Mandalore - Outer Rim Territories

Jarik POV...

Slipping onto Mandalore wasn't the easiest thing, but it also wasn't nearly the hardest either. Most of the Star Destroyers were stationed around the capital city of Sundari, including the one owned by Mandalorian Governor Tiber Saxon. Clan Ordo and Clan Wren were joined up together for the most part, and had set up their campsite under the protection of surrounding mountains and cliffs. They managed to successfully repel attacks against their territory on Krownest, and now had a good sized forced stationed on Mandalore to keep pushing in battle against Clan Saxon and the Empire, leaving the rest of their forces behind to maintain a foothold on their territory.

We flew the Knight Hawk through the sky in the direction of the Mandalorian campsite, and I took a moment to survey the scenery with a frown on my face, pondering how this will go. I haven't heard anything yet, but I do know that Clan Kryze is also battling the Empire on Mandalore... I wonder if Clan Ordo and Wren have joined forces with them yet.

"Musing: I don't recall Mandalore being such a barren wasteland," HK-47 comments curiously. "Doesn't surprise me."

"What do you mean?" Mara asks, confused.

"Statement: In my day, Mandalore was covered with forests, grassy plains, and great oceans," he explains, before scoffing. "Clearly their constant warfare eventually kriffed up the planet."

"It certainly did," I add with a sigh.

"That sounds awful," Mara replies, looking out at the desert landscape with newfound sadness.

Soon enough, the sight of Clan Ordo and Clan Wren's campsite care into view. It was placed right against the side of large, very tall cliffs, tall enough to provide protection against any large scale attack from that side. The camp itself had several dozen tents, maybe even a hundred, to house all of the gathered Mandalorians. The tents were protected by a barrier wall, and all of their ships were arranged around the perimeter of the site. It was definitely intimidating, and probably the larger force of Mandalorians I've ever seen gathered in one place: aside from the Outpost on Dxun. Still, it wasn't enough to combat the full might of the Imperial occupation.

We set the Knight Hawk down in an open spot among the dozens of other ships, and upon walking out the entry ramp we were greeted by Kira, Hadrian, and Zhianaa, I believe. There were a few other Mandalorians nearby, looking on with some tension, but not nearly as bad as it used to be for me in the past.

"Hello cousin and Mara!" Kira greets us cheerfully, before pausing with a distasteful frown. "...and the besom beskar'ad."

"Query: Would you like to have another go?" HK-47 demands threateningly.

They tense up warily while I shake my head in exasperation, smacking the assassin droid's arm and giving him a look. HK does his own version of a sigh while R5 beeps in laughter.

"Kira," I respond politely, offering her a small smile.

"Hello!" Mara waves with a grin.

"How are things here?" I ask them.

"Same old, same old," Kira sighs in response. "Still trying to gain an advantage over that chakaaryc Tiber."

"Wow. It's kind of weird to hear mando'a insults not being directed at my Dad for once," Mara comments, and I roll my eyes.

"Hilarious," I remark.

"Meh, Tiber sucks more," Kira shrugs.

"He's betrayed his own culture just to grab power," Zhianaa adds, making a face. "How anyone can follow him is beyond me."

"Statement: That meatbag is a real nutcase. I find it impossible to have any respect for him," HK comments.

"You don't respect anybody," Mara replies.

"Correction: I respect many of my adversaries," he retorts. "Every Mandalorian I've killed has always held themselves with at least some shred of honor."

I withhold a frustrated sigh and simply rub my forehead as the Mandalorians stare at HK with indignant anger and disgust. Mara's response is much the same as mine, just a lot more exaggerated. HK simply stands there without a care as if he said nothing wrong, which of course he thinks so.

"I almost want to crush you with my bes'uliik," Hadrian scoffs.

"Query: Why so offended? I'm simply telling the truth as it is," HK states, like I expected.

However I raise an eyebrow and glance at Mara, a small grin forming on my face as I turn towards him.

"So, the truth is that you have some respect for us as well?" I ask him.

HK pauses for a few seconds to glance at me, his metal face unreadable, before he responds.

"Statement: I have no idea what you mean," he replies dismissively.

"Sure you don't!" Mara snickers.

The others all grin in the same mocking amusement while HK stands still, opting not to say anything and remain ignorant. After a few moments Kira looks back at me, a bit more serious.

"Well, I'm sure you'd like to see my father," she comments.

"That would be nice," I nod in reply.

She nods in acknowledge and turns around, waving an arm.

"Then follow me cousin," she says.

We start walking after her, making our way through the camp while other nearby Mandalorians pause momentarily to look at us, before continuing with their activities.

"Hey, Shan, I also have your replacement arm finished," Hadrian tells me. "It's ready whenever you are."

"Oh, thank you," I reply with a nod of thanks, curious about how he's made it.

We were met by a pair of Mandalorian guards upon reaching the tent housing the command center. They stiffened up at the sight of me, but nevertheless allowed us to pass after Kira gestured for them to remain at ease.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Kira suddenly says as we step inside. "We recently gained the support of another clan, whose leader you're probably familiar with."

I frown cautiously at that.

"Who?" I ask her carefully.

"...he's being moved, then that puts your daughter's team in danger," a woman's voice was saying.

I tense up a little bit at hearing the familiar voice as we entered the command center. There were several yellow holographic screens set up around the tent displaying information, such as battle strategies, key locations, armaments, and much more. What drew my attention first however were the people standing in the middle of the room, or more specifically, the person standing with them. Raman, Aathias, and Crassus were there, as well as Ursa Wren and her son Tristan, focused on the woman who spoke: Bo-Katan Kryze.

It's been almost two decades since the Siege of Mandalore, which was the last time I ever saw Bo-Katan, and that time is certainly apparent. She's older now, with several streaks of gray in her orange-red hair, and there were age markings on her face. Despite this however she still had the appearance of a toughened warrior, with a lean muscular build visible through the body glove worn underneath her armor. I have no doubt that age has done little to hamper her skills in combat; or her great dislike of me. Upon our group's entry into the command center, the gathered Mandalorians turn to face us, surprise breaking across Bo-Katan's face before quickly morphing into anger and disbelief.

