The Kenobi Saga Book One:The Clone Wars

26. Remember

"I don't understand," Lore-Val said to Solitaire, her eyes still red rimmed from when Rex had come to give them the news half an hour earlier,  "There won't be a funeral? For either of them?"

He turned to face her, "We're clones, we're made to die."

The girl shook her head, "No. That's not right. You're a person! Fives and Tup are-were people!"

She stood from the couch and paced the room, "What about their brothers? Even if there's nothing official, don't the others perform some sort of funeral rites?"

"We're fighting a war kid. There's no time for anything like that."

Lore-Val glowered, still pacing as she thought. She paused in the middle of the room and Solitaire waited for her to yell at him.

"You're clones of Jango Fett," she murmured.

Solitaire nodded, unsure where she was going with this.

"That means you're Mando'ade. Mandalorian funerals have their roots in battlefield services."

"Could you teach us?"

"Yes. It's simple."

"Alright," Solitaire stood, grabbing his helmet off the floor by his feet, as he stood, "Let's go see the boys."

.   .   .

"Do you know any Mando'a?" Lore-Val asked the clones after explaining what she was about to teach them.

They shook their heads. Jesse and Kix saying they knew a very little bit

"Ok," She started mumbling to herself, trying to translate into basic before repeating the lines for the men, "I'm still alive but you are dead. I remember you so you are eternal. Then you say the names of those you've lost."

"It's a prayer?" Someone asked

"Not exactly. It's a remembrance for yourself, you aren't talking to someone else."

She repeated the lines a few times until the others had it memorized.

She knelt down and sat on her heels. She made her own repetition in Mando'a, "Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum-Buir (mother), Ettan, Korkie, Tup, Fives."

When she was done she listened to her friends continuing their own long lists.

Eventually Rex came over and sat on the floor beside the girl. He felt some of the weight lifted from his shoulders knowing there would be a sort of closure for the brothers he'd lost in battle.

Lore-Val placed a hand on his arm, "You're shaking."

Rex made an effort to still himself, "Thank you, for showing us this."

She smiled at him, "Of course. I can teach it to you in Mando'a if you'd like."

He nodded, "I think we'd all like that. Having something like that gives us roots," he paused, listening as a few of the others were still reciting the names of those they'd lost, "What do we do now?"

"Drink, and remember. That's all you really can do."

Rex smiled at her, "I think we can do that. I'd invite you to join us, but I don't think the generals would appreciate us taking you to a bar."

She laughed, "No. I don't think so, but thank you vod."

"Brother?" Rex asked.

Lore-Val leaned over, bumping her shoulder into his bicep, "And you say you don't know Mando'a," she smiled at him.

AN: Fives😭😭😭 Tup😭😭😭
No I don't have any particular reason to post early but oh well