Saga Saga - OT Under Twelve Parsecs | Kessel Run Challenge

Title: Under Twelve Parsecs
Author: Raissa Baiard
Timeframe: Mostly OT, but possibly other eras depending on the prompts.
Characters: Whoever decides to show up
Genre: various

Notes: Written for the Kessel Run Challenge. Many thanks to @Findswoman for beta-reading and encouragement.

Week 1: Ret’urcye Mhi
Week 2: Ta'raysholan Nayc (A Thousand No's)
Week 3: Having Kittens
Week 4: In the Flames
Week 5: Dear Father
Week 6: Taungsday Night at Okadiah’s
Week 7: Sleepless

 

Title: Ret’urcye Mhi
Characters: Wren Ordo, mentions of Kaz Xiono and Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus
Timeframe: ca 25 ABY
Synopsis: Wren prepares to say goodbye to Kaz after the end of their mission on Korriban (as told in The Journal of Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus, Jedi Action Hero)
——-

Saying goodbye was never easy, but she couldn’t put it off any longer.

Kaz was Wren’s vod now. For the last month they’d been part of Ronen’s team, living and working together. They’d even saved each other’s lives in the terentatek’s lair. How did you just say goodbye to someone who became part of your life that way? Wren struggled with the weight of all the words that were jumbled up inside her, and even more with the weight of all her feelings. So. Many. Feelings. Feelings that were not all, strictly speaking, vod-ish. Feelings she wasn’t used to having for any guy.

There were so many things she wanted to say to Kaz, but “goodbye” wasn’t one of them.
———
Notes:
Ret’uryce mhi: Mando’a for “goodbye”, literally, “perhaps we’ll meet again”
Vod: friend, comrade. The same word as “sibling”.

 

Oh man. Un-vod-ish feelings? That's pretty rough, especially for a goodbye. I'm not familiar with your OC Wren, but I definitely felt for her.

 

I know you haven't been feeling well, Raiisa. However, I am glad you that got in under the wire.

Wren's unspoken feelings definitely complicate things as she to say goodbye to someone she sees as more than a vod-mate. I look forward to more from you. I also hope you fee better soon.

 

Very excellent tone here. Wren is feeling things she is not used to, may not even be able to define ... but she cannot deny that Kaz and she have shared exciting adventures and that she feels more.

 

Good to see you here with this lovely character. She will see him again?

 

Thank you! Yes, it is tough for Wren to grapple with these new feelings, but she's a determined and resourceful young Mando, so this really does turn out to be more of an "until we we meet again" than "goodbye".

I'm feeling much better now, thanks, and hoping to keep up with the challenge. Thanks for your comment; these kinds of goodbyes are never easy, especially for someone who's used to solving her problems by shooting them!

Yep, Wren has So Many Feelings right now---not that that's a bad thing! Those shared adventures (and shared feelings!) will be the basis for something new to grow.

Thank you! Yes, Wren's feelings overload is a new experience for her, but not an unpleasant one. She may not know exactly what she wants to say, but she knows that it is not "goodbye" !

Thanks! Wren has become one of my favorite OCs lately. And yes, she and Kaz do meet again; this is just the beginning of a beautiful friendship (and more) for the two of them.

 

Week Two

Ta’raysholan Nayc (A Thousand No’s)
Characters: Wren Ordo, Sabine Wren Ordo
Synopsis: Eight year-old Wren disagrees with her mother’s choice of summer activities.
----------

“No! Nayc! Ta’raysholan nayc! I am not going to art camp again this year! I would rather eat a live gorg than go!”

“Wren, you’re being unreasonable.”

“I am not! I am so reasonable! Just because Bellona wants to go doesn’t mean I should be forced to suffer.”

“Suffer? It’s two weeks at art camp, not a forced trek across the lava flats of Mustafar. It’ll be a good chance for you to spend some time with Bellona and Ayelet.”

“I live with Bellona; she’s my sister. How much more time do I have to spend with her?”

“All right, but what about seeing Ayelet? You don’t get to see your Spectre cousins that often. I thought you had fun with her and your sister last year.”

“No, Bellona and Ayelet had fun. They made beautiful art and won like all the challenges and everybody loved them because they’re perfect. I just made a bunch of ugly poodoo. The only thing I was good at was making mallow-toasties.”

