Chapter 13: Poisons

July 24, 2228.

Following Moreena's intuition and Din's ability to follow the tracks, the Mandalorians had finally spotted the main base of the Trandoshan mercenaries on Kalevala.

"Were you by chance the top detective in your precinct, Krai?" Tristan asked amused after Moreena had shown the coordinates on the map.

"Hey, don't downplay my partner, here." she joked, giving a light pat on Din's shoulder plate.

"I wouldn't have found the tracks without you." Din humbly replied. "Just take the compliment."

"Exactly." Sabine intervened. "Now we know where they are, but we can't expect them to stay there indefinitely. The way I see it, we should attack right now. If anything to lay siege and make sure we corner them."

"Why don't we just bomb them from orbit?" Paz asked.

"They've taken shelter into an old underground holdout built during the Mandalorian Wars. We would require guns that would also compromise the environment, and we need this region as intact as possible for settling." Count Eldar explained.

"But they likely have other chemical weapons stored there. If we attack, the risk of another outbreak would be considerable." Asha reminded.

"We have the filters, don't we? An attack shouldn't be much of a problem." Din said.

"Filters won't do much is the air is simply filled with poison." the Armorer replied. "Did our scientist come up with an antidote?"

"Thanks for bringing it up." Tristan said. "Indeed, a quick analysis has already revealed that the gas they have in stock is just a modified version of the Lerax, a poison that the Trandoshans use for their hunts. Usually it numbs most other lifeforms while the lizards can breathe it with no issues, now they made it directly lethal. Nonetheless, since the chemical structure is easy to understand, we should have an antidote ready in the next few hours."

"So you want to attack as soon as we start producing it?" Sabine asked.

"Yes. But we saw how quickly that gas killed our brothers. If someone is exposed, there is basically no time to save them. So before we can attack, we need to take control of their ventilation system and make sure to pump enormous doses of sprayed antidote." the Duke explained.

"Do we know where it's located?" Moreena asked.

"We're still looking through our archives to see if we have a more accurate map, but generally, the controls should be deep down." Asha replied. "Sending a strike team it's just out of the question: the chances of them reaching the room is basically zero."

"Which brings us to the alternative." Tristan continued, then he looked at the Armorer.

"We are working on building some special grenades filled with the antidote, alongside high-power sprayers. They should be powerful enough to immediately sanitize a small room or area, where the gas would be severely weakened. Ideally, with these we should be able to storm the base relatively quickly. But if we get bogged down and run out of it…"

"Then we'll choke to death. Got it. It's better than nothing." Sabine concluded.

"Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to see if we can lure them out and weaken them, first." the Duke added while slowly rubbing his chin.

"What's on your mind, my Lord?" Korkie asked.

"If we can bait them to attack us outside the base and consequently reduce their numbers, storming the base would be much easier, and less risky for our warriors."

"Then I might have a suggestion, if I may." Kryze announced.


"I almost forgot what it means to have the plate full like this." Sekta commented with a bittersweet tone as she put down the fork.

"Is it so bad in the Mid Rim?" Namedra asked worried.

"We had no choice but to introduce rationing. Me and Iulius are fine, of course, but we are having trouble feeding the whole population, especially in the more remote worlds. Not to mention the pirates."

Namedra felt an aching sorrow and frustration at hearing that and being unable to do anything, feeling guilty at the idea that many of her friends even on Naboo had to go by with the bare minimum while she had no problem finding food whenever she wanted. To think that these differences were inside the Empire all the same seemed even more appalling.

But after all, Coruscant had yet to be scratched concretely by this gigantic conflict. It was no surprise that the administration and the people were trying to bury that concern deep down.

The two women finished the meal, paid the bill and went out of the restaurant, accompanied by Qathora and a group of undercover ISB agents chosen directly by Gideon as their non-official security detail.

The restaurant was fairly close to Namedra's apartment, where Sekta was staying as a guest. It had been a few days after the staged protests and they had continued for a few days until they obtained what they wanted: for the central government to start seriously supply the Mid Rim Forces.

Of course, that was most likely lip service, and the two most important women of the Lord-Protector knew full well how Palpatine and his Ministers dealt with anyone who even voiced a small disagreement. The only saving grace was the quite open alliance of the ISB with the protesters, and the fact that the following two demonstrations had received an even greater influx of people joining in. Cracking down openly on them meant inviting an escalation.

