Mandalorian camp - Mandalore
Jarik POV...
I silently sat on a chair in Hadrian's tent, resting my left arm on the table beside me as Hadrian set about repairing the damage done to it. I already had some bacta applied to the area where it connects to my shoulder, so the burned skin was steadily healing now. R5 was present, analyzing the repair so that he could gain his own knowledge and insight to the mechanics of the prosthetic, seeing as it was slightly different than the previous one. Mara, Kira, Crassus, and Shae were gathered around us as well for idle chat, either sitting or standing based on their preference.
"So... I don't think we ever asked how you lost your arm," Kira comments.
"You did already," I reply, and she shrugs.
"All you said was it got blown up during the Clone Wars," she recalls, giving me an expectant look.
"You're really interested in that story huh?" I ask with a raised eyebrow, and she shrugs once more.
"She won't stop until you answer," Hadrian says from beside me, and she makes a face at him.
Mara scoffs in amusement, and I shake my head slightly with a small smile.
"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Shae tells me.
"Always so generous, I know you want to know too," Crassus teases her.
"Well, yeah... but we should still be respectful," she replies sheepishly.
"It's alright, I'll tell you," I respond, getting their attention.
"Yippee, another war story," Mara quips.
I let out a small sigh as R5 beeps in amusement, but begin talking.
"In the final year of the war, public opinion of the Jedi wasn't very high, and eventually that led to the bombing of the Jedi Temple hangar. I was inside the hangar at the time of the explosion," I explain, recalling the incident in my mind—and the pain I felt—with a faint grimace. "Luckily I was already on my way out, so I was caught at the edge of the blast, but part of a gunship was sent my way and landed on top of my arm, crushing it."
The Mandalorians all show a few grimaces as well at hearing that.
"Wayii," Shae murmurs. "That must've hurt terribly."
"Sure did," I nod in reply. "On the bright side, the pain was bad enough to knock me unconscious, so I only felt it for a few seconds."
"'On the bright side' he says," Mara repeats sarcastically.
"Wouldn't you have had phantom pain though?" Hadrian asks, pausing for a moment in replacing a ruined piece of my hand.
"Yes," I confirm with a nod.
"Well, at least that experience is over," Hadrian shrugs, connecting a new piece onto the prosthetic and then pulling away. "All done."
"Really?" I ask in slight surprise, testing out my arm. "Huh, you're fast with that."
"It's a specialty," he states with a smile.
"He's very prideful about his skills," Kira remarks fondly, rolling her eyes.
"As I should be—" he starts to argue.
"It think it's adorable," she teasingly continues.
Shae and Mara both giggle at the comment while he rolls his eyes in exasperation. Crassus opens his mouth to make a comment of his own, but Hadrian beats him to it.
"Don't even start, Sohl," he threatens, and Crassus holds his hands up in mock surrender.
"Well I'll say this Hadrian: your repair job is much more preferable than R5's style," I say, grinning at the droid.
R5 beeps indignantly at me, giving his own version of an irritated huff, much to my amusement.
"Shan?" a voice calls out.
I look over to see Bo-Katan standing at the doorway, helmet held by her side and a stern, and expectant, expression on her face.
"You ready to talk?" she asks me.
"Yeah, sure," I reply, standing up from my chair. "Lets get this over with."
Bo-Katan led me to the command tent and we walked inside, where the rest of the Mandalorian leaders were; Ursa and her husband, Fenn Rau, Jovani, and Aathias; Raman was there as well, though he was seated in a chair with his leg propped on a stool and wrapped with gauze, while Aathias stood beside him.
"Good. Now that we're all here, we can begin," Rau states.
"If I'm being honest Bo, I thought you meant a more personal discussion," I remark, glancing at her. "About my heritage and all that."
"That is part of what we're about to discuss," she replies.
"Very well," I concede.
"Given what our next course of action is, there are several scenarios that could play out," Fenn Rau starts off. "Not all of them might be good."
"Such as?" Jovani questions.
"Even without the weapon, the Empire's attacks against the clans will still leave many wary of open resistance," Bo-Katan states grimly. "Mobilizing enough support to challenge the Imperial occupation still remains near-impossible."
"Especially with Clan Gedyc supporting Saxon's rule," Ursa adds.
"Is Tiber well-liked among them?" I ask warily.
"Of course not," she replies, scoffing in disgust.
"Even so, many in Sundari still see him as Mandalore's rightful ruler, whether they like him or not," Alrich explains. "After Gar Saxon's death, he was next in line to lead, and he promised to restore order amidst the chaos that had ensued."
"Imperial order," I point out. "Not Mandalorian order."
"If we are to convince others to rally behind our cause, then Saxon's betrayal of our culture must be exposed," Raman states.
"Perhaps when wiping the data of the weapon, we could use some of that as proof of that," Jovani suggests.
"The data only describes the specifications of the weapon, not who is responsible for it," Ursa shakes her head bitterly in response. "Even if that wasn't the case, we couldn't risk releasing anything about it, or else we'd risk the Empire building it all over again."
"Could Tiber be challenged for the right of leadership?" I suggest.
"He has no honor," Bo-Katan replies angrily. "He wouldn't accept a challenge, and would only spin it in a way that supports him instead."
I frown at hearing that, bringing a hand to my chin in thought as I consider the possibilities over how to gain the support of the rest of the Mandalorian clans.
"There is one other option then, to rally the clans," I start off, looking around knowingly.
Within moments they instantly realize what I was referring too, looking uneasy.
"I'm not so sure about that yet," Aathias says warily.
"It's too risky," Bo-Katan states firmly.
"What's too risky?" Alrich asks in confusion.
"Revealing what we have in our possession: Mandalore's Mask," Ursa informs him, and he widens his eyes in shock.
"You'll have to eventually," I remind them.
"And risk Saxon bringing the Empire's might down on all of us?!" Bo-Katan argues. "It would be no different than if you revealed yourself!"
"Saxon fears anything that could challenge his rule, and he would sooner see that mask destroyed than let anyone use it," Fenn Rau adds.
"Exactly!" she states in agreement.
