Sundari, Mandalore
The wastelands around Sundari were almost completely silent save for the sound of the wind blowing, dust being kicked up and blown past the cubic houses that surrounded the domed capital of Mandalore.
Suddenly the tranquility was shattered as a horde of ramshackle transports and fighters descended and began to fire wildly in every direction, their laser fire occasionally hitting a building but more often than not hitting nothing but sand. As the transport ships reached the ground they began to disgorge an "army" that was largely composed of various beings in ragged clothing and seemed to be largely disorganized, charging straight towards Sundari without waiting for their comrades. While there was an occasional figure in black and blue Mandalorian armor or that appeared to be far more composed than the rest of the attackers, to an outside observer it would seem as though a swarm of locusts had begun to descend on Sundari.
This was the thought running through Mij Gilmar's head as he observed the beginning of Maul's attack through the scope of a sniper rifle and under a camoflauged tarp. He'd volunteered to stay outside to observe what he and the rest of the Cuy'val Dar would be fighting, but he couldn't say he was expecting this.
"Gilmar. These hut'uunse aren't much better than locusts - they're barely even organized, but they're definitely motivated. I'm seeing a couple Kyr'tsad, but no sign of the dar'jetiise yet."
"Roger. Take out any targets of opportunity you can, but don't get yourself killed."
"Understood, Mand'alor," Gilmar replied as he focused his rifle on a Death Watch leader that was managing to direct some of the troops around them, squeezing the trigger and firing a bolt of energy straight towards his head. Though even as the bolt hit his head and threw his body to the ground, no one around the victim seemed to notice, some of them even stomping over the body without a second thought.
"These people are insane..." Gilmar muttered as he refocused his rifle on another target, shooting him and quickly moving on to a new target. He managed to get five shots off before he noticed a pair of Ugly fighters heading straight for his position, and he quickly started to run straight to the right of the attackers as they obliterated the patch of ground he had been at just a few seconds before.
"Falling back, I've done all I can here," he reported as he broke into a dead sprint towards one of Sundari's side entrances.
-----------
At the same time inside the city, it's defenders were being driven back by Maul's forces as they charged into the defense lines without hesitation, undeterred even as they were being cut down by blaster fire. While the attackers did return fire as they charged forward once they got into melee range thy quickly began slicing and stabbing with vibroweapons, their bloodthirstiness on full display as they would cut down Sundari guards even as some of them tried to beg for mercy. But just as it seemed like the Sundari guards were about to be totally overwhelmed, blaster fire began to ring out from around the attackers, pinning them down and forcing them to stop charging. The guards took the opportunity to fall back as Maul's forces tried to figure out where the blaster fire was coming from.
As Waylon Vau fired from a balcony above the attacking forces, he was disgusted by what he was seeing. These mercenaries and pirates were the lowest of the low, lacking honor and dignity. The only reason those hut'uunse had the gall to attack Mandalore was because of the dar'jettise giving them the nerve. Even so, he was starting to get concerned about the sheer numbers - while it was true that each member of the Cuy'val Dar was worth at least a hundred men, the fact of the matter was there were a lot more than a few hundred man attacking and it would only be a matter of time before they would be unable to contain the attackers -
His train of thought was cut off as he heard a humming sound, reflexively ducking as a lightsaber sliced apart the balcony above him as it spun through the air. He didn't even bother to check where it had come from, quickly moving back through the apartment as he heard the sounds of Maul's forces beginning to move forwards again.
"The dar'jetiise just made it past my position," Vau reported as he quickly made his way towards the next fallback point he and the Cuy'val Dar had set up. "We need reinforcements ASAP, Mand'alor!"
-----------
Meanwhile the Sabaoth Squadron's Hex Bombers and Deployers began to descend towards Keldabe, preparing to unleash their trihexalon warheads on the city below.
"T-15 minutes until launch," a monotone voice said over the comms as the ships continued their descent...
-----------
As Jango and Arla burst into the HQ of the Mandalorian Guardians they saw that it had descended into chaos, with Guardians dashing to and fro, shouting for weapons, armor, and the like though it was clear to Jango's trained eyes that they were hopelessly disorganized.