“That’s not true, Wren! What about that little poly-clay sculpture you did? It’s a very nice eopie.”

“It’s an anooba.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah. Anyway, if you want me to spend more time with my cousins, why can’t I go to Jedi camp with Ronen and Noemi or something?”

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as ‘Jedi camp’, Wren. But if there was, you’d probably have to be a Jedi to go.”

“Ok, fine, not Jedi camp. What about rock climbing camp on Lira San? Or Jacen could teach me to fly an X-wing, or—“

“Wren…I don’t think those would work either. Lira San is a long way away and Jacen’s probably too busy at the Academy to give you flight lessons.”

“But…It’s not fair that I have to go to art camp because that’s what Bellona likes! I’m not her! And I’m not Ayelet and I’m not…”

“Not what?”

“…not you. I can’t help it. I want to be cool and artistic and awesome like you and Bellona, but I can’t, no matter how hard I try. I’m just not special.”

“Oh, ad’ika… You are special, and I will always think you’re awesome whether you go to art camp or never draw a stick figure.”

“You have to think I’m special, you’re my mom.”

“No, I really do—you’re smart, you built a treehouse all by yourself, you’re a great mesh’geroya player… Speaking of which, Dad mentioned that Octavian and some of the other players on the Jaig’alaare are teaching a junior mesh’geroya clinic. If you want, I’ll comm him tomorrow and see if there are any spots left.”

“Really? Kandosii’la! Thanks, Mom!”

—-

Notes:
Spectre cousins: in my AU, the children of the Spectre crew. Jacen, Ayelet and Ronen are Kanan and Hera’s children, and Noemi is Ezra’s daughter.
Octavian: one of Wren’s cousins in Clan Ordo. (Cousins in the general sense of belonging to the same generation, rather than a strict blood relationship.)
Jaig’alaare: “The Shriek Hawks”, youth limmie team (fanon).

Mando’a terms:
Nayc: no
Ad’ika: little one, an affectionate term.
Mesh’geroya: limmie, a soccer-like game.
Kandosii’la: awesome, amazing

 

Superb and true to character and the whole sibling dynamic. She's my sister and she's good at artsy things but I'm not. Wren is more for physical activity.

 

love the difference between the two siblings. One good at art and the other not

 

The beautiful game, and siblings interacting. Awesome story!

 

Thank you! Deep down, Wren really loves Bellona, but you’re right that Wren would much rather be outdoors doing something active than making art.

Thanks! Bellona is the one most like her mother, Sabine, in terms of artistic interest but Wren has her own type of creativity in building things like her treehouse.

Thank you so much! Even—or maybe especially—at this young age Wren struggles to define herself on her own terms when people expect her to be a smaller version of her sister and mother. I think Sabine can be a little nonplussed at just how different Wren is at times, but ultimately she loves Wren for who she is (and there’s definitely a lot of similarities between Wren and her mother in terms of their physicality—and the drama). I’ll keep rock climbing on Lira San in mind for a future Ordo family vacation, and as far as learning to fly an X-wing, if Jacen is too busy to teach her….well, there’s someone in her future who will probably jump at the opportunity

Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

 

Week 3: Having Kittens

Characters: Ezrashai and Chava Orrelios (@Findswoman’s OCs), Noemi Bridger (OC). Zeb Orrelios, Ezra Bridger
Synopsis: Ezrashai finally gets the pet he’s been wanting when he visits his Spectre relatives on Lothal
Notes: This is a follow up to @Findswoman’s “What’s New, Tooka-Kit?” and I thank her for letting me borrow the adorable Ezrashai and his sister, Chava.
————
Beacon
Ezrashai thought the effect his cousin Noemi had on Loth-cats was pretty amazing. They were drawn to her like she was a homing beacon; all she had to do was stand there and they came running. Ezrashai could sense the stirring of the Ashla currents around Noemi as she knelt under a jogan tree, up to her armpits in fuzzy adorableness, explaining to a dozen rapt Loth-kittens that she was going to find them all new homes. Shai wondered if she could teach him to attract tooka-cats that way— then surely Dad would have to let him keep just one!

