CHAPTER 38

The Heiress

Dathomir – 2 BBY

Bo Katan spent a long time staring towards the horizon that night, her thumb clicking the safety of her blaster on and off as the time passed. With her mind so distant, she hardly noticed the repetitive action, as well as the time when she finally dozed off to sleep. Her dreams were violent, startling…and ultimately carrying the same theme her conscious mind could not fleet away.

Failure.

She watched Nara die again and again, either from a sudden blast or the Darksaber itself protruding from her chest. Each time she closed her eyes, it was something new, followed further by what her death would do to the young girl Bo had no idea how to raise anymore.

Alhara…her own foundling. The term was so archaic, but there was nothing else to be done about it. The rite was official; set in stone in more ways than one…and she truly had no idea what she had been getting herself into. She knew she could train the girl to be a warrior, to be a Mandalorian.

She'd forgotten that she'd have to raise her to be a woman as well.

Bo Katan had no idea why that thought terrified her so much, and after nearly losing Nara to a damn thornbush, she'd been awakened to the reality that each of their lives were one stray shot past their beskar from coming to a sudden and horrifying end. So far she'd kept Alhara safe, but she still had five years to go until she could even attempt the verd'goten, and there was no guarantee she'd even complete it.

Five years…five years she'd have to teach the girl everything she knew, all the while trying to keep her people from being slaughtered by the Empire…or by each other. How could she possibly do all that? How could she protect the girl when she couldn't even protect her senior lieutenant?

Rule Mandalore…what a joke.

What was she even doing here? What lunacy could've possibly prompted her to even think this had been a good idea in the first place? Was she forever doomed to just watch everyone she ever loved disappear before her eyes, gunned down in a fight she couldn't win?

Only the strongest shall rule.

Nara, Rondir, Ursa…they'd all told her she was the strongest, but she'd never felt like it. She'd overseen perhaps the worst defeat her people had ever suffered in their history, driven from their home planet by the very force that had helped them take it back. She'd conspired with the Republic to overthrow the man who had rightfully won the Darksaber in single combat, and according to every ancient law Mandalore had ever written, had betrayed that code irreversibly.

Perhaps that was her punishment, to suffer the indignity of constantly coming so close to victory, only to have it snuffed away by the one variable she never considered.

What was the point of any of this anymore? What more did she have to sacrifice just to get that…lousy sword.

What really mattered to her?

She remembered Botajef, the terror in Trilla's eyes as Gideon unleashed Alpha Red upon their camp…and all the recruits that had been slaughtered in the initial attacks. Bo Katan had failed to save them, but she'd risked everything to pull that girl out of the fire.

Why?

"You care about her."

Bo's blaster was already pointing towards the woman before she even reached care…only to see it was Merrin peeking from the back of the overlook.

"…don't you?" she finished, perhaps making it seem like she hadn't read her mind in the first place.

"I appreciate what you did, and that's enough for me not to shoot you, but don't ever sneak up on me again," Bo Katan warned. "Especially on this planet."

Merrin inclined her head. "I am sorry…perhaps it is my nature," she apologized calmly, still approaching her regardless. "Being the last of my kind requires me to be less…obvious."

"You grew up here?" Bo cocked her brow, lowering her blaster. "I'd say I'm impressed, but I'm not sure if I should actually pity you."

"A mixture of both would be just fine," she smiled slightly, taking a seat beside her. "It was all a long time ago…back during what my friends refer to as the…Clone War."

Bo Katan nodded with recognition, turning away. "Yeah…I fought in that too, somewhat."

"Which side?"

She snorted. "Neither? Both? I'm not really sure it matters anymore."

"Perhaps not," Merrin conceded. "The Separatists came here when I was a girl. They brought machines lead by an armored warrior…a man I have learned to be General Grievous. Apparently our…leader…made a deal with a Sith Lord who betrayed us, sending his army to cut down and slaughter my sisters one by one."

"I…see," Bo considered, wondering if she should even make the comparison to her own past. "I've also learned the cost of putting your trust in a Sith Lord."

"You are speaking of Maul?"

The name made her clench her fist out of instinct, but the memory of his death reminded her of the useless gesture. "Yes."

Merrin nodded. "After I left this place, he returned here, using it as a secluded base to carry out his will. His very presence tainted my home…but I never had the courage to face him. I only returned now to see my home perhaps one last time, and rid it of him forever."

"I understand how you feel," Bo Katan agreed, looking down from her overlook into the base of the hill and tree line…where she could see Alhara firing her blaster at a makeshift target.

Merrin seemed to catch on. "When Alhara was born…and I held her for the first time, I sensed the warrior's spirit she had within her. She hardly cried out of the womb, maintaining a stiff will to survive despite the odds placed against her. The more she grew, the less she seemed alike her family…the less she seemed to desire to follow their path. Even with a family around her…she still stood alone."

Bo Katan ignored the lump in her throat, looking away.

"I see her with you, Nara…and she's not alone any longer," Merrin continued. "The look in your eyes, that endless determination…that unwillingness to accept defeat…she has that same fire within her heart…the fire that made her willing to turn away from her own family for the greater good."

And that…that was why. Bo Katan had risked everything to save Alhara, because she was the only one who understood her pain…her endless struggle. They were both locked in the eternal desire to push themselves beyond where anyone else was willing to go…and that was why Bo Katan knew she had to train her.

Because she was more than just a student to her. She was her second chance to make things right; to leave behind a legacy less tattered by failure, and place someone at the head of Clan Kryze who could ensure their survival into the next generation…and even beyond.

