Chapter One: Rebirth
Axa Rec'yc growled as she ran toward the oncoming Jedi. Her blood roared for vengeance against the outsiders for what they did to her father. Every Mando'ade knew how to fight from near birth. Axa was no different and engaged the Jedi in hand to hand. It always stunned any Jedi who crossed blades with her. Surprise gave her a window to take them down.
Seresu, Axa thought. Defense, flowing strikes… A deadly grin formed on her face when the sixth strike presented an opening in the form of her Jedi opponent as he moved back to opening position. Now!
In mid strike, Axa's combat rhythm stumbled when Mandalore heaved to and fro under her feet. Under the redhead's helmet, she saw the Jedi give her a frightened expression.
"By the Force…"
The man's face stared at Axa. Then, the ground split open and spat up chunks of rock and lava. In the chaos, white began to fill the Mando'ade warrior's field of vision. "No!"
Axa jolted awake in her bed and looked around in a moment of lingering fear. With a growl, Axa noticed beeping and sighed. She grabbed the pager and smiled slightly. "Neocortex blunt force hematoma…" The brain surgeon quickly readied for the surgery before she looked at the back of her closet where her armor rested with her twin WESTAR-35 blasters, hidden and safe.
Unconsciously, Ann Possible as she was known on Earth, muttered, "This is The Way." Then, the good doctor left to tend to emergency surgery.
A few hours later, Kim Possible woke up with a strange feeling. The green-eyed redhead shook her head with an irritated groan. Then, she prepared for the day like any other teenager in high school. The difference came when Kim walked out to the backyard and began rolling through combat drills Ann insisted she do as the sun came up to greet her. Strangely, Kim found herself departing from combat Styles she knew into an almost alien form of hand-to-hand. In many ways, this form mirrored Tiger Claw Kung Fu, but it also incorporated some movements that at first glance ran counter to the form but blended seamlessly within Kim's movements.
As Kim wrapped up the morning training, her tuned ears identified her best friend Ron Stoppable. Instinctively, Kim turned and threw a punch only to halt centimeters from the blonde's nose. "Morning, Ron!"
The boy sweat dropped for a moment. "Hey, KP." Ron looked away. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to this."
Kim shrugged, "(This is the Way.)"
Ron nodded. "I guess." Ron looked at her. "It's just a little odd to know you and Mrs. Doctor P are the only ones I know that speak her native language."
Kim shrugged, "It's no different than any other immigrant."
"Not many people learn to fight from Pre-K…"
Kim smirked, "Children of Mandalore start learning to fight almost before we can walk, Ron." Kim then gestured to him. "You read The Torah in your thirteenth year, did you not?"
Ron nodded, but he felt a bit of unease when Kim slipped into a more formal English like she did now. That usually meant she was getting irritated.
"It's like that Mom and her people, but a person's fighting skill and armor mark them as Mandalorian." Kim suppressed a shiver as she put an arm around Ron when the bus came. "I can't wait until I get my Beskar'gam from Mom!"
Rufus looked at Ron and then to Kim. Then, he began chittering.
"Yeah, I know, buddy; I'm as lost as you are." The boy told his pet as he and Kim boarded the bus.
At school, Kim opened her locker and sighed as she pinged Wade. After a moment, his image came up on the monitor. Kim gathered her books and sighed as she looked at the Latin script on her books. Eleven years of writing and reading English, and the teen still found herself swimming in characters. I wish Mando'a was well-known. Kim thought, Chaos, I'd even take Aurebesh over these loops and lines that begin to look the same after a little while.
Wade popped up on screen. "Kim, are you alright?" The young man looked at Kim in a bit of worry. "You almost never call me at school."
Kim gave him a forced smile. Then, she sighed and pulled her books a bit closer to her chest. "I'm fine, Wade." Kim said, "I'm just stressed with all the stuff that's going on with Prom around the corner, and it's not helping with these blasted letters." She indicated the books. "I was hoping you had a mission to get me out of school for a little bit and give me a good fight."
Wade looked at his friend in sympathy. "I wish I could have one for you, but all's quiet right now." Wade frowned in thought for a moment. "Are the translation exercises I suggested helping?"
Kim nodded as her face brightened. "Let me know if the mission front changes."
Wade nodded with a kind smile. "Hacker remaining on station. Out."
As the monitor cut off, Kim sighed as she heard the light yet rough footfalls of Bonnie Rockwaller. "Hut'tuun…" The word would have killed Bonnie if it could have been distilled into a venom. Luckily, Bonnie didn't seem to catch the tone and only the word.
The bitch smiled at Kim, a sickly sweet smile that made Kim think of another name for the girl. "So, who are you taking to Prom?"
"I'll likely go with Ron." Kim said with a shrug. "(He is my brother, after all.)"
