Mandalore:
Anakin wiped some sand off his new black robes for tenth time in half an hour. 'Why the hell do I keep agreeing to go to these Godsdamn sandy planets all the time?'
Trying to ignore the sand, the ex-merc went back to waiting patiently for his girlfriend to scan the area around Imperial prison. "How sure are we your father is in there?" he asked her.
"Well, our spies in the capital say he's here, and they've been right so far." she replied before flipping her rangefinder back up then crouching back down in the trench with her boyfriend.
"Rau, I've got a squad of stormtroopers in front, plus multiple cannons." she informed him over her wrist comm. "Copy that, Spectre-5. Moving to your right flank." the Protector replied.
"Sabine, doesn't it seem suspicious that the Empire would move your father so far from the capital?" Kanan asked her. "My father has many friends. He's not just important to me. The Empire probably locked him up out here to prevent someone from attempting to do what we're about to do." she replied.
"That may be true, but I'd put nothing past these Saxon clan traitors. We're in position, Spectre-5, Spectre-7." Rau informed them. "Copy, Rau. Over." she responded before addressing the other Mandalorians with them.
"All right, Clan Wren, check your fire for the captive. We're going in the front door, on my lead." she told them before they backed away to get ready. "What's wrong?" she asked her boyfriend after noticing him rolling his shoulders, trying to get used to the bigger jetpack's weight.
"I wish I had more practice with this jetpack. That last one I used, was a hell of a lot lighter." he replied before she reached up with one hand to caress the side of his face.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You are a pretty talented guy after all." she complimented. The ex-merc smiled in return before they climbed out of the trench. Sabine then took out the Darksaber and activated it before everyone else climbed out and stood. "Forward!" she yelled before they all charged the Imperials.
Anakin and Sabine dodged, or blocked in his case, as they flew towards the prison before briefly landing to take out two troopers on the ground. Once they were dealt with, the couple took off again before the young man provided cover as his girlfriend slashed one cannon with the Darksaber.
The ex-merc deflected another bolt from one of the two troopers he saw on the ground before using the Force to create a dust cloud so he could land behind them and take them out unawares.
Anakin landed beside his girlfriend before they noticed a transport dropping off two AT-DPs. "Great! Well this just got more-" he started to complain before she cut him off.
"Interesting. The word you're looking for is 'interesting.'" she said. "I was going to say 'worse'." he replied as the walkers finally reached them before opening fire.
The couple and a few Mandalorians concentrated fire on the walkers before Sabine launched a rocket at one then attempted to finish it off with the Darksaber. "Sabine!" Anakin cried in horror after seeing her hit the ground from blocking the walker's cannon shot.
The ex-merc growled in frustration as three jumptroopers landed between him and his girlfriend before he was forced to deflect blaster fire from two them while third walked up to her kneeling form.
"Stand down, Jedi, or she dies." the commander threatened after hitting her with a stun blast. Anakin glared hatefully at the man as he noticed the one AT-DP take aim at him.
"Surrender... Now!" the Imperial ordered, cocking his blaster and aiming it at her while keeping his attention on the ex-merc.
"You have failed me for the last time, Admiral."
The three stormtroopers took a step back in fear when his eyes suddenly flashed yellow before the commander was grabbed in a handless Force Choke then swiftly executed.
Before anyone else could react to his dark deed, a rocket suddenly hit the side of the walker before three Mandalorians wearing blue and white armor appeared in the sky.
"Don't just stand there. Protect her!" the female in the middle ordered after she and the other two stopped for a moment to look at him. "It's Clan Kryze." Fenn stated.
One of the new Mandalorians landed and kicked another jumptrooper before activating her jetpack and tackling him while another moved over to two stormtroopers and slammed their heads together.
"Fall back! Abandon the base!" another jumptrooper ordered his fellow jumptrooper before they took off into the sky while shooting. With the Imperials away from girlfriend, Anakin quickly moved over to her before helping her stand,
"I'm okay." she assured before putting a hand on her stomach. "We're okay..." she corrected softly. The ex-merc smiled in relief before pressing a kiss to her helmet then activating his saber and using his jetpack to fly over to the walker and cut one of its legs.
"Clan Wren, follow me!" she ordered after he landed beside and before they along with the others marched towards the prison. Anakin and Kanan Force-jumped to the landing platform while the former's girlfriend and Rau used the turbolift.
