🛡️ This is the Way.
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║ ⚔️ MANDALORIAN CONTRACT BOARD ⚔️ ║
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║ Objective: Launch the story into hyperspace ║
║ Reward: Extra chapters for the crew ║
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║ Review Bounties: ║
║ • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = +1 bonus chapter ║
║ • ⭐⭐⭐⭐ + ⭐⭐⭐⭐ = +1 bonus chapter ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ 2–3 lines is enough: ║
║ • "I loved ___ because…" ║
║ • "Best scene so far was…" ║
║ • "My theory is…" ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ Thank you for backing Max Vizsla and the ║
║ rise of Mandalore. ║
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This is the Way.
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In June of Galactic Standard Year 4, an ancient blue crossguard lightsaber changed hands once again.
After finding Master Sifo-Dyas's lightsaber on Oba Diah and replacing the outer casing of its hilt, Max handed it to Mandalorian Shock Troopers captain Christopher Wren. From that point on, the two of them sparred with lightsabers for a set time almost every day.
And that sparring was exactly where the problem started.
Neither Max nor Chris knew any of the seven classical lightsaber forms. Chris's swordwork mainly came from the Wren clan's inherited close-quarters weapons traditions. Max's swordwork, meanwhile, came from two primary sources: the Vizsla clan's inherited martial teachings, and an old-world "no-rules" close-combat doctrine he'd studied before coming to this galaxy.
Adaptation note (Chinese reference removed): the original text name-dropped a real-world Chinese martial arts figure and his "unrestricted fighting" system; I rewrote it as an in-universe "old-world no-rules close-combat doctrine" to avoid an out-of-setting Chinese reference.
Back in Max's original world, that doctrine's ideas had long been unwelcome in mainstream fighting circles.
Now, in this Star Wars world, whenever Max leaned into that doctrine and threw out some truly unorthodox (read: nasty, angle-hunting, borderline shameless) moves, he could feel a faint resistance through the grip—like an old master from four thousand years ago was silently recoiling in disgust.
The ancient blue crossguard lightsaber was, subtly but unmistakably, resisting Max's style. And for Max, that was unacceptable.
At knife-range—when life and death hung on a hair—having your weapon suddenly "not cooperate" was basically gambling with your own life. Max had no desire to end up like Jango Fett, baffled and off-balance at the worst possible moment.
So Max decisively swapped sabers with Christopher Wren.
For Chris, the lightsaber played the role of a high-tech, heavy-duty prybar. Most of the time, he used it for CQB breaching—cutting doors, slicing walls—so whether it felt slightly light or slightly heavy didn't matter much.
"Boss, I think this lightsaber feels really good in the hand. If I train with it enough, it should be able to replace my vibroknife as a dedicated melee weapon."
"Is that so?" Max scratched his head. "Then let's work hard together and improve together."
"This is the Way."
"This is the Way."
It seemed that these weeks of lightsaber sparring had earned Christopher Wren the recognition of that ancient blue crossguard saber. If so… maybe Chris really was Force-sensitive, just with mediocre talent that hadn't awakened yet—like Sabine Wren.10
Right. The Wren clan.
"Chris, do you know Ursa? Ursa Wren."
"Ursa Wren? That Death Watch extremist? She's my cousin."
Then yeah—there was a real chance.
After returning to Cloud City, Max gave Emily Roke three things: a structural blueprint for a dual-crystal lightsaber, Master Sifo-Dyas's saber, and his own "signature" yellow kyber crystal. He commissioned her to forge him a dual-crystal lightsaber of his own.
Thanks to the Force's enhancement of memory, the blueprint Max drew was almost identical to the design reference he'd once seen before coming here. With accurate schematics and complete materials, it took the highly skilled armorer Emily Roke less than half an hour to build Max's personal weapon.
Max's lightsaber had an 18-centimeter hilt. Ignited in its default state, it produced a yellow blade with a standard length of 91 centimeters. Press a discreet button on the hilt, and Master Sifo-Dyas's blue crystal would engage—instantly transforming the weapon into a white lightspear with a blade length of 308 centimeters.
"Humm—humm." As he swung it, Max was practically glowing with pride. (If I can just master a Force barrier—something that can block a Force-sensitive opponent's precognition about my next move—then, heh, even if Palpatine himself shows up, I can poke a clean hole straight through him.)
In June of Galactic Standard Year 4, Hawk Squadron finally got its wish: its organization was transferred to the Mandalorian Armed Forces Navy First Fleet, becoming the carrier air wing squadron aboard the Purr-pleat Whale-class light carrier-cruiser.
Also in June of Galactic Standard Year 4, to compensate the Army for what it had "lost," Max urgently added an order with Incom for 24 Z-95 Headhunter starfighters, to form two new Army Aviation starfighter squadrons: "Zealous" Squadron and "Zest" Squadron.
Max also promised the Army that within this year he would complete the buildout of Cloud City's police department. Aside from the police chief and a small number of instructors and advisors, he would no longer use Mandalorian Army soldiers as part-time Cloud City police—freeing up Army manpower. Within this year and next, Army Aviation would expand to twelve starfighter squadrons.
Twelve squadrons—144 Z-95 Headhunters. To fully control Bespin and the surrounding near-space, that might still be a bit tight. But for point-defense of Cloud City and Sky City, it was—barely—more than enough.
In June of Galactic Standard Year 4, the Navy First Fleet's five heavily armed freighters—one large and four smaller—continued carrier conversion work at the Bespin Starfighter Production and Maintenance Base.
During the conversion period, after a fleetwide vote by each ship's crew, all five new ships finalized their names.
By vote of the entire crew of the First Fleet flagship—the Purr-pleat Whale-class light carrier-cruiser—in commemoration of the GR-75 medium transport's full-spectrum jamming during the assault on Cloud City, the ship was named the Vast Silence.5
The First Fleet's four Gozanti-class carrier escorts were named Gallant, Grit, Glory, and Grand.7
The Purr-pleat Whale-class conversion had a larger workload, but the contents were straightforward.
A large internal compartment was built using reserved hull volume. Fang-class maintenance equipment was moved inside, creating an onboard overhaul shop capable of servicing four Fang-class starfighters at once. The hangar build was much the same—just a smaller compartment and fewer machines to install.
The Gozanti-class hull was significantly smaller than the Purr-pleat Whale-class. But converting it into a carrier demanded more work, and the job was harder.
Whether adding external racks to carry the Fang-class, or building pilot ingress/egress passages that connected the externally mounted fighters to the ship's interior, the hull structure had to be modified. If CEC hadn't pre-reserved conversion space to Max's specifications—and if CEC's on-site expert team weren't currently guiding the work—the Bespin base wouldn't have been able to complete the conversion at all.
On June 13, Vast Silence completed conversion first. From June 22 to 25, Gallant, Grit, Glory, and Grand completed their carrier conversions in turn. The First Fleet was ready to move.1
…
"Commander, the First Fleet is fully prepared. Request permission to depart."
"Permission granted."
PS: Ursa Wren is Sabine Wren's mother. During the Clone Wars era, she was a member of Bo-Katan's Nite Owls.
PPS: Sabine Wren's Force-sensitivity has been foreshadowed for a long time. In Rebels, there were multiple moments where Sabine's entrances were underscored by the Force theme music.
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