Politics, Mando style

Part 1

Republic Medical Station Sierra-51

Location Classified

"You want to talk here and now?" Obi-Wan groaned. The Jedi shuddered in the cool air – the thin robe he wore after leaving the nearby fresher apparently wasn't good enough for the cool atmosphere in the station.

"It's reasonably secure." I shrugged and waved at the rolls of bacta tanks around us. Most of them were empty – this compartment was usually designated for high ranking officers and was in the most secure part of the station."It's not like the patients here are particularly talkative as you very well know."

Kenobi gave me a flat look and continued toweling his hair and beard.

"What exactly happened before I awoke as canned food?" The Jedi grumbled.

"You got shot. Or blown up. Perhaps both. I didn't pay much attention after the docs told me that you'll be up and running shortly. We've got another mission."

"What happened on Geonosis?"

"We got the job done with acceptable casualties. Your apprentice is still recovering in a bacta tank and has a trial waiting for him when he recovers. Oh, yeah. Once we talk with a bunch of spooks we're leaving for Mandalore."

"Start explaining." Obi-Wan sounded less than pleased. He was actually pretty grumpy or so the Force told me.

"Anakin's stunts finally caught up to him and it's time to pay the price. While the military police investigates his latest stunt he's grounded. I might be able to arrange a home arrest for him, somewhere with his wife if she recovers. Padme might be able to keep him out of any further trouble until the trial and he isn't dodging the bullet this time." I pointed at a small cargo crate that was next to the bacta tank Kenobi vacated a few minutes ago. "Your lightsaber and spare robes are in there."

"Thanks." The Jedi muttered. "How's senator Amidala?"

"Padme's still unconscious though there's some progress in purging her system of the poison. Unless there're complications she might awake sometime in the next couple of weeks. As for her mental condition..." I trailed off. That was fifty fifty at best.

"I see. I hope she recovers. What are we supposed to do on Mandalore?" Kenobi asked. He let the damp towel fall to the deck, opened the cargo crate and started pulling the pieces of his robes.

"Convince the Mandalorians to side with us in the war. The CIS already sent a delegation there and they will arrive a couple of days ahead of us."

"There's no way the New Mandalorians would side with the Confederacy!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"Your girlfriend might be against it, but she's not their absolute ruler." Kenobi spluttered a denial, however I ignored him and continued speaking. "I've heard rumors that the Dead Watch will try seizing up power if the Mandalorian leadership decides to remain neutral or sides with us. Do I need to remind you that Kryze and her supporters don't have monopoly of military power on Mandalore? Unless you've been a busy boy and helped that delectable Duchess?" I smirked.

"That's… We're just friends! That's all!" Kenobi groaned.

"With benefits?" I smiled at the man. Jedi – they were so easy to rile up.

"Veil! Enough! How do you know about her anyway?"

"I read all my intelligence briefings, then request more and expanded ones? Why wouldn't I be keeping an eye on the neutral policies which might join either side? How am I supposed to make realistic contingency plans otherwise?" I asked in confusion. That should have been obvious.

Obi-Wan gave me a long-suffered look and shook his head. "What did you want to talk about anyway?"

"Ahsoka." I said and pointed at on of the few occupied bacta tanks in the room.

Kenobi looked up and frowned. The little Togruta was floating in a bacta tank. She was mostly hidden by multiple tubes which were feeding her oxygen, medicaments and food.

"What happened?"

"She got unlucky. There were multiple tunnel exits near her target and Asoka's unit ran into an enemy battalion that was redeploying. They managed to get the job done and seal the tunnels before being overran, however they suffered more than ninety percent casualties. The kid did good."

"Why's she here instead back on Coruscant on one of the bases closer to Geonosis?" Kenobi frowned. "My presence is clear, the powers that be want me on the negotiating party to Mandalore."

"Good question. What do you think would happen to her if your precious Council gets their hands on her, hm?"

"Master Yoda has been cleaning up house and getting our affairs in order after the last fiasco." Obi-Wan didn't bite.

"Catch." I pulled out a data-pad from my robes and threw it at him.

He caught it without looking. It was good to see that his wounds and a week long dip in the bacta hadn't dulled his reflexes. While Jedi read through the contents a deep frown appeared on his face.

"I see. This is your fault." He grumbled and threw the pad back at me.

"That's not fair! I share the blame with Anakin! He's her master. We'll was. I don't think that either the Jedi or the army would trust him with a gold fish, much less an apprentice."

"Probably. She deserves better. That still doesn't explain why she's here. What's a gold fish anyway?" Kenobi muttered and started changing in his Jedi robes.

"Well, it's a fish with gold coloration. It was a popular pet back on my homeworld… I think. It's been very long time since I was there." I paused. Hell, I don't think I ever thought about Earth in months… I shook my head. It wasn't like I would be able to visit in a long, long time if ever. "I pulled rank. The as you say, the kid deserves better. When she awakes, I'll give Ahsoka a choice – she can go to the agri-corps if she wants or she can continue to be an officer. If the Council has any problems with that they can take it up with me."

"They won't like that. Corrupting the young now, aren't you?" Obi-Wan joked.

"I'm in older Togrutas." I deadpanned.

"Don't let Master Ti hear you."

"Oh, she's very well aware of my preferences." I smirked.

Something in my tone made Obi-Wan turn around and stare at me. "No way. She's a respectable Jedi Master and then there's you." He pointed at me. "Even if you weren't a Sith, there's now way..."

I gave him a smug grin.

"Is there something that you aren't trying to corrupt?!"

"Only delectable women. Why the hell I would want to corrupt anyone else?"

"I'm on painkillers or something. Right? Where is Master Ti? I expected that your minder would be around?"

"Me too. I have nothing against Shaak Ti closely examining me. However your fellow council members had the bright idea that I might be a bad influence and ordered her back to Kamino."

"I agree with them." Kenobi nodded sagely. "We can't have you distracted, o glorious leader."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What's the plan anyway?"

"When Pellaeon and the spook they sent to brief us finish their steam reunion, we're getting an intelligence briefing and leaving for Mandalore. I have to give it to the man, arranging his girlfriend to come brief is was a slick move."

"Jealous?"

"My prospective girlfriend is traveling to Kamino as we speak. What do you think?"

"I still don't believe it."

"Even if I had any evidence that I could produce, Shaak Ti would neuter me if I did so."

"True enough. She'll do it anyway. Tarnishing her reputation isn't the smartest thing you've done."

"You aren't protesting."

"No. I'm just leaving you to dig up your own grave."

=RK=

Part 2

Republic Medical Station Sierra-51

Location Classified

"Great! Finally we're all here!" I beamed at the other people, who were stuck in a small conference room with me.

Commodore Pellaeon, his girlfriend Helena – the RI agent we were here to meet among other things, Kenobi and myself. Thanks to some kind of meddling in the Senate, neither Organa or Iblis were going to head the diplomatic party to Mandalore. Thanks to my "good friend", the Chancellor, I had the distinct "honor" of doing so myself, instead of another senator. So whatever kriffing disaster was cooking on Mandalore would be my fault – I had no doubt about that. Joy.

We were stuck in a bland small room, which had a round table in the middle. There were twelve chairs set up around it, a built in holoprojector and that was it. At least the place was nicely lit up.

"If you two are done for the moment," I raised an eyebrow at Pellaeon, who for once was looking rather disheveled, "Agent Devis could start briefing us."

