Private Stranger Days

[Hakon Fett]

Mandalorian Neo-Crusader Recon Force
Control Center of Forward Outpost Tsad'aran
Vanquo, Meerian Sector

The Mandalorians had set a wary foot on Vanquo, a small mining colony that was one of Taris' resource worlds. Conquest had been on the cards until the Alliance's expansion unto Taris, forcing the Mandalorians to revisit their plans and strategies carefully, and an opportunity had arisen. Hakon Fett had seen to it, turning an abandoned mine into a covert outpost—strategic and concealed with the aim to observe the Alliance fleets in the sector and gather intel.

But war rarely honors plans. As the first alarms blared, a young Crusader's voice trembled with both eagerness and fear, it became clear: the Imperials had arrived. A thousand contacts planet bound.

"Send the distress signal," Hakon ordered, knowing full well that reinforcements might trigger Alliance attention. But now, they had no choice. They had to gamble. The work here could not be undone.

And then, the storm hit.

"They're shelling the place!!" The cry echoed as the walls of the mine rattled under the weight of Imperial artillery.

"Fethin' trapped here like banthas to the slaughter," came another.

"No! They are trapped here with us!" Laughter followed, raw and wild—Mandalorian to the core.

Hakon could feel the tension tighten like a noose.

"Where the hell are those reinforcements?!"

"Look up! More contacts inbound!"

"Ours?!"

"Can't tell, the Imps are jamming everything to hell!"

"Cut out the chatter and FIGHT!"

The once-dormant mine was now alive with the crackle of blaster fire, the rumble of artillery, and the deafening clash of steel. The Mandalorians, outnumbered and surrounded, fought with the ferocity of a cornered predator. The earth itself seemed to tremble as Imperial shells hammered the walls, sending debris cascading from above. Warriors fell, beskar clashing against enemy blades and sabers, the flicker of explosions lighting the outpost and the surrounding forest as the Mandalorians fought on, inch by bloody inch.

The Imperials pressed forward and the Mandalorians met them with unshakable resolve. Reinforcements would come. They had to. For now, the Mandalorians must hold.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Vanquo

​

Outfit: New Jumpsuit (commission)
Weapons:

Valery's X-wing burst out of hyperspace, the stars stretching back into their familiar points as the planet Vanquo loomed ahead. Alarms immediately pinged in her cockpit — distress signals, multiple signatures, and the unmistakable chaos of a battlefield. The Mandalorians were in trouble, surrounded and under heavy fire. When their calls had first emerged, Valery had considered leaving them to their fate. These were the Mandalorians who wreaked Havoc across Alliance borders.

But to let them perish also meant the deaths of innocents and a new staging ground for the Imperials. She couldn't allow either of those two things to happen, so for once, the Mandalorians could count on her assistance.

"Alliance transports, form up on me," Valery commanded, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. "We need to get to the surface and neutralize the Imperials before it's too late. They can't be given time to form defensive positions."

She could see the flicker of explosions lighting up the surface below, and with a determined glint in her eyes, Valery angled her X-wing toward the fray, S-foils already changing into attack position. "Mandalorians," she murmured to herself as she adjusted her flight path. "This is your lucky day."

As the Alliance transports fell into formation behind her, Valery led the charge, her X-wing diving through the atmosphere, then the clouds in the skies above the surface. The Imperial blockade was fierce, but the Mandalorians were counting on them to break through. She pushed the throttle forward, her fingers tightening around the controls as she maneuvered her starfighter into position.

"I'll clear a path," Valery called out over comms to the ships behind her, "Prepare for a hot landing."

Her X-wing darted through the chaos, lasers blazing as she targeted the Imperial forces besieging the planet. Every shot counted, every maneuver calculated to shield the transports and buy time for the Mandalorians below. Valery could feel the battle pulling her in, the weight of lives depending on her. But this was what she was trained for, what she lived for.

As the ground drew closer, Valery's eyes narrowed in determination. "Alliance forces, deploy now," she commanded, ready to lead the charge into the thick of the fight.

Hakon Fett ​

 

[Hakon Fett]

"You're kidding me! The Alliance?!"

