At the top of the sixth hour, the last signal was sent out. Wrehn had decided to wait one hour more for the Nova Star's reply. It never came.
"Return to Coruscant," Wrehn ordered, curtly.
"Right," Edrik replied, just as curtly.
The dropship had just gotten moving, decelerating greatly, in order to drop from its orbital altitude. As this maneuver was in progress, a Galactic Republic Hammerhead-class light destroyer zapped in two thousand kilometers behind it, exiting hyperspace. The massive, fast moving warship immediately blasted a powerful wave of radio energy from its active scanner.
Edrik and Gunter both realized there was no possible way that the dropship was not detected. Despite the effectiveness of their stealth field generator, the immense power of the active scanner combined with the close proximity of the radar system, they both knew that they had been detected. Edrik immediately made a random course change pulling up and peeling to the left, as he attempted to get out from in front of the rapidly closing Republic destroyer.
As the dropship climbed to the eleven o'clock position, relative to the fast moving warship, Edrik made another course correction to get the dropship to move towards the rear of the Hammerhead-class anti-stealth-warfare light destroyer. Hoping that if they got behind it and its powerful active scanner, the Republic warship would lose them.
However, the light destroyer emitted another powerful blast from its active scanner and almost immediately began to turn about, after the dropship.
"We will not be able to get away," Edrik whispered to himself.
However, Gunter heard him and nodded his concurrence.
"We are being pursued by a Hammerhead-class light destroyer," Dela'stri'domai said, in her native Chiss language, her voice quavered and tears escaped her eyes, "There is something else that I must tell you."
Wrehn was starting to become annoyed with the young Chiss woman staring at her, but she'd been trying her best to remain patient. She was sure it was just a young girl's curiosity over a Chiss woman, banished from her family, who was also a Mandalorian bounty hunter.
"I've gotta admit," Wrehn told herself, with a brief chuckle, "I am a real strange one, to the Chiss."
The young Chiss woman removed her respirator and then her helm. Wrehn experienced a moment of vertigo as she beheld a teen aged version of herself.
"It is me," the sixteen year old said, weeping.
Suddenly, it all made sense, to Wrehn. The way the girl seemed to cling to her. The way she seemed to hang on Wrehn's every word. The questions she asked. Before Wrehn knew it, she was embracing her little sister, weeping uncontrollably.
The Mandalorians, Wrehn's crew, and the Sith lords were all filled with great astonishment. They'd never seen, nor expected such a show of emotions from the hardened combatant that was Yehw'reh'nomai, Grand Champion of the Great Hunt.
Wrehn noticed the looks she was getting, from everyone around her. She pulled herself together, removing an armored gauntlet to wipe the tears from her scarred cheek.
"Hey, everyone," she announced to the onlookers' even greater astonishment, "This is my little sister, Dela'stri'domai. Oh, yeah, and there's a Hammerhead-class light destroyer chasing us around."
Ymmiir couldn't help himself, he burst into laughter.
"Important introductions, first," he said, "Then less important news of Hammerhead-class light destroyer!"
The troop compartment became filled with laughter at the incongruity of the moment.
"How did you not know this was your sister?" Vindis asked, in great disbelief.
"Yes, tell us this," Calaverous said, deadpan, "because information about the Galactic Republic destroyer on our tail, isn't that important."
"Well, she did keep her helmet and respirator on the whole time," Wrehn said, in her own defense, "and I haven't seen her since she was six. Her voice sounds different from when I saw her last. See?"
"Is everyone on the Star Nova related to you?" Gault asked, flippantly to Calaverous' amazement.
"I suppose there really isn't much we can do about a Hammerhead-class destroyer chasing us around," the Sith lord said, shrugging his shoulders.
"You've already met my uncle, Erok'eple'romai," Wrehn said. Then pointing to the flight deck, she added, "And they're my cousins, " Some'dri'komai and Erudeg'unte'romai. They're brothers, and they're Erok'eple'romai's sons."
"You pointed blasters at your own relatives?!" Vindis asked, greatly amazed. Then to herself, in awe of Kepler's resolve, "Their father abandoned his sons? Was it to keep the Chiss' involvement secret, and to protect House Omai's valuable stealth battle cruiser?"
"Awe, they knew I wasn't gonna pull the trigger on 'em," Wrehn said, guffawing.
"No vee didn't!" Gunter shouted from the flight deck.
Gault and Torian burst into laughter on hearing that.
"To be fair, Wrehn," Gault said, chuckling, "I didn't know, either. I'm glad they didn't try anything cute."
"Can we get to the part where we speak about the Hammerhead-class destroyer on our tails, now?" Calaverous asked, beginning to lose his patience.
"All those in favor of being captured alive, say aye!" Wrehn called out.
"Aye!" Gault and Mako shouted.
"All those in favor of fighting to the death?" Wrehn called out again.
"Aye!" everyone else shouted in response.
"As I should have realized," Calaverous thought in derision to himself, "There isn't much we can do about the situation."
"Everyone's always in a rush to die," Gault said disgustedly.
"Gault, Mako," Wrehn said, smiling, "Don't embarrass yourselves, begging for your lives, when they execute you after they find you guilty of killing their chancellor."
"I've changed my mind," Mako chirped, cheerily, "I'll die fighting."
"It ist over," Edrik called back, "Zey have us on tractor beam. Zey vill have us inside in ten minutes."
"Some'dri'komai, Clan Chief," Wrehn said, becoming businesslike again, "Rig the ship for destruction. We'll come running out, blasting. If we see another ship in the hanger, we'll try stealing it to make our escape."
Ymmiir got his warriors working on setting up as big an explosion as they could with the explosives they had on hand. The hope was that as it blew the drop ship to pieces from within, that it would cause great enough damage to the Hammerhead-class destroyer's hanger bay.
