Chapter Sixteen
When Chancellor Palpatine finally returned from his mysterious "official business" a special session of Congress was called to decide the fate of Mandalore. "You said that Mandalore was taking the road to pacifism and not back to its warrior ways. How can we trust that an invasion force will insure this if we were to believe you?" Mas Amedda asked. "Because in no way was I responsible for the revision: Death Watch allied themselves with criminal organizations to do that.
"I never intended make Mandalore anything short of the pacifist government I created and given an opportunity to do it again, I would not divert from that. Yes, I would change the things that didn't work with it but all in all, I would still be a woman of peace and not war. And if Death Watch were still to oppose me, I would make sure to take the means I have to crush them before they gained momentum. Paradoxical as that sounds, there is no other path I would rather go than the one I have already walked and the one I know I will walk," Satine answered passionately.
"Further idealist talk that can surely be remedied when placed in such a situation," Mas stated. "If you think my character can be broken so easily, you are wrong. I have dreamt of a peaceful and prosperous Mandalore since I saw my father struck down Tor Vizsla, Pre's father. My youngest sister took it on herself to avenge our father's death by learning the old ways.
"But my eldest had a dream that I would continue on when she died giving birth to my nephew who now is also dead. That dream was for the day when Mandalore's people would live in peace and unison, regardless of the differences of clan ideals. Orphaned at six years old, I was raised by my sister under those ideals and eventually came to realize something. When she died giving birth, I realized it was I who would complete her dream which I shared with her, it was what she would've wanted.
"The Jedi helped with that dream's realization but ultimately, it was I who not only made Mandalore a pacifist system but I also maintained its neutrality. Not once did the Republic invade my properties while I watched them even when the Senate and the Chancellor demanded one be initiated. Peace and plenty was achieved save for the occasional terrorist attacks from Death Watch and the reliance of the Black Market by my corrupted former Prime Minister Almec! But now, if you want to take this opportunity, you get your wish to send troops into a neutral system.
"At the same time, I can cleanse Mandalore of Death Watch and my remaining sister can bring in a new era for our people. After this is done, I have decided to retire from politics and all activities associated with it to go upon an exile. I failed to protect Mandalore from the deception of Death Watch and its criminal allies and am thus, unfit to regain it. In addition, my people think I'm dead thanks to Almec and the man who controlled him: a Sith Lord named Darth Maul.
"What makes this man so big a deal? I will tell you: he and his apprentice intend to take over the neutral systems surrounding Mandalore to form their own factor in the Clone Wars. As if the Separatists and the Republic had not done enough fighting, think of what a third faction would do!" Satine shouted. The Chancellor and Mas Amedda took a moment after a report apparently came in from Intelligence though what it could be, Satine had no idea until Palpatine spoke.
"It is with great reprieve, that I inform the members of the Senate that Darth Maul and his brother were reported as being killed on Mandalore. However, an investigation must be sent underway before I can approve of an invasion force: did Obi-Wan kill them out of revenge for Qui-Gon?" Palpatine said. "What!? No, Jedi don't kill in cold blood for one and for two, I was there and I left with him after he rescued me from Maul's clutches!" Satine screamed, hammering a fist on her podium.
"If only we could believe that, milady. There is not enough evidence to support the claim unless you have something to provide," Palpatine stated. "I do actually, a recording of when Kenobi and I were on board the ship we used to escape. It has his conversation with my sister Bo-Katan recorded and includes the part where my sister Maul will die without adding 'if he hasn't already'!" Satine snapped.
She immediately produced the recording, played back the part she mentioned and the Senate was aghast. "I know who did it: Darth Sidious! Who else would desire Maul's death due to the threat he presented in life?" Satine asked. More whispers as the Senate agreed that Sidious would have sensed his former apprentice though none knew the Dark Lord was in their threshold as they spoke.
"In light of this new information, the resolution to invade Mandalore must be renewed and put to another vote. Do we follow the request of the retiring Duchess as she leaves out our doors forever. Or do we leave Mandalore to rot after transferring leadership of the League of Two-thousand to Naboo?" Palpatine asked. The voting was quick after that and the majority were in favor of invading Mandalore just for the sole sake of driving out the Death Watch.
