#i'm terribly sorry this took so long orz

[reccyls]

Summarizing the final part of Chapter 2.5. Also the katakana for the family names are killing me, I can't figure out a good transliteration for them, so I'm going with what seems to be the consensus of Grosvenor and Sardeis.

….This got really long, sorry! orz

We begin with Yuhan in a cell, stirring from unconsciousness. A guard is bringing him food and comments about how different the man in front of him is, compared to all the rumors he heard about Yuhan before. Where is the prodigy that rose up in the ranks to become Fubuki's right hand man? Yuhan says nothing. Well, the guard reasons, that's what happens to someone when their hometown has been burned to the ground and their family and everyone they know killed. How awful, says the guard. But if Yuhan holds any hate in his heart for that, then the person he should hate the most is himself. After all, that's just what happens to fools that cross Fubuki.

Only when the guard leaves does Yuhan start to cry. He calls out to his father, his mother, everyone from his hometown. He apologizes again and again, believing that it's his fault that they died.

Enter Fubuki. "Are you crying?" Fubuki asks. "Rare to see you cry." And when Yuhan glares at him, he asks what Yuhan thinks he's doing, to look at him with such an expression. He won't allow Yuhan to look at his master with such impudence. Then he kicks Yuhan. He says that it is such a shame. After he's showed such favor to Yuhan, for Yuhan to turn around and betray him…

We flashback to the day after Haures has been judged as innocent. Fubuki is supposed to be away, so Yuhan decides to sneak around the Sardeis manor. He discovers a secret door with a staircase leading towards the basement.

Beneath the staircase, Yuhan finds a room full of records. He discovers records kept by the previous head of the Sardeis, which confirms that this is where the Sardeis family keep their important documents. If he wants to find out what Fubuki is planning, this is where he's going to get that information.

Yuhan's loyalty to Fubuki had been unquestionable. He grew up in poverty, along with most of his home town, with no opportunities to speak of. But when Fubuki became head of the Sardeis family, that changed. Before, only high ranking people could be soldiers. But when Fubuki took over, he changed that. Age, social status, it didn't matter. So Yuhan decided at the age of 9 to become a soldier to be able to save his hometown, and after 3 hard years of training and studying, he made it. He became a soldier in the service of Fubuki, and he decided that he would do anything for him.

But as of late, his loyalty has been wavering. Fubuki's fixation on returning the Sardeis family to their "rightful place" as the top of the world was growing worrying. It all culminated in his attempt to assassinate the butlers (the events of chapter 2). Fubuki said that the end of the butlers would lead to a better world, a world where the common people could live safely. But Yuhan's faith was shaken. He knew that Fubuki was the kind of person who would do anything to achieve his goals, so he decided to do some digging to find out what Fubuki was really planning, and if necessary, put a stop to it.

Back in the middle of searching, Yuhan stumbles upon a page. It seems very very old, written over 200 years ago. And whatever is written on it causes Yuhan to react with shock--but then, footsteps approach.

And again, it's Fubuki. He had only pretended to leave, knowing that Yuhan was feeling conflicted as of late. This was a trap, to see if Yuhan would try something. And Yuhan fell for the trap hook, line, and sinker. "To think that a dog would bite the hand that feeds it," says Fubuki. "Such a terrible feeling."

We're back now in the present. Fubuki says that if Yuhan had just minded his own business, this wouldn't be happening now. He wouldn't be imprisoned. His hometown wouldn't be destroyed. His family and everyone he knew would still be alive.

Yuhan asks why. If Fubuki was only concerned about Yuhan finding out his secret, why did he kill everyone else? They were all innocent, they had nothing to do with Yuhan's actions. And Fubuki says, well, he's not about to take a traitor at his word. He doesn't know how long Yuhan has known or suspected something; he doesn't know whether Yuhan had told someone or not. And better to be safe than sorry. If there is even the slightest chance that Yuhan had told someone he knows, then better to just eliminate everyone to ensure his secret won't get out.

Yuhan glares at Fubuki again. And Fubuki sighs. "What did I tell you about looking at me like that?" he asks. He kicks Yuhan again, and we fade to black… but only for a few minutes.

When we return, Yuhan is coughing and sputtering on the ground, gasping for breath. Fubuki says that he'll stop for now. Any more and Yuhan might die. Yuhan says to do it, asks Fubuki to kill him. And Fubuki says no. He has no intention of allowing Yuhan to die here. He'll only kill Yuhan when he's ready to make a proper example of him, to show everyone what happens when you try to go against him.