She would never throw that away.

Rising to her feet and collecting her helmet, she turned to Merrin. "Thank you."

The nightsister nodded. "Of course. Let me know when you are ready to go."

She'd waited nearly two decades to take back the Darksaber. She could wait a little longer.


Chimaera – 2 BBY

Elena Markov had suffered many years of being in rather bad moods, and only after last night could she say her streak had finally been broken. Celibacy, while perfect to avoid emotional hardship and infighting within ranks…didn't do much to leave her mind at ease when her loneliness had risen to its regular levels. Sure, with age, she'd grown used to it, but there was nothing more satisfying than breaking that streak in the most…ecstatic fashion possible. She had been out of practice, admittedly, but it hadn't taken her long to return to the flow of her partner…and he, well, made it quite easy for her to enjoy herself.

It was almost predictable to find that that ecstasy would immediately be ground down to rage, hatred and unbridled fury when she reported in the following morning…as she soon discovered that the man she had slept with was a traitor to the Empire.

She could not believe that her initial thought had actually been correct, and even less so that she allowed her emotions to interfere with her duty to the Empire. Who else had she let go without having the slightest clue of their true loyalties? How many more traitors had she dismissed far too casually?

"Agent, I did not know either," Yularen admitted, standing before her in Thrawn's empty office. "Kallus has proven to be quite good at doing exactly what I trained him for."

Markov swallowed, doing her best to loosen her tightened facial muscles. "Yes sir."

She was going to kill him.

"Unfortunately, Thrawn needs him to be able to continue moving freely, for he believes he could be a link to the rebel informant, Fulcrum. The fact that we know cannot leave our inner circle," he implored. "You will not speak of this assignment to anyone. Not your peers, not your current superiors, and not even to myself, Grand Admiral Thrawn or Commander Nerah. Should you be discovered, you are authorized to detain."

"He's one of us, Colonel," Markov protested. "Detaining and interrogating him would be useless."

Yularen nodded, and that's when she saw his expression loosen to one of…pity, perhaps. "It is an option, but I am also allowing you to trust your judgment. Should it become necessary, and you believe it is the best course of action for you…you are authorized to join his efforts as a cipher."

Markov's eyes widened. Join the rebels? Insanity.

"I'm not a cipher agent, sir," she insisted. "I'm not trained for—"

"You are the best agent I have left, Markov," Yularen cut her off, almost with a tone of pleading in his voice. Clearly Kallus' betrayal had shaken him just as much as her. "Kallus also trusts you. I believe he will feel most inclined to attempt converting you to his cause."

Markov had been trained to stop subversion, not participate in it…and yet she knew that what the Colonel was suggesting was the best way to expose Agent Kallus in a fashion most damaging to the Rebellion. If he sent anyone other than her, he'd know it was a ruse in an instant.

She was, quite literally, his only option.

"Do you understand your directive, Agent?"

She swallowed, and nodded her head…knowing fully well that this could make or break her career, and perhaps even her life.

"I do…Colonel Yularen."


"Your TIE Defender program is at risk," Grand Moff Tarkin's hologram hovered just in front of Thrawn's view as the chiss Admiral watched, his usually stoic glance fluttering slightly into a small scowl of surprise. "Orson Krennic has been quite persuasive about diverting the funding to his own project, Stardust."

"The Emperor has assured me that he supports my project," Thrawn said, gesturing towards himself in a respectful bow.

Commodore Karyn Faro knew better than to interject during such a high-level transmission, one she had almost winced to inform the Grand Admiral of just after Colonel Yularen and his bravado had departed the Chimaera. In her years of serving the Imperial Navy, she had observed the rather common correlation between transmission requests directly to Thrawn himself…and the immediate arrival of bad news. After the triumph of finding the traitorous Lieutenant Lyste as the man responsible for tipping off the Rebels about their mission to Azure, as well as the first legitimate leads on Admiral Vorchenko…Faro had a distinct feeling that entire mission was about to be thrown to the side for the time being. The bureaucracy of Coruscant didn't care much for the current directives of their personnel, even their Grand Admirals.

Tarkin's mention of Thrawn's TIE Defender model confirmed her worries almost immediately. With what she could gather, Thrawn's TIE Defender initiative had been jostling with Stardust for funding since he had proposed it, and that funding had become even more at risk once ISB's Alpha Red project began to cut in, although not nearly as disastrously. Still, the TIE Defender fighter could truly establish the Empire's dominance over the galaxy for the foreseeable future. Its speed, maneuverability and use of top of the line shielding, an aspect noticeably absent in most TIE models, would make the Empire unbeatable in almost every major theatre of war. To Faro, endorsing the project was a no brainer…but of course, bureaucracy never cared much for common sense either.

"In my view, Director Krennic's project has been nothing but expenses and excuses for years on end. If construction of the Defender is to continue, you must make your case directly to the Emperor himself," Tarkin continued. "I have already arranged the meeting."

"I will leave immediately, Moff Tarkin," Thrawn accepted, and soon after, the hologram keyed off.

Sometimes, Faro hated being right.

Thrawn rose from his seat, and then keyed the bridge. "Commander, inform Governor Pryce we are departing for Coruscant. As soon as you have your course, make the jump into hyperspace."

"Yes, sir," Commander Hammerly acknowledged, and keyed off.