"The Empire's strike against your people only means they need reassurance and leadership now more than ever," I try reasoning.
"It is not that simple Shan," Bo-Katan replies firmly, shaking her head at me. "Like you said, Mandalore's Mask is a symbol. And not only does revealing we have it come with great risk, it also requires a leader worthy of taking on the title of Mandalore. Someone that all the clans have grown to respect. None of us in this room have reached that status, and we do not have the time needed to make such a momentous decision."
I look at her intensely, brows furrowed as I consider what she said, also managing to share a glance with Raman. I'm not so sure she's right about the idea that no one can yet be considered to claim leadership as Mandalore, and there's one person in particular that I feel would be a greta choice. In Raman's eyes I see the same thoughts running through his head, and we come to an unspoken agreement.
"I disagree," I say in response, staring directly at her. "There is someone worthy of leadership."
"Oh really?" she asks doubtfully. "Who?"
"You," I say confidently.
Everyone but Raman widens their eyes in surprise, none being more astonished than Bo-Katan. However, her disbelief quickly turns to frustration and anger, and she scowls at me.
"Do not try to mock me, Shan," she snaps harshly. "I lost the right to be ruler of Mandalore years ago! I cannot take on that responsibility ever again."
I don't flinch at her outburst, staring back at her resolutely.
"I wasn't mocking you," I calmly tell her.
She narrows her eyes coldly at me, but behind that anger I could sense a trace of shame which was feeding it.
"We should get going," Bo-Katan says resolutely, turning away from me. "We don't have much time to lose if we're going to destroy that weapon. Mandalore's future depends on it."
Despite what she claims, that very statement she just gave shows that she has the same motivation that any proper leader should have: concern for their people. Bo-Katan marches out of the tent, and the others start to file out after her as well until I'm left with just my aunt and uncle.
"Do you think she's right?" I ask them. "About not revealing the mask yet?"
"I'm not entirely sure. She is right that it may very well draw unwanted attention that jeopardizes us," Aathias replies thoughtfully. "And yet... I feel it might be necessary."
"Our people are lost, and each clan feels as though they are on their own," Raman states sadly. "If that is to change, they need a leader they can believe in. Someone who has recognized their past mistakes; someone who is not after self-gain, and has proven their loyalty lies with all of Mandalore; someone who everyone knows will do everything in their power to see it free."
I nod my head in agreement at his words, and Aathias glances at him cautiously.
"You believe she is capable?" she asks softly.
"I think she is. But she's ashamed of herself, and refuses to believe so," I remark. "I don't even think Bo-Katan actually cares about my heritage anymore."
"It would seem so," Raman says in agreement. "She continues to doubt herself because of her past actions, and is channeling her guilt into what motivates her: Mandalore's freedom and restoration. She rallied many Mandalorians against Maul's twisted rule, and has continued to do so ever since she was betrayed by the Gedyc and Saxon clans. If she were to claim the title, Mandalorians would have no doubt about who they rallied behind."
"Then we shall see to it that this happens," Aathias says.
"Any ideas on how to get the word out?" I ask.
Raman looks at Aathias, an idea forming in his mind, and after some unspoken communication with each other she seems to understand what it is he was suggesting: based on the way she widened her eyes in astonishment, it was big.
Tiber Saxon's Star Destroyer - Sundari
The plan to destroy the superweapon was simple, but very risky. In order to do so we have to go to Tiber Saxon's Star Destroyer, which is hovering just outside of the capital city. I volunteered R5 and I to join Sabine's attack team to assist in wiping the Imperial database of the superweapon, with Mara eagerly pitching in to join. My father's armor was still sitting around at the site of the weapon's massacre—whether or not it was disintegrated I'm not sure—but until I went back to see if I could retrieve it, I was without something to hide my identity.
Because of course he did, Hadrian did have some sort of face mask meant for more greater stealth than could be provided by a helmet, which also had specialized goggles (think Winter Soldier mask). I also dressed up in a slightly different combat outfit—without a cape—so as to not seem so much like a typical 'Jedi' appearance, even though my Jedi appearance isn't the typical robes.
Speaking of which, Hadrian, Kira, Crassus, and Shae, decided to join us on this mission as well. Hadrian offered to help Sabine with destroying the weapon, which she accepted, seeing as he was a mechanical genius. I was a bit surprised that he decided to come along, since the basilisk war droid couldn't work for a stealth mission, but he swiftly reminded me that he could still fight just fine; he's still a Mandalorian.
Which makes sense.
I bring myself back to the present once we fly underneath the Star Destroyer's hull, slipping up into the hangar bay. Following Sabine's lead, our group made its way through the hangar, and she soon brought us to a halt to search around with her helmet's scanner. Whilst they did so, I crouched down beside R5, Mara, and the others, partially to make sure he and Chopper didn't get into an astromech war.
"How's the jetpack?" Mara asks quietly, directing her question towards Cal and Merrin
"Not the first time I've used one," Cal shrugs.
"I do not like it," Merrin murmurs in frustration. "Too clunky."
"No kidding," Ezra readily agrees.
Slightly amused, I pull back for a second and seek out my cousins, getting Kira's attention specifically.
"I got a favor to ask," I start off, pulling out two recording devices. "If you see Tiber Saxon, can you get him to talk?"
"About what?" she asks curiously.
"Something about how he's betrayed his heritage?" I suggest. "It'd be nice to expose him."
"Like you did the Emperor?" Crassus asks knowingly.
"Nice," Hadrian says.
"No problem cousin!" Kira chirps.
She and Hadrian both take the recording devices and pocket them. Just then, a TIE pilot climbs down the latter into the TIE Fighter we were all hiding underneath, pausing at the sight of us.
"Hey, hey!" he exclaims angrily, reaching for his blaster.
Bo-Katan lunges forward to grab the pilot, throwing him over to Sabine who knees him in the gut, knocking him out.
"Hold it right there!" another stormtrooper shouts.
"There goes our cover," Hadrian mutters.
