Chapter Seven: The Mandalorian Response
Canderous Ordo had moved up in the world.
Frankly, he wasn't sure it had been worth it. Aedal was dead, and he'd lost Jagi in the battle for Althiri Prime. It had been the only way to wholly annihilate the enemy fleet. Now he was in charge of Clan Ordo, though the precise details hadn't been sorted out.
At the moment, however, he was on Basilisk, in a conference room with many windows. Outside of them, he could see the smokestacks sending pollution into a golden sky. Speeders shot to and fro on the streets while pedestrians with guns patrolled.
Mandalore sat at the center of the table, and Canderous and Cassus Fett were nearby. All his other Captains and representatives of the Clans were with them. And before them now stood Ren, of Clan Ordo. His armor was dented and in need of repair, but he stood with confidence.
"Ren, is it?" asked Mandalore. "I believe I ordered you to kill Revan or die trying. I'm very impressed that you managed to disobey this order while in the middle of an exploding planet."
"I judged that the information I gathered on the Republic cruiser might be more valuable a martyr," said Ren. "After Revan disabled my useful armaments, I set the ship on a collision course. Then I began evacuation.
"We got out just in time and floated on low life support until I could jury rig repairs."
"By all means, regale us with technological babble," said Mandalore with a laugh. He'd been in an unusually good mood, considering that they'd been beaten.
"It is my assessment that the Hammerhead Cruiser was a rush job. It was intended for mass production and basic effectiveness. Not any serious warfare," said Ren. "It has trouble turning quickly while moving, and there are few turrets on it. Snub fighters are difficult to shoot down on it.
"My guess is that it was intended to be lined up in vast numbers and fired en masse from long range. I have schematics here with a detailed analysis and notes." And he set the data down.
"That would explain Yusanis conservative approach. He was concerned he'd be humiliated in a straight-up fight," said Canderous.
"Well, he wasn't, so it is a moot point," said Mandalore. "Ren, if you were to try and destroy one of these things, how would you do it?"
"The three main turrets are all focused on the front. So coming at it from behind with basilisks while close to the surface would be ideal," said Ren. "The turrets would have an awkward firing position. And the turbolasers would be useless."
"So outmaneuver them, then?" surmised Mandalore.
"Yes," said Ren. "The Republic likely designed them to operate with heavy fighter cover. But I think that could work to our advantage."
"What makes you say that?" asked Mandalore.
"Fighter craft are more difficult to mass-produce," said Ren. "Most cultures have their own special variety that they are accustomed to using. It's the own space tech that virtually anyone can churn out.
"There are actually some people who collect them.
"Basilisk war droids are the best fighters the galaxy has ever known. We have the industrial capacity to build them, the know-how to make them high spec. And unlike the Republic, we value personal valor.
"The Republic has some aces, of course.
"But in their mind, large-scale battles are conducted by large ships. Fighters are meant for a support role. I've noticed that a lot of Republic ships seem to regard it as an afterthought. A sort of anti-piracy measure."
"If that's the case, why did your fighters nearly get wiped out?" asked Cassus.
"Revan is just that good," said Fett, invoking the general consensus. "Xor reported a similar experience. Revan and Malak appear to be specialists in turret use. He has a kill ratio like nothing I've ever seen. It's not the sort of thing you can replicate en masse. Though, I think that the longer we wait for war, the better trained the Republic fleet will be."
"...This could work very well," mused Mandalore. "We don't do well in large-scale ship-to-ship combat; it simply doesn't suit our character. But, if we alter our fleets to focus more on fighters, we might very well do far better. We can create hanger ships that hold vast numbers of well-trained pilots.
"And those would be able to overwhelm their defenses.
"Still, we have more immediate problems. Our industrial capacity is too weak and must be increased. The Mandalorians must pay more heed to those areas of war that we have neglected."
"And how do you plan to do that?" asked Cassus.
"Ren, you were often assigned repair work and industrial matters by Aedal, yes?" asked Mandalore.
"I was," said Ren.
"I'm assigning you to Basilisk," said Mandalore. "I want you to organize the industry there, figure out how it works, and make it work better. If you can do that, I may have more assignments for you."
