Okay, here comes another one. Sorry for the lack of an update in the recent week but I have a few things going on in my life right now but I promise that I'll try to come back to those weekly updates. Also, thank you all for your wonderful feedback, I'm happy to know that you enjoy this story so far and I apologize for the fact that, at least now, there is little to no action but those first few chapters are going to be focused on the politics and how Revan is gathering the allies but that won't last forever, I promise. But politics is a part of each and every war so, unfortunately, it has to be in this story XD. As always, add this story to your favorites, follow it and leave a comment ;). And if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to place them in reviews or PM me about that.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 5
Someone who didn't know the Mandalorian culture would have thought that Revan's declaration could have been his very last words. At least that's what Talia's men expected. After all, no army in the Galaxy would take it easy if someone who was responsible for the death of their leader just suddenly showed up out of nowhere and announced it publically. The normal and justified reaction would be to rip limb by limb that man.
But that's not what the Mandalorians would do. Revan's words seemed to make no impression on the gathered warriors. No one said a word and no one even moved. This stasis cause anxiety amongst most of the arrivers. Finally, the standstill ended as more and more of the Mandalorians began to speak out loud or in whispers their doubts and criticisms. The most popular voices were those saying that Revan should show his Clan Tattoo.
And so he complied.
Revan removed the armor pieces from his left arm, dropping it the ground. It was difficult, but, nevertheless, he managed to roll up his sleeve all the way to his shoulder, revealing the skin beneath. What Mandalorians saw certainly wasn't that, what they all expected to see. There, where a symbol that represented the Raven Clan should be, was only a ravaged skin, covered with scars.
"My Raven was taken away from me" Revan announced, loud enough for others to hear it. "But that doesn't mean I'm not part of my Clan anymore. Just as my father and his father before him, so am I the part of the Raven Clan."
"Has anyone seen your tattoo?" one of the Mandalorians asked doubtfully. Revan nodded in confirmation.
"Garr Raven" Revan replied.
"Garr Raven died on board of the Conqueror. He cannot confirm your words" the same Mandalorian countered.
"I know he died" Revan calmly replied. "In fact, I was the one who sliced his throat" he admitted. "Furthermore, he was the one who removed the Raven from my shoulder."
"He exiled you" another of the Mandalorians commented.
"Yes" Revan admitted. This caused an even greater agitation amongst the gathered warriors. More and more of the Mandalorians began to voice their own opinions, outshouting each other. Some even began to reach out for their weapons. But before anything could get out of hand, Bendak stepped in, shooting a salvo from his rifle into the air, effectively silencing the gathered men and women.
"I didn't spend the last few months on searching for the remnants of our Clans just for you to slaughter each other now" he commented angrily their behavior. "The man that came to us today is the same Revan that led the Republic forces against us. He's not an imposter, but our new rightful leader. He earned the mantle of the Mandalore after defeating our previous leader in a fair duel. Canderous of Clan Ordo trusted him with his life and I trust him as well and so should you."
"He doesn't have his Clan Symbol" one of the Mandalorians countered. "He was exiled by his own people. Furthermore, he's not in possession of the Mandalore's helmet. He can't call himself our leader."
"Times have changed and so the Mandalorian traditions have to as well" Revan replied, focusing the attention of the gathered warriors back to himself. "I was born on the planet of Mandalore and nothing can take that away from me, not even the lack of my Clan Symbol. As for the Mandalore helmet, it vanished somewhere in the space surrounding Malachor V if it wasn't destroyed when the ship went down. This is the new Mandalore helmet" he announced, pointing to the mask on his face. It caused a new series of angry shouts amongst the Mandalorians, as none of them agreed to the idea of changing their traditions. Once again, Bendak used his rifle to silence them down.
"For fuck's sake, I thought I gathered the men and women who were spreading fear across the Galaxy only with our ships dropping out from the hyperspace and not some spoiled children. Accept it cause I'm not going to repeat that again: Revan is one of us. He is a Mandalorian and he is our new rightful leader. The next salvo will be directed at those who decide to have some 'buts'" he added, lifting up his rifle to prove that he didn't just say the empty words. It had the desired effect and now none of the warriors said anything. "Come on" he said to Revan. "We have much to discuss."
