Princess of Mandalore (Youjo Senki/Star Wars) - Chapter 67 - l4oftheWEST (2024)

Chapter 64
717 FNM (21 BBY) Month 9

Mandalore Sector, somewhere in the Breshig System
Taylor Palatine

As the view around us warped back into real space, I took up the controls of my new ship. She was a modified Razor Crest, and one hundred percent my personal property. My career as an actress required a lot of travel to different sets, enough to justify owning a private ship. The galaxy was a dangerous place, even before the Separatists declared their independence, so I decided to buy a popular yet robust Mandalorian starship model. Most of the money I made got sent home to help my parents with my four siblings, but I had enough left over to make some smart investments at the advice of White Silver's droid.

I invested some of the new Neutral Credits into Gargon's booming industry, which led me to appear as a celebrity guest on the Mandal Hypernautics magazine. The photo shoot with the Gargon Girls was actually really fun. They even invited me to appear on stage with them sometime.

As a thank-you, the company wanted to give me a ship of my choosing, fresh off the line. They tried gifting it for free, but I insisted on paying something for it, if only to help White Silver and my fellow Mandalorians who made this possible. So we settled for a discount, making me the proud owner of a Razor Crest for dirt cheap! To be fair, the ship was technically already bought and paid for, but it waswhoit was going to that Mandal Hypernautics took issue with, some man named Spar — I think? Some loopholes he was exploiting to buy ships for nefarious deeds, or something.

Anyway, it was fresh out of dry-dock, and it was the right type of ship that I wanted. With only a little time left on my vacation, I couldn't do much to decorate or make any big changes. So I slapped on some white stripes and Silver's emblem, but more important modifications took priority. Mainly, the door guns were removed, the Medium Repeating Blaster Cannons were swapped for non-lethal Medium Ion Cannons. Although, the custom gimbal-mounted chin light rotary blaster cannon stayed. I can sync the turret to my helmet allowing me to aim it whatever I am looking at, better to havesomelethality and not need it.

The six missile racks under the wings were also part of the modifications. The Razor Crest platform was capable with both ship-to-ship and air-to-ground missiles. Seeing as how my flying skills were still beginner's basic, and dogfighting was far beyond me, having simpler weapons that were easier to use was helpful.

The final major modification was to the astromech port, so that instead of an R2 unit, it could fit my new partner. The co*ckpit door opened behind me and the little guy in question rolled in.

Twee-too boo-beep!

I smirked, "No, T7, I don't think she was insulting you when she called you old."

Bo-Katan also made herself known, "Oh, I meant every word of it." She stated as she sat heavily in the passenger's chair, armor thudding into the seat's frame. "Where did you even find this pile of rust, anyway?"

T7 made the binary version of grumble while I shrugged, "Ordo. I wanted to visit the museums there for research on some projects I'm nurturing when I bumped into Mr. Raz Ordo."

"That must have been interesting."

I nodded, "You would think anyone would be starstruck by meeting the lead Holo-Star of the most popular show in the sector, but he gave this calm, warm, grandfatherly aura as we talked — it was quite comforting. Instead, I was awestruck by the fact I just met averypowerful figure of Mandalorian politics in the middle of some museum library!" Bo-Katan just snorted.

"Well, he is an Ordo." She stated matter-of-factly, "They like their books."

I chuckled, "So we got talking. He congratulated me on my success and how I became Mandalorian because of my work-"

She laughed, "Ain't that the understatement of the century. You, a Coruscanti city-girl becoming a Mandalorian by accident? That alone made you more famous and popular than anything else the show could have done, ignoring how badass your character is. By the way, Satine sends her congratulations. I'm proud of you, kid." I smiled at the compliment, the feeling of excitement to prove myself bubbling up.

"I mean my protégé, who I taught how to fight — baptized herself in the Living Waters of Mandalore and recitedthe Creedfor a HoloNet action drama — without knowing what that would do to her. Yet, she stuck by that change all the same. How could I not feel proud about that?" I felt her grab my shoulder and shake me with emotion.

I glanced back with a smirk, "Thank you for the kind words, mentor." I responded in Mando'a, "I've taken everything you and the others taught me to heart, especially that proverb you told me: Ke ba'jurir gar'ade, jagyc'ade kot'la a dalyc'ade kotla'shya."

Even without looking I could still feel her smile, "Very true, and I was glad to do it. But enough of the formalities, you're myHibir, just Bo is fine."

"Okay, now can I get back to my story, Bo?"

She gave an overdramatic sigh, "By all means."

Nodding in thanks, I continued, "Well, Mr. Ordo told me how all his children were fans of mine, especially his son, Engiz, and his friends, who boasted something about him being on the guard detail for the Princess..."

"My niece mentioned an Ordo boy as part of her Royal Guard unit a few times."

"Hmm, it's humbling to know that everyone in Mandalore is a fan, heh. He also mentioned his daughter —shecommands the Mandalorian Armed Forces and issingle..."

Bo snickered, "Oh no."

I chuckled as well, "Oh yes. I let him down gently, saying I was far too busy with work to explore relationships. That led us to talking about my new show runs, all based around the Old Republic era, specifically T7's time and others. And how I bought my ship to travel around to get the research done and explore fun places in the Sector. Although, maintaining the ship without a crew or droids was my next problem."

"So after listening to me explain all this, Mr. Ordo disappears for some time and returns with this little guy in tow. Poor T7 was just collecting dust in a dark corner of the museum that anyone rarely visits with a dead powercell. After he replaced that, he discovered that his memory banks were intact."

"Really?" She questioned, "No one tried to take it, not even once?" T7 chirped, twirled his head and jostled servomotors in pride.

"He said that he had 127 partners for six centuries before he lost consciousness, then he woke up in the museum.'

"Surprisingly durable." Bo said.

"Well, after T7 joined me, I headed to Gargon to pick up my ship. You were there for the rest. Now theLaararir Ruyotis all mine."

"Still not sold on that name…"

I shrugged, "I thinkTo Sing of The Pastis a good name for my new baby girl."

"So... how does this involve my protégé asking me to teach her bounty hunting? I mean, I'm happy about the invitation. As much fun as planning my wedding ceremony is, I gotta get out of the house once in a while to knock some heads or else I'll go stir-crazy. But I never expected you, of all people, to ask about risking it for a bounty. Don't you have, like, an agent that's going to freak out about their precious actress getting hurt?"

"First off, congratulations on getting married. Second, I don't actually have an agent. I handle all my contracts myself. Early on, when Mr. Khip tried to cheat me to get a cheaper deal, I dug my heels; now he's making so many credits in the Mandalorian Sector that he doesn't complain about how much my fee is. And finally, isn't it obvious why I would ask you?"

Bo preened. "Yup, I am the best."

I turned my head to make sure she could see my smirk behind me. "As I have learned from my new Mandalorian brothers and sisters, experience trumps all creative interpretation, plus it's something I wanted to do and share. Why do you think I have the camera droids down below, and more cameras set all over the ship? I'm going to make videos on the fly, then upload them to RimVids on the HoloNet."

"...You're not recording now, are you?"

"Relax~ they're off." I suppressed my smile as best I could, while looking over the right side dashboard, where one of the cameras is nestled under the existing cables. All I did was wink at it.

"Before we start, Bo, I have one last question to ask."

"Shoot."

"Do you think I could meet your husband? I know he's busy with the election and normal governor stuff, but I wanted to talk to him."

"Why?"

"For my film projects." I shrugged, "Pre Vizsla is a direct descendant of Tarre Vizsla, the legendary Mandalorian Jedi. I want to make a dramatic biographical film of the man, to give him life in other ways besides mystical legendary stories around the campfire. To do that, like White Silver said, to fit the pieces together, I need to poke around the records of the old fortresses of Clan Vizsla to get a clearer picture of who the man was."

"I'll ask him, but no promises he'll agree." I nodded. "Now let's get back to work. Activate the passive sensors, and point the ship towards the asteroids past Breshig. That's where the tracker is leading us."

I manipulated the console and controls to do as I was told. Bo-Katan gave more orders, "Right, let's review the mission plan, what type of bounty is this, kid?"

"Anti-smugglers Op."

"Good, who is the target?" Bo asked.

"Clan Rerryc. A small criminal clan that fled Gargon after you and the Big Families pushed everyone doing anything illegal out, yet didn't flee to Hutt space like most."

"Correct. What are they smuggling and why?"

"Ancient Mandalorian artifacts and hoards of beskar. Receding sea levels and the terraforming process on Breshig revealed caches of ships and other artifacts that are up for grabs for treasure hunters and tomb raiders. The local MSDF and members of the Royal Mandalorian Museum are trying to gather as much as possible. But there are gaps for the risk-takers to slip in and score some loot."

"Good, any additional intel?"

"Last time they tried to make a run on Breshig, they were spotted. A MSDF patrol vessel engaged them and they retreated. However, an ECM decoy missile distracted them long enough to plant a tracker. It's still active but weak, likely because of them being inside an asteroid itself or an astrological anomaly."

"Strength of the enemy?"

"Six to ten Mandalorians with at least two ships... isn't this a little too much for one veteran and one amateur?"

Bo-Katan waved her hand dismissively. "It'll be fine, kid. Besides, all the easy-peasy rookie jobs are taken. This was the next best thing. But you're right about being a rookie. Swap with me. Your flying skills won't cut it from here on."

I spun the pilot's chair around and got out of the way, as Bo took the controls afterward. "Watch and learn, kid."

She pushed the throttle to maximum for a ten-second burn, then cut the engines back to zero. "I'm using momentum from that burn to slingshot us to our target with as little sensor emission as possible. Plus, it's a good way to save on fuel when you're not in a hurry."

I nodded in understanding. "I see."

She looked over her shoulder, "Hey, old-timer, plug in and send a low frequency ping. See if we can find the rock they are hiding under." T7 complained about the insult, but complied. "So... while the droid does its thing, how about some more chit-chat?"

I tilted my head. "Like what?"

"Like, how's it feel to have your own beskar now?"

My cheeks felt warm as they tinted pink in embarrassment. "Beskar is incredible. I know you taught me not to rely on beskar, that beskar doesn't make me invincible. But any barrier between me and my enemies. It is a comforting weight... ya know?"

"I hear ya, and it's definitely growing on you. Like your colors, by the way."

She was referring to the new additions to armor that I painted. I kept the torso and greaves in the same white color to represent my new Mandalorian, not New Mandalorian, life. However, I colored the helmet in tan with a red trim around the visor, symbolizing my loyalty and paying tribute to my father. The arms told a different story. The pauldrons and biceps were a dark pine green, with the forearm gauntlets painted orange. My declaration to protect my new way of life. I figured it would be about five years before I would decide to get rid of the white. But of course, the breastplate was of some significance because of the signet, White Silver's signet, right where it should be.

