Disclaimer; I do not own Star Wars or anything else owned by Lucas Arts, Disney, whoever has the rights right now. I only own my characters, plots and words.
Chapter One; The Black Soul
Caldiis Sordano stood facing the window of the Republic Cruiser, The Determined. Before him lay a Mandolorian vessel of the same size, The Black Soul. No shots had been fired yet but the tense standoff wouldn't hold forever.
They'd been tracking the enemy for almost a week now, both sides having taken losses. The short, violent skirmishes had led to this.
Rumor from intel was that the Black Soul held one of Mandalore's top generals, dubbed Mandalore's Fist. If the Republic could capture him, it would be a major victory for them. And Force knew they needed that.
"Sir," Commander Than Cord stepped behind Caldiis, hands clasped behind his back. "The strike teams are in position. They just await your signal to begin."
Black space didn't seem to hold the answers for the jedi's wandering eye. He suddenly seemed tired. He didn't want this to end in violence. "Have they responded to the peace request yet?"
"With all due respect sir, they're Mandolorians. They're not interested in a peaceful resolution." Cord replied.
"Have they responded?"
"No, sir. No word."
"I guess then we don't have much choice than," Sordano breathed out heavily. His lightsaber a suddenly felt the weight of the coming battle, feeling ten times heavier on his belt. "Tell them if we don't hear from the enemy, we move in five."
"Very well," The commands turned away but paused. "Sir, will you be participating in the battle?"
"You know I would never ask the troops to do something I wouldn't lead them myself in," Caldiis turned from the window and gazed at the crew in the bridge. They looked at him expectantly. "Than, I leave you in charge until my return. Should something happen to me, then you shall inherit my position as the leader of this operation."
"Sir..." Cord looked at the white robed Jedi. "Sir, I'm honored. But I have confidence that you'll return unharmed."
"Thank you for the confidence, Than." Caldiis smiled, nodding at him. "I must go finish preps rations."
"May the Force be with you, sir," Commander Cord wished before turning to make the announcement for the attack.
Caldiis made his way swiftly to the hanger. A sense of foreboding had overcome him and he seemed to be unable to shake it. The Black Soul gave off vibes that worried him. He felt... something there.
He sighed, focusing on the upcoming mission as he reached the hanger. The place was busy with troopers in white armor readying themselves as technicians busied themselves with the ships and repairs. The Jedi's eyes scanned the area, looking for his ride. . .
"Oi, Sordano, you comin' along?"
Caldiis grinned at the soldier. His name was Sargent Fildan. His white and yellow armor was scorched blaster residue, covered in scratches and craters. In his hand, he hefted a large underhand grenade launcher like it was a toy. "Of course, Fildan. I can't let you guys have all the excitement."
The man clapped him on the back. "Good to have you with us again."
Another head popped out of the gunship. The pilot and squad medic for the Sentinels, Anna Scone. Her long brown hair flooded out as she took off her helmet. "Sordano's come down from his perch in the Bridge, eh?"
"Makes our job easier," A pale, small man with a sniper slung over his shoulder commented.
"Ah, you're just as happy to see him, Speigh," Anna shot at him, hitting the man on the arm before climbing into the cockpit. "Buckets on, everyone. Take off in two."
The four man squad, including the squad demolitions man, John 'Sparky' Han, who had been quiet up until this point. They all climbed about the gunship, each following their own pre mission ritual or jibbing at the others.
Caldiis let his face split into a smile. This was Task Force Sentinel. An elite fighting force, the best of the best. A close knit group of disfunct personalities with deadly weapons. And Caldiis was honored to be the Jedi that was assigned to act as a liaison.
"Everyone ready?" Anna's voice came in over the gunships engines as they littered off, following the train of fellow gunships.
"So, what's the plan, Sordano?" Fildan asked. "Go in and shoot any Mando that shows up?"
"Actually no," Caldiis shook his head as they left the hanger. "The plans pretty simple. All teams will land and secure the landing zone. Then everyone will split up. A team to the engines, weapons, communications."
"Which are we?"Speigh's raspy voice inquired. His red light troopers armor reflected sinisterly in the dim light.
"Well the most important. Once we land, our job is to make it to the bridge and capture Mandalore's Fist," Caldiis stated, watching as everyone seemed to straighten in their seats. They know how important this was. "You are the best, after all."
"You mean to tell us-"
"Taking fire! Hold on boys!" Anna's voice suddenly crackled through the ship as the ship cut to the side, slamming its assemblers around. Caldiis craned his eyes to see out the small observation window. His green eyes widened in shock at the sight.
Blaster fire poured like rain from the Black Soul. The Jedi saw his fellow gunships go up in flames. The Mandalorians shouldn't have that much fire power...
Force.
It was a trap. They'd been luring them in. They hadn't even bothered with sending a squad of fighters to bomb them.
And Caldiis had blundered in like a padawan on his first mission.
It was his fault.
The next few minutes were done of the worst of his life. He swam in the awe full realization and was helpless. He could so nothing but watch and clench his seat tighter as he watched the sickening spectacle and trust in Anna' skill as a pilot.
