The melee competition marked the conclusion of the first day of the clan games. A grand bonfire celebration was planned for that night, with another one scheduled for the final day of the games.
Rayden and Lexi met up with their parents as Varn delivered a closing speech to wrap up the first day.
He spoke about the tough competition witnessed in the youth division that day, highlighting the impressive wins and losses. Varn emphasized that every competitor had given their all and that each clan should take pride in their young members.
Following the speech, all the clan leaders and heirs gathered in the dining hall of the main building of the fortress for a nice dinner.
Rayden sat next to Elyse and Torin, with Lexi and her mother sitting across from him. Varn sat at the head of the table, while Drenar was next to Torin, and Drago was on Torin's other side.
On the opposite side of the table were Ravik and Jarek, along with Camren and Soren.
The meal was good, offering a nice blend of spices, meat, and stew.
Ravik set his utensils down and wiped his mouth. He then asked the others if they had heard the rumors.
Camren replied, "What rumors?"
Ravik responded, "Duke Adonai Kryze is sending his daughter away to Coruscant while he is calling all clans loyal to House Kryze to fight against Death Watch."
Veyra chimed in, "Yes, I heard about that. A few members of my clan have spoken with those clans, and it seems they want to end this civil war before the casualties become too high."
Varn added, "It's only been a few years since the fighting started, but so many have lost their lives. The worst was Jaster Mereel."
Drenar and Torin wore melancholy expressions, as they were friends with Jaster and shared his ideals.
Rayden and the other heirs sat in silence, listening to their parents talk about the ongoing civil war.
Rayden was deep in thought as he listened.
"In the legends, Jaster dies in 52 BBY, and then Jango takes over the supercommandos. However, in this version of the galaxy, Jaster dies in 48 BBY."
From what I've heard, Jango still took over the supercommandos. But since Jaster was alive for a few more years, he was able to increase the number of the commandos more than in the legends, which allowed him to give Death Watch a hard time.
This increase in numbers helped keep Death Watch at bay for a few years, but in 44 BBY, the Battle of Galidraan occurred. The supercommandos were decimated by a combined force of Death Watch and a Jedi task force.
Even though the commandos were destroyed, they did not go down without a fight. Over half of the Jedi task force was killed, and about a third of the Death Watch force was also eliminated.
Since then, Death Watch has been a constant thorn in the side of all clans that do not align with them. They disregard the harm they inflict on their own people, as long as they maintain their power.
It seems that House Kryze has taken it upon themselves to fight against Death Watch.
Rayden was reflecting on everything he knew about the great clan wars. There wasn't much information in canon, except that Duchess Satine, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon were on the run for a year from the bounty hunters that Death Watch sent after them.
A loud noise interrupted Rayden's thoughts and the clan leaders' discussion.
Keal, the captain of the guards from Clan Knight, entered the room with another man from their clan.
Keal: "I apologize for interrupting Varn and clan leaders, but we have urgent news."
Varn: "It's fine, Keal. Please tell us what the news is."
Keal: "According to reports and black market sources, we've learned that the leader of Death Watch, Tor Vizsla, was killed on Corellia."
Everyone stood up, shocked by the news. They exchanged glances, each of them harboring the same question.
Varn: "Who did it, House Kryze or someone else?"
Keal: "From what we gathered, it was Jango."
Ravik: "Jango Fett? Didn't he die with the rest of the supercommandos?"
Drenar: "I don't think so; they found his armor but not his body."
Camren: "Well, I'll be. He actually did it. Tor has been a massive pain in the ass all these years."
Torin: "I agree, but this won't be the end. In fact, it may make the battles more brutal, as someone will take his place and try to ensure no one takes advantage of this situation."
Drenar: "True, but for now, Torin, a toast to Jango for avenging both Jaster and the supercommandos. They were some of the best among us."
Varn and the rest raised their glasses. Even Rayden and the heirs joined in, as this news was both shocking and, in some ways, welcomed, yet it also brought a sense of worry.
"Keal, wait a moment," Varn said. "We will talk about all the information we have later."
He addressed his son and the other heirs. "I believe it is time for Rayden and the rest of you to go and rest in preparation for tomorrow. We will continue discussing this matter for now."
"Damn, I wanted to hear how Jango took out Tor, but I guess that will have to wait," Rayden thought. Outwardly, though, he followed Varn's suggestion and walked back to his room to rest for the games tomorrow.
As I lay on my bed, I contemplated the events about to unfold. A new leader for Death Watch was emerging, and their conflict with House Kryze represented two different futures for Mandalore and its people.
I raised my left hand, envisioning Death Watch and their war-hungry, savage nature. They have no qualms about pillaging and destroying the lives of innocents for the sake of pleasure and power.
