Final preparations

Lana (loudly for all to hear): Listen carefully Mandalorians! You have all come here to stand up for something! To unite for a noble cause, to retake your homeland! You didn't just come here because somebody with the darksaber summoned you, nor because you knew about the Mask of Mandalore. What united you was a common goal, one you haven't achieved yet. I pursue no personal gains from this upcoming battle, nor the mask I have brought before you. I wanted to use it to inspire you to keep believing in our traditions and to follow our ancestor's ways as you wreak havoc on Satine's forces and proudly stand on the land which our ancestors stood upon long, long ago! We are connected as Mandalorians, our ways, traditions, and lifestyle are the things that truly bind us together, not a few shiny objects! I wish not to lead you into battle, but may a Mythosaur trample and devour me if I won't be in the vanguard's first lines that penetrate the dome of Sundari! For our home, Mandalore!

Mandalorians (cheering): For Mandalore!

Pre (half-heartedly): Yeah, for Mandalore...

Leader of Clan Varad (turning around and going to his men): Alright men! Prepare yourselves, polish your armours, sharpen your vibroblades, we are going to war!

Leader of clan Dar'Manda (firing up his men with his rifle risen into the air): A thousand credits to the one who enters the dome first! Another thousand for first blood! And a hundred thousand for the one who kills or captures the duchess! Aaaaaarrr!

Leader of Clan Fett (clapping slowly while the other leaders disperse): That was fascinating. Didn't expect any Mandalorian to claim they don't want to be Mandalore. This was a first.

Lana: I wasn't born to lead, nor do I intend to do that. I'm just a simple Mandalorian with Jedi training, nothing special.

Rantar (sarcastically, as he places his hand on your shoulder before leaving): Yeah, that's pretty ordinary!

Leader of Clan Fett: Maybe you don't intend to lead others, but life isn't always about what we intend. Fate has its own irony.

? (with a familiar sound from behind you): If you ask me, I would fight for you.

Lana (turning around): I haven't asked anybody to... Wait, is that you...? Boba Fett?!

Boba: That's right. Surprised?

Lana: Yeah, quite.

Boba: I'm just as much a Mandalorian as anybody here. I have my place among my people!

Lana: Never said otherwise, I'm just surprised to see you here. I heard your father went rogue and was cast out of your clan.

Boba: True, my father walked a different path, the path of a bounty hunter, one similar to the Dar'Manda. But I haven't decided what path to follow yet.

Leader of Clan Fett: The mistakes and crimes of Jango must not weigh on Boba's shoulders. He is clean of his father's legacy. When he contacted me about this assembly of Mandalorians, I didn't hesitate to lend him my hand.

Lana: That was kind of you, it's often hard to forget the actions of one's predecessors and come clean of them. Especially, if they were bad ones.

Boba: I will regain the honour my father lost by leaving our clan! I'll capture the duchess and rectify his mistake!

Lana: No doubt, after the tricks you pulled off last time!

Boba (as he walks away): Oh, you haven't seen anything yet!

Leader of Clan Fett: An interesting boy, he is. I offered him an armour of his size for the battle, but he refused, claiming he would only ever wear Jango's armour, which has been passed down his family for multiple generations. Unfortunately, that's way too large for him. He would rather die armourless than wear another.

Lana: Let's hope it won't get him killed.

Leader of Clan Fett: He has more potential than most of us would believe. The same is true for you.

Lana: You have known me for like 5 minutes so far, how could you make such assumptions?

Leader of Clan Fett: Your reputation proceeds you. And one's actions speak louder than a thousand words. Your words also seem to speak for a thousand words each.

Lana (jesting): Ehm, never heard that before, "this was a first".

Leader of Clan Fett: Know this, should you have a need of my blade or blaster, all you need is but to ask. I'll be watching your future actions with great interest.

Lana (nodding as he nods at the end of his sentence): I am honoured by your words.

You and the rest of the Mandalorians spend the next few days preparing for the great siege. Supplies, ammunition, and the banners of the clans, all loaded onto the battleships. The day before the ****, Pre once more shares the battle plan at the great hall in front of a huge holoprojection of Sundari's dome.

Pre (pointing onto the holoprojection): ... and this is where Clan Varad will strike as Clan Dar'Manda flanks Satine's forces from the rear, using the underground tunnel system. My contacts in the city have arranged for those tunnels to be left unguarded, it shouldn't be a problem to overwhelm the enemy in that sector. Clan Vizsla and Clan Ordo, with my and Lana's leadership respectively, will lead the frontal **** here, at the entrance of the dome. Clan Fett and Clan Kryze are going to attack the northwest entrance, to create a distraction and lure some of the enemy forces away from the main entrance. Clan Saxon and the Children of the Watch will provide the air coverage for the attacks and keep the air forces pinned down...

