Hello, ladies and gents, and welcome to the second act of Frangit Et Finit! The world is mostly built (this chapter should take care of the last major bit of worldbuilding), our main characters are mostly established, and the stakes are set to raise. This arc will mostly cover Tatooine and...well, all of the things that will happen there. You guys are in for a ride! At least, I like to think so.
Without further ado, enjoy meeting the Ghost's crew! And learning a bit of recent Mandalorian history...
There were times when Sabine Wren didn't feel like a Mandalorian.
Caring for her armor didn't count for one of those times, of course. The young woman was almost in a trance, fiddling with her helmet's HUD emitter, clad in nothing but shorts and a tank top, knowing there were still three Hyperspace jumps between her and the mission they'd been sent on.
Living with Jedi, however, was definitely first and foremost amongst these moments.
In truth, seeing a lightsaber still made her twitch. Her upbringing had worsened the natural fear of these weapons, and the unnatural calm and confidence of the typical Jedi unnerved her further. She knew most Mandalorians felt the same way; their demeanor made them seem unaware, when in reality, they were anything but. As Force-sensitives, they were exactly the opposite of unaware. She could see it clearly in Kanan, a little less so on his Padawan, and had learned to recognize it in others. Kind of like the odd Zabrak Rogue that trailed behind them. Seeing Ezra implied going against her instincts, and that's definitely not what Mandalorians were known for.
Sabine was known for many things among the ranks of the New Republic Commandos. She was the youngest of them all, for sure, barely of legal age. They'd bent the rules a bit for her, since she was that good. The handlers called her "Hyper-lethal". It was all in her file, very official. Her...upbringing had made her a lone wolf type. She was the only Mandalore native left, as all the others had ditched the New Republic after the DMZ had been instituted. Outwardly, she shook her head, disappointed. Inwardly, she did not blame them.
She was also known as the dar'manda, the traitor who had betrayed her people, who no longer deserved to be called a daughter of Mandalore. Ironically, being insulted that way made her feel more like a Mandalorian than usual. What she'd done, she'd done in the spirit of a true warrior.
A little under seven years ago, just as the New Republic had started to settle into a decent rhythm, the Mandalore system had been thrown into chaos, as a series of terrorist attacks had wracked the Mandalorian homeworld. They killed dozens each time, starting by the slaughter of the governing body at the time, of Mereen Kryze and the rest of her politicians. Leaderless, the unprepared government crumbled across the planet, and the radicals assumed control, led by the late Duchess' sister, Bo-Katan Kryze. In an effort to liberate their political allies, the New Republic had sent Vice Admiral Zann and the 9th Fleet to achieve orbital superiority over Deathwatch's supposedly meager, pirate-obtained fleet, and then launch a relatively small campaign to rid Mandalore of the terrorist organization once and for all. It was a good, if standard plan.
It utterly failed.
Being such a proud warrior culture, sick and tired of being trampled upon, and bolstered by the confidence inspired by the radical group, a large majority of the Mandalorian population rose up in arms, declaring their sector of space closed off to the galaxy, and branding the New Republic as unwelcome. The old shipyards and foundries in Concord Dawn fired up, quickly amassing a sizable fleet while Deathwatch and its growing numbers kept holding off Zann's assault with the aid of Black Sun provided fleets, ambushing the New Republic warships, and setting up orbital defense satellites and space stations.
This went on for two months. Thousands died on each side, but it seemed the New Republic would prove superior. It was an illusion, however, as Tyber Zann, decorated and respected Vice Admiral of the New Republic, turned half the fleet's weapons on its fellows.
Zann was a strategic genius. Only his aging fleet and the formidable defenses set up around Mandalore had stopped him from achieving victory. The aging Anaxsi had, however, a major flaw: he craved battle, and equally lusted for power and wealth. He'd been in his element during the Clone Wars, but peacetime was not for him. When he asked the New Republic for reinforcements, they refused. What had they to gain by 'liberating' a system that apparently did not want to get liberated? The Navy ordered him and his fleet to turn tail and run, and the Mandalorians saw their chance. They offered him a place as the head of their new fleet, and promised him he would see all the action he could want, and the riches that would surely come from that.