"Where's your father?" the ex-merc asked. "The outpost is empty. There's no one here." she answered, walking towards the landing platform as she and the Protector removed their helmets.
"This was a trap set to lure you in." the female in the middle said after she and the other two landed a few feet away from them.
"Your mother received this intel, but she couldn't get word to you. The Empire was jamming all transmissions. She sent me ahead to reinforce you. I understand she's on her way." the woman continued after taking a few steps forward.
"Who are you?" the younger woman asked before the other removed her helmet to reveal a light skin, green-eyed woman with short red hair.
"Kanan, Anakin, this is Lady Bo-Katan of House Kryze. Her sister, Satine, once ruled Mandalore. Bo-Katan was made regent by the Jedi before the end of the Clone War. She's still seen by many as Mandalore's rightful ruler." Fenn explained as the older woman's eyes landed on Anakin.
Fighting off the embarrassed blush at meeting the woman who delivered him, the ex-merc took a step forward before speaking. "So what happened?" he asked.
"After the Empire took over, I refused to obey the Emperor and was betrayed by the Saxon clan." she explained before his girlfriend looked at the Darksaber for a moment.
"Your commitment to Mandalore's freedom is legendary, my lady. This belongs to you." she said while walking up the the older woman and holding it out to her.
Bo-Katan looked at the hilt with a hesitant look before looking back at the younger woman. "I had my chance to rule, and I failed." she said, refusing to take it as the other woman lowered her hand.
"I am not my sister." she added while turning around and placing her helmet back on. "I am not the leader you seek." she finished before she and her two Night Owls walked towards the door.
Seeing his girlfriend down, Anakin walked up to her before wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. "See if you can contact my mother." she told Rau.
"Right away." he replied before he and the Jedi followed the other three Mandalorians. Once they were gone, the ex-merc moved around to stand behind her before resting his hands on her stomach.
"You know..." he murmured into her hair. "Even though your home is a lot more sandy then I'd like it to be. There's still a bit of niceness to it, like the calmness and gentle breeze up here." he continued softly before smiling as he sensed that his words made her feel a bit better.
"Once upon a time, these plains were covered with grass, but I never saw it. This destruction happened before I was born." she told him. "And it never grew back?" he asked softly. "Never had a chance to. This is what continuous war has done to my home." she replied.
"A Revan helped cause this." he began while removing a hand to gesture towards the area. "And now a Revan is going to help you make a change here, whatever it may be." he continued while placing the hand back on his other one.
Katie suddenly beeped from behind before the two separated to look at her. They then turned back around upon hearing the sound of jetpacks and saw four Clan Wren Mandalorians headed towards them.
Anakin smiled as he sensed one to be his godmother and another to be his future brother-in-law. The four then landed a few seconds later before Ursa and Tristan removed their helmets and walked up to him.
"Mother, any news?" Sabine asked. "The Empire's changed their plan. They're moving your father back to the capital for a public termination." she explained before her daughter gasped quietly in horror.
"Let's not wast any more time then." her boyfriend said with a serious look before they headed into the prison.
Anakin, Sabine, Bo-Katan and Rau all rested on one knee by the cliffside as he used his helmet's built in rangefinder to keep an eye out for Ursa and Tristan's signal. "Not seeing anything yet." the ex-merc said.
"Just be patient, love." his girlfriend replied before he scoffed. "You know as well as I do, patience isn't one of my fortes." he replied dryly. The younger woman chuckled softly at his answer.
A few minutes passed before they heard an explosion in the distance and saw a cloud of black smoke rising from that direction. "Yep, that's my mom." she commented after raising her rangefinder.
"Blowing things up definitely runs in your family." he joked with a smirk. "It's a Wren specialty." she replied, mirroring the smirk behind her helmet.
"Sabine, we've engaged Tiber Saxon's Imperial dogs. The prisoner convoy has changed course toward the canyon." his godmother announced over her daughter's wrist comm.
"Then the diversion worked." Kryze stated. "There. I'm scanning a single passenger, no armor in the center transport, the one most heavily guarded." the Protector said while pointing before the other lowered their rangefinders to look.
"If we attack the lead vehicle, my father's transport will fall back." the younger woman said as she and the Night Owl raised their rangefinders again. "Then someone could sneak up and sabotage its controls, forcing it to stop." she continued.
