To Blindly Follow, To Walk The Thorny Path

[Yasha Cadera]

“Mmmhhmmmmm… yes… yes we do.” Yasha chuckled low in her throat, cuddling up in Kaden’s arms. His fingers passed through her hair, and Yasha cooed a sound akin to a purr. “You laughing at me?”

Pulling up on her elbows, Yasha stared down at Kaden’s smiling face and tried to memorize the lines and craters,which formed it. A rare sight on an unforgiving young man, the smile was testament to the bond they created. She would frame it in her mind’s eye, save it when she needed to know the moment she and [member="Kaden Mantis"] were for the first time, truly content.

“Take Kaden as your lover, Yasha. Not a husband. Marriage is of politics, but love? Oh that is a sweeter poison.” Yasha tried her best to sound like Baiko, That was, until her new husband mentioned [member="Baiko no Kaho"]. Her eyes rolled and she flopped on Kaden’s chest with a chuckle.

“We’ll be honest. Are you thinking Baiko will take our riduurok as a deterrent? I’m Panathan Citizenry… following the laws of my culture, I could have any number of husbands and wives. That’s what Baiko would see. There’s a certain power and prestige to being one’s first... what? I don’t intend to spread these thighs for anyone but you, Kade’ika. Worried already?” Yasha laughed and the sound was as comforting as a blanket in the cold.

“You’re not allowed to be worried about anything today… except Ambrose hearing the commotion I’m about to make…” Yasha’s hand trailing down [member="Kaden Mantis"]’ body was the only indication of her next attack.

​

Marriage. The joyful war. ​

Fade. ​

89/100 …. oh those silly, unprotected kids…​

Curled up on Kaden’s chest, Yasha groped for the comforter. “Mrrhrhrmrfrtbrrmmm…” Her voice trailed off. The future Mand’alor stretched with her hands above Kaden’s shoulders, having taken the private passage behind the throne to Yasha’s Palace apartment. Their armour was strewn around the throne, shoved under Yasha’s cloak. They’d go back and get it… sure…

… In a minute. For the first time, Yasha lulled in a pristine and divine sleep. Her burdens no longer followed her slumbering mind. She had her Kaden, and she had permission to let duty fall away to discover what she wanted out of her own life. Cuddled into the pillows and comforter, the Hell Wolf of Mandalore knew peace.

 

[Baiko no Kaho]

Baiko kept [member="Gray Raxis"]’ tea filled each time he put it down, ensuring she clinked the edge of the pot against the cup to give him the perspective of sound.

The Atrisian sat in silence as Gray told her of what he found with Yasha, of his suspicions and situations. A crinkled amount of fabric straightening. The smell of rose petals and brewed white tea. A slow exhale.

“Aditya and Preliat Mantis were true wolves, Gray. Brutal and maiming to any who came near, but tender with their little family. They hated the Force with such a passion that in her entire life under my care, I never mentioned once of my own sensitivity to that which Aditya loathed. Yasha was indeed born Force Sensitive. She was a beautiful, healthy little infant. Then Aditya and Yasha were thrown into the Netherworld when Yasha was three months old, and by the time hope was lost, six year old Yasha came back out, dragging her mother’s comatose and septic body behind her. I want you to pause and think on that.” Baiko sighed, pouring herself more tea.

“Young Yasha was so potent in the Force that the Netherworld itself could not keep her from achieving her goal of bringing her mother back to the living… Aditya spoke to me only once of her time in the Netherworld. Neither Aditya nor Preliat could ever talk about their horrors… it was their failing… Before her rescue, Aditya took Yasha to a place where the damned go. A god of Chaos removed Yasha’s abilities in the Force, as the gorge trembled at the appearance of what the girl could become. For Aditya it was simple. Give up a portion of her daughter’s soul to prevent what she saw as infernal magic. That piece remains in the Netherworld, and I know emphatically that Aditya’s shade still protects it. Ember Rekali didn’t send the horrors of the Netherworld to Yasha and Kaden. The Netherworld itself attempted to spit her out.” The darkness following Yasha… a true piece of self?

The noblewoman had little time to ponder as Gray attempted to lighten the mood. “Oh those two! Eyeing each other since they were eight and ten years old. I am sick of telling Kaden to back off and leave marriage for politics… frisk… oh you have got to be…” Baiko’s posture straightened, her fingers wringing in the fabric of her skirts as she flustered beside Gray.

“You did your job too well! I should go stop them… they’re not ready for such… they’re… you. You would throw yourself to the altar of passion by now in their case? Not as young… Gray Raxis, they are newborns fumbling at life. You have far more wisdom and half the sense.” Baiko’s voice eased, tipping as close as she could to a laugh and a smile. Never over! Oh no, it wouldn’t do. Wouldn’t do at all.

“I can feel Ambrose Vizsla stewing from here… oh.. oooh. They are not quiet… mmh. To be young again.”

 

[Kaden Farr]

"No... I'm not laughing at you... I'm just..." Kaden smiled. He sighed. His eyes studied every detail of her body and memorized it. She was beautiful, even the places where she bore scars. Kaden's skin was not pristine either. They were warriors who had survived the Netherworld. Kaden sighed again. "I'm happy. For the first time in a long time I feel like I can let myself feel happy again."