"You should know, though, what it means that White Silver paid for your armor. When I met you, I originally figured you'd be softer, not quite like a New Mando who wouldn't throw a punch, but close enough considering your background. But asking me to take you out on a bounty hunter job proved to me that you've got the fire of a Mandalorian. Not enough to be an Old Mando though. I should have realized from the start that you're like Silver, just like her supporters. So I hope you realize what this means, should she call you to battle…"

I sighed, understanding what she meant. "If the rallying cry is a call for conquest? I will not answer, for it is not White Silver who is calling us. No — it would just be another Gerr. But if it was a call for the defense of Mandalorians? As the Old ones would say, I would heed the will ofmyMand'alor. White Silver gave me a chance, and that chance has led to a lifelong, fulfilling purpose. My beskar and my guns will be there for her, should she call." Bo-Katan's eyes searched mine for a long moment, and nodded.

T7 beeped on the intercom, getting our attention to the console. A screen displayed his translation for Bo-Katan.I picked up a transmission burst, there's a layer in the code that's reminiscent of tech from my era, how nostalgic.

My mentor paused in thought, before breaking out into a wide smile. "I knew it, the amateurs. There are old starfighter bases of the Neo-Crusader era in hollowed out asteroids scattered all across the sector. The ones here were abandoned, but I knew about them because somefriendsof mine used to use the place to hide beskar from my sister before the reforms. We're close enough to the target that speed is better than stealth. Pass me my helmet." Looking behind me to the passenger seats sat her helmet, I passed it to her as asked, she slipped it on.

"Grab your gear." She commanded. "Check your weapons and ammo, too."

Bo-Katan maneuvered the ship with more grace and experience than I could as I left the co*ckpit. Back in the ship's hold, I scooped up my helmet from my bunk and donned it before I moved to open the weapons locker. Inside were my two WESTAR-35 pistols from White Silver and a SHUKUR blaster rifle from Gargon that came with the ship. I grabbed my rifle, primed it, and checked the ammunition, and made sure it was set to stun. Slinging it, I repeated the process with my pistols before holstering them.

The weapons locker was barren besides my three guns. I'm sure it will be full someday. Because I will need different weapons to face different opponents in the future... and isn't that a dark thought, but yetsoMandalorian. Maybe White Silver was right. I was destined to be a Mandalorian.

Finally, I grabbed my silver jetpack that was housed inside a drawer. "What an adventure." I muttered with a smirk, before I put it on.

The ship rattled and shook as we landed. After, Bo descended the ladder from the co*ckpit, while a hatch above me opened and down came T7 on a droid crane.

"Ever done a vacuum walk before?" Bo-Katan asked.

I shrugged. "Twice. Nothing intense; just tourist trap space stations with family."

She nodded, "Right, well just like jetpack training, do as I do, exactly as I do it. The low gravity means short controlled burns and course corrections only. Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" I saluted unconsciously, falling back on habits I picked up on Gargon. Going to my vambrace controls, I depressurized the ship and let the silence of the void replace it. The rear ramp opened for me, the only sound of it felt by the vibrations through the soles of my boots.

Looking at my new droid companion, I tapped the comm on my vambrace, "Think you can keep up, partner?" I quipped.

He jostled his servomotors in excitement, on the intercom he replied in binary.T7 + Mandalorians = Fun new experience / T7 = had many Jedi partners before / T7 = Saved the Galaxy before / Mandalorians = Watch and learn, younglings.

Propulsion systems popped out of his legs as the droid flew out of the ship into the void and barren surface of the asteroid. Any nervousness I felt was washed away by the gall of this droid. I laughed as we ignited our jetpacks and followed him. As Bo showed, the gravity here was weaker than some moons, so if I wasn't careful, I could find myself in the deep end of the void here.

We made our way across the rocky surface, using short one or two second burns. Nearly five minutes in vacuum. Eventually, we came up to a hatch near the old starfighter base's main hangar airlock.

Bo-Katan examined the personnel hatch. "Scomp link port. You're up, old-timer." T7 moved to plug in.

A few moments of hacking and the hatch slid open to an airlock room inside.T7 + familiar technology = secure entry / T7 = no alarms detected.

"He says we're undetected so far." I translated.

Stepping into the airlock chamber, I noticed the control terminal and activated it. The airlock door closed. Next, I cycled the air in to pressurize our surroundings. Bo-Katan glanced towards me and held my gaze, as the room filled with recycled air.

"You know, I'm curious how you know binary so fluently..." She trailed off.

I gave a lazy, dismissive wave before I brought up my SHUKUR rifle. "Eh, my dad's fault. He was a captain with the Judicial Forces before GAR took over. He started as a fighter pilot, and he had an astromech co-pilot, R2-A5 is still a valued family member, despite my Mother's repeated requests to sell the droid." T7 grumbled at the disrespect, while Bo bellowed out a dark laugh.

"Family drama. I knew I liked you for a reason."

The airlock pressurized fully, and the door slid open. I shouldered my rifle as Bo drew her right blaster pistol while keeping her hand near her left holster. She jerked her head, signaling me to take point. I was being put to the test again. Just like I was on Gargon.

Like I was taught, I cleared my head. I gave a short exhale, focusing on the mission and what I was taught to complete it. At a light pace, I advanced down the hall.

At a T intersection, I turned to crouch at the edge of the right turn, rifle at ready. I blinked my HUD icon green, a second later, so did Bo. In unison, we both peered down our corners to cover the approaches.

I didn't have time to confirm with Bo because I came face to face with a Mandalorian in shabby armor ten meters ahead of me. In his left hand was a loosely slung carbine, and the right a datapad, his body language stupefied by our appearance.

"Contact!" Instincts I didn't know I had taken over as I spoke over the comms, my finger squeezing the trigger. I dumped stun bolts into the criminal. After a few blasts, he collapsed. I advanced onwards, Bo-Katan's footsteps close behind me.

"Nice one, kid." Bo said.

I beamed under my helmet, feeling a rush that not even the fight scenes I did as an actress gave. Was this the so-called "combat high"? The exciting tightrope of life and death? The courage and fear felt because this danger was real?

We moved deeper into the base before we came upon a bulkhead door. I pivoted to cover the hall we came through as Bo-Katan moved up to breach. I heard the door open, followed by voices.

"Hey! New guy! What- OH KRI-!" A masculine voice cried out.

Bo responded with her pistol, pressing it into the man's neck. She fired a stun bolt directly into him; bypassing his beskar armor. She charged in, blasters blazing. I followed her example, spewing stun bolts as I rushed to the only available cover: a stack of storage crates.

We're in the main hangar. I could see a YT-series Corellian freighter docked inside and what looked like a shuttle behind it.

"T7, can you find a port and lock down the hangar door so they can't escape?" I asked. The astromech whistled in an affirmative response. I laid down some suppressive fire as my mechanical companion dashed to the hangar door itself.

"Smart thinking." My other companion commented, as she downed her third opponent in non-lethal blaster fire. However, the way she said it confused me.

It clicked in my head as I dropped my second combatant today. I barked out, "You're testing me in the middle of a firefight?!"

"Best time for a test." She teased.

Five enemies remained. We were winning, so I indulged in the combat rush. Activating my jetpack and taking to the sky, I rained stun bolts and frustration on our foes above their cover. They tried to retaliate — even scoring a couple of hits on me. My beskar protected me and when it was struck, it made a distinctly unique sound. I couldn't help but feel glad White Silver paid top credits for my high purity beskar armor. Sure, the blaster bolts impacting it stings, but the adrenaline flooding my system was a helluva drug.

"Careful, kid." Bo warned, "Foolish warriors win foolish prizes."

"I know." I landed on the outer hull of the freighter out of sight of the fire. I pulled a smoke grenade from my belt and primed it; I underhand threw it over the edge of the ship. Towards where the last few enemies were hiding. With a loud bang, a cloud of smoke appeared.

Switching my HUD to thermals, I jumped in with a grin plastered all over my face. Four heat signatures were visible as I descended from up high. Snapping my rifle on the closest target, I let loose stun blasts until he fell. Before I could switch targets, a hand pushed my rifle to the side before delivering a punch directly to my helmet.

Quickly, I let go of my rifle to draw one of my pistols. He followed up with a kick aimed at my side, but my training kicked in — I captured his leg with my right arm before I shoved my pistol underneath my foe's knee. Pulling the trigger caused him to collapse.

Bo appeared in front of all of us and launched a whipcord to tie up a female Mandalorian that was sneaking up behind me, while I engaged the other one in close quarters combat.

As he threw a wild right haymaker, I swiftly blocked it with my left arm. I immediately unleashed two blasts into his gut, which caused him to double over. Followed by a powerful knee strike to his helmet, causing him to be knocked out cold.

A proud feeling swept over me. I had just won my firstrealfight and taken my first bounty. Holstering my pistols, I put my hands on my hips and waited for Bo to praise me. She finished knocking out her opponent, looking at me. Her gaze snapped to my left, and I heard blaster fire as a bolt hit my jetpack.

Sprawling on the floor, I was knocked prone. Bo-Katan fired back with a lethal yellow bolt; it hit the shooter's helmet with enough force to send him to the floor. After giving him another couple of stun bolts to make sure he stays down, the hangar was secured.

"And that's ten. Speaking of ten, you lost six and a half points, young lady." She holstered her guns and offered me a hand, grabbing it as she helped me up off the floor.

"Wha…?" I muttered as I shook off the haze.

"Out of ten points, you're down to 3.5. You did good by taking out the first guy and making sure they couldn't escape. That stopped you from losing a full point." As if on cue, T7 rolled up to join us, giving a tweet and twirl of his head in victory. I patted his head as Bo continued.

"You lost three points when you went airborne without checking where your teammates were or informing them about what you were planning so they could help cover you. It is a good idea to flank them and take the high ground so you get to keep a point, but you didn't have me suppress them enough that they wouldn't be able to shoot you while you were in the air, resulting in you getting hit, so that is two points down."

T7 = Younglingtook damage?T7 asks in binary, and he nudges his exterior frame into me for an answer. I confirm I am unharmed, shaking my head in silent answer.

"Then you got co*cky, like a lot of Mando teens in their first fight, and decided to abandon your high ground to fight four armored Mandalorians in melee. You do get to keep a point for remembering to use your smoke grenade. Then you got hyper-focused on the enemy you were fighting, and didn't notice one of them got close enough to disarm you. And you didn't notice another one sneak up behind you. Those cost you two more points. Afterward, you still didn't check your surroundings and assumed the battle was over. You forget about the last opponent, losing you your last point."

I groaned and crouched down as she enumerated my long list of mistakes. There should be armor to become invisible.

Bo-Katan didn't move, instead she just stood there and smiled down at me and my reaction. "However, you did deal with them pretty quickly, so you get one point back. Your final score is at 3.5. Do better next time or you'll end up dead."

I straightened out and stiffened. "Yes, ma'am."

Bo nodded, and took her helmet off. She slapped my shoulder, breaking out into a wide smile. "So, your first bounty under your belt. How do you feel?"

Taking off my helmet too, I grinned, "Like my heart is about to explode and a little sore in some places that I'm gonna feel in the morning."

She released a hearty laugh and gave me a pat on the back.

Once we got all of them cuffed, with helmets and vambraces removed, all of them were throwing hateful daggers with their eyes into my T-visor. T7 had gone back to our ship to bring it around and call the SDF to come by. Before he left, he left the old fighter base's hangar open to the void, with only the air shield to protect us. Soon,Laararir Ruyotcame into view, breaching the shield and flying over us to land behind the smuggling ships. Bo walked over after searching the ships for anything or anyone we missed. With her helmet tucked under her arm.

