The Force Wills - Chapter 33 (Patreon)

It was well into the Concordian evening when Anakin and I finally managed to squeeze some time to discuss everything that had just happened.

Thirty seven Death Watch members had survived the battle and all were on board with my leadership - as long as I took on the title, identity and culture of a Mandalorian. That wasn’t too much of a stretch, considering the actual tenets of the Resol’nare.

The Way or Six Tenets were essentially; wear armor, speak Mando’a, defend yourself and your family, raise your children as Mandalorians, contribute to the clan’s welfare, and when called upon by the Mand’alor to rally to the common cause. There were no limits by species or gender, as long as your culture and practices matched the Way, you were Mandalorian.

It was the failure of Pre Vizsla’s bodyguards and the fanatical zealots in Death Watch to abide by the latter and refusing to recognize my victory in the Circle, which had caused them to be declared dar’manda.

Thankfully, I had arrived at the leadership of Death Watch early enough in the chain of events where I was only dealing with three cells of the group, all based on Concordia, numbering about 135 warriors in total at the moment. My accession had been accepted by the second cell with no issue, but the third was another story.

Even with the Armorer herself and my newly designated second in command, Togai Vizsla (who I had personally healed so he could at least walk properly) to testify, the third cell had descended into chaos and battle; with one side rejecting and another accepting. It also brought to light that Pre Vizsla had used a form of outright brainwashing technology and it was this that he used to order Gallod Pirn to carry out the bombing and suicide attempts afterward to hide the fact.

They were returning with the device and hopefully it could be used to determine if others had been brainwashed and how to free them of the programming.

Then there was also my new clan to consider.

Clan Vizsla’s holdings, wealth and finances were extensive to say the least. You named the corporation and Vizsla had a finger in the pie. MandalMotors and Concordia Crescent Technologies being the biggest. It was this which might cause me to actually be forced to leave the Jedi Order. I called bullshit, as the Order had numerous precedents for royalty or inherited leadership among their membership with no issue, but you never knew with the Jedi Council these days.

I tapped on the terminal controls, “Try it now HK.”

The droid stabbed his wrist mounted computer spike into the logic port of the com system in the central command prefab building.

“Report: That was successful, Master. Beginning slice and decryption.”

“Snips, I think you can take the helmet off now,” Anakin smirked at me, from his position near the door. Yes, I had donned the blasted helmet of my Aegis armor, even when I didn’t need to.

“The Armorer might not be here now, master, but in this context and place - I’m on thin enough ice as it is.”

“Very well, so lay it out for me.”

My senses reached out, verifying that we were bug free and no signal was broadcasting.

“Pre Vizsla had to die. His Death Watch had to end here and now. His actions and their political repercussions not just here but in concert with the Separatists aimed to encourage the Republic to put a military presence in the Mandalore sector, to prevent Mandalore from falling to the CIS.”

“I can’t imagine that would please Duchess Satine.”

“No it wouldn’t, but her displeasure would be trivial in comparison to how the average Mandolorian would feel. Master, Mandalorians do not forget their history. Just over seven hundred years ago, in the wake of the Ruusan Reformation, the Mandalorian people experienced a strident growth in population, technology and military power. Crucially, due to the Resol’nare, Mandalore refused to join the restored Post-Ruusan Republic.

“Alarmed by this, and not forgetting their own history of the last time the Mandalorians had such power during the Old Republic, the Jedi Order organized the Judicial Forces and a number of Planetary Security Forces into a campaign that preemptively invaded the sector. Against such numbers, the Mandalorians had no hope of victory. The seeds of the devastated Mandalore you see today, were laid by the Jedi and the Republic. The last time a Republic military force was here, they devastated Fenel, Ordo, Concord Dawn and Mandalore itself.”

“I see, so then the Death Watch and CIS would swoop in to offer an alternative to the people.”

I nodded, “Which they would accept eagerly, with a lot of the clans abandoning Duchess Satine in the process.”

Anakin folded his arms and thought for a moment, “So we clearly wouldn’t allow that to happen. Our counterstroke would try to stop that, but something about that clearly went wrong enough that you decided to pursue this path.”

“Pre Vizsla continued gathering support here on Concordia, even with him removed from official office he managed to evade capture attempts and gain logistical aid from the CIS. That would grow to an army of just under three hundred in just a few weeks.”

“That’s not really a lot, Snips.”

“True, but all are clad in full beskar, all are veterans of the last civil war. They would roll over any ground force loyal to Satine on Mandalore. It would also be a surprise strike and she would be dead before any coherent defense in numbers could be organized. The Clans would generally favor a return to the old Way and throw in their lot with Pre Vizsla. Anyway, Satine journeys to Coruscant, to try to convince the Republic that the Death Watch only represent a minority of Mandalorians and also plead the case for the CNS. She is generally successful, despite assassination attempts which we will prevent and defend her from. The Senate votes not to occupy Mandalore and recognizes the CNS as a valid political entity. Death Watch has no choice but to flee as they would be completely unable to hold the planet without support from the Mandalorian people.”

“You’re not exactly painting an awful picture here, Snips.”

“In the short term, yes. In the medium to long term, it’s bad. Satine gets her precious neutrality, but utterly fails to realize what the actual consequences would be. Mandalore’s access to the Republic common market is cut off and the CNS worlds are too scattered and broke themselves to really aid each other. Mandalore is forced to turn to the black market just for basic foodstuffs and other products. You can imagine the problems that creates.”

“Price gouging, poor quality control, corruption,” Anakin listed.

“That further leads to actual deaths, most notably amongst a class of children, when old spoiled food manages to make it through due to corruption. The scandal is discovered and it leads to Satine’s regime weakening greatly. Enough that the majority of clans begin turning against her, even her own sister eventually joins Death Watch.

