Baba's Day In (Kaine)

[Adara Raxis]

Prey.

The Mandalore sunrise crept across the black marble floor of [member="Yasha Mantis"], [member="Beth Australis-Mantis"], Reyn and [member="Kaine Australis"]’ home. Dressed in the noble and ceremonial mythosaur rainbow footsie onesie of sleepy-bye timey-times, which banished all wibsey-pibsey nightmares, Adara crept along the floor.

“Shhhhhh.” She mouthed, looking over at her little brother Reyn, affectionately known as Ram’ika. Three year olds were so dreadfully ignorant of every important form of infiltration it hurt the very, very adult and proud five year old. Adara motioned for Ramie to follow, crawling across the living room floor, and peeking through the crack in Baba’s door.

Mama wasn’t home, she didn’t come home last night… ​

​

… and Adara was hungry.​

Daylight was creeping up, that was the rule, wasn’t it? Wait until the sun passed the Palace roof. Adara and Ram’ika crept in, crawling on the floor until she climbed onto the bench beside Baba’s bed. She held out her arm for Ram’ika and pulled him up, putting her finger on her lips.

Not yet… ​

​

…. noooot yeeeeeeet…. ​

“BABA!!!!!” Adara leapt on Baba Kain’ik’s bed, bouncing up and down. “BABA!! BABA! BABA! The sun is up! The sun is up!!!”

The Prey had been pounced.

 

[Adara Raxis]

“Baba! The sun is awake! Baba, Baba! Baba!” Adara hopped up and down on the bed, her footsie pyjamas making little work of the duvet’s neat spread.

It didn’t matter that the sun was barely up, almost a flicker on the horizon, for Adara it was up plenty! Loads and loads! Little Ram’ika crawled onto the bed, fumbling to his feet and attempting to jump up and down with his sister.

“Pamtakes! Pamtakes, Baba! Pamtakes!” Ram’ika squealed. Adara stopped bouncing long enough to listen to Baba [member="Kaine Australis"].

“But… but Baba! The sun is s’posed t’be up when Adara is up, the sun is slow but Adara is fast!” Baba looked overcome! Befuddled and wuddled and luddled! The worst had happened!

It was like in her nighty-time scares!

Adara sucked in a huge amount of air, and flopped down to sit on the bed, her hands between her outstretched legs. “But… but…. Baba! I’m Adaaarraaa. Your liddle Addie-dawa! Your almost-daughtew! And and and and and Rammie! Rammie Ram! You can’t fowget Rammie Ram!”

Patting at the sheets, Adara pouted and sighed. This was the biggest bad thing that ever happened in the history of ever! “Baba, you got lost again? Like the last time you got lost in the wrong bedrooooom?! Mommy's bedrooom?! Rammie, we have to save Baba!”

 

[Adara Raxis]

“You gotta remember ‘Dara Babbie… Baaabb-eeeeeeeee!!!” Adara broke into a cacophony of giggles, as [member="Kaine Australis"] swept her and Reyn up into cuddles. This was the perfect place, curled up in the most familiar arms she knew.

When Adara looked back at her tiny life, all she remembered was Kajin’ik’s voice. The security of being held in arms much stronger than her own. He was the ultimate father, if such a word existed for the Mando’ad’ika.

“EEeeeeeeek! He’s gottus Ramie, he’s gottus! The Bweakfast Knight’s got us!” Adara giggled and giggled, cuddled up in the blankets with Ramie-Ram.

“Nuuuuuuuuuuu we’s twapped Dawa!”

“But pamtakes, we need pamtakes or we’re gonna get rumbly tumblies and go bleeeeech!” Adara wiggled and writhed, attempting in her way to get out of her imprisonment. Ram’ika wriggled free and pulled at Adara’s footsie-foot, until with a tumble and a big dramatic ‘oof’, both of Yasha’s children tumbled down on the blankets to the floor.

“GET HIIIIM!” Adara yelped, crawl-stumbling into the hallway toward the kitchenette. Ram’ika, ever the adventurous toddler, leapt full bore for Kaine’s leg. Adara swerved around, sliding on her footsie jammies, and grabbed hold of Kaine’s other leg.

“We got him! We got him!”

“But ‘Dara…. how we get pamtakes!?”

