#ltcramius

The data on her HUD was updating at an alarmingly rapid pace. This was never going to be an easy mission. But the inaccuracies in the data regarding the city defenses were significant. Instead of being able to slice in remotely and disable the system, allowing for full entry, they were faced with a state of the art system that was fully deployed. The only way to bring that down to allow troops and vehicles to enter would be to have their slicer connect directly into the system. Imma ran through some of the contingency scenarios on her HUD.  

Out of the concern of her vision, she could see General Tur-Mukan. The General’s reputation preceded her, but seeing someone that slight carrying around a concussion rifle would have been humorous in any other circumstance. She found it interesting that a Jedi would favor a weapon like that. Something more precise seemed like a more natural choice. What Imma noted the most was that the woman seemed stressed. There was none of the radiating outward calm stuff that so many seemed to favor. Privately Imma felt that some Jedi could radiate that sort of calm in combat because they were clueless to the risk and danger of the mission. A Jedi with an awareness of reality and consequence would always be her preference.

“You can call me Ramius, ma’am. I agree, they’re going to be looking in places they wouldn’t have before. We do have contingency plan foxtrot. We go in through the old water system, come up about 1 klick from terminal that will give the access we need. Based on intel,” shrugged a bit, her hands making a consolatory gesture, acknowledging that same intel had landed them where they were currently, “it’s an aqueduct system that is large enough to move through easily. Of course, there are vulnerabilities.” She appreciated the question, it indicated mental agility and a willingness to lean into the unknown. That took confidence, in herself and in her soldiers. It’d be interesting to see if this confidence would last.

“If you concur on option foxtrot, we can gather needed kit and get moving.”

“If that’s the most efficient route, then I think we should take it,” Etain replied with hardly a moment’s hesitation, “I’m not throwing anyone through a meat grinder if I have another option.”

She studied the Lieutenant more intently for a moment, appreciative for the moment that the woman seemed to be forthcoming and to the point. She never quite knew what to expect from non-clone officers. Growing up in the Temple where weapons training began at the age of four and your first diplomatic mission with your Master might happen at the age of 12, she had never quite seen her age as so strange they seemed to feel it.

Her experience, though... well. She understood that concern. Still, many of the non-clone officers, in her experience, tended to get ...well, huffy. As if that would help anyone in this situation that absolutely no one had asked to be in. If the Lieutenant -Ramius- was going to let her bypass all the awkward, pointed shuffling and get straight to her options, then Etain might be inclined to like her.

But really, like or dislike, they didn’t have the time. It had been a while since the G’dan tunnels on Qiluura, and Etain couldn’t say she was looking forward to any kind of narrow, enclose crawl space. She would deal with it though. It was much better than the alternative. 

Niner is a lot more reticent with his hugs than a lot of his brothers, but when he gives them, he doesn’t go half way. 

There’s no side hugging or short polite hugs or disinterested hugs. It’s either no hugs (and he stares at you awkwardly as you try to hug him) or crushing bear hug.

He actually hugs Omega pretty frequently, and used to do the same for Lamda, as they’re automatically sorted into the “familiar and wanted” slot in his brain, but he’s kind of hesitant outside the squad, even with Kal. It isn’t that he doesn’t want hugs, it’s just that there’s very few people he feels comfortable receiving them from.

Etain gets there eventually and Laseema to an extent, but even then he has to be in pretty high spirits or else fairly emotional/trying to provide comfort to be the one initiating there.

    “You were naval branch, weren’t you?”

     The ARC Captain called out to her without looking up, seemingly focused on wiping off the thin layer of dust and soot from his WESTAR-M5. Helmets like his were inherently deceptive, the thin, insufficient T-visor belying a complex suite of sensors and imagers that allowed one to survey their immediate surroundings no matter the orientation of their head.

     While it was of dubious social acceptability, starting conversations in this manner was all too common for members of his batch, who spent most of their time living and breathing behind a layer of plastoid and often couldn’t care less either way. Much more important things to think about. Still, the question’s ambiguity was perhaps a bit much, so he lifted his head to get her attention properly.

Injury Starters

Arch huffed in frustration and held his dislocated shoulder in one hand. “Yeah, yeah, this isn’t the first shoulder I’ve knocked out of place. Just do it quick and don’t count it down. That makes it worse.” He commented. 

Listen, as much as I deeply love the Etain with champagne in the fancy dress icons, I have to think Etain is pretty bad at socializing. Like, especially early Clone Wars Etain. Dealing with people was never her particular strong suit anyway, but then you add in years of isolation within the Jedi Order and a hell of a lot of secrets to keep, and things get... messy.

