A/N: And here's part 2 of my Mandalore arc. I hope you like it! See you next time.
Desperate times on Mandalore! Having won neutrality for the Mandalorian system, Duchess Satine now finds herself an outsider with very little aid to her people. Supplies are hard to come by, except on the black market. As a result, the Duchess faces a world consumed by greed. Hoping to alleviate some of the tension rising in the capital city of Sundari, Satine has called upon her friend Padmé Amidala to make a diplomatic visit….
A few weeks after the meeting on Coruscant, the half-Nautolan was again on Mandalore with Padmé and Satine. She had spent those few weeks helping the Nite Owls prepare and break away from Death Watch, an endeavor so dangerous they hadn't told anyone what they were doing or when they were doing it. They hadn't wanted Satine to worry or Pre Vizsla to become aware of it until it was too late. Thankfully he was none the wiser when the Nite Owls left the group with Bo-Katan and hid in the ruined landscape of Mandalore. They would stay there until it was time to fight, and hopefully, that would go smoothly.
The half-Nautolan thought the entire thing had gone rather well and left the Nite Owls to coordinate the last part of the plan with Satine so it would go as smoothly as possible. By the time she arrived, Padmé was already there and helping uncover blatant corruption in the capital city of Sundari. That corruption caused the poisoning of children and started to cause whispers to circulate among those in the city that said perhaps Satine's decision to stay out of the war wasn't what was best for Mandalore.
Satine did her best to address those concerns, but that became more difficult after an event that shook her to the core. It was an event she addressed with both Padmé and the half-Nautolan in her private quarters, the guards having been dismissed so they could speak privately.
"You have my thanks for finding the source of the tainted tea, Padmé," Satine said as they settled in her living room, "I am certain there are many who would like to thank you for doing so."
"It was my pleasure, Satine," Padmé said, "I know how much protecting your people means to you."
"And to know I am about to abandon them and let others undo all we have accomplished?" Satine said softly, "It hurts more than I can imagine."
Padmé looked sympathetic while the half-Nautolan rested a gentle hand on Satine's shoulder, offering what comfort she could. Satine looked at her when she did this and smiled weakly before saying, "But I don't think I have a choice in the matter, and that is what I wanted to speak to you about. Something happened just before the two of you arrived, but the issue of the sick children took precedence."
Padmé immediately looked concerned, "What happened?" sharing a look with the half-Nautolan. The half-Nautolan only looked back at Satine, waiting for her to tell them what was going on.
Satine sighed, "A few days before you arrived, an attempt was made on my life," pulling at the shoulder of her dress to reveal bandages. Judging from the location, it was clear that the assassin had missed her heart by maybe a few inches, "My guards were able to locate the assassin and bring him in, but he committed suicide in prison. We aren't sure if he was working with Death Watch or what his intent was, but that was the second attempt in as many weeks. I fear they may be coming more quickly after this," putting her dress back in place.
The others in the room were shocked at how close their friend had come to death, and Padmé was quick to say, "I am so glad that assassin missed Satine. And you are right to be concerned. We may have to escalate our timeline now and have Ahsoka here sooner than expected."
"I was afraid you'd say that," Satine said, "I am already getting concerns from people in my government, and a few parents from the school, about having a Jedi here to teach our children. They feel it would be counterproductive and would expose the children to ideas against the traditions of Mandalore. The more warrior traditions, if we are being honest. The black market has caused people much struggle and difficulty, and I am easy to blame. I don't know who is controlling it, but we are making progress on that front. And perhaps a Jedi will make it easier to figure out who controls the black market."
The half-Nautolan nodded while Padmé said, "It's a good thing Ahsoka is aware of the plan and will help. If we let her know why she is really coming, she may have an easier time finding the source of the corruption and the leader of the black market."
