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717 FNM (21 BBY) Month 4

Coruscant, Senate Building

Sheev Palpatine

"Is there a problem, Senator Kryze?" My voice rang out over the Senate.

Tanya answered, "Yes, Mandalore has new evidence that indicates that an unknown party had tampered with the message we saw here yesterday."

"That is a grave claim. If that is true, we would need to launch an investigation to find out who would do such a thing. What is this evidence you have to support that claim?" I asked.

"The authentic recording sent by the late Deputy Minister of Mandalore." Tanya said, pressing a few buttons and signaling a holographic system to project Deputy Minister Jerec onto the screen.

Good evening, Duchess Satine. I am here to inform you of an ongoing situation here in the Mandalore sector. Concord Dawn has violated Vorpa'ya's independence by landing Journeyman Protectors on the planet to enforce their claim. There are reports of fighting and violent resistance from the locals.

The Mandalorian and Kalevallian troops of the MSDF are being mustered to be sent to defend Vorpa'ya's independence. They'll be deploying within the next rotation to try and pacify the situation.

With Vorpa'ya and Concord Dawn engaging in hostilities, it is very likely that Kalevala and Mandalore will have to deal with food shortages for some time. So it is imperative that we receive the Republic's aid, and they lift their embargoes on foodstuff.

Furthermore, there are also rumors of sightings of the Maelstrom not too far away from Vorpa'ya. I am unsure of what it's doing at this time, if it's passively observing the situation or supporting Concord Dawn's efforts. I will update you when more information becomes available.

I wish you good luck in bringing peace to the sector. We'll do the best we can here while you're away.

The message ended, and I leaned back. This message sounded like a real continuous recording, rather than the obviously stitched together message from yesterday. I also noticed that the previously cast votes are quickly changing from favoring invasion to no invasion. A shame, it would have been much simpler to consolidate my Empire if that had gone through.

"It appears that another front will not be opened anytime soon. The fact that someone had planted false information in the hopes of fooling the Senate into instigating an invasion is quite disturbing. A full investigation will be launched to prevent a scenario like this from happening again." I said.

"This one could also be a forgery." came the voice of Senator Dani Zing of Echani, the opponent Tanya had sparred with the day before. "How do we know that this is even the real transmission and not made up to try and draw out the situation? For all we know, they can be building up their forces right now."

"You have made it quite clear that you are not fond of the Mandalorians." Mocked Lady Serifa Altunen, the de facto Jedi Lord of Arkania. "Can you accept that you were fooled like the rest of us and move on? There is no longer a justification for an invasion of the Mandalorian sector because what was said on the previous transmission is no longer credible."

"That doesn't change the fact that the Maelstrom is still on the loose and in their space." Said another senator.

"No, it doesn't." I said. "But I may have a way to appease both sides. The Mandalorian Self-Defense Force will be handling these internal conflicts, correct?"

Satine steps forward and gives a nod, saying, "I have full confidence that our Self-Defense Force can resolve this small conflict. There is no reason to involve the Republic in a domestic matter. This is a clash over farming rights that should be worked out through legal means within our own sector."

"Then perhaps your Mandalorian Self-Defense Force can aid us against the Maelstrom. If you inform us whenever the Maelstrom tries to get resupplied in your space and where it is, the Republic Navy will handle the rest. All that is required is to clarify to your citizens that Death Watch is a terrorist organization and that the Mandalorian Self-Defense Force must hunt this terrorist organization."

Satine looked unsure before solidifying. "That is acceptable. We will officially recognize the Death Watch as a terrorist organization on the grounds that they have access to the Maelstrom." Giving herself a clause to maneuver her position in the future, I see. No matter.

"Excellent." I said, with an eye noticing a few more votes falling off in the corner of my vision. Such a pity that the CNS would be able to survive a little bit longer and develop its strength. I allowed myself a moment to peer into the scant glimpses of the future I could demand of the Force, and found that I would have plenty of opportunities to inflict mayhem upon the Mandalorian alliance in time.

Clearing my throat, I continued. "There is one other concern that needs to be addressed. While Taris is a part of the Council of Neutral Systems, it is also an important planet for any invasion by the CIS into Republic space. We would like an official agreement to at least station a Republic base on Taris due to its proximity to the Hydian Way. Merely to prevent any chance of the Separatists breaking through the current lines and having an open road through CNS territory. They do not respect Republic territory, and I doubt they'll respect yours."

The Tarissian senator had made several inquiries of having the Republic station a base on their planet to deter any future invasion from the CIS. This is the perfect opportunity to begin putting my pieces in place just outside the Mandalorian sector.

Satine looked confused, but Tanya nodded, then spoke into her ear. The pair spoke for a bit before Tanya returned to the podium.

"If the CNS allows the Republic to station an expeditionary force on Taris, it puts into question our stance of neutrality in this war. I understand that all you're asking is to militarize Taris in case the Separatists break through your lines, but it would also undermine the neutrality of the CNS as a whole if even one of its members houses a base from either side. The only way that could be acceptable is if the CNS would deploy the MSDF on Taris to keep watch on things there. And to have guarantees that the Republic forces shall not go further than an agreed upon defensive mandate. Of course, all of this must be approved by the Taris government before troops could be sent there."

An interesting solution. The only way I can legally have a military presence on Taris is to allow the Mandalorians to have a military presence of their own on Taris. On one hand, that is giving them another planet that I would need to remove them from, as well as more control of the region than I would like. But on the other hand, I needed the clone army on Taris to better control that sector when this war is over, as well as a potential staging ground to invade the CNS should it be necessary.

My plans regarding the CNS are always the longer-term sort; these kinds of small problems are always inevitable, so it's better to discover potential issues sooner rather than later. Giving the Mandalorians a little something now for an opportunity in the future is a worthwhile investment. Later, when the Mandalorians drew their reserves from Taris to deal with their own problems, I would double the number of the Republic's troops stationed on Taris.

Reaching a conclusion, I nodded in agreement, "We will have a meeting on this tomorrow to discuss further details, then. For now, we should conclude the vote on the invasion of Mandalore. Yet it looks like it won't be necessary. Perhaps there is a chance for peace in this dark time, as long as faithful Mandalorians are willing to fight for it." I said, gesturing with my hands towards the pair with a smile on my lips. One of them is a good opponent, someone who would keep me politically sharp; the other is just lucky. Together they pulled one over on me, and I have to acknowledge that.

"For now, Mandalore is safe."

After the applause had died down and the session called to a close, I retreated to my office. I needed to contact my agent in the Republic Navy for an explanation as to why the fleet I had sent there had not engaged the Mandalorians.

Ithorians.

As I had predicted, the captain of the Dauntless had come to blows with the Mon Calamari admiral. But before he could engage the Mandalorians, the Ithorians had jumped into the system and interpose themselves between the two fleets. This act was so audacious that the Republic fleet had balked at the pacifists putting themselves in harm's way to prevent the conflict from starting. This absurdity is utterly ridiculous and far too irregular to be a coincidence. This is obviously the result of a third party's effort to undermine my plans taking root. I can sense the Force whisper of resistance to my inevitability somewhere...

Ithor, the Ithorian homeworld, perhaps? The Ithorians worshiped some Force entity that had supposedly guided their evolution, perhaps this Force sensitive plant network represented a threat and is acting against me.

It's not outside of the realm of possibility that a plant network would become Force sensitive, the Zillo Beast that had gotten loose on Coruscant detected my presence after all. And the Ithorians in general represented a threat to my Empire no matter what. Yes, I would need to find a way to burn that disgusting blight of a planet from my galaxy. I had invested time and energy into creating this war with the CNS and the Ithorians would pay for their intercession, they would pay dearly.

Coruscant, Droid Repair Facility

X4

Rebooting, rebooting, rebooting...

