Author's Note: Thanks for all of the reviews guys, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays. Also happy new decade very soon! :D
The 27th also marked the one year anniversary of V5 of this story, and it's less than a month away from the two year anniversary of the Shaniverse, which will be fun. Really glad you guys have stayed with me for so long and enjoy the content I bring out, really means a lot! To be honest, at the start of the year I had originally planned to have V5 done by the end of summer, when comparing to my speed during 2018, yet clearly that's not the case. I'd say the current point right now with the Mandalorian Arc is only the halfway point of the story, so who knows how long it'll take for me to finish? I do wish to amp up the speed in which I upload, but life isn't always so kind, and I also have to balance my upload schedule between a few other stories. I'll keep moving forwards regardless though, I enjoy writing the stories of the Shaniverse.
Anyways, now we finally have the long awaited meeting for Jarik Shan and his Mandalorian family in Clan Ordo. And for those of you who are avid watchers of "The Mandalorian" I'm sure you'll pick up on a little something in this chapter. :)
Chopper Base - Atollon
Astrid POV...
I throw a swift jab with my right arm, but my opponent sidesteps it and counters with a kick. I deflect the kick with my own leg and then twirl around to deliver an elbow aimed for their head, but a hand is raised upward to block it. Not hampered in the slightest I follow up by reaching out with my foot and hooking it around my opponents leg, shoving myself backwards and yanking my foot to trip them up. It doesn't have the desired effect, but they still stumble back unsteadily before regaining their balance.
"Huh, nice move," Sabine comments with a nod.
"Thanks. You're not bad yourself," I reply with a grin.
"I began my training ever once I turned three," she replies, smiling, before her expression becomes a little bit glummer. "Kind of strange to think about going back."
"I'm sure you'll do fine. If they truly care about you then they have to listen," I reassure her.
"Yeah. Hopefully," she responds with a shrug.
Before we could resume our sparring match, both Hiccup and Ezra come walking over to us and gain our attention.
"Hey guys," Hiccup greets.
"Hey Hiccup," I reply, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"We're about to head out to do... you know, all that stuff," he replies, making a few gestures and then shrugging.
"Yeah, Kanan told me to come get you Sabine. We're all ready to head out," Ezra adds.
I'm a little disappointed, but I shrug off the feelings for now since this is important.
"Ok, we'll be over in just a second," Sabine replies, feeling the same as me.
"Ok, great. You two sparring or something?" Ezra asks.
"Yeah, we are," she tells him, giving him a look. "What, you interested in jumping in?"
"No, no, not really, just curious, that's all," he quickly responds with a smile.
"Good move," Hiccup mutters to him.
I roll my eyes when I hear that, scoffing lightly and grinning at him with crossed arms. I'm sure Hiccup knows plenty well about the wisdom in not interferring with one of my training sessions.
Jarik POV...
Sitting on the bed in my room, with my father's armor laying against the corner of the wall, I hold my holocron in my hand with a befuddled expression, contemplating what I just saw. Somehow, in some way, this holocron contains the coordinates for Mandalore's Mask; the direct location to its hiding place. And not only that, but what I previously thought to be just my own, regular old holocron, was actually the holocron used by my ancestors in the Jedi millennia ago! What are the chances of that?!
Apparently for me, everything is a hundred percent chance.
I let out a tired sigh and set my holocron down on my bed, although I'm also relieved. If the information Satele recorded is correct, and only the Force knows how she knew about it, then securing Mandalore's Mask for Clan Ordo will be much easier than I ever anticipated it to be. I'm broken out of my thoughts when the door opens, allowing Mara to come through, followed by Hiccup and Astrid.
"Hey Dad," she greets.
"Hey kids," I reply. "We all good to go?"
"Yeah, we're good. The other team is ready as well," she informs me.
"Great. Let's head out then," I say, standing up. "You two ready?"
"Ready as we'll ever be," Hiccup shrugs.
"I think we're good," Astrid adds confidently.
We make our way over to the cockpit, where R5 is already plugged into the astromech port. He beeps at us upon our entry, making a few jokes about Hiccup and Astrid's appearance as well. Mara and I both roll our eyes while the two Vikings give him a weird look, still not completely used to the idea of a droid, even after everything they've seen already. I sit down in the pilot's seat and start turning on the ship's engines, also receiving a transmission from the other team as well, which I accept. Fenn Rau and Kanan both come up on the hologram.
"You guys going to be okay?" Kanan asks.
"We'll be fine. How about you?" I ask him.
"Sabine's going along with it well enough," he replies.
"Just remember, Shan, that you're unlikely to receive a positive welcoming," Rau warns. "Make sure to do everything that we discussed earlier."
"Trust me, I have an idea of what to expect," I comment sarcastically.
"Well, have fun you guys!" Ezra's voice filters through happily.
"How about you try not to get blown up by Sabine's family," Mara suggests sarcastically.
"He wouldn't even last a second," Astrid mutters to her and Hiccup, amused.
"Hey, I heard that!" Ezra exclaims in protest.
Sabine's laughter could be heard through the call though, and I have to admit I'm withholding my grin as well.
"Sorry, not sorry!" Astrid retorts, smiling.
"Alright, enough of that," Kanan sighs in exasperation. "May the Force be with you guys."
"And you as well," I reply with a nod.
With that being said the transmission ends, shutting the blue hologram off. I lift the Knight Hawk up into the air, and beside us the Phantom rises as well. WE travel up into orbit together, R5 plugging in the coordinates for the Japrael system, which is where the planet Onderon and its four moons reside, one of which is Dxun. As the colored atmosphere turns into a black and starry field the Phantom disappears into hyperspace, and R5 announces that he has the coordinates set into the navicomputer.
"We all ready kids?" I ask them.
"Hmm hmm/Yeah, we're good/Sure," they all say simultaneously.
Looking back forwards, I reach up and pull on the lever to activate the hyperdrive. The stars begin to elongate as the ship hums upon the hyperdrive activating, and then we blast off into the alternate dimension of space-time, the familiar blue tunnel engulfing us.
Japrael System - Inner Rim
"R5, scan for any Imperial ships," I say.