Zann didn't doubt his decision for a second, nor did those loyal to him. The loyal vessels tried to escape, but they were cut off by the new Mandalorian warships, ancient Kandosii-class dreadnought designs from the time of the old Sith Empire, now demoted to cruisers, updated and complemented by new Vengeance-class frigates, Crusader gunships, and StarViper heavy fighter squadrons. Trapped between two fleets, the 9th was lost entirely, whether by fire or treason.
Of course, the New Republic had to save face, and so, for the first time since the end of the Clone Wars, the Republic war machine moved.
Admiral Wulff Yularen, head of the New Republic Navy, led the military campaign that would be known as the Mandalorian Demilitarization. Five fleets were devoted to this conflict, more than six hundred warships and a hundred-thousand Clones, as well as two-hundred and fifty Jedi Knight-Padawan pairs. Zann and his Mandalorian fleet were trapped against their own world, safe behind their space stations, but unable to maneuver to properly engage the Republican fleets. New Republic Commandos were instrumental in destroying and sabotaging the defenses, allowing the fleets to advance unhindered. Most of the Mandalorian vessels were destroyed or otherwise disabled, with a mere 7% losses to the New Republic, courtesy of the long range mass drivers, diamond-boron missiles, and plasma cannons used by their static defenses. Zann himself escaped on a shuttle before his flagship could be boarded.
With orbital superiority achieved, it fell to the ground troops to pacify the population of Mandalore. It was not an easy job - even if the anarchists had not had beskar armor and their infamous Westar blasters, the fact remained that the Clone Troopers were Mandalorian by blood, and thus more than a little reluctant to kill their 'brothers'. The natives had no such qualms, however, and very soon it became clear that there was no lost love between the Clones and their genetic siblings.
It took another long six months for Mandalore to be subdued, a credit to the hardiness and innate skill of its people. Around 17,000 New Republic troops died, as well as 37 Jedi, and 26,000 Mandalorians, both Deathwatch and not. The terrorist group was declared dismantled when its leader was killed by her own daughter, in revenge for the suicidal death of her father. The remaining fighters -and every other Mandalorian, really- were relieved of their modern weapons, though they were allowed to keep their family armors and inherited blades, so as to not take away their culture, and the surviving Mandalorian vessels were taken away to be held in reserve and studied in a top secret location. The New Republic established a permanent presence both on and around the planet, and declared the Mandalore system a DMZ.
And Sabine made the latter part happen. Bo-Katan Kryze? The leader that got killed by her own daughter? That was Sabine's mom. And in her defense, she'd gone crazy. Starting by sending her husband off to die for a worthless cause. Sabine wasn't proud of it. Hell, she still hated herself for pulling that vibro-knife and stabbing her mother in the neck.
There had been so much blood.
No wonder some of her people hated her. Well, most of them. And it's not like she really supported the DMZ, or anything. She felt it was a neutering of her culture. A necessary one, perhaps, but not on such a scale or long term as it seemed.
Either way, she was not popular, growing up.
"Oh-oh. You've got your brooding face on." -said Ezra Bridger, a smile on his face.
Her potentially budding relationship with Ezra was all kinds of weird, some of which she admittedly did not like. He was younger, still a little cocky, and painfully inexperienced in anything remotely romantic, a byproduct of his Master wanting him to have a more traditional apprenticeship. He was handsome for sure, and had the nicest blue eyes she'd ever seen. Having known each other for a few years by now, shifting from friendship to dating had definitely proved challenging, but also fun, and the fact that she had gone so far with anyone, let alone a Jedi, made her feel damn proud of herself. That the kid was a good kisser definitely didn't hurt, either.
"Didn't know I had one." -she said coolly.
The blue-haired teen shrugged. "It's kind of a pre-mission standard, I've noticed."
She raised her eyebrow. "Really? What else have you noticed?" -she asked amusedly.
"I...don't know that answering that question is wise." -he said, blushing.
Sabine rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what's up? Bored with your meditation or something?"
He nodded. "A bit. I've never been that great at it. Honestly, I don't think Kanan is, either."
"You two do seem to be better at waving lightsabers than breaking the laws of physics." -she noted.
"Well, I have been practicing for a few years."
She chuckled. "I said better, not great."
He looked hurt. "Ouch. So, what're you doing?"
"Fixing my HUD. Ever since I got decked by that Trandoshan slaver, the targeting reticule has been a little off. I don't really need it, but it bugs me, and we have the time."
