Mandalore's Hope

Chapter 1: Farewell

*Hope's POV*

"My aunt, Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore was a just and fair ruler. She was beloved by all her people and those who met her.  We will forever morn the loss of this mighty woman.  Now, I ask that the General Obi-Wan Kenobi come and say a few words about her last moments since he was with her in her passing." Well, General Kenobi did come, yet he couldn't make it to my thirteenth birthday.  Kenobi walks out of the crowd and on to the platform where my mother's coffin lies.  The throne room is adorned in the Mandalorian colors for morning.  The whole room is packed with anyone who knew and loved the name of Satine Kryze.

"Thank you Captain Kryze." Kenobi says with a little nod as my cousin Korkie steps aside to sit next to me. Kenobi then pauses on me for a very long moment with questioning eyes that look as if he has seen a ghost, probably the one of my mother in me. I smooth my hands on my black dress with big sleaves and an even bigger head piece.  My dirty blond hair hangs down to my shoulders as I adjust my posture.  Then Kenobi must remember where he is and his place in this moment because he begins to tell what happened to my mother. 

"I have known the Duchess well since I was a padawan.  She was magnificent and it was an honor to protect her for all these years.  I only regret that I wasn't able to save her when Darth Maul was choking her while she was suspended in air.  Especially when he stabbed her with his saber in her heart.  I had guards on my back and she ordered that I should stay put.  I should have went after him and maybe your Duchess would still be a-alive." At the last word his voice cracked and my blue oceanic eyes are stinging with tears.  Then General Kenobi walked over to her coffin and placed a blue flower on the top of it with his hand resting there for a minute. He then went back into the sea of people.  Korkie put a comforting hand on my knee and went back up to the microphone.

"Thank you General for the retelling of my aunt's strength.  Now we shall hear from the Duchess's daughter and my dear cousin, Hope." I stand up strait and walk up to the podium.  Korkie hugs me and retakes his seat once more. 

"People of Mandalore, friends, allies, family, thank you for coming to my mother's funeral.  I am greatly honored to have a fine group of people before me.  My mother always said that war is intolerable, we have been deceived into thinking that we must be a part of it. She thought that the moment we committed to the fighting, we had already lost.  I agree because we did lose, Mandalore lost, we all lost a great leader.  The Jedi Council asked for help in this war and my mother went but didn't come back. Just like my father, he went to help fight their war but never came back to us.  I will forever morn l-losses." I take a moment to collect my emotions, I cannot cry infront of a room full of adults when I am only nineteen.

"My mother only had one daughter and I am her.  She named me her heir before her untimely passing from this world on to the next.  I will humbly take the throne as Hope Katan Kryze, Duchess of Mandalore." My pronounced British accent echoes throughout the room as everyone claps. 

***

After the speeches about my dearly departed mother, most of the sea of people come up to express their sympathies for my loss. After an exhausting two hours of people telling me they are sorry for my loss, I see three old family friends come into view: Senator Amidala, General Skywalker, and Padawan Tano.

"Oh Hope, I am so sorry my darling. Our deepest condolences my dear, we will miss her. I especially will miss your mother terribly on the senate floor." Senator Amidala cries as she pulls me into a comforting embrace.  I wrap my arms around her and lightly cry into her shoulder. After a few minutes, I look up at the beautiful Senator of Naboo, she is wearing her signature greyish blue dress with purple fabric traveling down the center and white lace separating the two. Her brown hair is pulled into two triangular pigtails almost.

"Thank you, Senator." I say as Senator Amidala puts a loving hand on my cheek and rubs it comfortingly. 

"Oh Hope, enough with the formalities, we've known each other long enough now that you can call me Padme." Padme playfully scolds with an attempt of a silly expression on her face.  It brings me back to my childhood because that is exactly what she used to do when Mother would bring me to Coruscant. I looked behind Padme and I noticed that General Skywalker was looking at Padme with an intense and protective gaze. It was probably the gaze of a Jedi body guard but there was something else behind that: admiration, love, passion, fear? Impossible, Jedi are not aloud to love or form attachments, I must have imagined it. Wait, maybe it is possible because my father was that way with my mother, or so I've herd. 

"Will you all please stay in the palace as my guests? I could really use the company and some familiar faces.  Plus General Skywalker is a very entertaining Jedi indeed." I inquire as Ashoka and Padme bust out snorting and laughing at General Skywalker's expense while he rolls his eyes.

"Of course my dear, we already cleared our schedules just in case if you needed us. I'm sure that General Skywalker will do something very entertaining while we are here." Padme agrees as I give a slight smile.

"Just make sure you don't go flying with him or the ship will instantly crash and go up in flames." Padawan Tano jokes as we all, except for General Skywalker, crack up laughing again.

"Okay you three, we get it, I'm hilarious." The General says in mock annoyance which makes us laugh harder. 

"Anyway, your rooms are in the guest quarters, Padme knows where they are. I unfortunately have to attend to some Duchess duties." I declare as I notice the shadow of a man in the back of the throne room.