Heads turned in unison, T-visors locking on the unexpected sight—a dozen Alliance transports descending behind the forest, cutting through the atmosphere like blades. A single X-wing flew cover, picking off any who dared to challenge.

"Forget about them!" someone shouted, "Where are our vode?!"

"Shut it and fight!" another barked, the desperation of the situation settling in. The vice of the Empire tightened its grip, pressing in from all sides. But then—out of nowhere—a burst of blaster fire erupted from their rear. Alliance forces, cutting through the Imperials, led by a figure bathed in violet light—the unmistakable glow of a lightsaber.

"They're measuring their aim!" a voice crackled in Hakon's ear. "They're hitting only the Imperials!"

Hakon's rangefinder locked onto the figure in the melee. His heart stilled for a beat. The Jedi woman from Contruum. The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, he'd come to learn from Trajan. The Sword of the Jedi. His enemy. Hakon's armor was different today then it was back then, but his presence, his intent--all the same.

His mind danced with nefarious schemes; could this be the moment to strike at her? Take out the Jedi's leader as they offer their aid? That fleeting thought was crushed by the hammer of Mandalorian honor his essence still wielded. There was no honor in it. Manaan had been one thing. But to steal the honor and glory in testing their mettle against the most formidable foes in the galaxy through underhanded means would crumble the crusade. He could not. He dared not.

"Focus your fire on the Imperials only," Hakon ordered. He drew his beskad and charged, his battle cry echoing through the battlefield. "For Mandalore!" He led the Mandalorians into a counterstrike, cutting a path through the chaos toward the Alliance. Now the Empire was the trapped beast.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Vanquo

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"On me!" Valery commanded, her voice clear and authoritative over the comms as she led a squad of Alliance soldiers forward. They moved with practiced precision, forming a wedge as they advanced through the Imperial ranks. Blaster bolts rained down from all directions, but Valery's lightsaber was a blur of motion, deflecting each shot with ease. Both for her protection and to provide the soldiers with cover.

Without them, this battle could not be won.

As they pushed deeper into the fray, Valery soon sensed and spotted Hakon Fett leading a fierce counterattack after unexpected reinforcements arrived. His Beskad flashed as he cut through the Imperials, his battle cry rallying the Mandalorians around him. Her eyes searched for his vizor across the battlefield for a split second — enough to convey a shared purpose that had brought them both to this moment.

As tempting as it was to take this opportunity to bring down the Crusade before it could turn into a third conflict, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Perhaps, one way or another, her assistance today could change something about the near future.

With a nod of silent acknowledgment, Valery pressed forward again, carving a path toward Hakon and his warriors. Her blade danced through the air, slicing through Imperial troopers with deadly precision. The Mandalorians fought with unmatched ferocity as well, and for a moment, there was a rare, unspoken alliance between the two forces as they tore through their common enemy. But the Imperials wouldn't go down easily.

She was expecting a fierce fight.

Hakon Fett ​

 

[Hakon Fett]

Hakon's beskad sliced through the an Imperial stormtrooper, and his voice cut through the chaos. "On me, vode! Push forward!"

His warriors followed like a relentless tide. Ahead, Valery Noble led her own charge, her lightsaber dancing against the blaster fire. The Mandalorians merged into the Alliance forces as the chaos of battle found Hakon standing side by side with the Sword of the Jedi.

He was too curious not to ask.

“Why?”

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Vanquo

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Because you asked for help," Valery replied without hesitation, her voice carrying a calm yet resolute tone as she deflected a blaster bolt with a swift movement of her lightsaber. Her fiery gaze met Hakon's through the haze of battle, the intensity in her eyes reflecting the weight of her decision.

She knew what risk she was taking, and hoped she wouldn't end up regretting it.

She moved with a purpose, her lightsaber a blur of violet light as she cut through another Imperial trooper, all while staying close to Hakon and his warriors. "You're Mandalorians, warriors who have stood on the front lines of countless battles. But today, you're outnumbered and outgunned," she continued, her tone unwavering. "Leaving you to fight alone would mean sacrificing lives, and against this enemy?" Valery let her silence reveal her thoughts about that.

With that, she pressed forward, her focus returning to the battle at hand. The chaos raged on around them, but for a brief moment, she hoped there would be a quiet understanding — an unspoken acknowledgment of the alliance forged in the heat of this battle.

