A New Player in the Force (SW/Lite Gamer)

[USSExplorer]

Serra will really need to talk to someone after that. The girl had no experience with feelings, now add the little trauma that occurred and you have someone who needs a psychologist fast. I recommend someone who is not a jedi, as was shown throughout the work, they are not the best people to talk about it.

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She's been talking with Fay, though that's not really known to Cam as Serra's obviously not going to tell him that she's been talking with his master about her feelings and the like.

But we know how the council will deal with it

The force will fix it fuck it your on your own

What your a sith now wtf how did that happen

Edit:Still dont who's worse on child development the jedi council or the PRT?

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For how the Jedi would respond to this, look no further than how they handled Ahsoka's 'trial' in The Clone Wars.
"A test from the Force"... load of pure bs to cover their arses for not defending one of their own

 

[james911p]

Hi, so I noticed that the hormones were getting to Cam, and were affecting him greatly before. I thought that it would be cool if the hormones were the system's way of bringing Cam's mental age closer to his physical age and that the balance to this could be that when "player mind" was activated passively, he would go back to his old self. This will make things less awkward romantically between him and Serra. It could also be because their force bond is getting stronger and so their emotions are affecting each other more.

 

[Ghosty]

You should make Anakin female, just a suggestion this thought just randomly popped out of my head.

By the way great story just read it in a day or two.

 

[The Dude]

For how the Jedi would respond to this, look no further than how they handled Ahsoka's 'trial' in The Clone Wars.
"A test from the Force"... load of pure bs to cover their arses for not defending one of their own

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Yep, the Jedi are basically the worst kind of fanatics.

Stuff like this is reason I find myself very sympathetic to the Sith as I read through more and more of the EU lore. Do the Sith hate the Jedi and want to see them slaughtered? Yeah. Do they actually have a pretty good reason? Also yeah.

On a related note... I'm a bit too tired to look through the thread, but did Cam ever make the connection IC between Yin/Yang and the Light/Dark? Because I really see them as a perfect match. Yin is tranquility and peace, but also stagnation and death, while yang is violence and chaos, but also growth and life.

 

[Zendrelax]

Stuff like this is reason I find myself very sympathetic to the Sith as I read through more and more of the EU lore. Do the Sith hate the Jedi and want to see them slaughtered? Yeah. Do they actually have a pretty good reason? Also yeah.

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Eeeeeeeh. I mean, the Sith as an organization was really born out of the failures of Jedi dogma, so it's easy to see merit in their opposition to the Jedi. But if we take them as a whole, the Sith are worse. By a lot.

 

[auraofcalm]

Hah. Something tells me that without gamer's mind he would've just flirted with the dark side.

 

[Creed]

Having decided to go back and re-read the entire story (which is amazing btw), one thing keeps jumping out at me, and that's Camerons constant self-flagellation every time he has an errant sexual thought about pretty much anyone. I mean don't get me wrong I applaud the consistency but I feel it gets brought up too often.

On another note I had a bunch of quotes for Grammatical errors and their fixes but for some reason QQ decided to not save them which sucks.

For how the Jedi would respond to this, look no further than how they handled Ahsoka's 'trial' in The Clone Wars.
"A test from the Force"... load of pure bs to cover their arses for not defending one of their own

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I had the biggest "Are you fucking serious right now?" moment during that episode, I wanted nothing more than to reach through the screen and slap the stupid out of them

Well, you're half right about what they'll do

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I can't imagine they can push Camerons buttons more than the Jedi High Council do on the regular, but I look forward to them trying lol

Adonai's brow rose and he looked from Serra to me slowly. "Hmm, interesting." There was a pause as he glanced at Pre – who gave the barest of nods – before he spoke again. "Very well. We thank you for agreeing to this, young ones."

He turned his attention to my masters. "While the Padawans are here, they will be under the protection of my House. Any move against them will be an attack against my House."

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There's also this, that is if having the protection of House Kryze actually matters.

 

[USSExplorer]

Hah. Something tells me that without gamer's mind he would've just flirted with the dark side.

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Technically, P-M was off when he stomped on the lead attacker at the end of the chapter. I clicked on the moment that Cam decided to use the door as a weapon, and disengaged when Nia walked in as Cam considered that the end of combat.

I had the biggest "Are you fucking serious right now?" moment during that episode, I wanted nothing more than to reach through the screen and slap the stupid out of them

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Yeah, that was a pure rage-quit moment. Ahsoka has far better control than I do (and I'm more than double her age at the time) bc I'd have let loose a string of curses at them before walking away.

There's also this, that is if having the protection of House Kryze actually matters.

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The issue here is that, to many, Clan Kryze and all that follow them are traitors for allying with the MINOs (Mandalorians in Name only aka New Mandalorians) so that protection doesn't mean jack to many...

 

[The Dude]

I can't imagine they can push Camerons buttons more than the Jedi High Council do on the regular, but I look forward to them trying lol

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I commented that they'd either grab camera footage and call it an open-and-shut verdict or it'd be trial by combat without force suppressors, and got told one of them is right.

Pretty sure that means the half-right there isn't them finding the boys not-guilty. It's that they're just gonna lock the boys in an arena with Cam and tell them "You bit this off, time to chew or choke," knowing full well what's about to be rammed down their throats.

 

[USSExplorer]

Thanks to blaze1992 for some quest concepts and spit-balling ideas.
To the backroom group for their help with SW related issues, arc ideas and betaing the chapter
To WarriorsCre3d for creating a custom image for the story.

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A/N:
So, looking back at the last chapter I think that perhaps it should have carried a small warning for the suggestion of what would have occurred if Bo and Cam hadn't saved Serra.
From now on, I will try to place a small warning at the beginning of any chapter where a scene could offend, though this will be at my discretion and based on my opinion.
Hopefully, that will be enough.

Also, to be clear, to most Mandalorians (i.e. any who are not members of the New Mandalorian faction) the age of adulthood is 13 if the child has completed a verd'goten.

If anyone wishes to speak with me about this or just in general, to offer ideas or discuss the story (or SW in general), you'll find a link to two Discord servers where I and those helping me are active. Or just drop me a PM.

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NOTICE
While I do not feel this chapter crosses into M-rating, the first scene covers are a rather brutal method of determining guilt or innocence.
You have been warned.

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Current date: 5 years until the Invasion of Naboo

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(Gar Saxon's POV)

As he sat down with his teammates, Gar looked around the assembled stands. From what he could see, it appeared that every trainee in the Institute – bar those in the medical bay or confinement area – was present. While this was unusual, he had a suspicion as to why it was happening, based on what he'd learnt from his mother and Instructor Wrajud.

For the last few days, the rumour mill had been running wild with a story that nine members of Laamyc group and three from Diryc group – the Kryze girl and the two Jedi – had been pulled from classes and placed into confinement due to a pair of fights that had occurred about a week ago.

His mother clearly knew what was going on but had refused to reveal to him what had happened. As had any other Instructor, even Instructor Wrajud who had, at his uncle Pre's request, spent time training him privately. Though both had hinted that whatever had happened, it would be resolved soon, which was why he suspected he knew the reason for this gathering.

"What's going on?" his lover and the team's second in command, Rook Kast asked as she slipped passed him to her seat. As she stepped over his legs, she let her fingers trail teasingly across his chest, which sent a pleasant sensation through his body.

"Don't know," he replied, as she slid into her chair and ignored her fingers as they came to rest on his forearm, "but it's probably to do with the Jedi."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Rook's eyes widen and she licked her lips before she turned her attention to the sparring rings.

Unlike on most days, when the various challenges took place for the Laamyc and Diryc group standings, only the three central rings had their lights on. Though what was interesting to Gar was that the gaps between those rings were also well-lit. That added further credence to his feeling about what was about to take place.

"Huh. So the rumour mill might be right for once?" Rook asked as she glanced his way for a second. "This should be interesting. From what I hear, the boy Jedi's got spunk."

Gar ignored her latest attempt to irritate him by referencing Shan, though he replied, "He is competent." As he was well aware that if he didn't respond she would keep needling him until he answered her and he wanted to keep his attention on what was to come.

And while he would admit the boy was competent to others, internally he was conflicted about Cameron Shan. The boy had killed his father, and his blood sang at him to seek revenge. Yet, Gar could not deny that the boy was… impressive when he fought.

Gar had reviewed recordings of several of Shan's ranking spars, along with a handful of the recordings of Team Brown-Nine – he was not going to refer to them by their silly moniker – in team events. For most, though not all of the recordings, Gar got the distinct impression that the Jedi was holding back.

In almost every spar there was a moment where Gar swore the boy hesitated or failed to take advantage of the situation, while Gar would have. The same was true in the team events, though there at least it appeared as if Shan was not seizing the moment so that another of his team could.

All of this was where Gar got him suspicion that the Jedi was not going all out, and it confused Gar.

Now, in the team events, Gar could judge those decisions as the Jedi using them to help his team improve and learn as a unit, and if that was the case, Gar could not deny the result it was having.

The improvement of Brown-Nine as a team had been staggering as they'd gone from one of the weaker new teams to one of the top teams in Diryc group. Heck, Gar would even expect them to win most of the time against the lower-ranked teams in Laamyc group.

In Gar's mind, this spoke well of the Jedi as a leader, as the cohesion and efficiency of a team – or lack thereof – began and ended with the effectiveness of their commander.