"M-Mand'alor!" One of them shouted, causing everyone in sight to freeze up and focus on Jango. "We're getting ready to-"
"Get yourselves killed by the looks of things," Jango said as he stepped forwards for emphasis. "Listen up," he said, raising his voice slightly to help it carry further. "I won't mince words. We're under attack by an army of thieves and murderers, and if we don't help protect this city everyone in it is going to die. You've talked about protecting Mandalore all this time, but now you're going to have to prove you can do it. But you're not going to do it like this, or you're just going to get yourselves killed. You," he said as he pointed towards a confident-looking young man, "seem to be keeping yourself together so you're in charge of logistics. If anyone argues with you tell them I gave those orders personally."
"Understood, Mand'alor!"
"You," he said as he pointed to a more nervous-looking girl, "are going to handle comms. We need someone to help make sure we're all on the same page and it looks like you're not ready for a full-on firefight yet. Think you can handle this?"
She visibly steeled herself. "I will do what I must, Mand'alor."
"I'll get you set up with my comm network so you'll be good to go," Jango explained as he glanced around. "The rest of you are to form up into teams of five people each, then report in to me. I'll direct your group to wherever they're needed most.
I won't waste any more time with fancy speeches - trust in yourselves and each other. Prove to the galaxy that you're ready to take up the mantle of the warriors of Mandalore. Vode an!"
"VODE AN!" Everyone in the building chanted before they began to organize themselves far more effectively, the leaders designated by Jango visibly beginning to set up a more coherent chain of command.
"That seemed to go well," Arla commented.
"I'm not going to start celebrating until we've finished this," Jango flatly replied-
"Father!"
Jango froze up slightly before turning to see Boba running towards him clad in green Mandalorian armor. "Where do you need me?"
"Here. I'm not-"
"I can fight, and you know that!"
"I do, but there are Sith out there, Boba."
"I know, but...look around. People are already calling me the 'son of Mand'alor.' If I stay here, what kind of message would that send to my friends?"
Jango's eyes slightly widened as Arla smiled softly. "You should have just led with 'I want to help my friends,' Boba," she replied.
"Well...I do."
"Fine. But you're staying with me and Arla. Aside from that, you know how it goes. Got it?" Jango said in a manner that left no room for questions.
Boba nodded affirmatively as Jango activated his comlink and got in touch with the rest of the Cuy'val Dar. "Reinforcements are going to be ready soon. Give me a sitrep so I know where to send them."
"We've been driven back on all sides, but we're still holding on in most areas," Vau reported. "That being said we really don't have a counter to the dar'jetiise-"
"Leave that to Ciaran and the Jedi at the Palace."
"I know the jetiise can handle themselves, but you're sure she can handle those two?"
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As Maul strode through the burning streets of Sundari alongside his brother Savage he reveled in the sensations of fear and pain that surrounded him, the Dark Side within him growing stronger with every moment as he prepared to exact his ultimate revenge. Even so a part of him was frustrated at the resistance his forces had met - while it seemed that the so-called Guardians were just as impotent a force as he had expected it seemed that there were far more skilled warriors hiding in Sundari to attempt to defend it. Still, it was a futile endeavor, and it would only be a matter of-
Maul reflexively ignited his lightsaber and managed to block the lightsaber that had been thrown at him, his crimson blade colliding against another that had a distinct ethereal green color before the blade suddenly flew away just as Savage had ignited his double-bladed saber and readied himself for battle.
"Such a pity...it was a long shot, but I was hoping that would actually manage to kill you."
Maul gritted his teeth as he saw a hand reach out from an alleyway in front of him, catching the green blade. That being said, even as she walked out Maul knew from her voice alone that he was being accosted by one Lady Ciaran.
"Stand aside or die," Maul growled out as his brother visibly bristled, waiting for the chance to attack.
"I think you meant to say 'die or die,'" Ciaran said disinterestedly as she idly swung her lightsaber. "Though it doesn't have to be this way. You could do the sane thing and go try to kill Sidious. You know, the man actually responsible for everything that's happened to you?"