He beeps in confirmation and turns to do just that, while I pull the lever to bring us out of hyperspace. The blue tunnel disappears into stretched out stars, which quickly revert back to their normal look as we return to normal space. Immediately I activate the Knight Hawk's cloaking device and signal scrambler, angling us in the direction of the planet Onderon. The others watch on quietly, the two Vikings looking out in curiosity and amazement at the sight of space. R5 then turns his dome to look at us, beeping.
"He says there's a Star Destroyer," Mara informs me.
"Perfect," I murmur sarcastically.
"A Star Destroyer? Like one of the Empire's battle ships?" Hiccup asks.
"Thankfully it's just one," she replies.
"Well what would they be doing here?" Astrid asks.
"We did kind of make a mess the last time we came here," I offer as explanation.
Onderon is now within view, and hanging in the planet's orbit I can see the Star Destroyer sitting there quietly. I fly us along anxiously, the Knight Hawk so far evading the Empire's range of detection as its cloaking holds up. I carefully direct us away from Onderon and more in the direction of Dxun, watching the cruiser intently as we go by. The others also watch it with a mixture of tense unease and interest. Thankfully it seems that they're being called away, because not too much longer afterwards the Star Destroyer vanishes without a trace.
"Woah! What just happened?" Astrid asks in alarm.
"They went into hyperspace," I explain with relief.
"That's what hyperspace looks like from outside?" Hiccup asks curiously. "Huh."
"Well, what else were you thinking of?" Mara asks him.
Hiccup frowns thoughtfully for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.
"Nothing really. Fair point," he admits.
"Alright, well now comes the hard part," I remind the others.
The entirely green moon of Dxun is now directly in front of us, the color coming from its very dense jungles. Somewhere down there is my family... and an entire clan full of Mandalorians who would like nothing more than to shoot me down. As we begin entering the moons atmosphere I turn towards the others to lay out the plan.
"Alright, here's the deal: the three of you and Toothless will wait inside of the ship while I go out and establish our presence to the clan. If things go poorly, I want you to take the ship and fly away," I inform them. "And that's if we get to land."
"You want us to bail and leave you with some angry mando's?" Mara asks with a raised eyebrow. "No thanks."
"This isn't a debate Mara. I don't want them turning on you guys just because of your affiliation with me," I reply sternly.
"It shouldn't have to come to that," Hiccup reasons.
"Yeah. We're staying with you for this," Astrid adds determinedly.
"You two don't get a say, alright? I have every intention of making sure you guys get back to Berk safely, no matter what," I state, leaving no room for argument.
"Well I'm sure I speak for all three of us when I say we aren't ditching you either," Mara retorts.
Before I can answer, motion on the radar gets my attention, and I turn to look at it. A few shapes are approaching and, giving the others another look to remind them of our conversation, I turn to the ship's controls and send out a call frequency.
"Mando be Ha'yr Ordo, Ni cuyir juha at saya morut'yc atar at gar ge'nasa'yr," I speak through the com.
The others give me a surprised look, and I shrug my shoulders.
"I've been practicing for this," I quietly explain.
"Gar ru uhyih du'nuha, ibic cuyir verd'ika mariyurir. Jigr norac jii ra cuyir naastar," a man's voice says.
I couldn't fully translate all of that, but I understood enough to know what the general meaning was. Outside, I could now see four gauntlet starfighters moving in our direction, along with a few Mandalorians flying on jetpacks.
"That doesn't look good," Hiccup mutters.
"Ni olaror ti iroe evaar'la par Soletar Raman. Yirhaou turyr be Marcus Sohl," I state insistently.
There's no response for a while after that, and I slowly become more tense and anxious with each passing second. I glance out the cockpit window to see the Mandalorians all flanking the Knight Hawk now, keeping it surrounded; one of the jetpack mando's glances back at a starfighter, as if communicating.
"Who is this?" they finally demand, speaking basic this time.
"Guide me to your base and let me land, and then you will find out," I say calmly. "I don't mean any harm. I only wish to speak with Count Raman."
There's more silence for a little while before the man responds.
"Very well. Conform to our trajectory. Any deviation from our path will result in you being incinerated," he warns us.
"Wonderful," I reply with a neutral tone.
Ending the transmission, I turn the Knight Hawk and begin following one of the gauntlet fighters that moves in front of me, the rest of them surrounding us from all sides. I roll my eyes but don't complain, considering this is going far better than I would've expected it to go; at least we'll be able to land first.
"Incinerated?" Hiccup asks incredulously. "That was pretty specific."
"Just be grateful they aren't shooting us out of the air right now," I point out.
"Seems kind of over the top, even for Viking standards," Astrid comments.
"Meh, I've just stuck with the idea that Mandalorians have some level of crazy about them," Mara shrugs in response.
It doesn't take long before the sight of Clan Ordo's base comes into view, and the lead fighter breaks off. Getting a good look at the outpost for the first time, I take note of how it's in a basin, surrounded by tall mountains on all sides—except one, that area being covered by a forest of tall trees—that provide great protection from any opposing ground assault, and also keeping out the many predators of Dxun's jungle environment.
The base itself has plenty of large buildings, mostly circular in shape, the largest of which serving as a hangar for their gauntlet fighters and starships. There seems to be an 'arena' of sorts off to the side of the base, with stands and everything, while over towards the forested opening of the valley there's a large open courtyard with small shapes milling throughout it; people. Some areas seem to be the living spaces, while another taller building looks to be more administrative or like a leader's fortress, or whatever Mandalorians use.
The Mandalorians direct me over to a circular landing pad, and I comply with their directions and angle the ship down. Once we land it doesn't take long for a group of Mandalorians to come forwards or drop out of the air in front of us. They aren't aiming their blasters, but the implication is clear; pull any tricks, and we're toast.
"Alright kids, this is where I step out," I tell them.
"Dad, seriously, we're not-" Mara starts to protest.
"I'm not saying for you to bail right now," I interrupt. "But I want to ensure that we won't be blasted before I let any of you step out, ok?"
Mara frowns at me, crossing her arms with a hum in annoyance, while Hiccup and Astrid both sharing a worried look with each other, the former however giving me a nod.
"Okay, we'll wait first," Hiccup says.
"Thank you," I reply with a nod of gratitude, and head out of the cockpit.
Moving through the Knight Hawk I enter my room and look around, spotting my father's armor. Going over to it I pick up his helmet, noting how the visor isn't the typical 't-shape' that most Mandalorians wear; if I'm correct, then it's the style Mandalorian 'hunters' use, which means my father must have been some type of hunter or mercenary class of Mandalorian. Shelving the information for now I also collect my holocron and place it in my belt, then make my way over to the cargo hold. Toothless perks up when I enter, and I give him a light pat on the head and a smile.