"Chancellor, I thank you for this but before you send battalions, I would have you know that any troopers not painted red are your allies. Any who are will be the ones you destroy or arrest when you invade Mandalore," Satine stated when the voting was finished. "We will heed your advice but tell me, where do you plan to go now that you have officially retired?" Palpatine asked. "Senator Amidala has already agreed to set aside property in Lake country of Naboo," Satine answered.
She added that she would also withdraw all her unmarked credits and make them Republic credits. Her wealth from that would be such that she never had to work in any field again which would be most advantageous. "You will be missed, Duchess Satine and your involvement in the Republic will be missed," Palpatine said. Considering the way your puppet Amedda and most of the Senate has spoken to me, I highly doubt that Satine thought though she thanked him for the compliment.
When she met up with Kenobi, she told him of the vote and told him of her decision to retire and go to Naboo. "The sooner I begin that new life we talked about, the better. Wouldn't you agree?" she asked. He nodded and added, "And thus, the part of Satine Kryze in the tale of the galaxy ends; very befitting the heroine of Mandalore if you ask me."
She giggled and replied, "True but the tale of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his lover has just begun. There is still much to be done for our story." "Perhaps after the war, when the Jedi are no longer Generals, there will be more," he said. They kissed each other goodbye then she ordered a shuttle for Naboo... but all the time, vowing never to forget Obi-Wan and how he saved her life out of love for her.
After days of patient waiting and rising suspense, General Grievous was finally going to be able to make a report to Count Dooku on his Kuat foundry mission. Since the failure at Mustafar, he had been more careful with how he approached the other factories. Not only had he commanded his forces from space but he had also ordered a space-to-surface assault of larger factories. Those that were smaller could be bombed to dust by vulture droids which made the strategy work just fine.
He never did return to deal with the Mustafarian factory simply because it was the most powerful and most fortified by the time his eyes did turn back to it. It intimidated him into refusing to go back there and simply admit he had tried it first and wasted over half his resources for one big failure. But therein lied the problem: if he gave a full and honest report, Dooku would probably fry him or lecture him. He decided it was worth the gamble since at least he didn't lose the lightsaber of Darth Zannah during the duel with Depa Billaba as Dooku had fear would happen.
"General, how did the Kuat droid foundry destructions go?" Dooku asked upon arrival. "We managed to destroy all but one milord: the very first one I targeted. Depa Billaba made it impossible for us to take if so long as she remained there. So instead, we focused on the other ones but when we were finished, the Mustafar factory was too heavily fortified for our dwindled resources.
"So I called off any attack on it and came back to make my report. All in all, not a complete failure although that one factory pumps out more droids than the others combined. Two to three million a standard week if demand is high enough. However, since Xizor is a businessman, he will not use these all for military purposes: he'll likely set aside droids for construction, pleasure houses, and other such duties.
"It would not make sense for a group of gangsters to try and go on galactic conquest just because they own one of the best droid factories in the galaxy. Strategically speaking that is but I could deliver in other ways that would make the report much longer," Grievous answered. He chose to leave out the details of his duel with Depa, feeling no need to tell but Dooku wouldn't let him have even that. "Tell me, was I right in my presumptions that Depa Billaba would miserably defeat you General?" he asked.
"Not miserably but you were right in your presumption that she would defeat me besides that," Grievous answered. "You are lying General, I can tell by the sound of your voice that you are attempting to deceive me. Did she really beat you that badly that you would do that, General?" Dooku mocked. "I do not deceive when I say she didn't, her use of Vaapad did catch me off guard for several short moments but I became accustomed enough to where my defeat was not ignoramus like you!" Grievous shouted.
"Watch your tongue with me, General!" Dooku shouted. To emphasize that he was the Master, he electrocuted the General with a few bolts of lightning. It was all it would take for the metal to conduct well enough to where it felt like he had sent more at him. "In the future General, you do good to deceive me on no account just as Quinlan Vos does when he delivers his reports to me," Dooku added after a moment.