It was a genuine realization, and one Yasha had picked up on. Her impression of Baiko only made him laugh even more, though it also brought about the reason to ask about her. Yasha had heard it from Baiko as much as Kaden had. If she couldn't get rid of Kaden, Yasha was implored to let him go. Neither had listened to her, clealry, and there was now good reason to be happy they didn't.

He frowned as Yasha explained their riduurok would not deter Baiko. His smile faded. The idea of sharing Yasha in any capacity bothered him. It simply wasn't the way of his people, not how he had been brought up. Kaden knew of Yasha's culture which allowed for multiple spouses, but he didn't have to like it.

"No, not worried. You love me too much. Though since you don't want me to hide anything else... I don't like the idea of it... I would rather eat the meat of Sinner's Rue once more, than to see you listen to Baiko on this matter. Just think of the brawl you started when others suggested to you that I should spread my seed around the young women of Mandalore. Baiko's philosophy inspires me to do the same."

Nothing was going to change for Kaden or Yasha. He would be with her, remain her husband regardless of what took place. They were both lovers and partners. Yasha knew what it was not want to share Kaden... he knew it from the brawl. Yasha had to also know that Kaden didn't want to share her. It mattered little in the larger picture, but they were not hiding anymore. How could he hide from a woman that was now his bride, and known to him in such a physically intimate way.

"Fine I shall not worry about anything today... and Ambrose can get a pair of earplugs."

Kaden didn't hear the murmuring which came from Yasha, nor did he feel her stirring in the bed. The sheets were soft, the bed large, and his lover warm. He slept soundly tangled up in Yasha's embrace. For once he did not worry about a beast that would eat them. Kaden didn't feel the need to keep his eyes open to protect his Yasha from death. They had each other, and they had this moment. It was all Kaden needed or wanted. The sleep which came, it was like nothing he had experienced the past seven years. It was full and deep. There would be nothing to rouse him from it.

[member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Gray Raxis"]

 

[Gray Raxis]

Seemed that the mood lightener had done the opposite of that. Gray's knowledge of young Yasha had gotten larger, but he had also learned a little bit about [member="Baiko no Kaho"] as well. Seemed the woman was rather protective of her charges. Actually that was something he had already known since the first time they met. She wouldn't have asked him to come here otherwise. But listening to her did get a smile out of him as he kept his face turned towards her. He had no idea what she was doing that was making the noise but it was strangely entertaining for him. Just how long had he cooped himself up for and how long had it been since he had so much interact with another being? Far too much on both accounts was his opinion right now.

" They are being together and getting to know each other more. Let them be. The best way for them to sort life out is by experiencing it for themselves. Better together than on their own after all." Gray said before he took another drink of tea. She was certainly making sure he never ran out, but was she getting enough herself? He hadn't heard her pour herself a new cup at all. " And it is better they marry each other. Mandalorians are people of the heart. The only place politics belongs is between us and other factions in the palace. Marriage is sacred, intimate, and personal for us. It is not something done lightly or for gain. It is a pure expression of love and should remain that way for the two of them. You should have some faith in the young woman you raised as well to pick the best partner for herself. Or are you just turning into the nitpicking mother-in-law already?" A slightly impish grin crossed his face as he finished speaking. He figured she would pick up on it but just in case made it clear he was making a joke.

Drinking more tea, Gray's mind drifted momentarily to what Baiko said earlier about Yasha If she had lost that piece of herself in the Netherworld then would it be possible for him to brave it and reunite her with her sensitivity again? There was no clear answer for him on this. He didn't even know if it was something ever attempted before let alone achieved. With a soft sigh he pushed the idea out of his head. Diving into the Netherworld on a hunk was dangerous. The Netherworld was just dangerous period. He refocused back on Baiko and said, " Tell me about yourself. Your voice sounds lovely already so I'm imagining you are a beauty as well. Like a songbird. That feels right. A songbird is the image I get from you." He finished off his cup of tea then gave her a friendly grin. The earlier intensity had faded away completely by now. He almost didn't think it could get so tranquil afterwards.

[member="Kaden Mantis"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Happy? Is that what this feeling is?” Yasha stroked down Kaden’s chest, nuzzling her nose into his jaw. “I want to live in this feeling, I think I can. All I need to do is stay right here.”

Baiko’s impression caused little bits of laughter to pepper out of her. Kaden’s arms held the warmth of their embrace in, contained in a pleasant and happy way.

“Might not be up to Baiko either, Kade. I know what this means to you. I’m not saying let’s look for a partner to share this, it would never work, but… if there’s one thing Baiko taught me it’s to keep a firm sight on one’s enemies. Having someone duty bound to be here? We might be able to use that… but if he or she touches me, they die. They just…. die.”

Earplugs. The entire Palace would need them at this rate.

Yasha rolled over, her arm flopping across Kaden’s body under the covers. Safe and warm, the couple slept until the diffused sunlight the dome allowed in broke across the thick, gray bedsheets. The light pushed at Yasha’s sensitive eyes and she murmured awake. For a while, Yasha sat up in bed, arms akimbo across her raised knees. A flutter of butterflies rested permanently in her belly.

