#raukatan

Mandalore was at war.

From what Ahsoka knew of the planet’s history, this wasn’t exactly rare.

She had recently joined Bo-Katan Kryze in her mission to fight against Maul and his Shadow Collective, trying to help her reclaim her throne in Sundari. But it wasn’t easy. Many of the clans weren’t on Bo-Katan’s side— some because she’d been a member of Death Watch, others because of her sister.

But there were some who supported her. Among them, Clan Wren, led by their Countess Ursa. She’d been one of Bo-Katan’s Nite Owls, and now led her clan proudly. Ahsoka and Bo-Katan, along with those of the Nite Owls and other clans who were on her side, were currently hiding out on Krownest with Ursa and her family, planning and trying to figure out who were their allies.

It was going very, very slowly, though.

“Maul has turned too many of the clans against me,” Bo-Katan said. They were in a meeting room in the Wren compound— Ahsoka, Bo-Katan and some of her top lieutenants, Ursa and her husband Alrich. “We’re severely outnumbered, and we’re running out of clans to request aid from.”

“Without more reinforcements, it will be very difficult to reclaim Sundari,” Ursa observed grimly.

“There are outside influences we could go to for help,” Ahsoka pointed out. “The Jedi—”

“The Jedi couldn’t save my sister,” Bo-Katan bit out. Her tone was harsh, but Ahsoka wasn’t particularly bothered by it. She knew that her friend was still grieving, in her own rather strange way. “There’s no way they can save us.”

“There are other options, then,” Ahsoka persisted. “There has to be.”

“There actually is,” Alrich interjected, and all eyes turned to the man. He spoke little during these meetings, but Ahsoka had gotten to know him and his wife fairly well over the past few weeks. He was softer spoken as far as Mandalorians went, but still stood firm in his beliefs, and loved his family fiercely.

“And who might that be?” Ahsoka asked, noticing Ursa’s slight grimace as Bo-Katan turned her piercing gaze to Alrich.

Alrich’s voice was steady as he responded, however. “Summon the Protectors.”

Bo-Katan’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

“The Protectors?” Ahsoka frowned, casting about for what she’d learned for her first trip to Mandalore, years ago. Back when she’d still had the Order and the family she’d built from it. “Aren’t they the personal guards of the Duchess?”

“Yes, and they are sworn by oath to fight for the ruler of Mandalore,” Alrich said. “They would answer your call, my lady.”

“He has a point, Bo,” Ursa said quietly.

“I’m not asking for his— for their help,” Bo-Katan insisted stubbornly. “We don’t need them.”

“You just got through with saying that we do,” Ahsoka said, frowning. “Why—” she caught Alrich’s gaze, and the man gave her a quick shake of his head. Trust me, he mouthed.

Looking back at Bo-Katan, he said, “I have intelligence that says that Skull Squadron recently returned from a skirmish on Mygeeto. It would be perfect timing.”

“I’m not apologizing to him,” Bo-Katan growled, and Ahsoka frowned curiously. Who is she talking about? “Not under duress like this, and certainly not because I feel bad. I still stand by my views.”

“I know, and we’re not asking that,” Ursa pointed out. “Far from it— I still stand with you, as you know.”

“But we need the Protector’s help,” Alrich said. “Our people need their help.”

Ahsoka could see that his words had an impact on Bo-Katan. She winced visibly, biting her lip in a show of rare hesitation. A hundred emotions flickered across her face, finally settling on resignation with a hint of irritation. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll go. I’ll ask them for aid.”

“I’ll go with you,” Ahsoka offered suddenly. For a moment, she had no idea why she’d said it— but then she recognized the gentle nudging of the Force. For whatever reason, she was supposed to go with the Mandalorian she was starting to see as a friend. Possibly as a mediator, if Bo-Katan’s reaction to this is anything to judge by, she thought wryly.

“An excellent idea,” Alrich agreed.

Ursa nodded thoughtfully. “Not a bad idea. Rau may react rather hastily to seeing you. But having a Jedi as mediator, so to speak, might help the process along somewhat.”

Ahsoka elected not to mention the fact that she was technically no longer a Jedi as Bo-Katan nodded. “Fair point. In that case, we’ll leave in an hour.”

