Author's Opinion: Dang, lot's of new Star Wars stuff has come out since the last time this story was updated! I'll give a few brief thoughts on it all.
[The Mandalorian] I got around to see the first three episodes of the new Star Wars show, 'The Mandalorian,' and I gotta say, I liked it. It was plenty of fun, with engaging characters and a good look at the lifestyle of people in the more rough parts of the galaxy after the fall of the Empire. And with a crazy and special twist involving an infant of Yoda's species! Really interesting because this has never been looked at before, but also very risky for the same reason. But as always, we the fans are right to put our faith in the creative mind of Dave Filoni, along with great help from Jon Favreau. Those two know their Star Wars.
[Jedi: Fallen Order] I haven't bought or played the game yet, since I honestly don't have the time right now to play such a big game, but I have been looking at lots of different videos and news, and I absolutely love what I'm seeing! The storyline is well-written, the characters are excellent, engaging, and the overall style of the game is well made. I love how everything was used in the game, staying true to the universe and lore of Star Wars the way George Lucas would've envisioned it. And also the way they used Darth Vader at the end, with him being an unstoppable force of pure evil was really faithful to the character.
Something about the game that I can't help but be amazed by is how the Second Sister, who's real name we learn is Trilla Suduri, has the same appearance that I gave her. If you'll recall in 'Chapter 35 - Thrawn's Dilemma' I have her take off her helmet and then describe her face; aside from lightning scars in my version, her game appearance looks EXACTLY like how I wrote her to look like! Crazy right? I must be a Jedi to be able to predict these things!
Seeing the general storyline of Jedi: Fallen Order already has me thinking about how it could fit in with the Shaniverse, and lucky for me I wrote V4 in a way that it all works out quite nicely, although the only major problem is that Trilla Suduri... kind of disappoints Vader (dark humor lol). But that isn't too much of a hassle to write another scenario that plays out for her, since she clearly lives past that in my story. I've been meddling with the idea of Cal Kestis appearing in my stories later on during the New Jedi Order era, and already gave a mention to him when Second Sister was torturing Mara on Coruscant.
So much stuff to think about, and so many possibilities to add to the Shaniverse. But for now, let's get on with the new chapter! :D
Command Center, Chopper Base - Atollon
Jarik POV...
Chopper Base has a command center where all of the technicians work and planning is done; however, it's also very open like most of the base is. Since this meeting is being kept as more of a secret, we moved it to the smaller, but enclosed space just beside it.
Rex, Boil, and Commander Sato was present with me for this meeting, as he holds the highest rank of authority on the Chopper Base. From the holotable were three holographic figures: Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and General Davits Draven, who operates on Yavin 4 as a part of the Massassi Group. I've never worked with Draven very much, even though he holds authority over a significant portion of Alliance Intelligence. Not as much as me of course, as I still retain ultimate control over rebel intelligence through the Fulcrum Agency, but he's a close second. Based on my knowledge Draven isn't the nicest guy around, actually he's kind of a jerk, but he is a respectable General and has earned Mothma's trust, which is good enough for me to accept.
"Are we sure that entrusting an assignment like this to the likes of Saw Gerrera is the best move?" he questions.
Well, doesn't mean there won't be disagreements.
"I believe so, yes," I tell him.
"I admit I too hold reservations for involving Saw," Mothma says in reply. "His methods are a bit extreme for comfort."
"Not to mention rash, and unnecessarily harsh," Sato adds.
"I understand full well how a tough attitude is required against the Empire, but Gerrera takes things to far. He's an extremist," Draven states. "I don't trust him."
"I know you don't approve of Saw's usual behavior. Believe me, neither do I," I tell them. "But he is always focused on uncovering the secrets behind any large Imperial conspiracy, and he pulls through when it matters. I trust him on this."
"You're certain he could uncover information in an efficient and proper manner?" Bail asks me.
"Without a doubt," I confirm with a nod.
"If it's any incentive, there aren't be any innocent civilians on Geonosis that could fall victim to Saw's methods," Rex speaks up in support.
