Dedicated to HalseyGeek

     One year later, Obi-Wan and Kyra were summoned to the communications room by Jedi Masters Yoda and Ki-Adi-Mundi. When Obi-Wan asked why he and his padawan had been beckoned, Ki-Adi-Mundi activated a recorded holo-message from Duchess Satine.

     "This is a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi," Kryze began. "I've lost Mandalore. My people have been massacred, and Almec is now the prime minister. I can't explain everything now but Almec has the support of the crime families. Obi-Wan, I need your help."

     As the transmission ended, Satine was taken away by members of the Death Watch, a group of radicalized Mandalorians. When Maul offered to help the Death Watch gain control of Mandalore in return for the capture of Obi-Wan, the terrorist group agreed to his terms and became known as the Shadow Collective. To prevent his hands from curling into fists, Kenobi stroked his beard and tried to maintain his composure.

     Kyra, sensing her father's confliction, looked up at Obi-Wan as Master Yoda asked him for his thoughts on the situation.

     "Satine has been at odds with the Death Watch for years," Obi-Wan finally answered, his blue eyes steely with barely-contained anger. "And according to a report from Padawan Tano, they're no longer in league with the Separatists. If there was a takeover on Mandalore, it was most likely an independent act caused by the Death Watch alone."

     "Without involvement from the Separatists, this is an internal affair for the Mandalorians," Ki-Adi-Mundi decided. "I'm afraid we cannot help."

     "We cannot just hand Mandalore over to these crime families and let Satine become a martyr," Obi-Wan argued.

     "I'm afraid her decision to keep Mandalore neutral makes this situation difficult," Master Mundi replied.

     "Understand your feelings I do, Obi-Wan," Yoda said sympathetically. "But to take action, support from the Republic Senate we will need."

     "You know what the Senate will decide," Kenobi countered frustratedly. "They will not send aid to a neutral system."

     When Yoda and Ki-Adi-Mundi stood by their decision, Obi-Wan took a deep breath and left the communications room with Kyra following close behind.

     "So that's it?" she asked exasperatedly. "We just let the Death Watch take control of Mandalore, kill millions of people, and hold the Duchess hostage?"

     Obi-Wan shook his head as they entered one of the temple's large hangar bays, "No. Anakin once told me that 'doing the right thing sometimes means bending the rules,' so that's what we're going to do."

...

     As Obi-Wan flew Anakin Skywalker's ship – the Twilight – through the upper atmosphere of Mandalore and landed on a docking platform, Kyra pressed her face against the viewport, soaking in every detail of the homeworld she had not visited since her departure ten years earlier. The cockpit sparked and smoked as Obi-Wan muttered to himself, complaining about the condition of his former padawan's ship.

     Because the main ramp had only extended partway, the Jedi Master and his current padawan – who was wearing a suit of yellow and gray Mandalorian armor – jumped to the landing dock below, where they were met by a man clad in the red and black beskar of the Shadow Collective. When the Mandalorian told Obi-Wan to have his ship inspected, Kenobi informed him that the rickety vessel belonged to his friend. When asked if he had a landing permit, Obi-Wan said it was inside the Twilight and invited the Mandalorian to join him while he retrieved it.

     Once inside the ship, Obi-Wan incapacitated the Mandalorian and stole his armor, leaving the Twilight with Kyra in tow. After commandeering a speeder, the duo quickly made their way to the capital city of Sundari and infiltrated the prison in which Satine was being held. Upon finding the duchess, who was meditating in her cell with her back turned to the corridor, Obi-Wan opened the translucent blast door.

     "Here to do more of your master's bidding?" Satine asked coldly.

     "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I thought you would've been happier to see your rescuers," Kyra replied smugly as she and Obi-Wan removed their helmets.

     As Satine spun around, her golden hair – which fell in ringlets around her shoulders – reflected the light in the cell and sparkled. Having only seen Kyra when she was a small baby, the duchess didn't immediately recognize her own daughter and looked back and forth between Obi-Wan and the girl several times before noticing the vibrant red hair and twinkling blue eyes.

     Kyra saw the recognition in Satine's eyes and said, "Hello, mum. It's been a while."

     The duchess smiled as she pulled the Jedi Master and padawan into her arms, hugging them tightly until Obi-Wan reminded her that they were pressed for time.

     When Satine asked if the Jedi came alone, Kenobi nodded, "Yes. The Jedi Council and the Galactic Senate will be of no help to us here."

     Once he made sure the corridor was clear, Obi-Wan led Kyra and Satine to the nearest turbo lift. The duchess asked if Kenobi had an escape plan, but before he could answer, the lift door opened to reveal a member of the Shadow Collective waiting inside. Obi-Wan hesitated for only a moment, then shoved Satine into the lift, following Kyra inside before the blast door closed behind them.

