group.
“House Kenobi will be presenting their heir and future Rid’alor to the Mand’alor and his council this afternoon,” Rex began. “I’m going to warn you now, it’s obvious he’s not happy with this so he may be difficult to deal with for a while. Most of the council isn’t pleased either, but I’ve managed to soften them a bit with the news that Luke wasn’t exactly in the know about this when the blasted Senate put this idea together.”
“Luke’s brought a wedding gift that may soften the people more towards him,” Leia shared. “I know the Order is planning on offering support once he gets the opportunity to help show that the Jedi are genuine in their wishes for a friendship and a chance to make things right from the old wars that caused so much devastation here.”
“The Order may have an easier time of proving that than Luke will in gaining acceptance from anyone outside of House Kenobi,” the co-ruler of the house admitted. “The fact that some of the Temple younglings that had to escape during the end of the war and were found by Mando’ade being allowed to stay if they were happy with their new families went a very long way to dispelling some of the animosity; House Kenobi has been working to push that further. The Mand’alor’s own son is from the Temple.”
Obi-Wan straightened at that bit of news; when Palpatine had been revealed as the Sith Lord, he’d had some of the acolytes he’d been training attack the Temple via a little known entrance near one of creche areas. A small clan had been forced to evacuate, fleeing through another emergency exit since they couldn’t get deeper into the Temple. While the Temple Guards and other knights had stopped the acolytes, the missing creche clan had found its way into Little Keldabe and the young ones had been protected there.
Plo Koon and Obi-Wan had worked with the adopting families, ensuring they had everything they needed to raise Force sensitive children. With what Satine had done, a lot of the Mandalorian ways of successfully training Force sensitives had been lost so the Order’s materials had helped to supplement what had survived.
“Which child did he adopt?”
“Grogu,” Rex answered with a chuckle. “He’s really come out of his shell and blossomed; he’s got the Mand’alor and most of the council wrapped around his tiny fingers.”
“That will ease Master Yoda’s mind,” Obi-Wan replied. “His species is rare in the galaxy, and while he wants Grogu to be happy, he was worried about the little one not finding the right family.”
“He still has nightmares from the acolytes’ invasion at times, but the Mand’alor is always there when he’s needed. Grogu is well taken care of, and I think he’ll be happy to see you.”
“As I will be to see him,” the older Jedi shared. “I used to cuddle him quite often during visits to the creches. He never failed to make me smile.”
“He’s still good at that,” Rex acknowledged, shifting in his seat while changing the topic of the conversation. “Once the introduction is done, you’ll have a few hours before the wedding and the signing of the treaty. Despite the fact that most people aren’t too pleased with this, there has been a feast prepared for afterwards. You’ll be able to settle into your rooms in the days that follow.”
“When will I be given the list of duties given to the Rid’alor,” Luke asked, not wanting to be considered lazy. He was here to help, and he would do his best to do that.
“I’ll be honest, ad’ika, I don’t think anyone remembers what the Rid’alor is supposed to do,” the younger clone said, shaking his head. “There’s not been one in decades, and it’s divided the council somewhat.”
“What do you mean,” Padme asked sharply.
“Meaning some of us feel that Luke should be able to shoulder some of the duties to give the Mand’alor some relief,” Rex answered. “There are some who feel that he shouldn’t be allowed to have anything to do with the governing of the system and its people. They believe that anything Luke does will be for the benefit of the Republic and not for the people here.”
“I’m going to have a lot of hard work ahead of me,” Luke said with a sinking stomach.
“I’m afraid so,” he answered, looking at his nephew straight in the eyes. “The biggest naysayer and voice of dissent is that damned Kryze. If you can get past her, I think you’ll have a slightly easier time of it.”
“Is she still causing issues,” Leia asked, a look on her face that did not bode well for the woman in question.
“She’s a pain in the skid-plate,” Rex answered crudely, making a face. “Just last week, she tried to restart her campaign to disband House Kenobi because she says it’s full of Jedi and not-real-people.”
That made all of the people in the vehicle growl, and the younger woman fixed her uncle with a cold look that spoke volumes.
“She’s still harping on the Vode not being real people,” she asked, fists clenching for a moment.
“Oh yeah,” he answered, looking angry. “Never mind the fact that two Mand’alore have acknowledged us as sentient beings; she’s on a crusade to get that rescinded and us off of Manda’yaim. Her opinion is that we should be the Jedi Order’s problem – her words not mine.”
“She always was an opinionated one,” Obi-Wan said in a flat tone. “She seems to conveniently forget that she does not have a clean past and really shouldn’t be trying to raise problems. A fact that I will be very happy to remind her of should she say anything in my hearing.”
“I think it’s safe to say that all of us would be more than happy to remind her of that particular fact,” Padme replied in the same cold tone. “She has no right to say something like that to anyone, especially our family.”
“She kriffed with the wrong House,” Leia said with a smirk, making Luke chuckle a bit.
While his sister had not gone beyond basic control and meditation with her Force training, Padme had insisted on rigid self defense training for her considering just how much of a trouble magnet the family could be. Luke, Obi-Wan, and Cody often sparred with her to help her practice. Thanks to that, she was deadly with a blaster and could more than hold her hand when it came to hand to hand combat. If Bo-Katan Kryze tried anything with his twin around, she would find herself in a very difficult position.
“You know the rules, dear,” Padme told her twins. “Don’t go looking for a fight but if one happens to happen?”
“Kick their shebs and ask for forgiveness later,” the pair answered in unison, making the others laugh.
“That’s my kids,” she said primly before grinning.
The laughter died as they pulled up to the government building that housed the throne room and the Mand’alor’s suite. Luke stared at the building for a moment as he exited the speeder, watching as the vode filed into the building.
Luke and the others entered the main entryway, waiting by the entrance into the throne room. From his position, he could see the Mandalorians standing in some form of formation on either side of the room. The left an open path straight to the throne, which the vode marched down. They took position, snapping to face the center aisle.
Cody took Rex, leaving Obi-Wan and Padme to stand on either side of Luke and Leia. Once everyone was in position, the six of them headed towards the throne where the Mand’alor was sitting. Standing before the dais, on either side of the throne were all the members of the council minus Rex.
As soon as they reached the dais, the silence of the massive hall was broken by the sound of the Vode moving in unison to face the center. Despite not having to drill marching as strenuously as they had in the past, they had not lost the rhythm of the march or maneuvers. The sound of the boots against the stone floor filled the air, making Cody and Rex smile proudly under their helmets.
Rex’s modulated voice rang out as his fist went to his chest, saluting the Mandalorian leader.