"By then, the rest of the convoy will be too far ahead to do anything about it. Rau stated. "So who's going in?" he asked. "I'll do it." Anakin offered before looking at his girlfriend.
"What better way to earn your father's approval, then by saving him?" he suggested before she sighed. "Just be careful." she warned with a worried tone. "Hey." he said with a wink. "It's me." he continued with a grin before standing and walking closer to the edge.
"That's what I'm afraid of..." she muttered before Bo-Katan placed a hand on her shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about, Sabine. I've seen his father fight. And if he's anything like the elder Revan, then we're in for an interesting show." she told the younger woman.
"Gonna go easy on 'em?" Anakin asked with a smirk. "Not a chance." she replied, activating the Darksaber before jumping down and using her jetpack to shoot a rocket filled with paint at the front of the middle transport.
'Okay... Even I have to admit a rocket filled with paint is a little silly. Not that I'd ever tell her though.' Noticing that the others had thinned out the Imperials a bit, the ex-merc jumped off the cliff before using the Force to glide towards the transport his future father-in-law was on.
Once he landed, the young man quickly made his way to the side before dropping down and crawling underneath the transport.
Before attempting use his lightsaber to cut a hole where the drivers piloted the transport, Anakin ignited the blade and cut the jetpack off as he felt its weight trying to pull him off the vehicle.
Just as he was about a quarter through, the transport suddenly shook a bit which caused him lose his grip and be forced to grab the back end of it. "That was too close." he muttered in relief before pulling his legs towards him in order to climb up the back.
A few seconds passed before he had to tighten his grip after the transport abruptly rammed the other two and passed them. The ex-merc gave his girlfriend a two finger salute as the transport passed her commandeered speeder bike.
"Anakin, hurry up and get my father out of there." she told him after Kanan had disabled one of the other transports and she had caught up to her boyfriend. "It's a process!" he shot back before managing to finally climb back on top.
"Why the hell didn't I just do this before!? Stupid writer..." he muttered in frustration before re-igniting his blade and heading for the open door. Anakin then hopped down before grabbing the top and kicking the Imperial Mandalorian out the other side.
The young man then took care of the two pilots before sheathing his blade as his girlfriend's father addressed him. "Are you with Sabine?" he asked as the younger man walked over and waved his hand, unlocking the restraints.
"That I am. Now. Let's get out of here, shall we?" he suggested before the two headed back to the door. Anakin was about to climb back onto the roof, when he suddenly heard Katie beep over his wrist comm.
"What? What cliff?" he asked before peeking his head outside and seeing them quickly cliff. "Oh. That cliff." he commented with a hint of worry in his tone. "Are you a Jedi?" the older man asked.
"Not exactly, but I have their abilities." he replied before climbing back onto the roof then helping the other man up onto it. "Anakin, get out of there!" the young woman yelled in concern over his comm.
Turning back to the cliff, the ex-merc's eyes widened as he saw how close they were before suddenly grabbing his future father-in-law and using the Force to throw him clear right before the transports went over...
Right as they neared her falling father, Kanan quickly used the Force to slow his fall before they all ran to the edge of the cliff and looked over.
"Ani!" Sabine cried in horror after tossing her helmet off and seeing the transports start exploding. "Anakin!" the Knight cried in equal horror before the transports exploded again.
"Oh, Gods..." she sobbed. I've lost him. And I never told him anything..." she sobbed again as the Jedi wrapped an arm around her for comfort.
"I just wasn't ready, Kanan... Five minutes would have been enough..." she cried softly before gently puling away to look over the side and mourn the man she loved...
As they mourned the young man, the group didn't even notice a gloved hand grip the ledge before another joined it as said young man struggled to pull himself up.
Once he managed to stand despite his fatigue, the ex-merc stumbled over to others before giving them a look that said: 'What's everybody looking at?'. Anakin then moved closer to look over the ledge and see the destroyed transports as his lover glanced at him.
The young man sighed in relief as she finally saw that he was alive before suddenly grabbing him in a tight hug. "I thought I lost you!" she sobbed in joy and relief.
"I thought you had too, Snips..." he murmured against her hair and before releasing a sigh of content through his nose. While Kanan smiled at the younger man, happy to see his friend was alive.