Edrik, Gunter, and Astrid got to work preparing the flight instruments for destruction, rigging the engines to destroy themselves, explosively, and to cause the stealth field generator to overload the stealth technology circuitry so that it would burn itself into molten slag.
The dropship was only five hundred kilometers out from the Hammerhead's hanger bay when the Nova Star suddenly materialized, breaking stealth, and immediately began firing its ion cannons on the woefully outmatched Hammerhead-class anti-stealth-warfare light destroyer.
"We are no longer on tractor beam!" Gunter shouted back to Edrik, in Cheunh.
Edrik was in the troop section at an opened maintenance panel, working on rigging the stealth field generator to destroy itself when he got his brother's report.
"Get us away!" Edrik shouted back, rushing to get back to the flight deck.
"We have received Nova Star's reply transmission!" Gunter shouted with great excitement, "We are rescued!"
Edrik fairly jumped into his seat and hurriedly strapped himself in.
"I'll take the controls!" Edrik shouted his command.
"Take the controls!" Gunter acknowledged.
Immediately, Edrik began making wild, evasive maneuvers.
"Disengage stealth field and engage shield generator!" Edrik commanded.
"Understood!" Gunter acknowledged, while manipulating the appropriate toggles, then shouting over his shoulder, "Get back in your seats und apply your seat restraints! Zeh enemy may try to destroy us rather zan let us escape!"
Suddenly, the dropship began tumbling uncontrollably, the interior went pitch black. The air scrubbers, air conditioners, air circulators, the artificial gravity, and inertia dampeners all went offline.
Wrehn couldn't tell if the engines had also been knocked offline, too, since they were always so very quite. All she could do was hold her little sister's hand, do her best to not lose her lunch from all of the spinning and tumbling they were experiencing, and silently listen as Edrik and Gunter went over checklists as they attempted to restore power to the ship.
It took some time, but the flight crew finally got the power restored, and stabilized the ship. However, navigation, communications, and sensors, such as the passive radar scanner, energy detection, and heat sensors were out. As a result, they had no idea they were on tractor beam, being brought into the landing bay of the Nova Star.
The heavily damaged Hammerhead-class light destroyer had withdrawn from the battle, moving at sixty five percent of the speed of light, to hurry out of the range of the Nova Star's guns. From there, it would actively and passively track the Nova Star until reinforcements arrived.
It was a race against time for the Nova Star. Six squadrons from the Galactic Republic Near Space Defense Force were less than three hours out, and war ships from neighboring star systems were expected to zap out of hyperspace at any moment.
It wasn't until Edrik and Gunter saw the hanger bay come into view from behind that they realized they'd been brought in backwards, and upside down. With their engines at seventy percent power. Edrik immediately cut the throttles to idle, rolled the ship until it was upright within the hanger bay, and lowered their landing struts. The two then got to work going through the checklist for shutting down the engines.
The faint blue shimmer of the atmospheric force field suddenly came on, meaning that the hanger bay was in vacuum, and that the atmospheric pressure would need to be restored. The artificial gravity in the hanger bay was also reengaged.
The Nova Star had its shield generators shut down and had its stealth field reengaged just in time for a Republic dreadnaught, escorted by two Thranta-class heavy destroyers, to zap out of hyperspace. These ships were powerful, but lacked anti stealth warfare capabilities. The Nova Star successfully maneuvered behind the Galactic Republic war ships, traveling in the opposite direction, creating distance.
Despite their best efforts, the Hammerhead-class anti-stealth-warfare light destroyer, lost the Nova Star at their great distance, and was not able to give up to date guidance to the reinforcements.
After an hour, the heavy cruiser jumped into hyperspace, on its way to Hutt Space and Nar Shaddaa.
Mandalore sat at his desk, listening as Darth Tormen's holographic image spoke of how pleased he was. The Sith lord practically gushed, as much as an evil, mostly mechanical, Sith lord could gush.
"You were right to recommend Yehw'reh'nomai to me for this job, Mandalore," the mechanically augmented Sith lord rasped. She is worthy of the respect and glory you and your people have heaped upon her. If she were Force sensitive, she would have made a very powerful Sith lord, indeed."
"Your praise of our Grand Champion of the Great Hunt is most appreciated," Mandalore intoned, before letting Tormen in on a little secret, "She should be on her way to Nar Shaddaa, by now. She and the Mandalorians she had hired for this job, Clan Sharratt, are based on Nar Shaddaa. Did you know this, Darth Tormen?"
"No, I did not, Mandalore."
"I've no doubt the Republic will send fleets to Nar Shaddaa to destroy Clan Sharratt," Mandalore said, revealing the tempting nugget of intelligence to the Sith lord, "I intend to defend Clan Sharratt, making Nar Shaddaa and Hutta into a battlefield."
"That would open a new war front for the Galactic Republic," Darth Tormen said, "Their forces will become further divided."
"The Hutts would object," Mandalore said, dangling the bait before the Sith lord, "but they are militarily weak. They may ask for the Sith Empire's aid in ridding them of the Galactic Republic and of Mandalorian forces from their territorial space. It would be an opportunity to get the Hutts to fully ally with the Sith, and to cut ties with the Galactic Republic."
"A weak ally who would do anything to keep the Sith Empire happy," Darth Tormen mused, before asking, "You've no interest in simply conquering the Hutts?"
"That would push the Hutts to the Galactic Republic, and away from the Sith Empire," Mandalore said, "It would be better for the Sith Empire, and for Mandalore, if they allied themselves to the Sith Empire and to virtually become vassals of your Empire.
"My fleets are already in position," Mandalore said, "I merely await the Galactic Republic's arrival to exact their vengeance on Clan Sharratt. Meanwhile, all of Mandalore is readying their forces. Every clan are readying themselves and awaiting my command to sally forth!"
