Chapter Eight

Though Maul was probably counting on her to do so, there was only one thing that Bo-Katan could do now that she was his enemy. She had to go to Sundari Prison and rescue Duchess Satine from her current holding cell. But she would need help in doing this, she would need to reacquire the subjects of Satine Kryze and... her nephew Korkie. I haven't seen that kid since his mother died giving birth to him and Satine took custody of him; I wonder how my nephew's been since then she thought to herself.

Then it reminded her of part of the reason that she left Mandalore to form the Night Owls and join with Vizsla's Death Watch. Nothing could have been done to save Korkie's mother as she lay dying and of the two remaining sisters, the dead woman had picked Satine to care for her son. Bo knew that the son of her eldest sister would become a pacifist softie under the care of Satine and thus, would never uphold traditional Mandalorian ideals of manhood. But as she saw him now, she was beginning to wonder if perhaps in this case, she was being a little too harsh on the boy.

After all, regardless of the circumstances that had gotten him to this point, he did turn out to be nice and strong. Bo wasted no time in teaching him a few tricks with blaster pistols nor did he waste any time absorbing the knowledge. Perhaps he would have made for a great warrior in another life but then who knows? Bo asked herself as she watched him. Quickly, she and Korkie came up with a plan that was somewhat crude but would prove effective if carried out perfectly.

When they arrived at Sundari Prison, Bo was quick to kill two of the three guards that were there before her men surrounded the third. As he surrendered, Korkie turned him around and had him lead him to where the Duchess was currently being held. The guard complied and when the door opened, he heard her ask what the guard wanted and calling him a traitor. That was when Korkie revealed himself by shooting the guard and saying he would never betray his aunt.

"We're here to rescue you," he said. Satine immediately responded by jumping up and hugging him. Another Death Watch guard ordered them to stop but he was shot down by Bo, who revealed herself when Satine thought her to be Death Watch also. "Oh, it's you," the Duchess said, disappointment somewhat present in her tone. "It's okay auntie, she's on our side now," Korkie told her.

"Why are you helping now?" Satine asked. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Bo answered. "There was a time when we weren't enemies, perhaps that time has come again," Satine stated before they moved on. Maybe so but frankly, I don't think many of us are going to be living long enough to find out Bo thought but didn't say.

Outside, the Night Owls had managed to keep the exit clear for their escapee and signaled as much to Bo. One of Satine's former subjects even said as much and Bo gestured for them to get to the speeder. "We need to contact the Jedi Council! Korkie, give me your comlink," Satine stated.

Korkie complied but warned her that it wouldn't be any good unless they got out of the city. Besides that, all the frequencies had already been jammed as per the orders of Lord Maul. "You're all taking a terrible risk by helping me," Satine warned with a heavy sigh. "Nothing we haven't done before. Right auntie?" Korkie retorted with a smile.

Bo ordered them to get going as a speeder came into transport them and Korkie boarded with the Duchess. At first, when they took off, they encountered no resistance toward the outside of the city. But this didn't last long as a Death Watch soldier watching from towers of the city signaled a silent alarm to his men while going on the attack with two others that were with him. When the bolts started flying from the enemy, Bo immediately noticed and ordered the men with her to take out the enemy.

The two of them flew into action and dealt with two of the three Death Watch soldiers while a third still remained. Bo dealt with this one when she used a harness to hold him off. She ordered Korkie to get the Duchess clear as she launched herself off the speeder. Then she swung the soldier over her head and right into the wall of a building, knocking him and his jetpack out. And the moment they thought they were clear, six more soldiers sprung from the shadows to oppose their arrival.

In addition, one of them managed to knock out one of the engines to the Duchess' speeder despite an eventual safe landing near the shipping docks. Bo and her men held off the soldiers while the Duchess went to look for a spot where there was no jam on the signal. Korkie helped her as he shot the men who came to stop her and when she finally found a spot, she knew what to do immediately. "This is a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi: I've lost Mandalore, my people have been massacred," she began.