Savage snarled at Ciaran as Maul's grip on his lightsaber tightened. "I believe you misunderstand your position. My brother and I are going to kill you, then we are going to kill everyone in this city save for Obi-Wan-"
"Yes, yes, he'll suffer forever knowing he failed to protect those he cares about and blah blah blah." Ciaran waved a hand dismissively. "Really, all he did was cut off your legs. Surely-"
"Enough of your prattling. I will make him pay for what he did to me on Naboo. He-"
"Waitwaitwait...you fought him on Naboo?" Ciaran said slowly as though sounding out something that had occurred to her just then. "So does that mean..."
Suddenly Ciaran began to visibly chuckle. Then she began to laugh, softly at first, but with increasing intensity to the annoyance of Maul and Savage. "What is so amusing?" Savage growled out.
"Aha...it's just that I really need to thank you then! The Scimitar was your ship, right?" Maul's eyes briefly widened in shock. "I mean it's mine now since you weren't really using it anyway, but the point stands," Ciaran said, a viciously wide grin on her face as she spoke.
Savage was the first to respond, roaring out in fury and charging at Ciaran, who was already turning and running away from the pair. Maul quickly followed after his brother, his fury briefly entirely focused on Ciaran as he and Savage chased her throughout the streets of Sundari. Though as the chase wore on he was beginning to wonder if-
As he and Savage started to cross a causeway he stopped as he suddenly sensed something was about to happen. He started to reach a hand out towards his brother before a series of explosions went off, causing the causeway they were both on to begin collapsing. Unfortunately for him Savage had continued to chase after Ciaran, only realizing what had happened after he had been separated from his brother.
"Do not worry brother, I will take the location of your ship from her and then I'll kill her myself," Savage shouted back before turning to continue his chase of Ciaran. "She will die quickly," he called out before he ran out of sight.
Confident in his brother's ability to handle himself and knowing that time was beginning to work against him Maul turned and began to make his way back towards the Sundari Royal Palace and the location of his real targets...
-----------
"Alright Kygeetu, you've done your part. Stick to the plan and make sure no one interferes."
"My Lady, I can't let you do this-"
"You're not going to stand a chance against Savage. I took a look at him and he's been corrupted or something, I don't know, just that he's much much stronger than you are."
"You're certain then?"
"I'm not going to waste lives needlessly, especially one as valuable as yours. Ciaran out."
"...V-valuable as m-m-mine!?"
-----------
As the Sundari Guard stood their ground at the barricades they had thrown together to try and hold their ground against the attacking forces, they were finding themselves being run ragged by the relentless hordes that seemed to be endless, Maul's forces running over the bodies over the corpses of the fallen as they continued to charge the increasingly exhausted defenders.
One guard found himself isolated as his companions were shot down, forcing him to try and hold his position against a group of maddened attackers charged at him. While he managed to take down a trio of them, another pair managed to reach him, one slicing up his blaster pistol while the other readied to impale him with a vibrosword-
Suddenly he was hit in the head by a blaster bolt, knocking him to the ground as the other attacker was quickly shot down as well. As the guard turned he saw a quintet of Mandalorian Guardians moving to support him.
"Fall back, we'll handle things from here," one of the Guardians said as the other four moved behind a barricade and began to lay down supressing fire. The guard's response was to look between the Guardian speaking to him and the other four manning the barricade he was at before he replied with "Get me a blaster."
"I told you-"
"I heard what you said, and I meant what I said. Get me a blaster. I'm not going to run away and leave you kids behind at a time like this."
The Guardian looked at him before nodding, and reached up to the side of his helmet, indicating he was calling in support.
Scenes much like this played out across the barricades as the Guardians arrived to support the Sundari guards, throwing themselves into the fray to protect their home. While the attackers were undeterred they were finding it far more difficult to advance as the combined forces of the Guardians and Sundari guards were finally able to hold the line, standing their ground as the bodies of Maul's forces began to pile up.
Though their defense was hardly airtight as one group broke off and made their way to a side steet that seemed to be completely undefended, slowly pressing forwards as the sounds of the battle echoed around them.