And it was not misplaced. Several long minutes later, the gunship slammed into the enemies floor, flaming wing from a carefully placed blaster shot. The Sentinels quickly disembarked, weapons blazing.
Caldiis' arms pistoned rapidly, deflecting shots. A Mandalorian with more bravery charged him, slashing a vibroblade. Sordano easily flipped over him, his gold lightsaber blade slashing through his body, perfectly in tandem with his offhandedly light blue blade. Gold sizzled as he twirled to deflect a bolt of energy back to its shooter as blue swirled to block a vibrosword.
After that, more enemy reinforcements arrived and Caldiis entered an almost autonomous state. Defend, slash, roll, deflect, counter. Repeat. He briefly saw the other Sentinels fighting bravely among the other troops, holding the line with iron will.
Finally, the last Mandalorian was dispatched and the hanger fell silent. Caldiis felt his blood run cold at the sight before him. He ran a hand through his blond hair, staring at the carnage.
Of the almost fifty gunships that had taken off, only thirty had made it. More troops lay dead or wounded on the ground. Mandalorians were sprawled out all over the floor. One with a jetpack even lay limply on the wing of a ship.
"Sir, Alpha Team is at half strength. Beta is hanging on. Gamma is the worst off," Fildan reported, holding his helmet under the crook of his slbow, allowing his pained expression to be seen. "Sparky is down as well. Anna said he'll live but he's not in fighting shape. His left arm. . . well, he was never good against vibroblades."
"I. . . " Caldiis' voice failed him.
"Change of plans. Have all the men hold the line here." He ordered. He needed to salvage this. "Have the men make a barricade around the wounded. They'll hold the line here. Sentinel and I will continue as planned."
"Sir, with all due respect," Fildan started. "The men knew the risk. We should continue as planned."
"No. They knew what we'd do. If we capture Mandalore's Fist, we'll end this." The Jedi stated firmly. "Now move out."
"Yessir," Fildan nodded before issuing the orders and collecting Anna and Speigh. They reported silently, nodding solemnly to him. Without a word, they exited the hanger, weapons ready and Gold blade lit.
Caldiis was hyper alert but as they walked, nothing happened. No resistance, no traps, no ambushes. The four of them made it to the hallway leading to the bridge in astonishing time.
And then his sense of foreboding returned.
"Everyone, be on guard," he stated, twirling his gold saber as he looked around.
"Do you think it's a trap?" Sleigh asked, adjusting his sniper's sights.
"Without a doubt." Caldiis stated.
"Are we going to spring it?" File an asked, grinning.
"Without a doubt." Caldiis repeated, starting down the long hallway to the bridge. It was silent except for the quiet hum of the lightsaber and the troops footsteps.
Suddenly, Caldiis stopped walking as the reached the door to their destination, hand held up in a fist to order them to stop. The group instantly did so, swinging their weapons in wide, scanning arcs. Then a loud clap resonated.
Before anybody could react, Mandalorians appeared out of no where. Jumping out of holes in the wall, falling from vents in the ceiling. In barely two seconds, the Sentinels had become completely surrounded. The lethal warriors formed a square, all back to back as the enemies formed a circle around them.
"Sir, what's the plan?" Anna asked hesitantly. She gripped her pistol tightly in her hands. They'd been in situations like this but...
"Hold your fire," Caldiis replied, scanning the enemies. Clad in the armor of their commandos, most with matte black armor and gold highlights. Sordano also noted that while the decals in their armor varied, each had a symbol of a circle with lines coming off it somewhere. This was likely a clan.
They might be able to win but it wouldn't end well.
And the hadn't fired yet either.
Then, the bridge doors slid open. Calmly stepping out was a Mandalorian, in full commando garb. The figure appeared to be female from her gait and body composition. Her only weapon appeared to be a pistol strapped to her thigh and a knife in a shoulder holster.
Her armor was onyx in color but instead of the gold highlights as her clan had, she had silver. The visit of her helmet was silver as well, catching the light and reflecting it. The other soldiers parted ways to let her pass. Then she crossed her arms and appraised the four enemies in front of her.
"You have come for Mandalore's Fist." It was a statement, not a question. Any touch of female tone though was lost from the harsh vocalizer in her helmet.
"We did." Caldiis replied.
"You fell into an obvious trap."
"We did."
"You are now surrounded. Do you you intend to surrender?"
"No," Caldiis shook his head, bolstering his resolve. "Our objective is to important to ignore. We shall complete our mission."
"We cannot allow you to proceed forward, Caldiis Sordano," The mysterious Mandalorian stated cooly.
"How do you know my name?"
"Your prowess has not been lost on my people. We respect you as a warrior and general." She inclined her helmet as she spoke. "You have earned the respect of Clan Tranyc, our clan. It has been an honor to face you. However, we cannot allow you to succeed in you mission."
"Oh, yeah?" Fildan snarled, hefting his grenade launcher toward her.
She snapped into action, in one fluid motion drawing her knife and throwing it. The black blade sailed perfectly, burying itself into the troopers chest. Fildan's eyes went wide and he fell back, coughing.
