Chapter 22

Ezra POV

There are few things as terrifying as talking to your girlfriend's parents. Especially when that parent was the distinguished leader of one of the most influential clans among your entire species. Especially when they were also a Mandalorian war hero Countess.

Ezra had always been intimidated by Ursa Wren. Despite his training to maintain his composure, no matter who he faced, he respected the Countess enough to show her the deserved respect. But there was something more terrifying about her now that he was dating her daughter. Which was ironic, because she had never seemed less intense towards him than she did now.

After hugging her daughter immediately after her clan arrived on Concord Dawn, Countess Wren turned to Ezra and removed her helmet. "Greetings, Ezra Kryze," she said with a smile, placing a fist over her heart and bowing slightly to him. "I hope we're not too late to join you."

Ezra began to bow to her in respect, but then he remembered that she was technically inside his territory this time, which was why she was bowing, meaning that he shouldn't be. Still, not wanting to look like a fool for starting but not finishing his bow, Ezra remained mostly bent forward and held out a hand towards the Countess.

She stared at him in his odd position for a moment and asked, "Er… What are you doing?"

Ezra slowly stood up straight and said, "Well, I was… offering to shake your hand, Countess."

Countess Wren looked down at his hand and hesitantly shook it, gripping his outstretched arm at the wrist. As she shook hands with him, she asked, "Why were you… bending forward like that?"

Ignoring the way that Sabine was trying to stifle her laughter behind her hand next to him, Ezra answered honestly, "I… have no idea."

As soon as Ursa released his hand, still looking very confused, Ezra stood up as straight as he could and gestured stiffly behind him, saying, "We have… tents. And food. And some… good food. If your clan wants to settle in. Which you should. If you want."

The Countess nodded, looking at him strangely, and then she and her other clan members walked past him towards the tents, with Ursa calling out, "Sabine, follow." Sabine quickly moved to obey her mother, casting one last smile at Ezra as she left.

Sabine POV

As soon as they were out of earshot, Ursa leaned towards Sabine and asked, "Is Ezra alright? He seems to be a bit… out of sorts."

Sabine looked over her shoulder to where Ezra now stood next to her mother's ship and was repeatedly banging his helmeted head against the hull.

Turning back to her mother, Sabine answered, "He's fine."

Ursa nodded in apparent satisfaction, then turned to the soldier walking on her other side and said, "You'd better go stop your old Captain before he hurts himself."

The soldier nodded and looked at Sabine before saying, "It's good to see you again, Sabine."

At the sound of his familiar voice, even modulated by his helmet, Sabine started in surprise and asked, "Tristan?"

The soldier removed his helmet to reveal her brother's face underneath. Tristan had been unrecognizable to Sabine due to the fact that he had reforged and repainted his armor. His Imperial-style armor had been changed back to the more classic look, just as Ezra had done, and much like their mother did, he had painted it with large amounts of gray and Clan Wren yellow, foregoing most of the white Krownest camouflage that most of their soldiers wore in preference of making himself easily distinguishable. Sabine thought that he looked much better in his new armor, and it was a clear symbol of his defection from the Empire. He had also changed to a more traditional Mandalorian jetpack, no longer using the same Imperial model that Sabine and Ezra used, though she wasn't sure why, as the Imperial jetpacks were technically superior. Perhaps he just wanted to further distance himself from his Imperial past.

Tristan smiled at her and said, "We'll catch up later, sis." He then turned around and walked back to their ship to get Ezra.

Meanwhile, Ursa turned to her daughter and noted, "You changed your hair again. Not so drastically this time, but the symbolism is not lost on me. That blue is the same shade as Ezra Kryze's eyes."

Sabine looked at her mother in surprise, not having expected such an insightful art comment from her, and Ursa explained, "Your father would've noticed it in a second. He kept trying to teach me about art. I tried to ignore him whenever he would discuss it, but I learned a thing or two, especially about making observations."

Sabine chuckled. Her father had been the only one that could regularly defeat her mother. Not with weapons. Her mom was too good a warrior and her dad… wasn't. He rarely even wore his armor. But he could fight with his words, and better, with his art. The mighty Countess Wren was a tough opponent in combat, but she rarely had a way to defend against her husband's unconventional way of fighting.

Ursa looked over to examine Sabine's hair and asked, "So… Kryze has become important to you. Have you married him yet?"

Rolling her eyes, Sabine said, "No, Mother. I wasn't going to marry him without you present, and certainly not without telling you."

"I am present now."

"We're not doing it yet!" Sabine said sternly.

Ursa huffed in annoyance and said, "You can be so stubborn. We're about to go into a war, Sabine."

"Our people are always getting into a war," Sabine protested.

Ursa shook her head and said, "But you've never fought in one. Especially not a Mandalorian war. War is basically the Mandalorian equivalent to an intense party on other planets. No one does it like we do, Sabine. If you intend to make a move and marry the young man, you would be wise to do it before we get to the fight."