"Don't come out unless you're given the clear, alright?" I tell him.
He tilts his head at me curiously, but through the Force I can sense he understood. The door above then opens to allow Mara, Hiccup and Astrid into the cargo hold, the latter holding her axe, watching me from the balcony.
"Toothless, stay over here bud," Hiccup calls out.
The night fury trots over to stand directly underneath them, and after one final reassuring smile I turn away from them and walk up to the door entrance. Pulling my hood over my head to obscure my face, I press the button on the console and take a deep breath, waiting tensely as the ramp lowers to grant me passageway to the landing platform, where all of the Mandalorians are waiting.
I calmly step outside of the ship and approach the Mandalorians, remembering Rau's advice and masking any apprehension or unease I may be feeling, walking with a sense of purpose and relaxed confidence. The group watch as I approach, some of them resting their hands on their blasters, and they all part to allow another Mandalorian to walk through. His armor is colored a burnt orange, and over his shoulders he wears a dark brown fur cape, similar to Stoick's cape but not nearly as large or apparent. His aged face and slightly graying near-black hair shows him to be a man in his sixties, but he still exudes plenty of strength and carries a strong jawline, his hardened dark brown eyes revealing a glimpse into his personality.
My uncle, Raman Sohl.
I come to a stop once he does, and wait for him to address me first.
"My warriors here tell me you claim to have knowledge of my deceased brother, Marcus Sohl, and that you wished to speak directly to me?" he questions.
"Not just knowledge," I respond.
I lift up my father's helmet for all of them to see clearly. Raman widens his eyes in shock and recognition, taken aback for a moment, while the other Mandalorians all share a few looks with each other. Raman's expression then hardens to one of suspicion and anger, and he stares at me with narrowed eyes.
"How did you come by this?" he demands.
"I found it in the possession of Darth Maul," I answer truthfully.
There are a few murmurs of anger amongst the group, and I detect a hint of surprise and sadness in Raman, who glances down for a moment before meeting my gaze once more.
"And who are you then?" he asks, still suspicious.
"If I reveal my identity, will you and your warriors promise not to cause me harm?" I ask him in reply.
Raman raises an eyebrow at my request, his suspicion and wariness growing. This is the big moment.
"I truly don't wish any ill will upon you or your clan," I add insistently.
He continues to look at me warily, and my anxiety rises to extreme levels as I await his response. Another person then comes forward to stand beside Raman, a man with wavy blonde hair that looks to be around the same age as Kanan, wearing dark silvery gray armor. He gives me a critical look and then looks over at Raman, who glances back at him before turning to me and finally nods his head in agreement.
"Very well. We will not bring harm to you, whoever you are," Raman says.
Glancing amongst the Mandalorians once more, I carefully set my father's helmet down onto the ground and then stand back up. Taking a deep breath, I slowly reach up with my hands and then lower my hood, exposing my face to them all. In an instant, recognition dawns upon every Mandalorian present, swiftly followed by rage as they all raise their blasters, a few spewing out insults.
"Ge'hutuun!"
"Demagolka!"
"Chakaaryc!"
I take a step back and raise my hands placatingly, shifting my gaze between all of them, and the blonde haired man standing beside Raman takes a step forward with his blaster rifle raised, a seething glare on his face.
"You better get down before I blast your head off, you rotten low-life!" he snarls.
"SHA'KAJIR!" Raman shouts, storming up to him. "Lower your blasters!"
"A buir-" the man starts to protest incredulously.
Buir... father? That's his son?
"I said lower them!" Raman snaps, glaring at him and all the others.
"But that's the skanah!" his son exclaims.
"I know very well who he is Crassus!" he retorts with a firm glare. "But we also promised him no harm. And that's an order!"
"But-" Crassus continues.
Another glare from Raman shuts him up, and with great reluctance and swirling anger, Crassus lowers the blaster and steps back. With the same amount of reluctance and irritated disbelief, the others slowly follow his example. I lower my arms as well and Raman turns to face me, his face still carrying anger directed at me despite his orders to not harm me.
"Jarik Shan, is it?" he says slowly.
I meet his gaze with an impassive but hopeful expression on my face, inclining my head to him.
"Uncle," I respond.
Crassus scoffs at my response, looking at me in disgust, but I ignore him.
"Tell me, Jarik, what did you expect to accomplish by coming here?" Raman questions coldly.
"I came to meet my family. My father was once one of you," I tell him.
"Yes, Marcus..." he replies, narrowing his eyes. "Are you not aware that he was cast out as a traitor?"
"I'm very aware, uncle," I answer with a nod. "But we're still family."
"Only through blood," he retorts. "Marcus is no longer Mandalorian. He is a dar'manda because of the shame he brought on us, and is no longer my brother. And therefore, you are not family to us."
"Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la," I respond, maintaining my stern gaze.
Raman falters for a second, widening his eyes slightly in surprise. A few of the others also display a bit of surprise at my statement as well, glancing at each other.
'Nobody cares who your father was, only the father you'll be.'
While I may have startled the others at my statement, Crassus is less than pleased. He narrows his eyes in cold anger and takes a threatening step forwards, glaring at me.
"You dare to make such a claim to us, Shan?!" he demands furiously.
"It's a part of Mandalorian creed that determines blood cannot be the sole judge of one's character alone," I tell him in response, raising an eyebrow. "Unless that is not the case?"
Crassus snarls angrily, his body tense as if he's about to attack, but Raman lays a hand on his shoulder to subdue his anger, giving him another warning look.
"No, you are right Shan. That is part of our creed," Raman confirms softly, still looking at me distrustfully. "What do you want?"
"I want to put an end to generations of hate and distrust, and help restore Mandalore to what it has lost for so long," I reply sincerely, softening my gaze and allowing a pleading expression on my face. "I want to reunite with my family."
Raman stares at me for a long time, his face unreadable. Through the Force however I could sense his turmoil, his distrust, his fears, his anger... and his hope.
"My father left me a message. He said he never got the chance to explain himself, but he still believes you would listen to me," I add softly. "He never hated you for what happened."
Crassus shakes his head angrily, but Raman remains silent, his expression more uncertain and uneasy.
