The next few hours were the most tedious of Killian's life. Ordered by Darth Striga to change into his armor, Killian was forced to follow her around as she met with the various commanders who would be leading her troops should the worst come to pass. Killian's presence seemed to get the desired result as through the Force, Killian could feel the anxiety and intimidation that seemed to ooze off the imperials that Darth Striga interviewed.
Seemingly aware of how bored Killian was with all the meetings, Darth Striga seemed to enjoy stretching them for as long as she could, painfully dissecting every part of the strategy that her officers had created in case the witches refused to ally with the Sith Empire and they were forced to invade Dathomir. When the planet finally came into view, Killian was glad his helmet hid his features, as he practically gasped in shock, having only seen the planet on television and in his comics on Earth.
The entire planet was an angry shade of red that reminded Killian of Darth Maul, the Sith that would one day be born on this very planet and taken by Darth Sidious to become one of the deadliest Sith in their recorded history.
As Killian continued to stare at Dathomir, he saw large patches of white strewn across the planet. However, he couldn't tell if they were clouds or some form of planetary pollution.
"It's just as ugly as I had imagined," Darth Striga sneered before turning to the Admiral of her navy, "Relay to all commanders to begin deployment of troops. I want my base up and running within the next ten hours. Once that's done, we will seek out these 'witches' and see how fearsome they truly are…."
"Yes, my lord," The Admiral said with a snap of salute before quickly striding away to deliver her orders. As the fleet began to halt, effectively creating a blockade around the planet, Killian couldn't help but marvel at the numbers the Sith Empire could bring when prompted.
"You," Striga said, turning to face Killian. "Come with me. We have work to do before we land."
Before Killian could ask what she meant, she had already stepped away, causing Killian to stumble momentarily in his haste to catch up to her. Behind him, Killian could hear someone snicker and was thankful that his helmet hid his embarrassment.
Moments later, once he had managed to catch up to Striga and began a respectful pace behind her, he asked,
"Mind telling me, just where the hell we are off to?"
"The Force is telling me that we will, more than likely, have to fight for this planet," Striga replied, not slowing her stride, "And I wish to see for myself how capable you will be in a fight. I don't like unknowns, and that's exactly what you are at the moment."
"Seriously?" Killian asked in surprise before a wicked grin spread across his face, "You want to fight me? Like ACTUALLY fight me?"
"Is that a problem?" Striga asked, coming to a halt, turning to face Killian, and looking at him with her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised, "Please tell me you're not one of those pathetic males that believe you shouldn't hit a woman?"
"Not at all," Killian replied with a smirk, "Mandalorians do not believe in such pathetic gender roles. We believe gender means nothing; all can be warriors if they choose to be. I was just making sure I heard you correctly. I don't want to be thrown in the brig after I beat you to a bloody pulp, after all."
Rather than be offended, Darth Striga seemed pleased with Killian's answer and grinned at him menacingly.
"Is that what you imagine will happen? That's adorable…"
Without waiting for Killian to respond, Striga turned and continued her stride, causing Killian to glare at her back as he followed. For the next few moments, the pair walked in silence, finally coming to a large set of double doors that hissed apart as Striga approached. Pausing only momentarily, Killian followed her warily, jumping slightly when the doors hissed shut seconds after he entered and plunging the pair into darkness.
When the lights came on a moment later, Striga disappeared, and Killian began to scan the room nervously, his hand slowly reaching for the blaster on his hip.
"You need to learn to mind your surroundings…" A voice whispered softly into Killian's ear, causing him to rip his blaster from his holster and spin around in alarm, only for his weapon to be ripped out of his hand and fly into the waiting palm of Striga, who now stood by the room's only way in or out. As Killian assumed a defensive pose, Striga looked down at the blaster and sneered in disgust,
"Such an uncivilized weapon…."
With a scowl, Striga carelessly threw the weapon behind her before turning her burning eyes on Killian, who still stood with his fists raised defensively.
"What are you doing?"
