Chapter 56: The Recovery

"What... did I... do wrong?"

"This war is over!"

"This is my daughter, and our new Mand'alor."

"Meeting you... was the worst luck of my life."

"I promise."

Cinder awoke with a jerk when the memories of last night came into her mind. When she looked around, she saw herself in a mahogany room much like the one that she was in when she awoke in Vacuo. In fact, the rooms were so similar that Cinder almost believed that last night's events were merely a dream.

But when she noticed her father sleeping on a chair right beside her, Cinder smiled as she happily accepted the truth of her situation.

"It wasn't a dream!" she yelled with glee as she got out of bed. She immediately took in the sights and feelings of the real world once again, and welcomed them just like she did in Vacuo. And when she looked out her window, the mountains and trees that she could see told Cinder that there was much more here to offer than Vacuo.

And Cinder wouldn't have it any other way.

"Good morning, Haven!" Cinder screamed as she gratefully welcomed the feeling of being in the real world once again.

"Hey, screw you!" a random voice yelled out to Cinder. It seemed not everyone was enjoying the day like she was.

But Cinder couldn't care less.

"Yes! Yes!" she screamed with a smile. "Screw you, too!" She wasn't one to insult people very often, but today was the day Cinder stopped taking everything in the world for granted.

Especially her father, who was starting to wake up due to Cinder's joyful yelling.

"What the-?" Djarin said as he sat up, where he immediately felt Cinder tightly hug him. "Oof!"

"Good morning, Dad!" Cinder said before she kissed his cheek.

"Good morning to you too," Djarin said with a laugh as he returned the hug. "You're in a good mood today."

Cinder let go of her father. "Yeah, don't ask me why, but last night kinda felt like a dream. For a second, I thought I was still in Vacuo."

"That's easy to understand."

"Yeah. Hey, what were you doing here? I thought you went into another room."

"I did. I came back to check on you..." Djarin rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I fell asleep. Sorry."

Cinder gently laughed when she heard this. "That's okay. You're the first person I wanted to see today."

"Same with you." Djarin suddenly had an idea. "How are you feeling?"

"Great!" Cinder twirled her arms and slightly kicked her legs as she relished the ability to move again. "My leg feels a little stiff, but I'm feeling better than I was last night."

"Good. Because something tells me I have a lot of work to do today. How about we grab some breakfast before I get started?"

"Sure!" Cinder gently hit Djarin's arm. "But don't you mean we have work to do?"

Djarin laughed again. "Should've known you wouldn't wanna sit this out. Just take it slow, okay?"

"Promise."

Cinder understood that a lot of damage had been done to the school, despite the fact that Haven had been saved. It would take a lot of work to get it back up and running, as well as making sure that there were no enemies hiding. Cinder was more than willing to help, and she was even happier to be able to have breakfast with her father again.

There was just one problem.

"Hey, uh... you didn't happen to save any of my clothes, did you?" Cinder asked as she looked at her dirtied and ripped pajamas.

Djarin looked at Cinder from head to toe and immediately understood her problem. "I think we got some of your clothes," he said as he put on his helmet. "Be right back."

*WHOOSH*

Djarin used his Semblance to travel to the Razor Crest, which was still at the landing pads. It was still damaged from the firefight he had with the Mandalorians, but he could fix it later.

Right now, Djarin picked up a small cardboard box and took it back to Cinder's room.

"Qrow and Glynda saved a few of our things at Beacon," he said as he put the box down. "I think I saw some of your clothes in here."

"Oh, that was nice of them," said Cinder, who took a look inside the box. She didn't see any clothes right away, but she saw a few memorabilia inside.

The first of which was a small set of chainmail Djarin had gotten her.

"Hey, I remember this," she said as she picked up the metal and placed it against her torso. "Wow, I haven't worn this thing in years."

"Well, it's too small for you now," Djarin joked as he looked with Cinder. "They found this too." He handed Cinder a burnt photograph. "Remember that day?"

"Oh, yeah." Cinder took the photograph and remembered the day it was taken. "That was a good day." She looked back into the box where she saw more items such as books and relics from her childhood.

The last thing she saw was the dress Winter had gotten her for her birthday.

"Oh, perfect!" Cinder said as she took out the dress. "Yeah, this is much better."

"I'll let you get changed," Djarin said as he took the box.

"Wait, could you leave it for a second?"

Djarin looked back to Cinder. "You looking for something else?"

"You didn't see my pauldron in there, did you?"

"Your pauldron?" Djarin immediately knew what Cinder was talking about. "Oh, your Rinocer pauldron. Yeah, we still have it. I actually got your armor out of Beacon too."

"You did?" Cinder smiled as she let out a gasp. "Oh, my gosh, that's amazing! But you could've been killed in the fire!"

Djarin shrugged off the idea. "It was worth it. Your suit's in the Crest whenever you need it. And your pauldron too."

"Oh, thank you! I'll put it on after breakfast!"

"No hurry."

*WHOOSH*

Djarin used his Semblance once again to teleport himself outside the room so Cinder could change. Once she emerged in a more appropriate attire, the new Mand'alor followed her father's lead towards the cafeteria.

As they walked, Djarin kept a close eye on Cinder. She needed a little help going down some stairs, but she was mostly alright. In fact, her smile refused to leave her face with each step she took throughout the school.

Djarin realized that perhaps it was that smile that he missed most of all while Cinder was in coma. And it was also that smile that was giving the Mandalorian hope.

Last night was the first night in a month that Djarin had slept well. He had no worries, no fear of the future, and he had no reason to believe that things were going to be bad. With the war apparently at an end and with his daughter back, Djarin felt whole. He felt that he and the world itself had been given a second chance to survive, to pick up the pieces and heal from the war.

But even though she was smiling, Cinder didn't necessarily feel the same way.

The Maiden was very happy to be with her father again, but she had many questions and concerns at the back of her mind. Last night was a major victory for Haven and the world, but Cinder didn't know what today would bring her. She had been so focused on reuniting with Djarin that she didn't think what to do next.

There was still Salem to contend with, after all. And her immortality wasn't doing her any favors.

Along with that, Cinder had been granted an enormous responsibility to lead all of the Mandalorians. She had managed to end a war, but the fear and hate she described last night would surely be present. Cinder had mentioned it once before, but she had no idea how to undo so much hate. She had no idea how to show the world that not all Mandalorians were like Vizsla or Saxon, or that they shouldn't have to be excluded from civilization.

Cinder was sure that having her father by her side, someone who believed in her and helped her countless times, would help ease the burden. And it was true that she was ignoring the problem at the moment, but the questions still lingered in her mind.

Fortunately, an answer to these questions came to her when she and Djarin finally reached the cafeteria.

The clan of two had walked past the auditorium, which was being guarded and cleaned by Huntsmen. They had also walked through multiple hallways that were littered with debris and scorch-marks from blaster fire. Each scar Haven had been given served as a reminder for Djarin and Cinder that they had much to do.

But when they saw multiple Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians all eating together in the cafeteria, Djarin and Cinder remembered that they weren't alone in this endeavor. And it only got better when a Huntsman from Haven turned to the clan of two.

"Hey, look!" he yelled as he jumped out of his seat and pointed at the pair of Mandalorians. "There they are!"

All eyes fell upon Djarin and Cinder. And once they did, the cafeteria erupted in a sound of unity and pride.

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

Everyone was standing and applauding at Djarin and Cinder, which caught both of them off guard. Djarin's helmet was hiding his face, but he was wearing a look of surprise along with Cinder. They said nothing as they looked at the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians who were applauding and commending them for last night.

And it only got better when the clan of two was approached by Pax Vizsla and Mi Tenau.

"Good morning, Djarin," said Pax. "And Cinder."

"It's a pleasure to see you both today," said Mi.

"Yeah, I'm kinda getting that," Cinder said with red cheeks as she awkwardly waved at the people.

"What's all this?" Djarin asked as he listened to the applause.

"Everyone saw the enemy retreat last night," Mi explained. "Your command to withdraw saved all our lives."

"And one of my scouts arrived this morning from the Great Lake," Pax included. "All of Vizsla's forces, Death Watch and others, have laid down their weapons and disbanded. As far as we're concerned, the war is over."

Cinder gasped when she heard this. She knew ending the fighting at Haven was a success, but she had no idea it would stop as far as the Great Lake. Djarin had told her how he fought there and destroyed a droid that resembled a Basilisk, so she knew the fight was difficult.

So to imagine that the entire fight was over was almost hard to believe. It was just as hard to believe as people sitting and eating with Mandalorians, and that was all Cinder could see in the cafeteria.

"I can't believe it," she said as she looked around. "This... This is happening. It's actually happening."

"That's right," Djarin said as he proudly put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "You did it, Cinder. You made this happen."

Cinder smiled at the idea, but she was forced to shake her head. "No, Dad. I remember what you said last night, what you did at Beacon. You're the one who brought them all together."

Djarin remembered this event, as well as the inspiration for his speech. "Maybe so, but they wouldn't be here if we hadn't won last night. And I gave that speech because of you." Djarin gently squeezed Cinder's shoulder. "It's all thanks to you, Cinder."

"You too, Dad."

After the Mandalorians shared another hug, Djarin and Cinder finally got some food to eat. Djarin elected to sit with the Mandalorians so they could be reacquainted with Cinder. She had met Clans Tenau and Vizsla before, but only a few times. So this was the best chance for everyone to get reacquainted, and for Vizsla and Tenau to be the first clans to swear their allegiance to their new ruler.

Cinder was grateful for this sign of respect, and she promised that she would make sure the Mandalorians would be treated as equals. And based on what she was seeing in the cafeteria, that wouldn't be much of a problem anymore. But Cinder knew that this was only the beginning, that she would have much to do in the future if she wished to keep this promise.

In order to do that, Cinder decided that she would she to look her part as the Mand'alor.

After a good breakfast, Djarin took Cinder to his ship so she could retrieve her armor. When she saw it, Cinder felt incredibly grateful to Djarin that it was still in one piece. He had taken very good care of it after he risked his life to get it out of Beacon.

After she examined the entire suit, Cinder promised to not let Djarin's actions be in vain. She promised that she would wear the armor just as often as he did, that she would protect and treasure it until the day she died. Djarin was hesitant about this promise, since he didn't want Cinder to live by the old ways anymore. Cinder agreed, but she wanted to show her father, and the world, how proud she was to be a Mandalorian.

More importantly, how proud she was to be his daughter.

And so, Cinder proudly put every piece of her armor on in front of Djarin. She started with her boots and knee-pads, which were called the "cetar'bur" and "tadun'bur." Then, she put on the "motun'bur" and "ven'cabur," armor on the upper-leg and her belt. Next, Cinder placed the pieces of armor on her chest, three plates that surrounded a small piece called the "Kar'ta Beskar."

Cinder then put on her two gauntlets, her "kom'rks." She put them on carefully so none of the weapons would go off. After that, she took her special pauldron, her "bes'marbur." It was the one that was marked with a Rinocer, and she had her second one as well. This one was blank, but it was still important.

The last part Cinder had to wear was her helmet. However, she decided to refrain from using it at the moment. Instead, she held it at her side and presented her entire suit of armor to her father.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Like a Mand'alor," Djarin proudly replied.

When she heard this, Cinder put her helmet down and hugged her father. It was a little uncomfortable to do so in a suit of armor, but she wanted to show Djarin how much his faith meant to her. After he hugged her back, the Mandalorian led Cinder outside and took a toolbox in hand. Before they could go anywhere, they had to fix the Razor Crest and make it fly again.

The process took a little over an hour, but Djarin and Cinder repaired the damages the airship had taken last night. Cinder was no stranger to working on the Razor Crest, even though it wasn't her favorite thing in the world to do. But her Maiden powers made it a little easier, mainly with how she could use her fire like a blowtorch and weld metal together.

Once the damages were repaired, Djarin led Cinder back into the ship and prepared to make it fly. Cinder crossed her fingers as she took her father's hand in her and Djarin used his other hand to power up the Razor Crest.

"Here we go," Djarin said as he squeezed Cinder's hand.

"Here we go," Cinder repeated as she also squeezed her father's hand.

*CLICK*

*WHOOSH*

"YES!"

Djarin and Cinder reveled in their victory as they felt the Razor Crest leave the ground. They had a working airship once again, and now they could go anywhere they wanted. It even began to feel like the old days, when Djarin and Cinder travelled together five years ago.

Now they had the chance to recapture that magic.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Djarin asked.

"Hmm..." Cinder hummed as she took a moment to think. "Well, we just checked in with the Mandalorians. They seem to be doing okay."

"They'll be fine for a little while."

"And we already saw the damages here at Haven. Maybe we should go into the city, see if we can get some supplies."

"And see how the city is holding up."

Cinder didn't want to neglect the city's needs, but she was confused by the idea. "I thought Headmaster Kenobi said he was going into Mistral. You didn't hear from him?"

"No, I don't think he came back last night. All the more reason we should see what's going on."

"He didn't come back? That's weird. Hope he's okay."

"Only one way to find out." Djarin saw that the ship had reached a good altitude for flight, so he began to steer towards the city. "We'll find the nearest landing pad in Mistral."

Cinder suddenly had an idea as she looked out the window. "Maybe you could land at Councilwoman Kryze's house," she suggested.

"Oh, yeah?" Djarin asked as he continued to steer.

"Yeah, it's close to the city. And we're not strangers to her. It's practically the best spot in Mistral to land."

"Sure, it is."

Cinder was no stranger to sarcasm, or when her father was playfully addressing a Goliath in the room. And she was a hundred percent sure that he was smirking under his helmet.

"Okay, okay," Cinder said as she felt a heat rise to her face. "I admit it, I'd feel a lot better checking in on Korkie. I haven't seen him since-"

*BUZZ*

*BUZZ*

Cinder looked to her arm when she heard a familiar buzzing and saw a blue light on her armor. This was a function similar to her father's armor, where a Scroll was linked to her gauntlet. It was a very useful asset, when compared to constantly taking a Scroll out of her pocket or her belt.

So Cinder tapped the screen to see who was calling her.

Incoming Call: Korkie Kryze

"Huh, speak of the Devil," Cinder said as she looked at her screen. "That was fast."

