Chapter 008:

Chapter 8: Tough Love

34 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) - 2 Years before Canon

Sector/System: Mandalore

Location: On Mandalore - Clan Gryphen Compound

Just when Jack left the shipyard Stan Yomaget called the current chief of Clan Gryphen on Mandalore.

Inside a small spartan office with just a desk and a console with a single chair behind it for the user. Can Stan Yomaget be seen as a hologram on the console.

On that single chair sat a woman in full armor and helmet on the desk beside her.

Seen can be her face with short cropped black hair, and cold blue eyes, and a face that belied her age with how unblemished it is.

This woman is none other than Clan Gryphen Chief Catra Cleo Gryphen former member of the exterminated Clan Germina taking control of her fallen husband Clan Gryphen instead after her husband and many warriors of the clan attempted to assist her Clan to no avail beyond some remnants that had been away and returned to Clan Gryphen after news spread like a wildfire of the clan's demise.

This woman single-handedly raised clan Gryphen from the ground up from a small clan of a few dozen strong, to what it is now with over two hundred members.

Chief Catra Cleo Gryphen POV:

"Stan… tell me what you know of my son during his time at the shipyards." I told the man, in a cold tone and looked at him with my fingers crossed under my chin supporting my head

[Sigh, You will not like what I am about to tell you.] I heard him say with a sigh, rubbing his temple.

"Start from the moment you woke up, and decided to watch instead of take control." My cold, harsh, unimpressed voice showed me the man becoming nervous, sweat trickling down the side of his face.

[Alright, when three of my men woke me and the others up I… decided to heed the boy's advice and rewrite control of weapons to us here. All so the weapons room would become all but useless… right after I… needed to know the situation so I activated all cameras…] I heard him say with a few pauses.

"So when you saw the true situation you thought, Oh great, let us watch instead of activating the alarms and call in support, something we have protocols for as a Faction!" I cut him off in a cold tone

"Not only 'That'. Information of the attack had to come from my son 'Trough DeathWATCH!'" I said some words with venom but in the last part, I growled out as if I wanted to rip someone's head off.

[... yes well, they were Deathwatch, and it went so well until it did not.] Stan said, fidgeting a bit in his seat.

"Yes… the darn reptiles played ball with them and still, you watched…for fuck sake if they died helping you our 'Neutral position' would have been thrown into question." I told him seeing him flinch at that.

I knew it was a sensitive topic since he's been trying to appease all sides for almost 20 years now, and the toll and stress are showing, paranoia followed by a personality disorder causing all those mood swings

"Not only that! you somehow fucked it all up and threw Clan Stix away! you know how much Keith and his clan love that girl Laara… she has so much potential, a lot of that potential to have enough for 'Songs' to be made like her name is the meaning of." I began finally sitting back in my seat rubbing my own temples.

[Yes… that is indeed a loss. In the 18 years he was here Keith has trained many of the smaller clans into some shared clan teachings that were not forbidden to be shared basically the basics of anything, ship, weapon, engine, armor. He taught my people here well…] I heard this fool say, switching from his cowardly fearful self to the commander setting, stoic and cold as he always was in the past.

"Enough is enough. I suggest you start building that ship you promised him. Because when I'm done with him he will be needing that ship." I told him, seeing his eyes widen.

[It is that time already?] His old stoic self was replaced by the cold calculating look as if he was some strategist.

[Mmm… if it is that time already I will have to use a lot of beskar stocks to make sure the ship will survive for many many years… if only we had some phrik to combine it all… no would not work wasted time, to much-wasted materials, he said it had to be light and not wasting too many resources that it would cripple us.] I saw him walk around in his room.

"But we are getting sidetracked, tell me how my son did." I asked him coldly seeing him suddenly jolt back in his seat showing his cowardly persona again.

[... a yes, yes of course… you see while we watched we tapped into coms and heard everything they said, and it was heard from your own son's mouth, that he forgot he had Beskar armor and such wasted too much time, and something like being two years of no real combat besides drills that he… became rusty…] Stan said suddenly shutting up.

I dare say seeing him pale from fear is great, I guess my murderous intent was shown hearing my only son and heir admit he was rusty even if it was to Keith.

Time to scare him some more, ah sigh, feels good to let off some steam even on someone pathetic like Stan.

"You also tapped into Clan Gryphen communications without permission… You do know that is treason, of our alliance, don't you." I told him seeing him pale even more.

[Yes… well… gotta go, seems some enemies survived that I have to deal with.] Stan said quickly about to leave.

"We will talk again and this time with Clan Yomaget's leader." I told him seeing him freeze up before the line was cut.

"Fucking mess… I know from the camera footage those two that followed my son in the end… mmm… what clan were they again I did not get a good look at their markings, getting them in our hands would be good and such a waste to have them on the shipyard." I looked at the footage of 'Landing Bay 2' where they easily sprayed down anything that was not Mandalorian.

*knock knock*

I heard someone knock on my door, I closed the console down and called them in.

I saw a nervous-looking soldier show up from the flight control of the clan.

"Chief… 'Wayfinder' was attacked on the way back, however, our patrol Corvette assisted in dealing with them and the enemy retreated rather quickly soon after, out of all enemy ships seven got away. Also, a Kom'rk and five Fangs landed and their people are waiting near them at the landing site… all are Deathwatch well former. I'm sure you saw the transmission making them traitors." the young man reported quickly in one breath.

"Interesting… wait how many got away you say?" I listened closely but heard something I did not like.

"*gulp* s-six ships got away… chief… a few others got crippled and are being boarded as we speak." the young man stood there, I could see him shaking.

"Also… Heir Jackel is close to landing about ten or so minutes out, that is all." he finished the report, a good time to prepare a warm welcome.