Clan Rerryc leader's face morphed into a scowl, "Just kriffing great! If it isn't Bo-Katan Kryze! Was it not enough that you kicked us off our homeworld with your Silver goon squads? Now you've come with another Silver harlot in toe to frag with us trying to make a living, why?"

She scoffed, "Oh please, if I remember right, your clan was among the trafficking subgroups of Gargon. Your brothel deserved to be shut down."

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue.

"Besides, I'm just the mentor. I'm not the one taking the bounty today." She nodded to me, "She is."

I smirked, deciding to play along with the theatrics, "That's right, and I'm not just anySilver harlot…" reaching up I pulled off my helmet, and proceeded to watch all their jaws drop. I smiled with pride, "Taylor Palatine. Newly inducted Mandalorian, and Holofilm Super Star of the sector."

Rage took over the leader, "The Actress?! We got done in by some Coruscanti bitch!?!" Well, that stung.

"HEY!" Bo bit back, "Haven't you heard? She's Mandalorian now! She took the Creed and beat your asses fair and square. Show respect and honor to the beskar you're wearing and admit you were beaten by one of your own!"

He continued to scowl as he looked away and cursed under his breath. I was about to thank Bo when engines could be heard. Turning around, an aka'jor-class shuttle had arrived, with the MSDF emblem on the side. Over the comms, I heard "Shuttle 419, here. Stand by for prisoner transfer."

I was going to reply, but Bo beat me to it. "Affirmative, you're cleared to land."

The shuttle ramp opened, and down came four soldiers. "You the hunters?" One of them asked.

We nodded. The same Mandalorian soldier ordered the others to herd the criminals onto the shuttle. Once that was underway, he took off his helmet and marched back over to us. "Hell of a job you ladies did, all of them alive and mostly unharmed. New Mandos add bonuses for that." He offered a hand, but as I got close and shook it, his eyes widened. "Wait, you're Taylor Palatine, right? White Silver's actress for her show?"

I blushed a little. My character hides her face so much, fans haven't started rushing me like some of my colleagues on Coruscant. I'm not really used to being famous yet. "Um... Yeah, that's me."

He grinned, "Wow! First deployment after my promotion and I get to meet a celebrity! The Manda is definitely smiling on me this week."

"Sergeant, what's keeping you?"

The Sergeant keyed his comlink, "Hold on, sir. We got ourselves a Silver Mandalorian Holo-Star here. Ms. Palatine herself, dressed in some stunning beskar."

From the shuttle's ramp came down a strange man with long knife ears and a uniform more ornate than it's supposed to be, "You weren't kidding, Sergeant." He smiled with this regal air about him that a lot of Coruscanti carried themselves with, "I am First Lieutenant Ruusaarka'ar, of the Lictor-class navy warship, the Vaar'tuur Tracinya, and Jakelia's first born Prince. I would like to invite you to my ship, as a thank you for your service to the sector, and it would be a good morale boost for the men. Sergeant, message the cook. Tell him to fire up some Jakelian cuisine for our guest of honor." The Prince ordered as they walked away.

I groaned.

"What's wrong, kid?" Bo asked.

"You know how many signatures I'm going to have to sign to be able to continue my vacation?"

She laughed, "That's the price of fame, Taylor."

"Can I get a refund?"

Mandalore, Sundari Palace, Council Chambers
Pre Vizsla

"The treasury is continuing to purchase beskar within the monthly budget. However, beskar prices are skyrocketing. And it is likely that we would only be able to afford a smaller amount of beskar than the previous month. The competition between the Clans and the MSDF is inflating the demand for beskar. The regulation banning the production of new beskar weapons has been well received by armorers, but has not resulted in significant price improvement. The establishment of four new deep core mines on Concordia has also failed to meet market demand." Mrs. Droxun finished with a small wince at the end.

She didn't understand Satine's economic agenda for the government. Capitalists didn't usually understand the need for investing in the future, without any expectation of financial gains. If the credit-counting Mandalorians had their way, Mandalore would be a museum and everyone would be moved to a planet that was cheaper or more profitable to inhabit.

Bo rolled her eyes and coughed instead of commenting. She was an unexpected, if temporary, addition to the council, filling Jerec's seat on the council as Acting Deputy Prime Minister after Jerec's passing.

She's quite the check on the snake's agenda.

Mrs. Droxun continued, "Have we given any additional thought to the subterranean expansion proposals? The economics of it require much less beskar than surface expansion of Sundari."

duch*ess Satine gave a slight shudder at her suggestion, and her smile dimmed.

"Are you volunteering your clan to move to these underground vaults? Is this a serious proposal?" Almec asked with a sly smile.

Void take him. That quick wit was how that snake made it into this council all those years ago.

"Let's not re-open this topic, Mrs. Droxun. Beskar is a physical investment in the Mandalorian peoples." I added a touch more diplomatically. "Is there anything else we need to discuss today?" I moved to end the conversation. The council session was growing late, and I hadn't seen Paz all day.

"Kalevala — well, the Ithorians' terraforming is on-track with the planned schedule. The planet's a bit of a muddy mess right now. Lots of spontaneous rainstorms that peter out after a few minutes." Bo-Katan summarized.

"Alzar's system HoloNet relays are out, damaged by saboteurs, it seems. King Gokus sent a courier ship to confirm, repair teams are en-route." Almec finished reading his report.

Mr. Armatan simply shook his head in the negative. At that last signal, the matriarchs of Clan Wren and Clan Ordo were standing, already prepared to leave.

Although I noticed Wren took a moment to steady herself with a hand quickly resting just under her stomach, six months into her pregnancy the effects of such a burden were starting to take a toll. A look over to Satine showed the woman offering a sympathetic expression. I was reminded of the need to inquire again on if Ursa and her husband had settled on a name. TheSongsteelBlade was fully prepared to serve Clan Wren save for the inscription of its future owner.

"Nothing that needs to be brought up in an official manner." duch*ess Satine said, glancing first at my wife and then over at me.

"Mandalore at peace." Almec said, closing out the meeting.

"A moment, Pre?" duch*ess Satine asked, and I inclined my head.

When I looked up, Bo had already disappeared. She couldn't wait to vacate her position. From what she told me, the position being temporary was the compromise Satine had agreed upon to recruit her help in the first place.

duch*ess Satine was still smiling, but I could read her a bit, and she was annoyed. She had some of the same tells as her sister. Mrs. Droxun and Prime Minister Almec wrapped up their conversation, grabbed their datapads and left, leaving the two of us alone in the council chambers.

"Congratulations on your upcoming election, Pre Vizsla." she said.

"The election isn't for two more months-" I protested.

"Of course. Never mind that there are no other serious contenders and the Secret Service scandal has Almec's numbers in the low teens." Satine lightly teased. "It will be good to have more trustworthy partners on the council. I don't know your Deputy Candidate, Ursa Wren, as well as you, but Krownest is already taking positive steps to rejoin the sector. Will she continue to work with us, or is this as far as rapprochement goes?"

"Wren is impressed by you, which is usually a high bar to reach, I know from personal experience. Well, not you exactly, but impressed by the Ithorians and the success of the terraforming projects."

Satine hummed in thought, thinking over my answer for a moment. "She's still going to be governor, and so are you... Do you think you'll be able to keep up with your duties as both Governor of Concordia and Prime Minister?"

"Delegation is the key to success. So it shouldn't be a problem. In time, I hope to train Paz on some of the administrative tasks, but other loyal members of House Vizsla will be delegated to fulfill some of my previous roles as Governor."

"Good, Mandalore needs more people like you if we are to not only survive, but thrive." duch*ess Satine was looking pensive, tapping her foot in a way that indicated she was worried more than usual.

"Speaking of which, I haven't had a chance to pay my respects to our new Senator." I said.

duch*ess Satine nodded, "I'll make sure Tanya finds you. She's supposed to spend the month in Mandalore for the end of the year celebrations."

"Perfect. If there's nothing else?"

She shook her head as her smile reached her eyes.

"Have a good day, then, my duch*ess." I bowed to Satine and took my leave from the council chambers, heading towards the transport pads.

"Are you heading back to Paz? I thought I'd catch your shuttle." My wife, Bo-Katan, ambushed me in the hallway outside the chambers.

"I'm surprised you haven't simply stolen my aka'jor."

"That was one time. I didn't even scratch it. How was I supposed to know it was yours, your name wasn't on it." She teased.

"It was the only one with blue paint." I explained. We approached the palace transport pad, and the shuttle doors opened at my signal.

I gestured back towards the Royal Palace, "Going to make attendance at the council meetings a regular occurrence? Or was this just a one-time thing?" Bo-Katan skipped the last two meetings before today, which frustrated Satine and made those particular meetings more unpleasant than usual.

"Eh, Probably only a one time thing since I'm going to blast off as soon as the election finishes. I'm not needed for the Council meetings anymore. Don't know how you can stand it. Droxun and Armatan are both so ...skeevy. I think I need a shower."

"I hope you don't mind if I join you? I also feel a need to freshen up after that meeting." I smirked, and she laughed. We walked up the ramp into the craft.

After we took our seats, the ramp automatically closed. I ensured the privacy equipment on board activated fully. After readying the shuttle for take off, we sent Mandalore Space Authority our flight plan. While we waited our turn for a departure window, I turned towards Bo and looked her in the eyes. We both stilled for a moment. "You know your sister better than me, should I privately inform Satine of my role in Death Watch after I win the election?" A significant part of me wanted to keep this secret forever, but I recognized that desire as the weakness it was. If the time was right, then it would have to be done.

Bo's response is immediate, "Kriff no! Satine — she'd take it as a betrayal. Plus, why now? There's still Lorka's rogue Death Watch on the loose. Coming to Satine like this, presents it as a problem. She might suspect that was your plan all along, to gain influence for Death Watch and restart a Mandalorian Crusade." She rested her hand on my shoulder. "We don't want to do that."

Once the flight plan was approved, I lifted off and nudged the shuttle so it stayed on its path.

"Do you think it's possible one day?" I asked Bo, as I settled into the routine tasks of the transit to Concordia. The trip was so short and easy that the shuttle was practically flying itself, no navicomputer needed.

"If it can be presented constructively? Maybe. Tanya would know how to handle this. You know who's a master of this sort of intrigue; she's pulled it off before."

"Pulled what off before?"

I looked at her, and Bo seemed as embarrassed as I could ever recall. "Uh, convincing Satine to make the CNS. Yeah, Satine said that Tanya made a holo-presentation about it."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion before turning back to the shuttle dashboard, and Concordia grew larger in the viewports. What did Bo mean by Tanya being successful in convincing Satine?

My mind wandered while I attended to the rote tasks of piloting my shuttle in a straight line. The CNS, which was Tanya's idea if I recall, was an enormous project, so of course it would require Satine's permission. However, the goals of the CNS were in line with Satine's pacifist policies, and Bo was never interested in galactic politics that she would brag about it. She would take note of the CNS but her interest lay with her fellow Mandalorians. So it must have been something that affected the Mandalorian sector as a whole.