Djarin looked at Cinder's gauntlet. "That was fast," he agreed. "Guess he wants to check in on-" Djarin took another look at the screen. "Wait a minute. How does he know you're here?"

Cinder took a second to think of an answer. "Maybe Headmaster Kenobi told him?" She then gave her father a shrug. "Only one way to find out." She accepted the call and began to speak. "Hi, Korkie. How are you?"

Cinder was expecting to hear that Korkie, her boyfriend, was doing fine. She was also expecting to hear that he heard about the attack and was worried sick. She was even half expecting to hear that he had an encounter with a Mandalorian.

What she heard instead not only shattered her expectations, but it also made her worried sick.

"Cinder, it's Obi-Wan," said a male voice on the other end of the call. "I have terrible news."

"What?" Djarin asked. He was able to listen in on the call as well, so he could hear the Headmaster of Haven Academy. "Obi-Wan? Is Ozpin with you?"

"No, he's not. I can't explain everything, but it would be best if you and Cinder came to Mistral's hospital immediately."

"The hospital?" Cinder asked. "Wait, why are you there?" Her face began to grow pale. "Is Korkie okay?"

"..."

"Headmaster Kenobi, is he okay?!"

"...I'm afraid not."


Last night

Obi-Wan had just witnessed a miracle. Due to Cinder's intervention, the Mandalorians under Pre Vizsla's command had abandoned their fight and fled into the night. And rather than going into the city for another attack, they flew in the opposite direction and vanished without a trace.

The Headmaster of Haven wasn't a greedy man, and he knew that miracles such as the one he witnessed didn't come very often. However, he couldn't help but pray for another miracle as he left the school grounds.

Despite the fact that the fight was over, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a disturbance in the Force. Peace had emerged at Haven, but there was a growing darkness somewhere in the city of Mistral.

At first, Obi-Wan didn't know how there could be such a thing in the city. Darth Malak had been killed and Revan had remained as a servant of the light. However, it was this mention of Malak that caused Obi-Wan to remember something. Namely, that Malak had been tasked to give Obi-Wan a message.

And when he remembered this message, Obi-Wan knew that someone he cared about was in grave danger.

As soon as he put the pieces together, Obi-Wan informed his allies that he was going to Mistral before he quickly ran through the halls of Haven. He eventually found himself at the elevator that led to his office. But rather than going up, Obi-Wan used a secret button to move down.

And when the doors opened, Obi-Wan was greeted with the sight of a Jedi airship.

It was this airship that Obi-Wan had used to flee Coruscant. He had kept it hidden in a secret cave beneath Haven in case of a similar incident at Haven.

But thanks to Cinder, that didn't happen.

And yet, Obi-Wan knew that this airship was the only way he could reach his destination in time. He just hoped that he wasn't too late to prevent a terrible tragedy.

The fear of this terrible tragedy was what brought Obi-Wan to Mistral. Namely, to the mansion of Councilwoman Satine Kryze.

Darth Malak's words about Anakin and "Darth Vader" rang though Obi-Wan's head in a twisted loop. He had never heard that title before, but he was well aware of what "promise" Anakin made to him. On Coruscant, Anakin confessed that he blamed Obi-Wan for driving Padmé away from him, for turning her against him. And as revenge, Anakin promised that he would pay Satine a "visit" after Coruscant fell.

Anakin never got the chance to keep that promise when Coruscant was destroyed. And it was almost easy to see Malak's words as an empty threat or a way to get under Obi-Wan's skin. However, when he came across the sight of a door blown off its hinges and multiple bodies across the floor, Obi-Wan knew that Malak wasn't lying.

The dead people were members of Mistral's police force, who had been assigned as bodyguards to the Council in this time of war. It was expected that they would die at the hands of Mandalorians if they ever invaded. However, the wounds that had killed them were from a lightsaber instead of gunshots. And not only that, but the wounds were fresh as well.

There was no point in denying it now.

Anakin was here.

And he was ready to make due on that promise.

"No..." Obi-Wan whispered as he realized the truth.

*CRASH*

"No! No!"

Obi-Wan turned his head upstairs when he heard a familiar yell. "Satine!" he yelled as he rushed up the stairs. "Satine!"

Obi-Wan had to jump over more bodies and debris from a major skirmish as he ran upstairs. He then used the Force to slam open every door he could see in the hopes that he would find Councilwoman Kryze.

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

On the third door he opened, Obi-Wan found a single person laying on the floor. But rather than another dead bodyguard, Obi-Wan found himself staring at a blonde boy around Cinder's age. His eyes were closed and his face was heavy bruised, but Obi-Wan recognized him as Satine's nephew.

He also recognized that he was badly hurt.

"Korkie," Obi-Wan whispered apprehensively as he rushed over to the boy. He fell to his knees in horror, but the horror began to fade when Obi-Wan failed to find any lightsaber wounds on Korkie's body.

And after he felt a weak pulse on the boy's neck, Obi-Wan finally sighed in relief.

*CLICK*

Obi-Wan turned around fast when he heard the familiar sound of a gun behind him. He quickly drew his lightsaber as he looked up, but he couldn't help but find himself surprised at his new foe. Rather than a man in robes like himself, Obi-Wan was staring at a woman in Mandalorian armor.

But it wasn't Satine. It was Bo-Katan.

"You?" Obi-Wan asked as he recognized the woman. "What are you-?"

"What did you do to him?" Bo-Katan sternly asked as she stared at the boy. Given that she had only just arrived at Satine's house, in the vain hope that she would find shelter so she could recuperate, it was easy for Bo-Katan to assume that Obi-Wan was responsible for this destruction.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked. "You think I-"

"What did you do to him?!" Bo-Katan asked again. "Where's Satine?!"

The answer to her question didn't come from the innocent Headmaster. But rather, it came from the voice of the women both Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan cared about.

*CRASH*

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The blood-curdling scream drove fear into the hearts of Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan. They quickly ran out of the room Korkie was in and ran down the hall where they heard the scream. Their previous battle and relationship with each other had been forgotten in that moment, given that they shared a common goal; the safety of the Councilwoman.

"Satine!" Bo-Katan yelled as she crashed into a locked door. She was certain that the scream came from behind the door, but it was locked with a deadbolt. She tried to kick it open, but the deadbolt lock didn't break.

Obi-Wan was certain that Bo-Katan was at the right door as well, since he heard a familiar but deadly sound.

*SSSSS*

Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber when he heard the sound of another one on the other side of the door. He needed ti be ready for combat again, but he had to open the door first.

"Stand back!" he yelled to the Mandalorian. When she saw the blade in hand, Bo-Katan obeyed and let Obi-Wan take the lead. But rather than his blade, Obi-Wan used the Force to blast the door open.

*BAM*

Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan rushed inside and prepared to face whatever was on the other side of the door. However, nothing could prepare them for what they saw.

Just as the Headmaster predicted, there was a man in black robes standing in the room. And just as he heard, the man was holding a lightsaber. This weapon had a red blade instead of a blue or purple one, which gave the indication that this man was clearly a Sith. Which, again, was something else that Obi-Wan had predicted.

What he didn't predict, however, was that he and Bo-Katan had arrived too late. The red blade of the Sith was lethally embedded inside Satine's chest. And the Councilwoman had just drawn her last breath.

"..."

Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan couldn't do anything else but stare in horror at the sight of this murder. They couldn't find it within themselves to act, or even speak. It was at this moment that they knew this would be the final memory they had of Satine Kryze.

Bo-Katan had just lost her sister, someone she hoped would come around to her way of thinking and help repair the bond they once had as children. And Obi-Wan, despite knowing the Jedi laws against attachment, lost something dear and sacred to him. Something he wouldn't be able to replace.

And though he couldn't see the assassin's face beneath his hood, Obi-Wan recognized the voice that filled the room.

"I keep my promises... Master."

The assassin suddenly grabbed Satine by the throat and threw her towards Obi-Wan and Bo-Katan. Her body didn't collide into them, but instead made contact with a desk that had a lamp on it.

*CRASH*

*CRACKLE*

Electric sparks flew across the area when Satine's body hit the lamp, which burned her face. The crash and sparks were enough to make Bo-Katan go wild, which was why she raised her blasters with a yell and fired.

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Unfortunately, each of her shots missed the assassin as he ran for the window and jumped.

*CRASH*

Bo-Katan immediately gave chase. Her grief and sadness had manifested through her Mandalorian training and instincts. Namely, the instinct to find her enemy and kill him. The tears underneath her helmet were somewhat obscuring her vision, but she continued on her pursuit.

Obi-Wan, however, didn't have the heart to join the Mandalorian. Instead, he rushed over to Satine's body and picked her up. Once again, there were no words he could say. There was no strength within him to join in Bo-Katan's chase or call for help.

All the Headmaster could do... was mourn.


Present

"Oh, my Gods."

"No..."

Just as they were requested, Djarin and Cinder had arrived at Mistral's hospital. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Obi-Wan and his terrible news.

Satine Kryze was dead, and her nephew Korkie was confined to a hospital bed. Though he was still alive, the attack on his house and his injuries had left him in a deep coma.

Just like Cinder once was.

The Fall Maiden couldn't bear to look at her sleeping boyfriend any longer. His condition and all of the medical equipment made Cinder think back on how she fell into her own coma, how everything was going dark and that she felt that she was dying. The memories and the sight were too much to bear, so she turned away in horror.

Fortunately, she found herself in Djarin's embrace for comfort.

"I don't understand," the Mandalorian said as Cinder softly wept into his chest. "How did this happen? The Mandalorians were all at Haven last night."

"It wasn't the Mandalorians," Obi-Wan replied. "The Sith infiltrated Haven along with Vizsla."

"Right, you mentioned that before you left." Djarin had heard about Revan's duel with Malak, and how Obi-Wan helped. "You're saying that Sith you helped kill did this? Before he came to Haven?"

"...No. Not him."

"..."

Obi-Wan felt just as weak as he did last night. He was able to get Korkie to the hospital and report the death of Satine to the proper authorities, but it did nothing to ease his pain.

The pain was so deep that Obi-Wan had lost all of physical strength. He was sitting in a chair while he was speaking with the clan of two, and he hadn't moved since. His eyes were left red from his mournful tears; tears that he used to cry himself to sleep last night.

Tears that were now shared by Cinder.

"I... I'm sorry," she said as she moved her head off her father's chest. She turned her head to Korkie once more, but the mechanical beeping and his lack of movement were very unpleasant. "Dad, I... I can't be in here. Not now."

It didn't take a genius for Djarin to see that Cinder was uncomfortable with comas. "Go," he calmly said as he released her. "Get some air. I'll find you later."

Cinder left the room as she wiped her eyes of tears. Djarin would have left with her, but he wanted to speak with Obi-Wan first.

"I'm... sorry," he said as he turned his gaze to the tired Headmaster. "About Satine. I heard you two were... close." Djarin had heard this from Ozpin, but he didn't feel like bringing up his name. He hadn't thought about it now, since he had such a great morning with Cinder, but the Mandalorian was still very angry with Ozpin.

And Obi-Wan, while exhausted and in mourning, could sense this anger.

"...Thank you," he said as he sat up. "And yes, I'm sure Ozpin told you we worked closely together. In public work, yes."

"..."

Djarin couldn't help but tense up upon hearing Ozpin's name. Jinn's story and the confession of lies were enough to make Djarin lose trust in the man he had followed for years. Not only did Djarin follow Ozpin, but he had trusted him to help his own daughter. That was the whole reason Djarin took Cinder to Beacon, to train her with her powers.

But now, all Djarin could feel was that Ozpin was setting Cinder up to fail. She once said that she had risked her life simply to gain information at Mountain Glenn, and she was unhappy with being an apparent sacrifice. Djarin now saw the merit in Cinder's words, since Ozpin explained her role as a Maiden.

All of her work, all of the blood and sweat she spilled... it wasn't mean to become someone Ozpin would replace as he continued down his cycle of reincarnation. Cinder was far more important to that. She wasn't supposed to be a sacrifice.

"I know how you feel, Djarin."

The Mandalorian snapped out his thoughts and turned to Obi-Wan. The Headmaster was only trying to help, but Djarin didn't believe him.

"No, you don't," he said. "I heard you last night. What you said to Revan. You were never lied to, not like Cinder and I were. You knew about this, didn't you?"

Obi-Wan sighed before he spoke again. He was wise enough to expect anger and animosity from Djarin, but Obi-Wan wouldn't be leaving this room until he mended the relationship he had with the Mandalorian.

"...Yes," he said. "I learned it on the day I joined the Jedi Council." The Jedi Council was the highest executive branch of the Jedi Order. Ozpin trusted them with dangerous tasks and sinister secrets.

Including Salem's past.

"You bastard."

*SLAM*

Djarin slammed his open palm on the wall above Obi-Wan as he lunged towards the Headmaster. The Mandalorian was invading Obi-Wan's personal space, but he didn't care.

"I had to watch Cinder work every day to get where she is right now," Djarin sternly began. "I watched her fall and get back up again and again while Ozpin lectured her. And now, when she's finally ready to save the world, you're telling us that we can't win?! That she did all of this for nothing?!"

"No," Obi-Wan replied. "That's not true-"

"Yes, it is! I let you use my daughter as a goddamn sacrifice! Just a means to delay the inevitable!" Djarin pointed to the door. "She's not some tool, Kenobi! Not some label you can just throw on to anyone! Do you hear me?!"

"Djarin, please-"

The Mandalorian was far past the point of reason, not while he and Cinder were on the line.

"I came to you for help, you son of a bitch!" he continued. "I let you keep her at Haven for almost two weeks and told her to listen to you! And all we got were lies and false hope?! We worked on that hope for five years! We did what we were told, we listened to you, and we get this?!"

"I understand-"

"No, you don't! How could you even say that?! You don't even have children!"

Many people would have risen from their seat by now as they listened to Djarin. For they didn't possess the level of patience and discipline Obi-Wan had been taught and given since he became a Jedi. But the Mandalorian's last argument made something in Obi-Wan snap. It made him finally get out of his seat and push Djarin back.

"How do you think I felt?!" he screamed as he gave in to his pain. Djarin stumbled back a few feet, but her regained his footing when he hit Korkie's bed. Obi-Wan would normally have been concerned and apologetic for this action.

But not right now.