“We’ll see what other clans we can get in contact with while you’re gone,” Alrich assured her. “There are still a few other potential candidates for aid.”

Giving him a brisk nod, Bo-Katan quickly excused herself, slipping out of the room. As she left, Ahsoka turned to Ursa and Alrich. “Who exactly are we dealing with here, as far as the Protectors go?”

“In ordinary circumstances, it would be easy enough to convince them to fight with us,” Alrich told her. “Bo-Katan is technically the heir to the throne, and the Protectors are sworn to fight for the ruler of Mandalore. But…” he exchanged a look with his wife. “Things aren’t exactly normal in this situation.”

“How so?” Ahsoka asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Their leader, Fenn Rau, has a history with Bo-Katan.”

Ahsoka’s eyebrow shot up. “A history?”

“You should ask Bo about it,” Ursa said with a small smile. “But suffice to say things could either go very badly or very, very well.”

Ahsoka pondered that for a moment, and continued to mull it over as she prepared for her departure. Bo-Katan having a history with someone wasn’t necessarily a unique circumstance— she’d made quite the impact on Mandalorian society in her life.

But there was something different about this one, she could tell. Not just in the way Ursa and Alrich talked about it, or Bo-Katan’s reaction at the suggestion. Something in the Force around Bo-Katan made it obvious. She wasn’t just irritated or reluctant, although there was definitely that. There was also… anticipation. Anxiety. Maybe even a seed of hope.

There’s something different about this Fenn Rau, Ahsoka mused as she made her way to the ship they were flying to Concord Dawn, which was where the Protectors base was. Something different for Bo-Katan, specifically. And Ahsoka was determined to find out what.

Bo-Katan let Ahsoka fly the ship they were taking to Concord Dawn, electing to act as co-pilot. They slipped off of Mandalore without incident, and hit hyperspace not long after.

Ahsoka took her time before asking her first question, mulling over the best way to say it. Finally, she remarked, “I can’t help but sense some anxiety from you over this visit. Do you know this Fenn Rau?”

Bo-Katan’s lips tightened, and she glanced at Ahsoka. “Did Ursa and Alrich put you up to this?”

“Not exactly. They mentioned that you were close, but they didn’t tell me anything past that. All they said was that I should ask you.” Studying her friend closely, Ahsoka added, “I don’t mean to pry, so if it’s personal—”

“It’s fine,” Bo-Katan said brusquely. She paused, then her voice softened slightly. “When my father was killed during the civil war between the New Mandalorians and the clans that still followed the creed, my sister went on the run. You might know of this story— she was protected by two Jedi.”

“Master Kenobi and his master,” Ahsoka said, recalling the story Anakin had told her when he and Obi-Wan had returned from escorting the Duchess years ago. “They protected her from bounty hunters for years.”

Nodding, Bo-Katan said, “At the time, my sister had become something of a leader to the New Mandalorians, and one of their deepest supporters. Hence why she was such a target— and why we didn’t get along. We held some very different points of view.”

“What does that have to do with Rau?” Ahsoka asked.

“At the time, I wasn’t living with my family,” Bo-Katan explained. “I was living with a small covert of Mandalorians, most of them around my age. Among them were Ursa, Alrich, and Fenn. We were fairly close— when we weren’t fighting.” A small smile flickered across her face. “He’s always been just as strong-willed as I’ve been, and even as children we refused to back down on our opinions. He also took some exception to some of the company I started to keep.”

“Pre Vizsla,” Ahsoka guessed, and Bo-Katan nodded.

“He hated Vizsla, always did. The only person Fenn fought with more than me was him. And when my sister took over, I refused to bow to her rule and decided to join Death Watch… well. That was the end of our relationship.”

“He didn’t go with you?” Ahsoka asked.

Letting out a snort, Bo-Katan said, “That would have been problematic, to say the least. His duty as a Protector lay with my sister, as her personal guard. That meant bowing to her pacifistic totalitarian rule. And that was not something I could understand or respect.”

“So you parted ways,” Ahsoka said, the pieces clicking together in her mind. “And you haven’t spoken since then.”

