Big big big mahalo (thanks) to Bald as Malak for the beta. The chapter title willforeshadow what is in store for the Exile soon. Pride is a factor here and Bao Dur's invention will soon play a part. Big big big sorry to someone, who's birthday I forgot. Gomenasai!
Not to Reason Why
Somewhere Near Malachor VII
Dozens of Mandalorian Basilisk Droids and starfighters streaked along toward the Republic fleets, closing the gap between mortal enemies. Malak watched from the bridge of the RNS Indefatigable, cupping his hand over his chin.
"The Ordo are deploying into attack formations, Malak," announced Bandon from the tactical station. "They're coming at us in the same old style."
Malak turned and raised an eyebrow. "Then we'll have to meet them in the same old style. Come about and bring our ships in a line abreast. Have Admiral Karath support our flank. I want to bring maximum firepower to bear."
The blonde Jedi smiled inwardly – it would be glorious. With his ambitions fueled, he contemplated his future. I have lived in Revan's shadow for years now. It is time for Malak to show his quality. Unlike Bastila or Master Vrook, I shall not be forgotten by the tides of history.
Bandon issued the order to the fleet and the ponderous capital ships swung about, arranging themselves in a position of strength. Turbolaser batteries and torpedo launchers aimed forward to meet the incoming onslaught. On the left, Saul Karath's ships moved in, anchoring the defense alongside of a large moon and preparing the counteroffensive.
"Malak," voiced Bandon, his black hair hanging over his eyes, "I've intercepted a message saying that the Serphants Clan has captured our operatives."
The blond Jedi pursed his lips – it was unfortunate, but that was war. "They know what they need to do…in order to prevent any secrets from being lost. Revan, in her love for the men, will honor their memories when all is said and done."
Bandon shrugged. He had learned that same lesson and his heart had become harder through the fires of conflict. The Mandalorians were not a people to show mercy and it was of no use bemoaning the loss of a few spies.
Malak narrowed his eyes, watching the wall of Mandalorians approach as an officer announced contact would occur in two minutes. He pointed back at Bandon. "Check on the status of the doomsday weapon. That Iridonian promised me it would be ready on schedule."
Suddenly, Ordo's force swung away, veering to the right. Hidden in the gravity well of the outer planet before the battle, Mandalorian capital ships now rounded one of the moons of Malachor VII and fell in behind the droids and starfighters.
Malak's eyes grew. "What is he doing?" A cold spot developed in his stomach and knotted tight.
With that, the Mandalorian tidal wave hammered into Saul Karath.
The Surface of Malachor VII
The cold, icy surface of the outermost planet of the system was a desolate wasteland, comparable to Rhen Var or perhaps a balmier Hoth.
The roar of thrusters tore the still air as troop transports landed and disgorged warriors onto the snowy landscape near the outpost of the planet – reinforcements were arriving.
The Mandalore had surmised that Revan could not attack the homeworld without eliminating this vital, strategic fortress, which could threaten her lines of communication if left intact. With a long-range missile battery, a starfighter base, and an electronic warfare post, the facility would hamper any action against Malachor V if bypassed. Even now, it sent out powerful jamming signals to confuse and disrupt Malak's fleet.
Thousands of Mandalorian warriors began deploying across the white plains and hills, shielded by their thick armor. One red-haired woman marched with another group heading to the fortress, a thick fur-lined coat now on her shoulders. With the death of the bodyguard, Vako Serphants, Mira's loyalties were now only to herself, her ties to the clan being having been only out of fear and not love.
With the chaos of war and impending destruction, she could blend in with a Mandalorian unit and be forgotten by the Serphants. No one would care about one slave and the Mandalorians were throwing anyone and everyone who could fight on the line.
At the gate of the massive fortress, force fields came down and the contingent strode in as anti air batteries scanned the skies, hoping that Canderous could hold off the invasion.
The Mandalorian Fleet near Malachor VII
Astride the powerful Basilisk Droid, Canderous watched as Malak deployed his fleet in a wall in meet the attack while Admiral Karath anchored the flank next to a large moon. "Good, Malak will be unable to react to lateral movements across his front," Ordo said, his eyes sharp as a blade. The wall was a great formation to attack and defend, but could not move easily left to right without ships banging into one another.
Canderous snapped his droid to starboard, followed by the rest of the group. He brought his ion engines to full power and accelerated at Saul Karath's ships. Karath had engaged the Fetts and his force was now fatigued and depleted.
The Ordo Chief keyed his commlink again. "Bendak, bring your ships around the moon and attack in strength. I mean to bloody Malak's nose."
"For Mandalore!" answered Bendak Starkiller. "I shall be there in a minute."
Although the two had never met, they knew each other by reputation and Canderous knew that Bendak had lost only a single duel.
Kelborn and Bralor flew alongside him and a swarm of Republic starfighters swept up to meet them.
"Attack through them and hit the capital ships! Bendak will clean up the small fry," Ordo declared, wanting to take on the heart of the enemy fleet himself. Once Bendak had cleared the fighter screen, he could join the main attack.