"Yeah. And the worst he could do is get violent with any remaining Imperials still there," Boil adds.
The rebel commanders all share quiet looks with each other, some thoughtful, some apprehensive. I share a look with Rex and Boil, the latter of which shrugs his shoulders. Soon enough they all come to an agreement, and Mothma turns to me.
"Very well. We shall trust your judgement on this matter," she tells me.
"Thank you," I reply, relieved.
Saw would investigate Geonosis either way, but having their approval makes things easier. With it given, I send a transmission call to Saw and wait for him to answer, to which he soon does, and his hologram appears on the honorable next to the others.
"Saw," I greet.
"Jarik! Good to see you again! And you two soldiers as well," Saw says with a wide grin, looking at Rex, Boil and I. "I've been waiting for the chance to compliment you for such a fantastic strike against the Empire on Coruscant. It certainly sent them a message they can't ignore!"
He laughs at recalling the event, and I smile in light amusement.
"It was quite the spectacle," Boil muses.
"Thanks. I don't recommend trying it again though," I remark.
"Understandable. They've certainly increased security now," he replies in agreement. "So, I hear you all need my help with something?"
"We do," I confirm, looking to the others.
"We have decided to ask for your assistance in investigating the disappearance of the Geonosians," Mothma says.
Saw frowns at the statement, looking at the other rebel leaders.
"I've heard about that. The Empire had the bugs wiped out because they're hiding something- something big," Saw states firmly.
"Do you have an idea of what?" I ask him, frowning.
"Not yet, but it's got to be a weapon of some kind. The Empire was constructing something over Genesis, but they moved it before I could find out," he states.
"There were construction modules and debris in orbit the last time we were there," Rex recalls, frowning.
"I'd try intercepting Imperial data, but my team doesn't have the skill to do so," Saw explains.
"I can take care of that," I tell him.
"In any case, it's quite clear that the situation on Geonosis requires investigation," Commander Sato states.
"Would you be willing to take a team to Geonosis and investigate?" Bail questions.
"You even need to ask?" Saw replies with a chuckle. "I've already had my sight set on figuring it on."
"This is serious business, Gerrera. You'll need to maintain a low profile in your investigation, and maintain procedure on this," Draven states. "We don't want you behaving radically while you're there."
Oh, he'll take that well.
"I know it's serious business, more than most!" Saw snaps, frowning. "I've dedicated my life to seeing the Empire fall, and I'm not about to let any information slip out of my grasp here."
"All the same the Alliance doesn't agree with your usual method of gathering information," Mothma adds.
"Imperials get what they deserve, and I won't apologize for that," he retorts.
"We are not terrorists Gerrera," Dravin scoffs, a light glare on his face. "Perhaps you've forgotten that?"
"That Empire considers us all terrorists, General!" Saw shoots back irritably. "At least I'm not wasting time trying to change that view."
"Look, we're not here to have an argument on who's methods are better or more ethical," I interrupt with a sigh, knowing this would happen. "As long as Saw is willing to figure this out, that should be enough. There's no one on Geonosis that he could hurt anyways, I've checked."
"You do have a good point Jarik," Bail nods in agreement, turning to Saw. "I don't approve of your methods either Saw…"
Saw scoffs in response.
"…but I also understand that you seek the same goal as the rest of us. If you're willing, and do not enact any vile tactics, then that is more than enough for me," he finishes.
"I guess I can live with that," Saw replies I'm reluctant agreement.
"Any other disagreements?" I ask sarcastically.
After a few quiet moments everyone shakes their head, although Draven is a bit more reluctant.
"I'll get a team out there immediately," Saw declares.
With nods of confirmation, everyone's holograms begin to disappear as they end their transmissions, although I call out to Saw before he leaves.
"Saw, could you wait a moment?" I ask him.
He frowns in confusion but shrugs his shoulders in curiosity.
"Sure," he says.
"Is there more you wish to discuss?" Commander Sato asks me.
"It's more of a personal inquiry of mine, you don't have to stay Commander," I tell him, and then glance at the others. "You guys as well."