Wren Stronghold - Krownest
3rd person POV...
The Countess Ursa Wren, leader of Clan Wren on the planet Krownest, was sat in her throne inside of her Mandalorian stronghold. Her son Tristan stood beside her whilst she glared down at the three people before her, two Jedi and her own disgraced daughter, Sabine Wren.
"Your rebel friends are going to bring the Empire down on all of us," she snaps. "You believe the Darksaber will protect you? It won't. It's only a symbol."
"Yeah, a symbol that's united all Mandalorians in the past," Sabine argues. "Look, if we stand together now-"
"Stand together?" Ursa asks incredulously. "Sabine, it's everything I can do to keep the other Clans from destroying us because of what you did."
"I didn't know the Empire would use the weapon I designed against our people," she exclaims in protest. "But you don't believe me, do you?"
"Even if I did, it wouldn't change all the other ruling houses from seeing you as a traitor," Ursa states coldly, and Sabine looks down helplessly. "And aside from everything else, it is no longer a secret that you and your two Jedi friends are aligned with the scourge of Mandalore!"
Sabine widens her eyes uneasily as the other Mandalorians all tense up angrily at the mention of their most hated enemy. Kanan frowns in concern, while Ezra glances around cautiously, leaning over to him.
"Uhh, is she referring to Jarik?" he asks quietly.
"Don't say his name!" Ursa exclaims, narrowing her eyes at him.
Ezra raises his hands placatingly but wisely shuts his mouth, while Sabine steps forward with a pleading look on her face.
"Yes... I have worked with him," she admits, causing Ursa and Tristan's faces to darken with anger. "But you have to believe me when I tell you that it's for the right reasons! No matter who we are, we should all stand together when facing a common enemy: the Empire!"
"I cannot believe what I am hearing," Ursa says in disgust. "It's bad enough that you betrayed your family and then ran off, but now you work with that man?! When word broke out of your little stunt against the Imperial Center, our reputation was tarnished! Because of that, your own brother now serves Gar Saxon to prove our loyalty to Mandalore and regain some small amount of status."
"Gar Saxon is a killer!" Sabine scowls incredulously.
"He's the Emperor's Hand, the acting ruler and governor of Mandalore," Tristan retorts firmly.
"And his men wiped out the Protectors," she points out.
"The Protectors were executed for treason, just as Fenn Rau will be when he is found," Ursa states.
"They were loyal to Mandalore and Saxon betrayed them!" Sabine shouts.
"Enough!" Ursa declares angrily, standing up with a scowl. "Fenn Rau's people are dead and mine are not. And I intend to keep them that way. All of them!"
"Except for me," she says bitterly.
Sabine looks down sadly at the statement, something the others take notice of. Tristan glances at Ursa uneasily, while she herself loses her anger upon feeling a bit of guilt and bitter sadness.
"Walk with me," she says, quieter this time.
She walks down the steps of her throne and marches over to the room's exit, and Sabine cautiously follows after her. They make their way outside to a balcony that looks out over the frozen lake. Sabine joins Ursa in leaning against the railing, and looks at her mother.
"How could you align with the Empire?" Sabine asks softly, her a hint of pain in her voice. "After everything they've done to our people, after what they made me do."
"Do you think I didn't try to stop it? There was nothing I could do, Sabine," Ursa replies bitterly. "Mandalore was on its knees before the Emperor. After he put Saxon in power, we had a choice. Side with him or Clan Wren would be destroyed. Your father-"
"Please, don't tell me," she interrupts quietly, looking away.
"He's alive. On Mandalore," she reveals, gaining Sabine's attention. "A captive in everything but name. But if Clan Wren acts against the Empire-"
"They'll kill him," Sabine finishes softly, looking up at Ursa questioningly. "Why didn't you try and find me?"
"Find you? Sabine, when you ran away, it saved you!" Ursa says incredulously. "Don't you understand? Coming back here has put you in danger! As much danger as holding that blade."
Ursa looks down at the Darksaber, which is held in Sabine's hand, and crosses her arms with a troubled frown.
"Where did you get it?" she asks.
"From Maul," Sabine replies.
"You won it from him in combat?" Ursa asks in shock.
"Uh, not exactly," she admits uneasily. "I..."
Ursa shakes her head in disappointment and irritation, unfolding her arms with a scowl.
"Then you have no claim to it," she states.
"Well, I'm holding it. That's a pretty good claim," Sabine retorts.
"Anyone can hold the Darksaber. The trick is keeping it, along with your head," Ursa points out in exasperation. "Do you even know how to wield that blade?"
"You'd be surprised..." she responds confidently, before glancing aside. "If you knew how though, you'd be angry too."
Ursa shakes her head in frustration.
"Always so immature, so selfish," she scoffs.
"Yeah, and what about you?" Sabine snaps angrily. "Always putting power and politics before your own family?!"
"Everything I do is to protect my family, Sabine!" Ursa exclaims.
"Please!" she replies with a scoff, rolling her eyes. "You do it for control."
Ursa narrows her eyes at Sabine with anger, but after a few moments of silence she looks down with a sigh. Moving forward, Ursa gently grabs hold of Sabine's hands and lifts them up between them, the Darksaber still in her grip.
"And your father called me stubborn," she murmurs. "Now I see it in you."
"What do you see?" Sabine asks cautiously.
"A warrior," Ursa admits with a small smile. "Not the one I'd hoped, but still."
"Well, I am your daughter. How could I be anything less?" she asks rhetorically in response, leaning against the railing. Ursa joins her with an uneasy expression, and Sabine lets out a sigh. "Look, the rebels are planning something, and we need your help. It'd be the first real blow to the Empire and we can show the galaxy that they can be defeated."
"I would've thought your strike against Coruscant did just that," she replies, frowning.
"It helped a lot, and got a lot of attention," Sabine replies in agreement. "But this next strike, it's about freeing a world. If we can do that, then it'll show the Empire's control isn't permanent."
"Please tell me these rebels are more than just a blind Jedi and some child," Ursa says doubtfully.
Sabine hesitates, glancing away from her before sighing in defeat, and turns to face her mother with a determined stare.
"Well, for one... Jarik Shan?" she admits.
Ursa's eyes widen with rage and cold contempt at the name, glaring at Sabine angrily.
"So you are working with him," she scowls.
