Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.
Let's get to it.
Rico: You'll have to wait and see for her reaction.
MangoWango21: Yes, we will still see them from time to time.
Chapter 45- Way of the Mandalore
A gentle breeze flows past Ben's face as the speeder makes its way into Sundari and heads for the new palace of the city. However, his attention is not focused on the rebuilt capitol of the Mandalorians, but on the person sitting in front of him and Calvin.
"So, Jaina, I think you knew this question was coming. A lot of people, especially your family, have been looking for you ever since you disappeared eight years ago. I think we deserve an explanation for where you've been, and why we've found you here," Ben says.
Jaina shifts slightly, the light reflecting off her pauldrons. Her armor is mostly the common durasteel-beskar alloy, but her helmet and pauldrons are pure beskar. Ben wonders if she did that so that the crest of House Organa on her pauldron would not be so easily visible from light reflecting off the metal.
"First of all, Ben….do you know the story of what happened that night on Ossus?" Jaina asks.
"For the most part. After I found Dad, he told me that he tried to confront Jacen about his darkening nature, and Jacen attacked him when he woke up. As far as he knew, Jacen attacked the temple after that, and destroyed everyone there except you and Grogu," Ben says.
"Yes, but he never knew how Jacen did it. As far as I can tell from what I saw, Jacen stood before the Temple and summoned a powerful version of Force lightning known as a Force storm. Unlike typical Force lightning, it is not a bolt fired from the fingertips. Rather, through the Force, Jacen was able to generate a powerful lightning storm over the Temple. His power and rage was able to produce a storm powerful enough to destroy the Temple bit by bit."
"At the time the storm began, I was in the Temple. I urged everyone who was awake to flee. I had no idea who or what was causing this, and I wasn't even sure that this was not a natural occurrence at that point. The Temple could be rebuilt, but the people in it could not be so easily replaced. I took Grogu, as he could not leave by himself in time, and I fled the Temple. I can only assume that the confusion of the situation prevented the other from doing the same."
Jaina now pauses in her story, and the tough exterior she is putting on begins to crack before she continues, "When I returned, the Temple was in ruins. I made my way through the wreckage, and soon realized everyone else had been killed. But not all by the storm, or the fire it caused, or the temple's collapse. I found some who had been killed by a lightsaber. Finally, I found one of my friends. She had wounded by a lightsaber, but was clinging onto life. She lived just long enough to tell me that it was Jacen who caused this and killed who initially survived."
Again, Jaina pauses. She finally speaks again in a more emotional tone and says, "After that, when I knew what happened, and how far Jacen had fallen…I couldn't handle it. I left and fled as far as I could from Ossus with Grogu. For several months, we lived in hiding in the Outer Rim as I tried to come to terms with everything. Eventually…I guess I just gave up. I thought to myself that if I could allow my own brother, who I thought I was so close to, to fall to the dark side and not only not stop him, but hardly even notice…I didn't deserve to be a Jedi. I felt like such a failure."
"At the time, I didn't know what to do. But I felt certain that whatever I was going to do, Grogu would not be safe with me. So, I decided to come here. I brought him to Sundari, and told the Mand'alor that I wanted to leave Grogu in his safety before I left again. However, he instead offered me a place here, among the Mandalorians. He offered me meaning, a family, a new purpose, and perhaps, one day, a chance for revenge. So…I took him up on his offer. I turned my back on everything I knew and took on a new life. I swore the Mandalorian Creed, and became a warrior of Mandalore. And now, I'm one of Din Djarin's closest lieutenants."
Jaina finally stops with her story, and silence reigns for several long moments. Ben is the one to finally break the silence as he says, "Jaina, I can't imagine what you've gone through with Jacen's fall. The rest of us were impacted, sure, but none of us shared the bond with Jacen that you did. I'm just glad we found you after all this time."
"I am happy to see you again too, cousin," Jaina replies, a truly happy smile on her face.
Moments later, the speeder pulls up to the palace. Jaina stands and picks her helmet up before gesturing at Calvin and Ben to come with her. She then leads them across the platform and into the entrance to the palace.
Jaina leads them down a long corridor, which ends at a large set of doors. Reaching the doors, she opens them with the Force and they enter.
As they enter the chamber, Ben and Calvin realize that they've entered the throne room. Several Mandalorians are standing around the edges of the chamber. And at the far end, sitting on the throne, is a man clad entirely in Mandalorian armor made of pure beskar. The Mand'alor, Din Djarin. A few feet from him, an old woman is in the midst of a conversation with several other Mandalorians. Despite her age, Calvin immediately recognizes her as Bo-Katan Kryze. Then, to their surprise, they see Grogu sitting on a soft chair beside the throne, playing with a small metal ball using the Force.