Yet, in the single spars, the Jedi still held back, which infuriated Gar to no end.

Because Shan kept holding back, and not taking every opportunity he had to end the fight quickly and efficiently, Gar had yet to see definitive proof that the boy had defeated his father without cheating by using the Force.

No matter what his mother said – and Gar could not deny he was less than thrilled that his mother had such a high opinion of the boy that killed her husband, and his father – without seeing the Jedi fully commit to a battle – without using the Force – Gar was… unwilling to believe what he had been told.

"It's the Commandant." stated another member of Gar's team – Rhiox Loc, their heavy-weapons specialist. Gar noted that the Commandant was not alone, as just a half-a-step behind her in flanking positions were Chief Instructor Wrajud and Range-Master Marod.

As they walked towards the centre of the largest – and central – ring, Gar realised that the usual matting had been removed, exposing the hard wooden flooring underneath. As he pondered as to why that was, the Commandant began to speak.

"As I suspect most, if not all of you, are aware, five days ago there was an incident involving members of this Institute. One Trainee has received a formal reprimand for actions they took in clear view of an Instructor. This Trainee, who shall not be named, accepted their reprimand without complaint."

Gar leaned forward in his seat at the Commandant's words at hearing this, as did many others.

In Gar's four years at the Institute no one had received such a mark against them, so for someone to not only receive one but accept it unconditionally suggested the rumour mill may have, for once, may have been right, and revealed some of the truth about what had happened between the twelve Trainees in confinement.

"However, while the reason for that reprimand is not debated, the truth of the incident that instigated the need for a reprimand is. Two versions of the events have been revealed, and those involved stand by their version. This incident took place in a place where it was agreed that recording equipment would not be placed. This has been a long-standing situation at this Institute so that there were places where trainees could have time without the overwatch of the Instructors and was done on the basis that all trainees were trustworthy and honourable. Because of this incident, that decision is now being reviewed."

"Now, with the lack of a recording of what actually happened, and having two versions of events that are incompatible with each other, this has placed the staff of the Institute, including myself, in an awkward and unusual position. How are we to ascertain the truth regarding the events that occurred, and determine the innocence or guilt of those involved?"

"Thankfully, Range-Master Marod and Chief Instructor Wrajud were able to find a possible solution for this problem. However, this solution dates back to before the Dral'Han."

Gar ignored the slowly increasing whispers coming from around him as he focused on the Commandant, curious as to what method from the old ways was to be used. The most common way to settle matters back then, at least according to what his father and uncle had told him, was trial by combat. But the odds on the Jedi accepting such a solution, especially when denied access to the Force, was… low.

"While I was… reluctant to consider this method, all interested parties have agreed to this method," the Commandant continued calmly, ignoring the increase in volume that was coming from the people watching in the stands. "As have their clan elders and sponsors."

A new light came on, this one illuminating the viewing box used by the staff and any guests. As he refocused on that box and heard several people near him inhaled sharply, Gar's brow rose as he took note of what appeared to be nearly three dozen people in the box.

Most of the people were instructors, but four of the others who were present drew Gar's attention. His uncle Pre and cousin Tor, along with Duke Adonai and his heir Dorgo were all there and outfitted in their armour. For them to be wearing the armour in public, honouring the old ways, drove home to Gar that today was going to be momentous.

By being here, in armour, Pre Vizsla and Adonai Kryze were stating openly and clearly, that they still held to the old traditions. This had the potential to drive a significant wedge between their clans, House Kryze, and the New Mandalorian faction.

"Thus, in accordance with the old ways, this dispute is to be settled with trial by combat." the Commandant stated and Gar's head whipped back around to focus on her.

While the Commandant seemed weary and resigned about what was to come, both Wrajud and Marod were more… content. Which made sense to Gar. Wrajud, for all his public behaviour, was a follower of Death Watch – oh he might not have said it openly, but Gar could easily read between the lines – while Marod was an old warrior who always had a story to tell about a battle he had fought in somewhere in the galaxy.

"To be clear, this combat is not to the death. The truth shall be determined by whichever side is able to disable their opponents, or convince them to recant their story," Gar noticed that the Commandant's brow seemed to tighten as she spoke. He also saw a less-than-friendly smile creep onto the face of Wrajud while Marod stood ramrod straight, without any hint of how he felt about what was about to come.

"This ijaat'akaanir will determine the guilt and innocence of all parties. All of us here today will serve as ja'hailire in this matter so that none can question the validity of the victor, nor the truth of their words." The Commandant finished before turning and walking from the ring.

As they turned, Gar swore he saw Wrajud sneer at Marod, though it may have just been a trick of the light as Marod showed no reaction.

"An ijaat'akaanir?" Rook muttered and a glance from the corner of his eye told Gar that like him, she too had leaned forward in the hopes of getting a better view. "I didn't think the Duke had the stones to allow something like this." She added as her leg rubbed against his.

"If the Jedi approved this, then he would have no choice." Gar offered in reply even as he smirked at Rook getting excited by the upcoming violence. Yet his mind soon returned to what was about to happen, and why the Duke, his uncle and their heirs were allowing themselves to be seen here.

While he gave the impression to most that he wasn't much more than a brute, Gar was no fool. No matter how much his blood sang for him to strike down the Jedi who killed his father, he was smart enough to know that there was a time and place to fight Cameron Shan.

Throw in that the Jedi were under the protection of Duke Adonai and House Kryze, of which he was a nominal member as he hadn't reaffirmed Clam Saxon's loyalty to the House yet, and Gar pushed down the urge that called out for blood.

While his uncles in Clan Saxon had been furious to learn that Jedi would be studying at the Institute, they knew that no move could be taken against the Jedi. Not unless the Jedi brought it upon themselves.

His mother had added her voice to those of Clan Saxon – though Gar placed less stock in her opinion than he used to – while his uncle Pre had advised him to not actively seek out trouble with the Jedi, nor go looking to cause an incident.

And Gar had listened to their advice and, his own common sense, and held back. Though that had not stopped him from voicing his opinions on occasion about how he felt about Jedi learning the ways of the Mando'ade.

Rhiox groaned as Gar saw a group of nine walk into the light on the left-most of the three illuminated rings. "What has Lanze gotten himself into this time?" Rhiox asked, though Gar wasn't interested in who he was speaking to, as he was far more curious about the nine trainees from Laamyc group.

None looked overly concerned, the Gar thought Lanze was being a half-step slower than the others. As Morn waved and bowed theatrically to the crowd, Gar couldn't help but scoff, but his eyes soon focused on another trainee; one that had been a problem for a few years now.

"Why did it have to be him?!" Rook growled out in a low voice and Gar moved his hand over to rest on top of hers in support as he glared down at the problem trainee, and the one Rook was moaning about, Drum Bendak.

Gar's temper flared as he remembered the reason for his dislike of Bendak. Three years ago, Bendak had less than subtly suggested to Rook that she should 'service' him. Rook hadn't taken kindly to the suggestion, and after rejecting his approach with a knee to the groin, challenged him to a spar. Though calling it a spar was a misnomer as Rook had systematically dismantled the idiot in a way that required Bendak to spend a day in a bacta tank to recover.

Ironically, it was Bendak's folly that had sparked Gar's feelings for Rook, and not long after, and in a much more successful attempt, the pair had begun enjoying each other's company. Yet, neither Gar nor Rook held anything but contempt for Bendak as the boy had tried a few more times to convince Rook to get with him. None were any more successful than the first and Bendak had eventually moved on to other targets.

"What?!" Another of Gar's team, Ellan Aran, screamed out. "They're putting them against those three?!"

Drawn out of his memories, Gar turned his head to the right-most ring and saw Kryze and the two Jedi step forward.

While he could understand Ellan's anger – three from Diryc against nine from Laamyc was a mismatch of farcical proportions – he couldn't quite bring himself to be that outraged about this.

After all, Cameron Shan was the one who killed his father. How could he not enjoy the idea that the boy would meet his comeuppance, even if it meant two others had to suffer for that to occur?

Yet, as Gar examined Shan – and ignored the growing swell of discontent from the stands – he realised that something about the boy was off. The Jedi was confident, almost supremely so. Which made no sense whatsoever.

While Kryze was trying to be strong, Gar saw her eyes bouncing from one boy in Laamyc to another, never settling on anyone. It was a sign to Gar that she knew that she was outmatched and desperately seeking out a weaker fighter in that group to avoid being beaten too badly.

The female Jedi – he honestly had not bothered to learn her name as she was not worth his time – was staying behind Shan and Kryze, and almost seemed to be trying to make herself smaller as her wide eyes took in the group across the rings from her and her allies.

Yet Shan showed no hints of fear, and if looks could kill, Gar suspected that both Morn and Bendak would resemble duracrete after a sustained barrage from a turbolaser.

Either Shan was overly confident in his own abilities, and Gar didn't think the boy had been holding back that much, or he was projecting supreme confidence in the face of overwhelming odds to inspire his allies and intimidate his enemies.

Gar was inclined to believe it was the latter, but he could not deny that Shan was Mandokar. To stand against such overwhelming odds, and show no fear, especially since – with the bracers clear to see on both Shan and Keto – he was denied his greatest advantage was the mark of one with the right stuff.

"The boy's got a pair," Rook whispered in a voice that was only meant for him. "I know you don't like him, but you can't deny that."

