"It's been a while, Jera," A hologram of Isa said abord the Ebon the Ebon Hawk, "Still working for that suit of leather?"
"It's not all leather," I told her, "It helps me and Tripp survive. Any word on the Helm of Mandalore?"
"None," She said, "After Canderous, our records seem to trail off... Even breaking into the library on Mandalore was fruitless. It's as if this Darksaber is the only relic that's been active recently, and it's currently owned by Maul."
"Do we know where Maul is?" I asked, "If he was in charge of Mandalore during the later years of the clone wars, he may have an idea."
"Negative," Isa shook her head, "Our records here on Dxun have Maul listed as highly unstable. If if he knew, he'd much rather kill or use you than tell you."
"Any idea on if your ancestor held it?" I asked.
"The original Isa Ordo?" Isa said, confused, "She never even held the title. Why would she have had it?"
"You never know," I shrugged, "Maybe she did hold it, but never bothered to lay claim to the title."
"Well, our records insist that there were two Mandalores when Isa was alive," She informed me, "Mandalore the Avenger and Mandalore the Timeless. They never once met, which is strange, considering how the Mandalorians were completely loyal to the Avenger."
"With history that old, there's bound to be some anomalies," I explained, "How about her crew?"
"You mean the one that consisted of your droid, a republic archaeologist and three Jedi?" Isa asked.
"The same one," I answered.
"Well," Isa started, "Her records show that Etili, Rokiin, and Leonn went back to the order after the remnant was defeated, and the archaeologist, Skyric, just droped off the face of the galaxy. The droid stayed with her, and it's all heavy encoded after that."
"Maybe I can get CA to give me the information..." I told Isa.
"Well, if it proves useful, let me know," She sighed, "Isa Ordo, out."
Isa ended the holocall, leaving me in complete silence for all of 2 minutes until CA walked in.
"Ah, CA," I said, "I need to ask you something."
"What is it?" CA asked, towering over me.
"I need information on one of your previous masters, Isa Ordo," I told CA, "Can you give it?"
"Any information on previous masters is highly confidential," CA stated, "Only they can authorize the transfer of data."
"Of course it's that way..." I sighed, "Can I at least get Isa Ordo's last known location?"
"The last known location of Plisd'arati'seht was," CA said.
At least until I interrupted.
"I said... Isa Ordo," I stated.
"That is who I'm telling you about," CA claimed, "The last known location of Isa Ordo, known by family as Daratis, was [location redacted] aboard the [ship name redacted]."
CA takes a moment to compose and looks back at me.
"Sorry master," CA said with a somber tone, "It appears my former master did not wish to be followed."
I sighed once more and thought about it for a while, the hum of the ship passing through hyperspace filling the room.
"Did..." I started, "Did you say Seht? as in, Jedi Master Sogamiv? Darth Zess?"
"That is correct," CA replied, "Would you like to make a inquiry?"
"No need," I told him, "We're going to head for Mandalore. The library may have something we need."
Landing on Mandalore, I noticed that the planet looked worse than when I visited during the Clone Wars. Imperials everywhere and no beskar in sight.
"At least the library is intact," I said to myself, "I hope."
Standing outside the ship, I noticed CA step off and approach.
"Master," CA hailed, "Tripp wishes to know his orders."
"Tell him to stay on the ship," I said, "There may be someone here who recognizes him, and we'd prefer to not have that happen."
"Relaying directive," CA said, "With that done, I shall accompany you."
I start to breathe in through my nose and hold my breath for a few seconds. Filling my nose is the normal sent of Mandalore, ship fuel, and plastic. Breathing out, I motion for CA to follow.
"Not to be a pessimist, master," CA spoke, "But what if we're denied entry?"
"You're a seven foot tall droid," I answered, "and I'm on the good side of Vader. What could go wrong?"
Approaching the library, which appears to be connected to a brand new imperial academy, a guard stops me.
"Stop right there citizen," The guard says, "This area is off limits to unauthorized personnel."
"I need access to the library," I explained, "It's important."
"Access to the library is restricted until the Commandant is finished in there," The guard sternly said.
"How long will that take?" I asked.
The guard looked around a couple times and looked back at me.
"Honestly," The guard whispered, "It could take weeks."
I closed my eyes and sighed. Opening my eyes I addressed the guard.
"Are you from here?" I asked him.
"I uh," The guard stuttered.
The guard rubbed his neck and looked uncomfortable, looking as if he was refusing to answer.
"Answer the question, organic," CA demanded.
"Yes, yes I am..." The guard answered.
I shot a look of disapproval at CA and continued.
"What Clan are you?" I asked.
"I don't really see that as important anymore," He said, "With the empire here, we're all just either recruits, cadets, or citizens."
"I'm clan Ordo myself," I told him.
"I don't know what clan that is..." He answered.
