AN: Another plot bunny that won't let me go. This one came to me while jolting down ideas for the future of my Rogue Knight stories and reading the excellent Howl the Wolves on space battles forums by S0ngD0g13. It's is a crossover between Star Wars and the web novel Worm. The SW part takes place in a likely future of my Rogue Knight stories posted on this site among others, though it is not necessary to have read them - I'll be covering what you needs to know about the events that happened in story.
This chapter was betaed by Dweller by the sound on the space battles forums, thank you very much!
AN2: If you enjoy my stories and have the means, please support me on my pat reon page - Delkatar's writing corner. I hope you'll enjoy Mandalorian Knights as well!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Worm. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial purpose. I make no money from it.
Mandalorian Knights
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Prologue
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Sundari City
Mandalore
Mandalorian Freehold capital world/Federated Galactic Empire member state/
"Good morning, Galaxy!" A pretty blue haired human looking woman smiled at the camera. "I'm Amanda Lawson and this is GNN's In Tune! Today we're broadcasting live from Sundari City on Mandalore, where as you can see behind me, rebuilding efforts proceed apace one year after the end of the Clone Wars! We're on top the damaged Mandal Motors corporate HQ, one of the few buildings that emerged reasonably intact after the fighting on this world finally ended four years ago."
The camera drones zoomed in to show closely the ravaged city-scape behind and the beehive of activity taking place all over – ships, droids and workers in commercial exo-skeletons buzzed over almost every building in sight busy with rebuilding efforts. Yet, all of those paled in comparison to three dozen titanic figures striding with a purpose through wide streets long cleared of debris – the smallest of those behemoths was twenty meters tall with the tallest engineering Mobile Suit towering at thirty five meters.
"Current projections from the Freehold Reclamation Board suggest that preliminary work here in the restored capital would be done in time for the one year anniversary of the Victory Day. Many locals we interviewed during the previous few days claim that they are ready to work like demons to make Sundari safe for the coming celebrations. This year, Mandalore The Restorer and the Clan Council have proclaimed a week long celebrations over the victory in the war, a victory bought in no small part thanks to Mandalorian determination and sacrifices all over the galaxy. The purpose of this long celebrations is to honour not only everyone who sacrificed through the long conflict that not so long ago threatened us all but to allow the Imperial Family to celebrate at home before moving back to the Imperial Capitol of Coruscant for the Galaxy wide holiday on Victory Day. That's right, folks, Empress Satine Kenobi and Emperor Obi-Wan Kenobi will be leading the celebrations here in Sundari in person, right along with Mandalore the Restorer himself, General Delkatar Veil and his wife, the war hero Bo-Katan Veil, the Empress own sister! But that's not all!"
Amanda beamed and walked away from the terrace overlooking the Mandalorian capital. The camera drones followed her graceful movements until she stood in front of a low glass table covered with snacks and beverages.
"Today's special treat is an interview with the Freehold's Financial Minister and CEO of Mandal Motors, Horus Yomaget and two of the leading scientists working for him. They have a stunning announcement to make! It's good to meet you again, Minister Yomaget!"
"Horus, please." The middle aged Mandalorian offered a pleasant smile. "Please take a seat, Amanda. I can call you Amanda, right?"
"Of course, Horus. Thank you for hosting us today." Amanda took a seat on one of the arm-chairs around the table and leaned forward. "You said you had something special to announce today. Shoot!"
"Well, we though about making it an official press-conference, however when we heard you're here with In Tune, we though GNN will be perfect for you. After all, you've been almost exclusively fair and honest in reporting throughout the war, not like some of your rivals in the news business."
"Oh, you make me blush Horus. We at GNN had always strived to bring the truth as we know it to the countless beings across the Galaxy." Amanda gushed.
"I'm pleased to announce that we here at Mandal Motors made an extraordinary discovery a few weeks ago. While our Research and Development department in conjunction with the Imperial Technological Bureau followed through on certain projects began under Chancellor Palpatine, our scientists managed to make a breakthrough – they created a stable breach into an alternative dimension near an inhabited world. I'm sure that the Empress and Mandalore the Restorer will be following on this announcement at noon local time, Amanda, along with many details."
"So, this is a heads up then, Horus?" Lawson asked eagerly.
"Indeed, Amanda. The reason for this is simple, we expect a large furore among a lot of our human citizens, both here in the Freehold and across the galaxy. You see, we've made a peaceful first contact with the locals, exchanged preliminary data and what we've discovered is extraordinary. The world we contacted, called by the locals Earth Bet, is at least in their dimension, Humanity's home world, complete with all the relevant scientific proof – archaeological, palaeontological, biological. Humanity, at least in Earth Bet's reality, evolved there. What's more, we weren't the first people from another dimension they've made a contact with. As we speak, they're in contact with an alternative version of their own world called Earth Aleph..."