"I'm honored to serve, Mandalore," said Ren. And he departed as ordered.
"Well, it's nice to see someone being such a good sport," said Mandalore, leaning back in his chair. Then he opened a 3D star map that projected a hologram. "There goes a valuable asset and not at all a bad Mandalorian. We need more men like him."
"Eggheads?" asked Cassus.
"Try scientific warriors," said Mandalore in irritation. "It's a simple statement of fact.
"The failure here is not machinery or industry, for what is machinery if not a tool for sentients? The failure is ours. We delegated important parts of the war to cowards like Demeagol. They didn't pay attention to things we didn't want to see.
"That revolution on Peragus never would have happened if we'd been paying attention.
"Instead, we told Demeagol to pay attention for us. And we all know how that turned out.
"Cassus, what is the status on Demeagol."
"He's retreated to some of his loyalist holdings with his elite men," said Cassus, pointing to an area on the map. "We've traced them out here. Apparently, they are conducting experiments on captured slaves, some taken from Kasshyyk. Some of them are being supplied by criminal syndicates.
"Slaves for experiments, or indoctrination, and battle droids.
"We could wipe them out in a day."
"Not at the moment," decided Mandalore ruefully. "We are not pursuing Demeagol until I am reasonably certain every man at this table can take his place. And I would prefer that when we destroy him, it advance the goals of the Mandalorians as a whole.
"The Sith have some good ideas, just as the Jedi do. If we're going to kill off our weakest members, let's make it make us stronger.
"That in mind, I have here a gift for all of you." He motioned to a number of slaves, who brought forth stacks of books. They were put in front of the men.
"Books?" asked Cassus, voice incredulous.
"Yes, an ancient and illustrious invention, long forgotten by time," said Mandalore. "In a time beyond memory, people actually read these things. That time shall come again.
"I want you to read them and write your thoughts to me on what you find."
"Economic theory, bargaining?" said Canderous. "Supply and demand? Social dynamics? Why do populations rebel?
"What is the purpose of this, Mandalore?"
"Diplomacy and economics are war by different means," said Mandalore. "That was the lesson of Peragus.
"Revan understood this and utilized it to defeat us. If we are to avoid being taken off guard again, we must have accounted for our weakness. I've already read through all of these, many of them recommended by our Republic contacts."
"Why are you listening to them?" asked Cassus. "The Republic would only give you information to suit their own purposes."
"Call it a challenge to single combat on a mental battlefield," said Mandalore. "If we read what writings the Republic considers valuable, we understand their mindset. That alone could help of.
"Of course, it works both ways. They are hoping we'll be brought over to their way of thinking, changed into something else. Which we will. Our business is to utilize those elements which make us stronger. All while rejecting their control.
"It's a calculated risk. But we'll have to set our will against them if we are to emerge victoriously."
"Isn't this unmandalorian?" asked a man.
"Don't you use Basilisk War droids in battle?" asked Mandalore. "We didn't use to use those. We adopted them after we conquered Basilisk. The original warriors we were descended from didn't have the technology.
"They probably said the same thing about guns. We don't serve the Sith anymore, and before we served them, we fought them.
"The Mandalorians are not as they were. Whether you think it is for the best or not, we can't go on fighting the way we did before. Otherwise, we will become weak."
It occurred to Canderous that Mandalore had almost become Aedal. For a moment, he thought he was looking at his old friend and war leader. Yet Mandalore was not Aedal; he had learned from him and Revan, though they were younger. Aedal and Revan had been something he hadn't understood. He'd chosen to reinvent himself to match them.
The only question was if it would work.
"...What if we end up as pacifists?" asked one.
"That is ridiculous," said Mandalore. "There is no such thing as a pacifist. With every step we take, we literally kill something. We hurt the blade of grass we walk on, and those who preach pacifism always invoke the inherent value of all life.
"The only rational course of action open to a pacifist is suicide. You cannot continue to exist without bringing harm to other creatures. Everyone has stepped on ants by accident or eating food that was once alive. 'Do no harm' is pure fantasy.