"Please just hear me out, mother, and try to understand," Sabine pleads. "I hated him too when I first realized we worked with him!"
"You certainly seem to have forgotten the menace he is to our people," Ursa retorts angrily.
"Revan was the menace. Not Jarik," she responds evenly, halting Ursa momentarily. "You'd be surprised what Jarik is willing to for Mandalore."
Ursa shakes her head with a disdainful scoff, turning away from Sabine.
"Do you want to know what he's doing right now?" Sabine says firmly, raising her voice. "At this very moment, Jarik is on Dxun with Clan Ordo trying to make peace with them. Make peace with his family."
"Shan went to Clan Ordo?" Ursa questions disbelievingly. "Well, if those traitors have any dignity left, they'll either kill him then and there or turn him over to the Empire."
Sabine shakes her head with a frustrated sigh, looking away from her.
"You know, you're making the same mistake that all of us on Mandalore make far too often," she says bitterly. "I just never saw it before."
"And what mistake would that be, Sabine?" Ursa demands.
"Blaming so many for the mistakes of one person," she responds.
"Oh really? Perhaps you forgot what Clan Ordo allowed to happen? Or what the Shan's have done to Mandalore?" she retorts coldly.
"Yeah, I know what Marcus Sohl did," Sabine says, catching Ursa by surprise. "What, you thought I didn't know?"
"If you do know what happened, then how can you stand there and justify it?" Ursa demands angrily.
"Marcus is the one who fell in love with a Shan and broke Mandalorian tradition. Not Clan Ordo," she argues determinedly. "And even that's not fair. You're blaming entire generations for the faults of one man that lived nearly four thousand years ago! Is that really what Mandalore is about? Blaming people who simply share the same blood as a demagolka, something they have no control of?"
Ursa remains silent, her expression unreadable as she stares at her daughter, slowly turning to star out at the frozen lake.
"Then what of your mistakes, Sabine? They are yours alone, not another's," she replies slowly. "And now you champion a pack of rebels?"
Sabine falters, feeling a bit hurt at the clear accusation in her mother's tone, but brushes it off with a firm look.
"Our numbers are growing every day. Mother, this could be the key to freeing Mandalore from Imperial control," Sabine reasons passionately. "I am not a traitor. I want to save Mandalore too, but it needs a strong leader. You have to trust me, just like I'm trusting you."
Sabine holds out the Darksaber to Ursa, who takes it with a momentary look of surprise. She gazes down at the lightsaber for a few seconds, considering, before the door opens to reveal an expectant Tristan standing there.
"Mother, you're being summoned by Sundari," he informs her.
Ursa looks at him for a moment and then walks inside the building, heading toward the command center.
Mandalorian Outpost - Dxun
3rd person POV...
Raman sat in a chair with his head in his hands, contemplating what to do. The arrival of Jarik Shan to their home sent his mind reeling with anger, unease and helplessness, and he had no idea of what to do. He decided to accept Jarik's proposal, and led him to wait in the great hall just in front of his office as he gathered his thoughts.
His nephew hadn't come alone however, having traveled with the strangest group pf beings he had ever seen. His apprentice and apparently adopted daughter, Mara Jade, two strange teenagers that seemed to have no clue about technology, and a black reptilian beast that apparently belonged to the skinny runt of a boy. He wasn't sure what to make of the beast, or dragon as the boy called it, but he ordered a group of his finest warriors to watch Shan's group and remain on guard. Mara Jade and the blonde girl protested, but Jarik calmed them down quickly.
And now he has to make a choice over what to do with them; the Clan surely will not tolerate their presence. Raman is broken out of his troubled thoughts when the door opens, allowing the rest of his family to walk inside.
"Raman, please tell me that what I'm hearing isn't true!" Aathias exclaims.
"About Jarik Shan?" he replies, looking up at her regretfully. "It is, I'm afraid."
"Seriously? Huh, well you can't say the guy hasn't got guts," his daughter, Kira, remarks.
"Why are we even bothering with this? We should just kill him and be done with it!" Crassus grumbles.
"He's our cousin," Kira points out.
"Are you serious? He's an enemy!" he says incredulously. "He's no cousin of ours!"
"Enough, both of you!" Aathias snaps, turning to her husband. "Raman... why have you allowed that man to be here?"
"Because he made a fair point," he replies. "Jarik wasn't lying when he mentioned our creed."
"So what? He's a Shan!" Crassus argues.
"A Shan he may be, you're only proving his point," Raman tells him with a frown. "He's not Revan."
"Father, we can't trust him! His existence is already a symbol of everything that's ruined our people!" he replies insistantly.
"Well if we're being fair, he's never met us before," Kira adds sheepishly. "Plus, the things he's done are kind of cool."
Crassus stares at her incredulously, and shakes his head.
"Sometimes I wonder how you're my sister," he mutters sarcastically. "How can you even admire him?!"
"Hey, I never said that," she retorts. "Like him or not, you can't deny that ramming a Star Destroyer into the Emperor's palace is pretty awesome."
"Another reason for why he shouldn't be here!" Aathias interrupts, frowning. "What if the Empire finds out he's here, Raman? What then?"
"Let's just get rid of him so that doesn't happen!" Crassus suggests.
"Everyone, please just stop for a moment," Raman interrupts pleadingly, sighing heavily. "This is a lot to think about."
"Raman, the clan is already becoming restless. Allowing Shan to stay here will throw cause an uproar," Aathias insists. "Not only that, of the Empire learns that he's here then they'll wipe us out!"
"I know Aathias, I know," he replies tiredly, sighing. "Look... let's at least hear him out."
"What?" Crassus exclaims.
"Raman..." Aathias starts to say, disapproving.
"I'm not saying we agree to his idea or let him stay," he quickly amends. "But he was genuine, that much I could tell. We'll let him speak, and then we send him away. Alright?"
Aathias frowns for a long while, considering, while Crassus was completely against it. Kira on the other hand didn't really care.
"Fine with me," she shrugs, twirling her hair around her finger. "Why not take a moment to see what makes our 'cuz' so special?"
"Ok... we'll let him talk," Aathias says quietly. "But for the good of our clan, he has to go quickly."
"Agreed," Raman replies with a nod.
Wren Stronghold - Krownest
3rd person POV...