“Mand’alor, our guests have arrived. To present the group, I introduce Cody Kenobi, Vod’alor and co-alor of House Kenobi, alor of clan Kenobi.”
“You are welcome to Manda’yaim, Vod’alor Kenobi,” the Mand’alor greeted when Cody gave his salute.
Cody kept his voice calm as he answered the ruler, knowing his strength would be encouraging to the young man behind him.
“Thank you, Mand’alor,” he replied, then he and Rex took two steps to the side to allow the party behind him to be seen. “With me is my riduur, Obi-Wan Kenobi – Jedi Master and Council member to the Order. Senator Padme Naberrie-Skywalker and her daughter, Senator Leia Naberrie-Skywalker are here as well.”
Once the Mand’alor had greeted them, Padme stepped out and gave a small bow as she did so.
“Greetings, Mand’alor,” she said, eyes meeting the helmet’s visor. “It is an honor to finally be here at the home of my clan and House. I bring greetings from Queen Namatani of Naboo as well as a message that I shall pass on once time allows.”
The Mand’alor gave a nod, and she continued. Padme’s voice was steady, giving her son encouragement with the familiar tones. She changed from Basic to Mando’a, causing a bit of a stir in the audience.
“I present to you, your future riduur,” she stated. “Jedi Master Luke Naberrie-Skywalker, lord of the Royal House of Naberrie, heir to Clan Skywalker, heir to Clan Kenobi, heir to House Kenobi.”
Moving gracefully, Luke gave the traditional bow that someone of his rank in the Order would give but as he rose, his fist went to his chest in the traditional Mandalorian salute. His words were traditional for Naboo but spoken in flawless Mando’a that had a hint of a Kelevalan accent but mostly held the accent the Vode spoke in.
“It is my wish for joy, health, and prosperity as we join our hearths and homes together,” he told the Mand’alor. “I come bearing gifts that convey the wish of prosperity, health, and success to mark our marriage. It is my hope that you will accept them in the spirit that they are given.”
The Mand’alor shifted in his seat for a moment, and Luke had the feeling he had caught him off guard. The silence was only a moment but enough for him to have to swallow back his worry.
“You are welcome to your new home,” he answered. “I hope you can be happy here.”
Plain and simple – Luke could appreciate that. He wasn’t sure how his soon to be husband was feeling about this; the beskar made it incredibly difficult to get a sense of the people wearing it. When it came to armor, he was more used to durasteel given how difficult getting beskar was when not on Manda’yaim.
“Thank you,” he answered quietly. “I hope to find my place quickly and be of use to you and your people.”
A female Mandalorian in gold armor spoke, voice low even through the modulator.
“The vows will be spoken this afternoon once the treaty has been signed,” she began. “You will be escorted to your rooms to prepare for the event. Alore Kenobi, if you would both stay behind for a moment?”
Rex led Padme, Leia, and Luke away as the crowds dispersed. He led them through a side door, removing his buy’ce after they’d stepped through it.
“All right,” he asked Luke, who gave a small shrug.
“I’m not quite sure I know what all right is,” he admitted. “The feeling of all the beskar around me is throwing things off for me; it makes even more unnerving because I know people have to be unhappy about what’s going on.”
“I’m not going to lie, ad’ika,” Rex sighed. “The Vode are happy to have you here, but we’re not happy with what the Senate did to get you here. The rest? Well, that’s a different mind set of opinions all together. It’s going to be rough until they get to know you.”
Luke was quiet for a moment as his mother and sister were put into a set of very comfortable guest rooms; he stayed beside his uncle as he was led deeper into the building.
“He’s not happy with this either,” Luke asked as they went through a set of secured doors where Rex had to use a special code to get through.
“No, he isn’t. Quite frankly, he was kriffing furious when the Senate’s request reached him,” Rex shared, knowing his nephew needed to hear this. “It took a combination of the Armorer, Boba Fett, and a few of his council members to calm him down. Even then, it took putting Grogu on his lap to get him to listen to us so we could help him.”
The Jedi winced; Mandalorian blood ran hot, and he knew going into this that there was a distinct possibility that his future husband would be as upset as he was about their hands being forced. He’d hoped it hadn’t been as bad as the image Rex was painting. To know that it was worse than he’d imagined didn’t help the sinking sensation in his stomach.
“Is he aware that this wasn’t what the Order had intended?”
“Oh yeah,” the clone answered, opening a door that led into a simple but comfortable set of rooms. “I was quick to point that out, and I showed him the original mission that I had Obi-Wan send me. It helped to calm him down, but I wouldn’t expect too much from him for a while.”
Luke sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead for a moment. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do with all of this; his own thoughts and emotions were all over the place.
“Any advice, ba’vodu?”
“Just be yourself, ad’ika, and show him and the others the amazing person we all know and love,” Rex told him, hands going to the other’s shoulders. “You were raised with Mandalorian traditions so you have a bit of an edge here; you also have family here that will do anything for you. You are welcome to come and visit the clan compound whenever you want. That should help give you some time away if things take a while to warm up for you here.”
“I’m grateful to have you and the others here,” he murmured. “I know Mother, Leia, and uncles Obi-Wan and Cody will be here as often as they can, but they can’t be here as often as I would like them to be.”
“You’re not alone, ad’ika,” Rex promised him, pulling him into a hug. “You’re going to have so many of us looking in on you, you’ll get sick of us.”
Luke held on tightly for several moments, grateful for the other’s presence. Rex was like the center of a storm, calm in the moment, and that was what the younger blond needed right then.
The pair stayed like that for a while, and Rex spoke once they let go.
“These are your rooms,” he said. “We’re in the Mand’alor’s wing; at the moment, it’s just you, his ad’ika, and him in this wing. He and Grogu share a set of rooms further down the hall.
“Your trunk should be here soon,” Rex said quietly. “I’ll leave you to meditate and get centered for later; I’ll be the one coming to get you for the ceremony.”
“Ba’vodu, the cargo on the ship is my gift to the Mand’alor and his people,” Luke said softly. “I brought supplies for greenhouses as well as moisture vaporators to help with the greenhouses and to supplement the water supply if needed.”
The clone chuckled at that, a proud smile on his face.
“Leave it to you to make sure it’s something everyone can use,” he said. “That’ll please the Mand’alor and the Council, I’m positive of that. I’ll make sure everything is unloaded properly and given to the right people to get set up once the Mand’alor knows where he wants them.”
“I also have information from Agri-Corps so that I can help with the planting,” Luke said. “Some of the seeds are greenery to help with air purification once the soil outside is hospitable enough, but it’s the food stuffs I want to get taken care of.”
“You did well, ad’ika,” Rex praised. “Now rest a bit, meditate and unpack. I’ll see you shortly.”
