Get The Hell Out of Mandalore.
It was with a tired sigh that Endu Rans sat down at the controls of his ship. The Gulf was running at half power through space, as it always did during the night shifts and the pilot was finding it more and more difficult to keep his eyes open as he stared out at the abyss. Sure, space was more a home to him than land but it was the welcoming embrace of the darkness that made him want to curl up and rest.
He checked the navi-computers input course once again before reflecting on the unusual nature of the job he had been given. "You are to pick up two passengers in the Duro system and transport them to their chosen destination" Ozymandias Rae had told Rans and Ted upon arrival to the Coruscant warehouse. Ozymandias had once been one of the most infamous smugglers in the galaxy, with a bounty as large as the Outer-Rim. He had played the good thief, robbing from the rich, giving to the poor, bringing aid through military blockades and building a reputation with the masses. Rans could remember that as a child, while his friends would play the Jedi, he would pretend to be Ozymandias in his famed Knightwing, righting the wrongs that the Jedi never seemed to want to go near. It seemed only natural then, that when Endu Rans reached a certain age; he began to imitate his hero, stealing from the families of wealthy friends to give to the families of poorer ones.
It was during one of those infamous robberies that the young Rans first met his partner, Ted. Having just re-activated that particular family's turret defence grid as he began his escape, Rans spun round to see a bemused Jawa looking up at him. The two stood in silence for a few moments before hearing a terrified scream come from the house. She had just discovered that her prized diamonds were missing and the lady of the house took it upon herself to screech louder than a hundred Ithorians for her husband to alert the house guard droids.
Without a seconds thought, the Jawa grabbed the young man's arm and pulled him away, hiding him in the back of the broken down Sandcrawler that housed not only Ted but around fifty broken droids. Instantly bonding in their motives the pair created a scam in which the Jawa would fix and then sell the droids to wealthy families. Then, once a week the droids would return to the pair whilst on an 'errand' and deliver all the technical read-outs of that family's house. The authorities assumed these thefts were the work of some brilliant mastermind and never even thought to look for a fifteen year old boy and his Jawa companion.
Those days seemed so long ago now as the Gulf entered into the Duro system. Rans gave his friend a shout before giving himself a quick slap to jump to consciousness. They had been told that they wouldn't have to land on Duro itself and that a small craft would rendezvous with them at set co-ordinates. Something about this job made the pair uneasy. It wasn't that the cargo would be people; they often took passengers to make a few extra credits, but the sheer effort being gone through to keep it inconspicuous set off alarm bells. "Sabioto!" Ted shouted, turning off all the power to the ships engines.
"What? What is it?" Rans gasped, almost jumping out of his seat.
"Umpee!" And as if summoned, a small Fury class Sith Empire ship blasted overhead. "Shootgawa!"
"Really? Against a Sith Interceptor? I don't think so!" And with that Endu Rans pushed the engines as high as they could go.
Powering down the systems of their hi-jacked vessel, Dominus Ordo and Jaxx Ryan watched the Gulf rocket off with some surprise. "Did we set the wrong co-ordinates?" Jaxx asked, bemused. "I'm sure this is what we agreed upon."
"It is. But we're not exactly flying friendly colours are we? Hail them."
Shrugging and still slightly confused, Jaxx sent out the hail to their friendly ship. "Captain Rans? I am Jedi Knight Jaxx Ryan and with me is my partner Jedi Knight Ordo. We are the passengers you were sent to collect. This ship was simply appropriated as we absconded from the Sith Empire. We must board with haste, time is of the essence."
Endu Rans and Ted looked at each other as the call came through, first with fear, then surprise and finally with anger. "Did he say Jedi Knight?"
"Ibana."
"I don't believe it. Oz knows I have a 'no- Jedi' rule. What the hell is he playing at? What should I message them back?" The Jawa shook his head and jumped out of his seat.
"Where the hell are you going?"
"Ikeetheek!Ikeetheek!"
"Run where? We're in space!"
"Captain Rans?" Barked the inter-com again.
"SHUT UP!" He screamed back through the open channel. "This is why I hate Jedi."
"SHUT UP!" roared the voice of space captain Endu Rans through the Jedi's speakers.
"Well he seems pleasant." Jaxx remarked with a smile.
"Engaging docking sequences now" came a much calmer voice from the smugglers' ship.
"He fears us." Dominus almost whispered. Jaxx looked over to him. Had Ordo not been a Miraluka he would have been staring right at the Gulf, the accuracy of his empty gaze always putting his partner on edge. "He is more apprehensive knowing we are Jedi than he was thinking us Sith."
"How many on-board?" Ryan asked while linking up their ships computer to the smugglers', allowing them to dock in space.
"Only two, Rans and something much smaller. Possibly a Lannik?"
The two ships joined moments later, locking together at the airlocks. Jaxx and Dominus could feel the unease coming from the other side of the door as the rooms pressurised. In the instant it took the two ships to become one, unease became aggression and before the Jedi even had to see the pair of blasters being pointed at them, they had removed and ignited their lightsabers.
Endu's suspicion of the Jedi only grew when the airlock opened to reveal a Miraluka with a long hilted purple blade and a human wielding a bright blue beam that struck such a fear into the smuggler's heart, it was all he could do not pull the triggers there and then. "These are sonic blasters. If I know my Jedi killing you can't deflect these like you could a blaster rifle. Turn off you're weapons and lay them on the ground."
"Are you insane?" The Miraluka whispered. "You've been paid to transport us. How much money will you get for our corpses?"
"Not everything is about credits, blindy." The moment seemed to go on forever as neither side would concede the defeat. The Jedi knew that at least one of them could get to the man either with the Force or by lightsaber but that there was a high chance that the other might take a sonic shot that could be potentially fatal.
Suddenly, from the darkness a tiny creature in a dirty brown robe emerged with a large rifle. It spoke in a mixed up language that neither of the Knights could understand. "And what if you're wrong?" Endu Rans shouted back at the being, "What if they kill us right here, right now?"
"We are Jedi," Ryan said in the smoothest voice he could muster. "It is not our way."