Just before they reached the end of the street they stopped as they saw a sole figure in matte-black Mandalorian armor stood in front of them as though this one person would be able to stop the twenty people moving down the street.
"Move or die," their leader said as he held up a blaster rifle threateningly. "Because last I checked there's twenty of us and one of-"
His threat was cut off as the Mandalorian ignited a blue lightsaber and settled into a fighting stance, daring them to attack.
"Hah, is this some kind of joke!? I doubt you even-"
Before the leader could finish his sentence he felt his rifle get yanked out of his hands and thrown past the Mandalorian who had extended their hand, slowly lowering it as the formerly-confident mercenaries looked on in horror.
"N-no way..." "Since when could they use the Force-"
"Shut up! He's just trying to intimidate us - he'll die just like the rest!"
"She's trying to intimidate you. My name is Etain Skirata, formerly of the Jedi Order, now of Clan Skirata." Etain said coldly as the mercenaries visibly backpedaled when they heard the word 'Jedi.' "I'm going to give you a chance to leave here alive. Go back the way you came, leave this planet, and I won't kill you. Otherwise..." She held up her lightsaber, sending a clear message to her opponents.
"D-don't let her intimidate you, she's just one woman! Kill her!"
"So that's how it is," Etain muttered as the mercenaries began to open fire on her. She charged forward, deflecting some shots but letting her armor absorb some bolts that she didn't have time to deflect as got into melee range, beginning to slice apart rifles in the hopes that losing their weapons would demoralize the mercenaries. But while some did turn and run others drew vibroblades and began to engage her in melee, and while she was able to hold her own she knew that she would have to regain some distance so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed-
That thought was rendered moot however as she heard the distinct sound of a DC-15 sniper rifle firing and sensed that a mercenary trying to get behind her had been shot in the head. Emboldened with the knowledge she had fire support she redoubled her efforts and continued to slice through the mercenaries attacking her, though within a few seconds they turned and fled as fast as their legs could carry them.
With that Etain relaxed herself-
"Are you hurt?"
Etain smiled lightly.
"I'll live. I've been through worse. ...Thanks for being here, Darman," she replied through her comlink.
"...Of course. ...One of the barricades is getting hit hard, we should go support it."
Etain shook her head, focusing back on the battle at hand. "Right. Keep me covered."
----------
"T-10 minutes to launc-"
"We've got multiple contacts coming out of hyperspace!" a sensor officer aboard the lead Saboath destroyer shouted out as a fleet of ships came into the orbit of Mandalore, a hodgepodge of what seemed like dozens of different ships ranging from various models of Corellian corvettes to an eclectic group of small cruisers and patrol vessels escorted by a mixture of Y-Wings and Headhunters.
"Hmph, is that all they can muster?" the captain said dismissively. "Launch fighters and prepare to press forwards. We'll wipe them out and continue with our mission."
With those words the Sabaoth fleet roared to life and began to move towards their opponents, fighters quickly launching and preparing for the attack. The enemy fleet was clearly outnumbered and outgunned, so-
"Large contact coming in from above us!"
"What do you mean, 'from above us'!?"
Suddenly the Oracle jumped in at an almost perfect 90-degree angle to the Sabaoth destroyers, angled so that its top was facing the rear of the destroyers as it dove downwards, launching fighters from its hangars to begin a relentless assault.
"This is rather disappointing, is it not?" Thrawn commented out loud to the Oracle's bridge crew as he oversaw his trap play out. "Of course they could not have anticipated this at any rate." His eyes narrowed. "Target their engines first and make sure none of those destroyers leave this system intact. Our fighters will handle the Hex vessels."
The Oracle's batteries blazed to life, pummeling the destroyers as it continued its dive, slowly turning upright as it ended up beneath its targets.
Meanwhile the bridge of the lead destroyer had descended into borderline panic as they realized just how badly they were outmatched.
"W-what do we do!?"
"Unless we're getting reinforcements we can't win this-"
"Should we recall our Hex-"
"ENOUGH! We have nothing left if we fall back now!" the captain shouted. "Divert maximum power to weapons and do whatever it takes to protect the Hex Deployers and Bombers!"
