Children are the Future

Title: Children Are the Future
Author: Saydria Wolfe
Fandom: Star Wars
Genre: Fix-it, Outsider POV
Relationships: N/A
Content Rating: PG
Warnings: N/A
Author Notes: Been mentally kicking around some concepts. This is me, taking them for a walk.
Word Count: 2,831
Summary: Change has come to the Jedi Order. And it came from the last place anyone would have expected.

 

Art by me!

 

“Any news?” Master Yoda asked, clearly hoping to end their daily meeting. “Any new discussions, to open, we need?”

“I have something,” Master Yarael Poof said. They entire High Council turned to look at him and Yoda yielded him the floor with a flick of his ears. “As you all know, my duties to this council include auditing the various planetary outreach programs the Order finances with the budget given to us by the Senate.”

All of the masters present nodded.

“I have a team that assists me and we audit the various programs on a rotational basis by planet,” he continued, “because there are so many programs, each planet receives an audit roughly once a decade.”

“Know this, we do,” Master Yoda confirmed.

“I recently started the Coruscant Outreach Audit.” He hit a few buttons on his data pad, sending the relevant files, summary first, to his peers. “Our preliminary findings were…unusual.”

“The orphanage budget,” Master Koon pointed out—possibly aghast, possibly not. Yarael didn’t know him well enough to tell. Master Koon was not typically a member of the High Council but was sitting in for the Head Searcher while the Kel Dor recovered from an injury. Master Sera-Fal Kenobi took any excuse they could to get back in the field, rather than sit in meetings. “It’s gone!”

“Nearly.” Yarael nodded. Koon loved younglings, including the millions of non-Force sensitive younglings the Order supported in the thousands of orphanages across Coruscant.

Parents across the galaxy trusted their children to the Order, knowing the Order would give their children a better life than they were able to, for whatever reason. The children in the orphanages of Coruscant were given to Jedi in the field or left at temples, Corps centers, or Jedi clinics across the galaxy. They all made their way to Coruscant with the Jedi that received them.

All but those in the Corellian sector, of course.

Bottom line, there were a lot of children the Order provided housing, medical care, and food to. The newly reduced orphanage budget would never be enough to support them.

“Is this related to the wait time for adopting that a handful of highly-placed Coruscanti have complained to the Council of First Knowledge about?” Master Nu asked. She was a bit young to be Chief Archivist, but her and Master Giiett’s youth provided balance to the council.

They probably needed more young masters, if he was honest about it, but that was a concern for a different day.

Yarael swayed his neck in his species’ equivalent of a gentle amusement. “Yes.”

Master Nu raised a demanding eyebrow at him. “And?”

“And,” he repeated, growing perhaps inappropriately amused by her ire. “Roughly a month after the last Coruscant Outreach Audit, a Mandalorian from,” —he made a show of checking his notes— “Keld’ika—Little Keldabe, in Basic—came to the orphanage closest to Keld’ika and adopted a set of three siblings that had been taken from an abusive household by Republic Judicial and given to the Jedi.

“As they were born in Keld’ika, the Mando had every legal right to adopt a child and, after a thorough vetting, was allowed to take the children. Home visits were done, as legally required and appropriate. Parent and children were designated a good match.

“Six months after that, more Mandos came to different orphanages on Coruscant and started adopting children, starting with the troubled cases and those on the verge of aging out of our system with no solid prospects. Our university and apprenticeship budgets in the Orphan Care Network have always been limited, as you know.”

His peers either nodded or sent him their understanding in the Force.

“Our Coruscant Outreach Coordinator, Master Itti-Bahn Kenobi, soon saw a surplus in her monthly budget for the orphanages. She—wisely, in my opinion—made the funds available to the other programs under her purview to expand their service offerings and to keep the Senate from auditing the entire Order due to the unexpected surplus.”

He paused to receive his peers’ understanding and gratitude.

“The MediCorps and EduCorps have greatly increased their efforts on Coruscant. Quality of life in the lower levels has increased. Several Force-sensitives not strong enough to join the Knight Corps have been identified, trained, and hired to work for our different Corps—along with their families, as the law allows—which has rippled out to improve our other Outreach programs. And all of the relocations are easing Coruscant’s various problems that are caused by overcrowding.”