Nonetheless, Sekta and Namedra were understandably nervous. There was no guarantee that they would be immune from 'accidents'.

"When are you leaving?" Namedra asked, to put their minds out of the worries.

"Tomorrow morning. Iulius is still busy annexing worlds of former Hutt Space. It's a lot of work for us administrators and I can't just sit that out."

"I wish I could come with you." Namedra whispered, even if she was conflicted while saying those words.

Sekta could perceive that and she decided to help her daughter-in-law to make the best decision at the moment: "Right now, you are of much greater service to him here. Trust me, he misses you everyday, but we are at a critical juncture. We can't let emotions get the best of us, yet."

"Don't worry, Mother. I am fully aware of it. But it's not just my husband that I miss. All my friends and colleagues of Fondor Shipyards. I miss being up there in orbit, building ships and testing them. Dealing with politics here is stressing."

They had just entered a tight alley that was a due passage to reach the apartment.

It was at that point that their senses flared up: something was wrong.

Then a blaster shot screeched and painted the night air around with red. Luckily, it missed.

"Protect the Ladies!" the head of the escort team yelled as he and the rest of the detail grabbed their pistols.

Qathora promptly forced Sekta and Namedra to lower their heads and then dragged them behind a waste well that was sticking out in the streets and offered some cover. Shots started flying from both sides as the escort returned fire against a group of figures that emerged from the end of the alley in a fair number.

While three aggressors were promptly gunned down, two of the escort agents were also hit, one died, the other was wounded and out of the fight.

It seemed like it was all about to be over, when a hooded figure appeared behind the two women's side and ran toward the aggressors with a speed and agility that caught them by surprise. Just as Sekta and Namedra were starting to guess who that might be, the figure extended an arm and, suddenly, the attackers lost all their weapons as they were pulled from their hands. The hooded figure then landed among them and started to easily and nimbly knock them all out with a flowing fighting style. Some grabbed vibro-knives, but they were still quickly knocked out.

Soon enough, all ten of them were on the ground, leaving only the hooded figure standing. The security detail gathered around and aimed their pistols, but Namedra stepped forward.

"Relax, gentlemen. Galen, what are you doing here?" she asked a little surprised.

The figure approached and removed his hood, revealing Starkiller, of all people.

"The Lord-Protector wanted some additional insurance on your lives, so he sent me here." the man explained in a reassuring tone, which Namedra found quite surprising.

Galen Marek had sensibly changed ever since he had joined the 101st Fleet. The red in his eyes had completely disappeared, and his mindset had shifted from being a freak wishing only to fight in order to increase his power, to dedicate his energies to protect those around him. The fact that he had also just avoided to kill the hired guns attacking the same people he was tasked to defend was a sign of how much he had matured.

After saying that, he reached one of the attackers. The rest of the group also took a look at them and noticed that they were a mixture of various species, all most likely coming from the Underworld of Coruscant. In short: they were simple goons hired to kill them in the quickest way possible and out of sight.

Galen searched the body and found a communicator. "I was following this group for a while. They were most likely tasked to meet with their client once they were done with you." he then approached one of the escort agents. "Can you put me in contact with Moff Gideon?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, now we can lure the person behind this and capture him. We might get more details on our list of enemies. Qathora, can you please escort Lady Tanis and Lady Heike back to their apartment?"

"Sure. And thanks, Galen."

While Galen rushed away, Qathora had the wounded agent treated quickly with a stim and then informed their allies at the ISB. Soon enough, the police was on the scene and the ladies were brought back home under heavy protection.

A bit shaken, Namedra and Sekta sat on the sofa and sighed of relief.

"Good thing you're around, Qath." Namedra said to her Togruta friend to dispel some of the tension.

"Don't mention it." the alien replied gently. This was the first time those two found themselves under direct fire. Not even at the Consortium's raid on Naboo years before was Sekta under any real danger. "Our plans will have to change. Galen must have come here with the Rogue Shadow. Sekta, we will leave the planet with him as soon as he's done. It's much safer this way."

"Yes. I'll leave it to you." the older woman replied tired.

Left alone, the two took a moment to regain their focus and finally spoke up.