Adara’s gasp was stellar. “OH NOOOOOOOOOOOES!”

 

[Adara Raxis]

“We’re goeen doooown Rammie!” Adara shrieked, flopping over and attempting to cling to [member="Kaine Australis"]’ leg as he crawled on his elbows.

“Nooooooo. Not the pamtakes! Wait… who made the pamtakes?” Adara rolled off Kaine’s leg as Carnifex the Strill came to the children’s rescue.

“Baba? Did you make the pamtakes? Are there pamtakes?” Adara once again gasped a hefty inhale, “What if there are no pamtakes!?”

“Nuuuuuuuu!” Ram’ika rolled off Kaine’s other leg and crawled between Kaine and the Strill, then pulled at one of the kitchen chairs in an attempt to put the chair near enough to the counter to peek over the edge.

“Teeheehee Carnifex got you, Baba. Got you bad… Baba? Are you my Daddy? The girls in play school said they had Daddies… oooo! Pamtakes!?” Pointing at her open mouth, Adara grinned up at Kaine.

“I’s hungie, Baba. In both my tumblies.”

 

[Adara Raxis]

Adara didn’t worry about her baby brother, not when Baba [member="Kaine Australis"] was around to rescue them. Baba never let anything bad happen to anybody.

The thought percolated in a young mind, echoing through it. The man her mother called Kain’ik was always there to get them out of trouble again. When Kaine caught Reyn, it was just one more proof of the point. One day, Adara would understand precisely the intricacies of Kaine Australis’ love for the children.

Today, it was about feeding a girl who wanted pancakes, and teaching a monster that a family’s love was the most precious thing of all.

“You’re my Daddy.” A sigh took her little body. Now it made sense! The other kids were calling Adara names because Kain’ik was her Daddy!

They were jealous. Aaaalllllll of them were jealous of her Daddy. “I wuv you Daddy… I’m hungry.”

Hopping up and down, Adara raised both her hands. “I do! I do! I want pamtakes! I want pamtakes! An’ syrup! Wiff fwoot!”

Looking down at Carnifex, Adara growled. It was the sound of a predatory animal, a sudden mimic of monstrosity. “Baba’s feeding me fiwst. And Rammie. Then Carniebexie. Baba’s MINE first. Mine!”

A cough rumbled across Adara's chest, the girl covered her mouth with her elbow, then when the cough was over, pulled out a chair for herself and climbed upon it.

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Beth was sleeping. After all, what else would a teenager be doing on a day with no training? Or was there training, and Beth wasn't aware? Beth wasn't even sure. Learning about all things in the galaxy, training physically, and training for the Force had been... Intensive. She was caught up, though! Or so she thought, at least. She had woken slightly up as the sunrise streamed through her window but the girl ultimately fell back into a blissful sleep. She was tightly curled up under her covers, including her face, in a long t-shirt and pajama pants. Comfy. Cozy. And very warm!

Her hair was a tangled mess as it always was after a good nights rest. She was dreaming of a particular Hapan dance that she had been invited too that was a couple weeks away. She had never visited the Hapes region of the Mandalorian Empire - well, she couldn't visit lots of it due to it being off limits per the treaty with them. But still, she heard the nebula made sitting on any of the planets there beautiful.

Beth groaned as she heard a certain [member="Adara Raxis"] squeel for... Pancakes? Was someone cooking pancakes? The Sith Empire's nannies, perhaps? Beth put her pillow over her head. She didn't want to really get up at the moment, although she was curious about these pancakes. Pancakes sounded... Good. Very good. Plus, the syrup to go over them... Maybe some fruits. Was she talking herself out of sleep, of all things?

She wasn't going back to sleep, so the girl slipped out of her bed, slipped on her silly pajama slippers and slowly made her way towards the smell of pancakes. She gave a large yawn and stretched as she walked towards the kitchen area, albeit slowly.

[member="Kaine Australis"]

 

[Adara Raxis]

“Yay! Pamtakes, Rammie! Pamtakes!” Adara hopped up and down on the chair, until she panted and lost her breath. Cheeks going bright pink, Adara slumped into [member="Kaine Australis"]’ leg and reached up for her Baba.

Adara’s flushed and overexerted face paled at the pants for breath, the girl was far less physically able than most girls her age. That lingering cough, the gasps for breath.

