Shadows of Tomorrow

Chapter 56 - Settling In

Author's Note: Yes, Theseus is now 19. :)

Alsooooo... I ship BoMarr to the end of the world. ^-^

~ Amina Gila

"Look which idiot I found," Anastasia announces cheerfully, shoving Theseus forwards as they walk down the ramp of the shuttle.

"I can walk on my own, thanks," he retaliates, then turns to see who exactly is waiting for them at the bottom.

Bo-Katan is there, and a couple others who he remembers, though doesn't know nearly as well.

"Marr?" Bo asks, surprise flickering across her face. She looks just the same as she did when he last saw her, and only now does he realize how much he missed her, too. He can't believe he's really back here again.

"I – it's good to see you, Bo," he utters, as they stop in front of her. He doesn't even know what to say, suddenly.

"Yes, he might've conveniently forgotten there's a few other people who would've liked to know if he died," Anastasia chirps, because for some reason she had to word in a way implying that she wishes he had before she turns to head off with the other Mandalorians, leaving him alone with Bo.

She looks him up and down. "You've... grown up," she comments.

"I am nineteen now," he points out. Nearing twenty, actually. In some ways, he feels so much older. So much has changed since he was seventeen. It almost feels like another person entirely who was once a Jedi. Maybe taking on the name Marr really does fit him at this point, because he isn't really Theseus anymore. At least not the person he always thought of 'Theseus' as being. In truth, he hasn't been since... he lost everyone.

"You've changed a lot," she observes, after a moment, "How have you been? What happened?"

It's been so long since he even had someone to talk to about this, and it's relieving, even though he doesn't want to start thinking back to the most painful time of his life right now. "The Jedi were accused of treason – which they may actually have been guilty of, I don't know – and the clones were ordered to turn on them."

"And they did?" She sounds disgusted.

"They were being mind-controlled. They didn't have a choice." He sighs. "We were able to break Rex free from it, and Ahsoka and I escaped together with him."

"What happened to her?"

"She wanted to fight against the Empire. They both left, to work on starting a rebellion."

She eyes him. "You didn't want to go with them?"

Theseus looks away for a moment. It's strange to admit this to her, but he thinks she'll understand. Maybe. It's hard to say, since she literally used to be a terrorist, and has been fighting her entire life. "I wasn't ready to keep fighting," he admits, bluntly, "It's all I've been doing for years, and I know that's how you were raised, but I wasn't. At least not to fight in constant wars all the time. And it just seems so impossible, to actually go up against the Empire like this. We're only a few people. What could we even do?"

It's not right to keep hiding and do nothing, and he knows that, but especially now it feels so impossible. And he just wants to settle down. It's all so confusing, and there's no one he can really turn to for help. (Well, technically there's Revan, but in a way, he's been avoiding talking to him, because he's pretty sure he'll hear what he doesn't want to right now.)

"You do need more numbers, to make a significant difference, but any bit of resistance against the Empire is worth it," Bo responds, "They think they can control Mandalore. So long as they aren't outright doing anything beyond maintaining their presence here, maybe we can let it go, but I know that isn't going to last."