“It was for the best,” Bo-Katan said, her tone turning brisk again. “After all, don’t your Jedi preach against attachments?”

They usually leave out the part about regret, though, Ahsoka thought, her mind flashing back to her master, to Master Kenobi, to Padme and the boys in the 501st.

The trip to Concord Dawn was short— they were out of hyperspace after only an hour. Ahsoka found herself staring out the viewport at what appeared to be a planet— or at least, what was left of one. Over half the planet was shattered to pieces, torn away in some war and scattered into the asteroid field that surrounded the remnants of Concord Dawn. “What happened?” she whispered.

“What always happens,” Bo-Katan replied from her seat. “War. The Protector’s base is on the third moon. We should probably hail them so they don’t think we’re Death Watch.” She didn’t move for a moment— Ahsoka could sense the nervousness flashing through her, the tumult of emotions. But the Mandalorian shoved them aside and reached forward, keying the button for the com.

It was a few minutes before anyone picked up. “New phone, who dis?”

Ahsoka saw Bo-Katan roll her eyes as she said, “Taneer Gedyc?”

“...only if I’m not about to get in trouble.”

“This is Bo-Katan Kryze, I’m here to speak to your leader.”

There was a muffled yelp, a crash, and some scrambling before the voice on the other end spoke. “Bo-Katan? Holy kriff, it’s been a while! How’ve you been?”

“Busy, as I am right now,” Bo-Katan said, an edge entering her voice. “Is Protector Rau there?”

“Hang on a minute.” There was a moment of silence, then Taneer’s voice came again, clearly a ways away from the comlink. “Hey, Fenn? Not to make this awkward or anything, but your ex is on the line. Do you want to talk to her, or—?”

Ahsoka had to choke back a laugh. It sounded so like something one of the boys from the 501st would have said— probably Fives. Next to her, Bo-Katan let out a sigh of irritation. “Typical,” she muttered. Ahsoka shot her an inquisitive glance, and her friend elaborated, “Taneer is Fenn’s best friend. He was always a little too invested in… us. Clearly, he hasn’t changed.”

Hiding a grin, Ahsoka turned her attention back to the audio from the comlink. Two men were clearly arguing in hushed tones in the background, which she and Bo-Katan could hear fairly well.

“Taneer, you can’t just say things like that!”

“What, even if it’s true? I’m just saying, you two disappeared together a LOT when we were teens. Like, a lot. Sometimes I wondered if she’d killed you and was hiding the body.”

“I’ve told you a thousand times, she just needed someone to talk to. As did I, if you may recall.”

“Semantics,” Taneer said. “Are you gonna let her visit? I hear she’s not into the whole Death Watch thing any more. You two could, as they say, make up and make out.”

“NO ONE SAYS THAT!”

“I’ve heard it both ways.”

“So help me, Taneer—”

Deciding it was time to intervene, Ahsoka leaned towards the comlink and said loudly, “Excuse me! Could I talk to whoever’s in charge over there?”

There was dead silence from the other end. Then— “Taneer. Did you forget to mute the com?”

“I forgot that was a thing, to be honest.”

There was a loud, drawn out groan from the other man, and then footsteps sounded from the comlink. Then the second man’s voice sounded more clearly. “This is Fenn Rau of the Protectors speaking. Who am I addressing?”

“Ahsoka Tano,” Ahsoka replied. “I’m here with Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, requesting an audience with you, Fenn Rau. It’s a matter of great urgency.”

The pause that followed seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Next to her, Ahsoka heard Bo-Katan catch her breath, her hands pressed against the dashboard. Then Rau’s voice sounded from the comlink. “Permission to land granted. I’ll take the meeting.”

The comlink clicked off, and Bo-Katan exhaled, sitting back in her chair. “He’s letting us land.” She sounded dazed, somewhat taken aback.

Nodding, Ahsoka said, “Now comes the hard part— actually talking to him.”

Bo-Katan let out a snort, a spark lighting up her gaze. “Oh, I can handle talking to Fenn Rau. The real question is if he can handle talking to me.”