"Shut up or I jettison you out right now." If he had them, Dominus would have closed his eyes as he tried to telepathically nudge the little person towards making the pilot lower his weapon. Whatever it had said, it had worked as Rans spun his blasters round and back into their holsters by his waist. "Get on." But before the smuggler could even turn around to get back on the ship he felt himself being lifted off the ground and in an instant, flung against a wall on the far side of cargo-hold. Elevated from the ground he opened his eyes to see both Jedi pointing their lightsabers at his chest.
"Try that again and we will burn a whole in your body so wide your little friend can use it as a waste disposal unit. Am I clear?" The veiled man shouted.
"Some peace-keepers." Rans muttered sarcastically.
"In case you haven't noticed, there's a war going on. Cold was it may be." The blue bladed Jedi said as he de-activated his weapon. "I am Jedi Knight Jaxx Ryan. Padawan Ordo here is about to let you down."
"I am not your Padawan." Dominus said, turning his back to the smuggler.
"I live to annoy. You are Endu Rans I presume?" Endu took a step back at the Jedi's swift movement, but surprised to see he was only gesturing for a handshake. He accepted.
"Don't hold grudges, ey?"
"It's not our way." The little creature waddled over to them, once again screaming incomprehensible sounds at the three men. "And what's your name?"
"Te'danuizi'klep'tik." The little man beamed back with a smile.
"Yeah..." Ordo stuttered. "We're not going to remember that."
"I just call him Ted. He's a Jawa." Endu started walking towards the cockpit and beckoned for the Jedi to follow. "Where are we taking you then?"
"Mandalore."
Endu's reaction was one of the many reasons they had kept their destination a secret. Dominus was almost surprised he didn't vomit. "Would you rather it was Dromund Kaas?"
"Actually, yes! Mandalore? Are you crazy? You come to me in a Sith ship, wielding your weapons and then tell me we're flying into the heart of the galaxies most infamous warriors? Who if I remember correctly not only dislike the Republic but loathe the Jedi." Next to him, Ted chirped away excitedly "Be quiet Ted, it is not an adventure!"
"Your pay is substantial, Mister Rans. And you were recommended to us as the best in your field. It is of galactic security that we get to Mandalore. If we succeed you will be considered a war hero."
Damn, Rans thought, this Ryan knows how to get him onside. "The pair of you will also be cleared of the multiple crimes you could quite easily be convicted of. What did we have Dominus? Several dozen counts of theft, innumerable smuggling laws and who knows what else!"
"How do you know about..." Endu sighed. "Give Ted the co-ordinates. We'll get under way immediately."
After setting the self-destruct sequences on the Sith Interceptor, the two Jedi disembarked and sealed the airlocks. "Your feelings on this mission elude me." Jaxx said to his companion. "I cannot tell how you will react when we land."
"I can't tell you. We were picked for this for a reason and I don't intend to get in the way of your negotiating. I'll say as little as possible."
"It's not what you say that worries me, my friend. You threw poor Endu Rans half way across the sector. Are you in control of your anger?"
"Am I ever?"
Jaxx laughed at his partners annoyance.
"I suppose not." The pair walked into the cockpit where Ted and Endu were preparing to jump to hyperspace. "We've sealed off the Interceptor."
"Fantastic." The smuggler exclaimed with just a hint of sarcasm. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we die."
The four men felt the Gulf shudder as the two ships broke apart from each other. "Alright Ted, let's do this." Before the Jedi could blink the little blue lines that shaped all their lives and made space travel even remotely possible shot their bodies to light-speed and beyond.
A few hours later it was only Ryan and Rans sitting in the cockpit as they took their turns to watch and rest. There had been a half awkward silence between the two of them for almost half an hour before the Jedi spun round to confront the pilot. "So Mister Endu Rans, what is your problem with the two of us?" This took the smuggler off guard, another Jedi trick he thought.
"Nothing personal...I just don't trust anyone who can move things with their minds. It's not natural."
"Well actually the Force itself is made up of-"
"Yeah, I know the science behind it. Is it true you can influence people's minds?"
"Only people with powerful connections to the Force can bend a strong mind, but a beast or a weak creature? Yes. It is true."
"So how can I ever trust you? How do I know my trusting in you isn't a Jedi mind trick? That you aren't making me trust you? Or making me hate the Sith?" It took Jaxx a moment to ponder the question. In all his time in the Jedi Temple, it had never occurred to him that he could force somebody to aid him. Making someone turn a blind eye was of course a common Jedi skill, but convincing a person to fight beside you was something new entirely.
"Because...we're simply not that powerful." The Jedi admitted with a shrug. "I'm a diplomat. I talk, I debate and should it come to it I'm a skilled swordsman, but I couldn't do what you describe."
"And your friend?" That made Ryan pause again. While he wasn't as talented with the lightsaber, and his disdain for most people was obvious, Dominus Ordo's connection to the Force was a lot more potent.
"Dominus is strong with the force, but the power you are speaking of is just not taught but... maybe it's possible. Then again, we could just hire someone else to do the job." That answer seemed to satisfy the pilot. As in all cases, credits say more than words.
"What's so deep in enemy territory that it warrants putting my beautiful life at risk then? Am I allowed to know?"
"I don't see why not. We can always wipe your mind later." Rans did not take it with the humour that it was intended. "There are a group of Mandalorians who believe that aiding the Sith Empire was the wrong thing to do. That in doing so, they have taken the greatest challenge that ever presented itself and sided with it. They have no love for the Republic; but they'd rather fight an enemy also bent on destruction than a collapsing governmental system that would rather be at peace."
"So you're going to offer them amnesty or something?"
"Or something. When the war starts again – not if: when – a small Mandalorian army would benefit us beyond words. Until then, the agreement is to remain unknown."
"Very sneaky. Secret deals, intrigue, undoubtedly corruption in the Senate. Who knows what awaits you on Mandalore? How exciting. I'm surprised the Jedi Council would send two low level Jedi though. Surely something this important warrants a Master's care? Say Satalle Shan for example."
"Know a lot about Jedi procedures do we?" Jaxx said with only half humour. Something about these questions unsettled him.
"I dabble."
"The Council felt that the presence of a Jedi Master could draw unwanted attention. As I said, I am a diplomat and Dominus is something of a Mandalorian expert."
"Fair enough." The smuggler sat back in his seat, satisfied with his interrogation. This Jedi would answer almost anything to get his trust, he realised.