Canderous tore into the forming enemy starfighters, unleashing bolts of superheated plasma. Two of the Republic craft erupted in hot gas and fire, then, winked out of existence. Kelborn and Bralor were right behind him, cannon blazing with turbolasers spewing a stream of bright yellow.
In a flash, they were past the starfighter screen and a Republic cruiser loomed in the distance. At maximum speed, the three Mandalorians rocketed ahead with the cruiser growing rapidly in their view.
In Canderous' helmet, a targeting reticule appeared over the ship. "Kelborn, aim for the shield generators. Bralor, you have the power systems…break!"
The two wingmen split crisply away from Canderous as turbolaser batteries opened up along the forward face of the cruiser. One bolt sizzled on Bralor's shields, lighting up the darkness of space.
Canderous looked over and was relieved to see his friend still there. Unlike the newer, less experienced warriors, these two had seen action from Cathar to Dxun to Ryloth and could take the initiative – they knew Ordo's strategies and did not have to be told what to do.
A dense volume of fire tore through space and the three warriors dodged and veered to avoid the wall of turbolaser fire. Canderous jinked his droid left and right, straining against the inertia. It would be nearly impossible to continue.
Then, something caught his attention.
"Kelborn, Bralor, come left and follow me!"
He jumped ahead toward another Republic cruiser and the firing stopped. With the Mandalorians between them, the two ships would hit each other if they continued.
"Now! For Mandalore!"
Canderous snapped his droid back at the original target, free from the angry bolts and armed his torpedoes. The range clocked down as sweat trickled over his face and a smile plastered itself on his lips.
Long cylinders of death streaked away from Kelborn's droid and slammed into the cruiser's shield generators, throwing burning gas and chunks of metal into space.
Next, Bralor unleashed his weapons and torpedoes rocketed into the cruiser's propulsion system, blowing one massive ion engine away.
Like a crippled, dying Bantha, the cruiser wallowed, rocked from the hits and burning from jagged holes in its hull.
Canderous locked his aim onto the bridge of the cruiser and his thumb pressed down on the weapon release. Three long torpedoes burst from the ventral surface of the droid and shot away, trailing long, bright streams of exhaust.
First one…then another…then another torpedo ripped through the metal skin of the giant, adding to its agony. The armored-piercing torpedoes, designed to penetrate deep into the interior, tore through bulkheads and deck plates, through cabins and storerooms, finally coming to rest in a magazine. Along the great wounds, the vacuum of space sucked tables, chairs, and even hapless crewmen out into the void like a tornado.
Within the magazine, dazed crewmen got to their feet and saw the crushed torpedoes lying like burning cigarras on the deck near stacks of unused proton weapons. Horror shot through their faces just before the warheads of Canderous' torpedoes detonated. Light filled the room, followed by shockwave, and the crewmen knew no more.
Canderous streaked by the cruiser and looked back to see gouts of flame from the ship stab into the blackness of space. In another instant, secondary explosions blanketed the ship and, in a flash, it was vaporized.
Ordo grit his teeth with satisfaction. "Die!" he shouted, but a shockwave from the dead ship came up from behind him and struck him like thunder along with molten ship parts. He spun about like a toy in a tidal wave, out of control as sparks flew from his droid.
Malachor V – The War Room
The Mandalorian leaders watched coldly as the empty troop transports departing Malachor VII came under attack by Commander Dodonna's and Lieutenant Commander Onasi's wing. There were not enough escorts for the convoy and the Republic starfighters ripped the transports apart. In twos, threes, and fours, transports faded from the massive hologram of the fight. The force on Malachor VII was now stranded there.
The Mandalore grunted – such was war. He turned his attention to Canderous' attack and his mood lightened.
"Yes!" cried the Mandalore, shaking his fist at the hologram of the battle. "My faith in you was well founded, Canderous," he added, looking back at Serphants coldly.
"Ordo was right, you trusted too much to the defense and to those Sith that you thought would intervene on our behalf. Such is not the way of Mandalore," the armored leader of the clans announced.
Ergeron stood proudly, confident that Karath's line would break. Bendak's capital ships added to the Republic's desperate straits and Karath's ships began to wink out of existence.
Malak entered the fray, but Canderous carried the momentum and the battle was hotly contested.
Serphants slunk away, chastised by the Mandalore. He looked down at his data pad as it chimed and a new message told him that Revan's spies had been apprehended.
"Mandalore…I have news that the spies have been captured. I shall go immediately to extract all of their information. I am sure that they have secrets to tell." The tall warrior had been in secret negotiations with Sith as potential allies and he had learned much in the art of subterfuge and interrogation. It was very un-Mandalorian, but desperate times required desperate measures.
The armored leader nodded. Regardless of the success or failure of that mission, he had yet one more card up his sleeve. He had his own operatives. The Mandalore was no fool.
"It will destroy Revan's entire fleet," he whispered. "Then, we will use it on Coruscant."