"You?" she demands.

"Hello there," I respond casually, mimicking my old master.

Bo-Katan turns to the others with a clear scowl.

"You're working with him?" she snaps incredulously.

"Oh great. More prejudice," Mara mutters, rolling her eyes while putting her hands on her hips.

"Musing: I'm assuming that you know this Mandalorian, so therefore she does not require elimination?" HK-47 asks me.

"Excuse me?" Bo-Katan whirls around to glare dangerously at him.

Most of the Mandalorians also make faces of annoyance and exasperation at the comment, carrying more anger in Clan Wren's case.

"Copaani mirshmure'cye?" Crassus scoffs.

"Query: From you? Only if no other Mandalorian is available," HK retorts.

"I am this close from ripping out your vocal processor," I murmur to him, emphasizing it with a gesture.

"Statement: Of course. My apologies," he replies, not very apologetic.

I let out a sigh, turning towards Mara and the rest of the group with me.

"Mara, could you guys take him somewhere else for now?" I ask tiredly.

Mara sighs in disappointment but nods in acceptance.

"Sure Dad. Hey, trigger-happy, come on," she says, waving a hand at him.

"Statement: I'm not trigger-happy, my shots are precise!" HK complains.

He still follows her anyways while R5 rolls after them with beeps of laughter, Kira, Hadrian, and Zhianaa going with them as well. Once they're gone I return my focus to the group present, particularly Bo-Katan with how she's giving me the stink-eye.

"It's certainly been a while, Kryze," I remark.

"Not long enough," she states coldly, turning to the others. "Explain. Now."

"Certainly," Raman replies with a sigh. "Lady Bo-Katan, you must understand that my nephew here has presented himself only with the desire to see peace between us."

"Nephew or not, that means nothing. He stands as a symbol that represents Mandalore's greatest embarrassment! Of your own clan's greatest embarrassment!" Bo-Katan says incredulously. "How can you possibly even humor the idea of accepting him?"

"Because we have come to learn that we cannot base judgement on someone who's circumstances were out of their control," Aathias says, stepping forward. "Jarik cannot be held accountable for his father's choice, nor is he responsible for... Revan's atrocities."

A scowl crosses her face briefly as she mentions my ancestor, but it quickly fades. Bo-Katan shakes her head in frustration.

"That doesn't matter. Revan's bloodline brings shame on us all!" she scoffs, glaring at me.

"Gee, thanks," I roll my eyes in response.

"Regardless, allowing him to be here puts us all in jeopardy! The other clans will never help us as long as we associate ourselves with him," Bo-Katan continues to say. "And the Empire? Well, perhaps you've already forgotten what happened to your clan, Count Raman?"

Raman glances down uncertainly at the reminder of what my presence brought to his clan's home on Dxun, and Aathias lays a comforting hand on his shoulder while Crassus crosses his arms with an irritated scoff.

"Kind of hard to forget," he murmurs in retort.

"Bo-Katan, the loss of their home was not the fault of Jarik Shan... it is mine," Ursa speaks up.

Bo-Katan blinks her eyes in surprise as she turns to look at her.

"When my daughter came to me in the hope of making amends, she told me that Shan had sought out his own kin in Clan Ordo. And I foolishly passed on that information to Gar Saxon," she explains, her face full of regret. "I thought I was doing the best for my people, but because of my own fears and prejudice, I instead brought destruction upon fellow warriors of Mandalore."

The tent is heavy with sorrow and sympathy as Ursa explains what happened, looking down with a sigh after she finished. Bo-Katan stares at her with some empathy in her gaze before turning towards me with a confused frown on her face.

"What were you doing on Dxun?" she questions, more confused and wary than angry.

"I wanted to put an end to the bitterness between my family and Mandalore once and for all," I explain simply.

"Clan Ordo had every reason to despise you more than any other clan of Mandalore," Bo-Katan states, frowning suspiciously. "What changed? What was your incentive?"

I hesitate for a moment, glancing at my relatives questioningly. Raman nods back in understanding and gestures to Crassus, who moves to retrieve something among the containers stacked along one side of the room. As he does so, Raman addresses Bo-Katan directly.

"His incentive, Lady Bo-Katan, was something that can unite all of Mandalore for the first time in nearly four thousand years," he states.

Bo-Katan raises an eyebrow with a skeptical frown on her face; when Crassus returns however, placing something down on the holotable we all stood around, her expression morphs into one of pure shock and disbelief.

"The Mask of Mandalore," Raman declares calmly.

Although they were already aware of this, Ursa and Tristan still were still awed by the sight of the mask. Bo-Katan took a step closer to the holotable and reach a hand out, touching the mask in astonishment.

"How... how did you get this?!" she demands, looking at me incredulously.

"Canderous Ordo hid the mask in the Tomb of Freedon Nadd. HK-47, the metal psychopath you just saw," I say, gesturing with a thumb out where Mara and the others left with HK-47. "...was tasked with guarding it. My uncle and I led a team to find it."

Bo-Katan stares at the mask for some time, silently pondering her thoughts.

"Revan took it away... and now you're giving it back?" she murmurs quietly. "You truly desire our trust so badly?"

"It's pointless hatred. What happened in the past can't be changed, least of all by any of us," I respond.

Bo-Katan nods, lowering her arm.

"I see..." she remarks thoughtfully, leveling new with a hard stare. "I suppose you have your chance to prove me wrong about you."

I respond with a simple nod of acknowledgement, more than willing to accept that from her. Tristan crosses his arms with a thoughtful frown, looking down at the mask.

"Here's my question," he starts off. "Once we've got Saxon out of the way... who's going to wear the mask?"

I raise an eyebrow and look around curiously, sharing similar looks with the others in the room. Bo-Katan is frowning deeply, Ursa is a bit cautious, Crassus looks to be more questioning, and Raman and Aathias share an uncertain look.