"Ah! That was premature," Darth Tormen said, a bit disappointed, "If the Galactic Republic aren't watching your clans, then it shall be their undoing. You'll surprise them, but if they are watching, then they shall know of your preparations and avoid a war with Mandalore."
"If they cower from Mandalore, then I'll mock their cowardice," Mandalore declared, hiding his anger.
The Chieftain King realized that Tormen was absolutely right. He had miscalculated. Darth Tormen merely chalked that unforced error up to Mandalorian aggression.
"But their aggression is why the Sith Respect the Mandalorians," the Sith lord reminded himself.
"You might still be able to make the Hutts indebted to you," Mandalore went on, "If the Republic withdraws from Hutt Space without attacking on Nar Shaddaa, you can demand the Hutts show you their gratitude.
"I shall watch your encounter with the Galactic Republic, with great interest," Darth Tormen said, "The Force grant you victory over your hated enemy!"
"I shall enjoy watching how the Sith Empire will take advantage of the encounter," Mandalore said, ending their conference with a Mandalorian salute, "Victory for Mandalore and for the Sith Empire, Mandalore's ally."
With that both ended the connection.
"Well, Captain," Chattef Tarnnar Fett, said, "if that isn't a good reason to go to war, then I don't know what is."
"I want all of the crew to see this news," Rennet Panand Fett said, "She did not lie to us. We did find out what her mission was from this galaxy wide news event."
"I especially liked the part where she raised his head and made his people weep with such anguish!" Chattef Tarnnar said, with passion.
"The crew will become stirred into a fighting frenzy when they learn that their ship took part in this," Rennet Panand replied in anticipation.
Edrik and Gunter waited for the red flashing light in the hanger bay to go out and the steady green light to go on. That would signal that the hanger bay had completed the repressurization process. When it did, they dropped the ramp and lowered the tactical cargo unloader.
Ymmiir's warriors were the first to amble down the ramp, followed by Wrehn and her crew, the Sith, as usual strolled out last, both with a slight limp. Astrid carefully inspected the troop compartment to ensure that nothing was left behind.
Wrehn, along with the others began to pick up their gear from under the dropship where it had been deposited under the ship. Wrehn noticed the Chiss crew's confiscated weapons and, after picking those up, walked up the ramp of the ship.
"Astrid," Wrehn called to her sister by her core name, "here are your blasters."
"Oh! Thank you, Wrehn!" Dela'stri'domai replied, accepting the weapons from her elder sister.
"Come visit me at my quarters," Wrehn said to Astrid, "We'll talk and catch up on our lives."
"I will," she promised, smiling happily.
Wrehn turned about and walked down the ramp, returning to her gear under the ship but found that it had already been moved.
"We have your gear!" Torian shouted from where her crew had decided to assemble.
Wrehn also noticed Ymmiir and the Sith lords standing together, looking at her. She walked to them.
"We made it," Wrehn told her assembled subcontractors.
"We were victorious!" Ymmiir said, smiling beatifically, "Now I retire, with glory for my name!"
"I can hardly wait to return to Darth Tormen," Vindis said, exultant, "I'll demand a reward from him."
"Perhaps he'll elevate you to Darth," Calaverous suggested, "You could ask."
"A promotion would be nice," the deep red-skinned Sith Pureblood mused, "but he is miserly when it comes to giving out promotions.
"Then, your freedom," Calaverous suggested.
"If he is elevated to the Dark Council," Vindis replied, "I would do better to remain in his service."
Calaverous had to admit that serving a dark lord, as he did, had its perks. Even without Darth Nox's recognition, he did quite well for himself.
"Now for the matter of compensation," Vindis said, eyeing Wrehn as though she expected trouble.
"Yes!" Ymmiir said, "It is time to pay."
Wrehn withdrew her datapad, and typed into it. She then waved a credit card over it, and handed it to Ymmiir. He took out his datapad and waved the card over it. His eyes briefly widened, but he said nothing as he handed the card back to Wrehn. Although, they'd agreed on forty million, Wrehn paid him eighty million.
She did the same again, this time passing her card to Vindis. Vindis looked pleased, when she saw that she'd been properly paid her two hundred million. Calaverous cleared his throat, getting Vindis' attention.
She turned to regard him and noted that he held out his datapad. Vindis did for Calaverous what Wrehn did for her, and she handed him her credit card. Calaverous smiled quite sincerely, but there was no way for Vindis to tell if it was sincere or his disguise to hide his true feelings, whatever those feelings might be. She wanted to believe that he was just happy to be paid.
"He saved my life, when I was at the Jedi's mercy, and again, when he stood over me with his weapon ignited, he could have ended me there," she reminded herself, "Perhaps, there is sincerity to his smile this time."
"With our business concluded," Wrehn said, smiling happily, "I want to invite you to a celebratory dinner in my quarters tomorrow night."
Wrehn heard shouting and cheering, just then. She turned towards the commotion and saw Mandalorians rushing into the hanger bay. They ran to their fellows who'd gone with Ymmiir and Wrehn to the Executive Tower.
She also noticed Captain Erok'eple'romai and Commander Nol'otha'romai both approaching Wrehn and the others. Wrehn took her datapad and credit card out again and transferred a hundred and sixty million credits into it, thirty million more than was agreed to.
"Zis ist more zan vhat was agreed to Commander Yehw'reh'nomai," Erok'eple'romai said, uncomfortably, worried that he might be considered dishonest for not reporting the overage.
"Your dropship suffered damage, and your crew were involved in combat operations," Wrehn said, "Consider paying them an extra bonus for their work, above and beyond."
"You are gracious, Commander," Erok'eple'romai said, deeply grateful.
