Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Mandalorian Wars
Chapter 16
As Avner had expected the others were waiting on the docking platform when he arrived. He walked towards them, unnoticed at first until Darious looked up from what he was doing.
"Master!" one of Avner's oldest friends raced over to him. "By the force, it's good to see you again. How did the council meeting go?" Darious asked, skipping straight to the point.
"Later," Avner assured him. "Where's Master Kae?" he asked.
"She's one of the few still inside the shuttle," Darious told him, "I think she's meditating."
"Thanks." Avner moved passed his friend and headed straight for the shuttle. He didn't stop to speak with any of the others as he strode passed, what he had to ask her was the priority at this moment.
When Avner entered the shuttle, he saw Master Kae was the only one still inside. He moved over to her and sat down on the floor before her. She didn't open her eyes or register that Avner was even there for several long moments.
"You have a question?" she broke the silence between them as she opened her eyes.
"Many of them," Avner replied and let out a long breath. "I admit after today I am lost, Master Kae. The Order teaches all younglings that we are the peace keepers of the galaxy. That it is our duty as Jedi to stand up for those who can't and to act when no other would."
"You still believe this?" she asked.
"I still believe that it is the right way, but I don't believe that the Jedi Order will do anything now," he confessed. "The masters want to wait, to sit back and watch as the galaxy starts to burn around them. Even if Coruscant ends up attacked by Mandalore tomorrow, I doubt they would do anything in the war the day following."
Arren remained silent, her blind eyes seemed to be locked onto Avner. He was grateful for her silence. Right then he just wanted to confess all that had been nagging at him for the past several years.
"The Mandalorians have a base on Dxun. I showed the council my findings and told them that the clans are recruiting. They dismissed this as nothing more than 'disturbing news' and were more interested in telling me off for going to Onderon alone rather than the issue that is far more pressing and far more important. Worse they now want our group to disband, to stop giving what little aid to the Republic we have been giving."
Avner let out a long breath and bowed his head. "For the first time since joining the Order, since I was taken off the streets of Telos, I doubt the masters and what they are doing. It isn't the Jedi way to watch as those around you suffer. And I can't stand that.
"But then I look at what will happen with the Order if I force the issue. If I continue on like this and continue trying to get Jedi involvement in the war. It will cause another split to occur in the Order and the masters might then just assume all of us are Sith."
"Could you live with yourself if you did nothing?" Master Kae asked. "If you did as the council ordered now and returned after helping the others?"
Avner frowned and placed his hand on his chin as he thought on this. If he did return after helping get Alek and the others out, it would save the Order from going through another schism. It would keep those who were with Avner from falling to speculations of the Council that all of them were on the verge of falling to the dark side.
Then Avner thought about Suurja and all those he'd meet on Tarnith. Even if those around him wouldn't continue without the council's permission, Avner would. He'd promised them he would convince the Republic of the war, but it now went further than that.
"No, I couldn't," he confessed. Even as he said this his heart sank a little. This left him but one option and he didn't much like it either.
"Now the question is: what are you going to do?"
Avner frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"You've learned all you can from the Jedi and now they're more likely to go against the beliefs they once preached. So, what are you going to do about it?"
The masters were going against everything they had taught Avner as a child. Everything he had ever believed in. All of the teachings were still there, but the very masters who had taught him this, to protect the people and the innocent weren't going to do so. What was left in the Order if he'd learned what he could and now the masters were going to destroy the very foundations and beliefs that had built them? Nothing. Nothing was left. That was all Avner could think of. But did he have the strength in him to leave the Order? If he left the Order and no one was with him, then what would happen? Sooner or later the masters would realize Avner had left the Order and would hunt him down as a Sith or a Jedi on the verge of falling to the dark side. He doubted they would be able to tell the difference anymore. Especially given what had happened with Lucien's group.
"Master Kae," he started and looked her in the eye, "what is the best way to leave the Jedi Order?" A part of him cried at this question. But deep down he knew to help the Republic there would be no going back to the Jedi. In order for the people of the Republic to not be slaughtered, he would need to act with those who believed as he did: that Jedi aid was needed against the mandalorian threat.
A small smile appeared on Arren's face. "Continue on as you have been. But don't seek the answers you are for the sake of convincing the Council. Seek them for the Republic and when the time is right lead us into battle against the mandalorians."
Avner bowed his head to her. "My thanks, Master Kae."
"No," she started, "from this day forward, it is not I who is the master, but you." She bowed to him. "I've taught as much all I can. Lead us well."
