Chapter Text
Jango sat on the balcony, overlooking the training hall, sipping his caff as the vode tried to peg their rapidly moving targets with their training blasters. Kal hummed at his side, reluctantly impressed by the Jetti’s acrobatic display. Rav Bralor drummed her fingers against the helmet tucked beneath her left arm, leaning forward, her eyes darting after the flitting phantoms visible only by the blue and burnt-orange flames whirling in their hands. Qui-Gon chuckled,continuing his conversation on ancient Mandalore with Llats Ward.
“They are a sight to behold, aren’t they?” Padmé smirked at the grizzled Mandalorian warriors, more than a little bemused by their reactions to her Jedi friends’ skills.
“He’s reckless.” Kal grumbled.
No need to specify which he. Qui-Gon sighed. He’d spent nearly five years trying to curb-- he winced at Obi-Wan’s mental jab-- alright so he’d put a restraining bolt on the boy’s worst impulses and left the rest up to fate. The point was Qui-Gon was well acquainted with both Jedi in the battle simulation room below and he knew precisely which boy would have garnered the old Mandalorian’s censure.
Jango shook his head. Anakin leapt unnecessarily high over Ordo’s head, completing three aerial somersaults before landing in the clone’s blind spot. Ordo’s curse could be heard even over the simulated combat. Anakin tagged the seam beneath the clone’s armpit, with a victorious cry.
“Ha ha, score!” Anakin crowed, waving his saber. “Whoa!” He evaded his master’s swipe and sprinted for cover back behind his own team’s battle lines.
“Your overconfidence is your weakness, Anakin.” Obi-Wan cheerfully reprimanded.
“Me, overconfident?” Anakin gasped, ducking his head down to avoid Cody and Spar’s blaster-fire. “Never. Though I do make a pretty darn good diversion.” He smirked and tapped his head.
Obi-Wan’s eyes widened, spinning around hands outstretched as Rex and Alpha-17 revealed themselves in their vode’s midst. With a nod they lobbed their grenades. Firing their grappling cables they got clear of the resulting blast.
“Anakin.” Obi-Wan wiped pink paint from his eyes as the battle drew to an end and glared at his cackling student.
“Hey, all’s fair in love and war, right?” Anakin laughed.
“Hm, you have a point there.” Obi-Wan stroked his paint spattered beard, and smirked. “Men, attack.”
“What, whoa!” Anakin’s squad yelped as their temporarily vanquished foe dropped their blasters and charged.
Obi-Wan sniffed in victory, opting to ignore Anakin’s squawking as Cody tackled the young Jetti and grappled him into a head-lock. Rex and Alpha-17 wisely remained up above the ensuing chaos, watching with matching grins as brothers and Jedi descended into harmless frolicking and wrestling. This sort of game never would have entered their wildest dreams while the long-necks had been in charge. However, with the strange Jedi, Senator Amidala, and Shmi running things this had become a common way for the Vode to keep their skills sharp, and pass the time.
R2-D2’s sudden whistling broke up their game. Anakin tapped furiously on Cody’s arm until he released him. He hurried toward the astromech. “Whoa, slow down. What’s going on?” He squatted beside his droid as the Vode, and Obi-Wan strode nearer.
Sensing the urgency in the astromech’s shrill response, Jango and his fellow Mandalorian’s dropped over the edge of the balcony, igniting their jet-packs to land safely. They stalked forward. Rex, one of the youngest clones who’d started participating in these matches, saluted. Alpha-17 crossed his arms and turned, hovering over Anakin’s shoulder waiting.
“Well, Skywalker?” Alpha-17 prompted, toeing the young man with his right boot.
“Oh, not good.” Anakin said, leaning back on the balls of his feet as Artoo continued to chatter at him in Binary.
“What is it, Anakin?” Obi-Wan asked.
“Dank Ferrick! ” Anakinswore.
“Skywalker!” The group snapped. “For those of us who don’t speak Binary?”
“Right.” Anakin flushed both annoyed and still taken by shock. “He said there’s an incoming transmission from Tyrannus.” He looked directly at Jango.
“Shavit.” Jango swore.
“Oh, that’s not good.” Obi-Wan echoed.
“You don’t say?” Kal and the Nulls drawled.
“And, you’re quite sure they weren’t actually cloned from him?” Anakin asked, eyeing Skirata and his odd group of clone-sons.
“Fairly sure, sir.” Rex replied, standing alongside Mereel.
“More important issues, Jetti’ika.”Alpha-17 whacked the back of Anakin’s head.
“Yeah, I’m aware.” Anakin fussed, trying to smooth down the resultant cowlick.
“Just checking.” Alpha-17 smirked. He’d taken to his self-appointed role as Anakin’s Ori-vod with gusto.