Faro couldn't help but notice a level of relief soften Nerah's shoulders as she stood vigil beside her, the glow in her red eyes seeming to lose some of their intensity. If she saw something worth losing tension within this debacle, she was all for it, because Faro herself couldn't shake a sick feeling in her gut.

"Commander, has your squad completed their final inspections of our cargo?" Thrawn asked, looking towards the slightly taller woman.

"Yes sir," she confirmed, her voice much gentler than most. "I can say with confidence that our whereabouts will remain secret this time."

Faro trusted that assessment to the letter. In her short time working with Nerah, she'd begun rather suspicious, wondering whether the woman had been brought aboard the Chimaera solely because of her relationship with the Grand Admiral. Her track record had been full of more redactions than Faro had ever seen, most activities kept from public eye. Faro had fully expected Nerah to be another robotic death trooper, merely accepting orders as she received them…but to her pleasant surprise, she was a very fine officer. Her professionalism could certainly use some work, but she was damn good at what she did, and her rather sweet demeanor was a healthy change of pace from strict regulations and protocol-dominated interactions. Nerah was frighteningly efficient in the field, but quite pleasant company aboard the bridge, willing to assist in any capacity she could, even if it wasn't her preferred domain.

It was also quite obvious that everyone aboard the Chimaera felt much more at ease with a woman like her defending them. By now, Faro could safely say she certainly looked forward to working with her for the foreseeable future.

"Excellent," Thrawn praised, and then turned his gaze to her. "Commodore, has there been any real progress on our research team's efforts to decipher the scrambler we procured on Azure?"

Faro inclined. "Negligible, sir. They haven't had much success in disarming the failsafes, and per your orders, they aren't taking many chances, lest they destroy the device."

Thrawn nodded. "As expected. With our issue solved here on Lothal regarding our traitor, I believe with this new development, we must shift our focus to protecting the TIE Defender program from any…unseen adversaries."

Nerah shifted. "Admiral, if we will be in transit…I would like to spend time in the medical bay to nurse my injury."

Thrawn looked as if he fully expected such a request. "You may of course, Commander. You are dismissed. Commodore Faro and I have matters of logistics to discuss."

"Thank you sir," Nerah offered him a salute, and then clicked one to Faro as well. "Commodore."

Faro inclined her head. "Speedy recovery to you, Commander. We need you."

Nerah gave her a gracious smile, and then promptly left the room to her and Thrawn alone.

"You disapprove of our journey to Coruscant?" Thrawn noted, to which Faro was hardly surprised by his ability to read her.

"I do, sir," she admitted. "Admiral Reyna Vorchenko has the potential to give further legitimacy to the growing rebel movement, and after the Outer Rim reports just last night, her influence on the region only continues to grow. I believe you are the only one who has any real chance at stopping her, so pulling us off the chase only extends the amount of time she will be free to act."

"I appreciate your confidence, Commodore, and you may be correct," Thrawn said. "However, my plan to uproot her influence in the Outer Rim depends heavily on the TIE Defender program's success. Our goal will be significantly more difficult to achieve without it, thus I believe this minor setback to be a…necessary one."

"I see," she nodded, knowing the Admiral's explanation was plenty to at least set her somewhat at ease for now. "The TIE Defender prototypes you requisitioned have been completed and await your orders should you need them, and Captain Soontir Fel's transfer has been approved."

"Very good," Thrawn said. "I would like you to accompany me for his briefing while we are in transit."


Dathomir – 2 BBY

Alhara's finger pulling the trigger of her blaster felt like perforating the dead body of her own frustration, the bolts pelleting the tree trunk. At least her aim was getting better…in fact, no, her aim was great. She could shoot just as good as anyone else could.

Watch!

She clasped the blaster in a two-handed grip and unloaded a salvo into the tree, the bark chipping away as her chosen target point felt burn after burn. Look at that. Perfect concentration, steady stance, little variation in her shots. Even the hissing of the black bane spider scurrying around the brush didn't deter her, beginning to open fire upon it as well. The creature hopped forward on its eight legs, snarling at her with is mandibles as she lowered her blaster. Alhara snarled back, and then fired again, forcing it to dodge, and then collide into the magick barrier Merrin had conjured. It seemed to recognize the forces at work…and then quickly fled into the brush in fear.

Alhara pouted, stomping her foot into the dirt and sitting on her rear in a heap, glowering towards that tree she had shot to pieces. Even alone…she still needed help. Maybe Bo Katan was right…maybe she wasn't cut out to be a Mandalorian.

No! No, no, no! I AM a Mandalorian!

She didn't want to go home…she was home. This was her life, not stuck listening to mommy while Katara continued using her fantastical Force powers, and Alhara was stuck looking like the odd one out. Dad had always told her she wasn't, but when Alhara couldn't even lift a pebble with the Force by the time Katara had been lifting boulders, she could see the true disappointment from her family. Alhara Eon…virtually devoid of the Force when both her parents had it. She'd been cursed from the start, and it seems that curse still had not lifted.

Bo Katan thought she wasn't good enough.

The tears fell as she buried her face in her knees. She was forever destined to stand alone; to be everything she was never meant to be…to be a failure.

It was all over now…so she let those tears fall.

Someone sat beside her, and she dared to peek from between her arms and knees. All she saw was the blue and grey armor, and immediately turned away.

"Go away," she pouted with an angry stiffness to her voice. "Just leave me with Merrin!"