Satine nodded before asking, "Are Bo-Katan and her warriors ready?" looking at the half-Nautolan, who nodded. Satine sighed before saying, "Good, because Death Watch is becoming bolder. My sources say they are getting ready to attack, even though they don't have the means or resources to hold one city for more than a day or so. Less if they don't have the support of the people, but they are starting to get that support, and I fear they may hold the city longer than we have planned for."
"That is why we are getting you off-planet," Padmé said, "So you can inspire your people to oppose Death Watch, and they can fight against it. If enough of them do so, there is no way for Death Watch to hold the city. It is possible the people could liberate Mandalore without the Republic getting involved. Your source," turning to the half-Nautolan, "inside the Separatists says they won't back Death Watch in this, so they will be the definition of occupiers and oppressors in the eyes of the people."
The half-Nautolan nodded again, and Satine said, "So it seems the plan is ready, and we just need to follow it. I hope Ahsoka can help root out this corruption and the leader of the black market. Hopefully, before innocent lives are lost."
Padmé could only smile gently and put an arm around her friend, holding her close. At the same time, the half-Nautolan rested a hand on Satine's knee, both of them knowing the next few days would be very trying for everyone.
There was no telling what was going to happen.
As far as they knew, Kit's friend hadn't been in touch with anyone, so they had no clue what his plans were or when he was going to implement them.
Padmé didn't even know what he looked like, but Satine got the vaguest sense it was someone she had run into in the past, just from Kit's reaction to the entire plan. It had seemed like he had been hoping for such a thing, like he wanted to get in touch with this person.
Which meant it was someone he trusted with his life, so Satine would do the same.
A world in crisis! The peaceful planet of Mandalore is being strangled by the grip of corruption. With shortages of every kind, citizens must turn to the black market in order to survive. Desperate to free her people, Duchess Satine has asked her friend Padmé Amidala to speak with the Jedi Council in hopes that they will send assistance to her struggling world….
Ahsoka and her master had just left, and Satine was ready to return to the duty of leading her people. Having resolved the issue of Prime Minister Almec and his corruption, she was now prepared to return to her people and guide them on. She wasn't sure how she would feed her people and get them the supplies they needed, but she was confident a thorough investigation of the docks Almec had controlled would lead to the discovery of food and supplies. She had already sent her guards and the police to search them and distribute anything found to the people.
Unknown to Satine, a sniper was lining up a shot as his allies stationed themselves around the area. When all was said and done, the Duchess Satine and her pacifist ways would die today. The propaganda was ready, and they were prepared to prove her government was doomed to failure.
The warriors of Mandalore had returned.
Satine was about to get into her speeder and head back to the palace when suddenly, without warning and without reason, she stumbled and nearly fell, unaware the Force had just been used to push her to safety. Seconds later, the breeze of a laser shot flying over her head registered, and she ducked down even more as her guards rushed in to defend her. But they were outmatched and were quickly overpowered. Looking around, Satine could only watch in shock and horror as her guards were cut down, one by one, by warriors wearing the armor of Mandalore. She recognized none of the markings their armor bore, realizing immediately Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls weren't there.
They must have gotten the wrong intel and were too far away to help her.
The sound of a blaster cocking made her turn around, and she found herself looking into the eyes of Pre Vizsla, the leader of Death Watch. He was standing over her, her guards dead around her, with such hatred in his eyes it was impossible to recognize the friend he had been before. She raised her hands slowly, saying, "It seems you have won, Vizsla, and I die today. But you will never have Mandalore; it will always belong to the people, and they haven't chosen you as their leader. No matter what happens, you will never lead Mandalore."
"We'll see about that, Duchess," Vizsla said, aiming his blaster at her and getting ready to fire. Satine only took a deep breath before staring him down. No matter what happened today, she would stand proud and not show fear.