     "There's no record of a prisoner transfer here," the radicalized Mandalorian said as they descended. "What's the authorization code?"

     Instead of answering, Obi-Wan swept the Mandalorian's feet out from under him and kneed him in the head. When they reached the platform where their previously stolen speeder waited, the trio left the unconscious Mandalorian on the floor of the turbo lift and returned to the Twilight. Just as they boarded Anakin's ship, enemy forces raced onto the docking platform and opened fire.

     Inside the cockpit, Obi-Wan armed the gun turrets and returned fire, taking out several of the traitorous Mandalorians. When Kyra sensed the presence of the dark side, she turned to her father and they shared a knowing glance, Kenobi's mouth set in a grim line as he quickly prepared the ship for takeoff. As they pulled away from the platform, Satine instructed Obi-Wan to contact her sister for help, assuring him that she would send reinforcements.

     Before they could depart, however, several members of the Shadow Collective lowered their rangefinders and launched missiles at the Twilight. The projectiles shattered the ship's starboard wing and jolted the passengers inside the cockpit. As the Twilight spun out of control, the three occupants carefully made their way down the ramp and jumped off, Anakin's ship exploding a moment later.

     Kyra hit the metal platform and tumbled across the ground, the impact knocking the borrowed helmet off her head. Flame engulfed the Twilight, and as pieces of the ship rained down, a large hunk of metal shrapnel careened toward the duchess. Kyra reached out to the Force and pushed Satine out of harm's way before helping the duchess to her feet, a shell-shocked Obi-Wan swaying as he struggled to stand.

     When he saw the imposing figure strolling through the smoke, his jaw dropped and he quickly pulled Kyra and Satine behind him. When Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber, Darth Maul sneered and used the Force to choke him. Kyra activated her own lightsaber and charged at the former Sith, but Maul tossed her aside as if she weighed nothing more than a Loth cat. As a Mandalorian confiscated the Jedi's lightsabers, Maul pulled Kenobi toward him, grinning evilly as he welcomed Obi-Wan to Mandalore.

     The Zabrak then ordered his forces to take the prisoners to the palace and Savage Opress – Maul's brother – hefted Satine on his shoulders, several Mandalorians struggling to retrain the Jedi as they tried in vain to free themselves. Once they arrived at the Sundari Royal Palace, Maul sat on the duchess's throne and forced her to kneel at his side while Obi-Wan and Kyra were held at gunpoint before him.

     "Your noble flaw is a weakness shared by you...and your duchess," Maul said quietly, using the Force to slowly constrict Satine's airway.

     When Obi-Wan tried to pull away from the Mandalorian restraining him, the Collective member tightened his grasp and Maul continued, "You should have chosen the dark side, Master Jedi. Your emotions betray you. Your fear, and yes, your anger. Let your anger deepen your hatred."

     "Don't listen to him, Obi—" Satine began, but Maul prevented her from speaking.

     Kenobi clenched his jaw, "You can kill me, but you will never destroy me."

     "It takes strength to resist the dark side," Kyra added. "Only the weak embrace it."

     When Maul retorted that the dark side was more powerful than they knew, Obi-Wan retorted, "And those who oppose it are more powerful than you'll ever be. I know where you're from. I've been to your village. I know the decision to join the dark side wasn't yours. The Nightsisters made it for you."

     "Silence!" Maul snarled, quivering with anger as he marched toward the Jedi Master. "You think you know me? It was I who languished for years thinking of nothing but you! Nothing but this moment! And now the perfect tool for my vengeance is in front of us. I never planned on killing you. But I will make you share my pain, Kenobi."

     Before either of the Jedi could stop him, Darth Maul activated the Darksaber and impaled Satine with the ancient weapon's black blade, returning to the throne as the Duchess of Mandalore fell to the floor. As Obi-Wan pulled her into his arms, Kyra slowly moved to her father's side, watching as he brushed the hair out of Satine's face.

     "Remember, my dear Obi-Wan...my sweet Kyra...I've loved you always. I always will," Satine whispered with her last breath, caressing the Jedi Master's face and stroking her daughter's hair.

     Obi-Wan kissed the back of Satine's hand, unshed tears glistening in his eyes as he carefully lowered his lover's lifeless body to the floor.

     "No. No, no, no," Kyra muttered quietly as she shook her mother's shoulder. "Mum, come back. Don't leave us. You can't leave. We just found you. Please, come back. Mama, please."

