Saga Letting Go and Getting Back (OCs)

Story Type: One-shot
Category: Mush

* * *

School on Mandalore was held just like it was on any other world in the galaxy. There were twelve basic grades, with the students ranging from ages five to eighteen. They learned math, science, and history. They also learned the Resol'nare, the six tenets of Mandalorian culture. The younger students were taught a rhyme to remember the tenets more easily.

Ba'jur bal beskar'gam, Ara'nov, aliit, Mando'a bal Mand'alor—An vencuyan mhi. Loosely translated, it meant, Education and armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language, our leader—all help us survive.

Mandalorian children were considered adults at thirteen. Despite this, in recent years, thirteen to eighteen year olds had continued their schooling, but only when they were not out at war. Due to their status as adults, a teenager could be taken into battle by their father, mother, or both, and not return to Mandalore for many months.

Caitlyn Bralor, an eighteen-year-old girl, had just returned from a war in the Outer Rim. Her clan had been contracted by the government of a planet trying to break ties to its neighboring world. Within two months, the Mandalorians had convinced the mother planet to release its neighbor, allowing it to become its own entity. Entering the Keldabe schoolhouse, Caitlyn felt a touch of nervousness worm its way into her stomach.

Two months. She hadn't seen him in two months. What if...what if he'd changed? What if he'd gone off with his parents, and been killed? What if, manda forbid it, he'd been married?

She and Vol Tagren had grown up together. They'd been in the same class since they'd been five years old. They'd trained together, they'd learned together, they'd laughed together...Caitlyn had never told him, but she had loved him since she had been fifteen. Many Mandalorians married by sixteen, so it would not have surprised her to find out Vol had been married in her absence. They also tended to be an impulsive people.

Caitlyn stopped just inside the entryway and checked herself. Dressed in yellow beskar'gam with deep blue lightning bolts on the chest plate and shoulder pads, she was a petite girl with black hair–braided to fit under her helmet–and eyes that matched the lightning bolts on her armor. She had a small pistol holstered at her left hip–she was left-handed–and a vibroblade that ejected from the knuckles of her right gauntlet.

All in all, the very image of a Mandalorian woman.

"Afraid the whole school's changed while you've been gone?" a voice asked behind her.

She turned and tried to hide a blush, wishing she were wearing her helmet. Vol stood right behind her, grinning down at her through eyes that were several shades of blue lighter than hers. His blond hair was cut in a short, spiked hairstyle. He wore green armor with black gauntlets and boots. She couldn't help but smile back.

"No, no," she replied, trying to sound casual. "Su cuy'gar, Vol. Good to see you."

"'Cuy, Cate," he said. "Missed you. It's no fun teaching the younger kids how to fight without a partner who fights good as you."

"Thanks, Vol. Missed you, too."

"We'll have time to catch up," he said. "Teacher's taking us out for a hike in the woods north of here."

Caitlyn grinned. "Great. Let's show the kids how their elders trained."

* * *

As the class of twenty or so sixteen-to-eighteen year old Mandalorians, along with their thirty-eight year old teacher, arrived at the entrance to the forest, Vol worked his jaw when he thought no one was looking. Every time he saw Caitlyn return from a mission–or when he returned from one and saw her still here–he felt his heart soar with relief.

He loved her. He knew that. Around any other girl, he was quiet, reserved. With her, he could be himself. He could talk, and laugh, and not embarrass himself. He enjoyed her company, loved hearing her talk and making her laugh. He saw a fighting spirit that rivaled his own in her dark blue eyes.

But he couldn't tell her. That same shyness that made him unable to talk to any other girl besides her also made him unable to tell her exactly how he felt. He'd told her she was his best friend, made it known that he would always be there for her and would always, always be friend. But he hadn't managed to get out those four all-important Mando'a words.

Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum. I love you.

Part of it was because he was worried she didn't feel the same way. If that were the case, then their friendship could be ruined forever by awkwardness. Part of it was simply because he'd never done anything like it before and didn't know if there was a proper way to go about it. Part of it was because he was just too afraid.

"Hey," she said softly. "You okay? You're looking off in the distance like you just found out your strill got shot."

He laughed. "No, no, I'm fine. Just...thinking."

The teacher led the students into the forest. Two of the other eighteen-year-old students came immediately behind him, and then the sixteen and seventeen year olds. Vol and Caitlyn brought up the rear. Vol picked up a long stick and tested its sturdiness. Nodding to himself, he began using it for a walking stick.

"'Bout what?" she asked.

His mouth twitched. "You. I, uh, I mean, you haven't said a word about how the war went."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Well, it went fine. We won. The enemy soldiers weren't that much of a threat; their weapons were fairly effective but they were pretty bad shots; they never hit me more than a few times per engagement. The armor absorbed them all. If they'd had some training, then they could've been real threats."

"So, same as usual, then."

"Yeah," she said with a small laugh. "Same as usual."

Vol wanted to punch himself. What did he say to her? How did he bring this up? He was certain that if he didn't say anything he'd go insane. Once they finished this semester in school, they probably wouldn't see each other nearly as often–they wouldn't go to school anymore, and most of their time would be spent either helping out at their respective homes or out fighting battles. He had to do this, and his deadline was about a month.

"Cate, I–"

"Vol–"

They both laughed.

"You first," he said.

"Okay..." She pushed a lock of hair back behind her ear. "Vol, I was thinking...and you and I, we have been friends our whole lives. Right?"

"Right."

"Well, I...I just never want us to lose that connection, you know? I want us to always be able to talk to each other, or be together, or–" she paused, and then continued, "–or anything."

"Cate..."

"What?"

His eyes locked with hers, and they stopped walking, staring at each other intently. For a long, scary moment, Vol found that he couldn't look away. Then, leaning forward, he tenderly kissed her atop her head. Surprised, she took a step back. Then, she grabbed his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him full on the mouth.

Finally, they separated.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum," Vol said softly.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum," Caitlyn agreed.

They stood there in silence for a moment. "We're losing the group," Vol finally said.

Caitlyn nodded. "I guess we are."

They turned and resumed walking...this time with their hands entwined.

* * *

Spoiler

I poured some of my own awkwardness into Vol. You can probably tell from the way both of them talk that I'm not very good at this kind of thing, whether writing it or in real life, but it was something I wanted to write, so here it is.

 

a sweet piece. Love your OC's

 

Aww, sweet. I liked it.

 

D'awww. Loved this. Mandos have hearts too