The beginning of the end
Chapter one
Sabine
"How could you?" I heard my mother shout. "You have betrayed not only the family but all of Mandalore."
I could feel the tears start building up in my eyes. The thing was, I couldn't disagree. She was right.
It had taken me years and was my pride and joy. A system that could identify Beskar and mark the wearer as a friend. It was meant to be used on our area turrets so only enemies would get harmed.
Then the empire got their hands on it. And managed to change the code so instead of ignoring Beskar it specifically targeted it. And using the information in the program they were able to design a prototype weapon that could bypass the beskars immunity and fry the person inside.
When I discovered this I destroyed the prototype and wiped the files from the database. I did everything I could.
When the Imps discovered what I had done they came to arrest me in the imperial academy. I managed to slip past them. How I did it isn't really important so please forgive me but there are more interesting things is this narrative that I am sure you will enjoy a lot more.
I went to the only place I could imagine being safe from the empire. I went home.
However by the time I got there things were not good. The Imperial Admiral who had been overseeing the academy had already contacted all the major Houses and told them of my "treason"
He had also placed a considerable bounty on my head.
As soon as I was within half a mile of Krownest I noticed the clan guards. In the time before the empire it was said that the guards were honorable soldiers who would give their life for the Clan and the House. But now at least half of them are on the Empires payroll and the other half want to be.
I hid for a while in the trees. Making sure to stay out of the way of the guards until I saw a familiar Beskar. It was Tristan's.
"Brother mine." I said as I dropped from the tree I had been hiding in for the past hour
" What are you doing here" he hissed "if the empire find you here they will massacre us all now that you have given them the means to do so"
His words had a venom I had never seen from him before. The sting of it cut deep into my heart.
It finally hit me. What I had done. I had been a hairs breadth away from giving the empire the weapon that could destroy all of Mandalore.
Tears flooded in my eyes.
I could barely breathe but managed to choke out a simple "I know"
"The admiral has gone straight to Bo-Katan. He is ordering House Vizla to bring him your head. Gar Saxon is on his way here to ensure the clan complies with the orders."
"I need to see mum." Such a simple sentence almost reduced me to a wreck. This one simple sentence that I use to say to the guards when I wanted to show of my newest artwork or a new combat technique now could seal my death.
Tristan didn't answer, he didn't need to. He simply nodded his head and lead me to the secret entrance to the house.
We followed the tunnel in deafening silence until we reached the hidden door to the audience chamber
"Stay here." He barked at me. As if I was nothing more than a prisoner.
He opened the door and went into the chamber. I could hear raised voices coming from within but in my grief and shame I couldn't make out what was being said.
The only words I can remember was when my mother said "I will not murder my daughter, not for the empire, not even if the darksaber was returned and the true Mand'alor demanded it of me. I will not do it".
A few minutes after Tristan went in I heard my mother dismiss those who has gathered. A few seconds later Tristan was standing in front of me again.
He didn't speak he just gestured with his head that it was time for me to face my mother
She was seated on the high chair. The one our family have used to pass sentence on those who have opposed the clan for generations.
I could see the pain in her eyes.
"How could you?" I heard my mother shout. "You have betrayed not only the family but all of Mandalore."
I could feel the tears start building up in my eyes. The thing was, I couldn't disagree. She was right.