The ware of utter shock still electrified through Din's body, she removed her helmet, she had exposed herself, how could she, Bo-Katan was not apart of his clan, how could she proclaim herself as a Mandalorian?
Dishonor entered Din's mind and an immediate response was to collect her Beskar because she wasn't deem worthy to have.
"Where did you get that armor?" Din attacked.
Annoyed by his question but Bo-Katan obliged, "This armor has been in my family for three generations," when she was cut off by a disgusted Din.
"You do not cover your face. You are not Mandalorian," he declared.
"Oh no," she shook her head, "You're one of them."
"One of what?"
"I am apart of Clan Kryze. I was born on Mandalore and fought in the Purge, I am the last of my line, and you and her are children of the Watch."
"The Watch?" Din questioned in confusion.
"Children of the Watch stemmed from Clan Saxon as they became a cult of religious zealots that broke away from Mandalorian society. Their goal was to re-establish the ancient way."
"There is only one way. The way of the Mandalore," Din stressed when he gazed down at Osa and the child whom began to come to.
Din helped Osa into a sitting position and straightened the child securing him in the harness strapped onto Osa's back.
"Talk about electrifying," Osa proclaimed with her hand on her helmet trying to get her bearings, "What did I miss?" Osa asked her father when she noticed a Mandalorian with a face.
Osa couldn't help herself as perplextion, mixed with a hint of anxiety, enveloped her senses, in haste she kept turning her head from the woman to her father looking for answers, "Code violator, code violator Papi," Osa exclaimed quietly.
"I know," was all he replied.
"So this is your daughter?" Bo stated.
"She is."
"And the little one?"
"My son, this is my clan," Din established.
"So then you have no qualms reveling yourself to your kin, why is this any different?" Bo tried to rectify.
"We only get to see each other on our Date of Existence, which mine is today," Osa slipped in.
"Wow, they sure did you in good," Bo added.
"Who is she talking about?" Osa tried to get answers but Bo and Din had become distracted.
Off in the distance two silhouettes made their way towards them. Din slowly slipped his blaster at the ready but Bo was completely relaxed.
"Put down your weapon," she instructed when two more Mandalorians emerged; one woman, one male, "These are my Nite Owls, Koska Reeves and Axe Woves," when they too removed their helmets.
"What is going on? Did the Mandalorian Code change some where in between the time I went unconscious to the time I woke up?" Osa questioned trying to make sense of the violators.
"We apologize m'lady but he escaped," the female Mandalorian, Koska, reported with a hint of defeat.
"Dank farrik," Bo shouted almost slamming her helmet.
"We will find him," the male Mandalorian, Axe, declared in confidence.
"Oh I know exactly where he is going and you three are coming with," Bo demanded.
"To use us as bait, not a chance, we have our own mission to accomplish," Din reveled.
"Your mission can wait," Axe declared.
"Don't you want to assist your rightful ruler?" Koska questioned.
"She is not our ruler," Din enforced while getting Osa onto her feet, "And we are leaving," when the two Nite Owls severed Din's path, "Are we going to do this," Din said finger on his trigger.
"I don't know, are we?" Axe said back.
"Enough," Bo interrupted, "There has been to much civil war among the Mandalore people, let them pass."
Without hesitation the two Nite Owls complied with their leader and stepped aside. Din began walking with caution as Osa followed closely behind, for some reason something called to Osa, as if this woman was the beacon who held the answers they were looking for.
Osa turned her head to gaze upon the code violators when their leader glared at the child with recognition instead of intrigue. Quickly Osa stopped in her tracks as Din could feel her vacancy.
"Osa," Din whispered so the others couldn't hear, but she was locked in stares with Bo.
"You've seen him before, haven't you?" Osa motioned towards the child with the nod of her head.
"I have," Bo reveled.
"Papi," Osa pleaded confused that her father was turning away from information that could help them.
"I can assist with your mission, just as long as you assist with mine," Bo stated by contracting a verbal agreement. Practically knowing he was at a stalemate Din had nothing to go off of and so accepted Bo's agreement, but with regret already brewing inside him.
The fully armored Mandalorians made their way towards their ships as Bo began constructing a plan, "Fett will be expecting us so we will need to devise the element of surprise."
"He sustained some nasty blows from us, he will most likely need to regroup and reload," Koska informed.
"And the only place he is most familiar with is Tatooine," Bo said.
"How can you be so sure?" Din questioned.