"It's a good question," I remark in agreement.

Mara POV...

"...plenty of camp space, warriors are present and watchful, direct assault is unlikely, ample protection all around..." HK-47 was saying, pausing momentarily. "Musing: At the very least, that's what a Mandalorian camp is supposed to be like."

I roll my eyes while everyone else's expresses their annoyance with the droid in one way of another.

"Really?" Hadrian drawls sarcastically.

"Well it's not like we're in complete control of the planet so far, did you forget?" Kira shoots back.

"Statement: I've seen far better with far less," HK replies dismissively.

"You haven't even had the chance to observe how we operate yet," Shae scoffs dismissively. "Not every camp needs to be surrounded by giant turbolaser cannons."

"Query: Are you not battling a clan backed by a galactic-sized empire?" HK asks skeptically. "Surely you'd at least make an effort to have some sort of defense."

"The amount of disrespect this droid can show just boggles my mind," Zhianaa mutters irritably.

"Ain't that the truth," Krunald scoffs.

"He's like that with literally everything," I explain with a helpless sigh. "Honestly, it's a lot better having him here than at the rebel base. I feel like he's going to shoot someone."

"Statement: An excellent idea! Your rebel leaders believe that a war can be fought with kindness and diplomacy. A person who believes that is in any way realistic deserves to be shot!" HK exclaims incredulously.

"Seriously?" Jag asks, raising an eyebrow.

R5 beeps a response with a bit of snark, and I roll my eyes again before answering.

"He's exaggerating about the rebel leaders, but... kind of, I guess," I shrug.

After leaving the command center tent, we traveled to another large tent that was set up to be Hadrian's lab, where he could operate with his devices and whatnot. I'm getting the feeling it's also the space where he and the rest of their group of friends hang out with each other mainly. Speaking of which, Shae was here with us, along with Krunald, Jag, and Phanaa.

"Not from what I heard. The rebels based on Jedha are relentlessly brutal," Phanaa comments.

"That would be Saw Gerrera," I inform her.

"Statement: The Partisans are a much more effective fighting force than Mothma's idealists," HK says cheerfully. "They know how to conduct a war."

"Mothma considers them too extreme," I add.

"And as much I hate to admit it, she does have a point," a voice suddenly chimes in.

I look over to see Dad walking coming in alongside Raman, Crassus, and Bo-Katan, the latter of who I'm surprised already seems a bit calmer. I can sense she's still a bit bitter and uncomfortable with being in my Dad's presence, but she was pushing it aside for now. Yay.

"Query: Excuse me, but how does-" HK starts to question with clear skepticism.

"It goes both ways HK. She's too much of a pacifist, while he's become too cruel and extreme, blah blah blah," Dad sighs in exasperation. "If you're done throwing a fit, there are more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" I ask curiously.

"We've recently learned that Alrich Wren is no longer at the prison outpost. Sabine Wren's team is heading into a trap," Bo-Katan declares, her voice hard and face devoid of an expression.

Surprise and concern spreads out across the room at the statement, and I look at Dad with some worry.

Sundari - Mandalore

3rd person POV...

She's always remained as faithful as possible to Mandalore's warrior culture, striving to live it every day. Duty, honor, and respect for those with power that they rightfully earned. And the Empire has a great deal of it.

Of course, that's not to suggest that she blindly follows the Empire without question, certainly not in the way that Tiber Saxon does; she learned this from Maul the hard way. She was as faithful a warrior to him as anyone could possibly be, and why shouldn't she have been? Regardless of his non-Mandalorian heritage, he had proven himself a great warrior and smart, cunning leader, and had brought the Death Watch further in their quest than Pre Vizsla ever had.

And in the end, she and her fellow warriors were nothing more than tools to be disposed of once they were deemed no longer of use. Maul betrayed them, leaving them to the mercy of the Republic's lab-creatures.

She's faithful to the Empire's strength, but that doesn't mean she's ready to consider its government as an ally. Many Imperials are selfish, deceitful, bereft of any honor, and most importantly, stupid. Some however, such as Marshal Gideon, are not among those.

Approaching the holotable, she presses a button to answer the call request, displaying a holographic image of Marshal Gideon.

"Rook Kast," he greets formally.

"Marshal Gideon," she nods respectfully in response. "How may I be of service?"

"How familiar are you with Tiber Saxon?" he questions.

Straight to the point: she likes that about him. The topic itself however... well, she'd be lying if she said that she enjoyed having him as Mandalore's governor.

"Very little. He's always distanced himself from his clan, and his brother," she explains. "I can't say I care for him."

"Why is that?" Gideon asks with some interest.

"He lacks honor," Rook states, allowing a small frown to cross her face. "He never cared for our people like Gar did."

"I see," he nods, noticing her aversion to Tiber but accepting it. "In any case, this civil war brewing on Mandalore has garnered some... less than favorable circumstances."

"Ordo and Wren's 'resistance' only proves them to be traitors," she replies with a more prominent scowl, shaking her head. "Respecting the power of those who rightfully earned their authority is our way; not dismissing it."

"Of course. I would be grateful if you and Gedyc could assist our forces in crushing this resistance," Gideon requests with a small smile.

The corners of her mouth turn up a little in eagerness.

"I would be more than happy to do so, Marshal Gideon," Rook assures him, inclining her head.

"One other thing," Gideon adds, analyzing her critically. "I understand that you care little for Tiber Saxon, but I wish for you all to work together in reaching our common goal... as well as keeping me updated on his activities."

Rook hides her grimace, distasteful of the idea, but acknowledges his order nonetheless.

"Very well. I shall depart immediately," she informs him.

Mandalorian Command Camp - Mandalore

Jarik POV...

"If Wren isn't at the prison, then where is he?" one of Crassus's friends, Jag, asks.