He nodded. "Yeah, Tatooine's still a ways off. I actually kinda wanted to talk about the mission with you." -he said, rubbing the back of his head.
She tensed up slightly. "Yeah? What about?"
"Well, you know how Jedi get these...hunches, right?" -he asked.
She nodded. "I've heard something like that, yeah. Handy in combat and the like. Like whispers?"
"Right. Sometimes, the Force warns you that something is about to happen, or lets you know the direction you should be going, that kind of thing. Mostly gibberish, but you can pick out a few images or words if you concentrate." -he tried to explain.
"Makes sense, I guess. What about them?"
He pursed his lips. "Well, it feels like Tatooine's dangerous. Not the typical, 'Outer Rim underworld' type of dangerous, either."
"What, like a trap?"
"Not really? We aren't...expected, or anything. We still have surprise on our side. But it feels like, whatever happens, we're gonna be the ones to set it off. And I mean that in the explosive sense." -he said, worriedly.
Sabine looked at her helmet's T-shaped visor. She absently noted a minor scratch in the transparisteel. "What do you think it is?"
The young Jedi shook his head. "I don't know, but it's big. Like, galaxy-wide consequences big. The Force feels...tense, and whatever this disturbance is, it feels like you."
Sabine blushed slightly, which her tan skin thankfully hid, for the most part. "What the heck does that mean?" -she ground out.
Ezra realized his wording and stammered an apology. "I mean, like you, but not like you. Not you as a person, I mean. Your species, in general. Whatever we're going to do on Tatooine, it's got something to do with Mandalore and its people."
The blush quickly receded, as Sabine cleared her throat. "That could be...bad. How'd you get that?"
"Well, like I said, it felt like a Mandalorian. The whisper, I guess. Each species and race feels differently, y'know?"
She shook her head. "I mean, I guess so, but I'm not a Jedi, remember?"
"No duh. You're a Mandalorian, you hate Jedi, don't you?" -he teased.
"Keep it up, and I'll live up to the stereotype."
Ezra backed a few inches. "Right, sorry. Anyway, humans kinda feel like...gray cubes. Pretty boring, standard and all. Twi'lek are like rainbow-colored spheres, which I guess is why they like humans so much, complementing each other and all."
"Also helps that they look so similar."
"Yeah, I suppose. Anyway, Mandalorians are all sharp angles. Like green triangles? Very traditionalist, proud. Strong by yourselves, but stronger together. Sorry if it doesn't make any sense, it's hard to explain."
Sabine shook her head. "No, I get it. The...Force is supposed to be intelligent, right? I'd guess it has different thoughts on each of us."
He nodded. "Kanan could probably explain it better, but that's the gist of it. It's...unsettling."
"I may not be Force-sensitive, but I get what you mean. This whole mess with the Star Destroyer and Boba Fett being involved is not good news."
The young Lothalite frowned. "You sound like you know him."
She shrugged. "By reputation, sure. Biggest name in bounty hunting, son of Jango Fett and all that. I've watched a few holos trying to get used to his fighting style. He's good."
"Better than you?" -he teased.
"Better than all of us, I'd say. I don't know that a Jedi Master would prove too challenging for him." -she grudgingly admitted.
Ezra hummed worriedly, but brightened up just as quick. "He's probably never faced anything like the blaster saber, though. Bet you 10 credits I beat him with it." -he said, pulling out his unique lightsaber and igniting it, filling the small room in the Ghost with a blue glow.
Sabine had to physically restrain herself from jumping away. "Ezra! You know better than to turn that thing on here." -she said, annoyed.
The blue-haired teen nodded sheepishly and sheathed the sword. "Sorry. Trying to get you used to it, y'know?"
She sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's just not that simple, Ezra. If it was, having worked with Kanan for years would've been enough."
He nodded. "I'm sorry, I'll try to be a little more considerate."
Sabine smiled wearily. "At least yours is blue."
"Do you ever think about how we look like a cantina joke waiting to happen?"
Kanan Jarrus, gun-slinging Knight of the Jedi Order, opened his eyes, his meditation interrupted. "Can't say that I do." -he said, amused.
