Chapter Four
Arriving on Concordia in time to rendezvous with the Kuat droid soldiers they had accumulated, Maul, Savage, and Vizsla were busy studying the map Vizsla had created of Sundari in advance. "Where are my targets?" Maul asked, hoping Vizsla had done as he had asked on Nal Hutta with acquiring the information he sought about Mandalore. Fortunately for him, Vizsla had done just that and revealed that he had identified eight locations marked by red bubbles on the map. "However, as I've said before, if we try to take Mandalore by force our people will turn against us," the Death Watch leader added.
Maul thought carefully about Vizsla's words knowing that they would need the people on their side to defeat the Duchess. Then he replied by saying, "I will use my army of Kuat droids to attack different targets across Sundari and sow chaos to undermine the Duchess' rule. Our soldiers will make her look too weak to maintain control then you and your Death Watch will capture and arrest my brother and I whilst destroying the droids. Bringing order where Satine's weak government couldn't."
Vizsla thought about the implications of this plan, knowing full well that if he could persuade the people to join him, his transition to ruler of Mandalore would be smoother. "We'll be saviors," he said aloud. "Exactly," Maul replied, nodding. "A good plan," Vizsla said before Bo acknowledged her own agreement and went to prepare her troops.
At that point, Vizsla and Bo both left, accompanied by the remaining Pykes who had agreed to see to the escortation of the droids so as to meet the Sith and Death Watch on Concordia. When Maul and his brother were alone, Savage immediately began to voice his concern with the flaws of the plan. "I believe Vizsla will betray us," he said. Maul had given that a thought even before he had concocted this most recent political device that would work if done correctly.
Savage is catching on to the ways of our allies, honorable as they are compared to pirates they do have a dash of boldness that may prove dangerous for us Maul thought silently. However, to his brother, he replied aloud: "We have no other choice; we cannot rule openly without drawing the attention of the Jedi. We need Vizsla as the face of our rule, for now." Savage looked pouty at that reply but what he said next truly astounded and impressed his older brother.
"The promise of wealth will find us a new face on Mandalore," he said. Dull as he might be most of the time, Savage has his moments that really stand out. All in all, this has actually caught me off guard more than it hasn't Maul thought. When he replied to that comment, he tried his best not to let his surprise show but it was likely to no avail considering the magnitude of it.
"You've learned well, my apprentice. Greed never fails to motivate," he stated with a smile at the pride of his brothers genius. The only trouble would be to find someone who is motivated easily by greed once we are forced to dispose of Vizsla he thought to himself. One of the Pykes came in and asked what part they would play once the attack was underway.
Maul smiled, having realized that he overlooked the Pykes' desire to be involved in the Takeover of Mandalore. "Ah yes, I have completely overlooked you and your brothers as would have displeased the late Lom Pyke. Go find Vizsla: tell him that there has been a slight alternation as to who gets captured besides myself and Savage," Maul said, answering the Pyke's concerns. Smiling, the alien left Maul and Savage alone to continue with their more secretive and elusive plans.
Stepping out of the tent, Bo decided it was best to personally take any final concerns she had about the allies of the Shadow Collective to Vizsla himself. Luckily, he was right behind her in coming out of the tent and all she had to do was turn around to face him. "It's a risk to trust those monsters! How do we know they will keep their end of the bargain?" she asked bluntly.
"We need those Sith and those thugs to cause some pain and show the Mandalorian people how weak Satine really is. After this is done, no one will doubt why we're in power. Most will welcome us," he answered. "Then what?" she continued.
"Then we execute Maul and those thugs. Those criminals will scatter and Mandalore will be ours!" he replied. This settled any doubts she had about the Sith brothers and Vizsla's ability to stay on top of them. She marched off with a smile on her face but there was still one matter left to attend to: not too long after the last time Bo and Vizsla made love, she had cramps and pains she hadn't felt before.
