lieutenant (cover image not mine)

trials and moral conflict

(not my artwork)

Deathwatch was camped out on the small planet of Carlac. It was freezing and the surface of the planet was covered in a blanket of crisp white snow. There were forests of cherry blossom trees surrounding everything. each tree was so close together that the branches in the treetops were twisting together only making ground level even colder due to the lack of sunlight. The bright pink trees stood out against the blinding white snow on the ground and the overcast skies. Rook was walking, each step sounded crunchy against the icy crystals at her feet, leaving a trail of footprints behind her until she entered the warm tent, Lifting the floppy makeshift door make up of animal skins. Every time someone entered one of the tents it was immediate relief as the warm glow of candles hit their numb pale faces. This particular tent belonged to the leader of deathwatch himself, Pre VIsla, His tent was the biggest and the most comfortable with large, furry animal hides covering his chairs and bed. There was a bright candlelight glow, and a few deathwatch soldiers surrounded the table in the middle of the room. This table was used for every meeting and important discussion, so it was littered with Maps and hologram battle plans. Pre vizsla was at the head of the table. To the right of Pre was Ursa wren holding Sabine on her hip, and another solder named Kor-Dii and to his left Was Gar Saxon. Rook shuffled in, dusted some snow off her arm, and stood next to Gar.

"You're sure you saw the duchess?" pre asked. Rook snickered, "I'm absolutely sure. I was able to get a closer look, her kindness will be her undoing." She placed a handful of credits on the table Infront of Pre. "Then its settled" he responded, lifting the credits up and toying with them in his hand, "our new objective is to get the princess to join our cause. It shouldn't be too difficult; I can tell she has fight in her. she will make a good warrior unlike her weak sister." But Pre, Ursa interrupted, "If she is indeed in the palace then she will, most likely, be surrounded by Protecters." Pre rolled his eyes, "that is of no concern to me, the new Mandalorian people and their pacifist stance has left mandalore vulnerable. they are weak and practically weaponless. Getting to the princess will be no challenge for me, for us."

Sabine started fussing. Ursa panicked and started bouncing her and patting her back as discreetly as she could. She pursed her lips and looked down at the floor. her eye began to twitch out of nervousness. Ursa never showed signs of weakness before. No matter how angry she ever made Pre, she could take the consequences but now, she had her daughter. Ursa didn't ever doubt for a second that in his anger pre would do things to her child, or any child for that matter. She could see past his abuse but leaving deathwatch was still not an option. Ursa prayed that the day she could send Sabine to Alrich would come sooner but she was too young to be without her mother and Alrich was too busy and wouldn't know how to care for child. Not that he wouldn't want to but, although Alrich loved his daughter from afar it wasn't a possibility in the moment. Sabine helped open Ursa's eyes. Ursa was recruited as a child herself; this was all she knew and sometimes it didn't seem that bad but now she could never imagine her own daughter growing up in an environment such as this. "Ursa, I swear if you don't quiet that child-" Ursa interrupted him before he could finish the sentence, "my apologies, we were just leaving. thank you, for your patience." To divert the attention Rook continued to ask pre questions about his plans, "Not to infer that your plans won't work but what are we to do if the princess decides not to join us by her own free will." "Then I will have no choice but to kidnap her, either way, Shes coming back with us. We will not fail this mission is that understood? "Understood."

...

The watch waited until mandalore lowered the level of their artificial lighting for the most discreet entrance. For months Visla had some people working on the inside of Mandalor's dome and the inside of the castle as well. Visla was always preparing for battles and attacks from within. It was his one goal to be the ruler one day and if he had to do it by force he most definitely would. Visla had even been inside the castle himself on multiple occasions being a highly respected Mandalorian political figure, of course nobody knew of his other affiliations. This had all been extremely useful for the plan and Pre was able to lead the group into the castle through the sewage tunnels. Once they had managed to reach inside the castle walls the search for the princess room began. Gar and Rook were the ones to find it. They crept into the room and used hand signals to communicate trying desperately not to wake Bo while they still had the element of Suprise on their side. Rook placed one hand over Bo's mouth and one behind her head holding it in place to silence her while Gar simultaneously held her arms and legs down enabling her from moving. "If you don't want to be killed on the spot you will shut your mouth and hear what we have to say. It is in your best interest not to call for anyone because believe me nobody can help you now. Do you understand?" Rook whispered that into Bo's ear earning an obvious nod of her head. Rook released her hand and used her Coms device to signal the rest into that particular room while Bo-Katan sat still attempting to catch her breath.

Pre strode into her room confidently, swinging his cape to the side and crossing his arms standing Infront of her bed. He removed his helmet, which even he knew was a risk, but a risk he was willing to take just to get her to trust him as he was a familiar face already. "Governor vizsla? why are you doing this? What are you doing? Are you going to kill me? Just get it over with I won't tell you where Satine is" "Quiet child! I already know where your sister is, but I'm not interested in that pacifist bitch I'm here for you because you are different, and we see that." Did he just call Satine a bitch. Satine always described him as a gentleman. She said he was one of the only tolerable politicians left in this system. What is he doing in my bedroom in the middle of the night. Did Satine leave without me because she didn't hold her end of a deal with him or something. Is he coming after me for revenge. "Bo i have heard the way your sister talks about your, the way your Buir talked about you. I know how you can be I've seen how you interact with people at political events. You're not a politician, you're a fighter. Did Satine ever tell you why she left?". no she didn't, not that it's any of your business. "No" "Well I can tell you that she left because she has decided to outlaw our thousands of years of traditions and culture. She is tarnishing the very name Mandalorian. It no longer strikes fear into anyone, Bo we are being Mocked and laughed at by the entire galaxy. People are rightfully upset as you should be too. She left because people were beginning to come after her. She is being selfish, only worrying about herself and her own interests but what about you. Do you think she stopped to think about what you want? Come with us we won't leave you when things get hard. We will be your new family. what's there to lose. Bo, you have nobody, but your warrior identity and we can keep that fire alive. did Satine really want to take the fight out of the Mandalorian culture. she never told me that part. that's who I am. why would she lie to me and leave me here alone. this is my way to get back at her and show her that what she does to me will have consequences. Shell regret not caring enough to even inform me that I could be in danger as well do to her own decisions. "I'll go". Before she could even get up herself, a bag was thrown over her head and she was being led out of her room and down a hallway. Pre stopped, "Did Satine ever have your Buirs armor moved to the palace after he passed?" "Yes, she did" Pre pointed at Ursa "you, go hunt it down and bring it abord the ship we will have it reforged." I'm finally going to get my own armor. Satine would kill me, then again, her lack of awareness or empathy for me already almost did so who cares.