And Gar couldn't. Shan was worthy of some respect, and even if Shan would never realise it, Gar nodded to him in respect.

"Begin." Came the Commandant's single word command, and all the baying and protests from the stands grew.

Two of the older boys – ones Gar had never bothered to learn the names of as they were not ranked in the top one-hundred fighters in Laamyc group – rushed forward, seemingly seeking an easy victory as the noise coming from the crowd grew louder still.

Gar's brow rose as Shan stepped forward to meet their charge and till the noise grew, the crowd sensing blood in the air and Gar leaned further forward in anticipation of battle to come.

Just before closing to striking distance with Shan, the one of the pair slowed, dropping a step behind the other. Gar sensed this was intentional, and when a third boy – one on the opposite side of Morn's group – moved, Gar was sure of it.

The third boy shifted until he was just about out-of-sight for Shan then he began to advance. He would likely be the one who took him down with his was distracted by the first two.

The plan was solid, and in their place, he would probably have used a similar plan; though he would've committed two to the blind-side attack, yet just as the first boy shifted his weight to throw a punch, Gar swore he saw Shan tense in expectation.

It was almost as though Shan knew this was the older boys' plan and had a counter ready in advance. But that was impossible.

Yet, moments before the older boy's punch would have connected, Shan – using his lack of height to his advantage – slid under the jab and then struck the older boy in the ribs with a punch of his own.

Even as the first boy stumbled to one side, and judging from the grimace on his face Gar suspected the Jedi had at least cracked a few of the boy's ribs, the second boy attacked with a front kick aimed at the Jedi's now exposed midsection.

Gar felt in that instance a sidekick would've made more sense and he was proven right as, displaying impressive control of his body, Shan shifted just enough that the kick only grazed him.

As it passed, Shan trapped the leg at the ankle with his left arm and struck the inside of the knee so hard that even in the stands, and with the baying of the crowd still filling his ears, Gar could hear bones shatter.

The second boy screamed in pain, displaying unacceptable weakness in Gar's opinion, as Shan threw the leg upwards.

As that boy fell backwards – while still trying to grab his destroyed knee – someone near Gar gasped, likely in shock at the violence being shown by a Jedi, but Gar was too focused on the fight to recognise who had done so.

He was curious how Shan would use his momentary advantage, and Gar wasn't disappointed as even as the second boy was falling, Shan was pivoting.

He drove his knee into the side of the first boy, just below the ribs he'd previously struck, and Gar suspected the target had been the boy's kidneys.

As that boy started to double over from the strike, Shan caught him flush on the chin with an uppercut that seemed to lift the boy off his feet for a second even as Gar once more heard bone breaking.

Shan followed that up with a straight punch into the boy's gut, which had that boy stumble back and away from Shan.

As the boy fell to one knee, Shan was turning once more. This time with speed and, as the second boy got back to a seated position, he drove his heel into the boy's face.

The boy's head snapped back viciously, and the boy fell back and slumped to one side, Gar knew he was out of the fight.

Yet Shan wasn't finished, as he carried his momentum around, and leapt, then brought the top of his other foot down hard on the back of the first boy's skull.

As that boy slumped forward, Gar grunted in amusement at how brutally efficient the Jedi had been in dispatching the two older, and supposedly better fighters.

The third boy, having seen Shan's rampage, had slowed his approach and stopped just out of range of the carnage Shan had unleashed.

As that boy's eyes bounced almost comically between his friends and Shan, Gar realised that the arena – so recently flooding with voices calling out for blood – had fallen silent.

Which only made the growl that escaped Shan's lips as he moved towards the third boy that much easier to hear.

Shan threw a jab but stopped it short as the other boy shifted his stance to block.

That exposed the inside of one knee, which Shan caught flush with a sweep-kick, though the kick lacked much power.

It did, however, make the boy take a stabilizing step forward as he lost his balance for a second. And as he did, Shan drove an elbow into his gut, then threw his shoulder upwards, catching the older boy on the chin.

Gar smirked at the Jedi's tactics as the third boy stumbled back, only for Shan to grab one of his arms, twist himself and then launched the boy over his body.

Instead of just releasing the boy, as Gar had expected, Shan drove him down into the ground shoulder-first with a sickening crunch, then drove his foot hard into the boy's lower leg.

The boy screamed as Gar spotted that one of the bones in the targeted leg was now protruding from the skin while the rest of it flopped around uselessly.

Yet, in what Gar could only assume was a warning to everyone, Shan did not let up, and he drove a punch into the armpit of the arm he was still holding.

Again, the boy screamed, and Gar suspected the arm had been dislocated, if not outright broken.

Shan released the arm of the now disabled – and likely traumatized – boy before he turned to face the remaining six older boys.

"Shab." someone behind and to Gar's left exclaimed even as he felt Rook's fingers dig in almost painfully to his leg.

"Impressive." Gar muttered, more to himself than his teammates as he watched Shan stepped towards the first two down boys.

Shan's eyes never left the other six as he knelt beside the first boy, grabbed them by the hair, lifted the head upwards before and slamming it face-first into the wooden floor with force.

A chuckle escaped Gars lips at the Jedi's actions. That boy was no longer a threat – not least as he likely had cracked ribs, a broken jaw and major concussion – yet Shan had still made sure by rendering him unconscious in a violent way.

As Shan stood Gar realised that he was finally seeing the warrior his mother had spoken of. The one who had defeated his father in single combat without using the Force. And for the first time, Gar understood why his father had lost.

His father had thought he was facing off against a Jedi adiik when he'd been facing a brutal and dangerous warrior. That underestimation and his father's arrogance were why the Jedi stood here today instead of his father.

That realization that this was a true warrior was just now being discovered by Morn and his remaining cohorts and as Shan took a step towards them, Gar smirked at seeing two of those six instinctively take a step back.

"This is going to be fun," Rook said from his side as her fingers slipped free of his hand slid up Gar's thigh. "I hope the Jedi kills him."

Gar nodded in agreement. Seeing Bendak get taken down was always fun to watch, but for the first time in his life, Gar found himself cheering on a Jedi to do it. And he silently hoped that Shan showed Bendak less mercy than he had the first three boys.

Gar wasn't sure what Bendak, Morn and the others had done to enrage Shan, but given to how the female Jedi had reacted to seeing them, and still stayed behind Kryze it wasn't too hard for Gar to guess what it was. And these boys were about to get what they deserved for their actions.

As Shan took a single step forward, unconcerned by the carnage at his feet, Gar found himself leaning even further forward.

He was going to enjoy this.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Shan said, just loud enough for his voice to carry to all corners of the still shocked-into-silence arena, and Gar had to bite his tongue to not laugh out loud at that.

……
(Cam's POV)

"I'm going to enjoy this." I growled out as I glared at each of the six remaining boys in turn, taking a small measure of enjoyment in the way they all now looked at me.

I knew I shouldn't enjoy this, and with Player's Mind active when I fought I wouldn't enjoy it during the fight, but for what they had tried to do, I knew that afterwards, I would enjoy what I planned to do.

I clinked the bracers together, letting the sound echo around the arena, to make everyone aware they were active, and make them think that I'd just done all that damage without using the Force.

Of course, that wasn't entirely true. Even with them active, I was able to have Telepathic Shield, Precognition and Detection – plus the occasional boost from Force Speed or Enhance Stat – active, and that would remain the case for another fifteen or so minutes.

As I glared at the six, I watched as their eyes – wide with shock at my actions – flickered between me and their three friends on the ground. The only boy still conscious was whimpering and his sounds were clearly unnerving the other six as I caught sight of a few hands shaking in what could only be fear.

I took another step forward and began to speak.

"You ambushed me in the shower, and I could have let that go as just hazing." I said in a slow, calculating tone. In the silence that had fallen over the arena, my voice carried easily to every corner as memories from the last five days flashed through my mind.

Twice Serra had awoken in the cell she shared with Bo screaming, both out loud and through the Force, as nightmares about what almost happened plagued her mind. Since I was kept in the cell across from her, all I could do was speak to her from a distance while trying to calm her through the Force.

Regardless of how she felt about me, to see someone suffer though that had me battling each day to control, contain and direct my anger and when the idea of this honour duel was proposed I leapt at the chance as I could release my anger on those who deserved it.

"But for attempting to abuse and sexually assault my friend…" I continued, those images still flashing once more through my mind as I took one more step forward and snarled.

"For that, I'm going to break you."

……
(Gar's POV)

"They WHAT?!" Rook all but shouted in his ear as her fingers dug painfully into his thigh.

"Haar'chak Lanze." Rhiox groaned out, but Gar paid no attention to how his lover and friends reacted.

If what Shan was saying was true, there was only one way that the Jedi should deal with them.

"No mercy." Gar whispered, more to himself than others, as he – and everyone watching – saw Shan take another step forward, followed by another.

There was no mad rush to charge the six boys, nor any sign that his anger was clouding his judgement, yet as Gar watched Shan stalk forward, he realised that, where before there had been a Jedi had been confident in himself, now there stood a predator hunting its prey.

Gar didn't even try to stop the smile that crept onto his face as two the boys stepped back as Shan continued to methodically close the distance between them.

One boy, however, actually stepped forward, seemingly to meet the challenge. Yet Gar knew it was too little too late to save him from the onslaught that was to come.

