The Way of the Maiden

by The Court of Talons

The world of Remnant is notable for warriors such as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It is also notable for the Mandalorians, groups of mysterious and nomadic warriors just as ruthless as the Grimm. This is the story of one particular Mandalorian, and how a chance encounter with a child leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Defense

Between the capital city of Mistral and the western part of Anima rested a Great Lake, one that was a host to many tourists as well as businesses. The main business in this lake was fishing, which was why many ships could be seen acquiring scores of fish that would be sold throughout the Kingdom.

But now, the only company that the Great Lake had was a group of battle-hardened warriors at the western side. And sadly, they couldn't afford the luxury of enjoying the sights of the lake and adjacent forests.

Ever since the Mandalorian War began, the Council of Mistral knew the easiest way for the conquerors to take the capital city would be to traverse the lake. Such a journey, by sea or by air, would approximately take two days time. However, it was still the best way for anyone to invade the prosperous city.

Naturally, the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral were sent to the western part of Anima so they could defend the entire land. When the beach between Sanus and Anima had fallen, the defenses at the lake were fortified to prevent anyone from entering.

And there was only one person the Council trusted enough to protect this passage: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Headmaster of Haven Academy originally chose to stay at the school to ensure that it had not been breached like Beacon had been. His main task was to protect the Relic of Knowledge, but the Council wasn't aware of this. But when news of the Mandalorians arriving at Anima reached Mistral, Obi-Wan knew he had to make sure the Mandalorians couldn't enter the city.

The task had been hard at first, since the Mandalorians kept coming closer and closer to the Great Lake. Obi-Wan was able to join the battles at times, but the ones he didn't partake in usually resulted in catastrophe. The wisdom of the Jedi Order and the protection of the Force were helpful, but nothing short of a miracle would save Mistral now.

That miracle came in the form of Din Djarin, who was accompanied by members of Clan Vizsla.

The Mandalorian had come to Mistral in hopes of finding Aurora, the Faunus who was responsible for putting Cinder in a coma. If he could find and kill her, Djarin was certain that the power of the Fall Maiden would return to its rightful owner. He knew this task would be difficult, and the Mandalorian conquerors would only make it even harder.

Fortunately, Djarin was able to sway the minds of Clan Vizsla, an old ally he had crossed paths with many times. They had originally evaded the war due to their past experiences with someone claiming the Darksaber and enslaving them, and they weren't looking forward to that again. While they were honor bound to follow whoever wielded the sword, Clan Vizsla had not been sought out just yet. They were safe, more or less.

But since they knew they could not hide forever, and after they helped Clan Tenau retake Beacon Academy for Vale, Clan Vizsla agreed to help Djarin in his time of need.

Djarin made contact with Obi-Wan as soon as he came to Mistral, and he was practically welcomed with open arms. However, the Mistral Council wasn't very favorable when it came to trusting Mandalorians. Fortunately, Councilwoman Satine Kryze was able to vouch for Djarin and his intentions. She reminded the Council how he had prevented a massacre at her home five years ago.

But this wasn't enough.

"If what you're saying is true, then defend the Great Lake," the Council ordered Djarin. "Perhaps then we'll believe you are who you say you are."

That was how Djarin and members of Clan Vizsla found themselves at the Great Lake of Mistral. Obi-Wan did his best to convince the Huntsmen and Huntresses there that Clan Vizsla was on their side, but this didn't work as he planned. A few brief fights between the two parties, which were caused by small disagreements and spite, occurred throughout the day. And when there wasn't fighting, a silent but noticeable grudge existed between the two.

All of that changed when reality kicked in. When the true enemy revealed themselves.

*BOOM*

*GROWL*

*BANG*

The sounds of Grimm and incoming Mandalorians had drawn everyone as far away from the body of water as possible, so they could face the threats head on. The Creatures of Grimm, mostly Beowolves and Ursai, were the first to come into the fold. There, they were met with nothing but opposition by the well-trained Huntsmen and Huntresses. Their experience at Haven Academy and their past missions made killing the Grimm easy, almost like child's play.

The Mandalorians, given their culture of combat and warfare, also made this look easy. In fact, it really was easy for them.

Clan Vizsla had many weapons on their side, from blasters to the equipment within their armor. Blasts, razor wires, flames, and miniature projectiles were all used against the Grimm and were all just as effective as the unique weapons the Huntsmen and Huntresses were using.

But when they challenged the Grimm to hand-to-hand combat, that was when they showed their true potential.

"Are they out of their minds?" a Huntress asked after she and two Huntsmen finished off a pack of Beowolves. "I mean, those knives should help, but some of them aren't using anything!"

"Forget about 'em," said one of the Huntsmen. "If they wanna kill themselves, that's their problem."

"Don't be so sure," said the other Huntsman as he pointed ahead. "Look."

"..."

A group of Mandalorians was ahead of the Huntsmen and Huntress, and they too were fighting with their knives and fists against the Grimm. The knives had proven to be efficient in cutting the creatures deep enough to make black blood spray on their armor, and eventually they died.

The Grimm took this attack personally and retaliated with bites and scratches, just like they always did. But the Beskar armor was strong enough to make these attacks mostly ineffective, as long as they did not strike the spots not covered by armor.

And while the number of Grimm was formidable, the Mandalorians held their own.

The warriors were able to hold the Grimm back with their hands and even push back hard enough to make them lose their footing. Even their fists and kicks were strong enough to make them fall down. Only when they were on the ground did the Mandalorians choose to use their weapons against the Grimm.

But their choice of combat was doing wonders for them.

The Huntsmen and Huntress couldn't help but look at the Mandalorians who fought with their fists and held their own. It had been said in the past that Mandalorians were the only rivals Huntsmen and Huntresses had when it came to killing Grimm, and today seemed to prove that this was a fact.

However, they still had their unique weapons and knowledge in this line of work on their side. The weapons of a Huntsman and Huntress were an extension of themselves, just like their Semblances were. They were a part of themselves, a part that thrived when it came to defending cities and people from the Grimm. They did their job with pride, and that pride extended to their Semblances and the unique weapons they crafted themselves.

The Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla noticed this as well, and were equally impressed with how individualistic the Huntsmen and Huntresses were while fighting. Clan Vizsla trained together and fought as one, just like they followed their own code of honor. It was a difference they had with the Huntsmen and Huntresses, this was true.

If there was one thing both parties could learn today, it was that the differences in combat did nothing but serve them all well.

"Ram'or!" (Attack!)

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

Everyone suddenly noticed that the Grimm had been depleted. As a consequence, the enemy Mandalorians emerged from the woods and charged at the combined army of Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians.

Every warrior that was an enemy to these Mandalorians suddenly moved to defensive positions. Rifles and blasters alike returned fire against the invaders, where they did their best to repel the enemy. While some of the charging Mandalorians fell, most of the gunshots and blasts hit the Beskar armor without much damage being inflicted.

Close ranged combat inevitably started between the two factions. Huntsmen and Huntresses relied on the secondary melee form of their weapons to fight the Mandalorians, which proved effective. The exposed pieces of armor were easy to notice at this distance, so the Huntsmen and Huntresses did everything in their power to strike where it hurt.

The Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla knew this as well, and they too were striking where they knew it would hurt.

The conquerors, which looked like both Saxon and Death Watch Mandalorians, wasted no time defending themselves and striking back. Wires were fired at their enemies in order to prevent them from using their unique weapons. If they didn't ensnare the Huntsmen of Huntresses, the wires were able to snatch their weapons away.

Aura and Semblances were used on both sides, where each fighter could see how unique their opponent really was. From manipulating water to create sharp projectiles to bringing shadows to life, the battle took on many shapes and forms.

At first glance, it appeared that this battle was a stalemate. The Death Watch and Saxon Mandalorians were strong enough to kill Huntsmen and Huntresses, but they were outnumbered. Fortunately for them, a solution announced itself in the form of what sounding like stomping feet.

*THOOM*

*THOOM*

*THOOM*

*THOOM*

*CRASH*

*CRASH*

From the forest the Grimm and Mandalorians emerged from came a large, hulking mechanism. It stood on six legs, possessed a metal exterior, cannons on its sides, and a single Mandalorian riding on top of it.

The Basilisk war droid had joined the battle. And it was out for blood.

*CHOOM*

*BOOM*

*CHOOM*

*BOOM*

Rockets and red blasts emerged from the cannons and descended on the forces protecting Mistral. Only now, all they could do was run away from the droid before it killed them. The Huntsmen, Huntresses, and members of Clan Vizsla were never people to run away from a fight. However, they knew self-preservation was the only chance at surviving the wrath of a Basilisk; not even their Auras or Beskar could withstand its powerful blasts.

One Huntsman turned around to see that some of his comrades were trying to hold their ground. If they weren't shooting at the Basilisk, they were trying to fight the new Mandalorians that emerged from behind. "Fall back!" he called out to save his friends. "Fall back! Fall back!"

*WHOOSH*

Above their heads, everyone could see a blue light move almost as fast as lightning. When it landed on the ground in front of them, everyone could see that the blue light was a sword that was being held by none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. And right by his side was Din Djarin, who had not only joined the Headmaster via his Semblance, but he had joined with a rifle in hand that was pointed at the invaders.

Help had arrived.

"Hold your positions!" the Headmaster and Mandalorian said at the same time as they began to fight. Obi-Wan moved to a defense position, where he was able to block the yellow blasts being fired at him. If he wasn't making the blasts hit the ground around him, Obi-Wan was moving his lightsaber so the blasts could hit the Mandalorians back.

Din Djarin, on the other hand, was on the offensive. In his hands was a weapon he had acquired quite recently. Instead of regular or modified Dust rounds, this gun fired small pieces of metal that were normally used to hold things together. Only now, the metal was used to hit the Mandalorians where their armor couldn't protect them. Djarin even discovered that the rivets could crack the visor of a Mandalorian helmet and blind the enemies before him.

And when he had the chance, with the simple flip of a switch, Djarin made his new weapon transform into a staff with electric rods at the sides. He had made these modifications per Obi-Wan's advice, given what the Headmaster had seen his students do with their weapons. And so when Djarin approached his blinded enemies, he struck each electric end at them and watched them fall.

The sight of the conquerors being taken out by Obi-Wan and Din Djarin was enough for the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Clan Vizsla to regain their confidence. And so, they charged again and fought with everything they had.

The Mandalorian on top of the Basilisk saw this, and opened fire at the two men who began to turn the tide.

*CHOOM*

*BOOM*

*CHOOM*

*BOOM*

Despite his best efforts, the Mandalorian seemed to hit everything except Obi-Wan and Djarin.

This was the first day Djarin had seen the Basilisk war droid, and now he saw how it had gotten its name. He was familiar with the story of the Basilisk, a Grimm that was native to Mandalore and second only to that of the Mythosaur. Many tried to fight it, and many were killed as a result. But one Mand'alor managed to defeat it and claim it as their own. It wasn't easy, and keeping it under control was no simple feat as well. But with electric restraints, and sheer willpower, the Mand'alor claimed the beast and rode it into many victorious battles.

And now, the robotic weapon seemed to be doing its best to live up to the legend. Only now, Obi-Wan and Djarin had a plan.

At first, the duo did their best to draw the Basilisk's fire away from their allies. Obi-Wan's Jedi training and use of the Force made him incredibly fast, and Djarin's teleportation Semblance allowed him to move out of harm's way with no trouble at all.

Once he had the Mandalorian's attention, Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and made the droid stay still. The pilot was doing everything in his power to make the droid move again, but the sound of crushing metal told him that there was nothing he could do to regain control.

He could, however, fire everything the droid had at the defenses by the Great Lake.

Just as the Mandalorian pushed the button, multiple blasts and rockets flew out of the cannons and made their way towards the water. The Mandalorian was prepared to do it again, but Djarin used his Semblance to teleport himself to the top and electrocute the pilot. As he watched the enemy fall, Djarin stuck his weapon into the control panel and let the Electric Dust destroy the controls.

As for the blasts and rockets, Obi Wan used the Force to divert them back to the Basilisk.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

A few explosions later, all that remained of the Basilisk war droid was wire and scattered parts.

After he watched the explosion, Obi-Wan couldn't help but kneel to the ground and gasp for breath. He may have been a Jedi Master, but using the Force on so many projectiles left its toll on him. It took a vast majority of his strength to catch the projectiles, and some of them even escaped his grasp. He needed to rest.

But it seemed the conquerors had other plans for Obi-Wan.

"He destroyed it!" one Saxon Mandalorian yelled.

"I thought Vizsla said it was invincible!" said a Bralor Mandalorian. He and his clan had been promised much if they followed Pre Vizsla, but today was the first day that doubts began to set in.

"It doesn't matter how they destroyed it!" said a member of Death Watch. She pointed to Obi-Wan, who was starting to recover from his ordeal. "He's the one who stopped it! Now we can make sure that doesn't happen again!" She then raised her right arm, which had a flamethrower in its gauntlet. Without a word, the Mandalorian prepared to fire upon Obi-Wan.

*ZAP*

The woman was suddenly electrocuted by Djarin, who had evaded the Basilisk's destruction in time. He had used his Semblance to come closer to Obi-Wan and stop the Mandalorian from attacking him. He then unleashed a fury of strikes at the other Mandalorians, who had also tried and failed to kill Djarin.

Obi-Wan had recovered from his strain by this point, and now he was able to leap over Djarin and strike at the Mandalorians who were about to aid their comrades. His lightsaber couldn't cut through Beskar, but he was able to strike at the exposed pieces between the armor; these cuts either dismembered the Mandalorians or wounded them fatally.

The Huntsmen and Huntresses joined the Headmaster of Haven, as well as Djarin, and they began to repel the conquerors. The Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla also came from above and engaged in combat. The combined efforts resulted in the deaths of the invading Mandalorians, and one Huntress was able to notice something.

"Look!" she said as she pointed to the forest. "The Mandalorians are retreating!" Everyone looked in the direction the Huntress was pointing at to see that Mandalorians were either running or flying away.