"S-sir-"
"DO IT!"
--------------
Back on the surface on Mandalore Ciaran was continuing to run, doing what she could to increase the distance between Savage and anyone who would try to reinforce him in the upcoming fight. Though as she prepared to turn and fight she knew that it was going to be a much harder fight than she had anticipated. Granted she was aware of Savage's capabilities thanks to Asajj's report on him but...
His Force presence was wrong. It was difficult to fully pin down, but the best way she could describe it was that he was somehow infused with the Force energy from Talzin and presumably some of the other Nightsisters. She didn't know exactly what it had done to him, but it was clear that it was making him much stronger. And given the corrupting nature of whatever the witches had done to him odds were his sanity had been affected too.
Still, Ciaran knew that the time had come. She suddenly came to a dead stop and spun around to face Savage, who continued to charge at her, letting loose a bestial roar as he raised his lightsaber. It was a terrifying sight to be sure...
If Ciaran hadn't already known it was going to be happening just a second before.
Without hesitating Ciaran drew and ignited her Moonlight Blade, and Ciaran felt herself pushed downwards as Savage's strike connected. She could hear the sound of concrete cracking beneath her feet as she gritted her teeth and held her ground against him. Still it would only be a matter of time before he overpowered her so she needed an edge-
She reflexively reached out a hand and pushed with the Force, and as she did she felt the Moonlight Blade pulse for a brief instant. She only realized what had happened when she felt her Force push become dramatically amplified, turning a push meant to throw Savage off balance into one that sent him flying backwards for a few feet, though he was able to land without injuring himself. He locked eyes with Ciaran's mask and snarled.
"You're stronger than I thought, but you will still die here today."
"It doesn't have to be this way," Ciaran said. "I don't know what the Nightsisters did to you, but you've been corrupted by them. I can help you-"
"They made me strong!"
"They made you a slave. Can't you feel it?"
"Enough! You're just trying to turn me against my brother! I won't fall for your tricks!" Savage shouted as he charged forwards.
I doubted that would work anyway, but it was worth a shot, Ciaran thought to herself as she closed her eyes and focused inward. The world briefly seemed to go into slow motion as Ciaran centered herself fully, focusing as much as she could on strengthening herself, then focusing on Savage's movements and starting to predict them...
Behind her mask, Ciaran's eyes snapped open.
She charged forward with breakneck speed, quickly countering Savage's next attack before it had even begun. She tried to press her advantage and slice off an arm but Savage responded with a roar and a burst of Force energy that launched Ciaran back, and while she was able to land smoothly she was quickly beset upon by the now berserk Savage, who launched a seemingly unending string of relentless attacks that pushed Ciaran's defense to its limits. Even with her agility and physical strength boosted by her Matukai abilities she found herself almost reaching her breaking point, but even so she wasn't pushed quite past it as she fell into Form III and began to try and create space between her and Savage so she retake the offensive.
That was easier said than done though; even with her now enhanced Force pushes and a few well-timed backwards leaps Savage continued to recklessly charge at her. While his attacks were certainly predictable thanks to Ciaran's Force vision, there were times when she had no other choice but to dodge an attack that would shatter concrete or fully commit to blocking a strike that had enough power behind it.
For once, Ciaran realized, time was not on her side. She wouldn't die from exhaustion, but more likely Savage would eventually get lucky and strike at her in a manner that she might not have had an answer to - the only reason it hadn't happened sooner was because he was clearly unskilled in lightsaber combat and didn't know how to maximize his strength like Ciaran did. Even so she needed an edge-
As their duel reached a bridge suspended over a large gap between buildings, Ciaran knew exactly how she could turn the fight around. She let Savage push her further and further back, letting him believe that he was finally about to win the fight-
Only for a well-timed push to hit Savage directly in his core, sending him flying backwards. As he landed and prepared to charge at Ciaran once again, she focused on the bridge the two of them were standing on. She saw dozens of cracks running across it, and just how fragile it could be if the Force was applied in just the right way...