Could it have been pardoning Arla Fett? Preventing a famous Mandalorian bounty hunter from assassinating a Republic senator by striking a deal to pardon his imprisoned sister was a brilliant maneuver. It undermined the narrative that a Mandalorian started the Galactic Civil War before it began. Not only that, but having the Fett's back in the sector was a powerful bargaining tool against the Republic who needed him to create more of their knock-off Mandalorians.

But no one knew that Fett was the template of the Republic's clone army at the time. More likely, Tanya believed that Arla had suffered enough and Satine agreed, since Arla was more of a victim of Tor than an unfeeling assassin.

What else was there? Perhaps her gradual reform from her severe Anti-Mandalorian policies all those years ago? It was completely out of character for her to change her tune after years of her oppressive campaign against the Old Ways. Was Tanya the cause of Satine's more tolerant view of Mandalorian culture?

Bo continued, "So, what's the plan for dealing with Lorka?"

"By taking inspiration from my enemies." Bo raised her eyebrow, intrigued. "After the election, I'll have loyal Death Watch officers act as special attachés to work hand in hand with the Mandalorian Secret Service to crush them."

Bo looked impressed. "Sneaky; arresting the bad Death Watch with the good. Death Watch is technically a terrorist organization right now, so, there are some grounds for arresting them. What if they recognize our officers in the Secret Service?"

"It shouldn't happen if we don't let them be the ones making the arrests. If it does, well, criminals will say anything, and they won't be able to get any proof in prison. Lorka going rogue meant he already stole and cut ties with everyone. If he hadn't, this wouldn't work."

I adjusted the controls and started the descent procedures. I thought back on how after Satine started her reforms, White Silver released her Silver Codex. It was a surprise and somewhat unwelcome at the time as it attempted to bridge the gap between Old and New. I of course sent agents to find the author, as I shouldn't let a potential rival for the title of Mandalore set up a powerbase and compete. Almec wasn't the only one with a spy network, but she covered her tracks perfectly and the trail went cold soon after.

It wasn't until Gerr attempted to usurp White Silver's name that she came out of hiding and conquered Gargon that we found new avenues to investigate. My agents tried to infiltrate Hypernautics, but Bo had been hired to be their new head of security, and she promptly kicked them out. Bo mentioned that she was on Gargon to protect Satine since he has stated that he was going to overthrow her and things spiraled out of control from there.

With that option off the table, that only left infiltrating the rest of Gargon. Admittedly, they didn't find much either, as she rarely interacted with the general populace. However, my agents who had been stationed at Gargon for months noticed that once Gargon was connected to the rest of the sector, foreign capital flooded in like a surprising amount. To the point that new investments and numerous startups seemed to grow exponentially.

Some came from legitimate investors. One source we tracked down to an individual Hutt, which was to be expected as the Hutts will use any opportunity to expand their influence. In any case, the majority came from entities that openly supported White Silver like the Armorsmiths, but that still left many large investments unexplained. Following the money revealed that all of them were from various shell companies.

Assuming that all of them were from White Silver herself, the amount of credits that passed through these shell companies narrowed down her backers to only the most wealthy of Mandalorian Houses. There were very few entities with sufficient credits to spend that much on developing Gargon's economy.

At the time, no one that wasn't a Mandalorian invested in Mandalorian businesses. But these shell companies cast a very wide net, investing in those that support White Silver and ignoring those that didn't. This narrowed down White Silver's backers to local Mandalorians.

The leading theory was that White Silver was being backed by Ordo, as they have appeared to be the ones who benefited the most from White Silver's rise. But House Kryze was also a candidate for being White Silver's backer as Satine also benefited from a peaceful sector. What if there was more to Bo being on Gargon than just to protect her sister?

Satine couldn't be White Silver, as she has an alibi. Satine was in Sundari being a good host to a couple of Jedi. Plus, the height doesn't match up, you can mask your voice, but masking height was much harder. Satine didn't use body doubles because of this. The only possible candidate was Tanya, yet she was busy visiting various planets across the sector.

Although, Tanya had several body doubles, didn't she?

Tanya was involved in some drama at the time, with one of her Royal Guards. Could this have been a manufactured alibi?

Tanya could easily have her handmaiden pretend to be her while she goes after Gerr. Tanya was an avid supporter of Silver, much more so than Satine. Things started to click together.

To think that slip about her niece gave me the clue I was missing. The events on Geonosis made more sense in how quickly White Silver came to Tanya's rescue. "So when were you going to tell me your niece is White Silver?" I said to provoke a response.

Bo froze up for a second. Maybe deciding whether to continue the lie before saying, "It isn't exactly my secret to tell..."

I nodded, she didn't deny it, which was all the proof I needed to satisfy my curiosity. It's probably why Silver couldn't meet with me in person, seeing as how Tanya has a busy schedule. I can accept that, but I still have some questions I want answered. "Does her mother know?"

Bo coughed into her fist while looking away, "Yeah, I wasn't kidding when I said that Tanya gave her an actual holo-presentation. It had slideshows and sources."

"So Tanya was the one who convinced Satine to slowly change her ways, and why she is fairly hands-off with Silver, even though she is essentially a Mandalorian warlord. Tell me everything. We can take the scenic route to the castle." I aborted the descent and updated our flight plan to take us on a lazy orbital track around the moon. Concordia was stunning, as always.

"Alright, I think it all started back when I left an empty blaster out for Tanya to find. She..."

Gar Saxon was waiting for me at my private landing pad at the castle. That was rarely a good sign. My mind was still reeling from the illuminating shuttle ride.

Bo smirked at my expression and squeezed my shoulder. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she turned back to kiss me and winked back at Gar, waving at the two of us.

Gar approached as Bo walked off the pad toward her quarters. "Pre, you are not going to believe what this kriffing bantha scum did. His parents must have been Hutts."

"Who?" I asked, already forming a suspicion.

"Almec, that Hutt-kriffer." He paused. "Thehut'uuntimed his speech so you couldn't respond. He started this right after your shuttle took off from the palace. You can watch the whole damned thing, I got it recorded."

Gar Saxon passed me a datapad, but I just handed it back. "Let's handle this in my office." We both moved further into the castle, towards my main office.

After arriving, Gar activated his vambrace and sent the video to the viewscreen on my wall. Almec's smarmy face appeared. "My fellow Mandalorians, it has been a hard few months ever since the Black Market Arrests and anti-corruption initiatives in the Mandalorian Government." Of course, he tried to muddy the picture and not mention it was only his Secret Service that was the problem.

"But after a long and lengthy investigation into the causes and perpetrators behind said investigation, it is time to reveal the information we have been able to dig up. Two individuals are our primary suspects." Almec was speaking behind the Prime Minister's desk in his office, using any veneer of credibility to burnish his image, it seemed.

"Lorka Gedyc we've managed to identify as the leader of the illegal Black Market in the Mandalorian sector. We have confirmed his ties and affiliation with Death Watch, a known terrorist organization. Gedyc is a supporter of Tor Vizsla, and his connections led us to some of his operations on Concordia, where he smuggled resources to Mandalore."

So that was Almec's game. The election wasn't looking good for him. But if you implicated your political rival in the same corruption, well, he could win if he was the only candidate left.

"The other individual involved is White Silver. A significant number of the pirates and smuggler operations can be traced back to Gargon. We followed these operations back to Gargon-based businesses, and arrests have been made. However, the majority of these pirate businesses are shell corporations, often layers of such things. Our auditors found that the ultimate owner of these businesses is White Silver, herself."

Was Almec so arrogant as to believe that in the battle of public opinion, White Silver was less popular than himself? The Silvers doubtless wouldn't believe a word he'd say about Silver.

"Not only that, but we believe we now know the true identity of White Silver. She is someone most Mandalorians would recognize, and we were able to pinpoint her identity in part due to the Lancer pursuit craft she prefers to use. Of course, I am speaking of Bo-Katan Kryze."

I saw red for a moment. There was a crunching sound and when I glanced down at the table, pieces of a destroyed comlink lay on the table.

"I take it from your reaction, she..." Gar trailed off, seeming unsure which conclusion was the truth.

"She is not White Silver." I ground out.

Almec's speech continued uninterrupted, but neither of us was paying it much attention. "She just acquired a Lancer craft at the same time that White Silver appeared with one on Gargon when Gerr revealed himself. And during the Mandalorian Civil War, she took part in bounty hunting and maintained a base on Gargon."

"You're certain?" Gar checked.

"Absolutely. I know who White Silver is. Bo's not her." I confirmed. Gar seemed surprised by the statement. His datapad warbled with an audible alert, he looked down in alarm.

Almec shuffled several sheets of flimsi documents on his desk, pretending he was some ancient storyteller. "As a result of our investigation, I am issuing a warrant for Bo-Katan to come to Mandalore and explain the situation to the government.

"Kriff — Pre, the Royal Guards are here." Gar was still reading something on his datapad, face drawn in worry. "Two shuttles are docking at the other transport pads." They must have stalled as long as they could, if Almec set this all in motion while we were in transit.

"Bo's probably over with Paz." I said, and reached for my destroyed comlink.

"Haar'chak!" I cursed and turned to Gar, "Hand me your comlink! I'll get Bo and meet with the Royal Guards."

Gar was cursing louder now. "Pre, we can't have the Royal Guard stomping all over the castle. The basem*nt levels aren't clean!" He passed me over his comlink and I started entering the emergency comm code for Bo.

"I know." I growled. "Give me a moment." Finished, I handed it back.

"Stay here. Alert my legal counsel and have them meet me at the palace in Sundari. Bo will come to look for me here, I need to go meet with the guards." I said.

Gar nodded.

"When she arrives, fill her in and send her to the foyer."

Moving quickly, I found where the wait staff had stalled the uninvited guests at the castle entrance.

"We have a warrant for Bo-Katan Kryze. This is currently her primary residence. The Mandalorian Space Authority has her last known transit to this location." A put-upon Royal Guard was flanked by four others in resplendent armor.

The Royal Guard seemed tired, as if he had repeated the message more than once to my head butler. The butler and a footman kept moving to intercept and block their path, preventing them from making much progress.

"Ah, gentlemen. I am here to clear this matter up." I said. The Royal Guards all snapped their attention to me.

"You can clear this matter up by surrendering your wife, Governor." The lead Royal Guard spoke for the group, but one man to the left was shaking his head in disagreement.

Another, further back, was silently mouthing something like "Sorry about this."

"My wife will be with us shortly, and we can clear this whole misunderstanding up. Bo-Katan definitely isn't secretly White Silver. I think I would have noticed." The tension was still rising, despite my attempt at levity.

"That's not for us to decide." The same Royal Guard spoke again. "We're just taking her back to Mandalore."

Fortunately, Bo-Katan walked up next to me just then. "What's this about a warrant? I'm the Acting Deputy Prime Minister, this is ridiculous. Satine is going to make heads roll."

"Good, you're coming with us back to Mandalore, so we can sort this all out, Ms. Kryze." Bo rolled her eyes at the incorrect title and gave a tired laugh.

"I'm coming with her." I added. "I insist."