Much of the journey was served in silence. When Dominus and Ted took control of the ship, discussion became difficult because of the language barrier forcing them to create a rudimentary telepathic form of conversation that served to pass the hours. Jaxx took the time to explore what little of the ship there was to see.
The Gulf was a small freighter, shaped somewhere between a triangle and an oval, the cockpit sat directly at the front of the ship, not built off to the side like so many others while the cargo-hold and the airlock were situated towards the aft by the hyper-drive engine. It was there the Jedi chose to sit and meditate in preparation for the task that lay ahead.
It had surprised every member of the Jedi Council when they received the encrypted communiqué originating from Mandalorian territory and shocked them even more once it had been de-coded. The Masters were instantly divided, half convinced that a Mandalorian called diplomatic summit could only be a trap, while the other half were sure it was an opportunity too valuable to be missed. For countless centuries the Mandalorian Clans had viewed the Jedi with nothing less than disdain and if this was a genuine call for talks it could reverse a rivalry almost as powerful as the Sith. After days of deliberation, the Council called Ryan and Dominus to their presence with the utmost haste.
"We have received a message from a group of Mandalorian dissident Clans," Grand Master Satalle Shan had told them from her holographic projection, "And the two of you are to leave immediately to discuss terms for their alliance with the Republic."
"Understand," Another Master grunted, "That if a whisper of these meetings were to escape then those particular Clans could be eradicated before you even arrive. This mission is of the highest importance and the highest security." And with that they were boarded on the nearest flight to Duros and told of their rendezvous co-ordinates. If only the Sith ship hadn't intercepted the transport, the whole journey would have gone much smoother, Jaxx thought.
During his private time, Endu Rans took a moment to contact Ozymandias Rae back on Coruscant, ready to give his boss the berating of a life time. "You know my rule on Jedi, Oz! I don't do Jedi! It's my only rule and you've broken it; what does that say for you?"
"What would you have me do, Endu? I get a call from the Jedi telling me they need my best pilot immediately. I didn't have time to convince you."
"So you tricked me. I thought you respected me more than that. And I see my respect was misplaced."
"Endu calm down, don't be a fool."
"Consider this my resignation, Oz. Thank you for everything, we've had a good run, but this will be mine and Ted's last job for you."
"Is that what Ted wants as well?" Endu hung up before he had to think of a witty reply. Sitting down on his bunk he took the blaster from under his pillow and started to take it apart. Ever since he had left Ted and gone off to train to be a pilot at seventeen, the now smuggler had taken to cleaning his pistol when agitated and now he cleaned it very thoroughly. It was just as well, as he found a small metal bolt blocking the barrel. If he'd fired it, it could have blown up in his face. He put the bolt back into place and re-assembled the pistol before lying down with a sigh. He'd quit his job, shouted at Ted and now was stuck with a pair of Jedi for the foreseeable future. Things weren't exactly looking up.
A few hours later they came out of hyperspace and into the Mandalore system. Rans took back control of the ship the moment the first hail came in from the planet. "Freighter Gulf. This is Mandalore Docking Command" came a gruff male voice through the communicator. "What is your presence in this system?"
"We are simply here to trade in Keldabe." Rans replied. "We'll have docked and gone by nightfall."
"Please wait a moment." This was all going better than expected, Rans thought.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Ordo whispered.
"You are clear to dock, Gulf. Thank you for your patience" responded the voice before cutting the channel.
"I think that went well!" Endu smiled with relief.
"What is it?" Jaxx asked his partner, who was still looking uneasy.
"The planet is on high alert; but... it's something more than that."
"What could it possibly be?" Endu laughed, "Only a Jedi could find fault when everything goes well."
"A Mandalorian Command. It doesn't give thanks."
"Well it's too late to turn round now!" Rans exclaimed as he started to enter the planet's atmosphere.
Rans and Jaxx had gone over the drop-off plans a hundred times while they were on watch. With the delegation meeting in a small fort on the Kelita River, Rans would take the long way round on his way to Keldabe and drop them off before waiting for their signal to return. He wouldn't stop on the way in; they would simply leap at a low altitude and 'hope for the best' as Jaxx had put it. When the time came Rans left Ted to pilot the ship at a slow speed (with the computer's help as the Jawa couldn't see over the controls) and opened up the cargo ramp for the two Jedi to make their dive from. He was surprised by the amount of calm that radiated from the beings considering the feat they were about to undertake. "How far down is it?" Dominus asked, his voice only quivering a little.
"You aren't afraid of heights are you, Jedi?" Rans teased.
"I don't know what heights look like, smuggler, but I can only assume I should be terrified."
"No, friend" His Jedi partner said with a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "But when you start to sense the ground's coming up, just remember to hit the brakes."
"You've got ten seconds." Rans shouted. The cargo-hold had become infinitely noisier with the ramp down. "I'm going to drop a little present down for you in case things go pear-shaped."
"What is it?" Ryan laughed, amused by his thoughtfulness.
"Just hope you don't find out! Go, go, go!" And with that, they leapt.
Had the Miraluka been able to see, he imagined he would have not felt the same thrill he did now. While he did everything 'with his eyes closed' so to speak, the Force always gave him more sight than any normal being. At this point in time though, with no other living beings in the immediate vicinity he had never been so free from the burden of sight as he was now. It was only as he blindly free-fell that he contemplated the irony of his existence. Even when in space, completely isolated he had the activities of the machines to give him sight. Through the Force he could see the history of a ship, from it's production, to past battles, places it had docked and even parts of its future and with living beings the visions were even more potent. No other race would know the burden of absolute sight, while all saw him as infirm or disabled in some way, he perceived the universe in ways they never could. But now, for the first time in his life, he saw nothing, only feeling the air rushing against his face and for twenty seconds he experienced the most blissful time he had ever known.
The pairs' landing on the surface was not as graceful as one would have hoped but landing from moving ships wasn't something they spent great amount of time educating you about on Tython. Dominus waded out of the Kelita River with a splutter and a miserable look on his face. "Is this water as dirty as I feel it is?"
"Worse." Jaxx said, pulling the leaves of the tree he'd hit on his way down out of his hair. "Keldabe must just pump all its pollutants into the river."
"What a cheery thought." Dominus said with a sigh. "At least the sun is out." They walked for a half hour before the meeting place came into sight. "Looks like a two hour walk." Ryan muttered with a sigh. "Do you want a rest?"
"No time." Dominus replied.