"Can't make new Sarlacc bombs without a Sarlacc," Axe said snarky.
"Sarlacc, those things will eat you alive, plus they have horrible digestion issues," Osa bluntly pointed out when they reached Bo Katan's ship.
The platform lowered when Axe and Koska waited for Din and Osa to board first.
"Everyone on board, we have no time to waste," Bo instructed.
"We are not flying with you. I have my own ship," Din declared.
"You can leave it here, once our task is finished I will return you," Bo stated.
"No, we will meet you on Tatooine in separate ships."
"And what makes me think you won't just jump to hyperspace and I never see you again?"
"Isn't a ruler suppose to trust their people?"
"Of course, but you clearly made your point that I wasn't your ruler so let's cut the theatrics and come to an agreement. You can take your ship, but your kin will ride with us and my Nite Owls will ride with you."
"Absolutely not," Din began to lose his temper when Osa stepped in between.
"Papi it's fine," she put her hands on his chest plate hoping she could hold him back.
"No," he stated firmly.
"The sooner we do this the quicker we can be on our own way plus we need her intel," she reminded her father.
Bo could see the daughter was the key to his reasoning and motioned for Axe and Koska to join their newest confidant. Osa let go of her father and began to make her way towards the code violators when something screamed at her for everyone to take cover, as the flash of a timed detonator sounded blowing the Nite Owls ship to pieces.
Everyone was sent flying back several feet with luckily no casualties. Each clan checked on their own members, Katan to her Nite Owls and Din with his children.
"Is everyone okay?" Osa shouted while signaling for her father to resituate the child who hide deep in the pouch.
Bo, Koska, and Axe all nodded that they were okay when the only solution was presented, "Well it looks like we will all be taking your ship now," Bo pointed out when Din knew he had no choice.
Luckily the Razor Crest was positioned on the far out skirts of the Tolarian terrain otherwise Din was sure Boba Fett (who had been tracking them) would have also destroyed his ship, just like how Fett easily bombed Katan's.
Din sat at the wheel as Osa quickly cleaned up her mess in order to allow their guests a place to congregate, but Bo had other objections when she headed up to the cockpit.
"Why haven't we jumped to lightspeed yet?" Bo questioned.
"The Crest needs time to calculate the jump and besides my daughter usually correlates the navigational system but she seems to be a bit pre-occupied," Din informed knowing the usual mess she created.
"You know I never got either of your names."
"That's because I never gave them."
"Trust does go both ways and from what I am seeing you are not being very trust worthy," Bo pointed out.
"It is hard to believe anything coming from a Mandalorian poser."
"Hey, you were the ones who have been lied to, raised to believe Mandalorian ancient practices, when I reclaim my people," but she was cut off.
"Your people," Din stood, "Where were you when 'your people' needed you the most? If you were so important to the Mandalorians why has your name never been whispered, it has been forgotten just like how you forgot about 'your people' when the time was futile," Din enforced as Osa entered the cockpit and saw both ready to do combat.
"Am I interrupting," Osa playfully tried to ease the tension.
"I need you to 'carefully' navigate the hyperspace route to Tatooine," her father emphasized and used a secret term the two concocted if needed to devise a plan in front of an enemy.
Hesitant but never displaying it, Osa sat at her co-pilot chair and complied, "Affirmative," meaning she understood.
Osa created a fake chart declaring trouble within their path, "We will need to manually fly for a few hours before jumping," Osa informed.
"And why is that?" Bo asked in suspicion.
"Because a star has just gone supernova disrupting the surrounding space and pushing a very large asteroid field directly in our route," Osa lied.
"This could take awhile, you can join your fellow comrades below," Din suggested.
"No, I am fine right here," as Bo positioned herself along the back wall removing her helmet to reinforce to them that the action was never mandated, "You just keep us up to date when the debris clears," Bo stopped and waited for Osa to reveal her name.
Hesitant, Osa glared at her father for confirmation but knew his immediate answer when he sat in his seat in silence, "You can call me kiddo, it's a little nickname I've obtained even though I clearly am not one anymore."
"Oh yes didn't you say today marked your Date of Existence, what a joyous occasion," Bo genuinely said.
"Thank you it is," Osa was surprised the woman remembered because even though the situation they were in, Osa wouldn't want to be in it with anyone else then her father and now little brother whom sat in his seat opposite of her, "I am sure you reveled who you were but since I was unconscious I never caught your name."