Avner wasn't so certain about what she just said. It was odd to think of her as someone under his command or something like that. While he and Arren had their differences there had always been a part of him which saw her as his master. Another part of him saw her as more an annoyance.
His thought was interrupted as a familiar presence approached a nearby landing pad. Avner stood. "Alek's back," he grinned, his heart lifting a little with the relief he felt.
Avner stood before he left the ship. He was quite ready to go towards where he sensed Alek to be when he saw Darious walking over to him. Avner frowned and stopped.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"There are several here who want to join up with us," Darious explained. "I told them to wait on your decision."
"I don't see a problem with more wanting to come."
"But the Order just sent a message that once we have Alek and those taken back, we are to return to them. It's over, Avner."
"It's far from over," Avner countered. "We're still going to search for the truth, Darious. I'll speak to everyone once we've met up with Alek and the others."
"Met up with?" Both of Darious' eyebrows rose.
"Spread out your awareness. What do you sense?" It was hard for Avner not to exclaim that Alek was all right and now on the planet, nearby. He wanted to rush to his oldest friend's side. He wanted nothing more than to make certain Alek and those who had been with him were all right. But right then, he couldn't. There was a matter of the new group wanting to join them. He would have to see to that first.
"By the force!" Darious exclaimed, eyes widening. "He's here! He's back!"
Avner smiled. It was a smile really only those closest to him could see thanks to the shadows cast by his hood. "He is at that," Avner said in light tones. Happiness was feeling him. For the first time since this whole mess had started, he felt almost at peace. "I'll speak with the recruits, then we'll go join Alek and the others." Avner moved away from Darious. Perhaps matters were now looking up.
x – x – x
Alek sat on the shuttle further from the others than he normally did. The force had been keeping back most of the pain, but he could still feel a fire in veins that had everything to do with what the monster had done to them. Poison still lingered in him and the wounds caused by Demagol still bleed.
"We're on final approach to Coruscant," a voice came the comm. "Squint, can you come up here."
Alek took a deep breath before he forced himself to stand. The force helped rejuvenate some of his strength. This allowed him to remain standing tall as he strode through the halls of the shuttle, up into the cockpit. What greeted him were the pilots and the voice over the control.
"There's a prisoner from the rim aboard your vessel?" asked the voice over the comm. from the planet below.
"Yes," Alek replied in place of the pilot.
"Who are you?" demanded the voice.
"This is Squint," the pilot told the person.
"Ah, so you're the one who is in charge of this small group from flashpoint station?" asked the voice.
"Yes," Alek confirmed. "We've captured Mandalore's lead scientist and would like to hand him over to the Republic."
There was a pause before the voice replied, "The military will meet you at the landing pad." With that the transmission ended.
"Take us in," Alek told the pilot.
"Gladly," the pilot replied with a large smile.
Alek didn't blame him. He, for one, was happy to just be back in Republic controlled space. It was nice to know that tomorrow he wouldn't be woken by Demagol wanting to experiment on him or that the others wouldn't be the next to go in after him. In the end, it was just nice to be back.
The shuttle came in for a smooth landing. Alek turned and left the cockpit. "How's the prisoner?" he asked the two Jedi supporting Demagol between them.
"Still out cold," the one closest to Alek replied.
"All right, we're going to be handing him over to the authorities. They can decide what to do with him." Alek led the way off the ship with a few of the others who didn't need medical attention and who could still stand.
The military looked from Alek to the others in the group. "You lot look as if you could do with some medical attention," he stated as he gestured for the group behind him to take Demagol. He gave them a weak smile. "I'll see if I can get several doctors to come up here and see to those who can't be moved, Master Jedi."
"Thank you," Alek said with the slightest bow of his head. "If I may ask: but do you happen to know the location of the Jedi Crusader and his group?" Alek needed to rejoin Avner even if the others didn't want anything more to do with this war.
"Last the news reported was that he and the rest of the group had returned to Coruscant. There's a rumor going around that your High Council has ordered them to disband."
Alek didn't much like the sound of that. Right when the real war started up, the council ordered for them to leave the people alone to fight it. Then there was a large part of Alek that wanted to fight every last one of those monsters. Demagol had only been a taste of what they were capable of. Mandalore would have to be ten times worse than Demagol was. What else were they capable of? If this was just the tip of it, then more had happened in the past.
"Thank you for the information," Alek turned to the others. "We're going to find Master's location here and rejoin him and the others."
