A/N:
Another long chapter, but once again, a lot happens.
Happy Holidays,
The Author
Present Day
Aurora's POV
I sat against the wall of the cell, while my mother sat on the bed in the cell. Both of us playing the waiting game of not knowing what was going to come next. The next thing we know, another Death Watch soldier came up to the cell.
"What do you want, you traitor?" My mother asked in disgust.
Just then, the soldier blasted another soldier and took off their helmet to reveal the face of my brother.
"I'd never betray you, Auntie Satine." Korkie said with a smile. "I'm here to rescue you!"
My brother opened the cell and both my mother, and I walked out of the cell and engulfed my brother into a hug.
"I know you know." My mother began.
"I can start calling you…Mother?" He asked with hesitancy.
She smiled and nodded caressing his cheek.
"Freeze!" A voice said with authority. "Hold it there!"
All three of us turn around and before we could react to the Death Watch soldier ordering us around. Another Death Watch soldier charged at him and took him down with ease.
"Death Watch." My mother said with hesitance.
The warrior then took off her helmet, to reveal the face of my aunt. My expression went from happiness to anger in a matter of moments.
"Bo. It's been a long time." My mother said with shock.
I took a step forward. "What the fuck do you want?"
"It's okay, she's on our side now." Korkie explained.
"Why are you helping now?" I ask in disbelief.
"The enemy of my enemy…" She began but I cut her off.
"Is my friend." I finished.
She smiled. "I taught you well, kid."
"There was a time when we weren't enemies." My mother began. "Perhaps that time has come again."
"If you even think about pulling any tricks, I will come after you." I threatened.
She nodded. "I'm aware. I taught you well. Now, come on. Let's go."
We all then ran out of the prison and started to head to the landing platforms. On the landing platforms in a speeder waiting for us, were Zara and Rehana.
"You followed my lead." I said to them. "Did you get a hold of Alex or Obi-Wan?"
Zara shook her head. "No, and I'm sorry I couldn't."
I sighed. "It's fine."
"We need to contact the Jedi Council." My mother explained. "Korkie, give me your commlink."
"It won't be any good unless we get outside the city." Korkie explained.
"All of the frequencies are jammed." Rehana said with a nod.
"You are all taking a terrible risk by helping me." My mother said with pride.
"Nothing we haven't done before." Korkie explained with a smile. "Right, mother?"
"Mother?" Rehana said in disbelief.
"You have so much to catch up on." Zara sighed. "Let's get going."
Once we were all in the speeder, Zara handed me my spare vambraces and my blasters.
"I love you Zara." I said with a smile giving one to Korkie. "You do know how to use this, right?"
"Point and shoot?" He asked with a confused look.
I smiled and nodded as I took my position as enemy forces began to fire a us.
"Get the Duchess clear." My aunt instructed before activating her jetpack to and fight off enemy forces.
While she was taking care of the forces in the air, the rest of us had a job of getting my mother out of the city to send the message to the Jedi council.
"The transmission is still blocked." Rehana said in annoyance as Zara continued to pilot the speeder, heading towards the landing strip.
"It's not going to be smooth; Zara get there as quickly as you can!" I instructed.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" She asked in annoyance.
Within a matter of seconds, the speeder crash landed onto the landing strip at the edge of the city. Korkie, my mother, and I jumped out immediately, and started running toward the edge of the city.
The transmitter beeped, indicating that it was online and ready for usage.
"You're clear." We both exclaimed as we took our positions behind a piece of debris to protect our mother. The thing we didn't check, was if someone could come up behind us…and someone did. The first thing they did, was take out my brother by knocking him out, and before I could act quickly, the entire world went black.
I knew I started to come back into consciousness when I started to feel the pain, I received from getting knocked out. I groaned as I sat up realizing that I was on the floor of a cell again. I grabbed my head to try and ease the pain, but it didn't work. That's when I realized, I was in the prison, on the other side of Sundari. I could see my brother, and Zara in a cell, but no sign of my mother. That's when I noticed the Death Watch soldier standing in front of my cell. I knew who it was based upon their helmet alone.
I carefully got up. "What do you want, Gar."
My suspicions were confirmed when he took off his helmet.
"You are a disgrace to the Mandalorian civilization." He said with anger.
I rolled my eyes. "And you're not? You bombed cities, slaughtered children, and families, and destroyed civilizations…"
"And you didn't?" He asked. "You are just as much fault as I am."
"The only difference is that I changed. I realized what I was doing was wrong. You continued to do the wrong and harm the innocent." I explained taking a step forward.
He looked over me in disgust. "What happened to you? Why did you do this? I had plans for us. For our future."
"Our future?" I questioned. "Or your future?"
"I loved you…I loved…" He began.