Dathomir System, Dathomir Orbit,The Diplomat, Courier-class freighter
Tanya Kryze

Carefully donning my armor, I double-checked and made sure it was securely in place. It wasn't often I had an opportunity to wear armor in the persona of Tanya Kryze. This was the first time I've worn it in an official capacity. Those other times had been in unofficial capacities, necessary for my survival.

Granted, I now had official religious grounds to wear armor after Senator Philo was killed by that bounty hunter. Actually, since this technically wasn't a mission for the Republic, I didn't require official religious grounds to wear armor. But having the official approval of the Republic's government created a sufficient excuse for the CNS to allow me to use armor; or at least for my mother to let me use armor.

We were near the Belsmuth campaign, where the Grand Army of the Republic and the Confederate Navy were actively fighting. As a result, I decided to boost our sensors beyond their normal capabilities. It was necessary to detect the Cronau radiation from a hyperjump exit, even though it made our travel time longer. Ships making emergency hyperjumps could appear in this area, and they would likely have active weapons and shoot on sight.

I reached out for my helmet at first but hesitated. Yes, it was standard Mandalorian gear, but I was a politician. I had an image to maintain. The body armor was good enough, so instead of putting it on my head, I let the magnets hold it to the backplate of my armor. I could still bring it, just in case.

Staring at several of the jetpacks, I considered grabbing one off the wall. There were two variants that I had now; most of the models on the wall were the Z-6. The new model was from a different manufacturer. The JT-12 was a more compact jetpack, and a few models had recently found their way into my possession. Merr-Sonn Munitions, or at least their marketing department, decided to send me some samples. They thought it would make for a fashionable accessory for Mandalorians.

The older model was the larger, more long-distance one that I've had for some time. Maybe if I were here longer than a day, I'd practice with one, just to avoid letting my skills get rusty. Seeing Dathomir in the air would be a novel experience, distinct from both Concordia and Kalevala. For now, I just grabbed the shorter ranged JT-12. Just in case I needed an emergency jump; I didn't need the range. Fully equipped, I headed back to regroup with Khae and the others.

As I walked back to the passenger rooms, I paused by my reflection in a set of mirrors in the hallway. Frowning, I leaned forward and double-checked my makeup in the reflection. My hair was trending towards auburn. When I checked in on Vai and Tabbi's honeymoon vacation from the HoloNet, I discovered Vai had dyed her hair auburn. Vai being Vai, she didn't even warn me first. So until I decided what to do about that, I paused dyeing my hair.

I doubted the witches of Dathomir could even tell that my hair was a little off, stretching my back. I was happy my armor had been refitted since the last time I used it. Last time, it had been too tight in a few places, not providing the best coverage. It was far from perfect. The armored plates on my thighs and stomach emphasized too much. The armor set had received updates to be more fashionable now that it was legalized to wear openly in Mandalorian society.

Once I reached my suite, I saw my handmaiden, Khae Morson, stepping out of her adjacent room in her own Mandalorian armor. Her armor also had gone through some updates since the last time I had seen it. Still brown with orange coloration, now it had a bit more glamour to it, especially the embroidering on her poncho.

"Did Vai kidnap you to go shopping?" I asked as Khae closed her door. She turned to look at me, her own helmet magnetized off the side of her thigh, nodding affirmatively. "If she's harassing you, you know you can report it to me." I deadpanned.

"Ah, no, it was fun." Khae smiled and glanced up before giving a shake of her head. "Apparently, we're all supposed to be very fashionable."

"Well, we are supposed to be peaceful political types." I agreed with a nod. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are young girls looking up to us. So to be a good role model, yes, we should be a little fashionable." Vai tended to go a little too heavy on what was fashionable, but I wouldn't hold that against her.

"Sure." Khae agreed. "Are you sure it is wise to deal with these witches, Tanya? I know you're open-minded about Force-wielders, but this seems really risky. Would you approve of your friend, Padmé, being in this situation?"

I shrugged as I walked down the hallway, leading towards the cargo bay door. "I am a Mandalorian and Padmé is not. I agree Dathomir is dangerous, but what would you suggest I do? Shall I retreat to Mandalore and return in a few weeks with a much stronger force to threaten them with? It could go wrong, but we are only one sector away from Mandalore."

Khae continued, undeterred. "You didn't brief the duch*ess on the risks."

"There is nothing to brief her on. There is no information. The system is a black hole in the HoloNet records." I grumbled.

Khae shook her head, annoyed. "It's not like you to give up so easily. You could ask your father for more information, couldn't you?"

"Give up? I'm going, aren't I?" I stopped and looked at Khae and held her gaze for a moment. "And if Kenobi was in my position, he would agree that the CNS's mission, reducing the harm of war, outweighs possible minor risks to his personal safety. If we don't treat with Dathomir, what message does that send to other worlds?" I mused.

"What about you?" Khae pressed.

"I'mfine." I said. "I asked Captain Struc to prepare for the unexpected and have some extra security. Make sure you grab a jetpack too." I said, glancing at her armor and unencumbered shoulders.

Khae frowned and crossed her arms, a clear sign of her skepticism. However, she didn't argue the point any further.

I didn't say much more as we arrived at the cargo bay landing doors, where Captain Struc and Guardsman Mok were working to prepare my shuttle. The captain and the slicer were amid their own conversation.

Flanking them were four men and women recruited from the crew, in light mismatched armor, armed with an eclectic mix of blasters, no two are the same. They looked haphazard to me, but then again, this was the first time I'd taken this ship out on a diplomatic meeting. I hadn't exactly put together a crew of ship security, defined a weapons list, or even uniforms, for that matter.

"The extra security?" I asked, intrigued by the solution Captain Struc had devised. I would have to codify a standard armory and basic weapon proficiency for my crew to correct the oversight going forward. Cross-training the crew on other standard roles was just common sense. A familiar task, and my mind wandered to solve it.

"Just a precautionary measure," Captain Struc turned from his conversation with Mok, and his answer snapped me back to the situation at hand. "Heard plenty of rumors over the years about Dathomir. Not interested in finding out which ones are true."

Beyond the rare accounts of Dathomir's witches, there was strangely little of worth on the system available on the HoloNet. The HoloNet had incredibly detailed historical records for almost every other world in the sector. But not for Dathomir. The most notable fact I could confirm about the planet was that the Rancor, a dangerously intelligent beast, was native to the planet. Records of sale from Republic zoos were the only reason I know that much.

Little else was available in the way of precedent or governmental authority. The absence was very suspicious to me. "My investigation found little in the histories, but I skimmed through several Sith and Jedi histories, which in the end didn't provide many specifics on Dathomir. What exactly have you heard?"

"Not much, and that's probably because most of the HoloNet seems to consider their history fiction." Mok said. The crew coming with us moved to stand behind me.

Captain Struc said, "The Night Witches also don't help with their whole being out here in the middle of nowhere and isolationist preferences. So much of what they are remains a secret." He paused and turned slightly to focus on me. "Ahem, are we ready, Princess?" He looked through me, back towards the rest of the group, checking their response.

I nodded, "I think it is time to actually meet our potential political allies."

Captain Struc nodded his head and led the way aboard the shuttle. My three Royal Guards, the four security personnel, Khae, and I quickly filled up the interior. This was the maximum shuttle capacity, and it meant that the four security personnel had to take standing room holding on to the railings at the top of the shuttle. Captain Struc adjusted some controls from his pilot's seat, while the others tightened their grips on the safety rails.

Settling in next to Khae, I tried to center my thoughts, but failed. The shuttle left the cargo bay and started descending towards the planet. We passed through fluffy white clouds over lush green vegetation and rich burgundy terrain. The reddish sky looked like a perpetual twilight, but I never felt quite comfortable in the shuttle seat.

Something kept unsettling me. It wasn't the shuttle shuddering into sudden updrafts and downdrafts, either. The ride was rough at first. We jerked up and down several times in the turbulence, before it steadied out. The others were quiet, giving me too much time to think. I took in the view and tried to imagine what similar green vegetation would look like on Mandalore's surface.

The flight ended a few minutes later, as we came into the landing site with a loud thump.

"Time to get to work." Captain Struc said, jolting me out of my uneasy meditation. The others groaned and unclasped their harnesses. Captain Struc made his way through the center aisle to the back of the shuttle, pressing the door hatch-access, and the ramp extended. Dathomir's sky and the planet beyond were revealed, and it was not as it had seemed from above.

The red giant sun cast an unearthly light over distant green vegetation, no doubt what we saw from overhead. However, the landing site was revealed to be quite pitiful.

I tried not to judge very hard when it came to other societies, but beyond the shuttle was a dismal forest of dead trees, dark red sand and dirt visible through the leafless trees. What plant life existed were all brambles and harsh vines, clinging to life beneath the rows of dead trees. The distant mountains looked like jagged brown fingers grasping towards the rust-colored sky.

We descended the ramp and walked to the meeting site, only a few dozen feet from our landing point. There was nothing visible to distinguish it from anywhere else on the horizon. The site was on something of a plateau, between several squat, barren hills and plateaus nearer to the mountains.

"So, do we just wait here?" Khae asked, turning to me.

"We sent a signal when we entered orbit, and the meeting site is very... visible. So if the Night Sisters are here, they couldn't have missed our arrival."

The nine of us waited in uneasy silence, before a distant roar of some unknown animal drew the group's attention. We all collectively stared off in the direction of the sound, but I returned to scanning across the skies a moment later. I had no time for whatever was going on beneath the plateau in the distance.

Oddly, though, I noticed something about the planet's atmosphere. It felt heavy. I don't know if it was the humidity, the higher than usual gravity, or something else, but it put my senses on edge.

The wait didn't last much longer, as four shuttles swooped low across the treeline and landed around the plateau. The shuttles each landed separately, spaced far apart, rather than clustering together. Ramps extended, and our diplomatic contacts started appearing.

Arriving at the left side of the plateau, I could make out several women, only partially visible because of their garb's camouflaged design. They were easy to discern once they moved out into the open, their camouflage doing nothing to mask their stark white skin in the light of the day. I also noticed they were carrying what appeared to be bows, though there were no arrows nor quivers that I could see. Probably energy bows of some kind.

Two figures led the women. One was obviously Mother Talzin. She stood tall, moving slightly ahead of the group, her face an intense mask of black and white paint. The others wore similar attire, albeit less refined, and always positioned themselves further away from her.

On the right, a group that was a mix of human women was approaching, a sharp contrast from Mother Talzin's retinue. The leader of that contingent was an older woman with graying hair and sharp eyes. Mother Talzin wore red, but this leader was wearing a royal blue garb and a purple cape. In another life, it would have been the hallmarks of a royal lineage, but it meant nothing here.

The last group consisted of pale-skinned Dathomiri, wearing similar purple robes, but they hid their faces behind evil-looking masks. Each of the groups approached the meeting site, but avoided intermingling with the others.

"Princess Tanya, Senator Kryze of Mandalore, what an honor it is to meet you." Mother Talzin gave a brief bow. "I am the leader of the people of Dathomir." At her words, the other groups' expressions hardened and there was a quiet muttering, but none spoke up.