"We did it!" a Huntsman yelled in pride. "We turned the tide!"

Cheers from everyone erupted as the last Mandalorian escaped their sights. With that, Obi-Wan and Djarin shared a glance at each other.

"Nice job, my friend," said the Headmaster. "Nice job."

---

After the Mandalorians had been drawn back from the lake, Obi-Wan met with several Huntsmen and Huntresses. A few Vizsla Mandalorians joined them as they assessed the damages and current condition of the forces that were remaining.

"We took some damage on the east side," said a large Huntsman. "Some of our munitions were there, but there were more to the west. We didn't lose too much."

"But we did lose too many," said a blonde Huntress. "Some of our best were on that side. We found about thirty of their bodies. The rest..." She suddenly began to shudder. "All we found were pieces."

Obi-Wan mentally sighed as he understood the situation. The Basilisk droid may have been destroyed, but it took its toll on everyone. Despite the fact he had seen reports like these, when the Jedi were at war with the Sith, Obi-Wan was never used to them.

There was a difference between being a peacekeeper and a soldier. The former always suited Obi-Wan better, but he understood that he had to do whatever was necessary to protect everyone.

"On the bright side, we took down a lotta Mandos," said another Huntress. "We didn't get a good count, but I think today was the day they lost the most people."

"We'll know later, I'm sure," said Obi-Wan. "Has the scouting party returned?"

"Not yet," said the Huntsman. "But they didn't leave too long ago."

"Some of us joined them," said a Vizsla Mandalorian. "They should be able to assess the situation better when above ground."

"Agreed," said Obi-Wan. "We'll need every advantage possible."

The Huntsmen and Huntresses present for the conversation were now aware that these Mandalorians were here to stay; their actions demonstrated that their current plan was to help defend the Great Lake.

While they were all unsure about the future of this alliance, pragmatism overruled the bigger picture.

"We lost a lot of good men and women today," one Huntress said to the Mandalorians. "We need to fill up that gap."

"If you're still planning to help us, we could use some more of you," said a Huntsman. "Your people are still in Vale, aren't they?"

"They are," one Mandalorian confirmed. "But I don't know how many we could spare."

This idea wasn't taken very lightly. "So that's it?" the Huntsman said. "They're just happy where they are?"

"I didn't say that," said the Mandalorian.

"Well, it's true." The Huntsman moved closer to the Mandalorian. "Beacon must be a great place to stay, huh? You'd better remember it's not a place you belong."

The Mandalorian moved closer as well. "Reasoning such as this is why you're having a war. You'll be fighting us too if you're not careful of your pride."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"That's enough, thank you," said Obi-Wan. He gently moved in between the Huntsman and Mandalorian. "We'll figure out if reinforcements are possible." He then turned to the Mandalorian. "You said you were unsure how many you could spare?"

"Djarin might know," the Mandalorian said. "He spoke to our leader, and then he spoke to all of us."

"Then I'll talk to him." Obi-Wan looked around, but he couldn't see the specific Mandalorian. "Has anyone seen him?"

"I think I saw him sparring with a few of us," said a brown-haired Huntsman. "He's going pretty hard at it."

"I saw him out there," one of the Huntresses said as she pointed in one direction. "Yeah, he was sparring. But his partner was in pretty rough shape."

"I saw him too," said a Mandalorian. "The way he was fighting... it was like he was fighting the enemy."

"I'll go and find him," Obi-Wan promised. "We'll send the official report to Mistral later." With that, the group split apart and went their separate ways.

Finding Din Djarin wasn't as hard as one would think. Obi-Wan could sense his negativity from miles away.

The Mandalorian was indeed sparring with some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses, but he was completely dominating them. Every time he struck with his staff and fists, it was with the intent to make sure getting up again was no easy task. It had gotten to the point where the forces of Mistral needed to engage their Aura to block out the pain.

"Again," Djarin said to a kneeling Huntsman.

"Again?" he asked. "You just knocked me down! What more do you need to do?"

"I said again." The Mandalorian readied himself to attack with his new electric staff, despite the fact that the Huntsman was ready to walk away.

"You're crazy," he said as he stood up. "Find someone else to spar with."

Djarin was not ready to accept "no" as an answer. This Huntsman was the fifth sparring partner who walked away from him, but he was going to be the first to receive a jolt of electricity to get him back in the fight.

That would have been the case if Obi-Wan hadn't pushed him with the Force.

"Let him rest, Djarin," Obi-Wan ordered as he activated his lightsaber. "I could use a quick match."

"..."

Djarin silently leapt at Obi-Wan and swung his staff.

*ZAP*

*ZAP*

*WHOOSH*

The sounds of Obi-Wan's lightsaber crashing against Djarin's weapon traveled across the field. As they did, the Mandalorian let his anger and frustrations out with every swing and thrust he made. When he saw that they were having no effect, either on Obi-Wan or his own feelings, the Mandalorian reluctantly began to open himself up.

"Your Huntsmen and Huntresses aren't ready," he began as he spun his staff. "They need to learn how to fight like the Mandalorians."

"They are learning," said Obi-Wan. "Today was a great lesson at that. But let's not pretend what you're doing is a learning opportunity." Obi-Wan swung his lightsaber and held it above his head with the tip pointing at Djarin. "I could sense your anger all the way back at camp."

Djarin rushed forward again and made contact with the sword. "I'm fine."

Obi-Wan pushed back. "You will be. Once you release what holds you back."

With each missed strike he made, and after Obi-Wan managed to leap behind him and strike his back, the Mandalorian finally realized how distracted he was by his own emotions. They weren't going away any time soon, but talking about them might help regain his focus.

"I've been here longer than I should be, and I still haven't found Aurora," the Mandalorian said as he blocked a strike from Obi-Wan. "I've been wasting time at Vacuo when I should have been here."

*ZAP*

"But I don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" Djarin used his Semblance to move away from Obi-Wan and turn his staff into a gun. The metal that shot out was deflected effortlessly by Obi-Wan. "I was a bounty hunter, and it never took me this long to find someone! I have to stop Aurora! It's the only way I can help Cinder!"

Obi-Wan leapt into the air and felt his lightsaber hit Djarin's staff when he came down. "I understand your frustrations, Djarin," he said. "I understand how you may believe you are failing Cinder by being unable to find Aurora."

"..."

Djarin said nothing, but he pushed harder on his staff when he heard this. Obi-Wan was telling the truth, but he needed to say one more thing to make the Mandalorian see this truth.

"My own master was cut down in battle... right by my side."

"..."

Djarin felt himself lower his staff as Obi-Wan continued talking. "It was my duty to protect him," the Jedi explained. "I too failed."

Djarin finally put his weapon away when he heard this. "I... I'm sorry," he said. "Cinder told me a long time ago, but... I forgot all about that."

Obi-Wan nodded and lowered his lightsaber. But before he turned it off, he looked at the blue light emanating from it. "I used my own Aura to kill the man responsible for my master's death," he continued. "But not out of duty; out of rage. And hatred."

"..."

Obi-Wan finally turned off his lightsaber and looked at Djarin. "The Jedi taught me that feelings like these, while natural, are the first steps towards the Dark Side." He then put a hand on the Mandalorian's shoulder. "Which is why you must be careful. We cannot lose ourselves in our quest to protect our loved ones."

"...I know," Djarin admitted. "I just wish that-"

"Headmaster Kenobi!"

The Jedi and his Mandalorian friend turned to see a Huntsman pointing towards the camp. "The scouts came back with a prisoner!" he said.

"..."

Djarin and Obi-Wan shared a brief glance of surprise at each other before they followed the Huntsman. After walking down a narrow path and past a few tents, the duo saw that the Huntsmen and Mandalorians that were sent as scouts had indeed returned with a prisoner. He didn't appear to be anyone of importance, but the black one-piece that he was wearing as clothes definitely stood out.

"He's from Clan Bralor," said a Vizsla Mandalorian as he threw a sack on the ground. The sack opened and a bronze Mandalorian helmet rolled out onto the ground. "We shot his jetpack before he could take off."

"Well done, my friends," Obi-Wan said to everyone. This was the first day since the war began since anyone had captured a Mandalorian and taken them prisoner; it was more common to kill them rather than capture them. "Let's bring him to my tent."

"I got him," said Djarin, who grabbed the Mandalorian's tied arms and twisted them. The member of Clan Bralor groaned in pain as he was led to the empty tent by Djarin.

The Huntsmen and Mandalorians seemed content with this handling, but Obi-Wan frowned as he sensed the anger within Djarin. But rather than repeat his earlier point, Obi-Wan followed his ally into a tent he had set up for himself. Djarin pushed the prisoner into an empty chair in the center and took a step back.

"There were rumors that Vizsla was recruiting other clans," the Mandalorian said as he crossed his arms. "I thought you would know better. That he would abandon people like you at times like this."

The prisoner chuckled without attempting to stand up. "Is that right?" he asked. "Well, you're one to talk about abandoning people, zealot. Why do you stand with people like them? The people who took our home?"

"That was not us," said Obi-Wan. "The people you met today and the rest of Remnant have done Mandalore no harm."

"No harm?!" The unarmored Mandalorian leaned forward at Obi-Wan. "They took everything from us and left us with nothing! Nothing!"

"..."

The captured conqueror formed a smirk on his face. "Now it's our turn. Now we get to even the score."

Djarin grabbed the Mandalorian's hair and pushed him back into the chair. "Not today," he said as he pulled out his knife. He hadn't used it in a while, but he still kept it sharp. "Today is the day you tell us everything you know about Vizsla's plans."

"I'll never talk," the Mandalorian promised. "Especially to traitors like you."

Djarin pulled the man's hair and pressed the blade against his neck. "I can bring you to Mistral warm... or I can bring you there cold."

The Mandalorian smiled again. "Go ahead. Make my day."

Djarin was ready to cut the prisoner's throat, to show that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to get what he needed. But as soon as a drop of blood touched the metal, Djarin felt a hand grab his arm and pull.

"No, wait!" Obi-Wan implored as he looked at Djarin.

"Heh, heh," the prisoner chuckled. "I knew you didn't have it in you."

This wasn't the case for Djarin, and he was ready to prove the Mandalorian wrong. However, Obi-Wan wasn't going to let him.

"There are alternatives to interrogation," the Headmaster said as he gently pushed Djarin aside. When he made eye contact with the smug prisoner, Obi-Wan gently waved his hand. "You will tell us everything you know about Vizsla's plans."

The Mandalorian stopped smiling as he sat upright. "I will tell you everything I know about Vizsla's plans," he repeated.

Djarin was astonished by the immediate compliance, as well as the Mandalorian's next words.

"Pre Vizsla knows he can't break your defenses easily. But he has a plan to attack the city of Mistral from the inside. The attack will take place on the next full moon while our forces keep you occupied here at the lake."

Djarin and Obi-Wan looked at each other when the other Mandalorian finished talking. While he couldn't see it, Obi-Wan was sure that Djarin was just as surprised as he was.

"An attack from the inside?" Djarin repeated. "How is he going to do it?"

"I... I don't know," the Mandalorian replied.

Djarin took out his knife again, but he was once again stopped by Obi-Wan. "He's not lying," the Headmaster said. "It's impossible for him to lie when his mind is being influenced."

Djarin reluctantly accepted this reality when he saw the state the Mandalorian was in. "Vizsla must have kept them on a need-to-know basis," he said. "Can you make him tell us anything else?"

Obi-Wan waved his hand again. "You will answer all of our questions."

"I will answer all of your questions," the Mandalorian slowly repeated. Djarin quickly took this chance to learn everything he could from the prisoner.

"When did you say the attack will take place?"

"The next full moon. In two days."

"How many Mandalorians?"

"Enough."

Djarin pulled out his knife again. "Give me a number."

"About a hundred."

"Will Vizsla be with them?"

"Who else is supposed to lead us?"

"Will Aurora be there too?"

"Who?"

"A tiger Faunus working with the Mandalorians."

"Never heard of her."

"How will they get into the city?"

"We found a way through Haven Academy. That's where we'll strike first."

"What about the Huntsmen here?"

"We'll keep them busy."

"..."

Djarin finally backed away from the Mandalorian and left the tent. As Obi-Wan joined him, two Huntsmen came inside the tent and took the prisoner away. Now that they were alone, the two could share their thoughts and plans.

"We have to go to Haven," said the Mandalorian. "We have to protect the school."

"I agree," said Obi-Wan. "But I don't understand. How could they possibly find a way to Mistral through Haven Academy? The security there isn't perfect, but it's enough to keep any intruders out."

Djarin pointed back towards the direction the Huntsmen had taken the prisoner. "We should bring that one back," he said. "Ask for ourselves."

"Save your breath," Obi-Wan ordered. "Vizsla didn't share everything about his plan with that one. He's nothing more than a pawn who knows as much as we do."

"We should still go back to Haven. Cover every square inch and prepare for the worst."

"I'll go, but this couldn't have come at a worse time. Our forces are already spread thin across the continent, and there aren't many of us. Though nobody will admit it, the clan members you convinced to join us were a gift from the Gods."

Djarin understood this well and he agreed. Mistral needed them more than Vale did at the moment. But that didn't mean they should all stay here.

"I'll see if the Mandalorians here can spare a few of their numbers," the Mandalorian said. "An attack from the inside will be enough to convince them."

"And I'll see what I can do with the Huntsmen and Huntresses here, but it won't be enough," said Obi-Wan. "Not against a hundred Mandalorians."

This was sad, but it was also true; the forces of Mistral were having enough trouble with the Mandalorians, and today's forces were roughly half of the army Vizsla planned to send to Haven.

"You're right," Djarin finally said. "What do you propose?"

"Only one thing," Obi-Wan began. "I will return to Haven with as many Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians as I can. You, on the other hand, must find Ozpin. Tell him what we learned and bring back whatever help you can. The more, the merrier."