“Their strength grows, but Pre is unhappy with the alliance with the CIS, when Dooku keeps stalling. It leads to a falling out and Death Watch goes looking for other external allies to aid their cause. They find them amongst the Pyke, Hutt, and Black Sun Syndicates.”

“Criminals? He’d grow that desperate?” Anakin asked with astonishment.

“The depths he’d sink to is hard to relate. He twisted the Way into something entirely of his own dark vision.”

“And the other Mandalorians in Death Watch just accepted that?”

“By that point their desperation had made them into little more than well armed bandits and bounty hunters. Now marry that with the sudden influx of the worst scum from across the galaxy into an ostensible army, then you get what would be known as the Shadow Collective. It was this army that would’ve attacked Sundari a few years from now. Sparking a brand new civil war, the death of Satine and Pre Vizsla himself will die in the conflict, betrayed by one of his new allies and the Darksaber falls to this traitor.”

I pointedly didn’t mention who this traitor was. The fact that Darth Maul was still clinging to life on the garbage dump world of Lotho Minor was an element I was keeping close to the chest. That line of probability would end with Maul and his dark brother dying in deep space. That was not guaranteed though and there were other paths he could walk. This was dangerous as hell, but Maul was a piece on the board that could serve against Palpatine, not in martial combat… but as evidence.

“So what alternative are you charting then?”

“There is also the machinations of the enemy to consider in this. He fears the Mandalorians and if he can’t bring them into the CIS fold, then he will either try for a civil war or eventually the GAR itself will come and raze Mandalore’s cities from orbit. My alternative will be to steer Mandalore fully into the Republic fold and call for volunteers from the clans to fight the CIS as special forces commandos.”

Anakin shook his head, “Satine won’t go for that.”

“She’ll have little choice in the matter,” I leaned back in my chair and watched HK’s decryption steadily complete.

“Statement: Master, full access granted.”

“Thank you, HK. Replay for us the last communication between Pre Vizsla and Dooku.”

The central holotank burst into life and Count Dooku appeared in his usual regal brown attire, as did Pre Viszla in full armor with his small leadership cape and markings clearly identifying him. If any would doubt it was him, I had ordered his body kept in secure stasis with his armor on. It was necessary in any case as Clan Vizsla would want that evidence as well, even if Pre’s body would eventually be cremated and ashes buried in an unmarked grave due to his dar’manda status.

“I do not understand why the arrival of these Jedi doesn’t upset you,” said Pre Vizsla with muted agitation in his body language. “You promised to support the Death Watch forces so we could overthrow Duchess Satine and her weak, peace loving government.”

“And I intend to keep my promise,” Dooku affirmed simply.

“But how? If the Republic interferes now, the Death Watch will not be able to take over the planet.”

“Consider, once the Senate orders peacekeeping troops to Mandalore, the people will be surrounded by a military presence. Most distasteful,” Dooku’s tone oozed with mock disapproval, then he smiled cunningly. “They will rebel.”

“And rally to Death Watch,” Pre said in realization. “Our insurgency will grow stronger.”

“Yes and Duchess Satine shall fall.”

The recording froze. “HK, be a dear, copy the holomessage to your internal memory. Then start making verified copies with the encoding intact.”

“Objection: Master, I’m an assassin droid not a…”

“HK,” I mildly interrupted him.

“Reluctant obeyance: Very well, master.”

I turned to Anakin and smiled knowingly at him, before feeling stupid, forgetting he couldn’t see my face.

“That is a political thermal detonator, Snips,” he declared with feeling.

“Precisely. Satine will rethink her stance, when presented with this and all the other clans in her audience chamber also having seen it. Then for good measure, it’ll be released to the people of the Mandalore sector as a whole. They deserve the truth. This is the Way, of defending myself, my new family and protecting their welfare. I also foresee a time when the galaxy will have need of Mandalore and the stronger that Mandalore can be… the better for all of us.”

Anakin sighed, “So you really consider yourself one? It’s not just…”

“Convenient playacting, a role to achieve an outcome, no master. If this is what must be done, what I have to sacrifice… then so be it. If the Jedi Order will still have me, then I will be the second Mandalorian Jedi in history. If I can bring us together or be a bridge of understanding…”

“That would be a sight to see, I think,” Anakin nodded. “So what is your name now?”

“I’m still Ahsoka Tano, I simply now have a Mando name of Ahsoka Vizsla.”

I held up a hand to pause our conversation. The door to the prefab building chimed.

“Enter,” I said in Mando’a.

Togai entered with a slight limp. “Chief, we’ve secured everything at the third cell hideout.”

“Good, transfer it to the second cell location, then rally everyone. I need to address them as to the future of Death Watch and make sure everyone at Clan Vizsla’s compound can hear as well.”

“It’ll be done, Chief.”

“Thank you.”

Togai clenched a fist on his chest and bowed his head slightly. I returned the traditional Mando greeting and he left.

“You can speak Mando’a?” Anakin looked baffled at me.

“I studied it enough in the Jedi Academy for basic tourist level fluency, but what you just saw was thanks to the Darksaber. It wasn’t happy with such poor Mando’a skills on my part, so it gave me a nice knowledge dump that’s slowly unfurling and I need to meditate with the blade as soon as possible.”

“A lightsaber can do that?”

“If it’s old enough, certainly. The kyber crystal in the Darksaber is nearly 970 years old at this point and might as well be sapient.”

Anakin’s comlink started beeping. He stared at his wrist with a bit of dread, “It’s Obi-Wan.”

“Go ahead, master. I’ll need to face the Jedi Council at some point.”

