After Paladin Hardin's recounting of the events of his mission, the high-ranking members of the Brotherhood that stood around the radio certainly had their questions. So did Head Scribe Rothschild, but he decided it would be best to hold them for now.
For nearly an hour they grilled Hardin on all the details, no stone left unturned. Rothschild had to give the boy credit, he stayed to face the fire that stood before him.
Rothschild, the experienced leader that he was, successfully halted any tangents about whether or not what he'd done was right. What's done, was done, and arguing about it wasn't going to help anybody. He had little doubt the paladin would have to answer for it, but it wouldn't be over the radio.
When the majority of questions had been answered and voices had been left course from talking Sarah- no elder Lyons stepped in to talk. She had remained strangely silent during the whole affair, reminding him deeply of her father's contemplative manner.
She told those on the other side of the radio to rest and in the morning make haste back here. She then turned and asked for the group to gather in private so they could talk.
No one disagreed, and only a few minutes later they found themselves in Rothschild's office. Although from how Sarah had taken the main desk's seat, it would be more apt to call it her office. It gave Rothschild no small amount of pride at seeing her step up to the plate, though his face gave nothing away.
Present were Proctors Bowditch, Jameson and Peabody Heads of the order of the shield, quill and sword respectively. Paladin Gunny and Paladin Edwards; two of the most capable and respected paladins. Knight Commander Rogan, chief of base security, and finally himself.
"What are your thoughts?" she asked
Simultaneously both Scribe Jameson and Paladin Edwards spoke. Sarah raised her hand motioning for them to stop. "One at a time."
Both hesitated to speak until Paladin Gunny broke the silence. "We're up shit creek with no paddle in sight."
His wisecrack served to break the tension, prompting Jameson to speak. "While a crass way of putting it, Paladin Gunny isn't wrong. We've only just finished organising ourselves and a good deal of brotherhood personnel are still acclimating to this place."
"I have a good portion of my staff helping with the adjustment. Getting into a war with this planet's people certainly isn't going to do us any favours."
"I've little doubt that the timing of this development is unfortunate," Scribe Peabody cut in. "But it's idle to think we were not going to come to blows with this planet's authority. Right now we represent a well-armed and unchecked faction, it's almost inevitable that we'd come to conflict. Although these are hardly the circumstances I'd like for this to happen."
"We don't know that," Bowditch argued. "By our standards and those of the wasteland the Brotherhood is a force to be reckoned with. But now we're on a completely different playing field, as we've seen this galaxy operates on a different technology scale. We've come out on top against brigands and pirates, sure, but what about an actual military force."
"We have, and we beat them back." Gunny retorted.
"The enemy that Star Paladin Cross faced was a policing force. This Republic entity surely must have an organised military structure. What do we do when that comes down on us?"
"We stand firm, together as always."
"Oh that's fine to say but-"
"Gentlemen, that's enough." Rothschild cut them both off. "Bowditch, your point is made. We don't know the extent of what can be brought to bear."
Both men nodded and Rothschild motioned for the discussion to continue.
"We're not facing the whole planet." Paladin Edwards' words brought their attention to him. "From what Paladin Hardin mentioned we're facing a corrupt politician and the police force under his control."
"Ah yes, the paladin who got us into this mess," Peabody sneered. "What authority did he have to drag us to this situation?"
"I thought you said this fight was inevitable," Jameson argued.
"I did but the fact remains that he did not possess the authority to make the decision."
"It wasn't Hardin that made that call," Paladin Edwards noted. "Paladin Lukas made the call. I've worked with Lukas before and he has always had a strong moral compass, that and the fact that he made the call while trying to extract from a hairy situation, I can't fault him for the choice."
"While that may be the case, the decision to continue to house the militia members has still ostracised us from the capital of this world." Peabody retorted.
"Were they simply supposed to leave them to the wolves?" Jameson raised her voice.
Seeing that the discussion was once again derailing, Rothschild went to speak but noticed Sarah. She had remained silent during the whole discussion so far sitting straight and absorbing the information and opinions given.
