Here is Chapter 12 of the Mandalorian Maverick. The Trade Federation attempts to turn members of the Republic against one another, and their next target is the planet of Pantora. A Trade Federation blockade over the dubious claims of excessive debt can lead to the planet and its people during the CIS. But Will and Ahsoka will help Senator Ryo Chuchi when Bureaucratic maneuvering turns into a kidnapping. After that, Cad Bane returns for his most audacious plan yet. Prison break for Zirro the Hutt. Enjoy!
The Mandalorian Maverick: End of another year
21BBY: Coruscant
Obi-wan Kenobi's flagship, the Negotiator and two of its accompanying Venator-Class Star Destroyers hovered down into the Coruscant shipyards for a quick maintenance and refit. Obi-wan and Will along with the 212st Attack Battalion had just returned from assisting Master Plo Koon and the Wolfpack Battalion with repelling a CIS incursion near the Cerean Reach hyperlane in the Mid Rim. It was a space battle and the CIS put up a serious fight with a 2 to 1 advantage in ships, but Master Plo Koon came up with a clever bait and switch tactic that caught the CIS ships from two sides. Their ships took damage, and they lost some pilots, but they managed to destroy a few CIS ships and forced them to retreat. Obi-wan commanding things from aboard the Star Destroyers while Plo Koon led the starfighter defense and attack with Will joining him. Plo Koon was one of the best starfighter pilots the Jedi Order had next to Anakin and Will was up there with them. He and Tempest made quick work of several droid fighters and their battle kept the CIS from that part of the Mid Rim for now.
Will had piloted the Tempest to the Jedi Temple starfighter hangar for some repairs. The armor on the ship had taken some hits during the space battle so he would replace some of the armor plating, fix up some of the wiring and he also needed to top off all the ammunition for the missile launchers. He was in the middle of repairs with some droids helping him when he saw Ahsoka rush over to him.
"Hey, Mando. I heard you were back."
"Yeah. Master Kenobi and I just got back after helping Master Plo Koon stop a CIS incursion near the Cerean Reach hyperspace lane. Ship got banged up a bit." He told her as he finished securing a new armor plate with a plasma welder. That's when he noticed she was on edge. "What's wrong?"
"Someone has kidnapped Baron Papanoida's daughters." She told him.
"Dank Farrik." Will put the plasma cutter away. "What can I do to help?"
"I'm on my way to see Senator Chuchi and offer whatever help I can. Figured you'd want to help too." Ahsoka said.
"And I would. She's become a good friend of mine as well but is the council ok with us helping?" He wondered but then knowing her and Anakin, he deduced how that conversation went. "They don't know we're helping, are we?"
"Nope."
"All right, give me a second to get something." Will said, putting his tools down and heading into the Tempest.
"What do you need to get—ah, never mind." Ahsoka stopped herself, knowing what he was changing into. "You think you're gonna need your armor?"
"Knowing us and our luck?! Probably!" He shouted back.
An hour later…
The duo took a speeder to the Senate Chambers to go speak with Senator Chuchi of Pantora who was currently meeting with Pantoran Chairman Baron Notluwiski Papanoida and his son Ion over the abduction of the Chairman's two daughters Che Amanwe and Che Eekway. There was no way this abduction was just a simple kidnapping especially with how things have been going with Pantora and the Trade Federation blockade. This had to be connected. That was the topic of the meeting Senator Chuchi and Baron Papanoida were having and Ion just got off a holovid call from Count Dooku of all people.
"Father, Count Dooku has offered to help us find Chi Eekway and Che Amanwe." He told him and the Baron contemplated this when the door opened and in walked Ahsoka and Will who was carrying a case.
"Senator Chuchi, Senator Amidala send us to help if we can." Ahsoka said, making introductions.
"Chairman Papanoida." Will greeted him and his son as he and Ahsoka bowed their heads. "Senator Chuchi, it is good to see you again."
"You as well, Padawan Vizsla and your timing is impeccable. Padawan Vizsla and Ahsoka are good friends of mine." Senator Chuchi vouched for them.
"Good, a Jedi can always be of help, especially a Mandalorian Jedi. Your reputation within the senate is most impressive, Padawan Vizsla." Baron Papanoida said.
"Thank you, Chairman but I wasn't aware of such a reputation." Will admitted.
"I assure you all of it is good. Senator Chuchi informed us of your heroics in protecting her from a blaster bolt by the rogue Chairman Cho." Baron Papanoida said, and Will looked over at Senator Chuchi who smiled at him, so he winked back. "And we've heard tales of your other grand deeds during the war. Preventing the escape of the Blue Shadow Virus at the cost of your own life, the successful capture of Nute Gunray and safeguard of Rodia before his escape and maintaining the neutrality of Mandalore while safeguarding parts of the galaxy. And I've heard impressive things from your so-called Mandalorian Defenders."
"Thank you, Chairman. They've done good work and I'm always happy to help. Hopefully, I can help Pantora again like I did last time." He replied.
"Senator Amidala thinks this may have something to do with the Separatists." Ahsoka informed them.
"They've already made contact with us. I don't think this is a kidnapping. I think they're holding them hostage." Ion theorized.
"A not very subtle attempt to get us to join the Separatists?" Baron Papanoida added.
"If the Separatists are involved, your daughters may be held on the Trade Federation ship blockading your planet." Ahsoka suggested.
"That's a possibility but I'd wager that the Separatists would take some precautions. Keep the daughters separate incase one of them was found." Will added as the Baron thought this over.
"Then perhaps we should divide our efforts? Senator Chuchi, why don't you and Padawan Ahsoka pay the Trade Federation a diplomatic visit and see what you can find out. Padawan Vizsla and I will stay here and follow the police investigation for clues." The Baron said as he and his son left the room with Will following them.
"Keep your head on a swivel, Ace." He warned her and Ahsoka nodded.
Will, the Baron and his son took a speeder to the apartment building where Che Amanwe and Chi Eekway were taken and when they arrived on the floor, they saw the Republic officer in charge of the investigation exiting the room with his security droids. "Did you find anything?" The Baron asked.
"We've completed a thorough sweep of your apartment, Chairman. No evidence of foul play."
"My daughters' lives are in your hands, inspector." The Chairman reminded him.
"You have nothing to worry about, your honor. We are in complete control of the situation." The investigator assured him before he and his droid team left but the guy was all pomp with zero credibly.
"Pompous oaf." Will muttered as they entered the apartment. "BD-8, start looking for clues. I'm guessing the investigator wasn't exactly thorough."
BD-8 nodded and climbed down Will's shoulder to begin scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary while the others looked around. "That inspector is useless. They must have left clues somewhere." Ion said.
"No sign of a break-in so they must have been waiting in the room when they arrived." Will said, walking through the room and going over the clues in his head. "Not out of the question that the kidnappers paid someone to sneak in or stole a keycard. And for your daughters it would need to be two people at least to carry them and get out quickly without being seen. And seeing as how nothing is really disturbed or broken then they got the jump on them right away."
"Look here." The Baron held up a small statue. "The icon of the moon goddess. It should be up on the shrine with the others."
BD-8 came over and scanned it, then perked up and let out some beeps informing them he found blood on the statue. "There's blood on it. Your daughters must have used it to fight off their attackers but didn't know where it was supposed to go. BD-8, run a scan of the blood against known galactic criminals." Will told him and BD-8 nodded, running a scan on the blood and searched before he projected a hologram of the blood match. It was a Rodian.
"A Rodian. It says here his name's Greedo." Ion said.
"Looks like he's based on Tatooine." The Baron added.
"That's actually some good news for us. I've got a card we can play with Jabba." Will informed them.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go." Ion urged them on, and they left in a hurry while Senator Chuchi and Ahsoka made plans to infiltrate the Separatist blockade.
Tatooine
The Chairman piloted his ship down to Tatooine after a lengthy Hyperspace jump and they were nearing Jabba's Palace. Ion sat in the passenger seat next to him while Will was doing something. The baron piloted the ship down and parked near the palace. Once secure, he and Ion got out of the ship.
"Be careful, Ion. The Hutts are the only law that matters on Tatooine." The Baron warned him, but his son just scoffed.
"I don't scare easily."
"A little fear is good." They heard as Will disembarked the ship. "Helps keep you alive and right now we're heading into the Rancor's den."
"You sure this plan will work?" The Baron asked, taking note of Will's change in appearance.
"It's the best option. And Jabba has cause to like me." Will replied as he led the two Pantorans to Jabba's palace.
Jabba sat in his usual spot with his son, Rotta next to him. There was music playing, a Twi'lek slave girl dancing for Jabba while the rest of his entourage and hired guns chatted around, played games, drank and had a general merry time. There was a sudden flood of bright light as the main door opened and closed after letting someone in. The music continued playing as Will walked in wearing his Mandalorian armor. He drew plenty of attention and some whispers as he walked over to an empty table and sat down, pretending to be a patron. His arrival drew attention from Jabba who told one of his men to keep an eye on the Mandalorian. A Twi'lek slave girl working for Jabba came over to tend to him.
"What can I get for you?" She asked all flirty.
"I'm looking for someone. A Rodian, named Greedo." Will told her.
"What's Greedo done?" She wondered.
"Nothing. I need him for a job. Can you find him for me?" Will asked, slipping her a few credits which she took and nodded before walking away. He kept watch on the room and saw the Twi'lek speak to a fellow Twi'lek before glancing over in his general direction. They both got a look at him before the Twi'lek left, most likely to go find Greedo. Will was tempted to just come in and speak to Jabba directly. Given that he saved his son it earned him some good will with the Hutt, but Baron Papanoida made the point that Jabba could be involved with the kidnapping, so it was better to not expose their arrival and risk the chance of Greedo escaping. With Will in his armor, they had no idea he was a Jedi, and probably assumed he was a bounty hunter, so they had a better chance of catching Greedo off guard and drawing him to them.
Will waited for a little longer, politely declining or ignoring offers from the other Twi'leks until the one from before returned with Greedo. The Rodian gauged the Mandalorian before taking a seat. "Heard you asked for me personally." Greedo said.
"I did."
"Can't say I've met you before unless you're willing to show me what you look like under that mask?" Greedo wondered but got no response, so he let out a nervous chuckle. "Look, Mandalorian. I don't know what business brought you here looking for me, but I can assure you that I've never crossed one of your people before."
"I'm here to give you a chance."
"A chance at what?" Greedo wondered.
"A chance to come clean. I know about Baron Papanoida's daughters. Tell me where they are, and this can end now without bloodshed."
Greedo's response to that was pulling out a blaster pistol and aiming it at his head. A male Weequay and Sineteen walked up on Will's flanks with blaster pistols in their hands, aimed at his side. "Whoever you are, you made the wrong mistake coming here. The Baron hired a Mandalorian to do his dirty work?" Greedo mocked.
"Tell me where his daughters are, and this can end without bloodshed. Final warning."
Greedo and his friends just laughed at his response. "You were a fool to come here alone. Now get up. We're leaving. Jabba despises messes in his palace." Greedo told him but Will didn't move a muscle.
"Not gonna tell your boss what's going on? I figured you turn me in then you'd get a nice reward." Will pointed out.
"The less Jabba knows what's going on the better." Greedo answered which gave Will the answer he needed to know that Jabba wasn't involved in the kidnapping of the Baron's daughters. Greedo was acting along which meant he could now act. He subtle pressed a button on his gauntlet as Greedo got up and his friends nudged Will to stand up, but he didn't.
"We're not going anywhere."
"You act as if you have a choice. You're outnumbered three to one." Greedo reminded him.
"I know. You should have brought more."
A bright flash of light erupted from the Mandalorian, temporarily blinding Greedo, his two-armed idiots, and alerted everyone in Jabba's palace. All Greedo saw was a bright flash of light before he shut and shielded his eyes. He scrambled back in response and waved his blaster around but didn't fire a shot since he didn't know where he was aiming as his sense of direction was now off. He had to wait for his temporary blindness to go away. Will quickly disarmed the Weequay and Sineteen next to him and elbowed both in the stomachs before slamming their heads into the table. He then vaulted over to the table and kicked Greedo's gun out of his hand before taking him to the ground with a shoulder throw. The heel of his boot was placed on the side of Greedo's head, and he pulled back his arm to restrain him. Greedo's vision finally started to clear and saw his two men were knocked out and the Mandalorian had him restrained. He managed to glance up and saw a used flash charge in the Mandalorian's hand.