"I can do that. But Ozpin shouldn't be the only one to know about this. Then I can go to Vale and speak with the Mandalorians at Beacon."

"Very good. We should be ready by the time you come back."

Djarin silently agreed and used his Semblance to teleport himself away. Obi-Wan was confident that the Mandalorian had gone back to the Razor Crest, just as he was confident that he would return with the help they needed. But he wished Djarin could have stayed just a second longer.

Just long enough for him to hear Obi-Wan say one more thing.

"May the Force be with you."

---

Once again, Din Djarin was alone.

He was currently in the Razor Crest, which was now flying over the sea that divided Anima with the western part of Sanus. Most didn't think it was a wise route to take, due to past conflicts under the water and in the air. But between this being the fastest way to Vacuo and the fact that the Mandalorians controlled most of Anima, Djarin knew flying this way was the best course of action.

Besides, it would be good to see Cinder again.

"..."

The Mandalorian let out a heavy sigh as he thought about his daughter. The frustrations he had earlier came back to him naturally, given that he had hardly anything to show for his departure. Djarin had promised that he would return with something for Cinder, whether it was a small lead on Aurora or the powers of the Fall Maiden.

And here he was, coming back with absolutely nothing.

But that didn't mean he didn't try. Djarin's efforts may have been spent defending the Great Lake, but he spent his free time asking anyone if they had heard any news about a Faunus working with the Mandalorians. He asked Obi-Wan, he asked the Huntsmen and Huntresses, he asked the Council, and he even asked the common criminals of lower Mistral.

The last place was the most difficult, given that Djarin had to rely on his combat skills to "convince" the people of lower Mistral. But the result was still the same.

"How can they not know?" Djarin asked himself. He knew these were all the right people to ask and interrogate, especially the Mandalorian that had been captured at the Great Lake. Djarin just couldn't understand how someone could be so good at hiding from him like this.

But the answer was obvious.

"She's with Salem," Djarin concluded. "And nobody knows where she is."

"..."

Djarin suddenly realized that this might not be true. After he put the Razor Crest on autopilot, he used the screen on his gauntlet to send an important message to the person who he was going to see.

Now seemed like a good time as any.

"Meet me at the inn. We need to talk."

"..."

Djarin didn't receive a response to this message as he continued to fly to Vacuo, but this happened before. Any time he needed to talk to Ozpin, the wise Huntsman would always be waiting for the Mandalorian in the exact spot they had agreed to meet.

And just as he expected, Ozpin was at the entrance to the inn when the Razor Crest finally landed.

It was roughly in the middle of a school day when Professor Ozpin got Djarin's message. He was overseeing a joint sparring session between the students of Shade and Beacon, one that he was hoping to share with Djarin. Ever since the occasion between Team IRON and the students in Mandalorian armor happened, many students were willing to see how it was possible to fight like a Mandalorian. And consequentially, many students from Beacon wanted to learn how to fight in the sands of Vacuo.

The lessons shared between the students were exactly what Ozpin wanted: unity. This was something he always strived to create with the Huntsmen Academies, and seeing such interactions like this were doing wonders for the body of students. Even Ivanna Vantablack, the leader of Team IRON, saw that she needed to work with Beacon to improve herself.

Ozpin may have been looking for an opportunity to share this news with someone like Djarin, but he was sure that what the Mandalorian had to say was more important.

Rather than the inn's dining room, where some of Auntie Em's guests were walking about, Djarin and Ozpin met in Cinder's room for privacy. Ozpin was willing to share his meeting with Vacuo's doctor, but Djarin shared his news first.

"A surprise attack?" Ozpin repeated. "At Haven Academy?"

*BUZZ*

Djarin waved his hand to move a fly away from his face before he answered Ozpin. "That's what the prisoner told us," he insisted. Djarin was currently sitting next to Cinder, who was still in her coma. "And he wasn't lying, according to Obi-Wan."

Ozpin knew firsthand that a Jedi mind trick, the feat Obi-Wan had performed, couldn't result in an influenced mind lying to anyone. So he took the idea seriously.

"But how?" the Headmaster wondered. "Obi-Wan told me that compromises to Haven's security had to be made, but an attack originating from within is unlikely.

"He said the same thing," Djarin replied. "We don't know how they're going to do it, just that the attack will happen."

"We must act swiftly. Did your prisoner say anything else?"

"Just that the attack will take place at the next full moon. That's less than two days away."

"Then we still have time. I'll join you, and see how many Theodore can spare. Have you told anyone else yet?"

"I was going to Beacon next, to talk to Clans Vizsla and Tenau. The Mandalorians helped us defend the Great Lake, but we need more to fight a hundred Mandalorians just like them."

"Agreed. I'll join you, but you should come to Shade so Theodore can hear all this for himself."

"Fine. Let's just make it quick."

Ozpin moved to the door quickly, just as Djarin requested. The Mandalorian, however, stayed where he was just for a moment. He couldn't resist the urge to look down at Cinder and take her hand in his as he silently promised to try harder next time. He was still angry at himself for not being able to find Aurora, but Djarin was in no position to give up.

And today he planned to gain the best possible lead for making everything right.

"The Razor Crest needs to refuel," Djarin explained as they passed the airship. "I'll use my Semblance to take us to Shade when we're close enough."

"Very well," Ozpin said with no objections. "Let's be on our way." He led the Mandalorian down the road he had originally travelled to arrive at the inn, which was free of Grimm at the moment.

Djarin's plan was going well at the moment. He was telling the truth about the Razor Crest needing more fuel, and his Semblance indeed required him to be close enough to Shade to be directly at the school. Its true power was still hampered after his mission with Qrow, but the Mandalorian didn't plan on telling Ozpin when they were close enough to use it.

Not until he said his part.

"The doctor from Vacuo came recently," Ozpin began. "I was able to follow his instructions and recommendations after he examined Cinder."

"I saw the notes you left behind," said Djarin. He was expecting an appointment with this doctor, and he was grateful that Ozpin left a note to keep track of his daughter's current state. "Thank you for watching her."

"My pleasure. She isn't getting worse, thank the Gods. But unfortunately, she isn't getting any better."

"I noticed. There's only one thing that can make her better."

"...Yes."

"..."

Ozpin remembered Djarin's reason for leaving Vacuo, and he was aware of how dangerous it was. While he was happy to see his friend appeared to be unharmed, Ozpin sensed that this meant he wasn't successful in finding Salem's Maiden.

"You had mentioned you helped defend the Great Lake," Ozpin recalled. "Were you able to find Aurora?"

"No," Djarin bluntly stated. "Not a trace of her."

"I see." Ozpin fixed his glasses before he spoke again. "It's not your fault, Djarin. Salem knows Aurora's not at her true potential with the Maiden's powers. She won't let Aurora out of her sight any time soon."

"Actually..." Djarin immediately stopped walking. "I wanted to talk to you about that."

Ozpin had noticed Djarin's immediate halt, just after he saw the city of Vacuo within sight. "We can talk when we get to Shade," he insisted. "We're at the city, we can-"

"Not yet." Djarin moved closer to Ozpin. "Not until I've had my say."

Ozpin wasn't expecting this complete turnaround from the Mandalorian, and it was starting to make him concerned. But the only way to defuse the situation was to let Djarin speak.

"Very well," Ozpin said calmly. "What do you have to say?"

"I may not have found Aurora," the Mandalorian began. "But that doesn't mean I don't know where she is."

"Oh?"

"It's like you said; she's with Salem. And she's not going to be leaving any time soon." Djarin knew what he was going to say next wouldn't be easy, but he wasn't looking to make any compromises. "I want you to tell me where I can find them both."

Ozpin was never a fan of surprises, and he hated the surprise he received about the Mandalorian attack. But this one... this was just ungodly.

"What?" Ozpin asked, even though he heard Djarin as clear as day. "Djarin, that's madness!"

"So you know where it is, then," the Mandalorian observed. If he didn't, Ozpin would have said so. "Just tell me, I have to know."

"For what end?! To go off on your own and die?! Leave Cinder alone?!"

Djarin immediately teleported in front of Ozpin and moved his helmet close to the old man's face. "Do not bring her into this," he warned.

"..."

The Mandalorian sighed as he backed away. His goal wasn't to do any harm, but he knew he had to think about his emotions rather that let them take control. "I just... I just need something, Ozpin. I need something to at least make a plan."

"..."

Djarin could see that his actions had done some harm at the moment. "I'm sorry, I-"

"I understand," said Ozpin. Qrow had his fair share of bad days with the Headmaster, and this day was no different. Fortunately, Ozpin knew just how to deal with them.

The first step was to bring everything out into the open, so Djarin could be open to reason.

"Djarin, I know how frustrated you are," Ozpin began. "I wouldn't dare try to fault you for simply concerning yourself with Cinder's health. I would give anything to see her awake, to see her healthy again. And though it may not have sounded like it, I wish to help you. Through any means necessary."

"I... appreciate the thought," the Mandalorian admitted. "I just... I think it would help knowing where I can find Salem. She knew you were at Beacon, she's had her eye on you for years. I've seen and heard all the things Qrow did for you, I know you know where she is."

"..."

"Ozpin, I have to know."

"..."

Ozpin nodded as he began to walk on the road again. After he beckoned Djarin to join him, Ozpin decided to answer the Mandalorian's question.

But not in the way he expected.

"I can tell you we are closer than you may think," the old man said. "I've walked on the surface of Remnant countless times, but I've only been to Salem's domain once. It is a dark place, a place where the rules of the world are not so straightforward."

"What do you mean?" Djarin asked.

"You recall what I told you of the Brothers? How they once lived among mankind until Salem rebelled?" Ozpin didn't look to see if Djarin was nodding, since he had told this story before. "The Brothers lived on two separate corners of the world, where their powers were at their strongest. When they left, Salem claimed the Land of Darkness as her own."

"Wait a minute." Djarin stopped walking. "Are you saying that Salem's base is where the God of Darkness lived?"

"Yes, Djarin. That place is where the second Brother performed his most powerful experiments, created his most powerful creations." Ozpin stopped walking and turned around. "The Dark Lord's domain was where he originally created the Grimm. And after he left, Salem took his role."

"...How many Grimm?"

"Thousands." Ozpin moved closer. "Tens of thousands."

"..."

Ozpin didn't need to see the Mandalorian's face to see that he had his full attention. And so, the Headmaster decided to finish with one final thought. "At the risk of sounding cliché, Djarin... that place is where everything goes to die. Don't go thinking you will be an exception."

"..."

Djarin understood everything now. The main thing he understood was that finding Aurora and killing her was growing close to impossible. If she was surrounded by that many Grimm, and if Salem could control all of them, then simply breaching the Land of Darkness and tracking her down would be suicide. And all Ozpin wanted to do was to keep Djarin safe.

But he had also kept him in the dark.

"Wait," Djarin said as he took a step back. "Why haven't you told me about this before?"

"Because the last time someone learned about the land's existence, they never returned," Ozpin confessed. "They did the same thing you were thinking of doing."

Djarin admitted that this was a good point. "Well, you can forget it." He began to walk again. "That sounds like the last place I'll be going. But still..." He turned around again. "You didn't have to hide this from me. Or Cinder."

Ozpin cleared his throat as he mentally sighed. "Djarin, you and Cinder have stood by me for a long time. You two have earned my respect and my trust. And while I did keep this from you, and while there are still things I prefer to keep to myself, everything I do is backed by experience."

"..."

"I have, and never had, any reason to believe you would throw your life away or do anything drastic. But my years living on Remnant have taught me that care and precision are of upmost importance in this conflict." Ozpin put a hand on Djarin's shoulder. "For myself and my friends."

"..."

The Mandalorian didn't have a response he deemed suitable for this. Instead, with Ozpin's hand on his shoulder, Djarin decided that now would be a good time to go to Shade and talk to its Headmaster.

And with the help of his Semblance, that's exactly what Djarin did.

---

When they arrived at Shade, the Mandalorian and Ozpin immediately talked to Headmaster Theodore. Djarin shared his side of the story, as well as his interrogation with the Mandalorian from Clan Bralor. When he was done, Djarin excused himself from the conversation and allowed Ozpin to handle the details of how many Huntsmen and Huntresses Vacuo could spare.

For in his mind, the Mandalorian had other things to think about.

When he conducted his interrogation, Djarin had to admit that he was expecting Ozpin to give an answer the way he did. Not just the support he planned to provide, but also his attempts to keep the Mandalorian away from a direct confrontation.

Djarin had known Ozpin long enough to know that he always preferred discretion. Only today, Djarin could see that maybe Ozpin preferred this method a little too much. Of course, directly going to this "Land of Darkness" and facing thousands of Grimm would be a fool's errand. But if one were able to gather the necessary resources and create the necessary strategy, an attack on Salem had the potential to hamper her efforts just like she was hampering theirs.

And yet, Ozpin seemed to think that any effort, reckless or thought out, would be a bad idea. It seemed hard to believe but... it was almost as if there was something that Ozpin wasn't telling the Mandalorian. He may have said that there were still things he wanted to keep to himself, but Ozpin seemed to have secrets about Salem that he didn't want to share.

But what were they? And why did Ozpin want to keep them secret?

"Perfect, thank you."

The Mandalorian snapped out of his thoughts and looked to see Ozpin walking towards him while closing the door to the Headmaster's office. "Theodore managed to convince some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses to join us," he shared. "They'll be leaving for Haven first thing tomorrow."

"Good," said Djarin. "That's enough time before the full moon."

"Indeed. Are you still planning to go to Vale?"

"That's right." Djarin extended his hand. "My Semblance should be able to take both of us to the Razor Crest."

"Actually, I think it would be best if I stay. Some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses joining us are teachers here. Theodore will need my help organizing the departure and explaining why they're needed elsewhere."

Djarin was familiar with the kinds of questions students and people asked when it came to matters like this. "That's fine," he said. "It might be faster for me to go alone, anyways. I'll meet you and everyone else at Haven."

