"There is nothing permanent except change"

🪐

Chapter Thirty-One

🪐

Translations

Kyr'tsad - Death Watch

Buir - Parent

Olarom - Welcome

vod(e)  - sibling(s)

Vode - Preferred name for the clones

Kote - Glory

Beskar'gam - Mandalorian armor

Shebs - Ass

Aruetii - Traitor

Mand'alor - One true leader

Beskad - Mandalorian short sword

~*~

"Is this a wise decision, Master?" Barriss asked quietly from her place at your side.

"Wise? Perhaps not. But the Force willed it, and above anything else Barriss, that is what is most important. Never forget that. Besides, he owed me a favor and I'm sure he's more relieved than anything that I'm finally calling it in."

Your dutiful and devoted Padawan nodded. You took a moment to simply look at her. She had been so lost when you first offered to take her on as a student, tainted by the effects of the war and terrified to be ignored or punished for her way of thinking. She was healing and learning, and you loved her as your own - though perhaps, some of that motherly love would have to be shared with Depa. No matter how terribly Barriss' betrayal hurt her, and how hesitant the two of them were to maintain open communication - and that was their choice and not something you would push - you knew Depa cared deeply for the girl she'd raised for nearly 6 years.

"They are arriving, Mand'alor," Bo-Katan reported from your other side, with several other former Death Watch and New Mandalorians lined up behind her.

Sure enough, Slave-1 entered the atmosphere and landed on its assigned pad. The door slid open and out came Jango and Boba Fett. Neither of them gave the customary greeting for a Mand'alor, and you resisted the urge to smirk. Jango Fett may have been isolated from Mandalorian politics for nearly fifteen years, but it was clear he hadn't forgotten what his buir Jaster Mereel had taught him. Until this was over, he would not defer to you whatsoever.

"Olarom, Jango Fett," you greeted him similarly, "Thank you for meeting me here."

"I didn't think I would be back," Jango admitted, looking around in distaste, "I wish you would have requested a meeting in Keldabe instead of Sundari."

"It was a condition of the New Mandalorians in order to gain their approval, I'm afraid Sundari remains the capital for now. Perhaps things will change depending on the outcome of our fight."

Scoffing, Jango followed you to the awaiting transport, "How political. You're making me regret allowing you to save my life."

You couldn't help but laugh at that. As if that was what happened. But if he was telling himself that to make himself feel better then that was his choice. Boba was glaring daggers at you from his father's side and you couldn't stop your smirk from forming at the sight. One day he would undoubtedly be just as fierce as his father and the Vode, and you couldn't wait to see that day.

It had been a little over a month since your battle with Darth Maul and your takeover of Death Watch. Your takeover of the New Mandalorian government had been peaceful, especially considering Satine had dictated in her will that all positions and power she held would be passed on to you if she were to die. It had been chaos the first week, as you were trying to maintain your place of power while simultaneously attempting to heal. It was easy to cement your place in the New Mandalorian government, as their charter dictated the passing of power be either genetic or chosen by the former Duke/Duchess - although there were some underhanded attempts to steal the throne from under you that were quickly dealt with.

The Death Watch were a bit harder because while the majority of them accepted you as their Mand'alor after you defeated Maul, you received two simultaneous challenges the two weeks after you defeated Maul. Considering how you were still healing from a lightsaber wound the challenges were dishonorable but still valid, and you won both of them easily. Death Watch settled after that, and with the Vode being so clearly entrenched in their own version of Mandalorian culture they were sated with the proof that you honored their culture and were rather un-Jedi-like. (When word spread you were banished from the Order they threw you a party)

Now it was down to gaining the Haat Mando'ade's approval. Some clans had already pledged their allegiance because you had worked with them when relocating to-be-decommissioned clones and you had openly sworn to the Resol'nare before them, but there were many that were waiting for word from the one they still considered to be their Mand'alor - Jango Fett, the lost. In order for them to vote you into the position of Mand'alor during the upcoming clan meeting, you had to defeat Jango Fett in combat. So, here you were. It took calling in your life debt for him to even come out to Mandalore, but here he was.