"Very well," Sato says, turning around and leaving the room.
"I've got something else to deal with," Rex admits, leaving as well.
"I don't, so I guess I'll stay," Boil shrugs.
"That's fine," I reply, turning to Saw.
"So, what's this about?" he asks me.
"Since you're from Onderon, I was wondering what you knew about Dxun," I tell him.
"Dxun? That's Onderon's jungle moon," he says, frowning.
"Well, more specifically if you've heard about anyone living on Dxun," I specify.
"Hmm… well, I do know that a group of Mandalorians moved there a while ago. I was still very young when I did, so I didn't give it much thought," Saw recalls, much to my interest. "They established themselves in an old outpost left over from the Old Republic, and mostly kept to themselves. Although when the Separatists controlled Onderon, they tried taking over their clan as well, but quickly gave up after several failed attempts."
"I can imagine why," Boil scoffs. "Mandalorians are tough."
"Even I wouldn't risk getting on their bad side," Saw chuckles in agreement.
"They never interacted with you?" I ask him.
"No, unless it was for trading. They hunt dangerous beasts on Dxun," he explains, frowning in distaste. "It was kind of irritating. We asked for their help during the Separatist occupation, but they only got involved when the Separatists tried taking their territory, otherwise sticking to themselves."
"Why would a Mandalorian not want to participate in a fight?" Boil asks.
"I can guess why," I remark, sighing.
"What's your interest in these Mandalorians?" Saw questions, confused and suspicious.
"Pretty big actually," I reply, glancing at them for a few moments. "Those Mandalorians are from Clan Ordo. And Clan Ordo, is where my father originates from."
There's stunned silence for a moment as they look at me in surprise.
"Your father?" Boil questions, baffled.
"Yeah. I learned about it not to long ago," I reply with a nod. "I'm hoping to go out there and reestablish myself with them."
"Is your father there now?" he asks.
"No. My parents were killed by Darth Maul when I was a child," I explain sadly. "Still, I'm hoping that I can talk to them, maybe get them to help us."
"...I wouldn't count on it. I don't know if they're still around with the Empire in charge, but I could care less. They only cared about themselves," Saw says with a scoff, crossing his arms.
"Doesn't hurts to try. There's a lot of complicated history between Mandalorians and my family, something I want to end," I tell them. "Worst case scenario they want nothing to do with me, and we continue on as normal."
"Best case scenario, we gain the support of a clan of Mandalorian warriors," Boil realizes, and I nod my head.
"Is there anything else about them you might know?" I ask Saw.
"No. Like I said, they kept to themselves," Saw replies, crossing his arms.
"Alright, well, thank you Saw," I tell him.
"Any time Jarik," he replies. "There is something I would like to bring up later, but it can wait. Right now I need to get ready for this mission; it could provide the answers I need to the Empire's project."
"Alright. I'll do what I can on my end. Good luck," I respond.
He nods his head, and then gives Boil a casual salute.
"Until next time solider," he says.
"Sure thing," Boil replies.
The holograms disappears as the transmission is ended, and Boil turns to me with obvious intrigue and curiosity in his gaze.
"So, you're Mandalorian?" he asks.
"Half," I reply with a gesture.
"Well, there's certainly a story to be told," he comments, subtlety hinting for it to be told.
"A complicated story. You can ask Fenn Rau if you want, I'm tired of telling it so many times," I reply with a dismissive wave.
"Cranky much?" he asks sarcastically.
"Oh yeah," I reply with a nod.
Boil soon went off to go help out Shaak with training the newer rebel recruits, something I can only imagine going well. He's bound to scare the living Force out of them in my opinion.
While he did that, I traveled throughout the base and headed in the direction of where Mara was hanging out. I found her near the perimeter of the base on the ledge overlooking the horizon, where she was in the middle of a training session. She and Ezra were fighting each other with their lightsabers, set to lower power of course, while Kanan observed them, sitting on a rock. I come to a stop to watch as well as the fight progresses, blue blade clashing against a green blade.
"Not bad Ez, you're getting pretty good," Mara comments.
