A/N 1: Hi everyone! Here's the next big reveal chapter, with plenty of information. It is also the longest chapter I have ever written for any story so far :). Not a lot of action, I'm afraid, but a lot of explaining about what is happening and who the brothers are. More action next time, I promise! Also this chapter as several graphic descriptions in it, so if you are someone who gets queasy reading those types of things proceed with caution (hence why the story got a rating change a couple weeks ago. More info down at the bottom).
Please read, review, and enjoy, and I'll see you next time.
Jedi in peril! Jedi Master Kit Fisto, after being gravely injured while attempting to flee his ship, has now fallen into a coma and will possibly die in a few days. Because of this, a few of his brothers have left Home Base to retrieve their father from the distant and war-torn world of Rattatak. The Jedi, under request from Chancellor Palpatine, have arrived in the space above Rattatak to arrest those brothers to keep them from acting on their mother's orders to hunt down Captain Tarkin and make him pay for his actions against her son….
The city of Reela on Rattatak was the definition of chaotic, Cody thought as he ran down a street pursuing some Nautolans. The clones had arrived just as things were heating up in the city. Now it was a full-on firefight between not just the Nautolans and clones but between the inhabitants of the city and some more Nautolans that had shown up. Cody had recognized one: one of the Nautolans from Sorrus that had attacked Seeker years ago. He was back and shooting with deadly accuracy at anyone getting in his way, whether civilian or otherwise. This Nautolan also fought to get close to a large group of Nautolans trying to get out of the city and to some ships on the outskirts.
General Fisto's brothers had come in six ships and now were trying to get back to them and get away. The clones were having difficulty keeping up with everything happening, and even with the Delta Squad commandos, it was a struggle. Every Nautolan in the city was a skilled fighter, it seemed, and was doing everything in their power to resist capture.
Already two clones from Ghost Squadron and one of Rex's men were dead, and Cody was determined to make sure the number didn't climb any higher.
To that end, he kept running after the group of Nautolans, but movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn his head, and he skidded to a stop when he saw five more Nautolans exit a building behind him. Four of them were female, and the fifth was cloaked and hooded. Judging from his height, he was likely male, and as Cody watched he suddenly turned his head and looked directly at the clone. He said nothing and did nothing, just stood there staring at the clone as Cody stared back. But seconds later, the trance was broken, and he was on the move again, staying in the middle of the four females as they kept strange staff-like weapons up and ready, their eyes moving every which way and looking for danger. Realizing who the male was, Cody reached for his comlink and said, "Delta Squad, to me. I've found General Fisto's father!"
The Jedi and two captains monitoring what was happening on the cruiser exchanged glances at the news before returning to listen to the various communications. They had decided it would cause less disruption if they stayed behind, and the clones had assured them that with Delta Squad with them, they could handle this.
Cody took off running after the smaller group but hadn't gone far when he was suddenly body-slammed. He fell to the ground on his stomach and had to shake his head to clear it, finally looking up and seeing the one who had body-checked him. One of General Fisto's brothers was staring at him indifferently, blocking the way his father had gone. Two of the females with his father were hanging back, but the second the brother jerked his head at them, they turned around and kept running as Cody slowly got to his feet, seeing that his blaster had been knocked out of his hand and was out of reach. Seeing this, the Nautolan staring him down put his pistol away, showing he would fight evenly with Cody, and that was fine with the clone.
Cody rushed in, and the Nautolan started ducking and dodging his blows, and Cody couldn't get close no matter what he tried. His opponent was just too quick and clearly a skilled fighter, and the slight smirk on his face said he was playing with Cody and letting him have a go before he got bored and left.
That smirk went away when he suddenly dodged a laser bolt from their right and turned his head to see another Nautolan shooting at him. That was the opening Cody was waiting for, and he jumped on the back of the Nautolan, an arm going around his neck in a chokehold. Immediately, he got an elbow in his side as the Nautolan started struggling to free himself, but Cody didn't let go. He just held on tighter, even when slammed against a wall, closing his eyes and hoping this would work.
His opponent dropping to his knees said it was working, and he opened his eyes when he felt that, but a second later was gasping in agony as white-hot pain shot through his side. He looked down and saw a knife slowly pulled out of his side. A knife that had come out near the Nautolan's elbow. Cody only shook his head and held on tighter, and finally his opponent went completely limp and collapsed to the ground but was thankfully still breathing. Cody was quick to cuff his hands behind his back just as more clones arrived, and he looked up tiredly and said, "If you can get them in a chokehold, they'll pass out and you can grab them. Just be ready for a fight. They don't go quietly," his voice getting quieter as the pain asserted itself in his mind.
Seconds later, the night around him skewed as blood left his body in gushes, and he fell to the ground; his troops worried voices the last thing he heard before passing out.
The fighting was finally finished, and Mace was glad of that when he and the other Jedi with him arrived at the hangar to find a strange ship being brought in for a landing. A few gunships were accompanying the ship, and as they watched, the ramp of the unknown ship was lowered. First off were the Delta commandos, with their leader, Boss, approaching the Jedi and saying, "It was a mess down there, sir. Apart from us, there was a squad of Nautolans from Glee Anselm. They started a firefight and a lot of confusion. General Fisto's brothers had six ships, we were only able to get one of them, and its navigation and fuel computers were wiped clean before they landed on Rattatak. They certainly knew how to cover their tracks."
"How many injured and dead?" Mace asked, and Boss replied, "We lost seven, sir, and a few need to go to a medical transport. Commander Cody was injured subduing one of the brothers, but he revealed how to capture them without hurting them too much. Apparently, a chokehold knocks them out, but they put up one hell of a fight in the process. The commander is lucky he was wearing armor since the brother he subdued slammed him into a wall," turning his helmet to look at Cody, who was unconscious and had a bloody bandage wrapped around his midsection over his armor as he lay on a stretcher. Kix was hovering nearby and giving a brief report to the medical droids and Master Kenobi who was concerned about his commander and friend. The droids then took Cody to the medical center as Obi-Wan walked over to the other Jedi, looking relieved that his commander was going to survive. Kix stayed near as well, and turning revealed not just red but also green blood on his hands, indicating that he had attempted to treat a Nautolan. Seeing this, Master Plo asked him, "Who on their side was injured?"
Kix shook his head, "A female Nautolan, sir. I've never seen anything like it; she was so badly injured, and she kept fighting like nothing was wrong. She wouldn't let me near to treat it when she was captured, no matter how much I tried and refuses to let anyone touch it."
"How many were captured?" Thrawn asked calmly, and Boss said, "Aside from the female, we caught six of them. I think they're some of General Fisto's brothers, but I can't say for sure. They look similar to each other."
"Where are they?" Obi-Wan asked, and Boss turned to look behind him as more clones appeared with their prisoners, fighting them for every step they took. The first two Nautolans off were a light blue in color and stayed close to each other. The next one was the one with the missing eye and was a very light green. He was accompanied by another that was purple in color. The next one was the female, a darker blue color, almost cobalt, watching everything with almost unnerving intensity. She was indeed wounded, her side had a deep gash in it, and skin was hanging from the wound, but she refused to let anyone near it.
Kix tried again, and she lunged at him with teeth bared. Kix jumped away quickly and was clearly intimidated by the feral look in her eyes, even though several clones held her back. She was dressed in trousers with a utility belt and strong boots and wore a half-top similar to Seeker's that tied around her neck and back. It exposed the wound on her side, but she ignored it as she glared at the Jedi and walked down the ramp, blood dripping on the ground with every step. One head-tentacle was red, and it stood out starkly against her skin.
The next one was the brother that the Jedi knew would be a problem from the second they had seen him, and now that they were in the same room, they could feel the rage and anger inside of him. He was orange in color with bright yellow head-spots, and had a light blue circle tattooed around his left eye. His eyes darted around as he took in everything around him, and his teeth were slightly bared, and he actively fought the clones trying to get him to go anywhere. He wasn't the strongest-looking of the brothers, but he certainly had spirit and an attitude. The second he saw where the clones were trying to lead him, he started fighting even more, and one of the blue Nautolans turned to watch but did nothing to stop him.
Seeing this, Mace was actually impressed at the amount of fight he displayed, but he clearly wasn't impressed by them because he actually growled and snarled as he fought the clones, finally throwing off one of the four clones holding him and clearly going to make a run for it.
"Restrain him!" Thrawn ordered suddenly, and more clones rushed to obey. One of them was able to get his arm around the Nautolan's neck, making him fight even more as he started losing air. He started kicking and biting as he was forced to his knees near the Jedi, trying to latch onto a clone's arm and deliver a lethal bite, but just as his eyes started rolling, a deep, authoritative voice yelled, "ENOUGH!"
That made everyone in the hangar stop what they were doing and look, and the last Nautolan they had captured appeared. This Nautolan approached slowly and calmly, more or less dragging the clones holding him, but because he was calm and going where they wanted him, they were letting him. Unlike the rest of his brothers, this Nautolan was white. Completely white. He had no head-spots or markings on his head-tentacles, and his eyes were a bright, blood red. He had metal bands around one of his head-tentacles, like the rest of his brothers, but there were different numbers of each band for each brother. Ten of his were black, six were gold, eight were light brown, and four were silver. He moved slowly and confidently, and as he got closer, the Jedi could see he was easily taller than Master Tiin. He held himself proudly and with quiet dignity, and as he got closer, he said more quietly, "Enough."
The Jedi were surprised at how strong and in control he was, which became clearer when he turned to the clones holding his brother down and choking him and said, "Let him go," when the clones hesitated, he added, "Now! Please!" jerking his head. The clones were thrown off his brother, and the Jedi were shocked to feel the Force respond so readily to him until they remembered Seeker's words about the entire family being Force-sensitive.
His brother wasn't shocked and started climbing to his feet again, face twisted in anger and the clones that had restrained him in his sights, but the white brother was quick to step on his bound arm and slam him back down to the ground, saying, "Stay down until you cool down," before looking at the Jedi that had watched the entire thing and were surprised at how brutal his treatment of his brother was.
Before they could say anything, the one-eyed brother said sarcastically, "That'll teach you, Tazeki. Maybe next time you'll use what little brains you have so Koryo doesn't brain you on the ground, again."
The hot-tempered brother, Tazeki, only stayed on the ground and let his eyes fall shut, clearly trying to relax and not be so riled up. As this happened, Colonel Meebur Gascon looked more closely at the purple brother, who was standing there watching the entire thing go down as the white Nautolan, Koryo, turned to the Jedi and asked, "What do you want with us? You have no right to detain us."
"I think we do," Thrawn said, speaking instead of the Jedi, "You are in possession of illegal weapons and have made threats against a Republic officer. Both those charges are serious and need to be addressed in the courts."
Koryo raised an eye-ridge at that, "The first charge is contingent on us being arrested with those weapons in our possession, which they are not, and not even a Republic court can go anywhere with the second. The Separatists always threaten Republic officers, as does any criminal who has a run-in with the Republic. Nothing is done about that, so there is no legal precedent. Even the worst litigator on Coruscant would see that and have us out by lunch, and we can afford to hire slightly better than the worst."
Thrawn frowned at that, caught unprepared that he knew the law so well, while Colonel Gascon finally said, "I know you," from where he was standing on top of a droid and staring at the purple Nautolan, who only looked at him with a smirk and mocking look in his eyes. They all turned to him, and he said, "You're Mataka Fisto. You were one of the greatest tacticians of the Old Republic, and your tactics won the more decisive battles of the Old Republic before you disappeared under mysterious circumstances towards the end of the war. We still use your tactics now during the Clone Wars."
Mataka only said sarcastically, "Nice to know they are still useful."
"What are you doing here?" Gascon asked, "You were loyal to the Republic at one point; what do you think you're doing now?"
Mataka shrugged, "Things change. I wasn't loyal to the Republic then; I was loyal to the friends I had made. But they are gone, and I have no interest in fighting in another war. One at a time is enough for me," hearing that the Jedi exchanged glances, but then Mataka looked at them and asked, "Did the rest of our ships get away?"
"Yes," Master Tiin said, "They ran the blockade and caused our cruisers a bit of damage."
"Good," Mataka said, "Then our father got away too."
"Who are you?" Anakin asked into the silence that followed, and they all turned to see he was looking at the female Nautolan. She was standing near the two light blue brothers and was breathing heavily but still refused to let Kix get close. She glanced at the young Jedi before going back to watching everything happening around them, sizing up the Jedi and looking for threats. Her wariness was strange and unexpected, and she was still ignoring the wound in her side. She was a few inches taller than Koryo and held herself in a way that said she was used to being in charge.
"Her name is Amarona," Koryo said, "And she doesn't speak Basic enough to string a sentence together. She is also likely the most dangerous person on this ship now, even more than us, so I would advise against messing with her. She isn't above biting someone to get them to leave her alone," he raised an eye-ridge at that, "And since you know what can happen when one of us bites someone, I would highly recommend leaving her alone."
Mace narrowed his eyes at that, "Perhaps this should be discussed in calmer settings before she, or one of you, decides to act on that instinct," Koryo nodded with slightly narrowed eyes of his own and stepped off his brother's arm. Tazeki shook his head as he raised it, the metal bands around his head-tentacle clinking together gently. The Jedi were surprised to see all the anger and energy inside of him had settled, and he was much calmer. He kicked a bit while he got his feet organized but finally was sitting on one thigh. He got to his feet then, using his brother to lean against and keep his balance. Once upright, he stayed quiet and calm, allowing himself to be led over to his brothers and following them to the detention level, even though not a single clone got close enough to grab his arm, clearly having learned a lesson from before.
The Jedi, Thrawn, and Gascon followed, and behind them, a clone slipped onto the brother's ship and disappeared inside, waiting for the signal it was time to go.
Back on Coruscant, the Conspiracy members in the Senate met in Padmé's office to discuss what had happened over the last few days. The news they had gotten and what Padmé had witnessed over the feed from R6 and Kit's lightsaber was upsetting and rather chilling. Padmé was silent and seemed to be in a bit of shock, and the others were equally upset.
Finally, Bail said softly, "I knew there were things we weren't being told about Master Fisto, but this news about his brothers and people is more disturbing than I thought it would be. Now I understand why he dealt with some of the more dangerous members of the Conspiracy alone; they must have been his brothers and he knew how to talk to them."
Padmé nodded slowly, while Chuchi asked, "You knew the entire time, didn't you, Padmé?" Padmé turned to her, and Chuchi continued softly, "You knew Ky Lan was Master Fisto's brother and that there were more of them. And you knew they were dangerous."
