Ask Still Waters Run Deep

[Mysha Kelborn]

The fires of the forge had dimmed to almost nothing. The hammer had been placed in its' rightful place, as well as the tongs. The quenching well was cold, and the air didn't feel like fire on her skin. A week after the events on the gathering on Mandalore, she had been sitting, just watching the flames die down.

She knew that Kotii would eventually appear. He always did, like a ghost in the night. Making her question her own reality, her own stance in life. Hauron, too, though his visits were less frequent now. There were times she missed hearing the young man's voice, or seeing Kotii. Everywhere was a ghost of him; in the kitchen, in their bed, even here, in their forge.

She knew there would be questions; she knew that the time for questions would come. Perhaps the answers would be what would finally break them apart; though she loved him with every fiber of her being, she also hated him with that same intensity, a strength that sometimes left her shaken. She was dressed fully in her beskar'gam, cradling something in her hands, but letting her thoughts roam aimlessly, in concentric circles.

He won't come. He is one of the dead. He abandoned you. He is meant to be one without iron skin, and therefore an aruetii. He isn't one of us any longer; he won't come.

She felt like she would have to wait many hours more before she would move from her spot.

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

Tatooine was a safe place for some Mandalorians, making them a relatively common sight. Preef Callo was known to use Mandalorian enforcers so at least there were no shoot-on-sight rules in place and Black Hand could travel relatively unseen through the streets of the settlement in his new armor.

He was careful to not have a tail or attract any attention as he came within view of the Kelborn forge. They did not have to hide as much as a Covert might but Kotii still took means to wear black traveling robes to obscure his new helmet and plates. Nor’baal was still the daimyo of the world and the Solus was not feeling particularly comfortable on the desert planet.

As he felt both a sense of ease at seeing the place that had served as Hauron and his own home, he felt a pang of anxiety at what was potentially coming next. Taking a deep breath, the ex-Solus’alor would not wait long before moving out of the shadows and across the street to Mysha’s building.

There had not been any signs of people watching the forge outside or clues to a disturbance in the past. As far as the Echani offshoot knew, Mysha was inside and working late as she usually did. Though he was not sure what kind of mood he would find his lover in. He told Hauron he would be coming but nobody else. This seemed like the type of thing that was between Mysha and Kotii.

The hiss of the reinforced front door opening would give an indication he was entering with less stealth and by more conventional means than he was capable of. The badger wanted her to know he was coming and not trying to sneak up on her. Eventually he would find her watching the flames. The black, red and greys reflected the blues, oranges and yellows of the forge. <“How are you doing, hot strike?”> He greeted using his affectionate nickname for her..

@Killa Ree

 

[Mysha Kelborn]

She had been pondering a very long time by the time Kotii appeared. At first, the woman didn't react, merely continued staring at the slowly-fading lights of the forge, until her nickname was spoken, causing a pang in her heart.

Why are the best things the hardest to do? Why can I not quit you?

<"Honey badger,"> came the quiet reply, her helm tilted towards him. She hadn't expected him to use the front door; he was always someone who made an appearance from nowhere, like a ghost, and seeing him like this made her pause. The resentment that had been building for a long time began to burn more now; her hand clenched around the objects she was holding, and she stared at him a few moments longer.

<"We have much to discuss.">

We need to talk? Really, that's how you're gonna open this conversation? Like he won't be on edge enough. The small voice in the back of her head pestered, and she gritted her jaw, trying to ignore the snide internal commentary. She slowly stood, and walked towards him. He would see her fist clenched, but instead of a violent punch, she merely leaned forward to lightly tap his helmet with hers, before she uttered a long, slow sigh.

<"Sit, please.">

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

Kotii inhaled at hearing her respond with her nickname for him. He breathed in the smell of the forge as his broad chest caused the chest plate to tighten against him for a moment. The Solus's heart fluttered with a dozen butterflies all moving in separate directions.

The man's helmet remained still as his eyes flicked towards Mysha's arms. Her posture was readable to him by now but he was not a mind reader. The clenched fists around her tools were some indiciation of the stress she was under or the strength of the emotions she was feeling.

He waited to see if he would need to try ducking or rolling with a blow. But one would not come. Instead she gave him a gentle keldabe kiss. Kotii's shoulders relaxed and she would feel him press against her forehead briefly. But he stood still for a few heartbeats after Mysha told him to sit. She had the authority of an an armorer and it was not a request.