"Very good," Ozpin said with an extended hand. Djarin didn't hesitate to shake it. "Safe travels, Djarin."

"You too, Ozpin."

As soon as he let go, the Mandalorian found himself back at the Razor Crest. It was refueled and ready to go, but Djarin made sure to say one last goodbye to Cinder before he left. His earlier promise to find Aurora seemed almost impossible to keep now, but Djarin didn't take it as a sign to give up.

"I don't have a plan, Cinder," Djarin confessed. "I... don't know what the best thing to do is right now."

"..."

"But I'll find a way. Whatever it takes, we'll get you back on your feet. I don't know how soon... but it'll be soon. I promise."

"..."

Djarin wasn't expecting a response, but he was content that he was being honest with his daughter. All that he hoped was that somehow, in some way, Cinder understood.

The Mandalorian had no intention of letting her down like he did before.

So with a kiss on her forehead and a final goodbye, Djarin left Cinder and made his way back to the Razor Crest.

*BUZZ*

"Hmm," Djarin grunted as he brushed a fly away from his face. "I forgot how bad the bugs are here." The sentiment was easily forgotten as the Mandalorian turned his attention to the airship. Once it was off the ground, Djarin set course for the city of Vale.

This trip wouldn't take as long, since Vacuo and Vale were located in the same continent. But once again, the voyage gave Djarin the opportunity to think about everything. The first of which was something that Ozpin had told him about Salem's lair.

"I can tell you we are closer than you may think."

Djarin wondered what Ozpin meant, if Salem's lair was as close to Vacuo as the old Huntsman implied. In a rare turn of events, Djarin began to grow curious about this. So much so that he was willing to look at a map of Sanus on his computer screen to see if he could find anything close to Vacuo.

More specifically, anything that resembled an ideal home for Salem.

"It looks like nothing's around here but the desert," the Mandalorian thought as he looked at the surrounding area of Vacuo. "Perfect for the Tuskens, but not for Salem." Djarin pressed the screen so he could make the map zoom out. Now he was looking at the continent of Sanus.

"I've been around this continent dozens of times. Nothing really strikes out as a 'Land of Darkness,' or whatever Ozpin said it was."

Djarin always relied on his past experience as a bounty hunter and as a Mandalorian to guide him when he was lost. And so, after he expanded the map to make it show the whole world of Remnant, Djarin decided to see where in the world his experience had taken him.

Or rather, where it hadn't.

"There's been a few places on Remnant I've never seen," Djarin told himself. "I've never been... here." He pressed a part of Sanus that had a mixture of grass and desert. The spot he tapped showed a red dot for future reference. "Or... here." He then pressed a part of Anima that he had never explored and saw another red dot. "And I've never been outside Atlas whenever I went to Solitas." This time, Djarin moved his finger in a circle to encompass the whole continent.

One look at the map told Djarin that Salem could be just about anywhere in the world.

"No, this isn't right," Djarin thought. "Ozpin said Vacuo was close to her. There has to be something I'm missing." After he zoomed back towards Sanus, and after he looked out the window to make sure nothing was coming towards him, the Mandalorian took another look at Sanus and the lands closest to it.

"Hold on... what's this?"

The Mandalorian found himself looking at a piece of land to the northwest of Vacuo. The map was capable of showing the general colors of the land, from green trees to brown mountains. But what struck Djarin as odd was that the land northwest of Vacuo was black.

It didn't look like the colors of dirt or mountains. This land was colored in nothing but black.

"Is that it?" Djarin wondered as he encircled the piece of land with his finger. "Is that the Land of the Darkness?" He then took note of how close it was to Vacuo. "Ozpin was right. We were close to it. But why would Salem stretch her forces all the way to Vale and Mistral? If this is her base, then she's right on top of Vacuo. She could take it by surprise if she wanted to. And that's where Ozpin told me the Sword of Destruction is! There's no way she would pass a chance to steal that."

"..."

The Mandalorian leaned back in his seat as he shook his head. Djarin's quest to find Salem's lair had only raised more questions than answers. Nothing was making sense. Not with Salem, and definitely not with Ozpin.

Djarin was starting to see that all of his time working with Ozpin while he trained Cinder had only amounted to realizing that he knew practically nothing about Salem. He was confident that his sense of logic and reason had pointed him in the direction of Salem's home, however.

And if it wasn't his brain, it was also the fact that the rest of the land looked like a large and intimidating dragon when the map was zoomed out.

"Never noticed that before," Djarin realized. "That has to be Salem's base." Djarin let out a groan, despite the accomplishment he had made. "But that doesn't change how much we don't know about her. If she's helping Vizsla attack Haven, we have to know how she thinks. We have to see what kind of angle she's playing at."

The concept of "we" in this case had actually given Djarin an idea.

"Maybe I can talk to Qrow. He's worked with Ozpin longer than I have. Maybe he knows more about her than I do. Or... Ozpin told him the same things he told me."

Djarin groaned again as his frustrations grew by the second. The idea that Qrow knew as much as he did was not only possible, but also incredibly likely. Not only would this help with finding Aurora, but it also wouldn't help with bringing the fight to Salem. Djarin believed such an action would help, but he couldn't find anyone who could tell him anything else.

It seemed the only people who knew Salem the most were Ozpin, her followers, and all those Sith warriors Cinder talked about with Obi-Wan.

"Wait a minute," Djarin thought as he stopped being angry. "The Sith..."

"..."

After Djarin met Obi-Wan, he had learned that the Jedi had crossed paths with the Mandalorians before. Confrontation happened as it always did, and Obi-Wan mentioned a few of these fights before. However, Cinder told the Mandalorian that both the Jedi and the Sith were all too familiar with Salem.

And Djarin recalled one person who possibly knew Salem inside and out. Although talking to him was the last thing Djarin wanted to do, he saw it was one thing he had to do.

"I have to find Revan."

---

*BAM*

*CRACK*

"Come on, kick his ass!"

"Show him what you got!"

A group of people were currently encircled around two combatants, who were giving it their all to make their opponent fall. One combatant was a Huntsman, and the people around him were all Huntsmen and Huntresses. He was currently fighting a Mandalorian, who was joined by two observing members of his clan.

The fight was currently taking place at Vale, where the ruins of Beacon Academy were standing. However, they weren't entirely ruins now. Ever since the Saxons and Hazel were forced to retreat, the Huntsmen and Huntresses of the Kingdom were able to make the school a working base once again. Now they could train and receive notifications of missions much easier than before.

Given that Clans Vizsla and Tenau were the ones responsible for this liberation, they were rewarded with a temporary portion of the land for them to live on. Once the war was over, they would leave and let the Kingdom of Vale not only rebuild Beacon, but also create reservations for the Mandalorians in places such as the Forever Fall. These lands would be, although reluctantly, recognized as Mandalorian territory by the Council.

Unfortunately, the agreement at Beacon wasn't perfect.

The grudge between the two factions, and the pride they both held, resulted in many small skirmishes and fights. Today was no different, and nobody really remembered what started the fight in the first place. All that mattered was that the Huntsmen and Mandalorians were willing and ready to defend their integrity through someone who had insulted them simply by being in the same area.

The Huntsman fighting the Mandalorian in this case had a unique advantage on his side. He could make his skin as hard as metal, even though it appeared the same as it always did. So every punch and kick he threw would deal twice the amount of damage and he would remain protected. It was like he was wearing a suit of armor like his Mandalorian opponent.

But he didn't have the same weaponry and abilities Mandalorian armor provided to its wearer.

Both combatants were starting to show signs of exhaustion and depleted Aura, but they still fought. It had even gotten to the point where the Huntsman began to use his weapon when the Mandalorian took out a hunting knife.

Blood was going to be shed, if a black shape hadn't swooped down and knocked both combatants off their feet.

After he used his avian form to fly closer and downwards, Qrow Branwen used Harbinger to swipe at the combatants' feet to make them stop fighting. When he had captured everyone's attention, Qrow stood up straight and looked at everyone.

"That's enough!" he declared loudly. "If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times! We're on the same damn side! And don't go telling me that this is a sparring match!"

"..."

Ever since Beacon had been won, Qrow had taken it upon himself to maintain order between the two parties with Glynda's help. He had seen and stopped fights like this before, and he had a good idea how he could stop it from happening again.

"The next person who throws a punch or starts a fight is outta here," he said. "You'll be on cleanup duty for a month. Got it?"

"..."

Qrow took this silence as understanding, so he transformed his weapon into its inactive form and put it away. "Now get outta here."

One by one, everyone left the area in silence. The threat Qrow gave, cleaning up the rubble of Beacon that the Saxons left behind, wasn't serious, but nobody wanted to do it for a whole month. And since the fight was over, nobody had a reason to stay around.

"Ugh, jeez," Qrow moaned as he moved some hair out of his face. A few weeks ago, he would have decided that now would be a great time for a drink. But ever since he helped win Beacon back, Qrow didn't have the heart to find himself alcohol anymore. Now all he could do was try and clear his head before the next fight started.

"Welcome to my world."

Qrow turned around and expected to see someone who either needed something from him or wanted an explanation as to why he stopped a fight. He was ready to deal with both, despite the fact that it was something he didn't want to do.

But when Qrow found himself looking at a chrome Mandalorian with a marked pauldron on his shoulder, his behavior made a complete turnaround.

"Holy crap," Qrow said with a smile. "Mando, is that you?" Qrow didn't waste a second to greet his old friend, someone he hadn't seen in over a month. "I thought you were never gonna come back. Man, it's good to see you again."

Djarin shared this sentiment as he firmly grasped Qrow's hand. "It's good to see you too, Qrow," he said as he let go. He then focused his eyes on something new about Qrow; something on his face. "Is that new? Did someone here give you that scar?"

"What, this?" Qrow rubbed his cheek, where a noticeable scar ran down. "Nah, this is just a goodbye gift from Gar Saxon. He didn't take the eviction notice very well."

"I wouldn't expect him to." Djarin remembered that this was the first time that he had come to Beacon since the war started. He was expecting scorched earth and broken buildings as far as the eye could see, but the sight of multiple tents, supplies, and working Huntsmen terminals caught his eye.

"Nice work, huh?" Qrow asked as he showed the Mandalorian around. "As soon as we got that Grimm pool and the Saxons outta here, Glynda didn't waste any time with getting Beacon back up to speed. We managed to recover and rebuild some of the old terminals, so we got the mission board back just like it used to be." He then pointed to some of the buildings. "We're also working on getting all the debris out too, but we're mostly making the buildings livable again."

Djarin silently observed how much debris had been moved and how the Huntsmen and Huntresses were walking about as if nothing had changed.

"Unfortunately, Beacon Tower's one of the places that isn't easy to work around. It took the majority of Atlas' strikes, so we can't get the CCT up and running yet. We took over a Saxon base in there, but that's about it." Qrow sighed as he looked around at the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians walking around. "And then there's the people to worry about."

"Where did you say you were keeping the Mandalorians?" Djarin asked.

"They got a few tents set up over there," Qrow said as he pointed towards the grassy fields. "Don't ask me how they do it, but everyone here finds something to fight over. One way or another."

"I know what you mean. Obi-Wan's been breaking up enough fights and stopping them before they begin. It's not my place to break up challenges like that, but I remind everyone that we're on the same side."

"Not your place, huh? Wait, don't tell me." Qrow chuckled as he lowered his voice. "This is the Way, right?"

"..."

Qrow chuckled again; he had a habit of repeating this phrase back to Djarin whenever he said it, though it was always a joke. Djarin made it a habit to make Qrow see that he didn't find the joke very funny, which was why he was staring at the Huntsman in dead silence.

"Okay, okay," Qrow said as he stopped laughing. "How are things in Mistral, by the way?"

"That's actually why I'm here," Djarin replied. "I should talk to Glynda."

"Mind if I come with?"

"We're gonna need all the help we can get."

As Qrow said, everyone at Beacon managed to include a portion of the tower as a part of their base. It was here that Djarin found Glynda Goodwitch, who was more than surprised to see that Djarin had returned. Just like Qrow, Glynda was also happy to see the Mandalorian.

But she wasn't happy with the news he brought from Mistral.

"They're going to attack Mistral?" Glynda asked. "From Haven itself?"

"Mando, you sure about this?" Qrow asked. "That sounds kinda far-fetched."

"I know how it sounds, but it's true," Djarin insisted. "Obi-Wan made sure that the Mandalorian we captured wasn't lying. I don't know how Vizsla's going to do it, but that's his plan."

Glynda was very disappointed by this turn of events. Things were starting to become better at Beacon, which caused the Huntress to almost forget how bad the war was for the rest of the world.

And for that reason, Glynda planned to make sure that Haven wouldn't become another Beacon.

"Does Ozpin know?" Glynda asked.

"He was my first stop," the Mandalorian confirmed. "He's working with Theodore to send as many Huntsmen and Huntresses as he can to Mistral."

"Then we have to do the same." Glynda took out her Scroll and began to type on it.

"How many do you think you can spare?" Djarin asked.

"I can spare enough. The situation in the Kingdom is under control, for the most part. We have enough Huntsmen and Huntresses to spare for a mission like this." Glynda put down her Scroll and looked up to Djarin. "I just made a mandatory mission for all Huntsmen and Huntresses in the city to join you. We were able to increase border patrol enough to cover this loss."

"Mandatory, huh?" Qrow asked as he looked at his Scroll. He had just gotten the notification from Glynda about Haven's need for guardians. "Been seeing a lot of those lately."

"So have I." Glynda fixed her glasses before she spoke again. "I'd almost forgotten how much we take the concept of choosing our missions for granted. I hope we don't need missions like these again."

"Agreed," said Djarin. "Glynda, I can see how you've managed to hold the fort down. But is there any way you can join us too?"

"I'm sorry, Djarin, but I'm needed here." Glynda pointed at the floor she was standing on. "After we reclaimed Beacon, Qrow and I found signs of excavation in the Vault."

"Excavation?"