"Anna, tend to him. I don't want to lose another man on this mission," Caldiis snapped, ordering the medic to heal him. Then he turned back to the Mandalorian. "Mando, I expect you to step aside in the next few seconds or prepare to become one with the Force."
"My name is Sar Tranyc, of Clan Tranyc. If you are to address me, you shall address me as such." She said coldly before pausing. "I have an offer that you might be interested in though."
"Speak quickly."
"You have a Mandalorian's spirit. I respect that." Sar stated. "My offer is this. A duel between us two. The loser must withdraw their forces. In addition, one member of the loser's side must become a captive to the enemies."
The Jedi stared. That would prevent further casualties and sate the Mandalorian's honor. However, if he lost, he had no doubt that she planned for him to become their prisoner.
He sighed it was a tough choice.
"Very well, I agree to your terms." He nodded. "Will I be allowed to use my lightsaber in this duel?"
"I would be insulted if you chose otherwise." She nodded. "The rules of the duel at simple. The first one to pin or otherwise relieve the other of the ability to fight, wins."
"Seems fair." Caldiis bowed as The Sentinels stepped back and he assumed a defensive pose.
The woman bowed in return, then raised both hands. One was parallel to the ground beside her helmet and the other was cocked in front of her. Just when Caldiis thought she was going to fight him bare handed, two long blades extended from her gauntlets.
Without any hesitation, she launched toward at him, slashing several times. The Jedi barely had time to react, combat rolling to the side to avoid the lethal weapons.
He sprung to his feet, just in time to counter a jab aimed at his throat. 'Otherwise incapacitate' was right! Caldiis swung his own weapon at her, only to have her block it with her gauntlet.
Force, she had Beskar in her armor. The fabled 'Mandalorian Iron' that was strong enough to stop even a lightsaber. That was going to make things a lot more difficult.
A gauntlet knife whistled toward Caldiis again, forcing him back. The duel was in full swing now. Blades clashed and spun, figures spinning, dodging and twisting and lashing.
Caldiis panted, sweating heavily as he tried to keep up. She was good. Exceptionally so. Her movements were all calculated and precise, forcing him to be on-guard at all times. It was perhaps the most difficult duel he had ever had to participate in.
The fight continued to rage though, neither side giving in and their forces watching and waiting. The two duelists continued their dance, neither able to gain an advantage or making a mistake worth exploiting.
Until Sar's foot caught during a roll. It was only a slight stumbled but it allowed Caldiis to snap forward, delivering a knee to her stomach and knocking her over. She struggled to her feet again but a Force Push knocked her back again. Then his shimmering blade laid against her throat.
"Do you surrender?"
". . ."
"Do you surrender?" Caldiis repeated, staying his saber.
"I submit." She said quietly. The Mandalorian seemed to deflate at the words.
The gold blade slid back into its hilt, getting replaced by a hand. Caldiis extended it as an offer of respect for her skills. The commando gruffly accepted it as he hefted her to her feet.
The other Mandalorians lowered their weapons, seeing their leader defeated in a fair fight.
"Hand over Mandalore's Fist and we'll leave your ship." Caldiis stated, muscles still aching from the exertion. "That was the terms of the duel."
"Incorrect," Sar stated, hitting the controls for the door to the bridge. They slid open, revealing an empty command center. "Mandalore's Fist was never onboard this ship. The terms of the duel was that you could take one prisoner from the enemy force."
"He was never onboard?" The Jedi asked incredulously. "But we've been tracking you for days."
"It was elaborate ruse to draw you out," She stated. "As per terms the agreement though, you may choose one prisoner to take prisoner. I would be willing fulfill this role."
Sar did seem to be the logical choice. But. . . "How do I know this isn't a trap?"
"You don't. I swear on my honor that it isn't though." She stated, frowning as Anna made a show of sheathing the Mandalorian's knife. The Mandalorians valued their honor above all else so that reassurance was enough for the Jedi.
"Fine. I accept you becoming our prisoner. I expect you and your men to cooperate with us." Caldiis agreed as she nodded, knives sliding back into her gauntlets. "Sleigh, Anna, get Fildan to the gunship. Tranyc, order your clan to stand down."
She nodded, saying a few words in Mando'a and they relaxed hesitantly, moving to allow them to pass. Caldiis followed last, holding the back and keeping an eye on their new prisoner. The victory felt hollow. They'd been tricked and had list a lot of good men.
As the he watched the Republic forces getting back on their respective ships, he still couldn't shake the sense of foreboding he had. The ships lifted off in almost silence before disappearing from view in space.
This wasn't over he thought as he boarded his gunship with the Sentinels and Sar.
He still felt a darkness aboard the Black Soul. The ship took off and Caldiis' hand clasped his lightsaber.
He felt a darkness rising.
Author's Note; I have finally gotten an idea that I like for Star Wars. Been wanting a Fanfic in this forever but never wanted to risk writing an awful story. So, I finally buckled down and wrote one. This is set during the Mandalorian Wars and follows the exploits of Jedi Knight Caldiis Sordano. I hope you enjoy it. May the Force be with you, and until next update, Baldore out.