There was silence for a moment, and eventually she thought they actually did leave her alone…until she felt arms around her form. It must be Nara, then, and her eyes had just blurred the shades of armor darker than what she remembered…but the hug felt clumsy, almost unsure of itself. Nara always wrapped her tightly in her embrace, resting her cheek against the top of her head, making Alhara feel as safe as she possibly could…but this…the arms couldn't find a solid grip. When she finally looked up, her eyes widened.

It was Bo. Bo Katan had never once hugged her in the two years she had spent with the woman…not intentionally anyway, and Alhara had never expected one to come. It was never her job. She was supposed to teach her, not comfort her…not coddle her like some child.

No…this was wrong.

Alhara viciously wiped away her tears, struggling to her feet as the arms pulled away. "I'm fine! You don't have to treat me like a little girl! Dammit, Bo Katan I'M FINE!"

She expected her to vault to her feet and tower above her, issuing a respectful warning to control herself…but instead Bo Katan just sat there, looking up to her from her seat.

Looking…hurt?

Alhara froze, suddenly feeling guilt instead of increased frustration, and her emotional dam only broke once more, unable to stop her tears from returning. She was doing what she vowed to never do…she was crying in front of Bo Katan, and that's when she knew she had failed.

She would never be a Mandalorian.

"Alhara…" Bo eased. "Sit with me…please."

She sniveled. "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright, just…come here…please," she reiterated, seemingly struggling to find the correct words. Alhara did as she was asked, her tears of shame still continuing to fall as she sat beside her mentor, burying her face into her knees with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry I wasn't good enough," she sobbed. "I tried…I'm sorry."

"Alhara…it wasn't you. You…well…you've done better than I could've ever asked for, and in my heart, I know one day that you will become one of us. My faith in you has never wavered…ever," she promised, and then bowed her head. "The problem…is me."

What?

Alhara sniffed, pulling her head up. "W-what do you mean?"

It was a long moment until Bo Katan began, long enough for Alhara to cease her crying as she waited for her to speak. "I…I've spent my whole life without fear. I trained myself to let it go when I was no older than you are now. Ever since I left my sister, I've never been afraid of anything. I've never cared about the odds or the stakes, because if I can't perform in the moment, then what good am I?"

Alhara blinked. "You left your sister too?"

She nodded. "In a way…not nearly as gracefully as you did, but yes. She and I didn't get along very well…in fact, we didn't get along at all. I wanted to be what I am now, and she thought otherwise."

"Well, she was wrong," Alhara scowled, but paused as it only seemed to worsen Bo Katan's dismay.

"I think we were both wrong," she said. "She died after I couldn't save her."

"Oh…" Alhara winced, wishing she could take back what she said. "I'm sorry…were you afraid then?"

Bo shook her head. "I was more angry than afraid, angry with myself…but above all, I couldn't shake this eternal feeling of…regret. I reached out to anything that could possibly help me atone for my mistake, and to avenge my sister's death by any means necessary…but in the end, I only got more people killed."

Alhara felt her brow loosen.

"When I brought you in, I never considered that I would actually become…close to you. I didn't realize the reality of the responsibility I had taken upon myself, and after watching what had happened to Nara…"

"You're afraid you might let me die…" Alhara finished for her, looking towards the ground.

Bo nodded, running her fingers through her autumn hair. "Yes…and the thought…it scares the shit out of me."

Alhara frowned. She had to say something. If Bo Katan really thought that Alhara was destined to become a Mandalorian, then it was her duty to make sure her mentor could still get her there.

"My Dad used to tell me that if you fight for those you believe in, then the fight was worth it, no matter what happens," Alhara said. "And that sometimes, there are things we just can't control. What happened with Nara…there was no way you could have known that thorn could've killed her…just like sometimes I struggle to get something you teach me. You just…do your best. That's all I can ask for."

Their eyes met.

"I believe in you, Bo Katan," Alhara affirmed. "Nara does too…and we're afraid to lose you, but that's what keeps us together. We…we fight for each other…no matter what."

Slowly but surely, Bo Katan's lips flattened…and then curled upwards. Alhara then wrapped her in an embrace, resting her head on her mentor's chest until she finally felt those unsure arms wrap themselves around her.

"Ni cuyir ti gar akay, 'kay va kyr buir," Alhara said, tightening her grip.

I'm with you until the end, mother.

She felt the muscles in Bo Katan's arms secure themselves comfortably around her, and then her cheek rest atop her head.

"Until the end, Alhara."

Alhara finally allowed herself to smile, keeping up her embrace for as long as the moment lasted.


Bo Katan had somewhat of an idea of what Merrin had in mind for 'traveling' to Maul's hideout, but the specifics were certainly a little vague…not to mention strange. She'd seen plenty of what a Jedi or Sith could do in her time, and even felt it on multiple occasions, but her knowledge of the Nightsisters was extremely limited. All she had learned was from Ahsoka, and it was something along the lines of "they used the Force in a different way".

To someone as Force-deaf as her, that meant literally nothing.

"So, how is this going to work?" she asked, just as they had all assembled together, Merrin's eyes shut in some kind of standing meditation. There was no answer, and Bo suppressed a sigh of futility as her hands rested on the butts of her blasters.

"I think she fell asleep on us," Nara whispered through her helmet, only to get a small punch from Alhara.

"I am preparing the ritual of spirit walking," Merrin opened one eye for a moment, and then shut it quickly. "It will save us much time."

"Just be patient, Nara," Bo Katan said, even if she was in slight agreement. "The quieter we are, the faster she can finish…whatever she's doing."

