Sisters For the Vode (Shia Kryze)

[Yasha Cadera]

The Sundari Palace had changed since the unpleasantness of the past weeks. Throne room renovated to include a massive round table instead of a throne, the palace was now the most secure location on the planet. Yet, above the throne room, and in the middle of the Palace, a simple collection of rooms.

Yasha and Kaden’s apartment had been expanded to add more living room, an office, and the new room which had recently been added in secret. It was this new space Yasha stood within, shoving a chest of drawers closer to the middle of the wall.

For once, and in the privacy of her own humble home, Yasha was out of her armour. The swell of her stomach showed much more than in her beskar’gam, and as Yasha moved furniture around in what would become the baby’s room, she stopped to put her hand on her lower back and stretch.

"Come... On! You're not in the right spot."

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Er'in Tenel]

Wrong me!

 

[Shia Kryze]

"I am... pretty certain Aunt Vivi mentioned that while it was acceptable to fight up until... uh... one of the trimesters, that heavy lifting was right out."

Shia commented as she entered the room. She was late, she always was if she had walk through Sundari palace. The site of the space where a throne that had meant so much and so little to her family inevitably distracted her. That and the security, a little bit of her couldn't help but mourn the need for it.

Shia wasn't in armour either, she'd been making a point for a while now of not wearing it on Mandalore - carrying the darksaber and her stupidly oversized handcannon, yes. Armoured clothes, certainly - she wasn't stupid. But a very public declaration that a prominent Mando'ade felt secure enough that the whole planet was her home was important, to her eyes.

"So... why don't you let me do that?"

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“It was bothering me. Off centred, and… wrong.” Yasha shrugged, grunting as she pressed both hands on her back and tried to stretch it out. While her bump wasn’t enormous by any standard yet, old scars were beginning to pull at her lower back and stomach.

“I’m not helpless, Shi. I’m pregnant… ugh. That word sucks, can we find a new word which sounds less… paper dollish? We defeated uncanny monsters and warriors of Hell, I can move a dresser.” Stepping away from the dresser, Yasha begrudgingly nodded.

“Okay, I give. I wanted it in the middle. Kade’s been working on Gray-Buir’s RID worksite, wanted to get this finished before he came home…” Turning to open another thin box, Yasha pulled out a mirror she’d ordered after her adopted father handed over enough credits to do more than simply eat. She stared at her body’s reflection in it, setting the mirror under the spot on the wall she’d picked out.

“Shia? How much longer do you think I can go before we tell people? Do we even tell people, or let them figure it out?”

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia wordlessly moved forward to move the dresser where Yasha had indicated without protest or immediate response.

"Urmfh." She grunted as she shifted the dresser. "Your family life is your own, people will respect that. But there's..." She sighed. "... some political capital in point out how things are going, new births, etc. Please excuse me while I wash my mouth out."

She turned and leaned against the dresser.

"You're Mand'alor, not... some pampered head of state. People expect you to have kids. I imagine they expect pampered heads of state to have kids too, come to that. Only fools like Munin treat the sins of the mother as the sins of the daughter, and only a double fool riles a Mando'ad over their family. So... I'd tell the world. Only the weak will try and take advantage, and they're weak - we can make people see that, or just end the threat they represent."

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Yasha propped her backside on the edge of the cradle, made of a native Panathan wood.

“I don’t want this to be real… half the time when I look down, it feels like the Rue… have to remind myself it’s not. Mandalore’s our haven and I don’t feel it, yet.” Running her hand along her chin and nude lips, the young riduur pressed her lips together and sighed. “Can’t take it back.”

Grimacing as she watched [member="Shia Kryze"] with the dresser, Yasha rolled her eyes with a sneer. “And I can’t even move a dresser... at least my barking voice hasn't changed. Orders are still pushing through.”

Hesitating hands fought with the urge to fondle her growing baby bump. Such an act would make the situation of her condition as real as the new room attached to what used to be her childhood ‘hideaway’ when she was left alone. Shutting her eyes in what could only be shame, Yasha put one palm than the other on the growing life in her stomach. A held breath released, and Yasha hugged her middle.