The clone left his nephew’s rooms, lost in thought as he navigated the corridors of the building. He was honest with himself in the knowledge that his nephew would have a difficult time of it for a while, but Luke was a kind and caring individual. People tended to flock to him once they got to know him, and it was his hope that this would happen here as well.
Rex entered the council meeting room to find his fellow council members; he nodded, sitting beside Boba at the table. He set his buy’ce within reach, then gave a soft sigh.
“The new Rid'alor get settled in,” Boba asked, looking over at his fellow clone.
“I think he will in time,” he answered quietly. “He’s just as rattled by all of this as our Mand’alor is.”
“Angry?”
“Not yet,” Rex shook his head. “Right now, I think he’s still in shock. Even with the Order having changed things since the war, I doubt he’d given any thought of marriage since he’s just achieved his mastery level. Given his age, most beings wouldn’t be considering such a thing just yet.”
“Kriffing Republic,” Boba said, with a frown. “This could have been much simpler if they’d just left well enough alone.”
“There’s a reason the war lasted as long as it did, and I can promise you it wasn’t the Jedi’s fault on that. Damned Sith took too long to find, and the meddling from the Senate didn’t help matters at all.”
The other clone nodded, leaning back in his seat as his eyes turned to where the Mand’alor was. Din was reading a data-pad, and his friend could see the lines of tension that lay beneath the layers of beskar’gam. The man set the data-pad down, turning his attention to the members of the council.
“There’s a few things I want to go over before the ceremony this afternoon. Rex, did you get everyone settled?”
“Yes, Mand’alor,” he answered. “The ladies are preparing for this afternoon, and I left Luke to meditate. He asked me to make sure the contents of the ship’s hold are stored away safely until you can make a decision on what to do with them.”
“The Vod’alor indicated the contents were important and needed to be handled with care,” Din answered, turning to look at where Bo-Katan scoffed.
“What could be so important? Probably worthless but acting like it’s valuable to make himself look good to everyone,” she said, a note of derision in her voice.
Rex leaned forward, staring at her coldly as he answered her.
“Materials to build greenhouses, purified soil, seeds, planters to start the planting process, moisture vaporators to water the plants as well as help ease the strain of our own hydro facilities, and also information from Agri-Corps,” Rex said, staring her down. “The seeds are a mix of food based plants as well as plants that we can start growing to help restore our own environment outside of the cities.”
“The original part of the Jedi’s plan to help build friendship and repay the debt owed to Manda’yaim was to have Agri-Corps come to restore the environment of the planets in our system,” Din said, looking over at the pair.
“We don’t need them,” she said, only to be cut off by Rex.
“If you think that, then you’re a bigger di’kut than I originally thought,” the clone rebutted. “I don’t care what you believe, Kryze, but having Agri-Corps’ assistance on this would be a blessing from the Manda. We don’t have the skills or the technology to do what they can do, and it would be a sign of utter stupidity to reject the Jedi’s offers.”
“You would think that,” she sneered. “You were programmed to believe in the Jetiise no matter what they would do to you.”
Boba’s voice was cold with fury as he cut into the conversation.
“I have no love for their Order considering what happened to my buir, but even I acknowledge the fact that a working relationship with the Jedi Order will be a benefit for our home and people,” he told her and the others. “It would be monumentally stupid to reject any form of overtures from them.”
“What would you suggest,” Din asked, looking at his friend.
“Give the Rid'alor an opportunity to extend the hand of peace and friendship,” Boba said to him. “He’s proven he wants to do that just by the wedding gift alone; I don’t even want to know how he got the funding for something like this, but it proves he’s trying to fulfill his mandate despite the Republic’s meddling. He’s given us tools to break the ties to the Republic sooner.”
“Or he could be trying to make himself seem agreeable before spying on us,” Kryze warned.
“No, that won’t be an issue,” Rex rebutted. “His family is too tied to Manda’yaim to even be a concern. The Mand’alor and his people are high on the list of his priorities. As a Jedi, he cannot place our Mand’alor above the needs and safety of the people of the galaxy.”
“Which speaks highly of him,” another council member shared. “Duty first above all.”
“That is what the Order teaches,” Rex stated. “Duty to the people of the galaxy, duty to the Force, and duty to family.”
“That’s a new one given the recent move for allowing marriages,” Boba said with a shrug. “Either way, he’s not here to cause trouble but given his aliit and their history, trouble usually finds them.”
“I’d blame the Skywalker genes, but Senator Naberrie-Skywalker was just as prone to find trouble and he was raised by Kenobi,” the blond sighed.
“He’ll need a guard rotation,” Din said, shifting slightly in his seat.
“He may balk at that,” Rex pointed out. “Manda knows you did.”
“I also ended up agreeing,” the Mand’alor reminded him, hiding his embarrassment at having that brought up again. “Would some of your vode be willing to be a part of it? I think that might make things a bit easier for him.”
“They’ll be insistent on it,” he agreed. “I’ve been asked a few times since we heard he was coming.”
“I’ll make sure Paz knows and will set the rotation to include your brothers,” Din said with a nod. “Everything is ready for tonight?”
“Yes,” the Armorer stated. “I put the finishing touches on the vambraces you requested as his gift; they are ready for tonight.”
“You’re giving him beskar,” Bo-Katan asked with a note of horror in her voice.
“For now, vambraces,” she answered, sounding cold as she answered the question. “However, given he is a Mando’ad by family and traditions, he could easily get full beskar’gam if he wished for it.”
“Only if Wooley is involved,” Rex said dryly. “He’d riot and cause so much trouble if anyone tried to craft that without him. He’s qualified; he just needs to learn to work with beskar. The goran in Little Keldabe taught him well, and he’s taking over the new forge set up in our clan compound.”
“As it should be,” she told him. “I would be willing to instruct him how to work with beskar if he wishes to learn.”
Rex smiled and nodded, answering as he did so.
“Trust me, he’s eager to finish learning his craft,” he told her. “I’ll give you his comm information so you two can work that out.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Bo-Katan said, earning harsh glares from those without helmets and body language that showed displeasure from those who were.
“The gorane and myself are the ones who have final say,” Din reminded her. “You were offered more chances to challenge me for the Dark Saber and refused. You know what you need to do if you don’t like the decisions I have made.”
It was obvious to those who were watching that this was sticking hard in her craw, but she didn’t protest again. Her jaw worked hard for a moment, tightening when Din spoke one more time.
“Should I prepare for a challenge, Kryze?”
“No, Mand’alor,” she answered, voice quiet.
“Then we will consider the matter closed,” Din said. “Not only is he Mando’ad by family, he will be tonight by marriage. Beskar’gam is something he and I will discuss later.”
