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"Hold your hand like this, wrist straight. Don't tuck your thumb into your palm unless you want to break it."
"Like this?"
"Yeah, good. Now, hit with the flat of your knuckles." Jango tapped the third metacarpals on 24's hand. "Twist at the very end to give it some extra strength. Okay, now try." He held out one hand, palm open.
24's punch was shaky and weak. He twisted after his fist connected with the flesh of Jango's palm. "Better." Jango told him. Not good, but better than when they'd started this morning. On the other side of the training room, Ena was going through similar motions with 10, who was much less timid about learning to fight and had progressed much faster. Their children were with the other children. 52, nearing her verd’goten, was with the other young teens training in Keldabe. 67 with those just learning to fight. 55 was with the smaller ade learning Mando'a. Unlike her older siblings and guardians, 55 would not learn her Mando'a primarily in martial arts training.
"Watch." Jango ordered, and made a fist, throwing his punch in slow motion so 24 could see the way he twisted his fist just before impact, a sharp and decisive jerk. "Again."
In the three days since their ship had returned to Manda'yaim, the fortress had been abuzz with energy. There was work to be done as Jaster summoned clan leaders from across the system, alor'e and their representatives coming in from all over the empire. The impetus for such a calling were all currently unaware of their significance to the Mandalorians. The Bound didn't speak enough Mando'a to understand and no one had felt compelled to fill them it. It would be better for them to settle naturally. The one concession was that Jaster had made it very clear the day they left Coruscanta that the five of them were never returning to the Republic again.
Currently, they had a future ahead of them to decide on, one which the Children of the Mother were slowly filling them in on. They could swear the Resol'nare and become verde in the empire. They could take citizenship as vassals without swearing the Resol'nare (something that rubbed most Mando'ade the wrong way but was a concession to the vassal planets who had their own culture and traditions that Jaster was not eager to overwrite or destroy). They could join a clan. Clan Vikka had already offered sponsorship, although the Bound had yet to be informed of this. In the meantime, as guests of the Mand'alor and under the Haat'Mando'ade's protection, they were being trained to eventually swear the Resol'nare, which meant first learning to fight and earn their armor.
For the most part, Jango was too busy to train with them every day. It was Ena, a Child of the Mother, and Arla who oversaw most of their training. Ena as their primary teacher and Arla because she oversaw all the training requirements for all the verde in Keldabe Keep. Still, he wanted to keep an eye on the Bound, especially 24. If asked, he couldn't have said what drew him to the younger man, just that he was interesting.
On the second day on the ship, Myles had teased 67 into trying a bite of a blisteringly spicy meat and noodle dish they'd served for dinner. The child had and then immediately grabbed for a glass of blue milk, downing it. Without missing a beat, 24 had taken 67's uneaten dish and proceeded to eat the rest of it, not once breaking out in a sweat (although he did take sips of his own blue milk as he ate). On the third day, 55 threw a temper tantrum, as children that age were won't to do. Jaster had gone into full buir mode and made to soothe her, a move which was misinterpreted by 24, who put himself bodily between the crying child and Jaster, staring down the Mand'alor even as he'd begged him to leave 55 alone and let him and 10 deal with it.
24 had mandokarla. Jango had seen it on the ship. So he told himself he just wanted to see what type of verd'ika 24 became when given the chance, and that was why he was using his free time to help Ena teach 24 how to throw a punch.
Even if 24’s mandokarla didn’t seem to extend into actual martial training. Not every Mando’ade was eager for a fight, after all.
10 was also fascinating and mandokar in his own right. The Kiffar was larger and muscled from the heavy labor of the laundries, he was also less reserved and more emotional than 24 -- anger and amusement making themselves equally known. Where 24 was timid about learning to fight but did so with a sort of grim resolution, 10 threw himself bodily into everything Ena had to teach him, the Pantoran woman matching his enthusiasm blow for blow.
Finally, Ena called for a break for the day and 24 and 10 disappeared off into the keep to find their children. Jango approached Ena.
"Thank you for your help today, Jango." Ena greeted him, her accent making her words sound more solemn and formal.
"How are they progressing?" Jango asked. He could ask Arla, but she was just as busy as he was, with all that Jaster had thrown at his two heirs in the upcoming weeks.
Ena paused, her blue lips pursed in a frown. "Martially, they are both progressing fine for their age and physical skill. Culturally... I'm at a bit of a loss. I've spoken to Anakin about it and he says that's just how the Bound are, and that he also doesn't understand why they won't acknowledge their situation for what it really is."
"Anakin?" Jango asked. He was unaware of any verd named Anakin in the keep.