Fubuki asks if Yuhan is suffering. Of course he is. Everyone he knows killed, his home destroyed, his execution imminent. There's no way anyone could suffer more. And that's exactly why Yuhan will make a good example. Until the day of his execution, he won't let Yuhan die. He tells the guards to force feed Yuhan if necessary to keep him from starving himself to death, then leaves. And Yuhan just cries, pleading for everything to be over.

We go back to the Devil's Palace. Berrien has just revealed to everyone that he wants Yuhan to be their next butler, and Muu asks in shock what he means when he said that Yuhan was going to be executed. Berrien doesn't know the details himself, it's all hearsay, but he says that he heard that Yuhan rebelled against the Sardeis family. Lucas can't imagine why he would, but Bastien comes into the conversation to say that he knows Yuhan has had doubts about the Sardeis family.

Yuhan had actually told Bastien about his plans to look into what the Sardeis family is planning, around the time of the expedition to attack Seraphim. Yuhan asked to speak to Bastien privately, and warned him to be careful, because the Sardeis family might attempt to attack the butlers again. And he told Bastien everything he knew about what Fubuki was planning, about Fubuki's plans to "welcome the end of the age of the devil butlers". Bastien asks why Yuhan is telling him this--isn't Yuhan a soldier of the Sardeis family? If he got discovered revealing these plans…

Yuhan answers: because his wish is for a world where everyone can live peacefully. And to achieve that world, he believes that they will need the help of the butlers to accomplish it. The butlers have protected the world for thousands of years. Without the butlers, humanity would surely face destruction in the future. While he may be a soldier of the Sardeis family, he is the butlers' ally. He may not be able to do a lot, but if it's for the sake of a peaceful world, he will do anything that is needed.

Back in the present. Muu wonders whether they can really trust Yuhan? After all, they haven't exactly had the best track record when it comes to the Sardeis family. But Bastien says, this current situation is all the proof they need. Yuhan is willing to put his life on the line to protect the butlers.

Berrien says that he wants to save Yuhan. If the world were to lose a man with such a strong sense of will and justice, it would be a terrible loss. Bastien agrees. Lucas doesn't disagree, but he does point out that saving Yuhan is going to be extremely complicated. Unlike the time when they went to save Haures from his execution, they can't let a large fight break out. Why? Because that could very well lead to a war between the Grosvenor and Sardeis families.

First of all, Yuhan is in the service of the Sardeis family, and his sentence was decided by the Sardeis head. Technically, it is not the butlers' place to meddle. Furthermore, Yuhan is surely being kept under guard. If they were to fight, and the guards were injured in that battle, the Sardeis family might decide to retaliate against the harm caused to their people. Berrien says that it's all true, and he's been wracking his brain to come up with a way to save Yuhan without a fight. And he did think of one:

To save Yuhan after he's been executed.

Confusion abounds. Save him after? But won't he be dead? No, says Bastien. Because the way that the Sardeis family executes people is unique. There is a special execution method reserved for traitors, that's been tradition for a long time. It's called the Trial of Tigers (not an exact translation, I made it sound a bit more flowing/natural in English). It involves leaving the person to be executed in a bamboo forest populated with feral tigers, who have been trained to enjoy eating human flesh. According to the stories, not even bones will be left when the tigers are done. Then, the ripped and bloody clothes of the executed person will be displayd in the city. It's an execution method that is meant to set an example for anyone else thinking of turning traitor.

So, Berrien's plan is to save Yuhan when he's been left in the forest. They'll hide in the forest, save Yuhan, and escape. Bastien says that he'll go alone, but Berrien says no, he'll go as well. He can't let Bastien be the one left with the burden of asking Yuhan to become a butler. The master says that they will go too. Of course everyone protests, but they point out that they can't use their powers if the master isn't there, right? If they end up having to fight the tigers, it's best to have them along. No one can argue against that. And if the master is going, then Lucas will go as well. The more people to protect the master, the better, right? They've got no time to lose, so they'll leave as soon as possible to save Yuhan.

Time passes, and we are at the bamboo forest. Fubuki asks Yuhan if he has any last words. And Yuhan says, "I will never forgive you."