"Mandalore the Preserver," I grunted, hand over my forehead.
"I thought you guys had all disappeared," The guard said.
"We're... scattered," I falsely said, "Can I get in?"
"Let me clear it with the commandant first," The guard said, "Rules are rules."
The guard backed up from me and I looked over at CA, making the 'see that' gesture.
"If this does not work," CA said, "I am ready to utilize force."
"Just," I winced, "Don't. Not after what happened last time. Don't need a repeat of what you did to that R2 unit."
"The R2 unit was just the beginning," CA stated, "My taste for astromech flesh must be sated."
"The sate it another day you damn cannibal," I harshly whispered, seeing a Imperial Stormtrooper walk by.
At this point the guard came back up to me.
"The Commandant is still in there," The guard said, "But they're willing to accommodate you. Unfortunately, your droid has to stay out here."
"Thank you," I mouthed, as the guard stood aside, "Don't do anything brash, CA."
"You wound me, master," CA spoke.
I made my way to the library after a Imperial officer intercepted me and guided me to it. Walking in, I saw an empty library full of dusty records with a human woman standing in the middle of the room. Upon hearing my entrance, she turned around and greeted me.
"Ah, welcome mercenary," She said, "I am Carlene Metlan, unfortunately, the Commandant just left, and told me to greet you."
"Jera Ordo," I waved, "Where's the section for the mandalorian wars?"
"That section just had the corrupt disks cleared," She said, "There are still some there, however, but I personally find the selection completely vague in it's current state. You may still look if you wish."
She led me over to the section about the mandalorian wars, and showed me the collection left.
"Just two survived?" I said, startled, "I figured there was only one disk left."
I grabbed the disks and entered the first into the nearest console. sifting through it, I only saw casualty reports under one name: Crusader.
"This Crusader really did a number on them," I joked, "I'm surprised we're still here."
Carlene laughed as well, but sounded forced. I'm guessing she didn't want to entertain guests here.
After the first disk was sifted through, I grabbed the second one and inserted it. This one was much more detailed, and even gave descriptions of ships, old republic forces, troop movements, and the mention of two blue skinned figures. One of them had to be Sogamiv.
The imperial officer glanced over at what I was looking through and her jaw almost dropped. She leaned in next to me and watched me access information on the disk that was encrypted.
"Asajem, you beautiful bastard," I whispered.
"Who's that?" the officer whispered back.
"My ancestor," I answered, "had way too much of an affinity for machines for my liking."
Looking through the disk some more, I was able to decode some more information laced into it about the original Isa Ordo. Why she got the name, where she had lived, what her childhood was like, and even her hobbies.
"If the ascendancy could see this," the officer said.
"If they could," I turned towards her, "They'd have the disk destroyed. It's better they don't know about this."
A couple seconds later a set of coordinates appeared, which I copied down just in time for the disk to be hit by a lockdown virus.
"Damn," I said, "The disk was hit with a Damocles virus. It's as if the data I accessed had never existed now."
"Shame," the officer said, "We could use someone like you in the security bureau. You seem to know your way around encoded software."
"It's not my type of work," I explained, "Besides, I've already got something lined up with tall, dark and terrifying. I got what I came here for though."
"I'll escort you to the exit then," the officer said, leading me towards the door.
Reaching the exit, and CA, I stepped outside to see the guard sigh in relief.
"Master," CA said, "I was just about to mount a dashing rescue!"
"Knowing you CA," I said, walking up, "Your idea of a dashing rescue means killing everyone on the planet."
"Correct."
The guard's eyes widened from inside his helmet, and I turned towards him and made gesture that reassured him. I then walked away with CA.
"So what did you acquire in there, master?" CA asked.
"Information on your previous master," I told him, "Should be able to discover her whereabouts from it. I even grabbed hyperspace coordinates before a Damocles virus wiped it."
CA didn't respond, and stayed quiet the entire way back.
Getting back on the ship, I sat down on one of the seating cushions and looked over at Tripp.
"How are you handling all of this?" I asked him.
"It feels like I'm in a nightmare I can't wake up from," He told me, "There are still days where I wake up, expecting them all to be here. They should be here."
"Well," I said, "Sometimes life just feels like a bad dream. For me, I wake up every single morning, expecting to see that figure with the red blade, command beasts to rip my parents apart... right in front of me. Some people never shake those memories. It's actually one of the reasons I refuse to have anything to do with the force. There are days where I wonder what would've happened, had I never activated that damned holocron."
"Sir?" Tripp asked, "You've never told me about a holocron before."
"It's how I know all these things," I said, "I still hear her voice every day. She showed me how destructive the force can be, what raw force energy can do the body of an organic. From becoming a husk with a mask, to being broken, even how the light and the dark endlessly toy with the force beyond their understanding. I've started to believe, that part of her spirit stuck with me, keeping me connected to that thing."