There was a murmured agreement from the council, and the topic turned to other things to finish up the last minute details before the ceremony that afternoon. Rex could almost feel the emotion build up in every single member and mentally sighed. He knew Luke would be in for a difficult time and hoped he’d be up for the challenge.
Hours later, Luke stared at his reflection for a moment, eyes wide as he examined his appearance. He’d changed into the outfit chosen for him by his mother, sister, and the two queens who had supplemented his normal Jedi based wardrobe. To be honest, this wasn’t attire he usually wore unless at functions where he was not required to represent the Order.
The outfit was the height of fashion on Naboo and while he was used to layers, some of this was a bit stifling. The undershirt was made of light blue synth-silk with a darker blue under coat that buttoned high on his neck. A leather belt encircled his waist that had a gold buckle on it, and his saber was attached to it. The overcoat he wore matched his slacks, and it fastened simply at the throat but had beautiful gold and cream embroidery down the edges from neck to hem.
The only jewelry he wore was a ring on his right hand that held the signet for the Naberrie family as well as a chain around his neck. The appearance was remarkably simple compared to how complicated styles from his mother’s home planet could be, and his mother had decided to keep the jewelry simple but had focused on his below shoulder length hair.
Padme had brushed the length, treating it with a special oil to make the blond tresses shine, and then had pulled half of it up into an intricate knot with long golden metal beads intertwined in it. The knot had been set at the back of his head. What had been left down, she had placed tiny braids throughout it, capping them with beads similar to what was in the knot.
Once that had been finished, she used just enough liner around his eyes to make the blue stand out in a more vibrant way.
Padme stepped back, looking at her son with a teary gaze. He gave her a look of concern, not used to seeing her like this outside of certain days.
“Mama, are you all right?”
“Every mother is always teary eyed to see her child on their wedding day,” she answered, gently stroking his cheek. “I haven’t been able to have as much time with you as I did with Leia and while I regret that, I cannot regret the joy you’ve had while walking your path to become a Jedi. You have shown so much courage, happiness, and love, my little sunbeam, and I am so very proud of you.”
He leaned in to kiss her cheek, glad to know she wasn’t sad. He could tell she was happy in her own way, and his heart was a bit soothed by that. Luke knew that arranged marriages were not something she wanted for her children; she had married for love, and she’d said many times that she wanted that for her twins. He could only hope that this marriage turned into something deeper that would help ease the worries that he knew she was feeling.
“Thank you, Mama. Love you.”
“I love you too, sunbeam,” she said, giving him a sweet smile. “Come, Leia will be waiting for us with your uncles. We should get out there before they get into mischief.”
“Leia or Uncle Obi-Wan,” he joked, making her laugh as he offered her his arm.
“It’s a toss of a credit on that one,” Padme said with another laugh. “I can’t trust your uncle Cody to keep them out of trouble; he just follows along and hopes for the best.”
“That’s pretty much how it goes,” he said, having been on enough missions with them during his years as a padawan. “Though he does say isn’t just the Skywalker and Kenobi influence on me, apparently it’s also the Naberrie.”
“I would try to protest that statement, but he’s not wrong.”
“Who isn’t,” Leia asked as she heard the comment from her mother as she and Luke entered the hallway.
“Uncle Cody when he says that the Naberrie influence also gets us into trouble, not just the Skywalker and Kenobi,” he told his twin, who giggled when Cody shook his head.
“Well, he isn’t wrong at all there,” she agreed, having gotten into her own fair share of mischief over the years.
Rex chuckled, hearing the conversation as he entered where the group was waiting. It was good seeing his loved ones so happy for the moment; he knew this was to help Luke with his anxiety over the marriage.
“We will be dealing the mix of Kenobi-Skywalker-Naberrie mischief from this point forward,” Rex grinned. “Not sure the Mand’alor knows what he’s getting into but we’re ready.”
“Good luck, vod’ika,” Cody grinned back, knowing the joking was to help keep Luke relaxed. “I have a feeling that you’ll be helping deal with the fall out.”
“I’m not that bad,” Luke protested, staring at his uncles with wide eyes.
“No, ad’ika, you’re worse and your ba’vodu Obi-Wan is right beside you,” Rex grinned. “I’m going to have my hands full with whatever chaos you bring, and so will the Mand’alor.”
Obi-Wan drew himself up to his full height as he moved to stand beside his padawan, giving Rex a playful glare.
“Excuse you, sir, I am a delight!”
“A delightful pain in my shebs,” Rex rebutted, making the others laugh even louder.
“No, I think that’s a complaint for Uncle Cody,” Leia chimed, making Cody and Rex sputter.
“I don’t get any complaints about that, my dear,” the older Jedi said, making her blanch as she realized what she’d just gotten herself into.
“All right, my delightful nuisances, I think it’s time we get moving before the Mand’alor thinks we have run away,” Padme said with a gentle laugh, knowing her daughter had just been outwitted a bit.
The group grumbled a bit, trying to keep the levity up when they spotted the anxiety return to Luke’s face. They headed towards the throne room doors, sliding into position as they did so.
Leia and Padme stood on either side of Luke while Obi-Wan and Cody stood behind them. The doors opened to reveal the assembled Mandalorians, and Rex led them down the center of the group.
Once they stood in front of the dais, Rex saluted and then moved to stand beside the rest of the Council members.
“We have gone through the treaty one more time and are satisfied,” the Mand’alor stated from his throne. “What say the ambassadors from the Republic?”
“We are also satisfied, Mand’alor, and are ready to sign,” Padme answered regally, giving a nod as she did so.
The Armorer brought the data-pad to the Mand’alor to sign first before before moving to Padme, who signed it before sealing it with her thumb print. It was passed to Obi-Wan, who signed as a witness using his rank of being a member of the Jedi High Council. Another witness, this one from the Mand’alor’s council, also signed.
Once that was complete, the Mand’alor rose from his throne and approached the steps that led to the dais. As he did so, Luke mounted the steps to head to the man he was about to marry. His throat felt tight from nerves, but he felt a gentle wave of calm from Obi-Wan through the bond they shared. It helped soothe his anxiety, and he managed to keep a serene expression on his face.
The Mand’alor held his gloved hands out, and Luke placed his into the larger hands form a connection between them. The pair spoke at the same time, and the Jedi could sense the surprise as he spoke the words of the marriage vows in Mando’a.
“We are one when together; we are one when parted. We will share all. We will raise warriors,” they said in near perfect unison.
When the words had been spoken, there was a loud cheer that tapered off when Luke made his next move. He had done a lot of research with Obi-Wan about this particular step, finding the right one that applied to his situation, and then he’d gone to speak to the High Council about his thoughts about this particular action. The Force had led them to agree to it, and Luke felt this was the right step to take.