Vizsla was ready to fire, his finger on the trigger, when someone else started shooting out of nowhere and distracted him. He turned suddenly, watching as a lone Nautolan that had appeared out of nowhere started firing at his warriors, quickly cutting them down and easily fighting the ones that came too close. He ducked under the fist of one and delivered a punch that sent the warrior flying into a wall, kicked out the legs of another and sent him sprawling before firing again. He cut down three at once, all his shots finding their marks, before running straight for Vizsla. The former governor of Concordia took his blaster off Satine and immediately started firing, but the Nautolan dodged each shot with ease, seeming to know where he was aiming before he actually fired. He kept running, and seconds later, he was on top of Vizsla, easily fighting him away from Satine with a few well-placed kicks and punches. Seconds later, he had sent Vizsla flying into a wall with one such kick and was turning and running for Satine.
He grabbed her hand and dragged her forward until her frozen brain realized what was happening and started to run after him. He pushed her harder, pushing her to run faster before suddenly turning and firing at the Mandalorian warriors hauling themselves to their feet to go after them. The Nautolan only kept running after firing a few shots over their heads and making them duck instinctively, following Satine to the shipyards. Once there, he pulled her in the direction of his ship, an old ST-70 Assault Ship with the words Razor Crest on the side. She boarded the ship as quickly as she could, following the Nautolan up to the bridge, where he quickly started turning everything on and getting the engines warmed up. Seconds later, they were airborne, heading for the atmosphere.
The Nautolan was quick to prime the cannons and get the targeting computer online, having the assassin droid with him get ready to fire. At first, Satine didn't understand why, but seconds later, the scanners started beeping as ships came up behind them and started firing. The Nautolan was quick on the controls, flying his ship into and out of the lasers, dodging them with skill and daring. He jerked them once, and the ship started gaining altitude, heading for the atmosphere. Seconds later, he cut the engines, and the ship started falling back down to the planet's surface.
"What are you doing?!" Satine asked fearfully, "We're falling!"
The Nautolan didn't answer, just let them continue free-falling straight towards the ships coming at them. But just then, the assassin droid started firing, shooting down the ships attacking them with brutal efficiency. The first ship was quickly cut down and exploded, while the other dodged out of the way. The Nautolan only turned the engines back on and stopped them from hitting the ground themselves, almost skimming the planet's surface before heading up for the atmosphere again. Only this time, he was following the second ship, and seconds later, that ship was blasted to bits by the assassin droid. Now clear, the Razor Crest headed for the atmosphere, clearing it and heading for space moments later. Minutes later, the ship entered hyperspace, and Satine could relax.
After hitting a few of the controls, the Nautolan turned to her. Satine asked, "Kit Fisto sent you, right?" the Nautolan nodded. She relaxed back into her seat, feeling the tension drain out of her for a few seconds before she looked up and said, "Thank you for saving my life. I'm grateful, but I do need to send a message to the Jedi Council and the Senate about what is happening, as well as my people. They need to know I didn't abandon them," the Nautolan nodded again before looking at her curiously. She sighed when she saw that look, having seen it on Kit and the half-Nautolan's face quite a few times over the last few months, "Fine, I would also like to send a transmission to Obi-Wan if I can. He'll worry if I don't."
The Nautolan nodded again, only this time with a slight smile, before turning to the communication equipment and getting everything ready. Once ready, he nodded at Satine, who saw that the message would be going back to Mandalore. She smiled then, trust a friend of Kit Fisto to know she would care about her people first before anyone else. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and started to speak, hoping her words inspired her people to speak for themselves against those occupying their home.
Pre Vizsla was furious when he saw his two ships get cut down so quickly by the bounty hunter. It had taken him a few seconds to recognize the Nautolan, but he had actually felt some fear when he did. Everyone in the Dark underworld knew about that Nautolan and how dangerous he was. For Pre to have survived the encounter was something he knew was incredibly rare. Why that Nautolan had helped Satine was a complete mystery to him since he wasn't the type of people she associated with, but he was determined to find the answer.