Taking a test that the Pykes had available on their property she confirmed that she was officially pregnant with Vizsla's child. Luckily though, the test had stated that she had only been pregnant for three days thus unable to affect her ability to fight on Mandalore much. In fact, if all went well and the Sith were indeed executed with their thugs, she could potentially give birth to Vizsla's heir. The thought of that excited her but at the same time, it frightened her to her core.
What would she do if, despite the low likeliness of it, the pregnancy did indeed interfere with her fighting? Was she going to have to explain to Vizsla what happened she was wounded by a random blaster bolt and possibly about to die? But worst question of all: should she even tell him she bore his baby within her? Too many questions and not much time as he would be expecting the troops to be prepared so as not to aggravate Maul's already-impatient temperament.
Briefly, she gave a speech to the troops of the Night Owls clan that basically told them good luck and to die with honor if dying was necessary. Maul might have his Kuat droids attack us when we go in to destroy them. I want my men and women being extra careful when they deal with them on Mandalore she told herself. If she was going to have to be vigilant, they weren't going to be allowed any slack in the matter either.
When Arden Lyn arrived to the homeworld of the Sorcerers of Tund, she had to admit she found herself a little disappointed by its appearance, all in all. The outside looked uglier than anything she had even seen before and honestly, she was disappointed with what the inside looked like too. And powerful descendants of the Ancient Sith call this home... One has to wonder sometimes, one has to wonder indeed she thought to herself.
Ordering yet another shuttle, she also arranged for a team of Vahla warriors to come down with her in case the Sorcerers tried to kill her. The chances were very high that this would be the occurrence while she was down there and though she had the Talisman, she was never good at fighting multiple opponents. Yes, she had proved her skills against Xendor during what might now be considered a taboo mating ritual but that was one-on-one while this was one-on-Force knew how many.
The skills of the Ember of Vahla also needed to be tested so that she knew what she was getting out of her alliance with them. Just because they are famous for their skill does not mean they actually are as skilled as they are made to be. I will be very disappointed if they do not live up to their reputation and I am forced to resort to my Talisman to escape she thought to herself. Besides that, it would also be an excuse to call the self-destruct of the cruiser and wipe them all out in a swoop.
Besides that, she never liked sharing a whole lot of space with a lot of people anyway. Xendor and experience had both taught her that the bigger the crowd, the stupider it likely was. With few exceptions, minds became only stupider with accumulation and time for that accumulation to take place. "If we last long enough, it won't be long before not only do we have the galaxy but the people also forget why we fought the Jedi in the first place," Xendor had said.
"Is that not the point in which we can relax or no?" she had asked. "Yes but that's until the next time the stupid masses feel threatened by an outside force. Then they'll beg us to come back into action or they'll force our descendants into it if we are dead," he had answered. "In that case, let's hope we do a good job now so we never have to worry about that later," she had said before the conversation ended.
Remembering that, she also remembered that it was one of the last ones they had before he was killed on Colomus. Once again, she found herself clutching the scabbard of her sword with excessive force. This was probably because of the memory of his death coming in and once again setting her mind against the Jedi she would face once she returned from dealing with the Yuuzhan Vong. The descendants of those who betrayed her and murdered Xendor would pay dearly and there was no escape now.
Seeing most of his forces rallied by the united Chiss and Killik forces was a dishonor to Tsavong Lah. Though he had fought a human named Arden Lyn and should've been dead by all rights, he found himself thankful she had chosen to spare his life instead. Now he could voice his concerns for an even greater dishonor than his defeat occurring amongst his own people. The Supreme Overlord, Quoreal, had refused to begin launching a full-scale invasion which had been the goal of stalling the Killiks and the Chiss forces.
"Without fulfilling our goals, there is no purpose in fighting the Chiss and Killiks any longer! What honor is there if we do not deliver on our vows for universal conquest? We already have most of the neighboring galaxies in our grasp and more will follow so what stops us from taking this?" Tsavong asked. "Apparently there has been a revelation made by the priests of the Supreme Overlord that takes precedence over our desire to honor our vow," his father, Czulkang, answered.