"So this is how it works at the highest levels of politics." Namedra commented.

"Yes. But that's just another reason for us to give our all." Sekta replied, still shaken but with a firm determination. "Just as Iulius is pouring his soul to defend our country...we have to rid it of the damn pests that are chewing it."

"Are you...are you all right, Sekta?" the younger one asked a little worried.

"I am. It's just...I think I finally realized who we're up against. I mean, I already knew that killing is part of the everyday life in the Imperial politics, but...only now I understand just how horrible and stupid this is. We should all be working for the benefit of our brothers and sisters, instead everyone just wants to hold onto their share of power...so this is what Iulius has to deal with…"

The reasoning was coming frantically together, but Namedra resonated with all those words. She had had her own share of troubles with the politicians, but nobody had ever tried to assassinate her. The sudden realization that the Empire she served was poisoned on every level, suddenly made her cause look even more important.

"I think you're right." she eventually said. "We have to do something. Everything we can. However, we can't just stage a coup. After all, there is an opportunity coming on the horizon."

"You mean Endor."

"At this point...I'm truly starting to root for the Jedi." Namedra whispered, though she knew that her apartment wasn't under surveillance by gentle concession of Gideon.

Sekta sighed. "All right, then. I still need to go back to Naboo. You make sure to stay safe, over here."

"Don't worry about me. I have made quite a few allies." Heike replied with a confident smile.


July 27, 2228.

"Sensors are flaring." Moreena reported as she observed the terminal. "The Trandoshans are making a sortie."

Waiting inside a cave, Sabine and Tristan were at the head of a strike team of twelve that had been waiting for just this moment for the last two days.

They waited for a few minutes, but there was no doubt: the bulk of the Trandoshans was heading straight toward Clan Kryze, who had been making sure to bait them toward a lake east of the main base.

And judging by the number of dots, it seemed like the base was now almost empty.

"May fortune assist them." Tristan murmured, then gave the order. "Everyone at the ready. We're moving out!"

They gathered everything and then left the cave, weapons at the ready to storm the Trandoshan base while most of the enemy army was away. They left just in time to spot the rear of the quite large formation of lizards charging eagerly toward the precarious position of the Kryze. Though this was planned, those mandalorians were now supposed to hold out until the strike team would occupy the base and kill the head of the batch. After which, the undisciplined Trandoshans were expected to lose any ability to fight effectively.

Through the comlink, they heard the battle beginning as Clan Kryze was attacked with full force. Immediately calling in reinforcements, Clans Ordo and Awaud immediately moved in to assist.

And in the midst of all this, the strike team was happily surprised when they saw a single sentinel at the main gate. After quickly dispatching it, Moreena hacked the door with little effort thanks to her training as a spy for the Rebellion first and the Republic lately.

Before the Trandoshans could even fathom what was happening, the strike team was in. The entrance was basically undefended and the mandalorians did not let that opportunity go to waste. Thanks to the orbital scanners and a map found in the old archives, they had put together a blueprint of the structure as it was right then, and so they knew what to do.

"Byro, Krai, go and take the control room. Sabine, with me." Tristan ordered.

It was the four of them and the personal guards of the Duke, who split in two teams. It didn't take long before they met the first Trandoshans left to hold the base and firefights broke out on both fronts. Yet, caught completely by surprise, the mercenaries struggled to put up an organized response.

"Kryze to strike team. Whatever you're doing, it's working: the Trandoshans are losing all cohesion, here." the voice of Korkie announced through the comlink.

"Don't give them respite." Tristan instructed. "Press them with everything you can. Call all our forces to the pursuit."

"Very good, my Lord."

"Over there!" Sabine announced, pointing at a large door at the end of the corridor they were running through. "That's where all their communications come from."

Just as she said that, the door opened and a group of well-equipped lizards came out. Given their better armors and much deadlier weapons, they were likely to be the bodyguards of their commander. Another firefight ensued as the Trandoshans activated the automated defense system, which included raising a part of the floor to become barricades spread all along the length. Luckily, it was a cheap version whether one could only raise or down all of them, meaning that the mandalorians could also take advantage of them.

The exchange of bolts was heavy. The weapons of the Trandoshans managed to penetrate the armors of two of Tristan's warriors, who met their death in that corridor. Despite that, the mandalorians proved once again why they were considered the most fearsome warriors of the galaxy by overrunning their foes.