"We're not yet sure. Ursa is trying to uncover that information," Bo-Katan replies. "I'm going ahead with the Nite Owls to warn Sabine of the trap, and assist them if necessary."

"Why not just send them a message?" another friend of his, Phanaa, suggests, a bit confused.

"The Empire is jamming their comms," Crassus says.

"If any of you wish to join me, then let's go," Bo-Katan continues. "I'm not waiting for anyone."

Without another word, she turns around and makes her way out of the tent, pulling her helmet on as she does so. Jag, Phanaa, Krunald, and Zhianaa all share looks with each other, shrug, and look towards Raman, who nods his head to grant them permission. They all make their way out of the tent, bidding a casual farewell to their other friends while Shae goes over to be beside Crassus. Mara also looks up at me questioningly.

"Can I help?" she asks.

"Not yet. If the Empire identifies you, then they'll believe I am too, and it'll be Dxun all over again," I explain, and she nods in dry acceptance.

"Fantastic," she murmurs.

"Hadrian, is it ready?" Raman questions, gaining my attention.

"It sure is Count," he responds.

"What is?" Crassus asks.

"Our cousin's new arm," Kira tells him.

I raise a curious eyebrow at that, interested, but otherwise remain silent. Crassus nods in understanding while Mara looks on with interest.

"Query: Your new prosthetic? I imagine it'll be quite the instrument of chaos and destruction!" HK comments a bit cheerfully.

"No, just an arm..." I say warily. "I hope."

"Don't worry, it's nothing like he described," Hadrian replies, gesturing towards HK.

"Oh good," I sigh.

"Statement: How disappointing," HK scoffs.

"Shut up," Crassus says, rolling his eyes.

"I've got it ready over here," Hadrian says.

He moves over to one of the work tables and I follow him over, standing on the other side of it. The others all gather to have a better view, Mara standing right beside me and fidgeting with impatience and interest. Hadrian grabs a piece of white fabric covering something on the table and then pulls it off, revealing the shining metal arm. I blink my eyes in surprise at how real it looks: not in the color, which is clearly metal, but in its design. The metal is shaped almost perfectly like that if a flesh-and-bone arm, with the mechanics of it not apparently visible, unlike most prosthetic limbs out there.

"Woah," Mara murmurs, feeling the same amazement that I am.

"Musing: It's entirely out of beskar? Quite impressive," HK comments.

"You made this by yourself?" Shae asks.

"I am kind of a genius," Hadrian replies with a pleased grin.

"Apparently not humble though," Crassus murmurs, rolling his eyes.

"I think that's fine," Kira says, slinging an arm over Hadrian's shoulder.

I step up to the table with an intrigued gaze and reach my hand up to touch the prosthetic, growing more amazed by how smooth the metal is even with the separate pieces placed together to allow it mobility.

"I never thought prosthetics could be made this well," I admit, looking up at him. "How'd you manage it?"

"It's in the metal. Vibranium is a lot easier to work with than you'd think, which-"

"You mean beskar?" Crassus chimes in.

"Y-yeah, sure. Same thing," Hadrian sighs dismissively. "Technically, vibranium is a much more accurate term for it due to its unique properties-"

"Nerd alert!" he interrupts once more.

"Babe, don't be so mean," Shae scolds him lightly.

"What she said," Kira adds in agreement.

"Right, of course. My apologies," Crassus replies, sounding not very sorry.

Hadrian sighs once more but rolls his eyes, not at all offended. Raman looks on with a small smile of amusement at their behavior, shaking his head while I raise an eyebrow at them, also wryly amused; Mara was scoffing in exasperation.

"I think we're getting a little off topic," Raman points out.

"Right, sorry sir," Hadrian replies.

"Come on sweetie, you don't have to call my Dad 'sir-'" Kira starts to say.

"Kira," Raman interrupts, giving her a look.

"Sorry sir," she quickly apologizes.

"So, anything special about this arm I should know about?" I ask.

"Does it have a built-in cannon?" Mara adds, and I make a face at her.

"Yes, there are some special things, and no, there's no built-in cannon," Hadrian says, much to my relief, to which she shrugs. "Since it's made of vibranium-"

"Beskar..." Crassus mutters.

"Statement: Hadrian is right though, vibranium is more correct," HK retorts.

Hadrian and I both ignore the two as they bicker with each other, and I continue to listen as he explains it.

"-there's very little that can damage it. It's nigh-indestructible," he continues.

"Indestructible?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Against most things, yeah. It's stronger than durasteel and completely vibration absorbent: it negates physical damage on a molecular level, which is why it's so effective," Hadrian informs me.

"Wow. That's a lot of fancy words," Mara comments, and I roll my eyes.

"Well if all of your armor is made out of this, no wonder you guys are deadly," I remark, before frowning. "If beskar is stronger than durasteel, wouldn't it be really heavy?"

"It's actually only a third of the weight," he states.

"That's real handy," I comment with a nod, impressed, looking back down at the arm. "It looks just the right size too... even better than the last one."

"The measurements you provided were more than enough to do it right," Hadrian says.

"Still, with something this well made?" I reply, shaking my head in disbelief. "I can't thank you enough."

"Jarik, you helped us recover the Mask of Mandalore," Raman tells me. "You're the one that deserves our gratitude, not us."

I smile at him with a small nod, accepting his words in gratitude. Over the next several minutes, Hadrian then helps me attach the new prosthetic arm to my left shoulder. Getting it in place is always a challenge, because in order for it to work properly the cybernetic has to link up with the neurons leading to my brain, otherwise it's just useless metal hanging limply off my body to give the appearance of an arm. Once it's all set and done, I take a moment to test it out, flexing my new hand and testing out my arm.

"Huh... you weren't joking about it being lighter," I remark.

I swing my arm around lightly by rolling my shoulder, taking notice of the resounding metallic hum that emanates from it as a result. It's not loud, but it is noticeable... and admittedly sounds kind of cool.

"I guess it's to your liking?" Hadrian asks.

"Do I even have to answer that?" I respond dryly, and he shrugs his shoulders.

