Star Wars: Vengeance From The Unknown

Day of The Red Sun

By

Christopher Cleveland & Diego Feliu

Prologue

Watching another sunset on Mandalore was as normal as the night sleep that followed for Duchess Satine Kryze. Starting from a rough past, the Duchess had brought peace and prosperity to Mandalore, trading the warrior culture of old for a pacifist existence. While most would attest that her efforts had yielded greater benefits for Mandalore than the warrior ways ever did, Death Watch disagreed. Worse, she had had reports from the Jedi that they were beginning to mobilize against her with several allies of the unorthodox sort.

"If our reports prove true, Black Sun and the Pykes have joined their cause while the former has taken over Kuat droid foundries across the galaxy. In addition, Death Watch has also taken the liberty of training the Kuat engineers how to make droids with Mandalorian Iron," Obi-Wan had said. Taking it into account, Satine knew that Mandalorian Iron was going to make these droids all but impenetrable to the weapons her guards had except maybe for blasters. I can only hope now that the organizations have a falling out before they attack Mandalore Satine thought to herself.

"What can I hope to do if they attack?" she asked aloud as she sipped at her favorite glass of Mandalorian wine. "To be honest, Duchess, there isn't much we can do. Our guards are used to fighting common riff raff in the city. They won't be prepared for a full-scale invasion by Death Watch, never mind those scum in unison with a pair of Sith Lords and criminal organizations," the new Prime Minister stated glumly. Sadly, she knew he was right: the defense of New Mandalore would never stand a chance against the ferocity of their warrior counterparts and their allies even when ordered to fight.

But she couldn't retreat in the face of this rising threat, so she was at a greater impasse than ever she had been in her life. "Do we stand and fight or do we leave and just simply give Mandalore to our enemies?" she asked. "I don't know milady but I would have recommended requesting Republic assistance were it not for the fact that their help would ruin our image," he answered. Prime Minister Neptune was a good man, Satine knew that but he was also very wise like Almec had been.

"We can't abandon Mandalore but if we are to uphold our principles, we can't fight for it either. Do we defy principle and become hypocrites or do we abandon all we love for death and destruction?" she pressed, worried for her world as any ruler would be. "If you want the answer to that question, just ask yourself: what's worse between risking hypocrisy in order to stand for what you love and marking yourself as a coward even by the standards of pacifism?" he replied. That question seemed to be more logical and suddenly, it began to make sense to Satine who then thanked Neptune for his input.

"You are wise beyond you are years as you are kind," she added. "I do what I can to live up to the goodness my predecessor did before his untimely retirement. Without that act of corruption, I have enough to live up to as it is," he retorted with a smile. "You are dismissed for now Prime Minister, I'll summon you again if I need any more of your youthful wisdom," she said.

He truly deserved to keep his job and she hoped that Death Watch would see him as a good enough person for that. Sadly, they might find Almec a better Prime Minister for their cause than the young, peace loving Neptune.