Where is he, anyway? It has been too long since the last time he made a report and I did not send him on a difficult mission Dooku thought silently. Too bad Dooku does not know the only reason Vos is successful is because of that stupid Force Cloak ability he has Grievous thought simultaneously. The General was dismissed after making his report and warned that another such catastrophic failure would not be tolerated.
"The only reason it is tolerated this time is because my Master went to Mandalore and disposed of the brothers on our behalf. Now that the Shadow Collective has been dispersed, it is safe to say your failure was not in vain," he added. "I understand, milord," Grievous said before leaving the chamber without giving his master a second glance. Do you? Dooku asked silently.
Having been unconscious for Force knows how long, Quinlan Vos awoke to see that his quarry had disappeared. Using his naturally-wired tracking skills, Vos learned that Arden Lyn's footstep impressions were a week old and would soon fade. Shit, she's probably long disappeared since then to who knows where! he thought to himself with a growl. But something had him off edge: how come no one had found him in this alley and taken him to a hospital while he was knocked out?
Did Arden decide this was a suitable place to leave him due to the fact that no one would find him? If she did that, it was probably for the best that no one did find him since that would mean leaving Malastare with little to no dignity to call his own. The woman is crazy but not terribly so plus I sense that the Dark Side has not fully consumed her, not yet he observed mentally. Was there a way she could be brought back from the darkness that was slowly consuming her?
Or was there a more proper reason that it was even there in the first place? The name sounded familiar and he wondered if perhaps, he had read about her somewhere. If so, he would have to look up the source again and read about her life. It would most definitely help him prepare for the next time he faced her down in single combat and give him edges that would allow him to sway her this way or that.
He would also have to recall his observations of her style which, while old-fashioned, was not only direct but effective. As if that wasn't bad enough, the only connection he could truly make to any modern form of blade combat in her style was either Vaapad or Shii-Cho. Traces of Ataru were present but he began to wonder if she had attempted to use Niman on him to no avail. Niman was a combination of all five of its preceding styles and she definitely showed signs of it.
Whether she knew that or not was a different story entirely and one he didn't want to explore just yet. For now, he needed to make sure his ship was still where he left it and get off this rock to report back to Dooku. He would need to reveal what he had learned of Arden Lyn and hopefully, make it useful to destroying the Shadow Collective rumored to have surfaced before he was knocked out. Using the alleys and gutters he had previously hidden in in while following Arden, he was glad to see that his shuttle was where he left it.
He was also glad that Malastare was not entirely far away from Separatist space and he would soon be reporting back to his Master. Punching the coordinates after launching his ship and finding clear space, he immediately headed for Dooku's headquarters of Serenno to make a direct report.
But he decided to also announce himself before arriving so as not to surprise Dooku when he finally did arrive. "Quinlan Vos, I was expecting you a week ago, what happened?" the Dark Lord asked when he was finally on screen for Vos. "I'll tell you when we have a moment in private but for now, let's say I suffered a major setback," Vos replied. Dooku didn't like that but let it slide as Vos did seldom suffer setbacks on any scale and it was probably best to keep that sort of information private.
Arriving after a couple hours in hyperspace, there was a brief moment where Vos felt queasy due to being unconscious for so long but it passed as quickly as it appeared. Making his way to Dooku's headquarters, he was not surprised to see General Grievous leaving irritably. Dooku must have given him another lecture on the importance of victory on a mission. It certainly would explain why he's looking a little on the edge Vos thought as the Kaleesh warlord approached him.
"The Count has been expecting you, Master Vos. For your sake, I hope you have something better to report than I did, he's not exactly in a good mood right now," Grievous said before leaving. Hm, the General seems in a worse mood than I've ever known Dooku to be. Maybe it's because of the lecture which I don't think would indicate a bad mood on Dooku's part Vos observed to himself.
"Thank you General for the advanced warning though it may be unnecessary," he said aloud. Grievous snarled in his usual fashion at that reply which made Quinlan smirk when he wasn't looking. When he finally did arrive at Dooku's headquarters, he was not surprised to see the MagnaGuards Dooku had assigned for his protection since a Jedi break-in several months back. "Quinlan Vos, you said that you suffered a setback: explain yourself as to how that is so, please?" Dooku asked, wasting no time at all.