Padmé stared at her before sighing and nodding, "Yes, I knew about Kit's brothers. I met a few of them over the years, even though I never met his twin. I don't know if that was a coincidence or not, but I could always tell when Kit met with his twin. He seemed calmer and more at ease with himself, and the bond they have is something I have never seen before. I remember Kit coming to me years ago, looking physically sick, more so than usual, and he told me his brother was having a bad day. I don't know how he knew; he just did. He told me it wasn't through the Force; it was something much deeper telling him his brother wasn't alright."
"Did you know he was sick?" Mon Mothma asked quietly, and Padmé nodded again, "Yes, I did. I also knew there was nothing I or anyone here on Coruscant could do about it. He didn't want anyone to know and asked me to stay silent about it. He was worried that if the Jedi found out about him being wounded, they would start looking for Seeker and the Sith. And as more time went on and he kept hiding the fact he had been injured by a Sith, it made him look more and more like a traitor for not saying anything as soon as the attack happened."
Mon Mothma shook her head, saying, "What do we do now? Master Fisto was the one that held much of the Conspiracy together, especially the Jedi involved in it. Without him, what happens? We have lost our source on the Jedi Council."
Padmé shook her head, "I don't think we have to worry about who leads the Conspiracy now. It has always been Seeker; Kit just relayed her orders to us so that no one would know about the Conspiracy or how far-reaching it was. He may be out of action now, but I'm hoping he can and will wake up. He has to."
"What do you mean, Padmé?" Bail asked, and Padmé turned to him and said, "He is the only one who can completely control Seeker. Without him, I don't know what she will do."
The captured brothers had been settled in one of the detention cells, with a few Jedi and Senate commandos guarding them. They only looked at the security in bemused mockery, clearly not seeing any of it as effective for containing them. But they went quietly and didn't fight back once, not even the hot-tempered brother Tazeki. He went into the cell and leaned against the wall, watching the door, while the others spread out and made themselves comfortable on the bench that went around the cell wall.
Koryo was the only one who sat at the table in the center of the cell, waiting patiently for whatever came next. Seeing him sit there, Mace shook his head and went down the hall to the detention level command center where Masters Plo, Kenobi, and Koth were waiting. Once there, he said, "I don't like this. This is too easy."
"They did kill a few of our men on Rattatak, Mace," Obi-Wan said, "There was nothing easy about that."
"Perhaps," Mace said, "But I think there is something more going on here, and they have a plan for getting out of here. But they all know how to guard their thoughts. Someone has trained them in the Force and trained them well. We will only get answers from them if they want to give them. And even then, I don't think it will be easy. They don't seem like the types to give away much."
"It's a good thing we ordered Captain Tarkin to remain on the bridge for the time being," Master Plo said, "I don't think a few Jedi and Senate commandos would stop them from trying to get to him if they knew he was here."
Mace nodded, while Eeth said, "We can delay this as long as we want, but we will have to speak with them eventually. Perhaps we should do it now, while they are settled in there and before they have time to come up with some story."
The others with him nodded and returned to the cell, Mace and Obi-Wan entering along with Master Plo. They looked around at those in the cell and were surprised to see that a few of the brothers had somehow gotten their still-bound hands in front of them. The purple brother, Mataka, had convinced Kix on the way to the detention level to give him some bandages and gauze, saying he would be able to tend Amarona more easily than the clone could. Kix had agreed and left the supplies on the table, and Mataka was using them. His hands, though bound together with not a lot of give between them, were in front of him and he was attempting to get Amarona to let him tend the wound in her side. She was having none of it and glaring daggers at him, but finally Koryo shook his head, and she looked at him. She said nothing, but it gave Mataka a chance to say quietly, "Tha thu air ar beatha gu lèir a dhìon agus aire a thoirt dhuinn. Leig leinn an aon rud a dhèanamh dhut a-nis."
Amarona stared at him a few moments before finally sighing and nodding, relaxing against the wall and shutting her eyes. Mataka took that for the permission it was and bound her side carefully and with some skill. After he lay a hand over the wound, the Jedi could feel the Force heal some of the wound and take the edge off the pain she was feeling. She settled and relaxed even more after that, and that was when Mataka looked up and nodded at Koryo, who only inclined his head and said quietly, "Amarona has sworn to protect our family and us with her life and will forfeit it if it means we survive. Even that badly wounded, she won't let it distract her from her duty."
Mace looked at Koryo and said, "At least she has let one of you tend that wound. We don't want her suffering unnecessarily."
Koryo scoffed and said, "We all suffer, Master Jedi. Kit suffered for years; we suffered with him because he wouldn't let any of us help him. There was a reason for it; at the time he was wounded Tristan didn't have the skill to undo what that idiot had done, and Seeker was too young. He waited all this time so that he would have a fighting chance. But that was before his captain decided to commit mutiny and attack him. Now – if he survives, it will be because he has a stronger will than he ever let on to us about. And to you."
Mace narrowed his eyes at that, but Thrawn entered the cell then, looking around and seeing that a few of the brothers no longer had their hands bound behind them. The two light blue brothers were facing each other, one using his hands to make some strange signs while the other watched closely. Thrawn shook his head and turned to one of the clones standing with him, "Rebind their hands behind them. I don't think we should trust them for a moment. We still don't know how General Fisto escaped from his bindings, especially since the clones guarding him didn't have the key."
"Yes, sir," the clone said and started heading for the two brothers. Tazeki was now watching him intently but surprisingly not doing anything. Just before the clone reached them, Koryo spoke, "Tagali is deaf and mute. Hand signs are the only way he can communicate with anyone now and the only way we can communicate with him. Leave them alone; Nagala is only telling him what is happening and what we are saying."
The clone hesitated and turned to the Jedi, and Master Windu nodded towards the cell door. The clone left, while Thrawn only looked at the Jedi Master in disbelief before also leaving. Once they were gone, Obi-Wan asked, "Do the rest of your brothers speak for themselves at all?" clearly irritated that only one of them was speaking now.
Koryo's lips twitched in an attempt at a smile, "Yes, they do. But we decided that I would speak for all of us today, and they would add comments as necessary. So far, it hasn't been necessary."
Obi-Wan shook his head while Master Plo asked, "Where is your base? Where is Kit?"
Koryo shrugged, "Beyond your reach. Don't bother trying to find it; it can only be found by those that know where it is. And those of us here in this cell that do know aren't all that inclined to tell you. You had your chance to protect our brother, and you failed; now it's our turn."
Mace narrowed his eyes again, wondering where he had heard that before, and then remembered: Sundali Abazza had said the same thing to Bo-Katan before she had disappeared. It couldn't be a coincidence. Before he could pursue it, Master Tiin appeared at the cell door and said, "The chancellor would like to speak to us as soon as possible."
"Very well," Mace said after a few moments, looking at Koryo and saying, "This conversation isn't over."
"If you say so, Jedi," Koryo said, "Say hello to Tarkin for us," the Jedi were too surprised that they knew he was onboard to respond, giving the one-eyed brother a chance to say, "He used his own knife to stab our brother, and this is the flagship of our brother's fleet. It would make sense Tarkin was in command of it," he grinned then, a rather cruel grin before saying, "At least for now."
Mace and the others stared at him for several moments before they finally left the cell, Anakin and Aayla looking at them for a few seconds before Obi-Wan said, "That went about as well as I expected it to. Those brothers certainly don't give much away and are good at saying a hundred words and nothing at all."
Mace nodded while Eeth said, "We won't get answers out of them when they are together. If we can separate them, we may have a better chance at learning something," he frowned then, "Except for the two brothers. What were their names? Nagala and Tagali?"
"Yes," Master Plo said, "I don't think we'll be able to separate them."
"You think they were telling the truth about Tagali being deaf and mute?" Anakin asked, "It could be a trick."
"I don't think it is," Obi-Wan said, "While we were walking through the hangar earlier, an engine backfired. All of them looked in that direction except Tagali. And he hasn't said a word the entire time he has been here. I don't think they were lying. I really think he is deaf and mute. There are scars on his neck, so I don't think he was born mute or lost his voice willingly. There is a story there."
Anakin shook his head while Aayla asked, "What do we do now? We can't hold them indefinitely, especially if they are right about any litigator being able to find a way to get them out of the charges they are being accused of. They know we can't hold them. And without records of past crimes we have no grounds to detain them as dangerous to others."
Mace shook his head and said, "Let's go see what the chancellor wants, and then come back down here and see what else we can get out of these brothers," walking away and heading for the bridge, the rest of the Jedi following and leaving the clones and Senate commandos behind to guard Kit's brothers. Once sure they were alone, Koryo turned to Tazeki, who looked at him with a rather feral grin as he brought his hands around in front of him, the binders hanging off one wrist.
Up on the bridge, the chancellor was waiting via hologram with other members of the Council. Yoda had decided to stay up there for news as well, and when they arrived, Yoda turned and asked, "Learn anything you have?" sounding hopeful.
"I'm afraid not, Master," Mace said regretfully, "Kit's brothers give nothing away, other than a few of their names, and will not reveal where their base is. They think we have failed to protect Kit, so they will not say where he is or how to find him."
"That is unfortunate," Palpatine said, "I was hoping to avoid unpleasantness with them and find Master Fisto. Is there any way to get them to say what they know?"
"We could try separating them," Obi-Wan said thoughtfully, "But there is the issue of one of the brothers, Tagali. He is deaf and mute, and the hand signs his brother used to communicate with him aren't familiar to me. Unless someone else recognized them?" turning to those that had been in the cell with him, and they all shook their heads. He turned back to the chancellor, "We will have to keep him with at least one of his brothers so he can communicate. But that could be problematic in and of itself. There is no way to know if what he is saying and what his brother is telling us is the same thing."
"So no matter how one looks at it," the chancellor said slowly, "They have the advantage," he thought for a moment before asking, "Did any of his brothers say why he was deaf and mute?"
"No, they didn't," Master Koth answered, "But it may have something to do with the captured female. Her name is Amarona, and the one brother, Koryo, said she is sworn to protect them with her life. Perhaps Tagali being deaf and mute has something to do with that."
"Why do they have a protector if they are such skilled fighters?" Luminara asked, "They killed several of our troops just now on Rattatak; surely they wouldn't need that kind of protection."
"Many questions we have," Yoda said suddenly, "Find the answers easily; we will not. Speak with these brothers now; I wish to."
Anakin hesitated, "That may not be the best idea, Master. They blame the Jedi for not protecting their brother; they may take it out on you."
Yoda nodded slowly, "Understand the risk, I do, young Skywalker. But know the truth, we must. Learn the truth I may by speaking with them."
Anakin still looked like he didn't think it was a good idea. At the same time, Master Windu said suddenly, "They did know Captain Tarkin was onboard and the Republic officer in command here. I'm not sure how they know that; their explanation would make sense for anyone who wasn't the suspicious type. And at least two have proven they are strong in the Force. Perhaps Seeker was telling the truth when she said they were all Force-sensitive," looking around at those gathered there, while Tarkin paled slightly at the implications.
Before the matter could be discussed more, a panicked clone was heard over Tarkin's comlink, "Sir! The clones and commandos guarding the cell have been overpowered! They've escaped!"
"Where are they headed?" Tarkin snapped, sick and tired of this family getting one over on them all the time, and was rewarded with another clone saying, "They're heading for the hangar, sir! Their ship is already powered up! Someone's flying it!"
Anakin and Obi-Wan were already running for the lift but were too late when they arrived in the hangar. By the time they got there, the last brother, Tagali, was boarding. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned slightly before racing inside, and the ramp was raised behind him. Seconds later, the ship flew away through the open hangar door, which was somehow open and ready. Unable to stop them, the two Jedi ran back to the bridge, Obi-Wan saying when they arrived, "They made it out of the hangar."
"And are doing an admirable job of evading our fighters," Mace said as he watched from the bridge viewports. The others joined him and were amazed that the old spice freighter was much more maneuverable than they had thought. It duck and wove around the fighters trying to force it in range of the tractor beam. After a few minutes of this, it was able to get through the fighters and head between two cruisers. Seconds later, it disappeared into hyperspace with no way to follow.
Tarkin said into the silence, "At least we were able to put a tracking device on their ship while they were being interrogated. We can follow them to their base now."
"I don't think so, sir," Rex said suddenly, and they all turned to see one of the mechanics was on the bridge with the tracking device in hand. The mechanic said somewhat sheepishly, "They jumped me while I was onboard and knocked me out. It was only for a few minutes, and when I came to, the ship was gone, and the tracking device was lying next to me. Sorry, sir."
"It's alright," Mace said instead of Rex, "These brothers were a bit more crafty than we were expecting and a lot smarter. We won't be making that mistake again."
"Now all we have to do is figure out how they keep getting out of those cuffs," Anakin said as they headed back for the holotable, "First Master Fisto, now his brothers. Someone taught someone how to get out of them, and I'm willing to bet it was his brothers teaching Master Fisto. It would be something they would know how to do in their lines of work."
It was silent for a few minutes longer as they all thought it over, and in the end, Aayla said, "The rest of their ships from Rattatak may be back at their base. Perhaps we should see what is happening there? Maybe we can learn something."
Mace nodded and turned to Tarkin, who nodded and typed a few commands into the datapad, and the image from before came up. Not much had changed; Kit still lay comatose in the bed, unable to breathe on his own, but his twin was gone for the moment. Seeing him like that was hard for the Jedi, but movement caught their eye, and the image zoomed out to include the hallway where Santiana was walking. She entered the room and sat in the chair near Kit's bed, just waiting for something, anything to happen. Outside the hall stood Seeker and Quinlan, and as they watched her, Quinlan turned to Seeker and asked, "It's been three days, right?"
Seeker nodded without looking at him, "Yes, it has. And he's still alive. His brain is functioning as well. But wherever he is, we can't reach him. I have tried, but I can't find him. He's trapped in a dream," she cocked her head then, "Or a nightmare."
Quinlan shook his head before saying, "I was up at the communication center just now, and five of the ships we sent to Rattatak are returning and will be here in a few minutes," he raised an eyebrow, "We sent six."
"I know," Seeker said, "I can count. The other ship, and a few of the brothers and Amarona, were captured by the Republic."
"Should we launch a rescue mission?" Quinlan asked seriously, and Seeker shook her head, "No, they'll find their way home. They always do."
Quinlan nodded slowly before asking, "How do you know all this? You were sleeping when I was up there."
Seeker shrugged, "Same way I know everything. The Force always has the answers if you know where to look. And I know where to look. Usually. My comlink is also patched into the communication center, so I always know what messages are coming in."
She said no more on the subject, and Quinlan shook his head before going back to watching Santiana and Kit. Obi-Wan turned to Mace and said, "If she is as strong in the Force as we can all sense, perhaps that is how she has stayed ahead of us all this time. It wasn't just Kit giving her information and protecting her; it was also the Force working for her to stay hidden."
