The First Light

The warm sun over Uyter marked the height of summer. The agricultural world was deep into its growing season, stalks of various crops lining fields across the planet and wrapping much of the world in a blanket of green. Besides feeding the planet with their harvests, the farms and fields provided work for much of the population. In just a few weeks, the busiest part of the year would begin, with an entire hemisphere preparing to harvest at nearly the same time.

For Uyter Cresset, it marked the start of something else.

Its first trimester.

Anyone who believed that starting a school for young boys would be dignified would quickly be humbled. The courtyard had been filled since dawn with voices from children and teenagers alike. Already, brand-new uniforms had come untucked, backpacks were hanging open, and food was being shared. One unlucky instructor even had to explain to a young man that climbing the outside of the building was not the fastest way to his room. It was a hard job, but the men and women who had brought the Cresset to life over the last few months loved what they did.

Wrangling the young men into one spot was another challenge in and of itself. Getting them settled and back outside into the courtyard was harder for some of the Mandalorians than fighting Harrow and the Diarchy. Some of the kids were running off in search of brothers they'd lost somewhere in the crowd. Others had seen something they liked and decided the easiest way to reach it was directly through whatever group of people happened to be standing in front of them. The older boys were somewhat easier to handle, mostly breaking off into their own groups. There was some roughhousing, but that was to be expected.

After what felt like an hour, they had finally accounted for everyone.

Well, everyone except for the one person who was supposed to be there.

Adonis Angelis IV had every intention of welcoming the first class to Uyter himself. Unfortunately, the Warden's enterprising spirit had never done much to diminish his other responsibilities. Somewhere between building an industrial empire, opening a school, governing Vaal, and being a Mandalorian, the last of those had managed to drag him halfway across the galaxy at precisely the wrong time. War, as it turned out, answered to no schedule.

Suddenly, a large display began to rise from the ground in the main courtyard. It was surprising enough to draw a wave of shhs and quiets from the younger children. Before the screen had fully extended, everyone had found their way to a seat and turned eager eyes toward it. Another few moments passed before the display flickered to life.


The words remained against the blank feed for just a moment. A flash of pale blue followed, and suddenly Adonis stood before the boys.

Well, a recording of him.


"Right. Hello."

Adonis glanced somewhere beyond the recorder. "We are recording, aren't we?"

A voice answered offscreen.

"Good." A faint grin tugged at the corner of his mouth before he looked back toward the camera. "Welcome to Uyter Cresset."

Giggles started from the youngest of the boys. If he were there, Adonis would be mortified that they thought he was acting old.

"I was supposed to say that to all of you in person. Unfortunately, being Mandalorian occasionally means going halfway across the galaxy to fight something."

His expression shifted slightly. "Chancelor Solan has asked me not to describe it that way."

He took another breath."She's probably standing somewhere in the courtyard with you right now, so I'll leave it at that."

The humor faded, just slightly. "But I am sorry I couldn't be there. I mean that. There are many people who worked very hard to get you into those seats today. Your teachers, the people who built this place, your families, the Mandalorians and Uyterians who died protecting you all mere months ago. And, whether you'll believe it after you've been here a few months or not, you."

"So I'm not going to give you another speech about how lucky you are to be here. You've heard enough speeches already. What I will tell you is that this place belongs to you now."

"Not to me, not to Angelis Industries. The buildings belong to the Beacon Initiative, I suppose, but that's paperwork. What happens inside them belongs to the people who live here."

"And you're the first."

A bigger smile crossed his face. "Which means we've made the questionable decision of allowing a few hundred boys to decide what every class after you is going to think is tradition."

"Use that power responsibly."

He considered that for a moment.

"Or at least don't make Chancellor Solan regret accepting the position before I get back."

"But there are a few things I do expect from you."

"You're going to fail at things here. Good. You're supposed to. Ask for help when you need it- give it when somebody else does. Protect the person who can't protect himself. Tell the truth, especially when lying would be easier."

"And if you find something here that isn't as good as it could be, leave it better than you found it."

Adonis shifted slightly, his ivory beskar plates moving against one another.

"I don't know what any of you are going to become. Some of you might wear your own beskar someday, some of you might come work for me."

"But some of you will do neither."

"Good."

"Beacon wasn't built to decide your futures for you. It was built so that, when the time comes, you'll get to decide it yourself."

He let that sit with them for just a moment before the seriousness left his face, replaced by a look of unmistakable pride. In Lys, for everything she'd managed to build. In the boys, for everything still waiting ahead of them. Especially in the Mandalorian Empire, for giving him the chance to build something himself that would last in Mandalorian culture beyond the start of Clan Angelis.

"That's enough from me, you've listened to enough adults. Go meet somebody new. Decorate your rooms. Explore. Enjoy yourselves. I understand someone approved an alarming amount of money for whatever they're feeding you today, so please make that somebody's problem."

The grin returned.

"Welcome to Beacon."

Adonis started to turn away before apparently remembering something. He looked back toward the recorder.

"And behave yourselves."

He winked.

"Mostly."

Then, softer:

"I'll see you when I get home."