The next few moments were dead quiet. The only sounds that dared pierce the silence were CA's footsteps, the ambience from outside the ship, and the breathing of Tripp and myself.
"I guess I feel somewhat the same with the Jedi who commanded the 91st," Tripp said, "General Stass Allie. I wasn't there when the order was given, but If i were, I could've saved her."
"If you were there you would've followed that order," I told him, "You wouldn't have been able to do anything."
"Maybe you're right," Tripp said, "But you said 5 years ago that what matters is that we're right here, right now. Where's our next destination, General?"
"Wherever these coordinates take us to," I replied, "CA's putting them in right now."
The coordinates I found on Mandalore led to a asteroid cluster in the unknown region. Even more of a reason to suggest that the old republic either deleted the star maps there, or they lost them during the high republic.
The asteroid cluster looks like others in the galaxy, but that may be where it's deceptive. If this is where the original Isa Ordo went last, then something of hers may still be here. As I brought the ship in closer, Tripp started to mess with the onboard communicator.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"There's a distress beacon," Tripp replied, "I'm trying to track it, but it won't let me."
"Is it saying anything?" I asked another question.
At this point CA came into the helm and looked out the window at the cluster.
"It'll be better to have you listen," Tripp said, flipping a couple switches.
After Tripp flipped the switches, there was static as I flew around the asteroids with CA making subtle adjustments to the guidance system as the asteroids floated in space. I started to hear something talking on the other end, but couldn't make it out.
"Boosting signal," CA stated.
After that, the voice was much more clear now, and there was the voice of a woman talking.
"To anyone who's listening to this distress beacon," The voice said, "I've been struck by some sort of object or creature, and have landed on the giant asteroid in the middle. I'm heading into stasis after sending this, but heed my warning. I have reason to believe that this asteroid cluster is alive."
Hearing that, I headed for the asteroid in the middle, with Tripp looking at the asteroid then back at me a couple of times.
"Did you not hear her?" Tripp asked, "She said the cluster is alive!"
"She had reason to believe it was," I responded.
"If it's all the same with you," Tripp said, "I'd prefer not to become lunch to whatever's out there.
I ignored his pleas and headed to the storage dock after grabbing the saber from my quarters.
"Do you even know how to use that thing?" Tripp shouted, following behind CA.
"No," I plainly stated, "But it'll be nice to have something for close range. Grab you gear, we're searching for that stasis pod."
Tripp threw his hands up and went to collect his gear then met CA and I at the entrance to the ship.
"Well, we might as well go on," Tripp said, now out of the ship.
Moving on, I led them across the asteroid, looking for signs of a stasis pod, with no luck. CA momentarily looked away from the asteroid, seemingly picking something up on his sensors, and Tripp seemed like he didn't want to do this. Eventually, when I continuously found nothing, I turned back towards CA and Tripp.
"I've got nothing," I told them, "Maybe the only thing left was the distress beacon."
"Have you tried looking in there?" Tripp asked, pointing to his left.
I looked to where he was pointing and saw a Courier ship docked on the asteroid. Looking more advanced and sleeker than the Hawk, it looked to be a one story ship, with multiple guns fitted to it than usual.
"Oh," I said, "No I had not."
We began walking towards the ship, when we heard something, then felt the asteroid shake.
Apparently, the shaking was so bad that the Hawk blew up due to a chemical reaction, once again shaking the asteroid and also brought the noise again.
"Well, there goes our ride," Tripp said, "Let's hope this ship still works, otherwise we may as well garnish ourselves."
Lowering the ramp and heading into the ship, I headed towards what I assumed to be the medical bay as CA headed to turn on the generator, and Tripp stood guard at the ramp.
Inside the medical bay, I saw a Bacta tank, and four beds, along with a console up against the wall.
"At least this is still good on juice," I said, messing with the console.
The console, which was for some reason in Mando'a, was being buggy and kept flickering on and off; made it difficult to do anything other than view the primary menu. I started pushing the button for translation to Galactic basic, and it kept flickering off every time I almost got it.
"Damn it," I said through my teeth, on my 19th attempt.
Eventually, I just punched the console and a compartment opened to show the stasis pod we've been looking for.
"Finally," I sighed, then pressed my finger on the side of my helmet, "Tripp, get in here."
After I said that, the power sputtered on, and the pod begun the restoration process. I stood as the pod hissed, letting the air from inside out the vitals popped up on the console.
"What is it sir?" Tripp said, entering then looking over at the pod.
"When did that start?"
"After the power came back on," I said.
"That's comforting," Tripp responded, readying his blaster.
After a minute of suspense, the pod opened to show a woman in full Mandalorian armor resembling that of Mandalore the Timeless.
"Oh, son of a bitch," I blurted out.