But that didn't change that Satine had gotten away and was now loose in the galaxy. And having been betrayed by Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls, he now had fewer allies than before. Which would make keeping control of Mandalore even harder. They had already had to fight their way into the palace and kill a few guards, but it was worth it when they freed Almec from prison. The former Prime Minister was now in front of him, surrounded by warriors, and was clearly unsure what to make of the situation as Vizsla sat on what had once been Satine's throne.
"I don't understand what you want from me, Vizsla," Almec said, "It's not like the people will follow me, not after what I have done. And they certainly won't follow you, not after killing those guards and doing whatever you did to Satine. No matter what you might think, the people chose her to lead them; they won't back away from her now."
"Satine is dead," Vizsla countered, surprising Almec, "Already my agents are spreading the news through Sundari and the other cities. In time people will accept that her pacifism got her killed and she was too weak a leader for Mandalore. Which will cause them to have to choose again: you, or me. The Prime Minister that had led them so well before the death of Satine, or the warrior that killed her. You will lead Mandalore in the public eye if they choose you while I make the decisions from the shadows. You can continue the black market and make money from that while we get ready to fight again for the warrior ways of Mandalore. Either way, you win since you will have what you have always wanted: money and power."
Almec stayed silent as he listened, and once Vizsla was done speaking, he rubbed his chin in thought, mulling over the idea of it all and actually starting to like it. But before he could agree to it, the doors behind them were thrown open, and a warrior rushed in, out of breath.
"What is it?" Vizsla asked, and the warrior said, "Sir, you better come see this. It's on every holo-transmitter and holovideo on the planet."
Vizsla raised an eyebrow before falling the warrior, Almec following along behind to what had once been Almec's office. Once there, the warrior turned on the holo-transmitter, revealing a hologram of Duchess Satine. She stood tall and proud, Almec saying, "She certainly doesn't look dead to me."
Vizsla wasn't given a chance to respond as Satine started speaking: "My loyal subjects, my brothers and sister of Mandalore, it is I, Satine of Kalevala. No doubt you have been fed some rumors that I have been killed and that your only option now is to follow whatever path the traitorous Pre Vizsla has set for you. I remember all too well the consequences of not obeying a warrior when they held a blaster to your head, but I must ask you to do one thing: follow your hearts. If you believe in a free Mandalore, free from the warrior ways of the past when it was brother against brother and sister against sister, hold firm against the traitors that have taken control of our home. They have tried to silence me, but I am still here. They have tried to kill me for speaking against them, but I am still here. I may have been forced into hiding, but I am still here, and I am still loyal to you, my people. I will return, but what I return to will be up to you. But know, no matter what happens, I will always be loyal to you and will love and protect you with all my being and all my heart."
The hologram ended then, and Vizsla turned to the warrior that had let him know about this in the first place, "That was broadcast to everywhere on Mandalore?"
"Yes, sir," the warrior said, "It started in the pubs and taverns and smaller motels, which is why we didn't catch it in time. By the time we were aware of it, it was being sent all over the planet."
Vizsla ground his teeth in frustration, but before he could start to address this problem, all there became aware of a great clamoring outside the palace. Sharing a look with Almec, they went to the balcony and looked down, seeing what looked like every citizen of Sundari on the palace steps and grounds. The citizens were helping the guards that had survived the attack, taking them into the crowd and protecting them from the warriors that wanted to get at them. But the warriors were clearly unsure about what to do since it would have meant firing on Mandalorians, something they were reluctant to do. Vizsla looked almost ready to order his warriors to fire on the crowd and get the guards, but someone in the crowd looked up and saw him before he could. That citizen called out, "Traitors! Traitors to Mandalore!" pointing up at Vizsla and Almec. The rest of the citizens gathered there heard him and looked. They started booing and pushing against the warriors, clearly not interested in having someone like Vizsla as their leader and not afraid of the warriors blocking their path.
