Sorry, but I figured out that I messed up.
As I figured out that I completely dropped the ball here, as since I figured that out, I kept the previous chapter up since you all waited so long for me to update the story.
Also, there was the fact that I had been working on this nonstop since I started.
So, mistakes like this were to happen eventually, as this isn't the first time for me to lose a chapter and post the wrong one instead.
Anyway, credit for this idea goes to World, and all rights go to their owners, as I own nothing!
"Would you care to explain this to me, again?" The man in custom Mandalorian armour asked again.
"How many times do we have to kriffing explain this to you Vizsla?" The shorter man then asked.
"Until I'm satisfied with the answer," Vizsla replied.
As he was still trying to understand just how an operation like this had been conducted under his nose.
"Fine, as we got contacted by the barve. Stating that he needed to get rid of his ship and fast, so me and my vod worked out a deal with him." The taller man explained to him once again.
As Vizsla had heard this before, but they hadn't talked about just what kind of deal these two barves had made with the Devonian.
"Just what kind of deal did you make with, him?" Vizsla asked the two men, making it clear that he understood just who they had been working with.
Also depending on just what they told him, it might very well decide their fate.
"We were to deliver a certain amount of goods to him and in exchange…" The tall man started to explain, but that was as far as he got before Vizsla finally exploded in anger!
"BY TRADE OUR ADE TO THAT HUTT SLIME!" Vizsla finally let loose his disgust as the two men.
Because even though he should've known better, Vizsla still couldn't believe that these two vermin would go so far as to sell the future of the sector for a kriffing ship!
"W-we weren't just going to give them to him Mandalore!" The short man tried to say in their defense.
"You expected us to trust that barve, then you must be space sick," The tall man then said.
"Then what exactly where you planning to do then?" Vizsla then inquired, barely keeping his temper under control as he asked this.
"We were going to double cross the barve of course, we even had a plan to do so." The tall one claimed.
"How would you have… removed him?" Vizsla then asked
As he wanted to hear just what kind of plan the two barves had cooked up in order to pull this off.
"Well, first of all, we arranged a face-to-face meeting with the barve. Explaining that we wanted to work out some of the final details before we gave him the rest of the shipment." The taller man said this in a way that implied that he had other plans for this.
Something which Vizsla picked up on.
"Would you be taking him on alone then?" Vizsla then asked, having a strong feeling as to the answer he would be getting.
"No, as we would hire backup for this," The taller man explained.
Vizsla at this point had heard enough to seal their fates, as he pretty much knew what they were planning to do to smuggle in their help. As such all that was left was for him to do was simply wrap this up.
"Just how were you planning to pay for this, help?" Vizsla asked, trying to sound interested in the answer he would get.
"We would've split the bounty between everyone from the Devonian," The shorter man said, all the while Vizsla mentally shock his head.
Despite being a part of the old guard, Vizsla should've known better.
Because despite being fighters, it had been Tor that had been the brutish brains of the operation.
Which only showed the obvious flaws in the original organization in Vizsla's mind. Flaws that he had to deal with even to this day when some of the old members of the Death Watch had rejoined his reforged organization.
"An interesting plan," Vizsla then commented.
All the while he eyed the two men, trying to gauge their reaction to this.
"So, what happens now Mandalore?" The short man then asked nervously.
"See how you were planning to backstab the barve, I can overlook this, transgress…" Vizsla made it clear in his voice that this was hard for him to do.
Which Vizsla could see had the intended effect on them, as they seemed to relax.
"But understand! You are to tell no one what you did; now get out of my sight!" Vizsla commanded them.
After which the two stunned men stood up, seemingly unable to believe the fact that they had somehow managed to avoid death by the hand of their obviously angry Mandalore.
But as the two of them made their way towards the door, Pre gave the guard standing there the signal.
At which point he fired a shot into the shorter man's chest, and in response, the taller man then turned to face Vizsla.
Only be rewarded by being decapitated by Vizsla's newest weapon for his troubles. After which Vizsla then stood there, looking over the work his new weapon had made.