"Defiant to the end," says Fubuki. "Let's see how long you can keep that up." He reads out Yuhan's alleged crimes (stealing confidential information in order to start a rebellion) and announces his sentence: the Trial of Tigers. Then he and the guards ride off, leaving Yuhan alone. Yuhan says he needs to leave, and struggles away… then we hear a growl. As Yuhan turns to run, more growls sound out from that direction, and again, and again--he's surrounded. As he curses that his life will end like this: his hometown lost forever, unable to stand against Fubuki, unable to keep his promise to Bastien to fight together with him someday…

"Raise your head, Yuhan! Never look away from the enemy!"

Bastien's voice calls out through the forest. Shocked, Yuhan looks up to see Bastien running towards him, assuring him that everything will be okay. Berrien and Lucas then also fly into formation, ready to face off against the tigers. Yuhan asks why they're here, and of course, they're here to save him. Berrien will lead Yuhan and the master to a safe spot, while Lucas and Bastien will protect them. The master grants Bastien and Lucas their powers. The form of an elderly lion with white fur appears behind Lucas, his contracted demon Foras. Now, says Lucas, time to see which is stronger, a lion or tiger.

Hey, Bastien says. Wasn't Lucas the one who said that they shouldn't injure the tigers? They don't want to leave any evidence of their presence, so no fighting. Oh, of course not, of course Lucas won't go against the plan. He just wanted to say something cool in front of the master. After a bit more banter, they get ready to fend off the tigers as they make their escape.

Running through the forest, everyone is attacked by the tigers over and over, but Lucas and Bastien are able to defend against the attacks. They're almost at their designated safe place, and when they reach it they can proceed with their plan to slip out of the forest. Yuhan asks why they're going to all that trouble for him, and Berrien answers: because Yuhan isn't the kind of man who should die like this. Because with his courage and his will, he can help to save the world.

Yuhan says, he's just a man. He can't save the world, he can't save anything. But, says the master, if he was to become a butler… They'll explain the details later. But they want Yuhan to be a butler and join them. Berrien doesn't want to force Yuhan one way or the other. If Yuhan becomes a butler, it should be by his own choice, but he should know the risks. He isn't just risking his life, but he will no longer be able to walk the path of a normal person ever again.

Yuhan barely hesitates. He'll join them. He wants to have the power to be able to fight for a better world.

They're nearly out of the forest. There's just one last thing to do: they'll fake Yuhan's death in order to make it look like he was eaten by tigers, so no one will be looking for him. So he removes his coat and leaves it on the ground, but it's not enough. Yuhan borrows Bastien's sword to cut his own arm, faking a blood splatter to complete the scene.

And the escape goes off without a hitch.

A few days pass. Everyone's back at the mansion. We begin with Lucas treating Yuhan's wounds, noting that they're well on their way to healing and Yuhan should be back in top form in no time. Yuhan had quickly lost consciousness after their escape and was asleep for two days because of sleep deprivation, giving everyone a big scare as they thought he had succumbed to his injuries. The master had been visiting Yuhan every day, worried. But he's okay now!

Berrien arrives, bringing Teddy and Hanamaru with him. He wanted to introduce Yuhan to them, as they'll all be roommates from now on. And after a quick round of introductions, Berrien gets to the point: before they can truly become butlers, they need to go through the ceremony of forming a contract with a demon. Before they go through with it, Berrien wants to make sure everyone is still on board. The process of forming a contract is very dangerous, they may even lose their life. Do they still intend to become a butler, knowing this?

No hesitation from any of them. All of them agree.

So, Berrien thanks them, and proceeds to the next step. He hands all of them black blindfolds. The location where the ceremony is going to take place is top secret, and kept even from the people taking part in the ceremony itself. Berrien says that they will be leaving the mansion for a bit for this ceremony, and while Berrien will return in a few days, the other three will be gone for about 3 months.

Four months pass, it is now winter. Haures calls the master to the back garden to show them something: a building that looks like a house. This is the villa of the Devil's Palace, where the three new butlers will be staying when they return. Haures built it, with help from a craftsman he knows, as well as the other butlers--Boschi designed the interior, of course.

