She watched him leave her cell, fuming after yet another interrogation session. He might have addressed her casually, but Bo-Katan knew she was no worthless Mandalorian woman.
The cell door slowly closed behind him. The red-haired woman began muttering to herself, her words dripping with condemnation. She kept repeating variations of "useless lawyer" and "blind bastard."
Since her capture on Coruscant, Bo-Katan had been held in a detention cell within the Jedi Temple. She'd been interrogated repeatedly by Jedi Knights and Republic officers, even having a brief meeting with her sister Satine before Satine departed for Mandalore.
However, the person she'd become most "familiar" with was the Avenger named Matt Murdock, also known as Daredevil.
He was a lawyer and a superhero. Though they'd met only a handful of times, their encounters had developed into routine. However, across their dozen or so conversations, Bo-Katan could confidently say she'd discovered that Daredevil was exceptionally difficult to provoke.
Whenever they talked, it resembled a verbal duel. Like a game of sabacc where the lawyer always held all the winning cards, even controlling the shuffle. No matter how she rebuked, fought back, or outright screamed at him, he responded to everything she threw at him with unshakeable composure.
She didn't know if it was intentional, but she found this silent defiance infuriating in ways she couldn't articulate. He sat there, stone-faced and motionless. Despite her numerous, vehement threats of inflicting physical pain upon him, this indifference only enraged her further.
To Bo-Katan, he seemed strangely cold and mechanical, even in the way he spoke and addressed her. That didn't mean he was completely emotionless. Sometimes she detected tiny reactions, subtle movements, but those moments were rare across their conversations.
He tried making her comfortable, engaging in friendly conversation, asking about her childhood, attempting to probe the depths of her psyche. Every exchange felt like silent warfare.
In Mandalore's iron-blooded culture, questions about friends and interests seemed like forgotten concepts. Admittedly, Bo-Katan didn't open up easily, but that didn't mean she was incapable of connection. She simply adhered to Mandalore's strict code and refused to compromise easily.
In her world, she frequently emphasized her Mandalorian identity, not because someone provoked her, but because it formed the core of her existence. Even facing powerful opponents, she never backed down, knowing her strength far exceeded surface appearances. Since separating from Satine, she'd faced countless challenges alone, as if enduring necessary trials.
Imprisoned in a Jedi Temple cell, she was filled with confusion and loneliness. She asked herself repeatedly: "Who am I?"
In this silent space, a voice answered softly: "You are a warrior. A Mandalorian." But was this answer what she truly sought?
"No," she responded immediately, tone firm. "I am a true Mandalorian. I uphold the ancient ways, the genuine path of my people." Yet internally, she struggled with doubt.
Suddenly, roaring and shouting erupted from another cell. "Will you shut up?" someone yelled. Another angry prisoner added, "We've been deceived enough by the Jedi. We don't need some crazy woman adding to it."
At that moment, the entire Temple began shaking violently. Her heartbeat accelerated. What was happening? She strained her hearing and caught the distinctive sounds of lightsaber clashes and blaster fire. Was this an attack on the Jedi Temple? The thought seemed absurd.
"Oh gods, this is impossible," Bo-Katan whispered to herself. She couldn't believe what was unfolding. Who would be so audacious as to attack the Jedi Temple? Attack Coruscant itself? What was happening?
In her mind, this sudden chaos resembled a nightmare. But regardless of how the chaos spread, she knew she had to persevere. She was Mandalorian. Her path was difficult, but it was all that mattered in her life. She would keep moving forward.
From the shadows of her cell, Bo-Katan witnessed an unprecedented assault. Agile Jedi Knights moved through the detention area like lightning, engaging in fierce combat with sudden enemies. Her eyes could barely process what unfolded before her.
Suddenly, rows of droids came into view. She felt shock ripple through her. A Separatist invasion? What kind of madness would drive such a suicidal attack? Even in ancient Mandalorian legends, she'd never heard of anyone sacrificing nearly a thousand ships to break through to Coruscant's surface.
She studied the unusual droids flooding into the area, exploding, or firing wildly at guards. They were unlike any she'd encountered before. Examining them more closely, she noticed their optical sensors glowed either deep blue or fiery red.