“Ahsoka… I’ll fight for you with everything I have, whatever your choices and sacrifices, you’re still my padawan.”

I was somewhat glad for my helmet now. Tears were still annoying wearing it. “Thank you, master. I have an idea for the Council… I don’t know if it will work.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll face them together.”

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The pit of the open cast mine was feeling slightly crowded now that every surviving member of Death Watch was here. It would take way more to fill the bowl of the mine though. It was near midnight, local time and everyone had themselves arranged into near perfect parade squares to await my words. That amount of full beskar’gam clad Mandalorian soldiers in one place was a sight to see. It was distinctly eerie and slightly awe inspiring that all these men and women now looked to me for leadership. It was one thing when you had clones, they had been literally programmed and conditioned to follow orders. Now I was taking command of people, most of whom had fought in the last civil war. There were quite a few young rookies though, those who had come from a variety of clans feeling the call of the warrior or just plain adventure. The artificial, pacifistic near-utopia that existed within the dome cities of Mandalore did grate on the soul somewhat and I could see how plain boring that could become.

It made me really curious what the migration figures were from those cities to other more rural worlds in the Manadalor sector.

I walked to the front of the parade formation, the Armorer to my right and slightly behind, whilst Togai flanked me on the left. Anakin and HK stood to one side from the formation as neutrally as they could be and observed.

The moment most of the assembly could see me, I could feel their reactions as they now saw the emblems on my armor. There was the Jedi symbol, but now joining it was the stylized tusk emblem of the mythosaur on my chest, which was wreathed by a flowering branch of a Concordian blossom - the latter was my change to remove the shriek-hawk emblem - which would forever be stained with the blood of those killed in Sundari.

To begin, I tapped a button on my gauntlet and into the helmet of every Mandalorian present was replayed the holo of Pre Vizsla’s conversation with Dooku, including a nice little presentation from yours truly regarding the brainwashing of Pirn, and Pre’s overall bombing plan. The Memorial Shrine bombing was just the appetizer - the bastard had dozens of other planned bombings, including on other worlds in the Mando sector.

The anger and outrage that followed was a wave that washed over my senses.

The stated objective to change leadership of Mandalore with a more martial leader was something that everyone here wanted or at least to throw a much needed dose of cold water realism into Satine’s face. It was Dooku’s machinations and contempt, his desired manipulation of the entire Mandalorian people that stuck in their craw. Pre’s brainwashing to override Pirn’s own Resol’nare, to force him to place a bomb to kill fellow Mandalorian citizens, that stoked their anger even further.

I tapped a button and my voice piped into everyone’s helmets. Bubbles of awareness flooded my senses through the Force but I pointedly did not touch it or use it to infuse my words. This was not the place or time. I did not want to use the Force for this.

“Understanding is a three edged sword; your side, their side, and the truth. I just presented to you the hard facts, the greatest objective truth I can present. If any of you want to see more of what Dooku and Pre had to say or were planning, my door is open, ask at any reasonable time and I will open Pre’s database to you.

“Pre wanted to restore Mandalore to its warrior past. The problem was that he could only conceive of taking that path through becoming and acting in a way that caused him to betray the Resol’nare. A terrorist that would force others to betray the Way.”

“Now I speak of the recent past. I speak of my path. When I came here, I had only studied the Mandalorian people in the context of the past, of the battles between you and the Jedi Order. I studied you as an enemy would, to know your ways. I came to find those who had attacked the Republic in the name of the CIS, those who had killed my brothers in arms. I saw Sundari and the sheer resilience of the Mandalorian people to live even on what should’ve been uninhabitable. Then the bombing happened and I was presented with a vision.”

I was slightly fudging the truth here but it was correct from a certain point of view. My prescience could technically be classed as a minor continuous string of Force Visions, that I had some control over.

“Jedi have them sometimes at great moments and turning points. I saw the Mandalorian people, thanks to the blind ambition and nostalgia of Pre, fall into chaos and civil war again. I saw the Mandalorian people die, starve and fall to corruption due to the utter fear and conviction of Duchess Satine to remain neutral and peaceful. I saw the Death Watch rise, but it was corrupt and twisted, feeding on the Mandalorian people in blood just for the ambition of Pre to rule at any cost.

“This was presented to me as clear as I see you before me today and I could not stand it. As Jedi, I am sworn to serve life and defend it. I could not abandon you to your fate. So I took the opportunity and my knowledge of your ways and challenged Pre in the Circle, knowing he could not resist to fight the old enemy to the death. In that way, I would and have destroyed the architect of the future civil war. I would gain leadership of Clan Vizsla and Death Watch by Mandalorian tradition. From this point of view, it might seem that I have conquered you, cunningly wormed my way in. I say, in rebuttal, that it is the opposite. The Mandalorian people have conquered me. I am Mandalorian now and the Darksaber itself has seen to it. For without that, how else could I speak so fluently and eloquently in Mando’a.”

“On my chest, is the ancient mythosaur, a symbol representing all Mandalorians, for our ancestors in spirit rode it on the homeworld. It is something all of us can look to, be they Old Mandalorian, True or New. Surrounding it is a Concordian blossom, not yet sprouted. A beautiful symbol of hope and aspiration, that one day we can find balance to satisfy our spirit of struggle and conflict, achieving growth, yet not let it run wild with us and know that there will also be a time of peace, to enjoy the fruits of our struggle and life. In the same vein, we must also be on guard for stagnation in peace. That is a slow death and surrender of spirit.

“With this knowledge and if this appeals to you, stay. If you find your spirit calling you elsewhere, answer it and leave with no recrimination, censure or vengeance from me or anyone here. There will only ever be volunteers in the organization I build out of the ashes of Death Watch. Yes, Death Watch can no longer be the name we call ourselves. We fight for home, for family, for clan, for their welfare, for their lives! We fight for life!”