"Wow, that's fascinating Hours! What else can you tell us? How was this discovery made? Who were the people who made first contact?! What can you tell our viewers about Earth Bet?"
"Well, Amanda, it all began two weeks ago after our scientists managed to establish a contained and controlled dimensional breach. First we did send a few probe droids and once we had some idea of local language, customs and politics, we dispatched a scouting party made of Mandal Motors security personnel – all experienced and level headed veterans from the war..."
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Chapter 1 Part 1
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A flash of exotic particles heralded a breach forming in the wall between dimensions. Light shone briefly disgorging a two hundred meters long frigate painted black. Before the maelstrom of particles could dissipate, the starship briefly lit up its ion engines – a burst of power just long enough to set it on a vector leading to a more or less stable orbit around the Moon. At the same time the frigate's hangar bay silently slid open and a modified assault shuttle hovered out using repulsors and headed for the dark side of the Earth, which even in this day and age of heroes and monsters was still covered with spider-webs of glowing lights.
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21 December 2010
Earth Bet
"Can someone explain to me why we're here in the first place?" asked Corporal Jake. He was one of the millions clones of Jango Fett who survived the Clone Wars. For a short while he had enjoyed his retirement and peace, a hefty retirement package too, thanks to the efforts of the General and Imperial Family. Yet, just like most of his brothers, he found peace not to his taste – when all was said and done, it was not only boring but he soon found out that he had only one trade that he was both good at and enjoyed. That was how he found himself enlisting as a private security contractor working for Mandal Motors on Mandalore.
"Corporal, I'm pretty sure you were on the same briefing with the rest of us." Sergeant Mathew Horst turned his helmed towards his offending subordinate with mild annoyance. The experienced NCO was formerly from the Mandalorian Military, which he left when the inevitable cut backs in the ground forces hit and currently served in the Mandalorian Knights, Mandal Motors security sub-division. Say what you will about Clan Yomaget and their current leader, however the CEO and serving Financial Minister was more or less honest or at least as much as someone in his position could afford to. He treated his people right too, which was more than could be said about certain parties that be better left unnamed. The last thing they needed on such a sensitive mission was an argument about some of the less… honourable Clan Leaders among their people.
"An expendable probe droid went out of contact so command is sending us to investigate. Is it just me or does this make no sense? Those things were built to be utterly expendable, right? Why are we going down there?" Jack didn't relent.
"All of you should have been briefed about those Parahumans running down there – some have incredible tech abilities. Who knows what they could get out of or do with one of our probes. First, droids are all well and good, but unless we're talking about one of the advanced models, they can't tell you everything." Needless to say, any and all advanced machinery stayed safe in high orbit away from that white bitch currently floating on the other side of the planet. "Second, command, in their infinite wisdom," Mathew began half mockingly, "believes that when time comes for a formal first contact, it should be for the best to do it quietly and low key. As far as those people know they're alone in the universe with the exception of alternatives of their own planet. No one wants to see what a first contact situation gone out of control looks like. Especially if it is true, and this really is a version of humanities home world from the distant past." He finished, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
"Long winded as always, eh, sarge?" The second Corporal in the shuttle, Ginna Quale, chuckled. She has served with Horst before – three months since her new contract with the Knights and before that, during the savage fighting in Sundari and later, during the last battle for the Planetary Shield Generator Complex, which was pure hell.
"We're Mandalorians, not common rabble. I don't need to use small words." Mathew almost sounded offended at the joke. "If we have to make contact with the locals, we should do our best to make sure it is peaceful. We do have most notable Earth languages loaded into our armours and data pads. Do not fire unless fired upon, this bears repeating. I mean you, Jake." Horst levelled a glare at the Clone through his helmet's visor.
"It was that one time!" The Corporal protested, raising his hands in a mock surrender.
"You shot a friendly Adept in the back." Gina chortled.
"Tried to anyway. Mandalore's Apprentice no less. Did you see what that woman did at Sundari before we were forced to abandon the city?" Horst shook his head. "You're lucky to be alive, kid. That's one of the reasons you're on this mission. You're damn lucky."
"Thanks, I think..."
"Be advised, we're entering the atmosphere. Stealth systems are nominal. We should be invisible to anything the locals have cooked up by themselves. However, if they have any of those tinker was it sensors, then we might be hosed the moment we hit atmo. Hold on and make sure all of you are strapped down tightly – I don't want complains about tin-cans bouncing around my cargo compartment." The pilot delivered her speech dryly.
A barely felt shudder was all that the soldiers felt when the assault shuttle entered Earth's atmosphere on repulsors going just slow enough for its stealth systems to keep it invisible for everything but the naked eye – something that would soon be fixed as well due to powerful stealth fields.