Will pressed a button on his combat vambrace before picking Greedo up off the floor and restraining him by pulling one of his arms behind his back. "Let's go talk to Jabba."
By now the ruckus caused put everyone on alert and all of Jabba's goons had their blasters ready as they saw the Mandalorian push Greedo over to Jabba. The Hutt leader looked displeased that his fun time was interrupted but halted his men from firing a shot. Jabba spoke Huttese and the protocol droid next to him translated. "The great Jabba wished to know who you are Mandalorian and what you are doing here with one of his Bounty Hunters." The droid said.
"Hold that thought. We have some guests arriving." Will replied as Chairman Papanoida and Ion walked in. BD-8 came with them and quickly crawled up Will's shoulder. He then removed his helmet so Jabba and the others could see him and when little Rotta recognized him, he smiled, waved, and happily squeaked. "Hello again, little one."
Jabba recognized Will when he removed his helmet, so he spoke again, and his protocol droid translated. "The Mighty Jabba welcomes the Jedi who aided in the return of his son, Rotta to him but again wishes to know what you are doing here with one of his bounty hunters."
"You have my deepest apologies for the ruckus and disturbance Great Jabba, but circumstances dictated my…unique arrival. I'm not here on the order of the Jedi but because of an urgent situation that has unfolded. Allow me to introduce Pantoran Chairman Baron Notluwiski Papanoida." Will stepped aside as the Baron walked up.
"Great Jabba, my daughters have been kidnapped. As a father yourself I know that you understand that I will do anything to get them back safely." The Baron said as Jabba looked at Rotta and both smiled at one another. "We have evidence that Greedo is responsible for their abduction which means that either you are behind it or Greedo is working for someone else. Since we are friends, Jabba, I know you would never do such a thing."
"No, no! He's lying!" Greedo shouted only for Jabba to tell him to shut up.
"We found blood at the scene of the crime. If it matches Greedo's, it will prove he is the kidnapper." Baron Papanoida said, holding up a scanner. Technically, they didn't need to do another test as they already knew Greedo was responsible. But doing another one in front of Jabba would be undeniable proof that they were right and Greedo wouldn't be able to weasel his way out.
Jabba spoke and his droid translated. "Jabba will allow a blood sample to be taken."
"Wait, wait, no! It's all lies!" Greedo begged only for Will to hold him in place.
"What's the matter, Greedo? If the Baron is lying then you won't have a problem with a simple blood test then, would you?" Will pointed out and Jabba sneered at the Rodian. Will had a point so Greedo was clearly lying.
"Ok, ok! I kidnapped them. The Separatists wanted leverage against you." Greedo said to the Baron who grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close.
"Where are they, you slime?!"
"One of them is here at Mos Eisley. She's safe, I assure you!" Greedo promised.
"Take us there." The Baron told him, leading Greedo away.
"Thank you, Mighty Jabba and apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused." Will bowed to the Hutt who began speaking and the protocol droid translated.
"The mighty Jabba is pleased that this unfortunate incident will be resolved. He wishes you good fortune and the swift return of the Baron's daughters. The Mighty Jabba also assures you that Greedo will be met with fitting punishment for his actions." The droid said.
"Thank you, Mighty Jabba." Will bowed his head and walked away, slipping his helmet on as many of Jabba's entourage whispered amongst themselves at the curious sight. A Mandalorian Jedi. They put Greedo on the Tempest and Will flew them to Mos Eisley with BD-8 sending Ahsoka and quick communique that they were on the track of one of the Baron's daughters. Ahsoka replied back that she and Senator Chuchi had made it to the command ship of the Trade Federation blockade. One of the Trade Federation representatives was working with the Separatists and had the Baron's other daughter on his ship. They were still working on locating her.
Will parked the Tempest at a hangar in Mos Eisley and had BD-8 stay behind in case something happened. Ion and the Baron forced Greedo out at gunpoint. "All right, sleemo, no tricks. We're gonna go inside and find my sister, nice and easy." Ion told him.
"You think they will just hand her over to you?" Greedo asked.
"No but I'll bet they'll hand her over to you." Ion pointed out as Will walked out of ship in his Mandalorian armor.
"And it'd be in your best interest to cooperate, Greedo. Your life is on the line. Jabba may let you live but if you screw with us the Pantorans can have you and I imagine they won't be as charitable." Will pointed out and to his point the Baron and Ion glared at Greedo.
"All right, all right…" The Rodian nodded and led them out of the hangar to the spot where the Baron's daughter was being kept. They walked into the building, and it ended up being a small tavern with various Weequay and other aliens hanging around. Ion pulled Greedo closer and dug his blaster pistol into his side while keeping it out of sight. Greedo led them over to the bar and took a drink from a Weequay. "Go get the prisoner."
The Weequay sighed and walked away when a grey furred and horned Gotal walked over to him. "Greedo, what are you doing here?"
"There's been a change of plans." We're going to have to move the prisoner." Greedo told him.
"On whose orders?"
Greedo got a little nervous and began to fidget when Ion pushed his blaster into his side. "Gunray. He contacted me at Jabba's Palace."
"Why'd he contact you? And who are those three?" The Gotal asked and by now the other aliens in the bar began to get suspicious which is when they saw the Mandalorian step forward.
"We're emissaries for the Trade Federation, here to oversee the prisoner's safe transfer." Will spoke.
"You don't look like Trade Federation to me?" The Gotal got confrontational so Will stepped forward and got in his face. He immediately began to get nervous as the other aliens in the bar slowly reached for their blasters.
"The Trade Federation decided to call in the professionals to handle the mess you and Greedo left behind. The Jedi are on your trail, and something tells me you won't be able to handle them." Will said, playacting as a bounty hunter and he was good. The voice filter for his helmet helped disguise his voice so he sounded older then he was, and his body language said enough. His helmet obscured his face so the Gotal and the others couldn't tell if he was bluffing and the general Mandalorian reputation helped with the rest. "Let us finish what we came here to do, and we'll be out of your hair."
The Gotal backed off and nodded as the Weequay from before returned with Chi Eekway. Will smiled under his helmet, seeing their mission going smoothly and were one step closer to getting out of there. Chi Eekway was pushed forward into the tavern when she saw her father and brother. "Father!"
"Father?" The Gotal was confused.
"They're Pantorans! Blast them!" Greedo dove for cover as Ion blasted the Weequay holding Chi Eekway before he could fire a shot. Will headbutted the Gotal in front of him and kicked him back before turning around and force pushing the other thugs in the bar as they drew their blasters. They hit the ground or wall as Baron Papanoida drew two blaster pistols and opened fire on them, killing three very quickly before the others recovered and shot back. He quickly pushed a table on its side for cover as Ion blasted a few more thugs with his blaster. Will activated his lightsaber and cut Chi Eekway free before cutting a Quarren across the chest with his saber. He protected Chi Eekway who picked up the blaster from the Quarren and the two made their way over to Ion and the Baron. Will used his lightsaber to block and deflect the blaster fire back at their attackers. Chi Eekway quickly took cover with her family behind the upturned table they were using for protection and then all three Pantorans popped up and unloaded hell at the remaining thugs, blasting them full of holes. The Weequay behind the bar fired at them but Will deflected the blaster bolt right back at him.
Greedo saw things going south so he got up and ran out of the tavern like a coward. Will and the Pantorans saw that had taken care of all the thugs in the tavern, so they relaxed a bit. Unbeknownst to them that Greedo's Gotal partner got up and aimed his blaster at the Mandalorian but before he could fire a shot Chi Eekway shot him in the heart. "Everyone good?" Will asked and got three nods in response before the Baron and Ion hugged Chi, happy she was ok.
"Thank you, Padawan Vizsla." The Baron told him, and Will nodded.
"Happy to help."
"Where's Che?" Chi Eekway asked, wanting to know where her sister was.
"My friend and Senator Chuchi are working on her rescue as we speak. We came to rescue you." The Baron told her.
"And I'm glad that things worked out, but I believe we should leave now before more show up." Will suggested.
"Wait, where's Greedo?" Ion asked as they looked around and saw he was gone. "The sleemo slipped away during the fight."
"I wouldn't worry about him. Greedo's small fry and he'll get what's coming to him." Will assured them. "Let's get out of here."
The Pantorans nodded and they quickly left Mos Eisley and headed back to Coruscant. While they had handled Greedo and got Chi Eekway, Ahsoka and Senator Chuchi managed to find Che Amanwe. Ahsoka freed her and Senator Chuchi's political maneuvering put the captain of the Trade Federation ships against the official working for the Separatists. Senator Chuchi had come a long way from being the meek senator and wasn't afraid to fight for her people.
Coruscant
An emergency session was called to address the latest developments regarding the blockade of Pantora. Senator Chuchi along with the Baron and his family stood before the congress along with the representative from the Trade Federation. "It has come to our attention that the ugly head of the Separatists has once again raised itself in the ranks of our very own Trade Federation. Nute Gunray's influence extends farther than we ever imagined. It was Sib Canay, acting on his own accord, who kidnapped the children of Chairman Papanoida. In good faith, we have returned them to him. And also, as a gesture of friendship, we are removing our blockade and reopening trade with the Pantorans."
The senators clapped to the peaceful end to the Pantoran blockade and that things were dealt with. Will and Ahsoka were watching the meeting from the hallway, both happy that the chairman's daughters were alive and reunited with their father.
"So, Mando, what do you think?" Ahsoka asked him. "I know the look on your face to see that your mind is spinning with other details. Your opinion?"
"That representative is lying out of his ass." Will stated. "It's obvious the Trade Federation is working with the Separatists. Only problem is that they've got their hand in so much of the Senate that they can't do anything about it."
"You seem pretty sure about that." Ahsoka pointed out.
"Helps when you have a source that can cut through all the political double-speak and get us at the real answers." Will told her and Ahsoka realized he meant Qi'ra. She was the number 2 to Qibbu the Hutt who was a powerful and influential business leader on Coruscant and throughout parts of the galaxy and he was primarily a clean business practitioner. This allowed him to rub shoulders with the political elite and learn about them behind the glossy persona they put on for the Republic. "There are good Senators out there, I'm not doubting that. Senator Amidala, Senator Organa, Senator Mon Mothma and Senator Chuchi but the rest…I'm not sure. They say the speak for the people they represent but that's all-fancy promises with little to no actual action."
"Didn't take you for a cynic. You're starting to sound like a Separatist." Ahsoka pointed out.
"Come on, Ace. I'm not gonna betray the Republic but you have to admit that there's some problems in the Senate." Will said and Ahsoka had enough semblance to agree to that. "Most of all is the corruption. If that had been dealt with sooner, then we may not be in the war."
"A fair assessment of our situation and the political shortcomings of the Republic." They heard and saw Senator Chuchi walk over. "But all the more reason for people like us to fight for those that won't."
"Very true." Will replied.
"On behalf of Pantoran, thank you both for your assistance in the safe rescue and recovery of the Baron's daughters." Senator Chuchi bowed her head while Will and Ahsoka bowed back. "I understand that with the war there are many obligations that you must undertake so I cannot thank you enough for helping."
"You're very welcome, Senator Chuchi. Will and I were more than happy to help." Ahsoka told her.
"She's right. As Jedi, our duty is to the Republic and its people. If Pantora ever needs assistance again then all it has to do is ask." Will added and Senator Chuchi smiled when they saw the Baron walk over with his daughters and his son.
"And should the Jedi ever require assistance then Pantora will be happy to answer the call. I cannot thank you again for the safe return of my daughters." The Baron said to them.
"Our pleasure, Baron Papanoida." Will answered.
"Thank you both." Chi and Che thanked them before they left with their brother. The Baron stayed behind a bit and slipped them his personal communicator frequency in case they ever needed a favor and joined the rest of his family when Senator Chuchi walked over and slipped her personal communicator frequency to Will.
"Should you ever need help then I'm only a call away. But I hope the next time we meet it is for a better reason." Senator Chuchi said to him before she walked away. Will watched her leave and the Senator looked back over her shoulder at him before she turned around and kept walking.
Ahsoka saw this and smirked as she walked over and gave him a playful elbow to the side. "Looks like you've got an admirer their Mando."