Without even acknowledging Savage's charge Ciaran slammed her hand down on the surface of the bridge and pushed the Force into the cracks, feeling the Moonlight Blade pulse as the cracks began to widen at a faster and faster rate-
Savage didn't even realize what was happening until he felt the bridge under him begin to give way. He leapt towards Ciaran to try and regain his ground only for another burst of energy to hit him in the chest, sending him flying backwards and down into the gap. Unfortunately for Ciaran her success was short-lived, as Savage was able to turn himself enough to punch into the opposite wall as he reached it, creating a hook for him to grab. He was still a ways down but it would only be a matter of a few seconds before he reached the top and Ciaran would be back to square one.
Ciaran's response was to whip out her blaster pistol and begin peppering Savage with fire, trying to do what she could to redirect every few shots. However it proved to be ineffective as Savage was able to swing his lightsaber with his free hand, deflecting the shots. While it meant that he was unable to climb, it placed both him and Ciaran at a stalemate - and an uneven one at that as Ciaran knew that her pistol could only fire for so long before it overheated, and then either Savage would continue the fight and kill her or simply break off and try to rejoin Maul. The only way for her to win would be-
Ciaran looked at the large gap between her and Savage as she processed what she would have to do.
"...Well, if I survive this, it'll make for a hell of a story..." Ciaran muttered to herself before backing off, getting as much distance as she could -
Then charging forwards at a breakneck speed, pushing herself to run as fast as she possibly could go, strengthening her legs as much as she could before she reached the edge of the gap and leapt, sailing through the air as Savage looked up at her and prepared himself to get back on the ground floor. She saw him throw himself up the side of the wall just as she started to reach the end of her arc-
As Ciaran touched down on the ground above Savage she whirled around to prepare herself, pushing her Force vision to its limit. If she didn't end this fight in the next strike it would be over. For what seemed like a split second she saw a vision of the arc Savage would take, how he would bring down his lightsaber for a killing blow-
But the moment Savage leapt up and brought his lightsaber down in reality the battle was over, as Ciaran had already moved to exploit an opening that Savage simply could not cover in his position. She ducked under his strike, then swung the Moonlight Blade twice - the first cut went from Savage's right shoulder to his left thigh, then the next cleanly bisected his arms and legs. Ciaran didn't look back as she heard the thud of Savage's pieces hitting the ground, only turning to face him once she sensed the corrupting energy of the Nightsisters dissipate from his body.
"B-brother..." she heard Savage weakly mutter before his head dropped to the ground and Ciaran saw the light of the Force leave his corpse.
"He'll be joining you soon enough," Ciaran muttered to herself before she took the chance to lean against a nearby wall and let some of the tension leave her body-
"M-my Lady! Are you-"
"Alive, somehow..." Ciaran replied to Kygeetu over her comlink as she chuckled to herself. "Everything still going according to plan?"
"Yes, my Lady. The defenders have rallied and are holding their positions; I don't believe that Maul's forces can sustain the assault for much longer."
"Got it. Keep an eye out for any guerilla units like we discussed, though. Ciaran out."
As the call with Kygeetu ended Ciaran finished catching her breath and started to make her way towards the Sundari Royal Palace. At this point Maul had now been cornered, but even so she remembered what Grievous had taught her back on Kalee in the past...
"There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered beast - if they know they cannot escape without a fight or that they are about to die, they will fight with unparalleled ferocity to survive. The same is true for any living being - you saw it for yourself when we fought the Huk. Remember that."
The question now is...what is Maul going to try to do once he realizes that there's no way he's going to get off of this planet alive?
The thought echoed through Ciaran's mind as the sounds of battle continued to echo around her.
AN: ...I'm sorry this took so long. I really really am. I hope that the wait was worth it though, because I finally got to do some of the Cool Stuff I've been wanting to do for a while now (top of the list was definitely Ciaran vs. Savage, though Mando Jedi Etain was probably number 2).
But...yeah, this has to be a three-parter. I know it kind of sucks but this is 5k already and I want to get actual content out after my hiatus of sorts.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed at least!