If anyone detected them on the way down, they made no obvious move to counter the insertion – no one scrambled fighters, no additional sensors lit up to either search or lock on them, that the pilots could detect anyway, no hails came their way. This meant one of two things – they either went undetected or the locals knew they were coming and were busy preparing a hot welcoming party for them.
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21 December 2010
Boat Graveyard
Brockton Bay
Earth Bet
Three horse sized spiky beasts raced through the bay's freezing mists. Late December in Brockton Bay was chilly on the best of days and while this year there wasn't much of rain or snow, so far anyway, the mists rolling from the ocean more than made for it. While the monsters vaguely resembling mutated dinosaurs who Blasto or someone of his ilk had the brilliant idea to cross with large mastiffs didn't appear to feel the chill in the night air, the same couldn't be said for the three people riding them. The two teenage girls and a large young man shuddered from the cold seeping into their bones. Only one of them had an outfit more or less appropriate for the time and place of night – it was the tall, broad shouldered boy who wore leather pants, jacket and a motorcycle helmet with a skull painted on its front. Incidentally, he was the one of who bitched the most about the cold.
"Tattletale," Grue growled. "What the hell are we doing out here in this weather?! Do you think we can find anything unless we run it over?!" He added after Brutus, the mutant dog he rode suddenly jumped over something it's rider couldn't see. Grue certainly didn't notice any obstruction even as they vaulted over it with him holding for dear life, which said a lot about the damn mist, didn't it?
"Pneumonia." The smallest of the three and worst clothed for a night out this late in the winter hissed through chattering teeth. She had a form fitting purple bodysuit, which in her opinion fit her like a glove, something she currently regretted. The fut coat she had helped herself to yesterday did little to keep her from freezing her bony ass among other things. "The boss wanted us to some fact finding. That drone Uber and Leet accidented might mean we have a new tinker playing around. You know we can really use one on the team."
"Are we done? My dogs might catch cold." Rachel grumbled. She really didn't care much about their mission, which for once put her in complete agreement with the rest of the her new team. If she felt cold herself, she didn't show any trace of it besides her voice being more clipped and grumpy than usual.
"We aren't doing anything useful out here, Tattletale. Unless you can find something in the next minute we're going somewhere warm." Grue made a command decision. He was supposed to be the leader of the damn team after all, not that Bitch cared much about any of that. She really didn't care much at all about anything but her dogs and the team was a means to provide them with better care.
Tattletale on the other hand, Grue honestly couldn't make his mind about the blonde lithe thinker. She was cute enough he guessed and he was already half convinced she might be more trouble than she was worth. Her irritating need to be the smartest person in the room and make everyone painfully aware of it certainly didn't help matters though that at least was something he could work with or at least endure. Now, bringing the team out, the team he was supposed to be the leader of, the team he was supposed to be responsible responsible for, in the mist on a half-baked scheme to recruit a tinker, one who might very well not want to be found, that was something else. Their mysterious boss, the one who set up the team in the first place and used Lisa as a point of contact and a way to suggest missions, well that was something he hadn't been comfortable with since day one, though beggars can't be choosers he guessed. He needed what their boss promised after all. They all did.
Tattletale looked around with narrowed eyes and scrunched forehead. "You might be right. We probably should get back..."
"If we can find our way out of the mist." Grue pointed out dryly.
"I'm sure we'll manage..." Tattletale perked up just as the dogs ground to the halt and their ears pointed forward. At the same moment, a woman's scream carried through-out the mist covered boat graveyard echoes bouncing between the abandoned hulks.
"God damn it!" Grue hissed.
"Not our problem..." Rachel didn't sound entirely convinced. Her dogs leaned forward and growled at the direction they thought the scream came.
"This might be our tinker, just saying." Tattletale muttered.
It wasn't their problem. They weren't bloody heroes damn it, Grue told himself.
"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" Someone shouted from the fog. "Hank, get her!"
On the other hand, he could just imagine this being his little sister. Or one of his other team-mates… well, may be not Bitch. But the point still stands. God damn it! "Tattletale's right. This might be our tinker out to find her drone." They were villains, all right. They just had a reason to check what was up, right? Yet, Grue couldn't help but hear that nagging voice telling him that this wasn't their business. They didn't need the trouble or the heat if they ended up tangling with either the ABB or more likely the Merchants. Their team wasn't complete yet and they weren't experienced enough working together to risk it at this stage.
The three teenage villains stood on their dogs still arguing what to do when three weird sounds echoed from the vague direction the screams and shouts came from.
"That sounded like ray-guns or something." Tattletale grinned like a fox who just found the chicken coop wide open. "I bet that's our tinker – either the woman we heard, or they decided to help her. Let's go check it out!"