What shocked her further was how these droids' arms transformed into massive cannons, firing energy projectiles larger and more powerful than standard blaster bolts. When several whizzed past her cell, she stumbled backward in horror, hitting the bars and surrounding walls.
One droid's attack caused a generator to fail, which inadvertently created her opportunity to escape as her energy barrier door and many other cells powered down.
She witnessed numerous prisoners attempting escape, only to be ruthlessly cut down by patrolling droids. This served as warning, reminding her she needed to wait and find an appropriate moment. At that instant, Bo-Katan seized a rare opportunity. A Jedi stumbled and fell, his lightsaber clattering to the floor. Seeing the weapon practically handed to her, she grabbed it without hesitation.
Bo-Katan had never actually wielded a lightsaber in her life, but in this moment, anything was better than nothing. Her closest experience had been with vibroblades.
She ignited the lightsaber. Deep blue light flashed in the darkness as she cut through attacking droids and blocked Jedi Knights attempting to stop her. As she rushed up stairs, Jedi around her fired in all directions, engaging droids in fierce aerial combat. And she, amid this chaos, searched for survival.
As the droid army surged like a tide, she glimpsed the scene beyond the walls. Warships and droids resembled dark locusts, frantically assaulting the entire planet. Her eyes widened instantly, her heart filling with confusion and terror.
"What is happening?!" Bo screamed internally as she quickly rushed back toward the detention area.
She knew escaping the Temple with only a stolen lightsaber would prove nearly impossible. She needed her equipment, the armor that could help her survive. Bo rushed into the storage area, scanning rapidly, trying to locate where her armor might be hidden.
At that moment, a young Jedi Knight ran past, appearing perhaps ten years younger than her. He quickly grabbed her arm, attempting to stop her. Bo was interrupted by this sudden action.
"Where did they store prisoners' confiscated belongings?"
"What?" The young Jedi looked confused.
Bo-Katan's intensity affected him. He retreated momentarily, then trembled and pointed behind her. She looked where he indicated, a gleam of understanding flashing in her eyes.
"That door?"
The young man nodded.
Bo said nothing more, simply pushed past and rushed toward her target. A reinforced door appeared before the Mandalorian. She looked around frantically, trying to find a way to open it. Beside the entrance was a panel that appeared to require Force activation.
She stepped forward and felt something thin and cylindrical roll beneath her boot. Looking down, she remembered the lightsaber in her hand. She silently cursed herself for forgetting this crucial tool. With the lightsaber, she could perform some creative problem-solving on this locked door.
Bo-Katan quickly activated the weapon and plunged it through the metal door, pushing downward with all her strength. She dragged the blade horizontally, then pulled it back, leaving a crude hole for passage. Though not her finest work, she felt relieved given the tension of using a lightsaber for the first time.
After creating the opening, Bo-Katan stepped through without hesitation. A massive metal panel fell forward, revealing a large storage room. Shelves and cabinets throughout the space held various confiscated items. Looking around, she noticed the place appeared somewhat damaged, likely from debris collapsing from upper floors.
Though the path ahead remained unknown and filled with challenges, Bo was ready. She would be properly equipped for whatever came next.
Among the ruins, countless treasures lay buried, and her armor was somewhere deep within. Finding it required patience and time. She prayed to her ancestors, silently hoping to locate the glorious armor that belonged to her.
As she moved deeper into the room, it seemed her ancestors responded. The sight before her confirmed the armor she sought was here. The color, the style, everything familiar. Her heart filled with excitement. "There it is!" Bo-Katan thought joyfully. "Mother's armor."
She rushed forward and began donning the iconic pieces again, the owl emblem prominent on helmet and shoulder pauldrons. She felt herself being restored to wholeness with each piece. When the beskar armor slid onto her body, she felt nearly complete.
Sadly, she couldn't don all the components because some remained buried deep beneath rubble. It would take considerable time to locate and excavate them. She knew she had to flee immediately or risk recapture.