“Children, please.” Jango sighed.
“I’m not one of your kids. I don’t have a father.” Anakin quipped.
“Tyrannus. Sith. Incoming transmission.” Obi-Wan stressed, pinching the bridge of his nose in place of his student’s neck.
“Recorded message actually.” Anakin said. “Artoo, faked a comm center malfunction. Now, we got a little time to plan.”
“Plan?” Obi-Wan choked. “Who are you and where’s my Padawan.” He demanded, pointing at Anakin.
“Boys, lets try to stay focused here.” Qui-Gon’s admonishment was far too amused to Jango’s ears.
“We’re focused.” They defended in tandem.
___________
“It seems to me we have two options.” Shmi murmured, consideringly as she rocked the young clone cadet in her lap. He dozed peacefully, his nightmares gone with the removal of his control chip.
“Only two?” Boba pried his attention away from his data-pad, where he was sprawled on the carpet of Jango’s living room with another squad of cadets, and glanced at her quizzically.
“Simplicity is sometimes best.” She winked.
“That’s true.” He grinned and shrugged, turning back to his holo-book as Shmi addressed the group convened to debate the Tyrannus issue in Buir’s apartment.
“We can either ignore this Sith’s hails, which may prompt him to investigate, or we use the summons to get close and learn more.” Shmi stated.
“Neither sounds like a great option.” Cody murmured, munching on dried squid as Anakin and Qui-Gon passed the refreshments around their hastily assembled congress.
“There are rarely ideal solutions to any issue.” Padmé handed the plate of dried sea-creatures to Alpha-17 sitting at her right, accepting the tea from Anakin when he seated himself in front of her legs. She rolled her eyes as he utilized this arrangement to turn her into his own back-brace.
“Ain’t that the truth.” Kal shook his head.
“So plan A or Plan B, all in favor?” Anakin prompted, less inclined towards drawn out scheming and more towards action.
“Anakin.” Obi-Wan sighed.
“I’ll go.” Jango decided, staring out his apartment’s window.
“Now, hang on a moment, Prime,” Trantos said, “this isn’t something you can unilaterally decide.”
“Actually, it is.” Jango returned, his dark, haunted gaze pinning them all in place. “Tyrannus can’t know about what’s happened here these past couple months. The only one who can keep him from figuring that out, is me. I’m the one he hired and I’m the one he’s expecting on Geonosis inside of three rotations. So yeah, this is something I can, and will, decide on unilaterally.”
The Vode came out of their chairs with the present representatives of the Cuy’val Dar. “What?”
Anakin slurped his caff, blandly watching the tense showdown between Mandalorians. Padmé kicked him. He shrugged, unconcerned. Shmi canted her head from her sensitive son to the aggressive spiral their meeting was experiencing. Hm, if Ani was not bothered, then perhaps Jango was correct? Shmi considered.
“There isn’t time to discuss this in a committee.” Jango snapped, slashing his arm, ending the debate as he spun on his heel. “I’m going.”
“I will accompany you.” Qui-Gon stated.
“What?” Obi-Wan, previously unruffled by the near physical altercation moments prior, sprang from his chair, eyes wild. “Master, that is a terrible idea!”
“Is it?” Anakin smacked his lips, polishing off his caff.
Obi-Wan robotically turned to glare at his student. “Yes, it is, Anakin.” He ground his teeth together. “Master, you’ve made your share of disastrous decisions but this….”
“Obi-Wan, the presence in Jango’s mind was familiar.” Qui-Gon said.
“All the more reason for you to stay out of this, Old Man.” Obi-Wan hissed, vivid recollections of his former Master’s last close encounter with a Sith and it’s near fatal conclusion.
“I cannot,” Qui-Gon smiled sadly, “this is something I need to confirm with my own eyes.”
“Why?” Obi-Wan stared.
“I think it’s my old Master.” Qui-Gon said.
“Gramps?” Anakin wrinkled his nose, thinking over their convoluted lineage.
“You think it’s Master Dooku?” Obi-Wan stepped back, trying to avoid making eye-contact with Padmé Amidala.
“It is one possibility,” Qui-Gon sighed, “though I may also be mistaken. In either event, I must go, it is the Will of the Force.”
“The Will of the Force be hanged!” Obi-Wan threw his hands into the air. “You are not going. Not alone.”
“I must.” Qui-Gon shook his head. “I’m not a Jedi or a soldier created for the Republic.”
“What?” Obi-Wan blinked.
“Geonosis lies in the burgeoning territory of the CIS, an emissary of the Republic’s presence would hardly be tolerated.” Qui-Gon explained, hoping to placate his, usually more rational, student.