Chaos swiftly ensues as the hangar is alerted to our presence, and stormtroopers open fire. Those with lightsabers whip them out to deflect blaster fire while the Mandalorians start shooting back. Sabine, Bo-Katan, Hadrian, and Kira move off to the side to keep out of sight while the rest of us engage in the fight, R5 and Chopper rolling behind us four Jedi. Merrin joins the fray by using her magick to several crates being used by stormtroopers as cover, and promptly blasts them with blasts of ichor. Two scout walkers come to life however and move onto the attack, firing their cannons at us. An explosion goes off by their feet, but they remain standing without much effort.
"Welp, better get moving!" I advise the team I'm with.
"Sure thing Dad!" Mara replies.
"You two mind staying out here?" Kanan asks.
"That's not a problem," Cal replies confidently.
"I'm not good with computers anyways," Merrin adds.
With a blaster in hand, I lead the team of Jedi and two astromechs across the hangar, shooting down a few stormtroopers in my path. We soon make it to our door, and R5 and Chopper immediately contest for the right to open it.
"Why does this always happen with you two?" Ezra grumbles, while Chopper claims victory in this round.
"Nothing hates an astromech more than another astromech," Mara dryly responds, and R5 beeps indignantly at her.
A sudden roar from above me gets my attention, and I whirl around to see a Mandalorian warrior descending through the air with a hammer raised over his head. With him moments away from striking I do the only thing I can think of to protect myself and raise my prosthetic arm over my head. The hammer slams into my arm with insane force, releasing a resounding clang that echoes around us, even creating a miniature shockwave; I'm forced onto one knee from the pressure, grimacing in pain from that and the ringing in my ears as a result of the loud noise.
The Mandalorian pauses in surprise for a brief second before grunting angrily, shoving my arm aside and kicking me in the chest. I tumble backwards on the ground and look up to see the warrior pulling out a blaster pistol and firing several shots at Mara, Ezra, and Kanan. They deflect the shots easily with their lightsaber, but he quickly switches his aim to the doors controls, and then begins marching toward them. Before he could advance however I jump at him with a fierce kick, knocking the blaster from his hand, before swinging my left arm to punch him away.
"Keep going, I'll handle him!" I tell the others.
Mara hesitates for a moment but then nods, rushing over to the door with Kanan and Ezra, and the two astromechs follow. While they start working on getting the door open I turn around to see the Mandalorian has already recovered. He lunges at me with a war-cry, swinging his hammer towards my head, but I duck underneath it and pull out one of my father's vibroblades. He blocks my slash with the handle of his hammer however, kicking his knee up into my gut. I grunt in pain and he shoves me backward while swinging his hammer once more, but I thrust my left hand out and grab the handle, bringing it to a halt. I attempt to strike with my blade once more but he grabs my wrist, leaving us locked in a standoff.
We both shove against each other for a moment, until he slams his helmeted head against mine. I stumble back with a grunt of pain, and he jumps up to kick me away from him, brandishing his power hammer. He swings it down overhead, but I throw out a fist with my left hand to catch the hammer once more, meeting it head on. The resulting shockwave creates another loud clanging sound, and we both stumble away from each other as a result, halting our fight momentarily.
"Count Gedyc, I presume?" I deduce, thinking back on the descriptions Bo and the others gave of him. "Fancy hammer."
"Indeed," he replies with a growl. "It's all too eager to bash your face in, demagolka."
I falter in slight surprise, and he chuckles darkly.
"Yes, I know who you are," he sneers. "Your fancy little disguise doesn't fool me."
"K'atini," I retort.
Lorka growls and charges at me again, jumping into the air and bringing his hammer down.
3rd person POV...
While the Jedi sprinted for the data room, Sabine leads her group along the side of the hangar, making sure to stay out of sight of Imperial forces. Bo-Katan takes the opportunity to throw a few detonators at the scout walkers, which take out several stormtroopers, though the walkers remain upright. Just then however, several Mandalorian warriors entered the hangar from a door close by, their armor instantly recognized by Bo-Katan.
"Clan Gedyc," she scowls.
"That's just great," Hadrian sighs.
"Come on, lets keep mov—" Sabine starts to say.
She's interrupted when one of the Clan Gedyc Mandalorians suddenly emerges right in front of her, charging through the air on her jetpack. She smacks Sabine to the floor and hovers for a second, landing on the crate in front of the group.
"You're not going anywhere," she declares firmly.
"Rook Kast," Bo-Katan identifies, whipping out her blasters.
"Bo-Katan Kryze," Rook swiftly replies. "I was hoping you'd be here."
"I thought you were dishonorable before, but using a weapon like that?" she scoffs, shaking her head in contempt. "Despicable."
"Here to destroy it I presume?" Rook asks knowingly.
"I'd like to see you try and stop us!" Sabine growls, gripping the Darksaber hilt in her hand.
Rook says nothing in response, but underneath her helmet she had an amused smile on her face at the irony. Just then, a pair of Gedyc Mandalorians come flying over and shoot a their rockets at the group, much to their alarm.
"Get down!" Kira exclaims, pushing herself and Hadrian out of the way.
Sabine raises an arm to protect herself from the rubble exploding outwards, but Bo-Katan disregards the missiles completely in favor of charging at Rook. Kira and Hadrian both roll across the floor to avoid the shots of a flying Mandalorian, the latter pausing to fire his blaster rifle at him. The Mandalorian is grazed in the shoulder, grunting in pain, but falls after he's shot by Sabine as well.
Rook shoots her blasters while one of her warriors swoops toward Bo-Katan to intercept her. Bo-Katan allows the shots to bounce off her shoulder pads and swiftly kicks her attacker out of the air, immediately launching herself at Rook. She swings a fist out, but Rook steps back while dodging, retaliating with her own punches. They exchange kicks and punches for a few seconds, unable to land a hit on the other, until Rook slips underneath Bo's guard and rams into her using her shoulder. Bo-Katan responds by kicking Rook in the chest, knocking her back as well to separate them.
Before Rook could rush back into the fight a green ichor blast makes her stagger on her feet, and then Cal jumps up from behind and uses the Force to throw her off the platform, much to her surprise and anger.
"Keep going, we'll handle this!" Cal urges.