"Done," Merrin confirmed promptly, keeping her eyes shut and holding out her hands. "Let us hold hands together."

Rituals and holding hands…great. Maybe Maul ended up the way he was because he had been cursed by his own home planet. Whether Bo felt any sympathy for him was still a trivial question. She didn't.

"Come on guys, it'll be quick," Alhara insisted, taking Merrin's hand and wrestling ahold of Nara's. "Just hold on."

Nara huffed. "Fine," she shivered, taking Bo's hand while Bo took Merrin's other. "Let's get it over with."

Bo Katan held as still as possible, mentally preparing herself for anything.

In an instant, she felt weightless, the space around them leaving their feet in a green haze. Everything turned bright, shapes flying by them at an impossible speed, and Bo had to suppress an urge to scream in complete and utter terror. Nara failed in this regard, their hands crushing each other in their grips until real space finally reappeared, and they were on solid ground. She stumbled, catching her balance over the red surface with her hands spread wide, her breathing slowly regaining control of itself.

Nara tore off her helmet and vomited all over the dirt.

"What…the hell did you just do?" Bo Katan breathed as Nara choked out the last bits of her lunch.

Merrin shrugged. "It is how I travel. Do not worry. Feeling queasy is normal for first-timers."

Nara coughed, spitting the remnants clean from her mouth as she rose to her feet and slid her helmet back over. "Thanks…that makes me feel so much better."

"Ha!" Alhara chuckled. "What a lightweight."

Bo Katan snorted.

"Yes, yes, laugh at me," Nara mocked. "Humiliate the woman watching your back…go ahead."

Merrin furrowed her brow. "That wasn't very nice, Alhara."

"Ha!" Nara retorted, while the girl bowed her head in embarrassment. "Yeah, little girl. Be nice."

Alhara mimicked her with gibberish speech.

"Alright, back to work," Bo Katan cut in. "Merrin, if you could lead the way, that would be ideal."

"Certainly," she inclined her head…and then disappeared in a mist of green, making Bo Katan reach for her blaster on instinct.

Nara shivered. "Fuck that. Can you please never do that again?"

"It is like asking a Mandalorian not to use their…jetpack," Merrin called from a perch atop a large boulder, reappearing. "Or a Jedi not to use their lightsaber."

"Neither of those—" Nara began to retort, but Bo's firm hand on her shoulder stopped her protest. "Never mind."

"Perfect," Merrin smiled, and then disappeared again. "This way."

The place in which Merrin had transported them to was difficult to describe. With darkness setting in on Dathomir, the entire landscape become that much more red, shying away from the constant tinge of orange it adopted before. The air smelt of death, while the normal continuous sounds of insects had been stripped away, left with only an eerie quiet. Before them stood a wide mouth to a cave, the sculptures carved from stone broken and chipped away, showing signs of battle long passed. Bo Katan could only figure this was the destruction Merrin had spoken to her about before…and if this were where Maul had been hiding all this time, it only ground her teeth together more.

That monster had been a parasite, leeching to his hosts and draining them of any semblance of who they were. The galaxy was better for his death.

As they entered the cave, that was when the eerie quiet stopped, and an unending whisper began to perpetuate itself. Bo did her best to resist drawing her blasters, even if Nara wasn't taking any chances. Alhara seemed to trust Merrin enough, especially with her being much more at ease than her pair of adult counterparts.

Merrin reappeared in a flash, and that's when Bo Katan finally failed to suppress drawing her weapons. "I'm starting to agree with Nara's earlier complaint," Bo protested, lowering them as her heart stopped pounding. "How much farther into the cave?"

She gestured down a staircase, and that was when the red gave way to a constant, sickly green as they approached an altar. Surrounded by it were various statues and carvings, but up another staircase, Bo spotted the enclave Merrin was pointing to.

"It is there. This is where he—" Merrin broke off, her eyes turning distant.

"What's wrong?" Nara asked, an edge to her voice.

Once Merrin seemed to return from her trance, a scowl riddled her expression, one that sent chills down even Bo Katan's spine. "We have intruders. Mandalorians."

Bo narrowed her eyes behind her helmet. "I didn't send for anyone else."

Merrin's eyes shut, her lids squeezing together as she concentrated further, and then her scowl only deepened. "Imperial."

Saxon.

"Fuck," Nara cursed aloud. "How many?"

"Five," Merrin answered. "I will distract them. You, claim what you seek."

"Merrin, wait—" Bo Katan protested, but the nightsister was long gone, disappearing in a haze. Growling, she fell immediately into combat mode, the words flying from her mouth before she could even assess. "Alhara, stay with me and keep that helmet on. Nara: keep a lookout. Don't let them see you until I say so."

"You got it boss," Nara nodded, and then flew up into the cavern ceiling, searching for a vantage point.

With that, Bo Katan ascended those steps with Alhara close behind.

Maul's encampment was a collection of junk, along with an assortment of wax candles. Some were lit, and those that were instantly caught her eye.

There it was.

Bo…it's been a long time.

She swallowed. Above where the Darksaber lay was a painting of her sister, the eyes and neck defaced. Its artistic style was the one most common during her time with Death Watch, the one Satine liked the most.

You're Satine's sister…aren't you? I'm so sorry.

Bo's fingertips traced along the painting's surface. Damn him. Damn it all. She should've known her sister was only doing what she thought was best…and in her arrogance, she had orchestrated the demise of Mandalore's only chance for a better future. She had helped Maul take the throne, and in turn, helped him kill her own sister.