~ ~ ~

As he switched off the comlink, Fenn Rau found his heart pounding harder than it had any right to after a simple call. But he knew, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself to believe otherwise, it wasn’t just a call.

She’s here, he thought. After all these years, she’s back— but why? What does she want? Does she feel the way she used to? Do I? Shaking his head, he thought, Now is NOT the time for that, Fenn. We have other things to worry about, like what her intentions with the Protectors are.

Taneer’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Soooooooooooooooooooo, Bo-Katan’s back, huh? That came out of nowhere, right? Any thoughts you’d like to share?”

Fenn let out a sigh as he directed a mildly irritated glare at his friend. Taneer had always been a little too invested in Fenn and Bo-Katan’s relationship— or lack thereof, really. There hadn’t ever been much between them before Death Watch and his loyalty to the Duchess pulled them apart.

Well. There had been that one time on Gargon, when they’d both thought they were about to die. But they’d never spoken about that in an unspoken agreement.

Aloud, he said, “The only thoughts I want to share are the thoughts that you should go find Vikki and some of the others. We need to prepare for Lady Bo-Katan’s arrival.”

“Come on, Fenn. You were close to her for almost our entire lives, and then you just… didn’t talk for years,” Taneer pointed out. “That’s not something you get over quickly. I mean, I wouldn’t know, my love life is literally the least problematic thing about me. Mainly because Vikki is so awesome and smart and beautiful. But I digress. If you want to talk—”

“I don’t,” Fenn said, his tone a little harsher than he’d intended

Taneer raised an eyebrow at him, looking relatively unaffected. “Harsh, but I’ll forgive it. I’m just saying, it’s not healthy to keep these things in. But if you insist on cramming your emotions down until you explode because of them… well, I’ve got your back, vod.”

Somehow, that was the only thing he could have said that slowed the whirl of thoughts in Fenn’s head. He’d known Taneer for years, and if there was one person he trusted to have his back, it was him. No matter how ridiculous he got sometimes. “Thank you, vod,” he told the other man. “Now, go and get the others ready to receive our visitors.”

Taneer nodded and headed out of the command center, leaving Fenn alone with the thoughts swirling throughout his head.

Bo-Katan was here. Probably coming down to the moon even as he thought of her. He was going to see her again, and he already felt like a teenager again.

They’d grown up together, in a covert of Mandalorian children escaping the chaos and violence of the civil war. There had only been minimal adult supervision, which had made for a lot of chaos of their own. Bo-Katan had been angry with her sister and the galaxy, grieving the loss of her father, and Fenn had seen that. He’d seen a lot more than just that in her fiery spirit and stubbornness, if he was being honest. But he’d befriended her, and they’d grown closer and closer over the years, until the war was finally over.

It had been quite a few years since they’d last spoken, and when they had, it hadn’t gone well. She’d been on the verge of following Pre Vizsla into exile, and he’d tried to convince her to stay.

Bo-Katan, in turn, had asked him to come with her. And Fenn hadn’t had any choice but to refuse. His oath as Protector kept him on Mandalore, guarding her sister. Protecting the very thing she had rejected so thoroughly.

It had enraged her, and they’d both lost their tempers, and said things they regretted later. Well, Fenn regretted it. He couldn’t speak for Bo-Katan— he never really could.

And now she was here. And Fenn would be lying if he said he didn’t hope there was a chance for reconciliation between the two of them.

It was a fool’s hope, but he held onto it all the same.

A chime sounded from his comlink, and he switched it on. Taneer’s voice emanated from it. “Lady Kryze’s ship has landed on the southwest airfield. Vikki and I are on our way to meet her.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Fenn told him, and keyed off the comlink.

The landing zone Bo-Katan had chosen wasn’t far from Fenn, and he made it there just as the ramp began to lower. Fenn caught sight of Taneer, his orange and yellow armor a bright shock against the darker background of the sky. Next to him was his wife, Vikki, who’s armor were more sedate shades of dark purple. The duo were his seconds in command and the people he trusted most in the galaxy.

As Fenn stopped next to them, Vikki asked quietly, “You ready for this?”