In the process, Sabine also took a moment to shoot at the control panel of the main door, thus blocking it open. With that, the group stormed inside, firing at the few Trandoshans left who were still putting up a fight.

However, the real issue was the commander.

The Wrens had expected just another lizard, perhaps more intelligent and with better gear.

They did not expect a monster of nearly two meters wielding a heavy particle repeater cannon and clad in an armor only slightly less durable than Beskar.

"What in death…?!" Sabine whispered baffled.

The huge Trandoshan hissed something in his language and pointed his large gun at her.

"Lady Wren!" one of the guards yelled, snapping Sabine out of her surprise just in time for her to ignite her jetpack and avoid the burst.

She fired with her pistols, and the bolts simply dispersed on the heavy armor of their enemy, who instead just kept firing wildly, cutting out another warrior as the others started flying around in search of a weak point.

Yet that colossus turned out to be incredibly agile, too. He easily turned, jumped and ran around quickly enough so that his blind spot would never be open. The mandalorians quickly realized that they needed to try and hit the large backpack he had if they wanted to create a breach, yet that creature would simply not let them close.

So much so, that Tristan decided to play his ace.

Dropping his rifle, he grabbed the Darksaber and charged. The Trandoshan was clearly taken aback by that seemingly reckless move, and so Tristan managed to deliver a huge blow, cutting off the left arm of the lizard.

However, as he prepared for another swing, he had assumed that the monster would give way for a moment of two, overcome by the pain and the surprise.

Instead, the lizard acted as if losing his arm meant absolutely nothing. Before Tristan could prepare his attack, the Trandoshan turned his body and delivered a crushing kick with his left arm, hitting the Duke on the back and sending him to drop on the floor.

It was now the turn of the mandalorians to lose their focus for a split second, utterly confused by the reaction time of the Trandoshan. With their Duke so close to the target, they couldn't fire, so Sabine was the first to accelerate toward them to rescue her brother.

Tristan was still holding to the Darksaber, so he quickly lifted on his side and swung the blade when he thought that the lizard had closed in enough.

Yet, the colossus had seemingly predicted just that, for it tilted back, dodging the swing, then, with just his right arm, he hit Tristan's unarmored size with the point of the cannon, which sported a large bayonet.

A hiss from the blade. The Duke coughed out a grunt of pain and blood spilled from the flesh.

"TRISTAN!" Sabine yelled as she deviated her trajectory and charged straight at the Trandoshan.

She hit him with a double kick straight to the head. At least this one managed to put the lizard off-balance. With a unity of thoughts and movements, she quickly grabbed the Darksaber that had fallen on the ground and charged again.

The Trandoshan fired, but even with his ridiculous strength, managing that weapons with a single arm was too much to fire accurately. She dodged and launched herself against the enemy.

Then a tingle on her neck. Danger! Her peripheral vision suddenly focused on the repeater. She saw a muscle of the Trandoshan tense and she just knew he was about to slam it into her.

Making a quick torsion with her upper body, she brought the plasma blade on the other side in time to make sure that the weapon would be cut in two.

Though she had lost her first thrust, the Trandoshan, with his hand still holding the sad remains of his gun, could do nothing for a split second.

And that split second was just what Sabine needed to change her target. As she fell back on the floor, she used the Darksaber to cut his left leg.

The lizard was now thrown on the floor for half of his body. A whole half that was now basically out of commission. He was completely at her mercy, and Sabine didn't hesitate to find an uncovered spot on his body and then execute the colossus with a clean cut.

As the headless body finally fell on the ground, Sabine deactivated the saber and rushed to check on Tristan, promptly reached by the other warriors.

To her (partial) relief, her brother was groaning and holding his wound, meaning that he was still conscious, at the very least.

"Tristan!" she said.

"Damn it...I think...it was poisoned…" Tristan replied, trying to sound comical to relieve the tension.

"Just shut up and save your strength. Give him a stim and let's get him out of here!" she instead ordered to the warriors, who promptly obeyed.

"This is Byro. We have secured the control room."

Despite the good news, Sabine replied to the call with a somber voice. "Byro, it's Sabine. We eliminated the enemy commander, but...the Duke is wounded."

