Chopper Base - Atollon
3rd person POV...
In the command center of Chopper Base, Kanan was busy going over information with Hera and Commander Sato. They were discussing what the focus of their next mission should be, looking over a few things Jarik and Fulcrum managed to uncover. Nearby, Sabine spots Kanan and approaches him with an anxious expression on her face, tapping his shoulder.
"Kanan, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asks.
"What about?" he asks curiously, turning toward her.
"...in private?" she adds.
Kanan frowns, and Hera glances at them in concern before he shrugs his shoulders.
"Sure," he says. "Lead the way."
Satisfied, Sabine turns and starts walking over to a more quiet section of the room, Kanan following her. She turns around the corner to a more secluded area and then faces him, looking down uneasily.
"You seem a bit stressed. You alright?" Kanan asks her, concerned.
"There's something I want you to do for me," she replies, holding out her hand. "Can you keep this? For safekeeping?"
A little confused, Kanan reaches his hand out and takes what he handed her, a little surprised and curious when he recognizes a lightsaber being placed into his hand, although it's a lot different that anything he's familiar with.
"Is this a lightsaber?" he asks.
"Not exactly," she replies. "It's called the darksaber, and it's something that Mandalorians have used for generations."
"Then why are you giving it to me?" he asks in confusion. "I'm not Mandalorian, you are."
"I don't feel ready for the responsibility of it right now," Sabine explains.
"I don't understand," Kanan replies, frowning.
"It's complicated," she says with a sigh.
"If you don't want it, then why not give it to Fenn Rau? He'd know more about this than I do-" he suggests.
"I want you to keep it," she insists, interrupting him. "If I give it to Rau then he won't stop insisting I use it until I finally do. And I don't want that right now."
Kanan remains silent for several seconds, getting a feel of the lightsaber in his hands while he contemplates what to do, all the while Sabine waits anxiously.
"Ok... I'll hold onto it," he decides.
"Thank you," she replies, sighing gratefully.
Knight Hawk, Chopper Base - Atollon
Jarik POV...
Within the Knight Hawk I sat on my bed, wordlessly staring at the golden armor propped up in the corner of my room, still stunned at having it. The golden paint is faded and covered in scratches, and the armor has definitely seen better days but... it's my father's armor.
My father, Marcus Sohl. A Mandalorian.
I slowly tear my gaze away from the armor and turn towards the holographic projector I had set up, which was connected to my computer. Several files of data were displayed, data which I had acquired from Maul's hideout in the Nightsister Fortress. Among it all is a video that is currently playing, showcasing something that fills me with surprise and grim sadness. It's a long video which showcases Maul facing off against a team of six Jedi on some remote remote planet, in which he kills every single one until only the Padawan remained, who he killed too.
Based on Maul's appearance I could tell this was taken a long time ago, before he first faced Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and lost his legs. Among the Jedi Knights shown I could identify four of them: Alec Slavin and his padawan Lilian Palri, a togruta woman named Adora Ti, and Devron Kolvar, who was known for his black mask and aggressive fighting style. His appearance kind of resembles a Jedi version of Darth Malgus. The only reason I'm able to identify these Jedi is because they had suddenly vanished without a trace on a mission to the Outer Rim, where they were searching for the source of some strange signal. And based on this recording, I now know why: they had discovered Maul's Sith hideout, and were promptly killed before they could report his presence to the Council. This incident occurred about a week before the Invasion of Naboo, where Maul revealed himself to Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
I think it would be good to inform Shaak Ti about this, since she would be able to shed more light on this subject, and was also the twin sister of Adora Ti, the togruta woman on that mission. They may have been Jedi, but even in within the Order, close family relationships are very hard to break completely, and they weren't expected to be fully broken. So Shaak Ti has the right to know about her sister's fate.
Until then however... I just need to know more about my father, Marcus.
Turning off the projector for now, I switch my gaze back to the Mandalorian armor and bring a hand up to rest my chin on it, contemplating. I feel like I should be extremely upset, but at the same time I'm not. Maybe it's just the disbelief I have, or the fact that I don't really remember much of my father, but I don't feel particularly distraught or angry at Maul. I already learned he killed them years ago and, while my anger is still there, I've long since accepted their deaths.
The sound of footsteps approaching has me looking up to see Fenn Rau entering my room, clad in his own blue Mandalorian armor.
"You wished to see me?" he asks.
"I did, yes," I confirm with a nod, gesturing to the armor. "About this."
Fenn Rau lays his eyes on the set of armor and widens them in slight surprise, walking into my room.
"So it is true... you found Marcus's armor," he murmurs in amazement.
"It was in Maul's possession. Ezra told me that he mentioned it was some sort of 'token' from his mission," I explain.