"The Saxons were trying to find the Relic we have here. Aurora must have told them where to start looking. And if those Mandalorians come back, I have to make sure they won't have a chance to find it again."

"I understand." Djarin looked back to Qrow, who had just cracked his knuckles.

"I'm not missing this for the world," he said. "Let me know when you're ready to leave."

"Thank you," Djarin said sincerely. It had been a while since he and Qrow fought side-by-side; such an experience would be welcoming. "I need to talk to the Mandalorian leaders, see if they can spare anyone."

"Sounds good to me." Qrow began to make his way to the stairs he took to get to this room. "I'll find the Crest, just meet me when you're-" Qrow suddenly stopped walking and turned around once again. "Wait a sec. Glynda, you still got the box?"

"The box?" Glynda asked. "Oh, right!" She suddenly looked under the desk she was standing behind. A second later, the Huntress emerged with a cardboard box that she placed on the surface.

Qrow moved back to the desk and gestured for Djarin to join him. "Me and Glynda found a few things of ours that survived the explosions," he said. "When we found more things that belonged to the students and staff, we returned most of it to everyone who was here that night. This box came from your old room."

"..."

The Mandalorian looked at the contents of the box that Qrow and Glynda had generously made for him. The contents inside were a multitude of things, mostly things that Djarin hadn't seen in a while.

The first was a pair of training knives that he had since he was a Foundling, and something that he passed down to Cinder. The second was a burned but mostly intact photograph of him and Cinder in front of Beacon Academy. The third was a set of chainmail armor that belonged to Cinder. It was actually a birthday present Djarin gave to her, but she had outgrown it now. The rest comprised mostly of books and belongings that Cinder had outgrown and that Djarin had placed away. The largest of these books was the one of Mandalorian culture that Djarin gifted Cinder a few days after they met. She didn't outgrow it, but the young girl has read it enough times to almost memorize each page.

All of these things had their individual purpose, but they all helped make Beacon feel more like a home for the clan of two.

"And there's one more thing," Qrow said as he dug his hand into his pocket. "I found this in the dorm Cinder moved into. I forgot you saved her armor before you left, but I figured this was something else that didn't need to get lost."

"..."

Djarin couldn't believe his eyes.

In his hand, Qrow was holding a metal necklace, one that Djarin knew all too well. In the center of the necklace was a small symbol, the skull of the Mythosaur. It was the necklace that belonged to every Foundling of the Children of the Watch.

Djarin had been gifted the necklace a long time ago, and he continued the tradition by gifting it to Cinder. Ever since then, the young girl hardly took it off. It became a part of her, something that became her most prized possession.

Cinder wouldn't allow herself to be seen without this piece of jewelry.

The Mandalorian gently took the necklace from Qrow and looked it over. As he familiarized himself with its feeling and weight in hand, Djarin remembered why Cinder had removed it in the first place; it was the night she believed that the whole world hated people like her.

Djarin felt sorry for Cinder that night, and he felt even more sorry for her now. In the time she had been in her coma, Djarin never noticed that her necklace was missing. He felt ashamed, and he felt that the jewelry needed to be returned to its rightful owner as soon as possible.

"Mando? You okay?"

Djarin had forgotten that he was with Qrow and Glynda. The Huntsman and Huntress easily noticed how silent he had become, and they were wondering if they had done something wrong.

"I... I'm okay," the Mandalorian finally said. "I just... I never noticed that Cinder wasn't wearing it." He opened a small compartment in his belt and carefully put the necklace inside. "You're right, Qrow. This doesn't need to be lost again. Thank you."

"No problem," the Huntsman replied. "And hey, we're burning daylight. Let's get packed up and get outta here."

"I can take you to the Razor Crest now. I should take all of this with me too." Djarin gently took the cardboard box that Glynda had made. "Thank you, Glynda."

"You're welcome," Glynda said with a rare smile. "Good luck to you."

"Thank you."

As promised, Djarin took his recovered belongings and took them to the Razor Crest with Qrow. The Huntsman decided to wait in the ship while the Mandalorian left to speak with the rest of his kind.

At the camp in the fields, Djarin managed to make contact with Pax Vizsla, the leader of Clan Vizsla. He and Djarin had been on good terms since the defeat of Major Gideon, and this relationship refused to change when the Darksaber was stolen.

It may have changed if Djarin lost it in combat, but Pax believed Djarin's story about it being stolen. This was one reason that he was willing to go to Mistral with the Child of the Watch, but there was also another.

"Pre Vizsla has been a thorn in our side long enough," Pax said to Djarin. "The leader who banished him from our ranks was too merciful with him. I feel it is my duty to correct that mistake."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Djarin. "We'll find and fight him together. Hopefully his defeat will be enough to end the war."

"We must hope for the best, but expect the worst." Pax looked back at the camp behind him. "My brothers and sisters haven't seen an attack from the Saxons in days. And given the recent... altercations, perhaps it would be best if we all joined you."

"All of you?" Djarin would welcome the assistance, but he couldn't help but doubt the wisdom of this. "Are you sure you won't be needed here?"

"All too sure. I've seen the way these Huntsmen and Huntresses fight." Pax looked back to Beacon Tower. "I have confidence in their ability to stop people like the Saxons. And our training and disagreements have honed both of our skills." Pax looked back to Djarin. "Ironic, isn't it?"

Djarin couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "You have no idea," he said. "How soon can you and Clan Tenau leave?"

Pax looked behind him once again. "We'll require some of the Kingdom's airships to take us all to Mistral. Between finding them and packing... I believe it will take about an hour. But you should know that Clan Tenau won't be joining us."

"What?"

"I spoke with Mi shortly after you arrived. They've decided to move to the new reservation early." Pax pointed off into the distance. "You can say your goodbyes, but I wouldn't expect any corporation any more."

"..."

This was a surprise to Djarin, given what he had heard Clan Tenau did for Vale. Taking Beacon back with Clan Vizsla was no easy task, and Djarin was positive that they could help with Haven. But giving up like this? Just going away after a single battle?

This seemed so unlike a common Mandalorian.

In a quest for answers, Djarin sought out Mi Tenau, the leader of the clan. She wasn't hard to find, given that she was helping her brothers and sisters gather their belongings for the trip to their new home.

Mi seemed fully prepared for the departure, and she was prepared to share the reason behind this decision with Djarin.

"It is the same reason we took solace at Mountain Glenn," she said. "The reason why the rest of our people are scattered all across Remnant." Mi gestured towards the rest of the school. "We attempted to bridge the gap between Mandalore and the rest of the world, just as our ancestors did when they allied with Vale in the Great War. But the rest of the world, while grateful, are not ready to accept us. I doubt they ever will be."

"..."

Djarin had to admit that he was sad and angry at Clan Tenau for seemingly giving up at first. But the explanation was not only understandable, it was also relatable for the Mandalorian.

Djarin had forgotten that the fight he witnessed earlier, the one that Qrow had stopped, was between a Huntsman and a Tenau Mandalorian. And rather than training or sparring, that fight was a brawl. The Huntsmen and Huntresses, who practically represented the safety of the people at this point, weren't ready to accept the Mandalorians as one of their own.

Djarin reminded himself of all the times he had been treated as an outcast, and how it took to be accepted at Beacon. It took Glynda approximately half a year before she could accept the Mandalorian as an ally, despite helping her with Death Watch.

And the worst part was that this brought a bad memory back to Djarin.

"Dad, I was able to figure out who I was, just like I wanted to. But I also learned how bad Mandalorians can be. I don't like hurting people, but now I see I'm the minority."

Djarin reached inside his belt and took out Cinder's necklace. As he looked at the symbol in his hand, the memory of Cinder's lamentations intensified.

"I get it now. Where I see strength, everyone sees spite! Not just Atlas, but people all over the world!"

"..."

"I just... How can I undo so much hate?"

Djarin slowly shook his head as he looked at the necklace. "I don't know, Cinder," he said to himself. "I don't know."

"..."

All of a sudden, the Mandalorian closed his fist and looked back up. "But I'm going to try."

After running across the school grounds, and after he made a call to Glynda, Din Djarin found himself in front of a large mass of people. He had managed to summon Clans Vizsla and Tenau before they left and Glynda had been able to summon the Huntsmen and Huntresses together in the same area. Now all they were doing were standing and watching Djarin climb on top of a few boxes and stand over them.

"What's going on?" a Huntress asked.

"I don't know," a friend of hers replied. "I just got the call."

"Looks like one of the Mandos wants to talk," said a Huntsman.

"Oh, great."

"They already got some of Beacon. Now what do they want?"

"..."

Djarin didn't know what he was doing. Honestly, he didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was going to do next. And yet, he refused to climb down and forget the whole thing.

He wasn't going to move until he had his say.

"For those who don't know me, my name is Din Djarin," the Mandalorian introduced himself. "I'm the one who discovered the planned attack at Haven. And if we want to win... we have to fight together."

"..."

Everyone looked at each other in uncertainty. They understood what Djarin was saying, but they seemed more neutral to the idea rather than satisfied and in agreement.

Even Qrow and Glynda, who had joined Djarin, seemed somewhat disillusioned with the small sentiment.

"Is that the best you got?" the Mandalorian asked himself. "Cinder's done things like this a hundred times. Make them see the bigger picture."

"..."

After he cleared his throat, Djarin spoke again. "I never thought the truce here would last," he said. Whispers and murmurs soon filled the area, some of which sounded more hostile than they should be.

But Djarin didn't stop talking.

"I thought that if we managed to survive, if the people of Vale and Mistral take back what was stolen, it would only be a matter of time before we were back at each other's throats. I believe this because in my eyes... everyone thinks the person standing next to them is the enemy."

"..."

Everyone looked around at the people next to them, specifically to the people they held a grudge against. As Mandalorian turned to Hunter, and vice versa, everyone subconsciously agreed with Djarin.

"To you they're evil. To you, they're sub-human." Djarin looked around at everyone he could see, and the attention was back on him. "To you, they're a reason to let all of your pride, rage, and fear out on. To you, they deserve it."

"..."

"Because if that's not true... then what does that make you?"

"..."

Everyone looked at each other again after Djarin asked this question. Nobody could see it, but the back of their minds told everyone that this was true. That they saw each other as an enemy because it was the only thing they could do right now. They couldn't give each other a chance, because they were too afraid to admit that their actions as of late were the wrong ones.

But at the front of their minds, everyone had a good reason for thinking that the people they were sharing Beacon with was an enemy. Djarin realized this, and used this opportunity to present the truth.

"Let me tell you what you are," the Mandalorian continued. "You're all different, you're all looking for something and someone to fight. Because you all had something taken from you." Djarin pointed to Beacon. "We're all here because we lost a home. The Fall of Beacon took the Vale we all knew away from us. It's become a center for the refugees, for the dispossessed. It's not a part of civilization anymore." Djarin turned back to everyone. "Just. Like. Mandalore."

"..."

The Mandalorians easily noticed the similarities between Beacon and their once prosperous home. And the Huntsmen and Huntresses were all too familiar with the state their Kingdom was in.

"We all lost a home. That's perhaps one of the things we have in common. But it's easy to forget that every fight we fought, before and after we all came together, it was all done so we could find a home. Just like it's easy to forget that Remnant itself is our home. Huntsman, Huntress, and Mandalorian alike."

"..."

Nobody dared to argue against that. Though there were some on both sides that thought that it would be best if this wasn't true for some people.

Djarin placed a hand on his chest. "I am a Mandalorian," he said. "That's something I refuse to change. But I'm something else too. I... am a father."

"..."

Djarin took out Cinder's necklace and showed it to everyone. "I adopted and raised a girl named Cinder, who took what she saw with the Mandalorian culture and greeted it with open arms. But at the same time, she saw something that I was reluctant to admit. She saw that the Mandalorians are hated. And feared."

"..."

"Most of all, she saw that this needed to change."

He didn't notice it, but Qrow and Glynda were nodding when Djarin said this. Glynda even dried a tear from her eye when she remembered what happened to Cinder.

"My daughter tried her hardest to change what she thought it meant to be a Mandalorian," Djarin said. "She wanted to be a warrior, but she wanted to fight so others could have peace instead of war. Our ancestors saw glory in their kills and conquests, but Cinder always saw glory in protecting the people she loves. Even the people she hardly knew!"

"..."

"But most of all, the one thing Cinder wanted to do was to see the best of both worlds. To bring these worlds together, and show how much we actually need each other. Now more than ever."

"..."

Clan Vizsla and Clan Tenau were no strangers to Cinder. They knew who she was and even had the honor of seeing her fight once or twice. They all saw how Djarin raised her, how she chose to learn about Mandalorian culture, and how she tried to share this culture with the world.

The Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale remembered seeing Cinder at the Vytal Festival. Namely how she fought with and without the set of armor she owned. Most thought it was a dirty trick to bring out a set of armor like that, when they first saw the fight. But when they listened to Djarin's speech, and when they thought back on that night, they saw how honorable Cinder chose to fight. She even displayed respect towards the other fighter that she tied with.

Cinder wasn't an evil person or a delusional one. Maybe, just maybe... she was the bridge between the Kingdoms and the Mandalorians.

Djarin turned to a group of Huntsmen and Huntresses as he placed a hand on his chest. "If the Kingdoms can't accept that Remnant is our home too, then they're unwittingly giving people like Vizsla a reason to spill more innocent blood." He then turned to the Mandalorians of Clan Vizsla and Tenau. "And if we can't accept the fact that we have to change, if we don't stop Mandalorians like Pre Vizsla and Gar Saxon from becoming the warlords our ancestors were, then we deserve extinction."

"..."

Djarin focused his attention on the entire group before him. "And if none of us take the fight to the Saxons and Death Watch, if we choose to leave or keep fighting amongst ourselves, we're just standing in the way of the progress and peace that we all need. That we all deserve."

"..."

"I know how hard it is to let go of it all, to put your lives on the line against a seemingly impossible force." Djarin looked at the people of Vale again. "But you're Huntsmen and Huntresses. You've never stopped protecting the people who need you the most." He then looked at the two clans. "And we're Mandalorians. We may know only war and combat, but we know how to direct it at the people we need to fight."