"What do you-" Before he could finish his sentence a large transport flew over head in near silence before opening it's large bay doors which were covered in burning skull symbol of the Mandalorians.
"I take it you're the Jedi?" Called down a soft female voice. "Want a lift?"
"We wouldn't say no!" Jaxx called back with a laugh.
"How long have you been walking for, gentlemen?" The female Mandalorian had revealed herself as Vannah, second in command to Jicoln Cadera, the man who had summoned them all together.
"Not long at all my dear." Ryan replied. "You came at the perfect time to allow us to stretch our legs after a very confined journey." Dominus sighed at his partners flirtations. Though sexual attachment was not allowed in the Jedi Order, it was the rule most broken and least well enforced.
"I'm glad." She replied, shaking her long red hair away from her armour. "Jicoln regrets he is unable to greet you in person, but as you can imagine organising almost a hundred Mandalorian representatives into diplomatic talks is not an easy thing to achieve."
"We understand entirely." Jaxx replied.
"Master Ordo, your name, do you come from a Mandalorian family?" the girl asked.
"Yes." Came his reply, silencing the conversation. The three other Mandalorian soldiers standing in the transport gazed over to the Jedi for the first times before looking away a little too quickly.
"We're approaching the fort, Vannah." Came the pilot's call through the intercom, which couldn't have come soon enough for Ryan. His partner was going to ruin everything.
Docking in Keldabe couldn't have been any easier for Rans and Ted. As they approached the city, they were hailed again and informed that a docking bay had been reserved for them specifically.
"Thank you kindly," Rans replied suspiciously, "But there's really no need. We're only here for the day."
"We'll have an escort waiting to greet you in five minutes." And with that the line went dead. The two smugglers looked at each other with a growing unease.
"Maybe blindy was right. This is a bit odd."
The bay that had been set aside for them was built into one of the city's major factories. Keldabe was a small industrial city that was undergoing a rapid expansion. Since Mandalore and the Sith Emperor went their separate ways, the leader of the united Clans dictated that there was a need to be ready for whatever came next and with that every furnace that had shut down was re-opened to make sure the Mandalorian war machine was ready to strike when called upon. Keldabe was also the nearest thing to a trading post on the planet Mandalore itself. While economics wasn't one of the warrior people's strong suits, the planets they occupied brought in such a significant amount of resources that they would have been foolish not to exploit it and so the Clans became open more freely to the rest of the galaxy; which only made them more suspicious.
Endu had never understood peoples' dislike of the Mandalorians, in fact he'd always found that he got on with them rather well. Contrary to what was said by the higher classes of Coruscant, Rans felt that the Clans were much easier to rely upon than the Jedi or the Sith because you could always predict a Mandalorians next move. That's not to say that they were all trustworthy, but if given a choice between poisoning you and one-to-one combat, Rans knew the true warrior would always take an honourable fight, something that could not be said for the Force users.
Disembarking from the Gulf, Rans and Ted were met by three guards all covered from head to foot in some of the thickest body armour they had ever seen. The one with the largest gun stopped them in their path. "Endu Rans?"
"Yes?"
"Stay here." And with that, the other two barged past the Gulf's crew, almost knocking Ted to the floor and walked on-board. The pair stood in silence, staring at the massive gun for about thirty seconds. Rans was unsure what that specific gun was designed to do but he was incredibly aware he didn't want to be on the end of it.
"Well this is awkward!" He announced after another half a minute. "Is there something I can help you guys with? Or can I just be on my way; we're on a pretty busy schedule."
"Shut up."
"They're not here." Came a voice from deep inside the ship
"Where are they!" Shouted the man with the massive gun, suddenly turning it on the smuggler.
"Where are who?"
"Don't play stupid, space scum. Where are the Jedi?"
"If you took the time to get to know me, friend, you'd know I hate Jedi." And with that Rans was smacked round the face with the butt of the two handed weapon. He could taste the blood welling up in his mouth and spat it out as the other two Mandalorians returned from the ship and took him by both arms.
"You're coming with us."
"On the first date? You people are forward." Rans got another taste of the gun as they started to lead him away.
"What about the Jawa?" One of the guards asked.
"Forget him; we couldn't understand a word he Sithing says anyway."
As they started to drag him from the docking bay, Rans managed to turn his head and shout, "Sorry Ted! Looks like it's time for Plan B, eh?" That made the Jawa happy.
"Little Dom!" Came a booming voice from across the fort. "It can't be!" Before the Jedi knew how to react a man nearly seven foot tall, his battle armour showing only his head, ran up to them and embraced Dominus in a massive bear hug. The man had dark skin and looked as if he could wrestle a Kath Hound.
"Do I know you?" Dominus managed to mutter as he gasped for air.
"It's me! Kahl! Kahl Ordo?" And for the first time in a long time, Jaxx saw his partner laugh and let out a genuine smile as he embraced the Mandalorian back.
"You're shorter than I remember, Kahl!"
"It's good to see you too, short stuff. I had no idea they'd sent you. Follow me." Kahl led Dominus, Jaxx and Vannah through the fort and towards the courtyard in the centre. "So how have you been? What's it like being a blasted Jedi?"
"Not as fun as you'd think."
"I'm sure! You know, when we lost you I thought you were dead with the rest of the crew. You have no idea how angry I was when I heard I'd missed you on the Hydian Way."
"I was only seven when the blockade ended, Kahl, I don't think I'd have been much of a challenge for you."
"Pah!" The Mandalorian laughed, "I wouldn't have killed you, just knocked some sense into your little blind head!" He wrapped an arm around Dominus' shoulder as they entered the courtyard which was full of Mandalorian soldiers. In the centre sat a giant table that ran almost the length of the opening. At one end sat a large chair, almost a throne, which Jaxx assumed would be for Jicoln Cadera when he arrived. While at the other end were two much more modest seats which he immediately recognised as theirs.
"Look at the chairs," Jaxx whispered to his partner. "They're playing politics."
"That's new." Dominus whispered back, they hadn't been expecting a show of status like this.
"Please sit down." Vannah said showing them to their end of the table. "Jicoln should be here soon." The two Jedi took their places and Kahl sat down by them.
"I'm here as the representative for Clan Ordo, so I get to sit up there with the big guy."
"What do you make of Jicoln Cadera?" Jaxx asked.