“All because Mandalorians have adopted our charges that were not qualified for the Knight Corps?” Master Mundi asked doubtfully.

“Yes,” Poof said simply. “I spent the last month personally doing home visits, in the Mandalorian System, with Master Itti-Bahn. All of the adopted children are loved and well cared for. They are not—” he said before someone could bring up the objection “—forced to become super commandos or mercenaries. All are taught self-defense, but that is something the Order also insists all of our charges learn, no matter their path because those skills often serve them later in life and promote physical wellness as a daily habit.

“I have found Mandalorian and Jedi cultures not to be as different as I had expected.”

He enjoyed the scandalized horror coming off of his fellow councilors. Truly, it was unbecoming of him, but he loved it.

Yoda cackled, so at least he knew he wasn’t alone in this.

“Foundlings, or adopted children, are sacred to Mandalorians. Part of their Resol’nare—the six tenants that define their culture.”

“Those six tenants are?” Master Yoda prompted.

Yoda asking the question told him that Yoda already knew the answer, but he raised a hand to count them off regardless. “Education, armor, self-defense, our tribe, our language, our leader. They close every recitation with all help us survive and use it as an oath of fealty to their Mand’alor.”

Master Adi Gallia shifted forward. “Substitute ‘armor’ for ‘lightsaber’ and ‘our leader’ for ‘the Force’ and I would argue our cultural pillars match.”

The female Tholothian was calm, tranquil. There was no hint of mischief anywhere in her presentation, but he couldn’t believe she was saying those words for any reason other than to scandalize her opposite in every council debate, Master Ki-Adi Mundi.

“Just how many cubs are we talking about?” Master Tyvokka interjected before Mundi could get his back up.

Poof hesitated.  “All of them.”

“That many Mandalorians have been born in Keld’ika?” Master Rancisis raised both of his exceedingly bushy eyebrows in surprise.

“I had intended to refer that matter to the Shadows for investigation,” he admitted. “Because Keld’ika seemed much too small to have so many Mandalorians born there, but Master Itti-Bahn insisted I conduct home visits first. The Force agreed with her and all of the children are loved. Well-cared for no matter their physical, mental, or emotional challenges.

“All of the parents’ citizenship paperwork was accepted by the Republic. All of these adoptions are legal as far as the Republic is concerned. I believe that overturning these adoptions when the Force embraces them as it does would be hasty and unwise.”

“There is the small matter that physically retrieving these children should their adoptions be overturned would be impossible,” Master Giiett offered wryly. “And that any attempt to do so would start a war with the Mandalorians, no matter who thought to try.”

“The path that best serves the children is the one we should follow,” Master Koon seconded, in his own way. “Regardless of what any law says about the matter.”

“Explain the population boom we have seen in Mandalorian space, this does,” Master Yaddle said. “Peace and unity have come to Mandalore as well. Related, are they?”

“I believe that peace is due to the first Mandalorian to adopt from us, Ben Vizsla,” Poof said. “He is the leader of both Clan and House Vizsla. I was honored to meet him during my time in Mandalorian Space.

“He has only been a Mandalorian for just over a decade. He has the presence of a Jedi Master.” Quite frankly, with a quick change of apparel, Vizsla could have taken any seat in the Council Chamber and fit in. Yarael did not think even his fellow council members would be able to say he did not belong among them with without the extensive visual cues that the correct clothing would remove. “He was not open to questions regarding his past, but his clan’s warriors were more than willing to brag about it.”

And?” Master Rancisis demanded, never one for dramatic storytelling.

“Thirteen years ago, Lord Ben was a mercenary, working to retrieve kidnapped children from a small Mid-Rim planet outside of the Republic. The trail led him to a moon in the Outer Rim where he found a conversion camp. The previous Lord Vizsla, Lord Tor, was a military extremist. He was using the camp to condition the more moderate members of his own clan and many kidnapped children into foot soldiers for his terrorist band, Death Watch.

“Lord Ben snuck into the camp to retrieve the girl he had come for, but he was caught by Lord Tor.