Nods and small shouts of agreement soon spread across the field, and it gave Djarin the motivation to finish strong.

"And that's why I'm asking all of you to come to Haven with me. To fight with me." Small shouts emerged again, and Djarin looked at everyone in front of him one more time. "Fight to see Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla locked away for the rest of their lives! Fight to do away with conquest and intolerance! But most of all... fight because you deserve to win!"

The nods and small shouts soon turned to cheers and applause. Agreement and unity spread throughout the crowd, and some people even fired their guns in the air to express their enthusiasm.

One member of Clan Tenau could sense how inspired his brothers and sisters were, so he turned to his leader. "He's right," he said to Mi. "We have to fight."

"I know," Mi said with a changed mind. "And we will."

Qrow and Glynda also clapped as they witnessed the newly united army in front of them.

"Not too shabby," said Qrow.

"Now I'm really sorry I can't go," said Glynda.

"Don't worry." Qrow flashed the teacher a toothy grin. "I'll send Vizsla your regards."

As the cheers and gunfire erupted from the land, Djarin smiled under his helmet. What he once thought was impossible now had the potential to be a reality. And while he wasn't the Mand'alor, Djarin knew that this a step in the right direction.

But this victory didn't belong to him.

Djarin reached into his belt again and took out the small necklace that had recently been rediscovered. Without it, and without the fears and hopes of a special girl, none of this would have been possible.

"We did it, Cinder," Djarin proudly whispered. "We did it."

---

One night had passed since the Mandalorian had left Anima. When he returned, when all had been prepared and done, it was obvious that he had fulfilled his promise.

In the late afternoon, many airships found themselves at Haven's doorstep. The first to land was the Razor Crest, where Din Djarin stepped out with Qrow Branwen and the Mandalorian volunteers that accompanied him.

The next ones to land were all from Vale, where the summoned Huntsmen and Huntresses came out and observed the area. They all walked inside Haven's doors, one by one. Djarin recognized a few of them from past missions, but he was able to recognize a group of former students he taught; it was Gretchen Rainart and the rest of her team.

"Wait until you see what she can do to the Saxons, Mando," Qrow insisted. "She packs a punch when she needs to."

The airships that followed were all from Vacuo, where Ozpin led more volunteers out into the academy grounds. The reunion he shared with Djarin and Qrow was long overdue, especially with Qrow. Djarin was also happy to see Ozpin, but he was surprised to see that some of the company he brought comprised of students.

"As soon as I explained what was happening, almost the entire student body volunteered to join us," the Headmaster explained. "Theodore and I did our best to sway their minds, but they wouldn't budge."

"Uh, are you sure about this?" Qrow asked. "One would think we should draw the line with kids."

"Agreed, Qrow. But I don't think I could have stopped them. Almost half of them threatened to give up their path of education if they weren't allowed to come."

"Whoa. Okay, point taken. But maybe we should-"

"We shouldn't worry too much," said Djarin, who pointed out to a group of students he recognized. Lilith Gelb was walking inside with some of the students who wore Clan Ordo's armor and fought like real Mandalorians. "We'll be careful where we assign them, but they'll be fine. They can handle themselves."

Between the two reassurances, Qrow simply shrugged as he walked inside. "Alright," he said calmly.

Ozpin and the Mandalorian followed Ozpin inside, where they found themselves in the main auditorium of Haven Academy. A few other Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Mandalorians were already inside. They were the only ones who could leave the Great Lake without compromising its entire defenses. And so, they gladly greeted the new arrivals and talked amongst themselves as they waited for something to happen.

Their waiting ending when a loud voice sounded throughout the large room.

"Hello there."

Everyone turned and looked at a large statue just a few feet from the center of the room. On top of it was a small walking area where Headmaster Obi-Wan Kenobi was standing and looking down as he spoke through a microphone.

"Welcome to Haven Academy," Obi-Wan continued. "Thank you all for coming... though I wish it was under different circumstances."

"..."

The entire audience remained silent as they gave Obi-Wan their full attention.

"I'm quite certain that many things have been tossed around as to why we need quite so many guardians. So allow me to clear any confusion. Professor Din Djarin of Beacon Academy and I recently discovered that the Saxon Clan and Death Watch, the main perpetrators behind this senseless war, plan to launch a full-scale attack on the city. And they mean to strike from within Haven itself."

Everyone reacted to the news differently. The students that joined Ozpin couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves and wonder how such a thing was possible. Some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses looked around the area to familiarize themselves with part of the Academy. The Mandalorians remained silent, but they noticed a few people staring at them.

"Now, I'm sure you all have your questions and concerns," Obi-Wan calmly continued. "But I assure you that this threat is very real. Both Haven and Mistral will be at serious risk tonight. Which is why we are all needed here. Huntsman, Huntress, and Mandalorian alike."

"..."

Obi-Wan turned to the group of Mandalorians next. "We're joined today by Mandalorians who oppose Gar Saxon and Pre Vizsla, Clans Vizsla and..."

"Tenau," Djarin said for all to hear.

Obi-Wan looked over to Djarin. "Thank you," he said before he continued his speech. "Clans Vizsla and Tenau, who have provided their assistance to us in these dark times. My gratitude, and the Council's, goes out to Clan Vizsla, who today helped us repel an attack on the Great Lake. And to Clan Tenau, who assisted Professor Ozpin in retaking Beacon Academy from the Saxons."

Whispers and chatter engulfed the auditorium once again, where people from Vale and Mistral confirmed that what Obi-Wan was saying was true. The war had divided them long enough to make news travel at a very slow pace, especially without the CCT working.

"My gratitude goes out to each and every one of you as well," Obi-Wan continued. "This war has challenged each and every once of us. Our strength, our courage, and our friendships have all been put to the test. Many lives have been lost, but you have all made sure that this war has not been lost as well. Which is why it pains me to tell you that you must all be put to the test once again."

"..."

"The impending attack we must work against will not be a simple one. Failure will result in the Fall of Beacon all over again. I cannot stand here and assure you that victory will be certainly attained... nor can I assure you that everyone will be returning home when we are done."

"..."

"I am not a warrior like the Mandalorians under the command of the Saxons or Death Watch. I do not wish to rule or conquer anyone. I would like to help everyone if possible. Human beings and the Faunus are all like that. We wish to protect the ones we love, to fight so that we may have peace rather than war. That is why I am a Huntsman, why I am a peacekeeper. And that is why I would like to invite anyone who feels they are not prepared for this conflict to leave. There is no shame or dishonor in abstaining. Only in retreat."

"..."

It was so quiet in the auditorium that one could hear a pin drop.

The choice Obi-Wan was giving everyone was fairly simple, but it wasn't an easy one to make. The warriors in the room agreed that defeat would result in another Fall of Beacon, as well as the city of Mistral falling as well. However, they also agreed that this wasn't like killing the Grimm. This war had taken many lives, and their lives were quite possibly at more risk than they ever had been before.

Opinions were ranged all over the place. The Mandalorians and battle-hardened Huntsmen and Huntresses had no intention of leaving. Leaving such a fight went against everything a Mandalorian believed in. And the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Mistral were unwilling to let the Saxons and Death Watch take their homes.

The Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale knew how hard it was to withstand the Fall of Beacon. They also knew how hard it was to reclaim it from the Mandalorians, despite the fact that they didn't fight to take it back. Only Qrow, Gretchen, and the allied Mandalorians did that. Now they had a chance to make sure Mistral didn't suffer the same loss they did, and they were going to take it.

The Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vacuo were mostly skeptical about this fight. Like the majority of students of Shade, most of them didn't feel any attachment or sense of duty to another Kingdom. This was mainly due to Mistral and Atlas being responsible for draining their natural resources. But given that they had been ordered by Professor Theodore to come here and help, these Huntsmen and Huntresses knew they didn't have the luxury to back down. They were fairly certain such an action would result in them losing their licenses.

The students who had come from both Beacon and Shade were the most skeptical of all the groups in the room. While none of the students from Shade never fought a Mandalorian before, the students from Beacon remembered the night their school fell. They knew how powerful the Mandalorians were, and how a force like the one on its way to Haven wouldn't be stopped easily.

More importantly, they remembered all of the people who were murdered by the conquering Mandalorians.

It was for this reason that the only person who walked to the exit of the auditorium was Max Bolt, Lilith Gelb's teammate. He had lost one of his teammates at the Fall of Beacon, and that loss shook him to its core. It even made him have second thoughts about being a Huntsman, to include himself in this fight. But his time at Shade and his time with his surviving friends helped him find his courage again, as did Professor Djarin's exercise with the suits of armor.

It was for this reason that Max stood in front of the large doors of the auditorium and closed them.

*THOOM*

*THOOM*

When the echoes of the closing doors disappeared, Max turned back to see that everyone was looking right at him. The looks on their faces showed that they were thinking the same thing he was, but Max went ahead and shared his answer to Obi-Wan's offer.

"With all due respect, Headmaster... we're not going anywhere tonight."

The auditorium was filled with chatter once again, but it was united this time. Just about everyone in the room raised their voices and agreed with the brave young man. Djarin, Qrow, and Ozpin said nothing as they proudly watched the warriors become united by the choice they made.

"Thank you all," Obi-Wan said with a smile. "Let is not delay." He then pointed to a door to the side of the room. "You'll find a planned schedule and your duties listed in their. Any questions or concerns can be addressed to Professor Oak, he'll be glad to help you."

The massive body of guardians moved inside the next room in an orderly fashion. Obi-Wan moved down the stairs rather quickly in order to reach Ozpin.

"Well said, my friend," said Ozpin. "Very well said."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said as he turned to the other Headmaster's company. "Djarin, Qrow, just a moment. I'd like to speak with you and Ozpin in my office."

"..."

Qrow, Ozpin, and the Mandalorian let Obi-Wan take the lead through the halls of Haven as they made their way to an office at the top of the school. Everyone had been in the spacious room before, and they saw that nothing had really changed. There was still a large desk in the center of the room, which was in front of a large window and a bookcase. Obi-Wan took a seat behind the desk and poured four cups of tea from a teapot on the desk. He then used the Force to hand the drinks to everyone before he spoke again.

"I was never much of a General, but I am proud that we were able to assemble this... army, for lack of a better word," said the Headmaster. He took his role of a peacekeeper very seriously, so he was opposed to being anything remotely close to a soldier. "But I believe we require something up our sleeve to truly prevail. An ace in the hole, of sorts."

Ozpin lowered his cup after he took a sip of tea. "I was hoping we could discuss this," he said. "You are referring to her, are you not?"

"I am." Obi-Wan looked to the Huntsman and Mandalorian. "Qrow, Djarin, I believe you two may be able to help us find and reason with her."

"Who?" Djarin asked.

"The Spring Maiden," Qrow said with a sigh. "And Raven."

The Mandalorian easily understood the situation now. If his memory served him right, Djarin had met the Spring Maiden when he met Raven Branwen's tribe. And he was well aware that Raven was Qrow's sister.

"I've met them before, you're right," Djarin said. "But I haven't seen either of them in years. I don't even know if they're still in the same spot I met them."

"They're not," Qrow declared confidently. "Brothers know I'm not Raven's biggest fan, but she and I have been keeping in touch with each other. I know where to find her, but getting Spring here won't be easy."

Djarin turned to Ozpin this time. "How did Hera even end up with Raven in the first place?"

Ozpin mentally sighed as he lamented on the events that led to the young woman's departure. "She was determined, at first, when she inherited her powers," he explained. "But the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for her. She... ran. Abandoned her training, everyone. That was a long time ago. I had no idea where she was before you told me about your quest to bring Cinder to me." Ozpin sighed out loud this time. "It feels like yesterday, actually."

Djarin nodded, but he didn't agree. "It feels like forever ago to me."

"..."

Qrow walked over to Obi-Wan's desk and placed his Scroll on it. A holographic map of Remnant appeared and zoomed in on a specific spot in Anima.

"That's about where they've set up their main camp," Qrow explained. "It's where they fall back to after raids and scouting missions. Raven's managed to gain a lot of followers over the years, and I'm sure Spring's only made things easier."

"These coordinates will be useful," said Obi-Wan. "The hard part will be organizing a retrieval force to obtain Spring."

"Why's that?" Qrow asked as he took his Scroll back. "We have all the manpower we need and then some."

"We have the numbers, yes." Obi-Wan moved towards the large window behind him. "But the Council is the main problem. They've declared a city-wide curfew for everyone, including our forces here. They may have gone into hiding, and they may have some of the Huntsmen and Huntresses I've spared, but they're still scared." Obi-Wan turned around. "Bandit tribes aren't very high on their list of priorities when the threat of war is just on the horizon."

"Then damn the Council!" Qrow moved back so he could look at everyone in the room. "We'll do it ourselves. The three of us are all trained Huntsmen, and Mando's never been a pushover."

"I won't back down from a fight," said Djarin. "But there might be a better way to do this." The Mandalorian moved back as well so he could see everyone, just like Qrow did. "Raven knows who all of you are. If she sees any one of you, all bets are off." Djarin looked over to Ozpin. "She was dead set against me bringing Cinder to you when I met her."

"That doesn't surprise me," Ozpin said. "She and I were never on good terms. What do you propose?"

"My Semblance can take me to Qrow's coordinates in just a few jumps. If I go alone, Raven might lower her guard. She might think that I want something from her just like I did before. And if I play my cards right, I might be able to convince her to let Spring join us."

"That's a big chance," said Qrow. "No offense, Mando, but it'll take a lot more than talking to let us have Spring."

"But she's done it before. When I told her that Cinder was kidnapped by Gideon, she let Spring come here and unlock the Vault. It was the only way I could find Cinder, and she knew it."

Ozpin remembered the day he learned that Spring briefly returned to Haven; it was also the day that Professor Lionheart, his old friend had been killed. It was enough to make him extremely concerned for the immediate future, but Djarin's explanation was enough to ease his troubled mind.