"What are you, my teacher?" he asks.
"Well I am better than you," she teases.
"That a challenge?" he demands, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe," she replies, smirking.
I shake my head in amusement, continuing to watch. She certainly inherited Ahsoka's competitive attitude, that's for sure.
Mara and Ezra separate from their blade block, and she lunges forward first. She slashed her blade down low before swiping at his neck, to which he deflects both strikes before lashing out with his own. She ducks away from the jab and swipes her lightsaber again, forcing Ezra to block it. He shoves her lightsaber away and stomps forward to deliver a few two-handed strikes in an attempt to overpower her.
"Careful Ezra," Kanan warns.
"What? I'm focused," he insists.
He slashed his lightsaber overhead and then to the side in quick succession, forcing Mara backward more with several powerful blows. Kanan shakes his head.
"You're relying too much on your strong momentum and brute force..."
Ezra delivers another overhead strike, but after blocking it Mara twirls around to offset his blade, and he stumbles forwards with the momentum. Then Mara kicks her foot out, tripping Ezra so that he's knocked off his feet, falling face forward.
"...which she can use against you," Kanan finishes.
Ezra groans in pain, rubbing his head with a disappointed grimace while Mara looks down at him with a triumphant grin.
"Go figure," Ezra mutters in exasperation.
"Don't take it to hard on yourself Ezra. She has been trained by one of the best," I point out, announcing my presence.
"Talk about a lack of humility," Mara accuses.
"Like you're any better," I retort, observing the scene with a sarcastic expression.
"Fair point," she admits.
She and Ezra both deactivate their sabers while the former gets to his feet, clipping it back to his belt.
"You may be better now, but I know I'll catch up to you," Ezra states confidently.
"You wish," she shoots back.
"You won't improve by taunting each other," Kanan says. "You have to improve your technique and mindset."
"We know," they both say in unison, looking at each other in surprise before shrugging it off.
I make my way over to Kanan and stand beside him, watching as the pair ignite their lightsabers and begin battling once more, each with a clearly personal style.
"Feeling nostalgic watching this?" I ask him quietly.
"Can't watch it," he replies, and I roll my eyes at his joke. "But yes, a little bit."
"Ahsoka and I would spar each other all the time at the Temple. Her speed against my skill," I recall fondly.
"Hmph. I sometimes trained with one of my older friends, Cal. He was talented," he replies, sighing sadly. "Hard to forget about what happened sometimes... about who might've made it."
"We'll never forget it," I state grimly. "But we shouldn't worry ourselves over it either. We can only look for a better future."
Kanan hums quietly in agreement, a frown on his face. I pat his back lightly in reassurance and then move away, heading for my ship to take care of some things.
Knight Hawk, Chopper Base - Atollon
Jarik POV…
"Alright, so two major things to look at: Clan Ordo, and this new, rumored 'super weapon,'" I remark, leaning back in my chair with a frown on my face. "Tell you what R5, try and start running a search based on the data that Saw sent us."
R5 beeps in confirmation and then plugs himself into the terminal, beginning his search. I on the other hand, get to work my own computer and start looking up information on Clan Ordo. There's gotta be something that I can use to figure out a safe way to converse with them.
It must have been about an hour since R5 and I first began our research, and yet we weren't having too much success, annoyingly. To my bewilderment however R5 was having even worse luck than I am! He could determine that there was something in the works based on Saw's intel, but other than that he couldn't find a single speck of data. Anything he did to uncover it would come up empty, which was really bothering to me, and frustrating to R5.
I've long since given R5 the programming and skills to slice into any network of data at the same level that I can; faster too, since he doesn't need to type on a computer terminal. But if he can't find anything, then it's being kept under seriously heavy lock and key, to the point where even I'm not able to break into it, and I'm among the top greatest slicers in the galaxy. Clearly the Emperor is working on something that he doesn't want anyone to know about; not even the majority of Imperial High Command! And definitely not me.