“All Lord Ben knew about Mandalorian culture, at that point, had come from Lord Jaster Mereel’s Super Commando Codex. He challenged Lord Tor to an Honor Duel for the girl’s fate, not realizing that by Vizsla tradition such a thing was a winner-take-all fight to the death.”

“He killed Tor Vizsla,” Master Giiett guessed, jumping ahead of the tale.

“Yes,” Yarael confirmed. “And was immediately hailed as the new Lord Vizsla.”

“And then what?” Master Tyvokka prompted.

“He called Lord Mereel,” Yarael told the Wookie. Because no one wanted to deal with an anxious Wookie. Especially not a Force-enhanced one. The shedding was obnoxious. “He swore his Clan and House to Lord Mereel—confirming Jaster Mereel as Mandalorian Space’s Sole Ruler as the only other claimant was Lord Tor.

“They found plans for a civil war among Vizsla’s things. One financed by the Intergalactic Banking Clan. Such a thing—working with outsiders and Big Business to undermine Mandalorian stability—is highly illegal in Mandalorian Space. All of House Vizsla had to go through re-education, mind healing, and penance or be declared dar’manda and executed.

“All of House Vizsla’s children were adopted by House Mereel. Meaning the children in every single clan sworn to House Vizsla were permanently removed from their parents in the event the parents failed their reparations and had to be executed.” Yarael frowned. “Personally, I thought that measure was beyond extreme, but the Force did not agree. Nor did the Force object when I learned that House Kryze is going through the same punishment because the New Mandalorian sect—a sect of pacifistic extremists that existed entirely under House Kryze’s banner and protection was found to be planning their own System take-over, funded largely by the Trade Federation.

“I suggest we assign Shadows to investigate both businesses to discover why the Force is opposed to them and bring legal action, if necessary.”

“Unusual, it is for the Force to be concerned about non-living entities.” Yoda hummed. “But agree with the motion, the Force does.”

“Any person or business regularly bringing in quadrillions of credits in profits has to be oppressing someone,” Master Gallia added. “Many, many someones considering the scale of these businesses.”

Yarael joined his fellows in pulsing his agreement out into the Force.

“Teams, I will assign,” Master Yaddle agreed. “Tell us more of this Lord Ben, if you will.”

Yarael considered what to say. “He is the kind of diplomatic asset that comes along once in a lifetime—one of your people’s Force-enhanced lifetimes, specifically, Master Yaddle. I could never detect falsehood or lies from him.”

“With a diplomat of such skill as you describe, that does not guarantee he was honest,” Master Nu pointed out.

“No, I agree.

“He is something of a holy man to in Mandalorian space.” It was the closest thing he could say to express the sheer reverence Mandalorians had for Lord Ben of House and Clan Vizsla. But it was always expressed behind his back.

Facing too much acclaim was said to send the man into hiding or into taking a sabbatical, as the man himself said. “He is a confirmed Seer with great accuracy and Force-sensitive. He brought peace and assured House Vizsla’s place in the Mandalorian collective soul. And he matches Republic orphans with Mandalorian parents. As I said before, Foundlings are sacred to Mandalorians and he has yet to be wrong when he calls a match.

“Master Itti-Bahn reaches out to him every time a new orphan is found and Mandalorians inevitably show up within the month to claim them. The right Mandalorians.

“I cannot overstate how precious this is to them as a people.”

Understanding was sent his way by his peers, entirely unmarred by impatience at the repetition.

“He fights with the Dark Saber—Master Tarre Vizsla’s lightsaber and symbol of the leader of House Vizsla. His form is unlike any I have seen. A blend of Soresu, Makashi, and Djem So, I think, but I am hardly a combat specialist.”

Master Giiett sent a ripple of curiosity, hope, and a question to them all. Their battle master clearly wanted a friendly challenge with Lord Ben.

“I have reason to believe that, before he forcibly made himself a Vizsla, Lord Ben was a Kenobi.”

The statement dropped like a bomb, earning him a confusing torrent of emotions from the council.

Kenobi was hardly a natural name in the galaxy. It was an acronym made from the names of the greatest masters—heroes, all—the Order had ever known. The name had been created as blessing for children that had lost everything and every orphan that came to them nameless or with a derogatory name for their birth culture was gifted with a randomized two-part first name and the surname Kenobi.