"You're about to get kriffed in a way you won't enjoy." Helena deadpanned.

"Yes, apparently that's the plan. The lack of any diplomatic personnel arriving with you and the missive I got from the Chancellor's office just before we docked were enough of a clue."

"You didn't mention any of that." Obi-Wan shot me an accusing look.

"I'm mentioning it now." I shrugged. "I'll be the Republic negotiator for our visit with you acting as my aide. No senators or diplomatic staff besides whoever we'll be able to poach from the embassy. At least the ambassador might be of some help."

"No diplomatic staff. We're being set up to fail." Kenobi looked less than pleased as he stated the obvious.

"Well, there're a some senators who actually studied history." Devis rolled her eyes. "They apparently aren't too thrilled with getting the Mandalorians rearmed or on our side. They fear a betrayal. After all, historically they have been enemies of the Republic."

"They were my people allies too."

"That's another point against them." The Intelligence agent glared at me. I wasn't sure if it was because I was a Sith or because I cut her reunion with Pellaeon short. Probably a bit of both.

"It's also something I might be able to work with." I smiled.

"The idea's for the Mandalorians to make an alliance with the Republic, not with you." Obi-Wan added in a dry voice.

"Why not both?" I grinned.

"What did you do?" The Jedi Master narrowed his eyes at me.

"Nothing. Yet." I spoke with as much innocence as I could.

No one was buying it.

"This is going to be a disaster." Obi-Wan groaned.

"That remains to be seen. You have a briefing for us, Agent Devis. Let's get it done so you two lovebirds could return to cuddling or whatever adult things you were doing. Just don't speak about it in front of the Jedi or you'll shock the poor sod."

"I'm not a virgin, you know." Kenobi deadpanned.

"That's a shocking discovery. Do the rest of the Jedi know or did you just handle me a lot of blackmail material?"

"You're supposed to be a general. Act like it!" Obi-Wan groaned.

"Sure enough. Start briefing us." I waved at the RI woman.

Helena sighed, gave a sharp nod and put her professional face on.

"The tensions between the New Mandalorians, who are currently ruling on Mandalore and their main opposition – the Death Watch, are about to explode. Even without the CIS' delegation arriving and pressuring the legitimate government, Mandalore is on the brink of a civil war. Unless the situation is handled very carefully we might be the spark that's needed for the sector to go up in flames."

"That's not necessary a bad thing – the only thing that really matter is that the Mandalorians remain neutral, join us or are crippled to the point that they are no longer a threat."

Three pairs of eyes stared at me. Two of them then nodded, while Obi-Wan glared daggers at me.

"Those are the acceptable outcomes of our visit, yes." Helena nodded and earned herself a dirty look from Kenobi.

"What do we know about the CIS delegation, their agents in place and game plan?" Pellaeon asked.

"Admiral Dua Ningo will be negotiating for the Separatists."

"Well. He's one of the few who might pull it off." I mussed aloud. "The bastard came close to making it a Pyrrhic victory above Geonosis. The Mandalorian clan leaders are likely to respect him."

"That's our reading as well. Besides the above board negotiation, we know that the CIS has been heavily investing in the Death Watch. That's the main reason we believe that a favorable outcome is unlikely. They aren't particularly big fans of the Republic." Helena added.

"I have a contact who might be useful."

"That's good. We lost contact with our last agent in the Death Watch a week ago. They're the greatest threat for our interests on Mandalore. Duchess Kryze is a friend of the republic, however the New mandalorian movement she's a part of doesn't have the political clout to forge an alliance with us without support from the opposition."

"Not to mention that she's against any Mandalorian military adventures." I added. That was a public knowledge and the main reason her sister was royally pissed off at her. "Let's be frank – no matter the public face the New Mandalorians have been putting ever since their raise to power, the Mandalorians remain a warrior cultures. The Duchess' policies haven't exactly won the hearts of the majority of the population, merely of the largest cohesive block and the Death Watch are close second."

"You're certainly well informed." Helena nodded. "That's essentially correct."

I shrugged. I did my homework. After all, Mandalore had been on my to do list for months.

"What do you plan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Forge an alliance with your girlfriend or play kingmaker." I shrugged. "I've changed a government or two back back in the good old days."

It was time to see which way Bo-Katan was going to jump.

=RK=

Part 3

Senate Chambers

Senate building

Coruscant

"My friends, it's good to see you all here once again!" Palpatine smiled from atop of the Chancellor's personal platform. His eyes swept through the rebuilt senate chamber and lowered as they passed over booths filled up by fresh blood. The attack on the Senate had hit his power-base particularly hard, however it had culled the one thousand five hundred "neutral" systems alliance put in place by Amidala and her closest supporters.

With his homeworld's Senator out of the way for the time being, Palpatine found it much easier to push forward his agenda. The fact that the surviving senators were scared helped a lot too, he had to admit that. Who knew that the attacks that scattered his plan to the winds, would prove actually useful in many aspects?

Palpatine schooled his expression into a grim mask.

"With everything that has happened, it's hard to believe that the war has gone for a year. We – the Republic and her people – had been dealt many low blows since the Separatist unveiled their true colors – those of merciless terrorists." Sidious paused for a moment. His expression shifted into one of a grim determination and he started radiating confidence. "They thought that attacking Coruscant – the heart of the Republic itself with biological weapons would break us. That striking this very building and murdering scores of Senators whose only crime was to doing their duty for the betterment of us all would terrify us into surrender! My friends, they were MISTAKEN!" Palpatine raised his voice to a shout in order to be heard over the applause from the attending Senators.

"There are many questions that need answering. How did we get here? What are we going to do now? How are we going to win this war? I'm here to answer them all!" Sidious made a placating gesture and smiled. Feeling the near adulation of the people present in the chambers wars close to intoxicating. Almost as good as feeling fear and misery.

"In the wake of the latest enemy attacks, there were those who called for surrender. Those who believed that we were losing the war..." Palpatine paused for a dramatic effect. "The latter group was right." He stated grimly and lowered his head. The Sith Lord had to struggle not to smile. The cries of protest and fear that followed his declaration were delicious and just as planned.

"Peace my friends! I promised you all answers and I'm here to deliver!" Palpatine raised a hand and waited for the cacophony to subdue. He had their undivided attention. "Until our armed forces decisive victories over Ryloth and Geonosis, we were losing. That much is true – a fact that none of us can afford to disregard. We were pushed back on all fronts and the sectors we held – they were protected at the price of rivers of blood." Smile tugged the corners of Palpatine's mouth as he reveled at the rapt attention of the crowd. "That's no longer the case! For the first time since the Separatists began this conflict we aren't under the immediate threat of destruction. Our Grand Army was finally able to stalemate the enemy on all fronts!"

This time there were a few relieved cheers and shouts.

"However, that's far from enough. Now that we know the true face of the enemy – that of oppression, slavery and murder – we can't do anything less but push for total defeat of the evil cabal that is the Confederacy of Independent Systems!"

Sidious smiled as the majority of senators started applauding.

"In order to achieve victory and never again be at the non-existent mercy of our enemies, the brave men and women in our armed forces need our help! They need more ships, vehicles, weapons and recruits in order to grant us victory! To guarantee that no more atrocities like Ryloth, Naboo and Coruscant happen! To achieve that, my advisers, our best generals and myself had crafted a bill that is vital for the further prosecution of this war. It requires the further expansions of our Clone Army" - making the Kaminoans and their lobby happy, "increasing production in all our major shipyards and increasing their capacity" - something that the Senator from Kuat and the other major industrial centers would simply love, "and providing our soldiers with the best possible equipment in more than enough quantity to win!" The various military contractors would be ecstatic at that too.