"Bound 7567." Ena said. "He was a slave in the outer rim. He and his mother were captured by the Republic military maybe a year or so ago and because of his Manda he was enslaved as a Bound. However, he told me his name and asked if it was all right to use it here."
"Do they all have names?" Jango asked, turning the information over in his head.
Ena shook her head. "They do, technically, have names. However, only Anakin knows what his is. I sent the information over to the Mand'alor already that there may be Republic paperwork containing their names. It is illegal for a criminal in the Republic to use their name."
Jango knew this. 24 had mentioned it while they were still on Coruscant. "So none of the others know?"
"According to Anakin, no. 24 and 10 are currently refusing to say anything on the subject and we've been reluctant to push." Ena said. "When it comes to how we handle slave integration in the empire, it's usually more straightforward. Knowledge of our culture gets passed around easily in the Outer Rim and Hutt space, so I was surprised to learn that Bound in the core have a different set of traditions. They aren't very talkative about them either, so it's difficult to learn more." She paused and blue eyes regarded Jango critically. "Perhaps you might have more success, since you've already built a bit of a rapport with them."
Jango grunted, a noncommittal sound to hide that he disagreed with that assessment. “I doubt I have quite the rapport you suspect, but I could try asking them anyway.”
Ena smiled. “Any success you have will be more success than we’ve had.”
*~*~*
The karyai, a Mandalorian sitting room, was quiet with just 10 and 52 sitting awake, curled up together on the couch as 52 worked on schoolwork she'd been assigned on her pad, diligently giving it her full focus and attention. 10 was leaning surreptitiously over her shoulder, following along with what he could of the lesson. It was a primer on the Mando'a alphabet, each symbol accompanied by a voice line reading the symbol out loud. Every few symbols it presented a sight word for her to try reading on her own.
"Atin." 52 said. Then clicked on the sound icon to hear it spoken aloud. She grinned when her pronunciation was only slightly off. "Stubborn. That sounds like you, buir."
10 laughed and flicked the end of her lekku. He knew the word buir. The Mandalorians used it to describe their relationship with their wards often enough, and after one of 24’s protests, they’d learned it was more inclusive than just parent. It meant guardian as well.
"I'm atin, am I?" 10 asked teasingly.
52 grinned up at him, her smile bright and genuine. It made 10 happy to sit here with her and know that she was less scared now, even a few days into their stay on Mandalore, and that she was happier to be around children her own age. She and 67 had been fast to make new friends. The Mandalorian children were much more open and accepting of new children in the keep, and their loose, expansive definition of a family, aliit, meant they were quickly integrated into the group. Even more important than all of that, in 10's mind, was that despite 52 being near the age of her verd'goten, the Mandalorian coming-of-age ceremony, she was firmly considered a child by their standards. She was safe, because of it.
"You are, but you don't have to be." 52 said and looked back down at her pad. "67 said there are people here who come from Hutt space, slaves like he was and his mom. He said that even if we don't think of ourselves that way, everyone else does."
For a few minutes, 10 didn’t say anything. He’d never agreed with 24, with his own guardian or any of the other Bound in the Republica building. 10 was a troublemaker though. He’d been wild and headstrong in his youth before pairing off with 24. Because of that, when they’d been assigned 52 as a ward, he’d decided then to keep his radical ideas to himself. He couldn’t stand it if sweet little 52 ended up in isolation or imprisoned because of his influence.
The only Bound he’d told before now about his radical thoughts had been 67, and even then only to caution the young boy to keep such thoughts to himself, because the consequences would be dire. 10 had the scars on his back to prove it.
Now, however, he said, "67 is right. It doesn't matter what we call ourselves. We didn't have choices in the Republic. There was very little we could do to protect each other. Very few choices we could make."
52 nodded, but she didn't glance up, suddenly absorbed in her next few lessons. Finally, she said. "I think so too."
"24 doesn't agree with me." 10 told her. "He never has. I think it makes him feel better if he thinks like that."
"Mandalorians have a phrase for that." 52 said. "Ut’reeyah naak. It means an empty peace."
10 smiled. “I think that describes it well. I like the Mandalorians. They know what they’re about.”
"36 told me once that Mandalorians and Bound were enemies a long time ago, in an ancient war."
10 said, "He's not wrong. A long time ago, people who could use the Force weren't Bound. They were warriors who fought the evil in the galaxy. But the Republic thought that the evil would come back, because the evil people could also use the Force, and they decided that people shouldn't be allowed to use the Force for any reason."
"Can Mandalorians use the Force?" 52 asked.