Mace nodded slowly, but his attention wasn't entirely on Obi-Wan or the others. It was on the hologram before them, and they all turned to see that a hooded and cloaked being had come into range of the bug. He stopped when he saw Seeker and Quinlan, Seeker bowing her head respectfully to him while Quinlan stared in surprise at him. The being only stared at him a moment longer before looking into the room where Santiana and Kit were. He entered and walked over to the bed, Santiana raising her head and saying, "I asked not to be disturbed."
"I can leave if you want me to," a deep, baritone voice said from the hood, and Santiana was on her feet so quickly the Jedi missed it. She turned around and stared as the other being reached up and pulled back their hood, revealing the face of Kit's father. He was dressed as his sons, in tunic and trousers, and had a blaster on one hip and a long dagger on the other. His utility belt had several pockets and pouches, and they all looked full.
He was tall, taller than Santiana by a few inches, and his face was an older version of Kit's. He carried himself proudly and confidently, and his eyes were warm and kind. He smiled gently when he saw Santiana and held out his hands as she walked over to him. He held her close and didn't let go as she melted into his arms, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent for a long time. Santiana did the same, her arms around his neck and her eyes closed, relieved they were together again. This lasted for several minutes before they were finally able to let go, but they didn't move apart. They stayed there, foreheads against each other for several more minutes as they stared into each other's eyes, and then Santiana was finally able to break away, turning her head towards their son and guiding her mate over to him.
Kit's father sat down carefully on the bed next to Kit, reaching out a worn but gentle hand and resting it on his face, leaving it there for several minutes, but there was no reaction from Kit. He continued to lay there, and his father looked at Santiana for a few seconds as she sat down in the chair. His father only shook his head and reached over with his left hand, taking Kit's limp right hand and holding it close, hoping for a response.
Watching this, the Jedi were saddened to see how hopeful Kit's father seemed and how strong he was. Despite everything, he was unwilling to show how much it hurt to see his son like that, and he was willing to continue and keep going for his family. His quiet strength and calm confidence were familiar, and that's when Mace realized he had seen it before.
He had seen it in his son.
Watching all this from the hallway, Quinlan asked quietly, "When's the last time they saw each other?"
"Santiana and Tzakara?" Seeker asked, "It's been over twenty years," hearing that Quinlan turned to her. She added, "The Monarchy hunts both of them and all their sons, but anyone who knows anything about bonded old-breed mates knows that they are each other's support and strength. Tzakara is her strength, Santiana is his. They aren't complete without each other, and the Monarchy knows that if something were to happen to Tzakara, Santiana wouldn't be able to go on. Their bonds don't survive well on opposite sides of death, and the bond between Santiana and Tzakara is one of the strongest. It's had to be for them to survive everything life has thrown at them. And so, the Monarchy hunts Tzakara a bit more than Santiana. It wasn't a problem for a long time, but twenty years ago, the Monarchy got too close and nearly killed them both by seriously injuring Tzakara. He was able to survive, but that was when the Geàrd Rìoghail decided the safest option was to separate them. It wasn't an idea either were particularly happy about, but it guaranteed their safety. If no one knows where Tzakara is, and he doesn't know where Santiana is, then they are both safe. And gives Santiana a breather from being hunted if the Monarchy isn't focused on finding her."
"Why do they hunt her so much?" Quinlan asked, "It's not like she is the queen."
"But she is, Quinlan, in her own way," Seeker said quietly, "She is the direct descendant of queens uncounted, and she is a queen in her own right, well-respected not just by her clan but the rest of Glee Anselm. An exiled queen perhaps, but a queen nonetheless," she scoffed suddenly as she watched Santiana and Tzakara, "And Dooku made such a big deal about being a Count. Kit and his brothers are princes, exiled princes maybe, but princes nonetheless. Just because they've been forced from power doesn't mean they aren't seen as princes and queen by the people of Glee Anselm. Just because they wander the galaxy to survive and are always ready for a fight doesn't change the fact they are princes and queen."
Quinlan shook his head, "I can't believe they are princes some days or the lengths they have gone to to survive. But then I look at them, and their people, and I realize I haven't seen anything yet. They keep going, even when logic says they should have been gone a long time ago."
Seeker shrugged, "I've yet to meet one of their people who gives up without a fight. Giving up is not something they know how to do, and they fight with everything they have to keep going. Even the children."
Quinlan nodded slowly before looking at the three Nautolans for a few moments. Tzakara hadn't moved and was still holding Kit's hand, waiting and watching for something, anything, to happen while Santiana looked on and held his other hand. Watching this, Quinlan said suddenly, "I've been sensing a lot of guilt from Santiana the last few days. She blames herself for what happened. Why?" turning to Seeker and surprising those watching the feed. Why would Santiana feel guilty for what happened to her son?
It wasn't her fault.
Seeker stared through the wall into the room for a few moments before saying quietly, "I won't speak for her, and you are welcome to ask her yourself," Quinlan immediately shook his head, and Seeker smiled slightly, "But you would have to be a lot braver than you are, unfortunately. Santiana is intimidating no matter what," her smile faded then, "She wanted to raise Kit alongside his twin, but circumstances kept that from happening. And he is her youngest; she is the most protective of him."
"That doesn't answer my question, not fully," Quinlan said with a touch of amusement, and the Jedi could see he knew how to get answers out of Seeker better than Ventress did.
Seeker turned to him and said, "Yes, it does answer that question if you understand the context and how old-breeds raise their children. They age slower than most."
"How much slower?" Quinlan asked, looking as though he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer. Seeker cocked her head as she said, "Old-breed Nautolans are completely dependent on their mothers for the first five years of their lives, Quinlan. They rely on their mother to feed them, protect them, raise them, teach them. After those five years, they may start to wander a bit from her side, but still stay right beside her for the next…." here she paused and moved her head from side to side for a moment before saying, "….fifty or so years," she turned to Quinlan then and said in the face of his surprise, "If Kit had been raised in the clan, he would just be leaving his mother's side now to explore and learn everything there was to know from his father and brothers, but would still come back to her every night for the safety and security she would offer. But because he was raised by the Jedi, who didn't know how slowly old-breeds aged, he grew up a bit fast. The end result is him being treated like an adult when he isn't really one and his parents wishing things were different. But because they can't turn back time, they are left with no choice but to deal with the fallout."
Hearing Seeker explain how slowly old-breeds aged seemed to make everything more real, and Quinlan nodded slowly before saying, "So if at fifty he's leaving his mother to explore, when is he considered mature enough to go off on his own? Assuming he does, since I don't think he would have left his twin if they had been raised in the clan," revealing he knew something about that bond between the two brothers.
Seeker nodded and was silent for a few minutes before saying, "There is the fact that being mature physically isn't the same as being experienced enough to go off on their own, Quinlan. At least one parent and a few of his siblings would probably have gone with him and his twin for the first few centuries just to make sure they could survive on their own. With this clan, experience trumps all at the end of the day."
Quinlan sighed and said, "Again, not answering the question, but I can live with that. So….if at fifty years they leave their mother, at a hundred they're mature, right? Just going off what you've told me."
Seeker raised an eyebrow and said, "Quinlan, Grogu will be an adult before Kit is," surprising the Jedi as she finally turned to him, "Grogu will be an adult at around 175 years, while Kit won't be mature until he's 200 years."
Quinlan cocked his head in confusion, "They're not the same age," and Seeker shook her head, "Doesn't matter; fact is Grogu will be an adult before Kit's family and clan sees him as one," she cocked her head then, "Assuming he survives."
"Why do you all assume he won't?" Quinlan asked suddenly, "It can't just be because you have seen this before and know what will happen. He may surprise you."
Seeker nodded slowly, "I'm hopeful for that too, Quinlan. But there is the fact none of us can ignore that mature old-breeds have died after falling into a coma like this one. He isn't mature, which makes all the difference. He may not wake up, and what kind of condition will his brain be in if he does? It was starved of oxygen when he crashed those three times during surgery; he could have permanent brain damage that we won't be able to see until he's awake. His brain, like his body, is essentially in stasis, waiting. I have seen old-breeds walk off injuries that would have killed any other being in the galaxy, but that doesn't change the fact that he isn't fully mature and is a bit weaker than his brothers and parents. He and his twin, and anyone else from the clan under two hundred years, are weaker than a mature old-breed, hence why they are protected and raised by their families for so long. It guarantees they actually survive their younger years. A few more centuries, and he would be as hard to kill as one of his brothers."
"Assuming he survives this," Quinlan was the one to say it now, and the gravity of the situation was clearly starting to sink in. After a few minutes of watching the medical room, he sighed and said, "I need to contact the cruisers we now have hidden and see what they need in terms of supplies. Let me know if something changes?"
"I don't think anything will, but very well," was all Seeker said, and Quinlan left with another shake of his head. After a few minutes, Seeker left as well when Tzakara raised his head and looked at her, bowing her head to him and walking away down the hallway, and that was when the feed shut down, leaving Tarkin fumbling for a few moments before saying, "They must have turned R6 off. We won't be able to see anything until they turn him back on."
"Great," Anakin said sarcastically, "So all we can do is wait for them to turn him back on, if they decide to turn him back on."
"It's not ideal, but it gives us a chance to ask a few more questions that have answers we have no way of figuring out," Obi-Wan said, leaving Anakin to turn to him and say, "That doesn't help, Master. There has to be a way to find this base. It has to be on a planet or moon or somewhere it can be found. If it's as large as we think it is and has so many people on it, then a lot of resources and energy is going into keeping it maintained. It can't be invisible."
"And yet we have no way of knowing where to start looking for it," Master Mundi said quietly, "If it is that large, it could be functioning as something else to ward off suspicion. We have no idea what it looks like from the outside and have only seen a few rooms and hallways. That isn't enough to know where to start looking for it."
Anakin shook his head while Yoda said, "Look for Kit's brothers in the Force; we will. Perhaps find them that way we will."
"And if his brothers and family are equally strong in the Force," Mace said thoughtfully as he pieced together Yoda's reasoning, "we are looking for a place where the Force has gathered itself the most recently."
Yoda nodded, but at that moment, the chancellor cut in and said, "There may be another way to find him, Master Jedi," as Mas Amedda whispered in his ear for a moment. The Jedi waited patiently for him to finish, and once Amedda had stepped away, Palpatine turned to the Jedi and said, "My staff just received a transmission from someone who claims to know about the clan and family and is willing to answer our questions. They are in the Carida system and will meet with all of us in person at the Valor space station if we want to."
It was silent for a few moments, and then Luminara said softly, "That seems too good to be true. It could be a trap."
"I don't think so," Palpatine said, "They are willing to meet us on the space station there and submit to Republic clones escorting them to and from this meeting to their ship, on the condition that they are allowed to bring some protection of their own. And that we let them leave afterward, regardless of what we hear and what they may hold back from us. They will lay out more terms when they arrive," he turned to Yoda, "While I'm loathed to let any of those brothers loose on one of our ships to cause who knows what kind of damage, I think this may give us some insight into what is happening, not just with Master Fisto and his family but also with Glee Anselm and the clans. If nothing else, we can better understand it all."
Yoda thought for a few minutes before sighing and shutting his large eyes. They opened a few minutes later, and he said, "Agree to this meeting, I do. Have the entire Council there we will. Arrange a meeting time with this person, you should," looking up at the chancellor, who nodded and said, "They insist I be there in person, or this meeting doesn't happen at all. I will be there as soon as I can," nodding his head respectfully to Yoda before ending the transmission.
Once he was gone, the Jedi gathered there turned towards getting the fleet underway and reaching out to the other members of the Council that hadn't been there in person so that they could get underway and meet them at the arranged time in Carida.
Once there, there was no way to know how this meeting would go.
Or what the person they were meeting was like.
Reaching Carida and the Valor four days later, the fleet arrived just as the chancellor and the rest of the council arrived. During that time, R6 had been turned back on and revealed Kit was still alive, surprising those with him and leaving Seeker to say to Quinlan, "I don't understand what's happening now, but there is nothing left to do but wait and hope."
Quinlan had shaken his head before leaving and heading for the two ships they had commandeered, saying something about getting supplies to them and taking Ventress with him to get her out of the base and away from the brothers. The brothers that had been captured by the Republic had returned and were waiting around, but soon it became clear they weren't going to stay. Apparently, being people of action meant they weren't good at waiting for something to happen, and so they were going off into the galaxy for a few weeks while they waited for news.
Even Kailan looked like he was thinking of going somewhere, but why that would be the case, the Jedi didn't know since everyone said that twin Nautolans didn't like to be separated.
Finally arriving at the Valor, the Jedi and chancellor hadn't been there that long when a ship exited hyperspace and started heading towards the station. It was a smaller craft that had seen better days but was still going strong. Obi-Wan said lightly, "That thing is in worse shape than the Twilight. I wonder how it's still going," before turning to the giant holotable in the middle of the command center where everyone had gathered.
Anakin, standing next to him, just ignored the comment and went down the steps surrounding the holotable on all sides to wait for whoever they were meeting. Looking around, he was surprised to see the entire council was there in person, which hadn't really happened since the war began. Obviously, Kit wasn't there, and Master Gallia was running a bit late since her wounds from the fight on Florrum still troubled her from time to time. Master Nema had told her to listen to her body when it wanted her to rest, so she was taking a bit longer than usual to get there.
Hopefully, whoever they were meeting would understand what was happening.
An indicator flashed on the holotable, and Mace said quietly, "They've landed in the main hangar. They'll be here in a few minutes," he turned to Tarkin, "Perhaps you should go somewhere else, Captain. These people have made it clear they are a threat to you."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Palpatine said instead of Tarkin, "One of the conditions of this meeting was that both Captain Tarkin and Captain Thrawn be here for it," when Mace frowned, he added, "I didn't tell you because I didn't want this meeting to not happen because of that condition. And hopefully, whoever we meet will see they are outnumbered and not try to get to him."
Mace still looked doubtful about that but said nothing more as a clone entered and nodded. Mace looked around at those gathered and saw they were all ready, and then nodded at the clone, who turned his head towards the door as it opened and a female Nautolan entered the room.
Like all of Clan Fisto they had met so far, she held herself proudly and confidently and was tall. Her light orange skin stood out against the blue of her dress and overcoat. She had a few small arms on her belt and a long knife in a sheath on her right hip. Her large eyes surveyed all there with no emotion to be seen, and she walked with a steady step. Her hands and arms had blue wraps around them and looked strong, and her legs were also muscular and powerful. Her features were a bit softer than the brothers and even Santiana, possibly due to her being heavily pregnant. She was clearly about to give birth, and now the Jedi understood why she had offered this meeting.
