"Raid commencing in three minutes."
The control room was abuzz with activity. Mandalorians in full armour sat at dozens of stations, with Paz Vizla on an elevated platform, overseeing it all. This was the nerve centre of the Watch's most impenetrable fortress. In the time before the First Light, it had been an office for the mine's overseer to keep a close eye on every inch of their facility. Now, it was so much more. Huge monitors hung on the walls, their screens depicting surveillance feeds from all over the base. There were scatterings of comms stations that allowed the Children of the Watch to communicate with their allies throughout the Mandalore system. And off to the side was a turbolift to the Surface Facility- where the base's critical shields and gravity well generator systems were located. But now, all eyes were upon a central screen, where a timer slowly ticked down.
"Raid commencing in one minute," called a voice from the command pit.
"Diverting power to grav-well generators. Stand by..." said another.
Even after all these years, the procedure never failed to produce an oppressive sense of dread. After all, even the slightest deviation from the schedule could result in catastrophe. If the interdiction field activated too early, they risked detection by First Light forces. Too late, and the raiders would find themselves hurtling blind through hyperspace with no hope of rescue.
"Shields down in three... two... one..."
All in the control room could hear the telltale sound of a shield generator whirring to a stop. With the shield down, there would be nothing to stop sensors from swiftly identifying the base. It was a risk every bit perilous as it was necessary.
"Surface Facility reporting readings green across the board. Ready to deploy interdiction field at your order."
Paz nodded.
"Proceed."
Without any sound or fanfare, the gravity well generators activated- spreading a localised spacetime distortion directly above the crooked mountain ranges where they'd been concealed.
"Raid commencing in thirty seconds. Positive Cronau emission, the raider is on approach- wait..."
The technician in the command pit trailed off.
"What is it?" said Paz.
The technician shook their head in disbelief.
"I... the mass signatures..."
"Speak! If something is wrong, we-"
"No- nothing, m'lord. Just a sensor glitch. It has to b-"
And at that moment, the single raider Gauntlet they'd expected materialised seemingly by magic above the base. It was accompanied by a First Light strike force.
For a moment, Paz was like the rest of his subordinates- stunned into dumb silence. Then he rallied to action.
"Get my eyes on those ships!" he ordered. "And raise shields!"
Paz's words pulled them from their astonishment, and they scrambled to perform their duties. Alarms blared, their message clear- the base would enter complete lockdown. Chaos erupted from the command pit.
"Shields are still spooling up, m'lord!" yelled one voice.
"Confirmed visual on orbiting ships! Nine First Light signatures: one Arquitens-class cruiser, two Fang-class starfighters, six Y-Wing fighter-bombers!" said another.
"And the raider?!" demanded Paz.
"It seems to be breaking off its attack- trying to escape into hyperspace!"
But before Paz could begin to process that information, the earth was shaken by a series of impacts.
"What was that?!"
"Possible torpedo strikes launched from orbit! Negative damage, but anticipating another volley!"
Paz's mind raced. Somehow, the First Light had found them. And somehow, they'd managed to use the interdiction field- his most secret weapon- against them. It was the perfect ambush. But there would be time to wonder about how they'd achieved this later.
"We will not allow them to force us on the defensive!" he announced. "I want every fighter we have ready to launch. Open our hangar bays!"
At Paz's order, nine hangar bays concealed in the mountain range opened up. But before even a single fighter could be deployed, each bay was systematically obliterated by turbolaser fire from the Arquitens. The shots came down with terrible precision. Whoever was orchestrating this assault, they knew. They knew about the interdiction field. They knew the hidden locations of the hangar bays. And they'd exploited this knowledge to devastating effectiveness.
The only sound Bo-Katan could hear was the hum of her armour's life support. Upon emerging from hyperspace, she'd disembarked from the Blitzkrieg leading a force of forty Paladins. Now, they all waited patiently, suspended in the void of space, looking down at the moon below. From this height, there was no sign of the battle that had already begun to unfold. It was peaceful- a brief calm before the inevitable storm. There was static, and then Bo-Katan heard Thrawn's voice through her comms.