This time almost everyone was either cheering loud or applauding. Palpatine took a note of those who weren't – all but a few were the surviving members of Amidala's little club, but there were a handful of new Senators as well.

"Finally, but most importantly – it's time for us all to raise to the challenge of protecting our homes! All the best weapons and ships in the galaxy will be useless if there aren't brave beings ready to man them and face the evil that the GAR is fighting as we speak! We, the Republic, are the greatest nation this galaxy has ever seen! It's time for us to step up and prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

Sidious paused for a moment and took a deep breath. He could feel it. The Senators would support the next round of bills and reforms, witlessly expand his power base and bring their precious Republic a step closer to becoming his Empire. When all was said and done, he was poised to emerge from the latest round of cluster kriffing disasters in a much better position he would have held otherwise.

The only problem would be the Jedi – an army which wasn't mostly made up from clones would hesitate when the time to dispose of them came. However even in that regard, all was not lost. The Jedi, their Council in particular were doing a great job of destroying their public support and credibility. Sidious was going to help them along once the Skywalker trial started.

=RK=

Part 4

CIC

Republic cruiser Chimera

Five light seconds from Mandalore

We reverted to real space with barely a shudder. Moments later, the rest of the battle-group materialized around us and maneuvered to create an armored glove around the flag ship.

A few seconds later the tactical plot refreshed and displayed the surrounding space. There were a lot of ships. CIS ships.

"Separatists fleet elements detected. Designating Hostile One." The tactical officer announced aloud.

A cluster of dots between Mandalore and its moon Concordia shifted from the gray of unknown to the deep red reserved for hostiles. Other dots were changing color too – some in clusters, other by themselves. There were three cruiser battle-groups in blue – the Mandalorian defense fleet units we could detect.

"Sir, one of those flotilas shows Death Watch IFF." The sensor officer declared.

"Designate them as potential hostiles. Give me better resolution on those CIS ships."

One of the blue groups – that above Concordia shifted into amber.

"One battleship. One command frigate, twelve standard Munificents." Tactical announced.

"That's thirty one potentially friendly Mando cruisers, nine hostile and the Separatists." Pellaeon stated. "That we can detect anyway. Unless all of our hosts turn on us or the CIS drops another fleet we should be all right. You have a trick or two up your sleeve, right?" The Commodore looked at me.

"Of course. I'm not seeing any battlestations. Only a ring of defense satellites."

"The Mandalorians never rebuild them after their civil war."

"Sloppy, unless they lacked the resources?" I thought aloud.

"Pacifists. At least they tried very hard to appear as such." Helena shrugged.

"That wasn't a trick!" Obi-Wan snapped.

"No need to defend your girlfriend yet."

"Commodore, hail our hosts. No matter what they demand, don't let them box in our ships while we're planetside."

"Not happening, sir. There're a lot of the bastards, but nothing that would relish facing five of our cruisers."

"Good. We aren't here to play games."

=RK=

Sundari

Mandalore

The capital wasn't anything like I remember. In fact the whole desert in which the biome city was situated was a forest the last time I was here. At least it was more or less in the same place, though the semi-sphere of gray metal encompasing the metropolis was a far cry from the sprawling skyscrapers and suburbs I remembered. Apparently the Mandalorians had managed to trash the place while I was in a time-out.

When the assault shuttle that brought us down landed, we were met by a pair of honor guards in blue ceremonial armors. They were armed with force-pikes and nothing else. I hoped for their sakes that their garb was made of beskin.

Our greeting comitee didn't bode well for the negotiations. Sending just those two to meet us was a slight – a show of disrespect that would have pissed off most Senators.

"That's not the proper way to meet a diplomatic party, which is here to discuss an alliance." Helena muttered.

"Oh, it is if the party is representing the Republic." I quipped. During the cold war, the Republic did try to sunder our alliance with the Mandalorians. While that didn't work too well for them, it was amusing to watch how much fun the locals had in subtly snubbing the diplomatic parties, especially if there were Jedi present.

"You expected something like this." Kenobi glanced at me.

"Yep. It tells us that the Duchess is in even weaker position that we were led to believe. Unless you pissed her off the last time you were together and this is for your benefit?" I asked.

"We separated on amikable terms." Obi-Wan glared at me.

"This way." One of the honor guards waved towards a pair of speeders – which were more cargo platforms than anything else.

"Let's hope that there aren't snipers waiting for us."

=RK=

We spent our flight through the city in silence. I was busy observing the place. As cities go – it was a nice one. Tasteful buildings, a lot of hydrophonic farms and parks. More importantly – the place was chock full with statues and murals depicting the good old warrior days. So much for the New Mandalorians speaking about the majority of the locals. If they really were all pacifists, the works of art we could see wouldn't be glorifying the warrior ways of their ancestors. Most telling was the fact that from the dozens of statues we saw, not a single one was what you could call a peaceful one even if you squinted very hard.

That was good. I would have been sorely dissapointed to find out that the civil war had castrated the Mandalorians and turned them all into pacifists.

The government building we arrived at was a beautiful work of art – a breathtaking amalgmation of crystal and metal, lined up with statues.

It was also a security nightmare.

A single man met us at the landing pad. He was about one ninety, short blond hair and a bit of beard under his chin. Long face, halkish nose and piercing purple eyes.

"General Veil, General Kenobi. It's good to see you. I'm Prime Minister Alamec. Please follow me. The Duchess is expecting you."

"Minister." I nodded. "Have your Separatist guest made you an offer you can't refuse yet?"

"That's something you need to discuss with Duchess Satine."

"Oh, we will. We were supposed to meet the Republic ambassador here."

"She hasn't arrived yet. The Duchess requests your presence immediately."

I shrugged and waved him to lead. This wasn't smelling like a trap. Yet.

A few minutes later we were led into a large audience chamber. The Duchess was waiting for us on an ornamental throne at the far end. The only other person present was an unassuming man in dark purple robes.

I raised an eyebrow at her. Satine Kryze looked nothing like her sister. She wore a deep blue and green dress. An ornamental head-dress covered most of her head and forehead. Her blond hair was bound by six strange… things on each side of her head. She looked rather down too, at least until she saw Obi-Wan. That apparently perked her up and she stood up to greet us.

I looked around. No sight of guards. Just the Duchess, her Prime Minister and a man I assumed to be an adviser. This was going to be an interesting meeting.

=RK=

Part 5

Audience Chamber

Sundari Royal Palace

Sundari

Mandalore

For a few moments I actually considered being unusually diplomatic, but the I decided to cut to the chase. In the end, unless Satine decided to change her policies to hundred and eighty degrees, she wasn't the person I really needed to talk to.

"Curious. All the briefings about the situation on Mandalore I got didn't mention that your government is this desperate." I smiled at the Duchess. I earned myself a lot of glares too, from practically everyone but Helena, who simply rolled her eyes at my antics.

"What makes you think that we're desperate?" Satine asked.

I waved at the empty chamber around us.

"This isn't an official meeting. I hope so anyway. If this is all the support you have, I'm obviously talking with the wrong person."