As for my research I came up with a little bit more success than R5, although there wasn't too much to go off of, mainly because the information itself didn't exist in large quantities. Certainly lines up with Saw's claims about Clan Ordo keeping mostly to themselves. That factor does seem to be why the Empire doesn't really target them either, because they aren't a bother, and they don't help their enemies, so there's no point for them to conquer the Mandalorians there. Gar and Tiber Saxon, two brothers and the current figureheads of Mandalore under the Empire, have held back from attacking because of that very reason, although they have shown hints at wanting to do so.
Disregarding the Empire for a moment, Clan Ordo's history holds more of my interest. They fought for Duchess Satine in the Mandalorian Civil War before I was born, playing a pivotal role against the Death Watch. However, after the war they and other warrior clans were sent away by Satine due to her wish for a peaceful society, and warrior culture doesn't conform to that view; I'd imagine there's certainly some bitterness there. Something else about the clan that holds my interest is that it was founded by Canderous Ordo: Mandalore the Preserver, and good friend of Revan.
Imagine that.
According to old history texts that I managed to pull up, Canderous found Mandalore's Mask some time after the Mandalorian Wars and used it to become another leader for them, working to restore Mandalorian power, although not in the name of war against the Republic. Afterwards however, no knowledge of what happened to his mask is known and the Mandalorians still remained mostly fragmented, not having another Mandalore until a few centuries later.
"May I come in?"
I look over to see Fenn Rau standing at the doorway entrance, and nod my head. R5 turns his head to watch as he enters, beeps a disdainful comment, and then continues his work. Rau sits down in another chair and I turn to face him.
"So, let's start with the basics," he begins to say. "Something to always remember is that Mandalorians respect honor and strength, and Clan Ordo will be no different. When you first meet them you must project that, as well as confidence, otherwise they will not bother entertaining the idea of conversing with you."
"Makes sense," I comment.
"Some might even be willing to test your strength first hand, and will challenge you to single combat," Rau tells me. "You must accept that challenge, if you are to prove your strength."
"How would a challenge work? Any rules? And how often would they want to do so?" I ask him, cautious.
"The Mandalorian code allows any warrior to invoke a duel in order to settle disputes through single combat. Sabine used it to challenge me after we first met, seeking justice over me causing grave injury to Hera," he explains, seeming slightly apologetic. I raise an eyebrow at that, but allow him to continue. "Many would wish to challenge you I'm sure, but I feel that you'll only have to engage in one fight."
"That's a relief," I remark, scoffing.
"You should take it seriously though. These duels are a matter of honor and pride, and the matter is settled in favor of the victor. In your case, if you win a fight then you can continue your attempts to make peace. If you were to lose, then you would likely be cast out of the clan without any hope of earning their respect or allegiance," Rau warns me.
"So, don't lose then… Display my strength, carry myself with confidence, determination, honor, and earn their respect," I say with a thoughtful frown. "If someone does challenge me, are there any rules to the fight itself?"
"You do not kill, there should be no intention of irreparable injury, and most importantly, you fight using your own skills, strength, and honor. No cheating," he states firmly.
"Do lightsabers count as cheating?" I ask him.
"You are a Jedi, so you would be expected to fight like one," he tells me. "We Mandalorians have always prided ourselves on our ability to combat Jedi."
"Alright, I can handle that," I say with a nod, thinking for a moment. "So far we've covered how I should present myself, but earning their respect doesn't mean I'm earning their trust."
"That would be true," he confirms with an approving nod. "To earn their trust you would have to prove more than your skills as a warrior. There are many ways to go about it, but in this case the best way to do so would be to present them with a gift of good faith, to show your intentions are pure."
"A gift huh?" I remark, humming to myself. "Well I think I have the perfect gift for that."
"Already?" he asks, curious.
"I do," I say with a nod. "Mandalore's Mask."
Whatever Rau was expecting me to say, it's quite clear that he wasn't expecting that. He blinks at me for a few long seconds, eyes wide in bewilderment before he shakes his head, chuckling.
"It's amusing, but, please be serious-"
"I am," I interrupt, staring at him firmly.