Her father however pointed over the cliff then at Anakin with a confused expression on his face. Clearly wonder how he survived that. A few seconds later Sabine pulled away before pulling her man into a deep, passion-filled kiss as her father looked on with a surprised expression first then a small smile.
"Don't ever scare me like that again." she ordered softly and after breaking the kiss. "I can't promise I won't... But I can however, promise to try my best." he replied softly.
"Thank you." Alrich said sincerely to Anakin with a small smile before Sabine addressed him. "Father..." she said softly as he looked at her. "When I got word that you had returned, I did not believe it. he told her.
"And..." she continued, sounding a bit worried by his next reply before he walked up to her and suddenly pulled her into a hug. "Sabine, you are my daughter." he said softly before she hugged him back.
"I was pleased then. Even more now." he continued after pulling away to look at her. "Well, we would never leave you in the hands of the Empire." she told him.
"Oh, that was fine. I meant your artwork. You've progressed. Your use of color and line is better." he clarified. "Better? What do you mean, better? It's great." she said with a small confused smile.
Clearly not wanting to insult her or maybe make her angry, Alrich hesitated a bit before replying. "It's getting there. Your design aesthetic is still derivative of the Pre-Exile Masters." he told her.
"Ah, Tojnun was an influence, obviously, but I made it my own." she replied. "I thought you had a sharper eye." she teased him. "Now I see where Sabine gets her creative side." her boyfriend commented to Kanan.
"Oh, no, my young friend. Sabine's artistry comes from her mother. Ursa knows how to destroy her enemies in so many creative ways." he told his future son-in-law.
"And here I thought we were rescuing another warrior. Hmm." the younger man replied, feeling a bit unimpressed before she looked at him. "My dad fights with his art." she told him.
"We need to get moving. We're too exposed here." Bo-Katan warned before putting her helmet back on as Fenn contacted Ursa. "Countess Wren, we've rescued your husband. Alrich is free." he informed her.
"Then we have two victories today. Saxon's forces are in retreat." she responded as they heard blaster fire. "Hold on. They're not all running. Looks like we've got an incoming Imperial transport." Tristan said.
"Reinforcements to cover their retreat?" the younger woman asked in confusion. "They've deployed a single scout walker, with no other support. It's moving into attack position." her brother responded.
"Laughable." their mother scoffed. "Destroy it." she said before they heard electronic humming coming from Rau's comm. "That sound... It can't be." her daughter said in disbelief before placing a hand on the Protector's shoulder.
"Mother, Tristan, get out of there! Now!" she yelled in horror. A few seconds passed before they heard a loud rumbling over the comm. "Mother!? Tristan!?" she called out before they heard a loud explosion in the distance.
"What is that?" her boyfriend asked after they turned around and saw a bright light in the distance. "No..." the young woman trailed off in horror before putting her helmet back on and flying towards the explosion.
Fenn and Bo-Katan followed as Katie beeped. "Let's go, girl." her oldest friend said before using Force Speed to catch up while the Knight and other older man used the speeder bike.
Anakin and the others caught up to the younger woman a few seconds later before noticing the scorched beskar armor. Fear once again gripped his heart at the thought of losing his godmother.
"No... no, no, no, no no, no..." he muttered in horror while surveying the area rapidly for any sign of her. "Where are the survivors of this battle, the wounded, the victors?" Kryze asked after removing her helmet.
"I see only the defeated." Alrich answered after he and the Jedi got off the bike. "What could do this?" his future son-in-law growled, now feeling furious over his godmother's death.
"A weapon did this, a weapon created by my daughter." the older man replied sadly as his daughter fell to her hands and knees before sobbing in front of a pile of armor.
Even though he was still hurting, the ex-merc managed to walk over before dropping to his knees in front of her and pulling the young woman into a comforting hug as she sobbed on his shoulder.
Sabine sniffled before pulling out of the hug and picking up a piece of beskar. She and Anakin then watched as it crumbled to dust before blowing into the wind as Bo-Katan spoke.
"There were rumors the Empire was working on a weapon to neutralize Mandalorian armor, that it had even been tested on our people. I... I didn't believe it." she said quietly.
"Not the Empire. Me. This is all my fault." the younger woman told her. "Sabine, you can't blame yourself for this. You tried-" her boyfriend tried to comfort before she cut him off.