Fenn Rau snuck along the snowy landscape just out of the Wren Stronghold, his blue armor adorned proudly. Hearing that Ursa was receiving a hail from Sundari instantly gained Rau's attention, and he doubted that the Countess would maintain the apparent truce with Sabine and the Jedi for much longer.
Scanning the area to ensure he's alone, Rau then turns to look at the metal wall not too far away from him. Hidden behind a tree, Rau activates his thermal scanner and amplifies his helmet's sound detection to spy in on the Countess. Through the wall he could see Ursa standing before a hologram of none other than Gar Saxon. The sight of the Imperial viceroy has Rau clenching his fists in anger, remember what that traitor did to his people.
"My daughter has come home," Ursa declares.
"What of her rebel friends?" Saxon questions.
"She's with two Jedi," she answers.
Fenn Rau frowns at his suspicions being confirmed. Ursa does plan to betray them, but she has no idea what she's getting herself into.
"You've done well, Ursa. Keep them there," Saxon says with a smile.
"As it so happens, we also now have confirmation on the current location of Jarik Shan," Ursa continues.
Rau widens his eyes in alarm, and listens in anxiously. Gar Saxon also seemed surprised, for he did a double take before staring at Ursa with an intense look on his face.
"Shan? Where?!" he demands insistantly.
"According to Sabine he's traveled to Dxun, apparently seeking to make amends with his father's Clan," she informs him.
Saxon is quiet for a moment as he looks down, a pleased grin spreading across his face.
"This is very good new for the Empire... and Mandalore," he states triumphantly. "At long last we can finally be rid of that bloodline once and for all. Well done, Countess."
"No... that can't happen!" Rau mutters fearfully.
"Thank you Governor," she replies with a nod. "The Jedi here are yours, but my daughter-"
"Don't you worry, Countess," Saxon interrupts reassuringly. "Clan Wren will be well taken care of."
When the hologram of Gar Saxon disappears, Rau stops listening in and turns around to press his back against the tree, his eyes wide in alarm. Thanks to Ursa Wren, the Empire will now head to Dxun to wipe out Clan Ordo and Jarik Shan, destroying a major Mandalorian force and ending any hope of unity between all of the clans of Mandalore. And he has no way of warning them!
"Kriff you Saxon!" Rau seethes helplessly.
Mandalorian Outpost - Dxun
Jarik POV...
Raman's acceptance of my offer filled me with great relief, and with some convincing I also managed to get permission for the rest of my group to come along as well. He and a team of Mandalorian warriors led us through the outpost and over towards the great hall, where it seemed like a gathering place for them which also held a throne at the end for the Count to sit in during meetings of some sort. It carried a strong resemblance to the throne room of the Sundari Royal Palace, from which Duchess Satine ruled for quite some time before her death at the hands of Maul. I'd imagine it's probably a common style amongst Mandalorians.
Along the way there we almost got into an altercation thanks to Toothless's boundless curiosity. He trotted up to some of the Mandalorians with the intent to inspect them, and they reacted with very little enthusiasm, resulting in them aiming their blasters at him and drawing more weapons at the rest of us as well. Luckily, Raman and I managed to diffuse the situation before things got out of hand, but Hiccup now made sure to stay beside Toothless at all times so he wouldn't cause any more trouble; the night fury seemed a bit abashed as well. And now we're just waiting in the great hall with a contingent of guards along the edges of the room, keeping a watchful eye on us.
"You really weren't kidding when you said these guys wouldn't like us," Hiccup remarks.
"Well, this is going much better than I expected anyways," I shrug in response.
"Better?!" he and Astrid ask incredulously.
"Remember, these guys are a bit..." Mara says, making a cuckoo gesture with her hand. "...extreme and crazy."
"Even my Dad didn't treat the Berserkers this badly during their visits," Hiccup remarks.
"Well that's because Oswald the Agreeable was... well, agreeable," Astrid points out.
"Until Dagur came along," Mara adds, rolling her eyes.
"Ugh, don't remind me," Hiccup sighs.
Toothless looks around with a warble of curiosity, whining a little bit at the sight of the enclosed walls all around him.
"What's wrong with Toothless?" Mara asks.
"He's just a bit nervous about this whole place. Doesn't like being cramped in here," Hiccup explains, scratching Toothless's neck apologetically.
"Would be nice to have Stormfly around right now," Astrid comments, resting an arm on her axe.
"Yeah, well, it'd be great to take Toothless out for a flight to calm his nerves," he replies.
"You aren't going anywhere until the Count makes a decision," a rather big Mandalorian says, his deep voice booming.
"How about you mind your own business you big oaf!" Mara retorts snidely.
I shake my head in exasperation, arms crossed as she mouths the Mandalorian off, internally sighing to myself. While Astrid finds it amusing, and even Toothless releases a small draconic chuckle, I don't see it as doing any favors in getting them to like us. Another Mandalorian then walks into the room from a hallway to the right of the throne, apparently amused as well.
"Hah! She's got fire," the Mandalorian says, voice clearly female. "You gonna let her insult you like that Jovani?"
I raise a curious eyebrow at the Mandalorian, noting her silver armor with purple highlights as a secondary color. If the voice wasn't indication enough, then her armor definitely marked her as female, and her visor also was shaped more similarly to Sabines, which I've noticed to be more of a typical visor amongst female Mandalorians. The big Mandalorian in question wore dark brown armor with faded blue highlights, looking to be probably close in size to even Stoick himself.
"Not worth my time," he grumbles.
"'Not worth my time,'" Mara mocks him quietly, getting more snickering from Astrid and Hiccup.
The female Mandalorian then walks over in my direction, stopping a few steps away and removes her helmet, holding it at her side. She's fairly tall for a woman, only two inches shorter than me, but definitely more youthful in appearance, looking to be in her mid twenties. She has brown eyes and wavy black hair with a purple streak in it, and a thoughtful expression on her face. To my surprise, she doesn't seem to be looking at me with anger or hate like I'd expect. There's suspicion and distrust of course, but that is greatly shadowed by her pondering curiosity.
"So you're my cousin?" she asks, making me blink in surprise. "Thought you'd be taller."
"Cousin?" I ask, unsure if I heard correctly.
"Kira! What are you doing?" Crassus exclaims.
He, Raman, and another Mandalorian woman around Raman's age with bright blonde hair, all walk into the room from the same place 'Kira' came from, an irritated scowl on the formers face.