“We fight against that which would see us wallow in death and misery. Who would take our homes, enslave us in a soulless empire of corporation, bureaucracy and machines, where the only thing that matters is credit, productivity and power for the very few at the top. If anyone becomes that, whether they walk under the banner of Confederacy or Republic, it is our duty to rise and fight that.”

“Death Watch no longer… We are the Blades of Mandalore!”

The Darksaber was lit and raised in my hand before I was almost consciously aware I had done that.

The ringing of a multitude of vibroswords rising into the air echoed through the mine.

“Blades! We are the Blades!” the formation shouted.

“This is the Way!”

“This is the Way!”

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I barely got four hours of sleep in the Pilgrim that night, now landed in the largest empty spot we could clear for it. Now I was back in the command prefab and facing down a very restless almost agitated Obi-Wan Kenobi. I wouldn’t say the man was angry, but it was very close. He had listened to Anakin’s report and now I had given him mine.

“This is… Ahsoka, do you realize the political quagmire you’ve not just waded into but very thoroughly stirred? You arrived here under the duchess’ protection, she specifically told you not to create problems and you end up creating a situation that could potentially turn Mandalorian society upside down. I sent you to simply recon the situation. Not engage in a duel to the death, or usurp an entire clan or create a paramilitary group of dubious nature at best out of a terrorist organization. Now it will seem the duchess delivered you and by extension, the Jedi Order, to rid her of a political rival. The leader of a prominent clan is dead by your hand, which might as well be Satine’s hand.”

I carefully let my anger pass through me, cast it off and measured my next words, whilst also speaking from the heart.

“There was a problem, master. I solved it. I had the power, the knowledge and the Force itself telling me, showing me the path. Here and now, where it would save the most lives. I hear your words and I’m only hearing the point of view of a politician, not a Jedi Master.” My words were delivered calmly, but you’d think I had screamed them at the top of my lungs given their effect, as Obi-Wan froze in astonishment. “We came here to uncover the truth and we did. The Separatists were deliberately trying to engineer a regime change of the recognized Mandalorian government, using the cultural fault lines that the Jedi Council of 700 years ago put there during the Mandalorian Excision. An event that from its genesis was born out of fear. Fear of what a resurgent Mandalore could once again do to the galaxy. Never mind that it was based on zero evidence that the Mandalore of the time would go on another Neo-Crusade. The Jedi and the Republic just saw a resurgent locally powerful Mandalore that by its nature wanted to be independent and said ‘Oh no, we can’t have that’.

“Now we have the Clone Wars and the story is repeating itself, but with a new twist. Now the CIS want the Mandalorians either in their pocket or if they can’t have that - tearing itself apart in a civil war. The Republic doesn’t want Mandalorian beskar and warriors strengthening the CIS, so will either do everything in its power to bring us to their side or else drop a dozen Venators for ‘peacekeeping’ duties into the Mandalorian system, utterly forgetting the history of the Excision and how that would drive Mandalore straight into the arms of the CIS.”

“And what solution are you proposing, oh wise and mighty padawan?” He asked wryly.

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“Absolutely not!”

I was thankful for my helmet now, as Satine had quite a pair of lungs on her and I had turned the gain down a little on my armor’s sound pickups. She paced in front of me with arms clenched behind her back. Obi-Wan had brought her to the mine on a swoop. Rather interestingly, on the same swoop. Seemed Satine wanted a bit of an innocent excuse to get her hands on Obi-Wan.

I stood with my hands folded behind my back, presenting an unyielding front to her. Satine was now my effective monarch and I was a Clan Chief or Mand’alor of Clan Vizsla, standing just below her in rank. There were certain complex rights and laws that I had to respect, but in just the same way Satine also had to respect certain clan rights and laws. It was the delicate balance that she herself had agreed and negotiated to end the previous civil war.

“Duchess, you can’t cloak yourself and Mandalore in neutrality. I just showed you how the CIS and Dooku effectively conspired to assassinate you and overthrow the government, which would assuredly plunge the entire sector into a renewed civil war.”

“How certain are you that the entire conversation wasn’t just conjured up in a computer by Pre?”

I really had to fight to keep my body language neutral, to not show how insulted I felt by that question.

“I’ve had HK and Master Skywalker look at it, then even sent it to Clan Cadera, Wren and Saxon for further verification, all agree, it’s genuine.”

Sabine froze her pacing and clenched her fists. I could tell what was going on in her head without even using the Force. It had been a minor hope at best on her part that the records were fake and now that I had shared it with three other clans, she knew I would’ve sent it to all the others as well.

When she spoke next and I could see her eyes spitting blaster bolts at me, her voice was as cold as a Hoth Winter. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”

“I’ve pushed you into a corner and probably forced you to resign as head of the CNS, as you have no choice but to sign off on military operations by the Clans against the CIS. Without Mandalore at the head of the CNS, it’s also likely that it will wither on the vine and not be recognized in the Senate as a valid political grouping, unless one of the neutral worlds can actually grow a spine and step forward. My personal pick would be Onaconda Farr of Rodia.”

The problem was as much as I despised the idea of fence sitters, the CNS actually was a political body that was a compromise solution in the short term and might seem like it would be saving lives and worlds now, but in the longer term would end up worse off, especially when the Empire started. They were worlds that generally needed trade from both sides of the fence to remain sustainable or they were young worlds, relatively recently settled in only the last hundred years or so.