"You said you wanted to fight…" Killian replied, lowering his fists a bit in confusion.
"I didn't mean with our fists like animals," Striga sneered, rubbing the bridge of her nose in annoyance, "Honestly, the fact that you thought a Sith would participate in something so vulgar and plebian is rather insulting."
"Okay….?" Killian said slowly, lowering his fists more, "Then how are we doing this?"
"We will be 'doing this,' as you so elegantly put it, like civilized people," Striga replied with a sniff before detaching a lightsaber from her hip and tossing it to Killian, who nearly dropped it in his surprise. Taking a better grip, Killian looked down at the weapon, turning it this way and that as he inspected it from every angle. The lightsaber was shorter than Killian had expected one to be, perhaps only a hand-and-a-half; it was painted jet-black, with a band of tiny rubies running along the bottom. It also had a sharp diamond-shaped point on the end that appeared to have been placed there as a secondary way to attack.
Adding to the already sinister look that the lightsaber had, the top of the weapon had four sharp claws that extended and curved from each of its corners, stopping only a few inches from each other and forming a small hole between them. As Killian pressed a small round button on the side, a blast of red plasma suddenly exploded from the weapon, narrowly missing the claws and creating a three-foot-long red blade that Killian marveled at for a moment before turning it back off and holding it out to Striga.
"I've never used one of these in my life, and I very much doubt I can learn in the time we have until we land."
"It's true I cannot make you a master in the time we have," Striga replied with a grimace, taking a second lightsaber from her belt, igniting it, and lowering herself into the Ataru form, "But perhaps I can make you, at the very least, proficient enough to not embarrass me when I introduce you as my personal guard."
Reigniting his lightsaber, Killian held it like he'd seen Obi-Wan do in the movies, only for Striga to immediately snap at him,
"No! Not like that! Like this!"
After showing Killian the correct way to hold the weapon, she then went over various forms for Killian to follow, the movements growing faster and faster until, at last, Killian had no other choice but to rely on the Force to copy the movements, lest he slice off his own arm. After several hours of this, Killian could no longer lift his arms. Striga dismissed him in disgust, ordering him to report to her again within the next eight hours when they would begin the final preparations for the invasion of Dathomir. When he tried to hand the lightsaber back, Striga looked at him in confusion before softly telling him,
"The weapon is yours. Now you just have to tame it to your will."
Though every inch of his body hurt in a way that he hadn't felt in years, Killian couldn't help but smile at the weight of the lightsaber hanging from his belt. He would tame this weapon as his heritage demanded. When he had finally made this new weapon his own, he would go on to become the greatest warrior that Mandalore had ever seen.
XXXX
Twelve hours later, Killian was forced to stand at parade rest and watched as Darth Striga used the Force to suspend her Admiral in the air by his throat.
"I thought I told you to have my base ready for ships to land within ten hours!" Striga snarled as she closed her clawed grip slowly, making the Admiral thrash even more fiercely as he clawed at his throat against the Sith's invisible grip.
"M-my lord…" The man gasped, "I'm sorry! The n-natives began to attack our tr-troops the moment our sh-ships touched down! And they have some of those witches with them! We didn't expect such heavy resistance!"
"I don't want your excuses!" Striga snarled, "I want that base created! And if you have to slaughter every living thing on that miserable rock to accomplish your mission, then so be it! We will deliver Dathomir to the Emperor!"
Suddenly, the Admiral's look of fear changed to one of righteous anger, and he struggled for a moment to speak.
"T-that is n-not the mission we were g-given! The Emperor ordered us to ally with Dathomir, not conquer it! Y-you're violating your orders!"
The command deck went deathly silent as the crews stared at the Admiral like he'd lost his mind. At the same time, Darth Striga looked at the man in shock for a moment as though not believing that the man had spoken to her like that. A moment later, her expression turned into one of pure hate. She crushed her clawed grip into a tight fist, causing the Admiral to utter one last strangled cry of pain before his body went limp, hanging lifelessly in the air. With a snarl of rage, Striga flicked her wrist and sent the man's lifeless body crashing into the far wall, causing several technicians to utter cries of terror as the body of their former commander slid near them.