"Also with us are three other clan mothers. The Spider clan." she indicated the woman near her left, and she was scowling now. "The Singing Mountain clan." she gestured slightly towards the woman to her left in purple. She was still and showed no visible reaction. "And The Frenzy River clan." which obviously was the leader of the last group in vicious masks.

"It's an honor to meet you all. I speak with the voice of my Clan mother Satine, ruler of Mandalore." I greeted the assembled leaders with my prepared statement.

The matriarch of the Singing Mountain Clan spoke first after the introductions. "Well met, I am Mother Augwynne Djo. I'd prefer Dathomir kept out of galactic politics, but Mother Talzin has made some... convincing arguments."

Mother Talzin smiled thinly. "Mother Djo, you know exactly why we need to join the Council of Neutral Systems. We will never have neighbors as understanding as these. Or have you caved to the Serennian view of history?"

Mother Djo denied the claim, but there was clearly no love between Mother Talzin and the Singing Mountain Clan.

The matriarch of the Frenzy River clan hadn't spoken yet. However, her gaze remained focused on my retinue. I observed her, unsure of how I knew what I felt. Her mask concealed much, yet I could feel her gaze shift towards me. She was studying me.

Willing myself to ignore the scrutiny, I focused once again on Mother Talzin. I said, "Has any clan agreed to work with Count Dooku? If the CIS is already here, that would interfere with any agreement."

Mother Talzin frowned, "No clan has agreed to work with the Count of Serenno, but it's hard to say what loyalties some here have." She swept her gaze over the other groups at that statement. "However, most clans recognize my...ourleadership."

"Or mine." Mother Djo said, sounding annoyed.

"Yes, you are powerful. This is true, Mother Djo, but you don't have quite a large enough quorum to claim the leadership of this world. I brought the most influential and amenable clans to this meeting. If we all agree, our word will be binding."

"The Frenzy River clan will not abide by any deal." A fresh voice ground the discussions to a halt. The voice sounded like me, but as if from underwater. It originated from the matriarch of the Frenzy River group.

"Why is that?" I called out. I examined the matriarch's vicious mask, wondering what the jagged shapes and red and black colors were meant to invoke.

"Because the Frenzy River clan is still picking out their leaders' corpses out of the river." The tone was light and mocking now, clearly gloating at their deeds. Mother Djo gasped and Mother Talzin stiffened. The body language among the other clans radiated tension at this.

Captain Struc was not alone in reaching toward his blaster. I reached for my pair of WESTAR-35 blasters at my sides.

Mother Djo gasped again as the clan sisters removed their masks. The speaker revealed a stark white face with black shadings that was a doppelgänger of my own. The two other clan members unveiled their true identities as not Nightsisters, but two scrawny men, each hiding heavy blasters within their robes.

"So I'll give you the same offer I gave the Frenzy River clan Mothers: Surrender or die." My doppelgänger laughed, and her too-wide grin only highlighted her dark lipstick and perfectly white teeth.

My hands were already in motion, bringing my WESTAR-35 blasters up, taking aim at the hostiles. The two men were already in motion as well. Each brought up a heavy repeater rifle, aiming at the other two clan groups.

In an instant, the calamity of battle consumed everything.

I engaged my jetpack to bring me out of their line of fire, firing stun blasts towards the hostiles. Their armor blocked a few blasts, and they seemed to know which shots to tank and which to dodge with uncommon skill. The two repeater rifles unleashed deadly blasts into each group, though many of the bolts went wide of the Nightsisters.

More shots were missing than poor aim could explain, but then I witnessed a bolt aimed at Mother Talzin deflected into the dirt. Captain Struc and my security were pulling back, and one individual on the ground wasn't moving. From my aerial vantage, I could tell the Royal Guards were doing their best to shield the less well armored security personnel.

There was a simpler solution. From above, I took aim at the hostile focusing on my staff. Mok noticed where I was focusing my fire and shouted something to the security forces on the ground. After a moment, he went down, but the second rifleman dodged and dodged again. He must have been force-sensitive. His movement reminded me of the Jedi, and he danced out of the way of all the blaster bolts aimed at him.

Giving up, I aimed at my doppelgänger. After dodging my first shot, she drew out a gold yellow lightsaber, deflecting my blaster bolts with a swing. I was armored, so I coasted in closer on my jetpack, still firing. She used her lightsaber and rigidly kept deflecting the bolts, even ones that would have missed on their own. So I swooped down and closer, firing more blasts to distract her. When I got into melee range, she swung her blade, trying to cut my blasters in two.

It left her open for me to punch her heavily in the face with my armored fist.

She staggered, taking a few steps back. Blood dripped down the side of her lip from a cut from my gauntlet-clad fists. "Such a barbaric act. You truly are a Mandalorian."

"I'm the Mandalorian who's about to beat the hell out of the killer of one of my employees. You're the savage here. You just attempted a massacre."

"You can try,White Silver." She mocked. Only many hours of practice around White Silver stunt doubles enabled me not to react to my title. She performed a superhuman leap all the way back to her allies. I hoped no one was close enough to overhear how she addressed me.

I started moving after her right away. "Khae, on me!" I called. Did I dare allow my doppelgänger to escape now? How does she even know this in the first place? I need to capture and interrogate her.

"Right, Princess." I heard her respond, her voice muffled by her helmet, reminding me to do the same. Combined blaster fire had cornered the second rifleman, and he was down as well.

My doppelgänger was alone now. She furiously swept her blade about, repelling every blaster bolt. My doppelgänger reflected it all. Every bolt fired in her direction. It was a dazzling display. She moved with inhuman speed, but that wasn't how her trick worked, I realized.

Her lightsaber moved absent her guiding hands. Instead, it flew in midair, rigidly turning its beam to a new position. All the while apparently unconstrained by the laws of physics. It was an impressive demonstration, but for all its techniques, it didn't represent a genuine danger. Armor easily absorbed the few reflected bolts that made it back to me.

Finally, the two security personnel and my royal guards added to my blaster fire. After a few moments of this, my doppelgänger cut contact and bounded in superhuman leaps towards the treeline.

"Princess." Captain Struc's steady voice came over the line. "We shou-"

Whatever his plans were, I interrupted him. "Secure the safety of Mother Talzin, Mother Djo and the other leaders. Find out if the Frenzy River clan is working for Count Dooku." Securing them would keep them, including my other guards, busy and far away from my doppelgänger. Time to discover which of us had the better grasp of tactics.

"Understood. Princess, you don't need to go after the hostiles. We have the Diplomat in orbit."

Captain Struc made one good point. However, I had Khae and my doppelgänger was alone. This was the best chance to bring that murderer down, and maybe my only chance to contain this. I would not let the death of Kastel go unanswered.

I activated my jetpack again to pursue her into the treeline. "I'm bringing that murderer in."

I heard rather than saw Khae lift off behind me. After only a few moments, her aggressive maneuvers caught up with my pursuit.

Damn force-wielders were fast, I thought, as I chased after her with haste. I burned my jetpack harder, aiming to get above the dead trees and struggling undergrowth, not wanting to lose sight of them for a moment. Khae matched my trajectory, even pulling ahead slightly. My doppelgänger whipped and weaved through the trees below.

In fact, I almost lost her for a moment, causing me to hover in midair. Wordlessly, Khae backtracked to try to spot if she had doubled-back, but I caught sight of her again.

"Princess. We need to extract. We're abo-" Captain Struc's voice interrupted as a rock collided with me. Hurtling towards me from behind, it smashed into my jetpack, and I dropped like a stone.

I tumbled to the ground and rolled, allowing my armor to take the hit. The impact was loud and jarring, but I pushed through it. Detaching the jetpack in case it was about to explode, I aimed my blasters about, trying to reorient myself. Where the hell was she?

"Temper, temper, sister. You let yourself get a little too angry. It's good that the Dark Side requires a bit of emotion to be harnessed correctly." I aimed towards the sound of her voice. "And this place, it's quite steeped in the Dark Side. I'll bet it's been making you feel on edge the moment you stepped on the planet."

I stomped on my growing fears about this fight and pinpointed the source of her taunting voice. She was behind a dead tree, and I pretended not to detect which. Khae would catch up to me and flush her out soon enough, and a glance at my helmet's HUD confirmed her approach.

The doppelgänger stepped out from behind the tree. She wore a conspiratorial smirk and reignited her yellow lightsaber.

The moment she appeared, I fired several more stun blasts at her, but she easily deflected these as she moved towards me.

"Tanya, Tanya, Tanya. You and I both know that a lightsaber can deflect those blaster bolts, and now you're here away from your minders, all alone." She taunted, still approaching.

Behind my helm, I smiled. "Are you sure about that?"

The doppelgänger was forced to break off her approach, turning quickly to deflect a shot from Khae. Khae fired twice each from her pair of blasters before landing beside me.

"Kriff! You okay, Tanya?" Khae shouted, standing up to her full height, poncho fluttering in the wind.

"Could be better. My jetpack is out of commission. But now the odds are in our favor. We can capture this dishonorable cur and bring her to justice." I turned towards my doppelgänger, taunting her back.

"Sister, what do killers like us know of honor?" She laughed.

"Is that supposed to distract me? What is your purpose here?" I spat out, enraged. I didn't stop moving. Khae and I were closing in on her.

"I'm here to rescue my sister, if only you would stop resisting." She mocked in a teasing tone, obviously trying to bait me into reacting. With that last word, she extended her hand towards Khae, throwing her into a tree behind her. Surprised, I also felt another Force pulling me forward towards my doppelgänger.

I allowed her to yank me towards her with invisible forces and continued the momentum to throw my fist into her gut, making her squeak out at the indignity of the attack. She threw her arms forwards to cast me about again as I darted back. The Force pulling me towards her didn't abate.

I gritted my teeth and planted my feet to resist Khae's fate, and started firing shots off. She easily blocked them with her lightsaber, but the distraction freed me from the invisible Force pulling me. "I don't need you or anyone else's help. You're the criminal here, you murdered my employee!"

"Silly elder sister, you still avoid the Force, avoid the Dark Side, avoid any hint of true power, play-acting as a Mandalorian." She mocked and shook her fist, taunting me, but I sprang forward.

She was already prone to monologuing, so maybe I would have a chance with a stun shot. All I needed to do was get the lightsaber away from her.

It wouldn't even be that hard, I thought as I closed the distance and got in range. I blocked her lightsaber blow with the back of my beskar-clad armored right wrist. Twisting with the motion, I punched her with my left arm. It connected with her face, smashing through and continued despite her resistance and strength. I heard the lightsaber hiss off as it clattered to the ground.

I repeated the blow with my other arm, but it was interrupted. She struck back with the Force, sending me violently across the ground. I swept the musty smell of decay and underbrush off me, before pulling myself back up. My doppelgänger spit blood as she reignited her lightsaber at a distance as it flew back to orbit her, the pale golden light of the blade humming with deadly intent.

But my doppelgänger had no choice but to take a step back in order to dodge a barrage of bolts. She deflected two more bolts as Khae came flying in. Khae lost her poncho, and her armor was also dirty from the forest floor. She landed next to me, snarling while sweeping the forest gunk off her armor forcefully.