This was marriage? It was no different than living with Kaden in the Netherworld, yet there was a deepening of the connection. A bond built upon by the trust to be awkward and vulnerable in each others’ arms. Pulling the covers around Kaden’s shoulders, Yasha padded around her Palace apartment and pulled on a loose kimono which she had resting over the back of a chair. Tying the thin obi, Yasha blinked and stopped short.

There, nestled on two armour trees, was her and Kaden’s beskar’gam. A tray of tea, pastry and fruit sat on a tall, thin table, with a simple paper note.

‘Perhaps in future you might muzzle your mate.

Love Baiko.

PS. Ambrose has been given a cask of Annaj Brandy in honour of surviving your tempestuous behaviour.’

Yasha mashed her lips together and her deep olive skin reddened. Sipping the tea, how did it manage to still be warm, Yasha set a cup down on Kaden’s side of the bed and stopped to marvel.

Kaden had ‘a side of the bed’. They had a bed. Not Yasha’s bed, or Kaden’s bed, or that spot under the couch in the limo. This was home.

Slipping back between the covers, Yasha let her eyes shut to the oncoming sun, nestled under Kaden’s arm, and slept.

 

[Baiko no Kaho]

Sound seemed the best method of entertaining the man, while Yasha and Kaden became irresponsible spouses. While the idea of what occurred right then filled Baiko with the maternal urge to rip them apart and send Kaden into the nearest sun, [member="Gray Raxis"] had a more gentle way in mind.

Would the wonders of the universe never cease. A Mandalorian was being more gentle than an Atrisian Kiffar. “Is it? Better for them together?”

Baiko deflated, rising to pace along the small alcove-sized garden. “The Echani have a philosophy of discovering your mate through combat. We are, by and large, monogamous once our Echanar is found. It takes a series of spars and battles to discover one and the other, until a connection is forged so deeply that it is spiritual. Watching those two grow up… oh, I don’t know why I struggled so hard against the eventuality you, poor sod, experienced. Perhaps I tried too hard to obey Aditya’s wish that Yasha have a Panathan education.”

Rolling her eyes upward, Baiko shrugged with a chuckle, and sighed. “You do me more honour than I deserve by giving me a mothering title. I am but a servant of the House. Bound by blood and honour to serve Aditya’s family until the day I fade into the White Current. You should have seen [member="Kaden Mantis"] years ago. Brash, trying to be ever the grown soldier at ten, twelve, fifteen. If he was going to stay by Yasha’s side, my goodness I was going to make a gentleman of him! Kicking and screaming as he was.”

Covering her lips with her hand, Baiko attempted to quell the laughter growing in her belly. It wasn’t polite, how rude of her to betray her personal feelings to this man, a practical stranger, but for the one little girl he saved during a war. A fool thought flattery unique. A foolish woman fell prey too easily to the charms of an unknown man. If he hadn’t been blind, Baiko most likely would have smacked him for the privilege of commenting on her supposed beauty. “My father was an Echani General, gifted with the foresight of his forebearers who hailed from Chandaar and Eshan. He served the Atrisian Empire, and met a young Kiffar. My father loved my mother to her grave. I was raised in the Royal House, played with the children of the Emperor and lived as a minor noble near the Palace. Atrisia was full of the arts, and plenty of advancements for those of us, like myself, who engineered them. The Emperor married me to a distant family relation, we lived in an estate near the Palace, and I raised three daughters.”

Baiko’s songbird voice lilted upon the air, as white filaments of the Force strung around Gray, reminding his nostrils of fragrances he’d never smelled, of tactile sensations he’d never had. “My family was murdered… a beautifully frantic Epicanthix named Aditya Fitz-Kierke crash landed in a city, whisked away by the Emperor after an outrageous tale of defeating Sith with an Army of Light… in punishment for not preventing my husband’s death, I was stripped of my property and position and presented to Aditya as her servant. Aditya never knew that the Mantis Estate on Atrisia, gifted by the Emperor himself, was the home in which I raised my daughters. My line was ended. I would serve hers… although neither of us expected that she would be whisked off to Mandalore by a brutish warrior from the desert planet of Ordo… odd. I’ve never told a soul my past, certainly not here. What is it about you which brokers kindness, Alor Raxis? Is this the definition of the Resol’nare of which you trust?”

Her slippered feet padded along the ground, until Baiko again sat beside Gray. “While never being accused of holding great beauty, there is a certain dignity to my face… here. I shall show you the children you saved, and their frustrated nanny.”

Baiko’s middle and index fingers pressed feather-light against Gray’s forehead and conjured up a vision in his mind of Yasha in her beskar’gam, and Kaden in his armour. “What a cruel fate… to be blinded… pardon me, I go too far.”

The image disappeared as Baiko conjured up herself, dashed before anything could be made of it. A crash and several footsteps resounded down the hall.

“Yes, Ambrose, I hear them.”

“Bloody throne room! The throne room!! I blame you for this! I blame both of you!” Ambrose Vizsla barked, his armour clanking as he slapped back against the wall of the small garden.

“Put your snarl away, Ambrose. I will fix it. Easy, old friend.”

“Bloody throne room…” Ambrose harrumphed with a gurlanin growl, clacking his yaws together as he changed from humanoid to gigantic wolf.

