(Horus's pov)

Roars of excitement and anticipation reached my ears as both Eric and I entered the training arena which now served as our battlefield. All the clans under House Haddock had gathered to witness Eric and I battle in traditional Mandalorian combat, I could see many of the people placing wages and bets on who would win, of course the majority of them placed their bets on Eric. Among the crowd, I saw Ashara alongside handfuls of Mando's our age, she gave me a worried look, but I smiled lightly at her in reassurance before taking my position.

When the cheers had subsided, Eric cracked his knuckles and raised his eyebrows at me. "What are the stakes?" I purse my lips before answering his question. "If I win? All accusations of me being a traitor and that I abandoned my heritage are dissolved." Eric snickered lightly and nodded. "Sure. But when I win? You are never to return to Mandalore." I inhale sharply at Eric's words, as I get into a battle stance, Eric reaches behind his back and produces a vibroblade. My eyes widened in disbelief and shock. "What is this?! We agreed that we'd fight with no weapons!" Eric shook his head and grinned. "No. You agreed that you'd fight me without your lightsaber and powers, I didn't say anything about surrendering my weapons."

Activating his jetpack, Eric flew straight towards me with his vibroblade in hand and ready to strike me down, once he was in range, I leaped over him but managed to grab his right ankle, grunting in a effort to free himself from my grasp, he pointed his left arm towards me and fired his wrist blasters at me, snarling in outrage, I quickly evade his shots and let him go. Once free, Eric flies around the arena while the clans cheer for him, meanwhile, I scan my opponent for any weaknesses.

His ego is one.

"Excuse me, when your done flexing your muscles, I'll be waiting for to finish our fight." I bark out, Eric looks down on me and his face twists with determination and he reaches for his blasters out of the holsters on his thighs and starts shooting. Evading the yellow laser fire, I then run towards the wall with Eric hot on my tail, once the wall was within arms length, I run up to it and backflip over Eric while my opponent slams his face into the wall, causing the audience gathered to cringe and wince at the sight. "Oooh. You alright there pretty boy? I hope you didn't break your nose there." I taunted, Eric got up and growled out in anger before sprinting towards me while drawing out his vibroblade. Thrusting forward, I sidestepped the blade and jumped back as he tried spilling my guts open.

Baring his teeth at me like a predator, Eric twirled the vibroblade in his hand expertly before charging me once more bulldozed me into the sand beneath our feet. Eric then pressed his advantage and brought the blade down towards my face, but I halted his attack by holding his forearm in place, but Eric's strength was impressive and he had the blade about an inch away from my face. Letting out a snarl, I drove my knee into the side of Eric's right ribcage, causing him to grunt in pain, I then grab his hand and dislocate it, causing a sickening crunch to fill the air and he dropped his blade, giving me the opportunity to bash my head into his own and kick him off of me.

Once back on two feet, Eric looks at his dislocated hand before snapping the bones back in places and flexing the hand out before giving me a murderous glare. "You will regret that." He snarled out before kicking a cloud of sand into my face and successfully blinding me. Crying out in pain as the sand got into my eyes, I tried rubbing it out of my eyes, but Eric once more tackled me and started hammering me with blows across my face. "You abandoned your people to join a long dead order! You are not fit to rejoin us!!" Eric growled out as he continued punching my face in, his words caused a fire to roar inside of me, with my sight being useless thanks to the sand, I rely on the Force and let it strengthen my vision, when Eric throws another punch, I grab his fist and twist it violently, causing him to cry out in pain.

Quickly getting back to my feet, I then wrap my arms around Eric's neck; in a attempt to choke him out, the older Mando fights desperately to pry out of my choke hold, but my hold was stronger. Before Eric lost consciousness, he grab his vibroblade and drove it inside of my right arm, causing me to scream in pain and causing me to release him, ripping the blade of my arm, Eric then slashes my across the right eye, causing me to hiss in pain clutch the wound on my arm. Panting heavily, I blink away the the blood leaking into my eyes as I stare Eric down and wait for his next move, while at the same time, wiping away any left over sand in my eyes.

Eric activated his jetpack once more and fired a grappling line from his wrist and the line wrapped tightly around my neck and I was being dragged across the sands of the arena while I could hear the laughter of the clans under my family's house. Groaning in disgust as sand made its way into my mouth, I was able to get to my feet and firmly plant myself on the sands before reaching for Eric's grapple line and yanking him back down on the ground. My opponent cried out in surprise as he crashed down on the sand, groaning in pain, Eric slowly got back up only to be met with my knee colliding right into his face, sending him back against the arena wall.

