The Mandalorian Sagas - Book III: Fall

Chapter VI

After the skirmish with the Jabiimi Nationalists, Yang carried the unconscious Blake back to her ship. To see the extent of her injuries, Yang took off Blake's armor. As Blake was left in unarmored clothes, Yang couldn't help but whistle at Blake. 

Yang: Wow. Looks like you're just as good looking behind the armor. 

As Yang tended to Blake's injuries, she could see the scars on Blake's body from all the battles Blake has fought. Meanwhile, Blake finds herself in a blackened void. Voices soon whisper in her ears. 

???: From this day on, you are a Mandalorian of Clan Belladonna. Let your armor know the glory of battle. We are one indomitable heart. We shall bear its weight together. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, we are Mandalorians. Stand.

???: I am honored to be Mandalorian. Thank you.

???: You have earned this honor, Blake. You have proven yourself more than worthy of this armor. 

???: You could've been a part of that, but you have made your choice. Goodbye, my love.

???: Look at you.....you wield your weapons and armor like a warrior, yet you wield your mouth and words like a child. And more will die....because of that.

As those words echoed in Blake's head, she eventually regained consciousness. When she saw that she was out of her armor and Yang standing over her, Blake grabbed Yang's arm. 

Yang: Whoa! Easy there, Mando! 

Blake: What...what are you doing?

Yang: Saving your life. You took some real nasty hits from those guys back there. 

As Yang said that, thunder was heard. Blake looked out the window to see it pouring rain outside as lightning cracked the sky. 

Yang: Storm came in not too long after you passed out. The worst of it passed. Should be clearing up any time now. 

Blake took a moment to process this. When she stands up, Blake groans in pain. 

Yang: You Mandos sure are stubborn. 

Blake: Why did you help me? 

Yang: You know, a "thanks" isn't too hard to ask. I did just save your life.  I could have easily just left you to die. 

Blake: I'm in no mood for jokes, Xiao Long. 

Yang: Okay, okay. Sheesh. You Mandos sure are buzzkills. 

Blake glared at Yang, not taking too kindly to Yang's jokes. Yang simply sighed. 

Yang: Like I said before, we need each other. Jabiim is literally the last planet I would've wanted to crash in. I'd even take Tatooine or Mustafar at this point. Between the constant rain and storms and the civil war going around, Jabiim isn't exactly the best place to be. And as you just experienced, Jabiim doesn't take too kindly to Mandalorians. I'd wager credits they don't take too kindly to smugglers either. 

At this point, it became clear to Blake that the situation was far from ideal for the Mandalorian Bounty Hunter. Not only was she stranded on a planet in the midst of a bloody civil war, but it was a planet that shared an intense hatred for the Mandalorians. All of this presented Blake with an almost unwinnable situation. But Blake was anything if not tenacious. As Blake puts on her armor, Yang eyes her. Blake simply glares at Yang. 

Blake: This changes nothing, Xiao Long. Once we're off Jabiim, I'm delivering you to Junior. 

Yang: We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Let's just focus on getting the hell out of Jabiim before we end up getting buried in the mud. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy the view. 

Blake: We'll need to get a new Hyperdrive generator if we're going to get this ship airborne. Once the storm passes, we'll have to search for a crashed ship. 

Yang: Given that folks in Jabiim are likely to shoot down any ship that comes to close, that might be doable. The real problem is the possibility that someone on either side of the civil war already scavenging that ship for parts. 

Blake: We'll find a way, one way or another. 

As Blake said this, the storm outside slowly began to let up. 

Yang: You know that armor is going to paint a huge target on your back. Maybe you should ditch the armor for the time being at least until we get the Hyperdrive generator.

Blake: No. This armor means more to me than you'll ever understand. 

Yang: I get that you Mandos really value that armor, but considering that this place doesn't exactly like Mandalorians, parading around in full Mandalorian armor is not the best idea. 

Blake: There are two reasons why we have to wear armor. One is so that we don't get killed too easily. The other is so that we all look Mandalorian, however different we may be from our brothers and sisters. This armor is a symbol of my people and my culture. This armor is not a toy. This armor represents everything I believe in. If I forsake this armor, then I forsake being a Mandalorian. 

Yang: Fine. Whatever you say. Just try not to get to get yourself killed the next time we get into a firefight. 

Blake: Noted. Let's get moving. I'd rather avoid getting caught in a storm. 

Once the storm passed, Blake and Yang departed from the ship to search for any crashed ship with a Hyperdrive generator. In that moment, Blake and Yang had formed an uneasy alliance to escape the mud covered world of Jabiim.