Heart of Mandalore Chapter 1

Bo-Katan had spent hours and hours with her fellow

Mandalorians to clean up the minor explosion damage, the blaster damage, and the other damage in the capital. The people of Mandalore hated how she ruled, yet the people loved how her sister ruled. They had the same blood, yet not the same goals. Bo-Katan was edgy when she went into the throne room. Most of the people went into that room, to salvage things that were important because it was where all of Mandalore’s ancient things, such as a picture of Tarre Vizsla, or a blaster from Mandalore the Great. It was a room where they would go to see the ruler, Duchess Satine Kryze, or Prime Minister Almec. It was a sacred room. As Bo-Katan walked in there, she could tell, even though they looked happy, that they did not like her. Not just as a ruler, but as a Mandalorian, a person in general. She wanted to change that. She wanted to reverse that attitude, so that her people, the people of Mandalore, wanted to be ruled by her. That they like her as much as they liked Satine. That’s what she wanted from her people. What she wanted from herself, she wanted to find the Darksaber.

That was the key. Every ruler of Mandalore except for Satine had the Darksaber in their possession when they ruled. It was on the planet but lost. Maul had it, then Almec had it, then Mauk had it again, and now it was going to be Bo-Katan’s turn to have it. She needed to find it. She had to look.

Look.

Where was Maul when Ahsoka found him? She was in the sewer! Maul was in the undercity sewer system! She had to look there. She walked out, as one of the civilians asked her where she was going.

¨I am going to the Undercity Sewer System,¨ she did not lie to him, she thought it was for the best. ¨And why is that?¨ asked the man. ¨I seek something, the Darksaber. I believe that it is in the Undercity Sewer System.¨ She had a stern look on her face, and he looked about to challenge the throne. ¨Why do you think it is there?¨ he asked. ¨Maul had it when he was in the sewer, fighting Ahsoka Tano. I bet he lost it down there.¨ ¨You realize that it could be anywhere right? Maul had been in *tons* of places while he was here, the sewer, the throne room, hidden places we don’t even know about yet. It could be in any place.¨ Bo-Katan now thought that the man was trying to get her to let him come along.

¨Im sorry, but I must go alone,¨ She said. ¨I never asked to go missy.¨ She was getting annoyed, and by him saying ¨missy¨ that made her *really* mad. ¨I realize that, I ask you to stop pestering me, and do *not* call me missy!¨ She said that fighting down the nastiness inside her. She walked away, blocking the voice of the man, who seemed to say something about the people not liking her. She could tell that and wanted to find the saber for that reason.

She got on a speeder and went to the undercity. It was hard to find where you need to go to access the undercity sewer. It was built to be accessed with secret passageways, and tunnels from inside buildings. She finally found one. It was a tight squeeze, but after she blew it open with a charge, she fit right in it, and into the sewer tunnel.

It was dark. She turned her light on her helmet. She walked, and looked down, only to look up when she thought she was close to a wall or something of that nature.

She found nothing. It was a disappointment. She wanted to find it because it would help her rule Mandalore. She couldn't stop looking for it.

She kept on. She had to keep looking. She would not stop until she had the saber. Then it dawned on her. Maybe the man was right, that it was just flat out impossible to retrieve it. Maybe it was lost in the capital. If so, it would never be found. She turned around and started to walk back, disappointed. Then, she kicked something. Not so much of a kick, more of a slip. She drew her blaster. Too late! The trap was sprung. It was the Darksaber, but she knew all too well that the Death Watch had trapped her, and were most likely going to execute her.