"I admit my guilt," Lanze called out, stopping Shan in his tracks and making Gar snarl at the weakness the supposed Mando'ade was showing. "I thought we were only going to humiliate the Jedi, get them to leave. I knew nothing about what they planned for Trainee Keto. I… I should've spoken up sooner, but they convinced me to go along with things to get the Jedi to leave."

"Traitor!" Morn hissed out before he began to move, and Gar saw him shift his body in preparation for an attack.

"Trainee Roc," Commandant Kraviss' voice called out, stopping Morn in his tracks, "You wish to change your statement?"

"I do." Lanze replied with a nod.

"Very well. Leave the ring."

Lanze's shoulders slumped, and he trudged away from the fight, even as Morn barely managed to keep his rage under control and Gar used the moment of calm to look at Lanze's cousin – and Gar's teammate – Rhiox Loc.

Rhiox's brow was disturbed and he had both hands over his mouth, yet he made no effort to stand and go to confront his cousin, instead, he was choosing to stay and see how the ijaat'akaanir played out.

Gar turned his full attention back to the ring, just in time to see Morn begin to move towards Lanze and tensed his arm in preparation of throwing a punch.

Yet it seemed as though Shan had also seen this as he strode purposefully until he was blocking Morn's route to Lanze.

With the move, Gar could no longer see Shan's face, yet whatever expression it had was enough to freeze Morn in his tracks.

"Hut'uun."

The word was barely above a whisper, but in the all-but-silent arena, Shan's word carried to every ear and Morn's face contorted with his teeth now exposed and his eyes wide.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Morn roared, and even from the distance that Gar was at – he refused to watch the large screens about the rings, preferring to trust his own eyes – Gar saw spittle flying from Morn's mouth as he snarled at the Jedi.

Without waiting for a response, Morn launched a wild, almost uncontrolled fist at Shan, though by simply leaning back, Shan avoided it. He then took a slide step back to avoid a wild kick from Morn.

Gar tutted in annoyance at how easily Morn had allowed Shan to get under his skin and abandon any logical fight pattern. He kept watching as Morn continued to throw rapid, wild strikes towards Shan, yet the Jedi kept ducking and dodging while making no move to counter.

"What are you up to?" Gar asked though he expected no direct answer as Shan ducked, pivoted then slid out of the way of a wild and vicious-looking combination from Morn.

Just as Shan had escaped another of Morn's attacks – this one a straight jab – another fist came flying in, catching Shan in the upper arm, and making him stumble.

Gar mentally cursed himself for forgetting about the other fighters and suspected that the Jedi was doing the same, as the leg of a third boy, Drum Bendak, caught the Jedi flush on his lower back.

As Shan tumbled, then rolled – impressing Gar with his ability to adapt on the move – Gar noted that Kryze and the girl Jedi were now engaged the two members of Morn's group who had not gone after Shan.

Of the five remaining those two – Carbart and Jenlet – were the lowest-ranked fighters. Using them against the weaker two fighters in Shan's group made sense as Shan was undoubtedly the greatest threat.

Gar nodded in agreement with their plan. Morn, Bendak and Zoma Stegu were all ranked in the top twenty-five combatants for Laamyc group, so to have them concentrate on Shan to overload his defences and them take him out quickly made perfect sense.

Gar frowned in confusion as he watched Shan come to a stop from his roll – having created a small amount of separation with the three – before he then turned and grinned at the three older boys.

"He planned this." Gar muttered to himself as he realised why the Jedi was smiling.

"What?"

Without taking his eyes off the three-on-one fight that was about to begin in earnest, Gar explained it to Rook. "Shan wanted the stronger fighters to focus on him while Kryze works with the other Jedi against the weaker pair."

"Huh." Rook muttered, and there was a shift in her seat, but why that was Gar didn't know as he refused to take his eyes from the rings, specifically the main fight between Shan and Morn, Bendak and Stegu. "Boy's really got a pair."

"Or he has the hots for the girls." Someone else offered, but Gar paid their talk no further attention.

On one side of the main ring, he watched as Kryze blocked a jab from Carbart, which allowed the female Jedi to land a blow against the boy's side.

The blow didn't seem to faze Carbart much, and the Jedi paid for taking the shot as Jenlet caught her in the calf with a low kick.

While that fight wasn't his main focus, Gar was impressed with how easily the two females were working together to counter their older, stronger and more skilled opponents.

Gar's focus returned entirely to the main fight as the trio advanced on Shan.

The boy guided a kick from Bendak away, then caught a knife-hand chop from Stegu on his other side and then twisted and pulled the arm.

The older boy was unprepared for that, and Shan was able to turn and launch Stegu over his body, making him crash into Morn who was coming in from Shan's blindside.

As the two began to condense into a pile and crash to the floor, Shan pivoted and drove the foot of his trailing leg into Stegu's back, just above the waist. That hit accelerated the two older boys' collapse and added another vector of momentum to make it more chaotic.

The kick, however, had left Shan exposed to Bendak, and that boy took advantage of this to land a hard jab against Shan's elbow. That made the Jedi grunt and take a step to the side to create space between him and Bendak.

Bendak didn't allow that and closed the space before firing off three more jabs in quick succession. Shan guided the first away with the barest of touches and blocked the second. He couldn't avoid the third, however, and it clipped his shoulder, forcing Shan to take a few steps back in an attempt to rebalance himself.

Yet even then, when off-balance and on the defensive, Shan adapted. As he took the second step back, he reached up and grabbed the arm that had punched him and pulled Bendak towards him.

Gar raised his threat potential of Shan as the boy rolled backwards and pulled Bendak with him, then tossed the older boy over his body.

As Bendak left his feet and began to sail over Shan, the Jedi brought his knee up into Bendak's gut, which winded him. Though Shan did not let go of Bendak as he did so.

That meant that Bendak's flight arc was altered, and his head drove into the wooden floor. That allowed Shan to continue his roll until he was in a mounted position over Bendak.

Shan used that position to land a hard punch across Bendak's jaw, with the sound echoing around the arena, yet no further attack came. Shan was forced to lean back to avoid a roundhouse kick from Morn before he seemed to combine a roll and a flip to move backwards.

Whatever exactly he had done – and Gar wasn't exactly sure what that move would be called – it was enough to help Shan avoid a thrust kick from Stegu. It also generated enough separation that neither boy could launch another attack before Shan was kneeling and ready to pounce.

In the momentary lull, as the three readied themselves for the next stage of their fight, Gar caught sight of Kryze catching Carbart with a vicious elbow to his side, which was followed up by the female Jedi driving her knee into his jaw as he bent forward.

Carbart stumbled back and the female Jedi pressed the attack by landing clean strike against his temple. Yet even while she did that, Jenlet grabbed Kryze's arm, pulled it towards him them stuck the arm, driving it upwards in what was likely an attempt to stun or dislocate the arm.

"Arrgh!" Kryze called out as the arm fell limply at her side and Jenlet struck her in the side of her now undefended ribs with a jab. Though and advantage that the boys might have gained from Kryze's injury was quickly negated as the fact the female Jedi caught Carbart in his groin with a punt kick, with the boy all but doubling over from the pain.

Whatever happened next though, Gar missed as his attention returned to the main fight as Stegu and Morn began to move.

Instead of approaching Shan, however, the pair moved to his sides and Gar recognized that they were trying to flank Shan. It was a solid strategy, but Gar doubted it would be enough for them to gain the upper hand against the Jedi. Though there was a chance it would at least delay Shan long enough for Bendak to regain his bearings, he had just rolled onto his side, and return to the fight.

Once they had all but flanked Shan, the pair moved in and Stegu threw a straight punch, though Shan avoided it easily by leaning away. This, however, brought him closer to Morn, who tried to sweep out Shan's leg with a kick.

Gar was impressed as Shan seemed not only prepared for this but used it to his advantage as the Jedi pushed down on Morn's sweeping leg.

With this move, two things happened. Shan was able to push himself into the air and it disrupted the older boy's balance enough that the leg came down sooner than planned. This forced Morn into taking a step forward as his momentum turned him away from Shan.

Shan's short jump ended as he drove his heel into the foot Morn had just planted on the ground, then leapt forward and drove his shoulder into Morn's back.

That was enough to cause Morn's stumble to become a full-on tumble, and the boy fell forwards to the floor. However, he was able to get his hands out in time to soften his landing and prevent him from smashing his face into the floor.

Shan was not able to take advantage of Morn's position as Stegu moved in and landed an open-handed strike – from the thumb side of his hand – just about Shan's elbow.

Shan grunted and Gar noted that the hit had landed on the same elbow that had been struck earlier, and he wondered if that was not a weak spot to target.

Stegu obviously felt the same as he aimed a knee strike at the elbow, but Shan was able to block it and he used the knee to push off from and establish some distance between the two. This meant that Stegu's follow-up punch met nothing but air where Shan's face had previously been.

But again, while on the defensive, Shan was able to turn the tide in his favour as he grabbed the fist thrown by Stegu and pulled it towards himself.

Caught unprepared – again – Stegu was dragged forward a few steps, but that was enough to allow Shan to drive his elbow into the boy's face.

Stegu stumbled and blinked, likely to help him refocus after the elbow to the face. However, Gar saw that Shan wasn't pressing the advantage. Instead the boy grimaced, then rotated the arm he'd just used to strike Stegu. As Shan looked at the elbow in confusion, Gar realised it was the same one that had been hit previously, though Stegu didn't see this as he had instinctively brought his hands up to his face after Shan's hit.

