Chapter Two: War and Peace
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed last chapter and are looking foward to where we are headed.
This time, we get some insight into Satine and Bo-Katan's history. Enjoy.
As they flew away from the Palace, Satine spoke up while hanging onto her sister's neck. "Bo, head for the family home, there is something that we will both need there." While it was not the actual family castle on neighboring Kalevala, they did have a home here on Mandalore itself.
"What?" Bo didn't think it would be the wisest of moves, but the look Satine gave her sister convinced Bo-Katan to go along with it. Bo and her forces diverted to the Home of Clan Kryze.
Arriving outside the home Clan Kryze used when on Mandalore, Bo-Katan set Satine down, and took her helmet off. Both took a moment to look at the home. It had been too long since Bo had set foot inside, ever since she and Satine became estranged.
"Memories flooding back?" Satine asked, as she too was a bit lost in her thoughts.
"Both good and bad, and the last one where you cast me into exile. You kicked me out of our home, made me leave Mandalore and forbade me from our castle on Kalevala." Bo-Katan's voice turned to ice. Satine winced in remembrance of their last meeting here. Not one she liked to think about it. At the time, and for long afterwards, she justified it to herself that if there was to be peace on Mandalore that there had to be no exceptions to the exilement of the remaining warriors, even Bo-Katan.
"We can work this out later you two, we do not have much time before Maul's forces track us down," Obi-Wan interjected to be the role of peacemaker.
"Obi-Wan is right, this way," Satine started into the family home. Bo hand signaled her loyalists, then followed Satine with Kenobi behind her. The Nite Owls and other Death Watch members that followed Bo-Katan set up a perimeter around the home.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Obi-Wan, this is Bo-Katan Kryze, my sister," Satine introduced them.
"Jedi," Bo nodded at him.
"I assume that you too are not close," Obi-Wan remarked.
"Doesn't begin to describe it, Kenobi," Bo said with a bit of spite, then followed her sister.
Satine led both her sister and Obi-Wan through the home of Clan Kryze. Down in the basement is where they found what they were looking for, a large metal cabinet. The basement of the Kryze home was set up like a training arena, with targets for blasters and practice melee weapons, with a dueling ring for sparring. Bo was surprised that Satine had kept the training grounds from when they were kids, all these years.
"There is something you need to see," Satine told her sister.
Satine placed her hand on a hand scanner and a holomessage began to play. The hologram that materialized was of their late father, clad in his Mandalorian armor, with helmet under his arm. "Dad," the word escaped Bo-Katan's lips.
"Hello, my dear daughter Satine. If you are seeing this message, then I am long dead, and you are hopefully ready for your armor. In this case are two full suits of Adult Mandalorian Armor, one for you and one for Bo-Katan. When I sent you away to Coruscant for your safety and to learn diplomacy, it was my hope that you would return to Mandalore and take your rightful place, as a Mandalorian dedicated to both war and peace, to serve as Mandalore's representative in the galactic community. I could tell that Jaster Mereel would have loved you, if he had lived to see it. He confided in me about the need for a leader of our people to understand both sides of the credit, peace and war. He knew war and fighting well, but peace was not a forte of his. It is why Clan Kryze was named by him to lead the planet as I was taught in these matters and why he allowed the New Mandalorians movement to continue in his reign."
Bo-Katan was shocked at the revelation of what their father had wanted for her sister, and that Jaster Mereel would have liked her. They never really knew the Mand'alor, as he was usually away from the planet leading his troops. Though, he did make an exception and was present for her taking the Creed in the Living Waters under the mines. Jaster had left the planet and the people in the hands of their father, Adonai Kryze. Everything was going fine, until after the Battle of Galidraan. Jango had disappeared and Adonai lost control of the clans and the Great Clan Wars began, resulting in his death and the destruction wrought on their homeworld.
The message continued, "Tell Bo-Katan that I had wanted her to serve alongside Jaster, and Jango Fett as well." At the mention of the legendary bounty hunter and genetic donor for the entire GAR, several looks were exchanged. "Had she been a bit older to be able to serve alongside him, she would have quickly become his right hand, I am sure of it." Considering that she had easily worked her way into being Pre Vizsla's right hand proved her father's point.
"Take good care of each other for me," the visage of their father smiled and the message ended.
For a moment, neither sister said a word, the truth of what their father wanted for them shook them. Finally finding her voice, Bo asked her sister the most pressing question, "How long did you know about that?"
"Ever since returning from Coruscant to plead our neutrality to the Senate. On my way back to the palace, I had a gut feeling that I should visit our planet-side family home. I found that message, and it shook me to the core. Everything I knew was changed up, for some time I tried to stay dedicated to my ways. However, when Senator Amidala was here to help me look into the black market problem, and I saw all those sick children in the new hospital…" Satine's voice got hard, but she did not finish that sentence. "It took all I had to both not pick up a blaster during the firefight on the dock or to pick up a flamethrower and burn that warehouse. Afterward, I began to wonder in private if I made the wrong choice to deny my blood."