Then she heard a smacking sound and turned to see that Korkie had been knocked out cold by a Death Watch soldier with horns on the brow of his helmet. And as the commando turned to her, she stated directly to Obi-Wan that she needed his help after mentioning Almec being reinstated. Then she cut the transmission and surrendered to the commando as well as the men who soon accompanied him. By this time, Bo-Katan and her men had already withdrawn their fighting, likely knowing that now was not the time to beat back Death Watch.

Yoda and Ki-Adi Mundi were glad to see that Obi-Wan was quick to arrive when he was summoned. They were also glad to see that he had asked about the summoning they had requested of him earlier. Grimly, Ki-Adi played the transmission that had just come in from Mandalore where Satine explained her loss of power, that Almec had been reinstated, and that he had the support of crime families. Then she ended the transmission by saying that she needed his help and just in time for three Death Watch soldiers to walk into the recording and take her hostage.

"Your thoughts on this, Master Kenobi?" Yoda asked. "Satine has been at odds with the Death Watch for years. And according to Padawan Tano's final report, they are no longer in league with the Separatists. If there was a takeover on Mandalore, it was most likely an independent act caused by the Death Watch alone," Obi-Wan answered.

"Without involvement from the Separatists, this is an internal affair for the Mandalorians. I'm afraid that we cannot help," Ki-Adi stated. "We cannot just hand Mandalore over to these crime families and let Satine become a martyr!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "I'm afraid her decision to keep Mandalore neutral makes this situation difficult," Ki-Adi replied calmly.

"Understand your feelings I do, Obi-Wan. But to take action, support from the Republic Senate we will need," Yoda said. I don't really think you do understand how I feel, Master Yoda Obi-Wan thought. Aloud though, he said, "You know what the Senate will decide: they will not send aid to a neutral system."

"At this time, nothing more can we do," Yoda said, ending the conversation. As he proceeded to exit out, Ki-Adi almost followed but turned back to talk briefly with Obi-Wan. "This is a personal matter for you more than any of us but do not let your feelings cloud your judgment," he said before leaving with Yoda. It gave Kenobi food for thought as he was left alone in the chamber but he knew what his decision would be before the end of this ponderance: he would go to Mandalore alone.

"Satine's accomplices have escaped, including the renegade Death Watch soldiers but we will find them. The Duchess appears to have contacted the Jedi just as anticipated," Almec said, the horned member of Death Watch beside him. Maul was deep in thought as Almec spoke but when he heard about the contact, he awoke from it with a smile. "Good, you have done well," he stated aloud.

"What of the people?" Almec asked bluntly. "You are the legitimate Prime Minister, Mandalore is a sovereign planet, and you will maintain its neutrality," Maul answered. "And what of the Jedi?" Almec inquired to be immediately greeted by a growl from Savage. "Because of Mandalore's neutrality, the Jedi have no jurisdiction here and if Kenobi comes to rescue his friend, he will have to come alone," Maul replied with a smile.

"So you're saying we keep Satine alive until he comes to rescue her? By then, it could be too late to execute her," Almec demanded. "You ask too many questions, little man. I should crush you right now," Savage snarled.

"Hold on that thought until he fails brother, in the meantime, I do not mind answering his questions. Your fears are legitimate, Almec but they are also unneeded as my brother has indicated," Maul said. "Then one last question, my fears of the Jedi notwithstanding from everything else, of course. If the Jedi have no jurisdiction over the course of neutral systems, does that mean we could expand into the two thousand others that are allied with Mandalore?" Almec asked.

Unlike Vizsla, Almec has vision... I must say my choice in choosing him has not entirely been in vain. Nor for that matter, has been his choice in administrators Maul thought. "You have learned from Vizsla's oversights. Yes, we will be expanding into those others systems and under your protection, my brother and I shall form a new galactic underworld," he said aloud.

"Quite a vision, milord and sure to attract the criminal families of Coruscant with whom your Pyke allies have connections," Almec observed. "Yes Prime Minister, we will be exploiting those connections to form our empire until we have the means for galactic conquest. At that point, we will no longer need your protection but you will keep your position on Mandalore so as to give us a regional representative," Maul said.