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Part 2
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21 December 2010
Boat Graveyard
Brockton Bay
Earth Bet
The squad of Mandalorian infantry landed and disembarked without incident. They fanned out around the shuttle after dispersing a spread of sensor drones, which created a secure perimeter around their way off planet. One fire team took defensive positions while the second one led by Sergeant Horst advanced towards the last known location of their scout droid – which was less than a kilometre to the east. Due to the wonders of modern technology and certainly at least a bit of luck, no one seemed the wiser about their presence, the heavy rolling fog covering the most of the town certainly helped. Without enhanced senses or special vision equipment the locals would prove to be practically blind in the wet mess outside, which was great in Mathews' view. He and his people on the other hand had no such issues – their helmets visors were meant to filter through all kinds of weather phenomena, many of them much nastier and more hazardous than mere fog. The darkness of night was no issue either – to their visors it was like a blue star shone pale light right above them.
There of course was another benefit to the sealed power armour – the environmental systems kept the cold and damp sealed outside.
Surprisingly enough, it turned out that they weren't alone out in the graveyard that late on a winter's night. One group of people and unknown animals moved in a rough parallel to their vector quickly overtaking them. Another four people were in front of them, between them and the last known location of their target. Interestingly enough, according to the sensor drones, the second group was actually two – one person in front who was likely running from the other three deeper in the graveyard in the general direction of the water.
"Look alive people, we might have stumbled into trouble." Horst sub-vocalized. "Weapons locked tight, lead element, stun settings." The Sergeant ordered and followed his own command, flicking a switch on his heavy blaster rifle.
"Do we wait for them to get away or do we get in and investigate?" Ginna inquired.
"I can see benefits either way..." Horst admitted. Their orders did specify to avoid detection if practical. On the other hand, for all they knew these people were out here in the cold for the same reason as the Mandalorians. "They might already have the package, or they're possibly searching for more like it. Any suggestions?"
The life sign running from the other three stumbled on something in the mist and felt with a subdued cry that mercenaries caught only thanks to the detection gear built into their helmets, tagging the leading figure as a female from the pitch of her voice. As the pursuers approached, the woman screamed again, this time much louder and her cry echoed throughout the graveyard. She got to her feet and stumbled away as fast as she could, which obviously wasn't going to be enough – the sensor feed didn't lie, her pursuers were gaining on her rapidly now.
Horst didn't really think. The cry, this scene, it brought back memories from the hellish retreat from Sundari with broken, exhausted and almost uniformly out of ammunition soldiers desperately trying to fend off droid raids on the last columns of fleeing civilians. Those last few days in the capital and the march to the closest friendly strong-point still featured prominently in his nightmares, it wasn't just because what he saw those damn machines do to his people. While many a Mandalorian rose to the occasion to protect their world, families, and honour, as Mandalore himself demanded, others chose to revel in the chaos to sate their base urges to loot, rave, and raise themselves up like petty dictators, carving out their own little kingdoms in the ruins of the capital… not to mention prey on those weaker than themselves.
"Move out. We're stopping this." Horst ordered coldly.
It was telling that no one raised a single voice of dissent. Say what you will about Yomaget but he and his people had chosen well when recruiting for the Knights.
"Control be advised, we've got a situation and going to intervene." While he ran, the Sergeant explained to the shuttle's co-pilot who was currently acting as an oversight.
"Affirmative. Strike Two is ready to assist and we'll keep the engines hot. I'll rely the situation to Nemesis."
The fire-team sprinted silently through the mist moving like ghosts through the night. They were almost upon their targets when the running woman stumbled again and fell with a cry, which she followed with a shriek as she realized that there was now no chance of escape.
"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" A man hollered. "Hank, get her!"
"Three hostiles, stun them. No one else in the immediate vicinity, just those other three on parallel track. They halted when they heard the screams. So far they've made no move to approach or get away. We've detected no outgoing transmissions from their location." Oversight, the co-pilot confirmed what the troopers HUDs already told them minus the part about that first group not calling for help, which was curious but something to ponder a bit later.
The fire-team burst around the rusted out hulk of a large water vessel, weapons at the ready. They saw a woman on her hands and knees desperately trying to crawl away from the large man towering above her. Both of them were dirty, though in the woman's case it could be explained with her flight and stumbling through the cold mud. The man had no such excuse – his jacket and pants were stained and tattered, his long beard was a thick and matted, with bits of food tangled within it. The bloodshot eyes and rotten teeth didn't help, especially given the fact he had them on full display as he leered at the woman, before he drew back a booted foot to kick her in the side. One of his friends was if anything in even worse shape, though the third one, who was farthest away was better dressed and much cleaner, though he still wouldn't pass muster on any civilized world in the galaxy. Three distinctive blaster discharges and three bright blue bolts slammed into the men instantly overloading their nervous systems and knocking them out.