"We're ready. All hangar bays have been disabled and our bombers are moving in for the diversion. Cease all communications until you make planetfall, and commence the attack."
"Acknowledged. See you on the other side."
"Likewise... and good luck."
Bo-Katan's jetpack engaged, silently catapulting her towards the moon as her Paladins followed behind her. All it took was a single ignition. Concordia's gravity did the rest. It was a bizarre and disorienting feeling going from the microgravity of space- where up and down held no meaning- to plummeting rapidly and uncontrollably towards the moon's surface. Only when she'd made it deep into the upper atmosphere did she notice the silence of space giving way to the initially soothing- then violently loud- wind. Even through the impossibly efficient insulation of beskar armour, the air around her grew oppressively hot. She saw barren mountain ranges snaking their way across the land and a starry night sky- and directly below her, a metallic dome concealed in the mountains. Though Bo-Katan had never been fearful of heights, what she was doing right now was undeniably mad. Stealth was essential for her role in Thrawn's plan. And a person falling at such speeds would be too small and too fast for any sensor to detect. But diving from orbit to the moon's surface? It would take an exceptional amount of bravery- or stupidity- to even propose such a thing. Her heart raced. Her teeth rattled. The pit in Bo-Katan's stomach grew. Still, she didn't lose her nerve. Once she'd fallen a sufficient distance, she activated her jetpack, feeling a visceral jolt as she began to decelerate. Now, her gaze remained solely on where she intended to land. She would just have to hope her Paladins were behind her, executing this manouvre with her same precision and expertise.
While the First Light's Fangs routed the lone raider, the Y-Wing bombers descended upon the fortress. And though its hangar bays had been disabled and its shield was still recharging, it was far from defenceless. A series of turrets sprung to life, emerging from the mountain's cold stone to barrage the oncoming squadron with a storm of laserfire. It came a moment too late. Proton-bombs rained down upon the mountain as the bombers completed their first run, blasting apart several defensive emplacements. The bombers came around for another pass, raining death but taking a single loss in the process. Then, just as it seemed they were about to initiate a third attack, the unthinkable happened.
"That- that doesn't make sense!" came a voice from the command pit. "The bombers seem to be breaking off their attack!"
It was only for a moment that Paz wondered why. After all, the First Light seemed to have every advantage. Why would they cease their assault now? He got his answer a mere half-minute later.
"We're detecting a signal on all open channels- m'lord- the First Light is hailing us!"
"Put them through," ordered Paz Vizsla, before a bizarre and alien face appeared on the control room's central monitor. His face was dark blue- his features almost-human, yet unnervingly distinct- and his eyes were blood red.
"Lord Vizsla," he said, his voice a mix of ruthlessness and faux-politeness. "At last we meet in this theatre of war. I am Captain Thrawn of the Blitzkrieg. And I have been meaning to speak to you for some time."
The once-chaotic control room fell silent. Then, Paz spoke.
"Lapdog of the First Light- you know me?"
"I do. Heir to House Vizsla... and scourge of Mandalore."
Just then, one of the figures in the command pit spoke in a frantic, hushed whisper.
"Lord Vizsla, I-"
Paz shook his head, waving them into silence. Then, turning his attention back to Thrawn, he scoffed.
"'Scourge of Mandalore'? Bold words coming from an alien who knows nothing of our ways."
"I might surprise you," said Thrawn. "The Lady Bo-Katan's knowledge was quite comprehensive... to say nothing of my other sources."
"Bo-Katan Kryze is nothing more than a cowardly, backstabbing traitor. She abandoned our ways- shattered our people! You would do well to be weary of any information she gives you."
"And you would do well to get used to betrayal if you commit yourself to this path of self-destruction."
"Heh. If you expect us to just lay down and surrender, you're more ignorant than I thought."
"Surrender? You misunderstand. I want you to know failure. Utter defeat. And that it is I who delivers it, crashing down upon you. Now... let us proceed."