"Of course, I do. Look at me. I'm great." He quipped as the two friends left the senate building, not really thinking about what just happened with Senator Chuchi. Just chalked it up to the moment as they really did her a solid favor and helped her planet.
Now it was back to business for them.
Line Break xxxxx
Takodana, Mid Rim Territories
Deciding not to just waste his time at the temple and also wanting to help out, Will met with Qi'ra who told him she and Qibbu wouldn't mind the assistance in their business. If anything, Qibbu may owe Will one as his close relationship with Qi'ra helped bring in some nice business. Having the Jedi as an ally helped him politically as well as security wise as no one would really mess with him directly or else he would have Qi'ra get her Jedi friends involved. And since Will was technically the leader of the Mandalorian Defenders, Qibbu had greater means of protecting his investments and trade routes. It only got better after Will and Ahsoka helped Duchess Satine deal with the black-market corruption and the attempted coup. The arrival of the Mandalorian Defenders to assist in dealing with Prime Minister Almec's men and secure Mandalore for the Duchess so they could maintain the peace also helped repair the fractured relationship the New Mandalorians had with the Mandalorians who held to the old ways. Granted, the relationship still had a long, long way to go but the Duchess was coming down from her strict view on Mandalorians and opened up talks with the Mandalorian Defenders. They got good enough that the Mandalorian Defenders were welcome to back to the planet and would work with the Fenn Rau and the Mandalorian Protectors to help keep Mandalore space safe. And Qi'ra worked out a very nice trade deal with Mandalore so that the Duchess would be able to feed her people and Qibbu made a nice profit while also expanding his business and influence on Mandalore Space. All in all, things were looking up.
Qi'ra had Will do a simple task for her which was to drop off some supplies and a payment to one of Qibbu's most trusted contacts. Someone he trusted and was his eyes and ears in certain parts of the galaxy. Qibbu needed some supplies and a payment dropped off and with it being someone important he needed it handled by someone who could handle themselves and there wasn't anyone better than a Jedi. And him being a Jedi also gave Qibbu the assurance that he wouldn't get ripped off or the supplies stolen. Will didn't mind as he owed Qi'ra and Qibbu for all their help and if this contact was someone Qibbu trusted they could prove to be a useful ally.
Qi'ra told him not to draw attention to himself, so it was just him and BD-8 on the Tempest. Will got the coordinates for the Mid-Rim and after a quick hyperspace jump, he decelerated back into real space and approached a beautiful, lush planet. Lots of green indicating plenty of forests, flora, rolling hills, and mountains along with giants swaths of blue for larger rivers, lakes, and oceans. It looked like paradise and the perfect place to settle down on. Will double checked the navigator to make sure he was at the right coordinates, and he was. Planet Takodana. Will actually knew a little bit about the planet from his studies on Coruscant. Takodana housed an ancient Jedi Temple that was active back during the age of the Old Republic, and it was a battle ground for the wars of the Jedi against the Sith. After one devastating battle, the temple was abandoned after everything of importance was removed.
Will followed the coordinates Qi'ra gave him as he piloted the Tempest down planet side, making note of how peaceful things looked. Miles and miles of untampered forests and natural harmony. Even BD-8 was amazed.
[Curious and amazed droid speech]
"Yeah, BD-8. The planet is beautiful." Will agreed as he piloted the Tempest over a beautiful ravine that led to a very large lake. The only manmade structure on said lake was the old Jedi Temple and it was likely the only manmade structure on the entire planet. There were various spacecraft ranging from small personal starfighters to larger transport vessels, so he moved the Tempest over there and found a large enough clearing to land. After powering down the ship and activating the security measures he walked out of the cockpit with BD-8 joining him. Will disembarked the ship via the ramp and slipped on his black pilot's jacket and his hid Padawan braid in the collar. Since Qi'ra told him to not draw attention to himself he couldn't show up in his Padawan robes or his Mandalorian armor. Neither were exactly conducive to blending in and not drawing attention but regular jacket and pants then he was fine. He hid his lightsaber and the Darksaber inside his jacket and had a blaster pistol holstered to his leg, so he just looked like a regular smuggler or pirate.
He fixed his collar, making sure his Padawan braid was hidden securely as BD-8 crawled up his back and fixed himself on his shoulder. He then walked over to the temple with a case holding the payment for Qibbu's contact. He entered the main courtyard of the temple and saw a loader droid walking past him with some cargo, likely taking it to a ship as part of some transaction. That's when he saw the main entrance to the temple which despite having been on the planet for thousands of years was still in good shape. The newest additions were all the flags hung around on the walls and the roof. Some were old and worn while others were crisp and new indicating that they had been recent additions. That's when Will saw one flag in particular wrapped around the base of a large stone statue above the main door. The statue was of a humanoid female alien that Will wasn't familiar with. She had a cape and her arms opened up like a benevolent figure welcoming those who were arriving. The statue was nice, but Will's attention was on the flag. It was colored red and was a large circle but inside were two pair of wings with a spire in the middle that had a small crest of a sun in the center. Will immediately recognized it as the symbol of the Old Republic because back then the crest greatly resembled that of the emblem of the Jedi Order. Unlike the other older flags around the temple this one seemed to have been pressed because it looked well-kept and almost brand new despite the fact that the flag likely dated back to thousands of years ago. (1)
"Wow." Will muttered as BD-8 took a quick image still of the flag before they entered the temple. Once the doors opened, they were hit with the smell and sounds of a lively cantina. A band was playing music, the sound of cards being dealt, or dice being thrown at game tables, the clatter of cups or the sizzling of a roasted beast over a pit helped paint the picture of a perfect place to relax, have fun, and occasionally handle a bit of delicate business. The fact that this was being done in an old Jedi Temple was a little disconcerting, but it was abandoned by the order years ago and everything of value was removed before they left so oh well.
Will's arrival didn't draw any attention other than the occasional glance or two that noticed a new arrival. And his age meant that they pretty much ignored him which was a good thing. He made his way through the cantina until he arrived at the bar where a bartender droid quickly made an order of drinks and put them on a serving tray for the bartender which happened to be a blue-skinned Twi'lek. She gave Will a wink before walking away to deliver the drinks.
"How can I assist you?" The bartender droid asked.
"I'm here to deliver something to Maz Kanata. Qibbu sent me." Will answered.
"Of course. Please take a seat and Maz Kanata shall be with your shortly." The bartender droid told him. "Would you like any refreshments while you wait?"
"No, I'm ok."
Will sat down at a nearby empty table and put the case in front of him. BD-8 crawled down his arm and onto the table and the two just relaxed and waited. It was weird but the moment he had just sat there in the Jedi temple turned cantina was peaceful. It was like the people here didn't know there was a war going on across the galaxy. A moment of peace and quiet which was ruined when he saw an Ithorian, two Quarren and a Weequay eyeing him from across the room. Only it wasn't him but the case they had their eyes on so Will slowly moved his hand down the WESTAR-35 blaster pistol he had holstered to his thigh.
"Don't worry about them." He heard from his side as a 4ft-tall humanoid female alien walked over. She had orange skin with white hair covered by a cap that also had her bifocals. She was wearing simple brown boots, pants, and a blue sweater with a small brown best over that with an orange bead necklace. She was small but she exuded wisdom and experience as well as serenity but also seemed like someone you want to mess with. "They know better than that. It's a strict rule of this place. No fighting, no roughhousing, and no stealing."
"How are you so sure they'll listen?" Will questioned as she placed some drinks down at a nearby table before placing her tray at the bar.
"Because it's the rules of this place. And if they break the rules then they can't do business here. This planet is considered neutral territory and with what's going on in the galaxy those are in short supply. Especially for them." She said. "Besides, it's a fight they'd be quick to lose and the last thing I need is for blood to be spilt because they thought their mark was just a young man and not a Jedi Knight of the Republic."
Will looked at her and he immediately began to sense a connection to the force. Not like his but more subdued and while it wasn't as strong, she was in fact force-sensitive. "Maz Kanata, I presume."
"The one and only." She smiled before grabbing a pitcher and a pair of glasses before sitting across from him. "It's been a long time since I've seen a Jedi. Never did I think that Qibbu would get one to work for him."
"Well, I don't really work for him. I'm friends with an associate of his and we've had a very beneficial relationship working together so I was ok with helping him out." He explained. "How did you know I was a Jedi?"
"Oh, I could tell you that I've seen plenty to know one when I see one but that's not what you want to know, is it? And the answer is yes." Maz poured him a glass of water and slid it over to him which he caught with ease.
"How?"
"The force works in mysterious ways." Maz told him. "If you don't know that then the Jedi Order has very much changed since I last met them."
"No, I mean, why are you here and not with the order?" Will wondered.
"Not all those guided or aided by the force are destined to be Jedi. Some don't need to be part of the order to help others find their way including a young padawan who has seen much in his short life." Maz smiled.
"Will Vizsla." Will smiled back as he introduced himself.
"Ah, the famed Mandalorian Jedi of the order. Your reputation proceeds you for one so young." Maz praised. "Never in my lifetime did I think I would see another. Your people don't exactly have the best history with the Jedi and the Republic but Tarre Vizsla…he was an exception."
"You talk as if you knew him. He died over a thousand years ago. Even Grand Master Yoda wasn't alive back then." Will stated and Maz chuckled.
"I'm old. Older then I'd care to admit, and I've seen many things during that time. The wars against the Jedi and the Sith, the crumble of the Republic against the Sith Empire…and the bravery of the Jedi to help everyone they could. Especially Tarre Vizsla." Maz recounted. "I met him once. It was during what would be later dubbed the New Sith Wars and the dark age of the Republic."
"Back when the Sith raged on through the galaxy and the Republic was so overwhelmed that they retreated back to the core worlds." Will recounted from his lessons of history at the Temple.
"It was a dark time. Many Jedi found themselves thrust into leadership as they protected countless worlds the Republic couldn't defend. They were stretched thin as were the Jedi in a seemingly endless battle against the New Sith Empire. Tarre Vizsla had his work cut out for him, but he rose to the occasion. I was on one of the planets near the border with the Outer Rim, trying to make my way someplace safe when the New Sith Empire attacked. They came with fierce and overwhelming force, cutting down those that didn't submit to their rule. Then, like a Starbird coming over the horizon, Tarre Vizsla arrived with a group of Jedi knights and his Mandalorians." Maz spoke and the tone/delivery in her voice spoke truth and quelled any kind of doubts that Will may have had that she could have been lying. Only someone who really was there could speak the way she did. "To this day there are some bits of what happened that I can't remember for the life of me."
"That could be a blessing. Sometimes certain trauma are best left forgotten." Will told her.
"True but the things I do remember from that day will stick with me. I saw your ancestor race across the battlefield dealing with Sith after Sith like he was born to be there. Fearlessly running into battle as he led his fellow Jedi against the Sith and then rallying his forces to route the Sith Empire from the planet. The smell of smoke in the air, the burnt tinge of the sky, and the bodies scattered on the ground before they became one with the Force. And through it all…I saw Tarre Vizsla through the smoke helping those that were injured, guiding those that were lost, and rallying everyone he could. He gave people hope when it had all but extinguished." Maz recounted vividly like she was reliving it right now. "He truly was one of a kind, but I've also heard good things about you as well."
"Thank you. I'm just trying to do my best but in all honesty with the war going on I'm not sure what's gonna happen." Will admitted.
"No one knows what will happen. That is the nature of war but one thing I know for certain…" Maz took a sip of water before she spoke. "…is that this galaxy won't be the same when it's over. Whether the change will be for the better or worst we can't possibly predict."
"You don't things could change for better after the war is over?" Will wondered.
"I'm not saying it's not possible but…there is something else at play in this war. I'm sure you've felt it." Maz said to him, and he nodded in response. "I can sense it as I imagine so can you and possibly others. There's something else at play with the Clone Wars and I fear it seeks to take control of the galaxy and the Force."
"Count Dooku and whoever his master is." Will stated.
"Most likely. In my lifetime, I've seen many things and many people guided by the Force do both terrible and wonderous things. The Jedi…the Sith. Two opposing sides that could not be more different yet are more alike than they'd care to admit but this one makes me the most worried." Maz said.
"I agree." Will replied when he thought about what she had just said. "What do you mean that the Jedi and Sith are more alike?"