I shook my head. "You never loved me. If you loved me, you would've stopped being a member of Death Watch. You love the idea of me, and being seen with me, but you never have loved me."
In anger and disgust, he put his helmet back on before walking away. Once he was gone, my brother looked at me with a look of disappointment from across the hall in his cell.
"What?" I asked in annoyance.
"That's your ex?" He asked in disbelief. "He's such a drama queen."
I smirked. "You have no idea. Where's Rehana?"
"She's safe." Zara explained. "She's the only one that got out of the city."
"Wish we could say the same." I explained as I sat down on the bed in my cell.
Eventually, I laid down on the bed, to try and get some sleep, knowing that I wasn't going to go anywhere. Many hours past, and I was still sleeping in my cell, until security alarms went off, making me sit up in alert. Across the way, I saw Korkie and Zara in utter confusion…I had no clue with what was going on, so I sat back down on my bed. Just as I was about to go back to sleep, another Death Watch soldier (in old Death Watch armor) stood in front of me.
"Here for another interrogation?" I asked in annoyance.
The warrior took off their helmet to reveal the face of Alexsandr Vizsla smirking in amusement at me.
"And here, I thought, you'd be happy to see me Sweetheart." He said with a smirk as he opened the door to my cell making me practically run into his arms throwing my arms around his neck.
"You got my message." I said pulling out of the hug.
"I got your message. And Zara's message…who I thought was you, but I forgot she's your body double." He explained. "I thought you were dead."
I nodded. "I thought you were dead too…your father is…"
"I know." He said with a nod. "Don't worry about it. He deserved it."
I shook my head. "Listen, I…"
I was about to explain, that I'm sorry for making him come back here for me, but he silenced me, by grabbing my waist, and pulling me in for a kiss. I wasn't expecting it, but after it happened, I practically melted to the floor. I guess the two of us felt the same way about each other…though I wouldn't speak of it. We were interrupted by someone clearing their throat making the both of us look over to my brother and Zara who were both watching the entire scene unfold.
"While I appreciate…whatever this is…can we get out of here PLEASE!" Korkie shouted in annoyance.
Alex and I looked at each other in embarrassment before walking across the hall to let Zara and my brother out of their cells.
"Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?" Zara said in annoyance as we all started to walk down the hall.
"I'm not." I explained.
Alex handed a key card to Korkie.
"Take this and head to my ship. Geenine and Ro's starfighter are already there. Take it and head to Coruscant and inform the Jedi Temple what is occurring." Alex explained.
"But what about the both of you?" Korkie asked in worry.
Alex and I looked at each other.
"We're going to save our mom." I explained before engulfing my brother and Zara into a hug. "Don't die on me."
"We won't." They both replied before heading down the other end of the hall.
I looked to Alex who gave me a nod before we ran down the hall heading toward the landing pad.
"Where are we going?" I asked in confusion.
"You said it yourself, to find your mother…only the goal is, to get captured so we get led right to her." Alex explained.
"How are we going to do that?" I asked as we rounded the corner to the landing pad where Death Watch soldiers were waiting for us.
"That's how." Alex said putting his hands up.
Within a matter of moments, Alex and I were taken into Death Watch custody, but instead of being escorted back into the prison, we were taken to the palace instead. We were ushered quickly into the palace and into the throne room. There, we were met with a few Death Watch warriors, the two Zabraks, my mother, Almec, and Obi-Wan.
"Aurora!" Both my mother and Obi-Wan shouted for me.
My mother was handcuffed kneeling next to the man from my nightmeres with Almec and my torturer standing beside him, and Obi-Wan was standing in the middle of the throne room, wearing full Mandalorian armor, and surrounded by Death Watch soldiers.
"Well, isn't this just sweet." The man from my nightmares began. "A family reunion."
My eye slightly twitched. By the minute I felt anger build up in my bones.
"Your noble flaw is a weakness shared by you, your duchess... and your princess. You should have chosen the dark side, Master Jedi." He continued before standing up off the throne.
That's when the vision from my nightmares came into reality. My mother, began to be choked by way of the force, but the man from my nightmares. I tried to get out of the grip the Death Watch soldiers had on me, but the grip was so strong, that when I tried to move, it drew blood.
"Your emotions betray you. Your fear, and yes, your anger. Let your anger deepen your hatred." He continued as he stepped closer to the three of us.
"Don't listen to him Obi…" My mother tried to finish her sentence but because of the nature of her being choked, it was too difficult.
"Quiet!" He ordered.
"You can kill me, but you will never destroy me. It takes strength to resist the dark side, Maul. Only the weak embrace it." Obi-Wan began.
"It is more powerful than you know." Maul continued.
"And those who oppose it are more powerful than you'll ever be." I interjected.
Maul snarled at me, and my tortuerer was about to step forward to finish the job he did on me above Wassakah but was waved off by Maul.
