Private 'Neath A Golden Crown

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel
Colette nodded at what Adelle was saying.

"I know what you mean." She said, "Back in my clan you were free to be anything and anyone." A deep breath, a sigh. "As long as you knew who your parents were."

She didn't want to talk about them again. Adelle would have to connect the dots herself.

"I was taught how to change, feed, and entertain children. I know how to act as a forward scout for the camp and I can pinpoint a location on a map with a ten kilometer margin." She frowned. "But I was never going to have a child. That was forbidden."

"It's not so much a problem now. So, the funny thing about freedom of choice is you don't know what it means if you never get to taste it. And after that it'll be all you ever wish for."

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

"As long as you knew who your parents were."

Adelle ground her teeth but kept quiet. That one additional phrase filled in quite a few of the gaps of information. Combining it with the previous information offered, it painted an ugly picture.

"I can't let go of the hate I feel for the word 'mother' and it bothers me. Same with Fath-br-eeerrr.. "

An orphan, and possibly given up. If not abandoned, then royally screwed over by the galaxy. A wanted child would have had people know who they were, who their parents were. And with that came the privilege of choice.

An orphan though.

"That was forbidden."

Adelle flexed the fingers of her left hand, trying to release some of the tension creeping into her body. She hadn’t known anything about her past for just over a year. Where she came from, how old she was, who her family had been. Krayt had been her only major source of information about her past. She had lived under his thumb and his control, decisions about her future made for her because what other choice was there that deep in Coruscant’s underworld.

"—you don't know what it means if you never get to taste it. And after that it'll be all you ever wish for."

Colette’s voice brought her back to the present right as Phantom pawed softly at her jaw. Adelle’s head tilted slightly as she considered the words.

“Maybe not what it means,” Adelle said quietly. “But you know it’s there. That it exists for others and not you.”

She stopped there. Saying even that much around Na’an and Leigh would have brought on a conversation, and both woman and droid had been stubborn to a fault. Adelle wouldn’t have gotten away with deflecting again.

“So what have you done with your freedom of choice?” Adelle asked instead. “Aside from dance with mysterious strangers at balls and invite them out on hunts.”

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

A gentle but amused huff blew through Colette's nose. Adelle spoke the truth.

"Well, the dance and the hunt have been two of the big ones." Colette said and grinned. "I also chose to break the programming when I, uh—…"

Her face began to burn, her tan cheeks flushed red as her breath felt warm under a nervous snicker. The memories of that night and the hunger she hadn't known how to satiate at the time. It was embarrassing but precious to her all the same.

Colette cleared her throat.

"What were we—" She cut herself off with a nervous chuckle. "Right."

"There were others. They helped me understand, well, myself. Helped me see the parts I didn't know I could choose, you know? Showed me that things I thought weren't okay, actually were okay."

"I used to struggle with hugs. Closeness was this dangerous, immense disease vector since my culture was built on surviving the plague. And to so much as drink from someone else's canteen," Colette gently unhooked the flask from her belt to show it. "Was seen as a sign of deep trust."

The canteen was well-worn by now, its owner's story visible in the scratches and cosmetic damage. She would have thrown it out if it wasn't because it still held a deep meaning to her. As much as she claimed to be an ascetic, this was one of few possessions she struggled to give up.

"It feels so weird now, but I can't let it go."

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

Adelle’s eyebrows shot up when she felt the self-conscious twist in Colette’s emotions as the young woman cut herself off after mentioning ‘breaking the programming.’ She would have to have been deaf and blind to not catch what Colette had been about to mention.

Well. She guessed that confirmed the amount of trust Colette had in her.

The Jedi seemed to remember herself and redirected the conversation to the more socially acceptable parts. Support came from friends, helping to undo the conditioning that had been done, and platonic physical intimacy no longer became taboo. The canteen she held was visibly old—still structurally sound but bearing the scars of the passage of time and many adventures.

"It feels so weird now, but I can't let it go."

“Looks like it’s been through a lot with you,” Adelle said with a shrug. “You said your people were nomadic, right? I don’t imagine you were able to keep much. Just the important stuff.”

Wind rushed through the leaves overhead as they walked, and the distant report of a slugthrower rang in the air. Adelle glanced at Colette’s comlink, waiting for the confirmation.

“It’s part of your history,” she continued. “And it still functions so why throw it away?”

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

"It's part of your history, and it still functions so why throw it away?"

"Yeaaahhh," Colette whispered under her breath. "That's what I tell myself too."

She looked at the canteen. If she focused on it she could feel smell of home on the winds. The way they charred the meat over the fire. The fading faces of the people from her past. She had changed since then, and so had they.

It was hooked to her belt again.

"I don't think they hit that shot." Colette mused and looked to the trees above.

The leaves crunched below their feet. Base camp was slowly coming into view up ahead.

"Well, we're almost back." She said. "Any idea what you'll do with your cut of meat?"

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

Silence haunted Colette’s comlink as they walked and Colette confirmed what Adelle guessed shortly after putting away her canteen. A miss. Well, there were still plenty of hunters out in the wilderness. The quota was sure to be met by end of day.