Her head went spinny. “Daddy...” Adara whimpered, reaching her little hand to grab a piece of fruit from her plate. She chewed and gulped it down, looking up at Kaine as her head slumped.

“Befthy!” Adara panted, “Pamtakes, Befthy! Pamtakes, Baba made pamtakes... an’ an’ an’ we’s gonna play... right Daddy? We’s gonna play.”

Adara’s voice trailed off, she grabbed her fork in a weak fist and tried to stab at her pancake, “Pamtakes...”

[member="Beth Australis-Mantis"]

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Beth was still half asleep as she stumbled into the kitchen. The pancake smell was intoxicating - enough to get the wished she was a lazy teenager out of bed and into the family kitchen. "Morning, buir," she sleepily said as she yawned as she went to sit in a chair next to Adara and Reyn.

"These smell soooo good, can I please have like a million of them? And lots of fruits, too?" She grinned widely, although the sleepiness still showed on her face.

Beth smiled to Adara, leaning over and giving the top of her head a small kiss. "I smell them, sweet pea! I can't wait to have some." She let one hand rub [member="Adara Raxis"] back as if it would somehow help the poor girl get more hair into her tiny, fragile lungs.

Beth reached over with a fork she had and began to cut some of Adara's pancakes into smaller pieces. "So, I hear that if you make them smaller, they get more syrup absorbed into them so it tastes even better," she whispered to Adara. She didn't want Adara to think she was cutting her food up just because she couldn't' do it, so she naturally geared it towards a small, potentially true secret. Hopefully, Adara wouldn't catch on that Beth was just trying to help get the food cut up so she could eat it - and so she could catch her breath.

"What game are we going to play," Beth asked, perking a brow and an ear twitching sideways. Her question was geared more towards [member="Kaine Australis"] than Adara or even Reyn, but still, it was open for any to answer. It was still wayyy too early for Beth to be playing in any games. She hadn't even taken a shower, brushed her teeth, or anything!

 

[Adara Raxis]

[member="Kaine Australis"] moved to help Ram'ika with his meal, and Adara put her tiny temple on [member="Beth Australis-Mantis"]' shoulder, shuddering in to her sister for a minute as Bethy rubbed her back.

"T'ankies, Befthy. I like syrup. It tastes like black holes and Carneefeck blood. Om nom nom! Syrup of the Daaark Loooooooord!" Adara giggled and coughed, leaning into her sister to keep in her seat. Rubbing at her flushed cheek, Adara began to eat a slice at a time as Bethy cut them up.

It had been ages since the girl 'fed', or filled her rumbly tumbly. Maybe she would fill it soon! But until then, pamtakes were definitely on the table and soon to be in her little belly. Clutching her fork firm as she could, Adara dug into her pancakes, trying in her way to match the speed of the older ones, until her cheeks were full of pamtake. Gurgling, Adara deflated and sat in her chair, hands on her lap, to chew and swallow.

Little pale legs covered in footsie jammies swung back and forth. Adara had her family, and although Buir wasn’t here, the Infernal’s child was contented as a little hellspawn could be.

“Befthy, hey, Befthy.” Adara tugged on her sister’s sleeve and pulled as hard as her weak little hand could, reaching as far up as her mouth could go. In a voice she thought was a whisper, Adara put her lips as close to Bethy as possible. “The giwls at play school were liar lying liars. I’s not a… abandonined by my Daddy. Baba is my Daddy. Just like you! I got a Daddy just like you!”

Leaning back down in her chair, Adara went back to her pamtake feast, smacking her lips on some fruit and rubbing her belly. “Baba, what game? Can we pway tweasure hunt? I pwomise this time I won’t take ba’vodu Ambrose’s favourite hunting gun and pull the trigger on Ramie’s shield this time. Cwoss my heawt!”

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Beth couldn't help but yawn again, her tiredness from... Whatever she was doing yesterday. She always felt a bit fatigued - probably the constant training and little vacation time. Kark, even when she wasn't training she was trying to do other things - like almost get killed by two crazy Echani's only to be saved a Jedi friend. The galaxy works in strange ways, that's for sure.