"It's unofficial." The Prime Minister stated quietly. "With whom would you talk if not us? The Death Watch are supporting an alliance with the CIS."

"You on the other hand wish to remain neutral. Am I right?"

"Of course. This isn't our war." Satine stated.

"Too bad. That's not an option." I smiled at her.

"What." Kenobi turned to face me.

"A Mandalorian neutrality is unacceptable for either side. Perhaps I shouldn't telling you that..." I smiled at the Duchess. "I'm to either ensure an alliance or remove the Mandalorians as players in this conflict. Sorry, Obi-Wan. That was need to know until we arrived." I shrugged.

"That's madness! The Republic would never condone..." The Duchess spluttered.

"Please. You can't be that naive. The Republic was ecstatic when you disarmed after your civil war." Helena added.

"Now that you might rearm and become a threat again..." I shrugged. "A lot of Senators remember on whose side Mandalore historically fought. The way we were sent here… It's obvious that there are parties that want an alliance between us to fail so you could be dealt with once and for all. Now let's not waste each others time, Duchess. Let's talk realpolitik."

"Excuse us for a moment." Kenobi smiled at Satine, grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

"Veil!" He hissed. "What's your major malfunction?!" The Jedi Glared at me.

"Did I fail to mention my precise instructions? It had something to do with who your girlfriend is. Divided loyalties and all that." I nodded at the Duchess who was busy whispering with her advisers.

"I'm not compromised! You on the other hand are insane!"

"Am I? I just cut to the chase. I don't know about you, but I don't have weeks or months to waste in negotiations that are likely useless. This whole thing – it shows that Satine is desperate. Not good for our position. So we're going with plan 'B'."

"What's that particular piece of insanity?"

"Throw the New Mandalorians under the airbus and make a deal with a faction that actually has backing and will support us in the war. If your girl plays her hand well, she might retain some power too."

"That's not why we're here."

"Please enlighten me. I'm just a poor old Sith." I gave him a deadpan look.

"Demented too. We're here to support the Mandalorian government and ensure an alliance with them." Obi-Wan glared at me.

"No. We're here to ally ourselves with a military power or make sure that Mandalore can't become a threat for the Republic in the future. That by itself tanks all that the New Mandalorians and your girlfriend stand for. Their platform is pacifism. Anything but continued neutrality isn't an acceptable alternative for them."

"For you that's a bad thing. Kriffing Sith." Kenobi growled.

"Not my idea, though I agree. Mandalore has to chose side or face a civil war. In either case, their vaulted neutrality is over."

"That's not what the Republic stands for!"

"It is now. The Separatists hit too close to home with their attacks on Naboo and Coruscant. This is no longer a war fought in the nebulous Outer Rim. It's a problem for the core and that will show to everyone the true face of the Republic."

"You don't really believe in it, do you? The Republic, democracy?"

"They're useful tools and I will support them until they fail." I smiled. I was telling the truth. From my point of view.

"I can't… I can't let Mandalore be consumed by this war." Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped.

"Do you have a miracle ready? There are many things arrayed against us. To the average Mandalorian, we – the Republic and the Jedi are the enemy. Me being a Sith is a mixed blessing at best and my alliance with you will be working against me."

"I'm a Jedi. In the end I will do what I believe to be right." Obi-Wan glared at me.

"I don't expect anything less, my friend." I smiled. "So I implore you, talk some sense in your girlfriend once we know what exactly we're dealing with."

"You're going to seek favor from either the Death Watch or another militaristic organization."

"As of the battle for Ryloth, the Death Watch was a bunch of thugs with just a few decent people in the ranks. They had obviously expanded their influence and membership. Massively so in fact."

"That bounty hunter friend of yours." Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah. Bo-Katan… Kryze." I chuckled and watched his eyes widen. "I have a few surprises ready. However, baring a miracle, Mandalore will be a battlefield before we're done here. Take care for your girlfriend. Let's see what our esteemed Duchess wants from us."

=RK=

Part 6

Audience Chamber

Sundari Royal Palace

Sundari

Mandalore

"Duchess. You wanted to talk. Please do so." I waved at Satine.

The Mandalorian woman glared at me for a long moment, then turned to Obi-Wan. "Master Kenobi, I want to formally request the aid of the Jedi Order in maintaining Mandalore's neutrality in this conflict."

I smiled. That was the only real card the New Mandalorians had to play unless they threw all they believed in away and chose a side.

"That's a strike two, Obi-Wan." I watched the man squirm. "Will there be a third way you're going to be compromised today? First she's your girlfriend." I stated aloud, making the Prime Minister and adviser gasp, while Kenobi glared at me. The Duchess was simply speechless at my accusation. That was definitely something that you didn't do at even an informal diplomatic meeting. It was too bad for everybody that I didn't have time to follow the usual rules of diplomacy. "Second, you just got placed in a position where your duties as a Jedi and a Republic general are at odds."

"Veil, just shut up for a moment." Kenobi growled and looked at the Duchess. "As a Jedi Master, I'm a peacekeeper… and a guardian of the Republic, of civilization. My duty is to preserve peace." He gave me a particularly dirty look. "However, Duchess Satine, my colleague who apparently had never heard about diplomacy, is correct. Unless there has been new and positive developments here on Mandalore, I don't see a way you can possibly maintain your neutrality. We've seen the true colors of the Separatists. They and any organization backing them, won't accept an alliance between our two states. They won't respect your neutrality either."

"We have the Death Watch firmly in hand." The Prime Minister stated. He sounded confident too.

"A few months ago, that was the case." I nodded. "After Ryloth they started getting droves of new recruits and a lot of popular support." I smiled. I did receive a few messages from Bo-Katan detailing the Death Watch situation, though I mentioned them to no one.

"That's an exaggeration at best." This was adviser.

"So most of your people aren't chaffing under the forced veneer of pacifism that your ruling party had been pushing down their throats ever since the civil war? You're honestly wanting me to believe that their warrior blood isn't boiling at the thought of joining in the greatest war in a thousand years?" I smiled.

"Of course not! We're enlightened, more mature people now! We all saw what war and the warrior ways brought us! Our warrior ways are just that – a relic of the past!" Satine snapped.

I was astounded.

"You actually believe that." I muttered.

"Of course I do!" Satine glared at me.

"You're no Mandalorian." I snapped back. How the hell did this woman rose to power on Mandalore I would never know.

"If you mean that I'm not a madwoman hellbent on conquering the galaxy and drowning it in blood after waging a senseless war, that's true. I'm proud of it."

At least she was a fierce little thing, even if she was an idealistic idiot. If she ever met Padme, those two would be best friends forever or something.

"That's something to be proud of." Kenobi nodded.

"In different situation it would be commendable." Helena added. "Here and now?" The agent shrugged.

"Even if Obi-Wan decides to throw away his commission as a Republic general and help you try achieving neutrality, it won't help neither you nor your people, Duchess. The Republic can't afford a neutral Mandalore that can later join the Separatists. When our official negotiations are over, Mandalore will either be our ally or removed as a potential threat. I'm sure that my CIS counterpart had already shared similar sentiments and he does support the Death Watch."

"Is this how the Republic conducts itself nowadays? Blackmailing neutral nations?" She sounded appailed. I have no doubt that she held a rather idealistic view of the Republic, one that didn't have much in common with reality even before the war.