Sabine nods in gratitude and continues on her way towards where the weapon is being held, Kira and Hadrian right behind her. Bo-Katan hesitates for a moment, anxious to confront Rook, but swiftly resumes following Sabine after reminding herself about the important task. They get onto the elevator and head up into the observation platform, lowering their weapons upon seeing the coast is clear.
"There it is," Sabine nods toward the weapon.
"It doesn't look so dangerous like this," Bo-Katan remarks.
"Please don't jinx it," Kira mutters.
"One thing's for sure, it definitely looks like a mechanical piece of art," Hadrian comments, analyzing it with a frown. "Deadly, but quite innovative."
"Glad to hear it," Sabine responds dryly.
Just then a quiet whirring sound echoes through the room, quickly increasing in volume.
"What's that sound?" Bo asks warily.
Sabine and Hadrian both widen their eyes in alarm, panicking as they step back from the arc pulse generator.
"Oh no, its been activated!"
Hadrian and Kira both curse in Mando'a right as the weapon glows blue, shooting out several arcing volts of energy. The four Mandalorians are immediately struck by the energy bolts, screaming in pain as their brought to the floor. Hadrian stays standing slightly longer, not wearing as much armor as the other three, but it didn't matter, and he falls down as well. After a few agonizing seconds the weapon stops, and a door into the observation platform opens.
Tiber Saxon strides calmly into the room, clad in his plastoid stormtrooper armor, and smiles triumphantly at the sight of the four Mandalorians lying helplessly on the floor, their armor still smoking. He pulls off his helmet and glances at Captain Hark, who was moving to enter the room as well.
"Stay back, Captain," he orders firmly.
Hark hesitates, and Saxon is oblivious to the frustrated glare underneath his helmet, though he nevertheless stays put. The only sympathy he's willing to spare the four lying on the ground is that they're suffering at the hands of a dishonorable weapon. Tiber crouches next to Sabine with a cold smile on his face.
"Sabine Wren. You truly are... brilliant," he remarks casually. "Except for thinking you could infiltrate my ship unnoticed."
Sabine breathes heavily, glancing up at him angrily, but is unable to muster the energy to move any further.
"Sadly, as much as I would like to end your life, I need you alive," Tiber continues with contempt. "You are going to upgrade your little experiment, and deliver a weapon that operates at its full potential."
Hark looks at Saxon with a scowl on his face while Sabine shoves her helmet off, glaring hatefully at him. Meanwhile, Kira and Hadrian both click a button on their recording devices as discretely as they could, just as Jarik asked them too.
"Never!" she snarls.
"Let's see if I can persuade you," he says dangerously, narrowing his eyes.
Hark shakes his head angrily, moving forward to put a stop to this idea. He wants Saxon to see reason, but if he refuses then he'll have no choice but to do what's necessary to ensure that Mandalore has a future.
"Governor, stop, this is too much!" he exclaims, pulling him back with a hand on his shoulder. "I understand using the weapon against rebels, but if she makes it more powerful, how will we prevent the Empire from using it against all Mandalorians?"
Glaring at him furiously, Tiber shoves his hand off of him and jumps to his feet with a growl.
"I am the Empire!" he declares fiercely. "Palpatine has shown me the way to true power."
"You think you're the Empire?" Kira calls out, managing a sneer of contempt. "You're just a puppet!"
Tiber drops his hands and whirls around to stare at her, narrowing his eyes.
"Kira Sohl, I presume?" he observes, his anger fading momentarily to be replaced with interest. "Tell me, how does it feel to betray Mandalore by accepting your dear cousin into your lives?"
"You're one to talk about betraying Mandalore," she snaps angrily.
"No... I am its future," Tiber states.
"Governor! You must understand that this weapon will only destroy us all!" Hark exclaims, beginning to lose his temper. "We have other means of defeating our enemies! But this, it's a disgrace to our traditions! Our culture!"
"You care so much about the old ways, Hark?" he growls, glaring furiously at his subordinate. "Then you can suffer the same fate!"
Without any hesitation, Tiber raises his gauntlet and activates the weapon once more. Hark is caught in its painful ray like the other four, letting out a painful scream as he falls to the floor, convulsing in agony.
"This is not enough power to kill you, just to teach you a lesson that in the end all of Mandalore, will bow to me!" Tiber says coldly.
R5 and Chopper rush around the different computer terminals, deleting every speck of data on the arc pulse generator whilst Mara, Kanan, and Ezra fought off the stormtroopers. The Master and Padawan duo work fluidly together, Kanan deflecting a laser back at one stormtrooper while Ezra knocks out another with a Force push. Mara evades the shots of the last trooper, briefly sprinting along the wall before jumping down to kick him in the head, knocking him unconscious.
"Will you hurry up?" Ezra tells the two astromechs.
R5 and Chopper both reply with a few scathing beeps, prompting eye rolls from him and Mara. They then start to cycle through the database as if dropping sand out of a jar, picking out everything there was to know about the arc pulse generator.
"Erase everything. Every piece of data on that weapon they've got," Kanan urges.
Knowing R5 was about to respond, Mara lightly kicks his chassis.
"Focus buddy," she says, and he grumbles.
"Sabine, we're in. What's your status?" Ezra asks into his comlink, frowning at the lack of an answer. "Sabine!"
"Well that's typical," Mara scoffs.
"She's in trouble," he replies anxiously.
"Go. We'll finish up here," Kanan tells him.
He nods, lowering his helmet's visor and rushing out the door while Mara pulls out her own comlink.
"We're in Dad. How're you doing?" she asks, hearing a few grunts from his end.
"Good, really good," he replies sarcastically. "Kinda busy here."
Mara rolls her eyes but ends the transmission. The doors behind them then open, and a few stormtroopers rush in with their blasters raised.
"Don't move!" the lead trooper exclaims.
Mara and Kanan both whip out their lightsabers, standing protectively in front of their respective droids as they continued wiping the Imperial database.
"Oh, we're moving!" Kanan states firmly.
"Definitely," Mara adds in agreement, a grin on her face.
Jarik POV...