She knew they wouldn't detain or arrest her.
Following behind her was another female Nautolan, this one a dark green in color. She was dressed as Amarona had been and carried a strange, staff-like weapon in her hand. Like with Amarona, one of her head-tentacles was dyed red as well, but with her, it only went halfway up the tentacle. With Amarona, it had gone all the way up. She was also armed with smaller arms and a few knives and judging from the well-worn grips, she knew how to use them and used them well.
The orange Nautolan had paused for a moment as she took in everyone there. After a few seconds, she started walking again, climbing down the steps carefully while the other female followed behind. Once at the holotable, she looked at the chancellor, who said, "You weren't who we were expecting."
"I know," she said, her accent thick but her Basic flawless, "You were expecting Santiana, I imagine, or one of her sons. But she wasn't going to leave Home Base anytime soon, and none of her sons have any desire to come here."
"What makes you think you can tell us anything about this family?" Palpatine asked, "We don't even know who you are."
"My name is Taylora," she replied, "You've already met my brother, Tristan, in a sense. I'm not here because Santiana asked me to come; I'm here because I convinced her to let me come. You have questions only one of the clan can answer, and there is a chance I know most of the answers."
"You said there would be terms," Mace said, and Taylora turned to him, "Yes, there are. The ones already mentioned, which are my companion and me leaving after this, regardless of what you are told and whether you like it or not, and the fact that I will control this conversation. You may ask any questions you like, but I will decide if I will answer them and how much of an answer you will get. It will be the truth, that I can promise. But I'm gone if you try to steer me down a path I cannot answer. It is that simple."
"And you are gambling on us letting you go because you are pregnant, and the Jedi will never in good conscience detain you," Thrawn added. She smiled slightly as she turned to him and said, "Yes, that is true. I am counting on that quite a lot and said as much to Santiana. She was reluctant to let me come here primarily because of that fact, but I told her the truth from me was better than hearsay from an enemy. And that enemy comes in many forms these days," glancing at Tarkin slightly as she said this.
Tarkin only glared at her, which didn't bother her as she looked away and effectively dismissed him and turned her attention back to the Jedi and the chancellor, who finally said, "We are welcome to this discussion, Taylora, but it doesn't change the fact we aren't sure how much you can tell us. You just appearing a few days after these brothers and this clan has suddenly made itself known to us doesn't exactly inspire confidence in what you have to say."
"Fair enough, Chancellor," Taylora said, "How about a bit of information to show how much I know? I can identify all of the Fisto brothers and give you some personal information about a few that you don't know. You've already met some and know their names, so perhaps I can fill in the blanks. And if I can name all of them successfully, perhaps that will show I know more than you think."
Palpatine looked at Mace and then Yoda, who nodded slowly, and the chancellor said, "Very well, we will play along with this. On the one condition you explain who she is first," nodding at the other Nautolan, "She is making me a bit nervous."
"As well she should, Chancellor," Taylora said quietly, "Her name is Kintalla. She is my bodyguard and protector and doesn't know a lick of Basic, so she will be watching me and my body language for cues. She is also a member of the Geàrd Rìoghail. Her sworn task is to protect the Fisto bloodline, or die trying."
Hearing that, Master Mundi asked in surprise, "You are of that bloodline? I thought –" but was cut off by Taylora.
"No, I am not of that bloodline, Master Mundi," she said quietly. Seeing how they were looking at her in surprise, she said with an amused smile, "Kit was kind enough to give the names of everyone on the Jedi Council the last time I saw him," her smile faded, and she said, "The Fisto bloodline is down to one family, just as it's been for all time. I am not of that bloodline, but my child is," resting a hand on her stomach as she said this.
"Your child?" Master Luminara asked, and Taylora nodded, "Hence Santiana's hesitation. She is gambling with her grandchild's life right now, and it is not something she is comfortable doing. But she acknowledges there is no choice to be had," turning to the chancellor she added, "Which is one of the reasons I came. I am her daughter-in-law, so I know more about this family and its past than anyone else you are likely to find. And because I am so close to the family, you can trust my word as being true."
Palpatine still looked as though he was a bit surprised by this news, while Mace shook his head and said, "If that is the case, then please help us identify these brothers. We want to understand them as best we can," Taylora nodded, and Mace inclined his head at a clone technician sitting in a chair nearby. The clone immediately got up and moved the chair closer, but Taylora was having none of it.
"Oh, no thanks," she said to the clone, "This late, once I sit down, I can never get up again easily," she turned to the Jedi, "And I prefer to be on my feet for this."
The clone looked at Mace, who nodded, and the clone returned to his monitor as an image of the brothers waiting in the medical room while Kit was in surgery appeared on the holotable. Taylora only said, "I think someone is missing from this meeting. Seeker told me about Adi Gallia, whom she saved on Florrum; where is she?"
"Master Gallia is on her way," Obi-Wan said, "Her wounds still trouble her from time to time. She will be here as soon as she can but is listening to this conversation," nodding down at his active comlink. Taylora stared at him a moment before nodding slowly and turning to the table and the hologram it was showing, leaving Obi-Wan to look at the others gathered there and shake his head. Already they were at a disadvantage with this woman, and the meeting had barely started.
Turning to her, they watched as she looked over all the brothers and finally said, "It's been a long time since I've seen all the brothers in one room. They normally wander different parts of the galaxy, predominantly the Outer Rim, Wild Space, and the Unknown Regions. Each has their own...territory...of the galaxy, and there is very little overlap between them. It keeps people from finding them or using them against each other. Those that came with them aren't bodyguards; those are their sons and grandsons who know to keep their distance until invited in. You already know Kit and Kailan. They are the youngest and twins. Kailan is a bounty hunter like a few of his brothers but is much more skilled than the ones who have been at it for thousands of years. The others with Kailan here," pointing at the six that had been at Home Base when Seeker, Ventress, and Kailan had arrived with Kit, "are Tivann, Actava, Myeko, Naharen, Lyzann, and Kiveki. Kiveki is my mate and a pirate when the mood strikes him. Tivann and Actava are bounty hunters, while Myeko and Naharen run a criminal enterprise in the Mid Rim. Lyzann is a wild card that does what he wants when he wants," she moved the footage forward to when all the brothers were in the room and said, "You've already met Nagala and Tagali. Mataka is familiar to you as well. Ataltca is the one with one eye, and Tazeki is the hot-headed idiot we all put up with," she added with an affectionate smile, "All brawn and absolutely no brains, but we love him," she looked up again and said, "The others are Talecti, Okoye, Matengi, and Malani," highlighting each brother on the hologram as she identified them; Malani being the one who convinced Ventress to tell Santiana who had attacked Kit. Talecti was really thin and looked like a strong breeze could knock him over. Okoye was the last one to enter the room after Koryo.
"We were able to capture a few of them over Rattatak," Aayla said quietly. While not part of the council, Taylora didn't seem to mind she, Ahsoka, and Anakin were there, as were Tera Sinube, Rig Nema, and Jocasta Nu. Taylora nodded as Aayla continued, "You named all of the ones we captured: Nagala, Tagali, Mataka, Ataltca, and Tazeki. You left off two."
"And that is because I still can't believe you managed to capture those two," Taylora said as she moved the footage again to let the second-to-last brother enter the hologram, "No one has ever captured Koryo. Ever. He's always been too quick and too clever to be caught and is a dangerous opponent. He's never let himself be captured, not even on purpose. Not even the Sith during the Old Republic were able to accomplish it, hence the surprise."
"He killed four of our men," Master Plo said, and Taylora only looked at him and said, "You're lucky it wasn't more. And you owe Kit for that. He convinced his brothers not to attack or hurt a clone or Jedi unless there was no other choice. If a few have died, it wasn't because of the brothers. I would guess it was from the others that were on Rattatak. I'm sure once Koryo was detained, they were quick to blame him for the deaths of your troopers," she raised an eye-ridge, "How close am I to the truth?"
"Closer than I would have thought," Master Plo said with some respect and amusement, "But I am guessing it doesn't change the fact these brothers are more dangerous than they have let on."
"Much more," Taylora agreed, "They are all skilled fighters and shooters and trained marksmen. I have never seen one of them ever miss a target with a sniper rifle. Not even Koryo."
"And why is that noteworthy?" Thrawn asked.
Taylora smiled and chuckled slightly as she looked at the hologram of Koryo before turning to Thrawn and saying, "Koryo is an albino. They aren't that common and are rather rare. Not as rare as a white Nautolan, but close enough."
"They're the same thing," Tarkin said dismissively, and Taylora snorted, "No, they're not. A white Nautolan will have white skin and silver head-spots, while an albino will have no pigmentation and blood-red eyes. Being albino is a handicap for Koryo, as is being white. Both are rare, and there are those in the galaxy who think having one or the other, or both, is a good luck charm. And there is the fact that prey can see you coming if you're white. You stand out too much underwater. But still, I think I would rather be white than albino. There is a significant handicap to being albino that can really shorten their life."
"Why is being albino a handicap?" Luminara asked, and Taylora turned to her and said, "Albino Nautolans are always born blind."
There was silence for a few minutes; everyone there more than surprised at that admission, but then Palpatine asked, "You mean to tell us that Koryo Fisto is completely blind but a marksman and sniper?" Taylora nodded, and the chancellor asked, "How is that possible?"
"I don't know," Taylora said, "I have known him almost my entire life, and I still don't know how he navigates life. All I know for sure is that he's had a long time to practice and adapt techniques to survive and doesn't let anyone stop him from trying something new. His parents made sure that he couldn't be taken advantage of or be at a disadvantage. I remember hearing stories about Santiana making Koryo go chop wood or sharpen weapons without help. She wanted him independent and capable of living without help, which is what has happened. I know that a blind person has senses that are in overdrive to compensate for the lacking sense, so that could be it. He is also Force-sensitive and can sense the pheromones of others. That could add to him finding his way as well."
The chancellor nodded slowly as he thought over this, and then Taylora turned to Mace and said, "Seeker was telling the truth when she said we live a long time. Santiana is almost 9,000 years old, as is Tzakara. Koryo is their eldest son and helps his parents keep his brothers in line. They are a dangerous lot, and can be incredibly unpredictable. They might do one thing one day but refuse to do it the next. But none of them will dare cross him or their parents, for the most part."
"By age, what is the order?" Shaak Ti asked, and Taylora cocked her head a moment before saying, "Koryo is the oldest, followed by Tazeki, Tivann, Actava, Myeko, Lyzann, Kiveki, Mataka, Ataltca, Talecti, Nagala, Tagali, Naharen, Matengi, Okoye, Malani, Kailan, and then Kit. But with them, age doesn't really mean anything."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Anakin asked.
Taylora shrugged, "With these brothers, there's a bit of a hierarchy they follow. Being older doesn't mean you're near the top. Koryo is at the top of the pecking order because he just is, as is Kailan even though he is second youngest, while Tazeki is at the bottom of the heap even though he is second eldest. You didn't see a lot of his brothers giving him anything resembling respect, did you?"
Anakin shook his head, and Taylora smiled briefly, "Tazeki has proven he doesn't have a lot in the brains department, so his brothers just put up with him, and that blue circle around his eye is just a warning to everyone else he is incredibly dangerous and more unpredictable than anyone else in the clan. He isn't the only one to have that tattoo, but the others that do have it can be reasonable sometimes. Tazeki usually isn't. But there are times when he is actually helpful. He, along with Mataka, are brilliant strategists. Both fought in the Old Republic wars and were instrumental to several victories at the time."
"So why disappear into the shadows and not show themselves for so long?" Obi-Wan asked.
Taylora shrugged, "Just the way they are, I guess. They don't like taking credit for much of anything and don't like to brag or gloat. And with the Monarchy always hunting them, hiding has got to be better than fighting as the years have gone on. The older brothers, from Koryo to Ataltca, fought during the fall of the Old Republic, mostly alongside the Jedi of the time."
"Is that how Ataltca lost his eye?" Aayla asked, and Taylora shook her head, "No, he was born without it. You'll notice he also doesn't have an eye-ridge over where the eye should be; that's just an abnormality he was born with that doesn't bother him. What's the point of being upset about something you never had?"
"You say they fought alongside Jedi, but there is no record of that," Jocasta Nu said. Taylora shrugged, "They fought alongside specific Jedi at the time and asked not to be mentioned or remembered by the Jedi. They prefer secrecy and fading away into the galaxy, and the Jedi then respected that. And admired them for their skill. Back then, the brothers' best talent was hunting and killing Sith, and they did it better than the Jedi. They were also skilled leaders and commanders and taught the Jedi how to lead soldiers. Because of the brother's instruction, many Jedi started winning large battles."
"They were Sith hunters?" Palpatine asked, and Taylora had to think about it for a moment before saying, "I don't think so. These brothers, like everyone else in the clan, are warriors. They constantly try to prove themselves and are always looking for the next big opponent. Sith, and Jedi, are skilled warriors the brothers wouldn't mind crossing blades with," she looked at the chancellor then, "That's what those metal bands are for," nodding at the bands the brothers wore on their head-tentacles, "They symbolize the brother's kills."
"Seriously?" Palpatine asked, and Taylora nodded as she said, "Black is for Sith, gold is for Jedi. Light brown is for Monarchy soldiers who refused to surrender and fight to the last, and silver is for civilians. There was a time when hunting down and killing a Jedi in a fair fight was considered a rite of passage for many in the clan, but that went away during the Old Republic when they fought side by side. Now the younger members of the clan don't have gold bands and almost no black because they don't fight Jedi anymore and the Sith are gone. For any in the clan, a high number of silver is a dishonor for us; it shows you have no regard for the lives of the innocent around you and shouldn't follow the warrior path."
"Your people are that dedicated to such rules?" Mace asked, and Taylora nodded, "Yes, we are. Our way is the warrior way, which hasn't changed since the beginning, but honor is at the core of our combat rules. The clan has survived even though it is a warrior clan, and that is because we have a female leading us," nodding at the image of Santiana, "Santiana has always led us well and kept us going when anyone else would just give up. The odds have never been in her favor, and her past is bloody, but that is the way of this family."
"I don't understand," Jocasta said, and Taylora turned to her, "This family is born out of violence...and will die of it. Not a single one of those brothers," nodding at the hologram, "can or will have a peaceful end. There will be no dying in a chair or growing old watching their great-grandchildren play. Not even Kit will have that luxury."
Jocasta shook her head while Eeth Koth asked, "And you are fine with the knowledge that your mate and likely your child will know that fate?"
"I am not fine with it, Master Koth," Taylora said, "I would prefer it if I didn't have to worry about my children dying before me, or being tortured within an inch of death by another for their sick games. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but I know it happens. And with this family, it has happened."
