Commander of Wolves

Chapter Twenty-Three: Alliance Begins

In the catacombs beneath the city of Sundari, in the cavern of the Living Waters, warriors and Jedi alike have gathered. Knee deep in the waters, facing the depths, Bo-Katan stands. Her helmet is tucked to her side and her sharp eyes watch the dark waters that are lit only by torches and the helmet lights of the gathered warriors.

The gathered warriors, leaders, and guests wait with almost bated breath. And as the water of the depths begins to swirl, there is a sudden audible intake of breath. Many of the gathered take an anxious step forward and those in the back begin to cran their necks or step forward a small bit in an attempt to get a better view. Among a few of the younger members of the crowd whispered conversations break out, only to be quickly hushed by the senior warriors and the Jedi.

With a mighty roar, the great head of a Mythosaur breaks through the surface of the water. Atop its head, sits a brunette woman with blue painted beskar armor, but without a helmet. The woman looks down at the head of the creature that waits beneath her for her command, and then up.

Her beskar-clad fist raises, and in a hoarse, but still loud and triumphant voice, she cries, "Oya!"

"Oya, Mand'alor!" the gathered Mandalorians cry out in return, raising their fists and sharing in the triumph of their new Mand'alor.

Slowly, making sure to not accidentally knock its master off, the Mythosaur swims to the point of the waters where it is perhaps waist deep for a human. When the creature lowers its great head, the woman slides easily off into the water. Before walking any closer to the shore of the Living Waters, the new Mand'alor reaches up and rubs the great creature's snout before sending it off back into the watery depths it calls home.

Once the Mythosaur has completely disappeared, she turns around to face the gathered representatives of her people. The young woman's eyes are bright and her face is flushed red from her time underwater. She wears a triumphant smile and there is a glint to her eyes that does not fade as her dark hair drips water onto her shoulder armor.

As she walks forward and passes Bo-Katan, the former Mand'alor joins her in walking to the shore. After having stepped foot onto the dry stone, Bo-Katan takes her daughter's hand and raises it high above her head and says,

"Ulur cuun Mand'alor!"

"Our Mand'alor," the Mandalorians repeat reverently, bowing their heads in respect.

From those gathered closest to the front, a man with a mechanical eye and clad in grey and blue beskar steps forward. With a grin, he hands the woman her own helmet back before taking her hand and taking what appears to be his natural place at her right hand. As he stands at her side, facing the leaders of the people of Mandalore, Wolffe bends down and whispers in Nya's ear,

"Ni kar'taylir gar darasuum, ner Mand'alor."

As the first new clan leader, Aalar Beroya, walks up to her to begin his oath of fealty, Nya smiles at her riduur and mouths back to him, 'Ni kar'taylir gar darasuum, ner al'verde.'

Nya listens to each oath of fealty, taking care to remember what this truly means. And in return to each clan leader, Nya gives her own vow of fealty, both to them and to their clans. The last clan leader to swear his loyalty to Nya as the new Mand'alor though, is a close friend to her, as well as her former Republic brother in arms, and her brother-in-law. Former Captain Rex of the 501st Clone Legion, now, Lord Rex Fett, head of Clan and House Fett.

Once the blond clone has sworn his loyalty, he says, in a tone that exactly mirrors the smirk on his face, "The Empire won't know what hit them."