"When you've gotten to be as old as I am, you tend to learn a few things that you never thought possible. I'm not talking about strength or power…but understanding. The Force…the light side and the dark, terms made by the Jedi and the Sith to divide and understand what they believe to be the true essence of the Force but all it does is stagnate. The Force is all around us. It binds us, surrounds us but it doesn't not bend to us. The Force is neutral…it is the Jedi and the Sith that use the force to their own extremes." Maz explained, being somewhat sage-like in a manner similar to Yoda but combined with the caring charm of a grandmother or elderly relative. "The Sith use the Force for power, to dominate, to control that which cannot be controlled. They pervert their connection to the force to try and control it. The Jedi use the Force for good, benevolence, for defense, and for harmony yet by being so restricted to just one side of the Force as they see it…they cannot truly achieve harmony. You know what I speak of."
"Balance." Will answered.
"Yes. Now, I'm not saying that I agree with the Sith. Far from it but I must admit that the Jedi order has…unfortunately regressed in their understanding. It is true that various aspects of the Force does have inherent light and dark side qualities but to separate them entirely only will lead to more hardship. If the Sith were to gain dominance, the galaxy would turn to chaos and life would soon come to an end but if the Jedi order's quest for peace was allowed to come to pass as it stands now, the galaxy would fall into lethargy, apathy, and eventually fade and die. The dark side needs the light, and the light side needs the dark. Both light and dark are intrinsic parts of the force as they are of life and all aspects must be respected. Balance in the Force as balance in oneself and balance in life is true harmony and peace. Finding truth, promoting peace and understanding are noble pursuits but without using said truths to enact change or improvements in and around oneself, having knowledge and understanding is meaningless. In the same way, power with no purpose beyond increase itself holds no greater meaning." Maz spoke and Will really listened to what she was saying.
It was like listening to Master Yoda during one of his lectures at the Jedi Temple but in a different way. Master Yoda had years of knowledge and experience with the force that many Jedi could never even come close to understanding. Maz seemed to be the same as she had the aura of someone who had seen a lot and that kind of time and experience can grant one great wisdom. The points she made about the force and the light and dark side were wise and her beliefs about the forces intrinsic nature as a guiding element of all life in the universe was unique. The light side and the dark side, the Jedi order and the Sith were two groups on the far side of extremes that in a way were similar in their sort of dogmatic approach to their beliefs despite their contrasting goals. Two sides of extremes that were constantly at war with one another yet in a way needed each other. That sounded very familiar to Will.
"I imagine that kind of thinking wouldn't be very popular with the Jedi Council." Will admitted and Maz nodded.
"I agree which is why I'm telling you. An old woman just trying to impart some wisdom on the new generation. Not many people have that because if they did then we may not even be in this war." Maz pointed out.
"I'm not gonna argue with you there." Will replied. "You know…I'm not sure if it's crazy for me to admit this…but I don't think you're wrong."
"I've been called a lot of things in my life, kid but crazy is not one of them." Maz remarked. "If you mean about what I said about the Force, if you believe in what I said? Good. If not…then just think of it as the ramblings of an old woman."
"But I thought that's what you wanted. To impart that wisdom onto the new generation?" Will asked her.
"And? What do you think?" Maz asked, wanting to know what he thought as he had just sat there and listened to her.
"Believe it or not…I sort of preached the same as you not to long ago." Will reached into his jacket and placed the Darksaber on the table so Maz could see it and she recognized it instantly.
"So, you have followed in your ancestor's footsteps." Maz said.
"Unintentionally. My uncle had this before I did. He was the leader of Death Watch and was planning to take the Mandalore from the New Mandalorians with help from the Separatists. In some perverted attempt to reclaim the ways of old. My master and I ended up on Mandalore to deal with the rumors of the rising Mandalorian threat and we got there just in time." Will said as he recounted an abridged version of the events in question.
"The force works in mysterious ways. Perhaps you meant to be there considering you're sitting across from me, and I haven't heard stories of Mandalorians running amok in the Galaxy. Thank you for that by the way." Maz told him and he chuckled a bit.
"I knew what the Darksaber meant to my people and what it represented. I knew it would complicate things but at the moment I had no choice but to take it otherwise someone worse then my uncle could arise and then I'd be right back where I started. Probably worse off as I could have stopped it before it spiraled into a bigger problem. So, when I stood over my uncle with the saber after defeating him and saw the other Mandalorians bow before me…I knew I was screwed." He said and Maz laughed.
"If that was the case then I imagine things wouldn't have worked out as they did yet here you are. I'm sure you're exaggerating a bit." Maz remarked.
"Maybe a little but for good reason. I earned the leadership of Death Watch but in order to prevent everyone from splitting away or trying to seize what power they had I had to bring them all together which is when things really got interesting."
"I imagine there were some in Death Watch who weren't thrilled with your ascension." Maz joked.
"That is an understatement. I was beyond terrified but after watching a message left behind by my mother, I just went into it. To be honest, looking back now I'm not sure what came over me when I addressed them, but it was like I was a different person for a bit. I had sent out word to all the Mandalorian clans and Death Watch to tell them of what had happened, that I was the leader. I had a lot of people cry out against me for what happened, but I was Mandalorian by birth and by training. If anything, I had greater right to the saber given that I was a Mandalorian Jedi like Tarre Vizsla and it took a lot of convincing on my part. I agreed with them that I didn't completely believe in or support Duchess Satine's radical changes to Mandalore, but my uncle was just as extreme as well but on the opposite spectrum." Will recounted.
"Two sides of extremes and neither find balance." Maz told him.
"It's what I said to Duchess Satine when I managed to speak with her again. I found a lot of what she was doing admirable, and I agreed with her but some parts I disagreed with. I actually said she was like my uncle in a way, so driven to an extreme that she's forsaking balance and in a way making Mandalore weak and in danger. The irony of that didn't come into effect later when her own Prime Minister tried to overthrow her. I helped with that as well and actually started repairing the fractured relationship the warrior clans have with the New Mandalorians." Will finished recounting. "Guess balance truly is the key."
"I rest my case." Maz smiled.
"Trouble is what the Jedi Council will think of this and more importantly how do I even start. I don't suppose you have any ideas?" Will asked her.
"I'm afraid that is where I can't help you. I've been around this galaxy for many years, I've seen a lot of things and I like to think that I'm very wise but that is something I don't have the answer to." Maz answered.
"That's really not that helpful." Will pointed it out and Maz shrugged.
"It's the way the galaxy works, young one but I have hope that when the time comes, you'll do the right thing, and the Force will guide you. It works in mysterious ways. The question is whether you will truly be open to the idea of true balance." Maz said to him. Will just sighed as that future prospect sounded daunting and beyond difficult, not to mention what the Jedi Council would say or do. He was already sort of on thin ice with them as it was with the Darksaber and his role as leader of the Mandalorian Defenders. One more thing like going against the teachings of the Jedi order to try and truly achieve balance by embracing all aspects of the force, possibly even some of the darker sides would likely get him kicked out. Maz could see Will was struggling with everything they had discussed so she decided to help. "I wouldn't worry too much about that now. You're young and your path through the force will take time. If there is one thing, I've learned I can impart onto you it's that you can't rush anything whether its your own journey or what you can learn. It will present itself when you are ready but when that happens be open and the let the Force guide you."
"I'll take it into consideration." Will replied before he took a sip of water.
"Do more then that. You're interesting, Will Vizsla and I would like to see you survive this war and continue to interest me." Maz told him. "And to keep you interested, I would like to offer my services as an informant."
"I thought you worked for Qibbu?"
"I work with him, not for him. That Hutt may be old and powerful but even he knows he can't control Maz Kanata. And the information I pass onto him is information he needs. Trade disputes, smuggling networks, certain worlds or groups that need help or will exchange info with Qibbu. I've been around long enough to have my ear to the ground in places that someone like Qibbu would find advantageous. I imagine Qibbu has helped you and the Jedi with various pieces of intel for the war. I'm offering to do the same." Maz offered. "And I have a lot I think you'd like to know."
"Really?" Will took another sip of water. "Now consider me interested."
The duo continued to talk with them exchanging communication frequencies. If Maz was one of Qibbu's most trusted contacts, then she could really help Will going forward. She had already heard some whispers about things she thought that he and the Jedi would be interested in. The Trandoshan's had been picking up activity in the Mid-Rim in their hunting of other alien species and work had reached Maz that with the war going on there were rumors that they could be targeting certain Jedi. Will wasn't sure about that as he didn't think the Trandoshan's were stupid enough to try something like that. Even the most well-armed Trandoshan wouldn't have a chance against a Jedi knight or would dare hunt them for fear of reprisal by the Jedi order or the Republic but with the war going on that was a different situation. With the war going on the Jedi and Republic were focused on that so the Trandoshan's could use that to do what they wanted, and they wouldn't know until it was too late. It wouldn't be the first time something like that happened like with the Pirate Hondo taking advantage of the war to try and leverage Anakin and Obi-wan as hostages, or like how Dr. Vindi was able to work in secret on the Blue Shadow Virus, or even Cad Bane sneaking into the Jedi Temple for a holocron. It may be nothing now but could turn into something. That along with the second tidbit of information had which was about the possible return of the Zygerrian empire.
The old Zygerrian slave empire was massive and powerful with their influence stretching galaxy wide but then faded away from its glory after the Old Republic declared slavery illegal and the Jedi cracked down on their slaving operations. They dismantled their empire, destroyed their organization and sent what was left of it into the shadows on Zygerria, their home world. While Slavery was outlawed, slavery was unfortunately still a problem in the Outer Rim and Wild Space, but the Zygerrian empire was a thing of the past which was a good thing as they were dangerous. They even helped the Sith during the Old Republic era so if they came back then it could give the Jedi and the Republic another headache to deal with. Like Will suspected, the chaos of the Clone Wars may be how the Zygerrians could plot their comeback by working with the CIS. Maz only had little to go on from what she had heard from smugglers and pilots who had met with Zygerrians but from what she did have, the empire was working behind the scenes on something big and reaching out to many in the CIS and throughout the Outer Rim. Maz had a distaste for slavery so she would keep her ear out for them and let Will know.
Their conversation unfortunately had to end as Will was contacted about an incident on Coruscant, but Maz would let him know if something came up. Right now, he was heading back to Coruscant because an old friend had resurfaced. Cad Bane was back and he along with some other bounty hunters had taken several Republic Senators hostage. In exchange for their lives Ziro the Hutt was freed from prison. Now they had to get him back.
Line Break xxxxx
A great escape! Cad Bane and his notorious crew of bounty hunters liberated Ziro the Hutt from a Republic prison after holding the Galactic Senate hostage. The Jedi Council has assigned Obi-wan Kenobi and his Padawan Will Vizsla to retrieve Ziro the Hutt with the help of Jedi Knight Quinlan Vos.
Unknown to the Jedi, we find Ziro in the clutches of the five Hutt families on the distance world of Nal Hutta
Coruscant
Will returned to Coruscant and piloted the Tempest over to the starfighter bay of the Jedi Temple and parked it on the landing pad. Obi-wan was waiting for him and that's where Quilon Vos would meet them. With Ziro on the run, Will asked Qi'ra if she or Qibbu had heard any kind of whispers or rumors about what was going on, but they hadn't heard a peep. Whoever was behind Ziro's breakout didn't leave a weak stone in the entire plan, but Qibbu had his suspicions. He immediately assumed and predicted it was likely the Hutts that were behind Qibbu's freedom. No other group would care about Qibbu that much so they either wanted Qibbu dead on their own terms which if they did then they would have just sent an assassin for him in jail. With his escape, the Hutts wanted him for something, so it was up to Will and his master to find out what and bring him back. And if Cad Bane was back, he would be ready for round 3 and this time he'd make sure he was stopped. That's when he noticed the concerned look on his master's face.
"Don't worry, Master. We've dealt with Cad Bane before so if he shows his face again, we'll be ready." Will assured him.
"It's not him, I'm worried about. It's Quinlan Vos." Obi-wan corrected.
"Oh, I've never met him, but I've heard a lot about him."
"What did you hear?" Obi-wan wondered.
"Enough to know that I'll like him." Will joked. "He's one of the order's best Jedi Knights. He was Master Secura's master, and he has extensive knowledge and contacts with the galaxy's underworld and criminal element."
"Which is precisely why he will be assisting us on this mission. And given our past with Cad Bane, we've been assigned to it as well but what you probably don't know is that Quilan is very much a maverick among the Jedi. Not at all like the rest of us." Obi-wan told him.