Fenn Rau narrows his eyes at the information, scowling in distaste.
"He's nothing more than a chakaar. No self respecting Mandalorian would be so dishonorable as to chakur another warriors personal armor after defeating them," he say angrily. "All warriors are shown respect, even an enemy."
"Well, Maul is not exactly Mandalorian," I shrug in response. "And the Sith could care less about the honor a Mandalorian prides themselves on having."
"Which is why the Empire's rule of Mandalore is such a disgrace," he replies with a nod. "So, what do you plan to do with this armor?"
I raise an eyebrow at him, curious.
"I was hoping you could give your opinion. I may know about Mandalorian culture, but I don't understand it like you would," I tell him.
"Fair enough," Fenn Rau applies in acknowledgement.
He sets his helmet on my desk and moves over to my father's armor, crouching down to observe it. He lifts a hand and touches the helmet for a few seconds, and then stands back up and turns to me.
"Considering what's happened, this armor belongs to you by right," Rau says.
"Figured. But after that?" I ask him. "What should I do with it? Give my father a proper farewell?"
"If you wish to do so. Our code of honor grants you your full right to do whatever you want with family belongings that you inherit," he explains, before frowning warily, a thought coming to him that is clearly distasteful. "Even melt it down to use for your something else if you wish, although that would be seen as disrespectful, and I would not recommend it."
"Because you forge your own armor," I nod in response, looking at it. "No, I have no intentions of melting it down."
"I'm glad to hear that," Rau says, relaxing a little bit in relief.
I look at my father's armor again, considering an idea before nodding to myself, looking back up at Rau.
"I know what you said last time we spoke," I start to say. "But I'm planning on reaching out to Clan Ordo."
"Using Marcus's armor as a bribe?" he questions with a frown of disapproval. "That would not go well at all."
"Not a bribe, that's ridiculous," I scoff in response. "I'm hoping that it would give me some way of connecting with them. And with my uncle."
"Raman Sohl," he remarks, still frowning. "I still disagree. They don't like Marcus anymore than they like you."
"Which is something I want to change," I retort calmly. "Mandalore can't hold on to hating my bloodline forever. You can hate Revan all you want, I could care less. But I just don't see the point in extending that hate down to his descendants, who carry no responsibility for the actions of a person who lived generations before them."
"I understand your reasoning; it's why Sabine and I no longer judge you on Revan's crimes," he says, sighing. "But I don't think that's a wound that can ever be fully healed for Mandalorians. They may never come to accept you."
"If I can't make amends, then I'll just have to live with it," I reply, looking at him meaningfully. "But how can I know for sure it's impossible if I don't try?"
Rau looks down for a moment, contemplating my words.
"I suppose you're right on that," he finally concedes. "Once again though, I recommend extreme caution."
"Believe me, I know just how easily I upset you guys," I remark with a small smirk, and he scoffs in agreement.
"That's true," he remarks.
"Before I go out to do that, I'd like to establish a time to talk to you more," I tell him. "I want to have an idea of what to expect from them."
"I can do that. It's a very dangerous idea, but there's clearly no stopping you," Rau remarks. "There are some things I do believe you would be wise to know."
The sound of footsteps from outside my room get our attention and the door opens, allowing Mara and Kanan to walk inside.
"So uh... there's something Kanan wants to talk about," Mara comments, gesturing to him.
"I suppose I'll let you talk in private," Rau comments, moving to leave.
"Actually, I was hoping you would stay," Kanan replies. "I've got something to show you both."
Rau stops in a bit of confusion and glances at me curiously, to which I just shrug in response.
"What's this about?" I ask him.
Kanan brings up something from his belt and holds it up, and I instantly recognize the lightsaber hilt.
"So... a lightsaber?" Mara asks.
"Not just any lightsaber," he replies.
He activates it, and I watch in remembrance as the glowing black blade shoots softly out of the handle, sounding like more of a singing whistle than the typical hum of an average lightsaber. Mara and Fenn Rau are both surprised, although for different reasons.
"It can't be..." Rau murmurs in awe.
"What's that?" Mara asks curiously.
"The darksaber," I answer, gaining their attention.
"So you both recognize it?" Kanan asks me and Rau.
I glance up at Rau before returning my gaze to the darksaber, looking at it with an intense stare.
"I think we should head to the common room for this," I suggest.
At my suggestion, we all moved out of my room and out to the main common room, sitting around the table. Mara sat beside me while Fenn Rau day across, with Kanan in between us.
"How do you know of the darksaber?" Rau asks me.
"Me and my master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, fought Pre Vizsla before," I explain, recalling the memory. "He mentioned that his ancestors took it from the Jedi Temple."