Taking another deep breath for himself, the man would take a seat where others would normally come to address the armorer and seek guidance or service. There was a small table nearby for someone to display payment or receive a product. The level floor measured them equally across from another but still the artisan of the beskar'gam held an irrefutable station. But the Solus Warrior doubted the Kelborn Armorer had a typical conversation in mind for them. She had said 'discuss' but for now he would listen, letting Mysha speak first. He was not sure where to even begin.

@Killa Ree

 

[Mysha Kelborn]

I have to do the right thing. Even if it hurts. Even if it breaks us.

Taking a deep breath, she sat, then looked up at him. So different without the iron skin she first shed with him; though the man beneath hadn't changed, everything else had. Setting her hand down, the objects she held in her hands clattered into the tray there, but for a few moments more, she would hover her hand over them, as though to hide them from Kotii's gaze.

<"First, I want to understand why you did what you did, to turn your back on our people the way you did those years ago."> Her tone wasn't accusatory, but genuinely curious, as she slowly moved her hand away. The objects still remained wreathed in shadow, difficult for him to see, even with a heat signature reading or a scout HUD. But something about them oddly gleamed.

<"I need to understand first, for the reason will guide where we will go from here."> She tilted her helm up at him, propping her elbows on her knees and resting her hands, fingers twined together.

She would wait for him to tell her, and then she would decide what to do from there.

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

The man tilted his head slightly to the side whilst the expression underneath his helmet showed his eyes narrowing and his brow furrowing for a moment. He was confused why she was bringing this up after so long. <"You mean when I fled Mandalorian space after Darth Raze came? When Fenyang became Mand'alor."> The Exile's gloved hands tightened in his lap as he thought back on his actions.

The Echani-offshoot took a moment to consider his words before speaking with clarity. He did not hide from his mistakes and would repent only after addressing them. <"My Covert, the one I was born into, originates from Krownest. I lived my life not knowing Mandalore the planet or believing we needed a sole ruler. But still my hubris allowed me to claim a title like Warden of Mandalore."> He recounted the past, but some of this was information Mysha would already know. Kotii would continue nonetheless.

<”When Darth Raze came he arrived with a fleet, one that I believed had come to destroy any settlements on the surface of Mandalore and decimated our own limited fleet at the time.”> His fist tightened further as he heard himself speak. They sounded like excuses to his own ears. <”I ordered the evacuation because I knew that against a Sith fighting force of that size and capability would be suicide.”> Some people had more or less told him he should have chosen death. Now was maybe the time to find out if that was how Mysha felt. The Mandalorian people could exist beyond the planet of Mandalore. To Kotii, it was more important that their people, their culture and community survived even if that meant returning to the old ways.

<”It turns out they did not end up attacking.”> The rest of what happened on Mandalore Kotii himself had heard from first and secondhand accounts after the fact. But the Mandalorian in exile had been busy leading the rebel Mandalorian fleet away from Mandalorian space and into hiding. <”We….I was not ready for our people to return to the galaxy. But the galaxy came to us all the same. I’m sorry, Mysha.”> He had never directly apologized to her about it. But it was the first of many he was ready to give. After that day his regrets had begun to increase.

@Killa Ree

 

[Mysha Kelborn]

She knew some of the pieces of what had happened. Some, from Kotii's perspective, others, from what she had heard secondhand. Still, hearing it did not make this decision any easier; instead, she merely stared at him, and when he apologized, the words seemed to fall without recognition. Indeed, it seemed as though she was staring hard at him through her visor, a gaze of sharp gold that would almost crush with the weight of her stare.

When she finally spoke, her voice was soft.

<"Our people will always survive. Even against impossible odds.">

Slowly, she shifted forward. It seemed the armorer had come to a decision; none of her movements were fast, but slow, deliberately paced, as though her thoughts carried a heavy burden. She grasped an item from the tray, and rose to full height, before taking the single pace to stand before him.

<"I intend to become the next Mand'alor.">

Her voice was soft, but firm.

<"I want you by my side when this happens. I want you to walk the Creed with me, to help me rebuild all that was lost, and to make peace with all the clans. Kotii...">

She slid down to one knee before him.

A decision had been made.

She raised her palm for him to see, and he would see it at last. Nestled in her palm, a black ring, carved with gleaming multihued opalite and touches of beskar.

<"I want to wed you... if you'll have me.">

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

Kotii listened intently to hear Mysha’s response. Her voice did not sound angry but instead was gentle which helped the man relax a bit. It was a tone that Kotii had the privilege of hearing and few others.