"You think I wanted to lie to you?! You think that keeping secrets from people as selfless as Satine and Cinder was my decision to make?! Do you know how many people I wanted to tell, Djarin?! How many times I wanted to take Satine and Korkie away from all of this?!" Obi-Wan pointed at Korkie as he spoke. "I would have left it all for her! If she had said the word, I would have told her and Korkie everything and left Ozpin alone!"

"..."

Obi-Wan grabbed his head in frustration as he made his final argument. "I'm sorry you feel that your hope was false, but you're not the only one who's hurting from these secrets! Do you hear me, Djarin?! You're not!"

"..."

The Headmaster finally began to calm down and take his seat again. He had felt the familiar pull to the dark side before, when Malak informed him of the danger Satine was in. But now, Obi-Wan found the strength to hold back his feelings and attempt to find balance again.

Djarin, however, wasn't ready to balance his emotions just yet.

He wanted to believe Obi-Wan, when he said all of that. And he had known Satine and the Headmaster long enough to know that there was something... personal between them. On the night of her party, Satine had even given Djarin instructions to inform her of a man fitting Obi-Wan's appearance arrived.

So, he wanted to believe him. He wanted to believe that Obi-Wan hated the secrets and lies so much that he was just one request away from giving it all up and leaving.

There was just one thing Djarin couldn't understand.

"If you hated it so much... then why did you do it?" he asked. "Why did you hide so much from us?"

Obi-Wan sensed that much of Djarin's anger had passed. And this was a very reasonable thing to ask, let alone believe. One would think a man who hated secrets would let them out, after all.

But Obi-Wan had his reasons.

"I've felt it for a while," he began. "I didn't know if I could believe it at first, but... his feelings are as clear as day."

"Whose?" Djarin asked.

"Ozpin's. He may still fight, he may still wish to defend places like Haven, but... he's lost hope. He lost it a long time ago."

"..."

Given what Ozpin learned from Jinn years ago, it was easy to understand that he had lost hope in victory.

"Because of this, I've seen him... change." Obi-Wan stood up again, much slower this time. "Most of the time, he keeps secrets. Other times, he attempts to find hope in things he sees for the first time. For better or worse."

"..."

The idea made Djarin remember the night he met Ozpin, how he allowed Cinder to demonstrate her powers. Ozpin was taken by surprise, just like Glynda was. But looking back, Djarin could see that there was something else about Ozpin's attitude that revealed itself.

He believed that he had found hope again.

"If there's one thing I learned from Jinn last night, Djarin... it's that Ozpin is not the same man he once was," Obi-Wan said as he stepped forward. "His loss of hope changed him. And I feared that the same thing would happen to Satine. And Cinder." The Headmaster placed a hand on Djarin's shoulder, which was rather risky at the present time. "And you as well."

"..."

"The truth is, Djarin... I didn't want anyone to share Ozpin's pain. I cared too much about my allies and friends."

"..."

Djarin's feelings were more mixed at the moment. Obi-Wan was right about Ozpin, how he was different from the man Ozma used to be. The loss of hope had indeed brought out some negative qualities in the once noble hero. To see Cinder do the same, and to see himself do the same... would be unbearable.

"I just..." Djarin uttered. "I wish I knew what I was getting myself in to. And Cinder too."

"I know," Obi-Wan said as he let go of Djarin. "I hope you can forgive me."

Djarin's feelings had softened towards Obi-Wan. They weren't like the ones he had a few moments ago, and they certainly weren't like the feelings of pain and disgust he held towards Ozpin. He could tell that Obi-Wan was being sincere.

But he needed time before he could fully forgive the Headmaster.

"I just... need to wrap my head around this," he said. "I need to think about what to do next." He moved to the door and opened it. "I'll find you later today."

"Of course," Obi-Wan agreed. "Perhaps we could meet at the city hall. The Council wishes for me to give a full report about the defense of Haven at noon. You and Cinder could speak on behalf of Clans Vizsla and Tenau."

Djarin took this offer as a step in the right direction. "That... would be good for both of us," he decided. "I'll tell Cinder." Djarin walked out into the hallway and prepared to close the door. "And... I am sorry. About Satine."

"..."

Obi-Wan gave the Mandalorian a nod before he returned to his solitude.


As she walked through the hospital halls, Cinder found herself feeling the same feelings her father had. Seeing Korkie in such a state, a state that Aurora and Salem put her in, caused enough heartbreak in Cinder to make her think about everything she saw last night.

The Mandalorians at Haven had given her reassurance about her people, but Cinder was forced to think back on Salem. The fact that she was immortal was troubling enough, but to see that her teacher and one of her closest allies had been lying to her for years was even more troubling.

It also made Cinder feel insignificant. Namely, she believed that when she was dead and gone, Ozpin would simply find another body to possess and continue "fighting" against Salem. Her role as the Fall Maiden felt inconsequential at this point. She felt that she wasn't doing enough at Mountain Glenn, but now Cinder didn't think she could do anything at all.

How could she? If defeat was already assured?

Cinder found a chair for herself to sit on and think some more. Like Djarin had said, Cinder began to wonder if she was supposed to be some sacrifice for Salem. If her only purpose was just to delay the inevitable until Salem found what she was looking for. The speech she gave to protect the Relics was very moving, but Cinder could see that another attack on the academies was possible. It was possible that her edict and her rule would all be forgotten one day, and Salem would use that to pick up where she left off.

Or worse... she would take this failure and strike back even harder.

Cinder didn't want that to happen. Just like she said last night, she wanted the Mandalorians to live. She wanted Remnant to live. And like she said in the void, she wanted to keep fighting. In order to unlock one of her chakras, Cinder decided that she would keep moving forward to defend the world and its people.

The only problem was... Cinder wasn't sure how to take the first step.

"Holy crap! Cinder?!"

The young Maiden returned to reality at the sound of her name. At first, she was expecting to see that her father found her as he promised. But instead, Cinder was approached by a girl slightly order than her with golden hair. Her face and arms had gauze and multiple bandages on them, but Cinder was able to recognize the girl in a heartbeat.

"Lily?"

The girl in bandages was indeed Lilith Gelb, a close acquaintance of Cinder's from Beacon Academy. She had been brought to Mistral hospital, along with many others, after the battle at Haven was over. She was one of the lucky few who had relatively minor injuries and was expected to make a full recovery, so she could walk around the hospital as she pleased.

And this walk had led her right into Cinder, who was just as surprised as she was.

"You are here!" Lilith said as she moved closer. Cinder immediately stood up and found herself hugging Lilith. "I mean, I heard you were here, but I didn't think it was true!"

"I can't believe you're here too!" Cinder said as she and Lilith let go of each other. She then looked at Lilith from head to toe and examined her bandages. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'll be okay. I just can't believe you're here! I didn't see you last night, but some of my friends at Haven said they saw you this morning!"

"Yeah, I was there." Cinder quickly came up with a way to bend the truth. "I, uh, I came a little late. Right before the fighting ended."

"But is it true?"

"What?"

Lilith grabbed Cinder's shoulders. "My friends said you made all the Mandalorians stop fighting! That you were the one who told them to leave! Is it true?"

"Oh! Um... yeah. Yeah, that's true." Cinder didn't see any point in lying about this idea, since everyone at Haven knew it was true. And so, she stepped back two feet and showed Lilith her new sword. "This is how I made them stop."

Lilith examined the black blade Cinder was holding and realized it looked familiar. It appeared to be the same one a Mandalorian was holding at the Vytal Festival, the one who declared war on the Kingdoms. "I've seen that before," she said.

Cinder nodded in understanding. "It's called the Darksaber," she explained. "It's one of Mandalore's oldest and most precious artifacts."

"What's it for? Fighting?"

"Yeah, it's a sword. But I guess you could say it's also a king's scepter. Every Mandalorian sees it as a symbol of authority. Whoever holds it has power over everyone, and can sit on the Mandalorian throne."

Lilith's eyes widened as she listened to the explanation. "Is that how that guy made his army? The night Beacon fell?"

Cinder nodded. "That's right. And when I got it..." Cinder's cheeks became red as she explained herself. It was still rather awkward to call herself a ruler. "I, uh... I made them... stop."

"..."

Lilith could see why Cinder was feeling awkward. If what she said about holding the sword was true, then she and she alone had power over everyone Mandalorian in the world.

She was their queen.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Lilith laughed happily. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh, God, I'm-I'm sorry!" Lilith had to wipe her eyes before she talked again. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be mean! It's just... I can't believe I'm friends with a goddamn queen! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Cinder's cheeks grew even more red as she listened to the laughter and heard the word "queen." She was forced to hide her face from the embarrassment. It was easy to understand where Lilith was coming from, but Cinder didn't know if she was ever going to get used to being called a queen.

Even though it was technically true.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lilith said as she continued to dry her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Cinder insisted. "I get it, really."

"No, that wasn't nice." Lilith hugged Cinder once again. "Thanks for your help, Cinder. You saved all of our lives."

Cinder was happy for this act of gratitude, and was glad to see that there were some people who treated her normally as well. So she returned the hug with a smile.

"But I don't have to bow or anything when I see you, do I?"

This time, Cinder couldn't help but laugh at the joke. "No, you're fine," she said as she let go.

"Still. Thank you for doing what you did. You're a hero."

Cinder softly smiled at the word. She had been called a lot of things by the Mandalorians, mainly "Mand'alor" and "ruler." But being called a hero felt different.

It felt... special.

"And you're sure they're gone?" Lilith asked. "They're not gonna start fighting again?"

"I'm sure," said Cinder. "I heard that their retreat went as far as the Great Lake. And it's still going."

"Good. No offense, Cinder, but a Mandalorian army was bad enough. But those mercenaries they had working for them were even worse."

The Mand'alor immediately became perplexed. "Mercenaries?"

Lilith gestures for Cinder to follow her as she walked down the hall. "Take a look."

Cinder followed without question and found herself in another room. Unlike Korkie's room, there were two beds with two resting patients. One of them was awake, and she too was familiar with Cinder.

"Andrea?" Cinder asked as she made eye-contact with Lilith's teammate.

"Cinder?" Andrea Gloss asked as she looked at the familiar face. "Oh, my gosh! It's really you!"

"Yeah, it is!" Lilith said proudly. "And she really did stop the fighting! Isn't that great?!"

"That's amazing!" Andrea moved up on her bed, to show that she too had bandages and gauze like Lilith. "It's really good to see you, Cinder."

"You too, Andrea," Cinder insisted with a smile. She then saw that it was another member of Lilith's team, Max Bolt, who was sleeping in the bed next to Andrea's. "Hey, Max!" Cinder approached the sleeping boy. "It's great to you aga-!"

Cinder stopped talking and smiling when she noticed that Max was missing an arm.

"Oh, my Gods," she said as she covered her mouth. When she turned around, she saw that Lilith and Andrea were wearing saddened expressions of heartbreak and despair. "Wh-What happened?"

"The same thing that happened to us," Lilith said as she pointed at her bandages. "But worse."

Andrea nodded as she shifted her position. "There was this guy," she explained. "This pale bald guy with a sword. He cut right through us like we were nothing."

Cinder realized that one member of the team was missing. "And Garrett?"

Andrea slowly shook her head. "He died at Beacon."

Between Max's missing arm and Garrett's permanent absence, the Fall Maiden felt enormous pity for the entire team. "I'm... so sorry," she said.

Lilith, while appreciative of Cinder's condolences, suddenly remembered something that made her curious. "You know, Cinder... that guy's sword actually looked like the one you showed me," she said.

Cinder looked down at the metal hilt on her side. "Wait, what? It did?"

"Yeah, it did. I mean, it was red instead of black."

"I think Headmaster Kenobi had one too," said Andrea. "A blue one."

Cinder suddenly understood that Lilith and her friends had met a Sith. Fortunately, that Sith was dead and unable to hurt anyone else.

"I've seen more swords like this one," Cinder confessed as she tapped the Darksaber. "But this is the only one with a black blade. All the others I saw were blue and red."

"Oh, okay," said Lilith. "How'd they make something like that?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that the people who can make them are really good warriors. Maybe even better than the Huntsmen and Mandalorians combined."

"Jeez. Kinda scary."

"Maybe that's why the Mandos hired him," said Andrea. "That guy was really strong. And crazy."

This was easy for Cinder to understand. The Sith were as crazy as they were dangerous, and they were very dangerous. The mention of one Sith and Cinder's memories of Darth Nihilus made her worried.

"I'm glad you're okay," Cinder began. "You didn't see any more people like that guy, did you?"

"Just one," Lilith replied. "He actually saved us from that guy. His name was... Ray? Ray Van?" Lilith quickly shook her head. "No, no, that wasn't it. It was, uh..."

Cinder immediately knew the name; it was the name her father told her last night. "Revan?"

"Yeah! Revan!"

"Your dad brought a whole lot of people with him to Haven," said Andrea. "Us included. Was Revan a mercenary too?"

"Uh... I don't know," Cinder said. She didn't mention the Jedi or Sith by their titles, and she decided to let the "mercenary" idea play out. "I didn't meet Revan. My dad just told me about him."

"Oh, okay."

Lilith approached Cinder again. "Well, if you meet him... tell him we said thanks," she requested. "For saving our lives."

Cinder softly smiled. "Yeah, of course." She looked over to Max and immediately lost her smile. "I'm sorry about Max. Do you know what's gonna happen to him?"

"As soon as we make sure the Mandos are gone, they're gonna ship him back home to his family," Lilith replied. "I think we're gonna head home with him. Back to Vale."

"Yeah," said Andrea. "I don't think any of us are totally out of the woods just yet. But it could have been a lot worse."

"No kidding. I mean, poor Gretchen."

"Yeah, poor Gretchen."

Cinder's curiosity was immediately piqued by the name. "Wait, what?" she asked. "Gretchen who?"

"Oh, right," Lilith sadly replied. "You knew Gretchen Rainart, right? And Team BGNY?"

"Yeah, I know Gretchen. She took me on my training mission to-" Cinder suddenly realized what Lilith said. "Wait... what do you mean by 'knew?'"

Andre took the burden of telling Cinder off Lilith's shoulders. "She... She's dead," she sadly replied. "She died last night."

"What? Oh, no..."

The news of Gretchen death hurt Cinder more than the news of Garrett's death. Not many knew this, but Gretchen Rainart wasn't just a Huntress to Cinder.