[member="Kaine Australis"] sat down beside her and began to dig into his own food after he pushed her plate of pancakes over to her. She smiled, "Thanks for cooking breakfast, buir, do you know what mom is up to?" she said quietly as she - unlike her father or brother, delicately cut small pieces of her own pancakes up and began to put them into mouth... Although, she did end up speeding up pretty quickly. They were delicious after all.

Beth couldn't help but smile as [member="Adara Raxis"] leaned against her arm. She loved her little sister more than the galaxy itself. She just hoped she would be able to protect her, somehow, from the forces that would naturally be after her. She knew the girl was so linked to the dark side that she would probably make an excellent Dark side practitioner. Would she be able to help her, though?

Beth perked a brow and one ear twisted slightly as she looked over to Kaine with a curious and worried expression. Carneefeck blood? Carnifex's blood? Why in the Goddesses would she... Beth knew she had gone with [member="Yasha Mantis"] to the meeting, but she didn't know the details. It made her think back to how Adara was with [member="Skorvek"]. Beth, while not wanting to admit it, had at least somewhat figured out Adara's second 'tumbly.' She knew she needed it to fully thrive but did not know how to get it for her. Or really, how it even worked. Beth mentally sighed, knowing she needed to do some research.

In the meantime, though, Beth finished cutting Adara's pancakes up. Beth take a glance as she chewed a pancake as Adara tugged on her sleeve, "Baba is your daddy, yeah, we have the same daddy." She booped her nose softly with one finger, "We're your family, sweet pea. And you're ours. Don't let any kids in school say a karking thing to you about being abandoned. You were never abandoned - you've always had mommy, baba, and me." She smiled as she gave the small, frail child a small kiss on her forehead. "I love you, my lil' sister."

Okay, fair, she probably shouldn't have said karking in front of Adara and Reyn, but it made her blood boil to know that some little turds at Adara's school were bullying her like that.

 

[Adara Raxis]

“Teeheehee Baba needs napsies, Befthy.” Baba was funny! The aging Mandalorian couldn’t have been getting tired in his advancing years, it wouldn’t be right! “Maybe he will napsie better in Mommy’s bed, like he did last couple day ago. I napsie best when Mommy is here, too.”

He needed to be Adara and Ram’ika’s Baba for their entiiiiire lives.

“Kark! Karking karking kark kark! Karking things… kark!” Grinning up with syrup around her mouth, Adara attacked her pamtakes. A booped nose and kiss on the forehead was all Adara needed to feel as safe and secure as a child could.

“Thank you Befthy. I love you too, Befthy big big sistew. And I love Ram’ie even when he steals my sockies and I love Baba even when he sleepy, and I love Carniebecks even when he steals my pamtakes and I love… BIG DAY!” Adara doubled down on her pancakes. Once in a while, a piece of fruit or pancake would fall down and get gobbled up by Carnifex.

A gigantic clamour pushed past the family home’s front door, as Yasha and [member="Ambrose Mantis"] limped in each with an arm around the other’s shoulders.

“Beth! Come get your shabla mother.” Ambrose barked, stumbling to lean against the wall. While both Ambrose and [member="Yasha Mantis"] were devoid of their beskar’gam, the wounds from the previous day’s battles laid heavily upon their under layers and their skin.

Yasha coughed out a cackle and limped toward the couch, one of her feet bent inward, and lacking footwear. Swollen and purple, the foot did not want to take weight. The Infernal slapped her palm on the wall to steady herself.

“Did good, you old coot… go lick your wounds, I’ll lick mine. Dang jetiise never saw us coming.” Yasha waved Ambrose off, and grinned behind a broken lip as the gurlanin stumbled back out with a tilt of his brow at [member="Kaine Australis"].

“Buir!! Baba made us pamtakes!” Adara sat up in her chair, happy as a clam that she was doing what Baba asked, and eating her breakfast.

“Pamtakes!? Pamtakes! Aw, honey pie that’s awesome, make sure you thank Baba. You better not have woken him up too early, eh Baba?” Yasha winked, leaning against the wall.

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

Beth perked a brow. And an ear perked as well. [member="Kaine Australis"] had mumbled something under his breath but Beth couldn't make out what he said. Wait, did he even know what she said? She squinted her eyes at him. Did he just fall asleep while talking to them? Sheesh, she knew he wasn't a spring chicken but gosh darn...