They hear hoofbeats approaching: but there aren't any guests who would really approach the mansion. So, does that mean that the three are back? The master is eager to greet them, and Haures goes to tell the other butlers. Everyone gathers at the entrance hall, and the three of them are indeed back! Their contracts were made with no issue, and though they did take a month longer than normal, everything is fine. They also appear to have gotten quite close; when Teddy notices that Hanamaru is missing from the group, Yuhan just sighs and says that Hanamaru probably snuck back into the carriage to nap. Quick glimpse of their dynamic is probably like Yuhan and Hanamaru bicker a lot (though it's mostly Yuhan initiating and being a little passive-aggressive, Hanamaru just kinda goes with it and faces the passive-aggressiveness with completely blunt honesty which is pretty funny. Teddy is stuck in the middle being an earnest and bright kid trying to stop his friends from fighting--Yuhan says with a smile on his face that doesn't reach his eyes that they're not fighting, they're just having a difference of opinion)

We get more cute and funny scenes of everyone getting along as we officially welcome our three new butlers. The next day, the new trio show up to present themselves to the master. They want them to be the first person to see them in their new uniforms. And aside from their new uniforms, Yuhan has also decided to go with a change of hairstyle. Shinonome Yuhan is supposed to be dead after all, so a different hairstyle helps to hide his identity a little bit better. Plus, he feels like he can get a new start with a change of appearance.

Lono also shows up, saying he wants to hold a party later. The butlers of this mansion are like family, they live together, they fight together. And to help everyone get closer to the three new butlers, Lono wants to have a party to celebrate them. Of course the master agrees, and Lono leaves, excited as he thinks about what dishes he'll make. Once Lono is gone, Yuhan asks whether it's really okay for a party to welcome the three of them to be held. After all, they're butlers, and the master is their master. Is this kind of relationship really okay between master and servant? Yuhan is pensive; this is just very different from the environment that he is used to. The master answers that they don't really care about things like that. They just want everyone to be happy.

At the party we have some lighthearted stuff. Teddy wonders why Lono calls him Teddy-san, even though Teddy is Lono's junior as a butler. But Lono says eh, he just does that with the people who are older than him. Even though butlers stop aging, Teddy is 25 and he's 22, so he'll use -san with Teddy. Stuff like that. Hanamaru also got into the wine so that's also fun. And people just keep talking, get to know each other better.

Teddy finds out that Haures is over 300 years old, and the conversation transitions to the unaging nature of the butlers. None of Haures, Boschi, or Fennesz remember their exact age anymore. Haures and Fennesz became butlers on the same day, Boschi was soon after that. They were all 28 years old when that happened so they're pretty much the same age. Then the conversation turns towards birthdays--and it's revealed that the butlers don't really celebrate their birthdays. In fact, Haures and Fennesz say that they haven't celebrated a single birthday ever since they became butlers.

The master says that they want to celebrate everyone's birthday. Berrien overhears, and he reveals that there is a reason they don't celebrate birthdays: it's to keep the balance between the butlers. Because they all come from different times, different paths of life and different circumstances, there are quite a few butlers who don't know their own birthdays for some reason or another. If you celebrated only the birthdays of those who knew them, it wouldn't be very fair to the rest. But if the master does want to celebrate everyone's birthdays, then Berrien suggests to make it the day that they became butlers. A birthday is meant to mark the beginning of a new life, after all, and the butlers really have started a new life once they make a contract with a demon. The three new butlers still remember their own birthdays so they don't have to change anything, they can just keep their own birthdays. Muu sets his birthday as the day that the master arrived at the mansion.

Berrien gathers everyone to announce the birthdays, and that they're going to celebrate them every year from now on. In particular, Lato and Lono note that this would be the first time they get to celebrate a birthday. Everyone looks pleased, and the master thinks that they're going to make sure that everyone stays happy, and will be sure that celebrate everyone's birthdays dearly from now on.

[glimmerglanger]

Make Your Bed prompt (I'm sorry I have given you so many already orz): do any of the chipped troopers catch wind that there's a Jedi aboard, aided and abetted by some of their brothers?