"That is enough." At her voice, the building argument was quelled and their attention turned to their Elder. "We cannot change the circumstances that got us here. Any discussion about the whos, hows and whys can be dealt with later. Right now, I want tactical assessments. Edwards, Gunny, Roberts, what's your appraisal of our readiness?"
Of the three it was Knight Commander Roberts who was the first to speak. "As scribe Jameson put it, we just got set up. I've been adjusting security patrols as necessary but our defensive perimeter is ready to hold off an assault. Although I will be drilling anti-aerial assault plans and setting up an early warning watch."
Sarah nodded and looked at the two paladins. "And our assault capability?"
"Most knight squads are either on recon and recovery or perimeter defence." As Paladin Gunny spoke, he leaned forward to point at a map on the desk. "The area surrounding the base camp has been gone over with a fine tooth comb and any further recovery missions will need to head further away from the base. I was already considering it but with this new development it only reinforces my decision to ask for paladin squad support on those missions."
Paladin Edwards nodded his head. "I know some of the paladins are going stir crazy, so I don't see any problems assigning a few of them to security detail. Other than that word from the other paladin squads is of readiness, though I do know someone in Anchor squad had a breakdown." He looked to scribe Jameson. "A lot of those boys are too prideful to ask but if one of your team could check in on them, it would be good." Jameson nodded to him.
"Other than that," Gunny noted. "The lancers have been hounding me for a schedule for those Vertibirds to be fixed."
With all their peace spoken. Sarah leaned forward, her hand on her chin.
"All right." She spoke, voice filled with determination. "Gunny you have my approval for the security details, coordinate with Head Scribe Rothschild when planning your expeditions. Rogan, get me written plans for those drills and I'll review them, in the meantime you have my approval to set up an aerial watch."
She turned to the scribes. "Peabody I want you to have more of your scribes working on the vertibirds, I know many in your order are experimenting with this new weaponry but our priorities have shifted."
Peabody nodded. "Yes, Elder Lyons."
"Jameson, continue your work, if you need anything come to me or Rothschild. Bowditch, work with Rogan to strengthen our defences." the two scribes nodded.
Sarah looked between all of the group, before taking in a deep breath. "This will not be the last chapter of the Brotherhood story. Get to work. Dismissed."
"Yes, Ma'am." Together, all those present spoke before making their way out of the room, with the exception of Rothschild.
He stood and approached the desk. He looked down to see Sarah's hand shaking slightly. "You own that chair well."
She quickly covered her hand with the other, before looking at him with a more shaken look. "It doesn't feel like it."
"It may never do so." He placed his hand on hers. "But you still did well."
—
The streets of Wasulta had gotten considerably quieter in the days after the attack on the city's communications tower. The past events of the last week had served well to shake most of the people in the city.
In the small back streets of the commercial area of the city was a bar. There was no signage, the dank, dimly lit street gave no indication that behind the metal door was a place of merriment and drinking.
Quite literally a hole in the wall, a place only locals knew about. It didn't have an official name, most patrons simply referred to it as 'the bar'.
Two individuals in brown coats came walking down the street at a slow and purposeful pace. The two stopped before the door but neither moved to enter. They both stood looking down both ways of the street.
Sure that they hadn't been followed, they moved and knocked on the door. A panel slid open next to the door to reveal a gatekeeper droid. Normally a knock would suffice for entrance, but today was a different occasion.
The two figures flashed their faces and it only took a moment for the droid to beep in confirmation. The door slid open and no sooner did the two enter than it closed again.
"Evening lads." Taking off his coat, a human male revealed himself to the others in the bar. Behind him, a trandoshan removed his coat. "And you too Becks."
His comment earned a round of laughs from those present as well as an eye roll and an expletive from a female Zabrak. In front of him was a group of people all varying in gender and species but they all had one thing in common.
They were all on the Eulea planetary police force until a few days ago, when they all got let go for varying reasons.
Delinn was a detective, and considering how often he grated against the management he wasn't surprised by the dismissal. What did get his attention, however, was how many people were dismissed and more specifically who they were.