"Now let's finish this."

Hakon Fett ​

 

[Hakon Fett]

Hakon acknowledged the Jedi's words with silence, perhaps the best agreement one could get from a Mandalorian; they were allies today.

His beskad cleaved through another trooper as the battle shifted before his eyes. The Imperials were retreating—slowly, carefully—but retreating all the same. He turned to Valery, his voice cutting through the din of the fight.

"They're falling back," Hakon said, scanning the battlefield. "They'll try to regroup at the ravine ahead. If we strike now, we can trap them before they fortify."

Fett pointed toward the high ridge in the distance. "You and your Alliance forces drive them forward, keep the pressure on. My Mandalorians will circle around and take the ridge, cutting off their escape."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Vanquo

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery glanced at the retreating Imperials and nodded, a flicker of determination in her fiery eyes. "Understood," she responded, her voice calm despite the chaos surrounding them.

Her gaze then followed Hakon's gesture toward the ridge. "We'll keep the pressure on and drive them forward. But stay sharp — they could still have tricks up their sleeves." With that, Valery turned back toward her allies, her lightsaber still ignited, its violet glow casting a haunting light across the battlefield.

"Push forward!" she shouted to her forces, the resolve in her voice unmistakable. "Drive them to the ridge!"

Without hesitation, she surged forward to lead the way, her blade cutting through the remaining troopers as her mind focused on the strategy — one final push to corner the Imperials and bring an end to this fight. With her speed, many of the retreating Imperials were caught before they reached the ravine, but some had already stopped there and turned around, hoping to offer covering fire for their retreating allies.

It would be Hakon's job to handle those.

But as the fight continued and the Imperials were threatened to be surrounded and neutralized, Valery felt a sudden tremor in the Force. It drew her gaze to the horizon, where a squadron of Imperial Bombers approached low above the ground to avoid detection. They were going fast, and they were heading straight for the ravine.

Hakon Fett ​

 

[Hakon Fett]

Boots pounded heavy over the uneven terrain as the Mandalorians surged up the ridge. Soulless visors scanned the retreating Imperials, noting their shattering formation—frayed and growing desperate. A smirk ghosted beneath Fett's helmet.

They would not last long.

<"Encircle them.”> the Field Marshal commanded. His warriors spread like a net, their blasters barking out death. The Imperials, caught between the hammer of Valery's forces and the anvil of Mandalorian steel, were trapped.

Blaster fire lit the ridge in flashes of crimson and blue. As the Mandalorians closed in, some Imperials threw down their weapons, their hands raised in surrender. It was a pitiful sight, one Fett had little patience for.

Mercy even less.

They were Mandalorians, not Jedi, nor the benevolent Alliance.

They forged their own rules of war.

<"No quarter.”> Hakon growled through the comm, and his vode obeyed. The cries of the dying filled the air as the Mandalorians cut down the surrendering soldiers without hesitation. Blood stained the dirt beneath their boots.

The ground grew silent. Bodies littered the ridge, the Imperial force broken and scattered. But Hakon's satisfaction was short-lived. A tremor in the air—a faint rumble. His helmet's sensors picked up the approaching bombers.

Imperial bombers, cutting low across the horizon.

They were exposed.

<"Bombers incoming!"> a Mandalorian barked over the comms. turning Hakon’s gaze toward the vulnerable ridge. There was no cover here. He knew it as well as the pilots did.

The bombers' hatches began to open wide like an impish grin.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Vanquo

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery's eyes flicked up toward the horizon, her senses flaring as the bombers approached fast, their hatches beginning to open with deadly intent. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, her expression fierce and focused. Drawing deeply on the Force, she thrust both arms outward, a tremendous surge of energy rippling through the air as a massive, translucent barrier formed over her troops and the Mandalorians. The barrier shimmered with raw power, its surface vibrating under the pressure of incoming bombs.

The sky seemed to shake as the first wave of bombs hit, erupting in fiery explosions that hammered against the shield. The ground trembled, debris and shockwaves rippling out from the blasts, but Valery's barrier stood firm despite the tension in her muscles. The explosions rolled over the protective field, flames licking harmlessly against its surface. Those beneath the shield felt only a faint tremor, shielded from the devastating impacts by the Jedi Master's barrier.

