Clan of Three

Part Thirty-Eight

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Rael and Grogu followed behind Din as he shoved Gideon forward with one hand and held the ignited dark saber in the other. 'See you soon, El', a light whisper danced through the air and Rael knew exactly who it was. "Can you open the doors, Rae?", Din asked, bringing her attention back to the present situation. She hurried forward to the control panel for the bridge's doors.

They slid open and the Mandalorain ordered Gideon to move again. Rael first saw Bo-katan, as she turned away from the widow to look at the newcomers. The Jedi smiled as her aunt walked forward, but soon realized the woman's gaze was not on her, but on the weapon in Din's hand. "What happened?", Bo-katan asked as the bridge door closed behind them.

"He brought him in alive, that's what happened. And now the New Republic's gonna have to double the payment.", Cara Dune said as she approached them. The ex-shock trooper took Rael's free arm in he hands and inspected the bandage with disapproval. "That's not what she's talking about." Moff Gideon spoke up with his usual all-knowing attitude.

"Why don't you kill him now and take it?", he continued, but Cara shoved him down to the ground. Rael furrowed her brows in question at her aunt, but Gideon was the one speak again. "It's yours now.", he told Din. "What is?", the Mandalorian asked. "The dark saber. It belongs to you.", Gideon explained before spitting out a bit of blood. 

Din deactivated the saber and stepped past Rael to hold the weapon out towards Bo-katan. "Now... it belongs to her.", the man said casually, waiting for the redhead to accept it. "She can't take it. The dark saber must be won in battle. In order for her to wield the dark saber again, she would need to defeat you in combat.", the Moff told him, smirking. Din huffed, "I yield. It's yours."

Rael felt her nerves growing as she looked between Din and her aunt. Bo-katan was rigid as she stared at the saber's hilt. "Oh no. It doesn't work like that.", Gideon hummed and Rael glared down at the man. Moff Gideon slowly stood up as he said, "The dark saber doesn't have power. The story does. Without that blade, she's a pretender to the throne."

"She's the rightful ruler of Mandalore. Even without some crazy victory story, they'll follow her.", Rael snapped. But Bo-katan shook her head and said, "He's right." Din took a noter step forward and said lowly, "C'mon. Just take it." The two Mandalorians stared at one another, but before anything else could be said, an alarm went off.

"Well, perhaps she'll get another crack at it.", Gideon sighed as Bo-katan joined Fennec at monitor. "The ray shields have been breached. We're being boarded.", the assassin informed the group. "How many life forms?", Bo-katan asked. Fennec straighten as she turned to them and replied, "None."

Rael turned to Din to ask what could be boarding the ship, when Gideon said to him, "You're about to face off with the dark troopers. You had your hands full with one. Let's see how you do against a whole platoon." Rae shivered at the thought of facing those droids again. "They're headed this way.", Koska said as she flipped through the feeds from the ship's security cameras.

The Jedi watched the monitors and gave up trying to count how many dark troopers were marching towards them. Rael walked over to a swivel chair in front of a console and set Grogu down. "We're gonna get you outta here. I promise. Just stay here, please.", she whispered to him as she brushed a thumb over his cheek. "Seal the blast doors!", Fennec ordered and Koska nodded.

"Wait!", Rael shouted as she took her out of her waistband and separated the hilts. "Seal them.", Din told Koska, who had hesitated after Rael's call. "Just let me get out there and try to clear a way out.", the young woman said as she hurried towards the closing door. But Din grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back.