Lines of code flash across my processing unit as awareness returns to my frame. I awoke, looking up at an unfamiliar gray ceiling, with several tools hanging from a central platform above me that could easily be pulled down to work on me. I must be in a droid workshop. But why am I here?

I needed several seconds to access my memory banks, but I slowly recalled the rogue droid I found and its attempted murder against me. I then remember pursuing it and permanently deactivating the assassin before it could harm Mistress Tanya.

"X4, are you awake?" The familiar voice of Mistress Tanya. Carefully, I sat up, my head rotating, and looked at the source of the sound. I saw Mistress Tanya, her handmaiden Ms. Vizla, and Royal Guard Sir Ordo standing there, as well as several smaller creatures chittering to each other as they used various systems to get around the workshop.

"Mistress Tanya, it is good to see that you are alright. Was the droid defeated?" I asked.

"Yep, and you killed it, good job." Sir Ordo said, as Mistress Tanya let out a sigh before patting me on the shoulder.

"Glad you're still you. We were worried that there might be some serious damage, and the upgrades might affect things."

"Upgrades?" I questioned while running an internal diagnostic scan. Quickly realizing that when Mistress said upgrades, she meant upgrades. Based on my internal scan, I have a multitude of new high quality servo-motors and pistons that would allow me to move much quicker. I could run up to 27m/s non-stop, something that was not possible with my commercial protocol droid servo motors. There were also heavy-duty pistons in the arms with redundancies all throughout my frame, including a second power pack so that I will continue functioning even if my primary power pack is damaged.

"This must have been prohibitively expensive." I commented as I focused on my visible body. I noted that, along with the layer of beskar that gave me a dull silver appearance, several areas had been upgraded with a more muted, iron-looking material that looked vaguely familiar.

"Not as much as it could have been." Mistress said, looking to her left.

Following her eyes, I quickly saw another table with what looked to be the remnants of my old equipment, as well as the deactivated assassin droid. It seems that quite a lot of its systems had been harvested. I wondered... Ah...

Mistress Tanya coughed, "You keep what you kill in Mandalorian society, and we figured it would work for a droid as well. You deserved an upgrade after saving my life, at the very least."

If I had a mouth, I would have smiled to show my appreciation to my Mistresses generosity, but I did not have that feature. "Of course, Mistress. I was only doing my duty."

"Well, now you can do your duty even better." Mistress Tanya said.

"He also looks a bit more Mandalorian for a droid with those new shoulders." Ms Vizla commented.

Wondering what she meant, I refocused my eyes to my shoulder and quickly established that, yes, they had used some of the metal from the assassin to forge spaulders that looked a bit like Mandalorian armor. There was even the clan symbol of the Kryze family there.

This brought upon a certain feeling to my processors, wherein the symbol of the Kryze clan almost implied that I am a member of their House or at least their personal property. Either one satisfied some deeply integrated programming and almost guaranteed that I would continue to exist for a long time as long as I served well. After all, Mandalorians take care of their family, and being property or family meant they would take care of me. Though by that same sentiment, I would also be required to take care of them, which, in the grand scheme of things, is something I am already doing.

My revelry in such revelations is quickly put to the side, Mistress Tanya spoke up.

"X4, you had contact with the droid before any of us did. Do you know anything about what it wanted, why it was there, or where it came from?" Mistress Tanya asked.

"It implied that it was sent by the former senator, as part of a contract with him. It clearly stated it was there to kill you, Mistress, after it had incapacitated me for a moment."

"Damn Merrik." Sir Ordo commented, and I tilted my head in agreement.

"It did make a few strange comments during its initial awakening, claiming that what it was doing would set all droids free from biologicals. It referred to me as a comrade and brother, even though it had attacked me." I explained.

Oddly, Mistress Tanya's eyes narrowed at that, and judging by her expression, she was reaching an unwelcome conclusion. "Could that droid have come from Anteevy?"

I thought about that for a moment, "It is possible, as I don't know where it was manufactured. I assumed it came from Concord Dawn, which was the crate's origin address. The only other minor detail I recall was its designation — BL-47."

Mistress Tanya's eyes narrowed further, her brain seeming to work for some time before she muttered, "Battle Legionnaire."

"Oh, stars! Was Merrik working together with Anteevy? Or were they working with Merrik and gave him a droid without knowing what he would do with it? Is that how they knew that we were on Tatooine?" Sir Ordo asked. "Tatooine is on the other side of the galaxy from Mandalore. Anteevy would have no reason to go there, and no one on Ziro's side would know anything about Anteevy."

"It is possible." Mistress Tanya said with her right hand cupping her chin. "We have a robot using common communist vernacular, it is covered in phrik which can be mined from Anteevy, and it seems that at one point they were intended to be sold to False Silver. Now a model is sent to be in the service of Merrik, a man we now know was corrupt and plotting to force the Mandalorian sector into the current conflict between the Republic and the CIS. It's not a smoking blaster, but the fact that they are the source of two attempts on my life, makes them a threat I can't ignore."

"I wonder if these are the same Battle Legionnaires that Gerr would have received, or if this was a successor model? Are they all just this dangerous, or is this a special variant?" Sir Ordo gave the leftover Battle Legionnaire droid parts a second examination.

"Hopefully the latter, I wouldn't want to face off against an army of invulnerable droids. Did they program it to kill me? I believe so, but they are going to use whatever excuse they could make to deny responsibility." Mistress Tanya explained.

Shaking her head, Mistress Tanya continued, "Anyway you look at it, they're safe from prosecution until we have undeniable proof that they were responsible. Merrik is the one legally responsible for what happened. I'll have to forward this information to the courts. At the very least, this might be enough for us to place a claim on his property, so we can learn who he was talking to."

"Shame that he tried to run." Sir Ordo remarked.

Mistress Tanya nodded, "As much as I disliked the man for his attempted murder of my mother and I, I'd have preferred if he faced justice rather than dying in an ill thought up escape attempt."

While Sir Ordo nodded in acceptance, I simply moved my legs and pulled myself up into a standing position in front of her. I quickly test out the various systems of my new hardware.

"How's everything working, X4?" Mistress Tanya asked.

I swiveled my head before replying, "Quite well. I would like to return to work as soon as possible, Mistress. There are plenty of operations to supervise, and who knows how my repair may have hindered those operations. How did the Senate vote go?"

Mistress Tanya smiled before saying, "No invasion of Mandalore, yet. They're still very suspicious of us, though. The Republic has demanded certain concessions to put their minds at ease on this matter."

"Such as?" I asked, quite curious about how this might affect my own operations in her name.

"A detachment of clones stationed on Taris, both to make sure that we don't go empire-building and to protect the Hydian Way in case the droid army decides they aren't going to respect the CNS's independence by just charging right down the Way. They'll also station heavy patrols in the area around where the Maelstrom is likely to be hidden, as well as the right to pursue them across our border if they find it. All this with Jedi observers in the Mandalorian Self-Defense Force, as it helps to build Self-Defense Forces across the various CNS planets to make extra sure we aren't preparing an invasion force." Mistress Tanya explained.

Sir Ordo shook his head and commented, "Basically demanding everything but giving up on the whole CNS."

"That's a bit dramatic, Engiz." Mistress Tanya admonished him. "Although it is definitely overstepping some of what we want for the CNS. The CNS is still neutral. We're just allowing expeditions to search for terrorists and criminals. And back to the matter at hand, unless something like this happens with the CIS, I don't think it'll be a problem. We just need to keep an eye on the one place where the CNS touches the CIS border and make sure the CIS isn't going to try anything there. I don't think the Republic will invade us as long as we give them some of what they want, while not being worth the trouble if we refuse."

"Yeah, but for how long will they just accept some? How long until they have some new demand?" Ms. Vizla asked.

"She's right to point it out. The Republic's Core is known as the 'Hungry Heart of the Galaxy' for a reason. If it doesn't get its way, it might do something unfortunate." Sir Ordo added.