"So it's a Jedi lightsaber?" Mara asks. "Really weird looking."
"It's not exactly a Jedi design," I tell her.
"It is the darksaber, a symbol for the leader of House Vizsla, and later the group known as Death Watch, who were led by Pre Vizsla," Rau explains, nodding to me.
"I didn't know Mandalorians developed a type of lightsaber," Kanan says.
"We didn't. This was one of a kind," Rau replies, looking down at the darksaber, which was set in the middle of the table. "Legend tells that it was created nearly four thousand years ago by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian ever inducted into the Jedi Order."
"Wait wait wait- a Mandalorian Jedi?" Mara asks in bewilderment. "How did that happen?"
"There was always tension between the two, seeking to be better warriors than the other. But when Tarre Vizsla was born, and his connection to the Force discovered, the Jedi wished to train him in the hopes of ending the tension between both sides," he explains.
"I've heard of Tarre Vizsla, but I don't know much," I admit.
"It's not surprise, as he's passed into legend since then. But his history is particularly meaningful for you to know, Jarik," Fenn Rau says, giving me a serious look. "Believe it or not, one of Tarre Vizsla's best friends in the Order was none other than your ancestor, Revan himself."
I'm stunned into disbelief for a moment, unsure if I heard that right. The others are just as bewildered.
"What?" I ask in complete bafflement.
"Ok, now you lost me," Mara deadpans. "Being a Jedi I can understand, but being friends with Revan?!"
"Mandalorians are really complicated," Kanan groans in exasperation.
"This friendship between them was before Revan ever did the things that made him into the demagolka he is," Rau states with a frown, sparing me a brief glance however, to which I just wave it off with a sigh. "Revan and Tarre Vizsla weren't that far apart in terms of age, and from my understanding they were brothers in arms. They trained together, and trusted each other with their lives."
"I have a feeling this friendship didn't last," I deduce grimly, sighing.
Rau nods his head in confirmation.
"You would be correct Jarik. As the tension between the Republic and Mandalorians escalated, so too did the friendship between them became strained. Vizsla wished to help his people and unite them together, while Revan sided with the Republic, putting more faith and trust into the one named Malak, instead of Tarre," he explains, frowning as he recalls more. "It's not clear what led to the final schism between the two, but eventually they separated ties completely, and also left the Jedi Order. Revan decided to join the Republic in order to defeat us, while Vizsla returned to his family back on Mandalore. Using the darksaber, he worked to unite all of the clans under one banner and became a rallying figure for Mandalore, soon becoming our leader; Mandalore the Ultimate."
"Mandalore the Ultimate?" I ask in surprise, recognizing the name. "Tarre Vizsla, is Mandalore the Ultimate?"
"Indeed," he confirms.
"Well this is definitely quite the story," Mara comments, looking up at me, to which I just shrug.
"I don't remember much, but I know a bit about his personality," Kanan says, frowning. "How did he go from being humble and compassionate as a Jedi, to being prideful and merciless as Mandalore the Ultimate?"
"You may see him as a brute, but Mandalore the Ultimate was a man of honor. He sought to rebuild our society and had the willingness to do what was needed in order to save and protect our people," Rau replies, clearly disagreeing with Kanan's view of him. "Of course, the great war that followed eventually led to that fateful day above Malachor V."
"Where Revan killed him," I recall impassively.
Rau nods his head, a scowl on his face.
"It was the greatest act of betrayal Revan could have committed. They were the best of friends, trusting each other with their lives, and Revan betrayed that trust. And to add to the atrocities he committed by slaying Mandalore, and slaughtering our people; Revan stripped all of the surviving Mandalorians of their armor and weapons, and took Mandalore's mask and lightsaber away from us, effectively fragmenting the remaining clans," he tells us, an intense look of anger filling his expression.
I look on sadly as Rau explains the story, where he's unable to help but feel his anger and frustration with it all.
"That, Jarik Shan, is the true reason as to why we Mandalorians hate the line of Shan so much," he says firmly, looking at me. "Revan didn't just do these things as an act of war; it was much more personal. And even to this day we haven't fully recovered."
Hearing the story I can now see much better now why Mandalorians hate Revan so much, and I can understand their fury. In their eyes, Revan betrayed their leader who, not only was he the first ever Mandalorian Jedi, was Revan's best friend as well. It was very personal, and then to add insult to injury he took his possessions and fractured the Mandalorian people of their unity. To this day I still don't know how to feel about my ancestor, and I certainly hold him accountable for a lot of horrible things, but he's also done very good things as well.
"Well that's a lot to think about," Mara mutters.
"So... what happened to the darksaber after that?" Kanan asks carefully.
Rau looks down at the saber for a moment, recollecting his thoughts, and then answers.