"I am Bo Katan rightful ruler of Mandalore."
"Whoa you are royalty, but why would you want to rule Mandalore, that planet is cursed, whoever goes there dies?"
"Don't believe everything you hear," Bo said, "Our enemies want to separate us, but Mandalorians are stronger together."
"So is that why when the Empire knew they couldn't control the planet they made sure no one could?"
"Unfortunately so, the Empire desecrated our world by plundering materials to create weapons, but that will change in time," Bo smirked to herself when Osa peeked over and saw what her father was doing as he entered an incognito distress call to none other then the New Republic.
Osa realized she had to keep Bo distracted until someone was sent to hopefully obtain the Nite Owls, "So once you reclaim Mandalore then what, you believe all the Mandalorians will come back and accept you as their ruler?" Osa was genuinely curious, would her and her father live there, with his recent actions Osa was certain the answer would be no?
"Not exactly, there is something I must reclaim first," but Bo fell silent as a voice came over the Crest's comms.
"Razor Crest, M-One-Eleven. Come in, Razor Crest, do you copy?" Everyone went silent in the cockpit wondering whom it could be, but their answer was reveled once two X-wing pilots flew in unison with the Crest.
"This is the Razor Crest, is there a problem," Din tried to be inconspicuous but Bo could read right through.
"Get rid of them," she said with her hand on her blaster.
"We noticed your transponder is not emitting," the X-wing pilot notified.
"Yes, I'm pre-Empire surplus. I'm not required to run a beacon," Din informed not sure if this was their way in helping answering to the distress call or if the pilots were actually giving Din the rundown.
"That was before. This galaxy is under New Republic jurisdiction and before being assisted all craft are required to run a beacon and send a ping," the pilot informed.
"What did you do?" Bo whispered blaster being pulled out but Osa rose putting herself between her father and Bo's weapon.
"He will get rid of them," Osa said.
"If we can't confirm you're not Imperial you're gonna have to follow us to the outpost at Adelphi," the pilot continued when Osa rushed to her control panel and flipped a few switches sending their desired ping.
"Carson, can you switch over to channel two?' the second X-wing pilot asked his comrade.
"Copy," when the comms when silent and the X-wing ships deployed into attack mode.
Din quickly turned around to peer harshly at his daughter, "What did you send them?"
"Just whatever that droid Zero stored in the Crest," Osa shrugged her shoulders unsure herself.
"Was your craft in the proximity of New Republic Correctional Transport, Bothan-Five?" Carson asked harshly.
Instead of the New Republic helping them in their situation, Din had just smeared red on them with the time they were with Ran's crew. In a blink of an eye Din ignited full thrusters, steering the Crest towards the closest planet.
The X-wings followed at the ready to fire but gave a warning instead, "Razor Crest stand down. We will fire. I repeat, we will fire," Carson declared but Din was already five steps ahead.
He pushed the Crest to its limit but he knew the ship could take it; spinning, diving, and then free falling when everyone held onto dear life. Finally stabilizing straight Din headed into an icy canyon hoping he had lost his tails but they were better then expected.
"Come on Razor Crest don't make us do it," Carson pleaded when Din ignited his thrusters once more and made a hard bank to the right flying into a narrow cavern but then skidding onto icy terrain.
The Crest ice-skated harshly across the snow screeching finally to a halt once it hit the underbelly of a jagged mountain. Din immediately shut down the engines as the X-wings flew by declaring they lost visual but appeared to continue sweeping the area.
"Once again we get out of hot water with Papi's amazing flying skills," Osa pointed out.
"We wouldn't be in this mess if the New Republic hadn't been called," Bo yelled at Din.
"Are you accusing me for our run in?" Din began getting defensive even though he clearly summoned the New Republic.
"I don't need to see your face to know you're lying," Bo spat when Din rose ready for a fight but no one even had the chance to react as the ice beneath them collapsed and the Crest fell to its doom.
The dust had finally settled and everyone was staggering to their feet, Bo rushed below shouting to her fellow comrades as they yelled back declaring they were all right. Din picked up his frighten son and handed him to Osa who was also a bit taken aback.
"Geez when we get deep into a situation we plummet low," she tried to joke but her father headed to the lower deck telling her to stay in the cockpit while he figured out this mess.
What felt like forever, Osa sat in her father's seat – with her brother in her lap – overlooking the ship while imagining her chance to fly the Crest and become an excellent pilot like her father. So many maneuvers he displayed, so many tricks he learned and she wanted to execute them also when something scattered over the corner of the Crest's cockpit window.