"What are you talking about?" Palpatine asked.
Taylora sighed before turning to the chancellor and saying, "There used to be twenty brothers. Two are dead. They died the night Kailan and Kit were born. They were tortured nearly to death by the Monarchy and then left where our patrols could find them. It took them and their uncle that had been captured with them four days to die. Their uncle was Tzakara's twin brother, and he couldn't recognize his own face in the face of his twin when he was found. It took Santiana four days to recognize her own sons; by then, it was too late. There was nothing anyone could do for them, not even Tristan, so we could only watch as they died slowly and painfully."
"Why?" Mace asked into the stunned silence, and Taylora turned to him, "Why….what? Why were they tortured? Why does the Monarchy want us all dead? Why haven't you noticed all this?"
"Let's start with the last one," Palpatine said, "I can't believe that all you claim has happened on Glee Anselm, and no one ever spoke about it. Surely it would have been mentioned somewhere by someone?"
"History is told from the point of view of the oppressors, not the oppressed, Chancellor," Taylora said bluntly, "And if you are able to suppress your people enough, they won't speak up. Mostly because the people know doing so will result not just in them being slowly tortured and killed, but their families as well. The dungeons of the palace on Glee Anselm are seldom empty."
"How did this happen?" Mace asked, "How did this coup come about?"
Taylora sighed and said, "It was a long time ago, over 9,000 years now. Back then, Santiana's grandmother Avalonia ruled Glee Anselm. She, like everyone else from Clan Fisto, lived for thousands of years and ruled her people well. She may have been of the clan, but she was the leader of the entire planet. She was well-respected and well-loved by everyone. Her daughter, Laurentia, was the next queen. The clan is female-dominated, with the men having very little say, and that was how Glee Anselm's government was back then. All seemed well, but they didn't know about some warlords who were upset with how things were going. They wanted more power than they were being given because Glee Anselm didn't have much of a military. They were hoping that Laurentia would mate one of their sons and keep the power of the throne in their reach."
"Did she?" Master Mundi asked.
Taylora shook her head, "No, she didn't. Old-breed Nautolans know their mates the second they meet them and will wait for as long as they have to to find them. They'll wait forever if they have to. Tazeki waited over 8,500 years for Krista, for example."
"Wow," was all Anakin could say, but Taylora didn't notice as she continued the story, "Laurentia was more loved than her mother by the people and would come up with a thousand and one ways to sneak out of the palace, alone. It caused her mother a bit of stress because her father had died while out touring the far reaches of the ocean, and she didn't want to lose her daughter to her curiosity. To that end, the Geàrd Rìoghail had a young guard that was friends with Laurentia go with her. That guard's name was Amarona."
"I'm not going to try and pronounce that," Anakin said, "I know I'll butcher it. What does it mean in Basic?"
"Royal Guard," Taylora said, "They are sworn to protect the bloodline of queens, not the throne they sit on. Anyone can sit on that throne, but who the Geàrd decides to follow and protect aren't always on the throne. But they are always of the Fisto bloodline, and the Geàrd will never deviate from that loyalty. They would rather die than betray it. Quite a few have."
"Is it like the Senate commandos that serve and protect the Senate?" Obi-Wan asked, and Taylora nodded, "In a sense, it is. It is a time-honored tradition to become part of the Geàrd and is usually passed from mother to daughter. They can only be female, and it is one of the most revered traditions in the clan. It is voluntary, and there is the understanding if you find your mate, you may leave the Geàrd for a time to have a family and then come back with your daughters to continue the tradition if they want to. A member of the Geàrd Rìoghail can be recognized by the red tentacle. The more experience you gain, the more it is painted. Amarona is the leader of the Geàrd and Santiana's closest friend. It is also rumored she and Tzakara's brother were involved before his death, but the only ones who would know anything about that are Amarona and Tzakara, and neither will say anything about it. When the decision was made for them to be separated, Santiana asked Amarona to protect Tzakara, not her. It was a task she wouldn't have trusted to anyone else. And while Santiana can and will defend herself very well, she always has at least twenty Geàrdan with her at all times. Tzakara usually has ten, but that number can fluctuate depending on the situation and where he is. Their sons may have one or two if they need them, which they usually don't. I think I heard Santiana say Kit had six at one point when he was younger, watching from the shadows and keeping him safe, even when he was in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant."
Obi-Wan shook his head while Mace asked, "What caused the coup?"
"Apologies, Master Windu," Taylora said, "I can get off-topic sometimes," she frowned then, "Where was I?" before her eyes lit up, and she said, "I remember now; Laurentia's wanderings. She was a free spirit who didn't like being told what to do, especially when it was the warlords trying to do so. These warlords weren't of the clan; they were just power-hungry, hoping to corrupt the government from the inside to warrant a coup. While there was a queen as head of state, the planet was also led by a council that included those warlords. They wanted Laurentia in their control, but that wasn't going to be the case," she paused a moment before smiling wistfully, "I never met Laurentia, but I heard she was a delight to be around who found life and joy in everything she did, and never stopped smiling and laughing. During her wanderings, she found herself in another city."
"Is there a point to this story?" Palpatine asked gently, "You seem to be dancing around what we want to know."
"There is, Chancellor," Taylora said, looking mildly annoyed he had interrupted her, "But a good story is only told when the background is well-explained, so please bear with me a few moments longer," the chancellor nodded with a slight smile and Taylora continued, "Laurentia met her mate during that trip. He was a street musician and dancer named Dhiren. I don't know if he was any good, but he always had leftover credits at the end of the day. After buying food for himself, he would give the leftover credits to anyone on the street who needed them, usually to homeless women and children. Then he would find himself a comfortable bench or chair and sleep outside. Laurentia knew he was her mate, and he knew she was his. So she brought him back to the palace, to her mother's pleasure and the warlord's displeasure. Their chance of controlling Laurentia disappeared right then and there. And made the idea of a coup much harder to carry out. With Dhiren in the palace, he convinced Avalonia to look more into the books and treasury and see where the money meant to help the homeless was going. It wasn't going to build them homes or invest in education or medicine; it was disappearing. He knew, just from living on the streets, that the money wasn't going where the palace thought it was. It was going to the warlords who were secretly training soldiers and mercenaries to be able to take on the Geàrd. The Geàrd are some of the best warriors in the galaxy; they are trained from day one to be and the training is intense and sometimes brutal. Those traitors knew they would have to have their soldiers trained to the level of Jedi to have a prayer of a chance of defeating them."
It was silent for a few moments and then Master Mundi asked, "So the warlords figured out what Dhiren was doing and decided to accelerate their timeline?"
Taylora nodded, "They did. But then they learned that Laurentia was pregnant. They decided to wait and see if she had a son or daughter before acting on the coup. A son could be of use to them, a daughter not so much."
"Why not?" Obi-Wan asked, "Everything we have heard so far indicates that females are in control of this clan."
Taylora smiled slightly and said, "Alpha females are in charge of the clan, Master Kenobi. And an alpha female is very different from any other female. Alpha females, without even having to use the Force, can force their will over others, even alpha males. Beta females like myself and Kintalla, and beta males like Santiana's sons, can do nothing against it. Tzakara is an alpha male, but even he is subservient to Santiana's will when she forces it over him, not that she ever does. It's how alpha females assert dominance over the clan and keep it in line, but they rarely use it. They prefer to lead by respect and understanding, not force and fear. But also, an alpha female is born immune to manipulation. They aren't easily tricked or deceived. Nor are they lied to easily. Santiana sometimes sees straight through people and always knows when she is being lied to."
"How many alpha females are there?" Master Piell asked, and Taylora shook her head, "Only two that I know of. Being an alpha female is a state of being; you can tell the second one is born. Santiana is one; Seeker is the other. Aside from that, I don't think there are any more, since they are usually hunted and killed by the Monarchy. They think it's a genetic trait that passes from mother to daughter and assume that any child born an alpha female on Glee Anselm is related to Santiana, even when they are clearly not. And there is the fact that the Monarchy is led by a male, and the society is now aimed at oppressing women. Killing alpha females, that speak their minds and will not submit to males for any reason, is a way to stay in power."
The Jedi and chancellor were becoming increasingly interested in this story and all the intricate details, especially when Taylora returned to the story, "As I was saying, the warlords were willing to wait and see if Laurentia was having a boy or a girl. Old-breed pregnancies last two years, and children are born two years to the day after they're conceived. And as I'm sure you know, the family is Force-sensitive, which has passed down through the family for all time. And so when Laurentia said she was having a girl, the warlords knew she was telling the truth," she paused a moment, closing her eyes and gathering herself before saying, "The coup happened the night Laurentia went into labor. More experienced old-breed mothers will go off by themselves to give birth, but since it was Laurentia's first time, she decided to ignore that instinct and stay in the palace. Everyone was focused on her and making sure she would be alright they didn't notice the soldiers gathering until it was too late. By then, the Geàrd Rìoghail were caught unawares and the killing began."
Palpatine shook his head as he heard this while the Jedi listened closely, almost unable to believe the story as Taylora continued, "Avalonia knew that the Geàrd wouldn't be able to hold the palace; there were too many soldiers against them. So she had Dhiren and Laurentia go with her to the throne room and escape out a secret tunnel with around forty Geàrdan that were with them. She made those Geàrdan swear themselves to Laurentia then and there, forcing them into the tunnel and shutting the door. The last time Laurentia saw her mother was then. Her mother defended her to the last and killed quite a few of those soldiers before they could find the tunnel, as she was a warrior. By the time she was dead and they had found the tunnel, Laurentia, Dhiren, and their Geàrdan were long gone."
"So they escaped and were able to get help, right?" Anakin asked, clearly hoping for a good ending to this story, but Taylora shook her head, "The clan's ancestral lands were quite a ways away from the palace, almost a hundred miles. They made it about halfway before Laurentia said she had to stop. So they took shelter in a cave, but it wasn't enough. The soldiers found them. When all was said and done, the only one left alive in the cave was a mortally wounded Dhiren. Laurentia and the Geàrdan were all dead, and Santiana still hadn't been born."
"What?" Palpatine asked faintly, looking like he was the one needing a chair at that moment. Taylora nodded, "Santiana was still alive inside her mother, and so Dhiren did the only thing he could do in the moment and cut his daughter out of her mother. If you ever get close enough to Santiana, you will see a small scar where one of her head-tentacles meets her skull, where his knife cut her. But if you are that close, you are likely going to be dead in the next few moments, so be careful. The Geàrd won't care who you are; if you threaten Santiana, you're dead."
Palpatine looked sick to his stomach, and a few of the Jedi standing around didn't look much better, but the story wasn't done yet as Taylora continued, "Dhiren was from the clan originally and knew where to go. I don't know how he made it with such a fatal wound, but somehow he did. One of the patrols found him and brought him to the main meeting place with Santiana. There, he told the elders what had happened at the palace and that Avalonia and Laurentia were dead. He survived long enough to name his daughter and see her one last time, and then he died. But his warning was enough for the clan, so when those traitors came looking for Santiana, they found a clan over 150,000 strong surrounding her and no way to get past them. Santiana was raised by the clan after that, and when she was in her nineties, she left for a time and returned with Tzakara and his brother. Koryo was born a few weeks early, leaving a few to suspect she had been sneaking out to meet with Tzakara for quite a while before she actually brought him to the clan, acting a bit like her mother in that moment. In time everyone grew to love Tzakara because he brought out the happier side of Santiana and helped her find some joy in life. His past is a bit of a mystery, but his loyalty and devotion to Santiana have never been questioned. Neither has his hatred of the Monarchy. Whatever they did to him, they left quite an impression. Their hatred of the Monarchy has passed on to their sons as well. As for the Geàrd, of the almost four thousand there were before, only eight survived the slaughter, and the only reason they survived was because they were visiting their families at home and weren't there to help their sisters. The Geàrd is a sisterhood, and thankfully a few of the elders were retired Geàrdan. Amarona was the oldest and most experienced at the time and has been working to build up the numbers of the Geàrd Rìoghail ever since. It doesn't change anything for Santiana, but it does help her know that her mother's closest friend is with her and has essentially raised her as her own. It doesn't change what happened to her parents, but I imagine it helps a little."
"She was told the story of what happened to her parents, wasn't she?" Mace asked softly, and Taylora shook her head, "No, she wasn't. Old-breed awareness begins six months before they're born, so she would have heard, seen, and remembered everything about that night. She never got to see her mother's face, and only saw her father a few times, and that was it. She remembers their voices, though. Her memories of them are few and foggy, something she has never wanted for her children or anyone else in the clan. She doesn't want anyone in her clan to have a past like hers," she looked down at her stomach then and said quietly, "Believe it or not, this little one is listening and paying attention to what is happening right now. He's heard this story before, and I think it's his favorite. He certainly kicks less when it's told," she looked up then, "We tell that story often, not to glorify Santiana, but to remind ourselves about what happened that day and make sure it doesn't happen again. It's hard; the clan was small before the coup and has only gotten smaller over the years. Over the millennia, we have been forced out of our ancestral lands and to the south pole of Glee Anselm, a very dangerous place to live which is not big enough for all of us."
"What's so dangerous about it?" Aayla asked, and Taylora turned to the holotable and pulled up a map of Glee Anselm. Meebur Gascon hopped on the table as she did so and watched as she zoomed in on the planet's south pole. Once there, she said, "There is only about a hundred miles by a hundred miles of space for all of us, and there is never enough food, mostly because the land isn't arable enough for farming or for animals to live. The water goes from unbelievably hot to unsurvivably cold without warning, and there are active volcanoes and lava beds to watch out for. Lava rivers can open under your feet without warning, and the only food that can be found is five miles below the surface, or deeper. The south pole is where two tectonic plates meet, so there are constant earthquakes. And that is just the land. There is a creature there called the waterfire dragon. It's called that because it can breathe fire underwater. Fighting one and defeating it, but not killing it, is another rite of passage that all the brothers have gone through, as have a few of their sons and grandsons."
"What are those?" Gascon asked suddenly, and Taylora zoomed in on seven large mounds forming a barrier north of the pole. They were almost visible from space, and Taylora smiled sadly when she saw them, "The clan numbered 150,000 at one point. Now it is down to 80,000."
"Those are mass graves," Master Plo said into the silence, and Taylora nodded, "There were days, sometimes, when it felt like you could hear the screams of the dead and dying on the wind, and other days when the dust kicked up and you swore you could see the dead walking amongst the living. Maybe it was the lack of food, but it always felt real. I'm glad that things have finally changed."
Shaak Ti looked at her and asked, "In what way?"