Still, Sabine wouldn't be swayed. "No, Mother," she repeated. Then she winced and added, "Actually… There might be one reason other than my own as to why I can't marry him yet."

Ursa raised an eyebrow and asked, "You are facing an obstacle? One that you haven't destroyed yet? That doesn't sound like you, daughter."

Sabine sighed and explained, "It's Ezra's mother. Lady Bo-Katan. She… doesn't like me. I think she still blames me for leaving my clan, or maybe she's scared after hearing about the weapon I created. And, of course, Ezra can make his own decision about who he wants to marry, but I don't want to be the cause of a rift between them."

Ursa nodded in understanding, frowning in thought, then turned to Sabine and said, "I think I have the perfect solution."

And then, Ursa speed-walked off towards the central ring of their defensive formation, leaving Sabine behind her, struggling to keep up. Sabine didn't know what her mother was up to, but her heart lifted at her words. She had a solution to make Lady Kryze like her? Sabine didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't help but feel cautiously optimistic.

Ezra POV

Ezra hung his head as Tristan threw his arm around him and pulled him away from the hull of Countess Wren's ship. "No, please. Let me keep hitting my head against this thing until I manage to knock some sense into myself."

Tristan chuckled and said, "No can do, Captain. We need you in top shape for what's coming."

"I mentioned that we had food. And then immediately after, mentioned that we also had good food, Tristan," Ezra lamented.

Tristan continued to smile and pull him away, saying, "Relax, Captain. Trust me, you're far from the first person to lose face in front of my mother. And you're definitely not the first person to make a fool of yourself when facing your girlfriend's mother."

Ezra nodded in resignation and pulled away from Tristan and said, "I… Thank you, Tristan. I'm fine now."

Tristan clapped him on the shoulder and responded, "Anytime, Captain. If I could ask for a favor, though…"

"What is it?"

Tristan looked Ezra in the eyes and said, "I found out a few weeks ago that you're now dating my sister. I haven't been able to talk to you about it yet, but please, just… take care of her."

Ezra smiled to himself and said, "That's not even a favor, Tristan. That's my privilege."

"Good," Tristan said with a grin, "Because if you ever did hurt her, I'd have to kill you, and I really don't want to do that. You seem like a good guy, Captain."

Just then, Ezra's mother walked over to the two of them and said, "He is a good guy, young Wren. The best, in fact. I just wish that he didn't allow his heart to overule his head so often."

Ezra frowned at her and questioned, "Mother. What are you talking about?"

Bo folded her arms over her chest and sternly said, "You know. You've allowed Miss Wren to manipulate you time and again, Ezra. A pretty face can be a dangerous weapon."

"What is your problem with her?" Ezra asked angrily. "She hasn't done anything to deserve the disrespect you give her."

"A traitor, a disgrace to her people, messed with my son. I need no other reason," Bo said firmly.

Tristan then bravely stepped closer to Bo and scowled at her as he said, "That's my sister, Lady Kryze, and she was cleared of all charges. If you have a problem with her, you have a problem with me."

Bo remained unfazed, but then Ezra stepped up to Tristan's side and glared at his mother with equal intensity, causing her to narrow her eyes in apprehension.

Ezra wasn't sure what would happen next, but he knew that he would fight by Tristan's side to defend Sabine's honor if it came to it, even against his own mother.

Luckily, no fight started, as a member of Clan Kryze suddenly ran over to them and announced, "My Lady! Countess Wren has asked to speak with you on the training field."

Bo nodded to him, then cast Tristan and Ezra one last disapproving look before she walked off towards the field. Large groups of Mandalorians began to follow after her, all of them wanting to hear the drama that was about to occur when two respected clan leaders spoke in public. Ezra and Tristan hesitated for a moment, then followed the crowd.

When they arrived, dozens of Mandalorians had begun to spread out in a circle around where Ursa stood, impatiently waiting for Bo to approach. Tristan tapped Ezra's arm to get his attention, then pointed towards where Sabine stood among the crowd, looking at her mother questioningly.

Both young men went to stand on either side of Sabine, and Ezra whispered, "What's this about?"

Sabine just shrugged, and Ezra looked back towards the center of the circle.

Finally, Bo stood just a few feet in front of Sabine's mother, and she greeted, "Ursa. It's been a long time."

The Countess just stared back at Bo for a moment, then spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, "Bo-Katan of House Kryze. It has come to my attention that you have been attempting to impose upon my daughter's claim of her preferred mate. What say you?"

All heads shifted to look at Bo, who answered hesitantly, "This is true. She has been dating my son, much to my chagrin. I stand against her choice, and his as well."

His mother looked towards him, and Ezra looked down in embarrassment, glad that his helmet still hid his expression. Next to him, Sabine reached over and took his hand in hers comfortingly, and Ezra brushed his thumb over her hand in gratitude.