Oooooooooh, so, really, this could be an entire fic on it’s own, someday. This is only a glimpse into that, because of the ANGST. Set after the end of MYB. Canon typical violence and mind control! Fun times!

~~~~

Boomer waited in the barracks for days. He had no idea why the Commander had ordered so many of them contained, but in a way it was a relief. The thing living in his head couldn’t do anything while he was stuck in the little room with a dozen of his brothers.

Their bodies didn’t try to talk to each other. There were no pick-up games of sabacc. They just… waited. Quietly. 

Boomer felt like he was going mad, inside his head, but that was nothing new. He’d felt like that since Utapau, when something in his head clicked over and took away all control of his body. 

Other troopers came in, a few times a day. Usually they brought food. Boomer wished he could ask them what was going on, but it was impossible to make his body do anything. The thing in his head wasn’t, apparently, curious.

He wished he could sigh in frustration, but that was impossible, too.

One day, the troopers who came to bring them their food seemed...different. More excited. They were talking to one another as they entered the room, Teeny saying, “--Commander’s looking better, is all I’m saying. Like he’s not going to fall over.”

“Of course he is,” Madcap replied, shaking his head, and Boomer wondered why they could talk, before pushing the thought away, “Bet he’s getting sleep, now that the Gene--”

“Shut up,” Teeny hissed, reaching out and shoving Madcap, voice gone low and harsh. “Watch your kriffing mouth.”

The pair of them stayed quiet the rest of the time they were in the room, but Boomer barely noticed. The thing in his head was doing something. Rifling around through his head, suddenly, digging around through memories without a single care.

The thing in his head knew who the Commander was. It tore around through Boomer’s memories before he realized fully what it was doing. Memories jerked into the forefront of his thoughts, one after another, recollections of the Commander stepping out of General Kenobi’s quarters once or twice, smiling over his shoulder, and--

His body tensed, after Teeny and Madcap left the barracks. It stood up, ignoring the food it had been given, and looked at the other troopers. It said, Boomer’s voice reflecting back to him, oddly, “I have reason to believe there’s a Jedi on this ship.”

The other troopers looked over at him as Boomer yelled in the back of his head, voiceless, hearing himself go on, “It looks like we’re dealing with traitors.”

#

It wasn’t terribly difficult to get out of the barracks. Trample had experience with maintenance and knew how to get the doors open. Boomer said, before they stepped out, “We have to assume the traitors won’t realize that we’re not on their side unless we draw attention to ourselves. Our priorities are to execute the Jedi first and foremost and to get a message to the Empire, before they can silence us. If we accomplish those objectives, we’ll move to retaking the ship.”

“Sir,” the troopers around him echoed, before moving forward.

The thing in Boomer’s head assigned his body to tracking down General Kenobi, utterly unmoved by Boomer’s panic. It just moved him forward, to the nearest weapon’s storeroom, digging through his memories the entire time, reviewing past events to try to determine where General Kenobi would be at the moment and--

Boomer tore at the inside of his head, where no one could hear him. Surely General Kenobi was dead. And if he’d lived, surely he hadn’t come back. Surely he’d stayed away, where he’d be safe, surely--

The thing in his head found General Kenobi in one of the training rooms. It had six other troopers with it, all of them armed when the door slid open. General Kenobi had his saber in hand, but not turned on. He was covered in sweat, lifting a bottle of water to his mouth and taking a long swallow.

The room was, otherwise, almost empty. Only one other trooper was inside. Ace sat to one side, face turned towards a pad that wasn’t even turned on, gaze up and moving. 

Boomer tried to shout for Ace. To yell a warning at General Kenobi - kriffing hell, why had he come back here, why - and his body showed no hesitation. The blaster in his hand came up. He fought, and his finger froze on the trigger for a single second, and--

--General Kenobi jerked to look at him, eyes wide, moving into a defense stance a moment too late--

And Ace bulled into General Kenobi, a blur of white and gold in the way all at once. Boomer screamed in his head, knowing the smell of melting plastoid, hearing more blaster fire, but everything was blurry and hard to see.

He could have sobbed with relief at the hum of a lightsaber, at the sudden burst of pain against his hand as his blaster just - crumbled against his palm, balled up and then jerked away. His body tried to move forward - fists balling - and the ground went away from underneath of him.

His body yelled something as he was jerked into the air, held there, floating.

His body tried to kick or shove against a wall, to propel itself towards General Kenobi, and his armor tightened around his skin, on the edge of painful.

He hung there, breathing raggedly. From his position, he could see the rest of the troopers his body had brought along, floating in similar positions. His body turned its head, and he could see into the training room. General Kenobi was leaning over Ace, his back armor removed. One of Kenobi’s hands was pressed over a wound on his back - a blaster wound - and Kenobi’s other hand was extended towards them, fingers outstretched.

Kenobi was shouting into his comm, calling for immediate backup, for medical assistance. 

“I did it,” Ace babbled, as Kenobi lifted his hand, briefly, and cursed at whatever he saw.

“Sh,” Kenobi said, “sh, you’re going to be fine.” And Boomer hung there, screaming in his head, wishing he knew what the kriff was going on.