"I know where you're from. I've been to your village. I know the decision to join the dark side wasn't yours. The Nightsisters made it for you." Obi-Wan continued.
"Silence!" Maul demanded still choking my mother. "You think you know me? It was I who languished for years thinking of nothing but you. Nothing but this moment."
Anger and hatred continued to fill my body. All I wanted, was for Death Watch to release me, so I can straight up murder the man standing in front of me. I wanted to behead him. Burn his body. Bomb the living daylights out of him and his army. I wanted to paint a wall with his blood. The amount of anger, and hatred I had in this very moment, was something I haven't had…ever. I felt like…I felt like I was going to burst from all the anger.
"And now the perfect tool for my vengeance is in front of us. I never planned on killing you. But I will make you share my pain, Kenobi." Maul explained before igniting the Darksaber, and instead of killing Obi-Wan, lodging the weapon into my mother's stomach.
My eyes widened in horror as what I witnessed. My nightmare proven true. Maul killed my mother, in cold blood. I felt tears well in my eyes as Obi-Wan knelt before my mother. I was in a frozen catatonic state. I glanced at my mother lying on the floor before slowly glancing up at Maul who was sitting on the throne. That's when all the anger that had built up inside me. All the anger, hatred, annoyance, rage, indignation, fury, and hostility that I felt in this very moment came out of me. I fell to my knees and let out a blood curdling scream, but what I didn't realize was that when I did so, the Death Watch soldiers around me flew back. Almost like I used the force to push them. I had my eyes closed but immediately after I stood up, Maul's eyes widened. A stray Death Watch soldier came charging at me, but with the simple gesture of extending my right arm and twisting it, ever so slightly, I choked and snapped their neck using the force, killing them instantly. I was about to go and do the same for Maul when a voice stopped me.
"Aurora, don't!" Obi-Wan said with hesitance.
I immediately snapped my head around and looked at Obi-Wan who was still cradling my mother's corpse. Alex was next to him…both looked at me in shock at what I just did. My hard, rageful expression softened at seeing both of them which allowed for the Death Watch soldiers I blew back earlier to come and arrest us again.
"Let them drown in their misery. Take them to a cell to rot." Maul instructed.
We were immediately rushed out of the throne room, but I looked back to my mother's body once more before leaving. Upon being placed on a landing platform, to head towards the prison, again, another explosion happened which allowed for my Aunt and her rebel Death Watch soldiers to swoop in, destroying Maul's Death Watch soldiers instantly.
"About time you show up." I say in annoyance before she tossed me my beskar-woven suit to put on.
"Sorry, had to go and get your clothes so you can get out of your gown." She explained before gesturing me to a pillar to change behind. I grabbed the suit and quickly started to change behind the pillar. While I was changing, I felt something trickle down the back of my neck. I frowned in confusion before feeling back there and feeling something sharp sticking out of my neck. I carefully pull it out and take it in my hands. The object was about the size of the fingernail on my thumb, it was square, and had some sort of writing on it…it was a chip. I had a chip in the back of my neck. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?
"Sorry, I don't believe we've met. You are?" I heard Obi-Wan ask snapping me out of my thoughts. I quickly put the chip in the top part of my suit.
"Bo-Katan. My aunt explained. I'm here to rescue you, and that's all you need to know. Alex, it's good to see you." She explained.
"You too." Alex explained just as I walked around from the other side of the pillar. I tossed my crown to Alex.
"Hold onto this." I explained as Bo-Katan handed me a jetpack before she handed Obi-Wan and Alex one.
"Have you ever used one off these?" I asked looking at Obi-Wan.
"No, but in this case, I'm a fast learner." He explained and I smiled.
"Let's go." My aunt ordered and we all activated our jetpacks and flew off the platform in direction of the landing pad at the edge of the city.
Just as we started to fly through the city, Maul's reinforcements came up behind us and started to attack us. Thankfully, my aunt's rebels took care of it, as they fought them off with blasters. We landed at a lock door, and just as we landed, Maul's soldiers started to attack. Alex tossed me a blaster, Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber, and my aunt used her vambraces to try and combat the number of soldiers attacking us. While the others were holding off Maul's forces, Obi-Wan and I went to open the lock door, which would lead us to the shuttles. Once the door was opened, both of our eyes widened in shock. War. We were met with war. Mandalorians fighting Mandalorians. Explosions everywhere. Blasters firing left and right, and fires occurring due to the crossfire. We were met with a war-torn Mandalore. What my mother spent most of her life trying to avoid, occurred in a matter of hours.
"Maul must really want you all dead." Bo explained.
"You have no idea." Obi-Wan, Alex, and I all replied at the same time before we all charged forward into the firefight.
We all started running toward a shuttle and almost by all our wishes it opened automatically, without a keycard.