I roll backwards across the ground and jump up with a blaster out, letting off a few shots. Lorka raises his hammer to protect himself, the bolts bouncing off the metal, and then swings it at me once more. I jump out of the way and he hits a crate instead, sending it flying across the hangar. His power hammer definitely has to have some sort of shockwave generator added to it in order for it to be that devastating; good thing my arm disperses that kind of energy.
I drop my blaster in favor of using my vibroblades, lunging at him. I swipe the blades at him as fast as I could, the red energy crackling through the air, but Lorka manages to block my strikes with his hammer or avoids them altogether. Still unfamiliar with the weapons however, I overreach on one of my swings, allowing him to hit me with the opposite end of his hammer. I stumble back with a grunt of pain, and then sidestep his hammer as it slams into the floor, creating a sizable dent.
"I recognize those blades," Lorka remarks scornfully. "Adopted your father's weapons have you?"
"Well, they are very nice," I shrug in response.
"I so wish Marcus was here, but I'm happy to settle with you," he casually replies. "Justice is more poetic this way."
With that said, Lorka charges at me once more, swinging his hammer up towards my head. I lean out of the way of the strike and thrust one of my vibroblades forward, but Lorka raises his foot and kicks me in the chest before I could strike him. I stumble backwards, just barely ducking underneath a horizontal swipe of his hammer. He then rams into me with a growl, using his hammer to pin me up against the wing of a parked TIE Fighter. I'm pushing against his hammer's handle with my vibroblades, him forcing them towards my neck.
"Any last words, etyc adiik?" he growls.
"I'm really tired of Mandalorian grudges," I scoff.
I kick my foot out and hit his knee, knocking him down to one leg with a cry of pain, and then blast him away with a Force push. He breaks through another TIE Fighter's wing and rolls to a stop on the ground, groaning in pain. Sighing, I glance up at the observation deck to see a high intensity of bright blue flashing, and widen my eyes in alarm.
3rd person POV...
After what seemed like endless torture for the five Mandalorians, Tiber Saxon deactivated the arc pulse generator with a smile. A pair of stormtroopers then walked in to take Hark's place as Saxon's backup, while Bo, Kira, and Hadrian rip their helmets off with heaving breaths, their bodies aching with pain.
"Are you impressed by how well your weapon works? I believe you can do better," Tiber sneers mockingly, grabbing his blaster rifle. "Help me increase the range of the weapon, or they will all die."
"Stop!" Sabine shouts fearfully. "I'll do what you want."
"Sabine don't!" Bo-Katan exclaims.
"What are you doing?" Hadrian demands.
Sabine doesn't respond, forcing herself to her feet with her hands held up in surrender. Tiber keeps his rifle aimed at her as she slowly approaches the weapon, a smug grin on his face.
"Your doing the right thing Sabine," he reassures her, though it was empty. "This weapon of yours, it can unite the Houses. It can bring peace."
"Your peace... is subjugation!" Kira snarls, talking between breaths. "You're a traitor to your own people, Saxon. You're nothing more than a dar'manda! A demagolka!"
"Quite ironic, considering you've joined forces with the descendant of one," Tiber retorts in contempt.
"Why should that matter? Jarik Shan is not the same as Revan," Hadrian manages to say.
Tiber smiles at the two in amusement, keeping his rifle aimed at Sabine while she continues working on the weapon, pressing the buttons on its side and on her gauntlet as well.
"Indeed. You see my friends, I do agree with you on this," he says calmly. "Revan didn't just decimate our forces in war; he revealed the true flaws of our society."
"And what do you know, Saxon," Bo-Katan snaps furiously. "Because you have no honor."
"And why should I? That is what has fractured Mandalorian society for all these years, Kryze," Tiber scoffs in disgust. "Culture... honor... tradition... all meaningless drivel. Those very concepts cause more damage than Revan ever could. The only thing that truly matters, is power. And I will do whatever it takes to maintain it."
"Just so our people can be on their knees before you and your Emperor," Sabine snarls, pausing momentarily to glance at him.
"Did you not listen to a word I said? Our people destroyed ourselves over nothing more than mere trinkets," he snaps angrily, glaring at her. "If that is the Mandalore you wish for, then you are doomed to destruction. Mandalore must adapt to survive. Would you rather we destroy ourselves in a fight that cannot be won?"
"At least we'd die free, knowing we never had to sell out our own people for victory," Sabine declares defiantly. "As least we'd die as true Mandalorians."
"Believe that if you wish, it is no more than delusion," Tiber sneers. "And if I must exterminate the lot of you self-presumed 'Mandalorians' to correct that error, than I'd be all to happy to do so."
Kira and Hadrian stare incredulously at him, and Hark also glares in outrage and betrayal, brimming with fury. Bo-Katan scowls furiously at him but still stumbles in her attempts to get up. Sabine finally pulls away from the weapon, raising his hands into the air once more.
"It's done," she states bitterly. "The weapon is at full power now but I'm begging you, don't use it."
Tiber places his rifle back on his belt with a smirk.
"I'll take that into consideration," he replies casually.
Without any warning he lifts his gauntlet and presses a button, activating the weapon once more with a triumphant grin on his face. Much to his surprise and horror, however, the arc pulse generator fires at him and his stormtroopers instead, and he falls to the floor with a scream of agony, convulsing as the energy painfully courses through his body. Sabine smirks down at him while the others look on in surprise. Hark glances at Tiber and the others before scrambling away with an angry grunt; Kira attempts to chase after him but Bo-Katan holds her back, shaking her head.
All throughout the hangar bay and even farther into the Star Destroyer, the arc pulse generator seeks out any plastoid it could find, striking it with painful bolts of energy. Stormtroopers, walker pilots, were all victim to the weapon; even Ezra had to rip off his helmet with a startled cry of pain, groaning as he lays on the floor. Mara and Kanan look around in astonishment as the stormtroopers around them all collapse with screams of pain, energy bolts surging through the walls.
Rook Kast pauses in the middle of her fight, looking around at the sight in bafflement, and a small amount of satisfaction. Looking to her right, she meets the gaze of her lover across the hangar—who is just about recovered after his fight with Jarik—and nods her head; he nods back.