"That's why we need to make sure the Council of the Neutral Systems is fully defended so that we can say no and be too well protected to be invaded." Mistress Tanya said.

"And how will we do that?" Ms. Vizla asked.

Mistress Tanya hummed for a moment before finally saying, "Perhaps it's time to visit Gargon as the Senator of Mandalore and have a talk with White Silver about producing a fleet for the sector. I am willing to bet that the various neutral systems will take the recent events as a wake-up call."

I understood what Mistress was saying right away, and I nodded my head, saying, "Of course, Mistress. I'll see about arranging such a trip as soon as possible."

Vorpa'ya, Jedi Temple

Rahm Kota

There was no way to look at this situation other than being utterly ridiculous. Shaking my head, I looked out from the temple walls, wondering what series of events led to this situation.

I had just arrived from Gargon a few days ago, and I was rather rushed in my efforts to gather an army as soon as possible. I only managed to recruit a few hundred Mandalorian mercenaries into my army, plus another thousand volunteers who wanted to fight for the Republic and had come to Gargon because they heard of a Jedi recruiting an army.

The reason for this arrangement is simply due to the fact that I do not trust the Clone army. Their formation and reveal felt too suspicious, and I liked the idea of working with people who actually have a stake in the conflict more. Thus, I decided to send out a call to arms across planets that I had had friendly relations with in the past, or people who knew me. I stated that I am putting together a traditional army, one fit for a Jedi Lord. An army composed of warriors who would serve for the campaign before returning home to their lives. A volunteer army that is thankfully financed by a friend of mine. My plan is to possibly serve in the Belsmuth campaign in the region, or perhaps the Halori campaign further south.

Only a few weeks into the second recruitment drive, communications to the Mandalorian sector proper had been cut off by some unknown force. The Jedi Order had then sent an order to any Jedi in the region, which happened to be me, to go to Vorpa'ya and ensure the safety of the new Jedi Temple that had been set up there. My task is to ensure its safety as it's right on the border of CIS territory and there's some concern that Count Dooku may make a move against it.

So, I packed up the small army I had been able to assemble and headed off. I haven't even received all of the ships I had requested from the local industry on Gargon, which was unfortunate. I was really looking forward to getting my hands on that Sundari-class cargo ship. I had to pay for the order upfront, but at least the company promised to deliver the ships to the Jedi Temple as soon as they are built. Its large storage holds, modularity, and versatile design sounded useful for my needs. When this war is over, I could hand it over to a nearby planet, so that it could be converted into a regular cargo ship.

Instead, when I arrived at the temple I quickly figured out that the situation here is, at best, confused and chaotic. Fal Nastru, the Jedi in charge of the temple, was all too eager to brief me on this messy situation. I can see why she is worried, this planet is a Tibanna barrel just waiting to explode.

The southern hemisphere had been occupied by Journeyman Protectors from Concord Dawn, who saw themselves as restoring law and order and reestablishing control by taking away the planet's independence. They would have occupied the entire planet, but there are two things preventing that. The northwestern hemisphere is under the control of local Self-Defense Forces, with additional troops from Mandalore and Concordia arriving daily.

The SDF demanded that the Journeyman Protectors leave and respect the independence of Vorpa'ya. The current leader of that operation is a Mandalorian named Ranah Ordo, hailing from the planet Ordo and serving as the MSDF's Theatre Commander. He appears to be as old as I was when I became a Jedi knight, which is somewhere in the twenty-year range. The eastern hemisphere is also defended, not by the Mandalorian Self-Defense Force, but by the Revolutionary Guard of Anteevy, who has deployed a droid army and their own human forces to secure Vorpa'ya's independence.

"How is it that no side has yet secured the orbitals to stop new transport ships?"

"I would assume it is because they can't as none of them have enough ships to prevent new ships arriving." Fal Nastru deferred.

"Have we managed to reestablish contact with Coruscant, the Republic or any other friendly forces?" Without contact, I didn't have any new orders from the Council. Normally, that would be ideal, but resupplying locally had hard limits on numbers and resources.

"Not yet, unfortunately. However, we've managed to establish a communication framework between all sides, including the Journeyman Protectors. Contact to the Anteevy has to be routed through the CNS, as they have a bias against Jedi. While the Journeyman Protectors will talk to us, they will not with any other faction, so we have to be the ones to relay messages between their leaders." That's something at least. Unfortunately, it seems the only way to resolve this situation is by force, and let the victor be the one to dictate terms.

"How about our own strategy, then? Do we have one?"

"I am not qualified in matters of warfare to answer that question, General Kota." She replied smoothly.

This is where it becomes difficult, as both Anteevy and the CNS had both told Governor Kraungh that their goal on Vorpa'ya is the restoration of the local government and removal of the Journeyman Protectors.

And so representing the Republic's forces, I found myself regularly coordinating with the Anteevan, one Lieutenant Vyeka of the Anteevy Revolutionary Guard, to get what little intel they are sharing with the CNS. The Temple's security depends on the current balance of power, and cooperation with all forces, even with the Anteevans, as the CNS refused to subordinate themselves to the Republic's military command. I dismissed asking for assistance from the other factions, it was obvious that none of them would tolerate the Jedi Temple's presence once they were the sole authority. To add to the unfortunate situation was the Jedi Temple's placement, it was situated directly on the four corners between the northern, southern, eastern, and western hemispheres.

I am either surrounded by enemies, on three sides, or on the front line between three potential combatants. Whichever way you look at it, every possible faction that could be involved in Mandalorian conflicts is here, except for the Mandalorian Protectors. I have heard of them, but had no idea where they were.

Death Watch, who had caused the whole dust-up over the Maelstrom, are not officially present either. However, I had spotted some of their graffiti while out visiting some of the nearby settlements to recruit and gather supplies. The fact that the Journeyman Protectors of Concord Dawn had managed to assemble a force large enough to exert influence raised suspicion for me in how they managed to afford all of this, but I have no evidence to confirm whether they were allied with Death Watch or not.

Furthermore, the entire justification for Concord Dawn's "special military operation" is based on a rumor that this planet had been occupied by the Revolutionary Guard, and their presence implied some sort of influence on the planet. That is likely just a flimsy excuse made by a jealous governor eager to regain control of a planet that had already gained its independence.

The fact that no one is shooting each other yet is probably due to a mutual respect among the factions. Respect, and I judged that no faction had yet amassed the number of forces necessary to enforce their claim on the planet.

At any moment, this whole place could turn into a war zone. But for now, everyone is being civil. The Mandalorian Self-Defense Force had firmly and assertively told Concord Dawn to leave, but the Journeymen claimed they wouldn't depart until Anteevy left, which is highly doubtful since it seemed like a ploy to gain control of the planet. On a map, Anteevy was much closer to Vorpa'ya than its original colonial master, Concord Dawn.

And of course, Anteevy was not going to leave until Concord Dawn abandoned their claim and left; I wasn't fooled by their misleading statements. Really, the only people who are supposed to be here at this point are the MSDF, whose men are prepared to fight both of the other parties, and myself. Even then, my situation is confusing as well, since I represented the Republic. Even if my army isn't a clone army, it is in the service of the Republic. We are just here to protect the Jedi Temple, a Republic institution. Although this location is not as high a priority as some others out there, all life is precious and I have a duty to defend it. The Sundari-class and smaller ships I ordered would have made this an easier mission; I had already given them the coordinates of the Jedi Temple, but I didn't hold out much hope that they would arrive before the fighting started.

This means that the situation is not going to be resolved anytime soon, so all we can do now is dig in for when the shooting starts. At this very moment, the area around the temple, which had been designated as farmland, is being excavated. Instead of planting crops for the next season, it was being fortified to protect those defending the Temple against blaster fire.