Bonnie gave Kim a raised eyebrow at her strange, natural shift to another language. "I guess your combat boots scare all the boys off."
"A few years and this will all be nothing but a memory," Kim said before she shut her locker door and began walking to class. "Ni shab'rud'ni…" Kim growled before she walked off to class before Bonnie could push her into a fight. (I shall not stain my honor or my clan's with this pettiness!) With this mental vow, Kim walked into class to leave Bonnie stunned.
"Why can't she be normal and speak English like the rest of us?" Bonnie growled to herself before the girl stalked off to her own class.
"POSSIBLE!" Barkin growled.
Kim grit her teeth and glared at the man. "Yes, sir?"
Barkin turned and moved inches from the girl's face, but she refused to yield. The young warrior would not wilt under the pressure. Bedtime stories from her Mom rattled in Kim's mind and helped steel her resolve.
"What did Romeo fail to do that Shakespeare warns against?"
Kim thought of similar story from her childhood, (Raxon of Clan Xardia and Jedi Mistress Atris…) Kim shook her head. "The boy did not communicate with At-" Kim caught herself and struggled unseen for a moment to find the girl of Shakespeare's tale in the script as it toyed with her eyes. Finally, she let out a mental victory cry when she found the Capulet. "…Juliet and tell her of his plan and he of her." Kim shook her head. "The familial feud boils my blood, though."
The bite in Kim's voice made Barkin reel for a split second. Then, he nodded, "Why?"
"First rule of command: ALWAYS clearly communicate orders, and baring that, Shakespeare doesn't tell us why the feud began," Kim sighed. "I understand it's just a plot device, but if Shakespeare omitted the reason for the bad blood between the two families, he could be trying to tell audiences the families themselves don't know where, why, or when the fighting started. They just hate each other because they were taught to hate." The thought of going against family and clan made Kim's skin crawl. (No loyalty to clan and family…) Kim almost wretched at the thought.
Barkin smiled and seemed on the verge of laughing, "Well said, Possible."
"Thank you, Mr. Barkin." Kim sighed and felt her shoulders slump in relief when the man turned his back to her. (I wonder if he has an idea about me or Mom.)
Meanwhile, Ann wiped her head of sweat and sat down with an exhausted sigh before she collapsed into a chair. Sometimes, I think combat would be easier than this. The woman thought. Then, her thoughts turned to her eldest daughter. It's almost done. Ann felt pride at her daughter's progress in her combat and skill. I'm glad I showed James how to forge. Weariness gradually bled from the doctor's eyes and face at the thoughts of reforging her armor for Kim. Then, a laugh shook the mother. Jim and Tim would probably forge their own if they knew how. Ann shook her head with a smile. I'm glad they have a few years yet. That would only lead to trouble.
Back at school with Kim, the cheerleader shook her head and sighed softly in boredom as she listened to the teacher. Kim's head snapped to her book at a moment before the Kimmunicator went off. (Yes!)
When Wade popped up on the screen, he frowned at Kim. "The Middleton Space Center just reported a theft."
Kim nodded, "Any idea what was stolen?"
Wade paled slightly and put a security feed from the center on the screen.
In the video, a Mad Max style truck rammed into the wall. A dude ripped from '80s Hard Rock jumped from the vehicle. Then, he ran to a display off-screen and ran back gleefully with a device in his hands. Painted red and blue, the somewhat boxy shape had two clear rocket vents on the bottom with a rocket pointed about a foot above the top of the pack. Kim grimaced in pain as the man fastened a rucksack strap to the left and right of the pack. Then, he hefted it to his back and jumped with air guitar going wild as if that would start the thrusters.
"Turn off." Kim whispered, feeling queasy.
"What?" Wade asked as he felt a shiver crawl up his spine at the tangled grammar because he knew Kim was upset by whatever Motor Ed stole.
"Ride, Wade." Kim said calmly. Ron moved to follow her, but Kim's next words quickly planted the blonde back in his seat firmly. "That aruetii won't even think about a Mando'ad sen'tra when I finish with him!"
Everyone in the room looked at Kim in shock as she visibly shook with fury. The redhead hero walked out of the class with iron will in her steps. Barkin, who watched from the door of his office during his off period, almost froze when he saw Kim walk out. I've seen that look too many times before, Barkin thought. Possible intends to kill. Barkin made his decision and walked up to her.
"Family business, Mr. Barkin," Kim growled without turning around to face the man. "Stay out!"
Wade looked at Kim in worry from his view on the Kimmunicator as she wordlessly boarded SADIE. "Talk to me, Kim," Wade said gently. "What did he steal that's got you pissed?'
"He stole a piece of Mom's armor -her identity- which she loaned to Dad for study to hopefully help improve rocket technology."