Almec only looked over everyone gathered there before saying with as much sarcasm as he could muster, "You certainly have the situation under control. I almost can't wait to see how you end this without becoming even more unpopular than you already are," walking back into the palace and leaving Vizsla to figure out what to do next, something the former governor had no idea about.
Far away, the Jedi Council was meeting to discuss the war effort and the search for the half-Nautolan. Unfortunately, after the events on Coruscant and with the police, she had just disappeared into thin air, and none of their usual sources had turned up anything. Not even Anakin and Quinlan's contacts in the Outer Rim knew anything.
Whoever this woman was, she knew how to hide and use the galaxy at large to hide from anyone looking for her.
The Council had already been in session for about an hour when the secretary droid outside the chamber entered and said, "Master Jedi, there is an incoming recording from Duchess Satine of Mandalore. It is coming from a frequency not used on Mandalore. The communication is secure, though."
Mace and Yoda exchanged a glance before Mace said, "Put it through." The droid nodded, sending a few commands on the datapad he was carrying through and having a hologram of the Duchess appear in the center of the room. She was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I send this message to the Jedi High Council and the Senate: I have been forced to leave Mandalore. Several attempts have been made on my life since I returned from Coruscant, but the Death Watch has never had the strength to stop my people or me before now. Now….they have taken control of the capital city and will likely spread to other major cities in their attempt to conquer Mandalore and force our return to the warrior ways of the past. My hope is that Death Watch will be outed by the people themselves and will be forced to leave on their own, but I can't say for certain if that will happen."
Yoda and Mace looked at each other while the rest of the Council listened closely as Satine continued to speak, "I have been forced to leave Mandalore for my own safety, but that does not mean my work is done. I will continue speaking for and with my people from a secure location; and fight for their freedom and the peace my planet had enjoyed until my last breath. I fully reject the warrior ways of my ancestors and will never condone violence, and my hope is my people will use the same ways to force the Death Watch from our home. They are a small number; the people are greater. They will find it hard to control a world that doesn't want them, and soon they will be gone. All I ask is that the Republic does not send troops or ships to my home; we have seen enough war. This is an affair for Mandalore to handle alone, and I will stress the neutrality I have strived for in this. May the warrior ways of the past stay where they were, in the past, and may my people be free once more!"
With that, the recording ended, and Satine's image faded away, the Jedi Council looking around and murmuring to each other for a few moments before Saessee Tiin asked the droid, "Is that recording traceable?"
The droid shook his head, "I'm afraid not, Master Tiin. I have already attempted to track it down, but maybe the best I can do is the Sullust system. Wherever it was sent from was a secure transmitter, outfitted with a scrambler and highly advanced encryption, making it untraceable. There is also a signal bouncer sending the transmission from all over the galaxy. Sullust is my best guess, but truthfully it could have come from anywhere."
"The Sullust system is highly contested space, nowhere near Mandalore, if that is where she really is," Ki-Adi Mundi said, "What is she doing so far out there? And who is she with? No Jedi were dispatched to her system since Master Skywalker and Padawan Tano left, so who helped her escape?"
"Many questions there are, so few answers," Yoda said softly, "Find her, we cannot," causing Obi-Wan to glance at him but stay silent, knowing anything he said would be counterproductive to the conversation.
"Yes," Mace Windu said, "It seems the Duchess Satine has found a way to safety that doesn't involve us and has also asked us not to get involved in her planet's affairs. She seems confident that her people will make the decision that is best for them."
"Hide herself she did," Yoda said, "Keep hope alive; speak to her people she will do. Get involved; we should not. In time, made right, the situation will be."
"As you say, master," Mace said softly, "But perhaps we should send someone who isn't a Jedi in a few weeks to investigate the matter and see if we should get involved or not."
Yoda nodded slowly, and the meeting continued to other matters, even though Obi-Wan was mostly silent and thinking for the rest of the meeting, wondering what had happened to his old friend and where in the galaxy she could be.