"Is that such a bad thing?" Will suggested and Obi-wan thought it over. "I mean, if everyone of us was the same it'd kind of defeat the purpose of us protecting the galaxy and be weird. Master Kota isn't exactly like a normal Jedi, and neither is Master Skywalker, Ahsoka, or even me. And from one growing maverick to another, it'll be nice to meet him. I wonder if he's met Master Skywalker yet."
Obi-wan paled in fear at the thought of Anakin meeting with Quinlan Vos. He knew the two would get along greatly and further drive him insane. "Perhaps I do have a type."
"I guess you do." Will remarked when he saw a LAAT-gunship coming in. "Looks like he's here."
The gunship slowed down as it reached the temple and the side doors opened, which is when someone jumped out and flipped down to the ground. Quilan Vos, the Kiffar male Jedi Master. He was wearing distinctive dark yellow and brown clothing and shoulder pauldron less indicative of a Jedi and more like someone you'd see in a cantina. One unique trait about the Kiffar were the tattoos on the face and left arm which were yellow for Quinlan.
"Hey, Kenobi, you look worse for wear. How's temple life?" Quilan joked as he pat Obi-wan on the shoulder but all he got was Obi-wan signature look of disapproval. "Good to see you too."
"Yes, well, if you could tell time half as well as you could stick a landing, we wouldn't be behind schedule now, would we?" Obi-wan pointed out.
"Well, that's your opinion, man." Quilan remarked when he noticed Will standing next to Obi-wan. He looked at him up and down when he gaze stopped at Will's vambraces. "Ah, this must be your Padawan. I've heard a lot about you. It's not every day that a Mandalorian joins the Jedi, even less so when that Mandalorian causes quite a fuss with the council over Mandalorian armor and an old lightsaber. But take it from someone who's caught the ire of the council a few times and don't let it get to you. Sometimes doing things your own way is the best way."
"No, please don't listen to that, Padawan." Obi-wan said to Will.
"What's the matter, Kenobi? I'm imparting some valuable wisdom to your apprentice." Quilan assured him.
"I can assure you that my Padawan is getting all the wisdom he needs for his training. The only thing he would get from you is your complete disregard for the tenets of the order and the rules we follow." Obi-wan told him.
"Some rules can be bended as times change. Wearing Beskar armor in this day and age seems to be one that is not only smart but practical. Why aren't you wearing it? I was hoping to see it with my own eyes." Quilan said to Will.
"The day is still young so there's still a possibility. How did you hear about that?" Will wondered.
"Oh, everyone's heard of that by now. Stories as interesting as that tend to spread like wildfire around here and that's not all I've heard about you. There's been stories spreading around the galaxy about the Mandalorian Jedi of the Republic. You've got yourself quite the reputation. My personal favorite is that you led a special team onto Geonosis by yourself to open up the planet for the invasion. Is that true?" Quilan questioned and Will nodded in response. "Ha, that was a pretty crazy gamble. Glad to know I'm not the only one like that in the Jedi but with what you've been doing I hear you're even crazier than I am. Bet you drive Kenobi nuts every now and then."
"I have my moments." Will admitted before he and Quilan chuckled while Obi-wan just rolled his eyes.
"If you two are quite done, we can get down to business. Ziro the Hutt was broken out during a hostage takeover of the Senate." Obi-wan informed Quilan.
"Yeah, I read the briefing about that mess." Quilan replied.
"I suspect Jabba the Hutt is behind this. He still have it out for Ziro over the kidnapping of his son." Obi-wan theorized when Will cleared his throat to get his master's attention.
"With all due respect, Master, while that is a likely possibility it's not the only one. Qibbu and Qi'ra reached out to me when they heard of the breakout and while Jabba is a prime suspect, he's not the only one. The rest of the Hutt council on Nal Hutta should also be considered suspects." Will put his two cents into the conversation.
"Your padawan makes a good point. My information indicates that Ziro has damaging evidence against the Hutt council. My guess is that they've taken him to the Hutt home planet Nal Hutta." Quilan informed him and smiled at Will. "Glad to see your Padawan's got a little more sense then you."
Obi-wan just gave Quilan a look. "As for this bounty hunter Cad Bane, we must capture and return both he and his quarry Ziro to the courts. I trust that you and I can keep eyes forward in this common goal."
"No problem. I owe Bane one anyway." Quilan said as they walked over the Tempest and he out a whistle of awe. "Wow, she is a beautiful ship. I'll fly her."
"With all due respect, Master Voss, I'm gonna have to say no to that. The Tempest is my ship and I'm the only one I trust to fly her." Will told him and Quilan shrugged.
"Fair enough, then I call copilot." Quilan rushed onto the ship giving Obi-wan and Will a moment alone.
"He is exactly like people say he is." Will said.
"Unfortunately." Obi-wan commented but saw the smile on Will's face.
"I like him." Will smirked as he walked onto the ship while Obi-wan had a look of dread on his face.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-wan walked onto the Tempest and it flew off Coruscant making for Hutt Space as fast as possible.
Time Skip…
Hutt Space, Nal Hutta
The Tempest exited hyperspace and made its approach to Nal Hutta. The planet was an odd brown/greyish/green color from the smog in the air and the numerous bogs all over the planet. A perfect home for the Hutts but not really anyone else.
"That's Nal Hutta? I've heard about the planet, but I didn't think it'd look like this." Will remarked and BD-8 let out a beep, agreeing with him. He was docked into the ships droid port.
"Nal Hutta isn't the most pleasant planet in the galaxy and its that reason that it makes the Hutts on it so dangerous." Quilan Voss stated. "We're walking into the vipers nest here."
"Easy Quilan. The Hutts are still technically our allies, and we need the use of their space in order to ensure we don't lose our edge in this war. Whether or not they truly had Cad Bane extract Ziro from our custody, we must remain mindful. One wrong accusation without evidence and we risk things getting worse which is why I shall be the one to lead negotiations." Obi-wan told him.
"Good luck with that, Kenobi. The Hutts aren't exactly well known to be hospitable." Quilan warned him.
"Well, the Hutt I know is but he's definitely the odd one out of his species." Will pointed out as he pressed a few buttons on the dashboard. "All right, making our descent."
The Tempest descended down to Nal Hutta, flying through the rain before it arrived at the largest palace on the planet which was where the Hutt Council resided. Will parked the Tempest into a free space on a nearby landing platform before the trio were escorted inside by some Gamorrean guards. They eventually walked into the main council room where the Hutt Council was having a party. There was music being played, scantily clad dancers enticing potential clients and plenty of drinks were had but among the partygoers were bodyguards and mercenaries in the employ of the Hutts. Unfortunately, the mercenaries weren't the ones who attacked the Senate building. BD-8 nudged himself a little closer on Will's shoulder as he, Obi-wan and Quilan walked into the room and a light shined on them. Instantly the music stopped and the mood in the room got serious.
One of the Hutts spoke and a protocol droid translated. "How goes the war, gentlemen?"
"Great Gardulla, we bring unfortunate news. Ziro the Hutt has escaped our custody with the aid of the bounty hunter Cad Bane." Obi-wan told her.
"The great Gardulla already knows this, Jedi Knights."
"I'm beginning to think you're the ones who broke him out." Quilan accused.
"And why would the great Hutt families do such a thing?"
"That's what I would like to know." Quilan said when Obi-wan tapped him on the shoulder.
"Quilan, the Hutts are out allies." Obi-wan reminded him which got him to back off.
"Mighty Gardulla says you are lucky to be with a Jedi as wise as Kenobi or you might not be allowed to leave here alive."
Quilan's little confrontation and Obi-wan reaction was actually planned, partially to keep the Hutts off balance. The other reason was that when Quilan backed off he was able to look around for a clue. Quilan had a special force ability called psychometry, also known as Force Echo or retrocognition which allows the user to acquire information about people or events associated with an object by simply touching it. If Ziro touched anything in the place, then Quilan would know.
"Great Hutts, I apologize for my compatriots outburst. As my master has said he is very temperamental. We've only come to deliver the message and a warning. With Ziro the Hutt escape, we fear that elements against our mutually beneficial relationship will act against us. Should something happen and you hear word of Ziro's whereabouts, I'm sure you will contact us, and we will keep you informed of our investigation. It is in both our interests that Ziro the Hutt is not free. We shall be leaving now." Will told them before bowing his head. The Hutts bowed their head in response as Will and Obi-wan walked away with Quilan. Will, of course, didn't really mean all that as it was his part to play in their little rouse to the Hutt council. False platitudes and such to keep them off balance.
"Well done, Padawan. You're well on your way to becoming an excellent negotiator." Obi-wan whispered.
"You think they bought it?" Will wondered.
"Probably and if they didn't then let's act quickly before they figure out what we're really up too." Quilan told them. "Ziro was here. He was holding one of the cups."
"Nice work. Any suggestions on where we should start looking?" Obi-wan asked.
"My vote for the dungeon. Always a good place to start." Will suggested and they agreed so that's where they started. They navigated their way through the palace until they found the stairs leading down to the dungeon. Will's instincts paid off as they saw two dead Gamorrean guards and an empty prison cell. Will checked on one of the Gamorreans and saw the knife wound to the back.
Quilan checked out the cell and touched the wall, catching a Force Echo of what happened. He got glimpses of Ziro talking to his girlfriend, a female Pa'lowick singer named Sy Snootles. What Quilan saw would make him want brain cleaner as their little romance was nauseating but she killed the guards and helped him escape. "Ziro was here, and he had help escaping."
"Gamorrean's dead but the blood has just started to coagulate, and the body's still got some warmth to it. He's been dead for about an hour, maybe two." Will told them.
"Then we have no times to waste. Let's go. Padawan, head to the Tempest and follow us while we track Ziro on foot." Obi-wan said and they split up. Obi-wan and Quilan picked up Ziro's trail from the prison while Will returned to the Tempest so he could follow them from the air. That way if they needed to get someplace fast or get off planet, they didn't need to rush back to the Hutt palace.
The going was slow since Quilan and Obi-wan had to move on foot from the palace through the bog of the Nal Hutta wetlands. Being Jedi, they were able to move faster with the force, but it was still slow goings. Quilan's psychometry picked up traces of Ziro and his girlfriend. They had stolen a speeder skiff from the palace and were heading west, which was odd as they could have easily highjacked a ship and gotten off planet. Quilan suspected that there was something on Nal Hutta that Ziro needed first before he made his escape. They just had to find him before he did or else, he'd go underground and be next to impossible to find.
Will had the Tempest hovering in the air about 100 meters high over Obi-wan and Quilan, following them as they made their progress. BD-8 kept his eye on the scanners which was a good thing as he picked up something closing in and warned Will, so he checked the scanners.
"Master, can you hear me?" Will radioed to him.
"I can, Will. What is it?" Obi-wan asked.
"The Tempest's scanners have picked up an incoming speeder signal closing in fast from the east and its heading in your direction." Will told him. "Find cover."
Obi-wan and Quilan hid in the natural terrain of the wetlands while Will activated the Tempest's cloaking tech, turning the ship invisible to the naked eye and scanners. About ten minutes later, a speeder skiff went by and clearly whoever was driving it was moving fast. "It looks like we're not the only one going after Ziro. Padawan, can you tell where they're headed?" Obi-wan asked so Will checked.
"We don't exactly have a map of this planet or the wetlands but they're heading west, same direction you were. Hang on, I'm getting interference from the bog. Let me try to boost the range and power of the scanner. BD-8, move the scanner dish 20-degrees to the right and adjust scanner signal by 4.3 terons." Will told it.
BD-8 nodded, patching his scomplink into the system and adjusted the scanner dish on the Tempest. The range on the scanner expanded and cleared up, giving him a better picture of the surrounding area. A small blip appeared on the scanner which was the speeder, and it was moving fast maintaining its westward direction. Thankfully, Will's change up with the scanner dish improved its power and he was getting a better layout of the area. "Will, anything yet?" Obi-wan asked him.
"Not yet. Hang on." Will adjusted the output of the scanner and maxed out its range which is when he saw something. "The speeder skiff is still heading west. There's something out there as the scanner's picking up a heat signature and lifeform but there's too much interference from the bog to get a clearer picture. It could be a house but it's the only place in the wetlands for miles in any direction."
"That has to be where Ziro was going." Quilan stated.