It was the first most common surname on Coruscant and the second most common surname in the Republic. And that was despite the popular custom many cultures had of renaming children upon their adoption.

He hadn’t expected his fellow masters to respond well to this news. He certainly hadn’t known how to react to the idea that this…figure—a heroic figure, obviously—had been raised by them. Given his Force-sensitivity, he had either fallen through the cracks and been misplaced in an orphanage or he was a knight a Master that they didn’t know because he certainly wasn’t one of the Lost.

“A record of Benon-Ayr Kenobi, there is,” Master Yaddle said, staring intently at her pad. “A Shadow, nearly two hundred years gone to the Force, he is.”

Yarael shook his head. “If Lord Ben was over thirty, I would be surprised.”

“A Twi’lek?” Yaddle pressed.

“Human or near enough to pass.” On second thought. “As red head and a Seer, he could be Stewjoni.”

“Stewjoni produce an inordinate percentage of Seers,” Master Nu agreed absently as she flicked through her own pad. “We haven’t gotten a Stewjoni Initiate in over fifty years.”

“That is strange,” Master Tyvokka pointed out. “We used to get at least one a year.”

Fear stole into Yarael’s heart, but he did not allow that fear to keep him from saying the truth they all knew and all avoided. “Stewjoni kill their Force-sensitive offspring.”

“With recent changes to our financial means that you discovered, Maester Yarael, we should be able to afford to put an Edu/MediCorps outpost on Stewjon,” Master Nu interjected. “They can investigate the issue and, Force willing, save the children.”

“We cannot send Force-sensitives there,” Master Rancisis pointed out.

Master Nu sent him a look that promised massive embarrassment in the salles should he ever be foolish enough to enter them while she was training. “I am aware.”

They were getting off track.

“Lord Ben suggested a Watchman would be welcome in Mandalore as long as they did not push the Republic’s agenda and agreed to seek only the best for Mandalore.” Master Giiett was going to trounce him for this the next time he was in the salle, but— “I suggest Master Dooku for the position. He just completed training his first padawan and has requested a Watchman assignment of up to five years.”

It was a tricky proposition because they all knew Master Yoda expected his padawan to take Initiate Qui-Gon Jinn as his student within the year. Yarael personally knew that Master Dooku was interested in no such thing.

“Master Dooku is a great warrior and can be very blunt, both traits Mandalorians value greatly,” he concluded.

Yoda cackled and Yarael relaxed. The grandmaster’s trolling instincts might be his—and Dooku’s—saving grace. As vicious a fighter and as blunt as Master Dooku could be, he was also prim and fastidious. Truly the scion of a Noble House he was born to be. A term of service in Mandalorian space would be as much a burden as it would be a pleasure for the grandmaster’s former padawan.

“Second the motion, I do,” Yoda agreed, still cackling. “The Force does as well.”

All those that did not abstain, sent their agreement through the Force.

Master Giiett’s resigned and rueful agreement gave him hope that he wouldn’t pay for doing his duty with his dignity. Certainly, Master Giiett knew he couldn’t be a Watchman and a Council Member.

They all knew Master Yoda was still training the best candidate for his future replacement. Unless he convinced Master Dooku to switch him as both Council member and battle master, there was no way Master Giiett could become Mandalore’s Watchman. And such a switch was as likely as snow on Tatooine because of Dooku’s vehement preference to be away from Coruscant—thanks to meddling masters and the corrupt Senate—as often as possible.

“Investigate reported corporate espionage, we will, and new Watchman assignment for my padawan has been decided,” Master Yoda concluded. “Any other matters we have?”

Yarael added his negative response to the others in the Force.

Yoda’s ears relaxed into an expression of gratitude. “Very good. Time for mid-meal, it is. Meet again tomorrow, we shall.”

 

 

 

Back to Birthday 2024.

4 Comments:

  1. This is really great. I love this back story, and am passionately curious about everything related finding out about Ben, and his meeting with Mereel. Grins.

  2. So many changes!

  3. Oh, wow. I freaking LOVE this.

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