Ezra bridger: a Mandalorian story
Summery: with the Empire on the rise and the clans scattered a lone Mandalorian find herself on Lothal five years after the rise of the empire. During her visit she comes upon Imperials arresting a couple being helpless to spot it she then finds a boy far to young to be alone.
A/N: welcome back for the next installment of the story. With the clans meeting on Concordia Ezra will see both the good and the bad of Mandalorian culture.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star wars in any way shape or form I'm merely a fan and lover of this Galaxy. I have nothing but respect and love to Gorge Lukas. So please don't send your Lawyers Disney I'll have to throw them out the air lock.
chapter 3: the gathering
"Cmon kid is that the best you can do!?" shouted the elderly Mandalorian as he observed Ezra going through the ropes of the stronghold's obsical course.
It had been a few days since the induction and Ezra got to get to know his new clan somewhat more so the children of the clan. His days of recent had been consisting of physical training in the mornings followed by manual labor around the settlement. "A mandalorian no matter how young must earn their keep" that had been the lesson Zane had told him while introducing him to people in the settlement. After manual labor would consist of a feast the entire clan coming together to share in the food and to hear the stories of those of the clan that traveled. After the meal came a few hours of relaxation thus how Ezra began to make friends with other children of the clan mostly it was competitions or rough housing. It was after this the training would begin again. It had been a surprise for Ezra when seeing that there was more then a few members of the clan who could make use of the force. That first night Ezra receive a lecture. It was about the history and Origins of the clan.
Clan Reed had first been founded by the Mandalorian Rusk Reed who had in his younger days had had such a weak force signiture both the Jedi and the sith had denied him. Growing in age Rusk first began a bounty hunter but always had a sense of honor and protection. This had gained him the attention of Mandalore the perserver. the Perserver rose Rusk into a Mandalorian of clan Ordo. During his time in Ordo Rusk had bested many Jedi and sith alike. During his many battles Rusk's once useless force sensitivity had grown to the point he could rival any Jedi Knight or Sith warrior. He'd eventually prove his might to Mandalore when he along with Rusk's children stopped a sith plot. With Rusk's acomplishments clan Reed would be born and tasked to assist Mandalore's future by the harnesing the power of their long time rivals of the sith and the Jedi. Reed had once come close to extinction due to the Republic.
Leika Reed though just a child at the time refused to let her clan die out and slowly would rise to power proving herself much like Rusk had Mandalore the vindicated had taken notice of the young Reed. Leika Reed had single handedly ressurected the clan and her merriage with clan Cadera assited in his task.. Leika's story was a thing of legend now standing as the greatest mandalorian clan Reed had ever produced. Today Clan continued the Duty that had been charged to Rusk Reed.
Ezra had since then been pushing himself to further do what he could thus leading to Andruin observing the boy.
"Ba'buir, take it easy on Ezra or he'll be to ragged for when the gather takes place" came Tulsa's voice as she came out to the field he eyes scanning over Ezra.
"Bah, the boy is doing fine child" came the grumbling of the old Baron. "besides since you refuse to take your place of Baroness perhaps the boy will"
"your really wanting retirment that much?" came the teasing tone of Tulsa. "you'd go insane in a day of not having any duties"
"as you and your father insist on telling me" he grumbled. "I take it you have more to say other then that?" questioned Andruin.
"...Yes" said the woman solumly. "one of the outer most scouts failed to do his check in" explained Tulsa. "his last report was that the empire had decided on a Moff for the Mandalorian sector"
"you believe this moff is involved with this?" asked Andruin
"I do, the empire is a threat." said Tulsa with a frown. "we should be doing something about them" she stated.
"and then the sith would hunt us" said Andruin darkly. "we could not oppose the empire alone, the clans are to scattered and fractured to mount a defense let alone defend Mandalore" hearing this made Tulsa clench a fist before taking a deep breath. "now is not the time for war. It's the time for survival" said the baron.
"eventually we'll have to stand Ba'buir" sighed the frustrated Mandalorian.
"but at what cost"
"Ezra. Come with me" called out Tulsa to get the boy's attention making him come to a stop. Ezra would follow Tulsa into the underground section of the settlement used as store rooms or meetings places.
"So, where are we going?" asked Ezra looking around the tunnel as they passed various room or the ocasional passerby.
"You've been summoned by my mother" Tulsa explained. "we'll be going to the Aliit Joruur soon so you'll need to be ready to represent the clan"
"so is it normal to bring kids along?" asked Ezra. He was still new to being a mandalorian the aches and intesity of it all and the amount of people where still things he was adjusting to.