"So pacifism in practice is just an excuse used by cowards to justify letting someone else do all the dying. That is why they spend so much time belittling and insulting warriors. It's to distract from their own weakness.
"Which means that pacifist is the one ideology that a Mandalorian cannot ever utilize.
"It is a contradiction of everything we believe.
"A Mandalorian empire that was pacifist would not be Mandalorian. They might call themselves Mandalorianm, and they might dress like Mandalorians. But that would not make them one of us."
"Also, why would anyone who was a pacifist want to be Mandalorian?" asked Cassus. "We are one of the most violent and destructive empires in history. And we don't discriminate by bloodlines or race. So there is no genetic component to who we are, nor are we based in a single location."
"The foundation of being Mandalorian is an ideology," said Mandalore. "An ideology based on the idea that conflict breeds strength and strength in good. If you dismiss that, what is left?" There was laughter,
"Economic and political warfare," said Canderous before he could stop himself.
Silence.
Mandalore looked to Canderous and paused. "What do you mean?"
"Well, we've all agreed that politics and economics are war by other means," said Canderous. "We just didn't think of them as real war. You could have a Mandalorian who decided that shorting the stock market. That and convincing people to see things your way were preferable.
"The Revanchists are basically a rebellion against the people running their government. And the people running their government regard them as such. But neither one of them want to start killing each other because they want the Republic intact. So they've been trying to sabotage one another. All while focusing their military assets against us.
"Most of the Revanchists are members of the Agricultural Corps. They lack the training and experience to operate as a military organization. It would make no sense militarily for them to start a shooting war when they could use alternative means at least until they get enough power to move directly.
"Now they are getting real power, but they've got to deal with us and the plague."
"Yes, but they are still warriors," said Cassus. "All of their ranking officers are admired for fighting ability. And most are training."
"Yes," said Canderous. "But all you'd need is for operations like that to continue for a while without any shooting. Eventually, all of the leaders would be people who specialized in politics. The warriors would be of secondary importance.
"At that point, all you'd need is a Clan leader to decide violent war was messy and obsolete and unrefined. You could then treat smaller-scale conflicts as 'peacekeeping operations' and not wars. Even before we acknowledged politics and economics as a means of war, we still used them. We talked things out with fellow operatives to avoid fights when there was no time, and we bought and sold.
"It's probably how the Republic can exist."
"...I still don't see why we should read books," said Cassus.
Mandalore laughed. "You are the bravest and most resourceful of my warriors. I'm hoping your stellar example might inspire some action. Convince me that you are capable of replacing Demeagol in his responsibilities. Then I will allow you to kill him."
"Well, that's some incentive, isn't it?" asked Canderous. "What about the other plan? The smuggler worlds Demeagol is using as a source?"
"Ah yes, that," said Mandalore, motioning. "Jedi Master Atris should tell us her plans shortly."
They waited a time, and eventually, the door opened. Into the room walked Jedi Master Atris, but Canderous thought she looked more like a Princess. Her hair was tied above her head, and it was snow-white, and she wore white robes. Hadn't she been Revan's commanding officer?
She struck Canderous as a frontman.
"I am not accustomed to being kept waiting, Mandalore," said Atris.
"And I'm not accustomed to consulting Jedi," said Mandalore, annoyed. "If you think I'm going to let you sit in on a strategy meeting except when necessary, you'll be disappointed.
"Now, your strategy."
"As you wish," said Atris before setting down a holographic map. It showed the main Mandalorian Empire with its borders. On it were many projected spreading events from the Iridian Plague. "The Republic is seeking to curb the influence of the Iridian Plague. However, while planetary quarantines can filter the infected, smugglers are a serious problem. The numerous smuggler moons that exist and are providing a means to spread the plague."
"So why are you calling us? Why not go to your police?" asked Mandalore.
"We are and more," said Atris simply. "However, there are large operations that exist within your sphere of influence. There are operations along the border with Hutt Space. It was a source of revenue for the Exchange. The Republic is in no position to establish a perimeter in that location.
"You, however, are perfectly capable of doing so."
"So you want me to assign outposts on the border with the Hutts?" asked Mandalore. "To halt the flow of the Iridian Plague?"
