Work Text:
Darth Marr had to get used to the fact again that he had an apprentice who occasionally chose to sleep in his apartment instead of travelling through all of Kaas City to reach his cousin's house near the expansion district. Marr let it, he knew that after a long day of training and studying, public transport was like a nightmare, so gradually, the scarcely used guest room in his apartment had transformed into a little sanctuary for Naereus.
Even getting an apprentice was quite unexpected for Marr, he didn't have any intention to spend more time with teaching, but when his protégé and fellow Dark Council member Ahiyah Kallig poured his heart out to him one day, admitting that he was worried about his younger cousin's uncertain fate, the senior Sith caught himself offering to take Naereus as his apprentice, such making sure that the younger Kallig would be in good hands.
In the months Marr had been spending with training Naereus, he slowly realized that he didn't feel even the slightest of regret that he took the young Sith. Naereus was talented, spoke only when necessary or asked, and he liked learning almost as much as his cousin. Ahiyah, as the head of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge, was the embodiment of indestructible curiosity and love for books of every kind. He was in fact a very good choice for that position.
So one day Marr decided that he should get something nice for his apprentice, showing Naereus that despite of his initial reluctance, he truly grew fond of him. He'd noticed earlier that when Naereus slept in the guest room, he always hugged a pillow, using it as a teddy bear. Ahiyah confirmed that yes, Naereus had plush toys in his house, so Marr decided to get a sleeping buddy for Naereus to hug here, in his own apartment as well.
"You must buy only a Tuk'ata or nothing at all" Ahiyah said when Marr asked him about what kind of stuffed toy he should get. "He won't accept anything else, just a Tuk'ata. The bigger the better. Oh, and he wants it to be soft as well."
"Hmm" Marr nodded. "Understood."
Ahiyah gave him the address of the biggest toy store in Kaas City, and Darth Marr, renowned senior member of the Dark Council, strategic mastermind and legendary Sith Warrior, headed toward there to buy a plush toy for his apprentice.
Half an hour later, Marr was standing before the huge door of Galaxy Toys, feeling completely out of place. He wore his usual Warrior armour with the scary spikes and paints and all, completed with the mask, and the civilians either stared at him with wide, fearful eyes or left the street almost running.
Good, Marr thought grimly and stepped into the store.
The air inside froze instantly as both the customers and the shop workers spotted the mighty Sith Lord walking in.
"Good afternoon" Marr said like the well-mannered Sith he was and continued his way in, searching for the shelf with the plush toys.
The vendors couldn't bow deep enough, not to mention the civilians.
"What a great honour to welcome you in our humble store, my Lord!" the owner of the shop hurried forward to greet Marr properly. "How may we serve?"
Marr had never been more grateful for his mask than now, when he felt himself blushing as he thought over the purpose of his visit. How could it look like, for Force's sake? An aged Sith Lord, a Dark Council member, wanted to buy a plush toy. It sounded outright ludicrous. Still, he was determined to get that toy for Naereus; his apprentice deserved it.
"I wish to see your... stuffed animal collection" Marr said, his voice dignified and slightly threatening, implying that if he couldn't find what he was looking for, it would have consequences.
The owner paled, the unsaid warning didn't escape his attention, but Marr heard stifled giggling behind his back. He turned, casting a dark glance in the general direction of the voice. It went silent immediately.
"Follow me, please, my Lord" the shopkeeper said, and Marr did so.
They stopped at a tall, wide shelf with so many plush toys that Marr just watched for a moment, confused. How was he supposed to find one Tuk'ata in that infinite sea of plushies?
"Perhaps you have something particular in mind, my Lord?" the vendor asked, saving Marr from lowering himself to ask such a question.
"My... acquaintance was very specific about the type. A Tuk'ata. The bigger the better. And it has to be soft."
The relief on the vendor's face was obvious as he dove into the toy-sea, soon emerging with a big, soft, funny-looking Tuk'ata in his arms. It looked like it was laughing, its mouth was open and its tongue hung on one side of its jaw. Marr found himself actually smiling beneath his mask as he signed to the vendor that it would do.
"We've just got a shipment" the shopkeeper explained as he gave the toy to Marr, who just nodded and headed to the counter to pay for the plushie.
"One hundred and fifty credits, my Lord" the young girl at the cashier said, visibly trembling and not daring to look at Marr.
Marr sighed impatiently; being a Sith Lord with a terrible reputation was a good thing in many situations but shopping in a toy store was definitely not one of them. He just wanted to buy a plush Tuk'ata, not to massacre everybody in the store in the bloodiest way a Sith could come up with.
"Here. Keep the change, child. Buy a nice doll or something" he said, and when the girl did look up at him, surprised and with a genuinely grateful smile on her face, Marr knew that that's what he was working for: his people and their safety.
Everything he'd ever done, on the Dark Council and in anywhere else, was for one goal: to make sure that his Empire – his home – was a place where his people could live and raise their children in prosperity.
"Goodbye" he said politely when he left the shop and the bunch of stunned customers and vendors.
Next time when Naereus was too tired to go to Ahiyah for the night and decided to stay in Marr's guest room, the Sith Lord gave him the Tuk'ata he'd bought before his apprentice went to sleep.
"Is that... for me?" Naereus muttered, amazed, but it was obvious that he liked the plushie; his first reaction was to hug it tight.
"Take it as a token of my appreciation of your achievements in your training. I'm very pleased with your progress, my apprentice."
Naereus grinned up at him, grateful.
"Thank you... master."
This one word warmed Marr's heart much more than he'd care to admit. Until now, Naereus refused to call him that because of his traumatic experiences on Korriban. Marr didn't push him, the Sith Lord knew very well that respect wasn't shown in words but in actions, however, it did feel good to be called 'master' again.
"You're welcome" he said, smiling under his mask fondly. "Good night, Naereus."
Soon, Naereus was sleeping peacefully, hugging his new plush Tuk'ata tight and lovingly.
The End