The fact that he even had this in the first place was because of a powerful benefactor, one which he would hope to shed in the coming years once his organization was finally stable enough to enact his own plans.
In fact, he might even have to thank them. Just as he was finishing them off, but for now Vizsla would play his part until he had the first piece in his place.
But such things were currently months if not years away, so in the meantime Vizsla would continue playing his role as governor of this backwater until his plans were in motion. And he could cast off this disguise that he so loathed.
"As far as anyone is concerned, they tried to escape, TAKE THEM AWAY!" Vizsla said as the two guards started taking away the bodies.
He then sighed to himself, as Vizsla had known that would be something that he would have to deal with as governor of his rock.
A role that he secretly despises but was necessary for his future plans.
Speaking of which, Vizsla had a meeting with a delegation from the New Mandalorian government in a few minutes. So, as he went over to a small weapons locker to change out of his armour, Vizsla then heard the door open behind him.
Not wanting to take any chances, Vizsla then prepared to execute the being that had stumbled into this secret place but stopped short of drawing his blaster which he saw who it was.
"I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow," Vizsla commented as he started making his way back over to the weapons locker.
"There's some news that we think you should know," The Night Owl informed him.
"Can it wait? As I have an important meeting coming up in a few minutes." Vizsla asked as he continued to change out of his armour and into his work clothes.
"There are two pieces of information that might come up in the meeting," The Night Owl explained.
"Then make it quick," Vizsla said, his impatience making itself known.
As he couldn't afford to be late for this meeting, especially considering the fact that it had been he who had asked for this meeting.
"Firstly, we confirmed that someone is indeed sending all our recruits in the Royal Guard out to aruetiise dig and reclamation sites." The Night Owl said, confirming what Vizsla had suspected for a long time
"Kriffing Dar'manda," He muttered under his breath.
As he, like everyone else in the sector, was more than away from the New Mandalorians' attempt to preserve the past.
"Do we know exactly who is doing this?" Vizsla then inquired.
For he knew for someone in the New Mandalorian government to be able to do this without Satines knowledge might've been placed highly in the government.
"We're working on that, but we believe that it's in the security force, or one of the aruetiise Satine agreed to have in her government in order to secure the tsad droten support."
"Now that is interesting..." Vizsla said.
That could be useful, because if he could figure out who was doing this, then he could either blackmail them or, depending on the situation at the time, engineer their downfall so that he could take their place.
But he would need to know just who was doing this, for that would determine just what strategy he would employ in that situation.
As he could imagine, even making it a scandal to discredit the New Mandalorians while he was at it too.
Still, that was something he could fantasize over later, as there were other matters to attend to.
"What's the other thing that needs my attention?" Vizsla asked as he finished dressing.
"The other is, and I'm hesitant to bring this to your attention. But there's been some developments regarding the aruetiise and his seeming crusade," The Night Owl explained to Vizsla.
"What's so important about this that it needs to be brought to my attention? As the Clans fight amongst themselves all the time, what's so important about this?" Vizsla then inquired, not understanding why this was being brought to his attention.
As he had already been informed about the aruetiise and the rumours behind him. So why was he being brought to his attention again?
"Because he has the backing of Clan Spar," He explained, which immediately caught his attention.
As the barve Akara had been on his case for a while. And though he knew that she didn't have anything on him, the head of Clan Spar obviously suspected him of being connected with the Death Watch.
The only reason why he suspected that Akara didn't denounce him openly was because Pre had entered into the asylum program that the New Mandalorians had set up for former Death Watch members and associates.
Meaning that Vizsla, despite his connection to his more infamous adopted cousin, had been in the worlds of the government: de-radicalized.
'If only they knew,' Vizsla thought smugly to himself.
As he was truly the gundark in the bantha factory, but this wouldn't matter if Akara confirmed her suspicions of him, as Vizsla was certain that she would try to take him out.
Which would mess up his plans, as such he needed to know just what kind of situation he was dealing with.
"What does Clan Spar have to do with this?" Vizsla then inquired.
As he knew that it was rare for them to be on-world. The leader of Death Watch knew that they wouldn't be doing this for just any reason.