In fact, Cinder considered her a friend. Because she was one of the kindest people she ever met at Beacon.


Five years ago

"Oh, my Gods. We left the hospital for this?"

"Two essays and a test? How is that fair?"

"I miss the hospital already."

"Well, welcome back, guys. We're here to stay."

Gretchen Rainart and the rest of Team BGNY had just been released from the hospital after their deadly training mission. They had each fully recovered from the unexpected attack, and they each believed that they were ready to go back to school.

But the day was only halfway done, and they were already missing the hospital. They weren't looking forward to catching up on their schoolwork.

"Well, at least we're done with hospital food," said Yuri. He and his friends had just gotten food and found a place to sit in the cafeteria.

"Yeah, that's true," said Nerissa. "I was gonna puke if I ate one more bite of that crap."

Bailey agreed, and he happily took a slice of pizza off his plate with a smile. "I've missed you," he jokingly said. "But now, I must destroy you." With that, he took a bite of the pizza and hummed in delight.

Soon, all of his friends were joining him. But as soon as Gretchen took a bite of her food, she saw something that caught her attention.

"Hey, guys," she said as she pointed towards the wall. "Check it out."

The rest of Team BGNY looked in the direction where Gretchen was pointing. They saw a table right next to a wall that had only one person sitting at it. But rather than a student, it was a little girl with black hair that was picking at her food.

"Is that a kid?" Bailey asked.

"No, it's an alien from space," Nerissa sarcastically replied. "Yes, of course that's a kid!"

"Guys, that's not just any kid," Gretchen said. "That's the girl who helped me in Mistral. The one who got us help."

"Wait, that's her?" Bailey asked. "I don't believe it."

"Hey, I think you're right," said Yuri. "And isn't she the new professor's kid? You know, that Mando guy?"

"Yeah, that's her," said Gretchen. "She's the reason we're sitting here."

Everyone believed Gretchen and immediately shared the same level of gratitude towards the girl. Nerissa, however, felt something else as well.

"Aw, she looks sad," she said as she noticed Cinder's melancholy attitude. "Why is she eating alone?"

Gretchen immediately stood up. "I'm gonna go and see," she decided.

The decision caused Gretchen to become acquainted with Cinder. After she thanked the young girl for getting help, Gretchen asked her if everything was okay. Cinder was fine, but she explained that her father was away on a mission that was supposed to last for days.

And she missed him very much.

Gretchen understood the child's loneliness, and she immediately became sympathetic. "Do you want to come sit with me and my friends?" Gretchen asked as she pointed to her teammates. "We got enough food to share."

"That's okay," Cinder insisted neutrally. "Professor Ozpin said he was going to come here. But thank you."

Gretchen accepted the answer and sat back with her friends. However, she couldn't help but look at Cinder with a mixture of sympathy and gratitude. There was more to the child than meets the eye, she realized as she looked at her. And Gretchen couldn't stand the sight of someone feeling out of place and without many friends.

Gretchen knew what it was like to be alone, and she didn't want anyone else to share that feeling.

So when she came to the cafeteria the next day to find Cinder eating alone once more, Gretchen had an idea to change this.

"Hey, guys," she said to get the attention of her team. "Come on. Let's eat over here today."

Without waiting for her friends, Gretchen sat right next to Cinder after she asked to join her. Cinder was taken aback at first, but she decided to practice the good manners Djarin wished for her to have and let Gretchen sit down. After her teammates joined her and began conversing with each other, Cinder found herself able to smile.

This one small kindness served as a catalyst for the young girl. Cinder started to break out of her shell and socialize with others at Beacon, even though they were older than her. She talked about fighting, lessons, Grimm, and everything else that was normal at Beacon.

And she would mostly have these conversations with Gretchen, who willingly took it upon herself to befriend the young girl who saved her life. She did, of course, deserve to have friends around her when family wasn't around.

What Gretchen did taught Cinder that Beacon was going to be great. She was confident that along with the dormitory she shared with her father, the school itself would feel like a home.


Present

"Oh, there you are."

Cinder turned around to see her father standing in the doorway of the room. She smiled as she stepped aside to let him in.

"I just ran into some friends," Cinder explained herself.

Djarin stepped inside and got a look at the students Cinder was visiting. "Lilith, Andrea," the Mandalorian said calmly.

"Hey, Professor," Lilith acknowledged with a wave.

"Good to see you again, sir," said Andrea.

"You as well," Djarin replied before he turned to Max. "How's he doing?"

Andrea and Lilith looked over to Max again. "He's resting," Andrea replied. "I don't think he even knows what happened."

"Yeah," said Lilith. "It really sucks, you know? He saved my life and he gets that?"

"Come on, Lil. It wasn't your fault."

"I hope he doesn't think that."

Cinder put her hand on Lilith's and smiled. "I'm sure he won't," she said. "He needs you. Now more than ever."

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere," Lilith firmly replied. "Not a chance."

"And I'm staying too," Andrea said. "I wouldn't leave him for the world."

Cinder happily accepted this promise, and she was sure that Max would appreciate it too. It would definitely take time for him to accept what happened, but Cinder knew Max was strong. He survived both Beacon and Haven, after all.

Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do for him now.

"You ready to go?" Cinder asked her father.

"I think we should go, yeah," Djarin replied. "I have something from Headmaster Kenobi I want to talk to you about."

"Okay." Cinder turned back to Lilith and Andrea. "It was really good seeing you two again. Thanks for everything you did."

"Take care of yourself, Cinder," Andrea said with a wave.

Lilith hugged Cinder one more time before she could leave. "Come see us again if you can," she offered. "We're gonna be here for a while."

"Of course," Cinder promised. "See you later."

With that, Cinder left the hospital room with her father. He explained to her that Headmaster Kenobi had given them the chance to speak to the Mistral Council at noon. There, he would give a full report on the defense of Haven and the end of the war. And he had given Djarin and Cinder a chance to talk on behalf of the Mandalorians.

"He wants us to talk to the Council?" Cinder asked.

"He thinks it would be good for us," Djarin replied. "We can assert your role as the Mand'alor and assure them that there won't be a counterattack."

"..."

Cinder didn't give her answer right away. Instead, she was captured by the details of the hallway she and Djarin were walking through. Unlike the previous ones, that were either empty or had patients and nurses walking around, this one had multiple beds with blankets over them.

But under those blankets, the shape of a person was completely visible.

Djarin quickly noticed the bodies and how they were upsetting Cinder. He had noticed them earlier, but he didn't think they would leave a big impact on her. "Come on," he said as he gently held her shoulder. "Let's go a different way."

"Okay..." Cinder said as she moved down a different hall.

"...Sorry about that," Djarin said after a moment of silence. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. It was just an idea."

Cinder wiped her eyes before she replied. "No, it's okay," she insisted. "I can go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm sorry, I just... I just learned that Gretchen Rainart died last night."

Djarin suddenly remembered Gretchen. "That's... That's right. She died protecting Ozpin."

Cinder sighed at the mention of Ozpin. Lilith's distraction was welcoming, but she immediately remembered the bigger picture at hand. However, it was hard for her to forget about Gretchen.

"Maybe we should go to the Council," Cinder said. "And we could talk to everyone at Haven too." Cinder tapped the Darksaber on her waist. "I could probably issue a mission or post a bounty for the Mandalorian who killed her. Maybe someone knows what happened."

Djarin could tell that Cinder was upset by all of this, and he immediately knew he could help. "I know what happened," he said.

Cinder immediately stopped walking. "You do?"

"I saw it. She wasn't killed by a Mandalorian. It... It was her brother. Hazel."

Cinder's eyes widened in shock. "What? Her brother?" She was having a hard time believing such a thing, given that Gretchen said that she loved her brother very much. "I don't believe it!"

"I couldn't believe it, either. But it was him."

"What happened?"

"Hazel was trying to kill Ozpin. Gretchen jumped in the way and took the blow. She died a few seconds later."

Cinder frowned as she looked to the ground. "Poor Gretchen."

"I'm sorry, Cinder."

Cinder nodded before she asked another question. "Why was he there? At Haven?"

"He was helping the Mandalorians. Qrow said he was at Beacon, too. He... He was working for Salem. I don't know where he is now, but... he was at Haven for Salem."

"..."


As promised, Djarin and Cinder arrived at the office of the Mistral Council a little before noon. Obi-Wan was waiting for them outside, and he led them inside immediately.

Many people couldn't help but stare at the clan of two as they walked through the halls with their armor. Djarin considered using the disguise Ozpin had given him, but Obi-Wan assured them that nobody would be calling security or anything like that.

Simply put, they needed time.

Cinder understood this better than anyone. She began to think back on what she thought at Haven, how hard she believed her rule would be. All she wanted was to make everything right once more, between the Mandalorians and the people of Remnant.

But that would be easier said than done.

"Here we are."

Obi-Wan had led Djarin and Cinder to a room with a circular desk with empty chairs. There were two chairs against the wall for the clan of two, since it was obvious that the desk was for the Council.

In fact, each spot had a name for each Council member. Everyone couldn't help but look at the name-tags, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but linger on that spot that read Councilwoman Kryze.

Unfortunately, that seat would be empty today.

*BEEP*

*BEEP*

Obi-Wan looked to his Scroll to see a message from one of the Council members. "They're ready for you," he said calmly. "I'll bring everyone in."

"We'll be here," Djarin promised.

Obi-Wan turned to the door, but stopped himself before he opened it. "Oh, one more thing. I recently heard that one of our patrols found Qrow Branwen after he disappeared last night."

"They did?" Cinder asked. "Oh, that's a relief."

"Where was he?" Djarin asked.

"Walking on the streets alone." Obi-Wan suddenly felt awkward for saying his next part. "Well... trying to walk. It seems he wasn't really... himself last night. He's resting at the academy now."

"..."

Sadly, Djarin and Cinder were familiar with this kind of behavior. Djarin even heard that Qrow was doing better before he met him in Vale. However, given what he saw last night... Djarin wasn't sure if he could blame Qrow for such a reaction.

There was no doubt that he was mad at Ozpin as well.

When the Headmaster finally left, Cinder decided to get her mind and her father's mind off Ozpin for a little while. "So, uh... what do you think they're gonna ask us?" she asked.

"The Council?" Djarin asked. When Cinder nodded, the Mandalorian gave her an answer. "They might ask about last night, how you gained the title of Mand'alor. I wouldn't use that exact word, though. They might not understand right away."

"Okay."

"And they might wonder what we're gonna do next. We'll just have to tell them that we're on their side. Do you want me to do all the talking?"

"No, it's fine. I'll be fine when I get a feel for them."

"Okay."

*CLICK*

Djarin and Cinder turned to the door to see Obi-Wan step inside once again. But this time, he was followed by two men and two women. Each of them were dressed in different clothes and colors, but they were all dressed in an appearance suitable for business.

Djarin and Cinder didn't know their names, but they knew they were in the presence of the Mistral Council.

When they all took their seats, each of the members looked upon the clan of two and wondered the same thing. One of them, a man with chestnut hair in a dark gray suit, brought this question to light.

"Headmaster, who are our guests?" he asked.

Djarin slowly stood up with Cinder and introduced himself. "I am Din Djarin," he said. "An Atlesian by birth, and a Mandalorian by right."

"And I'm Cinder," the Maiden introduced herself. "His daughter."

Obi-Wan nodded at the two before he turned back to the Council. "They're both friends, Councilman Noire," he insisted. "It was Djarin who brought reinforcements from all over the world to Haven. And it was Cinder who brokered the surrender and disbandment of the enemy Mandalorians."

Each member of the Council was impressed and pleased with this information. Reports of the disbandment of the enemy Mandalorians from the lands they conquered were still coming to them, and they showed no signs of stopping.

"I see," said Councilman Noire. "Din Djarin, it seems the whole of Mistral owes you and your daughter a great debt."

"Some of our Huntsmen and Huntresses are returning from the Great Lake with news of the enemy's abdication," said Councilwoman Redding, a woman with orange hair. "Your work was very... impressive."

"Indeed," said Councilman Brown, a man with a rather large mustache. "Headmaster Kenobi explained what had happened, but we would be very interested to hear your side of the story."

Councilwoman Blanca was rather quiet, but she too was interested in hearing the Mandalorians' perspective of what happened at Haven.

"Of course," said Djarin. In order to give Cinder the chance to know what the Council was expecting, he decided to speak first and give Cinder time to prepare herself. "As Headmaster Kenobi explained, I believed it necessary to travel to Vale and Vacuo to gather reinforcements for Haven. They were Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians alike."

"Is that so?" Councilman Brown asked. He and his fellow members were sure that the Huntsmen and Huntresses helped last night, but the idea of Mandalorians being brought before the attack was strange.

"It is. I am close allies with two clans who were opposed to the Mandalorians who attacked last night. They are Clans Vizsla and Tenau, people I trust with my life."

"They're currently at Haven now, helping to rebuild the damages inflicted by the enemy last night," Obi-Wan explained.

"I see," Councilman Brown replied.

Councilwoman Blanca found her chance to speak. "Mr. Djarin, I feel that the name 'Vizsla' is rather familiar," she said. "I believe one of them was one of the main assailants at the Vytal Festival. Pre Vizsla, am I correct?"

The Councilwoman's skepticism was clear, and it was easy for her to misunderstand the difference between Pre Vizsla and Clan Vizsla. Fortunately, Djarin was able to explain himself.

"Pre Vizsla was one of the Mandalorians who started the war, yes," Djarin confirmed. "But he was in no way affiliated with Clan Vizsla. He was a heretic in their eyes. And if you were familiar with him, you may be familiar with Death Watch as well."

Councilwoman Blanca thought back on the declaration of war Pre Vizsla made with Gar Saxon. "...Yes," she admitted. "He did mention that name, yes."

"His loyalty was to Death Watch, not Clan Vizsla. There are over a dozen members of Clan Vizsla dead by his hands at Haven."

Councilwoman Blanca nodded and returned to silence once again. This gave Councilman Noire a chance to speak.

"May I ask how you were made aware of the attack on Haven?" he asked. "Did Headmaster Kenobi tell you? Did he give the order to seek reinforcements?"

"We actually found out together," Djarin explained. "I was at the Great Lake with Headmaster Kenobi and helped him interrogate a prisoner."