"This better be good, Delinn." Bextria, or Becks as most people called her, spoke. "I got a job offer with Corpo security and I wanna be off this shit hole planet quickly."
"Oh yeah, it's good, don't worry about that." His partner walked past him to grab a drink from the bar. Virk was a damn good detective and a piss poor trandoshan, his words not Delinn's. But the trandoshan did always have his back.
"I'm not one to disappoint." He looked to the bartender, a former cop and old friend of his. "He still here?"
"Yep, they're in the back. Want me to get him for you?" Delinn nodded and the bartender moved into the back.
"I got good news, great news and kriffing awful news. What would you like first?" Delinn looked at the other former officers around the room and the unimpressed look on their faces. "Well, the great news is that Commander Hesp is alive."
Beside him, Virk smirked as the people before them exclaimed in various states of shock.
"The governor and Taafe announced her death yesterday!" One voice cut through the rest.
"Yep, so they did." Delinn took a sip of his drink before continuing. "That leads to the bad news. We're being lied to."
"In more ways than one," Virk commented beside him.
Again the room roared with exclamations before an older human man stood. He was Vernan Crork, captain of the 3rd district, one of the highest profile officers to be fired.
"You're saying that Taafe and Pomst are lying to us." Delinn nodded. "That's one hell of a claim, Delinn. I hope you've got something to back that up."
"Well now that you mention it." Delinn turned to look at the bartender escorting a male pantoran. "Say hello to Lieutenant Drorn. He's the good news."
"You're part of the militia?" Vernan questioned.
"Yes… 1st company."
"Tell them" Delinn looked at him seriously. "Tell them what you told me."
Drorn let out a long breath before telling them the events of the past week.
As his recounting progressed the faces of the group present varied wildly. Anger, disbelief, shock and resignation, no one who was listening was unaffected.
The bartender refilled drinks as necessary and someone even broke out a pack of t'bac sticks and started smoking. Delinn figured it was their way of helping to digest the information. Void knows he had reacted much the same.
"After I left the Brotherhood camp I waited for the lockdown to end and I made my way home." Drorn paused for a moment, his mouth parched from all the talking. "A few days later Delinn picked us up. It's a good thing too, according to my neighbours some people came looking for me and tossed up our place. Delinn brought us here and we've been hiding ever since."
Silence, not a single word was spoken by the patrons of the bar. Their emotions too strong to do anything but sit and think.
On paper, they were all dismissed for different reasons, however, they all shared one thing in common outside of that. They didn't get along with Commissioner Meez or his management.
Delinn was just as much at a loss about why they had all suddenly been bumped off. Then he had stumbled across Drorn and it just fell into place. Even now he could see the people around him make the connections on their own.
Something nasty was afoot and someone wanted them out of the way.
"Do you have evidence of this?" Vernan was the first to speak, yet he did so quietly.
"His testimony isn't enough." Virk snapped at him.
"No!" Vernan responded, now raising his voice. "Not with something like this."
"I-Its ok… I have evidence." Everyone's attention went back to Drorn. "While they were transcribing it, I made a copy on my own pad."
He handed the device over to the former captain. They all waited in hushed silence for Vernan to read the contents on the data slate.
It only took him a minute before he placed the slate on the table beside him and leaned back rubbing his tired eyes. His silence was enough to confirm their doubts. The slate passed through different hands leaving those who read it in stunned silence.
"So what exactly are we supposed to do now?" Bextria was the first to speak.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Virk frowned at the Zabrak woman.
"What can we do, we sure as hell ain't in a position to do anything about it." She growled. "I say we hand this off to the judicals."
The room burst into an argument at the mention of their interstellar counterparts. Voices for and against rang out slowly increasing in volume. For his part Delinn simply stood to the wayside, any opinion he had wouldn't be heard in all this mess.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Vernan's voice exploded in the room, silencing everyone else.
Slowly they all sat back down, wilting under the former captain's glare. Vernan sent one last glance around the room before turning back to Drorn.
"Salant is with this 'Brotherhood', correct."
"Yes, sir"
"What do you make of them?" Vernan questioned.
