A few hours later, as the Aay'han was still in hyperspace, Kad'ika and Gotab finished playing their most recent game of sabacc. As had happened many times before, Kad'ika beat Gotab. They then cleaned up the deck and put it back into the cargo compartment. Once they started heading back to the cockpit, Gotab finally asked, "So, Kad'ika, where're we headed to?"
"Why are you so curious now, buir?" Kad'ika asked.
"Oh, I was still thinking about all the times we had on Mandalore, that's all," Gotab replied.
"Well, I never stopped thinking about those times since we left," Kad'ika said. "So I'm very glad you asked, Gotab."
"So where are we going then?" Gotab asked as they finally reached the cockpit.
"Corellia, to get some extra fuel and supplies," Kad'ika said. And without changing his flat, monotonous tone, he continued by saying, "Then onto Imperial space."
They both sat down, Kad'ika once again the pilot, Gotab the copilot, and the latter then asked, "Okay. Why are we going to Imperial space?"
"We're going to make the Moff Council pay for poisoning Mandalore's atmosphere like that, buir," Kad'ika replied. "We're simply going to go into their territory, hunt them down, and kill every last one of them."
If Gotab had been what other people called "sensible," he would demanded and begged Kad'ika not to do that. But instead, as a Mandalorian, as a warrior, prepared to go into battle and face death at every opportunity, he simply asked, "Is that all your plan?"
"Yes, why?" Kad'ika asked.
"You know, Kad'ika, the Empire may not have been as powerful as they were forty years ago, but they're still pretty big on forces," Gotab replied. "I don't doubt for a second your piloting abilities, your Force-senses, or even Aay'han's durability in combat, but one ship against thousands? Don't you at least have a backup plan to fall back on, in case your failure in it sees that you survive at all?"
"I don't plan on going against the entire military of the Imperial Remnant, buir," Kad'ika replied. "I'm going to sneak into their territory, get past their defenses, find out where the Moffs are, and then kill them."
"And you think that's simple?" Gotab asked.
"Well, like you said, you don't doubt my piloting abilities, my Force-senses, or even Aay'han's durability in combat, now do you?" Kad'ika asked.
Gotab hesitated. "No, I don't," he said. "But still, even as a man who's had to face danger dozens of times in my life, I still like to stay on the safe side."
"If you wanted to stay on the safe side, Gotab, you could have stayed on Mandalore," Kad'ika said. "You didn't have to come with me. After all, you wouldn't be affected by the nanovirus."
"You know I came with you, Kad'ika, because without you as my son, I had nothing else on Mandalore," Gotab said. "You're really all I have left. And even though I'm supposed to prepare for death at every turn, I don't want to see you die before time takes me."
"You have nothing to worry about, buir," Kad'ika reassured him. "And you still have quite a few years left in you, so there's no need to fret."
"When we're going behind Imperial lines without Admiral Daala's permission, I think I'm entitled to some fretting, Kad'ika," Gotab said.
"Daala's not in control of her loyal Remnant forces anymore, Gotab," Kad'ika informed him. "She's now ruling the Galactic Alliance as that shabuir Caedus's replacement. Some guy from the Chiss Ascendancy named Jag Fel is ruling them as Head of State under Luke Skywalker's suggestion."
"Daala was voted in as Chief of State of the GA?" Gotab asked. "What aruetiise voted her in, considering her little history?"
"Well, that fish-head Niathal didn't wanna take the job, considering the last time she led it, it was with a genocidal tyrant," Kad'ika replied.
"Suppose she didn't want history to repeat itself with her behind the government controls again?" Gotab asked.
They both laughed at that.
"No, but seriously, Kad'ika, if we're going to go through with this, we're going to have to have a more fullproof plan than what you're thinking," Gotab said. "It's not that I don't support you in this little enterprise, it's just I think that we can do better in terms of planning."
"If that's so, what do you have in mind, buir?" Kad'ika asked.
Gotab pursed his lips. "I'd say it's high-time we revisit some old family, Kad'ika. Though they're probably already off Mandalore by now like we are, and they're very good at hiding when they want to, it wouldn't be too hard to look for them."
Kad'ika looked at his adoptive father with confusion for a moment. Then realization dawned on him and he smiled with Gotab. "Indeed. I think we can use their help, buir."