Even as the last bomb exploded against her barrier, Valery's focus never wavered. But the danger was far from over. She turned her gaze to the next wave of bombers — three more incoming fast. Her hand shot out, fingers curling as she reached through the Force, gripping the bombers with an unyielding telekinetic hold. With a sharp, decisive motion, she yanked the craft down. The bombers bucked and twisted against the invisible force, but they couldn't break free. All at once, they plummeted from the sky, their descent ending in explosive crashes as they smashed into the ground below, debris scattering across the battlefield.

Breathing hard but steady, Valery surveyed the wreckage for a brief moment, her eyes narrowing with determination. The air was heavy with the scent of smoke and burnt metal, but the immediate threat had passed. She extinguished her lightsaber and turned to Hakon and the surviving forces, her gaze sharp and resolute.

Though the toll of such use of the Force was obvious.

"It's time to go," she said firmly, her voice strained but still able to cut through the lingering haze of battle. There was no time for rest. They had survived this wave, but they needed to move before the Imperials could regroup. "We're not staying here to see what comes next."

Hakon Fett ​

 

[Hakon Fett]

A few of his host fired a number of missiles from their wrist launchers at the incoming bombers, alas to no avail. The bombers either nimbly evaded the rockets or their reinforced hulls shrugged off the damage.

As the Imperial starfighters drew nearer, a pellucid bubble began to take shape in the skies above. Waxing across the air itself, it glissaded on unseen paths until it enveloped the Alliance forces and the Mandalorians in its transparent cocoon. Fett's eyes found the form of Valery Noble in the throng of Alliance troopers, her hands extended into the skies, her face contorting against an invisible strain.

"Stay put!" he growled out to his host, dissuading anyone from even thinking about leaving the confines of the barrier.

The proton torpedoes blazed like falling stars, hurtling toward the gleaming barrier before they flared up into fiery blooms, crashing against the ethereal shield. Shockwaves rippled outward from the explosions, distorting the translucent bubble like stones shattering the surface of a still pond. The ground shook and rattled, debris and dust bloomed into a thick cloud all around them but the blasts rolled over the shield, unable to break the unnatural aegis.

But before the cheers of jubilation could turn into a contagion among both Alliance and Mandalorian fighters, another trio of bombers cleaved over the horizon. Their ion engines screeching through the air, growing louder and louder with every second. There was no shuffle of feet, no hasty retreat.; whether in awe of the Jedi's power or belief in their supernatural capabilities, they stood put. Hakon's curious gaze shifted from the bombers to Noble below. Her hands, once again raised to the skies, twisted like the strings of a puppeteer before curling into fists. Fett looked back just as the bombers drew close, their hatches opening—then suddenly, they plummeted to the ground in a fiery series of explosions, as if swatted from the sky by a vengeful god.

And the throng of troopers and warriors erupted into a roar of triumph, fists raised in the air. Fett, ever calculative, ever composed, broke into a burst of wicked laughter. Dread and excitement fused into a potent potion of exhilaration coursing through his veins. This, this is who their ancient ancestors of legend had stood to challenge; this is who now he and his kin would rise to challenge. The insurmountable dare, the impossible odds: a foe of overwhelming power.

His conviction in their cause never burned brighter. Around him, he could feel his fellow Mandalorians' reverence of the demonstrated power. Since they were born, they were taught the rule of strength, that might is right.

They would gladly die in battle against such a foe.

"It's time to go," she said firmly, her voice strained but still able to cut through the lingering haze of battle. There was no time for rest. They had survived this wave, but they needed to move before the Imperials could regroup. "We're not staying here to see what comes next."

"Same goes for us, brothers and sisters." he nodded his head at his host and jetpacks flared to life, sending the Mandalorians upwards into the sky. As they rose above, Fett lagged behind, stopping to a halt above the Alliance troopers. "Remember, as I told you on Contruum, this is only the beginning."

"But know well, Valery Noble, Grandmaster of the Jedi, Sword of the Jedi--you have a debt in Hakon Fett."

The Mandalorian surged after his kin, and added, "A Fett always pays his debts."

Valery Noble