"Ginna, you talk with the woman. We're going to freak her out enough as it is." Horst ordered in a cold, detached voice. "Jake, secure the rabble, the rest of us are on overwatch in case any of their friends show up."
"Will do, sir." Ginna confirmed, disengaged the stealth functions of her armour becoming more or less visible, which wasn't saying much in that heavy fog and approached the victim speaking softly.
"Friends like those other three?" Corporal Jake asked while removing flexible bindings from a compartment on his rig.
"Perhaps. They're coming our way, much slower and careful than they were moving before." Horst frowned at his HUD display. "Corporal secure the prisoners now. Ginna, how's the woman?" Horst demanded while his eyes were busy scanning the direction the trio and their animals approached from. From what he knew of this world, in this day and age, especially in cities it was far from common for people to ride any kind of animals. They might be just odd balls who decided to go for a ride out of the way or they might be some of these local Parahumans. In the later case, they might actually be dangerous.
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Part 3
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21 December 2010
Boat Graveyard
Brockton Bay
Earth Bet
Tattletale, Grue decided, was both right and wrong. They did find a trace of their tinker, that much was clear – multiple people in what looked suspiciously like very slick and advanced power armour were a clue enough, thank you very much. They were all armed to the teeth too, with the biggest damn guns Grue had ever seen in person, which was very important because said guns were currently aimed right at the Undersiders.
"God damn it, Tattletale..." Grue whispered.
"Uh, hi?" Lisa slowly waved. "We surrender?"
Grue wasn't sure if she was telling or asking. What he knew was that she had a forced smile plastered on her face and was sitting stiffly on Angelica's back. At least Bitch's dogs simply stood and cautiously sniffed the air trying to decide what to make up of the strangers. Rachel, bless her soul, had the good sense not to order her monster dogs to attack, Grue wasn't sure they would make it halfway to the soldiers without being blasted into very fine red mist.
Did he mention that those were a lot of very big guns? He itched to release his darkness and run, with it and the mist he might just get away without being hit. On the other hand, those were really, really big guns. Even a graze might cripple either him or the dog he currently rode, which would not be good.
For the first time since deciding to become a small time super villain, Brian was having second thoughts about his career choice. Who'd have guessed that such big guns aimed at his head would do that?
"Identify yourselves." One of the armoured figures ordered in a clipped, no nonsense metallic voice – obviously the helmet masked his real one, which admittedly was neat.
"I'm Tattletale. They're Bitch and Grue. We're the Undersiders." Lisa answered without bothering to even glance at Brian. He knew he should be irritated at her undermining his brand new authority in such a manner but well, big guns. Duh. He decided that it might be for the best to let the thinker talk and hope that Tattletale would be able to help it this time and keep her mouth of running off ahead of her brain.
Incidentally, that was precisely what Lisa was trying very hard to do. She didn't need her power to know what her team-mates were thinking. Naturally, Rachel's first and only real concern was to keep her dogs from being blown away, something she was right to worry about. While Lisa had a hard time getting any clues about the group in front of her through their armour, it was telling that they had intervened to save the woman being chased by those three Merchants. It was also telling that the gangsters were alive, or at least the one that was close enough to make out through the fog. Her power implied that the others, likely two of them, were also still alive, as well though she couldn't be sure. Her power needed information to work with and the sleek advanced armour – definitely not made by a novice thinker, hid the micro expression of the soldiers wearing it denying her power almost anything to work with. At the same time the armour itself was a wealth of information and it was both exciting and concerning. What she could make of the suits through the fog looked identical, almost as if mass produced, though they had nothing in common with Dragon's designs. A new mass production tinker perhaps? Or judging by the small but telling amount of evidence in front of her eyes, an old one who had managed to fly under the radar until they could establish themselves properly. That, by itself was a scary thought. Lisa had seen tinker tech, a lot of it. Much of it, especially anything hastily built before a tinker could built the tools, to built the tools, and so forth until they had all they needed, like Armsmaster and Dragon, their design often looked rather crude and unrefined. That was a side effect of being clobbered together with anything that might do, not purposefully build from the ground, like the armour in front of her clearly was, or at least it appeared that way to her power.
Not these suits of power armour, or the various weapons – they all appeared too uniform, too refined. The soldiers wearing them simply radiated a sense of professionalism and danger, clearly not run of the mill mercenaries. They were like a select few of Coils mercs – the best and most dangerous of the lot.
"Haven't heard of you." The apparent leader of the soldiers deadpanned bringing Lisa's observations to a temporarily halt.
"We're new." She added politely and continued to keep her frozen smile in place. What was with her and people pointing guns at her head lately?! First Coil and his goons and now these people!