“The Jedi are neutral--” Obi-Wan argued.
“Tell that to the Haat’ade.” Jango snorted derisively.
“Hush.” Shmi chided, holding up one hand before either Mandalorian or Jedi could speak further.
“Fett, makes a good point,” Padmé said, “the Jedi while officially registered as a neutral organization are by the majority of the galaxy’s populace viewed as an extension of the Republic and in particular the Republic Senate.” She sighed.
Obi-Wan was undeterred, until Anakin rose to his feet and stared at him. “Obi-Wan, we can’t get involved.” Mr. Act First and Deal with the Consequences Later said.
Meeting his student’s gaze, his shoulders sagged. “You’re right.” Obi-Wan exhaled out the last of his protests.
“I know.” Anakin grinned, breaking the tension. “It happens more often than you like to admit, Old Man.”
“I’ll show you who’s old, you brat.” Obi-Wan pounced.
Anakin smirked, side-stepping the attack and dancing behind Padmé. “You wouldn’t harm an innocent by-stander, would you?” He sang.
“Leave me out of this, Anakin.” Padmé sighed, sipping her tea.
Alpha-17 obligingly rose and kicked Anakin side ways and out from behind his human shield. He squawked. Obi-Wan seized the opportunity and dove on top of the boy. Rex shuffled in his cross-legged posture, putting greater distance between himself and the Jedi’s flailing limbs.
Jango stared, gaze slowly leaving the wrestling pair to observe their respective parental controls. Qui-Gon resolutely avoided his judgmental appraisal, gathering his belongings for their impending departure. Shmi smiled, nonplussed and not at all bothering to intervene. Cody, followed by three of Kal’s boys finally chose to impose themselves into the duo’s overly exuberant bickering, prying them apart with muffled swears.
“Do they remind you of anyone?” Rav addressed Jango.
“No.” Jango said.
“Jango’s Grunts.” Mij smirked. Jango’s tanned face darkened.
“Mm-hmm.” Rav nodded, chuckling.
“We were never that--” Jango’s returning memories unhelpfully highlighted a few examples of his rambunctious youth, “we had more restraint.” He futilely defended.
“Really?” Mij, the former True Mandalorian doctor drawled, he had more than a few stories of treating the aftermath of Jango and his squad’s friendly disagreements.
“Are you ready, Jetti?” Jango turned towards Qui-Gon.
“Not a Jedi anymore.” Qui-Gon reminded. “ But yes, let us be on our way.”
“Good.” Jango nodded crisply, turning to Boba. “Keep an eye on things, and behave.” His eyes slipped towards Shmi.
Boba glanced at the older woman and rose, clasping fore-arms with his father. “Lek, Buir.” He promised.
Anakin, no longer distracted avoiding his master’s fists, eyed the Mandalorian bounty hunter. Hmm? He narrowed his eyes as Jango caught his intense stare. The other man shifted and abruptly spun on his heels, waving over his shoulder as he marched out of the room. Hmm? Anakin frowned. Something weird was going on. He thought. Something weird surrounding the Mandalorian and his mom.
“Be careful you Shabuir.” Alpha-17 cheerfully bellowed after Prime’s retreating back.
“Your hide is a valuable commodity.” Doom, another Commander class clone, added, waving enthusiastically when Jango paused to look over his shoulder.
“That’s enough, children.” Shmi laughed, passing the little cadet into one of the older clone’s arms, brushing wrinkles from her skirts. “I will see them off, behave.” She directed this last part solely to her off-spring.
“Don’t I always, Mom?” He batted his eyelashes innocently.
Obi-Wan choked on his tea. “He’s delusional.” He muttered, patting his damp tunics off with the handkerchief Padmé offered.
“This surprises you?” She whispered.
“I heard that, Angel.” Anakin drawled.
“Heard what, Ani?” Padmé and Obi-Wan asked.
“You two are spending too much time together.” Anakin declared.
___________
Padmé bid the little group, still sprawling and in general lazing about in Jango Fett’s apartment, goodnight. Shmi took a page from the young woman’s book and herded her little squad of cadets and Boba out of the room to begin their new nightly routine; story-time in the cadet’s barracks. She smiled at Anakin. Craning himself out the door, he waved energetically until she and her troupe were out of sight and Padmé's door sealed.
“Perfect.” Anakin said. “Nap time’s over, teach.” He shook Obi-Wan’s nearly comatose form.
Obi-Wan yawned, rolling from the couch to his feet. “Finally, I had almost begun to think your earlier performance was in fact a genuine reflection of your intentions.” He cracked his stiff neck, loosening his shoulders as the Vode and Mandos lost interest in their holo-chess, dejarik, and holo-books.