Shan let the sore arm fall and stepped forward, clearly planning to use Stegu's disorientation to strike again, but Morn chose that moment to launch himself at the Jedi. The move wasn't pretty, but it worked, and Morn was able to tackle Shan and drive him to the ground, with the Jedi landing on the sore arm.

Morn rolled away in what Gar assumed was expectation of a retaliatory strike from Shan, but none came as the younger boy grimaced and grabbed the elbow.

Gar watched as Morn and Stegu shared a look – likely in realization that their opponent was injured – before they both rushed at the now kneeling boy.

However, in an unorthodox move, Shan spun on the spot, pushed off the ground with his good arm and launched himself feet first towards the incoming boys.

Morn spun and jumped, avoiding the leg aimed at him, but Stegu wasn't so lucky, and he took Shan's foot right in his stomach.

This stopped Stegu's forward momentum, and before he could recover, Shan rotated himself to bring his other leg around, smashing the bridge of his foot down on the back of Stegu's skull.

As Shan used his momentum to roll away, Stegu fell face-first into the floor with a hard thud that echoed around the arena. In what Gar suspected was an intentional benefit of this was planned by Shan, Stegu was now lying between Morn and Shan.

Stegu stayed down, either stunned from his impact or unconscious while Shan shifted around into a side-leg kneeling position.

As Gar continued to watch, Morn slid forward, and without removing his eyes from Shan, gave Stegu a hard shove.

"Get up!" he hissed to his cohort, but Stegu's only response was a pained groan, which to Gar at least, signalled that Stegu was out of the fight; at least temporarily.

Shan jumped just enough to shift from a kneeling position to a crouched one even as Morn snarled and stepped over his downed friend. While that was happening, Gar noticed that Bendak had finally managed to stand, though he was swaying slightly, and was moving to attack the Jedi from behind.

Gar's brow rose in shock as, in a moment of incredible clarity, Shan seemed to sense the onrushing Bendak, and slid to one side. And as Bendak hurtled passed him, Shan rotated insanely quickly which allowed him to drive the heel of his foot into the older boy's back as he passed by.

Bendak's forward momentum became uncontrolled, as Gar expected, as the boy groaned and fell to the ground like a droid that had suddenly lost power.

In a moment that Gar felt was a sign that this fight was certain to go Shan's way, Bendak's forward collapse resulted in his face crashing into the back of Stegu's skull, driving it into the ground once more.

Both boys groaned as Bendak's body slid over Stegu's as they ended up in a heap at Morn's feet.

As Morn's eyes widened to almost comical size at the sudden removal of both of his allies and bounced between them and the Jedi, Gar allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. The chances of a kick resulting in such a fall and collision were small – Gar knew he could never intentionally pull off such a manoeuvre – yet it had happened, and in that instant, any chance Morn had to win seemed to vanish into dust.

"Where did the Jedi find him?" asked a voice from somewhere around Gar, though he couldn't say for sure from where since his eyes were firmly rooted on the battle below.

A lull may have fallen in the battle between Morn and Shan, but there was still fighting going on and he saw the female Jedi take a kick from Jenlet.

Yet, even as pain spread across her face, that Jedi had the combat intelligence to trap Jenlet's leg against her body. That allowed Kryze to slide around her and strike Jenlet hard in the thigh of the leg he was using for balance.

"And he isn't using his powers," the voice added. "How could we even fight him if he did?"

'You don't,' Gar thought to himself, 'you either die well or join him.'

As the words passed through his mind, Gar stopped and blinked. For the first time since the trial had begun, he leaned back as what he'd just said to himself sunk in. He realised now without a doubt that warrior in the ring below him was the one who had defeated his father, and Shan had not needed the Force to do so.

While the trial had not technically ended, to Gar – and any who understood real combat – the outcome was assured.

Morn may have been uninjured while Shan had clear problems with his left arm, yet Gar knew that Shan would emerge victorious. This was further proven as the less interesting fight of this ijaat'akaanir entered its final stage.

Jenlet, hobbled from the earlier strike against his thigh, was able to block a high kick from Kryze with his forearms, yet this left him exposed to the female Jedi as she came in low, sliding passed Kryze, and took out both of Jenlet's legs.

Those two moved efficiently around each other, though this didn't surprise Gar as he was aware that Kryze had been spending time training the female Jedi. Though the rumour mill suggested it was more than just training that the pair were doing. Whether that was or was not the case – though Gar suspected there was a kernel of truth to it as he was aware of the activities that Kryze was involved in with his cousin Naz – didn't matter as they were a solid unit.

Gar let that fight drift from his attention – even as Kryze drove her knee up into Jenlet as he slumped forward – and leaned forward once more.

Morn and Shan had begun to move, their battle – and the trial itself – entering the endgame.

Shan, likely having caught sight of his allies begin to take down the last of Morn's group, stepped forward, intent on ending the fight. Yet, as he stepped near the bodies of Stegu and Bendak, Bendak – it what Gar could only assume was an instinctual reaction – reached out and grabbed Shan's foot.

Shan took a single stumbling step because of this. Though he quickly rectified the issue as he pulled his trapped foot free of Bendak's weak grip, then rotated slightly and drove the heel of that foot down hard on the boy's shoulder.

Gar's brow creased at Shan's actions. While it did ensure Bendak was out of the fight, the partial rotation had exposed his sore arm to Morn. Gar was confused as to why the boy would do something so foolish, though Morn didn't hesitate to take advantage and threw a lightning-fast kick at Shan's weakened elbow.

Gar's confusion increased as Shan had to know the kick was coming, yet he made no move to block it. Instead, he let the kick connect and Shan grunted as he was forced to take a stumbling step back and rotate.

Yet, as he stumbled, Shan accelerated his rotation and grabbed a hold of Morn's leg with his good arm and pulled it with him as he began to fall, bringing Morn with him.

As he fell, Shan slid his hand down Morn's leg to keep control if it and twisted to ensure that his body came down on Morn's leg just above the knee, as said leg struck the ground.

Morn screamed as the sound of bone breaking once more echoed around the arena. Gar's confusion was gone in an instant as he realised what Shan had done. The Jedi had exposed his weakness to lure in Morn, then, once Morn had fully committed to the attack, Shan had turned the tables and taken down Morn with a single brutal and efficient move.

It was a brilliant ploy, though Gar doubted most Jedi would have the courage to consider it or consider using the damaged part of their body as a weapon. However, Shan did not share the normal weaknesses of his Order.

While Morn was screaming, Shan drove his sore elbow into Morn's face – once more using his injury as a weapon – before he rolled away.

Morn was caught in two minds as to whether he should check on his shattered knee or, given to the blood pouring profusely from it, his broken nose, and even as Shan moved into position to strike again, Gar allowed a small smile to creep onto his face.

From what he'd seen today, Gar did not doubt that Shan would qualify for the Akaan'lor tournament – none of the other fighters in Diryc were even close to his level – nor that he would meet the Jedi in one of the later rounds.

Gar felt he should still win – as the Jedi had revealed just how dangerous he was today giving Gar ample time to prepare – but even if the Jedi were somehow to emerge victorious, Gar would not mind. Their fight would be glorious and Gar's blood already sung to him in anticipation.

As Morn rolled around in pain, Shan stood. However, instead of finishing off Morn, the Jedi walked over to the two females.

Jenlet lay in a heap at their feet, unmoving save for the gentle rise and fall of his chest, though Kryze was cradling her arm which confirmed to Gar that it was injured, though likely nothing more than a simple dislocation.

From what he had seen, Gar expected both females to qualify for the Akaan'lor tournament, though neither had any real chance of reaching the final rounds.

Without Shan saying a word, the female Jedi turned her head to look at him. While no words were spoken, Gar was certain that they were communicating and after a short moment, the girl nodded and walked towards, then passed, Shan.

Her arm cocked back, and she threw a roundhouse punch with such force that as it connected with Morn's jaw, the Jedi stumbled and barely avoided falling face-first to the ground beside the older boy.

Gar watched as she stabilized herself, and he noticed that she grimaced as she cradled the hand that she had just used to strike Morn. Because of this, Gar suspected that she'd been unbalanced when she'd thrown her punch and hurt herself.

Morn, for his part, simply groaned louder. Though was difficult as his jaw had been either broken or dislocated – if not both – by the girl's punch. However, the groan made the Jedi scrunch up her face and she glared at the boy.

In an instant, the female Jedi had lifted her leg high and then brought the heel of her boot crashing down onto Morn's groin.

Gar instinctively flinched as Morn tried to wail out in pain before he rolled to the side and curled up in a ball.

The Jedi, however, did not let up and she swung her foot in a powerful kick that connected with the now exposed lower part of Morn's groin, and Gar reflexively pulled his legs together.

"I like her style." Rook said with a chuckle as she ran her fingers up and around Gar's thigh. "Even if her form needs work."

As her fingers got close enough that he flinched again – though this time in pleasure, not shared pain – she leaned close "And this has me fired up." She whispered before nibbling his ear.

"The ijaat'akaanir is concluded." the Commandant's voice rang out around the arena.

The lights in the rest of the arena came on and Gar spotted the entirety of the Institute's medical staff rushing into the three rings used for the trial. Two went over to check on Shan and his allies – Gar noticed that the boy was keeping a watchful eye over Morn and his downed allies while Kryze took a few steps towards the female Jedi – while the rest headed for the eight boys scattered around the rings.