Several exchanged looks. Alek could tell some of them didn't want to follow Avner anymore. Their trust in Avner had been shaken thanks to this. But it wasn't Avner's fault they'd ended up captured.
Before Alek could speak, he sensed a transport dock with the landing pad. He turned to see the military group had stopped walking. As he followed their gaze, a small smile appeared on his face at the sight of Avner and several others disembarking from the old shuttle.
The ever hooded figure of Avner paused by the military group and exchanged a few words before he continued over to Alek. "I've already arranged for a medical transport," Avner said in way of greeting to Alek. "Until then Darious and Master Kae can see to those the worst off." The words weren't just meant for Alek, but for everyone there. Something had changed in Avner's tone though. His voice was stronger and he'd just walked in and taken command of the situation without hesitation or pause.
There was a short silence. Alek was about to speak when one of the group from the station stepped forward. "Master, there are those of us who wish to return to the Order instead."
Avner didn't reply at first. "I can understand," he stated, "but before you do there are several matters to get out of the way." Avner turned to Alek. "I'm glad you made it back in one piece, old friend."
"As am I," Alek clasped Avner's shoulder.
"If you're willing I would like to hear what happened and how all of you managed to escape."
So those who were out of the shuttle told Avner and the others all that had happened. Alek even told Avner how they'd ended up captured in the first place. The ships that all of the groups had seen right before they'd been ambushed and more.
By the end of it, Avner's hand was resting on his chin. It told Alek that his friend was thinking all of this over, cataloging the new information.
"You're vision was right about the ships," Alek repeated, "but there were far more there than any of us could've imagined."
At last Avner spoke, "So what I discovered on Dxun and what you saw on Suurja confirms that Mandalore has more forces now than the Republic does."
"So there were forces on Dxun?" Alek asked.
"Yes," Avner confirmed. "And they were recruiting. From what I gathered, all groups across the galaxy have been ordered to recruit new members into the clans. There is no telling how strong or how many warriors Mandalore now has. But given the number of ships you saw…" Avner trailed off, his tone thoughtful.
Avner turned to the group surrounding him and Alek. "Listen," his voice rose and easily carried to those at the back of the group, "the Jedi Council has ordered me to return with everyone here," he started.
A shiver raced through Alek. Was Avner going to return? After all the mandalorians had done, Alek didn't want to stop the push now. They needed to be stopped so that others wouldn't fall victim to the mandalorians.
"I won't stop those of you who wish to return to the Order." He turned so that he looked at all of those around him at once. "I'm not going to give up. The answers are out there and if we can find them then the Jedi will enter this war one way or the other. The Republic won't stand alone!"
Alek frowned. He wasn't unhappy with what Avner was saying, it was just the renewal of determination in his friend. Something had changed in the time Alek and Avner had been apart.
"I'll stand with you, always." Alek stepped forward so he stood beside Avner. If Avner looked at him, Alek wasn't certain.
Several others moved to stand beside Avner including many who had been with Alek at Flashpoint Station. Ferroh's eyes glittered as he stood near Alek and Avner. There were very few who didn't seem to want to follow. After several moments they too seemed to decide better of it and stepped forward to stand with the group. Most of them Alek didn't recognize which meant they had just joined the group.
"Where are we going next?" someone asked from the group.
Avner turned to them. "We're going to find the real length of this war. To see how long the mandalorians have been attacking the Republic. While Vanquo has fallen and the Republic has been dragged to war. It isn't considered a full scale one until Taris falls. Vanquo is the last world on the line to Taris."
"What happens when Taris is attacked?" another Jedi asked from the crowd.
Avner bowed his head. "Depending on the Republic's and the Council's responses we will see." Avner turned to Ferroh as he asked, "Ferroh, when was the last time you heard anything from Cathar?"
"Not in some years," the cathar Jedi confessed, "but there have been rumors something happened there. I've not heard anyone speaking of contact from Cathar." He nodded a little at this.
"Then we set course at once before the Council can stop us!" Avner's voice rose again. "The healers of group travel with those who just returned from Flashpoint. The rest of you with me."
Before Avner could move off, Alek placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I should be with you," he whispered
"You need medical treatment," Avner whispered back. "Go with Arren and Darious." He nodded to the transport Alek had taken here. "The rest of us will travel in the old transport. Cathar is still in the Republic, nothing's going to happen." With those words Avner moved to the other transport and entered it before Alek could say another word.