Promises are made to be broken. Deals are made to be kept.
[The Mandalorian Season 1-2]
I do not own the Mandalorian or any of the Star Wars Universe characters/settings. I own Alora and her unique story.
Prequel to Promises and Deals --> Truth...
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Alora's body still aches from their previous encounter, but she does not let that stop their adventure. Bo-Katan and Mando lead them through the wreckage of Mandalore, but all she can think about is memory.
The Empire set out to erase Mandalore and its people. She learned that during the Clone Wars, it had remained independent—neither part of the Separatists nor the Republic. Their neutrality is what cost them.
But the Empire did the opposite with the Jedi. There was no way the Emperor could make the people of the Republic forget the Jedi generals who fought for them, so they did something worse by distorting the memory with propaganda. No one blinked twice when the Emperor turned the Jedi into a scapegoat—the people who helped their citizens turned into betrayers. The people themselves were always scared of the Jedi for being different, for having faith in the world around them, but those falsehoods put a target on any survivors.
Mandalorians have the freedom of being forgotten by the masses. They are just a fairytale now. The Jedi are forever hunted for what they are, for what they believe in.
Looking down at Grogu, Alora cannot help but wonder if he made the right choice by forsaking his Jedi roots in favor of a Mandalorian path. She, herself, hides from her past because she was always taught it was wrong. That she was wrong. But choosing another path feels like a betrayal in itself, like she is still hiding from what she truly is.
The mines of Mandalore are this planet's history and memory. She can see the layers of sediment built up over the years and the darkness consuming the caves. Unlike Dagobah, this darkness is inviting, familiar. Like a warm hug from your favorite person.
"This area looks much older," Din says, echoing her thoughts.
"The mines have been here for thousands of years," Bo-Katan replies. "The Living Waters are in the chambers below."
"Have you been there?" Alora asks, still keeping pace with Grogu instead of the Mandalorians.
"Yes, when I was a child."
"Really?" Mando asks.
"I was part of the royal family. I took the Creed and was showered with gifts. But the rituals were all just theater for our subjects. They loved watching the princess recite the Mandalorian tenets as her father looked on proudly. Such a heart-warming spectacle."
A familiar tingle runs down Alora's spine as Din says, "Maybe he was proud."
"I know he was," Bo-Katan offers a small smile. "I didn't embarrass him in front of everyone."
Alora knows the feeling. "Your father sounds a lot like the man who raised me. Not sure I would have liked to know him."
"He was a great man," Bo-Katan states, but it almost feels robotic to Alora. "He died defending Mandalore."