"I have never believed in tradition except for my own designs. But I do fear that Shimrra may be displaying the same cowardice that had provoked him into killing his predecessor. I wonder if it's the work of that pathetic welp Onimi in which case, we've underestimated his talents," Nom Anor agreed. "Onimi is a Shamed One whose presence should never be allowed to taint the hands of the Supreme Overlord, what business does he have influencing Shimrra's decisions!?" Tsavong snarled.
"Patience, my son, that is what you lack and that is why you must leave the talking to me and Nom Anor. Much as I do not agree with Anor, normally, I must admit I have begun to wonder the same thing," Czulkang stated. Tsavong merely scoffed and followed his father and Nom Anor into the chambers of the Supreme Overlord. He had not seen it before so when he saw the vast wealth and grandeur that decorated it, he was amazed.
How much of this was accumulated thanks to Quoreal's payday in comparison to Shimrra, I wonder? Tsavong asked silently. Alongside his father and Anor, Tsavong bowed before the Supreme Overlord in respect only to be directed to rise on Shimrra's signal. "Milord, until as recently as a few weeks ago, you have been making repeated attempts to break into the enemy galaxy before us. Despite being temporarily being beaten back by a power yet to be understood, we have almost reclaimed those lost lands but now you have stopped the attacks.
"Like Warmaster Czulkang Lah and his son, I must know why this is so," Nom Anor said, speaking first. Shimrra said nothing at first but merely chuckled at what Anor had brought to his attention. "Never fear Intendant Anor, I am very well aware of what I have done and what we were close to reclaiming. However, I recently ordered a counterattack that is designed to go around our current enemy's defenses and undo them from behind.
"Once the force I have sent has reported success, we will then destroy what is left over and make our way into the rest of the galaxy. The way I have heard it, the space they call the 'Known Galaxy' has been waging a war within itself that we can end gloriously. We will wait for the moment and when the counter force has reported success, we will move again," Shimrra explained. That is not Supreme Overlord Shimrra talking, that sounds like something Onimi would suggest Tsavong thought but didn't say.
"With all due respect sir, we could make a push for it now and conquer their forces within the next week or so. Why wait for a counterattack who's likely not to succeed when you have the fortifications to press an immediate attack on our enemies?" Czulkang asked. "That is a good question and I shall answer it in only one way: there would be no honor in it for us," Shimrra answered. The enemy we face hardly deserves any honor if Arden is the reason they have survived this long Tsavong thought, remembering the power he had observed in Lyn when she killed the troops with him.
He had told no one of Arden Lyn's existence nor did he think it would be necessary to do so. If she came to the Yuuzhan Vong, he would deal with her himself, something his father would never have the honor of doing if Tsavong had a chance to view recordings of her coming. She and any allies with her will make in proving once and for all that I am worthy of taking my father's place as Warmaster of Domain Lah he added to himself silently.
Shimrra then stated that if the trio had nothing else, they were to be dismissed immediately. Nom Anor replied that though he did have business with the Supreme Overlord, it was not business that couldn't wait for another time. Tsavong and his father, on the other hand, bowed in respect and exited the chambers though Anor would soon follow suit. It was when they were alone that from the shadows, Onimi came to Shimrra once more, having used Force Cloak to disguise his presence from the Vongsense of the others.
"So they have been shut up for now as far as galactic invasion is concerned?" he asked immediately. "Not to worry my friend, they will not bother you or me though they will not agree with our plans. I warn you that if we take this too far, they will turn on me just as they turned on Quoreal before me," Shimrra stated. "If you keep them in check long enough, their disagreements will be irrelevant regardless of their explosion," Onimi replied.
"I feel like a repeat of Quoreal and I have not even been on the throne for a decade already. Could it be possible I will suffer the same fate though only the reason will be different?" Shimrra asked. "Hardly milord, you will be remembered as the greatest of the Supreme Overlords when this is over. Nom Anor, Czulkang Lah, and Czulkang's son Tsavong will all bow in respect for the brilliance of the plan once it is all over," Onimi answered, using Force Manipulation in small, invisible doses.