"You know what my answer to that is, but what matters more is that you are now willing to embrace it. Are you willing to embrace your warrior heritage and fight to take back our home?" Bo-Katan asked.
It took Satine a good long minute to answer, but when she did, she knew there would be no going back. "Yes, it is time to live up to what father wanted for me."
Satine placed her hand on the one scanner and Bo-Katan placed hers on the other scanner and the cabinet opened up to reveal what was inside: Two complete suits of Mandalorian armor, made of pure beskar. Properly suited for two female warriors.
"Is that?" Bo began to ask in wonder.
"Two full suits, made of pure Beskar. Only the best for those of nobility," Satine said with a bit of a sad smirk. "Bo, you may want to get the new armor on," Satine said as she grabbed the body suit that went under the armor. Obi-Wan went to keep lookout as the two Mandalorians changed.
"I am going to have to paint this later," Bo wished that the armor had been painted in the blue she wore on her armor. Satine smirked, she would have to paint hers as well, if they survived. Perhaps a nice pink, as that was that she tended to wear outside of her royal garb.
"I hoped I would never have to use this," Satine said, as she got the armor on. "However, given the circumstances, that hope is irrelevant."
"About time you wear something that is your birthright," Bo-Katan commented. Satine rolled her eyes, they needed to have a serious talk when this was over.
With heavy thought, she strapped the twin holsters to her hips and placed the twin Westar-35 blasters in them. She grabbed the retractable Electrostaff that was hanging in the case, and placed it on her hip as well. Then, she turned to checking her vambrace loadouts and ammunition. Bo grabbed the other one. Though she had the Darksaber on her hip, she was not confident that she could wield the weapon against two trained Sith Lords, unlike Pre Vizsla before her. Also, Pre never trained her to swing the thing.
Seeing her sister, who spouted the values of pacifism, strapping weapons to her hips was a bit of an ironic thing. "You remember how to fight?" Bo wanted to make sure. Wearing the armor was one thing, but fighting like a Mandalorian was more important.
"A Mandalorian never forgets, even if they want to," Satine sounded a bit remorseful at that, also a bit haughty at it.
Bo-Katan smirked, "Really? Prove it. I challenge you, one warrior to another. No weapons, only unarmed combat."
"Do we really have time for this?" Obi-Wan interjected, having come to check on them. Both Mandalorians looked at the Jedi, with looks that said it all, they needed this.
"I accept your challenge," Satine said and the fight began. Both approached each other with their guard up, trading fisticuffs with each other. Neither would exactly admit it, but this had been a long time coming. The sisters had been estranged for years over their beliefs and sides they chose. Also, Satine exiling Bo-Katan did not help matters. So, Bo-Katan had some issues to work out with Satine.
Bo-Katan swung first aiming for Satine's jaw, Satine raising her arms to block two strikes. Satine sideways kicked at Bo, nearly taking her knee out. Back and forth of trading punches and kicks, sweeping their sisters legs out and they bouncing right back up.
As they fought, it reminded them of when they were young and their father training them in the ways of the warrior. Both were pulling their punches as they did not want to hurt their sister. Not yet, anyway, as they still had to fight two Sith Lords. Satine elbowed Bo in the face. "You are good, sister, but I am not impressed yet." Bo brought her knee up and caught Satine in the stomach.
The sisters fought each other to a stand still, to Bo's surprise. Both had their hands aimed for a strike at the other's throat. Both of their breaths were short from fighting, their hair a bit of a mess from it as well. "You have been practicing," Bo remarked.
"In some ways, I never stopped, just not in the original way. The only ones who knew were my personal guards as I needed training opponents," Satine revealed. "Also, the remains of the Mandalorian Protectors are in my guards, so they needed the practice as well."
"There is a story to that, which is for another time. How are your skills with a blaster?" Satine pulled one of her blasters out and placed a precise shot in the middle of a target on the wall.
"This may not be the time to ask, but were you faking your hesitancy on the Coronet?" Obi-Wan asked, referring to the confrontation with the traitorous senator Tal Merrik.
"No, that was real. To be honest, it was more of a case that I did not want to have to shoot a living being. Droids, I am perfectly okay with, but that was very close to murder in my eyes, even if he was going to blow up the ship. He was also a childhood friend. Part of the reason that my hands were shaking was because there was a mental battle taking place. One part of me said that I should not shoot him, because of my dedication to pacifism. My hands, though wanted to pull the trigger, as if waiting for permission to do so." Bo-Katan's brow arched in question, Satine's blood was definitely that of a Mandalorian.
"While I am still a bit averse to violence," Satine began. Bo rolled her eyes, they would need to work on that, "and what it has done to our home, I now realize that there comes a time when diplomacy and peace must step aside and allow warriors to do the talking." Something similar to what Obi-Wan had told her on the Coronet. "Besides, the New Mandalorian movement had to fight to be able to end the Great Clan Wars."