The blond Jedi slid his hands out of his husband’s before taking two steps back. Gracefully, he sank to his knee and pressed his fist over his chest, right over where the kar’ta piece of the beskar’gam would be. For the first time today, he was not anxious but focused, following the influence of the Force.
The audience went quiet at his action, watching as he began to speak in their language.
“Before the Manda, the Ka’ra, and the Force, blessed by the Jedi High Council, I hereby swear to educate all so they may know of our ways, to wear the armor granted to me by aliit and alor so that I may protect the tribe and our people. I swear to be there for the tribe in all ways granted to me by the Ka’ra and the Force. May Mando’a always flow from my tongue so all know I speak the truth of the Way. I vow to follow our leader, who follows the will of the Force and Ka’ra. May the Force and Ka’ra guide their steps, granting them knowledge and strength for I will be their kad’au for as long as the Way is blessed. To all this, I swear – truth, honor, and vision. This is the Way.”
There was a long pause, and Luke never broke his gaze with the t-visor of the Mand’alor’s helmet. He could sense the shock from those watching, but the silence was broken when his husband answered back with the answer that showed he accepted the vows.
“This is the Way.”
There was a response right after his; the audience echoed his words to welcome a new member to their culture and ranks.
“This is the Way!”
The crowd broke up shortly after that, heading to the feast, and Luke’s family headed towards him and his new husband. Once they had joined the couple, Bo-Katan and a few advisors had joined as well. The red head stared at Luke for a moment, looking angry.
“That was not the proper Resol’nare,” she hissed, blinking when Obi-Wan cut her off.
“That was the version written by Tarre Vizsla when he returned home from the Coruscant Temple,” he shared. “He wanted a version where anyone who was Force blessed could swear to the Mand’alor but still have the freedom to follow the Will of the Force. Not every Mand’alor pays attention to the guidance of the Ka’ra.”
“He is correct,” the Armorer said softly. “That version is the oldest surviving version of the oath, and it was used by any who was Ka’ra touched. Though it is a surprise that the Rid’alor would swear such a thing, he used the correct oath. Any goran would agree with me; the Ka’ra accepted it.”
“Luke felt it was the right thing to do so he came to me with his wish to swear the Resol’nare once he spoke his marriage vows,” Obi-Wan told them. “Over the years, I’ve collected the works by Jaster Mereel, who mentioned that Tarre Vizsla had set up something for the verde who were Ka’ra touched. He said that the vow allowed for the verd to break away to follow the Ka’ra should the Mand’alor fall away from its guidance. We did some digging in the archives and found it.”
“And your high council agreed to this,” the Armorer asked, curious to hear the explanation to this decision. “I cannot imagine the Republic will be pleased when they hear of this.”
“Since the wedding wasn’t recorded, unless one of us speaks of it, I don’t think it likely they’ll find out for a while,” the older Jedi shared. “As far as the Council is concerned, there are things in motion that I cannot speak of right now, but Luke’s swearing of this oath will not conflict with the oaths he has taken over the years as he’s climbed in ranks in the Order. We are pleased with his decision, and the Council made the decision to grant him the position of Watchman for this sector. Originally, our intentions had been to choose another but the Force decided otherwise. His position means that if our help is needed, he will inform the Order and we will be there in any way we can.”
The Mand’alor spoke before anyone could object, giving a dip of his head as he did so.
“That is appreciated,” he said to them. “I need a few moments alone with my riduur before we head to the feast.”
Luke nodded, stepping away from his family to follow the taller male into a small antechamber that was connected to the rear of the throne room. Once the door closed behind them, the blond waited as the man in front of him fidgeted for a moment.
“How aware are you of the traditional views of some of the Mando’ade?”
“I know some will never remove their buy’ce and reveal their faces to anyone other than family,” the Jedi answered, sensing a bit of relief in the man. “I’m also aware that most Mando’ade will not give their names to beings they do not know as names must be earned.”
“You’ve learned quite a few of our ways,” he observed, making Luke smile.
“I became a padawan at very young age out of necessity,” he answered. “Uncle Cody and Uncle Obi-Wan observe a lot of Mandalorian customs, and Mando’a was the first language I learned right after being taken in by them. The culture is one I love very much. I know I still have a lot more to learn, and I’m very eager to do so.”
“Good,” the other said softly. “I’m glad you know such things. I grew up following the traditional ways; I am a Child of the Watch.”
“Very strong traditionalist branch,” Luke commented, remembering what he’d read and been told about the various groups of Mando’ade. “Though I am told there are not that many anymore.”
“You’re correct in that,” he answered. “I am Din Djarin.”
“Din Djarin,” the blond murmured, then smiled a bit. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Din.”
The other nodded, then made to remove his helmet, and Luke caught the wave of discomfort that radiated from him. He reached out, catching the man by the wrist.
“Don’t take it off if you’re not comfortable with it,” he said softly. “We have time to get to know each other and grow more comfortable with the presence of the other in our lives. Once you are ready to remove it, I will happily be there to see your face.”
“We are aliit,” Din said. “It is tradition for spouses to see each other.”
“Arranged marriages are not traditional on Manda’yaim,” Luke gently rebutted. “Despite what some of my family might say, I am patient and will wait for you to be comfortable first.”
It was obvious the Jedi had taken the other off guard, and Luke took a small step back to allow the man a chance to balance himself. He wasn’t sure if Din would take the out he had given him, but the last thing he wanted was for the other to feel pressured into doing something he wasn’t ready to do. As it was, neither of them had wanted to marry and had been pushed into that. If Luke could offer some form of boundary for him, then he would do it gladly.
“Your concern is greatly appreciated,” Din said softly, finally getting himself balanced. “I have been told before by my council that I will need to allow my face to be seen by my people, to make myself more accessible to them. I have been given time to acclimate to that, but that time is running short. Truthfully, there was a mention of my doing so tonight to take part in the feast.”
“Are you comfortable with that?”
When the Mand’alor paused, Luke tilted his head and watched him for a moment before continuing.
“I will not be insulted if you choose to keep your buy’ce on,” he told him. “My family will not be either; they understand the traditions practiced by the various tribes here. So please, don’t do anything you’re not ready to do. I know we’ve both had enough stress today.”
There was another moment before gloved hands went to the buy’ce; Luke could hear the sound of the seal unlocking with a soft hiss. The beskar helmet lifted, and he gave a soft breath.
His husband was utterly attractive in a way that made his heart hammer in his chest. Din’s skin was a warm tan color despite never seeing the sun, and it complimented the dark hair and warm brown eyes that were watching him so closely.