Revan complied, taking a few steps forward. He brushed off of his shoulder hands of the few Mandalorians who actually tried to stop him. Queen Talia and the men that accompanied them followed him closely by, watching the warriors closely as if expecting to be attacked by them at any second.
"Come on!" Bendak said, not turning around. He was leading them to a building that was noticeably higher than the rest. Most probably it served as the Command Center of the Mandalorian camp.
"How were you even able to build a camp like that?" Talia asked in her broken Galactic Basic. "You returned to Dxun like just a few months ago."
"This camp is one of not so many that was saved relatively untouched after the Wars" Bendak replied, leading them towards the building.
"We made sure to burn down to the ground each and every Mandalorian Camp when the Dxun Campaign was over" Revan commented, looking around. Personally, he didn't recall being here, but this camp looked familiar to many others he fought in.
"Apparently, the Republic was too lazy to go through the entire Dxun" Bendak observed, teasing the younger man a bit. "Actually, this camp is located dozen or so miles south from the place where you entrenched yourselves. I bet that none of your soldiers wanted to go that far."
"Apparently" Revan commented dryly.
Pushing the door open, Bendak invited them inside. The interior of the Command Center was dimly lit, leaving most of the building in shadows. "Sorry for the mess" he apologized. "But it hasn't been used for few years and we still didn't manage to bring back to life the main power conduit. The weather of Dxun makes it very hard for us to do anything with the electricity. Few basic systems like communication and the ventilation work but everything else is pretty much dead. Once we have the rest restored, we'll be able to clean this place up a bit."
"The mess is not the problem" Revan commented, following the man in a yellow armor further into the building.
"Speak for yourself" Talia muttered quietly, brushing off of her shoulder a small spider-web that fell on her from the ceiling.
Soon, they entered a rather large room that had some better lighting than the rest of the building. It had to serve as the Conference Room during the Wars, what would explain the large table that was standing in the middle of the room. It was also connected with the holoprojector. Around the table, eleven chairs were placed – one for the Mandalore and ten for the Field Marshals from the most important Mandalorian Clans. Few Mandalorians were already in the room when they entered, yet none of them sat down – everyone was standing.
Walking up to the head of the table, Revan took a seat in the Mandalore's chair. His men stood respectfully behind him, knowing that they weren't allowed to sit down. Queen Talia sat to Revan's right and Bendak to his left. The other Mandalorians – some in yellow and some in red and even blue armors – sat down as well. Those in yellow were sitting closer to the head of the table, then the men in red and at the ends, those in blue armors. Talia shifted nervously. Never before was she present on the negotiations with the Mandalorians on which they were the majority.
"Bring us some ale!" Bendak ordered to one of the Mandalorians that remained standing next to the wall. "We won't be talking with our mouths dry!"
"Not all of them are the Field Marshals" Revan commented.
"Many of them were killed in the Wars" Bendak replied. "Garr Raven, Garon Borm, Rohlan Dyre, now Canderous" he pointed out. "And some are still scattered across the Galaxy."
"Have you found Cassus?"
"Unfortunately, no. No one knows what happened to him after Malachor V. We only know that he survived, but nothing beyond that. These people are the leaders of their respectful Clans, though it's tough to say that about each and every one of them. A small amount of the Mandalorians answered my call. Roughly a five hundred men and women. That's less than one Clan before the Wars" Bendak complained. Revan nodded in agreement.
"We'll have to cope with what we've got" he replied. He had to admit that it wasn't what he hoped to accomplish. Truth be told, it hasn't been long since he ordered Bendak to rally the remnants of the Clans, but he hoped to have at least one thousand of the warriors. And the fact that someone like Cassus wasn't amongst those five hundred disappointed him, to say the least. Of course, they didn't split up in a friendly relationship but Revan was sure that they would be able to find a common ground, despite their numerous differences.
Bendak proceeded with the introduction. Even if the men which were sitting at the table were present when Revan entered the camp, the Field Marshall explained why the leader of the Republic forces in the Mandalorian Wars was here on Dxun. Once again, the gathered warriors spoke their doubts and objections, beginning to outshout each other. Bendak sighed heavily. He even reached for his rifle, aiming to use it as he did it earlier, though he was quickly stopped by Revan. The Dark Lord sent a Force Wave across the table, pushing the Mandalorian leaders back into their seats, not allowing them to speak any further.