"You are so, very vanted, Commander Yehw'reh'nomai," the XO said, shaking his head slowly and smiling broadly, "A billion credits bounty for your capture, dead or alive. You did not disappoint Vhen you said it vould be big news."
"I'm a professional bounty hunter, after all," Wrehn said, smiling with pride, "I always complete my contracts."
"After vhat I saw on zeh news coverage," Erok'eple'romai said, with profound respect, "I believe it, vithout reservation."
"Our business is nearly concluded, Captain," Wrehn said, "I'd like to be done with our business, with transport to Nar Shaddaa. I'd like to get there before Republic forces stationed on Nar Shaddaa has a chance to organize a strike on Clan Sharratt's enclave. Ymmiir Sharratt has a clan to lead in defense against Republic reprisals, and I want to get to my ship so that I can travel to my client to conclude my business with him."
"Vee have already jumped into hyperspace, und are on our vay," Captain Erok'eple'romai told Wrehn, "Vee shall arrive in eight days. As far as getting zere before zeh Republic forces attack zeh enclave? Hopefully, Clan Sharratt shall mount a formidable defense, even vithout zeir clan chief to lead zem."
"Captain Erok'eple'romai, Commander Nol'otha'romai," Wrehn said, giving a genuinely friendly smile, "please join me and my other subcontractors for a celebratory dinner in my stateroom tomorrow evening."
"It vould be our honor, Commander Yehw'reh'nomai," Erok'eple'romai said, accepting the invitation with genuine appreciation.
"Well, then," Wrehn said, nearing the end of her patience and feeling her exhaustion, "I seriously need to get out of this armor and get into the fresher! Then I need to get some serious sleep!"
"Indeed!" Vindis agreed, strongly, "As do I!"
"So, please excuse me," Wrehn concluded, as she turned away from the group and made her way to her gear and her crew.
"We have to do something!" the senate majority leader, a senator from Coruscant, had proclaimed during her speech, "We cannot let this stand!"
"An invasion of Mandalorian Space will only stretch our forces way to thinly!" a senator from the minority party countered, "We'll simply give the Sith Empire what it needs most, a fully involved ally. As it is now, Mandalore only provides limited military services for profit. Invasion will bring the entire weight of Mandalorian might into the war!"
"Let us limit the scope of our retaliation!" a senator in the majority party, suggested, "It was an operation carried out by a single Mandalorian clan. Then let us make that single clan pay the price."
"This single clan is in Hutt Space!" another senator for the minority explained in his speech, adding, "Do you mean to push the Hutts into the loving embrace of the Sith Empire?!"
"If we explain our intentions clearly, and offer compensation, the Hutts will look the other way," yet another senator in the majority suggested, "It's how they do business."
The vote was close. Twenty one thousand four hundred and seventeen for, and nineteen thousand three hundred and forty seven against, a difference of only two thousand seventy votes. Senator Leontyne Saresh's measure passed by a narrow margin.
Immediately after the vote succeeded, a new matter was brought to the floor by a senator who'd argued vehemently in favor of retaliation. The senator, from Ord Mantell, introduced a motion to elect a new chancellor, nominating Leontyne Saresh, who was the one who introduced the previous measure.
"Senator Leontyne Saresh's strong leadership, her strong stance against the aggression perpetrated against the Galactic Republic and its peoples, is what we need. Senator Saresh recognized that a weak response would only embolden the Sith Empire to explore other, more audacious acts of violence against our government!
The Mandalorians murdered our supreme chancellor, Leontyne Saresh's strong response will deter the Sith Empire from making a similar act of aggression, and possibly taking it to the next level!" the Ord Mantellian senator argued, "They may, for example decide to bombard the senate building, while we are convened. They might attack the Senate Tower right now, for example!
"Therefore, I nominate Senator Leontyne Saresh for the vacant office of the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic!"
The cheers were as deafening as the boos were. This went for a vote, and her nomination passed.
The senators from the minority were taken by surprise. This wasn't to be brought up without giving all six main parties a chance to select their nominee. The majority consisted of four parties, and the minority of the remaining two parties. The minority leader became furious at the dirty parliamentary trick.
It seemed to him that the four parties of the majority had already selected their nominee, forgoing the process of a series of votes to narrow down the nominees from six down to two, and then to vote for the supreme chancellor.
Therefore the two parties of the minority had to quickly choose a nominee to challenge the war hawk, Leontyne Saresh.
The minority therefore chose their nominee to present for a vote. He was well known and well liked by many in all six parties. His name was Jebevel Madon, known as the voice of reason. The vote wasn't close this time, thirty one thousand six hundred twenty four for Leontyne Saresh, and nine thousand one hundred and forty for Jebevel Madon. It was a landslide win for Senator Saresh.
The following morning, Wrehn was returning to her guest stateroom, coming from the wardroom having eaten breakfast. When she rounded a corner in the passage way, she saw Dela'stri'domai standing beside her door.
"Astrid!" Wrehn called to her, in Cheunh, smiling and waving her hand, "I wish I'd known you were coming this morning. I would have invited you to have breakfast with me in the wardroom. Were you waiting a long time?"
"I already had breakfast, Wrehn," Astrid replied, smiling, "I just got here after completing my regular morning duties. We have a lot of work to do, undoing all of those preparations we made to destroy our dropship!"
Astrid laughed, and joked, "I hate thinking of all of that work going to waste! Yet, it is good that it didn't have to come to that."
"I'm glad it didn't come to that either!" Wrehn replied, laughing, "Can you imagine if we misunderstood and set the explosives off in the Nova Star's hanger bay?"
Wrehn opened the door and walked through the door.
"Come on in," Wrehn smiled, beckoning to her little sister.
Astrid smiling, bowed her head in the formal Chiss manner of expressing gratitude.