Rau looks back at me with narrowed eyes, determining for himself that I am truly being serious, and his expression turns to one of completely bafflement.
"Why?" he asks, bewildered.
"Revan took the mask to keep Mandalore fragmented, correct?" I remind him. "What better way to show I want to change that then by returning the mask to their people once more?"
"And how exactly do you plan to procure it?" he demands.
"I'm not sure yet," I admit.
"And I would not ever expect you to be able to do so. That mask has been lost for over a thousand generations; looking for it at this point is no more than chasing after fairy tales," Rau states in disapproval.
"I have an idea though. Mandalore the Preserver was the last one to carry the mask, right? Where could it have gone after that?" I ask rhetorically.
"Nobody knows, that's why searching for it is pointless," Rau states.
"Maybe. But maybe not," I reply in disagreement. "I don't know if you're aware, but Canderous was friends with Revan at one point."
"This is know, though not favorably." he replies.
"Ok, good. As Mandalore the Preserver, Canderous sought to rebuilt the fractured society of Mandalore, although he never fully succeeded like he wanted to," I say, explaining my theory. "He had to have known that Mandalorians hated Revan, and probably knew that the next Mandalore would attempt to wage another war against him. So I think he hid it after his rule to prevent another war."
"That's a bold assumption," Rau says doubtfully.
"What do you believe the next Mandalore would've done then?" I ask him sincerely.
He frowns, looking down for a long while before sighing.
"They probably would have wanted justice, yes," he admits, before looking up at me. "Still, that does not mean Canderous would have hidden the mask."
"That's true. But I think he did, maybe even closer than anyone realizes. And I'm hoping that my uncle and I can go out to find it together," I tell him.
"You do realize this is an awful gamble you're taking, is it?" Rau points out cautiously. "You're assuming that you can find Mandalore's Mask and use it to heal the schism between you and Mandalore, and all of this is based on your feelings of the matter?"
"It sounds stupid, I know, but I do have a good feeling," I insist. "And if the mask amounts to nothing… then I can still try other ways."
"It's your responsibility at the end of the day," he sighs in resignation. "I just hope your quest proves successful in healing the rift."
"If it is, then Mandalore will have both the dark saber, and Mandalore's Mask to rally behind," I tell him.
"Indeed," he nods in agreement. "Now, moving on from… that, I do have another suggestion to make, although it is very understandable if you wish not to agree."
"And what would that be?" I ask, frowning warily.
"The young warrior girl who you brought from your hidden world, the blonde one," he says, much to my confusion. "What is her name again?"
"…Astrid," I say slowly.
"Sabine spoke to me about Astrid, having high praise of her," he says, and I raise a curious eyebrow. "She seems like an honorable warrior in her own right, very much like a Mandalorian according to Sabine."
"You want me to bring Astrid along while I visit Clan Ordo?" I deduce in bewilderment.
"I think it could carry some benefits. Astrid, and also her chieftain, could serve as good companions to display warrior's honor and, because of their dragons, also show that generations of bitterness can be amended," he explains.
"And you thought Mandalore's Mask was a crazy idea?" I say in disbelief.
"Like I said, it was only a suggestion," he adds.
"I've already agreed to bring Mara with me. I don't like the idea of bringing more people, especially someone from my planet," I tell him.
"I understand. But I would think about it. The only danger you would face there is Clan Ordo, not the Empire. And they wouldn't bring harm to an outsider they recognize as an honorable warrior unless provoked, even if she's your companion," he says.
"That's funny," I scoff lightly. "Even if I would agree to that I doubt I'd be able to bring Stoick along, but he wouldn't want Astrid to be alone either. So his son and her friend Hiccup would have to come too."
"…the skinny one?" Rau asks, frowning.
"He's skinny, but very smart. And the one who ended their war against dragons," I tell him, sighing.
"Well if you do agree to the suggestion, he'd have to remain in the background. Even with those qualities, Clan Ordo would not take him seriously, as he doesn't carry his own physical strength to back him up, only that of those around him," Rau tells me.
"Major emphasis on 'if.' I don't like that idea at all," I reply, frowning.