“Go for a run! I will tend them… and stop sulking! It’s unbecoming.” Baiko sighed roughly through her nose, far too harsh a sound for what usually came of it. “We shall set you with a guest suite, you can work your magic tomorrow, I doubt you will get more out of the children today.”

 

[Gray Raxis]

Seemed that she was still not so happy about the youngsters coupling up officially. Gray could tell that they were already bonded in the way that two Mandalorians should be when wed. All that the two lacked was the courage to say their vows and it seemed that their interaction with him gave them that. It still felt strange to Gray that his presence was able to effect them so much in such a positive way. He would have expected it to be the opposite... and he needed to stop that line of thought. If not for the comforting presence beside him then he might have sighed and carried on with it. Perhaps the company right now was reward enough.

The conversation about the Echani was interesting, but brought about not so pleasant feelings for Gray. It just reminded him that he had something he needed to do sometime soon. It also felt like a spark of hope however that perhaps it was possible out in the galaxy. He appreciated the switch over to discussing the two young ones again. Her rising did make him feel a tad sad at losing the real sensation of company, but he also laughed as she spoke of [member="Kaden Mantis"] and her hardships with him. He grinned at her Baiko. " Sounds like a Mandalorian boy to me. Best way to make a gentleman out of one of us is to beat the manners into us. What my mom and dad did to me. I'm not so bad am I?" His grin got impish and he wished he could wink at her. A pang of sorrow mixed with joy hit him at the mention of his parents. It was a subject so close to his heart that it stabbed his chest every time it got brought up, especially by him.

Her story was sad. Her story was very sad. Gray's heart went out for her as she told him just as his heart had gone out to Yasha earlier. What was with these Mantis women and having such heart wrenching stories about their past? As he listened his smile shifted into a frown that spoke volumes about how much he sympathized with her. He understood now why this woman was so devoted to the girl even though she seemed to have no interest in becoming a Mandalorian. Her question though to him about his kindness deserved a response. He gave her one. " For Mandalore and her people yes. The Resol'nare is about kindness and love. It is about not being for yourself but for everyone. It is about family and kin, regardless of if you share blood or not. It is about being tough when you have to for someone even if that is with your love. It is about helping a young woman finally cry because she needs to and embracing her so she knows she is not alone and never will be alone to face her troubles. The Resol'nare is about love not about violence. And that is what I plan to teach Yasha and Kaden." He thought about everything that had happened since he arrived on the planet between him and them. This was the will of the Manda. This was about giving the two of them exactly what they needed to move on past their experiences in the Netherworld. This was the Resol'nare to Gray in action.

Baiko had rejoined him and with it his sense of loneliness had faded back away. It was strange how easy it was to feel disconnected from others just by losing physical contact with them when you were blind. She mentioned something about showing him what she and they looked like. How could she possibly do that when he was blind? Then he felt her touch his head and...an image with people he had never seen before took over the darkness before his eyes. His entire body flinched. His tea cup got knocked over and the precious liquid spilled out all over the table. His breath became quick and heavy as some sweat formed on his head. He was having a mild panic attack. An image appearing in his mind was like what they had done to him for all those months....

It only lasted for a moment then Gray began to calm down. This wasn't the same. The feeling was completely different. Even if [member="Baiko no Kaho"] had stopped showing him the image, Gray was able to bring it back up. It was a minor gift from those months of torture. They would force him to recall an image they put in his head and tell them in great detail about it. They wanted to break him. They didn't. She was not trying to break him, but rather was helping him. He drank in every detail of the image. He saw the young pair and her. It made him a little sad that he could not see them for himself, but this was still a gift he would never forget.

" Sorry about...that." Gray apologized with an embarrassed smile after all of the commotion with Ambrose. " I would say there is more than just dignity to your face Baiko. If I was less.... If I was younger I would have been trying pretty hard to get your interest. Yasha certainly is an attractive young woman and Kaden a handsome young man. You did a great job raising them. You should be proud." He got quiet again. Vague memories of a time more a blur than clear drifted through his mind. He needed to make them leave. He needed to forget. He needed.... A soft sigh escaped his lips. " So a guest suite. I guess that means you won't be letting me stay with you for the night like I hoped." A weak smile requiring all his strength touched his lips.

 

[Baiko no Kaho]

"Oh I beat them into him quite enough. By the time I got to his education, his hand to hand combat needed to be completely retaught! Mandos... The lot of you need a weapon in your hands as if your own bodies are insufficient." Baiko blustered, setting herself back beside Gray. "He was all anger and no technique. Blasphemy. Technique first, emotions second."

The Echani in her was too strong, it seemed, to see past the further reason for power in Mandalorian males. Yet, Gray balked at her touch, tensing up and bucking against the two gentle fingers on his forehead.

"I should have asked first. I'm sorry, forgive me?" Baiko stroked her hand down his shoulder and arm, the way she used to for [member="Aditya Mantis"] after the woman returned from protecting Yasha in hell. Many were the moments where Yasha's mother needed assistance. Many were the times Baiko realized how far gone the woman had been. Gray commented on an image in his head, the appearance of Baiko as she was, and not as how she created in perception. The woman huffed and placed her temple on his shoulder for open brief moment. Touch, like sound, seemed to help him.