"Most likely. Padawan, come down to pick us up." Obi-wan told him.
"On it." Will deactivated the cloaking field and hovered the Tempest down to pick them up before following the speeder's direction west to the lifeform signature it picked up. After the flight time they arrived at their destination which ended up being a house literally in the middle of the wetlands with only one speeder skiff parked nearby.
The three Jedi exited the ship and walked over to the front door. Obi-wan was about to knock but Quilan took the initiative and activated his lightsaber, then used the green blade to cut a giant X through the door and kicked it open. "Vos, somebody lives here!" Obi-wan reminded him but Quilan just ignored his statement and headed inside.
"Just so you know, I would have gone with a more subtle approach." Will assured his master as the two walked in after Quilan and saw him hunched over near the wall.
"Ugh, smells like somebody died here." Quilan covered his nose in disgust and even Will and Obi-wan had to admit it stunk.
"Break in my house, will you, smart guy?" They heard and a very large female Hutt sitting in her living room being tended to by droids. And by large, they meant large as in easily twice the size and height of Jabba.
"Thousand pardons, madam. He hasn't mastered the concept of knocking. For that, I apologize." Obi-wan said to her.
"I got trouble for you too, Mr. Fancy Pants." Mama Hutt said, throwing a slug at Quilan in anger.
"Rest assured, madam, we want no trouble and aren't looking for a fight." Will assured her, playing the peacemaker part alongside Obi-wan since Quilan clearly got Mama Hutt tensed up.
"That'll be a first for the day." She replied.
"Meaning?" Obi-wan wondered.
"Meaning? First, my deadbeat son and his limp-lipped girlfriend come in and sponge me out of my starship. Then some slime sap and his droid charged in and forced me to give up the skinny on where Ziro's headed. Put a blaster to my face and everything."
"Big hat?" Quilan questioned.
"Yeah. Chad something out for blood. You want to kill my little boy too?" She asked.
"Oh, no, madam, but if we don't find him before Bane does your son will not be so lucky." Obi-wan explained.
"Teth. Ziro's heading for Teth." She told them.
"We need to get to that jungle planet, and we need to get there fast." Quilan told them.
"On it." Will assured him as the trio rushed back out to the Tempest.
"Hey! Who's going to pay for my door?!" Mama Hutt shouted but didn't get an answer.
Teth
The Tempest with its fast sublight speed and its incredible modified 1.0 hyperdrive made it to Teth after several quick hyperspace jumps. Will landed the ship on an open, flat part of a cliff where another starfighter happened to be parked so Ziro must have been close. The trio exited the Tempest and saw some kind of shrine in the ravine, so they jumped down from the cliff and made their way over. It was less a shrine and more a tomb for someone, a Hutt given the appearance of the wrapped body, but they were more interesting in the other body that belonged to Ziro. Will walked over and checked Ziro, seeing the blaster bolt in the chest.
"He's dead but the body's still warm. This must have happened recently, maybe an hour ago at the most." Will told them.
"Who could have done this?" Obi-wan wondered when their hearing picked up noise from behind them so Will aimed one of his vambraces at a stone pillar. A few seconds later, Cad Bane walked out from behind it along with his droid companion, Todo 360.
"There's an option." Will said, tapping BD-8 on the side and the droid climbed down his shoulder and back before scampering away.
"Looks like we're both too late for the party." Bane remarked.
"So, this is not your handiwork?" Obi-wan wondered, gesturing to Ziro's corpse.
"No, I wouldn't have made such a sloppy kill." Bane corrected him.
"Could be that you're getting sloppy in your old age. After all, last time I saw you, you had two arms…not one." Will pointed out, referring to the new cybernetic implant on Bane's right arm from the elbow down.
"I remember." Bane then held up his cybernetic replacement/enhancement right arm. It wasn't covered in synthflesh so the Jedi could see the shine of the black metal and while it seemed like a fairly standard replacement, with Cad Bane you had to assume he had modified it. "Got to say though, I'm liking my new replacement. It's made my job much easier."
"Good to know. We'll make sure to deactivate it when we put you in jail." Will walked forward, still aiming one of his vambraces at Cad Bane but subtly moved his other hand behind his back. With it hidden, he made several hand signals that Obi-wan saw. He then looked over at Quilan Vos and gave him a subtle nod to be ready and move to the left.
"You got lucky once, kid. That's not gonna happen again." Cad Bane warned him, moving his hands down towards his blaster pistols.
"I don't know. I'm feeling pretty lucky and last I checked it's three against one." Will remarked.
"Good. That means I'll have two million credits in my pockets when we're done. The Separatists are paying a million credits per head for a Jedi. But you…" Cad Bane pointed at Will. "I think I'll keep your head and everything else as a trophy. Those gauntlets of yours will better used in the hands of someone who knows how to use them."
"Over my dead body." Will stated.
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Cad Bane quickly drew one of his blaster pistol and fired a shot, but Will had ducked so it went over his head while Obi-wan and Quilan jumped to the sides. Will shot his wrist rocket but Cad Bane had already activated his jet boots and flew away, gaining some distance as Will, Obi-wan and Quilan chased after him. The trio activated their lightsabers as Cad Bane shot at them with his blaster pistol, so they blocked and deflected the bolts. The Jedi chased after him as Bane kept his distance and began to think of ways to separate and take them down one at a time. That was his best way to survive in this situation.
Bane held his right arm forward and a small slit opened on the back of his cybernetic arm before it fired a rocket forcing the Jedi to split apart. Bane fired two more blaster shots in Voss's direction before jumping to the next stable area in the ravine. Voss followed him, blocking the bolts and jumped forward but Bane's cybernetic arm shot out some bolo wire which wrapped around Voss's legs sending him tumbling to the ground and nearly slipping off the edge when Will rushed over and grabbed his arm. Will pulled him back up and sliced the bolo wires before the two tried to catch up with Obi-wan who was still chasing Bane. Bane kept his distance with his jet boots while Obi-wan force jumped after him, blocking and deflecting blaster bolts as they entered a very dangerous area. Small, standing platforms of granite and rock were the only stable platforms of movement scattered all around the edge of the cliff face and one wrong step or misjudged leap would send you falling down to your death. This was Bane's plan as it gave the Jedi something else that they needed to focus on and dealing with them one at a time would also help.
Bane aimed his cybernetic arm at part of the stone pillar Obi-wan was on and a rocket came out. Said rocket destroyed part of the pillar causing it to come apart quickly. Will fired a grapple cable which he grabbed at the last second just as the pillar beneath his feet collapsed. Will pulled his master up as Quilan jumped over and faced off against Bane, blocking and deflecting his rapid-fire blaster bolts before rushing forward. Bane tossed up one of his blasters high into the air and blocked Quilan's lightsaber strike with a small personal combat shield that emitted itself from his cybernetic arm. Bane pushed Quilan back and then blocked a side cut with the small blue shield when Todo flew over and grabbed onto his head, pulling him back. The momentary distraction allowed Bane to punch him in the face and then slip through his legs where he knocked his feet out from under him. Quilan hit the floor as Bane caught the blaster he threw up and fired a bolt that hit him in the left arm. Bane then jumped forward and kicked Voss in the face, sending him tumbling off their rocky platform. Thankfully he fell onto a stone platform a few feet down, so he didn't fall to his death.
Bane saw Vos's body, so he aimed his pistol to put another bolt in him when Obi-wan and Will jumped down. Bane rolled away and blasted at the two Jedi, but they blocked and deflected the bolts. Bane activated his jet boots to get away, but Will froze him in the air with Force Stasis. Bane was a legendary bounty hunter, but he could literally do nothing as he felt his entire body slow like the gravity around him increased ten-fold. Obi-wan then used a Force Push that knocked Bane through the air and slammed him into the cliff face hard before dropping down onto the stone platform they were on. Todo 360 then came out of nowhere from behind with a lightsaber and tried to run through them but both Jedi dodged him. Todo had picked up Quilan's lightsaber and attempted to kill both Jedi but missed. Will then used Force Pull and pulled Todo into his path.
"Wait, no—" Todo 360 was cut off when Will literally cut him in half and caught Quilan's lightsaber before tossing it to Obi-wan.
"I got this, Master. Get Master Vos." Will assured him. Obi-wan wouldn't normally be ok with that but he had to check on Quilan to make sure he was ok. And Will was skilled, having defeated Bane last time so he would be fine until he rejoined him.
"Right. Be careful." Obi-wan jumped down to tend to Quilan as Bane picked himself up and cracked his neck.
"This is your last warning, Bane, which is more then you deserve. Surrender now and end this." Will warned him.
"Sorry, kid. Can't do that. I've got a reputation to uphold." Bane was quick and fired a wrist rocket from his cybernetic arm and a volley of blaster bolts from his pistol. Will did a dive roll to the side to dodge the rocket and moved into several acrobatic flips and turns to avoid the blaster fire before blocking and deflecting with his lightsaber. He deflected one bolt right back at Bane, knocking his pistol out of his hand but that didn't deter him as he quickly fired razor disks from his launcher. Will dodged them and Bane made his escape with his jet boots, flying over to another stone pillar so he followed. One Force Jump and he landed in front of Bane, kicking him back but when Bane rolled back from the kick, he kicked Will's saber out of his hand. Bane got back to his feet and caught Will's saber before attacking with several cuts and thrusts. Will managed to dodge all of them and then caught Bane's wrist during a thrust and knocked the saber out of his hand, sending it to the ground before throwing him over his shoulder. Bane hit the ground but then did a leg sweep to swipe Will's legs out from under him. When Will hit the ground, he kicked Bane in the face and then did a kipup back to his feet before doing a Force Push that sent Bane skidding across the ground and knocked him off the edge.
Bane just activated his jet boots and flew away to where his ship was parked but then to his horror, he saw a Corellian freighter hover in the air over his ship. BD-8 had returned to the ship after climbing down Will's shoulder and was piloting it. He aimed the forward-facing laser cannons and blew up Bane's ship with one shot, effectively trapping him on Teth. "RAHHH!" Bane was beyond pissed.
Will grabbed his saber and Force Jumped through the air and behind him. Bane extended a massive vibro-blade from his cybernetic arm and charged at Will, throwing several grenades at him but Will froze them in the air where they exploded into a thick cloud of smoke. Bane charged through the smoke and thrust his vibro-blade arm at Will who moved with a quick sidestep and then did a simple cut and slash. Bane slid to a stop past Will and the two just stayed in their positions, waiting for the other to make the first move. A cut appeared on Will's left cheek made by Bane's knife which was actually meant for his neck, so he saved himself a serious injury. Blood flowed down his face as Bane smirked when he heard a sizzle and saw one of his breathing tubes had been cut through. A second later his hat split apart and slid off his head.
"That's it!" Bane turned around to fire a rocket at point blank range and kill Will, even if it meant possibly killing himself. Will used the Force to make the Darksaber shoot up from his belt. He grabbed it and activated it mid-swing, so the black blade cut through Bane's cybernetic right arm, followed that up with a regular lightsaber cut through his left arm below the elbow and then a shallow cut across the chest with the Darksaber. It was three quick movements that happened in the blink of an eye.
Will stood there with his sabers crossed as Bane groaned in pain before falling onto his back, passing out from his injuries. His cybernetic arm could be easily replaced, he'd need a new one for the left arm and the shallow cut across his chest wouldn't kill him. Will deactivated his sabers and quickly disarmed Bane's body of any other weapons when he saw Obi-wan and Quilan Vos make their way over.
"We got one of them at least." Will pointed out.
"Impressive bladework Padawan. I can see your training in Niman is coming along nicely." Obi-wan praised.
"Daily training against high-level training remotes and sparring bots at the temple. Keeps me ready for moments like this." Will admitted as BD-8 moved the Tempest over so they could get on board.
"Heck of a Padawan you got there, Kenobi." Quilan said and Obi-wan agreed with him.
Coruscant
The Tempest parked at the federal prison on Coruscant where a company of Coruscant Clone troopers and Republic guard were waiting for them. Will, Obi-wan, and Quilan Vos disembarked the ship with Cad Bane in their custody. The cut on his chest was patched up, he was rid of his weapons and both stumps of his arms were tied to one another. Quilan's arm was in a sling after the blaster bolt, and he'd get it checked out later when he sees a doctor.