"Once we found out Pre Vizsla's intentions, Djarin proposed that we return to Haven," Obi-Wan explained. "I gave him the idea to seek out Professor Ozpin and request help. And Djarin saw it fit to seek reinforcements in other places. I agreed and stood by this decision."

Councilwoman Redding decided to take the meeting in a different direction. "And what about the surrender?" she asked. "May I ask how you accomplished this?"

"I'd also like to know," said Councilman Brown. "Though we weren't on the front lines, the reports from this last month show that the Mandalorians can be... stubborn."

This time, it was Cinder who stood up and spoke. She understood that this whole meeting was to serve as a chance to prove herself to the Council, to let this be the first step to uniting Mandalore with the rest of the world.

And she took that chance in a heartbeat.

"I accomplished it with this," Cinder said as she quickly took the Darksaber off her side. She didn't activate it just yet, but explained even further. "This is a symbol of authority in the eyes of all the Mandalorians. They see it as a sign of being a ruler." Cinder lifted the hilt above her head and showed everyone the dark blade.

"Do not be alarmed," said Obi-Wan, who sensed the Council's fear of seeing a weapon in their meeting room. "This is only a demonstration."

Cinder quickly deactivated the Darksaber and explained herself. "Gar Saxon had this weapon first, before it passed down to Pre Vizsla. It's a weapon, but it's also a sign that someone has the right to command all Mandalorians. That was how Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla built their army."

Councilwoman Blanca silently acknowledged that she had seen the sword before; Gar Saxon had shown it to everyone when he made the declaration of war. "And you gained it yourself," she realized. "Saxon and Vizsla used it to command their army..."

"And I used it to make them stop fighting," Cinder concluded. "After I earned it."

The Council understood this, but they had more questions.

"What about Clans Tenau and Vizsla?" Councilwoman Redding asked. "Surely they were aware of the announcement from Gar Saxon."

"Were they not also bound by this rule?" Councilman Brown asked. "Were they expected to follow?"

"Um... yes," Cinder said nervously. "They were aware. But they had a similar experience with someone abusing the power of the Darksaber. They didn't want a repeat of that."

"They were rebels," said Djarin. "Like we were."

The Council understood once more, but they had other questions.

"And what exactly are your plans?" Councilwoman Blanca asked. "With this... Darksaber?"

"I... I don't have any plans," Cinder confessed. "Not yet. All I wanted to do was to stop the war."

"And are you certain that all the Mandalorians will stop fighting?" Councilman Brown asked. "If the clans you fought alongside with were rebels, how can we be sure that there won't be anyone rebelling against you?"

"If that were the case, what would you do then?" Councilman Noire asked.

"I... Um..."

Cinder had to admit that these were all very good questions. Unfortunately, she didn't have any of the answers. And they were making her rather uncomfortable. She just hadn't thought that far ahead, despite the fact that it was necessary.

Djarin didn't think this far as well, but he had an answer for the Council.

"I'm afraid Cinder and I will have to cross that bridge if we come to it," he said. "All we can offer is our word that we will continue to defend Mistral against Mandalorians like Pre Vizsla."

Obi-Wan quickly defended this point. "Mr. Djarin and Cinder are perfectly capable of preventing another conflict and maintaining peace," he said. "Now, they only need the chance and opportunity to show that."

"..."

Cinder easily agreed with Obi-Wan. After all, her father once told her that actions spoke louder than words. And fortunately, the Council agreed.

"Perhaps..." said Councilman Brown. "Perhaps so."

The rest of the Council decided that they needed to think this over. "I think we're about done right now," said Councilman Noire.

"Yes," said Councilwoman Blanca. "We do have more pressing issues at hand."

"Thank you for your time," said Councilwoman Redding.

With that, Obi-Wan led Djarin and Cinder outside once more. The meeting could have gone better, but it wasn't because the Council was skeptical. But rather, Djarin and Cinder still needed to figure out what to do next.

With both the Mandalorians and Salem.

"Are you okay?" Djarin asked Cinder when they found themselves outside.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cinder insisted. "I mean, those were just some good questions. I just didn't have all the answers."

"Nobody expected you to, Cinder." Djarin placed a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "It's okay."

"Yes," said Obi-Wan. "Nobody has all the answers, Cinder. Especially in times of conflict."

Cinder was appreciative of the support, but she had another idea in mind. Something that might disagree with Obi-Wan's idea.

"Thanks," she said sincerely. "But there might be a way to get some of the answers we need. And maybe come up with a better plan too."

"Meaning?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Headmaster... I need to talk to Ozpin. Can you tell me where he is?"


After the meeting with the Council was over, Djarin and Cinder returned to the Razor Crest. Obi-Wan had given them the coordinates as to where Ozpin and Revan were, so that was their current destination.

Cinder had previously placed the Relic of Knowledge in a secret compartment of the ship before she helped her father repair it. While it was no longer useful to anyone, Djarin and Cinder knew they had to protect it with their lives.

A plan to do that, however, was still in Djarin's mind.

Djarin wasn't sure that going to see Ozpin would be the best course of action, even though he doubted that his life would be in danger. He just didn't think he could be capable of working with the Headmaster once more.

He believed it was time for a new approach. And he believed Cinder should understand this too.

"Cinder, we need to talk," Djarin said after he engaged the autopilot of the Razor Crest. "About Ozpin."

Cinder was expecting this topic to arise, so she didn't question it. "I just want to talk to him," she insisted. "That's all."

Djarin nodded. "I know. But whatever happens next, I don't want either of us to just fall back in line. We need to decide for ourselves what to do next. Not Ozpin."

Cinder nodded this time. "I'm not gonna fall back in line. I'm just hoping a talk could help us decide what's next."

"I have a few ideas what we could do. The way I see it, we have three options. Some are easy, some are hard. But I just want you to hear me out before we see Ozpin."

This was a reasonable request, and Cinder was glad to see that she could still count on her father to strategize and come up with ideas. "Okay. Sure, let's hear them."

Djarin moved his chair fully so he could look directly at Cinder. Once he did, he pointed to the Relic at her waist. "Without the Vault, that thing is vulnerable," he said. "Just like you said last night, we have to protect it."

"Of course," Cinder replied.

"And Salem took a big blow when she lost the Mandalorians. She'll only have the Grimm on her side, and she'll be expecting us to put the lamp back."

"Uh-huh."

Djarin slightly tensed up as he continued. "We can't... We can't kill Salem. But we can make sure she never wins. Ozpin was full of it, but his idea with the Relics was effective."

"Okay. So what can we do?"

"My first idea... is to go back to Nevarro. Salem knows that each of the Huntsmen Academies has a Vault, but she won't expect the lamp to be in the middle of nowhere. If we go to Nevarro, use your status as the Mand'alor to make the Armorer follow us, we can hide the Relic forever. And Salem loses."

Cinder could easily follow along with this logic. In hindsight, it was a decent plan. "Okay," she said. "And that's the easy option?"

"That's right," Djarin said. "If what we saw about Salem is true, then she'll be too obsessed with Ozpin to think of any other locations for the Relics."

Cinder nodded in understanding, but she wasn't ready to commit to this plan. "What's the second option?"

"It's a little harder. But it's not impossible." Djarin took a breath before he explained himself. "If we find all of the Mandalorian clans, everyone who saw Jinn's warning, then we can unite them together. We make an army of Mandalorians who know Salem is the enemy and make them protect the Relic. And after we're gone, the next generations of Mandalorians will carry on the mission."

Cinder nodded once again and smiled. "That's not a bad idea," she said. "Wow, look at you. Thinking so far into the future like that."

"Yeah, well... there's a bigger picture with all this," Djarin said. "That plan's not gonna be easy, but it'll help us in the future."

"What's the third option?"

Djarin sighed before he explained his third option. As he implied, this one was the one that was going to be the hardest.

In more ways than one.

"...We stay the course," Djarin said. "We take Ozpin's mission as our own, hide the Relic back in the Vault, and try our best to stop Salem from making another attack like Beacon and Haven."

"..."

This was a good idea on paper, but both Djarin and Cinder could see how difficult the task would be.

Just as Djarin said, Ozpin's efforts to prevent global destruction by hiding the Relics was effective. In the Mandalorian's mind, it was probably the only effective thing Ozpin did. So if he and Cinder took the mission as their own, Djarin believed they could learn from Ozpin's mistakes and do better.

However, the plan wasn't without drawbacks. For starters, the Fall of Beacon and the attack on Haven proved that Ozpin's methods were heavily flawed. Without an academy to protect the Relics, without a base of operations, Salem would have the advantage.

Along with that, it would mean putting the fight at a halt. Djarin and Cinder would be on the defensive and fighting only when it was necessary. Djarin may have wanted to follow the Way of the Maiden over the Way of the Mandalore, but he believed that taking a more neutral stance in battle was unwise.

Cinder knew this as well, but it wasn't tradition that made her see this. But rather, it was the damages Haven endured and the numerous bodies at the hospital that told Cinder that the third option wasn't effective. In fact, the other methods all had one problem.

They wouldn't be stopping Salem from fighting.

It was this fact that made Cinder feel something different. Just like she said in the void, she wanted to keep moving forward in this conflict. She wanted to keep fighting until she won and everyone she cared about was safe. But she couldn't do that simply by protecting the Relics.

Instead, Cinder would have to take the first steps at moving forward.

"...I have a fourth option," she said. "It's part of your second option, though. But it's something I really want to do."

Djarin wasn't expecting the idea of a fourth option. In most cases, he wouldn't be as open minded if a partner on a mission or bounty hunt suggested another idea. However, Djarin was always open-minded with his daughter.

And simply hearing Cinder out wouldn't be much trouble.

"Well, let's hear it," he said.

"Your second option is a really good idea," Cinder began. "It's like you said last night, the Mandalorians have to change. If we were to go out there and unite them against Salem, unite them with Remnant, that will make things better for everyone."

"If that's what you want to do, we'll do it," Djarin decided. "Was there something else you had in mind along with that?"

"Well... yeah." Cinder was starting to doubt herself on this, but she stayed her course. "I don't want the army we make to be just about protecting the Relic. I think... I think it's time we go on the offensive. I think it's time we take the fight to Salem."

Djarin almost didn't believe what he heard. But once he saw how serious Cinder was, Djarin was ready to decline the idea. Not because he didn't believe in fighting anymore, but rather that he knew that fighting someone with immortality didn't have many chances at victory.

"Cinder, we can't do that," Djarin began. "You said it yourself; Salem's immortal."

"I know," Cinder replied.

"And she's stronger than Ozpin with her Magic!"

"I know."

"And she has an army of Grimm on her side!"

"I know!"

"..."

Cinder didn't mean to lose her temper, but she knew that she had to make her point here and now.

"Dad, I know Salem's a lot more powerful than we thought!" Cinder insisted. "All of your ideas might keep the Relics safe, but they won't stop Salem from coming back again and again until she gets what she wants! And when she does, more people are going to die! Like Satine! Like Gretchen! And every Mandalorian who died last night!"

"..."

Cinder began to calm down when she heard silence. "Dad... you raised me better to know that we can't be on the defensive forever. And we can learn from Ozpin's mistakes, you're right. And his mistakes included thinking we only had to hold the line forever."

Djarin was beginning to see Cinder's point. "...Salem will just keep coming," he agreed. "She might even wait until we're gone."

"Yeah, exactly!" Cinder fully relaxed as she continued to make her point. "I don't know how we can stop her. Really, I don't. But what I do know is that the only person who knows her better than we do is Ozpin." Cinder pointed out the window. "He's been hiding everything he knows about Salem for years. And something tells me we only saw a portion of what he knows last night."

Djarin looked out the window and agreed with Cinder. Only the gods knew how many secrets Ozpin had been hiding over the years, but Djarin knew that it was time to let them out.

"You think we should use him," Djarin concluded. "Use whatever he knows to make a proper counterattack."

"Um... I wouldn't say 'use him,'" Cinder corrected. Hearing it out loud sounded strange and a little cruel. "But yeah. It's time we found out his secrets."

Djarin nodded slowly. "I had the same idea when you were in your coma. I wanted to go straight to Salem's lair and kill Aurora for you. Ozpin was trying to warn me against it... but I think he was trying to protect his secrets." Djarin became a little angry when he thought back to that time in Vacuo. "And it worked."

"That's okay, Dad." Cinder pointed out the window again. "You were on the right track. You wanted Ozpin's knowledge to help you see how to counterattack. You know just like I do that fighting back is the only way we can win."

"..."

"So we can do what you said. We can build an army of Mandalorians, and we can use them to counterattack instead of just defending the Relics." Cinder became a little anxious when she asked her next question. "Can you... Can you help me do that?"

Djarin immediately gave Cinder a reason not to be anxious. "I can," he said as he took the ship out of autopilot. "And I will."

Cinder smiled as she shared her father's determination. "Thanks, Dad."

Djarin realized that he should have been the one to thank Cinder. She was right that he had been thinking like she was, but she provided the spark for him to think like that again.

And against a foe who seemed all too powerful.

"How'd I get such a brave girl?" Djarin asked as he rubbed Cinder's head.

Cinder giggled as she accepted the gesture. "I was raised by a brave dad," she insisted.


Ozpin had chosen the perfect place for solitude and tranquility. One would think that he was running away from his problems by going where he was at the moment, and perhaps they were right.

But Ozpin knew that he had to clear his mind.

After the battle ended and most of his allies turned their backs on him, Ozpin retreated into the mountains of Mistral. Haven was built on the side of a mountain, so traversing it was easy for the old man. He knew he had to clear his mind of what happened, but nothing could change the fact that he had left in shame and cowardice.

That was all he could think about in the countless hours of meditation he engaged in.

Rather than sleep, Ozpin spent the hours of the night and the morning by meditating long and hard on what had happened. He had been dreading this day for centuries, despite the fact that he had prayed that it would never come.

And yet, he was unprepared when it came at last.

All of his work, all of the effort he put into keeping his unbearable secrets, had become undone. Ozpin's true nature, and that of Salem's, had been exposed in the worst way possible. And just as he feared, the truth had drove off nearly all of his allies, the source of refuge he had for the longest time.

