As Padmé had returned to Naboo with Obi-Wan, Anakin, Barris, and Ahsoka to discuss the leave from the Republic with the Queen. Korkie had decided to accompany Shmi to oversee the various factories in the outer-rim and wild space. Because of what an important figure she was, she had been given the protection of a Jedi Master, a Jedi Knight, and a whole batallion from the Protection Corps.
Korkie and Shmi surely felt quite safer with Quinlan Voss, Aayla Secura, and the 327th with them. Especially, with the rumors going around of a new Pirate Queen taking control of the planet Rattatak, after going to battle and crushing the Weequay raiders.
"The Shadows network say that it is a Sith that took control of the planet," Quinlan shared in the Control Center of the Liberty. "However, they call her the Ungolden Sith."
"The Ungolden Sith?" Shmi repeated confused. "What does that mean?"
"It means that she does not have golden eyes," Quinlan answered.
"That makes no sense," Aayla shook her head. "Golden eyes are the sign of the Sith."
"How can they call her a Sith if she does not have gold eyes?" Korkie asked, all of this being quite new to him.
"Well, Asajj Ventress is a Sith... or used to be," Quinlan replied, bringing them to a startled silence. Their shock loud in all the quiet. "After her battle with our Vixen in Kamino, she disappeared. Neither us or the Separatists could find her. She then appeared again in Rattatak and conquered the planet. She was vicious in putting down the crime rates and pirates. But she has made the planet safer and banned slavery."
"Should we get involved?" Bly inquired, looking as lost as everyone else felt.
"She is no longer a Sith or involved with the Separatists. Rattatak is a Neutral Planet, so there is no reason to get involved." Quinlan answered with a shrug. "But the Jedi Council wants to know how her eyes are no longer gold and how her lightsaber is now white."
"Leaving the darkside should not be possible," Aayla frowned.
"Yet she did it," Korkie pointed out.
"Nothing is ever impossible," Shmi stated with confidence. "Anything is possible in life. Just look at what we have achieved! Everyone thought that slavery could not be ended, but we are so close!"
"Lady Shmi is right," Bly agreed, smiling brightly at Aayla. "We all thought we would always be meat droids... but we were given hope and with that belief, things changed."
The good mood in the Control Center got interrupted by the upcoming call from an unknown ship. Carefully, Aayla, the ship's General, accepted the call. As if summoned by the Force, Asajj Ventress appeared on the screen. No gold in sight in her eyes. "Hello. General Secura, right? Knight Skywalker's friend," Ventress comment had everyone tensing. "Darth Maul has his sights on you. He wants Lady Skywalker and Skywalker Corporation's weapons to aid him conquer Mandalore."
"Mandalore?!" Korkie was on his feet, agitated by the mention of his home planet. "What would a Sith wane with a pacifist planet?!"
Ventress looked at the boy with an uninterested expression. "He has killed Pre Vizla and is now in possession of the dark saber."
"The Deal Watch is being lead by a Sith?" Korkie paled, as his legs buckled and he was forced to sit down.
"Osik!" Bly swore.
"Darth Maul was killed during the invasion of Naboo by Obi- Wan," Quinlan crossed his arms over his chest. Ventress looked more interested in him than anyone else in the Control Center. "How is a dead man the Mandalore?"
"Because you Jedis need to make sure we… they stay dead," Ventress drawled drily. "Next time burn his body. Maul is a cockroach and has a frustrating talent of surviving. He is out for revenge and as he can't get to neither Knight Skywalker and Senator Skywalker, he goes for the second best thing."
"His son's mother." Shmi sighed. "Going for his mother-in-law is only a plus."
"We need to get you to safety," Aayla turned to Shmi.
"We need to help Mandalore." Korkie protested.
"Enough!" Quinlan silenced them firmly with a glare, before turning to Ventress in the screen. "Why tell us? What is your objective? Do you want to add Mandalore to your Kingdom Pirate Queen?"
"I used to be a slave in Rattatak," Ventress' confession silenced them, Shmi and Bly's expression turning understanding. "I was freed by my Jedi Master... he then died and I was enslaved by the darkside. Siths are but slaves believing themselves slavers." Ventress' words resonated in the Control Center, their deep meaning shaking them to the core. "Knight Skywalker made me realize that... he truly is the Ekkreth..." the soft look came and went before anyone but Quinlan had noticed it, as a mask of indifference slid into place. "I owe him, so I am paying him back."