Taylora sighed and said, "Before, we were forced to stay in the south pole and couldn't leave easily. It's essentially been a 9,000-year-long siege to get us to yield and accept the slaughter waiting for us. Santiana finally decided there was no way for our people to live on Glee Anselm and keep going, so she reached out to Kit in the Temple and asked him to start looking for a new home for us. He had the Jedi Archives at his disposal and could look for a new planet for us. He knew Seeker back then and knew she was a wanderer, so he asked her to start looking as well during her hunt for Sith. It took a couple decades, but finally, they were able to find a place for us to live. A planet, hidden away that no one knows about and no one can find, similar to Glee Anselm but a bit bigger with the same animal and plant life we are used to, but without the constant threat of death. It was the perfect place for us, so over the last few years, the clan has quietly left Glee Anselm, smuggling itself away on ships, trawlers, and anything else that could fly. If the Monarchy had known what we were doing, they would have started shooting those ships out of the sky, but they never caught on. The last of our people left Glee Anselm two years ago, and now all that remains are ghosts and memories."
"And you are okay with leaving behind your entire life?" Gascon asked, and Taylora looked at him, "It wasn't much of a life. We were always on alert, always waiting for another of us to make a wrong move and get shot or killed. Our patrols were always attacked and never came back with everyone alive. There was always at least someone dead amongst them."
There was silence for a few moments before the chancellor asked, "You said two things I would like to revisit," Taylora looked at him, and he continued, "You said the parent's hatred has inspired hatred in the sons and said that there were seven mass graves on the border of the south pole. What are those?" pointing at three small mounds independent of the graves but still close.
Taylora swallowed slightly before saying quietly, "That is where Santiana's sons, and Tzakara's brother, are buried. Their graves are a pilgrimage site for many in the clan, and their deaths aren't forgotten. Neither are the deaths of everyone else we have lost. They were the last to die before Santiana decided it was time to leave and start over somewhere else. After they died, she made sure no one else died by enforcing strict curfews, not letting anyone leave our settlements by land, and essentially told us to stop having children until we were somewhere where they wouldn't starve. Now that we are, we can start having children without the fear of watching them waste away from not enough food."
"And that hatred you mentioned?" the chancellor asked, "Would Master Fisto know it?" Mace glanced sharply at him, and Palpatine said, "It is a question that should be discussed, Master Windu, I'm sorry to say."
"Answer, please," Yoda said. He had been silent as he listened to Taylora, but now he wanted to know.
Taylora stared at him a moment before saying, "Santiana was in labor when her sons and brother-in-law were brought back. Most old-breeds go off by themselves to give birth because our children imprint on the first thing they see, normally their mother, so they can find her in a crowd or underwater when the lighting is not good. But the first thing Kit saw was his father while Kailan saw her, hence why Santiana hopes Tzakara will be able to reach him now. Santiana didn't go away that time because it was twins, and she worried something might go wrong. So she was there when her sons and brother-in-law were brought in. When she finally recognized them, it was too late to save them, and not even my brother could have done anything. They were dying, slowly and painfully, after the torturers in the dungeons cut out one of their hearts and removed organs like their livers and one of their kidneys. And that's what they did internally. Externally they were beaten and whipped until there was almost nothing left. One of the brothers had an eye cut out, and their uncle's hand had been ripped off."
Yoda shook his head while Taylora continued, "Whenever a child is born in the clan, the first thing they hold is a blade. Before their mother does anything else, the first thing she gives them is a blade. With the twins, it was a bit different. I was there. I remember her giving them the blade and then standing up, the blood flowing down her legs, and taking the twins into the room where their brothers and uncle lay dead and showing them the bodies. I remember what she said, and I know the twins remember it too."
"What did she say?" Luminara asked, and Taylora turned to her and looked her in the eye as she said, "This is your fate, unless you fight with every fiber in your being to prevent it."
Luminara shook her head while Mace asked, "You are certain they remember that?"
Taylora nodded, "Yes, I am. I've had enough children to know that they remember everything from before birth until the present. Kailan and Kit would remember that and never forget it. Most of our children cry when they're born; Kailan and Kit didn't. They knew something was wrong and were paying close attention when their mother told them that. So in answer to your question, Chancellor," turning to Palpatine, "Yes, they both know that hatred, and would likely act on it if they have to defend their people. There aren't many in the clan who don't. For some of us, it keeps us going; for others, it helps us remember why we have kept going all this time."
There was nothing more to say about that, and that was when Master Tiin asked, "What exactly does Master Fisto mean to your people? You speak about him fondly, and now that we know he has been reaching out to you and his family for a long time, perhaps you can tell us about that."
Taylora thought for a moment before saying, "Santiana has eighteen sons now, and over three hundred grandsons and great-grandsons. But there is pressure from the clan for one of her daughters-in-law to have a daughter, but with our people, there is the fact that you can start to tell whether or not you will have a son or daughter after a few children. If you only have sons the first few times, you will always have sons. If you've only had daughters the first few times, you will always have daughters. If you have a mix of sons and daughters, you will always have a mix of sons and daughters. We have only had sons, and our sons have had sons. While there is no resentment or anything of the kind because we have only had sons and are completely devoted to our children, there is the wish for one of us to have a daughter and secure the bloodline for the next generation. So far, that hasn't happened. The only one left who might have a daughter is Kit, so the clan protects him as best they can while letting him live his life as much as possible. And he is definitely the most likable of the brothers. Santiana would have preferred him being raised in the clan, but that didn't happen."
"Why not?" Thrawn asked, and Taylora was silent for a few moments before saying, "There are a few people in the clan that are….seers, for lack of a better word. They claim they can see the future," she looked at Thrawn then with her head cocked, "I'm not sure how much stock I put in that, mostly because I tend to believe what I can see with my own two eyes, but the Monarchy is so afraid of the clan rising up and overthrowing them they believe those seers when rumors spread that they have seen something about the future. The clan will never be strong enough to overthrow them, even if they had the people behind them, so I'm not sure where this fear comes from. Anyways, one of those seers said that Kit would be able to save the clan and keep it going, and that prediction made its way to the palace. They got so nervous they sent someone to kill him when he was two years old."
"I can't imagine that was very easy if the precautions Santiana put in place were in effect," Palpatine said.
Taylora snorted in amusement, "Kit is Santiana's favorite son, Chancellor. Not because of his skill in fighting or the fact he has the patience and tolerance of a saint when it comes to his brothers, but because he is defiant of her. The rest of his brothers do what she tells them without question; Kit is the only one who will question her and then defy her if the mood strikes him. Even when he knows she's right, he'll defy her. She doesn't mind that, except for one time. Because of his defiant streak, he had a habit of ignoring his mother when she told him to stay inside. And he was curious and wanted to explore. So one day when he slipped out, with Kailan on his heels as always, they had no way of knowing they were being watched," she paused a moment before adding, "Kit is the daredevil of the two of them even though he is younger, if you can believe that; Kailan usually follows his lead. That was never more true than that day, so the assassin waiting for them knew which was which easily. It wasn't hard for him to poison Kit and then slip away. By the time we realized what had happened, the assassin was gone, and Kit was fighting for his life. Kailan was so scared Tristan had to sedate him to calm him down."
Palpatine shook his head, unable to imagine poisoning a small child like that, while the Jedi were simply horrified that had happened to Kit and he actually remembered it. Taylora nodded at their horror and said, "Yes, we were also angered by it. Especially when we realized we couldn't do anything for him. Home Base didn't exist at the time, and my brother couldn't do anything with the supplies he had, and we knew the Monarchy would try again. We couldn't take him to a med center on Glee Anselm because we knew someone would be waiting to make sure he didn't survive, and so Santiana decided there was only one thing to do. She had a friend who was a smuggler, and he would smuggle food and medicine to the clan when he could. He didn't have the right medicine for this poison, so Santiana decided to have him bring Kit to the Temple and have him raised there for a few years. I don't think she counted on that defiant streak coming back when she tried to get him to leave the Temple when he was fifteen, but he said he wouldn't abandon the friends he had made so soon. Kailan wasn't counting on that streak either and wanted his brother back. When Kit was taken to the Temple, Kailan had to be sedated again to keep him from following. Santiana wasn't going to let the Jedi have both twins."
Again there was silence, but this time it was broken by Tarkin, who asked, "Is there a way to speak with Santiana on her own, in person?"
"No," Taylora said bluntly, "Not for you, anyways. She'll ripe you to shreds if you're ever in the same room with her. You attacked and may have killed her favorite son; you cannot escape. She is quiet by nature, but there is a quiet rage that burns below the surface and will never dampen. She is one of the most dangerous people I have ever met."
Palpatine shook his head, "Is there no way to convince her to leave him alone? Surely there is something in your laws that can make it possible?"
Taylora was silent for a moment, turning to look at her guard Kintalla, who had been silent and watching the entire time. No words were exchanged, but finally, Taylora turned back and said, "No, there isn't. Our laws are based on the aggrieved party's chance to defend the attacker. Kit can't right now, so Santiana has taken on the role of the aggrieved party, just as she would for any in the clan that couldn't speak for themselves right now. Our law says the aggrieved party has three days to speak in defense of the attacker; after that, the clan Chieftess can decide what happens. It's been more than three days, and since Santiana isn't the forgiving type when it comes to someone, especially a mortal, hurting her sons or anyone else in the clan, you won't be getting any leniency in this."
"And if Master Fisto was to wake up tomorrow?" Palpatine asked, and Taylora had to think for a moment before saying, "I'm not speaking for Santiana, but there is the chance she would give him a few days to try and talk her out of coming after you," looking at Tarkin as she said this, "Being her favorite does have its perks, but she will skew this to her advantage as much as possible, and no one in the clan is going to call her out on it because he's the clan favorite also. The elders are responsible for ensuring everyone follows clan law, including Santiana, but they may ignore the finer details she is ignoring. And there is no guarantee his brothers won't come after you. He's their favorite as well, mostly because he isn't them. There's no jealousy, so don't think of playing off that if you ever run into one of those brothers again. He's not them, he doesn't do what they do, and they think he is better than them and hold no grudges against him for that. They also think of him as the naïve little brother with a lot to learn. Which is true for a lot of things," a fond smile on her lips when she said that.
Yoda narrowed his eyes then, "Met him, you have," Taylora nodded as she turned to him, "Yes, I have, many times. His habit of sneaking away and going to new places hasn't gone away as he's gotten older. He has been around the clan quite a bit and gotten to know everyone, just as they've gotten to know him again. He's definitely a favorite of the clan, not just his family. There will be many people wanting someone to answer for what's happened. I like him because he's a lot more open than his brothers and is a bit more honest. He also isn't someone to be afraid of, like the rest of his brothers. When he refused to leave the Jedi, Santiana actually wasn't mad. Fistos have a habit of returning to their family, no matter how much time has passed. She probably guessed he would come back, but I don't think she thought it would happen this way," she looked at Tarkin then, "There isn't a way to stop Santiana or her sons or anyone else in the clan from coming after you. The only one, by our laws, that can stop it is Kit, and because of you, he isn't really in a position to stop them."
"What about using Santiana as a bargaining chip in this?" Tarkin asked, clearly out of ideas if he was suggesting taking Santiana captive.
Taylora stared at him for several long moments before letting out a laugh. She stopped herself as quickly as she could, leaning on the holotable for a few moments before saying, "Don't make me laugh, please," her hand on her stomach for a moment. Kintalla came closer to see what was wrong. After a few seconds, Taylora nodded, and Kintalla stepped back. Taylora was then able to stand up straight and say, "You really think you'll be able to find and capture Santiana and make her leave you alone?" she shook her head before saying seriously, "You really are as stupid as Seeker thinks you are. Were you paying attention to anything I've said? The Geàrd Rìoghail will kill anyone who tries to get at Santiana or will die trying. Assuming you could get past them, you would have to get past Tzakara, his sons, and the entire clan. The youngest child in our clan could beat you in a fight Tarkin, without question. Our children are taught how to fight before they're taught how to read or write. And then there is the fact that Seeker protects her and wouldn't hesitate to kill you. She is loyal to Kit, and he protects her. He also asked her to help protect his mother if it came to that because she is a much more skilled fighter than even his brothers or him. And then…." she stopped to take a deep breath before continuing, "if by some miracle you were able to get past all of that, clones or Jedi won't make a difference to anyone in this clan; you will have to fight Santiana herself. Don't let her looks fool you; she is an incredibly skilled warrior that has never lost a fight. She isn't about to start today. She fought with her sons and her mate during the fall of the Old Republic and killed more than her fair share of Sith. She just doesn't broadcast it like her sons with those metal bands. Her sons are actually the only ones to do so, even though a few of her grandchildren are picking up the habit. Everything her sons know about fighting and the Force they learned from her and Tzakara. You won't stand a chance against her; again, assuming you can even get that close."
Tarkin clearly didn't appreciate that or being called stupid again by someone in this clan since he took a step towards her, and that was when Kintalla suddenly sprang into action. Her staff end hit the ground once as she stepped forward, and electric currents started flowing along it from end to end. Her eyes narrowed, and her staff was brought forward in a ready position, and it was clear she knew how to use it as she bared her teeth ever-so-slightly and growled low in her throat. Tarkin backed off immediately, and then Taylora said mildly, "Like I said, the Geàrd is very good at protecting that which it has sworn to protect. Killing you would earn Kintalla some merit inside the Geàrd, and the clan would be thrilled, but it would make it very hard to leave this station. And I think Santiana wants you all for herself," stepping forward and putting her hand on Kintalla's, making her lower the staff and step back, the electricity turning off as well, "And it isn't why we're here."
Kintalla relaxed and calmed, stepping back behind Taylora again, leaving Tarkin to let out a breath and let the Jedi relax. A few had been reaching for their lightsabers when Kintalla activated her weapon and were glad they didn't have to fight against her. Especially since they had no idea what that weapon could do or how skilled she was with it.
Taylora said, "One thing to remember about old-breeds is that we are loyal to our own and protect our own, no matter how much time or distance there is between us. They are evolved to be top predators and hunters and never turn their back on their own. The only thing that will be a bother to you," looking around at the Jedi and others gathered there, "is that old-breed Nautolans can be a bit indifferent to mortals. We live so long, almost 30,000 years if those years are kind to us, that we sometimes regard mortals as not worth the time and effort to get to know. Their lives are so much shorter than ours, one blink of time compared to the billions of blinks we will live, that we tend to ignore them and think nothing of them. The only reason Santiana, her sons and mate, and a few others got involved during the Old Republic was that Santiana knew they had to. The clan's skill at fighting Sith couldn't be understated, and the Sith were so close to winning the war back then Santiana decided they had to get involved if nothing else than for what little freedom they had left."
