It’s been a day since I arrived. Currently I am on my way out of the hospital. I have been discharged and given a clean chit. As I walk the corridors, I pass room after room filled with wounded. They even lined improvised beds in the corridors. The sheer scale of the wounded itself is a depressing site. And when you take into account the dead, it gets truly depressing. The dead…hmm… the parents of ... no, my parents also are a part of the casualty list. The remorse and sadness hit me in waves. This brought things into perspective. From today on I am Thrunn Straxon. My old name and self are no longer relevant. I am Mando’a. I stay in the hospital lobby to compose myself. After a few minutes I make my way out of the hospital. What greats me is the sight of a city that has been through the grinder. Burned down and shattered buildings. Destroyed sky cars crashed here and there. Emergency workers and construction crew working all over. This makes it even more obvious of what I have coming my way in the years to come. I had to prepare, become stronger, get better equipment and a ship. I also need to get as much technical knowledge as possible. That part at least is easy, all I need to do is complete my current courses and so some internships to “acquire” knowledge and schematics. Come to think of it I might need to add piloting and astro-navigation to my skill list.

A taxi brings me to the clan buildings. The damage has been somewhat fixed. But the place feels a bit empty. I make it to my room. By some Gods divine intervention or space voodoo my room is untouched. I head to the fresher; I need a bath and change of clothes. I enter the fresher and bawl like a baby, I try to get all the sorrow out of my system and get my emotions in check. After a bath I get into a new pair of clothes and check myself out in a full-size mirror. All I can think is I look like a young Nyx Ullric. Well can’t complain about the looks. At least ROB did something right. I was brought out of my thoughts by a knock on the door. I open the door slowly to reveal my uncle. He had a new scar running down my face. He looks me over then lets out a sigh.

 “Son it’s good to see you alive. I thought I lost you too”, he says.

 All I could do was stare for a minute, before I could reply “I am still kicking uncle, But I just got out of the hospital. How are you and the clan holding up”?

He looks troubled,” The clan took a major hit. Damn those bastards to the seven hells and beyond. Nearly 80% of our people are gone. We are arranging a funeral for tonight. You look like you could use some rest. I still have some things to take care of. I will see you later.” he says and slowly walks off.

I walk through the compound looking for someone close to me. After almost an hour I see my cousin, Trock Staxor, sitting on roof top looking at the damaged city. He is my mother’s younger sister’s son. Although he is a cousin, we are like brothers, we grew up together, played and trained together. Well he is also older than me by 5 years. I slowly walk up to him and ask “H

ow are you holding up brother”

He looks down and let out a depressed sigh “I am on the same boat as you, they got my folks too” he slowly looks up. His eyes are red and puffed.

I sigh and reply “We are in this together, we got so far together, we move forward together. What is your plan. I plan to Train get stronger and master as much skill as I can. This galaxy only respects the rich and strong.”

He straitens up “I am not good in the commando training Thrull puts us through. Not like you. I think I will be stuck with my higher studies”

Then it hits me. My cousin is also a genius in his own right. Not to my level, he is off by a minute margin, but a genius none the less. Without my blessings my intellect would be that of a rock compared to his. This could prove useful. “Well you are good at ship mechanics and electro mechanics. Why not focus on that and join the Mandal Hypernautics? Plus, in the future when I need a ship, I can depend on you” I say smiling like a lunatic.

He rolls his eyes “So you want me to study hard, join Hypernautics, just to build you a ship. Good to know I will have someone buy a ship designed by yours truly”.

We just sit there talking. Time flies by without us even realizing it. We soon part ways. I grab a quick meal and go back to my room and fall asleep.

I woke up in the afternoon. The Funeral will start in an hour or so. So, I get dressed and head out to the clan grounds where I see pyres already stacked up high on elevated platforms. When the time is right, we move the bodies of our fallen families, our clan members onto the pyres. Each closest relative alive of the deceased light the pyres. War shouts are raised and war hymns sung, so that the fallen may find peace with the Mandalorian paragons. I say my farewell to my parents. The new me didn’t get to know them very well, but they shall be remembered for all eternity to come, that was the oath of a mando’a. Now the mourning changes to celebrations, clan member start drinking and celebrating the lives of the fallen. I find my cousin and we sit together in a corner of the ground. Soon our uncle gets center stage, he bellows loudly for the attention of our clan members “We lost those dear to us in this insurrection. War has raged for a year claiming the lives of many mando’a. But we shall not bow down in fear. Our people have been slaughtered to the brink of extinction before, but our iron will has made sure our lineage survived. Today we mourn the death of our people, and celebrate their lives. We might have joined the New Mandalorian Movement for peace but our clan will not forget our roots. All clan members willing to train will be trained as commandos. Any Education they require will be provided. Those that cant stands the hardships of combat may support the clan in other ways they deem fit. We will stand tall and make sure this doesn’t happen again. Individually we are fearsome warriors, but together we are invincible. FOR THE CLAN. FOR MANDO’A!”. Clan members roar battle cries into the night sky and raise their tankards.

Later my uncle walks over to us and asks “What are you boys to planning to do”.

My cousin looks at him says “I want to finish my advanced courses. I want to design new ships, weapons and anything our people might need. I will help forge the blades that sunder our enemies and ships that bring them nightmares”. My uncle nods at his conviction.

He looks at me. I look into his eyes, unwavering, at least I hope I was “I want to train to be the best warrior. also finish my courses which are already half way over. Then I will set out to see what the galaxy has to offer and to make sure they do not forget the name of Mandalore”

He looks at me and cracks a menacing smile. “You better be ready boy. Because I will be cranking up the heat for your future training. Survive that and we can see what you make of the future. And I might let you travel the galaxy at large, depending on your performance”. I feel a cold sweat sliding down my back. Hopefully I come out of this in one-piece, fingers crossed.