"Chatting it up with 'the chakaaryc,' what's it look like I'm doing?" Kira replies sarcastically.
"I don't want you anywhere near him Kira, so get back over here," the woman says.
"I'm not a child, mother!" she complains.
"Kira!" her mother snaps, leveling her with a stern glare.
Kira grumbles in irritation but complies with the demand, trudging back over to them with a sulking expression on her face. Raman sits down in the throne and gives us all a hard, unreadable look, the woman I assume to be his wife standing beside him, while Crassus and Kira both stand together on his other side. Kira's arms are crossed in a pout, looking annoyed while Crassus simply looks at us with a cold glare.
"You're acting like my Dad's the plague or something," Mara scoffs.
"Shut your mouth, girl," Crassus snaps.
Toothless growls at him softly, his pupils narrowing slightly, and a few Mandalorians tense up in preparation for a fight, the big guy named 'Jovani' included. Hiccup rests a hand on the night fury's head and scratches his heck to calm him down.
"Crassus," Raman interrupts with a warning look. "Just don't."
"Mara, just try and be polite for once," I say quietly, glancing down at her.
"They're not polite," she points out.
"And you're not helping things either, so be nice or zip it," I retort, shaking my head.
"He does have a point," Hiccup tells her. "Being rude doesn't get people anywhere."
"Even if it is kind of stupid," Astrid adds, narrowing her eyes at Crassus.
Raman clears his throat to get our attention, and I look on as he lifts up my father's helmet in his hands. He observes it for a bit, turning it around and gazing at every side as if to re-familiarize himself with it, and then finally looks down at me.
"You say you retrieved my brother's armor from Maul," he starts off. "Do you how he came to possess it?"
"I do," I say, pausing to let out a sad sigh before continuing. "When I still a baby, his master sent him to kidnap me after discovering my connection to Revan. My parents gave their lives to save me."
Raman takes in a deep breath and looks down, sorrowful at the information. His wife seems a bit saddened as well, glancing down at him, and I can also detect similar feelings amongst other Mandalorians in the room, including Jovani.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Raman replies softly. "Despite all that he did, Marcus was still my brother. I'm confident he fought with honor until the end."
A few Mandalorians, Crassus included, seem to feel differently about it, but wisely withhold their thoughts. I still glance at them with frowns on my faces but disregard them in favor of focusing on Raman.
"Thank you," I say in gratitude for his words.
"I must tell you, however, that if you thought this would be enough to win our favor you were sorely mistaken," Raman continues, his gaze hardening. "My brother disgraced himself and our whole clan when he consorted with your mother, and his actions afterward showed him to be a traitor. I have every right to throw you out just for being here."
"Excuse me, uh, sir," Hiccup interrupts, and I glance back at him cautiously. "Don't you think you're possibly being a bit harsh? As far as I'm aware, Jarik never did anything to your people."
"He exists. That's more than enough," Crassus scoffs.
"Well it's not like he can control who was born to. In my opinion, judging people for that is just shameful," Astrid retorts.
"Excuse me?" he demands.
"I'm sorry, who are these children again?" Raman's wife questions, narrowing her eyes at Astrid.
Astrid swiftly pulls back on her words and glances down apologetically, although there's also indignant bitterness at being referred to as a child.
"Hiccup and Astrid. They're friends of mine, and can be considered heroes among their people," I answer.
"Heroes? Really?" Crassus sneers.
"What? Are you doubting they could do it?" Mara demands with narrowed eyes.
"There's no way two small teenagers could ever achieve status like what you claim," he says dismissively.
"You don't even know us, muttonhead!" Astrid retorts.
"You can bet they're heroes on their planet!" Mara adds in support.
"Even the fishbone?" Kira asks with intrigue.
Hiccup lets out another exasperated sigh at the familiar comment, and Toothless lets out another low draconic chuckle.
"Laugh it up you big lizard," Hiccup grumbles, playfully shoving his head away.
I roll my eyes in exasperation, but start to explain their story.
"For centuries their people were at war with creatures called dragons, like the one you see before you," I say, gesturing over to Toothless. "That war ended when Hiccup here became the first person to befriend a dragon and showed his people that they were simply misunderstood creatures."
"An impressive tale," Raman comments neutrally. "But I've never heard of such a place, or of such creatures."
"It's off the galactic map," I state simply.
There's a bit of silence as they wait for me to continue, but I only give them a wary look in response. Raman raises an eyebrow at me before sighing, shaking his head.
"And the girl, Astrid? What makes you special?" he questions.
"Well, uh, I'm a warrior, sir. The best in my age group," she answers a bit timidly.
"She carries a code of honor, which is part of why I brought her. You'll find that's she's carries herself much like any honorable Mandalorian," I state confidently.
"Who are you to judge what it is to be Mandalorian?!" Crassus demands, scowling.
"Those aren't my words," I reply calmly. "Those are the words of Fenn Rau of the Protectors."
"Is that so?" Raman's wife questions.
"Hey, mom, weren't these two a part of the Coruscant strike?" Kira asks curiously. "You know, the one that other Mandalorian girl was a part of? What was her name? Sa… Satine- no, Sabine Wren! Yeah, her."
"How do you know that?" she asks, frowning.
"Well… I've, kind of been looking at a lot of news about it," Kira admits sheepishly.
"Are you joking?!" Crassus exclaims incredulously.
"Kira, you know we don't-" her mother starts to say.
"Aathias," Raman interrupts tiredly. "We're losing track of why we're here."
'Aathias' glances at him and then nods with a grim look, gesturing to her two children to also keep quiet. Raman then leans forward in his throne and gives me a critical look.
"If you truly want our trust and cooperation Jarik, then I'm afraid you simply don't have the means to provide it," he tells me. "Regardless of who's at fault, the actions that led to your birth have completely shamed our entire clan in the eyes of all other Mandalorians. A large group our people left us and exiled themselves on Nevarro to live in shame! Allowing you the chance to walk away right now without incident is a great mercy compared to what my people would desire!"
Raman's voice slowly rises in controlled anger as he continues to expel his clan's grievances. I listen with sympathy but still maintain my determination to see this through.
"If I walk away now, then Mandalore's greatest hope of unity fades," I say calmly.
"Excuse me?" Raman asks, narrowing his eyes.
"Whatever happened is in the past, and can't be changed," I tell him. "But there is something else I can offer that I believe would heal the rift between us once and for all."