"After Mandalore's passing, Revan took the darksaber back to Coruscant, where the Jedi kept it in their temple. That was, until members of House Vizsla snuck in and liberated it. They used the saber to unify the people and strike down those who would oppose them. One time, they ruled all of Mandalore wielding this blade. This saber is an important symbol to that house and respected by the other clans," Rau remarks, still retaining a sense of amazement as he looks down at it. "How did you come by it?"
"Sabine found it while we were on Dathomir," Mara says.
"It's been in Maul's possession since he first acquired it back in the Clone Wars," I add.
"Should've known," Rau scoffs in disgust. "At least now it's back in the proper hands. I imagine Sabine was excited to recover it."
"You wouldn't know it," Kanan replies with a light scoff. "Just now she gave it to me for safekeeping, and I'm getting the feeling she doesn't want anything to do with it."
"She doesn't want the responsibility," he replies, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "Kanan, Jarik, if Sabine can wield this saber she can reunite one of the most powerful houses in all of Mandalore."
"You're talking about raising an army," he says, uncertain.
"With Sabine leading it," Rau insists confidently.
"So no pressure," Mara comments sarcastically. "Honest question: why wouldn't Sabine want the responsibility? I know her well enough to know she's very prideful about Mandalore."
"She's had a difficult relationship with her family from how I understand it," Kanan replies.
"Her past is full of uncertainty and misguided actions," Rau says. "I believe that despite what she's done since then, she feels unworthy to wield the blade, and does not want the responsibility of healing the division her actions have caused."
"What actions?" Mara asks.
"That is for her to divulge," he replies.
"So your hope is for Sabine to unite Mandalorians and lead her House to fight the Empire?" Kanan asks.
"Indeed," Rau confirms with a nod, and then turns to me. "And while I still am a bit hesitant, perhaps Jarik could bring Clan Ordo back into the fight as well."
"Clan Ordo?" Kanan asks.
"It's the clan of my father," I answer seriously. "I'm hoping I can make amends with them."
"I hope that turns out well," Mara remarks uncertainly. "It's kind of funny when you think about it. Clan Ordo, and Clan Wren both have family issues that messed them up."
I raise an eyebrow at her and glance up at Rau, a little amused.
"Well, that's one way to put it," I reply with a small smile.
"Only it isn't 'funny,' particularly in the case of Clan Ordo. They lost everything when Marcus was revealed to be married with a Shan," Rau states firmly.
"Yeah, got it. It was just an observation," Mara shrugs in response, rolling her eyes.
"Well, looks like at some point we'll be having a lot more 'Mandalorian interactions' on our hands in the near future," I deduce, leaning back in my seat.
"Sounds like it. I just hope this all ends up being a good idea," Kanan replies.
"My greatest hope is that Sabine makes up with her clan, and begins to unify the people of Mandalore under one banner," Rau says hopefully. "And if you can manage to forge a positive relationship with Clan Ordo, as impossible as it seems, then Mandalore will be well on its way to being rebuilt."
"I think I've done pretty well with the impossible," I reply, managing a small smile.
"Hah! It's funny because it's... you know, true," Mara jokes in amusement.
"When do you want to talk to Sabine about this?" Kanan asks Rau.
"As quickly as possible. Sabine may not wish for the responsibility right now, but she does fully understand its importance, and what it could mean for us," he replies firmly. "She'll have to face her past eventually."
"I see your point," Kanan nods in agreement. "Unfortunately, it'll have to wait for the moment. Just recently we learned of a situation that'll require our attention, and Sabine will be needed."
"The disappearance of the Geonosians," I state with a frown.
"The bugs?" Mara asks. "What do you mean they disappeared?"
"Not sure. But it'll have to be investigated," I reply with concern. "I'm thinking of pulling in a favor from Saw to help with this."
"Saw Gerrera?" Kanan asks, frowning. "What reason?"
"He gets himself very involved in Imperial coverups, and he'll go there whether or not Rebel Command wants him too," I explain.
"Crazy guy… I guess in a way, you do need a little crazy if you want to solve a weird mystery," Mara shrugs casually.
"Well Rebel Command certainly won't like this," Kanan remarks.
"I'll persuade them," I reply.
"I suppose this is a fair enough reason to hold off then," Rau decides with a satisfied nod. "Mandalore has survived being fractured for many generations. It can wait a little longer."
With a video file in hand, and R5 rolling along beside me, I make my way down the hallways of the base's interior and to Shaak Ti's quarters, where she's currently on her break. Reaching the doorway I glance down at R5, who beeps with mocking insistence, and knock on the door.
"Enter," her voice filters through.