The impact against the wall damaged his jetpack, forcing Eric to take it off since it now served as dead weight, pulling out his vibroblade once more, Eric once more made a move to stab me, but this time, I grabbed his wrist and forced the blade around and plunged the blade into his gut, causing him to cry out in pain. Ripping the blade out of his gut, blood began seeping out of his wound and began wetting the sands beneath our feet, Eric let out a struggled gasp as he then fell to his knees while clutching his wound.

Grabbing the blade, I press it to his throat and force him to look into my eyes. "Yield." I demand, he bares his teeth at me but when he could feel the blade slightly cutting his neck, he hisses in pain and growls out. "Fine. I yield to you Horus Haddock III." That being said, I discarded Eric's vibroblade and turned to face my people while extending my arms out. "I am Horus Haddock III of House Haddock. Son of Sarkin and Val Haddock, and I did not abandon my people! I was taken due to being Force sensitive, while I was away, I never forgot the arts and traditions of our people!" Pointing a finger at Eric, I continue. "When one of us declares single combat? We are to honor those terms. But Eric son of Eret did not fight me in a honorable fashion!" Pulling out my lightsaber, I activate it and point the burning yellow blade at Eric's throat, causing him to hold his breath in fear. "If it were up to me? I would kill him for showing such dishonor!" After glaring at Eric for a good ten seconds, I deactivate my lightsaber and turn back to the people. "But I won't kill him. He surrendered to me and that makes me the victor of this fight."

Clipping my saber back on my belt, I then boom out. "Any accusations, grudges or... assumptions about me are now dissolved! I did not leave my people willingly; I kept the ways or people locked away in my heart, mind, body and soul! I am Mandalorian! By right and deed! And you will give me the respect I deserve. Anyone who crosses me? Trust me, you don't want to do that." Exhaling, I wipe off any sand off my Sentinel robes and look back to the Mando's gathered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I wish to see my mother." With that said, I head towards the arena exit and head towards the gardens.

Once reaching House Haddock's estate, I make my way towards the gardens to see my mother who was accompanied by the fellow clans children, and by the look, my mother was just now concluding a lesson in Mandalorian honor, the sight made me smile, not just at how privileged these children were to have my mother as a tutor and mentor, but at the sight my mother in general. I truly thought I'd never see her again, I'm glad that I was wrong in that area of thinking.

After dismissing the children, my mother sighed heavily and was about to make her way deeper into the gardens until she laid eyes on me, her eyes widened in shock and joy. "H-Horus?" She gasped out, pursing my lips together, I nod in confirmation. "Hello mother." I say with a smile, my mother smiles widely as she makes her way towards me and envelops me in a warm embrace, causing me to all but melt into her arms and return her embrace. "Oh, my son. I thought I'd never see you again." She murmured, chuckling lightly, I nod. "That makes two of us." When we broke apart from our embrace, I then look into my mothers eyes and ask. "Where's father?" My mothers face dropped at the mentioning of my father and she looked down at her feet.

"Mother? Where is he?" I repeat again, looking back up in my eyes, my mother sobbed out. "He's dead. Killed by the Empire." I inhale sharply and look away in grief, the last time I saw my father was when I was being taken away to become a Force Sentinel, and that was a lifetime ago. "Your father was one of the first to rebel against the Empire, until Gar Saxon and the traitors allied with him captured him and publicly executed him to make an example to all houses here that House Saxon enforces the Empire's will on Mandalore." I run a hand through my hair and sigh heavily while shaking my head. "Saxon." I snarl out to myself, I then make my way back into the estate when I heard my mother call out. "Horus? Where are you going?" Turning my head, I give her my response. 

"To avenge my fathers death."

(Sometime later)

My destination lead me towards Clan Saxon's estate, which once served as Duchess Satine's palace, being the Emperor Palatine's hand and acting ruler of Mandalore, but not for much longer. I was making this journey alone, once arriving at Saxon's palace, I was greeted by Mandalorians whose armor was... different from those I've already seen here. These Mando's wore advanced armor and jetpacks but then I noticed the Imperial emblem imprinted on their shoulders, these warriors are traitors just like Saxon. 

"Don't move! identify yourself." One of the Imperial Mando's demanded, they didn't know who I was since I was wearing a set of Mandolorian armor provided for me by my mother, it was simply light grey and had House Haddock markings on them, I had to make a mental note to customize it once my task here was done. Removing my helmet, I introduced myself. "I am Horus Haddock III of House Haddock. I seek an audience with Gar Saxon." The Imperial Mando's gather seized me and led me inside the palace but not before confiscating my blasters and lightsabers. 