“Come on, Obi-Wan,” Anakin tossed his head, “you ought to know me better than that.”
“Hm, in my defense, your acting has dramatically improved. I was nearly taken in completely.” Obi-Wan said.
“Well, that’s kinda the point.” Anakin drawled. “Besides it’s not like I was gonna bring it up with Mom and Padmé sitting right there.”
Obi-Wan gasped, clutching his chest in feigned shock. “You mean to tell me, you thought that far ahead!” He declared.
“Oh, leave off.” Anakin rolled his eyes and tossed his mentor’s discarded cloak into his smug face. “I wasn’t going to drag Mom or the woman with an active Bounty on her head into that situation. Especially, since the Count is the one who hired Fett to kill Padmé. Geez, have a little faith, would ya! I’m not totally irresponsible.” He pronounced and strode out of the apartment.
“He always like that?” Kal asked.
“Oh, only every day.” Obi-Wan smirked, following his student.
“We’re not actually letting them go, are we?” Rex turned towards his older brothers.
“We’ll have to catch them first.” Alpha-17 remarked, marching at a clipped pace after the duo, cracking his knuckles as he approached Obi-Wan.
“Ah, glad to have you along, Alpha.” Obi-Wan greeted.
Anakin glanced over his shoulder at the burly clone. His blue eyes darted from Alpha to all six Null clones advancing on the pair. “You’ll never take me alive!” He shouted and added a dash of Force-enhancement to his sprint.
Obi-Wan blinked at the now distant speck of black and brown, vanishing about a far bend in the hall. He turned back to the clones. “You’ll have to excuse him, he’s been clipped in the head a few too many times.” Obi-Wan smiled.
“We’ll catch up with him in due time.” Ordo waved a dismissive hand. They’d commandeered control of the outer doors from Skywalker’s droid. The Jedi youngling wasn’t going anywhere unless Kal-Buir gave them permission to release the gremlin on the unsuspecting galaxy.
“Oh?” Obi-Wan’s pleasant demeanor slowly chipped away as he began to take in the encircling formation of the clones.
He sagged. Cody sighed, catching the man as Skywalker’s little droid retracted his manipulator arm with the sedative dispenser Mij had given him. Kenobi couldn’t sense a droid’s intent no matter how well attuned to the Force. Kal and the Mandos had relayed their own schemes for trailing Jango and the elder Jedi earlier through their helmet comms. Prime, for all his many flaws, had made a good point. The Jedi and the Senator could not get involved. But a group of Mandos, who were unaffiliated with either governmental sect, Republic or CIS, they could easily get involved. And lucky them, they had plenty of beskar’gam to go around, having stripped the dar’manda Cuy’val Dar of their kits.
“Now, lets find Skywalker and be on our way.” Kal barked, as a contingent of Clone Commanders hauled Kenobi back to Fett’s apartment.
“You’re in luck,” Anakin’s blonde head appeared from the vent shaft directly behind Kal, “I’m right here, and before you get any dumb ideas, I’m going.” He glared challengingly.
R2-D2 produced all his many and potentially lethal manipulator arms, brandishing them against the Mandos. “The same goes for Artoo.” Anakin translated.
“Jetti can’t get mixed up in this.” Kal sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
“Yeah, what’s your point?” Skywalker somehow managed to stay in the vent in spite of releasing the sides of the shaft to cross his arms.
Resistance is futile when dealing with this kid. Kal thought, groaning and rolling his eyes heavenward.
“Little one,” Rav took pity on her old friend and stepped in to explain the obvious “why” of the situation to the boy, “you are a Jedi.”
“Au contaire, Miss Mando,” Anakin wagged a finger smirking, “I’m no Jedi.”
“What?” Rex choked.
“I just have Jedi powers and a couple mentors who happen to have been, and one who currently is a, Jedi.” Anakin shrugged, flipping out of the vents.
“You’re not a….?” Rex trailed off, “that actually makes so much more sense.” He muttered.
“Great, now that that’s all settled, can we go?” Anakin jerked his head in the direction of the exit.
Kal sighed. “Yeah, let’s….let’s just go.”
“Rugged, I’ll fly.” Anakin said, sprinting ahead with R2-D2 jetting along at his heels.
“We’re taking my ship, Skywalker!” Kal yelled.
“Sweet! So do I get armour too?” He grinned, over his shoulder only increasing his speed as he shifted direction towards the indoor hangar bay and Kal’s heavily modified cruiser.
“Well, you can’t tag-a-long dressed like a Jedi.” Alpha-17 stated, smirking as the Mandos in their midst grimaced.
“Wizard! A new ship and new toys!” Anakin whooped.
“Kara have mercy.” Kal moaned.