Satine’s reaction to my political analysis and prediction was a bit of surprise mixed with her expression settling down somewhat. Her next works came as if she couldn’t believe they were coming out of her mouth. “A rather accurate summation… Manda’lor of Clan Vizsla. I personally doubt Senator Farr would have the support to achieve such a position to replace me. His early unfortunate double dealings with the Confederacy continue to haunt him.”

“That's exactly why he would be perfect. Such a person would be very motivated and on his guard when dealing with the CIS. He’s been burned by them in the past.”

“That may be, Manda’lor, but we don’t live in an ideal galaxy.”

Good grief, can such words come from Satine? Did I manage to break through that arch-pacifism? Speaking of… I needed to give her a bit of a political weapon.

From a pocket, I produced a data chit and held it out to her. “A gift from a grateful Manda’lor for recognizing my claim.”

Satine frowned at me for a moment, “It’s a barbaric tradition that I wish we could leave behind us, but it’d be like trying to remove the Resol’nare from our society. What is this?”

“Evidence that Prince Tal Merrik was working with Pre to have you deposed and assassinated.” Merrik had been in the audience chamber and I hadn’t recognized him for who he was. He was regent of Kalevala, the sixth planet of the Mandalore system, which just barely stayed within the Goldilocks zone of habitability. “He wasn’t a member of Death Watch per se, but worked with them.”

She grabbed the data chit from my hand almost growling with anger, produced a datapad from somewhere, slotted it in and began reading. After a few minutes, she lowered the pad. “Your duchess, thanks you, manda’lor.” Her voice was almost rigidly calm and I could feel her emotional turmoil. “There’s more here.”

“Yes, preliminary analysis that will need more work from your own scientists on the brainwashing device and technique applied to Gallod Pirn. It thankfully wasn’t used as much as I had feared. Most of the resistance here I experienced after my accession was just old fashioned speciesism and human centrism.”

“Disgusting,” Satine sniffed and I could sense she meant it.

I nodded and let the matter drop. “The brainwashing is not invasive, such as what can be achieved with nano-droids, but rather it uses induced resonance EM, beaming directly into the brain, combined with visual and auditory stimuli, directing the victim to act in the desired manner.”

“I’ll give this to my Science Council first thing when I return,” she affirmed and pocketed the pad.

“What will you do about, Merrik, Duchess?”

“I will first see about verifying the evidence, then proceed from there as appropriate to the law, Manda’lor.”

“As you wish, Duchess.”

“Then I need to head back to Mandalore, call for a Clan Council and I expect you to be there, Manda’lor Vizsla.”

“Oh, I would not miss it, duchess.”

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Calling for a Clan Congress was not a quick affair, especially when the law demanded every clan had to have representation or no pronouncements would be binding. It would also take at least a day and a half for some to make the journey from outer edges of the Mandalore sector. It was time that I desperately needed to make sure my new Clan’s affairs were in order and everything transitioned smoothly. Something I would be hopelessly lost about without the Darksaber’s boon of knowledge.

Clan Vizsla was primarily settled in a compound estate on the outskirts of Concordia’s primary settlement. In terms of space, it was as large as old Pre could get away with, without being seen as overkill or extravagant. The need for the large land was actually somewhat justified as Clan Wren, a vassal house, also had some of their people housed there.

Thankfully, my new personal house wasn’t some palatial mansion. It was on the high end of size though, being something I’d expect a multi-millionaire in my old life to have. Eight bedrooms, ten fresher rooms, three floors, all wonderfully furnished with interiors of Jakelian tuft-oak on the floors and walls. There was space to wine and dine with more than twenty people at once. The exterior architecture was a bit too much cuboid for my liking though. Hopefully I can get that fixed soon enough.

Regarding the household itself, I was counting my blessings that Pre hadn’t been married or had children. The general rule was that in such a situation the children and wife of the loser of a Death Circle, must be cared for and supported by the victor. Even if they decide to leave the clan or household. If Pre had had any children, they would also have the full right to declare vendetta eventually and challenge me to a Death Circle.

Togai Vizsla and his family also lived in the house, as he was Pre’s only surviving younger brother, who had a wife, Oba Vizsla, with two sons, Paz and Tholu and two twin daughters, Bi and Onoh. Their ages ranged from Paz being the eldest at 12, Tholu, 10, whilst the twins were eight years old.

The reactions to me from the children were honestly adorable. Bi and Onoh, incessantly wanting to touch and poke my lekku, montrals and my facial markings, while the boys wanted me to impress them with the Force and my lightsabers. Paz especially wanted to even duel me and insisted I use the Darksaber, while he’d use a beskar spear that his dad owned.

I was thankfully saved by a stern Oba.

The woman reminded me of an old family friend in my previous life. She was tall, thin and outwardly extremely pleasant, but was actually steel wrapped in a velvet glove. In fact, I rather think she’d be more likely to pick up a beskar pike and give me a run for my money. I could see and sense that in the way she walked and moved.

It was also finally here that I could at last divest myself of my armor and get back into my Hapan outfit.

A long day was behind me and I watched the sun slowly wind its way behind the horizon. I had spent the entire day in holocalls talking to all the business interests and company CEOs and directors, affirming that I would honor all of Pre’s deals, contracts and so on. Say what you will about him personally, he had been an adept businessman. Thankfully, nothing was really morally objectionable strictly speaking, though the research CCT was doing into smaller and better disintegrator technology was really iffy.

The only thing that was making me go along with it was the very long term possibility about using it against the Yuuzhan Vong.

Togai later found me relaxing on a lounge chair that looked out from the house over the expansive estate and provided an awesome view of the distant mountain range. Without his armor, he almost looked like a normal, everyday guy, a burly man with the typical Vizsla blonde hair.

“Manda’lor,” he greeted me.