"You don't have to do all of that formal stuff," Wrehn said, "Just relax and be yourself."
"Go on," Wrehn waived a hand towards a metal caf table with four metal chairs arranged around it, "Have a seat. Do you want anything to drink? I can order something. The orderlies will bring it pretty quick. What would you like?"
Astrid chose the chair closest to the door to sit. Wrehn sat on the chair nearest to her younger sibling. The two stared, smiling at each other, but it became awkward as the two sat, not knowing what to say. The two averted their eyes and gave awkward chuckles.
Wrehn's happy smile faded quite markedly, when she remembered what normally happened to families when the eldest failed to take up their father's or mother's role as armsman, in House Omai.
"How is mother? Is she well?" Wrehn asked, expecting to hear the worst, "How about you? How have you managed to do so well for yourself?"
"Mother is well," Astrid reported to her elder sister's great relief, but which degraded to growing anger as she heard the rest, "Mother works as a house maid in Uncle Kepler's estate. Uncle accepted me to serve aboard his starship when I turned thirteen."
Wrehn's anger quickly faded, however, when she remembered that traditionally her family should have been eschewed by the rest of House Omai, cast to the periphery as serfs. It was expected. However, she became surprised when she realized that her uncle had permitted her sibling to serve aboard the Nova Star.
"I'm so sorry for what happened to you and mother," Wrehn said, bowing her head in deep shame.
Tears escaped Wrehn's eyes when she thought of how they would have lost their house and land and forced to live as serfs in a cramped apartment, scraping what work and earnings they could to survive.
"I'm so very sorry," Wrehn repeated, her voice husky with emotion, "Erok'eple'romai must treat you and mother very harshly because of me."
"Uncle Kepler pays Mother a high wage," Astrid answered, her eyes misting as she watched the pain of guilt and self loathing cloud her sister's visage, "I send half my wages to mother. Together we have been able to keep our house and land.
"Uncle Kepler suffered the anger of the patriarch. He lost a promotion to fleet admiral, because he continues to protect mother and I," Astrid told her elder sister, "He continues to command the Nova Star because of his genus in commanding the ship. His tactics are superior among the other officers in House Omai. No one can beat him."
Wrehn, deeply shocked at Kepler's actions in supporting her mother and sister, thought about how he'd waited until the very right moment to come out of hiding to wreck that Republic Hammerhead light destroyer. If he'd picked up their dropship sooner, he'd have that anti stealth light destroyer on their tail, directing other, heavier destroyers at his ship.
Instead, he waited until the very last possible moment to wreck that ship and force it out of action. When the Republic heavy destroyers arrived on scene, they had no ability to track his stealthed warship. He escaped, cleanly and completely. The Chiss Ascendancy's involvement was effectively hidden from Republic awareness. Wrehn's act in the chancellor's office also helped to convince the Republic to believe the heavy cruiser was Mandalorian.
"Why?" Wrehn asked, not understanding her uncle's motives, "Why would he risk so much for our family after what I did?"
"He loved his younger brother," Astrid answered, "He wanted Father's memory to not be tarnished as much as possible."
Wrehn, found herself feeling guilty and reproached herself for the way she'd been treating Kepler. He could have told her all that he'd done for her mother and sister, to put Wrehn in her place, but he did not. It spoke to the sincerity of his actions.
"When the sales agent had gotten word of your request for an order, he told the patriarch about it. The patriarch turned you down. The sales agent was going to offer the job to another house, but Uncle Kepler found out about it and told the sales agent he would accept the contract.
"It greatly angered the patriarch, and he was told to reconsider or risk losing his command," Astrid said, then qualifying what she'd said by adding, "Well, that's what Edrik told me."
Wrehn finally understood the enormous pressure Kepler was under. He'd accepted a contract that the patriarch had turned down, and it turned out to be a job that he could not complete without the permission of the Chiss Ascendancy. It had to be enormously humiliating for him to have to ask permission to continue with the mission after defying the patriarch.
That he was given discretion by the patriarch whether to continue or to withdraw from the contract, Wrehn realized, meant that he'd been left on his own. The patriarch had washed his hands of anything to do with the mission and the results. Kepler would have been turned over to the Galactic Republic as a criminal, if the Chiss' involvement were discovered by them.
Edrik and Gunter were Kepler's two sons, with Edrik being the eldest of the two. It suddenly struck Wrehn, that Kepler had assigned his two sons to watch over her little sister. The stigmatism of Wrehn's actions would have made duty quite hard on Astrid if she'd been assigned to a crew of those who had no close ties to her. Another example of Kepler looking after his late brother's family.
"I'm so happy, and so relieved, to see that you and mother are doing well," Wrehn confessed, feeling contrition for her attitude towards her uncle.
"I'm so happy to see that the worst had not befallen you," Astrid replied, adding, "Mother and I believed that the worst had happened to you. That you had been made into a Hutt or Imperial slave. That you had become addicted to spice. That you had died, miserable and alone.
"I am so happy to see you safe and strong! You ran away from your duty to become our family's armsman, but you are strong! Father made you strong!" Astrid said, tears running down her cheeks despite her beatific smile for her elder sister, "Father would be proud. He is not shamed."
Wrehn stood from her seat, and took a step towards her sister and embraced her, tears streaming from her own eyes.
"Thank you, so much, Astrid."
Wrehn hosted her victory dinner in the Mandalorian tradition. It was an important victory dinner. It was a victory in which the participants were not expected to return home. Even though she had denied it vehemently, to herself and to the others. Wrehn now acknowledged to herself that her successful escape was a miracle, and that her mission really was a suicide mission.