SADIE would have smiled had she had the ability before she put the partition wall up. "Get changed, Kid," she said. "Don't worry. I kept your gift from General Eiling after that mess in Mexico below my back seat."
Kim nodded unconsciously as she disengaged the partition wall and turned the Kimmunicator back on. Then, she smiled, lifted the seat, and gently moved the weapon from its case. "Hello again, Aay'han." The sleek M95 polished to a sheen that would make any DS or DI proud, glinted in the sunlight from the windows. "(I need you once more.)" The woman then fastened a small ammunition belt to her non-dominant arm.
(If you must shoot,) Ann's voice rang in Kim's head. (Don't give them the chance of reprisal.)
Kim then turned to Wade on the Kimmunicator as she racked a round. The boy just stared for a moment in shock. The shock quickly passed though. "Are you serious, Kim?"
"Child trafficking serious, Wade…"
Wade shivered as he remembered the bloodbath Kim left in the outskirts of Guadalajara. GJ and the local cartel still could not find a thing on "El Diablo de Muerte" as they called her south of the border. "Alright, Kim, I'll wipe out all logs of the theft, so GJ won't interfere any more than they have."
Kim nodded, "You rock, Wade." She then frowned as the smile of gratitude slipped into a neutral expression of grim determination. "Can you also track the transponder signal of the sen'tra?" At her friend's confused expression, Kim quickly translated, "…er, I mean the jetpack, Wade."
Wade nodded, "Sending the coordinates to SADIE. Be careful, Kim."
Kim nodded and cut the feed. Then, she had SADIE pull off about half a mile out and began doping her scope for the warehouse where Motor Ed had her clan's property. (HenchCo mooks…) Kim thought with a sigh as she spotted at least twelve of them. (Where's Drakken's "cuz"?)
From her hide in a vacant and crumbling apartment building, Kim sighed. (It's just gonna be a waiting game.) Part of Kim didn't care about the waiting, but part of her also wanted to hurry and wing Eddie to get the fight started. Kim's earwig pinged before she could think anymore about it. Then, two rapid pings followed. (The general knows what I'm doing and wants the thief alive for questioning.) The sniper checked her scope again and smiled as Motor Ed walked out and began angrily flinging the sen'tra around by a strap.
(Breathe…) Kim coached as her anger tried to boil to the surface again. Her heartbeat roared in her ears. Ba-dum, Ba- Kim took Ed's L4 in her sights and squeezed the trigger.
The man crumpled like a sack of rocks with a scream as his legs stopped receiving messages from his brain and vice versa.
In the chaos that followed, Kim quickly policed her brass, thankful for the titanium "keeper" Wade added to Aay'han almost immediately after Kim received her. Kim sprinted down from her hide toward the pandemonium in the warehouse. The adrenaline in her body ensured she didn't falter, but Kim also understood a simple fact which kept her calm: Any of her usual villains never used or carried conventional firearms nor did they expect her to use them. She was nothing more than an annoyingly skilled, innocent teenager to them.
(The squeaky clean opinion they share of me won't change for a while yet, if I can help it.)
With Motor Ed still in shock over the loss of use in his legs, the villain wasn't much help to his hired goons. Unconsciously, Kim found herself thinking of a green-skinned, plasma-throwing fighter and sighed as she clocked a henchman in the jaw and dodged another punch while she sent a kick behind.
All too soon, the fight stopped as Kim knocked out the last of the hired muscle.
Then, Kim turned her attention to her Mom's sen'tra and quickly ripped the offending straps from the polished metal and inspected it for any other scuffs or modifications. (I've got to talk to Mom about asking Dad to give this back to her.)
Once out of sight with the package in a rucksack over one shoulder and Aay'han slung over the other, Kim pinged Wade three times, "Mission accomplished, Wade."
Wade smiled, "I'll keep GJ chasing their tails until your back home," the boy-genius promised before he called SADIE for Kim's EVAC.
On her way home, Kim remained none the wiser as a spy drone Drakken called "A Fly on The Wall" captured everything. Shego sat slack-jawed and impressed after the absolute carnage she just witness. Kim's finally learned to play dirty, huh? A small part in the back of the thief's mind recalled other happenings of a similar nature in the more seedy and serious parts of the criminal underground. So, Kimmie is tired of playing on Easy Mode. Another part of Shego's mind reeled. What are you, Princess?
Once in the underground forges away from prying eyes, Kim unslung the rucksack from her back and laid it gently on the table. Without turning, Kim recognized her mother, but as Kim turned, the teen couldn't help a large grin at the sight of her Mom's armor in pieces in front of the smelter.
Ann smiled at her daughter, "(It's time, Kim;)" the woman said with pride flowing from her voice. "(Time for you to forge your own destiny from those who came before.)"