"Everything my father said was true, Anakin!" she interrupted as more tears rolled down her face.
"This is my work! I created the weapon that did this, and because of me, the Empire is going to turn my world into a graveyard! Because of me, Mandalorians are going to die! My mother and brother are-" she was then cut off by a voice in the distance.
"Sabine!" Ursa's voice was heard before her daughter gasped and jogged a few feet forward. Mother and her son then suddenly appeared through the smoke, him helping her with arm around her shoulders.
"Tristan! Mother!" the younger woman cried in relief as she and the ex-merc ran towards them. "Mother, Tristan, I... I thought I lost you." she said sadly before her boyfriend moved to help the other man support the older woman.
"We were caught at the edge of the weapon's range. Thanks to your warning, we made it out." Ursa explained. "The others weren't so lucky." Tristan added with a frown before he and the other young man helped his mother.
By the time they reached the others, Imperial Mandalorians suddenly appeared in the air above them before opening fire. "You got her?" Anakin asked his future brother-in-law.
"Go." he urged with a nod before the other man let go and activated his blade. "Get back. I'll cover you." he told them, deflecting blaster fire while Sabine yelled angrily and charged one.
The young woman used her jetpack to tackle one against a ruined transport before landing and cutting his blaster in two. "Get Sabine's mother and father out of here." Kanan ordered the younger Force-wielder while deflecting bolts.
"Come on." he urged his godmother and her husband before attempting to head to the speeder. Just as they reached it, a rocket from one of the Imperials blew it up before the explosion knocked Katie and the three humans down.
"Are you all right?" the woman asked ex-merc in concern. "I'm okay, aunty. A lot better than the bike is." he replied, glancing at the burning wreckage for a second before getting up then helping them up.
Tristan and Bo-Katan landed by them before they were all pushed towards each other as the Imperials surrounded them from above. "They've cut us off!" Anakin warned as he and the Knight kept deflecting while the others minus Alrich continued returning fire.
A few seconds later they heard the familiar sound of TIEs before turning in the direction the noise and seeing three approaching. Luckily at that same moment, a Mandalorian fighter appeared and shot one down before turning and descending close to the ground.
"Come on!" Kryze urged as the ramp lowered before everyone got on board and the fighter took back off into the sky. Once on board, the couple headed for the cockpit after a TIE managed to hit them.
"Weapons are down. We're losing power!" the pilot warned as Anakin sat in the co-pilot chair to help keep the ship steady. "I can keep us in the air, but we can't take another hit like that." the young woman replied before dropping to floor to work on the underside of the console.
"You told us you destroyed it." Tristan asked his sister with a confused frown while walking up to her and Anakin. "I did." she replied while turning to face him.
"The Empire must have rebuilt it. They-" the young woman was abruptly cut off when Bo-Katan suddenly grabbed her before slamming her against the side of the ship.
"You're a Mandalorian! Why would you create such an abomination? This is the weapon of a coward." she snarled before the ex-merc pressed a hand against her stomach and roughly shoved her away.
"Friend of my parents, or not. I won't hesitate to beat the shit out of you, if I have to." he growled before feeling a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. Anakin." his girlfriend said softly before addressing the older woman.
"I was young. It was a challenge, and I was arrogant. But when I realized the Empire tested it and actually planned to use it, I sabotaged the prototype and destroyed the plans." she explained.
"I thought that was the end of it, I swear to you!" she finished. It was clear the older woman was still a bit angry, but not wanting to anger the son of two Force-wielders she had privilege of seeing in action herself.
"Look. I still don't get the whole 'Mandalorian' thing. But why not try making your armor out of something else, like that special iron you guys have." Anakin suggested while folding his arms.
The other Mandalorians minus his girlfriend, gave him a surprised look before she spoke. "Anakin, the armor I wear is 500 years old. I reforged it to my liking, but the battles, the history, the blood, all lives within it, and the same goes for every Mandalorian." she told him before Alrich spoke.
"This armor is part of our identity. It makes us Mandalorians who we are." he explained. "And now it's going to make us dead." Kryze said, glaring at his daughter for a second before walking to another part of the gauntlet.
Once they landed at the camp, the couple, droid, Rau and Bo-Katan walked down the ramp before blasters were pointed at Sabine. "Sabine Wren!" a male snarled as Anakin ignited his blade, ready to defend her if necessary.