"Nothing, I guess," she said quietly as she continued munching on her pancakes. She didn't feel like it was worth repeating. And she could just ask mom when she got home from beating up the Jedi.

Beth's eyes widened at [member="Adara Raxis"] usage of the word 'kark' and 'karking'. She was too young for that language! Was she? She decided to stay quiet and let Kaine handle it. She wasn't Adara's parent, after all. Beth was raised for a bit of her life with some Naboo priestesses and being polite was a big thing. She just couldn't fully shake it off still. She even still had her necklace around her neck, rarely taking it off.

Beth grinned at Adara's next few words though. She was the sweetest little darky child in the galaxy. No one could change Beth's mind on that. But, in the meantime, she heard the shuffle as the door opened and... Yasha and Ambrose? She quickly put her fork down and scrambled towards the doors. She felt like she hadn't seen Ambrose in forever! But, her mother was in... Bad condition it looked.

She quickly ran over and helped her over to the couch. She looked at the ankle and frowned. Very bad. It was at times like this that she really wished Yasha wasn't Force Dead. She could heal her so much faster and better if she wasn't. But in the meantime, she ran over to a large medicine cabinet in the bathroom. She grabbed a few shots of bacta injections and a Sovereign Specific. The foot alone looked nasty.

When she arrived back, she slipped onto the couch with the injections and the sovereign. The Sovereign was not a shot - it was a nasal spray. So, like any good daughter keeping after her mother, she put the spray up and sprayed it into Yasha's nostrils. Then, she carefully injected the bacta shots at key points over her body before getting a couple ice packs. She wrapped the ankle carefully first. "Ouch..."

 

[Adara Raxis]

“Buir! Buir, bu-“ Adara hopped up and down on her chair, about to bolt and throw herself at her mother [member="Yasha Mantis"]. The moment [member="Kaine Australis"] sat beside her, Adara threw her thin arms around him, dropping her syrup-sticky fork onto his pants.

“Ummmmmm can I eat wifth my hands?” Adara smashed the last of her pamtakes into her mouth, dropping another piece onto the floor, which Carnifex slurped up. She chewed and gulped, smacking her syrup-stained lips, before grinning up at her Baba.

“Baba can you hewp me wipe off the sticky?” Adara was proud of herself. Adara ate allllllll her pamtakes and froot, only dropping some! Her face was covered from the tip of her nose to her chin with syrup. Adara gasped at the sudden grunt of pain coming off Yasha.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Aww sweet pea I’m fine. Got a bit of a bang is all… Solus took the brunt, remind me to get Teag to look the bes’uliik over. Wouldn’t have been so bad without the bombardment.” Yasha grinned, brushing [member="Beth Australis-Mantis"]’ blonde hair behind her perked ears. “I love you, Bethy. You’re amazing, sunspot.”

Beth would never know why there was a twinkle in Yasha’s amber eyes, or why the Mand’alor looked momentarily like tearing up. The ice pack caused Yasha to hiss, and she did, laughing and keeping the mood light. After all, this was a day of victory! It was a day of family and love!

It was a day of pancakes. Yasha looked at Adara and Reyn, she saw the concern on Beth’s face and shared a soul-locked embrace with [member="Kaine Australis"]. Adara seemed to look at her mother with an expectation.

Yasha angled on the couch to hide the blaster burn in her side atop her stomach, and smiled.

“Mama’d love some pancakes, Kain’ik.” How could she live without loving this man? He asked for nothing but a place at the table, gave of himself to the soul for her children, for their children. Kaine Australis knew her daughter and son’s names as his own. He knew them as his children, just as Yasha knew Beth. Often Yasha found herself staggered by the love in these scant rooms, decorated by Beth and the kids, or Baiko milling about.

Love lived here. Pure, familial adoration. Yasha relaxed into it, shutting her eyes as she leaned back on the couch’s pillows and felt the Sovereign Specific and Bacta do their jobs. This was the man who loved and cared for her children. The warrior, who fought beside her. The engineer who thought up incredible feats. He was the rabble rouser, the un-tameable Kaine Australis, and he was above reproach in this moment. He was King of Mandalore, if ever there were such a thing... for he'd taken the Mand'alor's heart and given it back to her healed and tended. Wrapped in the gossamer of an uncanny and precious love.