"yes it is, the Aliit Joruur serves several purposes. Clans get to share intel, stories, even meeting with friends or family in other clans." explained Tulsa. "children are brought to encourage Mandalorian unity and security"
"Security?" asked Ezra not understanding how children could mean security.
"children are the most important thing in our society right along side our Beskar and our weapons. It means no clan would risk violence at the meetings as it would endanger the children." explained Tulsa explained as they finally reached their destination it was a pair of highly reinforced and mechanized door that bore the clan's sigil. Tulsa would step up to a input device pulling in a code witch prompted the device to then scan her. "Welcome to the clan's vault, Ezra." stated Tulsa as the doors opened an inside it showed dozens of rows of weapons and then in the back stood several stands of armor. Tulsa escorted Ezra into the vault prompting the doors to close behind them. In the back stood Marin who awaited the duo.
"Welcome Ezra'ika" greeted Marine with a smile she had no helmet this time showing short blond hair.
"You wanted to see me?" asked Exra.
"Yes, as you'll been going to to meet the other clans soon Andruin and I spoke and agree it's best that you have something to protect yourself with and to show other your clan." with this she motioned to the armors around them. "you've yet to prove yourself to the clan so a simple breastplate wil have to do, select a piece from those here and I'l make the adjustments."
"wait from these?" he asked confused.
"Yes, these armors have no owners they await to be claimed by a new warrior, you may pick any you wish" she said with a proud smile. Ezra looked over the armors some looked old and no armor looked identical. Decideing to take his time her looked over each until feeling something pulling him in a direction before stopping before a suit or armor on the far side of the stands. The armor in questioned was a mixtures of leathers and beskar plating the helmet was simple with no range finder and a sharp pointed visor and lead down into an armored mouth cover. The plating was a soft mostly faded orange with red on the bracers. Ezra couldn't explain it but he felt that the armor had called out to him.
"Good find Ezra" said Marin approvingly standing behind him. "do you mind me asking why this one?"
"I… dunno it's like it was calling out to me" explained the boy.
"interesting I'm sure he would have approved" she said motioning Ezra to step back as she removed the breastplating from the armor stand.
"What you mean?" asked Ezra confused.
"it's been sitting here since before I was aborn Ezra, his name was Zerran." stated Tulsa. "he held a special postion in the clan of pathfinder, they are clan members who posses a unique force power. It doesn't have any name but it's the same they can sense things calling out to them sometimes it's an object others it's a person." explained Tulsa.
"Though it's rare now, there hasn't been any pathfinder since I was a girl" stated Marin as she brought the armor plates towards a small table in the back that held papers and leather scraps. She began to write down several notes as she looked over the armo.
"So pathfinder just look for stuff?" asked Ezra.
"basicly yes" answered Tulsa "I've never had the chance to see one but Ba'buir has great respect and told me stories about pathfinders who would find the weakness in an enemie's armor or even being able to lead others who have lost their way"
"your starting to sounds like your father Tulsa" Marin teased as she rolled up the paper and stood up with the breastplate. "it'll be ready before you leave for Concordia". as promised the armor had been ready for Ezra within a few hours of their departure and whole many of those boarding Tulsa's ship there was one who stood out among the lot of Reed clan members while the man wore armor he also wore a long brown cloak with a hood that rested over the man's helmet.
"before departure a few rules." announced Tulsa with a stern look as well as a hand on her hip. "firstly I have final say on what happens here, secondly keep any important intel you share to a minimum; the last thing the clan need is people being over nosey, and lastly when I say we leave I want no argument" stated Tulsa as she looked between the three mandalorians.
"you'll hear no arguments from us Lady Tulsa" stated the robed warrior.
"and you must be the new comer I heard about" said Tulsa
"I am" said the helmeted warrior.
"can you please remove your helmet I like to know the faces of my people" stated Tulsa. Quintin paused casting a glance over to the other mandalorian who nodded towards him before he lowered hel hood and removed his helmet revealing a face any Clone wars veteran would be familiar with, the same face all clone troopers of the GAR.
"I certainly wasn't expecting this" said Tulsa.
"is it going to be a problem Ma'am?" asked the clone.
"No, I know some arn't receptive but I've only good opinions of the clone army." said Tulsa with a smile as the clone breathed a sigh of relief. "just one thing whats your real name?"
"Real name?" the clone asked
"Yes, I don't mean your birth number the name you picked before you came to us" stated Tulsa showing she was familiar with the clone trooper tradition.