"We know you built that weapon! You betrayed us all!" another male snarled. "You're a traitor to Mandalore!" a third yelled in anger before the rest of family started to descend the ramp.
"Lower your weapons! Sabine did everything she could to stop this from happening. You must believe us." Alrich said. "Any attack on my daughter is an attack on Clan Wren." Ursa warned as she and Tristan raised one of their blasters before the Clan Kryze members turned their blasters at them.
"No." her daughter declared before tossing her helmet. "What the hell are you doing?" her boyfriend demanded quietly as she took a step forward. "I'm prepared to take responsibility for my actions." she answered before addressing the other Clan.
"It's true. I designed the weapon as a loyal student at the Imperial Academy. The Empire is using my prototype, but it's only functioning at a fraction of its capacity. At full power, it will destroy armies." she explained.
"So you've got a choice to make. We can fight each other, or we can destroy this weapon once and for all." she told them as their Clan leader walked up beside her.
"I understand your anger. In many ways, I feel the same. But Sabine is right. Now is not the time for us to be divisive. She knows the most about this weapon and how to destroy it. We need her." she said.
A moment passed before her Clan holstered their blasters and the ex-merc sheathed his blade. "It's time for you to prove your loyalty, not just to your family, but to all of Mandalore." she said to younger woman as the others continued into the camp.
Sabine looked at the Darksaber for a moment before turning her attention to her father and getting a nod from him.
"Saxon has worked hard to keep the weapon a secret, so he likely has it aboard his Imperial Star Destroyer, outside of Sundari. Needless to say, it will be very well guarded." Alrich explained after Katie projected a holoimage of Saxon's Star Destroyer.
"Once we get inside that ship, we'll need two teams, one to find the weapon, and one to wipe out every shred of data on it from the Imperial computer systems." his daughter told them.
"This weapon... Is there any way it could be turned against the Empire?" Fenn inquired. "I've studied stormtrooper armor, and while the thought has crossed my mind, that... That isn't our mission. No. No, we have to destroy it." she insisted. 'Hmm...'
"I will lead the attack team." Ursa volunteered. "With respect, Countess, you can barely hold a blaster." Rau argued. "I'm just as good with my other hand." she told him, holding it up while her husband and son put a hand on her shoulders.
"Yes, Mother, but we'll need you for tactical support." her daughter told her. "So be it." the older woman relented. "Cheer up, aunty. I'll make sure to kill any of those Imperials in your name." her godson told her with a smile.
The older woman returned it before her daughter spoke again. "If I can get to the weapon, I can make sure it's destroyed." she added. "I'll get you there." Bo-Katan told her.
"Anakin and I will take Katie to the data core." Kanan told the younger woman. While he was reluctant to not be there beside her during the mission, he knew she'd be safe with Bo-Katan.
Once the group on board the Star Destroyer, Anakin took cover underneath a TIE before hearing a voice coming from behind. "Hey! Hey!" the pilot of the TIE yelled after seeing him through the ladder.
Before he could take care of the man, Bo-Katan suddenly grabbed the Imperial before tossing him towards Sabine who then promptly kneed him in the stomach.
"Hold it right there!" a stormtrooper ordered, noticing them after exiting a shuttle. The trooper then opened fire on them along with another that exited the shuttle before the two Force-wielder ignited their blades and ran up to help.
A few seconds passed before Fenn and a few other Mandalorians provided cover for the two women so they could get up on the catwalk behind two AT-DPs. "Those will complicate thing." the Protector said as the walkers took aim.
Luckily a distraction came when Kryze tossed a thermal detonator between the two walkers, killing the trooper in between and making the AT-DPs stumble a bit before the two Force-wielders and droid made a break for the open blast door.
Anakin reluctantly ignored his urge to run to Sabine as he and Kanan provided cover for Katie as she plugged into the droid port to delete the schematics.
The two deflected bolts from the two troopers attacking before the Knight deflected one back at the trooper in the room while the younger man Force-pushed the other near the door, into the wall.
"Maybe a little faster girl." he urged after he and the Jedi sheathed their blades and walked up to the console before watching the monitor with the schematics on it.