"Well firstly, thank you for getting to the point, I hate it when you beat around the bush. Secondly, my mission to find information was going well until I sensed a presence like no other before. This was not long after I had been confronted and nearly killed by a revived Depa Billaba who somehow made herself stronger than I remembered her being," he began. "Hold on, you faced Depa Billaba and you didn't even ask me for consent to do so beforehand?" Dooku interrupted.
"I'm sorry milord, it's just I have sparred with her before and I thought it would be like old times although I was ultimately proven dead wrong," Vos answered. "I see, continue with your report then. You were saying something about sensing a presence like no other before?" Dooku inquired. "Yes, it was in the form of a woman who seemed to be in between the Light and the Dark much like I had been although more neutral than myself.
"She called herself Arden Lyn, a name I will have to check sources on when I'm at the library you have. When I moved into ambush her, she uplifted an artifact whose light pierced through my Force Cloak and exposed me to her, nearly forcing me to fight her right there though I didn't for a little bit. After a brief exchange, we actually did fight but she beat me down with the sword she was using which cast energy blades with the same sharpness as a lightsaber. It was when she disarmed me that she pelted me down with a volley of Force Lightning until I was unconscious thus explaining why I disappeared for a week," Vos continued, concluding on the note of his coma's circumstances.
"I sense no lie but I also want to know: what did Arden Lyn say about her connection to Depa?" Dooku asked. "She said that Depa was her apprentice which, to me, was intriguing and I sensed no lie in that statement as well as her self-identification. But do tell me Master, why the hell does that name sound so familiar?" Vos replied. "Because Arden Lyn was the name of a leader of the Legions of Lettow in the First Jedi Schism; she was imprisoned in a state of hibernation when she was defeated," Dooku said.
"And I'm guessing the artifact she had was somehow used to revive her. Could it be the Kashi Mer Talisman from those ancient times?" Vos asked. "Yes it could be which means that if she returns from wherever she is headed to now, I will need you to acquire that Talisman. My Master always likes adding new artifacts to his evergrowing collection of Sith antiquities," Dooku answered with a nod.
"With all due respect Master, she beat me in a fight. What if she comes back even stronger than before and has Depa accompanying her?" Quinlan demanded. "Then take one of my other Dark Jedi with you, one or two if necessary," Dooku replied. But that is a reason for concern, unfortunately, that's the best answer I can think of at the moment the old man said to himself.
"I will return to Malastare if you wish and collect more information on the Shadow Collective," Vos suggested. "You can do that but information on the Collective will not be necessary. My Master saw to the deaths of its leaders three days ago and it has been dissolved since," Dooku stated. Vos was surprised as to what he missed out on but not overtly so since it was probably to be expected.
He bowed in thanks to his Master and told him that he would leave to return to Malastare immediately for Dooku's next orders. "On second thought, I have another task for you. This one will be much longer than the others but will prove vital if my suspicions are correct. I fear that Sora Bulq is becoming more and more uncontrollable as each day passes and he descends further into darkness.
"If it comes to the point where he will likely try to destroy me, I need you there and ready to strike him down. Admittedly, there will be missions on the side so as not to bore you with focusing on him but killing him will be your highest priority if it comes to that," Dooku explained. Quinlan Vos had to admit that he himself had his own reservations about Bulq and was glad Dooku told him this now. Smiling, he was glad he did have something to do and Dooku would not punish him for his failure on Malastare, probably understanding of how Arden had caught the Kiffar off guard.
Retreating to his private guest room, Quinlan made an assessment plan to himself, plotting how he would keep an eye on Sora. According to Dooku's information, he was on Saleucami, helping Separatist defenses there. But that could change at any moment, especially to suit Vos' convenience if Dooku wished it. Only time will tell what Dooku has in store for that crazy old Weequay but I already know it will be to my advantage Quinlan told himself before then going into a healing trance. His injuries demanded his utmost attention at the moment and doing this would address them right away.