While she expected to complete her mission, in the back of her mind, she also expected to die along with all of her subcontractors. Yet, in the Mandalorian tradition, she refused to dwell on that possible reality. She looked only to victory. In the back of her mind, she always knew that her luck would run out, and that her enemies would destroy her and her subcontractors.
"Stars! I'm thinking and acting like a real Mandalorian!" Wrehn thought, laughing at herself.
Wrehn's guests had been arriving. The table had been set, and the food carts with their covered trays were set up. The guests came dressed in their best civilian attire, or in military dress uniform. Astrid, to Wrehn's disappointment, declined to participate.
"It is a dinner for commanding officers and high level dignitaries," Astrid declared quite firmly, in Cheunh, "It would be inappropriate for a mere conscripted soldier, such as I, to attend."
Edrik and Gunter declined her invitation for the same reason.
While they waited for the last two guests to arrive, they stood and sipped from fluted glasses filled with a bubbly wine that was grown, produced, and bottled on Copero. Copero was the location of the Chiss Ascendancy's largest shipyard, but it also had a growing agricultural industry. Specifically, wine grapes were raised quite successfully in the low fertile valleys and low fertile hills of the temperate regions of the planet.
"Perhaps they not come," Ymmiir said, speculating with a leering smirk, "Perhaps they found other pleasures?"
Ymmiir wore his clan's dress uniform which consisted of a cobalt blue tunic with a high collar. Six ornately decorated brass buttons went down the front of the tunic, down the middle from just below the high collar, down to just above his shiny black leatheris belt, with gleaming brass buckle. A vertical row of three smaller versions of the buttons decorated the cuff of each sleeve. His rose taupe trousers had sharp creases in the front and back of each pant leg, and a cobalt blue stripe down the length of the outside of each pant leg.
He wore a cobalt blue officer's cap with brass rope tassels that draped over the top of the shiny black bill, denoting his title of Clan Chief, and shiny black leatheris low quarter shoes with cobalt blue socks. His tunic was adorned with ribbons which represented his many victories and accomplishments over his long military career. His uniform also sported epaulets with hanging brass rope braids, which also denoted his title of Clan Chief.
Captain Erok'eple'romai, found Ymmiir's comment distasteful, but he held his tongue. However, Commander Nol'otha'romai held no such compunctions.
"Spoken vith zeh style of zeh true barbarian," he said, a look of mild distaste revealed on his features.
Both Kepler and Lothar wore nearly identical dress uniforms. Their uniforms consisted of charcoal gray buttonless tunics and trousers, with sharp creases at the front and back of each pant leg. Black shiny calf-length leatheris boots, charcoal grey officer's caps with short, shiny black bills. On the right side front corner of the cap, was a brass insignia which denoted the ship on which they served. Tiny stars underneath the special insignia denoted how many tours of duty the officers had completed onboard the Nova Star. Captain Erok'eple'romai had six tiny stars, and Commander Nol'otha'romai had on two stars.
Both wore pips on the high collar of their tunics which denoted their officers' ranks. They also wore ribbons on the right breast side of their tunics which denoted their personal accomplishments, achievements, and feats of courage, which they'd accomplished throughout their individual careers. Both officers wore a black stripe that went down the length of the outsides of each pant leg, except that the captain's had a very thin dark red line that went down the middle of each black stripe.
"At least I have style," Ymmiir returned, a twinkle in his eye as he delivered his barb, "Uniform is not boring and bland as your uniform."
"Alright, people. That's enough of that," Wrehn cut in, putting an end to the name calling before it got out of hand, "I can't believe that a little weak wine could get your tongues so loose, so fast."
A chime sounded at her door, and an orderly responded by touching the contact which caused the door to slide open.
Vindis entered in a stunning gown. It was black with a tall neck collar with ruffles at the top edge of the collar. It had long flowing sleeves that opened like a bell at the wrists. The long, gown flowed down to her ankles where they gathered in a stretchable ruffled hem. When she walked, the fabric around her legs and at the hem stretched to accommodate her stride, but when she stood with her feet together, the fabric and the hem gathered, not too tightly, around her legs and ankles, accentuating the ruffles at the hem.
The black gown had very thin gold and silver threads sewn into the fabric in a filigree pattern on her sleeves, and from the collar, down the length of the gown to the hem, ending above the ruffles.
Vindis adorned her crown with a silver circlet made in a filigree pattern with five deep blue tear drop crystals which hung down her forehead above her eyebrows. Matching bracelets adorned each wrist. She wore black suede medium healed mid-calf boots. Vindis looked both alluring and austere in her outfit.
Behind Vindis, Calaverous entered, wearing his very expensive, very well fitted tailored business suit. Again, his hair was exquisitely coiffed and his face perfectly shaved. He looked like a very, very wealthy interstellar banker.
Wrehn felt a bit jealous of the others. She wore her nicest set of civilian attire. Her outfit would be considered casual Frydaus work attire on most worlds where casual Frydaus was practiced.
"I look like a bum compared to the rest of these guys," Wrehn thought, a bit angrily at herself for not thinking to bring some nicer clothes, "Who'd of thunk that I'd have to host a fancy party at the end of my mission, though?"
"Dinner guests, hostess," an orderly said, gaining their attention, "please take your seats."
As Wrehn and her dinner guests approached the finely appointed dinner table, she noticed that each place at the table had a small sign with a name printed on them using a fine style of calligraphy.
Wrehn and her dinner guests all took their seats. Wrehn sat at the head of the rectangular dining table, which had been brought in to her stateroom for this special dinner.
To her immediate right sat Ymmiir Sharratt, and on her immediate left was Vindis. Calaverous sat beside Vindis, and across the table from the dashingly handsome Sith lord was Lothar who sat beside Ymmiir. Finally, at the far end sat Kepler.