"Good man. He wants what the so-called Mandalore doesn't; honour. Once we have something written down today thousands more will flood to us and we can finally destroy those Sith bastards once and for all."
"Sith bastards?" Jaxx said, surprised. "But you were their allies."
"Because the last Mandalore said we were. When our leader decides upon something we act, but this has just got ridiculous." From somewhere further within the fort a large horn was blown. "Here comes the boss."
"Ladies, please!" Rans screamed as the two Mandalorian interrogators hit him with the shock stick. "You are sure into some kinky stuff."
"Where are the Jedi? Are they already at the meeting point?" The two men put in charge of his torture were dressed completely in black and the only light in the room came from the electricity leaping off their devices.
"What Jedi?" If only this was the first time I'd got into this situation, Rans thought as he got another shock.
"Leave him." One of the silhouettes said to the other. "We'll give him some time to think it over." And with that Rans found himself left completely in silence. He was quickly rethinking is opinion of Mandalorians and more than that found his hatred of Jedi was only rising.
"How you doing, Rans?" Came a voice from the darkness.
"Jol?" Endu almost laughed in surprise at hearing a friendly voice, and would have done if his chest wasn't so badly bruised. "What in Siths name are you doing here?"
"Same thing you are, I guess." The Zabrak Jol Sorr replied. Sorr was a fellow pilot for Oz but one who worked purely on the legitimate side of the business. Getting into jams like this wasn't his style. "You know anything about these Jedi they're after?"
"The rooms bugged, isn't it?"
"Undoubtedly."
"Then no Jol, I know nothing about any Jedi or what they would be doing here on Mandalore."
"We're on Mandalore? They picked me up on the Hydian Way."
"How long have they had you?"
"Not a clue. It's all dark in here. Did they get Ted?"
"Nope, they left him at the ship."
"Good. How long do you give them then?"
"To be honest, I think he's about twenty minutes late." Suddenly there was a loud bang; much like an explosion and the whole building shook. "There he is."
Being left at the ship, Ted was furious. Nothing frustrated him more than people thinking his size made him useless. It was both a blessing and a curse but this time he was only half-grateful. People always took Rans away but never once thought that a Jawa might know something valuable and yet again it was his job to launch the rescue mission. He went into the Gulf's cargo-hold and pulling away a loose panel entered a code into the keypad hidden behind it. With a grunt and an electronic whir, the crates placed around the hold opened up revealing twenty jigsawed droids. "Grab your weapons," Ted told them in Jawaese, "We've got to get Master Rans back again."
"Welcome, Master Jedi." Jicoln Cadera announced as he entered the courtyard. The two Jedi were impressed by the man that stood before them. Cadera stood only a few inches shorter than Kahl and wore armour that gave off both an air of status as well as battle experience. Though Cadera was greying he gave the impression that he was still in his prime and more than capable of fighting anyone in the room if he had to. "Let us begin immediately." He took his place on the throne with Vannah on his left and Kahl on his right. He wasn't the only one. The moment Cadera had entered, every warrior in the room had stood to attention and now as if summoned by some magnetic force all took their places in near silence.
"Friends, we are all aware why we are here. The current 'Mandalore' as with the one before him, forgets our true purpose. Three hundred years ago Mandalore the Preserver brought back the Clans from the brink of destruction in order to safeguard the galaxy from the Sith threat. This is a story all our youth know, that Clan Ordo was the phoenix that rose from the ashes of the Mandalorian Wars to guide our people to another glorious crusade one day in the future. Yet when the time came our people hesitated and sided with the enemy against an easy target, against a weakened target, we chose dishonour."
Cadera talked with such conviction that Jaxx felt every Mandalorian there welling with shame, Dominus included.
"Now it is time to rectify that mistake. The Treaty of Coruscant," Cadera took a second to mime spitting on the ground, something that made the others smile, "Has given us a chance to review our position. With the Republic on the brink of collapse and the Sith Empire consolidating it's position, what is the honourable course of action? Put a dying animal out of its misery or take the Terentatek by the horns and bring the beast to the ground? Brothers, I choose honour. I choose war. I choose glory." Every person except Ryan cheered at that point, Dominus only stopping himself half way through the call. This was going a little too well, Jaxx thought.
Ted's small army moved through the shadows as they honed in on Endu Rans' locator signal. As much as he had wanted to simply walk them through the main street of Keldabe and gun down anybody who got in their way, the Jawa was very aware that a little stealth at first would serve them well. It didn't take them long to find the right building, it was the only official looking structure in an area surrounded by factories. Ted gave the droids their commands in hand signals and then simply walked up the front door. When he knocked it was opened by one of the two guards that had searched the Gulf. Perfect, the Jawa thought.
"Well what do we have-" Ted gave a little flick of the wrist and a powerful laser shot blasted through the guards head, killing him instantly. The sound of the shot summoned the other two men who had taken Rans away who had been standing just around the corner. When the leader with the massive gun saw Ted standing over his forward comrade he aimed at the Jawa immediately. With another flick of the wrist, the other guard went down, distracting the leader for just enough time for Ted to leap at him. Pulling his weapon out from his sleeve, Ted punctured holes in every weak point he knew in a Mandalorian's armour, his snapped gaffi-stick taking the soldier completely by surprise. Picking up the massive gun, and walking away, Ted gave another signal and this time a rocket headed directly towards the building's generator.
It was at this point that Rans felt immensely grateful that Ted had convinced him that putting together a small army of assassin droids was a good idea. More than that he was glad he had Ted himself; the best companion someone could ask for; not that he'd ever tell the Jawa that. Suddenly the Force cages that had kept him and Jol tied up switched off, dropping them to floor.
"Ted must have hit the power." Rans remarked as the pair stumbled through the darkness trying to find each other.
"Did you see where the door was?" Jol asked, blindly.
"I can't even see you!" When they bumped into each other at last, it was with a crash that sent them both to the floor. Suddenly the door they couldn't find slid open to show a small figure with a gun almost twice his size standing in the door way. "Ted?"
"EnduRans!" Came the high pitched shrill. "JolSorr!"
"Hey Ted." Jol groaned as he got up, still holding his sides from the torture. "You OK with that thing?"
"Ibana, Taabaa."