Will moved Bane forward and some Clone troopers took him. "Make sure he's put in the heavily guarded sector and watch him carefully. Don't let his appearance deceive you." Will told them.
"Yes, commander." A clone trooper replied as he pushed Bane forward, but the bounty hunter stopped and turned to look at Will.
"You'd better pray that this war kills you quickly or I die in there because if not…I'm coming for you." Cad Bane warned him, but Will was undeterred and unafraid.
"And I'll be waiting." Will promised as the clone troopers kept Bane moving into the prison.
"You know you just made a seriously bad enemy, right? A threat from Cad Bane isn't one to take likely and this has put a massive target on your back." Quilan Vos pointed out to Will.
"With the way the war's been going on, nothing new." Will admitted.
They lost Ziro the Hutt, but they got Cad Bane. Republic Intel Officers would do their best to try and sweat Bane to get him to give up who hired him, but he wouldn't break. It was kind of obvious, but it still left out one question. Ziro's girlfriend seemed to betray him so what did she get from Ziro and was she working for someone? Would they ever know?
Line Break xxxxx
Conflict with no end in sight. Across the galaxy, the quagmire of war continues. While Clone troopers suffer casualties at alarming rates, the Galactic Senate convenes an emergency session to debate the true cost of the war.
The Senate chambers were filled with all the available representatives in the Republic to discuss the ongoings on the war and their current status. The Separatists incursions in the Outer Rim were now barely being contained but if the Republic wanted to maintain their hold and even begin taking the offensive against the Separatists then they needed more clone troopers. The problem was that the Republic wasn't exactly in a financial position to just needlessly commission more Clones.
Will was there to watch with Master Skywalker and Ahsoka who had undergone a recent transformative event. She went on a trip to Ilum to retrieve a second Kyber crystal which she used to construct a shoto or a lightsaber with a shorter blade length, around the same length as the Darksaber but maybe a little shorter. After a self-reflective duel/lesson with Master Yoda, another self-reflective duel/lesson with Barris Offee, and assisting Senator Amidala on an assignment, Ahsoka was brought to the Great Tree at the Jedi Temple. Ahsoka, being Ahsoka, got a little distracted by a malfunctioning service droid but at the ceremony, Master Yoda praised her for her development, growth, and maturity. She had come a long way and so Master Yoda awarded her with an add-on to her Padawan braid. With that, her new sabers, and her new clothes Ahsoka had done some great maturing on her journey.
Granted, some aspects of her personality everyone loved and hated remained, including the playful banter she and Will had. Will congratulated her when she was given the addition to her Padawan braid and saw her shoto-saber. He could tell she was getting stronger, but she tried to prove it against him. She and Will sparred, allowing Ahsoka to continue training with her new Jar'Kai style of her lightsaber and shoto using a modified and extremely complicated combination of Form 4 Ataru and Form 5 Shien varient. She kept her Form 5 training in defensive attacks but added on the acrobatic nature of Form 4. The combination would make her a very deadly duelist, but she still had some ways to go with mastering it.
She was good but Will was just better, and it helped that he had more experience than her and was probably becoming one of the best duelists the order had. He had won all their previous spars, so he won their latest one too, but she didn't make it easy for him. Her new Jar'Kai style was fast and combining the powerful defensive movements of Form 5 Shien into Form 4 Ataru and its acrobatic nature made her a strong opponent. But Will was extremely well-versed in Form 4 since it was one of his primary disciplines while Ahsoka was adapting it into her new fighting style. He knew all its attributes and the limitations it had. It was an aggression form with the primary focus being on an all-out offense of speed and agility. Overpower the opponent with a flurry of blows while using acrobatic techniques to attack from different and unexpected directions. He's used the form for years and used it well against Magnaguard droids outside of Jabba's Palace, against Grievous two times now, and against Ventress. Will was well on his way to becoming a master of the form and with that he knew Form 4's focus on attack also made it the most physically demanding of the lightsaber forms. All the powerful and acrobatic movements would exhaust a user, which is why the focus was on a quick victory but against someone as skilled with just as fast speed and power then the form's strengths waned. Will's defensive lightsaber work was beyond impressive given who his master was it made sense. Form 3 Soresu ensured that Will was able to stay protected from Ahsoka's flurry of attacks and he would then transition into Form 2 Makashi and Form 5 DJem So for attacks.
Makashi was focused, balanced, and fluid allowing Will to minimize effort in his dueling with Ahsoka, so he conserved energy and didn't waste any movements. Feints and precise footwork allowed him to work around Ahsoka, deflecting and evading her attacks before using elements of Djem So to match Ahsoka's attacks against her. Makashi, while a great dueling form for combat had its issues. One being that it wasn't exactly built for blaster weapons so if you just trained solely in that style then you wouldn't be well prepared for blaster opponents. Another was that it was better used one on one instead of fighting groups. The biggest flaw was that Makashi's system of combat focused on precision and blade control meant you couldn't really generate force into an attack. So matching Makashi with brute strength or overwhelming force of someone stronger then you may not be the best idea as they could force themselves through your evasive footwork and defensive parries. To compensate for this Will implemented elements of Djem So which combined defense with offense. After a quick parry or evade with Makashi he would move into a riposte or power attack with Djem So.
The mixing of styles was something Will always sort of did during fights as when he saw something not working, he switched it up to keep his opponent on the defensive like with Ventress when she broke out Nute Gunray. But now it was more streamlined and effortless thanks to Will's training in Niman. Form 6, Niman was a hybrid form that combined elements from all the previous lightsaber forms into one general one. Will started training in Form 6 about a year ago and had quickly grasped many of its elements thanks to previous training and specialization in Forms 2, 3, and 4. He got more specialized training in Form 5, Djem So and Shien along with more incorporation of the Force into his fighting along with more training in Jar'Kai. Will liked the idea of a form that combined elements of the previous ones to create something new and improved but the issue he had with it was its moderation. It was balanced for sure but tended to be more basic and while it incorporated elements of all previous forms, Will felt its focus on relaxed bladework and moderation meant that its lack of specialization or strength was its ultimate weakness. It was a form that had no true weakness other than the fact it had no true strength.
That wouldn't work for Will, so he began adjusting Niman to his specific requirements. He worked out the movements between the various forms, so they were more fluid and flowed into one another. Like the defensive shell movements of Form 3 flowed then into an acrobatic flurry attack of Form 4 which then moved into Form 2 precise footwork and Form 5 offensive counterattacks. Along with incorporating Force abilities and the occasional use of a second blade for Jar'Kai, Will was on his way to create a form 6 variant all his own. Still needed to come up with a name for it.
So, to put it in simple terms…Will still beat Ashoka. But she was getting close and with the way the war was going, her improved skill was a good thing. The three jedi watched as all the senators in the chamber argued until Mas Amedda called order allowing Senator Gume Samm, representative of the Planet Tibrin to finish speaking. "This is a matter not of philosophy. More troops are needed. The Republic cannot afford to let the Separatists gain any more ground."
That's when Bail Organa moved forward to speak. "Our generals inform us that troops in the field continue to perform valiantly. What we cannot afford is to be irresponsible. The Republic is near bankruptcy due to the cost of this war."
Many senators cheered in agreement or jeered in anger that he was against the bill. Trade Federation representative Lott Dod then approached to speak. "Bankruptcy is not necessary, my friends. If we pass Senator Saam's bill to open new lines of credit, we will gain access to the needed funds."
Hearing this suggestion, Senator Mon Mothma advanced to speak. "Won't this bill essentially deregulate the banks?"
"A small price to pay to finance the war, is it not?" Kaminoan representative Halle Burtoni spoke.
"We must keep the war going!"
"We can't let the Separatists win!"
"Get a bill on the table!"
The continued arguments of the senators wasn't exactly getting them anywhere so Senator Amidala advanced to speak. "Members of the Senate. Do you hear yourselves? More money, more clones, more war. Say nothing of fiscal responsibility, what about moral responsibility. Hasn't this war gone on long enough?"
"Senator Amidala, are you suggesting we surrender to the Separatists?" Representative Samm asked.
"Of course not. But negotiation might be a better course of action." She countered.
"You can't negotiate with those animals! Keep the war going! Vote now!" One outspoken Senator shouted and soon the other Senators began chanting Vote now.
"Well, this is going nowhere." Will muttered.
"Members of the Senate! I suggest we table any emergency bill until it is determined whether or not deregulation is the right course of action." Senator Organa suggested, and many seemed to agree with that at least.
"Very well. We shall let calmer heads prevail." Mas Amedda announced. Unbeknownst to most of the Senate, a conspiracy involving Representative Samm, Lott Dod, and Intergalactic Banking Clan representative Nix Card were working behind the scenes to ensure that the bill would be passed so that they could benefit from the billions of credits it meant for them.
With the Senate session ended, The Jedi went their separate way. Anakin and Ahsoka left to go speak with Padme while Will returned to the Jedi Temple. Obi-wan was dealing with some council business so Will did some training with Ghost Company and the 212th Attack Battalion. Sparing, formations, and getting all new clone troopers in the battalion ready for a fight when it came. Will also managed to get some defensive lightsaber training in with the clones acting as blaster remotes. Ahsoka told Will about how Anakin had upped her defensive training and blaster deflection by using the clone troopers instead of training remotes. The clones were better then droids so using them actually made sense which kind of made Will wonder why he didn't think of that. So, he adopted that training regime and it had upped his defensive game. Granted he had been stunned many, many times in the process.
The next day…
Will started his day with some time studying in the library before doing another training session with the lightsaber training droids. He upped the intensity a bit and mixed up the matchup to include single, dual and double-bladed sabers during his session to keep him on his toes and make sure he was improving which he was. After a long training session that was followed with a large meal and shower, he retreated to a small room for meditation.
Will sat cross-legged as he calmed his mind and let the force flow through him. During his meditation he felt a wave of power from the Force flow through him and he was hit with a Force Vision.
Things were jumbled and for Will it was like trying to navigate through a crowded street with dulled senses and things just came to him and he couldn't control it. What he did see was General Grievous on his ship and Will didn't know where he was, but he seemed to be talking to large bipedal assault droids. They were heavily armored with twin laser cannons.
"You have been designed for this mission to be the ultimate infiltration units. Some of you may not return. Actually, none of you will return but don't let that get in your way. Is that clear?" The droids replied with yes and transformed into sweeper/maintenance droids before Grievous looked at a battle droid. "Get them to Coruscant."
Will's vision then shifted again as he saw it was night on Coruscant and he saw the infiltration droids move through the city before arriving at the Coruscant power grid. They combined into demolition units and after the timers ran down to zero, they destroyed one of the generators and plunged parts of the city into utter darkness. Panic and fear gripped the streets and the people.
"AH!" Will's vision there and he tried to calm his heavy breathing. Force Visions were powerful messages from the Force but were also dangerous as sometimes their meanings could be mixed up or interpreted in the wrong way. Will's had them before, one that let him prevent Cab Bane from stealing an important holocron from the Jedi temple but the other was about the mysterious man with the mask and lightsabers tied to the old Republic Jedi Holocron Qi'ra found. Master Yoda and the council warned him about the dangers Force Visions could present but this one seemed too dire to ignore. He raced to his room to grab his vambraces and his communicator.
"Fives, Echo, Hevy. Suit up because I think we've got a situation on Coruscant. I'm on my way to get you." Will told them.
After he did, they took a speeder transport to the maintenance district of Coruscant that led to the utilities sectors of the planet. Not a lot of people were in the area unless they worked in said utility sections so seeing a Jedi and three heavily armed ARC troopers had to garner attention.
"Sir, what exactly are we looking for?" Fives asked him as Will looked around. He told them that he had a Force Vision about an attack on Coruscant by infiltrator droids. Granted his vision wasn't a lot to go on and they didn't know if the attack would happen today or tomorrow or next week.
"Sweeper droids. They're infiltration units so look for those." Will told them and they looked around but didn't see any. It was honestly starting to feel like a wild goose chase until Will saw some utility workers having their credentials verified at a checkpoint. He recognized the area and the clone troopers armor from his vision. "I think I got it. On me."
Will rushed over and the Clone Captain in charge stood at attention when he saw Will walk over. "General. What brings you here?"
"Precaution. I have reason to believe there's a bomb threat on Coruscant. Did you happen to see any Sweeper or maintenance droids come by here?" Will asked.
"Yeah. Six sweeper droids arrived for generator maintenance." The clone answered.