My brother plans so big, it's no wonder the Jedi wanted him dead all those years ago. And it's no wonder he has had to shelter us up until this point after Florumm Savage thought. "I require no more of your, Prime Minister. Continue about your business of ruling my people while I include more for you to publicly rule," Maul ordered with enthusiasm.

Almec bowed and left the brothers alone again at which point, Maul decided it was time to meditate again. Perhaps it would serve its purpose of refreshing his mind as well as his brother's but then perhaps not. Either way, he and Savage went into their trance and took their minds off the politics of Mandalore. It would be the last time that they would truly be able to enjoy it before they attracted the attention of Kenobi and... someone else.

When Arden arrived at Malastare, she had to admit it was much more beautiful to behold from space than Tund had been. She was even more impressed with how it looked on the surface, proving to be the most impressed out this planet, Glee Anselm, and Tund. Since the latter was at the bottom already, Arden decided it would be best to fit Glee right in the middle. Indeed, the Yuuzhan Vong have picked a most beautiful spot to begin their counterattack against Thrawn's forces; did they deliberately do this? Arden asked herself jokingly.

Three days ago, she had forcibly recruited the Sorcerers of Tund by means of killing their leaders and added them to the armada that also included the Ember of Vahla. Now, Arden decided it was time she went alone to the surface of Malastare to meet her apprentice. The spot that Depa had chosen, however, was a strange one as far as Arden could tell: a "Podrace" track. But there was one problem: getting there unseen by Republic clones and Separatist agents like Quinlan Vos.

Luckily, she managed to escape the clones via allies and secret tunnels that Depa had highlighted in her outline of the Pixelito, the capital of Malastare and the home of its Podraces. However, she sensed she was being followed whether by Vos or someone else, she could not tell though she had a feeling the Talisman already knew. Taking it out in a dark alley, she saw as it glowed with the decreasing distance between herself and her hunter. Perhaps this will throw our hunter off our scent; neutralize what he uses to hide against us Arden said to the Talisman.

Holding it up in the air, she watched as the Talisman's light turned into deadly blades that sought out their target and even managed to unwrap a man from the darkness. He had long dreadlocks that curved out from his head and down to his shoulder blades, a single yellow mark went across his face, and a lightsaber hung from his belt. "You are the warrior Quinlan Vos who has been giving trouble to my apprentice, I presume?" Arden asked. "I'm a Kiffar, I'm supposed to track down people who give off interesting auras such as your apprentice and even you, quite frankly," the man answered.

As Arden turned to face him, she saw what he looked like and was baffled that he would call himself anything short of a human. "You just look like a human with stupid-looking hair to me," she said, speaking her thought aloud. "Watch it, my people find my hair handsome and traditional of their culture!" he growled under his breath. "I pity your people if their culture is so degraded that they judge a man by the stupidity of his hairdo," Arden replied.

Yes, keep mocking his heritage and blind him with anger. He will be easier to subdue and defeat that way she observed silently. "What do you know of culture, stupid bitch!?" he shouted as he unclipped his lightsaber and almost activated the blade. "I'm twenty-five thousand years old, your knowledge of culture is microscopic compared to mine, ignoramus little boy," she replied calmly.

The wheels in his head turn with anger, his people are insulted and soon, he will have no choice but to avenge them in order to restore his own honor and pride. For a Jedi, he is certainly touchier than I remember the Elders being in my day Arden thought, smirking as she did so. "I thought Jedi were not supposed to give into anger," she said, keeping up her mocking. "Unlike those fools, I am what's called a Dark Jedi: we're given a little more freedom to form our own code," he answered.

"Ah, now that's something my apprentice and I have in common. Perhaps you could join us on our little mission, one that will save the galaxy more than your work here," she stated. "I've heard enough about this mission and I've heard enough of you! Draw your weapon and fight me now!" he demanded.

"Do I really have to?" she asked. She knew he would be too weak to defeat her and wanted to spare him if she could. "No rules, no mercy! Should be right up your alley, now shut up and fight!" he insisted.