"Good, now lets go!" Rans announced as they hobbled, wounded into the corridor. It was a blood bath. Droids ran rampant with sniper rifles, rocket launchers, flame throwers and heavy machine guns while Mandalorian soldiers tried to keep their ground to no avail. As they turned a corner they bumped into a droid with a large bag. He handed it to Rans with a beep. In the bag was a pair of customised blasters. Around the grips was a symmetrical design of a blood red Krayt dragon wrapping itself around as if to engulf the guns themselves.
"My blasters!" Jol exclaimed with joy. He kissed each one before holstering them in a hidden part of his shirt.
"Do you know what they did with P-R-U?" Endu asked.
"No, once they boarded they could have done anything with it. I'll have to find it later."
"Shame; it's a damn fine ship."
"Ashuna!" the Jawa barked.
"Sorry, Ted. We're going." As they got outside the building they saw the downside of such a daring rescue. Nearly fifty Mandalorian soldiers stood with their weapons ready to greet them.
"Well this is awkward." Rans muttered. "I'm assuming you prepared for this, Ted." The Jawa nodded and from five directions missiles appeared from the sky. Taking the opportune distraction, Jol drew his pistols and started to fire them in a semi circle mowing down everybody who stood before them. Anyone who escape his mad pistol firing was hit either by Ted's roaring heavy machine gun or the rockets themselves. "Call the droids! Let's go."
"What about the Jedi?" Jol called through the fog of war.
"We pick them up on their signal; don't worry, they've got some back up."
"And so, with the Republics agreement we will fight beside the Jedi and rid the galaxy of the scourge of the Sith. Jedi, what say you?" The talks had been going on for nearly twenty minutes but nobody other than Cadera had got a word in. There was, Ryan realised, no need for diplomacy, these Mandalorians already wanted to fight beside them, this was just a pact to be made on both sides.
"Jicoln, the Jedi Council was very much intrigued by your call for an alliance." Jaxx was very careful not to say anything about the Clans needing the Republics finance or needing the Republic at all as Dominus had warned him that would only end in a fight. "And I see now that they were not wrong to send us here for these talks. Your people are a great one and we would be privileged to fight by your side again. As warriors and friends." While Cadera had spoken, each member of the delegation had been handed a drink by an armoured waiter and now Ryan raised his glass, beckoning for all the others to do the same. "To glory." He called.
"TO GLORY!" Came the reply that almost shook the fort itself. Now that the formalities were over each person was free to mingle and discuss the positives to come out of the alliance. Everybody wanted to talk to the Jedi and find out how they planned to combat the Sith.
"Do you think they're sincere?" Jaxx asked Dominus when they had a brief moment alone.
"I sense no deception from Jicoln or any of the other members of the delegation. But something still doesn't seem right." Jaxx nodded in agreement; they could not become complacent. Dominus was beckoned over by Kahl who was having a long discussion with Jicoln Cadera himself.
"Kahl here tells me you are a member of Clan Ordo, Master Jedi. Is this true?"
"Yes, Lord Cadera. I was found by Clan Ordo as a newborn and raised as a Mandalorian."
"Then how did you end up a Jedi? A large jump, if you don't mind me saying."
"When I was six the ship I was travelling on was ambushed by Sith Commandos. All our people were killed and our supplies taken but I managed to hide. I was rescued by a Republic ship and the rest is history."
"It's a shame." Cadera sighed. "We could use somebody of your talents and foresight with us at this moment."
"I have thought the same thing. However the Jedi Council has seen fit to assign me as it's representative to you and your faction. Hopefully we will work closely in the future."
"I hope so too."Cadera said with a smile, shaking the Miraluka's hand. "If you will excuse me for now, Master Ordo, I have a whole courtyard to entertain. Being a leader is not as easy as you might think."
"Of course, Lord Cadera." Dominus said with a bow, letting Jicoln walk around, securing friendships and alliances.
"You did well, short stuff." Kahl said with a pat on the shoulder. "The old man isn't easily impressed, but I think you might be in his good books."
"Let's hope so." At that moment Dominus felt a shiver go through his spine. He looked to Jaxx who looked back and signalled him with a dreaded nod. A disturbance in the Force.
"What is it?" Kahl asked confused.
"I'm not sure. Get your weapons, Kahl. I have a bad feeling about this." The two Jedi ran with incredibly speed to the highest point in the fort, winding round and round the tallest tower until they reached the top of the spire. Looking out into the distance Jaxx spotted a number of objects on the horizon.
"It could just be freighters coming back the same way Rans did." Jaxx suggested. "Can you take a look over such a distance?"
"I will try." Dominus sat down on the top of the spire and let his mind go. His ability to see the universe was made up of the Force bonds that connected all objects. Reaching out his astral form flowed through the forts walls and down the ground. He raced, jumping from rock to tree, tree to bird and bird to water. He could move faster through the water and in a matter of seconds he had followed the Kelita River to where the craft were hovering above. His form lept from the ground to the ships and studying them, his fears were realised. He snapped back as fast as he could before jumping straight up and running back down the tower. "Mandalore is coming!"
Rans got back to the ship easily enough, most of the fire going towards the droids with the larger weapons. He had always been impressed by Ted's abilities but now he was even more so; the droids were made from bits he had scavenged from wrecks or from junk yards and by doing so, the Jawa had made droids far superior to any new one that came out of the factory. They had a pit droid's speed and agility, a combat droid's toughness and an assassin droid's ruthlessness. Rans thought maybe they should go into business. The ship became full to capacity for a few moments while the droids began to deactivate back into their crates. Jol jumped straight into the co-pilot chair and Ted got the engine running as Rans took the main seat.
"Do you think your friends are in trouble?" The co-pilot asked.
"They're not my friends; but they're sure as hell in trouble. The guys that interrogated us knew that a meeting was taking place and where. I guess they planned to simply intercept the Jedi beforehand."
"I'm guessing they failed."
"Yep, and now the entire meeting is in danger." Ted jumped back into the cockpit and shouted something to Rans that Jol couldn't understand.
"What did he say?"
"He's activated Plan B."
Dominus almost knocked Jicoln over as he sprinted down the stairs. He grabbed the chief by both arms and shook him, the Jedi now out of breath. "Mandalore is coming. Here. Mandalore himself." The entire delegation looked at him in stunned silence.