"Villains or independent contractors? You're no heroes, you didn't come to help the woman nor did you call for help." The man stated.
Lisa opened her mouth to protest and make a witty remark though she somehow managed to close it before anything came out. She knew better than to antagonize the people with the large guns pointed at her head, right? She was a smart girl after all. It helped that her power promptly supplied the insight that these soldiers were aware of the Undersiders before they approached and probably had them under observation for some time without any of them having any idea. Power, any help here? Perhaps they had more of those drones around keeping eye? This nasty fog probably was no obstacle for tinkertech sensors.
"Private contractors sounds about right." Tattletale said instead.
"So are we." The same man said again and the soldiers relaxed a fraction yet their weapons didn't even waver. "What brings you out in this weather?"
"We felt like a midnight walk..." Lisa blurted out without thinking making Grue twitch. She promptly shivered thanks to the cold and was her nose getting runny? Yep, it was, damn it!
"I bet. The real reason now, please." The man asked nicely.
It wasn't really a suggestion and again, Lisa didn't really need her power to figure that out. Why was power less than useful when she needed it the most darn it all?!
"We're probably out for the same reason you are." Grue cut in. "We were hired to track down the source of a tinker made drone that was recovered in this area not to long ago. I guess it's one of yours?"
"We want it back. Do you have it?"
"Not us. Last we heard, Uber and Leet managed to crash it by accident."
"I see. We might have to pay them a visit. What are we to do with you..."
Lisa wasn't looking forward to learning what such a visit might entail. You didn't send out this many power armoured soldiers to retrieve a worthless piece of tech. Whatever that drone was or whatever it had recorded had to be important and thus valuable. Lisa couldn't help it but wonder if there was any way to get her hands on it and make it worth her while. Only then did it dawn on her, thanks to her power forcefully giving her the answer, that the soldier implied they were going to track down those two clowns and go visit them at their lair without a care about the unwritten rules. The next implication helpfully supplied by her currently very irritating power was quite obvious – those soldiers either didn't know or care about the unwritten rules, which suddenly put this whole situation in a new and much more dangerous light. It suddenly dawned to Lisa why she was thinking about them as soldiers – those weren't heroes, neither law enforcement, especially one buried by red tape and PR constrains like the PRT and Protectorate. While they might not be villains – them helping that woman pointed that way, they might very well play by very different rules. Perhaps. May be. Not enough information… ouch. Her head hurt now.
And just like that the soldiers relaxed and lowered their guns a fraction. "Command wants a world with you. The boss might have a job offer for you three."
"We're all ears." Tattletale perked up. Speaking was certainly better than the alternatives – like being used for target practice.
"Certainly not here and now. Neither the boss nor a representative who can negotiate is in the area. How do we contact you?"
"PHO. PM All Seeing Eye." Lisa said the moment her power confirmed that they were most likely to make it out of the graveyard alive and in one piece.
"We'll be in touch. Now you better scamper and go out of the cold, kid."
It was telling that Lisa didn't even attempt to snark at all until they were far away from the boat graveyard.
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Part 4
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The assassination of Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, the most beloved, respected and capable Chancellor the Republic had in centuries if not since the Rusaan Reformation marked the death of the last, best chance for the old order to last. It is no secret that Palpatine was the one person who kept the Senate working by sheer force of personality, long lasting alliances, the respect his name carried and the fact that he obviously knew where all the political corpses were buried. Without him, the Republic's government ground to a halt at a critical juncture. The Jedi Coup was bad enough, it arguably guaranteed the fall of the Corellian system, it ensured that the Republic would begin to fragment within months and most grievously in military terms, it virtually guaranteed that the long awaited GAR major counter-offensive to regain lost ground and redress an often untenable military situation would come too late and be less powerful than it could have been. The Republic bled too many forces fighting with itself both during the Coup and the various clashes it sparkled, with every system that seceded either as a direct consequence and joined the CIS or later, when Satine Kenobi engineered her unorthodox election as a Chancellor after the Senate remained paralysed and deadlocked for a month.
The pressure of the Clone Wars and the loss of Chancellor Palpatine led to issues and 'features' that had plagued the Republic since its inception in its modern form come home to roost at the worst possible time. While many citizens across the galaxy believed in the idea of the Republic and supported it wholeheartedly, the sad truth was that it was just those systems and governments that joined the Confederacy that saw little use or benefit in it.
To the surprise of many and to the expectations to many others, when pressured the Republic fractured, without Chancellor Palpatine, it lacked a central unifying figure that the public could trust. Ironically, the same mechanisms that allowed him to be such an effective Chancellor – arguably the most effective one the Republic had in centuries if not since the days of the Reformation, ensured that the Senate wouldn't, couldn't elect a replacement. Suddenly, the post of a Chancellor held tremendous, unprecedented power, a power Palpatine's successor couldn't shed if they hoped to effectively prosecute the war, yet there was not a single person who could gather enough votes to be elected. Every possible candidate had too many detractors, frightened too many people and governments in power believing that their enemies would use said person to force down their agendas and cripple them at best.