"Are you willing to battle a Sith?" Quinlan asked.
Ventress smirk was vicious and all teeth. "Do you even have to ask?"
After finding out that Darth Maul was back and trying to take control of Mandalore, Shmi reached out to the True Mandalorians for help. The Children of the Watch had sworn never to return to Mandalore, but the True Mandalorians, with their deep sense of honor and duty to their home planet, stepped up to the challenge. They weren't about to let a dar'jetii to take over their world.
As the True Mandalorians and the 327th Battalion gathered at a makeshift command center, a tense silence filled the room. The True Mandalorians, decked out in their iconic beskar armor, were a formidable sight, and their presence showed just how seriously they took the mission to defend Mandalore.
In the middle of the tense atmosphere, Korkie Kryze stood facing the True Mandalorians. The warriors stared him down with a mix of scorn and disbelief, clearly not impressed by his background. After a moment, one of the bigger Mandalorians stepped forward, a gruff figure with a sneer on his face.
"Look at this guy," the Mandalorian said with a sarcastic grin. "A Kryze trying to play the hero. Son of the pacifist Duchess and nephew to a Death Watch traitor. Quite the resume, huh?"
The room burst into laughter and mocking comments, all aimed at shaking Korkie's confidence. But Korkie didn't back down. He squared his shoulders and held the Mandalorian's gaze, showing he wasn't going to be intimidated.
One of the warriors sneered at Korkie, his face twisted with disdain. "So you think you can just stroll in here and become a real Mandalorian, huh? Your family's history isn't exactly full of honor, is it?"
Korkie's eyes flashed with anger, but he took a deep breath and kept his cool. "Yeah, my family's had its problems. But Mandalore's in my blood, just like it is in yours. I've taken the Creed to heart, and I'm here to fight for our people."
Another warrior folded his arms, looking unimpressed. "Your family's known for pacifism and cowardice. You're just another weak link from that same branch."
Korkie's voice was steady and determined as he spoke up. "Pacifism isn't the same as being weak, and strength isn't just about swinging a weapon around. I've got more than just the Kryze name—I'm part of the Skywalker, Naberrie, and Kenobi families too. You all fought under Buir Skywalker against the Zygerrians. I've been trained by some of the best warriors in the galaxy these past few months."
Shmi stepped forward, her eyes firm but understanding. "Enough with the insults. We have a bigger problem—a Sith who's threatening everything we care about. It's time to put aside our differences and fight together."
The room went quiet as Shmi's words hung in the air, bringing a brief calm to the heated argument. Korkie took this chance to speak up, his voice a mix of frustration and determination.
"I'm not here to show off or prove anything," Korkie said, his tone steady. "I'm here because I love Mandalore. I want to honor its past and make sure it has a future. If you're up for fighting with me, then let's get to it. If not, then step aside."
A murmur of surprise went through the True Mandalorians, their faces going from scornful to thoughtful. The tension in the room was thick as everyone waited to see what would happen next. Finally, one of the warriors stepped forward, looking at Korkie with a hint of respect.
"You've got some guts, Kryze," he said gruffly. "But you'll have to prove it with your actions. We'll give you a chance."
Korkie nodded, his resolve firm. "Sounds good. Let's show them what Mandalore's made of."
As the True Mandalorians and their allies got ready for the fight, the room's mood shifted from one of hostility to a reluctant sense of teamwork. The insults and doubts had given way to a shared drive to protect Mandalore.
The battle for Mandalore kicked off with a fury that matched all the tension leading up to it. Asajj Ventress and her pirate crew were locked in a high-stakes dogfight in the skies, trying to take control of the key hyperspace routes through the planet. Down on the ground, chaos erupted as the True Mandalorians clashed with the Death Watch warriors. Blaster bolts lit up the streets of Sundari, and the clash of vibro-knives filled the air with bright streaks of light and a constant noise of combat.
