**Announcer**
**"Mandalore, once a savage world of war and ruin, houses a new ruling power in promotion of peace.. just in time for one of the greatest galactic conflicts of all time. But in the dark alleys and undergrounds of the city streets there are those who have been awaiting such an opportunity for years.**
The ramp of the landing craft had begun its suspenseful deploy as I was assaulted by the city's harsh fumes."Stars above!" I clasped my fine leather glove to my nose. Some sort of animal transportation was being arranged on the same crowded landing dock. "The audacity!" I shouted through my muffled mouth and pinched nose. The armed entourage followed as I marched down the ramp and across the suspended platform. I watch as the rugged ruffian spurned the beasts onto his freighter with a sort of energized spear.
My cloaked "companion" however would not,of course, stand by for such mistreatment of a fellow creature without a proper explanation. Before I could even turn to her however there she was halfway across the dock, sprinting over to scold the criminal. "You!" her usually tiny voice (which I had not yet heard much from over the course of our voyage) bellowed at him. "How can you treat innocent creatures this way?" So naive.. The smuggler spit back a harsh and indecipherable dialect, some outer rim garble, and continued about his business. "This is illegal you know." her temper spiked at him. "Well in the Republic yes of course," I grabbed her shoulder with my free hand. "but remember this is still a neutral system my dear." she jerked her thin shoulder from my grasp and glared with dull blue eyes under her black hood. "That doesn't mean we can just let him get away with something that's wrong." such ferocity and conviction.. I had not seen this in a Jedi before. The lieutenant to my right cocked his head toward me as well. Through his bulky white helmet I could still sense he was smirking. I gave him a hand motion dismissing his smart ass and his guard to wait by the escort to the palace.
I swept back my dark hair and let out a sigh. By this time I had adjusted to the foul smell. "Echu Ta." I walked up and tapped the miscreant on the shoulder. He turned around annoyed that we were still there but before he had time to speak I swung and delivered a strong hit to his jaw. He staggered back and started to lunge only to meet my knee in his now certainly broken face. He collapsed in pain. As I straightened my coat the Jedi rushed over to free the animals. She stopped though when she realized they have no place to go from here.
"Master Jedi, I thoroughly agree with you." I said as I began nursing my hand. I certainly had her attention. "However, our business today is with the duchess, the only way to truly bring justice here is to convince Mandalore to join The Republic." for a risky second time I grab her shoulder, softer this time. "Until then we just look like thugs." she did not brush it away instead she lowered her hood to reveal a soft pale face, tattooed with diamonds. "Thank you Admiral G-," I interrupted "Please miss call me Samuel when its just the two of us." she seemed to have become upset by this as she continued. "But I am not a master." she turned away her pale cheeks filling with color. "I sometimes forget quite how far from that I am." I distance myself a bit from her. "If I remember my reports your name is Barriss Offee correct?" she nods. "Then I'll just refer to you as such, young Jedi." Just then something slipped. I could feel it, my own presence. She probably could too as her affectionate gaze soured to a skeptic stare. "Shall we be off then?" I start to walk towards the patient escort and she hesitantly began to follow.