"Go back to your Republic and tell them what has happened." Bo explained as her, Alex, and I tried to fight off forces.
"That would likely lead to a Republic invasion of Mandalore." Obi-Wan retorted.
I smirked. "Yes, but Maul will die."
"But Mandalore will survive." Bo said with a nod. "We always survive…that includes you Ro."
I looked at her in shock. "No, I want to stay."
She shook her head. "It's not safe for you here. Maul will hunt you down. You are safer if you are far away from here."
I looked at her in annoyance.
"Now go." She ordered. "Take Vizsla with you."
I glanced to Alex who shrugged.
"Ba'vodu, thank you, for everything." I explain with somber.
"Protect your vod." She explained, knowing she meant Korkie.
I nodded. "I will."
That's when Obi-Wan put two and two together.
"You're Satine's sister, aren't you?" He asked in disbelief.
Bo turned around with a sigh.
"I'm so sorry." Obi-Wan replied before ushering Alex and I onto the shuttle.
With Obi-Wan piloting, and I co-piloting, we reach space within a matter of moments. It felt like seconds before we jumped to Hyperspace, not giving me anytime to say goodbye to the planet I loved so much. I sighed as I took my hair out of the bun Zara put it in this morning…but compared to how this day went, this morning feels like years ago.
"You are bleeding." Obi-Wan explained gesturing to my arm.
"I don't care." I replied quietly as I stared off into the blue Hyperspace tunnel.
"You need to…" Alex began.
"I said I don't care!" I snapped.
Neither of them said anything for the rest of the trip. When we reached the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the three of us were met by Yoda, Windu, Anakin, Ahsoka, my brother, and Zara. Obi-Wan began to explain the situation, and my brother interjected that he had felt the disturbance. I continuously remained silent watching the blood pull out of my right arm. Upon noticing the blood pool out of my arm, I was ushered to the infirmary, and at the request of Obi-Wan, a full psychiatric evaluation was done on me. Even though I was behind the glass doors of my room, I could still hear what they were saying.
"She is in full catatonic shock. She cannot comprehend on how to act because she has never experienced this level of trauma before. She cannot think straight, and or feel straight. In some individuals it takes days, weeks, or months. Give her time…she will talk again, but not now." I heard the doctor explain.
Obi-Wan glanced to me from his position behind the glass and I saw him sigh and nod before walking away. I knew in the back of my mind that I was going to be here a while, but then again it was probably the safest to be. I carefully took the chip out of the top part of my suit and examined it in my hand. Why did I have a chip in the back of my neck, and what was it for? Nothing about this day made sense. The only thing that made sense was the fact that my mother was killed by Maul, the man from my nightmares. All I wanted to do was crawl into a ball and die…but I knew that wouldn't be possible for the sake of my brother, who was across the hall from me being examined by his own team of doctors. This entire day was the worst day of my life, and nothing was making sense.
Meanwhile
Third Person's POV
"She blew back about a dozen Death Watch soldiers with her anger alone." Obi-Wan explained as he stood before the council. "I've never seen anything like it."
"What you witnessed was a Force Blast." Windu explained. "It is a rare ability that hasn't been seen since the time of the Old Republic…since the Sacking of Coruscant and the Sith Armada."
"She is strong with the darkside of the force." Obi-Wan continued. "Her eyes turned a shade of yellow when it occurred. Maul was surprised by it, along with myself, but I also sense she is powerful with the lightside of the force as well."
"Able to wield both sides, the Princess might be." Yoda explained. "In danger, she is."
"Because her powers were dormant for so long, she will not be able to control them." Windu explained. "If she can use both sides of the force, given from personal experience, she will be a great candidate for Vaapad."
Obi-Wan nodded. "I have been training her slightly on how to use her powers, but she's rather…stubborn."
Yoda nodded. "A family trait, hmm?"
Obi-Wan sighed. "Perhaps. I will not be able to train her with Vaapad, but I can teach her on how to control her emotions."
Windu nodded. "I will teach her Vaapad, and how to tap into the darkside momentarily. We cannot risk her falling to the darkside. If she falls…"
"Maul will come for her…especially more so, now that he knows what she can do." Obi-Wan explained.
"Keep the Princess safe, we must. Protect her from Maul, we must." Yoda said with a nod allowing for the entire Jedi High Council to agree.
Meanwhile on Mandalore
Third Person's POV
"She is more powerful than I thought." Maul began as he spoke to Almec.
"Her grandmother did everything, to keep her power hidden, after the terror she caused as a baby." Almec explained.
"Such a shame." Maul explained.
"Her father was just as powerful, however to my knowledge, he is dead." Almec continued.
Maul shook his head. "Give it time. When the time comes, she will return…and she will make a worthy apprentice."