Chapter 1
The Wolf
37 BBY
His beskan was drawn. It was a blade forged of beskar, Mandalorian iron that resisted almost any temperature or velocity. Jango said that it was bigger than other blades, a curved, slender, single-edged blade with a circular guard and long grip to accommodate two hands, unlike beskads, or bes'bevs, whatever those were. Long, but not unwieldy. Light, but not unbalanced. Cold, but not fragile. Curved, at a steady angle and honed to the point where it could almost splice though genes, as some joked. But, he knows he cannot take chances. He checks his corners. He remembers what Jango taught him. He had definitely enlightened him. His armour was small, fitted specially for him. He though it was too heavy.
"Heavy is best." Jango said. He said it was made of a special metal called Beskar, and that his armour was a Beskar'gam set. He had just given it to him, and told him to use it carefully, or he'd die. He did not like that. But he was determined. He decided he was going to go to Mandalore and fight the Sith without Jedi principles. He wanted to fight with honor, and Plo Koon had tried to help him, but failed. He knew Plo Koon was good. He fought like an ancient shadow warrior, Jango said. Wherda Verda. Jango was no fan of Jedi, though. Like him. He respected Plo Koon's fighting style and skill. And that was all. Jango said he'd wait for him on a landing pad on the other side of Ovas cave. He said that not even a lightsaber would cut through his armour, and that he had nothing to worry about. But he did worry. Not for himself. For Plo Koon. Like it or not, he was betraying a friend to be able make his own choices, any way you put it. He knew that. He Decided to take out the holorecorder, record a message, and leave it for the Jedi.
"Plo, I apologize. I understand I leave you in a time of crisis, with Qui-Gon just dead. But I do as I must-" A sabre ignited. Plo Koon Had ambushed him! The sabre hit hard at his beskar armour, but did not cut through it. He drew his beskan as he whirled on the Jedi. He would do what he had to. He locked swords with his assailant. It was not Plo Koon. It was Mace Windu. The man's face was ashen. He held the beskan pointed at the ground.
"I'm sorry. I will fight for my own freedom at any or all costs. You. Do. Not. Control me."
"You shall not walk free as a traitor!" Mace roared at him.
"What happened, Windu? Right of Denial? I have the right to leave the Order. I will kill you if I cannot exercise my rights."
And so the blade battle began. Legend goes that The Man held one hand behind his back, knowing that he was a better swordsman than Windu, and fought with his beskan one handed. The heated battle was coming to a climactic end.
He saw that Windu was about to go for a decapitation. He knew his beskan wouldn't raise fast enough so he had to reach for his Darksaber. He banked on the flash decision...
What Happened Next
But he failed. His Force powers might not have been strong enough. He would have called it luck. An ignited Darksaber hit the ground and extinguished. His helmet rolled.
"I'll do the same to the one who was helping you."
After that, Windu was never seen to smile.
The Other Path; another branch on the same tree:
And deflected the purple beam of hard light! He cheated death once more! He took the stance of a Samurai and met Windu's gaze with eyes like a rattlesnake. They paced around an invisible circle waiting for the other to strike. Windu spoke: "You will not live to join the Sith!"
Windu struck without thinking, a burst of adrenaline from fear powered him to run at the now dark Jedi. The Dark Jedi choose the easiest of tactics for the fool. He stuck his leg out and Windu fell. He turned on a sixpence and stuck the Darksaber through Windu. He roared in pain as the Dark Jedi extinguished his Darksaber and re-ignited it to decapitate Windu, cutting off the Jedi's head and his petty insult.
He dropped the holorecorder at Windu's feet, and took his lightsaber. He would take it from the Jedi he had to kill.
"Are you alright?" Jango asked via the comlink. "I thought I heard something."
He walked while talking, pressing the button on his helmet to communicate with one hand, and his beskan in the other. " I had to kill Windu. Plo is still in the caves, I'd bet. But he knows I'm not hunting anybody. I still have the flare."
"And I still have my ship. I'll get you to Mandalore, kid."
He walked out to the landing pad, popped the red flare, and Watched Slave I coming to for him.
Little did he know, he was being watched, from a ledge above. By a Jedi Knight, namely, Plo Koon. And from under his goggles and mask, He smiled. The Dark Jedi had broken free of the chains the Jedi set upon him. He had trained him well.