Then, the screen went blank.
"Lord Vizsla," ventured the technician who had spoken earlier. "Forgive the interruption but- we've lost all communications with Surface Facility."
"Impossible! We haven't allowed those bombers to even get close!"
"I- I know, m'lord, but I can't reach them! And- the shield generator's no longer responding! Could they have-"
"That treacherous snake!" grimaced Paz.
"M'lord?"
"Thrawn's transmission was a diversion- his forces could be moving on Surface Facility as we speak!"
"Impossible- we detected no landing craft nor fighters on approach to that location."
Paz let out a sharp breath.
"...we can't take any chances. I will lead a force of warriors to provide support to Surface Facility. If all goes well, we'll get the shields back up and coordinate our defences from there. The rest of you- get back to work."
"Yes, m'lord."
Minutes later, Paz Vizsla walked at the head of a formation of soldiers, carrying an enormous cannon in his hands. Just as his force was about to enter the turbolift, he was stopped by a voice from behind. It was the Armourer's.
"Wait-" she said, and Paz turned to face her. "Allow me to lead the reinforcements. You are needed here."
"I will not hide like a coward! Using others to fight and die for you- that is the way of the First Light. But that has never been our way."
"And what happens if you should fall? Our future- Mandalore's future- rests on your shoulders! Without your leadership, our people will fracture- these outsiders will win. Is that what you want?!"
"I... no. No individual is that important. If I fall, another will rise to take my place."
The Armourer put a hand on Paz's shoulder.
"You are the Heir of Vizsla- the last hope of the Mandalore of old. You're more than a single person- you're a symbol. You cannot throw your life away thoughtlessly."
"And what about you?! Are our people any less reliant on you- your skills, your reputation, your knowledge?!"
"That knowledge might be the only thing that can save us. If our enemies have sabotaged our shield generator, I will see it repaired or die trying. And if I die, it will be a small price to pay for Mandalore's continued survival."
"Armourer-"
"Go. Lead our people. You'll hear from me the moment I restore Surface Facility's communications. And whatever happens, never forget what you mean to us all."
"...I won't. Fight well, Sister."
"This is The Way."
At first, Bo-Katan's assault went smoother than even her most optimistic predictions. Before the enemy realised what was happening, she and her Paladins had blown a hole in the Surface Facility's domed roof, scrambled comms, and swiftly disabled the base's shield generator with a barrage of blaster bolts. Her Paladins had executed the orbital dive with astonishing proficiency and proceeded to engage the surface guards the moment shields were disabled. Bo-Katan had taken to the air, deftly evading the blasterfire that came her way as she observed the battle around her. The Surface Facility was a large structure, with countless terminals and server racks presumably responsible for many of the base's critical functions. Now, they were nothing more than cover. A great firefight unfolded- Paladins and Watch soldiers locked in a deadly struggle, neither showing any signs of stopping.
"Beskar," thought Bo-Katan.
For so long, Paladins of the Light had been accustomed to fighting foes susceptible to blasters, explosives, flames and ballistics. But the Children of the Watch had no such weaknesses. They shrugged off fatal blow after fatal blow thanks to their nigh invincible armour- protracting the battle and wasting time where there was no time to spare.
"All Paladins," ordered Bo-Katan into her comms, "Watch forces are equipped with high-purity beskar. Blasters are ineffective. Close the distance and strike them down."
Then, leading by example, Bo-Katan dodged out of the way of an incoming bolt, launched her whipcord at the legs of the one who'd fired it, and pulled, knocking them to the ground. Vibroblade in hand, she descended, stabbing her weapon through an unarmoured region on the soldier's left abdomen. Three other soldiers surrounded her. With a flick of her wrist, a torrent of flame sprung forth from her left vambrace, briefly obscuring her from the vision of her would-be assailants. That instant of obfuscation was all it took for her to slit their throats. She fought relentlessly, the battle-frenzy in her eyes concealed by the unfeeling metal of her helm. But then, a horned figure emerged from the battle-smoke- smithing tongs in one hand, a beskar hammer in the other.