"If you were younger... Have you aged out for a human male? Are you impotent, now? I must know for my records. Human males ineffectual after x years." Baiko said in absolute jest. She kept herself from laughing and let her shoulder brush against [member="Gray Raxis"].

"And who said I wasn't to take in a guest if I so chose? Yasha? I'm all astonishment the girl knows enough about physical intimacy to have a lover. Preliat? The man is a stim-user and a drunk. The only person you need to impress in this situation is me, Gray Raxis. Not Ambrose, he should be busy enough with his mate by now I assure you." She knew deep down this was a defence mechanism for the Raxis Alor. She knew he meant nothing by it, but to let the humour play. "Besides, I do not have a spot in the Palace. I live next door, in the home Ra Vizsla gave to Preliat and Silas to tend Yasha. Now that Yasha seems to be well tended by her... Oh goodness, Riduur, I suppose I shall find another residence. Or perhaps my time here is ended... A girl doesn't need a meddling woman at this stage, does she? Oh, you can discern the truth, surely. I love that boy, and that girl. He's always tried his hardest to do what is right by Yasha, even when they were children. She could do much worse, especially after all the time I put in to train him! I trained him, unbeknown to him, as any consort male would be trained in the Echani culture... He is... A man to be proud of. Although... I suppose I shall never say it to his face, he might explode!"

 

[Gray Raxis]

" I feel ancient but physically I am still haven't reached middle age. Some even call it their prime. Definitely not impotent either. I could throw you on top of this table and show you both of those facts right now." Gray said to her in response after a chuckle. " Listen to me talk. I must sound as convincing as a drunk's tale about killing a krayt dragon with only a rock for a weapon. I'm sure you would rather be shown than told for this sort of thing right?"

The conversation then turned rather serious as [member="Baiko no Kaho"] got more into things. She was a proud, independent woman despite how she tried to appear to others. It made him wonder why she wanted people to see her as being so meek rather than how she truly was. Was it just the Atrisian in her? A big difference from Mandalorian women who would sooner punch their husbands than let them boss them around with a smile. Everything she had to say to him though was telling him more about her. Seemed she was as pent up as he was when it came to matters of a more intimate nature. She also seemed to think she didn't have a place anymore with Yasha or the clan home. That was something he should comment on. And the last detail was just reinforcing what he already knew about her. She really loved those two as if they were their own children.

Gray gave her a genuine smile after she finished speaking. " You shouldn't worry so much about where you live or Yasha not needing you anymore. You are Mandalorian now even if you want to fight it. If that home belongs to your clan now then as a member of it you have as much claim to live there as Yasha or Preliat or Silas does. And I don't think Yasha will ever not need you. With her biological mother gone, you are the only mother she has left. You just have more time to worry about yourself now is all." His grin got a bit more impish as he paused. " No one said you couldn't take a guest either. My bet is that despite this you haven't had one in some time though. Tell me I'm wrong."

[member="Kaden Mantis"]

 

[Kaden Farr]

Kaden wasn’t aware of what time it was when he finally did wake up. There was only one thing he knew. It was the first night of sleep where he did not have nightmares of what had happened to Yasha. He was her protector, and now he was her lover. No other man would touch her in the way he had during the night. It was wonderful, the entire idea of physical intimacy. Kaden was convinced they needed to do that every day.

He took in a couple of deep breaths and ran the tips of his fingers along Yasha’s shoulder. The glow of what they had done, their riduurok was still keeping a smile on his face. Happiness was something that had long escaped Kaden. The last time he truly remembered being happy was the time [member="Silas Mantis"] took he and [member="Yasha Mantis"] hunting for the first time. It had been a muddy adventure, but well worth it.

His smile eventually faded as Kaden realized he needed to find the toilet. He hoped not to stir Yasha, but if she woke, well, they could always indulge in their new favorite activity. Kaden’s stomach also growled. The two had missed dinner. They had been otherwise occupied, but now Kaden wanted breakfast. He saw the tea tray on his way back to the bed. There was a note.

Kaden read the note and chuckled. Had they been so loud. He set the note down and looked for the tea. It was next to his side of the bed.

Hmmm... his side...

They had been sharing his bed, or her bed, since he returned. Kaden was constantly sneaking out to be with her, but not anymore. There would be no more sneaking, no more worrying, no more nightmares.

”Ali i'ay ovoqi pi' kiolird ombis,” Kaden asked as he sat back into the bed. His words were in Yasha’s native tongue. He would use it because some of what he felt could not be spoken in Mando’a if he wanted to convey them properly. ”Did you see the note... does this mean she isn’t opposed to the idea?”

Kaden sipped the tea. For some reason he needed Baiko to be okay with this. She was the closest thing to a mother he had. He would never tell her, but it was true. [member="Baiko no Kaho"] had all the love Kaden could hold for a mother.

[member="Gray Raxis"]

Spoiler

Are you awake my lovely angel?

 

[Baiko no Kaho]

“If you think you can throw me on this table, I invite you to try… you will discover quickly how superior Echani are to your lowly Mandalorian ways.” Baiko laughed from her belly, sliding away an inch to give the man room. It was a beautiful fiction, this ease of character between them. Both lie and truth wrapped in the gossamer of a deep and intense wish to be over the horror in their hearts. “Oh… you required a rock to defeat the dragon… how… quaint.”