She quickly secured her helmet, thanking her ancestors for their protection. Her jetpack was among the retrieved items, potentially restoring her freedom. Bo-Katan burst from the room and immediately took flight. The Jedi Temple's halls were spacious enough that even the detention levels couldn't restrict aerial movement.
She gripped her blasters tightly, quickly shooting down several flying droids threatening her while deftly avoiding Jedi Knight intervention. She knew that although she'd love settling scores with old enemies, now wasn't the time for additional complications. Her goal was simply escaping.
She spotted a gap in a blown-out wall and flew toward freedom. At that moment, Bo-Katan stopped midair and surveyed her surroundings. If she had to use one word to describe the scene before her, nothing worked better than "chaos."
"Coruscant is being invaded," she muttered, staring at the indescribable pandemonium.
Countless droids, ships, people. A symphony of war and death. However, her eyes caught Jedi Knights and their allies, the Avengers, fighting valiantly, proving individual power remained crucial in holding the attackers' advance.
Looking upward, the sky seemed to celebrate the battle, adding mystery to this world filled with challenges and desperate hope. In the chaotic void above, she could only vaguely discern warship shadows interweaving and fighting.
What was happening? Was Coruscant truly under assault? What kind of madness was this?
Suddenly, Bo-Katan was jolted by a powerful energy blast, as if awakening from a dream-like daze. The shot nearly struck her, grazing the wall above her head. She looked ahead and saw a dozen flying droids rapidly approaching.
"Oh, dammit," Bo-Katan whispered, quickly drawing her blaster pistol and shooting down several. However, she frowned upon looking up to see more droids joining pursuit.
Her jetpack suddenly sputtered and failed. She plummeted toward ground level with droids following. The pack restarted, and she flew at maximum velocity, struggling through the chaos as best she could.
As she maneuvered, Bo-Katan gradually lost sight of some pursuers, occasionally firing backward while deftly navigating around flying debris, including collapsing buildings and falling spacecraft.
"Come on, come on," she muttered and was nearly struck multiple times, though fortunately her beskar armor successfully deflected glancing shots.
She deliberately allowed the droids closer before activating her jetpack again. She managed to pivot before continuing her counterattack. Her lightsaber ignited instantly as she hacked through approaching droids, then activated her jetpack again to return to open air.
After clearing the immediate threats, Bo-Katan began flying erratically, searching for any path that might allow her to reach space. This wasn't easy, as everything around her exploded. She couldn't determine what was happening or even precisely where she was.
"Am I still on the lower levels?" she wondered. "How far from the Jedi Temple? Have I actually escaped pursuit?"
She received her answer when a droid grabbed her arms mid-flight and forced them toward her helmet. No, she wasn't completely free yet.
Bo-Katan struggled, swinging her appropriated lightsaber. Its light illuminated the surrounding space as she bisected the droid, spinning her body in time to avoid more attackers, then quickly flying away as additional droids rushed toward her position.
"Soulless metal bastards," Bo-Katan hissed through gritted teeth.
In the chaos, she once again fled from this disturbing situation. All around, more machines rushed toward her. Each collision deepened her despair, as destruction and violence became her only means of resistance.
She cried out in pain, her voice growing louder with each blast striking unarmored sections of her body, but she fought on, struggling to survive.
Some mechanical creatures finally caught her, cold robotic limbs wrapping tightly around vulnerable areas. Bo-Katan's screams tore through the air as she desperately struggled to dislodge the droids.
Finally, Bo-Katan's consciousness began blurring. She didn't know what battle she'd become involved in. She only knew she was focused on removing these clinging machines. She kicked the last droid off her leg, and when she looked up, she saw a building's viewport flying toward her.
Her body bounced across the floor multiple times, each impact causing severe pain. Especially when her head struck hard surface, as if the entire world spun in her mind. Finally, she stopped after hitting a wall and collapsed to the ground.
Bo-Katan could only groan in agony, her vision blurring as she barely perceived the battle still raging outside the building she'd crashed into. The droids appeared to have stopped pursuing her, leaving the Mandalorian alone in relative "peace." However, this peace was temporary, as she lost consciousness the next moment.