2 Years Ago
Aurora's Age: (18 Years Old)
Location: Concordia
"Sloppy." Bo-Katan began as Aurora groaned in pain as she lay on the ground. "You can do better than that…I've seen you do better, and I know you can do better."
Aurora got up slowly and in the back of her mind wished she was wearing her beskar armor. As of right now in training, she and Bo-Katan were both wearing tight black shirts and tight black pants and boots that usually went underneath the armors they both put on during a fight.
"Maybe I'm just exhausted." Aurora countered as she stood up to face her aunt.
"You don't get tired…that is not an excuse." She rebutted and Aurora rolled her eyes in response.
"Who's exhausted?" A voice asked making Aurora turn around to see Pre Vizsla walking toward her and her aunt.
"Apparently this one," Bo explained gesturing to her niece.
"How are you exhausted…you don't get exhausted," Pre questioned in both concern and confusion as Aurora was one of if not the best assassin the Death Watch had.
"I'm trying to recover from Corellia." She explained as let out a breath. "I'm sorry, I'll do better I just…"
Pre put a hand on her shoulder. "I know…you tried your best…and Bane beat you to it. It wasn't your fault.
Aurora gripped her right side and let out a moan in pain. That's when both Bo-Katan and Pre realized she pulled her stitches.
"Go to the medical bay and rest up, you had a rough week." Pre instructed and Aurora nodded before slowly walking towards the medical tent.
"She has her father's determination and fighting skills," Bo commented. "But she has Satine's compassion…she's dangerous."
Pre nodded "Agreed, but she wouldn't betray us…we're the only family she'd take a bullet for."
Bo sighed. "What about Satine and her cousin? She care's desperately about both of them."
Pre tilted his head from side to side. "Aurora may be many things…but stupid isn't one of them. She understands what we ask for and how we want things done. When the time comes to take out Satine…Aurora won't hesitate."
Just then a younger sergeant of the Death Watch, Axe Woves came running up to them.
"Pre," The boy said. "Where's Aurora, I heard she's injured."
Pre gestured toward the medical tent. "She's in there Axe."
Axe practically ran towards the medical tent and upon entering he heard Aurora being annoyed at something.
"Can you just put a bandage on it…God this is taking forever." She said in annoyance.
"Ro?" Axe asked cautiously and she gestured him in.
He saw a medical droid changing the stitches on the right side of Aurora's abdomen.
"What happened?" He asked.
She smirked. "That stupid bastard shot me with his blaster. Guess I should wear beskar more on these assassin jobs."
He tilted his head to the side. "Why didn't you wear beskar?"
Aurora rolled her eyes. "I wanted to stay low-key. Not draw attention to myself."
"Did you have your helmet on?" He asked more concerned, and Aurora sighed.
"Don't worry, no one saw who I was…not even Bane." She explained.
Axe sat down next to Aurora as soon as the droid left.
"Please be more careful…we don't want you getting hurt." He said sincerely and Aurora rolled her eyes.
Aurora stood up. "Relax…I'll be fine."
Axe sighed. "Seriously...please be careful."
Aurora rolled her eyes again. "I will, but the next chance I get with Bane won't be so merciful."
Axe frowned. "What do you mean?"
Aurora smirked. "The next time I see him…his head will be on a platter."
Present Day
Aurora's POV
When we arrived on the Republic Star Destroyer, I was in utter shock at how large it was. While I had seen Republic fleets on the HoloNet and in the distance, I had never actually been on one. Ahsoka and I stepped off of the gunship, to see Skywalker was waiting, along with another clone, the same stupid R2 unit that electrocuted me, and what looked like to be the ship's admiral.
"I'm glad you decided to join us." He said warmly.
I shrugged. "It's not like you or the rest of your Jedi buddies gave me a choice."
"Was she like this the entire way?" He asked turning towards Ahsoka.
"No, she was silent," Ahsoka replied with a small smile. "It was nice."
"I can be silent when I want to…especially when I don't trust the people, I'm working with 100%," I replied which made me get interesting looks from both the clone trooper and the admiral.
"Aurora, I'd like you to meet Admiral Wullf Yularen, and Captain Rex of the 501st Legion." Anakin began. "And gentlemen, I'd like for you to meet Princess Aurora Kryze, of Mandalore."
"It's nice to meet both of you," I said with a small nod and they both nodded.
"Your Highness," The admiral began. "Welcome aboard the Resolute, I hope your ride here was pleasant."
I smiled. "Thank you, I would rather continue discussing our strategy on the bridge due to it being confidential knowledge."
The admiral nodded. "I couldn't agree more. Right this way."
Once we were on the bridge, I became entranced by the view of Coruscant from space, as it was quite breathtaking. As a child, I never got the chance to go off-world, in fact, my mother didn't officially allow me to go off-world by myself until I was 13. Before that, I was only allowed to go off-world with my mother and her associates. What my aunt and Pre Vizsla did to make sure I was trained at the correct age was give me a communication device that allowed me to train on Mandalore, even though they were on Concordia. Plus, every time my aunt came to Mandalore, we'd train. As soon as I turned 13, I asked my mother to go to Concordia to 'further my horizons and meet with the wonderful citizens in need' (I practically vomited in my mouth when I said it to her). Thankfully she let me go…but she had a condition. Considering she is completely paranoid and worried about my safety, she requested that one of the handmaidens went with me, and I asked my most trusted and closest friend Zara to accompany me. At this point, Zara knew I was training, and she knew the 'real' purpose of why I was going to Concordia, but she didn't care…as long as I didn't kill myself.