Ozpin didn't need the Force to sense the feelings of people like Djarin, Cinder, or Qrow. They had lost hope, they had lost their faith in him, and they had lost themselves. Ozpin knew the secrets about Salem would cause this to happen, which was something he couldn't afford. He was alone once more, left to pick up the pieces and reflect on all that had happened to him.

And even though Revan was still with him, Ozpin felt more alone than ever.

After his final duel with his brother, Revan realized that he could benefit from meditation as well. And so, he joined Ozpin in the woods so he could reflect on the battle. And even though Ozpin's feelings and aggravations were distracting, Revan was able to meditate.

The first thing that came to mind was his childhood. Revan reflected on how he and his brother survived an attack by Mandalorians that devastated his home and left him without parents. He and his brother were eventually found by the Jedi, after they felt his awakening in the Force.

Revan then thought back on all of his teachers in the Order. Zhar, Dorak, and Master Kae were among those teachers, and he learned much from them. And it was Master Kae's departure for the Great War that inspired Revan to follow in his footsteps.

When the Mandalorian clans announced their intention to fight for Vale and Vacuo, Revan and Malak were eager to defeat the people they deemed enemies. But the Jedi Council thought it best if they moved with care and caution. The true threat, the Council feared, had not yet revealed itself.

Looking back, Revan couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had listened to the Council.

But instead, Revan left with many Jedi to defeat the Mandalorians. Alek was the first to do so, and he was joined by others. Both of the Jedi could be considered to be blind by their hatred of Mandalorians to see the right and wrong sides of the Great War, but the brothers knew that the only good Mandalorian was a dead one.

Victory after victory led Revan not only to be praised, but also worshipped by others. He didn't hide the fact that he was a Force-sensitive, and this led to the superstitious people of Mistral to consider him a god. Dubbing themselves "Revanchists," they prayed to him for victory over any person they deemed a foe.

It was this worship that not only fed Revan's ego, but also leave Alek jealous. And hungry for power.

And so, when he sensed Salem's presence, Alek was able to convince his brother to join him in learning from her. Revan believed he could defeat her and become even more powerful than ever, as did the Jedi who left with him.

But all that managed to become of his meeting with Salem was corruption.

In time, Revan found himself new masters within the darkness. He learned much about the Sith, before and after he left the Fermata Cage decades later. And in time, he used this knowledge to lead multiple attacks against the Jedi Order in the secret war on Remnant. He had multiple victories and conquests, but that all ended when Salem decided to infiltrate the Order.

Revan remembered how dazed and confused he was after his memories had been erased, how he found himself on an airship being attacked by Grimm and Sith. After he helped defend the airship, Revan eventually found himself back within the Jedi Order.

Only this time, he believed that he was a new recruit instead of an experienced Jedi Knight.

His time relearning about the Jedi and the Force introduced Revan to new teachers, as well as new friends. One of these friends was actually a droid Revan built when he was a Sith Lord. That droid and its series, the HK assassin droids, were meant to be an army for the Jedi to fight along the with the Sith. It was meant to be a war on two fronts.

But Revan didn't make too many of these droids. The last one that existed was something he built personally: HK-47.

And this droid served Revan well as both a Jedi and a Sith. This was because HK-47 also lost his memories and found himself with Revan.

Another one of these friends, someone who became more than just a friend, was a Jedi named Bastila Shan.

The airship Revan was on when he lost his memories was already en-route to find Bastila in the hopes of escaping Malak, who was preparing to destroy a city. Once they found her, Revan and his friends escaped and he found himself being trained as a Jedi Padawan.

Revan went on many adventures with Bastila and HK-47. Not only did these adventures help the Jedi, but it also forced Revan to discover and confront his past. After Bastila had been corrupted by Malak, the Sith revealed the truth of Salem's plans and attempted to coerce him back to darkness alongside Bastila.

Revan had regained all of his memories and understood Salem's plan. It was a genius one at that, and it was even something Bastila and the Jedi Council once considered to do for Sith Lords they had captured: erase their memories and let them redeem themselves. And while this plan was Salem's instead of the Jedi, Revan found himself redeemed. And soon, he helped Bastila see the light and defeated Malak before he could destroy an entire continent.

Unfortunately, Malak escaped before Revan could kill him. And around that time, Coruscant fell alongside the Order.

Revan and Bastila received Obi-Wan's warning and fled together. They lived happily for a while, until Revan received an important mission from Obi-Wan and Ozpin. They requested him to travel to Vacuo and protect a child. Not just any child, but perhaps one of the most important children the Jedi had ever known.

Revan understood the importance of protecting the boy, but Bastila was reluctant. She insisted that she needed Revan more than ever, with the Order gone and Salem's strength growing. Revan understood where Bastila was coming from, but he had been told what made this child so important.

If Salem discovered him... all would be lost.

And so, with a heavy heart, Revan left his wife behind. Not long after that, Bastila passed away with a broken heart.

Revan had many more memories he could meditate on, including that of Malak's death. However, his departure from Bastila and the echo he sensed of her death were all he could focus on right now. Not because he wanted to, but because Ozpin's negativity was a cesspool for bad memories.

And after hours of this negativity, Revan couldn't take it anymore.

"Enough!" he shouted as he stood up. "How am I supposed to meditate if all you're doing is feeling sorry for yourself?!"

Ozpin opened his eyes as soon as Revan lost his temper, and attempted to explain himself. "I-"

"How could you be so ungrateful?! The war is over, the Mandalorians are gone, and all it cost you was a hard truth! Which, if you ask me, is a small price to pay for this peace!"

Ozpin indeed felt sorry for himself, but he disagreed with Revan. "Nobody was supposed to find out!" he insisted as he stood up. "You heard what Qrow and Djarin said! They'll give up the fight when they're needed most! And so will every Huntsman and Huntress they tell!"

"What about the Jedi Council?! They were the only ones who knew about you and Salem! And they lasted until the very end!"

"This is different, Revan! The Huntsman and Huntresses aren't Jedi, they're not concerned with the restraint of their personal feelings like they were! They'll feel exactly how Qrow and Djarin felt! They'll give up! All of them will give up! And with the Order gone, there will be nothing left to defend against Salem!"

"..."

Ozpin slowly moved back to the ground in defeat. "...Maybe there never was."

"..."

Revan felt conflicted about this. His fight with Salem was more personal, and he wished to fight until the end. Malak was gone, but Revan wouldn't be satisfied until Salem was gone with him.

This was a feeling every Jedi, including the Council, felt for generations. As Ozpin had said, their restraint over personal emotions allowed them clairvoyance as well as an ability to succeed in dark times.

However, the Huntsmen and Huntresses were different. They were more... human, for lack of a better word. They listened to their hearts, used their feelings as most people would. And given what Revan felt within Qrow, it was easy to see that he had lost hope.

Perhaps Ozpin had a point.

Or perhaps... not.

"No. You're wrong."

Revan and Ozpin turned to see Djarin and Cinder in the clearing with them. The Razor Crest had landed close by, but Revan and Ozpin were too distracted by their own negativity to hear or sense anything.

But Djarin and Cinder had heard everything.

Ozpin's tirade made Djarin see that Obi-Wan was right; Ozpin's loss of hope had changed him, made him lose faith in everything. The old man had either done a brilliant job of hiding this fact, or maybe he had found hope once more with him and Cinder.

But just as Djarin had promised, he wasn't going to let Cinder be Ozpin's sacrifice or anything like that. He was going to show once and for all how things were going to change.

"Cinder," Ozpin said as he stood up. "Djarin, I-"

"Shut up," Djarin ordered. "And listen."

"..."

Ozpin did as he was told, and found himself listening to Cinder as she spoke next.

"I'm not giving up," she said before she gestured to her father. "We're not giving up. You're wrong about us, Ozpin. The truth isn't going to make us lose our resolve. Shake it, maybe. But it didn't make us lose it."

Ozpin was surprised to hear this. And even though it was out of turn, but he spoke again.

"So... you'll keep fighting?" he asked. "You still want to help me?"

"No," Djarin declared. "We're going to keep fighting... but you're going to help us now." Djarin pointed straight at Ozpin. "You're going to help us do what I wanted to do in Vacuo. You're going to help us take this fight to Salem."

"That's right," said Cinder. She could see the look on Ozpin's face when her father made this declaration, how Ozpin was about to argue against such a plan. Fortunately, she was ready to defend the idea. "We tried it your way, and it made us fight blindly. Against an enemy we didn't understand."

"And it cost us Beacon," Djarin included. "It almost cost us Haven and all the Mandalorians."

"Even worse, it got this out in the open." Cinder lifted the Relic to show Ozpin and Revan. Even though she was the one who took it out of the Vault, it was Aurora who made Raven unlock the door. "Holding the line isn't the solution, Ozpin. Lying and keeping secrets isn't the solution either."

"This is our new approach." Djarin pointed to Cinder as he continued to talk. "Cinder and I are striking back against Salem. And if you want us to succeed, you're going to follow us like we followed you. You're going to tell us everything else you've been hiding from us."

Cinder took one step forward before she asked a rhetorical question. "Got it?"

"..."

Ozpin didn't know what to say.

Every instinct within him was telling him to refuse this idea, to take the fight to Salem. He was able to warn Djarin against it earlier, but he wasn't expecting the Mandalorian to change his mind. All he expected from this was a defeat far worse than what happened at Beacon.

However, Djarin and Cinder weren't wrong when they said holding the line wasn't enough.

This strategy indeed cost them Beacon Academy, and it came close to costing them Haven as well. And if the lamp was in Salem's hands, things would be even worse. A new approach was indeed necessary.

But to take the battle to Salem... Ozpin didn't know if he could do that.

"How do we do it?"

Everyone turned to Revan, who was slowly approaching the two Mandalorians. The idea has piqued the curiosity of a warrior like him, since he was the catalyst of taking the fight to the enemy Mandalorians. To do the same thing to Salem, an immortal with Magic, was interesting.

Risky, but interesting. As to how risky, Revan wished to find out for himself.

"How do we take the fight to Salem?" he asked again. "What do you propose?"

Djarin answered for Cinder, since he was still unsure if he could trust Revan. "Cinder's the new Mand'alor," he began. "We're going to assert this new authority to every Mandalorian on Remnant. Those who were at Haven or not. Either way, every Mandalorian will know Salem is the enemy."

"And when they do, we're going to raise an army," Cinder continued. "We're going to build a force strong enough to stop whatever Salem does next. If it's Salem herself, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"..."

"But we'll be ready." Cinder looked at Ozpin. "If you tell us all your secrets, we'll be ready. Our army will know Salem better than she knows herself."

"And when we're gone, they'll still be ready," Djarin insisted. "Cinder's decree will live in their memory, and it will pass on to the next generation of Mandalorians. And the generation after that. Remnant will have a new fighting force against Salem."

"..."

The more he heard, the more Revan was interested.

What Djarin and Cinder were proposing sounded just like the Jedi Order. But unlike the Jedi Council, each and every Mandalorian would be aware of Salem's secrets and powers. They would be ready for anything, rather than just a select few. And in time, it was possible that those Mandalorians would become what Revan respected about Djarin and Cinder.

The fact that they had something to fight for rather than fight against.

It was clear that Ozpin still had a decision to make, if he would help or not. Revan, however, felt that he had a clear mind. And so, he made a decision that he was proud of.

"I will join you," the Jedi said.

Djarin and Cinder shared a surprised glance at each other. They hoped they would convince Ozpin, but Revan's quick decision was better.

"You... You will?" Cinder asked.

"But you hate the Mandalorians," Djarin insisted.

"Only those who wish to follow in Salem's footsteps," Revan corrected. "Not like you, Djarin. Or you, Mand'alor."

"..."

Cinder realized that she still needed time to get used to that title.

Revan suddenly bowed his head. "I wish to fight by your side. And I wish to help strengthen this army you will be building." He lifted his head and stood upright. "I followed Salem for years. And though Ozpin knows her better, I know some of her secrets. And I know how her Sith will fight."

Cinder suddenly had an idea. "Can you... help us train the army?" she asked cautiously. "To fight a Sith? To fight Salem?"

"I can." Revan stepped closer. "And I will."

"..."

Djarin was still cautious about Revan, since he tried to kill Cinder. However, the more he thought about it, the more he believed a new kind of training would be beneficial. Djarin was aware that Revan had killed many Mandalorians last night, that he had caught them completely by surprise. So if Revan trained them, prepared them to counter this surprise, then things would be better for the army.

Cinder realized the same thing.

"I'd like that," she decided. "I really would."

"As would I," said Djarin. "But Cinder and I are in charge." He needed time before he could completely trust Revan, so setting boundaries would be wise.

Fortunately, Revan understood that perfectly. In order to display this understanding, he extended a hand of friendship to both Cinder and Djarin. Once they took their turns shaking it, the clan of two welcomed the first addition to their force.

"So that's your decision?"

Everyone turned to see that Ozpin was starting to approach them now. And while Djarin and Cinder were reluctant to welcome him back, they let him speak.

"That's the new approach you'll be taking?" he asked calmly. "Regardless of what I say or do next?"

"That's right," Djarin firmly replied. "That's what we're doing. With or without you."

"Yeah," said Cinder. "Unless you have any better ideas." The last part was rhetorical, since Cinder was sure that Ozpin's ideas would be about keeping more secrets or simply holding the line.

However, they were something else entirely.

"I won't stand in your way," Ozpin promised. "But I believe I have a better course of action."

Djarin and Cinder were surprised once again, but not very welcoming like they were with Revan.

"Did you hear what we said?" Djarin asked. "Holding the line is not an option! Not anymore."

"I know," Ozpin said as he stopped walking. "Building an army may be wise, as well as effective. But perhaps we could use an existing army rather than take the time to build one."

At first, Cinder shared her father's thoughts when it came to accepting Ozpin's ideas. However, he seemed rather confident about the idea of an army. And he seemed to have one ready.

One that she and Djarin really needed.

"What are you talking about?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm talking about Atlas," Ozpin replied. "James has an army at his disposal, much larger than the Mandalorian force we encountered last night. And with much more advanced and effective weaponry to handle the Grimm." Ozpin walked closer to Djarin and Cinder until he was in front of them. "Your idea has merit, but perhaps we should have an army in our back-pocket before we try to build another."

"..."