"In the last year the galaxy changed, Duchess Satine. The Republic is fighting for its very survival against a monstrous enemy. We can no longer afford to be the nice guys. I did tell you that we'll be discussing realpolitik, didn't I? You have a choice to make, Duchess. Us or the Separatists." I shrugged.

Next to me, I could feel anger coiling around Obi-Wan and most of it was targeted at me.

"At this moment, I can't ally Mandalore with the Republic. It's a political impossibility that won't be supported by neither the New Mandalorians, the Death Watch nor the minor political powers."

"That's too bad. Then the best thing you can expect is a civil war in which both the Republic and the Separatists will intervene."

"Veil, enough with this charade." Obi-Wan hissed. "I know you well enough to see that you didn't come here just to antagonize the Duchess."

"Really? Well, she's everything I find wrong with this 'new' Mandalore, though you're correct. I'm not doing it just for fun."

"Delkatar!" Kenobi snapped.

"What? Unless your girlfriend is an idiot, she knows what has to happen. However, it will be a political suicide for her in particular and a death blow for her precious New Mandalorians."

Obi-Wan looked between me and Satine, then sighed. "I know where that's going."

The three Mandalorians looked at each other. The adviser gave Satine a subtle nod and the Prime Minister simply stared at her.

"We've already discussed it." Alamec stated.

"The warriors..." Satine spat the word, "Would never accept overtures from me. Most of them are too busy gathering behind the Death Watch."

With that attitude? Of course not.

"Then you know what your people need."

"A new Mandalore will be a disaster!" Satine snapped. "Besides, no one can become such without the mask, which is lost."

"Most of the warriors you dismiss, who apparently make a major part of your population see the Death Watch as their only viable alternative – a bunch of thugs of all things. If Mandalore is to avoid a civil war, they need another figure and a cause to rally behind."

"What do you propose, general Veil?" The Prime Minster asked. "They won't support the Duchess, nor a Republic General."

"No. There has been too much bad blood. We need to talk with the warriors who are still neutral, with the Clan heads who haven't yet thrown their power behind the Death Watch. With any fractions that might exist within the later and fine a viable alternative."

"Is that your plan – to turn my people back into bloodthirsty savages? What happens if this plan of yours fail?" Satine glared at me.

"Mandalore burns." I deadpanned. "If your people continue flocking to the Death Watch, they will become a bunch of murderous savages. That organization is nothing more than thugs that glorify a misunderstood past and you made it the only viable alternative for most warriors among your people." I glared back at the woman. Damn, I didn't think that I would meet someone who was more irritating than Padme.

"You've given me a lot to think about, Sith." She spat the last word. "This meeting is over. Prime Minister Alamec will ensure that you'll reach the Republic embassy without accident. Master Kenobi, if you will, may we talk," Satine gave me a pointed look, "privately."

"Ah. Sure. Lead the way, Duchess." Obi-Wan sent me a look promising retribution and followed Satine who had turned around and headed towards a small door near the throne.

"This could have gotten better." Helena sighed.

"Not really. A few months ago – sure. Right now, the Duchess has little real power and no alternative that won't destroy her support base. She really isn't who we need to talk with."

"Your mysterious contacts on Mandalore?"

"Among other people. First we need to have a chat with the ambassador and get briefed on the latest developments."

=RK=

Part 7

Ambassador's office

Republic Embassy

Mandalore

"What do you mean the Ambassador was kriffing recalled?!" I glared at the ranking Republic diplomat left in the Embassy – a dark blue Twi'lek Counselor.

The young man recoiled from my anger and waved his hands in placating gesture.

"Ambassador Nelliis was ordered back to Coruscant to shortly before you arrived, General. I believe that she departed about the same time your ships exited hyperspace."

This was a sweet little kriff you from Palpatine, I'm sure of it as much I was sure that he would be placing the blame on someone who's been a thorn in his side within the Republic Diplomatic corps.

"This is bold. Who exactly did you piss off at Coruscant?" Helena asked.

"More than a few people, I'm sure." I sighed. Palpy was getting more and more irritating lately. I might even have to move against him before everything was in place and the war would be all but won. At any rate, that was a few years down the line. I didn't have neither the assets nor the alliances needed to openly attack the Chancellor.

I closed my eyes for a moment and ignored the Council, who was busy making excuses. My plans for Mandalore were rather simple – ensure that Bo-Katan became the new Mandalore, though to pull that off would be a challenge. She simply lacked enough glory and backing to credibly try gaining the position at this time. That's why I planned to gather a significant amount of warriors and Clan Heads behind the ideals of the honorable warriors of old like Mandalore the Vindicated and his successor, my friend Stephen Ordo - he was one of the best men I ever knew and would be turning in his grave at seeing what had happened with his people. After that I was going to propose that they unleashed their warriors to participate in the war until there was someone who proved to be a Mandalore material and could credibly hold the position.

If I continued being sabotaged from Coruscant I might not have a choice but be forced to deal with the Mandalorians once and for all - and that would be a kriffing waste. Further, it would be spitting on Ordo's grave and all the times he saved my life. Last time I checked he actually was ahead.

I smiled wishfully. A wave of fury almost overwhelmed me as I thought about all I lost. Everyone I once called a friend had been dead long enough to be nothing more but dust. What the kriff I was doing fighting for the Republic? They weren't my people. They and the Empire were gone for millennia. All I had left was a hope to go home to a world an dimension away, to a woman I loved a few lifetimes ago. If I was allowed to. I still remembered dying when that super-weapon misfired. I clearly remember awakening in my fighter in a system far, far a way in a future I barely knew. I remember struggling with memories old and new.

Yet… What could I do? What was left? Why did I fight? The faces of Shaak-Ti, Obi-Wan, Aria, Bo-Katan and many more flashed before my eyes. People I considered my friends. Others, who won my respect. The soldiers under my command, who looked up to me to get them through the hell that was this war. The woman I might be slowly falling for and another that I found fascinating.

In truth, they were the reason I fought. The only thing I really had in this time and place. As for Natarle and Earth – I hoped that one day I would be back. That I would change the fate I knew awaited them. However, I've changed. Once I would have sacrificed the whole galaxy for that goal without a thought. Then I met Vette and later Ashara along with a lot of people I considered friends and comrades. By the time I fell in love with my late wife, I knew that I would no longer sacrifice everyone here for Nat and Earth.

Now, all those years latter, I found myself in a similar position. This wasn't a playground or a simple task to be completed. Kriff it, I wasn't going to let Stephan's people, no matter how much they had lost their way burn for the mistakes of a few idiots.

It was time to cut some corners and go for a more radical plan.

"Enough." I snapped. "I need your best information about the current Clan Leaders. Coordinate with the Intelligence Chief, he better be here. Half an hour. I also need a secure room to place a call from."

A couple of minutes later, we were in the basement, where the local Intel station comm equipment was based. It was the best I was going to get short of getting up to the Chimera. A few short orders later and I was alone in front of a heavily encrypted holo-communicator. Soon enough my call came through and a few minutes later, Shaak-Ti as well as the other people I had requested were on line.

While I waited, I cursed the way I lost my composure earlier. It's been a long time since my past before ending in this galaxy bothered me too much… not to mention the way I've been suppressing what I felt about being catapulted in the future and losing everything.

Heh. At least this war was a great distraction and a good way to suppress my grief while I concentrated on commanding and fighting. Besides "a proper" Sith would have simply shrugged and started looking for a way to increase his power. In the end, I did the same, just for different reasons.