"Bo-Katan Kryze," said the Armourer, a note of virulent spite in her voice. "Come to break our people once more?"
"I'm here to save Mandalore..." replied Bo-Katan through gritted teeth, "...save it, from the likes of you!"
The High Paladin rushed forwards, slashing at the Armourer with her vibroblade. The Armourer swiftly tore it from her hands, sending it clattering to the floor. Then, the Armourer brought her hammer around and delivered a strike to Bo-Katan's helmet. The impact was devastating. The sound of beskar-hitting-beskar rang in Bo-Katan's ears, so excruciatingly loud that she stumbled back, tearing the helmet from her head and throwing it to the ground.
"There she is," said the Armourer. "Hero of the Sloane Campaign... Champion of the Light... and Betrayer of Pre Vizsla."
"Betrayer?!" said Bo-Katan, her voice indignant. She drew her blaster and fired upon the Armourer. "I was not the one who stood idly by while he was usurped by a mindless beast who cared only for his own ends!"
The blaster did nothing to stall the Armourer's advance. Bo-Katan cast it aside, speaking with a voice of pure venom.
"You- all of you- almost doomed our people!" she continued, launching forward with her jetpack to deliver a punch to the Armourer's chest.
"I was a loyal soldier. I fought his war. I vanquished his enemies. And never have I ceased to honour his legacy! Can you say the same?!"
"How quick you are to forget his final words," the Armourer countered. She shrugged off the blow, kicking Bo-Katan back and using her hammer to deliver a brutal strike to her side. Bo-Katan gritted her teeth at the impact, crumpling to the ground.
"'Only the strongest shall rule'. Maul proved himself the legitimate leader of our people. Not through politics- not through trickery- but through the only way that is warranted. Strength."
The Armourer's voice grew impassioned as she grabbed hold of Bo-Katan's neck using her tongs, lifting up the High Paladin and causing her to flail helplessly.
"And what did you do? Did you recognise the authority of our new leader, as is our way?!"
"I... Maul was... mon...ster..." croaked Bo-Katan.
"If you believed Maul's reign illegitimate, you could have challenged him to honourable combat. Instead, you splintered our people. Turned us against each other. And when it became clear that you were too weak to win by your own merits, you ran- tail between your legs- so you could beg the Republic to fight this war for you."
The Armourer threw Bo-Katan back, causing her head to smack violently against the facility's walls.
"If not for you, our people would never have suffered under Imperial occupation. If not for you, Ahsoka Tano would have never led an army against our world! If not for you, Mandalore would not have been poisoned by the sickening heresy of the First Light!"
Bo-Katan scrambled to grab hold of her second vibroblade, concealed within her right vambrace, as the Armourer approached, raising her hammer for a finishing blow.
"You abandoned everything it means to be Mandalorian. But your trail of treachery ends here."
The hammer came down, and Bo-Katan screamed out in pain.
As the hammer fell, aimed at Bo-Katan's head, she moved to shield herself with her right arm. Such was the force of the weapon's impact that it tore clean through her armour, shattering the prosthetic limb beneath. The pain was excruciating. An arc of electricity exploded from the limb, conducting along the beskar of the Armourer's hammer and delivering a debilitating shock to its wielder. Seizing this singular opportunity, Bo-Katan pulled her vibroblade free from the shattered remnants of her right arm and stabbed her assailant through the chest. Then, she removed the blade, and the Armourer fell lifeless into a puddle of her own blood. It was over in an instant. Somehow, she'd survived. She'd won. It was not without cost. Bo-Katan staggered to her feet, looking at the battle around her. Bodies were strewn across the floor- Watch soldiers and Light paladins alike. Her remaining forces were split between eliminating the last of the Watch stragglers and completing the task requested of them by Captain Thrawn. Heart pounding and breathing ragged, Bo-Katan switched on her long-range comms.
"This is High Paladin Kryze. Primary objective secured."
But still, the Armourer's words echoed in her mind.