Though it was hard to learn that Leonardo had betrayed him.

Ozpin remembered everything that Djarin told him, so he knew where the Mandalorian was going with this. "If you mention Cinder's safety again, it may be enough to sway Raven," he said. "But Qrow is right. Talking, although preferred, may not be enough in this case."

"Then I'll come back," the Mandalorian decided. "If Spring's not with me, I'll take all of you back to Raven's camp so we can ambush her together."

"That'll work," said Qrow. "Raven will have her guard down when you leave."

"Then it's decided," said Obi-Wan. "We'll remain here and stay vigilant. Can you leave soon, Djarin?"

"I can leave right now," the Mandalorian replied.

"That would be for the best."

Djarin looked to Qrow, who immediately texted him the coordinates to Raven's camp. And as soon as he got them, Djarin disappeared from sight. Everyone silently prayed that the mission would go well, but they knew standing around wouldn't be helping.

"I'll make a quick sweep outside," said Qrow. "It wouldn't hurt." After he opened the window, Qrow transformed into a bird and flew into the sky.

"This is a decent plan... considering," said Ozpin. "But even the best laid plans often go awry."

"I know," said Obi-Wan. "I only wish this chance came earlier." The Headmaster finished his tea and sighed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

---

The Mandalorian found himself in the middle of the woods with a nearly depleted Aura. He needed to make a few jumps to reach this exact spot, and it would take some time for his Aura to fully charge.

Unfortunately, time was of the essence.

"It's getting late," the Mandalorian thought to himself as he looked upwards. The sky was a beautiful and captivating orange, since the sun was beginning to set. Unfortunately, it also meant that the full moon would be rising soon. And with the Saxons and Death Watch coming tonight, Djarin couldn't afford any distractions.

And so, the Mandalorian began to walk the rest of the way to the coordinates Qrow had given him. The walk was not only allowing his Aura to recharge, but it also allowed Djarin to think things over in private. The first thing he thought about was the best way to convince Raven to let Spring leave her camp again. Given that she showed great concern about Salem having at least one Maiden, Djarin believed he could say that Spring would be next on the witch's list.

By extension, that put Raven on the list as well.

The second thing on Djarin's mind was that he could turn this mission into an opportunity. Given that he wasn't able to find Revan before he left Vale, the Mandalorian wasn't able to gain any more knowledge about Salem. Given that Raven was able to confirm Salem's existence, Djarin believed that Raven might be able to shed some more light on this matter.

The Mandalorian wouldn't rest until he found out everything he could about Salem.

The third thing that came to the Mandalorian's mind was how quiet it was. The silence of the night was unusual, and the opposite of what he expected. These coordinates put Djarin in the middle of Mandalorian territory, so an ambush was expected.

And yet, just like the flight here, there was absolutely no threat to be found. Even when Djarin used his thermal vision, he couldn't see anything or anyone with him.

"This doesn't make sense," he thought to himself. "We should have seen at least one Mandalorian on the way here. They had the perfect chance to attack us, but there's nobody here. What's going on?"

*BANG*

*BANG*

*BANG*

The sound of blaster fire caught Djarin by surprise. Instinct kicked in as he reached for his own pistol and dived behind a large rock for cover. But as he heard the gunshots continue to ring out, the Mandalorian realized that he was nowhere near them. Looking over the rock and seeing no signs of an enemy was able to prove this point further.

"It's coming from over there," Djarin realized as he looked down a small path. He followed it as quick as he could, and the Mandalorian soon found himself coming up on a large wall made of wood.

He also came upon the sounds of screams.

"Gaaahh!"

*BANG*

*BANG*

"Aaaah!"

*BANG*

"Hrrrraaaaah!"

*BANG*

"Aaaaaugh!"

"..."

When Djarin finally reached the wooden gate, which had been torn off its hinges, the screams fell silent. Nevertheless, Djarin rushed inside with his blaster and scanned the area. All around him were tents ablaze and Grimm stalking the area. After Djarin made short work of the Grimm, he moved deeper inside to see what was the cause of the screams; if Raven Branwen was in trouble, Djarin believed helping her might make her look more favorably towards him.

Unfortunately, there was nobody to help. Nobody alive at least. But what surprised Djarin the most was that the ground wasn't littered with the bodies of bandits or thieves.

The ground was covered with dead Mandalorians.

Djarin kneeled down to the closest Mandalorian and pushed them onto their back. "Death Watch," he surmised from the gray and blue armor. He looked around and saw that not only the other Mandalorians were all Death Watch, but they were also large in number. "Raven or the bandits couldn't have done this."

"They didn't."

The Mandalorian quickly stopped kneeling and spun around with his blaster in hand. Standing about five feet behind him was a man in black robes with a black hood over his head. Two swords in his hands shined purple and red, which revealed an iron mask covering the man's face.

"I did," the man said as he stared at the Mandalorian.

"Revan," Djarin said as he stood up straight. He was familiar with the Jedi standing in front of him, but it wasn't enough to make him lower his weapon.

"Yes," Revan said as he deactivated his lightsabers. "I remember you too, Din Djarin." He looked at the blaster that was pointed at his chest. "You won't have any more use for that."

"..."

Djarin couldn't help but disagree with this idea. He knew that he wasn't on Revan's list for Mandalorians to kill, but he still held a grudge with the violent man. Not just for their initial meeting at Shade, but also for the time that Revan nearly sacrificed Cinder to lure out Aurora.

But even though he refused to let his guard down, Djarin was willing to hear Revan out.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Revan simply spread his arms, specifically to the dead Mandalorians around him. "Hunting," he said calmly.

Djarin took another look at the Mandalorians on the ground and realized that his question was a little foolish. But he made up for this mistake by asking another one. "Ozpin sent you to Vale. What brought you to Mistral?"

"I sensed that I would be needed here, through a disturbance in the Force." Revan placed his lightsabers on his waist. "Though I wouldn't expect you to understand what that's like. Call it... a hunch."

"...Right." The Mandalorian finally put away his blaster. "Well, I guess it paid off."

"Indeed." Revan slowly approached the Mandalorian, slow enough to show that he meant no harm. "How did you know these Mandalorians were here?"

"I didn't." Djarin quickly remembered why he was here. "I came here looking for Raven Branwen. And the Spring Maiden."

Revan looked around the immediate area as he stopped walking. "There's no Maiden here," he said. "The Mandalorians were the only people I found."

"Dammit," Djarin said as he looked around. "They got here before me, must've taken the Maiden to Salem."

"Perhaps, Djarin. But perhaps not."

"..."

Djarin turned back to the Jedi and listened carefully. "I saw signs that someone had left this place in a hurry," Revan said. "If what you said is true, then it seems Spring knew they were coming."

"Then she could be anywhere," said the Mandalorian. "I was counting on her to be here, we all were."

"...We?"

"..."

Djarin realized that he had made a mistake with that word. But rather than lament on this mistake, the Mandalorian saw a chance to make the best out of a bad situation. It was a calculated risk, but having the Butcher on his side would be better than returning empty handed.

"Ozpin's in Mistral too," he began. "We came to help Haven prepare for an attack the Mandalorians are going to launch tonight. Vizsla's going to send over a hundred of his Mandalorians to the school and attack Mistral from the inside."

"Over a hundred?" Revan repeated. "That'll make for a busy night." He walked again until he was close to Djarin. "I will help you defend the city from Vizsla."

This was good for Djarin to hear, but he didn't mention this. "We better get back, it's getting late," he said. He then took the lead out of the burning camp, where he and Revan walked in silence. But the Mandalorian broke this silence when he said a few things.

"I can get us back to Haven, but my Aura has to finish recharging," Djarin began.

"Very well," Revan replied.

"When we get there, you'll see more Mandalorians. They're from Clans Vizsla and Tenau. And they're our allies."

"Understood."

The third thing Djarin wanted to say was enough to make him stop walking. Claiming Revan as an ally wasn't the only opportunity he saw, and he wanted to take the second one right now. He just hoped that earning the Butcher's respect would earn him an answer.

"Revan... I have to ask you something," the Mandalorian said.

The Jedi preferred to keep walking, but he had a good feeling this question would take time to answer. "...Ask your question," he ordered calmly.

"I want to know more about Salem."

"..."

Djarin didn't know it, but this was a very sensitive topic for the Jedi. It was true that he once served Salem as a Sith Lord, and it was something that was hard to let go of. The things he did under her tutelage was enough to make Revan hate Salem, and he hated everything associated with her. He wanted nothing more than the Dark Lord Revan to die and become a servant of the light.

But people couldn't always get what they wanted.

"...What could you possibly want to know?" Revan asked. "And why can't you go to Ozpin about this?"

"I did," Djarin confessed. "All I managed to get out of him was that Salem lives in the Land of Darkness, with thousands of Grimm living with her."

"That is true."

"Right, but I need to know more. I need to know everything I can about Salem."

Revan slowly turned to Djarin. The things he was saying were almost... intimidating.

"...Why?" he asked.

"So I know how to stop her," said Djarin. "So I can make a plan to fight her on her terms instead of ours. Ours haven't worked. You've... You've seen what they did to my daughter."

"..."

Djarin didn't know it yet, but he had just gained Revan's respect once again.

"Your ambitions are impressive, Djarin," he said. "Foolish, but impressive. I know why Ozpin chose to withhold the majority of his knowledge regarding Salem. Even I think it would be unwise for someone like you to learn everything. But I will share what I can, what I know to be... enough."

"..."

Once again, the Mandalorian was frustrated that he wouldn't be learning everything about Salem. He was beginning to grow tired of secrets, so much that he was growing increasingly close to resorting to violence to get everything he wanted. But once again, Djarin knew his emotions couldn't overpower his sense of reason.

And on the other hand, Djarin was somewhat happy that Revan was at least being honest with the idea of keeping secrets.

"...Fine," the Mandalorian agreed. "What can you tell me that's... 'enough?'"

Revan started walking again so he wouldn't waste any more time. "Ozpin is right about the Land of Darkness, that it is inhabited solely by Grimm," he began. "But there is another reason why going there is dangerous."

"I know Aurora's with her." Djarin was currently moving behind Revan. "She still has the Maiden powers, and-"

"I wasn't speaking of her." Revan quickly turned around. "The Land of Darkness is not just a breeding ground. It's a prison."

"..."

Djarin didn't like being cut off like this, but this was the first time he heard someone call Salem's base a prison. With his curiosity piqued, as well as his concerns, Djarin let the Jedi continue.

"Hundreds of people, even Jedi like myself, came to her in the past. She took them, locked them away to break their will, and turned them into Sith. And when they became too powerful to control, when they became nothing more than tools she could use, Salem locked them away again. But this time, in a place she made with her own Magic. A place where the Dark Side freezes individual moments to suspend people in time... forever."

"..."

Revan took a breath as he finished recalling Salem's prison. "She calls it the 'Fermata Cage.' If you go to the Land of Darkness, the cage will break you endlessly."

"..."

The Mandalorian didn't know what to say. He believed Ozpin when he talked about the Land of Darkness and the thousands of Grimm that inhabited it. He even believed in the Relics and the powers they possessed.

But to believe something like this... it was almost impossible to fathom.

"Believe what you will, Djarin," Revan said as he walked again. "But it's true. All of it."

Djarin snapped out of his daze and rejoined Revan. "You... saw this?" he asked. "This... Fermata Cage?"

"Saw it?" Revan looked behind him as he continued to walk. "I suffered in it. Just like every Sith has. Past and present. Salem knows when and how to use their rage and power to her advantage. When she needs someone killed or something destroyed, Salem releases a Sith or two into the wild and leaves them to die."

Djarin suddenly remembered something. "I met a Sith like that once," he said. "He drained people of Aura to make himself stronger."

Revan stopped walking again as he turned around in surprise. "You met Nihilus?" he asked. "Consider yourself lucky. He was one of the Fermata Cage's most secured prisoners. After Coruscant fell, he became a wound in the Force. Something that needed to feed on everything the Force touched just to survive." Revan hummed as he thought this over. "I sensed his demise, but I would not think a Mandalorian would play a role in such a thing."

"It wasn't me. Cinder helped Obi-Wan kill him."

"...Is that so?" Revan hummed again. "Perhaps I did doubt the strength of the Maiden after all."

Djarin didn't know if this was supposed to be an apology or not, but he didn't say anything.

"My point is, Salem is someone who is always one step ahead. Her greatest strength is to take the powerful, break their will, and use whatever remains to her advantage. Whether it be Mandalorians or the Sith still locked away, Salem will use rage and ambition like yours to make it serve her." Revan began to walk again. "You would be wise to make sure that never happens."

"..."

As Djarin walked with Revan once again, he couldn't stop thinking about everything he had just heard. It was still unbelievable, it was still something that the Mandalorian couldn't possibly imagine to exist. However, he didn't have any reason to think that Revan was lying about this. After he met Nihilus and heard Cinder's story about the Jedi, Djarin came to believe that there were still some Sith that survived.

As to where they were, Revan seemed to answer that question.

In a way, the Mandalorian was grateful to Revan for sharing all of this. Now that he knew both Grimm and Sith were at the Land of Darkness, Djarin knew he would need a new approach to this battle. The new approach would be extreme and require just about everything the world had, but it was more than necessarily.

Especially if more than one Sith was still alive.

"Revan," Djarin called out as he caught up to him. "You said that Salem can unlock the cage? That she lets Sith out one at a time to do what she wants?"

"Yes," Revan replied. "The battle-scarred, the insane... the ones she can barely control. When she lets them out, they all die out here. One way or another."

"What about you?"

"..."

Revan wasn't sure if he wanted to answer this question, given what had happened when he escaped Salem's clutches. It was hard to give an exact answer, since so much had happened.

But he decided to give a simple and satisfactory answer.

"I was released," Revan declared. "After I was stripped of my power and memory, I was released back into the world. To be taken by the Jedi and be trained as one of their own."