Discovery
A Loth-kitten bumped its head emphatically against Shai’s foot. His fur was greenish-bluish-gray with gray stripes that would have made any Lasat proud. He was stockier than the other kittens, with only half a tail and a crooked ear, but Shai thought he had a certain roguish charm. “Aw, hey there, little guy!” Shai reached down and scratched the kitten’s ears.

“Mrow!” The kitten purred, grinning toothily, and head-butted Shai’s ankle again; Shai could’ve sworn he felt the Ashla stir.

“Oh!” Noemi looked up in surprise from the kittens clambering around her. “He says he wants to go with you!”

Sister
“Ooh! Look at you—aren’t you the sweetest, cutest, fuzziest little thing ever?! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!”

“Chava! Quit it!” Shai scowled at his twin sister as she fussed over his cat like he was some sort of fluffy baby hoojib or something, which, with the rakish ear and half-missing tail, he clearly was not. He was scrappy—like a Guardsman!

“He likes it. Don’t you?” Chava cooed, tickling his chin. “Yes, you do!”

From the blissful expression on the kitten’s face, Shai had the feeling his sister was right. His scrappy little Loth-cat was a fluffy hoojib at heart.

Arcane
“We should name him Raganhildis, after the ancient sage who wrote the treatise on the Ashla’s manifestation in nature!”

“Chava! First of all, he’s my cat, so I get to pick his name. And second, ancient sages are soooo boring. I’m going to call him ‘Percephalos’ after Prince Garatharan’s wizard-warrior in The Legend of the Lost Prince.”

“Actually, there’s some good historical evidence that Percephalos may be based on the Lira’sat sage of the same name whose studies of kreposkolite led to the original design of the bo-staff…”

“Whatever, I just think Percy is a good name for a cat.”

Burden
“Cat’s got a name now, so I guess I’m stuck with it,” Zeb huffed. “Karabastical thing already tried to bite me, too.”

Ezra hid a smile. “Don’t take it personally. That kitten’s bitten everyone except Noemi. He even nipped me once.”

“You’re not sellin’ me on this whole pet thing, ya know. If this furry nuisance gets to be a problem, I tell ya I’m gonna pack up its fuzzy butt and ship it straight back to Lothal.”

“You can always try,” Ezra chuckled. “But I think Shai and Percy will both have a lot to say if you do.”
———

Notes: Noemi’s Loth-kitten adoption drive was referenced in (Not) The Ballad of Ronen Syndulla-Jarrus, and the story of Prince Garatharan first appeared in The Lost Prince and the Captive Knight

 

Well... Ezrashai was 'chosen' by a kitten and given a very ahem cute name ... Percy. Loved how gushy his sister was over it! LOL over Zeb's reaction in "Burden."

 

This was a fun read, and kudos for stringing all your prompts together into one story. I really enjoyed this. (Especially since I firmly believe that if you're going to get a pet, a cat -- or equivalent -- is the way to go.)

A scholar after my own heart. Now I want to meet this youngster....

 

Ta'raysholan Nayc

Ah, the next generation! More Wren, and here we see that she's not quite as good at art as her mother— or siblings— much as she'd like to be. (I know the feeling of wanting to be as good as all the good artists I know!) But at least she knows what she is good at.

Having Kittens

Well, so far, so good. I think the kids might do a better job than Zeb might think. In fact, I bet Percy's got a good chance of growing on the big guy.

Actually, having said that, I wonder how Chopper might react to Percy when he comes to visit.

 

fun reading about the animals and Percy a cute name

 

Sometimes you choose a pet, sometimes he chooses you! I have @Findswoman to thank for Percy’s name (it really is a good one for a kitty!) It didn’t take Percy long to win over Chava, and you just know that Zeb will come around, too!

Oh yes, I am a cat person, too. We had a cat for 17 years when I was growing up, so I have a definite soft spot for kitties and they tend to pop up with some regularity in my stories! I am very thankful that @Findswoman let me borrow Chava and Shai for these drabbles. I hope they’ll appear in some future stories in the Lasan series or visiting their Spectre cousins on Lothal.