"You!" Striga snarled, pointing at the Admiral's second-in-command, "You are now the acting Admiral! Congratulations on the promotion."
"Thank you, my lord!" The new Admiral cried, snapping to attention and offering a crisp salute,
"Hopefully, you will learn from your predecessor's mistake and not disappoint me further!" Striga growled, causing the man to swallow fearfully before nodding in understanding,
"I will ensure our forward operating base is in operation within the next twelve hours!"
"You have ten," Striga growled, taking a step forward and getting right in the man's face, "Otherwise, I might have to promote someone else…"
The Admiral paled significantly at the veiled threat and swallowed again nervously before smartly saluting and striding away to carry out the Sith's orders. Seeing that the crew was still watching, Striga issued an inhuman roar that shook the command deck,
"Back to your stations! Before I decide to make another example of one of you!"
Immediately, the command deck began to buzz with noise as the crew all rushed to their stations and began to get back to work; turning back to Killian, Striga sneered in derision before cocking her head at him to follow her. Once they were walking down the hallway, Striga finally spoke to him,
"You greatly disappointed me yesterday. I expected much more from a warrior with your reputation."
"I already told you that I'd never used a lightsaber before," Killian growled back,
"Yes, so you've said," Striga replied with a sneer, "But I cannot allow such a pathetic display to continue, so you will practice what I showed you yesterday for two hours every day from now on. Is that clear?"
"Yes…" Killian growled, causing Striga to stop, turn to him, and smirk,
"That's 'yes, my lord.' Do not forget who is in command here, boy."
"Yes, my lord…" Killian growled again through gritted teeth, making Striga's smile grow,
"Be gone from my sight," Striga sighed with a wave of her hand, "I have to go meditate, and you need to prepare for the battle to come. Do not disappoint me."
"I will do my best," Killian scoffed, giving a lazy salute before turning on his heel and striding away; he wanted more than anything to get some food and maybe spend some time with his friends before they deployed.
As he stalked into the mess hall, Killian immediately spotted his friends seated together and made his way over to them. He'd barely taken a dozen steps before his sister spotted him and sprang to her feet, tackling him in a hug that nearly took him off his feet.
"Glad to see you're still alive, cousin," Alexander said as Aola finally released Killian, and the pair took a seat at the table, "We were worried that the Sith bitch killed you."
"Nah, she'd much rather torture me first," Killian scoffed, "Though she does give out some pretty cool party favors…"
"What do you mean?" Dani asked, her eyes widening a moment later when Killian unclipped the lightsaber from his belt and laid it on the table, "Is that a lightsaber?!"
"Why the kriff did she give you a lightsaber?" Aola asked as she picked it up and admired it like a priceless jewel.
"I have no idea!" Killian replied as he cocked his elbow on the table and laid his head on his fist, "She told me that the weapon belonged to me, but I needed to tame it before I could call it my own."
"Typical ambiguous answer…" Ben sneered, "Can't get a straight answer out of any of them Force-using weirdos…"
"Hem Hem," Killian replied with a raised brow, causing Ben to blush momentarily before winking at his friend.
"I don't mean you, of course!" Ben said with a laugh, "I meant those stuffy Jedi or those power-mad Sith!"
"Uh huh…" Killian replied, rolling his eyes
"Still though…" Alexander said thoughtfully as he was handed the weapon and began his own inspection, "Such a mighty weapon as this will no doubt come with a steep price, be sure it is one you can pay, cousin…"
"So noted," Killian nodded as his weapon was returned to him. He clipped it back on his belt. "I don't know why she gave it to me, but I plan to use it well against Mandalore's enemies."
"Any word on when we're set to deploy?" Dani asked, stabbing her knife into her meat with surprising Force, "I'm sick of being stuck on this ship with these arrogant imperials."