Captain Struc's comm interrupted my analysis of the situation. "Princess. We need to extract. Mother Talzin and the other leaders are in their shuttles. We have a tentative agreement to reconvene remotely via the shortwave transmitter in our respective crafts."

Khae's voice was on the comm, "Belay that, Captain Struc!" She had obviously heard the same message. "Holy Kriff." she grimaced and turned to me, grinning madly despite the constant exertion.

"Status? Do you need reinforcements?" Captain Struc asked us.

"We can still do this, two on one. Our armor negates her lightsaber." I agreed, absent the comm, and Khae nodded her head a few extra times in agreement. "You've got the jetpack, so you're the hammer. I'm the anvil. Force her into confronting me and pin her there. I can beat her." We both brought up our blasters. I was already committed to this course because to walk away would be a disaster.

"I'm sending reinforcements, the shuttle is inbound to your location." Captain Struc reported.

My doppelgänger held her lightsaber point down, and said. "People can do such amazing things if they aren't busy fighting a war.Surrender, there's no reason for us to fight, I want the same things you once did. Before your mind was poisoned by the petty vice of Mandalorian patriotism."

That could be determined later when she was safely locked up. I opened fire and started trying to pin her down, while Khae lifted off, accelerating around her to pin her between us.

A spear came flying through the northern treeline and smashed right through Khae's jetpack. The impact caused something important to loudly explode. Dangerous sparks fell to the dry forest floor. Khae spun in midair, tumbling onto the ground with some force. She lost her grip on one of her pistols, her fall arrested by a large dead tree.

One of the sparks caught on the dead underbrush, crackling flames hidden under the brambles produced a plume of smoke. My doppelgänger laughed at her fall and turned towards the small fire, lazily gesturing at the flames. As the fire vanished, she strode towards me. "Listen to yourself, two on one, and all that friendship is magic bullsh*t. I'm not the villain here, I have friends and allies here with me too."

A monster of a Zabrak, sandy colored and sharpened horns like a crown sprouting from his head, bore down on me. He was heavily armored and wielding a large halberd.

Bringing up my WESTAR-35 pistols, I fired two blaster bolts right at his center of mass. He didn't even bother to dodge, simply tanking the shots as if they were nothing. I squeezed off a third bolt, then my blasters were wrenched painfully from my grasp. "sh*t!" I cursed, as they twisted away through the air, towards my doppelgänger.

She twisted her fingers and the Zabrak snagged both blasters from midair. "Savage. Ignore her. Finish off the spare." He grunted and marched towards Khae's downed form. "What are you going to do, Tanya? It's just you, me, your friend and mine, the four of us, and both of you are disarmed. Will you finally do what's logical and surrender?"

I reached to my sides and whipped out a pair of vibroblades. Then, I charged straight at my doppelgänger, ready to take her down."Did they even bother to give you a name?" I snarled.

"My name is Tan'nya." She spat, and blood came out. "So, sister, are you going to do the sensible thing?" She dodged my initial rush, and adjusted her stance now that we were up close.

I had stalled long enough that Khae had recovered and had her own vibroblade out. She charged Savage, the large Zabrak, striking out aggressively, bellowing a wordless shout of rage.

Was that emotion part of the battle, or did Tan'nya speak truthfully about Dathomir being touched by the dark side? Savage swung his halberd taking advantage of its longer reach. Khae ducked and weaved to avoid his blows all while attacking the Zabrak's hands. I had no time to watch, though, as Tan'nya swung towards me, and I dodged her deadly beam.

Focusing on Tan'nya, I swept one of my vibroblades out in a feint, using the other to strike at her right arm, the same arm she was holding her lightsaber with.

Tan'nya stepped backwards to dodge both strikes and swept her lightsaber through the second blade as if to cut it in two.

When the two met, the lightsaber sparked and hissed, and the golden beam vanished.

"Huh," I observed intelligently, glancing at my blades. Bo gifted me these vibroblades back when I finished her training, was there something special about them? I advanced a step to press my advantage, but an invisible wall of Force slowed me.

"A pair of cortosis vibroblades. Where. Did. You. Get. Those. Blades?!" Tan'nya ground out, emphasizing each word, her face a mask of rage, and she held her left hand out. I felt a pressure on my neck as I was lifted off the ground. My hands went to my neck, trying to oppose her grasp on me. However, there was nothing to grasp, the Force was invisible and intangible, yet it surrounded me as it choked the air from my throat. I could do nothing to prevent it.

Khae screamed, and I heard her hit the tree next to us. She shifted, but didn't get up. Without missing a beat, Savage advanced on her and brought his foot down on her chest. He kicked her armor a few times, before plucking her vibroblade from her grasp. Painful, oxygen-deprived seconds passed as I was held in midair, and I heard my vibroblades clatter to the ground. I hadn't let go. My fingers failed to maintain their grasp.

"Stop playing with your kill and finish her." Tan'nya snarled at him. Savage rolled his eyes and grunted in acknowledgment, hefting his halberd and raising it high.

"No!" I managed, but it was more of a whisper than a yell. My throat barely worked, and I desperately wished my gauntlets had more offensive capabilities. I strained against the Force holding me, useless as it was. The strike swung true — something in the Force responded.

The halberd strike missed Khae, sliding into the ground right beside her. "Kriff! Fragging witch!" Savage roared, now upset. He moved to kick her, seemingly unaware she wasn't responsible.

"How fascinating." An imperious and unfamiliar voice called out, coldly interrupting us. Yet, the speaker was not completely foreign. I recognized her from somewhere. I tried to recall where I could place it. But my exhausted and depleted mind just fed me useless glimpses of memories; instead of her name, I recalled gleaming durasteel and cold glass in a dark rainstorm. In the rain was the body of one of my subordinates, dead.

"Your attachment to your subordinates will be useful." Her words jarred me back to my present asphyxiation. Both Savage and Tan'nya stilled at her voice, so she clearly outranked them.

The woman approached and pulled my helmet off, grabbing my chin. She twisted me around, to look me in the eyes. Her own red eyes held great interest, and after a moment, I felt my throat open, the Force holding it unconstricted. I gasped a breath of fresh air, taking in my surroundings, and noticing her characteristically Chiss-blue skin tone and dark outfit for the first time. Sev'rance Tann. No longer starved for oxygen, I recognized her.

I would have taken a swing at her, but Tan'nya had already secured my arms behind my back. So I just jerked in my bindings uselessly. Tann grabbed hold of my head with both her hands, and she stared into my eyes for a long time. I stared back, defiant. What greater evil could this bitch do to me that Being X hadn't inflicted on me long ago.

Suddenly, I felt a profound sense of vertigo, as if I was falling in an indeterminate void of space, and my body jerked to resist it. When I recovered, Tann wore a broad smile of triumph.

"Very strong for a force-sensitive, judging by that reaction." She mused aloud, walking over to Khae's fallen form.

"What are you talking about?" I coughed out, still weak and confused, taking in small gasps of air.

"A force-sensitive mind will automatically defend itself from mental intrusion. It's a crude tool to determine whether someone is force sensitive or not. The Jedi rely on more sensitive tests, and Midi-chlorians certainly have their uses, but none of the feeble-minded are worth the effort of training."

I barely heard a word that Tann just said. I sat in a stupor as the enormity of the disaster crashed into my exhausted body.

Tann took a knee and grabbed Khae's bound form, removing her helmet. She performed the same test, and I was able to watch it from another perspective. Nothing happened at first, and a long minute passed, while I regathered my wits. Without preamble or warning, Khae shuddered loudly and flinched violently in her bonds.

"Wonderful." Tann mused, standing up and dusting herself off. "Two for the price of one, quite an excellent haul, my apprentice. Your plan worked splendidly."

"You honor me with your patronage, master." She said above me, the slight change in her tone indicating that she gave a nod halfway through the words.

"Return to the Infiltrator and prepare the cloaking field. I'll take care of the prisoners." Tann said, as she walked over to me.

I felt a cold piece of metal, the barrel of a blaster, on my neck right before it went off.

Raxus Secundus, Mandalore Diplomatic Residence
Korkie Kryze

Straightening my collar, I looked over at Soniee for support. I had discussed the general shape of the idea during many of our nights together. Initially, I wanted to propose something much bolder, a sweeping set of rules and protections against the ravages of the war. However, no one I spoke to said such a thing was possible, given that protecting civilians or prioritizing the natural environment might compromise the war effort. Soniee smiled and gave me a thumbs up, reassuring me that this proposal was a step in the right direction.

Meeting with me was a mixed group of Senators. Mixed in not only their species, but in a factional sense. Not only the Parliamentarians, but also many Senators from the broader Peace Faction, and several independent Senators who were from worlds ravaged by military decisions. A significant number of Senators were upset with Dooku's control over the military and their actions, as well as their inaction over the last year. Muunilinst, for example, was once a lush world, still only in the hands of the CIS by Durge's decision to rain nuclear fire on the invaders, it was a prime exemplar of the ravages of war. In addition, some of the frontier worlds were represented as well, other worlds that had also been on the front line of combat and had experienced some of the worst ecological disasters because of it.

The last group weren't particularly upset at Dooku in particular, but with a little push, perhaps I could accomplish something.

Clearing my throat, I stood up. "Thank you, Senators, for coming to this meeting. I know you all have busy schedules, but for the betterment of the galaxy, I'm glad that we are having a conversation."

"Better be a good conversation." The Gotal Senator said near the back. They were a tall species, with distinctive twin conical horns and their sensitivity to electricity. Their fur would rise near electrical sources. He was leaning back on his chair as he appeared to be inspecting his thick nails. "I only came because I was promised that there would be drinks when this was over." Right, their homeworld of Antar 4 was conquered by the Separatists early in the war.

"There will." I chuckled. "I did prepare a proper catering service for this, if all you leave with a full stomach, then at least something good came out of this conversation."

There were a healthy number of groans and good-natured chuckles, which was a positive sign.

"If I haven't had a chance to meet you before today, good morning, I'm Korkie Kryze. I'm an official observer from Mandalore and representative for the Council of Neutral Systems. As a neutral third party in the current war, we don't favor either side, but instead are the champions of life and liberty of sophonts everywhere. We offer aid where we can, but in warfare we cannot, and I have grown concerned over the welfare of soldier's over the past few months."

"What I speak of is not battlefields, the price of defeat or victory, but of the aftermath. Crimes against soldiers. Regular battlefield executions rather than taking prisoners. Droid commanders treating the ground troops and clones as no different from droids, and executing them instead of taking prisoners."

"The Confederacy Navy grants its commanders significant autonomy. You, Senators, thus have a position of great influence and can put a halt to this rash behavior. It only encourages the Republic to treat your forces with the same indiscretion."

"Yeah, that's kind of what war is." A taller Gran in the back of the room shouted up to me. I always found their three eyes striking on their own, but the man was also well-dressed, albeit strangely. Topped by a fine red and brown fedora, as well as richly decorated robes with a sash, but all of it was antiquated and at least two fashions out of date. It was from a style already out of favor before I arrived at Raxus. Either he was from some truly backwater colony, or had fallen on rather hard times and couldn't afford the latest fashions; possibly both.

He coughed loudly, "What do you expect us to do? Take the clones as prisoners? We can't even get food to all our people."