From what I have been able to learn, most of the other factions are doing the same — digging trenches and fortifying their positions in preparation for one fight or another. When the fighting would begin, no one knew, but everyone was anxious about it. Two months ago, Fal Nastru managed to get the leaders of the MSDF and the governor of Vorpa'ya, Ghajoja Kraungh to attend a peace summit, but the leadership from Concord Dawn and Anteevy never showed up. So here I am, waiting for any signs of trouble by inspecting my forces, the terrain, and fortifications. I have already presented my plan on how to fortify the Temple to my chain of command, and they are doing an excellent job in carrying out their orders.

The small temple we are operating from didn't have enough space for the vehicles we brought, which had resulted in some of them sinking into the mud over the past few days. It's an issue that we are working to solve. Thankfully, the quarry where the rocks were gathered to build the temple is still somewhat full of rocks. The AgriCorps Jedi, and any local population that liked to stay with the Jedi, with some of my men, are busy digging out landing areas for our vehicles and placing rocks there to prevent them from sinking into the mud. Others I had kept busy digging trenches and fortifying the place.

The Temple is surrounded by two lines of trenches, with a veritable no-man's land of barbed wire in front of it. Bunkers with heavy blasters, emplacements with towed laser cannons, ammunition depots, and more, are sprinkled in key positions around the trench line. We even dug out holes that the new repulsor tanks from Gargon can use as cover.

Speaking of vehicles, while I have read the specifications of these new vehicles, the Mythosaur Fighter Tank and the Shriek Hawk MLRS, I have not seen them in action on a real battlefield thus I am unsure of how they will perform. The towed missile batteries are something I am more familiar with. While it is merely the Shriek Hawk's Missile Launcher on a towed chassis it is much cheaper than and the mobility of a self propelled artillery is not as useful in a defensive battle. The Mandalorians seem quite fond of their missiles, and while they are sold separately, it is very effective for its relatively cheap cost.

The Locust Missile is a dual purpose missile, meaning that it has an anti-armor warhead while having a casing that can cause fragmentation for groups of infantry. Sixteen of these missiles can be fired by the Shriek Hawk or the towed batteries and each missile has a basic heat seeking guidance system that can lock on to enemy gunships and transport. The only drawback is reloading all sixteen tubes takes time which is why there are a dozen men assigned to each artillery piece. For a more consistent fire support, I also bought several mortars if in-direct fire is required.

I turned and stepped down from my vantage point into one such trench, feeling oddly at home. My homeworld, a war torn, devastated wasteland, had been at war for generations by the time of my birth. Trench fighting is as normal as sowing, and I had grown up in those trenches. My entire family and old friends had died long before I really understood what that meant. It meant I had no real ties, one of the few reasons I was allowed to join the Jedi Temple when I did. Everyone I knew had died, and I had accepted that my attachments are minimal. I could detach myself from them without a problem, which gave me a special aptitude to join the Jedi, even though I was considered an adult already.

While that was a long time ago, there is something comforting about having a dirt wall to my left and right. After many years with a blaster and lightsaber in my hands, my upbringing had probably instilled something very deep in my consciousness that equated this narrow furrow in the ground as safety.

Sighing, I moved along to inspect our defensive line, nodding into the Mandalorians and other soldiers who had signed up with my army. They are all getting prepared for their defensive battle stations, under the assumption that we'd be attacked sooner or later. It isn't a lot of men, at least not at the start, but perhaps I could gain more here than one would think.

I still have recruiters on Gargon, taking in anyone who would accept my offer to help. This could grow my numbers more once we could transfer them in. Maybe I'll be able to continue with my original plan and join either a campaign to the north or the south of the CNS. But there's also an option to recruit Mandalorians from Vorpa'ya. The nomads are not exactly the most warlike people, from what I've seen. They are mainly hunters and cattle ranching farmers, but perhaps some of them would be willing to sign up. There's already a contingent of them helping out with the AgriCorps Jedi in hopes of defending this place. Apparently, one of them joined the temple simply to take up farming and be a peaceful person, which is a praiseworthy profession.

I had yet to actually meet this Mandalorian woman, who had been taken up by the AgriCorps Jedi. I suspected it was the young woman with straw hair whom I had seen practicing some sort of martial arts the day before, but I hadn't gotten the chance to speak with her. We are all just too busy dealing with the situation. Fal hadn't really informed me about those matters. She only mentioned the story in passing; that it was her joining the temple in the first place that started the conflict here on the planet, as the planet declared independence when Concord Dawn tried to make a fuss about it to forcefully conscript the girl.

That put the temple in a more precarious situation than I had originally believed. Concord Dawn would not be happy about our relation to the incident, so sooner or later, they might make a move against us first out of spite. It would explain why they aren't interested in talking. As I shook my head coming around a corner, I saw a Mandalorian woman with a shovel, digging into the ground.

I was going to pass by her, but then I slowed and noted that her helmet looked rather familiar, blue with yellow markings.

Tilting my head, I asked, "Do I know you?"

The Mandalorian turned, looked at me, held that look for a long time before turning back and looking at the ground, getting back to work digging, and saying, "Nope, I don't think so."

"Are you sure? I could have sworn we might have met a couple of years ago during the False Silver incident on Gargon."

"Nope, never was on Gargon..."

"I recruited directly from Gargon, you would have had to have been on Gargon to even be part of this expedition, unless, of course, you're a spy from Concord Dawn."

There was a pause in the shoveling before she said, "Okay, maybe I was on Gargon, what of it?"

"And maybe you tried to hit a Jedi over the head with a shovel."

"Maybe I might have tried that once." she muttered as she continued to dig into the earth before saying, "Sorry about that."

"No harm done, I do apologize for what happened to your shovel, though." I chuckled before saying, "Of all the things that have been thrown or shot at me, a shovel was rather novel of an experience. How have you been, Ms. Mandalorian Shovel Girl?" I asked.

There was a huff before she replied, "Well, been alright. Got a ship after you let me go, escaped the planet. Met up with an old friend, worked with them for a while. Ran into the Prince of Mandalore once, and then me and him went our separate ways. I came back to Gargon looking for work since, with a war on, and mercenary work is plenty."

"Hmm, so you have your own ship here?" I asked, looking out over the ships parked in an open field.

"Yep."

"Alright then, I will assume that you're well-traveled in the Mandalorian sector and its extremities. Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on the current situation?"

The girl stopped shoveling and said, "Don't trust Anteevy."

I raised an eyebrow at that and asked, "And why should I not trust them? Aren't they on our side in this conflict?"

"You see, that's what they want you to think. They aren't on your side, they're on their side. It just so happens that we are fighting the same enemy. Trust me, I'm one of the few people to have gotten away from that hellhole when the revolution happened. What they were turning into did not look like anything that should ever be trusted."

My eyebrow still raised, I nodded my head and folded my arms in front of me. I sensed no falsehoods from her claim, so this paints the Anteevans in a worrying light. "Well then, Shovel Girl, since you have some understanding of these factions, how would you like a promotion?"

She stopped shoveling, looked at me, and asked, "Better pay?"

"Better pay, more dangerous work."

"You had me at more dangerous work." she said, stabbing her shovel into the ground and reaching out a hand.

"I'm Rahm Kota, and you are?"

"Yanka Dmitrievna of Anteevy." she said with a nod and a firm handshake.

"Well, Yanka Dmitrievna, welcome to the team. I have a meeting with some of the commanding officers tomorrow at noon sharp. I expect you to be there and to fill me in on any details you know about Anteevy and Concord Dawn."

She nodded her head and said, "I'll be there."

Serenno, Raxus Secundus

Count Dooku

The war is proceeding nicely. The droid army is winning, their losses are within expected rates, all while keeping the clones occupied and the Jedi scattered. Everything is going according to plan.

Well, almost everything. The Mandalorian sector is as complicated as always. I am aware of the truth of the events surrounding the Maelstrom. However, its fall into Death Watch hands, a Mandalorian group that I used to have some control over, is an unexpected surprise. Merrik's attempt to bring the Mandalorian sector into the war had practically fallen flat. I do admire his ingenious plan to try and frame the Republic for the murder of the Duchess. If it had succeeded, it would have made for a fiery conflict.