Especially at fancy parties?  I don’t think she has any experience at all beyond “Jedi Etiquette Class for Preteens 101″. So she’s looking at all these people showing off and drinking and talking in very socially slick ways and there’s a panic alarm going off somewhere in the back of her brain. She tries to make small talk and feels like she’s tripping over herself the entire time, or coming back to a conversation after the fact and feeling stupid, wondering how much the fancy dress cost and if those credits were usefully spent/ convinced she must look awkward and unpretty because everyone thinks she is anyway.

 ... though I want to headcanon her eventually enjoying it just because it’s a thrill/different experience and maybe her dress is borrowed so it’s not a waste of credits, lmao. Maybe she gets to ~show off~  the slinky dress a bit to someone who doesn’t make her feel like shit and that makes it more fun too, lmao. (also I like to have excuses to stick her in fancy dress regardless of her opinions lol?)

That said in a situation where she trusts the people she’s around and feels less like they’ll immediately seize on her social blunders/that she won’t immediately ruin a relationship by not giving the right response for the right situation... like with some of the specific clones, she relaxes a lot more. 

The worry’s still a little bit there, and she’s going to wall flower or hide until pulled in by someone else, but give her a good low-stakes argument (about limmie or gossip whatever) and reassure her she’s wanted there, not just tolerated, and you aren’t judging her, and she gets almost over enthusiastic because it’s so rare  an experience for her.

She gossips terribly, especially with Ordo, who is also out of his element. they stand at the back and judge people.

 Lots of hugging/touching for her friends and loved ones.

She volunteers to help the hosts a lot because she wants to feel useful even when she’s supposed to be relaxing.

She still gets tired kind of quickly.

So Etain has three kids in my headcanon: Kad (biological son), Koa (biological daughter), and Scout (unexpected post-war Padawan turned teenage adoptee) but neither of these questions really work for Scout. Just needed to point out that she is there, though, because I felt guilty, lmao.

🔠- Who named them? What does their name mean?

Kad technically has two names- Kad and Venku. Etain was explicitly not allowed to chose either of them. 

Venku comes from vencuyot, or “future”. Technically Kal told Ordo to “suggest” this to Etain, but as this follows a conversation where Kal explicitly tells her she isn’t allowed to name her son because it should fall to a male Mandalorian relative- Darman, or in Dar’s place Kal himself- really it wasn’t a suggestion.

He then gets the second name Kad meaning “sword” based on a conversation an unaware Darman had with Kal about what he might want to name a future child after Kad had been born. Kal talks it over with Jusik (not Etain) and decides to change the baby’s name.

Even though I like the meaning of Venku more, for the purpose of my blog, the situation leads to the family using “Kad” pretty much exclusively.

***

Koa, on the other hand, comes around in a much more egalitarian fashion. Darman and Etain panicked for months because they couldn’t find a good Mando’a name they both felt fit. As in, Etain was literally about to give birth any day and they still had not decided on a name, despite their slightly amused/slightly panicked  family members’ many suggestions.

Then Etain happened to be reading a book of poetry and mentioned the name “Koa” from her reading... and Darman liked the sound of it. They did a little research together and found out that “Koa” means “joy” in some non-Mando’a language (I never decided on which.) They both liked it as a talisman or a good omen of all the things they wanted for their daughter- a life of joy despite being born into a galaxy that would want to use or hurt her the same as her parents- and within a few days of that conversation, out she popped.

(Interestingly, Koa legitimately means joy in Maori, and I had no idea when I made that headcanon, although idk if it’s used as a Maori name.)

🍳- What is their favorite childhood dish?

Kad very much takes after his mother in that he always seems to want to be snacking on fruit, especially citrus or berries. He inherited her taste buds, although I headcanon that Dar likes to cook and is adventurous, so Kad is less of a picky eater.

🙇- They meet someone new and first impressions are good

Clone Wars Etain is simultaneously very pleased and at the same time dealing with a little voice in the back of her brain that’s warning her to give it time, she’ll manage to un-impress them. 

She wants very badly to make connections she hasn’t been allowed in the Temple, but she doesn’t have a lot of social graces, so that might either seem slightly over enthused or it’s possible the person just gets unintentionally awkward questions. Etain tends to find herself asking very direct questions very early.

Rebel Etain and later has her shit together more, but her group impulse is still surprisingly strong for someone raised in the Order.

🚪- They hear someone knock on their door

If someone is actively seeking her out  without contacting her electronically beforehand and she can’t sense her child or partner on the other side of the door, she tends to tense and mentally prepare herself to “start dealing with something”.