Curious, Osa leaned forward obscuring her head trying to get a better look when a group of four foot spiders latched onto the glass attempting to break in. Startled, Osa fell into the chair with a scream and then ran below.
"There's something out there," she shouted over everyone's bickering as they could hear little tinkering echo around the ship.
Din lowered the platform half way and leaped out making sure nothing could get inside. Bo, Axe, and Koska followed fully geared, weapons loaded when Axe and Koska teamed up and headed around the ship while Bo and Din circled the other way.
Bo and Din could see hundreds of oval shaped eggs broken, which appeared to have been crushed by the Crest while other eggs seemed to already have hatched.
"We need to get out of here," Bo stated as blaster fire could be heard on the opposite side.
Din and Bo rushed over while Axe and Koska were kicking at the deceased arachnoids, "Krykna spiders," Axe pointed out.
"Luckily the den appears to be empty with only these stragglers," Koska stated when the ground beneath them began to quake.
"Think again," Din said pointing towards an approaching two story Krykna.
"Get back to the ship," Bo yelled already blasting at the mother arachnid.
The creature screeched, not from agony, but with a calling when hundreds of various size spiders scampered their way vigorously towards their prey. Everyone tried to blast as many as they could before they became swarmed. Bo took point, shooting rapidly, enforcing for Din and her Nite Owls to board while she held the creatures off. Climbing on board the three turned to bring Bo on, but she was getting drowned by the overwhelming bodies swarming her.
"Throw a charge!" Axe shouted at Koska.
"Are you insane we will be buried alive," Din shouted.
Koska was about to dive in but Din stopped her when Bo's hand was the only thing left to see. With quick reflexes Din extinguished his grappling wire and wrapped it around her wrist.
"Pull!" Din commanded as Axe and Koska followed orders pulling their ruler on board. Luckily Bo went unscaved and glared at Din in shock, "So you do care," she said sarcastically.
Din had no time to reply because the Kryknas weren't backing down and began burrowing their way into the ship.
"Everyone to the cockpit, we can seal ourselves in," Din ordered.
Without arguing everyone fled while being followed by a swarm, they continued blasting taking out as many as they could when they finally reached the cockpit and sealed the doors.
"Now what!" Osa said in a panic.
"We leave," Din said igniting the Crest by flipping various switches but noticed it didn't respond to its full capacity.
"That's what I wanted to tell you before you left, the main capacitor fuse blew and the back up won't register with all this pressure weighting down the ship," Osa informed when the mother Krykna came into view and quickly put the Crest with in its thick tree like legs, slowly crushing the frame.
"I will not go out like this," Bo declared ready to go to war but rapid blaster fire came to their rescue from the outside.
The sound of X-wing engines filled their ears with delight as the pilots took out the mother and her swarm. In relief Din and Osa took out the remaining spiders that wondered the ship when they went outside to gaze in wonder at their rescuers. Once the Crest was cleared and the firing stopped the X-wing pilot, Carson, opened the conversation.
"We ran the tabs on the Razor Crest. You have an arrest warrant for the abduction of prisoner X-Six-Nine-Eleven," when Carson paused adding necessary details to rectify his decision, "However, onboard security records show that two Mandalorians apprehended three priority culprits from the Wanted Register. Security Records also show that you (Carson addressed Mando) put your own life in harm's way to try and protect that of Lieutenant Davan from the New Republic Correctional Corps. Is this true?"
"Are we under arrest?" Din questioned.
"Technically you both should be and technically you called us, but these are trying times," Carson stated.
"What say we call it even and you help me get off this frozen rock?" Din negotiated.
"What say you fix that transponder and we don't vaporize that antique the next time we see your ship?" Carson added.
"Agreed," Din said.
The pilots looked at Din and Osa while they gazed at the pilots wondering everyone's next move. Luckily the X-wing pilots were in a generous mood and airlifted the Crest out of the hole and onto a solid icy surface. Osa saluted the pilots from the cockpit as they then flew off when the Nite Owls entered.
"So are we going to have any more issues from this point on," Bo confronted.
"No, because once this bargain is complete you will give me my information and then we will be on our way," Din refreshed the terms.
"Preciously," Bo stated vaguely.
"Alright then, let's get this over with," Din said awakening the ship for take off and ready to be done with these nuisance Mandalorians.