"I understand your doubts" Revan said, not raising up from his seat. "But I'm the new Mandalore. I earned that mantle rightfully in a one-on-one duel against my predecessor. I'm not going to have my right for that title questioned by some outcasts of the once glorious Clans."
"The Raven Clan was supposed to protect the Mandalore, not challenge him" Bralor – one of the Field Marshalls replied. Including Revan, each Mandalorian had their helmets removed and placed in front of them on the table, revealing mostly old, but experienced faces behind which was hidden a great knowledge about the warfare.
"As I said previously, times have changed" Revan countered. His green eyes were scrutinizing the gathered warriors as if in an attempt to gaze into their very souls. "And so must our traditions. The Mandalorians need a strong leader and I'm pretty sure that it is me who is the one good enough to hold that mantle."
"Why do you think we need a leader?" another one questioned, voicing the opinion of the others. "For a third war? We followed one like you before, not that long time ago. Exar Kun was once our leader. He promised us greatness and he failed. Few years ago, Mandalore the Ultimate promised us the very same thing and failed at that as well. Now you show up out of nowhere, claiming to be the new Mandalore, promising us what? Greatness? Or perhaps just another war that will turn into a massacre of our own people? Don't dare to think we forgot what happened in the skies above Malachor. Thousands of us have died out of your order. The current state of what you described as 'once glorious Clans' is your fault!"
"I'm not promising you greatness, nor the victory against the Republic" Revan replied calmly, ignoring the last comment. "But I can guarantee you that you will get a chance to redeem yourselves if you follow me. The last war wasn't your choice. You were tricked into it."
"The attack on the Republic was Mandalore's choice" one of the Field Marshals countered. "No one influenced his decision."
"Really? And how exactly did he come up to that decision? As you said, Exar Kun lived not that long time ago, leading your Clans against the Republic. It ended terribly wrong for all of you and the Republic forced strict regulations on Mandalorians. So how, after decades of living under the surveillance of the Republic did he come up with such a brilliant plan to attack it, without someone as powerful as Exar Kun? Did he really think that the decimated Clans could possibly stand against the Republic? It wasn't his decision and Mandalore the Ultimate has confirmed it." His words had the desired effect. Eyes of each and every Mandalorian were now focused on him. "Before he died, he told me about someone called 'Overlords'."
Apparently, this words wasn't strange to them as it caused the Mandalorians to pale visibly. Almost everyone of them looked down at the table, pondering on what Revan just said.
"I see you're pretty familiar with that term" Revan commented after seeing their reaction. "Good. At least I won't have to explain everything to you. Long story short, in his final words, Mandalore the Ultimate said that the attack on the Republic was a mistake. If it was said by anyone else, I wouldn't care too much. After all, everyone would admit that attacking someone and being defeated by them is a mistake. But not the Mandalorians. Even if we lose a war, it's never a mistake in our opinion. We get to know our biggest weaknesses and we can work on the overall improvement. Which is why his words seemed so odd to me. A man dedicated to the Mandalorian culture would never say that the war was a mistake. After Malachor V, I traveled across the Unknown Space in the Tingel Arm. Months of searching gave me the results I wanted and I found those 'Overlords'. And just as Mandalore the Ultimate, after returning from them, I waged my own war against the Republic. Now, years later, I managed to free myself from their influence. Which is why I'm here today. Even if you think you might have lost your honor in the war against the Republic, you haven't lost it irreversibly."
"They will follow you" Bendak summed up after a few hours of sitting in the Conference Room. "They may not like you, but they will follow you eventually."
"I do hope so" Revan replied. The Field Marshals and other Clan leaders left the Command Center, discussing with other what they heard from him. Their meeting lasted for few hours and, after drinking some Tarisian ale, it quickly turned into a pretty harsh exchange of insults. Eventually, they managed to find a common ground and reached an agreement.