“If it helps the Mando’ade, and reminds our people that it’s safe to be families again, have kids and move on from the war, then I’ll do it. Make an announcement and keep working. I can fight, Baiko said I’d be good for a few more months before I have to step off the battlefield, but we do need options on who fights at the head of our military in a battle, when I’m too big to go on a bes’uliik.”

 

[Shia Kryze]

"Biologically we do get the short end of the stick, as species go. Reptile species all the way - or avian. Eggs are where it's at. But that burden you're complaining about is the point of the whole thing - well, them and Kaden. Never mind the Mando'ade for a moment. Forget all the war and the politics - we exist for our families. And you get to have one."

Shia doesn't sound jealous, she sounds like someone from an immense family for whom kids are just a fact of life.

"Of course, they say Vila Fett rode a specially modified war droid into battle while massively pregnant, but don't get any ideas, because your buir and Kaden will put a stop to that."

She smiles, then sobers up.

"We're... not exactly the horde Ra had in mind, or any of the Neo-Crusader-alikes did. We need to reform, rearm and rebuild around smaller more mobile and effective units. We don't have the numbers to compete, otherwise. As to who you put in charge? Everyone will need to prove themselves, Kaden could do it... that new Alor, Kaine the one from... wherever..." Shia waves a hand like hyperspace accidents happen every day, because... they kind of do. "... he's old but he's also not from here. Different type of proving. Most of your family... are not in the picture. Everyone else..."

She shrugs.

"I don't think people will follow them. Supercommando is a hard title to earn."

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“I hate being weak. You know that better than I do, probably… not probably. Absolutely.” Netherworld and back, [member="Shia Kryze"] and Yasha and [member="Kaden Mantis"] survived on their own companionship and faith in their bond. “Yeah, eggs would be great… My stomach… I’m already lamenting my stomach… and my feet… sure. I get to have one… didn’t have the chance to tell Kaden after the Rue, I didn’t want kids… at least not for.. it doesn’t matter.”

Folding her arms around her bump, Yasha sighed with a tight laugh. “Solus would run us in another direction if I tried going into battle too pregnant. Could you imagine? They could stop it, if they could catch me.”

Shia needed to find a family… Yasha’s mind began to percolate, thinking about what person would be a good fit for her battle sister. “We’re our own now. Ra had his moment, and he had his purpose. We needed to rescue ourselves and make atonement happen, but now is a better time. We’ll rebuild, and reorganize…”

Yasha couldn’t help but smirk and then laughed, “Shia, you’re forgetting the person who’s been earning it the longest, and been the most loyal, brave Mandalorian I’ve ever known.”

Picking up a stuffed nexu from the cradle, Yasha threw it at Shia. “You could do it.”

 

[Shia Kryze]

Shia's witty - well, she thought it was witty, anyway - response to the pregnancy issue (might as well make light of it - Rattataki did not do pregnancy like most others so her actual advice was useless and might actually hurt someone) died on her lips.

She stared at Yasha for a long few moments, unblinking. Wordless.

"I... uh..." Words like 'I'm honoured' and 'but I'm not ready' died on her lips. The oldsters would always say she didn't have it. And what child brought up as a Protector didn't want that job? Well... actually, now she'd seen what it cost she wasn't sure she did want it - but want didn't come into things, need did. "Okay. But you understand you're doubling the 'proving ourselves' workload, don't you? That's a concern, not a rejection."

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"We're two strong-headed, young Mandalorian women, who spent most of our fighting years in a place none of them understand. We're always going to be proving ourselves. That's a given... but Shia, we can do this. We defeated everything from nightmares that turned real, monsters, gardens that tried to poison us, and deserts that wanted us to string out like taffy, to death itself... and my mother." Yasha smoothed the cradle mattress down, and secured the ends to their places.

"Nothing ahead of us is going to be as hard as what we've already conquered." Hugging a stuffed strill, Yasha plunked it in the cradle and went to open a box from Atrisia, with her beskad.

"Who else do we have? Australis? My blind new Dad? My Uncle, or Daddy? You know more about Mandalorian culture than I could ever learn. This suits you, Shi. This is our Mandalore, now."

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

(OC: Picking this up)

"I..."

Shia paused, then considered what Yasha had said.

"... never defeated your karking mother, for the record. But I'm willing to give her an honourable draw."