"And also to deny the Hutts a source of profit," said Atris. "The Exchange makes a living by substances that destroy the spirit of warriors. I imagine you would not want such a thing to take place."
"No, I imagine not," said Mandalore. "So, where did you have in mind?"
"This information is quite extensive," said Atris, offering him a data chip. "My sources have provided me with extensive documentation of many smuggling routes. I imagine this should be quite useful." So, Revan then?
The meeting went on for quite some time, and the imperious and high-handed nature of Atris went on. Mandalore spoke at length, and Atris seemed to become increasingly annoyed by him. Yet, eventually, she departed.
"...Why are we agreeing to this?" asked Cassus. "The Republic wants us to set up those bases so we'll be spread thin and unable to attack quickly."
"I'm aware," said Mandalore. "But we're stalling for a time anyway, and she was correct. And this could be a good opportunity to train some Mandalorians in more practical skills. Constructing those places would be an interesting experiment.
"And anyway, it'll give us some opportunities.
"Still, there is the matter of Demeagol. Cassus, I want you to go to Demeagol and make him think he's still integral. Tell him I expect him to lock down the borders where the smugglers are operating. They set up precautions to reduce spread. Offer him a contingent of your newer forces, the Neo-Crusaders, to assist.
"But make sure they are under the command of someone good and don't have any exposure to Demeagol's people. We've got two plagues to deal with."
"Playing with the pirates should be decent entertainment for now," said Cassus.
"So why are the Republic giving us this?" asked Canderous. "The information here could be used to secure our holdings."
"The Republic wants to use us to destroy the Exchange," said Mandalore. "Mandalorians fight in the open and can be defeated directly. But the Exchange uses middlemen and hides in terror. There they have group therapy sessions in shadowy rooms.
"More importantly, I think that a lot of chickens are coming home to roost for the senate and the corporate elite. They've come to realize that they are mortal, and the Exchange has a great deal of leverage over them. So, many of them have decided to be more aggressive with organized crime.
"Getting us to wipe out our side of things would be a major victory for them, and there would be no downsides. Atris, as a Jedi, is untouchable until the Jedi Council decides she's fallen to the Dark Side."
"Yes, but this doesn't deal with the smuggler bases in their territory," said Cassus. "Those are much closer. And without a distribution center here, supply is going to increase in the Republic."
"Atris is Revan's superior, is she not?" asked Mandalore. "I expect there is a larger plan in play here, meant to deal with those parts. This whole truce is all about clearing out the weaker players.
"It'll be us, the Republic, or the Sith in the final battle.
"The Exchange are a deadweight middleman, and so are their corrupt agents in the Senate. The most they can do is survive long enough to weigh down another faction at a critical juncture. We all want them out of the way so we can go at it properly. But, I would guess that Revan wants a clean sweep."
"Why do you say that?" asked Canderous.
"Revan is an incorruptible patriot," said Mandalore. "He was dedicated to the ideals of democracy in the failing Republic. Organized crime, as well that the establishment they rub shoulders with. They are largely responsible for this.
"They are a corrupting influence that weakens the Republic, interferes with his government. It damages the economy and encumbers reform, leeching the life of others. In addition, they are also, more or less, pure evil. All they care about is money.
"So Revan can completely obliterate them with absolutely no dark side points, so to speak. Doing so would advance all of his goals simultaneously. Political capital would be freed up; everything would be more efficient. And the Jedi would be far more credible. In fact, it could be said for every faction here."
"So hasn't anyone done it?" asked Cassus.
"The Exchange are cowards and only care about making money," said Mandelore. "Everyone holds them in contempt. And everyone starts their career hunting them down, but they always move on to better things.
"They survive by lacking the ambition to be a real threat. So no one ever devotes more than a slow burn effort to take them down. And they usually make themselves helpful to one side or another at a critical juncture.
"Pretty soon, everyone forgets about women being turned into sex slaves and fed to rancors. Instead, they focus on what a cute kid they have so they can hit him up for support later against political enemies. As a result, the Exchange had a systemic and firm grip on everything.