"Hey Dad, move it again!" Mara says. "It sounds cools!"

I roll my eyes but do so with a casual swing, letting the soft vibranium hum emanate from it once more. R5 then beeps questioningly and I make a face, however Hadrian answers before I could say anything.

"No, it won't need maintenance repairs," he says.

I raise an eyebrow, looking at him in surprise.

"None?" I ask carefully.

"Not a bit," he says cheerfully. "Another reason why vibranium is so good: it lasts a really long time!"

"Beskar," Crassus chimes in.

"Shut up!" Hadrian retorts, gaining some amused snickering.

"Well that's good to hear," I say, looking down at R5 with a pleased smile.

R5 beeps back at me with a mocking scoff, doing his own equivalent of an eye roll and moving off while HK-47 looks down at him in some amusement.

"Oh, you should show him the other stuff you gave it!" Kira chimes in eagerly.

I pause with a wary glance.

"What 'other stuff?'" I ask.

Before anyone could say anything, Raman comes forward and puts a hand on my shoulder, steering me away from them.

"Let's wait a bit on that. There's something Jarik and I need to discuss," he says.

That fills me with some curiosity, but I wait to say anything as we leave the 'lab' tent and start walking through the campsite in the direction of Raman's own tent.

"So uncle, what did you want to talk about?" I ask him, also moving my new arm around every so often to better familiarize myself with it.

"I heard that you lost both of your lightsabers on Atollon," Raman starts off, glancing at me. "And if you're going to be entering battle with us, you might need something to help out."

As I follow Raman inside of his tent, I look at him a bit warily. Aathias is also in the tent, and moves over to retrieve something after receiving a nod from Raman.

"Uncle, you don't have to give me anything," I try to dissuade him. "Besides, if I join you in battle it'll be like begging for the full might of the Empire. Bo-Katan wasn't wrong when she made that point."

"That is why you, nephew, won't be joining us in battle," Aathias speaks up, walking over to us while carrying something bundled in her arms. "Our warriors will."

She pulls down the fabric to reveal a Mandalorian helmet in her arms: my father's Mandalorian helmet. I blink my eyes in surprise while Raman also picks up a wooden case, opening it to show my father's two vibroblades.

"You're giving them to me?" I ask them.

"By right, my brother's armor and weapons belong to you," Raman tells me.

"But I'm not a Mandalorian," I point out in disagreement.

"No you're not," he replies. "You're a Mandalorian Jedi."

I falter at that statement, looking between my aunt and uncle with no small amount of astonishment. After a few long seconds, with the two of them smiling encouragingly at me, I reach out and take my father's helmet in my hands, staring into its shining black visor.

"While you're almost the spitting image of Marcus, I realize that you may need to reforge his armor to your liking if you're going to use it," Raman tells me.

I frown questioningly in response.

"Fenn Rau told me that wasn't a good idea," I recall cautiously.

"That's because it's you, Jarik," Aathias explains, her point all too clear. "But you've done much more than many of us, and we've learned by now not to judge you for the past. You have our blessing to reforge it."

I nod in understanding, smiling at them in gratitude.

Mandalore prison outpost - Mandalore

3rd person POV...

Out in the middle of the barren wilderness of Mandalore's surface, an Imperial prison outpost stood on guard for any sign of attack by intruders. Beyond the view of the Imperials, hidden in trenches dug out during the past few nights was an entire strike force full of Mandalorian warriors, and their rebel allies. In the trench directly in front of the outpost found Sabine and Ezra crouched on the ground, several warriors surrounding them as they waited patiently. Sabine lowered her scope to grant her a better view of the prison.

"How sure are we your father's in there?" Ezra asked her.

"Well, our spies in the capital say he's here, and they've been right so far," she replies, lifting her scope and raising her comlink. "Rau, I've got a several squads of stormtroopers in front, plus multiple cannons."

"Copy that, Spectre 5. Moving to your right flank," Fenn Rau responds.

"Sabine, doesn't it seem suspicious that the Empire would move your father so far from the capital?" Kanan asks from Rau's end.

"My father has many friends, he's not just important to me," she explains. "The Empire probably locked him up out here to prevent someone from attempting to do what we're about to do."

"That may be true, but I'd put nothing past these Saxon-clan traitors," Rau scoffs in disgust. "We're in position Spectre 5."

"Copy Rau. Over," Sabine replies, switching her channel. "Mantis 3 and 4, are you guys ready?"

"Ready and waiting Spectre 5," Cal Kestis's voice replies.

"I'm ready with my ritual," Merrin adds in support.

"Copy. You may proceed," Sabine acknowledges with a nod, ending the transmission before gazing at her fellow clan members. "Alright Clan Wren, check your fire for the captive. As soon as you're covered, get into position around the outpost. We're going in through the front door, on my lead."

The Mandalorians nod their heads in confirmation and ready their weapons, rushing around the trench into position. As they do so, Sabine takes notice of how Ezra is fidgeting uncomfortably with his jetpack.

"What's wrong with you?" she asks.

"I wish I had more practice with this jetpack!" he complains.

"You're a Jedi, I'm sure you'll pick it up on the fly," she sarcastically responds.

Beside them, Chopper beeps his amusement about the comment.

"Yes, on the fly," Ezra replies dryly. "I get it Chopper."

Moments later, Clan Wren's warrior shimmer in a glowing green aura of mist and smoke, which converges around their bodies. They shift and fidget in uneasiness, but don't panic, simply waiting as the Nightsister magick takes effect. After a few seconds half of the warriors vanish, leaving no visible trace of their presence aside from a faint mirage every time their bodies move. They quickly spring into action, jumping out of the trench and flying through the air in the direction of the prison outpost, moving into their pre-assigned positions.

After waiting for a few seconds, Sabine steps up from the trench and stands out in the open, staring resolutely at the outpost. The stormtroopers stationed on guard immediately take notice of her presence and prepare their weapons, the captain swiftly calling it in.