There was silence for a few minutes as those there processed this bit of information, but then Yoda said quietly, "Speak like not one of the clan; sometimes you do," Taylora looked at him with a raised eye-ridge, and he continued, "'Them' not 'we' sometimes you use," he cocked his head, "Not from the clan you are."
Taylora stared at him for several long minutes before inclining her head and saying, "You got me there, Master Jedi. You're right; I wasn't born into the clan. Neither myself nor my brother was."
The Jedi waited in silence for a few minutes longer, waiting for her to explain. Eventually, she did, "My brother and I are from a clan near the south pole. When we were young, our parents were killed in a dispute with another family in the clan, and the chieftain decided we weren't worth the time or effort to feed or raise. We had no family to take us in, and no one else in the clan wanted us, so he took us to the border between his clan and clan Fisto and left us there. He knew we would likely be eaten by a predator or die of starvation soon enough. He didn't count on one of the patrols finding us. Koryo was leading the patrol and took pity on us. He brought us back to his mother, and she said we could stay and be raised in the clan. We were given to an elder who raised and cared for us. When we came of age, I mated Kiveki, and Tristan mated another female. We've been loyal to the clan and Santiana ever since. Neither of us would be here today without her and her kindness."
"Then how are you still alive if you aren't originally of the clan?" Thrawn asked, and Taylora turned to him, "When one mates inside the clan, for whatever reason, you take on the lifespan of the clan. I'm not sure how or why it happens, but if you mate someone of the clan, you live as long as they do, if not longer. Hence why I have lived over 5,000 years and outlived my birth clan. It was destroyed, and the survivors assimilated with another clan, long ago."
It was quiet for a few minutes after that, but then Master Mundi asked, "It looks like the brothers are thinking of leaving Home Base now. Why is that? And do you know how to find the base? Or anything about it, for that matter?"
Taylora shrugged, "The brothers have always been action-oriented. They're not good at sitting around and waiting for something to happen, so they prefer getting out and about. I don't think I have ever seen one of them take a break, unless it's to recover from injuries. They just keep going from one job to the next. And there is the fact that if anyone actually bothered to try and track one of them, there is the chance they could find Home Base, but the brother's paranoia usually wins out. They triple-check every one of their ships for tracking devices before taking off and only go to mechanics when there is something wrong with their ship they can't fix themselves. Which is almost never. A few seem to get along better with machines than people."
"I would think Kailan would stay," Eeth said quietly. Taylora nodded, sympathy for the young Nautolan in her eyes, "He's having a bit of crisis right now. He isn't sure where he should be. A few weeks ago, Mithrol, who takes care of the brother's books, disappeared after a bit of….creative accounting. He also stole some information that he then sold to the Hutts before disappearing. The Hutts are always enemies of the brothers, so for Mithrol to do that, he knew it would cause a lot of damage and quite a bit of distraction as the brothers dealt with that and gave him a window to escape. Okoye was the one who tracked him down. He's still frozen in carbonite until the brothers decide what to do with him," she paused a moment before saying, "The brothers aren't the kind of people that make friends everywhere they go. They have made quite a few enemies, many of whom would use their mates to get to them. To that end, some of us have permanent guards," nodding at Kintalla, "because we wander the galaxy as much as our mates do when we don't have children to raise or help raise. The clan raises children collectively, and everyone is always willing to help. The rest of the brother's mates live in hiding with a guard or two. Only certain people know where they are, even though now that we have a new place to call home, I imagine we'll all start migrating there over the next few years. Mithrol is one of the outside people that knew where to get the information on where some of us were hidden. Whether he meant to or not, he sold the location of Kailan's mate, Geeta, to the Hutts."
"And that's a bad thing?" Thrawn asked, and Taylora nodded again, "Very bad. Jabba doesn't care that Kailan killed Ziro, but he does want the holo-diary in Kailan's possession. But he realized he wouldn't be able to come at Kailan directly. Kailan and Jabba have been at each other's throats for decades because of an – incident – a few years ago, and Jabba won't hesitate to use Geeta to get to Kailan. A few days before Kit was injured, Kailan received a distress signal from Geeta and arrived at her safehouse to find her guards dead and her missing. He was tracking her down when Seeker asked for help, and now he's lost Geeta's trail. Now he can't decide where he is needed more: with his brother or finding his pregnant mate," she cocked her head, "It's an interesting dilemma. And the only person he feels comfortable asking for that kind of advice is currently in a coma, so he's on his own. But he'll figure it out, and he'll find Geeta."
"You've met her?" Obi-Wan asked, and Taylora nodded, "She is one of the younger females in the clan, and so all of us, the Fisto brothers and their mates, are quite protective of her and look out for her as best we can. Her parents starved to death to keep her alive, and she's been good for Kailan. Kailan can be high-strung when the mood strikes him; Geeta can calm him down about as quickly as his twin."
"What about Home Base?" Master Tiin asked, "What do you know about it?"
"Not as much as you would like me to know, Master Tiin," Taylora said as she turned to him, "I have been there a few times, most recently to check on the health of this little one," resting a hand on her stomach briefly, "But even then I don't know where it is. Aside from the many jumps to dead space and random locations to hide where it is, pilots are required to jump right into and out of the hangar bay. Then the doors close behind you before you disembark so you can't see out. Spitz didn't do it with the Ghost that time because he knew that kind of a stop would have hurt Kit more. The rest of the time, it is required to jump into the bay."
"That's incredibly dangerous," Master Plo said, and Taylora shrugged, "Not that dangerous if you have a pilot that knows what they're doing and is expecting it. And a ship that has been modified for those kinds of stops. The hangar has also been adapted to put up with it. As for where Home Base is?" she cocked her head, "I'm afraid I can't help you with that either. I've never wanted to know because it keeps those that live there permanently safe, like my brother. I know it is a space station much larger than this one, with everything you could think of to make it fun for children who will never be able to leave it. There is a school, but attendance isn't mandatory. The medical center is fully equipped and as up-to-date as it can be. There are libraries, a computer center, a mess hall, and private rooms for families that live there. There is also an indoor area with greenery and a few animals to make it interesting, and places for everyone to go swimming and enjoy the water. There's even a beach. Half-Nautolans always want to swim, so there is an underwater adventure there for them as well. Kit compared it to the Room of a Thousand Fountains in the Temple if that helps."
"It sounds like it has everything," the chancellor said, and Taylora nodded, "It does. A lot of thought and planning went into building it, but there is the fact it doesn't have a lot in terms of defense. It relies on a powerful shield and cloaking device to hide where it is, and the clones guarding it are the only defense it has on the inside aside from Seeker and a few of the clan that go there to recover from injuries. It can be moved, but that is difficult, so it usually stays where it is. So far, no one unwanted has found it, and hopefully, it stays that way."
"I'm guessing we would count as unwanted," Obi-Wan said, and Taylora nodded sympathetically, "Unfortunately, Master Kenobi, you would be. Tristan doesn't want anyone interfering with his work or harming the children that live there and now doesn't want anyone moving Kit. One wrong move, and his stitches tear and he bleeds to death. Tristan invests so much time and care into the children and tries to make living there not as boring as possible that he doesn't want to destroy the fun. The children there can't leave, mostly because of health-related reasons, so they spend a lot of time in the medical center. But they never feel sorry for themselves, probably because their parents and everyone at the base keeps it fun for them. Even the clones get in on the fun sometimes when they're off duty. It helps them remember why they are there and what makes these children worth protecting."
Obi-Wan nodded slowly while the chancellor said, "There is something I'm wondering about," Taylora turned to him, and he continued, "I can accept not knowing where Home Base is, for now, but why does your brother continue his work when children suffer for it? And why didn't Master Fisto say there was something wrong with him? He could have spared himself some pain."
"Tristan continues his work because it has gotten better for half-Nautolans," Taylora said quietly, "He's figured out how to make them more – compatible – with life and has stopped them from dying painful deaths so soon after birth. He is an expert in genetics, and his gene therapies make it possible for half-Nautolans to live longer. Even Seeker," nodding at the hologram of the young woman, "was given gene therapy before she was born so she would have a fighting chance. Tristan considers her his greatest success so far, and he's always willing to help anyone that comes to him with a half-Nautolan child. Old-breed Nautolans mate with humans more easily than new-breeds and can have children, but the more successful children come from a pairing between a Nautolan male and a human female."
"There has been no attempt to cross them with others?" Master Nema asked, and Taylora shrugged, "So far no one has mated with any other species other than human. But I'm sure Tristan will be willing to help them if such a pairing occurs. And as for why Kit didn't say anything? I would blame that on a few million years of instinct and evolution telling him to keep quiet to avoid predators. Old-breed Nautolans are more instinctive than new-breeds; they often listen to their instincts more than common sense. To that end, an old-breed will hide there is something wrong for decades at a time or until they can't anymore, which is when they really need help."
"This video was recorded a few hours before General Fisto was detained," Thrawn said as he pulled up the recording of Kit and Quinlan, "What do you see?"
Taylora watched it without emotion, even though she winced when Kit almost fell and Quinlan had to get him back in the chair. Once the video was done, she said, "I honestly don't know what to tell you. I knew about what had happened to him thirty years ago; everyone in the family and most of the clan knew, but how did you not notice there was something wrong?" turning to Yoda as she asked this, "How did the Jedi not notice that? I know the kind of pain he was in; he couldn't have hidden it completely from you. It would have affected everything he did: walking, moving, fighting, eating, swimming, everything. How did you not notice?"
"Hid it too well; he did," Yoda said before adding, "Regret, we did not notice this; we do. Helped him we would have."
Taylora stared at him a moment longer before slowly nodding as the chancellor said, "I can't help but wonder why what was happening on Glee Anselm and with your people was never brought to my attention or the attention of the Jedi. Especially after the coup. Surely a team would have been sent to look into the matter?"
"Santiana tells me a Jedi team was sent to the planet," Taylora said quietly, "And did find evidence the coup was unlawful and illegal. But before they could leave, they were ambushed and killed by the mercenaries the warlords had hired. Jedi are good, but they don't stand a chance against a hundred skilled mercenaries armed to the teeth. The Monarchy told the Jedi of the time they were killed by outlaws, and they accepted that as fact. As for the Republic Senate ever finding out about it? There were attempts to get messengers to the Senate to ask for help, but those messengers were usually killed before they got to the Senate. Or were turned away by aides and Senate staff that couldn't believe what they were saying had happened. Santiana finally gave up and decided not to waste her time or her messengers' lives sending those messages."
"Your Chieftess doesn't think the law applies to her," Luminara said carefully.
Taylora snorted, "Mostly because she doesn't think it does," she turned to Luminara, "Santiana has been alive longer than the Republic and remembers the times before the Old Republic fell very well. She doesn't believe she has to submit to Republic law and therefore doesn't. You are dead wrong if you think you can get her to submit to Republic law. If the Sith couldn't force her to submit to them, then the Republic and the Jedi have no chance. The Sith tried once, during the fall of the Old Republic, because they knew if she submitted to them, the rest of the clans would as well, such is how highly they regard her. But she refused, knowing if she did, she was damning her world and her people. She has never bowed herself to anyone and isn't about to start today.. She is a queen in her own right, an exiled queen maybe, but a queen nonetheless. She thinks herself above your laws and knows the Jedi don't have the ability or the means to find her or her sons. And there is the fact she and her sons operate in the Dark and use that to stay hidden."
"The Dark?" Master Sinube asked, and Taylora looked at him in confusion before smiling and shaking her head, "You don't know what the Dark is?" when Sinube shook his head, she chuckled slightly, "So much for the Jedi Archives having all the information in the galaxy in one place," Jocasta looked ready to deliver a lecture at that insinuation, but Taylora beat her to it by saying, "Your Archives didn't have any information about the coup or my people, and one of your own was able to erase the information about Kamino. Says quite a bit about how fallible they can be, doesn't it?"
Jocasta wasn't able to come up with a response for that, and Taylora turned back to Sinube and said, "Most criminals you know about, like Cad Bane and the Five Hutt families, operate in the underworld, as you know. That underworld is what you know about and are constantly working against," holding a hand at chest level, "But there is another underworld called the Dark," her other hand several inches below the one at her chest, "This underworld is where the brothers wander and haunt, and it is much more dangerous than the one the Hutts frequent. Not even the Hutts are brave enough to go anywhere near it unless they have to, and it is an incredibly dangerous undercurrent of the galaxy. Criminals you've never heard of can be found there, and they do things so unspeakable it would make the Sith envious. The most dangerous bounty hunters, like Kailan, and mercenaries like Talecti and Naharen, can all be found there if you're desperate enough for their services, and it is the only way to get them to do any work for you. If you come at them, like you did on Nevarro," turning to Obi-Wan as she put her hands down, "Then they know you aren't the real deal and are likely with the authorities. It is how they avoid getting caught."
"And how they get the more high-priced jobs," Sinube said quietly, and Taylora shrugged before saying, "It takes a lot of money to keep Home Base going, and before that, they wandered the galaxy using their skills to pay for food and medicine for the clan. Now that they don't have to do that and the clan is on a planet with more than enough resources, they can focus on getting money to spend how they want. But they usually use it to benefit the clan since half-Nautolans have been declared part of the clan by Santiana. I don't think I've ever seen one of them spend that money frivolously, and they take after their grandfather sometimes and give the extra money they earn to homeless women and children. They aren't all innately bad people; they just go about their lives in a way that makes more respectable denizens of the galaxy question their methods."
"That doesn't excuse holding the Senate hostage," Anakin said suddenly, "Or anything else they have done we don't know about."
Taylora looked at him curiously before asking, "Your name's Skywalker, right?" suddenly changing the topic. Anakin nodded, taken aback by the question, and Taylora said, "Malani is the only slaver in the group, even though he stopped doing it a few years ago when Seeker asked for help organizing the slave rebellion on Zygerria. She knew he was a well-respected slaver the Zygerrians trusted and would be able to get into places she and her allies there couldn't. But before that, he traded a young girl and her parents to some pirates, and they were taken from planet to planet. Malani never really had an interest in what became of the people he sold into slavery, the mindset of living so long coming into play, unfortunately, but he did have an interest in that girl. Her name was Shmi Skywalker, and he watched as she was eventually traded to Gardulla the Hutt, who lost her in a bet to Watto on Tattoine. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" the question was there for the answering, but Anakin didn't answer while everyone else in the room was surprised she knew so much about him. Finally, she said, "Malani told me about Shmi and how he felt there was something different about her, and also told Kit. I don't know what Kit told Malani to do, but I'm guessing it was nothing since she was still a slave when you were found on Tattoine. He had his reasons; there never isn't a reason for anything Kit does if you look hard enough, but whatever it is, I don't know."