"And there's no harm if you choose not to," he nods in understanding. "I know I'm sounding a bit hypocritical now, but I do think it could help as well."
I roll my eyes in amusement at his admittance to the hypocrisy, and I can tell he's also a bit amused as well, but still quite firm in his belief.
"Nice," I drawl sarcastically.
Commander Center, Chopper Base - Atollon
I make my way into the enclosed command center once more, checking the chrono on my comlink to make sure I'm on time. Satisfied, I press a few buttons on the honorable and then wait for my signal to be received. Once that happens, a hologram of two people show up: General Draven and another, younger person who looks to be in his mid twenties.
"By the light of Lothal's moons," Draven states the code phrase.
"This is Fulcrum, message received and confirmed," I reply in confirmation.
Draven is high enough in the Alliance ranking to know that I'm Fulcrum, but it's still good to use the anonymity on Fulcrum related messages in order to better preserve secrecy.
"Good to hear Fulcrum. I'm hear with a newer recruit to join rebel intelligence as a Fulcrum operative," Draven tells me.
"A new recruit?" I ask.
"This is Captain Cassian Andor, an agent of mine," Draven introduces. "He's been under my command for some time now, and I feel he's more than capable of working as a spy for the Fulcrum Agency."
Ah, him.
I've heard of him before, what with Bail making mentions of him every so often. Ten years younger than me, and took part in the Clone Wars as a child, fighting for the Separatists at the time: now working against the Empire. He's young, rugged, and a bit harsh, but he seems like a good guy, and he's even got his own droid friend that he reprogrammed himself.
"Understood. Captain Andor, anything you wish to add?" I ask him.
"No sir, just that I'm ready for the job. I have several contacts throughout the Empire that tell me what they're up too, and I've handled tough undercover work," he states confidently. "My greatest hope is to see the Empire fall one day."
"As we all do," I nod in agreement. "Very well, Captain. You're clear to become an operative for the Agency; details will be sent to you shortly. Fulcrum, out."
I close down the transmission the end the call, and stand silently for a moment in thought. Humming to myself, I shrug my shoulders and make my way outside.
Geonosis - Outer Rim Territories
3rd person POV…
Several ships come down for a landing in the harsh red dunes of the planet, a structure directly ahead of them that resembles a temple. Fortunately for them there was no sandstorm blowing across the desert, leaving the skies clear and quiet. Several small groups of rough, rugged looking rebels exit their equally rugged looking ships, and the Partisans begin checking the area for any potential enemies, blasters raised.
"Stay sharp men! I don't want us all getting surprised by a few bugs today!" Saw orders, walking down the ramp of his ship.
"So, what are we expecting to find here?" a ragged looking Lux Bonteri asks, moving up to his side.
"If we're lucky, then we'll find some solid proof on whatever it is the Empire is hiding," he replies.
"And if not?" Lux asks.
"Then this'll just be another wasted mission," Saw scoffs irritably. "But there's gotta be something here! And we're gonna find it!"
"Hopefully. I still can't get over the idea that the Empire is willing to commit genocide against an entire race," Lux remarks with a frown, unnerved at the idea. "Or how they could have done it so quickly."
"Well, we're going to figure it out," he replies with fierce determination, marching towards the temple.
Lux glances at the desert for a moment before following after Saw, the rest of the Partisans swiftly moving inside and roughly checking out the area.
Since his secret activities as an Imperial Senator were discovered and his close-execution by the Empire, Lux went to join with Saw Gerrera and the Partisans, who were based mainly on the moon of Jedha. Although never being one for battles, Lux has come to learn the harsh reality of war throughout his own experiences, and is no stranger to violence either. He's capable enough to fight alongside Saw once more, although he often has to serve as a voice of reason in order to ensure that Saw doesn't do something too extreme or horrible.
It's not the most ideal place for him to best use his stronger traits, but as being a double agent in the Senate is no longer an option, this is the second best option. Not to mention Saw does need someone who can relate to his long-held grief and pain, and someone to keep him sane. But even more importantly, a friend.