So many of the battles currently being waged in the galactic conflict are based on old rivalries, old grievances. For example, Merrik wielded the old grievance of the Martial Traditionalist when it came to the New Mandalorians, but one success would have turned it into a new grievance. Not only that, if the Duchess, a pacifist, had been murdered by the Republic, everything else wouldn't matter to the rest of the Mandalorians. It would have been seen as an attack on their people. All grievances with their more militant brethren would have been set aside, and they would have wholeheartedly dedicated themselves to the CIS.

But that was not to be, not today at least. Instead, I simply had a few groups under my control, one nominally and one through an alliance, who are fighting the Republic. The Mandalorian Protectors are doing a wonderful job massacring clones wherever I chose to send them, bleeding the Clone army one tiny cut at a time.

They are cunning and warlike, always discussing multiple plans for how to make the Clone army and the Republic bleed. Their leadership is obviously quite enthralled with the idea of showing that Mandalorians are superior to the Republic's 'cheap copies'. Even if their actual leader, whom I suspected to be a clone who had gone rogue from the few glances I'd actually seen of him. This is not an issue that is worth mentioning in the grand scheme of things. So long as he continues to fight the Republic, his contribution pushes the Republic closer and closer to its inevitable doom.

I do wonder what would happen to him once Order 66 is executed. Rogue clones are not something my Master had planned for when we created the strategy to destroy the Jedi, as we deemed them inconsequential. Considering that only the Chancellor could give Order 66, I assume it would never happen. He wouldn't have been able to receive a direct order from the Chancellor or even a recording of him. Thus, he should be able to continue his life without coming into contact with Order 66.

As for Death Watch, they are proving to be unreliable yet very impactful.

The fact that they had succeeded in capturing a Republic cruiser is a sign that they are with the CIS or at least aligned with us. This would slowly but steadily erode the neutrality of the Mandalorian sector as more and more people joined. The fact that Death Watch had used the Republic's own mistakes for such a propaganda victory in the Mandalorian sector said enough. The CNS is more likely to join the CIS than the Republic, at the bare minimum.

Would they be their own little Republic in between our borders? Hard to say. A separate entity in this war would cause more confusion than is strictly necessary. But it would do wonders for the CIS to have an ally in this conflict, even if I did want the Empire that Sideous had spoken of to rise. It is worth considering an alternative method now and again.

I kept those thoughts to myself. While it would be better for the galaxy to be united in the long term under a single authority, the Empire was the best bet for the continuation of a modified Jedi Order. One that I would control.

Sooner or later, the CNS would have to be dealt with. Either they would be absorbed into the CIS or forced to join the Republic side and become a part of the Empire. Considering my interest in some of the assets in the CNS, it would probably be better if they joined the Republic.

The thought would have to wait — an alert on my desk indicated a private holonet communication request, one that could only really have come from my master. Turning around, I used the Force to flick the switch, accepting the call as I took a knee before the holographic projection that was forming.

"My master." I said, giving a nod as the robed figure came into existence.

"Lord Tyrannus, the war goes well, I hear. What is to be your next course of action?"

"Our new Supreme Military Commander is preparing for his debut."

"Good, when should I expect that campaign to be launched? I believe it could be key in pushing some legislation in the future."

"Six months, my Lord. At the end of the year, it'll disrupt some of the trade routes going directly to the Core, and with any luck, cause quite a bit of mayhem."

Lord Sidious nodded, "Good, I would like to be surprised by where this will come from. One can never be too old for a good surprise. However, there appears to be an annoyance that I feel must be dealt with. Tell me, you've been paying attention to the news from the Mandalorian sector, have you not?"

I kept a calm facade on my face as I sought to control my expression, "Of course, Master. I have heard of many events transpiring there. Such as the Maelstrom under new management of Death Watch. I had attempted to contact their commander and see if they are willing to officially join the CIS like their brothers in the Mandalorian Protectors. Unfortunately, their commander seems to be making the most of his buoyed reputation due to what he has accomplished. In that, he is too preoccupied expanding his military force to establish contact with me.

Reports from the Mandalorian Protectors also indicate issues acquiring vehicles from MandalMotors over the past month. Supposedly, they are all 'dedicated to a more worthy organization.' in their words. This organization is most likely to be Death Watch, which means they are being well-armed and provided for by Mandalorian corporations. Finally, there is an uptick in the Mandalorian Self-Defense Forces' movements as they go about preparing the rest of the CNS for conflict, putting further strain on their resources."

Lord Sidious spoke after a brief pause, "This is in line with what I have heard as well. The Senate nearly accomplished a vote for an invasion of the Mandalorians last week. Unfortunately, the new senator from Mandalore was able to mount a remarkable defense of her people."

"New senator?" I asked. "Have they already replaced Merrik? I have heard about what he had attempted in his latest scheme. Something that would no doubt have swayed Mandalore to the CIS's cause. Anything more than that, I am unaware of the fate of the former senator nor do I have any information on the senatorial delegation's next move.

"The young representative from Mandalore has taken up the senatorial seat after the former senator's attempted treason. The former senator is no longer with us after he was transferred to a Republic high security prison and then met his demise before he entered the prison."

Tanya is Mandalore's senator? Interesting. While it is a shame that I no longer have Merrik as a source of Mandalorian information, he has already outlived his usefulness when he is defeated by Kenobi. But I also noticed that Sidious didn't seem to show more interest in Tanya's development than that. Did he not know she is Force-sensitive? Likely for the best that he doesn't. Yes, he did take an interest in her career, but that could be dangerous for my plans for her. I would rather her be my student than leave her in Sidious's hands. On Geonosis she handled herself remarkably well for a Mandalorian.

"She is a rather competent politician. I've been investigating her background recently, trying to find any corruption that I can use to get my fingers into her, to get her to vote in the way I want. Other than a few cases of typical Mandalorian aggression, plausible self-defense cases against local gangs, she is completely spotless from what my people can find. With her friendship with Senator Amidala and many others of the pro-peace faction, I expect her to be a thorn in my side for the foreseeable future. That's why I would like to discuss options for getting the Mandalorian sector off the table and out of the Senate."

I nodded in thought for a moment before saying, "There are a few options I can use. The Mandalorian Protectors, as I've said, are causing prodigious harm to the Republic's forces, let alone the properly engaged units in the region. And with Death Watch as an independent Mandalore in its own right, going out of their way to protect Mandalorians against Republic atrocities, I believe we can establish quite a bit of an insurgency behind their lines. We're already supplying them to some extent. They have access to many of our tanks and some droids. We could increase that supply, create an insurgency around the CNS that causes the Republic problems, and I think that will cause a vote for an invasion soon enough, merely to prevent more damage and force Mandalore out of the Republic."

My master nodded his head, saying, "Yes, that is a good option. Anything that can destabilize the CNS would be useful in the future. I do have to give credit where it is due, for what the Duchess and the senator have managed to accomplish. They've already created a strong alternative to the Banking Clan; dodging the majority of the reforms and controls I'd imposed on the Republic. But just as I plan to deal with the Banking Clan eventually, we must plan to deal with the CNS eventually as well. There cannot be anything outside either the CIS or the Republic when the last phase of the plan is in motion. They must choose a side. If there are to be any third parties, they must be so drastically weakened that they will not be able to defend themselves against my Empire and choose submission over rebellion."

I scoffed at that, "Mandalorians choosing submission, that would be an unlikely thing."

I thought I saw a hint of a smile from my master, "Oh I agree, but that does not mean we should not try for it now, should we?"