"it… Bly ma'am" said the man.
"good to meet you Bly" said Tulsa as she move up towards the ships helm.
"that went better then I thought" said Bly as he moved to take a seat holding his helmet.
"I told you Tulsa wouldn't care, ya worry wort" said a Chiss woman with white hair done up in a thight bun.
"Hello, I'm Ezra" said Ezra to introduce himself to the adults.
"nice to meet ya kid, names Markas" said a man in blue and black armor. "you must be Tulsa's brat"
"Cool it Markas" scoulded the woman her armor colored in black and green before turning to Ezra. "I'm Rin an old friend of Tulsa we both were blooded into the clan together" she said holding out her hand towards the boy. "and don't mind Markas he's a still's backside"
"Hey!" said the man indigninatly at the insult. "I'll have you know I took a shower this morning" he defended.
"funny joke especially since we share a dormitory" said Bly with a smirk. The remainder to the trip would be filled with laughter and bonding occasionally the Bly and Markas would get into a tussle with Tulsa and Rin placing bets on the winner.
"we're approaching Concordia" Tulsa announced on the ship's intercom.
"Mando'ade Kom'rk trat gar buirkan Ade be Manda'yaim" came a voice as Tulsa answered the comm.
"Olarom vod Tulsa Reed Aliit Reed mhi olaror par Aliit Joruur ke'gyce de Baron Andruin Reed" stated Tulsa, Ezra who had recently began to learn Mando'a and it was some what difficult for the boy but he'd been able to pick up on a few words since his studies began.
"Olarom yaim vod" greeted the voice after a few moments of confirming with someone of his side. "Ara'navor Duunmyc"
"Vor entye" stated Tulsa before the line was cut. Soon a pair of mandalorian gun ships would begin to flank them as they broke through the atmosphere revealing a lush and vibrant jungle below. "Welcome to Concordia Ezra" said Tulsa giving him a smile as she glanced at him for a second as he gazed at the vibrant jungle. "at one point most of our worlds were like this as it stands Concordia is a rarity" stated Tulsa.
"why's that?"
"death watch, a group of Mandalorians who follow the oldest and most savage way of mandalorian life" stated Tulsa. "it was during the Mandalorian civil war several warriors where fighting to claim the title of Mandalore; death watch's Torr Vizsla amongst them in an attempt to eliminate his rivals he convinced the Jedi and the republic that our people were about to begin a new campaign of conquest like in the past." stated Tulsa she found the past to be distasteful, while she would enjoy combat and testing herself against a strong opponent as much as any Mando'ade she knew there were ways other then warfare to achieve her goals. "Clan Kyrze's Dutchess Satine and even my father tried to inform the republic that it was a trick our word's came to late and the Jedi ordered that asteroids where to bombard our home world of Mandalore reducing it to a waste land and something that would be repeated again at the end of the clone wars by the empire to force us to kneel" explained Tulsa.
"the empire…" Ezra couldn't understand it they took away his parent, they hurt his home of Lothal, and then they did so much to harm Tulsa's people. How could anyone do so much evil?
The mandalorian's of Clan reed would step out after landing in an open field that had many different ships all sportiung differing aliik and in differing colors.
"Olarom at Concordia clan Reed" greeted a man wearing dark green armored he was darker skinned with brown hair that was worn in dreadlocks. The man's had a thick accent that Ezra couldn't place.
"Vor entye, though I'm surprised give this history between our clans" stated Tulsa walking at the head of the group her helmet resting on her hip.
"understandable, Allow me to introduce myself I'm Abbas Eldar son of Marquis Basim Eldar" stated the man with a bow.
"I'm Tulsa Reed granddaughter of Baron Andruin Reed and these are my clan mates: Quintin, Markas, and rin" stated Tulsa gesturing to the two men and woman before placing a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "and My foundling Ezra"
"In the name of Mandalore and clan Eldar I welcome you all. Come most of the clans have already arrived" stated Abbas as he began to lead the group into the gathering place.
"what clans haven't arrived?" asked Rin.
"Clan's Vizsla and Saxon"
"Vizsla is actually gonna show their faces?" asked Markas dismissively.
"yes accounding the their messengers the clan has finally confirmed a new clan head after since the death of Pre"
"Enough about them" stated Tulsa while giving a look towards Markas.
"I thought I heard a familiar voice" came a cheerful voice. A man was seen approaching the new arrivals, the man was on the smaller size dressed in well made clothing colored in grey, blue, and gold with short brown hair and a goatee.