The favor was him coming to Mandalore and truly dueling you - no throwing the fight to be rid of the Mand'alor title. Whatever came from that was left up to the Force. If you were truly meant to be Mand'alor then you would win, if Jango was meant to come back from his self-given exile and take up the mantle again, you were there to support him.

The two of you had four hours to duel before the clans met to vote in their new, official Mand'alor. With a fair bit of luck, it wouldn't turn into all-out war, as it would be the first time in decades the three factions would be coming together in a hopefully peaceful - mostly peaceful was as high as you would go - meeting.

You and Jango would be fighting before the major clan leaders, including some that Jango seemed astounded to see. Obi-Wan had even given Cody temporary leave to appear as the leader of Clan Vode of House Pavond, with Drifter at his side as his temporary second-in-command since Anakin couldn't spare Rex. Jango was most shocked to see him.

"Kote," he whispered, reaching out and then quickly pulling his hand back to his side, "You're a clan leader."

"You raised me to be a leader, though I suppose you weren't expecting this," Cody stated dryly, "My vode are property of the Jedi Order, but now we're also Mandalorian citizens. You can thank (Y/n) for that, it was a very long and loud meeting with the Council for them to go against the Senate and grant that wish."

Jango looked back at you, shocked, "Vor en-"

"I'm not going to accept another debt from you, Jango," you cut in before he could finish, "I did this for the Vode, not for you. The Council is stubborn and stuck in their ways, but they have known the vode long enough to know they deserve to be considered sentient beings somewhere. If the Republic would not grant them that, then they allowed Mandalore to do so."

"The clans are growing a bit impatient," Korkie placed a hand on your arm, speaking quietly to prevent a sense of urgency in those around you or your other advisors.

At the moment, Korkie was and would be under your and Obi-Wan's guardianship until he reached his majority and became an adult. Obi-Wan had finally revealed his place as Korkie's father and although things were tense at first, Korkie was slowly warming up to the idea and seemed to be coming to the understanding that Satine not telling Korkie or Obi-Wan of his parentage was the best decision she could have made at the time. Anakin was extremely shocked to hear the news, and Ahsoka was excited as she quite liked Korkie. You had high hopes for Korkie's place in the family. He hadn't joined in order to escape persecution from the Republic courts like Barriss had, so he was already off to a great start.

It took Obi-Wan a week to speak to you alone after he left Mandalore, and you would have given him even more time if he wished for it. Not telling him what would happen to Satine was a betrayal, even if you did so for the good of the galaxy. Obi-Wan came back from that week willing to listen and forgive, and after a long talk, he agreed to support you in this new venture, though any talk of him leaving the Order alongside you was put on hold indefinitely, which you were also fine with. You would never force him to leave the Order unless he chose to.

The Council and the Senate were much less happy with the decision. The Council worried this was you "acting out", as if this was some sort of teenage rebellion. Going to lead the Jedi's ancient enemy wasn't your idea of teenage rebellion. Teenage rebellion was sneaking out of the Temple and getting drunk. After several long, tiring, and frustrating meetings with them they finally realized that you being the Mand'alor was probably a good thing, seeing as despite your... issues with the Order, it was better than having someone whose clan or family was slaughtered at Galidraan.

The Senate was... complicated. Your planet clearly gave you their full support, as did their allies. Padme and Bail were on your side and also convinced several of their allies, but there were countless planets and systems worried that the change in leadership would lead to a third member of the war.

Chancellor Palpatine, surprisingly, expressed his subtle support for you. While he would never outright say it, he did say - according to Padme - "we have yet to see what the Mandalore system will become during this shift of power, but General Pavond has proven themself to be determined and kind, so we may all hope such traits carry over into their potential leadership."

Such kind words coming from someone you had such a complicated relationship with - someone you hated because he targeted Anakin relentlessly and you still had your suspicions about his role in the war - were hard to process and understand.