Her fingers closed into a fist, her arm sagging to her side as her eyes continued to glue themselves to that image.

Alhara's hand wrapped around hers, and then tugged at her slightly. "She would want you to lead our people."

Bo sighed, finally pulling her gaze away. "There's so much you don't understand, Alhara. I…this…this all happened because of me."

Alhara tightened her grip. "So go out there and fix it."

Bo Katan looked down at that hilt. It mocked her with its gleam, daring her to accept a burden she could never truly handle…but without it, Mandalore could never be united. They would never be free of the Empire, and forever doomed to subjugation.

Never! No outsider will ever rule Mandalore!

Alhara was right. This was her chance to atone…and perhaps truly avenge her sister.

Reaching out, she wrapped her fingers around that hilt, and pulled it from the pedestal.

"You done in there yet?" Nara chimed in through the comm. "Merrin says they're about to enter the cave."

Bo shook out her emotions, clipping the hilt to her belt. "Yes. Get ready. We'll have a few surprises for them."


Nara had spent enough time with Bo Katan to know that the woman hated traps, and even more, setting them up herself…but she also wasn't stupid. Two and a half Mandalorians were less than five, and yes, Alhara counted as half, even if she loved the girl with all her heart.

As she told Banshee, she was a pragmatist first.

With her helmet antenna down, she probed the area from her spooky vantage point, remaining on one knee and deactivating the glow of her red visor. No need to let the Imperial bastards know she was lying in wait to gun them all down. As for what Merrin was up to, she had no idea…and honestly tried not to think about it. At least, since she disappeared, the whispers had stopped.

Five targets highlighted red on her HUD, and she felt her teeth press together. She keyed her comm.

"It's that fucking asshole Gar Saxon, Bo," she warned, looking down to see her and Alhara positioned a ways from the squad behind a shattered sculpture protruding from the ground. "He's here for the blade."

"I know," Bo Katan answered, her voice low. "I need to find a way to keep Alhara safe."

Do not worry about her.

Nara jolted as Merrin's voice echoed in her head, and her discretion barely prevented her from screaming in terror.

My magicks will keep her from harm. You may attack unburdened.

"Forgive me if I don't have complete trust in your abilities," Bo snapped. "Alhara, stick close."

Nara zoomed in, watching the five warriors stop, while the red armored one took a lead step forward. With a gesture, his companions began to fan out, probing the cave.

"They're splitting up," Nara whispered. "Saxon is out in front."

"I'll take him," Bo Katan's order came through as a slight growl. "Merrin, Nara, the others are all yours."

The chiss chuckled to herself, pushing up her antenna. "With pleasure."


Bo Katan kept her blaster in hand, peeking around the edge of the stone before pulling back. She trusted Nara to deal with at least two on her own, if she was quick enough, but that still left three…and Gar Saxon would require her full attention.

"Hey…" Alhara whispered. "I have an idea."

Bo kept a look out. "Not now, Alhara."

"But they don't know I'm with you! To them I'm just some little girl who got lost," she reasoned. "I could distract them."

"They'll shoot you on sight," Bo Katan denied. "Besides, I'm not risking you like that."

Alhara's fist balled up. "But Merrin…just trust me!"

In a sudden move, Alhara ran out before Bo Katan could stop her, and even her silent pleas for her to return were met unanswered. Sweat poured from her hair in an instant, her body rigid with fear until she finally snapped herself out of it, and instead made do with the situation she was now in.

Alhara did sound awfully confident…and she wasn't stupid. Even so, if they made it out of this, Bo Katan was going to have a few words for her.

Advancing, Bo found herself moving to the right of the cave, stopping just as a white armored commando paced forward, rifle raised.

"Hey, you there!"

Saxon's voice.

"Whoa, whoa! Don't shoot! Please don't shoot!" Alhara cried out, and Bo used the sudden commotion to advance further while the commando's back was turned. "I…I'm lost…"

Bo peeked around the corner, and now had a clear vantage of the two. Alhara had ditched her weapons, and her crude gear would never reveal her as a Mandalorian…but that only meant she was far more vulnerable. Gar Saxon towered above her in his red armor, his very presence making Bo Katan's finger twitch around the trigger.

"What the hell is she doing?" Nara whispered into the comm.

Bo pinged her with a 'stand by' key on her gauntlet.

"Interesting place for you to be, girl," Saxon held his rifle upwards, regarding Alhara fully. "Also a perfect coincidence for you to become lost here of all places."

"I know…" Alhara admitted, her head bowed low. "I'm an orphan. A scavenger adopted me to help him reach small places, but once he was done…he just…left me here."

Bo Katan winced. She didn't think Saxon would care…but even when she knew it wasn't true, her story made her frown a little.

To her dismay, the man merely chuckled. "An orphan? Perhaps there is some truth to that, I suppose…but I know better, just like how a gauntlet starfighter is still parked a few kilometers south of here."

Alhara scratched her head. "What's that?"

"You know what it is."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't!" Alhara protested, her fists balling up as she stomped the ground…and that's when the tears started. "Why are you being so mean?! I was left here and all you can do is call me a liar?"

Saxon actually paused for a moment…and that was when someone at the far end of the cave screamed.

Now.