Pressing the button on the console, the door slides open and we head inside her quarters, closing the door behind us.
Shaak is sitting on a simple square cushion, similar to what Kanan has, in calm meditation. The Sith holocron is sitting on her desk silently, which I now know she switches out with Kanan and Ezra in a cycle so that no one has possession of it for too long. Her hover chair is set up right beside her cushion for easy access when she needs to move elsewhere. Her legs are crossed as she sits with her back up straight, eyes closed as she meditates peacefully.
I sit down on the cushion opposite of her and wait patiently for her to finish, although R5 rumbles quietly to express his own impatience.
"Jarik, good to see you again," she says, opening her eyes.
"You as well Shaak," I reply in kind, a small smile on my face briefly. "How have you been these last few months here?"
"Well enough. Most of the rebel recruits learn fairly well; they'd leave Rex and Boil impressed," she remarks with an amused smile. "Other than training, I've remained mostly quiet, content with thinking about where I stand in the Force and the Jedi."
She then looks at me with a brow raised.
"You should write a book about your beliefs," she suggests. "I still find it hard determining where you stand on a lot of issues."
"I don't really think I'm fit to be a book author," I scoff in reply, a bit amused, before sighing seriously. "There is something I've recently come across, and I think you would be the best person to talk about it."
"About what?" she asks curiously, a hint of concern on her face.
"It's about Maul. He came by recently," I tell her.
"Oh, yes he did," she replies, a bit troubled. "It's worrying to know that Maul knows the location of our base, and we have no idea what he'll do with that knowledge."
"Maul may be many things, but I don't believe he'll just hand over the location of our base to the Emperor," I reassure her. "He hates him a lot more than he does us."
"I suppose that's true," she remarks in agreement.
R5 beeps insistently, and I roll my eyes at him.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to it, now shut it," I retort.
"Not very patient huh," Shaak observes, a bit amused.
"No, not really," I reply.
R5 beeps at us both in annoyance and frustration, and we allow ourselves to be amused for a little bit before I get serious once again.
"I don't really want to talk about what Maul's plans are right now, but it's actually about what he's already done. From a while ago," I tell her, and she frowns in confusion. "I know you had a twin sister, Adori Ti, and her disappearance along with five other Jedi."
Shaak looks at me in moment of surprise before furrowing her brow in confusion.
"Yes, I did have a sister. You had not yet arrived at the Temple when she and her group vanished; they were investigating a strange signal in the Outer Rim," she recalls carefully. "What relevance does that carry with Maul?"
"Everything it would seem," I inform her with a sad sigh. "I gathered some of Maul's things from Dathomir, and among it was lots of video footage of his training. Because of it all, I think it's safe to say the mystery of their disappearance is solved."
Shaak narrows her eyes before blinking incredulously.
"Maul was responsible for their disappearance?" she asks, alarmed.
"They traced the signal's source to a remote forest planet in the Outer Rim; it was coming from Maul's secret Sith hideout," I explain. "Of course, he couldn't let the Jedi report his presence to the Jedi Council."
Shaak Ti looks at me for a while with an unreadable expression, aside from her surprise, before eventually sighing sadly, looking down at the floor.
"I never could have imagined that was why… and yet it makes perfect sense. Palpatine, who was a senator at the time, is the one who brought the signal to our attention," she says grimly.
"Probably a test for Maul," I theorize.
Shaak nods her head in grim agreement.
"Alec Slavin volunteered to lead the mission, and brought four others with him, along with his Padawan, Lilian Palri," she tells me. "Alec was a good and very capable Jedi, and my sister and I were friends with him. It wasn't easy having to slowly come to terms with the fact that I wouldn't see any of them again."
"How did you handle it?" I ask hesitantly, knowing it's a sensitive topic.
"I didn't know what to think; we sent search times out, scouring the galaxy for any sign of them. I often led those scout times. Nevertheless we had no idea what happened to them, waiting every day for any kind of news on them, but it never came," she says sadly. "After several long months the Order was finally forced to declare them dead, and through the Force I could feel it was true."
I remain quiet with a sympathetic expression on my face, and she continues.
"As a Jedi, I couldn't allow myself to succumb to my emotions. We were sisters, but we also knew to follow the Jedi Code, and tried to prepare ourselves for that," she says with a grim, sad smile. "I'm sure you disagree with that idea."
"Yeah," I admit with a nod. "I don't see the wisdom in removing yourself from a genuinely positive relationship."
"The Jedi Order was wise and knowledgeable about the Force. I suppose however we believed too strongly that all attachments were bad," Shaak remarks.
She sighs, taking a moment to recollect herself and come to terms with what she just learned. But Shaak is a strong Jedi, so she doesn't break down and instead accepts what happened all those years ago.