Jaina leads her two companions across the throne room and kneels before Din. "My liege, I bring visitors," she says.
"I see," Din responds in a voice he usually uses when he's disappointed or frustrated. He then stands up from the throne, where they can see the Darksaber hanging from his belt. He walks towards them before he says, in a more cheerful tone, "And one of which I am very grateful to see."
Calvin smiles as he steps forward, reaching out a hand. Din grasps it, and the two old friends shake hands for the first time in over a decade. "It's been far too long, Djarin. It's good to see you," Calvin greets his old friend.
"And it is very good to see you too, Adams," Din says.
Calvin then gestures to Ben. "I'm sure you remember him from when he was little. This is my nephew, Ben Skywalker. I'm sure you remember my sister and her husband, Luke," he says.
"Of course," Din says. He looks at Ben and inclines his head respectfully, "Well met."
"Well met, Din Djarin," Ben says equally respectfully.
Din then looks back at Calvin. "Adams, it is truly good to see you again. And I apologize for the firefight you encountered from my warriors. However, I know that your visit cannot just be for social reasons. You have a purpose here."
"Indeed I do, Din," Calvin says. He pauses, then says, "You may have isolated your people for the most part, but I know you still have some knowledge of events in the wider galaxy. The First Order has taken about half the galaxy, and the war against them has stalemated for months now. The Terran Alliance is currently also engaged in a major war back in our galaxy for our very survival, and we cannot yet afford to commit the forces to this war with the First Order in order to break the stalemate and achieve victory. This stalemate could go on for years if we are not able to build up a stronger force to challenge the First Order."
"And you want to bring us into it," Din sums up Calvin's yet-unspoken request.
"Yes, Din. I was sent here to ask for precisely that. Look, I know you owe us no loyalty at this point. Our peoples have repaid our debts to each other. But, the Treaty of Terra still remains in force, and that includes the terms between the Alliance and Mandalore. Disregard that, you may. But let me make it clear, I'm not here to try and invoke any treaty or prey on past debts. I'm here as a friend, asking for the ultimate favor as a friend." He pauses, then continues, "Din, we need your help. You have rebuilt Mandalore and its territory to impressive heights, and your warriors are strong as ever. We need your help, to train our forces and to augment our armies. We cannot win this war without Mandalore. I promise you we will defend Mandalore with everything we can muster. You will have all the benefits of friendship with the Alliance that you once enjoyed. Remember the relationship we once had. I'm appealing to you as a warrior and an old friend. We need Mandalore."
Din stands quietly for a long while, thinking over Calvin's request. Finally, he says, "Adams, you may say our debts were long ago repaid. But to me, I will always owe you a debt. You have never failed me. And I know that the First Order will one day come for us if they get the chance." He extends his hand, and Calvin takes it as Din says, "I swear now that we are once more allies. Mandalore will stand by the Terrans, and fight by your side once more."
Calvin grins brightly. "That's what I'm talking about, brother," he says.
A few steps away, Ben and Jaina are standing together, having watched this whole interaction between Calvin and Din. As Din and Calvin shake hands, Ben turns to his cousin. "Jaina, I know that you came here for a reason. I know you came here because you felt like you failed. But you did not. Jacen had already fallen. It's time for you to forgive yourself for something that was not truly your fault."
"I know," Jaina says simply.
"And your self imposed exile needs to end, Jaina. We've been looking for you not just because we want to give your mom closure and reunite the two of you. We need you Jaina. And not just because you will be great addition to the war effort. You know Jacen better than anybody. If anyone can stop him, or even bring him back to the light, it's you," Ben says.
Jaina looks at him with uncertainty. Ben looks firmly into her eyes before he says, "The galaxy doesn't need another Mandalorian right now. It has a lot of those. It needs Jaina Solo, Jedi Knight and the sister of the First Order's Supreme Leader." He pauses for a moment, then says in a softer tone, "And I need my cousin back."
Jaina looks at him, still silent, but Ben can tell that last sentence really got to her. Finally, after several moments, she reaches out and pulls Ben into another hug. As Ben returns the gesture, Jaina says into his ear, "You're right. It's time to put my shame behind me, and face my destiny."
Ben grins before he says, "Welcome back, cousin."
And, I'll end there.
I hope you enjoyed this one. Things are definitely gonna start picking up and getting a bit more exciting, and really delving into some lore.
Next chapter will be up soon. Until it is, please leave a review, and stay tuned!