Welcome to the family

[Zandra Tal'verda]

After nine years of waiting, Zandra was finally ready to move on. Imagine that? 9 years of looking all over the Galaxy for a dead man? 9 long years of loneliness. She wasn't even sure anymore who the man who had once been her husband was like. She remembered that he was a kind man, someone who always put her first, someone who had loved his children.

But that was all. All she had now were faded memories, a few pictures, some broken holorecordings, and her children. She'd talk to them later. Let them know that she was calling off the search. She'd be moving on from here. Maybe she'd try dating again. Maybe. It had been so long, she hardly knew how to flirt anymore.

Sweet Lady Luck, I'll have to start getting tips from Rawnie!

That was awkward. Her daughter was better at relationships now than she was. Her very shy, very socially withdrawn daughter, was better at getting a boyfriend than she was now!
The Echani knocked back another drink, adding the empty cup to the long line that she was creating across the bar. She grumbled, mumbling something about weak alcohol. Come to think of it, she was coming home soon. Wanted to bring this 'boy of her dreams' home to meet the family. Must have been serious, this one. Rawnie never brought people home.
Of course Rawnie knew who it was she was bringing. Corrin had told her about the letter she sent. [member="Doctor Azure"] . She looked down at her mechanical hand with a smile. Of all the people in the Galaxy...

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lorane sighed as he looked around the Tal'verda village. Even if everybody else had something they did better than him, there was still some way for a city-born former street rat to help with, right? Wrong. Hunting? Rawnie's gig. Tech? Apparently jet boots and a fancy tech gauntlet didn't impress as much as it should've. So, what was left for him to do?​

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Oh, yeah, there was the tavern. Wonderful. He walked into the somewhat large cabin-like building and saw... Zandra? He hadn't even noticed her ship here. Eh, whatever. He sat down next to his old friend and... future mother in law? At least he wouldn't have some demonic old woman for an in-law...​

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"Been a while, huh?"​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The older blonde woman looked up at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Ah! Kid! Rawnie drive ya to drink already?"

She snickered, reaching into her raggedy jacket to fish out a new pack of cigarettes. She stuck one in her mouth, lit it up and blew smoke in his direction.

"Sit down."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor sat a bit more comfortably on the chair, grinning at Zandra.​

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"Ha! No. Solutions between me and Rawnie usually end up a bit... physical. Or with me sleeping on a couch. Usually that ends up- Y'know what, you don't wanna hear the rest of that."

He leaned over the bar and grabbed the most alcoholic-looking bottle he could find before cracking it open and taking a sip. It tasted pretty good.​

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"Just feeling a little useless when she's out, is all. I thought Mandalorians were usually a bit more excited when somebody offers to build them new things."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra raised an eyebrow at his comment about he and her daughter, but waved it off.

"Please, kiddo," she snorted, "Believe it or not, I was young once too. You don't gatta explain to me what goes on with you n' my daughter."

His next comment made her lean back in her chair, shrugging. She let the cigarette burn between her fingers.

"You get used to it," she sighed, "These people are strong, proud. Don't like ta get help from nobody. Don't worry. Once you marry Rawn, they'll start to see you as one of their own. You... are marrying her, right? That's what the village is sayin'."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor chuckled as he looked at Zandra through the bottom of his bottle.​

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"Definitely. Would've happened already, except we both had a lapse in judgement and let my sister plan it. Might be a good thing it's happening soon, though."​

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His expression became less readable as he began to drink again, propping his head on his arm as he did so. How was he supposed to tell one of his very few friends that he'd gotten her daughter pregnant?​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra wasn't stupid. She knew of one good reason why a couple would rush into marriage. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath.

"Rawnie is pregnant?"

Her voice was eerily calm, as if she might snap any second. But she didn't. She just took a long drag of her cigarette and stared across at him.

"Those are going to be some cute kids."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor nodded, still staring into his bottle.​

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"She's definitely pregnant. Puked all over me a couple of days ago."​

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He raised an eyebrow at Zandra, smirking a little.​

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"Means you can't go off and come back with any more stumps. Little blue-faced Tal'verda kid's gonna need their grandma."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Grandma. Zandra tensed up at that word.She was a grandparent alone. They would have no grandfather to teach them. That was fine. That was normal for this culture. But still. Made her feel awful lonely. ..

"Yeah... I know. I think... I might take some time off from crime. See if I can't lend a hand."

Her own words surprised her. but it wasnt like she was quitting. Just... taking her time for her family.