     When Duchess Satine Kryze did not respond, Kyra felt as though her heart were being torn from her chest. She slowly got to her feet and turned in a circle, looking around the great throne room in search for the fist-sized organ that housed her soul. Her fair skin had become a ghostly shade of white and her breathing grew shallow as her gaze landed on Maul. He smirked and held her stare, his eyes yellow and fractured with insanity.

     His smile faltered, however, when he saw that her own eyes were equally broken, her sapphire gaze a shattered kaleidoscope of grief and fury. With a wordless cry of rage and despair, Kyra took a pistol from the nearest Mandalorian and charged at Maul, who signaled for his men to stand down. Obi-Wan – in a heartbroken trance of his own – didn't notice his daughter's actions until it was too late.

     Maul ignited the Darksaber and deflected the blaster bolts with ease, finally stopping Kyra when she was only a few steps away from him. Holding her in place with the Force, he brought the Darksaber down in one swift motion and slashed the left side of her face. When the former Sith threw her across the throne room. Obi-Wan rushed over to the girl, who slumped against the wall and held her injured face in her hands.

     The Jedi Master crouched in front of Kyra, who looked up and allowed him to see the gash that started above her left eye and ran straight down her cheek, ending near the tip of her nose. The sight of his injured daughter brought Obi-Wan back to the present, but before he could pick her up, a pair of Mandalorians grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him away.

     When Savage asked his brother if the Jedi were to be killed, Maul shook his head, "No. Imprison him below and let him drown in his misery. Take him to his cell to rot."

     When the Mandalorians moved to restrain Kyra, Maul stopped them, "Leave the girl. I wish to speak with her alone."

     Obi-Wan tried to break away from the Mandalorians, but a third terrorist set his blaster to stun and fired, none of the Collective members bothering to catch Kenobi as he fell to the ground. Two Mandalorians posted themselves outside the throne room while another carried the late duchess's body away, the glass chamber falling quiet as everyone slowly dispersed. After a moment, Maul rose and walked over to Kyra, producing a surprisingly small amount of noise considering his legs were made of metal.

      He knelt in front of the small girl, who was shaking with fear and grief, and cupped her chin in one of his dark hands. Kyra hated herself for the pathetic whimper that escaped her lips as he slowly pushed her head up. He carefully examined the wound on her face before reaching into his belt and producing a vial of bacta. He applied the healing substance to her face and watched the gash close, forming a pink scar that stood out against her pale skin.

     "Padawan Kryze. So determined, so optimistic, so...full of life. So much like your father," Maul said quietly, Kyra holding his gaze when he finally broke the silence. "I hope the death of your mother has not broken your vibrant spirit. I could use an ally with as much fervor as you possess. The Mandalorians may do as I ask, but they only follow me out of fear and greed. I am constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for one of those mercenaries to overthrow me and take the throne for himself. It would be reassuring to have someone at my side who is truly loyal to my cause, someone who isn't working with me simply because they seek something more."

     "You want me to join the dark side," Kyra replied. "To become evil, like you."

     "I am suggesting you train as my apprentice," Maul countered. "You repress your anger well, but I can sense it, simmering just beneath the surface. With my help, you could become a powerful wielder of the dark side, which, I believe, would be beneficial for you, Kyra. You see, those of us who join the dark side are solitary creatures, yes, but we are not forbidden from forming attachments. We are not weakened by love and belonging, and we are not forced to ignore our desires. We are not crippled by grief and loss, constantly afraid of losing what we have so desperately longed for."

     When Kryze started to argue, Maul interrupted her, "I can feel the anguish in you, Kyra. The pain of your loved ones is your pain as well, each injury your own. Every drop of blood they lose, you lose as well. Imagine what you could do with that pain, what you could accomplish. We would be unstoppable. Civilizations would bow before us. You could rule the homeworld you were stolen from. Experience the unique culture of your people. We could exact revenge on anyone we wished, plan the demise of those who have wronged us."

     Darth Maul held out his hand, and as Kyra took it, he helped the padawan to her feet. She looked down at the ground, ashamed by the tears streaming down her face, as well as the unexpected pleasure she felt when imagining the death of her enemies. She took deep, even breaths until each inhalation no longer shuddered with emotion. When she finally met Maul's gaze, the innocence that should have been distinguishable in a ten-year-old's eyes – even one who had witnessed war – was gone.

     The Zabrak smiled, mistaking the look of resignation in her eyes as submission to the dark side when, in reality, the young girl was accepting the fact that there would be times when evil won. Though she would forever be tormented by the memory of her mother's death, Kyra knew the evil standing before her had only won the battle, not the war.