Later that night, Obi-Wan was in his quarters staring out at Coruscant, thinking over everything that had happened that day with Satine and what it could mean. Before he could dwell on it any more than he already was, a transmission was sent to him, and the transmitter started to chime. Accepting the message, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw who it was, "Satine!" he exclaimed quietly, "Are you alright? Where are you?"
Satine smiled softly when she saw him, warmed by his concern for her, knowing where it was coming from, "Yes, I'm alright, don't worry, Obi. I'm about as safe as I could be if you were right beside me. I can't tell you where I am, but I wanted to let you know that I'm alright and you don't have to worry about me. I have a friend protecting me."
"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Satine," Obi-Wan said, "I'm already worried, and there is nothing you can do or say that will change that, not until you're standing in front of me. And who is this friend?" trying not to sound jealous that there was someone else she trusted so much, and clearly cared about, and failing slightly.
Satine smiled, "An old friend, Obi, older than you, I'm afraid. But don't worry, he doesn't hold the place in my heart you do, so no need to get jealous. He has promised to keep me safe, and I know he will. I hope I see you again someday, without the barrier of a transmission between us, but until then, I just wanted to let you know I was safe, and you don't have to worry about me."
"Satine, just come to the Temple," Obi-Wan replied, trying not to sound like he was begging, "We can protect you here and figure out how to help your people. You don't need to do this on your own."
"I'm not on my own, Obi," Satine said gently, "I know you think I am, but I really am not. I'm not on my own, and I never have been," she looked past her for a second before turning back to Obi-Wan, "I have to go; my friend doesn't want this transmission being traced, by anyone. I just wanted to hear your voice one last time and let you know I was safe. Good-bye, Obi; I hope we see each other again."
"Satine, wait!" Obi-Wan said, but it was too late. The transmission faded away, leaving Obi-Wan no other option but to stare at where the hologram of Satine had been, wishing that hadn't just happened and she had told him something, anything, about where she was going or who she was with. All she had done was left him with more questions than answers, and he wasn't sure what he was going to do about it.
Just what was happening with Satine, and how could he help her if she wouldn't let him?
And who was that friend she was talking about? What did he have to do with all this?
Satine sighed sadly as she ended the transmission, knowing there was no other way right now. Turning to her companion, she said, "I'm ready to go now; thank you for letting me send that last transmission. I know he was worried about me, a lot. I know I didn't put his mind at ease, but maybe it helped a little."
The Nautolan with her only turned to her and nodded, smiling ever-so-slightly before turning to the controls, clearly unsure about what he could add to the conversation. Smiling herself, Satine gently ran a finger down the scar on his left cheek, the only thing that kept people from seeing the resemblance between him and his twin brother. He glanced at her, and she said with a smile, "I'm glad Kit sent for you, you know. You may not be a Jedi, but you have the heart of one buried deep down inside you, and that is something I have always admired. I'm glad you're with me and will help me, and please thank Kit for me. I know you speak with him more than I do, using means I don't understand and will never understand, and I want him to know how much it means to me that you are here."
The Nautolan smiled again before nodding, leaving Satine to say, "I think I'll go and get some rest; it's been an exhausting day. Let me know when we arrive?"
The Nautolan again nodded, having never been one who liked to talk much. Satine smiled before heading down below to get some rest, passing the powered-down assassin droid on the way and glad it was shut off for now. Her friend had powered it down so that it wouldn't be as much of a threat and so no one could trace it. The Razor Crest was completely untraceable and didn't belong to her friend, so she knew they would have to make a quick stop to return it and pick up his ship before they continued on their way once more. But he was slightly paranoid and would make sure anything that could possibly be traced was turned off and unable to be found.
From there, she had no idea where they were going or who they were meeting with, but she knew the Nautolan would keep her safe and protect her with every fiber and skill he possessed. That is what he had promised his brother, and she knew he had never let his brother down in the past.
He wasn't about to start now.