"Trainees Keto, Kryze and Shan have demonstrated their worth, defended their honour, and proven they spoke the truth." The Commandant continued as Gar saw a medic run a scanner over Shan's arm. "Dismissed."

"Come on." Rook whispered as she began to stand, like many in the stands. Her fingers dragged up his body and hooked under his arm and gently tugged him upwards.

Gar allowed her to pull him to his feet, and even though Shan could not see it, Gar nodded in respect.

Today, Shan had proved that he had defeated Gar's father honourably, and Gar felt that needed to be acknowledged. Plus, he was about to have some fun of his own, because of the Jedi.

As Rook aggressively pushed her way through the other trainees and dragged him with her, Gar let a smile spread across his face at the sheer insanity of the idea that what was about to happen was the result of a Jedi.

Sometimes the galaxy was a strange place indeed.

……
(Bo-Katan's POV)

"The ijaat'akaanir is concluded."

At the Commandant's words, Bo-Katan finally relaxed her stance. As she cradled her arm, smiled as she looked over the rings, taking in the sight of the eight boys that lay around the place.

None of them had escaped justice for what they'd been involved in and if she had any say in it, neither would Loc.

He may have admitted his failings, but it was far too late in Bo-Katan's mind. The boy had been part of the group that planned to hurt her friends, so he deserved every punishment he had coming.

Any anger she held for Loc quickly dissipated as she heard a loud sigh and turned her attention to Serra.

On two of the four nights they had spent in confinement, Bo-Katan had been woken by the other girl's screams and then spent hours holding her as she spoke about her nightmares then rocked her gently back to sleep.

Even if she wasn't attracted to the Jedi, Bo-Katan would've wanted to hurt the animals who'd tried to hurt and rape her. That she was attracted to Serra just made that need to hurt that much greater.

Bo-Katan saw that Serra was stepping back from Morn, taking deep breaths as she did, and Bo-Katan couldn't help but smile as she watched the Jedi regain control of her emotions even as she felt a familiar heat build-up inside her.

Her heart jumped as she thought about how easily she and Serra had fought together. For a few moments, it was as though the two had fought with one mind and it had been glorious, and Bo-Katan felt the blood rush to her face as she let her eyes wander over the Jedi's frame, taking in the firmness the young Jedi had and imagining just how good the girl would look in a few years.

If only Serra wasn't hung up on her friend, the fun they could have together.

At the thought of the Cameron Shan, she turned her attention to him, and Bo-Katan felt a momentary spike of anger, yet it vanished almost as soon as it appeared. Even though he was the one stopping Serra from getting close to her, Bo-Katan couldn't find it in herself to be annoyed with. Not after what he'd just done here.

She knew he was a skilled fighter, but the carnage he inflicted today...

Shab, she even thought she saw him use his own injury to ensure he could take down Morn enough for Serra to get her pound of flesh.

She shivered, though not from the cold, as she replayed the pure visceral carnage he had unleashed in this honour-duel in her mind and a warm tingle shot up her spine.

That boy… he was built for war and Bo-Katan knew that one day he would find a war worthy of him, and she firmly intended to be by his side when that war came.

If the wars he fought were even half as brutal as those fought by her idol – Te Gra'tuar Mand'alor – millennia ago, then Bo-Katan knew she'd either die a worthy death or join her idol in legend.

Shaking her head, she cleared thoughts of Cameron, and the warmth it caused in her and stepped forward towards Serra.

"Hey," she asked softly as she mentally forced herself to not let her eyes wander over the other girl's figure. "You ok?"

Serra, who Bo-Katan just noticed had her eyes closed, turned her head and opened her eyes, then blinked as if clearing the fog from her mind.

"Yeah. I guess. It's just…" Serra shook her head and sighed. "I shouldn't have taken out my anger on him like that."

Bo scoffed loudly and rolled her eyes at Serra falling back into the weak Jedi ways. "That shabuir had it coming. He tried to..."

"I know!" Serra blurted out. Her hands shook before she took another breath and continued. "He deserved this, but… it's not the Jedi way."

"But it is the Mandalorian way." Bo countered as she took a step forward and placed her good hand on Serra's arm, ignoring the warmth she felt as she did.

"Today you proved that you respect our ways and will fight to defend yourself. You did good. And there's nothing wrong with enjoying it a little." She finished with a small smile, hoping the other girl would begin to drop the more… ridiculous parts of the Jedi behaviour. That was the only thing about Serra that Bo-Katan could not stand.

Bo-Katan could understand why the Jedi taught children from a young age, Mandalorians did the same, and after sparring against Cameron when he actively used the Force, she recognized the wisdom in having those gifted with the ability to use the powers learn as a group. But, by the Resol'nare, why did they have to be so anally retarded about enjoying life?

"I… I guess." Serra replied as she smiled back. However, Bo-Katan could tell it wasn't entirely genuine as the smile never brightened Serra's eyes, nor was there any warmth in her posture.

Serra turned her head, and Bo-Katan suppressed a growl of annoyance as the other girl's eyes came to rest where she knew Cameron was standing.

"He won't hold it against you." Bo-Katan offered, quickly working out what was going through the other girl's mind. "He's not as soft as other Jedi. Nor are you." She tacked on quickly to make certain Serra did not think she saw Serra as soft.

"I… I hope so." Serra said quietly as her eyes fell from Cameron to the floor.

Anything else she or Serra wished to say was cut off as a medic – from the small sigil on her bracer Bo-Katan recognized her as a member of Clan Erun – stepped next to them and checked them over with a scanner.

"Nothing too serious," the medic said once she'd finished scanning the both of them as she reached into a small bag that she had with her. "Trainee Kryze, you've dislocated your shoulder. Trainee Keto, you've fractured a few bones in your hand. With good reason, I'd say." She finished as she gave the Jedi a smile and a fractional nod.

Bo-Katan smirked at the medic's words but chose not to add on her own words. She'd already said her piece about Serra's actions today, and anything else would sound insincere.

They stood in silence as the medic pulled two plasteel casings from her bag and placed one on each injury to immobilize them.

"There, all done. Now off you two go to the medical centre." the medic said before she picked up her bag and moved away to help her co-workers check and stabilize the downed boys.

Once the medic was a few steps away, Bo-Katan turned to Serra in the hopes she could invite the girl to a private dinner, but the Jedi had already turned her attention back to Cameron.

Again, Bo-Katan felt her anger flare as she clenched her teeth.

Serra was in love with him, instead of her. While that was bad, what was worse the fact the boy could see this, yet he was neither denying nor encouraging Serra' feelings. Worse still, was that Naz was also pining for the boy, and the moments that Naz and Bo-Katan had spent together often turned into Naz talking about Cameron.

Apart from being a monster in battle, a natural leader and someone who hated the dar'manda, what did he have that she didn't?

Yet, while it would be easy to interfere and drive a wedge between the two Jedi, the better part of her mind didn't want that. If she was to win Serra from Cameron, then she would do it fairly, by proving herself better than him in all things.

She had time, and as her mother had been fond of saying, things have a way of working themselves out, often how we want them to, though sometimes not how we expected.

With a sigh of her own, she pushed aside her feelings, good and bad, and followed Serra over to Cameron.

……
(Cam's POV)

"The ijaat'akaanir is concluded."

As the Commandant signalled the end of the fight, I relaxed and turned my attention to the Interface. There were a few notices, and I decided to deal with the most common one first: that being a Quest Completion Alert.

Spoiler: Quest Completed

Quest Completed!
Sword-maiden's Honour [ɸ]
Objectives:
:- Win the Ijaat'akaanir (Honour Duel) [Yes]
[?] :- Win the fight without being hurt [No]
[?] :- Win the fight without your allies getting hurt [No]
Rewards:
:- 5000XP (+500XP)
Passed a test of friendship with Serra Keto and Bo-Katan Kryze
A massive increase in Reputation with Serra Keto and Bo-Katan Kryze
A large increase in Reputation with followers of the Resol'nare
A large decrease in Reputation with active members of the New Mandalorians
…

​

As I read through it, and even though I had failed the bonus conditions, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Failing the quest would have resulted in me losing massive amounts of reputation with every Mandalorian and my reputation with Bo would have been permanently locked at Neutral. There had also been the chance that Bo or Serra could have been badly injured – if not killed – had we not won the ijaat'akaanir, which was a semi-common result of failing an A-ranked quest.

Additionally, the three quests linked to my time in the Institute – Alpha Dog, Sniper Elite and Force Recon –would all have been automatic failures as Serra and I would have been kicked from the Institute and banned from ever returning. That would have ruined my reasons for coming to Mandalore – to begin the foundations for a fighting force for the wars to come – and rendered the next half year, the time before my verd'goten, all but useless.

It would also have caused me major problems with the half-dozen or so training quests I had active that ran until the end of the session, which was in about two and a half months. The only quests that were safe were Trainee Blaster Mech, where I had already reached the base objective of Adept:1 and Generational Marksman, where I was a couple of levels shy of the base objective of Savant:1.

With those concerns now off the table and having earned just over a fifth of the total XP for my current level, I turned my attention to the other notices, and here I couldn't help but glare at the notices.

Seeing Injury Alert notices was unexpected. Scratch that, ok they made no sense. And neither did the fact my elbow hurt and was difficult to move.