She couldn’t resist the joke, lips smacking shut as she picked up his dumped and emptied tea cup and set it to rights. The slosh of a dish towel on liquid and wood, the light breathing of a woman close to a man’s chest. “An Echani always benefits from being shown rather than told… we are a people of body language and combat, after all.”

Was this her last night on Mandalore? With Yasha taken care of and Kaden grown into a man, perhaps it was time for Baiko no Kaho to take her leave. This was, after all, a dangerous place for her kind. Hunted by the Atrisians, hunted by Mandalorians, perhaps fatigue set in and she cracked. Yes, she must have cracked and finally let one person see beyond the loyal, servantile facade.

“Is it not the Mandalorian way to fight everything? The Mantis family is no clan… not at least until the brief moment before Preliat abandoned it… Mmmh. Stop being so wise, Gray. You are making me ponder and it is making me think and those thoughts are working against my swift and silent exit from this planet and its’ troubles. Would you stay, then? If asked of you, would you stay knowing they could take even more from you?” This curious blind man called her Mandalorian, and demanded a space at the table for her, even without seeing the table’s fittings and wares. Was this the Resol’nare, which Preliat knew in cursory respect and Aditya loved not at all? A philosophy built upon the love of family, and the fierce defence of what was one’s own? She couldn’t help abandoning the hardships, with the impish grin of her gentleman friend beside her. Baiko dipped her chin away, shoulder bumping into his.

"If have not has guests, since oh, since before Yasha was born. Look at me, a terrible hostess.” Baiko did the most curious thing and laughed from her belly. Shaking her head against the feel of his armoured shoulder, Baiko couldn't fathom her embarrassment.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Mmmmmrrrrrhhhh” A young woman stretched in bed, curling in the covers until the duvet was completely missing from the other side of the bed. Yasha’s head and raven hair disappeared under the warm grey covers, legs pulling up toward her chest.

“Ga ovoi' rym, I’p daa vaphi' da pazi.”* Yasha muttered, peeking out from the covers only when [member="Kaden Mantis"] sat back down. Flopping her arm around, Yasha pushed the duvet over Kaden’s legs and crawled over to plunk her head down on his chest. Moaning quietly for a moment, the young bride nuzzled into Kaden’s toned stomach, then peeked her dishevelled head up until her chin propped up on his sternum.

“Baiko loves you, Kade. She’ll be fine. The note’s proof. If she’d had a problem with it, she would have stabbed you and physically removed you from the bed then scrubbed all the evidence… true story.” Yasha moaned again, cuddling into Kaden’s side.

“I love you, riduur.” Tensing up to yawn, Yasha chuckled and plunked onto her back in the bed. “I… am… so… sore…. wanna do it again? Mh, but I’m hungry… Kaden? I’m hungry, your wife is hungry.”

Amber eyes peered into face, as Yasha’s nude lip wobbled. “I command waffles to appear. And meat… waffles and meat…. oooooo and cheese. Feed the dragon before it eats you whole.”

*“Go away sun, I’m too comfy to move.”​

 

[Kaden Farr]

Kaden chuckled at Yasha’s reply and closed the blackout curtains before getting back into the bed. Yasha’s eyes were not designed for the amount of light most humans needed in order to see. His own eyes had adjusted enough to move about when things were dim. He’d spent enough time with Yasha, and in the Netherworld to be accustomed to darkeness.

”I know she loves me, and I also she will never admit it, and neither will I. She was hard on both of us in the time we were with her, and look what she has produced. You will rule, just not where Baiko was grooming you for, and I will always be one step behind and to the right of you. I’m too young for the respect, but one day I will be your Warmaster.”

He didn’t need to be her Warmaster now that he was her riduur, but Kaden still wanted the job. It was his as much as Mand’alor was hers. They had both been made for the respective positions they had taken, and Kaden would see to it they both gained them.

The sensation of having Yasha nestled into his side was one Kaden was certain he could not live without. For seven years they had tonfeel each other in order to sleep. Back to back had been their only way of watching each other as [member="Aditya Mantis"] spent so much time watching over them. A contented sigh left Kaden’s lips as his arm pulled Yasha even closer. He wanted her naked form pressed against his, and never wanted this moment to end.

Kaden perked up at Yasha’s question. ”I will never say no to that question,” he replied as Yasha quickly turned her demands to food. She demanded things which were not possible on Manda’yaim, but Kaden would find away for his Yasha.

”I am certain I can find you something. By now the preparations for your celebration are well in order for tonight. I shall steal us a sample before anyone can know.”

He stood to his feet, and rifled through Yasha’s closet for a robe. They were the same height after all.

”What a fitting night to celebrate. You shall be the guest of honor, and no one will know if, but we shall celebrate our riduurok!”

Kaden bent down and planted a kiss on Yasha’s lips.

”Now off to find waffles for the only woman I shall ever love. *I sazi i'ay pali duom valkr vom ijhnlirr, pi' Yasha.”