Anakin was speechless, while the others in the room were trying to understand it all, but finally, the chancellor asked, "Master Fisto was accepting of slavery?" unable to believe such a thing but having to ask the question.
"No, he isn't," Taylora said with a head shake, "Our people have to fight against that idea every day. If you think about it, if you can break an old-breed Nautolan's will and force them to submit to slavery, they can be a slave for thousands of years. That has happened to a few of our people over the centuries, but they were always found and rescued. Santiana refuses to let anyone be a slave and doesn't tolerate servitude of that kind, but she can't control what her sons do all the time. And Malani is one of the more unpleasant brothers; he doesn't really care what he does as long as the money's good. He's given up slavery in exchange for stealing, and I bet he won't care how many droids or people get in his way either way. As for Kit, he was the one who convinced Malani to give up enslaving people, and thankfully his brother listened to him."
The chancellor nodded slowly while Mace said, "You know these brothers. Which is the most dangerous of the group?"
"Kit," Taylora said without hesitation and with a slight smile, "And it isn't because he is a more skilled fighter than his brothers or anything like that. He's their favorite, so they are always willing to do whatever he asks, not that he ever asks much of anything from them. If one of the brothers does something out of character for them, it's because Kit asked them to do it. He is the only thing the brothers agree on, so they are more willing to do what he asks."
While she was saying this, Master Gallia had finally come in, and even though Luminara, Shaak, and Aayla looked at her with concern, she shook her head to say she was fine. She still tired easily and was still recovering from her wounds on Florrum, but she was back on her feet and leading her men and ship while she regained her strength. She had lost a lot of blood during that fight, and her endurance wasn't what it had been yet, but it was getting there the more she gathered her strength.
A snort caught her attention, and she turned to see that Kintalla was shaking her head while Taylora was staring at her in surprise. This lasted a few moments, and when Mace was about to ask what was going on, Taylora shook her head and asked, "Have you ever met Seeker?"
"Aside from the fight on Florrum, no, I have not," Adi said.
"No, before that," Taylora said, "Have you ever met her, maybe twenty years ago or so?"
"No, I haven't," Adi said, unsure where the other woman was going with this, and then Taylora said, "You have, I can tell. You have the Trace on you."
"What are you talking about now?" Anakin asked impatiently, "What is the Trace? And what does it have to do with Master Gallia?"
"More than you think, young Skywalker," Taylora said with an impatient glare of her own directed at the young Jedi, and Anakin went quiet. Obi-Wan was impressed; usually, it took more than a look to get Anakin to be quiet when he was like this, and Obi-Wan could tell it was because she had raised more than her fair share of children. Taylora continued, "The Trace is…." she trailed off for a moment as she tried to find a suitable description, "….essentially a pheromone slash scent marker that can be left behind. What makes it different is that only old-breed alpha females can leave the Trace, and since there are only two alpha females in the galaxy, that narrows it down. Santiana wouldn't leave the Trace on you, meaning only Seeker could have done so. Why is a mystery to me, though."
"Is there a way to get rid of it?" Aayla asked, and Taylora shook her head, "It was recently reinforced. You say you met Seeker on Florrum during the fight with Maul and Opress. Did Seeker have any contact with you during that time?"
"She did," Adi said, "She got me away from the fight after Opress impaled me on his horns and carried me up to where the pirates were watching. But she was only with me a few minutes; surely that couldn't have been long enough?"
"It only takes a few seconds, Master Gallia," Taylora said, "A few seconds and her hand on you, and that's it."
"Seeker left her hand on your right side for a few moments while she was binding her life-force to yours," Master Tiin said suddenly, realization coming to him, "That must have been when she did it."
"But when did she do it before? And where?" Tarkin asked, and Taylora cut in, "It doesn't matter at this point when it happened or where. The fact is that it happened, and there is nothing to be done about it. The Trace is permanent; it can't be removed or washed off because it's part of your skin now. It will stay with you the rest of your life and is protection against any old-breed. Any old-breed Nautolan that can sense or smell it will not only not hurt you but will actively protect you from themselves and whatever danger you may be facing at the moment. I can't say why Seeker did this, but she must have decided you were worth protecting from and by the clan."
"Is Seeker immune from it?" Mace asked after a few moments of silence where everyone was just surprised, while Adi looked too shocked to do much else. Taylora cocked her head and said, "I'm not sure, but it's possible. I don't know entirely how it works myself, so I'm just guessing at this point. It wouldn't surprise me if she wasn't immune and would explain why she saved your life not once but twice. If she obeys the Trace, even if it's her own, she is bound to help you, whether she wants to or not. And I do know her, not as well as Kit, but well enough. She never does anything without reason; you just need to figure out what it is."
Adi still looked as though she couldn't believe it, leaving Taylora to turn to the chancellor and say, "I don't think there is much else I can tell you about the clan at this point that I have been approved to say. Our culture and our history before the coup are secret and kept unknown from the galaxy, as is our language, which is why protocol droids aren't programmed for it. It isn't a forbidden language for droids; we just don't want anyone knowing it."
Palpatine nodded slowly before saying, "There is one thing else I was hoping you could help us with, and that is Seeker. Is there anything you can tell us about her?"
"Only that she has the protection of Santiana and the clan," Taylora said before raising an eye-ridge, "Not that she really needs it. Kit trained her well."
"Kit was the one who trained her to be a Sith hunter?" Luminara asked, and Taylora nodded, "Where did you think he was going every summer? It only took him ten years to train her, and then he would go with her for a few years to hunt Sith with his brothers, just so that she could gain the experience she needed and learn how to hunt."
"And where did he go after that?" Mace asked, "He kept disappearing after those years were done, and your mate mentioned another woman when Kit was brought to Home Base. What did he mean by that?"
Taylora stared at him for a moment before sighing and smiling slightly, "I really wish you hadn't noticed that, Master Windu," cocking her head as Mace looked at her and still expected an answer, "That other woman is Kit's mate. They met a few decades ago. I didn't think he had one for a few years, but then I saw him once and saw him look like someone who had met the embodiment of their dreams and still couldn't quite believe it. And he was always indifferent and distant with the unmated females of the clan that approached him. A few are downright annoying; even though they know he is mated, they still bother him. It could test the patience of a Jedi, which it has, and they are the only people I've ever seen him snap at. One of them is at Home Base now recovering from some injuries after doing something so reckless it would put the brothers to shame, so if you see Santiana or any of his brothers or Tristan or Tzakara get aggressive with her, don't think too much of it. Being aggressive seems the only way to get her to leave him alone."
There was silence for a few minutes, and then Yoda said quietly, "Possible, that is not. Abide by the Jedi Code, Master Fisto does," even though it was clear he was only hoping that by the thinnest of margins.
Taylora shook her head, an amused smile on her face, "You didn't know he had reached out to and was in continuous contact with his family. You didn't know about Seeker or that he had been so severely wounded by a mysterious Sith. You didn't know all this, yet you claim he abides by the Jedi Code. Are you sure you want to make that claim again?"
Yoda clearly wasn't going to make such a claim again, so Shaak asked quietly, "Who is his mate? What is her name?"
Taylora shifted then and said, "That is something I can't tell you, Master Ti. I know it isn't Seeker; she is too young and his student after all. And I can't tell you not because I don't want to, but because Santiana specifically told me not if she came up. All I can say is that she is the most protected and secretive woman in the galaxy, and it is possible she can save our clan. She and Kit could save the clan, but only if they're both still alive in the end. People are hunting her, and she stays one step ahead of them by not being seen by anyone. Whenever R6 is turned off, it means she is visiting, and her identity is the most protected in the entire clan. There will be no one who will tell you anything about her. They would rather die. A few already have."
Shaak shook her head when she heard that, while Taylora said, "I think that's all I can help you with. There is nothing more I can tell you about the clan or the brothers and no way I can lead you to Home Base. It's time for me to go."
"Very well," Palpatine said, "Thank you for coming and saying what you have. We do appreciate it. If you could pass along the message to your Chieftess that we would like to open a dialogue and work with her to help her people, I would appreciate it."
"I will do so," Taylora said, "But I won't promise anything. Santiana operates on a different calendar than everyone else in this galaxy, and she lives life on her terms. She may agree to it; she may not. For now, she won't, she's too focused on Kit to think about speaking or dealing with you, and that won't change until his fate is decided."
"Do you think he will live?" Master Plo asked, and Taylora lowered her head for a moment and sighed before saying, "I don't know. I hope so. I hope he will survive, but I know that there are things that our people just can't survive, no matter how much we want them to. Hopefully, that unbreakable stubborn will and inability to give up that seems to be dominant traits in his brothers are traits of his as well. I don't think Santiana, or his brothers or father, will survive burying another son. At least not intact."
"It's that bad?" Ki-Adi asked quietly, and Taylora nodded slowly as she turned to him and said, "Santiana has buried two sons, six grandsons, and three great-grandsons. She wasn't able to bury her parents or grandmother, and her brother-in-law was killed the night her twins were born. If it were me, it would break me, all that grief and loss, but somehow she keeps going. I honestly don't know how."
"You know that grief," Master Piell said suddenly, and Taylora froze a moment before saying, "Yes, I do," looking at him and saying, "I've already buried one son because of this losing war we have been fighting against the Monarchy, and I don't want to lose anymore. Matengi," nodding at the brother in question, "Has buried two sons, and a grandson, and he tells me that pain still hasn't left. They are the first things he thinks about when he wakes up in the morning and the last things before he goes to sleep, and he doesn't want anyone else to know that pain. That is why it was so easy for us to leave Glee Anselm. We were tired of burying our children. Whether they died of starvation or the war makes no difference to us. They are still dead."
With that, Taylora turned back to Mace and Yoda, bowing her head respectfully to them, which they returned, then went up the stairs again with Kintalla right behind her. As she was leaving, she glanced at Adi, who only looked at her. Taylora winked with the slightest smile Adi had ever seen, and then she was gone. Five minutes later, she and Kintalla had boarded their ship and left. Those in the communication center were able to watch as their ship jumped into hyperspace and left, leaving them to try and make sense of all they had learned that day. Once they were well and truly gone, Palpatine turned to the Jedi and said, "I somehow wish she had been making up half of that, just to make it easier to accept. How could such a thing happen and no one does anything about it? How could such a brutal coup happen on a Republic planet without anyone noticing?"
"It was during the time of the Old Republic when the Sith were establishing themselves more and more in the galaxy," Mace said thoughtfully, "Perhaps the Jedi of the time were too focused on the wars then to truly do anything about a coup like that. Especially if the government had said it never happened and the Jedi investigating it were dead before they could deliver their report," he shook his head as he leaned on the holotable, "But to hear what this family and clan has survived and suffered through, and how it looks from their perspective that the Republic and the Jedi have done nothing for them," he shut his eyes for a long moment before opening them, "I can understand why they don't want our help now."
"And why they have taken Master Fisto somewhere we can't find him," Master Tiin said quietly, "They have no faith in us or the Republic, only in each other and their people, and so are doing things their way now."
"And we can only wait and watch from the sidelines," Obi-Wan said, "While also fighting a war and trying to find Master Vos and the missing cruisers and clones. If this coma of Kit's lasts a long time, we will need someone to check on him at least once a day to see what is happening and if or when he wakes up."
Mace nodded slowly and turned to Ahsoka, "If you take on this task, Padawan Tano, we will appreciate it."
"Yes, Master," Ahsoka said immediately, "Whatever I can do to help."
Mace nodded, saying, "Make sure to meet with Captain Tarkin and Captain Thrawn later to get the access codes for R6 and the bug in Master Fisto's lightsaber. Let us know if anything changes or if R6 records any relevant conversations."
Ahsoka nodded, even though Tarkin didn't look all that pleased about it, and the rest of the meeting passed quickly before everyone eventually had to return to their fleet assignments and, in Shaak Ti's case, Kamino. Anakin and Ahsoka left after Ahsoka was given the codes she would need to check on Master Fisto, heading back to the Outer Rim to look for more Separatist activity. Adi walked away alone, and the others left her alone, knowing she needed a few minutes to understand all that she had just learned and what it would mean for her going forward.
Once back at their fleet Ahsoka was able to slip away to get a few hours' rest, but when she got to her quarters, she had only been there a few minutes when she received an encrypted transmission on frequency zero. She accepted it immediately and was only somewhat surprised to see Quinlan Vos standing there, having been expecting a message from him for some time. He looked at her a moment before asking, "Big day?"
"You could say that again, Master Vos," Ahsoka said as she sat down in a nearby chair, "Hearing everything Taylora had to say was a lot to take in."
"The fact it's all true does make it a bit harder to process, I bet," Quinlan said, "And I hate to add to your troubles, but the fact remains that the Conspiracy has lost two of its leaders inside the Temple. Master Fisto nor I will be able to come back and coordinate what the Conspiracy was doing there, so we need someone else to do it. And coordinate with the senators in the Senate as well."
Ahsoka nodded immediately, "What do you need me to do?"
"You'll see when you get back to the Temple," Quinlan said, "The war doesn't stop for anyone, and there's a lot more work to be done. When you return to the Temple, you'll finally meet the other Jedi involved in the Conspiracy, and they will tell you what they need from you. They will be relying on you to get this done; otherwise, the Jedi Order may fail. Don't let them down, kid," Quinlan ended the transmission with a slight smile, leaving Ahsoka to wonder what was going on in the Temple and if she was ready to know.
Deep in Separatist space, Dooku quickly kneeled on one knee when his master contacted him. His master had very quick, very simple instructions for his apprentice: "Use every agent, every spy, every bounty hunter you can. Find Home Base and destroy it. Use Fisto's brothers if you have to. But bring Kit Fisto back, alive or dead. He will be the bait that will finally reel in the Sith hunter and his family. I want them all dead; they could stop our plans in their tracks if they decided they have to," ending the transmission immediately and not giving Dooku a chance to refuse even if he had wanted to.
He would do this if only to see Kit Fisto finally defeated before him.
Translations:
Tha thu air ar beatha gu lèir a dhìon agus aire a thoirt dhuinn. Leig leinn an aon rud a dhèanamh dhut a-nis. – You've protected and taken care of us our entire lives. Let us do the same for you now.
A/N 2: I know I've messed up the timelines a bit and probably confused a few people, so here is some clarification: in canon, the Old Republic wars were 25,000 years ago, but for this story to work, they will be 6,000 years ago to match with the ages of the brothers and the clan. I guess I could have made them immortal, but that just feels weird. And too much like Lord of the Rings, if I'm being honest. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and see you next time!
A/N 3: I decided to change the rating of this story because of the very intense and graphic descriptions in this chapter, and there will be other chapters where there are other graphic descriptions, so I thought I would play it safe. Enjoy!