Spoiler: Injuries

Injury Alert!
Fractured Upper Arm
(right) [14 days 23:56:23]
Warning!
Force Heal is not at a high enough level to heal this injury in minutes. [Savant:1]
As such, all you can do is accelerate the speed at which your body heals.
Cost: 1000FP
Warning!
Allowing the injury to heal at its natural speed will likely result in permanent penalties to your HP, certain stats, and various skills.
NOTICE:
The healing time can be further accelerated by using appropriate medical supplies.
Activate Accelerated Healing?
Yes/No
…

Injury Alert!
Broken Elbow
(right) [26days 23:56:23]
Warning!
Force Heal is not at a high enough level to heal this injury in minutes. [Prodigy:1]
As such, all you can do is accelerate the speed at which your body heals.
Cost: 2000FP
Warning!
Allowing the injury to heal at its natural speed will likely result in permanent penalties to your HP, certain stats, and various skills.
NOTICE:
The healing time can be further accelerated by using appropriate medical supplies.
Activate Accelerated Healing?
Yes/No
…

​

When Stegu had caught me on the elbow, a sensation of pain – something I hadn't felt since being reborn in this universe – had shot up my arm. While that sensation had passed almost instantly, nor stopped me from using the arm to fight, Morn's kick, and the fall that came after, had resulted in the entire arm being hard to move – as if pushing it through sand – and the elbow being entirely unresponsive.

The Injury Alerts certainly explained why that was, but the fact I had been injured made no sense whatsoever. The description for Player's Body stated that I couldn't be injured, at not least in a way that I'd suffer fractured or broken bones.

On cue, more messages popped up;

That is because Player's Body does not work exactly as indicated.
If you cast your mind back, you will remember an incident where you suffered a head injury.
This affected your abilities, yet, according to the very wording of Player's Body, this should not have been the case.

Honestly, we expected you to have noticed that then, however, you did not.
With the upgrade to Interface 2.0 and the addition of the ability for you to bleed, we altered this further.
Now, you can and will suffer injuries like any other living being.
However, the effects of those injuries will be different, and in all but the most extreme cases, you will be able to still function even while injured and heal from almost any injury you suffer.

Though to prevent this from happening again, we have detailed how Player's Body truly works.

Player's Body [Max]
Your body experiences the physical world differently from others.
With the upgrade to Interface 2.0, the Player will now bleed from wounds suffered and incur damage from injuries.
This damage can range from temporary penalties to stats and skills (as was the case before the upgrade) to the loss of limbs, or permanent stat/skill penalties if an injury is not healed quickly.
To counter this risk, Force Heal can instantly heal most, though not all, injuries provided the Force Power is at a sufficiently high enough level for this to happen. Otherwise, it just accelerates the natural healing of the body.
Additionally, wounds can scar but most scars can be removed with Force Heal if the Player wishes to do so.
Also, you can still lose limbs if they are removed.
Additionally, you are affected emotionally by your body maturing and growing until you turn 18.
…​

I blinked at the unexpected message from TPTB, then barely managed to suppress the growl that formed in my throat as I read through the message. What was the point of me having these special powers if TPTB could just change them on the fly?

Yet my anger quickly faded as I realised that a; there was not much I could do against beings capable of giving me such powers and sending me to what I had thought was a fictional universe. And b; I remembered the incident they were referring to and felt the urge to facepalm for not realising the implications of that moment earlier.

During my Initiate Trials, almost exactly four years previously, I had been knocked unconscious during the Push-Feather tournament and woken in the Jedi medical centre with a minor concussion. At that point, I should have questioned why I had the injury when Player's Body said I wouldn't suffer any injuries, but I didn't.

That mistake was on me, and now, with the change to the Interface, and my own mistake in not questioning it, I had almost paid dearly for it.

As a medic approached, lowered a bag to the ground and ran a scanner over my body, I realised there was a benefit because of this change.

If I had gone through the fight, gotten hit and come out the other side without injuries – while also having the Force Suppression bracers active – it would have raised questions that I couldn't answer truthfully. Not if I wanted to keep my extra powers a secret.

And if news of the fact I could suffer injuries that should result in broken bones, yet come out the other side no worse for wear, I would have drawn attention from people throughout the galaxy that I would rather not have chasing after me.

Force, there was a chance I'd be kidnapped and spend the rest of my life sedated in a laboratory if that had happened.

I smirked as I realised that, due to my own mistake and the actions of TPTB, that I had avoided a problem I hadn't even considered at any point in the last four years.

You're welcome.​

"Stay still!" The medic ordered as I laughed at the message from TPTB. "You've broken the joint of your elbow and have a hairline fracture of your upper arm. I need to encase it until we can get you to the medical centre, but to do that, you must stay still."

I did as the medic asked, and he pulled a metal belt and a long grey object that looked like a sleeve from his bag.

As he attached the belt around my waist, I turned my head as much as I thought that I could get away with to see that another medic was with Serra and Bo. That medic was placing a similar, though smaller object over Serra's hand while Bo was already in a cast that ran from her neck to her elbow.

As my medic placed the sleeve-like object on my arm, I used Observe on it. As I expected, it was just an advanced version of a cast from my old world, though according to Observe, it also monitored my vitals while applying minute amounts of bacta to the arm.

The cast hissed closed, tightened around my arm, then the belt buzzed once, and my arm was locked into place by what was likely a simple magnet system against the belt.

"There, that should keep it stable until you get to the centre." the medic said as he reached down and picked up his back. "Now off you go. I'll be along later after we've dealt with the chaos you unleashed."

"Thanks, Doc." I replied even as I saw that the time for the injuries to heal was dropping faster, which was likely a result of the bacta in the cast.

"No problem, and well fought." After a nod of what I felt was respect from him, he turned and walked over to where Stegu and Bendak were being tended to by two others.

"Cam," I turned at the familiar voice and saw Serra had come closer. She now had a cast over her hand that ran from the fingertips to her elbow. I also saw that Bo was a few steps behind her, her face surprisingly grim for us having just won a three-on-nine fight against older opponents. "Are you ok?"

"Nothing that won't heal," I replied with a smile. "You?"

Serra smiled, though the corners of her lips seemed to waver, and she cast a glance towards where I knew Morn was being tended to. "Uh… I mean, I guess so."

"I already told you, you did good." Bo blurted out as she took a step forward and placed her good hand on Serra's shoulder. "We won, proved ourselves and our words true, and you made sure that shabuir won't be hurting anyone else."

"It did feel good to do that," Serra's smile faltered further, "however, what I did is against the Jedi way."

Bo scoffed as I replied. "It was. But that doesn't make it a bad thing." Serra's brow creased and she tilted her head to one side, unintentionally resting it against Bo's hand. I kept a smile from my face at the way Bo's eyes seemed to widen at Serra's action as I considered my next words carefully.

"To most, though not all Jedi, what happened to you was the 'will of the Force'," I began, air-quoting as best I could the last bit. "They'd likely feel that it was up to you to find peace with what almost happened and let go of your emotions over the incident." Bo scoffed loudly at that, but my attention was on Serra. This was a chance for me to further pull her away from the narrow-minded dogma of the current Order.

"Or they'd see it as a test sent to you by the Force and that it was working in mysterious ways," I continued pulling from my memories of how the Council acted after Ahsoka's trial. "They'd likely think that you'd proved yourself resilient in defending your innocence, yet condemn you for using violence to do so."

"Kriffing idiots." Bo muttered just loud enough for us to hear her.

"T-they wouldn't say that." Serra protested, though her voice wasn't much louder than Bo's. "Master Drallig wouldn't. He won't. You'll see."

"Your Master is coming here?" I asked as I frowned as I guessed at what she was implying.

"Yeah. Uh, he... I called him the day after… Um, and, uh… he said he would come as soon as he could." Serra explained haltingly. "He won't say that."

"Ok." I replied even if I had a feeling that wouldn't be the case.

Serra held her Master in high regard, and for his skill with a lightsaber, I had no issues with that. Cin Drallig was not Battlemaster of the Jedi Order because he knew which arses to kiss. Also, Dooku regarded Drallig as one of the best with a lightsaber in the Order, though Dooku was not impressed with Drallig allowing a student to move on to a new form when they had not sufficiently mastered the basics of the old one. Then again, Dooku was very much a perfectionist.

However, I knew next to nothing about Drallig's opinion on the Order as it currently stood, though given he was in a position of power, it was probable that he was more traditionalist in his thinking. Yet, as we travelled to Mandalore, Dooku had seemed to imply that Drallig was not as… narrow-minded as most Jedi, so perhaps there was a possibility that Drallig would not say such things to Serra when he arrived.

"Anyway, I think we've wasted enough time here," I said, turning the topic away from the Jedi Order as a whole. "And I'd rather not risk angering a medic by not doing as they suggest."

Serra and Bo both smirked at that, and as a group, we headed for the stairs down from the ring.

……

---

……

Mando'a words: (For those who are curious)
ijaat'akaanir = Honour Duel
mandokar = "The Right Stuff"
ja'hailire = Observers
shab = Fuck
shabuir = Fuck ups/Fuckers
Dral'Han = Mandalorian Excision
haar'chak = Damn it
Te Gra'tuar Mand'alor = Mandalore the Avenger
Adiik = Child
Hut'uun = Coward (This is one of the greatest insults to a Mandalorian)
Resol'nare = The Six Actions (Core tenets of Mandalorian life)
Mando'ade = Son/daughter of Mandalore

---

As before, you can find me on the server for this story in particular, and Star Wars in general: discord . gg/UM89QfyQk3
Or in the Omniverse: discord . gg /pSgE54Q
Regardless of if you join one, both or neither...
May the Force be with you. Always.