Djarin and Cinder opened their mouths to rebuff the idea, but no words came out of their mouths. Neither of them could argue or deny the logic of Ozpin's idea, to seek out an army rather than build one. The army of Atlas wasn't comprised of Mandalorians, but it was present and strong.

They would be fools not to use it.

"That's... true," said Djarin. "But we may not be in a position to use it. Something tells me nobody's happy about the Dust I helped smuggle out of Atlas."

"Yeah, and aren't the borders closed?" Cinder asked. "We can't use the army if we can't get to Atlas."

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance," Ozpin suggested. "I believe the closest border of Atlas is located in Argus. If I were to travel there as a Headmaster and representative of Vale, I could convince the officials that we must get to Atlas."

"..."

Ozpin looked to Cinder, the one person who could give him a semblance of hope in this fight. "And if you believe you can utilize the army against Salem... I will support you in any way I can."

"..."

Djarin trusted Cinder's judgement in most situations, but he realized that he would feel a lot better talking it over before making any rash decisions. And so, he gently pulled Cinder aside so he could talk to her.

"What are you thinking?" the Mandalorian asked calmly.

"I mean, he's not wrong," Cinder replied. "The Atlesian military is just an airship away. They're not Mandalorians, but they're something. What do you think?"

"The army is there, you're right. But they may not be ready like you and I are. This might be my pride talking, but the Mandalorians might have an edge compared to Atlas."

"No, I get that. Knowing about Salem and all is great. But we might not have the time to build an army. Who knows how long Salem will take to pick up where she left off?"

Djarin believed this was a good point, and he saw one person who might help him make a decision faster.

"Revan," he called out with a gesture. "I have a question for you."

The masked Jedi walked over to Djarin and Cinder and spoke calmly. "Yes?" he asked.

"You said you knew some of Salem's secrets. Do you know how long it would take for her to strike back against a setback like this?"

Cinder followed what her father was saying and asked a question of her. "Or what she might do next?" she asked.

Revan took a moment to think of a time when Salem's back was up against the wall, and when she suffered a major setback. It was hard, given that Salem had accomplished much when Revan was in her service. However, he was able to think of a memory when Salem had lost and wanted to recover swiftly.

"It was a month, at most," he stated. "Before she retaliated against a failure. When she didn't have much to work with, she would always turn to the Grimm. She would use thousands to do her bidding. And she would act all over the world."

Djarin and Cinder were easily intimidated by the idea. "You said something like this would take a month?" Djarin asked.

"At most," Revan repeated. "The fastest I've seen her recover and retaliate was less than a week."

Cinder softly gasped at the idea, but she found something to counter it. "What about Coruscant?" she asked. "She waited a while after she lost her Sith, right?"

"Yes, but she considered the attack a victory. She was willing to bide her time before striking again. And she didn't lose the Sith. She keeps them locked away until she finds a use for them again."

Cinder had one more question to ask before she could make a decision. "Dad... Ozpin might be right about finding an army rather than building one," she began. "Unless you might know where all the Mandalorians from last night would go?"

Djarin sighed before he shook his head. However, he wasn't ready to entirely abandon the plan he made with Cinder.

"Maybe we can do both," he suggested. "When we have Atlas' army on our side, we can start to make another. We can rally the Mandalorians with Atlas as a backup."

Cinder agreed to the plan with a smile and a nod before she turned to Ozpin. "...Okay," she said. "We'll go to Atlas."

Ozpin opened his mouth to answer, to express gratitude to Cinder for trusting his judgement. However, Djarin's voice filled the immediate area.

"You can come with us," the Mandalorian decided. "But we're not taking orders from you anymore. You'll be a consultant, when it comes to Salem."

"And no more lies," Cinder insisted. "No more secrets, half-truths, or whatever you call it. If we find the smallest thing wrong with what you say, you're on your own."

Ozpin slowly nodded before he replied. "All I wish is the opportunity to work with you again," he insisted. "And perhaps I'll regain your trust along the way."

"You want to work with us?" Djarin asked. "That's fine. But you want us to trust you again?"

"Earn it," Cinder ordered without hesitation.

"..."

Ozpin knew that the road ahead of him would be difficult, if he chose to traverse it. He wouldn't necessarily be in enemy territory, but he would be in an unfamiliar place. When someone usually lost faith or trust in the old man, Ozpin had to watch them leave and never see them again. He would be alone once more to pick up the pieces.

However, this was different. This was, perhaps, the first time he would stand against Salem without taking the lead. Djarin and Cinder had a place for him in their plan, but it was one he had never tried before. He would always be in the front line or working behind the scenes to protect Remnant from Salem.

And yet, every time he did, disaster eventually followed.

Ozpin couldn't deny that he had given Djarin, Qrow, and Cinder false hope when he took them under his wing. He gave them places in the world, important roles to play, but he kept secrets and lied to them along the way. And the hope they had was indeed false.

However, Djarin and Cinder seemed to have a new hope with them. A hope that would include Ozpin, but in a spot where he could potentially do more good and less harm.

He had tried everything else to keep everyone safe. So he couldn't think of a reason why working underneath someone would be a bad idea. If others wished to lead while using his wisdom and knowledge... Ozpin saw that perhaps such an idea would be for the best.

"Understood," Ozpin replied calmly. "I'll follow your lead, Djarin. And yours too, Cinder."

The clan of two liked the sound of that. And with Obi-Wan and Qrow by their side, things were starting to look good.

Now it was time to decide where to go from here.

"Revan," Cinder asked calmly. "How long do you think we could stay and help Haven for?"

"Before Salem recovers from her loss here?" Djarin included.

"..."


Two weeks later

It took time and effort, but order was finally reestablished at Haven and the Kingdom of Mistral itself. Haven had been fully repaired, the wounded were fully recovering, and the news of the war finally being over spread far and wide across the continent of Anima. It would reach the rest of the world soon, courtesy of messengers taking the place of the CCT.

Peace had found its way to Mistral once again, so the Council thought it best to have a celebration in honor of everyone who risked their lives to defend the Kingdom. And since the Huntsmen and Huntresses worked the hardest, the celebration was held at Haven Academy.

The whole Kingdom was invited, the capital and the villages alike. Many people came, and all were welcomed. The Kingdom actually recognized humans and Faunus alike for their contributions in fighting against the invaders, which made everyone feel honored. Food, drinks, and music were all a part of the auspicious occasion, but the best part was saved for last.

Along with the reconstruction of Haven's auditorium, Obi-Wan planned the creation of a memorial for all of the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and citizens who took up arms against the Mandalorian warmongers. Before it was unveiled, however, Obi-Wan had prepared a speech and an award ceremony for the brave warriors.

And now, he was sharing that speech in front of multiple people and multiple cameras. The entire Kingdom of Mistral was listening to what Obi-Wan had to say.

"Many greetings, citizens of Mistral," the Headmaster began. "It has been two weeks since the attack on this school. Two weeks since our dreaded conflict with the warmongering Mandalorians has ended. This is truly a time to rejoice, a time where we can enjoy the peace we hoped would return to our Kingdom."

There was a brief applause from the audience, from students and adults alike. Cinder, her father, Ozpin, and Revan were currently sitting to the left of Obi-Wan while the Mistral Council sat to the right. Each and every one of them were smiling as they listened to their friend and ally speak.

Qrow was also present, but he wasn't smiling.

"As I reflect on the war... I can only think of the truth," Obi-Wan continued. "Namely, how it is true that the war was very a brief one."

"..."

"But its brevity does not excuse its significance. We have all been tested, each and every one of us. Our faith, our trust, our friendships have all been tested. Huntsmen such as myself have been pushed to their limits, our officials of law and order have been keeping the peace in our capital for as long as they could, and you..." Obi-Wan looked directly at the citizens. "Yes, you, have done things most would consider impossible."

"..."

It was clear that Obi-Wan was talking about the people, the backbone of society and the Kingdom itself. And he had nothing but the truth to say.

"Most of you had to abandon your homes," Obi-Wan said. "And some of you had to rise to the task of defending them, just as our Huntsmen and Huntresses have sworn to do. Many lives have been lost, and all of us have lost something important along the way."

"..."

Obi-Wan looked down for a brief moment as he said this. He couldn't help but think of Satine, how he wished that she could be standing here with him. It was this feeling that allowed Obi-Wan to empathize with the people of Mistral, those who had lost everything important to them.

And these feelings allowed Obi-Wan to continue his speech.

"We were all wronged by this war, we were all robbed of many things and people we held as sacred. But we have not let these losses define us. We have preserved through the dark times... and we have emerged victorious and alive!"

Applause filled the area once again as everyone agreed with the Headmaster.

"We are victorious, and we are alive," Obi-Wan repeated. "But I understand that this cannot apply to everyone. The losses we endured are a result of murder and sacrifice. Whatever the cause of their loss may be... I will not let their names and significance to Mistral be forgotten."

"..."

Obi-Wan gestured behind him towards a large drape covering something. The Council and Obi-Wan's friends were sitting on opposite sides of the curtain, and they knew what was underneath it.

Now it was time for all of Mistral to know as well.

"I choose to believe that they will not only live on, but be commemorated," said the Headmaster. "Commemorated with this memorial."

With that, two Huntsmen worked together to move the tarp and reveal a piece of art.

The memorial was a carving made from metal, and it shined brightly under the sun. It was a circle of sorts, though it didn't connect at the very top. At first, the people believed it to be a lob-sided crescent moon with a sort of trident at the top. It almost looked like a bird with great wings, and the symbol at the top almost looked like a star.

After a few moments, Obi-Wan could sense that many people believed it was beautiful. There was some confusion amidst the crowd, but they liked what they saw. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan explained what the symbol meant to him.

"This is an icon I encountered on my many travels, prior to becoming Headmaster of Haven," Obi-Wan explained. "It is a icon once forgotten due to the Great War, but its meaning remains the same. It is a symbol of hope. Of a phoenix that has risen from the ashes to see peace and prosperity once more. A peace that all of us had hoped to see once again. And so we have."

Applause filled the area once more, and everyone decided that the symbol of the rising phoenix was a perfect way to commemorate their rise from the ashes of war and destruction.

As for who the people could thank for achieving this peace, Obi-Wan had prepared that in his speech as well.

"We continue to witness this peace because we did not act alone," Obi-Wan continued. "Huntsman and Huntress, human and Faunus, the high and the low... we have all worked together to see this day. If there is one thing that this war has taught me, it is that hope and allies can be found even in the darkest and most unexpected places." Obi-Wan gestured towards his left, specifically at Djarin and Cinder. "That was how I have found my closest allies and friends in this conflict. Two people, two Mandalorians, who dedicated their hearts to seeing the war come to an end."

"..."

There wasn't much applause from the audience this time. There was confusion and uncertainty, as well as much skepticism. Obi-Wan could even hear whispers about how such a thing was even possible.

Cinder couldn't hear the whispers, but the silence scared her greatly.

Not only was she and her father invited to the ceremony, but they were also about to be given awards for their role in defending Haven. The Council even decided that Cinder could give a speech to ease everyone's minds about the future.

They believed it would make a lot of people happy, and it would give Cinder the chance she had asked for.

And yet, Cinder couldn't help but have second thoughts. The silence was making her very uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but sweat under the sun. She had practiced her speech countless times with her father and friends, but Cinder felt that all of the sun's energy was being cast down upon her.

And yet, she received some comfort from her father, who was holding her hand and nodding very calmly. Djarin didn't speak, but he was telling Cinder that she wouldn't be alone up there.

And Obi-Wan made the effort to make Cinder feel more welcome.

"I understand have been many reports in the news and the media about the attack on Haven," Obi-Wan began. "There has also been some conflicting information passed around in the two weeks since the war's end. So allow me to be the first to clear away any and all confusion."

"..."

The audience was completely silent, which gave Obi-Wan his chance to explain everything.

"As all of you are aware, the war started when Pre Vizsla and Gar Saxon of Death Watch and the Saxon Clan of Mandalorians attacked Vale during the Vytal Festival. Their attack then moved to Beacon, which served as a catalyst to its untimely fall. The two warlords spread far and wide to recruit other Mandalorians to their cause, people who harbored the same animosity against us. Many sided with Gar Saxon, who asserted his role as leader of all Mandalorians. And when he died, many followed Pre Vizsla in his stead. Many... but not all."

"..."

"There were those who rebelled against Death Watch and the Saxons. Those who turned the conflict into a Mandalorian Civil War. Between those like Saxon who wished to destroy our way of life, and those who wished to fight with us and for us."

"..."

Obi-Wan gestured towards Djarin and Cinder once more. "Today, I am joined by two of those Mandalorians, those who stared at tyranny and genocide with defiance and resistance. Din Djarin is a man who risked life and limb to warn Vale and Vacuo of the attack two weeks ago while I prepared our defenses at Haven. Without him, we would have neither the knowledge or the reinforcements to defend Haven or the capital itself."

"..."

"And it was his daughter, Cinder, who faced Pre Vizsla to revoke his title as leader of the Mandalorian people. When she defeated him, she earned his title in the eyes of all Mandalorians. And with her new power, it was Cinder who declared that the war was over and that all Mandalorians were to cease hostilities with the Kingdoms effective immediately."

There wasn't much silence in the audience anymore. There were mostly whispers, mainly at how someone as young as Cinder could stop a war.

"Wait, what?"

"It was her?"

"Isn't she a little young for a Mandalorian?"

"The Headmaster wouldn't lie about this."

"Who were the other Mandalorians?"

"Is she really supposed to be their ruler or whatever?"

"What's she gonna do next?"

All of the whispers stopped when Obi-Wan continued talking again. "And so, on behalf of the Council and the staff of Haven, it is with great honor that I bestow onto these two Mandalorians... these two heroes, with Mistral's highest honor, the Medal of Bravery."

A softer but audible applause filled the area when Djarin led Cinder up to the podium where Obi-Wan was speaking. On the podium were two small boxes that each contained a golden medallion that Djarin and Cinder could wear if they chose to.

After he presented them with the awards, Obi-Wan proudly shook hands with the Mandalorians and said one last thing. "And now, I invite the new ruler of the Mandalorian people to come and say a few words."

"..."

Cinder was feeling nervous once again as she heard the silence. This silence was more respectful than the last, since the audience was giving her a chance to speak. However, Cinder was able to read the room and see that there was still much skepticism and distrust among the crowd.