The base camp slowly revealed itself through the trees as they walked. Adelle could already smell smoke from several smokers set up, spices, and roasted meat. Faint sounds of conversation and laughter echoed back towards them. It was like and unlike her clan.

“I might see about trying to find a way to keep it chilled until I get back home,” Adelle said. “Several clan members have insisted that the only way to eat wild game is to smoke it with veshok wood. If that’s not possible, I’ll just get it smoked here. What about you? You must have a preferred method.”

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

"Dried meat for sure." Colette didn't hesitate. "Jerky is the best thing ever invented. Doesn't matter if it's spiced or just salted. It lasts a long time and never ever loses its flavor."

Just thinking about it had her mouth watering. Perhaps it was the desert rat coming through. Fresh meat didn't last long and refrigeration on the road was difficult. Before her arrival at the Jedi Order, meat had been a luxury that you only feasted on as a last resort food. A life for a life as her clan would say. One creature's death was another's survival.

"Maybe smoke the heart." She mused and looked at Adelle. "Ever had smoked deer heart? It sounds worse than it is. A bit like liver. It's all in how you prepare it."

"The gallaze is a little too small for the smoking to be worth it, but if you ever get the chance I highly recommend it."

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

“I can’t say that I have,” Adelle said, more easily than she felt. It was less that she hadn’t and more that she couldn’t remember if she ever had, and would never be able to. “If I get the chance, I’ll try not to let the sound of it get in the way.”

They reached the outskirts of the base camp, villagers working to process and butcher the carcasses being brought in. Adelle adjusted and followed at a pace just behind Colette, letting the taller woman lead the way through the organized chaos. The mocking jokes between friends, the stories of their own hunts successful or not, it all reminded Adelle of her clan. She never thought in a million years that she’d have ever missed a clan of Mandalorians.

“So what’s next for you?” Adelle asked as they reached a dressing station. “Does your order send you out on missions?”

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

The gallaze was hooked to one of the stations. Colette put her rifle on a nearby table and withdrew her knife from its holster. Where the canteen looked old and worn, the knife looked practically ancient. A well-maintained blade, but a handle more weathered and worn than one could accomplish in Colette's lifetime.

Did they send Colette on missions? What was next?

"They do." She nodded and began work on the gallaze. "I work supply chains and logistics, usually."

"I have great respect for those who choose to fight, but you can't fight on an empty stomach." She gave a casual shrug between cuts. "If they are the ones who inspire others to resist the dark, then I'd like to think I'm the one inspiring the inspiration. Out of sight, out of mind… Constantly underestimated…"

"Suits me well. What about you? What's next for you?"

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

Support and logistics. Adelle nodded, knowing the importance of supply chains. And Colette wasn’t wrong about inspiring the inspirers. A good meal, proper gear, communications arrays, all of it was necessary for a successful operation, be it a battle or humanitarian aid. Supply chains made or broke missions.

Phantom watched the butchering process intently, whiskers moving as her nose worked to bring in the scent of the meat. Adelle lifted a hand to the spukami’s chest, gently reminding her to stay put. She was rewarded with a headbutt against her hand before Phantom hopped down to the ground and sat next to Colette’s feet. That lasted all of about a second before she stood and leaned her forepaws on the Jedi’s leg. <<Want. Please.>>

<<Wait.>> Adelle tried to scoop Phantom up but the feline was quicker and darted around to the other side of Colette to beg there. Adelle sighed but kept an eye on Phantom as Colette asked her question.

“I was recently appointed Mandalore’s envoy to the High Republic,” she admitted. “Most of what I’ll be doing is helping establish our new embassy and getting used to the new responsibilities.”

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

"Huh?" Colette had focused on the butchery when a curious set of paws pushed against her leg. Her eyes lit up with joy. "Oh."

She gave the cat a firm shake of her head. This wasn't cat food yet, this still needed to be treated and checked for parasites and the likes. Things that would make it a lot better for cats to eat, no matter how cute they were.

"Envoy to the Republic, huh?" Colette half-whistled under her breath. "That's a pretty big responsibility."

Phantom pawed at her foot once more and Colette grinned at the cat for a moment before she continued.

"We need to make sure this is good meat first, Phantom. After that, I'll be sure to make you some good kibble, okay?" She stopped working just to look at the tiny creature. "No no, don't you try those eyes with me, I have a little friend back home who is just as masterful at it as you are."

Still, couldn't help but laugh.

"I think you'll do great at your job," she turned her attention back to Adelle. "A lot of anger and confusion in the galaxy right now. We need more peacemakers."

"I take it that's how you know the king?"

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

Adelle sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck at the question. Her friendship? acquaintanceship? the friendly relationship she had with Aurelian probably played a part in her appointment. Whether that relationship still held or not, she didn’t know. There hadn’t been a chance to speak with Aurelian since the accords, held in the middle of their invasion into the Diarchy, and that had hardly been the time or place to even attempt to broach what had happened.