"What?!" Byro asked shocked.

"He's alive, though." she promptly added with a firm tone. "We'll get him out of here. I need you to dig in and make sure they don't retake that room until the main army gets here."

"...very well." the man replied with renewed confidence after a brief second. "We'll hold it with our lives."

Luckily for them, there would be no more fighting: out in the forest, the battle-hardened mandalorian army had reacted with sublime speed and efficiency, thus encircling and wiping out almost the entire Trandoshan force on Kalevala and scattering it to the wind.

But the joy for the victory was quick to abate as the Duke passed out for his wounds and the poison that had been planted in his body.


July 28, 2228.

If one was to use Dante's Commedia as a reference to describe the Hell of the Christians, they would struggle to find it such a terrifying place once they saw Shola.

The planet was red and dark, just like any volcanic world in the galaxy and the next, and just like Mustafar and Sullust. However, while those two had some areas where life could be sustained, Shola had gone past that: the unmistakable proof of that were the few ancient ruins and underground tunnels that the orbital scans showed from orbit.

Shola had been a mystery since its discovery, thousands of years prior. It was a planet at the edge of Andromeda, and therefore it had been found quite lately by the galactic civilization, and because of the unbearable conditions of the celestial body, all the first explorers could do was to gather visual pictures from orbit that a species lived there

There had been several theories about Shola and its inhabitants' fate. The two that were most accredited were that either the planet suffered a catastrophic natural event that had thrown it into a possible cycle of rebirth, or that the indigenous species had mined too deep (given the depth of the underground tunnels), to the point where they compromised the crust and caused an excessive amount of lava to release.

Now, any scanners on the stealth fleet was picking at least ten earthquakes around the planet at every single moment. The atmosphere was completely unbreathable and, if that wasn't enough, highly corrosive, given the gases and the constant rain of lapilluses filling it.

"Hey, uh...I'm always up for a challenge." Scott commented as the exercise was discussed on the bridge of the Amerigo.

"But this seems like a suicide." Sara completed for him.

"That's the point, boys." John replied calmly. "If we can carry out an exercise in this conditions, fighting on Mustafar will be child's play, in comparison."

"Yes, but, who will be willing to play the defenders and stay in that place longer than necessary?" Riccardi asked.

"We got this covered." Ezra said with a calm tone and a reassuring smile while Jaral sent out a call.

Barely a second later, the hologram of a super-tactical droid appeared around the table, surprising the few who were not aware of its presence in the fleet.

"Bridgers. I have determined that a site of ancient ruins in the southern hemisphere has acceptable conditions to carry out this exercise." Kalani reported without the need for a prompt.

"How so?" Jaral asked.

"Though subject to the same amount of earthquakes, that area has remained stable enough for the ruins to be still visible. I have evaluated that it should fit for both us synthetics and you organics to simulate the battle with only a limited amount of anomalies. Also, the ruins themselves will provide a suitable location to simulate the interior of the fortress we will target on Mustafar."

The assessment had been clear and lucid. Every single officer there immediately grasped the potential. And fighting during an earthquake would provide an even greater amount of challenge to the troops who, everyone reminded, were already N7 or equivalent. The best troops of the Milky Way and of Bothawui were taking part in this operation. And knowing what was at stake, none of them would call themselves out of it.

"Do you think the Geth and your droids will be able to withstand the conditions of the atmosphere?" Jane asked.

"Negative. We will withstand longer than you organics, but the volcanic rain and the corrosive gases will severely deteriorate the integrity of our units, nonetheless. We will place an atmospheric shield on our position to limit the damage, but in case of necessity, we can replace the damaged units with new ones between the various exercises."

Ge'sst thus spoke up. "Masters, please allow my unit to be in the first wave."

It was most likely pride or the desire to show this gigantic foreign force that the Bothans were not there just for show that moved the Commander to make that request. And the Jedi Masters, as they were not part of the UACT nor had any real tie to any government, were the final arbiters of any decision for this operation.

Not seeing any reason to turn that request down, they agreed. "Very well." Ezra said, then took a look at the map provided by Kalani. "The area of the ruins is still limited in size. We can only send small teams, so I suggest we make a combined force to increase the cooperation between the Alliance units and the Feygeri."