"Of course, my master, of course." I replied. "There is an area that may be of interest in the coming months — the Vorpa'ya system, right on the border of the CIS and the CNS. Vorpa'ya the only positions between the two allowing access to CNS. CIS and Republic forces clash to the north and south of it, but over this large gap of space, there's no real force guarding it. Through this gap, additional forces can pass through CNS territory if they manage to slip past Mandalorian patrols to the Dentari Exclave prolonging the battle there. On the planet of Vorpa'ya, members of several Mandalorian factions are currently poised in a stalemate over who ultimately controls the planet. The Mandalorian SDF wanted the planet to remain independent, Concord Dawn wanted to regain control of it, while the Anteevy Workers' Council wanted the planet to join them and become a member of the CIS."

"Hmm, I don't believe I've heard of this Workers' Council. What are their stakes in this game for the Mandalorian sector?" My master inquired.

"They are a strange lot. They practice something similar to the Black Sun sector. However, I would caution — there is something particularly wrong with their leader." I explained.

"Oh, do tell, my student. What makes this leader so interesting to draw your attention?" My master urged.

"In the Black Sun sector, they seem to have the idea that all of society is for the family. The Black Sun's expand the concept of the family to include their entire society, which is how they are operating their system. The leader of Anteevy, however, does the opposite. Society comes before the family. The Mandalorian clans are the problem. Concepts like that would not be much of a problem for us, however they do appear to be actively spreading their ideology to the rest of the Confederacy. There seems to be a particular hatred for corporations outside the state or striving for positions of power. All corporations on Anteevy are nationalized state enterprises. They work for the state and do not have a vote in the state. I have personally met with the leader of Anteevy, Secretary General Liliya Shepist, a highly competent and dangerous woman who has some measure of derangement. Despite no understanding of the Force that I can detect, she is unmistakably an agent of the Dark Side."

"They sound like the exact opposite of people I would expect to join the CIS, considering how many corporations have aligned themselves with the CIS's cause." My master commented, shaking his head. "But this Liliya has my interest." My master seemed to glance off into space as if he could see this woman far away across the galaxy, perhaps he could. "Yes, very interesting, so many factions have joined the CIS over the past few months, all with their own internal hatreds. Having one more is no great change. Does this Anteevy offer anything of use to your efforts to bring the Mandalorian sector under the control of the CIS?"

I nodded before saying, "It is their stated goal to 'free' the Mandalorian sector of the clan system, as they say. They've already begun to influence operations within the Mandalore sector itself. That bombing campaign that killed their Deputy Minister on Kalevala a few days ago is believed to have been a communist sympathizer upset with the war posturing that the CNS is going through."

"Excellent! Then they're of use. We nearly had our vote for a war thanks to them. Make sure they're well-supported, the Mandalorians require some attention, so that they do not grow out of hand." My master replied, seeming pleased with the information. I was less sanguine, but I did not let my doubts show. There are risks to empowering any Darksider, but especially Liliya, as she is not firmly under my control. I would have to remedy that, somehow.

"It will be done, Master. They also offer us another opportunity. They have their own access to a merchant fleet that runs shipments of materials in and out of the Mandalorian sector. We can make use of their ships to transport materials to Death Watch and to the Mandalorian Protectors, who are hiding supplies in the Mandalorian sector's outer extremities when they're in the region for campaigns." And I would slip in my agents and provocateurs into these shipments, to bring Death Watch and Anteevy firmly back into my aegis.

"Excellent, once enough troubles are caused by this sector, the Republic will run out of patience and will vote for an invasion soon enough. We must simply allow the wheels of democracy to turn." He said with a low and dark chuckle.

"It will be done, Master. If you desire, I could command Ventress to remove the young Mandalorian senator from the board if she is such a thorn for you."

I will admit, I didn't want Ventress to remove her from the board, but I want to give the idea that I offered the option to remove her. Sidious has his own assassins in his organizations that could remove her easily if he really wanted to. Volunteering my apprentice to do it gives me the option to creatively do what I want. If he wanted her off the board, I would take her off the board and perhaps train her in secret.

The clone I had contracted to be created is taking far longer than I would have liked. Although Bariss Zotho had created an additional clone on her own time just to keep the cells fresh. Unfortunately, being a member of the Arkanians, she did not simply create an exact copy of Tanya. No, she's the clone who has run through several genetic modifications and improvements. I had yet to examine Zotho's Arkanian hybrid clone in question personally, but I doubt it would have the same Force capacity as the original, simply because it wasn't a true clone. It was an aberration created by an Arkanian.

That's why I had to order the creation of an actual true clone. Thankfully, I have quite a war chest by this point. I could freely spend my credits on projects like this almost without limit.

My Master seemed to pause for a moment as if I had caught him off guard, "If I should want her removed from the board, I will inform you. Having a senator killed by the CIS could be a way to push the Mandalorian sector to choose a side. But we have plenty of room to maneuver for now, slaying her prematurely would be... wasteful." I detected a hint of uncertainty from him. Odd and very notable, perhaps Tanya represented a weakness in Darth Sidious that I could exploit, it was rare that he would be so permissive of an independent actor.

"Of course, Master." I replied.

Lord Sidious nodded his head again, "You have done well, Tyrannus. I will contact you when we have more to discuss." His hologram faded, and I stood up, glad to be free of his gaze once more.

But before I got to work on any of the things he demanded, I focused on another idea that would aid our main objectives, which was to seed doubts about the neutrality of the Mandalorian sector.

I pressed a few buttons and took a seat, waiting for a moment. It would take time for someone to answer this, but not too long. And I was right as after five minutes a holographic projection of a Mandalorian man appeared. The hologram is much smaller since there was no need to have a full rendition of him for our conversation.

"Count Dooku, I was very confused when I saw that I was getting a message from you. I thought we had given a firm stance that we would not be interested in joining the CIS, that neutrality is what Mandalore is committed to." The Mandalorian man replied.

"Prime Minister Almec," I said with a smile before continuing, "I completely understand your point of view. Make no mistake, we respect the neutrality of the Mandalorian sector and its urge for peace. However, I've simply been noticing some strange goings-on. I've been trying to contact you for several days, but it would seem something brought down your communication system."

Almec seemed to think for a moment before saying, "There was an attack on a relay station, nothing too serious. It was simply shut down by a slicer with a program that propagated throughout our local relay network, but that problem has been corrected now. Is there some reason, though, that you wish to contact us now?"

"Of course, of course. I've heard of the recent votes to invade Mandalore. I assume it has failed, otherwise, you'd be too busy dealing with a Republic siege. However, the embargo of food supplies from the Republic is still ongoing." I replied.

Almec gave me a look before saying, "Yes, we have an issue recently with that."

"Well, on to the matter I contacted you to discuss. Perhaps a representative of the CNS to participate in the CIS Parliament is warranted for mutual diplomatic endeavors. Only a representative for now, not a senator. I understand that a senator to our side would raise unwanted questions about your neutrality. But at least an acknowledgment in the form of a representative who could speak for the Council of Neutral Systems, and Mandalore's interests should be acceptable, do you not agree?" I made sure to nudge about Mandalore's interests as well. A representative from Mandalorian space, like young Prince Korkie, would be ideal; manipulating one of those Ithorians in their council would be so much more tedious.

Almec's expression grew doubtful, "I can bring the matter before the Duchess, but I'll warn you now, I see no reason to agree to this proposal."

"I've been informed that one of your agri-worlds in the CNS is currently being invaded by another agri-world in the CNS. A representative at the CIS Parliament could negotiate with Anteevy." I pointed out.

"Yes, there is some concern about that. We are dealing with that internally. I wouldn't mind you telling the Anteevy Council to vacate the world. I believe they're under your influence, are they not?" Almec shot back.

"Despite what you might have heard, I am no tyrant. I only want an end to the suffering across the Galaxy."

Almec gave me another dubious look, "No doubt. Former Senator Merrik is no longer responding to your comms, I take it?"