"Sir, we have a single target approaching from the north!" he reports.

Jumptrooper Commander Tiron turns to look out at the desert landscape upon receiving the warning from his comlink, also spotting Sabine standing out in the open. Stormtroopers rush forward to apprehend her while cannons attached to the structure swivel to take aim. With practiced ease, Sabine calmly pulls out the Darksaber and ignites it, the shimmering black blade humming with power and authority as she holds it over her head; the signal for Clan Wren to begin the attack.

From seemingly out of nowhere, yellow lasers are shot through the air to take out multiple stormtroopers, leaving the Imperials started and confused. More blaster fire appears out of thin air as the cloaked Mandalorians fly forward in their line around the front of the outpost. Panicking stormtroopers fire into the air wildly in a desperate attempt to take out their hidden assailants, but hit nothing.

"Forward!" Sabine then shouts.

The rest of Clan Wren emerge from the trenches and take off at a sprint, charging for the prison outpost with fierce war cries. Ezra runs alongside Sabine while Kanan and Fenn Rau jump out further down the trench, running alongside their own group of Mandalorian warriors. Several of the outpost cannons attempt to take aim, but thermal detonators suddenly attached to them render them useless as they explode, destroying the cannons. The cloaked Mandalorians are then revealed with a flash of green as the magick is is stopped, and they swiftly revert to their usual battle tactics now that their invisibility is gone. Further down the trench opposite to Kanan and Rau, Cal and Merrin make a run for it with their own squad of Mandalorians; now all of Sabine's strike team is charging for the prison outpost.

Commander Tiron looks at the battle erupting around the outpost with great alarm, taking a moment to regain his wits due to the shock of seeing over a dozen Mandalorians materialize out of thin air. Frustrated and uneasy, Tiron waves his jumptroopers forward and directs them to join the battle below in order to fend off the attackers, while pulling out his imagecaster to contact Governor Saxon. The jumptroopers split up in order to attack both Jedi Knights, three going after Kanan and Rau while the others angle towards Cal and Merrin. The former two pause in their charge as they come under fire, Kanan deflecting blaster bolts while Rau fires back.

"I'll handle it!" Kanan calls out.

Using the Force, Kanan jumps into the air and surprises the jumptroopers by landing on the back of one, cutting his jetpack and then leaping to the next, repeating the process while the first trooper spirals out of control and slams into his partner. Rau shakes his head in exasperation as he watches the troopers fall out of the sky around him.

"Show off," he scoffs.

Likewise, Cal and Merrin come under blaster fire from their own squad of attacking jumptroopers. Cal rushes to protect Merrin from the laser fire, deflecting bolts with his lightsaber while Merrin readies her magick, green ichor flowing from her hands. When she's ready, Cal rolls out of the way while smoky tendrils shoot out from Merrin's hands to grapple the jumptroopers, swiftly pulling them down to the ground to take them out.

"Huh, that's a new one," Cal comments.

"There's plenty more where that came from, Cal Kestis," Merrin teasingly replies.

Cal rolls his eyes at her subtle flirting before continuing on towards the outpost, Merrin running right beside him. Up on top of the outpost, Commander Tiron speaks to a hologram of Tiber Saxon, occasionally glancing down with worry at the progress of the battle.

"As you anticipated, Sabine Wren is leading the attack," he reports.

"You may do away with her allies Commander Tiron, but I want her alive," Tiber states firmly.

"Lord Saxon, I cannot even guarantee we can hold the tower!" Tiron protests.

"I know how stubborn Clan's Wren and Ordo can be," he replies calmly. "That's why I've dispatched reinforcements to help you."

Sabine and Ezra drop out of the air to land beside the outpost, observing with some dread as several Gozanti cruisers release three pairs of scout walkers, as well as a fresh platoon of Imperial jumptroopers.

"Well, this just got more and more-" Ezra starts to say.

"Interesting," Sabine interrupts with a grumble. "The word you're looking for is interesting!"

"Nope, just more!" he retorts.

The six scout walkers land on the ground with loud thuds, and immediately begin marching forward to confront the attacking Mandalorians, firing at them with their laser cannons. Clan Wren quickly take to the air with their jetpackers to better avoid the new threat, firing back with their own blasters, though the yellow bolts prove ineffective against the armor of the walkers. The jumptroopers soon arrive, and swiftly engage in aerial combat against the Mandalorians, exchanging blaster fire and even throwing a few punches or kicks if within range. Caught out in the open and with too much to focus on, many of the Mandalorians fail to notice the extra cannons of the prison outpost swiveling around to face them, firing heavy blasts that kill several warriors on impact.

Cal sprints toward one of the walkers and quickly separates his saberstaff into two blades, throwing them both. The blue blades effortlessly slice through the walker's legs, causing it to collapse with metal groans of protest. Merrin swings her arms back and forth to toss several blasts of green ichor at another walker, causing it to stumble as they impact against the cockpit, though not enough to take it down. Sabine flips out of the air with an angry scowl at seeing the Imperial reinforcements turning the tide of battle, and leans forward to shoot a missile from her jetpack at a scout walker. It stumbles from the explosion, and Sabine takes to the air once more to finish it off with the Darksaber; the scout walker recovers faster than she expected however, forcing her to bring her shield up as it fires a shot, blowing her out of the sky.

"Sabine!" Ezra cries out in alarm.

He rushes to her head, but is interceded by several jumptroopers, forcing him to stop and raise his lightsaber to protect himself while Commander Tiron strolls over to Sabine. Tiron doesn't hesitate to shoot the groaning Sabine with a stun blast, knocking her unconscious before turning towards the invaders with a scowl underneath his helmet, pointing his blaster threateningly at her prone form.

"Stand down Jedi, or she dies!" Tiron shouts, his voice carrying across the battlefield.

