The Gods of Mandalore

Chapter 9


"LORD Vader." an Imperial officer walked up to the armored Sith Lord and saluted, "We have captured the freighter that had escaped Concord Dawn." she informed and pointed to a large spacecraft that had been rounded up by two Imperial Star Destroyers not too far away.

Darth Vader turned to see outside the window of his ship and then saw the star destroyers start to circle around.

"They wait your command, Lord Vader." the officer added as she stood silently.

"Destroy them." Darth Vader briefly said and walked off, "They must pay for their insolence."

"Very well." the woman spoke and walked over to a console, "Juggernaut and Desolator, you have permission from Lord Vader to execute the ship." she reported.

"Copy that."
"Very well." two voices responded...

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Kanan sparred a bit with Ezra as Hera looked on with watchful eyes, making sure the fighting did not get too violent.

Despite its notoriety of being a mostly water planet, Lyrran still had a few island landmasses, which one was the site for the Rebel Docks.

The sand was white, and the flora was vibrant and colorful. The beach was a very calming place as the surf rose slowly to meet them.

"My padawan, always watch your back, for your enemy will always be on it." Kanan told Ezra as he swung his training pole, which the youth expertly blocked.

"Ha!" Ezra exclaimed and blocked a subtle strike his master launched, "You tried to sneak that in!" he chuckled and looked at Kanan.

"You catch on really quickly." Kanan complimented, then sat down next to Hera, "You tired me out, Ezra." he laughed and looked at his Padawan, but then turned when he saw Sabine come out of the hangar they themselves exited from.

"What is it you need, Sabin-" Hera stopped when she saw Boba Fett follow behind her.

"I'm going to learn some combat skills from Boba." Sabine reported as she walked up to Ezra, "Excuse me, Ezra." she told the Padawan and put on her helmet.

"I hope you are ready for me." Boba Fett murmured as he saw Sabine walk over to Hera and hand her blaster pistols. The man, feeling it was a matter of honorable combat, also surrendered his rifle to Kanan.
"There.. and for you." he took off his flame projector and his wrist rocket launcher, "Don't touch." he told the Jedi as he returned to the field of practice.

Using his boot, the bounty hunter drew a circle that separated the two Mandalorians from the rest of the beach.

Garazeb had joined the spectators,.

"What's going on?" he asked the others.

"Sabine is going to learn a few moves from Boba." Kanan reported as he saw Sabine look at Boba, "Don't hurt each other now." he told the two.

"No promises." Boba Fett bluntly responded, "Now, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, trying to test his student's morale.

"Yes, I want to be stronger so I can take out the Empire!" Sabine responded with passion, "Teach me!"

"As you wish." Boba Fett nodded, and then waited for Sabine to strike, circling around her as an act of strategy.

Sabine looked with intent at the bounty hunter, then threw the first punch, which was easily avoided by the man. She avoided a kick and dove just before exiting the line.

Boba Fett grunted and saw as the woman stood up, then urged her to 'come on' with his hand.

Sabine frowned, then charged with a kick aimed to Boba's chest, only to have her leg grabbed and her body spun around and subsequently slammed into the sand. "AGH!" she yelled and sprawled down.

The bounty hunter stepped on her back as an act of dominance.
"Don't be so foolish." he kicked her.

Hera winced as she heard the hit, then saw as Sabine slowly stood back up.

"Ha... Ha..." Sabine panted, then threw a hook that was caught, "AH!" she screamed when the bounty hunter spun her arm and locked her, "Let-Let go!"

"Never plead." Boba Fett grunted and kicked her away.
"It shows weakness." he saw as the woman stood back up.

"Now that's enough." Hera stood up, "That's foul play-"

"Hera, no." Sabine told the Twil'lek as she held her right arm, "I need to do this... It's the only way I stand a chance against the Imperials." she stood straight up and looked at Boba defiantly.

Boba Fett gave a short chuckle.

"I am not weak." Sabine growled and once again tried to strike Boba Fett, only to have all her punches avoided and then receive an uppercut straight into her stomach.