"Hypocrisy from the beginning," Bo shook her head. Satine ignored her comment.
"Let's go take back our home," Satine said as she strapped her jetpack to her back and grabbed her helmet, holding it under her arm and started to walk out.
Bo-Katan grabbed Satine by the shoulder plate, "Just tell me one thing, Satine. I know there is more to your aversion of violence than just what it did to our people. What is your real aversion to fighting? As it is in our blood, and considering our father was a True Mandalorian and close friend to the Manda'lor." Adonai Kryze died defending Mandalore against the Death Watch.
"Did you ever find out who killed our father?" Satine asked, hoping that changing the question would allow her not to answer.
"Tor Vizsla himself. Ironically, Tor had great respect for Dad, according to the manifesto Tor wrote, calling him a mighty warlord." Bo-Katan smirked at that. "Said it was a disgrace to Dad's memory that you joined and became leader of the New Mandalorians. Jango Fett would later, perhaps unknowingly, avenge him when he killed Tor Vizsla."
"Jango Fett probably knew our father as he was the adopted son of Jaster Mereel," Satine said.
"I know what you are doing, Satine. Answer my question: What is your real aversion to fighting?" Bo-Katan reiterated her question, this time more firmly.
Satine knew this was coming. Better now before they possibly go to their deaths. "It is because I am afraid."
"Afraid to die? Afraid to kill?" Bo questioned her sister. A cowardly Mandalorian was in some ways worse than a pacifistic one.
"No, I am afraid that I would like it too much. I never wanted to be a raider or a murderer like some of the Mandalorians of Old. So, I ran from what my blood told me to be," Satine admitted. There were times that the blood that coursed through her told her to fight. As she already said, perhaps the closest, other than on the Coronet, that she came close to picking up a weapon was when Senator Amidala was visiting and they were investigating a black market operation. "It takes the same discipline that Mandalorians learn when training to fight that is required in order to not fight. Remember when we were young and Father would sometimes have to pull me off of you during our training? After several times of that, I began to hold back, not wanting to do the fighting."
Bo's eyes widened in memory. Satine was right, she had a wrathful side. "Yeah, I remember the broken nose you gave me once. No wonder Father sent you to Coruscant when the Clan Wars broke out, he definitely wanted you to be the first of a new breed of Mandalorian. One schooled in both war and diplomacy. A reformer, the next logical step from Jaster Mereel's philosophy. I guess that will have to do for now. We have a score to settle before we bury old vibro-blades." Bo-Katan led the way out of the house.
Walking out of the homestead, the Death Watch members that remained loyal to Bo-Katan were surprised to see the pacifist Duchess, fully armored and packing heat. Bo-Katan walked in front of the other two. Raising her voice to address them, "True brothers and sisters of the Warrior Ways Of Mandalore. Here now, Death Watch is no more. The True Mandalorians of Jaster Mereel are reborn today!" There were cheers from her forces. "Now, let's go take back our home from the traitors, my sister and the Jedi will be joining us. May Kad Ha'rangir favor us today." Everyone activated their jetpacks and headed for the Palace.
As they drew near, several groups broke off to chosen spots to set up sniper positions. Before heading into the Palace, Bo-Katan checked in with the sniper teams to make sure they were ready.
"Sniper Teams, check in," Bo said over the comms.
"We're all set here. Ready to cover your advance," a female Mandalorian's voice came back to her. She could tell there was a bit of disappointment in the other person's voice.
"I know you would rather be beside me, Ursa, but you have a family with a two year old and a one-year old to think about." Ursa Wren, one of Bo's loyalist Nite Owls, in the past two years had a daughter and a son with an artist.
Ursa sighed, "you're right, Lady Bo-Katan, I do. Alrich is definitely not going to be the one to teach Sabine and Tristan how to fight, it's going to be me. We have your back."
The plan would be to draw the Sith brothers out into a kill box. What they found when they reached the Palace was not what they were expecting.
There you have it, Chapter Two of this epic tale. I am sure you have questions and I will answer them as best I can.
Here we see the beginning of the blending of Legends and New Canon, like the name of their father and the family castle, as well as the fact their father was a Warrior. If you a re interested where that came from, look at the back of the Bounter Hunter's code, Boba Fett added a Death Watch Manifesto that Jango gave him to it. In it, Tor Vizsla called Adonai, not by name, a mighty warlord. So, it was not far of a stretch that he was a True Mandalorian, allied with Jaster Mereel. Also, based all this info we have, it was was not that far of a stretch that Satine and Bo had a regular Mando bringing with training until Satine got sent to Coruscant.
As for Satine herself, when watching that episode with her and Padme, I could see the Mando heritage in her in some of her actions, like threatening a school offical with torture and ordering a warehouse burned down. Why do the guards carry flamethrowers in thier vehicles? Anyway, different matter.
if you know where we are in the episode we are now, then you know what is coming. Hehehe, this is going to be fun.
The Emperor is out. Peace.