The forces of Clan Wren pause in their attack, while Ezra stares anxiously in helpless frustration. Kanan, Rau, Cal, and Merrin all falter in their attack, lowering their weapons reluctantly. The Imperial forces all gather themselves in tight formation, the remaining four scout walkers backing up the stormtroopers and jumptroopers as they get between Sabine and her strike force, holding the attackers at gunpoint.

"Surrender, now!" Tiron orders.

Defeated and frustrated, Ezra turns off his saber with a sigh while Tiron raises his blaster with a triumphant grin.

"Heh," he scoffs smugly.

Just then, a missile hurtles through the air to strike a scout walker on the side, blasting it against another and sending them both falling to the ground. All of the participants of the battle look over in surprise to see a trio of Mandalorians in blue armor flying through the air, followed by a gauntlet ship of the same color. The leader of the group pauses to hover above Ezra, glaring down at him.

"Protect her you di'kut, don't just stand there!" Bo-Katan snaps.

Ezra looks back at her incredulously while Bo-Katan wastes no time in entering the battle. From the gauntlet ship, more Mandalorians jump into the fray, with Jag, Phanaa, Krunald, and Zhianaa among them.

"Hah! Did she just call Bridger a di'kut?" Phanaa laughs.

"Shut up Phanaa, focus on the fight!" Jag responds with a shake of his head.

The four members of Clan Ordo swiftly join the fight on the ground, eagerly engaging the stormtroopers while the Nite Owls assist Clan Wren in the air. The rebels also re-engage in the fight, Ezra swiftly rushing over to the aid of a reawakening Sabine. Merrin thrusts her arms out to release her magick with a grunt of effort, causing a walker to freeze in place while Cal cuts through its legs with his lightsaber. Rau fends off a pair of Imperial jumptroopers while Kanan cuts more out of the sky with his lightsaber, swiftly choosing his next target.

As her Nite Owls take care of the Imperial guard, Bo-Katan soars down and lands in a dead on sprint for Commander Tiron, who spots her approach in alarm. He tries shooting her with his blaster, but Bo-Katan swiftly evades his shots before jumping into the air and swinging her foot out, kicking the blaster out of his hand. The two engage in melee combat for a few moments, Tiron trying to take her down with a few heavy punches, but Bo-Katan ducks away from his swings and then counters with a knee to the stomach, following up with a spinning kick to his chest. Tiron tumbles to the ground with a pained grunt and looks up, seeing his forces once again being overwhelmed by the superior skills of Mandalorians, Jedi, and a Nightsister all working together.

"Fall back. Abandon the base!" he orders his forces over the comlink.

Bo-Katan watches in contempt as he and a few other jumptroopers take to the air and flee from the base. Meanwhile, Sabine reignites the Darksaber and assists Ezra in cutting down the last scout walker, before turning to her clan members with a flourish of the blade.

"Clan Wren, follow me!" she declares.

With the battle outside finished, the warriors of Clan Wren readily follow Sabine into the prison outpost, eager to free the husband of their Countess.

Ezra and Kanan waited on top of the outpost with Cal and Merrin while Sabine searched the prison with Rau and Clan Wren. Chopper and BD-1 were in a dispute with each other as they waited for time to pass, and eventually Sabine and Rau emerged from the door and onto the platform, the former walking with clear disappointment.

"Where's your father?" Ezra asks, noticing her mood.

"The outpost is empty," Sabine replies bitterly, taking her helmet off. "There's no one here."

"Where would they have taken him?" Merrin questions.

"I don't know," she sighs in response.

The sound of jetpack thrusters gains the attention of the group, and they look up to see Bo-Katan and two of her Nite Owls coming in for a landing; Jag, Phanaa, Krunald, and Zhianaa were elsewhere on the site, assisting the warriors of Clan Wren in securing the prison. Bo-Katan takes a step forward upon landing, staring at Sabine.

"This was a trap set to lure you in. Your mother received this intel but she couldn't get to you," she informs her, much to the surprise of the others. "The Empire is jamming all transmissions; she sent me ahead to reinforce you, and as I understand it she's on her way."

"Who are you?" Sabine asks, not yet recognizing her.

Bo-Katan takes her helmet off and gazes at the group with a battle-hardened expression, analyzing them with narrowed eyes. Sabine widens her eyes in surprise and recognition.

"Lady Bo-Katan?" she murmurs in awe.

"Who?" Ezra asks, confused.

"Lady Bo-Katan of House Kryze," Fenn Rau begins to explain. "Mandalore was once ruled by her sister, the Duchess Satine Kryze. After Maul took control, Bo-Katan fought back with the aid of Republic forces led by Ahsoka Tano, and was made regent of Mandalore by the Jedi after putting an end to Maul's rule. To this day she's still seen by many, as Mandalore's rightful ruler."

The Jedi look on in surprise upon hearing the story, particularly at the mention of Ahsoka Tano.

"You fought alongside Ahsoka?" Ezra asks in amazement, before growing confused. "Wait, but I thought Mandalorians hated-"

"Ahsoka, is not Shan," Bo-Katan cuts him off irritably.

"If you were Mandalore's regent, what happened?" Kanan asks.

"After the Empire took over I refused to obey the Emperor and was betrayed by the Gedyc and Saxon clans," Bo-Katan explains bitterly.

Sabine glances at the Darksaber in her hand with an uncertain gaze, before stepping forward. She earnestly holds the Darksaber out to Bo-Katan, who raises an eyebrow in response.

"Your commitment to Mandalore's freedom is legendary my lady," Sabine states firmly. "This belongs to you."

Bo-Katan looks down at the Darksaber and then glances away with a saddened expression on her face; the others look on anxiously, full of uncertainty, while Rau narrows his eyes with a knowing look, having an understanding of what she might be thinking.

A lifetime ago, Bo-Katan would have gladly took up arms with the Darksaber and given everything she had to ensure the liberty and freedom of her people; in fact, that's what she did. And yet despite her efforts, it took only a few months at most for her leadership to crumble, giving way to the oppressive Imperial regime. She's heard it many times from many different people: she's not her sister. How could she lead her people with the strength Satine had, even when it had seemed as if the entire galaxy was against her?