In the middle of the mayhem, Quinlan, Aayla, Bly, Korkie, and the 327th troopers fought side by side, their resolve unshakeable. The True Mandalorians, despite their earlier doubts, fought with everything they had to defend their home, showing their strength and unity in battle.
The whole scene was intense—blasters fired, lightsabers buzzed, and explosions rocked the city. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and the sounds of battle, with every moment marked by the clashing of weapons and the cries of warriors.
As Korkie fought through the chaos, his eyes scanned the battlefield, his heart racing as he looked for his mother. Then, his worst fears came true when he saw her—Satine Kryze, captured by none other than Darth Maul. Korkie's steps stumbled, and his breath caught in his throat as horror filled him.
"Mom!" Korkie shouted over the chaos, his heart racing as he broke away from his allies and ran straight toward the confrontation that threatened his mother's life.
Darth Maul's eyes locked onto Korkie, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he tightened his grip on Satine's throat. Korkie's feet moved on their own, driven by a mix of fear and fury. Everything else around them seemed to blur as he focused on the horrifying sight in front of him.
Satine's face twisted in pain, her struggles against Maul's grip doing nothing to free her. Korkie's heart pounded as he got closer, a storm of anger, fear, and desperation churning inside him.
As Korkie reached the edge of the scene, everything seemed to slow down. His mother's eyes met his, her look a mix of worry and reassurance. In that moment, all the anger and betrayal he'd felt toward her faded into a deep, overwhelming concern for her safety.
Korkie's determination solidified as he faced Darth Maul, his voice steady but filled with defiance. "Let her go!"
The Force seemed to pulse around them, charged with the intensity of the battle. Korkie's hands were clenched into fists, his resolve burning bright as he fought to keep his fear in check.
"I was expecting your Jedi father to come here," Darth Maul sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "But seeing both of you die by my hand should be enough to drive him insane."
Korkie's heart pounded in his chest as he heard Maul's cold words, anger and grief bubbling up inside him while Maul kept his grip on Satine firm. Satine's eyes met Korkie's, filled with a deep, unspoken love.
Then, with a cruel flick of his wrist, Darth Maul used the dark side of the Force against Satine. Korkie watched in horror as his mother's body convulsed, her life slipping away before his eyes. A pained cry escaped him, a mix of fury and heartbreak that echoed through the chaos.
As Maul threw Satine's lifeless body aside like trash, Korkie's sorrow turned into a blazing rage. The intense fire of his emotions fueled his resolve as he screamed at Maul, his eyes burning with both anger and grief.
He was thankful for the red beskar armor Shmi had given him; it protected him from Maul's dark Force attacks. With a determined grip on his weapon, Korkie stepped forward, ready to face the Sith.
The battle that followed was a whirlwind of lights and shadows, a clash of opposing forces and raw emotions. Korkie fought with all the rage and grief he felt for his mother's death and the darkness that Maul embodied. Every swing of his vibro-sword was a strike for justice, driven by the need to make Maul pay for what he'd done.
Darth Maul was a fierce opponent, his dark side power evident in every move. But Korkie's anger and sorrow gave him an edge, turning his grief into a desperate determination. He fought with precision, his movements a dance of vengeance as he clashed with the Sith. His beskar armor took the brunt of Maul's attacks, blocking the blows of the dark saber.
In the end, Korkie landed a final, decisive blow. His vibro-sword cut through Maul's defenses, severing his connection to the Force and ending the battle. Maul's head hit the ground, his dark presence fading away.
Korkie stood there, panting and exhausted, his heart and mind a storm of emotions. The fight was over, but the cost was heavy. He cast one last, sorrowful look at his mother's lifeless body before turning away, the mix of grief and triumph weighing on him.
After the battle, the streets of Sundari were a mess—bloodstains everywhere, a grim reminder of the sacrifices made for Mandalore's freedom. Korkie Kryze, bruised and heartbroken but still standing tall, walked to the center of the battlefield, gripping the dark saber tightly.
"Enough!" His voice cut through the chaos, freezing everyone in their tracks. "Darth Maul is dead! Duchess Kryze is dead! I've got the dark saber now! According to the Creed, that makes me Mand'alor!"
Everyone stared at him, shock written all over their faces. "As Mand'alor, I'm ordering you all to stop fighting! The battle's over, and we've won!"