I stood by one of the windows on the bridge and looked out to the planet below. A small smile came to my face. I know this isn't the life my mother wants me to have…but it's the life I want to have. It's the life I have always wanted to have.
I was snapped out of my trance when the Admiral called me back.
"Your Highness?" He called.
"Coming," I responded before turning around and walking toward the HoloTable. I still had my helmet off which revealed my long blonde hair that was tied back away from my face. As I approached my new 'associates' a hologram of a Jedi Master appeared.
"Who is this?" I questioned.
"This is Master Ropal, he was recently kidnapped by Bane," Anakin explained.
I placed my helmet down and crossed my arms. "Do we know why?"
"Apparently, he is in possession of a Kyber memory crystal, which when used with the stolen holocron, can be accessed." He continued.
"So, the holocron can't be accessed without the crystal?" I questioned.
"More like the other way around." He explained. "A holocron must first be opened by someone who is force-sensitive, for the crystal to show its data."
I sighed. "So, the holocron is some sort of Jedi reading device?"
Ahsoka tilted her head from side to side. "Basically."
"If Bane gets his hands on the crystal…it could possibly mean the end of the Jedi order." He continued with a slight eye roll at Ahsoka.
"Where do I come in?" I asked still confused as to my purpose.
He crossed his arms. "You seemed quite familiar with Bane…what do we need to know to stop him."
I sighed again. "What do you want to know?"
"Everything." The four of them replied.
"Look, all know is that he is cold and vicious. He will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants for his employer." I explained. "I experienced an encounter with him about a year ago."
"What type of mission were you doing?" Rex questioned.
"It was an assassination actually. I was assigned to assassinate some ex-Trade Federation Captain on Corellia. I was about to intercept and assassinate my target, but by the time I got there, Bane had done my dirty work for me. Apparently, our employers thought alike…two different bounty hunters with two distinct styles of how to complete jobs, assigned to the same target." I continued.
"Do you know who his employer was?" Yularen questioned.
I shook my head. "No, I don't, his employers are different than mine. He works with select people whereas I look for jobs all over the galaxy. His employers though, from what I hear are very good payers."
"Why don't you take jobs from them…clearly you have a name for yourself if you're wanted on five different worlds," Ahsoka asked.
I tilted my head to the side. "I've known my employers for most of my life…they know how I operate, and I know how they operate. I don't want to jeopardize that relationship. However, I am willing to help you stop Bane in the field, I'd rather actually use my skill set for something useful rather than giving you practically useless information."
"Not going to happen." Anakin firmly replied.
"Master," Ahsoka began. "Aurora probably knows Bane's strategies like the back of her hand, wouldn't it be wise to have her come with us?"
His glance toward Ahsoka was still stern, though I could see him partially giving in.
"With all due respect sir," Rex interjected. "She is as of right now, our best shot at catching Bane…at least alive."
"Your test-tube baby is correct." I said sternly and Rex gave me the weirdest look when I said that comment, but everyone who was within an earshot knew it was true…Clones were developed within a test tube.
"If you want Bane alive, I am your best chance at capturing him. Just to remind you, the only reason why I am helping you morons is so that my name can be cleared…along with not my mother finding out that I don't agree with her anti-war methods and pacifism." I continued. "If you want Bane alive without him scaping with your holocron and possibly the crystal, I'm your best hope."
"Where was Master Ropal last seen?" Ahsoka asked trying to change the subject as she probably sensed the extreme tension between Anakin and I.
"The Deveron System." Yularen responded.
"The Deveron System? Why was he there?" I asked in curiosity.
"There is a secure…or once secure Republic outpost there. He was making a routine check before we lost contact with him." Rex explained.
"And you are positive Bane took him? I know he's in possession of a holocron, but my employer failed to tell me that a Jedi was missing."
"Master Ropal is the only Jedi currently that holds a Kyber Memory Crystal. He would be Bane's first and easiest target." Anakin explained more sincerely than before.
"He'll kill him," I murmured quietly, but the four of them heard exactly what I said.
"What do you mean he'll kill him?" Ahsoka questioned.
"As I said before Bane will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. He doesn't care who he has to kill or injure to get his money. To put it this way, the last time I encountered Bane on a job, I barely made it out alive." I began. "I don't kill people that stand in my way. Sure, I subdue people who get in my way, but I never kill them. I go in take out my target and get out…its more professional that way."
"How is that…professional?" Yularen questioned.
I smiled. "Skywalker didn't tell you I am a part of a terrorist organization and one of their best most lethal assassins?"
The Admiral's eyes widened which made my smile grow in amusement. Almost everyone around me looked at me in surprise. It probably was a shock that the prim and proper princess who often spoke before the Senate speaking on pacific views for the galaxy is actually a lethal assassin and a part of the group of Mandalorians who support martial ways of life.
"Perhaps we should get going," Ahsoka suggested and Anakin nodded.
"Admiral set coordinates for the Deveron System," Anakin instructed.
"Already being done, General," Yularen said before walking to the front of the bridge.
I continued to read files on the HoloTable on the missing Jedi before I heard Yularen say:
"Prepare for hyperspace jump."
I looked towards the front of the bridge and sighed as the ship jumped to lightspeed. That's when I realized the promise I made two years ago, the last time I encountered Bane. At some point during this entire situation, I would fulfill my wish and kill Bane…I would make sure of it, and nothing, not even the stupid Clones or Jedi would get in my way.
