Chapter 32 - The Gauntlet
The meeting of the Century was being held in the Alderaanian Halls of Wisdom.
It was, naturally, a trap.
One, Obi-Wan had specifically laid for Satine.
He didn't expect her to fall victim to it today, but that was also part of the plan.
As willing as the True Mandalorians were for war, they were neither ready nor unified.
They needed more time.
And metaphorically slapping someone in the face with a gauntlet was best done in a place where declaring war would look worse for Satine than for them.
If Satine called his bluff, the galaxy would know she wasn't the bastion of peace she professes to be. If she didn't, then the True Mandalore's would leave, looking magnanimous with the support of three of the most successful planets and the Jedi approving of them.
The only person Obi-Wan couldn't wholly predict was Palpatine, but hopefully, they had done enough to hamstring him and whatever Qui-Gon was doing to keep the pressure on Dooku was working.
With Bail and Breha Organa's blessing, Obi-Wan had invited Duchess Satine Kryze, Prime Minister Almec, the Senator of Mandalorian Planet Kalevala, Prince Tal Merrik, Senator of Chandrilan, Mon Mothma, Queen of Naboo, Amidala, and Naboo's recently elected Senator Hela Brandes. Bail had extended the invitation to Chancellor Palpatine, Master Mace Windu, Master Yoda, and Master Depa Billada.
The majority of them were calling in through holo-imagry. Mon, Hela, and Depa, were the only ones on Alderaan in person along with Bail and Breha.
Jango and Obi-Wan sat beside each other on what appeared to be a bench seat to their viewers on the other side of the recorder.
Kal, Wad'e, Plo, and Rael were standing in the background unseen by the others and the recorder was set to not pick up their voices if they spoke.
"Why are there representatives here from other systems?" The Chancellor asked politely as everyone began to settle.
"The Organas and I agreed it would be best to have neutral parties present. While Alderaan is generally considered enough, Senator Mon Monthrea, I believe, is the only one here with nothing to gain," Obi-Wan answered.
"And what does Alderaan have to gain by these proceedings?" Palpatine asked.
Breha voice was soft but commanded the room as she spoke, "Like Naboo, we have a number of people who are looking for dual citizenship."
"Why?" Satine demanded. "Alderaan is stable."
"Alderaan is often on the frontlines of providing aid in the Mid and Outer Rims," Bail responded. "A prospect that has grown more and more dangerous. The Jedi have limited resources that the Senate continually refuses to allocate to more aid causes. We have a number of people who are ready to take a more active role in self-defence. Something the Naboo have illustrated they also feel."
Prime Minister Almec scoffed, "Odd that Alderaan and Naboo would promote a war between a fringe ideology group."
Jango spoke then, "Mandalore is currently an elective monarchy, I'm ready for a vote, Duchess, are you?"
Satine expression was imperious as she said, "The day I allow you to bring violence back to my system."
"My system," Jango interrupted. "I am the Mand'alor."
"Oh, really?" Prime Minister Almec challanged. "And here I thought Kenobi's brother, Pre Vizsla, he, after all, wields the Dark Saber."
"And who wielded the Dark Saber before my dear brother?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Tor Vizsla," Almec answered.
Obi-Wan smiled softly, "And did my brother kill our shabuir in ritual combat?"
Almec was clearly incensed by Obi-Wan calling Tor a shabuir, but had to answer honestly, "No, he did not."
"No, it was Jango who killed Tor and it was Pre who stole the Dark Saber and ran like the coward he is," Obi-Wan said. "Pre has no claim to the title. Jango is Mand'alor, which to put it into perfectly clear terms, he is the rightful leader of the Mandalorian People. A position that can only be taken from him in a formal ritualized comment, retirement, or the majority of clans and systems —above sixty per cent— vote him out."
"Until," Palpatine interjected. "Mandalore joined the Republic."
"While I understand the reasons for the Republic wishing to exploit the Civil War on Mandalore, but one way or another, your puppet will, one way or another, be replaced," Obi-Wan said
Satine stared, "Excuse me? I couldn't have heard that correctly, Obi-Wan."
Jango shook his head, "The Riduur'alor is to be addressed as Kabiin Fett, Duchy. As you know perfectly well that Obi-Wan is not a name in our language but a placeholder, much like your position."
The outrage was clear on her face as she said, "I am the sovereign leader—"
"As declared by the Senate," Obi-Wan interrupted. "Yes, I know but you see, despite your accepting of Republic aid, you nor any member of your clan has ever borne the title of Mand'alor, which is to say the rightful leader of Mandalore.
"Therefore accepting the Republic's authority over the Mandalore System was not in your purview."
"My father—" she tried again.
Jango snorted, "The Duchy did not exist, it was a title given to your grandfather in jest because he manufactured weapons and fighter ships in mass making him as wealthy as a Duke. A royalty of blood money which is all you and your clan are."
Satine sat perfectly still and if she could kill with a look, he and Jango would have fallen dead in their seats.