“Ah, no, actually,” Adelle said. “I’m guessing it played a part in the Mand’alor’s appointing me to the position though. I'm sure you know Si—Lady Abrantes is the Republic’s ambassador to the Mandalorian Empire. When Zeltros asked for Mandalorian intervention to preserve law and order in their system, the Mand’alor gave us all shore leave to Zeltros. Lady Abrantes and King Veruna hosted a yacht party and invited any Mandalorian to it. I guess I made a good enough impression because he found me at the Life Day festival on Ukatis and we talked again.”

She didn’t touch the comment about doing great at the job. While her Order had given her diplomatic training, Adelle had always been far too sarcastic to really trust herself with those kinds of missions. She only hoped she didn’t screw this up.

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

The skinning gave Colette something good to focus on. It made the risk of inescapable gaffes bearable and provided a good reason to be quiet and think of a good response between cutting and peeling. Even if, admittedly, she was already going at a bit of a slower pace than expected just to buy herself some more time in this state.

"Funny, I actually reunited with Corazona at the same Life Day festival." Colette laughed. "Hadn't seen each other for a while, and yet it was like no time had passed at all."

The last piece of the skin was removed, exposing the fleshy insides of the creature. Colette took a quick walk around the work station with a scrutinizing gaze. The insides looked good. The bullet wound had shredded the heart but taken a few other good pieces with it.

She smiled and glanced over at Phantom. Perfect kibble material if the meat was still edible. The last thing she wanted would be to feed remnants of a splintered bullet to a sweet creature like that.

"Got any part you would like to get first claim on?" Colette walked over to the counter to get a new set of tools. "Looks like the meat is decent, but there's not a lot of it."

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

Colette butchered the gallaze methodically, with careful, practiced hands. Adelle wondered how many times she had done it to do it as easily as breathing. The Jedi’s mention of reuniting with Corazona as if time had never passed brought a pang. It had been two and a half years since the planeshift and in all that time, not once had she felt Na’an’s presence or received a message from Leigh. They had been the last of her people.

Adelle returned to the present when Colette asked what part of the meat she wanted. She blinked and frowned, thinking. That was something she hadn’t considered. It made sense but she hadn’t given any thought to the type of ‘cut’ she wanted.

“I was just going to take whatever,” she said. “I feel a little bad taking anything at all. These are their lands—” she gestured at the villagers, “—and they could probably use it more than I could. Whatever’s left is fine.”

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

Colette chuckled. There was no 'taking whatever' here.

"So, if I send you the brain, heart, and liver…" She dragged a finger across her nose to scratch an itch. It left a smear of viscera. "If you can't decide, I'll just send you some of the neater pieces. I appreciate the thought though, and I'm sure the village elder will as well."

Colette began the slow process of cutting muscle and bone. The part that parents showed their children when they wanted to 'see how the sausage was made' as one could say. She had learned from an early age that while creatures could be cute, they couldn't be granted the same sympathy as a sapient creature should.

That was not to say that it was bad to feel remorse or even empathy for the creature. This creature had not chosen death, and that was worthy of recognition. Due to factors beyond its comprehension — such as overpopulation, in this case — it had been chosen to die so that others could live.

Focusing on that made butchery a lot easier.

"This part might take a bit." Colette said and looked up from her work, over at Adelle. "I wouldn't blame you if you needed to go take care of other more important things."

"I've got your number, I can let you know when it's done."

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Tags: Colette

Adelle scoffed good-naturedly at the joke. “You say that but I guarantee someone in my clan would happily take those. But thanks for not giving me those. Not sure if I’d actually like eating them.”

Colette went to work cutting through bone and joints, carving up the meat into different sections. It was interesting, seeing what different people were good at. At Colette’s words, however, Adelle did remember she would need to leave for Naboo to help establish the Mandalorian Embassy in Theed and to meet the staff there very nearly as soon as she was able.

“I should be getting my ship ready,” she said. “If you could contact me, that’d be great. And thank you, Colette. This was a nice change of pace.”

Adelle clicked her tongue, calling Phantom to her. The spukami flicked an ear back at her but a nudge in the Force got her to obey. Phantom leapt up to Adelle’s offered forearm then to her shoulders, resuming her usual perch. Her tail flicked however. <<Want food.>>

<<It’s coming. You have to wait.>>

Checking that her Firepuncher was still secure and that none of her weapons had dropped on the way back, Adelle made her way to where she had landed the Tome’tayl’kandyc.

 

[Colette]

Adelle Bastiel

"Thank you, Colette. This was a nice change of pace."

"Hey, think nothing of it. We'll do it again sometime, I'm sure. Take care out there, Adelle." The kid smiled as she watched the eager cat paw for food again. The mandalorian and her mighty companion dipped out towards their ship and Colette continued to eagerly cut piece after piece from the gallaze into neat organized piles.

Work continued. A few days would pass before a package arrived at the embassy. Inside of it was a well-refrigerated selection of meats with a note for Adelle.

Thanks again for your time. As promised, here's your share of the meat. As expected, the elder insisted that you've earned your keep of the hunt. So, here you go.

However, slightly hidden and obscured within the box was another smaller box. It was labeled to Phantom.

Take good care of her, Phantom. She's a real one.