I smiled. Perhaps a pissed off Sith is exactly what the doctor prescribed to the Mandalorians.

A few seconds after the Shaak-Ti's holographic image appeared. She looked delicious in the light robes she wore. A moment later three men stepped into view too – the Mandalorians whose presence I had ordered. Their obvious leader was a a short but bulky brown haired man, who looked to be in his early thirties. He was flanked by a another man with a bit longer and lighter brown hair. He wore a light gray mandalorian styled armor with the symbol of combat medic. The last Mandalorian wearing such I badge I met was Mako – the future wife of Mandalore the Dauntless. The last man was almost shaved bald but I could see a crop of very short black hair. He was the tallest of the three, though he was athletic instead of being a mountain of muscle. His black armor stood out among the lighter garb of the other people around him.

"General Veil, this is a surprise. I gather that this isn't a social call." Ti gave me a small smile when she saw me, but otherwise didn't show nothing but a professional interest.

"Unfortunately not. The situation here has taken a turn for the worse. General Kal Skirata, Mij Gilamar and Walon Vau, I presume?"

"Correct General Veil. I'm Skirata. What's the problem?" The Mandalorian warrior was wary. After all, it wasn't every day that the next best thing to your commander in chief called out of the blue, especially if you haven't had any contact with them previously. It seldom boded well too.

"Barring a miracle Mandalore is going to be a smoking ball of glass in couple of weeks." I stated flatly. That got their undivided attention. "How well have you kept with news from home?" I asked them before they could recover from the bomb I just dropped.

Only the man in black armor didn't react. The Combat medic gave me a flat look that promised pain and death, while the General Simply stared at me.

"Veil, what did you do this time?" Shaak-Ti sounded exasperated.

"Me? I simply had an informal meeting with Duchess Satine. She and the New Mandalorians are finished. Warriors are joining the kriffing Death Watch in droves and the latter imbeciles are going to either wing control over Mandalore and joint the CIS or launch a coup if they can't take power in a more traditional way."

"I see." Shaak-Ti sighed. "I know what you would do in such a case."

"You know me so well." I teased, earning myself a glare.

"I need and explanation. Now." Skirata spoke quietly in a voice that broke no argument.

"That's curious. Besides my Clone Troopers, you're the second Mandalorian in this day and age I met who actually has a spine. I'm glad that Mandalore the Dauntless still has a few of his people left who are worth something." I gave the Mandalorian a cold smile.

The Mandalorian General narrowed his eyes at me. "I've heard a lot of rumors about you. That you're a delusional Dark Jedi. A Sith who decided that hiding was no longer necessary… Even a few claiming that you fought in the Great Galactic War nearly four thousand years ago. At Coruscant, Ryloth and Geonosis you proved you know what you were doing. You earned yourself a lot of glory." Skirata gave me a sharp nod of respect at that. "Still… A true Sith after all those years and one allied with the Jedi and the Republic? That's hard to believe."

"We all play the cards we've been dealt. I was part of the Empire once - until a super-weapon misfired and threw me millennia into the future. My people are gone – all I could do in their honor now is to hunt down and dispose of the fallen Jedi Dooku who pretends to be a Sith and sullies our name. But we aren't here to discuss my past or people, but Mandalore's future."

"I'm still waiting for an explanation." Skirata raised his ordered.

"Your people are leaderless. The only banner the warriors could gather around is that of the Death Watch." I paused and stared at each man in turn. "You've been gathered here by Fett, so I hope that you and your friends on Kamino do believe in the creed of the True Mandalorians. Unless Mandalore unites behind someone honorable, its days are numbered. I can't allow your world to join the Separatists. If the Death Watch start a coup or takes power, Republic forces under my command will interfere and neutralize the threat once and for all."

Skirata looked at Shaak-Ti, who stared at him for a moment and then gave him a firm nod.

"I know what a Sith would do in such a case. I did pay attention during my history lessons." The Mandalorian warrior spoke in a voice that sounded calm. If it wasn't for the Force, it would be almost impossible to sense the emotion in his words. There were anger and apprehension, mixed in with fear. "You called us for a reason."

"I would prefer to have your people as my allies once again. The last thing I want is to be the man responsible for destroying Mandalore and breaking the Mandalorians. That's a fate that I want to prevent. I owe that much and more to Stephen Ordo. I called you to ask for help. Help me save your people and bring them up to the standards of Honor that Mandalore the Vindicated and Mandalore the Dauntless were famous for. What say you, Kal Skirata, Clan Leader of Clan Skirata?" I asked aloud.

=RK=

Part 8

Republic Intelligence center

Republic Embassy

Mandalore

For nearly a minute I had a staring match with the Mandalorians.

"What do you intend to do, General Veil? We've been practically ghosts for more than a decade. Our standing at home will be less than impressive after all that time." Skirata stated.

"For starters, I need to talk with the most important Clan Leaders, something I believe you can facilitate."

"I still have a few contacts left. It should be doable. The honor and glory you earned yourself will help in that regard." The Mandalorian General said.

"Second – the Death Watch are nothing but a bunch of glorified thugs and gangsters. Most of their acts were attacks against other Mandalorians. They need to be exposed for all to see what their misguided ideas really mean."

"I agree. They betrayed everything a True Mandalorian stands for once, there's no reason the believe they won't do that again." Skirata's voice became frosty. He obviously meant what the Death Watch did during the Civil War – something that as far as I knew wasn't a public knowledge. If it was and they still had such a large support as reported, the Mandalorians were truly lost.

"It's a wonder what one might find in the Jedi Archives. I ran in a few interesting pieces of trivia while I was catching up on history." I smiled coldly. Checking up what happened with the Mandalorians had been high on my priority list after I saw the outcome of the Great War. Kriff the bastards who tore the Empire apart after the Republic fleets were all but destroyed and the war was for all intents and purposes won.

Skirata froze. "You have proof about their treachery?"

"I do. However, considering that it comes from the Jedi Archives, it's not exactly credible."

"It's better than what we have. However, it's been a long time. Fett killed the bastard who engineered the betrayal. The proof is worth less today than it would have been a decade ago. What else?"

"We provoke the Death Watch, make them show their true colors. Then we challenge their leaders to a single combat and deal with them."

"A dangerous gamble, worthy of a Mandalorian." Skirata nodded. I obviously earned myself a notch of approval in his eyes. "The big problem's that we currently don't have an unifying figure. No one with a sufficient claim to become Mandalore anyway."

"That's a big concern. My initial plan was to keep the situation from exploding for long enough that someone could spread their wings and cover themselves in glory during the war. That's no longer viable plan."

"What then? Discredit the Death Watch and hope for the best?"

"Do it and improvise. The alternative is that Mandalore burns."

"What else do you want from us?"

"Gather as many commandos and Mandalorians you can find on Kamino, then make your way here ASAP. We need to talk in person anyway."

"We'll leave on the first available transport."

"Make sure that's well armed." I gave a nod to Shaak-Ti and cut the connection.

Then I sent an encrypted burst transmission to Bo-Katan.

=RK=

Brox's Bar

Sundari

Mandalore

After a few hours of who's who in today's Clans, I let Helena to get more in-depth information and left the embassy. As far as I knew, Obi-Wan was still trying to smooth over things with his girlfriend. That thought made me smirk. If the woman didn't have her head stuck as deep in her ass as she did and if Kenobi wasn't still too clingy to the Jedi dogma, my Mandalore problem might be resolved.