"You would undo everything we have built for an outdated tradition?" Satine asked, voice low.
"No," Jango answered. "Which is why we are, to inform you of what the Riduur'alor and I have decided for the future of Mand'alor."
"You will be given three years to prepare your government for a transition of power," Obi-Wan said, knowing full well that Satine would never last three years nor would Death Watch.
Prime Minister Almec and Prince Tal Merrik rose to their feet in outrage.
"How dare you?" Satine warned, her posture so rigid she looked as if she might shatter.
Jango tilted his head, "How dare I? No, how dare you. You should be on your knees, Duchess, and it is only out of respect for the ade of Mandalore who grew up under your tyranny, beneath your glass cages, that I'll allow this period of peaceful transition.
"You will act as my Duchess for three more years. Time in which you will revoke the exiling of the warrior clans, begin teaching our languages and complete histories to the ade, and make any necessary alterations to the governing of the Mandalore System so that when my clan steps foot on our homelands we will be welcomed with open and without any needless bloodshed."
She opened her mouth to protest.
But Jango continued, "Fail to do this, fail to step down with grace and whatever merger vestiges of honour you believe yourself to still cling to or it will be a declaration of war and you will not only be dar'manda but a traitor to your own 'sacred' beliefs."
"You are insane," she said, face icy.
Obi-Wan laughed, "What is insane is any so called Mandalorian leader needing outside help to claim Mandalore."
She glared at him, "You were that outside help."
"Your father hired two Jedi Knights as bodyguards, no one would criticise your father for protecting his ade. But your father and brother fought with immortality. And you allowed numerous treaties with the Republic and the threat of the Jedi Order to hold your position."
Satine glared at him, "You believed in me once."
He smiled at her, "You are among the most remarkable people I knew, Duchess. I don't know what broke in you. What convinced you that your ideals of a utopia were attainable and more important than the survival of your nation? Bo may be a fanatic, but she saw the madness in you after your brother's death. You let fear consume you, and you are nothing more than a puppet for the Darkness."
Her lip pulled back, "And you are nothing Obi-Wan Kenobi, nothing but a whore."
Yoda smashed his gimmer stick down on the floor, close enough to the speaker that the sound cracked through the air, "Insult my grandson you shall not, hmm."
Everyone stared at him.
Yoda's ears dipped down. "Warned us Qui-Gon did about the evil inside you. Fear over love chose you, hmm? Weak are you. Not a Jedi's place to tell Mandalore how Mandalore ought to be, hmm. But insult my grandpadawan you shall not. Grandmaster of the Order am I. Many centuries seen passed have I and greatness of him you see not. Master of Soresu, he is, Master of Resilience, he is. Outlast all will he. Unswayed by your evil is he, hmm? Mistake we all made in trusting you we did, mistake in trusting him we will not make. Not again."
There was silence at this proclamation.
Palpatine shook his head minutely, "Apologies, Grandmaster, but Kenobi is no longer a Jedi."
Yoda hurumped at this, "Who told you this? Lies have you heard, hmm."
Obi-Wan started. Fear, raw fear shot through his veins.
He exchanged a look with Rael who shook his head, equally unnerved.
Plo, on the other hand, looked utterly unconcerned though.
Obi-Wan cleared his throat, "The title of Master cannot be taken as it describes ones relationship to the Force not the Order. However, Grandmaster, I resigned from the Order."
Yoda's ears twitched, "Your resignation declined was it. Sufficient reasoning provided not did you. Before a gathered full council you did not. Learn nothing you have. Initiate, Padawan, Knight, easily thrown away you cannot be. Master always will you be.
Obi-Wan was irritated now, "Master Yoda—"
"As he is a titled individual, that would make him a Jedi Lord which is not legal," Palpatine said.
Yoda chuckled, "Self imposed policy that is. Rule nor law is it. Legal it is for Jedi to hold title and legal it is for Jedi to marry. Scrutinized, yes. Illegal? No."
"Mace," Obi-Wan implored, voice low. "You are the speaker of the Order. Stop this."
"In other words," Satine said, triumph in her tone. "You subject of the Jedi Order, Master Kenobi, and as self-proclaimed Riduur'alor, you have subjected all who follow you as being beholden under Jetiise rule. Or, more precisely, the Republic."
Obi-Wan loved Jango so much in that moment, because, despite Jango's anger, he didn't lose his cool.
Jango was a professional.
And given Obi-Wan's very complicated past, that was absolutely necessary.
Though if Yoda didn't salvage this, Obi-Wan was going to commit violence.
"No, religious Order we are," Yoda said. "Servants are we, Master over others we are not, only of ourselves. Serve the galaxy do we. Outrank us the Riduur'alor does. Outrank the Riduur'alor, the Mand'alor does, serve him we do. His voice shall we hear, penance this is, for the wrongs and harm our negligence caused his people, we did."
Silence.
Obi-Wan sighed in relief.