Bo Katan exploded from her ambush point, her jetpack blazing to life as she rocketed into Saxon's chest with a battle roar, pinning him against another broken sculpture. Drawing her wrist blade, she plunged it towards his neck, only to have him stop her arm with his bare hands and kick her free. Firing a salvo of blaster bolts from his wrist cannon, she had already leapt to the side too fast for him to adjust, kicking him in the side and knocking his aim far from her. Their exchanges were brutal, intense and full of mutual hatred, Bo Katan feeling immense satisfaction as her protected knuckles impacted his armor.

"Kryze," he growled, swinging with all his power, only to miss after a backpedal. "I should've known it would be you."

"You're too late!" she shouted, countering. "And now I'm going to kill you!"

"Did my betrayal sting so much?"

Bo's knee plowed into his stomach as he advanced again, sending him off balance long enough to take another swipe with her wrist blade, only to meet beskar with a clang as he readjusted. Flames erupted from his wrist, but once again she was too fast, ducking beneath and landing a clean shoulder charge. Forced to use his jetpack lest he hit the ground, Saxon drew his blaster pistols and fired, only to have Bo Katan draw her own and pursue with dogmatic tenacity.


"Come on, fuckface! Is that all you got?!"

Nara's comment was plenty to get the white armored commando to unleash a full flurry of rather basic attack strings Bo Katan had taught her, but she'd found her use of chiss cavvit'cah to be much more effective. Mandalorians had been trained to fight either on their feet or with their jetpacks…and not so much on their rears or backs.

Once she had him in her grip, she spread his legs with twin kicks and spun, grappling to his back as they both fell. Securing her heels over his thighs to lock his legs in place, she tightened her arm firmly around his neck, just under the lip of his helmet. She heard him gasp for air as he struggled to free himself, but with his legs virtually useless, his restricted arms couldn't possibly muster enough leverage to overpower her, and soon she felt his struggle cease from lack of oxygen.

"Night-night, sweetheart," she patted the area of his helmet where his cheek would be, and then rolled him off her body.

Her beskar clanged as a jolt slammed into her chest, forcing her to roll to her feet where she took another blow, and then raised her own blasters in retaliation. This one seemed to have learned from his partner, and decided keeping away from her was his best bet…which was very smart.

Once she had found cover, she assessed her hits, finding the higher caliber rounds from the rifle were taking a toll on its integrity. Running out wouldn't be much of an option in this scenario…which was always true for any normal soldier.

Good thing she wasn't one of those poor bastards.

Almost on cue, she watched two combatants rocket above her, and heard Bo Katan's battle roar as she pursued the red-armored Gar Saxon, his rifle firing back at her while she gained on him with each miss.

You go get him, girl.

Her mentor's tenacity leaked upon her, and soon she realized she wasn't in the mood for silly banter any longer. Daring to peek, another high caliber bolt smacked into the edge of her stone cover, forcing her to pull back. Same place, of course.

Idiot.

Squatting, she altered her profile just enough to force a quick second of aim adjustment, and that was all she needed to fire the concussion rocket mounted to her forearm. It smacked into ground in front of him, blinding him long enough for her to rush out and fire her twin blasters, pelleting his armor and making him stumble.

By the time he could see again, she was already beginning her grapple.

Only this one didn't go down as easy. In fact, he seemed to recognize exactly what she was attempting, falling into a guard stance to ward off her attempted holds and chokes. For her trouble, he landed a hard punch to her gut, winding her, and then felt her legs swept out with a kick. Aiming his rifle, she kicked it free of his hands in time, and her second kick was caught in his grip, allowing him to stomp hard on her other thigh.

She bit back a scream, instead using it to infuriate her more. Twisting, she pulled that leg up and plowed it straight into his crotch. The impact was plenty to make him seize, and with grit teeth, she raised one blaster in a double grip and fired two quick shots right underneath his helmet. His grunting immediately ceased, and his body fell dead.

Dropping her arms, her thigh throbbing, she let her head rest against the ground for a moment.

"Fuck."


Bo Katan finally reached Saxon after his final shot missed, grasping ahold of his rifle and kicking him in the chest with a hard boot that sent him spiraling into the dirt. Tossing the weapon aside, she landed on two feet, marching towards his arched form as he struggled to rise. She kicked him in the chest prompting him to roll over in a fit of coughs before tearing off his helmet, pinning him with her boot, and aiming her blaster.

Saxon gasped, looking up to her with those same, calculated grey eyes. Her finger went hot against the trigger, and she felt it pull in.

"Bo, wait!" Alhara cried out, pulling at her free arm. "You don't have to be like him."

She shook her head. "I'm not."

Saxon snorted, and eventually let it become a full laugh. "Oh, believe me, girl. She and I are more alike than you could ever imagine."

Bo Katan pressed harder on his chest, making him wince.

"Ask her about Carlac," he suggested. "Ask her about all the villagers she burned alive…all in the name of freeing Mandalore."

Their screams returned in her mind, and she felt her trigger hand shake.

"Then you'll see that Lady Bo Katan of House Kryze is just another mindless savage like the rest of our misguided people. Only the Empire can restore Mandalore to the power it deserves."

"You coward," Bo growled, reaffirming her grip.

"You're the one who condemned us to fight a war we could never win!" Saxon cursed, his scowl so deep it nearly made her flinch. "If Vizsla were here he would—"

"He would've gunned you down thirty seconds ago," Bo Katan whispered with a resonate growl. "Yield."

Saxon refused to lose his stare, wishing to kill her merely with such.

"Never."

A high caliber round slammed into Bo Katan's head, and her world went black.


Alhara screamed.