Not particularly, Fenn thought. But that wasn’t an option here. He was the leader of the Protectors, and it was his duty to represent them in the best way possible—

The sound of footsteps coming down the ramp snapped him out of his thoughts. Fenn’s gaze flicked up towards the slim figure moving into sight, and all other thoughts fled his mind.

Bo-Katan hadn’t changed much. Her red hair was still cut in the sensibly short haircut she’d worn the last time they’d spoken, and her armor was still the same shade of dark blue.

She was taller, though, Fenn realized as she approached. Almost as tall as him, which he hadn’t expected. And her eyes had changed. They still held the flinty stubbornness, but with a different layer of determination.

But she was still Bo-Katan. She hadn’t even spoken and he knew that. Still brave and smart and incredibly stubborn and bossy and beautiful.

She met his gaze, and Fenn internally braced himself. Okay, Fenn. Try and handle this with some professionalism. And for kark’s sake do NOT accidentally call her Bo. “My lady Bo-Katan.”

“Protector Rau,” Bo-Katan replied, her tone calm and brisk. “May I introduce my companion, Ahsoka Tano?”

Fenn reluctantly pulled his eyes away from her to see a young Togruta woman standing next to Bo-Katan. She couldn’t have been much older than eighteen, but stood with the confidence of a trained warrior. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she wore a polite expression, but Fenn saw a slight sparkle of humor in her eyes. “It’s an honor to meet you, Protector Rau,” she told him. “Bo-Katan’s had nothing but good things to say about you.”

Don’t look at her, Fenn ordered himself. Don’t look, don’t look— he glanced at Bo-Katan, who had flushed very slightly and was glaring daggers at Ahsoka. Looking back at Ahsoka, he said, “I’m honored, I’m sure. Although I somehow doubt I’m of that much interest.”

“I disagree,” Ahsoka said, and she was definitely grinning now. “We’re here, aren’t we?”

“Which does bring up a good point,” Fenn said, deciding it was probably a good time to stop talking along that line of thought. “What brings you here, my lady?”

That seemed to bring Bo-Katan back from her momentary embarrassment. Her face flashed to an expression Fenn recognized well. It was her bargaining face, the one she’d worn while convincing Weequay pirates that they’d be more useful to them alive. The one she’d worn while she tried to convince him to join Death Watch.

“I need your help,” she told him.

Fenn couldn’t have been more surprised if she’d gone down on one knee and proposed marriage. “What?”

“Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere privately,” Vikki suggested quickly.

“That does sound like a good plan,” Ahsoka agreed. “Do you have somewhere we could talk?”

“The cantina could work,” Taneer jumped in. “Follow me.”

As Taneer led the way forward, Fenn found himself taking up the rear, his gaze lingering on Bo-Katan as he walked. She needs my help? Bo-Katan had never excelled at asking for help with anything. Which meant something unusual had to be going on, and Fenn was more than a little intrigued to find out what it was.

~ ~ ~

Ahsoka had met more Mandalorians than she’d ever thought she would as a youngling in the Temple, and none of them were exactly the same. They all seemed to have their own unique take on what it meant to be a Mandalorian, which was fascinating to watch— both similar and unlike her own upbringing as a Jedi.

The Protectors had their own way of life, which was not unlike the way Bo-Katan’s people operated. There were differences, of course.

One that was strangely notable was the small cantina they’d gone into, which seemed to be a combination of a tapcafe and a mess hall, with a bar up front that Fenn Rau’s second in command, Taneer, had quickly taken over. Heading to a nearby stove, he’d removed the lid from a pot and, to Ahsoka’s astonishment, started serving up bowls of soup for them.

This was a tradition that she had a feeling originated with the Protectors. Probably Taneer, if she was any judge of character.

As she accepted her bowl of soup, she heard Fenn Rau say, “Well, my lady, may I ask what the urgency of this situation is?”

A subtle way of him saying “what’s happened that’s so horrible you have to ask for help?”, Ahsoka thought with internal amusement.

A small frown flickered across Bo-Katan’s face, then vanished. “I assume you’re aware of our battle against Maul?” she said.

“I am,” Rau said. “And… I was in the Outer Rim at the time, but I heard of your sister’s death. Allow me to offer my condolences. That is, if they’re warranted.”