Jango seemed confused, "You would take my orders? The whole of the Jetiiese?"
Yoda hummed, ears wiggling, "Through committees must you go, but heard your voice would be."
Jango and Obi-Wan relaxed at that, Yoda proving once again there was a method to his madness.
It truly cost the Jedi Order nothing to hear Jango out if he ever came to them with any matter or to report something, but it might well prove to tip a victory in their favour if the Senate attempted to thumb the scales against the True Mandalorians again.
"No," Palpatine said. "I will not allow it. The Jedi serve the Senate not a would be empire."
Obi-Wan almost smiled, "Does that mean you're stepping down, Emperor Palpatine?"
For a moment, Obi-Wan swore he saw the yellow in the Sith's eyes, and judging by Jango's stiffening, he saw —if not the colour, due to the hologram— then the shift in his pupil and iris size. The connotation disappeared in a blink and they were normal once more.
"I am a lawfully elected leader—"
"Who has ambitions to overseat your term. Yes, the Force has been quite vocal about your insidious ambitions."
Palpatine stared at him as if he wanted to gut him.
"Picking a fight with the Chancellor now, Kenobi?" Prime Minister Almec asked.
Queen Amidala spoke then, "Master Kabiin Fett has a history with the Chancellor who often targeted his young charge, pulling his power as Chancellor to secure unchaperoned access to a young Initiate of the Order."
Even Almec who was a member of the Watch looked disgusted by the implication.
Palpatine snapped, "Anakin was a friend—"
"Yes, an old man who just happens to hold the highest office in the galaxy with no blood relation to speak of having a perfectly normal friendship with a nine year old against his guardian's explicit objections," Mace Windu interjected.
Apparently, as salty as Obi-Wan was about the issue.
Palpatine's lip curled, "I can see now that the Jedi Order has quite purposely sided against the Republic. So I find that an ultimatum must be drawn, does the Order denounce the usurpers, the false Mand'alor, or the sovereignty of the Duchy of Republic system."
Mace and Yoda exchanged a look and it was Mace who said, "The Order is an independent body from the Senate and though we serve the Republic, we are an independent people in our own right. We will not support the false Duchy and from our archives, we will resubmit the war crimes we believe should have been released and were prevented from revealing to the public of those criminal acts perpetrated by Duke Adonai Kryze and Prince Adyn Kyrze."
"What crimes?" Senatore Mon asked.
Palpatine raised his voice, "Then you have proclaimed yourselves enemies of the Republic, and the next meeting we have shall be discussing the dismissal of the Jedi Order."
"Look forward to your call, we do," Yoda said. "Three years the Duchess has to transfer power to the True Mandalorian, she does. Agreed we are."
"We are not agreed," Satine snapped.
Palpatine rose to his feet and signed off without further comment.
"You're a pacifist," Jango said to Satine. "You have three options, corporate and keep your morals intact, hide behind others and let them die for your 'peace,' or shove your impossible morals and fight us."
Satine shook her head, "This meeting was done in ill faith, and I refuse to entertain this treason." She rose to her feet before the recording turned off, followed by Almec and Prince Tal Merrik.
Leaving just Obi-Wan, Jango, Mon, Hela, Padme, Bail, Breha, Depa, Mace, and Yoda.
Obi-Wan snapped, "What the hell, Yoda!?"
Yoda cackled, "Evacuated already are we. Younglings safe are they. Militarized the Explorcorps we have, traded goods have we for weapons have we."
Obi-Wan stared.
Jango stared.
Mace crossed his arms, "What did you think I wasn't going to use the traction you gave us to move the Order to change? Plo left the Order, Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan smiled, "Thank the Force."
"Your Padawan, flourishing he is in the Educorps," Yoda said. "Under Master Ali-Alann's guidance he remains. A crechemaster will he become."
"And Force help the fool that tries harming one of his chargers," Mace said. "You weren't joking about how much he was holding back in training."
Depa nodded, "Anakin has more than taken to Vaapad."
Obi-Wan smiled, "I am glad to hear it."
The rest of the meeting followed like that, more catching up and ironing out the details for a route to citizenship for those joining their movement.
The Jedi and the True Mandolarian would not be formal allies, not in the sense that war with one was war with both, but that both would work together in providing aid and protecting one another when out in the field together.
When the meeting was over, the recorders off, Jango dragged his hand down his face, "The Jetiiese are crazy."
Obi-Wan looked at Plo, "Did you know?"
Plo nodded, "I knew the Order had moved against the corruption of the Senate. The leaders of the Corps were brought and the Knights, many individuals, began to support the goals of the Corps over the Senate."
Kal sighed, "The Duchess is going to implode."
"She will make it through the year," Obi-Wan agreed.
"And this will give us time to consolidate our forces and learn how to be a united people before reclaiming the Mandalore System."
"So what's our next move?" Wad'e asked.
"A treaty with Ryloth," Obi-Wan said.
oOo
AN: Thoughts, selkies, or feedback, pretty please?