A patchy beard covered his jaw and upper lip, which Luke actually found he liked, but what drew his attention beyond the eyes watching him was the dark hair that looked as if it would be uncontrollable with curls if allowed to grow out.
“Hello there, husband,” he murmured, giving a soft smile to the other.
“Hello,” Din answered, watching his husband for several long moments before relaxing.
There was a knock on the door before Rex’s voice was heard, disturbing the moment and bringing them back to reality.
“Mand’alor, the feast is ready and everyone waiting for you two to join,” he called through the door.
“We will be there in a minute, Rex,” Din called back, eyes still on Luke’s.
Once they heard Rex’s boot steps fade away, the Mand’alor tilted his head a moment while mentioning something on his mind.
“Did they make you aware that I have a son?”
“Grogu,” the blond answered. “One of the children that had fled from the Temple and found; the Order was relieved to know he had found a loving home and was happy to remain with his new parent. How has he been adjusting?”
“Doing well despite him not speaking yet,” Din told him. “You’ll be meeting him in a few minutes; I wanted to make sure you were aware of him.”
“Master Yoda informed me,” he said to him. “Did the information packet we sent you on Force sensitive children help?”
“It did and didn’t,” he answered. “Some of it was rather confusing but since I don’t have the ability to use magic like he does, I’m not sure I ever will understand it. We have a few Ka'ra touched verde, but none of them are as strong as he is.”
“If you and he are comfortable with it, I’d be happy to help him with his education on controlling his gifts,” Luke offered.
“We’ll see,” he answered, putting his helmet back on. “Right now, it’s a matter of him growing used to having you around. He can be shy around strangers.”
“Understandable,” the Jedi murmured, falling into step with him as he headed towards the door. “I’ll do my best to make sure he knows I am no threat to him.”
Din didn’t answer, simply nodding as he opened the door. He led Luke through the throne room, heading to a massive hall used for feasting and other ceremonies that didn’t require the throne room.
Luke breathed in, sensing more presences as they entered the vast chamber. Most of the ones attending had their buy’ce off, which meant he could sense them better, and the crowd was full of laughter and excitement. The chatter of children filled the air before a cheer was heard when the couple entered the room, heading to the head table.
The blond was amazed as the assembled beings rose to their feet, cheering and slamming their fists against their chests so the vambraces would ring against their chest plates. The noise was loud but almost melodic as the Force sang along with the exuberance of the beings in the room. He could see the look on his uncle and sister’s faces, knowing they were sensing the same thing.
Din led Luke to a seat, and the room went silent as the Mand’alor looked towards his people.
“Our new Rid'alor brought a gift to better our home,” he began. “A gift all shall see once everything is set up, but it is a gift that will not only heal our home but also work to ensure we have no dependence on any other system in the future.”
The Armorer approached, bearing a box in her hands, and at a small signal from Rex, Luke slipped out of his overcoat. Someone took it from him, hanging it on the back of his chair, and he watched as Din turned towards him.
The Mand’alor reached out a hand, and the blond set his hand onto the gloved one. He blinked in stunned amazement when a vambrace was latched around his wrist. Moments later, the other was on his wrist and Luke could tell that these were made from beskar.
These were different from the ones he usually wore; those were made mostly to hold his comm as well as to tie into various systems whenever he had to leave the Temple. The new ones were made with a full suit of beskar’gam in mind; he could see the controls were set to be programmed to link with a buy’ce and weapons systems.
Blue eyes looked up at the t-visor, and his voice showed his gratitude for the gift he’d been given.
“Thank you,” he said to him. “I will wear these with honor.”
Din nodded, knowing that the other was speaking truthfully. He turned back to the crowd, signaling for the feast to start, and then took his seat.
Luke took his seat beside his husband, eyes looking over at the crowd as he sensed Din’s presence brighten and strengthen. He knew without looking that he had taken his buy’ce off, but he was distracted by a potent Force signature that was young and very bright. He shifted, finding a small green child sitting in his husband’s lap.
A bright smile curved his lips when he felt Grogu reach out through the Force, and he reached back in a silent hello. His smile grew when he felt the boy’s joy.
“This is my son, Grogu,” Din said. “Grogu, this is Luke, my husband.”
Luke kept smiling, offering the tiny child a finger. He fought the urge to coo when the little fingers curled around his, and he gave a gentle wiggle as if shaking hands with him.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Grogu,” he told him. “I know you felt me, but I think you might recognize someone here too. Master Kenobi?”
The child’s face lit up, and he gave a loud cry as if trying to call the master in question. Luke could feel the call through the Force, tugging at Obi-Wan. The older Jedi Master was at the center of the table in moments, beaming brightly.
“Grogu! Oh Force, it is good to see you,” he said, grinning when the boy managed to get her father to put him on the table.
Obi-Wan was quick to scoop him into a hug, snuggling the child close and petting his ears. The happy purr from Grogu was audible, and Din gave Luke a questioning look.
“Uncle Obi-Wan spent as much time as he could in the creche, especially during the war,” he explained. “A lot of us do simply because it’s peaceful, full of joy and light. It’s a great way to center yourself when meditation simply isn’t enough. Uncle spent a lot of time carrying Grogu around while he played with the younglings; he was devastated to find that it was his group that went missing.”
“It’s good that they can reconnect then,” the other commented. “Grogu has been trying to work past his sadness; I don’t think I’ve seen him this happy since the day I adopted him.”
“It’s good to see,” Luke smiled, watching his uncle and the child together. “Uncle Obi-Wan has dealt with a lot over the years; I’m told he’s happier now than he was when he was around my age. I know he was carrying the weight of worrying about the missing children so this is good for him.”
“I thought the Jedi knew?”
“We knew once the messages about the children arrived,” he answered. “But knowing only helped a bit. Getting to interact with them helps to heal the wounds left behind from their loss from the temple. One of the things we have in common with the Mando’ade is that we believe that every child is special and precious. The invasion of our home by the acolytes left a lot of the elder Jedi very uncomfortable, and the loss of the children hurt deeply. I imagine there were be a lot of stories shared once my family goes back to Coruscant, and that will help heal some of the wounds left over.”
“That’s good to know,” Din murmured, finally relaxing and starting to enjoy his meal.
The evening passed by in a blur of food, laughter, and quite a few stories shared by those who were willing to speak up and tell the tales of history or of cunning battles fought. It reminded Luke of the family meals spent with more of the Vode or some of the older Jedi, and he found himself relaxing.
Maybe this could work.
Two days later, Luke was sitting cross-legged beside the training area while Din watched as Obi-Wan was sparring with a few of the Mando’ade warriors that made up part of the Mand’alor’s personal guard. The blond wasn’t paying attention simply due to his focus on the ancient saber in his hands.