 

[auraofcalm]

mandokar = "The Right Stuff"

Click to shrink...

What the French call a certain...I don't know what.

 

[LEGENDARYNOT]

"T-they wouldn't say that." Serra protested, though her voice wasn't much louder than Bo's. "Master Drallig wouldn't. He won't. You'll see."

Click to shrink...

...this can only end badly

 

[Darkeva]

Love the update, but just at the end there, did Cam not actually explain his responce?

"It was. But that doesn't make it a bad thing."

Click to shrink...

He gave the opinions of others but didn't actually explain his own. Unless I missed it?

 

[Creed]

You know, I kind of agree with Bo about Cam not committing, he needs to either tell Serra he's not interested and preferably give a reason or accept her feelings because watching him dance around the obvious problem is annoying. At this point I'd 100% be ok with Serra falling in love with Bo at least she won't get Strung along/friend zoned by her.

 

[Russian conscript]

These recent chapters were honestly really unsatisfying, cameron continues to be passive and not do a thing about serras feels also those boys are still alive and got off with a light beating

 

[DarkthShadow]

What the French call a certain...I don't know what.

Click to shrink...

I think you mean je ne sais quoi.

 

[auraofcalm]

I think you mean je ne sais quoi.

Click to shrink...

Yes, exactly. I don't know what.

 

[USSExplorer]

He gave the opinions of others but didn't actually explain his own. Unless I missed it?

Click to shrink...

By using the example he did (Ahsoka basically) he was stating his opinion of how the HC would react. And since he literally stated that he was using it to 'pull' Serra from the "the narrow-minded dogma of the current Order" I hoped it would be clear that Cam's opinion is that the Jedi, as they are now, are wrong.

You know, I kind of agree with Bo about Cam not committing, he needs to either tell Serra he's not interested and preferably give a reason or accept her feelings because watching him dance around the obvious problem is annoying. At this point I'd 100% be ok with Serra falling in love with Bo at least she won't get Strung along/friend zoned by her.

Click to shrink...

I would offer a response, but someone (Myth) on my discord summed it up nicely...

Remember, Cam was a grown man when he got reincarnated and he's in the body of an adolescent in his mind, it would be wrong to encourage Serra's affections but at the same time, for him to rebuff her would either a) not work, and make Serra more determined to be with him b) work as intended, with Serra being content to remain as friends or c) alienate Serra, ruining a friendship that he clearly values.

Now, as Serra is right now I do not see b) happening maybe after she matures a bit and neither a) nor b) are desirable outcomes atm,

With that in mind, what he's doing now is his best option it gives him time for them both to grow up reducing the moral issues while also preserving their friendship

 

[USSExplorer]

These recent chapters were honestly really unsatisfying, cameron continues to be passive and not do a thing about serras feels also those boys are still alive and got off with a light beating

Click to shrink...

Regarding Serra, see my last post (should still be the one above this)

The boys got off alive, yes, but they (all 16-17 yr olds) just got beaten down by at 12-yr old Jedi.
Ignoring the embarrassment from that, they'll all now head off to jail (bc the New Mandalorians don't do the death penalty) and be branded as dar'manda.

(That means a state of not being Mandalorian - not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and his soul - regarded with absolute dread by most traditionally-minded Mando'ade)

And they've now dishonoured their clans, which will have ramifications across the sector.


Now, if they and Cam were older (and Cam wasn't a member of the Jedi Order) the fight may well have been to the death, but we don't always get what we want.
(For the record, Cam would prefer their punishment to be more... permanent.)

 

[auraofcalm]

By using the example he did (Ahsoka basically) he was stating his opinion of how the HC would react. And since he literally stated that he was using it to 'pull' Serra from the "the narrow-minded dogma of the current Order" I hoped it would be clear that Cam's opinion is that the Jedi, as they are now, are wrong.

Click to shrink...

I think they meant he didn't explain it aloud. To the other characters. Yes, we know he disagrees because his inner narration says so, but he's never actually said that to Bo or Serra.

EDIT: Well he sort of did in passing at the beginning, but he didn't properly articulate his views on the matter.

EDIT 2:

"It was. But that doesn't make it a bad thing."

Click to shrink...

That's the closest he came to voicing a dissenting opinion from Jedi orthodoxy.

 

[USSExplorer]

I think they meant he didn't explain it aloud. To the other characters. Yes, we know he disagrees because his inner narration says so, but he's never actually said that to Bo or Serra.

Click to shrink...

Ah. Well, put that down to him talking with Serra off-camera. Though he'll begin to express his opinions about both Jedi and Sith approaches/Codes to her openly (and on-camera) next chapter.

That's the closest he came to voicing a dissenting opinion from Jedi orthodoxy.

Click to shrink...

For now

 

[The Dude]

Ah. Well, put that down to him talking with Serra off-camera. Though he'll begin to express his opinions about both Jedi and Sith approaches/Codes to her openly (and on-camera) next chapter.

Click to shrink...

For some reason, as I was reading this, it just clicked for me... the current setup is like a bipolar disorder. The Sith are the Manic phase, the Jedi are the Depressive phase.

They're both fucked up, but in opposing ways, and neither should be aspired to. Lets just hope Cam can get some lithium into their systems and level them the hell out.

 

[USSExplorer]

For some reason, as I was reading this, it just clicked for me... the current setup is like a bipolar disorder. The Sith are the Manic phase, the Jedi are the Depressive phase.

They're both fucked up, but in opposing ways, and neither should be aspired to. Lets just hope Cam can get some lithium into their systems and level them the hell out.

Click to shrink...

Lithium, lightsaber... Same thing right?

But in all seriousness, yeah the two philosophies are... deeply flawed.
While better, the Je'daii code is still not ideal. Nor the fanon Grey Jedi code...

 

[Zendrelax]

That's the closest he came to voicing a dissenting opinion from Jedi orthodoxy.

Click to shrink...

I got the impression that even the cloud of dissidents slowly amassing around Cam might be surprised at how Grey he is. It's probably going to take a pretty significant shock to their system to get the Jedi moving in a healthier direction.

 

[auraofcalm]

I got the impression that even the cloud of dissidents slowly amassing around Cam might be surprised at how Grey he is. It's probably going to take a pretty significant shock to their system to get the Jedi moving in a healthier direction.

Click to shrink...

Yeah...methinks there's a schism coming in the future on par with the Protestant Reformation. MC might as well be named Martin Luther.

 

[Darkeva]

By using the example he did (Ahsoka basically) he was stating his opinion of how the HC would react. And since he literally stated that he was using it to 'pull' Serra from the "the narrow-minded dogma of the current Order" I hoped it would be clear that Cam's opinion is that the Jedi, as they are now, are wrong.

Click to shrink...

Oh, no, I got that. It's just strange that he dosn't actually state his opinion to her at that point, right when she needs the reasurence. He kind of just skips to "the HC do not care about you or your pain" and "here is just enough rope for your master to hang himself with", without ever explistly reasuring her. Not even something like "we'll need to train harder if you insist on hitting scum hard enough to break your hand."

But whatever, it's a small note. Keep up the good work!

 

[tamagat]

pinnacle of jedi CQC

 

[USSExplorer]

Yeah...methinks there's a schism coming in the future on par with the Protestant Reformation. MC might as well be named Martin Luther.

Click to shrink...

The Jedi have already had 4(?) schisms in their history and it's been at least a few thousand years since the last one. Guess they're due another

Oh, no, I got that. It's just strange that he dosn't actually state his opinion to her at that point, right when she needs the reasurence. He kind of just skips to "the HC do not care about you or your pain" and "here is just enough rope for your master to hang himself with", without ever explistly reasuring her. Not even something like "we'll need to train harder if you insist on hitting scum hard enough to break your hand."

But whatever, it's a small note. Keep up the good work!

Click to shrink...

Ah. Well, Cam will talk with Serra a bit in the next chapter (over the mid-session break) about finding a different approach to handling things.
That will openly hint to Serra what Cam thinks about the Jedi/Sith dichotomy.
Though I think Cam wants Serra to make up her own mind. If he just openly states he doesn't like the Jedi way, Serra would like go 'I agree because you said it.' Better for her to come to the ground with a thousand small steps than one giant leap.

However, yeah, that was a moment where Cam could have been more 'open' in his opinions to draw Serra to his way, instead of just widening the gap between her and the Order.

 

[Hammerfury]

Bro aren't they 13 or smth? Breaking bones and beating kids half to death for something that they've been brainwashed for their entire lives and likely their parents encouraged them to do isn't really the way to go.

 

[USSExplorer]

Bro aren't they 13 or smth? Breaking bones and beating kids half to death for something that they've been brainwashed for their entire lives and likely their parents encouraged them to do isn't really the way to go.

Click to shrink...

Cam is 12 (physically)
Serra is a few weeks from being 13
Bo is ~15
The boys were 16-17.

And remember, anyone over 13 who have completed a verd'goten are considered an adult to most Mandalorians (though not the New Mandalorians in Sundari, who adopted the Republic idea of 17)