Step by step guide for idiots ( idiot, me )

nodemon said

11v right now to starter relay and "j" terminal, so I guess fusible link is intact.. Also continuity across all fuses.. I'm thinking I may have fried something on the cluster..?
I just hate to pull it out until I can eliminate everything before...but maybe I need to..?

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11v at the starter relay is low. Is it also 11v at the battery terminal? You'll want to either get it charged up correctly or replace it if it's bad. You could have a parasitic draw that is draining your battery. A bad or poor performing battery could have you chasing your tail on troubleshooting everything else if you don't get that corrected.

To test for parasitic draw, disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery. Clip the test light to the battery cable and then touch the test light probe to the neg battery terminal to complete the circuit. If the light is on, this means something is drawing power. Ensure all switches are off and no lights are on anywhere in the vehicle. If everything is off, remove the fuses one at a time until the test light goes out. That will tell you which circuit to start troubleshooting.

A short somewhere can cause a parasitic draw.

I wouldn't worry about guessing about frying something in the cluster. Use your tools, some simple troubleshooting and the schematics to find out exactly where the issue is. It'll save you a ton of time and you'll get a good grasp on how the electrical system works and how to troubleshoot it. Keep asking questions when you're stumped and we'll get you there.