Their goal is to lead our people back down a path of marauding, a course that ended disastrously for us the first time around.
On my right, I imagined the future under House Kryze. I knew they won in canon after Duke Adonai's Death when Satine became Duchess. However, because of their pacifist views, they would exile all clans that don't support their ideals.
This weakened Mandalore by the time of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. A future that would lead to the near extinction of our culture in the Night of a Thousand Tears.
For us, this means Clan Knight might have to leave our home, as I am certain we do not support pacifism.
Along with the four other clans and many more, we would have to decide between giving up our warrior ways or being exiled from Mandalore.
Rayden's brow furrowed as he imagined that future. Between the two outcomes, he felt that the pacifist approach was the most likely to happen.
Turning over to lie on his side, Rayden dreamt of his clan leading Mandalore down a third path; however, we were not yet as strong as the larger houses.
For example, House Kryze is an old house with a long history; they alone have around a thousand members, and if we included all the clans under them, that would total a few thousand Mandalorian warriors.
Additionally, there were tens of thousands of independent, clanless Mandalorians and small clans not affiliated with House Kryze but still willing to fight on their side.
"For now, it's best if we avoid the fighting. Let them tear each other apart while we strengthen ourselves in the background. When the time is right, we will take the seat of Mandalore and lead our people down a path that is neither of marauders nor pacifists."
We will be a people of honor and integrity, one that respects and upholds our traditions. We will unite in such a way that others will think twice before engaging with us; if you confront one of us, you confront us all." Conviction grew in Rayden.
The following morning, during breakfast, Rayden asked his father about the events of the previous night.
Varn set down his drink and explained that, based on the information they have, Jango had survived the destruction of the supercommandos and, a few years later, killed Tor in revenge.
"He's gone on to become a bounty hunter now; it seems he has given up on this civil war," Torin mentioned from the side.
Elyse added, "That is understandable; he is the only survivor of the commandos."
Rayden inquired, "Do we know if there is a new leader of the Death Watch?"
"No, all we know is that the next leader will come from Tor's top three men," Varn responded.
"Could we not sow discord between the three and cause the Death Watch to splinter?" Rayden suggested, thinking this might make it easier to destroy them.
Torin scratched his chin. "That is a good idea, but honestly, all we could do is share that with Duke Adonai and let him handle it."
Elyse said, "We should do that. We don't want to get involved; it's best to protect ourselves and wait to see what the best option would be for us."
All three men agreed with her as they continued their breakfast.
Varn and Elyse then asked Rayden if he was ready for the day's events. The scheduled activities included Capture the Flag, a forging event, a cooking event, and a marathon to end the day.
"I'm ready for capture the flag and the marathon; I know I won't have any problems with those two. But for forging and cooking, you guys know I don't have much experience. I helped here and there, but not on my own."
"That's fine, dear. In these games, participants who lack experience have the option to team up with a more skilled forger to create something," Elyse said while stroking Rayden's hair.
"Will I be partnering with anyone specific, or is it up to me?" I asked, as this information could help me complete my quest. I was worried that my lack of skills might lead to failure for those who were depending on me.
Varn explained that, for those interested, collaborating with a forger from their own clan is permitted to help create the item that will be judged.
These competitions have a unique format based on blind evaluations. You forge your item, and the judges will assess it based on factors such as durability, sharpness, comfort, handling, and other relevant criteria specific to the type of item you create.
Afterward, the judges will score the items. Depending on the rankings in each category, you can earn both clan points and points that contribute to your overall standing in the game.
"Really? Is that the same format as the cooking competition?" I asked, intrigued by what I was hearing. This approach will help me complete both game-related quests and the quest that requires me to earn 100 clan points myself.
Elyse responded, "Yes, for that, each clan will form 5 cooking teams. Each team will prepare a special dish that complements what the other 4 teams in their clan are making to create a full-course meal. The judges will be composed of 10 random clan members from each clan, and they will conduct a blind tasting of each meal based on appearance, taste, smell, and how well each dish pairs with the others."
Varn explained, "For each point earned in specific categories for every dish cooked, the points will be awarded to the clan that created that dish. Here's the twist: for both the forging and cooking competitions, your final score—plus double that score—will be added to the clan's overall total."
"This means that if, in the forging competition, I create an item that has a score of 7 for durability, 8 for sharpness, 7 for compatibility, and 6 for handling, giving me a total score of 28 for the competition, I will earn 56 clan points, regardless of my rank in the contest. This scoring system also applies to the cooking competition?" Rayden asked, getting even more excited.
Varn smiled and nodded his head. "That is correct," he said.
Rayden replied, "That's great! This is where we could earn the most points in the whole competition."
Elyse: That's right! Now let's finish our breakfast and get to the arena; we have a long day ahead of us.