Din had wanted to spar with Luke using the sabers, but the Jedi had refused. It had started a bit of an argument, but Luke had been very quick to point out that the Dark Saber had not undergone any form of maintenance since its creator had passed into the Force. The last thing he wanted was to endanger his husband, stating that he’d brought specialized kits to help keep both sabers safe and ready to use. Din had agreed once he understood, and he’d taken a seat beside the other to watch what was going on.
Luke kept his eyes closed, communing with the kyber. The crystal was wary of him, having gone through so many Force null handlers that had not treated it with respect. He gently nudged his own kyber, which was helping to soothe the mistreated kyber to relax.
Soon, the Dark Saber lifted off of his lap and hovered a moment before Luke used the Force to dismantle the hilt. His eyes had opened at this point, and he caught a breath as the dark crystal shown with white fractals that made it such a unique crystal. However, his eyes caught sight of the rest of the inner workings of the saber.
“Stars above,” he muttered in disbelief, catching Din’s attention.
“What is it,” he asked, wondering what had caught his husband’s attention like this.
“It’s a Force blessed miracle this hasn’t exploded on someone,” Luke admitted. “Parts of this are corroded by time and elements, and I don’t even know how that power pack hasn’t given out.”
“Can you fix it,” Din queried, worried about the historic blade.
“I can, but it’ll take time. I’m going to have to either try to restore what’s in here or rebuild it by augmenting the normal parts we use for saber building,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not even sure the Temple would have some of these parts on hand.”
“But you will be able to fix it,” he asked again, knowing how important the Dark Saber was to his people.
Blue eyes looked from the saber to the t-visor of his husband’s buy’ce, voice firm but gentle.
“I can fix it,” he said. “I spent time learning how to handle old sabers and artifacts like this during my time as a padawan. Uncle Obi-Wan passed his love of history to me, and I really liked the class I had taken for handling ancient artifacts to fill one of my history credits so I signed up for as many restoration based classes as I could without having to change tracks.
“When I knew I’d be coming here, I went to the Jedi who restore and maintain old artifacts in the Temple and explained what I would potentially be doing. They sent me with as much supplies as they could spare to help me with the Dark Saber. I will get it cleaned up and functioning as it should. I promise.”
“Thank you,” Din said with a nod. “This blade is so very important to my people, and its loss would be devastating.”
“I’ll take over the maintenance of the blade,” he shared. “Then eventually, I’ll teach others who are Ka'ra touched and strong enough to commune with the kyber to work with it so future generations can ensure it’s taken care of. Hopefully, it will never have to face such neglect again.”
Luke could somewhat sense the satisfaction from his husband when he announced his plan, and he turned to focus on the saber. Carefully, he set all the pieces onto the fabric he had spread out for this purpose. He reached out, picking up another cloth and dampening it with fluid before picking up the kyber. He hummed a Mandalorian song that his uncles had often sung to him as a child, cleaning and polishing the crystal.
Large ears perked up when the kyber began humming along with Luke, and a tiny green face peeked over Din’s arms from where Grogu was sitting in the man’s lap to snuggle with his father. The child could hear the singing from the kyber and reached out to it, conversing with it through the Force.
Luke sensed the interaction but didn’t react, knowing the crystal was lonely and Grogu was happy to have another thing he could interact with in the Force. He kept an eye on the child through the Force but remained focused on his task.
He was almost finished with cleaning and polishing the kyber when there was a change in the song from the crystal before a powerful surge in the Force from both the gem in his hand and the child next to him caused a wave of the most potent agony he’d ever experienced as his mental shields exploded from the onslaught.
The scream from the blond pulled everyone away from what they were doing; Leia and Obi-Wan were already on the move, having felt the strange surge in the Force, and they were headed fast towards Luke.
Din hurriedly yanked his helmet off as he rose to his feet, hurrying to a rubbish bin to vomit as an excruciating headache hit him. He was dizzy and in pain, and he didn’t understand why.
“Uncle Obi-Wan, he’s seizing,” Leia called out, sound terrified.
Obi-Wan rested his fingers against his former padawan’s forehead, reaching into the Force. He could sense what was going on and did his best to try to soothe the side effects; he wouldn’t be able to stop what was occurring. Despite the meddling that had started this, it wouldn’t have been accomplished had the Force not willed it to happen.
“Someone check on the Mand’alor,” he called, still focused on his nephew.
“What’s going on,” Leia asked, sounding terrified for her twin. “I can’t feel him as well as I usually do.”
“I’m shielding him right now,” he told his niece. “The Force, thanks to the kyber of the Dark Saber and an ad’ika, decided to do something and it collapsed his shields.”
“What did it do,” a creaky voice asked, causing him to look up to find Rex and Kix getting the Mand’alor to sit down beside them.
“I’ll explain in a moment,” Obi-Wan answered. “How are you feeling?”
“Dizzy, off balance, and a headache from haran,” Din answered honestly. “One minute, I was fine and the next, I was looking for a place to throw my guts up.”
“You got the easier side of this,” the Jedi said, still focusing on Luke. “It seems a certain ad’ika and kyber decided to try to make you both happier with everything; Grogu was worried about you. What they tried wouldn’t have worked had the Force not decided it wanted this as well and made it happen.”
“What did they do,” he asked, voice tight as he tried to combat the serious nausea.
“Created a bond between you and Luke,” Obi-Wan replied. “In a way, being Force null, you had it a bit easier. The symptoms will fade in a few hours. For Luke, it’ll take time. The Force pretty much shattered his shields so the bond could be made; it’s left him wide open to the Force and all the emotions going on around him.”
“Will he be all right,” Din asked softly.
“In time, yes,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll have to shield him until the bond steadies and he wakes; he’ll need time to rebuild his defenses. He has the most powerful connection to the Force I’ve seen beyond his father; things like this are incredibly difficult for him when he’s not protected.”
Grogu gave a soft whine, ears down as he realized he’d caused a lot of harm. The Jedi looked over at the youngling, expression stern.
“I understand that you wanted to help your buir be happy,” he stated firmly. “But you should have asked first. You really could have hurt your buir or Luke by doing what you did. Do you understand?”
The child nodded, still looking down, and Obi-Wan’s face softened as he looked at Din.
“He’s apologizing,” he said quietly. “All he wanted was to help you and Luke be happy; apparently the kyber suggested a bond and the Force decided it liked that idea. Usually, Force bonds take time to build. I have one with Cody, but it took us ages to build up to the strength where it is now.”