Next to her, Ahsoka heard Taneer let out a soft groan. “Here we go,” he muttered.

“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Bo-Katan asked, a dangerous look in her eyes. Ahsoka had seen it before— mainly she was about to dive headlong into a fight.

But Rau didn’t even flinch as he met her eyes. “It means that I’m well aware of the tense nature of you and your sister’s relationship. After all, last time we spoke you were hardly on the best of terms with her.”

“Well it’s been quite some time since we last spoke,” Bo-Katan replied, her tone brittle and angry. “Did it occur to you that some things might have changed since then?”

Rau nodded, as if acknowledging a hit. “I did hear that you attempted to rescue your sister before she died. The Protectors owe you gratitude for that as we were… unable to do our job.”

Ahsoka could sense the regret, the sorrow, the tension billowing through the room from both Bo-Katan and Rau, but all the former did was nod. “In the end, she was my sister,” she said briefly. “I couldn’t leave her to die at Maul’s hands. Not that it did any good anyways.”

Her voice shook very briefly on the last word, and Ahsoka saw Rau reach out and cover her hand with his gently. Neither spoke, but for a moment, the tense atmosphere was gone and they were just two friends, grieving a loss together.

Then Bo-Katan straightened up, squaring her shoulders as if prepared to charge headlong into battle. “I’m not here to reminisce, Rau. I need to call on the Protectors for aid. We’re trying to take Mandalore back from Maul, and we’re very low on support, despite my best efforts.”

“Well, you can’t exactly be surprised about that,” Rau said, and Ahsoka’s eyes widened. Oh, this isn’t going to end well—

“What,” Bo-Katan snapped, her glare icy, “is that supposed to mean?”

“Maul is here because Vizsla wanted him here. Vizsla, your leader.”

“I never supported the idea of an outsider,” Bo-Katan bit out. “How dare you insinuate otherwise?”

Next to Ahsoka, Taneer let out a long sigh. “Oh, dank farrik, here we go again.”

Ahsoka glanced at him. “Does this happen often?”

“All the time when we were kids. They love to fight,” Taneer said wryly, taking a sip from his bowl of soup. “They’d always make up, of course— Fenn makes a good apology when he wants to, and Bo-Katan has always cared about him enough to manage one of her own. Still, the fighting bit is always a pain to deal with.”

“You’ve been friends with Rau for that long?” Ahsoka asked, and Taneer nodded.

“Oh, yeah. We grew up together. He kept me out of trouble, I got him into trouble and shipped him with Bo-Katan. All the important stuff.”

Ahsoka took a thoughtful sip of her soup and found it was quite delicious— rich and buttery, filled with savory herbs. “And did you ever have any ways of getting them out of fights? Because this little spat can wait, but Mandalore can’t. The people need our help. We can’t let Maul rule.”

“You won’t hear me disagreeing,” Taneer said with a sigh. Glancing over at them, he added, “Still, it’s nice to see them arguing again, in a weird way.”

Ahsoka followed his gaze to where Bo-Katan was snapping something at Fenn Rau, jabbing her finger into his chest. Rau was glaring back, his arms folded and his jaw clenched against clear irritation.

It was a picture of complete disagreement— and yet somehow, it sent a twinge of nostalgia through Ahsoka. Feeling a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she took another sip of her soup, she told Taneer, “I know exactly what you mean.”

Before Taneer could respond, the com on his wrist let out a chirp. Lifting it, Taneer said, “Excuse me.” Keying it on, he said, “What’s up?”

“We have incoming,” reported a female voice. “Five fighters just came out of hyperspace. They’re heading down to the surface, and I’m pretty sure they’re Maul’s.”

“Oh, fiddlesticks,” Taneer said with a frown. “Now I have to interrupt their romantically charged argument. Hey, Fenn!”

Rau looked up from where he was practically nose to nose with Bo-Katan. “What?” he snapped.

“Maul sent some of his boot-licking lieutenants to deal with us,” Taneer said. “Five ships full, to be precise.”

Fenn cursed, grabbing his helmet. “I’ll hold them off in the sky. Taneer, you’re with me. Vikki, handle ground defense. My lady, you and your friend are staying here.”

