Alistairian Apocrypha VII: Vode An:
Luke tiredly gripped the edges of the sink, and just...stared into the mirror, taking into account all the little changes, those ways that marked the years that passed. What stared back at him was not Luke Skywalker, Moisture Farmer; what stared at him was Luke Skywalker, Warrior of the Rebellion. And that was enough that, every now and then, he'd be caught off guard just enough to make him feel uncomfortable in his skin, that this wasn't his body...then he'd go to morning formation for PT, and he'd sweat those thoughts out, watching as he
earned those changes; he'd listen to all these little stories thereafter from the peoples to his left and to his right had watched him grow, and
remember those changes.
He shook his head at the musing, stepping back to get changed for the day's lessons under Darman Skirata; he stretched briefly, still sore from the morning
drowning session in the pool.
He lay there for a moment, before getting his back off the floor and back onto his knees with a groan, ready for attempt...was it 47?
"Do you understand what you did wrong this time?" asked the Commando, having already moved on up off the mat.
"I didn't leverage enough-" Luke began, before being interrupted.
"-of your form to get up into the figure four variation chokehold," called out Han Solo from the back, making Luke do a double take.
"As your Corellian friend has said," Darman acknowledged, before turning towards Han, "Major Solo, I take it there is a reason for your interruption?"
"The Princess is asking for her
vod, they pulled him for a survey mission asap on account of the primary breaking a leg this morning," he said nonchalantly, briefly adjusting his winterized gear.
"Skywalker, clean up." Darman said, tossing him a towel, before quirking an eyebrow at Han, "Solo, I didn't know you were of the Path?"
"Sorry to disappoint, but most of my knowledge of
mando'a is secondhand," Han said, fixing his posture into a more professional stance, "Learned during my days dealing with the Children of the Watch."
"Clan notorious for their disapproval of
aruetii." Darman said, shifting into a tenser stance, "Given your self-admittence, you are therefore not
dar'manda [as they would not make dealings with one] and must be a
galaar."
"Worked for the Hidden Path," Han admitted slowly, his guard slowly going up, "Had to make sure the unwanted had a place to go."
"For that, I thank you
Al'verde Solo, for insuring that in some small way my people will live on," said the Mandalorian, gratitude seeping through his form, "In these dark times, foundlings are evermore precious."
"I...uh, This is the Way," Han said awkwardly shuffling, uncomfortable with the praise, before turning to walk out of the room, "Better hurry up Luke, you know how the Princess gets when we make her wait!"
Luke startled, and rushed to get dressed properly, face red as he definitely did
not eavesdrop on their semi-private conversation.
Darman laughed, "Your curiosity does you no favors
jetii, but when you return I shall answer your questions. But know this before you go, it is said that in an era long before we were forged into Mandalorians by the Taung, when our blood ancestors were still yet counted among their enemies and were referred to by our forgemasters as the Zhell, they warred for control of their shared homeworld. It was in this war that the Taung plunged the world into darkness by erupting a super volcano, earning the name
Dha Werda Verda. In memory of their victory,
my people still sing the Vode An."
"Now go to your
vod, Skywalker. Like your comrade said, it is unwise to make her wait."
A/N: Trying to bring all these snippets full circle, before they go onto a backburner until after Empire Strikes Back. Oh, and Han's a major for his prior service.
[
vod = brother, sister, comrade | mando'a = the Mandalorian language | aruetii = traitor, foreigner, outsider | dar'manda = a state of not being Mandalorian - not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and his soul | galaar = hawk (in this context, akin to a coyote)
| al'verde = commander | Dha Werda Verda = The Shadow Warriors | Vode An = Comrades In All ]