“You’re forgiven, ad’ika,” Dis said. “I know your heart is in the right place, but I know I’ve told you that consent is important as well as patience. You can’t just do things to people without asking.”
Grogu looked up, tears in his eyes, and Din scooped him up into his arms. He was still looking pale, but his voice showed nothing of his pain.
“You’ll have to apologize to Luke once he’s awake and is able to listen to you,” he told him. “I know you apologized, but you still need to face the consequences of your actions. You’ll be doing chores with the Armorer for five days. Understand?”
Grogu nodded, tears slipping down his cheeks, but he didn’t try to protest at all. He knew now he had done wrong, but he had been so eager for his buir to be happy with his possible new buir. The Force had told him the two were important to each other and to his home, and the kyber had agreed too. It had seemed like the right idea to make them fully one together or so the kyber had shown him.
A gentle hand petted his ears, and he looked up to see the love in his buir’s eyes.
A loud scuffle, even louder swearing, and massive cheers filled the air, causing Din and Obi-Wan to look up. They blinked at the sight of the tiny Leia Naberrie-Skywalker pinning Bo-Katan Kryze to the ground, wicked looking dagger to her throat.
“Insult my family again and I’ll gut you,” Leia growled, eyes blazing.
“What did I miss,” Din asked, spying Obi-Wan shrug.
“Kryze insulted the Rid’alor,” one of Din’s covert members said. “The verd’ika took extreme offense to it and decided to take care of the problem. Though I think the verd’ika has another problem.”
At the sight of familiar blue armor, the Mand’alor groaned, watching as his vod knelt before the young woman. He knew such actions would be considered highly attractive, but he hadn’t expected this one to lose his head and heart.
“I am Paz Vizsla,” he declared. “Marry me, mighty verd! I will worship you as you deserve, and we will fight many battles together!”
Leia tilted her head, watching him closely, and her answer just made both Din and Padme groan.
“Prove your value to me, and I will consider allowing you to court me,” she said to him, not looking away from the t-visor of his buy’ce.
“I shall do so,” he swore to her, rising to his feet and saluting her. “I will win your heart or die trying.”
“I had no idea he could fall boots over bucket like that,” Din commented, making Obi-Wan laugh. “He’s a good person, but he’s been more focused on other things besides a pretty face and great fighting skills.”
“Never doubt a Mando’ad in love,” the Jedi Master answered. “Some fall fast and hard, others slow and just as hard. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.”
“And Jedi,” he asked, not daring to look away from his sister in law as he asked Obi-Wan the question.
“I knew one who fell fast and hard,” Obi-Wan said wistfully. “You’re married to his son, my first padawan. He lost his heart as a child, and his devotion to her never wavered. For me, it takes time and exposure. One thing is for certain, our hearts, when given, are eternally loyal.”
Din’s heart ached; he wanted that for himself very much and hoped that maybe he could find it with his riduur. They were married and though some might call him a romantic, he wanted happiness with the other.
“Give it time,” Obi-Wan said, setting a gentle hand over the Mand’alor’s vambrace. “I think you’ll both find what you are seeking in each other; just have patience and communicate with each other.”
The Mandalorian nodded, slowly rising to his feet as he did so. He would take the Jedi’s advice and hope for the best in the future. Ka’ra knew they had enough time to figure things out and let the relationship grow.
**************** Two Years Later ****************
Din paused at the doorway that led to the balcony of the suite he shared with his husband and family. He smiled to himself, spying his husband as he leaned against the railing. Blond hair fell damply over his shoulders, drying in the wind.
Luke had just gotten back from a mission with his squad and a few of the Jedi, and he could tell it had been rough given the scuffing on the paint of the beskar’gam that rested on the rack in their bedroom. Later, he would help polish it out and update the paint but for now, he was eager to greet his husband.
He wrapped his arms around from behind and smiled as the bond settled, alight with love and contentment.
“Welcome home, cyar’ika,” he murmured in the shorter man’s ear.
“It’s good to be home,” Luke answered quietly, relaxing in his husband’s arms. “Grogu asleep?”
“He is,” he answered with a smile. “He was worn out from school today.”
The blond chuckled, snuggling further into Din’s arms. He rested his head against the broad shoulder, and Din’s arms tightened around him.
Things had changed so much over the course of the two years since they had been married.
Because of the mistreatment of the Jedi Order, once the Ruusan Reclamation had elapsed, the Order had closed the Coruscant Temple and moved out of Republic space. That had shocked the kriff out of everyone.
The friendship had grown between the Jedi and the Mandalorians due to Agri-Corps starting to heal the planets in the system as well as the various Jedi who had come to visit the Rid’alor. It had been easy for the people of Mandalore to offer a home to the Order.
An archive had been built, which was open to the public for study and research – barring the sacred items that could harm any non-Force sensitive. A school had been built too, open to all children, and there were specialized classes for those who needed training in using the Force. Training fields had been adjusted to accommodate those who had the Force.
The Jedi had become Mandalorian in many ways, and they lived and worked among the people in near perfect harmony.
Padme had retired, coming to live in the Kenobi clan compound, and she was thriving as she worked with the younglings there as well as helped advise Din at times when her aid was needed. There had been times where she’d been seen walking with Rex or enjoying a meal together in rather cozy settings. Both Din, Luke, and the rest of the family suspected there might be something going on there and hoped that the pair would find happiness.
Leia spent time between Manda’yaim, Naboo, and the Senate as she’d taken over as the official senator for her home planet. However, she always had a Mandalorian in tow as Paz had finally managed to win her heart and hand. The pair had married close to the first anniversary of Din and Luke’s marriage. The two didn’t have children yet, but there was still plenty of time as Leia was focused on her work as well as helping the Mandalorian system stabilize even more.
Obi-Wan and Cody had cheerfully become grandparents to Grogu; there had been talk of the Jedi Master taking another padawan, but the right ad’ika had yet to be found yet. Din had a suspicion about a certain Nautolan girl who had been following Obi-Wan around. It was rather adorable, and he’d placed a bet with Rex and Boba that she’d be the next padawan soon. He was also sure Cody would be pushing for adoption as well; he was rather besotted with the child.
“Din?”
His husband’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, and he looked down to find those amazing blue eyes staring into his with so much love in their depths.
“Yes, cyar’ika?”
“I was thinking,” Luke said, not breaking eye contact. “How do you feel about enlarging our family – making Grogu a big brother?”
“I would love that,” he whispered, then claimed his husband’s lips in a deep passionate kiss that showed just how much he adored the man.
Din was utterly amazed; he had gone from a clan of two to a family that continued to grow in number and in love. He counted himself so very blessed by the Ka’ra.
For once, he was grateful to the Senate for meddling because his life was so much the richer for it.