"You mean... you were an experiment?" Djarin asked.

"That is one way of looking at it, yes. When I left the Order and joined the Great War, I used my power for Salem. And when she saw an opportunity to do more, she took my memories and let me be a Jedi again. It was her goal to destroy the Order from within."

"So... what happened?"

"It didn't work. Not with me, at least." Revan suddenly didn't feel like answering any more questions, so he decided to speed this process along. "Is your Aura fully charged?"

The Mandalorian looked at his gauntlet to see a green bar. "Yes," he said. "We can go to Haven now." He then extended his hand for Revan to take. But just when he was about to take it, Revan saw Djarin move it back. "One more thing."

"..."

"If Salem can send more Sith out into the world... don't you think she might do it again soon? If the war isn't going as she planned?"

"..."

Revan had just about lost his patience with questions, even if this one could be answered easily. To make this point, Revan moved closer to Djarin's face as he answered the question firmly and honestly.

"I'm counting on it."

"..."

---

When Djarin and Revan arrived at Haven, it was already night. The full moon shined down on the school grounds with its silver light and revealed many Huntsmen and Huntresses standing guard and staying vigilant. The Mandalorian walked through like a normal person to ease any tension, and he was forced to introduce Revan once or twice. But when he made his way into the auditorium once again, where his three closest allies were waiting, everyone knew who was with Djarin.

"By the Gods," Ozpin whispered. "Revan?"

"Revan?" Qrow repeated. "Wait, that's the guy who's been killing the Mandos in Vale?"

"Revan, is that you?" Obi-Wan asked as he looked down from the platform he was standing on. "It's been a long time."

"Too long, Master Kenobi," Revan said with a small bow. "Though it is good to see another Jedi again."

"I couldn't agree more."

"Wait a minute," said Qrow. "What's going on here? Where's Spring?"

"Gone," said the Mandalorian. "The entire camp was abandoned. Death Watch took what was left from the bandits, but they're gone."

"Dammit." Qrow looked at the ground and looked at his fist. "We needed her more than ever."

"It was worth a try," said Ozpin. "But there's nothing we can do now. We can't afford to leave tonight of all nights."

"We didn't get any trouble on the way back," the Mandalorian declared. "Was there anything while I was gone?"

"No," the Headmaster confessed. "And I just checked in with the Huntsmen outside. Nothing to report."

"I haven't seen anything either," said Qrow. "Aside from the people we brought here, there's no sign of any Mandos here."

"We must stay alert," said Ozpin. "Nothing can be allowed to breach the school."

"So what's the plan?" Djarin asked. "Step up our game?"

"More or less," said Obi-Wan. "I've already instructed Mistral's Huntsmen and Huntresses to continuously sweep the area."

"Then it wouldn't hurt for the Huntsmen and Huntresses from Vacuo and Vale to do the same," said Ozpin.

"Maybe, but not that way," said Djarin. "The Saxons, Death Watch, and whoever's fighting against us might have secondary locations to strike first. How about we send the Huntsmen and Huntresses out in the city while Vizsla and Tenau stay here?"

"You think they'd try something like that?" asked Qrow.

"I've seen Mandalorians do this in Vale," Revan answered for Djarin. "I wouldn't be surprised if they did it here as well."

"Agreed, old friend," said the Headmaster of Haven. "We better make the order soon, if this is our plan. Then, we must-"

Obi-Wan suddenly stopped talking as he grabbed his head. He staggered backwards from where he was standing, but he caught a railing before he could fall.

Djarin was about to ask the Headmaster what was wrong, but a groan to his left caused him to turn and see that Ozpin was also holding his head in pain. He was also putting more pressure on his cane as he attempted to continue standing. Revan repeated this motion as well.

"Whoa, Oz!" Qrow said as he rushed over to his friend's side. "You okay?"

"Something is... wrong," said Ozpin.

"I... I sense it too," said Obi-Wan. "We're not alone here."

Djarin immediately pulled out his rifle and looked around the large hall. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, and the thermal vision his helmet provided Djarin showed him that nobody was hiding in the shadows.

But there was something that caught his eye.

"Where did that bird come from?"

Everyone quickly looked over to the Mandalorian and saw where he was looking. Up on a banister sat a lone raven, who was looking down at the group of men in silence.

Everyone stared at the bird, but Qrow was the only one who drew his weapon and fired.

*BANG*

The bullet hit the banister, but the bird was unharmed. Instead of flying to another banister or out the window, the bird made its way to Obi-Wan. Sensing a threat, Obi-Wan reached for his lightsaber and prepared to turn it on.

But a red katana blade pointed at his throat prevented the Headmaster from doing anything.

The bird was in fact Raven Branwen, who shared the same ability as her brother. It was a gift from Ozpin, one that she utilized extremely well in the past. And just a few minutes ago, Raven was able to use her gift to slip past Haven's new security.

Now she was ready to do what she did best: cause trouble.

Raven stared at Obi-Wan through the white and red mask on her face. She made a quick head gesture to the left when she saw the hilt in Obi-Wan's hand. Rather than risk confrontation, the Headmaster tossed the lightsaber aside and began to walk down the stairs towards his allies.

He could use the Force any time he wanted to retrieve his weapon.

Raven finally lowered her sword and took off her mask as she looked at the group of people now below her. "If you're going to shoot me, shoot me," she taunted her brother. "That was insulting."

Qrow had transformed Harbinger into its sword form as he stared daggers at Raven. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

Raven began to walk down the opposite set of stairs that Obi-Wan had come down. "I could ask you the same thing," she said as she continued to descend down the stairs. "You've been scheming, little brother. Planning to attack your own sister."

"..."

Nobody knew how or when Raven managed to accomplish this, but their secret plan had just been uncovered by the one person who wasn't supposed to discover it. Everyone knew this wasn't a good look for them, that obtaining Spring was becoming more impossible by the second.

But that didn't stop Qrow from trying.

"You have the Spring Maiden," he said.

"I do," Raven confirmed. She had stopped walking and was now in front of the statue that she once stood on top of.

Qrow continued his efforts to sway his sister by putting away his weapon and talking. "Then hand her over and let's work together. We can beat Salem!"

Raven had lost count of how many times she heard this argument, but she made her stance on the matter clear. "All that time spent spying for Ozpin and you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!"

Qrow quickly grew angrier by the second. Over the years, he had tried incredibly hard to change his sister's mind. To open her eyes to the fact that they needed to work together, that they needed to stop Salem. But it seemed the answer was still the same as the last million times Qrow and Raven had this discussion.

Qrow didn't believe in miracles, but he knew he needed one now. Because if there was one thing he didn't want to do tonight, despite planning it earlier, it was fighting his own sister.

"Why?"

All eyes fell on to the Mandalorian as he moved closer to Raven. "Why can't we beat Salem?" he asked rhetorically. "Because she lives where a god lived? Because she can control thousands of Grimm? Because she has Sith like Revan all locked away just to send out one at a time?"

"..."

Raven didn't have an answer for this, but she was surprised to hear all of these facts. She was also mildly impressed that Djarin had his own knowledge regarding Salem, despite the fact that he wasn't a spy like she used to be.

"This isn't the first time she's attacked us like this," Djarin continued. "Whether it's Grimm, Sith, or even Mandalorians, all of this has happened before." Djarin stopped moving when he was in front of Qrow. "Salem attacks, we retaliate, and we win. All of this has happened before. And now it can happen again."

"..."

"I have no idea what it takes to beat Salem, I don't!" Djarin clenched his fists as he admitted this fact. "But if I were to stop now, I might as well strip off this armor so I can lay down and die! And if you do anything else other than work with us, Raven, you might as well do the same." Djarin put a hand on his holster as he said this. "One way or another."

"..."

Raven looked at the Mandalorian's hand and understood that he was willing to fight. But since he made no attempt to remove the gun, Raven knew that a peaceful solution seemed to be an option he was considering. It seemed Ozpin had rubbed off on him.

The bandit leader couldn't help but respect what she had just heard. The Mandalorian's will was strong, and the same could be said for everyone else standing behind him. Raven didn't know who the masked man in the hood was, but she was certain that he stood with Ozpin as well.

They were all being incredibly brave... but Raven knew this bravery was simply a mixture of foolishness and ignorance.

"Spoken like a true Mandalorian," Raven said respectfully. "I would know."

"..."

Raven quickly drew her sword, but she didn't use it to attack the men before her. Instead, she swung it behind her and watched as a red portal opened behind her. Qrow and Ozpin recognized the feat as Raven's Semblance, that she could open portals that led to anyone she formed a connection to.

As to who this connection was formed with, nobody could know for sure. But at the back of their minds, everyone couldn't help but wonder who or what was on the other side of the portal.

*ZAP*

A barrage of lightning erupted from the portal and found its way towards the group of unsuspecting heroes. Djarin and Qrow were immediately knocked back by the electricity and they soon found themselves on the floor. But the lightning continued to strike them.

Ozpin, Obi-Wan, and Revan were also hit by the lightning, but they were able to hold their ground. Rather than fall with Djarin and Qrow, the older men pushed their hands forwards and soon found themselves holding some of the lightning in their palms. The Force was enough to hold this power, and it was enough to protect both Djarin and Qrow.

Eventually, the electricity became too strong for them to handle in this manner. And so, each of the Force wielders fired it in different directions. Ozpin fired it at the wall, out of harm's way. Obi-Wan also fired it at the wall, and nobody was hurt.

Revan, however, turned the lightning in two directions. His left hand fired the energy back at the portal, but his right hand hit Raven's shoulder.

"Gah!" Raven yelled as she shook off the pain. Realizing that the initial attack was now indifferent, Raven focused on her Semblance once again. But rather than making another portal or closing the first one, a single strike with the katana known as "Omen" had made the portal larger and wider.

It was enough for a small army to enter.

"Now!" Raven yelled. "Move!"

The lightning had stopped at this point. But in its place emerged multiple people armed to the teeth with all kinds of weapons. Some moved to the doors in the room, others took to the air, and the rest formed a large circle around the five defenders of Haven.

Everyone had been caught off guard by the attack and recovered too late to stop the surprise. Now they were all surrounded by none other than armed and ready Mandalorians. Saxons, Bralors, Carids, and Death Watch all raised their weapons at their shared enemy and watched the rest of their comrades emerge from the portal Raven had created.

Djarin and Qrow were off the ground at this point, but they joined their allies in standing still and assessing the danger. Djarin immediately realized that the prisoner he and Obi-Wan captured was right; over a hundred Mandalorians had successfully invaded Haven Academy, and now they could attack Mistral from within.

Despite their best efforts, despite the fact they tried so hard to prepare for the worst, everyone in the circle realized that the worst had come to pass.

They had been tricked.

Duped.

Taken by complete and total surprise.

Like sheep to the pen, everyone in this school had been herded right to the slaughter.

"Well, well, well."

Underneath his helmet, the Mandalorian's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. Shock and disbelief overcame him and prevented him from moving as he witnessed many Mandalorians step out of the way of the portal. The voice he had recognized and the three people he saw walking out of the portal had proven to be the final nail in Haven's coffin.

The last people to arrive at Haven were two Mandalorians and a Faunus. The Mandalorians were Pre Vizsla and Bo-Katan Kryze, who looked in approval at the army they had amassed and brought to Haven.

The third, ironically, was the one person Djarin had come to Mistral to find. But now, with a smug grin and sadistic delight, she had found him instead.

And she did nothing but revel in her victory.

"Din Djarin," Aurora said as she looked at the Mandalorian with bright burning eyes. "So good to see you again."

---

Author's notes: hey, everyone! Hope your all doing good. Thank you for your patience, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't have too much to say at the moment, nothing really new on my end. Although, I would like to take this time and offer my condolences to the family of Ray Stevenson, who sadly passed away quite recently. Ray Stevenson was the voice actor of Gar Saxon, and he will portray the character Baylan Skoll in the upcoming Ashoka series. It's really a shame he passed away before he could see his work completed, he passed much too soon. RIP Mr. Stevenson.

To The Avenging Titan, canon Cinder can be seen in more ways than one, yes. Aurora may have her powers, but Flora has her ambition and Merri has her need to be superior. As for what happens next, you'll just have to wait and see. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Don Cheeto, I completely understand how you feel. And you're not the only person I know who's shared their contempt of Bo-Katan with me. You'll see what's in store for all these Mandalorians soon, I promise you. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To GojiraRWBYSW18, glad you liked the quotes I included, as well as Mercury's acceptance into the Mandalorians. I can't wait to show everyone what's in store for him. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Dasgun, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

To ArguableReader, you're definitely right about this rule, and you're on to something. You'll see what happens in the next chapter. As for the Blairs, you're right about their arrogance. Canon Cinder served as inspiration for this. I just want to say that I really liked your analysis of the Blair sisters here, it was fun to read. As for your theory about their fate, you'll just have to wait and see what happens next. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To Servos New Head, it's true that Raven's deal is like what happened in Volume 5, like this upcoming fight. I'm glad you liked my idea for Mercury as a Mandalorian, you'll see more of it later down the line. And I hope this chapter made you excited for the fight next chapter. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To CT7567Rules, The Clone Wars served as an inspiration for Vizsla's duel, you're right. And Raven joining Salem here was inevitable, but you're right that things will change with Obi-Wan here. Your idea for a crossover battle like that sounds incredible by the way, wish I could do something like that. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

To an unknown guest, gracias por sus amables palabras. Estoy tan feliz de que estés disfrutando la historia hasta ahora, leer comentarios como estos significan mucho para mí. Pero lamento decir que no puedo terminar la historia de Attack on Titan x RWBY. Soy tan devoto de esa historia como lo soy de esta. pero me aseguraré de actualizar esta historia cada vez que tenga la oportunidad. Gracias por leer, espero que hayan disfrutado este capitulo.

That's all I have for now. Once again, thank you all for your patience. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you're all enjoying the story so far. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments, hearing what you have to say really helps keep this story going.

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