"They're well armed and organised. I didn't stick around long enough to get to know them but when I talked to Sergeant Meandel he didn't have anything bad to say."
Vernan stroked his chin for a moment. "Word is that in a few days, the temporary fix for the comm tower will be up. It's not enough of off planet calls but you should be able to reach anyone planetside. I want you to call Meandel or anyone else you know who can put us in contact with Commander Hesp… Understood."
Drorn nodded. "Okay."
"In the meantime." Vernan looked around the room. "The discussion going forward is going to be less than legal. Anyone who wants out… Now's your chance."
To their credit, none of the people present got up to leave. Delinn looked at Bextria who simply met his gaze and rolled her eyes.
"Okay then… here's the plan."
—
Taking the same path home to the one they had used to get to the capital, had a different feel than before. Whether that was the weather or the circumstances of their return, Hardin didn't know.
He and his squad were stuck in the middle of the convoy, once again walking alongside the civilian caravan they had come here with. Brajun had joked with him about feeling safe travelling the return trip with a whole army to guard him.
He had also had time to talk with the scribes that had come along with him. Senior Scribe Francis had been more than happy to share what they had managed to learn. One thing in particular had caught his attention.
"No military force." Hardin looked at the scribe like the man had grown a second head. "Nothing at all."
"No 'central' military force." Francis clarified. "Most planets are allowed to form militias, and some sources suggest the largest armies are held by corporations."
"Oh joy, a corporation with an army, what a lovely combination," Harper remarked.
"Yes well, it was done through something called the Ruusan reformations. To keep a long story short, they disbanded the Republic military, using the money to subsidise individual planet defences and then put heavy limits and legislation on multiple planets pooling those resources." Francis shrugged his shoulders. "That's not everything, mind you. I'm sure with more time we'd have learnt more, but oh well."
"I'm sure you'll get access to the holonet again." Hardin watched the scribe perk up.
"Bah, never mind that. The information we've collected already is plenty enough." Francis shook in excitement for a moment. "Oh, I can't wait to get back and go through everything we found."
"Am I interrupting something?" A twi'lek in dusty militia clothes caught up with the group as they walked.
"Meandel!" Beside Hardin, Lukas spoke.
"Ah Paladin Lukas, hello." Meandel straightened himself up. "I was looking for you… it has occurred to me that I have yet to say thank you for helping us out of the city."
Lukas took the compliment in stride. "There's no need to thank me… we helped each other out of there."
"Still… Thank you." Meandel spoke sincerely.
"Say…" Harper got his attention. "We were talking about the Russian reforms-"
"The Ruusan reformations," Francis corrected.
"Yeah, those… is it true there's no central military."
Meandel looked confused at her for a moment before shrugging. "Yes, that is true. The only central peacekeeping force are the Judicals, and they're not really a fighting force."
"Ah, speaking of that… I don't suppose you'd be averse to some questions?" Francis asked the militiaman as he pulled out a notepad.
Hardin tuned out the following conversation as he focused on the road ahead. If his mental maths was right they were only about half an hour away from base. Being honest with himself, he was worried.
The first few missions a paladin went on was make or break time. While his actions during this mission were by no means wrong, the questions he had gotten over the radio certainly implied that their opinions on them were mixed.
He could only keep moving forward, however. He didn't have many regrets over how things had turned out. So all that was left was to face the music.
AN: I am sorry for any confusion last Monday, the reason chapter 13 updated twice was because fanfiction . net was having server problems and wasn't showing newly updated content. At the time I didn't know this and thought the problem was on my end so I deleted then re uploaded the chapter. Regardless the problem has been fixed now.
Hope you have been enjoying the story so far. :)
One thing I have had to consider is the fact that the BoS probably don't have the same set of morals as you and I. That for them the concept of adopting children into military life would be just common sense, the irony of the similarity to how Mandalorians work isn't lost on me. And as well as that, the attitude of those in the star wars galaxy would be just as different. Definitely something I'll consider moving forward.
As for BoS Jedi relations, while some more force adept people will know something has changed (more on that later in story) I don't know if they'll make the connection to the Brotherhood.