"Suits us just fine." Fey'lya said sincerely.

"All right, then. We'll go down as well, if you don't mind." Jordan added.

"Granted." John said. "Jane, you and your crew will go with the next exercise. You should get prepared."

"Aye, aye, sir." his daughter replied eagerly.


As Sabine entered the command bridge of the Vangrat, the Counts (or their holograms) were already gathered, alongside Byro and Asha. She went to stay between the latter two and delivered her report.

"Brothers and sisters, I'm glad to report that the Duke is no longer into death's reach. We really have to praise our medics for their miraculous deeds. It also helps that the wound only pierced the upper right part of his body, thus not causing any damage to vital organs. However, the poison is still running and the medics believe that the antidote will not be ready before two weeks."

Some left out a huffed grunt of concern, but they kept listening attentively.

"We can't afford to stay our hands for two weeks." Sabine said firmly. "As we speak, Corvin Kray is reinforcing the Consortium's defenses on Mandalore. Now that Kalevala is safe, we need to act fast. I already earned the Duke's permission to summon this council so that we can elect a temporary leader to lead us."

She shored her arms on the edge of the table and asked firmly. "Which one of you would be willing to take the Darksaber up?"

Some looked surprised, some smirked as if they expected this scene and found it funny for some reason.

"That's not even a question, Sabine." Asha calmly said with the straightest face. "That would be you."

Sabine froze in place and turned her head with a suspicious eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"That was never an issue, Lady Wren." Count Eldar said. "The Duke had told us from the beginning that, should anything befall on him, that we should turn to you."

"And after all these days, none of us harbors any doubt." Countess Rook said with no hesitation.

"Our foe has proven to be brutal and cunning. You are the only one with the courage and the skills to outwit him and bring us back home, Sabine." Byro added. "Also, you know how to wield the saber better than anybody. It has to be you."

"But...I…" Sabine tried to oppose, but nobody budged. They all looked at her with hope and optimism.

Actually, Tristan himself had asked her to do this exact same thing, and that was the reason why she had summoned this council: she hoped that somebody, anybody else would step forward and take the lead instead of her.

Now, she was left with no way out.

Either she accepted, or the Crusade would stay still until the Duke recovered and probably risk total disaster.

She closed her eyes, lowered her head and took a huge breather.

"Very well. Then...I think everyone else should hear this." she said calmly. She pushed her arms away and turned toward the communication officer. "Open a channel on the whole network."

"Yes, my Lady." the woman replied.

Sabine went toward the chair that belonged to Tristan. She decided not to sit on it yet, for she wanted to stand up and talk to her people as their equal, who just so happened to be burdened with the duty of command.

"Channel opened." the officer announced.

Sabine saw the holo-projector activating, meaning that she was now live.

"Attention to all mandalorians out there." she waited a moment to allow listeners to gather. "This is Sabine Wren. I have an announcement to make. Please, stop working and listen.

"Moments ago, the Council of Clans has entrusted me with command over the Crusade until my brother recovers. I know that I'm unworthy of this responsibility, but I'll give all I've got to see us through." she began with a firm tone, even if she didn't completely hide the pressure that was only pushing her to strive forward.

"Now that we've secured Kalevala, we will begin our final push toward our home planet. Our next objective will be the recapture of Ordo, in order to establish an advanced base to stage the liberation of Mandalore.

"Our intel suggests that the Consortium is focusing on Mandalore, however, as you all saw what just happened on Kalevala, we will need to exercise maximum caution. We know that the enemy is using our homeworld to mine Beskar, which means they will not give it up that easily."

With the strategic matters out of the way, she switched to appeal to the emotional part of her people.

"Vode. Never before has our civilization come so close to annihilation. Three years ago, we lost our homeworlds. We have been scattered to the astral currents, seemingly fated to become specks of dust in the pages of history.

"However, we have endured even this trial. Thanks to those who would not give up on our identity, and with the help of those that we used to consider our eternal enemies, who turned to help us in our hour of need, we have gathered again. We have forged a new identity. An identity that we will pass to our children so that they can grow up in a galaxy that will welcome them as the defenders of peace and justice.