Thank you so much! I’m so glad you feel I did justice to Shai and Chava’s characters, and that you let me continue the thread of “What’s New Tooka-Kit?”. I can’t say how happy I am that the Orrelios kits have formally appeared now—you know how long I’ve been waiting for them! And thank you, too, for contributing the perfect name for the newest “kit” in the Orrelios family! I just know that Zeb will come around to him—hey, they’ve got a lot in common being scrappy Guardsmen on the outside, but fluffy hoojibs at heart. It won’t be long until he’s tickling Percy’s chin like and making silly crooning noises, just like Chava! (You know it’s true, Zeb…) And I bet Shai himself is going to be doing plenty of cuddling and cooing—-when his sister isn’t around

It’s difficult for Wren not sharing her mother and sister’s interest in art, especially as she develops her own sense of herself, but she does have her own interests and talents. Sabine loves and appreciates her “action girl” daughter just as much as Bellona, the artistic daughter.

Oh, I think the Orrelios kids will do all right overalll (though there will undoubtedly be some parental grumbling along the way; they are kids after all ) And yeah, I think it won’t be long until Percy makes a claim on the big guy’s lap. Chopper and Percy…that’s an interesting idea. I’ve read that Filoni compared Chopper to a cat, so they’d either get on famously or not at all, I’m not sure which. Then again, Chop may be indifferent to him, unlike he would be with another droid!

Thank you; glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you so much! I just want to say again how much I appreciate your support of Wren and Kaz (obviously, I love them, too ) There’s just something fun about writing Mandos in Love, dealing with those feelings and their softer side, but in their own sort of straightforward way. And Kaz is such an earnest dear as he fumbles his way through his own feelings.

It is indeed the start of something big for Wren! And thanks, I am feeling much better now.

I’m pretty sure I said something similar about my own sister (and I’m sure she said it about me )

I have been that mom. “Oh, sweetie, that’s a beautiful picture of a ….what is that?”

It’s tough for Wren simultaneously wanting to be just like her big sister and wanting to assert that she is her own person, and when you add the fact that Bellona has that awesome artistic talent in common with Sabine, it makes things that much tougher. Of course, Wren is like her mom in other ways that are just as awesome and important. Even if Wren doesn’t always see that, Sabine does.

Oh, yay! I was so beyond happy to see @Findswoman's Orrelios youngsters show up here! (The Lasan Series you have built together is another masterstroke, I have to say again. ) It was so neat for Ezrashai to be able to sense Noemi's skills as a beastwarden through the Ashla. I loved that detail. [/quote] The beginning of this drabble set was actually me asking @Findswoman whether Shai might have a touch of beastwarden ability himself, and speculating that he and Noemi could have some interesting adventures together. She very kindly agreed to let me borrow the Orrelios kits…Zeb and Shulma may not appreciate the fact that I am sending them back with a kitten

Well , yeah… I mean, he just has to present Zeb with enough candidates that eventually one will be acceptable (or the threat of keeping all of them will make keeping one acceptable.)

He’ll come around!

Zeb being a perfect example :Zeb:

!! I loved this glimpse at the siblings' bond, too. Chava is such a little scholar and I adore her already. Also: bonus gold star for the dialogue only drabble! [/quote] Again, I have to thank @Findswoman for the twins. Ezrashai is so much like his namesake uncles, but Chava is her mother’s daughter.

Thank you! I am certain that Percy’s roguish charms will win over Zeb in the end (Maybe it was an affectionate nip? Or maybe Zeb just tastes good)

Thank you again; I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them. This has been a very fun challenge so far and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future prompts bring!

 

And now for something completely different

Week 4:
In the Flames
Characters: the Force, Kanan Jarrus
Timeframe: During Rebels S4, “Jedi Night”
Synopsis: The Force reflects on its presence in Kanan’s life.

I am with him in the flames.

Of course, I have been with him all along, even when he believed I was not, even when he ignored my call.

I was with him through his wandering years of exile, and when he took his first faltering steps to return to me.

I was with him as he struggled to become the leader he was always capable of being. I was there as he learned how to pass on his hard-won wisdom and guide others out of their own loneliness and despair.

I was with him in his grief and darkness, through the long nights of his soul.

I have been with him in every word of encouragement, in every bond of friendship, in every loving touch. I heard his pleas for clarity and strength as he prepared himself for this moment.

I am with him in the flames.

And then…

He is with me.

 

Beautiful and touching!

 

He was always supported by the Force. Great to see this POV