Back in the observation deck, Sabine stands over Tiber with a satisfied grin on her face, content with watching him convulse in silent agony.
"This isn't enough power to kill you, just to make you suffer!" she mocks, repeating his words. "How does it feel?!"
Kira and Hadrian glance at each other uneasily while Bo-Katan approaches her with a concerned expression.
"Sabine stop!" she exclaims.
"Mandalore must be free!" Sabine scowls.
"At what cost?" Bo demands.
"To beat the Empire this is the only way!" she states fiercely, glaring at Tiber.
"No it's not," Hadrian replies, getting to his feet. "There's always another way."
"Our way," Kira adds in support.
"They're right, Sabine, this is not our way! It's their way," Bo-Katan says firmly, marching up to Sabine. "You came here to make things right! Will the future of Mandalore be one of honor, or cowardice? Hope, or fear? Vengeance... or forgiveness?"
Sabine falters, glancing uneasily at Bo-Katan for a brief moment at her words, looking back down at Tiber.
"The choice is yours," Bo-Katan tells her quietly.
She sighs, feeling a small amount of her earlier shame and guilt over the superweapon again, and turns away from Tiber. She ignites the Darksaber and holds it up, glaring at the arc pulse generator.
"For Mandalore," she says.
"For Mandalore," Bo-Katan nods.
Sabine slashes the weapon with the Darksaber, and it powers down with a groan, the energy bolts disappearing; Tiber collapses with a sigh of relief, his body still wracked with terrible pain. Just Jarik appears in the elevator lift, a vibroblade and blaster held in either hand, tensed up in a battle stance. The four Mandalorians whirl around with their weapons at the ready, and he freezes in a mixture of surprise , exasperation, and relief.
"Well, that's familiar," he remarks.
Bo-Katan lowers her blaster with an irritated sigh, the others quickly doing the same with their weapons.
"Do you want to get shot?" Kira asks, raising an eyebrow.
"I've been shot a million times already," Jarik replies dismissively.
Hadrian looks at the arc pulse generator uneasily, concerned at the sudden erratic behavior it was making.
"I think we should get going. That thing is about to implode," he warns them.
"Kanan, Ezra, the power core's been breached!" Sabine says into her comlink.
"Well the data's wiped but the stormtroopers are recovering and heading this way!" Kanan replies anxiously.
"Don't worry about them because this entire place is about to blow!" she informs him.
"Don't you think we should go then?!" Ezra asks in alarm.
Sabine ends the call, and the four Mandalorians quickly put on their helmets, rushing over to join Jarik on the lift. As they head back down into the hangar, Tiber painstakingly looks up at the arc generator with scowl on his face, desperately reaching out his hand to it.
Down in the hangar, the entire strike team regroups together and runs for the exit, jumping out and taking flight with their jetpacks. Meanwhile, Lorka and Rook also evacuated from the Star Destroyer without the notice of anyone else, flying for the city of Sundari.
As both parties make their escape, the Star Destroyer collapses in a bright ball of fire.
Mandalorian camp - Mandalore
Inside the command tent, Bo-Katan stood in a circle with Raman, Aathias, Ursa, and Sabine to discuss the next course of action they should take.
"This is only the beginning," she states. "With Tiber Saxon now dead, leadership will fall to Count Gedyc and Rook Kast. With the help of the Empire, they'll send everything they have to crush us."
"Indeed. That is why the time has come for a leader to rise," Raman declares, giving her a pointed look.
Bo-Katan looks at him skeptically.
"You're the one whose been faced with difficult choices, Count. Your brother, your nephew, Dxun... you've led your clan through so much, reconnected with your family, while I spent years trying to tear down my own," Bo-Katan says in disbelief. "How can you still believe that I am worthy to lead Mandalore?"
"All that I've done, everything I fought for so far, has still only been for the benefit of my clan, Bo-Katan," Raman tells her. "But the things you've done, haven't just been for yours: they've been for all of Mandalore."
"He's right. You are a leader everyone can rally behind my Lady," Sabine says in agreement. "That is why you should lead us."
"You had the courage to make a difficult decision, Sabine," Bo-Katan reminds her.
"With your guidance," she points out. "You have the wisdom of a ruler. There's no one I trust more to wield the Darksaber more than you."
She holds the Darksaber out to her, but Bo-Katan still hesitates, glancing at the ground. Aathias shares a look with Raman, and he limps forward with his crutches.
"Bo-Katan... I know why you don't feel worthy of this," Raman starts to say.
"Do you?" she asks in response, without any bitterness.
"You think you failed your sister—failed your clan. Believe me, I know what that feels like," he says gently. "When it was revealed what my brother did, I was devastated. I had to exile him for it, and for the death of Count Drezden. I never thought I could live up to Drezden's legacy. I blamed myself for not stopping my brother from marrying a Shan. Yet even after all of that, Marcus still believed in me. And his memory lives on through his son."
Bo-Katan lifts her head up to stare at Raman, her eyes narrowed, and the others continue to listen as well.
"We can never hope to live up to another's legacy. We can only create our own," Raman tells her. "You are not your sister, that's true. You are your own person. And the person I'm looking at right now, is more than qualified to lead the people of Mandalore."
"We're not alone either," Ursa chimes in.
"What do you mean?" Bo-Katan asks her.
None of them respond, and instead opt to direct her outside. Ursa and Sabine lead Bo-Katan out of the tent and down the hill, while Aathias assists Raman as they follow along. When they reach the landing field, Bo-Katan widens her eyes in astonishment at the sight of hundreds of Mandalorians gathered in the field, from at least a dozen different clans. Fenn Rau is present too, as are Mara, Kanan, Ezra, Cal, and Merrin, the Nightsister and four Jedi standing more off to the side. Even HK-47 was amongst them, though he was keeping himself more subdued; even he didn't want to risk angering hundreds of Mandalorians whilst in their midst.
At the sight of Bo-Katan the gathered Mandalorians all turn to look up at her, the leaders of each clan stepping forward. One of them, a female Mandalorian in her late thirties with flowing, bright blonde hair speaks first, holding her helmet beside her.