It was in this environment that Ambassador Satine Kenobi from Mandalore entered a series of direct talks with many of the most powerful governments in the Core. Her husband, General Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had been appointed Commander in Chief of the GAR by Palpatine himself, offered her an insight into the highest echelons of the Republic military who were less than pleased with the situation as well as a direct line of communications with GAR High Command on Coruscant.
While details are scarce on the ground to this day, and most records about the meetings held between the Kenobis, multiple governments, and the military are currently classified and sealed for the next forty five years, however, certain facts make themselves clear. The majority of the GAR, who were painfully aware of the military situation, and the shrinking window of opportunity they had to launch an offensive to retake as much of the Core as possible, were ready to back any option that might break the deadlock and untie their hands. Nowadays it is often overlooked that in the aftermath of the Jedi Coup and Chancellor Palpatine implementing Contingency Order 66 even as he lied dying in his office, the GAR lost operational control of most of its Clone units until they could receive a legitimate order not to pursue the traitors to the exclusion of almost everything else. Said legitimate authority laid with the next legally elected Chancellor, something that for a nerve racking month the Senate failed to produce...
The stage for the Republic's demise had been set. The only question now was how it would end – under the durasteel heels of the Confederacy's droid armies, or if someone would rise to the challenge, and reform it before it was too late.
Fortunately, two people did rose to the occasion. Ambassador Kenobi made the deals that won her the position of a Chancellor while General Kenobi delivered the bulk of the military on side and thus the slow process of establishing the new order began as one last, desperate attempt to save the Republic from itself...
Empire from the ashes of a Republic
COMPNOR Publishing, Coruscant
=MK=
Mandal Motors HQ
Mandalore
Mandalorian Freehold capital world
A Mandalore dropping in unannounced seldom bodied well. This one in particular – much less than usual. He was a damned Sith after all; or that never sufficiently kriffed Sith for a significant part of the galaxy.
More concerning, none of Horus Yomaget's security precautions caught the approach or if they did no one dared inform him, which in fact was even more concerning. The first clue the Minister and CEO had of his visitor was when the heavy armoured doors leading into the High Energy Research Lab slid open without anyone, even the automated systems, issuing the expected warning. The second one was the Sith himself walking in without a care in the world wearing his usual customized armour. Behind him, fully kitted soldiers of the 501st Imperial Legion fanned in making sure no one would have the temerity to attack their commander. The 501st had fought under Veil's command ever since disaster struck them during the Second Battle of Geonosis, when Anakin Skywalker went off the reservation, and wasted their lives in his obsession with his wife. Nowadays, those soldiers were one of the three elite formations who were charged with the protection of the Imperial Family and their very presence was a pointed reminder about the fears many held, that if anything happened to the Kenobis and their daughter, then the next people in line of the succession were the Empress sister and her husband, the Dark Lord of the Sith himself.
One of the greatest ironies of the age was that for many, Veil's status as a Sith was much less of an issue than the fact that he was also Mandalore and worse, a leader to a resurgent Mandalorian people.
"Horus, my friend!" Mandalore the Restorer exclaimed in a booming voice that echoed throughout the lab. "You can't begin to understand how glad I am that you promptly informed me of this fascinating development."
The Minister smiled politely. Honestly, the thought to keep the discovery for himself so his Clan could reap the benefits first did cross his mind, for all of a heartbeat or two before reality reared its ugly head. He didn't want to contemplate what would happen to him and his Clan if he tried to keep Mandalore in the dark. There was a time during the war, when they made the deal that nominated Veil for the position that Horus believed that he and the other Clan Leader might be able if not control then at least direct and influence Veil. They ancestors had been able to do it with the Sith of the Empire in the past or so their histories claimed anyway.
As the war progressed and Veil stopped hiding what he was truly capable of, not to mention with the Kenobis consolidation of more and more power in the Republic, it eventually became clear that many of the Clan Leaders had miscalculated. Oh, Veil certainly delivered all that he promised them, though the price the Mandalorian people paid was oceans of blood.
This Mandalore might listen to advise, take it in consideration even follow through with it if he believed it to be a good idea but that was it – the Clan Leaders and the Council that notably held a lot of power in the Freehold ultimately answered to him. The few brave fools who had tested the bonds of their new positions were now cautionary tales along with every single member of their Clans who followed them on their ill conceived schemes.