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

* “I love you more than words can say, my Yasha.”​

 

[Gray Raxis]

Gray turned his attention to Baiko as she spoke. There was much more to this woman than she let on. That was something he had thought before but the reality of it was far greater than he knew. It was as if she had as many layers to her as she had layers of clothing in that Atrisian style. It peaked his interest in a good way as it spurred him on to discover more. A feeling was growing though as the conversation went on. He had come here for Yasha and [member="Kaden Mantis"] originally but they didn't need him right now. The one who seemed to need him was [member="Baiko no Kaho"] . This was turning into a very eventful day.

" It is not the Mandalorian way to fight everything. We fight what we must to protect and provide, or at least that is how it should be. Ra didn't. He waged war for the sake of war. A thirst for blood and battle controlled him. He desired nothing more than the next battle and everything was secondary to having it. Look at the atrocities committed during the Civil War. No matter which side of the conflict someone was on they were still our brothers and sisters. Yet instead of showing them the respect that they rightfully deserve as a fellow Mandalorian they were defiled and treated worse than parasites. That is not Mandalore. That is not what it means to be a Mandalorian. But that is all people see us as now and worse is how we are beginning to see ourselves." Gray said to her. A sigh escaped his lips. " I don't want that for my people. I don't want that for Yasha or Kaden."

Gray had to turn his attention away from her. His chest ached. He could feel Mandalore's heart and soul being torn apart by selfishness and self-centered ambitions. His people called him a pacifist but it was harder to fight the current and brave the storm than it was to allow both their way. His people were being swept along to ruin and destruction. Soon there would be no Mandalorians left at the rate they were going and it would not be by extinction but by abandonment. It was the worst fate possible.... Yet again he sighed. It was becoming a habit.

Turning his attention back to her, Gray said, " Would I stay if they asked me too?" He stood up to his feet so he could face her fully. " They wouldn't have to. Everything I am and have is for Mandalore. We all return to the Manda in the end and become one with it. I have not truly lost a single thing so long as I follow the will of Manda. The only fate I fear is becoming Dar'manda and losing my place within the Manda and culture. They already proclaim I'm, but it doesn't change anything for me. I will follow the will of the Manda until the very end regardless of if someone asks me to or not."

This topic must be too intense for Baiko. She seemed to be averse to the culture. Gray knew what he said would only put her off to it further. For the third time a sigh escaped his lips. He looked at Baiko fully for perhaps the first time since they met. A smile crossed his lips. He remembered what she had to say to him earlier. An echani needed to be shown and spoke through body language instead of words. Maybe it would be better to speak her tongue than waging his own. He said to her in a tone tinged in playfulness, " I'm taking you up on your invitation." As soon as he finished speaking, he got a hold of her shoulders in a grip that was both firm yet gentle. It was the kind of touch reserved for only the most fragile yet precious of things. He then went to throw her onto the table in the same fashion as he held her shoulders.

 

[Baiko no Kaho]

“Is it not? How strange for a warrior to keep combat from his mind for a time. For Echani, combat is how we breathe, how we ‘talk’. The simple act of living is a battle against Death, and we Echani are the keepers of the struggle for life. How can you say it is not the Mandalorian way to fight everything, when in actuality even love is itself a weapon against apathy, an arrow against pain? Combat is not bloodshed, but passion, is it not?” Baiko spoke gently, her foreign accent lilting across smooth lips.

“The Civil War was tragic and I am glad to have no part of it beyond relieving the pains I could… you are right, I do not want that for Yasha and Kaden either.”

Passion. The man was as rife with it as he was rife with the plaguing guilt and doubt and pain in his spirit. Baiko could but sit in the stillness of his passions and learn at the behest of a true Mando’ad. It had been some time since she met a viscerally honest sentient being. Too many spent too much of their time lying, both insularly, and outwardly. “You are not dar’manda. You are a beacon in the mist, shining across bands of fog. Ephemeral, yet to those who search, you are solid as your beliefs.”

In a flash, [member="Gray Raxis"] had her by the shoulder, flinging her into the table. Baiko grinned and chuckled, shifting to the side as her back hit the wood, wrapping her leg around Gray’s chest to anchor herself. Shifting her weight, she meant to send him back first into the same table, and claim the upper position.

“It has been far too long since I’ve extended an invitation.”

 

[Gray Raxis]

Seemed that Baiko was familiar with hand to hand combat as she had her legs wrapped around his chest as Gray was throwing her to the table. Then she suddenly had their positions reversed with him on his back with her over the top of him. A smirk was on his lips and it was easy to tell he was enjoying himself immensely right now. His hands were on her shoulders still and that gave him the best kind of terrible idea. He just listened to what she had to say to him about the invitation and he wondered if this was always how it went for the woman when she did. Gray just planned to enjoy himself here though because at least he wasn't feel so alone like he would back in the hut.

" I'm honored then to get one from you. You are being a very generous host as well. It's a real pleasure." Gray said to her with that smirk on his face getting impish. He pulled on her shoulders in that firm yet gentle way in an attempt to bring her face close to his own. If it worked out then he would quickly move his head up and give her a kiss on the lips before attempting to roll them over so he was back over her. He didn't really care who was on top as there would be fun regardless of who it was. He just wanted to have as much fun with this as he possibly could have. His hands though would begin to lightly squeeze her shoulders and she could just feel his filtered enjoyment radiating from him through the force.