Hera Syndulla, New Republic Commando, Captain of the Ghost, and a certain lucky Jedi's romantic partner, sat cross-legged in front of him. "Our team, y'know? A Lasat, a Twi'lek, and a Mandalorian walk into a bar…"
The Jedi smirked. "Except the Lasat is actually a rare, hairless Wookie, the Twi'lek asks for the music to stop, and the Mandalorian outdrinks everyone. She's underaged, but the bouncer and the barman were too scared to deny her anything."
Hera frowned. "I'm not that much of a party-stopper, am I?"
He shrugged. "I don't think Ezra calls you 'mom' just for kicks. At least by Twi'lek standards, you're totally a party-stopper."
The Twi'lek crossed her arms in annoyance. "Well, excuse me for not being a racial stereotype. Just because I don't like partying like a Zeltron doesn't mean I'm boring!"
Kanan smirked smugly. "Who's stereotyping again? Don't worry, Hera. It wasn't a criticism. Besides, Ezra needs a mother figure for sure. I let him get away with far too much."
Hera rolled her eyes. "Just because you're such a maverick. Can't chastise him for what you do yourself."
"My point exactly."
The two sat in companionable silence, two more Hyperspace jumps to go before they reached Tatooine.
Hera pulled up a datapad. "I have a bad feeling about this mission."
"How so?"
She pursed her lips. "Well, we're after Boba Fett, right? Top bounty hunter, that's dangerous enough, but the guy has ties to Deathwatch."
Kanan scowled. "Had, Hera. Deathwatch is gone. We made sure of that."
"Maybe so, but that doesn't change the fact that Fett was buddies with those anarchists. They never managed to confirm the rumor, but he supposedly killed Maul for 'em, and got Prince Xizor to hear them out." -Hera pointed out.
Kanan shook his head. "Seven years since then and we're still fending off pirate attacks because of that mess."
"At least the Navy keeps busy. If whoever's fielding the kind of firepower the Imperator carries has more ships, we're gonna need every advantage we can get." -she pointed out.
The Jedi hummed. "I don't think it's gonna be enough. The Council won't admit it, but there's something big coming. The Force feels like it's about to burst. Senator Organa's disappearance is one of the more obvious signs, but there's been others."
"I'd ask, but I assume they're classified."
He nodded. "You're better off not asking, yeah."
She smirked. "Because you're gonna tell me anyway, right?"
The man laughed. "Well, it's not that classified, I guess." -he said, then turned serious. "There's been an increased amount of fleet movements on Confederate territory, from what we can tell. Hutt space has refused our comms...and Geonosis has fallen silent."
She gave him a bewildered look. "How does an entire system filled with those greedy bugs go silent?"
"No clue. And of course, it's not like we can send in a fleet and find out. Not with those Star Dreadnoughts and cruisers blockading the planet and shooting at anything that gets out of Hyperspace. At least before we got the usual chattering threats not to come anywhere near them. Now? Nothing."
"That's...disturbing." -she said.
Kanan shrugged. "I wanna say it's all fine. The Force does feel weird, but if something bad had happened to the Geonosians, the Jedi would've felt it."
She pursed her lips. "Yeah...unless the...Dark Side or whatever had something to do with it."
The gunslinger scowled. "What do you mean?"
The Twi'lek raised an eyebrow. "Well...Palpatine was secretly a Dark Side user, right? And none of the Jedi ever figured it out. It took an evil cyborg killing him for the Force to...go back to normal, right?"
"I guess so. The Dark Side is useful for disguising your intentions, hiding your Force signature, all of that. Along with the boost to power it gives you, obviously. I suppose it's possible that a darksider is behind all this, but where would he have gotten all the money and facilities to field a Star Destroyer of that power?"
Hera shook her head. "I don't know...but it's been 17 years since the last Sith...and the galaxy's a big place."
Well, what do you think? Mandalore is gonna be a BIG factor in this story, particularly at the start of the inevitable conflict. I wanted you guys to see what's been up with them. I took elements from Forces of Corruption (Tyber Zann might be hella different, but I still have him be a scumbag with some measure of honor; I'm also drawing inspiration for the space combat in this fic from EaW) and tried to adapt it as best as I could, which is basically what I'm doing with most of the canon and Legends content that I find agreeable with my plot. All while keeping to the "cycles and constants" theme of this story.
Do you have any suggestions? Criticism? Comments? (Praise hopefully!?) Let me know!