What she said next however made the man noticeably pause. His helmet turned to focus on her own, expecting an expression of some kind or follow up. The Armorer continued, the corners of Kotii’s mouth curled into a smile.

His smile slackened only when it gave way to a hidden expression of surprise. The Mandalorian’s red irises were wide as his beloved proposed to him. He had contemplated proposing to Mysha on Mandalore but things had not gone as planned. They never did.

As quickly as the man's look of shock had come his grin returned. Kotii was not sure how long he was quiet but the Solus knew he had to say something. The Mandalorian's heart was beating at hyperspeed which was surprising considering he had defused bombs, been in battle and worse. But now was when his heart was racing so quickly it felt like it could punch through his beskar chest-plate.

Before he knew it Kotii’s hand had gently began to move towards the ring, but stopped short, unsure if that was appropriate. So instead he would answer first. <”Yes!…”> His deep voice said with a breathy chuckle added towards the end. It sounded so obvious after he spoke out loud. He could barely believe the word coming out of his own mouth and that it had taken this long. <”..yes of course, yes!”> He said before dropping down to one knee and mirroring Mysha’s rather than take the ring. He knew it was probably different from tradition but he did not care. It did not feel right to be standing over her. If Mysha was on her hands and knees then he would join her. <”You’re with me always, my love. It’s my dream to be with you.”>

The Echani-offshoot loved her regardless of whether or not she was to become Mand’alor. There was more for him to hear and ask about that later. But now Kotii was reeling from accepting the Kelborn’s proposal. Every thought he had before coming to the forge was cast out of his mind only to come back into his head like a swarm of wild ravens. He was speechless for a few moments as he tried to think about the implications. Furthermore he thought about the traditions, the rights, was there a ceremony they needed to do to make this official. Kotii had never attended a Mandalorian wedding before so this would be a first. Fitting it would be a Solus affair. All Kotii had thought of was going so far as to ask Mysha to be his wife but had not thought much further ahead.

@Killa Ree

 

[Mysha Kelborn]

She had expected him to accept, but not this excitedly. Surely, it was entirely out of order, but she knew already once others that followed the Way would hear, she would be exiled. The dream she had, of ascending the Mandalorian hierarchy, was just that, a dream. The Kelborn clan would survive, or not, even without her influence. Was this decision wise? Many would vehemently deny this. Kotii was impulsive, proud, and headstrong; good qualities in a leader, only up to a point.

She would have an even harder uphill climb paired with him, but either they would succeed, or they would fail. And if they failed...

Well, she always had her forge. They would carve a living together somehow. And Hauron was old enough to manage on his own; he was no longer the little boy that sat in her forge, asking questions about his father and the Creed.

She took a deep breath, before continuing to speak.

<"I don't want to follow tradition anymore; ours will be a joining of our own design. Even if... it means I'm outcast like you. Even if I have to shed my own steel skin.">

Perhaps now, her father would rest easy. She understood now what he meant; to live by the Creed was a path not meant for all. The living had many other means to survive, and if she was to survive, she had to change too.

<"How does tomorrow sound?">

@Darasuum

 

[Kotii Solus]

On his knees before her he listened. But he could not help but tilt his head to the side as she spoke. Kotii took a moment to process what she was saying but still felt a degree of confusion. But Kotii understood the Kelborn armorer's words to mean that she was willing to sacrifice everything for him.

<"I wouldn't ask you to stop being Mandalorian, nor would I want you to."> Kotii's hand rose gently to the side of Mysha's helmet touching the hard angular surface where her cheek was. His helmet straightend so the badger could look at Mysha directly. Traditions were everything to Mandalorians. Even when they differed on what traditions were right and wrong, the different tribes of Mandalorians were still similar to one another. For Mysha, an armorer, she perhaps felt the pull of beskar more than the average warrior. <"But I understand what you're saying. We'll make our own traditions. New ones.">

If she was going to become Mand'alor, there would have to be some give and take since the title required the approval of the Mandalorian people. This might be the hardest thing that Mysha would undertake and in turn Kotii as well.

<"Tomorrow, for the wedding?"> His tone had a hint of surprise. <"Here, on Tatooine? You don't want to go to a resort planet or Naboo or something?"> Mysha had been thinking about it so if she had plans he was all ears. He wondered if she wanted to do a traditional Mandalorian wedding or something different.


@Killa Ree