"In the name of the Avenger, we swear our allegiance to you, Lady Bo-Katan," Rayka Vizla declares. "Clan Vizla is with you."
One by one, the leaders of each clan all step up to declare their allegiance.
"Clan Rook is with you."
"Clan Eldar is with you."
"Clan Vizsla is with you."
"Clan Kryze is with you."
"Clan Farr is with you."
"The Protectors are with you," Fenn Rau says quietly, and Bo-Katan gives him a nod.
"Clan Wren is with you," Ursa Wren states.
"And Clan Ordo is with you as well," Raman Sohl states.
Amongst the crowd, closer to the front, Raman and Aathias's children, friends, their children's friends, and more, all smile and nod their approval. Crassus and Kira both hug their respective partners joyfully. Bo-Katan looks around in amazement at all of them, glancing at Sabine and Raman with a small scoff of disbelief.
"Oh, and there's one other thing to add," Raman says, sharing a look with Aathias and Sabine.
Jarik POV...
After the destruction of the arc pulse generator, some salvage party managed to recover anything left over from the devastation it caused during the rescue mission. My father's armor seemed to be relatively alright, although some of it ended up disintegrated. Hadrian still suggested that I could have it melted down a reforged in the future, so as to keep the armor's memory alive, which I had no trouble with doing. It'd have to wait though.
Anyways, I was currently hidden amongst the crowd of gathered Mandalorians, my hood pulled up to keep my identity hidden. I was dressed in my normal Jedi attire, minus the armor aspect, holding something very special in my hands. Waiting during the pledging of allegiances to Bo-Katan, my uncle eventually gave the signal for me to move forward.
"Warriors of Mandalore! For generations our people have been lost without a leader to unite us; a leader we could rally behind. But no longer!" Raman declares.
I start to move forward through the crowd, much to the confusion of the Mandalorians around me, while Raman continues speaking.
"Thousands of years ago, our ancestors suffered a tremendous defeat that left us fractured," he goes on to say. "But I am honored to announce that the mistakes of the past, have been rectified. One individual has taken it upon himself to return what was lost."
Closer to the front of the crowd now, I slowly reach up an arm and pull back my hood, revealing my face for all to see. Immediately, there are startled gasps and exclamations as those around me scramble backwards, parting the way for me. There are cries of outrage as more people realize what is happening, and several of them draw their weapons. I don't pay them any mind however, taking a few more steps forward before coming to a stop directly in front of Bo-Katan. I look up at her, holding the concealed artifact in my hands, and before chaos could ensue Bo-Katan raises a hand.
"Everyone, please be at ease!" she calls out.
There's confusion and some shouts of protest, but so far everyone seems to be holding themselves back, although I can feel hundreds of hate-filled glares on me. Taking a deep breath, I disregard the stares and continue looking up at Bo-Katan.
"Generations ago, my ancestor took from your people Mandalore's most sacred relic. Ever since that day, there has been bitter hatred and division amongst Mandalore," I start off saying.
I take off the wrappings to reveal Mandalore's Mask in my hand, shining a bright gold in the sunlight. Gasps of astonishment and disbelief travel throughout the crowd, and I hold the mask up to Bo-Katan.
"It is only right that Revan's last living descendant should be the one to return this to its rightful wearer," I finish.
Sabine also steps down the ramp and holds the Darksaber out to her, a smile on her face. Bo-Katan glances between us both with astonishment, reaching her hands out. She hesitates, doubting herself one more time... and then extinguishes that doubt once and for all. She takes the Darksaber into one hand, and Mandalore's Mask into the other.
"I accept this responsibility for my sister," she says softly, her voice rising in volume. "For my clan. And for all of Mandalore!"
Holding the mask of Mandalore by her side, Bo-Katan raises the Darksaber into the air and ignites its black blade. The hatred for me already forgotten over the surprise of the mask, all of the Mandalorians then kneel down on one knee in respect to the new Mandalore.
"For so long we have been divided amongst each other, and because of our blind hatred towards Revan we forgot what was most important," Bo-Katan starts to say, before gesturing at me. "Before us stands a man who not only sought to reunite with his family, but also took upon himself responsibility for Revan's actions so that we could become united once more. He found the Mask of Mandalore only so that he could return it to us. Jarik Shan is not his ancestor, anymore than Revan is his descendant."
I glance down at the ground as she talks, feeling slightly sheepish, but continue to listen.
"In him, I do not see the man that destroyed us. Instead, I see someone who has proven himself a man of honor, valor, and dignity; traits worthy of a true Mandalorian," she continues, looking around for a moment. "Would any dispute this?"
There's silence, and I sense the general motion of agreement traveling amongst the Mandalorians.
"Then it shall be: Jarik Shan, the first Mandalorian Jedi to live ever since Mandalore the Ultimate. The rift between Mandalore and the Shan's shall be no more!" Bo-Katan declares.
"Long live Mandalore the Restorer!" is shouted amongst the Mandalorians.
I smile at Bo-Katan with a nod of gratitude, feeling a huge sense of relief. It's as if a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders, now that it doesn't seem like I'll be the hated enemy of Mandalore any longer. Bo-Katan nods back at me in kind, and the crowd of Mandalorians begin to cheer; Raman and Aathias both smile down at me, faces full of emotion, and I smile back at them.
Sensing a familiar presence nearby, I turn my head to see the Force spirit of Revan standing off in the distance, as well as another man with black hair, garbed in red robes; Tarre Vizsla. They smile, nodding their approval, and I smile back at them, watching for a few more moments until their spirits fade into the Force.
Chimaera - Lothal sector
3rd person POV...
In many ways, warfare is an art. Conventional wars could be won through superior tactics, knowledge, and military might. Thrawn took the art of war and excelled to its maximum potential, treating it just as it is: art.
The threat from beyond the Unknown Regions however, was anything but conventional.