"You said there was video footage?" she questions.
I nod my head in confirmation, glancing over at R5.
"Probe droids recorded the whole incident from a distance, live-streaming it to Coruscant. Guess who was watching," I say sarcastically, before continuing. "I have it with me, if you want to view it."
I hold up the data file in my hand, waiting for her response. She looks at it for a while, contemplating.
"I'll view it, but, at a later time," she finally decides. "I'm not sure I'm ready to see how Adora fell to Maul."
I nod my head in acceptance, handing her the disk.
"I understand," I tell her, standing up. "Well, I'll leave you to it. There are some other things I need to look at more."
"Very well. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Jarik," she replies.
"You're welcome," I say.
I open the door and make my way out of her quarters, and R5 follows me out. Once the door closes R5 starts beeping at me, and I give him a look.
"Come on, be respectful! So you weren't needed to play it after all; who cares?" I retort sarcastically. "I don't care."
R5 grumbles in annoyance while I quietly laugh to myself in amusement.
After giving Shaak the video that shows what happened to that team of Jedi, I made my way back to the Knight Hawk and into my room to browse over the many different things uncovered from Maul's stash on Dathomir once more. He left a surprising amount of stuff, most notably some clues about his past with the Sith, and some of what he learned from Darth Sidious.
I'll analyze those things at some later time, but right now my focus is still on my father's armor. I just can't take my mind away from it. An actual piece of my past, coming from my own biological family. The only other thing I have that even comes close to the significance of this armor is Satele's journal back on Ahch-To. Knowing that this set of armor was worn in battle by my father... I feel a sense of pride, or maybe relief at having it in my possession. However, I also feel a bit sad too, knowing that I won't ever get to see my birth parents again.
As I look over the armor, I then notice something in its belt that gets my attention. Frowning, I crouch down in front of it and go to investigate, seeing something off. Feeling my fingers along the metal chest plate, I reach a small groove where the source of my curiosity was sticking out, although just barely. Pinching it between two fingers, I carefully pull it out to see that it's some sort of flat disk. Analyzing it for a second, I widen my eyes upon recognizing it as a disk drive, containing some sort of video.
"What did you leave me, Dad?" I murmur quietly to myself.
Flipping it over to see the circular disk itself, about the size of a regular game card, I raise my comlink to my mouth.
"R5, could you get in here for a moment?" I ask him.
He starts beeping back in a snarky tone and I roll my eyes.
"If you don't shut up and get back here then I'll feed you to Zenna," I threaten.
R5 is silent for a second before grumbling in reluctant acknowledgement, ending the transmission. Moments later the door slides open and he rolls through, beeping and grumbling all the while.
"Chill out, I don't need you here long," I retort, turning towards him. "I need you to show whatever's on this disk drive for me."
I hold the disk out to him, and after a few beeps he opens the disk slot on his dome, and I place it in. I wait patiently as he processes the drive, standing up and then heading over to my chair next to my desk, sitting down in it and facing him. R5 beeps in satisfaction and then turns in my direction, displaying a holographic image.
I still in my movements as I see a man show up in the hologram, instantly feeling a sense of familiarity with him. His hair is the same color as mine, with the same type of scruffiness and beard, although it's much shorter, and his face doesn't share the same similarities as me. However just based on his appearance and demeanor alone... the way he carried himself being so much like me... I knew exactly who he was.
"Dad..." I murmur to myself.
Then a woman enters the hologram to stand beside my father, surprising me even more. She's quite beautiful, with bright blonde hair and stunning blue eyes, matching with a gentle, and loving, face to go along with it. Unlike my father, her face bears a lot more resemblance to mine, only softer in appearance, and her eyes are a dead match to my own.
"Mom..." I mutter, stunned into silence.
"Jarik, our wonderful son..." Marcus Sohl starts to say, a bit anxious. "If you're watching this message, then it means we weren't able to live the same life with you that we would have wanted. Whatever the reasons for that... it doesn't matter."
A rush of emotion starts to well up in my heart, making me swallow uncomfortably. I shove it away however in favor of continuing to listen to the message.
"We live a dangerous life, and you likely will too. Being who we are, makes things very difficult. I'm Mandalorian, while you and Lara are both descendants of Revan. Lots of people out there will either hate you or fear you," Marcus continues.
How right he was...
"The reason we're making this message, sweetheart, is so that you know we have, and always will, love you so much, in case we can't tell you ourselves," Lara Shan says sincerely. "I know you are strong, and I know that you will face many things in your life. But something you'll always have, is our love."
A small tear starts to trail from my eye as I listen to my mother's words, caught up in how confident and sincere they are, and how they're so full of love.