Well, at least they didn't miscalculate as bad as the fools in the Core who put Satine up as a Chancellor and for a few years used her as little more than a puppet and a figure to take the blame for everything that went wrong in the fragmenting Republic. Some of them were even still alive and in power blissfully unaware what awaited them in the fullness of time. The smarter ones were doing their best to grovel in private and buy out their continued existence and perhaps a way to retain a modicum of power and influence in the new order… Depressingly enough, that was a mirror of what already happened in the Freehold.
Mandalore the Restorer walked through the lab until he stood besides Horus and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. The man didn't look a year older than thirty five at worst, yet everyone who paid attention knew that biologically he was well over a hundred now.
"I'm merely doing my duty, Mandalore." Horus offered a salute with a clasped right fist above his heart.
"I'm sure you are." Veil spoke softly. "Just as long as we understand each other. Now, tell me all about this dimension portal you've built and what you've found on the other side. I understand that an advance party you sent has made contact with a local band of mercenaries and offered to meet them to discuss terms?"
Horus didn't know why he was surprised, considered how Mandalore just walked in the lab, which was deep below Mandal Motors Headquarters, the seat of Yomaget's power, without anyone bothering to inform their Clan Leader of said arrival.
He found himself almost missing the bad old days during the war when their side had its intelligence apparatus shattered, with parts of it either outright defecting to the enemy or simply going rogue in an ill thought out attempt to save the Republic from what they saw as the Sith successfully taking over. Because that one worked out splendidly for everyone involved, he thought sarcastically.
"You're well informed, sir."
"I spent most of the past year ensuring that our Intelligence agencies are finally working as advertised across the board." Mandalore didn't boast, merely stated a fact.
Nonetheless, it was a monumental task he had – once the dust on Coruscant settled after the Jedi's failure of a coup, only the Military Intelligence Division attached to the GAR had remained loyal as a whole. Every other such Republic wide outfit had senior officers or even Directors going rogue, not to mention multiple agents of all ranks and everyone who remained had to be carefully and painstakingly vetted in the middle of a war for survival no less.
Then there were the never sufficiently kriffed Bothans and all that entailed…
And Horus caught his mind drifting, which was dangerous at the best of times, but especially when facing a Sith. Mandalore apparently caught him not paying attention as well and gave him a pointed look. At least for all his faults the man was far from the horror stories about the Sith of old even if in some regards he was much more dangerous than those legends and records claimed.
"I'm sending my own representative on that meet and greet. She'll evaluate how trustworthy those mercenaries might be. The Undersiders, eh?" Veil looked thoughtful as he said the name. "There is something about this Earth Bet and the intelligence summaries I went over that makes my mind itch, Horus. It's like there is something I've forgotten."
"No matter what the locals believe, someone is playing with them. These parahumans, especially their tinkers – that's no magic. Someone is feeding them bits and pieces of technology, among other things."
"My thoughts exactly. If I didn't know better, my first idea would be that some of my people had made it over that side and are experimenting." Mandalore frowned as he spoke.
Yomaget was sure Veil wasn't talking about Mandalorians in this case but Sith, which was the last thing anyone needed. They all had enough trouble as it is with former Jedi gone rogue, outright fallen and what was left from the ORR Force Adepts now that the war was officially over. Sith who had been up to who knew what for unknown period of time in another dimension, that was a scary thought.
"We in fact don't know better, Horus. That's why I'm sending my apprentice with your contact team. For the time being Mandal Motors and your security department the Mandalorian Knights will continue to take point. My reasoning should be obvious."
"My people are deniable assets. The Freehold and the Empire can disavow their actions and any and all deals we make." Horus grimaced. He didn't like this at all. It was going to be technically illegal as hell too, not that it really mattered. To an ever increasing extent the laws were what the Imperial Family and especially in the Freehold, Mandalore wanted them to be or so it felt at times. Yomaget couldn't really protest if he was honest to himself. He and his corporation had profited mightily by the shenanigans that created the Freehold and the Empire, more than they could have ever expected if the Republic had continued to exist.
"That's not quite right and you know it, Horus." Mandalore chided. "My orders merely meant that any deals you make with the locals are between Mandal Motors and them. Neither the Empire nor the Freehold would necessary be bound by them, however we won't trample over you unless we have to. I do take care of my people as you well know."
"Even if it is for entirely selfish reasons."
"In my experience, enlightened self interest works wonders when done right."
"Especially when it means you do less running around to put down fires, and make examples out of people." Horus couldn't help but whisper.
"You've got that right, Minister." Mandalore nodded in approval.
Horus shook his head. He had been working with and for that man for years now and he was still unable to wrap his head around Veil.
"Any other 'suggestions'?" Yomaget asked ruefully.
"Perhaps, once we've went through the latest intelligence summaries and your plans for contacting and hiring the Undersiders."