I cleared my throat, "I have also read the latest public reports on the Shadowfeed, including how General Grievous disfavors droids and prefers to deploy living warriors among his forces. The First Fleet contains many organic soldiers. They are the conscripted SDF's and homeworld guards of many systems. Droids can be easily replenished, but are you prepared to draft your citizens to replace your soldiers? The majority are now at risk of being executed in the aftermath of a battle they manage to survive, because of this precedent. So you see, this new danger is why this matter is a crisis, and this crisis is what brings me here today."

The Gran was displaying an emotion that I didn't recognize. Was that expression shock, or worry, maybe? He finally responded, "I wasn't aware of that, I thought we were only deploying droids."

717 FNM (21 BBY) Month 10
Raxus Secundus, Mandalore Diplomatic Residence
Soniee Carid

I entered the manse, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

I reflected on today's luncheon gathering that I attended with Korkie. However, it went well, at least as far as I could tell.

I was just homesick, probably. Sundari felt very far away.

When I left on my own an hour ago, Korkie's last message asked if I was feeling okay. I hadn't replied yet and didn't want him to worry, so I didn't linger in the lobby. I entered the elevator and went to the top floor.

"Any way I can help? I thought you were making progress." I greeted Korkie, as I entered his office. He was hunched over his desk, with at least two different datapads visible on the desk. It looks like one of their contents was duplicated onto the larger screen above the desk.

He paused from reading to turn towards me and smile. "The HoloNet connection has already proved very helpful." It still couldn't browse the full HoloNet, but I had managed to slice in enough to add capabilities to send and receive data files through the active comlink. "Yes, the gatherings and luncheons with various factions in Parliament are going well. I've convinced some of them to at least treat their prisoners better. But I fear them backsliding the moment we finish this campaign. How are you?"

"Fine. What about your aunt and sister's suggestion?" I asked. Last time the four of us had talked, on my very illegal HoloNet network receiver, Tanya's droid, X4 had recited the Republic's many telecommunications laws to me. However, Tanya had also suggested a treaty could make the reforms stick. Satine had been quick to suggest the CNS could help observe and enforce the treaty was being followed, and possibly oversee prisoner's directly if necessary.

"Some of it's not workable, I'm not sure the CIS would go for having captured clones be sent to prisoner of war encampments in CNS territory. However, the general framework seems sound, so I'm drafting something. The Parliamentarians have been giving me helpful feedback. What about you? Just fine?"

"I guess I am a bit homesick." I admitted, grabbing one of the comfy chairs, and dragging it closer to Korkie. I looked at the document he was writing in front of me.

"The New Mandalorian Codex,huh?" I read the title aloud with a raised eyebrow. "Do I have to worry about you having a secret identity anytime soon?"

"Just a bad idea, to let off some steam." He touched another data file on the datapad, and the treaty draft I recognized re-appeared.

"No, wait, let me read the other one. Now I'm curious."

However, my comlink lit up with an urgent message. Natalya's urgent message. The message was about Tanya, Korkie's younger sister. "Korkie, Tanya's been abducted. What does that mean for us?" I worried aloud.

I looked up to see an identical message on Korkie's datapad. His face tightened with concern, but he moved with purpose. "For family, I'd do anything." He said, softening at the end, already calling up a Shadowfeed holo with the duch*ess.

Raxus Secundus, Dooku's Palace
Count Dooku

I glanced at the most recent report that Grievous smuggled out to my spies. The First Fleet was beyond the Confederacy's supply lines, Grievous would have to rely on his own skills to scavenge and pillage what he must. "The Pillage of Humberine" the Republic HoloNet was screaming in the headlines. And it would be so until the Perlemian and hope of resupply from friendly forces. The Jedi and the Republic were so busy they weren't even noticing what I was doing on the other side of the Galaxy.

My analysis was interrupted by one of my pilot droids, a wheeled Sullustan model. The brown and copper striped droid entered the room. It was time, I had to attend an important Parliament session today. One of the rare sessions of Parliament, one with genuine significance.

It was quite a large assembly. However, I indicated through the holographic interface that I was not available to attend in person today. They did not deserve my presence, and I longed to end this farce of a democracy. When our Triumvirate was strong enough, we would.

I searched the assembly and looked towards the observer's booth, but it was empty. Turning to the droid, I asked, "Where is the representative of Mandalore?"

The droid checked its memory banks, visibly pausing as it accessed distant records. "Operatives report Prince Korkie Kryze has left the Raxus System. Retail Caucus satellites confirm his ship transited Estaria before re-entering hyperspace. They jumped south on the Perlemian Trade Route. I calculate there is a ninety-nine-point-eight-five percent chance their final destination is Mandalore."

"Did the Anteevian representative go with them, or stay behind?"

"Retail Caucus surveillance confirms she boarded their ship prior to departure. After boarding, Natalya Volkova has not been positively identified on any confederacy systems."

Good. If he uses the CNS to try and find her, that'll make my gambit here even more believable.

Turning back to the holographic projection, I hit a button that would allow me to speak to the gathered assembly. Clearing my throat, I said, "Honored Representatives and Senators, Executive Council members, and fellow citizens, I come before you today with an announcement, with a denouncement."

The crowd hushed as they listened, which was good. I still had them under my control.

"Elements declaring themselves the 'Dentari Collective' have acted without sanction and have involved the CNS in our conflict. Their leaders colluded with corrupt military officials on the Mandalorian world of Alzar to overthrow their legitimate government. In the process, the Dentari also colluded to abduct the Mandalorian Senator and spread their war to the CIS. We have no war with the Neutral Systems, we have no war with Mandalore. Our adversary remains the Republic, a decrepit and corrupt institution that is spreading its influence through its force of arms. I request the Dentari Collective cease their conflict on Alzar. The CIS does not wish to further or spread their war any further, and we demand the swift release of Mandalorian Senator Kryze."

There was clapping and applause, though it was rather shallow. The condemnation meant that the CIS would not invade the CNS. We would still continue to supply the Dentari Collective with resources and droids. And when they decided to send those droids to attack the CNS, they would receive condemnation. But this was all for show, there would be no sanctions or consequences, we needed many more worlds like Alzar.

I waited for the assembly to calm down. A few Senators of systems in the Dentari Collective looked unhappy, but most of the crowd, which had probably been worried about war with the CNS, seemed to have calmed down. However, I noticed that the Executive Council members were not happy. No doubt they were expecting to receive large paydays as they expanded into CNS territory. Unfortunately, I was not willing to have that war yet, especially with reports that they were growing in strength. Let the Dentari Collective grind itself against them for a bit. Let us find out how strong the CNS really was.

Once I was sure that they were compliant, I continued speaking. "The Dentari crisis presents a new question for the CIS and more specifically, us, members of Parliament. Where are our Guardians of the Separatist Alliance? Where are our knights of peace, dispensing justice to distant conflicts, such as Dentari?"

"My announcement is legislation that will create a formalized order of Force-sensitives: The Triumvirate Order. Empowered with capabilities the Jedi lack, this Order will do what the Jedi couldn't — bringing peace and stability to the CIS. Led by three masters, it will answer only to the Bylaws and not individual politicians or systems. The Triumvirate Order will be our vigilant guardians, our watchful shepherds, above the fray of politics."

There was some cheering, which I let pass before I continued. "Of course, I will be a Grandmaster of this order. But there will be other leaders. Two other Masters to form a triumvirate of Grandmasters for this new Order. One shall be my own apprentice for this long conflict, Asajj Ventress. She has served the CIS well, and putting her in charge of the chance to grow our Order is a worthy reward for her efforts. She will focus on discovering new force-sensitives, recruiting, and building out training academies."

It also puts a crimp in any plans for Sidious to have Ventress removed. Oh sure, he could still use bounty hunters to move against her, but she would have the power and resources to escape quite easily now.

"The other Master of this new Order will be Sev'rance Tann. Tann will be the first Director-General of the newly formed CIS High Command. Its purpose will be to direct the defense of the CIS, and her first mission will be to integrate the power of the Triumvirate into the fleets. Tann will develop new roles for Force-sensitives, develop new strategies and tactics for our forces. As the Dentari Collective dispute falls within this organization's new mission, it will also be her first test. I have full confidence that Tann will bring the Collective to heel!"

There was much more applause for Tann. She was a respected figure in some military circles. It was a dangerous game I was playing there, but by raising her up to my exact level as a Master, I could claim that I didn't know what her plans were for Tanya. Of course, I was very familiar with all the plans. Tann may be a Master, but I was still the Grandmaster of this Order.

We would abandon the Rule of Two. We didn't have time nor opportunity to waste with a single apprentice per Master. To start with, each Master would have three apprentices, and each apprentice could have up to three acolytes. It could be expanded from there depending on the results.

I let the applause continue before I finished off my speech. "This new Order will not be used as a weapon against systems to keep them in line, it will respect and strengthen law and order in our society. The main goal for this order is the pursuit of enlightenment. My hope is to establish relations with other like-minded Orders of Force users to grow this pursuit so that this new Order can not only be the shield protecting the weak but also a helping hand to raise the weak up."

The other Orders I was referring to were not so free from the CIS, as I was making it seem. Sora Bulq had come to me with a proposal for a new Dark Jedi Order within the CIS territory. One that would be backed by a clone army of its own. Since the effectiveness of the Republic's was so great, the CIS was interested in having one of their own. Though we were using a different species than Mandalorians for our efforts, I left the majority of the operations to him on that, simply because what I didn't know, Palpatine didn't know.

Nikkos Tyris was the other leader of an Order who was operating outside my purview. An ally of the CIS, though his order was far more secretive. Oddly, he managed to decrypt some ancient information about Darth Sidious's ways and the teachings of the Sith. He had come across lost knowledge within the Jedi Library. Knowledge that made him believe that the Sith were the true Jedi, and the Jedi had stolen all their gifts from them. I haven't investigated the lore for myself, but I would take an ally where I could get one.

After submitting the legislation to Parliament, I awaited the vote and watched the holoprojector. The vote was merely a formality, the necessary arrangements had been made. It was so tedious, waiting for the results.

Instead, I longed to see Palpatine's reaction to my announcements, imagining the look on his face and the sound of his voice. But alas, droids were already tirelessly disassembling and removing the delicate components of the relays and secret transmitters. My secret HoloNet connection was now defunct, a void in intel that was already complicating my plans. So I imagined him raging at that dead connection, his panic as he realized he didn't control the future. That I am my own Master now. A genuine smile appeared on my face for that moment.

Writer's note: 18000 words…. Ahh this chapter is way too long… but that happens when the new ark opens she is going to get wild. There is one concern bugging me: Warmach1ne32 was sick for a couple weeks this month, so he did not get the chance to go over this chapter as much as he would have liked to. So if it's not as smooth as the past chapter, yeah that's on me wanting to get the chapter out.
Please comment, review, and generally enjoy yourselves…

Edited by: MeowATron9000, pedersen, Ghost-339, Warmach1ne32, Afforess, FallQM
Editor's note:Ghost-339 –If I may get a word in for those that read the endcard, yes, I made another Taylor bit! With more to come! After that, I shall remain backstage, working on my own overdue stories.
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