It's quite simple really: promise him he will be the greatest when this plan is successful, use him to implement, then execute him with the Force when it's over. So simple and yet so complicated due to the time it will undoubtedly require and the patience on my part Onimi thought. Smiling, he watched as Shimrra thought over the implications of that and sighing to signal that he had settled into it. "You know something, Onimi: it's a shame that you were dubbed a Shamed One when you are clearly qualified to be much more," he said.
"My liege, I do not desire more than to be in a position where I can act as your personal consultant. What I had in the past is in the past and what the Elite presently think of me is hardly a concern to me nor should it be to you. Just worry about keeping the more rebellious, traditional members of your people in check until we can initiate the final stages of our goal," Onimi replied. "Excellent and that I shall do, you are dismissed for now, Onimi," Shimrra said to which Onimi answered by nodding and turning to leave.
"Milady, reports have just come in that the security forces on Concordia have mysteriously disappeared. Their last report came in four days ago and we have received nothing since," Prime Minister Neptune stated. "Death Watch is coming?" Satine asked. "Though there is no evidence that can yet support that, it is a possibility we are highly considering," Neptune answered.
"Have someone investigate this and see if their hand has been played in the disappearance of the security forces. Be careful though: if they have or someone worse than them has, it could become very dangerous," she ordered. "I will be sure to do that milady, when the first report comes in, I will be sure to let you know," Neptune said. If the reporter survives to make the first report, you mean Satine thought but didn't say.
Neptune sent a scout out and stated that he must report back as soon as possible should he have something. After that, he turned back to Satine and asked what to do if there was an attack by anyone. "If there is an attack, we can only hope it's by Death Watch so as to be allowed to call the Republic for assistance. But Vizsla is no fool: he knows he needs the people on his side in order to openly challenge me.
"I fear he may provide something to fake heroism and turn the people against my rule. If he succeeds in that, the people will want my head even if Vizsla places me in jail," she answered. "So you're basically saying that we should do nothing until we are indeed attacked by someone?" he insisted. "It's the best thing we can do, Prime Minister though I wish there was something better that we could do to prevent this," she answered.
"Perhaps we can have security spread across Sundari to protect our vitals from an attack. Tell the people it is a drill so that way they do not become too suspicious," he suggested. "No, don't tell them it's a drill: it will give them one more reason to hate me if Vizsla successfully fakes heroism. Tell them the truth but tell them that they will not be harmed if we can help it," she replied.
"Either way, we are in trouble with them as well as any enemies we will have but I guess that's the lesser of two evils," he admitted. Then he left, leaving her alone in the throne of Sundari Palace once again. If only Kenobi were here with me now... Much as I may disagree with his principles of keeping the peace, his company is far more comforting than any other she thought silently.
The two had agreed to be only friends a year ago but she had to wonder: was that really wise? Somewhere across the stars, Kenobi was running a mission for the Jedi Order or leading a battalion of clones into yet another victory that would keep the security of the League of 2000 in check. If it wasn't for sacrifices like his and those of the entirety of the Republic, Satine wouldn't be the leading influence of two thousand neutral systems. She was thankful to him and his former apprentice called Skywalker but it was much more than that.
Years ago, before the Clone Wars, Kenobi had helped Satine build a foundation on which to set Mandalore on the path that accumulated to this. With the aid of Qui-Gon Jinn, who she heard had been killed twelve years ago, Obi-Wan had protected her and liberated her influence from those who would kill her. During that time, she had fallen for him in a way she would had never fall for anyone before or since. He had not only returned it but had secretly helped her act on their mutual feelings for each other when Qui-Gon had disappeared for several days to scout ahead.
Qui-Gon was like the father we all wished we could have but seldom ever do have. It is truly quite sad to know that he's dead she said to herself. But she also knew that the man who killed Jinn was still alive and still rampaging across the galaxy rather explosively. It made her feel that perhaps Mandalore was the next planet to fall before his rampage; what would she do if a Sith Lord like him decided to take Mandalore and its resources for himself? She shuddered at the thought of it happening.