"Did anything seem off about them?" Will questioned.
"They got confused and were going in the wrong direction, but their authorization checked out. What's going on, commander?" The clone asked.
"I think those were the infiltrators. Echo, stay here with the captain and contact emergency services as well as more backup to secure the area. You two, with us." Will pointed to two nearby clone troopers. "If this really is nothing then I'll take the brunt of the blaming, but I have to make sure. Let's move!"
"Yes, commander." The two clone troopers followed along with Fives and Hevy.
After a quick magna-rail transport and talking to some workers who saw the sweeper droids they arrived at one of the main generators in the Coruscant power grid. They followed the path that the workers told them the droids took and it ended up leading to the main control room. Will and the others turned the corner which is when they saw the bodies of dead workers on the ground or leaning against the walls of the hallway while three of the transformed Infiltrator droids marching to the control room in a straight line. They were just like Will saw in his vision. Bipedal and heavily armored.
"Stop!" Will activated his lightsaber and led the charge with the clones following. Fives and the two clone troopers opened fire with their blasters, hitting the droid that was in the back of the line. Their shots hit it in the back and in the shoulders which wasn't hard since it was such a large target, but the shots just staggered it. The armor was very thick, so their shots weren't as effective. By now the droids caught on that they were being attacked so they began to turn around and opened fire. Will blocked and deflected the blaster bolts before using the Force to rip down parts of the ceiling and walls in the hallway to create barriers that he and the clones could take cover behind. The blasters on the droids had a high rate of fire so the barriers were necessary. Fives leaned out and hit one of the droids in the chest armor three times, but it just staggered it.
"Damn, those clankers have tough armor!" Fives shouted.
"Hevy, you have any droid poppers?" Will asked and Hevy held up two, so he tossed him one. "When the popper goes off unload everything you've got!"
"Yes, sir." The clones replied.
Will then threw the droid popper down the hall, and it rolled in front of the droids before going off. The ion field would normally easily disable droids, but the heavy armor of the infiltrators provided some additional protection. Instead of instantly shutting down the infiltrator droids just hobbled around but they stopped firing. "NOW!"
"Eat this, Clankers!" Hevy shouted as he unloaded everything his heavy rotary blaster had while Fives and the other two clones did the same with their blasters. The rapid fire and continuous blasts combined began to crack through the armor of the droids and two of them were soon blasted apart or cut in half, but one was still standing albeit with an arm missing so Will fired his wrist rocket and blew it in half. "Ha!"
"We're done yet! The Captain said it was six!" Will shouted so they ran out from their cover and down to the control room. The second they opened the door they saw three more infiltrators standing over all the dead workers. The infiltrator droids immediately opened fire forcing Will and the clones to take cover beside the door but one of the clones got hit in the shoulder. Fives pulled him out of the line of fire as one Infiltrator droid kept shooting at them to keep them from entering. The other two, realizing that they were compromised transformed and connected to one another, activating their demolition phase with a timer that was ticking down for 30 seconds. Will peaked in and saw this but he immediately had to pull his head back, so he didn't get hit. "We need to get in there!"
Hevy took out his other droid popper. "Get ready, commander!"
"GO!" Will shouted so Hevy tossed the droid popper in at an angle. It bounced off the door and rolled in before going off. The droid shooting at the door started to wobble and the demolition droids timer began to short-circuit. Will quickly rushed in and sliced the Infiltrator droid in half at the waist before bisecting it vertically. Seeing the demolition droids still active he leapt over the console and pulled out the Darksaber. Then with a powerful cross slash he cut the droids into four pieces. His breathing labored as he looked at the timer blink before finally shutting down. "Oh, by the Force. We're good!"
The clones let out a sigh of relief and Will dropped to his butt, thankful that they got there in time to prevent a horrible disaster. Echo soon arrived with reinforcements, and everyone was relieved to see the bombs were disabled. Will put out a call to secure the area and to lock down the space ports to hopefully find the transport vessel the droids arrived in. A general alert was put out and the clones and defensive forces were mobilized. He and his clones were back in the maintenance district by the entrance where they talked to the clone captain. Will was debriefing a clone commander while a medical team was handling the bodies of the workers. A clone bomb team was also on sight to oversee the removal of the demolition droids. Will finished his debrief with a clone commander when he saw Master Windu and Master Yoda arrive.
"Padawan Vizsla. What happened here?" Windu asked.
"A near disaster, Master Windu. Separatist Infiltrators droids. They were smuggled onto the planet and on their way to the power generators to detonate. Thankfully I got here in time. The bomb squad is dealing with the droids to make sure they're disposed of safely and some technicians are making sure everything is fine." Will explained.
"How did you know they were here?" Windu wondered and Will took a deep breath.
"During a meditation I had a Force Vision. I saw the droids in question, and they destroyed the generator sending Coruscant into darkness and chaos." He replied and Master Yoda and Windu were shocked to hear that. "I know what you said about visions being dangerous, but I had to act just to be sure. The cost of not doing so would have been too great."
"Well, we're just glad this time it worked out." Windu told him.
"Agreed, Padawan Vizsla. Grateful you arrived on time but be wary. This time, successful you were. The Force, guided you it did. But reliant on visions, you must not." Yoda warned him. "Grave danger if you become dependent on them. For one thing they could show but mean another they could."
"Yes, Master Yoda." Will bowed his head. "I just hope that I stopped things from getting worse."
"Only time will tell." Windu told him.
Elsewhere in the Chancellor's chambers, Chancellor Palpatine sat at his desk in contemplation. He and the rest of the senate were made aware of the attempted bombing of the Coruscant power grid by Separatist droids. The only reason they weren't experiencing a planet-wide blackout and pandemonium was because of the quick action of a Jedi Padawan and his clone troopers. Jedi Will Vizsla, Padawan to Obi-wan Kenobi. Because of Will's timing, the bill to deregulate the banks had technically been defeated but now it was being contested due to the revelation of the attempted bombing. Senator Amidala and the peace faction were holding out for negotiations while war hawks in the senate wanted the bill brought back and to retaliate.
What Palpatine was more concerned about was how the bombing plot was found out and defeated. Dooku had Grievous work on it, and no one should have known the droids were there, yet the Padawan did. Palpatine sensed there was great strength in the Padawan, and he was strong in the force. He had accomplished many great things in the war so far and with Obi-wan Kenobi as his master he would go far but his previous brief thoughts now turned into serious curiosity and fascination. The Padawan controlled the Mandalorian Defenders and was becoming stronger. Palpatine turned on his console and checked the medical records. While the chancellor didn't have access to the Jedi Archives or the Jedi medical files, he did have access to the Grand Army of the Republic's files instead and fortunately Will had been injured a few times that they did full examinations. Palpatine looked at the files with interest and saw the Padawan had a powerful midi-chlorian count at 15,000, easily dwarfing many of the Jedi in the order minus the more powerful masters like Windu or Yoda. Palpatine ran a comparative scan of the Padawan's records and DNA to his own private records and the console then showed a match before showing Count Dooku.
Palpatine's expression of curiosity turned into intrigue as he saw that the Padawan and Dooku had matching DNA. Dooku was the boy's father but clearly the Count had no idea as he would have mentioned that by now. Palpatine's look of intrigue turned into a demented look of glee. This was good information for him but bad news for Will.
He was now on Darth Sidious's radar, full time.
End of Chapter 12
1). The Symbol of the Old Republic.
I hope you guys liked the chapter. Sorry for the delay in the chapter but sometimes life throws you curveballs. But be rest assured, I will not abandon a story without notifying you all first. The second year of the Clone Wars is at its end and soon will begin the third year. Will's journey will continue, and he'll grow and change along with it.
Next chapter, The third year of the Clone Wars begins and its off to a rough start. Asajj Ventress has a falling out with Dooku but in the process gives the Jedi a new enemy. Savage Opress. He's gonna be a constant pain in the side but then something odd happens. Will, Obi-wan, Ahsoka, and Anakin find themselves taken to a mysterious planet and realm of Mortis. What awaits them is anyone's guess but nothing will be the same afterward. Until next time!
Updates for April: The Blue Wolf will also be updated.
Updates for May: I'll be on vacation the first two weeks of May, so I'll be kind of out of contact, but I've gotten some writing in before I leave so I'm not trying to catch up when I get back. Omniverse Earth-38 will be updated along with What if Superman.
Also, guys hope you liked the cover photo for the story. Thanks again to Captain Marvelous you can find her on Deviantart and also on Discord. On Discord she's Captain Marvelous#0001 and she's got a Deviantart. She's a great artist and she's got plenty more stuff of mine coming so check out my account to see her work or if you're in the market for a artist to make art for your story, check her out. I highly recommend her.
Will Prax Vizsla, Son of Pio Vizsla, nephew of Pre Vizsla and Mandalorian by birth. Padawan Jedi. Prax: Mando'a meaning Noble Heart
Birthdate: 38BBY-Age 17
Padawan Apprentice to Obi-wan Kenobi, Former Padawan of Ur-Sema Du, Son of Pio Vizsla and Count Dooku. Nephew of Pre Vizsla. Wielder of the Darksaber. Leader of House Vizsla and the Mandalorian Defenders.
Appearance: Dylan O'Brien from Maze Runner: The Death Cure. With Padawan braid.
Clothing:
Dark blue Padawan robes and combat boots. Combat belt with Cyan Blue lightsaber.
Darksaber hooked on belt.
A black shirt, black jacket, and blue pants (Casual/Undercover)
Ancestral Mandalorian Beskar armored combat gloves and forearm guards with weapons. Necklace with symbol of Clan Vizsla.
Mandalorian Beskar armor complete with helmet, shoulder pauldrons, breastplate/cuirass, kneepads, shin guards, and cloak worn over his Padawan robes. Armor colored white and light blue. New Clan Vizsla symbol on his chest. A Shriewk-hawk claw holding a flowered branch and sword to signify a new beginning and protection.
Mandalorian WESTAR-35 blaster pistol holstered onto right thigh.
JT-12 Jetpack with attached homing rocket.
Personality: Kind, caring, quick-witted and smart. Able to adapt to situations very easily. Prone to quips to distract or enrage his enemies. Can be a bit of a smartass yet humble and works well with others. Extremely proficient in tinkering and building with electronics. Excellent pilot and mechanic. Knowledge in warfare and weapons from extensive self-tutelage at the Jedi Temple and Mandalorian training by Pio Vizsla. When triggered, can be aggressive and unhinged to a point.
Skills and Powers
Force Powers:
Force speed, Force sight, Force empathy, Force Jump, Force Stasis, Force Pull/Push, Force Throw, Force Barrier, Force Repulse, Force Precognition, Animal Bond, Mind Trick, Levitation, Lightsaber throw.
Combat Skills:
Specialized in Form 2 Makashi-Lightsaber-to-Lightsaber combat, Form 3 Soresu-Blaster counter/Defense, Form 4 Ataru-combines speed, strength, agility, powers, and the force for to aid in movement and combat. Training in Form 6 Niman which includes training in Form 5 Djem So and Shien. Modifying Form 6 Niman into his own variant that emphasizes the flow of various forms into one another to keep all the strengths but then used those strengths to cover the weaknesses of each forms shortcomings. Basic Stance is Samurai Chudan or Middle stance
Adept at hand-to-hand combat.
Mandalorian gauntlets with repulsor, grappling line, wrist rockets, flamethrower, laser splicer, retractable wrist/forearm blades, shield projector, built-in communicator, holovid, Whistling Birds.
BD-8 companion droid
Rathtar Squad: Echo (Tech), Hevy (Heavy Weapons), Fives (Second in command)
Leader of Ghost Company of 212st Attack Battalion
The Tempest: A Black and Orange Corellian XS stock light freighter armed with 2 dorsal and 2 port laser batteries with torpedo launchers and modified ion launchers. Built with 2 powerful sub-light engines, heavy armored plating, and a modified/powerful hyperdrive system, making it powerful yet agile and extremely fast. Equipped with a modified stealth system that can bypass almost any scanner. Built-in cloaking system to turn the ship invisible.
XR: Modified and hacked Separatist Probe Droid
Solarboard: Home-built solar powered hover board. Agile, fast, with small twin front blasters and capable of excellent maneuverability.
Disclaimer: I don't own any Star Wars or above-mentioned properties; all rights belong to their owners.