But such things were future issues to worry about. You had to be voted in as the Mand'alor before you could take future action. Leading ⅔ factions weren't enough, and would probably cause war because Mandalorians were always looking for an excuse to battle.

So. You had to fight Jango Fett for the right to become Mand'alor. The Jedi Killer, the most dangerous bounty hunter in the galaxy, is the man chosen as the basis for the most dangerous army in the galaxy. This was going to be wonderful.

The two of you entered the drawn-out area for the fight. Both of you agreed it would not be to the death, because the two of you had children and plenty of things to live for, so instead you would be fighting until either surrender or until one of you was thrown out of the circle. You would wear a light Force inhibitor to prevent any pushes or throws to make things "fair". You really didn't think being able to use the Force would make much of a difference.

The two of you bowed to each other, and then the fight began. The two of you were allowed any weapons on your person, and it seemed neither of you had taken unfair advantage of that. Jango did not have more weapons than he had the last you had seen him, and similarly, you only had your lightsaber, the Darksaber, and the beskad in your boots. This was a fight based on honor, not a desire for power.

This was much different than your fight with Maul, but it was familiar in a way. Jango had extensively trained the Vode during the first couple of years, and so your training with the command and Alpha classes reflected this battle.

It was clear Jango had always held back on their training though. He moved with a deadliness and confidence clearly lacking from the vode's tactics. This was a man not raised to be a weapon but forged to become one.

His blaster shots were deadly accurate, and you worried at points your reflexes wouldn't be fast enough to block them with your saber. They were real shots since a stun shot would take you out of commission without a chance to surrender, and that made you even more nervous about the battle.

Mandalorians, while trained in close-range combat extensively, still preferred long-range in order to put distance between them and their target and to end their missions more quickly. It was your goal to engage Jango in hand-to-hand - or at least close range. Obi-Wan admitted that he was embarrassingly bested on Kamino thanks to the weather and setting. You hoped to have a better chance in this official battle circle.

So with each swipe of your blades, and each duck under a blaster shot, you were inching closer and closer to him. When you were close enough, you spun into a kick and knocked the blaster out of his hand. Jango took hold of your wrist and twisted your arm around your back, causing you to drop your main saber. Before he could knock you to the ground you wrapped your foot around his ankle and pulled his feet out from under him.

Having clearly been expecting this, Jango pulled you down with him. This was turning into more of a childish wrestle than it was a fight between two of the most skilled fighters in the galaxy, though to be fair this was normally how your spars with the clones ended up becoming. Although you were sure that any of your normal tactics were outlawed because they would be embarrassing for the both of you. Jango Fett looked like family, but he was more of a weird cousin than the vod that the clones had become.

Whenever fights with the Vode turned into an all-out brawl like this, it was a 50-50 whether or not you would win, depending on the vod. Jango was the true alpha of the group, and although he wasn't built like the Alpha batch, he had the skill of them.

Pressing the flats of your feet against his chest plate, you shoved with all the strength you had in your legs. The left was weaker than the left because of your injury, and the old pain flared up when you shoved but it was much easier to push through now that you had been soaking it in bacta.

Jango flew off you, rolling toward the edge of the battle area. Just a couple more feet and he would be disqualified from the match...

Well, if the two of you were already playing like family then you might as well. Running forward, you wrapped your arms around his middle and pushed. He stumbled from the shock of it but stood secure in his place. He wrapped his arms around your middle and lifted you upside down into the air. His body turned and you knew he was preparing to throw you out of the ring.

The angle was awkward, but all things considered, it was pretty easy to wrap your legs around his neck and use your core to pull yourself up. It was easy to see Jango's look of shock before your thighs tightened and you were more focused on taking him out than reveling in the fact that you surprised him.

You had accomplished this move a couple of times before against more advanced enemies. Ventress had been one of your favorites to move it on because she always made comments about whether or not you "used it in the bedroom with Kenobi" and it never failed to make you laugh. Jango had a different center of gravity, as he was shorter and less lithe, but you were quick to work through what it would take to knock him over.