"Should be in the next ten hours or so," Killian replied, "It was supposed to be already happening, but apparently, the imperials are encountering resistance from the natives. Darth Striga was not happy that the Admiral failed to meet her time frame,"
"Oof, what happened to him?" Aola asked,
"What do you think happened?" Killian asked sarcastically, "She used the Force to crush the poor bastard's throat. Then, gave his successor ten hours to get the base built, or he'd meet the same fate."
"Seriously?" Dani asked before shaking her head in derision, "I don't understand how any imperial can follow the Sith when they view their men with such contempt."
"They're afraid," Killian replied, "The power that the Sith wield is terrifying if used correctly. And in a galaxy where most agree that 'might makes right,' many that are weak will willingly follow any tyrant so long as they offer safety."
"That's a sad commentary in and of itself…" Ben replied, pausing in the act of lifting his goblet to take a drink.
"Indeed," Alexander added, "And quite a cynical outlook for one so young. We're not supposed to be cynical until we're much older."
"Oh, shut up," Killian scoffed, causing the others to burst into laughter. Signaling a passing droid, Killian grabbed a plateful of meat and vegetables, as well as a goblet of some pink liquid that tasted like bananas, surprisingly. Taking a quick bite, Killian immediately felt relief fill him as his stomach finally was given some food.
"Here's a good question for you, Ben," Killian said through a mouthful of meat, "Didn't you say that you wanted to be a medic when we first met? What happened to that?"
Ben flushed for a moment before replying in a weary voice,
"I did want to be a medic but not to save people…"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Aola asked cautiously, eyeing the large teen warily.
"My mother, hell, most of my family, have always viewed me as a weakling. As if I were somehow 'lesser' than them simply because I enjoyed reading and learning, to bar brawls."
"So, what changed?" Dani scoffed, "Now you DO start them, just for the hell of it."
The table echoed with laughter for a moment before Ben began to speak again in a more subdued tone.
"On Bomodon… When I was sure I was going to die, I felt… free. My worries and fears of failing to live up to my family's expectations had simply… faded away. Then, I realized that I was good at fighting. Somehow, I actually managed to survive that fight, then the next one, and the next one. Before I knew it, my family looked at me with respect and pride, but inside, I still felt I needed to prove myself. Being a medic would not have done that for me. I am a member of 'Killer Frost,' and my family finally shows me the respect I am due. So, I fight. I fight to continue to make them proud."
"You shouldn't have to…" Killian replied, causing his friend to look up, "Family is supposed to support you, no matter what path you decide to take. If yours can't see what an amazing person you are, then they can go piss off! We're your family, and you'll never have to prove yourself to us, Ben. You already have, as far as I'm concerned."
"Agreed," Aola added with a smile, "We are all one pack."
"I suppose we are," Alexander added with a smirk,
"Yeah, Killer Frost!" Dani smiled, banging her cup on the table hard and splashing out some of her drink.
Ben said nothing, simply smiled at his friends, and looked away to wipe his eyes before turning back and quickly changing the subject.
"So tomorrow, we'll most likely be in another battle…" Ben said softly, slowly raising his goblet in a toast, "Here's hoping we all come through it again."
"Screw that!" Dani said, jumping up and putting one foot on the bench, raising her cup high and crying loudly, "Here's to victory!"
"To victory!" Killian and the others toasted back, rising to their feet and smacking their goblets together. Yet, as Killian drank deeply from his cup, he couldn't suppress the feeling that something bad was coming and that this battle would not be like the others. He desperately searched his memory for anything that might give him a hint as to the fate of Dathomir in the comics, but nothing came to mind, and so Killian drank deeper.
XXXX
Author's Note:
I know it's been a while, and for that, I apologize, but I have found this story challenging to write. It requires a lot of research to ensure I get the dates and battles right, so it takes time to write them out. Just know that even if it takes a few decades, one of these days, this story will be completed. I hope some of you stick with it until then.