Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co.

Big thanks to laloga and ComradeGoonie for reviewing!

Thirteen watched in awe as the Fives and the two commando squads performed the war... dance. It's not really a dance, but there really is no other word for it. Devrin had tried talking him into performing it with them, but the trooper had declined. Even though Sergeant Cordav had insisted that he was one of them, he still felt like the odd man out. These commandos and their sergeant were so different. Not even the Jedi Generals showed this much devotion to their men.

Speaking of Cordav, she was currently sitting on a crate, playing the rhythm for her men on her red flute. Which she had called a bes'bev. Gabe, Beta's sergeant, sat next to her in a newly acquired hoverchair, the Sarge's daughter sitting on his lap. Teanna was also watching the performance with wide eyes. Thirteen still found it strange that the little Togruta referred to the clones that her mother trained on Kamino as her uncles. I guess I shouldn't be surprised since Sarge thinks of us as her little brothers. It's still weird though.

Teanna turned as if she heard something and focused on a point past him. Thirteen followed her gaze and snapped to attention when he saw that Generals Kenobi and Skywalker were walking up. Gabe nodded his head respectfully, but Cordav didn't even bother to lower her flute.

"Obi-Wan!" Tea cried out happily as she carefully slid off of Gabe's lap and then proceeded to run full tilt towards the bearded general.

The older Jedi bent down to greet the child while General Skywalker turned toward Thirteen, "At ease, trooper." He glanced at Fives and the commandos before turning toward the Mando woman. "What's going on here, Sergeant?" He seemed taken aback that she still hadn't even bothered to greet them.

Sarge tapped the bottom of Gabe's hoverchair with her boot and he took the bes'bev from her, picking up where she'd left off. Once the instrument was out of her hands, she then gave both generals a casual salute before her daughter climbed onto her lap, "Dha Werda Verda."

"And that is..." General Kenboi asked, running his hand over his beard.

"Rage of the Shadow Warriors. It's an ancient Mandalorian war chant. This version," Sergeant Skylar nodded toward her men, "was changed for the commandos and Alpha ARCs."

"And how, exactly, was it changed?" Kenobi asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Would you like me to translate, Generals?" Sarge quirked an eyebrow at them, amusement plain on her face. I wonder what it is that she finds so funny?

"If it's not too much to ask." General Skywalker was starting to get irritated. The fact that a commanding officer's disapproval didn't even faze the sergeant was enough to make Thirteen want to gape at her.

"Not at all." Sarge was quiet for a few minutes, waiting for something. The performing clones started the chant over again and she began translating, "The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Jedi's heart. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, the first noble sons of Coruscant. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still." The woman paused again, waiting for her men to start singing the second verse, "The gauntlet of the Republic strikes without mercy. We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow, the first noble sons of Coruscant. Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame. Our vengeance burns brighter still."

She looked pointedly at the two Jedi, "As you can probably guess, Jetiise means 'Jedi' and Coruscanta means 'Coruscant.' The original chant has Mando'ade, 'Mandalorians,' Manda'yaim, 'Mandalore.' And tsad Droten means 'Republic.'

"Why bother changing it?" Skywalker asked, watching her warily.

Sargeant Skylar snorted, "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have tampered with it. Jango himself changed the words to make the men more loyal to the Republic."

That earned her surprised looks from both Jedi, "Jango? But why would he...?"

"'Cause a contract's a contract, Kenobi. We Mandos don't break our word. Ever."

"Then why would Fett fight against us on Geonosis?"

Cordav tilted her head, "He was contracted to be the clone template and to train the Alpha ARCs, Skywalker. His contract, like mine, didn't include fighting for the Republic." Thirteen couldn't help but notice the contempt in her voice as she spoke of the Republic. "You already know why I'm here though."

"Buir?"

"Yeah, ad'ika?"

"What's a contract?"

Cordav played with one of her daughter's lekku, making the little girl shake her head in irritation, "It's like a business deal. Beroyase, bounty hunters, like me, get paid for doing something for a client." The little girl crinkled her nose earning a chuckle from her mother, "A client is the person or people who hire a bounty hunter. The Republic is my client."

Both Jedi looked at her with astonished faces. "But I thought Mandalore was part of the Republic," Skywalker said, his hand involuntarily going for his lightsaber.

That, apparently, was the wrong thing for the General to say to the Sargeant. This time, Thirteen openly gaped at her as her face contorted in fury, "And who told you that fat lie? Mandalore has never been, and never will be, for that matter, part of the Tsad Droten."

"Duchess-" Kenobi began, only to get cut off by Cordav's glare. The woman handed her daughter to Thirteen and marched right into the High General's personal space.

"Kryze may call herself a Mandalorian, but she is not. She and her little group have turned their back on their culture, just like the Kyr'tsad."

Gabe lowered the flute, narrowing his eyes at Cordav, "S'ika. Back off and udesii. Before you do something di'kutla."

"Kyr'tsad?" Kenobi asked, not at all fazed by the Mando woman. Thirteen figured that he should be though, judging from the way that Beta's former sergeant was watching the woman sergeant.

"Death Watch," Cordav said as she backed off, her anger still very clear on her face and in her voice. "They're both dar'mando'ade. No longer Mandalorians. They don't even know what it means to be Mandalorian."

Thirteen just stood there uneasily, shifting Teanna in his arms. The little girl was watching her mother with wide eyes. The trooper glanced between both the sergeant and the generals as Fives and the other commandos came over to see what the commotion was about. Jinx put a calming hand on his sergeant's shoulder, "Udesii, Sky."

"Yeah, ori'vod. Now's not the time for one of your history tirades," Devrin spoke, trying, and failing, to ease the tension.

Sarge stiffened as if she just realized what she was doing, "My apologies, Generals." With that, she turned to Thirteen and took her daughter from him before stalking off.

bes'bev = iron flute

buir = mama

ad'ika = little one

beroyase = bounty hunters

udesii = calm down/take it easy

di'kutla = stupid

ori'vod = big sister

Please R&R.