Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Mandalorian Wars
Chapter 5

Avner entered the base behind the soldiers who'd followed him into battle. There were several wounded, but his mind wasn't on this or the fight which had just taken place. His mind was clouded with thoughts on battles to come and how best to get what the rebellion and the people needed. There was little Avner could do on his own. One person couldn't stand against an army, no matter who they were. It took armies to match armies.

Even still, was it possible one person to turn the tide of war? No, it was impossible. One person wasn't enough, but one person could bring word to others and help gather an army to match one which was better trained and far more organized, right?

"Avner."

He was torn from his thoughts at the sound of the prime minister's voice. Avner looked up to see the man racing towards him.

"I would like to speak with you." The prime minister didn't wait for a response. Instead he strode off.

A small sigh escaped Avner. Hopefully the man didn't want to shout at Avner for heading into battle. It was the last thing Avner needed right then. He followed the prime minister to a secluded corner.

"From what I heard you managed to turn the tide of battle in our favor out there." The prime minister looked Avner in the eye. "Perhaps you can be of more use to us than just as a healer." The prime minister clapped Avner's shoulder.

Avner nodded, but he didn't smile or show any emotion. This wasn't a victory. There was only more battle, more death, and more pain ahead. Then there was something more. A feeling that there was more behind this world having been chosen than the fact it supplied work droids to Taris.

"I'll help in any way I can," Avner said with a bow of his head.

The prime minister gave Avner a smile before moving off.

Avner watched him go until he'd vanished into the crowd.

Yes, there was more to the war raging on this world than there appeared to be. Why else attack a world that supplied something so – so useless to a war loving race. Granted the Mandalorians could always turn the factories to ones that made their war droids, but that would take more time than he suspected the Mandalorians wanted it to take on this world in the short term.

Avner moved off into the crowd. People stepped aside, seeming to not want to get into his path. He was thankful for it. Right then, speaking with someone would only distract him from what he needed to do and what he needed to learn.

Pausing near one of the spare rooms holding a console, Avner looked around. Very few people were in sight. He slipped into the room and let out a low breath. No one was there. Granted this wasn't one of the main systems. Wherever the main ones were, this one was too close to the entrance to really be a main one. Though, there was a chance Avner would be able to slice his way into the system.

He crossed over to the console and set to work. It didn't take long for him to access the main parts of the system. There wasn't much in there, only supplies: weapons, food, water, and medical. Though, from what Avner could see the numbers were off.

There should've been enough to go around by the readings here. For some reason there wasn't. And the only people who had access to the stores were the head of security and the prime minister. Nether men would want to betray their people. A frown pulled at Avner's lips.

Someone was approaching.

He hesitated. There was a chance the person wasn't the prime minister or the head of security.

"Avner? What are you doing in here?"

Avner winced. He'd held off too long. "It's nothing," he stated, not looking at Susan as she moved further into the room.

Before he could clear the information, Susan peered around him at the screen. "Records on supplies?" both her eyebrows rose. "Why are you looking at these?"

"Err." Avner wasn't quite sure how to answer that.

"Well?" she looked at him with stern eyes.

"It's just the raid on the barricade didn't make sense. How did they know the defenses? I was actually in here to see something else and came across this instead."

"And?"

"And, what?" Avner frowned. What was with this woman? He couldn't figure what she was getting at with this.

"Oh, come on, you were frowning about something," she glared at Avner. "So what was it that has you worried?"

Avner shifted his weight from one foot to the next. Just telling another about the odd drop in supplies was risky. He'd hoped to confront the prime minister and head of security together about this. Not give away the fact one of them was selling out their people to one of the Republic.

Instead of telling her the truth, Avner laughed and smiled at her. "I'm not worried," he said. "I'll talk to you later, Susan." Avner walked passed her and left the room.

Right then Avner needed to find the prime minister. Even if the man was one of the two people who had access to the food stores, there was no way he could be the one behind it. The prime minister would do anything to protect his people. Selling his people out to the mandalorians was the exact opposite of helping them.

The halls grew less crowded the further into the building Avner walked. It took him a bit to locate where the prime minister had gone. Though, why the man had gone so far from the rest of his people was strange. Since first meeting him, the prime minister had always seemed like the type of person who put his people and his world before himself.

Avner paused before the room he sensed the prime minister in. He lifted his hand, ready to knock.

"Yes, all the supplies have been sent your way."

Avner froze, listening hard to the voice of the prime minister.

"You allowed the Jedi to enter the battle," growled the female mandalorian who'd captured Avner. "I told you to keep that whelp from helping your so called rebellion."

"He left before I had a chance to distract him with another task. It won't happen again."

"No, it won't. You're to kill him and the others on the list I've given you. Then end this rebellion once they're out of the way." There was a pause before she said, "Mandalore wants your factories turned into ones that can build the basilisk droids before we strike Taris."

"Of course, they'll be gone before tomorrow and the resistance will end with them."

Okay, how would that work? Avner wasn't even a major part of the resistance. Even still, it did make sense the mandalorians would want Avner dead. Whoever else the prime minister wanted dead might not be able to stop him.

Before Avner could move, he sensed another door into the room open.

"You're dealing with the mandalorians?!" the head of security shouted. "You're supposed to be the leader of this world. Why the hell would you side with the enemy?"