     As she reached out to her ally, the Force, Kyra said, "There's only one problem with your plan, Lord Maul. If I were to join you and defeat those who have wronged me, you would be the first on my list."

     Kyra grabbed the Darksaber as it flew into her hand and ignited the blade. When Maul tried to take the ancient weapon, she ducked beneath his advance and bisected his metal legs. The former Sith Lord roared in fury and tried to stop Kyra as the Mandalorians that were standing outside the throne room opened fire, but Kryze was already leaping through one of the large windows, glass shattering as she plummeted toward the city below.

     When a shard of glass grazed Kyra's hand, she accidentally let go of the Darksaber and it fell to the Undercity below. Sensing a speeder approaching, she reached out to the Force and bent her knees to soften the blow. The young woman piloting the speeder whipped around when she heard a loud thump behind her. When she saw Kyra, the woman instructed her fellow Mandalorian to pilot the speeder and knelt in front of Kryze.

     When she removed her helmet, Kyra noticed the woman's red hair was a similar shade to her own and concluded that this was her aunt, the sister of the duchess.

     The woman's eyes quickly widened with recognition, "You're my sister's daughter."

     When Kyra nodded, her aunt sighed wearily, "Satine is dead, isn't she?"

     Kyra nodded once more, looking down at her feet as she tried to control her emotions. The woman gently dried Kyra's tears and pulled her into a tight hug, only for Kryze to quickly back away when she spotted the symbol of the Death Watch on her aunt's shoulder pauldron.

     "You're one of them," she snarled, her eyes darting nervously about as she looked for a safe place to land.

     Before she could jump, however, the woman grabbed her shoulders, "I am Bo-Katan of House Kryze. I was a member of the Death Watch, but when they sided with Darth Maul, a handful of Mandalorians, including myself, deserted from the group and formed the Nite Owls."

     Kyra studied her aunt's eyes, looking for any sign of deception. When she didn't find any, she nodded and stopped straining against Bo-Katan's grip.

     "My father is being held by Maul and the Shadow Collective," Kyra informed her aunt, who nodded.

     "I know. We're heading to the detainment center now," Bo-Katan replied, her brow creasing. "Did you already know where we were going?"

     After considering Bo-Katan's question for a moment, Kyra muttered, "The Force works in mysterious ways."

...

     The Nite Owls surrounded the detainment center, their black and blue armor mirroring the buildings around them. Before the Shadow Collective could imprison Obi-Wan, Bo-Katan and her followers opened fire. The rogue Mandalorians turned their back on the Jedi Master, but before Obi-Wan could engage them, a thermal detonator landed on the platform. Kenobi was able to dive for cover before the explosive went off, though the other Mandalorians were not so lucky.

     Bo-Katan ignited her jetpack and carried her niece down to the platform, returning fire as Kyra retrieved her lightsaber from one of the fallen Mandalorians. The two red-headed warriors quickly disposed of the remaining Mandalorians loyal to Maul, and Kyra handed Obi-Wan his confiscated lightsaber. After revealing only her first name to Kenobi, Bo-Katan handed him a jetpack before picking Kyra up once more, the large jetpacks unsuitable for a child to use.

     As the group raced toward the docking platforms, they were chased down by Maul's forces. Two members of the Collective and one Nite Owl were shot down as they landed in a large docking bay and exchanged fire. Obi-Wan and Kyra deflected the blaster bolts with their sabers as the Nite Owls engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Shadow Collective. Bo-Katan laid down a round of cover fire for the Jedi, who moved to the large blast door that blocked their path and used the Force to lift it.

     Outside, the city of Sundari had been plunged into chaos and destruction, the already divided people of Mandalore cast farther apart by Darth Maul and the Shadow Collective.

     As blasterfire echoed and explosions rocked the ground, Bo-Katan said, "Maul must really want you dead."

     "You have no idea," Obi-Wan grumbled as they joined the all-encompassing battle.

     They ran through plumes of smoke as a Kom'rk-class starfighter raced overhead and delivered reinforcements to the heart of the battle. The Nite Owls exited their ship as three Collective members launched missiles at the transport and disintegrated it. As another vessel lowered into the docking platform, Obi-Wan urged Kyra to board the craft.

     She ran up the ramp and her father followed close behind as Bo-Katan instructed, "Go back to your Republic and tell them what has happened."

     "That would likely lead to a Republic invasion of Mandalore," Obi-Wan replied.

     "Yes, and Maul will die. But Mandalore will survive. We always survive. Now go," Bo-Katan countered.

     Obi-Wan had started walking into the ship, but the vengeance in Bo-Katan's voice stopped him, "You're Satine's sister, aren't you? I'm so sorry."