Bridge of the Flagship of the Republic – RNS Eagle
Revan stood up sharply from her command chair, her characteristic cool wavering under the new onslaught. In her string of brilliant victories, Revan had gotten use to routing the enemy and the sensation of possible defeat was alien and uncomfortable. She pointed to the hologram of the battle. "What are they doing?" she said to herself of Karath and Malak's response to the Mandalorian attack. "Ordo will rip them to shreds. Get me Malak, now."
Malak's hologram appeared before her. "Revan? I am somewhat preoccupied with the Mandalorians. Could this wait?" he said with an uncharacteristic edge. His ghostly image wavered and static blurred the hologram for a second as Malak appeared to shake from an impact to his ship.
Revan flared her nostrils. "Malak, what are you doing? Your formation only allows you to feed ships into the battle piecemeal. Ordo will defeat you in detail."
The blond Jedi's image wavered again. "…brzzztt…I have it under control, Revan. There is no need for you to panic," he answered with a hint of irritation.
She looked at the hologram again – Malak's fleet was taking a pounding, but holding its own. That was not enough – her masterpiece was in jeopardy.
The Admiral inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Malak, I love you with all my heart…you have been my rock and my strength when I was filled with doubt, but I cannot let you taint my biggest victory.
She exhaled and focused back on her lover's image. "Malak, I am enroute…I am taking personal command of the counterattack. Your orders are to hold until I arrive."
She cut the line to Malak's ship abruptly. I know you are upset, my love, and that I have hurt your pride, but we must show Coruscant our strength. Only then, will we have the power to reform the Republic…it is for the greater good.
A stunning, final victory at Malachor would allow the renegade Jedi to deal with the Senate from a position of strength when the war was over. Minister of the Navy Locarno and many of the Senators chafed when she was granted a commission and a fleet by the Supreme Chancellor over their fawning cronies and sycophants. It was a constant battle to keep them at bay as they downplayed her abilities and detracted from her victories to maintain their own power.
However, it was not just Malak's pride at stake here and, was the greater good for the benefit of the Republic…or Revan?
The admiral turned and pointed to the helmsman. "Bring us about to two-eight-five, mark one, flank speed. We will arrive at Malak's position in ten minutes. Have General T'Sing delay her landing on Malachor Seven – the zone is still too hot. I don't want my men put in unnecessary danger."
The message was relayed and shortly, the holographic image of General T'Sing appeared. "Revan, why must I delay my landing? My men are ready."
Revan's gray eyes shone through her dark hair. "Mai-Lyn, the way to Malachor Seven is not yet clear – your transports could fall under attack. We are also to bombard the surface to soften the Mandalorians up. Additionally, they received reinforcements and resistance will be heavy."
A smile came to the platinum blonde's lips. "So much the better. We'll bag them all at once and cripple their manpower. Malachor Five will then be a snap."
Revan pondered for a moment and Mai-Lyn kept the initiative. "Revan, I have Commander Dodonna's wing as dedicated escort and air cover. We will punch through Ordo's force and complete the landing on schedule. I'll call you when the Republic's flag is atop the Mandalorian fortress. Remember, a swift victory is for the greater good."
Revan nodded with mixed feelings. "Take care of my men and may the Force be with you."
The image of a grinning Mai-Lyn faded and the admiral turned back to the bridge crew. "It is time to implement my new tactic - Have the fleet deploy in battle line, nose to tail, and may every sentient be prepared to do his duty."
Malachor V – the Serphants Stronghold
Ten Mandalorian warriors carried Atton and Seja like sacks of bad credits back to their fortress. Inside the hold, they threw the two roughly to the ground. Seja's face and chest still seeped blood and he was in bad shape despite the Force.
Atton groaned, the blaster wound on his chest burning like fire. His hands were tied behind him along with his feet and a blindfold kept him from seeing just how bad things were for him.
Suddenly, a boot smashed into his stomach, doubling him over and he coughed spasmodically. White hot pain coursed through his being, reinforcing the knowledge that he and Seja were soon to be dead.
Kayla…why did you get me into this? We could have been gone by now. Just you and me…watching the Galaxy rip itself apart.
As clubs rained down upon him in an oak shower, Atton took his mind away, placing himself at a Pazaak table and the pain subsided.
Two to the ten makes twelve…draw a five…now seventeen.
A massive hand then hauled him up by the throat and his blindfold was ripped away. Atton's eyes were blinded by sudden light and blood poured from his nose and mouth and from a dozen other wounds. Angry bruises coated his body from the beating he had taken. Dazed and nearly delirious, he tried to focus through the pain on who was lifting him up.
It was Serphants himself.
The Mandalorian stared into his eyes, twisting him back and forth as if studying him. "If you don't tell me all you know, I won't kill you."
Atton quickly looked around and saw other Mandalorians waiting to pummel him again. One other man caught his attention – a masked man in gray, carrying a lightsaber. Atton tried to grin through swollen lips. "Okay, okay…."
Serphants stopped and listened intently.
The Republic operative sighed and then took a long, deep breath. "The minus three is one of the most powerful cards, but it's not as versatile as the reversible two," he said and prepared for an ocean of pain.