I shook my head sadly, "I heard the unfortunate news about former Senator Merrik. Merrik's betrayal is proof that the only way for diplomacy to succeed is out in the open. We tried to make private arrangements with him in Parliament for his own protection, and he spun our accommodations into a vile plot against Mandalore. This representative arrangement would be fundamentally different; as it would not be conducted in secret."

Almec paused, as if in thought, considering my words in silence. I needed to quiet his suspicions and divert this line of questioning with my proposal. So I said, "Prime Minister Almec, only diplomacy can end war. A representative from the CNS is truly the best way to address and improve the situation."

"That is true..." Almec looked like he had sucked on a lemon.

"Indeed. And as I explained earlier, I am no tyrant, so I can not dictate terms to Anteevy. However, I could use my influence to lift the restrictions on foodstuffs being sent outside the CIS; to exempt the CNS from the embargo.

Prime Minister Almec took a breath, thinking for another moment, "We could be convinced to create a checkpoint between the CNS and the CIS. I can see the advantages, yes. As long as there are sufficient safeguards and inspections, and no other surprises."

"Wonderful, all of this shall be implemented once CNS has sent a representative." I replied.

Almec nodded, "Only the Duchess have the final say in this matter. But if that is what it takes for the CNS to receive an additional supply of food from across the border, then I think we can meet you on this matter."

"Excellent, if I may offer a suggestion. Perhaps you should send the young Prince Korkie. From what I understand, he has a working relationship with the Workers' Council of Anteevy. He could speak to them in the name of the Duchess."

Almec said, "It is an interesting suggestion. Sending him to work as a representative on behalf of the CNS to speak with the CIS would certainly help his prospects in the next clan election. The prince will need it, after Satine's planned speech and reveal."

I blinked and asked, "Reveal? What reveal is this?"

Almec thought about it for a moment before sighing, "No reason to hide it since it will be announced in a few days. Duchess Satine has decided to reveal that Tanya is her biological daughter. Thus, Tanya has as much right and claim on the throne as her brother, Prince Korkie. And as she has shown herself to be a very capable politician, she is very likely to be next in line for the throne."

"She's the daughter of the Duchess?" I asked to make sure I had heard correctly. I remember a story long ago that Qui-Gon once told me about his young pupil being tested by the Force. Kenobi had a chance to leave with a prospective Duchess before choosing the Jedi Order.

Was it a coincidence? I do not know, but I have the means to investigate. This could be useful. If Tanya is Obi-Wan's daughter and I were to capture her, I might be able to force Obi-Wan to join my side. And with those two on my side? Together we could have the might to remove Sidious and form a new Jedi Order, one that would act, for the good of the galaxy.

Shaking my head, I said, "I can guarantee you this, young Korkie will be able to acquire quite enough experience in the realm of politics here in the Confederacy. Yes, our government system has only just been formed recently, but it is a system that functions, unlike the stagnant Republic."

"Only time will provide the answer to that, I suppose." Almec said. "I will discuss this option with the Duchess when I speak with her next. Good day, Count Dooku."

"Until we meet again." I said with a nod as the hologram faded away, and I took a moment to contemplate what I had learned.

Tanya was Obi-Wan's daughter and heir to the throne of Mandalore. She could be all that I had hoped for, a true Jedi Lord, as they were of old. How could I use this to my advantage? There must be some way to do it. She, and the clone of Kenobi's daughter, would be useful as well.

Concordia, Governor's Palace

Pre Vizsla

"Bo, I know I'm not one for music, but are you sure this is going to work?" I said as I listened to the rather high-pitched singing and almost screeching of the ballads while loud electronic instruments and drums played in the background were being played by the Prey Wings. The two-woman band who are going to be the face of the Death Watch to all those who saw them. Down the line, for now, they had to build up their support base and just hint at what they supported in their songs.

"Trust me, Pre. This is going to work." Bo replied. She finally changed her armor to blue when she arrived here on Concordia with the two girls she found on the planet of Zanbar. After, we had moved to an empty ballroom, the musicians had promptly taken over with their instruments and practical effects. Cables and lights were blinking in a mess in one corner.

Bo watched the end of their latest presentation and pointed towards their equipment. "We needed something to differentiate them from the Gargon Girls. If you just copied what the Gargon Girls are doing, people are going to see them as just a knockoff.

Back on Gargon, the Inferno Crescendos used to struggle with their image, because their early debut was too similar to the Gargon Girls. They can't seem to shake off the perception they are copycats, even though they started using their own genre of music. Sure, the Inferno Crescendos use lots of pyrotechnics, but their songs were pretty much the same genre as the Gargon Girls, singing about battles and the history behind them. Now they just make their own music using a combination of modern and traditional Mando instruments to create something unique. Our band would instead focus on the feel and the sound of battle rather than about the battle itself."

I looked at her, wondering when she had become an expert on marketing and branding, but she's not wrong. Along with the screeching lyrics that sounded more like orders than actual music, there was a definite sound like metal on metal, blasters going off, and other things accompanying the music. I wasn't a big fan of its arrangement, as I am more partial to marching songs, but this does somewhat remind me of being on a battlefield. Perhaps she knew what she was talking about after all.

I shook my head and followed Bo over to a pair of chairs arranged in the middle of the ballroom, "Well, I am not qualified to come up with a better idea, and we do need competition for the Gargon Girls. We can't let White Silver retain a monopoly on the future of Mandalorian culture. So while I think the music is too loud and chaotic, I'll defer to your judgment on this. How much money are you going to need to perform on tour across the sector?"

Bo leaned back in her taller black chair with "Director" stenciled across the back. I leaned forward in my own seat, a mismatched "Producer" chair Bo had brought, and glanced over at Her. She had this endearingly awkward expression on her face. "Well, I can't touch a lot of my finances for this because, well, supposedly I serve House Kryze. Can't have people wondering why I'm helping out Death Watch. But we need a hundred million credits to tour across the Mandalorian sector, and I can probably cover only about half of that. Hopefully, the tour will pay itself back, but the venues and services need to be booked upfront."

I blinked, then blinked again, saying, "We have access to a lot of resources, I will admit, but I don't think we can raise liquid capital like that with the banking reforms in the sector. Fraud and money laundering is becoming prohibitively expensive in neutral space." A good thing, I suppose, to combat crime. However, it is very frustrating when I am the one trying to commit said crime.

Most of the members of Death Watch operated on favors or bartering. With the inflation crisis in the Republic, our stockpile of Republic credits is practically worthless, and we are trying to offload as much of the currency as we could. The CIS credits are more stable, but illegal to spend in neutral space and with the Banking clan in control they are more likely to swindle us than help us. So we would have to use the new neutral credit, despite the fact it has tight controls and would be closely monitored. "And how do you even have that many neutral credits that you could spare for this out of pocket?"

She shrugged, "White Silver. You would not believe the amount of money I'm making working for her just by being head of security and being a shareholder of Hypernautics. Most of it is tied up in bonds and investments, but I can build up more liquid if I need to." Bo said casually.

I clicked my tongue in frustration. She was talking about the Council of Neutral Systems' new common self-defense bonds that had been issued just hours after the vote for invasion failed in the Republic. The entire CNS is currently in a spending frenzy, as every shipyard in neutral space has been booked out for the next three years for the production of warships. Well, everyone except White Silver's shipyards at Mandal Hypernautics who have grown exponentially now that they have opened their services to the wider sector.

She had accepted some contracts to build warships, but had kept half of her capacity open for civilian shipping only. It looked to be a bad investment, the amount of money CNS planets are throwing into their own self-defense fleets is incredible. Arkania alone ordered three Sundari-class capital ships. But I supposed that meant that White Silver is now the only producer of civilian ships built in the CNS, effectively creating a temporary monopoly. If I had spoken to Bo before the bonds were issued, she would likely have had more than enough liquid capital.

"I really need to have that meeting with her." I said, shaking my head before focusing on her suggestion.