“We got any fruit? Or did our pack of strill eat it all?” Yasha mouthed a quiet ‘I love you’ in Kaine’s direction, relaxing back and shutting her eyes. The pain didn't matter. Her family was safe and warm, loved and covered in syrup.

 

[Gaia Sunaris Cadera]

"Are you sure...?" Beth asked her mom as she finished applying the ice and wrapping it so it would stay on her ankle. "I think a little banged up is a bit of an understatement." Beth gave a small smile to [member="Yasha Mantis"] as she pulled her hair back behind her long perked ear. "I love you too! But please be careful!"

In either case, Yasha wanted pancakes! And she assumed that [member="Kaine Australis"] would bring them over, so Beth simply crawled onto the couch carefully and snuggled up against her mom. Nibs and Caz were angels but Beth never had the mother-daughter connection with them like she and Yasha had.

Beth looked over at her father and her two siblings. She enjoyed the comfort of being next to her mother. Beth, however, was scared that one day Yasha would get in a fight she may not win - even though she knew she was fully capable of winning all fights. She had an exact fear involving Kaine, too. And Adara and Ram'ika. What if she lost any of them...? Beth couldn't heal her parents, either, due to being Force Dead.

What if the enemy played unfairly?! Like how some of those dirty jetiise do sometimes... It was irrational but there were moments that Beth just... Worried about the future with them. In either case, Beth rested her head gently on Yasha's shoulder as Kaine took care of Adara and brought pancakes! And any leftover fruit, assumably, too.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“T’ankies Babadaddy.”

Adara giggled into the tablecloth as [member="Kaine Australis"] wiped the sticky off her face. She blew a big smacking kiss and crawled off the chair to join [member="Beth Australis-Mantis"] and Yasha on the couch. Reyn went rushing off, Yasha didn’t bother looking after the rambunctious boy.

“I’m careful, it’s alright baby girl, I’m alright.” Yasha wove her arms around Beth and cuddled the girl up, kissing Beth’s hair. The ache in her side continued to heal from the bacta and Sovereign Specific, stinging and itching as healing injuries did. Adara scampered up onto the couch too, tossing her little body on Yasha’s side.

“Nnngh!” Yasha grunted as Adara smashed into her, taking an arm away from Beth to settle Adara into the girl’s group cuddle in such a way that it wouldn’t hurt her mother. Adara wriggled onto Beth’s lap, happy to have helped Buir so well.

Boom!

Yasha flinched, then grabbed at her side, breathing deep and biting her bottom lip. Kaine was on it instantaneously, nearly dislodging Yasha’s breakfast in the process. Good! Kaine was by far the calmer parent, Yasha too influenced by her birth father and the Undying to give much else.

“Do not make me go on the offensive, ad’ika.” Yasha grunted in Reyn’s direction, peering over to where the boy ran around with miniature explosives.

“Fuggin’ Strabo…” Yasha growled, before her lips quirked at the sight. She leaned back on the couch hugging her daughters. Reyn was happy, bubbling as little boys did, Kaine was in possession of the Micrograms, and there were pancakes.

Pancakes and fruit. Aside from the shooting pain in her ankle, Yasha was enjoying the deliciously good day. Kissing Adara’s forehead, Yasha patted her bum and put her on the floor.

“Go play with your brother. And be nice! No draining, little rumble-tum!” Yasha glared at her daughter, who puffed up before running off to tackle her brother.

“Funkie Strabooooo!” Adara cried out, as she flopped around on the floor. Shaking her head with a chuckle, Yasha eased herself to sit up on the couch, and tool the plate from Kaine with soft smile.

“Thanks, Kain’ik.” She propped the plate up on her lap and started to cut her pancakes up with her fork, nodding to the couch for him to sit down beside her.

“I can get you a shiny new medal… made out of singed carpet fragments and glitter glue. Pretty sure Adara’ll even help make it. Are they being too much trouble? I can call the nannies, if you need a break.” Yasha tried a piece of fruit first, gingerly attempting to see if her stomach would hold it.

Success came with a relieved sigh and the Infernal digging into her food like a soldier at kip. “Maybe a sash for your beskar’gam, you know, pink lace like Adara uses for her dolls. What do you think, Bethy? We could add glitter to Buir’s buy’ce… that’s a sort of combat pay.”