"At least until Malak decided to broadcast how influential they were. Their grip has weakened. And now, with the Iridian Plague and smugglers spreading it, they have become the main enemy."
"That's why he alerted us of these locations, then," said Cassus. "Revan must have realized he couldn't hit these places. If I were him, though, I'd also alert other powers to what he's doing. We ought to keep an eye out."
Mandalore nodded and pointed to several places on the map. "Canderous, take Clan Ordo and get to work in these locations."
"There are two Clan Ordo's right now," said Canderous.
"Hmm?" asked Mandalore.
"Actava is running Onderon in Aedal's name. And I've got the away team," said Canderous. "There's no talk of civil war, but we've been too busy to settle the succession."
"Fine then, consider it settled. You're in," said Mandalore. "We don't have time for a power struggle, and you're both too good to lose."
"Congratulations," said Cassus.
"Thank you," said Canderous.
Mandalore paused. "Now, I'd like you to keep Actava in charge of Onderon. She was the one who was closest to Aedal in areas of governance. And see if you can use some of our new recruits for this.
"Cassus, I want you to keep an eye on our border with the Republic. Analyze the world's under their control covertly and see if you can find some weaknesses. Open some trade negotiations, nothing high stakes. I want you to pay special attention to their supply chains."
"Why?" asked Cassus.
"The Republic's main advantage is the ability to replace their losses," said Mandalore. "If we can hijack some of that weaponry for ourselves, it'll weaken them and strengthen us. No matter what changes we make, we'll have industrial inferiority, so we've got to even the odds somehow."
"If we invade the Republic, where should we strike?" asked Canderous.
"We aren't going to invade the Republic directly," said Mandalore. "Not right away anyway.
"Hit them directly, and we turn the whole fight onto their own ground. No, when we pick a fight, we'll want to threaten somewhere. Get them to commit their fleets to defend a location that isn't defensible.
"If we wipe them out then, we'll have a free hand to launch real attacks."
"Where do you have in mind?" asked Cassus.
"I have two possible ideas for it," said Mandalore, changing the view in the hologram. "This is Kashyyk, the homeland of the wookies. It is under the control of Czerka Corporation and is very near Trandoshan space. Both races are decent fighters. But the area is under increasing influence from large corporations.
"Based on the ecological information, I think they'll try to grow narcotics. Kasshyyk has extremely good soil to grow the trees it does. So if you were to set up a drug operation, you could rake in cash like nothing else."
"Why would the Republic do that?" asked Cassus.
"It's Czerka corporation, not the Republic," said Canderous. "And a drugged population can't fight.
"They do it to their own people. Planets that are poor tend to have drug problems. Why do you think that is? All they do is look the other way, and the dealers hand the stuff out.
"If a population is sick, mentally unstable, and drugged senseless. They can't do anything but chase the next high. Then the compassionate politicians moan about how the government is letting it happen. It gets them a bunch of votes in the next election, at which point they sell their constituents up the river."
"That's sick," said Cassus. "Why would people vote for them, then?"
"That's the whole point," said Mandalore. "They want their population to be a perpetual state of poverty and despair. A population that isn't in abject poverty can open businesses. They can do something other than consuming products and get into debt.
"A population which is in absolute despair won't have the will to resist.
"Once every single person in the Republic decides to wait for a savior to help them, they will do nothing. They will vote for candidates because the candidates say the right things.
"And little by little, every freedom and right they have will be stripped from them until they are slaves."
"Nothing so weak was meant to survive," said Cassus.
"They aren't that weak," said Mandalore. "The Republic is far better than its politicians. The Jedi, for all their faults, have succeeded in keeping it intact. And ordinary people there have many qualities worthy of admiration. All despite the best efforts of their rulers."
"Actually about that, there was something I've been thinking about," said Canderous.
"Yes, what is it, Canderous?" asked Mandalore.
"I've been looking over the reports from Onderon," said Canderous. "I don't think it is possible to conquer the entire galaxy or even the entire Republic."
"Are you preaching defeatism?" asked Cassus, a warning in his tone.