"Calm down, Master Ordo. For Mandalore to know about this meeting we would have to have a traitor in our midst which is impossible; he has hurt all these people. And even if he did come here we are protected by the fort's ray-shield. We're perfectly-"
"Where's the waiter?" Jaxx shouted as he followed on Dominus' heels. On his descent he'd been trying to calculate the possible informers and the most logical leap was the only one with his helmet on; the waiter.
"Vandar?" Jicoln asked, with a cough. I don't... I don't... I feel a bit faint." Dominus looked to his partner in shock.
"He's been poisoned!" The Miraluka shouted. Jaxx immediately ran for the inside of the fort, it was essential that he found the ray shield before 'Vandar' did. Upon entering the fort's generator room, the Jedi saw the body of the man he assumed to be the real Vandar lying dead, stabbed in the neck while the imposter smashed the ray shield apart. Without thinking Jaxx simply threw the traitor across the room with a wave of his hand, not seeing the detonator the fake Vandar was holding. With a simple push of a button the ray shield exploded, leaving the fort defenceless. When he got back to the courtyard he saw Dominus kneeling over Jicoln's body in mourning. He put his hand on his friends shoulder.
"Dominus, we need to move quickly. Mandalore will be here any second."
"He is not Mandalore. A true Mandalore would never use poison. Never!" Jaxx was surprised by his partners anger; the man usually so calm and emotionless had now erupted into a fury he had not witnessed before. Two Mandalorian gunships appeared overhead and began raining fire down on the courtyard below, striking several delegates in surprise. With a roar the Miraluka forced the two ships together, crushing them with the Force and then throwing them out of the fort. Kahl ran back into the courtyard carrying his large blaster rifle, shots following him.
"Ground troops!" He called, taking cover behind a wall. The two Jedi ignited their lightsabers, blue and purple shining through the air. The sun had begun to set as the ships approached and now it was almost dark, the blades of the warriors shone even more brightly. Jaxx went first, almost flying down the corridor that Kahl had retreated from. On his first leap he deflected four shots back at those who had fired on them and then struck another three foolish enough to get in his way. His partner was close on his heels, his anger striking out with a purple fury and then he did something Jaxx had never seen him do before, he ignited the second the blade on his lightsaber. While Jaxx wasn't as proficient with the Force as Dominus, he showed the attacking Mandalorians his true worth, moving in one fluid motion as he deflected, struck, weaved, lunged. He would feint and then counter with three strikes faster than a blink, cutting the attackers apart. The fight was so furious neither Jedi heard as two other gunships landed in the courtyard behind them. In a second a winnable battle had become a slaughter from two sides as every Pro-Republic Mandalorian who hadn't found cover was gunned down.
There was a sharp whistle and suddenly all the enemy ceased fire and backed away. The Jedi paused and caught their breath as a loud announcement was made.
"Jedi Knights!" Came the voice they could only assume was Mandalore the Vindicated, "Show yourselves and you shall not be harmed." The pair looked to one another before heading back to the courtyard. "Jedi, you have betrayed our trust." Mandalore announced, hovering above the fort in the lead gunship. His golden armour reflected the fires that had started around the fort to the point that he could have been a second sun. "You have come here to aid these traitors in deposing me and I'm sure that if I had taken the time to read the Treaty of Coruscant I would find you breaking it. Now all those who oppose me here will be put to death; but I do not wish to engage the Jedi in a full scale war. Not yet. You may leave if you do so now. Know that your actions have damned these men and women and do not try such a thing again or you will find me not so forgiving." It seemed to surprise Mandalore when the pair didn't move. Jaxx could only assume that he was so sure of his victory he hadn't even contemplated the Jedi not leaving.
"Mandalore, you have truly proven yourself a merciful leader and a great warrior this day." Ryan said through gritted teeth, "But these people are to leave with us under Jedi protection. If you attempt to harm them, then you will be making enemies of the Republic."
"I do not believe that, Jedi. I believe that you are not here in an official capacity; in fact I think that if I killed you the Jedi would deny your illegal presence here. How would your Senate feel about the Jedi making illegal, secret deals with the Mandalorians?" While Mandalore's face was covered, the two Jedi could feel his smile burning at them from the ground. "No, I think I will just kill you all now. Men!"
Before the guns could open fire, Mandalore's ship was rocked to one side, throwing the leader back. The gunship doors closed and it sped out of sight, confusing everyone in the fort. Nearly a second later four different rockets flew over the courtyard in pursuit. The two Jedi looked at each other and then signed in relief; Ran's Plan B. Before anybody had understood quite what was going on, the two Jedi moved, disarming and incapacitating the enemy Mandalorians, whether with the lightsabers or the Force.
"Move!" Jaxx shouted, "He'll be back soon with more guns!"
"Mandalorians do not run!" Kahl shouted back, reloading the guns as he hit those sent to capture.
"We are not running, it is a tactical retreat!" Dominus called. "Get to the top of the tower."
From the sky Rans could see more of Mandalore's men move into the fort while the group of droids he'd dropped just after Dominus and Jaxx were swarming in from the opposite end. It was Ted who spotted the lightsabers in the courtyard. "Uttini!Uttini!" He called, pointing to the people retreating into the tower. Rans understood immediately his intentions.
"We're going to be mighty full! Ted open the cargo bay ramp!" The Jawa waddled off to the rear of the ship picking up his huge gun as he went. Rans circled the ship around the tower trying to get the altitude right when suddenly a huge ship rose up in front of them.
"Holy Sith!" Jol shouted as he saw the amount of guns pointed at them. Staring through the gunships windows, the pair could see the looming figure of Mandalore the Vindicated barking orders at his men. "Can your ship maintain atmosphere without front windows?" Jol asked with urgent need.
"Sure, if we have enough shield power."
"Good. Lets hope they can't." Rans could only watch as Jol pulled his blasters out and shot through the cockpits windows and straight at the ship opposite. He smashed through the glass with the first two shots and put three holes in the gunships co-pilot, forcing it to move away.
Jaxx had never been happy to see a Jawa as he was to see Ted looking down at them from the cargo-hold. There were only twenty five surviving Mandalorians from the two hundred that had come to the meeting as many hadn't felt it necessary to bring weapons and paid for the mistake with their lives. The Jedi continued to defend those boarding the Gulf, Jaxx guarding the stairwell they had run up and Dominus deflecting any shots bold enough to come from below. Ted meanwhile was firing what seemed to be a heavy repeater down at the enemy forces below forcing most to take cover, sandwiched between the Jawa's fire and the approaching droid army. In a matter of minutes the two Jedi were safely on board with everyone else. "What about your droids?" Jaxx asked as the doors closed.