"They are acting as judges in the contests," The Night Owl informed Vizsla.
"What do you think his end goal is?" The leader of the Death Watch inquired.
Depending on her answer, it would affect just what actions he took regarding the aruetiise.
"We believe his intention is to challenge Clan Dyra for the leadership of the part of the moon," The Night Owl said.
As that would line up with the rumours that Vizsla had been getting, as apparently, someone had already challenged the outsider to a duel in which the winner would join the loser to their Clan.
But obviously, whoever it was that had challenged the aruetiise, had done so in such a way that he felt that he had to take action to prevent others from doing so as well. Which seemed to lent credence to the rumours coming out about him.
'But I can't be sure...' Vizsla thought to himself.
As there was every chance that he could be overthinking this, and besides, it made no sense for Clan Spar to be helping him.
So given the circumstances, he felt it was probably best that he didn't rock the landspeeder, as it were.
"Watch him, as I don't want him to become a problem," Vizsla then ordered her.
Because he knew that if he wasn't careful then this, aruetiise, this Master Chief, could become a problem.
Still, Vizsla wasn't worried, as he, like Fett, would meet the same fate should he get in his way. For he had already set a plan into motion that would hopefully see to that.
"We will Mandalore," The Night Owl assured him. as she then left the room.
Leaving Vizsla alone to contemplate his plans.
Because Vizsla was certain that once things started into motion and Satine was shown for the true puppet that she was, then the true Mandalorians would rally to the Death Watch, the old ways.
But he had to wait for an opportunity, an opportunity he had been assured would come soon,
So, with that thought in mind, he left the room and made his way to the meeting that he had set up, hoping that he would be able to shed off loathed responsibilities with the dar'manda and begin his work to restore the Mandalorians to the force they were always meant to be.
It had been some time since Valerie had a chance to come here.
'As it was right before me, Ijaat and the Chief were on the Bloody Talon...' Valerie thought to herself as she entered Goran's tapcafé.
It was busy as usual, but there seemed to be some off about everything. Still, Valerie knew that there had to be some news that Goran had to explain why this way, as she then spotted the café's owner at his usual location in the tapcafé.
"Su cuy' Goran, so what's new?" Valerie then asked the owner as she approached him.
"Much, as somethings happening with the aruetiise," Goran got right down to business.
As he knew that there was a good chance that Valerie wouldn't have heard of what the Spartan was doing.
"What's happening with the Chief Goran?" Valerie then inquired.
For she hadn't heard anything from him since their mission to take down the Scourge. So, considering that fact, and the fact that something seemed to be off, Valerie guessed that the Chief was doing something big to have this kind of chilling effect throughout the tapcafé.
"Well, I don't know what's set him off. But he's been making big moves," Goran explained while leaving enough room for her to ask questions.
"What kind of moves is he making?" Valerie then asked as she took a sip of her caf.
"He's been, well, forcing Clans to acknowledge his authority," Goran explained.
As it wasn't exactly what he was doing but was the easiest comparison to make.
But considering the fact that he had been forcing Clans to submit themselves to his 'protection', well not uncommon, was rather unusual these days.
Still from what Goran had heard, those Clans that refused had outright been destroyed as a warning to others.
An action, which was obviously having the intended impact, as most Clans in the area were getting nervous.
"Must be related to that rumour spreading about him" Valerie commented casually.
As the Chief had reached out to her about the spreading rumours regarding what he had done on the Talon. To which she had assured him that she was keeping to their agreement and had suggested that it had probably been one of the many beings that he had saved that day that had said something.
Valerie knew that they weren't bound to the same agreement that she and Ijaat had agreed to with the Chief.
"Must be, as that would explain why a Clan would do something that would get that kind of reaction from him at any rate," Goran commented, as he then took the now empty cup from Valerie.
"So, how long has this crusade of his been going?" Valerie then inquired.
For she wanted to know just how fast the Chief was taking out Clans, as her ba'buir and the others in the Clan would need to know this information if they were to plan appropriately.