“I’m not just hiding like a coward while Maul sends people after you!” Bo-Katan protested. “Let us help.”

“Absolutely not,” Fenn Rau bit out. “Stay here, or I will lock you in this hut. I’ll come get you when we’re done. Is that understood?”

“I don’t take orders from you!” Bo-Katan flared, her gaze furious. “Let us help, or—”

“We’ll stay here,” Ahsoka cut in smoothly. Ignoring Bo-Katan’s outraged look, she dipped her head to Rau respectfully. “We’ll be sure not to get in the way.”

“Good to see that one of you has sense,” Rau muttered. Putting on his helmet, he headed out of the hut, Taneer and Vikki on his heels.

The minute the door closed behind them, Bo-Katan rounded on Ahsoka. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I know you don’t like the Jedi particularly,” Ahsoka said calmly, pretending like she didn’t feel the usual twinge that hit when she mentioned the Jedi. “But let me share a piece of wisdom my master once gave me.”

“And what is that, pray tell?” Bo-Katan snarked, but Ahsoka could tell she was interested.

“Obeying orders is one thing,” Ahsoka told her, recalling the slight grin Anakin had worn when he’d told her the same thing. “How we go about doing it is another entirely.”

“Meaning?” Bo-Katan asked, but Ahsoka could see understanding dawning in her gaze.

“We said we’d stay here, but we didn’t say how long,” Ahsoka pointed out. “And you and I have enough battle experience to know how to not get in the way while we’re in the middle of a battle. We’ll wait for the right moment, then sneak out of here.”

“Not bad, Tano,” Bo-Katan said with a grin. “When do we leave?”

“Not yet,” Ahsoka instructed. She realized that, without even really thinking about it, she’d been relying on the Force to tell her when was the right moment. Old habits die hard, she thought. “But soon. We just have to be patient.”

“Not sure if you’ve noticed, but that’s not exactly a strong suit for most Mandalorians, myself included,” Bo-Katan pointed out.

“I know,” Ahsoka said absently, her mind focused on the Force. It hummed gently, seeming to say, Not yet. Just wait a little longer, a little longer—

An explosion rocked the ground, and Ahsoka’s eyes snapped open as urgency flooded the Force. She realized she was kneeling, and judging by her stiffness, she had been for a while longer than she’d expected.

“Let’s go,” she said, heading for the door.

“Finally,” Bo-Katan said, drawing her blasters and following Ahsoka as she keyed open the door.

Outside, the battle was in full swing. At least two of the ships had made it to the surface, and Protectors were fighting Maul’s commandos everywhere Ahsoka looked. Not for the first time, she cursed the fact she’d left her sabers at the Temple. But she’d have to make do with something else for now.

Before they could take two steps, the Mandalorian woman clad in purple and blue appeared from the fight, her blasters drawn. “Bo!” she shouted, darting towards them. “About time you showed up.”

“It would have been sooner if I had my way, Vikki,” Bo-Katan replied. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve got things mostly handled here— but Fenn’s ship went down,” Vikki said, and Ahsoka saw fear flash across Bo-Katan’s face.

“How? Where?” she demanded.

Pointing across the camp, Vikki said, “He was outnumbered, and Taneer couldn’t get there in time. One of the ships followed him— presumably to finish him off.”

Cursing, Bo-Katan said, “We’ll handle it.”

“Good— wait,” Vikki said, holding up her hand. “Do you have a weapon?” she asked, directing her question at Ahsoka, to her surprise.

“Not exactly, but I can hold my own without one,” Ahsoka replied. To her surprise, Vikki shook her head.

“No need to.” Reaching to her side, she pulled a wickedly long knife out of a sheath strapped to her leg. It was about the length of Ahsoka’s old shoto, and gleamed blueish-gray in the dim light.

“That might help a little,” she told Ahsoka.

“It’ll do just fine,” Ahsoka said, accepting the weapon. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Go get Fenn back.”

“Oh, we will,” Bo-Katan said grimly.

The two of them took off across the battlefield, weaving their way through the various structures as Protectors and Shadow Collective fought around them. None of them seemed to notice the pair at first, although Ahsoka doubted that would last.