"I'm stating a fact," said Canderous. "Aedal played the takeover of Onderon perfectly. But it was a narrow thing, and we still have problems there. Half of Clan Ordo is dedicated to keeping the place in order. Although once we consolidate control, we'll be better off."
"What's your point?" asked Mandalore.
"Basic math," said Canderous. "We don't have the manpower to capture and occupy the entire galaxy. Not unless we glassed all of it, and that would probably ensure our defeat. A warrior is at his most dangerous when he is backed into a corner.
"If we try, we'll just overextend ourselves and then turn on one another without an enemy to fight."
"Do you have an alternative?" asked Mandalore.
"Our goal is to create a galaxy of strength and to establish a powerful empire," said Canderous. "I think that we should iron out a more conservative war strategy. One that is based around principles of divide and conquer. Identify which worlds are the most valuable to us in the Republic and try to take those."
"We should aim for Coruscant, then," said Cassus. "That's the center of the Republic, and taking it has always been the goal of the Sith. If we do what they couldn't, it will prove our power."
"We'd never be able to hold it," said Canderous. "We could put most of our fleet there, and just navigating the place would be near impossible. And we'd be easily attacked from all over in that place."
"I never suggested we occupy it," said Cassus. "I think we should glass it."
"And earn a personal vendetta from the entire galaxy?" asked Canderous. "How many blood feuds do we have time to fight? A real warrior knows his limits."
"And a real warrior seeks to surpass them," said Cassus.
"A warrior does not pick a fistfight with a rancor while naked," said Canderous. "If they want to hunt the beast, they must know the terrain and strike at a time which will work best."
"Enough," said Canderous. "We can iron out the details of our war plans later. At present, we are not in war; we are in a temporary truce. There is another location besides Kasshyyk we have to concern ourselves with. That is the Planet of Taris."
"Taris?" asked Canderous. "What of it? Isn't the place a backwater?"
"A backwater which has bribed a considerable number of galactic senators. It is also central to many criminal networks," said Mandalore. "There is a Jedi temple there, with several very important people, including a Lucian Draay."
"Why there?" asked Cassus.
"Lucian Draay blundered. He was a little too blatant for the Republic's tastes," said Mandalore. "He arrested Revan and drugged and tortured them. This was to say nothing of his association with the Jedi Covenant.
"It caused mass outrage, and he was arrested by the TSF and jailed. Now that he is out, he's been made head of his own Jedi Temple to get him out of the limelight. And given his own padawan to train alongside five friends in a luxury tower."
"So, he got caught torturing children," said Cassus. "And they didn't like that. So they are going they decided to put him in a position to do it more discreetly.
"The aristocrats," said Mandalore. "Anyway, it is not actually relevant why he is there.
"The point is that Taris has a disproportionate amount of influence in the Republic. They are a hotbed of anti-alien racism and are deep in the slave trade. There has always been an abolitionist movement in the Republic. And Taris is constantly influencing senators to keep it alive."
"So they have a lot of pull," mused Canderous.
"And if we decide to threaten Taris, they'll ask the Republic for help," realized Cassus. "Going out to save a beleaguered planet would fly well with the public, so the war hawks will cooperate.
"So the Republic will overextend itself to save them. We lure the beast into a trap. I see your point in this, Canderous."
"At the moment, though, we need Taris alive and intact," said Mandalore. "It's a major port of call for criminal enterprise. And right now, they are hiring a lot of mercenaries.
"Both are; you are going to send some men in there to start work."
"As common thugs?" asked Canderous,
"As spies," said Mandalore. "Make sure they are true believers.
"Xor should already be there; he fell out with Demeagol after Cather. It probably saved his life. He should be able to help you get acquainted. There is also a notable celebrity, Bendak Starkiller, who is one of us. He makes his living fighting deathmatches.
"He might be of use.
"Do your jobs, keep an eye out, learn how these operations work, and write it all down. I want to know where these groups sell, where they buy, and how they operate. Once we know all that, we locate their weaknesses and wait for the opportune moment.
"When the time is right, we will crush the Exchange with one swift stroke."
That sounded like a lot more fun than it was probably going to be. The war couldn't get here fast enough.