[member="Baiko no Kaho"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

The light dimmed, [member="Kaden Mantis"] opened his beskar lined heart and all was right in a young bride’s world. “Baiko would probably get embarrassed if you ever did tell her. She’s a servant, Kade. I know we don’t like thinking of her that way but it’s what she thinks of herself. She needs to know her place, there’s no other reason for her to be here. Yes, you are going to be my warmaster... if we survive long enough to get there.”

Curled into the covers and Kaden’s arms, Yasha could momentarily forget the Netherworld existed. She was a young woman with her spouse, older for newlyweds in the Mandalorian standard, but well suited to the change. If Yasha thought too hard on being Mando, she may charge out of the bed, do everything herself and proclaim that this change had not shifted her abilities. She was not now used up. Snuggled into the covers, Yasha blinked up at Kaden from weary, hair draped eyes.

“Sure saves budgetary restraints eh? Celebrate it all at once. Rock the entire Mando world in one day.” He leaned over to kiss her, Yasha melted into it, burbling with a sigh.

“Oooo!! And pickles!” Yasha called after him, watching him walk shamelessly around in her navy blue atrisian robe. Laying back, Yasha pondered what [member="Gray Raxis"] said the day prior. The child, the boy was the dark side? Of a force she could neither sense, feel nor understand? If she stopped, could she hear the boy now, like Gray? Yasha’s mouth worked, and she rushed out of bed, put music on and tugged on a light Yukata. Going to the fresher, she handled her daily ablutions and by the time she was back in the small sitting area, Kaden would be back any second. No. She would shut her ears to it.

She would shut her ears to everything but the music, and the approach of Kaden. But wait! Where should she be?! Back in bed like a lazy person? That might make him think he’d worked her harder than she could handle! On the couch, acting casual? “Aw good grief!!”

Yasha plunked down to sit in the very middle of the room. “Decisions!”

 

[Kaden Farr]

Pickles?!? Why would she want pickles with waffles and meat. He scratched his head on his way to the kitchen where he snuck around like he used to as a kid. One of the cooks had always been nice to him, and tossed him an apple as he walked in.

“You got too grown up, ad’ika...”

Kaden shrugged and caught the apple and took a bite.

”Well I spent seven years in the Netherworld. Not why I’m here though. I got married last night. I need waffles, meat, and pickles stat!”

A delighted look washed over the cook who got to work at a furious pace. Everyone knew who he would have been talking about, and anyone in the palace last night already knew they were married. Baiko’s note had made it clear they had not been quiet. Kaden chuckled a bit as he had a tray placed in his hands. One of the women put a flower in a vase on the tray. He smiled. Yasha would like the flower, they were rare on Mandalore.

A spring in his step carried him back to the room where he found Yasha sitting on the floor. He quirked his brow even though he was the one in her robe.

”Yasha, why are you on the floor?”

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Baiko no Kaho]

[member="Gray Raxis"]’ back slapped against the table, and Baiko waggled her eyebrows in victory. Not that he could see it. Sliding her knees tight to each side of his ribcage, Baiko secured her position and set her left elbow on his upper sternum, arm across his collarbone. His prosthetic hand on her shoulder sent shrill sporadic images of the memories corresponding with the hand. Fights taken, the moment it was placed on… its’ construction…

“Pleas-“ Her face nudged closer, craning over her arm on his chest. A second’s worth of fight was all the resistance he got before his kiss shattered across her shocked, pouted lips. Baiko followed his momentum, one leg tucking behind his back, heel pointed at his thigh. Shifting her hips after the kiss disconnected, Baiko shoved to her side, hopefully taking Gray with her so they were side by side on the table.

Baiko leaned over and kissed him, then with a grunt, kicked up her knees and attempted to vault him off the table completely. "Come, come, Raxis. Try harder."

 

[Gray Raxis]

The cybernetic right hand was filled with memories from Gray. Baiko could feel the trial where a crowd of Mandalorians declared him a dar'manda and demanded his head for the crimes of another. The feelings of self sacrifice for his clan that he held during it all. Then there was the pain of having his right hand literally ripped from his arm as he forced a smile through it all to mask his suffering. It showed memories of the defective model before it that kept zapping him as he tried to adjust to his new reality. A battle in the snow surrounded by trees and stone while a hell of artillery battered all around him and his clansmen he led while enemy infantry was fully engaging them. The last memories of torture as all of his pain and failures connected to it played on an endless loop within his mind.

There was that momentary resistance to the kiss that Gray had given to [member="Baiko no Kaho"] , but soon it seemed she was enjoying it as well. He found himself on his side next to her on the table and then she kissed him. His guard went down as she did and found himself thrown off the table. Her words after dared him to do more. She was inviting him for even more. An impish grin came to his lips as he got back up to his feet. This woman really knew how to tease someone. He walked over to her, but as he did a growl escaped his stomach. He ignored it. Offering her his left hand, he said, " Let me help you up. It isn't fair to play with you on the table unless I'm there with you." Nothing in his body language said he was thinking of tricking her. He meant what he said to her. All she needed to do was take his hand and he would help pull her to her feet so they could continue on equal footing.