But as he promised, Djarin wasn't going to let Cinder do this alone. Instead of taking his seat, he stood to the left of the podium and whispered to Cinder.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be right here beside you."

Cinder smiled at her father and welcomed his support. And she felt even better when Obi-Wan gave his support as well.

"Speak from your heart, Cinder," he advised. "And they too will have faith in you."

"..."

With that, Obi-Wan took his seat and gave Cinder her well-deserved chance to speak.

"Um..."

"..."

Cinder couldn't help but stutter as she prepared herself. Fortunately, the speech she had prepared and practiced was on her Scroll in front of her. But first, Cinder expressed her gratitude after she cleared her throat.

"Thank you, Headmaster Kenobi, for this most sacred gift," she began. "And thank you, esteemed Council members. I assure you that I will keep this medal in a place of honor."

"..."

Silence, save for a cough from the attending citizens, was Cinder's only reply. With that, Cinder turned her eyes to the speech she had prepared and spoke into the microphone.

"Citizens of Mistral... like the Huntsmen and Huntresses, I stand before you humbled and at your service," she began. "It is true that I sought to put an end to Pre Vizsla's war and rule, and I did that the only way I knew how. It is true that in the eyes of the Mandalorian people... I am their leader."

Silence didn't fill the audience this time. Instead, whispers from the crowd returned.

"That's their leader now?"

"Like the Huntsmen? She's old enough to be a first-year student!"

"She's no older than my sister!"

"So what, she's like a queen or something like that?"

"What is she gonna do?"

Cinder was nervous once again when she heard some of these questions. However, they came at a rather good time, since the next part of her speech would answer some of them.

"I understand how... skeptical you all must be," Cinder continued. "After all, each of the four Kingdoms abolished their monarchies after the Great War. They chose to utilize democracy, and for good reason. I too believe in the power of the people. Which is why I promise that I... I..."

"..."

Cinder had decided to look up from her Scroll and address the people, but this proved to be a mistake. One look at every child, adult, human, and Faunus told Cinder that she wasn't getting through to anyone. It was her goal to touch their hearts and let them know that the Mandalorians wouldn't be hurting them anymore. That she was going to change all of that.

Unfortunately, nobody believed her.

In fact, Cinder was on the verge of not believing herself anymore. Just as she believed two weeks ago, it would be hard to assert her rule, to make change where change needed to be made. And if she couldn't get through to the average citizens of Remnant, how was she supposed to get through to the Mandalorians?

So it made sense for her to lose faith in herself. However, a small whisper from her father made her find faith once more.

"Remember the Way of the Maiden," he said calmly. "Believe in yourself. I believe in you."

"..."

That one small kindness made Cinder's mind clear. She remembered the Way of the Maiden, as well as her promise to follow it, as clear as day. This new tradition was meant to inspire others, which was why Cinder was standing in front of everyone now.

And so, by following the Way of the Maiden, Cinder was able to finish her speech without her Scroll. Along with that, she did what Obi-Wan advised her to do: speak from her heart.

"Look, I get it," Cinder said bluntly and honestly. "I get how all of this sounds, how a kid is supposed to be in charge of a broken civilization."

The change in attitude and the description of the Mandalorians caught everyone by surprise. Nobody would have expected a person to disrespect or downplay their own culture. In fact, the Mandalorians who invaded seemed proud of who they were.

But Cinder decided to tell everyone otherwise.

"Yes, I admit it," she continued. "The Mandalorian civilization is broken, its people are in complete disarray. And hell, we don't even have a place to call home!"

"..."

"Actually, that's why I'm here right now, talking to all of you. It's because my people are broken enough to think that starting a war was the answer they sought! They believed hurting you would make all of their problems go away! But I'm here to tell you that I know that's not the case! I know that two wrongs don't make a right!"

"..."

Cinder lowered her voice when she saw that she had everyone's attention. "Headmaster Kenobi was right. We are all alive, and we have all witnessed peace return to this Kingdom... but that doesn't mean all is forgiven." Cinder moved her head from left to right. "I know you're all still hurting. You're all mourning the loss of something or someone you hold dear. Most of you lost your homes, and some of you lost your families. The pain is there, and nothing in this world could ever replace what you lost."

"..."

Cinder took a deep breath before she shared a truth about herself. "For those of you who feel this pain, for those of you who lost your homes and families... I know how you feel," she said. "I don't mean to say I understand or that I see your pain, I mean I know how you feel. I know this because... because I'm just like you."

Whispers filled the area again, but Cinder didn't pay attention to them. Instead, she explained herself in full.

"I'm not a real Mandalorian," she confessed. "I wasn't born on Mandalore, and I wasn't born from Mandalorian parents. I'm an orphan from Mistral. For ten years, I lived without a family and without a home that made me feel warm and safe. I lost faith in everything... until I met Din Djarin."

"..."

Everyone turned towards Djarin, who remained silent as Cinder took his hand and spoke again. "Din Djarin decided to adopt me, to take me in and raise me as his own daughter. He sacrificed his own freedom, his independence, just to find me a home. To find me a place and people where I truly belonged. In his mind, that place was with the Mandalorians. I've been his daughter for five years, and I know that I couldn't have asked for a better father." Cinder hugged Djarin tightly, which evoked a reaction from the audience.

Cinder could hear brief sounds of joy and satisfaction from her hug and affirmation.

"Because of this, I was given everything I wanted and then some," Cinder continued after she let go of her father. "I've been living happily for years... but I still know the pain you're all feeling. It's a pain I had to live with for years, something I wouldn't dare to wish on my worst enemy. Because you all deserve better than that pain. And to know that it was caused by Mandalorians, the people I associate myself closest with, breaks my heart. And so, from the bottom of my heart, I wish to apologize. To beg your forgiveness for the atrocities committed against you."

"..."

"Not only do I wish to apologize, but I also wish to tell you why this happened. You all lost so much, you've been hurt in ways you've never been hurt before, and now you deserve to know why this happened."

"..."

"This war, these acts of conquest, were all driven by hate. Hate, and an inability to let go of the past."

"..."

"It's no secret that the Mandalorians were the black sheep of the victors of the Great War. They only chose to fight after they had been provoked. But even though they fought and won... they never healed or recovered from the war."

"..."

"The Mandalorians were shunned away from society after the war. Whether this was intentional or not, they believed they had no place in the Kingdoms that emerged from the war, new and old. This led them to creating a misplaced hatred for you, because they refused to heal. They demanded that the world accept them for who they are, but they did this without accepting who you are as well."

"..."

"The Mandalorians who started this war did so out of intolerance. Prejudice. And hate."

"..."

"But what they failed to understand is that the Kingdoms didn't hate the Mandalorians before our civil war began. No... they feared us. You feared us. And you were right to fear us. You had every right to fear what we would do, what would happen every time we walked down the streets, every time we would cover ourselves in head to toe with battle armor. They thought this war would change all of that! They thought this war would put them above everyone! But they were wrong!"

"..."

"This war, all of this bloodshed and pain, the only thing it did was show us that you! Were! Right!"

"..."

"But that changes today." Cinder cleared her throat once more before she spoke again. "As leader of all Mandalorians, it is my duty to look after their best interest. And today, I stand here to tell you that their best interest is change. I believe it is time to change how my people think and act. I cannot deny the Mandalorians' right to exist, to live on this world with the rest of you. But I can make them change. And I will."

"..."

"When I leave Mistral today, I will seek out every Mandalorian on Remnant. I will create change that will prevent warlords from attacking the innocent, prevent forests and cities from being burned to the ground, and prevent another war like this one from happening!"

"..."

Cinder suddenly had an idea on how she could show this change. "In fact, when I come across more of my people, I will leave them with that!" Cinder pointed behind her at the symbol of the rising phoenix. "This is a symbol of hope and peace, one that every Mandalorian, myself included, will wear on their armor! From this day forward, the Mandalorians will not be people who fight to have war! But rather, they will fight to defend the peace we have today! This phoenix, this starbird, will be proudly shining on all of Mandalore!"

"..."

"So I'm going! I will accept the responsibility to make this change happen, make the Mandalorians who invaded your home face justice, and I will do this now! Because a peace such as this, a world as great as Remanant, is what all of you rightfully deserve! Have faith in me, and I will never let you down!"

"..."

After what sounded like an eternity, a single voice arose from the audience. And it said exactly what everyone was thinking.

"...I like the sound of that."

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

Applause, cheers, and loud whistling followed the voice, and it was all directed at Cinder. Just as she wished, she touched everyone's hearts and proved that she was worthy of their faith. But more than that, Cinder kept the promise she had made.

She had followed the Way of the Maiden. And it had led to such wonderful results, as well as a hug from Djarin.

"I am so proud of you," the Mandalorian said as he led his daughter back to her seat.

When the applause finally disappeared, Obi-Wan took Cinder's place. Even though he knew that Cinder's speech was a rather tough act to follow.

"Thank you, Cinder," he began proudly. "Well said."

"..."

Obi-Wan turned to the crowd once more. "And thank you all, as well. With the support you have just given to these brave people, I can assure you that their quest will not fail."

A brief but heartfelt applause followed this promise. But the reason it was so brief was because of what Obi-Wan said next.

"And even more assurance, I have decided to join Cinder on this noble mission."

"..."

Everyone was surprised and confused by the idea, since nobody had ever announced their intention of leaving. However, this was a decision Obi-Wan made to the Council as well as Ozpin, and now he was about to explain why.

"Along with Cinder, I too feel a sense of responsibility right now. Not for the war, but for the loss of one esteemed and irreplaceable member of Mistral's Council. Satine Kryze."

"..."

"It is true that I attempted to save her the night of the attack, just as it is true that I arrived too late. But not before I discovered the identity of her assassin, someone who I believe was in league with the enemy Mandalorians. Therefore, I feel it is my responsibility to find the perpetrator and bring him to justice. In order to do that, it is with a heavy heart that I must announce my resignation as Headmaster of Haven Academy."

There was no applause in the audience, but everyone could hear small groans and sounds of disappointment and sadness. It seemed that Obi-Wan had left quite the impact on Haven and its students.

"But do not despair," the former Headmaster commanded. "I have reached out to an old colleague of mine. A man of utmost honor, discipline, and excellence. I do not expect you to know his name, since he spent every waking hour defending his home, a vital part of Mistral itself, from the Mandalorians who wished to see it destroyed."

Many people were impressed by the idea, mainly the Council. They were aware of who Obi-Wan had suggested would replace him, and they too believed he was a man of honor and discipline.

"And so, I take great pride in informing you that in my stead, Count Dooku of Serenno will be Haven's newest Headmaster," Obi-Wan declared. "Unfortunately, he could not attend today's celebration, as he is currently making the necessary preparations to succeed me. I ask that the student body of Haven Academy respect and obey him as you would me."

A soft applause served as Obi-Wan's response to the declaration, which made him faithful that the students of Haven would accept his request. And now, with a heavy heart indeed, Obi-Wan began the final part of his speech.

"And so, it is time for me to take my leave," the former Headmaster declared. "But do not despair. Rejoice, enjoy your celebration, and most of all... be proud. Be proud of what you have accomplished, be proud that you finally saw this day, and be proud for being who you are. Farewell."

The area became engulfed in a loud applause, as loud as it was for Cinder's speech. Obi-Wan was also proud as he stepped off the stage, after he shook hands with the Council and bid them farewell. Once he did, Obi-Wan found himself following Cinder, Djarin, Ozpin, Revan, and Qrow to the Razor Crest so they could begin their quest.

But Obi-Wan allowed himself one more look at the proud people of Mistral, the people he was proud to defend. The applause continued as he looked at everyone, and it was loud enough to drain out one more thing Obi-Wan had to say.

"The Force will be with you. Always."


Author's notes: hey everyone, hope you're all doing good. This chapter is the first chapter in my new arc, and it's quite possible that this is the last arc too. The ending I have planned is very close, and I'm really excited to share it with all of you. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, but right now, all I hope is that you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it's a bit long, I had a lot to cover at this point. Hope you enjoyed it!

To The Avenging Titan, glad I was able to surpass expectations here. As for Raven, you'll just have to wait and see. Glad you liked Djarin wanting Cinder to follow the Way of the Maiden, and I hope you like how it was utilized here. You'll see how it picks up off the ground in the future. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Don Cheeto, I would love to do something with Baylan Skoll in the future. He was my favorite character in Ahsoka, and I'd hate not to utilize him in fanfiction. I just hope I could do him justice. As for Thrawn, I think you'll be seeing him very soon. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Dasgun, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to leave all of your thoughts in the future.

To GojiraRWBYSW18, hope I didn't hurt your heart too much. As for Ozpin, he has a chance to redeem himself in everyone's eyes. And he's not gonna waste it, don't worry. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To Servos New Head, glad you liked my idea for Lightspeed. I saw the chance and took it in a heartbeat. And I'm glad you recognized my inspiration for Malak's death, I saw another chance that I had to take. Hope you liked the brief Vader moment, but you'll have to wait and see about him and Raven. Glad you liked the Spring Maiden void and Cinder becoming the Mand'alor. And I'm aware that Ozpin's biggest mistake was giving others false hope. But now he has the chance to redeem himself, and he's not going to waste it. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To CT7567Rules, glad you like the departure of three villains so far. I see where you're coming from about Pre Vizsla and MK, it might have been at the back of my mind when writing that. I gotta play MK1, I'm excited. And I also think someone with Silver Eyes is supposed to defeat Salem (in the show). I've seen that in your own story, and you're doing a good job of using that idea. I definitely want to use your Rambo scene, don't worry. And I think I know the perfect way to do so, you'll definitely see it in this story. As for the clones, I also plan to see them. You'll see what happens soon, I promise. As for Obi-Wan and Dooku, I hope this chapter answers your questions. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

That's all I have for now. Once again, this arc may be the final one. I know what else I have left to write, I'm just unsure if I need another arc after this one or not. But I don't intend to cram everything I have left into this one, that would just be lazy. If the plan changes, I'll be sure to let you know. Oh, and I know this site has been a little buggy recently. Should anything happen, just remember that I also have the story cross-posted on Archive of Our Own.

Once again, thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a review before you go. Your feedback is very important to me. And if you haven't already, please consider favoriting/following the story as well. I hope you have a great day!

The Court of Talons is adjourned. See you next time!