“Togai, please sit. How was the first day of governorship for you?”

“Horrible. I don’t know how my former brother could stand it. Problems, complaints, nagging provincial councilmen and women who just blah, blah, blah.”

There was no way I could also be governor of Concordia. It was a position directly appointed by Satine and the government. It didn’t transfer with a Death Circle trial. Therefore the deputy governor rose in rank automatically and that was Togai. The deputy’s role was little more than ceremonial traditionally and was really only there in case the actual governor unexpectedly died.

“Welcome to politics,” I said wryly.

“My wife will also not thank you for how often it's going to cause me to be out of home overnight. Expect her to frequently ask you to spar when I’m away.”

I couldn’t help my smile, “Noted and thank you for the warning.”

“Everything will be different tomorrow, won’t it?”

“More than likely,” I affirmed.

“What is it like, fighting the CIS?”

“Fought any assassin droids before?” I asked in return.

“Not particularly. None of the clans in the civil war really had the budget to spare for them and it’s not considered an honorable way to fight, to have a machine fight for you.”

“It might not seem glorious, but fighting war droids used on the scale of the Clone Wars. Imagine fighting a computer program. You can kill or destroy dozens with supreme skill, but eventually you will tire and there will always be more. Attrition is a favored CIS tactic. The B1s are by all appearances mass manufactured jokes, but the CIS can put dozens of them in front of you. B2s are slow, well armored, hellishly high fire rates and difficult to put down with a normal blaster unless you’re a good shot. Their rocket droid versions will kill you even in full beskar.

“The BX commando droids are the deadliest thing on two legs the CIS will throw at you. They’ve got the E-5 Blaster rifle with sniper levels of accuracy, a vibrosword that they use with decent skill, though it’s programmed and I can train you in the weaknesses of the techniques they use. They’ll carry explosives, some are armed with electrostaffs and there’s rumors that some will soon be equipped with handheld forward facing personal shields. Though you’ll only encounter these in critical CIS installations and prisons. These droids aren’t cheap and difficult to mass produce.”

“We’ll have to see about setting up some simulator ranges in the compound. What about in space?”

“Same thing as on the ground. They love to drown you in Vulture droids. Mandalorian Fang fighters are actually something I’d dearly like to have a few squadrons of on board the Resolute. They’re perfect to counter the CIS Tri-fighters. I’ve been having to make do with using modded Z-95s as a stopgap. Hopefully, I can get MandalMotors and the Republic talking about a deal for them. The Kom’rk fighter-transports that we have already… I’ll say it straight, they’re amazing and I wish the Republic had these as well. The LAATs have their place, but they’re fragile in comparison and modular, allowing them to be tailored to many roles, but that comes with a price.  The Kom’rk is more lightly armed, less versatile, but is armored, heavily shielded, has a fast hyperdrive and can carry 24 soldiers.”

Togai blinked at me in amazement, “You fight Vultures and Tri-fighters with Z-95s?”

I nodded, “I’m personally approaching triple digits in kills of Vultures and Hyenas, only a handful of Tri-fighters, though I’m more satisfied with my record in fleet command engagements.”

The comlink on my gauntlet started beeping for attention. I could feel who was on the other side.

The person on the other end knew I knew and it would not do to put this off.

I tapped the gauntlet and a tiny holo of Master Yoda appeared on it.

“Padawan Tano, time it is.”

“Thank you, Master. I’ll get the connection set up as soon as possible.”

The holo winked out as I stood.

“Good fortune, Manda’lor.”

“Thank you, Togai.”

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Blessed silence.

That was all Shaak Ti could feel and think, as the upper floor doors to the massive clone training arena closed.

Effecting an outwardly serene appearance and folding her hands into the voluminous sleeves of her outer robe, she strode down the white and chrome corridors of the facility, taking the long walk to her quarters and home away from home on the ocean world of Kamino.

She paused by a window and as always was drawn into an outside view from the expansive cloning facility. It was stormy and turbulent outside, with sheets of rain marching overhead. Light flashed through the low hung clouds as thunder rumbled and conducted itself through paths ionized by the energy. It was a marvel that the Kaminoans had the engineering to utterly prevent any sound of the storm, the crashing waves or even the slightest tremor to reach her montrals.

Occasionally the lightning would flash in a way that allowed her eyes to just catched a glimpse of the Constellation - the current Venator Star Destroyer assigned to airspace security around the city. It hung just above the worst of the storm, but the ship was unphased by it. It hung as a bastion of stability with its particle shielding up.

She tore her eyes away from the view and resumed her trek, now bringing out a datapad to review the pre-meeting briefing notes of the Jedi High Council session she was about to attend.

It was really unnecessary, but given the subject of the meeting, she felt that there could be no error on her part due to an unfortunate lapse in memory, as unlikely as it was.

A lift brought her into the main superstructure of the north eastern spire of the city, delivering her directly onto a floor that had been set aside for her use. It originally had a truly stupendous amount of creature comforts. She had chosen the smallest of the spaces and dumped the luxury items in an adjacent room to recreate her accustomed standard of living at the Temple. The only problem was that the smallest of spaces to a tall, long limbed species like the Kaminoans still meant that she had more space than what she knew what to do with in the room.

She didn’t have time to relax though and just stopped by to grab a cup of caf before heading down the hallway towards her personal ‘Council’ communications room. It also had enough space to nearly recreate the dimensions of the meeting place of the Jedi High Council at the Temple on Coruscant.

The lights switched on and she embraced the Force whilst the holosystems powered up, carefully sensing the room. Then she produced a datapad from her belt and consulted the readings.