Shifting your weight back and to the side, you swung the entirety of Jango's body in a half circle and right out of the arena bounds, pushing yourself off before you were thrown out as well. You landed on your back and wheezed out a shuddering breath when the air was knocked from your lungs.

Rolling over to your side, you coughed and struggled to regain your breath. Similarly, Jango groaned from his place on the ground, slowly pushing himself to his feet.

"That was the worst duel for Mand'alor I've ever seen," he chuckled, getting to his feet first and holding a hand out to you, "But it was fair. Congratulations, Mand'alor"

Gladly taking his hand, you allowed him to pull you to your feet, "Thank you, Jango. I would hope that you have the ability to see past the mistakes you have made and look to the future. You may not be the leader anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't still help your people. The time for hiding is over, and I would welcome back Clan Fett of House Mereel to my circle of advisors with open arms."

Quickly letting go of your hand, Jango took a look around the room, taking in the clan leaders whispering amongst themselves and debating on who to vote for, "I'll consider it."

That was good enough for you.

~*~

"Ready Manda'lor?"

Sending Jango a withering look, you resisted the urge to punch him. You didn't have time... maybe later. He had yet to accept your offer, but he did say that he would stay for the next couple of days to allow a proper transition of power and guide you through the beginnings of your official rule.

"The people of Mandalore have waited long enough for answers," sending a nod to Clik, you clasped your hands behind your back as the holo recorder turned on. You didn't have full beskar'gam yet, just vambraces, but they still felt heavy with reminders of your new responsibilities. Armorers were currently working on armor that wouldn't hinder your Force abilities, "People of Mandalore, I am (Y/n) Pavond, of Clan Pavond, House Pavond. A month ago, the will of the late Duchess Satine was read, naming me as her successor. Two days ago I defeated Darth Maul in combat, earning the Darksaber," you took the weapon from your belt and ignited it as proof.

"Yesterday, soon after the reading of Duchess Satine's will I challenged Manda'lor Jango Fett for the right to lead and won. Mere hours ago the leaders of the Mandalorian clans voted me in unanimously as the new Mand'alor," it was a long meeting with a lot of debating and yelling, but in the end, you were voted in as the clear choice, "Mandalore has been divided for too long, almost destroying itself in the process. Tarre Vizsla, the first Manda'lor, was a Jetti Manda, as am I, and I hope to unite all Mandalorians just as he did. The days of infighting are over. Tomorrow I will be holding a meeting with representatives of the Haat Mando'ade, New Mandalorians, and Krys'tad so Mandalore may once again be whole. Mandalore will remain strong, and I will repair what has long been broken."

Saying thank you would come off as a sign of weakness, as there was no reason to thank the people for listening to their leader, so you simply nodded to Clik and had him end the broadcast.

"Good speech, now let's see if you can put your husband's skills to good use during the clan meeting," Jango teased. Since you had beaten him in combat he seemed much calmer, as if a giant weight had been taken off his shoulders. You supposed it had. He was no longer Mand'alor, and the fate of his people no longer rested on his shoulders - a responsibility he refused to take, and you supposed that caused a large build-up of guilt as well.

"Very fu- husband?"

Deadpanning, Jango stated, "Kenobi. I thought it was one of those 'we don't talk about it' things. Cause then they'd have to kick the two of you out of the Order, which I guess already happened. But then they'd also have to kick Skywalker out and the three of you were the faces of the war."

"I don't- no," you looked at Barriss and she nodded. Grimacing, you responded, "I need to petition the council about changing the modern interpretation of the code. If they know about romantic relationships and are doing nothing about it there's no reason to keep the rule in the first place."

"Focus on your own people first, the Order full of people with sticks up their shebs can wait."

Rolling your eyes, you followed Jango to the large meeting room holding the clan leaders from every faction. It was easy to pinpoint where each clan began and ended based on their armor, symbols, and disposition. You exchanged nervous looks with Cody and Barriss, this was going to be a challenge.

