RISE AGAIN ─ star wars

PROLOGUE

Three weeks after the coronation of King Daulton...

Prologue
Aylin

Concordia is Mandalore's only moon. It used to be the center for Mandalore's mining endeavors of Beskar, which was something Mandalore traded for goods, but now it's just a barren wasteland. Just like the rest of Mandalore. Just like the rest of the galaxy.

Jay's plan to have each planet apart of the rebel alliance help free a planet occupied by the Empire was bold and admirable, but maybe a little too optimistic. Some of the planets have been successful in being freed, but some are having little luck. Like Mandalore. The planet has been the center for all stormtrooper training and weapons testing, it's probably the hardest planet to rip away from the Empire's grasp apart from Taris. And the only reason we were able to free Taris is because we had the whole rebel alliance by our side. Now we only have Taris and Naboo. We don't have enough soldiers or ships to retake it.

That is why we are heading to Concordia now. I've heard rumors that a group of Mandalorians have settled there, ones who have their own plans of bringing down the Empire. I doubt there will be a lot of them, definitely not enough to retake the planet, but any number of people joining the fight is welcome.

"Have you ever been here?" Iris asks me as we set our ship down on the moon's surface.

I shake my head. "No, not many have. The miners were the only ones who would fly up here. Duchess Satine thought that the factories and mines were too dangerous for citizens who weren't familiar with them. Of course, that's exactly the reason why Death Watch used this moon as their base of operations..."

Iris gives me a sympathetic nod, kissing my cheek gently. She knows all too well how anything relating to Death Watch sets me on edge, and venturing to the place they orchestrated the demise of Mandalore is far worse than merely just talking about it.

Jayce knows this too, and gives me the same sympathetic look, pressing the button on the side of the ship to let the ramp down. "Let's hope these rumors you heard are true."

The mining of Beskar halted during the Clone Wars and resumed when the Empire took over. They mined this moon so much that any wildlife that had grown back thanks to Duchess Satine's pacifist ways has been destroyed, as have so many of the miners lives. I've heard horror stories about the poor working conditions the miners are kept in, under constant supervision of stormtroopers. On Mandalore itself it's even worse. The cities are all on lockdown, especially after the death of the Emperor. No Mandalorian can leave the planet, supplies are coming in even less than they did before, which had been barely enough to survive on. My people are starving, their imprisoned in their own homes, threatened everyday by the stormtroopers being armed and trained there, as well as the weapons tested for use on the planet's terrain by the Empire.

"We have to save them." I whisper to no one in particular.

Iris laces her fingers with mine, squeezing my hand firmly. "We will."

After some time walking, we spot a mining factory that's been out of use for quite some time. Surrounding it are several ships and small tents. We look to Jay, and after a moment of using the force, he confirms that the site is free of stormtroopers. Together we make our way towards it, but as we get within the general vicinity of the factory, we are surrounded by Mandalorians in full armor, pointing their blasters at our heads. I honestly don't care about the blasters, I'm not even paying attention to them. All I can focus on is the armor each Mandalorian is wearing, the armor of each of their clans, with the helmet design that's been worn by Mandalorians for millennia. It's been so long since I've seen them being worn. The Empire banned Mandalorians from wearing our armor a long time ago, a lot of it has been hidden or destroyed. My own armor I have at the palace on Taris...