The shunt on the Republic Intelligence bug was there and still functional. It wouldn’t be needed for this session as the topic wasn’t something that the Council felt needed obfuscation from the agency. It would be all in the open anyway within the week when the Senate held their next session.

She sat in her seat, drinking her caf quickly after checking her chrono.

That done, the holosystems of the room engaged and after a brief synchronization pause, holos began appearing of every member of the Jedi Council around her in a large circular pattern.

There was only a slight delay in getting Master Koon’s holo to stabilize.

“Apologies, my ship still has some lingering issues from battle damage to our com system.”

Master Yoda tapped a clawed finger on his gimer stick. “Understood. Thanks I give, for arranging this so quickly. Rare it is, that a full council we can hold reliably. Reports you have read on the situation in the Mandalore sector?” Shaak nodded her head as the other members gave various gestures in answer. “Opinions,” Yoda prompted.

“I think it’s quite clear what must happen,” Ki-Adi Mundi said evenly.

“Of course, how could we expect anything less from you on this topic, Master Mundi,” Plo Koon retorted with dry irony.

“You can’t argue with the facts in this case, Master Koon.”

“And you’re conveniently ignoring some.”

Yoda tapped his gimer stick twice on the floor, halting a clearly brewing argument in its tracks.

Master Rancisis cleared his throat, “I can understand how anything to do with the Mandalorians can give us pause. Personally, I recognize Padawan Tano’s reasoning for her actions. I think it is easy for us to stare blindly into the material wealth she has gained, but let’s not forget the heavy burden she has taken up as well.”

“Can she shoulder that burden and still be what we expect of a Jedi?” Mace Windu queried.

“Master Ti,” Yoda prompted.

Shaak knew it was coming. Besides Plo Koon, she was the one person on the council who knew Ahsoka, understood how the girl thought and was somewhat neutral in regard to the padawan. Their relationship had only ever been as student and teacher, during their Togrutan cultural studies and exchanges. It was enough.

“Yes, she can,” she answered firmly.

Master Yoda looked around at the council members, his eyes lingering on Obi-Wan for a moment, silently prompting and giving the opportunity for more opinions to be voiced. A lot was said without words though, and she could see the various masters either shaking their heads or nodding, whilst others remained undecided or neutral.

Yoda sat back a bit in his chair and in the center of the council circle two new holos appeared of Skywalker and Ahsoka.

Shaak had intellectually known what to expect, but seeing her fellow Togrutan in full armored regalia now with clear Mandalorian symbology added to it, left her feeling as if she was in some strange reality which didn’t belong.

Master and Padawan bowed to the Council.

Mace Windu began proceedings. “Padawan Tano, this council has been convened to hear your report of events two local days ago on Concordia. It also will decide whether you can remain in the Jedi Order. Please proceed.”

Ahsoka began speaking in that typical academic style that she remembered. Weaving her report of events, and describing her decisions in constant back and forth of pro and con, and why she had decided to do as she had done. Shaak had to admire the emotional control the girl was demonstrating, given that she was literally speaking to keep her place in the Jedi Order.

It was amazing how the padawan had been juggling a constant dilemma ethically, politically and militarily, all the while moving forward with the goals of preventing yet another civil war amongst the Mandalorians, whilst trying to turn it towards the path that led to the least loss of life. That it had steered the Mandalorians away from neutrality and back into the Republic fold was almost an afterthought.

The little history lesson that she threw in about the Mandalorian Excision in the middle of her report was also a marvelous stroke.

Master Yoda hadn’t been on the council, but he had been a master at the time and had fought in that ‘war’.

The grandmaster’s shoulders visibly slumped. “Speak not I can, for the Council of that time. Whether it was simply fear or some intelligence that was obtained, matters not now. Ordered we were to go, we went. History it seems, was the only excuse needed.”

Now a mere padawan had to possibly sacrifice her Jedi career to fix that mistake and stem the rivers of blood that could flow.

Shaak couldn’t imagine undergoing such a trial during her own padawan years. In any other situation, she could imagine that a padawan doing this would result in an automatic knighthood being awarded.

“Padawan Tano, the Darksaber, please,” Yoda requested.

Ahsoka reached to the rear of her armor’s belt. Shaak hadn’t even seen the weapon as a result of her angle. The hilt was dark gray and favored a rectangular tube design over the traditional cylinder, it even had a physical angled crossguard that she could only imagine was there due to the fact that Tarre Vizsla had probably fought against vibroswords a lot in his day.

The blade sprang to life with an almost muted crystalline bursting sound. It was distinctly odd how relatively quiet it was in comparison to most lightsabers. If you weren’t within close proximity, most species wouldn’t even hear it. Far from being dark though, the blade was almost white that she could see but occasionally that ephemeral white energy would move and the black below it would emerge. It was fascinating and almost entrancing to look at.

It would be interesting to hear what Professor Huyang would say about that blade now. The architect droid had helped a thousand generations of Jedi build their lightsabers, including Tarre Vizsla. It was a peerless source of knowledge on lightsabers, their construction and even the mysteries that the Force inspired technology could throw at their wielders.

“Thank you, Padawan.” Ahsoka deactivated the blade and holstered it immediately. “Something to say, have you, Knight Skywalker?”

“Yes,” Skywalker nodded, folding his hands together. “I’m not one for formality or speeches, so I’ll get straight to the point. You expel my padawan, then I will walk out that door with her.”

Skywalker might as well have set off a bomb in the Council chamber. A number of the master’s actually flinched in surprise. Shaak for her own part had to fight a bit to keep a satisfied smirk off her face.

Yoda gave a glance to Windu and studied the Chosen One for a few moments.

“You would give up your place in the Order for her, after all you’ve worked for and endured?” Windu asked curiously.