Noticing this movement, Bo clenched her teeth tightly, then turned back to Ursa as the Countess said, "Well, Lady Kryze, as your long-time friend, I'll give you one chance to abandon your current path."

Bo immediately responded, "I refuse."

Ursa nodded and loudly announced, "Then I, Ursa Wren, challenge you to a trial by combat for the right to decide your choice for you."

Next to him, Ezra saw Sabine and Tristan both facepalm in sync with one another. Ezra wasn't so concerned. He knew that his mother had a strong stance against Mandalorians fighting one another, and he didn't believe that she would accept the challenge. This made it a surprise for him when his mother responded, "I accept."

Ezra tried to call out to stop it, but he was drowned out by the roars of the surrounding crowd. Mandalorians loved to watch a good fight, and to see two clan leaders at odds with one another was a rare treat. Ezra looked around for support, but almost everyone was eager for the fight to go on. The only exceptions besides himself were Sabine and Tristan, who both still had their hands pressed against their faces and had their heads hung in resignation.

By now, Ezra was considering jumping in to stop it himself, but he was too close to his mother, and neither side could interfere unless they were willing to risk starting an all-out war between the clans.

Third Person POV

The fight began with both Bo and Ursa taking a few steps back from one another and putting on their helmets, then holding their hands at the ready over their dual pistols. They began to slowly circle one another, and finally Ursa made the first move. Activating her jetpack to close the distance, Ursa flew in with a loud, challenging yell.

Bo braced herself for the impact by placing one foot behind herself and preparing to activate her own jetpack upon collision, but Ursa suddenly dropped low and swung her leg out to knock Bo off her feet, causing her to fall to the ground with a grunt.

Ursa had been Bo's second-in-command during the Siege of Mandalore years ago, nearly a match for the Lady herself in terms of skill, and now Be mentally chided herself for forgetting how capable the Countess was. As Ursa attempted to jump on Bo to tackle her, Bo stuck both of her legs out, kicking her old friend in the stomach and pushing her back.

Bo then scrambled to her feet and stood above Ursa, drawing one of her pistols, but Ursa fired her flamethrower at her, forcing her to step back. Unfortunately for Bo, Ursa used her free vambrace to fire her grappling line at Lady Kryze's ankles, tripping her when she tried to step back.

As Bo fell to the ground, Ursa did a handspring back to her feet and drew her pistols before firing a few shots at Bo, who deflected them by quickly raising her energy shield before she finally managed to kick the cable off her legs and stood up. Not giving Bo a moment to recuperate, Ursa used her jetpack to fly a few feet into the air, then landed with her feet right against the energy shield, pushing Bo back a few feet with the full weight of her body against her arm, then yelled as she unleashed another volley with her flamethrower, but Bo used her shield to run through the inferno and crashed her free fist against Ursa's helmet, knocking her back with a grunt of pain.

Bo then let out a fierce yell as she extended a blade from her right vambrace and ran at Ursa with the intent to press the blade against her neck, but she skidded to a halt as a glowing black blade suddenly appeared in her path.

Ezra POV

Holding the activated Darksaber between his and Sabine's mothers, Ezra called out, "Enough!"

Seeing the surrounding soldiers of both Clan Wren and Clan Kryze beginning to fidget, Bo quietly warned, "Ezra, you shouldn't have interfered."

"I'm not here to support either of you, but both of you," Ezra said, casting his gaze back and forth between the two warring women. He held up the Darksaber and announced, "With this blade, I command both sides of this battle to cease! We will not fight amongst ourselves."

Turning to Ursa, Ezra said, "Countess, I appreciate what you're trying to do for me and Sabine, but I don't want you two fighting for this. This is Sabine's and my decision, and your fight, whatever its outcome, wouldn't have changed the end result, that me and Sabine decide this for ourselves."

He then turned to his own mom and said, "And that goes for you too, Mother. We've made our decision. Deal with it. This right now is a clear example of why you need to loosen your hold on me. Ever since what Maul did with Pre Vizsla, you have been against the idea of Mandalorians fighting each other to make decisions. You should know better than to abandon your dreams of uniting Mandalore for some petty grudge."

Bo looked back at him and tried to say, "I will do whatever it takes for my son to be-"

Ezra cut her off, saying, "And that is exactly why you're a liability right now. Not just to yourself, but to all Mandalorians. I'm not letting you go into battle with us until after you've resolved your problems with Sabine."

Bo angrily pulled off her helmet and said, "You are my son! You cannot make decisions for me, Ezra!"

Ezra stepped closer to her and held the Darksaber in front of her face. "Can't I?" he asked challengingly.

Bo continued to glare for a moment, looking like she wanted to challenge him, but then she looked around and saw the rest of the Mandalorians, all seeming subservient and accepting before the Darksaber. Scowling, Bo finally bowed her head and said, "Fine."

Ezra nodded in satisfaction, then deactivated the Darksaber and turned to tell Sabine, "Hey, Bine! Come over here and get to know my mother, why don't you?"