"Self destruct," Ted said in broken basic English. A huge explosion ruptured from the ground below, shaking the Gulf as it started to make it's way towards the atmosphere. Dominus stood before Vannah Kelborn and Kahl Ordo with great regret.
"If we hadn't have come, your people would be safe."
"Yes." Vannah admitted. "Your presence forced Mandalore's hand. But we asked for you, knowing the risks."
"It is our duty to make sure Jicoln's memory is not dishonoured, we must carry on _ cause." Dominus nodded at Kahl's words before following Jaxx to the cockpit.
"Thank you for the timely rescue, my friend." Ryan said to Endu upon entering the room. "We didn't even have time to signal you."
"Why is there a hole in the window?" Dominus said, by way of thanks,
"That would be me. Jol Sorr." The three men shook hands.
"Saw what you did to the gunship, Sorr." Ryan said with a smile. "I like your style."
"Thanks. That golden bastard had it coming after what he did to us."
"What did he do to you?" Jaxx asked, suddenly concerned.
"A tale for another time." Rans announced with haste, "Right now, let's get the hell out of Mandalore."
Epilogue
Franky sat back in his cantina seat with a satisfied smile beaming wide across his face. Tatooine was the best place to lay low after a well done job, no matter what people said about Nar Shaddaa. He gave a quick signal to the cute little Twi'lek guy standing by the bar and downed the rest of his Reactor Core before he got over. "Say, you wouldn't be interested in a little party I'm having at my place would you?" Franky asked in the most seductive way possible considering his drunken state. "It'll be just the two of us?" The Twi'lek gave him a big smile and a nod, and after receiving a little pat on the rear from the drunk human, he let himself be guided back to the quarters.
Frank opened the door and once the pair were through, pulled the alien close and started to kiss him. There was no denying that Twi'lek's were the best kissers and he was so caught up that he almost missed the little brown object blur across his vision and in to the corner. He pushed the cute creature away from him for a second, and reached for his blaster pistol. He let out a sigh of relief to see it was only the Mandalorian armour he'd stolen from that idiot, Vandar. As he apologised to his partner and started to kiss him again, he reflected on just how easy it had been to infiltrate a Mandalorian group; they were nowhere near as fearsome as people said. The blur shot past him again, this time in the opposite direction; what the hell was going on? This time he pushed the man further away and pulled his blaster straight out. The Twi'lek started to back away, terrified off what might come. There was a quick rustle behind him and Franky spun to see a Jawa holding a broken gaffi-stick. He laughed out loud, amazed that he'd been terrified by such a puny being with a broken weapon. It was only when he heard the soft sound of a lightsaber ignite and a blaster load that he realised he had been to be scared. And then with amazing speed the Jawa was on him, and he was bleeding.
Jaxx and Dominus' return to the Jedi Council on Tython lacked the praise they had been hoping for when they left. Instead of the "Congratulations Ryan, you have done everything I expected of you and more," That Jaxx had wanted to come out of Grand Master Shan's mouth it was a harsh "What happened?" It didn't take long to tell the tale or explain the treachery that had befallen them on Mandalore but it took longer to explain why there were now twenty five Mandalorians taking shelter in the Jedi Temple.
"It is only for a brief time, Masters." Dominus assured them. "The moment we can find a place and a purpose for them, they will be moved to Coruscant and out of our hair."
"It is not our hair we are worried about, young Knight Ordo." One of the council exclaimed.
"In fact, knowing the circumstances of your mission, we find ourselves quite impressed with the way you handled yourselves." Shan said. "Knight Ryan, we believe you are ready for a Padawan learner now, congratulations." Dominus could feel it as Jaxx's heart sunk to his stomach. He wasn't fond of such responsibility. "And Knight Ordo, we would like to speak to you alone."
Jaxx bowed low before leaving the Council chamber. "Dominus, we have heard of your actions on Mandalore, the way you turned to anger, even going as far as to use the second blade on your lightsaber; something we understand you have never done before in combat. We believe that this makes you unsuitable to teach an apprentice, or even be an active member of the Order at this current time."
"Masters-"
"Patience, Ordo. We have not finished." Dominus' head was swimming with too much confusion and dread to know exactly who had said that.
"However, there is a part of the Order that only becomes truly active in war time." Satalle said, almost with sorrow, "A part that acts almost outside of the Order itself to do what we cannot. You are to become our invisible fist; you will become a Jedi Shadow." He was taken aback; the Jedi Shadows were only rumours to Jedi Knights like himself, a force unknown, almost a myth. "Your first mission has already been decided. I suggest you contact Endu Rans and prepare to leave immediately.
Upon docking the Gulf on Coruscant and saying their farewells to Jol, Rans and Ted made their way back to visit Ozymandias Rae, to get their final pay cheque and hand in their notice. They had debated whether or not it would be fair to charge expenses for all the broken droids they had lost, but decided against it as Jol would have to be supplied with a new ship already. Endu had been dreading this moment since he had had his argument with Oz, what felt like a lifetime ago.
They entered the hanger belonging to 'Rae's Freight Import and Export' and went straight up the boss' office. Taking in a deep breath, Rans tried to open the door, but upon pushing it found it wouldn't open. He looked to Ted who only shrugged. It wasn't locked, it simply wouldn't open. "Must be something in the way." Rans said matter of factly. They turned around to leave and return later but something in the office caught Endu's eye, some red on the cream carpet Rae took such good care of. He got up on tip toes to peer over the window to see there was blood leading all the way to the door. Like lightning, Rans kicked the door down, landing right on top of the corpse of his mentor. Ozymandias Rae had been shot three times, once in the head and twice in the chest. Drawn in the man's blood was a shape a little too similar to the Mandalorian skull that adorned the gunships they had escaped from.
The Mandalorians had known it was one of Rae's ships; that's why they stopped Jol as well, and now Rae himself had paid the price. Mandalore the Vindicated had made this personal and he was going to pay. "I swear I will kill every treacherous Mandalorian scum who made this happen. And the Jedi are going to help me."