“Yes. Why should I remain part of an organization that would punish its own members for literally doing the right thing. And now, just because it happened to involve the Mandalorians, a hefty bank account, becoming the leader of an entire clan, suddenly she can’t be a Jedi anymore? I do recall we have a number of members of this Order who are in royal families and even set to inherit.” He turned to Master Mundi. “Don’t you dare bring Dooku into this.”

The Cerean Jedi Master blinked, visibly stopping himself from speaking then tented his hands together.

Interesting, Shaak Ti thought. Skywalker had either cold read the Master or had even been keeping an eye on the immediate future. There was indeed a school of thought among the masters that Dooku’s true fall began because he had been forced to kill his own brother, who had instigated the invasion of Serenno by Abyssin mercenaries. The wealth, power and family fortune waiting for him when he became the leader of his home planet had also proven too alluring.

The difference here though was that Ahsoka was not asking to leave the Jedi to help her newly adopted people.

Yoda closed his eyes briefly, then looked at Ahsoka straight in the eye.

“Skywalker, admirable your loyalty is and your willingness to sacrifice. Necessary, it is not. Padawan Ahsoka Tano, a Jedi you remain. Beware the path you walk. More dangerous now it is, I sense. The second Mandalorian Jedi, you are.”

She bowed deeply in thanks.

“Padawan Tano, what is your reading of what will happen in the Mandalorian Clan summit?” Mace queried.

“The decision to go to war against the CIS is largely a formality at this point. The summit will mostly be about strategic policy, where and how the clans can best contribute and how that will best slot into the GAR’s strategy.”

“How long will it take? The Duchess is still due to speak to the Senate.”

“She only needs to be present to open the summit and the prime minister can represent her interests afterward. Her personal starship can make the journey in eight days.”

“Master Kenobi, Knight Skywalker, you are to travel with the duchess and ensure her personal security. We will send a Venator from Taris to rendezvous with her starship and escort it,” Windu ordered. “It’s highly likely the CIS is going to learn soon enough that the Mandalorians are no longer being pushed into their corner. When that happens we can expect some form of pre-emptive strike from them, especially at Botajef.”

“Masters, may I recommend that an alert be sent out to commands along the Hydian to be on the lookout for re-cloaking ships around hyperspace points,” Ahsoka suggested. “We won’t be able to intercept unless we get really lucky, but it will at least give early warning that they’re sending a special operations force, such as what happened to the Azure.”

“Good thinking, padawan.”

Yoda tapped his gimer stick. “Keep you no longer. This council, dismissed it is. May the Force be with all of you.”

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“Snips, are you sure you’re fine to be out here?”

‘Out here’ was the main docks of the Sundari city dome. Anakin and Obi-Wan, along with a small company of clones who had been shuttled in from Taris, were boarding Satine’s Nau’ur class yacht, the Coronet. A truly ridiculous looking ship, whose upper section was made to resemble ancient cruisers that had once plied the oceans of Kalevalan. The lower section extended straight down nearly 150 meters. Sometimes I thought the ship designers of this galaxy must have smoked spice during their design sessions.

“Togai can handle things in my brief absence, master. I needed a bit of a break from all the politics and posturing in that room.”

Why did I think that a bunch of Mandalorian clan leaders would have less hot air than your typical politician? The only difference was the topic discussed. Getting them to agree on a common military strategy that would work in concert with the GAR and not see them going off half-cocked or acting like a loose cannon was an uphill battle all the way.

“Glad I’m not in your shoes, Snips.”

“I suppose it’s the way of things, there must always be a balance. Stop a civil war, remain a Jedi, now I’m being ‘punished’ for it nevertheless by having to deal with this lot.”

“You’re literally the best person for the job.” He patted my shoulder with a smile. “How do you say it… Ke nu shabirr?” (Don’t screw up.)

I snorted with a suppressed laugh. “Close enough, Skyguy. How long is it going to take you to learn Mando’a?”

“Well, given that we’re going to be working with them in the future, I’ll devote some time during the journey to Coruscant. Should be decently fluent by the time we get there.”

“Bloody polyglot,” I grumbled. Anakin’s ability to learn was ridiculous, even by Jedi standards. No, I was not jealous.

Obi-Wan approached at this point, carrying a duffle bag. “Anakin, can I have a private word with your padawan?”

“Not a problem. Good luck, Snips.”

I bowed my head in goodbye as he left. “Yes, Master Kenobi?”

“I just wanted to say… Thank you. I have an appreciation for the Mandalorian people and… a deep friendship with Satine. You saved her from having to endure possibly another war amongst her people, a war she would most likely have died in.”

“You’re welcome, Master. In turn, I would also thank you for your support at the Council. It was a pleasant surprise given my words to you on Concordia.”

He looked at me with a mild smile, “Truth is never easy to confront and perhaps our decisions of late are of political convenience and not out of our ideals. Out of curiosity, did you manage to deduce what the Council vote was?”

“Six, four?”

Obi-Wan laughed and I blinked in astonishment.

“Padawan, you still have a ways to go it seems when it comes to reading the masters.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be worthy of the title if you couldn’t keep a padawan guessing,” I grumbled.

“That is true. So, do you wish to know?”

“Does it truly matter at this point, master?” I retorted pointedly.

He winked at me knowingly, “Eight for you, one against, one abstention.” That was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor. “It was more even before you appeared, but your little speech was quite effective. Do give yourself and us more credit, padawan. We recognize what you achieved here, even if it was in a highly unorthodox manner.”

“I shall endeavor to do so, master,” I bowed.

“May the Force be with you, Ahsoka.”

“And you, Master Kenobi.”

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A/N: Poor Ahsoka, high echelon military politics. Back to action in the next chapter.