Such a young and naive individual, no matter. I will edit that error in him soon enough she told herself. "Hmm, very well, I had intended on letting you live to see another day but now I have no choice," she said aloud. She withdrew her blade and as she did so, she conjured a blade of energy that flew at him, forcing him from his place in a balcony above her. When he was down to her level, he tried again to attack but she kept him at bay with more energy blades and some Force pushes.

"You still intend to let me live? It won't work now!" Vos said after a while. "No, I'm just wearing you down for my next parlor trick," Arden answered as she unsheathed her blade. Then she turned the scabbard into an identical duplicate of her weapon, even facing the same direction as it.

Vos scoffed at it and made nothing of it until Arden showed him that now he would have instead of one energy blade at a time, he now had two at a time. This was worsened when Arden magnetized the pommels together and spun the double-sided sword in a manner that allowed for energy blades to fly away seconds after each other. Finally, one of them managed to graze his arm and since it was much like having acid graze him, he held his arm in pain as it burned into his bloodstream and bones. Another blade came across his thigh, forcing him to drop his lightsaber in favor of healing his injuries, never giving him a chance to use his own blade skills.

Arden shook her head in pity for his lack of technique and sloppy attempts to dodge her magic or even deflect it. However, he surprised her when he rose back up and attacked her with the full force of Vaapad. Finally, a true challenge to test my mastery of Soresu she thought but didn't say. Though she managed to fend off most of his attacks with ease due to the clouding effects of his anger, there were a couple that strained her.

Nonetheless, she passed her test when she formed an X with her blades in defense and pushed against Vos' lightsaber. As a result, it slipped out of his hand and was sent flying away, rendering him helpless as she kicked him down and then threw him from wall to wall with telekinesis. When she threw him back down onto the floor, she restored her scabbard back to its original form and sheathed her blade. He saw this and asked if she was going to be merciful to him as she had proven her point and won the fight.

"As you yourself said: there is no mercy," she said. Before he replied, she struck him down further with green bolts of electricity from the fingers of her right hand. "Do not fear, I am not going to kill you: you are not meant to die here. However, I am going to leave you with something by which to remember me," she added after a while before continuing to electrocute him.

Arden, if you keep this up much longer or upgrade the power to a great intensity, you may knock him into a coma for at least a week the Talisman's voice stated. Precisely the point, now shut up and let me work my magic on him she replied telepathically. The Talisman obeyed and Arden managed to complete her work on Vos by increasing the intensity until he was unconscious. However, since she was trying her best not to waste time, she did so in a way that knocked him out in a matter of minutes.

Now that her work was complete and he was in a place where no one was likely to find him during that entire week, she left him there. He's young, he'll live to find his way back to where he came from she told herself. This helped lessen the pity she already felt for him whether it was of the sympathetic kind or not, she couldn't tell. Like her, he skidded across the border of Light and Dark and fallen into the latter more than once.

That much she could tell from both his fighting style and the present aura of Light Side energy that he gave off. It was one more reminder of Xendor that returned her to the days of when she first met him. Though Xendor had a buzzcut, which Arden thought more handsome than dreadlocks, that was one of only two differences between him and this Kiffar as Vos called himself. She arrived at the Podrace track not too long after that and was immediately impressed at the sight of the vehicles.

So these are Podracers eh? No wonder why people like these so much she said as she observed their speed and a crash one of them took. Her apprentice was waiting for immediately outside the entrance to the stadium and at once, she teased her mistress about taking too long. "I was delayed by your Kiffar fool in the alleys but no worries; he will not oppose us again unless he no longer values his life," Arden replied in affirmation.

"So he tried to fight you too after failing to beat me, huh? How amusing but what did you do?" Depa asked. "I electrocuted him until he was put into a week-long coma by the trauma, luckily no one will be expecting to find him in the spot I left him at," Arden answered. "You always have a plan to do good, Mistress; it's a wonder the Jedi were ever opposed you," Depa said. "Do not worry about that. For now, let's enjoy a Podrace, shall we?" Arden asked curiously and Depa nodded agreeably.