"You may probably be aware of this, or maybe you aren't; but in any case you also have extended family: my brother, Raman. He lives on Dxun with the Mandalorian clan I was once a part of, Clan Ordo," Marcus states, a bit hesitant but still firm. "They don't like us, and they won't like you. But if you decide to go to them, then seek out Raman. I wasn't able to explain to him my reasons for why I did what I did, but I still believe he never fully hated me. If you find him then I am sure he will listen to reason, and be able to reconcile with you what he could not with me. Family is what matters most to him, I know it is."
"You may be scared Jarik, but I know you will have the support of those around you," Lara picks off. "Even in the bleakest of times, always remember that you are loved. You are our son, and the Force will guide you on your path if we are not there to be with you."
I listen quietly as emotions run through me like a river; overwhelming, happy, sad, loving.
"Take care of yourself kid. You definitely have what it takes," Marcus says, smiling. "I know you do."
"Be brave. The Force will guide you on your journey," Lara adds, smiling with an expression of pure love visible in her eyes. "We love you, little Jari."
I withhold a gasp at the nickname spoken by my mother; the same nickname that Ahsoka has for me.
The hologram then fizzles at as the message ends, and I sit quietly for a long while, thinking over what I had just seen. R5 slowly rolls forward, letting out a slow, soft beep. I glance down at him with a small, subdued smile, gratefully accepting his words of comfort. I think about the message for a long while, coming to terms with their fate, and knowing that they loved me.
I smile in content, grateful for the chance to receive a final way of goodbye from them.
Unknown Regions - Galaxy's Edge
Elita POV...
"Quite an interesting story," Chromia remarks.
"I still find it hard to believe that this friend of yours could've done all that," Ironhide grunts.
"Well it did happen big guy," I reply with a roll of my optics. "Jarik is something, I'll tell you that."
"No disrespect towards humans... but how exactly could someone so small do so much of what you're saying?" he asks with a frown.
"He led a team of us to the capital of the Empire they're fighting in order to rescue his daughter, and used only a single cruiser to blow through their blockade in a straight charge against their ships," I tell him in response.
"Sounds like a crazy fragger. Bet the wreckers would love him," he remarks with some amusement, crossing his arms.
"Well, he's far from a wrecker that I can say," I scoff in reply. "Anyways, you saw him fight against Onslaught, right?"
"She does have a point 'Hide," Chromia adds in support. "I don't remember much, but Jedi are a lot more skilled than most organics."
"Hmph," he responds, humming to himself. "He did handle himself fairly well for a human, I'll give him that."
I shake my head in some amusement, knowing how much praise that actually is from someone like Ironhide. It's good enough I suppose.
"I'm just hoping we get through this maze already. Andromeda is annoying to navigate through," he grumbles, sitting down in the pilot's seat.
"I think Andromedans call this area the Rishi Maze," I shrug in response. "There's a reason why this and the Unknown Regions are largely unexplored."
"Riddled with imploding star clusters, nebulas, and supernova's," Ironhide says sarcastically. "No wonder."
"Well, you don't have to worry anymore 'Hide. We've made it out!" Chromia declares triumphantly.
I look out of the viewport, seeing the faint light from stars and galaxies far in the distance, as well as the gigantic size of the Andromeda galaxy behind us. The band of stars takes up most of the view, appearing as a wide dish of light that spreads across hundreds of thousands of lightyears, but behind us now. We're now at the edge of the Andromeda galaxy.
"Finally. Thank Primus we're out of that maze," Ironhide grunts in satisfaction.
"And on our way back to Cybertron," Chromia says, looking at me with a smile. "You ready to head home?"
I glance at them both, a faint smile on my face. It's been so long since I've been back home... being with my sparkmate...
"I'm ready," I confirm softly. "Let's do it."
Chromia nods her head in reply, smiling at me as well, and she and Ironhide begin readying the ship's Transwarp Drive for intergalactic travel.
"Jumping in a few nanokliks," Ironhide informs us.
Just then I notice something appearing on our scanners and frown in confusion, getting the other's attention.
"Hang on a minute... I'm picking up a signal," I tell them. "It's coming from another ship."
"Another ship?" Chromia asks doubtfully. "All the way out here?"
"Could be a 'Con trick," Ironhide suggests.
"It doesn't seem like the 'Cons though," I murmur, looking out the viewport. "It says it's really close..."
I narrow my optics in confusion, my sensor saying that there's something in our area, extremely close by. After a nanoklik I notice movement from the darkness of space, and focus in on it. The movement becomes clearer and forms a large number shapes, lit up with orange and pale green lights. I look on in surprise upon recognizing them as moving vessels.
"What is that?" I ask slowly, gesturing outside the viewport.