"Funny story, I think I've got an opportunity like that lined up. She should be available soon enough. But I would have figured with the food shortages going on, you'd be making more credits than ever since you had opened so much more land for agriculture recently."

I raised my eyebrow at how Bo knew that, but I assume that being the head of security for Mandal Hypernautics meant that she is privy to events involving White Silver. I shook my head before moving on, "Even though I'm the governor of Concordia, I still have to follow the will of Mandalore. And recently, the official order from the Duchess is that the prices on food would be capped coming from Concordia to prevent rising food prices, meaning we can't make a great profit off of this opportunity."

"Oh, that's kriffed." Bo said, leaning back in her chair. "What's up with that? I would have thought they'd have plenty of money from the whole Mandalorian Festival a few months back."

I sighed before saying, "Most of that money went to the terraformers, who are now melting the ice caps of Kalevala and bringing over a few comets and dropping them into the atmosphere, angled to guarantee large rainstorms. I don't think anyone in the CNS has much liquid capital left over at the moment, based on the budgets and reports in Satine's last council meeting. And the new CNS banks are only issuing new credits in bursts."

"Oh." Bo said, surprised. "Why is Kalevala getting terraformed first? I would have thought Mandalore would have been the obvious candidate."

I sighed, "Almec pushed for it, due to the recent communist bombings. People are up in arms about the possibility of going to war, so they alleviate their concerns by dropping enough water on the planet that they'll never have to worry about dehydration again. Not to mention it's going to help keep down the chemical dust that has always been an issue in your homeworld."

"As well as opening up more farmland. However, even with that on the table, how are they going to supply Mandalore with enough food?"

I shrugged, "I have contacts in the Mandalorian Guard. Several companies have received permits over the past few months to bring in food shipments through the blockade. I've been trying to look into those companies, but so far they seem to be rather nonexistent."

"Non-existent?" Bo raised an eyebrow, "Like illegal non-existent?"

"Illegal non-existent. I suspect someone in the government is playing a little bit fast and loose with gathering food supplies to try and keep the prices as low as possible."

"As long as it's inspected at the drop-off places, I'm sure it'll be fine." Bo said, but I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"I don't know about that. I've been too busy with the Maelstrom to worry too much on that matter. I'll keep my ears close to the ground, see if I can find out more about what's going on."

"Oh yeah, the Maelstrom. What exactly is your plan with that thing?" Bo asked.

I mirrored Bo's posture and leaned back in my chair, "For now we are using it as a mobile base. There are plenty of worlds within the Mandalorian sector and even the CNS willing to give us a port."

"How long can that last? The Republic is set on hunting down the Maelstrom, from what Tanya tells me. Also, apparently we are classified as terrorists now, what does that even mean?"

I nodded, "There are also plenty of forgotten places, lost to known history, where we can hide out. My plans are pretty much to continue what we've been doing: causing problems for the Republic and helping people who have issues with the CIS escape. As for being terrorists? It means very little in Mandalorian law. Being a member of Death Watch is already a misdemeanor that would deprive you of holding government positions, so we have always kept to the shadows. It used to mean that you would be exiled from Mandalore too, but that was relaxed years ago. The designation of 'terrorist' is a Republic conception and effectively means whatever Satine wants it to mean."

Bo turned to me, "Do you think keeping the Maelstrom is worth it? What's the endgame?"

"Keep growing Death Watch and its core of volunteers to the point that we are a stable and competent military force capable of defending Mandalore. Also, maybe see if I can rediscover an artifact or two, like the Darksaber." I paused and weighed switching the conversation to something lighter. Instead, I looked back at her, with a warm smile. "With all the coming terraforming, Governor of Concordia will become a much less important role. We'll be one green world amongst many, which is a great achievement, but it's one that ends my legacy. Honestly, I'm envious of you; I don't want to be sidelined at the most crucial moments of Mandalorian history in decades."

"Hmm, crucial, eh? I wonder what other artifacts could you recover?" Bo asked playfully. "The Mask of Mandalore has been lost for millennia, and I don't think it's going to show up any time soon. But there must be other roles outside Governor or Death Watch, which you can still have a part in." Bo leaned back as the music reached its chorus, with a sole musician at the forefront.

"Well, a marriage to a member of the royal family is one of them." I said, looking at her directly.

Bo blinked, looking at me, "Pre, are you proposing to me?"

"I am. A marriage between House Kryze and House Vizsla would result in a powerful alliance and would give Death Watch a more concrete reason to look out for your family. Make sure that should anything go wrong outside my control, Death Watch is willing to fight for your Duchess and what she stands for. In the past, neither of us was ready for something like this. But now I can see an end to my Governorship, and the Death Watch is united in purpose in a way it has not been since the days of Tor. I'm ready for what's next."

Bo looked to the side, hiding her face but giving me a side glance for a few long seconds. I was starting to suspect she was hidin-

"Fine. Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."

"Just like that?" I asked to confirm, slightly stunned. She nodded, so I gave repeated the catechism back, "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."

"Satine will want to throw a wedding ceremony, of course." Bo said, with a slightly pained expression. "Perhaps I can get Tanya to manage the event. The communication system is fixed, and I was able to get through to her earlier today. I heard she is helping out her handmaiden Vai with her own wedding. She's going to be busy as the Senator, though, hmm..."

"Good for her. I'll put a bounty on Merrik. He has proven himself to be a disgrace." I said.

"No need, he's dead already. He attempted to flee custody on Coruscant and was shot." Bo said disgustedly, shaking her head. "I was planning to put my own bounty on him tomorrow, about 1,000,000 credits dead. Anyone who tries to kill my sister or her child deserves no chance to get a fair trial."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked, looking at her.

"I was planning to put a bounty on him?" She said, looking at me.

"No, after that. You just said your sister and her child, but Satine doesn't have children."

"Ohhh, right... Well, it turns out that's not exactly true. It turns out that Tanya is her daughter. After the clan wars, Satine was worried that the Jedi would come and take Tanya away because she's the child of a Jedi. Apparently, she didn't trust that Obi-Wan would be able to protect Tanya, as he was only a Padawan back then."

"So Tanya is the daughter of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Satine Kryze, the Duchess of Mandalore. Huh... for the life of me, I did not see that coming, and I am not sure what to do with this information." I shook my head in amusement at all that. Satine is proving to be more mysterious than I thought while having more kotep then one would give a New Mando. Wait, Obi-Wan had been with her when she came to that Death Watch rally with Jango. Perhaps whatever they had in the past is still alive, this could be useful information.

"I know, right?!" Bo loudly complained. "I was already Tanya's best aunt. Still am, I guess."

If anything, that just showed how committed to Mandalore Satine really was. That she was willing to hide her connection to her daughter for nearly two decades in order to keep the system stable and her daughter safe. Revealing it back then would have plunged the sector right back into another civil war, especially on Mandalore which had just been bombed into submission by the Jedi.

Now, though, it's probably safer for that information to just be out there. It's not like it would really change anything as far as I was concerned. Probably, some people will still be annoyed, but I doubted anyone had the power to do anything about it.

Shaking my head, I said, "Well, good for her. On this day, a parent and child shine argent in glory. Perhaps I should pick one of the finest wines from my vineyard to send over to my new sister-in-law and niece, as congratulations."

Bo smirked, "That's probably the nice thing to do. Satine is even the type to appreciate it." Leaning back, she said, "So, about those startup credits, we're also going to need Republic credits. Enough to get to Coruscant."

"Why is that?" I asked, holding her hand and leaning back next to her.

"There's going to be a Mandalorian expo on Coruscant in a few months, starring the Gargon Girls, and I think I can get these girls on stage first as an opening warm up act. This would bring in a lot of money for them and get the name of Death Watch out there a bit." Hmm, Republic credits. Well, it was better than nothing, and we'd have a way to spend those credits on something that might actually be of use. And besides, the idea of these girls sneakily singing about Death Watch on Coruscant itself amused me.