"Today, we take the final step toward the reclamation of our destiny. Even if our cradle has been reduced to ashes, we will take it back! As the symbol of our rebirth. To honor our warrior legacy and celebrate our new destiny as the knights of this galaxy, we shall march to reclaim the tombs of our ancestors! To rid the galaxy of the disease that is the Consortium!

"Kote Darasuum!"

Yelling the final words, calling the ancient glory forever more, she sparked a roar of cheers on the bridge and, judging by the open comlinks of the projected Counts, the whole army.

Then she stepped outside the range of the projector and drew a sigh of relief.

Byro stepped in front of her. "Well done, Sabine." he said soberly.

She huffed softly and made a nod with a determined frown.

"Here. Take it." he said, showing the Darksaber that she herself had entrusted him when they evacuated Tristan. "Your brother has always entrusted this in you. Including our trust."

Sabine stared at the saber for a moment, reminding her of her whole history with that weapon. She had been the one who recovered it from Maul's hideout; she had learned how to wield it to help her family shake off the yoke of the Empire and then she was the one who delivered it to Bo-Katan. And while that weapons spent two years in the hand of the man who had destroyed Mandalore, it was still a member of her family, her younger brother, who had reclaimed it honorably.

As if making a strange circle, that weapon had now returned to her, to lead her people out of their greatest challenge. While her heart was heavy, her mind was clearer than ever, and her resolve unwavering.

She reached it, gripped it firmly, and when Byro was convinced of that firmness, he let it go. Sabine looked at the hilt, raised it upward and ignited it.

The first time she had taken it in her hands, it felt incredibly heavy. Now, it felt like it was made of plasteel.

The Counts all bowed and the other warriors knelt in respect. There was no turning back now.

She turned it off and attached the hilt at her belt. Then she turned toward the Shipmaster "Inform me as soon as preparations are done. I'll be in my cabin."

"Yes, ma'am."

The now acting Mand'alor returned to her room, seeking some peace and quiet. Her mind suddenly recalled the series of strange episodes that had occurred in this last series of battles. The last one being when she had been able to predict the blow that the huge Trandoshan wanted to deliver her.

That hadn't been her warrior instinct: in front of that speed, she would have never been able to react as quickly and effectively as she did. It was almost like she had seen a glimpse of future. What was that?

Tristan had joked that living among the Jedi might have made her Force-sensitive. She had dismissed that at first, but she was seriously starting to reconsider it.

It may not have been on the same level of the Jedi, but weren't they the same that constantly said that the Force was in all living beings? Was it possible that she had unconsciously integrated this philosophy and the Force itself was starting to take notice of her?

All of a sudden, with the huge pressure on her, she started feeling like that was a great thing. Because she really needed something to help her support that weight.

As she pondered on that, someone knocked at her door.

"Come in." she invited.

The door slid open, revealing Moreena, Ketsu, Din and Paz, plus some other companions.

The former sported a huge smile and entered with explosive energy. "Look at you, the glorious strategist of the Crusade. What a twist!"

"There's hardly any planning left." Sabine said with a humble smile and a hushed tone. "I'm only pulling the trigger."

"Hey, girl," Ketsu added with a smirk. "what's the problem? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet."

Moreena went to put her arm around Sabine's neck, slightly putting some pressure on it. "Ah, that's no biggie. Wherever you go, we will always be there to keep your colorful head put of the water."

Sabine made a timid chuckle. "That's what I'm counting on."

"Corvin will do anything he can to stop us." Din said. Despite the helmet, his voice was confident, giving the idea that even he was somewhat smiling beneath. "But if there's an expert at foiling traps, that's you."

"I'm sure he already came up with the perfect plan. But I'm ready for him." the woman added with a resolute expression.

"The Tribe is with you, Sabine. One hundred percent." Paz added, going so far as to raise his fist in front of him. "You can do this. We can do this."

"Thank you, everyone. I'll be counting on your support."

They spent some time together, chatting and sharing their plans for what they would do after Mandalore would finally be free. A time that now was within their sights. Sabine was planning to return to Lothal, but she could already envision visiting her family and friends with her kids numerous times, and for them to become proud members of the new Mandalorian culture, whether as warriors or civilians.

That was the thought that eased her stress and pushed her mind and body toward making her final resolution. Ten hours later, after taking a good sleep, she returned to the bridge, sat on the chair and gave the order for the fleet to jump into hyperspace.