Chromia and Ironhide both follow the direction I'm looking, focusing in on the shapes as well. They become even more clearer now, and I look on in surprise and great alarm as I realize it to be a fleet of massive cruisers, all in a strange blocky shape. The flagship is tremendously vast, larger than any cruiser I have ever seen before; both the Ark and the Nemesis aren't even as large as this! It's a long, pyramidal ship with a great weapon built into its side, and the smaller cruisers that make up its fleet are all heading right towards us with hostile intent.
"By the Allspark..." Chromia mutters incredulously. "What the slag are those things?"
"Frag," Ironhide curses. "I recognize them. It's the Hive!"
"The Hive?" Chromia and I both exclaim incredulously.
We share startled looks with each other, stunned at this revelation. We've heard of the Hive and the abominations they are but... we thought they were just simple myths told throughout space!
"We're in an ambush," he growls anxiously. "Chromia, make the jump!"
Before she could grab the lever to activate our Transwarp Drive, a single beam shot from the immense flagship strikes the side of our ship, shaking us around violently. We let out startled cries and look outside of the viewport once more, spotting dozens of smaller ships making their way towards us. The Hive warships are circling around in order to cut off our path to our own galaxy, while the flagship itself maneuvers to its side so that its main weapon is facing in our direction.
"Scrap!" Chromia exclaims. "That blast disabled our Transwarp Drive!"
"Seriously?" I ask in alarm.
"It's only temporary, but it'll take a few kliks to reset!" she adds.
"This just gets even better," Ironhide scowls in frustration.
He begins to turn our ship away from the approaching storm of smaller Hive ships, speeding up in an effort to gain distance on them. At that same moment a loud roar becomes audible to us, and we all cringe in surprise and disbelief at the sound. I'm shaken by the horrible sound, repulsed by it even; a snarling, monstrous voice then begins speaking to us, and in front of our viewport we could see the misty form of some alien creature, looking more beast-like and terrible than even the most gruesome of Insecticons.
"YOU ARE FAR FROM YOUR HOME, CHILDREN OF PRIMUS," the monster growls. "YOUR MISTAKE WILL COST YOU DEARLY."
"Over my sparkless husk you fragging Spawn of Unicron," Ironhide retorts with a growl.
Ironhide flies the ship straight through the ghostly face, shooting the ship's turrets at a few Hive ships that try and speed in front of us. Chromia takes control of the ship's weapons while I strap myself in, watching the scanners and sensors anxiously.
Looking out the viewport in concern, I can only hope that we'll figure out a way to escape these abominations.
"I have taken entire worlds, Blood of Revan."
There's nothing but swirling clouds of darkness, smothering anything that could exist. It's an unnatural feeling... cold, wrong, and pure evil. Three eyes of pale starlight open to peer out from within the darkness, followed by a leering, monstrous grin.
"And you... will bow... TO ME!"
The monster makes his presence more clear from within the clouds, and his hideous silhouette becomes visible. He lunges forward with a terrible roar...
Knight Hawk, Chopper Base - Atollon
Jarik POV...
I shoot out of bed with a startled gasp, breathing heavily in order to calm my nerves. I slowly look around my room to remind myself that I'm still here, not held at the mercy of the King.
"Kriff these visions," I grumble irritably.
Letting out a tired sigh, I lie back down in my bed with an uneasy feeling, unsure of why I suddenly saw that. I don't know what it is... but I'm getting the feeling that something bad may have happened.
Chapter Review: Ohhh... that's not good. Elita and the Autobots aren't fully out of the story yet, and they're in trouble. Apart from that however, lots of lore and history revealed about Revan and Mandalore, and several other things. The Mandalore Arc is so... so close! I think you guys are definitely going to love it!
Next chapter is Ghosts of Geonosis! Saw Gerrera is worried about rumors regarding the construction of a sinister super weapon...
Author's Note: Just so you guys know, I am aware about the general history of both Mandalore the Ultimate and Tarre Vizsla, and my version of their history is my own version that's canon to the Shaniverse, not to CANON or LEGENDS material. Their stories are vague enough in certain places that I could see this as working out pretty well for an idea.
Also I'm sure most of you picked up on my side plot history regarding Shaak Ti, since I wasn't too subtle about it... yeah that relates to a certain fan film out there. ;D There are several fan films that are made so well and work in a way that they could most definitely fit into the official Star Wars canon (Darth Maul: Apprentice, Vader: Shards of the Past, Force of Darkness). They're all made very well. In terms of Shaniverse canon Vader is a bit different, but you all get the concept.
Thank you guys for your continued support for this series, it is awesome! I read a comment from one reviewer where at this current rate, V5 will get more reviews than V4 did, and that is accurate haha.