"Three days," He said much to her shock.
"Three days?!" Valerie was completely taken aback by what she was being told.
"I can hardly believe it either, but at this pace, he'll be ready to challenge Clan Dyra by either tomorrow or even this evening," Goran explained to her.
This almost sounded unreal to her. As to think that the Chief in less than three days was in a position too!
This fact alone made her start to wonder if she should start worrying about her own Clan, a fact that obviously showed on her face as Goran spoke up while handing her another cup of caf.
"If you're worried about your Clan, then don't be." Goran tried to reassure her.
Still, this did little to help Valerie's worry, as she knew that if the Chief were to show up at their camp, then…
Valerie didn't want to think about it, as she knew what her brother would do if he found out that the Spartan was in their camp, let alone challenging the Clan.
The only small comfort in that situation was the fact that she was the one with his disrupter.
As she had burnt through her from overusing it during her misadventure on the Talon, with the weapons inside literally fusing solid from its overuse.
"Why shouldn't I be worried then?" Valerie then asked.
"Because so far he's been targeting Clans bigger than yours. That and he's obviously trying to get Clan behind him that will give him the legitimacy to take on Clan Dyre." Goran then pointed this fact out to Valerie.
And with Clan Einhherjar having fallen on hard times, relevantly speaking, there was a good chance that all that might happen was that the Chief summoned the Clan head to him and made him an offer of being brought under his 'protection'.
"Perhaps you're right Goran..." Valerie muttered.
As she didn't seem entirely convinced that the Chief wouldn't pay her Clan a visit.
"I'll let you know if I hear anything," Goran assured her.
As he had been doing the same for other Clans had been nervous about the current situation.
"That would be appreciated Goran," Valeria said as she took another sip of her caf.
"No problem, now if you would excuse me," Goran said, as the owner of the Tapcafé went to deal with his newest customers.
While Goran did that, Valerie started to think about the Chief.
Despite not being here for that long, the Spartan was definitely having an impact on the moon and its residents.
Especially considering the fact that he had somehow managed to convince Clan Spar to act as judges for his matches.
Honestly, Valerie had wondered what would've happened if she had managed to tell the Chief what had happened.
But that wasn't important, as Valerie then remembered the reason why she had come here in the first place.
"Goran," Valerie then called out to the tapcafé owner, who gave her a signal to wait a minute or two as he dealt with the customers.
Once he was finished serving his latest customers did, he finally returned to Valerie to see what she needed.
"Do you need some?" The owner of the Tapcafé asked.
"In a way yes..." Valerie said handing him the empty cup of caf.
"In what way?" Goran then asked taking the cup.
"Well, we're looking for someone to put us in contact with a bounty hunters guild..." Valerie explained.
"Ah, I see. So, you're planning to!" Goran started to say before Valerie cut him off.
"It's for Nars actually," At which point things clicked for the older gentleman.
As to why Valerie was asking him for this immediately explained a lot of things to Goran, as he understood why Valeria and by extenuation, her Clan was asking for his help.
"Well, I know many won't miss having him around," Goran then commented.
As Nars had built for himself quite the reputation in the local community, so many wouldn't miss him should he be shipped off-world.
"It's best for everyone that this happens," Valerie admitted.
Because Nars, her vod was being a kriffing pain in her backside.
In fact, she was convinced that some time off-world working jobs would be good for him. A sentiment also shared by her ba'buir and many others in the Clan.
"Let me guess, you'll need some more credits to get his shebs off-world," This wasn't as much a question as it was a statement from Goran.
"Yes, as collecting from my bounty has given the Clan enough credits to take out a loan," Valerie explained to him.
"But you're looking for a bank to get a loan from," Goran said in understanding.
"Yes, as we're trying to avoid taking out this loan from the kriffing dar'manda," Valerie said.
The New Mandalorians did have a bank you could use, but that was often how they got you. Because they charged an obscene interest rate for it, which could be reduced to a reasonable rate by joining either the New Mandalorian Guard or security forces.
Something that Valerie would like to avoid for obvious reasons.