"Alrich!" shouted Tulsa as she recgonized the man the pair sharing a hug.
"oof you can still give Ursa a challenge I see" said the man with a hearty laugh.
"is she here as well?" asked the red head.
"sadly no, her attention was requested by one of the imperial Moffs"
"a shame I'll have to come visit you soon before I leave Madalorian space."
"if you don't you'll know Ursa will be insulted" the two mandalorians speaking like the old friends they were.
"noted, meet my clan mates" Tulsa introducing the trio before gesturing to the young boy.
"ah you must be the famous Ezra" said Alrich with a smile.
"Yes, sir Ezra Bridger" stated the boy.
"A pleasure you should get along with my ade"
"Trisan is here? I heard he had gotten his blooding"
"Sadly not, he has begun to take his duties more seriously on the bright side Sabine was glad to come" replied Alrich as they began heading for the gathering. As they arrived at the gathering there was various people of various clans. Some sharing stories or food. They'd pass a crowd where a pair were in the middle of a friendly spar. Ezra couldn't help but look from one thing to the next his awe was clear to see on his face. In the center of the gathering stood three large bone fires that surrounded the largest skull Ezra had ever seen, the skull in question was long with a pair of tusk the skull was about the size of a star fighter with several row of dagger like teeth.
"you all go and get to know others I need to show Ezra to the other foundlings" started Tulsa.
"I've never seen anything like this Tulsa" gushed the Lothalite as he was guided.
"I'm glad your enjoying yourself Ezra" said Tulsa with a gentle smile. While she enjoyed the life she had with Ezra on Lothal she had missed what life with her people was like and also seeing Ezra being able to enjoy his life like any child should be able to. As they reached closer to their destinations Ezra took not of more kids around before there was a crash before them the cause of the comotion being a pair of children near Ezra's age. It was a pair of girls one had short boyish hair with dark skin and wearing dark brown clothing with a light red pair of greaves and below her was a girl with raven black hair with a light orange highlight wearing a black under suit with purple cuirass the two girls would continue to wrestle before taking notice of the pair watching them.
"What do you want?" asked the girl on top before she was shoved off the other girl who stood up brushing herself off.
"I see you got your mother's fighting spirit" said Tulsa making the girl to arch a brow in confusion at the red head.
"You know her?" asked Ezra crossing his arms as he looked at the slightly older girl.
"I do, but I wouldn't expect her to remmeber me" said Tulsa kneeling down. "It has been five years, hasn't it Sabine" said Tulsa the girl now named Sabine looked on in confusion for a moment with a hand on her waist.
"I have no idea who you even are Lady" stated Sabine who began to look annoyed when Tulsa giggled.
"I'm a friend of your parents I'm Tulsa Reed, clan Reed" said Tulsa in introduction there was a moment of Sabine thinking on the name before some kind of recognization crossed the girl's mind.
"Wait, You're the Aunt Tulsa Tristan is always talking about?" asked Sabine when Tulsa nodded before motioning to Ezra.
"Yes, and this is my founding Ezra" stated Tulsa ruffling Ezra's hair making his groan before stepping away to fix his hair with made the girl with boyish hair laugh at him making him glare.
"Well alright" said Sabine "I'm Sabine Wren, clan Wren" said the girl giving an proper introduction.
"yeah and I'm Ketsu Onyo girly boy" greeted the boyish girl with a teasing girn.
"Hey I'll show you girly!" snapped Ezra with some fire before her received a flick from Tulsa who gave him an expectant look. "I'm Ezra bridger, clan Reed"
"Alright then" said Tulsa standing. "Sabine would you mind showing Ezra around the place and keep him out of trouble?"
"Sure, I can do that" said Sabine with a nod.
"I don't need a baby sitter" complained Ezra.
"Sure you don't I have to go greet some people, have fun" said Tulsa turning to leave.
"Yeah, yeah" said Ezra before looking to the girls. "also for the record I'm not girly!"
"Girlier then me" teased Ketsu with a laugh.
"a rock is girlier then you Ketsu" chided Sabine making the Onyo girl launch at the girl only to hit the ground as Sabine dodge the tackle before starting to run witch Ezra opted to follow with the annoyed Ketsu not far behind.
Chapter end
And that's a wrap! I thought long and hard about weither to include Sabine and Ketsu or to include Tristan but I feel this is the best and next chapter the gathering will continue where a danger rears it's ugly head. As for after this point I have a story arcto do but afterwards do you guys think I should continue having small sotries like this as Ezra grows up to should I skip ahead to the time of rebels?