Bo Katan fell in an instant, her body slamming into the ground without a flinch, and quickly Saxon was reaching for her. Alhara pushed back against his hand, but it was too strong, and soon she felt the cold embrace of a gun barrel against her head.

Then everything went green.

She felt herself fly from his grip in a sphere of color, and soon Merrin reappeared, locking Saxon into a harsh grip with an outstretched, glowing hand. He activated his jetpack, forcing Merrin to struggle holding him at bay, but another bolt erupted from the distance, slamming into her shoulder and freeing Saxon from her grip. Flying off, he left them to the sniper, but Nara still fired at him with a limp, scooping up Alhara with one strong arm.

"Are you okay?" Nara asked, while Alhara's eyes blurred with tears.

"Bo…" she whimpered. "Bo's not moving!"

Nara struggled forward, dropping to her knees as she held Bo's limp arm. "Merrin, get us the hell out of here!"

The nightsister nodded with a grimace, and just as her hand gripped Nara's, they were gone.


Nara wrung the blood-mixed water out of the rag before dunking it into the bucket, and then proceeded to wipe the rest of the blood from Bo Katan's unmoving face. She had worked through the knot in her throat once Merrin had finished, but she still felt the despair. The woman was going to be alright…but it still struck her to her core. Seeing her as out as she was, Nara hadn't felt so helpless in all her years. If Bo Katan could die…then she was merely an afterthought.

In hindsight, she should've trusted her gut. It would take more than a sniper round into her helmet to drop Bo Katan Kryze for good.

"She just needs rest," Merrin assured her, hands clasped together in front of her on the other side of the altar. "I have done my best to ensure the damage will not impact her brain."

Nara wrung out the rag one last time, before dropping it into the bucket. "Thank you, Merrin. I…well…you've just prolonged both of our lives today. I'm not sure thank you is enough."

Merrin gave her a thin smile. "You are both protecting Alhara," she said, turning towards the girl sitting a ways away by the overlook. "It was the least I could do. Her father and mother are very good friends of mine."

The chiss followed her gaze. "She's a handful, but I love her…and I would never presume to speak for Bo Katan, but I think she does too."

Merrin nodded, and then turned to a pouch secured around her belt. "That reminds me," she fished out a holodisk, and offered it to her. "Will you give this to her? Her father asked me to deliver it to you to pass on to Alhara."

Nara narrowed her eyes, taking the disk. "What is it?"

Merrin shrugged. "A message, I believe. He did not say."

She studied it for a moment longer, before sliding it into her belt. "I'll make sure she gets it."

"Thank you," Merrin bowed. "Not that I mind your company, but I believe it would be smart for you to keep moving. The Empire has never been known to dismiss leads on its enemies."

Nara nodded. "Agreed. Need a lift? I'm sure the boss wouldn't mind."

"I have my own ways," she tipped her head. "But thank you. It has been a pleasure to fight alongside you. I've always heard stories about Mandalorians…and I'm glad they turned out to be true."

"Me too," Nara snorted. "Good luck to you."

"And to you," Merrin granted her one last bow, before disappearing in a haze.

It was only then that Nara realized she'd have to carry Bo Katan back to the ship on her own.

"Right," she sighed, turning towards Alhara. "Hey kid! Time to go!"

Alhara whipped around and leapt to her feet, jogging to her. "Where'd Merrin go?"

Nara blinked. "Uh…she said she had some…uh…magic business to attend to."

Alhara blinked in turn.

She facepalmed. "Ugh, just…look, help me carry Bo back to the ship. We gotta get the hell out of here before the Empire decides to burn this whole forest down."

"Um…okay," Alhara hesitated, turning towards Bo. "Should I…get her legs?"

It took them a moment to work it out, but eventually, they each took a side of her body, and began carrying her to the ship.

"You owe me one, Kryze," Nara whispered to herself with Bo Katan's head resting on her chest. "But I'm glad you're still alive…so maybe I'll call it even."

It was the least she could do.


"What in stars took you so bloody long to fire?" Saxon demanded; his fists clenched just as he landed behind the black-armored man setting his sniper rifle neatly back in its case. "She could've killed me!"

"She should have killed you," the man said, snapping the clips shut to the case, and then proceeded to lift his headgear from his hair, revealing his dark skin and brown, wavy hair. As he turned, Saxon felt the same annoyance he felt when he first met High Agent Gideon; the mocking stare and smirk forever subtly taunting him through every word. "I took the shot I thought would best damage her."

"Our deal was Kryze dead, not unconscious," Saxon reminded him, approaching with his foreboding and superior stature.

"Our deal was to secure Mandalore under the rule of the Empire," Gideon corrected, securing the case to his speeder. "If we kill Bo Katan now, all of Mandalore will simply scatter back into their dens, waiting for the next warrior to lead them to glory. The faster she unites them, the faster we can destroy them."

Saxon scoffed. "You underestimate her…what she stands for. If we allow her to unite the clans, they will never surrender to the Empire!"

"Oh they will," Gideon promised, taking his seat aboard his speeder. "In the meantime, Governor Saxon, I have more important matters to attend to. Do try to keep your head while I'm gone."

With that, he sped off…leaving Saxon to wonder what else the slippery bastard had planned for his world…


Duuuuunnnn dun-dun du-duuuuunnnnn.

Hope you enjoyed that one! Had a lot going on, but had fun writing it. Didn't end exactly the way I expected it, but in a good way!

Probably a Memories chapter next, maybe 2. We'll see!

Stay tuned and stay safe.