The Yuuzhan Vong were getting closer, becoming more emboldened. Their attempts to capture eight Force-sensitive Chiss girls was proof of that, and despite carrying no presence in the Force according to what Lord Vader sensed, they still sought to replicate the powers of the Force to their own twisted desires. Thrawn had no doubt that the Yuuzhan Vong planned to use the Chiss navigators to further develop their own means of travel through space, so as to be able to pinpoint exactly where they were and what was in their way within a moments notice. Fortunately however, he and Vader were able to rescue the Chiss girls and drive the Yuuzhan Vong away from the Mokivj system.
Their mission now complete, Lord Vader left with the First Legion to return to his master on Coruscant, whilst Thrawn went to rejoin the Seventh Fleet in pursuit of the rebels that escaped from Atollon. However, he was not blind to the fact that Vader and the Emperor's trust in him was now shaken by this incident, and were growing suspicious. It was only a matter of time before he was eventually outright confronted by the Emperor, which he was not looking forward to.
Fortunately, and opportunity to secure the help required by the Chiss Ascendancy in combating the Yuuzhan Vong had now presented itself, and he did not intend to waste it. In his private quarters, Thrawn activated the holoprojector on his desk and sat down in his chair to wait, communicating through a private channel. After some time, the call request was answered, and the holographic image of a female Chiss Admiral appeared before him.
"Mitth'raw'nuruodo," she greets him formerly, speaking in the Cheunh language.
"Admiral Ar'alani," he responds in kind, also speaking Cheunh. "How fare the Ozyly-esehembo?"
"They are recovering well. The enemy did not have the chance to cause much harm to them before their rescue," she answers, and he nods in content. "Is there a purpose you have called me?"
"Indeed, there is," Thrawn confirms. "How familiar are you with Jarik Shan?"
Ar'alani frowns, pondering the name for a brief moment before responding.
"Beyond what your Eli'van'to has stated, very little," she replies, looking at him questioningly. "Why do you ask?"
"Jarik Shan is a highly capable warrior who has caused the Galactic Empire, and myself for that matter, a considerable amount of grief," he informs her. "He would be a great asset to have in the coming war."
Ar'alani narrows her eyes at him skeptically, disapproval filtering through.
"And yet he is your enemy?" she questions.
"Like us, he knows and understands the true threat posed by the enemy, and more that we did not previously know," he explains. "His knowledge, combined with his capabilities as a Jedi, makes him an invaluable asset. The Vong possess powers far beyond what we had ever originally comprehended. Without his assistance, I would not have survived my own encounter with them."
"You make a compelling argument, Mitth'raw'nuruodo, but the Ascendancy will require much more assurance that what you say is true, as well as the enemy's capabilities that you speak of," Ar'alani replies, narrowing her eyes slightly. "If he is the things you say, and an enemy of the Empire, then how do you expect to find him?"
"I have determined a method which I believe will unveil the precise location of his base of operations, though I cannot pursue it without attracting the ire of the Emperor. He desires Shan's death, and will not consider any alternative," Thrawn explains grimly. "That is why I am requesting your assistance."
Ar'alani narrows her eyes at him in disapproval.
"Mitth'raw'nuruodo, you cannot expect the Ascendancy to establish communication with a single individual, no matter how significant, on a whim," she states firmly. "Neither would the Ascendancy send its assets to territory that is likely hostile over such a matter."
"I assure you, Admiral, his territory is not hostile," he replies confidently.
"And why is that?" she questions.
"Shan has gone to tremendous lengths to ensure the secrecy of this world by any means necessary," he informs her. "I suspect his allies in the Rebellion, or even its highest operatives, have any clue to its whereabouts. Only those of his family are aware of it, and they too share equal desire in hiding it."
"You are sure of this?" she asks, and once he nods in confirmation she continues. "And why would he go to such lengths to safeguard this planet?"
"That, I am not sure," he admits. "Regardless, there is no military or governmental presence there to be concerned of, except for an astromech droid, Shan's Jedi apprentice and adopted daughter, and Shan himself."
"Perhaps," Ar'alani remarks thoughtfully. "I shall bring your recommendation to the Aristocra. What then would you require of me?"
Thrawn holds up the lightsaber of Jarik Shan in his hands, studying its damaged state for a moment.
"The means to safely navigate through space without the aid of a navigation system..." he starts to say, explaining his idea.
ISB Central Office - Coruscant
3rd person POV...
"I'm sorry to hear about that, Count Gedyc," Gideon says calmly, his expression remaining neutral.
"Saxon's death was his own doing, it would seem," Lorka replies in contempt. "He was arrogant to presume that Sabine Wren would help him that easily."
"I see," he nods in acknowledgement. "And what of the weapon?"
"Destroyed, Marshal," Rook Kast says. "And all of our data on it has been wiped from our systems."
Gideon narrows his eyes in a noticeable outward expression of emotion.
"So the Duchess is lost to us then?" he questions.
"Unless we get Sabine Wren to build another, which I consider extremely unlikely," Lorka states with a frown.
"Indeed. That does seem far-fetched," Gideon agrees with a small nod, letting out a sigh. "Very well. I shall inform the Emperor of this development. We will send reinforcements to ensure Mandalore remains under our control."
"Understood, Marshal," Rook says, ending the transmission.
Marshal Gideon places his hands on the holotable, looking down for a moment in concealed frustration.
"It does seem quite the predicament, doesn't it? Dealing with Mandalorians." he remarks, standing back up straight. "I'm sure you have plenty of experience with that... am I correct?"
Gideon turns around to look at the other person in the room, who was standing by the far wall; he towered over the Imperial officer, nothing but armor and weapons. Even so, the ISB Marshal wasn't at all afraid.
"Yes... I do," his voice rumbles.
"Good," Gideon replies. "Then you'll be more than capable of what I have in mind for you, Durge?"
Underneath his mask, the bounty hunter smiles, his many sharp teeth giving him a devilish appearance if his face was visible.
"It would be my pleasure, Gideon," Durge says eagerly.
MANDO'A TRANSLATION:
Wayii - Good grief
K'atini! - Suck it up!
Etyc adiik - (etyc) dirty, filthy, grimy; (adiik) child
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 traditionall-minded Mando'ade
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