When they reached the far end of the landing field, Ahsoka spotted a plume of smoke coming from a few yards away. “There,” she said, grabbing Bo-Katan’s arm and pointing.

She saw her friend’s jaw tighten. “If he’s not okay, I’m going to kill him,” she muttered. “It’s a good thing he’s a good pilot.” Without another word, she took off towards the crash, Ahsoka on her heels.

They stopped on the crest of a hill, looking down on the scene below them. The fighter had plowed into the ground, furrows of torn up dirt behind it. All things considered, Ahsoka had definitely seen worse crashes— it looked a little battered, but still flyable.

However, another fighter painted black and red had set down nearby, and four warriors were heading towards the remains of the fighter a little ways away. Ahsoka heard Bo-Katan take in a sharp breath.

“I’ll handle them,” Ahsoka told her, giving the blade Vikki had given her an experimental spin. It was heavy, but well balanced enough that she’d be able to fight with it. “You go find your boyfriend.”

Bo-Katan started to sputter an argument, but Ahsoka was already darting down the hill, heading straight towards the warriors. They turned at the sound of her footsteps, and Ahsoka called on the Force, launching herself into the air and somersaulting above them.

She landed and spun, swinging the blade she’d been given expertly. It clashed off the first warrior’s armor, sending sparks flashing through the air. Ahsoka grimaced— it was hard to adapt to a normal blade, so unlike her sabers. Remember the gaps in the armor, she told herself. They are vulnerable.

The warrior she was fighting lunged for her, and Ahsoka delivered a swift kick to his chin, sending him stumbling backwards. She darted forward, stabbing with her blade, and felt a lurch at the sight of blood as she drew back. Blood, so rare when using a lightsaber.

The commando crumpled to the ground, and Ahsoka went after the other, pushing aside her shock. The other two warriors were heading towards the fighter, and Ahsoka reached out with the Force, slamming one into the other as she engaged the final warrior, who had already drawn his own blade.

As they exchanged blows, Ahsoka heard Bo-Katan’s shout. “Fenn! Where are you?” She sounded… afraid. An emotion Ahsoka had never associated with her friend before. Interesting, she thought, and punched the Mandalorian she was fighting in the gut, right below where his armor ended. He doubled over, and Ahsoka slammed the hilt of the blade into the back of his head. He hit the ground, unmoving, and Ahsoka darted towards the fighter.

Bo-Katan was struggling with the hatch, her teeth gritted, and Ahsoka moved to her side. “Let me,” she said, wedging the blade of her weapon into the seam of the hatch. A little pressure with the blade, along with the Force, made it pop open quickly.

Rau was lying there, unmoving. Bo-Katan brushed past Ahsoka, grabbing him by his shoulders and hauling him out of the cockpit with a grunt. Pulling him free of it, she propped him against the side of the fighter and yanked off his helmet. “Fenn!”

Rau’s eyelids fluttered slightly at the sound of her voice, and Bo-Katan cursed under her breath. “Come on, Rau, don’t do this to me. If you die, I’ll kill you. Look at me. Fenn, please.”

He mumbled something, and Ahsoka saw Bo-Katan catch her breath, leaning in closer. “What?”

This time, Rau’s words were much clearer. “Since when do you say please, my lady?”

Bo-Katan let out a breathless laugh as his eyes slid open, locking with hers. “When I think I’m about to lose my best fighter, I make an exception.” Pressing her lips together tightly, she grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him into a hug, pressing her forehead against his. “Don’t do that again.”

Rau let out a grunt of pain, but wrapped his arms around her all the same. “Yes, Lady Kryze.”

When she finally pulled back, Bo-Katan shot him a wry smile. “Just like Gargon all over again.”

Releasing an undignified snort, Rau said, “You and I remember Gargon very differently.” He paused, then said, “We’ll give you aid. But after this, I don’t know how much we can help. Least of all me.”

“Thank you,” Bo-Katan told him. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I might have an idea about that,” Ahsoka said quietly, and both Mandalorians jumped— clearly, they’d forgotten she was there.

“Well, why didn’t you tell me that earlier?” Bo-Katan demanded.