Taking a seat on what had formerly been Satine's throne, you took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "The three factions have been at odds for decades, and it's time that we change that. I have a plan in order to execute this, but I will not put it into action without unanimous agreement."

"I'm interested to hear this," one of the Death Watch leaders muttered to the person next to them, gaining a quiet round of chuckles from the rest of the group.

"Show some respect to the Mand'alor," a Haat Mando'ade hissed.

"Yes, it's important to respect our new leader."

"You have no place to speak, aruetii!"

"How dare you?"

"You have no right to speak on what it means to be a Mandalorian! You have no honor!"

"Honor? You deny our most important traditions!"

The room became overcome with yelling and threats. You were worried that they would soon start pulling weapons. Looking over each of the groups, you found yourself growing frustrated. You had been voted in as their leader, and yet they still refused to listen to you.

"SILENCE!" You finally screamed, cutting through the arguments forming around the room. Every Mandalorian fell silent, staring at you with wide eyes. Even Barriss was silent. Unsure why your screaming had such an effect on them, you looked to Jango for answers, but he too was staring at you wide-eyed.

It was Cody who leaned forward and signed to you, "Manda."

Brows furrowing in confusion, you signed back, "What about the Manda?"

"You pulled the Manda, the room felt it."

Each Mand'alor, according to Mandalorian tradition, was blessed by the Manda and able to call upon it in order to better lead their people. Manda, according to your interpretations, was similar to the Force - you suspected it was the Force, and Mand'alors were historically at least slightly Force sensitive.

There was more to it, something deeper than just Force sensitive leaders. Mandalorians as a whole created their own type of energy, just like the Vode. There was no way every clan leader in the room was Force-sensitive, but they were still able to feel the power behind your words. It was like a collective consciousness. How interesting.

You, of course, had to pretend like you were already aware of this. You knew a lot about Mandalorian culture but you were also still new to it. Every day you tried to learn as much as you could to better lead the Mandalorians, though, this supposedly universal knowledge about the Mand'alor - it felt like you should have known that already.

Keeping a neutral expression, you looked over each of the groups. You had been thinking about this plan for the last month and had been speaking to several advisors from each group to gain their opinions and see what you had to change. Now, you were confident this plan would work, and if there were any issues with it then you would be able to delegate mostly peacefully.

"There, isn't that better? Each group holds different values, and rather than trying to come to any sort of agreement that would fail, I have created a system that will allow each group to pursue ventures best suited to them. For those of you formerly of the group Kyr'tsad, your harsh practices are over - for good. And if I discover any hands have been raised against children or the Resol'nare has been broken the consequences will be severe. With that being said, you will have the choice to join either the Mandalorian bounty hunters guild or the military. Both of which will be overseen closely. Future military operations will be decided soon, I'm well aware that you won't be able to sit still for long after ranks are handed out.

"For those of you formerly identified as the New Mandalorians, you may choose between either of the former or you may choose to join the humanitarian organizations I will be forming soon. The galaxy is at war, and humanitarian work has fallen to the wayside despite how desperately it is needed. It is your choice whether or not you wear armor, but all of you will be required an education in stun blasters and self-defense at the very least. Additionally, you must immediately stop forsaking and trying to get rid of the old ways.

"For those of you formerly identified as the Haat Mando'ade, you have the choice between these three options, as any of them would fit your current views. Additionally, I will be allowing outreach from those of you who wish to train the younger generations and the new Mandalorians. You will reswear to the Resol'nare in front of me to renew your faith in Mandalore.

"That is my plan for Mandalore. I will not be changing it drastically, but I shall allow suggestions and questions in order to better suit your needs. So, who would like to begin?"

The room fell silent for a few moments, but finally, the young clan leader of Clan Wren stood and cleared her throat, "Concerning the military operations, you mentioned that you would be assigning leadership roles. How will you ascertain who is given what role?"

A good question. No threats included and no clear disdain for what you were trying to do. A perfect way to start things off. Letting out a relieved breath, you mentally prepared your answer, knowing that everything was going to be fine.