Gar Saxon (interrupting angrily): Why must my clan do the air battle?! Can't they do it alone?! We want a more honourable part in this glorious battle! Assign us somewhere on the ground, Pre!

Pre: Look Gar, we act like a machine, cohesive and efficient. But even the best machine is efficient only as long as all of its parts do their respective duties well. We all must do our parts Gar, this has been assigned to you. Do it dutifully and the honour of having won the siege will be yours just as much as anyone else's! I need only loyal soldiers in the attack if you don't think you are up for the task... You know where the exit is. Now back to the plan...

Leader of the Children of the Watch: This is the way.

Gar shakes his head with disapproval but says nothing else.

Pre: Clan Wren and Clan Ha'rangir must fly to this section of the Dome and use our thermal charges to blast a hole. Our scans have identified this as the weakest spot in the structure. They will enter the city from above, creating a new front for our attack, sending Satine's forces into disarray with fire coming down onto them from all directions. Everybody knows their job?! Tomorrow we will retake Mandalore and take our rightful place in the galaxy once more! Nobody stays here at the base! We will have nowhere to retreat should we fail! This will be an all-out ****, we will either take the city or die trying! The strongest shall rule all Mandalorians! For Mandalore!

Mandalorians (shouting simultaneously as Pre rises the activated darksaber into the air): For Mandalore!

Everybody returns to their quarters to take a rest before the battle. Some are sharpening their vibroblades, some are recharging their blasters and rifles to ensure their energy capacitors will be at peak capacity. Your father knocks on your door, you let him in as he wishes to say some words to you.

Rantar: This is it my daughter... We are nearly there. Tomorrow our fates will be tested, whether we are destined to rule Mandalore or perish upon its surface. Come what may, know that you have made me proud beyond words! I have never seen a warrior like you at your age, nor anyone fit to lead ours or any other clan like you will!

Lana: Father...!

Rantar: With the Mask of Mandalore, you have earned followers you hadn't expected, but also enemies who once saw you as their friend or equal. Remember that, some will always envy your position or possession.

Lana: I know father.

Rantar: I know, you know, I just wanted to stress it once more. If my times comes tomorrow and I'll be bested by the enemy, I'll die a happy man, having seen what my child might achieve and outdo me tenfold. That is all a father could ever ask for in life.

Lana: Father don't talk like you are about to die! I won't let you be killed!

Rantar: Don't misunderstand me, I have no intention of dying tomorrow! But only fools charge into battle with the certainty of their survival and victory.

Lana: I know, I know. Tomorrow will be our great day, if we die, we die with honour! This is the way!

Rantar (nodding with a smile): This is the way!

Hugging each other, you say goodnight and get some rest. At least that's what you would be doing, had somebody not been knocking on your door again shortly after Rantar's leave. You open and you see Pre standing there.

Pre: Lana, let's be plain about this. Whatever was your intention of showing the mask to the crowd when you arrived... Do not answer, that is your own business. But know this... There can't be two Mandalores, only one. Remember that.

Lana: Pre, I don't intend to be Mandalore!

Pre: I haven't heard of a Mando who wouldn't want to be Mandalore...! But we'll see your true intentions soon either way. I just wanted to ask you, to stop any political scheming for the duration of the battle. The clans are held together by nothing but the chance to retake Sundari, the slightest of disunity may undo everything I had been working for for years! I know you are somebody who has the honour to see through what I have asked of you. The political structure and other matters will be attended after the blood has been spilled and dried. We aren't like those pathetic Sith were ages ago, always backstabbing each other to gain more influence! We are brothers and sisters, regardless of who's leading and who's obeying. Don't you agree?

Lana: I agree. But seriously Pre, I have no intention of backstabbing you for power! If you don't trust me why put me in the front lines with yourself? We'll be **** to watch each other's back! I'll keep my word, can I trust you to do the same for me?

Pre (placing his hand over his heart): Of course Lana, that's why you are my right hand! I placed you there because I know no other warrior who could live up to the task of fighting side by side with me without dragging me down! I hope I haven't made the wrong decision. Sleep well, you are going to need it.

He leaves and you can finally take some rest and think things through. Was this a warning? Or maybe just an honest request to trust him? Would he truly risk all he had done during the last minutes before the possible triumph? The next day quickly arrives, and when all are prepared, everybody boards their ship, takes off and flies towards the ultimate goal, Mandalore. Engines burst through the atmosphere of Concordia, the final showdown is commencing soon.