"I don't know." Said 10. "Maybe I can ask Ena that. Maybe you can ask your friends."
They went back to working on 52's lesson. Another sight word came up. "Gai." 52 read, and the translation said, "Name."
"Name." 10 repeated. "I want one of those." He confessed.
"Me too." 52 added.
They didn't say anything else about it.
*~*~*
24 was alone in the mess when Jango found him. This was unusual, because 24 and 10 were practically glued at the hip, with 24 often also in the company of one of his children. None of the other Bound were around. Still, 24 glanced up and offered Jango a sincere smile when he approached the table and gestured for him to take a seat.
"I hear you're settling in." Jango opened the conversation, forcing casualness into his words so he didn't accidentally spook 24. It was something he'd noticed about 24. The Bound wasn't timid, not exactly, but he was very quick to throw up shields and hide behind politeness and deference if he was uneasy. And it was easy to make him feel wary.
"Well enough, sir. We've been grateful for the kindness Mandalore has shown us." 24 said, polite and deferential. Jango cursed internally. So much for not causing wariness.
"Ena says you and 10 are doing very well in your lessons. I've also spoken to the bajii and they are all very impressed with how well the children are doing."
That seemed to put 24 at ease, and he smile wistfully at the mention of his children. He was doting, a true Mandalorian parent. "That's good. They're all so bright and hard working."
Jango nodded. "As are you, of course."
24's smile turned sad. "Of course." He echoed shallowly.
They lapsed into silence, awkward and tense. Jango swallowed, cursed himself internally, and decided to go for it despite the lack of finesse. "In the Republic, it's illegal for criminals to use their names." He said. 24 watched him warily. "It's not illegal in the Empire. It's also not illegal to use the Force. The Manda, as we call it. I know Ena talked to you about it, but I wanted you to know. If you want to remove your collars or use a name, that's fine. You can do that here."
He stood and left before 24 could respond, not sure he wanted to hear the response.
*~*~*
"You can't be serious." 10 grumbled, burying his face against 24's neck. It was late, all the children were asleep, and 24 was relaying his conversation with Jango from earlier that day as the two lay curled together in the massive bed of the apartment’s master bedroom. "You really cannot be serious."
"I mean it. I don't know what to do." 24 replied, pushing 10 away so he could see the Kiffar Bound's face in the dim light of their room. "The name thing is one thing, but the collar is a totally different beast. Plus, I talked to Ena and she said even if we wanted to take the collar off we have to wait. They have Force users from another planet bringing special bracelets to help us. Apparently, just removing the collar could cause us to go into shock, though the Guardians think 67 will be fine either way."
"I want the collar off." 10 said. "I think we let the kids decide for themselves. 55 we can put the bracelets on since she's too little to make a decision."
"She's big enough." 24 argued back. "And the kids having names is fine. I'm fine with that. I know 67 has a name he probably wants to use. Ena says the Mand'alor is looking for paperwork that might list our birth names, but I honestly don't care if the kids want to use their birth names or pick new ones."
"So what's the big deal then?" 10 asked.
Silence fell between them. 10 was about to poke his partner because he was worried 24 may have fallen asleep. Finally 24 spoke again, his voice a soft whisper in the darkness.
"I don't know what name I'd choose."
10 considered 24's words. They were different from one another. Always had been. Their own guardians had told them stories about their origins, just as they had told stories about 52 and 55's origins to the girls. 24 was born on Stewjon, had been discovered to have the Force very early on, and immediately turned over the to the Republic before he'd even taken his first steps or said his first words. He had no other memories of anything else. Most Bound had dim memories of early childhoods before their powers manifested. Small and fragile. 10 himself remembered his mother's voice. Remembered how the ability to sense memories in objects was a permissible Force skill that didn't count towards a Binding. He'd sensed their death, however, and the force of those memories had rendered him Bound. 24's parents hadn't loved him, but 10 never doubted for a moment that his had, and he wanted the gift of their name for him back.
"We can pick a new name." 10 offered hesitantly, unsure if this was the right answer that 24 sought. "Ena told me something the other day. Mandalorians have a concept called cin vhetin, the white field. It's this idea of starting over. Having no ties to the past any longer. Sometimes, people pick new names when they undergo cin vhetin. I think you could do the same."
24 didn't say anything, glancing off to the side even as he snuggled closer to 10. 10 kissed 24's red hair and wrapped his arms around his partner, holding him closer. They didn't say anything more.
*~*~*
A few days later, the family was gathered around the karyai table for breakfast when 67 abruptly stood up, a look of mulish determination on his sun-tanned face and said, “My name is Anakin and I’m a person. And I’m going to use my name.”