diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2d1a034..fe6983d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,12 +10,11 @@
   "author": "Yanick Champoux <yanick@babyl.ca> (http://techblog.babyl.ca)",
   "license": "ISC",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@types/inquirer": "^7.3.1",
-    "@types/node": "^14.14.16",
-    "@types/yargs": "^15.0.12",
+    "@gitgraph/node": "^0.1.18",
     "inquirer": "^7.3.3",
-    "simple-git": "^2.31.0",
-    "typescript": "^4.1.3",
-    "yargs": "^16.2.0"
+    "lodash": "^4.17.21",
+    "simple-git": "^2.47.0",
+    "yargs": "^16.2.0",
+    "yurnalist": "^2.1.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/commands/new_branch.js b/src/commands/new_branch.js
index bee01cb..d002fb2 100644
--- a/src/commands/new_branch.js
+++ b/src/commands/new_branch.js
@@ -1,5 +1,65 @@
-"use strict";
-Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
-exports.default = (function () {
-    console.log('yay');
-});
+const Git = require('simple-git');
+const inquirer = require('inquirer');
+const report = require('yurnalist');
+const _ = require('lodash');
+
+async function checkWorkspaceClean() {
+    return Git().status().then((result) => {
+        if (!result.isClean()) throw new Error('workspace not clean, aborting');
+    })
+}
+
+async function currentBranch() {
+    let branch = await Git().raw('branch', '--show-current');
+    return branch.replace("\n",'');
+}
+
+async function getBaseBranch(branch) {
+
+    const base = await Git().getConfig(`branch.${branch}.mikado-base`);
+
+    if(base.value) return base.value;
+
+    // not in the config? Okay then, let's see all the
+    // options we have
+    const result = await Git().branch({'--merged': 'HEAD'});
+
+    const answer = await inquirer.prompt([
+        {
+            name: 'base',
+            message: 'base branch: ',
+            type: 'list',
+            choices: result.all,
+        }
+    ]);
+
+    return answer.base;
+}
+
+module.exports = async (yargs) => {
+
+//    await checkWorkspaceClean();
+
+    const branch = yargs.branch;
+
+    const upstream = await currentBranch();
+
+    const base = yargs.base ?? await getBaseBranch(upstream);
+
+    report.list('setup', ['branch','upstream','base'],{
+        branch,
+        upstream,
+        base,
+    });
+
+    report.info(`branching ${branch} off ${base}`);
+
+    await Git().checkoutBranch(branch,base);
+
+    await Git().addConfig( `branch.${branch}.mikado-base`, base );
+    await Git().addConfig( `branch.${branch}.mikado-upstream`, upstream );
+
+    await Git().addConfig( `branch.${upstream}.mikado-dependency`, branch, true );
+
+    report.success('done!');
+}
diff --git a/src/commands/new_branch.ts b/src/commands/new_branch.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 653ea29..0000000
--- a/src/commands/new_branch.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-import Git from 'simple-git';
-import inquirer from 'inquirer';
-
-async function check_workspace_clean() {
-    return Git().status().then((result) => {
-        if (!result.isClean()) throw new Error('workspace not clean, aborting');
-    })
-}
-
-export default async () => {
-    await check_workspace_clean();
-
-    const result = await Git().branch({'--merged': 'HEAD'});
-
-    const ancestors = result.all;
-
-    const resp = await inquirer.prompt([
-        {
-            name: 'parent',
-            message: 'grand-parent branch: ',
-            type: 'list',
-            choices: ancestors,
-        }
-    ])
-
-    console.log(resp);
-}
diff --git a/src/git-mikado.js b/src/git-mikado.js
index 9400c85..4a62c42 100644
--- a/src/git-mikado.js
+++ b/src/git-mikado.js
@@ -1,11 +1,38 @@
-"use strict";
-var __importDefault = (this && this.__importDefault) || function (mod) {
-    return (mod && mod.__esModule) ? mod : { "default": mod };
-};
-Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
-var yargs_1 = __importDefault(require("yargs"));
-var new_branch_1 = __importDefault(require("./commands/new_branch"));
-yargs_1.default(process.argv.slice(2))
-    .command('new [branch_name]', 'create new mikado branch', function (yargs) {
-    yargs.positional('branch_name', { describe: 'name of the new branch', required: true });
-}, new_branch_1.default).argv;
+const yargs = require("yargs");
+const new_branch = require("./commands/new_branch");
+
+yargs
+    .scriptName("git-mikado")
+    .showHelpOnFail(true)
+    .command(
+        "new [branch]",
+        "create new mikado branch",
+        (yargs) => {
+            return yargs
+                .positional("branch", {
+                    describe: "name of the new branch",
+                })
+                .option("base", {
+                    alias: "b",
+                    describe: "base branch",
+                })
+                .option("upstream", {
+                    alias: "u",
+                    describe: "branch that is dependent on the new branch",
+                })
+                .demandOption(["branch"]);
+        },
+        new_branch
+    )
+    .fail((msg, err, yargs) => {
+        try {
+            const message = msg || err.message;
+            console.error(message);
+            process.exit(1);
+        } catch (e) {
+            yargs.showHelp();
+        }
+    })
+    .help()
+    .demandCommand(1, "")
+    .strict().argv;
diff --git a/src/git-mikado.ts b/src/git-mikado.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 09627fa..0000000
--- a/src/git-mikado.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-import yargs from 'yargs';
-
-import new_branch from './commands/new_branch'
-
-yargs(process.argv.slice(2))
-    .command( 'new [branch_name]', 'create new mikado branch', yargs => {
-        yargs.positional('branch_name', {describe: 'name of the new branch', required: true} )
-    },
-    new_branch
-    )
-    .fail((msg,err,yargs) => {
-        const message = msg || err.message;
-        console.error(message);
-        process.exit(1);
-    })
-    .argv;