Speaking of family...

"How do you feel about it?"

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor smiled a little bit tiredly as he tried to explain how he felt. Rawnie had fed him a line about how he'd be a better parent than he believed, but that didn't seem believable to him.​

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"Honestly? I'm not a Mandalorian, and I never will be, no matter whose name I take. For me, there's a mental gap where any sort of parental example should be. What I learned from my adopted parents is how to fail at a political coup."​

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He laughed a little bit sarcastically as he thought of himself as a parent.​

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"Chit, Rawnie went all this time with you pirating and Calico probably in a grave somewhere, and she still ended up great. That's not how the rest of the universe works."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

His future mother-in-law nodded in understanding. Yeah. She understood the fear. Becoming a parent was terrifying. Calico had jumped at the opportunity. She though? She'd wanted nothing to do with babies... until she gave birth to Corrin.

"I get you," she replied, "trust me, though, when I say it get's easier. Instinct takes over."

That was probably not enough for him. If someone told her that before she had Corrin, she might punch them in the face.

"How is Rawnie taking the news? I can guess this wasn't exactly planned."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor rolled his eyes and took another long drink from his bottle.​

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"Parental instinct is bull. You're the only person I've met who's said that and wasn't an overprotective maniac."​

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His smile crawled back onto his face when he thought of all the talking he and Rawnie had done. Not planning, per se, but it hadn't exactly been unexpected.​

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"Me and Rawnie both knew it was going to happen sometime. Impossible for it not to, with the way we are when we're alone. Even before our first time, we were sharing a bed. And then, well, that night after we were done, she literally asked me if I wanted kids with her."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani raised a white eyebrow at that. They'd... expected it? Huh. She never would have pegged her daughter as a woman who wanted kids.

"She said she wanted kids with you? Sounds like it was planned to me, if ya didn' bother ta use any protection after that conversation."

She shrugged. Honestly, though, she had no room to judge. She had Corrin before she and Calico were married, so...

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor shrugged. Planning and having fun were two different things, as far as he was concerned.​

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"Eh, we weren't exactly responsible about it, but it wasn't like something horrible happened. I guess it was planned, in a way."​

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Even the fact that he and Rawnie weren't married wasn't a big problem. He gave a fond look to the pocket with the ring he'd made her.​

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"Probably the only thing the two of us ever did that followed a plan."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The echani smirked and reached across to give her future son-in-law a goodnatured punch to the shoulder.

"Kid, you're already a father. See? Takin' responsibility. Very mature."

She nodded approvingly at him as she took another drag of her cigarette. Yeah. He'd do.

"I like ya, Lorane. You got your own problems, but you seem to have things figured out for the most part."

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor jokingly tapped the side of his nose, finishing the rest of his bottle.​

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"You just like me 'cause I fixed your hand up. Bet you wanted to shoot me in the head for gettin' you off the spice."​

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He tapped the metal of Zandra's right hand, giving it a quick look over.​

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"Glad you managed to keep this in one piece, by the way. All I've got parts for up here is another one of those clunky chits like the first one I made you."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani laughed at his comment about the spice.

"The thought had crossed my mind."

He examined her hand. Doc did good work though. It was still running just like it should. After all this time, she'd gotten used to it. She could sword fight again! It wasn't as graceful as before, but it wasn't awful either.

"Eh. If anything goes wrong, I know you can fix it. I trust ya. you think I'd let my daughter marry you if I didn't?"

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor shrugged again, putting down the now-empty bottle and leaning against the bar.​

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"First Rawnie, then that Renolds bunch, and now you. I can't help but feel like I'm exactly the wrong person to trust. Hell, I'm a glorified mechanic with a medical degree."​

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He raised an eyebrow and pointed a joking finger at Zandra.​

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"I blame you for whatever weapon fetish she seems to have, by the way. First time I offered her one of my guns, she tackled me to the ground."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra gave a look of mock hurt.

"Me? You think I'm the one that raised her like that? No way. That was all her father there. I wanted her to do mostly hand to hand, personally..."

She sighed, looking defeated.

"Well, anyway, kiddo, i'm glad ya two are figurin' things out. Really. But if you hurt her, you know I'll kill you, right?"

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor sighed and grabbed another bottle from behind the bar.​

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"If I ever hurt her, the situation will leave all of us with worse problems than the list of people who'll want to kill me. Besides, I'd be at the top of that list. Hating myself is a thing I've become very good at."​

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[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]​