"Erase everything. Every piece of data on that weapon they've got." Kanan ordered the astromech before she beeped. "Sabine, you there? What's your status?" the younger man asked over his wrist comm.
"I knew she was in trouble, yet I ignored it!" he growled in frustration after getting no reply. "Go! We'll finish here." the Knight told him before Anakin nodded and took off.
Anakin opened the blast door before seeing that the other Mandalorians were still battling the stormtroopers and walkers. "Dammit" he muttered before rushing towards the nearest walker.
As he neared the AT-DP, one of the stormtroopers noticed him and opened fire before he was forced to deflect and jump back when the walker nearly stepped on.
The ex-merc sighed in relief after landing in between some large containers. "What a day..." he muttered before coming out from behind the containers and running into Fenn and Tristan.
"Anakin?" his future brother-in-law asked in surprise after noticing him standing behind Rau. "I finished my mission, now I have to finish yours, too?" he snarked.
"The data core was the easier mission!" Tristan shot back. "Will you two knock it off?" the Protector asked, clearly annoyed by their bickering. "Where's Sabine?" the Force-wielder asked, becoming seroius again.
"Up there." the older man replied, pointing to the deck above with his right blaster. Anakin quickly Force-jumped to the window before crashing through it and standing up.
The ex-merc's eyes widened when he saw a blond-haired man being tortured by the weapon and Sabine standing over him. "This isn't enough power to kill you, just to make you suffer. How does it feel?" she asked, glaring at him..
"Sabine, stop!" Bo-Katan pleaded. "Mandalore must be free!" the younger woman argued. "At what cost?" the other woman asked as she took a few steps forward.
"To beat the Empire, this is the only way." Anakin's girlfriend answered.
'It's not our way. It's their way. You came here to make things right. Will the future of Mandalore be one of honor or cowardice? Hope or fear? The choice is yours." Bo-Katan said before the younger woman walked over to the weapon and activated the Darksaber.
"For Mandalore." she said while raising the blade. "For Mandalore." Kryze agreed before Sabine slashed the weapon. "Well... That doesn't look good." her boyfriend said as the weapon started overloading.
"Kanan! Power core's been breached." the younger woman told him over her wrist comm. "Well, the data's wiped, but the stormtroopers are recovering and heading this way." he reported.
"Don't worry about them, because this entire place is about to blow." she replied. "We should probably go, then!" he said as the ex-merc handed the young woman her helmet before she and the older woman put them back on.
The three then stepped on the turbolift before it took them down. Once they stepped off, the three along with the others headed to the the hanger bay entrance before using their jetpacks to escape the ship. Or in the droid's case, use her thrusters.
Back at Bo-Katan's camp, she, the couple and Ursa walked through a door on the fighter they escaped on as the Clan leader spoke. "This is only the beginning. The Empire will send everything they have to crush Mandalore." she stated before the couple stopped and turned to her.
"That is why you should lead us, my lady." Sabine told her, bowing her head in respect. "You had the courage to make a difficult decision." Kryze remined her while taking a few steps towards her.
"With your guidance. You have the wisdom of a ruler. There's no one I trust to wield the Darksaber more than you." she told the older woman. "And I am not alone." she added before Anakin lowered the ramp to reveal her Clan along with a few others including Fenn and Clan Wren.
The four then walked halfway down the ramp before a man spoke. "Clan Vizla is with you." he stated. "Clan Rook is with you." a female stated. "Clan Eldar is with you." a different man stated.
"Clan Ordo is with you." a woman wearing dull gray armor and a helmet stated. "Clan Kryze is with you." the man who rescued them in the fighter earlier stated.
"The Protectors are with you." Rau stated. "Clan Wren is with you." the ex-merc's godmother told Kryze as well before the younger woman placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder.
"Now I understand why the saber came to me after Anakin recovered it. It came to me so I could pass it to you." she said before holding it out to her once more.
Bo-Katan looked at it again before taking it. "I accept this sword for my sister, for my clan, and for all of Mandalore." she announced while holding it above her head and turing it on.
The other clans kneeled to their new leader before Anakin and Sabine shared a smile. "What do you think about getting married before we leave, hmm?" he murmured softly after wrapping an arm around her and resting his chin on the top of her head.
"I think that's an excellent idea..." she replied, burying her head into his neck before they both smiled in content...
Chapter 39 finished.