"HA..." the Mandalorian's air left her lungs.

"Hey!" Kanan stood as he saw Sabine fall to her knees.

"Agh..." Sabine Wren groaned and fell to the ground, completely damaged.

"Sabine-"

"No..." the Mandalorian stood defiant to all aid and groaned, "I will... win... I need to be... strong." she tried to pick herself up, only to have Boba extend his arm to her.

"This has been enough." the bounty hunter said and raised her up, then looked at her.

"But I don't feel... stronger..." Sabine murmured as she removed her helmet, revealing she was still disoriented from the powerful blow to her gut, "Boba... I need to keep-"

"No." Boba responded as he walked her next to Hera, then sat her down.
"You are too weak to train with me right now." he bluntly said and walked away, "Train with the Jedi before you come to me." he muttered and entered the hangar.

"Boba..." Sabine saw as the Mandalorian left her sights.

She felt forsaken, distraught.
She was weak, unskilled, and most of all unworthy to be called a Mandalorian.

Boba Fett had revealed to her she still had a long way to go before she could think of holding that title.

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Perhaps the bounty hunter was too harsh, but what did he know about that? He was the one who disintegrates people for resisting arrest, he was the one who was not scared to blast anyone who got on his bad side.

She's nothing but a joke right now, a whimsical woman who thinks our line is just for art.

The grand image of the Mandalorian he knew and loved appeared to him. His shining silver armor, his strong demeanor and exemplary combat potential.
That was the true Mandalorian, and Sabine for all he knew was so detached from that ideal.

If only she could fight as much as she could throw random colors together.

Boba Fett grumbled lowly as he entered the Ghost, then instinctively entered Sabine's room.

Look at this nonsense.

He criticized the art and all it stood for, the urge to tear it all down surging through his veins.
However, he didn't.
He just couldn't bring himself to commit to such an act.

"A Mandalorian's livelihood is theirs. No one can take that away." that voice echoed through Boba's head.

Boba Fett sighed and looked at the wall, suddenly stunned.

The words BOBA FETT were drawn there in Mandalorian, and his appearance as well, all surrounded by a glowing white aura.

What is this?

Boba Fett noted that his art-rendered self was holding a set of scales, and his right leg was stepping on what appeared to be a broken Stormtrooper helmet.

Wonder how long it took her to draw this? The whole week?

Unbeknown to Boba Fett, Sabine stood behind him.

She was looking at her role model, her beacon in the fight to destroy the Empire, the co-reedemer of their people.
But most of all, her most esteemed Ally.
One that understood her situation.

"I will not fail you again, Boba Fett." she spoke.

Boba Fett sighed, he had been too harsh.

"It's... fine." he murmured.

"News this whole week has been talking about the great success of the Mandalorian Purge, yet I still have not become as strong as you." Sabine said, "I feel like I am failing the Mandalorians, what good am I doing if I'm still too wea-"

"Shut up." Boba Fett interrupted her, then was about to say something but simply could not put it into words.
"Just... get better." was the most he could strain out.

Sabine sighed and looked down, "Despite my failure, I had made you this." she said and pulled out a small metal plate. "I thought that if we were ever the last two and I were to die, I would want you to never forget me." she said and handed the plate to him.

Boba Fett grabbed the plate and saw that it had her name on it.
Just like my father's...

The Bounty Hunter's memory went back to the plate on the Slave I's console, which was similar to this one.

"I know you may hate it, but I drew some art on the back of it." Sabine added, "I just want you to know that it is a big part of me. I love art and I would not want you to forget my-"

"Enough." Boba Fett grunted, "YOU are not going to die. Or Fail." he growled and looked at her, "You are going to train with me, and together we will take down the Empire." he spoke and grabbed her arm.

She cannot die.
I will not be left alone.
I will not rot away my father's line just because of haughtiness.
Sabine must live, and she must become strong- because that's what we Mandalorians do.


Thanks Itharius for the review.
And yes the survival of Mandalore will depend on more than reproduction, it was just a little joke Zeb made.

Hope you enjoy and please review!