"And what could you possibly have to offer us?" Crassus demands mockingly.
"The mask of Mandalore the Ultimate," I declare.
Everyone widens their eyes in shock, startled by my statement, and Raman stands up from his throne with a bewildered expression.
"Impossible. It's been lost for millennia!" he snaps disbelievingly.
"Not anymore," I respond calmly.
"But there's no possible way that you found such an artifact!" Aathias exclaims.
"I haven't found it, but I know where it is," I tell them, bringing out my holocron and holding it in my hand. "And it's hidden here on this very moon."
Raman and his family all stare at each other with startled looks, although there's a lot of suspicion and distrust as well, which isn't unexpected.
"Sabine Wren has gained possession over the Darksaber, and has gone to her family in hopes of uniting them under one banner," I continue hopefully. "And if you have Mandalore's Mask, then you will be able to unite all of Mandalore as you never have been since the days of the Old Republic."
"If what you're saying is true, then what do you want in return?" Raman asks.
"To end this pointless feud between our family once and for all," I remind him once more.
"Plus, getting some help in defeating the Empire wouldn't hurt," Mara adds with a grin.
I look at Raman with a hopeful expression, the holocron still unopened in my hand as I await his response.
I.S.D. Chimaera, Seventh Fleet - Lothal Sector
3rd person POV...
Thrawn sat in his office, pondering over the galactic map displayed on his holotable once more, a thoughtful frown on his face as he analyzes the many systems and a list of information detailing recorded rebel movements. Locating the Empire's enemies was always expected to be a slow process, but it's one that he is consistently narrowing his search. Finding Jarik Shan's hidden planet however, still hasn't shown much success. He's investigated the Lwhekk System to see if his theory proves true, but so far there's been no evidence to support it.
Shan is a worthy adversary, there's no doubt in his mind about that.
Thrawn is broken out of his thoughts when the holotable starts to beep, signaling an incoming call from Sundari, the capital of Mandalore. Frowning, Thrawn nevertheless moves his data off to the side and accepts the call, looking up at the appearing hologram of Gar Saxon.
"Governor Saxon," he greets politely. "You have something you wish to speak to me about?"
"Yes, Grand Admiral," Saxon replies with a nod. "I have just received word from Countess Ursa Wren, that her daughter and two Jedi have arrived at her stronghold on Krownest."
Thrawn observes the Imperial viceroy, noting his expression.
"Curious. But that is not the reason you called, is it?" he deduces.
"No, it is not," he admits. "We have learned a very important piece of information."
The Executor, Seventh Fleet - Lothal Sector
The Sith Lord Darth Vader strides into the command center of his ship, the Executor, with a sense of urgency. The reason for this quick pace is that the Chimaera was hailing him, and Thrawn only calls him if he had important information to share. Reaching the holotable, he accepts the call from the Grand Admiral and watches as his hologram appears.
"You have news, Thrawn?" Vader questions bluntly.
"Indeed, Lord Vader, and it is news you would be most eager to hear," Thrawn replies. "It would seem that we now know the current location of Jarik Shan."
Vader's breath catches in surprise, and he leans forward eagerly.
"Where?" he demands.
"According to Mandalore's Governor Saxon, he is in the Japrael System on Onderon's jungle moon, Dxun," he informs him. "Shan has familial relation to the Count of Clan Ordo, and he seeks to form an alliance with them."
"This is pleasing news. And he is there right now?" Vader asks.
"He is," Thrawn confirms. "Governor Saxon also wishes to personally eliminate Jarik Shan and Clan Ordo."
"No. Make it clear to him that he is not to interfere. The Emperor wishes for me to deal with Shan personally," he declares firmly. "Deploy the Seventh Fleet at once, and I will be there shortly."
"As you wish, Lord Vader," he replies, nodding his head.
The hologram of Thrawn disappears as the call ends, and Vader whips around to make his way back onto the bridge. The officers and technicians turn to look at him, and the ship's Admiral, in mostly name, straightens his posture nervously.
"Admiral, set a course for the Japrael System," he declares.
"Yes, Lord Vader," the Admiral replies.
Vader stares out of the viewport at the sea of stars, his mind firmly set on Jarik Shan. At long last he has a clear advantage over the Jedi, and he's determined to ensure his defeat by any means necessary.
Author's Note: Uh oh... the Empire knows where Jarik is now, and they're all in danger on Dxun. We can only hope things turn out smoothly before Vader and Thrawn get there.
New people are now introduced! Jarik's two cousins, Crassus and Kira Sohl. They certainly have different personalities and views on this whole topic. Crassus is very traditional minded and hateful of the Shan's while Kira comes off as more of a 'rebel' type person, not too bothered by the whole deal. Next chapter we'll get a better look about the people of Clan Ordo, and what's been going on in the many years since Marcus left. How exciting!
Alright, spoilers talk for the season finale of The Mandalorian... how the heck does Moff Gideon have the Darksaber?! I'm guessing the Mandalorian revolution against the Empire led by Bo-Katan ended up failing miserably? o_O
TRANSLATIONS:
Mando be Ha'yr Ordo, Ni cuyir juha at saya morut'yc atar at gar ge'nasa'yr. - Mandalorians of Clan Ordo, I'm calling to request safe passage to your base.
Gar ru uhyih du'nuha, ibic cuyir verd'ika mariyurir. Jigr norac jii ra cuyir naastar. - You are not authorized, this is private territory. Turn back now or be destroyed.
Ni olaror ti iroe evaar'la par Soletar Raman. Yirhaou turyr be Marcus Sohl. - I come with urgent news for Count Raman. About the fate of Marcus Sohl.
sha'kajir - cease-fire, truce (from the practice of sitting down at a table with refreshments to talk terms, as in the same term for *over a meal*)
ge'hutuun - bandit, villain, petty thief - can also mean a serious criminal you have no respect for - abusive
chakaaryc - rotten, low-life, - generic adjective to describe an undesirable person of dubious ethics
demagolka - someone who commits atrocties, a real-life monster, a war criminal - from the notorious Mandalorian scientist of the Old Republic, Demagol, known for his experiments on children, and a figure of hate and dread in the Mando psyche
dar'manda - a state of not being Mandalorian - not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and his soul - regarded with absolute dread by most traditional-minded Mando'ade
skanah - much-hated thing or person