Obi-Wan certainly was covered with enough honor and glory to qualify for the position and hooking up with Satine would come with him becoming a part of the Mando culture. That was an interesting idea worth exploring.

It took me about an hour to reach my destination – which was an address that Bo sent me while I was busy with the Intel Chief. The place made me smile. It also brought a bout of nostalgia.

It was a bar – just like Stephen would have chosen for clandestine, or well any meeting in which he might had got away with it. For the Mandalorians, bar were practically a cultural thing – a places to watch some sport, get a drink and something to eat, make a deal and chill off by a way of a nice bar-fight. The places shouldn't be mistaken with cantinas – first, everyone was much more polite, a result of everyone inside usually being trained and armed killer. Second, in any reputable Mando bar you couldn't find some usual things about cantinas the galaxy over – drugs, prostitutes and cut-purses. Two of those were pure suicide to try and the last was going to get you thrown out.

Outside the place wasn't anything to write home about – just a sturdy looking door with a sign above. The interior was much better and brought a lot of nostalgia. There were a lot of tables, with a reasonably large place reserved for dancing in the center. The bar was on the right – it was a slab of dark metal that looked suspiciously like a polished piece of starship hull. It was lined up with sturdy tall chairs which looked strong enough to easily hold a big guy clad in heavy armor. Good thing too, because I could see five warriors at the bar busy either sipping their drinks or watching a big screen covering most of the wall to the left. Half the tables were filled with dining people, some were obviously couples, others looked like squads of warriors out for dinner. The remaining two walls were lined up with leather seats surrounding low tables and were submerged into shadows. Above them, I could see a few dozens trophies – all were dangerous predators. The crown pieces were a rankor's head and much more impressive – a

a Terentatek one. I've dealt with a few of the latter back in the day. They were big brutes – heavily armored, fast, vicious and almost completely immune to the Force. In fact a handful even fed on it when I tried to attack them that way.

I shook my head and enhanced my perception with the Force. The familiar feeling of Bo-Katan immediately stood out. I smiled and headed to the corner seat to my left. A moment later, I enhanced my eyes and could clearly see her despite the shadows doing great job of concealing her. Bo-Katan was wearing armor similar to what she had back on Ryloth, though she was painted in the Death Watch preferred colors. I hoped that she was going to make the right decision.

I would hate to have to kill her.

=RK=

Part 9

Brox's Bar

Sundari

Mandalore

"It's good to see you again." I smiled. Then I frowned, when Bo leaned forward and I could see her face clearly.

"I wish I could say the same." Kryze grumbled, while playing with a cup of steaming caff.

The woman looked rather worse to wear. Her hair was a disheveled mess. Her face was gaunt and pale. That only made the huge black bags under her bloodshot eyes stand off like roadside signs.

"Did you try to drink a platoon under the table or something?" I asked and sat down across the table from Bo-Katan.

"It sounded like a good idea at the time." She gave me a tired smile.

"It usually does - right until the hangover hits."

"Don't I know it." Bo sighed and took a sip from her drink. "How do you like today's Mandalore?" She asked morosely.

"My answer is going to make Jabba the Hutt blush." I deadpanned.

"I can see that."

Damn. Whatever had happened in the last few month had shaken her to the core.

"You know, I didn't imagine us meeting again like this." I muttered.

"How so?"

"I expected that you'd want a rematch after you were loaded for Sith." I smiled. It's been a very long time since I fought a Mandalorian Warrior who was prepared to face one of my kind.

"The thought did cross my mind." Her lips twitched upwards. "The implications however..." Bo shrugged. "One of these days I may take you up on that."

Oh. She was a Mandalorian. Right. Well… A "sparing" match with one of her culture could have various implications, some much more important and complicated than others.

"What? Did I make the big bat Sith speechless?"

"Well, my Mando courting rituals are bit rusty. Did you just say that you would try to kick my ass and drag me to bed afterwords?"

"If you're particularly good boy." Bo-Katan smirked. "Or bad, depending on the situation."

I smiled back. It was good to see the spark of life back in her eyes.

"We'll see. I'm looking forward fighting beside you again… and I hope that would be the case instead of facing you for one last time." The smile and any good cheer I felt bled off me. It was time for Bo-Katan to chose her side.

I hoped it would be mine.

"No more idle chat, eh?" Bo finished her caff and looked me in the eyes. "You were right." She sighed and slumped back in her seat.

"The Death Watch… they're no honorable warriors. Slavery, drugs, extortion, common murder, smuggling – take your pick." Bo hissed like an angry snake. "Looking back, a lot of my jobs for them..." She trailed off and shook her head. "I've tarnished my honor, my Clan's honor almost as much as my sister does."

Ah. That explains a lot.

"Satine? I don't think you could have possibly kriffed up as much as she did. I had a chat with her earlier today, you know."

"While I kriffed up my honor at least I didn't spit on all that means to be a Mandalorian." Bo laughed bitterly.

"Yes. She messed up pretty badly."

"That's an understatement." The Mandalorian woman whispered darkly. "You've seen what I sent you. The Death Watch are growing in strength. Warriors are falling over themselves to join without knowing what they are doing. It's all her fault."

"All? That's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Thanks to my sister" Bo spat, "there's no other credible alternative. No one else to rally us."

"In my time I would have expected that the Mandalorians would know better. The Death Watch betrayed the last true Mandalorian warriors at the end of your civil war. What makes you all think that they won't do it again?"

"What?!" Bo hissed.

"Ah. I thought it was common knowledge. Vizsla, the previous leader of the Death Watch informed the Republic where the remaining True Mandalorians would be. They sent a Jedi task force which ambushed them. Only one man got away."

"How do you know that?"

"The Jedi archives. I 'persuaded' them to give me access so I could catch up on history and see what happened with my friends and comrades back in my day. Naturally the history of Stephen's people was something high up on my list."

"Do you have proof? Who's Stephen?"

"It's back on the Chimera in orbit." I pointed up. "As for Stephen – Stephen Ordo. We ran into each other more than a few times and become friends. Shortly after the war went hot, he became Mandalore the Dauntless after his predecessor was assassinated by a Jedi strike team."

"Kriff me sideways! You were the Black Knight?!" Bo stared at me as if I suddenly grew another head.

"Stephen's to blame for that! I had nothing to do with that nickname!"

"I can't say if you're kriffing with me or if you're telling the truth."

"We both know that I can't possibly prove who I am. Not beyond a shadow of a doubt." I shrugged. That was the truth after all.

"You can't, can you?" Bo's enthusiasm took a nosedive. Then she grinned at me. "We're going to have our spar sooner than latter. Combat is the purest expression of oneself." Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"I didn't know you subscribed to Echani teachings."

"Some. Grandma was one before she become one of us."

What's with women trying to kill me lately?!

"You're aware that I'm not a Mandalorian, right?"

"Not yet." Bo beamed at me. "You might be one when I'm done with you."

Oh. I suddenly felt like a steak served to a hungry lioness.

"You're presuming you could win this time." I smiled back. We'll see who's the hunter and who's the hunted.

"This time I know who and what I'm facing."

Damn. She was serious. Unless the Mando culture had radically changed… Kriff it. There were certain things expected of you if you hooked up with a Mandalorian. Like becoming one.