The orderlies rolled the carts to the table. The carts were laden with the covered heated trays of the first course of the special dinner. One cart was rolled to a stop at Wrehn's left at the corner of the table between she and Vindis. With a bit of flare, the stainless durasteel rectangular domed lid was lifted off, to the delighted surprise of the dinner guests.
Wrehn ordered dinner, so she knew what it would be. Yet, she too was quite delighted at the sight and the wonderful aroma of the roasted porg.
"You guys did a great job with the porg," Wrehn told the orderly, nodding her great approval, "Please, begin carving it up and serve it up."
"Yes, Commander," the orderly answered in his Chiss accented Basic.
Everyone seemed happy, except Lothar.
"Porg? How could you eat zhose cute little creatures?" the ship's executive officer complained.
Kepler rolled his eyes, thinking, "Not that again."
"I take a hold with both hands. Then I take a big bite, chew thoroughly, then swallow. Then I lick my fingers. That is how I eat them," Calaverous quipped, smiling mischievously as he crisply enunciated his Imperial Basic accented words, " Today, however, I shall use a knife and a fork. What about you, Clan Chief?"
Ymmiir smiled at the invitation to poke a bit of fun at the squeamish Chiss naval officer.
"I use same method to eat," his thick Mandalorian accent shining through, "Sometimes I chew more. Sometimes I don't chew enough."
Kepler developed a small smirk on hearing that and shifted his eyes towards his executive officer.
"If you won't eat the wonderfully prepared porg, it's sacrifice will be in vain," Vindis teased, to Wrehn's and Ymmiir's pleasant surprise.
"Their sacrifice," Wrehn corrected, "There were two porgs that were sacrificed for our dining pleasure."
"If you von't eat your portion, Lothar," Kepler said deadpan, "I vill gladly take your part from your plate."
"How could you eat zem, Kepler?" Lothar asked, this time adding, "Zey say zhese creatures are intelligent."
"Zere are plenty of smart animals zat are trained to do tricks for a circus. Or zey are trained as rescue animals, or for some ozher unique task. Animals like zat are useful because zey are smart, but zey also taste like crap. Not vorth much as food," Kepler said, as though speaking philosophically about it, "Porg, on zeh ozher hand, smart as zey are, are very, very tasty. Zey are vorth more as food zen as bomb detection animals. So, for porgs, zeir role ist to provide tasty meat, not smarts."
Lothar shook his head in disbelief at what he'd heard, but Calaverous and Ymmiir both enjoyed a good laugh. Vindis didn't laugh out loud, but she gave a wide mirth filled grin.
Wrehn smiled too, happy to see both Sith lords having a good time.
"Who are these people?!" Wrehn asked herself, in amazement of the Sith.
The porg had been carved by the head orderly, a second orderly brought the carved up pieces to the diners' plates, with yet a third orderly serving up the side dishes. Meanwhile, yet a fourth orderly poured another white wine from Copero into the diners' wine glasses. This wine, however, was not of the bubbly variety.
Wrehn raised her wine glass, the others, seated around the table followed suit.
"Let's eat!" she said.
"Here! Here!" Calaverous said, "That's the best toast I've ever heard! I'll remember it forever."
The dinner guests around the table laughed at his joke. Wrehn smiled happily, as she took a sip before digging into her dinner.
Ymmiir had noticed that Lothar had been eating the side dishes while avoiding the piece of roasted porg on his plate.
"Commander Nol'otha'romai," Ymmiir said, to the executive officer of the Nova Star, "Do not hesitate. Just once will not be problem. Go on, eat porg."
Vindis smiled in delight at the dig.
"The animal has already been dead for some time," Calaverous said, "I'm certain that at this point, it would rather be eaten than to have its flesh go to waste."
Wrehn had been in the middle of taking a sip from her wine glass when a smirking chuckle nearly caused her to spray out what she'd just sipped.
"My offer to take it off your plate, stands, Lothar," Kepler said, deadpan, to the light chuckles of the others at the table.
"I will take half," Ymmiir insisted, also deadpan, but mischief twinkled in his eyes.
"One taste is all it will take, then you too will see the value of porg as food," Vindis said, a sly smile on her face.
"Zere are many intelligent creatures zat we routinely eat, and zat are eaten in zeh vild, by vild beasts," Kepler said to his XO, but while the others expected a punchline, he said quite soberly, "Vee kill so many intelligent creatures in our line of verk. It seems silly to feel remorse for eating a meat animal, simply because it ist brighter zan most."
"Vee do not eat our enemy combatants, Kapitan," Lothar countered a bit sternly.
"I think we're smart enough to know the difference between eating smart animals, and eating sentient beings," Wrehn counter-countered.
"Yes!" Kepler agreed, pointing at Wrehn, "If zeh porg had villages, conducted trade, had diplomatic relations, language, religion, philosophy, could reason, and more, vee vould not eat zem. Vee vould communicate vith zem."
"Or conquer them," Calaverous added.
"Ha!" Ymmiir laughed.
"Conquer them and enslave them," Vindis added, "Get some kind of use out of them, but certainly not eat them."
Lothar kept silent for a time, thinking carefully about what had been said.
"Zis requires some thought," he said, wanting to change the subject, "Your arguments are vorth considering, but for now, I vill refrain from eating porg."
"Zen, I shall avail myself of zeh porg on your plate," Kepler said, reaching with his fork and knife.
Everyone enjoyed a good laugh as he cut a portion of the porg and took half. Ymmir, wearing a big grin reached over with his fork and took the other half.
A while had passed, and the diners had finished what they could of their deserts, and dinner conversation began to wane. Wrehn chose that moment to signal to the orderlies. They immediately got to work clearing the mostly emptied desert plates and silverware, setting shot glasses in their places before each dinner guest. Another orderly went about filling each shot glass with an expensive Chiss brandy.