This wasn't good. Avner opened the door and raced into the room. His lightsaber was in hand. The blade sheathed and every muscle in his body tense.

"The two of you overheard then," the prime minister stated in almost dull tones. "Then there's no point in lying. I've been working with the mandalorians since they started moving on outer rim worlds."

"Why?" Avner asked his voice far calmer than the head of security's had been. "You're people trust you, they needed you now more than ever and you plan on making them work for Mandalore. Why?"

"You're rather naïve, aren't you, Avner?" the prime minister looked Avner in the eye. "Why else, but the power the mandalorians can offer me. Neither of you know what it's like to spend your entire career serving your people only to have them turn on you."

"They weren't turning on you!" the head of security growled. "All that was happening was another was to be elected. The people thought you should spend the time you've left in retirement."

"Silence!" snapped the prime minister. He pressed a button on the console beside him. "Your fates were sealed the second you confronted me. It's time you two died."

At once several droids swarmed into the room. All of them held weapons. They stopped and pointed the blasters at Avner and the head of security.

Avner raced around until he stood beside the head of security. His lightsaber hummed to life. The purple blade cast light over his robes. He could feel the heat of the blade as he held it underhanded as usual. Though, he might actually have to use what Master Zhar was teaching him to make it out of this battle with head of security alive.

"For how long?" the head of security demanded. "For how long have you been dealing with them?!"

"Kill them," the prime minister stated, looking at them with a dull almost bored expression.

Several bolts of fire thundered towards them. Avner blocked each with his saber. The blots shot back towards their attacks. Only two met their mark.

Avner flipped his lightsaber so he was no longer holding it underhanded. Defense wasn't going to do much good here. And neither was the force. The room was empty and cramped. The only thing here was the console the prime minister had been using. The lights flickered overhead, casting them into darkness before bursting back to life.

As the lights flickered again, Avner charged. He threw up a barrier of the force around him and swung his 'saber in a wide arch. Metal melted away to the insides of the droid. The clatter filled the air as the droid fell against the grim covered, metal floor.

Avner landed. His 'saber sliced through the next two droids' legs before he leapt to his feet and threw the 'saber. Using the force, he directed the blade through several more of the enemy.

Blaster fire thundered through the air. Avner leapt back. Several bolts bounced off his blade, going off in random directions. He landed beside the head of security. The man was firing into the mass of droids. Even together, there was only a thin chance of making it out this alive.

Just great, now what? Avner glanced towards the entrance. His eyes shot back to where the prime minister stood. There was one way out of this. To kill the prime minister wouldn't stop the droids but it would free up the controls to the droids. It was either that or Avner would have to persuade the man to call the droids off.

Avner raced forward. The 'saber flashed, sparks flew as he blocked a blow. Blaster fire echoed around him. Several of the droids clattered to the floor, smoking. Avner danced back, covering himself and the head of security. Energy bolts flew from his 'saber back the droids who'd fired them.

"We need a plan," the head of security muttered under his breath. "The droids will just keep coming at this rate."

"I'm thinking," Avner whispered back, blocking more shots. There was too little space here and the entrance was now blocked by the battle droids. "We need to stop the prime minister," Avner voiced his idea, "that way we gain control of the droids again."

The head of security nodded. "I agree, but we can't kill him. If we did the people would never learn the truth."

Avner cocked an eyebrow at the other. It was sometimes better for the people not to learn the truth. Avner kept this to himself. It wasn't his place to suggest this. This wasn't his world and it wasn't part of the Republic. As a Jedi, he had no say in what happened here. Even back in the Republic he had no say, or so it felt.

"We need to move together," Avner said. "I'll get an opening and you head for the prime minister."

The head of security nodded.

Avner shoved his free hand forward. A wave the force erupted from his hand, blasting the droids back. A huge wall of them flew towards the prime minister. The force followed through Avner. He charged, nothing more than a blur to those in the room. Leaping into the air, Avner blasted the droids away from the prime minister, forming a path for the head of security.

The head of security raced forward. He tackled the prime minister just as Avner landed. Pain shout through Avner's shoulder. The flash of silver warned him the droid was coming back. Lifting his 'saber, the blades collided. Avner skidded back several feet. Warm blood gushed from the slash on his arm. He ignored it.

"Call the droid off!" the head of security shouted.

Avner could sense the two men struggling only feet from him. He danced back several paces only just avoiding being cut in two by a droid. The pain on his arm warned him that he hadn't escaped unscathed. There were too many droids.

The sound of flesh striking flesh came over the blaster fire. The next moment the droids froze in position.

"Got it!" the head of security leapt to his feet, holding the remote control for the droids.

The prime minister sat up, wiping blood from his lip. Avner pointed his lightsaber so the purple blade rested only inches from the man's throat. "I wouldn't even try to escape," he stated. "Why are the mandalorians here, really?" Avner asked, he gave the slightest of nudges through the force.

"They wanted to the factories," the prime minister choked out before he cursed. "Damn you Jedi!"

"Why?" Avner repeated more forcefully. He pushed harder with the force, careful not to overstep and harm this man by mistake. "The factories are useless to them in the short term. So why?"

"They're not here for the short term." It looked as if the prime minister was about to be sick as he fought against the slightest persuasions with the force.

"What's their plan?"

"To—" he gasped, sweating, "to invade the Republic."