'You're nothing like your sister.'

'You were never the politician your sister was.'

'How can you say that to him when you spent years with the Death Watch actively trying to overthrow your own sister?'

As much as she wants to deny it, Jarik Shan was nothing but truthful when he called her out for her own actions against Satine. No Mandalorian could ever be more of a hypocrite than her in this instance: Jarik Shan, a blood relative of Revan, was more willing to make peace with his Mandalorian family—who loathed him for simply existing—while Bo-Katan never gave any thought to do so with Satine. How can she ever call herself a worthy, honorable Mandalorian, much less the rightful leader of Mandalore?

She couldn't.

"I am not my sister, Sabine Wren," Bo-Katan finally says, looking down with a crestfallen gaze. "I had my chance to rule Mandalore, and I failed. I am not worthy of that blade."

Sabine falters in surprise and uncertainty, pulling the blade back in disappointment as she gazes at Bo-Katan, confused and saddened. Bo-Katan turns around and places her helmet back over her head to hide her face, covering the shame that she was sure could be visibly read in her expression.

"I am not the leader you seek," she adds softly.

Bo-Katan then moves off to the doorway leading inside the outpost, her Nite Owls following her dutifully.

Tiber Saxon's Star Destroyer, Sundari - Mandalore

Rook Kast strode through the halls of the Star Destroyer toward the bridge with her head held high, much like the Mandalorian walking alongside her. Lorka Gedyc; a fellow member of Clan Gedyc like her—more specifically its leader—and only just recently, the man who had stolen her heart.

"This has been a long time coming," Lorka grumbles. "If Saxon had any sense beyond his inflated ego, these traitors would've been crushed weeks ago."

"And that's why Gideon requested our support, my dear," Rook replies with a self-assured smile. "Because he knows we're capable."

Lorka grunts his agreement just as the door in front of them opens up to reveal the bridge's command center, as well a displeased Tiber Saxon. Rook and Lorka share a perplexed, but slightly amused glance with each other as they walked into the command center, listening to Tiber's frustrated berating of Commander Tiron.

"-that so hard to accomplish? Sabine Wren is no more than a child, blinded by naive idealism. Your failure to apprehend her is most displeasing, commander," Tiber states wth a scowl.

"Governor Saxon, there was little I could do! The insurgents had too much firepower!" Tiron protests.

"Were the reinforcements I sent not enough?" Tiber questions with a raised eyebrow.

"I managed to capture Wren, but they also received reinforcements right after yours!" he explains anxiously. "It's not just Clans Wren and Ordo, they also have Jedi with them—maybe even a witch! I can't defend against that!"

"The goal, commander, was not to defend the outpost, it was to capture Sabine Wren. And you failed!" Tiber snaps, before noticing the new arrivals. "Get out of my sight. I'll deal with you later."

Tiron moves to protest further, but after a harsh glare from Tiber he finally relents with a defeated sigh and departs from the bridge, uneasily bypassing Rook and Lorka along the way. Rook glances at the jumptrooper commander with a raised eyebrow of contempt before looking at Tiber with a smirk on her face.

"Having trouble with your troops, Governor?" she asks.

"They're soldiers of the Empire, not me," he retorts dismissively.

"Could've fooled me, given how you hold them in such high regard," Lorka scoffs.

Tiber narrows his eyes at Lorka in displeasure.

"I'd be more careful with my words if I were you, Gedyc," he warns.

"I'm insulting stormtroopers. Not the Empire," Lorka replies carelessly.

"If you're here to throw insults, then you'll have to come back later," Tiber scowls, turning away from them. "I have more important matters to attend to."

"Such as the resistance?" Rook questions with a raised eyebrow. "That is in fact why we are here."

Tiber pauses, then looks back at them with a skeptical gaze.

"Marshal Gideon requested that we assist you in your endeavor to eliminate the traitors," she continues to say.

"Is that so?" Tiber remarks, facing them fully and crossing his arms. "I already have my own plan to deal with this uprising, and it is well underway."

"I guess Commander Tiron is not related to that plan?" Lorka asks sarcastically, prompting another scowl from Tiber. "Why are you making such a big fuss over Sabine Wren anyways? If you weren't so focused on her, you could've wiped out the resistance weeks ago!"

"Because for whatever reason, Sabine Wren has fashioned herself as their leader on the front lines: she's giving them hope," Saxon snaps in reply. "To correct that idealism, she must first be brought to her knees in front of all of Mandalore. Then, they can be destroyed."

"And executing Alrich Wren is a part of that?" Rook questions.

"Indeed, Kast," he nods in reply. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must see to it that Captain Hark's mission does not end in the same manner Commander Tiron's did."

With that being said, Tiber Saxon swiftly departs without offering any more chance of conversation from the two Gedyc clan members. They watch him go with no small amount of displeasure, both in agreement on their feelings about him.

"I can't imagine what sort of plan that dar'manda could possibly have that'll end this uprising," Lorka grumbles. "You'd think he has a weapon that could wipe them off the face of the galaxy, given how tight-lipped he is."

"Still, as long as it is in our favor," Rook sighs in response.

"It better be," he scowls irritably.

Rook turns to face him directly and caresses the tanned skin of his cheeks with her hands, stroking his beard tenderly while he returns the affectionate touch by resting his hands on her hips.

"Bic malyasa'yr cuyir ner kar'taylir darasuum," she murmurs soothingly. "Narir va gar o'er."

The two share a kiss: an unspoken promise that they will always be together.

Author's Note: Hello readers! Sorry for the long wait, this update is far overdue. There's just been a lot of things going on in my life that have kept me busy; busy with work, family vacation, and now a wisdom teeth dilemma (yay, what fun). But I'm back now! Hopefully the next wait won't be nearly as long as this last one has been!

Yes, Jarik now has a new and super cool arm. The sound effect used for vibranium is so awesome, and SO underrated.