Once entering the palace, I laid eyes on Saxon seated on the throne and accompanied by his warriors and advisors. Forcing me to my knees, one of the Imperial Mando's spoke up. "Governor Saxon, this boy claims to be of House Haddock, his name is Horus Haddock." Raising an eyebrow, Saxon rose from his throne and approached me. "Son of Sarkin and Val Haddock." I stated, humming to himself, he had his men get me back up on my feet and held me still as Saxon approached me. 

"I can form a theory as to why you are here, Horus Haddock. You're here... to avenge the death of your father." He stated, grunting, I nod. "Smart man." I say before spitting in his face, frowning, Saxon wiped my saliva off his face before burying his fist into my stomach and knocking the wind out of my lungs, causing me to cough and groan in pain. "You'll be joining your father soon enough boy." Saxon seethed out, chuckling lightly, I shake my head. "No. I won't." I then use the Force to choke the two Imperial Mando's hold me, I then crush their windpipes in and then reach out with the Force to retrieve my lightsaber and then activating it while pointing it at Saxon. "You're going to die for what you did to my father!" I snarled out. 

Saxon reached behind the small of his waist and pulled out a vibrosword, twirling it expertly in his hands he then got into a defensive position. "Your move boy." Using the Force, I unleash a a powerful Force push, sending the governor back and crashing into his throne, pressing my attack, I leap into the air and bring my yellow blade down on him, but Saxon quickly brings his vibrosword up to lock our blades together. "I will destroy House Haddock and make an example to all of Mandalore what happens when you defy the Empire!" Saxon yelled in anger, activating his jetpack and taking the fight to the air. I gave chase with my own jetpack, refusing to let my fathers murderer to escape. Of course, fighting in the air in an enclosed room, no matter how high the ceiling went. Eventually, the two of us broke through the glass and onto the palace grounds. In the process, I landed on my back, severely damaging my jetpack.

I had taken an interestingly defensive approach to the duel, dodging and weaving around Gar Saxon's attacks. Occasionally, I would block an attack or attempt a swipe, but overall, I let the Clan Saxon patriarch stay on the offensive.

By this point, Gar Saxon had gotten tired of my presence and took to the skies once more, firing down at me with one of his blasters. Activating my wrist shields, I was able to block most of Gar's shots and used my lightsaber to deflect the rest back at the offending Mandalorian. Sensing that the opportunity to take him down had come, I swiftly activated the flamethrower built into my vambraces, and managed to completely nullify Gar Saxon's jetpack, making it as useless as mine.

"Consider me impressed boy." Saxon taunted. "But it won't save you."

"I was going to say the same thing to you, traitor." I snarled out.

Ending the conversation,  we then charged at each other, and Gar Saxon instantly noticed that my methods were completely different at this stage, I had let him have the offensive long enough, now I was actively keeping him on the defensive while trying to break through said defense.

The Mandalorians in question were more or less unfazed. Deciding that it was now or never, Gar Saxon yelled a battle cry and charged, attempting to catch me off guard with a swift vertical chop of his vibrosword. However, this was the very moment I had been waiting for; I angled my lightsaber horizontally, catching Gar Saxon unawares for just long enough to twist my wrists clockwise, batting his vibrosword out of his grasp in the process. Reaching to my left, I grabbed his vibrosword out of the air and held them like an 'X' at Gar Saxon's throat. 

"You're a coward, a traitor and a murdering piece of scum!!" I seethed out to Gar, the older Mandalorian bared his teeth at me and growled out. "I won't surrender to you boy! You'll have to kill me!" Smirking at his words, I nod. "Indeed." I then proceed to decapitate Gar Saxon and watch as the traitors head rolled along the palace grounds and watched as his body fell back while corpse was smoking from my lightsaber. Grabbing Saxon's head, I present it to his men and bark out. "You all have a choice! Either join me and House Haddock or die as traitors besides Saxon! Your choice." I say while glaring at the Mandalorians who've pledged themselves to the Empire. Eventually, the traitorous Mandalorians bowed down before me; pledging their services and loyalty to me. 

"Wise choice." I say while discarding Saxon's head, approaching the group who served Saxon, I then ask. "Who was Saxon's second in command?" A female rose up among the group and placed her fist against her breasts. "I am. I'm Cass Bogson." Humming in acknowledgement, I approach her. "Remove your helmet." Doing as she was told, Cass removed her helmet and ran a hand through her wavy blond hair, she had azure eyes which resembled Ashara's, she was short too, but deadly none the less. "Alright Cast Bogson, order those gathered to take as many supplies as they can and load them up into the gauntlet fighters and rendezvous with me at House Haddock." Bowing her head in understanding, Case placed her helmet back on and barked out orders to the rest of the former Imperial super commandos to see my instructions through. Looking up to the sky, I clench my hands into fists and murmur out. 

"Then we discuss how we drive the Empire off of Mandalore."