Mind you, I was interested in Bo-Katan. She was a fascinating woman – a great warrior, with fiery temper and a figure to die for.

Then there was Shaak-Ti – my may be lover too. I was most definitely interested in her, though I still didn't know if it was because of herself or because of her resemblance to my late wife.

How the kriff did I get myself in this mess anyway?! Damn it, this was going to further complicate the situation.

"Do you really?" I teased. I couldn't help myself and started digging a deeper hole.

"Well, I'll know for sure when I'm done with you." Bo declared cheekily. She sighed. "However, I don't believe you called me just to arrange for our spark."

"I'm glad you've seen the Death Watch for what they're. I would hate to see you on the wrong side of the battlefield."

"Me too." Bo muttered softly. "Though it would have been a battle to remember!" She perked up.

Mandalorians.

"You're better apprised of the local situation than me. How long until your former colleagues could try seizing power and succeed?" I spoke quietly.

"Direct action? Two, three weeks tops. The old fashioned way? A few months unless the government falls, then much sooner."

"Sooner it is. Satine's position won't survive the pressure of the Republic and CIS."

"Well, well. I expected that the Republic would be supporting her." BO leaned forward. "That's certainly a surprise."

"It's a mess. I'm the Republic negotiator. Unless Mandalore allies with us, I'm to remove it as a threat." I whispered.

That certainly shocked Bo. The blood drained from her face. She was one of the few people who not only knew that I was a Sith of old, but believed it beyond a shadow of a doubt. She knew that I wasn't bluffing or exaggerating.

I could feel her shock. Soon it was supplanted by a silver of fear, but mostly anger. Damn, she looked like a vengeful goddess of war when angry!

"Then the Death Watch needs to go." Bo stated flatly.

"My thoughts exactly."

=RK=

Part 10

Royal gardens

Sundari Royal Palace

Sundari

Mandalore

Flowers from all over the galaxy thrived under the protection of environmental shields – their alcoves were separated by alleys lined up with carefully trimmed bushes, which were barely tall enough to reach Kenobi's knees.

The place was breathtaking, yet Obi-Wan barely noticed. He had eyes only for Satine, who was radiating so much anger that the Jedi could swear that he could see. The Duchess suddenly stopped and turned to face him.

"What was that?!" Satine snapped and pointed an accusing finger at his chest. "You're supposed to be a Jedi!" Her eyes flashed with unbound fury. "A representative of the Republic!" Satine actually poked him in the chest. "Yet, you just stood there while that man threatened to burn Mandalore!" The Duchess hissed.

Obi-Wan averted his eyes. She was right… yet it was no longer so simple.

"What would you have me do, Satine?!" Kenobi sighed. "You're right!" He raised his hands in surrender. "As a Jedi, I should be doing what's best for peace. I should be doing my best to protect Mandalore!"

That gave Satine pause. Her fury subdued to merely boiling anger. "Yet, you said nothing to contradict that man!" She growled.

"I'm a Jedi! A sword protector of the Republic! What am I supposed to do when in order to preserve it I may have to ensure that Mandalore doesn't become a threat in this war?!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.

"We're no threat! We're peaceful people!" Satine exclaimed.

"You are. The New Mandalorians too." Kenobi nodded at her, while speaking softly. "I can't say the same about the Death Watch and everyone supporting them."

Satine recoiled as if he just slapped her.

"Damn them!" The Duchess hissed. "Damn the warrior culture that still haunt us!"

Obi-Wan had to take a step back from the sheer loathing that Satine radiated for a moment. Her shoulders slumped and she stared at the floor.

"Will you allow it then? Will you simply watch my world burn and do nothing if the warmongers prevail?"

"I… I don't know. I don't know what to do." Obi-Wan admitted. "I'm a Jedi. A general serving the Republic." He laughed sadly. "It should have been easy – to do the right thing. Instead..." He trailed off. "As a Jedi, as a General… I would have to prevent Mandalore joining the enemy and becoming another threat by any means necessary. As a Jedi – I should be seeking a peaceful resolution of this conflict. Bombarding, much less burning down this world should have been unthinkable!" Kenobi shouted.

"The Republic." Satine trailed off. "What about it? The Republic I know wouldn't condone destroying a world because it might be a threat! That's what the Separatists would do!"

"Fear. Desperation." Obi-Wan shrugged. "Take your pick. The Republic hasn't been the same since Naboo and Coruscant. We all made mistakes. We lost our way."

"That would be a cold comfort for my people."

"I know. We, the Jedi – no longer control the army. If we ever did." Obi-Wan sighed. "The best we could do is try mitigating the damage and try to end the conflict as soon as possible."

"That's it?" Satine exclaimed.

"It is." Obi-Wan smiled sadly. "We can no longer stop the war, if we ever could. We don't have the influence to prevent the Senate and GAR High Command from carrying out a plan if they're determined to execute it. We can only quit and then we would have no say at all in how this conflict is prosecuted."

Satine simply stared at him. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"We made too many mistakes. While significant number of generals are Jedi nowadays we have much less say in strategy and tactics than we had when the war started. We lost a lot of our credibility and influence."

"Instead you're all following a Sith!" Satine snapped.

Kenobi nodded numbly.

"How can you justify it?!"

"Delkatar wins. He's one of the main reasons why we didn't lose dozens more Jedi when the Temple was attacked. Most importantly, he's not as limited as we are when fighting the war is concerned – it's not that he's a better general, though he is for now at least, it's the fact that he can implement tactics and strategies that are usually unthinkable for Jedi like me."

"He fights and commands like a monster!"

"That's one way of putting it. It's true. Satine – on Geonosis he ordered orbital strikes on towns and cities where the enemy was either hiding or had installations. Millions died, yet… not a single non-Jedi officer had a problem with that. If we went in there to clean those places in a way that any Jedi, myself included, would have deemed acceptable… I KNOW IT WAS WRONG! I COULD FEEL ALL THOSE PEOPLE DIE!" Obi-Wan shouted. He was shaking with emotions he could no longer suppress.

Satine stared at him in shock.

"Why?" She whispered after they were silent for a couple of minutes.

"Why didn't I protest? Why didn't I stop the slaughter?" Obi-Wan grimaced. "Doing so would have broken our army. Hundreds of thousands soldiers would have died. It might have doomed us in the long term. The Separatists could replace their loses faster than we can. If the ground forces we led on Geonosis were lost…" Kenobi sighed. "Besides, doing so, would have meant betraying every man and woman who followed us down on Geonosis, every sentient fighting for the Republic across the galaxy."

"That's not what a Jedi should be thinking." Satine whispered.

"No. It's what a general should think when he considers throwing an army into the meat-grinder." Obi-Wan muttered. He had to fight to keep away flashbacks of Ryloth and the way he let down his men.

"What about you, Obi-Wan? Not the Jedi." Satine came a step closer. "Not the general." Another one and she was almost touching him. "What about the man standing in front of me? What do you want? What do you fight for?" She asked and stared in his eyes.

Her feelings were confused – Obi-Wan could feel her subduing anger, confusion, fear for her world and people… longing…

"What do I want?" Kenobi muttered. That was a question he hadn't asked himself in a very long time. There was always something more important to deal with rather than seek an answer for that particular question. "I want the war to end." He stared in Satine's eyes. "I..." Obi-Wan trailed of an leaned over her.

Their lips touched and Kenobi was lost to the taste of vanilla.