"I know a couple of contacts off-world that can help find you a bank you can work with," Goran then offered.
"That would be greatly appreciated Goran, thanks," Valerie said.
As the Clan had been debating this for some time now, and considering the fact that Nars was being more of a liability to the Clan than an assent and added onto the fact that thanks to the sudden addition of credits from her shared bounty from Ijaat.
The Clan could afford to take out a loan to pay down a ship.
Which would be transferred to Nars, who would then be responsible for paying it off, which in the process would hopefully teach him about his actions having consequences and the responsibility of dealing with them.
"Don't mean it," He said as he moved off to deal with some other customers.
While Valerie was waiting for him to return, Valerie's thoughts then turned back to the Chief.
As Valerie thought about what she had seen of him during his action on the Talon. And the more she thought about it, the less shocked she was that he had powered through enough Clans to gather the support to challenge Clan Dyra in less than three days.
'Maybe I should come clean to him then…' Valerie then thought to herself.
She had thought about doing so before but found him a hard barve to approach. That and she couldn't exactly read the Chief's body language, so she wasn't entirely sure what his reaction would be should she tell him about her actions that day her brother had attacked him at the relay.
But such thoughts were quickly pushed aside, as Valerie then spotted Goran making his way back to her.
"If you don't mind then can we...?" Valerie started to ask the tapcafé owner before her Com pinged her.
She then froze, as Valerie immediately realized that it was a signal for an emergency call.
Knowing that there were only three people that could make such a call.
But when Valeria brought out her Com and saw who it was, her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach.
"Who is-?" Goran started to ask before he was cut off.
"QUITE!" Valerie snapped at Goran as she then opened the link.
All the while Goran listened in on the conversation.
"What is it? What's happened?" Valerie tried to sound calm as she spoke.
But inside a sense of foreboding and dread had quickly taken root in her guts.
"Valerie, you need to come back immediately." There was alarm in her ba'buir voice as he said this.
"What happened ba'buir?" Valerie then asked her, as she then felt a cold sweat break out across her forehead.
"The Chief and Clan Spar had arrived at the camp. Your vod, we tried talking to him, but! Just get back here as soon as you can."
"I'm on my way back now," Valerie said as she quickly started making her way out of the building.
"Make it fast, as I'm not sure how long we can keep your di'kut of a brother from doing something." The fact that he was saying this truly showed just how bad things were.
"I will ba'buir," Valerie said as she then cut the link.
But before she could leave the tapcafé a voice called out from behind her.
"VALERIE!' The voice of Goran called out before she could step out the door.
She then turned to look at him, half of her expecting him to demand that she pay her bill.
"You come back alive you hear, as I hate to lose another customer," Goran said in his way of showing concern for her situation.
"I will, don't worry," She replied, as she then put her bucket on and started to make her way to her speeder.
All the while she hoped that her Clan would be able to keep Nars from doing something stupid until she got there.
As she then mounted her speederbike and raced towards her Clan, all the while Valerie hoped that she wouldn't arrive before it was too late.
Mando'a dictionary:
Aruetiise - traitor, foreigner, outsider
Ade - children, sons, daughters
Dar'manda - A state of not being Mandalorian - not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and his soul - regarded with absolute dread by most traditional-minded Mando'ade
Vod - Can mean brother or sister given the context.
Ba'buir - Can mean Grandfather
Di'kut - An idiot, useless individual, waste of space (lit. someone who forgets to put their pants on)
Su cuy' – Short for Su cuy'gar which translates into Hello and literally means *You're still alive. *
Tsad droten - group of people, Republic
That is all she wrote; I still do hope that you enjoyed it.
Sorry, it was on the shorter side, as I had lost the original chapter, as I either deleted it or wrote over it. Anyway, I would like to apologize once again for this mistake on my part.
Because even though this is a hobby for me, I do take it a little too seriously.
As I like to be proud of my work. Even so, this chapter might've been a bit rushed, so there will be issues with it I will acknowledge that much. So, I'll put it on the chapters to rework if I get a moment.
Anyway, that is enough from me, so until next time have a good one.