The words were mostly distraction, but they were true. Shia wasn't sure anyone could defeat that spirit. The Netherworld certainly wouldn't manage it. She had the sudden image of Darth Carnifex fighting his way to rebirth, only to meet a very angry dancer-mechanic standing there tapping her toe and stifled a laugh.

"General Australis... is a soliders solider, you might want that in a leader. The others... no, you know they're not options as much as I do. You want a symbol, and I since you were stupid enough to make yourself one, you've rather put me in the position where I can't turn you down if you want me to be one, can I?"

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“An honourable draw. I don’t think anything could defeat Aditya Mantis. She’s a plucky little midget.” Yasha let out a timid chuckle, leaning on the side of a rocking chair. “I wish Mama were here… Carnifex brought Ra back to life, maybe… no. No! That’s a terrible idea!”

Shaking her head with a growl, Yasha tangled her fingers in her hair. “Bad! Bad Yasha! Dang, is this pregnancy brain or did I seriously consider asking Darth Carnifex to resurrect my mother? That’s the worst idea I’ve had yet.”

Hell was bad enough. Adding Aditya back to the living?

“Australis is all of those things, and a hot headed man I keep on a shorter leash than his wives keep him on.” Yasha huffed, rubbing her lower back. “He’s awesome and I love him to pieces, but have you seen the way he gets misty eyed at guns? If I put him in this place, we’d be at war before I can have this baby… you can say no, by the way. You’re allowed. I can ask Australis. Maybe Alor Garon.”

[member="Shia Kryze"]

 

[Shia Kryze]

"As a good Mandalorian, I do not pry into the details of peoples personal lives - if he likes the leash thing..."

Shia blushes as her brain catches up with her mouth, of course, it's a rather odd dark grey rather than red, given her skin-tones, but still.

"Ah. Anyway. Don't ask Carnifex to do it - there are easier ways. Before we even begin to discuss the consequences of repeatedly... unbalancing the cycle. Although in Aditya's case... it might be correcting an imbalance, I'm really not sure. The whole of Mandalore is so karked up walking around outside a braal is like walking through a horrific graveyard. But we're getting there - it's getting better."

She shakes her head.

"Garon would be a solid choice - but what do you want you right hand to do? Champion you, or organise fleets, or what? I've only got Ra's example to go by."

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Hah! You know it. I refuse to pry in any way to that part of Clan Australis.” Yasha eased into the rocking chair and picked up one of the stuffed animals decorating her daughter’s future crib.

“You have one thing right. Aditya is an imbalance… wherever she is. What do we do about Eli?” Yasha peeked out from behind a gigantic stuffed strill and flopped its’ limbs back and forth. “Still feeling the hurt, Shi? That’s one thing I wish we could make better. Maybe ask my Dad. [member="Gray Raxis"] might know what to do, he’s smart like that and has… your kind of mind.”

They never talked about ‘that’ kind of mind. Not really. Yasha tip toed around [member="Shia Kryze"]’s own spiritual adventures in the Netherworld the way she tip toed around the constant throng of a little boy’s voice in the dark.

“Australis can organize the fleets. I want you to help me expand this culture. To heal the rifts in Mandalore and around our Empire. We’re here, Shia. We made it back and there’s a reason the Manda sent us. In the end, it’s all the inspiration I have to keep going. And when I’m incapacitated with this little one? I want you to take charge until I’m back on my feet. Shouldn’t be more than a couple of weeks. I’m not planning to stray too far from home when this little one gets that much bigger. Not that I could… I wouldn’t fit out the door.”

 

[Shia Kryze]

"It's not my mind."

Shia replied absently, it wasn't that she didn't understand Yasha's concern - she did, it just... didn't register.
"The braal are a containment step, but as the Nightfather is prone to say, nothing truely removes the force - just the ability to sense or touch it... and you can't do what has been done here so many times without doing damage. It's... the same everywhere, a galaxy of carnage in the name of ideologies of light and dark. It makes me sick."

Shia took a deep breath, then unclenched her jaw.

"Yes, Gray might not be a bad idea." She turns to look at Yasha. "Okay. I'll do my best, but don't blame me for the trail of broken jaws. I don't have your tolerance for fools."

[member="Yasha Mantis"]