"You can't blame them for their reaction, though. Even if we respect the stronger ones, Mandalore the Ultimate was one of our finest leaders. He was a man who was an example of what a perfect Mandalorian should be. His death was a tragedy for all of us. Not to mention what happened to Garr. He led the Clans to few key victories against the Republic and you killed him. And we all remember how you executed his son. You denied him the right to die am honorable death and now you want to help u reclaim the honor we've lost after Malachor V. Not to mention Canderous. Many saw in him a great leader, almost as great as Mandalore the Ultimate himself."
"I didn't kill Canderous" Revan countered, looking at the man in yellow armor.
"I know, but, nevertheless, he died under you. You have to understand that they have right to be skeptical, to say the least, towards you."
"What makes you think they will follow me, then?"
"You spoke there like a true leader and that's what they saw. Even if they don't like you, they must respect you as the superior one. You defeated the best of the Mandalorians in the Wars and showed us our greatest flaws. But if you truly want to be the new Mandalore, work on removing those flaws from our people. Every Mandalore always added something new to our history or society. And you have to as well."
"I will" Revan promised.
"I will check if they reached an agreement already" Bendak announced, raising up to leave the room.
"Never before have I seen you drinking so much" Revan teased Talia when the Field Marshal left the room.
"That's because of them" she replied, finishing the content of he mug in one sip.
"You still don't trust us" he observed, watching her carefully. Talia gave a don't-give-me-that-bullshit look.
"I trust you, but I don't trust those Mandalorians" she replied.
"I'm one of them" Regan countered.
"Not in my opinion. You act differently."
"But I'm still a Mandalorian and you'll have to learn to live with that because in the near future, we all are going to be fighting alongside each other."
"Probably."
"Hopefully."
Revan then proceeded towards the holoprojector that had a built-in communicator. Setting up the desired frequency, he managed to reach his fleet that was waiting patiently on the Onderon's orbit.
"My Lord" the hologram of Noma Sommos said with a formal bow.
"At ease, Grand Admiral" Revan replied. "In few hours I will come back to the Star Forge. I want to set out to Malachor as soon as I'm back."
"Unfortunately, My Lord, that won't be possible" Noma replied, all the time having her head raised up. "Apparently, the Star Forge wasn't prepared for the hyperspace jumps. The hyperdrive didn't get hurt in any way, but we need some time before we can use it again."
"How long?"
"Approximately, thirty six hours, no more. The engines are almost done cooling down from the previous jump and soon we will be able to charge them again."
"Not good" Revan commented quietly, directing these words to himself. "Order the fleet to jump into hyperspace immediately. I want the Star Forge to be the only thing remaining in this system in few hours from now. The destination remains unchanged: Malachor V."
"Of course, My Lord" Noma replied, bowing formally. "If I may ask, how the negotiations turned out?"
"Very well. Now, proceed with your orders. We don't have time to spare."
"Of course, My Lord" she replied and cut off the communication. The holoprojector went dead, leaving Revan to wait for Horse Bendak to return.
"The droid you found on that planet, has it revealed something?" Tol Cressa asked one of his top technicians who was present in the Battle of the Star Forge.
"Yes, Chancellor. Indeed, it did travel with Revan, but it didn't posses Amy useful information about his whereabouts. No saved conversations, no plans. Practically nothing and it doesn't have the signs of a memory wipe. Apparently, Revan was planning to leave him behind all along."
"What's the status of the from lines?" he asked the Admirals who were also gathered in his office.
"Silence everywhere, Chancellor" Form Dodonna replied. "There is no sign whatsoever about the Sith fleet and their current location."
"Remain on guard, Admiral" Cressa said. "This can be a trap to dull our vigilance."
"Of course, Your Excellency."
"Your Excellency, we received a word that there was an unauthorized from Coruscant" the head of the Coruscanti Guard reported, no speaking without permission. "None of the military ships were stolen but we can't find the Ebon Hawk in any of the hangars." This caught Chancellor's attention.
"Contact me with the Jedi Council immediately, he ordered to one of his men who nodded his head and proceeded with his order. The Supreme Chancellor only hoped that it wasn't what he thought it was.
Okay that's it for today, I hoped you enjoyed it. As always, add it to your favorites, follow this story and leave a comment to let me know what you think about this story so far. See you next time.