"Dismissed" I told him and saw him almost run out of my office.

I pressed a few keys.

"Chiefs guard on standby to receive my son, be at the landing platforms in five." I ordered before closing the channel grabbed my helmet put it on and left my office.

"Time to see how rusty you are you darn brat." I growled out soon followed by my second in command, a man of my old clan who drifted back to join clan Gryphen.

When I arrived at the landing site I saw the Kom'rk and Fangs to the side with a large group sitting or standing around in the shadows but in sight of my man.

'An entire Deathwatch assault group and all are traitors? this is going to be interesting.' I thought seeing them all get up and salute, I ignored them as I saw my son's ship touchdown and he and a woman step out.

'At least she is Mandalorian… wait, those marks… Shit Clan Vor, they are still around Justicars… oh son you messed up big time if you have one of them with you.' I thought in slight shock seeing someone tail my son as a follower of the Justicar Clan Vor.

I knew they are now more known as hunters but most do not know that what they hunt ain't beasts but people.

And one of them is now here… I need to plan and do things properly, but for now, I need to deal with my son.

Then I heard the word I hated him speaking out ever since he became a trader.

"Mother" I grabbed my pistol in a quick draw and shot him.

Luckily I always have my weapons on base on concussion settings… a good way to motivate people and deal with weaknesses, having them improve to get rid of them.

I saw my son get hit and fly passed the Justicar, who was clearly surprised.

That was also when I heard him yell.

"HOLD!" and noticed the Justicar and the group to the side about to grab their weapons.

Interesting, I wonder what my weak ass son did to get them all to be willing to start a fight.

"Pathetic, not even dodging a concussive shot like that? you're weak… you have become weak. I will make a man out of you when I'm through with you! If this is what happened to you in the Republic acting as a trader, maybe we should join Deathwatch!" I told him in a hateful tone of voice

I suddenly noticed it, and moved my head sideways, a shot flying passed

"That is more like it, but still too slow, now get up and follow." I growled out turning around and walking away.

"Yes, chief." That is what I heard when I heard him say something to the Deathwatch group making me wait in the opening of the mountain, watching him walk briskly to keep up.

When he finally arrived we entered a bit further, then I grabbed my son quickly smashing his face into the ground, after a few words I shot him, stunning him just under the helmet I had pulled up a bit.

"Welcome home my son… when you wake we will talk." I felt his body shudder in fear before it stopped.

"Carry him to his old room and you follow me to my office we need to talk." I pointed to the Justicar of Clan Vor I needed to deal with her quickly to stabilize everything and learn why she was here to begin with.

My second in command grabbed my son and walked away with him slung like a sack over the shoulder.

The Justicar and I walked back to my small office. After entering and me sitting down we finally got a chance to be face to face properly.

"Helmets off." I said doing just that putting it back onto the small desk, when I watched her do the same keeping hers under her arm.

'No way… slightly pointed ears, so those guys are still around.' I thought in pure shock unable to hide it.

"Your race… is that huh… how many of you live?" I asked trying to calm my shock.

"No comment." I heard her say in a cold tone of voice.

"Well then Name?" I asked.

"Sera Vor of Clan Vor, Hunter and Justicar" I heard her say, making me have goosebumps under my armor with how normally and with pride she said those words.

"I take it your target is among my people… or you would not have followed my son so willingly." I said apprehensive of the answer.

"Non like that, your son saved me from a fate worse than death for any woman, I was surprised when my doors opened and they showed up stunning me, I lost my honor due to that, and when Heir Jackal arrived and saved me even carry me back inside I knew I had no other options left." Sera explained making my eyes widen in shock.

'No targets just pure and simple, loss of honor and needing to prove herself once more to regain it. Not sure my son is lucky or unlucky to have a Huntress and Justicar follow him.' I thought.

"That is good then, where my son goes you go. I will put you through the wringer just how I will do him now that I got my hands on him." I told her with a giddy look and a smile as well feeling my facial muscles stretch.

"As you say." she said saluting me

"Now leave, a guard is outside, he will guide you to your place of stay, stay in there till my son awakens and you are collected for training." I told her when she put her helmet back on and left my office.

Just after she left I slumped in my chair.

"Sigh, need to be careful here, Clan Vor… you fuckers are alive at least you avenged my clan before disappearing in the wind." I sighed mumbling to myself before working on many documents again, even sending a message that when my son is awake have him get the medical supplies and machines from his ship.

Those would soon be needed I fear. I shook my head and went back to work. Ignoring the group of Deathwatch I had put in lock-down for now.

— — — — — 

Sera Vor POV:

After I had seen what happened to Heir Gryphen, by his own mother's hands I could only think of the words 'Tough Love'.

I knew she meant well, she must have felt frustrated with this entire ordeal with pirates and now suddenly him showing up at home without a call… maybe he did call or maybe he forgot I don't really know.

It reminded me of my own Clan situation where I was trained hellishly before being allowed to leave our underground compound on a planet way out of sight of known star lanes.

The tough love of my clan before I left like others to be a Huntress and Justicar like them, reminded me a bit of the things that happened today to Heir Gryphen.

I'm honestly surprised the chief of this clan knew the true meaning of us being hunters of people, not beasts.

I need to be careful here, I have no support and for now, I will get more training I just have to obey at least for now until she's happy with him and allows him and thus me to leave once more.

"We arrived, this here will be your room to stay in for now, that room over there is the Heir's room, and over in that one is the target practice room over there the physical training room." my guide said before turning around and leaving.

I looked at each of the rooms in question and saw a guard next to each of the doors and the heirs even had two.

'Seems even though they show hospitality they won't let me go anywhere too far, wonder why the chief is so willing to keep me close to her son, I'll figure it out later for now let me see my room.' I thought before entering my assigned room.