When all was in readiness, the Chiss woman stood and raise her shot glass, which brought instant silence at the table and the attention of the dinner guests.
"I want to thank each of you for your professionalism, attention to detail, and for your persistence. You all did what I hired you to do, and you all made me look good while making yourselves look good," Wrehn began.
"To Lord Vindis," she said to the Sith lords' surprise for using her title, "You are strong, determined, fearless, and hardheaded, but in a good way."
Vindis' smile faltered greatly, as the dinner guests around the table applauded and enjoyed a nice bit of laughter, but later the Sith lord became mollified as she saw Wrehn do the same with the others.
"To Clan Chief Ymmiir Sharratt. You are the rock upon which your clan stands strong, a resolute and stalwart foundation that will see your clan grow stronger as the years go by. And you're quite grumpy, too!"
More laughter and applause was given.
"To Lord Calaverous," Wrehn said, "You're a hard one to figure out. You're friendly, ready with a quick joke, affable, and an all around nice guy, and then, suddenly, you're not. One thing that is consistent is that you're very handsome.
"But none of your enemies would ever believe a word I said about any of the nice things I said about you just now, in fact, I can hardly believe it myself," she said to the laughter of those around the table, including, Calaverous.
"Yet, your enemies would never be able to deny the part where I said, you're very handsome. They can at least die knowing that their killer was quite a good looking man," Wrehn said, to the delight of her dinner guests, but then she caught Vindis off guard, "Isn't that right, Vindis?"
"What?! Um... Uh… Well, yes, he's quite handsome," Vindis, sputtering, managed to say, before defiantly adding, "but he'll never defeat me."
"I didn't mean it that way!" Wrehn said, laughing out loud!
"Match making does not seem to be your best suit," Kepler quipped, to the laughter of the others around the table.
"Moving on!" Wrehn said, wearing a goofy grin, "Commander Nol'otha'romai, you're dependable, steady, and a source for inspiration to your subordinates. No one can question the high standards to which you hold yourself and your subordinates. The commanding officer of the Nova Star depends on you for your extensive knowledge and your expertise. However, you're not much to look at."
"Oh, dear," Lothar replied, laughing, "Zat vun stung quite smartly."
Wrehn's dinner guests were startled into raucous laughter, as she turned her longing eyes towards Calaverous and sighed. Vindis tried hard not to laugh, but she ended up covering her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her delighted mirth.
Last, but certainly not least, is Captain Erok'eple'romai," Wrehn said, wearing a warm smile for her uncle, "You are stoic, stern, steadfast, and a rock of certainty. Your command has complete confidence in you. Everyone of them would follow you to the Nine Hells, and will accomplish impossible feats, defeating the Shadow Monster that rules over all the Hells under your heroic leadership. Just remember to bring an extra set of pants, in case you pee your first set."
The whole room, including the orderlies exploded into raucous laughter. Even Vindis could contain herself no longer. Kepler laughed heartily at the punchline, too.
"Cheers, everyone!" Wrehn shouted above the laugher.
"Cheers!" the dinner guests shouted in return.
Wrehn and her dinner guests hoisted their shot glasses to their lips. Wrehn gulped the contents of her shot glass down in one go. Then she sat down. Her guests gulped, drank, or sipped the contents of their own shot glasses. Two orderlies immediately stepped to the table and refreshed the shot glasses.
Kepler then stood. He looked down and around, as though inspecting himself.
"Zus far my pants are still dry," he quipped, to the delighted laughter of all present.
When the chuckles had died down sufficiently, Kepler continued.
"A toast!" he said, raising his shot glass, "To zeh greatest Mandalorian in zeh history of Mandalore!"
"To the greatest Mandalorian!" the others shouted in answer.
Ymmiir, who was just starting to feel the effects of the alcohol, was especially touched on hearing this. He stood to his feet and saluted Wrehn in the Mandalorian style.
"To the greatest champion among all champions of Mandalore!" Kepler toasted.
"To the greatest champion!" the other's shouted in reply, Ymmiir, though, shouted with especial feeling.
"To the greatest bounty hunter in the entire galaxy!"
"To the greatest bounty hunter!" the others shouted, sincerely.
"We shall sing songs of you!" Ymmiir shouted, raising his shot glass high in salute to Wrehn, "and your stories shall be the favorite of children, everywhere!"
Wrehn was starting to feel a bit embarrassed with all of this praise, but she knew the punchline was coming.
"To Yehw'reh'nomai, who paid her bills in full and on time!"
Wrehn laughed along with the others on hearing this. She smiled as the others repeated the toast with heart-felt gratitude.
"Her credit is good with me!" Ymmiir shouted, to the laughter of the others around the table.
"And finally!" Kepler, said, looking at each dinner guest in the eye, before returning his gaze towards Wrehn, "To Wrehn, an average, everyday Chiss!"
Kepler then put the shot glass to his lips and gulped the contents in one go.
"Hey! Wait!" Ymmiir shouted, as though realizing he'd been cheated in a game of pazaak.
The others laughed at the comedy of Ymmiir's startled reaction and also downed their drinks. Both Wrehn and Ymmiir were the butt of that punchline. Wrehn laughed with the others, but her cheer was tempered with the reminder of her betrayal to her family and to her father's memory when she ran away. At that moment, she also realized something.
"He called me by my core name," she thought to her astonishment, but outside, kept up the laughter while fighting back her tears.
After a time the laughter subsided.
Wrehn realizing that the moment was passing made here final statement in the tradition of Mandalorians.
"We are champions! We are victorious! We are unbeatable! Thank you to all of you! You made me look really, really good!"
The dinner guests cheered and applauded. Then, starting with Kepler, they rose from their seats and began making their way to Wrehn's door. They would each return to their quarters to retire for the evening.